Tear the Heart | Shadows of Stravia: Episode 55

Borislav's been gone a while. You might've wondered where he wandered off to.

Turns out the answer is: somewhere cold, somewhere quiet, and somewhere with unfinished business.

This episode opens on him — alone, on the road, carrying his axe Hjarta Rifa ("Tear the Heart") and a whole lot of memory he'd rather not be carrying. Then he sees a face across the snow.

Vishni.

And Borislav is no longer on the road. He's back in the Glade. Back in the worst day of his life.

The flashback hits like the axe is named.

By the time he catches up with the rest of the party — who are busy processing their own delightful weekend of undead ravens, the Faceless God's job offer to Nyx, and whatever the Light of Doruusk did to everyone's soul — there's no time to sit in the trauma and share feelings.

Because Greydale is burning, the Order of Aegis Solis is already there, and the clock is very much not on anyone's side.

Feelings later. Running now.

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Highlights

🪓 A cold open on Borislav, alone on the winter road
🗺️ We finally learn what he's been up to all this time
❄️ Hjarta Rifa — "Tear the Heart" — gets properly introduced
👁️ Borislav spots Vishni across the snow
💥 A brutal flashback to the Glade rips the past wide open
🖤 The rage returns — and it has a name attached to it
🐦‍⬛ The party reels from the undead raven and the Faceless God's offer to Nyx
🌫️ Everyone's still shaking off the Light of Doruusk
🤝 Borislav rejoins the party mid-emotional-crisis (perfect timing, buddy)
⏳ No time to grieve — Greydale needs saving, right now
🏃 The party races toward the fight before it's too late
😬 We are all extremely normal about Borislav right now
⚔️ The stage is set for a reckoning that's been years in the making

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Hashtags

#DungeonsAndDragons #DnD #DnD5e #ActualPlay
#TTRPG #ShadowsOfStravia #FateCasters
#LightOfDoruusk #Doruusk #Stravia #Greydale
#Borislav #Vishni #HjartaRifa #TearTheHeart
#Nyx #Requiem #Zelphira #SmileyTinkersmith #Bumbo
#FacelessGod #AegisSolis #ColdOpen #Flashback
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#RevengeArc #BackstoryEpisode #CharacterMoment
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Transcript

SPEAKER_14 0:00

Hello and welcome to Fatecasters. Smiley Tinkersmith. While the rest of the group is starting where we had left off with uh Claudna and um being able to see how they're going to get back, there was a moment that the group did not see that was back at the bog, and the destruction aftermath with the lich in the shade of the Gulthias tree. You, Smiley, are looking over the scene and seeing the group triumphant, holding a phylactery in one hand, and behind them the chrysalis of the Gulthias tree, a dark entity. And you feel the desire to create the pull of artistry. You reach into your pocketbook, you bring out your sketch pad, you begin to draw, and as you draw, you notice things coming to life. The art is flowing through you, and before you know it, you see a small impish character in the top left-hand margin of your notebook. It is in uh kind of like a crook of the tree of a tree branch, and it is hammocking there lazily, and then you see it begin to move, this drawn image of the imp. And it lazily kind of slacks its hand down and turns and looks down at the picture that you have drawn and it speaks, but not here on the page, here in your mind. Bah, smiley not your best work a very different voice than you had heard earlier. When your friends had needed a impish ally to fly out over a scene, that was almost cartoonish. But here the real voice emerges slow and intelligent and evil, perhaps. Well, smiley. Perhaps you need more inspiration to make this a true work of art.

SPEAKER_13 2:31

What do you say? Can I say no? You can always say no if you want it to be lackluster. This mortima. Of course, dear. I'm always with you.

SPEAKER_14 2:55

Notice that. Um how's mom? Let's focus on your painting for the moment. Your skills intrigue me so. Go ahead and make a wisdom saving throw. Uh nine. You feel your vision darken and darken into a pin prick as you're looking down at the page and your hands still working on this thing. When you open your eyes, you see a familiar museum, a gallery. Dark and shadowy, an echoing chamber lies before you. In each of the halls, you see different paintings, doodles, sculptures, designs that you have created over a lifetime. You look over to the side and you see one specific painting, and you feel your mind pulling you to it. It's got a mahogany frame on it, and you look first to the background, masterfully, dark, brushing strokes of a crashing wave going over a forlorn log that's been caught in the undertow. And you reluctantly pull your gaze to the foreground. And here you see a young, handsome dwarf, strong hands, holding an anchor that's been wrapped in driftwood that somehow the ocean has molded around it. Off the edge of the driftwood is a singular pink blossom of a flower, a miracle, impossibly growing off the end. You look to his eyes, these bright, beautiful, glowing eyes, happy, knowing that you are truly at peace in this wonderful moment with Brynn, your love. And you can tell by the way that this was printed, that you had taken a snapshot of your mind of him in this moment, so happy to be in his gaze as he was so pleasant and in love with you. But then your eyes drift down to his smile. There's something not right about the smile. You know, you remember when Brynn would smile at you, it was like the world would fade away. Like he knew the inmost parts of you, your soul itself, and he loved you all the more for all of those pieces. But the smile doesn't reflect that. I didn't paint this.

SPEAKER_05 5:47

It's off. It's wrong.

SPEAKER_14 5:51

It's all wrong. Your love, Bryn. This isn't this isn't how he should have been. You say, I haven't painted this, but you know that to be a lie. All of these paintings are yours. And all of them unfinished, incomplete. This painting is a failure. Despite all the beauty of the rest, the smile is wrong, and you have failed. You look around at all the other pieces in this damned gallery of the unfinished. The tone was off there in this palette, the shading, it didn't, the sun couldn't hit at the right angle. You did this sculpture in a piece of the clay itself, it it sags because it didn't dry appropriately. And ultimately you make your way to the stairs where you know there is the one perfect painting in the damned gallery of the unfinished. You walk up the stairs to the dace, and you see it there next to Mortimer. Red impish wings fluttering. As you see, he's been watching you, delighting in your torment as you go over all of the flaws of your art over your entire life. You look away from him towards the perfect painting. It's massive, huge. It's on a gold frame, illuminated in this space, perfect for the perfect painting. Wants you to make a perception check at disadvantage. Uh that is eleven. The painting begins to form in your artist's mind's eye, and then changes. You know that you're never uh allowed to fully see it. The imp taps on the golden frame with his scorpion-like tail, and he says, This is the work that you could have made. And this is the life that you could have lived within it. For moments you see brief moments of perfection in the painting where you could be happy, where the world is perfect, and where the art reflects the perfection. You reach to get closer, and as you do, it changes. And it remains ever unfinished. Oh, Mortimer knows your greatest weakness. It's not pain, it's not fear, it's the belief that true perfection exists just out of reach. So perhaps it's not that the Ibda is punishing you with this gallery of the unfinished. It's that it taunts you with the almost. This masterpiece that can never be completed, at least not without his help. Convenient. And as the masterpiece changes again, you see just the smile, the perfect smile. This time of your lover Brynn. A smile full of knowing exactly who you are and accepting you just as you are. It changes again, and you can't remember the smile anymore, only that it was perfect, and that it is beautiful. And again you are left with almost. And you feel yourself leaving now the damned gallery of the unfinished, and back in your body at the bog in front of the Golthias tree. I want you to make an artist's rendering check to see now this completed uh thing that you've been working on, what is the mastery that you have created while you were in this place in your artist's hands continued to work? Uh do you say that's performance? Um, I would say it is your, since this is kind of like tinkering a little bit, um, you have charisma plus your um your your modifier. Uh the uh Okay. Yeah. Your ability modifier on top of that. And because you did so well, you will get a plus ten as an inspirational blessing from your patron for being such a good boy.

SPEAKER_10 10:52

So I rolled an 11, I add nine normally, so that's 20. If I add 10, that's 30.

SPEAKER_14 10:59

I want you to describe this picture that you have created before you, knowing that it's a 30.

SPEAKER_10 11:07

And this is in the aftermath of the Gulthias tree in town.

SPEAKER_14 11:13

Slayed the Lich. It lies there beneath the feet. There is the phylactery in the hands of Zelfira. She wears a similar one, but slightly different on her chest. The chrysalis of the Golthias tree. Behind them, adventurers have slain evil here.

SPEAKER_10 11:33

I think it's um on the surface, not you know, terribly unique in its premise, but kind of one of those mirror image lake things, um, where on top is more or less, you know, the abstract of what I'm seeing in this world. Um and which it is a bog, but it's still, you know, nature. It's kind of a landscape. And then underneath is when I look at it afterwards, I think it's beautiful and horrific simultaneously. Um because it is darkness and um still like lush greens of nature, but nature in a terrifying sense. Um and so yeah, it is that that mirror image of there's a Zelfira standing there with a phylactery, and then underneath there, there's a creature that looks like you know, Zelfira standing underneath her, but the colors are all and kind of inspired by what I saw in this place was just terrible grayscale um of a dark version, basically.

SPEAKER_13 12:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_14 12:54

This simple sketch inside of a sketchbook. This should be framed in the finest museum in the world with a 30. I will add one more thing that you see when you look upon it. A flaw. A minor flaw. No one could see this. Not even the most trained eye in the world. You know this is a masterpiece. You've studied art. All over. This is unmatched, but there it is. That little piece at the corner. That little piece where Mortimer had once set and is now gone off of that.

SPEAKER_03 13:33

Damn it, Mortimer.

SPEAKER_14 13:35

It is unfinished. And even with the thirty, you have failed. And with that, please join us as we descend into darkness. Hey there we go. Hello, hello, hello. We have all of our table uh filled here with beautiful players. Welcome, welcome. Um where we left off last time, you guys, mighty heroes have slayed the lich of the land. You have traveled back on Bumblebee bison to Claudna, who, there waiting for you, with a deck of cards in her hand, says, Let's find a way to get you home now.

unknown 15:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_14 15:12

Before we do this, though, I feel like I need to reward you for some of the things that you've been able to do. Um, and she reaches up and she grabs and snaps off five of her branches at the lowest ends. Um, you see kind of the green kind of like retreat away, leaving the exposed branch as she snaps it off. And she hands one to each of you. And she explains this is a single-use wand.

unknown 15:49

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_12 15:49

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_14 15:50

That I shall be able to imbue with a bit of magic that I feel will help you in the future. We're gonna do this on a magic table, guys. Um, so what I want uh you to do, I'll kind of go around the table here, Matt. Maybe I'll start with you and I'll have you roll a D4 to begin. Four.

SPEAKER_19 16:11

Maybe I can get better this one.

SPEAKER_14 16:15

Three. And now I want you to roll a D20.

unknown 16:18

Should I say something?

SPEAKER_14 16:20

Four.

SPEAKER_12 16:21

No rules.

SPEAKER_14 16:24

Looking good. Three folds. Your wand has now stored in it. She focuses her mind and she imbues the power of this, knowing what you will need in the future. She has a bit of that divination magic within her as well, right? Um, and filled within this single-use wand is the daylight spell.

SPEAKER_05 16:44

Nice. Very nice. Coming back. Borislav, you're next. All right. D4, Roland. I got a two. Two. Roll a D20. Roland a D quante. Eleven.

SPEAKER_14 16:58

Right. Eleven. Yep. Um, you in yours focused in has the enlarge reduce spell within it. So we'll talk about.

SPEAKER_00 17:10

I can think of a few uses for that.

SPEAKER_14 17:14

Reduce because you're tiny or a two. A two, and then a twenty after that. So small. So smooth. Twelve. Twelve. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

SPEAKER_18 17:29

There's some hot in here.

SPEAKER_14 17:31

Um yours has imbued in it the find traps spell. Is this a willow stick wand? Yeah, you can call it a single. Yeah, you can it's kind of like a custom item that we're making right now.

SPEAKER_22 17:46

Four. I can't see that. Four and then five on the D20.

SPEAKER_14 17:51

Okay, four and five. One, two, three, four, five. In yours, you have conjure woodland beans imbued in there. Which is my favorite spell from when I played Ranger. I love that thing. Alright. You're up. Alright, and roll a D20.

SPEAKER_16 18:16

Fewer.

SPEAKER_14 18:18

That's a big one.

SPEAKER_16 18:19

Negative natural one. One just a one. Natural one.

SPEAKER_14 18:25

You have the blight spell. Oh, come on.

SPEAKER_16 18:30

What is that?

SPEAKER_14 18:30

Blight.

SPEAKER_10 18:32

Spider-Man. You ever see a bad plant again and you use that blight. You ever see a bad plant again and you use that blight.

SPEAKER_01 18:41

Bad plant.

SPEAKER_14 18:42

Okay. Um, take these with you. I sense that they will help you here in the future. Now, are you ready to go home?

SPEAKER_10 18:53

Very ready, yes.

SPEAKER_14 18:55

Well, perhaps we should start with you then.

SPEAKER_00 18:58

Perfect.

SPEAKER_14 18:59

Um she holds out deck of cards in front of you. And I'm just gonna do the honor system with you guys on this. Um, just there's one on the other side.

SPEAKER_11 19:12

I've had this with this deck.

SPEAKER_14 19:16

I don't like this.

SPEAKER_22 19:18

How do I insert what happened to you, Dad?

SPEAKER_14 19:21

Um, draw a card that you feel power from. So fan it out. Don't look at the cards, but draw one for yourself.

SPEAKER_12 19:32

And she explains protests.

SPEAKER_14 19:34

This will help me to define your future path. Um go ahead and pass it to the next person. Do not look at it. Just draw it and place it on the table before you.

SPEAKER_05 19:45

Find the right this one. Okay. That's it. That's the one. That's it.

SPEAKER_11 19:52

May the mountain gods bestow their blessing.

SPEAKER_05 19:57

They're gonna give you a rock. I'm gonna do it from the bottom.

SPEAKER_18 19:59

Bestow me some boulders. Always do it from the bottom. Bestow me your boulders.

SPEAKER_05 20:03

Your boulders are so big you can't move them. Thank you. Sorry. Yes. Feel the energy.

SPEAKER_11 20:13

Like that's all party. Feel it, feel it, feel it.

SPEAKER_05 20:16

It's like wheel wheelbarrel. Yes.

SPEAKER_17 20:22

Are you feeling it? Um feel it.

SPEAKER_14 20:24

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_17 20:25

Can you feel it crazy?

SPEAKER_05 20:30

Does he say wraithy?

SPEAKER_11 20:32

Are you feeling it now, Mr. Krabs? That's what I just said. I didn't hear the crab part.

SPEAKER_12 20:39

Like where are you going with it?

SPEAKER_14 20:43

Um, above table. You guys have already just now completed the first section of the Light of Darusk series. And now is gonna be a bit of a choose your own adventure based on the cards that you've now drawn. In-game, the flavor is. I am a bit of a divination, Bumbo. He gave me some of the gifts as we studied together. As soon as you look at your cards, I can read a little bit into it and give you some guidance on what exactly it might be to help to guide you in whatever that next step is. But first, I I sense something very evil coming from you, my dear. That's really rude. Do you have an item on you that is emanating? You did not have this before when we met.

SPEAKER_22 21:32

What? I did not have an item. Am I holding the thing that came from the tree? Oh.

SPEAKER_06 21:39

It would be evil.

SPEAKER_22 21:44

Which is gonna be odd because it kind of matches, although mine would look slightly different because he juge it up. It would be the separate Oh, yes.

SPEAKER_17 21:54

Don't want it. Okay.

SPEAKER_14 21:55

Not anywhere close to me. But now this makes more sense. Bumbo, he was a A divination. He gave me all the things that would be needed for this, including this. And she removes an item. Make a perception check for me.

SPEAKER_01 22:09

Yeah. Perception.

unknown 22:11

Roll it, roll it.

SPEAKER_14 22:15

Whoever wants to look. I want to look.

SPEAKER_19 22:18

Oops. She 26. Wait, can we look at her cards?

SPEAKER_14 22:24

Not yet.

SPEAKER_19 22:24

I'm so glad I didn't.

SPEAKER_14 22:26

This is me holding you in suspense.

SPEAKER_19 22:28

27. Big old.

SPEAKER_14 22:30

19. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 22:31

Yeah. It's pretty good.

SPEAKER_14 22:33

Not as good as 17. No, you guys all rolled.

SPEAKER_12 22:35

When did you get twenty-seven? Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_14 22:38

You guys all rolled great. Some of you are gonna see this in higher definition, right? You all see this very quite well. What you see is ironwood, the same iron wood that was on Bumbo's body. And those that have extremely high rolls, twenty-six twenty-seven, it is in the shape of a heart, a human heart. But how's been fashioned to open in a way. And she passes it to you, Zilfira, a box in which to put an item in. And she explains This can hopefully keep it safe for a bit. It's extremely dangerous, and we all know that Liches will regenerate themselves after a period of time. This can prevent it from happening, at least for a bit, but it needs to go back to its native plane in order to be fully destroyed. Do you understand?

SPEAKER_22 23:34

I believe so. I look over it. Borislav, as he's the only one from said native plane here that I think of.

SPEAKER_14 23:43

The cards, they now speak to me. They say that actually they're not for you, but another version of you. The same version that comes from this plane where this item must go.

unknown 23:55

The cards.

SPEAKER_14 23:56

When I send you with the cards, I'll send you there first for a moment, so that you can relay this to them and give them this object. But take the branches with you to your native plane. Those I I know will be needed. Do you understand?

unknown 24:13

I know.

SPEAKER_22 24:14

So yes. The cards are for when we must meet our other selves.

SPEAKER_11 24:19

Yes, which will give them. Mine died. Is that a problem?

SPEAKER_00 24:26

I have kind of a similar hopefulness. I think it's a good idea.

SPEAKER_10 24:30

Like no, never mind.

SPEAKER_19 24:33

No, you have to know.

SPEAKER_10 24:34

No, it's okay. You must.

SPEAKER_18 24:36

I persuade you. Can I persuade him?

SPEAKER_14 24:39

I don't know if it works like that. Let's get you guys home. Persuade. I already see the glimmer starting to wane on you.

SPEAKER_12 24:48

Time is short.

SPEAKER_14 24:50

Um so first, let's go with the question. Time is short with you. Yes, it's convenient. Because you are the you the you.

SPEAKER_06 25:01

Who's you trying to talk to you? I guess. But this is it's concerning that they want me to take this creative back to the other side. You need me to take the stick back to the other you because you're going away.

SPEAKER_07 25:15

I guess he would need it, maybe. And I gave him my stick of reduce enlarge. Okay. Sounds good?

unknown 25:23

How does that work?

SPEAKER_12 25:25

All right.

SPEAKER_05 25:26

Um, I want you to be spelled.

SPEAKER_07 25:30

This might work in my favor. It's Moana. Uh it's the fool. The fool.

SPEAKER_14 25:37

Zero.

SPEAKER_22 25:38

Did you hear that?

SPEAKER_21 25:38

You said this might work in my favor, that you have the enlightenment.

SPEAKER_14 25:41

When you uh do it, go ahead and pass it to the table to Matt here so he can display it for kind of.

SPEAKER_22 25:48

He's gonna enlarge it straight into your butt, is what you're just saying. And D4 for me as well. That's exactly what that sounded like.

unknown 25:55

Shh.

SPEAKER_06 25:57

We weren't trying to play DDs here, okay? How is it not about search stuff in my bundle?

SPEAKER_14 26:08

Two to a hidden factor that if revealed could change the path entirely. This fool has great significance in your future. It represents new beginnings, a new opportunity, a lathe, a leap for faith or adventure. I advise that you trust yourself, but make sure that you look before you leap. And I see a symbol, the white rose. Remember this symbol, it shall guide you. White rose. You see Borislav fold into himself as a speck of light and go into the card and both vanish.

SPEAKER_01 26:48

Whoa! Bye, Borislav.

SPEAKER_14 26:50

You were really sexy. And you appear before your body. Cedric, the uh Vulpin fox next to you for just a moment. And you see the card go down into kind of like hovering over and between you, and then you fold yourself into your body and you awaken there. Home.

SPEAKER_07 27:14

Ah, you're back. Has anything happened? So much.

SPEAKER_06 27:19

You snort horribly.

SPEAKER_07 27:20

Horribly, sir. Has anything happened to this plane? Has it has has anyone I don't know.

SPEAKER_06 27:25

I've been with you the whole time.

SPEAKER_07 27:27

Well, we must check on the others.

SPEAKER_14 27:29

Indeed.

SPEAKER_18 27:29

Has it been the same amount of time there?

SPEAKER_14 27:31

Next, let's bring Requiem home.

SPEAKER_18 27:36

Yes.

SPEAKER_14 27:36

Requiem. Look at your card for me.

SPEAKER_18 27:40

Timmy Ho. Hey. What is what are you? The temperance.

SPEAKER_14 27:45

Temperance.

SPEAKER_18 27:46

14, the temperance.

SPEAKER_14 27:47

Number 14. And roll a D4 for me.

unknown 27:50

I can't really tell.

SPEAKER_18 27:51

They're working it.

SPEAKER_14 27:52

Pass it around. Come on, guy. Pass it over to you.

SPEAKER_18 27:57

Fifteen.

SPEAKER_14 27:59

No, roll a D4 for me. So he's No.

SPEAKER_08 28:04

No. No, that's not gonna work. You can't get that on a four.

SPEAKER_18 28:10

Three.

SPEAKER_14 28:12

Three. A three. Oh, it's like modern day Apollo's. A three. This is an ally or a reward that shall come to you in your future. Temperance represents balance, harmony, healing, integration. I see that you need to be able to blend opposites carefully. And she studies your wraith like nature for just a moment. You need to find harmony. Look to the symbol of chalices. Hopefully they will guide you in whatever the next step is.

SPEAKER_18 28:56

I know with the symbol of chalk.

SPEAKER_14 29:00

You snap into the card in a burst of light, and you appear before your um mortal elven form hovering there between the card illuminating before, and in that moment, your half-elf self gets the full download of everything that just happened while you are on the gray plane and understands what has just happened. You have a moment to be able to speak to your mortal self. Do you choose to say something?

SPEAKER_00 29:32

No.

SPEAKER_14 29:34

You guys stare knowing what has happened, and you snap away again. Next, let's take care of Zelfira and get her home. Short hair and show me what your card is.

SPEAKER_19 29:51

We just looked at each other like that.

SPEAKER_22 29:54

I don't know if that part matters. The Empress?

SPEAKER_14 29:57

The Empress.

SPEAKER_22 29:58

Where's my card?

SPEAKER_14 29:59

That is so fitting.

SPEAKER_22 30:01

She's got this a world in her belly. And um Wait, wait, wait. Oh, sorry.

SPEAKER_14 30:08

Give me a D4 roll. Two for a go with.

SPEAKER_22 30:11

D4. It is a one. She got the whole Ah no.

SPEAKER_14 30:16

In her butt. The Empress. This shall be an enemy or an obstacle for you. The Empress, she is creation itself. Growth, fertility, abundance. My advice to you is this cultivate what matters. And nurture the creative. I see a symbol of wheat growing in a field. You snap a flash of light. And you appear before your princess Zilfire form in the light of Darus. Similarly, the card exists between you. She gets the download, and you may say something to her in this moment.

SPEAKER_02 31:15

Why are you so peppy?

SPEAKER_14 31:20

Why are you so yes?

SPEAKER_22 31:23

Trauma, my dear. Trauma. You have none of it. But radiantly annoyed of other Z.

SPEAKER_12 31:35

You don't like yourself.

SPEAKER_22 31:37

I think she's just jealous, really. I think this Z is just jealous of the other Z just easy life, okay?

SPEAKER_14 31:45

Okay.

SPEAKER_10 31:47

Smiley. What card do you have? The Emperor. Roll a D4 for him. He has nothing in his own. He's sitting on his world in his body.

SPEAKER_21 32:01

He's sitting on a belly.

SPEAKER_08 32:02

He's like a world, though. A one.

SPEAKER_22 32:04

So his world is in his balls.

SPEAKER_14 32:08

Another enemy or an obstacle is in the source of all life. The Emperor represents structure, stability, leadership, authority. Perhaps an authoritarian if this is an evil presence. Always with authority. I sense that you need to create order and boundaries in order to combat this foe. Be disciplined. Be protective. I see a symbol of a ram. Take this symbol with you. Snap into the card and you appear before yourself in the light of Dorus. This is the first time that you have been there. There's a long attic chamber that extends far, far back. There are little trinkets that line the walls, little mechanations, and also art supplies of a different kind. And you see yourself working on something suspended by many cables, a long, long creature, almost snake-like, with each like hump suspended by a cable. Behind it, a woman. Soft, a bit of grease smudged on her face. You see your mother there tinkering on this item. Make a perception check with advantage. Twelve. Twelve. This object that you're working on is dragon like, but not stereotypical dragon like. It is serpent like a lung dragon. But with a twelve you can't tell what type besides that it is gold with a red mane. And you also cannot see your mother any more than what you have. There next to you in this form, you see two items, knowing that you have only enough time to grab one. The first a ring with a little bit of paint smeared on it, suspended in black ink jar. The second, a paintbrush that shimmers with magical energy. I grabbed the brush. You grab the brush, you snap away from this place. Reginald, what is your card?

SPEAKER_16 34:43

Oh scary looking death rebirth.

unknown 34:50

Death and rebirth.

SPEAKER_11 34:51

Mental death. Death and rebirth? Oh shooting.

SPEAKER_14 34:58

Reginald, I want you to roll a D4 for me.

SPEAKER_12 35:00

It's like the face has got a certain note.

SPEAKER_22 35:03

Rebirth. Maybe other Reggie has a chance. Yeah, you rebirth down.

SPEAKER_14 35:10

Two. Ah, yes. Death and rebirth. This is a hidden factor that if revealed could change the path entirely. Death is not always bad, but perhaps just a way to end, to become something more, something greater, a transformation, a major ending that creates renewal. I sense that you need to release what has expired, to evolve, to become reborn. And I see a white rose. I want you snap out with that. And you appear in front of a grave, looking down at the scene where they had been burying Reggie down on the plane, and just a maser and Cedric leans over to you and he says, The rest of him melted off. It was just spones, what was left when they buried him. Everyone else has left at this point, though, and you are hovering above the grave. You reach down to put the card on the place. It sits there for a moment. A beetle scuttles over. From the ground, a skeletal hand emerges, grasping the card.

SPEAKER_01 36:40

Why is Reggie so mad off?

SPEAKER_14 36:43

So you poof away again. I poofed away right as the You poofed. I poofed. I'll tell you what happens. Too much poofing. And all of you appear now again, drifting in this light form, four thousand, five thousand feet in the air. Why don't I have a floating floating amongst the clouds and breathing through the clouds, that same enormous figure that I think maybe only you had seen just the briefest amount of when you emerged. A another dragon's face comes through. Whoa. Green, wooden, his arms coming out, and beyond that huge dragon wings, the bottoms of each are like falling branches that fill out the remainder of it. 200 meters wide, 250 meters wide, a quarter mile, wavering and hovering there in front of you.

SPEAKER_22 37:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_14 37:59

Make a history check. All of us?

SPEAKER_22 38:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_14 38:05

You're all looking at this massive wooden dragon.

SPEAKER_22 38:08

Three.

SPEAKER_11 38:10

Net twat one. Oh, that was almost for the head in my head.

SPEAKER_18 38:17

I like that you're saying. Net one.

SPEAKER_14 38:20

Net one. Um some of you just stare in awe at this creature, unknowing Salfira with the 21. You have heard of the mighty tree Yigdrasil before. The world trill or the world tree. You had even collected some sap of this mystical thing. There is a myth tied to Yigdrasil, though. A counterpart. A dragon. As ancient as the tree itself. The Yigdragon. You pass out of sight, almost going through the dragon in your like ethereal forms, and you pass through to the other side and you awaken.

SPEAKER_19 39:05

Okay.

SPEAKER_14 39:06

In the shadows of Stravia.

SPEAKER_19 39:08

That's freaking not falling through the sky. Okay.

SPEAKER_14 39:11

It's dark. You're all bundled up and stuff. You're like pushing up against cloth, it feels like. What do you do?

SPEAKER_22 39:19

Where are we at? I try to move. Take care of my waist. Calm down. Calm down. I take my knife on back to the back. We're all here.

SPEAKER_14 39:29

You cut the cloth. You cut the cloth. It is, it is uh kind of like early morning. As you kind of stumble out of this thing, you see some bushes nearby.

SPEAKER_21 39:37

Where bushes?

SPEAKER_19 39:39

Did they throw our bodies in the middle of the room? Are those monster dogs still around here? Do we know where we're at? Like are we back at the camp that we fell asleep at?

SPEAKER_14 39:46

You're still in a bag. You don't know where you're where you're at.

SPEAKER_22 39:48

Do I feel anything under me?

SPEAKER_14 39:50

Make a perception check.

SPEAKER_22 39:52

If I'm feeling just bag, I would be taking my 20 22.

SPEAKER_14 39:58

You feel a small fuzzy form kind of curled up around your ankle.

SPEAKER_22 40:04

Aww. Isn't the pulse hit?

SPEAKER_14 40:07

You feel uh down with that high roll. There's a there's a little cup belly on it. It has eaten all of your rations. Yeah, sunshine label has followed you in because it was deserved more rations and uh is is in this this burlap. Can I look outside where I cut? And what do I see around me? You look out and you see some some bushes, you kind of kind of go over the top, and you see the caravan that uh that you guys had started from. Um you see the form of Karina who has awoken um and is still just sipping some some kind of tea at this point um to get her her senses back. There is a sense of calm as people go through the morning routine of breakfast.

SPEAKER_22 40:53

I'd be cutting myself out of my bag and then helping whoever else is still in a bag. I didn't want to go back. I just looked out. I cut down my bag, and then whoever is still needing assistance.

SPEAKER_14 41:07

You cut open your bag, you see at the top a note tied to the stream.

SPEAKER_22 41:12

Well then, what time of day is it?

SPEAKER_14 41:13

It's like early dawn morning.

SPEAKER_22 41:15

Oh, phew. Okay. I was like, am I gonna like straight up just Okay, that's that's better. We're good. I a note. All right, so I will be and I have you take a look at the note, and it says Carl thought that you'd want to be back with your stoof.

SPEAKER_14 41:31

So I uh hope you do wake up and that you're not dead and all that. We'll be sure to come visit you and try those muffins that you promised. Be down shortly from Carl.

SPEAKER_05 41:41

Yes, Carl says hello.

SPEAKER_22 41:44

Really can't believe how much of it. Good intentions, I think. Putting us out here.

SPEAKER_14 41:50

And that is where I would like to transition with you guys. Thank you guys for this old foyer.

SPEAKER_22 41:59

In the light. To the light. Sunshine label. Wait, eating all sorts here. Or did he stay?

SPEAKER_07 42:10

That was my Lida Doruska. Yep. I know.

SPEAKER_22 42:12

That's why I'm making sure you returned and stayed there, because I didn't know. Because you were you did come from here with us, but from there. You know? It was all confusing.

SPEAKER_18 42:20

Like, do you need help?

SPEAKER_06 42:24

Border Slov.

SPEAKER_07 42:27

Angry Boris Love is still Angry Rebe. I can't believe you drew Death Rebirth.

SPEAKER_11 42:36

It's like the perfect card for Jesus. I did not know what it was gonna be, but. What did you do? Can I see the deck?

SPEAKER_21 42:42

Death Rebirth. So cool.

SPEAKER_11 42:44

The deck as it is right there, is that the top card that I would have drawn, you know? Uh Justice. Oh, okay. In the top card? What would have happened? Can I ask that?

SPEAKER_08 42:54

I know.

SPEAKER_14 42:55

Well, I guess we'll have to find out.

SPEAKER_08 42:58

Custom a vest back from you, mate. Mate, no, this is mine forever now.

SPEAKER_22 43:05

To be fair, the vest over ruffles isn't this. He's got his ruffles shirt under it.

SPEAKER_10 43:13

Stuart over. Hey, pirates can wear denim.

SPEAKER_22 43:14

Oh, perfectly.

SPEAKER_10 43:16

Denim goes with everything, guys. Don't take it off because that means we die.

SPEAKER_22 43:21

Hopefully.

SPEAKER_11 43:22

Okay. I drew the right card. Hey. What a big thing. So rusty at Christmas.

SPEAKER_14 43:36

Hello, my dears. I actually have a nacoma.

SPEAKER_12 43:41

You're in the car somewhere.

SPEAKER_14 43:42

I'm done for the rest of this episode. You seem too happy to be waking up from a coma. It's fun being a player with them back on this side of the country.

SPEAKER_22 43:50

I'm back alive.

SPEAKER_11 43:52

No, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_16 43:53

Look at the microscope.

unknown 43:55

What?

SPEAKER_22 43:55

Look.

SPEAKER_05 43:59

So happy. Handsome. Why don't you look at her pop?

SPEAKER_07 44:05

Oh, take it easy. She's got them bear lumps.

SPEAKER_12 44:11

Look at my boss.

SPEAKER_06 44:13

My lovely bear lumps. Check it out.

SPEAKER_10 44:20

No.

SPEAKER_18 44:21

It's got a tail raptor.

SPEAKER_10 44:25

Borislav. Well, I first need from you what you've been up to these past few weeks. I think um. I want to say it's like at least 21 days, if not a whole month, since you left the party.

SPEAKER_07 44:49

Well, I would say um where I left off is I went back to Stravia to assist with getting the Admiral back to the Brightwinds. Um I'd have a lot more questions than uh what else I would have been up to, more like what exactly came about that for me. Um getting back to the Brightwinds with the Admiral and then trying to assist with whatever I could to get him back to his normal self, if at all. Um, and working with the uh the druids of the elves, and then uh definitely keeping tabs on the uh goings-ons with the vampires and how there, because I know that the the goals with Eldrith were pretty important. So I I would have um done my best to understand what was happening there to see if there was going to be any sort of mending that uh bridge or mending that fence, and then um the last thing I would do is uh probably spend some time with Fenric and uh observing the movements and I guess army building of the um the Dawn uh A. Yeah, AJ Solas. Because uh I do know that for a fact um there are a few people that I wanted to keep an eye on if possible.

SPEAKER_10 46:27

Yeah. Um the first thing you mentioned was uh checking on the Admiral and like integrating out with the bright winds and kind of smoothing over operations there. That feels charisma-y to me. Um Go ahead and give me a persuasion role to see how that went for you.

SPEAKER_06 46:48

Terrible because I am not very persuasive. But we will try. Uh 15.

SPEAKER_10 46:55

15. Um you found during your time um, you know, not in a in a small part to your uh aid, but you know, Finric is a more experienced druid, um, and and due in great part to his help as well, you did find that you were able to um see Admiral Korthos through and if not a not at like a complete recovery, he still suffered, right? Like even if he even if you cured feeble mind, which you believe you did, um, he still spent who knows how long months at least in a cell was emaciated and looked terrible. Um but he was able to come to senses and uh spoke of his capture and uh was able to be sent back home to the to the woods and to his to his brother. Um and uh during that time you integrated well with uh the bright winds and they kept you um up to date in Slavoka um a lot of peace between the two. You had left in kind of that stalemate or ceasefire with the release of the Admiral, knowing that um like the acts of rebellion with the uh the Brightwind Elves and the Sunlit Path were kind of uh quiet. Not that everything's good in Slovoka right now, but at least that powder keg doesn't seem to be lit at the moment. Um The next thing you mentioned was keeping an eye on the vampiric nobility, right? Um I'd say you can choose either a perception or an investigation check for that.

SPEAKER_04 48:58

Perception. Yeah. That's an eleven.

SPEAKER_10 49:04

An eleven. An eleven, you know, kind of what everyone's been hearing, and you kind of hear the aftermath of what happened at the Crimson Court meeting from this side. Um, you know, the the assassination of Celine by Saren Murr, and then the beheading of Saren Murr by her brother, Valtor Blackheart. Um, and that certainly it seems like both of those houses, the Black Hearts and the Mr. are in great turmoil. Certainly the black hearts are the bigger news as one of the three major houses. Um, them being on the rocks is quite the quite the predicament. Um they're not uh no one would say that the black hearts are finished, but they're certainly most people saw Celine as their bright future. Um Valtor is certainly a capable warrior, but he no one thinks he's a politician. Um vampires live a long time, but at some point Draven will probably want to pass the torch, and now he doesn't have a child to pass it to. I will also give you uh during that time, uh well, I is there any attempt during that time alongside with that to make contact with any um um steel heart or non-inutorum uh context there?

SPEAKER_07 50:36

Uh I think the the Yoturum I would have tried to the Steelhearts I wouldn't have just because I don't want to sort of engage them in any way unless it's necessary. I I don't want to, you know, stop them from doing what they're doing. Yeah. But the Yoturum, because of uh our following Tragul, I would I would definitely have engaged with them, just updated them on what I've learned, but also where I think things are going for him. Um and I don't really think it would have gone beyond that because it's still in line with what we're seeing. So um just for others within the sect to maybe keep an eye on him as well. Yeah.

SPEAKER_10 51:25

Um you uh you kind of make sure. Um you know, in my line of work, they call that the the win the lottery or get hit by a bus plan, right? Like if I'm not here anymore, is there anyone else who can carry on what I'm doing? Um so you so you you pass that to who you think appropriate in the Northern Yoturum during that time. Um and finally, you said that you're keeping an eye on the AJ Solis with Fenric.

SPEAKER_12 52:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_10 52:02

And of course, that you know that this is the most personal because keeping an eye on the AJ Solis from what you saw last is not just the AJ Solus. Right. Um would did you ever go in person to like scout them or try even from a distance to scout them?

SPEAKER_07 52:24

Yeah, I would I would have definitely gone in in animal form to uh specifically locate Vishni and see where he's at.

SPEAKER_10 52:34

Give me a survival check.

SPEAKER_04 52:40

I'm not there to guide him. Uh 20. 20 good. Nice.

SPEAKER_22 52:48

He's a new red skip.

SPEAKER_04 52:50

Uh dirty 20, right? Yeah, dirty 20.

SPEAKER_10 52:53

I think I have a advantage on survival checks, but what you see during this time is that the troop that you saw previously, I think they were uh uh not in grey to but a little bit outside of Grey Dill, they are moving towards Grey Dill. And um it's not the whole troop, but a portion of it. Some seem to be remaining where you saw them previously, but some number, um including what looks to be a uh a contingent of paladins, probably not their strongest, but at least like one capable leader, paladin, several other paladins and other um soldiers, and Vishni in particular, are heading towards Greydale. And with them, they are carrying like some strange equipment, but you can't help but since with that role, it's like excavation equipment. This is what you would see from the from the carts of those like undead strawing when they're going to go mine out a location. They're bringing mining equipment to Grey Dell. Interesting. And with a dirty 20.

SPEAKER_13 54:16

Filthy 20, filthy.

SPEAKER_10 54:27

The first is Ogre Tracks amongst their party. A crude, endless waste war totem at an AJ Soulless camp. Signs of negotiation between these two parties. And you hear a name from like an again, one of those, you're crouched on a hillside, uh, uh, some horsemen ride beneath you. You hear a name whispered, Orlock Bone Crusher, uh, spoken um with uh like simultaneously. These are uh you know, these are paladins, so somewhat um condescension, but also like this is this is the kind of the ogre leader they're dealing with or they're speaking to. And you you from the sense of that conversation, you get the gist that he is not here yet, but he is coming.

SPEAKER_05 55:23

This troubles me greatly. It does!

SPEAKER_06 55:29

Umlock home crusher. The color change. Yeah.

SPEAKER_10 55:38

But there's one moment in particular that you watch the camp and you watch Vishni. And you see Vishni carrying on, laughing, drinking with these paladins, like a new clan that he's found. Held in even in this group, he is the leader, the man that all of these people look up to. And in that moment, I need you to give me wisdom saving throw.

SPEAKER_04 56:33

Uh saving throw plus six. Twenty-three.

SPEAKER_10 56:41

Twenty-three. You are no longer in great. You are on your knees in the glade. The glade ringed with fire. This same glade where you first saw Katarina. Where the light was. But there is no light now. Nanya is staked to the ground where the wolves can reach her, your bear mother. The hobgoblins ring around you, barking and sneering. Vishni holds Hartarift. Your mother's axe, your father's axe. He holds it at Katarina's throat. And he is smiling because she chose you. You raise your hands. Empty. No sense of bravery, you are the strongest thing in this grove right now. But you raise your empty hands and you beg. What do you say?

SPEAKER_07 58:13

Um I think Vishni, I think Borislav would. Vishni, she is one of your own. You are a protector of the slave as much as she is. Why take this action to harm life and this home and people you care about? Please take me, not her if you must take blood.

SPEAKER_10 58:46

His nostrils flare. He smells your fear. He smiles, teeth sharpened into fangs. And he looks down at this woman who did not choose him. And his smile turns into a scowl. He opens her throat with your axe. Blood flows. But you don't move. So he turns and he throws the axe and buries it into Nanya's side. And her blood runs warm around your knees as you're kneeled in this glade. And only then do you roar. But it's too late. Borislav didn't see this then. But Borislav confronted by Vishni in this moment, sees it now, this red rope string emitting from your chest and extending to Vishni's. And you would know, with the experience you have now, and then you want to turn that this is a fate thread. And you know, as no one needed to tell you, but there's a part of you that never left this glade. Why didn't you save them?

SPEAKER_07 1:00:41

He was new. He was he was a brand new druid. He knew how to fight, but he wasn't anywhere near capable of handling the situation.

SPEAKER_10 1:00:56

He thought he could get through with peace and even then, Borislav, you were the strongest thing in that glade. Why didn't you save them?

SPEAKER_07 1:01:15

I don't know.

SPEAKER_10 1:01:17

You raised your hands and you begged like a child, like a dog. Why didn't you save them?

SPEAKER_07 1:01:37

I don't know. I know he was filled with rage after that.

unknown 1:01:45

Okay.

SPEAKER_10 1:01:50

You return Fenric looking next to you. Um Borislav. Are you okay?

SPEAKER_06 1:01:58

I Yeah, just old nightmares. Yeah, some we should get back.

SPEAKER_10 1:02:10

Tell everyone what we've seen here. I think uh time is of the essence.

SPEAKER_07 1:02:16

Do you know where your other troop went I believe after they were done with their meetings, they were probably going to head back towards Stravia, but they may be coming through here.

SPEAKER_10 1:02:33

I it's been about that time. See if you can reach them. I will see what I can muster of a quick, but if they're heading to Grey Del there's nothing good to come in here.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:44

Are you sure you guys want to ally with these folk?

SPEAKER_10 1:02:50

My concern is for the people of Greyedel.

SPEAKER_07 1:02:54

Alright. I'll try and find them.

SPEAKER_10 1:02:58

Travel safe. You as well. Flies off in the form of a hawk. Um we'll move from that moment. The party, can actually.

SPEAKER_18 1:03:12

That was I thought Mo was about to jump over that table and it's getting bit like a dog. Let's go bitch. Come on.

SPEAKER_10 1:03:27

I will say, in this time that has passed, um, you deposited in your uh sacks back at the camp. You weren't conscious for some time. So I'm gonna be a nice DM and say that you have all had a long rest. So please complete your long uh rest.

SPEAKER_18 1:03:42

You're fine now.

SPEAKER_10 1:03:42

Do I get a long rest? You do get a long rest. And next next, you awaken. Oh, I awaken, okay. As as Nick's in uh, you know, Samuel, you're you fellas, you've you know, you spent the the night in Samuel's um nest, so so you expected to be in here, but you're looking like, oh, I'm Nyx. Like that's not totally abnormal to wake up as as someone else. You look around and you feel you feel great. Well rested. You slept for a long time. Okay. Yeah. Morning time.

SPEAKER_22 1:04:20

Wow, nice of you to join everyone. Nix? You're awake now.

SPEAKER_14 1:04:24

Yes, I had a nice long rest.

SPEAKER_22 1:04:28

Right.

SPEAKER_14 1:04:28

Delightful.

SPEAKER_22 1:04:29

It's been a very long time and very eventful.

SPEAKER_17 1:04:32

And um god, I don't even know where to begin.

SPEAKER_22 1:04:36

I don't think we have enough time. One thing I do know is you have some fancy blue eye that tried to enter your mouth. And I had to stop it. But Pop may have run off with it.

SPEAKER_15 1:04:50

Oh god.

SPEAKER_22 1:04:51

I'm not sure what it is.

SPEAKER_15 1:04:54

I know exactly what it is.

SPEAKER_22 1:04:56

You literally vibrated and tried to I don't even know. Climb into your mouth.

SPEAKER_10 1:05:00

You have all the memories of that moment. You understand? You have all the memories of the moment up until you know when it looked at you, and you're like, I remember everything. Um, and then the one key memory that you selected. Yes.

SPEAKER_20 1:05:12

I kicked it and then it went it, and then it tried to go back, and then Thank goodness, it's extremely dangerous.

SPEAKER_14 1:05:19

My father showed up as a death raven, and he was like, be mine, and you know, uh I'll give you more power. And I was like, no, Dad. No, I'll do it on my own. You'd have been very proud of me.

SPEAKER_22 1:05:32

That's impressive. Okay, great.

SPEAKER_14 1:05:34

Um but still he tempts me with the eye.

SPEAKER_22 1:05:37

Is the eye powerful? That the eye has the power?

SPEAKER_14 1:05:40

Yes. And and maybe I should take the power. Hear me out. Okay. Hear me out. Okay. He said it could give me my memories back.

SPEAKER_22 1:05:51

Right. And what else?

SPEAKER_14 1:05:54

And also the power to do great, you know, good. He said I could kill people. Populations, uh, a ogre army could come and I could stop it.

SPEAKER_22 1:06:04

Do you see what has happened to all of the land that your daddy is sponsored?

SPEAKER_14 1:06:13

I didn't say he's exactly trustworthy, but I mean I don't think he was lying.

SPEAKER_22 1:06:17

So you're gonna get all this power from him strings at hearts. It's okay to like go to the drawing board and see what's going on.

SPEAKER_08 1:06:25

I said no. You see smiley rush and oh, Borislav! Oh thank God you're here. That was terrible. I hated every second of that, by the way. Wait, say no, though.

SPEAKER_22 1:06:41

You did incredible. He's strong.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:43

I said smiley.

SPEAKER_22 1:06:44

He also has a familiar.

SPEAKER_07 1:06:48

He yelled out my name because of the Reginald!

SPEAKER_08 1:06:51

I mean talking to Borislov. That's already a moment. I just dreamed a thing, but I didn't, but it was in another play, and there was a Boris up there. He was really hot. Reginald.

SPEAKER_11 1:07:01

Now I know how Karina feels.

SPEAKER_22 1:07:04

Smiley.

SPEAKER_11 1:07:05

Yes.

SPEAKER_22 1:07:06

You still seem smiley, right? Like all of that was real. I mean, I'm real and I was there.

unknown 1:07:12

He has a familiar too.

SPEAKER_10 1:07:15

Anything real other than just what we perceive? Familiar. Truly. Like, how can we really say that? I just had a nice long map, and now you're all right.

SPEAKER_08 1:07:24

It's not just a painter. Um Borisov, how would you be traveling?

SPEAKER_07 1:07:29

I would be traveling in my uh bear owl form right now. I would because it's the fastest and I would be uh able to still smell out where the party is if I got close enough.

SPEAKER_10 1:07:40

So yeah, easily enough. They're traveling not far off um you know the caravan route down. So um this is probably like an overnight journey for you. But you sail in in your large bear owl form and you see their their caravan kind of circled around, remnants of a campfire, kind of hear some distant shouting in one of the looks like the largest uh caravan. But yeah, you uh you approach. Okay. So are you guys in a wagon right now? Are you guys outside a wagon?

SPEAKER_22 1:08:10

We're probably outside, just with our gelling axe or other.

SPEAKER_11 1:08:14

Okay. Probably saw us crawling around.

SPEAKER_22 1:08:19

He's not just an artist. I'm telling you, he's got skills.

SPEAKER_14 1:08:22

I told you I have skills. He told us he had skills. I invited him along. He's a huge Okay. That's a huge owl.

unknown 1:08:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 1:08:35

Coming down and hitting the ground. I'd flip into my my half-giant form and you would see it's it's regular grumpy Borislav. Oh.

SPEAKER_22 1:08:45

And uh uh Today's the day I'm making my best. You're a lot less glowy than your other one that we were with.

SPEAKER_12 1:08:52

What?

SPEAKER_22 1:08:52

What? Um We've had another you there's another Borislav. He's very nice from a different layer of a cake.

SPEAKER_07 1:09:00

Well, did you did you help him?

SPEAKER_22 1:09:02

We did. And he liked us. This thing, although he's gonna probably be mad because technically this thing needs to go back to his world to die.

SPEAKER_14 1:09:11

What happened? The phylactery stuff did get deposited with your other self.

SPEAKER_22 1:09:16

The acryl necklace, though?

SPEAKER_14 1:09:18

Yeah, the phylactery and the thing. That deposited with the thing. So it is it is an extraordinary.

SPEAKER_20 1:09:23

Okay, just kidding.

SPEAKER_14 1:09:25

You have your wands.

SPEAKER_20 1:09:26

I will explain. Well, yeah, there's a lot.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:28

I'm gonna slowly inch closer to you to see if you're gonna let me hug your arm like the other Borislav did.

SPEAKER_07 1:09:32

Eldrith here. Did the and I kind of hold my axe out like in front of me a little bit.

SPEAKER_22 1:09:37

That is the normal growth, Borislav.

SPEAKER_07 1:09:39

Is Eldrith still here?

SPEAKER_22 1:09:41

He's not with us. Is he alive? Yes.

SPEAKER_07 1:09:44

Did you help secure the seat for them?

SPEAKER_22 1:09:53

Go against his word? Absolutely. So did Celine. Is Selene alive? No.

SPEAKER_07 1:09:58

Who's heard? I've heard that there was an assassination.

unknown 1:10:02

Yes.

SPEAKER_07 1:10:02

And the murder, and then also retribution between vampire houses.

SPEAKER_22 1:10:08

Marin Blackheart had quite a little um falling yes, yes, that happened, which kind of threw everything into um a great disarray. Although everything we needed as far as securing Darushk, that happened, but we could not get Eldrith as a house. Although he was there, he sat with us, and he knows we tried hard. Very hard and Prince of Dorusk. Yeah, he was there too. Oh, you haven't gotten a pleasure to meet you.

SPEAKER_11 1:10:40

Oh, Borislav. He is a suitor.

SPEAKER_22 1:10:43

Oh my goodness. What? What is that?

SPEAKER_10 1:10:47

The earth trembles. Uh towards the south, you see a huge plume of black smoke. What's sound?

SPEAKER_07 1:10:54

Is that the direction of Grey Dell? Yes. Okay. Well The AJ Solus is making a move.

SPEAKER_22 1:11:00

What?

SPEAKER_07 1:11:00

Towards your people.

SPEAKER_22 1:11:02

We need to go. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_07 1:11:04

I'm not sure what they are up to, but they are bringing mining supplies and there are many paladins along with a small regiment heading towards that city.

SPEAKER_22 1:11:12

We can't leave them. We need to stop we need to save them.

SPEAKER_14 1:11:15

That's They're coming with paladins. That's right. So many of them that have not heard yet heard of the way. Right. Hurry. Um save them in time.

SPEAKER_22 1:11:25

How can we send word well, I guess I could send word. I'm going to do um Rogue. I don't really know how we'd get across here because I don't really have deliverers because we're not in city.

SPEAKER_07 1:11:38

Um We are the deliverers.

SPEAKER_22 1:11:41

You what?

SPEAKER_07 1:11:42

We're going to how many people do you have here with you that can fight?

SPEAKER_22 1:11:46

We can all fight, this is for sure, but we also need to cut them off. Well, we need more from wherever we can find. This is only a road party. This is not actually. Have you seen their camp?

SPEAKER_18 1:11:59

Did we have that discussion? I have it over.

SPEAKER_07 1:12:03

I would have relayed what um what I've seen, kind of what I've been doing.

SPEAKER_18 1:12:06

Oh no, we did. You were like, you I sell you and I was like, no, it's not me.

SPEAKER_07 1:12:10

And Dorusk.

SPEAKER_10 1:12:13

What there is an army in Dorus. His dad has their army. Your dad has a gun. Dorousk is too far.

SPEAKER_22 1:12:20

The thing is, Grey Dell is basically between you know, same thing.

SPEAKER_11 1:12:24

I think that's a very that's a very regional thought to be like, I have an army in the right.

SPEAKER_22 1:12:31

Reggie. Greydell is between us and my home, not between us and your well, your home. That's it's that's not the right.

SPEAKER_07 1:12:39

Waiting for an army to mobilize would take too long. I would definitely not be good with local army.

SPEAKER_22 1:12:48

All of the parties split.

SPEAKER_19 1:12:51

Just something powerful enough. Can you use it like once?

SPEAKER_18 1:12:55

Is it like a one-time thing and then you can just like be done with it?

SPEAKER_22 1:13:02

We need to travel closer while we're discussing our next steps. We need to get to Grey Dell.

unknown 1:13:09

Okay.

SPEAKER_22 1:13:10

We have to help.

SPEAKER_14 1:13:11

Innocent people die because I don't accept this power.

SPEAKER_22 1:13:14

That's we will chat about this on the way with um Borshlov here.

SPEAKER_06 1:13:18

Oh, wait then. What are we even talking about?

SPEAKER_22 1:13:21

There's an eye that can give him ultimate power. His daddy tried to give him an eye. His daddy as a daddy is the face of the colour.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:28

Your harness, did you hear that? Seems like a kind of a commotion down there.

SPEAKER_22 1:13:31

Krogar is very astute. I'm gonna load up on a horse with Yeah, we've already got packed up.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:37

Seems like we're starting to go. Who the hell is while we like him? Krogar, nice to meet you again. Kroger's my boy. So sorry.

SPEAKER_22 1:13:59

No, you can read your room. I'm sorry to we're walking to get ready. I'll be telling Borisov in a wrapped-up version of basically because I still don't know what it's called since he hasn't said. Basically, his father's trying to give him an eye of some sort of ultimate power, his father being the faceless god, of course. This thing tried to go into his body while he was passed out. I potted off because it was quite disgusting, and probably not good. And apparently you give him powers of um all kinds of salt. However, at what I believe a cost. And I don't know if the cost is worth it. What is your take?

SPEAKER_07 1:14:37

Ugh, the faceless god is nothing but pure evil. You can see the blight on the land.

SPEAKER_22 1:14:43

Right. That's what I told him. Oh I mean, but you don't know. But we might entertain something.

SPEAKER_07 1:14:48

No, I would not entertain something. No, we're not entered, that's fine. The only thing I would warn is that these paladins, as I had seen them traveling south, they had some of the banners or the phylactories of the effigies of the ogre kingdoms from the north. I do not believe the AJ Solis is working alone. In fact, I believe they are working hand in hand with the ogres from the endless waste.

SPEAKER_22 1:15:15

Sons of bitches.

SPEAKER_07 1:15:17

They are formidable alone.

SPEAKER_19 1:15:19

Yeah. Yikes.

SPEAKER_07 1:15:21

The good news is the Brightwinds have seen this, and this will definitely put a damper on any sort of dealings within the AJ Solus and the Brightwinds.

SPEAKER_17 1:15:31

Do the Brightwinds know that they're marching upon Grey Dow?

SPEAKER_07 1:15:35

They do. I was with Fenric when we saw.

SPEAKER_17 1:15:38

Do they plan to help?

SPEAKER_07 1:15:40

I have no idea, but he has gone back to alert his father.

SPEAKER_17 1:15:44

Well, we can only pray to the gods that they do. We need to go help how we can.

SPEAKER_22 1:15:49

Oh Lord, another conversation.

SPEAKER_07 1:15:52

Is this how he is at all times now?

SPEAKER_22 1:15:54

Now that he has been claimed a deity of his own because he's Faye and doesn't go by our religion, yes, that is indeed how he is.

SPEAKER_07 1:16:04

I have a guy named Godfrey in the Steel Heart clan that also claims he's a deity. But he drinks a lot and that's it. I mean that it's no good.

SPEAKER_22 1:16:11

I mean, ours drinks are off too. But I don't think that's quite a bit.

SPEAKER_07 1:16:16

The drunker he gets, the more godlike.

SPEAKER_22 1:16:18

Trust me, he will show you the book. He will tell you the way if you'd like to know the way to pause. He will show you.

SPEAKER_09 1:16:25

Um yeah, my camera turned off for some reason.

SPEAKER_10 1:16:28

I think it's because it's dead from the So you are all approaching Grado. How are you doing so? Is this stealthily? Is this uh banner is drawn, marching into battle? How are you doing it?

SPEAKER_22 1:16:47

Might I suggest stealth. I would say stealth if we don't have the numbers, which I don't think our party has the numbers. I want war drones. So if you're not coming in with your army, sir. They're in the root. So on this side.

SPEAKER_08 1:17:05

Five guys and some war drones.

SPEAKER_22 1:17:09

Stealth is best. You can pick people off that way and get an eye on. That's my opinion. What does everybody else say?

SPEAKER_14 1:17:17

Quite a bit of walking for.

SPEAKER_22 1:17:19

Can you please change the other side? This is not give us one. No. No. Oh, I like the thing. We love you, but this isn't really your scene, you know.

SPEAKER_14 1:17:32

He remains.

SPEAKER_18 1:17:34

Okay, for him.

SPEAKER_10 1:17:36

Um so it's you're you're marching your wagons slowly to try to not, you know, raise huge amounts of dust on the road. Uh as you begin to approach Greydale, you know that you're getting like a mile out where you know if you want to remain stealthy, you probably have to disembark and continue on foot. Uh, do you do so?

SPEAKER_22 1:18:00

Um, sorry. Yeah, I would believe having things off-road, right, would probably be best. I think so. That'll give us the advantage, I feel like. So we don't have any advantage in our carts that will help us.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:14

Um, I can go scout.

SPEAKER_22 1:18:16

Like, do we want scouts to go ahead? Just make sure there's no one like outside of the I don't know what you want. We need to be fast.

SPEAKER_07 1:18:27

So I can use my smelling as a like a distant perception. I'm definitely looking for where Bishni is, but I also, as I said, when I was spotting the camp initially, I would have tried to pick up as many scents from guards, people walking, their horses, everything, so I could be familiar with them uh going into a scenario like this.

SPEAKER_10 1:18:50

Um great. So uh if you all disembark, I will let you uh make stealth checks at advantage if being led by Borislav, because he's been here before and he's knows what he's smelling for.

SPEAKER_22 1:19:03

We would. Mm-hmm. Gladling.

SPEAKER_05 1:19:07

Two dirty twenties.

SPEAKER_22 1:19:09

Not twenty. Plus nine, so twenty-nine. Actually, I think that's a ten on mine.

SPEAKER_11 1:19:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_22 1:19:18

Twenty-six.

unknown 1:19:20

Okay.

SPEAKER_11 1:19:20

Dirty twenty. Wait, does what does that mean? Wanna have that?

SPEAKER_22 1:19:24

Oh yeah, myself's ten. Twenty one disadvantage.

SPEAKER_10 1:19:27

You have disadvantage on stealth because you're probably wearing plate. Because you're clanky. You're you're a clanky.

SPEAKER_11 1:19:33

So that doesn't mean I just roll one time. Straight roll. Okay.

SPEAKER_18 1:19:36

Unless you want me to get a little bit more.

SPEAKER_11 1:19:37

I rolled the I got the dirty. Is that on the first day? That was the first one. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 1:19:42

What's this mean?

SPEAKER_08 1:19:46

Uh yeah. So the lowest I heard was a dirty 20, is that sound right?

SPEAKER_10 1:19:49

That was 21. Okay. Um very nice. Um, you got quietly, uh, the party approaches. Now let me ask you this. Are there any uh NPCs that you bring with you during that portion? I want to bring Krogar.

SPEAKER_22 1:20:08

I was like, I imagine Krogar would come because he is a fighter. Be any of our fighters, but we really don't have a ton of well. Smiley would want to come. I'm like, I know Smiley's cable. He cannot be an NPC, he's not here. Dang it. Um I'd be more surprised I would try to convince Karina to stay, but these are her people. Would Karina stay?

SPEAKER_10 1:20:34

Give me a persuasion chip. The DC is 20.

SPEAKER_22 1:20:39

Okay, yeah. What is helped too? I don't think that matters.

SPEAKER_10 1:20:44

Help is advantageous.

SPEAKER_22 1:20:50

This is my persuasion. Oh, I have technically advantage on persuasion. Can I try and persuade it? Oh, that's gonna be 19 and 7 short. 19 short. Yeah, if I over.

SPEAKER_10 1:21:05

Uh present a strong argument, but this is her hometown. At least I hope not in that one. Um I said also you sold would naturally want to.

SPEAKER_21 1:21:14

Oh, yeah, you sold's here.

SPEAKER_10 1:21:16

Um, I will you know, sounds like you're taking all your strong fighters with you right now, and you do got like six carts, seven carts, so several carts of iron that you might leave undefended if you all leave. So I could rather have you sold than Krogar.

SPEAKER_21 1:21:35

That's true. If we were play fighter against these people, probably, and Krogar's used to your iron.

SPEAKER_10 1:21:44

So You know Krogar is uh is he's a general, you know, he's a general in the Father's Army, so he's an experienced warrior.

SPEAKER_19 1:21:50

And he works with well with us.

SPEAKER_11 1:21:53

So Krogar's been around for a while.

SPEAKER_22 1:21:57

Krogar can stay with the iron. We need someone protecting our stuff and our people.

SPEAKER_11 1:22:02

If we all die, yeah, it's the reason why.

SPEAKER_21 1:22:06

Alright.

SPEAKER_10 1:22:07

Okay, so you're leaving Krogar and like his crew and Pellin with the iron. I want to hug him.

SPEAKER_21 1:22:13

I was like, I think Smiley's there too, though. So Smiley's.

SPEAKER_10 1:22:16

I don't feel good about this, boy. You know that, right? I know.

SPEAKER_11 1:22:20

I have my teleport though.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:22

Listen, come here. Don't be brave, okay?

SPEAKER_12 1:22:27

No.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:28

The first one of your allies you see drop, just get the hell out of there. Go back home. Okay? We'll ask if you survived, and if not, then we'll just we'll just turn the cot around and we'll head back to Dorusk, okay? All right. Sounds good. All right. That's a good boy.

SPEAKER_11 1:22:42

Yeah, we do the do the you know, Arnold Schwarzenegger handshake.

SPEAKER_14 1:22:47

All right, good luck. Strength and cowardice.

SPEAKER_10 1:22:52

Um but very stealthily, you very quietly, you all approach uh Greydel, you um continue that mile down the road. You kind of uh go off the road at this point, quietly going through um the thying tundra that is uh north of Greydale. The trees thin and this valley opens, and on the ridge above Greydale, you see it uh before you. Though this is no longer the Greydale you remember. Um the little crossroads village uh that you saw last is a war camp. Now, um golden tents and sun disc banners choke the lanes. Uh the trade road is a marching column. The well square, the center of town, is a muster yard where they're training men and getting them armed. Um all of the small cottages dotted around the town have their doors kicked in or hanging off. And on every rooftop is um uh uh like an A.I. Solace zealot uh with a bow or a crossbow keeping watch over the town. There are banners you see strung high over the town, sun discs, beaten gold. Um Borislav's earlier work, you do see faint signs of um the Iron Hal clan here. Um, although probably none of you recognize it other than Borislav, but Iron Howl, like war band, uh a pelt with some bones stuck through it acting as a banner. Where the old temple uh to Apollo once stood, the ground has been torn open. A raw black pit gouged into the heart of the village, ringed with scaffolding and brazers. They are digging into this building. So they didn't have to dig very far, but like right under the outskirts of the road, you see the tops of um give me a perception check, anyone who'd like to. Um Reginald, you can make it with advantage.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:27

19 20, dirty 20.

SPEAKER_09 1:25:32

19, 20, 15, 21.

SPEAKER_11 1:25:36

And I rolled a 19.

SPEAKER_10 1:25:37

Yeah, all of you see, all of you see the tops of old Dwarven ruins. Um, this is pre-Stravia, and this is probably like a thousand years old. Um and uh Borislav, what was your role was the highest, right? Twenty five. Twenty-five. Um Borislav, you see that in these ruins, very faint, they're just beginning to glow. A low ember. Exactly the color of like a blacksmith's forge being lit. Uh, if I could have everyone help me remove the veil, we'll do it carefully because I have minis and stuff on it. So if we can like lift straight up, I'll rearrange things.

SPEAKER_11 1:26:39

Like that ocean worker. Oh god. I'm helping. I'm helping.

SPEAKER_04 1:26:43

I'm helping. This guy was here. Yes.

SPEAKER_13 1:26:53

Yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 1:26:56

Uh yeah, that's pretty good.

SPEAKER_22 1:27:00

I'm so confused what these people stand for anymore.

SPEAKER_10 1:27:02

Um, so you guys are you guys are on a ridge above kind of far end from me. That's the north, this is the south. Um this is this was the crossroads in uh in Greydale. But crews are swarming now, and uh you all see ogre uh teamsters, they look like workers, they're not really armored at all, but just kind of wearing a loincloth, sweating profusely. They're dragging a slab on log rollers towards this uh like newly constructed um uh pier over this yawning hole that they've cut and with a dwarven ruins beneath. Um you see some sun priests at the lip of the ruin, and they're scribing and Uh chalk and ash in there chanting. You see a black mausoleum set almost at the end of the pier, which is signified by this guy. And this is uh it is a skull like in appearance, but piece of it looks like primarily ogre make is what you would identify, uh Borislav. Um but you see they're quickly attaching pieces of wood to it that they're like they want something to be placed on it over the thing, and with your previously high perception, it's like, oh, they're the ogres are dragging something big and heavy, and it looks like about the right shape that they want it to be placed on this, basically, to sit on top of this hole that they've dug. Requiem. This is the first time that you've seen the AJ Solus in person for many, many years. On the tall standards mentioned by Borislav above this host previously, there's a woman's face worked and gold thread, haloed and dawnlight, hands open and blessing. It is your face and it is also not your face, but as Elyra Moondances as you were in life. Some figures beneath it at a moment. You see high paladin Agatha mounting her winged lion, this great beast. She seems to give uh uh some orders to Vishni and then a gold-faced paladin who is standing next to him, and she the eagle flies off to the northwest. That's near where we are, right? We are north of them. Yeah, it'd be like this way. Like with her high stealth checks, she doesn't uh doesn't see you.

SPEAKER_00 1:30:18

Um I need you to give me a wisdom savings or twenty-five. Twenty-five, you guys here. Fail, fail. I mean, you see Agatha again.

SPEAKER_10 1:30:47

You're back in a mortal form. A rooftop above the chapter house. The night before a march, you a young recruit into the AJ Solace. You couldn't sleep. You never could with the AJ Solace. You found yourself waking up in the middle of the night all the time. So you're humming. The little wordless tune you were always chasing, the one that you never quite finished. Isabella, your closest friend in uh in the order, climbs up beside you without a word, like she usually did. Whenever she noticed that you were missing from your bunk, she came and found you. She listened to you humming, and when you finally finish it, I want to be there. You see, can't help but see the scar across her forehead and under her brow, uh, the blade that she stepped in uh for you this spring. She never asked you anything about it, though you uh, you know, profess she ne she never took your uh apologies or anything in return. She has never asked anything of you other than to be what you are. And she's been the only way who hasn't only one who hasn't looked away when you started to show doubt. You come back and you hear that tune. Except now it has words. And now it has an ending. And you hear the Aji Solace beneath you as they're preparing their work, the men marching, uh gathering their weapons together, training. It swells, rises at this ridge that you're at.

SPEAKER_01 1:33:07

Oh Saint Ali of the dawn who gave a light to die. Oh lead us through the shadowed land till darkness burns and dies. She walked among the faithless folk with mercy in her hands she gave her breath to holy flame and lit the ashens And when the night is deepest black and hope is nearly gone. Look east and you shall see her face. The saint will come with dawn.

SPEAKER_10 1:34:20

They sing the song as a chant, as a ritual as they continue their work. I present to you all this scenario. You are sitted uh seated on a roof or a ridgetop. Um we'll call it currently some you know, maybe 300 feet, 100 yards or so above, but you know, steep decline from the ridgetop, should you want to descend, a much longer journey if you want to go to the sides. Um, you know that the city of Graydale is uh has kind of these 10, 12-put palisade walls. Nothing to write home about, but there it is walled, and those do remain. Um the biggest points of notice, other than what I've previously mentioned to you, are this chasm and the pyre pins that surround it. There are these pins immediately next, uh point to them here, signified by these civilians next to the chasm. Uh, but you see these are these wooden pens, hastily built um cottage timber and fence rails, and they are packed around with straw and book broken furniture, um, but the fresh sense Borislav of oil-soaked kindling. You see that these are cages filled with the citizens of Greydell that are already half kindling. And they are perched right on the edge of this chasm.

SPEAKER_22 1:36:06

What do these people even stand for anymore? These are humans, they're kinda.

SPEAKER_10 1:36:10

Um, above board, I will tell you that these ogres are moving this lens towards the pit right now. And round one starts right now. I need you all to roll initiative.

SPEAKER_22 1:36:23

Woohoo! These aren't these are humans in these pens, right? Like humans?

SPEAKER_10 1:36:28

Uh mostly, I mean, the citizens are great, though. So mostly humans, uh halflings, and you know, probably some gnomes.

SPEAKER_15 1:36:37

Um okay, yeah. You guys want to read them off to me and I can start doing stuff. 21. Z is 21. Nine. Reginald is nine.

SPEAKER_12 1:36:47

Rolled an apple.

SPEAKER_15 1:36:48

10. Grosslav is 10. Yeah, plus 10. Plus zero.

SPEAKER_22 1:36:53

Eleven. I'm pretty sure.

SPEAKER_15 1:36:57

Next.

SPEAKER_18 1:37:00

Well, if they have someone that can sense like what I actually am, they'll probably like immediately.

SPEAKER_14 1:37:06

Um did Smiley come with us or stay? Smiley will come with you. Okay. Sure.

SPEAKER_15 1:37:11

Can you roll for Smiley?

SPEAKER_00 1:37:12

But 17.

SPEAKER_04 1:37:15

So, you ready to get birth and jumped into the pit, right?

SPEAKER_10 1:37:21

Uh seven.

SPEAKER_22 1:37:23

They have all the humans in cages.

SPEAKER_19 1:37:25

Yep, with Kindle. What side of the town is that on, or the people in cages?

SPEAKER_10 1:37:30

I do not know right there.

SPEAKER_19 1:37:32

And what side are we on?

SPEAKER_10 1:37:33

We're far north. You're like coming from you're up on the ridge right now, so you're but basically consider the black on the far north.

SPEAKER_19 1:37:39

While I'm seeing all this and processing all of this, like what is the fastest that I feel like I could get to the middle right there?

SPEAKER_22 1:37:47

Or where Agatha is, actually. Like, where what is the thing?

SPEAKER_10 1:37:50

Agatha is gone.

SPEAKER_22 1:37:51

She flew off. She flew off.

SPEAKER_10 1:37:53

She flew off.

SPEAKER_22 1:37:54

Who was in charge then?

SPEAKER_02 1:37:54

Like from what we just saw? She gave orders.

SPEAKER_10 1:37:56

It seems like there are two primary people in charge. It seems like the leader leader is Vishni, who is signified by this gentleman next to the mausoleum or the tomb. And um you recognize um the golden mask of Thaddeus Aurelius, the Paladin commander who is next to Vishni. And you see, like he's um I'd we'll have to require our answer check for much because the the they those two seem like they're in charge.

unknown 1:38:32

Okay.

SPEAKER_10 1:38:32

It's okay being situated right here. Yep.

unknown 1:38:35

Okay.

SPEAKER_10 1:38:37

And then do you want enemy to have a triumph within the circuit? Uh yes. Or do you want to roll out when there's stuff? Um I'll have them go now because we'll just have them start a moving soon. So the enemy is 19. 19? Yes. And then um, could I have everyone's initiative too? Would you get? Sophia is at the top.

SPEAKER_14 1:38:57

Or do you want the actual numbers themselves? Just the numbers, yeah. Sophia 21. Okay. Reginald 9. Requiem 11.

SPEAKER_15 1:39:06

Borislav 10. Nyx 14. Smiley, 17. Yesold, 7, enemy, 19.

SPEAKER_10 1:39:18

Perfect. Um Zelfira, you are up first.

SPEAKER_22 1:39:23

Right. We are off the map right now, but our goal needs to be to do something. I think my goal is going to be to stealth. I'm going to try and get to the back of this watcher who's not watching this way. They're watching crowd and do stealth tactics to get rid of the high ground people. So um Okay.

SPEAKER_10 1:39:50

Um, I'm not gonna make you do, you know, the whole 300 feet would take forever. So I'm gonna speed that up a little bit. However, I will ask you, you're saying stealth. So what is your um, you know, that's not probably just like running down the ridge and causing a bunch of dust and rock slides and stuff. So how are you getting down?

SPEAKER_04 1:40:11

Oh.

SPEAKER_10 1:40:12

The long way would be like down and around to you to your getting to the road, basically. Um, in front of the gate.

SPEAKER_22 1:40:21

Is this a gated and we can only go in through the gate?

SPEAKER_14 1:40:24

Can we jump over the Palisade walls from where the this bluff is, or how far away are the walls from where this bluff is that we're at?

SPEAKER_22 1:40:30

Uh that was okay. You need no better idea.

SPEAKER_10 1:40:33

You theoretically could. Um again, if you have some way of it's about 300 feet. So if you have some way of like flying, then yes. Um, but it's and that's because that's mainly because it is right next to the ridge, but the ridge isn't perfectly straight down, so it's like 300 feet of slope until you get to the city.

SPEAKER_15 1:40:53

Oh, I um do have featherfall, of course.

SPEAKER_14 1:41:01

I mean, but we'd be falling. I don't know. What was the distance again from the bluff versus the the uh the walls? It's 300 feet. Just but is it straight down or is it 300 feet vertically?

SPEAKER_10 1:41:12

That's diagonally.

SPEAKER_14 1:41:12

Oh, diagonally.

SPEAKER_22 1:41:14

Or might have to be able to fall featherfall and like Oh my god, I don't even know what we can try to do from here. I guess the goal we can't just go in through the gate. Um different ploy. She's their deity. Um very obviously, but not this version of her. It has to be the other one. That's okay, I can make myself look like her. So that's what I meant. Do we go in and stealth tactics, or we go in and with her as a lead to the middle, to the lead. So if we can only get in through the gate, do we go in through the gate? And we go in with her as their deity.

SPEAKER_10 1:42:05

Uh we're gonna press you a little bit here. You have six seconds. This is initiative. So what are you? Are you communicating with your initiative or are you deciding to move it?

SPEAKER_22 1:42:12

I'm communicating with my initiative, because I don't know what else to I can't just go running into a frickin' place where people want to kill me. Only vampire here.

SPEAKER_05 1:42:21

Uh what time of it is it?

SPEAKER_22 1:42:22

Also, I would do about uh midday. I will say my bonus action would have been to spark um, I don't know, say, Nix, do you have some sort of plan here? And it would be giving you advantage. It's a help action.

SPEAKER_12 1:42:39

I don't know.

SPEAKER_22 1:42:40

Smiley came with us. I just need to get into psychic.

SPEAKER_08 1:42:46

Can I change my mind and go back?

SPEAKER_22 1:42:48

I mean, we're already here.

SPEAKER_10 1:42:52

Smiley, can you Okay, um, on the enemy's turn, the ogres move their burden. 15 feet further. Seems very heavy, covered with this uh large shroud.

SPEAKER_08 1:43:12

Um everyone else is yeah, patrolling, looking around.

SPEAKER_10 1:43:15

Um I don't know. Let's do this. Is this kind of fun? We'll let the scouts get it get a perception check. It'll say if they roll a natural 20, then they see one of you guys. It's an 18, that's pretty good, but not a natural 20. Um, so yeah, that's the enemy's turn at the moment. Uh Smiley asked to go home for his turn.

SPEAKER_12 1:43:39

Of course he does.

SPEAKER_10 1:43:40

Uh Nix, what do you do?

SPEAKER_14 1:43:42

Uh Nick's turns uh from his war form back into the war form is crazy. Well, it's a very long distance. We need to be using all of our movement. Uh even just start heading in the right direction, and we can figure out a plan perhaps on the way. I can absolutely be like you as well, and keep selling the stuff. What do you think?

SPEAKER_02 1:44:08

Like me selling Oh, like take your face.

SPEAKER_22 1:44:12

No.

SPEAKER_14 1:44:13

No, no, okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:44:14

I need you here.

SPEAKER_14 1:44:16

I mean, I am kind of a god as well. We could be going in duo god mode.

SPEAKER_18 1:44:21

Like twins? Sure. Like we multiplied?

SPEAKER_14 1:44:23

I see. I multiplied. You know these things better than me. Um I will uh I will try to use my my I'm gonna use my my action and my um movement to move double speed, and I'm gonna go towards No. We gotta get off this ridge.

SPEAKER_18 1:44:41

Oh, yeah, we can see we get it.

SPEAKER_19 1:44:42

Okay, if we get down I just don't want anybody going in yet.

SPEAKER_14 1:44:46

Um and so on if I'm trying to go either east or west, or there's main gates, are there side gates that I see for the game?

SPEAKER_10 1:44:53

There's a gate to the north and a gate to the south. You know that previously from being just north or south, though.

SPEAKER_19 1:44:58

Is there like an opening to get in around the back where the people are trapped?

SPEAKER_10 1:45:03

Um not really. There's the south gate, which would be way far over here. You know, previously you had the bridge and stuff. Um, but you see that that is they've destroyed the road and the gate to dig where the temple was to dig this pit out.

SPEAKER_19 1:45:17

So what would be the fastest way, like just looking at it, for them to get to these people without having to go through the road.

SPEAKER_10 1:45:22

There are ways for you to run down the ridge. Those the way you can do it stealthily is to go the long way, get off of the ridge, go down, or slowly climb down the ridge and go through. You know, how you get there is up to you, but you'd have to you there's a ridge right here, you can try to jump or whatever, or you can try to get to the ground and walk up to the gate and sneak through wherever you want to do that.

SPEAKER_19 1:45:42

But I guess yeah, for them to be able to access if I come in this way, which is way too.

SPEAKER_10 1:45:54

There's 40 people in four different groups of pins, ten in each pin.

unknown 1:45:59

Okay.

SPEAKER_14 1:46:00

I'm gonna go down around the east side to uh then uh eventually maybe circle back towards a gate. But right now it's about just getting closer. So I'm gonna do my action and my movement, just start doing all of that to safely get down. I don't want to take falling damage and stuff. Okay. And then uh my bonus action, I'm going to um you're my next one up. Is there any history that we can use to our advantage? And I will try to give you kind of a little bit of something to see if there's some advantage you can think of if you want to do a history check or whatever.

SPEAKER_18 1:46:32

Yeah, I'm gonna look at it.

SPEAKER_10 1:46:33

So if if you're using taking the slow way, I'm gonna say you have to use this round, action and movement, and next round action and movement to get to the gates. Gosh, how perilous is it to go straight down? Like, am I having to make athletics checks? It's a little perilous. It's more of there's like a 0% chance, unless you're flying or something, you can do it stealthily, right? You're running down a ridge, you're creating a huge and dust cloud, people are gonna see you coming. So it's more of stealthily or fast. If you choose the fast route, it's just this turn you're gonna be at the gates next round. I mean, I guess I said what I said. I'll go I'll go around. If if you I just presented that to you, so if you want to change anything, you're welcome to, but we don't have a plan yet.

SPEAKER_14 1:47:14

We almost need a round to be able to figure out what a plan is.

SPEAKER_19 1:47:16

No, that's why I was stressed with starting. I'm like, I can't do this.

SPEAKER_22 1:47:19

Yeah, so I will I will. I never lean myself into how many feet if I were to use. So I add 30 feet to my movement, 50 feet, so that's 80. And then I also add, so on my first movement, Dreddy Amber ambusher uses 10 feet, and my roving adds 10 feet.

SPEAKER_19 1:47:36

So what is what am I at? 50 plus that's a hundred feet.

SPEAKER_12 1:47:40

Okay.

SPEAKER_19 1:47:40

If I am booking it straight to the middle, to the gates, would that get me there?

SPEAKER_10 1:47:47

Are you going down the ridge? I mean, you fly, Rush. When I fly, I'm hovering and I'm flying.

SPEAKER_22 1:47:52

And that would get me there. She gets hella lucky.

SPEAKER_10 1:47:54

Are you trying to do this stealthily?

SPEAKER_18 1:47:58

Um, I'm not trying to be invisible, but I'm I will my goal is to draw attention.

SPEAKER_10 1:48:05

Okay. So I'm gonna say no then. You're not trying to do it stealthily, and you fffee.

SPEAKER_09 1:48:10

No, you're hovering, but you're still hitting some rocks and creating dust.

SPEAKER_10 1:48:15

And um, that's fine. Several scouts look up and see this trail down the ridge.

SPEAKER_19 1:48:20

Sorry, my am I able to make my disguise self while I'm doing like disguise self to make myself look as close to the banner as possible.

SPEAKER_10 1:48:30

What kind of action does disguise self take? It's one action, but you can move a hundred feet without using an action?

SPEAKER_19 1:48:36

No, I'm asking, like, what am I?

SPEAKER_10 1:48:38

I'm just trying to it. We're an initiative here. So if you want to disguise self, that's an action. So you can't go a hundred feet.

SPEAKER_19 1:48:44

How long how far can I go?

SPEAKER_10 1:48:46

What's your regular movement?

SPEAKER_22 1:48:48

50 feet.

SPEAKER_10 1:48:49

And then what were the other things you said 10 plus ?

SPEAKER_22 1:48:51

My Zephyr strike is a bonus action. All those other things don't require actions. That's just my features.

SPEAKER_10 1:48:56

So you can go 60 feet without an action.

SPEAKER_22 1:49:00

Right. And then no, no, no, no, 70 feet without an action. Because it might have the two features that add to my 50 feet, and then I would bonus action Zephyr strike.

SPEAKER_10 1:49:09

So my Uh I think you're still, because I said one round, I think you're still there at the gates with just with just uh so yes, you can disguise self with your uh with your movement and all those other things. And what do you disguise yourself as?

SPEAKER_02 1:49:24

Eliraminium.

SPEAKER_10 1:49:27

Okay. Um and you just approach the north gate. Is that correct?

SPEAKER_19 1:49:33

The closer I get, the more I'm gonna try and channel my inner nicks and try and seem as confident and regal, like with my hands out open, and slowly glide in.

SPEAKER_10 1:49:48

Give me a performance or deception check.

SPEAKER_17 1:49:51

Oh man.

SPEAKER_14 1:49:57

Go right on in. Yeah. So you don't know what the next person's gonna do or whatever.

SPEAKER_02 1:50:03

Dirty 20.

SPEAKER_10 1:50:04

Dirty 20. Um you f uh disguised as a Lyra moon dance, channeling calm, calming your nerves, stopping your shakes. You see that these um these fanatics looking north, manning the gate.

SPEAKER_03 1:50:22

Hey, who goes there?

SPEAKER_10 1:50:24

As you approach, um and you are at the gates, and that is your turn. Uh Borislav.

SPEAKER_05 1:50:35

Uh I smell Vishni right now. You do. Vishni is Vishni's right here.

SPEAKER_07 1:50:47

I roll 11 or higher, I'm gonna maintain my senses. If I roll a 10 or lower, I'm going to go straight to the room. So decide. 12.

SPEAKER_12 1:50:59

Right on the line.

SPEAKER_07 1:51:03

I think Borislav will kind of pick up cues from where Nick's is going. And oh, perfect.

SPEAKER_04 1:51:11

Hey, I got feet again.

SPEAKER_07 1:51:13

Um, and I'm going to use all of my movement to follow that path as well.

SPEAKER_10 1:51:19

Um, so you're going the quiet path down where Nick went. Yeah. Okay. Um, all right. Reginald. Uh I'm gonna do I'm gonna follow Borislav. Okay, so you're going the quiet path down as well. Okay. So for all you guys, basically, if you do the same thing next round, you will then be at the gates and then you'll have your turn.

SPEAKER_11 1:51:44

Actually, upon front of it, I start to go do mold earth and create stairs for us to go down. And I see I see requiem just go. I'm like, never mind, I'll just follow. Have fun, Dai. Your little Mallens.

SPEAKER_10 1:51:59

You see Yasold look down.

SPEAKER_03 1:52:02

What the hell? Requiem.

SPEAKER_10 1:52:06

She's reckless. She is reckless. Um for the DC that I have set for this, your sold has to roll a 10 or a higher to be stealthy and still run down the ridge line. Okay. Uh so let's see what it was. Vampire. It's 11 on the dice. So you all see Define uh physics. Yes old is off, just runs off the ridge, but manages to not step on like any patch of loose dirt or gravel, just like from stone, little piece of tree bouncing off, is chasing Requiem. Uh Misty Steps at the end, not quite as far as where Requiem is, but like 10 feet behind Requiem at the gate. And you see him. Uh this is a 30 stealth check, so you don't see him.

SPEAKER_19 1:53:01

Fucking attention whore.

SPEAKER_10 1:53:03

Nobody sees him. Um but you just saw him disappear and head that direction. Um, okay, uh, it's back up to the top of the round Zephyr. I'll watch you so go down.

SPEAKER_22 1:53:13

Like, God damn it, why hasn't he taught me how to be that stealthy yet? And follow them and use all my movement to go that way because the first time I was just like, hey.

SPEAKER_05 1:53:22

Because technically we're following you.

SPEAKER_22 1:53:23

Hey, what if no, we're not because I talked for my first round, apparently.

SPEAKER_14 1:53:29

Can you dash as a bonus action?

SPEAKER_22 1:53:30

Yes.

SPEAKER_14 1:53:31

So you actually get a ton of movement.

SPEAKER_22 1:53:33

Yeah. Oh. So you're actually gonna end ahead of me. I I will. I'm gonna be like, oh, okay. And like dash bonus action, dash.

SPEAKER_10 1:53:43

So you would only you're you would only need movement or you only you're like 30 feet away basically.

unknown 1:53:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_22 1:53:51

From the gate?

SPEAKER_10 1:53:52

Yes.

SPEAKER_22 1:53:52

Okay.

SPEAKER_10 1:53:52

Because they need to they're 60 feet away, essentially. You're 30 feet.

SPEAKER_22 1:53:58

Like checking out what's happening. Because she's got some sort of I I can tell what she is to them, and she's got some sort of plan in her head. No idea what Easel's doing other than trying to protect her, who knows. But I'm gonna be sticking as close to them, but still ahead, because I'm using my movement.

SPEAKER_10 1:54:15

Um you guys are all taking the quiet roof, so I won't require any actions for this, but everyone who's taking the quiet roof so far, please give me a stealth check. Oh no.

unknown 1:54:26

Damn.

SPEAKER_10 1:54:28

Ooh, that's good. That's not 24. 24?

SPEAKER_22 1:54:34

Kind of a date. What time of day is it?

SPEAKER_10 1:54:36

At midday.

SPEAKER_22 1:54:37

So no dim light.

SPEAKER_10 1:54:39

No dim light.

SPEAKER_11 1:54:40

Uh I have to roll at disadvantage when my second roll was on my greatest roll.

SPEAKER_04 1:54:45

16. That's good. That's good. 15. That one was yours?

SPEAKER_10 1:54:50

Mine was 24. 24. Uh yeah, I think 16 is the is the median, then it's pretty good. Um, I'm gonna roll again. They add four. So four on the dice. Heck yeah. No one sees you. You're quietly going. Um, okay. It is the enemy's turn. Uh, I just rolled for them so they don't get to do that again. Speech. And five. A little less, a little more subtle than fifteen.

SPEAKER_21 1:55:20

Um not a speech. Who? You're gonna find your go. No, in your pocket. What the fuck?

SPEAKER_10 1:55:28

None of you have eyes inside the town anymore, right? You're all not on the ridgeline, you're all like going down, I think. Okay. So no one sees anything in there, uh, but you just kind of hear the continuing onward. That's the enemy's turn. Smiley will uh reluctantly begin to follow. And is like way behind you guys on the quiet path, but starts walking down. Um okay, that's his turn. Nix is up.

SPEAKER_14 1:55:53

Um Does the bonus action that I rolled carry into this turn as I continue to move? Or will I need to? Okay. Um I'd like to. Right now I'm kind of on the corner, right? Like there's the the wall that could continues along the east wall, or I could be going towards the the gate. Are there um can you help paint the scenes? Are there trees? Are there other ways to get in that I can um potentially see besides the the main gate?

SPEAKER_10 1:56:26

Yes. I will say um Greydale is generally not super well maintained. Um so like the smart thing to do would be for them to be to cut back all trees and vegetation, you know, a large ways away from the case they can see people coming, uh, but they have not done that. Um so there are there is a tree line. I'd say the worst place is probably the part closest to the ridgeline. It's just hard to maintain on a slope going up that direction. Um so that that uh northwest corner, there are tall pine trees that you could just climb and just hop over onto the over the gate. Again, and these these walls are they're pretty cute. Like if you're coming from biggest, they're 10, 12 feet. So like theoretically, any of you could probably just run up and grab the top of them and climb over. Um but they're they're kind of just looking out for you know people watching if someone's it just slows people down.

SPEAKER_14 1:57:23

You can kind of see through the logs there, or are they actually like wall structure?

SPEAKER_10 1:57:26

They're logs you can see through not all of them, but many of them you could see through.

SPEAKER_19 1:57:30

And I made my dwarf ladder when I climbed the dwarf.

SPEAKER_14 1:57:33

I'm going to use my my action to uh well, I guess to do that, but also communicate to my team that there's you know these items that we can be going to, and I'm going to be making my way along this eastern edge, I suppose, um, and uh kind of set myself in a place where I can get a a good look inside um with those pine trees kind of to my back so I can be a scout for the rest of the team.

SPEAKER_10 1:58:00

Okay, beautiful. Um it is Requiem's turn.

SPEAKER_02 1:58:05

Am I responding to the are you? Well, I don't remember what you said.

SPEAKER_10 1:58:10

Who goes there?

SPEAKER_02 1:58:13

You question who I am. Is he looking at me?

SPEAKER_10 1:58:19

Let me give him a perception check.

SPEAKER_08 1:58:22

You roll the natural one. Yeah, I don't know who who are you when you don't want to.

SPEAKER_02 1:58:27

My interest is not with you, Savit. Take me to Alita, please.

SPEAKER_01 1:58:32

Take you to my Lita?

SPEAKER_10 1:58:36

Hey, get on out of this! He calls uh fellow guard over. She says, Take me to Alita. He'll roll a perception check. You see him quietly nudge him. And give me an inside check.

SPEAKER_14 1:58:53

Tell him we already got a bonus action last turn. I now get six.

SPEAKER_10 1:59:01

Can I give her a bar?

SPEAKER_19 1:59:03

Nine. Yeah. Nine.

SPEAKER_10 1:59:05

Um nine uh inside check. Yeah, you see them look pretty worried. Up on the talk.

SPEAKER_19 1:59:11

Use it for right then.

SPEAKER_14 1:59:13

When you need it. You will need it.

SPEAKER_19 1:59:14

And you're pulling a NYX right now.

SPEAKER_10 1:59:17

The gates start open.

SPEAKER_19 1:59:21

Except I don't got sold right there too.

SPEAKER_12 1:59:24

Um, okay, good.

SPEAKER_19 1:59:26

That's good.

SPEAKER_22 1:59:27

I was like, he better be in the house. I stride through the mayor fire.

SPEAKER_10 1:59:30

Okay, you be yeah, they're they're open. Like it's gonna the end of the next round, basically they take a while. They're gonna be open, but you start striding through. Um Borislav.

SPEAKER_04 1:59:42

Um, um, I'm gonna make my way to make my way.

SPEAKER_14 1:59:56

Downtown.

SPEAKER_07 1:59:57

Down along the edge of the wall to the gate. And um if I can get all the way there, I want to stop just outside the gate as it's opening.

SPEAKER_03 2:00:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 2:00:06

Obviously, using her distraction as a a moment to get close and uh get my bear form as low to the ground as I can.

SPEAKER_20 2:00:16

Through the gate?

SPEAKER_07 2:00:16

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 2:00:17

You're gonna go through the gate.

SPEAKER_07 2:00:18

Just outside the gate. Just outside the gate.

SPEAKER_00 2:00:19

Um give me a still check.

SPEAKER_22 2:00:24

But you're being 24 cards.

SPEAKER_10 2:00:29

If like somehow blending into the brown of the, you know, the wood of the palisades, uh the logs, you're yeah, you're invisible there. Um beautiful.

SPEAKER_11 2:00:40

Reginald. Uh this is where the like, these guys are paladins, right? Yes. Can can I like rub dirt on me to resemble them as well? Or like what they look like? Are they dirty pallies?

SPEAKER_10 2:00:56

They've been on the road. Um dirty. You know, I it it will take more than dirt to make them think that you're one of them, mainly because I mean, yeah, you're a paladin, but these are they're different order. You know, they all have their colors of the AJ Solus, uh, which is primarily like a golden skull behind um like a s like a golden sun, and they're clad primarily in you know white and things like that. And um, so it you'd have to have some kind of a disguise kit or something.

SPEAKER_01 2:01:25

If you want to look like one of them, I hate them all.

SPEAKER_10 2:01:28

No one's a dwarf. Uh yeah.

SPEAKER_11 2:01:31

Would I be familiar with any of their weaknesses? Give me a history check.

SPEAKER_05 2:01:40

Watch out!

SPEAKER_10 2:01:42

Let's deck safe. I'll give you something really special on a 25 or a crit. If you can't get a 25. I'm gonna use one of my lucky points because I rolled really bad.

SPEAKER_11 2:01:51

Okay.

SPEAKER_10 2:01:59

Um, you're familiar with stories of uh the AJ Solis, um, from what you remember, mostly disappeared. Like um actually, maybe coincidentally on the day that Mulderal fell. But they were they were uh order of Apollo of Paladins, and you were hearing, you know, kind of maybe a little fanatical paladins. Um you know, they they kind of favored burning people at the stake as opposed to asking too many questions. Yeah. If you're if you're like, oh, you practice some necromancy, even though like healing word and a lot of healing spots are technically necromancy, so be like, necromancy burning you at the stake kind of deal. Yeah. Um so uh but that's uh that's what you remember. Okay. Um I say the biggest thing that causes you interest those are like where did you guys come from? I thought you all disappeared 300 years ago. Um so why are you back now? Is kind of the thought that comes through your mind. Um what else are you doing?

SPEAKER_11 2:03:06

Uh I'll just keep f I'll follow Borislav. I'll be right right next to him. Okay. Give me a stealth check.

SPEAKER_07 2:03:13

Damn it, Doug. Damn it.

SPEAKER_10 2:03:15

With a disadvantage. Damn it, Doug.

SPEAKER_22 2:03:18

Doug, why would you be there?

SPEAKER_10 2:03:20

Hey, where are you hiding? Damn it, Doc.

SPEAKER_11 2:03:23

Damn it, don't done with me.

SPEAKER_22 2:03:26

You just met him. You already hate him.

SPEAKER_11 2:03:29

Uh 12.

SPEAKER_10 2:03:32

Wow. You're not four. Seven. Oh.

SPEAKER_12 2:03:39

You beat it!

SPEAKER_15 2:03:42

Wow. You're such a lucky player.

SPEAKER_19 2:03:44

Like, I don't know. I love it.

SPEAKER_15 2:03:46

It makes it a little bit of a good spot.

SPEAKER_21 2:03:48

Don't like yourself to the record.

SPEAKER_10 2:03:54

And you start feeling him shudder just on your soul's turn requiem, you see like a tiny little origami like dove, little tiny folded paper, and it's its wings are flappy, and just goes over your shoulder, and then like you could catch it if you wanted to reach out your hands as you're walking through the gates.

SPEAKER_02 2:04:18

Yes, put one hand out and you open it up right behind you.

SPEAKER_10 2:04:26

Why? That is where we will end with it.

SPEAKER_19 2:04:38

Okay, now we're gonna be able to do it. Yeah, no, we are.