Ep 119 - Something Tucked In Shame Underneath Your Pillow

The Agents of Repair get a long needed rest, but no one rests easy. Flynn learns the name of his dark passenger.

Transcript

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Hey nerds, join us on Discord and hit that subscribe button. Hi, I'm Flynn. Seeker. Thessally. Olma. Ceallach. And I'm your DM, Seth. Welcome to VentureForth. When last we left our heroes, after a brief discussion under the canopy of The Raging Woods regarding their newly acquired prisoner in the form of Artemesia, the Agents of Repair reached out to an old friend for a little bit of help. None other than the curmudgeonly owner of the goopy void, Hayfreid. After a protracted sigh and promise of aid to come, a messenger arrived bearing scrolls that allowed the agents to return to Olma's ancestral home, set a word of recall in the living room, and teleport into Hayfreid's void. There a long overdue and earth shattering confrontation occurred between Ceallach and Artemesia, during which Artemesia revealed some very powerful information that the old gods once thought to be the creators of the universe and all of Elbor were in fact participants in a cycle going back for time immemorial and were themselves once mortal. She revealed the true nature of Vas- Ronath saying that he is not a demon nor devil, but in fact a god himself, long trapped and long forgotten, chained in the abyss by other gods who have long since banished from the world. This revelation had a profound effect on Ceallach for various reasons and the group as a whole. Each of you wrestled with this new information, the implications, the doubts as to its veracity and in your own ways. Each of you came to one another's aid, letting care, friendship, and maybe in some cases just a hint of something more. But you all eventually came together after sending Artemesia into the void in her cell and returned once more to the living room of the home of Lady Alexandra, or should I say, the home of Olma. And set about preparing for your first meal in this new abode. So as we come back to the dinner table, the stew, you prepared the bread all laid out, cups filled with a good ale, requested by Seeker purchased from the wharf not far away. We come back to this moment as you all sit down for dinner, fresh bowls of stew in front of you. I ask you guys. What do you wish to do? These rolls to your liking Flynn? I know they're an obligatory part to the soup recipe for you. They're good. Yeah. Yep. And I'll put one in my mouth and stand up, kind of sway over to a cabinet and I will just grab onto the handle and just hold onto and think about a beer. Think about a tasty brew and I will open the cabinet and I'll just grab, if there's a cup, I'll grab it out. You open the cabinet and you see, not a beer, but you do see just a gathering of clay mugs. Flynn. Yeah. What are you doing? We really need. To get one of those things in Hayfreid's Void installed here. What? Oh, were you imagining a beer? Yeah. This is not a magic house like that. Keeper! No, don't bother, Keeper. Keeper, Ignore him. He's drunk. Keeper. Hi. I'm--I'm conflicted. You don't have to listen to people when they're drunk. I'm not drunk. Uh, Flynn, how many beers have you had? You basically never have to listen to Flynn. Hey. Basically never. Oh boy, that is a lot. Well, I'm going to try anyway. I would like a beer. Sir. I think there's ale on the table, Flynn. It's right here. Like a giant mug. Okay, maybe I don't want that. It's not exactly as you imagined. Right? Right. Oh. Well sometimes in life things aren't exactly how we imagine them. For what it's worth, I think whatever's happening in Hayfreid's void is simulated to some extent. We can't get hungry in the void, so whatever we're eating there don't think is food. Real? What do you think it is if. It's not food? Well, I don't know what, but this is definitely real food. Do you think it's all fake? Everything that happens in the void is just in our heads. Nope. I've decided I won't think about that because No, no, no. What? I don't. Like this line of thought at all. What does that mean? What would we even be eating? It's just air?! Are you saying everything there is not real? I'm saying a lot of things that I thought were real are not. Okay, now. That's... When we go into the void are we real? Oh. What? Are we even going into the void? I'm choosing to believe that you are never real Flynn. Olma. I think Flynn, I'm cutting you off from alcohol and I'm going to pick up the large tankard and recork it. I hand it to Keeper. I will try to intercept. Just. Try to! What are you trying to do? I'll try to intercept. Okay. Alright. I'm not going to let you. I'm going to have Thessally, Keeper and Seeker roll initiative. Wait, don't I get advantage on initiative because you gave me vigilant blessing? Yes! This is true. If this pertains to me. If I could maybe be on Seeker's side and help him in any way? I also. I would like to be on Thessally's side. That's a natty 20 BB! And the other one was really good. Dang. Really? Dang. 19. That's wild. 19. What's the total? It's a 21. 21. It's a 22. Alright. But it's a natural 20! It doesn't matter on initiative, it doesn't do anything. You sort of grab the growler that comes in these big growlers, so you (thunk sound) put the cork in and you go to hand it to Keeper and Seeker's hand darts out but not before Keeper snatches it from him and grabs it. He got a 23. I elbow Seeker in the ribs. I snarl (grumpy sounds). I just hold my coffee mug out to Keeper and I give the saddest puppy dog eyes. Keeper. Please. He's had too much he shouldn't have anymore. We fight a lot. Why can't we have a little fun? I'm eating my stew and ignoring-- At this, Keeper looks to Olma, who does not...?(sounds of Olma slurping soup) My mug has joined Flynn's. Olma? I need it. I think he's waiting for your-- You don't need it! I think they're waiting for your approval. Eat your food! Here I am eating at the same time while-- Put your mugs down and eat your food. This is our first-- It's not enough. This is how I wash it down. This is first nice dinner in our new home. Why are you doing this right now? I just want a drink. I brew some lovely tea-- You are fine.--Like some of that? In a moment it's okay. You have some more after you eat some more. How about that? Okay.(Flynn grumbling). Mom. Yeah, sure. You say that like it should offend me and it doesn't. I'll go back and sit down and continue eating some bread. You start slowly peeling the bread apart, eating it. As Keeper just holds on to the growler and sort of walks over, puts it back in an insulated cabinet that actually as he opens it, you do see a little bit of steam roil out of it. It is apparently enchanted to hold a cold enchantment in it. He puts the beer in there and then closes it. Mad man. Magic. You got a refrigerator. Magic house! Yeah. Yeah. It appears to be some form of a cold based enchantment that is in this sort of large kind of----Ice box. Yeah, ice box exactly. But he puts it in there and then just sort of turns and then sort just stands in front of it and then just gaze kind of sweeps and he just kind of pauses and waits and watches you all enjoy the rest of your dinner. Keeper? Do you eat? Do you want to, how do you sustain yourself? I require no nourishment nor air nor water. I subsist on well magical energy as it were. Oh, do you want to sit at the table with us then? Even if you don't feel like or need to eat anything? And he turns and looks at Olma and... Come join us! Very well and he walks over and pulls out a chair for himself. His movements are very practiced. And very... Not rigid but just precise. And he pulls out a chair and he sort of steps and then sits and then turns and folds his hands in front of himself. Kind of looks down at the food. It does look appetizing. We all did a great job and you did a good job buying ingredients. Thank you. I found the best that could be available. It is the Long Eve after all. Will you be staying here this evening? Yeah, I think so. And then we'll head out first thing in the morning. Okay. Is there anything else you'd like me to prepare in your absence beyond the things you've already mentioned? No. Very well. Gave you a pretty long list I feel. Yes. Well it has been 12 years since I've been awake, so catch upon it. The town has seemed kind of empty since we've been here. Do a lot of people live here? Yes. A relatively large amount of people. Sunploom is out of the way. That's part of why Lady Alexandra liked it. There's anywhere between my last recollection, 1,500 to 2,000 people at any one given time within Sunploom. Sunploom, subsisted largely on timber from the nearby Raging Wood. There was also the small gold mine, the east, the Goldenvein Mine, Belwood Lumber Yard. Also the wharf not too far. The sea is not very far. It's actually just about half a mile that way and the fishermen's catch last I recall. Well the town has lost many sons and daughters to the war. Yeah, I think a lot of towns have. Tragic. Been a long war. Yes, quite a long time. Well. Was there some kind of alarm raised lately? We encountered some conflict on the way out. Yes. Well when I was going into town there did seem to be a bit of a commotion largely around one of the squares near the center of town. I suppose that is what you're referring to. I wonder what that could have been. No, that was definitely us. Oh, wait, not us. Right. I think we can tell Keeper. It was us. Well yes, we're involved at least in some capacity. I'm not sure if it was the same commotion but. We're murderers! Flynn! I was the--I was the-- We are. That was me. But I was only returning it to the people that did to us. We've faced some adversity on our journeys and there were some people who were imprisoned who should not have been imprisoned and we helped them. We got them out, but that kind of made us the bad guys I guess? because who the bad guys are depends on who you are I guess? So. So wise. Yeah, perspective is important. So to us they're the bad guys but to them we are the bad guys and sometimes that can cause by... what did the town say about the square? Well, I only caught snippets of conversation. People here are resilient. They recover quickly. I believe I heard mention of the guards that had been left by the crown were not present strangely enough. In fact, I noticed an absence of many of them during my errands earlier today for whatever reason. Now mind you, it's always been a very small contingent. As I said, Sunploom is largely out of the way and the guards from the crown that have been left here usually are just to ensure that the necessary requisitions for the war effort are properly protected, guarded, and eventually delivered to the contingent of soldiers which come. In fact, on your way here, you recall watching soldiers leave and seeing many of them leave this place and you all recall seeing that on the road you get the sense that for some reason whatever guards were here, whatever military force was present in Sunploom has been pulled out. Quick question, remembering back to the battle we had in the town square. Just remind me, I apologize,. No you're good. The guards that were with Barrett Hastell, all those and with Artemesia, did they have any kind of insignia or were they in plain leather? They weren't? They didn't bear any official regalia of the crown. They appeared to be just warriors of some. Kind. Separate from the town, not usual patrol. So okay. So we didn't kill anybody's brother I guess is what I'm. Asking. No, yeah, they didn't appear to be-- Well, no one here. At some point. No one in Sunploom was going to be. Directly offended by...okay. It appeared that the forces that were with Barrett Hastell, yeah. They appeared for lack of a better term to be with him mercenaries from outside of Sunploom. Right. Did the townspeople seem to be more upset that the guards were gone than that There was some nonsense that happened? Well, I'm sorry to say Mistress, I didn't pay much attention from what I recall. Now mind you, things could have changed, but the townspeople tolerate the presence of the guards but they're not necessarily welcome. If that makes any sense? The people of Sunploom are fiercely independent. We're very far away from Oakenspire and again, that's part of the reason why Lady Alexandra liked this place because of its apparent distance from much of the politics and other circles of concern within Oakenspire. It's of little strategic value on the warfront and beyond the resources that it provides both living and non-living. That's really its only purpose and the only reason I think most people know where Sunploom is. You know what's occurring to me. What? We probably left a pretty big mess in the town square. You want to go clean it up? I mean I don't but I feel a little guilty about it. Me and you are the only ones that can because their faces are wanted. I can sneak. What I'm so good at sneaking. You... are. I'm fine. I'm eating. Well into your cups, so I think that's not a good idea. I think you'd be probably good at some point to not have our faces associated with being wanted in Kaldur, especially since we're-- I think that ship has sailed--Really? Well, Kaldur is not exactly known for wiping slates clean and they know at least roughly what our faces look like. Even with Hastell gone, I mean it seems that he had a personal vendetta, so maybe lower in the priority list. They have a war to wage after all. They didn't appear crown associated, so I don't think we have to, although you did break out of a prison, so that's going to be... Biggest prison in Kaldur, so that's not a good look for them. If they want to engender morale with the people. A pretty heavy duty prisoner away from them. Well I guess that's for another day to worry about. I feel that way also about your fears, Thessally, with cleaning up the square. As much as I'd like us to be as conscientious as possible, we've got a lot to do. No, we do. I don't think we have time to do it. I just hadn't had time to feel guilty about it, so I'm just going to-- Got to make time to feel guilty.--Take a moment. It's not our fault that it happened. No. If this is, I look around, going to be home. It's not a bad idea to maybe try to help some way. Maybe we should just pretend like we were never here during this problem. I think keeping a low profile, Keeper, when you go into town, maybe don't mention Olma by name or let people know that we're all staying here in any capacity. Of course you can get supplies, you can talk to people, but I just don't think we should talk about...us. Oh, you know what we could do, we could run, could run a campaign. What? Against Barrett Hastell, of this and The Red Wolf and we change the story. This is what I would do. What do they call it? It's a... Smear campaign? Seems kind of wrong to do since Barrett. It seems kind of wrong to do since Barrett is now dead. He's quite dead. But he can't speak for himself. Exactly. It seems kind weird to smear somebody. He's a right bastard. He tried to kill us. Why do I care? I don't. Care about his-- Well, I mean I just banished him. I don't know what happened when I banished him. Anything could have happened to him. I think it did more damage to his ego. You banished him? She did. Yeah. Back in the prison. That was how we escaped. That's pretty, that's pretty cool. Can you do that on purpose? No. No. Oh, that could come in handy. I guess, but I can't do it. I did have one question sort of regarding this house, Keeper. Well it's interesting all the journals you have down there in that chamber, was this an abode of Lord Afton at some point or is this strictly Lady Alexandra's home? Oh no, this never belonged to Lord Afton. It was purely Lady Alexandra. And so-- She had much to do with the construction. And some of the extra features. That's is evidence at least in that's what we've seen so far. And I sort of give a wondering look over to the cooling chamber cabinet thing. There's quite a bit of documentation though of Afton's work, so I suppose Lady Alexandra was claiming that somehow took it from him when they left? I must suppose that to be true. I didn't. Come around until. You weren't here. For several hundred years after Lady. Alexandra had left home and. Frankly she. Spoke of it little. I'm not exactly sure how she came by most of them. But I would presume she. Took them when she left or has since gathered them. I just wonder where Lord Afton was, whether the seclusion of Sunploom would support well a cult or whether it was a way for Lady Alexandra to escape that cult. That's what I'm just pondering as though we don't have enough to wonder about. Like, uh, I point at Flynn, at Flynn's head like what's going on up there for one? What about that? Your head, your--your-- Your friend. What you're growing? Yeah. What are we talking about? And also, what we just learned in Hayfreid's. We should probably talk about that too. Do we have to? No, no, we don't. No, we could avoid it all the time. Like we do Flynn. It's working out fine. Maybe we just enjoy our dinner and then we go to sleep and then we wake up and we head to the Oakengate Monastery, get my necklace fixed and then we worry about all those other things. The lady Alexandra. often said that's a problem for tomorrow. Yeah, I think so. Maybe we just need to sleep on it. There's been a lot that's going on and I don't know about you, but I don't know. It's been a long time since we felt safe. I'm looking at Ceallach. Just kind of wondering what you're thinking. You don't have to share. It was we learned and I kind of pick up my mug and look at it and it's like, and look at Olma, we learned a lot and how are you feeling? We only learned what our enemies believe. Do you believe that? I don't know that she was completely lying. I could have tried to compel her to tell the truth, but for fear of knowing it to be true. My thoughts are a jumble, but she implied that there might be something else coming. Some greater cataclysm as a result of the usurpation, some obligatory feat that the new gods would have to undertake. That is of concern to me, but. I don't know. It's a bloody mess. It is all a mess. Looking back at Flynn, how are you doing, other than the beer? Tired. I can prepare the rooms. I think that's smart. Very well. If it would be okay, I can do a ritual and kind of put an alarm around your room in case someone were to try to get in. Since you don't have your necklace. I trust Keeper to keep us safe. I was going to say, if you'd like, I can enact the home protections. Yes, please. Sorry. What again? And Keeper stands up. I don't even ask. I'm like, ah. He pushes back from the table and he walks over and you see that by the front door. There's just a metal plate and he just puts his hand onto it and you see as a silver line beginning at the front door. Then it goes all along the perimeter of the inside of the home. As also you see this sort of shimmering kind of warbling barrier fall down from the walls and see to the floor as. That's so cool. The home is encapsulated in alarm and a wall of force all throughout the interior. The home he turns to Olma and he says, Lady Alexandra thought this would be sufficient, but we can always add more perhaps. I think this is good. I would like to detect magic and just know what that is. Yeah. As you cast detect magic, you can see a very, very powerful abjuration magic. Just lighting up the whole place. This is a textbook example of what I think of when I think about the difference between spells and magical effects. Lady Alexandra had a very long time to craft this. So that the home is basically permanently enshrouded and alarm. Anybody that is not designated at the time of the enactment of the wards, which is all of you currently, anyone who steps foot into the house, even by teleportation will immediately trigger the alarm as well as the interior of the house is encapsulated in a wall of force. So cool. So cool. After detecting that it's going to-- It's pretty good. Let's go with that. Better. Better. Than possible. Take string out Seeker to make you feel better. Then go right. Ahead. No, no, this is quite good job. Good. Job. Seeker. I cannot take responsibility, but thank you. Maybe some kind of. This is. Obviously better protection. Than we've had in a. Long time, but protection from people looking for us might be something to think about. I. Don't know how we. would accomplish that. I still have my necklace. But. Seeker does not. No. And they have Thessally's blood. No one is looking--well. But they can't get in here now. True. But there's a reason that----We need to get-- Alexandra. Did not think this was defensible enough. Well, I'm thinking maybe she was worried about long-term. That she didn't feel confident that this would work for the foreseeable future because they can't just never leave their house. It would leave them pretty unprotected for people to find out where they are. Exactly. So maybe they just felt like they had to stay on the run, so that they could be at different places all the time. Or was it because. they only had one necklace and then they had you. So they needed to at some point they had to move. Well, they were packing. Suitcases though. Presumably not just for the trip to the. Monastery. That's all. Don't mean to be a downer. No, I agree that I don't think this will work long term, but it'll work for tonight. It's great. Absolutely. I could stay here for a long time. That, this is fantastic. I definitely think we still need the necklace fixed because-. Yes.--I can't just stay in this house all the time-- For us outside and that would be not. Good. And no matter how powerful the wards are, there are very powerful. Mages that can, well. Go right through things. Okay, but Ceallach, can we not talk about right now because I don't want to think about that while I'm trying to go to sleep. Okay. Okay. I apologize. Let's just say it's safe for tonight. I cut my eyes over to Brim. What's he doing this whole time? Brim has been watching. He nods appreciatively. He walks over and he kinda hits the wall and then--(group chatter)-- Solid! No give. And he kind of runs his fingers along the wall and kind of looks down and he's just inspecting it all just kind of turns does the kind of loops, thumbs in the belt loop, like appreciative nod at the place. But at the mention of some of the other sort of worries and concerns sort of grows also pensive and does kind of think through the implications of what you're saying. And he's been quiet. He's offered the occasional bit of commentary or the occasional joke or something like that. But for the most part he's just kind of observing and really you sense that Brim has just been very carefully watching and trying to ascertain... he's still on, if that. Makes sense. He is, to his mind, trying to ensure that that all of you are what you say you are. He appears to be a little maybe mistrusting as a rule, but he's just pensive and... I just note that I just wanted to check in. I don't trust him still. Fair. Fair, fair. Yeah. His eyes kind of look over to yours at some point. You notice the sort of the weird unsettling feeling but not being able to tell because there's no pupil. And his iris and pupil is just that black with those red fissures running through it. So it's hard to tell exactly where he's looking, but you can feel his eyes on you and he just kind of nods and. Well, are we all sufficiently tired? Would we like to sleep in a real bed? Yeah, it's been a long day. Not a not--maybe the bed's in Hayfreid's aren't real either. Oh, I don't want to think about that. No, I don't want to think about that. Well, we can head upstairs and I guess go to the rooms. Oh, did you want to assign us a room Olma since it's your house and-- Do you have where we wanted. To stay? We can just come upstairs and I can show you guys the rooms, I guess. Sure. Yeah. And I lead the way upstairs. On the way up. I'll take the couch. Yeah, that might be okay. I don't know how many, I don't think there's enough rooms for everyone. It's all right. Sorry. That's all right. Looks like a comfortable couch. I think you'll be okay. Yeah, Keeper did a good job, doesn't he? And he kind of pats it and no dust, so he's like, yeah, pretty good. Yeah. I'll grab a piece of bread and I'll grab, is there water on the table? I will take the mug that I grabbed, whatever, and I will pour some water in it and have a piece of bread in one hand, the water in the other and like. All right, I'm ready. Okay. You're gonna eat in your room? Can I eat in my room? Olma? Are you not... Ceallach are people not supposed to eat in their..? Not sanitary--But I've never had a house to-- It's fine. You have a Keeper that I suppose, but to take care of whatever crumbs. Clean up after yourself? You got it. Okay. So this one's my room because it has the..um, because it's my room. Alright. And I guess. I pick up that, can I pick up that? What? Does Olma say it that way? Olma says it. I mean there's definitely a... goes. It has the... it's my room, so I'm like, yeah, you guys all hear it very clearly. And there's two rooms there. So I guess that's Thessally Ceallach. You can go over there and then there's two rooms over there and Seeker and Flynn, you guys can have those two rooms and I point to the rooms. To the rooms right in front of the stairs as you come up, there's two rooms that are next to each other. There's two doors that are right next to each other, and those are the ones I pointed to for Thessally Ceallach. And then mine is kind of in the center off to the right of the banister coming up the stairs. And then next to that, so there's three doors on the right of the banister and two doors in front. And so I am going to the middle door or the middle door between the two. And then there's two more doors and Flynn and Seeker can decide which one they want. I'll just walk over to one of them and just, if no one stops me, I'll just open one of the doors and I'll just open it, shut it. Night! And I'll shut the door. Night! Good night! Night! And then you'll notice that towards that hallway where the three doors are, if you keep looking down that hallway, that is where you had previously seen the magical door. That you guys exited, but you can't see it right now. Thank you, Olma. Appreciate it. Thank you. I'll sort of open the door and peek inside. Yeah, you see a room, all of the rooms are good size probably in the realm of what I think 12 by 12, 14 by 14. Good sized rooms. Most of them have at minimum like a queen-sized bed. You see that the sheets have been very freshly turned down. There's the little towel swans on each of 'em. Towel swan! There's a pitcher of water on every nightstand in all of the rooms. Wow. Keeper is very, very well versed in just hospitality. It appears that his desire is to serve and make comfortable, but you all find very well-kept, very well furnished. Everything in here is very well-made but never ostentatious. It appears that this whole house kind of follows that theme. Everything is quality but never gaudy or never over the top. It's just very well-made. And yeah, you all find yourselves in your individual rooms one by one as you all pop into them. Unless there was anything else Olma wanted to say. And I dunno if you want to talk about the doors in the rooms or if you want me to? Oh yeah, go ahead. Do you want me to or do you want to? Oh shoot. I don't know. You go ahead. You go ahead. What's happening? And you're locked in. Oh, like what? The connections. Oh, okay. So Ceallach and Thessally, as you guys go into your room, you can see that there is a door at the back of either of your guys' rooms, sort of in the back right corner. Back right corner for one of you. Left corner for the other. Okay. I would expect. That, I guess. Yeah, after you open it, you see basically a bathroom area. There's a shower, a toilet, but it is a Jack and Jill, shared. Open the door at the same time. Yeah. Okay. And then the same thing for you guys. There appears to be a Jack and Jill shared sort of restroom area. I am very excited by this. It's very nice. You can see actually in, so in the wall there's a marble sort of basin and you can see what appears to be a sort of, what you would recognize, kind of a much more ornate version of a well-pump sort of spigot. It appears that there is, for lack of a better term, plumbing. Plumbing. Yeah. There appears to be a little standup shower, a private area with-- Is there a bath tub? Yeah, there's big copper clawfoot tubs in both bathrooms. I push Ceallach out of the bathroom. I just want to take a look at the--and I lock the door. I'm going to take a bubble bath! Just let me know when you're done then. I--I'll unlock it. I will--just go to sleep. Take a nap. I dunno. As you go, you open up a cabinet that is sort of next to the tub. It looks like a little, just kind of like probably two tiered shelf. And inside of there you actually do find bath salts, soaps, an assortment of freshly laundered towels that are all sort of stacked up like the little washcloths. And then the bigger ones that are between washcloth and big-sized towel. You know what I mean? I don't know what they're. Called. Those towels. Flynn. Is excited about beer and Thessally is so stoked about a bathtub. I'm excited. No one can see this, but there is the most pure elation that has ever crossed. Not ever, but in several years, that's crossed my face. And I am going to do the works. I'm going to do scented oil. I am going to get the full bubbles foam. I'm very, very happy about this. Cool. And honestly, I need it because I decapitated somebody today and I probably am covered and blood still. I don't know when the last time we took baths was. It's been a while for all I remember. Yeah. To canonically. Sure. I'm taking time. You don't take the soak bath. It's like the utilitarian, obligatory shower. I'm being luxurious about this. Yes. Oh yeah. So you pick, there's a variety of different fragrances. There's basically minty eucalyptus, there's lavender, there's some woodsier sets. Immediately for the lavender. Lavender, yeah. Very relaxing. And yeah, you're able to drop the oils in there and all the bath salts and everything. And as you sort of sink into the tub, you feel like kind of the tension start to leak out of you. Big sigh as you sort of settle in. It's a big tub. Big. Oh my gosh. So Thessally sort of settles into her bath. Ceallach and Olma, what are you guys doing? I undress and I just cast mending on my garments. I got nearly cut in half by by Barrett Hastell. Oh geez. I'm sort of grumbly looking. Over to the bathroom, right? Not like I need to use it or anything. It's fine. I'll go in a bush. There's the bathroom downstairs also. Yeah. There's enough bathrooms. Principles of the thing. Right? Yeah. There's lots of space in here. I mean as far as you all know, basically the three generations lived here, so there's lots of room, basically lots of room. But yeah, so you're kind of casting mending. Just sort of. Preparing for bed. And I'm sort of formally as I'm used to doing, I kind of lay out my garments in my, and I almost habitually lay my necklace, which no longer exists out on top of them, but it's nothing. And then take a moment with that feeling of holding a phantom object and then go to work. Just fixing things up, trying to put it out of my mind. Okay. What do you do? I want to, this is Lady Alexandra's room, so I know that the bookshelf was to the left of the bed and everything and that's where he pulled to get the vault open. What else is on the bookshelf that I can see? Yeah, as you look on the bookshelf, there are basically a smattering of different books. You see, most of them are histories. Most of them you see titles that you see. One that's says The First Great War, you see a smattering of different religious texts and things like that. You see what appear to be a lot of, what's the word I'm looking for? Biographies. And as you read through them, if you just kind of read the spines, it appears to be just names, different names. I don't know that Olma would recognize any of them in particular, but it's kind of a smattering of mostly just nonfiction books and tomes and things like that. I wouldn't say there's anything in particular that that stands out. But yeah, just a different smattering. It looks like Lady Alexandra liked to keep herself informed, if that makes sense. Yeah. I will say you do notice a consistent theme though along the names. Most of them have illustrations on the spine of ships or horses or instruments of travel, if that makes sense. Do you pull them out or anything or look at them? Yeah, I would pull out maybe one that looked, well, I guess they're probably pretty dusty. It's been 12 years, well not dusty anymore since it's been cleaned. But if there's one that looks older, I guess I would pull out probably the oldest looking one. Okay. So you pull out an old tome and you can see that the thing that gives it away to you is that there's that line in the spine. It makes it look like it's been opened a lot. So you open it up and it kind of does that thing. When a book falls open to a page, it's opened a lot and it is an account from an explorer, a sea captain on a vessel known as the Tide Spray. And in it he details the sighting of an island that he does not know to be on the shipping routes that he's traveling. 'Cause it weren't there! It moved! And if you continue many of the books open to a page wherein there's a similar description from different people in different periods of time, all dealing with sighting of this island. There's about four, and I'll get you the titles of all of them. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. And the explorers that they are written by. But yeah, you are able to, it seems like Lady Alexandra also had maybe not quite the level of obsession, but very much was intrigued. Wanted to know everything she could about this. Okay. Well once I do that, I will probably also find the bath and clean up and go to sleep. Perfect. Alright. Seeker. So opening the conjoined bathroom door, seeing it. Are you exploring it? I'm in here! Shut the door! Sorry. I'll start to back out, but as I do, I'll just have my head at. My mouth. At the crack. Flynn? What? Flynn, for real. Have you talked to your master? Could you give me like 30 seconds? Just want to make sure you're okay. Okay, I'm going. I'm, I will finish using the restroom and I will go to the door that he opened hand I will open it and as I shake the water off my hands from washing my hands, I'll come and come out. What? Have you talked to your master? What do you mean? You know what I mean. Kind of. Learn anything? What does kind of mean? Well, I mean it didn't really talk back much. It kind of said no and kill and stuff like that. Yeah. Yep. Okay. When that stuff happens, you can tell me. It's kind of a lot. And I know Ceallach's not very happy with you now. No, definitely not. Probably a lot to figure out. So you can tell me. I can't do much, but you can tell me. Yeah, I mean I wasn't really planning on trying to sleep tonight, so. Why? Well, it sounds really dumb. Are you going to read your book? No, I had a nightmare. Oh. And I don't know when it's going to happen again. So I'm worried, man. That's why I... ale helps a bit. It does help. Yeah. Tasty. I'll just tell you, I don't know what the next thing they're going to say is. So I'm trying to, and I know it's dumb, but I'm trying to prolong it a little bit. Looking around the room, is it big enough to make a makeshift bed? Yeah. Yeah. The rooms are here are pretty big there. Like I said, probably about. 12 By 12, 13 by 13 feet. So they're pretty good sized rooms. So if you wanted, you could get your blankets and you could make a little, a little bivouac right here on the floor. You could sleep over on that wall. Not too close, but in that room if you want. It does sound nice, but I don't know what I can do or what it can do yet. So probably better safe for me to not be near you. You're only two doors away, so I mean, I appreciate it. Maybe if you can't sleep you can come back. But if I'm asleep, yeah, go back. I'm playing. It's good to know that I can talk to you about it though. That sounds really scary, man. Yeah, I know it wasn't the. Best decision, but it was a. Decision that kept us alive, so. I don't know if it matters. We are here and you've got to deal with it. So yeah, I mean part of me feels like, hey. We'll figure it. Out. You asked me if I would do it and I said I don't know. It wasn't because I think what you did is wrong. I don't know if I would have the strength to do it, not knowing what the contract said, man. And you sacrificed for us. So at least I can do is try to help. I'm glad someone thinks so. I have a feeling that I'm not the only one that feels this way. It's probably just more complex rather. Maybe. I'm getting tired though. So yeah, go to bed. You look sleepy, or drunk? Probably both. I'd like to use my mage hand to ruffle your hair. You probably feel the horns. Oh yeah. I probably should take this off now. And I'll-- What do they look like? I will take off the wrapping, kind of setup, headdress that I have and I will kind of toss it in Seeker's room, whatever. I'll just pick it up later. Yeah, I'll take off the, I don't really know what they look like this time. I'm not sure if it was mentioned before. It was just that they were grown. Yeah, they appear to be these sort of very slightly curving, very deep, almost obsidian black horns that sort of come to, not sharp points, but sort of worn dulled points. They're probably about two inches long or so, two and a half inches long. They appear to be just growing sort of and they kind of curve upward, just slightly out of Flynn's head. Like a baby goat. Kind of like a. Demonic baby goat. Because that can't even be cool. You got to be a baby goat. I'm sorry. It's immediately what. I thought of. I don't like wearing the hat. It gets kind of sweaty and hot but better than uh. Remembering they're there. And you feel them, can you forget? I mean when it's not. like I feel them moving or-- It's like your hair. Can you feel your hair? What? Oh yeah. I run my hand over my bald head. Well you hair at one point in your. Life, right? Yes. And you know it's there but you don't feel it, right. So it's kind of like that I guess. Yeah. Part of me now, so. Not forever. Hopefully I just got to find another sheep I guess. Oh, okay. I don't know what to do with that but. Yeah, it's fine. Alright, well I'm going to go to sleep I guess. Okay, I'll knock on your door if I need you. Okay. I'll leave it open. I'll close it. Okay. And yeah, I'll go to my room and I'll lock my bathroom side door and I'll kind of just go and sit on my bed and I'll take the water in the mug that I had. Is there a window? There are windows, but they are, they've been boarded up. So there's-- Very much, you're kind of out on the edge of town where you guys are. Lady Alexandra's home almost is out on the edge of town, but there are still the occasional kind of street lantern into light, the pathways in and out of town. So you just kind of can vaguely see a little tiny, tiny bit of flickering light outlining the window. But. I'll go to try and open it, forgetting that there's a wall of force... As you go. It's like. And I will take the mug and you said there's a picture of water on the table? Yeah. I'll take both of those. Which one's bigger? The pitcher. For sure. I will set the mug down on the table. I'll take the pitcher and I will go back into the bathroom and there's a sink or a tub or something. I will dump out all the water and I'll just go back and I'll kind of just sit on my bed and I'll just kind of hold the pitcher and I'm just going to wait for a bit. Until it's quiet. Okay. I'm going to try and go downstairs. Okay. Yeah. If I could, I wanted to do two quick. Yeah, of course. I think quick things. I want to just kind of be in awe having a room that I feel safe in. I'm going to toss my bag and I want to take my scroll and look at it. Oh yeah. The things we never check. Yeah, right. It's nuts. Silver. Okay. Alright. I want to open it up and take out a vial of ink. Open up the end and take out a vial of ink, close it and head out of my room and head to Brim's room. Brim's on the couch--living room. Then I will head to the living room where Brim is. Is Brim awake as you get down there. He's kind sitting up in the couch just looking at the fire-- Into the fireplace. He's kind of staring into it. I'll just walk up and hold my hand out with the ink in my palm. Take that in case we get separated, or you can take that and write on paper and I will get the message on my scroll. Yeah, he reaches out, takes it from you. And as you kind of explain that to him as he's looking at it. Thanks. That's cool. It is cool. Magic. That's something I'm very familiar with. Are you familiar at all with possession? I've heard about it. Yeah, me too. That's about it. Yeah, it's not very common from what I understand. For some people it is, I guess. Yeah, nevermind, right? Yeah. He's like, I don't want to open up that can of worms. Yeah, not really. Are you asking for? And he just sort of nod his eyes kind of shoot up and then he nods up in the general direction of upstairs. My reply... Mean that's a pretty shitty hat I could. It's not great. My eyes... Doesn't do a great job, but not for me anyway. My eyes narrow as you do that and

I nod slightly, very slightly and say: 55:03

I still don't fully trust you, but I like you. So that's why I'm telling you I don't trust you normally. I just don't trust. But yes for my friend. Yeah, I know I haven't been here for very long. So the no trust makes sense. I mean we've known each other for what, 12 hours? I think. You are handy in a fight. And pretty swift. There's one thing, one thing the monks at Oakengate are good at. It's teaching you how to be pretty handy in a fight. But it doesn't even take someone as observant as I but I can see you all mean a lot to each other. That's a pretty good sign for me anyway. Okay, I'm going to go back up. Alright, have a good night man. I just, as I'm walking away, just kind of put a hand up to wave. And last thing I would love to... As you round the corner of the stairs, he goes, Hey, you're pretty handy in a fight and pretty swift yourself.

Will smile and: 56:15

thank you. Keep going. I would love to stop by Olma's door and sit down and knock on the door. How long has it been? Hey, because you might be in your-- Because I looked at the book and then I took a bath. Took a bath. You're probably probably in the bathroom. I'd say timeline wise. So I'll just sit there for a second. Olma, whatever. Be mad. No. Okay. Well I just wanted to say that I think what happened to your family is really shitty. Oh God. Saying this to an empty room. I really want to find who did this and, okay. No, do not open the door. It's okay. No, it's okay. And okay, I'll just kind of put my hand. So tragic. Put my hand on the door and sit for a second and then go back to my room and pass the F out. Oh no, that is no. Alright. So Seeker, you sit there. Olma, eventually you. Don't hear or see you come from your bath. You got a little bathrobe on. Well. I'm actually, I'm really sad in my bath because the last time I remember taking a bath, I was able to make animals swim with me. I was trying to make animals swim with me, but I can't. And it's just making me really sad. So eventually I give up on the bath after I feel like I'm pleased and I climb into bed and I am warm and toasty and I just starfish on the bed and I just take up the entire, as much of the bed as I can. Awesome. And just pass out. Great. Thessally and. Ceallach you guys after. Your bath. Yeah. I'll go to sleep. After a couple of hours past that I will wander over to the, almost against my will, wander over to the conjoined bathroom and I will just knock super softly on the door. I don't even want to wake them up if they're sleeping. Not the door into the bathroom, the door that leads. Into my room. The door leads into your room, yeah. Oh! I'm a pretty light sleeper, so I would hear it. I would open the door. I was lying down. Are you? Yeah, I'm sorry. It's all right. I wasn't even going to... I will stab you for real. We're out of the game. I'll stab you for real. I, well it's been a hard day and I was trying to sleep. I don't want to be alone, right now. Oh. Oh, okay. Okay. And I'm just going to like, so awkwardly try to hug Ceallach. I'm just a plank of wood. You can bring some blankets in here and you can We'll do, we can drag the mattress in and be like a cot situation. I'll just blankets to be fine. I don't want to make a habit. It's not, I don't want to impose. It's your space. It's fine, it's fine. We share a bathroom. I'm sorry I pushed you out earlier. I just really-- It seems like you needed that. I really wanted to take a bubble bath. Wanted to have what you need and what you want. Oh, thanks. So, so I'll help you get the blankets and we can--No, I can get it. I just wanted to... see you and ask. Right. Well you're more than welcome. You're more than welcome. So I'll leave the door open and I'm going to go to bed now. Good. Hope you don't stab me while I'm asleep. Or, whatever. Why would I? No, now I did. But I think that to be preferable to just being with my thoughts. To be fair, the swords are all the way over there. And I pointed a corner of the room where I put my stuff. I think you can also, you don't have to sleep right next to the bed you can-- No, I was going to be far away. No worries. All right. Now I'm worried about that. No, I just have that effect, don't I? No. No. I'm going to go to bed and I... Yes. Good night. Just unceremoniously crawl, I'm going to do the thing where you pull the blanket over your head a little bit. So just your face peeks out and I'm facing the wall away from, I'm mortified. Awesome. And I equally mortified will get the most meager amount of bedding to bring over. And I will in the most, I don't even know how to describe it. I will occupy as little space as possible in Thessally's room. And just, you pull some of the thick down comforters, that Keeper has left on the bed and you pull them into the corner of the room and you sort of lay them out, sort of, what's the. Word? You put the bottom on the bottom and then you fold it into the half, give yourself a little padding. But eventually as that awkwardness maybe that initial sort of tension, kind of slowly leaks out of the room. All you can really hear is just the sound of one another's breathing as you just sort of, if you're both willing, of course slowly find rest, drift off to sleep. And after about 45 minutes or so of waiting, you sort of listen to the sounds of people shifting in the house fade. Although those sounds are very, very, what's the word I'm looking for? Very faint. Muffled. Muffled. Thank you. He definitely can't hear me. Yeah, fair enough. Can't! But you empty out the pitcher and you sit there and you wait until eventually you feel pretty confident. You're like everybody, knowing how tired everybody was, and knowing how tired you are, you eventually find your way downstairs and you see Brim much like he was before, but now he's sort of sitting in the middle of the couch and he's just kind of looking at the fire. And you can see his, he's sort of just using his hand to just pull. And you can see this kind of wisp of flame pulls from the fire and settles into his hand and he just kind of rolls it around in his hands and then pushes it back. And you kind of see that little moment of him doing that as you come down the stairs. I'll come down the stairs and almost reflectively kind of put my hand. Oh hi! How are you doing? Just mentally debriefing, you know? Right. Right. Why are you? My head hurts, so. You are a shit liar, Flynn. I'll put my hands down. Brim's passive insight is like 24. So I'll, I'll put my hands down slowly and just when'd you. Figure it out? Almost immediately. Right, right. I mean, don't get me wrong. Average person probably fool 'em. Good, good, good, good. These eyes are you know. Weird! How are they like that? Wait. Hold on. And with the empty pitcher, I want to go over to where the liquor or the ale was stored and I'm going to go in there and I want to get it and I want to pour myself and fill the pitcher. Okay. And I'm going to start drinking as I ask him what's up with his eyes. He sees you do the pitcher and as you sit down he kind of looks at you. You sure you want to do that, man? Pretty sure. It'd be great to talk about someone else for a minute if we could? On the condition that you hold off for just a little bit. And I'll just slowly put the pitcher on the ground. Thanks. I got 'em from my mom, our people, my people. I guess. Especially the ones of my variety. Right. Fire's not known for sticking around, so I dunno. My dad says my mom was really beautiful, captivating, fell in love with her first sight, all that stuff, but not everybody's ready to be a parent. So I got 'em from my mom. But yeah, they've caused me a decent amount of trouble I guess through the years. I can relate. Yeah. Funny how people's eyes always flick to the one thing wrong with you, huh? Yeah, normally it's my height, but things change, whatever. I've seen people a lot smaller than you kick a whole lot of ass. Yeah. One day. I mean, my mentor's not much taller than you (chuckles). So what have you seen with those eyes so far? Oh man. Are we good? Am I good? Oh, from what I can tell so far, usually from what I've found, the types of people who ask themselves that question usually means you're on the right track. It is When you stop asking, when you got to be worried, I feel like I'm really close to stop asking. Why? I don't know. I don't know anymore. I don't know what the right choice is now. Because I thought this was the right choice. And then I got yelled at and shit on for it. AndI was just trying to help... m-mostly. Mostly? Well, I didn't have anything else I was trying to use and I'll point to, I'll hit my arm. I was trying to use this and it wasn't working and Ceallach was falling down, bleeding and Seeker was on the ground. Thessally looked almost half dead and I didn't know what else to do! And I reached out for something and something answered and helped. And we're here now, but this has happened before and it wasn't perfect. I'll kind of pick up the pitcher and... can't sleep. My dad used to have trouble sleeping too. That's my mom. She didn't ever talk about it. She'd stay up late and I could tell something on her mind and it got dark. I don't know. It wasn't all the time. I mean, but there are moments. Dad usually would be there. So, helping out. What's on your mind, Flynn? Oh boy. Well, and I'm going to say this again. It was, probably sounds stupid, but I recently had a nightmare about my past and I just feel like it was the start of something. And I mean, I've tried to contact whoever this is, whatever this is, and I don't want to wake it up or whatever. So I haven't really been worried in the past. My choices weren't always my own the last time this happened. And while it feels like maybe that's not the case this time, I can't be sure. So you asked for something and you got it. But it sounds like you don't really know what you gave up in exchange, huh? No. You know my dad's a good guy, he's got his problems, but he said something to me once, he said: whatever comes, face it on your feet. That sounds like my mom. And there's only one way to find out. Can I please drink this, now? Look man. I'm not your daddy. Not. Going to say no, but between you and me, I think we both know it's a bad idea. That sounds like another one of my mentors. I mean they're there for a reason, right? Help us. Figure our shit out. So there's that side of it. But you said you did it to save everyone, mostly. What's the other part? How tired are you? I don't sleep much either. I'll try and do it quickly. Being a halfling is different in a lot of ways, but one of the ones that I grew up with was you are treated differently. I'm sure you've seen it. Yeah. And I found very quickly as a kid when I wasn't growing any higher, I started to feel it myself as well. The looks you get the way you're treated, really treated like an adult. You're always treated like a kid. And eventually my dad kind of sat me down and told me that that's something that we deal with as halflings. We don't just get respect. We have to find a way to earn it, have to find a way to show people that we are as tall as them. And I'm still looking for that respect. So when I joined the Iron Light and I started learning spells, I was kicked around and made fun of and no one's as small as me and it's goliath and dragonborn and genasi and all types of strong folk and there's me. So I just thought at this point I'd have the respect. I mean I have this shoulder and that's supposed to give me respect and I dunno. So when the magic still wasn't working, it wasn't my friends I gave up on, looked for something else. So yeah, I did it to save my friends, but I also knew that I wasn't enough. Am I still good? You doing all right, man? And Brim reaches out and he kind of puts a hand on your shoulder. My dad did the best he could. A single dad trying to take care of a kid with some kooky freaking eyes and a town that's not all that tolerant of people with kooky freaking eyes, right? I got kicked around a lot too. Yeah, being different sucks. Nah, man. Doesn't suck at all. You talk about respect, but looking for it. Maybe you're looking in the wrong places. I'll just look down at the pitcher that I'm holding. I'll just, while I'm holding it, I just stare at it for a minute. Slowly put it down on the floor. And I'll just look back up. I going to get some rest. Thanks. You got it man. And I'll head back upstairs and. head towards the room. He kind of looks over your shoulder right when you get to the stairs. He says: hey. Pause. Don't stop asking. Deal. I went to bed. Attempt to sleep. Yeah, as you sit there for a time, eventually your mind does kind of wander off. After that conversation, I'd like to start thinking of my mentors, my family, my friends, of what they've told me, and try and use that to help ease myself into a slumber. My mom and my dad and. Chath and Victor. Kind of go through not so much counting sheep as counting mentors, counting friends, counting allies. The words they've spoken to me, the things they've told me. Lots of faces kind of float through your brain until eventually you do drift off and you're in the dark. First thing that comes to you is the smell, damp, earth, hard minerals, hard water. You feel the damp earth and stone hear the faint crunch of your boots as they make contact with the cavern floor. And you can hear your own ragged breath as you make your way deeper into the cave memory, floods back, voices of your friends decorating down the cavern. You're there from a long time ago. Well maybe not that long. You make your way forward. And you know how this plays out. You remember right when you begin to wonder whether or not you're going to hear it, you hear that deep guttural growl, that grunt of effort. You see the dim glow up ahead, the green, hear the sounds; combat, swords on flesh, claws on metal. So you come around the corner and you see there, Victor. The green flames crawling up the sword. You see it held up at the ready toward this hulking creature. On all fours you see mottled skin, this strange mix of feather and fur. And you can see the reflection of the green light on obsidian black claws as they click into the ground as it prowls. Slowly kind of around Victor, testing, Victor closes in, you see the sword flashes. He utters the incantation. You see the fire leap off of the creature, but he's too slow. There's a gap. And you see this paw swipe at him, hit him square in the chest. You see this rent, kind of open up in the armor and blood pour through as he's hurtled backwards. And the sword clatters to the floor as it prowls forward. Feel a heavy presence behind you. A weight settles onto each of your shoulders

is: 1:19:25

into your ear. Don't you remember what really happened? You're outside of yourself. It's like you're looking through glass into the room you just occupied. You see yourself there, the teenage Flynn. And you run forward towards the creature. You never picked up that sword. Do you remember how weak you were? As you run forward, the sounds of your feet immediately alert the creatures. It spins abruptly and its hindquarters crash into the side of you. In your small frame, you see yourself tumble across the cavern floor. You feel the hands settle onto your shoulders. Look at the fear in your eyes as the voice in your ears changes. You see the creature turn towards you now. A rabid slobbering mix, this twisted face somewhere between a predatory bird, an owl, and some modeled fur like creature. It looks wrong. You know what it should be, but it's not. And you see these empty black vacuous voids where the eye should be as it stalks towards its new prey. You see yourself sort of clamber along across the cavern floor until eventually your back hits the wall. The creature bears down upon you. Its jaws open wide as it lunges towards you. See yourself close your eyes. He saved you. See the rest of the scene play out. Victor slams into the side of the creature. The sword buried into its side as it yelps in pain. Creature shudders and with a cry dies. You always need saving. As Victor moves towards you and extends his hand, darkness once again closes in around you. The scene goes and a new light appears in front of you once again. You look in from the outside onto a familiar scene. You see yourself a few days ago, deep in the Underdark, as the shadow blade falls from your hand and you close your eyes. You see the whispered words on your lips,

the final utterance of the word: 1:21:54

please. As you begged for salvation. I saved you. You see from the third person as your body ripples and breaks transforming you into the very monster you swore to protect others from. Where would you be without me? And the scene shifts again to just yesterday, earlier today actually. You see the shadow blade in your hand is below after below lands finding purchase on Artemesia. But there in the shadowed corner between two buildings, you see a humanoid outline because as your hand moves, so does its. Guiding your every strike. No, no, no, no, no. Where would you be without me? And you feel yourself in darkness once more. But the presence remains. The question hanging in the air. Would you be without me? Dead, I suppose, right? Yeah. Oh, you sound so sad. Do you not like being alive? I don't like being weak. Well that's what I'm here for, isn't it? Where are you? Here. There. Places where the light doesn't touch. I'm everywhere. Are you the same as before?(insidious laughter). I wish I really do, but no, you see I'm something else altogether. Who are you? I'm known by many names. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. I wait for the name. I wait for anything. If it doesn't say anything, I'll say something though. Nothing. What do I call you? For now, friend. After all, I have given you many gifts. I was somewhat disappointed to see you didn't you use them. Well I was worried. Whatever for? That I'd lose control like last time. Oh. But this isn't like last time is it, Flynn? That was just a bit of fun. Down there turning you into that hulking creature. I just thought it was appropriate given the environment. I did have control... Indeed. I have no interest in resting your control away from you, Flynn. I'm here to help in my own way. What do you want in return? I signed something. Oh. Yes, you mean this. And you see sort of almost appearing from out of the shadows. You see sort of this as shadows sort of weave themselves together, sort of almost crumbling out of the dark. You see a small pedestal and atop it, large piece of somewhat curling parchment. Your name signed big at the bottom. I'll walk up to it if I can approach it, I'll walk up to it. And I'll look down on it. Last time I couldn't read it. Am I able to make out some of the words? As you see the words shift and play, you look down and you can't at first, but eventually the words sort of stop moving and shifting. And you see written in big script at the top: Nocturnal Pact between Flynn Felloweave and the Warden of Whispered Secrets, Sovereign of the Umber Wastes and the Lord of Shadehold. I'll reach out for it, I'll pick it up. Pick it up. And I'll look around to this void. Just shadow, everything shifting around you kind of constantly. Is this real? And after looking around, I'll look down at the parchment. As real as anything made from the shadow. And what about these horns? Are they made from the shadow?(Chuckle) Yes. I asked before if I could not have them, what do I need to do to get rid of them? You really don't like them? Bad memories. But I thought they were so fun. And the corns tumble from your crumble to ash. Fall from your head. I'll drop the contract and I'll reach up to my head and I'll. Feel it. Unbroken skin. I just thought it would be a bit of fun. Are you evil? (insidious laughter). To some? Maybe. To others less so. I'll look for the contract again on the ground and if it's there, I'll pick it back up. Yeah, you see it. And I'll briefly look at it and start to read it. But then I'll just pause and I'll look back up to the void. What do you want from me? That's a very, very heavy question, Flynn. As of now, nothing. Carry on. Follow your path. I'll support you in whatever way I can. But from time to time, as need arises, I may ask you for something. Like what? That will be subject to my fancy. After all, it's in the contract. And what do you give me? That's also in the contract. I'll look around to the void and I'll look down to the contract and I'll start reading it. Well. Seeing as we've reached the end of our little tête-à-tête, I think it's time you wake up now. And the hands kind of close around your shoulders. I'll see you soon (yells of excitment). And you feel a piece of parchment and you look up at the wall and you can see light playing across the room. Intense light. You look over and you see the window that you looked at earlier. The flickering light has now grown much, much brighter and it seems wild and uncontrolled and muffled. You hear shouts. Huh? And yells. Oh if I can go look out the window. You said that it's boarded. I'll try and-- It's boarded. Can I try? And is the wall of force still there? I'll try and open it. It appears that it is still. The wall of force is still there. Yeah, you go and push. You can't. I'll go to the bathroom and I'll go to Seeker's room. I'll open the door. Seeker! Wake up! No, I don't want to. You guys. Probably hear that shout. Everybody else come, you hear Seeker! And you all kind of wake up. I almost step on Ceallach. Something going on outside. Okay, let's go! Hastily pick up--outside. If I wake up, do I see the flickering light outside too, from windows? Yeah, I think you do. Yeah. Yeah. Actually you'd probably. All see it as you guys look, you can see that all of your windows are ringed in what looks like very bright, vibrant orange light. Yes? And you see the door open, Keeper comes in. What's going on outside? I'm not sure. And he sort of waves his hands and you see the barrier sort of fade away from inside of. The walls. And then now as soon as. The barrier disappears, you can hear shouts and yells from kind of close by, but a little bit farther away. I'm making for the front door to. Yeah, same. I'm strapping on my armor. Yes you guys very quickly-- including my cloak. And then as you guys open, you can see several hundred feet away, you can see buildings on fire. And you see from this distance, you can see above the sort of roofs of these smaller houses, you see massive humanoid forms, heads and shoulders. And you hear bellowing. What? And the howls of wolves. Of wolves?! Based on the size there's giants. Okay. because we've seen a lot of giants before. We've seen fire giants specifically. They don't have--From your current vantage point as they don't appear to be inflamed themselves. No. What? Okay, you saw a chance to make the town not hate us. I knew this was too good to be true. How long have we been asleep? It's early morning. You guys all got al ong rest. That's all that really matters. You all. You all got your sleep, you got your rest. Need to look at them and I'll just kind say we got to help and I'll start. It's time to go. Running that way, I'm running. Yeah. As I dunno, I'll just start running that way. I'll summon my sword. So I'll look down and I'll summon the sword and I'll look at my arms and I'll look back. At you all ready. Okay. As you look at your arm, the ink around. The sword hand or the tattooed hand. The tattooed hand, the ink around your tattoos is darker and there are new very faint lines, sort of like around the tattoos. It's like they've grown, they've expanded downwards. And it's like black ink, black spooky. I hate it. I'll kind of stare at it for second. As I'm running. I'm against it. Smirk and look back up. Okay. Smirk. You guys run. Don't do the smirk. And eventually you guys arrive, you see sort of a kind of conglomeration of houses around what appears to be a central small fountain. And you see a gathering of figures. You see, first of all, townspeople are running in different directions, fleeing. You see two massive humanoid creatures and on the ground you see chasing these people three big lupine figures. What? But in white fur with ice hanging off of their fur as you see two frost giants and three winter wolves. Snap. And I need all of you guys to roll some initiative. Alright. Did not do so good. I did amazing. You guys know that shit is on fire. So any reasonable preparations that you might make you ca make. Yeah. So just like as I'm running, I just: ha-shalm-bek and These sort of purple plasma encase your body and then sinks in. Yeah. Awesome. One second. Love. That extra AC. Okay, this is what we're. Figuring out. Alright, so 20 to 25 or 20 and above. Hold on, hold on. I think I am. Yeah, I'm 21. 21. Okay. 15 to. 20. 18. 18 For. Olma, where are you, there you are. 10, 15, 12. 12. Alright. Seeker has the higher dex I believe. Yes, obviously. And Ceallach. 9. Excellent. That's okay. It's not bad, our healer can be last. Right? Say that after I get nuked in the first round. That's a good place for the cleric to be. Alright, so as you guys all come in, so you're sort of up in this sort of northwestern corner of the map. I don't know if you guys can see that. I'll ping here for you, but you guys all come onto the scene. You can see again sort of two massive humanoid figures. One who appears to be standing in the center, they are a bit larger than the other, and you can see as townspeople are kind of running off in different directions away from this. And you also see from your current vantage point a figure like standing on a roof across the way from, you guys. A figure standing on a roof? Can I. If we're still pre-initiative, I'd like to cast bless on the whole gang. Absolutely. So right before you are--third level. Yeah. What does that do? Just as you guys are kind of arriving. Add a d4. On everyone? Everybody. Third level, there's me, everybody. Attack rolls or saving throws. One time or...? How. Long? It's until I lose concentration ends. D4, okay, cool. Un minuto. Thanks baby. Yeah, you. Got it. Alright. Cool. So there's a figure on the roof, but that's not a frost giant, it's. Different. No, it appears to be humanoid. Yeah, they appear to be humanoid from, it's kind of of hard to tell. They're kind of silhouetted by the light. But from this vantage point you can see them beginning to reach back to draw an arrow from a quiver. Are they facing the frost giants? Okay. Oh so they're. On our side. Or are they facing us? They're. Facing the frost giants? Cool. Accepting. Yeah. So... Is Brim with us? Brim when you guys wake up is not there? Oh, man. Okay. I wouldn't even noticed on the way out the door. We're. Not. Kind of. In the back of our mind for a long time. As we're running I put my hood up. Cool. Nice. Alright, sounds good. You guys arrive at the sort of battle, you guys are up in this northwest corner here as you can see. Is this kind of approximately how you guys would guys kind of run whatever? I generally assume Thessally is somewhere in the middle of everybody because you're trying to keep people close. I would very purposefully get to the left side of Thessally like over there. And I can switch with. Yeah, would've. Probably been closer to Ceallach. Yeah. Okay. I think Olma is faster, right than everybody except for. Maybe Seeker. I think the. Only thing that I would do is I would be running towards the closest threat. So as soon as I saw something that looks like a threat, that's going to be the. I'm kind of. Put you and Olma side by. Side up front there. Sure. Awesome. Alright. And as we get, as you guys kind of arrive on the scene, you see three sort of winter wolves that are very clearly in the process of going after these townsfolk. You can see a few of them here kind of right in front of you. This guy's running away from you guys or running towards you guys rather. And over here you can see what appears to be a couple kind shepherding livestock away. Over here you can see another creature running away. Down here on the far side of the map you can see what appears to be a man wielding. He has a big hammer in his hand and he is sort of standing between himself between. This wolf. And what appears to be a child. Behind him. Okay. Okay. Alright. And Flynn, you were the first to act as initiative comes up. Yeah. If you could zoom out just a little bit so I could see where, yeah, yeah. Can you see. You're up here if you can see that. Oh, I see. Okay, cool. Yeah, I'm not getting to that guy with a hammer in a minute. I'm going to run up to the first thread. So I'm guessing it's that wolf in front of us as I'm running, I'm holding the contract still and I kind of look down at it really wanting to use it, but I don't have time so I just kind of stuff it in my shirt. Can. We see that he's got. Paper or is it not? It's in your hand. I'm just running. With a piece of paper in my hand. You take that however you want. Yeah. Yeah, I mean I don't know that I would've any idea, but. It looks like a big roll of parchment kind of. It's probably about that big. It's bigger than that actually is, but especially in Flynn's hand. But. I'll just look at it and be like, ah. And I'll stuff it in my shirt and I'll look to my hand. I will attempt, I don't know if it's what's going to happen, but I will start to summon some magic, push it into my sword hand and force more magic into it to summon a shadow blade. Okay, cool. And. I'll push that in and then the blade kind of comes alight and that form and I will come in and attack. this wolf. Awesome. As you summon the shadow blade, you guys see or you see the shadow blade appears, but there's a slight difference to the shape. It looks more jagged, more wicked for lack of a better term, but the sword drops into your hand and it looks more solid like more solid. Okay. Lemme see really quick go in first on the. Attacks. You also would notice just from the bless that would just have the faintest shimmer of if you were to look at a piece of paper that had completely burned and just that little line of red that would be traced along in amber, that's also tracing. Just wherever you are putting your focus in that moment, you see just that outline of. Cinder. Dope. That's awesome. I love that for bless. It's. Awesome. Okay. Yeah, I'm going to go in for some attacks. So that was my bonus action. I'll go in for two attacks. Go for it. Lemme just bring this up and I'm just going to cast it at, I'll just do a regular one. You know what. I'm bouncing. I'm going to do it third level. Alright, third level, third level shadow blade. Spice it up! A roll. So I'm going to attack. Yep. Spicy. That is 17. 17 Hit hits. Go ahead and roll some damage for me. Oh sorry. I'm 18 but yeah. Okay. Okay. Alright. That is this dice. Right here. The three. Okay, put this plus this, roll, one. Okay, so 9, 15, hold on. 15 Plus plus... So 15 plus 8. 23, 23 points of damage. Amazing. Do you need separation? No. I'm on these. So that's the first attack. I'll come in with a second one. Natural twenty! Let's freakin' go dude. That's right. That's a good dream. I love it. Dream. Great dream. So that's 3d8 plus a d6 . It's. 24 plus 8. It's 32 plus 3d8. So go ahead and roll 3d8 for me. And a d6 for my weapon. It's an actual or no? No. You don't add the weapon. Subtract, do I add the weapon? No, the shadow blade is the weapon. It's just the 3d8, it's then actually subtract six from that first attack. Okay, so 3d8 fucking what? A 15. 15. Did you already add the eight, 40? Shit. 40 points of damage from the crit. Loving. It. How's it looking? Horrible. I will action surge as I kind of like. Oh my god. And I'll get two more attacks. Alright, go for it. 20 total, 20. Hits. Go ahead and. Roll damage for me. Okay, not the d6 it's this. Okay, so that is, it's cocked. Okay. 5, 6, 10, 18 points. 18 Points. How does this fucking wolf die? Blade through , just up through the throat. Awesome. So you come up, you sort of reach out to that magic and as you do, you kind of see the tattoos, these lines around them just faintly shift as the sword drops in your hand and then with three quick strikes, you hear the wolf (whimper) and you fucking sink the blade into it and you see the giant that's in the center (guttural yell). I look up at it and sort of turns its body towards you as this wolf falls dead to the ground. Do I have any more movement? I. Think twenty-five. Yeah, that was only. 15 Feet of movement. So I'll use the rest of my movement to move towards the next closest. Threat. Okay. Five. Oh geez. Get out of here pop up. 5, 10, 15. Alright, you kind of close in on this frost giant over here. I have. 25. 25. Oh shoot. He's a little. Man, little guy. Alright cool. And then I'll just stare up at the giants, the one in the center that's closest to me. Stare up at him or them. Cool. Awesome. That is going to end Flynn's turn and that winter wolf is dead. So that brings us to Olma. Ha. So, I, that thing in the center. That is one of the frost giants? Looks like it. Okay. I am going to run 40 feet on the other side of Flynn and his fight with the----Above him kind of up here? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Away from the flames. Away from the flames. 40 feet. 20, 25, 30, 35. 40, 40. We'll get you right there. Is that about where you want to be? Yeah. Okay cool. And then I'm going to, use a bonus action... and some sorcery points. Alright, I'm going to use a meta magic. I want to cast Quickened Spell. So when I cast this using this a spell that has one action becomes a bonus action. Correct. Yes. What spell we got coming at us? I am going to cast. Sorry. You're good. You guys just leveled up. You got some new spell? I know. New toy. New toy. What do I. Do with my hands? What do I do with my hands? What are all these crazy words? What's going. On? I'm going to try to catch sickening radiance. I know they probably have a really high-- Oh shit. Alright.--Con. So that is a sphere. It is a sphere, yes. A 30 foot sphere and I'm going to cast it at the one in the center. What's the radius again on sickening radiance? Like how far I can. Cast it? No. Huge. Isn't it like a 20? Isn't it like a 30 foot radius? It's a 30 foot radius. Yeah. Damn! That's big. So when I try and cast it on all of them. Yeah. See. I think. If not, I definitely want the one in front of me. Yep. A little bit bigger than that even. Oh my gourd, that is, oh my lord. That is a sickening radius. Yes, that is a sickening radiance. All right. I think that's thinning. That's about our 30 foot radius. So. I think mine it would be a little bit because I don't know, would the giant be within that? Oh yeah. Okay. So right. If you put it right there, you can get all of them or you could put it more centered on the giants and get kind of there. What are you thinking? Let's do it more centered on the giants. Okay. And then you can get, I'll let you do like that basically. Yes. Cool. Yeah, if a creature is in any square that is touched by the area of effect, they're considered in the effect. Okay. So you can get. So what do you need from me? Some con saves I. Think, and saves and basically any creature that starts their turn in there and it gives off a green, I believe, yeah, there's light spread. Yeah. I don't think they save until they start their turn. Oh okay. So at the start of their turns they make this save. Correct? Yeah, at the start of their turn. Amazing. What does this look like? Has Olma ever cast this before? Oh yeah. Yeah. It's a green, it's a green like dome. It's a green dim, like It kind of pulsates with a green shimmer. But we've definitely seen it before. People know it's not a fun place to be. They don't want to be there. Because. We did this, we did this on the. Mind flayer. On mind flayer for a blip. But then also--the portal, right? At the portal on the peak of the mountain. On. The mountain. So this sort of radiant this sickly green dame kind of like(voom) and comes down and encompasses the giants. So that is my bonus. Bonus action. Action. Quickened Spell, and then I am going to, you use my, well let me roll a d20 for my wild magic. Yeah. 15 That succeeds. Okay. And then I'm going to cast a chaos bolt at the one in front of me. So unfortunately, so because you cast a leveled spell, even if it is a bonus action, you can still only use your action to cast a can trip because the rules of spell casting. Yeah. I'm going to you a firebolt want to use? Yeah, I'm going to use a firebolt, which I do have. Go. Ahead and. Roll an attack for me. Right across probably won't do anything. You gather these as they get close. Yeah, they are very clearly blue skin, white hair, very clearly frost giants. So I add a d4 to this, right? Correct. From bless. There. They're we are. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24 hits. Hits definitely hits. Yeah. Nice. Thanks. Okay. 3d10. One, two. You never use d10s. They're awesome. Okay. It's not great. It's only eight. Points of. Fire damage. Alright, so yeah, the sort of green dome comes down and then this sort of bolt of fire goes and smashes into this giant kind of at the center of all of this and they're gaze rocks and then they start scanning looking to see the direction where it came from but don't see what the apparent source is. Yeah. That brings us to the end of Olma's turn and brings us down to the frost giant at the bottom. Who immediately makes a constitution saving throw because of sickening radiance. He gets a 17? Meets it beats it. Dang. Alright, so you see this sort of green energy kind of go into him and-- Wait something might still happen? Oh let me see. Yeah, it. Might not, the radiance, is there a half? It might be like you get half damage. One second. I don't think so. One second. He's going to as he backs away. Yeah, we've seen it before so we know it's not good to go in there. I think's what you said, do we know what it does to them? Yeah, I think we have an idea. I think we know that it's a bad place to be so we don't want to go there. She used it on the mountaintop. And on the mind flayer. Nothing. Happens. All. Right. And he can't quite get there I think. Oh. And he just not get to you. Is. It difficult terrain when you go through it or no? Sickening radiance? No. It's not. Just upsets your tummy. And you also. You suffer exhaustion. It's so strong. It's a great spell for yeah. You. Take exhaustion? Yeah. If you, it gives you you point of exhaustion every time you're in there and you fail. Wow. If he stays in there, he could in there. Yeah, if he stays in there he might. He's going to. Run. I think he can get there was that. I think he can get there? A stride. He's got. 40 Feet of movement so yeah. Okay. Right. Was he there? I, two steps? I don't think he was. So I'm going to say he can't quite get to you Flynn. But on the way this creature reaches down and his fingers crush into the pavement and reaches, he pulls like a rock out of the ground and hucks it at you. Technically on touching the sphere or not. Anymore there? No, he skirts around the edge of it. Got it. Because it's visible. Yeah? Yeah, it's visible. So yeah, he stays outside of the edge and kind just he smashes through the front porch of this house. Doesn't give a answer but he's going to fling a rock at you, natural one. Yay. Cool. Alright, so that is all he can do because he can't throw two rocks. Yay. Nice. Then. After the frost giant's turn he hammers you with that rock or misses you with that rock. So yeah, he is it and you just watch it sail by and it's like the size of a manhole cover as it comes hurtling at you, but you nimbly dodge to the side and then you see from atop the roof across the way, you see this figure reach up and pull a quiver from or pull a arrow rather from the quiver on its back. And he is going to shoot two arrows at the frost giant in the middle. So first attack, damn, that's a 25 to hit. Nice. And the second arrow is a 15 to hit, which let's see here, does that get them? The second arrow misses. But they're going to use their first archer's eye to add a d10 to the first damage roll and then their second archer's eye to add a d10 to the attack roll of the second. Okay. That's pretty cool. Cool. Love that. Love that for them. Nine plus eight--glad they're on our side--17 points of first shot. Geez. And then what is it? You remember. 10 points of piercing on the second shot and that is going to be their turn as this creature sort of shoots these arrows at it. You can see kind of as they turn to acquire their target, you can see the vague outline of what appears to be a very tall human male. You see a big pleated beard, long hair, but that's about all you guys can see in the dark. And that brings us to the frost giant wolf lord. Okay. No! I disagree. Go away! Probably disagree. No. Oh man, I. Forgot about a thing. Okay. Does it have to roll something? He has to roll a con save. Yes. Does have to roll a con save. Cool. I forgot about a thing. So before that happens, if I'm sorry they're going to. It's a giant rolling a con save. Like come on. Yeah, they're going to roll their con save. Do. Hey you never know. That's 28. They do have, this one has very good con. So stupid. You're not! Constantly--I bless on all my attacks--just lucky I would've. Reminded you. Okay, good. 10 and you killed their wolf. Yeah. So yeah, you're going to get wrecked. So you see the Wolf. Lord has some. Opinions about. Yeah, it's going to. Hurt. Actually with their bonus action. You see as they, and you see this sort of swirling frost like energy curl around you as they cast hunter's mark on you. Okay, I don't like that they're going to Yeah, whack the hell out of you. Go for it. Natural 20. No. I use my reaction. Yeah. If I'm within 30 feet of this, which. I believe I am. I love this. Let's find out right now you are 40 feet. You are, are you're 40 feet away. Can't do it. I'm guessing the total is higher than 25. It is 29 is the total I'm going to eat. Alright, you are eating battleaxe. That is 32 points. Slashing damage,, tastes bad and oh plus the d6 from hunter's mark plus an, so 35 is that roll there? Three roll of d8 was a d6. So it's an additional d6 damage. Okay. So you take 35 points of slashing damage from the first battleaxe strike and then from the second battle ax strike, they're going to try to hit you one more time. So__. Was that the. Automatic, with the crit? Was it with the crit? Yeah, that's with the, oh I forgot. Sorry. Hang on. Yeah, because this gonna be a real crit. We could have stayed quiet. One, sorry. 3, 24. I appreciate that you didn't, I really appreciate that. Do it. It didn't sound like it. No, we take those crits so it's going to hurt. It's going to. Really hurt. I know. Nine points on top total. That's total. Oh, 35 plus because it's 3d8 plus five is their base. So it's 3d8, three times eight is 24 plus five is 29 and then they roll their normal damage. Oh. Which is. 35. Yeah. So you got to-- No, the 35 was doubling with the crit, with regular. So it's, I'm sorry, it's not 49. It is 44. I don't add the modifier twice. I was subtracting as you were going. So how much more do I need to remove? So your total is the total damage you took. So from full health I should just go full health. Just go full health and you took 44 points of damage from the crit. 44 second swing. Giant. Giant crits suck. For. The first swing. For their second swing. They're going to come down one more time with the battle out. That is a 19 to hit or a total. Oh wait, a 19 total 19 total. Miss. Miss, miss. Awesome miss. Yeah. So this first one hammers into you and you feel it like you try to dance back and the tip comes down and slashes full down the front of you. And then the second axe comes down to you like dodge out of the way of the second strike that is going to end the frost giant wolf lord's turn and bring us to Seeker. Oh my. And then Thessally, you're on deck. So much. Yep. So much has happened in front of mine eyes. Are they 40? Are they within? I don't think they're within 40. They're definitely not within 20 feet of each other. Are they one two...? I don't think. So. Hang on though. Sorry. It's. Kind of hard to tell the squares bouncing all. These two, they. Look within 20 feet. Oh yeah, they're within 20 feet of each other. Five, 10. They're within 15 of each other. Okay. So I'm going to grab some sand out of the pouch on my waist and I'm going to throw it up in the air and say, and it is, I'm casting fairy fire. Okay. And. Going to hit, probably going to hit Flynn. So I may actually need to move up a little bit because I think I could probably catch them and miss Flynn. Yeah, you can place it behind. I have, I just need 60 feet, 60 foot range. Yeah. Okay. And it's a 20 foot cube, right? It's a 20 foot. Cube. Yeah. You can place it behind them and make it so that the corners, because they're huge and Flynn is so. Small, so tiny. So you can place it. It's helping you. You can place it it on so that it lands on them but not Flynn because that trajectory works. Yeah. So then it'll, do I get to choose the color? If they... Yeah. What. Does it look like if they, is it a. Dex save when it appears? It's a dex save. Yeah. Let me double check. Alright. 16. Giants not great on dex though. Well they're not dexy, they look dexy. 8 For the frost giant wolf lord. Oh. Buddy. Oh wow. 18 for the normal frost giant. They rolled very, very well. Straight luck. Yeah, very much so. The frost giant wolf lord though is fairy fired. And. That's the one right in. Front, right in front of Flynn. I'm going to put a little purple marker on them so I. Remember. Yeah, remember. So the sand. Yeah. What does that look like? Coalesce around them and there's a purple shimmering plasma around them and I will, I'm just going to yell out. Thess. It had to be wolves, huh? Had to be wolves. I got your left. And I just give you a nod. Cool. Awesome. So action cast fairy fire. Anything else with your turn Seeker? How far Flynn is? Actually I'm going to see if I can... Yeah, as you run forward you stare, you end up right in front of this terrified townsperson like trying to run away. Yeah, get out of here. Cool. No, that'll be it for this turn. Okay. That's it. I'm going to stay there. That brings us to the end of Seeker's turn. And the frost wolf lord is going to use a legendary to command. Wolf. Sorry, quick, Seth the wolf Lord. That's the one I got very fired. And that's Did it work? It did. Oh yeah, they're fair. Oh is that, that's the one that just hit Flynn. Yes. Correct. Okay. I don't like that one. Perfect. So yeah, they failed. They just hit Flynn. They're enshrouded in this purple enemy and you hear them utter this deep guttural sort of command and you see the giant points at the townsfolk and both the wolves immediately use their reactions. They move in. Oh the wolves. Oh wow. It's not the start of its turn using its reaction to get it out. No! Sorry Olma. That's very, I didn't realize, realize, realize that. But that is, and. I didn't use my fucking reaction. It's a, so it was totally a waste. If you can get them back in a general action. That allows 'em to use. It's a legendary reaction and it allows the wolf to use their reactions. It's not the start of their turn. Yeah, they don't. That's on the books man. Yeah, no it's fine. Alright. And they move in and the wolves are going to try to savage the townspeople. Miss! The first attack from the first wolf is a bite attack on the guy up top 23. No fine. You see as the wolf just bites down into this somewhat elderly man as they're trying to shuffle their livestock away and just the wolf and savages him. No. And then the wolf on the southern and moves in on the man with the hammer who was standing in front of that kid. Down there. The kid. Oh. Yeah. God. It's the guy. It's the guy with a 19 to hit. Yeah, it's a. 19 To hit. 19. Yeah, same. He is savaged. No! And that is going to end the wolf's reactions. Thessally it is your turn. Okay. Uh oh. Okay, okay, okay, okay. Okay. What was the word? Vengeance. How far away am I from the wolf? That just ripped an old man in half? You are, lemme see here you are. There's a kid there, right? Yeah. Kid. But they're so far. You're 105 feet. Oh, actually a 100 feet gets you adjacent. My! A hundred feet gets me adjacent. Okay. To the wolf who got the old man. Can we see through the cloud of stuff? You can see him. It's just him. We can see that happening over there on the other side. Okay. It's not like a barrier. It's not. A barrier. It's not. No. Okay. It's bullshit. Sorry. Yeah, I love it. It's bullshit. What do we think of that? Okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It's right. I can't get to them and that's what's. Messing with me. So yeah, but I'm going to do it anyway. I am going to go ahead and cast haste on myself. Awesome. We love the haste. The little wings go out at my feet and I am then going to use my extra action that I get to dash towards the wolf that just rent an old man. Okay, cool. With your movement is also doubled. So you have 120 feet of movement. Oh I can't do math! So you, because your haste doubles your movement to 60 and then with the action dash you get 120 feet of movement. Then I would just-- So you could get to the wolf down south. Can I get to the wolf that's going to get the child? Yeah you can actually get weirdly enough they're the same distance away from you. Ok. Ok. Ok. Silly math. I'm going to book it. Nice. And I'm going to get to the wolf with the child. That is fleeing. Yeah. You can all get all the way down and interpose yourself. Between you--please--okay. That's what I want to do. That's 115 feet of movement to get there. So you use your action to cast haste. Yes. Your hasted action to dash down there and you, what does this look like? That is a freaking run. And what does this whole little sequence look like? So when I cast a spell, my hands go straight to my chest and then there's this silver shimmer that goes over my entire body. The little wings go out of my ankles and it's almost like I am moving through starlight as I sort of extra quickly beam it across the square. The sickening radius had to part a second. Seeker's like, I'm on your left. Oh nevermind. Ready? Oh goodbye. Okay. Sorry. Remember last time! I learned my lesson! And so then theoretically I have a bonus action. You have like a bonus bad dog? I'm just, okay. That's what I'm going to do. I can't actually attack it, but I'm interposing myself and then I am going to reach my hand out and cast vow of enmity on that. Wolf. Alright, awesome. It is marked. It is marked and a little like a draconic face flashes over it so that I-- Oh yeah.--Can kick its ass. Next turn. Dope. Alright, that's. My turn. I'm. Going to, that's awesome. Awesome. Turn at the end of your turn. Another, they're going to use two legendary actions to attack you once more. Flynn. Oh. Geez. You killed his buddy. Yeah. Oh fuck man. This is going to hurt to hit. No joke. Awesome. Once again, the axe falls down ends legendary actions. That's all the legendary actions with giant wolf lord. No, he has two to get one. She actually has to spend two to get Yeah. As the form is now up close, you recognize. Yeah. This form actually has feminine features and okay, we're good. And that is going to end its legendary actions. Thessally's turn is done. Correct. That was everything. Yeah, that was everything I could. Do. Amazing. Brings us to winter wolf, who is going to...Initiative. Is just ruining my day. Come on, man. One that hates the. Guy. Well they both hate guys. What is this thing going to do? Thessally pick odds or evens for me please. Evens! Coming after you. Cool. All right. It's only right. Just kidding. 10, 15, 20, 25. Do it. What's their speed? I think that's 50, 50 feet movement. It can't quite get to you and you're not in range. So it uses its action to close the distance and dash, Yeah. Ceallach, it is your turn. Okay. A lot has changed. Yeah, no kidding. Okay. Okay. So the people that have been killed are in. Pieces. Correct? No, they were bit and savage but they're not torn apart. Your you are a combat medic. These people are saveable. No way. Okay. Okay. That changes everything. I mean it happens so quick but you in that moment when life hangs on, you've got that space between and you know that. Okay, okay. Okay. Good to know. Okay, so in that case, I'm going to run toward this guy that I'm going to run toward the older gentleman who was attacked first. I'm going to go my full 30 feet of movement. Okay. That gets you next to Seeker and also next to the guy who Seeker is in front of. You can get to right there. This map is huge. I did not realize. Not very far. Okay. Huge. I am going to, one second. You are currently from that guy. You are 95 feet away. That's okay. Yeah. So better this than, yep. That's the only way. Okay. Yeah. Got it. Okay. So for... spell, yeah, for my action, I'm going to look over to Flynn who I recognize the damages taken and I'm just going to give him a wary glance and I'm going to.(Incantation spoken). Use my channel divinity to path to the grave to cast, path to the grave on Lordess. Nice. Awesome. Okay, so the next, there's no save. Wait, sorry. There is a save----For the path to the grave? No there's not. No there's not. I was looking to turn it dead. So yeah, the next time you see around it, these lines start to tear in the veil between our plane and the high mountain and you can see these blue specks flying out and exploding and they're flowing out like a gust of air. And you can see that they're forming around this thing and kind of looking for the places where its armor is weak, where it has vulnerabilities, it's. Vulnerable. To the next damage it takes. So into the purple sheen of Seeker's fairy fire around it. These blue elements start to settle in and Flynn, you see the gaps in the armor, the weak points as Ceallach directs you to strike. Then for my bonus action I will burn a divine ember as I throw my hand forward and you can see the fresh bandage starts to peel away as pieces of my skin catch fire. And I will use a divine ember to extend the range of my healing word and I will cast healing word on the old man. Yes. And from the ground you see. As the sort of wounds. Like the embers sort of settle of your healing magic sort of settle into the teeth puncture marks and you see the sort of breath of life come back to this older man. He gets 9 HP. Awesome. Alright. He is at full. Commoner. But alright. I feel better than I've ever. Felt. And despite the din of combat, I will run cool to this man. Awesome, awesome. There's a moment where as you say that the old man sort of rolls over and sees you and you see that moment of dead and then and that is going to end Ceallach's turn. Yes. Alright, excellent. That's all I got. And Thessally one of these winter wolves is coming for you. Do it. So they do have advantage from pack tactics as they are right next to one another and they are going to try to bite you. So that is a 24 to hit? Yeah. Alright, that is going to be 9 points of piercing damage. And I need you to make a strength saving throw for you please. I like strength saving throw. Okay, see, okay, this is why I don't roll this way. This is why I don't toss it because then I do that. Whatever lets you. Sleep at night. 13. As the creature's sort of giant head sinks into your shoulder, you feel yourself pulled to the ground as you are knocked prone by its bite attack. But that is going to end its turn. And that brings us to the towns peoples' initiative. The older gentleman, you see him lock eyes with you and then stand up and he and his wife are going to use their actions to dash moving. 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, run. Away. 35 Is about as far as they can get because he, without leaving him behind because he had to use half his movements to get up. Thessally the child behind you just sort of in a moment looks at you and looks down at the figure on the ground and appears to be not capable of moving at the moment. Can I yell at her?

Yes, you can: 2:13:27

Run! And she turns and books. 5, 10. I got your papa. 25, 35, 40. And she is also out of harm's way at least for the time. Thank everything. The gentleman in front of you. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Yeah, off the map. Nice, nice, nice. Good, good, good. And you can see is the townspeople that were here flee. Is there one more north? Yes. Sorry, I forgot about this one. Yeah, this one moves 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 35, 40, 45, 5, 60 and almost makes it, this younger person catches up with the older couple and begins to help them push their livestock away as well. And that is going to finish the first round. And because I know we are running a little bit behind, we are going to go ahead and pick up there. No, I know I don't. I promise. I promise you'll be fine. Okay guys, thank you all. I don't believe you. Hey, the downs people are off the map. That's all. That's good. We got there. There is time. Thank you all so much for watching. We appreciate you very much and yeah, thanks for watching. See you next time. Bye, nerds. Bye nerds! Awesome. Hey nerds. Seth here. If you're enjoying VentureForth, please, please like, follow and subscribe on whatever platform you're using and make sure to tell all your friends, all of them, like every one of 'em. If you're interested in going the extra mile, of course you can check out our Patreon. The link is always in our description. You can support the show there. We are so grateful for our patrons, we wouldn't be able to do this without them. And if you're interested in becoming one and helping us do the thing, then you can head on over there and of course you get access to some really cool bonus exclusive content that is only available to our patrons. So anywho, check it out. Thank you so much. Bye, nerds!