C1 - Ep 26: The Protectors of the Portal

The party finally reaches the portal to Dire’s Rest, but will the guardian let them through?

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Transcript

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SPEAKER_04 0:48

On the last episode of Twenty Signs, upon entering Belshire's Tower, an ethereal form welcomed the party and a single door appeared. Once through the door, the party ventured through a series of rooms. Leah's sticky fingers got the party into trouble in the second room. And after a tussle with two annoying animated armors, the group moved to the third room and all caught a glimpse of their greatest fears. The fourth room contained ingredients for potion making and components for spells. An abomination made up of different humanoids attacked as they entered the fifth room. And in the sixth room, constructs, all very similar to seven, laid about on tables. And that's where we begin.

SPEAKER_03 1:37

Welcome to 20 Sides, a fast-paced, story-driven, actual play Dungeons and Dragons podcast. I'm your DM, Matt.

SPEAKER_00 1:45

I'm Bobby, playing Yaros, the Dwarven Barbarian.

SPEAKER_04 1:48

Hey, I'm Jess, and I play Leona, the Moon Elf wizard.

SPEAKER_02 1:51

Hi, I'm Philip, and I play Seven, the Warforge Cleric.

SPEAKER_05 1:54

Hi, I'm Tyler, and I play the Half Elven rogue Ordella.

SPEAKER_03 1:58

Join our campaign as we unravel the mysteries of an ancient necrotic evil right now on 20 Sides. Each table has one Warforge strapped to it. One, two, three, a table four is empty. And then there's one on five, there's one on six, a table seven is also empty. And then there's a warforged on eight, nine, and ten. There's an ornate desk that sits in the middle of the room with several parchments and manuscripts cluttering its surface.

SPEAKER_02 2:45

I'd like to do a history check.

SPEAKER_03 2:46

Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_02 2:47

At advantage? Well, I mean I mean like No, not at advantage. No. No. Okay. Well, what's my history? No, no. Okay. Um, uh uh hey, uh hey, hey guy. Are you there? Yes. Right? Um, am I from here? I am unsure.

SPEAKER_03 3:06

I do not know you. Oh.

SPEAKER_02 3:07

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 3:08

Kinda looks like he's from here.

SPEAKER_03 3:09

I think I might be from here. Guy? Are you sure?

SPEAKER_04 3:12

Yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna roll an investigation check.

SPEAKER_03 3:15

Okay. What are you investigating?

SPEAKER_04 3:17

Um, the desk.

unknown 3:19

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 3:20

Where the papers are, see if I see anything that mentions like number seven or yeah, I'm I would like to investigate as well.

SPEAKER_02 3:27

And just looking at the other people.

SPEAKER_04 3:29

So I got 16 for 20.

unknown 3:32

No.

SPEAKER_02 3:33

I see right.

SPEAKER_03 3:34

You're a little I'm a little shaken. You're a little thrown off. Uh seven as you go around, you're just kind of in awe because they all look almost identical to you. Uh the wood fibers may be a little bit different. The colors may be a little bit different based on the type of metal they use for each one, but just the overall look of all of them. It's like looking into a mirror.

SPEAKER_05 3:54

I was just gonna say I'm curious, so I'm trying to go up to them too. Okay. Um, just to see if I see anything. 20.

SPEAKER_03 4:01

Ooh.

SPEAKER_05 4:02

22.

SPEAKER_03 4:03

So, Leo, first, with your role, you go up to the desk and you start looking at the parchments and manuscripts. How well let me ask you this. How long do you want to spend? Do you wanna do you wanna read through them? Do you want to just skim?

SPEAKER_04 4:15

Do you want to just glance and see if you see any big I want to read everything in complete detail.

SPEAKER_03 4:20

Seven hours later.

SPEAKER_04 4:22

SpongeBob square pants.

SPEAKER_03 4:23

Um, we'll say you skim.

SPEAKER_04 4:25

Just tell me the important parts. I mean the cliffs notes.

SPEAKER_03 4:29

So as you're as you're reading through, trying to skim through, you discern that that one of these manuscripts is Mr. Belshire's notes on how he put these warforged together, what he used, how he connected them, and all that, like the physical aspects of it. You find another manuscript where there's all these arcane formulas that seem to be crossed out and X'd out and small notes beside them, and you see one that's circled. He wrote down, it worked the second time. It's information on, as you spend a little bit more time with it, on how you can take a soul from a body that's about to die and move that soul into one of these warforged that he's created. The other pieces of paper on the table are other arcane formulas that he's either marked out or he's put question marks beside. You don't know what they're in reference to, but that's kind of the gist of what you gather from all those parchments on the table or on the desk.

SPEAKER_04 5:32

So I'm gonna copy that down.

SPEAKER_03 5:33

It'll take a while. How much time? Are you copying both or just the four?

SPEAKER_04 5:38

I just want to copy down the the soul capturing part.

SPEAKER_03 5:41

Okay. I would say it would take maybe 20 minutes. Okay. This is like a cut, it's a couple pages worth of okay.

SPEAKER_04 5:48

I could do that. Okay, I'll start on it.

SPEAKER_03 5:50

Or Della, as you're going around, you don't see a lot different than what Seven kind of picked up, even though he rolled low. You're seeing these Warfars and you keep glancing back at Seven to note that he looks almost identical to these, and your head keeps going to that table that's has that little brass plate that says seven and it's empty. And then you glance back to seven and it's empty. But other than that, there doesn't seem to be anything that would Did you see did she see anything about like a four in her? She didn't she didn't. She did see the the note that said the second time it worked.

SPEAKER_02 6:27

Do you think you are from here, Seven? I I I think I am. I I I don't I don't know. I don't really remember this place, but at the same time, this table is empty and it says seven, and that's that's definitely me. It's quite the coincidence. It would yeah, I uh what it's a what? Coincidence. What is what is that? It's a it's one of my few big words that I know. Okay. I like to use it as much as possible. Okay, I I don't I don't know that word, but it but it really it doesn't seem like that should be the case. I don't I don't know. Um I I can't I can't remember, but but I definitely but any of these things turned on.

SPEAKER_00 7:03

Do you have an a button that turns you on? I don't know. I it's kind of a nudge uh number six with my mall. Just nudge a little bit touch him, just touch it.

SPEAKER_05 7:18

No, but it doesn't move. Is this um is this butcher nightmare room looks like?

SPEAKER_02 7:23

No, no, my nightmare is definitely uh very, very different. Um it's war. It's more war than it is this um an ion on the table that says seven. Okay. And I just lay it and I stare up trying to like see if I remember this this view.

SPEAKER_04 7:42

I'm still like copying um like so in your nightmare dream sequence thing, are there a lot of you fighting or what kind of thing? No, no, am I am I a war forge war?

SPEAKER_02 7:55

There's n there's not any of me. Um I'm not even me.

SPEAKER_04 8:00

What are you?

SPEAKER_02 8:01

I think I'm human.

SPEAKER_04 8:03

Well, I mean that would make sense because what I'm copying down it basically is talking about how um to transfer a soul into this, I guess, machine, a Wait, wait, wait, wait, hold hold on, hold on.

SPEAKER_02 8:17

I I'm talking about a dream. Are you saying Are you saying my dreams are are yours? What did you say dreams were? You you said dreams were something. Not not real though, right? Like No no dreams are not real. Yeah, it is a dream. Anytime I sleep, it I see this. So it's not every time? Yeah, if I yeah, I'm if I go to sleep, I Well Seven, sometimes a dream is like, you know, you like went through I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 8:44

I don't seven, uh your dream could loose be based loosely on like reality, like actual what happened to you.

SPEAKER_05 8:53

You could be like remembering.

SPEAKER_02 8:54

Oh okay. I told I told Yaros this, but Panner, when when Panner told us about all the crazy things happening when his daughter died, that's my dream. I that's exactly my dream, like pretty much scene for scene. So I don't I don't know what that means, but seven, I so I go ahead and get up because I don't I don't this view doesn't really mean anything to me, but I'm kind of confused.

SPEAKER_05 9:21

Seven, I think maybe you were like a person.

SPEAKER_02 9:24

I am a person, aren't I? Oh Leo, you don't think I'm a person?

SPEAKER_04 9:31

I think you're a person made of metal. But I but yeah, I think I think I I mean like I hate to say this, but I actually agree with Ordella. I think like she just gets so like proud. Well then you do those been a human or something or is that what the book says?

SPEAKER_02 9:50

Is that what your your book says? I mean I could read it if I wanted to.

SPEAKER_04 9:54

Well, okay, so so basically while you guys were walking around, um, I mean, what I got from these parchments is that like this room was basically I I I think he was I think he was trying to maybe and and maybe figured out how to transfer a human or humanoid, some whoever has a soul. It reads that when, you know, near death or close to death, he figured out how to transfer this soul into a machine. So whether it was this warforge shell, but with a human soul.

SPEAKER_02 10:30

But that doesn't mean it was me, right?

SPEAKER_04 10:32

Yeah, I know all kinds of people named seven, so it probably was.

SPEAKER_02 10:36

Oh, it says that seven?

SPEAKER_04 10:37

No, it doesn't, it doesn't mention any names. But seven is missing.

SPEAKER_02 10:41

But so that could just be something else, though. That could not be me.

SPEAKER_04 10:44

Yeah, I mean it it it said, um, like, I mean, there's all kinds of stuff. Maybe that's number four. Yeah. Maybe that's where four is. But it said, but it definitely says the second time worked. So I'm I don't know if maybe four was number the first try.

SPEAKER_00 11:02

The first try would be number one.

SPEAKER_04 11:03

I this is what I know, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:06

First is one and second try number two, right? And number two is laying right right over there. Isn't that where two is?

SPEAKER_05 11:12

Yeah, so I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 11:13

I don't know. I uh wait.

SPEAKER_05 11:14

This is uh this is Belshire's Tower. I don't know Belshire. You've never heard that name before?

SPEAKER_02 11:20

Nope.

SPEAKER_05 11:21

Hmm. Weird.

SPEAKER_02 11:23

Nope. I don't know anything about anything, guys.

SPEAKER_04 11:26

I I good thing I'm writing all this down for you.

SPEAKER_02 11:29

Yeah, I'm almost done.

SPEAKER_04 11:36

19 more minutes, okay, guys.

SPEAKER_02 11:38

So can I, so I would like to you tell me how to do this. Okay, okay. I would like to, because she's finishing. I would like to say a prayer to Karis for I guess guidance and understanding. Sure. And see if Karis will bestow me with some kind of understanding of what this room is and if it has anything to do with me.

SPEAKER_03 12:01

Okay. Just roll a d20 and add your wisdom modifier. Oh boy.

SPEAKER_02 12:06

They're multiplying.

SPEAKER_03 12:08

Nine. Nine total. Total. That was a three.

SPEAKER_02 12:11

I rolled a three.

SPEAKER_03 12:12

Wow. So in a familiar stance, you you kneel, um, you take your new mace and kind of cross it across your chest, and you you close your warforged eyes, you grip your symbol of Karis, and for whatever reason, you don't know if it's because you're in this magical tower or if you're in the deep hallows or wherever you are, Keris doesn't respond.

SPEAKER_02 12:35

Okay. Okay, Leo, are you are you done? Let's let's go. I'm I'm gonna get out of here.

SPEAKER_04 12:38

I mean, I think I wrote I I think I wrote down enough to Nope, y'all have to roleplay 14 more minutes. Okay. I'm a fast ride, I'm a fast writer. Bring on the tears.

SPEAKER_02 12:49

All right, so I'm gonna be.

SPEAKER_04 12:55

It's a little messier, but it works. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 12:57

All right. You go open the door to an empty room. Once y'all all get inside, the door shuts, and this is Corins den. And plant life starts to materialize. And then you look up freaking Panther. What's the sky is this purplish-pink sky that has these really bright stars, like you're in nighttime, and there are fireflies that are twinkling in and out, huge ferns everywhere, these big trees, there's veg this vibrant vegetation all around you. You look ahead, and about 150 feet, pretty far away, there's another door, but it's covered with vines and moss and all kinds of vegetation that's growing around it. That's where you are.

SPEAKER_05 13:43

Guys, just why um so remember that first room we were in?

SPEAKER_00 13:47

The one that Leo tried to steal the platinum. Yeah, yeah, and we had to fight the other things. Yeah, yeah. We had to fight the favor.

SPEAKER_05 13:53

Okay, so while that was happening, I may or may not have found something, and there was Did you touch something?

SPEAKER_02 13:59

You were taking stuff too.

SPEAKER_05 14:01

And there was vegetation all over it, but also a panther. Oh god. So just be very cautious of the headboard. Oh, yeah, no. I've seen cats.

SPEAKER_02 14:18

Wait, like a big cat?

SPEAKER_05 14:19

Yeah, or like a cat. Yarrow size or bigger cat. She said panther?

SPEAKER_00 14:26

Panther.

SPEAKER_02 14:27

I don't see. I'm glad you I'm glad you asked because I didn't know what that was.

SPEAKER_04 14:30

Is corn the panther? Well, no.

SPEAKER_02 14:33

I mean, I just start trudging forward because what's it right? Right. Like so, I think next room is where Portal is. Yeah, let's go.

SPEAKER_05 14:40

What do you think this is?

SPEAKER_02 14:41

And I've seven is not worried about it. He is toward the door. Yeah. Leo, Ordella, what are y'all doing?

SPEAKER_05 14:47

I would like to see if I can figure out what is it like magically above us or just painted purple?

SPEAKER_00 14:54

Like it looks like does it look like we're outside?

SPEAKER_03 14:57

It looks like you're completely outside. Now, knowing where you are, you know this is some type of magical effect. But I mean, it feels like you're outside. It looks like you're outside. If this is an illusion, it's an amazing illusion.

SPEAKER_05 15:08

I kind of want to take one of my like um arrows and like hit it up into it to see what it does.

SPEAKER_03 15:14

Yeah. So you shoot one of your bolts up and it just goes and goes and goes and goes and goes and goes. And then you see it turn and start coming back down, and you have to move out of the way and it falls in front of you. I mean, it looks like it goes all the way up.

SPEAKER_04 15:26

So I'm going to um let Luna out and have her fly about for a second and see um if I can see anything.

SPEAKER_03 15:36

Okay, make a perception check with your bat.

SPEAKER_04 15:40

An 18.

SPEAKER_03 15:41

Ooh.

SPEAKER_04 15:42

A 20.

SPEAKER_03 15:43

She flies around.

SPEAKER_04 15:44

Does she get a snack?

SPEAKER_03 15:46

She eats a few insects as she's flying, but doesn't see anything that would be a threat. Doesn't really see any movement other than those fireflies that keep twinkling in and out.

unknown 15:54

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 15:54

Did that book that I saw have the name Corinne or did I write Corinne? Okay. Yeah. And this is Corin's room.

SPEAKER_04 15:59

Yeah, he told he didn't he tell us that at the beginning. He was like, there's Corinne's room. But yeah, it was Corinne.

SPEAKER_05 16:06

Does the name Corinne sound familiar to you?

SPEAKER_03 16:08

Well, that was on the book that you're going to do.

SPEAKER_05 16:10

Yeah, that does it, but I don't know anything else.

SPEAKER_03 16:13

Other than no. Yeah. Other than when you when you opened it, you saw that really big panther.

SPEAKER_05 16:18

I just Leo, I just feel like this room is has something.

SPEAKER_02 16:22

I'm still walking. I don't know. Like, I mean, they're behind us, right? And are y'all walking? Are y'all staying? I feel like what's everybody's doing?

SPEAKER_04 16:29

I feel like we're standing there. Yeah, so um I assume there's nothing here.

SPEAKER_03 16:33

Yeah, I'm just walking towards the door. Yarost and Seven are walking toward that door straight ahead, Leo and Ordella.

SPEAKER_04 16:41

Yeah, I'm just kind of in the middle or in between the two doors, just kind of looking around. Like, because this isn't anything I've seen, but like it's definitely since it's something magical, I'm interested.

SPEAKER_05 16:52

I would like to get you said there's a bunch of vines and stuff on the door ahead of us. Are there vines all over the the room?

SPEAKER_03 16:59

Yeah, there's there's vines, there's vegetation, there's ferns, there's plant life, there's huge trees, there's moss. I mean, there's not a a speck of this this room that's not untouched by some type of vibrant vegetation. Is there any food? Snacks? Any snacks? Gold, gems. You can make a perception check, but while you do that, I need everybody to roll for initiative. And you all are surprised because she rolled the 22 stealth. Three.

SPEAKER_05 17:28

13, 12.

SPEAKER_03 17:30

21. I rolled a 20. Okay. So here's what will happen. I rolled a one through four for this attack. I rolled a four. As you're walking Yaros, bamping up in front of you, like almost like a teleport, is this huge panther. And it goes, That's a panther.

SPEAKER_05 17:50

That's what they look like.

SPEAKER_03 17:54

That's it, that's it, that's it. Yeah. I told you it's a bigger cat. But this is way bigger than what a normal panther would be. And it just takes two claws at you. And that one and a seven to hit, which is an 11 total. So it misses. So as soon as this thing just pops up in front of you, comes two swings. You're able to dodge out of the way. And then we are going to go through because y'all can't act that turn because it's a surprise round. And then we come back up to Yaros because he rolled a 22. I rolled a 21. And then so it'll go Yarost, this Panther, and then y'all three. But after it swings at you twice, it just disappears.

SPEAKER_04 18:36

Let's get out of here.

SPEAKER_02 18:37

I I know I can go first. I know. But I'm going to grab Yarost and say, Do we need to get out of here? Are you grabbing it by the hand? Just going to grab him by the arm.

SPEAKER_05 18:45

Grab him by the hand.

SPEAKER_02 18:47

Okay. And say do we need to get out of here? I think it's the Panther she's talking about.

SPEAKER_00 18:52

Is here. Do we do we need to get out?

SPEAKER_04 18:53

Yeah, I just get out of here.

SPEAKER_00 18:55

Let's run for the door.

SPEAKER_04 18:56

Destroy the door. What if it's Belgiar?

SPEAKER_00 18:58

I know. It's Yarosko. Okay. So I'm going to take off running. Okay. Um, I'm going to move uh 30 feet, but I'm going to ready my attack if it pops out again near me. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 19:08

So we'll say y'all are about in the middle of the room, which is kind of what you said. Yeah, I'm going to keep pace with him. Yep. So you're about in the middle of the room, you move 30 feet. So you were about 75 feet away from the door. So now you're about 45 feet away from the door. All of you all are about still about 75 feet away from the door.

SPEAKER_02 19:24

I can't move with him.

SPEAKER_03 19:26

No, it's it's it's Yarl Scout and then the Panthers go. Ah, okay. Because it got a surprise attack. Gotcha. Gotcha. Gotcha. So if it pops out in reign to me, y'all, I've readied my. Right, right, right. So I'm gonna roll again.

SPEAKER_04 19:37

You did me, so.

SPEAKER_03 19:38

Good luck. Pops up in front of Leo and takes two swings at Leo.

SPEAKER_04 19:44

Please miss.

SPEAKER_03 19:45

One of them misses because I rolled a six. The other one's gonna hit because I rolled a 15.

SPEAKER_04 19:50

Well, I'm gonna cast shield in reaction.

SPEAKER_03 19:52

Nice. Oh. Very nice. Got him. So that was good too. So it pulls up, swings the second, you dodge out of the way, and then as as soon as it starts to swing again, you pull up this ethereal batwing pulls up in front of you as your shield and it rakes across it, and then it just looks at you, and then bamps out again.

SPEAKER_02 20:16

Y'all things go. So can we I mean I technically can we go out of turn even though it's all three of us? Sure. Like so, what I'm going to do is I'm going to use my full action to get to Yarost. Yeah. And then my bonus action to misty step us to the door.

SPEAKER_03 20:32

Ah, okay. All right. So you run to Yarost, you grab him by the hand, y'all interlock fingers. It's weird for a second, but it feels right. And then y'all bamf, and the door is sitting right in front of you.

SPEAKER_04 20:44

That was like a Taylor Swift song. You guys were like a music video. Yarrow save me.

SPEAKER_03 20:53

Saved you. All right. Leo and Ordella, what are you doing?

SPEAKER_04 20:57

So I just saw that and I was like, we gotta get out of here, Ordella. So I grab her and I misty step to the door.

SPEAKER_03 21:05

Y'all can misty step 30 feet and then y'all run the rest of the way to the door.

SPEAKER_04 21:08

Yeah, or let's run and then misty step. I think that looks better.

SPEAKER_03 21:12

Yeah, definitely. So y'all are running step and step and then grab each other's hands. Cute right by the door. Yarost, you're go. What are you doing? Um are we at the door now? You're at the door.

SPEAKER_00 21:23

Open. I attempt to open.

SPEAKER_03 21:25

It opens up. Empty room in front of you. Stepping in? Yeah. Okay, you step in, then so again, it swings twice at you. Rolling low with this one. The 16 is gonna hit.

SPEAKER_04 21:37

Do I still have my shield up or do I have to cast it? You have to cast it again. Okay, so I'm gonna cast it again.

SPEAKER_03 21:41

Okay, so another first level slot gone as it pops back up right in front of both y'all and just swings again. It hits that ethereal bat wing. I'm assuming y'all are all running through the door. Absolutely. Y'all run through the door, y'all shut the door behind you, and you hear on the on the door, and then it slowly dies away.

SPEAKER_04 22:01

I thought you were gonna say heard it behind us. Oh no. Turn around. It's like in the guys, that was that was a close one.

SPEAKER_02 22:09

That thing, that thing was wild. Describe Panther better than cat.

SPEAKER_05 22:19

No.

SPEAKER_00 22:20

That was crazy.

SPEAKER_04 22:21

That's not what your little books showed you earlier. So I wonder if that was corn.

SPEAKER_02 22:27

I don't care.

SPEAKER_04 22:28

Have you heard of a story named Corn?

SPEAKER_05 22:30

Like Panther named Corin, Rodella? Well, when we were in that room, I saw that book. But after what happened, I was not going to um take it. Yeah, that's smart. So I'm wondering this life lesson number one. Do we know what Belshire's? First name is?

SPEAKER_02 22:48

I I I don't know. Albert?

SPEAKER_05 22:50

I don't I was gonna say Alfred.

SPEAKER_02 22:53

Maybe that was close. I don't know.

SPEAKER_05 22:54

I feel like someone told us.

SPEAKER_02 22:55

What his first name was? I don't I don't remember. Mr. Was it Mr. Mr.

SPEAKER_05 23:00

Belshire? Hmm. Corin.

SPEAKER_02 23:02

I don't think his name was Corin Belshire, though. I don't think that was it. I think Corinne's a she.

SPEAKER_04 23:06

I think Corrin was that Panther.

SPEAKER_03 23:08

I I know, but I think the Panther was a Seven. You start thinking back to your dreams and the dream you just had on the boat. And the name the name Callan comes to you. Callin Belshire.

SPEAKER_02 23:18

Ca Callan? Callan Belshire? I think that's the name I just remembered.

SPEAKER_00 23:23

Um Seven is terrible in names. It's probably something like Ballin. It could be Ballon.

SPEAKER_05 23:28

It could maybe be Corinne.

SPEAKER_02 23:30

Or it could be Corin. It's pretty bad at night. But for some reason, Callan is what's in my head. I I don't know.

SPEAKER_05 23:36

Have you always been bad at names?

SPEAKER_02 23:37

Terrible. Terrible Cordello. I have it's just they don't stick. I don't know. Yarrow stuck real quick because it's pretty awesome. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 23:51

You're broke. It is.

SPEAKER_02 23:52

And then Lee uh Leo doesn't really like me a whole lot. And so I that one stuck too. But other than that, nope. Nope. Everybody else is pretty much toss up.

SPEAKER_03 24:02

So as you are talking, this room begins to materialize in front of you. And the first thing that you see pop up looks a lot like the portal you saw at Fort Blymore. The air behind it wobbles a little bit. There's a little bit of sparkle to it. A little sparkle dust, if you will. And then as you're standing there, the floor begins to change into a more rocky formation. And then out in front of you, about 30 feet, 40 feet in front of you, the floor begins to just go away. And there's this gap now between the portal and you. And it looks to be about a 10-foot gap. And then this bridge, this wooden bridge, materializes in front of you. And then in front of the portal, two huge ball-like creatures floating in the air with four stalks coming off of each of them. And there's this big bulbous eye in the front of its head, and each stalk has an eye on the end of it. And the one on the right from you speaks, and it says, What are you all here for?

SPEAKER_04 25:17

Oh, we'd like to go through the portal, please.

SPEAKER_03 25:20

I'm sorry, you need to turn around. Then one of its eyes faces back behind you as a bigger door materializes.

SPEAKER_05 25:29

Oh no. Oh no. We're not going through the portal. We just we just came through all the portals. We did a lot of stuff to get here.

SPEAKER_01 25:35

I'm not sorry. We are here to protect the portal, Mr. Belshire has commanded us, and we will not let you get through the portal. Sorry?

SPEAKER_02 25:45

I I I I'm uh I'm seven. Do you do you know me? No. D do you remember Mr. Belshire and me?

SPEAKER_01 25:55

Mr. Belshire commanded us to be here to protect the portal.

SPEAKER_02 26:00

But but he but he I think he commanded me too.

SPEAKER_01 26:03

Maybe he did. He commanded a lot of folks.

SPEAKER_02 26:05

Yeah, and and I but I think he commanded me to be in dire's rest. And so I need this I I need this portal. I'm sorry, you must produce Mr. Belshire to go through this portal. Well m Mr. Belshire, he pa he's he's dead, so how how would I do that?

SPEAKER_01 26:22

Mr. Belshire is not dead.

SPEAKER_02 26:26

Oh, he's number four. Mr. Belshire's number four, and I'm number seven.

SPEAKER_01 26:31

Mr. Belshire's number four?

SPEAKER_02 26:33

Yes. And I'm number seven, and I need to get into Dyer's rest.

SPEAKER_01 26:37

Well, that means nothing to me because you do not have number four with you. Well, but how am I supposed to have number four with me? I don't know. You have to bring Mr. Belshire here and he will help you.

SPEAKER_02 26:50

If he is number four, how he he's in dire's rest, so how do I get him from Dyer's Rest to come here to see you so that I can go to Dyer's Rest? I'm confused now. Excuse me, Mr.

SPEAKER_05 27:04

Eyeball. Um I'm Princess Ordella Willowfall, and so I really ring a bell. Um are you or are you not protecting Dyer's rest?

SPEAKER_01 27:15

No, I am protecting for Mr. Melfire. Sorry. That was good. Sorry. I'm sorry, we're here to protect the portal.

SPEAKER_04 27:45

Can I use my telekinetic shove on this guy? And we can just run through. I would like to try.

SPEAKER_02 27:51

I would like to. So she's gonna shove.

SPEAKER_04 27:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:56

Okay. But I'm who's closest to me? All right, everybody roll for initiative.

SPEAKER_04 28:01

I knew that was gonna happen.

SPEAKER_03 28:04

Seven.

SPEAKER_04 28:05

Nine. One.

SPEAKER_03 28:09

I'm going first with a 17, ladies and gents. So in front of you is about 30 feet by 30 feet of a rock, followed by a 10-foot-long bridge with nothing below it and no railing across it. And then another 10 feet by 30 feet worth of rock, and then that portal in the middle. This bulbous floating eyeball with four stalks floats across to midway point of the bridge. And then he's going to attack Yarost. And Yarost, I want you to pick a number one to four for me. Three. I need you to roll a wisdom saving throw. The DC is 13. So, whatever it is about this creature, you are terrified. You cannot move forward. You can't move closer to it. You can stay where you are. You can move back, but you are frightened by this creature for one minute, but you can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of your turns. Yes. As long as you don't get closer to it. The other one moves back toward the portal. And then seven, I need you to make a DC 13 constitution saving throw as one of these eye stalks begins to turn black and this ray shoots out toward you. What kind of ray is this? This would be necrotic damage. 12. Plus? No, that's with my plus. Oh, so you fail. You're going to take 18 damage as this ray hits you and it begins to suck the very life force out of your body, and you hear it say, I I told you all, you cannot come past the portal.

SPEAKER_00 30:03

It is y'all's go. I'm gonna throw that lightning. Is it javelin of lightning?

SPEAKER_06 30:07

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 30:11

Hashtag know your character. Each creature in the line, excluding you and the target, must make a DC 13 dexterity saving throw. They both fail. Four D6. It says make a ranged weapon attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes damage from the javelin.

SPEAKER_03 30:31

So you're throwing the javelin, right? But it also does the lightning attack. So you get javelin damage for the first one, but then lightning damage for both of them.

SPEAKER_00 30:39

Okay, so this will just be the attack for the actual 15. That hits barely. But he just takes the 1d6, so this is just the actual javelin attack. Okay. It'll take six. Plus the four D6 of lightning. 12 for both of them.

SPEAKER_03 30:55

So 18 for the first one and then 12 for the second one. Right. Got it. All right. So you have your new found javelin, you throw it forward, it turns into lightning, hits the first one, and then the lightning bolt rushes through into the second one, doing damage, and they want the back one again, says, You're still not gonna get through.

SPEAKER_00 31:17

And then uh try not to be feared anymore at the end of each turn. Yes. Seven still, so fails. Can't move forward.

SPEAKER_03 31:24

All right.

SPEAKER_04 31:25

I'm gonna cast chromatic orb um lightning style, the lightning version.

SPEAKER_03 31:31

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 31:32

At the one who has the least damage. So the one in the back, I guess.

SPEAKER_03 31:37

Okay. Is that a saving throw?

SPEAKER_00 31:40

Going to quickly, before my turn was over, go into a rage as well. Perfect.

SPEAKER_03 31:45

So nine. So you hold your orb up, you kind of toss it in the air a little bit, and it materializes into this ball of lightning, and your orb is still in your hand. It begins to move forward. As it moves forward, one of the eye stalks from one of the creatures, it hits it, but then it reflects and it shoots back at Yarost. Leo making another attack roll, but this time plus six to Yarost as this chromatic orb is now rushing toward Yarost.

SPEAKER_05 32:16

A five.

SPEAKER_03 32:17

Five misses. So he's able to dodge out of the way and then it dissipates right behind him. Bordella and seven.

SPEAKER_04 32:24

Oh, wait, I'm gonna and uh I'm gonna use my bonus action to push push him, try to push him into the portal.

SPEAKER_03 32:31

Okay. He fails. You push him, and he's sucked back into the portal.

SPEAKER_05 32:38

This one?

SPEAKER_03 32:38

Yep.

SPEAKER_05 32:39

Bye. He's just waiting for us on the other side. Yeah, I was gonna say now he's just in dire surprise. Now he has my sister.

SPEAKER_03 32:48

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_05 32:49

Maybe maybe side quest. Find Ordella's sister.

SPEAKER_03 32:54

You go.

SPEAKER_05 32:55

Um, well, I'm going to try to hit this uh this guy.

SPEAKER_03 32:58

Okay. Sorry, exactly.

SPEAKER_04 33:00

So while while she's rolling, I'm gonna I'm gonna move closer to the portal. I'm gonna run to the towards the portal.

SPEAKER_03 33:07

Do you want to get on the bridge?

SPEAKER_04 33:08

Can I how far is that?

SPEAKER_03 33:09

So you've got 30 feet of movement?

SPEAKER_05 33:11

I'm gonna be right there.

SPEAKER_03 33:13

All right. Right behind Yarost and seven.

SPEAKER_05 33:15

And I can reach from where I'm alright. I'm good to.

SPEAKER_03 33:17

Yeah, you can shoot.

SPEAKER_05 33:18

Just gonna stay right there. Uh-oh. Ten.

SPEAKER_03 33:23

Ten?

SPEAKER_05 33:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 33:24

Misses.

SPEAKER_05 33:25

Can I try the um you can shoot again? Crossbow expelled.

unknown 33:29

Yep.

SPEAKER_05 33:30

14. Six. That hits. Three plus four is seven.

SPEAKER_03 33:35

Seven damage. Twenty-five total damage done to this creature. As you're able to hit it, it moves to the side.

SPEAKER_02 33:43

Seven, what do you got? So it is my expectation that the one that just got pushed out on its turn is probably just coming right back in, right? And we have popped in and out.

SPEAKER_04 33:53

Yeah, let's not assume anything. Let's assume it's gone.

SPEAKER_02 33:56

You can definitely make that assumption. Okay. Um I am going. Whether it's true or not. Right. Okay, so for my action, I'm going to. I'm going to sacred flame this one.

SPEAKER_03 34:07

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 34:08

13 fails. So six damage. With my bonus action, I'm going to cast spiritual weapon. Okay. So a winged angel-like figure pops up, and I'm going to cast it on this one here.

SPEAKER_03 34:24

Okay. So it's right next to it. Make an attack roll. Nope. That is one. Misses. Misses. There go. First thing that happens is this creature floats back through the portal and sees Leo behind seven and is going to try to paralyze you. So go ahead and make a DC 13 constitution saving throw. Fails. So your body begins to tense up and you just can't move. You can also make a check at the end of your turn to become unparalyzed. Seeing that you're paralyzed, the other one shoots you with a actually no. Yarost, it's gonna make uh shoot a confusion ray at you. Okay. I need you to make a wisdom saving throw DC 13.

SPEAKER_00 35:20

One.

SPEAKER_03 35:23

So not only are you afraid, super confused.

SPEAKER_00 35:26

You're naked and afraid. Does it confuse no now? I'm no longer feared. I'm confused about being feared. No.

SPEAKER_05 35:33

You're just all out of sorts.

SPEAKER_03 35:34

But on your turn, you cannot move and you only use your action to make a melee or ranged attack against a randomly determined creature within range. So you will attack either Leo or Seven on your turn.

SPEAKER_00 35:48

Which, if I both melee or ranged, right? I could be ranged. I mean, I just had my javelin in my hand, so.

SPEAKER_03 35:54

Okay, fair. Make a give me a five different people.

SPEAKER_00 35:58

So if I do a D10 and say like one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Yeah. It works? Yeah, it works. Three. Leo.

SPEAKER_03 36:09

So go ahead and use that maul because you're within melee range and swing at her. Just a normal swing. We're not great weapon master. I'm gonna try to raging. I am raging, though. I've already seen that. You are raging, that's true.

SPEAKER_00 36:21

Plus six to whatever this is. Just saying. Eight plus six is fourteen. That hits.

SPEAKER_04 36:27

Oh gosh. You got lots of dice in there.

SPEAKER_00 36:29

It's 15 damage.

SPEAKER_04 36:30

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 36:31

Woo! And you can make a go ahead and make your wisdom check to see if you're no longer confused. Yeah, we'll say that confusion overtook your fear.

unknown 36:39

Nine.

SPEAKER_03 36:41

Still confused. He's like, what's happening?

SPEAKER_01 36:43

And then again, they speak there. I told you you can't do not come through the portal. Turn around and go back through the door.

SPEAKER_05 36:51

I'm gonna try to um move up. Like, because I want to try to um go after him. They're closer to him. I'm gonna try to. I can reach him with my eleven plus six.

SPEAKER_03 37:03

That hits. Seventeen.

SPEAKER_05 37:06

One plus four, five. And then I'm gonna do my expert attack.

SPEAKER_03 37:11

Alright.

SPEAKER_05 37:11

With an 18 plus that hits? One plus four is five. Succa.

SPEAKER_00 37:16

So for one of the fell there. I didn't know she. Oh, you fell.

SPEAKER_04 37:21

Yeah. After that, I yeah. Took me out.

SPEAKER_03 37:24

Oh, okay. Okay. That changes things. No bigs. No bigs. It's no bigs. No bigs. What do you think of when you go unconscious? Like what do you what goes through your mind as you just like are hitting the ground?

SPEAKER_00 37:35

Why did I try to take that platinum?

SPEAKER_04 37:37

Who's gonna take my who's gonna take care of my bat? Take care of Luna.

SPEAKER_03 37:42

Perfect. Perfect. So y'all have done 31 damage to this creature in front and 22 damage to the creature in the back. Leo has fallen.

SPEAKER_04 37:52

Am I alert enough to take a healing potion?

SPEAKER_03 37:54

Nope.

SPEAKER_04 37:55

Prior to falling? Nope.

SPEAKER_03 37:57

Leo has fallen. Let's go around the table. So it's my my turn, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yaros, how many hit points do you have left? 27. Ordella?

SPEAKER_05 38:05

31.

SPEAKER_03 38:06

31? 20. Okay. Ordella just went seven at sugargo.

SPEAKER_02 38:09

So Leo is on the ground right behind me. Yes. Yaros is right beside me. Can I give Leo a potion with a bonus action? No. It has to be a full action. It has to be a full action. Um, let me die with my gold.

SPEAKER_04 38:25

Poke gold and it's throw it off the edge. Poke a little hole in there. Oh, I didn't get to see.

SPEAKER_02 38:30

But I don't have I don't have to use an action for spiritual weapon because it's already up. So that's gonna happen no matter what I do. As a bonus action, yes. Right. No, that does cause my bonus action for that to attack. Okay. So I'm gonna give Leona my greater healing potion. Okay. With my action, with my bonus action, uh, I'm going to again with my spiritual weapon. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 38:52

Leo, roll four D4 and add four to that total. 14 healing. So seven administers that healing potion to you. You are lying on the ground still, but you're awake and you're conscious.

SPEAKER_04 39:05

No, I'm playing dead.

SPEAKER_03 39:07

You're gonna play dead. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 39:10

Your spiritual weapon is up, and it's currently on this guy on the bridge. And 17.

SPEAKER_03 39:17

That hits 10 damage. 10 damage. So your spiritual weapon, this this angelic creature, ethereal with a mace, flies forward and hits this creature, and you just hear this thud, and its big eye just kind of blinks a few times and then closes and it hits this bridge and then rolls off. Dead.

SPEAKER_05 39:41

Oh, very nice. Yay, bye.

unknown 39:44

Bye.

SPEAKER_02 39:44

I got one, Yoros. I got one.

SPEAKER_03 39:46

Alright. Leo, it is your go, I believe. You're awake, you're laying on the ground.

SPEAKER_04 39:50

So we just got that big baddie in the back.

SPEAKER_03 39:53

Yup. Do you want to just run across the bridge close to it?

SPEAKER_04 39:59

You suck. Um yeah, I am gonna get a little closer. And I'm going to show you.

SPEAKER_03 40:05

So standing up takes half your movement, so you got 15 feet.

SPEAKER_04 40:08

Oh gosh. What a buzz code. So even if I wanted to run, I would have had to stop anyways.

SPEAKER_01 40:13

Oh, but you need to know the rules, and then you'll be alive.

SPEAKER_04 40:17

Well, but sometimes the DM can manipulate if it looks cool. Okay, I was gonna do like a rules cool. I was gonna do a like a Baywatch running action. I was gonna jump up, I was gonna cast. Uh, I'm gonna cast.

SPEAKER_03 40:30

You can still do that at 15 feet. You have 15 feet to jog in slow motion. Yeah, I'll allow it.

SPEAKER_04 40:36

How damaged is this one?

SPEAKER_03 40:37

He's taking 22 hit points of damage.

SPEAKER_04 40:39

I'm just gonna hit him with firebolt. 20! 20? Yep.

SPEAKER_03 40:44

That hits. Doing it.

SPEAKER_04 40:46

13.

SPEAKER_03 40:48

It is looking very rough.

SPEAKER_04 40:50

For my bonus action, I'd like to push him. Try to push him off the closer towards the edge. So I'm gonna pull him towards the edge.

SPEAKER_03 40:59

He fails. So you move him five feet closer.

SPEAKER_01 41:02

He's five feet closer to the edge.

SPEAKER_04 41:04

I'm gonna put I mean I guess I could push him back through, but he would have just been on the other side. So I'm just gonna try to push him over.

SPEAKER_03 41:10

Alright. Uh Yarost, it is up to you. And so I need you to determine who you're going to attack.

SPEAKER_04 41:18

Oh, for the love of all things sacred and holy.

unknown 41:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 41:22

One.

SPEAKER_06 41:23

Mordella.

SPEAKER_03 41:25

Does he pull out a javelin? Pull out a javelin. Can't move.

SPEAKER_00 41:27

Oh, jeez.

SPEAKER_03 41:28

Throw.

SPEAKER_00 41:29

Plus six.

SPEAKER_02 41:31

Oh, he crit.

SPEAKER_01 41:34

So much confusion. Oh no.

SPEAKER_00 41:39

Um. I haven't been hit all day.

SPEAKER_04 41:43

And 30 and this and I'm about to get 31 damage right here. I love that I die at least once a day. I'm gonna ask you for this.

SPEAKER_05 41:54

I die once a day. Oh my god. 78. 196. 25.

SPEAKER_02 42:01

You're okay. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_03 42:06

So Yaroost turns around, pulls a javelin from his back, and throws it, and you just jabs you right in your shoulder. Goes almost goes through to the back. See if I break out of this real quick. Yep. Five. Wow. Yeah. So Yarost fails his con his check again. He's outrage at the girls here. Stop touching them. Seven's like, what are you doing?

SPEAKER_04 42:32

I told you not to touch the star.

SPEAKER_03 42:34

Um here. Four, three.

SPEAKER_04 42:38

Oh my god. You've been three episodes. You'll believe me. I feel like I've I feel like I'm like, You've rolled a three so many times, too.

SPEAKER_05 42:46

Like even when Yarros had it, he rolled a three when it hit her.

SPEAKER_03 42:49

I need you to make a DC 13 or higher constitution saving throw. As this sickening, wounding ray shoots toward you out of one of its stalks, you succeed. Nay, I gotta look. Ooh, the new cloak! Yeah, the cloak is. Yeah, the new cloak saves you as it as it this ray shoots forward toward you. You're able to turn your back and and it and it hits your cloak at the last second.

SPEAKER_04 43:13

The only time I'm I'm happy that Ordella dressed me up.

SPEAKER_03 43:16

And the creature, the creature says, the creature's eyes all face all of you and says, I I will have more of us come.

SPEAKER_01 43:24

More of us, hundreds of us come if you don't leave now. Turn around and leave. I'm calling your bluff.

SPEAKER_03 43:31

It is now Ordella's go.

SPEAKER_05 43:34

Cool. Ew. So I don't like that. 18 plus six. That is? Okay. Um, no one's close enough. Is she close enough?

SPEAKER_06 43:43

No.

SPEAKER_05 43:44

Five plus four. Nine. And then I'm going to expert.

SPEAKER_03 43:49

But you don't have to.

SPEAKER_05 43:51

Oh, I don't have to, because it's dead. I am killing everything to do.

SPEAKER_00 44:00

I almost killed two of our party members. That's what I did. Right. This is true.

SPEAKER_04 44:04

You did.

SPEAKER_03 44:06

So you got that. That bolt. It shoots forward, hits it right in the middle of the that big bulbous eye in the front as it. And that is it for this week's 20 Sides. Tune in each week to follow Yaros 7, Leona, and Ordella as they venture across the Veiled Lands. Don't forget to follow us on all the socials: Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok at 20 SidesPod. Rate and review us wherever you listen to your podcast. And please share the podcast with your friends, family, and of course, your arch rivals. Last but not least, we couldn't do this without the atmospheric background tracks from tabletopaudio.com and Michael Gelfi. We will see you next week right here on Twenty Sides.