SPEAKER_02 0:12

You talk about a downstairs mix-up?

SPEAKER_00 0:18

What are all these terms?

Cast Intros And Recap Rolls

SPEAKER_04 0:21

Welcome to Oathbreaker, a DD story. I am Brandon the Irish Wookiee, and with me today is Justin.

SPEAKER_02 0:28

Hi, Brandon.

SPEAKER_04 0:29

Hello, Justin. How are you today?

SPEAKER_02 0:31

I'm okay. Uh hi, everybody. I'm playing Nelfax, the human monk.

SPEAKER_07 0:37

And Ray. Hey, I'm Ray. I'm playing Harlek, the Kenku Bard Warlock. Andrew.

SPEAKER_05 0:46

Everyone, I'm Andrew. I'm playing Eldvar Ulfredsen, the Goliath Fighter. And finally, Maddie.

SPEAKER_03 0:52

Howdy, y'all. Uh my name's Maddie. And I'm playing Voss Dane, the half-elfleric of. I never remember this part. But I'm not gonna try this time. Trickery? Trickery domain.

SPEAKER_04 1:09

Trickery Domain.

SPEAKER_03 1:10

I do the same thing too. I I quickly scroll through my chart trying to nab it real fast. Maybe I should write it down.

SPEAKER_04 1:17

That'd be a good idea.

SPEAKER_03 1:19

Yeah. That's probably a really good idea. Still not gonna do it.

unknown 1:22

Probably.

SPEAKER_04 1:23

Yeah. Okay. Let's roll for some recap.

SPEAKER_02 1:27

Uh sixteen.

SPEAKER_04 1:29

Nice. Still got a sixteen. Okay. Does an eight save? No, it does not. Addie, what'd you get? You're on mute, Maddie.

SPEAKER_03 1:40

I did the recap last time. Remember it was horrible. But I still got a nine. So it's not gonna be this time.

SPEAKER_05 1:47

Andrew, you got it. Alright, for the second time ever. Uh, let's see. We finished up the previous episode having killed two shambling mounds in the greenhouse. Uh, following that, um, we decided to investigate the area. Uh Elvar rolled terribly and was just mystified by the uh magic that Harlach was doing to clean up Melvax. Um what's his name? Zane found a symbol that was kind of like the Deathly Hollows with a hammer instead of a wand. But um he didn't tell anybody about it. And then Melvax found a lever and just decided to pull it, and a magic door or a hidden door, uh, magically appeared in front of us. Eldvar and Voss were really uh enamored by the door and wanted to go down it. However, Melvax, Harlack, and Zayn went off and explored like one additional area that we hadn't covered and found a whole bunch of puppy chow. Uh after they uh spent a lot of time investigating in the box and trying to figure out if they could take the entire box of monster chow, uh, they eventually regrouped with uh the stars of our show, Bostane and Elvar Ulfredson, who had already started down the hidden path uh and were kind of seared by some steam uh as we uh encountered the first trap, and we um, you know, we found it for everyone to save them from the pain. Uh after we got past that steam trap, we entered a room that had a furnace with like a blue flame coming out of it. As Vostane went to go investigate the furnace, uh the fire jumped out of it into a giant mass of parts, uh both mechanical and uh organic. And it animated into a construct. We fought the construct, uh, some great teamwork from Melvax stunning it, followed by Harleck casting fairy fire, so that we all just maintained advantage on it. Um, which as I like listened to the episode a second time, I was like, that was a fantastic idea because it it's like very minimal resources to get advantage for everybody. Um so we defeat that. Uh we uh get one magic item out of it, which is the heart of uh uh Leron, I believe. Uh which may or may not be the same quest that was given up by the original party with the heart of Leron. Who would know? No one knows. But yeah, but after that fight, we took a short rest, uh, identified that, we gained a level, and then we also identified the uh plate armor that Elvar's been carrying around. You didn't gain a level. Are you sure? Positive. Okay. Did not gain a level in the short rest. Uh, but we also identified the the plate armor that was on the body. Uh it is um armor of entropy, which is plus two plate, and grants immunity uh to slowing effects, such as the slow spell, uh, once you have attuned to the armor. Uh after that, we the Oh, the um the path that we came down collapsed, and so it was very clear that we only had one path to go. And so we continued on deeper into the dungeon. Uh when we reached a three-pronged fork, we kept hearing Harlek's voice off to the right. Uh, and he was invisible at the time, so um, you know, the brains of the party just weren't quite sure what was going on. And uh eventually the party decided that we were going to go figure out what Harlek was doing down the right fork, even though he was right next to us. And so we went down that way. Um, we investigated some like bubbling green liquid that was very spicy. Uh, and so Elvar did not stick his hand in it or taste it. And then um I think we ended with Voss getting attacked by something. Uh, but he's so far in front of the party that only those with dark vision can actually see what was going on. Pretty sure it was Harleck that did it. Oh, I mean it it it was Harlech, and I'm pretty sure that as long as we leave this dungeon with one Harleck, uh, we're successful.

SPEAKER_07 6:02

Um I'm pretty sure it was not Harleck.

SPEAKER_04 6:06

As Harleck, but I really wish we we recorded like our our expression sometimes, just so I could play your expression for our viewers when I started speaking like you.

SPEAKER_07 6:22

Dude, it was like it was the immediate like uncanny valley, like, no, this is not me. Stop it.

SPEAKER_03 6:29

Um, yeah, Andrew, you're wrong. We didn't get the level to the end of the episode. It wasn't at the short rant.

SPEAKER_05 6:34

Oh, you're right. So now we're all level seven.

SPEAKER_04 6:36

Um, whether or not Brandon consents to it. That's that's not how this works. That's not how any of this works.

SPEAKER_05 6:43

And I've got like 18 clips where Brandon's like, hey Andrew, snip the last 15 seconds so that every time Maddie asks if we gained a level, I can just play that for why we didn't. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 6:56

Is that our new is that one of our on our new sound panel?

SPEAKER_05 7:00

Uh no, because all of them are way too long.

SPEAKER_04 7:03

Alright. Great. You get some heroic inspiration, Andrew.

SPEAKER_05 7:08

Alright, I will make sure to not use it. I don't even know where to click it on my sheet. It's next to your health. I don't have uh oh, there it is, right under it. Thank you, Justin.

SPEAKER_02 7:19

Oh, you have a narrower window?

SPEAKER_05 7:22

Yeah, I have a very narrow window right now, so that I can have three panels spread across.

SPEAKER_02 7:27

Huh. Yeah, when I narrowed Oh, it is right there. Tiny, teeny tiny. Yep. I don't like that at all. I'll stick with the fat window.

SPEAKER_04 7:35

So if you guys could all join maps again, I'd appreciate it. We start the session first, there you go.

SPEAKER_02 7:40

That's the play button, not the above TT. Above VTT, right? Okay.

SPEAKER_04 7:46

Yep. Um, so like Andrew said, uh, an attack just happened on boss, came out of nowhere from above him as he as he went ahead of the rest of the group. And that was where we ended the episode.

The Ceiling Ambush Strikes Voss

SPEAKER_04 8:00

So, boss, you were just hit as this creature disappeared. You know what I love about you, Maddie? You you don't give a shit. Like, you know that I'm gonna put you on the spot at and you put a chip in your mouth anyway. You're just like, I don't give a fuck.

SPEAKER_03 8:13

I meant to be on mute because I was crunching, but hopefully that didn't come across. No, it didn't. Um, so yeah, boss will kind of he'll he'll duck, but then he'll turn and and look up and then look back to the group. And um see what that was?

SPEAKER_04 8:32

That that is Monty.

SPEAKER_03 8:33

That is not no, that was not Monty, but that was definitely not boss. Hang on a sec, let me redo that one. Uh squeak, squeaker or squeak squeak. Uh he'll he'll look back at the group and say, did anybody see what just happened there? What what what was that?

SPEAKER_07 8:53

So he was uh he was in the the spotlight when that happened, right? Uh yes.

SPEAKER_05 9:00

Yeah, he he's also only like twelve feet from Eldvar, who has light, so he's in bright light from two sources.

SPEAKER_02 9:08

I can't see anything around all these people and you know, stone wall.

SPEAKER_03 9:13

Yeah, well something just fell out of the ceiling and slapped me in the side of the head. It didn't feel too good. Where is it now? I do I see it?

SPEAKER_04 9:23

No, you do not. Last thing you saw was it jumped back up to the ceiling, and then you heard it skittering away, but you do not see it.

SPEAKER_03 9:30

Eh, the last thing I saw was it jumped back up to the ceiling, and I heard it skittering away, but I don't see it.

SPEAKER_05 9:37

Uh did it hurt when it hit you?

SPEAKER_03 9:41

Yeah. It wasn't quite pleasant. I didn't say it hurt me too much. Did you see what it was? It really, really felt like a strong tickle, if you know what I mean. What did it look like, the thing that got you? I don't think I really saw it. Did I see it?

SPEAKER_04 10:02

Alright, uh, so you you did see it. It uh you only got a short glimpse at a little glimpse at it, but it looked like uh it it had four legs and a large s the skull itself is a large, almost a T shape, where it's elongated, jaw and forehead kind of stick up uh into almost a horn, and then it's it's it looks like it's got two long where it would normally have ears, it sticks straight out. It's almost like a uh like a cross.

SPEAKER_03 10:34

It kind of looked like our leg. No, I'm just kidding.

SPEAKER_02 10:37

Uh I'm kind of imagining the uh the monsters from pitch black.

SPEAKER_03 10:44

Yeah, yeah. That's kind of what it's okay. That's that's that's kind of what I was thinking. Like a like the size of a row or the size of like a llama?

SPEAKER_04 10:55

Uh more like the size of a buffalo. It's a big boy.

SPEAKER_03 11:00

Yeah, it yeah, I didn't get too good of a look at it, but if I had to describe it, you so uh would I describe it as. And then, oh you guys

What The Monster Hunts By

SPEAKER_03 11:10

heard Brandon, so I'm not gonna say it again. Cause I would definitely mess that up. Does that kind of creature sound familiar to any of us? Yeah, yeah. Do I know what it is? Can I just say the name of what it was?

SPEAKER_04 11:22

I'm gonna say none of you have come across this creature. Uh, but roll me a survival or a history check.

SPEAKER_02 11:32

Survival coming up.

SPEAKER_07 11:34

I'm gonna give history a try.

SPEAKER_02 11:36

How about a 24 for survival? Ooh, that's pretty good. That's I'm a survivor.

SPEAKER_05 11:41

22 for history. 14 survival.

SPEAKER_04 11:45

God damn. Who rolled above an 18? Nelbex? Alright. So uh Harleck, you rolled history. Yes. Harleck, you've heard stories told of these these creatures that hunt primarily in the dark, uh, and they hunt more by sound than sight, and they're known to be ambush predators, and if they can't, um and they're known to be ambush predators. That that's really what you know about them. And as for survival Nelvax, you you recognize what Voss is describing because you once saw this as a uh as a small child as you were first being trained, and it was kept as a pet that would uh that would take care of of of people that crossed the the group that you were in.

SPEAKER_02 12:38

Like the bandits had it as a pet, yeah, or the reader.

SPEAKER_04 12:42

So um you you recognize this creature, it's uh you it never had a name other than the monster uh in your camp. But what Voss didn't describe or he didn't get a good view on was that this creature also has two wings, so it can glide or fly short distances, and it's got a very long tail that it can use as a weapon.

SPEAKER_02 13:03

We just update the notes and I'll oh that uh and then Novax will try to like do an actually I will use I'm pretty sure I have a spell here. I'm gonna cast minor illusion to try to create an image of what I think he's describing from my childhood. It's like, hey Voss, does it look kind of like this? And then I'll uh do some like ninja hand signs, and like when I open my palms up, there's a miniature floating replica of said pitch black monster.

SPEAKER_03 13:31

Hey Nelvax, that's that's pretty good. How did you how'd you do that? That uh yeah, that looks exactly like the thing.

SPEAKER_04 13:40

Except the one that Nelvax shaped or or formed is significantly smaller than the one that attacked you, boss.

SPEAKER_03 13:47

Yeah, it looks exactly like it, same size and everything. It's about uh it might have been about the size of that thing in your hands. I'm I can't be too sure. It sure didn't hit me very hard. Like I said, it's just a tickle.

SPEAKER_02 14:01

Well, that's fortunate because they get pretty big.

SPEAKER_03 14:04

Yeah, I don't think this one's gonna be any problem.

SPEAKER_06 14:06

Uh how big do they get? I can handle something that size. Maybe.

SPEAKER_02 14:12

Yeah, this one looks like a snack, and he'll like poke at it with his finger. But uh the the one I saw before was I don't know, bigger. I was just a child, but I would say it's bigger than all the dogs that I saw. Maybe like an ox sized and it had wings and a long tail that it you'd attack people with. We might be in for uh a bit of a fun time here tracking that thing.

SPEAKER_05 14:36

But uh Nelvax, you said they had it as a pet so it could be tamed?

SPEAKER_02 14:41

Uh well we didn't, but other people did, yes. They they brought it with them and it was uh quite a terror. We called it the monster. Me and my brother.

SPEAKER_05 14:52

But but but I mean it looks so small.

SPEAKER_02 14:54

Well, okay. I mean it was more like, and then he'll he'll open his hand, like spread his hands apart, it'll scale up into like, I don't know, eight feet wide, I'm guessing. Yeah. And I'll just wall, it takes up most of the space in the cave now.

SPEAKER_03 15:10

Yeah, if this one would have been that big, I would have been able to see it coming.

unknown 15:14

Good.

SPEAKER_07 15:14

So I passed the history thing on, so I do know the whole bit about them using the sound and whatnot, right? You know sound and you know they're ambush predators. Ambush predators.

SPEAKER_06 15:24

Uh well they I know they go after sound and they they're going for an ambush. Uh I can cast silence and I mean I'd kinda also make it hard to hear things around us. But make it sounds like we should try to be as sneaky as we can. I can be very quiet.

SPEAKER_05 15:44

Well, do y'all have uh magic that that does the opposite? Can we uh overload its senses so it can't see us? I can make a ruckus.

SPEAKER_06 15:54

Well, I'm definitely gonna be in loud.

SPEAKER_05 15:56

Yeah, I um you know, for my time as a tracker, every once in a while you encounter a predator that you yourself need to ambush. And I think if we can set something up to to make it want to attack, we can attack while it attacks. And then there's just a whole lot of attacking to happen.

SPEAKER_02 16:16

Fight attack with attack is what you're saying.

SPEAKER_05 16:18

Yeah, something like that.

SPEAKER_04 16:20

There is the age old saying the best attack is a good attack.

SPEAKER_02 16:23

The best attack is the one that works. Okay. Uh well, I can make noise, but I don't know um I can make a trap. I don't think I have this. What did you make a trap? He starts digging through his his backpack to see if I have anything that I could use. I don't think I do.

SPEAKER_04 16:37

Uh, you find the standard adventuring gear, right? You you have uh rope, you have uh besides all the normal magic items that you've got, you've also got uh basic explorers pack stuff, so rope, ball bearings, that kind of deal.

SPEAKER_02 16:52

Mm-hmm. No, I mean I was looking through. I don't know that I could make Ivory or something reasonably.

SPEAKER_04 16:58

Oh, I see.

SPEAKER_02 16:59

And I was saying to the team to see if they had more to go on that train of thought.

SPEAKER_06 17:03

I don't suppose anyone knows how to move the the a lot of dirt around in a in a quick action or not. Like I know, uh I know I think Zan could do stuff like that. You mean like with a shovel? Oh, we could use shovels, but I feel like that's gonna c create a lot of noise. But if we could make pitfall traps and try to lure it to us, I don't know, I don't know how this thing moves.

SPEAKER_05 17:30

I got some rope on me, I can always make a snare.

SPEAKER_02 17:33

Or we could try to like maybe a snare behind us and go a different way. Whatever it comes after us, you know, it'll get trapped and not be able to get us. Although I mean Nelvax looks up to the ceiling, which he said was like twenty-five feet high question mark? Like stalagomites up there?

SPEAKER_04 17:49

Uh like something to fifteen feet, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:53

So we should be able to see above us pretty clearly, I think, right? With the light and uh other light.

SPEAKER_04 18:00

Uh yeah, this this creature, even with boss uh boss right under him, did not see him though.

SPEAKER_02 18:05

I was just gonna ask him where we went, came through before. Is there any like choke points that we would have identified that would have been easier to block off?

SPEAKER_04 18:11

You've only gone through a single tunnel. Do you went to the right instead of straight or to the left? And so uh this entire area is just a single tunnel. There's really no choke points that you've come across.

SPEAKER_02 18:23

So like no point where the ceiling comes down and smooths out or anything?

SPEAKER_04 18:26

No.

SPEAKER_05 18:27

Well, um, I do remember this time I was uh I was hunting a badger, and he went down in his burrow, kind of like this, only you know, it's much smaller. I couldn't get in it unlike this. Um I ended up smoking him out, forcing him back out to where I could just grab him around the neck and shake him a bit. It was a good time. Good time.

Bait Ideas And Quiet Communication

SPEAKER_04 18:49

As you guys are sitting there talking, you hear what sounds like metal scraping on rock, and it sounds like it's getting closer to you, but then it stops.

SPEAKER_02 18:57

From which direction?

SPEAKER_04 19:00

From from behind Nelvax. Um as soon as as soon as uh Eldvar start stopped talking, the movement stopped.

SPEAKER_02 19:09

Okay, sound that Go ahead, Jasmine. So I got 60 feet of dark vision. Now can I see anything down that hallway yet?

SPEAKER_04 19:17

No, you don't see anything. I mean you see the tunnel around you, but you don't see any kind of creature or anything like that.

SPEAKER_02 19:22

I'll I'll step closer next to Harleck and Eldvar uh and make sure like I whisper to him like, guys, did you hear that metal from behind us? But I'm saying it quietly now, not just having a conversation.

SPEAKER_05 19:34

Uh Eldvar is gonna nod exaggerate or he's gonna exaggerate his nod, and then he's gonna point to the north um to kind of suggest to the group that maybe they should get away from this glowing green liquid of death, uh, so that if there is a fight, they're not, you know, doubly constrained by um insta death.

SPEAKER_07 19:57

There's no way I would kill you guys instantly, right? That'd be fucked up. Harleck's gonna use silent image really quick to make a big gigantic scroll, and then there's gonna be like a quill writing along it that says it's using our like our uh the our noises to move and then leave it up there so that everyone can read it, and this way I'm not making noise as I communicate.

SPEAKER_04 20:23

Yeah, I as as the scroll comes across, you see it just fine, but uh just as everybody finishes reading it, you hear uh, oh wait up, guys!

SPEAKER_05 20:32

I'm on the way. Oh Harlek, uh you need to get up here with us. And then it and then Elvar is gonna look down because Harlek is like knee high, and he's like, Oh shit.

SPEAKER_07 20:49

Taking his head, Harlek's just like Oh god, not again.

SPEAKER_04 20:55

So what would you guys like to do? The the it is not uh you've not heard the sound come any closer to you. As a matter of fact, you're not yet hearing anything, even if you're straining against uh the the deep silence of this cave, all you hear is or these tunnels, all you hear is the a slight bubbling from the green liquid around you, and then it sounds like there's a or there's a there's a wind that's moving through the caves. So uh you can hear that that breeze as it moves through the cave tunnels.

SPEAKER_02 21:24

Uh and the voice of Harleck came from behind us as well with the scraping sound.

SPEAKER_04 21:28

Correct.

SPEAKER_02 21:29

Uh so I will issue a mental command to my familiar, uh, who is in the shape of a fox currently, um listening for everything, and with those big fox ears, he gets advantage on perception checks that use sound. So he's just gonna be swiveling those radar dishes around. Got it. Uh and then I think uh I think we all agree we're going north. We followed that sign or the the sign that was just shared with us. Someone like uh set setter step and like gesture that we move Scooby Doo creep style forward.

SPEAKER_04 22:01

Alright, who's taking the lead?

SPEAKER_03 22:03

I'll I'll stay in front. Um, what's it look like in D to try to set a trap?

SPEAKER_02 22:11

You have to have a trap um or spell that trap?

SPEAKER_03 22:14

Can you build a trap? I'm gonna go ahead and do a territory and I see a fire flask and a rope.

SPEAKER_04 22:20

So for a makeshift trap, there are specific rules for it.

SPEAKER_03 22:25

I feel like my character would know if he's good at uh the idea of trying to lay a trap to youth behind them. I don't think so. Well, I know if I'm good at it or not. Am I actually good at it or not? I that I don't know. That's gonna be a nice rule.

SPEAKER_02 22:41

Well, you it should be wear armor that you can't fucking lift and think you're sneaky. I'm not sure that you would know if you're good at making traps.

SPEAKER_07 22:48

No, that you think so killed me. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_03 22:51

Well, I can either I can I can try to make a trap. Whether it's a good trap or not, I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 22:58

Alright, so there's no specific rules for traps. The general consensus is that it's an improvised action. It requires about the time of a short rest to assemble the materials and construct one, um, such as using ropes, flasks of oil, or a dagger. And then uh you do a logical ability check depending on what you're doing. So either thieves tools proficiency um or an intelligence or wisdom check, so survival or investigation type of thing. Uh, and then if the player has expertise and irrelevant skill, like a rogue with thieves tools, they can double that proficiency.

SPEAKER_03 23:32

Okay. Never mind. I'll just keep moving along with the group.

SPEAKER_05 23:37

Yeah, I I think since uh kind of Nelvax had talked about being able to make um some sounds, uh Eldvar is gonna stare again at the green liquid that burned his uh nose hairs and he's gonna say he's gonna try and say it quietly, but he doesn't really do too much quietly. You go, Nelvax, um that sound you can make, can you make it in one of those green puddles?

SPEAKER_02 24:04

Um yeah, sure. What are you what kind of sound do you have in mind?

SPEAKER_05 24:09

Uh I don't know, just a loud noise to maybe a uh a trapped uh uh deer, maybe um they have like this death cry that draws in predators from hundreds of miles away sometimes.

SPEAKER_02 24:26

Oh uh sure, might be something like that.

SPEAKER_06 24:29

If if you do the noises, I could do the imagery and try to really sell it. Yeah, why not?

SPEAKER_07 24:36

Do like uh illusion in tandem with try to help them out.

SPEAKER_02 24:40

Oh yeah. I so as we scoot up around the corner and I can still see down the pit, I will uh cast minor illusion to make the sounds of a deer that has fallen into this pit of presumably acid that is struggling to live and is splashing and screaming and dying unpleasantly.

SPEAKER_07 25:01

And I will try to use silent image to to mimic the noises and and really sell it as as upsetting as it as it would be to watch.

SPEAKER_00 25:11

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 25:13

Uh both of you roll me a performance check. Do they get advantage with the uh magical assist and assisting each other?

SPEAKER_04 25:21

I mean it it is gonna be uh advantage with both of them.

SPEAKER_03 25:25

Okay. I got a three.

SPEAKER_04 25:28

Okay, perfect.

SPEAKER_03 25:31

Justin.

SPEAKER_04 25:31

Uh no, no, no, no. They both rolled. It's not an actual advantage. Okay. So Nelvax, your your fox uh suddenly moves against your leg and you feel the pressure of it, and it's staring straight back into the tunnel. Are you gonna look that direction?

SPEAKER_02 25:51

Uh yeah, I do, and I looks like I'm within iron reach of Eldvar and Harleck both, maybe. I think I would be on like melee striking. So I'll like I'll tap both of them, and like they should be able to see me staring intently. And I will pull uh from my inventory a dagger to throw. Uh just like wait, wait to see what comes out. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 26:11

Uh you see out of out of the shadows at the far distant of your vision, you see a that a large head, and at its widest distance, it's about six and a half feet wide, and about four feet tall, and you see that that cross-shaped head kind of move back and forth across the sides of the tunnel, like it's trying to pinpoint something, and then it locks in on you, but all you see is the head. And you see it start to slink away in the shadows.

SPEAKER_02 26:43

I don't think I I don't think I have any way to silently communicate. I don't. So I'm just going to uh like gesture like back to them. I I don't know if they could see him in the distance without like pointing the flashlight over that way. Um so I'll gesture and say very quietly and slowly I don't think it fell for it. We should go. It's much bigger than Voss said. And I hope we start moving north. And I'll keep a wary eye out behind us.

SPEAKER_03 27:18

I we'll start moving north together.

SPEAKER_04 27:21

Okay, you guys are moving north now.

SPEAKER_03 27:23

Yeah, you want us to move us to as a group to the next uh point of inflection.

SPEAKER_04 27:28

Yeah, so uh as you fog of war thing going. I wish it was a little more intuitive.

unknown 27:37

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 27:38

Might be worth us taking a look at roll 20. You use dynamic lighting. I know, but roll 20, as as nice as that is, it doesn't have all the character imports and everything else that we use with this.

SPEAKER_05 27:50

Um characters it does. You use uh Beyond 20 plugin, it can port it right over. So we'd we'd still use the DD Beyond character sheets, but all the rolls would show up in roll 20. Um but the all of the monsters you'd essentially have to port over or create or buy again, because I don't think the roll 20 plugin works with those.

SPEAKER_04 28:13

And I will probably not do it just because of how much money I've already spent on this. Alright.

A Shirtless Stranger Offers A Deal

SPEAKER_04 28:20

So as you round this corner, it opens up into a slightly larger area. Um you can see a path north, and you can also see a small pool of water, and standing at the far edge uh is the the light from your lantern catches the outline of a man leaning against what looks like a collapsed pipe. Because keep in mind, right, this isn't just a natural cave, there's also pipes going through this and everything. And he's completely shirtless, uh, except for a torn armored vest. And you can see that his skin is streaked with soot and oil, and as the lantern catches his face, you see a a faint silver glint in his eyes.

SPEAKER_03 29:04

Is uh this also this guy also looked like a lost child fighting another lost child with a house full of diamonds.

SPEAKER_04 29:13

No, no, it does not. No, it does not. No. Just checking. Uh so uh he he doesn't flinch when the light uh when the light kind of reveals him. He just smiles, and you can see about a half inch of white teeth in the dark, and he says very quietly Easy. If I meant you dead, you'd already be meeting his teeth.

SPEAKER_03 29:39

You're gonna tell her he's talking to?

SPEAKER_04 29:42

He's just saying it to your party as a whole.

SPEAKER_03 29:45

Boss turns around shocked, like wondering is the guy he doesn't actually think the guy's talking to him, so he looks around behind him and kind of like raises his eyebrows to to Nelvax and and Harleck and oh, he was he and realizes he was talking to the two people behind him.

SPEAKER_07 30:01

I was just gonna cast a message to Nelvax and uh this way it wasn't uh giving us away, and he's like, Do you want me to yeah.

SPEAKER_06 30:08

You want me to reach out to him?

SPEAKER_07 30:10

I mean, probably I'm keeping an eye back here for that thing. Alright, and then I'll cast a message to this uh Durek gentleman, and it's like What happened to you? Oh, my light got stolen.

SPEAKER_04 30:23

That thing that you saw that's been hunting you, I'm hunting it.

SPEAKER_03 30:28

Or like I think uh he he might be hunting you.

SPEAKER_07 30:32

Uh I was just gonna keep using messages so I don't alert this thing anymore. Uh oh, I guess I don't hear anymore.

SPEAKER_04 30:37

No, you're good. Um, uh to be clear, this Derek character is speaking out loud, even when he's gonna be around.

SPEAKER_07 30:43

Oh, okay, so I guess there's no point then. Uh so. Oh. Whoa. It's coming up close.

SPEAKER_04 30:51

Is he tied to the pipe or is he just hanging out by it? No, he's he's very casually leaning against the pipe. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_06 30:58

So if you're hunting it, uh it's it's definitely not in here.

SPEAKER_04 31:03

Uh no. I heard you coming from three tunnels away though. Uh thought that thing got smarter for a second, and then you all showed up. So I figure if I followed the bait, it would show.

SPEAKER_05 31:17

I mean, if you've been hunting it for any length of time, you're clearly not good at what you do. Otherwise that thing would be dead. Or at least in a trap.

SPEAKER_03 31:28

Voss will kind of reach over and give Eldvar a a nod with a gentle elbow nudge. You have a good point there, Eldvar.

SPEAKER_04 31:36

Uh you can say what you want, but uh, I don't have a fresh cut on my shoulder from this creature. Uh neither do I.

SPEAKER_03 31:45

Um Yeah, neither do I. I he hit me in the face. Joke's on you.

SPEAKER_04 31:57

The man kind of shakes his head for a second, and then he looks towards Harlack and Nelvax. Like utterly confused by this conversation. Is this are these the people you're letting speak for you?

SPEAKER_06 32:10

Harleck was Well let's a bit of a strong word. There's not a lot of control there. But uh, if you're hunting it, and it's definitely coming after our our our party. Uh we're not too quiet coming through here, but if you need something to make a lot of noise, and I just pull out my my instrument, I could certainly help with that if uh you want to he he holds his hands up very quickly.

SPEAKER_04 32:38

And uh in his right hand you see a a curved blade.

SPEAKER_03 32:43

Hold his hands up in like which way?

SPEAKER_04 32:45

Just as a a stop motion towards Harleck to start to not play as uh Lear, liar, Le Ray Banjo.

SPEAKER_07 32:54

It's a sit turn, which is probably comically too big for my character.

SPEAKER_06 32:59

Um but uh Whoa whoa whoa whoa, we don't uh we don't need any violence towards each other there signaling towards the blade.

SPEAKER_04 33:09

Oh, uh this is just always in my hand. And he flicks it very very smoothly, masterly, and kind of tucks it away in his vest. Says, uh, why don't you let me go ahead and when you guys pull it out of the dark, I'll jump on it. But I need to be clear. You slow me down, I leave you behind. You get loud, I make you quiet. That's the deal.

SPEAKER_03 33:32

Hey, I've never been loud a day in my life. Aren't you talking about?

SPEAKER_05 33:37

I highly doubt that. And and which way are you moving? Because you seem to just be standing there. We're the ones that have been moving.

SPEAKER_04 33:45

Alright. Alright, yeah, I'm not you, I'm not talking to you anymore.

SPEAKER_02 33:52

Well, what do you think, Mill Max? Alright, can I get control like anything? Like, do I trust this guy? Does it seem like he's telling us the truth?

SPEAKER_04 33:59

Uh real maintenance I check.

SPEAKER_02 34:01

Oh yes. Uh Dirty20.

SPEAKER_04 34:03

Dirty 20, nice. Uh from yes. So you do believe him. You you think he's telling the truth. Uh, you can tell he he's got some old scars on his body that you can see, and it looks like uh it's a similar wound from what Voss has on his shoulder. So putting all that together, you you think that this guy is actually here to hunt this thing.

SPEAKER_02 34:23

Seems okay to me.

SPEAKER_06 34:24

Oh, alright. Well, if if if you think you can take it down, uh we definitely can help with that.

SPEAKER_03 34:32

We're a pretty uh functional crew. So you're gonna go ahead of us, and then uh you just want us to follow, or what's uh what's the deal here?

SPEAKER_04 34:42

Yeah, just uh keep that light out of my eyes. I'll be ahead.

SPEAKER_03 34:47

Alright. Well, you probably won't hear us coming, so good luck.

SPEAKER_04 34:51

I again I doubt that. It's you were all very, very loud.

SPEAKER_03 34:57

I'm sorry, I can't understand uh what you're trying to say, but uh we should probably keep moving. Well we can move on.

SPEAKER_04 35:03

Alright. So this Dirac character. I can't move things. Uh starts to walk north towards the northern path as it curves towards the east. I know I need to clear it. I'm working on it.

SPEAKER_03 35:16

Gosh! Take forever, you're ruining the experience. That was so immersed in this combat scene map. Big reveal. Big re guy's an idiot, can't even spell his name right.

SPEAKER_04 35:30

What are you talking about? Spelled right.

SPEAKER_05 35:32

Dare lick my balls.

SPEAKER_03 35:37

D D I Rick.

SPEAKER_04 35:41

His name is Derek.

SPEAKER_03 35:43

Dirk.

SPEAKER_04 35:46

So as a as this tunnel rounds out to the east side, you uh you see a chasm that's about 20 feet wide. And it's got a very thin uh what looks like a natural bridge going across it.

SPEAKER_03 36:00

Thin as in. Can't hold our weight. Thin as we're gonna be able to do it.

SPEAKER_04 36:04

Thin as in is going to require some balance to get across.

SPEAKER_03 36:08

Okay. Well, I'm pretty much a frickin' ballerina, so we're good to go.

SPEAKER_04 36:13

Uh so Derek nods to you, and he turns back, he nods towards Voss and Harlech, and he starts crossing. And when he's about five feet across, you he you hear uh a sudden uh you hear what sounds like metal from above, and uh Derek's eyes uh Derek's head snaps up, and you can see him tense, and he pulls out that curved blade once more, and he's totally frozen. He just stays where he is and he's looking around. And he looks back at you and he says, You hear that? That's the sound of it moving when it's not hunting. You don't ever want to hear what it sounds like when it and then he there's another faint scrape, and he freezes, and his voice drops to a whisper, and he says, When it finds us. And he looks up, and you can see his face half-lit by a torch, and something blurs out of the darkness above him and pulls him straight down into the the void below, and you hear uh a loud scream as he drops down into this darkness, and Derek is gone.

The Bridge Trap And Derek Falls

SPEAKER_03 37:27

Yeah, I told you that guy wasn't very good at his job.

SPEAKER_05 37:31

Well, if we if we hurry, the uh monster's probably full at this point, so we should make our way through.

SPEAKER_03 37:38

I like your playing a lot better than D I Rex over there.

SPEAKER_01 37:47

Oh god.

SPEAKER_05 37:48

As Voss approaches, he's gonna feel like a huge hand on his shoulder pulling him back. And Elvar's gonna be like, Voss, Voss, we gotta think this one through. Right? Let me tie a rope to you so that when you fall, I can pull you back up.

SPEAKER_03 38:06

Yeah, like your plan, but that part of the plan includes me falling, which we both know is not gonna happen.

SPEAKER_05 38:11

Um might I remind you of that time at the place that we did the thing?

SPEAKER_03 38:17

Yeah, I thought you were gonna bring that one up. Okay, give me a rope.

SPEAKER_06 38:21

Uh-huh. I can also make Elbar fly or levitate him across. I'm pretty sure he's strong enough to carry all of us. And this way he has some control whether or not something pulls at him or not. It's just an idea.

SPEAKER_03 38:37

It's not a bad one.

SPEAKER_04 38:39

What does Nelvax think about all this?

SPEAKER_02 38:41

I mean, what is that like 15 feet? 20 feet?

SPEAKER_04 38:44

It's a 20-foot gap, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:46

I can just jump that. I don't really care. I couldn't re uh I can jump across and carry a rope and we can use it as like a balance. Maybe it'll be easier for you guys across. I mean the flying thing sounds pretty cool.

SPEAKER_06 38:56

Well, I'm fine with the rope too. I just w I just want to make sure no one's falling or getting getting snatched up by the oh half the max macon.

SPEAKER_03 39:06

That didn't that plan didn't work out too well for DIRIC.

SPEAKER_02 39:09

We should move fast, whatever we do, to take advantage of this time that the predators distracted, like Elvar mentioned.

SPEAKER_06 39:17

Alright.

SPEAKER_02 39:18

Rope it is.

unknown 39:19

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 39:19

So Navac can jump in. No, I'll run up, I'll squeeze past you guys, and I'll Prince of Persia run across these walls for flavor as I jump across. And then when I get over, if there's nothing to tie it to, I'll just hold it tight and I'll toss the other antenna, probably probably Eldvar, because he's big.

SPEAKER_04 39:38

Uh see you just run it around the uh across the walls there, Nelvex.

SPEAKER_02 39:42

Pretty much. I don't have that as a monk feet yet, so if you need me acrobatics or like jump or my watch clears it at advantage.

SPEAKER_05 39:50

Yeah, I think with your step in the wind, you can easily clear it, right?

SPEAKER_02 39:53

25. Oh yeah, if we turn the lights off, I can just teleport over there.

SPEAKER_03 39:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 40:00

Uh yeah, with a 25, you easily clear that. Yeah, you run across the walls like it is solid ground underneath your feet and uh easily clear the gap.

SPEAKER_03 40:10

Uh Voss says, hey, that looked pretty cool. I think I used to give that one a shot. I'm just kidding, guys. Give me the rope. So Voss will grab the rope and holding on. So it's been no, it's been fashioned across this little bridge. Yes. I'm assuming. Okay. Yeah, so I'll walk across.

SPEAKER_02 40:29

How wide is the uh the wall here, Brando? The passageway is like 10 feet?

SPEAKER_04 40:33

Uh the passage underneath, like to walk across.

SPEAKER_02 40:37

Where I'm standing, side to side.

SPEAKER_04 40:39

Oh yeah, it's yeah, about ten feet.

SPEAKER_02 40:42

Okay. I will uh just to make sure that my side's secure because there's some big heavy boys coming over, I'll pull out my I have this collapse classible ten foot pole, and I'll expand it and brace it against each side of the wall, and then wrap the rope around it and hold the other end to keep it so they have a solid rope to yoink across.

SPEAKER_03 41:00

Alright.

unknown 41:01

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 41:01

Brandon, I hope you put a lot of time and energy into the backstory of that NPC, you just often all of five minutes.

SPEAKER_04 41:07

No, I didn't. Not at all. His name was Derek, which was just a reassembly of the of the name Riddick. Come on, man. I saw that.

SPEAKER_02 41:15

I saw the whole thing. I saw it. Yeah. As soon as we had the monsters, I was like, oh, Dirk. Got it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 41:22

With the silver eyes.

SPEAKER_02 41:23

Yeah. That's why I tried to make a joke. It looks seems okay to me. Like looks clear.

SPEAKER_05 41:30

Yeah. So uh seeing Nelbax like assemble his ten-foot pole across the uh the opening, Elvar is going to pull his greatsword out and just drive it into the rock beneath him and then tie the rope off to that.

SPEAKER_02 41:46

He just chops the rope in half.

SPEAKER_05 41:49

Fuck this rope. I I have a high I'm higher wisdom than I am intelligence, alright?

SPEAKER_03 41:59

What is wisdom knowing tomatoes don't go in fruit salad?

SPEAKER_04 42:03

Yeah, uh intelligence is knowing tomatoes are fruit, wisdom is knowing that's put it in a fruit salad.

SPEAKER_02 42:09

I like the one I'll tell you later.

SPEAKER_07 42:14

Uh I can try to scamper across whenever uh whenever it's free.

SPEAKER_03 42:18

Technically, Nelvax was the first across. To answer your question directly.

SPEAKER_02 42:23

Do you have like short flight?

SPEAKER_07 42:25

Or am I uh I I have zero flight, negative flight, thanks to thanks to the Raven Queen. She she was like, nah nah. I can fly with a spell.

SPEAKER_04 42:37

How much does Harleck weigh? You're about to get yeeted across this gap.

SPEAKER_02 42:42

Uh he's carrying 22 pounds, and he's probably not more than like 50 himself, right?

SPEAKER_04 42:47

We've looked this up, like it's like 40 pounds or something like that.

SPEAKER_07 42:50

Yeah, I was just saying, I think I think it's like it's like sub-50 pounds. I think in total I was like 80, 80, like 85 pounds altogether with the equipment.

SPEAKER_04 42:58

I so want Elvar to try to throw you and him to roll a Nat one on this fucking throw.

SPEAKER_05 43:06

I'm not gonna risk race character like that.

SPEAKER_07 43:09

Maybe maybe if it's not a bottomless void that we're throwing across, you know what I mean? We don't know what's bottomless. There's that's true.

SPEAKER_03 43:19

There's there's a guy in the monster down there, and we know that. There's something.

SPEAKER_05 43:23

I guess he still has the fly spell to come back. Alright, so who's first across? El Elvar's gonna like steady the rope to make sure the rest of y'all can make it through.

SPEAKER_07 43:36

Um, I did roll originally for acrobatics a seven, and then I used the Kenku recall for a 15. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 43:44

Alright, so you get about halfway across Harleck, and you feel a a wetness drip on your cheek, and then you feel another one drip on your shoulder. And as you look up, you see this monster staring down at You from about eight feet above you. And it opens its mouth wide and leaps. What do you want to do?

SPEAKER_07 44:07

Can I silvery barbs it if it's an attack, I'm assuming?

SPEAKER_04 44:12

Or am I able to try to like run or run away? Yeah, you can you can try to silvery barbs it. It did hit you with an attack. So you can try to silvery barbs it or you can try to run away.

SPEAKER_03 44:22

Oh. Seems I'm standing right there. Do I he's freaking violating my space? Do I get a response to this guy?

SPEAKER_04 44:29

Well, no, Harlech is halfway across the void right now.

SPEAKER_03 44:32

Oh, I thought it hadn't started yet.

SPEAKER_07 44:35

So I guess if I have the chance of running away, I'm gonna try to run away. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 44:40

Uh give me an acrobatics. Or a deck save, actually. Just give me a dex save.

SPEAKER_07 44:45

Oh, deck save.

SPEAKER_04 44:47

Higher than a 10. That passes. Ooh. Thank God. Alright. Um, who's the one I can't tell what the condition what like what the passing is? The DC is? That's Bill. Is that Bill? Okay. There's somebody I can't tell who the the DC is until after the case. Oh yeah, he gets like re-rolls and stuff. Yeah. Okay. He can add a D10 a couple times a long rest. Yeah, so Parliak, you start moving across this gap really fast, um, and you can hear that that catwalk groaning under your boots. Um, and it's like and as this creature jumps towards you, you hear almost like a spinning of metal as it's leaping past you, and it it reaches out to strike you and doesn't get you, but it does clip your lantern, and you see your lantern start to fall down into the pit below you. Um and for one perfect heartbeat, that that lantern spins in the air and flames burning, and then it starts to drop as the creature drops with it, and the creature as it's falling reaches back up towards you. Um but it ultimately falls as you run away. And as as you look below, you see a lantern falling and falling and falling, and then very very far, probably 150-200 feet below you, you you see the lantern drop to the ground, and then as a lantern drops, it looks like the floor just suddenly start springs to life as the surface itself begins to move, and what you first took for rocks and debris looks like dozens, maybe a hundred of these creatures swarming over the lantern that just dropped from from your pack until the lantern is snuffed

Lantern Drops And The Swarm Reveals

SPEAKER_04 46:34

out.

SPEAKER_06 46:34

Oh my god, that is not good. Not good at all.

SPEAKER_04 46:39

Trying to stay kinda quiet. But you are able to make it across the rest of this catwalk.

SPEAKER_03 46:45

So I'm I'm safe. It's safe to assume that that was not the same one that took out Dyric.

SPEAKER_05 46:52

Correct. Okay. So as I'm six feet from the edge, I'm thinking, can I also see down there? Or oh yeah, all of you saw this. Transpire.

SPEAKER_02 47:03

I'm really glad I didn't try to mage hand that thing and catch keep it, because now we know the real danger.

SPEAKER_03 47:09

Um I'll kind of glance over my uh shoulder to Eldbar and say, eh, Eldbar, I'm not uh too sure I I I like the much this idea of the rope. I I got another thing I might try. And so uh you're gonna see like Voss blink, and in an instant he will uh cast invoke duplicity using one of my channel divinities, and I'll create a uh copy of myself on the other side, standing there next to Harleck, and then I'm gonna swap places with myself, leaving uh me on the other side of the cavern and my copy behind.

SPEAKER_04 47:57

So are you leaving your copy there? And as has has Eldvar seen this before?

SPEAKER_05 48:02

So uh so I've seen it, but I also don't know who is who, right? Because he against the shambling mounds, he he did the same thing, but Eldvar has no clue which is the real Voss. Uh and so so he's gonna look at the the duplicate that's now in front of him and be like, oh I mean that's a that's a neat little illusion, but are are you gonna go across?

SPEAKER_03 48:26

Uh he'll the the copy will wink at Eldvar and then Voss across the uh the cavern will wave at him. Well, actually, can can you see now that the lantern's gone? Are you able to be able to see? Are you?

SPEAKER_04 48:40

Yeah, yeah, his sword has light.

SPEAKER_03 48:42

Yeah. Oh, okay. So he he'll be he'd be able to see me on the other side and he'll wave from the other side.

SPEAKER_05 48:48

Uh uh I I get that, Voss, but you you can make your illusion wave, but are you ever gonna go over there?

SPEAKER_03 48:57

Uh can I make my illusion talk?

SPEAKER_04 49:01

I think you can move it though. So like you can move it and cast spells through it.

SPEAKER_03 49:05

Yeah. And that's that's the next thing I want to do is actually start moving it across uh across the the bridge. Do you have fireball? Is that what she just asked?

SPEAKER_02 49:15

Do you have fireball? Can you send your little dude down and put fireball to pit?

SPEAKER_03 49:21

How far down do you say it was?

SPEAKER_04 49:24

About 150 to 200 feet.

SPEAKER_02 49:26

Uh what's the range in your invoke duplicity?

SPEAKER_03 49:32

I can do things within 120 feet. I can move it with 120 feet, but it doesn't say anything about other things moving. So it says I can cast spells through it, but it it doesn't say anything about it dissolving after a certain distance. I don't know, maybe maybe look this one up some more.

SPEAKER_05 49:49

Well, so the the real question is because they're just relying completely on blind sight, can they even see your illusion? Right? Well, or are you just thinking go down there so you're within range to firebomb them or spirit guardians them or something like that?

SPEAKER_02 50:05

Yeah, I was thinking like suicide copy down and then throw fireball as he's going before he's out of range. Just blast him, right? Distract them with chaos. You don't really have a big AoE. Yeah, I don't have a big AoE thing.

SPEAKER_07 50:21

Do clerics get destructive wave, or is that strictly paladin?

SPEAKER_05 50:24

I think war clerics maybe.

SPEAKER_04 50:27

Tempest domain clerics get destructive wave. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 50:30

I got mass healing word, but that's kind of the opposite of what we're trying to do to these guys.

SPEAKER_05 50:34

You also have you also have a hypnotic pattern pattern, yeah. Just go incapacitate all of them and we just scurry about. Uh so now Elvar sees that Voss is making his way over, so he kind of checks the tension on the rope against his greatsword that he had stuck down in the in the rock, and he's gonna pull out of his um his pack two flasks of oil and a torch. And he will light the torch and just send it over the edge uh where the uh lantern also went. Yeah, and then he's going to make his way across as well using the rope to assist him.

SPEAKER_03 51:16

And I'm gonna use the copy to do anything I can to distract the said things from attacking Elvar.

SPEAKER_04 51:25

Alright, one second. I need to do some math here. Some maths.

SPEAKER_03 51:31

So how are you getting your your greatsword back?

SPEAKER_05 51:36

I got a thing. Pull on the rope. So Voss probably would have seen this. Um I am bonded to my greatsword, and so I can just recall it.

SPEAKER_07 51:45

Before Elbar starts on his journey across that thin thing, uh, Harlock does want to prepare something. What would you like to prepare? I want to be prepared to cast Levitate on his on his bigness just in case he falls. With the triggering action being if he falls, I would cast levitate on him. Okay. Or I guess if he gets snatched, fall, if if I see him move in a downward direction, I'm gonna try to cast levitate on him. There you go. Understood.

SPEAKER_03 52:16

Make it more specific.

SPEAKER_07 52:17

Okay. Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 52:19

If his acceleration preaches terminal velocity, then if his normal force is less than the force of gravity.

SPEAKER_05 52:27

Alright.

SPEAKER_04 52:28

Eldar, as you reach the opposite side of this void, you hear a loud whoosh as as a as a blast of you can feel a little bit of warmth reach you from the top, and you hear screaming from below, uh, dozens of creatures screaming. And uh Eldvar, Voss, and Nelvax, from where you're at, you can see that this huge explosion, this fire just went everywhere down below. But uh from the glow of the fire, you can now see a couple dozen creatures start scrambling up the walls towards you.

SPEAKER_05 53:05

I I did that once to ants, too. It was uh about the same response, although these seem bigger.

SPEAKER_03 53:11

So where did the blast of fire come from?

SPEAKER_04 53:14

Uh from Eldvar dropping oil and a torch over the hole.

SPEAKER_03 53:19

Oh, okay. I didn't pick up on that part. Yep.

SPEAKER_04 53:23

So I would like you guys to roll me some initiative, and we're going to cross.

Skill Challenge Escape With Silence

SPEAKER_04 53:30

We're going to everybody's across, yes. We're gonna take some turns, and you're gonna describe to me how you're gonna hide from these dozens of creatures. It's gonna be a skill jump. You can stay and fight them if you'd like.

SPEAKER_02 53:42

A couple dozens a lot, with no big AoE abilities.

SPEAKER_04 53:46

And and a choke tunnel.

SPEAKER_02 53:49

Wait, choke tunnel's good for me.

SPEAKER_04 53:50

Yeah, that's actually great for us.

SPEAKER_02 53:53

It's true. I got a nineteen for initiative.

SPEAKER_05 53:56

Eldvar got a Nat 1 for a total of two. 18.

SPEAKER_03 54:01

I got nine.

SPEAKER_05 54:02

Okay. Yeah, so Eldvar's just watching the flames and uh creatures come up out of the hole, and doesn't really register that that means danger.

SPEAKER_04 54:14

Okay. So how we're gonna play this is uh it's gonna be a skill challenge on how to how you're gonna get away from these creatures. If you want to get away uh or if you want to try to prepare for a fight, you have two rounds before a fight happens in this area. So uh whether that is moving, hiding, trying to deceive them somehow, uh, and you not only this the skill challenge yourself, but you also can uh speak one to two sentences to your companions during your round. So, Melvax, you're up first.

SPEAKER_02 54:45

Hmm. Uh I'm used to having more time than that. Uh so we determined that they hunt primarily through sound, but they still use their eyes, right?

SPEAKER_04 54:55

They do have slight vision, yes, but it's primarily sound.

SPEAKER_02 54:58

But like that means I'm assuming navigating tunnels and like all moving through the darkness is not unless they're echolocating, which maybe they are.

SPEAKER_04 55:05

Correct. Unless they're unless they're listening, it's it's hard for them to navigate, unless you're directly in front of them.

SPEAKER_02 55:11

Uh I will take this opportunity to uh cast guidance onto Vostane.

SPEAKER_00 55:18

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 55:19

And then I'm going to move into I'm gonna move up around the corner so it looks like there's like kind of a T ahead of us. I'm gonna move off to the left into the dark hallway to see what I can see down the dark passageway, and hopefully, like get out of the uh aura of light from from Eldvar's sword. And you know, prepare to be all ninja-like. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 55:42

Uh so you're just trying to hide right now?

SPEAKER_02 55:45

I'm giving guidance to Voss, and I'm moving out of the light into the darkness where I am in my element.

SPEAKER_04 55:51

Got it.

SPEAKER_02 55:52

So my action is guidance, unless you let me hide too, but I don't think I need to yet. Nope. Alright.

SPEAKER_07 55:58

Harlock, you're next. Uh I am also going to try to go hide, but I'm going to cast silence on a dagger so that um I don't make any sound of any kind uh within the 20-foot what sphere. Uh, and my hopes is that I can tuck it into the bag of holding, which should cancel out the silence and allow me to bring it back out as I need to move around and communicate. The bag of holding is a demi plane, right? So it should it should be able to be stored and kinda. That's that's the that's Harleck's plan. Whether or not it succeeds, that's that's what Harleck's like trying to trying to try out. That's interesting.

SPEAKER_04 56:46

You know, uh making sure I'm not breaking any obvious rules, but I I'm tempted to let it happen.

SPEAKER_02 56:54

Looks like every one of your spells is verbal. Oh no. The Theres Mischief is not verbal.

SPEAKER_07 57:01

I have like one or two that isn't. But that's why I was trying to I know darkness has like a caveat to where like you could like put it inside of something and it conceals the darkness again. Um but uh I don't know if silence does the same thing. But I was hoping with the bag of holding being like a demi plane, it might work that way.

SPEAKER_05 57:22

He casts it at the opening of the demi plane, so when he opens the bag, you can see his man China, and then when you close it, the silence goes away. You talk about a downstairs mix-up.

SPEAKER_00 57:32

Yeah. What what are all these terms? Oh no.

SPEAKER_03 57:42

I'm old Greg! Oh my god. I told you I used to be a Christian. Yeah, that was my first name.

SPEAKER_04 57:53

Okay. Uh yeah, I I see nothing wrong with that. Uh if it's placed in the bag of holding, it goes into that extra-dimensional plane, which would break uh the distance rule because the the the plane is static. So but it still lasts for that time frame, and so whenever you pull it out, it would re-integrate. So yeah, I'm good with that.

SPEAKER_07 58:16

Cool. Um, yeah, I'll just try to, I guess, get into some into some shadows and try to get where the light isn't hitting me directly, and then uh, you know, pull out the dagger, have the silence on. Uh you know, at least show my party where I'm gonna be at before I I do all that, but my hopes is that they can't hear me, they can't find me. Yep. Okay. Then Voss, you're up.

SPEAKER_03 58:44

Alright. Um so Voss can only move twenty feet.

SPEAKER_04 58:50

Voss can only move twenty feet, that's however, my copy can move 30.

SPEAKER_03 58:58

Um, and then I'm gonna go ahead and swap places with my copy.

SPEAKER_04 59:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 59:03

So my copy's there. Um and am I correct in thinking that a hypnotic pattern would also be an AoE effect against allies in the area? Hypnotic pattern, can you read it for me? Uh, you create a twisting pattern of colors in a 30-foot cube within range. Pattern appears for a moment and then vanishes. Each creature in the area who can see the pattern must succeed on a wisdom saving throw or have the charm condition.

SPEAKER_04 59:31

Yes, it does work on allies as well.

SPEAKER_03 59:34

Okay. Well, and all these all these creatures are like are they grouped together? Let me ask the question this way. Can we see it the creatures are grouped together within a 30-foot cube of each other down the hill?

SPEAKER_04 59:45

Uh yeah, they're all climbing up the uh uh climbing up together, yes. But they're not all within a 30-foot cube.

SPEAKER_03 59:54

My thing's not going to.

SPEAKER_04 59:55

Um You could hit a you could hit a lot of them, but it won't stop them all.

SPEAKER_03 59:59

Okay. Then I yeah, I won't be able to to to to do that. Uh so kind of retroactoring uh what I'm gonna do before I swap places my copy, I'm gonna tell Eldvar, uh, hey Eldvar, I'm gonna leave my copy here and he'll be a distraction. You get away from these guys as fast as you can. And uh then he'll swap places with a copy, and then the copy's gonna uh start dancing. Doing a little jig.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:25

Oh, Voss, you were always such a good dancer.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:28

That's it for me.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:30

Alright, then Eldvar. Alright, uh, Eldvar is going to grab his bag of caltrops and sprinkle them along the kind of edge of this cliff. Um, and so as a utilized action, you can spread Caltrops from their bag to cover a five foot square area within five feet of yourself. A creature that enters the area for the first time on a turn must succeed on a DC 15 dexterity saving throw or take one piercing damage and have its speed reduced to zero uh until the start of its next turn. It takes ten minutes to recover the kaltrops. Uh and so after deploying the kaltrops, I am going to proceed to the north. I've got 35 feet of movement, which means that I can catch back up with the real boss. Um so I'm just gonna get a little bit ahead of him proceeding to the north tunnel. Uh, because I could not see Nelvex go to the western tunnel because he is in darkness.

unknown 1:01:28

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:29

Alright. Uh Nelvex, you still hear that scraping sound as the creatures get closer and closer to you, and that sound is getting louder and louder and louder. And you saw all your friends or I would say you heard all your friends run by you. Um actually Oh, you're facing them? Okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:52

I mean, I would be aware of my surroundings, yeah. I also I would like to know what's to the left of me, down this tunnel. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:59

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Did he mention that he has dark vision? Yes, I do know that he has dark vision. Looks like it opens into a room with some tables into it.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:08

Yeah, there's a light in that room too, so you know, there's got that going forward.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:12

The light's not actually there. It's not there.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:14

Oh, I just noticed there's light over here on the other side too.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:16

No, it's not there.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:17

There's a guy's hey guys, there's light over here.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:19

There's no light. Uh back at the top, Nelvex, you saw both your all your all three of your companions run by you in the darkness. You can still hear uh hundreds, it sounds like hundreds of claws scraping, uh steel scraping against rock. Um, and you can hear you can feel the tunnel shaking underneath that that all that movement.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:43

Can he hear it? Or is the silence out of the bag?

SPEAKER_04 1:02:48

Um the silence would be covering him. He can feel it. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:53

Uh okay. Then I will move and like peek around this corner and get out of the silence. Can I tell by sound how far approximately away they are? Like how much time I need.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:07

You know they're gonna be on they're gonna be on you within within 10 to 15 seconds.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:15

Okay. I would want also like to point out, I can see that there's still light across the tunnel from us coming through from that sword. I did pick up my rope and well, I get I guess not the rope. Forget the rope, but I'm taking my fucking collapsing rod of me, because that's important.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:31

Uh, and then I will use my bonus action to uh use the way of shadows, shadow arts, what's this kind of called? Sorry. Shadow step, which lets me use a bonus action when I'm in dim light or darkness to teleport up to 60 feet. Actually, I guess I don't actually have to do that. I'm gonna run run back up next to Harlech and these guys. And I know I knew how much Harlech really cared for that lantern, so I'll produce a torch and like just hand it to him. Like, I don't know, can I light it as I go and like hand it off to him as I run?

SPEAKER_04 1:04:05

Yeah, I'm gonna say you you light it as you get up to him, and and Harlech and Eldvar, uh, your eyes are suddenly assaulted with this bright light where it's just starting to get used to the pitch blackness of this cave as you see uh Voss and Nelvax kind of just melt out of the shadows.

SPEAKER_07 1:04:23

Nelvax just seems like a silent, like like just uh horror screaming face, like but thankful. Like Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:36

Elvar Go ahead, Justin.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:40

No, please, go ahead.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:41

I I was just gonna say Elvar goes to thank uh Nelvax for the light, and then he realizes he can't hear himself, and then he's like clapping in front of his face, trying to figure out why he can't hear himself. Uh, and it's very distressing to him.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:58

And uh yeah, Nelvax will try uh shouting or like mouthing 10 seconds and like give him the 10 seconds and like really mouth enunciate even though there's no sound, and then point back and then try to continue going forward. Does count does I have that torch fast enough count as my action?

SPEAKER_04 1:05:14

Uh uh yes, it would. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:17

Okay. Then I will you instead of teleporting, because I have to be in darkness, which I have now eliminated that. I'm gonna use another monk feature to use dash as a bonus action. And go another fifty or so forth up around this corner. Okay, so I can see what's ahead of us. That's 30 feet there where I've gone to.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:37

Yeah, it looks like it opens up into a a uh kind of a large room. It's the biggest room we've been in so far, and it's got a bunch of uh spoiled food, old alchemical supplies around it, but it's also got a bunch of gears and everything. Uh you can see in one of the jars is a uh what looks like a preserved heart. It looks like some expensive. Experiments were done in this room.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:01

That's interesting. I'm gonna run another 20 feet out of this room and see what I can see. Oh, there's torches ahead. Great.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:07

There's no torches. The map. She lies.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:11

I know, right?

SPEAKER_04 1:06:12

Yeah, the tunnel bends up and it looks like there's stairs ascending uh ahead of you.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:19

Uh then I think that's what I got. And so silence means no noise in and noise no noise out?

SPEAKER_04 1:06:27

Correct.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:28

Then uh I guess that's all I'm gonna do.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:30

Yep. So Harleck, you just saw your buddy Nelvax light a torch, hand it off to you, and then run away in the northern direction. What would you like to do?

SPEAKER_07 1:06:43

Okay, uh I'm gonna uh point at uh L bar and uh cast message because apparently it doesn't have a verbal component, it's just somatic and material. Uh and then ask Do you think we could toss out this kibble food as a distraction? And then like uh like try to you know like like point towards the bag of holding. Okay. Can't answer you right away. Okay. Um, but then uh start motioning and start moving and try to get them to move along with me towards where Nelvax just went. Okay, so you're gonna start moving north.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:26

Yep. Alright. So for the silence thing, and we're in combat. Well, we're in initiative, right? So this is all happening at the same time, so you will all be moving still in the silence bubble. One second. You need to change all the battery.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:42

Alright, I'm back. I'll come back. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:47

Um, and so if you asked the question if Elbar communicates in the affirmative and you wanted to spread kibble after like as a as an after reaction or a retro, I'm good with that.

SPEAKER_07 1:08:00

Sounds good.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:02

Alright. Voss, you're up. You're currently in a silence bubble. And you can and you can still see because you dark vision.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:09

Yes. Uh dude, we we've been out the the torches. Gosh. Um, anyway, so uh boss boss looks back at his copy to make sure he's uh doing his uh little jig. And then we'll Oh dang it, where'd those horses go? That's like they just got removed from the map. I don't understand what's happening here. Um and then he takes off in a sprint, running as far and fast and fiercey as he can, but quiet, I mean, because he's in the silence bubble. Alright. All 25 feet. No, just 20 feet. Oh, 20 feet.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:51

You can dash. You can dash.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:53

I know, but Elvar's gonna pick me up anyway, so that's a good point. It's more of a style.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:59

Okay, fair enough.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:01

We've gone over this. He picks me up and runs with me.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:03

Okay. Uh, what about your copy?

SPEAKER_03 1:09:06

He's dancing.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:07

Oh, he's still dancing. Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:09

He's an extraction. He's he's fodder.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:13

Can you see through that copy?

SPEAKER_02 1:09:15

Uh I think he must be able to to cast spells, right?

SPEAKER_03 1:09:19

To target and um no, because I have to use my senses for it.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:24

So I don't think I can actually see.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:27

Interesting.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:28

Yeah, I don't know if I can see through it, but it does say that I have to cast spells through it but use my uh by most my own senses. So I don't know if it's uh if it allows me to or not, if I can see through it or not.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:41

Okay. And then that leaves us to I don't think you can either. I just looked. Uh that leaves us to Elvar. You were just asked a question about some kibble.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:52

Yeah. Um Elvar's a little confused by the voices in his head that don't sound like his own. Uh because he does narrate his own life. That's the only way he can process what's happening around him. Um he goes, uh no kibble. And then you hear just well, actually, none of you hear it, but you might be able to see it. He thuds off the um dead body he's been carrying around, because even though he stripped off the armor, he still had the body over his shoulders. And then um finishes the response with puppies. And he is going to take the dash action and along the way pick up Voss Dane and Harlek. Uh throwing one over one shoulder, one over the other, and I'm going to use 70 feet of movement to try and catch back up with Nelvax.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:45

Voss prepared for this instead of like being slung over his shoulder will actually like sit on top of his shoulder.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:51

Yeah, it it looks like you you can you can catch up to Nelvax.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:55

It's like he's ready to be tractor.

SPEAKER_05 1:10:57

And then as a bonus action, I will use my uh bonded weapon feature to recall my greatsword. So I now have light following me as well. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:11:07

So all of you are in the silence bubble once more. Um what is everybody's passive perception?

SPEAKER_03 1:11:14

Really good. Oh, you were looking for a number.

SPEAKER_04 1:11:17

Yes, I was.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:18

Oh, 12. That's easy.

SPEAKER_05 1:11:21

14.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:22

Okay. Uh for Nelvax it's 15, and for Ember, my companion, it is 13. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:11:30

Harleck? 17 is my passive. Alright. Harlec and Nelvax. Uh, you both feel the slight primer um of those creatures, even though the silence bubbles around you, but it it feels like it's getting softer, as if they're moving down another tunnel. Whoa. I saw that. Oh no. Alright. All of you, roll me. Investigation. Or sorry. Not investigation, perception.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:03

Is it sight? Sound?

SPEAKER_04 1:12:05

It is sight.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:07

I have it. All sound is muted. I got a 19.

SPEAKER_05 1:12:12

Elvar gets a nat 20 for a 24. Ooh.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:16

Uh I'm gonna give myself guidance and roll the 12 plus two for a 14.

SPEAKER_05 1:12:22

I think guidance has a verbal component.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:25

Oh, does it? I thought I just touched it.

SPEAKER_04 1:12:27

It does. I think it's got a verbal.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:29

Yep, it does. So I got twelve.

SPEAKER_04 1:12:32

Okay. And Harleck, what's your first one?

SPEAKER_03 1:12:34

I still try to cast guidance, but it doesn't matter.

SPEAKER_07 1:12:36

Fair number 12. Yeah. Yes. 21.

SPEAKER_04 1:12:43

Alright. Um, so all of you see it just in time, and you're able to dodge out of the way, except for Voss, as uh you see a large creature appear above you, and it's it's still dripping on one of its on one of its claws, it's uh or one of its claws, it's still dripping blood from where it hurt something earlier, probably Voss, and Voss is gonna swing at you.

SPEAKER_05 1:13:10

Probably not. So so since Voss is riding on my back like Yoda, does my reaction pull him out of the way? No. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:22

It's like you're carrying a kid on your shoulder through a door, and just because you duck doesn't mean the kid ducks.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:28

And they hit their forehead. Yeah, you duck forward and slam him harder into the claws.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:34

That was that's my dad.

SPEAKER_07 1:13:37

Oh god. It was not me, it was my nephew, but we all saw it.

Combat Chaos And Nelvax Rides One

SPEAKER_04 1:13:44

Uh boss, you're gonna take 12 points of slashing damage.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:48

12 points of slashing? What I don't even get like a a like uh AC dodge on this or anything?

unknown 1:13:56

Nope.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:57

What? That's crap.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:58

It's an ambush predator.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:00

So nothing I can do can boost my ability to not get hit by ambush. Is that how this works? Well, if you have temporary HP, you know.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:09

Do you have temporary HP?

SPEAKER_05 1:14:10

He has long since used that.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:12

No, I'm I don't have that's all that's all gone. I thought we got that at the short rest.

SPEAKER_07 1:14:17

Yeah, I was just saying, I did inspiring leader again at the short rest. He's already yeah, he's been short. Sorry.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:23

That's everyone else. Sorry, the rest of us have HP.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:27

Never mind. No, so like what what in DD what protects you against it from this kind of stuff?

SPEAKER_02 1:14:33

Um don't be caught, don't be caught off guard. There's some like barbarians get like danger scents, so you can't be caught unaware.

SPEAKER_04 1:14:39

Um the feet alert.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:41

Okay, dice roll.

SPEAKER_04 1:14:43

Yeah. Alright. But this creature is standing directly in front of you all. Novex, anything you want to do about that creature?

SPEAKER_02 1:14:51

Uh cool. So I didn't want to mind, Voss, you do have guidance for me from before all the silence happened. Wait, so guidance, guidance can carry over? I thought that's like a one-time thing. No, it's like 10 minutes, isn't it? That's a minute. It's a one-minute concentration. Well, it's been I cast it on you before I ran, so it's been 12 seconds.

SPEAKER_04 1:15:13

It's been three rounds at best. All the additional d4 then, Maddie.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:18

Well, I I I did, I got a two. So 14.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:22

I'm not saying it'll help you now, just like you still have it, just don't forget.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:25

Yeah, that would have given me a 14. Are you gonna use it or no? Yeah, no, I'll definitely use it. Okay. That that cause I already just because I already used it and rolled it, I got a two.

SPEAKER_04 1:15:35

Well, in that case, you take half that damage and it's only six, because you're able to dodge mostly out of the way.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:40

If you had 10 temporary HP, that would uh not hurt you at all. Not using that already.

SPEAKER_05 1:15:45

So question, can it actually see us while we're in silence?

SPEAKER_04 1:15:51

Uh when it's looking directly at you, yes. It still does have vision, it's just extremely limited. Okay, so it's not like the creatures of the movie. No. Okay, got it. Yeah, so this big harleck creature is standing directly in front of you, tilting its head back and forth. And you can see its jaw moving like as if as if it's trying to imitate something or speak. Um, but no sound is coming out.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:15

Cool. Uh I don't like this thing. So I'm gonna I'm gonna move. It's it's larger than me, so I can move through its legs to get to the far side of it, right? Uh yes. So I get behind it, drawing, drawing my scimitar as I go. And uh I'm gonna slash at it with my uh with two attacks, trying to open its uh tummy. Uh so first attack is a 20 to hit.

SPEAKER_04 1:16:41

Does hit.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:41

And the second attack is a 12 to hit. That does not hit. The first one does four whole slashing damage. Nice. Um, and then I'm going to, as a bonus action, use Flare blows. And that's gonna be two more attacks, I think. Oh away, dice from two more unarmed strikes. So unarm strike one, twenty-three to hit, and unarm strike two is a ten to hit. That is not it. So I'm gonna use the uh the unarm strike is gonna do ten damage, and when I do, I'm also gonna use a key point, focus point, to use my open palm technique to try to stun it. Alright. Which stunning strike. Once per round, if I hit with a monk weapon or unarm strike, I can spend a focus point to attempt a stunning strike. Uh please make a con saving throw.

SPEAKER_04 1:17:37

Con saving throw. I can do that. Actually, please don't make it, please fail it.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:42

Attempt to save.

SPEAKER_04 1:17:44

Uh, it rolled a 12.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:46

A 12 does not save. Okay. The target is stunned until the start of my next turn.

SPEAKER_04 1:17:51

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:52

Uh and the next attack roll. Oh yeah, that's it. It's stunned. So the stun condition is excellent. Uh I don't have it up, but it's really like I think melee melee attacks hit as crits, I think, right?

SPEAKER_05 1:18:05

Uh I think they have advantage, right? All all attack rolls have advantage. Any attack within five feet is an automatic crit if it hits. And the creature cannot take a action, reaction, or bonus action on its turn. Or any reaction.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:21

I messed up. I should have done that when I hit it with my scimitar, and then I would have blasted it with all the other ones. Oops.

SPEAKER_04 1:18:27

So the key changes in 2024 stunned is now stunned creatures can move. Uh but it can't take actions, bonus actions, reactions, or concentrate, has disadvantage on initiative rolls, and a stunned creature automatically fails all strength index saving throws, attack rolls against creature have advantage.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:44

That's crazy pants. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:46

That's pretty good.

SPEAKER_04 1:18:47

Yeah, stunned used to be very broken where they couldn't even move. Nice. I don't see where a hit is a crit though.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:55

I think it's uh when it's stunned, it has the incapacitated position or condition, and then you have to look up that one. Unless they split them. Yeah. Um, that's 2014. Yeah, so stunned. While you have the stunned condition, you experience the following effects. Incapacitated. You have the incapacitated condition, saving throws affected, you automatically fail, strength and dexterity, saving throws, attacks affected, attack rolls against you have advantage. And then going into uh rules glossary for the incapacitated condition. Uh incapacitated, right?

SPEAKER_02 1:19:31

Yeah, well, you have the incapacity condition, you experience the following effects. Inactive, you can't take an action, bonus action, or reaction. You cannot concentrate. If you were concentrating, it's broken, you can't speak. And if you are incapacitated when you roll an initiative, you have disadvantage.

SPEAKER_05 1:19:46

Yeah, so that's there's no crit. I think they took the crit out of the incapacity condition. Sad. I know. That was beautiful.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:55

That's okay. Okay.

SPEAKER_05 1:19:58

Alright. Um just disadvantage.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:00

That's not bad. Nope.

SPEAKER_04 1:20:03

Yeah. So this Harlech, knowing that it is stunned and scared, is gonna try to dash past you, Nelvax. Would you like to take a reaction?

SPEAKER_02 1:20:16

Absolutely I do. I would take a unarmed strike against it, which is uh 22 to hit. It does hit. Can I? It's too big for me to grapple, probably, huh?

SPEAKER_04 1:20:29

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:30

What if I grab on and just ride it?

SPEAKER_04 1:20:32

You just want to get pulled through the tunnel on this thing?

SPEAKER_02 1:20:37

Uh yeah, you guys don't do AoE damage, right? That's probably fine. No, I'll just I'll just do the damage. It's probably sweet.

SPEAKER_04 1:20:45

That would be hilarious.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:47

I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

SPEAKER_04 1:20:49

Nothing. Nothing at all. There's definitely not another chasm that this thing's about to crawl down.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:54

I've got slowfall. I'm fine. I'm a monk. I can teleport through darkness. I'm golden in this place. This is my fucking home. I was made for this. Okay, uh. Yeah, I'll just no uh uh I'm torn. Let me roll a dice. If it's odds, I'll write it. I'll try to ride it. I try to ride it. What have we got to roll, Brandon? Instead of damage, do you want me to try to grapple it? Or just you're trying to ride it? I I'm on my attack hits, which lets me exchange damage for a grapple, or I can just grab it and cling on to it. If it's too much, I'll just punch it. That's fine. But he's trying to escape. This little thing.

SPEAKER_04 1:21:33

You want to try to grab this thing and ride it.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:36

He's not gonna get away so easy.

SPEAKER_04 1:21:37

You know how the thing is large, it's buckling, it's bucking as it's going. Give me uh sounds like a really acrobatic kind of thing.

SPEAKER_05 1:21:48

Yeah. Give me acrobatics. So the the rules for grappling don't say anything about the size of the creature.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:55

I know that.

SPEAKER_05 1:21:57

Alright.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:58

I'll grapple it. I ain't scared. Is it what acrobatics then?

SPEAKER_04 1:22:01

Acrobatics, yep.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:03

Okay. How about a 16?

SPEAKER_04 1:22:06

Uh that does pass if you want to grab this thing and ride it as it's running.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:10

I'm gonna hook my arms around one of its cross-shaped eye stalks and then like sling my legs up around it. And uh just kind of I'm saddled up on that bad boy.

SPEAKER_04 1:22:20

Alright, so hold up. Alright, so this thing starts booking through the tunnels. And uh Nelvex, you go on a very long ride through the tunnel, uh, exposing a bunch of beds in another large room. And uh you probably rode this thing for a good eighty feet. Ooh, I almost revealed all.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:43

And I'm familiar with the path to get here. I'm guessing that's just like a U-bend you took me down.

SPEAKER_04 1:22:47

Yeah, it was a U-bend that went up, yep. And now it looks like it's about to head back down south. Or like you just saw your friend go on a bug ride.

SPEAKER_07 1:22:56

I'm gonna stow the dagger uh so that we could uh I can communicate to to Elbar uh easily. Uh okay.

SPEAKER_06 1:23:07

Follow that Nilvax!

SPEAKER_07 1:23:09

And then point point in the direction. Uh and then uh because uh storing the dagger was an action, right?

SPEAKER_04 1:23:18

Uh storing yeah, storing. No, yeah. Storing is not an action.

SPEAKER_07 1:23:22

Oh, okay. I wasn't sure. Um but yeah, uh Let me make sure.

SPEAKER_04 1:23:26

I don't think it is.

SPEAKER_07 1:23:28

It's not like we have anything that I can see or anything, so I I my our best bet is my best bet's to stay on top of Eldbar and and take this ride to try to catch up. You guys make me look up a lot of rules today. I'm sorry. Well, I figured since it was the bag of holding, it might cost me something to deck put in and out of there.

SPEAKER_04 1:23:49

No, stowing a weapon is not an action. Uh for the case of your dagger being pulled in and out of a bag of holding, we'll call it a bonus action.

SPEAKER_07 1:23:57

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:23:59

You mute it and unmute it yourself and then mute it yourself again.

SPEAKER_07 1:24:02

Whoops, sorry. Uh silly rake. This is why we need milking tables. Yeah. Oh no, thank you. Uh I'll just say I'll hold my action to try to um blast at this thing uh with uh like um oh my god, what's it called? Tajious laugh. Okay, if I can see it. Um but other than that, uh, I'm good just to hold on tight to Elbar. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:24:33

Um, as as you dash this dagger and you're you're holding on to Elbar here, you hear from behind you as uh as you start seeing some shapes emerge from the shadows behind you. Oh great, I've doomed us all. Us, you're up.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:54

Uh I'm going to wait. Um I'm essentially ready in action to uh perform a melee attack on the next enemy that gets within uh my range for melee.

SPEAKER_04 1:25:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:25:13

Hoping that Elvar is going to run someplace where we can get uh catch up to these guys.

SPEAKER_04 1:25:19

I don't think I don't think Elvar can catch up to Nelvax.

SPEAKER_05 1:25:24

It's not so much that can I catch up with them, it's more could I even see where he went? Because I'm looking at the bend of the tunnel and trying to figure out where the light would go.

SPEAKER_04 1:25:36

Yeah, you can see that he went around the southern bend here.

SPEAKER_05 1:25:40

Oh okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:41

Plus, I'm looking now the range of the torch. The torch only gives twenty feet of bright light and additional twenty feet of dim light. So let's see that. Circle 20 gets you to I mean 40 gives you man. Using that ruler, they only see like 30 feet to the corner, just for blindness. Like line of sight, I mean.

SPEAKER_04 1:26:02

Oh yeah. Uh no, I'm gonna say you saw him you saw the tail end of it go dip around that corner.

SPEAKER_05 1:26:08

And I could see that it was really fast. Yeah, it was booking it. Alright. Um Elvar will take the dash action with uh all his buddies with him.

SPEAKER_04 1:26:20

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 1:26:21

Uh so oh, apparently I can't do the select tool and move everybody with me. There we go. And so we're gonna come off into the void. And I have 70 feet of movement, 7-0. Which, if he went 80, should put us about 10 feet from him. Now again, able to see Nelvax and Harlick. And uh that's gonna be our turn.

SPEAKER_04 1:26:46

Yeah. Alright, we're back up top with you, Nelvax.

SPEAKER_02 1:26:50

Uh you know, I didn't really plan this far ahead.

SPEAKER_04 1:26:55

Um so Nelvax, you hear some sounds ahead of you, and it sounds like there's more scraping coming from ahead of where this this uh this creature is taking you.

SPEAKER_02 1:27:05

Okay. Um I think he was stunned until the start of my turn, right? Nothing. Yes, until the start of your turn. And now I'm no longer in darkness either, so I can't teleport away. Correct. Cool. Uh so well, I guess while I'm holding on to this thing with one arm, I'm going to like just knee it a bunch of times in the back of the head, and just an arm strike twice on him. Okay. Uh 17 to hit for the first one.

SPEAKER_04 1:27:34

That hits.

SPEAKER_02 1:27:35

Uh 13 to hit on the second one.

SPEAKER_04 1:27:37

Uh does hit.

SPEAKER_02 1:27:39

Uh so the first one is 12 damage, and the second one is 8 damage. How's this thing looking? Is it is it starting to feel wobbly beneath?

SPEAKER_04 1:27:48

Uh it still feels pretty steady. It's uh it's pissed off, but it feels steady.

SPEAKER_02 1:27:54

Good. Should be uh I will after like giving those quick kicks. I heard I'm sure I heard the mass of my three party members in a trench coat coming around the corner.

SPEAKER_04 1:28:07

Yes, you did. Yes, they are not quiet individuals. I just imagine. Like, I don't know why, you know, Andrew's never said anything about this, but I just imagine when Elvar runs, he just shouts the entire time.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:24

Yeah, I kind of imagined in that part of the first mummy with Brennan Fraser where he's like running around the corner and he's like, coming face to face with this thing in the light. Uh what do I do? Uh I'm in light, that sucks. You know? Whatever. Uh Florea Blows, I'll punch it some more. Two more of these things. Uh 15 to hit and then a 19 uh 26 to hit, sorry. I'd say eight and then a seven additional damage. And I'm I'm gonna let go of it now. And just like slide off the side of it.

SPEAKER_04 1:29:00

Yeah, it it staggers for the first time since you've started hitting it.

SPEAKER_02 1:29:04

Hell yeah. Besides the stunning strike that I just Yeah, besides the stunning strike, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:29:09

I said staggers, it doesn't stun.

SPEAKER_02 1:29:11

Alright. That's my twine.

SPEAKER_04 1:29:13

Alright. Uh yeah, this this creature's gonna turn around and it's gonna try to to bite at you. Melvax.

SPEAKER_02 1:29:20

Hell yeah. It does. What kind of damage is it?

SPEAKER_04 1:29:25

This would be slashing damage.

SPEAKER_02 1:29:28

Excellent. I'm going to use my reaction to deflect that attack and reduce the damage by a d10 plus nine.

SPEAKER_04 1:29:34

Okay. That's probably a good thing. Uh because that would have been 17 points of damage.

SPEAKER_02 1:29:41

Oh. That's excellent news. Uh I reduce the damage by 18. Um, and if there was another creature within five feet of me, I would redirect it to that. So I I just when it is it a slot like a slash attack with its claws or its tail or its mouth? It's it's trying to bite you with its mouth. It's trying to bite me. So I uh like like swing one hand up and one hand down and like catch it by its eye stocks and like twist its head around so it misses me and bites a table next to me.

SPEAKER_04 1:30:06

Yeah, the table g flies into splinters. It would not have been good.

SPEAKER_02 1:30:10

17 is only like a third of my life. It's fine. Yeah. I have temporary HP. If you would have had more, I mean.

SPEAKER_07 1:30:19

It's true. Arlet, you're up, my friend. Uh, and I'm I'm able to see this thing now, right? Oh yeah. Uh okay. I'm going to firstly, I'm gonna use unsettling words on it. Uh, and I'm just going to say, uh one sec.

SPEAKER_06 1:30:39

Uh, your proof that if gods had a sense of humor, uh they also have terrible taste.

SPEAKER_07 1:30:45

Uh, and that'll be a d6 off of the next saving throw it has to make. Uh, and then I'm also going to try to cast uh Levitate on it, which is a con save of 15. These things are pretty good at cons.

SPEAKER_04 1:31:00

Oh. That's a 22. Minus the d6? Uh well, it's not gonna help me anyway. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 1:31:08

Alright. Well, that sucks. Alright, well that's my turn. I'm still on the shoulders of Elvar though.

SPEAKER_00 1:31:16

Okay.

SPEAKER_07 1:31:17

I mean, I guess I can climb down, but I don't know if he's got me grasped up. But if he's if I can move, then I'll try to like move over here a little bit. Uh yeah, Elvar, are you holding on to Harlek?

SPEAKER_04 1:31:31

Uh, if he tries to pull away, I will not restrain him. Yeah. And Harlek, you can Where do you think you're going in the in the distance you can see another creature emerge from the shadows behind you all.

SPEAKER_06 1:31:46

Oh man, what's that now?

SPEAKER_04 1:31:49

And you hear a reply, Oh man. There's too many of them.

SPEAKER_02 1:31:57

These guys breathe like penguins.

SPEAKER_04 1:32:02

You're right, there's two. There's two. Uh Voss, you're up.

SPEAKER_03 1:32:08

Alright. Voss. Um well seeing Nelvax getting pounded on over there, he's not super happy about that. So I'm gonna go ahead and run over to this Harleck. Uh Harleck one. And do some uh some some focus attack there. Uh just gonna hit it with my mace.

SPEAKER_04 1:32:36

Give me a sack roll.

SPEAKER_03 1:32:38

Uh, that would be a ten. Uh total total of a ten.

SPEAKER_04 1:32:43

That does not hit.

SPEAKER_03 1:32:44

Okay, as a bonus action, I will cast uh a shield of faith on myself. Nice. Meat shield. If I can't hit him, I'll meat shield him. Okay, that's it for me. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:33:03

Uh can you still sense your copy?

SPEAKER_03 1:33:07

Uh I mean I assume he's dead at this point. Yeah, I mean he hasn't take any damage.

SPEAKER_02 1:33:13

Didn't we say that the the copies can't die?

SPEAKER_03 1:33:15

Yeah, copies can't uh sure, he can't he can't die, but I'm too far away from him to he only at least lasts for a minute too, so okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:33:24

Yeah, that's gone then. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:33:26

Well, it's only been a couple rounds, because we brought him brought him in there. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:33:33

Okay. Alright.

SPEAKER_03 1:33:34

But I can't really do anything with him because he's too far away. Well, actually, hold on a sec. Does it say I have to move him within 30 feet or 30 feet of a plate of a space spot I can see?

SPEAKER_02 1:33:46

It's gotta be 30 feet within to an unoccupied space unoccupied space you can see within 220 feet of yourself. Oh, okay. Yeah, it's too far. That's crazy. So say no, no, and no, probably.

SPEAKER_04 1:33:59

Yeah, no.

SPEAKER_03 1:34:00

Yep, so he's kind of he's off on his own for now.

SPEAKER_04 1:34:03

Alright. Eldvar, you have heard these two creatures start uh uh sc scraping their way behind you in this tunnel, and you see Voss and Nelvax ahead of you. You've also heard sounds of what sounds like more scraping coming from the tunnel ahead of Nelvax and Voss.

SPEAKER_05 1:34:19

Yeah, um I think Eldvar is gonna try and uh force the Harlek 2 and 3 into the choke point that they're in. And so he's going to uh move kind of backtracking a little bit to the south. And so he's now forced where Harlech 2 can engage with him, but Harlech 3 is kind of held back by the presence of Harlech 2 in this choke point. And he's gonna take two massive swings with his bonded greatsword. Uh so the first one is a 9-to-hit. I'm gonna use that thing called heroic inspiration to try again. Uh but that's only an 11 to hit. Uh that does not hit.

SPEAKER_04 1:35:00

You can use heroic inspiration on an attack? I didn't know that. On any d20 test.

SPEAKER_03 1:35:05

That's what we normally use it on.

SPEAKER_05 1:35:07

Yeah. Alright, and then uh with my second attack, that is a dirty 20 for a total of 16 slashing damage. Alright. That does and then uh I will also use one use of my fire's burn uh for my fire giant racial ability. So that's an additional five points of fire damage.

SPEAKER_04 1:35:29

Nice.

SPEAKER_05 1:35:30

And oh go ahead. Uh with your miss, you also deal some damage, right? Oh yes. Uh with the miss I do four points of slashing damage. Thank you for reminding me. And then I feel like we're kind of in a break glass in case of emergency point at this point, so I'm gonna go ahead and action surge and do two more attacks. Alright. Uh first is a 23 to hit for 18 total damage slashing. Yeah, that hits. And then the second is a natural one for 8 slashing damage. So after I muscle it into the or sorry, not not for 8 slashing damage, 8 8 to hit. Uh so after I muscle it in after that first one, I just kind of again get my great sword hung up on just the uh the chitlin that kind of encompasses the exoskeleton of this bug-looking thing. And so uh I'm unable to successfully do my second attack, but as I rip it out, I'll do another four slashing damage. Alright. Yeah, this thing's looking looking a little hurt.

SPEAKER_04 1:36:31

And that's gonna be the end of my turn. Alright. NX, we're back up top of you. This creature in front of you isn't looking great.

SPEAKER_02 1:36:41

Looks like he's ready for uh deep tissue massage.

SPEAKER_04 1:36:45

It looks like he's ready for his scimitar to the balls.

SPEAKER_02 1:36:48

I can't see his balls.

SPEAKER_04 1:36:49

No, you can't see his balls.

SPEAKER_02 1:36:51

Can I try to find them with my scimitar? You can try, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:36:56

Give me an investigation roll.

SPEAKER_02 1:36:58

As long as it's not my action, I'll do it. No, I'm just kidding.

SPEAKER_04 1:37:02

Uh, yeah, so I will there is a large table in this room if you want to use that. I'm just trying to find his balls.

SPEAKER_02 1:37:10

To milk it?

SPEAKER_04 1:37:11

Yeah, it's milk it.

SPEAKER_02 1:37:12

Um, he's gonna stop playing with us. Just out of out of curiosity. Uh, since I've lived in the city for a while, do I remember ever hearing about these creatures at the monster menagerie, or is this some fucked up thing that way we're doing in the basement?

SPEAKER_04 1:37:26

So now that you're up close to this thing and you can actually see it, you can see that this is not a straight-up creature that you saw when you were a child. It's got bits of metal mixed in with its body. Uh, the its claws look like it's reinforced bronze and iron and steel. Uh, and one of its eyes looks like it's completely been replaced with this glowing glass orb. It looks like it's been experimented on.

SPEAKER_02 1:37:53

Alright. Uh glowing sounds like a weak spot. I'm gonna go for his eye. I'm gonna try to slash it across his face. Whichever one of those eye stalks has the thingy. So I'll do two attacks with my scimitar. Uh Pya. Uh first one is a 25 to hit, and the second is a 25 to hit. That hits. Uh get out of the way, dice. I can't click damage. First one is 10 damage, and the second one four damage. Alright, how do you uh how do you kill Harleck? Oh man. Oh man. How could you do this to me? Uh yeah, so I will uh I'll bring a quick overhand slash down on that ice stock, and then uh when that thing severs and it rears back its uh its ugly head in pain, I will then s shove the scimitar up through its mouth into its presumably brain and it dies. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:38:47

And then I pull my creature slumps against your sword and falls to the ground.

SPEAKER_02 1:38:53

Oh yeah. Uh and then I will I'll take a few steps this way to see if I can see around the crack if I have much time. There's like a boulder here, so I'll poke my head around that boulder.

SPEAKER_04 1:39:02

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 1:39:03

And see what's coming down that hallway.

SPEAKER_04 1:39:05

You can see that there's Oh, that's weird. Oh, I don't like that. Stop that. Stop that. You can see two more creatures scrambling up the tunnel towards you.

SPEAKER_02 1:39:14

I will shout out that there's two more coming up this way. And maybe we should try those stairs that we passed. And then I will move. I still have probably 40, 35 feet. I'll move 35 feet back towards uh No, I'm gonna move forward to the choke point, I guess. Or like near. No, I'm actually in a pretty good spot. I'm assuming is that boulder actually blocking the standard next to? Yeah. Okay. Then I will Yeah, move forward and like be a target for them. So they don't because I'm pretty sure I can escape them if I need to. Okay. And uh I'm gonna twirl my simitarm at them menacingly and sling in the blood of their modified companion. Are the other ones all looking all tested on as well, or just that good?

SPEAKER_04 1:39:59

No, they're all looking like they've been experimented on.

SPEAKER_02 1:40:02

That's a lot of them. Well, that's exciting. Pass. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:40:06

So yeah, Albar, this creature that's directly in front of you, is gonna take a big old slashy to bite at you. Does. Hey, 15 hit. I can't hear you, buddy. It does not. Okay. Yeah, uh, it it tries to chomp at you, and its teeth just kinda get uh can't get through the the metal that you're wearing. And it releases you after a couple seconds. Um and Parlac 3 that's trying to get behind that one, just can't get past him to get to you. Parlac 3.5 rushes up the tunnel towards Nelvax and it's gonna try to take a bite. Man, my maps is being real weird.

SPEAKER_02 1:40:48

I see your one guy wiggling around over there.

SPEAKER_04 1:40:51

Yeah, I can't grab him.

SPEAKER_05 1:40:52

It's because of the fog of war. For whatever reason, they put it as the top layer, and so it's hard to grab anything else.

SPEAKER_04 1:40:59

No, I can grab things underneath it just fine. It's just it's like I can't even use the ruler properly. It's weird. Anyway. Uh yeah, it's gonna try to take a I I didn't grab that. Let it go.

SPEAKER_01 1:41:12

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_04 1:41:13

Does A19 hit you?

SPEAKER_02 1:41:16

It does. I'm gonna use a reaction to try to deflect that attack.

SPEAKER_04 1:41:20

Okay. Is that level up with you?

SPEAKER_02 1:41:23

Um like the amount of damage I negate.

SPEAKER_05 1:41:27

Yeah, it's your dex plus your monk level plus a d10. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:41:33

Uh yeah, that's 17 points of damage.

SPEAKER_02 1:41:35

I negate 18 damage. I is it another mouse strike?

SPEAKER_04 1:41:40

Uh, it is another mouse strike.

SPEAKER_02 1:41:42

I do the same thing, but I have my arms go the opposite way, and I drive its keeping maw into the stone wall next to me.

SPEAKER_04 1:41:49

Yeah, it takes a huge chunk of stone out of that wall. Can you just use that for free every turn?

SPEAKER_02 1:41:56

It's a reaction. It's like it's like Bill's single damage reduction thing, too, from uh Uncandy dodge. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:42:06

Oh, it's only bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing.

SPEAKER_02 1:42:08

True. True.

SPEAKER_04 1:42:09

A lot of people with fire swords.

SPEAKER_02 1:42:12

Include those damages. Not be that damage, include that damage. True. So if it's like even 1d4 fire, or 1d4 like a like a poison dagger, it does some piercing, I can negate all the damage. True. Monks are cool.

SPEAKER_05 1:42:27

And you claim my characters are broken. Yeah, I mean around that.

SPEAKER_02 1:42:31

Just slapping shit. I'm using a weapon. I nerfed myself. Come on.

SPEAKER_04 1:42:35

Uh okay. Harlec, you're up. Actual Harleck.

SPEAKER_07 1:42:40

I'm gonna run up uh to about like right here, and I should, according to the ruler anyway, be able to see 3.5, 2, and 3. Yeah. And I'm gonna try to cast Bane. Uh try to cast Bane on these guys. Uh so uh it is a charisma save of 15. Uh so Harleck's gonna like pull like three like super bright colorful feathers out of his cap, then just like flick them all towards the beast so that they're all kind of marked with uh with his symbol if they fail. Okay. You want one roll for charisma or three different rolls for charisma?

SPEAKER_04 1:43:21

Uh that's your call, but it's a charisma fifteen, so. These guys are not good at charisma, it's a minus one for them, so.

SPEAKER_07 1:43:28

Ooh, fingers crossed.

SPEAKER_04 1:43:30

Uh we'll roll them all at the same time, and that is a 10.

SPEAKER_07 1:43:34

Nice. So that's a D4 from all attack rolls and saves for the next one minute.

SPEAKER_01 1:43:40

Okay.

SPEAKER_07 1:43:41

Uh and then I'm gonna use my movement to run back into the corner and hide. Well, at least run back into the corner. Hiding would be another action. Okay. But that should be my turn. Alright.

SPEAKER_03 1:43:55

Awesome! Okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:43:58

You see that you and your your companions are starting to get surrounded.

SPEAKER_03 1:44:02

Well, the the stairs that we were at were way back the tunnel, correct?

SPEAKER_04 1:44:08

Uh, from where you're at, they are about 70 feet away. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:44:15

And no change and it's on the other side of two uh two creatures. Correct. Okay. Uh so Voss is gonna go over here and uh help out Nelvax. He's gonna get up and try to get himself in between uh Harlech 3.5 and Nelvax and uh take a swing.

SPEAKER_04 1:44:42

Can I need Sacro? It's a nine. So nine does not hit.

SPEAKER_03 1:44:46

Yep. I still have my uh oh, my plus two and IC going, so that'll be it for me.

SPEAKER_04 1:44:55

Uh, that sucks. That's frustrating.

SPEAKER_05 1:44:57

Alright, Eldvar. Alright, uh so Eldvar is kind of trading blows with this Harleck uh number two. Uh much bigger than the original Harlech, Harlech Prime. And so he is going to um slash into Harlech 2. He can see that there's like this um shadow magic almost kind of enveloping him. Uh so he's got an idea that maybe this thing's cursed and maybe uh he can do a little bit more damage to it. Uh so attack number one is a 26 to hit for 14 slashing damage. How do you kill this thing? Uh so I am going to um just kinda get low underneath it and ram my greatsword through whatever looks like a gullet and then drive it into the ceiling, and then pull it back out and let the body hit the floor. Yeah, it drops to the floor. Alright, uh then I'm going to advance on Harleck number three, who is caught in the check choke point, and kind of continue to um uh control this area. That one's a 12-bit hit, so that's gonna be a miss. It does miss. But since I killed Harleck number two, who is not Harleck Prime, uh, as a bonus action, I get to attack again using my Great Weapon Master feat. And so that is going to be a natural one. This is the third one of the night.

SPEAKER_04 1:46:26

Uh that does not hit.

SPEAKER_05 1:46:28

So between between the two misses, that's eight slashing damage.

SPEAKER_04 1:46:31

Okay. And Azure Sword just grazes this creature, uh, it opens its mouth and you hear.

SPEAKER_00 1:46:37

Ho! Ho ho!

SPEAKER_04 1:46:38

I'm sorry, buddy. And uh that's gonna be my turn. Alright. Nelvex, at the start of your turn, you you start hearing some more creatures come to come up through the tunnel. You can start seeing some vague outlines of some just at the edge of your vision.

SPEAKER_02 1:47:00

The edge of my vision?

SPEAKER_04 1:47:01

Those guys are pretty cool.

SPEAKER_02 1:47:03

Uh Nelvax and everything had just shouted that maybe we should try to flee and seeing Voss, our slowest character, run away from the exit that we might have, possibly. Uh I don't know. I guess. Voss, I can get out of here. Do you have an escape strategy? And then I'm gonna whack a bunch, I guess. And make hopefully make some space. Uh scimitar is out, so we'll just we'll stick with it, you know? A couple more scimitars. Uh first attack is a 16 to hit, and the second one is a 14 to hit. They both hit. Uh first one is nine damage, the second one is eleven damage. Alright. How's this thing looking?

SPEAKER_04 1:47:50

Uh, it's looking a little shaky on its feet.

SPEAKER_02 1:47:53

Okay. Then I will use one more of my focus points to Flaria blows it. Uh mark that off so I don't forget to. And two more unarmed strikes. First one's a 12 to hit, which I think misses. Does miss. And then a 17 to hit for the last one. It does hit. Which will be seven additional damage.

SPEAKER_04 1:48:14

Alright, how do you take out Harlek? 3.5.

SPEAKER_02 1:48:20

Uh so the the first sword hit that uh connects uh kind of like slashes down its face and makes a little chink in the armor of its nose, its face. And then I'm gonna uh follow through that with an elbow coming down right where that weak spot was, and just crack the whole thing's face wide open and I just pile on the floor.

SPEAKER_04 1:48:36

Yeah, yeah, it dies. And as it dies, you just hear a soft haul. I'm just normalizing killing Harlak. So that way there, when you guys finally turn on him, it's it's totally fine.

SPEAKER_07 1:48:48

Oh yeah. Can't like it, can't like it.

SPEAKER_02 1:48:53

And then uh I'm gonna move like halfway-ish. Let's see, he I know about how far Voss can move. So I'm gonna move about as far as Voss can move.

SPEAKER_04 1:49:03

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:49:03

And that'll be my turn.

SPEAKER_04 1:49:05

Alright. So all these other Harlecks start moving up, and they're starting to walk on the walls and the ceilings, and this with this uh Harlec 7 approaches Voss and takes a big old strike at him. Cool. Uh Voss, this creature goes to bite at you, and uh as it goes to bite, you you lift your shield up just in time, and as it crunches down, it crunches on the side of your shield, and you see one of its teeth completely shatter just from the force of the bite on this metal shield. And you're gonna blood starts coming out of its mouth, and some damage is done to it. There it is. It's gonna take six points of damage from that. Rolled a nat one.

SPEAKER_03 1:49:55

Bigger that was gonna what you were trying to get right there.

SPEAKER_04 1:49:59

I know that. Yeah. Uh and then Harlech 3 is gonna take a big bite at you, Eldar, as well as take a slash. It's gonna take two attacks. The first is a nat twenty. Uh that misses my AC. Oh, sorry. A nat twenty plus five. Oh. So 25 total. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And the second one is an 18.

SPEAKER_05 1:50:29

Um both of those will hit.

SPEAKER_04 1:50:32

Oh, both of them?

SPEAKER_05 1:50:33

Yeah, my AC is 18.

SPEAKER_04 1:50:35

I'm not gonna choose. Oh. Okay. Alright. You said it doesn't hit. I was Alright, so that's gonna be a total of 26 points of slashing damage.

SPEAKER_05 1:50:48

Easy day. That's only like a third of what I have.

SPEAKER_04 1:50:52

Perfect.

SPEAKER_02 1:50:53

Temp HP, baby. Temp HP.

SPEAKER_04 1:50:56

Arlek, you see Voss still in front of one of these creatures. Nelvex has started to retreat. Uh Elvar is currently trying to fight his way out of the tunnel you all came through.

SPEAKER_07 1:51:07

Seeing the other bedlam uh opening up in front of Voss, this tunnel that he's in front of, uh, would a 20-foot cube encompass that entire tunnel if I shot right in front of him? In front of Voss? Yes. Yeah. Alright, so I'm gonna try to pop off Nathar's mischief and pray to God I get anything other than the blinded condition one. What does that do? Can you read it for me? Yes. So, Nathar's Mischief is you fill a 20-foot cube you can see within range with Faye and Draconic Magic. Roll in the mischievous surge table to determine the magical effect produced, uh, and roll again at the start of each of your turns until the spell ends. You cannot move the cube uh you can move the cube up to 10 feet before you roll. Um so it gives a bunch of different effects. You roll a d4 to see what happens, but the ones like the smell of apple pie fills the air, and everything has to make a wisdom save or be charmed, uh, bouquets with flowers appear, and everyone gets a deck save or they're blind, stuff like that. So, uh it's a really fun Harlex spell. Yeah, let's let's go for it. Uh so let's do the D4 really quick and see what uh see what comes of it. Please don't be the blinded one. Alright, so I got the four, so that is uh Alright, so drop some molasses, hover inside the cube, and make everything uh difficult terrain until the start of my next turn. Okay. So everything is half within the Yeah. I like that. So Harleck's gonna like uh, you know, like grab like uh just a ball of like nonsensical confetti and just hurl it towards uh boss, and as it's floating through the air, it just turns into all the beads of molasses that just slap all over the place inside the cube. Uh directly in front of boss. Yep. Uh hold on, let me drop a cube there, and then uh and then after that I'm just gonna run uh towards uh Elbar to try to get towards where we're going. Alright. Voss, you just saw all the sticky syrup. Oh, sorry. Do you have anything else, Arlik? Uh I was gonna say, uh no, I my best bonus actions uh heals uh yeah. I'm good. I'm good. Sorry.

SPEAKER_04 1:53:22

Okay. You're good. Uh so Voss, you just saw the sticky molasses and syrup slap all over the walls. What do you want to do?

SPEAKER_03 1:53:30

What is it? What does this effect do to the area?

SPEAKER_04 1:53:33

It gives them difficult terrain, so their movement is halved.

SPEAKER_03 1:53:36

Oh, I'm just gonna charge into that, man. I can get through difficult terrain. No, I'm just kidding. Not a forest. It's not a forest. That's fine. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:53:50

Uh I I'm curious. Would Nelvex go in to save boss?

SPEAKER_03 1:53:57

This now you only got one question for this episode. So it's probably it.

SPEAKER_02 1:54:02

Yeah, I think I started formulating a strategy already, like I'll cast darkness there, try to drag him out. If he if he's resisting me, stunning strike him, drag him out, you know?

SPEAKER_04 1:54:11

Yeah. Okay. Strike it. Like, I'm trying to save you.

SPEAKER_02 1:54:17

You're going right.

SPEAKER_00 1:54:20

I'm resisting.

SPEAKER_03 1:54:25

No. Uh no, I'm glad he he c I was planning on casting a uh uh a spell to to stop them all anyway, but looks like it's already been done, so I don't need to. So instead, I'll just uh take the dash action uh to move away from these creatures. So I've got 40 feet of movement, which would allow me to get uh over here by Eldvar. Uh I think Harlex 7 gets an opportunity attack.

SPEAKER_04 1:54:56

Yes, he does. He's gonna take it. 21.

SPEAKER_03 1:55:00

Miss. That misses. I have a 23. Oh, nice. Big dumb beat shield, remember?

SPEAKER_01 1:55:07

Yeah, big dumb beat shield.

SPEAKER_03 1:55:09

So then once I get over here, uh, can I can you can you see show me more map to the other side over there? We can we can see on the other side of Harleck 3, right? Which is where the stairs are at?

SPEAKER_04 1:55:21

No, you can't see around the bend.

SPEAKER_03 1:55:24

We can't see around the bend? We want to see over there.

SPEAKER_02 1:55:29

We can't see you can see.

SPEAKER_03 1:55:32

Well, you should be able to see, like, yeah. I just I just want to see like in this area. Perfect. Yeah. That's my field of view. So what I want to do is uh use my clone again. He's down here somewhere. I'm just gonna go grab the old one so bring him down. Boom! So I'm gonna throw my clone in over there and swap places with him. And then look back to uh Eldvar and say and Harleck and say, I'm over here. Let's go this way. What are you guys waiting for? I can't do that. Let's get out of here.

SPEAKER_05 1:56:12

You hear me? I'm not afraid of you anymore.

SPEAKER_04 1:56:17

Okay. Is your copy still dancing? That's my only question.

SPEAKER_03 1:56:21

No, no, he's he's not not anymore.

SPEAKER_04 1:56:24

Well then Eldvar, you're up.

SPEAKER_05 1:56:27

Um man. Eldvar is going to see uh Voss up that way. And he is going to Can I take the disengage action and kind of bull rush my way through Harlack 3?

SPEAKER_04 1:56:43

You can.

SPEAKER_05 1:56:44

Alright. That is what I would like to do. I would like to bull rush through. Uh I assume he counts as difficult terrain, so I get just on the other side of Voss.

SPEAKER_01 1:56:54

Yep.

SPEAKER_05 1:56:55

And uh then as my bonus action, because I've taken a little bit of damage, I'm going to use uh second wind, which heals me for 10 hit points.

SPEAKER_04 1:57:06

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 1:57:08

And that's my turn.

SPEAKER_04 1:57:09

Okay. Um back up top. Nelvax. It's you and Harlek on this side with all the baddies.

SPEAKER_02 1:57:17

Yeah. Um. So they're kinda stuck a little bit. Or slowed at least.

SPEAKER_04 1:57:24

They're slowed, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:57:26

How let me just check to see how much I can carry. Uh uh How much did we say Harlech weighs?

SPEAKER_04 1:57:34

I'm gonna say I'm gonna say 45 pounds.

SPEAKER_02 1:57:37

45 total.

SPEAKER_04 1:57:39

He's got hollow bones. No, no, no. He weighs 40 pounds, and then he's got 25 pounds on top of him.

SPEAKER_02 1:57:44

Okay, so it's 60 62 total.

SPEAKER_04 1:57:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:57:48

Uh cool. And he's holding a torch, and Elvar's got light, so I still can't teleport anywhere. And we haven't struck Harlech 3 at all yet, right?

SPEAKER_04 1:57:57

Harlech 3 has been hit.

SPEAKER_02 1:58:00

But he's still totally fine.

SPEAKER_04 1:58:01

Yeah, he's still totally fine.

SPEAKER_02 1:58:03

Okay. I will.

SPEAKER_04 1:58:05

He looks angry and surprised that Elvar, as big as he was, just rushed through him under his legs.

SPEAKER_02 1:58:11

Uh so I'm gonna run up around Harleck through the duplicitous copy of Voss. I'm gonna uh sheathe my sword as I'm going, because this is gonna take some acrobatics. Uh I'm going to uh slide up to this thing and then like give him a little one-two punch combo with some onarm strikes. With the first one being a 21 to hit.

SPEAKER_04 1:58:33

That does it.

SPEAKER_02 1:58:34

And I will attempt a stunning strike against this bad boy. Okay. So please uh attempt a shit. Uh no no no. Constitution saving throw.

SPEAKER_04 1:58:45

That would be a 19.

SPEAKER_02 1:58:47

Alright, that will save. Minus the D4.

SPEAKER_04 1:58:52

That's a 15.

SPEAKER_02 1:58:53

That still saves. On a successful save, its speed is halved until the start of my next turn, and the next attack roll against it has advantage. That'll be my next punch, which will be another 21 to hit. So I didn't roll damage either of those yet, right? Nope. Okay, so two damages here. Oh, the first one's five damage. The second one is twelve damage. He still looks okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:59:17

He's looking a little shaky.

SPEAKER_02 1:59:19

Looking a little shaky. Alright. Then uh I will use my last focus point to also Fluria blows it for two more unum strikes. And this time I'm just gonna do like a a couple quick snap kicks at it.

SPEAKER_00 1:59:34

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:59:35

The first one's a 12 to hit, and the second one a 14 to hit. The 14 hits. Okay. That is 10 more damage. Alright, how do you kill Harlack 3? Uh the snap kick just like knocks his head back enough to just like you hear the sickening crunch as its like titan cracks against itself and its uh spinal column thing breaks. Whatever their anatomy looks like.

unknown 2:00:01

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 2:00:02

And then I should still have like 20 feet of movement, so I'm gonna actually wait right here to make sure Harleck gets out. I'll move a little bit forward so he has room to get around me, and I can still maintain vision forward and back. I'll say, Harleck, the way's clear!

SPEAKER_04 2:00:15

Alright. Yeah, so all these other Harlecks start moving out of the tunnel very slowed and start just scrambling along the walls, around the ceiling, on the on the sides of the tunnel, as they start moving towards Harlech Prime.

SPEAKER_07 2:00:31

Nice.

SPEAKER_04 2:00:32

Harleck?

SPEAKER_07 2:00:33

No, no bueno. Uh the cube's not gonna be able to move within the ten feet to get uh let's say. That still catches most of them. Uh alright, so then the cube moves and then it gets another D4 roll uh really quick. Uh it's gonna be the dumb blinded one. So what is that? Uh oh no, uh, it is actually each creature in the cube must m must succeed on a wisdom saving throw or begin giggling uh until the start of my next turn. Uh a giggling creature is incapacitated and uses all of its movements to go in random directions.

SPEAKER_02 2:01:11

Uh is it the slow and it also does that now?

SPEAKER_07 2:01:15

No, it changes over to this uh to this effect. So uh each of the creatures that are in within the cube uh would get the wisdom savings. There's no restrictions for that?

SPEAKER_04 2:01:28

Like types of creature or anything like that.

SPEAKER_07 2:01:30

Uh it just says each creature in the cube.

SPEAKER_04 2:01:33

And it's wild.

SPEAKER_03 2:01:34

They have to have feet and a mouth. Because you have to move and laugh. They don't need feet to move. They don't need feet to move.

SPEAKER_07 2:01:41

What is that called? Uh and Nathar's mischief.

SPEAKER_03 2:01:45

Uh, they're called feet. Thank you.

SPEAKER_05 2:01:49

Brandon, you s you sewed the mouth of my big bad shut in a one shot with a spell. You're surprised by this one? No, no, no, not at all.

SPEAKER_07 2:01:59

I know it's uh because it's like blind them at each uh at each r uh at each turn, it's a randomized act, it's a randomized effect. That's wild. I thought it was a really fun spell for Harleck to grab.

unknown 2:02:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_07 2:02:14

It's like super on brand. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 2:02:17

Wisdom saving throw. Yeah, they're not very good with wisdom either. Plus zero. That would be 15.

SPEAKER_07 2:02:24

Uh meets it beats, yeah. My sp saving through my uh spell savings 15.

SPEAKER_02 2:02:29

Aren't they baned? Some of them at least.

SPEAKER_07 2:02:31

Nah, this would be my concentration now.

SPEAKER_02 2:02:34

Don't they but don't they have to get negative to their saves too? I think you're all the ones that were baned. Um gotcha.

SPEAKER_07 2:02:46

Well, either way, Harleck's just gonna start hauling ass then. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 2:02:51

Hell yeah. That's what I want to see.

unknown 2:02:53

Go.

SPEAKER_04 2:02:56

Is the intention of everybody to go up these stairs?

SPEAKER_02 2:02:59

Yeah, I hope so.

SPEAKER_04 2:03:00

Yeah, I think so, yeah. Alright. If that's the case, then we can skip the initiative part of this and just say you outrun everybody up the stairs.

SPEAKER_03 2:03:09

You'll see seven more.

SPEAKER_04 2:03:15

What just pig one or roll?

SPEAKER_03 2:03:17

These things are still gonna keep hunting us, though, aren't they? No, they wouldn't go into the terrask and call.

SPEAKER_04 2:03:22

Oh my god. So, out of sight, out of mind. What could possibly happen? Yeah, yeah. So as as you guys ascend the stairs, uh an iron door clangs behind you as it slams into the

Iron Door Slams And Lights Ignite

SPEAKER_04 2:03:36

ground. Uh dust drifts from the seams of the ceiling, and for the first time, and it feels what like in what feels like hours, there's finally no scraping claws, no clicking echoes, only like a slow mechanical heartbeat in the chamber that you're in. Get out of here, Pain Harleck.

SPEAKER_03 2:03:55

There's a torch.

SPEAKER_04 2:03:57

There's no torches. I'm trying to set up a scene here, people. There's a giant friggin' door. Uh so light hums to life one by one as thin filaments behind clouded glasses, also known as torches, start bathing the room in a sickly amber glow. Um, there's benches that are filled with uh unfinished constructs. Uh some are little more than torsos wired to humming crystals, others are lifelike enough to flinch as the lice lights flicker to life. And at the far end, there's a single figure that stands over a table. His back is hunched over it, his right arm is kinda has a glint of dull brass to the shoulder, like it's been replaced, and uh steam curls from the vents in his spine. And when he speaks, it sounds like the voice is carrying through the vents in the room, half human, half machine. And he he turns to you all slowly and he says, Please don't be afraid. And as he turns, half of his face is flesh, half of his in a mask of like burnished metal, and one eye is glowing as he stares towards you all. It look but even that glowing eye looks tired.

SPEAKER_03 2:05:16

So uh are these your pets out here in the hallway playing around?

SPEAKER_04 2:05:22

I am I am sorry for my children. They were uh they were meant to protect this world, to protect my my creatures. Instead, they inherited my flaws. He gestures towards the walls and the tables around him where there's just chains of constructs hanging there, uh, and on the table itself.

SPEAKER_03 2:05:48

What is he standing at in this area?

SPEAKER_04 2:05:50

Uh he's standing I don't have a token for him, but he's standing right about here.

SPEAKER_02 2:05:56

Across some kind of is that water like ankle deep or quite deep?

SPEAKER_04 2:06:01

Uh the water is just ankle deep, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:06:03

So it's like a a little bit of like a little pool and a little stream bubbling through edge days and some stairs up on the far side.

SPEAKER_04 2:06:09

Yeah, it looks like he's been staying here for a while hiding out. He's got some food in this area, he's got a bed up in the top left. Um it looks like he he he's made himself as comfortable as possible. And the door looks like it's specifically made to keep whatever was chasing you out.

SPEAKER_06 2:06:27

Do you mind if we ask your name? Oh, I know we're kinda in your apartment, I guess.

SPEAKER_04 2:06:36

Sorry. My throat's starting to get it. Um so he says uh i yes I am I'm commonly known as the uh the the builder.

SPEAKER_07 2:06:47

Like put a big hand over in front of my beak and like point giggle back to the guys like Oh, you think this is the architect that we're looking for? Or the the oh not the architect, the um Oh.

SPEAKER_03 2:06:59

That's an architect.

SPEAKER_07 2:07:00

Yeah, we're the architect, yeah, architect. I was thinking um the class.

SPEAKER_02 2:07:06

Artificer?

SPEAKER_07 2:07:07

Artificer Artificer, that's what I was thinking of in my head, but no, okay. My bad.

SPEAKER_03 2:07:12

I don't know about that, but um willing to bet he built those things out in the hallway. They weren't very nice.

SPEAKER_04 2:07:19

Well yeah, it's I I am assuming that you you you s you s you you you you you you you you you you you you and he c slams his hand on the side of his head where it's all metal, and he seems to reset himself and he says, I I assume that you have seen that the tower has fallen.

SPEAKER_03 2:07:39

What does that have to do with your monsters going all ape crazy?

SPEAKER_04 2:07:44

I knew they would chase me. They would come for me. I was trying to protect myself. I I felt some of my children burning.

SPEAKER_02 2:08:06

We are like Novax looks down at himself and he's got like gore splattered elbow, and like again, like the front of him is covered in like the innard of these monsters, and just he pulls his cloak around himself a little bit to try to cover up some of the the children, the insides of his children. Like I don't know if it just or like like Operation Clean Me Again. Mr. Mr. Clean, give me the arm and hammer.

SPEAKER_07 2:08:41

Oh yeah, Harleck that way is just trying to sneakily like hold just uh yeah.

SPEAKER_04 2:08:47

The builder sees all of this, but he doesn't say anything. He's uh he looks very remorseful that these creatures attacked you to begin with, but he doesn't he doesn't actually say anything about all the blood and ghoul around you.

SPEAKER_03 2:09:01

So Voss will approach the the bridge, but he doesn't quite trust this uh this this guy, so he's gonna say, uh, so Mr. the uh the the builder, how do we know you don't got any more tricks up your sleeve? Uh how do how can we trust you? I mean you kinda tried to kill us back there a couple of times. And uh yeah, I can't can't say uh can't say any good things happened to your the old or buddy back there, DDRick. DDRK.

SPEAKER_04 2:09:30

Are are you referring to that that man who was hunting my my my creations?

SPEAKER_03 2:09:38

Yeah, Mr. Shiny Eyes. But uh they took care of him and tried their best to take care of us. Uh and I'm not too happy about that.

SPEAKER_06 2:09:46

Um I will say uh we don't really know what that guy was up to down here. We just kind of came across him. I mean, these things definitely weren't the nicest things, but we don't know much about him either.

SPEAKER_04 2:10:11

No, you you can't you you you you can't you you you you you you can't train my children. I I'm linked to them.

SPEAKER_05 2:10:23

Well, I mean, all this talk about children's fine and all, but um we're looking for an archer cat named Nader

The Builder Reveals Himself As Tyke

SPEAKER_05 2:10:30

Tyke. Have you seen him around here?

SPEAKER_04 2:10:34

I I I I am Tyke.

SPEAKER_05 2:10:36

Oh, perfect. We're looking for you. Um What do we need from him? Plans, buildings, round rooms.

SPEAKER_03 2:10:44

He was supposed to give us uh one of them pet things to take with us on our adventures.

SPEAKER_04 2:10:49

They they they are not n they are not pets.

SPEAKER_03 2:10:53

Oh, that's right. Children. I I love finding children. I like to take them on adventures. I'm like a big old camp counselor for them.

SPEAKER_04 2:11:01

I I I I I would not trust my ch ch ch ch ch ch children with you.

SPEAKER_06 2:11:08

Hey, I'm a nice guy. Oh, we're gonna some weird territory here.

SPEAKER_04 2:11:12

Does Foss have a mustache? I'm just asking.

SPEAKER_03 2:11:17

Yeah, he's got a mustache and a beard.

SPEAKER_04 2:11:20

Remember, he looks like you. Oh, that's right. Yes. So what are you trying to say about how intelligence off of me?

SPEAKER_03 2:11:29

We were trying to tell you this, Brandon, so we figured this was the best way.

SPEAKER_05 2:11:40

So um Mr. Tike, um we need to break into the the crown room, the the crown chamber, royal jewel, something. Something and you built the castle from what I understand. So can you give us plans on how to break into the castle?

SPEAKER_03 2:12:00

I thought we were here to get a box from him.

SPEAKER_05 2:12:03

No, no, Riccio has the box. Oh, and and you know what's in the box. I I think bad things happen when we cut the hole in that box.

SPEAKER_03 2:12:16

Oh oops, wrong box.

SPEAKER_04 2:12:20

Uh yes, you are here for plans to get into the castle from so he he he quiets and he what are your what what what are and he stops for a second and the stuttering seems to go away as his eyes open back up and he says, What are your intentions to get into the castle? Why why do you want to get in there?

SPEAKER_05 2:12:44

Well we we we need the crown because the crown is cursed and this guy Seinmonder said we have to put the crown out a box to stop the curse, so um I think we need the crown out of the castle and someone else has the box.

SPEAKER_03 2:13:02

You're uh if you're not a big fan of the tower, you it's probably in your best interest to help us, because neither are we. We uh kind of uh you know have been hunted since this whole stuff went down, and we're trying to put a stop to it.

SPEAKER_04 2:13:15

How do I know you're from Mondr?

SPEAKER_02 2:13:18

Sand and I go way back.

SPEAKER_05 2:13:20

Yeah, we're we uh we're from yonder, but we're friends with Seinmonter.

SPEAKER_03 2:13:28

Voss will Voss will hold up the the shield and say, Seinmonder gave me this. You think you just trusted to anybody? I assume the shield is somewhat notable to the king. Uh yeah.

SPEAKER_04 2:13:41

Yeah. But uh the builder doesn't care too much about shields or weapons for for that matter, so um Nelvex?

SPEAKER_02 2:13:50

Uh since I know Seinmonder pretty well, uh is there any like secret handshake or like jokes that he's known for that I could you know use that knowledge to convey my familiarity?

SPEAKER_04 2:14:04

Yeah, what is what what's an inside joke that Nelvax and Seinemander had shared with one another?

SPEAKER_03 2:14:09

Toy Man Love Slab.

SPEAKER_02 2:14:15

Yeah, that's probably true. Yeah. Uh probably something that sounds like it's not inappropriate that is, or something that isn't, doesn't does not sound inappropriate that actually really is.

SPEAKER_05 2:14:28

Like an Alaska pipeline full circle.

SPEAKER_02 2:14:30

Okay, I got it. So surely you've heard uh it sounds like you're familiar with Sein Mondra. He's told you about the nightmare before, right?

SPEAKER_04 2:14:39

Oh, uh uh the the nightmare, yeah. He's mentioned it to me. What what do you know of the nightmare? He did not sell that to anyone.

SPEAKER_02 2:14:49

No, I was there. We it was I mean, we don't have to we don't need to get into details, but I was there.

SPEAKER_04 2:14:56

I I mean I need a little bit of detail so I can assure that you are the person you say you are.

SPEAKER_02 2:15:02

Well, let's just say it wasn't dark and it wasn't a horse.

SPEAKER_04 2:15:09

Uh he was recovering from that for weeks. And uh a bunch of steam vents from his spine as he's just laughing, and he kind of buckles over a little bit. Then he stands tall and uh he reaches into his glowing eye socket and pulls out a uh uh a black crystal from it.

SPEAKER_05 2:15:28

That is really gross.

SPEAKER_04 2:15:31

There's no goo or anything on it. He just pulls the black crystal directly out of it and sets it on the console behind him. And uh he then he turns back to you and starts talking and he says, I I I I I and the stutter is suddenly back. I I I I I I will give you the the blueprints for the the the the the castle. As long as you promise me you'll you'll restore what's what what should be there.

SPEAKER_03 2:15:57

Yeah, I think we could probably do that. I'm still a little pissed off about you, and he throws up the air quotes. Children out there, you're gonna give up to uh help us out a little bit with this one.

SPEAKER_04 2:16:08

I I'm literally giving you my I I I eye.

SPEAKER_03 2:16:13

Yeah, but we don't want to be uh have to detect me and defend ourselves from any more of your children. He goes the air quotes again.

SPEAKER_04 2:16:22

I I I can I can get you out of here without going back through that way. You could have just used the elevator.

SPEAKER_05 2:16:31

Uh Elvar is Elvar's gonna Yeah, Elvar's gonna pick up on what Voss is doing, and he's gonna use air quotes and just say, Oh, where's this elevator?

SPEAKER_04 2:16:47

Uh Nelvex, did you have something to add?

SPEAKER_02 2:16:50

We tried activating the elevator and it says you can't activate this yet. I don't it's like we had to unlock the shortcut by going the long way.

SPEAKER_04 2:16:58

Did you go to the chit churro stand?

SPEAKER_02 2:17:01

No, some of us wanted to, but I guess we just picked the wrong direction.

SPEAKER_04 2:17:06

If you would have gone to the ch ch salted sugar stick sand, you would have been able to use the elevator.

SPEAKER_05 2:17:14

Elvar's gonna Elvar's gonna mutter under his breath, I fucking knew it.

SPEAKER_02 2:17:21

Listen, uh Mr. the Builder, would you like to come with us? We have a safe uh residence outside town. Uh Simon's there with us. We have uh we have a pretty good wine selection and a couple libraries. It's not a bad place to be. Don't bring your kids, those guys aren't welcome.

SPEAKER_06 2:17:38

Oh yeah, they don't look uh house trained at all, honestly.

SPEAKER_04 2:17:43

Okay, first off, we're we're we're we're we're we're we're working on the oil leaking. Secondly, I I'm sorry, but I can't I cannot leave. This this place is bound to me, and it heart it it's it its heart beats with mine. If I go, it stops. And if it stops, and he seems to take a breath and look all around him, says that then then then the rest of them will wake.

SPEAKER_03 2:18:07

Speaking of heartbeats, uh we came across this other one. You know anything about it? Who has the uh heart of Lebron? It's Lorraine, thank you. Lorraine? Yeah, come on, Daddy.

SPEAKER_02 2:18:20

Lorron? That's that sounds like something from out of this world. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 2:18:27

Did you say the others would wake?

SPEAKER_04 2:18:31

Thank you for being the only one that picked up on that. Yes, there there are there are dozens, uh hundreds even. I I I I I made them to defend defend me, but they they don't. They they they just they just they're territorial.

SPEAKER_05 2:18:51

I we're uh we're gonna make a pretty hard move against the crown. Could they come to our aid on the surface?

SPEAKER_04 2:19:01

I I would not release them on the surface. They only they they they they only care about themselves.

SPEAKER_05 2:19:07

Right. You wouldn't, but if I would, would they come to our aid on the surface?

SPEAKER_04 2:19:14

I I don't I don't I don't I don't think you understand what I'm saying here. They they will kill everything.

SPEAKER_05 2:19:21

I mean I get that, but will they kill us?

SPEAKER_04 2:19:26

He seems to straighten and the stutter goes away once more, and he just seems like completely befuddled by this conversation. He says, You are everything, yes, it will kill you too. And it will hurt uh at that a little a little a little bing sounds, and he reaches behind him and pulls that black crystal out and he says, Do you do do you want this or not?

SPEAKER_05 2:19:58

I mean it it looks it looks valuable. What is it?

SPEAKER_04 2:20:01

It's a it's the blueprints for the the the the castle. What's what you can k came for.

SPEAKER_05 2:20:07

Yeah, we we asked for that. So of course we want it.

SPEAKER_03 2:20:11

Boss will walk over and take it from the guy.

SPEAKER_04 2:20:15

Thank you. Someone with some brains.

SPEAKER_03 2:20:19

Well, I wouldn't go that far. Now tell us about this heart of Leron that we found.

SPEAKER_04 2:20:25

No, Vikks, did you have something to ask?

SPEAKER_02 2:20:27

I just said that I cast Mage Hand to Oh crap. Oh, I didn't hear that at all.

SPEAKER_04 2:20:32

It's so I did not hear that at all.

SPEAKER_02 2:20:34

I'm glad that Voss got to show off his brains.

SPEAKER_04 2:20:38

I'm sorry, dude, I didn't hear that at all. Oh good. I I don't I don't know anything about that.

SPEAKER_03 2:20:45

Alright. Give us this thingy and we'll be on our way. Which way is this uh elevator you were talking about?

Blueprints Deal And A Recall Crystal

SPEAKER_04 2:20:53

Uh he points to the uh to the west side of this chamber, and he hits a little dial on the console behind him, and the wall slides over to to reveal a single elevator that can hold probably about five people.

SPEAKER_02 2:21:09

How convenient. There's four of us and an invisible person here.

SPEAKER_05 2:21:13

Yeah, weird. Um do you do you have any of your children that are still in their eggs that we might take with us?

SPEAKER_04 2:21:22

No, no, you you you you can't have any of them. Not even a not even a small one. No, you small, large. Kenku, I I I know you your kind repeats things. Can you just like like like like like repeat these this entire conversation to him?

SPEAKER_07 2:21:43

Oh I mean if you insist, have we been in here long talking to him longer than a minute now? Yes. Alright, then I just turn to Eldivar and like and like mimic exactly this this thing's voice and say it like verbatim back at him.

SPEAKER_05 2:22:01

Alright, I mean you you said we couldn't have all of them, but I mean one's not all. I mean, how much can one of them kill?

SPEAKER_02 2:22:10

I mean, I none of them killed us.

SPEAKER_05 2:22:12

Uh you got some brains there, Nelvax.

SPEAKER_02 2:22:16

I didn't actually see that Derek guy died. He might still be okay.

SPEAKER_05 2:22:20

I think the fall killed him.

SPEAKER_02 2:22:22

Not the fall in the fire, eh? Tries give him some elbow. And then remembers that these are builders' kids and like stops with his elbow like halfway into uh Elvar's ribs and just like puts his hands down and like lowers his head.

SPEAKER_04 2:22:38

Uh yeah, yeah. Uh Nadar just isn't talking to Eldvar anymore. He's he's ignores what he just said and is just done with him. Uh he he looks towards Eldvar one more time and he says, You you you cannot have any of my children. Not what not one, not not not not not ten, not not not a hundred.

SPEAKER_05 2:23:03

What about um stepchildren?

SPEAKER_03 2:23:07

Voss looks back and says, He kinda left off a bunch of numbers like six, seven, forty-seven.

SPEAKER_04 2:23:14

Do do what do one e do are are are are are one of you the the smart one? And he points towards Nelvax and Harleck.

SPEAKER_02 2:23:21

I mean, it's all relative, right? And kind of shrugs.

SPEAKER_06 2:23:26

The big differences in stupidity and genius is usually the limitations and how far one will go. So you never really know.

SPEAKER_04 2:23:35

Oh okay. Well well, one of you used a four-syllable word, and the other one dropped some proverbs on me, so yes, you are the smart ones.

SPEAKER_03 2:23:43

Hey, I don't know if I like them words coming out of your mouth.

SPEAKER_06 2:23:48

Oh I I think we understand we're not taking any of your kids. I do think it's something that Eldar longs for insanely, though. But I would like to ask that you do think about helping us out and the time's coming, and in any way you think you can. I mean, the whole the world's a shitshow right now. Uh we're we're gonna do what we can, but if there is something you can offer us, whether your children get get in line and or or anything else you can think of, please try to find a way to contact us and and give us a hand.

SPEAKER_05 2:24:28

Give me a persuasion roll, Arlek. I I was gonna ransack him on the way out.

SPEAKER_03 2:24:34

I feel like we could take this guy.

SPEAKER_07 2:24:38

Friggin' egghead. Uh I rolled I rolled a three, but thanks to Silvertongue, I can treat that as a 10, so it would be uh 17.

SPEAKER_03 2:24:49

I'm gonna go ahead and give you guidance. Oh, it's touch. How were you at relationship to me?

SPEAKER_07 2:24:55

I'd be up with everybody talking to the guy.

SPEAKER_02 2:24:57

Alright. Okay, I mean we're having a conversation, right? So like yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:25:01

I'll I'll cast guidance and uh give you an additional uh D4 on top of that.

SPEAKER_07 2:25:06

Nice. You want to roll that or not you roll that roll.

SPEAKER_03 2:25:09

You got it. Alright.

SPEAKER_07 2:25:12

Can you automatically turn that into a 10? Three. So it's a twenty.

SPEAKER_01 2:25:16

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 2:25:18

Um he reaches behind him and you see steam vent out of his spine once more, and he pulls out a uh a smaller black crystal. But this one is etched with what looks like his name written on it, and he hands it to you, and he says, when when when when the time comes, I'll do what I I can. Harley like takes it and like puts it to his chest and is like, thank you.

SPEAKER_06 2:25:48

Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_04 2:25:50

You know, puts it in his bag and all that. Add a crystal of recalling for the builder to your inventory. What's up, Elvar?

SPEAKER_05 2:25:58

Uh just Elvar sees the second crystal materialize and begins to wonder how many crystals are in there. Is it a pinata?

SPEAKER_03 2:26:08

We hit it one more come out.

SPEAKER_04 2:26:11

You can you can find out. Nelvex.

SPEAKER_02 2:26:16

Uh Nelvex kind of gets up close and he's kind of he's getting to know Eldvar a little better now. So he steps up a little closer to to the builder and kind of like leans in close and says, Do you have like uh I don't know, like a plushie or like a little figurine of one of your children I could give to Eldvar? That might be enough to make him happy.

SPEAKER_04 2:26:33

I well, I I have the the the original m model I can give you.

SPEAKER_02 2:26:39

If you don't mind, I think that that might be enough for him. And people just pretend that'll grow into one, he'll just keep waiting. He'll never know.

SPEAKER_04 2:26:46

Yeah, yeah, one second. And he comes down off of his little uh pedestal here, past past you, Nelvax, and walks over to this table and starts rifling a little bit, and comes back out and walks over to Eldvar and hands it to him, and it looks like the an exact like one-twentieth size model of his children.

SPEAKER_02 2:27:13

And Nelvax comes over and says, And wow, so if you love that thing, it might grow into one of your children, really loudly.

SPEAKER_07 2:27:21

Nadar does not respond to that. Of course, like immediately jumps in and is like, Oh man, that's so cool!

SPEAKER_06 2:27:28

I can't believe it.

SPEAKER_05 2:27:33

Eldar is going to accept this model and he's gonna begin petting it. And he's gonna be like, and uh and I'll name him George, and I'll hug him, and I'll pet him, and I'll squeeze him. Well, so much.

SPEAKER_03 2:27:47

But tomatoes, they're they're not a fruit. Tomatoes are wait. He's he's he's uh waiting for giving you guys a chance to stop him, but he's like, that doesn't make sense to me.

SPEAKER_02 2:28:03

Ilvax will uh yeah, like casually like lift his leg up and kind of like bump him, like reach behind him and bump Foss to like repeatedly probably until he gets the hint.

SPEAKER_03 2:28:15

Oh okay, I get you just gotta love it.

SPEAKER_05 2:28:20

I I have to love it, and I have to pet it, and I have to squeeze it, and I'll name him George.

SPEAKER_02 2:28:26

Yeah, let's and oh the elevator holds five. George makes five. Let's let's uh let's get back.

SPEAKER_04 2:28:33

You know, it's yeah, add a add a George model to your inventory. Absolutely. I'm looking forward to killing that.

SPEAKER_05 2:28:46

I was fly to Charlotte and beach.

SPEAKER_02 2:28:53

As we go to leave, uh Novax will call out to Tyke, like, hey, don't forget our offer. You're more than welcome to come and stay with us. I'm sure Cyan would love it.

SPEAKER_04 2:29:05

As I as I once said, uh if I leave this place, that the the rest will wake. And I'm I'm doing all I can to contain them.

SPEAKER_02 2:29:14

Well, you know, if the cha situation changes or you need some help, you know where to find us, just uh give us a call.

SPEAKER_04 2:29:20

Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 2:29:21

If these uh things are so dangerous, why don't you destroy them while they're still asleep?

SPEAKER_04 2:29:26

Uh his his one eye that is still that looks human glows a bright red, and uh you hear just pure it sounds like steam is coming from his mouth as he speaks these next words, and he says, I will never kill my children.

SPEAKER_03 2:29:45

But what happens one day when you die?

SPEAKER_04 2:29:47

I I I will I I he the steam leaves his voice and his eye turn returns to normal and he says, I I I will never I I I I can I cannot die.

SPEAKER_03 2:29:58

Uh you seem to worry about the uh the tower coming in here and hurting ya. Just just die.

SPEAKER_04 2:30:05

Just taking me, not hurt her hurting me.

SPEAKER_03 2:30:08

So if they take you, these things wake up. I think we got a potential problem here for our uh city. Which we happen to be mighty fond of. What happens then?

SPEAKER_04 2:30:19

I I suggest you you handle the tower then.

SPEAKER_03 2:30:22

That still doesn't uh you know take care of the looming potential for a mass army down here to emerge from this uh far-person elevator you got.

SPEAKER_04 2:30:34

He opens his mouth wide and kind of like leans his head back, and it is like a very exaggerated laugh. Like somebody that's not used to laughing is ah ah ah ah ah ah ah one one apocalypse at a time.

SPEAKER_03 2:30:49

Yeah. Uh kind of a feeling uh this isn't the last we're gonna meet, and I hope it's on better terms next time. I think Boston has he's he's horribly concerned because he's seeing clearly creatures that are strong and uncontrollable, and this guy just is, in his opinion, just absolutely crazy. And if anything were to happen to him, all these constructs, like he would almost rather destroy this entire place and the builder, knowing that it's the only way to really protect the city, because they barely escaped these things.

SPEAKER_04 2:31:25

Are you gonna try to enact that before you leave?

SPEAKER_03 2:31:28

No, I don't think, not right now.

SPEAKER_04 2:31:30

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 2:31:31

He doesn't fully trust the builder, let's put it that way.

SPEAKER_04 2:31:34

That's fair. I don't think an oil and a torch will take care of the builder.

SPEAKER_03 2:31:37

I got a fire flask.

SPEAKER_04 2:31:40

And I don't know how Elbar respond. The builder just gave him something.

SPEAKER_05 2:31:45

Yeah, but I mean it's it's Voss, right? It's Voss. I got what I asked for, and it's Voss. So that's fair.

SPEAKER_03 2:31:53

Alright. So I think we head out of here then. Yeah, we definitely go to the elevator.

SPEAKER_05 2:31:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:31:59

No, I go back out

Elevator Exit And Bad Feelings

SPEAKER_03 2:32:00

the door.

SPEAKER_05 2:32:00

There's a level up at the elevator, right?

SPEAKER_02 2:32:03

Yeah. It seems like there's a lot of experience farming behind us. Can we just go back and you could?

SPEAKER_05 2:32:08

Actually, yeah, like how much XP did I get from that fireball?

SPEAKER_04 2:32:12

That's what I want to know. If you want to start counting XPs, we can. But uh some people will level up much faster than others. I'm gonna be stuck at level six forever. Forever. Alright. Uh so yeah, you guys cross into the elevator. As it starts to head up, that's where we're going to end the night as the doors close in front of you, and you see the builder uh uh the you see the builder stroking the head of one of uh one of the dismantled children that are on the uh the bench.

SPEAKER_03 2:32:47

As as we're doing this, Voss kind of turns to the group and says, Um, I got a pretty bad feeling about that guy. I hope we don't have to come back and kill him one day and all of his air quotes children.

SPEAKER_05 2:32:59

Eldvar is just like completely enamored by George and uh not paying attention to what Voss is saying.

SPEAKER_03 2:33:05

Right. All right.

SPEAKER_07 2:33:07

That is where something to keep an eye on. Sorry.

SPEAKER_03 2:33:09

Oh, sorry, go hard like that. No, I was just saying that's definitely something to keep an eye on. No accent AV closing thoughts.

unknown 2:33:16

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 2:33:17

That's where we're gonna end the

Social Plugs And Sign Off

SPEAKER_04 2:33:19

night. I want to say thank you to everybody for following us like and giving us ideas. It means a lot to us. Make sure you check us out on Facebook at facebook.com slash ad and d story. Retweet us on Twitter or AX at ad story too. Follow us on Instagram, Instagram.com slash a d and d story, and follow you check us out on blue sky at BSKY dot app. That's a d story. And Justin, if you want to take us out tonight.

SPEAKER_02 2:33:42

Hold on, I'm trying to remember the whole movie in a quick second here. It looks clear. I don't know. Uh it's been dirty.

SPEAKER_04 2:33:50

It's been dirty.

SPEAKER_03 2:33:51

It's been dirty. Bye, boy.