Oathbreaker: A DND Story

Episode 8: Coronation Under Fire

Brandon Sheehan Season 1 Episode 8

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0:00 | 2:29:03

Meet The Party And Setup

SPEAKER_06

The deeper we get into this podcast, the more I'm just like, what did I get into?

SPEAKER_03

Literally deeper.

SPEAKER_08

Oh, Ray. I can show you the world. Welcome to Oathbreaker, a DD story. I am Brennan the Irish Wookiee and with me today is Ray.

SPEAKER_06

Hi, I'm Ray, and I play Harleck, the Kanku Bard Warlock.

SPEAKER_10

And Andrew. I'm Andrew. I play Xaniver, the Eladrin Sorcerer. And Beal.

SPEAKER_02

Hey, I'm Bill. I play Zayn, the half orc warlock.

SPEAKER_08

Justin.

SPEAKER_05

Hi, Brandon.

SPEAKER_08

Brandon. Now we're doing this. It's been a few episodes.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, they're never in this before, you jerk. Yeah, I know. Well, I guess that's Canon now. Hi everybody. I'm Justin. I am playing Nelvax, the human monk. And Maddie.

SPEAKER_03

Hi Justin. Hi Maddie. Hi everybody. I am Voss Dane. No, I am Maddie. I play Voss Dane. Uh he is a uh half elf elf. Uh cleric. Not a very good one. The whole spells thing is still a challenge, but hey, we're we're we're working through this.

SPEAKER_08

I have to select spells. That should have been one of your bites. It's not like you have to heal.

SPEAKER_03

No, no, no, no, no, no. I have to prepare spells. There's a difference. I selected spells, MFR. Like, I got that part at least. Good. Good. Alright. I'm not a complete, you know, idiot. Just only a partial.

SPEAKER_08

Uh I want to say thank you everybody for following us like nuts give us ideas. It means a lot to us. Make sure you're checking us out on our social medias at facebook.com slash ad story. Retweet us on Twitter or ex at ad story2. Follow us on Instagram at Instagram.com slash ad story. And follow us on our newest social media platform, Bluesky, at BSKY.app slash ad and d story. Uh I've seen a little bit of an influx of followers lately on Blue Sky and on Instagram, so thank you for that. Keep it up. Yeah, just just uh give us a follow on our social medias, please. Bill, do you have a question?

SPEAKER_02

Uh two things. It sounded like you said Tweeter instead of Twitter, but uh the f the other thing, totally unrelated to the social medias. Just thinking about a bird that is a warlock and how friggin' terrifying that would be. A bird running around being a warlock, that's just terrifying.

SPEAKER_08

Yes, it would be.

SPEAKER_02

Of all the things we've run across, that is terrifying.

SPEAKER_08

Andrew, you understand half my pain with editing with this group.

SPEAKER_10

Let me tell you about episode 85 on a DD story, part one and two. And putting out 35 minutes of talks of cats.

SPEAKER_02

Not baxies, just cats.

SPEAKER_03

No, there's no way we talk that much about cats.

Bastion Plans And House Upgrades

SPEAKER_08

I totally believe it. I 100% believe it. Um so during our last session, uh our player at the end of that session, our players are given a little bit of homework by yours truly uh to go and create a bastion for themselves. And so I wanted to take a couple minutes to talk about that bastion prior to our recap for the episode. So, Bill, if you want to give us a quick summary of the bastion, and if there's any questions you have for me, please let me know.

SPEAKER_02

Alright. So we oh shit. Um we got together off camera, um, off mic and put together a bastion. We had a discussion kind of who wanted to do what and all that. So what it ended up with is we had um between the five party members we came up with uh Zane is gonna have an arcane study and a library, Nelvax is gonna have a storehouse and a library, Doss is gonna or Voss typo. Voss is going to have a uh workshop and barracks, Harlake, a garden and a workshop, Xanafer, an armory, and a smithy. And then each person gets a bedroom, which is small, and then uh the larger rooms that each person get. We're gonna have a bar, um just kind of like a personal bar, not a and that's where we met in the last session. Um, or that's where we met up in the last session, and then we've got a dining room, a kitchen, a spa, and a courtyard. Um, so that's kind of the thing. And then if uh I put together a drawing of it in using a dungeon making tool. And basically the it opens up into an entryway, and then if you go straight in, it follows a hallway down, and then on either side of that hallway are is a library that's got bunches of books. And uh if you were to visit it right now, I don't know about um uh N Nelvax's side of it, but um Zane is got contacts and stuff that are filling in all of his stuff that he's had had his library scattered across the city. Um, just books. But anyway, and then why are you making faces?

SPEAKER_08

There's a small semi-transparent child walking up behind Andrew.

SPEAKER_10

I don't know what you're talking about. I think you're seeing things.

SPEAKER_08

Oh, fair enough.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. And then if you keep walking down that hallway, it'll open up into uh Zane's arcane study. And then on the the um east wing is where the um the bar and kitchen and and all that stuff is the kitchen bar, dining room, and and then behind that section of the house you have the garden, and it opens up into a pretty large courtyard, which is just stone ground. It's not really that big of a deal. Um, and then on the other side you have um on the west wing, so to speak, is the um the both of the workshops and the storehouse. So, and then if you look behind there, it's kind of detached, but kind of connected, it's connected by the courtyard, um, is the Smithy, the armory, and the barracks. So that's all on the west, the northwest side of the bastion. And so for those that don't know about bastions, they come each of these rooms have the possibility of workers. Or the the workers are tied to the to the rooms. They can't leave. Well, they can leave, but they are we can't use them outside of the bastion itself, um, unless Brandon lets us take some bodyguards with us occasionally. Um but they do stuff for the um for the bastion.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. Awesome. Right. I know a few of you asked me questions about what you could do with certain runes. Um but is there anything that is kind of ambiguous? I read up a lot on the bastion stuff, because I knew nothing about it before we talked about it.

SPEAKER_06

Uh I had some questions. Oh go ahead, go ahead.

SPEAKER_02

No, I was nope, I was not gonna ask a question. I was gonna say I thought Andrew had a question, but but if you have a question, go ahead, Ray.

SPEAKER_06

Oh yeah, I was gonna ask about the the workshop stuff. How um how are you with crafting like homebrew magic items if they're like just the ability to do like a cantrip? Like if I wanted to sell rags that cleaned like press prestidigitation um and sell the sell them off to make money or make rings that can cast message, dumb shit like that. Like, would I be able to craft that type of stuff in the workshop?

SPEAKER_08

Yeah, I I I would say that yes. We can we can work together to craft that kind of thing. It's gonna require some gold for the components, and then based off the rarity of the spell, obviously. Um, and then you may need some special ingredients, like if especially if you want to bottle bottle a high-level spell, but yeah, I would say we could do that.

SPEAKER_06

Cool, cool, cool. Yeah, I I like the idea of making like sham whales and really dumb stuff like cups that flavor things, you know, all the dumb stuff that press the digitation can do, and then just sell it to people. Yeah, absolutely. So alright, cool, cool, cool. That's that's all I really want. I know the later on stuff gets more uh more interesting, but Okay. You have anything else, Bill?

SPEAKER_02

I do have a question about the barracks and stuff. Um I don't see us really running into many occasions of getting attacked. But how did you want to handle the if we fund the Smithy, how did you want to handle that?

SPEAKER_08

So the rules on the Smithy, um I'm pulling this out of my butt right now, but the rules on the Smithy is if you you fund it after an attack, everything is gone, right?

SPEAKER_02

Yes.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_08

Yeah, so I would say there would be a cost to fix up the equipment that's used, but it's not gonna be gone. So you'd have to pay a little bit more to repair your armor and weapons and everything like that. But I I agree. Yeah, plate mail doesn't disappear just because you use it once.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. So the the way the rule rules is written is like 50 gold. Because we have a smithy and an armory, it's fifty gold per defender. But then uh I don't know what your thoughts are, but I would say maybe 10 or 10% or whatever to fix it up if we get attacked.

SPEAKER_08

Uh I'm gonna have to look at that a little bit. I I I think it would depend on the type of attack and how big it is.

SPEAKER_03

Who who took the armory?

SPEAKER_02

Uh Xanoper.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, Xanover does. Okay.

SPEAKER_08

Yeah, let me get back to you on an answer for that, Bill.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, that one that rule alone kind of made the armory not seem like it was worth much, because you're paying 50 gold per attack.

SPEAKER_02

I mean, unless we want to, we only have one it only comes with one.

SPEAKER_03

Okay.

SPEAKER_02

I thought we got a barracks, did we not?

Smithy Rules, Armory Costs, Level-Ups

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, we gave me a barracks. I was that was Maddie got it. Okay. Cool.

SPEAKER_08

Alright. Let's go for the gun. Awesome, man. Thank you. I appreciate that. Uh I know you guys spent a lot of time on that. Did everybody level up to level six?

SPEAKER_03

Yes.

SPEAKER_08

Alright, let's do some roll from recaps.

SPEAKER_05

I got a 14.

SPEAKER_10

Nice. 16. Solid four for Xanafer.

SPEAKER_02

Yep. I got a three.

SPEAKER_03

It's hard to beat a four, but when you roll a three, you do.

SPEAKER_08

Anybody roll?

SPEAKER_03

And here comes a natural 13.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. Alright, Phil. Looks like you're talking some more.

SPEAKER_02

Alright. So session five. Uh we watched King Waldron? Is that right?

SPEAKER_08

Waldrin. Is that his name? What? King King Waldron, yes.

SPEAKER_02

Waldron, okay. Uh, we watched King Waldron and the Raven Knight fight. King Waldrin was impressive, and but the Raven Knight Uh pretty much trounced him. And eventually, at the very end of the fight, he the King submitted. Whatever. Uh, gave up. And the Raven Knight did not accept that and decided to she ripped her helmet off, and it turns it looked like Queen Alyssa, which is the king's ex-wife. Um, or not ex-wife, departed wife. Um deceased, whatever. Dead. Um, what, who everybody thought was dead, and then she was unhappy and called him a kinslayer and oathbreaker, wasn't it? Kinslayer and Oathbreaker. Um, so Kinslayer and Oathbreaker, and she claimed his power. I don't really know what that means, but then she killed him.

SPEAKER_03

Um, and then that's the name of our podcast.

SPEAKER_02

That's weird. Um, and then uh she disappeared. And we kind of listened, uh, we all sent feelers out to try to figure out what's going on, and really didn't get a whole lot of information back other than the city is in mourning. Um, and then we got the Bastion greeted by Mordain, the servant or steward thing. Um, we took a long rest, and then we got a message from Seinmonder, Lord Signmoner, to come see him at our earliest convenience in the next couple of days, and then we showed up and he told us that there was a funeral that day. So I'm not really sure what would happen had we not showed up that day. But um they did a uh funeral procession, we went with the funeral procession, and we got to the burial place, which is a mausoleum, a crypt.

SPEAKER_08

Yeah, mausoleum.

SPEAKER_02

Um we got there, and then all of a sudden the temperature dropped, the gate shut, and a statue of a prince, and the statue of the prince animated and said something, I can't remember what, and his glaive came to life and attacked people, killed some knights, and the queen and the princess tried to flee, but they were blocked by the gate, and then um then let's see the Glaive attacked and went through the whole party and basically hit Nelvax, and then Xaniver cast some spells, everybody did some stuff, and then if the we basically went through one round of combat, Zane chucked a fireball. There was arguments about whether or not he could do that and then or could land the fireball where it needed to land, but we the DM decided it could and killed what was actually the boss, which was the statue's version of the Glaive. Forgot the word. Statue's version of the Glaive, not the actual spirit glaive that was attacking people, but that got hit and it um killed it. And then Voss, being opportunistic as he is, had picked up the shield and is tried to keep it, tried to convince Lord Seinmonder that he should use it to help find the bad guys, and rolled a natural twenty on his persuasion check and got to keep the shield. Uh and then we got a level, and then we got invited to Seinmonder's estate.

SPEAKER_09

Awesome.

SPEAKER_08

Yeah. That's a that's a pretty good recap. Anyone else want to add anything? These combined notes are working well for you guys.

SPEAKER_05

What was that? Keep hearing Discord pop-ups, and I don't know where to look.

SPEAKER_06

Uh, that might be when I click mute and unmute. I can stop doing that. Oh, I think that's it. I was saying my cats just are going buckwild in this room right now, so I'm just trying to like not have the fight get caught on the microphone.

SPEAKER_05

Reasonable, I suppose.

SPEAKER_08

Let me see if I can disable that. So, Bill, you get some heroic inspiration.

SPEAKER_02

Alright, and I will probably not use it. Probably not for it.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. So, like Bill said, the last time we ended the last session with you all being invited to Lord Seinmonders home. And you were all going that way. Um any questions before we start? That's where we're gonna open the scene.

SPEAKER_02

Um, usually when we make a level, you tell P have us tell us to what we got. Do you want to do that this time? You don't have to. I'm just saying that you do that sometimes.

SPEAKER_08

Yeah, I I normally do. The truth is when I was introducing the characters, I just kind of forgot. I'm good with you guys going through real quick. And is there anything special you want to talk about with level six? Anyone get anything?

SPEAKER_10

Just about all the classes got something with level six, so it might be worthwhile. Alright. Uh, Andrew, we'll start with you. What did Santa yet? I took a sixth level in sorcerer, I got another third level spell slot, I got uh some ability that lets me use a sorcery point to re-roll dice when somebody nearby me heals. Uh it is called Sorceress. Nope, no, that one. Empowered healing. Uh when I'm not incapacitated whenever an ally within five feet of meetings dice to determine number of hit points, a spell restores, I can spend one sorcery point to re-roll any number of those dice once. Uh and then I picked up the spell the spell magic and thunder step, and I got rid of the spell spiritual guardians.

SPEAKER_08

Oh, no more spiritual guardians. Alright.

SPEAKER_10

Yeah, it went really great that last encounter, so I just figured that we're not we're not gonna deal with 3d8 on a concentration spell when combat ends after a round or two. Fair enough. Okay.

Summoned To Lord Seinmonder

SPEAKER_06

Uh Ray. Uh so I took uh level four in Bard, uh, and I ended up taking the inspiring leader feat. So let me pull that up. Uh I know it's uh once per shorter long rest. I can after a shorter long rest, I can give a performance, and when I do up to six allies, including myself within 30 feet, gain temporary hit points equal to my character level plus the uh ability increase with the speed, so my charisma. So right now it's 10 extra hit points every time we take a short rest for temporary HP. So that stacks with aid and the other stuff that you know Harleck likes to cast. Uh other than that, he picked up Mage Hand and uh Oh, I think I took like silence or something. Nothing crazy this level, but the inspiring leader was the big thing. Silence is nothing crazy. Go fuck yourself, Ray. Uh I just meant like, you know, as I didn't, you know, gain and I didn't get level three spells or anything yet, you know, so touchy subject, like good.

SPEAKER_08

Alright, Matty.

SPEAKER_03

On level six, I gained a feat called Trickster's Trance Position. Uh this allows me to take a bonus action to when or when I take a bonus action to move an illusion that I uh create as part of Invoke Duplicity. I can also teleport and swap places with see how that comes in handy. Um I was also looking on chat, it tells me that my healing spells now heal myself, but I'm not seeing them on my character sheet. Am I just missing something? Your healing spells didn't heal you before? Well, it said when uh Google's telling me that my healing spells I cast on others heal me as well. But I'm not seeing that on my sheet, so I don't know if that's a life domain cleric. Yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_10

Not triggered.

SPEAKER_03

Okay. Okay, sounds good.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. Cool, cool. Uh Novex? Just the end?

SPEAKER_05

I got empowered strikes. So whenever I deal damage with my unarmed strike, it can now deal force damage or its normal type, whatever that is. And then I got shadow step. If I'm entirely within dim light or darkness, I can use a bonus action to teleport 60 feet to an unoccupied space that I can see that is also in dim light or darkness. And then that gives me advantage on my next melee attack made before the end of my current turn. Plus normal like. I think we got like a proficiency bonus, maybe plus one extra. Like in general across the board.

SPEAKER_09

Awesome.

SPEAKER_05

Pretty slick.

SPEAKER_08

And to end it off, deal. What does Zane got?

SPEAKER_02

So Zayn got a feature called the Dark One Zone Luck. Basically, one time per every charisma modifier. So for me, three um three times per long rest. He can on any ability checker saving throw, he can um cat basically add 1d10 to the roll.

SPEAKER_09

Okay, nice.

SPEAKER_02

Um, so and then I got an extra spell and I changed my spells around a little bit, and the big one that I really like that I got that I will most likely forget about, but uh we'll give it a shot, is Hellas Rebuke, which is basically a reaction um that if somebody attacks me, then they have to make a deck save, and if they fail, they get two d10 fire damage. Or if they save one d ten, but if it's but using a higher level spell, which he is, um because all of his spells fire off at higher levels, he get it's one d ten per extra spell level. So since all of his spells fire off at level free, alright? Yeah, so it'll be four d10 or two d10 on saves.

SPEAKER_08

Oh if it's level three, wouldn't it be three d10?

SPEAKER_02

No, no, no, it's two extra levels. So it starts off at two and one, and now then it goes it's so it starts off at level it two dies, two d10. And then since it's for two extra levels, it's two extra die, and then half is half. Um that's the big one that he took, and he also modified, I can't remember if I said this in session or not, he changed one of his things to instead of disguise self, it changes changed it to alter self at will. Basically a similar thing, it just adds a couple of features as well, which are more in keeping more in keeping with what he does.

SPEAKER_09

Okay. Awesome.

Wine, Guilt, And Cult Rumors

SPEAKER_08

Alright. Anybody need anything before we start? Alright, let's do it. So, you all approach the villa of House Mondr. So as you approach the gates, they're lit by a dozen torches. Uh their flames are catch the polished steel of the Knights of the Crown as they patrol in in silence around the gates of House Mondr. Uh the knights aren't their normal jovial selves, uh as much as knights can be jovial. They're not they they acknowledge your presence, they they recognize you and they'll let you they let you through without too much uh without really bothering you, but you can tell that they're tense, they're saddened, uh, and most of them have their hands on their sword. Uh and they're they're continuously looking out for things. Um or on the lookout for things. At the entrance to House Mondr, uh the the door is opened for you by a knight that is standing guard inside the room with Lord Signmoner. Seinmander is sitting at his table at his table in his full plate armor uh with his sword laying on the table next to him, and you can see that his armor, half-donned hands are wrapped around a goblet of wine that he's obviously drank a few glasses of. His face looks weathered, uh, and you can tell some of you have known him for years, specifically uh you Nelvax. You can tell that he's he's shadowed by guilt and sadness. And without looking up at any of you, as soon as the door shuts, you hear him say, I failed him. King Waldron, my own meant nothing when the blade fell. My knights are divided. Some will follow the crown no matter the head it rests upon. But I've seen her eyes, the princess. They're not the eyes of a just ruler. And then he falls into silence as he takes another swig of wine.

SPEAKER_05

Ah, come on, sign, you know it's not your fault. There's nothing you could have done about that.

SPEAKER_08

He still doesn't look up at you, but he continues on. He says, There's rot in this kingdom. There's a cult. The same one that you all saw at the windmill. I've seen their shadow, and I fear, I personally fear tomorrow's coronation. As it may not crown a queen, but also ruin. Even if it wasn't my fault, I should have prevented it. It was my job, it was my oath.

SPEAKER_05

I can see where you're coming from, but uh, you know that's bullshit. We both know that's bullshit. It was a king, he's a good fighter, he lowered his guard, he come on, I was there, I saw it happen. It's not your fault.

SPEAKER_08

Uh he raises his glass to you, just a little bit off the table, and then he he motions with his free hand that isn't on the goblet, and uh a servant comes from the corner and pours five more glasses of wine, and he walks around and offers each of you a goblet. Novax accepts graciously.

SPEAKER_06

Oh, don't mind if I do.

SPEAKER_08

It's very solemn. Don't mind if I do.

SPEAKER_03

I mean, this entire time I'm wondering how do you sit in full plate armor and hold a wine glass with a gauntlet on.

SPEAKER_08

Well, it's half done, right? A lot of those old armors, they you could remove the fingers so you could actually grasp things.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah. It's a lot easier after a few glasses of wine, anyways. True.

SPEAKER_08

Just grasping it with two hands. Everything's easier after a few glasses of wine, right?

SPEAKER_03

Just take out an axe. Those fingers, just have doffing your fingers, is easy. I got that. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

So Zayn will uh stoically take the glass of wine.

SPEAKER_10

Uh Xanderville will reach out for it, and as he does, he's gonna look around. Are the red cloaks in the room as well, or is it just Seinmander by himself?

SPEAKER_08

It's Seinmonder and one of the uh one of the uh uh blah blah blah blah blah the Knights of the Crown. So so one so one red cloak in there. Um that being said, you guys recognize this right red cloak, you've seen him around, he is Seinmonder's most trusted advisor.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, that's the bad guy. We should kill him. What's his name?

SPEAKER_02

Gregory. Okay. Is anybody taking notes?

SPEAKER_05

I've got a little bit.

SPEAKER_10

I'm trying to take him on paper. Uh my notes previously said that nobody knows the identity of the people in the Red Cloaks, though. So do we know his name?

SPEAKER_08

Yeah, you know this guy's name.

SPEAKER_10

Okay.

SPEAKER_08

You've drank with him.

SPEAKER_03

He's got a very good Red Cloak. Apparently.

SPEAKER_02

Well, I don't think we're actually typical people. So when they say nobody knows, I don't know if that includes us. And we also have we have several well-informed people in the party.

SPEAKER_03

You've got normal people, and then you've got us.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Alright. Just like real life.

SPEAKER_08

So Harleck, Nelvax, Zane, and Xaniver have all taken wine. Voss, are you taking any?

SPEAKER_03

I think he'll he'll take it, but being uh a man of the cloth, he's not going to uh jump into consuming it right away. He'll just hold the glass.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. Uh for our listeners, Maddie is drinking a glass of whiskey while he's describing his character. Not drinking.

SPEAKER_02

I was gonna ask you which cloth you're a man of that you're not drinking.

SPEAKER_03

I don't the cloth that doesn't drink.

SPEAKER_02

Zane will have a glass of I don't know that he's drinking.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. Alright. So uh Lord Seinminder looks at you, Nelvex, and he says, Have you seen them, the cult?

SPEAKER_05

Not in the city limits. Just the time at the windmill.

SPEAKER_08

They're here, I'm sure of it, and I I know they're gonna make a move tomorrow during their coronation.

SPEAKER_05

How do you know?

SPEAKER_08

I've seen them around. I've I I've heard I've heard rumors, I've seen them moving, uh, their faces lowered, trying to avoid me, but I see them. I know they're there. I need you all.

SPEAKER_05

Why not use some of the loyal guard to take them down?

SPEAKER_08

My my guard is is split. Half of them have been raised to accept the crown's judgment no matter what. Whoever wears the crown, they're gonna follow. And half of them are loyal to me. I think we can both agree that King Waldron was not accidentally killed. He was murdered.

SPEAKER_10

Well, it was pretty evident, my lord. I think we all saw the uh Raven Knight drive a sword into him.

SPEAKER_08

That's right, that's right. I'm I'm sorry. I've had a few of these, if you couldn't tell. I I'm not sure. My my my fears are that the the crown is sanctioning them.

SPEAKER_02

If well if that's the case, then most likely they won't do anything because they're getting their they're getting their desires met. If it's not, then that solves your problem.

SPEAKER_08

Let me ask you, Zane, a a pretty basic question. What cult has you ever come ac have you ever come across that does things that make sense? Fair point.

SPEAKER_10

Xanover will say, well, uh I do remember this uh cult of witches in the Feywild that uh seems all they enjoyed doing was dancing around naked in the woods and having large orgies. Made a lot of sense to me.

SPEAKER_08

That's a rumor. That's never true. I've lost plenty of nights going to look for the orgy witches. We've all heard it.

SPEAKER_03

Orgy. I want a picture. Who, where, what, and why.

SPEAKER_08

Uh Ray, I saw your hand up.

Coronation Fears And A 500 Gold Deal

SPEAKER_06

Did you have a no I was no, I was just uh trying to hide how red my face was getting.

SPEAKER_08

Okay, great. You're in for a rough year, buddy.

SPEAKER_03

Man, we we did not make a single dick joke that time.

SPEAKER_08

You should be uh Nelvex, did you have something to ask, Lord Seinminder?

SPEAKER_05

Uh just so that we had something to investigate, we gotta go. About the woods.

SPEAKER_08

Oh. When he when he when when you say that, he Lord Seinminder smiles and he uh he points to a drawer over there and he says, You can take the map that I made when I was a youth looking for them. I would not start there. Look in other places.

SPEAKER_10

My lord, when we go look, should we bring a full wagon train with us?

SPEAKER_08

I would suggest seven of them. Yes. Uh so his voice gets low and he gets kind of serious again, and his smile drops off of his face. And he said, I need I need you all at the coronation tomorrow. I know it's not something you normally do, but I need you there. Watch and act. If the moment comes, I I I'll I'll pay you. Lord House Monder owes you if you do this for me. You're one of the few you're one of the few groups that I can truly trust. And I know you're going to do what's best for the crown and best for me. And I'll start it now. I'll give you each 500 gold if you attend the coronation.

SPEAKER_03

Well, money aside, what are you uh what would you like to see happen there between these cultists and the new royal members of the family. I guess they're not new.

SPEAKER_02

You're shaded at Monty's accent.

SPEAKER_08

Very, very true you are. Um so he knows, so Lord Simoner says to you, uh I know I know there's been some some rumors about getting rid of the uh the Knights of the Crown, and that they're not needed any longer. And I know Princess Athena has has been in favor of some of those some of those voice uh some of those sayings and what other people are saying. Supporting, yes, that's the word I'm looking for. I'm sorry. Like I said, a few cups of wine here. So if I I need to make sure that my men get out of there okay tomorrow. And I know that you're you're in a place where you can help us and help the other people that will be there.

SPEAKER_02

So Zayn will look, make eye contact with Lord Seinmonder and say, What do you want with the princess? Do you want her to survive or not?

SPEAKER_08

Uh you hear a slight movement behind you as uh Gregory moves uncomfortably in his armor. Like you can hear his armor start shifting as he moves uncomfortably. Um but Lord Seinmonders says, No, nothing like that. I'm not hiring you to be assassins.

SPEAKER_02

No, I'm not an assassin. I was just saying, do you want us to protect the princess, or do you want us to protect your men?

SPEAKER_08

I want you to help me investigate King Waldron's death, and wherever that goes, it goes. Understood. So, do I have your support?

SPEAKER_05

Uh Nelvax is gonna try to get a little more out of him. Five hundred gold? Are we on retainer? Or is this a one-time job?

SPEAKER_08

This is a one-time job to attend the coronation and support myself and my men.

SPEAKER_05

And it's full payment up front, or is this like half of it? We get another 500 after we attend.

SPEAKER_07

Yeah, Nelvax, you know me. You've known me for years. Of course I'm gonna pay you. You don't think I'm good for it?

SPEAKER_05

I just want to make sure that I know what to expect. It's nothing about you.

SPEAKER_08

Uh he he raises his hand again, and his servant comes forward with a large bag of gold and drops it on the table.

SPEAKER_05

Oh, just one bag?

SPEAKER_08

It is one bag, but it is a large bag of gold.

SPEAKER_05

25 gold.

SPEAKER_10

Novax goes to pick it up. My lord, where was this bag of gold when we went to fetch your horse?

SPEAKER_08

If you'll notice on the grounds, that horse is no longer here. I have sold a lot of things to come up with this gold.

SPEAKER_03

Feeling a bit more apprehensive about this gold.

SPEAKER_08

I had to work for this gold. He slowly probably chapstick in front of you all.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, he's a little dead.

SPEAKER_02

2,500 gold, I would assume he'd have access to way more than that.

SPEAKER_10

But he was he was house poorer when we first met him.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Oh. I guess I missed that. Uh but Zayn will reach forward and grab his is it just one big bag of gold?

SPEAKER_08

It's one big bag of gold. But as any of you can see, it's pretty apparent that it is more than 500 gold pieces.

SPEAKER_02

Um Zane will say, I will take this job for 500 gold.

SPEAKER_08

Anybody else? What does everybody else do?

SPEAKER_03

Uh, Voss will give his nod of approval.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_08

Novax.

SPEAKER_05

Novax raises his glass and uh Downs Reservoir says, Uh, you know me, sign. We we've got your back.

SPEAKER_08

Yeah, now you've got my back now that you know I have the gold.

SPEAKER_05

Would have been there anyway, just grumpy about it.

SPEAKER_10

Count me in. Uh Xanvor will will raise his glass and uh just kind of semi-sarcastic tone and say, Long live the Queen, and down it, and join the rest of the group.

SPEAKER_08

Uh, at this, Seinmonder stands up and he says, Thank you. I I I don't know if you truly understand how much I appreciate all of your support. This is going to be This is going to be an event for the ages.

SPEAKER_05

Well then we better have a party beforehand. Just in case.

SPEAKER_08

Well, apparently you're buying, you just got 500 gold.

SPEAKER_05

You said there's more that came from on Jikto party. You've got the place for it. He looks around.

SPEAKER_07

I don't even have a fucking horse anymore.

SPEAKER_05

You don't you don't need a horse if you host the party. Never drink and ride, they say.

Strategy, Disguises, And Secret Exits

SPEAKER_08

Uh alright. You guys can stay the night at the house if here if you'd like. Um if you need to get back to your uh your mansion, I can arrange transport.

SPEAKER_03

I thought you didn't have a horse.

SPEAKER_08

I don't have a horse. Somebody came up with this idea where you just like send a messenger and they show up with a wagon and a couple horses, and they drive you. It's called Uber or something like that.

SPEAKER_05

Novak Smax uh crap. Xanover. Xanifer in the chest. It's like, bro, come on.

SPEAKER_10

We still have our opportunity to create some competition. Maybe a lift me up.

SPEAKER_08

Alright. So you guys are gonna take uh Seinminder's offer to stay in the city with him, or you're gonna go back to your mansion.

SPEAKER_02

Oh. I would say unless he's having a party, I would say I don't see the need to stay in his mansion versus our mansion.

SPEAKER_08

Uh he has raised his hand to his servant, and his servant has gone off to collect more wine and some food.

SPEAKER_10

Dude party. Hearing that half his forces have deserted him, uh it would be deserted. Well then okay, if they're still around, then that's even worse, right? So any conversation we have may not be private, and so it probably makes more sense for the party to go back to their own mansion that's a bit more secure.

SPEAKER_08

So we can invite How does Xaniver get that point across to the group?

SPEAKER_10

Uh with Sidge. Uh I recommend we go back to our place. The walls here have ears.

SPEAKER_02

Sorry, I'm just thinking of the several different characters that I played and how they would react to that statement. But uh so Zayn will suggest um you haven't seen the Our manor, since we've made improvements. Why don't you come to our manor and check it out?

SPEAKER_05

That's a great idea. We can all walk there together.

SPEAKER_08

Too bad we don't have a horse. And he says he looks around for a second, you can see him thinking, and he sets his goblet down. He says, That is a that is a good thought. I would it be alright with you if I brought along uh Sir Gregory.

SPEAKER_05

Do I have any report with Gregory? Like if personally, or is it just we know that he's trusted?

SPEAKER_08

No, Seinmander has gone out with him uh several times at at Seinmander's wedding, he was his best man. Like they are very, very close. You know him, uh Nelvex.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah. Well, of course. As long as you guys don't care, and you look back at the gang who actually own the house.

SPEAKER_08

Uh Gregory nods once towards Lord Seinmander and uh kind of relaxes his hand off of his sword. Alright. So you guys travel back to your manor. Um Lord Seinmander has brought a bunch of wine with him, uh, which your unseen servant kind of scoffs at when he walks in.

SPEAKER_05

It's better than my pocket wine.

SPEAKER_07

Yes, sir, is it is much better than your pocket wine. I mean, was that really wine?

SPEAKER_05

At some point. It wasn't vinegar yet.

SPEAKER_08

Uh, is there anything you would like to discuss with Lord Seinmonder uh during the night while you're drinking, or anything you guys want to accomplish at the manor before the morning rises?

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, so for like business strategy. Nobody actually gives a shit about like doing jobs well. So we'd kind of go from like party boy to focusing. Uh canmander share any intel about what he thinks is gonna happen, like what kind of forces might have been accrued or what kind of attacks might be planned? Anything?

SPEAKER_08

Uh yeah, so Seinmonders says to you all, like I said, I I don't know if my boys will will stay loyal to me. I know there's been a lot of talk in the ranks of uh it's our job and it's our oath to protect the crown no matter what, while some of them are more loyal to King Waldron and want to know what happened to him, and they want to investigate that. So uh depending on what happens at tomorrow's coronation, there could be some violence that way. Like I said, there's cultists around. I I have a feeling they're gonna try to infiltrate the coronation, but I haven't heard positive one way or the other that they'll be there or not. So it's just a lot of moving parts, and I want to gather the allies I can.

SPEAKER_05

So you're more worried about what if than a specific thing that your the guards are going to turn? That's correct. What's the actual threat tomorrow? Just too much change?

SPEAKER_08

Too much change. Times have changed, people do weird things, people do crazy things, and I can't rely on all of my men like I once did.

SPEAKER_05

Okay, I think I'm getting a better picture. Can you tell us about where the coronation is? Like the physical facility, entrances, exits where we can be to maintain a oversight.

SPEAKER_08

Are we mingling? It's at the palace itself. Uh so we're gonna be on Palace Grounds. We're going to Um So it's gonna be at the Royal Palace, at the Palace Grounds. Um there are two main entrances into the Palace Grounds, one eastern entrance, one western entrance. Uh the one where we're we're gonna be walking through the western entrance, and we're going to spend most of the time in the courtyard itself, where the coronation will be held. Uh Princess Athena and her mother will be there.

SPEAKER_05

Okay. Do we need to be in special outfits like for the one the thing with the king, you know, with the grave and the spear?

SPEAKER_08

Uh no, whatever whatever you wore to yesterday's funeral procession is good. You can wear your armor. I would just ask that you keep it well maintained.

SPEAKER_05

Uh who actually wears armor in our game, by the way. I was just curious. One, two, two months?

SPEAKER_03

Or Monty. Monty does. Studded studded leather is what nipple flaps or no nipple flaps? Always nipple flaps. In your studded leather.

SPEAKER_02

Uh, three.

unknown

Three flaps.

SPEAKER_02

Three nipple flaps?

SPEAKER_03

Uh Voss wears full plate. He has the admantium plate too. Uh I guess on the like Voss is going to hang out for a little while, but then he'll, you know, and hearing, you know, his armor needs to be in tip top shape. He's gonna retire to his workshop and spend a couple hours just like reading and tending to his armor, just kind of resting in his workshop.

Night At The Manor And Research

SPEAKER_06

Okay. What's Harleck doing? Uh yeah, Harleck can probably go and make sure ever all his stuff is gonna also look good. Maybe hit up the workshop and see if there's anything he can spruce up or do in there, but otherwise just making sure he's set up for tomorrow.

SPEAKER_03

Come spend an hour in the workshop, anybody. That'd be fun. It'll be inspiring.

SPEAKER_08

The workshop is Voss's sex dungeon.

SPEAKER_06

One one workshop. One thing's puppet rack.

SPEAKER_02

Zane will probably most likely spend his time in his uh study or in his arcane study. Um it's gonna be doing stuff like research, like taking any information that he might have had in his library on the courtyard of the palace to see, check for anything that might have been recorded in the past about any kind of secret entrances or anything that we might have to cover.

SPEAKER_05

Nolak spends most of the time just uh catching up with uh Simon. Um and then he will also retire to his library and see if he can find anything out about the royal family's intentions, like if there's any I think it's supposed to be more like old timing. He's gonna try to see if there's anything about the the black knight queen who's supposed to be dead, like any like rumors or myths or anything kind of from the library.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_10

Uh Xanover, what about you? Uh so Xanover would spend more time with Seinmonder uh because he has some other unanswered questions and don't need to RP it out, but he's interested to know how long the ceremony is gonna go because some of his magic only has short durations um with it, where his knights are gonna be positioned during the coronation, um, and then if uh disguise them along with the knights of the crown uh to maybe be closer to the coronation or closer to an exit, uh, whichever the the group prefers.

SPEAKER_08

Uh so you're asking if he can just if there's a way to disguise your entire party as the knights of the crown? Yeah, or like yeah, I have magic that can disguise me, right?

SPEAKER_10

Should it only last an hour? So if you if the coronation is five hours long, then that's a non-starter.

SPEAKER_08

Yep. Uh yeah, so Seinmonders says to you quickly that there are it is a three-hour planned coronation. Uh there are three-hour planned coronation, he would like you guys, and he says this to both Xanover and Nelvax, that he would like the party close to himself, almost as a like a personal bodyguard for himself. Yeah, did you ask another question? No, no, that's it. Okay. Uh Nelvax and Zayn, roll me a history check.

SPEAKER_02

Nine. Uh 19. Alright.

SPEAKER_08

Uh Zane, you find in your search through your books that uh there is rumored to be a secret entrance in the garden that'll lead out through past the West Gate. Okay. But as for specifics on how to access it, the book does not say.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. So Zane will say, Hey, Mordane, are you here?

SPEAKER_08

Uh, you hear a knock at your door.

SPEAKER_02

Enter.

SPEAKER_08

Uh, he walks straight through the door and he says, Uh, what can I help you with?

SPEAKER_02

So Zane will write down a note that basically saying the information that he found and ask uh ask him to propagate this information out to the party.

SPEAKER_08

Oh, right away. He bows deeply and moves on. The rest of you get the note that uh what he got out his accent turned to Spanish. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. He doesn't know where he's from. Been a long time. Right away. Uh he bows deeply and then just starts passing, making sure that the rest of the party sees that that note. Anything else before we start? We haven't started? No.

SPEAKER_02

Um I don't I don't think so.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. Um Nelvex, I did miss a question that you asked me. You said you were gonna research anything about the royal family itself, right?

SPEAKER_05

Uh I think I switched over to the queen who was supposedly dead.

SPEAKER_08

Okay, yeah. The queen.

SPEAKER_05

Um my library probably is not gonna have current events.

SPEAKER_08

Yeah, so with the nine that you rolled, you found that uh Queen Alyssa died of a sickness. Um, and it just happened to be around the same time that uh Queen Leseria, now Queen Liseria, and Queen Wald King Waldron first started dating. Or first started seeing one another, or courting one another. So while she was sick, the king was courting another woman. And then you had heard that she had passed away. Uh Bill.

SPEAKER_02

So are our hirelings hired yet?

SPEAKER_08

Uh no, they are not. Okay. It takes a week.

SPEAKER_02

It takes a week? Okay.

SPEAKER_10

That's weird. Whatever. Sorry, I was thinking of the bearers. Yeah, the the special facilities come with the people, but it takes them a week to come up with an answer.

SPEAKER_02

I was just gonna give give them their direction if they were here.

SPEAKER_08

Um yeah, sure. What do you got?

SPEAKER_02

Um so he'll talk to the hireling, whoever that is, and uh I won't put you on the spot to give me a name. Um his name is Bill. You're a dick. So he's gonna be really awesome at this. So um he he'll the research order is basically gonna be to um dig up as much information as he can about the um the situation with the king and the queen and all that. I don't know Zane doesn't know that um Nelvax had looked into this as well, but he's gonna actually send him at use his research order for this week to dig up information. And it's supposed to give you three you know, in seven days it'll give me three accurate pieces of information about the topic that were previously unknown to me.

SPEAKER_05

Okay. Alright. Can we make a point? Everyone remember to add 500 gold to inventory and then we divvy that thing up. Oh because I'd like to go to my warehouse and give them 500 gold for which to make and do more gold.

SPEAKER_10

Do we get 500 total or 500 each?

SPEAKER_08

500 each. Which is now more than the combined total of DD story that I've ever given out.

SPEAKER_02

Nice. What the 500 gold is more than the combined total?

SPEAKER_08

2500. I've given you more than 500 by now. Okay. Alright. Any other questions before we go on?

SPEAKER_10

Are we getting a long rest? Yeah, everybody long rests. Alright. I think over the night, uh, Xanover will also spend some time working on his Lux Stone. Okay. Uh, whether that's half the long rest, because I only need to transfer four hours or if I can get more time than that.

Enter The Hall Of Crowns

SPEAKER_08

Yeah, it's only half the long rest. Okay. Okay. So, um at the coronation of the next day, Lord Seinmonder and the closest of his Knights of the Crown are around him, along with all of uh as well as all of you. And really the first thing you really notice as you walk into the Hall of Crowns, which is the main hall of that that all the coronations have been held at for hundreds of years, is you notice the light. These tall arched windows, stained glass, just splinter the sunlight into shards of red and gold and blue and purple that dance across the marble floor as clouds dance uh uh or as clouds pass in front of the sun. Every color seems brighter here, every shadow sharper, and the air smells faintly of incense and polished brass. It's warm and heavy. It it feels like a home. Uh the pillars around the hall are thick, as thick as like the oldest oak trees you've ever seen, and they rise up to a vaulted ceiling, painted with scenes of house um uh uh House of the Crowns triumphs. Knights charging into battle, kings holding all of swords, and a blazing the the symbol of a blazing phoenix with outstretched wings, which is the house uh the symbol of house um waldron. Uh the throne at the far end of the room, uh the throne dice at the far end of the room commands the far end of the hall. Uh the throne itself is carved from blackwood, its armrests shaped into curling flames, and its black crowned into a halo of golden rays. Wide polished steps lead up to it, each one lined with small silver brasiers, and those brassiers have their torches lit and their the flames are dancing, lighting up the stained glass and all the armor around it. The the room is filled. The entire first floor of the the garden and the courtyard and the hall of crowns is just filled with crowd with crowd. Uh they've you've got knights, you've got clerics, you've got nobles in silks and velvets, and you've got merchants in their finest coats. Uh you can see priests in the area and a few generals of the crown and the kingdom with their chests glittering with uh medals and some of their accomplishments. They're in their their finest uh their finest finest armor and and battle garments. And there's just a quiet murmur of conversation, a bit of excitement, a bit of tension in the room. And uh you can tell all of you around Lord Seinmander that he is he is tense. He has not released his hand from his sword since the um since he's stood in formation, and he keep continues to look around nervously and meet meeting all of your eyes as he's looking around, making sure you're still there. Anything you want to say to Lord Seinmander?

SPEAKER_10

Yeah, so seeing how tense he is and how he has this kind of like stance of aggression almost, uh, Xaniver is going to subtly cast suggestion to Lord Seinmonder and just tell him suggest keeping your hand off your sword until you're ready to draw. Uh and that's a DC 16 wisdom save. Okay. That is a 15, so he fails to save. Alright, so as long as I uh concentrate on that spell, he will keep his hand off his sword until he is ready to use it.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_08

Um and once that drops, does he know that knows that he was charmed?

SPEAKER_10

Uh let me take a look at that spell. Probably. Uh the charmed target pursues the suggestions, suggestive IT. Uh it doesn't say one way or the other. So it can be DM's discretion.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_09

Do you have a question, Bill? No. Okay. Okay. What level is that suggestion spell? It's a second level spell. Second level, okay. I was looking at the first level, I didn't see it. That's why.

The Crown Warps And Decrees Fall

SPEAKER_08

Okay, understood. Yeah, so upon you casting the spell, he his hand eases off of his sword hilt and he relaxes his hand at his side. Alright. There on the Dais in front of you all. Uh, Princess Athena sits upon the golden throne. Um, her posture is perfect. Her gown is an intricate crimson silk and gold thread, and as the sun dances through the the the windows, the light catches on the jewels at her throat, casting flickers of green and red across her pale face. And then just beside her on her right stands Queen uh Lorencia. Uh she's serene, smiling, one hand resting on the on the throne where the princess sits. The coronation begins, you know, the the music starts flowing, uh the music starts playing, and the crowd just silences, and um the one of the priests from the tower, uh sorry, one of the clerics from the tower come up to Princess Safina, and he bows deeply at her, reaches towards the crown that is sitting next to her, and then goes to stand beside behind her, next to Queen Lorencia, and he slowly places the crown on top of Princess Safina's head while dec uh while muttering an old chant, an old prayer. As the crown lowers, Queen Lorencia steps up and she says, and it seems like she's almost translating from what the cleric is saying uh people of Aglirion, we gather to see Blood of the Kings renewed. Oh sorry. We gather to see the blood of the kings renewed. And she then steps back and lets the crown uh get placed fully on Princess Athena's head. The moment it touches Athena's head, you can see the gold of the crown start to warp into a pale bone color. Its thorns curl outward, and runes flare in a sickly purple light. These fang-like spikes angle towards Princess Athena's brow, and thunder rattles the glass despite despite the clear sky that was previously there. Princess Athena slowly changes shape from a beautiful blonde teenage girl to uh uh with her skin is suddenly a muted a muted green color. Uh her hair is ragged, a ragged black, and her teeth are rotted. One of her eyes is slightly crossed and staring into her nose, and she stands up from the she stands up from her throne and she says Subjects of Aglarian, the age of weakness is over.

SPEAKER_07

For too long the gods have meddled in mortal affairs, holy clerics and paladins, you are enemies of the crown.

SPEAKER_08

Your temples will burn, your prayers will wither, and your names will be ash. Magic was never meant to heal or bless, it was born in fire, forged in blood, and it is the right of rulers to wield it without chains. Under my reign, magic will return to its true form, the tool of dominion. At this, Lord Sign Mondr grabs his sword once more and unsheaths it. She she sweeps a hand around the room, and suddenly a bunch of nobles that were standing around throw back hoods, uh, reveal capes, and pull swords, and she says, The children of the coven are my eyes and ears, who will tell on you if you misbehave. They've already told me some nasty tales about you. Queen uh Lorencia has not moved since then, but she then steps forward in front of the princess and says, All stand strong for Alfina's first declarations. For Queen Afina's first declarations. At this, the new queen starts to uh continues and she says, All wine must be served lukewarm. I don't like cold wine.

SPEAKER_07

All divine magic is forbidden on pain of death. All temples are closed, wealth seized for the crown. No ponytails. They make people look too pretty. Cut them off, along with the heads that wear them. All bread, from here on out, must be sliced diagonally. I don't like straight lines. Unauthorized healing is treason. The tower will now serve me directly. All other towers and magical institutions are abolished.

SPEAKER_08

Gotta get some throat coat. All arcane casters must now register and swear a blood oath to me. We will bring back the Age of Magic. We will bring back the power. The time of the tower is dead.

SPEAKER_07

Alfina then points at all the knights of the crown and says, Voice your loyalty to me now, my hounds, and I shall reward you with power beyond your imagination.

Knights Divide And Chaos Erupts

SPEAKER_08

Otherwise, perish in the flames of hell. Immediately, Lord Seinmander looks around n exasperatedly and says, No, brothers! Fight this! Fight for the true crown! Unbeknownst to all well, uh benowns to all of you, because he told you, the uh the knights are are split in their decision, and most of them have been brought up to just listen to the crown no matter what. So you see half of the knights immediately kneel to the ground. As soon as their knees hit the ground, you hear armor start to creak and break, you hear snarls, you see flesh twisting, and fur erupts where skin once was, and now all these creatures that were once humans or elves or dwarves are now rise up as uh some sort of were creature, still in c in clad in armor. She then points to Lord Seinmondr and all of you, and Queen Ephina, her voice cracking like a whip, says, Kill the snakes, kill the priests and the knights. Any questions about what just happened before we get into some sort of combat order?

SPEAKER_02

So half the knights are they interspersed, like like half of like just half of them randomly dispersed throughout the crowd. So half are s kneeling, half are standing. The ones that are kneeling turned into monster-ish people. Yes. Um and they just pointed at called us out as snakes?

SPEAKER_05

Yes.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_05

Uh I missed some of the decrees. Are those critical that I have documented, or is it just she's crazy and being a bitch?

SPEAKER_08

Um, the ones that are important, all temples are closed, the wealth is seized for the crown. All divine magic is forbidden on pain of death. All arcane casters must now register with her personally and swear a blood oath. Unauthorized healing is treason, and the tower now serves her directly.

SPEAKER_02

Do we think the tower is actually gonna go for that?

SPEAKER_08

Um we can ponder on that a little bit later. You probably aren't thinking about that right now.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

Well, I know there's lots of memes on trying to get clerics to stop casting guidance, but I think this one takes the cake. Literally the only spell I have as divination magic is guidance. You did it, Brandon. Congratulations.

SPEAKER_08

And this is the beginning of Voss's end.

SPEAKER_03

I can't cast guidance anymore.

SPEAKER_02

Or can I? Divine magic, not divination magic, right?

SPEAKER_08

Divine magic is forbidden on death.

SPEAKER_03

Is divine magic and divination magic the same thing?

SPEAKER_08

All your magic's divine. Yep. Paladins and clerics get their magic. I have divine magic. They get their magic from a god. Or a deity.

SPEAKER_03

Or their faith. I think they're faith.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Dick. Or Richard.

SPEAKER_02

Richard Cranium.

SPEAKER_03

I understand that this doesn't apply to me.

SPEAKER_05

Uh so before we get into theater mind, I'm trying to envision this. So it's all a one-story building? Is there like a raised like promontory or like upper floor in there or anything? Or is you mentioned this high ceilings? I know that we got a lot of space, it's very crowded. I'm trying to imagine uh where am I, what kind of maneuverability do I have? Is there people above us posing a threat we have to get to? Uh just trying to let you know.

SPEAKER_08

While the palace is multiple floors, where you're at, you can't see anybody above you. Um it it is everything here is uh on a single level. Um you are in a you are in a inside garden area where the light from the windows lets the plants grow. Um the dais is the only raised part of this this floor. And it's it's about ten feet up to where the throne is. But there are stairs leading up to that.

SPEAKER_02

Who's all on the dais?

SPEAKER_08

Queen Laurentia, Princess Athena. Or sorry. Queen Laurentia, Queen Athena, and the cleric that crowned her. Oh, and two of the two of the weir knights.

SPEAKER_02

And uh the guy that the guy that crowned her? What was his reaction when she started turned into a hag or whatever and started making these pronouncements?

SPEAKER_08

Uh very surprised.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_08

Yeah, he's he's he's l a little horrified at the moment.

SPEAKER_10

Are there any non-Ware Knights on the D Dais, or is it just Were Knights? Just Were Knights on the Deus.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

So the only qua quasi-innocent is the guy that just crowd her.

SPEAKER_08

On the Deis, yes.

SPEAKER_05

And what's the rough numbers uh of each of the forces? The non-changed and the changed?

SPEAKER_08

Uh it's it's almost like dozens. Oh, you're saying t total number of people? Yeah, it's it's dozens on each side.

SPEAKER_05

Um, like how many combatants is like what are we doing with doing quick math?

SPEAKER_08

Uh you can tell that these were creatures outnumber the knights of the crown. Between the cultists and the wear creatures, they definitely outnumber the knights of the crown.

SPEAKER_02

And uh this the other civilians that are there? Are they backing away from the cultists or are they I haven't gotten there yet? Okay.

SPEAKER_08

Any other questions before we begin? No, I'm good. Okay. Alright. So. Sorry, just letting setting up real quick. Man, that that rumbly voice thing really destroys my throat. I think I need some lozenges.

SPEAKER_05

Did you do any kind of warm-up before you stressed your voice like that?

unknown

No.

SPEAKER_03

Give me uh give me a call. I can uh I can help you out with that.

unknown

Okay.

Fighting Through The Crowd To The Gate

SPEAKER_08

Alright. Alright, here we go. So yeah, absolute chaos erupts in in the room, right, where you're all at. Um the stage around the Dais. Um the the stage around the Dais just has a now a panic crowd trying to escape these terrifying beasts that just transformed. A small group of these were knights blocks the iron gates of the hall. And as civilians start coming closer to them, these nobles, these merchants, uh, they are just breathing fire straight from their mouths onto these individuals. And they're they're slaughtering anything that comes near them that isn't that isn't a cultist or one of their own new Ware Knight brothers. Uh the non-combatants in the crowd are piling up in front of the gates trying to push them their way out, and they're being blocked by fiery breath and weapons of the the Ware Knights. And so they're they're pushing back and forth, and you're all kind of getting caught up in this crowd, and it's just it's tough to move as everybody's panicking, everybody's pushing one way or the other. Uh the now Renegade or Rebel Knights of the Crown are initially confronting the Were Knights, who are vastly outnumbering them with the help of the cultists. Lord Seinmander is looking around, and you can see that he's calculating as he's fighting off and protecting his knights. And you hear him yell into the to the crowd Knights of the Crown to me!

SPEAKER_07

We must get them out. Protect the clerics.

SPEAKER_08

Um The clerics have all the clerics that can get around Lord Seinmander are now trying to pull themselves inside of a circle around the Knights of the Crown, and they're trying to push towards the gate at the end of the hall. So, what I want to do here is with all of this being described, I want to roll for some initiative, and your goal is to help Lord Seinmonder get out of this room, escape the palace. Alright? So it's almost like uh ability check uh or skill check type of thing. However, there may be some combat involved depending on some of the choices you make. Alright? So let's roll for some initiative.

SPEAKER_03

Uh, boss would like to go towards the back with a uh three.

SPEAKER_10

Good roll, good roll. Xanroll will be towards the front with a natural twenty for a twenty-two. Damn.

SPEAKER_02

So uh Zane, even with a natural one, beats uh uh Monty or Moss with a seven.

SPEAKER_05

Novak has a ten.

SPEAKER_06

Harleck also got a twenty-two. Also a natural twenty.

SPEAKER_02

I have a question a one now that before we get started. Um one of the things that uh one of the things that um Zane can do is swap. I don't know how to role-playing, but he can swap an initiative with a willing party member. I'm not saying that he would do it, but he has the ability to do that. I don't know how to do that.

SPEAKER_06

Oh, is that from alert?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_10

Do you have an idea of what you would immediately do?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I do, but I I'm just saying, I I just kind of wanted to bring it up since we're getting into combat. I don't know how to do it.

SPEAKER_10

Yeah, so I don't know what I would do go first, right? So if you've got an idea of what you would do, then I would imagine that like Xaniver starts to summon some of his magic in his palm, and you place your hand on your on his shoulder to stop him and charge board, right? Something to that okay.

SPEAKER_08

Xaniver and Harleck have exactly the same dexterity. Uh both of you roll me a d20.

SPEAKER_03

I mean, why don't you do it like we always used to do it in the old podcast and just have whip their peckers out, see which one's longer on camera.

SPEAKER_08

I mean, Ray would win that every day.

SPEAKER_03

Oh man. If any of Ray's family's listening, just know he's going first, everybody.

SPEAKER_08

You raised the good one.

SPEAKER_05

So did Ray.

SPEAKER_03

Alright. If you've never had a non-military person, like play with us. This is this is too much fun. Sorry, Ray.

SPEAKER_08

Uh so Bill, I would say as long as you RP it, I'm fine with however you want to do it. I like Andrew's suggestion. But it's really just how you would RP. I would just, you know, before we started, talk out of character and then RP a way for you to do it in character.

SPEAKER_10

Yeah, so I got a set a seven on the roll-off. I got a four. Alright. Uh so Xaniver, I would assume, beating the bad guys.

SPEAKER_01

Yep.

SPEAKER_10

Yes. Okay. Uh begins to summon some magic in his palm. He looks a little hesitant to go.

SPEAKER_02

So yeah. You you start to summon magic, and then I would Zane would put his hand on his shoulder. Do you want me to take this?

SPEAKER_08

How about it? Okay. So Xaniver and Zane are switching.

SPEAKER_09

Okay. You're up, Zayn. What would you like to do?

SPEAKER_02

Alright, so so you said this is not necessarily a real combat, right?

SPEAKER_08

Uh, it can be, depending on your choices that you make.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, so what he wants what I want to do is I want to activate my wing boots and get in the air above the crowd and basically force or in using intimidation to try to push fear in, you know, kind of scare the other people, the the non the ones that are able to be scared, and the enemies to try to slow them down so that they back away from our group and allow the quote unquote innocents or good guys to disengage.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. Uh uh Okay. So this is going to be a high roll because all these people are terrified already. So it's a passing of 22.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. And I'm gonna use my luck.

SPEAKER_05

You have inspiration too.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, I have inspiration. That's even more.

SPEAKER_08

Well, it's heroic inspiration, so keep in mind. You have to take it. Whatever it is, you have to take it.

SPEAKER_10

Luck now grants you advantage, so it's uh I will take that.

SPEAKER_02

It's 25 and uh and 10. So 35.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. Uh yeah, so the crowd, uh, the crowd around Lord Seinmonder uh kind of moves towards the gate a little bit, but clears away from Lord Seinmonder and immediately around him.

SPEAKER_02

The bad guys, right? That's the idea, is I want to I want to kind of get the get a separation between the bad guys and the good guys by intimidating the bad guys.

SPEAKER_08

Oh, yeah. Uh okay. If that's your goal, it's not going to work. These creatures are immune to charm.

SPEAKER_02

I'm not talk- well, the uh you also have the human-like ones, right?

SPEAKER_08

The cultists, yes.

Fireballs At The Dais

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. So the idea is to get them intimidated, to move them out of the way to create basically a little bit of pushback to allow the innocents and the bad guys a little bit more room to give them an advantage to get out.

SPEAKER_09

Uh, okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I know they're not gonna- I know that they're not gonna run away or anything. I I get that. No, it's just to first give them a push, intimidate them to like yelling and not yelling, but using his appearance and his mo his method of speech and the fact that he just got up on got up in the air and is using his forceful personality to push back to give them, give the people that are stuck in the fight an opportunity to get out of the fight.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. Yep. So as uh yeah, so the cultists around uh Lord Seinmander and the rebel uh the rebel knights of the crown uh move away slightly and the crowd starts dispersing around them. So there is a little bit of wiggle room around Lord Seinmonder now. Not a lot, it's still very crowded, but uh there is some movement area. Or there's some movement area to move around. Yep.

SPEAKER_06

Okay Harleck. Um, so my bolstering performance, uh it says it's no action. Uh in trying to line up with uh I'm I'm sorry, one second, Harleck.

SPEAKER_08

I totally forgot. My bad. Alright. Uh so Zane, as you're sitting as you're flying up in the air, um a the what some of the crowd that you disperse moves into a uh one of the knights that have a crossbow, and the crossbow goes awry and comes up towards you and hits the uh sword in your hand. You don't have a sword. You have any items in your hand? Nope. Okay. Uh give me a dexterity savings throw. It is a 14 to pass.

SPEAKER_02

It's it's an eight. So I'm gonna say just because of the the way that the Dark One's luck works, I need you to not tell me what it is before I roll. Because I'm I have to I have to decide whether or not the decision for me to use that is after I roll, but before I know the result.

SPEAKER_05

You still have inspiration. I thought he used it for his intimidation.

SPEAKER_02

No, I used I used to be.

SPEAKER_05

Oh, you did use. I thought you said you used your luck, my mistake. I see.

SPEAKER_02

I used both.

SPEAKER_08

Okay, I understood. I was trying to be more transparent about saves, but I will hold them back.

SPEAKER_02

No, no, no, I understand, and I appreciate that. It just because of the way that that's worded.

SPEAKER_08

Yep.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_08

Uh yeah, so this crossbow bolt is gonna hit you in the leg, Zane. And you are going to take 12 points of piercing damage.

SPEAKER_02

Jesus Christ.

SPEAKER_05

Oh my god. It had the the bodkin arrow on the front of it, the the ripping on there? It makes sense.

SPEAKER_08

The the ripping? Yeah. Alright, sorry about that, Harleck. Go ahead.

SPEAKER_06

You're good. Um, so the bolstering performance that lets me give the temporary HP says it's no action, but uh to try to be in line with Zayn's uh whole doing his intimidation, I'm gonna try to is there guards that are potentially swayable to be on Seinminder's side that I could try to persuade into taking up arms to stick with us?

SPEAKER_08

So everybody that has bent The knee has been a little bit of a chance. Oh yeah, they converted. Yeah. Oh, so you're trying to persuade them to stick to their oaths? Yeah. Uh okay, yeah, yeah. Uh I would say you can see you can see probably about you can see a half a dozen in the area around Lord Seinmonder that might be convinced they're they're not exactly they're swinging at the civilians around them, but they're not attacking their brothers.

SPEAKER_06

Okay. Um, and I'll I'll use that like, you know, me pleading and trying to be persuasive as my performance to give uh our party and Seinmonder the 10 extra temp HP. Okay with my inspirer inspiring leader feeds. So how does that work? Um that's just uh ten ten temporary HP points um to get until gone for the day. So you're probably convinced. Oh yeah, but as far as the convinced, I guess it'd be, you know, um, you know, no, you know, stick stick to your oaths. You're you're supposed to be saving these people. And trying to get them to stick to everything. I guess it'd be a persuasion roll. Yeah, roll me some persuasion or performance. I guess it really doesn't matter for you. I'm gonna go persuasion. So I rolled a five, but I have uh silver the silver tongue uh ability, so I could treat anything as a nine or lower as a ten, so it would be uh seventeen. Okay. Yeah, fucking bards.

SPEAKER_10

Uh so can we just look at how awkward that is that the cartoon voice can treat any persuasion check as a ten or a hundred. I know. And deception.

Teleports, Fog, And A Desperate Push

SPEAKER_08

And deception. Okay. Um yeah, so you see you see uh two of the wear knights uh tie turn it turn their backs towards some of the other wear knights and fall in line with the knights of the crown. And uh so all of them get ten temporary hit points along with your companions? Is that is that how it is?

SPEAKER_06

So it would be our party and sign monitor, because I can only get six six people, but I'm trying to use persuasion on those guys. Got it. Yep. Cool.

SPEAKER_03

Alright. And now So you're saying you can't quite give the full train temporary HP? No, yeah, not not the whole train. Just part of the train.

SPEAKER_08

Just six members of the train.

SPEAKER_03

Which is anyway.

SPEAKER_08

Okay.

SPEAKER_02

So um so real quick branded question question. Um who shot me?

SPEAKER_08

Uh just uh it was actually one of the knights of the crown. Uh the crowd bumped them as they were going past.

SPEAKER_02

A good guy?

SPEAKER_08

Yes.

SPEAKER_05

That's a bad trigger discipline. The training issue.

SPEAKER_02

Now, Max, are you continuously hitting a history check or is it just some glitch on my side?

SPEAKER_05

Uh I don't think I am. No, I don't see it. I don't see it. Okay.

SPEAKER_02

Refresh. I think so. Sorry.

SPEAKER_05

I will now though.

unknown

Thanks.

SPEAKER_08

Uh so Zayn, you suddenly feel the hole in your leg close up as a cleric focuses on you from below and casts heal wounds on you, so regain 2d8 hit points. Do you want me to roll the 2d8? Yes, please.

SPEAKER_02

Uh eight.

SPEAKER_08

Wonderful.

SPEAKER_05

Nel Vex. It's me. Um, so it sounds like we're kind of uh forming ranks here a little bit. Like there's a gap between the guys at the door and us. Right? Correct. Uh okay. So I would like to. Am I can I cast a spell and take an action? Like do a thing? Uh give myself guidance so I can do acrobatics better.

SPEAKER_09

I thought guidance was a bonus action. Is it? No, it's an action. Guidance is an action.

SPEAKER_05

What? It's an action in this set of rules at least. Is that a change? I don't know.

SPEAKER_10

No, it's always an action. Oh, interesting. That's why when I was bleeding out and Voss cast guidance, I had another death save after. I'll just do the thing.

SPEAKER_08

I don't I'm not worried. I'll just. And then I then I would say no. You can't do it.

SPEAKER_05

Okay. So I'm gonna do some real uh monks shit. I'm just gonna scoot forward, uh, go through no man's land, and then uh try to like weave my way through these guys using my acrobatics to like kind of displace them and try to like part their lines enough for us to push our way through to the door. At least make a bit of a gap for everyone else to take advantage of.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. Um before you roll Nelvex, as you start moving through, you see an elder elderly noblewoman wearing heavy wake up makeup and an even heavier selection of jewelry, shouting in pain and cursing profanities as one of the large uh candelabras has fallen on top of her. Um and she's cursing at these these two large, like these fat middle-aged men that are staring at her.

SPEAKER_07

You lazy bastards of a whore, help me! Help me! I will not die here. I'm too famous and rich to die like this.

SPEAKER_05

Uh okay, I'm a little torn because I kind of hate her. Uh but that's a good opportunity to make some money. Uh so when she's dead, you can loot the body.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

Valid. Uh okay, so uh is this to distract me from my goal, or is this just like I have an opportunity on the way?

SPEAKER_08

This is you were the first person to actually push forward from the group.

SPEAKER_05

Hmm. Are those guys part of like the group by the door, or is this a separate set of nobles?

SPEAKER_08

No, it looks it it looks like uh this woman is a noble, and the two people she's shouting at are also nobles of some class or another.

SPEAKER_05

So she is she like injured or just like pinned down?

SPEAKER_08

She's pinned down, her she's injured. You can see one of her legs is twisted in her in a in a very bad shape.

SPEAKER_05

But she's not like spraying blood anywhere. She's not seconds away from dying.

SPEAKER_08

No.

SPEAKER_05

Okay, I got a job to do. Sorry, lady. Okay, I got 500 gold right into this, and she may not paint me, so. Okay. Oh yeah, so I'll still move forward and try to like, I don't know, judo flip some dudes into each other and try to just make a little bit of a hole. Uh yeah, the guys can come through. Like form a wedge in their line to try to let us let us get in.

SPEAKER_08

Alright, I will let you either roll an attack roll against these individuals, or you can do a what'd that be? Acrobatics? Okay. Acrobatics check.

SPEAKER_05

I will do unarmed strikes then for that. To uh try to do that. Okay, give me an attack. Yep. Yeah. Uh 15 plus 7 for 22.

SPEAKER_08

That misses. I'm totally kidding. Yeah, that hits. Okay. 22, that's wild. Um, what exactly are you trying to do? Or tell me tell me how you move these individuals.

SPEAKER_05

Okay. Uh so these guys are like, are they still wielding weapons or are they all claws and teeth now?

SPEAKER_08

Uh no, they're still holding weapons. Okay. Though most of them have dropped their shields and are opting to use their uh their claws instead.

SPEAKER_05

Uh so like as I s uh kind of scurry forward, uh, like shrug off this old lady that I don't care about, uh, one of the guardsmen like jabs a spear in my direction, and I kinda scoop my hand under it and lift it up over my head, and then grab it and uh pull it towards me so that it throws that guy off balance, and then I'll like uh hit him with the blunt end of the spear to throw him onto the floor and like get him out of the way, and try to see if I can use that momentum to just like scoop another guy and get him out of the way. Like I don't know if we can get two two guys, ten guys. I could probably get ten guys from 22, right?

SPEAKER_08

Ten guys? Probably not ten. I'll let you do two.

Power Word Kill And Retreat

SPEAKER_05

And then the second one I will uh yeah, I'll I'll go to whack at him, and maybe he sees it coming and he grabs it, and so I go and do like a little fake tug of war, and then I fake him out, and uh he ends up like tumbling to the ground out of the way too.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. Awesome. Yeah, uh they stumble out of the way, and you're starting to clear a path, and Lord Seinmonder moves forward with his uh with his the the his immediate crew and starts pushing towards the gate. And you hear him say from the background, Resist the curse, resist the curse, my brothers. Remember your prayers, remember your oath. Alright. Xaniver.

SPEAKER_10

Alright, uh, so Xaniver sees the chaos just erupting everywhere around him. Um and he thinks back on his mentor uh Elnor, the Gilded Vale, and a saying that he used to say that the brightest flame draws the moths first and the hunters second. And so realizing that possibly the only way to start to pull the Ware Knights off of the gates is to create a bigger threat uh that causes them to break their order, to break their uh their station, and respond to it. And so uh as a bonus action, he's going to um use his innate sorcery ability, which will raise his spell save DC by one. And the rest of the party will see like cherry blossoms falling out of his cloak, falling out of his uh uh sleeves as like the smells of spring kind of erupt around him. And um he will kind of work his way up closer to the Deus and cast fireball uh right down smack dab on the if there's any clerics or non-transformed knights inside the the radius of that fireball, uh, which per our Homebrew rule is a lightning ball, um, then he'll use careful spell to make sure that they're safe. Uh keep up to four of them safe. Uh but otherwise he is just looking to obliterate everybody on the Deis that looks to be a threat, and hopefully pull those guards away from uh the exits and towards a response uh more in towards the courtyard.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. So as you're about to fire this, as you fire this fireball up at the Dais, you see that there's no quote unquote good guys up there. One of the hellhounds has now, or one of the wear knights has now grabbed the throat of the priest that was up or the cleric that was up there and has ripped it out with a seath. Um Queen Lorencia is now backed away, and Prince or now Queen Athena is just staring at all the chaos that's that's laid out before her. And uh she meets your eye as this fireball flies from your hands, and it smashes directly into her and the throne that she's sitting on.

SPEAKER_10

And uh as he releases it, he'll just mutter to her, Here's my blood oath. Uh that is gonna be 20 lightning damage, because I rolled like shit.

SPEAKER_09

Yep.

SPEAKER_10

Uh and it's a DC 17 deck save for anyone caught in the chaos.

SPEAKER_08

Alright. Uh so as the lightning starts starts just kind of dissipating into the ground and into the throne around it, the two uh wear knights have gone down, and you can see singed fur and and skin and flesh kind of smoking up into the uh up into the air. But the the Queen Athena and her mother are standing there both smiling at you.

SPEAKER_10

Alright, that's the uh end of my turn.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. Alright. So, Queen Athena, in all of her sickly green glory, uh noticing you for the first time, Xanover, is going to point a finger at you. And you feel this pull towards her. Please, God, don't be a wisdom save. I well, turns out I need you to give me a wisdom saving throw. Okay, is it a charmed effect? It is not a charmed defect.

SPEAKER_10

Okay, well, never mind. They uh I guess I don't have that defense anymore. Wisdom save! That's a four.

SPEAKER_06

Can I Silvery Barbs this?

SPEAKER_08

What is what are the what is the words of silvery barbs?

SPEAKER_06

Uh well, one reaction which you can take uh any creature you see within 60 feet of yourself that succeeds on an attack uh roll ability check or saving throw. So you're doing it to the enemy and not your your friend? No, yeah, I guess it wouldn't I guess it wouldn't uh save in this one. My bad.

SPEAKER_08

So let's see, who would see this? Not Nelvex, but Zayn, Voss, Harleck, um, you see Xaniver, and two of the knights that are directly around him vanish and appear at the Deis directly in front of Queen Ephena.

SPEAKER_10

This is not where I left my car. Oh god.

unknown

Oh.

SPEAKER_05

Does he get like a milestone from the crackling energy? Just like a little bit left. Yeah.

Escape To The Lucky Leap

SPEAKER_08

Uh yeah, yeah. Xanaver's hair is now standing straight up.

SPEAKER_02

I'm sorry. Sorry, I should have said this earlier. I missed it. Did they did she just cast a spell?

SPEAKER_09

Yes.

SPEAKER_02

With does it have verbal, somatic, or material components? Uh yes. Can I counter spell?

SPEAKER_08

Sure.

unknown

That's it.

SPEAKER_08

Yep. Lorencia steps forward and casts her hand forward, and uh your counterspell is muted. So that could be silvery barbs.

SPEAKER_10

They change counterspell in 2024. What is that? It's a con it's a con save now.

SPEAKER_08

Oh, okay. Let's roll it. What is the con? Uh 14. He rolled a 19.

SPEAKER_06

I was like, if that is silvery barbs, well, I'd definitely try to do that one. Alright, so Silvery Barbs has got to be a re-roll, right? It'd be a re-roll, yeah. Alright. And I get to give advantage to somebody, so I guess I would give that also to Zane.

SPEAKER_08

I don't uh I don't think you could do anything with that. Yeah, he rolled a 15, or she rolled a 15.

SPEAKER_02

It's not a disadvantage, Silvery Barbs.

SPEAKER_08

It it's a re-roll.

SPEAKER_06

Oh yeah, but you also Yeah, but you also the the whole thing of seeing you throw somebody off their game also gives somebody else of your choice advantage on their next turn. I understand. Yeah, so and you can choose who to give that to. So, Zayn, on your next roll, you have advantage.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. Sorry, I'm looking up rules that I don't truly know in 2024 yet. Yeah, so for our listeners, I'm looking up legendary resistance rules. Okay. Not for the party.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, not for the party. No, no. Um, but yeah, as far as silvery barbs go, it says you magically distract the triggering creature and turn its momentary uncertainty into t into encouragement for another creature. The triggering creature must re-roll the d20 and use the lower roll. You can also then choose a uh different creature you can see within range. Uh, you can choose yourself. Uh the chosen creature has advantage on the next attack roll, ability check, or saving throw it makes within one minute. Uh, and the creature can be empowered by only one use at a time. Shit. Silver barb is kind of broken. Yeah, a lot of people hate it. I mean, that's what a bard is known for, right? I say it's kind of a trap too, because then you you try to use it like all the time.

SPEAKER_10

And then for the listeners, uh, legendary resistances. When a legendary monster fails a d20 test, they can choose to succeed as well. And use one of their legendary legendary resistances. So had the hag failed, they could have chosen to succeed on the test. And then a legendary resistance is not silvery barbsable, uh, if that's a verb or adjective. Barbsable. Yeah, because they're already choosing to succeed, so you can't make them not succeed when they choose to succeed.

SPEAKER_08

See, this is why I actually invited Andrew to play with us during this campaign. It's not because I like him or I enjoy being around him, it's because I know he's gonna follow the rules and he's gonna hold me to those rules as well.

SPEAKER_03

Did you hear that, Andrew? He doesn't like you.

SPEAKER_10

Yeah, I already knew that though. I was uh I was an LT back at Marf, so um public enemy number one. Yeah, right?

SPEAKER_08

Okay. So uh Voss, you're up. Is that me? That is you, you are Voss. I didn't I didn't hear.

SPEAKER_03

All I heard is you're up. I was like, pretty sure it's me. Voss. Voss. Voss. Oh me? Oh, wait. I thought we okay, yeah, this is Oathbreaker. Okay. Uh so Voss is going to uh ready his uh shield and his uh mace, and he's just gonna take a defensive position uh towards Lord Sidemonger, and already in action to uh attack anybody that makes an aggressive move towards Lord Sidmonger.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. Yeah, as you take those positions, two where knights come charging at you, and they're going to try to uh they're gonna try to attack you.

SPEAKER_03

Okay. Do I attack back first or are they attacking me first?

SPEAKER_08

Uh they're gonna try to attack you, and then uh depending on their roles, you can attack them back. So a 12 and a 14.

SPEAKER_03

Um is is that against my AC or AC my initiative check?

SPEAKER_08

That is against your AC.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, then it doesn't pass.

SPEAKER_08

Oh, okay, great.

SPEAKER_03

If they were rolling against my initiative, then yes, they win both.

SPEAKER_08

If they're rolling against your initiative, they could spit in your direction and win.

SPEAKER_03

Yes. Correct.

SPEAKER_08

Alright.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, I get to hit back note.

SPEAKER_08

Yep. Give me an attack roll. An attack roll against both of them.

SPEAKER_03

Uh, I'd like to use my inspiration on that first one.

SPEAKER_08

You don't have inspiration.

SPEAKER_03

I do have inspiration. I uh spent some time in my workshop gaining heroic inspiration.

SPEAKER_08

You didn't tell me that.

SPEAKER_03

I totally did.

SPEAKER_08

He's he spent the night in his workshop.

SPEAKER_03

No, I gotta spend a couple hours reading and polishing my armor and my workshop.

SPEAKER_08

Did you tell me that gave you heroic inspiration?

SPEAKER_03

No, I left that part out. Bro. Okay. I I can take no heroic inspiration on that.

SPEAKER_08

No, that's fine. Yeah, take it. I just like I I don't know all the rooms. The Bastion rules are very, very new to me, so I'd appreciate a heads up on those things.

SPEAKER_03

Okay. Alright, sorry.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, so just so you know, in the spirit of transparency, I have identify.

SPEAKER_08

Thumbs up.

SPEAKER_02

As a as a free spell. Got it. Because I because I did a long rest in in or near my arcade study.

SPEAKER_06

I would also have heroic inspiration from being in the workshop. Okay.

SPEAKER_10

And ever has a hangover from drinking all night.

SPEAKER_08

That's why you were asking for a party into the workshop. I was like, Why does everyone want to be the sex dungeon are you running here, Matty?

SPEAKER_03

It's the inspiration sex dungeon. Um and uh where? Inside that sex dungeon is this uh beauty named Karma, which means when you try to pull a fast one over on the DM and you try to re-roll your seven, you get a seven on your reroll. Yes. Uh a total of twelve. Does that hit?

SPEAKER_08

Uh it does not. Now roll for the other one.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_08

Yeah, as you're as as you as you as you throw your sword towards the first one, he deflects with his claws. Like he just grasps the sword with the claws on his right hand and pushes them aside.

SPEAKER_03

Stop it. Stop and and so very inspired, yeah, uh Voss tries again and gets a 13 this time instead of a 12. That does hit. Wow. Alright. Uh do some mace damage there for uh 8.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. Yeah, your mace comes cracking down on the skull of this uh weir knight, and the weir knight, though obviously not dead, collapses to the ground.

SPEAKER_03

We can make him dead later.

SPEAKER_08

We can make him dead later.

SPEAKER_03

Alright.

SPEAKER_02

So um never mind.

SPEAKER_08

The Did you have a question, Bill?

SPEAKER_02

I did, but I figured the answer doesn't matter.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. Um, so at the push of these wear knights, Maddie, uh, the crowd around you is is is scared and surges towards you. I need you, hey, as the crowd surges towards you, like you're getting pushed in all directions, and the the wear knights are being moved away from you. I need you to give me a strength saving throw to try to stay on your feet.

SPEAKER_03

I rolled a four for a six on that uh that strength saving throw.

SPEAKER_08

So I'm I'm trying not to laugh openly on your face, but it's not having good rolls, dude.

SPEAKER_03

No, no, no, a seven, seven or so. Okay, seven, seven, eight, four so far tonight. You had a thirteen. No, that was the five. Yeah, yeah. Oh, my inspiration was a three. So three, seven, seven, eight, four.

SPEAKER_08

The crowd pushes you, and uh you just get knocked onto the ground, and so now you are prone, and uh the crowd continues to surge forward, and you're going to take seven points of bludgeoning damage as you're just getting trampled on.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

Seven points of damage.

SPEAKER_08

Alright, back up to you, Zane.

SPEAKER_03

Don't forget. Don't forget you have ten temporary hit points. I use those. Well, seven of those.

SPEAKER_01

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

Alright.

SPEAKER_08

So I'm trying to figure out so to to fully flesh out the picture here, Zayn, Lord Seinmonders continuing to push towards the gate. It looks like they're gonna get there in another probably 12 to 18 seconds.

SPEAKER_02

So two or three rounds. Um it's odd that they were exactly in six-second increments. Um, it's weird. Alright, so is there anything that's standing between is there anything that's in their way? Any bad guys that are in their way?

SPEAKER_08

There are a lot of bad guys in their way. There are cultists, there are wear knights. Uh, from your vantage point, you can see that there are four were knights at the gates themselves that they're pushing towards. And you can see that in the crowd, there are probably about a dozen to a dozen and a half cultists to wear knights dispersed in the crowd that are just striking people down as they come close to them.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. So Zayn will probably start blasting people that are blocking. Shit, I got a person that's stuck up on stage. I don't know what I can do about that.

SPEAKER_10

I'm I'm not stuck.

SPEAKER_08

I'm highly stuck in here with you. You're stuck in here with me.

SPEAKER_02

Alright, so Zayn is gonna take out just uh use this bonus action before his regular action and summon his sword and then point his sword at somebody that's in his in the group's way that's trying to get to the gate.

SPEAKER_09

Okay.

SPEAKER_02

So okay. Uh actually, sorry, pause, rewind. Where are we in relation to the theoretical secret passage?

SPEAKER_08

You don't know where it is, you just know it's in the garden.

SPEAKER_02

You said it's on the west side. That's what I'm saying. Where are we?

SPEAKER_08

You are about uh 80 feet from the west wall.

SPEAKER_02

How far are we from the east wall?

SPEAKER_08

About 340 feet.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, so we're on the west side.

SPEAKER_08

Correct.

SPEAKER_02

So can I blast and look for the secret passage? Look just with my eyes, not go down. I'm up in the air looking down. Do I see anything that looks like the secret passage and blast at the same time? Can I do those two things?

SPEAKER_08

I'll let you blast, but I'd use your passive perception to look.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. Alright, then he will take take aim and summon his sword, point it at one person and fire his Eldritch blast, and then possibly fire a second one at the same person, but if that person first person goes down, it'll fire it at somebody else.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. Uh give me attack roll.

SPEAKER_02

You say okay, so Silvery Barbs, does that give it automatic on the next roll? Is that how that works?

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, I think it's for the next attack uh ability or whatever roll. I mean, it it's your next d20 roll.

SPEAKER_10

Whatever.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, okay. Jesus. 14? That does hit. So eight damage, and he will shove him back 10 feet.

SPEAKER_08

Uh okay. Uh eight damage, and the wear knight's back slams into the gate. Okay. Is he still standing? He is still standing.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. Um then he will take another one.

SPEAKER_08

Alright, give it to me.

SPEAKER_02

23. And 13. And it'll shove it back even harder.

SPEAKER_08

Uh 13 attack? Yeah, that hits.

SPEAKER_02

No, no, no, no. 23 attack, 13 damage.

SPEAKER_08

Oh, yeah, yeah. Okay. Yeah, that kills him. How do how does your uh Eldris Glass kill this wear knight?

SPEAKER_02

Sounds like it pushed his head through the is the gate like a grate or is it like a solid gate?

SPEAKER_08

It is a solid, like foot and a half thick gate.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, so uh so what you see is just the weird guard guy just kind of flattens into the gate. And his skin, like around the edges, is bubbling. Okay. And uh and Zayn will say, I'll try to open a path for you to the Sidemander.

SPEAKER_08

Yep, Sidemander continues to push forward, acknowledges you with a uh a raised sword and a uh a roar as he strikes down another one of his former brothers. Alright. Harlek, it is your turn. Um as you're assessing the situation around you, you can see that there are two Were Knights that are viciously attacking a single Knight of the Crown. Um you've seen this Knight of the Crown around before, but uh this knight is has placed himself between those those Were Knights and one of the priests of a local temple. Uh you don't know the priest personally, but uh he is protecting the priest and trying to get him to the gate and and and with Lord Seinmotter. He is about twenty feet to your uh to your right.

SPEAKER_06

Okay.

SPEAKER_08

20 feet to my right, and then it's all and it's only the two uh where the two where knights are are pressing on this single knight of the crown, trying to get to this priest. Okay.

SPEAKER_06

Um, I will try to Nathar's Mischip and see if I can slow him down or stop him in their tracks, since I can try to catch a boat. Uh it's gonna catch the priest too. Um I'll try to do Tasha City's laugh on one of the one of the knights to try to give him a better chance of getting out of there. Okay. What kind of save is that? Uh it is a wisdom save of 15. Uh and then Harlek's gonna shout over. It's like you need a map to get to this battlefield? And hope that it throws him off his game. Uh well, he rolled a four, so nice. Alright, so then he is uh so he drops to the ground incapacitated, uh laughing uncontrollably. Uh, and then so one creature of your choice that you can see within range makes a wisdom saving throw and a failed save. He's prone and incapacitated for the duration, which is uh one minute. Uh at the end of each of its turns, and every time it takes damage, it can make another wisdom save to try to break the break the spell.

SPEAKER_08

Alright. So as the the single Ware Knight drops to the ground, uh the other Ware Knight presses forward, and the priest removes his hood, and you can see that he is a dragonborn, and uh he he steps forward and opens his mouth, and a lightning breath comes out and strikes the other Ware Knight, singing him and dropping him to the ground. Uh the remaining Knight of the Crown, or the Knight of the Crown that was being pressed is bloodied. Uh, but he he looks to you and nods once, and with one arm hanging limply, uh he he ushers the priest forward towards the gate.

SPEAKER_02

Nice, nice.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, get out of there!

SPEAKER_06

Uh, and then uh with my bonus action, I'm just gonna inspire uh Xan for his uh next turn and give him Lotic inspiration. Alright. That'll be my turn.

SPEAKER_08

Hey, uh question Does Harleck have like a heart on for Zayn or something?

SPEAKER_06

No, no, no, Zan. I'm sorry. Xanafer this time. Xanover. Oh, Xaniver. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know.

SPEAKER_10

Hey, Brandon, remember how you made Maddie change his character's name because it was too similar.

SPEAKER_08

All right.

SPEAKER_10

Zan, Zane, Zane.

SPEAKER_08

We're all named Joe.

SPEAKER_09

Alright. Um okay. Nelvex, you're up.

SPEAKER_05

Okay. So I'm still, it sounds like in the front of the the gang.

SPEAKER_08

Correct, yeah. The Lord Seinmander and his entire posse are directly behind you, following your lead.

SPEAKER_05

How far from the gate am I at this point? About 40 feet. About 40 feet? Um, and how much space between me and like the nearest bad boy?

SPEAKER_08

Uh the crowd is all over the place, but you can see one about 10 feet in front of you.

SPEAKER_05

Oh, good. I'm gonna move forward 10 feet, which puts me like in melee range with the nearest bad guy, and about 33 30 feet from the gate. I'm gonna pull up my left hand where I have my ring of animal friendship, and I'm going to channel a spell from it, uh, fear, which attacks in a 30-foot cone.

SPEAKER_08

I'm gonna point it right at the gate. Okay, so you're trying to fear everybody in that area.

SPEAKER_05

Each creature in a 30-foot cone, yeah, takes a wisdom saving throw, or drops whatever it's holding and has a frightened condition for the duration.

SPEAKER_08

Alright, so I'm gonna do this. So I'm gonna do this, because there are about a hundred individuals between you and the gate, uh, is I'm going to do two rolls. Or yeah. I'm gonna do I'm gonna do three rolls. One for bad guys first, one for civilians, and then one for the good guys, any knights of the ground that are in that area. Alright, so bad guys first. Okay. Uh they rolled a nine plus a two, so that's eleven. That does not pass. Alright, and then non-combatants rolled a six. That does not pass. A one for seven. That does not pass. And good guys rolled a three.

SPEAKER_05

That does not pass either.

SPEAKER_08

Everybody's terrified.

SPEAKER_05

Everybody drops what they're holding and runs away from me.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_08

Yeah, uh you hear a clang of weapons as everybody pushes towards the gate as far as they can from you. Um there everybody disperses in a cone, but everybody that was directly in front of you is now pushing towards the gate, pushing against those uh now remaining three Waranites that are just against the gate, being squished against the uh the hard bulk bulkhead. Hell yeah. Okay. Anything else? Novaks?

SPEAKER_05

No, that's pretty good.

SPEAKER_08

Alright. No, that's that's alright. That's whatever. Uh Xanover, uh, Queen of Fina stares directly into your eyes and says, What do you have to say for yourself? Sorry. What do you have to say for yourself? It's your turn, Xanover. Uh Xanover's.

SPEAKER_02

Whose queen is that?

SPEAKER_08

Queen of Fina.

SPEAKER_10

The daughter. The new queen. Uh so Xanover will look at her and just say, I bend my knee to no one. And uh as he bows to her, he is going to use his face step ability to teleport 30 feet away. Uh, down back off the Dais. And then hit the Deus again with a fireball. Uh, this time use careful spell meta magic to save the two knights of the crown. We're teleported up there with him. Okay.

SPEAKER_08

Uh uh go ahead. She rolled a Nat 20.

SPEAKER_10

Off her save? Yes. Alright, uh, 25 lightning damage, so she'll take half. Alright. As well as the Queen Regent, who I think is also still up there. Yep. Uh and the knights don't take any damage, right?

SPEAKER_08

Because the sculpted magic? Yep. They autosave and they don't take any damage. Awesome. Uh, yeah, so Queen Athena smiles once more at you as she gently pats her left shoulder and puts out a a small sizzling burnt piece of cloth. And she points towards you once more, and I need you to give me a wisdom save. That's a solid 12. Alright. Uh, you once again disappear and appear directly in front of Queen uh Athena and Queen Lorencia. I'll just call her Lorencia from now on. Lorencia walks up.

SPEAKER_10

Oh you're right, Bardic inspiration, that's about a d6.

SPEAKER_01

Everyone likes to forget it.

SPEAKER_10

That's uh another four, so sixteen total.

SPEAKER_08

That is not save. Uh so Lorencia then walks up towards you and places her hand on your shoulder, and you fear s feel a searing pain in your side. And you are gonna take 12 points of lightning damage as she whispers into your ear. You like the shock, huh? Anything else, Anver? Uh no, nothing else.

SPEAKER_03

Alright.

SPEAKER_09

Boss, you're up.

SPEAKER_03

Uh, is the guy that I attempted to attack still seem like the biggest threat to Seinmonger at the moment?

SPEAKER_08

Uh, you're you are prone on the ground, and that that individual is nowhere near you.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, okay. And I would like to stand up.

SPEAKER_08

Alright, so you gotta fight uh amongst the crowd, so I'm gonna need you to give me a strength uh so an athletics check to stand up. Athletics. It's only a 10 to save. Well, I mean, you've seen my rules so far.

SPEAKER_03

I have. They're getting better. God damn it, Maddie. Uh I got a uh it's um carry the two, add the one. I got a five.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. Um you can use your action for whatever you want now. You can try to stand up again or you can do something else from the ground where you're at.

SPEAKER_03

Uh, what do I see around me?

SPEAKER_08

Uh a lot of feet, a lot of legs, some fur sticking out of some of the clothing and armor around you.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I got I I I I I'm gonna how far away am I from Lord Sunmonger?

SPEAKER_08

You cannot see him directly, but last time you saw him, you were about ten feet away.

SPEAKER_03

Alright, I'm gonna crawl that direction while I'm on the ground. So I got 20 feet of movement, so I got 10 feet.

SPEAKER_08

I can move 10 feet on the ground. Yeah, you move 10 feet in that direction. And because you're still getting trampled. Because you're getting still getting trampled, you're gonna take an extra six points of bludgeoning damage.

SPEAKER_03

Sounds uh that's like awesome.

SPEAKER_07

Perfect, cool. Alright. I'm not even making big rolls, dude. You're just rolling shit.

SPEAKER_03

DC of 10? How could you, Brandon?

SPEAKER_10

You're out to freaking get us. Brandon, stop targeting Maddie. Seriously. I know.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, seriously. You know how I do all my rolls. That whole Nat 20 thing last episode, fluke. But I got a sweet shield out of the deal, so I can roll a couple, I can roll a couple of uh get get trampled a little bit.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. Um uh yeah, Voss, as you're as you're struggling um and getting stepped on and stomped on, one of the one of the knights around you sees you as your as your hand touches their foot and he reaches down and pulls you up.

SPEAKER_03

Alright. So at least I'm standing from extra benevolent god. Well, for now.

SPEAKER_08

Alright. So Oh, nice. Uh Voss, you feel a hand on your shoulder and warmth spread throughout your chest, and you are going to heal 2d8.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, I I thought you were saying I was gonna publish a chest? It's really long. What can I say? Uh 2d8, you said? Yes. Alright. 2d8. I I rolled a 1 and a 4. Hey, that four was pretty good, you know, considering. Maddie.

SPEAKER_08

A possible 16, and you rolled a four.

SPEAKER_03

I'm back up to full health now.

SPEAKER_08

Five, you're not.

SPEAKER_03

Oh no, I rolled a three and a one. Sorry. Oh. Yeah, because I had a 10 uh 10 temporary.

SPEAKER_08

Oh, that's right, that's right.

SPEAKER_03

So I can't go above my 45, so I can only take three of those four damage.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

Or three of those four heals. So good thing I didn't roll better than that. It would have been a waste.

SPEAKER_08

It's true. Zayn, you're up.

SPEAKER_02

So what I'm trying to get a picture of what's going on. So right now there's tons of people that are running towards the gate, both good guys, bad guys, and others are running towards the game.

SPEAKER_08

They're all pushing against the gate trying to get through it, yes.

SPEAKER_04

I helped good.

SPEAKER_08

You you you can't really determine, you can't single out any individual uh combatants or otherwise, because they're all just pushing around, moving so fast. They're pushing against the gate. Everybody's trying to get out of the gate and away from an individual you recognize as Nelbex.

SPEAKER_02

Um and Xanifer is on the stage again?

SPEAKER_08

Yes, he's on the Dais with uh Lorencia's hand on his shoulder and Queen Athena standing up there, standing in his face.

SPEAKER_02

So, um shit. I said I was gonna take try to clear out is there a path for Oh, sorry, rewind. What you said that you were gonna give my passive perception to see if I saw anything.

SPEAKER_08

You did not see anything.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. Um is it does it look like there's a pathway for Symonder to continue moving forward?

SPEAKER_08

There is a path for the next 15 feet or so until he hits a wall of people.

SPEAKER_02

And there's nothing I can really do about that.

SPEAKER_08

Not unless you want to burn everybody to the ground.

SPEAKER_02

Well, don't put it past him.

SPEAKER_10

Is that not unless Bill wants to burn everyone to the ground, or is Zane burn everyone to the ground?

SPEAKER_02

So this part of Zane's personality, isn't that no. Um so I guess Zane will try to assess what the best thing for him to do would be, but he's thinking that if the queen the real queen or the queen regent, which one has his hand has her hand on?

SPEAKER_08

The queen regent has her hand on the shoulder. The queen is standing and and staring at him. She is less than five feet away.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, so Zane will point his sword towards the queen and blast her with two Eldris Blasts.

SPEAKER_08

Alright, give me attack rolls.

SPEAKER_02

13. That does not hit. Seven.

SPEAKER_08

That does not hit.

SPEAKER_02

That's it. I don't I have no real bonus I have no bonus action. I'm not gonna cast a spell.

SPEAKER_09

Okay.

SPEAKER_02

So um yeah. I I I guess I I guess I don't have any of the um Oh shit. No ability checkers anything. Never mind. Um I'm guessing I don't have those abilities from that ring anymore.

SPEAKER_08

You do still have those abilities.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, I do. Okay. Guess I shouldn't know tried those before. Alright, uh, I don't have anything else. Um So Zane will say Sidemonder, I'm not really sure what to do about that mess.

SPEAKER_08

Uh Signmonder screams into the air, breach the gates, my brave sons.

SPEAKER_07

The future of the kingdom depends on it.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. Alright, pass my turn.

SPEAKER_06

Arluck. Uh that uh the one wolf is still down, the wolf knight is still down, like laughing his ass off, right? Correct. Alright, so holding on to concentration. And we're just pretty much watching a sea of people crashing that that gate. Yep.

SPEAKER_04

Okay.

SPEAKER_06

Uh I'm gonna I guess try to also fire off a shot at um one of the queens. Uh Queen Queen's Queen. Okay. Um yeah, I'm gonna say the Queen, the Queen Regent. Whoever's just stabbed Zan. Yeah, that is Queen Regent. Alright, yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna fire off for her then. Uh blasts. Give me a tack roll. A 14. That is not it. And a 17. That is not it. Alright. So Harlick just aims and shoots wide.

SPEAKER_10

Oh, damn it.

SPEAKER_06

Um Alright.

SPEAKER_08

So Yeah. Um, so the crowd now pushing forward as as hard as they can. Uh, you hear a creak, and it seems like somebody has had the sense to actually unlatch the doors when the doors burst open as the crowd pours out. Nelvex, you're up.

SPEAKER_05

So the people are falling, like filing out now? It's safe?

SPEAKER_08

Uh they're not filing, they're pouring, look, they're falling over each other trying to get out.

SPEAKER_05

But it means the path is clearing, I mean to say.

SPEAKER_08

Yep.

SPEAKER_05

Okay. And uh, this time I'll take a moment to uh look around the room and get a read for it. And also look to see who saw how cool that thing I did was. See who's proud of me, you know?

SPEAKER_08

Uh Zane is the only one that was able to see you.

SPEAKER_05

That's fine. We'll talk about it later.

SPEAKER_08

Because Harleck was was busy making somebody giggle. Uh Voss was on the ground being trampled, and Xanifer is currently being tortured by two hags. Yeah, speaking of that, how far away is that for me? Uh that is about 120 feet.

SPEAKER_04

Holy smokes. I'm pretty quick. I don't know if I can get that far though. Or can I? Hold up. What does this mean? I might be able to get there.

SPEAKER_08

Let me actually do math right real quick. One second. 145 feet total.

SPEAKER_05

Okay. Is there anywhere in this well-lit room that is uh dim light or darkness?

SPEAKER_08

Uh with all the windows around you, there are a few chairs that you might be able to hide behind, but it's not it's not dim or shadowy or anything like that. It's a pretty well-lit room.

SPEAKER_05

I don't think I can get to. I think uh I'll just. Is there any other wear knights between me and the Deus?

SPEAKER_08

Between you and the Deis? Yes. There there are about there are eight Ware Knights between you and the Deus.

SPEAKER_01

Okay.

SPEAKER_08

That are still slaughtering civilians and other merchants and nobles.

SPEAKER_05

Okay. So seeing that uh Xanifer is up on there, I'm gonna start making my way towards them. So I've got 45 feet of regular movement. So I'd like to just basically like ping-pong myself through those guys, um, moving as far forward as I can. Attacking, I've got flurry of blows, um, so like I can get several attacks off if I can just keep moving forward.

SPEAKER_08

Yeah, I'm gonna say that uh based off of you being a level six monk, you're able to avoid these characters. They're already uh preoccupied with other things, so if you wanted to just get past them, you can, and you can move the full 90 feet with that and dash. Um if you want to attack them as you go, I'll let you go about 60 feet while hitting two or three of them.

SPEAKER_05

I'll do 60 feet while hitting two or three of them. They're they're a slaughtering innocent, and they are gonna be a problem. We have to get past them again on our way out, so I'll try to disable them however I can.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. Brutal attacks. Brutal attacks. Alright, give me one attack roll for all three.

SPEAKER_05

Okay. That's uh 15 to hit. That does hit. Yeah, this is like all stops pulled. Like, I'm kicking their knees out sideways as I stroll past. Like a s elbow to the solar plexus, drop them on the ground where they like struggling to breathe. Everything I can do that's gonna drop them with fingers to the throat as I move past.

SPEAKER_08

Just Yeah, they they fall to the ground one after another. Uh most of them are struggling to breathe. You fully collapse one of the windpipes of one of these wear knights as you're running by them. Um, and you see his hands placed over or his balls and furred hands placed over his throat as he just slowly suffocates and dies.

SPEAKER_05

Uh, and then as I, you know, get to the end of my turn, I kind of stop looking around again. I'm gonna shout uh Xanifer out loud so that you know I'm coming for you, and that if these guys haven't seen that you're in danger, they might be aware as well.

SPEAKER_04

Xanover!

SPEAKER_10

Xanover's gonna kind of like wave back. Uh he's um dry heaving a bit from all the teleporting back and forth that he's done. He's gone up and gets away from the Dais, back up to the Dais, and so uh he doesn't quite have his breath at this point.

SPEAKER_08

Alright. So, Xaniver, Queen Athena slowly strolls towards you and places her left hand on your right shoulder. And so now both the Queen and Queen Regent each have a hand on your shoulder. What would you like to do?

SPEAKER_10

Uh, I would like to get the fuck out of here. And so Xaniver is going to use Thunderstep and teleport 90 feet away, back off the Deus. Uh, so for the two of them, it will be a DC 17 con save against crap damage. Uh 12 thunder damage.

SPEAKER_08

Can you read the thunder step spell for me, please? I'm sorry. Sure thing.

SPEAKER_10

You teleport yourself to an unoccupied space you can see with range, and the range is 90-0 feet. Immediately after you disappear, a thunderous boom sounds, and each creature within 10 feet of the space you left must make a constitution saving throw, taking 3d 10 thunder damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful save. The thunder can be heard from 300 feet away. And I can bring along with me objects as long as their weight doesn't exceed the weight that I can carry. I can also teleport one willing creature of my size or smaller who is carrying gear up to its carrying capacity. The creature must be within five feet of me, which I assume the knights weren't. Uh there must be an unoccupied space within five feet of my destination for the creature to appear in, otherwise, they're left behind. And then at higher level, I add a d10.

SPEAKER_08

Alright. Uh, Xaniver, roll me a d20 on top of that. Okie dokie. That doesn't sound good.

SPEAKER_10

Uh, that is a two. Does a two do anything for me?

SPEAKER_08

Alright, so as your thunder step takes, you you uh meet your eyes to Queen Athena, and uh you see a small lightning bolt go across her eyes, and she smiles wickedly and teleports with you.

SPEAKER_10

Oh fun. Uh so now I'm going to face step another 30 feet away from her, and then run my 30 feet of movement speed to get away from her. I'm gonna move like a monk and get 150 feet away from the dais.

SPEAKER_05

I'm now the closest to the dais.

SPEAKER_10

You can do face step as well? Is that a what is that? It's a it's a bonus action and it's an ability and not a spell.

SPEAKER_08

Nice. Okay. Alright. Uh so you're moving where are you moving towards? Uh I'm running towards the rest of the group.

SPEAKER_10

Uh I don't know how far away they were from me, but um up to or past Lord Signmoner, depending on how far I can run and how big this r the space is.

SPEAKER_08

Yeah, you make it uh yeah, I'll say you make it right up to the uh right up to Lord Signmoner, which is about 30 feet from the gate.

SPEAKER_10

Okay.

SPEAKER_08

Oh, in my turn there. Yep. Uh Nelvax is now about 90 feet from the gate.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah. Eh.

SPEAKER_08

Alright. So, Voss, you're up.

SPEAKER_03

So, uh Nelvax's turn, you're mentioning there's like a wall that's blocking him. How close am I to this wall? Of people?

SPEAKER_08

No, the wall is pushed through the gate.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, I thought that was the case.

SPEAKER_08

The wall of people's pushing the gate, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Was blocking Lordmongermonger, which I'm close to him, correct?

SPEAKER_08

Yes.

SPEAKER_03

Is the the wall of people close to him?

SPEAKER_08

The wall of people is now dispersing through the gate. They pushed through the gate.

SPEAKER_03

Um, alright, so I am going to remain close to Lord Signmonger. How far away from him am I right now? 15 feet. Okay. So I'll move within five feet of him and ready in action to defend him. Should anything uh come close or look to be threatening. If it looks guilty, I'm gonna hit it. Okay.

SPEAKER_08

Um, yeah, so there are a couple of there are a couple of uh wear knights in your way. Um, and you're able to knock one of them is already on the ground and another one is just starting to stand up.

SPEAKER_03

I would like to stop him from standing up then.

SPEAKER_08

Give me attack roll at advantage.

SPEAKER_03

Right. Okay, got a two and a 15 for uh total twenty. That does hit. Right. For four damage. A little low there.

SPEAKER_08

Yeah, drops back to the ground and uh doesn't move anymore.

SPEAKER_03

Um, what else do I see me as I like around me in the area that's like threats to Lord Seinmonger? It's kind of what I'm trying to clue in on.

SPEAKER_09

I'm sorry, say that again.

SPEAKER_03

I am looking around for threats to Lord Seinmonger. Do I see anything that really catches my eye or is you know we're in a room full of hostile people?

SPEAKER_08

No, Seinmonger is still pushing forward, uh, even stepping on some of the people that have fallen to the ground to try to get the clerics and the paladins out of there. Okay.

SPEAKER_03

I'll just try to follow along with him and stay as close to him as possible.

SPEAKER_09

Okay.

SPEAKER_02

That's it for me.

SPEAKER_09

Okay, nice. Zane, you're up.

SPEAKER_02

So Nelvax is s off in the crowd somewhere. So are there people between him and Okay, so our party is with the exception of Nelvax, with Signmonder. Correct? And Signmonder is moving making progress towards the gate. So is is there so he doesn't need it? Okay, so between Nelvax and how far is Nelvax from the gate? You said 90 feet?

SPEAKER_08

Nelvax is about 90 feet from the gate.

SPEAKER_02

Do I know if night if he can make it 90 feet?

SPEAKER_08

Um, I'm gonna say you've traveled with him enough to know that he is a an extremely quick individual. You know that he can probably make it 90 feet in uh he can make that distance pretty quickly.

SPEAKER_02

And is there anything that's in his way to stop?

SPEAKER_08

Nothing directly in his way. There is a there is Queen of Fina somewhere between him and uh Queen of Fina is about 15 feet off to his right, but he she is not looking at him.

SPEAKER_02

Queen of Fina, that's the queen, not the Queen Regent, right?

SPEAKER_08

Correct.

SPEAKER_02

That's the one I shot at?

SPEAKER_08

Yes.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. Is she looking at me?

SPEAKER_08

Or do I she is staring directly at Xanabar.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. Um there's really nothing that I need to do. Right, I don't need to clear anybody's path or anything. Okay, then I'm gonna shoot at the queen. Again. What am I gonna do? Um 19?

SPEAKER_08

That does not hit. Almost like this is the BBEG or something.

SPEAKER_02

How about a 25?

SPEAKER_08

A 25 does hit.

SPEAKER_02

Alright. So um 11 damage and she gets shoved 10 feet back.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. Uh she does not move, but she does, you do see her recoil slightly.

SPEAKER_02

Um, and Zane will um move to he's close to the gate anyway. He'll make it so that he'll put himself to the plate to a place where he'll he's left within 30 feet of the gate.

SPEAKER_09

Okay. Awesome. Anything else, Zane?

SPEAKER_02

Um I don't think so. No. Nope. Uh actually, what he'll do, he'll just say, um, Nelvax, we're all clear, or we're almost clear. Make your way out.

SPEAKER_05

Oh. And he looks around noticing that uh Xanover is no longer on the Deis when he was headed towards. That's what that sound was.

SPEAKER_06

Arlucky turn. Uh alright. Uh so we still have the Queen, uh, the Queen of Feel uh on the Deis, right?

SPEAKER_08

And the Queen Regent. Queen of Fina is about 15 feet to the right of Nelvex. Okay, uh Lorencia, the Queen Regent, is on the Dais.

SPEAKER_06

Okay, so I am going to try to I'll drop concentration on the Tasha City's left or and I'm gonna try to put fog cloud at the base of the Queen Regent's feet. Okay. And then just this way she can't see anything that's going on around her. What does that do? Uh it heavily obscures an area. One second to read the spell. You create a 20-foot radius sphere of fog concentrated on a point within range. The sphere is heavily obscured and it lasts for the duration until a strong wind, such as one created by gust of wind, disperses it. So it's a 20-foot radius sphere of heavily obscured fog. Basically, it blinds everyone inside.

SPEAKER_08

Alright. Yeah. Fog blankets the area. You can no longer see the queen region.

SPEAKER_06

Nice. Uh, and then I will give Nelvax Spartak inspiration, because it sounds like he is getting chased and might need it. Alright. Voice. Nelvax.

SPEAKER_05

Uh I can still see, right? I'm not in that cloud.

SPEAKER_08

Correct, you are not in that cloud.

SPEAKER_05

Would that would that cloud be considered like darkness or dim light? Just out of curiosity. Probably not.

SPEAKER_08

No. No, would not.

SPEAKER_05

Cool. No problem. Um, so looking over at uh Synmonder, I don't really want to leave before he does. Is he gonna make it out like this turn?

SPEAKER_08

He's gonna make it out in the next two to three seconds. Yeah, he is he's he's actively running out right now. You are the furthest one from the gate. Xaniver is about 20 feet from the gate and and heading towards that direction. Harlach is heading towards that direction. Zane is flying out right now, and Voss is directly on Seinmonders uh uh on his ass, honestly.

SPEAKER_05

Okay, hell yeah, as he should be. Yeah, uh so I can put eyes on Xaniver, I know he's save uh good, good, good. Uh will you let me trade a bonus action, like a spell bonus action spell as a full action, so I can use a monk feature as a bonus action. So two bonus actions, no main action.

SPEAKER_08

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_05

Okay. Uh then for the sake of coolness, I'm gonna start running towards the gate and use the monk feature step of the wind. Uh so using a focus point, I can take both the disengage and dash actions as a bonus action. And it increases, it doubles my jump distance for the turn. So I start moving, I'm running towards the door, I'm ducking, dipping, diving, dodging, and ducking. And then as I do, I'm gonna cast jump on myself also. Which gives me uh once on my turn, I can jump up to 30 feet by spending 10 feet of movement. So 30 feet doubled to 60 feet. I'm gonna get a good running start, and then just like a bullet shooting through this thing, and like a like both hand scores spiral just like tornado flying through this this space to get I want to go be the vanguard in front of this, try to see what's on the other end of this thing.

SPEAKER_08

How far does that get you?

SPEAKER_05

Uh well with the movement and the dash and the 60 feet jump, that could be 150 feet. I don't want to hit a wall or something. But I do want to get in front.

SPEAKER_08

Absolutely. Yeah, you're the first person on the party to get out of the door.

SPEAKER_05

Okay, uh I assess the situation. Can I shout anything to the the gang? Like, are we home free?

SPEAKER_08

Uh yeah, the crowd is dispersing. It looks like the loyal knights of the crown have rallied outside of the gate and they're waiting to to receive Lord Seinmander, but it doesn't look like there's any immediate danger outside of the gate. Oh yeah. Anything you want to relay to your party?

SPEAKER_05

Um Let's go. The path is secure enough.

SPEAKER_08

Secure enough.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08

Cool. Alright. Xanderbro, what'd you like to do? I cannot hear you.

SPEAKER_10

You said I'm like 20 feet from the door?

SPEAKER_08

Yes.

SPEAKER_10

Uh, I'm gonna just kinda jog with the rest of the crowd and kind of blend in. Uh, and so I would like to uh take the dodge action to make sure I don't get hit by any of these wear knights on the way through, but I'm just I'm just running through with everybody else.

SPEAKER_08

Alright. Um Xaniver, you you feel a strong pull behind you. And it it feels like you ever on a roller coaster that first drop, you just feel your your stomach kind of fall out. Yeah. That's the feeling you kind of feel, and as you turn around to look, you see Athena mouthing something towards you, and she points one finger, and you see her lip curls as she whispers a word that you can't understand, but you feel it inside you, and you know. Uh you know it's it's kind of it's the end of you. Your vision starts to darken, your sound dulls, and the floor starts tilting towards you. You don't feel any pain, no hollowing. Uh it's so your existence was scooped out and you fall to the ground. No save? No save. Fuck. Power word kill. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_05

Can it be countered or you know anything?

SPEAKER_08

It can be countered. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

Silver barbed counter spells.

SPEAKER_08

Holy shit. Can't be silver barbed if you have less than 100 HP, you just cease to exist.

SPEAKER_02

Uh counter?

SPEAKER_08

Alright. So it's a con save.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08

And that is a 15.

SPEAKER_02

Uh yeah, that's she saved.

SPEAKER_05

Do you still have Bardic inspiration? You don't, right? I think I do.

SPEAKER_03

Can I put guidance on that? No, you cannot.

SPEAKER_10

Yeah. Um, I feel the pit of my stomach um kind of just drop out, and my vision goes black around the edges, and all I can see is uh Seradwin's cauldron. Um, and feel myself transforming into the otter, into the hen, and then just wasting away. Alright. Voss.

SPEAKER_03

So wait, there's to make sure I understand, because I'm literally like I'm assuming Voss can see this going on, correct?

SPEAKER_08

Yeah, you saw him drop right in front of you.

SPEAKER_03

And you said it was a power word kill?

SPEAKER_08

Yeah, it's a spell called power word kill.

SPEAKER_03

You had a word of power that compels one creature you can see, but then range to die instantly. If the creature you choose is 100 hit points or fewer, it dies, otherwise the spell has no effect. And so there's nothing we can do about this.

SPEAKER_08

Not unless there's a revivify or something like that. Some kind of resurrection spell.

SPEAKER_05

There's all these clerics right here. I don't know, they probably have bigger things to worry about. There's a whole bunch of games. That's a bummer.

SPEAKER_03

I mean, I I do have revivify, but I think it takes a a gold diamond.

SPEAKER_05

Do you take IOUs or do you take IOUs?

SPEAKER_03

I'm good for it. Well, I have four, so I have four gems each worth a hundred. And it has to be one were s worth three, correct?

SPEAKER_08

It's gotta be a diamond, yeah.

SPEAKER_03

It has to be a diamond. Uh so I mean I'm surrounded in a room full of clerics, I'm gonna ask around and see if I can find a cleric with uh a diamond.

SPEAKER_08

So they are all actively pushing out of this room. I would say you're not gonna be able to stop them from pushing out of the palace, but you can bring Vossa's body with you. It's not disintegrated or anything like that. It just fell. So once you're in a quieter area, you might be able to do it. That's Xanifer's body.

SPEAKER_03

Okay. How long do we have on Rumify? Uh minute. I have a I have a minute. Okay. I got I got some time. That's plenty. That's plenty of time. Who needs more than a minute? Plenty of time. Okay. Uh yeah. So I'll I'll look down to to Xannifer and uh I think in in Boss's mind he's gonna remember uh their kind of battle with the ghosts in the the mansion and and you know say something instead of hang in there, buddy, we got this. And uh he's gonna pick him up and start running uh his his focus isn't on so much protecting Lord Steinmonger now, um, but he's gonna be pushing through the crowd, heading out as well, going to these clerics, and simply saying, uh, I need a diamond. Does anybody have a diamond?

SPEAKER_08

Uh yeah, you get a lot of of brusque nods, uh or sorry, shakes of their heads as they're continuing to push forward. They're healing any wounds that they see on the knights that are walking and running around, um, and they're continuing to push forward. They are now exiting the gate.

SPEAKER_03

Uh well I'll exit the gate with them and just continue to search for uh a diamond. I need a diamond worth 300 gold pieces.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. Um so Zayn, Harlek, Nelvex. Is there anything you want to do before you want to exit the gate? Otherwise, we're gonna move on towards like after you guys have exited.

SPEAKER_02

Or Zayn is gonna leave.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. Harleck, you're leaving as well.

SPEAKER_06

Uh yeah, I mean I I'm trying I was like really trying to think about like what what we can do, but there's nothing I can my character is able to do. Yeah. Uh and Harlech would know, I mean, I'm guessing with his passive stuff that like healing word's not gonna do anything, or yeah, I would say you would know. Okay, yeah, I have to make sure of yeah, I tried if Harlech wouldn't have had that knowledge, but um, but yeah, with uh Zan on Voss's shoulders, I'm just gonna follow suit with uh with uh try try to follow behind Zan and Voss.

SPEAKER_08

Okay. Alright, so as you're all leading leaving the gate, Seinmander turns a a sharp left down an alley, and you see a familiar uh figure, and it's uh Risio, the owner of the Lucky Leap, and he gestures you towards a side door, and he says, I should have bet uh on seeing you tonight. Come quick, this way. And he leads you into a side door of the Lucky Leap. Do you all follow?

SPEAKER_03

Yes. Where is a where is a majority of the clerics going? Are they following Seinmonger?

SPEAKER_08

Seinmonger and the clerics are going with Reese uh uh Recio.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I'll follow then. Alright. Okay.

SPEAKER_08

So we are going to end the session there with all of you in the lucky leap. Uh and that's where we're gonna call it for the night. Oh my god. Holy shit.

SPEAKER_03

What about the diamond?

SPEAKER_08

Uh so I want to say thank you to everybody for following us, like and it's giving us ideas. It means a lot to us. Uh, I hope you're enjoying this new DD game that we're playing. Make sure you give us a like and a follow on our social medias at facebook.com slash ad story. Retweet us on Twitter or AX at ad story2. Follow us on Instagram and Instagram.com slash a DD Story, and follow us on Blue Sky at Blue B S K Y dot app. Um also if you like on the sound all the sound effects you've been hearing, make sure you check out Sirenscape. I use it for my in-person games, really sets the mood at sirenscape.com, and check out worldsmith.io for all those randomly generated shops, npcs, weapons that you don't have time to create because uh a large language model is way more creative than I am. No, no, and finally, do do do do Andrew. Do you want to take us out tonight? Uh it's been deadly.

SPEAKER_05

It's been deadly.

SPEAKER_08

It's been deadly. It's also been nerdy. It's been nerdy. Thanks, everybody.

SPEAKER_03

Richard.

SPEAKER_05

Wait, uh, do like four of us get levels or he died, right? We get his experience.