Pre-Show[]
MATT: Hello, everyone, and welcome to tonight's episode of Critical Role, where a bunch of us nerdy-ass voice actors sit around and play Dungeons & Dragons.
ALL: (garbled) We play Dungeons & Dragons!
MATT: Just like that. Before we jump into our episode tonight, we do have some announcements to get through, beginning with our sponsor for this evening's festivities, SteamWorld Heist II!
TRAVIS: II! Sam, tell us about it.
SAM: The sequel to the critically acclaimed indie video game SteamWorld Heist II is a hilarious turn-based tactical game that uses a unique ricochet gameplay mechanic that's kind of like playing billiards with guns. Pew! Pew! You ricochet shots off walls and ceilings. It's super fun. So while I tell you more, I'm going to challenge my fellow cast mates to shoot me with Nerf guns. But the trick is you have to ricochet off of stuff that Robbie holds.
ROBBIE: I've been dreaming of this.
TRAVIS: Why do you have one now?
MARISHA: Because I'm next to Robbie and I'm terrified.
SAM: You could also do a double ricochet for more points.
LAURA: Oh! (laughter)
TALIESIN: No, that's okay.
MATT: I don't think that's how this works.
ROBBIE: Oh yeah, yeah, don't shoot.
TALIESIN: That's not how any of this works.
ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SAM: Okay. Whoever can ricochet the most and hit me wins.
ROBBIE: You tell me.
SAM: I guess Taliesin's first. That's a nice steady hand.
TALIESIN: A little bit more of an angle. A little bit more of an angle.
SAM: Here we go.
TALIESIN:A little bit more of an angle
SAM: Wait until I start talking--
TALIESIN: Yeah, just a little bit more of an--
SAM: Get ready.
ASHLEY: We're all doing it at once?
TALIESIN: More of an angle. More of an angle. More of an angle. No, me first.
SAM: Wait, wait! Get ready for an epic high sea adventure with the highly anticipated sequel to the indie sensation--
MARISHA: Oh!
ASHLEY: Did it get you?
SAM: Nope.
TALIESIN: Damn.
SAM: Next.
TALIESIN: Don't dodge
SAM: SteamWorld Heist. Take charge as Captain Leeway--
LAURA: Okay, can I do it?
TALIESIN: Yeah.
SAM: -- and lead a ragtag-- Wait, one at a time!
LIAM: But we're twins.
SAM: Next is Liam!
LAURA: Ah!
LIAM: Oh! And lead a ragtag crew of Steambots through an-- [trigger clicks]
ASHLEY: Whoa!
TALIESIN:Misfire! (laughter)
ROBBIE: Misfire! Clear the chamber!
SAM: -- through an intense turn-based gunfight where bullets ricochet with deadly precision. A turn based tactical strategy-- [darts ricochet]
ASHLEY: Oh!
SAM: Nope. (laughter)
ROBBIE: I'm trying to--
SAM: You'll explore the Great Sea, find crew, upgrade abilities, go on heists and find clues.
LIAM: Ready, ready.
LIAM: Pull!
ASHLEY: Turn it, turn it, turn.
SAM: Oh!
ALL: (exclaiming) (laughter)
SAM: Oh!
ASHLEY: In his face!
SAM: In my cancer. (laughter)
ASHLEY: "In my cancer"? (laughter)
ASHLEY: Geez Louise. (laughter)
LIAM: What is wrong with you?
SAM: A turn-based strategy game. You'll explore the Great Sea--
MATT: Ashley, go!
SAM: -- find crew, upgrade abilities--
ASHLEY: All right, wait. Turn it towards him.
SAM: -- go in heists--
ASHLEY: Face it at him, face it at him.
SAM: Shh!
ROBBIE: Not the camera.
ASHLEY: Sorry.
TALIESIN: Yep, yep, yep.
SAM: -- and find clues to what's causing Steambots to corrode.
TRAVIS: Rely on Robbie, yeah.
SAM: (nervous squeal) Ah! (laughter)
ASHLEY: Right in the tit. (laughter)
ROBBIE: I'm getting good at this.
SAM: This is a handcrafted --
MARISHA: Yeah, you are.
TALIESIN: Get another one.
SAM: This is a handcrafted beautiful 2D world-- [darts fire] Nope!
TALIESIN: Damn!
SAM: -- with characters that seem familiar and batshit crazy. [darts fire] No. (laughter)
LAURA: I'm going to go, I'm going to go.
ROBBIE: Wah!
ASHLEY: Did it get you?
ROBBIE: Collateral!
MATT: I want to get one, I want to get one.
TALIESIN: All right.
MATT: Keep reading.
ASHLEY: Look at him being all professional.
ROBBIE: It's got to be almost direct.
SAM: No!
SAM: And the music--
ROBBIE: Ah! (laughter)
MATT: Weirdly, I don't think these are accurate.
SAM: The music composed by Steam Powered Giraffe. You'll be humming these tunes for days. Steam-- [dart fires] Ah! (laughter) Okay, I'm wrapping it up.
ROBBIE: Oh man. SteamWorld Heist II is out now across all console and PC platforms. Plus, get a 10% discount on Steam--
LAURA: Ashley, do not.
SAM: -- until August 15th.
MARISHA: You got a welt forming on your mouth.
SAM: Uh-huh ! Aim, plot, and plunder at bit .ly/SteamworldHeist2. Oh, and don't forget to check out our SteamWorld Heist II Everything is Content.
TRAVIS: Oh yeah, we're--
SAM and ROBBIE: Ah! (laughter)
ROBBIE: My hand!
SAM: You read this part.
ROBBIE: I'll protect you now. I'm going to protect you.
MARISHA: But wait, there's more! Don't forget to check out our Steamworld Heist II Everything is Content on Monday, August 12th featuring Taliesin Jaffe and Ashley Johnson on Twitch, YouTube, and Beacon. What is happening?
MATT: Hit her more, hit her more, hit her more!
MARISHA: Ah! Featuring Taliesin Jaffe--
SAM: Ah! (laughter)
LIAM: All right, let's graduate to d20s. (laughter)
MARISHA: On Twitch, YouTube, beacon.tv at 7 p.m. PST. Thank you, Thunderful for sponsoring this episode. Matt, back to you.
SAM: Wow.
MATT: Okay. We all good?
MARISHA: Ah!
LIAM: All right.
MATT: Cease fire, cease fire.
LIAM: Weapons down, weapons down.
TALIESIN: Great shot, great shot.
MATT: You did this to yourself, Sam.
SAM: I didn't know it was going to hurt that much!
ASHLEY: I want to get shot with one.
ROBBIE: Oh man.
SAM: We didn't test it beforehand.
LAURA: You have a big old welt on your face!
TALIESIN: At break, you'll take one.
MARISHA: Look at your finger!
TALIESIN: Oh my god.
LAURA: Poor Sam! (laughter)
ROBBIE: Oh, so funny.
MARISHA: Your beautiful molars.
TRAVIS: I almost blacked out I laughed so hard. My brain almost receded. (laughter)
SAM: That's what the game's like.
ROBBIE: Perfect.
MARISHA: Wow .
LIAM: I would say they took your filter away too but you never had one.
MATT: Yeah.
MARISHA: All of our UK viewers are like, "Fucking Americans.".
ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah.
MATT: Yep, yep.
TALIESIN: They're not wrong.
MATT: Thank you so much for sponsoring us. Marisha, you're up.
MARISHA: (grunts) The first episode of Moonward: A Midst Roleplaying Story dropped yesterday.
TRAVIS: Yes it did! Moonward! (cheering)
ASHLEY: Yes! So good.
MARISHA: It's so cool, you guys.
SAM: So cool.
MARISHA: This is a four-part miniseries that is led by Xen, one of the co-creators of Midst, who creates the music, the sound, the atmosphere. It's all live while also guiding the story. They've got so many gadgets and guitar and it's crazy. You got to watch it. They're joined by their fellow Midst creators, Sara Wile and Matt Roen, alongside Liam O'Brien and myself.
SAM: Amazing.
MARISHA: We kick things off with a crew of unlikely associates that decided to mount an unsanctioned rescue mission to Midst's fallen moon, discovering powerful forces that seek to stop them. Turns out the moon's valuable. So people have vested interests. Go check it out on YouTube, Twitch, and Beacon and midst.co. Plus, if you're a Beacon or Fold member, you can watch the first two episodes right now.
TRAVIS: Ayy, B-B-Beacon!
MARISHA: (laughs)
MATT: Spaticlysm.
MARISHA: But wait, there's more. The remaining three episodes of the story will air on our new Midst YouTube channel.
SAM: What?
MARISHA: Uh-huh. youtube.com/midstpodcast. Also on Twitch, Beacon and midst.co every Wednesday. Go check it out! Give the Midst YouTube channel a follow It's greatly appreciated.
MATT: Hell yeah.
MARISHA: Support these indie creators, y'all.
SAM: Yay.
ROBBIE: Yes. Yes.
TALIESIN: Mm-hmm.
MATT: Liam, you're up next.
LIAM: Oh, I'm actually very excited to talk about this. In celebration of Critical Role's 10th-- Whoa.
TRAVIS: (amazed) Oh.
LIAM: -- anniversary--
TRAVIS: 10 years.
LIAM: -- next year, in 2025, we have a new anthology coming this March with our friends at Penguin Random House. I have been wading through it for months at this point and loving it. Stories Untold includes 10 original short stories that feature the perspectives of 10 characters who fought alongside and against Vox Machina.
TRAVIS, ASHLEY, and LAURA: Ooh!
LIAM: It is such excellent writing. This collection is going to feature a foreword written by me with stories by 10 contributors, including Aabria Iyengar, Sam Maggs, Martin Cahill, and just a whole host of incredible writers. I've been reading for months. Stories Untold will be-- Oh, wait, wait, wait!
SAM: Plus--
LIAM: Back it up! I want to call out, the cover art is by Adrián Ibarra Lugo. It's gorgeous. Now I can move forward. (laughter)
LIAM: Stories Untold will be available in hardcover, e-book, audiobook formats. You can pre-order your copies now wherever books are sold or head to criticalrolebooks.com for all the details. I really have taken a lot of joy of seeing all of Matt's characters fleshed out further and watching them come to life and see what they were doing while Vox Machina was running around doing other shit. It's just a really great project and I can't wait for you guys to read it.
SAM and ASHLEY: Yay!
TRAVIS: Wonderful.
ROBBIE: Awesome.
TRAVIS: Wonderful.
MATT: It's super, super freaking exciting. I want to say real fast a quick thank you to all of those who came out and played games with us at GenCon this last weekend.
TRAVIS: So great.
MATT: We had From the-- Sorry. We had For the Queen, Daggerheart, Candle Obscura, Till he Last Gasp, and Queen by Midnight. It was amazing to see so many of you out there together to tell and share stories around the table. Every year it's just so fun to watch the community come together and I'm just very proud.
SAM: Yeah.
MATT: So you can stay up to date on all things Darrington Press via our newsletter, our social media, or at darringtonpress.com. I think that concludes our announcements. So let's jump into tonight's episode of--
SAM: But, but, but, but, but--
MATT: -- Critical Role. (cheering)
♪ Critical ♪
♪ Critical ♪
♪ It's Thursday ♪
♪ It's Thursday night! ♪
ASHLEY: ♪ One-by-one, we climb until we reach the top. ♪
♪ Two-by-two, we fall. ♪
LAURA: ♪ Will we meet our end or meet our destiny? ♪
♪ Hold your breath and roll! ♪
MATT: How do you want to do this?
ALL: ♪ It's Thursday night ♪
♪ All ye Critters, come join us ♪
♪ It's time to continue our plight ♪
♪ There is magic and mystery ♪
♪ Who knows what will happen? ♪
♪ He might! ♪
♪ But one thing's for sure, ♪
♪ We never give up on the fight! ♪
LIAM: ♪ From the healer ♪
♪ To the renegade ♪
MATT: ♪ We all share the same goal ♪
MATT and TALIESIN: ♪ Adding more allies ♪
♪ Taking more chances ♪
SAM: ♪ Hold your breath and roll ♪
MARISHA: You can certainly try.
ALL: ♪ It's Thursday night ♪
♪ All ye Critters, come join us ♪
♪ It's time to continue our plight ♪
♪ It's Thursday night. ♪
♪ There is magic and mystery ♪
♪ From darkness, our friendship will rise ♪
♪ But one thing's for sure: ♪
♪ We never give up on the fight ♪
♪ Oh, get ready, ♪
♪ Get ready, ♪
♪ It's Thursday night! ♪
(flames whooshing)
Part I[]
MATT: And welcome back. So, last we left off, Bells Hells, after trekking deep into the ruins of Aeor along with their guide, Essek Thelyss, you encountered the strange demonic entity that was keeping the Vanguard at bay, Dominox, defeating it by pushing it through a gate into the abyss of its origin with the aid of Ludinus Da'leth, who then gave you a vision through a relic that he had discovered not too far beyond that of the fall of Aeor, an era of Exandrian history spoken of but largely lost in its details, as it was, it seems, one of the darkest moments for the Pantheon. With the intent of showing this to the world to erode the faith of the people of Exandria, and in the hopes of finding a point of understanding with your group, the invitation was given to join the Vanguard and see world the way he does. After much debate and some heated discussion, he left the offer in your hands and left an offer in Delilah's as well. Tossing a relic of enticing power towards Laudna, the words having hold in her heart, Delilah fought her way to the surface and wrestled control of Laudna. The rest of you were forced to do battle with your friend in what may be her darkest moment. But you managed to defeat Delilah, sending her back for the time being as but a shard of shadow within Laudna's spirit, likely rapidly growing back. At this moment, satisfied with what you've learned, Essek took your group via Teleport to a place of safety, the abode of his partner, Caleb Widogast. Here in this humble abode within the Dwendalian city of Rexxentrum. You had a moment to breathe. A moment to absorb, though still more likely to come in the midst of these conversations, debating what you've seen, what you've witnessed, what you've discussed, and what's to be done next. It was considered that this soul anchored gem, now empty and bereft of its intended target, might have a secondary use to turn the tides of poor Laudna's fate. After talking with Essek about it and him looking to research its possibilities, he seemed to come to you with a bit of hope that it is indeed possible, though challenging. After coming up from his study, his laboratory, to all of you saying that it could be done but it needs to be done quickly, likely before Delilah can begin to recover her former power in this subdued state. Time is of the essence, and began to draw you all back to the laboratory here in this late, late hour, as you stand exhausted, but hopefully driven to see this through. And so here, as you all begin to follow Essek back into the laboratory where you arrived, you see him now, a number of books even further scattered amongst the laboratory interior. But you see, he's taken some time to organize some of the stacks into more solid towers, has a number of strange instruments laid out across one of the tables. He runs over quickly to start sketching out a larger runic circle than the teleportation one that brought you all here in the first place. In the quiet as you all stand there as he begins the initial process, you all can look and talk amongst yourselves.
LIAM: Just for bookkeeping, we've been talking a lot here. Would you say we've short rested while eating cookies and discussing?
MATT: Yeah.
LIAM: Okay.
TALIESIN: Yeah, thank god.
LAURA: I'm all out of hit dice, I can't--
LIAM: I have none, but I'll still take the--
ASHLEY: I know, I don't have--
TALIESIN: I've got a few.
LIAM: -- the bells and whistles I get back.
TALIESIN: Oh, yeah. That's great.
TRAVIS and MARISHA: (like Kool-Aid Man) Oh yeah!
TALIESIN: Sometimes.
TRAVIS: Yeah, I'll do a full heal up.
MATT: "Sometimes the short rest gets you, brother." All right.
LAURA: Laudna. Are you nervous?
MARISHA: Oh. I'm terrified. I am very thrilled that it seems we have found a way to potentially do this sooner rather than later, and without it being by Ludinus' hand. I don't know. I think the thing that I'm most concerned about is who I'll be without her. If-- If anyone is. I mean it's her magic that's keeping me alive.
LAURA: Yeah.
MARISHA: If this goes poorly... It won't go poorly. I trust you all.
LIAM: Essek, Laudna is a really unique woman. Do you think that there's a way forward here that will keep her with us?
MATT: "That is what I'm trying to do. And you tell me it is a risk, like all great and experimental magics are. If this Delilah is indeed a tether that keeps you here, then this ritual would keep you two tethered. But she would be bound within this anchor, likely at your disposal."
MARISHA: I do love the sound of that.
MATT: "In failure, the anchor becomes useless and she likely returns at her leisure, vengeful. If we fail entirely, there is always a chance that it does sever your tie and both of you will be lost."
SAM: Oof.
MATT: "So, knowing the risks involved, is it something you are still wishing to do?"
MARISHA: It needs to be done.
MATT: "Very well."
MARISHA: Oddly I, I hope for either the best case or the worst case, because the middle option of her returning, well that is the worst case.
MATT: "Well then, let us do our best." He begins hastily scribbling and expanding this, looking over to a book for reference, and then trying to copy and then erasing one of the series of scrawled runes and then redoing it with more care. "All right."
TRAVIS: Just so we're clear. The options are, you get separated, she comes back, or you both die?
MARISHA: Mm-hmm.
MATT: "Well, if they separate, they both die. What we're trying to do is find a way that they remain together but--"
TRAVIS: You have control?
MATT: "She's a, no more than a source of power for you."
LAURA: Can you feel her right now? Is she awake?
MARISHA: She's weak, but she's in there.
LAURA: Is she listening?
MARISHA: Do I get a sense that she's listening?
MATT: Make an insight check. Actually, insight or perception. Your choice.
MARISHA: Oh. My fucking heart is pounding. (light laughter)
MARISHA: Perception?
MATT: Your choice.
MARISHA: Drinking this coffee is not helping. Ooh! Icky. Nine.
LAURA: Ugh.
MATT: You are uncertain. You can just feel the faintest little thrum of her power, that cold core of shadow energy that's always lived in you since you woke up on the outskirts. So you know she's there, but that's all you know.
LAURA: Boof!
MATT: "Well, first I must prepare the soul anchor. I would like aid from anyone here who has some experience with runic magics, arcane scripts."
TRAVIS: Yeah, I've got a natural vibe for it.
MATT: "A vibe?"
TRAVIS: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I work with blood mostly, but I also just have a, I got a nose for this stuff.
MATT: "To be honest, with your particular interest in blood magic, I might more recall you for the next step."
TRAVIS: Oh.
SAM: Have I ever caught it?
MATT: "Once the preparation of the anchor is complete, we will need to embed it within Laudna."
TRAVIS: Ooh! Ooh! (laughter)
TRAVIS: Dr. Chet!
ROBBIE: Yeah!
TRAVIS: Surgery!
SAM: I have some religious training, if that would help. Or are you talking about magic stuff?
LAURA: That's arcana specifically.
MATT: "This is specifically arcana based magic." So, I guess pray?
LAURA: I don't know any. I got zero zitches.
SAM: I mean, I have a, --
ASHLEY: I have a negative.
SAM: -- I have a little.
TRAVIS: I'm going to go scrub in.
MARISHA: Yes, please.
ROBBIE: So, a--
TALIESIN: Why are you putting socks on your hands?
ROBBIE: I'm not that well versed. I can read primordial. It depends on what the texts are in.
LAURA: That's better than--
SAM: Yeah, we can both try.
MATT: "All right, then, the two of you come with me."
SAM: Okay. I'm going to inspire you.
ROBBIE: Oh, I feel so inspired.
SAM: All right.
ROBBIE: I'm also going to inspire you.
SAM: Wonderful. (laughter) (laughter)
SAM: Picked up on that.
ROBBIE: Yes. (laughter)
ROBBIE: That's a pinky promise. (laughter)
ROBBIE: Sorry, mine's a little bigger. You can have it again. (laughter)
SAM: I'm a grower. (laughter)
MATT: Little circle spire over here.
ASHLEY: Yay.
MATT: All right, so you-- (laughs)
LIAM: Cube no more.
MATT: You both, as you walk with Essek, he glides over to one of the laboratory tables and sets the purple stone in the center of it. Flicks his wrist like this, and you watch the instruments glide up in the air and then hold in place at different sections and just float there.
SAM: Cool. He takes one from the air and begins to magically chisel into it and change some of the runic elements of it. He pulls out a tome here and says, "Are either of you decent with copying text?"
ROBBIE: I've got beautiful handwriting.
SAM: I've got three hook fingers.
MATT: I'll go with you on this one. (laughter)
ROBBIE: I'll take this one.
MATT: Preps a few--
SAM: But I'm an artist. So yes, I'm beautiful.
ROBBIE: Of course.
MATT: Preps a few paths along the facets of this crystal and then hands you this instrument. It's this elongated brass instrument with a coil around it and you can see it has its own runic text among it. As you hold it, it feels warm to your fingers within but a few moments and at the edge you can see there's this spectral chisel that almost seems to shift with your imagination.
ROBBIE: Oh.
SAM: Cool.
ROBBIE: Yeah.
LAURA: Wow.
MATT: Moving the book up, he says, "I will give you the order of these runes and where to place them. I need you to be as precise as you can with their inscription."
SAM: I'm going to just stand behind you and just encourage you and tell you when you're doing it wrong.
MARISHA: Oh, great.
ROBBIE: Just like my dad. (laughter)
MATT: So.
MARISHA: Oh boy.
ASHLEY: Oh man.
LIAM: I don't want to hear any after that.
MATT: You can choose either an arcana check or a straight dexterity check.
SAM: Not sleight of hand?
MATT: Now, mind you, this would be just actual manual dexterity or your knowledge of arcana. You do have your Jack of All Trades bonus to all of your stuff that you're not proficient with, I believe.
LAURA: That's great.
ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: As a bard, so are--
ROBBIE: Definitely want to be dex?
MATT: Dex over Arcana?
ROBBIE: Yeah.
TALIESIN: Even with Jack of All Trades?
ROBBIE: Well, let me check.
SAM: Jack of All Trades doesn't go to straight dex. It just goes to the ability checks, right?
MATT: Well, it goes to ability checks. I'll double check.
SAM: But not to the base dex score.
ROBBIE: And these aren't saving throws, these are just like the plus mods, right?
LIAM: I mean, if we just need deft fingers, I've got that.
LAURA: (laughs)
ROBBIE: I'm plus four on dex.
SAM: I'm sure he has way more than that.
ROBBIE: Yeah, probably.
SAM: But we are arcane people.
MATT: So, Jack of All Trades. You can add half your proficiency bonus to any ability you check you make that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus. That would include a dexterity check.
LAURA: Oh, sweet.
SAM: Okay.
ASHLEY: Can we stack a guidance on top of that?
MATT: You can very well.
ASHLEY: I'll guide as well.
TALIESIN: Is a plus five just a plus two then? Half.
MATT: Plus five which is rounded down, right?
TALIESIN: Rounded down with plus two.
MATT: Yeah. So be a plus two.
TALIESIN: So it's a six.
SAM: Plus six.
TALIESIN: That's solid.
ASHLEY: And a guidance.
SAM: And a guidance and a--
ROBBIE: And a bardic.
MATT: And you're helping with this. So that would be advantage on the roll.
LAURA: Oh.
ASHLEY: Okay, okay.
LAURA: So many good things.
ASHLEY: That's good.
ROBBIE: Don't fuck this up.
LAURA: Don't roll two ones, basically
MATT: As you place it down, you can see as Essek is both guiding this, Essek is also funneling magic from one of these other instruments into the back of this. And as it does, you can see that little spectral chisel at the end begins to become solid. Where you place it almost glides into the stone itself and carves through. So he's running a lot of things of this and letting you just guide the intricacy of it so you can concentrate on the rest of it around you. And with your-- how are you helping him?
SAM: As I watch him guide the instrument around every time he almost makes a mark, I'm like: Ooh, da-da-dat. (laughter)
ROBBIE: This isn't helping, actually.
SAM: I think that's right.
ROBBIE: Okay.
SAM: Ooh, ba, ba, ba, ba. (laughter)
ROBBIE: Is this better?
SAM: Are you sure you want to do that? Okay. Good. Yes.
ROBBIE: Yes, uh-huh. Ah!
SAM: No. It's good, it's good.
ROBBIE: Thank you, thank you. I think I've got it.
MATT: All right.
MARISHA: I called my mom.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
MATT: So go ahead and roll.
ASHLEY: I'm not even close to the car.
ROBBIE: Back seat arcana-ing.
MATT: Roll a dexterity check for you with advantage.
SAM: With advantage.
MATT: You get to add your six to that.
LAURA: And add a bunch of stuff.
ROBBIE: Already great, already great. Okay, take the first one. Advantage dex 21 plus the two-- 23. Should I use this? It's what it's for, right?
LAURA: And then also you have her guidance.
ASHLEY: You can use guidance if you want to save.
ROBBIE: 24, 30, am I there yet?
ASHLEY: That's a d4.
ROBBIE: And a d4.
ROBBIE: Ah! Two-- 32.
SAM: No, no, no, no.
MATT: Okay 25 was the DC.
ROBBIE: Okay, okay, okay.
MATT: (laughs)
ROBBIE: Keep doing it.
MATT: This is a challenging ritual.
ASHLEY: 25 is the DC?
LAURA: Ah fuck!
ROBBIE: I was writing stuff with the magic pen with my mind.
LAURA: Guiding every step of this way.
MATT: As the sweat beads down the sides of your face over the next 20, 25 minutes--
ROBBIE: With this?
MATT: Yes.
SAM: Okay.
MATT: Essek gliding over and almost like a shattered puppeteer in an odd reflection of how you've always imagined Delilah existing around Laudna, but this time it's a hopeful image. The sounds of the arcane devices grinding through the stone, burning through the smell of what almost has a wet metallic scent at times. Others has a soft sunray on dust, sort of a scent. As these things mingle through and the sounds happen, the rest of you wait in quiet silence. The tension building, whispering amongst yourselves and hoping this goes well. At a certain moment-- Go ahead.
MARISHA: This is so much effort. I didn't want--
LAURA: Laudna.
MARISHA: You guys have already been through so much with me, I didn't.
ASHLEY: Why would we stop now?
MARISHA: (exhales) My stomach hurts.
ASHLEY: Do you need to go poo? (laughter)
LIAM: Do you?
SAM: Don't let what she's saying stress you out.
ROBBIE: I'm not.
MARISHA: It's like a sloth. Like once every, I have to climb down a tree once every month.
LIAM: Spit up the dust ball with your lungs.
ROBBIE: Owl pellets of poo.
MATT: Yeah! (laughter)
LAURA: I'm going to stand behind Laudna and rub her arms.
MATT: Okay.
TRAVIS: One of them falls off.
MARISHA: and TRAVIS: (laughs)
ASHLEY: Oh, god.
TALIESIN: Get that back.
MATT: After nearly a half an hour or so, the instruments go quiet and you look down upon the stone in which the work, the scrolling, has been completed.
ROBBIE: Did we? Is it?
MATT: "It looks, to be perfectly honest, very fine work."
TRAVIS: That's great.
ASHLEY: That's amazing.
ROBBIE: You know, as a kid and all those penmanship classes, I was always like: Why are we doing this? I'll never need this in the real world. And here we are.
SAM: This is the place. This is where it comes in handy. I felt the same about math.
ASHLEY: Beautiful handwriting.
MATT: "All right, so."
SAM and ROBBIE: We did it.
MATT: "Well done." (laughter)
MATT: "The first step of many is complete. Cheddars, Chetney."
TRAVIS: Chetters.
LIAM: You had it.
LAURA and TRAVIS: Chetters!
SAM: Blood Nutter.
MARISHA: Nutter Chetters.
ASHLEY: Nutter Chetters.
MATT: "You are quite well versed in the gorier aspects of existence. This might be a bit intense."
TRAVIS: Woo, ho, hoo. I start taking off my clothes, getting down to my --
LAURA: Wait.
ASHLEY: Wait, why are you getting naked?
LIAM: Nobody asked for that.
SAM: (laughs)
TRAVIS: Listen, listen.
ASHLEY: Do you work better with your clothes off?
TRAVIS: When it comes down to blood, it's better to be in your prime element. I'm just getting down to my skivvies.
MATT: Essek gestures over to the far wall and a bunch of books fall off as a rolling table--
TRAVIS: Start stretching.
MATT: -- that is acting as a temporary gurney. Shifts over to the center.
TRAVIS: Oh, fuck yeah.
MATT: "Laudna."
ASHLEY and LAURA: (laughs)
MATT: "Are you still all right with this?"
MARISHA: Yes. It has to be done. This can't happen again.
MATT: "I will ask you to lay here, please."
MARISHA: It feels like when you're going in for surgery and you can see, all the tools being unwrapped and you're like--
ASHLEY: You going to use that on me?
LAURA: Is there any curtain or a pillow or anything in this room?
SAM: She might need some lumbar support.
MATT: No, there are definitely curtains, and--
LAURA: I'm just going to Mage Hand rip it off the wall and make sure the table is covered. She's comfortable.
MATT: You got it.
TRAVIS: It's going to get messy.
ASHLEY: She'll be back.
TALIESIN: I was not-- Well--
MATT: "All right, I am not a surgeon by any means, so I have to rely on your specialty."
TRAVIS: Doctor Chetters.
SAM: Oh boy.
ASHLEY: Wait. You're the one? He's doing the surgery?
MATT: "Unless you have a better--"
LAURA: He's really good with fine work. I mean, we've seen his carvings and--
ASHLEY: He's great at metal.
LAURA: He's a master craftsman.
TRAVIS: Steady hands.
LAURA: That's right.
TALIESIN: Do you need an assistant?
TRAVIS: I don't know yet. If I start crying out in panic, that means I need help.
LAURA: Okay.
ASHLEY: Chet, Guidance.
MATT: And to remind everyone here.
TRAVIS: Guidance? Okay.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
LAURA: Yes.
TRAVIS: Ready?
ASHLEY: Steady as she goes.
MATT: So, an interesting point of question here, too. This is a multi-stage ritual.
LAURA: Yeah.
MATT: Each person can contribute to the ritual once.
LAURA and ROBBIE: Oh.
ASHLEY: Oh, can I?
SAM: We already fulfilled our duties?
MATT: You have fulfilled your duties.
LAURA: So, is she allowed to Guide people? Is that considered adding to the ritual?
MATT: I'll say, you can. You can continue to Guide people, but that will be your addition to this. If you want to be something--
LAURA: Buffing is good though.
LIAM: That's huge.
MATT: Narratively, if you wanted to help somebody but from an actual mechanical standpoint, your benefit to this ritual is what you're doing.
LAURA: That's good.
ASHLEY: Okay.
MATT: Don't be afraid to also narrate how you're Guiding each person if you'd like to as well.
LAURA: I say Guidance! (laughter)
TALIESIN: Bat. (laughter)
ASHLEY: I mean, I'm just trying to figure out what would be the best use of--
SAM: It's hard because we don't know all the steps yet.
ASHLEY: -- me.
ROBBIE: Yeah.
ASHLEY: We don't.
LAURA: Yeah, we don't know what--
ASHLEY: Because also if I did an Aura of Life, I mean, maybe Laudna could be resistant to necrotic damage. Maybe that would help.
SAM: You want to just save until later in the ritual?
ASHLEY: Yeah, let me just wait. Can I just think about it?
MATT: If you want to think about it, yes, but I'll say like that will probably hold off on the perpetual Guiding if you want to save it for something else.
ASHLEY: Okay, Guidance. I think that's--
LAURA: You're going to do it.
LIAM: You're going to do Guidance?
ASHLEY: Guidance.
MATT: Got it.
ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
ASHLEY: Guidance, guidance, guidance.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
MATT: All right.
TRAVIS: Take a chair and I just move it loudly across the floor. (ridiculous screeching) Step up on there. I take my sharpest chisel and I, (shouts) drag it across my hand and then, (scorching) Flames come off of it. Got to sanitize these things.
MARISHA: Yes, sure. Yes.
TRAVIS: Don't worry. You won't feel-- You're going to feel a lot.
MARISHA: Yeah. So, off of that. Am I going to be conscious awake this whole time?
MATT: "We need you present for this ritual."
MARISHA: All right.
MATT: "However, just a moment," and he starts going through a case of various alchemical compounds. "This was gifted to me by a friend a while back." Blows all this dust off of it. And opens it up, and there's just a bunch of vials and things put around there. You can see the little label on it that says Brenatto on the bottom.
TRAVIS: No!
LAURA: Hey!
ASHLEY: Cool.
MATT: Goes through and pulls out a pouch and pulls out this mulch type material and says, "The placement of this stone will have to be behind the sternum."
MARISHA: All right.
MATT: "So if you want to apply this around where the marked incision would be, it should numb the space to pain."
MARISHA: I don't need it.
SAM: Whoa.
TRAVIS: Gangster.
MATT: "Very well." Puts it back and closes the case and slips it underneath the table.
MARISHA: I have dogs leap from my chest from time to time.
ASHLEY: Very high pain tolerance.
SAM: Want a stick to bite?
MARISHA: I'll have a stick to bite on. Do you have a stick? Wooden spoon?
MATT: Reaches over and grabs what looks to be a wooden heavy tome bookmark with a crook at the end that holds on to the edge of the book itself. "Here you are."
MARISHA: Okay.
MATT: "The rest of you may wish to avert your eyes or not but--" He goes and takes the same chalk he's been using and moves aside a little bit of your outfit and marks right beneath the sternum is to where the incision will be. "I will be conducting a binding ritual of this to your essence as it is being placed within. Take care and wait for my signal for each point of its attachment."
TRAVIS: Sure. Are we going above the xiphoid process and cracking the breastplate or are we going under?
MATT: "I do not think we need to break any bones to do this. I would prefer to go under."
TRAVIS: (disappointed) Okay.
MATT: "Well, you tell me what is best for you, I suppose."
TRAVIS: I mean, does that thing open up a bunch? We've seen a bunch of barn door action happen when you go crazy.
MARISHA: Yeah, you have.
TRAVIS: That's what I was thinking.
MARISHA: I imagine it's more magic.
TRAVIS: It might be more malleable than we think. I could just drop an elbow in there and get that thing.
MARISHA: Pretty brutal.
MATT: "What can you show me?"
MARISHA: I rip a dog from my chest, I guess. (laughter)
MATT: (chest bursts) (demon dog roars)
TRAVIS: (screams)
MATT: Essek goes, "Watch out!"
TRAVIS: See, that's what he was talking about.
LAURA: Yeah, I just start scritching his little head.
TALIESIN: Sit.
MARISHA: He's a good boy.
LAURA: He's a good boy.
TALIESIN: Good boy.
TRAVIS: Your chest just goes like (self-healing) afterwards.
MARISHA: Yeah.
TRAVIS: See, that's what I'm saying. I don't think it's going to be that big of a problem.
MATT: "Can you keep that open?"
MARISHA: Can I? (serious) Can I?
MATT: If you--
LAURA: Give it a try.
MATT: I mean, you are used to changing your physicality to terrify people.
TRAVIS: Do it again.
LAURA: Oh that's true.
TRAVIS: I'll try to hold that son of a bitch.
LAURA: Form of Dread.
MARISHA: All right, all right, all right. I lean down and I just take my finger, and I give myself almost like an autopsy cut.
LAURA: Ugh! Fuck.
TRAVIS: Give him the Y.
MARISHA: Give it the Y. And then, kind of--
MATT: (chest splays open) The ribcage--
TRAVIS: Got it!
MARISHA: Ah!
TRAVIS: (strains) Actually, I'll reach in and take out a splint, shove it a little.
TALIESIN: Do we want to have the machine ready to go? Do we want to have some--
TRAVIS: Some doorstops. Do we want to burn a--
LIAM: The harness?
TALIESIN: Yeah, the harness, and maybe burn something for this just in case. Or at least be ready to?
SAM: Oh, like-- I don't know what that is but--
LAURA: I don't either. Do you want to hold anyone's hand?
SAM: To suck Delilah?
LAURA: Do you want to hold a hand, Laudna? Or you want--
MARISHA: Ah, I'll be-- I mean, maybe, maybe.
SAM: Also, do we have permission to stare at your chest for this whole procedure?
MARISHA: They've seen so much.
SAM: Okay, good.
MARISHA: Yes. They've seen a lot.
TRAVIS: Her cracked chest is just sitting open, by the way.
LAURA: We shot porn together.
TALIESIN: I mean, this is new, but--
ASHLEY: We've seen those bones.
TALIESIN: Yeah, I'm fine.
MARISHA: All right.
TRAVIS: (twirling chisel)
MATT: Essek, by the way, is now four feet back as you do all of this and he's just like, "Right. Um."
MARISHA: I lay down on the table.
MATT: "I'll get my materials." He shifts his hand around and some other instruments (whoosh) lock into place above.
TRAVIS: You're going to be great.
MARISHA: Yeah. I'll--
MATT: He grabs the tome.
MARISHA: I'll see you all on the other side.
LAURA: You will.
MARISHA: You're all very capable. You especially so. I wouldn't trust anyone else.
TRAVIS: Oh, should I step down from--
LAURA: No, Chet.
TRAVIS: Oh, okay.
ASHLEY: No, no, no. Just--
ROBBIE: (laughs)
MARISHA: All right.
SAM: Good time to be petty.
TRAVIS: (sneezes) Oh, I'm so sorry.
SAM: Ugh! (laughter)
TRAVIS: I'm sure it's fine. I'm sure it's fine. I just--
ASHLEY: Ew.
MARISHA: Ritual works.
TRAVIS: I'll just wipe her lungs a little bit.
MARISHA: Die from infection three weeks later.
TRAVIS: Wipe her heart. (laughter)
TALIESIN: Chet, Chet. Dab, don't wipe. Dab, don't wipe.
TRAVIS: Oh, it does't really beat, that part.
TALIESIN: Oh, god.
MARISHA: It's very slow.
TALIESIN: You got to dab it.
LIAM: Keep an eye on him, though.
ASHLEY: Just a little dab.
LIAM: He might carve RTA--
TRAVIS: I'm sorry.
LIAM: -- inside her heart.
TRAVIS: It's all good.
MARISHA: Oh, god.
TRAVIS: I'm ready.
TALIESIN: Oh my god, more subtle.
MATT: "(shudders)"
SAM: He sneezed.
MATT: "(speaks ritual incantation)"
ASHLEY: So stupid.
MATT: As he begins muttering the incantation under his breath, you see the tips of his fingers begin to glow. As he does, you can see from the instruments begin to weave a silken thread of arcane energy that also begins to weave between his fingers. He winds it, spins it like a skein around his fingertips, focused on the crystal as he slowly hands it over to you. He just continues the incantation and gives you a nod. As you begin to bring it there, you see one of the threads sticks to the crystal. The crystal glows ever so faintly, and the threads faints in the air like this little hairline element of gossamer--
TRAVIS: Ooh.
MATT: -- unmoved by air or breath. He continues the incantation as you see the cracked open ribcage of Laudna there waiting. As you look towards it, you can see the thread that went into the crystal begins to slowly find purchase up and under the ribcage to guide you.
TRAVIS: I'm going to take the wood chisel while I'm holding the soul anchor, and I'm going to draw a small incision along the inside of her organs and just collect some of her black ichor-ish blood. I'm going to smear it on the soul anchor and cast a blood maledict, just to get it to ignite. It'll take on a strangely, lightly blue, softly glowing flame on the outside of it, off of her blood in my hands as we try to push it in.
MATT: Very cool.
MARISHA: (heavy exhale)
MATT: So you all watch tensely as Chetney begins to find place within her innards to both fit this where it is, but also each of these silver threads, another one begins to emerge from the skein, thread through this stone and then find a back of part of the ribcage as well. It's this slow, arcane stitching of this stone within the cage that's splayed, that when the final thread is pulled, it will knot itself together like finishing--
TRAVIS: Small hands.
MATT: -- sewing together a carve in a piece of cloth. This is a slow, arduous process. As you are laying there, the incantations turning into just a droning sound in the background, focusing down, you can feel the: (pulsing)
MARISHA: She doesn't like this.
MATT: You hear a whisper in the back of your mind. "What are you doing?"
MARISHA: Just turning the tides a little bit.
MATT: "You need me."
MARISHA: You're absolutely correct. And you need me.
MATT: Chetney, I need you to roll a medicine check for me.
TRAVIS: No problem.
MATT: And I need you to, because of your hemocraft, you can add your spell modifier, your hemocraft modifier to it.
TRAVIS: Okay.
LIAM: Fearne has ongoing guidance.
ASHLEY: Guidance.
LAURA: Guidance, Guidance.
MARISHA: (groans)
MATT: Go ahead and roll a d4.
LAURA: Oh.
ASHLEY: I roll a d4?
MATT: Yeah.
ASHLEY: Okay.
MATT: It's more fun that way.
LAURA: Yeah, that is pretty cool.
ASHLEY: Yeah, okay, okay.
MARISHA: I can't look.
TRAVIS: That's an 18.
TALIESIN: Wait, wait.
SAM: Plus?
TALIESIN: Plus.
ASHLEY: Two.
LAURA: 20.
TRAVIS: 20.
TALIESIN: 20.
MATT: The DC was fucking 20.
ROBBIE: Oh!
MATT: (laughs) Ooh!
ROBBIE: (laughs)
MARISHA: Goosebumps.
ASHLEY: This is so-- I'm so stressed.
ROBBIE: You did the right thing, though. You did the right thing.
ASHLEY: You think I did the right thing?
LAURA: Yes. Because if you hadn't--
ROBBIE: Yeah. Yeah.
LAURA: -- we would have failed the--
ROBBIE: You did the right thing.
ASHLEY: Oh my god.
MARISHA: I'm going to pass out.
ASHLEY: Okay.
MATT: Slowly and carefully, as these arcane threads begin to weave through the bones and flesh. You can feel them, cold at first, and the blue flame begins to create a warmth as the crystal begins to be placed within. It's at first a burning sensation, but then it becomes a warmth that you haven't felt in a long time. You have flashes of memory back to childhood, of what it felt to be warm, to have that flicker of life that you don't really appreciate until it's gone.
MARISHA: You see Laudna grip her hand a little bit as it feels a little tingly.
MATT: As the threads continue weaving through and the incantation continues, you watch as the arcane skein that Essek has crafted begins to tug and pull away and as it does, it's almost like a cat's cradle. What you saw was a clustered series of threads pulls back into a woven network of intricate shapes and runes, like a geometric spider's web that pulls back. As it tugs, you see the ribs begin to close up. A successful placement of the stone within. At that moment: (heartbeat) The rest you begin to watch as the blue flame begins to darken, as shadow begins to (wispy drifting) drift out of the open wound and into the air, a familiar dark shadow.
TRAVIS: (blowing at shadow)
MARISHA: (coughs)
MATT: As this is pressing forward, Essek keeps muttering, and you can see he's not stopping the incantation but his eyes are going wide and looking around at the rest of you. "(ritual incantation)"
TRAVIS: Oh yeah, we got to do something.
MATT: The shadows begin to swirl around and you can see little bits of purple energy and flame flicking around the side of her neck.
TRAVIS: Cool, cool.
MATT: You can feel her now climbing out of the shadowed basement that she's been locked in these past few hours and is now starting to push towards the surface.
MARISHA: She (coughs) sputters a little bit, and you see a little bit of that black ichor and blood cough up out of her.
MATT: What do you do?
MARISHA: Out of her mouth.
LAURA: (gags)
TALIESIN: I'm going to burn a couple rages. I'm going to start concentrating and seeing if I can-- I'm going to try and tap into something useful. I don't know if it'll work or not, but.
MATT: Okay. So let's burn a rage.
TALIESIN: Yeah. That's cocked. Yes. As I sit and start breathing very slowly, trying to control this energy, which I never try and control this energy. I focus and there's a shift and a few odd things happen. Eventually, after going a little gray and a little red and phasing, little rainbow sparkles, little shocks start to hit as I hit the probability point. I was wondering if it's possible just to add as a bonus for the rest of this, for anyone who's got something for this to mark Delilah with Mark of the Messy End.
MATT: Sure. I will say your rage will drop in a moment, because you don't have anything holding it. So if you have something you want to contribute now, which would be that--
TALIESIN: That would be that.
MATT: Okay.
TALIESIN: There is suddenly just sparks, little sparks trying to contain the smoke and push it in different directions and tear it apart.
LAURA: What does Mark of the Messy End do?
TALIESIN: It means that basically crits, or however you deem to use this, are now 18, 19 and 20 for the next six seconds.
LAURA: Against her?
TALIESIN: Yep.
ASHLEY: Wow.
MATT: So what I'll do is for this I'll say, regardless of the DC, whatever the next contributing role is, if it's an 18, 19 or 20, it is a success.
LAURA: Okay.
ROBBIE: Ooh.
LAURA: Okay.
MATT: Regardless of the DC.
LAURA: Okay, okay.
MATT: That's total, not the die roll.
LAURA: Okay.
SAM: Cool.
MARISHA: I look over at Orym.
LAURA: Got it.
ROBBIE: Cool.
MARISHA: Just make eye contact with him. Seedling.
LIAM: I place my right hand--
MARISHA: You know it's right.
LIAM: -- on on the hilt and I walk over and raise my hand up to your shoulder.
MARISHA: If it goes wrong.
LIAM: It's not going to come to that. You are surrounded by people who care for you and you have more love in your heart than Delilah has ever had in her long, cursed history. Flowers start to grow out of Orym's hand. Little red poppies again start to spread out on small tendrilled vines and wrap around Laudna's neck and spiral around her arm and down her body, beautifying the table that she lies on and they glow with a subtle black light, and Orym will Hex Delilah and give her disadvantage. Actually, I think if we try to do anything to her, I think wisdom is what she--
LAURA: Go with it.
LIAM: I'm thinking controlling stuff.
LAURA: Yeah.
LIAM: She has a disadvantage for wisdom now.
MATT: Okay. So both of your contributions here, we need a roll to contribute to this.
LIAM: Yes.
MATT: I'll say between both of these, to combine both of these abilities to try and keep her at bay and lock her in, this is going to be a contested roll of wills. So, I need one of you to roll a wisdom check.
LIAM: Very average. So that's a d20 plus--
TALIESIN: Better than mine.
ASHLEY: Guidance.
LIAM: For sure.
MATT: Now, because you're both helping in this, in theory, this would be with advantage.
LIAM: Okay.
LAURA: With Guidance.
LIAM: With Guidance, yes. It's just my wisdom modifier added to whatever I roll?
MATT: Correct.
TALIESIN: 18, 19, 20
LAURA: Then Ashley's going to add in d4.
TALIESIN: There's a lot of good ways this could go. There's a lot of bad.
MARISHA: Uh-huh.
LIAM: Oh, you're doing Guidance.
MARISHA: Splayed open.
TALIESIN and LAURA: (gasp)
LIAM: So I got 21. On my end.
MARISHA: What'd you roll?
ASHLEY: Plus two?
LIAM: 18.
TALIESIN: Rolled an 18.
SAM: Whoa.
ASHLEY: So that's a success, and plus two.
LIAM: That's a crit on--
MATT: Correct.
LAURA: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
MATT: So here's the thing. Because of what you had applied to this, it is considered a crit. So regardless of the DC, it's a success. You watch as Essek is seeing you lean forward as you're concentrating. You all watch as these sparks fling off. They emerge in multitudes of odd colors and then as they shift to combine with whatever the shadow is, they shift into a grayish mist with silverish specks throughout and begin to, in many ways, resemble some of the magic you've seen Essek control and manipulate since you went to Aeor with him. His eyes even go wide more and briefly make eye contact with you with a "we'll talk about this later" head tilt. As you, holding Seedling before you, all these vines begin to reach out and swirl and entrap as they begin to grasp for the shadow. It's almost like the vines become shadow in their own right. As they begin to swallow the shadow that is emerging from Laudna, they solidify into blackened vines that hold it there, locking it like a dead plant over a wall. As this happens, you all feel this, (soft breeze), this wave of warmth in the room. Sourcelessly, there's no windows here, it's a basement laboratory. But you feel a warm gust of wind that feels oddly welcoming, and you feel a familiar presence that you felt once before. As the shadow gets locked in, you hear within your mind a scream, "(screech) I will not be stopped!" You feel like the force trying to keep through. You're trying to hold her back but you all begin to see Laudna's eyes beginning to flutter and lull back. You can feel Essek getting a little more nervous but as he pulls the final thread closed on the binding of this soul anchor into her chest and the final bit of the skein drifts inside. He closes the book and says, "We're almost done. The incantation is complete. Now, I need to, I need to initiate the actual anchor." He puts his hand over the area on the chest that's been closed, at which point her back arches upward and you can see you're now in the middle of a fight. You're no longer present in the room. You withdraw back into shadow and in this darkened space, you can see just the faintest flicker of blue flame and darkness around you. You just float there in this cold space. Then out of nowhere-- (lunges)
MARISHA: Ah!
MATT: She reaches for you and you see Delilah, her hands around your throat and she's just strangling you. Strangling you, pushing and holding towards you, her eyes locked on you. Her fingers begin to pull upward, like her arms divide. There's now hands on your throat but a second form of hands rip off of the first set and begin to try and claw for your mouth--
LAURA: What can we see? What can we see? You just see Laudna, her back arching on this table and Essek trying to hold his hand there as he keeps his eyes closed and begins muttering a secondary incantation.
LAURA: Can we help with this at all?
MATT: How do you want to contribute this?
LAURA: Can I put my hands on either side of Laudna's head and I'm going to try to force my thoughts down into her mind as well?
MATT: Yes, you may.
LAURA: I'm going to see Delilah, try to talk to her.
SAM: Try to talk to Delilah?
LAURA: Yeah.
MATT: As you push down into the space, you see the low flickers of blue flame and shadow around. From your perspective, you get a glance at the horizon. You've been here once before. You see the shadowed outline of the building cityscape of a once dead Whitestone, just barely cast in grays and blacks around you. You see, up above in the expanse, the extending growth of leafless tree branches, as the blackened Sun Tree that you once burned together now grows once more in the darkness, now splintered in four different places, pushing past the burns that kept it at bay. You see there the two fractured spirits of Laudna and Delilah Briarwood, entangled and fighting.
LAURA: I'm going to run to her.
MATT: You float up next, out of the corner of your eye, you see a welcoming light. A bright lavender spark arrives.
MARISHA: Imogen?
LAURA: I'm going to come up behind Laudna and just send my energy through her and hold on to Delilah's hands. Try to give Laudna my strength. I'm going to look Delilah in the eyes. There's only two ways for this to end.
MATT: "You can't have her."
LAURA: Either you go into that anchor or you end. We're not making another choice.
MATT: "I have endured far worse than this."
LAURA: I know you have. This will give you a chance to fight another day.
MATT: Go ahead and make a charisma check for me.
ASHLEY: Come on, come on.
SAM: Guidance! Guidance! Guidance!
ASHLEY: Yeah. Guidance? I mean, can I?
MATT: Yeah. This is your contribution as opposed to a direct role, so.
ASHLEY: No, she's-- okay.
LAURA: Just a charisma. Not a persuasion. Just a charisma.
SAM: Goddamn it.
MATT: Correct. In this instance here, there is no convincing her. She knows what she's in the cusp of being imprisoned.
LAURA: Oh, god. I'm so fucking scared.
MATT: Now.
MARISHA: Is there any way I can help?
MATT: I was going to say, the only other person that has a contributor to this ritual is you, Laudna. How are you wanting to contribute to this?
MARISHA: Okay, so. I put my hands over the top of Imogen's. Feel hers. So her ghostly spirit almost intertwines with mine. We're going to look at Delilah and as she's choking me, she's going to give a little smile. These years of being your puppet. It ends today, one way or another. I think it's your turn. And I'm going to cast Void Puppet.
TRAVIS: Oh! Shit! This is the move. Oh, what a choice.
MARISHA: And so, you see every person who was hanging on that tree with me that day, their spirits erupt out from Laudna's back and loop around and you see their spirits stretch and almost begin spaghettification and go (pops) and attach to Delilah's back as if they are puppet strings. As my grip on her tighten and she, so this gives me and hopefully Imogen in her role advantage on intimidation charisma checks and gives Delilah disadvantage.
SAM: Oh shit.
MARISHA: On a saving throw, the exact wording is "if I target her with the spell, she has disadvantage on it," but.
MATT: Correct. For this, the affected benefit is you are giving Imogen advantage on her charisma roll.
MARISHA: Okay.
SAM: It's huge, huge.
TALIESIN: d20 and d4. Yeah.
MARISHA: (whines) (laughs)
LAURA: Okay. 21.
TALIESIN: Plus?
LAURA: It was a 15 plus one for Guidance and then plus five.
MATT: Okay.
MARISHA: (deeply exhales)
MATT: As you're staring into her eyes, you hold on to her hands. All these spirits emerge and thin out into these strings that attach to the back of Delilah Briarwood. From the distant shadow of white stone spectre, hundreds of other threads emerge. (increasingly rapid pings) Until she has a network of every person that fell in that city pulling her from behind. There is a burning hatred in her eyes. (whoosh) A purple flame that grows brighter and more intense. You feel as if you had flesh in this moment, it would be burned away with just the piercing volume of hate behind them. As she opens her mouth to speak, and every single one of those threads pulls her away. As she gets pulled silently into the shadow behind, Essek presses his hands down onto Laudna's chest, finishes the incantation. (muffled whoosh) Her entire body from the inside begins to glow, a vibrant purple glow to the point where the ribcage itself is the only darkened spot. The rest of her flesh is now alight, like a lantern from the inside. Where her back is arched, her eyes and mouth fire out that same purple light, and that blackened shadow gets cast off like a torch to the darkness. As you pull your hands back, the light diminishes. Laudna's body relaxes and Essek is pulled back and floating in the air, looking down, his eyes scattered around, looking for any sign of success.
LAURA: Did it work? (laughter)
MARISHA: That's very fair.
TALIESIN: Laudna? Matilda?
MATT: She's there.
SAM: Who's there?
MARISHA: Who?
MATT: Delilah. She's there but she's... she's yours.
TRAVIS: Oh! (cheers) Muscle the bitch. Got her!
ROBBIE: Yeah.
TRAVIS: Got her!
MATT: You look inward for a second and what you see is that burning hatred and that screaming, shadowed face, quiet as it blasts against and rails against this ancient Aeorian crystal that holds her. Her flames, her shadow, drifting out like a sieve. Into the bone-like ribcage that contains her for as long as you walk this realm. And you look down upon this. Inside yourself. Inside your spirit. She is entirely yours.
MARISHA: (panting exhales)
LAURA: Wow.
MARISHA: Look at my hands. Do they look any different?
MATT: Not particularly.
MARISHA: I'm going to attempt to conjure Pâté because he's been gone for a minute.
MATT: As you go to conjure him, you feel where once you had to borrow energy from this darkness inside you as a request, as a sharer. Now you siphon it from this crystal and you watch that purple flame in her hated expression, dim as you draw from her as you please. And as you do, the shadow swirls in your hand. "Oh hey. What happened? Did I fuck it up?"
MARISHA: No.
TALIESIN: Is this bad or normal bad?
MATT: "Where are we?"
MARISHA: We did it!
MATT: "Who the fuck are you?" (laughter)
LAURA: Oh, Pâté.
SAM: I draw my weapon.
MATT: (yelps)
ASHLEY: No, no.
SAM: It's Delilah, is it? (laughter)
MARISHA: No, no!
TRAVIS: Pâté didn't come out at the Greek?
SAM: (screams) I will attack Pâté.
MATT: Go ahead and roll an attack.
TRAVIS: (dripping with sarcasm) No, stop, wait.
SAM: That's 19 to hit.
MATT: It hits.
SAM: Okay.
MATT: Go ahead and roll damage.
ASHLEY: Braius!
LAURA: Poor Pâté.
MARISHA: (laughs)
SAM: Nine plus seven. 16.
MATT: 16 points of damage. All right. And you added your divine?
SAM: I did not.
MATT: Extra d8.
SAM: Another four, 20.
MATT: He's like, "(confused and scared grumbles)" immediately just scatters.
SAM: I have smited Delilah.
TRAVIS: Oh, Braius. You're so brave.
TALIESIN: He's better this way, really.
SAM: Thank you.
ASHLEY: That was Pâté.
SAM: Yes. I made Delilah into pâté.
LAURA: Do you feel, does she still feel as cold, or?
MARISHA: Do I feel warm? Tell me.
MATT: Her hands are cold. But you felt her hands before.
LAURA: These are distinctively less clammy than usual. (laughter)
SAM: Still gross.
MARISHA: They're very much like, like room temperature.
LAURA: Yeah. You're just cold, but not like. What the fuck? Can I look down at her chest?
MARISHA: Yeah. Do you see? Can you see like? My blouse is still kind of undone.
TRAVIS: Please.
MARISHA: Can you see--
TRAVIS: That's a master craftsman's touch.
MATT: You tell me.
MARISHA: I imagine, if you look faintly. Maybe there's a dull, like, you know, when you were a kid and you'd shine like a flashlight through your hand in the dark, and you could kind of be like. What? I see the veins. Yeah.
MATT: Yeah.
MATT: There there is indeed-- (laughter) (laughter)
MARISHA: Oh god. I just learned something about boys. Oh no. (laughter)
TRAVIS: The Batwing.
ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: Oh yeah. (laughter)
MARISHA: Please tell me you weren't shining flashlights in your balls.
TRAVIS: Absolutely.
ROBBIE: Anything you can imagine.
TRAVIS: If it stretches, flashlight.
ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: A lot of us grew up before the internet. (laughter)
MATT: We had a lot of time to pass.
TALIESIN: I never have, but now I don't know if that's going to happen. Like, the power goes out at some point. Shit.
SAM: Your phone has a flashlight on it.
ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, yeah. (laughter)
MATT: Some of us never stopped. (laughter)
MATT: It's hard to describe. There's a particular wall lamp out of a ribcage and mist that comes to mind for me. But like it is that scenario where you can see the darkened shape of her ribcage only because the light that peeks through it, that faint purple glow of the soul anchor, indeed is visible.
LIAM: Oh, yeah. Bony Stark.
MARISHA: Bony Stark! (laughter)
MARISHA: Oh I love it.
TRAVIS: (claps)
ASHLEY: Golf clap.
MARISHA: Can I--
MATT: Oh my god.
MARISHA: -- like, look inward?
MATT: Yeah.
MARISHA: Do I still feel like a faint, beating heartbeat? Is she looking through my eyes? Is she more or less cut-off?
MATT: Make an insight check.
LAURA: ♪ She can't see shit anymore. ♪
MARISHA: Yeah. Specifically thinking of, like, Imogen being like, I hate that she watches us.
ASHLEY: Guidance.
MARISHA: Natural 20.
ROBBIE: Yeah! (cheering)
ROBBIE: Perfect!
MARISHA: Let's fucking go. Flamey. Flamey that in. (sighs)
ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: You take a moment to take stock of where she resides within your essence. She can only see what you want her to see.
MARISHA: Okay. So I can, if I'm like, "Yo, tell me about the Cerberus assembly." I can be like, tink, tink, tink. Like tapping on the aquarium but she's not accessing me at all times.
MATT: Correct. Mind you, she would need some real particular convincing to want to help you in any way, shape, or form now. You've essentially, you've entrapped your patron.
TRAVIS: Damn.
LIAM: You're enemy number one.
LAURA: You can pull her power but she doesn't have to help you.
TRAVIS: That could've come in handy--
LAURA: Yeah.
TRAVIS: -- awhile ago. That's a move.
TALIESIN: Boy, you just got to bribe her on occasion. Maybe with a sandwich or something. That's great.
MARISHA: Yeah, she's, She won't be. She won't be watching us anymore.
LAURA: I just kiss her.
MARISHA: I kiss her. Can we get back together now?
LAURA: Yeah.
MARISHA: Okay. (awwing)
SAM: I just hang my head. (laughter)
LIAM: Two down.
ROBBIE: (laughs)
ASHLEY: How do you feel?
MARISHA: I feel amazing, it's--
ASHLEY: Feel different?
MARISHA: Different but, but in a nostalgic way like in an old way. Like more like, myself. Like a sense of clarity. It was like, well, you know, walking through life with like a fog in your head all the time.
LIAM: Looking at Laudna, is there any subtle difference, like a little more blood in her cheeks?
LAURA: That's what we were trying to figure out if she's like--
LIAM: Yes.
MATT: There's a little more color to her. She's still Laudna.
MARISHA: Still undead.
MATT: She's still--
TRAVIS: Wrecked.
MARISHA: Yes.
MATT: She is still what she is and she is still bound by the spell that keeps her here. She and Delilah are still irrevocably tethered, but the dynamic has changed.
MARISHA: It's nice. Feeling like I have control. Thank you. Thank you all. You've done it not once, but twice.
LAURA: This one feels better.
MARISHA: Forever in your debt.
ASHLEY: No, no, no, no.
LAURA: (laughs)
TRAVIS: You look down because you feel Chet's hands around your ankle and I'm taking one of my finishing chisels, and I'm just carving into your ankle. C, P, O. I do it on all of my best works. Just tough it out. O, P. (blows)
SAM: C-POOP? C-POP.
SAM: Oh.
LAURA: C-POO.
TRAVIS: Lord of the Hells didn't teach you to read? (blows) There we go. (claps)
MARISHA: Ah, ah.
TRAVIS: You're in good company now.
MARISHA: You know. Only you. Only you would I allow to do that.
TRAVIS: I know.
MARISHA: It's some cult shit that just happened.
TRAVIS: You're welcome.
LAURA and MARISHA: (laughs)
TALIESIN: I'd feel weird if I carved C-POP into your ankle. I don't know why I would do that.
MARISHA: Wow.
LAURA: We should get some rest.
MARISHA: Yes.
MATT: "I would like that very much as well."
TALIESIN: Oh, yeah. I feel like shit.
MATT: "Well, uh." (laughs) And he glides down into this heavy leather chair that's creaky and well overused. "Not every day you get to be part of such a moment."
MARISHA: Thank you, Essek.
MATT: "I'm happy to have been of service. I still have a lot, a lot of service to make up for in this lifetime."
LIAM: We should celebrate. Who knows what the aftermath is tomorrow from what happened earlier today? We're fucking exhausted. We're in a big city. We just scored a win for once.
MARISHA: Yeah.
LIAM: We should celebrate you.
MARISHA: Celebrate us.
ROBBIE: Are you thinking like a house party, or a go out and get ready sort of thing?
TRAVIS: (laughs)
LIAM: What do you recommend, Essek?
LAURA: (laughs) Dorian's like, "Can I wear my shirt there?" (laughter)
ASHLEY: Yeah.
LAURA: How slutty are we getting?
ASHLEY: Yeah, I'm just wondering how slutty we're going.
LIAM: Are you jealous because Laudna had her tits out so long?
ASHLEY: Yeah. (laughter)
ASHLEY: Yeah, just doing a slutty wardrobe. (laughter)
MATT: "Well, I suppose now is as good a time as any for a bender."
LAURA: (uncertain whine)
MATT: "Yes."
LIAM: Well--
MATT: "Well, as far as--"
MARISHA: We can always sleep and then bender tomorrow?
LAURA: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
MATT: "I understand."
LIAM: I'm not talking a rager.
MARISHA: That's not how benders work.
LIAM: I just mean commemorating the moment.
TRAVIS: It's been a second since we've had a win. Real positive.
MATT: "I believe I have a few things that could work for the occasion." He does this with his hands, you watch a bunch of the books and scattered instruments go (fluttering) back to their places.
ASHLEY: Wow.
MARISHA: Jealous. (laughter)
TRAVIS: Fuck! That was intentional.
MATT: "Yes, it was. A little bit of cleanup. Let's step out of a place quite as work and memory oriented. Follow me." He puts his robe back on and glides up to the main room.
LAURA: Is he naked this whole time?
MATT: No, no, no. (laughter)
MARISHA: Him and Chet.
TRAVIS: Braius, do you know how to celebrate?
MATT: The true arcana needs to be done--
TRAVIS: Do celebrations happen in the Hells?
MATT: -- in his enchanting suit.
SAM: Celebrations--
LAURA: Secrets.
SAM: -- happen all the time in the Hells. Yes, we know how to party.
MARISHA: Yeah, I'm sure.
TRAVIS: Oh, good. Okay.
MARISHA: Sounds like a good party.
ASHLEY: I have some questions for you.
SAM: Sure.
ASHLEY: Did you want to invite any of your friends over, like Abs? I'm just saying.
SAM: Abs?
TRAVIS: Abs?
TALIESIN: Which one's Abs?
ASHLEY: Which one is Abs.
TALIESIN: Oh, that one!
TRAVIS: Abs!
TALIESIN: It's been a while!
ASHLEY: I'm just saying, if you wanted to invite any friends over, you totally could.
SAM: Do you have friends?
MATT: "A handful. They're currently away on important business."
ASHLEY: Sure, sure, sure.
MATT: "I wish they could be here, believe me."
ASHLEY: Okay.
MATT: "But I'm currently awaiting to hear back."
ASHLEY: Okay.
MATT: "So if they manage to show up in the next hour or two, I'm sure they'd be happy to join. But, it's out of my hands."
ASHLEY: Great. I mean, this is your place. I don't know why I would be inviting people.
MATT: "But I believe I do have some wine, perhaps a few things in a cabinet." What would Caleb have here, do you think?
LIAM: Uh...
TRAVIS: (laughs)
LIAM: Well--
MATT: A few bottles of Lionett wine.
LIAM: Everything in the tower. But here, there's a full--
SAM: Jäger.
LIAM: -- pantry of Lionett wine.
ASHLEY: Everclear.
MARISHA: Jägerbomb.
MATT: I don't think he's taking anybody into the tower without Caleb present.
LIAM: Yeah, okay. That's fine.
MATT: (laughs)
LIAM: I mean, he has a basic array of liquor, but he has a ton of wine.
TRAVIS: Fireball. (laughter)
LIAM: Yeah.
MATT: Just a big old red barrel--
MARISHA: Fireball! (laughs)
ASHLEY: There it is.
MATT: -- of fireball.
TRAVIS: All the German names and Fireball.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
MARISHA: Yeah.
MATT: Super dusty. It's great.
MARISHA: A tap of Fireball. A keg of Fireball.
TRAVIS: Goldschläger, Jägermeister, Fireball.
MARISHA: Covered in dust.
LIAM: It's called Widogaster.
TRAVIS: Yeah, Widogaster. (laughter)
ROBBIE: Trying to erase it from my memory.
MARISHA: (laughs)
MATT: (laughs)
MARISHA: Yeah, I imagine Beau would for sure, every Christmas or birthday or Winter's Crest--
LAURA: That's the present she brings?
MARISHA: She just drops crates of Lionett wine.
LAURA and ASHLEY: Yeah.
TRAVIS: One side's all Caleb's booze and then Essek's got Zima (laughter)
MARISHA: Yeah. (laughs)
TALIESIN: Somewhere Caduceus--
MATT: He would be that guy.
TALIESIN: -- is doing the: Thank you, I need to remind you, I don't drink. I just thank you for another I--
MARISHA: Whatever gift it is, give--
LIAM: (like Caleb) Why would I buy it when I can get it for free? (laughter)
MATT: But indeed, in this late evening hour, Essek procures a few bottles of wine, a few partially drinken bottles of brackish liquor, put some glasses and mugs out for you all. There is a breakfast nook table that can fit you all in a crowded way around if you wish to take a minute and celebrate.
MARISHA: Toast!
ASHLEY: Toast.
LAURA: To new beginnings.
ROBBIE: Why am I miming? I have a cup.
MARISHA: To new beginnings.
ASHLEY: To new beginnings.
LAURA: Wow.
LIAM: Before the end.
MARISHA: I got real cup. I don't have to mime.
TALIESIN: To a bunch of losers winning.
LAURA: Oh, right.
MARISHA: and ASHLEY: Yes.
TRAVIS: To finishing strong.
MARISHA: Hell yes!
SAM: Hell yes.
MARISHA: To being in control--
LIAM: Hells?
MARISHA: -- of our destiny.
ASHLEY: Yes. Cheers.
ROBBIE: Hear, hear!
TRAVIS: Cheers!
MARISHA: Cheers.
MATT: "Cheers."
TRAVIS: Bottoms up!
ASHLEY: Cheers. Bottoms up!
SAM: It's nice to meet you all.
LAURA: Oh. To new friends!
LIAM: Yeah, this is still really weird.
SAM: It's been like--
LIAM: I got to be honest.
SAM: -- four or six hours since we met.
ASHLEY: Wait, so-- (laughter)
TALIESIN: This is why we have our traditional greeting, which is the-- So, I think it's time for a round of: What the Fuck Is Up With You?
ASHLEY and ROBBIE: Oh.
SAM: Me?
TALIESIN: You.
SAM: Oh, this is her special day. I don't want to interrupt. But sure, go ahead. (laughter)
ASHLEY: So you're from the Hells?
SAM: I'm not from the Hells, I've been there many times.
LIAM: Where are you from?
SAM: Originally, or--?
LIAM and TALIESIN: Yeah.
ASHLEY: Yeah, give us the rundown.
LIAM: Any way you want to answer it.
TRAVIS: What's your zip code?
TRAVIS: 666?
SAM: My family, my family originated--
TALIESIN: 668, neighbor of the beast.
MATT: Yeah.
ASHLEY: (laughs)
MARISHA: 668, that's his area code.
SAM: I don't know how worldly you are, but there's, on the continent of Wildemount there's an empire, and there's a dynasty.
LAURA: We're in the empire.
LIAM: We're there now.
TALIESIN: We're there right now.
SAM: I know that, but I don't know where you're from. I don't know anything about you.
ASHLEY: Sure, sure, sure.
SAM: We were just in another place entirely, six hours ago when I met you. (laughter)
ASHLEY: Fair.
SAM: My family originally came from the Dynasty part of the continent and then we lived for a time in the Empire part. Now I sort of rove about, but I think my true home now is the Hells.
LIAM: How did you find your calling?
SAM: Are you a religious person?
LIAM: I never have been, but--
TALIESIN: Definitely not.
SAM: Sometimes, the gods speak to you in a moment of great need or great triumph or great trauma. I'm happy to say that my lord reached out to me at a low moment and brought me up again.
ASHLEY: So your lord was like, "Hey, I can help you right now."
SAM: I mean, it wasn't like a conversation like that, but I, I received a vision that I was meant for a greater purpose and it gave me a goal to set myself to.
TRAVIS: That's nice.
SAM: Yes.
LAURA: Mm-hmm.
TALIESIN: Started, but this wasn't you first religious calling, if I recall. We had a little talk about, I want to say, the Platinum Dragon before going.
SAM: I was also aligned with another god before I learned the truth. As we all have learned now, that the Prime Deities are-- The name Betrayer God, I think, is a misnomer. I think they're all, the Primes are just as misguided. I learned that the hard way, and I shifted my alliances.
TRAVIS: Whoa.
SAM: Yeah.
TRAVIS: You got the juicy inside deets?
SAM: I mean, I fell on hard times. I was a devotee of the Platinum Dragon and I served his church and I worked at a temple. I was promoted up the ranks quite highly, actually. I was in charge of security and protection of a temple in a place called Zadash. One day, the temple was attacked by two deceitful people.
LAURA: (gasps) You fucking dick.
SAM: Yes, a horrible goblin and a nightmarish tiefling.
TALIESIN and LAURA: (laughs) (laughter)
TALIESIN: You dick.
SAM: I let them in. They deceived me to gain entry and I failed in my duties to protect the temple.
ASHLEY: How did you fail? What happened? Did they --
SAM: They destroyed the temple.
ASHLEY: They destroyed it?
SAM: They destroyed it.
LAURA: That's awful.
ASHLEY: So it's gone?
TALIESIN: Such dicks.
MARISHA: (laughs)
ASHLEY: It's gone?
SAM: It's not gone. I mean, they set fire to it. They desecrated it. It was horrible.
ASHLEY: What did they do to desecrate it?
TRAVIS: Terrible!
SAM: They painted-- I was actually confused when I got here to this home because I saw there's dicks on the wall.
LIAM: There's literally a dick over his shoulder carved into the wall right now.
TRAVIS: They painted dicks on the wall?
SAM: Painted dicks, yes. Maybe it's-- I guess it's a popular thing if it's here, too. They painted dicks on the wall and I was blamed for the--
LAURA and TRAVIS: No!
SAM: Yeah, well, I failed to protect it.
TRAVIS: That's terrible.
LAURA: That's awful.
TRAVIS: Were they caught? Apprehended?
SAM: No, they're at large and I will find them.
TRAVIS: I hope you do.
SAM: And I will destroy them.
LAURA: Wow.
TRAVIS: Rude!
LIAM: And that was the experience that bent you towards the Lord of the Hells?
SAM: No, no, I mean, that started a downfall of sorts. I was expelled from the church. Excommunicated, I guess you could say.
ASHLEY: Because they thought you were drawing the dicks?
SAM: No, no, because I failed. I failed miserably.
LAURA: Maybe the tiefling and the goblin that you spoke of, maybe they worked for the Lord of Hells. Maybe their whole purpose was to get you away from the Platinum Dragon.
SAM: No. Oh! Oh, like he sent them as a--
TRAVIS: Test?
SAM: -- as a test.
ROBBIE: Like the devil works in mysterious ways.
LAURA: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
ROBBIE: Sort of.
TRAVIS: Whoa.
ASHLEY: Oh, interesting.
SAM: They acted with such reckless abandon. It doesn't seem like-- My lord has very clear motives and drives.
LAURA: Oh, okay.
SAM: They were animals, really. The worst people on the planet.
TRAVIS: They must have been incredibly powerful and stout. I mean, you're stacked and you've got armor and your two-balled flail. They must have just been absolute warlords.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
SAM: Yes, they were.
ASHLEY: Wow.
LAURA: I'm sorry you went through that.
TALIESIN: Flailing balls balls were not enough.
SAM: I was removed from my post, disgraced. I lost, my family lost a lot as well.
ASHLEY: Where's your family now? Are you still...
SAM: I don't know because they blamed me as well.
ASHLEY: Oh.
LAURA: Oh wow.
SAM: We don't speak anymore.
SAM: So your family is still very heavily into the Platinum Dragon?
SAM: I don't believe so. They were they were also disgraced and were removed.
LAURA: That's awful.
LIAM: So Asmodeus is--
LAURA: So sad.
ASHLEY: Terrible.
LIAM: -- like a rebound?
SAM: A rebound? No, no, no, he's the one true god.
TALIESIN: A rebound.
LIAM: Of multiple.
LAURA: For you.
SAM: Of all. He showed me, as he will show all of you, that there is no such thing as objective truth. There is only power and victory. And as we saw in that TV show that we just all watched together-- (laughter)
SAM: There are those who matter and those who don't. And he matters. Through his guidance and his power, we can find purpose.
TRAVIS: That's great!
LIAM: What purpose have you been put to, let's say before the skies went crazy? What was a day in the life of Braius like six months ago?
SAM: Are we going to drink or just talk? I mean--
TALIESIN: Oh, we're drinking while this is--
ASHLEY: I mean, I'm drinking.
TRAVIS: Oh yeah, we've been taking shots.
TALIESIN: We're just shooting it back.
SAM: As the herald of the Lord of Lies--
TRAVIS: Wait, take a shot first. Take a shot.
SAM: Okay, I'll take a shot. (chuckling)
TRAVIS: Oh jeez. (laughter)
SAM: As the herald of the Lord of Lies, it is my honor bound, oath bound duty to find followers for my lord and spread word of his power. To do that, it's a little tricky because, if I'm being honest, which I always am-- (laughter)
TRAVIS: Insight-- No. (laughter)
SAM: There's a lot of people who don't really love my god.
LAURA: I mean, do you love him? Do you love your god or are you like: I respect the shit out of him?
SAM: More of the second, yeah.
LAURA: Okay. Yeah.
ASHLEY: Yeah, beause I feel like with what we watched, I don't know if I'm a fan.
SAM: Again, I feel like we didn't watch the same thing. He was, he wanted the family to be together forever. He respected his brethren, his kin, and they chose a bunch of mortal fuckups over each other.
LIAM: Like you.
TALIESIN: So you didn't see any nuance in that story? It was just, there was no complicated relationships there, things that were kind of--
SAM: Sure, it was complicated. But they chose mortals over their own family and then in the next breath, they destroyed an entire city, yes, of mortals, this is--
TALIESIN: No, I'm with you. (laughter)
LAURA: Oh. (laughter)
TRAVIS: Let me see it, let me see it.
MARISHA: What's it say?
TALIESIN: Why are you like this?
LIAM: Oh man.
MARISHA: "Could this be you?" Oh god. (laughter)
LIAM: Are Braius and Vax destined to be together?
TALIESIN: Oh no.
MATT: (laughs)
TALIESIN: No.
LAURA: (laughs)
SAM: They destroyed, they killed thousands and thousands of mortals.
TALIESIN: Oh, more than-- Yeah.
SAM: Yes.
TALIESIN: Way more.
SAM: So. Which led me to the conclusion that they didn't respect their own family because they chose mortals over their family. But then they didn't respect the mortals either. So what do they care about? Themselves. And that's sort of it. But my guy did not just care about himself, he wanted to be with his family, and that's all we ever want.
LAURA: Your god totally lied to everyone.
SAM: So did they!
ASHLEY: Well...
TRAVIS: I fell asleep in the movie, so.
TALIESIN: I mean--
MARISHA: It was a three-parter.
TALIESIN: I feel like he raises a fair argument with this. Although it is the most interesting, it's the most complex view of black and white morality I've ever heard, which is kind of impressive.
SAM: I just think it's-- Isn't it quite a coincidence that everything that is good in the world also seems to help the Prime Deities? What a fucking coincidence that is.
TALIESIN: Well. I will say as a toast to an old friend of mine named Sally, who used to say there are two kinds of people in the world.
TRAVIS: Yay, Sally!
TALIESIN: People who believe believe there's two kinds of people in the world and those who don't.
ASHLEY: Mm.
LAURA: (laughs)
LAURA: Uh-huh.
SAM: Mm-hmm.
TRAVIS: I'll drink to that.
ASHLEY: I'll drink to that, too.
TALIESIN: Ah. I am, I am into this view. This is very interesting.
TRAVIS: I'm excited that you're with us.
SAM: Am I with you?
TRAVIS: Yeah, you haven't achieved your objective. We got a shared interest here, right?
SAM: We have to kill Ludinus.
TRAVIS and TALIESIN: Yep.
SAM: We have to save the gods.
TRAVIS: Yep.
TALIESIN: (unconvinced) Eh.
SAM: We have to acquire the power of the Factotum Factotum and use it to destroy the Prime Deities.
LAURA: Oh.
TALIESIN: Yeah, why not?
ASHLEY: That's where we--
SAM: And find the tiefling and the goblin and murder them.
TALIESIN: I'm into that.
TRAVIS: Yeah, most of that is all in the same ballpark.
MARISHA: It feels like can at least--
ASHLEY: Some of that you can do on your own.
MARISHA: Yeah, go a certain length.
LAURA: Maybe after--
ROBBIE: It depends on the priority and what order you go in.
MARISHA: Yes, yes.
TALIESIN: Honestly, we need the help. I mean, let's not kid ourselves that we could use all the help we can get right now.
TRAVIS: Just like in the movie, right? The part that I stayed awake for was, despite differences, you work together, and then something happens at the end.
LIAM: It's going to be tricky with some of the higher-ups we work with, but that's always been true of us.
SAM: What's going to be tricky?
LIAM: Well, we have to figure out what we're doing next. That's true.
LIAM: We're probably going to need to talk to some folks and--
TRAVIS: Updates.
LIAM: You're an interesting new friend.
MARISHA: We have Hells in our name, though. It's honestly very fitting.
SAM: When you told me that, I got really excited. (laughter)
TRAVIS: He works in mysterious ways.
SAM: But if it helps things, you know, I'm a pragmatist here. We could lie about who I follow.
LAURA: I thought you don't lie?
SAM: Well, that might have been a fib.
LAURA and MATT: (laugh)
LIAM: I think that pragmatism--
TALIESIN: I hate that I like you.
LIAM: -- is the overlap here. I don't know if we're going to settle a right or wrong, are the gods worth destroying or letting survive, are they all damnable, or any of them have any redeeming qualities? We're not, but what Ludinus has in mind is dangerous for above and below. So we have to be pragmatic.
SAM: And if you help me, I guarantee you the gates of the Hells will open and you can all celebrate with me at my side.
MARISHA: That sounds really fun.
LAURA: And Fearne, because she's--
SAM: I have so many questions for you.
LAURA: Yeah.
ASHLEY: Me too.
SAM: I mean, you are fascinating.
ASHLEY: My god, I have no idea-- Thank you so much, you are, too.
SAM: Top three people I've ever met. (laughter)
ASHLEY: Wow!
TALIESIN: Can you count any higher--
ASHLEY: Wow!
TALIESIN: -- than six?
SAM: Everyone else counts in tens, but my number system is sixes.
TALIESIN: How very MySpace of you. (laughter)
MARISHA: You know, one thing that I really wanted to ask Ludinus before he was like, "(grumbling) Call me later!" and bamfed away, was, you know, he's had all this time to commune with Predathos and build things. You know, I've heard of people in the past going and visiting the gods and talking with them, just in the way that we were having a very nice-- Communication is key, right? Communication is everything. So why, I just wonder. I just wonder if he has gone and just talked to the gods. Maybe we-- This is going to sound batshit, but.
TRAVIS: Today? It's going to be batshit today?
MARISHA: Today. Maybe we go and talk to the gods and just be like: Look, here's the deal. There are people with very big plans and they want to eat you or zap you with a big god laser.
LAURA: I mean, I remember FCG communing with the Changebringer, but I don't remember-- I don't know.
MARISHA: They have stories. I don't know if they're true.
LIAM: We might not have to look too far. Wildmother is here.
LAURA: Right now?
LIAM: I don't feel her right now, but I did when you were on the table, Laudna
TRAVIS: We had a little Matron vision before, but it wasn't anything we were looking for. It felt like an accident.
LIAM: Yeah.
TALIESIN: If I were to talk to anybody--
LIAM: I don't know what to make it, but they're paying attention--
TALIESIN: -- it would be the Matron.
LIAM: -- and they're with us when they want to be.
SAM: The Wildmother came to you?
LIAM: 20 minutes ago when Laudna was on the table.
TRAVIS: Wha-- (laughs)
SAM: You mean three sixes and two minutes ago?
LAURA: Wow.
SAM and MARISHA: (laugh)
LIAM: I mean, that seems an arbitrary--
TALIESIN: You could see it that way.
LIAM: -- correction to make but sure.
TRAVIS: That math was so fast. That math was so fast.
TALIESIN: Why can't you do math like that when we're in combat, that's my question. (laughter)
TRAVIS: Oh my god. (laughter)
MATT: Why are you like this?
MARISHA: Everything starts with three sixes.
LIAM: I don't know what it means, but Laudna, I have the feeling that she, she wanted you on your feet again.
MARISHA: Oh.
LIAM: Just a feeling.
LAURA: If I have to deal with one more crazy bitch watching us when we're trying to bone, I'm going to be real fucking pissed.
MARISHA: There's two!
TRAVIS: Sorry, I'll stop. (laughter)
SAM: That's a thread.
MARISHA: I knew those holes weren't natural.
TRAVIS: I'm too finely carved.
MARISHA: It's true.
TRAVIS: With filigree.
SAM: If that's a thread you want to pull on, if you would like to try to reach out to the Wildmother, I can try to help you, advise you. I've reached out to gods before. I have religious training and temple experience. I can help. I'm not all bad.
LIAM: I imagine she has--
SAM: (whispering) That was a lie.
LAURA and MATT: (laughs)
LIAM: I mean, if we wanted to go, Essek--
ASHLEY: You're a tricky one.
LIAM: -- I imagine he has a temple in this city.
LAURA: You tricky, tricky.
LIAM: Gotta be, right?
TRAVIS: Eh...
MATT: "I'm not particularly versed on the religious aspirations of Rexxentrum."
LIAM: Okay.
MATT: "I don't get to walk the streets too often."
ASHLEY: Because you float on them?
LAURA: Why?
LAURA: Why though?
MATT: "That's a joke. I like that one."
ASHLEY: Thank you.
MATT: "I could look into it for you".
MARISHA: Wait, is it because you're still a war criminal and people don't like you?
LIAM: Who said he's a war criminal?
MARISHA: He said he did bad things in the past. I think he told us that.
LAURA: Yes, he just said he did bad things.
ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
MARISHA: He did bad things.
LAURA: He didn't say he was a war criminal though, Laudna. He just said he did bad things.
MARISHA: Oh, I'm extrapolating.
MATT: "That was extremely presumptuous of you." (laughter)
MATT: "True as it may be."
LIAM: He didn't give back exact change in a shop once.
MARISHA: No. (laughs) (laughter)
SAM: Well, there's a greeting card on your mantle and it's written to "my favorite war criminal." Signed Beauregard.
MATT: "Ah. Yeah, right."
TALIESIN: Yeah, I don't know.
LIAM: That tracks.
MARISHA: She would say that, yeah. (laughs)
TALIESIN: I mean, I make no secret. I have complicated feelings about the gods and always have. I feel like, with the clearest head I've had in a long time, that however this works out, it's going to be, it's kind of their decision. It's however they decide to take-- However they decide to justify themselves. I think it's going to come down to people, and they either justify themselves, leave, or end.
TRAVIS: Wait, the gods justify themselves?
TALIESIN: Yeah. This is honestly, what else is this about other than why are you here?
ROBBIE: I have to agree.
TALIESIN: It's their turn to explain to us why we need them.
LIAM: Well, they did leave though, didn't they?
TALIESIN: Not enough.
LIAM: They caused horrific pain and suffering on a terrible scale. And then they left. They barred themselves.
MARISHA: They seemed--
LIAM: It's not enough for some, but it was their own chosen penance, I guess.
SAM: Blue beauty, you also hate the gods?
ROBBIE: I like the nickname, but I wouldn't say hate. But I do agree with Ashton. The last time I conferred with a god, they cared very little about the feelings of anyone around us.
SAM: Which god was this?
ROBBIE: A goddess, Spider Queen.
LAURA: Well, that kind of tracks.
TRAVIS: Why?
LIAM: It's another of the Betrayers.
SAM: I don't--
TALIESIN: I'm just going to say if there's one thing I, I mean, there's a lot of things--
LAURA: What would you have us call them?
TALIESIN: -- I do not like in this world and one of them is when powerful people get to decide how they are punished.
ROBBIE: It's a funny turn of phrase: People. You view them as people.
TALIESIN: Now, I do.
ROBBIE: Like us.
TALIESIN: I didn't before and now I do. Honestly, it makes me even a little angrier.
ROBBIE: I feel the same.
MARISHA: It is strange. I honestly watched all that and, I don't know, I was endeared by them a bit, just in the way of like, oh, they were just travelers looking for a home and are absolute fuck ups as well. But on the flip side of that, they seemed willing to burn this all to the ground and potentially start anew. So maybe they can just start anew elsewhere without burning it all to the ground?
TRAVIS: Can they?
ROBBIE: Would they, without their power?
LIAM: Is there a way for us to ever know?
SAM: Asking them would be a start.
ROBBIE: We saw it today. If we are capable of it, if you're capable of it, shouldn't the gods be? To risk it all?
TALIESIN: In my darker moments, that's what I want, is I want to see them pray to us.
LAURA: (laughs)
TALIESIN: I want to see them ask us what we want.
ROBBIE: You'd rather die than stay controlled by someone else?
MARISHA: Yes. Yes.
LIAM: But the gods and Ludinus are different topics.
TALIESIN: Oh yeah. Ludinus is a fucking problem. What a fucking--
LIAM: You can think anything you want about the gods. It has nothing to do with the uncertainty of Ludinus' plan and the potential destruction that that elf is going to unleash. There is no guarantee, there's no scroll, there's no script, there's no god's promise that will tell us that he isn't about to unleash a calamity as bad as or worse than what history saw. We don't know.
LAURA: That's where I'm at, too. I don't think Ludinus has the right to decide for everyone else.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
ROBBIE: But the gods do?
TALIESIN: None of them. I certainly also don't trust anyone who comes to you with a complicated question and then tells you that there's only two answers. That is some narcissistic bullshit and that's a trick.
LIAM: And I'm telling you, if Ludinus had sent people to your home and taken your brother and your father and countless others, how philosophical would you be about it, Dorian? He's done that on a very large scale, far beyond me and my home. Think what you want about the gods. We have plenty of sins on our heads to deal with. Just like them. Our great grandparents.
TALIESIN: Our sins are human. Our sins are small. Our sins are-- We don't get to decide how we're punished. We don't get to decide what our consequences are. Their consequences. In my book, it makes him a god, too, because no one-- I guess I just don't trust anyone who doesn't have to answer to anybody.
LIAM: Yeah. I mean, you're saying, you don't want the gods to decide our fates, to control our fates, but Ludinus is taking up that very same mantle and deciding for everyone on Exandria.
MARISHA: Well--
LIAM: All across the flat circle of it. (chuckling)
TALIESIN: Long story. You don't even want to--
SAM: Cuckoo.
LIAM: Here's to FCG.
TRAVIS: The other part of it is it's a, I haven't heard Ludinus give a good reason why we should do it. I mean, I understand not wanting to be controlled by someone else, and if the gods are the people with the control, that's one thing. But let's say you wipe the slate, they're gone. And let's say Predathos doesn't eat everything else. He consumes the gods, he moves on to some other place, and leaves all of us mortals down here to our lonesome. You're talking about resetting the power structure of Exandria from zero. So governments, power dynamics, nations, continents, all of those things are going to be turned upside down.
TALIESIN: Well.
LAURA: And don't forget about everything that was here before the gods. The fey, the demons, all of that was here.
SAM: Primordials.
TALIESIN: Primordials.
LAURA: Exactly.
TRAVIS: It'll be a mad scramble. At least in my 400 years, that usually means people die. Lots of people.
TALIESIN: People are dying anyway.
LIAM: I suspect there is a step two that he has up his sleeve.
TRAVIS: Yeah.
LIAM: Once all the gods are gone, we're sitting-- We were sitting in a place full of magic that could kill gods. Could it kill a god eater? Is he going to let the god eater do his dirty work and then turn on it?
LAURA: He's wanting conduits, right? He's wanting us, Ruidusborn, Exalted, whatever to take that on.
TRAVIS: Oof!
LAURA: After it's done, I mean--
ROBBIE: He disposes with the weapon.
LAURA: I think so.
TRAVIS: Or he holds on to it, right? He doesn't share it.
MARISHA: Or he holds on to it. Plus, another massive factor is we know the Reilorans are wanting to rejoin for their rightful place in Exandria. That's quite a shake up as well.
TRAVIS: Yeah, the Weave Mind. Are they the new--
MARISHA: Are they the new power structure? Are they the new gods? Eugh.
TRAVIS: We should have asked him how he felt about them.
MARISHA: We should have.
ASHLEY: I feel like there's so much I wanted to ask.
TALIESIN: I feel like, I don't know, my thought is maybe it would just go back to the way it was. Little gods, little thoughts, little powers. Answerable.
LAURA: I don't know.
MARISHA: It's chaos.
LAURA: The idea of demons having free reign. The only thing keeping them back is the Primes, right?
TALIESIN: That's what they say.
MATT: "There are a number of forces in this world that keep such evils at bay. Some faiths and temples are exemplary forces and examples, yes, but there are places where the darker tears to the Abyss are kept outside of the pantheon's watch--"
LAURA: All right.
MATT: "-- and even the Dynasty itself. Luxon follower or not have had their responsibilities over generations at keeping such darkness from spilling into our own."
LAURA: What does Predathos mean for the Luxon?
MATT: "If it even exists. Who knows?"
MARISHA: The Luxon?
TRAVIS: Yeah, the priest.
MATT: "But whatever the dunamantic power source is, it is quite divergent from divine power sources. If indeed Predathos seems to be an entity that feasts on divine power, then I do not think it would be as interested in the Luxon. But that is just a theory."
SAM: Alts.
LAURA: Alt names, for-- Yes.
SAM: No, I think Alts I mean, if the Primes--
LAURA: Oh, Alt Gods.
SAM: If the Primes are the main stream, I'd prefer to call the Betrayer Gods Indie-Alt.
LAURA: Oh, Indie Gods.
SAM: Yeah, like Alt Gods. Wouldn't you rather be into Alt than--
ASHLEY: Betrayers?
SAM: Taylor Swift? (laughter)
TALIESIN: How dare you!
SAM: Canceled.
MATT: Do not--
ROBBIE: Don't send them!
MATT: Do not call that community on us.
MARISHA: Don't, yeah, I know, it's true.
ROBBIE: Talk about summoning--
TALIESIN: Go back to flat earth. Back to flat earth, please.
SAM: I'm a character. A character, not me.
MARISHA: There will be a blip in this episode--
ROBBIE: We love Taylor Swift! We love Taylor Swift.
MARISHA: -- and no one will know why. Yeah. (laughter)
SAM: Unfollow. Unfollow.
MARISHA: Yeah.
ROBBIE: Shut down.
LIAM: One of the loftiest Age of Arcanum wizards that ever lived.
LAURA: Yeah.
LIAM: T. Swift.
LAURA and ASHLEY: T. Swift.
ROBBIE: Mm.
LAURA: She's so powerful.
SAM: I told you, I'm bad. (laughter)
LIAM: Oh, now we got bad blood.
TALIESIN: Wow. Really? Okay.
LIAM: I got a daughter.
MARISHA: Yes, you do.
TALIESIN: I got a-- If we want to end on a slightly, or I don't know how everyone feels, but I have a dumb party game that I've been meaning to play with everybody.
LIAM: Another dumb party game.
TALIESIN: Oh, a really good dumb party game.
MARISHA: That's not "What the Fuck is Up With That?"
TALIESIN: No.
MARISHA: Oh! I pull out my pipe.
MARISHA: Technically--
TALIESIN: Oh, you have the pipe.
MARISHA: -- I have the pipe.
TALIESIN: Shit. I went for it, and I-- What the fuck happened to my pipe?
MARISHA: This pipe?
TALIESIN: Ah! I've been drinking, and didn't update my notes.
LAURA: "I've been drinking."
TALIESIN: I'll do that. What do you say we roll for who smokes it?
LAURA: Oh.
TRAVIS: What's the pipe?
SAM: What does it do?
MATT: "I don't partake."
LAURA: I don't partake.
MARISHA: (laughs)
TALIESIN: This, when you smoke from this pipe, it reveals your most heroic moment.
TRAVIS: Wait, wait. Is this from the tree?
LAURA, TALIESIN, and ASHLEY: Yeah.
TRAVIS: Essek, hold on. Whether you partake or not, this is from an ancient tree. There are no other pipes like this pipe.
MARISHA: It's an OG strain, baby.
MATT: Make-- (laughs)
TRAVIS: All this time I know your academic brain has got to be curious as fuck!
MATT: Make a persuasion check.
TRAVIS: Yeah!
MARISHA: It's that San Fernando Valley.
TALIESIN: It can only be use once an evening. So we can only do it once.
MARISHA: and MATT: (laugh)
SAM: And it tells--
LAURA: Only one person can do it?
SAM: Your most heroic moment to come, or that--
TALIESIN: That you've experienced. The most heroic thing you've done.
MARISHA: and ROBBIE: (laugh)
TRAVIS: My persuasion's a zero?
TALIESIN: That does not surprise me.
TRAVIS: Fuck! 15.
SAM: Inspiration. (laughter)
SAM: No. I want to see this. I give you the power of the Lord of Lies.
TRAVIS: What is that, a d6?
TALIESIN: Only one person a day.
SAM: Plus d6.
TALIESIN: Which is why I've been waiting for a--
TRAVIS: 19.
TALIESIN: -- good drinking night to see who wants to fuck around.
MATT: "I will engage in whatever the chances might be."
TRAVIS: Peer pressure--
TALIESIN: It's a good way to get to know somebody.
TRAVIS: -- is alive and well! Okay.
LAURA: How do we decide who has to do it?
MARISHA: (laughs)
TALIESIN: d10.
SAM: Spin the bottle?
LAURA: Oh, a d10. That's smart.
TALIESIN: One through nine.
LAURA: I'm just going to say spin the bottle.
TALIESIN: Yeah, spin the bottle but with a d10. because we don't have a bottle.
SAM: I don't mind if we spin the bottle. That would be fun. (laughter)
LAURA: Spin the bottle.
TRAVIS: Thirsty! My man is in a drought. (laughter)
TRAVIS: Feed that plant. (laughter)
TALIESIN: There are some pent up horniness going on, wasn't there?
ROBBIE: Seven minutes in the hells? (laughter)
TRAVIS: The horn just straightened.
LIAM: Got to be six.
SAM: I love it.
ROBBIE: Oh yeah.
MARISHA: Oh god!
ROBBIE: Six, six.
ALL: Six, six.
MATT: All right.
ROBBIE: Or three either.
SAM: Yeah.
MATT: So who wants to roll the d10, then?
TRAVIS: I mean, it's Taliesin's--
LAURA: I know this is Tal's.
TALIESIN: All right.
LAURA: Wait.
TALIESIN: All right.
TRAVIS: Excuse me. Ashton.
LIAM: Does that mean we're all a number?
TALIESIN: One, two-- (counting) Zero is a reroll.
LAURA: Okay.
ASHLEY: Okay.
MATT: Roll it out in the front.
SAM: Wait. What number was I?
TALIESIN: Yep. I'll let you know.
LAURA: What's that?
TALIESIN: That's a five. So one, two, three, four--
TRAVIS: Oh, it is Braius!
TALIESIN: --five! (laughter) (clapping)
SAM: All right, all right. Backstory is not that thought out, guys. (laughter)
SAM: I don't know if I know that.
LIAM: You're the best of the best.
ROBBIE: Ah! There it is.
TALIESIN: I'm also going to say that your notion of what is heroic definitely has an effect on this, so it doesn't have to be objectively heroic.
MATT: It's what in your mind or if you don't think of anything heroic subconsciously what your--
TALIESIN: Yeah.
MATT: -- what your barometer of morality would tell you is the most heroic.
TALIESIN: This is going to-- Start with your parents name.
MATT: Pass! (laughter)
SAM: Heroic.
TALIESIN: Yeah. We just fucked your life up, didn't we?
SAM: I really don't. I don't know the answer to this. I've lived my life in-- My most recent life in service of my lord.
ASHLEY: Probably hiding in the closet?
LAURA: Yeah, hiding in the closet.
ROBBIE: Did you try to fight the horrible people that assaulted the temple?
TALIESIN: That wasn't-- Or have you done something in service of your lord? Yeah. I mean--
ROBBIE: You're a bard. Really good performer.
TALIESIN: The smoke is actually going to--
LAURA: His most heroic moment was--
TALIESIN: -- act it out in front of us.
LIAM: Something that would horrify us?
LAURA: -- that fight with the--
SAM: Maybe it was-- Maybe it was when I killed Stanley.
LAURA: Who was-- that Stanley?
SAM: This is Stanley.
TALIESIN: So I'm into this. What do we see?
ROBBIE: Okay.
MATT: Do you just say this out loud instead of smoking the pipe?
SAM: Oh, do I have to smoke the pipe first?
ROBBIE: Somebody set it in front of you.
SAM: Wait, what-- What is this pipe do? I don't know.
TALIESIN: You smoke the pipe and then we basically get a 3D visual little story of your most heroic moment.
SAM: Okay, okay, so you do that.
LAURA: From your brain.
SAM: I will smoke--
ASHLEY: Light it up.
SAM: -- smoke the pipe.
TALIESIN: It doesn't have-- You don't have a lighter. What are you doing? (laughter)
TRAVIS: Shink! Chetney's chisel flame hold it over the bowl. It's a bubbler.
TALIESIN: Not a bong, man. (laughter)
ROBBIE: Carb hole, got a carb hole on it.
LIAM: The figures. Don't drop the figures.
ROBBIE: Try to get him. (laughter)
SAM: I don't know what this-- I don't know what it's shaped like, either.
TALIESIN: It's just--
MATT: It's like a Gandalf.
TALIESIN: It's a Gandalf pipe.
ASHLEY: Gandalf.
SAM: Sure.
ASHLEY: Gandalf pipe.
TALIESIN: That's a trombone. That's not a pipe. That's a trombone.
TRAVIS: Hold it, hold it, hold it, hold it. (laughter)
ROBBIE: Okay, okay.
TALIESIN: I'm so glad.
ROBBIE: That hasn't been cleaned in a while, has it?
MARISHA: Yeah. (laughter)
TALIESIN: Blame this fucker!
TRAVIS: That water is dirty as fuck!
MARISHA: What?
MATT: My god! So as--
MARISHA: I'm very familiar with sticky black tar substances. It seemed fine to me. (laughter)
TRAVIS: It's smoking you.
MATT: So-- (laughter)
SAM: Could you turn your body into a bong?
ROBBIE: (laughs)
LAURA: What?
SAM: Because you can make holes and stuff.
MARISHA: Probably could in case of an emergency.
MATT: Essek goes, "Anyway." (laughter)
LIAM: This is what happens when you hit us with three massive battles in one day.
TALIESIN: Yeah, we're a little--
MATT: Yeah, I know, I know, I know. Oh I know.
ASHLEY: Loopy, loopies.
MATT: Essek sits and looks a little overwhelmed, but also he smiles a little bit.
TALIESIN: You gave us liquor.
MATT: "It's been a bit since this house has been quite so raucous." Looks over to you as the smoke that you coughed up around, spread out to the chamber and it begins to form into shapes that are animated. What do we see?
SAM: Oh my god!
TALIESIN: I'm so into it.
LAURA: We're going to witness you skinning Stanley.
SAM: Yes, I guess you see dark shit, man. (laughter)
MARISHA: Bruh.
SAM: You-- How much of this-- It's just the moment or it's everything leading up?
TALIESIN: It's the narrative of it.
SAM: You see Braius, and a very handsome human man waging battle against dark figures that you can't really make out. As the battle rages on, Stanley, or the man, the handsome young man, raises a dagger and stabs Braius in the back. And holds up a shining symbol of the Dawnfather and Braius falls to his knees, but then climbs back up, with pure willpower and wipes the blood off of himself and is able to smite Stanley and takes his, takes Stanley's blood and paints a large portrait of Asmodeus being stabbed in the back by the Dawnfather, and with…with the…the blood splatter all over the wall.
LAURA: (eugh)
TALIESIN: That's an interesting interpretation.
SAM: Then painstakingly skins Stanley, and takes his skin and flesh and bones and…and makes it into a cup.
TALIESIN: Wow!
LIAM: Last name Crup. (laughter)
SAM: It's a Stanley crup.
MATT: It's about like 15 minutes into this vision when you're partway into the early flaying, Essek goes, "I'm going to just get some more cookies."
SAM: No, this is the best part. (laughter)
TALIESIN: How did you get the eye to do that? That's crazy.
SAM: And then the vision will end with…with Braius praying to the image he has made and praying and praying, but gets nothing back.
LAURA: Well, the art was lovely.
TALIESIN: I admire the craftsmanship.
ASHLEY: It was a great artistic choice for that. An artistic death.
MARISHA: I think it was very crafty and resourceful. I honestly want to swap some tips.
SAM: Like art tips?
MARISHA: Yeah.
SAM: Okay.
ROBBIE: What did Asmodeus say about your…your art? It's beautiful.
SAM: I'm sure he admired it greatly. Like I said, he doesn't speak to me like that, but I receive visions and nudges, subtle nudges and directions.
MATT: "Affirmations?"
SAM: Huh?
MATT: "Affirmations."
SAM: Thank you. That's what I wanted to--
ASHLEY: But you've never spoken with the Lord of Hells. Do you feel closer to the Lord of Hells than you do the Platinum Dragon? Do you feel you've gotten more--
SAM: Of course. Of course. Yeah. Well, I don't know about more communication, but more validation. I haven't really spoken to the god ever.
LAURA: But you're sure that--
SAM: I am the herald of the Lord of Lies. I am the voice of the Lord of Deception. And I will serve him to my dying day.
ASHLEY: How were you made the Herald? Is this a choice that you made, or was that the choice that the Lord made?
TRAVIS: Probably well earned.
SAM: Earned.
TRAVIS: Dedication?
SAM: Yes.
TRAVIS: Sacrifice?
SAM: Yeah. Acts of worship and devotion. Acts of cruelty when needed. Power.
LAURA: Why a cup?
TALIESIN: A massive insight check. I have disadvantage on anything. I don't know why I bother. (laughter)
TALIESIN: I mean, I have a migraine. Why am I doing that?
TRAVIS: Double hand abandon on the roll.
ASHLEY: Abandoned.
LAURA: Why a cup after?
SAM: To drink the blood of my enemies. I just get very thirsty.
ROBBIE: As long as you see visions and you feel connected, as long as you're seeing the visions, then that's how you communicate with the gods. I mean, imagine a world where you worship to god and couldn't see them and know their presence or hear their prayers.
SAM: I wouldn't call them visions as much as imaginings.
LAURA: Oh, like dreams maybe?
SAM: Like daydream. Fantasies.
ROBBIE: Our gods are so real. I've never sworn allegiance. And I've felt their presence and seen it enacted upon my friends. And it's direct and clear. Is this not your experience?
SAM: He is locked away in the Hells, and it must be hard for him to reach out.
TALIESIN: Technically, a god of deceit as well. So there's probably some complications there.
SAM: There could be, one of you could be sent by him. I could have received many words from many people. Just don't know because they're lies, you know? It's really complicated. Lie stuff is complicated.
ROBBIE: It does sound complicated.
TALIESIN: Yeah. And that was very disturbing. And at some point you should probably talk to someone. But you're very creative and talented.
LAURA: Maybe you can ask good old Deven if--
ASHLEY: Teven?
SAM: Teven?
ASHLEY: Yeah.
LAURA: Maybe you can ask Teven, how he normally speaks to his followers. And that way, you know--
SAM: I'm sure I'm the herald of the King of Hells.
ASHLEY: Oh, you weren't told you were just like--
SAM: I'm sure of it.
ASHLEY: I'm--
LAURA: Got it.
ROBBIE: Maybe we just leave--
ASHLEY: We just leave it alone.
ROBBIE: Yeah, for a minute.
SAM: Yeah. We'll just, we'll take six.
LIAM: Faith is a personal affair.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
ROBBIE: Hey, you said you were a bard. Is the art the-- Is that part of your artistry that makes you a--
SAM: Yes, that's my, that's how I perform acts of great devotion.
MARISHA: Like those live painters that you'll see in the streets?
SAM: Yes. Yes, and I can paint. I don't just paint evil shit too. I could paint, I could paint anything. If you want. I have any requests I can paint.
ROBBIE: Yes, yes.
LAURA: Amazing.
MATT: "Is this something you picked up in Xhorhas? You said you were from the Dynasty. Where did you grow up?"
SAM: Well, we moved. We moved out of the Dynasty when I was younger.
LAURA: Insight check.
TALIESIN: Thank god!
MARISHA: Oh.
TALIESIN: Because I am useless.
LAURA: No, well, mine's pretty bad. Well, 16.
MATT: 16, you can roll a persuasion or deception. Your choice. You don't have to say.
SAM: 33. (laughter)
TALIESIN: Gosh, you're pretty.
MARISHA: He's probably going to have a really high deception.
LAURA: Yeah. He probably does. I just have a shit insight.
MATT: "Understood. Yes, there are a number of people who were translocated as children. Well."
SAM: You're from our Dynasty as well?
MATT: "Yes, well, I've not been there in some time. Particularly of Den Thelyss."
SAM: Oh.
MARISHA: Does that name sound familiar to you?
SAM: It's one of the Dens. Sure.
MARISHA: All right. (laughs)
ASHLEY: Wait, so where do you--
TALIESIN: I don't know enough to actually have a thought about that.
LIAM: One of the top ten dens.
LAURA: Top six dens.
SAM: Top six dens.
ASHLEY: You have a home in the Hells.
TALIESIN: Saw it on Instagram.
SAM: A home in the Hells?
ASHLEY: Where do you reside?
TALIESIN: An apartment?
SAM: The Hells are a chaotic, powerful place.
ASHLEY: Sure.
SAM: I'm told.
LAURA: But obviously--
ASHLEY: You've never been?
SAM: Well, I haven't. To be invited to the Hells is a big honor.
ASHLEY: That you have not received yet.
LAURA: But how did you know about Ludinus if he's only been speaking to you in daydreams?
SAM: I--
ROBBIE: This is a celebration. (laughter)
ROBBIE: I have a question for you, Essek.
MATT: "Yes."
ROBBIE: These portraits that are on the wall of you and your friends. Did you have these commissioned? Were they made by you or--?
MATT: He glances past Braius. On the wall, there is a fantastic portrait that contains a blue skinned tiefling, and he immediately waves his hand and a curtain goes over it. He's like, "Yes, I had them commissioned, or my partner did, yes."
ROBBIE: Well, as fellow artists and I certainly don't mean to--
SAM: Watch the horn.
ROBBIE: --sorry, sorry. I don't mean to ask something of you on your first night with us, but we're celebrating, and this is fun. And you seem to create your art so quickly. What about a portrait of us together as new friends? Is that something you feel like you could do?
LIAM: You don't have to kill us to do it, though, right?
SAM: No, no, no, I don't have to. I don't have to paint with blood. It's my favorite medium, but I'm not going to. I don't have to.
TRAVIS: Me too.
MARISHA: I think there's still a lot on the table in the laboratory.
TALIESIN: We're at our absolutely worst at the moment. Really brings it together.
ROBBIE: We could do a fun one, though, or a slice of life where we're loud.
MARISHA: Where we're like--
TALIESIN: Oh, I'm okay with this.
ASHLEY: A funny one.
TALIESIN: I'm excited.
SAM: Make a pose.
TALIESIN: All right, all right.
ROBBIE: Come on, come on! But you've got to be in it. Can you paint yourself in after the fact?
SAM: I'll add myself. You know what? I'll sneak myself in.
ROBBIE: Perfect.
SAM: All right. I'll spend some time. I'll take a-- I do have art supplies, so I'll take out a canvas. And I'm just doing a lot of this. A lot of throwing splatter everywhere. And it's really messy. And I don't know how this turns out.
MATT: Yeah. You can roll a performance check, if you'd like.
SAM: I will inspire myself.
MATT: Or you can choose just the dexterity check, your call.
SAM: No, no. Performance for sure. Not great. Wait, performance. Oh yeah, that's good. 20
MATT: 20. It's one of those things where, at an immediate glance, as you look at it, it looks scattered and unfocused. That's only because you're looking at the dark spots.
SAM: Step back from it.
MATT: But as soon as you focus on the lighter, the absence of shadow, where you can see where all the forms are very evocative and it pops once you can focus on the depth of what's there.
SAM: Everyone's sort of--
TALIESIN: If you cross your eyes, it's 3D. (laughter)
ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SAM: Everyone's painted in a gothy version of yourself. There's nothing goth-ier than you.
MARISHA: I look perfect.
SAM: But everyone else has a little bit of an edge to them.
LIAM: And you just painted this on Essek's wall?
SAM: No, no, I have I brought a-- I have canvas, paper and stuff. Yeah. Parchment.
TALIESIN: I'm into it. I like this.
LAURA: Haye you thought about maybe becoming an artist? Selling your work?
SAM: Oh, I don't know about that. (laughter)
SAM: I do this in devotion to my lord. I wouldn't imagine receiving monetary compensation. But if I did, how much do you think something like this would get?
TALIESIN: I don't know.
ROBBIE: It's gorgeous.
TALIESIN: Yeah.
ASHLEY: I would pay it.
MARISHA: Yeah.
SAM: Yeah?
ROBBIE: It's beautiful.
TALIESIN: I'm sure your dad-- your god would be very proud of this work.
SAM: Oh.
TALIESIN: Yeah.
SAM: Yes, he would.
TRAVIS: Set up a gallery and it was a limited offering.
LAURA: Ooh yeah.
MARISHA: Rich people love this type of thing, especially if you do it live at a gala, you know?
LIAM: This is dark, but if it is blood, it'd probably go for a lot in the right circles.
TALIESIN: Oh god, that makes me unhappy.
MATT: "The wealthy are insufferable in their interests."
SAM: Oh!
TALIESIN: Cheers.
SAM: All right, well, who-- Shall I leave this one with you to put on your wall? I don't know a place of great honor.
LAURA: Essek's like: Ooh! Uh...
TALIESIN: Actually, no, we want to keep this. This is for us.
MATT: "I think this is important for you all to keep to commemorate this. And it doesn't really go with anything here."
ROBBIE: Doesn't match the decor.
SAM: Black and white goes with everything.
LAURA: But it'll go really well with--
TALIESIN: Yeah. No.
MARISHA: We should keep it.
LAURA: Yeah.
MARISHA: We'll put it-- We'll figure it out.
ASHLEY: Someday, we'll have a place.
TALIESIN: Yeah, we'll have a place.
LAURA: Definitely.
TALIESIN: Yeah.
MARISHA: Yes.
MARISHA: We got Chetney. He can probably make a nice frame. I can do some nice matting around it.
LIAM: Chet, can you make a wooden scroll case to keep it safe so it doesn't get crushed in the bag of holding?
SAM: Or a frame?
TRAVIS: I mean, why are these questions? Of course I can. (laughter)
TRAVIS: Basic shit.
LIAM: Would you--
TALIESIN: Would you?
TRAVIS: If you want a relief of yourself, I could do that. That's something I could do. But yes, I can make a bitch-ass frame or like a little scroll case. Sure.
TALIESIN: Oh god, I'm doing the thing I said I'd never do. I'm traveling with fucking artists. How the fuck did this happen?
SAM: We could do a little swapping.
TALIESIN: So many of you.
TRAVIS: We really could. I could supply the blood.
TALIESIN: So fucking many of you.
ROBBIE: This is just what I wanted. (laughter)
SAM: Thank you all for making me feel welcome.
LIAM: Your brother died three days ago.
ROBBIE: Shh.
LAURA: Thank you.
MATT: In the darkened morning hours, sharing a final cheer and cup before the rest of exhaustion and sleep takes you with what remnants of the darkened morning still remain. We're going to go to break way back here in a few minutes.
MARISHA: The sun's coming up. We've got to get to bed before our sleep schedule's fucked!
ROBBIE: The sun starts to burn you. Oh no!
MARISHA: (screams)
MATT: Ah ha!
ROBBIE: That was the trick.
MATT: We'll be back here in a few minutes. We'll see you in a second.
LIAM: Woo!
Break[]
? Oh, oh ♪ ♪ Look and see, I'm faring in the ocean ♪ ♪ Far away from what I'd call home ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ But I'm still with the ocean ♪ ♪ And whatever emotion it feels ♪ ♪ Take her home now ♪ ♪ Father Time will drag you down ♪ ♪ Oh, look and see ♪ ♪ I'm faring in the ocean ♪ ♪ Far away from what I'd call home ♪ ♪ Oh, oh ♪ ♪ Look and see ♪ ♪ I'm faring in the ocean ♪ ♪ Far away from what I'd call home ♪
(mysterious music) You fought well, princesses. But you didn't think winning the throne was gonna be that easy. Did you? [laughter] No, no, no. Midnight draws on. But this battle is just getting started. [laughter] I can't wait to see how this turns out.
XEN: It doesn't occur to any of you that the moon is about to fall out of the sky. And why would it? It's just a regular Monday here on the moon. Goe is watching the gigantic wall of darkness inbound. This isn't going to have transformative, long-lasting, incredibly far-reaching consequences, is it? Unfortunately, it will. We have gathered together a small squad of unlikely chums to seek what perhaps cannot be found. SARA: This is feeling really weird, really fast. XEN: I think it's time to go. All aboard. What could possibly go wrong? Such as, for example, the moon literally exploding literally right now.
LIAM: What's in it for you? Helping us...
MATT: If there is even the remotest chance that they are still alive, I have to see that through.
MARISHA: It's not about knowing or not knowing. It's about being willing to find out.
(peaceful music) (music builds) (tavern music)
LAURA: Hey Critters! Laura Bailey here to guide you through what's new in the Critical Role shop. Roll an Investigation if you want, it's basically perfect. Style should never be a dump stat, Darling. You need this? You probably need this. This is pretty badass. (gasp) Could anything be more perfect? I mean the Traveler always says, impulse purchases are a good decision. Oh my gosh, it's so amazing. Go ahead, Darling. Treat yourself. And hey if you want, you could head over to the Critical Role shop right now.
(ominous music) (epic music) (mischievous music) (typewriter clacking) (peaceful music)
LAURA: (VO) Do you find yourself dealing with low energy, drowsiness, or boredom?
MARISHA: You may have made a pact with an infernal demon, or you may be suffering from Low CR.
LAURA: (VO) Low CR is a common condition that affects between most and nearly all adult humans. Low CR, or Low Critical Role, occurs when human people don't have enough nerdy voice actors in their lives. But now, there's a cure!
MARISHA: I don't let Low CR control my life anymore.
LAURA: (VO) Beacon is a non-invasive subscription that provides 24 hours exclusive content each day.
MARISHA: This was when we decided it should look like a gender reveal party.
LAURA: (VO) Early access to event tickets, members-only Discord, 10% off merchandise, and more. Do not take Beacon if you are allergic to Beacon. Consult your familiar if you think Beacon could work for you.
MARISHA: Side effects may include excessive enjoyment, overexcitement, and diarrhea.
LAURA: (VO) Critical Role is in no way a treatment, medication, or anything other than a bunch of nerdy voice actors. Do not watch Critical Role unless you enjoy it. [smoke alarm beeping]
LAURA: (VO) We repeat. We are absolutely not any sort of help... anything. To learn more, visit beacon.tv, or find it on your App Store.
MARISHA: Tomorrow feels a little brighter now that I have Beacon. (loud crunching) (laughter)
Part II[]
MATT: And welcome back. So--
MARISHA: To the Sun.
MATT: Last we left off, you all went to rest throughout the handful of chambers within Essek's abode here in the capital city of Rexxentrum. Looking to get a full night's sleep after a very long day in the midst of your--
ASHLEY: No.
SAM: No.
MATT: -- evening's rest--
ASHLEY: No! Come on!
MARISHA: Are you serious? You're lying.
ASHLEY: He's lying.
MARISHA: He's fucking with us.
MATT: You continue to rest. (relieved exclaiming)
TRAVIS: So unnecessary. We were jubilant at the break. You don't have to do that.
MATT: I know.
MARISHA: 10 years of this, we're starting to wisen to your games.
MATT: You're right. I should just destroy you all. (laughter)
ASHLEY: Keep us on our toes.
LIAM: Gelidon descends.
MATT: Yep. (laughs)
TRAVIS: Part three.
ASHLEY: Oh man, that felt--
TRAVIS: Part three.
ASHLEY: -- nice to hit that.
MATT: "I'll find you cross-campaign!" (laughter)
MATT: "I could smell your essence through your characters."
MARISHA: Yes, long rest, baby!
TALIESIN: Mm.
MATT: Get your long rest, friends.
TALIESIN: Clean slate.
ASHLEY: That was needed.
TALIESIN: Other than a point of exhaustion still.
LAURA: Oh, bummer.
TALIESIN: It's worth it.
TRAVIS: Are we taking a long rest? Was that what you said? Yes.
LIAM: It happened.
TRAVIS: Oh.
ASHLEY: It happened.
LAURA: It happened.
TALIESIN: Sometimes it's worth it.
TRAVIS: During the long rest, can I go, and I'll take the new Demonshell Armor cloak that we found down in Aeor. Do we get rooms, individual rooms in Essek's house?
LAURA: I don't know!
MATT: Not individual rooms. It's not that big, I would imagine.
LIAM: No, it's not.
TRAVIS: I can just take a couch anywhere, actually. Yeah, and I will attune to the new Demonshell Armor.
LIAM: Two guest bedrooms.
MATT: Okay.
LAURA: I'm going to need a private room with Laudna for a little bit.
SAM: Oh, that's fair.
ASHLEY: Fair. Fair.
SAM: I can stay in the stables.
MATT: Fair.
MARISHA: We're having make up sex.
LAURA: Yep.
MATT: I get it.
ASHLEY: ♪ Make up sex ♪
MARISHA: (laughs)
MATT: As you attune to the cloak--
SAM: Can we RP that?
MATT: -- Chetney.
LAURA: (laughs)
MATT: (laughs)
TRAVIS: Look, he's doing it again.
MARISHA: I know.
TRAVIS: This thing right here.
MARISHA: Now this feels legit, though.
MATT: As you attune to the cloak--
LAURA: Oh!
MATT: -- you wear it over your shoulders and it settles against your shoulders like a mantle and falls down the back.
TRAVIS: My muscular shoulders.
MATT: Yeah. Your rippling--
ASHLEY: Wow!
MATT: (laughs)
TALIESIN: Wrinkly.
MATT: As you feel the magical enchantment itself tether itself to your being--
TRAVIS: Oh, that's nice.
MATT: -- the cloak shifts and draws tighter, almost uncomfortably so for a moment. What was once a cloak begins to wrap around your arm and around your torso, snaking around you, almost like a python that's grabbing and twisting and squeezing. Not to the point where it hurts, but just enough where it's uncomfortable and worrying. Your fight or flight begins to kick in, and as you look around with a panicky reaction, you hear all the scales (shifting) as they slither around your body.
LAURA: (uncomfortable moan)
MATT: Eventually, it comes to a stop and you look down. The burgundy scaled texture is now entirely wrapped around your body from high neck to wrist, like an odd reddish, rust colored bodysuit made up of scale armor.
ASHLEY: Cool.
TRAVIS: (amazed exhale)
SAM: How will you be naked all the time?
TRAVIS: Holy shit.
LIAM: What is the--
MARISHA: That's true.
LIAM: -- werewolf process like? Is it going to be like (poofs)?
MARISHA: I know!
LAURA: But does it expand?
TRAVIS: You've never seen a reptilian werewolf?
LAURA: Does it expand when you turn into a wolf?
LIAM: You're going to be like Omar in a turtleneck. (laughter)
ASHLEY: Yeah.
TRAVIS: That's true.
TALIESIN: It's going to go full Venom and grow its own head.
TRAVIS: It's visible, right? Like a burgundy, scaled?
ASHLEY: Oh man, I want to see Omar in a turtle neck now.
ROBBIE: Oh yeah.
TRAVIS: Okay. All right.
ASHLEY: There's a good boy.
TRAVIS: That's cool.
TALIESIN: Are we going to get armor that talks now?
ROBBIE: The jumpsuit you always wanted.
TRAVIS: I don't know. I was saying at the break, it feels like this is going to turn into this. (laughter)
TRAVIS: We just haven't seen it yet. Okay, cool. If I touch it with my fingers or if I stand up and do some jumping jacks, do I notice anything?
MATT: No sound.
TRAVIS: No sound.
SAM: Whoa!
MARISHA: (gasps)
MATT: The scales of the armor are quiet.
LAURA: Wow!
MATT: They feel almost like a second skin.
LAURA: Whoa!
TRAVIS: Dang!
SAM: Rip a fart. See what happens. Does it silence it?
ASHLEY: Does it stay in there?
MARISHA: Oh yeah, does a bubble go up?
MATT: Oh, no. It doesn't block farts. (laughter)
TRAVIS: It just traps it in there and travels up.
ASHLEY and MATT: Yeah.
TRAVIS: (intensely smelly groans) (laughter)
TALIESIN: Got to squeegee that out.
MATT: Yeah.
ROBBIE: Super suit.
TRAVIS: That's great! Okay, cool.
TALIESIN: Scuba.
LAURA: What?
TRAVIS: Can I use my Hunter's Bane and just-- Do I get any weird vibes from the suit that I now have attached to my body?
MATT: Yeah, go ahead and make a perception check.
TRAVIS: I'm sure it's fine.
TALIESIN: That would have been clever to do before you put it on.
TRAVIS: No, we don't do that. 15.
MATT: 15. You have advantage, technically.
TRAVIS: Oh, I'll take it. I'm sure it'll be much better. Even worse.
MATT: Okay. There is a slight fiendish essence to this armor.
LAURA: Uh-oh.
TRAVIS: I mean, it's called Demonshell Armor.
MATT: Yeah.
TRAVIS: Yeah.
TALIESIN: We've been all kinds of leaning there.
TRAVIS: I stole somebody's prom cloak.
MATT: More or less.
MARISHA: Prom cloak?
LIAM: Prom cloak.
TRAVIS: Yeah.
MATT: So yeah, you are now wearing around you, very form fittingly, fiendish essence.
LAURA: Woo, Chet! To what ends that might mean, who knows?
TRAVIS: Dude, amazing!
ASHLEY: But it's with you all the time now, right?
TRAVIS: Yeah, my other clothes will go over it if I choose to wear other clothes.
MATT: If you choose to wear it.
TRAVIS: I might just rock out with my demon cloak out. Like a Tron figure.
LAURA: Do we see the outline?
TALIESIN: Demonic spanx where it's just sucking it in where it needs to?
ASHLEY: Can we see it? Yeah.
TRAVIS: Yeah, I'll walk around a little bit for those that haven't gone upstairs to make up.
LAURA: (laughs)
LIAM: What color is it?
TRAVIS: It's burgundy.
LIAM: Do you have the bag of holding over your shoulder?
TRAVIS: I don't have anything on, but just the suit.
LIAM: Where's that bag?
TRAVIS: It's over by my clothes in the corner.
LIAM: Okay.
ASHLEY: It's so tight!
TRAVIS: Actually, I'll post up on Essek's mantle. What color is the fireplace in Essek's place?
MATT: What color is the fireplace?
TRAVIS: Does it burn normal colors or does it have--
TALIESIN: Oh, the fire.
TRAVIS: Do you all throw the little pine cones in there to make it different flame colors?
LIAM: No, no.
MATT: No.
LIAM: You do that with skill, not pine cones.
TRAVIS: Okay.
MARISHA: Pedestrian shizz. (laughter)
TRAVIS: I use pine cones. Sorry! (laughter)
TRAVIS: They cost a couple copper where I come from.
MATT: Yeah. A standard fireplace flame.
LIAM: Cantrip.
TRAVIS: Hey, y'all. New vibe coming out.
LAURA: (laughs)
ASHLEY: Wow!
ROBBIE: Oh!
TRAVIS: You notice a little (boop) right here.
LIAM: Is that comfortable?
LAURA: This is just for my own personal knowledge.
TRAVIS: Yep.
LAURA: Is your wang just shaking around and it's coated?
TRAVIS: No, no, it's tight!
LAURA: I know, but--
MARISHA: Like you have a dance belt?
LAURA: Is it coating your skin or is it cupping you?
TRAVIS: Well, let's give it a look. I do a cartwheel in front of the fire.
MATT: (laughs) Okay, so--
TALIESIN: It's surprisingly quiet.
MATT: It does look like, I guess the best way of describing it--
TRAVIS: Like a wet suit.
MATT: That Aquaman scalemail bodysuit.
TRAVIS: Yeah!
MATT: It has that texture--
LIAM: We're not talking about his shoulders.
MATT: -- but it's like a rusty red burgundy coloration--
TRAVIS: My muscles look a little bigger.
MATT: --all over.
LAURA: Wow! Impressive.
MARISHA: Well, we just want to know if we can see the outline of his penis.
LIAM: Yeah.
MATT: Like faintly.
MARISHA: and LAURA: Okay.
TRAVIS: Yeah.
LAURA: But it's cupped.
ASHLEY: We see a little bit.
LIAM: But is it down one leg? Or is it--
TRAVIS: I always go to the left.
LIAM: Okay.
TRAVIS: Yeah.
ASHLEY: Drags to the left?
TALIESIN: It doesn't hang as low as I was expecting.
TRAVIS: If I get stuck with it to the right, it's a bad day.
MARISHA: Mm-mm. (laughter)
TRAVIS: Everything feels off.
MATT: It's like Batman: Damned, it's like barely out of frame.
LAURA: Yeah.
ASHLEY: Batman: Damned?
TRAVIS: It's like getting vertigo.
MATT: It's a comic.
TRAVIS: Two different shoes, you know what I'm saying?
TALIESIN: no.
LAURA: Wow!
TALIESIN: (laughs)
TRAVIS: You ever try wearing two different shoes?
ASHLEY: Me?
TRAVIS: Yeah.
ASHLEY: Yeah. Sometimes.
TALIESIN: Yeah.
MARISHA: What do you mean, like different pairs?
TRAVIS: Yeah. If you have non-matching shoes and try and spend a whole day in those bitches. Mm-mm.
MARISHA: It's going to throw off your alignment.
TRAVIS: Have you ever done it?
TALIESIN: Yeah.
LAURA: I'm not here. (laughter)
TRAVIS: She came down. I guess she got bored.
MARISHA: Oh, I thought this was the morning. I thought this was the next morning. "I guess she got bored." (laughter)
TRAVIS: Give her a little bit. She's rusty.
TALIESIN: You came down for some water. (residual laughter)
TRAVIS: Yeah, it looks good, right?
TALIESIN: It's a vibe.
ASHLEY: Yeah, I think it's good.
TRAVIS: You want to feel it?
TALIESIN: I kind do, actually. Fuck.
ASHLEY: I'm going to give it a flick.
TALIESIN: Does it--
LIAM: Is it adhesive?
MATT: No, it feels like armor.
TALIESIN: Does it have that thing where if you move your hand backwards against it it's rough, but the other way is a smooth texture?
MATT: Yeah.
TALIESIN: Oh, that's weird. I don't like that.
LIAM: You need to draw 69 onto your armor.
MARISHA: Yeah, yeah. (laughter)
ROBBIE: He's in a sequin pillow?
MARISHA: Magic sequins?
MATT: Yeah. (laughter)
TALIESIN: I'm just going to be going up and down for a bit.
MARISHA: Yeah.
TALIESIN: Sorry.
TRAVIS: I kind of want to hit it.
TALIESIN: I can't stop.
ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
TRAVIS: I kind of want to hit it.
ASHLEY: Why don't you go get hit?
TRAVIS: Yeah. Somebody hit me with something.
ROBBIE: Oh yeah, for sure. I'm going to punch him as hard as I can on his shoulder.
MATT: Okay, roll an attack.
TRAVIS: It's not on my face! (laughter)
ROBBIE: Yeah, no. I just give him a frog on the arm.
MARISHA: And deck you in the jaw.
ROBBIE: Oh, yeah. This is terrible. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a classic terrible roll.
SAM: Unarmed strike?
ROBBIE: Yeah, unarmed strike.
SAM: Oh, plus eight?
ROBBIE: Yeah, I'm strong. Just a 10.
MATT: Just a 10?
ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: Okay.
TRAVIS: Misses.
MATT: Yeah. Or he hits you, it just doesn't do anything.
TRAVIS: It hits me.
TALIESIN: I was about to say--
ROBBIE: (pathetic thunk) Ow.
MATT and LAURA: (laugh)
TRAVIS: Does it make any noise, speak, anything happen?
MATT: I mean, yeah, it feels an impact and it has a metallic impact on it. It just doesn't-- Normally, heavily scaled mail like that layered has a lot of sound when it shifts and moves. This has faintly so, but it still has a metallic impact. So you don't get advantage on stealth checks or anything, but it doesn't give you disadvantage on it.
LIAM: Definitely not done with this yet. Does it go down to the wrist, down to here?
MATT: Yeah.
TRAVIS: Wrist and ankle basically, like a wetsuit?
LIAM: It's like you're in--
TALIESIN: Pajamas.
LIAM: Can it be peeled back a little bit?
TRAVIS: Does it give or is it (suction) on there?
LIAM: Can it come up?
MATT: No, it's on there.
LIAM: So it's literally super glued down?
MATT: It's like a second skin.
LIAM: Oh!
TRAVIS: Yeah, baby. Braius!
ASHLEY: Oh god, that makes me claustrophobic.
TALIESIN: I have a theory it won't come off.
TRAVIS: I know this may be Demonshell Armor, so hopefully you don't object. You object too much?
SAM: I don't like it. But if it makes you stronger in battle, I will--
TRAVIS: Okay, thanks.
SAM: -- I will cede it.
LIAM: What do you do if you have to take a leak in a hurry?
MARISHA: It does have buttons.
TRAVIS: I don't know, maybe if I focus really hard, the scales will (expanding whistle).
LAURA: Yeah.
TRAVIS: (contracting whistle)
SAM: Try. Go on, try.
TALIESIN: Try, but not here.
TRAVIS: All right.
TALIESIN: Try, but maybe not here.
TRAVIS: Essek, where's the pisser?
MATT: Glides down the stairs. "If you're looking, it's out the back to the side. There's--"
TRAVIS: Back's good enough. I'll just go out the back door and release. (laughter)
LIAM: Standing in a patch of green beans.
MATT: It just fills the suit.
TRAVIS: Oh no! (laughter)
TRAVIS: I'm pissing my suit!
MATT: Yeah.
TRAVIS: Oh no!
LIAM: What?
TALIESIN: We can hear that in the back.
TRAVIS: What if I got to shit?
TALIESIN: Well, we have our answer.
TRAVIS: Oh no!
ASHLEY: Wait!
LAURA: Can you get it off?
MATT: Do you will an opening?
TRAVIS: Yeah, yeah, yeah!
MATT: (suit folds open)
TRAVIS: Oh, thank god.
MATT: (piss waterfall)
LAURA: Ew!
ALL: (groan in disgust)
LAURA: So fucking gross!
ROBBIE: We could use that somehow.
MARISHA: Yeah! (laughter)
TRAVIS: Essek, where's your pool? Or fountain or anything?
MATT: "If you need the washroom, it's on the second floor."
TRAVIS: Oh, shit.
MARISHA: Oh, you're going to dribble all the way up.
TRAVIS: I'll try and climb the outside. (laughter)
MATT: Roll an athletics check. (laughter)
ASHLEY: For drips and dribbles.
TALIESIN: That was worth staying awake for.
TRAVIS: Natural 20! (laughter)
TRAVIS: For a 29.
MATT: With grace and aplomb, you climb the exterior of the household. Just get to the high point to look over the edge--
TRAVIS: Oh! Sorry, sorry, sorry!
MATT: An older woman who's pruning her hedges going-- (laughter)
MATT: You haven't reclosed the suit, by the way. So you're just flapping there, and she's just like, "(screams)" and runs inside.
TRAVIS: Ma'am. (scurries) (laughter)
MATT: You clean yourself off.
TRAVIS: Great.
MARISHA: Oh my god.
TALIESIN: Well, now I'm perfectly happy to go to bed. I'm just going to go find a room and pass the fuck out. You're all great.
MARISHA: Wait, I thought this was the morning!
ASHLEY: This is morning.
TALIESIN: Oh, this is the morning. I thought we were--
ROBBIE: Do it again.
TALIESIN: I thought we were still awake. Never mind. I'm fine--
MATT: No worries. Yeah. Sorry. In my mind, that was a…in the morning, when you show up, everybody after they got up.
TALIESIN: Oh yeah, because he had to--
SAM: So we got a long rest?
LIAM: We got a long rest.
MATT: You got a long rest.
TALIESIN: Thank god.
ASHLEY: Yes!
SAM: How do paladins work? Can I choose new spells every day or I'm done forever?
MATT: No, for paladins, you have--
SAM: I don't know how it works.
MATT: No, I think you choose what you've got when you level.
SAM: I should have looked this up. Sorry, guys.
MATT: Sorry. It's been a minute since I've had a paladin in the group.
TALIESIN: Yeah, paladins are--
MATT: I want to make sure I don't fuck this up.
ROBBIE: We just leveled up, you've got a new character.
SAM: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Prepared. That means I can unprepare.
TALIESIN: Yeah.
SAM: Okay. Yeah, okay. I'm good.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
MATT: Yeah. It's just like the other divine--
LAURA: Yeah, otherwise it would be learn.
MATT: -- cleric elements where you pick in the morning.
SAM: Yeah, you're right.
MATT: Yep.
TALIESIN: Okay. Prepare.
SAM: ♪ Be prepared ♪
MARISHA: Imogen and I definitely sleep in.
LAURA: Mmm-hmm.
MARISHA: Eventually stumble downstairs before we do anything. I have this amulet that I keep forgetting about that I would like to Identify. I stole it off of a dead body in Aeor. I apologize. I was in a really weird head space. But can it help us?
TALIESIN: Everything we've owned, basically, we've stolen off a dead body. That's kind of how we work.
MARISHA: That's true.
ASHLEY: That's true, that's true.
TALIESIN: Psychologically sound.
MATT: Okay, so you are identifying it?
MARISHA: Well, I can't Identify it, but--
TALIESIN: There's an identifier in the house.
LAURA: There is, in one Fearne.
LIAM: Fearne.
MARISHA: Either Fearne or Essek.
ASHLEY: Yeah, I could give it a go. Unless, Essek, you want to do it.
MATT: Well, they said before they go downstairs. Are you--
LAURA: Oh. No, no, no. When she comes downstairs.
MARISHA: I'm coming downstairs.
MATT: Oh, after you come downstairs.
MARISHA: Yeah.
MATT: Got it, got it. I see, I see.
TALIESIN: Look at that. You're not eating it.
LIAM: She needs to rehydrate.
TALIESIN: Fuck yeah.
MARISHA: I know! I know. I don't have any, you know--
LAURA: Do you have that same--
MARISHA: -- desire to suck it in. No!
TALIESIN: I'm proud of you.
MARISHA: It's very pretty.
ASHLEY: Oh, that's really nice.
MARISHA: It might get some good wear.
ASHLEY: Yeah. (laughter)
MATT: Okay. Sorry. I was looking it up. I'm going to find it. Give me a second. (laughter)
MATT: I had forgotten that you had grabbed that.
TALIESIN: I am-- This is so nice to see you just holding a magical item and no one's having a panic attack.
ASHLEY: No one's freaking out.
TALIESIN: Nah, everything's great!
MARISHA: It was a ruby amulet--
MATT: Rare thing.
ASHLEY: Everything's normal.
MARISHA: -- in Aeor.
TRAVIS: Oh, that's right.
MARISHA: Like four games ago.
LAURA: I remember, I remember.
MARISHA: We just haven't had a minute to--
TALIESIN: Oh, Aeor.
LAURA: Maybe it was just the key to the--
MARISHA: -- identify it yet.
TALIESIN: Maybe it's just nice.
MARISHA: It might just be nice, but.
TALIESIN: But always worth checking, because especially it's Aeor, which means that it's really old and fancy.
MARISHA: Yeah.
TALIESIN: Aeor is great.
LAURA: It holds the key to defeating Ludinus.
SAM: (laughs)
MATT: It is an Amulet of--
SAM: Poopy doopy.
MATT: -- False Life, I believe.
TALIESIN: Oh!
LAURA: An Amulet of False Life?
MARISHA: An Amulet of False Life?
TRAVIS: False Life?
TALIESIN: Yeah, that's useful.
MARISHA: Oh, that's interesting. I think I-- Wait.
TRAVIS: Nothing but benign items over here.
MARISHA: and ROBBIE: (laugh)
MATT: Sorry. I had forgotten that you had that and I'm trying to figure out where I put the information on that.
MARISHA: Sorry.
SAM: It's fine. Maybe you should show off some merch.
MATT: Nope, I think I have in my D&D Beyond.
LAURA: (laughs) We have dice.
SAM and TALIESIN: (laugh)
TALIESIN: Do we? Oh yeah.
SAM: And ours, you can read.
LAURA: We have tankards.
MATT: Oh, Amulet of Cursed Life.
TALIESIN: and LAURA: Ooh!
MARISHA: Amulet of Cursed Life.
MATT: Indeed.
TALIESIN: Go on.
MATT: So you identify it, Fearne. Actually, Essek can do it, that way you can keep your spell slot.
ASHLEY: Okay. Thank you.
MATT: Essek takes a look at it for a second, as he finishes eating his breakfast at the table.
MARISHA: So bright.
MATT: "All right, well, if this is, someone is wearing this and they cast a spell of a certain level of power, the spell is cancelled and swallowed by the amulet."
MARISHA: Oh!
MATT: "If somebody within five feet of it casts a spell."
MARISHA: Within five-- You don't even have to be wearing it.
MATT: "While it's being worn."
LAURA: Wait.
MATT: "You or a person within five feet casts a 5th-level spell next to it, the amulet swallows it and the spell is cancelled."
LIAM: So it's like a Counterspell on a chain?
MATT: "Nullified."
LIAM: Essentially?
LAURA: Up to 5th-level?
MATT: "Up to 5th-level."
LAURA: But do you control that, or does it just happen automatically?
MATT: "It just happens the next time."
MARISHA: So wouldn't be great for--
LAURA: A caster.
MARISHA: -- a spellcaster, but it could be great for a martial person who doesn't want to be hit with a heavy spell.
TRAVIS: Within melee range.
MATT: "That could be a use for it, I see. Perhaps. But when it does so, it can cannot do so for another day."
MARISHA: Okay.
SAM: Right.
MATT: "And also, all dead bodies within 200 feet of it are immediately risen as skeletons and zombies--"
ASHLEY: Oh!
MATT: "-- and begin to attack the wearer."
TRAVIS: Cool!
TALIESIN: I love it.
MARISHA: and ROBBIE: Begin to attack the wearer?
SAM: Cool!
TRAVIS: If you could put that shit on an arrow and be like, (fires amulet arrow)!
MARISHA: Yeah!
LAURA: On somebody-- So the point is, you have to make somebody--
TALIESIN: It's a price I'm willing to pay.
ROBBIE: -- else wear it.
MARISHA: You have to give it-- You have to slip it on somebody else.
LAURA: Trick a mage into wearing it.
TRAVIS: If one of us could go invisible and put that in the pocket of somebody we were fighting, that would be--
LAURA: But they have to be wearing it, or you have to be holding it?
MARISHA: Do you have to be attuned?
MATT: "It is not attunement, no."
ALL: Oh!
TRAVIS: The ultimate.
ASHLEY: That's cool.
SAM: It activates with just any 5th-level spell?
MARISHA: Within five feet of it.
TRAVIS: Above 5th-level or up to five?
MATT: "Up to 5th-level."
SAM: And it doesn't need a trigger word before that, it's just the first one of the day.
MARISHA: Yeah.
SAM: Whoa!
LIAM: Super dangerous.
MARISHA: And you're not attuned to it. So it is meant to be--
LAURA: An attack.
MARISHA: -- placed on the spellcaster. So--
ASHLEY: I like it.
SAM: Or a melee fighter who's going into--
TRAVIS: Somebody casts a 1st-level spell, it absorbs the 1st-level spell, and raises all dead bodies within 200ft of it?
MARISHA: 5th-level spell?
TRAVIS: That is so fucked up!
LAURA: Up to.
TALIESIN: Question, is it the person who has the gem, or is it the person who casts the spell who gets attacked by skeletons?
MATT: "The person who has the amulet."
TALIESIN: Okay.
MARISHA: Yeah. So it's something that you plant on somebody.
TRAVIS: How is that not been triggered by us? You've been carrying that around?
TALIESIN: It has to be within--
MARISHA: Well-- Yeah.
MATT: "It has to be worn when it absorbs it."
TRAVIS: Intentionally worn?
MATT: "Yes."
TRAVIS: You can't put it in someone's pocket.
LAURA: So you have to gift it to somebody and say: You would look just so beautiful in this necklace.
MARISHA: Right.
TRAVIS: Well, that's fucking dope.
MATT: "When it is worn, then it absorbs the spell, and then it comes after whoever is wearing it."
LAURA: Wow!
ASHLEY: Mm-hmm. Okay.
TRAVIS: Yeah. You'd have to--
LAURA: It's a trick necklace.
TRAVIS: You couldn't put it in their pocket, right?
MARISHA: You can't plant it on someone's pocket.
MATT: "In theory, you could force it around somebody's neck afterward, but you'd have to put it on them."
TRAVIS: Oh, cast a spell. Get it on their neck. Zombies come and chase whoever you put.
MARISHA: Oh!
LAURA: Sheesh, that's a series of unfortunate events.
TALIESIN: Well, you could also psychically force them to put it it on.
MARISHA: Yeah, yeah.
LAURA: Yeah.
TALIESIN: That's pretty cool.
LIAM: That's a Rube Goldberg for another day.
TALIESIN: That is just-- That's nice to know. What a fascinating little--
MARISHA: But you could Mage Hand it onto somebody. And then throw a 5th-level spell or something.
TALIESIN: Or a 1st-level.
MATT: "You could. The majesty of carefully and discreetly slipping jewelry onto an individual without them knowing why is a time honored tradition for assassinations. Not that I know anything about that."
TALIESIN: What a delightful thought.
TRAVIS: Essek, you are cool.
MATT: "I appreciate that."
MARISHA: So did the woman, the pretty lady that I swiped this off of. Is that how she died?
MATT: "I do not know. It's a bit late for me to ask her."
LAURA: Didn't she die, like her hand reaching out?
MARISHA: She was like (groans) on the ground.
LAURA: So probably.
ASHLEY: Oh, that's right.
LAURA: Sheesh.
LIAM: So to recap.
LAURA: Yeah.
LIAM: Ludinus has a movie ball--
TALIESIN: Mm-hmm.
LIAM: -- with very potent information.
LAURA: Which he plans on blasting out to everyone.
LIAM: Could be happening already and we don't even know it.
TALIESIN: Mm-hmm.
LIAM: Next steps. Checking in with higher powers?
LAURA: Yeah.
LIAM: I don't mean gods. I mean--
LAURA: Keyleth. Letting them know what we discovered in Aeor.
MATT: "I can take you back to the encampment where we first met."
TALIESIN: That might not be a bad idea.
LIAM: Oh, this is interesting. I pull out a rock and I lift it up. Mr. Widogast, we're at your house with Essek. He's cool. A lot to talk about. Heading to see Keleth, we think. You okay?
LAURA: I'm sure Essek can talk to him whenever he wants.
LIAM: But I did it.
MATT: Yeah. (laughter)
MATT: To which a moment later, you hear, (Caleb) "Ja, I'm a bit sore, recovering from a very long day. Glad you met. He is a good man. Don't touch anything that's mine."
TALIESIN: Uh-oh.
LIAM: Message over, right?
MATT: Mm-hmm.
MARISHA: "He's a good man."
SAM: Insight check. (laughter)
TALIESIN: I guess before we also are heading out. That thing I did yesterday, I've never really done anything quite like that before, and it got particularly weird, even for me. I don't know if you have anything here to prod into this, but if you want to-- I don't know if you want to take a look either here or otherwise in what's going on in my head. You're the first person who I've ever met who seems to have the slightest idea of what the fuck this is.
MATT: He starts picking up plates from everyone's finished breakfast and gliding towards the kitchen. "If we might take a moment in the laboratory, I wouldn't be against having one more look. The more less distracted mind, I would say."
TALIESIN: I am okay with that. If everyone else is okay with that.
LAURA: Take your time.
TALIESIN: Yep.
MATT: Places them into the washing bin. Leads you down to the laboratory again. Puts on a few lanterns on the sides, pulls a chair up with Mage Hand and goes, "Just have a seat, if you could."
TALIESIN: Yeah.
MATT: "And you say you achieved this through some injury from dunamantic liquid infusion?"
TALIESIN: It's still a little scattered. It's hard to remember exactly what happened. There was an object. We were in a robbery, and I fell out of a window. And a friend of mine who's a little bit of, he's very creative. Well, they patched me back up out of whatever was around and possibly whatever hit me. And I was already on, it was already a lot going on. I'm made of bits and pieces already.
MATT: "I think a lot of you seem to be, but you make it work. Which is curious, if a little dangerous." You see him flick the side of the glass with his finger and a little dunamantic spark goes (sizzles) off the side, as it does echoes in almost mirror spacing themselves. So they just (fluttering) echo further and further and arc away into shadow. At which point, you feel the vibration a little bit and the left eye begins to flicker closed slightly. He puts his hands up and his fingertips begin to glow, not unlike how he was controlling the threads of the ritual. But this time, that silver gossamer thread is now like serpents of energy that begin to press into the glass side of your skull. As they do, they refract. They pierce the first layer and spread and refract, and then those pierce and refract again. It's just this endless fractal space within your head. You watch as he peers in, and as he begins to pull one hand back, to try and withdraw them, you see the reflections go (folding) like doors closing behind. As they pull back to the final one, it hits the side of your skull. It's like the glass side of your head, as a window would shatter, but it stays solid. But colors (shattering) shatter out like window pieces around him and stop in the middle air as he pulls back and stops in in midair as well for a second.
TALIESIN: Well, this is new. I--
MATT: (whooshes)
MARISHA: (laughs)
MATT: "Huh, you are something very new."
TALIESIN: Aha. That felt-- That was interesting.
MATT: "Indeed. (huffed laugh) I've never encountered a being of living dunamis, but there is a part of you that interacts with its energy in a very unique and fresh way that is extremely exciting."
TALIESIN: I'm happy to be exciting. Honestly, I'm happy to know even the word for this is fucking great. And yeah, even yesterday, it just felt like it was. I don't know, it just feels less and less containable, I guess.
MATT: "It is hard to contain if you do not understand it. But there is something-- a lot of dunamis works within controlled patterns. Whether it be through the entropic dissolution of energy over space and time, or the geometric building of forces upon itself in the primordial, fundamental ways that the world and the spaces beyond us all interact. But what you have is something-- It is havoc with pattern. It's the only way I can describe it. It shouldn't work. You are a conundrum."
TALIESIN: That I've been told. It shouldn't work. And a mess. Yeah. (laughs)
MATT: "In the best way."
TALIESIN: Thank you. Thanks. Yeah. I guess I will take whatever advice, whatever study. I don't know if you have a book or something I can read--
MATT: "There aren't much in the way of books intentionally. It's meant to be kept-- It's meant to be kept from being disseminated to the minds of those who would wish to abuse it. And where I come from, it is a very sacred art form of arcane practice. What I can offer to you because I would like more time when all of this is done, and should we all still be here, to study more of this essence that you are." He reaches into his component pouch rummages for a second, and then pulls out--
TALIESIN: I'd like to know, too.
MATT: Pulls out this small little dark marble and says, "This is a focal point for a number of dunamantic magics. It is a place where these reverberations begin and can return to. If ever there are times where you feel out of control, where you're afraid of what you could be, and you want to focus that cloud of possibility into something that you can control. Use this. Just look at it and remember from that you can return."
TALIESIN: Do I get a sense of what does it look like other than--
MATT: Looks like a black marble.
TALIESIN: All right. Okay.
MATT: "You'll know when you need to center yourself."
TALIESIN: I appreciate that, thank you. Yeah, yeah.
MATT: "I'm sure we'll have many more conversations in time, if you'll allow me."
TALIESIN: Oh, I am sick of not knowing myself. I've had enough.
MATT: "Fair enough. (chuckles) Let's start getting everyone together and get you to your next destination." Step back upstairs to meet up with the rest of you. Gather in the chambers.
LAURA: (sneezes)
MATT: Gesundheit.
TALIESIN: Bless you.
LAURA: Thank you.
MATT: He gathers the rest of his travel materials and puts on his heavier robe. Casts a quick incantation and takes on the form of Seth once more, his illusory self.
LAURA: Eyy.
MARISHA: That's right, I almost forgot.
MATT: "I never do."
MARISHA: Disguise.
SAM: Seth?
LAURA: Oh, yeah, yeah. This is how we first met him.
SAM: What does he look like?
LIAM: Chin beard. Chinstrap beard.
LAURA: Blond hair.
ROBBIE: He's a regular guy.
MATT: He looks like a dude.
MARISHA: Deals weed.
SAM: Like old khaki pants or like that kind of Seth or weed dealer Seth with the hemp necklace?
LIAM: Like Nickelback Seth?
MATT: Yeah.
SAM: Okay.
MATT: Yeah. We're talking--
MARISHA: Yum. (laughter)
ROBBIE: Do I have to think Nickleback?
MATT: Corduroy. It's a whole thing. (laughter)
SAM: Cool, cool.
TALIESIN: If the shoe fits.
SAM: Chain wallet.
MATT: Oh yeah.
TALIESIN: Oh.
MATT: Yeah.
ROBBIE: (displeased) Oh.
MATT: Bleached tips.
SAM: Sure.
MARISHA: Shit's coming back, man.
LAURA: Yeah. I know.
ASHLEY: Chain wallets? Damn. (laughter)
TALIESIN: Please cast a spell.
SAM: JNCO jeans.
LAURA: Oh my gosh, yeah.
MATT: "Very well, let's gather round, and we'll return you to the west side encampment. To the Hellcatch, friends." He goes ahead--
LAURA: West side!
MATT: He goes ahead and pulls his incantation maneuvers together, and as he does, he begins to carve into space the various teleportation runes that begin to encircle the rest of you, and within a moment's clap of his hands, you feel the (whoosh). (hurling noises)
MATT: You all emerge onto another continent. In this space, it is still night. Earlier to later evening, and the ground around you is broken and craggy. The immediate smell of smoke and fires surround you. As your eyes focus in, you can see the walls have toppled and crumbled, towers destroyed. You can see flames burning and flickering in war torn piles of ruin around you. You can see shapes moving and skittering or climbing and gathering on the outskirts of what was once the west side encampment. What do you do?
LAURA: Instantly, I don't know. Ready our spells, I guess.
LIAM: What kind of forms do we see crawling around out there?
MATT: Make a perception check.
LIAM: Yep.
LAURA: Mage Armor just--
SAM: Was it not like this before?
MARISHA: No. But it's called, it's called the Hellcatch Valley. Honestly, so thematic--
SAM: Oh!
MARISHA: -- since you've joined us.
SAM: Thank you!
LIAM: That's a 30.
MATT: 30.
MATT: As you're having this conversation, you look in multiple directions and you see beyond this it almost feels an impact crater. It's about 15 feet from end to end here on the ground and then blown up sides of it.
LIAM: Outside the encampment you mean?
MATT: Outside of where you are right now.
LIAM: Okay, okay.
MATT: You only see about 30 feet from you what looks to be about 10 armored soldiers wearing, some of them, what looks like Vanguard attire, but some that are definitively Reiloran. You also look past them and see climbing up over some of the piles and pushing through the rubble. Look to be two enlarged and armored Vidulches. Those large, weird, insectoid creature that some of you battled while you were up in Ruidus. A very "Starship Troopers" vibe as it skitters up and starts pulling back stone and you hear someone going, "No, no!" And it pierces them and lifts them up and throws them to the ground.
LAURA: This is where Keyleth was? I'm going to instantly send out a message to Keyleth. Cast Sending.
MATT: Okay. What are you saying?
LAURA: We're at the west side encampment. Are you safe?
MATT: That's all you say?
LAURA: Yeah.
MATT: "Ah, yes, many of us are. We managed to get-- We managed to get many out. We fell back to Vasselheim."
LAURA: They're in Vasselheim.
MARISHA: And Essek did not come with us, correct?
MATT: No. Essek? No, no, Essek did come with you. He teleported with you all.
LAURA: Oh, okay. I didn't roll for my staff. I didn't roll to recharge that.
MATT: You should do that.
LAURA: Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's been--
TALIESIN: This is bad. This is really, really bad.
MATT: "(shrieks)"
TALIESIN: Shit.
LAURA: We should get out of here.
MATT: You see this dragon-like fey being--
TRAVIS: No. Not Gloamglut.
MARISHA: Yeah, is it Gloamglut?
MATT: It's Gloamglut.
MARISHA: Oh!
TRAVIS: Shit!
TALIESIN: I really quick cast Merge with Stone. I'm giving us Pass Without a Trace right now.
MATT: Okay.
ASHLEY: Maybe we just ask him. Maybe we just ask Dad for help. That's crazy, right?
LAURA: Yeah.
ASHLEY: We're not going to do that.
TALIESIN: No, no, no.
SAM: That thing is your father?
ASHLEY: No, riding it. Riding.
SAM: I was confused.
ASHLEY: If there's something.
LAURA: We should leave. Are there survivors that we can see?
MATT: There are. As you glance around immediately, especially with your perception check. There are what you thought were just broken parts of rock. You can see now are bodies. There are soldiers who are present here who have fallen, and they're being gathered and pulled out of the rubble.
MARISHA: And you said there's a crater.
MATT: That's what you're all standing in right now.
MARISHA: And that wasn't previously there?
MATT: No.
TALIESIN: We need to take cover and we need to get the fuck out of here right now!
MATT: Some of the nearby stones off to the side begin to shift and move as you see the teeth of a Slither begin to emerge about three feet from where you're standing.
LIAM: Three feet?
LAURA: Well-- Get us out of here.
MATT: (groaning) I've got the staff. Unless.
MATT: (Essek) "What?"
LAURA: Vasselheim.
MATT: "Vasselheim." And he's going to cast Teleport once again.
LAURA: No?
MATT: An unseen force attempts to disrupt this spell, but fails to do so.
TALIESIN: Oh!
LAURA: Hey.
MATT: As someone goes, "Wait, over there. They're casting!" And a failed attempt at a--
MARISHA: A Counterspell?
MATT: -- a Counterspelling the Teleport. You all (whooshes) immediately arrive somewhere else, landing, the smell of ruin and blood and fiendish victory still kind of lingering through your nose as you all emerge, your feet sinking into some cold and somewhat damp earth. The temperature is immediately chiller.
TALIESIN: We were barely gone!
LAURA: Keyleth's alive.
LIAM: Here? She's here?
LAURA: She is. She said they retreated to Vasselheim. Is that where we are?
MARISHA: Yeah.
MATT: You take stock of where you're standing and here, in the night sky above you, you can see the stars. Not unlike the sky that you had just seen in the Hellcatch. You can see, however, the tangled web of glowing, multicolored leylines are extremely dense here. They are gathered in a knotted nexus above where you stand, and you can feel that buzzing pressure of wild, condensed, magical possibility that sits in this space. This space where you stand, you are surrounded by tall pine trees that all carry a dusted white of a recent snowfall. The ground itself is covered in snow and chunks of ice with exposed earth and mud, where it looks like casual footfalls, hunters or those who travel have walked through. Just beyond the tree line from where you stand, about maybe 20 or so feet, you can see the outside of a stone wall, a very, very tall stone wall.
TRAVIS: Just a stone wall perimeter? Or is there a gate anywhere to the left or the right?
MATT: From where you're standing, you can't see anything. It's mostly just just dense trees. But as you step towards the wall and break the tree line, you see that there is a large double gate, 45 foot tall, thin double gate, heavily reinforced, off to the left, about 50 or so feet. There are a few individuals that look like they're waiting in a very short line with a number of guardians, armored guardians that sit at the front gate.
TRAVIS: Let's head that way.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
LAURA: I always heard that Vasselheim was the city of the gods. This is... where we want to just commune, this would be the place, right?
LIAM: They're also going to be on high, high alert. Because when we were here, not here, but on this continent, they were pretty heavy forces from here.
TRAVIS: This is going to be difficult, I think.
SAM: I'm taking out some paint, and I'm just going to redo this symbol into a--
TRAVIS: (laughs) Lawbearer?
SAM: I'm going to go dawnfather with a big sun. Like a black sun.
MATT: (laughs)
TRAVIS: Cool.
SAM: Something.
ASHLEY: Okay.
LAURA: (laughs)
TRAVIS: Yeah.
ASHLEY: Looks convincing.
MATT: Make a-- (laughter)
SAM: (ridiculous exhales)
MATT: -- make performance check.
SAM: Okay.
MATT: (laughs)
SAM: Cocked?
MATT: Performance or deception, I'd say, for this one. Whichever you prefer.
SAM: Okay, well, I'll take the deception, then.
MATT: I was about to say-- In that instance, it's you trying to pass this off as a different symbol. I'll say I'll let this fall under deception, if you'd like to.
SAM: Okay.
TALIESIN: Technically speaking, you can--
ASHLEY: Can I Guidance?
SAM: 23.
ASHLEY: Okay.
TALIESIN: Well.
SAM: (laughs)
MATT: It actually like-- clean lines. It looks at a passing glance, an intentional bit of script and design on the armor. Not bad.
TALIESIN: I can never just draw a circle without a thing. That's really impressive.
SAM: You got to practice. Just do it in one fluid movement.
TALIESIN: Oh!
MATT: (laughs)
TALIESIN: Fuck!
SAM: I'll teach you later. Do you always go to four continents every day?
LAURA: Yup.
TALIESIN: Kind of.
LIAM: Not every day, but many days. Are we just going to approach the gate, or should we try to phone a friend again?
TALIESIN: We are currently also stealthed to all heck, so it's up to us.
MARISHA: Last time we were here, that was when we came upon the town who had been oppressed by a bunch of soldiers and acolytes from the Dawnfather.
ROBBIE: Keyleth's here? Is that what you said? Is that why we're here?
LAURA: Keyleth's here along with some of the survivors.
ROBBIE: Is there a way we can let her know so we could get in?
LAURA: I can, yeah, I can send her another. So I will cast Sending again to say: We've landed outside the city. Where can we find you?
MATT: "Can't talk much right now. In a council meeting. You should come within the Sanctuary. The Platinum Sanctuary." (laughter)
SAM: (spits) I redo it. (laughter)
LAURA: Platinum Sanctuary.
LIAM: Okay. So you relay--
LAURA: Yes.
LIAM: So the gates, then.
TALIESIN: The gates.
LAURA: They're in a council meeting. She said. I don't know.
ASHLEY: That's weird.
LAURA: I don't want to waste another spell.
TALIESIN: No, no, no.
ASHLEY: Let's go. Let's go.
MATT: You see Essek's like, "I've only been to the outskirts of this city. I've not actually been within. So I'm both terrified and extremely curious."
LAURA: Is it scary in there?
MATT: "I don't know, I've not been within. I just-- I've only delivered individuals to and from for The Voice and the rest of the gathering of powers. So..."
LIAM: Might be now or never.
MATT: "I suppose so."
SAM: If you're ever confused, just say "I'll pray on it," and then they'll usually leave you alone. Divine people. They're simple.
MATT: "Right. Understood."
ASHLEY: I'll pray on it.
LAURA: Aren't you divine?
SAM: Yeah, but we don't do that sort of thing. We have things.
MATT: Closer to the gates, and you can see the line of folk here they all look to be anxious refugees, people that are seeking entry. And you can see there are remnants, what looks to be a number of tents and ramshackle homesteads that likely were built and abandoned recently, as likely an influx of refugees in the face of the Apogee Solstice meant that they had to be careful who was let in and how quickly. And some of the people look like they're probably from outskirts of the region of Othanzia. Some of them wearing whatever scraps they could to fight off the cold weather with maybe not a lot of time to hit the road and come here. Undernourished, eager to enter. You see some of the bastions of Vasselheim. The patchwork put together hides and armored figures that have a-- some elements of uniform, but most of it is cobbled from what is useful and marks each member of that group for their own persona. Arriving and speaking to each of these refugees with empathy but diligence, asking them questions. You also notice that there is a strange burning smell that lingers through the air here, different from the recent smells of warfare that briefly greeted you when you arrived in the Hellcatch but a moment ago a different sort of burn. An older, weirder burn.
TRAVIS: Like a sulfuric burn?
MATT: No.
MARISHA: Like--
LIAM: Not bodies?
LAURA: Oh wait!
MATT: Maybe a little bit.
LAURA: I get unlimited Sendings!
ASHLEY: What do you mean-- A little bit?
LIAM: We're smelling bodies.
LAURA: Sorry.
MATT: It's the closest you can point to. But it doesn't smell like a--
LAURA: No, wait, that's a lie.
MATT: -- like a burning dead body, necessarily. Unfortunately, a smell you are familiar with.
MARISHA: Like funeral pyre.
MATT: It smells like something burning.
MARISHA: Well--
MATT: You can make a perception check if you'd like.
TRAVIS: Can I do a general-- I mean, we're at the front gate, so.
MATT: Yeah.
TALIESIN: We're going to know any minute now.
TRAVIS: Can I put out a 60 foot ping for fey, fiends, or undead?
MATT: Sure. Yeah! So go ahead and roll.
MARISHA: What did you say to roll for?
MATT and LIAM: Perception.
MARISHA: Why not?
TRAVIS: 19?
MATT: 19. You don't sense anything nearby beyond yourself. You smell strongly of fiend with your new armor. You're still getting used to it. It almost sets off where it takes you a moment to--
TRAVIS: (rippling ping) That kind of feedback?
MATT: -- to get used to that layer on top of what you're used to sensing. Which also means that you might show up as fiendish to others also seeking.
LAURA: Oh, especially here.
TRAVIS: Yeah, you got to explain it when you go through TSA. It's okay.
MARISHA: Yeah.
MATT: (laughs)
ASHLEY: Just armors, just armors.
MARISHA: Yeah. (laughs)
TRAVIS: I have a card.
MATT: What do you roll?
MARISHA: 17.
MATT: 17. This is a smell you know. It generally is the burning of something that was once living but long past its living era. This is the burning of fetid flesh, the burning of ancient flesh. This is the burning of risen and re-slain bodies.
MARISHA: So a little bit once again... Like Chetney smelling his own BO. Like, I recognize that undead smell. Hmmm, yes, I-- That is the smell of bodies, but like earth and bodies. Wondering if they had some an--
TRAVIS: Uprising?
MARISHA: -- undead uprising. Yeah.
TRAVIS: We need to catch up and fast.
MARISHA: All right.
LIAM: Let's rip the bandage off. Orym starts towards the gate.
LAURA: Yeah, hope we really won.
MARISHA: Who are good talkers? You look pretty.
SAM: Me? Thank you.
ROBBIE: Yes.
MATT: As you walk towards the guard, there are about five people or five groups of people waiting there. And as you push past, a couple of people go, "Hey, we've been here a minute."
LIAM: I don't want to push past you, buddy.
MATT: Okay. So you want to wait?
MARISHA: (laughs)
LIAM: I just got to close.
SAM: We have urgent business.
LAURA: We do have urgent business.
SAM: We push past. (laughter)
MATT: They get one look at you and do not argue. One of the bastion guards looks up, "Can I help you?"
LAURA: Yeah. We've been sent by the Voice of the Tempest. We're supposed to meet her at the Sanctuary.
LIAM: She's expecting us.
MATT: Roll a persuasion check.
MARISHA: Oh, so before we even approached, after getting that ping, I cover myself with scarves.
LAURA: Did you give me Guidance to talk to anybody?
SAM: No!
ASHLEY: Guidance?
LAURA: Did you?
SAM: No.
ASHLEY: I did just right now.
SAM: No!
MATT: I'm going to say no. (laughs)
LAURA: 16.
MATT: 16. That's not bad.
LAURA: Okay.
MATT: He goes, "Very well. It's a bit crowded. I do not know where the Tempest is, but I know that she arrived very recently. Many did. Her and others behest."
LIAM: Maybe just point us to the Sanctuary?
LAURA: Oh thats right! Sorry, it's 21. My bad. Thank you.
MATT: You did great. (laughter)
ASHLEY: You did great. (laughter)
TRAVIS: Very perfect.
LAURA: Also, give me some candy. I don't know. (laughter)
MATT: "Might I also say your hair looks gorgeous."
LAURA: Thank you. (laughter)
MATT: (laughs)
ROBBIE: Perfect.
MATT: Looks you over a bit. Scans through. Still kind of like--
SAM: I show my chest a little wider.
MATT: "Of course."
SAM: Just give him a nod. We obey the-- the law. (laughs) Shit. I'm flailing here. (laughter)
TRAVIS: Flailing!
LAURA: Shut up. In his head, he just hears: Shut up!
SAM: May justice be done.
LAURA: Shit. (laughter) I'm a little rusty with the--
ROBBIE: Yeah, you're really fucking this up right now.
SAM: The honor and the justice thing.
MATT: (laughs)
ROBBIE: Just let them handle it.
ASHLEY: May we go in?
TALIESIN: Ixnay on the usticejay.
MATT: "Yes. You are here on important business. My apologies, I'll be right with you." Gives a whistle up and the gates begin to open up slightly on one side. Points. "The Heaven's Stair Mountain, back that way. The center to the north side of the city. The Sanctuary, you can see is along the stair to its top. You can see the flames within the torches from here," and he points over and you can see as you glance in, this is a majestic sprawl of a city. It is awe-inspiring as this rolling expanse of buildings and structures, but they carry a deep, humble old world feel, woven in with layers of battlements and defensible walls that just ring inward. Incredible towering temples scattered throughout of unique shape and design here that the moonlight of Catha and the glow of the nexus beams and ominous of the leylines above shaping the outline of this ever-changing and shifting skyline from layer to layer as it pushes inward up to the rising mountain of the Heaven's Stair. You can see up each side of the mountain, there are plateaus that rise up with different sections of city, and atop one towards the center point of this mountain. As it rises up, you can see a temple where a bright interior warm glow that he points to as his, "That is the Sanctuary you seek. A bit of a walk, but good luck."
LIAM: City safe? I couldn't help but smell the fire on the air.
MATT: "Safe? Now, yes, we had an issue with the dark bloom, but it's been dealt with."
TRAVIS: We know what that is?
LAURA: Yeah, this is the Dark Bloom?
MATT: That's what he says. As he points back, and you see what he's pointing to at the mountain. And you realize the mountain you're looking at is actually two things. The mountain shape where it is exists, but you can see it through what looks like an archway, a massive stone archway. And then as you refocus yourself, it's a towering humanoid shape of rough stone. You realize this is standing hundreds and hundreds of feet tall. In the center of this city is an incredibly Gargantuan Humanoid elemental Titan, a stone Earth Titan, a great primordial entity from the ancient days of Exandria. Still looming, its four arms swung side to side and throughout many pockets or cavern like holes of its towering structure, you can see little glimmers of torch light, like it itself has become a smaller city within the city.
LAURA: Wow.
LIAM: They moved in.
TRAVIS: It's in Vasselheim?
MATT: It's in the walls of the city and above it. L
LIAM: They inhabited it!
SAM: Whoa!
LAURA: That's so cool!
MARISHA: Wait, did they move it?
SAM: How did they move it in?
MARISHA: They moved it?
TRAVIS: It stopped outside of the city, right?
TALIESIN: I assume they built around it.
LIAM: Yeah, they probably--
MARISHA: Expanded?
LIAM: -- expanded. And now there's torchlight and stuff coming out of different.
LAURA: That's sick.
MARISHA: I want to go to there.
ALL: Yeah!
ASHLEY: Let's go.
MARISHA: Here we go.
TRAVIS: Is it still frozen in the pose that it was--
MATT: Mid-stride.
TRAVIS: Yeah.
ASHLEY: Oh, come on, that's so cool.
TRAVIS: Rad.
MATT: You also notice on the closest battlements as you step in amongst the burning smell, some of the shapes of swinging in the wind, these small miniature towers or poles that hang from them these cages. What looks to be gibbets, these human sized metal cages that are occupied with--
LIAM: There are Vanguard in there?
MATT: With your high passive perception indeed, you do see people emblazoned in vanguard colors hanging within.
LAURA: Wow.
TALIESIN: Alive or dead?
MATT: Very dead.
LIAM: We're going to find out.
TALIESIN: Okay.
ASHLEY: Okay.
MATT: They are slumped in and dangling from within the cage.
MARISHA: And wait, what did you say? That the dark bloom? The wet bloom?
MATT: He mentioned the dark bloom.
LAURA: But we don't know what that is.
MATT: Indeed.
TRAVIS: And then, just from our previous time, do we see any of those face plated armored adjudicators wandering the streets or up on the walls, or in any sort of posts that we can--
MATT: From where you stand now, no. But also, you've just entered the city.
TRAVIS: Yeah. Okay. None at the gates, though? None like--
MATT: None at the gates that you can see.
TRAVIS: Okay. That's interesting.
MATT: So.
LAURA: Shall we head to the Sanctuary?
LIAM: Yeah, we can sate our curiosity about that thing later. Let's get to the Sanctuary.
LAURA: Yeah. As we're walking to the Sanctuary, can I just take Essek's hand as we're walking and say in his head: Thank you. I didn't get a chance to say it earlier, but what you've done for us is immeasurable.
MATT: He takes a minute and responds in kind. "I wish I could say it was purely altruistic, but I'm still working to burn the rest of the guilt off my soul. So thank you all for being, for being the bastions of goodness that you are."
LAURA: (laughs)
MATT: "In the face of acknowledging how complicated each one of us is."
LAURA: Well, I don't know what you did in your past, but I can't say I'm not grateful it brought you here.
MATT: "Whatever little bit can help." As you step through the winding streets, and you can see, this outer region that encompasses this towering titan element. A lot of it does feel a freshly built expansion to the city. That in recent years, as it's a slow influx of populace, it's had to make space for that. As you step beneath this towering entity, you can see the numerous chains and pulleys and resource elevators that pull materials and people up into it. You can hear, even in this evening hour, the hammering of metal and cracking and chiseling of stone. Whatever this is, it may be a massive sculpture. But some of you with some historical knowledge, especially you, who know very well what this is--
LIAM: I've listened to the stories.
MATT: Indeed, and can share that knowledge with the group as you pass by. The Whispered One's plot, but 30 years before, a newborn god from the stolen rites of the Matron of Ravens rose up to become the only god on this plane, and was foiled and sealed away by a heroic group of figures known as Vox Machina, of which the Voice of the Tempest once belonged. This towering entity, drawn from a long dead chasm beneath the ground, risen through necromantic power unimaginable to walk once more, and then left here once more, lifeless, as a reminder of dark times and the hope that lies even at the edge of darkness. As you walk beneath these arms and legs, you can see gardens planted along its many shelves where winter flowers bloom. A number of snowdrops seem to coil up alongside its legs. You can see miners carrying materials from within. It's become part of the landscape. Continuing inward, you can take note of the various bastions that are keeping a close watch. Try as you might, a few times you are clocked and followed. But most, upon seeing your definitive Ashari attire, tend to splinter off shortly thereafter. You begin to smell the haze of smoke getting stronger, and as you pass within a further interior region, you step into an area known as the Duskmeadow.
ASHLEY: Dust bowl?
LAURA: Duskmeadow?
SAM: Duskmeadow.
ASHLEY: Duskmeadow.
MATT: A sector of the city looms with less consistent light. The street side lanterns and torches and braziers that keep the evening an easy to live and see and experience space here falls more solemn and quiet. There is a perpetual stillness to this space. Those that walk through here seem to walk with a quickness. You're hard pressed to not have your eyes catch an incredible structure along your path, a massive Gothic cathedral that looms over the rest of this region. Its tall, pointed spires, its architecture reminiscent of one such temple of much more modest means, where some of you had had a brief vision with the Matron of Ravens.
LAURA: Oh!
MATT: The air of this space definitely carries her scent, her energy. As you all walk past, up towards its peaks, (fluttering wings) dozens of ravens scatter and call out to the night.
LIAM: Orym lags for a few feet and just stares, ogling the place, smelling the bodies on the air. Shakes his head and catches up with the group.
MATT: The smell is getting stronger. It's as you're about to leave this district to the next, you see these pits where you can see the charred remains of numerous undead have been burned and left to rest. You can see there are a few bastions that just keep watch at the exterior. One of them nods as you pass by.
TRAVIS: I'll actually go over--
MATT: Okay.
TRAVIS: -- to one of the bastions, the guards. Sorry, we've just arrived. What happened?
MATT: "This is a recent thing called the Dark Bloom that occurred when the solstice came and all of this--" He points up towards the tangled leylines that are all gathered here. "We keep many of the dead of the city throughout history through the endless catacombs beneath Vasselheim. And many of them awakened all at once."
MARISHA: Oh my god!
LAURA: The Matron must have been pissed.
MATT: "Raven's Crest has been busy with their funeral rites a second time."
LIAM: They all came from below? I know a little bit of the history. Was there any activity up there? I point towards the titan's form.
MATT: "Oh, gods preserve us, no. Thank goodness. That would be a nightmare." You see in his eyes there's a little bit of recollection as this older soldier, this bastion of the city, seems to recall a time where perhaps he may have seen it walk. "Anyway, it seems the tides have come to a close in recent weeks, and for now many of us rest. But we still keep vigilant watch, just in case. Should anything that shouldn't be walking walk, please come tell someone immediately."
LIAM: Of course.
MARISHA: So this didn't happen all at once. This was a wave, it just kept happening?
MATT: "Well, it takes a little bit of time for thousands of our ancestral dead to climb through the caverns."
MARISHA: Get out of the catacombs.
TRAVIS: Walk.
MATT: "We have them sealed for now, so perhaps in time we can deal with the rest. But there's no confirmation of how many have risen."
LAURA: That's a whole other video game level.
TALIESIN: Sealed?
ASHLEY: That is.
MARISHA: Yeah, yeah.
TALIESIN: Sealed?
ASHLEY: Who is down there?
MARISHA: Save your game before proceeding.
TALIESIN: They haven't been stopped?
LIAM: How many passed through this archway?
TALIESIN: They're just down there?
MATT: "For now."
LIAM: Several storylines will close.
LAURA: (laughs)
TALIESIN: Okay.
ROBBIE: Has anyone spoken of the cause, or--?
MATT: "Best that we know is numerous strange magics have come unraveled in the face of the solstice, while others with less than altruistic plans have used it to their dark ends. I myself am not really of a--" He gestures to his armor. "-- of a high enough station to know the true ends and means of such mysteries. But what I know is the city is shaken."
LAURA: Thank you.
MATT: "Of course." You continue past the Duskmeadow into the outer region of the Silver Talon's Reach, briefly passing through the Quadroads. You pick up amongst the populace of the city, very much huddled en masse in spaces where food is being passed out by bastions and other volunteers. There are hurt soldiers from the city and beyond. You have visions of wounded individuals wearing the armor of Marquet, of Ank'harel. You see figures wearing the symbols of what looks even like the Dwendalian Empire. You see figures that definitively bear the look of a less grayed snow dappled region. Here, the people of Vasselheim becomes more worldly, and what you gather to mean a number of people who fled from your previous encampment and possibly others. Here you see the sight of recovering wounded.
LIAM: Have we left the gibbets behind this far in, or is it still a presence?
MATT: Every now and then, it's still a presence. Passing through these crowds, you head into the Silver Talon's Reach. In this district, you see all manner of humble huts and tents and abodes that all carry symbols of the Platinum Dragon. You see the altars left to the street, as well as the majestic temples that are very open and wide, where folks are gathered to pray. You sense the fear of the populace. These times are tenuous for everyone in Exandria. But this is a city where those who question tomorrow put their hands in the faith that's guided them so far. So where some of the streets may be less busy, places of worship are deeply crowded. You can hear the echoes of psalms and group prayers drifting from street corner to street corner. Eventually, you come to the base of a massive silver gate to where beyond that, an endless stair of hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of steps that climb up along the now rising base of the Heaven's Stair Mountain.
LAURA: In case you weren't exhausted before Ashton.
LIAM: Yeah. Everybody ready for leg day?
MARISHA: Is there an elevator or something?
LAURA: I'm going to use a sorcery point, and I'm just going to (laughs)--
LIAM: It's always a leg day.
LAURA: Raise up just like Essek does.
MARISHA: and LIAM: Raise rise up.
ASHLEY: Rise up.
LAURA: Feel the embrace of Havoc.
MATT: Okay.
LAURA: I'm going to just transform my body a little bit.
MATT: You watch as a--
LIAM: You do a chinstrap beard?
LAURA: Yeah, just a chinstrap beard. I'm going to just look like another Seth.
MATT: Describe to me how your form, if at all, visually shifts as you take this step into your form of Havoc.
LAURA: Just a subtle. It's almost like static electricity. So my hair and my dress kind of flare out a little bit more, and my eyes again glow white. And my whole body, the lightning marks up my body, instead of just glowing, they flicker, almost like (whooshes) as it's surging up.
MATT: Very cool.
LAURA: Yeah.
MATT: As you approach the gates from the exterior, you can-- I mean, it is heavily guarded and there are soldiers and warriors from all across Exandria here. You can see them stoically keeping watch over the perimeter. At the gates, at this point, about seven or eight Bastions take note of your approach with purpose as you step up. Two of them to the spear front approach. "You're not allowed near the Sanctuary at this time. There is council still in order."
LAURA: We've been called.
LIAM: Understood.
LAURA: Sorry.
LIAM: No. We're expected.
MARISHA: (tired) We're here.
LIAM: One within expects us. If you could get word to the Voice of the Tempest who's here from Tal'Dorei.
MATT: One of the soldiers that rushes over, you can see is wearing a Marquesian armor. Specifically from the the Wilders that guard Jrusar. And you can see this figure steps forward and gives a nod, "It's this one." "Ah, you may enter." They open the gates slightly to permit you all through. Though you haven't spent a lot of time with the various soldiers that had been part of the encampment that was attacked, some of you have very-- You, especially, have good memories for faces. You recognize a few; some bandaged, some just a little worse for wear, some just looking tired, make eye contact with you as you all pass and give a nod of acknowledgement.
LIAM: We are very memorable.
MATT: You are very memorable, but you are all also being walked and accompanied by very high up members of multiple different political councils there at that encampment. So there was a respect scattered for those of where there is recognition, though others still seem to eye you all with-- from curiosity to a careful eye placed upon you as you walk. As you walk through the gates, indeed, about 20 or so soldiers begin to ascend the steps behind you. You're uncertain if it's an escort or a precaution, but you begin to ascend the stair here in the chilled night air. The temperature is quite cold at this point, and thankfully you still have your Eiselcross attire with you. So you probably bundled up with your cloaks and furs. As you step up through the stair, you can't help but be taken by the incredible view that begins to spread out below you. You can see the incredible expansiveness of the Dawn Cradle, the city, the beginning of mortal civilization here on Exandria, the first city built under the guidance of the gods. Here, beyond the multitudes of walls and expansive civilization. Beyond that, you can see the timberland that fills the valley that surrounds before the mountainous regions climb up and surround it like a curtain swallowing the horizon. You can see the shapes of the evening birds occasionally coasting through the darkened sky, the faintest shift of the leyline threads. You swear you can feel them thrum and rotate if you just watch close enough for long enough. Beautiful as it is ominous.
LIAM: What's our height level in relation to the Titan's eye level?
MATT: The first 100 or so steps. You've also been-- This part of the city comes at an incline because it begins to become the mountainous region. You're still about waist high.
LIAM: Waist high.
MATT: It is a very big entity. You can see all the hundreds and thousands of little flickers of life and light throughout the city beneath you. From this height, before the mountain breaks off your view of of part of the districts, you can see one region of the city that is just overgrown with lush forest and trees that rise above the walls. You can see one massive tree that rises above the rest. You have heard tale of this location known as the Abundant Terrace, a locale that Keyleth has made pilgrimages to over the years. While you've not been one to escort her there, you've heard the name before. This is the region where the Wildmother, the main temple of the Wildmother holds influence.
LIAM: Are we passing it or moving through it?
MATT: You see it down below as you're heading up the stair, and you have a view of the city before the mountain fully cuts off your perspective of the other side of the city. You see it there.
TRAVIS: As there's still a massive tree there?
MATT: Yeah.
LIAM: I throw out a silent prayer to the Wildmother and thank her for being with us to help our friend, and turn to rise.
TALIESIN: I wish I had an apple.
MARISHA: Is he hoping something will manifest?
TALIESIN: I was just, I'm just-- I can't help but look at one of those temples and not think about exactly what I just saw.
MARISHA: Oh, yeah.
TALIESIN: And it's hard to not just see this whole city as a city, This is a temple to hubris. They're building this thing that if it woke up-- They're living in it. This is madness.
MARISHA: I want to go in there.
TALIESIN: Oh, I want to, too.
MATT: As you continue up the stair, it begins to wind at a slight curve as other soldiers walk past and give a nod, looking past you to the soldier escort behind for acknowledgement before continuing downward. As it curves upward, you come to the base of this incredible structure. You can see it has rising points of beautifully smooth stone, like cerulean gem or polished marble sections of it that push out like sails to the front that come to extended points. You can see heavy, tall pillars that mark archways that enter within it. Both looks like a Sydney Opera House-like rising rooftop art piece that is expansive and mighty, built upon almost a Grecian forum of tall pillars that arch over and an endless series of smoothed reflective marble tiles that denote the interior of it. There are even more soldiers gathered around, and what you can see are banners risen up and gathered in the outside. There are small tents built in the exterior, a garden or a terrace that sprawls around it with all manner of small trees and bushes. You can see on these banners, there's the crown and owl of the Dwendalian Empire. You can see the crest of the Tal'Dorei Council. You can see the symbol of Ank'harel. You can see the symbol of the Clovis Concord of the Menagerie Coast. Essek freezes up and falls back a bit. "Friends, I think this is where our journey ends." You catch his eyeline to a banner in which you see on the banner, this grayish tint to it, and what looks to be a dodecahedron symbol with a a figure eight drawn through it.
LIAM: Oh wow.
TRAVIS: Dynasty's in the house.
LIAM: Yeah. He can't ever go back.
LAURA: Past caught up with you?
MATT: "On occasion, it does. Well. I do not think this would be the last time we meet. But for now, it has been an honor and a pleasure."
LAURA: We'll see you again.
TALIESIN: Look forward to it.
TRAVIS: If we wanted to reach out, how would we do that?
MATT: "You're clever. I think you'll find a way. Besides, this one can talk to my boyfriend, so." (laughter)
LIAM: Got him on speed dial.
TRAVIS: Thank you.
ASHLEY: Thank you, Essek.
TALIESIN: Thank you.
MARISHA: Thank you.
ASHLEY: It's been a fun day.
MATT: "Oh, what a day!"
LIAM: Longest day ever.
LAURA: Wow! Just a day with Essek?
ASHLEY: Yeah. It's just been.
TALIESIN: A most interesting day of my life.
LAURA: Two days with Essek.
MARISHA: Couple days.
ASHLEY: Couple days. Couple days.
MATT: Three days tops.
MATT: Essek looks to you and says, "Be careful, you're a heartbreaker. And turns around.
LAURA: Woo!
MATT: And begins to glide down the stairs. Other soldiers crowd up a bit, and he gives a hand motion and they all separate and let him pass as he descends back down the stairs.
LAURA: I'm telling his boyfriend.
ASHLEY: Heartbreaker over here.
ROBBIE: You can look at the menu as long as you order from home. (laughter)
LIAM: You also know Caleb's predilections, so. (laughter)
TALIESIN: Whoa!
TRAVIS: Wow.
LAURA: Oh, right, right.
LIAM: Yeah.
TRAVIS: Outstanding. (laughter)
LIAM: I wrote it that way, come on.
MATT: As you begin to step within the Sanctuary, you can already hear the echoing sound of raised voices not shouting, but definitive, strong arguments. The echoing at this distance is so scattered that you can't quite make out the words, but many faces turn as you enter. The crowd is dense. At a certain point, you have to begin pushing through the crowd. Some figures move past, holding their nose up to you. Others, "Hey!" but you know there is an important intent in arriving at this place, to the Tempest's Voice.
MARISHA: Roughly how many people are here? Is it like a Senate meeting in Britain where there's--
MATT: You don't have enough perspective from where you're standing, the crowd is high. It's like stepping into the outside of a concert. You can see heads, and you know there's something happening beyond and you can hear it, but you're not quite able to push yet. So you're pushing through the crowd. A heavy hand, I'd say-- Who's guiding this, by the way? Who's pushing through first?
LIAM: I'm pretty short.
LAURA: It should be you. You're the one that knows. I'm flying or hovering, at least, and glowing.
LIAM: I'll tell you what.
SAM: I'm fine.
LIAM: I lead the way from Fearne's shoulder.
ASHLEY: Got it.
LIAM: So that I can be spotted.
LAURA: I'll be behind them.
MATT: Okay, great. You're pushing through the crowd, and some soldiers are looking at each other. People are starting to have that concerned look of like, who are these people pushing through for? Fearne, a heavy hand grabs your shoulder.
ASHLEY: Whoa!
MATT: Heavy like stone fingers.
SAM: I put my hand on the weapon, just in case.
MATT: Okay, heavy stone fingers grab and is like, "Excuse me, just who do you think you are?" And you glance around and see this tall, like an incredibly muscular, older looking half-giant, tattoos on his body. Massive black, gray streaked beard.
MARISHA: Oh my god.
MATT: Just holding you there and says, "Were you invited?"
LIAM: We work directly for the Voice of the Tempest out of Zephrah.
ASHLEY: What happened?
MATT: "Um. Hold on. You say you know the Voice?"
ASHLEY: (gasps) No!
SAM: Do we have a problem here, friend?
MATT: "Do we?"
SAM: I don't know, do we?
MATT: "I've been looking for a fight."
SAM: Me too.
ASHLEY: Wait, wait!
SAM: Let's go.
ASHLEY: Hi. Hi. We're supposed to be here. How are you?
MATT: "I'm okay."
ASHLEY: My name is Professor Emperor.
TALIESIN: Professor Emperor?
MARISHA: (laughs)
ASHLEY: Fearne Calloway.
MARISHA: You're adding things?
LIAM: It's like a Venture Bros. villain.
ASHLEY: And. Yeah.
LAURA: Professor Emperor.
ASHLEY: We're here to see the Voice of the Tempest.
MATT: "See, the problem is, I happen to be very close friends with the Voice of Tempest, and I don't know who you are. And I was told to throw out anybody who we don't know."
TALIESIN: We have an appointment.
LAURA: Well, we met her at west side.
MATT: He's pushing Fearne out of the crowd.
ASHLEY: Wait, wait.
LAURA: This was a personal bodyguard of hers.
MATT: A voice goes, (smaller) "Wait!" And he says, "What? Do you know them, Pikey?" (gasping)
MATT: For those of you that were in the brief visit in Whitestone, you see Pike Trickfoot in full Everlight.
ASHLEY: Oh, there's someone, we know her. We know her.
MATT: "Grog, I know them. It's okay." He's like, "Well, I didn't know that! Just tell me if we're having guests next time." (laughter)
MATT: "Bidet."
ASHLEY: Bidet. Bidet.
MATT: He's got a little gut. (awwing) (laughter)
TRAVIS: Bidet.
LIAM: A muscled gut, a muscled gut.
TRAVIS: He wears it well.
MARISHA: Are you like fat Thor?
LAURA: No.
MATT: No, he's just got--
MARISHA: Just a little beer belly?
MATT: Like to the point where the Belt of Dwarven Fortitude around his belt, there's a little overlap. (laughter)
ROBBIE: It stays solid under there.
MATT: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It looks like a weight belt that was bought 30 years ago. (laughter)
ASHLEY: It still fits, he can still get it on.
MATT: Oh yeah!
ASHLEY: Just a little bit peeking out the top and bottom.
TRAVIS: (like Grog) It's just power. (laughter)
ASHLEY: That's where the power is. In the tum-tum.
MATT: "Well, if you're friends of Pikey, you're friends of mine. And Pike goes, "Keyleth said that she was expecting you. They're in a bit of a discussion right now. Grog, could you--?" He goes, "Right away. Move it!" Pushes people aside, the voice kinda looms out a little bit. The chatter in the room as it echoes through stops for a second. You see through the crowd there is a, lowered in the middle of this massive forum chamber, there are a number of chairs and places, and you can see there are what was a forum room meant to maybe facilitate a few dozen people conversing is deeply overcrowded now. There are multiple soldiers and associates and representatives, and people from all over. You see there is an elven figure in long silver and blue robes that seems to be sitting on the highest of the thrones here, probably a representative of the Sanctuary itself. You see in a long, red, sleeveless robe that dangles past their chair, the incredibly intimidating, Earthbreaker Groon that you had met previously, sitting arms on the side of his particular chair.
LIAM: Bet he looks just the same.
MATT: You see this incredibly dressed half-elven woman with a massive cluster of white and golden hair that falls past her shoulders below in abundant, leaf-covered robes who looks to be sitting upon a particular throne that, iconography wise, resembles the Wildmother. You can see there are numerous seats here that are placed to represent various pantheon temple heads, and they are all filled currently, and then throughout them are numerous other seats. You see for the Matron's representation here not a single seat, but three. You see three women in dark black veils that cover their faces and robes that all sit as a trio. You see, sitting at a number of the other chairs, a very tall, genderfluid looking figure, with darker skin, long black hair, and simple attire with eyes that burn like coals.
MARISHA: Oh shit!
MATT: You see a figure dressed in white and silver intricate robes with shoulder armor that curl upward at the edge. You see her with a crown that has three curved, ibex-like horns that curve back behind.
ASHLEY: Oh shit!
LAURA: No wonder he had to jet!
MATT: And a darker lavender skin of a dark elf figure and a number of guards at her sides that wear a chitinous like, insectoid dark metal armor that looks terrifying as it does unique. You see Allura and Kima, who you had met previously, sitting amongst the crowd that make eye contact with you, and you can see an elation come over their face, and a number of other figures that you don't recognize. You do recognize those two. You see a dwarven woman in royal attire. Or at least you recognize them. Those of you who are in the Wildemount split crew recognize Queen Fruunast and King Talviel of Uthodurn are also present at this council. This is a gathering of Exandria--
MARISHA: Wow!
MATT: -- present.
MARISHA: Everyone is here.
MATT: As Grog has pushed past the crowd and gave an opening in that one moment, all of Exandria looks to you. And that's what we're going to end tonight-- (yelling)
TALIESIN: No.
LAURA: Oh shit shit shit.
MARISHA: What?!
TRAVIS: My boy! My boy! (laughter) It made my eyes water. I love him! I love him so much! He hasn't learned shit!
MATT: Nope.
LAURA: Oh, he's so dumb.
MARISHA: He's so dumb!
MATT: He could write a little now.
ASHLEY: Yeah. He can.
MATT: Pike's been teaching him.
ASHLEY: He distinguished.
LAURA: (like Grog) He's just a big dumb--
LIAM: The Grand Poobah himself.
ASHLEY: He's head security.
MATT: Yeah.
ASHLEY: Grand Poobah.
LAURA: I really thought he was going to respond to Professor Emperor.
ASHLEY: I did too. I was like, well, let me give him a long title.
LAURA: Yeah.
MATT: He was a little confused by it at the moment. (laughs)
ASHLEY: Fair.
TRAVIS: Good boy.
ASHLEY: What a good boy.
MARISHA: Wowzer.
ASHLEY: He was doing his job.
MATT: He was given a task. Yeah.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
LAURA: So much happened in this game.
MARISHA: So much happened.
LIAM: Yeah.
SAM: This has been a big first day for me.
MATT: Yeah, dude. You got thrown into the deep end. (laughs)
LIAM: In this game, in this 24 hours.
LAURA: Wow.
LIAM: And we don't know what happened here.
LAURA: No.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
TALIESIN: And boy, do we know some stuff they're not going to like.
LAURA: Yeah.
TALIESIN: Boy. Anyway, yeah.
MARISHA: Boy.
MATT: Well, we'll see where this gathering continues next time. But until then, thank you so much for joining us. We love you very much, and is it Thursday yet?
TRAVIS: Oh, man. What a--
MATT: Good night.
Cooldown[]
LAURA: Holy shmoley.
LIAM: We are surrounded by level 20s. Braius, if you say the wrong thing, we’re going to get smoked.
SAM: I am really good at lying. It’s like my only thing that I’m good at.
LIAM: Sam, I’m talking about Braius.
TRAVIS: The Dynasty is here.
LAURA: Maybe you should just keep it.
TRAVIS: The Bright Queen is here.
MARISHA: Oh my god.
TRAVIS: Uthodurn is here. The Dawn Marshalls are here.
LIAM: A Level 20 cleric that runs every temple is here around us.
LAURA: We didn’t see Vex.
MATT: You’re still kind of looking through the crowd. Like, you’re just eyeing everybody and picking up people you recognize at a certain point.
MARISHA: I’m sure they’re here.
LAURA: She’s gotta be.
TALIESIN: At the very least, you would be here. Percy’s a maybe because Percy would also maybe be like, “I’m going to be at the house.”
ASHLEY: Beau and Yasha are making out.
LAURA: Yeah, they’re off on their important mission with the rest of the Nein.
MARISHA: (as Beau) Bureaucracy turns me on.
MATT: Yeah. We’ve all been there.
TALIESIN: Call a quorum. Just call a quorum right here.
LIAM: Am I right in remembering that Lieve’tel was one of the three that ran the Duskmeadow? Is that right?
MATT: Lieve’tel was one of them, yeah.
LIAM: She’s one of the veiled ladies.
TRAVIS: What’ll be interesting is if the Dynasty is here is the Empire representative.
ALL: Yeah.
LIAM: Cause that’s global.
TRAVIS: Is it Dwendal, or– yeah.
SAM: Is Dwendal still in power?
TRAVIS: I don’t know.
MATT: Dwendal is, though Dwendal is very old.
TRAVIS: He’s human, right?
MATT: You don’t know anything about that. Yeah, he’s human, and he’s holding on.
TALIESIN: I’m so curious when inevitably we have the talk about how many of them don’t blink when we mention Aeor. Or if we decide we’re not going to. That is going to be a conversation. I really want to tell them that we know what happened at Aeor.
TRAVIS: Yeah.
LAURA: Well, yeah, we have to.
MARISHA: My first thought was also if Ludinus knew about this council. This is the quickest way to go from 0 to 100 in wiping out everybody.
TALIESIN: This whole city will erupt into pandemonium.
TRAVIS: Most of them know about Aeor. But none of them know what we know.
TALIESIN: No, not even...
LIAM: No.
LAURA: The scholars at Vasselheim don’t have the knowledge we have.
LIAM: And even if we tell the story, it’s such a...
LAURA: A nuanced story?
LIAM: But also, so unbelievable, too, that like, “Oh, you goons traveled deep into some ruins and you saw a magic movie from a thousand years ago?"
TRAVIS: Is Highbearer Vord an elf?
MATT: Yes.
TRAVIS: So they could also be maybe as old as Ludinus?
LIAM: No, because Ludinus is stretched.
TRAVIS: Oh, that’s right, that’s right.
LAURA: Isn’t an elf like 700 years or thereabouts?
SAM: About 3 or 400 years, I’d say.
LIAM: 700. 750.
SAM: For elves? For full elves.
LAURA: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
TRAVIS: And even then, the Dawnfathers are given like– it’s like the Vatican. They’re given the books handed down. Nobody is there from...
LIAM: So the most any adult elves here were born 3 or 400 years after the scorched earth of Calamity time. When things were growing again.
TALIESIN: And even then, I’m assuming this story is very padded in a very different direction.
LAURA: Sure.
TALIESIN: It would have to be.
TRAVIS: This meeting has to be arcanely warded. There’s no Scrying allowed. It’s got to be padded to the gills. Right?
LAURA: Yeah.
LIAM: Here’s another question. Since it’s all myth until we saw this magic movie, but what do average Exandrians know again about the Calamity kicking off, what caused the Calamity? What do people think via the myths?
MATT: The common knowledge about the Calamity was that it sparked off through the gods going to war with each other. That’s the quick and dirty. Everyone’s like, “Oh yeah, the gods started really warring, and fought for hundreds of years, and ruined Exandria."
LIAM: But we don’t know what their beef with each other was about. We just know that they started going at it with each other.
MATT: Yeah. Some people are like, “Well, of course they fought each other. There’s good gods and bad gods. And maybe this god did something bad.” As with all bits of history and story, maybe some person makes something up and it catches fire and that become folklore in this culture or this village. But the historic texts do know of the fall of Avalir, know loosely of a war triggering at that moment though the specific points are not known far and wide, except for by the Cobalt Soul that has a little more information than the others.
LIAM: But as far as we know, the only people with the kind of view of these gods that is more human than the myths, where we see motivations and personality and drive and guilt and stuff– Ludinus and us, at least for this moment in time, are the only people who’ve gotten that kind of a personal look at motives, right?
MATT: Yeah.
LIAM: And the reason that scorched earth war kicked off– that’s anyone’s guess, really.
MATT: Yeah. And the war waged for a long time for different reasons, too. Like an initial conflict then spiraled into other conflicts, which then triggered this Betrayer to use that opportunity to push their initiative, which then and in the middle of all of this, the Chained Oblivion just kind of– which is its own entity that technically is considered part of the Pantheon from like a, “We have to categorize these together,” but is not part of whatever the gods are. It is just more of a cosmic horror entity that barreled in in the middle of all this, and everyone went like, “AHHH! Who are you!? No! No! No! No!”
TRAVIS: “You’re bad for everything!”
MATT: The specifics are written from different perspectives based on where you read the books and who’s teaching history.
ROBBIE: That’s the scary part of it, if we info dump on them right out of the gate, right? Because we’re almost at odds in our little group. What are they talking about at that high level?
LIAM: And you’ve got people from all around the world with very different opinions about everything.
ROBBIE: Is there any value to maybe before going, “This is everything that we know!” to maybe find out what they’re talking about?
SAM: For sure!
ALL: (general agreement)
ROBBIE: I just feel like the instinct is to go, “Guys! We know what’s going on!” And tell them right out of the gate, but I don’t know.
MATT: You don’t have the floor in this moment. Everyone’s just acknowledged you’ve arrived, and so unless you say something, everyone’s likely to go, “... Anyway.” And go right back to...
SAM: What is our goal here? Are we the “We’re here to help” people? Or are we “We have information” people? Or–
LAURA: We don’t know. We just walked in.
LIAM: It’s hard to know what dropping that information means or will do. We definitely need to get a lay of the land for what they’re talking about, first.
SAM: Or “We’ve been to the moon–" Well, I haven’t been to the moon. But y’all have been to the moon, which I assume none of the people in this room have.
TALIESIN: I don’t think any of them have been to Aeor, even.
SAM: Which is an asset.
TRAVIS: It would also be nice to understand if– I mean, if Empire and Dynasty are working together and everyone is collected in Vasselheim, are they also already working hand in hand with representatives from the Betrayer Gods? Are they—
LAURA: Or are they left out of it?
TRAVIS: Yeah.
LIAM: We’ve got to find that out. We do know, though, that some people who are in this council came from the encampment which was attacked by Reilorans and other creatures and beings from the moon. So there are people from the encampment who came here with some sense of–
TRAVIS: What happened there.
LIAM: New visitors.
TRAVIS: Yeah. Yeah.
ROBBIE: They’re for all intents and purposes the good guys.
TRAVIS: My head immediately goes to the Lone Survivor aspect of like– everybody is in this temple. If they did have a nuke–
MARISHA: For sure.
ROBBIE: We’re sitting on one, though. In the catacombs.
TALIESIN: There’s also a giant elemental in the middle of– Oh my god, it’s so dumb!
LIAM: All I know is I, Liam, want to open up an inner tavern in the plumber’s crack of that titan. I would call it The Titan’s Crevasse, Titan’s Crack, or– just the view of the city.
TALIESIN: The Shattered Stone.
TRAVIS: The condo opportunities are endless.
LIAM: The Hidey Hole.
LAURA: The Hidey Hole, that’s so good.
ALL: (general agreement)
TRAVIS: I’ve got a 500 square feet Hidey Hole.
LAURA: The Dark Star.
TRAVIS: Yes! There it is!
LIAM: With this sort of magical arcane light that shines at night around it.
TALIESIN: Can we commune with the primordial?
LAURA: No, it’s dead. Long dead, long dead.
LIAM: Long dead. Let sleeping titans lie.
TALIESIN: I don’t know.
SAM: You’re a primordial.
TALIESIN: I know. We’re both–
LAURA: Yeah, maybe we should wake it up, Ashton.
LIAM: Speak with Dead: (guttural moan)
MARISHA: Let Speak with Dead ring, right?
TRAVIS: It could go a lot of different ways.
LAURA: I have unlimited Speak with Dead– No I don’t, that’s the Matron.
MARISHA: Damn. Maybe we should fire up our thread.
MATT: Yeah, fire up your thread. You got a little bit of time before the next one.
SAM: But also, they’ve gathered for a reason. Are they trying to reach out to the gods already, or...?
MARISHA: Well, from the glimpse we got at Hellcatch, there’s an invasion from the Reilorans that is in process.
LIAM: Yeah, they hit the biggest power group that was close to them.
TRAVIS: Because we have an invitation back to the moon. It doesn’t mean that any of these people have an invitation back to the moon. Right?
MARISHA: Totally.
TALIESIN: This is going to be very– real interesting.
ROBBIE: We’re definitely the most qualified to be here. Yeah.
LAURA: Fully fully fully fully.
SAM: I just want to fight Grog.
LAURA: Grog would destroy you.
ASHLEY: Grog would destroy us.
LAURA: Grog would destroy you.
SAM: He’s Old Grog, though.
LAURA: No, he’s level 20 Grog.
SAM: He was level 20 Grog. I don’t know. He hasn’t–
TRAVIS: He got old man strength now.
SAM: Maybe he hasn’t worked out in 10 years.
TRAVIS: Could be. Could be.
MATT: No, Grog would work out.
ASHLEY: He’s so tough.
MATT: Try it, man. Try it.
SAM: Sure.
TRAVIS: The [jenga] may have slid down a little bit, but he’s still wearing those–
LIAM: The strength training is all there.
SAM: I’ve got my friends at my side. (laughter)
MATT: Yeah, he’s like Expendables Sylvester Stallone sort of Grog, now.
MARISHA: I got a little choked up when you were recounting the titan stuff, and... it caught me off guard.
TRAVIS: Vasselheim is so cool. So fucking cool.
MATT: It’s a cool city.
MARISHA: It’s complicated.
MATT: It’s a complicated city.
MARISHA: All right, we should chat.
MATT: You guys chat. We’ll see you next time.