Legends of Avantris - Icebound | Ep. 18 | Fight or Flight

Episode Date: January 3, 2025

Our heroes delve deeper into the lair of those that would subjugate them and the peoples of this land. Tensions are high, and the world around them is not always as it seems. Can our heroes endure?   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/OM_I0s2TARM?si=Rax7dFlvermAGT26

Uh, welcome to Legends of Adventress. I'm Scrimmed Stabbiscotch, and you're listening to Icebound. Here's what happened last time. You hear this chorus, the sound of many voices, all crying out. They're horrific octopus-faced, brain-heating monsters! I have been working my whole life in order to defeat the mind flares. I have been working this entire time to attempt. to crush them.

Oh, do you know what Dracore is? Do you have any idea how often or how readily these creatures can peer into our minds? They can do this, but it is... it is not all the time. It is... it is just intimidation. We will kill these mineflare. We will make our way up to, I think, the top floor. I think we will kill Safflitt, and then we will retrieve the hexer charm. It will be...

Wait, wait, wait, wait. The what? The hexager armament. Fate has led us here. I'm starting to get annoyed, but he's always right. Do you know the name Secundus? This name is familiar, yes? Very powerful. This is my plan.

He will find it with the elder brain, should I perish, and destroy him. While we are really close to it. Then get out of the way. Odd. Is he from a place of angles, lines, orderly shapes? Order. Logic, yes, yes, yes. You know I like him.

I think we can trust him. I don't trust him as far as we can throw him, but I don't think we have a choice. You were warned, and sitting at the organ is a mind flayer. Dis- uh, uh, uh, no longer shielding itself with invisibility. and you look around and up into the room and you can see them there levitating, 20, 30 feet up in this space, looking down at you, robes falling around their feet.

I need you all to roll for an issue. But you're shocked by the sudden lack of danger as they struggle and squirm on the ground, looking around, drowning, drowning, unable to. There's a popping sound, and you hear this, disgusting crunch inside the brain as their eyes sink back into their skulls and they go limp against the ground. It was a mistake to delegate command to my thralls. You are no longer in danger. I see that much has happened while I slumbered. May I ask if Mannyus, his family, their vassals, and some of the others

were killed, or if they were simply beyond the reach of my psionic influence? Looking around you, it is difficult to believe that beyond the alien walls and architecture that surround you through the mountain cave and the threshold of the waterfall that veils the Nautiloid ship in which you now stand, the city of Ogerton carries on. For them, it is the middle of any other day that doesn't bring a lottery. For them, it is a cold, but not punishing 45 degrees and great big drops of rain pour down from the dark gray clouds soaking the lands and pooling in the streets and walkways. In the market, ogres haggle and shop and bustle with commerce.

In the hippodrome, ogres wrestle and fight and compete in front of crowds of cheering ogre spectators. In the theater, stories of the ogre condition are told, performed with comedy and action and drama. In the church, ogres piously attend service. and pray earnestly for spiritual guidance concerning their joys and their sorrows. In the library, ogre scholars read and study and expand their knowledge, debating philosophy and history and reality.

And in houses, families are families. They live. They go about their daily lives. They struggle together. They know nothing of you, truly. they do not know what has just transpired or what is happening, the fight which threatened your very lives. They do not know what you are up against, what you are trying to do for them. They may never know.

Even further from where you now stand, there is a different scene. Beyond the limits of the city, the of Ogerton, a makeshift caravan of sorts can be found. There, the ogre you know is mannius, Blaginius, skis. comforts his family and hopes that he has made the right choices. There, Daisy and the other silenced humans huddle and patiently wait. There, rain has turned to snow. Pillowy flakes fall down in clumps, heavier and heavier. From this distant place, Ogerton is like a strange sealed terrarium, an outer layer, cloaking an inner layer which conceals another layer, which hides yet another layer which veils yet another, the awful weight of these layers pressed down upon

you, and you feel burdened and claustrophobic and far from home. Indeed, you stand now just at the precipice of the center of this suffocating space, staring at alien walls, at the corpses of alien creatures, and into the dower eyes of those you'd now call family. You had your chance to flee And chose to fight instead And words surface in your minds Words that reach you not through your ears

But almost like memories bubbling to the surface It was a mistake to delegate command to my thralls You are no longer in danger I see that much has happened while I slumbered May I ask if Mannyas, his family, their vast and some of the others were killed, or if they are simply beyond the reach of my psionic influence, what happens next is up to you.

And we just finished the fight, right? Moments ago, you were in heated combat, starting to turn the tines against these illithetid or mind fliers, as they were called by Ket Raspin, the Githy that you know is just on the floor below. He sent you up here to get it. sent you up here to get his sword, and then they ambushed you. You had this tremendous fight, some of you taking great wounds.

And before you were able to fell all of them, they stopped. And instead of fighting, turned against themselves, strangling themselves with their own tentacles, until there was something of a pop, and their lives were extinguished before you, which is when this voice emerged in your minds. And we are level seven? We are level seven now. Okay, good. I did level up, Derek. What color is there blood?

Mm-hmm. Because Scrim is covered in it. Oh. I-Cola. Yeah, I think that it would be Icarus. It would be dark. If it had any shade at all, it would be probably of a purple hue, I'd say. Okay.

Thank you. I would immediately also covered in blood, and my transfer information will finally go back to normal. I'll just grab the grow bag, and I'll just immediately shove some in my pipe. Mr. Feuerblossom, please. No way, thank you. Take a long draw and you're able to feel the relief of your tobacco once again. It tastes just as you remembered it.

And I will say that those things that you did not articulate those things that you did not articulate are on that center table. So why don't you go ahead and put this available for anyone who wants to start grabbing at things. This is your full inventory as all of the items. You lost, and you can start pulling things out of the bin and re-adding them to your inventory and mechanical sense as you want. Scrim will be standing there, still holding the brutal blade in two hands, covered in this blood, looking around, breathing heavily. And then he'll look to his left, and he'll see this smoky hound figure and startled.

Ah, ha! Why? Get away from me! Get back! And take a few steps away, and this smoky hound figure will take several steps towards him to follow him, leaving almost smoky paw prints that fade seconds later as it follows.

No matter where scrim goes, this creature seems to follow and stay close to his side. There is a precision to its movements and a obedience that exists. exuded from this smoky beast, aside from the memory that you explored when you were first taken by the lights in the sky and you were shown Scrim's past, you are seeing this, it's a very similar dog, but does it look exactly like Graveyard Jack or would it be just dog-esque?

It is pound-esque. It is canine-ish. Okay. It looks like a dog. It does not look exactly like. the vision that we all shared. Okay. It's reminiscent of.

It's a shadow of the dog that you saw, the hound that you saw in Scrim's memories. Stop, stop following me. Stop it. Go, go away. I don't want, go, stop. Scrant, you know hounds are like super loyal, right? No. Well, if he likes you, he's not going anywhere.

Look at it. I don't think it likes me. I don't know. I think he likes the taste of my flesh. Well, I like something about you, it's just a flesh he likes. Go on, get! Go be Barnabos's friend. I...

If that is what I think it is, there's no getting rid of a grim. A what? A grim, I mentioned it. I can't remember how long ago. Tales of Beastie. Heralds of Doom. Yeah, I chose to forget that you mentioned that ever.

Once one has its sights on you, as far as I'm aware, tales I've heard, Bargist, that one fellow wouldn't stop saying the word over and over drove him mad. Perhaps, like Miss Mark said, perhaps you can try to be friends with the Beastie. Spare yourself that same fate. Master your fear.

Well, as interesting as your new puppy is, we just heard a voice in our heads, and I think that we're in trouble. Oh, I will, I'm a massive tone right now. I will show in like a light blue light, and I will transform back to your near. We all heard the same thing. Well, I assume that it was in my head it was in yours since it talked about us as a unit. Heard it, felt it, something else is here. It sounds like, well, it leads to me, maybe I'm wrong, but it sounded like this entity is almost worried about Manny's and his family.

That could be a good sign. Maybe this being didn't want his thralls to do all the brain-eaten that they were doing. Is that possible, you think? said that it was waking up from a slumber. Maybe it had fallen asleep a long time ago, and that's why these creatures were running amok and created all this. I mean, it sounded like

it said it sent its thralls to do its bidden and it shouldn't have. So is it possible? Scream, what are you doing? I'm looking for stuff. This is... Excuse me. I'm just... Oh, no, this one is mine. We're trying to have a conversation here, buddy. All of you, all five of you, hear the same voice at the same time.

I'm just throwing shit. Hey, you can't break that. What are you doing? Those are definitely mine. Oh, no, one of these is mine. Our snow blind glasses are scattering around. You do find those. They are definitely there.

Yeah, I already threw them out. They're at here somewhere. Yeah, here, five snowblindness goggles. Anyway, keep going. You hear a voice again. Oh, honeypot. Yeah, that's not mine. Thank you, Queenie.

Thank you, Tyshen. I was only listening. I have been asleep for just a few days now. Thank you. But it appears much has changed. All five of you hear this voice simultaneously in your minds. So we can just have a conversation like this. We don't even need Rocky Talkies or nothing.

Yes. Okay, well, what's your name? I'm Queenie Mark. It's nice to meet you. I'd say the other part, but we haven't fully met yet. I know the other part. I don't want to think about that. I know your name. I know all of your names. I am the one that you know as Sopholith. All right. The deity that the ogres worship, is this what you are? This is my true form, my true home. They worship me, but only as a part of the design that is Ogerton. Do you live? Very much. I am alive.

Look, I don't want to tell anyone how to do their job, but it certainly sounds like you let things get out of hand. Yes. Jackass. My apologies, Scrim. it was not something I anticipated, then threatening you, forcing you to come here and take the actions that you have taken, attempting to end your lives. It would not have been a part of my plan. Was it a part of your plan the way they fed upon the ogres, the way they've kept them? I will be honest with you, Tyshen.

Yes. Mindflayers must feed on minds. in order to survive, they must feed on experience, on knowledge, on the nutrients that only a brain of a sentient creature can provide. I mean, I guess that's fair. I mean, that is kind of how the cycle of life works. But you just, I don't know, I feel like it could have been done different. Like, maybe you could have of told him you was going to eat their brains, but they get all kinds of cool stuff? There is only one way to do this, and it is through the deception that you have articulated so curtly.

I, self-a-leth. It is merciful. I, or actually, I prefer Scrim's name for you, Jackass, Mr. Jackass. It is not the natural order of things, not here in Adventurus. I don't care where you came from. F, you need to become a jailer in order to survive, imprison, destroy the agency of living mortal sentient beings. You failed the survival of the fittest.

You should have evolved in your strange otherworldly state to find some other way. Or otherwise, if you were not going to evolve in such a way, you should have hid yourself better from me. Well, I don't think he's being quite a jackass. He's answering all our questions. This is all theater, Miss March. The theater that they put on is a mere allegory to everything that's going on. We had a brutal, deadly combat that ended on the whim of this brain. Was any of it real? I believe that that's what our friend down below referred to Mr. Salfilif has.

I don't think I understand all of this is way outside of my realm of experience here. You think that nothing we've experienced here has been real? Boy, what does it matter? What's real and what's not? All of our choices, have they been ours? Everything we've experienced and since. Can we trust that? Whoa, look at this! And I'm swinging a silver sword out of the air.

This isn't anybody's, is it? Because I don't remember anybody having this. It's got this massive Final Fantasy VII Buster sword. Just weaning around. It's taller than you are. Well, I don't really think this is my style. And I'll just feed it over my two. It clings loudly against the middle floor.

Okay. Anybody can pick that up. Wait, isn't that that we're supposed to get for that? For what's his face? I'm going to walk over to it and grab it. But well, this is too big for me. Does one of you, one of you tall guys want to take it? Oh!

My gold! Yes! You have a bag. Definitely mine. Oh, platinum pieces? That has your honor all over it. Hey, I had platinum pieces, too. Well, you actually find out.

Do you know how platinum and gold work? No. Oh, yep, uh, yep, yeah, yep, yep. Bedrolls, we don't really need these anymore, do we? Miss March of Mr. You're near, uh, doesn't mind I can take the sword and safekeeping. Sure, I don't care. Boy, this seems mighty impractical. And I'll use an anchor.

Speaking of, I'll hear the ball with Rhomba. There you go. Three of them. Where do these multiply? What's going on here? What is this design of yours? I think that's how many inventory slots it takes up. That could be. That could be. I'm certainly not the brains of this operation. Yornear, understand that we crashed here

a little more than two centuries ago. 23 years, eight months, and 15 days. In that time, we have designed a society for the ogres where they might be happy, that they might live and grow, that they might share in experiences they would never have been able to attain on their own. But understand this, it was for their minds that we did this so that we could survive. Is that your end goal is just to survive? Like any other living creature? Certainly not. I have much greater purpose.

And this is my question. What is the greater purpose? You are not of this world, so I know you do not have the primal urge just to survive. My purpose is simple. To sail the sea, to collect knowledge. We do not just consume minds to give us nutrition, but also for the knowledge.

that we can learn of the cosmos so that we can gain insight into its mysteries. You know, he's not saying anything that's so wrong. Oh, you're so for a greater good then? No, I'm just saying, what's the difference between a being from outer space that feeds on people than people that feed on cattle? To him, we're cattle. We're different. He's talking, I mean, I'm not quite sure.

Sure, we got families. But to him, none of that matters. And I ain't never been a farmer. Because to him, we're less than nothing. We're a means to an end. The same way that we treat our, our food. As far as I'm concerned, that was his first mistake.

We are not animals. We are not to be imprisoned and shackled. I mean, to be fair, I'm a bunny. Maybe there's a difference between you and the rabbit in the woods, isn't there, Miss March? Yeah, but not to him. But to me, and that's all that matters in this situation, as far as I'm concerned. So would you say that there's a greater good to your plan, Mr. Brain? That's what you are.

Her voice. I would say that it is the goodest way that such a plan can be desired. Designed. Grand design and the ogres are happy. They are less violent this way. I have to say, Mr. Sopholeth, I'm not quite as old as you, certainly, but I've been here on a ventress for a good number of decades. And I've met many men, many men. mentioning a greater good, grand designs, a grand plan to achieve the best outcome possible in a dark and terrifying world.

And behind their back, every single one of them held chains with which to shackle anyone who would allow it. And I don't see you as being any different. I understand that for you, freedom means transformation. change, growth. If there were a substitute that we could survive on and subsist and continue our greater good, we would have found it and we would have chosen that path. What would you say to the caribou? What would you say to the cattle if it asked you about shackles, about the fence?

That is quite literally my point. I would say that I walk the path of the beast. That is the power upon which I draw, the creatures of the sea. And when there is one greater threat, there's evolution, there's change, there's growth, to survive it. You get a thicker shell, you get faster fins. you find another way to survive, another food source. And if this is what your whole evolutionary plan, all of your changing and evolving and growth and knowledge has led you here feasting upon befuddled ogres, putting on a play

and having some strange mockery of civilization, why, that is a sad outcome for evolution as far as I'm concerned. Very sad indeed. Oh, speaking of the ogres, yeah, man, yes, we saw him. You were asking about him? Yes, I'm very curious. They seemed fine. Actually, when he came around and saw it our way, you know, he wasn't such a bad guy after all. But then you mentioned him being outside of your influence and... Oh. Oh, oh, no. They're going to be all right? Outside of your influence? They will be fine in terms of their health. But... But outside of my realm, they will no longer be affected by the psionic force that I push into this sphere.

Their minds will begin to regress back to their ogre forms. We may have made a tactical booboo. What happens when they regress? It will be as though we had not imbued them with intelligence at all. They will return to their old ways. They will lose their powers of logic, of reason, and they will become savage once again. Slate used to their gut instead of to you.

I think they'd still prefer that. Perhaps. Perhaps. Need I remind everyone, our good friend Daisy is with them. Not so good. We're quite far away. Do you think

Daisy needs us to protect her? No, but I'm certainly worried about her. The moment that Mannyus turns feral, she'll put five arrows into his skull. Oh, I hope so. Have more faith. In our

companion than that, Mr. Stabasca. It's not a lack of faith. I just worry about her, all right? Oh, you understand. I think had she encountered something wild. Yes, she would do that. But she's a kind soul. She's not the type to turn on someone immediately once they go bad.

I do agree with Scrim. I think we should be worried about Daisy. I think that moment of hesitation she'll feel being unsure of whether this, change that comes upon him is permanent or temporary might be her undoing. Not everyone is like us. Maybe she'll just run, right? She'll just run. Run off into the woods.

But what about her dad? I don't know. You think she's going to turn tail when her dad's there in trouble? She's going to do whatever she can to save him, and that in itself might be her undoing. Yeah, I agree with you, Scrim. I think we've made a blunder. Well, wasn't Moylan bringing a great number of vassal there? So perhaps their forces will be able to overwhelm the savagery of the new.

Our newly rediscovered ogre friends. And we led all of them to their death. All those ogres, if the vassals win and potentially far more vassals, if they hesitate for a moment as they don't understand, The ogre is changing back. When we say what we've done is good? Well, this is just great. What do you have to say for yourself, Yornair?

We knew this was the finality of the situation. Did the rest of you not? I did, Mr. Yorineer. I don't even know I asked you. What do you have to say for yourself, Tyshen? If the natural state is for the mob, to kill each other. Is this not better?

They knew love. They had families here. They had intelligence. They had art. They had enjoyment. They got to live a real life. Just weeks ago, we were in the cold. We were in the snow ourselves.

Scranging for the simplest warmth. I will say, I'm torn like Tashem. be. When I think about death, which I think for most people does scare you, the idea of going to it blindly is kind of a peaceful thought. Thinking that something like a great lottery is happening to you, you don't realize what's happening. That sounds much better than facing death with your eyes wide open. And I'm not saying I'm not willing to. I am. I know every day we do the things we do. The death is right around the corner. But if I take a step back and really think about it,

would I rather be oblivious to death when it happens? Yeah, probably. I think I would. It is a mercy. That being said, it's... Couldn't yet just asked them if they were okay with it? That's all I'm saying. Like maybe they would have been like,

we would like to have intelligence like this, and we would like to have a community and a gymnasium and some cool stuff. And then sure, when the time comes, you can willingly feed on our brains and we won't know what's happening. Maybe they would have said yes. It is not our place to grant the ogre something beyond their nature. It is not our place. It is certainly not this being's place. Right, that's what I'm saying.

He should have asked them first. Is it our place to take it from them now that they're not. have it. Does our place to prevent any further a natural design or plan that this being intends with what we know is an extremely powerful artifact? None of it is real. None of all that art and everything they enjoyed, none of it was real. But it is to them.

Well, it is to them, but at the cost of thousands of mortal souls robbed of their voices and their freedom. Even more cattle than they are themselves. When does the cost become too high? This is making my brain hurt. And then even so, even so, would I would want to, when I do die, I'd like to stare death in the face. Right. and jump into the jaws of the beast, my harpoon in hand. Every single time.

There was a time when I wanted to escape reality. I wanted to escape what was real. I turned to the bottle. Some turn to harder substances. Some turn to things like this. Some turns to faith. Whatever it is, they wished to escape reality. And I learned as I descended and spiraled into that bottle,

as chained as these ogres were that none of it was fucking real. And maybe that's my problem is that I wish that none of this were real. I wish I'd never been putting that egg. I wish that I'd never lost my friend. And I sure as hell wish I weren't lost

in this horrible icy tundra dealing with things far beyond my capabilities. And I think to myself, if I have the choice of a life like this and not knowing the whores that were outside of the door. Right now, I take it. We were led here for a reason. We all know this. This was our fate.

The reason is because the existence of all of this is a slight against the land, slight against the world. It is my goal and my mission to bring it to an end. Humans have strength in numbers. They have done what they can to survive with their numbers. And they will do it again if the ogre's turn. All right. So where are you?

Let's have a face-to-face conversation, huh? Let's find the, you know, like the thing. I'm sure you can read my mind anyway. Where are you? You're near. Oh, she's going to ignore me. Very cool. I also ignore

script. You are right that fate brought you here. And I understand your concerns with the society that we had to build to survive. But let me also say that I have answers for you that can prevent greater threats threats to the land that you love

in Carquinos threats that you have seen in visions don't you want to unpack those mysteries I can offer you these gifts

the land you love will be safe in your hands with my help was I mentioning Carquino did you mean Carquinos or did he meant Carquinos You've been to go quinoes. Yep.

Okay. So I'm going to check. Another pod's open. Interesting. Very interesting. I was going to say. Clever duck. Scrim.

Oh, now you're going to talk to me. You can find me on the fourth level of the dominant mind here at the top of the ship. Just climb these ladders and find your way to me. And I can help unlock the secrets that. burden you. I can help release you from the terrible curse.

Really? Like, you really mean that? You never need live in fear again under my guidance. I just kind of, I just look at barnabos. And it's real, Mr. Stavis Galsh.

This ladder right here, and I point to one of the ladders. There are two ladders clearly going up to a third floor. I look to your near. I mean... I'll just put my hand. What could you possibly prevent in Karkinos from here?

What could you possibly know about Karkinos? What can you tell me? I have lived for very long time, and I know things you cannot imagine. It would be my pleasure to... offer you this gift and to show you how to prevent catastrophes, how to prevent a damned future, but I would need your alliance and assistance. I already mean you no harm, but the way things are here must persist if I am to eventually

return to my home. Catastrophe is worse than this, Mr. Yorner. There is far worse catastrophe that is possible. What do you need to return home? What are you waiting for? You've been here. You've crashed 238 years and 17 days and 47 hours. 23 years.

23 years. Oh, I tried. I tried. Not a lot of time. Not much time remains now before I, I will be able to return. The artifact brought by Ketrostin, the Get the Yankee, I believe you meant on the lower deck, has been able to accelerate our plans significantly.

If you were to join me, we would be able to leave almost immediately. You mean the fellow downstairs is the one that brought the hexature armament? Yes. To you. He mentioned it as a plan. I don't know why I'm whispering. He can hear us. I just feel weird.

Like, if I talk out loud, he's going to hear us. I know he can hear me. And I think that it would be evident in the way that he's talked to all of you that he can hear everything you're saying and see you probably and probably get some surface level action of your present mind.

Oh, he's in our brains. He's in our brains. He's in our brains. He's in our brains. He's in our brains. Oh, I hope he's going to see that. dream. I've seen it.

Standing nude at the top of a pyramid with thousands of young dragon-born women throwing pickles at you. I've seen it all by shen. Picles. Just makes me feel so strong. Oh, my God. I'm secure. And I thought I was sick. I didn't know you'd repeat it, brain.

I didn't know you'd repeat it for all my friends to laugh at me. Do as I ask her, I'll tell them more. Oh, no. Let's side with it. Let's side with it. That's kidding. There's nothing. There's nothing in my thoughts, anything in my dreams that I am afraid for you to see, Mr. Salfalo. I have nothing to hide from anything like you.

I believe that to be true. That is why I understand where you are coming from when it comes to your, albeit short-sighted perceptions of what I am trying to do here and what I am trying to do in my role amongst the. the cosmos. So you're trying to whisper into our minds, promise us all of our hopes and dreams will come true. You seem to have shaken Mr. Yorner, which is very concerning. I mean, at the very least we should hear him out, all right? I mean, like, you know, do I believe that he's going to offer us the world? No, but we hear him out, right? He has nothing he could possibly offer me.

All I need is my lover. All I need is the sea once I get back there. That's very nice, Barnabos, but we're not all you, all right? Some of us have bigger problems. You can solve that problem and I'll look at the hound next to him. It's like kind of pacing around you. Like, I'm wondering what it's doing, actually. So it's actually staying very close to me and only moves to follow me when I move.

It doesn't wander from me. it seems to be very happy to stay near my side. Stin's right in your blind spot. I'm going with the Osamandias cats. We're like... Boobastus. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Or it's still slinking along, right?

Yeah, it moves very fluidly, but it doesn't move unless I move away from it too far. I also don't see why you having a cute new dog is a problem. That's not cute. What's wrong with you? It looks pretty cute to me. Okay. They helped you in the fight.

I've lived my life embracing the beast inside of me. Perhaps you can learn a thing or two from me, Mr. Stabasgutch, beyond fishing. Don't you bring up fishing now? I will. The tackle's right there. You haven't taken it. I'm not going to take it. That's yours.

I've gifted it to you. Without moving eye contact from Barnabas, take the fishing tackle. I still have a scowl on my face and I stick it at my bed. See, you're capable of learning and changing even someone like you. I still want to hear him out. At the very least, we came all this way. Even if he has nothing to offer us personally, if we present the item or side with him as he asks,

they'll leave. Is that not also accomplish what we came here to do? Free the town. Mr. Mr. Sir, we don't have to go with you. I am asking you to join me. Have you considered the limits of your own existence? Sweet Lord, here we go.

The finite nature of your mortal lines. I'm going to be sick. Yeah, I've been talking about it for a little bit. And the possibilities that lie beyond those limitations. I have gifts of knowledge to share with each of you that will, help you unlock the visions that you see, shed the curse, pursue the wisdom that you seek Taishen, be able to learn the true nature and understand your hive fully, Queenie. And to get out of the way, remove the obstacles between you and the voice in the shell,

Barnabov. You need only join me, and we will be able to do so many great things together. All right, I'm going to the ladder. I don't know what you have to us are doing. I'm going to the ladder. Will you let us take the hexature armament from here? Make persuasion check. Oh, good.

Dice this game. Tone, ton. Oh! Six. You don't have plus? I don't think they have plus. Oh, yeah. Fucking, the thing, do the thing.

Double twist? Yeah, double twist, double twist. At least one. At least one. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm doing two. Just two, two, do two. Fuck this guy.

Fuck this guy. Let me get you some different, oh, yeah, this one. I love how incensed Mikey's getting, so it's making Barnabotin'bos people. Oh my goodness, gracious. Oh, he was meant to be. It's right, faint.

I'm a... Oh, boy. The artifact is what I require to use to get home. If I can do that, then perhaps I would be willing to part with it. But I cannot honestly say what my home state will be in, and so I cannot make a full commitment to your ask. Quiney, will you go with me? Please.

Don't make me go. alone. I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna make you go alone. I'll go with you if you really want to go. But you're just going to listen. You're not doing anything stupid. Well, yeah, no, obviously. What if I ever done anything stupid, Queenie? Come on, please. Well, you can't think of a single time. Thank you, Ty Sheff. You were getting drunk a lot when you were trying to navigate the ship, which could be part of the reason that we got stuck on this island. That's number one. Um, why I? You never What? You never got drunk?

I didn't say that. I didn't say it was worse. Yeah, because you stopped before you finish saying never. To be fair, I am partially responsible for sending up as much brandy as I did. It was to keep me warm. Yeah, but every time I tried to send you a coat, you said no thanks. Doesn't work as well as the brandy.

I also officially crashed the ship onto the ice and only because you already told me to. I'm not saying, I'm not, okay, let's not play the blame game, all right? It's tearing the brain is tearing as a part! All right, all right. You have all had our fair share of missteps. I just, you ask the question. This is the boss, fuck.

I'm just saying, I want you to be safe. Thank you. Because I care about you. I care about you too. I'm not going to make any deals. Did you cross your fingers behind your back? No, no, no. Oh my God, he's being honest.

You got me? I'm not going to, I learned my lesson about making deals. I just want to hear him out and see what he has to say about this. cursed. I look at the dog. And that's it. I just want to hear him out. Why can't we hear him out from here? Because I want to see what this thing looks like. What if looking at him gives him more advantage on you, Scram?

And that's why he wants to tell you in person. What if he's tricking you? I'm really curious what he looks like, though. There's no way that this ends without us facing it. So he may as well go now. I would like to see it as well. All right. Thank you.

So we all go together then? Together. I'm with you. Do you think we should have a conversation? I know he can listen to everything we're saying, but should we talk through this a little bit before we start climbing that ladder? While this is happening,

I think the words, may we speak privately? See if it can perceive and respond. Oh my God. Individually. Your hair is a smart cookie and no response comes as the conversation continues. Oh my God. But we don't know that.

No. So I think we should have a conversation about everything that's happening. So that when we get up there and we see this thing face to face, the best thing we could possibly do is be aligned. And I'm feeling my self-waver here. waver on what? On everything. Like, I don't want to see Mannyus not be Mannyus anymore.

And I understand that he wasn't always who he is today and that I shouldn't mourn the facsimile of who he's become. That's a pretty good word, right? If you like that, I did that one for you. It is a good word. Oh, do you think for just a second you could pretend like you can't hear us? It would just make me feel a lot better about this whole situation. Cool, thanks.

I will not interfere with you any further. Consider yourselves in a private place. I await you on the fourth floor the command deck.

All right. And you actually do get a feeling of vacuum, of absence. Oh. Oh. Ha! ha. It's weird now that it's gone. It's like you don't even realize

it's there until all of a sudden your head's empty. It's pretty empty. up there, huh? Aximile's a good word, Miss March. So, I'm not sure what we do here. We don't let it continue. Obviously, we can.

No. I think we have to... No, no, you go ahead. I think we have to go up there and to make any decision. It hinges upon what this creature can do or

what it was willing to do if it will leave. if it will go home, if we can make that happen, if it can promise safety to your near, or shatter's scrimms deal, if any of that is possible, but we won't know. Why us? Why if it's had this texture armament for so long? Why didn't it leave? Why did it stay?

Those promises that it was making, those promises sounded like the promises of something desperate. Well, if it can't do what it's promising to do, it means it's not as powerful as we initially thought, and we could stab it in its stupid brainy faults. That's where I come in, Mr. Stamaskatch. But if it has a reasonable offer and I might be able to be free from this horrific, look at this horrific, horrible creature! And it's actually very cute dog.

If I can be rid of this, then I'm gonna think about it. I'm gonna think about it. I think we should also talk about what it means if Scrim or any of us decides to take it up on its offer. We're friends. We're family now. And just like we were talking before about not taking away someone's agency, if this thing that haunts Scrim really does affect him in such a negative way and he has the ability to be rid of it, I don't want to take that away from him if that's the path he chooses.

Thank you. What do we do that? How do we rectify that? Well, I mean, I have an answer. If your answer is kill Scrim. Oh, it better not be. I'm not going to be able to do that. Or kill me.

We can't kill Scrimm. What do you mean or kill you? We don't want to kill you either. I have said that for any creature that wield shackles as indiscriminately as these, they are my enemies and I keep moving forward until all my enemies are destroyed. And if you, Mr. Stabboskosh or anyone here takes up those shackles, you become my enemy. I don't like your tone very much, Mr. Barnabos. I will not compromise.

Even in the face of the end. Not when it comes to this. Are you listening to Alice? Not when it comes to what I swore to her. I just can't get over how you can so ferociously argue with that brain about the way he took away the agency of the ogres. But then in the same breath, turn around and tell Scrim that if he doesn't do what you you're going to kill him. What I'm saying is that it's not my choice to decide what you do, Mr. Stamoscotch,

but I'm saying that you can handle that. We can handle that BC together. It may be your due, but we can find some way. Perhaps you can even harness it yourself. Perhaps you can command that thing instead of the other way around. You have no idea what I've gone through every waking hellish night for the the last 40-some odd years. You don't know me, Barnabos.

You think you do, but you don't, okay? Every waking night of my life, I haven't slept in decades, all right? You don't know what I'm going through. And I'm doing the best I can here. I want to hear the thing out. I, I don't know the level of fear that you've experienced. But I know what it's like to not be able to sleep,

not be able to get a moment's rest because of the thoughts that are in my head. It's a poison. I do understand that. And all at the end of the day, we humanized, goblin, triton, human, whatever it is, fear is a poison. And it's fear that ruled your life and it's fear that continues to rule your life. And I fell to the bottle. I let that poison.

I fed a poison with poison, Mr. Stabascoch. And I've even made the mistake of helping you indulge the same. So I do understand to an extent. I understand the choices we all have to make. It may not have the form of a shadow dog. But I understand not being safe and calm waters of a tranquil mind. I only have that when I hear her voice. All right.

You and I were officially fighting. You and me, we're fighting, okay? That's it. I'm going up the ladder. Scroom, will you just wait for a second for me, please? I've got your back. All right. Okay?

I'm not going to let anything happen to you. If I have to put myself between the two of you and you have to kill me to get to him or vice versa, I'll do it. But I'm going to close my eyes because I don't want to see it coming. Anyway, who is the lady in the show? How do you know she's not doing to you? This thing is doing to them.

Because I've heard her voice. And we've heard his. I've seen her. I know. I feel it. You don't understand. You haven't heard her. No, I understand that. But I'm just saying, Mannyus feels the same way.

I would be careful is all I'm saying about blindly trusted, a disembodied voice. Her voice. is a Lauren. Is the only time I feel home. Her voice is the only time I feel a shred of sanctuary in a pause and tumultuous seas. And because I love you, I'm going to tell you right now, you need to find a way to feel that without her.

And I hope that someday before this ends, you do just in case. Oh, I know. We're going to do this together, and we're not going to kill each other. We will do whatever we can to stop each other from making stupid decisions. Because together, we can accomplish anything. Yeah, we're not going to be fishing together anymore, that's for sure. Well, we'll see how you feel about it in the morning. Maybe you'll finally graduate harpoon fishing instead of tackle fishing.

Oh, you would like that. That's all I would like that quite a bit. I've really had it up to hand with you. Scrim. Do you want me to go first? No, I'm happy to go first. All right. I need everyone to make a perception check.

Do you want me to walk in between you and Barnabos? Yes, please. I will. I fail. I will find the answer regardless. You said prescription? Mm-hmm. Presception.

I got a 12. 11. Okay. All right, hold on. Not great. 16. 22. Holy.

I don't have a DC in mind. This is the contest. I need to find the same one. That's awful. Yeah, that is awful. I don't like that. We will have a private conversation. You can't find your own module, and then you can't find where the staff lock is.

I do have a question. Oh. Yes. Uh-oh. Sollet, could this count as a short frass? Ha'ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. I would say this has actually been pretty real time. Now, I will say if you want to, you could start actually gathering up your things in a more active way,

because you guys have gone from fight to talking to Sophilith and talking to each other and having these debates and ideas of doubt in all of your mind. If you wanted to act, like you haven't put on your garbs, right? So I was gone to your things. So real time would have been about an hour. We've been playing for about an hour. That's fair. That's a fair point. You know, just to throw that out there.

I don't hate that, actually. I don't hate that terribly much at all. I'm going to get some D12s just in case. All right. Did anyone roll higher than 20 on the perception check? You're in 22. You're the only one who notices that Ket Rosteen has climbed up through one of the ladders and is silently listening and examining the sword. Everyone is looking at each other, standing around the table, and perhaps not just by the merit of the way you were facing, but in your periphery, you were able to see that he is now present amongst the group, just sort of listening in. He hasn't made himself known and seems to be assuming that he has not been seen and is examining the edge of his blade.

The edge of his blade is on Barnabos's back. Yeah, it's in my netting. I thought that it had gotten thrown, and you're right. You went and picked it up. It was. I picked it up, and they gave it to Barnabot. Okay. And that's when I said it was impractical.

That's an amazing guy. He does not have his sword. He is, he is, all he did was get up there and sort of lean against the wall, sort of getting a sense of how you've all taken this initial confrontation with esophilat, it seems. As soon as I hear him, one of my ears will sort of twitch. You have your sword in our possession. I won't even turn out of. Stay facing me.

We weren't trying to even bring it down. When did you get up here? Gosh, I was starting. I didn't mean to scare you. I saw you were busy, and I didn't want to get in the way. Wait, what do you think, Mr. Seine? What should we do? Should we hear out Sothilf? He's offering us grand prizes, our wildest dreams.

All deception. He may even be capable of the things that he promises you, but he is lying. Trying to get you to be caught in his web, yeah? I think back to the whole exchange that we had, and seeing that he said that the land I love so much was Carquinos and not the moon. Could I have a general sense of whether I think that he is a... My apologies. That was a Derek mistake. That's why I checked. I am sorry.

When you asked, I thought you meant Karkinos not Dracar, because you've had two visions of catastrophes. He would have said my mood. My sincere apology I'll bet you that was a real... Okay, I thought it was like... He's an approximate knowledge. He was talking out of his brain ass to the human child. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I fuck that up.

Okay. That's okay. You're far. Yes. No, no, no. He would have known that the land you loved was Mamut. And he would have known that your vision would have been specific to that territory. I will not say that content.

Okay. Terrific. When you finish your conversation with Ket Rustin, you can be granted a short rest. Hot dogs. Theory of the small is back. Sorry, I meant long rest. It's not Karkinos. It's Mahmood.

Shit. Thank you. You're all standing there having apparently been granted privacy by the elder brain you know as Salfileth. And Ket Rustin, the Githyanki, has joined you on this floor. Originally, he was going to wait below for the sword, but it seemingly has grown impatient, and he's come to check on you. That's where you are. What happens next is up to you. Is there anything more you can tell us about the Hexature armament? Anything you haven't shared already with us.

This is very important for what we do next. So please, I implore you to be honest with us. What is your interest in the Hexacher Armament? It is the next step on our pilgrimage to find it. You're given a quest from the spirits of the land to retrieve it. This is news to me. This is a very powerful olfacts. It is about this big or so.

There's a polished metal, almost reflective, like a mirror. It is potentiating magic. is in softless hands. I imagine he can do terrible things with it. Is this the kind of information you mean? Do you have any intents to keep it or use it? My intent was to get it to an elder brain so that the plane of logic would bear down upon them and destroy them my enemy. All you need to do is deliver it to this elder brain. They will not make this distinction so cleanly, I think.

If they find it with the illithid, the illithid become the enemy, you understand? I see. It's a simple plan. It's very devious, you realize. I know not if you have this phrase, but to fight fire with fire, I think. To destroy something as sinister, esophilith, and the other mind-flareers requires this level of deviousness. I understand your motivation, my new friend. Revenge is about as good of a motivation, justification for anything. But it's, when you finally achieved it, doesn't bring any more warmth.

Doesn't bring any more peace. It'll never be enough. You truly must know that, being a smart feller like you are. Perhaps peace not for me. Peace for my brothers and my sisters. Peace for my families. The other gives Yankees that I call my allies.

Peace for them. Maybe not for me, no. But it is a sacrifice I am willing to make. You understand. May I have my sword back, please? Any objection before I give this fella, what's his? We don't have a use for it. You fulfilled your end of the bargain.

You're a skinny feller for something like this. But you got strange mind powers, don't you? Here you go. And what is heavy in your hand? He pulls almost from your hand like you would lift a quill. Yeah, brain stuff. When you are tuned to it, it is as light as a common rod.

Yes, this is what I was asking. Yes, thank you. It was not easy to forge. When he looks at it with almost love. If you think that soft lip does not listen to you now, you are fools. If you think that anything he has said to you or promised you is going to come your way in any positive sense, then you are stupid, dumb, even. You don't have to look at me when you say that.

It's just where my eyes went. I didn't want to know about it. Bournebos actually laughs. Hey, Mr. Dredway, all right? We're still fighting, all right? All right, Mr. Stavis coach. I want you to know, too, that I faked every single day of fishing we ever did together. No, I know.

You didn't know. You didn't know. Do you know how much fishing I've done, Mr. Staviscoch? You didn't know. All right. He didn't know. Does you're near a norm? Why are you telling me?

Because you're standing right here, and because you know that he didn't know. I don't know what either if you know or don't know. Please don't involve me, and I'll say, like, I'll say. You never studied the techniques, Mr. Stamaskatch. You never would have caught all that fash, how sloppy your form was. I would say something like that to me in front of our friends.

You're the one that said you faked it the whole time. I was trying to hurt you. Mr. Stamber Scotch, we were far beyond that. Here, at the end of everything, perhaps. At the end of all things, you're going to be really upset if something happens to me. You know, okay, after all said and done at the end of all things. Yeah. I think we'll all be, if anything happens to you or any one of us,

we'll all be suffering the same fate. No, I have a feeling. I think tensions are running high. Oh, you think? Well, it seems that I'm comfortable saying I know. I agree with you, Tysha. These petty quarrels aside, I think perhaps we rest. I need to take some time this is my sword,

and it looks like you are in need of getting the things that you said were taken from you back on your person, yes? I think we have everything that we need. I was going to suggest we enjoy a nice cup of calming tea. Something to warm the spirits. We don't know what's going to happen when we go up there, but I know that as long as we stand together, no matter what happens, would be okay I could

go for some tea yeah no I don't know you this is an action of trust that you make I'm kidding this is an action of sharing I think it's important I learned that from Scrim I'm sorry it didn't feel good the second I said

you don't wear it very well it was so uncomfortable I thought it would be funny Scrim said that I should your face all tensed up when you said it You looked quite awkward. It was a physical pain. Yeah, I could tell.

When I spoke it. Yeah, I can tell. Let me make a point. It is that actions are how we build trust with one another. Actions are the only thing that matters. These words that have been whispered into your mind by Sophilith, whatever they may have been, they're not the actions of someone you can trust. Yeah, let me...

And he walks over. And he pulls over. looks like a pool, a spool of twine almost from one of the shells. This is a twine. It's not mindflare specific. It's used in many ship contracting making crafts like this that we use to sail on the Astral Sea. And then he pulls out a length of it and turns it on itself and starts to twist.

And if you were to twist it clockwise, it would dampen any energy that would hit it. And if you were to turn it in the other way, ah, yes, it would potentiate energy. It would amplify it ten times. This, I think, for you, Hun, Queenie, this I think for you, could make a better bowstring. Oh, well, thank you. Thank you kindly. Yeah, I'll have this to my bow. This is called Rift Court. It just needs to be waxed, and I think you will not have an issue with this. My bees generate a lot of wax. This is very loud and upsetting.

I will turn it down. Yeah, that jukebox over in the corner has been hippie at best. Space two months. Splish plats, I was taking it up by it. He hands you these fibers twisted in the direction that he indicated, and it does

seem strong to you. And if you were to apply it as your new bow string, you would find that it would become a plus one weapon. Whoa. Okay. Yeah. I do what I do that. That's what I can go.

Thank you. I think this looks beautiful. And with my bees help, I will attach it. You, uh, they will, uh, they'll be climbing all over it and waxing it. You see their little bee feet just doing its thing. You see? You see. She's shitting on the bow string.

This is what I mean. Is how, is how we become, uh, uh, uh, uh, in our attempt to defeat a terrible monster by giving each other gifts by doing actions that protect and aid and support one another I think that's very kind to you and I appreciate that greatly you have my book you have my sword you have this cup of tea oh thank you enjoy it's been a while since I've had any liquid that doesn't then pumped into my stomach for I'm a pot. Mechanically, it does nothing for you, but it's very delicious.

Do you have to say things like that? You have to articulate what you mean in such plain ways. Just keep it to yourself. I'm just being straightforward. This is the way of the world. I would like some tea, please. Oh, please, you're on. Thank you.

Barnabas? Thank you, Mr. Fireblossom. Thank you. We're letting him drink out of... Yeah, just give me it. Thank you, Ty Shed. I don't know I feel about letting him drink out of Daisy's Cup, but I guess, you know, it is potential end of things

and flattening of mountains and everything else Mr. Yorneur muttered about. At the conclusion of the scene will say that you've granted yourself a short rest if that matters mechanically to you. Yeah, it does. It does. a bit. Very much. When, but you don't have to take it right away. I'm saying at the conclusion of the scene.

I'm just saying, don't spend your hit dice if you don't need to. I need to. I need to. You're here last session? Before you do then, I'll stop you. I'm sorry. Don't spend your shit. Okay.

I'm reminding myself of something that Kett also does to earn your trust. You don't want us to spend our stuff. I take the short rest, but I'm understand that he gives you guys all a magical boon a magical boon the boons do you get a boon paper

why do I have my moon paper it should be right here just one moment oh my goodness I'm gonna enjoy some how is it possible that I take out my little stone and turn it into a frog again and I say

do you want to let my you each get a greater potion of healing frog friend boon all over your face you each get a greater potion of healing before you take your short rest. That'll affect how, yeah. He goes over to one of the other unusual objects.

It looks almost like a keg. And after he finishes the tea, he pours out the remaining drags and fills one for himself before indicating that this is a magical healing potion. And you are all able to take a swig before the keg finally is

Oh, I see what you're saying. Yes. Oh, we just take it. I actually had one in my inventory, which is this one. What is that? That's a greater healing function. That's a great question. Hold on.

It is 44 plus four. There you go. Unbelievable. That's 4 is a fucking awesome. 4D4, not 44 plus 4, may being 48. That would be outrageous. Oh, man. And you're all, you all have your things.

Now, I wasn't able to make a heart, a strong decision one way or the other about this, Barnabos. your cast iron pans condition. Oh, jeez. I could see it going one way or the other. And so I think a no twist, just raw, death-saving throw style fate role will determine whether or not it would be stripped clean

of all of its seasoning. Oh, my God. There's never been a more important role in this channel. Or if it is remained untouched by the mind fliers and their examinations of your various artifacts. Or if they sat around and, I mean, they did. I don't know.

I'd be fine. 11. Okay. That's one second throw. Oh my God. You can make three. You can either have to scabilize or you have to die.

No twist. No twist. For 18. Oh. One more. It's pretty good now. Odds are pretty good. Natural one.

Oh no! No! That's what you get for saying that. You son of a bitch. Odds are a good movie. Oh, I hope. I hope it. It's not that in it, baby.

It still gets that to be it. I'm doing your favor. 55% chance of success. Let's go. I'm going to throw up. Oh, no. 13. You look at the pan and you see that it remains seasoned,

the best seasoned cast iron pan in adventurous history that ever was or perhaps ever will be. For some reason, my heart is boundy now. I'll put it in my things, and I'm going to take the teeth. and I'm just all of my strength not to crush the cop that I drink from. And when you lift the pan, you notice that just adjacent to it, and yet you finish your swig, there's a small little totem just there on the surface of the table.

This isn't anything that you recognize that it would have been amongst any of your artifacts, but it's got a great big tail. It's got a wide face, almost like that of a whale, but with, multiple eyes on each side. This sort of like, not quite wooden, not quite stone. It's very unusual, but it draws your attention right away because it looks like something that you might encounter in the sea. Is it an abeleth?

Nabilith. An abelth? It is not an abelisk. I'll tell you at a level. I'll pick it up. You pick it up and you turn it. And when you turn it so that its face faces you, all of a sudden, this bright, flash suddenly blinds you for a moment, and you are swept over by the, uh, uh, uh, not a vision,

but you, you are instilled with, with, uh, a strange power. For, for a moment, you, you, you, you blink and this blinding flash seems to have imparted some kind of a boon net to you. Oh, what's just getting straight booms? It's the end of the lighthouse. Yeah. You feel something changed within you as you look into the eyes of this Kandori totem. And you find yourself additionally benefited, mechanically speaking, something unlocks within you.

Whatever this totem was or why it was here for whatever purpose, it seems to have seen something of likeness in you. And you realize that it has shared this specifically because you picked it up. Well, it was meant to have this. What is it? Excuse me. You got any more tea, Mr. Foyer Blossom? Well, sure. Do I get a sense of what it is when I have its, when I'm holding it?

You get a sense that it is a whale-like creature, but you would not know what a kandori is, and you would not know its origin. It seems, it seems alien to you. Strange whale-looking thing. But it seemed to have found a parallel in spirit, a kindred in you. Yes. not quite unlike my flask, but strange-looking, tendril things. Probably a space whale. I've heard tales of space whales.

Ah, that's a dumbest thing I've ever heard. Well, you know, you can never... Sometimes there is truth in the mad ramblings of a drunkard. Okay. So I first learned about the grim, Mr. Stabascotch. Sure. Whatever you say, Mr. Dredwig. So on site.

Yeah. Mm-hmm. I think Scrim's mad at you. Who? I think Scrim's mad at you. Yeah, that seems to me the situation. You keep trying to talk to him like he's going to like you again. I think you just need to give him time.

I think actually if you kill him with kindness, you'll bring him up. Let's not say the word kill in reference to Scrim to Barnabot. Just use kindness, not the anchor. You bring him around. Just give him some. He's very smart. He's very forgetful. I've killed a lot of things, but I don't think I've ever killed anything with kindness.

A new challenge. Aye, a new challenge. Yes. I'm going to find a way to kill something with kindness, Mr. Fireball. I believe, if anyone... Can you explain what you mean by kill? Because I'm envisioning a future, unlike the one you're intending. You're going to...

You're going to use... Use kindness to fundamentally change the way that Scrim is. I feel like kindness is too powerful. I don't want to kill Scrim. With that. I have ideas. I feel good about this. Yeah, I'm bad.

I don't. Well. Are we going up the ladder or not? Let's go up the ladder. I'm feeling rested, yeah? You're joining us. If you were to turn and try to make out, your way through the lower level and back out somehow or perhaps across the boardwalk here and jump off the ship,

I would still turn and start to make my way up so that I might fell Sophilith. Look, I don't know how much you heard, but we'd like to have a conversation with it first. So let's not just go chop chop in, all right? You understand this being is trying to turn you into one of these? Okay, I'll be honest. No, but I just want to hear it out. He is almost certainly listening to your other word now. I know.

It's unavoidable. I really don't like the way you're talking to me. Well, he also told us that he was giving us privacy and we're totally alone, so I think it's fine. I want to go on record and say that I did not believe that, all right? You think Sophilith is listening? I bet almost every gold piece I've ever made. It's a giant alien brain and a crazy horrible squid ship. There's some prison ogres and thousands of people to do its bidding and feast upon it.

I don't know. Something about the tone of voice just made him feel very trustworthy. I don't know. That is true. Yeah, see, follow the voice. We did lull me into a false sense of security. Mr. Fire, Blessing. Have you ever heard anything? Have you heard the term of gilded cage?

No. We'll talk about the great power trio. They're great bards. Okay. Let us continue onward. Fulfill your destiny today. And you do. You fulfill your destiny of climbing the ladder.

And for the first time in this session, you guys make actual movement occur. And you make your way up. And that means that we're going to have to put a new fucking map. on the ship. Oh, M goodness. Tunt, ton. Can we now move the... Like, oh, yeah. That's for the Queen. It's supposed to be. This is how the... There's a large silver score. That's Barnabugs. The way I like to do this is clear all the minis off of the second floor.

Oh yeah, yeah, because we're going up. And let's put the lowest level underneath the... Okay. This floor here. Which is right here. We're gonna grab Cat. You had to put them. And then that's fine.

Then that's maybe a fifth. Is it going over top or next to it? I don't think I had a spell scroll of lesser restoration. Well, somebody did. That's me. Yeah. Oh, yeah, I'm going to commit war crimes. I'm going to commit the false flag.

I'm going to do commit the flag. And annihilate a bunch of squid people. There might be another spell score on here somewhere. Yes. Of beeline. That's me. Yeah. I think it's actually, I think it's barnabose says,

Beline. There's something. random stuff over here, just like, you know. It doesn't sound very much. That's mine. Oh, we forgot to simulate this, and I think it's important that I mentioned this. There's javelins. I don't know who those are, maybe yours. Yours. Barnabas.

There's my harperors. Oh, here we go. There's some torches and mess kits and rubbish. I forgot that if I put that in there. As you guys are resting, let's just quickly rewind and hit this point, especially. Row bag is also his. We could say that Kedrastan Pond is also good. We could say that Kedrastine

demonstrates this or perhaps Scrim, you lean back on the keys of the organ or something, but the voices emerge when you press the keys. And I wanted to convey that it's obvious to you that the reason

why it sounds like a human choir is because the pipes are affixed with the trachea of the silence vassals. Oh! You sick, fuck. I didn't think that that had really been something that you guys had seen. Wait, I'm sorry.

The vocal boxes. Can you, can you say that one more time? What does it even look like? I can't even picture that. Yes, the organ that you guys all listened to the beautiful choiry sounds that were being played in order to keep soft and let the sleep was indeed piped with the voice boxes that had been stolen from the humans like Daisy.

In that choir, one of them would have been. So now that we have noticed over the course of this rest, what that a horrific machine is made out of, all those things that I said about feeling any kind of understanding for this creature have evaporated. We should have just tried to play the organ first. And I would now like to kill it. And if you were listening, you were going to die. You know, Queenie's right.

As a happy reminder, you start to make a way with grim determination, the ladder to the third floor. And where's over here? Yes, it's those crosshatched areas is where you're able to enter. Put yourself wherever you want and put him wherever you want. This deck is shrouded in an eerie, pinkish, red glow

like crackling fog. At one end you see a massive sphere affixed to the wall. Its surface remains perfectly smooth, yet traces of light in arcing and twisting patterns play across its surface. Throughout the room, more strange and alien artifacts, devices, and instruments can be seen, all seemingly devoted to the navigation of this craft. Sensors, controls, nodes, charts, these items are etched with symbols and ciphers and markings

as well as on the very walls themselves. The lines and grids on the wall are both strange and forms. familiar, like a nautical map and a constellation chart all at once. Opposite the strange sphere is another opening leading to the outside, a battle prow with the two orbs you recognize as the same orb that you saw on the figurehead of the silver ship in Ogerton. And you would be able to, if you were to go across and look out from this prow, see the giant deck, the boardwalk that stretched out that you did not explore. out in front of you, and you can see from that great window place on the ceiling of this cave, the inside of this massive cave. Anytime I, when I climb the ladder, or there's not a, like a physical way for the creature,

the spirit to physically climb, it loses its canine form and turns into almost a smoke cloud to drift up behind me before reforming on the next step. That's a neat trick. Okay. So it does what the dark wizards from Harry Potter do in the movie. Yeah, kind of. No, but spook. That is where you find yourselves as you enter the third level, navigation, propulsion.

So this is the deck that we're looking down. Yes. Oh. This is the third level. So we're not faced with the... Nope. One more to go. Yeah.

One more to go. Yeah. And you do see that there are the additional ladders. taking you upwards, doing whatever you want to do. Are these like Second Death Star Palpatine's throne room style windows? Those are the eyes that you saw from the exterior of the ship. They are these massive round windows with bars that stretch out from the center. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

And you can look out very palpitinaily. So yes. Very palatina. I would just, once I get up and quickly survey the area, not seeing anything of interest, begin to go to the next ladder unless someone were to stop me. Just begin to proceed. After learning what we've learned and having all the conversation and feeling very much in alignment with Queenie's change of heart, I would proceed unless someone were to try to stop me.

Does anyone try to stop scrim? Do you explore this space, or do you just go straight up? your mirror has no interest in the space. I'm no longer at the interest in the space. Barnabos is the saying, yeah. You all step onto the platform of the third floor and start to make your way over to the ladder when you hear this set of sounds, for lack of a better word,

sort of a... like that. And it's the sound of small things landing. Riggling tadpoles. land, one on your shoulder, one at your feet. They look like clawless lavender crawfish with nests of tentacles like horsehair worms sprouting from their backside. Lamprey mouth's opening and closing. They move incredibly slowly, looking at them, not by crawling or walking or even undulating

like a caterpillar mite, but by convulsing and scooting forward and short erratic darts. These... This is disgusting. Oh, no. Why's he got a container? I'm in danger. Ew. Too free.

If you can move them. Oh, no. Those are like little grains of rice? Talker Jimmy's. That is little black rice. Black rice. Oh, God, I thought it was actually like bugs. I was...

It does look like rap boots. I am a fan of simple tools. I am a fan of simple tools. Breaking pencils and rice and black rice. How are you controlling bugs to fight us right now? Are they really exactly enough? Or can we just do... There should be 12, so there should be two fridge.

Can you count out the rice? Why? I love beans. Rice and beans. It's a classic. How would I count out of a fucking race. These all land around you and they immediately start crawling towards you. One of them is already on your arm like this.

And what are you all doing? In this moment, as you were rained down upon, seemingly falling from the ceiling, ready to pounce upon you. I think if one landed on my shoulder, you said it was kind of wet and gross? Yeah, I'd say it's wet and gross. It's sort of bright. How big? About three inches. Not very big. Very small.

Yeah, I would probably swat it off me. I'd try to stop on it like a roach. You start to move forward, and you feel a surge of a spell-like effect start to hit you and hit all of you. and hit all of you. You are all start to grow delirious, woozy, all, not sleepy, but tunnel vision starts to overtake you as the spell-like effect begins to overtake your minds. I need everyone to make an intelligent saving throw.

That is not where I am biking. Mommy, I use two twists. Yeah. It's a saving throw, you said. Intelligent saving throw. Okay. May I use two twists as well? I got a 19, which gives you a 20.

Can I use two twists as well? I got. Oh, when I'm good, I'm good, baby. Oh, my God, I think I may. Int, just straight in, saving throw. Mm-hmm. That was a minus one for a second. 19.

18. Okay, okay. 13. Oh, no. Okay, okay. 12. Better do it is. Oh, no.

Twist? I roll the natural one and then I rolled 2.10. I rolled a natural one. And 18. 19, yeah. Okay. What did you get, Your Honor? 18.

Thank you. All right. The highest. We're determining a turn order, not whether or not you succeeded. What we're going to do is we're going to go Barnabos or Scrim first. I got a 20. Oh, you got a 20. Yes.

It was not. It rolled a 19. 2019-18 Taishan in this manner You're hit with a spell that I'm calling DreamScape I like it

Let me cue up Scrim The Tabor The Tabor beneath the ice is here Isn't that like a Microsoft program We built websites back in the day Oh the fuck Wasn't it?

I don't know how many things have been called dreamscape. Yeah. Somebody fact-checked that. Was there like a program in the 90s called Greek dreamscape? No, they're dumb. I think low. I'm sure knows. That's really who I'm asking.

One moment, scrim, you are flicking this disgusting, weird creature, this larva thing off of your shoulder, and you walk up to it and you have this very specific intent that you're going to step on it, and you step into a tavern. You step into the tavern that you recognize as the, you know, five stories. You are in the city of Wuzzi. It's not weird, actually. In southern Yulong, you've journeyed far from Bargist, always running, always hiding.

You find yourself in this tavern in one of the poorer districts of Wuzzi far up the river. The weather that sign out front, five stories. And you can see why, as you walk through this entrance, the building is indeed five stories tall. and you find yourself sat at one of the tables during the busy hour alone. What I choose to do next is up to me. That is correct, but what I will say, this is key. You've become convinced that this is real. You have no memory of what was happening moments ago.

Of course, I wouldn't even question it. To break the spell, you'll have to make a intelligence-based check to notice minor flaws in the reality of this space. Okay. All right. So I blink a few times. I look around. I go get a drink.

Okay. You walk everywhere you look. Groups are laughing and enjoying communal hot pots, eating and drinking. You walk over to one of the waiters, and they turn to you. How can I be of service? Obviously, I'd like your finest. if you have it. And I would like to pay with this. And I pull out the coin. Okay. And I place it in their hand.

Oh, yes. For a gold piece, your finest. Very, very, very kind. And he pockets it and turns out. Please make your way to any of the seating available. And I'll be right back. Thank you very much. And I go find a nice seat. And I say, what a fool. And the corn will come back to me. You snap and the coin reemerges, and as you put it down, you notice that there's a book just at your side. A library book, a book that you have never, well, it feels oddly familiar to you. That's weird. I set the book down everywhere from my drink. You fucking nerd as a library card.

Let's do it this way. Buck nose guys Somewhere in reality These tadpoles are Starting to do their work Starting to make their way closer But Scrim is asleep On the metal floor of a Nauteloid ship

You refuse to open the book And a bourbon is delivered upon you Oh, perfect You see a tall, muscled figure Walk by your table And sit at a group of what are also obviously people who are not from Wuzzi. You don't recognize any of them.

He sits down and, Grie-J friends, I am Noneck. And he starts to talk to them. No-neck? Yeah, yeah, no-neck. You met him once before. After taking a long draw of my drink, I will, I look around the tavern and then my eyes will fall on the book.

I look around. See if anybody's looking at me? And I'll pull the book a little closer and just kind of try to glance to see even as a title. The face of it does not appear to have any writing or anything along it, but it feels not like something that somebody left. This weirdly tickles the back of your mind as if it has always been yours, as if it's something that you made even.

I flipped the book, I'll do with one finger, still looking around to see if he's looking at me. Inside you see faces. Faces you in this dream moment. don't recognize, but you look down and you see that a face of a Triton. You see his big beard. You see the stem of a pipe coming out of blood in his mouth. You see a whatever the fuck yorineer is. I'm sorry.

Fear bold. Fearbulk. Wow, I always forget a fearbook. You see the face of a fear bowl. God, that is one uncley, son of a bitch. Roon shangling from a... Arctic clothes. You see a dragonborn.

And though you cannot see that it is a golden dragon born from its scales or its colors, you do see the long tendrils that come down from the chin. And you see a rabbit folk. You see a herringon. You see what is... You look at their faces. You don't seem to recognize them immediately, but there's something strangely familiar about this.

Huh. Interesting. Is that all that's in the book? That is all that's in the book are sketches. Memories of a book that you pulled off a shelf when you were in a mind library, not six sessions or seven sessions ago. And I don't get any kind of feeling from seeing these faces. They just seem vaguely familiar. They seem vaguely familiar, but it's off-putting the way that something suddenly feels strange in a dream.

Is there any chance that upon viewing the Triton, it would fill me with rage? Yeah, if you were to make a history check. Sure. History? Probably is it plus one? Oh, is it? I don't, I trust you. I just don't know what's...

No, no, no, I just don't know what this thing's being. There we go, thank you. I just wanted to make sure. Hot seven. Hot seven. You strain and you strain and you strain and you strain and you don't... It's elusive.

It's almost like in a dream when you try to remember what's happening in the real world. What's going on with these pieces? And you are unable to repeat the intelligent saving throw that would free you from this dream scape. So is that the end of my turn? It is.

This is bullshit. Barnabas, if I can find your playlist. Like, whoa. A creek. Barnabos, one moment you are looking at these strange creatures, these strange tadpoles, they're crawling around and each

of them are going after your friends and before you are able to do anything, before Scrim is able to even step on the one that he tosses to the ground, you sit up and you are sitting on a sandy beach. A beautiful sandy beach. It is gorgeous on this beach, tropical even. You look at the ocean in front of you

and it's not just blue but emerald. It shines clear and you know that if you were to go into those waters you'd be able to see as far under the sea as your vision allowed before it ended. You look behind you and there are palm trees. You're clearly on some sort of an island and there's a small canoe-like watercraft

just to three, four hundred feet away on the side. And you're hit by warmth on your other side, nearby a small fire, roasts a huge bore, which already seems to be overcooking. No one is there standing to turn it. No one is there to rotate this bore. The sound of the waves, though, it's very soothing. And you're starting to sit up and get a sense of,

of your surroundings, how you woke up to this place, this dream that is so real and convincing to you, you realize that there's something in your hand. A half-carved flask. Drinks, just to your side. Rum enough for two. There's no civilization in sight. You are alone in this moment, and you're not sure why, how you got here even. I look around, does any of this seem familiar? to me beyond just the general environment. You've been to the Makani Islands before, not

a place that you've been many times, but if you, in all of your great travels, had to put your finger on where you are in the world of adventurers, where you've sailed and all of the seas that you've been across and all of your voyages, this fits that

description very well. Get out of here. Pretty, Get out of here, League of Legends. You're not one of them right now. We're on the beach. I will sit back and I'll look at the half carved flask. So maybe half of it is, or maybe the front half or the back half. Sure. And I'll admire its craftsmanship. And I'll look down at the rum and I'll say, well, I guess I have a bit of thirst enough for me. And I'll step forward to the boar. feeling, I think, at this point, hunger more than anything else.

And I'll see, all those go to basically rotate it and basically see to make sure that it is appropriately, it's not being neglected, that it's appropriately, you know, basically applying my chef's instincts. There's something very familiar going through these motions as you immediately jump to attend the unattended bore and you start to rotate it and there's something missing here. here, something that rum for two, this half-carved flask, there's something deeper going on on this beach, and as you are turning it and feeling the warmth of the fire, not just warming you, even in the hot sun, it feels good against your skin, and you start to smell the fat and

the cooking meat. You spy driftwood that's just starting to be pushed by the gentle shifting waves up onto the sand. all reach down and grab out. You walk over and enjoy the sensation of the sea water under your feet as you pick up the drift wood and look at it. From one side

it's bleached white, blank, but when you turn it to the other side, you feel confusion and sadness. You feel excitement and

adrenaline. You feel adventure. You feel freedom. When you look into what is clearly painted on the other side of this board, green eyes that stare at you. Featureless otherwise, just the shape of the eyelids, the eyebrows, the pupils and the irises themselves, and they lock eyes with you. You aren't sure whose eyes

these belong to, but something stirs deep within you from the deepest recesses of your heart. My, and I look around, do I recognize these eyes? You try to think. Do you want to make a check about it, or do you draw on to see if you can find crack in reality some other way? Are you just asking? It would be my question to you. I would defer to you as the dungeon master. What does this spark? Knowing what you know, what is this due to my memory given my certain situation? What do I, what do I, what would Barnabos know? I deferred you a full carpalage.

I think that whether or not you would succeed or fail at finding this information in you would require a check. I'll do it. And I think a history check is the most effective intelligence-based version of that. So let's go with that. History? Yep. a twist. Okay. I love that. I'm gonna use one. A history check. I believe that's going to be

a 13, but let me just triple check. Move it up in the right direction. I'm not a Viking there. Yeah. Yeah. I think you're 13. 13. I'm gonna do it this way. This is how I'm gonna do this. Oh, we move closer. Yeah. Oh, God. Oh. What does that thing say? It doesn't say it. It's just, it's just, yeah, they're just You are staring at these eyes and there's something not right about the world, but it's difficult to put your finger on. And you start to look around suspiciously, trying to figure out what is missing, why you're here, why you just woke up so suddenly, can you remember how you got here? And that's when we transition to your near. Wait.

No. No. You're near. You feel one of these. strange creatures, one of these lavender tadpoles, whatever this happens to be, smack against your arm and fall far, far down, and all the way to the bottom of the metal floor and to your feet, and you look down, and it immediately starts to use its horsehair worms to grapple onto the bottom of your staff and start to make it your way up. And before you can make that gesture, you go into a deep slumber and you find yourself completely, completely at the mercy of a false reality, a dream.

And that's when the music starts. So I need to roll for like, make sure there are any like ceramic sinks behind me as I have to all. Whoa! Whoa! Jesus. I'm like, I'm eight feet tall. I'm like going, you know.

You're fine, it's Claire. I got out of the tub and slipped. It's a game of road fantasy. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You take one point of bludgeoning damage and then you roll down the ladder. I can do a top of all. to see which direction I topple. Like the giants,

we're going to explore, because I'm going to explore this shit. The shit? Along the fjords of Mamut. Mamut. Oh, shit, I had it down right here. Traveling south. I is still quite tender, wrapped, bandaged even, from your most recent experience with the mammoth.

You are still getting accustomed to the weight of two fresh mammoth tusks on You're back and you know that there is a long journey ahead of you. You dwell on the visions and the implications of that experience that you had. And you know you're taking the first steps of that trek. And you marvel at the beauty of the land around you, still fresh from the snowstorm just a few days ago, but melting and green and bright and beautiful with its natural looks. as it would be.

This is a day of options. You could walk until it is time to camp. You could forge the area, perhaps, hunt to gather additional rations for the journey to come, maybe meditate or practice your magics. The day is yours, knowing what you know about where you are headed and trusting in fate that you will be guided at the time that makes the most sense. But unlike your brethren, You did not shield information in the library when Sofala first infiltrated your mind.

And no suspicion it first arises in you. It is a beautiful day in Mammut, and the day is young. I look around, if you look at my face, and I'd say, this is not carquinos. Making a D.C. Get debt saving. Suddenly there is that ceramic sink right behind. Yeah, I'm kidding, I had to.

I'm sorry. No, that's totally cool. He says with tears streaming down his face. I guess this feels normal. This was when I first sort of started my pilgrimage, I guess. This would have been within the first week of your pilgrimage. Oh, wow. which is how very, very fresh your eye feels,

which is how very, very fresh the weight of these things. But as you are in a dream, when all of a sudden a context is thrust upon you, what question is there? Yeah, I mean, I think that I would probably, if I had been walking for a while, I think what I would do is I would sit down and I would, if there was enough sort of just kind of dried wood around,

I would make a very small fire. and then I think I would take out some herbs and maybe a little wooden, maybe like one of these, or something similar, and put some herbs in there and some herbs and some aluminium and some, what did you say earlier? Skeletal. What? Skeletal. Skeletal?

Oh, is that? Yeah, instead of skeleton. Oh, I love that. Skeletal. And make some sort of like, some sort of like application. And I would kind of, you know, maybe remove the bandage. And just sort of sense, obviously I can't kind of really look at myself too well. But unless I found some sort of reflection.

But I would kind of maybe try to do my best to sort of clean my wound with some water and then apply whatever kind of paste that I made with medicinal herbs and maybe reapply it. And then re-sort of apply the bandage that I'm wrapping around my head. Make a nature check at disadvantage. Ooh. That hurts. It does hurt. Should I just let it ride?

Yeah, it's not the end check. That's true. That's true. Yeah, that's going to be a... I think that's an eight. You apply the medicinal herbs that you've known the tincture, the poultice, which was a word that Nikki introduced to me too long ago playing this game. also one of my favorites and all feels as it should be um that's not ominous in anyway

yeah i would probably just sit there i would relax i would feel the heat i might you know put uh if i had a little kettle or something i would put it on and uh boil some water and And then maybe, you know, throw some roots in there or something. Make some kind of like root tea. Or bones. Maybe make a bone broth. And that's where we'll pick things back up when we return to the version of your turn. Tashen.

Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. You also see these tadpoles and look around with curiosity. With, uh, uh, uh, uh, are these creatures natural to the, this cave? or perhaps this ship. Oh, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I don't see, I, I, I start to see, the others start to fall and slump around you. And it seems that they are in danger. You, you, you get the sense that there is something not right before you are suddenly plunged into a dream.

Hey, uh, you're looking down and you're washing the surface of a dream. counter you are using a rag to and you've done so many times you are cleaning the surface of the counter of the Serenna tea the tea shop that you have worked on for so long in the jade shell village in the valley of the setting sun it's the morning that Maylee went missing but in your dream that was forgotten that's not something that actually happened you in fact you're here now in present of course right may Lee bursts through the door and greets you hi uncle do I know me Lee the context of is is it is any other morning and this would have been

the morning that that she went missing but the vision being presented to you by this spell probably by Sopholith is that that never happened to give you a sense of your own serenity. Oh, Maylee, welcome in. Hi, uncle. What's going on? Oh, just cleaning up. Are you ready to help out? Yeah, what's my duty at the shop today? Well, I thought you could organize some of the tea leaves.

I did that yesterday. Oh, well, how would you feel about polishing the pots? Okay. Make sure to use the traditional watering technique to redo their fine glass bodies. Hey, Taishen. Why did the chicken cross the road? I don't know. Why?

To see the ugly person. And she starts to get to work pulling pots and pans. Hey, Taishen? Yes, Maylee. Knock, knock. Who's there? Buk, fuck, book, buck. Bac!

Oh, you. Absolutely sad. Wait. What's I the ugly? Oh, you know, are you kidding? I didn't get it. I knew you didn't. Oh, God.

You incorrigible prankster. Thanks, Uncle. And she starts to get to work. And Miley is a prankster, and she certainly gives you quite a bit of a hard time especially with these invented jokes that she has. And when she's out in the world, she's uncontrollable chaos. But for whatever reason, when you are both working together in the shop, she is a contributor.

She pulls her way. And so she gets to work at the duty that you set her. What do you do? Oh, I don't know. You're good. You're good. Keep our pain like your heart to bend. I continue to get things ready.

for the, it's morning, she just come in, I continue to get things ready for the morning rush, which is my one customer who always comes in at the very beginning of the day, setting out cups, preparing trays, you know, smiling, looking over it,

Maylee and smiling as she goes through the technique of washing the pots and making sure that they're ready for their first bruise of the morning. You can tell that she is a little amateur at this, still. And as you guys are conversing and talking back and forth and waiting for the first customer, it's still quite early. You wake up at the earliest hour, and Maley is happy to accommodate that early timing.

She's asking you questions about the world beyond the veil of this place. She starts to sort of, you know, aren't you curious, uncle, about what goes on beyond the valley? You know, it seems like a really cool place to explore. If we ever wanted to leave, you know, right? Oh, Maley, everything I need is right here with you. When you say those words, there's a insight twist almost. There's always been a part of you that's been curious. And it almost feels like someone is speaking for you as you say those words.

Because it was the curiosity. your excitement to learn about the world that you protected in your mind library when Sopholith was initially infiltrating. It was your sense of adventure. What there is to learn about wisdom and to learn about the world seems to be something that should be, as peaceful and wonderful and serene as the valet is, why not go and explore? Why not explore Mali's question? You suddenly feel that you've shut down something that is exciting to her. and should be exciting to you. Why is that missing?

Huh. Okay. Well, I guess I just was curious. You know, I thought maybe, you know, there are these mountains and all this. Surely this isn't all there is. Maybe it's not so great out there. I don't know, Uncle. Oh, yes.

The mountains. Oh. No, I'm sure. I'm sure it is great out there, maybe. I'm sure there's many to, many things to see. see many things to learn and experience. Well, why did you just say that then, huh? Oh, mainly, I didn't mean to upset you.

I just meant that I love spending time with you and I'm happy here, but... Oh, okay. I guess I can understand that. I'll get back to work. When you turn back to washing your time, counter and that feeling of not being yourself suddenly starts to tingle and creep up the back of your neck, starts to feel like this isn't right. This isn't totally who I, that isn't

that isn't how I would have responded in that moment. Why did I do that? And as you investigate, let's say, your own mind to see if you can come up with a solution, I would ask you to make an investigation check. 18. Oh, let's go. Well done. You are disturbed by what's happened, and you start to turn the counter,

and I need to make an intelligent saving throw as you feel suddenly, am I dreaming? Is this a dream suddenly occurs to you? I'll double twist it. I got it. Let it rip. You've gotten this far.

Come on, come on, one more. Give it a good roll. Give it a good roll. Nice thrust. Yeah, exactly. Do it. There you go. Five.

Five. Fuck yeah. I just rolled a five. Damn it. Oh, it was the fakes. Damn it, brain worms. Dahl roos. You don't break free.

You don't wake up immediately. You don't break free from the dreamscape. You are able to pull away from the spell. You are still consumed by the reality that it's still convincing to you, but you have passed a threshold. This is not real. And that's where we'll pause your turn. I don't own this cup.

So you don't move closer. That's right. Wow. That's really good. I can't wait for my eyeballs to be eating on the outside in. At least he's in a leeches. Don't help me when I'm dead. What do you know?

Queenie. That's me. That is you. And you are the last to be hit. Oh, no, I guess Scrim might be a little shorter than you. Are you shorter than Scrim? I can't remember. Scrim shorter? Scrim shorter? Okay. So you're the second to last to get hit by a lavender tadpole. I think we're probably exactly the same height, but I have much longer ears. Right, right, right. Big old bunny ears. And then he's got the hat. So like... Yeah, we basically walk in tandem of my ears are just a little bit taller than his hat. Very good. Um, uh, you're grossed out by these disgusting creatures that land, around your feet. And before you can hop away or do anything,

you suddenly find yourself in a dream. And you find yourself in your hometown, which I have written the name of right here. Nope. Okay. You know what's funny? I don't even remember

the new house town. Rabbiton. Foxbridge. Was it Foxbridge? I think so. Yeah. Nice. Okay, Foxbridge, let's go. I was going to go with rabbit polis, but... I was going to say Carquitos.

Sing! My guts are on the floor. We'll name it out to our natural predators, so everyone lives in fear, and we can control the populace. You are having dinner with your family. Your brothers and sisters are there. Your mom and your dad are there, and you are enjoying a delicious, delicious dinner. Carrot salad, carrot stew, carrot cake for dessert.

And they're just chatting. They're just loving life passing the rolls, passing the sides, and you suddenly wake up to this reality that you are in your old home, but it's not your old home. It's your current home. Oh, can you pass me the carrot pudding, please? Oh, my pleasure. Here you go. Thank you.

Oh, do we have any of that mashed carrots? Mashed carrots? Yeah. Well, I think we got some in the kitchen if you want some leftovers. I didn't make it fresh. You want me to go get it for everyone? I mean, I'd be happy to get it on your behalf. That'd be great, so I can eat this carrot pudding while you're doing it.

That's fine. I'd be happy to do it. All right. All right, and he turns cold us, and he steps in. He starts to make his way over to the kitchen. knee. Oh, Oh, you're all right?

Oh, yeah, no, I just tripped over my shoelaces. They be undone. I don't know how to tie them. I have taught you to tie your shoelaces at least 16 different times. Come on over. Well, I'll come to you, you're on the floor. And I hop over to them. Do I know how to tie my shoes?

Yes. Well, I know, but I read the book. Because you shielded the information. You have that information now. Okay, so I do have it. Yes. All right. So what you did.

is you make these bunny ears, so there's one bunny or two bunny ear. Then they cross over each other, then they flip into the hole, and then they tie together, and that's how baby bunnies are made. The whole family turns to you. Wow, none of us know how you do that. That is really remarkable. What are you talking about? Wow, did you invent that? That's crazy. How did you do that? And you look it down at their feet, all of their shoes are untied. What? And I'm going to hop from two to chew and to start tying up. Paul, you taught me how to tie my shoes back.

I'm not sure I did. I obviously can't tie them now. How do you, the bunny loop goes through the first year and then you... Are you feeling all right? I'm feeling just fine. This is unnerving. My, Paul, for real? You're the only one who's ever known how to do this.

You know that child. And where did I learn it from them? We thought you invented it. Why are you even wearing shoes with lace? as if you don't even know how to tie them. You want them mashed carrots or not? Yeah, I do. All right, we're going to go.

Oh. Oh, then, Bonnie, what are you doing? Untried himself somehow. I don't know how this happened. No, they didn't. You did it yourself. I didn't. Stop messing with them laces.

No. No. We're not in sight of you. I'm not the sink. Julian Carquino. I couldn't think of a serious way to do your promise. This is what I decided was going to be yours.

I mean, of all of the ones it's going to be not serious, it's cool. Yeah, it's fine. So you enjoy a long dinner, and everyone, yeah, they're tripping over their shoes. It's bad. It's really bad. It's a massacre. There's bruises, people are lining on their elbows and knees.

I'll tell you. It's the whole family. And you think you can hear in the distance other families and other homes. I go up to the window and I look out. It's like people are strolling through. like the late evening and I'm just having a beautiful date and they take each other down. What on earth is happening here? If I invented you, laces, which I will say I did not. Why did why are you all wearing shoes with laces?

Get that zipper stuff that they've got in a bandrums. Well, they need to be laced or they come apart. They get zipper shoes. But what of those? Those don't exist in advantage. I don't know. Yeah they do. I heard they did. Maybe in a thousand years, but right now. Somewhere in Carquinos, they do. Oh, shit. Oh, fuck. I wasn't even walking.

Why'd that happen? You know, shoes invented by crocodiles. They call crooks. You start to suspect that something is lost when you talk about the history of zippers. Why don't you make a history judge? Oh, Jesus. Okay. 18.

Okay. Make an intelligent saving throw. Let me make sure. I know it's, I have a plus, too. Yeah, yeah, 18. Until saving throw? Yeah. May I use twists?

Absolutely, you may. That's what they're there for. That would not count? I threw that one. 18. Let's go. Barely. Yes.

You suddenly, the absurdity of what is happening around you. What do you mean, barely? The check is lower. We're never escaped. We're talking about the spell safety. now, and you are able to pull free, and you wake up. That was an obvious ream. I look down at my shoes. That's this crazy pants. You, well, but you are looking at a lavender nightmare tadpole larvae insanity thing crawling up your chest, just being able to tickle the bottom

of your chin as it's starting to make its way onto your face. Sick of bees. and I don't have the bees throw it off of me. You are looking at the bees. They are also very lethargic. In this moment, you are just coming to, and you can use your action to crush and kill this one with perhaps the limited amount of bees.

Yeah, we'll do that. But you'll not have very much additional movement or actions to aid your friends in this moment. That's fine. Would I be able to crush it and then use my rabbit hop to hop 10 feet away? I'll give you five of those feet because of how lethargic and wiki up.

I think that's great. It's like sleep paralysis almost. You're like, and you're able to make the hot. You can remove one of the lavenders and then move to where you would want to be. What's a lavender? Sorry, one of the tadpoles. I don't know why I referred to it that way. And then just, yeah.

Ovoim. Boim. And that brings us to the top of the round. No, it's delicious rice. It's delicious. Eat it. Is it delicious? It's got full of nutrients.

Ew. It really does look like a rat shit. Doesn't it? It looks like a rodent shit. I was like, what can I use? Do I want to print out tokens? No, they'd be too small. And then I was making rice.

And I was like, perfect. 12 grains of rice, please. This podcast is brought to you by our Patreon. Become a patron today at patreon.com slash legends of Aventress and gain access to tons. of exclusive perks including a monthly movie night and a weekly Patreon exclusive campaign set on the high seas Shroud over 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 Dragon 5th edition. And don't forget to snag all the extra goodies like dice, miniatures, plushies, a tarot deck, and more. Thank you.

It's grim. You have a very expensive bourbon. You have a book full of faces that you don't recognize. You're starting to look around the world with a lucidity of sorts, but you still are convinced that the world is real. Perhaps some prodding is necessary. And five stories, you can see Nonek has convinced whatever group is engaged to leave with him and start to make their way. And so you still feel very much all alone in the...

Is there anything in the book that I recognize, or are these all memories from post the egg? This is the book that you pulled from the shelf of the library. So when you pulled it, you were thinking of your friends, and you were thinking of your initial meeting. So this is private information just for you that you happen to have saved for yourself as a skeleton key to almost get out of here. But it is up to you to determine how to get from a point that you are currently in. character thinking about to point B of how can I challenge the world or try to pierce its reality and find a way out of this space? I am frustrated viewing the faces in this book and not being able to, you said it was like

being unable to recall a dream that you woke up. Yeah, familiar yet unknowable. I would realize that my bourbon is empty, my glass is empty. I would reach in to grab the coin again to order another drink and hail the market. Yes. And I look at the coin before I hand it to him. Is it a look as I know it to look? That would have been accessible to soft lift, so it looks exactly as it would have.

Okay, I give the coin, I order another drink, I continue to stare at the faces. But now I'm not, now I am no longer, I don't care who sees me looking at this book like a nerd. I am engrossed in these faces. Hey, that guy's reading. Shut up. Get them, dude. Mind you on business. Woghly.

Oh. Oh. And I am now fixated on these faces. I can't remember. Why was this book here? I would look at the Furbulg in this book. Am I filled with a sense of frustration and circular logic and cryptic messages and things that I don't understand? Do the big words make scrim angry?

You study it real hard. I feel bored and frustrating in all the same. You feel bored and frustrated at all at the same time as you stare into this face. And it's like to do it an inversion of what's happening in your mind when you look at this face. You know when you meet somebody and you've known them for a long time and then you'd suddenly, for the first time, see a picture of them when they're much younger. It's that sensation. It's that sensation of like, oh, yeah, that's the person that I know. But this is almost a different feeling.

This is like taking that and turning it inside out. You feel like you should know this person, that you should be perhaps dining with them in this very moment, but it's elusive. I look at the rabbit folk. Do I feel as though this person is kind to me and almost feels like a sibling I never had? Bubbling from the surface, you are starting to make these associations, yes.

Do I look at the dragon-born and think, that's an easy mark? I can take him for everything he's more. Even if this was not a familiar face with the bubbling associations, you would still feel that way you feel very strongly. I would like to, I'm bothered that I feel like I should remember these people or that somewhere deep down. And I would like to try extra hard to see if I'm like, you know,

oh, were these marks in the past? Were these people that I ripped off? Were they just people that I ran into once? Should I know them? Why are they in this book? What is this book? Why does it feel so familiar? Make another history check. This is, it would nag at me so badly I would become almost obsessed with it.

I'm gonna twist. We send them. You burned them and so they use them. Oh. I can eat. Another bourbon, please. Keep them coming. Here you are, sir.

Yeah, yeah, go, go away, go like. Are you sure you don't want anything to eat, perhaps? No. I'm getting like, throw out. I'm gonna bezzled my hat, like, to shovel. You're sitting at a table for seven, and if you, the bar is just, uh, very good, very, very, very, very good.

For a gold piece, a fine customer, yes. I'm gonna give you another gold piece to fuck off. And you gave him, you teleported the coin away, and it's the same fucking, uh, the coin. I, any, any, any goes away. Let's put you right there. And, and, I'm like, I'm like, in the dreamscape, I'm like, ah, ah, ah.

Barnabas. Where are you? Let's find you. Sorry, I have way too many playlists. You've just completed applying some refreshing oil, not oil, ointment on your face to your eye. You've re-bandaged yourself. Sorry. I'm Barnabose. But I got the music. Oh, wow, I got the right music. Wow. Okay, Barnabas. You've just, finished applying a new oint to your eyeball. Sorry, they're twins. They're really hard to distinguish.

Party that ruins. You're staring at a piece of driftwood at eyes. You're smelling the now overcooking boar behind you, but ignoring it, you are feeling troubled because there's something both extremely vital about this clue that is washed up on the beach delivered to you by your love, the sea, something that you have come to know for so long. But there's also a block, an obstacle, something between you and it that feels

impossible to overcome. What do you do? I look at the eyes in the driftwood, and I try to remember the best that I possible can, I am. There seems something so familiar, but I, and I can't stop looking at it. And do I get the sense that I am younger or older, or rather, the same age that I'm at? Maybe I would try to look into... The context that was thrust upon you, I can tell you immediately. This would be pre-shell Barnabas. Yeah.

This would be as a dread wake, as a... Still haven't hit all the seas just yet, but inexperienced sailor, certainly. And this was your time here in these tropical islands. I'll look at the boar that's roasting. I'll look at the tropical island that I'm on and the two different bottles of rum and the seats. And I'll try to make a connection. I'll try to, the hardest I possibly can in this strange space, that just seems so right and wrong at the same time.

History or investigation, your choice in terms of your check, you're pushing to find something that when you were in the mind library was already deeply buried in the recesses of your mind. This is no easy task to make a connection, a through line, even if it had been a memory that is as fresh as your time in your hometown, for example, or if you've protected the memory of your friends that you consider so dear to you. It was a natural one, folks. Oh, I felt the sound of the double things.

I can feel the one. That sounded good. Natural 18, natural 19, so 20. Holy shit. A 20? Yep, a 20. You look at the eyes and you look at the... This is a sign.

This is clearly an omen. This is clearly an indication that there is a missing person here. Someone should be here that is not. There are two rum bottles. Someone was rotating. You're no carver, but someone was making that flask. Who they were is not obvious. obvious. You can't pull that memory from the deep recesses of your mind, but you become convinced

that you are now in a space that is an illusion. This is not where you are supposed to be. And so you may make an intelligent saving throw, or you can do whatever Barnabos would do to get out of a dream space. I will look at the flask and And I will look at the carving of like a half-formed carved of like a sperm whale with all sorts of intricate designs. And I'll look at the pineapple that is carved on the front of its head. And I will look around. And as I see the eyes on this piece of driftwood and I see, I hold the wooden flask that's not completely formed, I'll look around and I'll say, no, she's. supposed to be here.

She's always here. Every night, and I chucked both into the fire. Oh. Make an intelligent saving throw. Wow. Okay. I've got chills on my legs.

I hate. I got that checked out. Yeah, probably. You throw them in, and they immediately begin to spark and sizzle and be consumed by the coals and the fire, and you watch them immediately begin to deteriorate. You don't care. You know that they aren't real.

It's just a question of how do you break through this wool over your eyes? And we'll find out on your next turn. You're near. I'm sorry, Barnabov's, right? Aye. Seatry. Well done. You're near.

You've just finished applying. You have no suspicion. You're fine. Everything's beautiful, actually. It's... An hour might pass to during this, I would think I would, because the, the tusk would be off, if it's only two weeks in, I would probably still be carving the ruins in the tusks themselves. Yeah. You're perhaps only strategizing even.

Yeah, you're planning it out and meditating on it and sort of trying to peer into the weird and just get a sense of what I think I'm supposed to do and getting glimpses and hits of visions. Yeah, I might just be sort of very slowly and try as delicately as I can, treating this with as much reverence and respect as possible, sort of quietly risking a ruin to myself. And just sort of, as I always do, trying to kind of stay on alert and just listen for anyone or any animal or creature that might be approaching. Because you are accessing the weird or not accessing it, but just sort of reminding yourself of what it is like to truly be in that space and to carve the runes. Given their religious quality, I would ask you could make a religion check for me. That takes advantage. It's not bad.

It's a disadvantage. That's not great. Oh, baby, that's not bad. Disadvantage. We don't know the DC, do we? I don't believe I've said it out loud. If I hit with an 18. There's the spell save DC for the intelligence saving throw,

and then there's the spell check DC, which is specific to the spell. Religion, you said, is 15. Just makes it. Wow. You are, you've spent two hours sitting and contemplating, and you carve into the tusk, and there's something about the quality, the texture of it. When you become lucidly aware in a dream and you start to push against the world,

you start to realize that the details are filling themselves in just as you arrive, almost. You start to realize that the world is only as complete as your mind makes it. And for whatever reason, the simple act of crafting and wristing, you've done for so many years, for so long, feels a little off. And that, for the first time, is a clue that, not that you're in a dream necessarily, but that not everything is as it should be. that it seems a little different. I sort of lift my head up. And I kind of look around and get a sense of like, wondering to myself, do I think this is just sort of like,

you know, you can sort of almost feel the presence of someone or something, and you don't see them, and it's sort of this innate, like, natural, primal, like, periphery perception. When there is perhaps a predator, or you have that sudden feeling if you've ever been in one of those, like, you're in a restaurant and all of a sudden you're like, is someone watching me and you turn and that person that fucking locking eyes with you?

There's that 14th sense, a sense feeling of it. 14th. The shadow people. Shadow people. Yeah, been there, man. Jeez. Immediately, I sort of look around

and I kind of let my guard down and the memories of the vision that I had when I was first hit with the tusk from the charging mammoth, the cracking ice and the doom coming to Mahmood sort of floods my mind and that I'd been working so hard to sort of not think and dwell about or dwell on. And I just, I get sort of panicked, almost like this sort of primal, you know, primal innate fear, almost like the fear of the dark, right, where it's like You can't control it, you can't do anything about it, and it'll jump up immediately.

And I'll sort of grab my hatchet, and my hand will blow with magic. And I won't say a word, but I'll just, I'll try to perceive. I'll try to see if I can get any sense of anything watching or being around. In this moment, that panic, that rising panic moment could be enough to pierce the veil of this dream, could be enough, just the raw perception, the wisdom that you're showing in having had this sensation allows you to make the intelligence saving throw to break through the illusion.

All right, buddy. Let a rip. That's right. Save us your near. I say through. Aye. Save us. Save us barnables.

Oh, you have to. You got to. I'm proficient in this. You got to. Here, true. 19. Oh, mooh. Hot damn.

I am pleased. You wake up and you feel the kitchen sink having hit the back of your neck. And you shattered ceramics litter the floor. Shattered ceramics all around you. But sure enough, just on your furs, you can see burrowing through a creature that is, just about to reach your face? I will just immediately smash. You smash as hard as you can.

You know that there was another one that fell around you, but you are still feeling sluggish, and you were just coming too. You can turn, and you can lock eyes with Queenie, and you realize that she has also woken up as quick as she is. But looking around, you can see Ket Rosteen and the rest of your allies,

Tyshen, Skrim, Barnabose, they are completely out. You have five feet of movement if you want to use it. Yeah, I mean, I think I would literally just spend my movement to at least like roll over onto, you know, on the ground so that even if I need to like kind of crawl over to someone, I can do it quickly. Nice. You start to army crawl almost and turn and get onto your belly. It's a little awkward because you have to roll onto your walking staff, but you are set to take your next action. and that'll be the conclusion of your turn.

Tasha? You have woken up to the reality that you are in a dream. That hits you very hard, actually. The fact that you were able to come to this revelation, but are still loosely aware not waking up, not becoming a part of your physical form, but that you are still in your mind in a dream, is this, there's this terrible agony about it.

The fact that you are here, you're already starting to feel the memories of what is actually happening, press against the back of your mind. You don't know the danger that Tishan is truly in, his body anyway. You don't know that you're, that you're on an otaloid ship

and the context of all of that. But you do know that you're not where you should be. and that this isn't real. That becomes very plain to you as you as you take in the details of what's just happened only in the last few minutes. I would kind of standing up, I would look over at Mali and give a bit of a sad smile knowing that to be in her presence once again, comforting and knowing that yet it's not real. I would move towards her, grab her by the left arm, spin her around and sit her on my shoulders. And I know what I would say to her in this moment or what I would have say to her,

and maybe even I describe how she can go about the process of preparing the teapot properly, but even as I'd tell her to allow the water to reach a tepid temperature and pour from the correct angle at the right height, maybe even as she begins to pour the water, starts to remind me of a waterfall. It starts to make me feel like this is just not right. Something begins today. Something...

I'm somewhere else. Do you seem a little off, uncle? Is everything okay? Tai Shen, I... Uncle Pig. Come on, come on. Show me, show me more. Tell me what...

Stay, stay in and show me. I look down at the water crashing over the teapot. I don't respond. Uncle Tyshen. Show me more. There's less to learn. You have to show me all the things that we could stay in the shop. Don't go anywhere.

No response. Maylee turns and wraps her arms around your neck and... Stay. It's all right. It's going to be okay. We can do this together. It's going to be all right. And you know she's not talking about staying in the shop or staying in the valley.

Though that sickly hits you in a weird sense, you know that she doesn't want you to take any actions to leave the dream that you were having. Stay with her. She begs. I take a deep breath. I clear my mind. and I focus on the real melee and J.HL Village with everything that's happening there and knowing that to truly help her, I have to return. Summoning will in this way, seeing that wisdom, you focus again on trying to break free.

As hard as that is in this moment, feeling the warmth of her skin. her scales against yours, feeling the smells of the tea shop all around you, I'd ask that you make an intelligent saving throw. Come on, buddy. And I'm going to say at advantage. I love it. Well done, Mace. I'm going to use a dread.

I'm using the dread to give you advantage. Oh, wow. That's not. Natural 20. Natural 20. No way. I needed to use the twist to get away from that dread. You clutch her as tightly as you would the real melee,

even with this vision, and the false melee fades from you, and you realize that you are hugging yourself. You feel the cold oxidized, not oxidized, ozone-like air, the atmosphere, the false atmosphere of this strange ship all around you. You feel the yellow lights. You are blinking and waking up, and you are hit with that sleep paralysis. The dream completely fades,

and all the context of the reality that you are in comes flooding back to you. I sit up. I just barely weakly roll. So my back is against the wall right here, and I'm sitting against it. And wherever this creature is on me, I just pulling itself up, your Kendral.

like a small adventurer climbing a rope, pulling up against, and it's very close to your mouth at this point. Uh, I take my, my, like, dragon claws and just get right into it and just eyes still closed. Crush it. They do that, and there's no satisfaction in crushing this creature, but you know the dangers is gone. You can see that there are other.

other critters all on the floor all around you. But that is not the end of the story. Top of the round. It is Queenie's turn. My apologies. You are waking up. You are now a little bit more alert, a little bit more with yourself. There are the tadpoles that are adjacent to,

there are two on Ket. Start removing them as they are crushed so that we keep track, because you'll need to crush all of them. So one, I got one. from Queenie. One from Taishan. We've already removed the one from Queens. Oh, yeah, you're going to go to Queens.

Okay, yeah. Yeah, so there's three that are crushed. Yep. Consider those tokens. You need to deal with them mechanically. Otherwise, they will eat your face. Nice. Three or debt.

Yep. What do you want to do with your turn? And I would say you are basically able to do a full turn now that you've woken up and you've had a full round to recover. I would look towards my friends and know my sight will linger on Scrim a little bit. His body is twitching in his dream, saying that he is struggling a bit with what's going on.

And initially, I want to help him, but I believe that Scrim is strong enough to do this. And so I turn towards Ket. A wise choice. And I'm going to loose two arrows, one at each one of the bugs, and try and free him from his thing. I think at your angle,

you'll be able to angle it in such a way that you could hit both. with one shot. Natural 20. That is wonderful. Fucking Odysseus is that shit. Through all the accent. These creatures are crawling up the body,

the unconscious body of Ket Rustin, and you realize you are right at the perfect angle and you pull the newfound string that he gifted to you and you let loose this arrow. Before I do, I will very softly begin to buzz, and the bees will start to swarm around me, having woken up from their days, and they begin to swirl around the arrow, and they guide it straight through both of them. You shrimp kebab, these, and the arrow slams into the door into the wall and sticks there, and these creatures on your arrow. Two crushed. These two.

The one The one's right. Yeah, yeah. I mean, natural 20s are delightful. Well fucking done. Yeah, nice. And you can even

use some of your movement to stand and start to get sense of the situation around you. So I should be like five feet away from the one that was on me. So I'm going to move closer towards Kett.

Late back. Yeah. It's from all the slugs. I still have a full view of them. I still. I must have one more shot. They're in the killing field. It's high.

But I'm not going to. You can shoot at one. I was just going to shoot at the one that had been on me to clear all the ones off of me. Okay. You shoot the one off of the two up brilliantly. Another natural shot. And then you shoot down like a fucking badass. And it vertically slams into the ground, crushing the body of this creature.

And it also screams for about a moment before becoming like that. And even though. is unconscious. I'm going to turn towards in and I'm going to go, thank you for the new bow strength. It's working out nasty. Y'all should learn out of tie your shoes, tadpoles. I thought

that was some cold-blooded shit to say to this motherfucker and the car and his hands. Queenie says exactly. That's exactly what Queenie said. Did we mean anything? It's a gold pouch that says bad motherfucker

but you moved me before I did my turn yeah I know because I forgot to move you last okay this is probably the last opportunity you'll have to succeed in this way before whatever happens and Nikki knows that

but Queenie believes this is always good so I'm gonna just go for it and tell me if this is, you know, off. Scrim's Paranoys cranked up to like 12. Scrim's a mess. You're attuned to paranoia. Yeah, it's worse than ever at this point.

I have begun harassing patrons of the bar. I have taken to random people. And at first, I'm kind of, I'm kind of collected. Do you know these people? Do you know these people? Are you looking for someone? Do you know these people? They don't...

Son of them. Do you know these people? Do you know these people? Should I know these people? Oh, uh... Yes, yes, I know these people. Who are they? For some corn, I'd be happy to share that.

Oh, fuck you! Who are these people? Do you know these people? Should I know these people? Do you know who I am? Do you want another drink, sir? You're alerting some of the others, and I don't know who these people are.

Yeah, give me another drink. Oh, yes, okay. Thank you. Do you know these people? Hey, that guy looks like he was on a wanted ad once. I know, I know you know these people and you're not telling me.

You're all not telling me. And I'm standing on a table and I'm shouting. Tell me who these people are. You can get the guards. I don't care. Tell me. Someone doesn't know how to hold his liquor. Fuck you too, buddy.

And I'm like causing a disturbance and waiting for something to happen. Scream is completely unraveled. Because nothing like this has happened to him before in his life. He's usually the one he's in control of the situation and isn't confused about things that are going on. This is pretty unusual shit.

Let's go investigation this time. Well, that's probably better. That's probably pretty good. You would have thought so. Can we go deception? That's not an intelligence check? That's a 16. You look around and you're shouting at all these patrons,

and it's when you start to get the eyes of all of the people, you're not just getting the floor that you're on, let's say the third or fourth floor, but other people are looking up from the balconies, from their tables looking down, from above they're looking down. There are quite a number of patrons in this particular tavern. It's a huge, huge eating and drinking spot for an entire community, and they're all looking.

And you're starting to realize it's almost like in a video game when you look at the crowd of a badly rendered video where some of them are like all doing exactly the same thing. My vision has become low-poly. Hey, this guy doesn't know how to hold his liquor. This guy doesn't know how to hold his liquor. This guy doesn't know how to hold his liquor. The processing power seems to not quite be enough

to simulate this level of attention. Dark times these. Hope the king don't fall ill. Dark cause. The universe crunches a little bit and stutters, and you are even more convinced that this is not real. Standing on the fourth floor on the top of a table, make an intelligent saving throw.

In this moment, you're saying I do realize that this is not real. You realize this is not real. Holy crap. I love you, and I turn around and I mooned in the entire bar. This guy doesn't know how to hold his liquor. Don't dogs these. Oh, it was so close. I have to twist, twice.

It was so close. It was so close. Thank you, Chad. I moon the crowd and I wait for the vision to melt away. And nothing happens. Suddenly scrim feels the tend to the end. And I feel, I feel a breeze on my bare butttocks. Why?

Why hasn't done anything? Why hasn't anything happened as I fail the roll? For a moment. Dark times, these. A shimmer of doubt. Uh-oh. This is a humor of doubt occurs in your mind as you're like, what was in this bourbon?

Was I right about this? I was right about this, right? I'm going to jail. Oh, boy. And that's where we'll pick up next time. Yorner, were you next? Yes. We was.

It was Barnabos, right? And then you're next. Oh, well. So Barnabos, you sluggishly come to yourself and you are still in your dream space. I am. You are. You succeeded on your check. Did you succeed on your?

I noticed that this doesn't seem right, that someone is supposed to be here that is out. Yes. And I took the driftwood with the eyes painted on and the half-carved wooden whale flask and I chucked them both into the fire. Right, because you pass the check, but you're now in the space where you're like, how do I wait? Yep. Moment. Okay. Just give me a moment to give me some Barnabos down playlist action.

And you are on high alert. As active in an adrenaline filled as you are when you are hunting down a sea monster on the high seas, the creature that you are attempting to defeat is not a crackin or a great whale or something like that. It is a phantom. And it is all around you. It is reality itself that you are attempting to harpoon in this moment. Do I get the sense that it is an enemy that's keeping me in this dream with that check?

I would say that Barnabos would perceive it to be an enemy because of his belief in freedom, that any kind of cager illusion like this would be an enemy to Barnamos. well for whatever power there is whatever control over dreams you have you can't even

show me her face you are weak you think that if I don't let myself have her that I'll let you have her if this is real show me her Show me her eyes right now!

You can't do it, can you? Oh, now I know. You can't offer us anything. You have no power here. Show me. Show me her face. Show me her eyes. And then I'll believe a shred of what you've said and promised.

And I call this out to the sea, to the sky, to everything around. me as I look back down at the burning driftwood, at the burning wooden flask. You do that and you get no answer, no immediate answer, and your eyes dwell on that fire. Your eyes dwell on the burning eyes, the receding eyes. It's not going to reverse, certainly. realize that you'll have to take some great action in order to plunge yourself away from this dream, to pull yourself out of it. All you need to do is perhaps something wild. Plunge your hand into the coals. Pierce yourself with the slap yourself. Do something to wake

yourself up. Some defiant act in order to endeavor to close the to the, to quit this dream, to push away this enemy, to show doubt in the world around you. I will look around at the scene, and as the wood burns, and I smell the glistening bore, there's a calm will come over me, and I will sigh. They can't have you, my love. I cannot have you my lover and they shan't If I don't get to see Your face and their Vile monster eyes

Will never grace it And I'll walk over to the two bottles of rum And I'll look down and I'll say I I use you to escape reality Now that I've Found myself in a Dream or stupor.

Maybe he'll help me. Get out. And I'll reach down on the drink the entire thing. Made an intelligent saving throw. And I would say at advantage. I'm going to use another dread. Go. Derek, you know you're the DM and you don't need to use...

Can I twist? Can I... He's bolded them. He's got them. I pre-polled them, too. Sorry, I was already rolling with twists in mind. 11-11. Dude, we suck.

Twelve. I mean, it is how the fates have wielded. Or dumb as breaks. Sometimes it isn't written. You are drinking and you are feeling maniacal and you can feel the rum pouring down and around your neck, down your throat across your chest, and you are waiting, waiting for a change,

knowing that at any moment you could burst from the space. I'm going to take the other bottle, and you continue to drink. Oh, yes was hers. Did neither Barnabotian or Skrim move closer to the end point here, realizing that it was a dream? This represents your real-world adjacency to the tadpoles. Yes, yeah. So time being spent should have moved you up.

Okay. So I'll ask you. So I'll do this. I wasn't like, I wasn't, eh, homework. I was like, you know, I was curious about the state of the... But it does. It does mean that, and I assume that there's still one or two on scrim at this time. There's two on scrim.

They're getting close. And two on Barnabos. They're getting close. Okay. It is running down my deer and onto my skin. It's just, I'm drenched myself. You take this desperate action in order to pull away and see what happens next. The world is still spinning.

You're still feeling dizzy, but you're on your stomach and you're able to start military crawling, essentially, to your next destination. You realize the feeling is coming back to your limbs. The paralysis is no longer affecting you. Yarnere, you have a full turn. What do you do? Oh, boy. I want to look around and just sort of get a full situation. Can I tell that Tishan's awake, that Queenie is okay?

And can I sort of see how close for Scrim and Barnabos, how close at all? I think that it would only take a few glances to take in all of the information that we all share. You see that Ket Rosteen has been saved by Queenie. You hear the thud of the bolt from her bow, the arrow from her bow at her feet as she takes out yet another one of these creatures. You can see the stirring eyes of Tyshan as he starts to break free from his own influence of this spell. and you are feeling yourself again. Oh, boy. This is interesting.

So there are four tadpoles. I think what I will do is I will stand up. I'll put my walking stick on the ground and I'll use it to get up. Bangle, shingle. And, you know, are six? Yeah, because it's still one on each of you in touch. Oh, so it's one.

So that's a good thing. The one that's still on me, is it literally still crawling up with me? Yeah. How close is it to me? Do I think I could ignore it for a round? Oh, shmental. For one round, I would say that you could ignore it before it makes its way close enough to something you think it could enter on your head. Oh.

Nothing below it, nothing below it. Then what I will do instead is... Yeah. The brains aren't an ass. It's a scenic route. It still ends up the same place. You guys will never guess where I have been. This is going to take a while.

So the Thai sheds right next to Barnabos. We have a lemmy-wings-style adventure with us. These guys are pulled with you. Lemmy wings. Lemme slug. I'm going to pass Barnabose, and I will reach down and pick up Scrim by his collar. and I'm glad you're asleep

and I'm literally just going to like smash his face with my palm and try to kill both slugs at the same time. Scrim? On scrim, yeah. I will say that you can do this because I going into this adventure wanted to make it clear that

yeah, you could use an action to like crush one but they're so tiny and like these are like little little shrimp, right? Yeah. You can probably even use a free object interaction to crush both of these. They're not dangerous until

you're paralyzed and they're crawling up your face, right? So seeing them both and your hand being the size that it is, your Akai, his whole face, and it's to slap him like this. Do you do it hard enough to damage shrimp? Yes.

I would 100%. I would want to make sure they're dead. My nose is like, oh, that one. I'm just very glad that he's in a paralyzed dream stupor. And hopefully, he doesn't have to remember all the details and what just happened. Like cracking two eggs against a table, you crush them and they juice out in all directions.

And Scrim, you are standing there on the top of a table. As four floors up, feeling the breeze, being like, did I just make a mistake? What's going on here? Now I feel silly. When you get slapped in the face from an unknown phantom, you wake up. Immediately, you are able to find yourself totally alert

in the full context of what is happening occurs to you. And on your face, little tiny legs are still twitching even when they're not attached to the body. And I would be trying to you. I mean, you're holding me by the collar, so I need to try to wipe off the blood and my blood, their blood. Yeah. And I will, a holding scream, I'll say, and I'll look at Barnabos, I'll say, help him, and I'm going to throw him as far as I can on top of Barnabos. You throw a scrim on top of Barnabos?

Yeah, I threw a scrim on top of Barnabes. Crushing the remaining. Since you fall and you land on what feels like a beanbag chair. And that is the conclusion of your turnier. you're near? Yeah. Taijan, you've been awake for one round? I just woke up last round.

So you're feeling sluggish, but you are able to move five feet and take, like, small actions. Can I cast a spell? A small smell. I mean, I gave Queenie a full action, so if you want to take an action, just don't go full, like, we're in a boss fight, bonus action, you know, do a kickflip.

I summon a storm sphere. A fear of annihilation. The three fire beam. Is that fire beam? Yeah, yeah. I cast fireball. Yeah. What I'd like to do if you would permit me is cast a scorching ray, which would cast three flaming bolts that will go towards.

That's a heavy resource investment, I know. So I'm happy to allow you to roll and turn and you're seeing the targets, uh, where where they are, focus your mind and shoot out these rays in the fashion that you prefer. I'd like to steady myself, like press one hand against the wall, look over and see that I believe Barnabos is the only one that still presents as down with the shrimp monsters climbing up. The Barnabos and Kett are both down. And Ket.

Okay, Barnabos. Yeah. I look over my cow, Barnabos. I feel like, I'll mess with time. I just say no false lives not for us and I'll summon the three

flame orbs and fire primarily two of them at Barnabos and one at the one that's still on May is that the remainder? Yep oh no there's one on my face oh yeah there's one on this face

I don't worry about that one okay you do this and Barnabost doesn't wake from the action because you're not hitting him instead these balls of flame launch forward and consume them. There's barely a trickle of dusty ash as they pass across the bodies of these tadpoles, and they are completely demolished and destroyed. Queenie, you're up.

I'm going to look towards Barnabos lying on the ground and then look towards Yorneux, and then look towards your near. I'm like, well, I guess if we're getting them out of this, might as well. I take two more arrows and I'm going to loose them at the little maggots at Barnabot. Are they both dead? Both all. Everything is killed except for the one on, on, uh, barn, uh, barn, uh, on, on, on, oh, so Barnabose is awake then. No, no, no, he's not awake. You can shoot him with an arrow to wake him up, but he, uh, he's the only one with a living tadpole on his person.

Oh, okay, I misunderstood. I will shoot at it. Right on his jugular. Yorgrim, just like, dodge. Who? They don't call me the whipmaster. Use the tombstone. You're near. Everybody gets one.

I've had a men. What a pre-lost, parmableness, your green. Does 21 hit you, Yornear? Not him. The slug. Does it hit the slug? 22? 21.

21? Yeah, there is he's 10. You demolish that. That's. It does a lot of damage. No, no, no, it explodes into disgusting itchore. And then I'm going to let loose the other one at Barnabost Wakeman. Oh.

Natural one. You miss. You hit you or even in the neck. You mean your grimm? The arrow flies so fast. It pierces the veil into Druskenwald. For the first time, since getting your new time, there's something about hitting Barnabos. It's a little weird, and it skips...

Yeah, that might not be on the route out of you. It barely misses. Scrim, just shake him. That gets us to the top of the round. Scrim, you are land on Barnabose, and you remember that you're still in a fight. But the danger is, there's no more. danger. Looking around, you can see that there don't

seem to be any more of these creatures falling from the ceiling. Your allies seem to have demolished the remainder. You don't seem to be any danger. Ket is fine, and Ket's the most important. I get up. I kill

get. Oh, Bengals, Snap. Knuckle snap. Nectual Snapp. Having landed next to Boris, I'm rubbing my face and my nose, not knowing that I've been slapped across the face. I'm just in pain. Okay.

I shuffle over to Barnabos. I'm still groggy. I whine on my sake, get up, jackass. I slack in the face. You do that, and that wakes you up. The last thing you remember is switching not from the first bottle to the second and thinking, ah, if only there was a third on this beast, you'd be...

I got old! You come too, and the full context of not just the time before the dream, end the dream, end the now, all tie together, and you realize what has happened, a deception,

an illusion, a charm so powerful that you believed for a moment that it was real, and that it was so intimate, it seemed to know your very mind, what a betrayal and intrusion and infiltration. Only this slap was able to get you out of it. But you were in a madhouse for a break period.

I'll immediately look and grab my flask and I'll make sure that it's whole and not burned and make sure that I hear liquid. It's whole and weathered. It is the slask you've carried on your person for many years now. There's a trickle of blood coming from my nose. Underneath my eyes are slightly starting to bruise. We were ambushed. Nice, nice shot, Mr. Stabbertskotch.

I didn't think of you had it in you. Mm-hmm, yeah, yeah. May I pick a look. Yeah, if you don't hit me again. I'll just like reset his nose. Ah, one more, turn the trickle of luck. Oh, sorry, you watched that way. Oh, overcompensile.

The bent stick method. Now, Scrim's nose looks just like yorning's nose. That's right. That looks right. Oh, I'm hearing. And Cat Rustinus clearly managed to free himself from whatever it was that he was experiencing. And you, the six of you, are on the navigation deck of a Nautiloid ship, looking around that same pink light all around you.

just taking in the fact that you are safe again. All right. Well, I think it's clear that that voice, I know you're listening, you little shit, sent those weird little slug things after us, which means you're not playing very fair or nice. Don't you make it my wrong. All right.

Are you convinced? I say the script. Well, I'm pissed off if that's what you're asking. Also, why are your pants around your, ankles. Ah, ha. Ha! I fall over as I'm trying to get.

I don't want to talk about it. Can we just move on from this, please? I don't remember what happened, but it made me think that this voice is, he's weak. He can't offer us what he actually is promising us. I think you're right. He means to kill us or do you. destroy our turn us into

or Mr. Steen's same fate let us destroy it and I'm just gonna turn I'm gonna start quick climbing up all right well we're weird just okay

and I'm just gonna start talking and Kett follows you all make it up to the fourth and Kett was there too I take my stick you stay down

You are not welcome. You are not welcome. Go away. You cannot be part of our group. We are not accepting new members. You can't sit with us. We're a little uncomfortable about your war crimes and false flagging

trying to create a horrible war. Oh, shit. You really kind of invited yourself. You make your way. up to the top, and you can put yourself whatever order you want. I'm sure Barnabost wants to be in front

with your tank, and I'm sure Tisha wants to be in front because he's a tank, yeah. That's fun. I'm sure Queenie wants to be up front because she's a tank. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm. That's the room.

On the bridge, the final deck of the dominant mind, a large imposing door looms ahead of you. The door is intricately carved with symbols and intricate patterns. The door itself is approximately 15 feet tall and as wide as two ogres standing side by side. It is a work of art, yet the design is unsettling, almost repulsive.

Classic Americans measuring things with other things. America is measuring anything as long as they're on these metrics. Hey, yeah, just don't be about two ogres. Why? What do you think, Jimmy? You climb the ladder. You climb the ladder. It's about 157 p.

It's small. The brain, weighed four hundred. The wings open. The wings close. Looks to be about two truck bags. About 20 football. And the real football, none of the talk of shit. Oh, no.

Not even at all. You know, maybe, you know, I could blow that far. Yeah, I think the kitchen section that I can't? A bedroom section. Oh, what a session, folks. It's a big, good one. Americans would rather measure hougars.

We knew a shirt. I felt it was apt. You know, it's funny, well, I was thinking the joke, but I was going to let it go. As soon as Nicky out, the flood kicked him. There are no mood restrictions in this case. If you got a joke and it's relevant to the thing, don't just be a goofball.

But that's fucking hilarious. I'm sorry. I was like you did not just measure it over there. All right. So now the door is three ogres wide. And you're standing there looking at a door. What happens next? What happens next is go fuck yourselves.

Are we ready? I don't know if we'll ever be ready, but I don't think we've got a choice. I want to look into the room to see if I see any signs of any... It's a door, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The drawer's full of God. I think we should be careful. This door is about three ogres wide, and that's a big fucking door.

I think it's really more too. I don't know. I'm looking. Well, what kind of ogres are you thinking about? Because I'm thinking maniasized. Well, that's fair. There are a lot of ogres we encountered. It's hard to use ogres as a measurement.

I feel like. Manius was more like this, not fairly like this. I don't know. My perception down in the ground, he's more like this. I think it's more of like a person. Well, I'm saying it looks like three. Sopholoth realizes that you're all idiots. You take 343-sycid damage.

And I can really go for a cheeseburger. Blonde just shoots ice cream. I can deal with the ogres, but not you. Open the doors. You take a deep breath and push, bracing yourself for what lies beyond. The door glides open silently. revealing a cavernous chamber within.

The domed ceilings reached to nearly 40 feet at its tallest point, and the walls are bare. You've entered the innermost sanctum, the command deck, the layer of an ancient and powerful elder brain. Upon opening the door, you are met with a towering and ominous chamber. Can I ever say that? It's weird. In the center of the room lies a massive skull. It's jaws and eye sockets gaping wide to reveal a murky and, uh, to reveal murky and green brine within.

The brain itself within the skull is a pulsating gelatinous mass. Within this pool, more tadpoles drift and swim between the grooves of the enormous brain like fish and a coral reef. What the fuck? So does it doesn't look. like a human skull? Just a gigantic human skull. Oh. That's gross.

Okay, I saw the tin foil in that. Who made that? I did. That's amazing, Derek. Yeah. Yeah, that's clay. That's baked clay. There's the tinfoil in it from the scarlet.

That is really good, Derek. Thank you. I'm going to improve it. I'm going to improve it. I'm going to improve it. How? It's perfect. No, it could be juicier.

No, it could be juicier. I think it just needs to grouch your marks. Oh, I was yes. A glossy. If we used the tonne a glass. I wanted more dark acre between the groups to create a contrast. So you put a wash.

Oh, so you put a wash on it, then you take a nice cream and bowed white. Mixed with a little bit of pink just to give accents. And then you gloss it so that it looks wet and juicy. Perfect. You know, I would have let you just borrow

my bent circle of paper. a few to ask. Move your pieces where you enter. No closer in than I'd be right up with I think we keep like the general formation. If Kett wants to come out, I don't know, like

I wouldn't be like trying to keep him in the back. He's hungry. He would probably be up for sure. Hungry for brain. Hungry for brain. They are all hungry for brain as they walk through the threshold and the six of you find yourself standing there looking at this enormous mass.

To give you a sense of how big this is, the squares on the battle map are five feet, five feet, five feet, 15 feet in this direction and 10 feet line. Is there some visual you can give me to understand how big that is? Yes, I can give you an exact measurement. That is the size of two shipping conditions. containers sitting next to one another. Oh, okay.

I don't understand now. I do. Okay. That makes much more sense. Does that not help a little bit? That does help. That's a fucking huge brain. That really does help.

Is it one shipping container tall? Yeah. Oh, wow. It's this huge fucking giant brain. It's as long as this fucking studio space. It's massive. Sorry, dumb question. I want to make sure I just understood what you were saying.

You're saying that these squares on the map are not different dimensions than normal. They're five feet by feet Five feet Normal squares I misunderstood I just heard something I'm going My brain's still a little

It's a bit warmer In this room Than it has been in any of the other rooms It's almost humid and moist No we fix the AC The air smells salty But not of the sea Slightly acidic

But unlike any citrus Slightly metallic But like no forge you've ever experienced It feels like it is sticking To your clothes And your hair And the back of your mouth and you realize that you are staring at the elder brain sophalith.

You've come to stop me then. You've come to attempt to destroy me. Well, I mean, we were going to come to talk to you, but you sicked your little maggot friends on us, so you chose war. You chose not to accept my gift. Hold on. Scrim and I were more than happy to come up here and have a conversation with you, and you could see into our minds.

You knew that. conversation, police. And then the thing with the stupid leeches, come on. I wanted to show you as quickly as possible what the future could bring for you. Do you understand? My family forgetting how to tie their shoes? That's the future you chose for me. Oh, and you saw what I did. Again, I am merciful. I wanted your final moments to be of something that you cherished from your former life before transforming into something more.

Barnabos, why don't you tell him how we feel? Well, I suppose I can start this conversation with, I throw a harpoon out of it. Make an attack roll. Oh, well. Seawater covers me. Yeah, I'm working in.

Well, I'm being very reckless about this. Why the reckless attack works, makes, is I can roll it advantage. You can do that? Elder brain meat kindness. That's what you get, all right? Yeah, no, no, no, no. Let's twist it.

Let's twist it. Two of a lot, two. This is two twists, yeah. He's new to reckless attacking. It's barbarian stuff. That's true, yeah. It's like pretty next level stuff. You never know.

Honestly, it's... Yeah, it might be 18. I actually might... I have a high to... Well, you know, plus seven, right? Or plus eight. That'd be 15. There's no way to...

Didn't you... Didn't you... Didn't you... No, it was two and three. Oh, boy. This is a seven, so if you... No, by me dumping on Mace, the universe has decided to rightfully, you know...

Thank you, universe. I mean, it's such a... You are kind of benevolent. It's probably pretty easy. It's not exactly moving. You can't really get out of the way. And it's... It just...

You know, Barbermose just... You know, Barbermose just gets a little nervous and goes... Ah! And throws it up in the ceiling. He slips some brain goo. It actually is a transformer. As you... You got it out of the way.

That would... The hemispheres... A 15. A 15. A 15. You... You throw it, and though it's not going to be the most deadly attack you've ever made, it doesn't seem to strike directly into the face of this brain like you intended.

It arcs forward, and it looks like it's about to slam into the matter. This is a huge, huge thing. You could throw a fucking harpoon in any direction almost and hit this thing, and instead it bounces off of nothingness. All of a sudden you see this... Expansion of yellow light as a shield momentarily flickers, a dome that seems to be protecting this matter, the brain mass within. That was a test. Attempting to destroy me is futile.

I alone have unlocked secrets of the cosmos. I alone can show you the truth of what lies ahead. if you only knew you would not be so quick to have dismissed my offer if you try to continue to destroy me I assure you it will be a battle you cannot hope to win

Mr. Sofilef if you're as all powerful as you claim to be why was my dream so terribly lacking you tell me that when I first glimpsed what was in your

mind, I did not see everything. There was not just the knowledge that you went to protect, but the knowledge of an entire mind takes very long to fully catalog, to categorize to page through. there is more than enough time, I'm sure, to complete this task once we have joined. I don't buy it. Anyone else would like to chat? We have our time now that we know that there's a shield, which all I knew when I threw the harpoon, I was just testing him. We wanted to have a conversation, as I believe Queenie did as well. Well, yeah, I did until he decided to go all deceit on us.

and sick his little maggots at us. I'm in agreement, and really, to be fair, I just wanted to hear how he was going to eliminate this curse until, you know, he started saying things about, you know, my final moments and adjoining it. And, you know, I'm certainly not parting with this beautiful body. Scream, why are you pants around your ankles again? Son of God, I got to get a new belt.

It's just a cord. The rope is free. He has that same twine, but he wound it the wrong way, so he's dropping his pants instead of molding my pants away from my waist. Since my rise to power, I have done nothing but worked to bring harmony to all those in my domain. That can include you. Many races know many things, but they cannot bring it together or work or build. Together we could do amazing things. If I could only show you. And I need everyone to make a perception check.

Oh my God, this I'm good at. I know I am. Here it goes. Come on, Scrib, don't fuck this up. That's pretty good. Hayah! Son of a bitch. Yeah.

I've got an age. 20. Thanks, you're on here. You got it. 18. 18. 14. Raise your hand if you got 15 or higher.

Damn it. Barnabos. Yorny. You, perhaps because you're looking where the harpoon landed, and yore near, you are dead set, keeping your eyes on this thing, spy something from behind it. A shimmering light. A strange wave, almost, that starts to push forward as softlet

is talking about their journey, their life, their purpose, their goals, and you recognize its quality to be the same kind of light that you all experienced out on the ice sheet, all alone as you shared each other's stories. I must warn you, the path you have chosen is one of ignorance, folly. You have yet to face the full must must. light of the illithid. You do not need to. If I could only show you, and waves of strange lights continue to pass in. I'm going to reach very slowly for my anchor. You begin to. The lights pass in and through the command room, shifting curtains of brilliant yellow beams, like light

pouring through a tree canopy. A new vision comes up. over you suddenly. And you find yourself standing in a dark chamber. A struggling creature kneels in the center of this room, a mind flare on one side holding its hand out, binding the creature by some paralyzing force. This creature, clearly a warlord, powerful muscular build, evident even beneath its thick armor with bulging biceps and a thickly corded neck. The skin is a shade of greenish gray with a rough scaly texture that seems almost reptilian. His head is bald and adorned with a series of ridges that run from the top of his skull down to his forehead.

His eyes are deep set piercing with fiery, angry red irises that stare out with both anger and fear. The other mine flayer suspends a small, wriggling, larva-like creature above its palm and approaches the creature. He watches the tadpole eagerly burrowed. and slides into and behind the eye of this warlord. He falls to the floor, clutching his face and head, but it is too late. Days pass in the blink of an eye as you watch the orc-like creature undergo the terrible transformation of seromorphosis.

At first, the creature attacks the walls and doors attempting escape, clearly disoriented. It swings wildly at the air, at a no one. knowable apparitions. It vomits, and before long you see teeth coming free. The creature's face changes painfully distending the jaw from the bone behind its nose. Fingers elongate, muscles atrophy. Glans and follicles are repurposed, and finally mature tentacles emerge from its mouth. A mind-flayer is born, nameless, yet fully grown and imbued with powerful psionic ability.

What remains of this physical form is replaced by an illithid. Under the surface, however, an urge for conquest and war still lingers. This new creature merges with the overmind under the domination of another elder brain. The one who would be called Sophilus spends unknowable decades in this capacity, serving an elder brain master and the illipid empire. The flood of information passing through you is overwhelming. and fleeting. The illicit are masters of a domain you do not know or understand and you watch as a seemingly never-ending parade of conquest and control. Then, for a brief moment, you see

Sophilith separated from the hive, a moment alone with only their own thoughts. Its time is brief, but it is time enough for Sophaleth to scheme and plot. By the time they are returned, Sophaleth as a plan and after many patient years, they are able to turn on the only master they have ever known. The secret ritual is as sinister as it is simple. Sopholith consumes the elder brain, forcing themselves to entirely devour both the physical and the psionic matter of its own mind. For hours, Sopholith is both consumer and consumed, and it is only through sheer willpower that Sopholith ascends. transforming into a powerful elder brain. Destiny is now solely in Sophilus' hands.

Sustainance no longer comes from living minds, but from the psionic force of those that they dominate. Your vision shifts, and you find yourself in an unfathomal amount of time later in the midst of a cosmic battle, brutal combat on an endless astral sea between fleets of nautoloid ships and what are clearly Gith, Rebels, pulsing flashes of prismatic light, beams of rays that lance and arc, brilliant colors against a boundless sky of shadow, both sides taking heavy casualties, ships flare

and disintegrate and you hear no screams. The Giths are fierce in their assault, and driven by anger and selfless despair, the Illithid's armada staggers against their advance. Your vision shifts again and you're hurtling through a blue sky now on the same not ship you have come to know as the dominant mind. The ship is terribly damaged. You spin in a smoking uncontrolled descent and crash. Assessing the situation, Sopholith immediately commands the surviving mine fliers to explore and report, being careful to make sure they remain within the limits of command. It soon becomes clear. The ship is crashed into a mountainside on a ventrace. The ship is

near the southern pole on a continent of ice and snow. Sopholeth shields their location from sight as best they can, and then learns the mountain they have crashed into is inhabited by a mass of ogres. You watch as Sophilus thralls lure and consume the minds of one of these ogres. The savage intellect of the ogre offers very little nutrient, barely enough to survive on, Disgusting, in fact. And yet, by some twist, they exhibit rare regenerative properties due to some fateful event in their ancestry. There is still some hope.

The first attempts to enhance the ogre's intellect through psionic blasts and domesticate them are disastrous. Two set in their old ways, the ogres use their newfound intellect to attempt escape, or to trick sopholive's thralls, or to invent creative new ways, to fight. each other, they are easy enough to control and command to coerce them into constructing their own prison. But minds commanded in this way offer no nourishment. Again, a dreadful twist of fate offers softlet the solution. Explorers, humans venturing deep into the wealth, into the heart of this frigid realm for perhaps prestige or wealth stumble upon the site that will be known as Ogerton. With a flash of insight, Sophilith commands

their mind flare thralls, not to turn the humans into illithid, but to capture and use them to bring balance to Ogerton's design. As you watch the explorers molded and silenced, you briefly notice a young myelan attempt to resist before finally succumbing to their

power. It is the presence of the silenced vassals then that finally allows Ogerton to take shape. It is a simple enough task to form Sopholith's new society, a bustling city of minds engaged with learning and growth. Minds grow rich with delicious experiences and you sense Sothleth's satisfaction and pride in what they have created. But survival has been taxing and even they must sometimes go dormant for days to recharge and to produce new tadpoles that their family might grow. Your vision shifts again, and you find yourself in a familiar chamber.

The lowest level of the dominant mind. Two, Githyanki have been captured, having managed to find their way to the dominant mind by its portal, and with them, a powerful artifact. The object is simpler than you expected. Two perfect hexagonal prisons made of metal, a little smaller than a wheel of cheese. Each face reflects perfectly like a freshly polished mirror, with edges and corners and points crafted to precision. Both prisons are joined on one face, and each side rotates perpetually against the other. This is clearly the hexature armament.

For a third time since crashing fate has smiled upon Pesophileth, and you watch as the hexature armament is used to repair the Nautiloid ship. What would have taken many years now takes days. The seemingly infinite power of the artifact potentiates magic, and it is very good. Finally, you yourselves arrive, brought in by the current head of knowledge and ogre renamed, renamed as Manius Bligenius. Another gift,

and on their first night, Sothalith, infiltrates their minds, minds, and you, you watch, watch as the library, libraries, unfurls, unfurls, and you each see into your own, your other, your own minds, minds and browse, your own, their libraries, libraries, but also see, see yourselves, and, and, and, the vision violently breaks away, and you find yourself back in the present, standing, shakingly, in front of the elder brain, Sophila. That was fucking great, dear time.

That's my favorite moment of Avengers and Chill. It's my favorite moment. I would, like, fall to at least one knee. Oh, yeah. I'm, like, bracing myself against your knee. Like, ah. What are you doing? What are you doing?

Why is you stopped? If you Kett leans in, and it seems that only the five of you have been granted this strange vision. Sophilous voice continues to speak in your mind. What do you say? Will you join me? Who is Ket talking to? The five of you. If you drop to a knee.

if you start to show any of this side, like all of a sudden you were standing there feeling very confident, ready to confront Sofleth, and you were hit by this vision, by seeing the birth and life of Sofleth all in one moment, almost in an instant seemingly to pass. And as shocked as you are, Kett seems to be speaking out to be like, hey, well, what's going on? What's going on? Even Sofleth seems taken aback for a moment. I will have pulled off my anchor as I see getting ready to fight, and then suddenly the vision I will drop down and I'll be holding myself up with the anchor as I look up to Yornear. Did you see the lights, Mr. Yornear? I do. What is it telling us to do? I am so confused. I can't trust my own mind.

I want to look to see if I can peer where I saw the lights come from behind it, to see if I can catch a glimpse of maybe the hexature armament that we saw in the vision. You're not sure where the hexature armament is in this moment, but you look, and it seemed to have swum down and through, to make an anachronistic analogy, it clipped through the walls. It literally just came in and swept into and through you, uncaring about any of the physical around you.

Why did you show us this? Show you? Scrimm is just sweaty and pale. I have yet to show you the truth to show you the world, to show you the cosmos. I have yet to show you what I am capable of.

But if you endeavor to destroy me, you will never know. The hexature armament protects me with this invincible shield from you. But it does not protect. you from me. My purpose

is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it. Scrim would just look to you on here. Incredibly confused. But again, pale and sweaty. I think Barnabos is too dumb for this. So I will look to, I'll

still be hanging on my anchor and I'll say, look for what we saw. Does your eye see it? Find it. Mr. Yorne here. I, hearing this, hearing that, and getting the vision, you're in your nose exactly, again, he's reaffirmed in his purpose. I will scan the room and I will just sort of, I'll lift my head up.

My hair might be a little mess and I'll lift my head up. And I'm just going to, as quickly as I can, given what I told us, is there any sign of the hexsure armament anywhere? Even like the light that you mentioned was glowing from it. Not immediately. Not immediately. But all around you, you notice that the walls are melting away. Not seemingly attached to the occurrence of the light,

which Ket seems not to have acknowledged, and which even Sophilus seems unaware of. but the walls seem to be pulling away and almost losing their opakness. You can see the dim ceiling of the cave above the ship above you. You can see the navigation deck just 20 feet below you. You can see the engine that rumbles and a shiny hexagonal object fastened to the rear of the propulsion system, that large sphere at the back of the ship. You know that the walls are still there,

but it is like knowing that a window pane is there as they lose their opaqueness, opacity. This illusion gives you a full view in all directions as though the walls aren't there at all. Let me change your mind. The hexature armament, armament powers my invincible shield because it is finished

repairing the ship. All of a sudden, the ship pulls away from the well cave floor and pushes out of the cave mouth through the waterfall and twists and turns up. I need everyone to roll initiative. I am going to use a first strike and we have an advantage.

Oh, let's go. Oh, my. God, I have to rock with my spirit, or would you prefer the spirit just go on my turn? Ooh. Uh, dealer's choice. I think it's just huge. It's easier. That's usually how we know much.

Yeah, yeah. It's like 14 plus whatever I get. Well, okay, 18. Let's do it. You know I had a feeling? And I'm like, I hope that it'll be fine. No, it'll be fine. 21.

Oh, you beat me. 22. Wow. Wow, you guys both crushed me. Jesus. 17. I be you. Dang. I won.

Dang. I got an 18. This whole first drink thing. 18, you say? I got an 18. 18. Tesson? 17.

Queen? 28. Sweet mother of fuck. Those are Vanger's numbers. With a 17, I'll enjoy last. Oh, I'm sorry. 26. Oh.

Not going to die. Let's do... That goes to Barnabose next. Let's do you because you're the top of the round. Let's do... Your near? Oh, you're near. You actually beat the top.

Nice. The ship pulls free from where it was once lodged in this cave and crashes three. You can see through the view that you now have been granted, through the window pane of the exterior of the command deck that you are in. You can see the brain in front of you in. You can see the hexature armament, and you can see the city of Ogerton, and you are suddenly shattered with not just the water of the waterfall, but also of the rain that is still pouring down outside. when all of a sudden the entire ship flips and twists in order to go straight up and into the sky

as you are pulled away. I need everybody to take flying backwards into the wall. If you move more than 10 feet, you take 1D6 points of damage and you land prone. But the door behind you has closed. So you're actually sealed. So we all move either like basically right back against it. You actually just all cluster right here because nobody raced forward.

So no one takes any damage, but you all are technically prone against that line. Oh, that'll just be all. Well, all fit. Yeah, it's all good. We're just cut all. We'll just in there. Yeah. That happens.

Cephalith's words. Sorry to me. He said we're 10 feet up. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It would have falling damage in that space. We're going to take some G-For's brain damage. But you're pushed against the wall as you are forced upwards, and then the entire ship twists around and begins to spiral up, and you can see the mountain passing as you climb.

This all happens in almost an instant, and Sophilus' words reverberate in your mind, let me change yours. Queenie. I write myself, and I look to my friends, and then I reach into my quiver and I feel around past all of my arrows to an arrow that was not mine. That tied around the edge of it is a bow made of cloth from Honey's vest. I pull it out and I knock it into my bow and I say, this one's for you, honey, and I cast bee line.

And as the arrow flies directly towards the brain, it is going to begin to swirl with vines and flowers, beautiful sunflowers, will pop and illuminate from it until the swirling mass begins to buzz in a giant honey with that little bow right on her head made from honey's clothing will appear and zoom towards it. And my new honeybee, honey, will attack. Okay. You do that. And this bee suddenly emerges from seemingly nowhere. As stunned as you are by the sudden occurrence, you all watch as a bee the size of a pug emerges. Amazing. How does that work?

Because it's been ages since I've read Beeline, and I didn't think you were gonna cast it right now. It is basically for the first time I forego my turn to let it attack, but going forward, I'll be able to have my attacks, and it will also go on my initiative. Okay, so let's give you a B token, is all we need to do? Oh, yeah, yeah, I just need a B too.

We can use a dog. I mean, I've got a bunch of black rice over here. We can use this one, I guess. Do you have a bee-colored one? Like a yellow dice? You know what? I do. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I have it in my honey-pocket. From Kimma. I figured you'd have something, B-E. Something B-S. Perfect. The B is one-twentyth of an ogre's big. That's pretty fucking funny. So it will. It doesn't do much damage, but when you consider it's on every freaking turn. Yeah. I mean, you can't beat that. And it does sound.

So it is going to fly in and then you'll watch as it kind of rears back pulsates his abdomen and goes in for a sting. Okay. A 19. It goes in and instead of even coming close to the flesh of the brain or the pool of brine underneath it or the skeleton it hits that same dome I just described. It stabs in. The thorn gets repelled immediately and you can see this like bounce of energy across the surface of the dome. No cracks or anything. It's hoping for cracks. I mean, who doesn't

want to hope for some cracks every once in a while? Would you like to do anything else with your turn? Does it seem like I would be able to hunters mark this brain with the shield on it? Yeah, it's a stationary big ass brain. I think you could hunters mark it. And I would use my bonus action to hunters' Yeah, you do that. You do that.

You use your innate, your innate, queenie ability to do a hunter's mark sand spell, because that's how it's always should have been from the beginning. And you use a bonus section to do that. Do you make any movements?

Are you good? No, I would stand my ground. But stand up, maybe? Yeah, I would stand up. And I would look around and just keep my eye out focusing on, Did we see where the ex-adter armament was?

It's in this thing. So it's in that. And so it's one floor below. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The floor is 20 feet below you. And it's that far away from you. In that case. Is there like a railing behind it?

Or is it all closed? You are an enclosed glass terrarium nightmare and the door behind you is sealed. Right, so we can't physically get to it. At the moment. Hmm. Yeah, I will, where is the end of the end? entrance to it, like where the door is sealed just for me to understand.

The door is behind you. It's the door that's two earth wide. Right. That's now sealed. And so that goes down. There are ladders here. Yep. But how do you get to that?

Then that just goes out of this floor where you can just walk over here. Gotcha, gotcha, got you. So we just basically skipped looking at the hexat charm on that. Yes. Oh, we skipped the hexatry arm. Oh, we're getting punished. So when we were joking about not doing anything on that floor, we really could have done something special on that floor.

Maybe. Yeah. I was like, you guys aren't gonna, oh, you're just gonna, okay, climb the ladder. You couldn't have paid me to touch that swear. It's my character. He's like lights and dancing. But I know kind of cool descriptions that were all pharaoh fluidy. Yeah, sorry.

Well, we just got attacked by horrible fucking worms. I know. You didn't fucking decide. You could have been like, can we take another short rest? I don't know. Um, great. That's my bird. Barnabose, you watch as a B emerge,

emerges from an arrow and stabs into what is very clearly a strong shield. What do you do? Oh, that B is the size of a gopher. Incredible. The VLB. Oh, wow. Pretty fucking good. I'm going to, as we're flying, I'm going to look around.

I want to turn to see if the door looks possibly openable. Yeah, go ahead and make a perception check, I think. Just straight, like, looking at the door, right? Anything like that goes. That's not too bad. That ain't so bad. Let me just pull up a little bit of prescriptions on. That'll be a 20.

With a 20. This looks as, you even watched it close, as thick as the walls around you. It would be extremely difficult for you to break through it, let alone one of the wall perimeters in this space. You feel even with your great strength, quite trapped without having to spend multiple mechanical rounds endeavoring to crowbar it open. I am just going to look at Queenie and say,

oh, good job, keep it distracted. And I am going to, the, my legs are going to as crab legs are going to form and I am going to scuttle my actually yes I am going to scuttle and as sea water coats me there will be I will let out a cry like I know you are with me my lover as a two large wings sprout out of my back like flying fish wings, as I am going to move my full movement and use my flying fish ability to leap the rest of the distance. Okay.

So my full speed is 40. Where are you going? I'm just going past the brain, and I'm just going to try to break, if I can. And I'm trying to basically smash through. Barner was just thinking that it's glass or something. I'm trying to smash through to get down that way. Okay.

As I take my anchor and I'm just leaping forward, flying through the air to try to smash through. It may fail terribly, but... I am not going to take them time to do like siege rules and go and look that up. I'm just going to say that you should roll for damage because you're hitting the broad side of a wall. Okay. So go ahead and slam into that as much as possible.

Okay. All right. Did you see water? I did. I don't know. I'll see if I can fish for a quick. Well, okay. No crats.

No crats. Okay, that's fine. As I'm going to smash. into this as I am going to channel the power of my kandori, did I pronounce that? Kandori totem. Oh. And I'm going to deal, I guess I'll hit it twice.

I am going to smash into it. I'll use, sorry, sorry, sorry. Image. I'm gonna use two of my, what you call it, two of my D12s, my hit dice. As I'm gonna smash into it, So that, oh, not great. 8, 14, plus 7, 14 is 21, and then 21, and then 10, 10, 14 plus 7 is 21.

So 42 points of damage. And I'm smashing into it with my anchor. This is the amount of damage that would instill so many monsters and creatures, and you are working like a minor against it. Clang, clang, clang. You don't see any visual change because of the transparent nature of the illusion that allows Sothelot, presumably,

when navigating this ship, when flying this ship, to make progress. But you kind of get a sense that you are damaging the wall. You just don't know if it's 14 more clangs or 1,400 more clangs in order to get through you. You are, are. Is it cracking at all? Can we see the outside?

The illusion is still perfect. Okay. And I am just like, this is one hell of a sailing vessel. And I will say that because you're climbing, and that's the rear of the ship, you are smashing down at this, you are watching Ogerton shrink

as you get farther and farther and farther and farther away. That's terrifying. That's what happens. We're going to space, folks. Yikes. You're in here. Spacebound is going to be the name of the campaign. Space pound.

Space pound. I love space pound. We're getting space pound. You're going to get some space dogs at the space pound. I guess you have to stand up, right? So that's half my movement. I would take my three squares forward. And I want to try to look into the pool.

And can I see anything below it besides the skull that you described? Or like, is there any, are there like any, there like any tubes or is there anything like holding him beside or it besides um just just this does seem to be um like if you took a skull of any creature and cleaved it in half the bottom half of a skull uh and what has clearly been scooped out from the center of the skull is like almost a glass bowl that uh allows this green glowing brine to exist and in which the brain sits and gyrates and pulsates. That's what you see when you look at the overall shape.

The face of it, you can see what would have been a nose cut in half. And then you can see like almost portholes where multiple tentacles would have been jutting out from the jaw of imagining a huge illicit head. But nightmare transformation in ancient, ancient, ancient, that is what you perceive, but all of it does definitely seem to be within the perimeter of this dome. I'm just gonna start white. I'm just going to get a sense of if I'm gonna kind of swirl my hand and it'll grow frosty and instead of shooting anything at it, I'm just going to use frostbite on it and try to attempt to cause frost to appear over the brain and it needs to make a I guess a saving throw, if it can penetrate.

I'm just trying to get a sense of if things that originate behind the shield, that still works. This is very true to your shamanic self. Trying small things to test and find the path, to find the true way of things. And you make this test. And before any of the effects can occur, the saving throw, as soon as you pass that magic,

through the dome, it evaporates. No saving throw required. Oh. We need to get to the ornament. Is that her? Top of the round. The shield, despite your test,

blinks for just a bit of a moment. It blinks for only a fraction of a second. But in the moment that that happens, there's this cyanic burst. and almost like rockets spraying out a collection of additional tadpoles all land at your feet. Oh, God. Are you doing rice?

We're doing rice. You still have the 12, two for each. Oh my gosh. Magi RPG. We're rated up the 57 viewers. Thank you. Thank you so much. Welcome. Welcome. If you like D&D, you can tell us a follow.

We appreciate it. Go get a Magi or Magi, I don't know what you want to pronounce that. If you know Dungeons and Dragons and you can see the mini that we've made here in the center of the map, you probably can guess what we're fighting. It's a giant brain, folks. You know what I'm done for? Cattle steam's still here. Honestly, that's all I can think of.

What? Kettlesteen? Kettlesteen? Okay. It is. Okay. Okay. I think that's all of it.

Oh, man, I can't do anything. That's the conclusion of the layer action. It doesn't even have any bones that I can throw. I know. It's really tough. Well, it's surrounded in bones. All right. I, uh, uh, shit.

I feel like you're never allowed to do anything in combat. It doesn't matter what character. It's alright. It doesn't matter what campaign. Uh, scrim will, uh, having stabilized against us, ah, against the war. against the wall, will raise his left hand and focus the best that he can and attempt to lay a hex plate's curse.

Oh. I believe because I grant a hunter's mark, your ability to target and hold the creature in your hex is allowed. So you're the DM. I don't know enough about hexplay. I just tell you, right? It just says, once per short, last is a bonus.

action, choose one crease you can see within 30 feet and curse it for one minute. Or until the target dies. And then the benefits come if you hit it. Well, no. It gives me a plus three bonus to damage rolls. Yes, so yes. I score a critical hit on a next year. Yeah, I can allow that. I can allow that. Channeling this, this magic that I've come to be familiar with, I feel the curse take effect. And without looking at, now that the physics have changed, this dog beast is more of a smoking cloud without even looking at it and but still feeling the connection I will just say go get it and I will fire off two Eldridge Blast as I also send the hound after

okay this now roll the Eldridge Blass to see if anything even hits or it can penetrate the barrier so the attacks for the old Eldridge Blast are double 14s that'll be each is gonna be a plus eight which would be 22 each both of those hit The Eldrit Blasts hit the dome and bounce off the shield, doing no damage, however. Okay. The creature, however, uses its movement to endeavor to perhaps pass through the dome. It is 50 feet of movement. It's a brain. It has 50 feet of movement.

Well, that's pretty good. It's quick. What would happen if it got to the brain? Oh, it would regain its physical form in attempt to jump one. You all see the smoke passing. through the dome. Unbelievably, whatever it is made of

seems unaffected by the invincible shield of Sothelof, and you are able to make a chomp. Wow. Okay. What in the hell? Oh, this is a spooky ghost. Oh, my God.

I didn't account for ghosts. Fuck! Only a 10 to hit. A 10 to hit? Yeah. Must twist it. You sure? Yeah.

We'll only one hitting so far. We'll use one. Space, ghost, coast to coast, fuck. That's actually a 21 to hit. That hits. It's going to do 3G6 necrotic damage. Let's go.

And I guess you technically have to succeed on a DC-10 Constitution-saving throw. And if you fail, your hit point maximum is reduced by the same amount. You're haunted by ghosts. Forever. DC-10, not very high. Yeah, it's like 20.

Okay. 11 points of necratic damage. I rolled high for what it's worth. How much damage? 11 points of necrotic damage. 11 points of damage. Shockingly, you are able to pass through this threshold, or rather your spirit is.

And I was gonna say as I watched this happen and for the first time, there will be a slight smirk. That will appear on his face as he, almost looks at this creature with admiration. It dives in, and you hear the unemotional voice. Unemotional for most of this time, of Sophilip, reverberate in all of your minds. Interesting.

I didn't think that this is possible. That cannot be allowed. Oh, it's got. He's fucking shoes. It will use its first in legendary action to make everyone enjoy an intelligence saving throw. Including the creature, because it has a C and H bid. It's a burst of psychic energy that bursts out,

a giant wave that crosses a threshold incorporating the entire arena. A disadvantage? No, I'm really for my creature as well. And we both fail. The DC is 18. Yeah, now we fail. Oh, what was the, what's the?

Both myself and Honeybee failed. Okay. I failed to. That's going to be... Intelligence save? Yeah. And that raging does a new shoot against psychic damage. You all take 27 points of psychic damage or half as much on a save.

I rolled at 18. My honeybee disappears. Oh, yeah. I'm sorry to hear that. Yeah, the smoking spirit is just vaporized. Oh, man. Vaporized. 27?

Shit. So what's half? Yeah. 13? Yeah, because it's rounded down. Yeah, yeah. And you are dazed. On your next turn,

you may only choose to do an action or move or take a bonus action. However, you can choose to do more things by taking 1D6 psychic damage for all of those additional things. Okay. Okay. What do we get for free?

Bonus? You get in action for free, a movement for free, or a bonus action for free. Oh, okay. And then you can take damage to do it. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. Got it, got it. I love that.

It's a better stunned. Yeah. It was the DC was 18, right? Yep. Yep. Tai Zhen, you're up. This is spicy. Yeah. Fuck.

So, so exciting. Just to paint the same exact picture you've painted 17 times, Once more. No, no, no. The elder brain sits within a half, like a corded out skull. And like outside of that, there is a pool of water

that is also tadpools. Or all the water is within the skull. It's in the cord out skull that the brine and the pool is, which is what the brain sits in. Okay. And when attacks hit it, is the shield seems very obviously like it is around the brain, or does it extend all throughout the pool?

It extends around the skull. So that's everything. Um, okay, well, I guess I'll just firebolt these fucking, these old scamps, these little shrimp monsters are around me. You don't know that attacking the wall is working though, right? Like that's something that everyone understands? Yes. Okay, I was gonna make sure.

Attacking the wall is working. Apparently. Well, we know that as players, we don't know as characters. Yeah, as characters, it would not be terribly. I think you would have to ask and make a pretty... Oh, okay. Because it's just a clear rule.

You'd have to make a DC-15 perception check to be sure. Oh, I thought you mentioned that it looked like the illusion was cracking. No, no, the illusion is perfect. Yeah. It is still perfect. Only Barnabode can feel the fact that he is starting to dig in deeper. That's the case. I'll cry out.

Yeah. We're going to break through to the armament. Let's go. And everyone trusts. But I'm crazy as fun. That's fair. That's fair. You just drop a fireball and kill the leeches.

You are all resistant to fire damage. I don't have a spell. I don't have that spell. Oh, I don't have any bad shit. Oh. Also that. Also that. I will, let's see.

Oh, fuck. How far is this? This is some bullshit. Pythagoras is a dick. 17.5. I will charge in my palm a swirling, what looks almost like

swirling condensed wind and around it will form crackling lightning energy. Oh, fuck, I can't move. Never mind. Can't move. Take some damage. It's a half you're moving. Okay, okay, okay. Wait, are we pro?

Shit. I don't know, bro. I started, if you eat, everyone, everyone started prone. Oh, oh, oh, this is really evolving. Fuck. Okay, okay, this is probably still fine. Let me just see what. Oh, should we remove the B dice?

Yeah. There's no dog dice either, right? No. Okay, yeah. Okay. Faced. Instantly. That's amazing.

Yeah. Okay, this is still fine. This is still fine, everybody. Okay. the same thing I just described. Swirling mass of what looks like condensed wind around it a sphere of

crackling lightning energy I'll move here. That's far. I don't know if these are fucking... They don't have a tax of opportunity instead they just continue to turn into the nearest targets and immediate lights. So long, suckers.

And I would I'd say this awful it. We reject your truth. You didn't want this. They changed you. You won't defeat us. It might seem like you will, but we'll get the Hexacher armament, and we will cast you out. Or you can just leave now. Words I've heard a hundred times before, this does not end well for you, but I am not going to kill you, I am going to turn you. Oh no.

You will try. And I'll fire elemental blast at the portion of the wall that Barnabas is striking. Okay. I'll pull my anchor back as I hear you talking to it. Roll to attack just because I don't I didn't make Barnabos do that, but because of the distance and because we need to see if you make damage curve. Well, 25 to hit the broad side of a barn.

Oh, yeah. That's one broad side. No, I'm sorry. I don't think I actually don't have a plus, maybe. Or maybe I do have a plus. You should. Yeah, you should. It'll be plus your spell mod attack, right?

It takes 1d8 plus 1D8 lightning damage. Five points of, you know, of really cool damage. Barnabos, you are rearing back for the next strike and you see this, explosion of wind and lightning. Wind and lightning. Crash in front of you, and even though you don't look behind you, you know that Tyshen has joined the cause

and is endeavoring to crush through the wall. That being said, you're all still staring down and watching Ogerton get smaller and smaller, and it's at this point that you cross a threshold. You're no longer watching rain fall down and around you, You are watching snow as you cross the threshold of Ogerton's illusion. Ogerton disappears for you.

All of a sudden, you are watching snowflakes fly around and flip in all direction, dark clouds in all directions. You are having a good time of it. That's not good. That's your turn? That's my turn. This is the worst one.

I think it's all, it's all. soul actions. Yeah. Don't we're just take your psychic damage? Oh, right. Yeah. Teacher. Oh, thank you.

That's okay. Please zap him. One psychic damage. Okay. Oh, no. A Sophil's turn. Oh, no. Sophilith will use his turn.

Oh. That's fine. Sofelleth will use their turn to see what you are endeavoring to do, knowing that you're potentially going for the armament, especially given the fact that you're near announced it to the world. And you may not take what is mine. I... No, he wouldn't say, I own everything.

That's not his vibe. Instead, Sopholus would be more like... Tell my wife, I said hello. Tell my wife, I said hello. It's the beige alert. I'm not trapped in here with you. You're trapped in here with me. or something along those lines.

Instead, he twists and turns the ship and decides to start spiraling around the... Instead of going straight up as you have been largely, not at a complete vertical angle, otherwise you guys will all fly in a nightmare position, but he turns the ship and starts to circle around and towards the top of the mountain that you've been watching this waterfall

spill down this entire time. That being said, everybody goes all the way to the right side of the shift. So, and taking the amount of, the equivalent amount of falling damage. Where does Barnabos go? So Barnabose would go to the corner towards Rich. Bump against the brain, the brain shield.

You slam into the brain shield and you flip and fly around it. Oh, I don't take any damage as I was next to it already. Oh, yeah. So he moved one, two, three, Barnabos moved four squares. So that's two D-Sex.

That's one D-Sex. Maybe just next to me here. Yep, that's one D6. I trust you to get the math, right? Are you mapping this, Mike? 1D6, yeah, 1D6 for Queenie, because you round down. That's 15, right?

Yep, and that's, uh, K. I take 2D6, I think you guys take 1D6. I take it. I took full max damage. Six whole points. These dice roll hot fire for damage. I can't hold these. As I'm flying, I'll bounce against the shield,

as I see it coming, it'll be like barnacles will grow all against my side. As I smack against him, it's finally damage that I can have. Nice. Kett uses his turn to stand. Use your magic sword. Yeah, that was his turn, was turning the ship. Oh, okay, cool. That's good.

That's much better than it. He's an ace pilot. That's a good. You can fly the remaining. Look out as Tom Cruise! He can fly the bombing run in two minutes and 14 seconds. You know what? It's not important.

What's important is that a cat stands up and he dashes and he's going to run up the brain to the best of his ability. Does he take a tax of opportunity from the slugs? Those also slid down, however. They're all just on you and disgusting. They're not crushed by the G-forces. So if he's dashing, I mean, he could basically dash this way. What's his speed? 30.

Don't forget about the psychic damage. Can he get two on top of the shield? One and a half, two and a half, three and a half, four and a half. Yeah. Yeah, that's as far as he can get. Okay. He takes his silver sword and he flips it around and he said, did you see that?

Did you see the blink? As soon as he, kill more of the tadbolts, he'll have to release it at some point and then we can stab in. And he pushes the point of the sword against the shield and he just starts to dig in, waiting for an opportunity to try and interrupt this invincible shield.

Oh shit. Oh no! Damn it. I just had a vision of what's to come. This is doing me a think. I'm like, I'm like, seeing her racking my brain and I'm just like, coming up with nothing. So completely, like, met a conversation outside of this game. What happens if this strange sword is the thing that kills this elder brain?

When we know that, like, consuming an elder brain is what led Sopholith to become this point, like, to get to this point. What, this guy is not a good guy. I agree. I don't trust him at all. And I think he wants to kill this elder. brain for other reasons. Oh, yeah. He's got ulterior motives.

I trust him about as much as I trust the elder brain. Exactly. Exactly. But if he has some super magic brain-killing sore, I ain't going to say no to it. I trust nothing less, you know? I ain't going to say no to me, you know what I mean? The fight has only just begun.

Already things are looking grim. Trapped, desperate. Massive dark cloud heads obscure the mountain. head that looms above the city of Ogerton. Flakes of snow rush past the face of the ship and brilliant streaks now. Too many to count. Gone in an instant. They rush past you, dazzling and dizzying patterns as the ship continues to accelerate and twist and turn, circling up and up and up. Still, you can see the boardwalk stretched out before you. The long tentacles that push out from the sides and belly of the ship have awoken now and undulate.

and grasp at the air, twisting and reaching as though pulling the ship through the air. You look about to see how your allies are faring and if they're doing any better. Barnabos, you are still slamming your anchor into, oh, no, no, you've been pulled into the side. What are you doing? How are you feeling? I'm trying to hold on to that and, like, scrape down with my crab legs. And I'm just going to try to scuttle back to where it was and just get back to it. start to make your way up. You're near. The same

question for you. What are you doing? How are you feeling? I'm covered in slugs. I was just hit by Tishen. I'm Tyshen's on top of me. And I am feeling concerned. Wow. I have no hope.

It's starting to feel a little doubt. He said, yeah, we're basically like this shield is almost like you know, like like a reverse u no car like a new you like i block everything queen yeah what are you doing how are you feeling um i queenie feels no fear she she had her moment and she is now looking at this situation looking at the shield and everything's happening and even though to most it would seem hopeless she just has complete faith in our friends scrim scrim is feeling uh something that he

He's never felt before until this moment a brief sadness and almost misses the hound that has been vaporized by the brain. He would never tell anybody this, but he deep down and that he's almost like sad because he said, he had hope that this thing could harm it. But he is actively calculating and formulating a backup plan. Certainly. And his mind is going. The wheels are turning and he thinks that he has a backup plan.

well I'm covered in slugs and I've just hit your ear so um oh sorry uh I do however think uh the shattering out of the dream and realizing that there's no there's no reality other than reality is I've never been more sure that we will prevail against this because we have to prevail against this. Hope has only nearly died within you. When suddenly there is a flash of blinding light. Moments later you hear a crackling boom. You realize what you'd once mistaken, once long ago for lightning,

is actually the eruption of an icy fissure, like a cracked tear in space. On the mountain peak, you see a vertical jagged shape like a spike of ice projecting upwards. The shape moves and then unfurls and you realize what exactly it is that you look upon. Its massive wingspan, easily over 60 feet in length spreads outwards. Scales as white as the driven snow glisten with a faint blue hue. The dragon's body is thick and muscular. The spikes on its back are jagged and wrought.

razor sharp, piercing blue eyes with the icy intent of a predator seem to look right through you as they lock onto the dominant mind and the princess of wrath takes flight. Despite her massive size, the dragon is incredibly agile. Her movements quick and precise, powerful muscles ripple beneath thick scales as she soars forward straight for the ship. She ascends and closes the distance almost instantly and slams into the side of the ship rocking it violently underneath your feet. In your minds you hear Sophilus respond. It appears we have an unwelcome guest. How interesting. I wonder if it knows who it is dealing with. We will deal with it accordingly. The Princess of Wrath clutches the side of the ship with her great talons, rears back her head

to the storming sky and roars. And that's where Roland tonight's second. Oh my God! Take it back. Take it fast. No, let's play till sunrise. Are you kidding me? Oh, man. This is so epic. We are going, this is bad. I think your ear's brain would be on the verge of shattering

with everything he's witnessed and is seeing. Like, he's so crowded. Thank you so much for listening to The Legends of Aventras 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 Tear. or higher to unlock shroud of her salt marsh, a patron exclusive campaign set on the high seas. You can find that at patreon.com forward slash legends of Aventris.

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