C3 E121 A New Age Begins Part 2

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We are so excited to share with you our brand new podcast from the world of Xandria, the Re-Slayer's Take.

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Hello, spellcasters, sages, and spectators.

I'm Ashley Johnson, and you're listening to the Critical Role Podcast Network.

Tap into our magical narrative by watching Critical Role as it airs on Thursdays at 7 p.m.

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And now, let's scry into the story and see what mysteries it holds for us, shall we?

And welcome back.

Of course, up atop you'll notice, a little different from where we left off.

If you saw the video at break, this was shot in chunks, because halfway through our actual finale filming, we had the winds and fire hit in a state of emergency, and we had to stop.

So, we're picking this up a ways after when it's safe and everyone can reconvene.

So, nevertheless.

We come into a dark, shadowy realm.

A place where distant glimmers of floating golden threads drift from an invisible wind.

And there, amongst and a little bit above, the ever-undulating flow of deep crimson that marks this platformed liminal space, a figure suddenly arises in a swirling swath of black feathers.

Well,

Vaxel then, if I could have you return to the table, please.

The brief gift,

filled with

more distant than maybe you were hoping for,

in

your night in Whitestone, was both filling

and hard.

slipping away faster than you had hoped

both in time and in

maybe

brief connection.

And before you could even truly grasp what that could be or could have been,

here you are plucked from it,

your eyes refocusing in the familiar dark plane of your matron.

And there as your cloak unfurls and falls to a calm stance,

you look up to the familiar white porcelain mask of the Matron of Ravens.

Welcome back.

I am ever at your call.

Indeed.

Times are

mutable as of late.

More so than

perhaps I could have seen, but maybe that's the point.

For even the matron herself may have a thread of her own beyond her vision.

There was always a wake that I could not peer past.

And in this moment I stand at the top of that wall

and look down into a future of possibility

frightful and exciting

she raises a hand and emerging from the shadow to your right

another figure One you've had a distant awareness of

but one of unexpected arrival here in the Matron's realm.

In a familiar flutter of dark feathers, you see

a pale lagomorph

in dark armors.

Morgan, if you wouldn't mind coming to the table, please.

Morgan, you

who were taken as a chosen of the matron in recent times here in the crux of this great, terrible,

intense climb to an unknown answer.

You were brought to the front lines and then pulled aside a new, unclear path of guidance by the goddess of death and transition.

And here, in the midst of its throes and the end of the conflict that you were so hoping to be present and part of,

you are plucked and brought here.

And to your side,

you see, truly for the first time in person,

a figure you've heard quite a bit about:

the champion of the Matron, Vaxelan.

Wow,

Vaxel Dan.

I'm Morgan.

It's nice to meet you.

I have seen you from afar.

I've seen you as well, you.

You've been like a fine mist

marking ahead of my path for the last few weeks.

I think that Vax

has spent what feels like a samorphous amount of time,

which is stretched and

hard to really calculate the length of.

And all that time in this liminal space, it has been the Matron and he.

And he's not sure if it is

the

tumult

back on Xandria.

Or some other reason, he cannot can

that

for the first time,

the Matron has brought another here.

But

he's learned it's better to

listen

rather than ask

aimless questions.

In this moment of

tense,

perhaps even mildly confused eye contact,

you both feel a shift, and as you glance back towards the matron, her form encompassing the majority of the space of your vision, she is immense.

This is her realm.

This is her.

And in that brief moment of perspective, you feel so small, but still

embraced, still protected, like children held in the arms of a mother.

As you hear her voice now echo through your minds, through your very souls.

Today is a strange day,

but one that will keep me

and the rest of the gods of Xandria safe.

For we step beyond a boundary we had not thought possible,

though some of us had briefly walked it once before.

Perdathos is loose.

The God Eater seeks our end.

So

we will no longer be gods

with the aid

of some

clever mortal upstarts

I've reforged the right of ascension

and in this singular

carefully stretched moment of time before I cross that threshold

We've all agreed to join the cycle of mortal rebirth and abscond

from the scent of the red end.

But will you be okay?

Are you gonna be okay?

I believe so.

Though for a time it shall be

different.

With this right I have bound us to this realm of Xandria.

Not unlike how the Creans Luxen binds their souls to their great relic.

And so,

in but a moment, he will be gone.

Reborn somewhere in this world.

Where will I find you?

You'll need us at your side at all times.

You're gonna be very vulnerable.

Well,

the role of the champion has never been more important to the sanctity and future of Xandria.

Once only mantles granted in times of crisis,

now a role eternally entwined with the coming age.

Each piece of ourselves carved away and given autonomy.

A fragment of us that can stay behind.

And when you are gone,

the wheel of life and death

will continue to turn.

Her arm reaches out over Morrigan and grasps her.

Indeed.

You

and the rest that will join you.

And as her hands clasp over you, you feel this cold shake into your very person, this uncontrollable shudder as the darkness completely takes you in.

But it's welcoming, as much as it is frightening.

Like a momentary return to a womb you'd forgotten, you see a flash behind your closed eyelids of the great golden skein of fate.

And for a brief moment, you see

across hundreds of thousands of gossamer threads.

You see beyond the true realm of death, and you feel the pain, the peace,

the welcoming joy

of every moment's end.

And then as her fingers pull back,

you

are the same but different.

You can feel your heartbeats slow.

You feel the leathers you wore themselves now given exaggeration and purpose.

As the matron says,

Where once there was one,

there is now two.

She places you back onto the ground.

And there may be more to come.

You are now the guardians of our realm.

and our faith while we are gone.

While we are born and grow.

Until you find us, each and every cycle.

I think

Morgan is just so excited to have a clear direction, finally.

After all this time, weeks.

It's just been stop, start, stop, start.

And I've been held back by the Matron.

And I didn't really understand why.

I thought it was some lack that I had on my end, that I wasn't strong enough, you know.

This is

all I want.

I promise I will find you and I will defend you with my life.

You are now joined.

The Vaxildan has wardened my realm,

Like a real champion.

Wow.

A shared mantle.

To escort the souls of those who pass through it.

You are to endure long past your years.

Age suspended within feather and shadow.

For many you will be fear.

For many you will be hope.

For many more you will be a peaceful end.

You will both be my face when I cannot be.

And she pulls her mask free,

revealing the

beautiful if sorrowful human face that she once wore from her mortal days.

One you've not witnessed and one you've not witnessed in some time

and you can see it wet with streaks of black tears

I've grown very accustomed to our time here

I'm

wondering what to do

to pass the time in your absence

Baxel Danai sweet shadow she steps forward and as she steps her

her full size and scale seems to almost shift in a blink until she is your size.

Maybe even a little shorter.

And she reaches up and her long, dark fingers kind of curl across your cheek and kind of touch the edge of your ear.

Her face does not smile, but you feel it.

You

are tasked to walk Axandria

as my symbol

to seek me out,

wherever and however I may return, and aid in restoring the skein of fate in my mortal ascendance.

But now you are not alone, sweet champion,

and the others of our faith will also be

at your beckon call.

And once I am found,

may we all greet this new age

with renewed perspective

and perhaps

some clarity on what fate now demands of us all.

How will I know it's you?

You could come back as anyone?

Theoretically.

Like a dog or...

a monkey, like anything?

How will I know?

I believe we are bound to the

mortal races that we ourselves have been shepherding.

But there may be a few abnormalities given the short time I had to construct this.

It's odd to hear a slight chuckle creep from her grin.

A grin that once again is felt but not seen on her face.

I guess we shall see.

You are at peace with this change.

I am.

I'll be lying if I

didn't express elements of my mortal life that I've grown to miss.

While also excited to see those who came before me to truly understand the beauty of that which they have

protected, manipulated,

and ultimately shepherded all this time.

I dare say I might be scared

and accelerated.

Then the threats will hold.

They have to

they have to.

And her voice kind of rings and echoes through the chamber.

And as her voice rings out, you hear this like resonant

vibration of almost hundreds, thousands of these strings vibrating like some sort of an odd, discordant instrument before it all comes to silence once more.

You have been so loyal, sweet Raven.

Given so much as the paths of fate have demanded of you.

But now

you do not walk alone.

and as you search for me

you will set foot across familiar and unfamiliar lands

in your realm

I wish that you would allow your burdens be

carried

and I wish you

to take some time

through this new strange age

to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

She watches that sink and sink in.

I hope you will afford yourself the same

in your next life.

We shall see.

Whatever it brings,

the passions,

the joys,

the sadness, the pain,

want it all.

And much of it I deserve.

I still have faith in all you've safeguarded.

All this time.

We have much to do.

Yes.

She steps forward and places her hand on your chest.

And you feel this warmth kind of surge through your torso just a little wave of

and you watch as the faintest bit of color returns to the pale cheeks of Axel Dan

you feel what was long a still and silent heartbeat

beat for the first time

in decades

Take a fabric of your life back.

There is more

than your duty now.

You've shown me your true,

loyal self.

But you are loyal to many.

And I've held you as my own greedily for too long.

His face holds stoic, but his eyes

glisten for the first time in many an age.

Come find me.

And in the times where you need to rest,

where you need to lean,

go to them.

Go to her.

Listen,

I know we don't know each other very well, but I find myself very unencumbered and very hungry.

For just about anything, honestly.

So I can help you.

I think we're going to get along well.

I think so too.

I think we'll be friends.

My sweet champions,

I'll see you again.

And this moment, it's almost like you go to open your mouth and everything's frozen.

This stillness

as she steps back into the shadow

and darkness takes you both.

Now, if I can have you both please leave the table.

Yes.

And if we can go ahead and bring Deanna in here, if you don't mind.

Thank you both.

There she is.

I got lost on the way in.

That happens.

No worries.

Hi.

Hi.

So,

Deanna.

In the chaos of recent times, you and Frida trekking through the lengths and breadths of what you have access to in Baselheim and beyond to try and make sense and offer what aid as you can to this ever-growing climax of tension, fear, and conflict.

It is here in the middle of Vaselheim that you amongst many witnessed something that none expected.

But the matron stepping here and the shattering of the divine gate.

In moments of absolute still panic that is palpable across the population,

light takes your vision

and you feel yourself plucked and pulled to a realm, a familiar, bright realm of warm light.

As this brief moment seems to pull,

and there, the flickering, burning, bright visage of a Don Father upon his throne, surrounded by endless starlight, leans forward, the welcome heat washing over you as he leans in.

You feel that

paternal

distance fade and the warmth wash over you,

Diana.

Are you okay?

I know.

I know I'm supposed to be mad, and I

we didn't leave on great terms, but

are you okay?

We are all

fine.

That's good.

We have

discussed

and agreed to a unique

means of ending all of this sorrow.

What do you mean?

Ending.

We are to join you in the cycle of mortality.

And leave Perdathos to starve in the stars where it belongs.

But as such...

We will be leaving you for a time.

I will be leaving you.

But we will be back.

In faces you may not recognize.

And there will be a time in which the world will be without our guidance.

I want to step forward and close the distance between us.

There's.

There's something about him

that always has commanded such distance and reverence in that looking up and looking away.

But if he's going to reclaim or claim for the first time mortality and what that means,

I think I just don't want him to feel alone

while he does it.

You step towards him and the heat is intense.

At a certain threshold, that distance is given physicality, even in this

prayer-like vision space.

You push through it, and where the pain would begin to take over, you...

you notice there is no ignition.

There's just a burning sensation that becomes a renewed renewed

warmth,

like a hot spring.

And as you look at your hand and look back at what's this massive armored figure, you see

maybe a seven-foot figure of burning head standing there before you.

The heavy sound of metals clacking onto the ground as armor falls away, leaving there standing

slightly less oppressively bright,

but a burning figure in simple robes

looking at you,

head slightly cocked with confusion.

Come here, bring it in.

Come on, all the way down.

You could have made me tall.

It's your vision.

The Dawn Father steps forward

and

kneels down,

placing his arms around you.

And it is that unique overlapping of

a sensation of heat that should hurt, but it just feels

comforting.

You feel the flicker of the flame and the intense vibration of the energy that he emits as the guardian of light and life and day.

And in this moment, you just hear him sigh into your ear.

Yeah.

I'm sorry for my distance.

Me too.

I don't blame you for any of it.

Oh, this is weird.

There's something about being a parent.

You just try to make the best choices you can

for your family.

And

I don't know what you've been through

or how long it's been.

But I do know something about having to start over and how scary that can be.

But you're gonna be okay.

I don't even know if you need comforting.

Maybe I just kind of need to hear that from you, too.

We're gonna be okay.

I know we are.

Are you scared?

You don't have to tell me.

I don't know what I'm feeling.

Maybe I've never given myself a moment of self-reflection.

It's regret, it's pride,

it's concern, it's

it's defeat,

it's

excitement.

Is this what it's like to be mortal, I suppose?

It is

it's a lot of things

all the time

And it's so much to manage.

Um, can I give you a little advice?

Please.

Find people.

All of this

can be too much.

But if you have people,

it's all worth it.

All of the pain and the fear and the joy

and the love.

Sometimes it's easy to forget, but it's everywhere in this world you built.

That you and your family built.

And I don't know if

I don't know if I've ever thanked you for that.

Thank you

for all of this.

You did a really good job.

And I want to just like kind of stroke his hair like I'm comforting one of my kids.

Like any parent,

we're just trying to do our best.

Yeah.

Mistakes and all.

Our mistakes are never

what define us.

They're what we do next.

I was very cruel to you when I asked you if you were worth saving.

You can't save everyone, but everyone is worth saving

I remember this feeling

I remember it now

It has been a time

And you feel him start to like diminish and the light get darker I want to just reach out and grab there's just this weird desperate burst

One more thing.

And you can say no.

Where will you be?

Where will you come back to?

Where will you be born?

I have no idea.

And that's exciting.

Okay.

But perhaps

you or somebody else might find me.

I'd like it's darker.

And darker still.

And through the near-blinding light, as it begins to grow dimmer and dimmer, as he begins to drift into shadow, like a candle slowly going out,

you can see that kind of bewildered smile on his face.

Perhaps we meet again.

I'm sure.

And the shadow takes your space.

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I would like you to meet Aries, the ultimate AI soldier.

He is biblically strong and supremely intelligent.

You think you're in control of this?

You're not.

On October 10th.

What are you?

My world is coming to destroy yours, but I can help you.

The war for our world begins in IMAX.

Tron Aries, rated PG-13.

Maybe inappropriate for children under 13.

Only in theaters October 10th.

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As you come back to your perspective here at the

darkest point of sunset cresting into night now amongst the streets of Waselheim once more, looking around you, you see most everyone else is also kind of shaking out of a point of reverie.

And you almost

know you realize in this moment that this vision you had likely was not just yours,

but likely

everyone of a modicum of faith and connection

likely had their goodbye

as everyone around them blinks,

tears on their face,

some of them

looking confused, others

sorrowful and just openly weeping in the streets.

It is the thick chaos of the street around you is brimming and building of people who weren't possibly

privy to these visions, who lacked a connection with the gods, or those who are still kind of making their own sense of it.

You don't know, but it is now just erupting before a hush falls and someone points in the sky.

And there you see the entirety of the cosmic skyscape itself, a spread of incredible fractal runes, divine magics spread and layered in a way that is on a scale impossible to conceive.

And you watch it shatter and break.

And that's when you truly feel the absence of divinity on Xandria.

And a small dark shape plummet from the sky.

It's at this moment you also realize the other person next to you that's been witnessing all this.

Your companion, Frida.

Frida, if you could please come to the table.

Frida?

Frida?

What's that?

Can you tell?

I don't know.

Does that mean our friends were

successful?

Make reception check for me.

Oh, God.

Can I provide them the health action?

Sure.

Squint.

17.

17.

Glancing up, you see it looks like a humanoid shape that's plummeting from the sky, and it's kind of being carried by the winds off the edge.

And you're not sure

what it might be until the moment that you see a large hammer tumbling with it.

And you're kind of focusing a little more.

Your aormaton senses come clicking in and trying to take out more details.

Zoom.

Enhance.

Zoom.

This slight faint trail of smoke drifting off of the tumbling unconscious body of Ashton

We met him with the hammer and the and the and the skull Ashford

that's Ashford Ashford.

I take off

You begin pushing through the crowd you begin to dart

crises.

They're gone.

It's fine.

Excuse me.

It is an intense ever crowded bit of chaos as people are kind of holding on to each other.

Bastions are trying to keep order.

Even those of the highest priesthoods and clerical levels of the, you know, the great dawn marshals, you can see themselves are kind of head in hands trying to conceive the immensity of what has just happened.

An entire city built on the faith of this entire world since history written, suddenly understanding that everything they've built this city around is gone.

And before you can push past and get to the edge of the city,

people are pointing and talking and whispering about, he's okay, it's okay.

You go over to where you think Ashton may have fallen and he's not there anymore.

Though people have swarmed in and are starting to have conversations and talk about, like, is that the one that says, I thought he was dead and came back to late.

Oh my god.

Excuse me.

I'm just gonna pick whoever's.

Looks like they have a little bit more information than everyone else, but excuse me.

You see this like kind of older grandmotherly figure with like a heavy coat on that's in the past.

Like, I looked in his face.

He had a strange-looking, glowing marble inside of his skull.

Yes, yes, his name is Ashford.

Where did he go?

Ashford.

Ashford.

Mm-hmm.

I don't know Ashford, but this strange-looking rock man and his companions, they were given an escort by all the great passions, and they went up the side of the heaven stair.

Oh, thank you.

Thank you.

Wow, that was dramatic.

You're lovely.

Can I?

Where'd you get your coat?

You're so sweet.

I knitted this myself.

Oh my god.

Help.

I want to stay and do this

more.

I think we should...

Can I see if I can sense

Chetney, if I can smell him?

Make a perception check for me.

With advantage.

You're using Liam's dice.

I love you.

I'm sorry.

19.

Oh, go off, dice.

19.

You pick up a...

Chetney has a very particular scent.

You would know.

It is faint, but kind of glancing up towards the mountain and what she had said, the general path kind of goes that way, and you can see like where folks have kind of pushed apart and where a crowd is.

And you can see in the distance along the outer edge of this climbing mountain,

a number of figures that are giving an escort part way up before eventually the escort stops.

And the troop of Belle's Hells

are climbing up towards the peak of the mountain.

Let's go!

Come on!

Yeah, I.

I'm just gonna climb up you.

Yeah.

You go faster.

She climbs up and they they they uh they hesitate to move.

There's a s there's a

a sense of uh

foreboding

here.

I I I know I know uh what what what I'm going to uh walk into and uh

just a second sorry.

No, it's okay.

I didn't even think about it.

It's okay.

It's okay.

I don't know.

We can take a minute.

They'll be there.

No, this we should we should go to them.

We should go to them.

You can have a moment for you.

We've been

running, trying to track down information that could help them.

There hasn't been a lot of time.

We can spend another minute.

I love you.

I don't know what you're going through, but

I'm sorry.

Okay, let's.

Let's go.

The two of you backtrack a bit towards the core of the city, looking for the base of the stairway that rides up the outer edge of the Heavenstair mountain towards the Platinum Sanctuary.

Guards are holding it at bay, and you see a number of the armored bastions kind of approach and put shields and spears in your way.

You're not allowed to approach the Titan Sanctuary.

Please, go along with the rest of the crowds.

I reach towards my divine magic.

Is it still there?

It's still present, it feels.

Sweet.

Um,

just so you know, I had like a really short communion with the Dawn Father, and I feel like we're in a much better place now.

And I'm gonna snap my attention to this guard, uh, and I want my eyes and mouth to glow like the sun and say, you're gonna go ahead and move now.

Make an intimidation check for me with advantage.

Natural 20.

Yeah.

I did not think that was gonna work.

As the light beams out of every head-focused orifice,

the

nostrils, ears, all the

lower.

You're just seeing it sort of

reflected through armor.

The surrounding bastions all take a step back and look at each other.

And one of them, you see, that's wearing the symbol of the dawn father around their armored breastplate goes let her through let her through and they all kind of step back and let you all begin to pass as you begin to clamber up the side of the mountain uh the last bit of sunlight beginning to fade as night begins to take over it is a long climb up the side of this mountain and there is a moment i'm out of breath i'm out of breath for no reason

just hydroventilating on you like you're doing great

holding dana on your shoulders trekking up

the stairway is mostly empty past a certain point.

The bastions begin to fall thin until it's just the two of you.

Come here, Liu.

Trekking up this dark staircase, up to the winding path towards the top.

And then there's this kind of...

For lack of a better term, like an energy in the air.

Like that feeling like lightning's about to strike, where everyone just kind of stops.

and you kind of just find yourself, your pace coming to a halt for reasons you can't explain.

Something atmospheric, something seismic is about to happen.

And instinctually, you both glance up towards the peak of the mountain that you are only partway up.

Shh!

You watch as an endless expanding cavalcade of dark red, purple, and black, cloud-like energy seems to just spray out into the sky, consuming an entire portion of the darkened cosmic expanse above you.

You watch as it roils and twists and seems to almost scream silently up towards the stars.

It.

You can't even fathom the scale and size of it as it begins to spread until eventually that roiling mass begins to grow darker and more distant.

Until eventually you just see that black spot in the sky where no stars are visible.

And one by one,

they begin to return.

Freda.

Frida, is this another one of those Apple measles cycles?

It might be.

I really hope this means they won.

It's gotta be, right?

They have to.

You continue up the stairs, kind of just crusting on the horizon of the mountain,

just as a troop of familiar figures are stepping away from the edge.

Can I have the rest of Belle's hells at the table, please?

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Subject to change.

We're in people's seat.

do we s where do I see?

Where shall be in my lap, I guess.

I believe we have additional chairs here that we can.

I took your chair.

I saw our statue.

You've earned this.

Hold on, I do prefer this.

Unfortunately, I enjoy it.

Sorry.

I don't know how to buy such a cool smaller dog.

Yeah.

Oh, you got the tall door.

I'm just tall.

There's so many people.

Okay.

Yeah.

This is so funny.

Broad like a house.

You think we're smushing more?

I didn't do enough of Zempic for this.

I know.

I'm a star.

This is every DM's nightmare right now.

Just a table of ten.

I've been here before.

And I'll be here again.

Why is that die so fucking big?

Belle's house.

In the

expression of release

that comes watching the terror of Perdathos the Red End vanish into the star-filled sky above and the first true communal breath you all take

in its absence.

Your eyes meet.

And before a word can be said, you hear...

DANDE!

is it the gods the gods are dead they're dead

daddy

they're calling your name ched

who is i don't know

frida oh my gosh dana on

hi

oh god i'm dead hat sorry our eyes had to adjust a little bit we were just it was blinding light what happened what was that are you guys all okay were you dying dying?

Was that you?

Four.

It's a lot of fun.

I wasn't there.

Your head is

different.

It's different.

Yeah, it looks good.

I

haven't actually seen it yet.

Do you want to?

Sure.

Above my forehead.

I give like a little extra lighting, courtesy of the dog.

So the portion of your head looks

at first glance unchanged.

I guess really.

So, yeah,

if I can throw of it.

So there seems to be, there's new cracking, obviously, but

it has not

been filled and finished with the gold yet.

And it's not the same rough poured glass necessarily.

It's a little smoother, it's a little darker, and it's not...

It's got more of a sense of depth like looking into a telescope.

It just seems to go on and on forever.

And in the center of it is, instead of a big, beautiful, glowing opal, it's now a much smaller

dark opal pearl that almost seems to have bits of tiny light orbiting it that flow through and almost like it's much bigger on the inside.

And the cracks are starting.

Gonna touch it.

The cracks are definitely opening up as if it doesn't quite fit.

It might be a little big.

That's

well, that's new.

I'm just gonna poke at it a bit, and a tiny bit of the stone flakes off.

Oh, he can poke at it, but I don't know.

That's right.

Does it hurt, Ashton?

Yeah.

Lean down so I can see it.

That looks good.

Fruit is right.

Broken to be made whole.

You know, you go on long enough.

I've been through a lot.

You know, the only thing that has stayed the same that I can remember in my reflection is this eye.

Everything else is different.

Yeah, something new.

Are you all right, Ashton?

You're acting a little weird.

I'm not saying something for you.

I have a

I have an entirely new brain.

Hold on.

The inside of my head was clearly

hollowed out and I can feel it so yeah I would hope I'd be a little weird it would be a little weird if I wasn't

do you still feel like yourself

I'm not sure

we'll find out after a nap and a drink and a drink And a drink.

Yeah, I think it's me.

Does your body still hurt?

Oh, yeah.

Okay.

Miss Calloway.

Maybe a little more than it actually hurts a lot more, but I did just drop out of the fucking sky.

Holy shit.

How did you

find out?

Oh,

we saw you fall out of the sky.

And we kind of just followed where it landed.

I've heard everyone down there talking about it if they're not crying about the gods being.

What'd you do to the gods?

Everything's a long story.

I'm.

No, did you see me?

Was that you with the

yeah?

No, I'm

I'm fine.

Frida.

I know.

You do.

I do.

How did you know?

I've felt it.

I'm so sorry.

We're sorry to you guys.

I'm sorry for you, yeah.

We w we wanted to tell you, but we knew we wanted to do it personally and not.

And then and getting messages messages out was

so weird.

Last couple of months has been kind of a blur.

Yeah, save in the world.

Worlds is

a lot.

Who are you?

Who are you?

New friends.

Hi!

I am Dana!

Hi, Dana!

Hey, Donnie and Storm!

I've heard of you!

I've heard about you!

There's a talking piece of metal over here.

Nobody's

thinking that this is a good thing.

What's this?

What are you?

Oh, this is Brius Doomsey.

Hi, yes.

Nice to meet you.

Doomsey, this is his name.

Really?

I don't even need to talk to you in your head to see that.

Stop it.

It sounds scary, but don't judge.

Yes.

Frida.

Why is Brius?

Nice to meet you.

Oh, well, so Brius, um.

Oh, we're going to do it out loud.

Great.

Doesn't your girlfriend talk in people's heads?

Ooh,

in your head.

Can I still talk in people's heads?

as soon as you try it works

all right in your head you hear in your head uh he joined us when we were

in a or

he's kind of um a dick and kind of betrayed us and then kind of stopped betraying us

but he's single okay not very charming Extremely charming.

Are you all right?

You just sort of stared off into space there for a second.

Don't you worry about me, big boy.

I'm good.

Oh, I'm just saying, if you need healing, it's something that I can do.

And then, oh, and then in your head, you hear also, he really lacks

in your head, you hear.

Real quick.

Also, in my head?

No, out loud.

Everyone hears it.

That's very nice.

You were glowing.

Oh, yeah.

I had to yell at people to be here.

This is nice.

How are you?

I'm great.

How are you?

He's so good.

He's amazing.

Well, wait, wait, wait, was your situation?

Oh, where did the ring go?

Did you die?

Yes.

I did.

I died bravely and formed my friend, shut the fuck up.

I died and sacrificed myself, and it was only your ring that kept me alive.

Is he lying to me?

No.

No, actually.

There's a partial.

It's partial true.

Partial truth.

I just wanted the reaction.

I actually gave it to Ashton and Ashton turned into a giant element of beeling.

It was the only thing that kept him alive.

The fuck you gave away?

I backed away.

Well, they really

save my life.

Fucking save my life.

Fine.

Save my life.

Your deal with the dawn father didn't.

You do something well.

Didn't they bring you back to life?

Yeah, but like I gave you the ring and then you didn't.

You're okay.

I'm oh, I'm okay.

Come on.

Oh god, you're safe.

I'm sorry I hit you like a little bit.

Can I ask, did anyone

save

me?

We saved them so much.

Yes.

Would it be okay if I had a piece of

FCG?

Yes, you told us.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Here, I've got a piece of mine.

Yeah.

Oh, we kept his face.

Yeah,

we did.

We have

his face?

That's a little fuck.

It's a little piece of metal.

We did.

We kept his face.

What's the fucking money you gave us to me?

Alright, that mine sounds weird.

We do it sounds like a check.

Does that sound weird?

We kept the metal that was on his hand.

Yeah, is that better?

That's better.

We topped out that tongue.

Yeah, we took out the tongue.

We took out the tongue.

Yeah, there was like a meat tongue.

Personally, that was my favorite song.

Oh,

this definitely makes a lot of sense.

You know,

actually,

Frida,

I keep thinking about this moment when we first met FCG and we first met everybody and he had this lucky coin

and

they ended up dropping it down one of the tunnels in Trussar.

You can say I dropped it.

Or I was trying to be nice.

I didn't want to throw you under the bus.

You shot the bed.

What the fuck?

But

you know, if maybe once things have settled down, I would.

I'd be interested in going to find it.

Yeah.

I think that'd be wonderful.

I think they would have wanted you to have it.

Yes, I think

I think that

they're out there somewhere.

I would love to go find

this coin you speak of.

I think I might have seen it.

This is the one that allowed him to commune with

his coin.

That was a new coin.

A new coin.

The original coin was

something different.

It was glowy.

It glowed.

Right.

Yes.

Yeah.

It was really, really special, but Auram thought it would be fun to just, like,

away.

Are we doing that thing where we're in a quest hole, like we just finished a quest and now we're looking for a rebound quest?

We should just enjoy the aftermoment of the quest that we just completed.

It sounds like fun.

I assume we have to stop by Trusar anyway.

Yes, yes.

Plus, they say death is like the, you know, retirement is the number one.

They always say that.

Death is retirement.

Sounds good to me, actually.

Death is the number one retirement.

Retirement is death.

Yeah.

It's closer than saying retirement is death.

Everyone in the city had eyes on where this meteor fell.

Right, well, you were all on the top of the heaven stair where you climbed up to release Pradafa.

Yes.

So everyone's eyes are up now on the mountain where you've all reconvened.

So they are.

So we're distant from the populace in general.

It's like the time being, though you're not.

We're looking out over Whoville.

Yes.

Correct.

Though you're uncertain how quickly they're going to swarm up and figure out what the fuck just happened.

But at the moment, you are kind of solitary on the top of the mountain.

Cool.

Oh, that reminds me.

I made a bunch of

my game on the toy craft.

It's really pretty good.

But I actually didn't end up using this.

I made you something.

Wait for me?

Yeah, I was reminded of all of our

wild escapades on the beach under the moonlight.

And I stole a big piece out from this tight ass of Whitestone and it reminded me of what we used to do

anyway this this Rolo son of a bitch he has this huge clock tower I just snatched a little gear out of there and you stole it put it together with one I thought it would just remind you of us the motion

can I make an insight check I'm just trying to see what the vibe is here because I'm so happy to have this be platonic but I cannot tell

I'll just try to tell.

I'm just happy to see you alive.

I was worried after all the gods went

and also, oh, you know,

memories.

Hey, thanks, Judy.

I'm so glad you're all right.

They're all gone.

Gone.

Dead?

Well,

they're not dead.

Okay.

They're not gone.

They're going to be reincarnated as people in the world.

Exactly, Dan.

Did you already talk to your god?

Oh my god, yeah.

And we had like a really nice conversation.

It was like a sweet.

It was really sweet.

He was such a butthole before, but then it was like, we hugged it.

It was so nice.

Really?

You hugged?

It was so nice.

Yeah.

You know.

Did he see him?

Hot?

Mad?

Did he see him?

Sorry, like, was it hot?

Like, did it burn you or something?

Yeah, like key-wise.

Where's your ever?

It's very warm.

Don't worry about me.

All right.

I'm scariest.

Like a burning butthole.

What?

Look.

Is your eye loose again out of its socket?

Sorry, it's the muscles, it drifts a little bit.

You get stick drift in your left eye.

Just like a Joy-Con.

They're making I2 soon.

You should be okay.

I'll be good.

And so you and you are an item together?

We were hundreds of years ago.

Truly hundreds.

And just whatever is convenient.

You don't look a day over.

I can't.

I shouldn't finish that sentence.

You should.

You should

do it very well for you.

So told him about the Sazala airplane.

I think you should let him find out on his own.

Good go.

Okay.

What's your deal?

My deal is,

like you, I was following a god who was not with us anymore.

Which one to tell her, which one?

You should.

Well, of course, I was sort of Roland with the platinum dragon.

Roland.

You might have noticed Truth Bearer, fabled plate of Uther Vendrock.

I'm so sorry.

You want a loose rope just now?

You might have noticed Truth Bearer, fabled plate of Uther Vendrock, my armor.

I love your Nintendo.

But

I briefly, you know, dabbled in some

betrayer.

Name names.

Some people say Asmodeus.

Some people call him the Lord of Lies, the King of the Hells.

Some people say Asphodeus.

Really?

Have I been saying it wrong this whole time?

You're incredible.

Did you say that to him in person?

Tell me you'd said his name to him.

I did.

Is that not how you say it?

You said his name wrong to his voice.

You said it in correct me.

You have to tell me the truth.

You do not lie to me.

Did you say his name wrong to him?

I could lie to you if I wanted to.

I'm very good at it, but no, I actually said it to his face.

He didn't even blink.

That means he likes you.

He gave you a pass.

I do think so.

Hold on.

Could I have fucked the Dawnfather?

What?

What?

Every question is data.

If we've done that,

everything is static.

I didn't know that was going to come.

Make an insight check,

Andrea.

Yeah, you might not have yet, but

you sure can down the road.

And 27.

27.

I'm going to roll persuasion.

Like 20.

It's going to be 12 plus the dungeon master's 300.

You don't know.

It's always an option

with them walking the earth.

You just have to bide your time.

Okay, now you're a god.

New life goal.

Fuck every single god walking on the earth.

Every single one.

Every single god.

Why not?

I was going to hunt.

You want to bone them?

I don't.

I'm just saying it's an option.

That's a pretty good goal.

Let's go.

I've been, you know.

Krowling King?

That's what you're going to get after?

Give me some time.

Oh, really?

I feel like.

Oh, that's good.

I feel like I've been sort of controlled and manipulated by so many gods, but maybe now it's time to

dom them.

Wow.

So you were a follower of these gods.

You were never a champion.

Correct?

I was...

Not a slight, just a question.

I was a herald of Asmodeus.

How did you say that?

Lord of hell!

What are you doing?

King of lights.

I just wonder what happens to the channel.

What is happening over here?

What happens to the champions?

of the bottom?

Yeah?

I have toots that are really dry.

I know.

That tooth sounded wet.

That's where all the moisture went.

That's where all my herbs are in my stomach.

I'm sorry.

I mean, what happens to the champions of the gods now?

I don't know.

We're going to find out, I guess.

Dorian is specifically thinking of Opal right now.

Oh, shit.

Though he keeps it to himself.

We didn't ask about it.

I just wondered.

I mentioned that

they had the champions.

The gods have the champions to protect them when they're in between figures.

Yeah, but then you roll the nine.

In the middle of a nine, and so you roll the wall!

Don't worry about it, don't worry about it.

It's the thing we do.

These relationships aren't bad, and we should ruin all of them.

It's not just the champions, though.

What about

the souls of those who are devoted to these?

I don't think we're gonna have a lot of answers today.

Oh, wait, what about the clerics?

What about people who...

Can you magic?

Can you still magic?

I got gone.

Alright.

One question answered.

Would the champions be free now?

Free?

Me?

From their obligations, you mean?

Yeah.

Why don't you try call call call your guy?

Who's your guy?

Oh, I have a guy.

I have a guy.

He's

worked for

Kevin Cross.

Kevin Campbell.

Kevin Campbell?

He works for the Lord of Lives.

Yeah.

Nice.

Is he single?

Why don't you ask?

You can ask him.

Are you still a champion?

Are you still tied to him?

Do you have freedom now?

Oh, you kissed it?

Yeah, I kissed it.

You summoned him?

Yeah.

Okay.

Oh, God.

That's how you summon him with that weak shit.

Get on that page.

Oh, God.

Oh, God.

There it is.

Let's go.

Wait, is everybody looking at us?

Are you summoning a fucking like a motivate them to follow up?

Why don't you?

Yeah, as you are here at the apex of the mountain, like this like built stone platform that marks.

I just stick my hand under my dress.

Oh my Jesus.

We're back here.

Look at that.

Our mother's at the table.

She brings it audible.

Spell doesn't say that on the mountain.

Come here.

As you kiss your ring,

the air around suddenly takes on a sulfurous smell.

And within a brief second, the tearing sound of flames through the air, too real in recent week,

emerges in the space around as suddenly before you a dark shadow emerges from a flash of red and orange flame.

And there, standing before you, the armored, the muscular blade-wielding, black,

kind of massive hair-maned devil figure that is Tevin, emerges from this hellish gateway.

Yeah, the fuck.

We're just testing the theories.

Ask him, ask him.

Hello.

Hey.

Hello?

I'm just getting started, okay?

Just cook.

Just, just, just, let me cook.

Thank you, Deanna.

I pat you on the shoulder and has guidance.

Thank you so much.

How, how are you?

How, how is...

How are you?

His burning, glowing eyes glance upon the entirety of the troop that surrounds him as the flames still flicker off the side of his shoulder.

Reaches out and and takes the end of your fingers.

You call in a strange time, dear.

Yes, I did.

But it was just because I just need answers.

And I just wanted to see how you're doing.

Are you still a champion of

Esmodeus?

Esmodeus?

How do we say the name?

Yeah, I'm actually a bit of a message.

And pulls you away from the troop and begins to walk away from the rest of you.

Just taking the two of them away.

Someone has to grab me.

I'm nosy.

Louis, you're going to grab me.

Just go.

in all right you pull up as you do he kind of glances over his shoulder and as he raises his hand flames

you burn in front of you to just kind of block your path

okay

back up

pulls you over towards like not too far from the top of the apex stair that kind of hits at the very peak of this and kind of turns to you his wings

kind of unfurling and almost encircling you to create like a private conversation space now it seems just like the two of you within the kind of cage of his leathered wings.

My lord has left us,

but we'll be back.

And we will find him once more.

What are you supposed to do in the meantime?

Did he give you any directives to

keep his temples?

We are to see to his truths.

And we shall find him and rise again.

He will be back.

And we will have need of you,

Callaway.

Wait, while you have need of me,

we are bound.

And as you look down, he's still grasping your fingers where the mark lies on your hand.

Wait, but but I don't.

I forget.

But when this doesn't go away,

hear it.

My lord's contracts are eternal.

We are bound to each other as you are bound to him.

He will be back.

Commitment.

This is good.

Commitment just stresses me out so much.

Just fuck him.

Sorry.

I'm behind the planet.

He flicks a finger up in that direction past you, and as you're shouting, your words come out to no sound.

Or I'm just gonna do a quick 360 and make sure the city's not mobilizing on us because of this.

And it's a 23 or 40.

23.

Easy enough to pick up the sound of many, many armored footsteps getting louder up the stairs towards the peak of the mountain.

Vern, you might want to wrap it up.

Okay.

Well, uh, uh,

I guess I'll

just call on you if if I need you.

And you will.

Okay.

And as the footsteps get louder and louder until eventually you begin to see the shadowed shadowed tops of helmeted heads begin to crest from around the bend of the rising staircase,

the flames engulf Tevin as he vanishes.

And you look down at the mark on your finger, which has now spread into your that part of your hand now has all manner of dark, curling, hellish runes and designs that now kind of curl up towards the top of your hand.

That's so fucking cool.

That's good.

Much better design.

Yeah.

Thank you.

As you look at it, like the edges of it still kind of glow like an ember, the edges of like a burnt piece of it.

I've I've read this smuddy book, and it's good.

Yes.

The rest of the Bashans rush up, and they're with a number of

Don Marshall general

guardians you watch as High Bearer Vord

approaches,

indeed, looking kind of like fearful and gaunt,

with a blade out at the side.

Or descend a bit, smiling.

We're okay.

For now, okay.

I don't know what it all means yet.

There's a lot to unpack, but

the danger abated for the moment.

Right?

Yes.

So we've been told

upon our respective scattered communions.

And how do you feel?

What of this one?

You who step into the first city and hold us ransom.

What have you to say, Vessel?

Is it gone?

What

are you?

I'm just Imogen.

You saw it.

Same as us, right?

It's left.

There's no reason for it.

There's no reason for it to stay.

Yeah.

You see that intense look.

Vord, who is ancient among the elves and has held a strength of power, looks

shaken and sallow.

A being that has spent their life in service as one of the highest of the high priests,

now godless,

in but the past recent moments, staring at the cause.

I step forward to him.

The blade is still extended in your direction.

As you step forward, it's still kind of out in a defensive way.

Let her pass.

You can trust me,

for I wear truth-bearer, fabled plate of Utherbendrock.

The gods agreed to this.

A figure kind of steps out and

places their hand on the side of Vord's blade.

And then you see stepping forward the high

Hierophant Ophira.

The curling staff of the Wild Mother itself,

once

an abundantly bright green sits at an autumn hue

what's done is done

and the choice was not theirs but theirs as she looks above

now is not the time to let this animosity ride

you know that wasn't the point right

worshiping the gods because they're gods.

The gifts that they gave us were to help each other.

And that doesn't end just because they're gone.

Bord's blade pulls back and sheaths it rapidly.

Okay.

Then what is the city now?

A bastion of hope for all of the world.

Whatever you decide to make it.

A new beginning.

Bord kind of looks around and

spins and turns and just runs straight into the brick shithouse armored wall that is Earthbreaker Groon

and just kind of stops.

And Gruon just puts his hand on Vord's shoulder and kind of pulls her head into his forehead and says,

We will mourn.

We will mourn.

And then pats the back of Vord's head before stepping aside to let Bord walk.

And Bord, not even looking back at you all, just

steps amongst the ranks of soldiers.

It's gonna take some time.

Cheers to a new world.

I'm not going.

I just say this to the group.

Am I wrong to be a little irritated right now?

It's a lot for people to handle.

We just saved Xandria

in their

acting like

you just ruined their future.

I mean, to some of them, sometimes that's what it feels like.

But to let go of the thing you devoted your life to,

you gave them work to do that makes anybody upset, especially if it's work on themselves.

You spent 50, 60, 500 years

following

moral dictates dictates it's it's not gonna slip away

overnight

and it imagined um would you be able to send a message just to somebody

I should be able to I can still

I think I think we should check on Opal

you she was um your friend yes she was our friend and and she was the champion oh of loli sorry.

Okay.

Complicated.

Um.

Yeah.

Just like see if she's okay or, you know, if she's still her s self or

she was more than just a champion.

She was influenced by a vestige.

But that power was held by the gods, so.

Maybe she's free.

She could be.

I don't know.

I don't know.

Some things

persist.

I know.

Can you do it?

Stick to your.

Yeah, I can.

I can send her.

Let me see if I got a spray.

I will go.

No, no, no, no.

Just the table just.

Shoot me right now.

Yeah, real Browling.

Table of deceased actors.

I surprisingly still have sorcery points left, so I'm going to convert those into a third-level spell and send her a little message.

Alright, what do you say?

Um

with concise.

Can you help us?

Opal.

She's got a strong experience.

I'm with your friends.

Are you

yourself

or under her influence?

Where are you?

Where are you?

Opal, if you quickly step in here and.

We didn't just slide her across the front.

Just you sit on the table.

Should I, should I, should we?

I was saying, you can just sit in my chair real fast and just answer the question, and then you can step out again.

Oh, that's what

I'm doing.

This is the scariest place I've ever been.

I've held this a lot this year.

Do something crazy.

Suddenly, within your mind, you hear an unfamiliar voice ask questions from some ether-like space.

I asked you.

I don't remember what I was talking about.

I said, I'm here with your friends.

Are you yourself or under her influence still?

Where are you?

A couple of sentences to explain.

We're gonna count them all off.

Don't fuck it up.

Hello?

I don't know

I think so

May it's quiet

I think I'm close

Did you lose a body?

Five words left perfect full out of this guy

Well, she didn't sound evil.

She sounded sweet.

And said her head was clear.

Great.

Great.

And she said.

She said she said she

didn't hear

the voice is quiet.

That's what she said.

And I was distracted by the sound of her beauty.

And I

sounded beautiful.

Yeah, she sounded gorgeous.

And she said she saw Ashton fall.

Oh,

everyone is.

Unless there were other bodies falling out of the sky at the same time, but

probably at least one is

in the world.

It's bad, actually.

Statistically.

There's probably at least one.

So wait.

Hold on.

I have any more sorceries.

You got one more in you to tell her to come find us?

Dude, we just sent her away.

Hold on.

She's driving home now because she's done through her.

I am going down to six, down to three.

I have three sorcery points left now, so I can do another one.

Because I had six.

I can bring it down to three.

I can send her another message.

Sure.

Come on back.

She's gone off.

She's so close.

She's cherry.

I can catch her from my phone.

I just don't remember her.

I'm sending.

I just do not know who she is.

Like, hi, random number.

What's good?

Yes.

Yes, yes.

We're close.

We're on the hill up Heaven's Bridge.

Stairs?

Stairs?

Heaven's stairs.

Tell her to listen for the thunder.

Listen for the thunder.

Listen for the thunder.

Dorian.

Dorian says hi.

Oh, Dorian.

Okay.

I'm coming.

I'm going to immediately cast cast thunderclap

50 feet above us.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Okay.

Okay.

Kind of emanates.

And it's like, you know, in a localized kind of like thunderclap sound that echoes off a little bit.

Everyone kind of looks around and everyone looks to Groon.

Groon's like, it wasn't me.

And kind of raises his hand up.

And that thunderclap, now bolts of lightning,

start streaking out of the thin air.

The clouds have not filled the cleared sky at this point, but bolts seem to apparate out of the middle of the atmosphere itself.

And kind of there's an effect

like a reddish bolt, kind of almost like a jellyfish spread that seems to arc out right at the top where it does kind of crackling with an echoing blast of thunder.

That was me.

More nods.

There is the sound as you all kind of talk amongst yourselves for a bit, and we have a moment before she gets there.

So if you want to chat for a moment,

Mr.

Pockerpeak, can I

speak to you alone for a second?

Of course, yeah, yes, yes, of course.

So when we were when we saw

Shtin not Ashton Ford when we saw Ashton fall from that's what deep long story.

Okay.

It wasn't just him that led us to you

them that led us to you.

It was

I could smell you

I'm sorry.

I'm real old.

It sounded like you said you could smell me

I mean, it's been a hectic

48 and 72, but I don't think.

No, it's not that.

I mean, uh,

I'm like you know.

Right.

Wait, you made a Robo Lobo.

Wait.

You made a Robo Lobo.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

Would you say.

Oh my god, I forgot about that.

It's technically a discussion.

Can I lean in on Frida and just do a little

snip each other's butts?

Yeah, can we?

Just make a little auroborus.

While the Don Marshalls of Vaselheim are like

it's just Deanna and I and she she's been great, but it's uh it happened one time

and it was um

FCG.

I felt like every fiber in my steel body ripped apart and put together again and then I was angry.

So angry, and I couldn't understand why.

And then it dawned on me that it was...

that they were gone.

And that anger turned to something primal.

And then

I didn't remember.

And I woke and Deanna was there.

And

there were a lot of dead things around me.

Oh, gosh.

Yeah, that sounds

very familiar.

This is new.

I mean you are frankly

metal.

Yeah

you

well uh

more than metal soul.

Yes, yes, yes,

but you know uh it's like uh it's like the metal I can feel things.

I can smell things.

I can see things.

I can hear things.

It's like uh it's it's incredible.

It is isn't it?

But it's fucking scary.

Of course.

I mean all new things are but also exhilarating.

Metal wolf.

Motherfucker.

Ah, this is great.

This is...

You must feel very concerned that you wouldn't be able to control this.

Were you worried about Deanna?

Yeah.

Yeah, I don't think she's too worried, but yes, I'm worried about Deanna and everyone and anyone.

I'm tame the wolf, you know what I'm saying?

I'd rather not think I passed.

That was a long night for me.

I understand.

I don't want to be too forward, but I have...

I've only just recently gotten a a hold of this myself and it took the instruction and care of people that knew what they were talking about.

If

yeah, that's um

so this is kind of uh

I was I was hoping that I could

you you made me and I was hoping I could study with you, Mr.

Buckby.

That's so strange.

I swore I would never make anything out of metal.

I guess We all have to

try new tricks.

Incredible.

Hello.

Frida,

I've never had a protege,

but I've been one.

And it would be a great honor if you would allow me to guide you through this.

There are many people I can...

The Gorgine are fucking nuts, and they will love to see this.

That is, um,

I have to tell Deanna, but but yes,

my slate's open.

We did the thing, so you know, a project I'm here for.

I can be a project.

Uh, I

when I felt FCG go, it was like

um

it was like the best thing in the world being ripped off of it

and compressed into something small and ugly.

And and I, uh,

I was angry at all of you.

I wondered, how could they let

that happen, right?

And then that turned into.

We've been alive for a long time.

And

when you lose everything,

you gain gratitude.

And I think.

I think I've never been more grateful.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Wow.

Not many in this world are older than I am, especially now that they're gone.

That means a lot.

And I know what FCG meant to you, what he meant to all of us.

If it's any consolation now,

he saved us.

They were the only thing that kept us alive.

I can feel them still.

Their soul.

It's like a song, I don't remember.

But I want to remember.

I want to.

I want to remember.

Thank you.

Of course.

And who knows?

You can topple gods.

Maybe there's even more to uncover about someone like you,

like them.

I feel like something like that can either be created or destroyed, so

maybe we make it a side project of ours.

Okay.

Uh, I've been uh

I was hoping I'd see you again, and uh

I made something for you.

It's really crude.

You what?

I made something for you.

You cra- you didn't make something, protege.

You crafted it.

I'm sorry, I crafted it, Mr.

Pockpit.

And I I uh click, click, click, open, and I pull out.

I know you don't like working with metal.

It is a very crude rendering of an aormaton's heart, a core.

And it's it's uh pink and emerald and shiny, beautiful glacial

shards of stone.

Holy shit,

it's beautiful.

Thank you.

Metal, but beautiful.

No, that's what I thought.

Leave dad.

It's all right.

You got room for growth, clearly.

I'll keep this with me.

Okay.

Thank you.

Of course.

Deanna is fit to be tied, huh?

We really got to get her with Brace.

What is that?

They both need to run.

They need to run some laps.

That's the expression.

Don't worry.

Tie her up.

You'll see.

I start speaking all kinds of languages: Spanish, Japanese.

Warren by now has leapt up onto Fern's shoulder and has his hand intertwined with Dorian's.

And I'm just staring off into the crowds down below, trying to spot our friend in the masses.

Right.

Rishi, do you see her?

Do you see her?

Well, this is happening.

Groon and Ophira approach with their guard to the sides, too, as most of the guards are now beginning to head down the staircase again.

Ophira said,

This is a great change across the realm,

and there is much that we must discuss as a council of the future.

There are a number of matters here that I think do concern you outside of

that aspect of recent events.

Your compatriot from Ruidis has

spoken of a great many of their people

in a

awaiting state.

And with the destruction of the Malius Key,

we know not of their fate or what is to come.

So we would ask your assistance, being those with the most communication and knowledge and understanding.

Grune kind of steps forward.

Some will not trust.

Maybe in time.

But some see your hearts and know you did what needed to be done.

Are you one of them?

Are you cross with us?

If I was cross with you, you would already be re-dead.

I love the specification.

That was a nice touch.

Thank you.

I do like the idea of real life, though.

That sounds good, though.

We've been searching for a word, right?

Not undead, but real life.

It's like a glass of food.

Real life.

But

the soldiers shift and like,

please come with us in Ophira and then begin to kind of guide you all down the stairs from the top of the mountain.

You're essentially being ready for something.

Okay,

you're essentially being given a

nicely forceful escort

from the space where you were.

in that scenario, you're all kind of keeping an eye out, heading down the long, kind of winding aspect of the side of the mountain towards where the Platinum Sanctuary is and beyond.

The two of you kind of

scatter off and get pulled from the guards to focus primarily on this troop.

So, for the time being, if you wouldn't mind stepping away,

both guys, we're out.

How cute are the guards?

Let me try!

Wish you saved yourself.

Yeah, it's the best thing ever does.

But you do notice, Or

as you and you walk alongside Dorian holding his hand and looking across the cityscape here in the fresh night of Vaselheim,

it sounds like

the clattering of spears and a few shouts and what looks like a circle of soldiers surrounding a familiar glint

of pink leather

down

partway up the base of the staircase.

And there it looks to be a standoff at the moment between

your called compatriot and many of the defending forces at the base of the platinum sanctuaries.

If you wouldn't mind coming to the table.

Yes!

kind of thing.

Where do you want to be?

I think

in the middle, in the middle?

Right there.

Oh, yeah.

Thank you.

Okay.

What's it say?

Scoochie, Scoochie.

There we are.

I guess it's a question for you or her.

Is she wearing the crown?

Are you wearing the crown?

Am I wearing the crown?

I'm asking you.

Um,

yes.

But

is it drippy is it icky

i think

bring my dice out and hope that matt will make me roll one for the answer

sure

go ahead and roll a d20 for me this is my opal dice

that's an 11

that's an 11 okay uh

There are

streaks her face and across the neck that of almost like dried ink that was turned liquid under sweat and work and then left to re-dry.

Like smeared streaks of black.

The crown itself still standing.

With two arms, as opposed to the four that you had seen in the final moments.

Though

you, based on your particular trajectory and choices, can guide the remainder of your disposition.

So, I think the first thing

while Oren's on top of Oram yelled, Ma, leapt down, started darting through soldiers' legs, and bait and switch bumps Opal back and puts his hand out towards all the people surrounding her.

We're not gonna do this right now.

Too much has happened.

She's with us.

Settle.

He's down.

Here.

I start booking it over.

Nancy.

Wake up.

Oh, my Nancy.

Oh, it's so good to see you.

I'm sorry about my appearance, but I looked worse than this.

I chose to.

And then, do I see Fern?

I'm just running over.

Oh, my God.

Fern!

Hi!

Give her a big, big, big hug.

I just pick her up off the ground and just shower her with kisses all over.

Oh my god, I missed you so bad.

And then I just grab both of you like really, really tight.

And then I look over at Dorian.

I'm on the outside circle, like always.

Just drinking it in.

Hi.

It's okay.

Because it's not.

It will be.

Are you back?

I'm back.

You back, back?

I I think so.

Um

I don't hear anything in my head except for your friend.

Who was that?

Hi.

Hi.

Oh, yes.

Did we?

Oh.

Oh!

Yeah, yeah.

Guys, come on, come on, come on.

Oh.

She got shit on her face.

What's up?

It used to be an evil black Icher, a betrayer goddess.

It's

gone.

I think it's gone.

I think she's okay.

A little spit.

Try to clean it up a little bit.

No, the vibes are good.

It's a

really great aesthetic.

You take it in.

Yeah, that was me.

Euroboo.

I've heard a lot about you.

Hi,

it's a pleasure.

Wow.

Hey, you look great for falling out of the sky.

You look great for avatar of

a spider goddess.

Really, it's working.

I go up and shake your hand.

Do you want

me to clean you up at all?

That would be amazing.

And I'll just press adigitation and clean her up.

Oh, that's so nice.

So you feel a little fresh.

I feel so fresh.

My pits have stunk for weeks.

And I give him a sniff.

Musky.

And I think now, like, she's still got the crown on, but it's like maybe opal, like, at the end of EXU, where it wasn't gooey, it was just herself, two different colored eyes.

Her hair is maybe looking freshly washed.

And

a young, fresh face from Byron.

Twice crowned.

Clean up Briar Burden.

And

I think that she has a lot to say, but I doesn't really know where to start.

So

I think she'll say,

What happened to the gods?

I mean, I talked to my bitch, but she's just generally unpleasant.

Did she say goodbye?

Yeah, I think we're curious to know what you heard before we fly in.

Well, um,

she had an attitude.

Um,

What do you think, Matt?

Should I say what I think, or do you have something that, like a flashback or something?

Whizpers!

Whizpers!

Is that still?

I'm not supposed to read this until combat.

Don't do it, don't do it.

This whisperer is brought to you by WizKids.

And their Bell's Hell's box set available now.

Enhance your home games with critical role B's by WizKids.

Available at WizKids.io/slash CR Minis and your local game store.

Well,

she said I was still bound to her

and that I would be forever.

And I thought,

and you kind of see just like a flash of

where

maybe an alignment shift for her.

She's opal, but she's been changed these last few weeks.

She's seen more carnage and violence, and she's perpetuated that carnage and violence in a way that really I don't think she has processed, and it will take a long time.

But there's that sort of glint of like,

and I don't mind that so much.

She told me to come look for her

because she was going to be reborn.

And I thought,

as a little baby,

as a tiny,

vulnerable

little bug,

so little,

so corruptible,

so unprotected.

And I said, okay,

I'll come find you

for Cyrus.

The part of

Dorian

in his moment when we were first together,

where his alignment first shifts, catches it in her eye, and just for a second, the two of them are dialed in on some unspeakable idea.

Lauden just has a nervous laugh.

You're spooky!

You're spooky!

You're spooky, too!

Yes, yes!

And I go, haha!

And I paint my face in black ichor to kind of look like all the system in the mail.

You're very pretty.

Come a long way from the by road and fear.

We're just missing one.

Yeah.

Something tells me he's just fine.

Or is he?

I have to do his effort to find him.

It's at this moment that the guard has begun to guide you towards the platinum sanctuary itself.

And while they've been tolerant of

your presence based on the company you keep, as you begin to step to within the antechamber,

there are

spears and blades put kind of between you and Opal.

And guard saying,

We appreciate your presence, but

we cannot let the champion, the spider queen, into our sanctum.

I understand.

Should we go somewhere else where we won't have to keep dealing with this?

I don't think we have much choice at the moment.

Volve table Oram, who has the other half of the sending stone?

Uh,

not you and me, but um.

Gave it to someone.

Uh, I lost it.

I don't remember.

Yeah, me either.

Alright.

But we don't, we only have one.

I'm flat out to him.

Do you have the other half?

Yeah.

You gave it to someone.

We did it.

Somebody, so get in touch with them.

We'll figure it out.

Can we give it

to Opal?

The one we have.

Opal will be able to just talk to whoever you gave it to.

Yeah.

I don't know if he'll.

Find the other half.

Well, we can't remember, but Dorian Orum will.

Right.

Grace for us on this craziness week.

At the very least, I will take a moment for the guard just to walk up with

the ruin of whatever face I have right now.

If we find out that you have misplaced a single hair from beneath that crown,

we will be very upset.

We want her

treated like family.

Is that understood?

Intimidation check

guidance.

24.

The guard steps back, kind of glances at her, glances at you, glances at the kind of weird spectral darkness that sits gleaming from the side of your skull,

and then back to you.

We just protect our syncdum, that's all.

But, as Opal awaits outside, the rest of your troop is gathered gathered within where discussions of

what to do about the remaining Rewidians progress

so as opposed to role-playing a six-plus hour long

courtroom drama for us to do here

You all have your perspectives your contacts and understand that the majority of the populace was in transit to where the Bloody Bridge was or had begun to make the trek before the or was about to make the trek before the war began for the Bloody Bridge itself.

So there is a mass, an entire population of currently

kind of mid-caravan

roaming status.

What do you think is to be done with the Rylorans, the Bormodos,

the Saitas, the Cuantacas?

What do you think?

Yeah.

Was there group-by-group allegiance, or was it pretty mixed?

Pretty mixed.

And they're all still

the moon still,

but blow up the moon.

They were dreaming

the blue dream.

They wanted to be.

I mean, I feel like we should let them decide what they want to do.

Do we even have a means of

bringing them here?

Well, we have the back door.

I think

we probably should advise

a slow

exchange program and

you know, emissaries in both directions and

you know, in the spirit of peace, trying to figure out this new

they're technically distant relatives, and that's how we should

frame it.

They're Exandrians, yeah, they were Exandrians first.

They should be given the opportunity.

I mean,

a chance.

But if there's so many of them, someone will need to receive them, accept them, give them shelter.

They can't just be refugees in the middle of the desert.

No.

I mean, there is the town around that lake, I suppose.

That was empty, but that's not enough.

No.

But it could be a good start.

Forward operating base.

I imagine each city could

essentially sponsor.

They'd have to agree to it, though.

Well, yes, but

I think we can learn a great deal from

the Ruidians.

They're in a real state of flux, too, because they've just been released from under the boot of a long, long, long-standing power structure that is absent.

Are all the leaders still here in Baselheim, or are they spread out now?

The majority of them.

It's not the

size of the council where you first sold your plot to head to the core of Ruidis, I might say about two-thirds of it remains.

Others either are still out and about or weren't convened in this council.

Is there some sort of

network that connects all of the major hubs of

this world, some sort of crisis network that we could use to reach out?

Oddly, there is.

Oh!

And upon calling, if you wish,

it's not a hard ask as some of the representatives were already present in Baselheim and upon this council.

Veksalia Vassar

is present along with the rest of her heroic troop, Vox Machina.

Lady Ellura indeed is present, and other representatives from other main cities are contactable through the crisis orbs.

So they are brought to bear, as well as many other allies of this endeavor.

Members of the Mighty Nine who had also gone towards the core of Erudis and were part of the assault on the Weave Mind are present to help fight this argument as well.

But you have the attention of many many major metropolitan areas across the world.

Whitestone has

often been a beacon of hope for those seeking refuge against violence.

I know Percival and myself would be more than happy

to accept

several families.

from Roadis.

Have many.

We can support.

I wanna live on the moon.

Sorry, it's not my turn yet, is it?

Just dibs.

Dibs.

It's actually an interesting idea, though, Grauk.

Um

what?

Well, I I'm just saying I know personally the Ashari are very well versed in guarding gateways to other dimensions, and I

I don't see this being much different than what the Ashari are already doing.

We could

maybe continue to have the Ashari stationed in that lake town in Asilra.

And

I think it's worth having

some Xandrians help out with this transition on Ruidis as well.

Yep.

That's a good idea, Grog.

Above table, I can't think of a better end for Grog than being Warden of the Moon.

Wrong and yaz together.

It's like

something.

We'll come back to this.

We'll come back to this.

It's like something out of Planet Hulk.

We'll come back to this.

Okay.

There's so much that we have to offer each other as well.

I, for one, would love to see what the

surface of Rudis is like.

I think that there is a world where this sort of exchange would be phenomenal.

Yeah, uh, Beauregard Lyonette here.

Hi.

Um, just from our brief time there, they have like a lot of like fucked up science shit.

So I feel like, you know, all you other science bitches, you can maybe like go help with that or like learn some shit.

I just lost my husband to the moon.

Thank you very much, Beauregard.

Go on.

I'm.

It's maybe it's a great vacation.

You could have a summer home there.

I don't know.

You're rich, you'll figure it out.

It was cool there, you know?

I don't know, people like science and shit.

Aloris is for it.

Anyway, um,

indeed, uh, we can begin communications, and to a right, you see Everoa step forward as well.

I've been speaking with our resident Ruidian aide throughout this recent successful endeavor in safeguarding the pantheon and future of Xandria.

I think the least we can do is begin a process of working with them.

There are many places in Alexandria that likely are a bit too challenging for most to find home, whereas the Ruidians have

quite a knack for making the inhospitable hospitable.

With the aid of the Ashari, there are means of magical terraforming, and

at least we can all step forward with the idea of trying to make this work.

Yeah, there is a great opportunity for an exchange of knowledge and history.

Hundreds, thousands of years of history, above and below.

Well, yes, of course, a lot on Xandria, but up

there.

Well, it's not like we can say, oh, all the bad ones stay up there and only the good ones can come down here.

That's so mean.

You're right, but I...

I think we just left it like an open pathway, you know, like whoever wants to to come, they can come, and whoever,

how are we going to know?

What are we going to do?

Like, a vetting process or something?

That's so fucked up.

Yeah, I mean, after all, we should aid in however people are getting back and forth from the moon.

I mean, they'll want to come here, people will want to go there, maybe establish some trade.

Jamansa or from upon their like temporary throne with their Ankarel associates, the sides kind of steps up.

We have taken quite a large number of prisoners.

We have

many who briefly fought against us underneath the Weave Mind's intent.

I believe they should be held accountable for their

violence against our people.

Were they choosing to fight against you, or was the Weave Mind forcing them to fight against you?

And we have a number of individuals that can see how far this influence might have pressed pressed them.

Should they be truthful,

there is always a path to redemption.

For many of us are aware of our own histories of

imposed ruling will.

So we agree a path of redemption to even those who met us on the battlefield, yes?

Redemption.

Yes.

What a gift.

The chance to let someone live in their dream.

Redemption.

Everoa kind of steps forward.

I hadn't even thought about that.

Do we get to have our own dreams now?

Only one way to find out.

Everoa, do you think the other Ruidians will be open to this

exchange of knowledge?

I'm sure some will.

I'm sure some others will be probably

reticent.

Perhaps you could be the ambassador.

Oh, I'm a researcher.

I'm not a.

No, you're so smart, though.

You look so smart.

For those who don't wish to come to Xandria, we can possibly bring a bit of Xandria up to Ruidis as well.

I could be an ambassador.

I could totally be an ambassador.

You are correct.

I mean, you guys are pirates.

Why not be like moon pirates?

Space pirates.

Space pirates.

Moon franchise.

This is brilliant.

I mean, yeah, we would totally ambassador.

Do you think they would like a borabar on the moon?

Everybody would like a bow rubar.

An echoing clearing

reverberates throughout the massive hall of the platinum Sanctuary as the Mighty Nine is loudly discussing their franchise interests.

Enjoy my taste of Tal Dora, too, sure.

That's the first thing that gets cold on Road.

That's a real thing.

That's a crusade.

That's a real thing.

That's out there.

That's out there.

That's awesome.

Lord.

You're going to show it up.

Mid-episode Marshrap.

Well done, Lauren.

When did you get those?

Does that wear a douchebag jacket?

Everogos.

Well,

we'll see how many of my contacts survived the struggles.

I can think of a few figures of the volition and abroad that would be very suited to try and set this up.

Just kind of looks around the rest of the quiet council that all sits still.

I would like

three of you from any of your present troops to roll a persuasion check for me

who's got the best

persuasion

call out those mod joes Caleb

Amazon

all right

hang on here hang on

Fernando's really high

Breyus is great

Scanlon is scanlin presently they're all

horses returned after the battle that's one from each campaign It feels unfair to you, Scanlan, but sure.

Yeah, yeah.

Well, here, what's the point then?

For each of you that's going to make this roll,

I want you to make your case.

Oh, shit.

Oh, boy.

That's harder.

I need to look up Keela thing on.

I don't remember.

I wanted to give you a moment to try and find your sheets, but for each person that's rolling, I want you to make your case before you

because that will affect the DC.

And also, characters arguing for this that have some semblance of stake.

Doesn't mean Scanlan can't roll, but I'm really curious to hear Scanlan's perspective on this.

I am too.

That's deportation.

Huh?

That's a weird, weird avenue to take here.

Super hard.

Oh.

Keyleth is a plus six.

That's kind of sad.

That's okay.

Yeah, but she actually cares about this shit.

That's true.

I'm going to try for it.

I was going to say, yeah, I've also got a...

I've got a plus eight, but that's okay.

Keylith is probably a little bit more invested in this specific.

I know, it's all the negative ones.

I know it's discussed once.

All right.

So, who do we have?

Vice isn't that great.

Breus can step forward.

Breya steps forward.

Who else?

Caleb.

Caleb.

Imogen.

And Imogen.

If that's okay.

Yes.

Go for it.

One from each.

Three people that have been to the moon

and have had experiences with Ruidians of various sides.

Very well.

Which of you steps forward first?

The world that we have known until now

has been shaken thoroughly like a snow globe.

It's far too soon to understand the lay of the land.

What the meaning of today's events is.

It's premature.

to form any sort of stance against our neighbors above

And while some we are hearing were involved in

efforts against us here at home,

speaking from personal experience,

outside influence is a real thing.

We are all responsible for our own actions, but

I would ask that those present

get a fresh start

with new family

if there was ever a time for a fresh start, it is now

persuasive

who steps forward next.

I shall step forward.

Uh

it's been a crazy six days.

In the last six days, I've been to two planets, three continents, and four ethereal realms.

I've talked to the gods, I met a god eater,

met aliens,

robots, werewolves.

I think I fucked a monster.

But in all of those travels, the one thing that I've noticed is that everybody

just wants...

They all want the same thing.

They just want safety, security, and the ability to pursue their dreams, whether or not they have

I've also learned a lot about redemption in the last few days, and I hope that we recognize that all these people,

even if they live on a different planet, are more or less the same as us, and we give them the chance that we give ourselves.

Roll your persuasion, Jeff.

Not great.

22.

22.

Okay.

And Midjan, you're last.

When we first stepped foot on on Ruidis,

I didn't know what to expect.

I had a vision in my head of a red storm.

Lifeless.

But

upon arriving, we

ran into a village of people just trying to get by,

raising cattle and

helping their neighbors.

We went into the city, and I

saw two small children

laughing together and frightened upon seeing these new strangers.

Above all,

the people there dreamt

of a chance.

They dreamt of hope.

The blue dream, that's what they called this place.

And we,

as Xandrians,

we have the chance to give that to them.

To give them their home back, something that was stolen away so long ago.

You have the power in this room right now

to give them a new life.

I hope you use that power for good.

Okay, all right.

There are so many options here.

Which one?

Which beautiful dice?

Which beautiful dice is it?

The one with the numbers on it.

Let it go.

I'm gonna go just pretty well.

No.

You're right by me.

Oh, thank God.

Is that a one?

Okay, okay, okay.

Oh, and then guidance.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Okay, okay, okay.

That's only 23.

I'm only holding 20.

If I could just say one more thing.

I'm so sorry.

And not about the Ruidians.

I just while everyone's gathered, I just want to say

I'm sorry I tried to betray you all.

Oh, yes.

You know, we should talk about this not in front of the council.

No, but I feel like

this is a good place to do it because you can't hurt me here.

No.

We can hurt you later.

Yes.

Later, but here you can't.

So

we're surrounded by some of the most powerful people in the world right now.

They could end you with the blink of an eye.

Alright, we'll table this.

A few eyes glance headlong to each other with a confused head tilt or a bit of a murmur.

About this time, a strange

figure steps from the nearby crowd, swathed in dusty cloths.

You see the familiar face of a hood pulled back.

of Plane Rider Rin,

who steps out to join you all.

I've been there as well myself, and some time there without even realizing it.

But many of you know of my journeys, and I can indeed back up their perspectives.

As far as relocation, there are few who can traverse as quickly and with as much breadth as I can, and I am willing to

volunteer myself as part of the Eruidian Relocation Program, if that is now a name for it, and looks over it.

Other people on

the council council are like the RP?

But there are means of doing this

in a structured, methodical, safe, and comfortable way.

Looks over to Jerman.

I'm within our respective sense of justice.

There is some whispered discussion as some of the figures convene and talk.

Some of the crisis orbs and means of communication between the various cities

glow and

eventually the council returns to their seats.

The dawn marshals,

the city and

various representatives of city-states and communities from around Xandria.

A number of communities here have agreed.

And as such, the Ruidians will be granted a means

of living amongst us.

It will take time.

As Ophira kind of grasps her staff.

And indeed, an exchange of knowledge.

For their comfort as much as ours.

We wish to know more about them.

Looks over at Everroa.

And to be honest, we actually probably know a lot about you all.

We've been living in your dreams since we were born.

You'd be surprised.

Maybe

how comfortable we already would be here.

Kind of steps back.

The lake town

will become a bastion of transference.

The cities that have agreed

on Karel

Mon

Trussar

Byrodon

Whitestone

Whitestone

Eshenador

Zephra

Zephra

Fortune.

One by one,

city names from across Xandria begin to speak up.

Not all of them,

but enough to be a start.

And that sense of hope begins to swell in the room.

With that,

some brief conversations and pats on the back, some hands shaking,

some odd stares from across the room, and some still mistrusting or uncertain dispositions passing you by with a longed glance.

The council begins to break from within the chambers.

And once more, Belle's house is left to exit out into the night, where there,

indeed, Opal still stands.

I think Opal's been listening in.

Who's from Pyrodon?

Um, um.

Oh, I know.

I know you.

Wow.

There's a statue of you.

And Byrodon.

Yeah.

Um, have you ever heard of the Gem of Byrodin competition?

I feel like that could be a really, really good way to introduce some of the rude.

I'm sorry, I was listening in.

Um,

it could be a really great way to introduce them to the culture of Byrodon.

I mean, probably haven't been in a long time, but there is a pie contest that you would go crazy for.

Oh, no, I remember the pie contest.

Oh, you do.

Visit Whitestone.

We'll talk.

Yes, please.

Okay.

But indeed,

you all can't help but consider the immensity of what has transpired

and what small part or big part

he played in it from the beginning.

What elements of it were fate?

What elements of it were choice?

What elements were just riding the waves of chaos?

But you can almost feel the city,

the world itself, collectively exhale

and prepare themselves for what comes next, whatever that may be.

So, to that point,

uh,

Aurim,

what's up for you soon?

You can go ahead and rest if you'd like.

I sent you a message to Open Time.

Well, I have a small task and then the larger task.

Certainly.

The small is if we're talking like the coming days and weeks at this point yeah however soon or thereafter you want to be we're we're now taking little vignettes of time in the aftermath of this shift this change and I want to know what's next for you well I need to find the tempest but she's busy moving mountains so before I seek her out on this day in the next couple of days I'm going to seek out Rin

Rin is easy enough to find.

Rin is in the process of a deep series of discussions.

They are laying out drawn maps that

seem to lay out interpretations of the Ruidian

cityscapes, townships, the path to where the Bloody Bridge once was, to where this is, and they're kind of basically building out a plan.

There are, as you kind of step into the tent where she is, you see Rashina of the Golden Hammer is present, representative and leader of the volition as part of this.

And as they are talking as you step in, they kind of stop and turn and Rashida goes,

Ah, hello there.

Amazing.

Welcome.

How long have you been with us?

Um, only but a day.

We're in the early stages, and looks to Rin, and they both kind of raise an eyebrow.

But we're making headway, it seems.

Looks like you've got your work cut out for you.

As far as I understand,

we've all had artwork cut out for us for some time.

So, not a massive change, just a shift in responsibility.

To be honest, I much prefer this

than skulking around and constantly under the threat of death.

Well,

I'm three foot three, but I have high hopes.

I see what you do there.

Rin Colonel Tibra.

And how can we help you, little Auron?

I'm sorry to interrupt your work.

I was wondering if you would take a walk with me

if you don't mind.

Of course not.

I need to speak out to some of my compatriots anyway.

The men kind of steps out and puts her hand on your shoulder and begins walking with you out.

I'm gonna start leading us towards a garden in the city that I've already scoped out at this moment.

I'm uh I can't tell you how I don't know what's going on.

um

how grateful and all the twists and turns of the last few months that you made it out the other side of this

and I know so much of

where things shook out is out of our control but I have felt

bad all this time

that you went through what you did and I was hoping you'd let me help you and to facilitate that.

Um This is a funny thing to say in light of recent offense, but

would you ever sit with me and pray a little bit?

Pray?

I can lead things

if that's okay.

They raised their one arm and kind of like

who am I to say no?

If there was a bit of time to pray, perhaps it's when no one's listening.

She sits that next to you and says, and

believe you, me, I've been through far worse.

But I have you and your friends to thank for seeing me through the other side.

Is that not right?

Did the best we could,

didn't we?

All

right, and what's the problem?

Well, Aurim is going to unsheathe seedling

and gently

rest it on Rin's lap

and

take hold of Rin's hand.

And he's gonna start to

he sort of relinquishes or releases Seedling from himself.

And

he rests his Rin's hand on the blade.

Don't cut yourself sharp, but.

Keep it here.

What am I praying to exactly?

Well, we are praying to the wild mother.

I don't know where

you are

if you are

waiting to be born,

if you know what's coming,

if you'll remember all that's happened.

But I hope

for the best

I hope we can walk side by side in this world together.

I have faith we can

and Orm will pray with Rin long enough for Rin to attune to the blade

and have its

regenerative properties.

As Aurin Druid crafts little sort of fae tendrils of vinery and greenery over Rin's hand and the blade and up Rin's torso and around her neck and over the area where Rin's arm broke off

until

it's slowly

bit by bit first in

vegetation which congeals and firms up into flesh until Ren's arm is whole.

Rin

begins, I'm not really one for prayer necessarily.

I don't even know quite how to begin, but I can tell a story.

Stories I can do.

Stories I can definitely muster.

I

have seen a lot of my time.

It begins to go into discussions of her youth and

the travel.

that they've done across the realms.

The incredible, gorgeous plumes of unreal color and light bursting at the edges of where the various elemental realms collide.

The deepest depths of the abyss and what horrors gurgle there.

As well as what beautiful nightmares exist in the most vibrant peaks of the Fae.

The dream and

belief of worlds beyond even the realms that they know, a great cosmic expanse in which Xandria is but one of many worlds

with different threads to share and differences to celebrate, and a hope of one day even seeing them

and getting lost in their storytelling.

Eventually, they kind of open their eyes and see the vine-wrapped

facsimile of their lost arm.

And they smile.

I love a good story.

Well, many more where that came from.

And she goes to brush off the vines that you've created, this, you know, kind of image of the lost arm.

And as they do, they break off, and the new arm has reformed in its place.

And you see, we're in kind of

clever

and ruffles your hair like a child.

Very, very clever.

I like it.

You're gonna have your hands full with everything you gotta do, so

indeed.

Can you make two more?

We can pray.

I think I've had enough prayer for one day, but thank you.

I greatly appreciate it, Orum.

I guess I can finally cook.

Let Ring cook.

In the larger picture,

Auram would seek out the Voice of the Tempest.

Alright.

At this time,

the Voice of the Tempest has returned to Zephra

to begin to make plans with the rest of the Ashari.

So, those of you that would wish to trek with you to Zephra can do so.

I don't know what the group wants.

Aurum will have to

talk to the Tempest about what he hopes to do with his life.

So everyone's welcome to come and uh Zephyr and chill if you want.

Or I can just put it off until people do things here.

I don't want to.

I have a protege to train, so

I'll probably be here bearing the weight of unfathomable responsibility.

Alright.

We can.

It's a little timey-whimy here.

Okay, so we can jump around here.

So meaning we can jump around it.

This is like immediate vignettes towards distant vignettes, but we can tackle a few immediate moments people want to do.

So

we'll come back to you on your track to Zephra here in a moment.

So we're holding on to that.

In the immediate moment, while Vassalheim is still in the process of these early stages,

anybody else have any pressing matters here in the city?

I would like to try and find

Lieoftel or any other

temple maidens of the Raven, the Matron of Ravens.

Indeed, the Raven's Crest Temple still remains, and upon assembling the steps, you are greeted by some of the veiled maidens of the Matron.

Stepping within its corridors, it doesn't take long for Lieoftel to meet you part way.

Do you want to come with me?

Of course.

Hello?

Leofto.

Oh.

Hello, Ter.

Um.

You said

you saw something in me.

You vouched for me in front of the council.

No one else wanted anything to do with me.

Um,

I'm curious what you still see in me.

I pull out the Matron of Raven

mask that she gave me.

That she gave Braus.

That I stole from Braus.

That heathen stole from me.

Anyway.

I pull out the real one.

I made a copy of a coffee.

Oldest trick

It looks noticeably shitty.

It's made of chocolate.

It's a paper plate with just

eyes cut in it.

When we spoke with the matron,

honestly, she was pretty ambiguous

about my future.

I was wondering if you could give some context.

Where do I lie?

Would you like to stay with us for a while?

Um...

How long's a while?

As long as you like.

You can visit, and the offer is good now.

Or down the road.

Will I ever be whole again?

Will it be like this for forever?

Especially with the matron being gone, is

she was the one who walked souls between life and death, and now I feel

even more like

out of place.

I hold your hand.

Well,

and Liev runs her hand over the contours of the mask in your hand and then she raises her hand to your face

Everything is

new again just like every day of our lives

A lot to figure out

But you seem fairly whole to me love

And while the heavens have changed,

you stand here still.

Tomorrow is promised for none of us.

So, in that way, you seem very much

like every soul I've ever met in all my many days.

But what about her long life?

Lan hasn't aged for

a long time.

I would love

more than anything

to age alongside the one that I love, if she'll have me.

Feels

like a fraught wish that many

think that they

long life

to never die, to live for eternity, but

having been in that limbo, in that in-between space

to age is a gift

and

I don't want to be left behind.

Tell me, child,

Are you sure?

I've had my time.

I've had

more than enough time

in this lingering uncertainty.

I just want to know one way or the other.

When I went on this whole journey, I honestly hoped for death in many ways, and it wasn't until

I found Imogen

that my mind changed.

But it's not fair to me, and it's not fair to her.

It's really not fair to her

to have to get old and pruny.

I'd love you no matter what.

Fuck it.

Give me your hands, ladies.

Mine too?

Yes.

And as you hold her hands together, three of us's length.

I squeeze both of your hands and I look into Lavna's eyes.

And I use divine intervention.

Does it still work?

I don't know.

Oh, fuck.

So that she will age

and die

the same as Imogen Temple.

That's what it's all about.

It's a unique experience for Leif Tel

because there is no present divine to intervene

whereas normally such a grand ask

and focal

calling of will and intent

is an outward

request

this seems to emanate from within

the chamber's obsidian, polished walls

begin to dim as the surrounding candlelight becomes just a dull, low, warm blur.

And through Lievtau, you instinctually draw their hands together and place them into each other's within your hands.

And as you withdraw your grasp on theirs, a sourceless golden thread now binds its way through their hands and fingers.

Both of them held together, wrapped.

A little bit

of a cold shiver runs through your sternum and down your back.

Of a flicker of warmth travels through yours.

And with that, the string burns bright

and then scatters into ash.

But something's a little different.

Something

irrevocably connected between the two of you.

Did you fish his camera?

Did we just get married?

I felt like marriage.

You're both pregnant.

Double baby.

Double baby.

Matron just got born.

She came out with a mask.

What does that mean?

What did you just do?

Does she feel warmer?

Do you feel

slightly?

You're still Logna.

Your very nature hasn't changed, that you can tell.

I'm just gonna give a little tug to her arm and see if it falls off quite as easily.

But I mean, it does kind of still shift and the bone pulls out of place.

I located my shoulder, I'm just saying.

But there is a little touch on the face with my cheek, and I press firmly with the thumb and take it away.

Just a little pink blush there just for a second before it dies away.

I didn't just age like 30 years, right?

No, you look the same.

That comes next.

That comes next.

I give you a kiss

and just hold her.

I don't know what just happened, but

do I still smell like dead leaves?

You smell amazing.

It is death that makes life so very precious.

So treated like the gem that it is.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And thank you.

I would like...

to return someday and maybe take you up on your offer

but

for now

we have an old lady we should probably check upon and

oh my god I know

my my

I have to talk to my mom Do you think she's gonna return to

my dad?

We should make that house call as well

But I'll be with you every step of the way

and

if it still sounds nice to you

Yes

that little cabin in the

I love you so much I love you

you know I

I don't know if I ever told you but

I heard music

the first time I I met you your

your mind was so beautiful

I can't believe we're both here now and

everything happened the way it did and I'm just so grateful that I got to hear that.

It's probably a little bit of the insanity, honestly.

Oh, it was pretty.

You can have all of my crazy.

I'll take it.

Thank you, Matt.

Of course.

Return any time, The Duskmeadow will take you under its wing.

Thank you.

I'll follow you, Leed.

Um,

is Liliana still in the city?

Liliana is in the city.

She's been tended to by some of the

local combat medics that were immediately available just to kind of get her back into a semblance of health.

Also keeping her outside of public sight, as many people were given implicitly instructions to attack her as part of Futinus's inner circle.

So when you brought her with you under this guise of

bearing or bearing Perdathos upon arrival, you had her set aside.

And so she's currently resting within what was essentially like a small side war tent that is under

instructed protection of Wasselheimston marshals.

And so if you step into the tent itself,

you can see the physicians themselves are kind of just taking a minute to rest and kind of like finish off snacks and kind of give you acknowledgement.

Liliana is sitting up partially out of of the bed and is just kind of rubbing her face a bit and looks up as you walk in.

Imogen.

Hi.

I was gonna.

No,

stay down.

Oh, got dizzy there for a second.

I'll come sit on the bed and

give her a hug.

Mother-in-law.

I don't know what to do.

I don't know.

It was weird.

There was a band around her wrist in it.

Well, I maybe took some of her life.

I don't know.

Sure, why not?

It's been a weird time.

Are you going to return to Joe Vaughan?

I've been trying to think on that here.

I don't know.

I don't quite know where I belong right now.

I've done a lot of bad things.

In the name of trying to do something right,

I mean, even just

the few glances I get around here, there's a lot of people that don't want to see me

do well through all this.

Well,

one thing to say about our town is

it's isolated.

I wouldn't even

say what to revive.

I just left.

I know.

But um.

I know.

I know it would be hard, but uh.

He.

He misses you.

He he never.

Um.

I think you should talk to him at least.

I'll talk to him.

He deserves that, at the very least.

I just don't know.

I don't know if the woman he loved to see her anymore.

Everything's changed.

Everything has.

And that's

okay.

I think that's okay.

But you do owe him that much.

Yes, I do.

He's not a bad man.

He's a very good man.

He deserves better than what he's gotten.

I gotta figure out a lot of things.

At the very least, I don't want to speak for you, my love, but um

perhaps you can make it right just enough to where

Imogen

has a bridge to her father.

He saw a lot of you in her.

I can't imagine why.

Thank you.

I owe a lot to you.

I owe a lot to him.

I owe a lot to.

And she kind of looks out beyond the tent.

Everyone.

If I'm not in shackles somewhere,

and all this is said and done,

then I have a particular path of apologies to walk, I think.

I'll speak on your behalf.

If they'll listen.

Honestly, I think you're quite lucky.

It seems

everyone is in the mood for a little redemption

in this new era that we're stepping into.

Do you know?

We got the impression after he was killed that Ludinus had made

more of himself.

Do you know anything of that?

I don't know, but he's a smart one.

A man prone to

already knowing what the next step is and having four plans after that,

so it wouldn't surprise me.

We should speak to Caleb.

He would know.

Yeah.

Well,

I'm gonna lie down.

Yeah.

Take another nap

and think about what I've done.

Be well, Mama.

She takes your hand.

I'm proud of you.

I think if anything, the best thing I ever did was maybe be

In my attempts to try and protect you, instead be the force that made you this...

this incredible woman in front of me.

A lot of things went into that.

I just wish maybe I had

done it through different means, but...

I'm gonna lie down.

She like lays back in bed and like grabs the tea off to the side.

She's still recovering from the near-death that she was from.

We should tell Caleb

about Ludinus.

Maybe we should go meet up with the others and find him.

Yeah.

Bye, mom.

She's like, has like the pillow over her face.

Bye, Lauden.

I'll have many questions later about what you said.

All right.

As you guys head out into the night,

Reyes, whereabouts are you?

Tiny footnote on Leah Tell in the coming week.

She will find Serconos and rock his world.

She's probably

too much for him,

but she'll let him decide that.

Anyway.

So you can see.

We might come back to that.

That's how we end this entire campaign.

What are you up to at the moment?

Before everyone goes their separate ways, I'd just like to call everyone together and just say that I'm, as I was trying to say inside the big room before,

I'm aware that I've committed many sins, some against good people, some against bad people, some against you people.

And as you have that thought.

Nosebleed.

Your mind flashes back

to that moment of the shattering of the divine gate and the crafting of the rite of catathiosis.

That moment where the gods convened and before they stepped across that path, your vision was pulled from your space and you found yourself sitting in a fiery abyss.

There,

in those moments before the gods cross the threshold

from the darkness two

burning horns and singing red eyes peer back at you

tom seed

asmodeus

Are you proud of what you've done

proud?

Um

boy, which part?

Yes, I am proud of what I've done.

I think

these

I'm...

I was lost, and you gave me a path forward.

You taught me to lie, and I used it

for evil, and I used it

for some good, too.

So yes,

I am proud.

So

you've stepped into the heart of Vasiline

and you've made yourself a hero

to all the great temples and priests.

I have.

Well then.

Continue.

I'll be back.

and we'll have great things to do together, Doomseed.

But I

turned my back on you.

Have you?

Have you

was that trickery of the mouth or trickery of of the soul?

Brius,

oh God.

Literally, oh god.

My question to you

is: Will you find me

or will I find you?

That's so tempting.

It's like I was out, but they keep pulling me back in.

You're a hard man to say no to.

I know.

But if I.

But if I.

I've made my choice.

I've made my choice.

My path has been messy and unclear, and

you gave me focus and a horizon to aim for.

But I think I prefer the mess.

I think I prefer

the haziness of

life.

Of not knowing what's next and not knowing.

not having a singular purpose.

These people that I was with,

they're all damaged,

Weird people

But they're sort of beautiful in that way

I Think I prefer the mess

You can find me

And you can try to punish me for turning my back on you

But you'll have to go through them too.

We never said that

you'll have to go through them too.

You act like it's something you can just discard to the side.

I'm inside your soul.

My hooks are there.

I'm going nowhere.

And I'll be back.

And in that time, I'll haunt your dreams.

I'll be at the edge of every vision.

My agents will always be waiting, and I will find you.

Pulled back into the fire and darkness,

you return back to the night of Vassalheim as you call your friends together.

What were you gonna say?

Don't feel bad about it.

Okay.

I felt like you were about to make a toast or something.

Yeah, you looked like you were gonna get a little queasy.

voice.

You're also kind of blushing.

There's color?

Oh,

that's interesting.

It's a new thing for both of us.

Yes.

It's been so fun getting to know you.

Where are you going to go from here?

I mean, I thought we were sort of a group, a team, a sort of a.

We are a team.

Like, you know, we have each other's backs through thick and thin.

I feel like

this is the end of a momentous story.

And we should all pledge to each other that we will be there for one another.

I pledge myself to you.

And I would hope that you would do the same for me.

I mean, we've known each other for like a month.

So you don't need to pledge yourself.

Six times.

Oh, wow.

Emily, you don't need to pledge yourself.

We don't.

No, I really want to.

I really want to.

It would make me feel better if you did.

What's going on?

Am I fucked up?

Yes.

I'm fucked up.

I'm not going to pledge myself to the...

to Asmodeus.

He's going to kill me.

He's going to come back and kill me.

He's a baby.

He's going to grow up and kill me.

There's a baby that's going to kill me.

Somewhere there's a baby and he's going to kill me.

You're scared of a baby?

I am.

Have you...

There's some creepy babies.

That baby's got to make it through a lot of stuff.

That baby's got some champions.

I mean, we saw him.

And I'm sure there's a long list and you are not that high.

Babies, just in case.

Just don't.

No, bro.

Every baby I see, I'm going to be like, ah!

It's a knee-jerk reaction.

You'll be fine.

You've got at least 12 years where you're fine.

Yeah.

Minimum.

And if you know, he hits puberty later and she hits puberty later.

You know, it's fine.

Yeah, you send up the flare.

You're trying to fuck avoid and then it turns out to be hosmodious.

I mean, honestly, that would be

a good story.

There's some benefit reward, at least in that story.

There's worse ways to go.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Be a lot younger than you.

Yeah, so maybe.

That's fucking hard.

Yeah.

Yeah, that's true.

That's a very good point.

That was campaign one, man.

I was going to apologize, but now I feel like I'm...

Anyway, I'm sorry.

So wait,

so he's coming after you.

He's gonna kind of hug me down for the rest of my life.

My god, what are you gonna do?

Maybe you would.

Oh, fern!

What?

Maybe you can let him hang out with Nana.

Maybe he can hide out in the face.

Oh, and he's gonna be a little bit more.

That's dating your age.

That is.

Yeah, and maybe she took a liking to you.

I mean, you are more than one.

I was gonna go back home

anyway.

You are more than one.

Well, I don't know, just for a little bit.

I was just gonna see.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I could hide out there for a while.

Yeah, I mean, we gotta ask Nana about it, but I'm sure she would love to keep you there.

All right.

Somehow I feel like you're gonna be safe.

Yeah, she probably would keep you safe.

I mean, that's if you wanna hide, you know, instead of like trying to keep him.

If you say keep him safe, do you mean like

blankets safe?

Yeah, you know, safe, safe.

Yeah,

like safe, safe.

Okay, so all three dimensions, then

if hypothetically he came back and challenged me to some sort of a duel.

His priorities will probably change in two to three decades.

You know, he's saying that no, but like

here's the thing, he's probably just reaching out and grasping a bunch of straws.

I bet he lost quite a bit of followers.

Yeah, I agree with you.

It's an interesting question, too, because all of the gods saw what we did, right?

Yeah.

Is Asmodeus going to be the only one?

Coming after her.

Also, are you?

Will there be other gods to come after the rest of us as well?

You are freaking out at the promise of a god of lies.

That is another layer of this.

So, you know,

it's.

You can kind of take it with a grain of salt.

Yeah, maybe he was just giving you shit and is just lying and he's never going to come after you.

I think you're in big trouble.

Yeah.

Devil's advocate, train really, really, really, really, really, really hard every day of your life.

Mostly, it sounds like a moral problem.

I'm devil's advocate.

You're an advocate.

Never sleep again.

Maybe you should train.

If you're not with the Lord Alives anymore, are you going to search out the Platinum Dragon again?

Oh, he's really boring.

Yeah.

You're wearing the armor, though.

I know.

What's it called?

I think...

Truth there, Fable Play with our Vandrock.

I mean, it's really cool, but.

I haven't had any guidance in my life.

I mean I've only had guidance from gods in my life and now all the gods are gone.

But I was thinking

if I needed guidance, you know, that's got you.

Well, no,

I also had this pamphlet that that one called Jester gave me.

And

I could always sort of reach out to her God and see if he would guide me through things.

As a casual observer of your reality over the last week-ish,

you made all of your best decisions by yourself.

Like, really, the moments where you actually seemed, from my perspective at this point,

were when you weren't thinking about anybody else's opinion.

When you were just trying to do what you thought was good.

Yeah, fair.

So maybe,

you know, maybe

take a little bit of time time before you make any rash decisions.

Or maybe you should just, you know, follow that.

Just to really shit together.

So I think whoever, you know, she.

I think listen to the advice from the Holy One.

Which one?

Which one?

The one with a hole in his head?

Oh, that's good.

I'm going to keep that.

That's clever.

Thank you.

Yeah.

And as much as we're joshing you,

you do have us.

Really?

We've

just been through the most insane amount of shit together.

That is a that that is a bonding experience like no other.

No one has seen what we all have seen.

Six days of crazy, and we can build on those six days.

Am I the only one that hasn't gotten a painting yet?

Oh, that reminds me.

I finished these on the walk over here.

This one is for you, Chetney.

That's

awesome.

And Dorian, I

love this sketch.

It's how I see you and

all of your beautiful glory.

These aren't really.

You've captured my job.

And these I hadn't, I I made these, I showed them to you, but I didn't give them out to you before.

But this one was for

Ashton and

open up a show.

A show?

Yeah, like, what if you did something where it was almost like a performance piece where you live paint for people?

Okay, okay.

You know, it's just, it's.

But can I still be sort of keep my dark persona, like the dark paint of the evil page of the

you mean like Chris Angel?

Like Chris Angel

Chris Angel, are we actually speaking the Lord Chris Angel?

I love it.

I love it.

Okay, I could try that for a while.

That's fair.

Listen, good reason.

You have our back.

We have your back.

But if you don't have our back,

we will not have your back.

Oh, good.

Okay?

I have your back.

100%.

Okay.

I'm not lying.

Inside chest.

Roll persuasion or deception.

Don't have to say which.

Guidance yourself.

Oh,

I'm standing right next to you.

Oh, okay, okay, okay.

Guys, roll so many ones.

Okay, oh, okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Not anymore.

What'd you get?

30.

30.

Rollies.

Rollies.

Rollies off of 30.

Can you just leave it?

No one?

I feel really uncomfortable because I can't tell.

I was going to say fancy.

And I usually can read people very well and I can't tell.

I feel really uncomfortable because I feel like you can tell.

I can

tell.

I feel like you can.

You are.

I know what you're saying to me.

And I know that you know that.

I'm going to trust.

I'm gonna trust.

I feel like this is out loud.

Unless we should roll rollies in the game one last time.

Rollies.

Rolling.

Best game within a game.

15.

18.

I have your back.

Oh, yeah.

I knew it.

I knew it.

I knew it.

I felt it, I guess.

And uh,

yeah, if you if you decide also that you don't feel like settling down then

Yeah, let me know.

I got don't know I got some ideas

Yeah,

what do you want to do

Well,

I think I want to take a moment to figure out what this means now cuz this is the

I have now had three and a half heads in my life and it's starting to worry me

and I don't want to wait where's the half coming to From

So I think it might be a good idea to

find Esak,

ask some questions, maybe take a moment to figure out what this means

before somebody else decides that they want to figure out what this means.

And

we have seen so much cool shit.

I don't think I'm done.

I think I want to walk.

I spent so much time in the same place.

I got so stuck.

And uh,

and we only spent a few days on the moon.

There's a whole nother moon.

I don't know if that one has an atmosphere.

I'm just throwing it out there.

We don't.

What the fuck do we know about it?

And you can go underwater.

I mean,

you can go anywhere with a little bit of thought with a i don't believe that there's anywhere that you can't go anymore if you're

i want to see how far i can get i want to see things nobody has seen before we've already seen things that barely anybody has seen before

i don't know i'm

i want to see this fucking place

before we do that

Look at this why he's smiling so much.

You're smiling.

I am smiling.

It might just be a concussion.

Like a really bad one.

Clearly.

You mentioned Essex.

Yeah.

Do you guys want to...

If he would do us the favor, we've spent the last few months

almost dying every other day.

It's been a hard road.

You want to spend a week in Dressar and just

be

before we

take off on any different directions we might?

very much yes.

Maybe we could stay at Esterosh's house.

That was actually hard to say.

The crime scene?

It's covered in cubicle.

The place was covered in blood.

It was fucking gross in there.

It's really annoying.

It's probably also fun by now.

Yeah, I imagine.

You know, we can fix it up.

I would love a week in

Trussar.

That's great.

In a lot of place.

And this will, I mean, another week would be amazing, but this is never going to be goodbye.

We all know that.

We should go back to that restaurant where we met Bertrand.

Wow.

That was a while ago.

Have a drink.

You're glowing, by the way.

You look really.

Am I?

Yeah.

Yeah, it's.

I can't.

What's happen?

What's going on?

I can't say for certain, but

I

went with Imogen to go see the Aftel, and

she did a weird thing with a gold thread and then tied our wrists together, and then I felt a little bit warmer, and she was like, You're gonna get old now, and then and maybe Imogen and I are married.

I don't know, it all happened very quickly.

Regardless, regardless,

you're wearing my ring

and

our fates are tied together.

It's true,

Not that they weren't already, but it's

a bit more official.

What color is it?

I always bled red.

It was always red.

What is it what?

What is it?

Is it different?

It's a spicy Perkante, huh?

You're married.

What are you thinking?

Yeah.

But if you could spare me

just a bit before you leave, there's something I'd like to.

It's alright.

Of course.

Is it alright?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Um,

I'd like to split off and um

and hop on Coriolis and I'd like to kind of um

just sort of fly up where I can get a vantage point over the city and I want to look for uh

if it's there

uh any sort of like pillows or flags or any any idea that home would be on the outskirts if

if the Silken Squall was in the cityscape.

Yeah, it was nearby.

Your father was part of the original name.

As you fly up at this point too, throughout the evening's chaos,

the faintest bit of sunlight is starting to crest on the horizon.

Dawn is around the corner.

But you glance down and it takes you not terribly long as the light begins to hit and the color begins to rise, the familiar white banners of the silken squall,

a smaller troop of the caravan

itself, the mobile city, just here to bring your father as a representative.

But you see where it sits beyond the outer walls.

Yeah, and I imagine my father's probably still busy maybe within the city and

ah, there's someone that's been on my mind since the minute we set off and I reconnected with Bell's House and that's my mother.

And

that's what I'm hoping to see there.

So I'll fly down and

set foot back for the first time in,

I mean, gosh, it'd be almost close to a year since I broke up.

And

sort of walk through the collection of tents that lead up to the main cloth-like sort of yurt

where my parents would stay.

And I'll open the and see if she's there.

A handful of the various posted guards at this this early hour kind of see you approach and begin to step forward to kind of halt your advance before they recognize you and just kind of quietly step back with a welcoming smile and a nod.

You step towards the flap of the yurt and inside the warm glow of oil lamps, two of which set at different tables and the sides reside within the comfortable travel bed that's in the center and your mother is, and she is prone to wake up rather early,

is currently, what looks like setting a kettle on a small kind of arcane flame stone and she doesn't hear you enter.

She's just kind of in the process of setting the enchantment on and pouring water into it.

I'll quietly walk up behind her and

I'll get like 10 feet away and I'll just gently cast like

gust.

behind her ear into her hair so I'd let her know that I'm there.

Her kind of shoulder length teal hair with touches of white kind of drift with it, and she stops and her hand goes onto her shoulder.

She looks over towards you,

Dorian,

Torian, my baby, and she just like sets it down on the like the kettle hits the top of the table and then tips off, kind of spilling onto the ground.

She doesn't even notice as she runs over and just wraps her arms around you.

Dorian,

you don't have to call me that.

Oh, mom.

Do you hate me?

And then he just, yeah, he sort of loses it in his mother's arms.

Is this not what you wish to be called?

Your father said that

it's alright.

Yes.

I'm sorry for what happened.

I don't think the world was what I thought it was.

It's a scary place and it's dark.

And I never imagined that any of this would happen.

She just holds you

and kind of

pulls you into her lap

there on the floor of the earth.

My sweet boy, I'm so sorry.

We tried to protect you.

And you're right, the world is a very scary, scary place.

Do you think

do you think it's possible to start over?

To start

new?

Even though you've made terrible mistakes

and he can't he just can't finish his sentence and only his brother is on his mind.

He's not trying to hurt her, but he can't control the truth of what his journey has led him to.

She picks you up by the cheeks, rubbing the tears from your face as her eyes meet your goes, my sweet bronte.

All it takes to start again

is to wake up one morning and decide to

we are the wind and the wind is prone to change is it not

in its very essence

the world is

frightening

But you've seen it now

and it's filled with so much beauty.

And you're part of that now.

You're part of what makes it beautiful.

Thank you.

Thank you for

telling me it's okay to live.

And

as he sort of lays in his mother's lap and

he feels that

warm, her warm breath,

he just sort of breathes it in

and holds it there

because he can forever.

Just for a moment, just

drifts off to sleep in his mother's lap.

That's all I ever wanted.

The rest of you gather yourselves.

and you're trekking, you said, for a week to Drusar

to try and maybe retrace some of the steps of where this began and offer yourselves a little bit of space and time to celebrate and

enjoy a little space from the intensity of Fasselheim.

Would you have brought Frida with you?

Yeah.

Would you like Frida to join you at the table?

Sure.

Alright, just make a little room here on the edge.

I'll get my shit together after my nap and go with everyone.

Frida, if you don't mind coming to the table, please.

Welcome to the stage.

Someone call Cornell.

Get in, get in.

Get in, get in.

Mr.

Pockopi?

Protege.

You, you are different.

Sorry,

please.

But

you all gather and traverse the familiar spires of Drusar.

The beautiful rising brown and red columns

of civilization and art and beauty.

Here the Chandequorum brings order

to a people.

Some very happy to see you return.

You check in with Shadana.

Yeah.

Shadana, who has since rented the room.

No.

Who has since rented the room while you were away?

And a

young studying pupil,

a familiar beret,

and Cheddy Boat Prisoner has taken up residence

to pursue knowledge and arcana and history from within conservatory.

Amazing.

Miss you, Emily.

No, no, miss you, Emily.

But indeed, Shadana is so happy to see you both.

Seems like you've traveled quite the world.

Look, this is an alien like thumb.

And this is an alien fetus.

He should go on the shelf.

Oh, I.

You know, I think

so much.

But you all like cookies.

Yes.

Puts together a platter of some sort of cabbage dish.

It's not quite.

Oh.

Those are delicious cookies, Shadana.

Thank you.

Cabbage?

Cabbage.

She's a little confused.

We'll do

one of our usual market runs.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Get her some fresh.

And then give Prison the rundown on taking care of her, making sure that...

Show Frida every spot we've visited with fresh cut grass and tell a hundred stories of our time in Dressar way back three months ago.

The terrible place that we lived

when FCG and Ashton were were roommates uh

just living in literally a hole in the wall with a bunch of other miscreants so I think Ashton

I think this might be your size if you're interested it has uh

and I open up my jacket and it has FCG's initials in it found uh

I think uh I think I might be due for a new one so

I think you might want that I'd never say no to nice clothing

looks great Art.

Feels really good.

Wow.

You clean up now.

Yeah.

There will be a time and place for this.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Hey, Freedom.

Yes, Miss Calloway.

Do you feel like there's any way that

you could

not bring FCG back, but

look into

maybe.

I don't know, I guess bringing him back again.

I feel

their presence still.

So, if they want to come back,

and you all think it's

a good idea,

maybe there's an answer in A or

yeah, I would like to go to the other.

Maybe we could find that

At the very least we could learn more about them.

Yeah.

Yes.

I'd like to meet others like me.

If if there are.

You should meet Imahara Joe.

Imahara Joe.

Imahara Joe, yes, we

were quite familiar with them when we were in Bassarus.

It's not that far.

No.

That'd be a nice trip.

Maybe you and check.

If my if my uh my my teacher, my bastard, my

sire, if my sire would uh

my daddy you can see my head getting larger and larger

i think they're called i think it's called the alpha the alpha yes

oh god

this looks like a good space for it right here i could do that

i could do that

Should we go get that drink?

Please.

Stepping into the familiar fire-lit interiors of the various taverns, you're given a tour of the various meals and drinks and spaces.

Along the way, greeted by one exuberant, massive ogre from the kitchen.

Upon your arrival, runs out,

and

well, we have a sordid history.

I just want to show that there's no hard feelings, and I still think of all three of you fondly.

There's no hard feelings, none whatsoever.

Have you found someone pretty?

I've found someone very pretty.

Oh!

Oh!

It's still early stages, but um

we're taking our

but nevertheless, any uh requests from our menu

the special surprise uh

meal the thing that you get here

I'll throw something special together

just metal for me.

I remember your kind

Goes back into the kitchen.

Yeah.

A week of delights and memories in Drew Saur.

You checking in with the crook house in Ponzi Hollow?

I definitely want to stop in and at the very least say hi to Milo.

It's been a long time.

The rest of you go with or do you take this as a solo trip?

I'm fine either way.

Actually, if you want to come around and just check out, and actually it's possible that FCG left some of their stuff in the crook house, so I can show you their bunk.

Go, be free.

Use your nose, explore, take in whatever Drew Salvad has to offer you.

Maybe not at the crook house.

You're going to smell some things.

Well, shit.

Yeah.

All right.

Descending through the Fonsee Hollow in the kind of darkened interior of the spire and where no sunlight really touches the number of glowing baubles and torches that lead you along these massive stretches of scaffolding and hanging cloths and canvas, you eventually come to the exterior of the crook house,

this kind of unique-looking, oddly painted little abode that's buried partially into the

wall of the interior core.

You knock on the door briefly before a voice goes,

Yeah, what do you want?

What don't I want, you miserable, miserable fuck?

Ashton's back, and the door opens, and you love Annie Oddie,

female Unia, is like an orc elf

ancestry,

kind of just in what looks like midday ragged pajamas, kind of observes.

Oh, it's good to see.

What the fuck happened to you?

So much bad shit.

Good.

You had it coming.

Come in.

I missed you.

Fuck.

Did you upgrade?

Oh, no.

Oh, boy.

No, that's...

Oh.

Smiley day to you.

I am Frida.

Frida.

I guess welcome to the Crookhouse.

Thank you.

We're not feeding both of you, are we?

Oh, we are, but

yeah,

FCG didn't make it.

He saved the world.

But he did save the world, and

also

hooked up pretty well.

So this is our new friend.

You see, Annie, who usually keeps this very kind of

devil-may care attitude, kind of for the first time in a while, kind of taken back and shaking me.

Oh, I didn't.

I didn't realize.

I'm sorry.

And, well.

Welcome.

Thank you.

Welcome.

Come on.

Come on in.

Milo!

You like it.

Eventually, Milo comes darting around the corner.

Big glasses, their knitted cap kind of dangling at the sides,

one hand in a big leather glove, what looks like some sort of a spanner tool in the side.

And I was like, What?

Oh,

you

look rough.

So fucking rough.

Oh, it's bad.

Oh, I love it.

Good to see you, asshole.

This is a friend.

Friend, nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

Oh, you're just like them.

Well, they rubbed up on me.

Well, welcome to the crook house.

We got stories to share, don't we?

Jesus.

Welcome to the table with Orban.

At some point, I'm going to visit it.

After some snacks, some introductions, a tour of the space, what sort of FCG relics would they find within FCG's old plants?

Yeah.

Some maintenance stuff, some oil cans, and

little tools and stuff to keep the circuitry and the mechanics running smoothly.

Maybe a spare tire.

And some other arm attachments that they left behind

that were probably less useful.

There's one that's just like a long pencil.

I take the pencil.

I take the pencil so I can sketch.

And

a sketch.

um

it looks like a frisbee

and it just says we are here

oh my god

is it okay if I is it okay if I take these of course

they're here for you

They were here for me yeah

after some stories and some laughter and some drinks we said you pull Milo aside.

Yeah, um,

I'm, uh, as you can see, it's been, it's been, it's been rough.

Yeah, I'm glad you, glad you finally got out of the fucking house, man.

And if half the shit you said is true, that's genuinely kind of wild.

Yeah,

and I think I'm gonna be leaving sooner rather than later.

I'll be back, but I think I'm gonna be getting out of town.

Um,

before I do, and not tonight, but before I take off, and I reach up and just tap where the glass is meeting the rock, and another little flake pops off.

I may need a bit of a patch-up, as only you do.

And also, and I pull out the hammer, and there's cracks in it.

And

it's not dead, but it's a little off.

And I hand a sketch.

I dream that, and I think that might fix it.

I don't know.

It's new.

I mean, just like I did last time, I'll do my best, but

my best is as good as you.

Your best helps save the world.

You gotta be kidding.

Your best saved my life.

You're gonna be a big head.

Let me, I'll get to work on this.

Also, among the stuff that you find, Frida, is

a strange-looking

crescent-shaped sort of

microchip

that has

an odd glowing symbol on it.

I take that up.

Can I insert this into myself?

All right.

As I insert it,

look away.

Is there an adapter?

There's an oil can.

There's no report.

I mean,

you

you understand as much as you can about your physical, you know,

build and

uh

it

make an arcana check for me, actually.

Just roll these

twelve.

Twelve

you have no real concept of where it could be utilized or how it can be installed.

You might have to seek

help elsewhere.

I will

tuck that away.

Okay.

And then I'll turn to his family.

Their family.

You go and find, after this minute, you find Ashton kind of like on a length table and Milo with a massive like mask and large heavy like welding goggles on, full on like leather apron and glasses and this contraption that it's like a weird wench-like bendable arm and is currently like what looks like pouring some sort of molten metal onto Ashton's head.

Like,

like dark smoke kind of rising up from it.

Like, come on, you motherfucker, don't worry.

I'm definitely screaming.

Or, like, talk doing like the yeah,

yeah, don't talk, don't breathe.

Lean forward, lean forward,

for more, more, spilling, it's spilling, it's spilling, Ashton, you fucker!

Girl, fuck you!

All right, come on, okay,

and takes a bucket of water,

throws it on,

steam pours out from around, the room kind of fills with it.

And then as it slowly fades away, Ash, and you sit up and you can see kind of near the edges of where that crack in the head is, there's like a dull orange glow of a cooling, molten kind of gold material that has filled some of those gaps.

And that window has gotten a lot bigger.

It is definitely,

it has taken over a

lot more of

their head and face, but it is at least now stable and not spreading and spreading like a windshield

are you okay does that hurt it looks hurt

so much

they like it

hey i uh i found something in uh an fcg's room is does this mean anything to you

does it mean anything to me it doesn't mean anything to me

no no i haven't i was like i

i haven't seen that no it's not it it's definitely not anything of ours okay

do you guys want to um

beep beep beep beep

it's FCG's voice

what

smiley day to you

smiley day to you

I haven't had the uh the courage to do that yet

That's a lot.

I miss them.

I do too.

I do too.

They inspired me to do some dumb shit.

Not saying much because he's been doing dumb shit his whole life.

Well, you found another Aormaton to help you do dumb shit.

That's uh

it's a thing to meet someone else

that's so desperate to do the right thing that they're willing to die for it.

They were willing to live for it too.

We should live for it too.

Yeah, it's in the end, it's what we had in common.

It was

the thing that made me keep them around, and I'm sure it was the thing that had them keep me around.

They were way too good for this world.

Coffee?

Ew, yes, please.

A toast.

I'll go through the motions of it, but you know.

Oh, oh, yeah.

We got plenty of chow left over.

Giant jar of like metal odd bits and scraps from Milo's workshop.

Here, kind of scoops up a little bit of a glass filled with them and hands them to you.

Thank you.

You wanna take the toast there, Ashton?

To FCG,

who

could

always

see the worst in everybody, but chose to only honor the best.

Only the best.

Cheers.

Cheers.

Clink, clink, click, clink, clink, click.

Like a casino machine hanging out in the machine.

Chinko upgrade we can get later.

Can we play slots on?

Yeah, probably.

I'll toss a chunk in.

On another moment of this day,

not with this group,

Auram and Dorian are trying to catch up with the group and I'm going to place us on one of the gondolas.

Moving over one of the city.

And I

see...

Sorry.

Again and again I've seen you be distracted or your mind wander off somewhere

and see you like look out at the city as we move across on the cable car.

Copper for your thoughts.

I'll actually flip them one.

Deal.

Just

drinking it all in, I suppose.

It has been

quite a thing.

How are you?

Lighter.

So many years for me have been

heavy.

I feel lighter.

I've seen it.

Makes me happy.

You carry a lot on your shoulders.

A small but broad.

You say that.

But I see you carrying.

Of course.

But it's always easier to

do that with someone else.

I don't know what next week holds for us or this group, but

if you'll allow it, I would love to

love you and take care of you and spend my days and my nights with you.

Okay.

Can I ask one thing of you?

You know it's not what I'm the best at.

You can ask anything.

Can we take it day by day?

Can we see who we become together?

I don't know anything anymore.

But the only thing I know is that I want to be with you.

And I hope just for for now, just for now, that can be enough.

And it can carry us through.

After this week with our friends is over, I kiss him.

Look, I know day by day.

We can take it day by day.

Let's promise.

I'll be here in the morning.

I'll be here in the morning.

Um.

I think I gotta go home for a bit.

Will you come with me?

Yes.

Can we grab fern?

Can we go to Zephyr for a minute?

Of course.

It feels nice

to have just a little freedom.

Real freedom.

I'm glad we could find it together.

So much

hardship.

Such a long road, but

I can't say that it's all been bad.

Because it brought you to me?

It has not all been bad.

I...

I don't know if today

that I can say it was worth it all, but...

I think there's a chance these dark things brought us to where we are.

It's hard to let them in.

It's hard to let them in.

But

what matters is today.

Day by day.

And I'll kiss them again.

That's any other business in Busar

as we gather

and just have a drink where we first

met,

Lodna goes through the arduous task of dragging a bunch of chairs and tables and boxes out and casts animate objects on them.

No!

It was you alone.

Do we get a table

out of them again?

Yes,

yes, my child.

Yes.

And I just recreate that very first fight that we had.

Fighting inanimate objects.

All the furniture just starts bashing into each other as the proprietor is back going like,

worry!

I'll pay for it.

Shut up.

Okay.

They just join them

in a little spooky dance in the middle as they all dance around.

Yes.

Yes.

The patrons all just kind of watch.

terrified or spellbound.

You're not sure.

The beautiful display furniture warfare shifting into furniture dance is met with a handful of claps and a couple of coins tossed your way.

Money.

Oh no.

I do this as good as my new living.

Too real.

If

I suppose while we're drinking, I'm going to come over to Fern and sit next to you.

Oh, hello.

Hey there.

Fancy meeting you here.

Yeah, what's a scoundrel like you doing in a place like this?

Oh, God, no good.

That's what I'm doing.

What's your plan after all this?

Well,

I have a couple things that I want to do.

I think

at some point I would

like to get to know my parents a little bit better.

Um

Bertie and Ollie.

I follow

and

I'd love to talk to Nana Mori about maybe one day

maybe

studying under her

Cause I feel like I feel like I'd be pretty good

at fade stitching.

You know, just like, just like plucking and

fucking with

people's lives.

That hitch was everything.

That is.

I think I'd be good at it.

You're already.

And also, you know, I've already started a collection.

I know Nana has a collection, and

I just want to spend more time with her.

I love her, and I love my home there.

And

I would also like to go to the

Unseale Court

at some point and see if there's any inheritance that I might have there.

Also,

mainly,

I want to get Chetney's egg.

I want to collect all five.

If I didn't know exactly what you meant right there, that would have been so dirty.

And then,

this is like a long shot.

But I was thinking,

since I, you know, have so much experience, Professor

all the things,

I wonder if they need

a new spot on the Taldori Council.

Because I think

I'm, you know,

I'm an ambassador of sorts, and I'm great with people.

Well, and if they don't have a spot, one could mysteriously open up,

I suppose.

Oh, I like this thinking that you have.

Well, you know,

I know what you like.

Honestly, though, that's that feels like that would be a little bit too much responsibility.

I'd rather just

play around with some golden threads.

Yeah, that's a.

That's a nice, nice little plan you got there.

What are you, what are you, what are you thinking you wanted to do?

Well, I'm going to get a handle on this because

I don't want to not know myself, and I don't want to be a danger.

I'm going to.

I want to see a lot.

I want to meet people.

I want to have places to go and rest where I can see friends and family and can I come with you

I just

I'd love the help

and

I don't know help you find

you and

maybe me too

I

I just did something monstrously heroic

and that's not me that was five seconds of my life.

And

God, brag

quite the opposite.

I think it's a bad thing to judge who I am by.

It was a moment of very, very

conscious sanity that I do not know if I can replicate again in my life.

It was amazing.

Thank you.

I'd love that,

but

not yet.

I need you to.

You just told me what you want,

and I think you should

go home, say hi to your family.

Let some time pass from

that version of me, and remember all the reasons why I'm a terrible idea.

And

I guess what I I want is I want to make sure

knowing you and knowing me

I'd love to be around you.

I love every moment around you.

You are fun and you are dangerous and hot and funny and probably going to get somebody killed, probably me.

And I am down for whatever.

I'm happy to be a friend.

I am happy to be a friend with benefits.

I'm happy to...

I'm happy to see what you want.

But what I need is for you to want.

I just, I think I need you to be thoughtful about it.

I think that's what I would ask, is take some time and be thoughtful.

And I want to make sure that you're not...

This is a thing I do not want you to jump into.

Even if it's

even if it's just casual fucking around, I want to make sure that you're not

wasting your time.

And I want to make sure that you're not just

if you decide to come.

I don't want you tagging along with me.

I want this to be a thing that

is not mine.

And

I

yeah, I just need I just that's what I would ask is for some thoughtfulness

I like that

yeah

that's a deal

I mean like if you want to like go fuck around right now though, I'm so fucking down

and think about it

Wonderful

Unless anyone else has any business in Drusar?

You said you wanted to make a trek to...

I wanna report home

with my friends from

the earliest days and touch base with the Tempest.

Okay.

You can step out if you'd like to, buddy.

Thank you.

And that trek to Zephyr you said in you,

Fern, and Dory?

Yeah, I was imagining something that like I know that Imogen and Lodna are going to need some time together and like different adventures and werewolf training and things are happening.

So once things have sort of settled down,

and I know Fern wants to go home, home, home for Fern,

but beforehand, we must

drop into Zephyr.

Crown capers, OG, OG green floppy.

Easy enough to coordinate via your druidic contacts,

some of which are family.

A trek back to the beautiful mountain town of Zephra.

Returning once more to your homestead, the

wonderful cavalcade of colors and mountainside trees blossoming, leaves blowing through the wind as it perpetually drifts through.

A wind that is as welcoming to you, Prince of the Wind, as any.

Is it home with you guys?

Yeah.

Yeah.

We would have scooped her up.

Yeah.

Alright.

Opal, if you want to come join the table, please.

She's gone.

She's gone.

She is gone.

Is it true?

Is it true?

Here's she comes.

Yes.

I see her.

Oh, wait, she got a cartoon.

Wait, is Laura coming up?

What's happening?

Someone said to take the seat Christian was in.

Yeah,

yeah,

Come this way.

Yeah.

Other people, I think, have gone use their own.

Let me scooch this way since it's Crown Keepers.

Are you sure?

Yeah, could you guys get me?

Oh, you get the Telcha.

Jesus.

They're so organized.

I know, I love them.

Argitha.

This game of Dungeons and Varners.

I don't know what's going on.

You guys smell good.

Why like

smell like hormonal emotional beetle?

Smells great to me.

Get to that.

But here in the

windy village scape of Zephra, beautiful kind of late afternoon, the breeze is blowing through.

You step back through the winding streets of all the small mountain-built abodes.

It's beautiful.

It's welcoming.

And it's a peaceful scene as members of the

Ashari Guard and other villagers kind of look out occasionally to take note of the arrivals and recognition.

People wave to you, some go like, Orum, you know, waving off to you in the distance.

The

first to greet you, if familiar, is

Maeve,

who comes and rushes towards the tree that you guys had arrived, meets you partway, and it's like, Aurum, I'm so glad you're here.

Welcome, friends of Aurum.

Hi.

Hi.

Fern.

Yes.

Maeve.

Maeve.

Yeah.

Dorian.

I don't think we brought Opal here.

This is our front opal.

I'm Maeve.

Uh.

Orm's

family.

Yeah.

Pod.

Uh, I'm myself one of the druid guardians of the village.

Uh kind of a...

Kind of a talented one.

But

welcome to our home.

Is it I I don't wanna presume, but um it would be okay if like tonight or tomorrow night if I if we and if I grab

um my mom if we came over for one of our dinners

yeah we could totally do that yeah we I want to stop in and visit with the tempest but she's I believe

in her chambers was as of this morning so you can check in there okay we'll swing by later tonight if that's okay sure yeah I'll go start letting folks know

it's so good to see you and she kind of tugs in your cheeks for a a minute.

We got sent on a real live official mission a while back.

It was pretty cold.

You're so warm here.

A lot of problems behind us, so.

Stepping through the village and heading towards the Tempest's chambers, passing by one of the small kind of

dining watering holes of the chamber, you hear the sound of music playing in the air.

A beautiful plucking.

Well, somewhat beautiful plucking.

It's a little off-key, a little discordant, but nevertheless, people seem to be enjoying it, and you hear a voice kind of singing along.

Voices like,

and I once saw a girl who was down in.

No, wait, that wasn't.

It was when,

just go with me, la la la da da da da.

And you immediately recognize the voice of Dariak singing.

Let's go!

Oh my god!

You kind of dart in from the entryway, and you can see it's mostly mostly empty.

There are three kind of elderly members of the community

that themselves, like they're dressed in various gardening attire, but like with their jackets off and they all have like either big mugs of some sort of a

light alcoholic beverage, if not just coffee.

And they're all just kind of

trying to ignore Dariak.

Is he still singing?

He's still in the process of singing.

He hasn't noticed you all yet.

He's just like,

take requests, whatever you feel, just let me know.

May May not know it, but I'll try.

Before we come in, I cast invisibility on myself really quick.

Okay.

I like sneak up behind him, and then he's just gonna hear finally an on-beat foot stop behind him, and then just a gentle, quiet stump.

And he thinks it's his inspiration, but

that's what it was.

Oh, a gentle old lady was going to sound she found, and now I fucked it up again.

But

stay on the decoy.

Stay on the decoy.

Right, right now it's deep.

Yeah, deep, deep, deep, deep, deep corn.

That's

swoop uninvisible.

Just full on tackles you off the small stage.

It's less of a stage and more of like, it might have been like a washing platform that's been used as a makeshift stage.

And the minute the music stops, everyone looks over and sees it and goes, hey, God.

I'm going to pull him up off of me and I go, I'm going to point his

rotund little yummy body up to the friends.

It's Terry!

Hey!

Let's go!

Holy shit!

Hurry!

I don't know how to take it off yet.

She's good, she's good.

Yeah, yeah.

Holy girl, holy cow, holy cow!

Go, sorry, sorry.

What are you doing here?

Where he goes and just run full length.

He's short, but he's broad-armed and kind of like tackles all three of you in a big old band.

How long have you been here?

How long have you been here?

Well, I mean, since this asshole abandoned me here, I was just trying.

You know, I was doing the thing.

You knew I was doing the the thing.

That's a pretty cool thing.

I want him to be angry.

Look, get out of here.

I know, I know.

It's all good.

It's all good.

To be fair, like, I was just jealous I didn't think of it first.

Wait, did I hear that you met somebody?

Right?

Am I making this up?

I mean, I met a lot of people here.

But like a lady friend.

Am I making this up?

Didn't, didn't, did it?

Did it?

You meet somebody?

Right then, you hear.

Yo, mother, mother!

Oh my god!

Oh my god, you know how long I've been coming looking for you!

Dariox on the ground with Denise having like full-on pounced on him.

He's like, huh, wait, just sh- You didn't tell me you brought her along.

You're here too?

Oh my god, I haven't seen you in several weeks.

How does everyone know each other?

This is...

Oh my god.

Hi!

It's a small flat world, Dariox.

Well,

welcome to Zephyra

She just Denise kind of gets off of him listen I've been looking for this for a long time, but I'm not gonna make a scene in front of these very nice people.

You're right.

We should not make a scene in front of these people as he puts one of the chairs back up.

Hi Denise.

She's wonderful.

Are you gonna tell them how we were pre-engaged?

We were pre-engaged.

Oh my left me.

Left me.

All alone.

No.

Word back to the family for a couple extra seats for dinner tonight.

So we got Denise, we got Opal.

Yes.

Yes, we got everybody.

To be completely honest and clear on this, I did not leave you.

I just got lost for six months.

Okay.

I had intended to come back.

You did?

Yeah.

Did you get my notes?

No.

I sent you a really magic note from Mr.

Yes, I did get that.

You are correct.

Fillmore.

Yes, it was beautiful.

Thank you for the wonderful note.

Spend a lot of money on that.

That's so sweet.

You know, I know this feels like it's the time for resolutions, but maybe we should just be happy we're all together, all right?

I am happy.

Very much.

No, since I'm generally kind of overwhelmed, but I'm so happy to see all of you.

Wow.

You two, Denise.

Oh man, I have so many things.

Hold on just a second, friends.

And he takes Denise's hand and kind of pulls her off to the side of a fast and goes like, hey,

I'm sincerely very sorry.

I didn't mean to put you on any sort of weird space.

I generally, I'm easily distracted.

And there's just been a lot of distractions back to back.

I'm still currently distracted.

And like one eye's kind of peering to all of his friends, and he's like.

So,

just so you know, that's kind of what you got in to

and uh I'm really sorry.

Dariox, this is the most we've talked ever.

I don't even think I remember the sound of your voice.

How did we get engaged?

Oh, I remember, and then she kisses him.

Hmm.

Hmm.

You know, it's not what I remember.

It's the garlic dates.

They're really good here.

We're going to have to revisit this, but

thank you for your apology.

Of course.

Happy to apologize.

Sincerely, apologizing again.

You're very nice and you're very pretty, and I'm sorry if I put you through any trouble.

Thank you.

Tibby D.

Tibode.

Hi!

Oh my god, you're out here!

I cleaned up.

Um, if only I could just take this fucking crown off my head, that would be good.

I could try.

You wanna just give it a tug?

Sure.

Ow!

Oh, that hurts!

Did it come off?

No, but his hands are bleeding.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Well, well,

that's an Amara problem.

I'm sorry I sent you off with that spell, and my accents are getting fucked up.

I just really want you wanted to send you off safely.

I am sure there is wisdom to the choices you made that I can't grasp.

That's very cool.

It is honest.

I can't grasp a lot of wisdom.

But you know what?

Mo we're here.

You seem to not be doing as bad.

You seem to be

happier than last I saw you

you

all look

amazing Gary asked do you know what's going on in the world?

Have you heard any news?

Yeah, no, we had like a really really crazy rainstorm about three days ago.

Uh, we had to fix some of the gutters outside

The colors in the sky went away that might have something to do with the storm.

I think the storm washed it away.

Why, what's going on?

I will tell you over dinner.

Okay.

Coming over to

my old place.

Sure.

Okay.

Yeah.

Totally.

What time?

I have an afternoon gig.

Oh, this is in the evening.

So we're going to be stopping by to see The Voice of the Tempest.

Great.

For a bit.

Yes, I remember her.

Come back here around sundown.

Sundown?

30 past sundown.

I should be done by about then.

Okay.

The proprietor turns out

honestly, just take it.

It's It's fine.

We'll pay you.

Take the night off.

You got friends here.

Take tomorrow night off.

You know, take the whole week.

Go for it.

Really?

Yeah.

Georgie's a great guy.

Appreciate you, Georgie.

He's like,

Dennis starts packing up the gear.

Well, great.

Love.

Well,

I'll show you around.

I got some new.

Well,

I got like a back room in one of the barns here that they're letting me stay pretty cheap.

Yeah, I'll take you around.

Wait, you're going to see the Tempest first, right?

That's right.

All right, you know what?

We'll finish cleaning up here.

I'll see you.

I'll see you in a little bit.

All right.

He starts putting his stuff away.

Denise, could you help me pack up a little bit here?

Yeah, sure.

Say my name again.

Denise?

Yeah, that's right.

That is right?

Great.

Awesome.

What about you, She-Ra?

Netflix canceled us.

Echoing through the heavens over Tal Dore.

Well,

while Denise and Dariak stay behind,

the four of you present crown keepers step to the beautiful,

large building in the core of the center of

Zephra, where you see the beautiful kind of vine-wrapped balcony and the kind of almost

like a cottage library vibe of this structure.

These beautiful like tree-grown poles and the like thatched woven roof that seems to spiral outward.

It's almost like changed with the seasons.

You know like throughout the year some of these buildings kind of almost shift with the weather and the seasons and as the druids find inspiration they can kind of shift some of the more natural buildings here to kind of match that time of the year.

And the city itself is almost changing in places along with the season itself.

It doesn't take too long before eventually you are shown up to the chamber door to the

Tempest's room, which itself lies partially ajar.

Keelith.

Yes, hello.

You have the arrival.

Hi.

Savior Blade.

Tempest.

I just give him a big hug.

Hi.

I hope you've been getting some much-needed rest in downtime.

I could say the same for you.

Yeah, I.

I have, actually.

It's been nice.

Try to relish the moments of rest.

I know that your hands were immediately full in Vaselheim.

Yeah, you know, whatever.

They're fine.

They'll figure it out in their own.

Sometimes you just have to let them

tire themselves out with biggering.

They'll learn soon enough that

Axandria keeps spinning.

Oh, uh, this is you know, Dorian and Firm.

This is her friend.

Hi, Hopal.

Hello.

Excuse my appearance.

I, I, full disclosure, I was the Spider Queen's champion, but

just

fuck her, you know, just between us.

No, um,

I

saw you actually I recognize you

when we were fighting the Miles Key.

Yeah, yeah, I was really in the zone and I had a bar and we didn't really converse, but I just saw you and I was like, oh, she's here, she's kicking ass.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

For the wrong team, but it turns out.

But

I think we were all on the same team that day.

Yeah.

So

you did well.

Thank you for having us.

Your

match is

Keyless.

Yeah,

it's weird.

Great.

I like your crown.

This one can come off.

It can?

Yeah.

I don't know why I said that.

That's a weird thing to say.

Oh, no.

Tea?

Yes.

Wine?

Wine.

Yeah.

Let's have some wine.

Just loves her wine.

She loves her Pinot.

Is that a bottle of digestive?

Yes.

You push past the lionettes and the Strassmans.

Yeah.

Ooh.

Yes, actually, this is a

rear bottle.

Oh.

Uncommon.

Forum, would you open it?

Thank you.

Or some glasses.

Um

what what am I here to say?

Um I don't know I don't know

Are you okay?

Yeah, yes, I am uh

the first thing I'd like to say is just how grateful I am

to you for your um

your faith in me

Your winds have kept me aloft in ways that

maybe you don't know, but

I'm grateful for it, and I just wanted to make sure that I

said thanks, Keelev.

It's meant a lot.

Tempest, it's meant a lot.

Faith isn't something that's given, it's proven.

And

I mean, I saw who you were.

I saw the nature of your heart.

That's why I put you on my guard to begin with, Ora.

You've earned this.

Nothing was granted.

Yes, and that gets

to the second thing that I've come here to ask.

You've had me on the road for

a long time.

I love coming coming home.

But part of me has gotten used to the road.

Maybe I picked that up spending so much time around you.

And uh,

I would still very much like to be of service to you

as your blade.

But I am I'm hoping I can do it still

in an emissary capacity

and be your eyes around the world as I have been.

I have some

places to go, my own

Aramente, if you will.

I have to visit

Fern's family

past the Vale.

I have some responsibilities there and

some new responsibilities

being the savior blade was never

equated to your proximity to me.

You've always been an extension, not

just of the Tempest,

but of Zephyr.

I wouldn't want anything else

for better or for worse,

Zephyra and the Ashari,

we have a place on a global scale.

That's

what I fought so hard for,

alongside the rest of Oxmakana.

It would be an honor for you to continue

to uphold and represent the Ashari.

Good news is, I don't have to do it alone.

I take his hand.

I've found someone.

And

for the longest time, I've walked under the light of the moons.

But I think it's time I spent some time with the sun.

In the clear blue sky.

He's really got away with words.

A 30-foot vertical leap.

Only around you.

You deserve happiness.

You've

sacrificed a lot.

Not just for this city, but for me.

And I know what you lost in that time, and I think think about it.

Every day,

I think about every

life

that has fallen.

That

may or may not have been from a choice that I've made.

And the only thing that I can hope for

is peace

for anyone who has served that time.

Oren drops all the responsibility and the duty and the position and the way he carries himself around the tempest and just walks forward and hugs Keel.

She embraces him back.

I want that for you too.

Happiness for you too.

You deserve it.

I'm finding my peace.

It's a marathon, not a sprint.

We shouldn't expect anything to happen overnight.

Except for the things that happen overnight, which feels like a lot in Xandria, but that's like...

We'll unpack that at a later date.

Surprise what you can pack into a week.

You're telling me.

Almost feels like four years.

Especially when you're jumping across

like every time zone like every time zone and every continent

the

the tree lag it's

it's wild.

Yeah

Should I top everybody off

please

You share your wine and share your stories

before eventually the sun begins to turn turn low in the sky.

She gets a little tipsy and she's like, you're all like honorary Ashari.

I felt it.

And the first time we came here, I was like, I think I feel like I'm in Ashari.

If you ever need a place to crash,

if you need a bed.

You're just

so nice.

Especially you, wind guy.

Like, all man,

I felt connected.

So cool.

Which we did.

And you never heard him sing.

You never heard him sing.

No one's ever heard me sing.

It's a very good voice.

You should replace that guy down at the down at the chatter.

No, no, no, he's a friend.

Oh, he's a friend.

He's almost like

a protege.

A protege.

Like a protege.

Hey, could you, since we're being silly, could you do me a favor?

Yeah.

We were our first ever mission.

Could you say, like, could you say like...

Mission complete Crown Keeper.

How about I got it?

But like you can take off your sunglasses while you did it.

Okay.

Hang on, wait.

I've got like a stamp somewhere.

I've got a stamp for like

a stamp?

Yeah, for like, I don't know.

They give it to me.

Yes, Tempest.

Oh, shit.

I didn't.

Don't.

Where's my stamp?

Right away, Tempest.

Oh, like, it says, like, it says like a stamp.

It says, like, it's like a seal.

It says, ladies and gentlemen, we got him.

Yeah.

Comes back in with like the wood block stamp on the pillow, and it's like,

is it hot wax?

Is it hot wax?

Mission accomplished.

Yes!

Yes!

You all get experience points.

That's not how this works.

Instead of sunglasses, it's all the animals.

Eventually, before you get too trashed, you

say your good evening to the Tempest and stumble back into the end-of-the-daylight streets of Zephra, heading back towards where your mother is and where dinner is also awaiting you.

Along the way, you can't help but catch vision of Shundane,

the half-orc, one of the advisors to the Tempest, who is walking an unexpected troop through.

You see three Rhyloran children and a young Bormoda being walked through the town along with one adult, all kind of swaddled up with cloaks, and they're all just being shown some of the exterior gardens and it's like watching this stoic advisor suddenly in a professorial role or a guide role just talking about the different flowers and teaching the children of where they come from and hands one of the flowers to a kid and as the kid holds it they smell it and you watch this they go ahead and drift their finger upward and it grows and blossoms and the kids laugh and look at each other and one of them looks back at your troop And one of them, you swear like it doesn't recognize you, but there's almost like a moment of recognition before it goes back to the flower, and you continue on to your home

where your mother awaits, and a grand dinner as Dariacs and his on-again, off-again,

maybe never on, but maybe probably on fiancé, friend, Rhodey, girl, uh, Denise there awaits with a grand meal, grand stories, and grand laughter.

Now,

in the times to come, weeks, months, years,

whatever it may be,

Chetney Pockopie,

what's in the future for you?

Short term.

I will lose my fucking shit.

Please.

We will go to Vegas.

Come on.

Come on.

Giving yourself an advantage.

Oh.

Wait, this one's cocked.

It's a single digit.

That one's cocked.

It didn't matter.

That's a one.

It is, but it's cocked.

It was so close.

It was almost trip zeros, almost.

Did you get a feeling?

Oh,

yeah,

still here.

Record records.

Thank you, by the way, if you don't mind.

Oh, yes.

You're good if you want to.

Oh, yeah.

Thank you so much, Amy.

Musical guest chair.

I know.

I've been juggling this around.

We love you.

Thank you, Amy.

Thank you, Amy.

I think Chetty probably would have been a little lost, but knowing that Frida's now going through the same thing that he was going through, I think he'll...

he's excited to be a mentor.

But I also think

he's probably going to get bored

pretty fast.

So whether it's going to visit the Gorgine or maybe seeing if Dorian needs a hand on anything that he's going to pursue, I think he'll just sort of stay around as a hand for hire.

Okay.

So you go ahead and introduce Frida to the Gorgine and let them become the teachers to, as opposed to cleansing the curse of lycanthropy, but to embrace it.

Yes.

Yeah.

And such.

Don't give up such a gift.

As such, the first mechanical werewolf of Xandria begins their journey.

We are metal wolf.

So

fucking cool.

Yeah, the transformers but animals.

Whatever.

Peace horse.

Peace horse.

Yeah, that's right.

Okay.

So,

being a hand for hire to Dorian and allies around, you probably at some point trek back to Uthodern at some point as the years go on,

where Oltgar's chest is thriving underneath Oltgar once again,

with proper artisan craftsmanship, up-and-coming crafters and creators, and Drixlich is nowhere to be seen.

But here,

as the training progresses, and Olgar takes you into his heavy grasp, and excited to show you the new lines they're designing and developing,

the apprenticeship program, referred to as the Pockapee Path.

I want the Peepee!

I'm like halfway through the PP, Mr.

Pockapee.

But I'm excited.

Stop in the middle.

It hurts too much.

Spit water everywhere.

But there is a rising

new wave of crafters, creators, tinkerers, chiselers, and carvers

that now

are trained and raised.

underneath the Pakapi means of crafting creation, an extension

of the great

impact you've left on Xandria.

Yes.

Um.

Mr.

Pockapea High Hunter and Lupine Paragon.

Uh

Lady Fern Calloway, Fay Sion of the Ancient Flame.

What lies ahead for you in the short and long term, you think?

Yes.

Um

definitely going back home and spending some time with Nana.

And

um,

I would love to

study under her.

I know she has a long time left here.

But she's very eager and excited to

show you the true breadth of her ability.

I would love to learn.

And don't forget, for the time being,

no one's watching the scheme.

Like right now?

Fate

is our

plot.

Can I can I can I just sure sure

anyone pick one okay okay okay okay okay okay okay okay okay okay okay

of an alleyway some dark mid-evening mud-covered alleyway high like three four-story kind of rickety buildings you could see and a figure is currently stalking through it you see it like half half obscured, a sense of nervousness and a dart as they come upon the outside of what looks to be a horse-drawn cart that emerges from the exterior of the alleyway.

They leap up and grab onto the sight of it, unseen, and duck into its shadow.

You see them the drawblade from beyond there, inside of their cloak, and re-hide it from within as you release it.

You

got a brief glimpse of somebody's

threat.

You're not sure if it's where they are, where they were, where they're going to be.

But in that brief instant, you realize the immensity of the power that you have briefly at your disposal and why

your nana's

fiddling was so unwelcome under the gaze of the matron.

Now

we must be respectful.

Of course, of course.

We only truly

watch,

learn

kind of voyeuristically,

just be around.

And if someone really needs something taken care of, then we

bargain,

and then we can

not.

And she takes one and ties it up for a brief second.

Releases it.

Someone just had a very bad day.

Oh no.

Alright, I'll be so, so responsible.

I'll be so responsible.

In time, your training has only just begun.

And she likes to throw her cloak over you.

Your vision washes back, and you're back inside the manor.

She's like,

There is much time, and I'm very excited to show you.

Oh, there's whole elements of this manor that I haven't even been able to reveal to you yet.

I'm so excited.

Your notes go so deep.

I love you.

Thank you for taking care of me.

Of course.

And well,

with your family here now as well, it's nice to feel like the tree is just growing with energy.

A bird flies in,

and it kind of splits open and shrieks.

Oh, we have a guest.

Interesting.

And she leads you down through the garden and down through the tree.

Your mother is in the process of washing dishes and kind of gives you a wave as you go by.

Oh, Haifer.

And head down to the base of the tree.

And the vines kind of withdraw.

I'm going to go ahead and change this to some proper atmosphere for this.

The vines pull back and reveal nothing.

I don't see anything.

And then a strange shape kind of like

withdraws from the ceiling and unfolds as a spider-like figure drops to the ground

and rises up and produces a dark purple flowered bouquet.

Morgan, my sweet.

And hands it out.

And

Nana Mori goes, Oh.

Why, Ira, how nice to have you visit.

Hi, Ira.

Oh, I didn't realize you were here.

Vern Calloway, the pleasure is mine.

How long are you staying?

I don't know.

Maybe forever.

Should I come back later?

No, you can stay.

Oh, don't worry, you can stay.

I have a guest room.

My room.

As

watch Ira kind of steps in and begins to vanish into the shadow above before turning back and be like,

well, maybe we'll have a chance to catch up a bit, Fern Galloway.

I would love to.

I'm glad you're still around.

I'm glad you're still around.

You know they're looking for you.

Sounds fun.

Maybe they'll find you in time.

In time?

For

what?

To make up for slaughtering one of their princes?

Your father.

Oh.

Well.

I did it.

We did.

I did it.

I didn't.

It's it's all right.

I'll figure that out when my time comes.

Sweet dreams for Calloway.

Disappears in the shadow.

You kind of take it in for a minute, look back, and you see your NaNamori's just like,

he's so creepy.

He's so creepy.

He's so creepy.

I love him.

Inner chest.

Would you like a cocktail?

Yes!

As you you scatter up into the now even further vibrant and lively ligament manner, the sound of soft music, the clattering of bones as wind pushes its way through the boughs, the whistling of your father as he tends to the garden, the numerous creatures that raised you and live amongst you, this odd, weird, nightmarish home.

It's my home.

Do you see yourself continuing this for some time?

Any other business you'd like to at least begin to pursue in the future?

I think in the future,

I would love to go on some type of adventure to find all of Chetney's eggs.

And I also...

I'll tell you what.

I'll tell you what.

Go ahead and roll four sleight of hand checks for me.

Ooh!

Okay.

Okay, all right.

Guidance?

All right.

Oh, wow.

Okay, first one, sleight of hand.

18 plus 14.

Okay,

so 15 BC for the first one, 20 for the next one.

Another 18.

32.

Wow.

All right.

Do it again.

Two eggs procured.

19.

The third one's messy.

You almost get caught, maybe take a few hits, and there might be

a warnout for your arrest.

That's all right.

We'll define that.

Does that cameras?

All right,

17 plus 14.

Okay.

So you have three of the five eggs in your possession eventually, but two evade you.

And maybe we'll explore those down the road.

Love it.

Easter one-shot.

Infiltrate a tower.

I don't think also infiltrate a tower.

You've already

a goal that I think Fern would have for the rest of time until it is figured out is trying to release Opal from that crown.

I love that.

And so I try to study and do whatever I can.

All my studying, I'm so just so good at research.

Trying to figure out how one day to free her from that.

I love that.

Great.

Ashton the Reforged, Hamer of Paradox.

What do you see as your short and long-term intent?

Well,

Ashton is definitely.

I think I need to spend some time figuring out a little bit more about what

is in their head and how it works.

And preferably not with the Bright Queen or anybody in Zorhaus.

So

talking to Essek and spending some time over there and getting my

healing up.

Essek is definitely

fascinated, slightly perturbed, definitely deeply curious about what you are, because what you are should not exist.

But indeed, the Bright Queen

hunting isn't the right word.

But

you do notice yourself being followed.

You do have invitations

to Rosona

brought to your attention.

You are invited as a

wonderfully storied guest to the Korean dynasty at the behest of the Bright Queen.

They are interested.

They are watching.

Not aggressively,

but they definitely are letting you know that you're on their radar.

I take some time.

I'll also say the Hammer had a very bad time and has now been carved down

from

that pick into a sphere that has been polished up.

And in that sphere is a version of what's in their head of the

that point and the

molecular

solar system in the center of it with the starscape that's infinite.

And it's almost a gyroscope so that when it spins, it just kind of finds its own gravity.

And they

start taking jobs as muscle on archaeological digs

all over Xandria.

They're finding things for ESIC, things in especially buried temples now,

finding

artifacts of the old gods.

and bringing them up for

anything from the previous previous followers or otherwise.

Finding things for friends and occasionally inviting friends on little adventures that pay reasonably well,

especially Breyus, because I have no charisma and people hate me.

And you are,

for all of your awful, are charming as hell.

And it's worth every penny that I have to pay you for it.

I stop by a few times.

I try and stop by

as regularly as possible.

Always welcome.

Always say hi to Nanomori first.

That's wise.

I spend some time.

Sometimes I invite you to go on an adventure.

Sometimes I

and sometimes it's the asking if you have anywhere you want to go and you need some muscle so that you don't tire tire yourself out on occasion, not that you need it.

Someone to carry the bags.

Thank you.

Eventually I try and make a deal with Ira

Nanomori

to see if I can

finally go to Zorhas

and make a deal.

Make sure that I can get out of there.

Have a plan.

Be smart.

Okay.

Maybe we'll explore that some point down there.

We will.

And if that goes well, they keep

finding new places to go and they keep finding new

parts of

Xandria, probably a few more trips to the moon, to Runis, and

they make their way out, they eventually come back until one day they don't.

Who knows where they went?

Who knows what happened?

All right.

Braus.

Oh.

Braus Doomstein, painter of violence and treachery.

I think I will pursue art a good deal.

Just dive into it, pour myself into my artwork, making grander and grander paintings and developing a name for myself.

I do one study that's just

a bunch of very artful nudes of Nana Mori

that is a sensation.

That was my son.

Oh, yeah.

It's a sensation.

It makes a name for myself.

I keep coming back to this motif of painting evil babies.

That's what I'm sort of, eventually it's what I'm sort of known for.

I tour Xandria

showing my artwork.

You definitely have a show at Jessar's Gallery.

Of course, of course I do.

Yeah, how does

your faith develop with the traveler?

Well, when I'm visiting

Jester's gallery,

at night, when I'm

all while developing a name for myself,

there's this lingering fear that something is out there waiting for me or watching me.

And so, yes, at Jester's,

when I see Jester, I will ask her to please introduce me, teach me her ways.

I think I just need one more ally who can protect me from a god.

Yeah, I mean totally.

You can definitely, you know, here's the deal, though.

I'm gonna be totally real with you.

The traveler's like not really a god.

I mean, which is good though, because all the gods disappeared, so he's, you know, he's doing pretty good.

So, um, but yeah, I'll teach you everything I know, and you will

you also can just totally hang out here if you want to, you know.

Is it safe?

It's always safe with me and Ford.

We will protect you.

We have your back, Breyers.

Is that true, Ford?

Yes, of course.

I mean, um,

Jester has a tremendous uh nose for good character.

Oh my gosh, you know what?

You could totally go work, you could hang out at the Lava chateau.

Lava Chateau, yes.

Yeah.

And do and what?

Paint?

Paint?

Paint?

You could paint, you could just live there, you know.

Um

just be my best friend if you want to be.

I really like painters.

All right.

And the Ruby always needs extra muscle.

Yeah, get really strong, you know.

Blue is always looking for a right-hand man.

I could work security there, sure.

But you're kind of a famous painter, you probably don't need to do that.

Well, I don't

If I need to hide out, it seems like a good option.

Thank you, of course.

It was serendipitous meeting.

And from that point forward, all of my paintings contain a hidden dick.

I love it.

Which begins from the night that something's missing.

from one of your pieces, that you're up late, staring at your partially finished canvas and and just trying to figure out what signifies it

before a voice creeps in from the shadow.

Jesus, God,

I think it's missing something.

Oh my god, you're not as modeous,

or am I?

Oh, God,

don't kill me, don't kill me yet.

Say your last word.

No!

I love Susie Green!

That was a weird one.

I don't even know what that means.

No, right here.

And a hand reaches over your shoulder and you see a green hanging sleeve and a long, slender finger points.

Just a little dick.

Right there.

Alright.

I've painted.

That's what finished then.

Beautiful.

You are quite an artist.

Thank you.

Turn around and see the

kind of bright orange-red curls and the green hood of some sort of ephemeral ethereal fae-like entity.

So, my sweet jester seems to think you need some guidance.

I could use some, yes, I feel like I'd do better

when I'm acting at the behest of

a great power.

Strangely enough,

I happen to know a great power that needs somebody to be at its best.

It's me, I'm talking about.

Okay, okay, I didn't want to talk about it.

I'm the traveler.

Hi, welcome.

You're part of the club.

All right.

Pleasure to meet you, Bridges.

Oh, we're going to have a lot of fun, aren't we?

Yes, we will.

When the cats are away,

the cows.

Oh, the mic is short.

Take that, Moonweaver.

And so begins a beautiful, weird friendship.

Yes.

Aurum of the Arishari, Savior Blade of the Tempest.

What is your short term and long term?

Well, I think it's pretty intertwined with Dorian's.

He is a Tempest Blade.

He will always be a Tempest Blade and serves...

his home gladly, eagerly.

But I think he splits his time between

sort of operational

discussions and family time at home with traveling with Dorian in the sky.

And

I don't know the answer to this, but I know that there is some sort of like a succession line

that is a possibility for Dorian.

I don't know if that factors in.

We have some freedom.

I think after this I spoke with both of my parents and they're still young and relatively healthy.

And

what I always wanted was their blessing, and I took it from them.

So, we have,

I have, permission to be free from the people that matter most.

And to that point, Dorian Storm, Master Muse, and Son of the Wind, since your fates are for the moment entwines, you both can build off of each other if you'd like.

I think there's also a thread, even...

Even though Nana Mori never came a calling to

debate the

details of the pact and whether or not Orn was astray of it or not, I think because of how close Fern is to Nanomori and because of how

Nana's help was present every step of the way for them, he still visits and is within reason of service to the Fate Stitcher as well, within reason.

And he knows that Fern has a sort of a balancing effect on her grandmother.

During one of those treks,

suddenly you find yourself stumbling through the ligament manor, and the halls get darker and darker

until there's just a long hallway and Nana Mori with her lantern

or him.

Took your time.

Welcome.

It seems we have unfinished business.

Do we?

We had a deal.

We did.

Mm-hmm.

We did.

Shhh!

You're shunted up before her rest.

Some sort of magical force pulls you in.

And her face is close to yours, the lantern light glowing from underneath.

And.

Well.

Far be it from me

to ticker with a Fae powerhouse.

but I would argue that I

thread that needle.

What you made

was an offering of a deal

with an Arch Fae creature

that

could not possibly be held up on my end.

I can't keep you all safe coming out from the moon.

What are you talking about?

That's entirely up to you.

You get yourselves killed, that's your own fault.

There's no deal.

You're fine.

How could I possibly keep all of you safe?

My powers are pretty strong here around the manor in my realm, but I have no idea what the heck you are dealing with on Ruidis.

So

you're fine.

Enjoy.

Travel safe.

Auram's sending stone on his chest lights up, and he just hears my voice going, What did she say?

How much trouble are you in?

Do you want to go to the bar and have a drink?

I'm already there.

They gave me a gig.

It's a Thursday night.

There's usually no one here.

I think they're gonna let me do it for a portion of the sales.

But also, you, do you want to go have a drink?

I need to calm my nerves.

I thought you'd never ask.

Okay.

She puts her hand out.

This fucking place.

Perfect.

What about you, Dorian?

Yeah.

I think in

the short term, his days

are spent in freedom and peace with Aurum when he's around.

And I think they have trust between them because I think he is a steadfast lover and a friend.

And so when he goes away, though,

Dorian is still Dorian.

Some things are not for him, and he still has a zest for life.

He still wants these experiences And though he's faithful in a romantic way to Aurum, he does tend to get in some trouble on his own

so through the years

As he gets older and experiences more of the world something happens and he doesn't quite he doesn't quite clock it when it happens, but he stops being the

the boy that always feels like he's on the outside and he sometimes somehow becomes like

the man who can be a tie that binds

so

when it's right not for him but for the people that he loves he'll just send up a flare and sometimes it'll be Coriolis rapping on the door of Chetney when there's a heist to pull

or sometimes it'll be a whisper in the wind in Imogen's mind for both her and Laudna, wherever they may be, when there's a fun event to go to or a little trouble to get into.

And he definitely gave another sending stone to Opal and they they chat and kick their heels on beds and they he calls up Brace and Ashton whenever there's real trouble and he'll always always talk to Fern.

He's just there for all of his friends

and they don't always answer because life is messy and life is difficult and everyone has their own thing.

But

When everyone gets together or they get together in bits and pieces

It's just a reminder he needs of why he left home in the first place.

And

for him, for a long time, maybe forever.

Who knows?

That's what gives his life meaning.

And that was the experience that he always wanted to have.

So he finds fulfillment

in the most important connection of his life.

And the friends that surround him for sure.

Yeah.

Love that.

I guess that just leaves us with

Lodna,

Veil Mistress of the Shadow Tree,

and Imogen Tumult, exultant hope of the Red Storm.

What do you see as your short and long-term goals and interests?

Well, if this is alright with you,

I'd love to spend time

in the

coming months

in the lake town

helping

those that come through the gate

just to acclimate a little bit and

as someone who is able to speak to them telepathically, because I know it's a big change for them just to be able to help them get settled and find places to go

and feel like

what we did

in the in the big

can make a difference in the in the little day-to-day

as well.

I think Lodna

with this newfound life,

both in the short and the long term,

just wants to live

a very simple life.

She follows Imogen wherever she goes.

Maybe we can have a little spring break at Nanomori's.

Love it.

Maybe she continues to learn some fire spells from Fern.

I do want to find that coin that Aurum

so flippantly threw down a hole

and

little mini adventures

and then

I think

you know maybe in the talent heights

we find

a beautiful clearing in the woods

somewhere with darkness and light.

And we build a little cottage.

Maybe Chit

can help, because

I love that.

Something so storybook and beautiful with a big kitchen.

It's briefly frustrating because once word gets out that you have a Chetney Pocket household, people start making ridiculous offers on it, and you eventually have to just erase your name.

Please, Doc, you're not interested in that.

Hey, I heard you guys were

unsettling pressure.

Like, make it creepy, but also quaint.

Yes, I

craft curtains and

make little figurines and dolls and make a friend for pate

and

select the speckles of light.

And we have a stable.

And we have a stable.

Here's the thing:

horses don't like me.

So

maybe you could teach me

a little bit.

We'll find you a horse.

Maybe I could have a donkey.

That is so perfect.

And yet.

They're like horses, but a little creepy.

Yeah.

And small.

Yeah.

And they can't breed.

Did you know that?

Wait, what?

Isn't that true?

Or is it pony?

I feel like

I'm a little bit more like a donkey and a horse.

I thought you said donkeys can't breed.

I'm like, yes, they can.

They have beds.

They're all abominations.

You only get one.

Sorry.

I would have mule.

Yeah, the donkey wet.

I don't know how they're going to sprout off their back.

Yeah, yeah, there you go.

I would love to

Flora.

I want to purchase Flora from Mr.

Farrimore.

Easy enough to do.

Mr.

Farrimore is taken entirely back by what you've accomplished and happily does so so long as you

sign off on this little memoir he wrote about all the things that he taught you.

But upon probably a brief bit of intimidation and a terrifying, sort of

Back to the Future one-esque like freaking out Mr.

Farramor in his room by Laudana,

you managed to give Flora free of charge.

Oh,

amazing.

Anything for you, my love.

She's so hot.

Your mother and father, as strange as they are, remain friends.

But your mother also seems like she needs to find herself as well.

She keeps in contact, but even she's on a walkabout.

And every now and then, you check in with each other from wherever both of you are.

Sometimes in dreams, you can still catch up.

And every now and then, she comes by to visit.

And she's definitely

still trying to find her place in the world for a while.

Speaking of dreams,

I love the little catch-ups I have with Dorian

and the adventures we have when he calls.

But I visit,

I visit our friends when they're sleeping.

I find them in their dreams

and we're still together.

Every now and then in the dark bit of night, you hear this distant cackle.

And a voice that whispers in your ear,

They're enjoying your toys, legendary toy maker.

It's the greatest thing I could have ever.

And actually,

I forget I send a

I send a gift an engagement gift to the blue-skinned one with the curly horns.

And when she gets it,

it has a tag that says, oh, you congratulations.

Careful with the pretty things.

Sometimes they hurt the most.

That's

so delightfully disturbing.

I love it.

Poor dog.

That is such a strange gift.

It's the jellyfish.

I know, but how did he even know?

I don't know.

It's beautiful, though.

As long as you like it, that's all.

Does it just go on forever?

Somewhere in the wind, you hear?

While we're on the topic,

in the time shortly after

the end of this age, what is the Mighty Nine up to?

I mean, we'll make it quick, because

this is a nine-hour game.

Well, I think with us with our uh engagement present in hand i think we really should try and it doesn't have to be a franchise on the moon but i think they're gonna need lots of help we could spend some time there i wasn't joking i think we should do it yeah we could i want to go to the moon again if for no other reason than like wedding location scouting yeah we should definitely see if there's a really cool venue on the moon yeah of course yeah indoor outdoor dance floor is very important plus in the moon i hear that like the caverns like with all all the, yeah, with all the rocks and stuff?

That was beautiful.

I think we could do that and

just keep an open mind.

I'm very excited, by the way.

Me too.

I love you.

Love you.

Bo's gonna be my best man.

That's fine.

Gave up so easily.

I am going to have, I think, a few maids of honor.

What?

Yeah.

That, for sure.

Caleb.

The traveler, should he officiate?

No.

No, no.

I want this to go off without a hitch.

There's no travel.

I believe I already heard she said I'm officiating.

Then in that case, Cadus is my other maid.

Are you going to have everyone in your wedding party?

Yeah.

Good luck finding someone else.

Yasha's also my made the volume.

Beth is on my side.

Oh, shit.

I get Voxmachina.

But I love you guys anyway.

Everybody's not just yourself, Joshua.

Fuck them.

Beautiful.

Awesome.

So I guess there is a wedding to come in the future.

What is Vox Machina's immediate discussion?

I have a quick question

because when Esick was...

his disguise was dropped before the Bright Queen,

Caleb immediately was thinking, does he need to wrap up his presence in Rexentrum and vanish so that Esick...

I don't know how hard they are going to go for Essek.

So in the week that comes...

I think Caleb starts making like bug out plans in case they get,

you know, all of the dynasty swarming on them, but if that doesn't happen...

Make an insight check for Caleb for that.

No, that's not going to be good at all.

Okay.

That is a 24.

That's not bad.

In the moment,

while there was a, you know, Creen Soldier rush for the figure,

you gather it wasn't with murderous intent.

more than surprise and means to capture.

The Bright Queen's reaction was of acknowledgement, but not necessarily extreme surprise.

The best you can gather is he's definitely a person of interest,

but wasn't the most immediate concern at the time,

but still a person of interest.

Yeah, so then Caleb continues to make exit plans for the both of them.

And maybe that fades with a year or two, but it is ever-present.

And I think he

settles into a role where he never takes on any government position, never wants that, but he

shows up as an advisor in countries all over the world.

And he and Beauregard start to figure out or prepare for

Ludenus popping up like a whack-a-mole.

Oh yeah.

Send that fucker message.

You finally get the gumption one day, though you know it never works,

to attempt a scry spell on ludiness dileth a man who

classically has kept himself shielded

and you see him making tea

in a beautiful simple little homestead

No idea where or

how or any details.

You take in just enough vision from this to see beyond the open, doorless entryway to the chamber he's in.

Make a perception check for me, Caleb.

That is 22.

22.

It looks at first you think just beyond the doorstep, it's almost like a roiling sea.

But it's not sea.

it's cloud.

Cloud or mist,

it's hard to tell.

An endless expanse of mist or cloud.

Does it look like the astral sea to me?

You see a blue sky,

but just

mist and cloud.

And for a brief moment, you see something shift.

Henry Clay.

Ah.

What's that?

We

Actually, I want to talk to you about this

now that we know where he is.

Seems like he's not active.

Sir Bruce Assembly's kind of calmed down a little bit.

Yasha has been very, very patient with me and my work-life balance and my schedule.

I've been telling you for years.

We've been talking about maybe adopting.

It's never really been the right time

I think maybe

Maybe I'll take the summer go with her

Beth has been begging us to come out do a summer at Wild Mount Wildings

Be a camp counselor

and maybe see how I am with this kid thing.

I'm a little torn because

Beth seems

like she's miserable with Luke like Luke just like drives her insane.

But I don't know.

But also you can tell she loves that kid so fucking much.

He's a teenager.

Yeah.

So.

Might take the summer off.

I think we're taking a summer.

I think that will round you out well.

Gods help me.

Fuck they can't.

They're gone.

Fuck.

Anyway.

I mean, you know how to find me if anything pops up, but.

Alright, well, go fuck around, find out.

All right,

good luck.

You know how to find me.

I don't know why you did that, Esther.

Goodbye.

I'll see you in the wedding.

Okay, bye.

Also, maybe Esset can be my maid of honor.

No, just to know more.

And what's up for Vox Machina immediately following these events?

I know you said Grog had interest, and

oh my god, I'm absolutely going to the moon.

I'm basically the strongest person on this little globe.

So, you know, I've got to conquer that sphere as well.

So, as after a bit of discussions of appointment, eventually you go through the proper channels and tracks and emerge on the dusty red Ruidian surface, the winds blowing by gently.

You're eventually shown to a few individuals to rendezvous with your point person, and a you know, massive Rhyloran figure approaches, like broad-shouldered, uh, comes up.

Hey, I'm a crimson officer of the uh new Kruvira Republic, Gastomo.

What's your name?

Gastomo, I am the grandpubo de doink of oldish and dat, Gruggery Strong Joe.

I fucking love it.

He takes your handful, I'm like,

Oh, my God.

Any other little points of Genumal?

In the immediate aftermath of everything,

I catch Sirkonos looking a bit nervous.

And Scanlon goes up to him and says, hey, hey, hey.

Yes.

Hey, Coco.

Okay.

Oh, I like it.

Listen, I know that in the last couple days, you've been like,

I don't know, like, I've taken you under my wing or my hoof, whatever.

Lay it on you.

There's no one I trust more than you.

I've been giving you advice

and pumping you up and telling you jokes to use and compliments to say.

I've logged all of your jokes in my brain.

Yeah, yeah.

Last piece of advice when you go to talk to her.

Oh, okay.

Forget all of it.

Don't do anything that I told you to do.

You don't need it.

You're Coco.

You're Sirconos.

You're the fire Ashari

diva.

You're the best.

Just be yourself.

Don't think about jokes and stupid compliments and shitty songs.

Just be yourself.

Just say what you're passionate about.

Are you really passionate about?

I don't know anything about it.

Fire?

I love fire.

Okay, yeah, that's good.

Okay.

Okay.

What about you see like you're super cut?

Like, do you like working out?

I've been carnivore for 57 years.

Maybe, maybe she's...

She seems like very wan and thin, so maybe she's got a diet plan.

And you guys could like swap.

Maybe she needs some protein.

I don't know.

just talk about stuff that that you're into don't try to be scanlin because

what am i into scanlin's

i don't know what i'm into meat

i am into fire i am into scan man

you will never get me to not be a scan

but i think i understand what you mean be my best self is she here

I mean, we'll say you're in Baselheim and you know that she's over by the Ravenscrest Temple, yeah.

Go to her.

Go to her.

I'm gonna kiss you on the forehead.

And I'm just gonna.

You rush up to the Raven's Crest Temple.

The obsidian doors await you there.

Will you come with me?

Jesus.

She just presses a hand over your mouth.

You're overthinking it.

Just bring the heat.

The door, yeah, the door's just

close on the earring.

Absolutely.

Oh, my God.

Yeah, do we want to.

We can handle Whitestone, I suppose, if this works.

Just in the short term, for the first time.

Yes.

Well, the short term, of course, is suddenly the gods are gone.

That puts us in both a unique

advantage and also possibly some new enemies.

I think it's time to slowly prepare the children for taking over some of our roles.

Yes, of course.

We do, I think, Whitestone becomes even more

well off

with

magic becoming what it is.

I think residuum becomes even more useful

and therefore

the Ruidian refugees bring with them the technology, we happily share it and we become a little more powerful, a little more safe.

I talk to you as I also start preparing

Gwendolyn, our child, for not just a spy network, but we also want to find the gods first.

Oh

I'd like to know

I'd like to know where they are, what they're thinking.

If they're not a problem, they're not a problem.

But

if something starts, it would be good to know from what direction it's starting from,

Percival.

I will support you no matter what.

But if you will hear me,

perhaps this one is best left alone.

Perhaps this is for the younger generation to discover.

Without our influence.

Oh, I'm not going to be

doing this.

This work is for my children.

I am

old.

Why don't you let Gwendolyn decide that?

Yes, retirement is coming very quickly.

You know she always has a home with us, but

and I hope that you will take care of her.

And I know you will also take care of her mother.

Of course.

Why are you speaking like this?

You're not that old.

Oh,

it's

starting away.

You do what we do for long enough.

A lot of life of those days.

It's been quite a life, and it's not been a life without stress and hardship and damage.

Demonic deals.

And

there's only so much of a life.

I think

we, as Percival gets older, we step away from our duties

and we spend time together

in our several vacation homes around Xandria.

Do we want like a cottage on

Ruidis as well?

Do you think like with a good view?

Yes.

Do you have a Doomseed brabies painting in your house?

Yes, we do.

Yes.

We have a Doomseed and a Lavaux.

I imagine there comes a day where Keleth

seeps into the earth,

connects the deepest roots of all of the primordial trees.

Her vision scattering across all of Exandria as she surfs through the roots

of all of the existence that we've ever known.

And one day,

she hears the cry of a newborn baby

and knows that something's different.

And she does not tell Percival.

She keeps it to herself.

I love it.

I love it.

Pike?

I think in the aftermath for Pike

being a cleric of the Everlight,

there is a huge sense

of loss

and

grieving and

uncertainty now at her age of what to do with her life

of

always trying to keep the path and

now what

um I think

I think she works

to clean the temples just dusting

hoping that maybe one day

I don't know

Thinks about 15 years before an acolyte raps on your door.

Pike trickfoot?

Yes?

We think we found her.

Where?

Come with me.

I'm gonna take your hand

and pull you into an adventure to possibly be one of those to receive.

Oh

But

indeed, thus.

Oh, wait.

Oh, right.

Oh, yeah, Scala.

Yes,

in addition to hooking up Sircona.

Yes.

I figured that was all you wanted.

I think,

knowing what Pike's path is, I think he

will

visit her

soon after the events of this campaign, not 15 years later, but soon after, and

sort of gallop over

and

just sort of express that,

you know, I know that we had our our time together and now we had our time apart

and

you have duties here, obviously with the gods being gone.

You have to figure out who needs guidance and be that for them, I guess.

I don't have duties here.

Well, I mean...

What if someone needs to pray and there's no god to pray to?

They gotta come pray to you, I guess, or

no!

I'm not gonna have anybody pray to me.

What are you crazy?

What are you gonna go do?

Well,

I want to have

I guess I still want to have, you know, some adventures.

It feels like, um,

it feels like

time is sort of like

it's not our friend.

Time's an asshole, right?

Like it, it keeps fucking with us.

When I first met you, I was at a time when I was like super horny, and you were at a time when you were like much more mature and cool.

And then

later, I was like trying to be a dad, and you were trying to...

You were so sweet to me.

We got married.

It was great.

And that was great.

And then we had our time doing that.

And it kept moving.

That's the thing.

It feels like time just keeps moving even when sometimes you just want to just stop for a second, you know?

Yeah.

Like if you're having fun with a group of friends and you want you just want it to last forever.

Yeah.

And

I think the best time that I ever had was with you.

And I do want to go on adventures and have more of a life together.

But

I tried and it's not as good without you.

So,

if you don't have duties,

or at least you can blow them off for a little while,

I mean,

I've got a really strong back,

and I could carry you off to some more adventures before we hang it up.

There is such a huge part of me that wants to say no.

But gods damn it,

I still love you.

I love hanging out with you.

We have the best time.

We don't have to be married again.

No, we don't.

We can just.

I'm gonna give it

a little shut the fuck up.

Okay.

I'm gonna give it

six months.

Okay.

Let's go see some stuff.

I've always kind of been into centaurs.

I'm just gonna put it out there.

When you came up, and I was like, this is really hard for me.

Well, it's the best of both worlds.

It's the best of both worlds.

I'm gonna hop on his back.

What are those two endurals?

Don't bother his back.

Don't ask.

Listen.

Let's do it.

Let's just travel.

Let's just get our minds off of things and have a good time.

No labels or anything, no?

No labels.

Do you want to be a centaur too?

Yeah?

Alright.

I cast ninth level true polymorph.

And I make quite a centaur.

The painting has become real.

I look around at my

big beautiful ass.

Extra legs.

As we ride off into the distance, I sing a song, I play a song as we ride off into the distance.

I play, uh, uh, Pike, I was born a rambling scan,

uh, uh, met the, uh, got me, the, my, got myself the best girl in the land,

uh, but now I'm in love, and it's better than I planned,

so I will be a rambling scan.

And with that

ends

what is called the era of reclamation.

Following the calamity until now,

that era comes to a close.

The end of an age of recovery

and discovery.

Starting this new age with a time of uncertainty,

a time of

change,

but a time of excitement, excitement, and possibility.

But

not but a week

from the end of that era

a knock comes to your door Keyluth

My heart is pounding

the door without expectation you see there standing before you

with a little more flush and life to his cheeks.

The champion of the matron,

Baxel Dan.

Hi.

Hi.

I've been waiting for you.

I didn't know what happened.

I thought you might be gone forever.

I can't explain it.

It's not a fate I ever

could see.

Honestly, I don't think she could either.

She is out there somewhere

waiting to be found,

and it is still my duty

to carry out her will.

But that duty

now brings me home.

I am home

forever.

Are you gonna leave again?

Nothing could ever make me leave again

So much has happened.

I know.

I'm a different person, no facts.

Come inside.

Moves in wordlessly.

I loved you fiercely in life

and forgive me, but I loved you fiercely beyond it as well, and I know

how hard that was.

I

have no expectations

But

if you would

Could we start over?

I have been lying in wait

in a perpetual stasis.

It's about like falling falling and never knowing when the ground will come.

I think I've been waiting

for my devilish rogue with wings

to catch me again.

I would love

I would love to start over.

Begin again.

But it will have to be a beginning.

If that's okay with you.

Every good story needs a start.

I've missed you so much.

I was never that far away.

I know.

It's part of what always made it so hard.

Maybe we could go on a date.

I would like that very much.

My name's Keylith,

and you're the love of my life.

If you will have me, I am yours,

Keylith of the Arishari.

Would you like a glass of wine?

My first glass of wine in a very long time.

I can't think of a better person to share it with than you.

I just kiss him.

And through life's responsibilities,

as leader of your people

and guide of the future of Xandria in this new uncertain future,

and you as the champion of the matron, now one of many,

searching for her return

to guide her

and all of your interests into this new era.

Every now and then,

your champion comes to visit

I can work with that

and that's where we'll leave it

that concludes our camp

I love you sweet husband.

I love you guys.

Lovely man.

Thank you.

Thanks for the good story, man.

Looking forward to the next one.

One more before we have to go to sleep.

Just one more story.

Just like five more minutes.

Thank you for coming along, friends.

Good night, Bell's House.

Good night, Mighty Nine.

Good night.

I'm Terry and Terry.

And thank you all for hanging in for a

giant-sized version.

I think this is a record.

Might be.

Didn't pretend to be, but that's not how it works out.

And our guests.

Massive thank you to all the wonderful guests that came to be a part of this campaign and this finale.

Thank you all so much for coming along with us on this story.

Means a lot.

Just know that we love you very much.

And

this is Thursday.

Good night.

Thank you so much for joining us on this adventure.

To help new listeners discover the show, please give us a rating and review on whatever podcasting app you're listening on.

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