Oaths & Ash | Critical Role Indianapolis Live Show 2025 Part 1

From the studio behind Ghost of Tsushima comes Ghost of Yote, a bold PlayStation 5 experience.

Atsu is a lone mercenary driven by vengeance, journeying across 1600s Japan to hunt her enemies.

With striking landscapes as brutal as they are beautiful, intimate storytelling, and evolved multi-weapon combat, this is Revenge Reimagined, rich with emotion and cinematic depth.

A friend of the show, Erika Ishii, voices Atsu, a new, unforgettable PlayStation hero.

Ghost of Yote is available October 2nd on PlayStation 5, rated M for mature.

Tron Aries has arrived.

Hostiles!

Repeat, we have hostiles!

Maybe, matey!

Oh my god, there's hundreds of them!

On October 10th, we came here from the digital world.

The war for our world begins.

What in God's name is that?

You and I, Max.

This is the end to this world.

No, it's not.

But I can help you.

Tron Aries.

We did PT13.

Maybe inappropriate for children under 13.

Only in theaters October 10th.

Get tickets now.

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Hey there, critter podcast listeners.

We have a special new membership service at Beacon.tv, where you get early access to all new podcast episodes, including Critical Role for the first time ever.

Beacon members also get things like live event pre-sales, merch discounts, access to a private community Discord, and new exclusive series like Critical Role Cooldown.

Think of it as our digital Critical Role land.

Head on over to Beacon.tv to check it out for yourself and start a seven-day free trial.

Thank you so much for your support, for being a podcast listener, and for being part of our community.

Hey there, critters.

This is Ashley Johnson and Tellison Jeffy.

And we're popping in here to talk about our new podcast on Beacon, Weird Kids.

In this series, we're diving into our lives as former child actors, from unraveling our eccentric upbringings to embracing all the delightfully odd interests we still have today.

We're covering so many topics like antique toys, taxidermy, Japanese pop culture, and honestly, anything else we come up with.

Weird Kids is available exclusively on Beacon.

But good news, we're offering a one-month free trial on beacon.tv so you can take a look before you become a member.

Just use the code weirdos at beacon.tv to start the trial.

You can also find fellow weirdos by following the series on our at the WeirdKids pod Instagram and using the hashtag WeirdKids.

So to all the misfits, outcasts, and weirdos out there, come take a seat at our table and celebrate all things unconventional, nostalgic, and wonderfully weird.

Welcome to Weird Kids.

New episodes release every Tuesday.

You're listening to part one of this episode right now, and part two will arrive this upcoming Tuesday.

If you'd rather listen to the full episode right now and without any ads, consider becoming a Beacon member.

You'll receive access to exclusive content, discounts at all our online critical role shops, exclusive pre-sales for live events, and much more.

Start your seven-day free trial today at beacon.tv.

Well, that should cover it.

Now let's dive into the adventure.

Ten years ago,

eight people sat around a table to tell a story.

A story that grew into a remarkable, life-changing

thing.

And that thing grew into another thing, but bigger and faster.

And that thing evolved into several other groundbreaking things.

Things that those eight people never could have imagined in their wildest, most synergistic dreams.

I

am one of those people.

Hi, my name is Matthew Mercer.

And I want to speak to you about our new tabletop RPG Dagger Heart

We are so deeply pleased with its reception and success and we can't wait to share all the magical things we have in store for you from our romanticy campaign frame

the homebrew kit our class pack Kickstarter our upcoming partnerships with people like HeroForge, Legends of Evantris, Dungeons and Daddies.

And

that's not all.

Oh, oh,

oh.

You're too kind.

You're too kind.

Enter stage.

Hello, I am Travis Willingham, CEO of Critical Role.

And one of these things that I want to speak to you about is Beacon, our glorious membership service.

None of this could have been possible without the love of our glorious Beacon Bits.

Our seamless weird kids.

Our cool midsties,

all our stellar friends at Stinky Dragon, all of you are...

Travis, Travis, Travis, Travis, we talked about this.

This is supposed to be my thing.

But what the hell are you dressed as?

Matthew, I'm the CEO.

That means I get to bear the white kicks in the turtleneck at the keynote.

Well, I'm the chief creative officer, so

I get to.

Listen, Matthew, or should I call you Mark?

Let's not turn this into a turtleneck measurement comparison thing, okay?

We are just getting started

Yes,

you see in just a few brain-meltingly amazing months, we will be at Radio City Music Hall in New York City for Ford and Jester's wedding.

And in 2026, we have a totally bricked up slate of live shows coming to you all.

Starting with Atlanta in May,

Berlin and Edinburgh in July.

London in October.

And finishing it out with Fort Worth in December.

So please join us for a totally poor cleansing paradigm pulverizing powerhouse of performances.

Travis, her superlatives are better than ours.

I know, but she has like three turtlenecks.

Yeah.

That's correct.

That is because, according to business science, I, Marisha Ray,

the creative director of Critical Role,

am the true alpha of this keynote address.

Sorry,

didn't mean to interrupt.

But as the creative director and game director for Darrington Press,

we are thrilled, thrilled, I tell you, about all of the announcements made this week.

And we can't wait to share with you all what we have cooking up.

But

we were wondering

if

I'm sure you're all wondering too

if we could ask Matthew about campaign four.

So,

hey, Matthew,

can you tell us about campaign four?

You know, I'd love to creamy,

but how about instead I show you?

Now,

now

I don't want you all to worry.

worry while I'm not GMing the next campaign.

I will be a player in it

Forever DM no more

I will be playing alongside my favorite familiar faces and a number of newer ones that I cannot wait to reveal to you in the very near future.

It's exciting.

Soon enough.

Trust me, it's sooner than you think.

Okay, okay, okay, wait, wait, wait.

So

just to be clear,

you're not GMing.

No.

Okay, wait.

Chris and Jeremy, are you DMing?

No.

My stars, no.

So if you're not DMing and you're not DMing...

Who's GMing?

Well, they actually happen to be in the building.

You want me to bring them out?

Well, critters, let's bring to the stage the GM for campaign four,

Brindon Lee Mulligan.

Ten years

ago,

I was afraid of a bread.

Ten years ago,

I was a struggling improviser riddled with medical debt from my fucked up teeth.

But I was aware of this thing called critical role.

I watched it.

I loved it.

The game, the stories shared by these amazing friends.

And I was lucky enough to

meet Working Backstage on a little show called I'm Actually.

Meet Matt Mercer, and I will never forget, as long as I live, the kindness

and the friendship that happened to form in that moment and has continued ever since.

It is a privilege, an honor, and a gift.

And if you guys are ready for your next epic adventure, make some noise!

So that's exciting.

Genuinely, we're so happy to have you all here tonight.

We're so happy for all the things we have in store for you for the next 10 years to come.

But please enjoy the rest of your evening here amongst friends and family.

And let's go ahead and jump into tonight's episode of Critical Road.

One by one, we climb until we reach the top.

Two by two, we fall.

Will we meet our end or meet our destiny?

Hold your breath and roll.

It's Thursday night.

Oh, ye critters, come join us.

It's time to continue our flight.

There is magic and mystery.

Who knows what will happen?

He might.

But one thing's for sure: they never give up on the fight.

From the healer to the renegade, we all share the same goal:

adding more allies, taking more chances.

Hold your breath and roll.

It's Thursday night.

All ye critters, come join us.

It's time to continue our last

Thursday.

There is magic and mystery.

From darkness, our friendship will rise.

But one thing's for sure: we never give up on the fight.

Oh, get ready.

It's Thursday night.

Thank you.

We love you too.

Yes, the feeling is mutual.

Especially you folks in the first row, you'll all get wet.

We're out here just to give a couple announcements before we roll out the cast and get this show started.

How does that sound?

Hell yeah!

So, first of all, please, please, please, please, silence your cell phones.

Second, no flash photography.

Third, please do not post spoilers on the internet.

And finally, no call-outs because none of you know Daggerheart as well as Matthew Mercer.

All right.

Shall we bring them out?

Are we good?

Thumbs up.

Thumbs up.

Yes.

All right.

All right.

Welcome to the stage, Ashley Johnson.

Laura Bailey.

Liam O'Brien

Talison Jaffe

Sam Regal

Robbie Damon

Travis Willingham

Mauriti

and Matthew Mercer

Thank you both.

Oh shit.

All right, friends.

Well, first things first, get a little housekeeping here done, since this is Dagger Heart.

I have eight players that means I start the game with eight fear

Hey, I didn't make up the rules.

Oh wait, I kind of helped do that

So

I have a little housekeeping too in Dagger Heart as a halfling every session everyone in the party gains a hope

because Aurum best boy la di da

red tree

All right then.

Where we last left off,

having traveled to the island of Evatarina within the Shattered Teeth, in pursuit of the still at-large mastermind and villain Ludinus Deleth,

Belle's Hells and the Mighty Nine found themselves split between the physical world and the spiritual layer between realms.

Their crews scattered, seeking answers.

Divided as they may be, they found an ally in the mysterious Ethel Rivergold, a being who straddled both layers of reality, with one crew climbing to the peak of the time-locked and sundered mountain, and the other delving within its spiritual depths.

Bell's Hells and the Mighty Nine discovered a nightmarish entity that was corrupting and spreading chaos from both realms.

Upon the entity's destruction, the two separated Ethel Rivergolds became one and returned to their true form as the very spirit of the island.

Both teams now restored and walking the physical realm once more, they now stand at the mountain peak staring up into the dense clouds of the shattered teeth above,

hoping to follow their lead towards Ludinus' hideaway floating somewhere in the sky,

just out of reach.

So,

Bell's Hells and Mighty Mighty Nine.

What would you like to do?

What?

Do we need to take a long rest or something?

I don't know.

Are we at that point?

I figure you've taken a rest at this point.

We should get back to our ship.

I mean, do you think the ships are still combined, or do you think there's two ships?

I think there's probably one ship, but I mean, we could.

There's still a castle up there, right?

Where is it?

Wait, There's clouds up above.

You know, at least from the scrawling that was done earlier, that it exists somewhere above the mountain.

But I can fly up.

Alone?

Well, at least get a get a glance.

All right, I could

fly.

I mean, we could all just start flying.

I mean, it's no, we need the attention.

Anyway, maybe you should use it.

Oh, boy.

So,

do you any of you have the means of flying over?

Right, I do.

I do have the means to fly.

I'm gonna...

Oh, shit.

Wait.

I

am gonna make a spellcast roll to see if I can fly.

Alrighty.

Oh, my gosh.

First roll of the night.

Let's go.

Oh, my gosh.

Oh, my gosh.

Okay.

Oh, wait, that was a 20.

I rolled a 20.

My bad.

Old habits.

Old habits.

Okay, so the total, woo, that's so good.

What you got?

26.

Total.

With hope, take that hope.

That is a fine success.

As everyone sits, still kind of recovering from the recent forays with these massive boss-like entities, the two sides of it.

You watch as Imogen crackling with energy,

rockets off into the clouds above,

kind of vanishing into the gray.

Imogen, as you cruise upward, the winds trying to batter you, but the very field of your psychic energy buttresses that from your body and you continue to push upward, upward, upward.

You hear like the breaking of a sound barrier

as she

emerges from the darkened clouds up into

a full,

just freshly sunset sky.

The blues and purples just beginning to vanish and cascade beyond the horizon.

You can see the rest of the cloud bank that seems to surround you at all angles to the infinite horizon.

And the shadow of two distant sky whales just barely cresting and breaching before vanishing below.

And maybe 200 feet above you, you see a rocky landmass just hovering there, locked in place through some unseen magic, and the outline of it looks like a small structure.

Well, I really don't want to face him alone.

I'm going to fly back down

because I think that's

confirmation.

Fair.

All right, I'm going to go back down to through.

I don't wanna die immediately.

Alright, as Imogen returns, and I'm not gonna land though, because I want to keep my flight.

Respect.

What did you see?

Way up.

A rock with what looked like a small structure, a house, maybe.

Sitting on it.

It's so far in the sky.

I heard sky skywheels.

Did you see skywheels?

I did see.

I saw a couple sky whales.

Those things are terrifying.

Yeah, they do.

They're great.

Okay.

What kind of house was it?

Was it

white picket fence, sort of

ranch style?

Well, here's the thing:

start her home, fix her up, or whatever.

I cast Zillow.

Thank you.

I didn't want to risk it, you know, it's still lewdness.

Well, it seems like a likely place to start the next part of our journey here, but how is everyone feeling?

We just went through the ringer a bit the last few hours.

I feel great.

Just so invigorated.

Yeah, feel great.

Awesome.

Very good.

To be honest, I feel also great, but everything about me seems slightly different today.

I don't know why, but like all of my, I don't know, stats are just slightly

yeah, but in a good way.

Yeah, great.

In a good way.

Look at this place.

I mean the shadow teeth are so weird.

Yeah, I'll be honest.

I feel a little funny to you.

Why not?

Well Bells Helsins, you are sort of the junior league at this point.

Maybe you should wait here and Mighty Nine will forge ahead.

I think that's a good idea.

I mean, if you want to play it safe, you know, I don't want all of you to pass away.

Who are you calling junior?

Yeah, I.

What?

I mean, you all literally just said you feel funny.

Like, I can tell you.

I wasn't talking about you, Mr.

Pockerby.

Never you, Mr.

Pockerbeare.

That's right, baby.

I actually don't think he's wrong.

I think we are the junior league.

Sorry.

I mean, they're just amazing.

Especially that Yash, oh my god.

Do you think you were spotted?

Did you see any activity when you were up there?

I mean...

Listen, I can go back up.

I still have my flat active.

It hasn't worn off or anything.

No, let's just go.

We know we're going up there anyway.

We can use the clouds as a hell of a bit of a surprise.

There were sky whales.

Oh.

Just something to be aware of.

But

how are we all gonna get up there?

I was wondering that myself.

Are skywheles aggressive?

You know they, what you've heard at least, in the little bit of research you've done about the shattered teeth, people don't take skyships there because sky whales tend to destroy them.

But you haven't heard any dangers of individuals or you know the smaller figures of the sky.

I don't think we can ride a sky whale.

We should not ride a sky whale.

I feel like I could tame a sky whale.

I don't think you can tame a sky whale.

Now I kind of want to ride a sky whale.

We're not riding sky whale.

I was against it, so just now.

Wait, is Ethel still here?

Ethel has returned as the spirit of the island and is now a spectral elemental guardian, the very, very heart of the nature of the world.

I'm going to kneel down and talk to the ground.

Ethel!

Can you and all of your majesty

bring a sky whale down and make friends with it?

Because we need to get up to the sky

etho

we helped you become whole

a spectral voice finds your spirit your mind and your ears

hello there

i appreciate what you've done for me but um you know just getting all the rest of these other goliath spec out of their stone forms and uh It's taken a bit of concentration, so if you don't mind, if you want to go ahead and get yourself one of them whales, leave that to you.

Maybe you have any, like, means of mass transportation or.

Oh, wait a minute.

Wait.

What do you say?

Just a minute.

Okay, wait.

How far is this home?

Uh, it's

up to the clouds and probably close to just beyond a thousand feet or so.

Like, would that be considered far range?

That'd be considered quite very far and only if you can even see it.

Okay.

I could get us about uh 500 feet of the way there.

I I have uh the ability to make a gate that we could all walk through and get up to the side of the mountain and then go no fucking further.

Oh, yeah.

That feels good.

Alright.

I could fly us up there.

I could uh fly uh uh some people up there too.

I'll take a ride.

I also could probably uh teleport half of us there, but I've never been, I've never seen it, so there's a chance we could go flying into the ocean as well.

Oh!

Oh!

I got an idea!

Yes.

I'll fly up,

grab something from there.

Right.

Will that help you with the teleporting.

Yeah, that would help me measurably.

I'm still limited on how many people I can take at a time.

I also do not have that character sheet in front of me.

No, no, no.

I lost the page of my spellbook.

I misplaced it.

We can say, for the sake of brevity, between the various abilities you all have at your disposal.

It's fully worth it.

I can definitely go back.

Great, let's go.

All right, one by one.

I know how to land on the dark side of the rock so that, you know.

Yeah, one by one, we fly until we reach the top.

That's how this all goes.

I'm really, really, really strong.

I'm really strong, so this should be no problem at all.

I'll say

those that are most dense of you,

that might be a little challenging

to get to the top of the floating island, would likely be

not you, Ford, you're pretty light.

You lead me to it.

I'd say probably Breyus and Ashton.

And Yasha.

And maybe Yasha.

All right.

So I'm going to need three agility rolls from you.

Here's the thing.

I feel like in my vast experience

of girl fail,

I know the things that I'm going to suck at.

So I think this is going to be something I'm going to suck at.

Can I use my experience on that?

I'll allow it.

Yeah, you legitimately opened this with the fact that you're not strong.

So definitely.

Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool.

So you can spend a hope.

All right.

I would start with me.

Alright, I'm starting with Ashton.

Yeah.

Alright, everybody else is already up there.

Don't worry about it.

Alright, now I'm rolling.

Okay.

And I'm adding plus two, plus four.

So it's a challenging flight for most folk.

Oh, no.

That's 12, 14,

18.

Okay, needed a 50.

Oh, great.

With fear, though.

I'll take it.

So the clouds themselves, while you can travel yourself and with a smaller individual, the heavy winds of kind of the storm-like movement of it still buffets you around.

You have less of an issue breaking through the clouds with others, but with the heavier, more dense figures, it is a challenge.

It's being tossed through elements of like a small tornado as you push through and you barely make it through the top with Ashton and you begin to gather your troop on the outer edge, kind of just below the actual lip of this island.

You could roll again for me.

On your rock, you're made of just straight up rock.

I'm gonna give you my hammer, and if anyone starts to fall, they just have to press the button and spend a hope, and they'll be fine as long as they hold on to it.

All right,

very well.

Take this back down.

It's pretty heavy and lopsided.

You kind of like,

yep.

Can you roll for Yasha, please?

Yasha.

No problem.

Okay, okay, okay.

That's really good.

That's like at least 19 with hope.

We plus 10.

Carry me like a baby.

All right.

I can do that.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I could fly, but I don't want to.

Sometimes it's just nice to be held.

Yeah.

Can you read my mind?

Or you can't.

And as the final portion of this, let's go ahead and get Braus in all of his majesty.

Yeah, big boy.

Grab me.

Hold me tight.

I'm just going to hold his horns and lift.

Oh, God.

Those are barely attached.

This is great.

I rolled.

That's 16, 17, 18, plus 422 with hope.

Wow.

Beautiful, beautiful.

Farming that hope out front.

You'll need it.

Uh-oh.

I have a question.

Would those have counted as actions?

Those would have.

Those last three correct heavy-duty ones?

Okay

So you use three of your flight tokens.

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Swing into the game.

From the studio behind Ghost of Tsushima comes Ghost of Yote, a bold PlayStation 5 experience.

Atsu is a lone mercenary driven by vengeance, journeying across 1600s Japan to hunt her enemies.

With striking landscapes as brutal as they are beautiful, intimate storytelling, and evolved multi-weapon combat, this is Revenge Reimagined, rich with emotion and cinematic depth.

A friend of the show, Erika Ishii, voices Atsu, a new, unforgettable PlayStation hero.

Ghost of Yotte is available October 2nd on PlayStation 5, rated M for mature.

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All right, so with that, your entire two troops have now come to land on this floating island here.

As the evening begins to take the sky, you see a quaint cottage.

It kind of definitely sits out of place up here, high up in the sky, but it's of beautiful elven make.

The architecture seems seamless, like it was crafted out of will than actual carving and construction.

Much to your chagrin, Chetney.

But the door is open, and there's a little bit of a flickering light source from within.

How far back are we?

Oh, you're probably about 70, 80 feet coming up over the lip lip to where the front of it is.

There's a little garden that kind of sits around the outside.

It's a beautiful little cottage in the middle of nowhere.

Or I'm just gonna

look and listen for signs of life.

Am I getting any signs of life in this place, hearing, seeing, anything?

Go ahead and roll an instinct.

Roll for me, please.

Instinct.

Right.

And I'm going to use my Sentinel Shield's ability to add a D8 to that.

And I'm going to spend a hope to use my experience eyes and ears to make sure that my perception stays swole.

You got it, let's go.

So there's the roll.

So it's with fear.

11, 15 plus.

I'm at a total of 19 with fear.

Because I am called the brave warrior.

I gain hope anyway while you gain a fear.

That's true.

What?

Awesome.

So, glancing through,

taking a moment to clarify, even in the low light, the flickering of fire and candle from within, a shape steps into the doorway.

And indeed, you see what looks to be a slender figure, shadowed, just barely backlit by the fire within.

And it just stands there, and like a cat that catches the light, its eyes just kind of flash in your direction, and you know that it tracks you as well.

I need you to take a stress, please.

Hey, Widow Gas, you got all of your uh

Zemny and shit ready?

By what do you see?

Death.

What do you see?

Should we like just go in?

Should we just go in like guns blazing?

Just like.

That's me flexing my pecs, but I don't know know how to do it, so I just wanna like this.

Yeah, two of us will go in.

No fucking problem.

Yeah, I think we better assume.

Okay.

Then we'll just we should all go.

We shouldn't separate.

We should all of us go in together.

Same time.

I'm gonna go ahead and

do my uh patron's mantle and mark a stress to transform into my

my terrifying visage.

Would you please describe what that transformation looks like, Bob?

Um, yes.

So

you see once again, this, like, from the top of her head, you see it slowly fade, almost like mist draping down over top of a mountain.

But in this instance, it is black like a morning veil.

And as it wipes past her face, her eyes go hollow, her lips pull back against her mouth, and she becomes this undead sorceress supreme.

Very well.

Who is to enter this chamber?

I'm gonna run in and I'm gonna scream, Fern, Calloway!

I'm getting.

We watch this terrifying scene as Fern charges into the room into immediate bloodshed before we come back to her, looking at her, imagining this in her head and

Jesus.

Skip.

I mean I can go.

I'm going too.

Let's go.

Flex me.

Let's do this.

Ready?

Are you really nice to people?

Fuck no.

I'll be bad cop.

You'll be good cop.

Okay, okay, okay, okay.

We've got the numbers.

We should just rush him.

All right, do it.

One, two.

Any second thoughts?

Three!

You all go charging towards this cottage.

It's an open Open door, about wide enough to fit two people at a time.

As you all come charging,

double file through the front door.

If he just moves inside, I can get it.

Screaming into the fray, you all see standing in the middle, Ludinus Deleth holding a cup of tea, his blue and gold robes draped around him, his long platinum hair pressed back into the lower area of where his hip hits his spine, and he just smiles as you enter.

What do you do?

Yeah, bitch, wait till we all get in here.

You're dead.

Hello.

Hi, hi, Lutenus.

We found your house.

Super cute up here.

Ludiness smiles back.

Welcome, friends.

It's very good to see you.

And I am extremely grateful that you've helped usher in this new age.

Those hills in particular.

While not as complete or permanent as I may have wanted, a step towards irrevocable change and fate has been placed in the hand of mortals as a promise of a better tomorrow.

You see, Lutinus, while standing here, looks...

visibly different.

A bit older even.

His stature is a bit hunched.

His skin

elven, but showing wear and age.

There is a

tiredness to his physicality that doesn't match the bravado and unearned vigor that you've encountered in the past.

Can I tell if he is illusory?

Uh go ahead and make a...

I'll say either a knowledge or an instinct roll for me.

I'll do...

instinct, and can I add

maybe...

Let's see what experiments are going on to those.

Devilish instincts?

Yeah, sure.

Spend that, huh?

Okay.

You are a being that is attuned to all sorts of deceptive magic, and that...

That bit of a mark on your spirit by Osmodius means that you have a pretty keen eye for that sort of magical deception.

A nine with fear.

Oh, cool.

Not that.

You throw up a little.

Just a little, like you kind of choke it back a little bit.

Tastes like Orange Juice.

You're like,

I can't really see because I'm still stuck in the door.

But a chill washes over you because

having seen this individual before,

if you're not ready, they could likely crush any number of you.

Probably fall in the process, but.

What do you wish to do?

Aurum steps out from underneath Braus's legs and says, I don't buy it.

And Seedling extends out, and I'm gonna spend a stress to shoot a vine out at Ludinus's ankle to attempt to yank him towards us.

Alrighty, go ahead and spend that stress

pulling Seedling out the vines wrap, almost like emerging from your wrists in the outer part of your hand, like it's conjured to the blade.

And as it spirals around the blade,

it shoots out to grapple and passes through his ankle.

Yeah, uh-huh.

Ludinus continues.

I thought to accept the end of this turmoil and struggle.

That

this victory, half-measured as it may be, thanks to you, could very well be enough.

I accepted my end as I sat here, watching you come to me and take whatever misguided vengeance you sought.

But as I lay here with my tea,

staring out into the very ether of Xandria, that very ether I have studied and conquered for so long,

I could see the lines of magic stir,

change,

something altogether ancient, yet

absolutely newly born.

What was begun with the lay binding of Ruidis has now awoken.

With the catathiosis, and with the unraveling of old magic, new possibilities are born.

I could see the studied weave of Arcana and the divine magics unfurl and be left raw, primordial,

seeking shape.

We not only freed our people from the tyranny of the gods, we opened the door to endless potential.

I now wish to endure.

To understand and master these new magics

and shepherd my new faithful in the wake of this new chapter to manifest what is deserved.

Perhaps we will meet again.

My hope is you will eventually accept the great deeds we have accomplished together

and inherit the joy of your ambition.

I hold you no ill will.

In fact,

I'm looking out for you.

This is why no one wanted you in charge.

Absolute prick.

Yeah, don't say all these things and be like, ooh, thank you so much.

And you did me a huge favor.

Like, we're a part of your, like, machinations.

Ford.

Justa.

Hi.

Best wishes on your upcoming nuptials.

Thank you.

No.

That was coded enough.

And it's very coded.

If you wanted to calm or something.

Oh, my.

Just a little bit of a.

I'm just saying.

I still haven't even gotten an invitation.

Oh, that's awkward.

Do you want to come?

Just another time.

Yeah.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

Bell's Hells.

I sense your fate stitcher has concerns to discuss with you.

Best hurry to her.

I have smelled souring oaths upon the wind as you approached.

Best reach out to your wind prince

and see what she needs soon.

Ludinus smiles.

Oh my god.

Fay Wild.

You think he was there?

I mean, that's what makes sense.

He said Nanomori, right?

Yeah, he said there was like a sour smell or something, but maybe she just.

she kind of stinked.

There's something something about oaths.

Something about oaths, sour.

Oaths.

Yeah.

Okay.

Do any of you have oaths?

A chill runs down the back of your spine, Chetney Pockapi.

Oh, sweet life.

I don't think any of you all made oaths with my Nana, right?

I made something with her.

Um.

What?

What is Fern?

We made some oaths.

I thought better of her.

Fern, I feel like you've made like at least half a dozen oaths.

Yeah, it's kind of your thing.

Practically, I think.

Oh, that that kind of is true, actually.

But I mean,

whatever.

Wait, he also said to check on Dorian.

Do you think something's wrong with Dorian, too?

Are we in trouble?

I don't know.

It feels that felt like getting scolded.

We should go there.

Go where?

Animori or Dorian.

Jester, do you think you could reach out blue to blue?

I can certainly try.

Wow.

Oh, boy.

I didn't pick any cards for Jester.

We can assume Jester can cast endings too, because

it is the very core of her personality.

Right.

You are a texter.

Yeah, I...

Yeah.

Sorry.

Okay, yeah, I'm going to send a message to Dorian.

Hey, it's Chester.

We were talking to Lewiness, and he said you might be in trouble.

I know.

Totally weird.

But is anybody...

Are you okay?

Or in danger?

Nice.

Hey.

They did that real good.

Don't come from my counting.

She talked really fast.

Dorian Storm, where do you find yourself at this moment?

Oh.

Oh.

Arm's right here.

Close, close.

You hear this.

You hear this scream.

Oh, you hear this sound.

Oh.

and you hear

No, no, no, it's B flat, B flat, into the arpeggio, and then you're going to

I was focused on my art.

He sounded like he was not in trouble, just preoccupied.

You want me to try again?

Yeah.

Dorian!

Listen!

I'm not a student.

I'm Jester.

We were with Ludinus, and he said you were in trouble or something.

I don't know.

He might have said Nanamori was in trouble.

That's it.

I don't know.

It's Daggerhart.

She gets an extra.

Oh, yeah.

Right back, you hear.

Oh, God, no, I'm alright.

I'm just in rehearsal.

We're doing a show soon.

Swing by the Laughing Lamia.

Oh, but they're doing a show at the Laughing Lamia.

We should all go.

That sounds fun.

Huh?

I have things to

do.

Not to say that sounds terrible.

You can get in for free.

What could you possibly be busy with, Cadoos?

I have

gardening to do.

Wash my hair.

There's so much to you to do.

What was that to you?

Someone should find out what he was drinking.

That could be important.

Please don't let me go.

Regardless, I think, I mean, either Ludinus was set in a trap, or he was...

I mean, of course he was set in a trap.

But that still means that Dorian is in trouble.

Even if he doesn't know it yet.

What do you think?

Are you okay if we stop and get Dorian before we go to the fape?

You just see Fern just like looking at things around the house and trying to take shits in working order down below.

I can't, it's been a minute.

Uh, yo, your ship was in working order, yeah.

Does Caleb have teleportation though?

Jester has sending, yeah,

but it's not the whole group.

I could take some of us to check in on him.

Maybe I could send him to you.

Ah,

well, well, he's gonna miss miss curtain call though.

Right?

If we do that?

Maybe we go get Dorian and

then you can get us to Nanomori's.

Yeah.

Hey, look, can you get us to the laughing lobby?

He'll let us located where again?

In

Taman, by the way.

I'm not very familiar with.

That's true.

Caleb would not be here.

Yeah.

Oh shit, how will I get us there?

Can you?

I believe I have at this point visited Allura a number of times yeah I think at the time being probably probably passed by Yvonne at the very least

I have a collection of pebbles from all across Xandria.

It's true you do

Well who's going then

I'm going personally at Bell's Hills I think should go get Dorian I I think so too.

Well then I don't know what do you think for it should we um maybe the rest of Mighty Nine can keep investigating rudeness?

Someone's gotta take the ship back.

Of course.

Yes, we're not leaving our ship below.

Why don't uh why don't you just to throw it out there as an option rather than us I love traveling across continents with you guys.

We do it like every day

like twice

But what if we just go to the Fae realm you said to to visit Nanomori and she can't she just bring Dorian to you?

That's a possibility as well

Alright, we'll pick something.

Let's do that.

That sounds far more efficient.

That becomes someone else's problem.

Let's get the fate stitcher magic.

That shit is on.

Woof!

Wait.

Okay.

Alright.

You guys, good luck.

We'll be in contact.

You're going.

Wait.

Someone's got to take the

Nairn Wari, though.

Can you do it?

I mean,

just call her or something.

Nana!

Got it.

I can't.

I can't.

Well.

You do have a magical staff that once belonged to the illusion that just vanished that does have the means of transportation.

You know what's so

crazy?

I have this magical staff.

You're holding the staff of Dark Odyssey?

No, that's you.

Sorry.

I was holding it Chetney's Old Nick.

Oh, yeah.

I have it.

Which makes no fucking sense.

I literally asked Laura who had it last night.

She said it was you.

Yeah.

I have it.

No, but didn't you?

No, I didn't.

No, you did.

You did.

I do.

I didn't put that in my build, though.

Fuck.

I have it, and I can take

number of people with me.

Probably eight.

That's all of us.

That sounds right.

Cool.

I take out the staff.

Fire it up.

All right.

Do you have the item card?

Fuck, I don't fucking know.

Oh, shit, it's right here.

Hey!

And the item card.

Oh, look at all these that he put in here for us.

Ten years and it's still a well-oiled machine.

Yeah, you know.

Amazing.

It carries eight charges, teleport, toss six of them.

I'll have two left over.

That's great.

Oh.

If I know it well, I gained a plus three to my spellcast roll.

Yep.

Let's do it.

Let's make a spellcast roll.

Let's go into Nanomoris.

Alright, does anyone want to help with this roll?

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

Yes, may I help by using my favor?

Well, it's a hope to help an ally.

Yeah, I'll spend a hope.

Yeah, go for it.

So you get to roll a D6 to add that with Advantage.

I'm sure I won't need it.

I need it!

Shit, I should.

I'm kidding.

I'm going to give Advantage because I have a lot of hope.

Okay, fair.

So as you hold the the staff aloft, Imogen comes over and helps channel her psychic energy into your incantation.

The staff's runes

begin to glow along the side.

The tip of it begins to sparkle with energy, like a faint purple-blue.

And what did you roll?

I rolled 24 plus 3 because I know it well.

So 27 with hope.

Great, take that hope.

Nice.

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A vertigo sensation swallows you as you all fall through some spectral tunnel for just a half a second.

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They didn't even say goodbye.

This is why they're not invited to the wedding.

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As we come

to the dark forests of the Fay Realm,

here in the familiar swamp-like expanse that surrounds the tree known as Ligament Manor,

Bell's hells, you step into the sloshy marsh

and immediately recognize a strange change.

There are tents

set up through this marsh

like small mobile military encampments

At a quick glance as you step down you can see a handful of armored figures just kind of walking through there's a small fire settled off the side.

It looks like a small mobile military unit of some kind Fern have you ever seen this ever

Would we recognize any of the insignia or any

armor design you

recognize the shape of the design of the armor itself.

This is an unseely military troop.

I don't like those things.

No, this is bad.

Shit, we should have gotten Dorian.

We started Dorian first, I knew it.

I think I think it wasn't my idea.

It was yours.

I don't I'm not here.

I'm I

hide.

I'd like for you to roll finesse for me to attempt to hide.

Okay, that's really good.

Oh no, it's not.

17 with hope.

17 with hope?

Alright, take that hope.

As you duck into the underbrush nearby, a bit of the muck sloshing over you, which briefly kind of covers the bright spots of white that would immediately make you visible to the surrounding muck.

You feel fairly hidden, regardless of the stature that you normally hold.

What would the rest of you like to do?

Do we, okay, do I have any sense?

Could I use like my arcane sense where I can sense the presence of magical people and objects to see if I can sense Nanomori?

You can, yeah, you can go ahead and try and like release your consciousness outward.

Ligament Manor is a bit further into the brush, like it's maybe about 300 or so feet into into the middle of the swamp ahead.

You kind of landed in the outskirts of it to where this encampment is.

So

as you kind of feel that stretch out further and further, you can sense other magical Fae beings.

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of the trees, small little nodes of magical creatures that call this place home.

You can sense

what looks like slightly ghostly orbs that just kind of float through the air, like little sentinels.

Little magical objects that search and perhaps reveal those that they don't want sneaking upon their grounds.

But you do get a sense of Ligament Manor, and there are a number of entities within.

One of them could very well be Nana Mori, a strong source of Fae magic.

I think Nana Mori is in Ligament Manor, but she's not alone.

Can we be sneaky and get over there?

Can we get past these people?

These orbs.

Wow.

Okay, it's the tough guys apparently got the...

We could try to sneak around him.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Let's do it.

Smart.

Very well.

Yeah.

So this will be a group stealth roll.

Definitely that seems stupid.

We should send one person.

That seems real dumb.

Oh, have you been asleep?

Are you awake now?

Yeah, listen, I'm fucking old, okay?

Really?

I couldn't tell you look great.

I need a nap every once in a while.

I'm gonna spend a fear.

You begin to hear the strange reverberating bark in the distance.

And you begin to hear this strange kind of baying sound.

A familiar sense.

The odd, faceless sentinel dogs that were once guarding the secondary Malius Key.

They're somewhere in the wood behind where you are and getting closer.

What are you all doing?

We can't stay here.

No, we are moving.

Group stealth check this.

Backing up into the bush, Aurum pulls out his sending stone

and says, Babe, I don't know if your show's done soon.

We're with Nanamori.

Gonna try to grab you soon.

Be ready.

Okay.

And sink into the shrubs.

I'm babe, right?

Just making sure.

This is still my 818 number, right?

Deep cut.

Alright.

So, who is helming this group action role?

Feels like it should be someone staying.

I could do it.

I could helm it.

Yes.

Let's go.

All right.

So before you roll, Fern, I need everyone else to make a finesse roll.

Can I spend an experience to help with this or no?

Is this not the?

No, you're all making reactions.

So these do not give you fear or hope.

These are just your reaction roles.

Crit.

Crit, alright, that's a plus one.

What you got?

Lord Lauder.

18.

18, That's a plus two.

14 with hope.

It's a minus one.

Ashen.

13.

Minus one.

18 with hope.

It's a plus one.

21.

That's a plus two.

All right, Fern, I need you to make a finesse roll, and you get plus two from the group.

Okay.

And any experiences you want to add to it, you can spend a hope if you'd like to.

Yeah, I'll spend a hope.

What are you applying to it?

I'm going to apply favor.

Okay, so

being connected with the Fae Realm itself, you almost kind of will the surrounding foliage to bend and shift around you and your troop.

Okay.

Oh, that's not good.

Wait, wait.

Well, it's okay.

Okay, it's not terrible.

12.

16 with fear.

That's with the plus two?

That is with the with the plus two.

Oh, wait.

And my favorite.

Okay.

That's a plus four.

What'd you roll?

I rolled an 11 with fear and a one with hope.

Okay, but that's 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17.

Oh, sorry, sorry, 17, 18, 19.

I forget my finesse.

19.

Okay, that is a success.

Great.

Great.

Thank you.

Yeah.

But that was in fear, you said?

Yes.

Delicious.

I'm nom nom nom nom.

Eat it up.

Carefully, you all begin to trek down into the underbrush and you watch it kind of spin and curl around you.

You feel nettles and vines almost pull and tug tug at you, at first setting you off and on edge until you realize they're thickening and covering your passage.

The actual swamp itself is seeming to rise above your headline and is keeping you hidden.

I'm so short.

Pressing onward, you begin to push through the densest part of the tree line here in the middle of the marsh, until eventually you break through and can see the massive tree that is Ligament Manor.

This incredible,

thick canopy that rises up a hundred to two hundred feet.

You see dozens upon dozens of flickering lantern lights from just beyond the leaves that dangle like this incredible dreamlike weeping willow.

And then stationed just outside of the main door, you see four unseely guards that are set right there.

You've made your way to the outside of Ligament Manor, but you're not sure you could stealth past them without getting back in the middle of the open.

How far away are they?

I'd say they're about 30 feet from you right now.

Is that close range?

That would be close range, yeah.

Okay,

okay

Did you say they were on our level or above?

You're down kind of down below in the underbrush.

I see they're a little bit above kind of just standing on the sides of the doorway of the steps that lead up into the ligament manor proper.

I am gonna try

hypnotic shimmer on the four guards.

Okay.

So I'm gonna enter their minds and create like a hypnotic state amongst all of them, try to stun them while we run past.

Let's go.

Alright, so go ahead and make a spellcast roll against them.

If I believe that's for all the targets in that range?

Yes.

Alright.

Oh, good.

That's a crap create.

Nice!

Hell yeah, so take that hope, clear a stress if you need to.

Now, if you wouldn't mind describing what they see through their eyes, it's a brief flash where they feel a tug on their minds, and all the soldiers kind of shift their attention in your direction.

Your whole group suddenly feels like that shock of sweat across your shoulders and down your back as you feel like you've been spotted.

But what do they see?

They think they see

10,

20

Fae Realm bunnies, like weird little creatures, but like move as a herd, stop in front of them, look up, laugh at them, and then keep moving along.

The rest of you watch as these four unsealed guards, well armored, well armed, and looking like they would be the escort to someone of importance,

just look down and start chuckling to each other and pointing at nothing that's there and acting a little drunk oddly as their heads kind of cock to the side and they are unaware of your presence.

The bunnies are just slightly off and all of them mark a stress because they all get a stress point.

As their laughter turns into a shudder.

And you watch as they kind of

gather up a little bit, almost reaching for their weapons, feeling a little offset by what this strange omen might be.

The rest of you walk past them, completely unnoticed, and within to the manor itself.

Yes, yes, yes.

Yes, yes, yes.

Now,

continuing upward,

you come to a familiar space here in the manor.

There is the kind of central region where the tiki bar is set, all the number of like glowing lanterns that dangle, the bit of music that plays from the crystal, and the off-putting appearance of a stretched face on a frame set against a far wall.

But there in this kind of lounge area that she keeps and hosts, you see an Anna Mori sitting with a rather large-looking fruity tiki cocktail.

Her monstrous, hag-like form itself, kind of hunched down in a cozy, comfy chair, her elongated neck with her horse-like white hair draped over its extended space, her black sunken eyes with the beady little lights that she keeps for pupils, seems to sit loudly on the straw as her secondary head that lies buried in her torso itself goes,

and she kind of pulls and gives up the straw too.

Sitting across from her, you see a robed figure of beautiful gray skin, a lithe appearance, a gentle kind of helmed piece, like a circlet that's set atop of it,

and what looks to be vestments of

some

station.

They have a shoulder mantle that curls up on the sides.

This is a figure of

relative importance, it seems, within the Seeley's hierarchy.

I would like, Fern, if you don't mind, make a knowledge roll for me.

Oh,

okay.

That's Fern's specialty.

It's my specialty.

That's cocked.

I miss the.

Okay, so we've got.

15 with hope.

15 with hope.

Okay.

You do not know this figures personally.

You can see a bit of the purple hair that extends from underneath the helmet.

But you do gather they are a delegate of the sun's shadow.

Which means they represent the voice of the potentate Samanar, which is the head of the unsealing.

They who walk unseen.

This is business of the highest of the Unseali court.

And you all can hear them conversing.

The Potentate

opens up.

We hold claim by blood.

In the wake of the sorrow Lord Zathuda's presumed demise to his progeny.

Bound by birth, by Moonquill's script, to play their part in events unrealized, now freed from such obligations in a false wake of the Red Moon, Thern Zathuda remains bound by life, power, and potential to the Unseali court.

The Potentate Saminar is aware you lay claim to the young Zathuda, Fate Stitcher, conflicting covenant granted by the late Sorrowlord's concubine.

The Potentate wishes to assure you that such promises do not supersede the Unseale's claim to the rude is born child.

Animori pipes in with another long sip

on her tiki drink.

The court misunderstands.

Fern is an asset of particular interest,

one I have placed significant investment into.

By merit of time given, guidance granted, and essence marked upon her, the agreement I have with her other progenitor holds binding weight by virtue of unfinished business.

The court may hold a claim, but a claim that cannot be called until this interim agreement has come to a close.

The delegate speaks up.

And how long do you propose this agreement to last, Morrigan?

That is privileged information between myself and Vern's mother.

At which point they both stop and turn and notice the arrival of your troop.

I just sort of

start, like, touching the wall, just like looking at something.

Oh, it seems

the being of which we speak has arisen and arrived.

Yes, hello.

Nanamori stands up.

My sweet fern.

What's going on?

We're having a conversation.

You are a woman of your own mind and your own choices.

And there's a bit of a tangle we have to

untangle, if you will.

Okay.

Isn't that right, delegate?

Indeed.

And who's the rest of you present, if I might ask?

Aurum's full three-foot three steps out in front of Fern, hand on hilt.

Fern squad.

Ah, but where's your cute little blue boy?

Actually, could you help us get him here?

Yeah, we actually wanted to see.

We were coming to you to see if you could bring him here.

Yes, it'd be great.

She snaps her fingers and

suddenly.

Dorian.

Honestly, that is what it feels like in real life.

Dorian Storm, what do they see as you arrive instantly and unexpectedly?

Yeah, what was he saying in that second on the other side?

You were late on the downbeat, Jimothy.

Huh?

You're watching a whiplash moment?

Yes.

What do I see?

You are suddenly standing in the middle of a darkly lit treehouse of dark nightmare proportions.

Sure.

Meet like a dank dive Tiki bar.

You've dabbled here at the League Night Manor before, and you've kind of taken in, takes a moment for you to realize where you are, but you are next to Belle's Hells, next to Nanomori, and a bunch of intense-looking, unseely, armored figures.

Unseely?

Yeah.

Right in front of me?

Yeah.

Power push.

Go ahead and make a roll for me.

Make a spellcast roll, baby.

Oh, whoop!

That one is 17 on the dice.

That's good.

That's a 320.

A 20 with hoper fear.

With over, fear, fear.

That's the bad one, but it's true.

That's true.

It's okay.

You succeed

at this.

So,

is there damage?

There is, unfortunately.

Go ahead and roll, baby.

Good.

Four.

And they all get, they get pushed to, uh, they get pushed to very far range.

All right.

So.

No, sorry, far range, far range.

The two guards that are sitting aside from the delegate are blown backward

up into the dangling tree and vine of the manor and get wrapped in it.

And you watch as they kind of look, ugh, they look dazed and near unconscious from the blast.

The delegate gets also knocked back, but then catches their hand on the ground and skids across the dirt, kind of three-point landing anime style.

Before standing up on the far, far back of the tree line and pulls their double-ended bladed staff out and says, Watch is this business?

Wait, wait, wait, wait.

He

don't hurt him.

You see, the other hand is reaching for a horn.

Oh, no.

What are we doing?

Are we fighting?

I don't know what's happening.

Vine shoots out.

Seedling.

Alright, so that's a...

Grabbing the horn.

Alright, so go ahead and market a stress.

Alright, let's see if he can make the roll on this.

That's a natural 17, unfortunately.

The vine attempts to wrap around the horn, but pulls it free and it snaps in the middle of the air, pulling the horn up to its left.

Listen, listen, listen.

Can I just just wait a second?

Obviously, he was surprised.

He doesn't know what's going on.

We're not here to make trouble.

I need you to make a presence,

okay?

Can I add my silver tongue experience?

You may.

Spend that hope, girl.

All right.

Come on.

Okay, okay, okay, okay.

Okay.

Oh, wait, no, wait, wait.

Hold on, I added that wrong number.

Can I burn a hope to help?

Unfortunately, I do that before the roll.

Okay.

Oh, God.

Okay.

Seven plus five is twelve.

Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen.

The figure looks at you.

As the horn rings out,

you begin to hear the sound of rustling armor in the distance and the rushing of many, many unseely soldiers towards the men.

I'm going to use premonition.

Oh, so soon.

I know.

In this moment, the armored soldiers rushing in, weapons drawn, the bloodshed that ensues, the chaos and destruction sinks away into the middle of Imogen's eye as a vision vision she had just a moment ago.

There we see

the delegate reaching back for the horn, and we're brought back to that moment in time.

And you have the opportunity now to make a different choice.

Just her or everybody?

But that is fenced.

Okay.

Wait, is it just her or everybody has the chance to?

It's just you.

Just you?

Okay.

That's cool.

So badass.

Okay.

Okay.

In that case, I'm going to try telekinesis.

Okay.

Go ahead and make a spellcast roll against the target.

Come on.

Can I

help?

You can.

How do you help her with this?

I would like to use one of my experiences.

She's very capable.

All right.

Well.

To add to this and just be like, do something.

I love you.

Please do something.

Please, please stop it, please.

That's all good.

So as in since you use experiences to help your roles,

but you can, you spend a hope to help somebody else and they just get to add a d6

Then I will do that

But we'll

flavor it as that

all right, so get to add a d6 to that role that was a crit

you so you're casting it on him or the horn the horn the horn is ripped out of the delegate's hand and it shh drifts over immediately and floats in the space around Awesome.

Yeah,

I'll loosen this grip.

The delegate stands there with its blade in its hand and kind of

look.

Do what you might, I am but one of many.

I'm here representing my lord.

I mean, that's practically permission.

Can we do what we like?

Can I look at Nanomori?

Like, I just kind of want to look at her.

Actually, can I look at her and then use my voice of dread to speak in her head Yes, sir.

And just be like,

Do you want us to kill these men?

Or would that be really bad?

Excuse me.

My dear, that would actually be quite bad.

Alright.

I have an arrangement with the Unsealie that's been unbroken for

well, years don't really mean much here in the Fay Realm.

So let's just...

Let's try and keep it civil and conversational.

There are laws and

contracts to discuss that go a bit stronger than just our words and conflict.

Okay, all right, all right.

So he just kind of turned to everybody.

We should keep it chilled, keep it calm.

The deli goes, could you please drop my soldiers?

Nanormori goes, but of course.

She puts her hand up and he watches the tree vines kind of lower.

The whole like canopy shifts until the soldiers kind of get dropped to the ground and they're just unconscious for the moment

the vines recoil back up into the tree and Animori sits and

sips

now

my third

they have a claim on you from birthright

well I didn't have any say in this That's the thing about birthright claims.

You were a bit young at the time.

Cool.

Cool!

But everybody here is about making deals, right?

Yes.

We don't want any conflict, we just want our friend.

Surely we can work something out.

May I ask, what what is...

What do you want?

The delicate goes.

You are birthright and blood property of the Unsili Court.

You are an entity in which much magical investment and power and potential has been granted.

And there is a number of visions, omens, oracles of our court have seen of your greatness under our banner.

And we wish to claim that potential together.

There is so much we could do.

That's stupid.

She's an adult.

What are you gonna do?

Agreed.

How are you the second most punchable face I've seen today?

This has been going so shit.

Nana goes,

I know it's difficult, Fern, but it's complicated.

Yes, but Nana Mori, you're like.

you're like the queen of deals in doing a little bloop bloop bloop on little strings like can't you do something she kind of leans to you and says

seminars are a little more powerful than i am

I'm just trying to keep things civil, or I'm in trouble.

So they're just going to take Fern from you?

No, they can't until we resolve.

Well,

let's see.

Fern, come here.

Alright.

She takes your hand and leads you over.

She reaches into a pouch and takes a bit of kind of gravelly silver dust and kind of scatters it around you almost like in a haphazard triangle.

As it hits the ground, color begins to shift upward, and you all watch as Fern's form seems to almost become colorful.

Like her aura begins to be given a prismatic look.

You can see within her like the dark greens and shadows of the

kind of dark fae influence from Morrigan.

And you can see the tethers of her spirit.

Her actual soul seems to have vines that grow and curl, that match that of the ligament manor.

But you can also see a portion of her soul and her spiritual aura that has a dark purple and black and seems to bear the

unique insignia magic of the unsealed court.

You can see the dullest of moonlight behind it and coloration that seems to almost reach and drift towards the delegate and its soldiers.

You also see a small fleck of icy blue that marks a shoulder where cold mist seems to filter off of it.

I try to blow it off.

It kind of curls away slightly,

but a good portion of the torso also burns a bright, fiery red, where flame and black coal seem to mix with a strange

infernal insignia burned into it.

And Anamori goes, My goodness, Fern.

You've let a few people take claim on your soul, haven't you?

I mean, I'm just, I'm really good at making friends.

So...

Oops.

Sponsors in the race car drive.

Delegate goes.

Delega goes.

We lay claim to her in completeness.

There is a section of her soul missing.

And you look over to where that icy bit is, and indeed there is a part of her soul that is gone.

It just has a frozen exterior.

Pirink.

And Nanamori goes, Fern, my dear,

where did that piece of your soul go?

Oh.

I think.

I'm pretty sure that part was

like a dread pirate situation.

And

I think...

I think you took a little bit of my soul.

She reaches up and kind of caresses your cheek for a minute and touches the center of your forehead and both your eyes and hers kind of glow white for a moment.

As she pulls her finger away she goes, oh interesting.

You're a naughty girlfriend.

She draws a finger in the air and it almost seems like turning an invisible doorknob and then plucks and as she does you watch as cold mist seems to billow out from her fingertips.

And you watch as a hand seems to reach out, grasp hers, skeletal and dark.

And she pulls from the very ether itself what looks to be a dwarven skeleton in captain's garb and hat,

squat,

thick with glowing yellow flames for eyes, platinum teeth, and a tattered captain's coat.

You all see before you the dread captain Urlu Novos

of the Crimson Abyss, who steps out and goes,

Ah,

to what

already a flirt.

I can see why you made a deal.

The captain swishes around.

Oh, familiar faces.

Were you like on her the whole time?

I'm confused.

Were you just like in my shoulder the whole time?

I was reading a book in the captain's quarters of my ghost ship, and a strange hand came out.

And I mean, if a strange hand appears, you take it.

Sure.

And argue that.

I agree.

Fern, your DMs are so stacked.

Should we have every hookup in a room soon?

This is a nightmare.

I love it.

The captain

steps forward to you, the leathers creaking, the sound of bones clattering as it steps and takes your hand, Fern.

You sweet, wonderful mistress.

Kisses your hand.

It freezes, leaving frost across your knuckles.

He steps forward and says, Your spark of heat has kept me warm many a night.

And you see, he pulls the coat open.

There's a tiny little flame that flickers in the rib cage.

Oh.

It's your shoulder.

Did you know that?

I.

Have you just been pulling double duty this whole time?

Fern, is this the kind of dude you're into?

I mean,

I'm into all of it, to be honest.

Okay.

I just never know when it's gonna hit me.

Oh, um,

what is going on?

Why is he here?

That is a good question.

Why am I here?

The delegates goes.

So, it appears that Miss Fern Zephuda

has

today.

I'm just correcting you because that's actually not my last name.

Fern

has promised elements of her soul, her immortal being,

to figures that are in breach of pre-existing contracts.

So you've been brought here to surrender your agreement.

So we might

bring this to a close.

What if I don't want to surrender the agreement?

You gonna let that happen, pirate captain?

Seriously?

The captain goes, Respectfully, whoever this individual is,

I decline.

Our agreement was fair and square,

and I rather enjoy this fragment of word on cold-haunted nights.

Besides,

my spirit endures under the binds of the Strife Emperor.

Will and word, so your fragment technically lies under the claim of the Strife Emperor.

And as such, under its protection.

The delegate goes, Really?

Who are you?

Just a warm body.

I mean, you better bring him here too.

Oh,

this is just contract law, the one shot.

I'm so excited.

I did a bad.

We were there.

He's only into your environment.

It's pretty cool.

The colors that still flow through, the Delia goes,

well, all right, contracts written.

There is superseded by initial birthright claim.

I think there are magics in specialists that could untangle this in our favor.

Fern, you'll have to come with us.

No,

don't trust him.

No.

Murray

watches Morrigan goes.

Actually, delegate,

there's still one other matter here to untangle.

And you watch as she kind of like flicks her finger in the direction of your flaming shoulder and it like

kind of sparks.

What is

what is this one, dear?

Hot boy, that's right.

Oh boy,

that's our pal

Tevon.

Is

he have something to say about this?

Probably.

You should bring him.

Would you like me to call him?

Mystery date number three.

He'll come whenever I call him.

Well, I figured now would be the time, dear.

I'm gonna kiss my the tattoo that is on my finger that he left.

As the kiss hits your hand, the room suddenly jumps about 20 degrees.

The light becomes more burnished red.

And behind you,

a fiery doorway suddenly burns itself in the center of the chamber.

You watch as one red-hoofed leg

is followed by a second one.

And now the kind of black robe-adorned, rippling, red-muscled form

of Tevin Klask

emerges.

Wings gently folded across his massive shoulders, his blade strapped across his back, his mane of black and gray hair and beard settled there, with his yellow eyes posted in as he steps forward.

Fern, my dear, tell me,

what is it you call me for?

Um, I want you to kill all of these people.

Take my friend.

Thank you.

Maybe, maybe that's not a good idea.

JK, JK.

He reaches back for his blade and you watch as the delegate puts a hand up and you see the faintest bit of a symbol beginning to appear that some of you may have recognized in previous encounters to be the beginnings of a banishment.

At which point, Nanomori puts her hand up and goes, Not in my house.

I just rearranged the furniture for proper feng shui, and it would take me hours to get it back to where it was.

Your guests of my home act like it.

The delegate puts its hand down.

Tevin puts his hand off the blade.

This is an unexpected gathering of friends.

What's the conversation here, my love?

Well,

okay, just to give you like the quick rundown.

Apparently, there's like a birthright situation with the unsealed court,

with me.

But I also have a kind of a little bit of a deal with you, a little bit of a deal with this guy over here.

And I guess it's just muddling the contract quite a bit.

The captain goes,

you made a deal with this devil.

Devil goes, No,

she made a deal with the devil.

You watch his horns flare, and between the horns, the symbol of the Lord of Hell's Osmodius flashes into black flame.

Soup's conflicted right now.

I mean, he's super cool, but that's not.

I can't be here right now.

I immediately sort of hide behind Dorian.

Captain Cole, me and Hot Boy, you guys have so much in common.

I'm so excited.

Yeah, I'm hiding behind Dorian's shirt.

And I'm looking back and go, What the fuck is happening?

I don't know.

I'm pretty sure this isn't even all of them.

Fern might have some more dudes in there.

Meanwhile,

Ladna is just making a couple of cocktails at the bar and she hands one off to Chetney.

Do you have any popcorn back there?

I think I do.

I'll be right back.

Shit is getting lit.

Oram whispers to Ash and to Imogen, Boulder parchment shears?

Is there like a five-symbol version of that?

Because it's going to get complicated.

If anyone can make it work, it's fern.

You think it's important to mention that I got in there first?

I genuinely think it is.

Yes, I kind of think you should.

You never forget.

I think you should.

Shedny, are you stepping up to make a claim?

Yes.

How do you do this, Chetney?

How would you like to claim this?

Yes.

I step up and I take out my wood chisel and I slice myself in the thigh and you start to see these wolf legs

just so I can get a little bit taller.

But normal Chet is up top.

And I say hello fine gentlemen

I Don't know how old you are, but I've been around since the beginning of time not really

And she never forgets her first

Was it the first

Really love the.

I mean,

you just kind of see the legs.

I'll take that drink back.

I'm going to spend a fear.

You hear the sound of soldiers beginning to gather on the outside of the Lingwood Manor.

They're not entering, but the place is now being heavily fortified from the outside as it seems like the Anseali's claim is being pressed unspoken.

You also watch

as Ninamori goes,

my dear, you also have back here.

Then she taps the back of your neck as a bit of the flame

of the elemental titan that sits within your spirit flickers up as well.

I was about to say that.

And the delegate goes, my goodness!

What?

The primordials also have a claim, don't they?

Oh, it's like that?

Well Fern

You do have some sayiness of all of these paths which would you yourself speak to lean my dear

my own

Am I am I not able to do that

the delegate goes

Your will is your own but these contracts are bound by ancient magic and will.

These are the binds that hold the world together.

And you belong to the unsealing.

You watch as the captain goes,

Well, I mean lonely if I can keep my spark, please.

Let him keep his spark.

Then Amori's like, Ah, ah, you see, but birthright or not, she belongs with us, with her true family, with her true family, but mainly me.

Uh

Tevin goes.

Well,

my will,

and as such is Ismodius's, our clan is marked with more than simple contract, but infernal right.

The Lord of the Hell's Dominion

offered soul.

It's unbreakable and all-consuming.

None can speak the cosmic law better than the devils of contractual agency.

Let them sort it out.

As Tevin grabs Fern from behind and pulls her into the portal, and they both...

What do I do?

Where are we supposed to be?

Do you want to try and resist his grasp?

Yes.

All right.

Yes, I will try.

I need you to make a strength action roll for me.

LOL!

Can I help?

I was going to say, I.

Yeah, I'm going to go.

Whenever you can help, if you'd like to.

I'm going to go to grab and pull.

Like, I'm going to make that jump to grab and pull.

So go ahead and mark a hope.

Yeah.

Add a D6 to her strength roll.

I'm going to spend a fear to use his infernal might experience.

I'm adding a plus six.

Adding a plus six to it.

Or plus D6.

Ashton's going to roll it.

I rolled it.

Can you roll it?

Yeah.

Five.

Okay.

Okay.

No.

That's awful.

That's real.

So,

I did roll with hope.

That's good.

Take it hope.

So we've got

five

minus one for strength, which takes me to four.

Plus five, which is nine.

Nine.

Nine.

Yeah.

Oh, never mind where the bells hell.

Never mind.

Check out.

Try as you might.

With hellish speed.

In a flash,

Fern Calloway is gone and the gateway shuts.

You stand in Ligament Manor with your friend in the center of this conversation.

Gone.

I scream out for Auram.

Well, it's happening.

That's the last thing you hear before it shuts.

Suddenly, the delegate goes, What is this outrage?

All the other guards start rushing in.

The captain's like, Well, that's not fair.

You're not supposed to take that.

What's the conversation to have?

Oh, quick, let's make a porno.

It worked before!

It can't hurt.

I mean, it can!

The argument begins to brim around here as Anna Mori puts her hand out and says, Fern is a big girl, and she can make her own choices and deal with her business.

This argument will be settled when she's plucked from her predicament.

I can

try and search where she is and open a gateway near there.

Can you all find her?

Stop them, bring her back.

Yeah.

Of course.

Stop them in time before bending their infernal law to supersede all existing laws.

Unfortunately, the forte of the devils.

And Chutney.

The room grows dark and you find yourself down a long, stretched hallway.

At the other side, the darkened shape of Nanomori slowly lumbers towards you.

And the voice echoing in your mind from all sides, threatening to shatter your skull from the inside, says,

You

are

mine, Chetney.

I've given you what you wished, and now you will save my charge.

If you fail, you will adorn my garden till the end of time.

You wanted this?

Fuck around.

Fuck around and find out.

Nana Mori, you chose wisely.

The vision collapses and she goes, that a boy.

He might just need a little help getting there.

I can handle that.

The delegate's like,

well, we'll wait outside.

We'll reach out to the

Potentiet,

and we'll bring the rest of our army to bear.

And if Fern has not returned within the next two Xandrian days,

we'll go after her ourself.

And Rory goes, Welcome.

I'll just keep making drinks then.

The rest of you...

Let's get to it.

She claps twice, like a clapper's built into her manner.

And you watch as that drifting kind of sense of aura that was still kind of remaining behind where Fern was, a bit of that flame spark seems to shift in space, almost like it's trying to find her.

And it's almost like watching a strange ethereal map of the planes kind of forming in space, like a strange electric sphere.

And as the flame finally flashes, like it found a point, it unravels.

And a smaller, kind of crackling, somewhat unstable doorway opens and she goes hurry hurry

wait i i i don't know if i should go with you i i i i sort of i made a deal with asmodius as well i don't want him that i broke and so i think that everyone down there will want me dead or you got a protection of another god with you now right the the traveler yeah that one

right

but

I've never seen him actually protect anyone or do anything useful at all.

I mean,

there's lots of dicks and graffiti, but I haven't actually seen

enough.

I believe in the dicks.

I mean,

I guess maybe this is a test of my faith, a test of my new faith in the traveler.

If I really believe I should let chaos reign,

I just don't.

I just don't want to hold you guys back, and

you only help us, Breyus.

Plus, we have your back.

Really?

I mean, yeah, as long as you don't slow us down.

All right, then follow me in,

and we will go get our fern back, god damn, well, not god,

uh, betrayer, damn it.

Something doesn't have a nice ring.

Anyway, do this and we'll go

as Nanomori says, Good luck in the wastes of Diabolos.

Before they go, Aurum arcs his sword out of the whole room and says, This isn't over by a long shot.

We'll settle this later.

You heard the woman, she said, No pickles.

Before I go through, I say,

I'm a demon hunter, a devil hunter.

Nanomori says.

Beyond the wastes of Diabolos lies the enclave of Infernal Edict.

That is likely where they're going to tangle her in this contract.

Go quickly.

I can't keep it open much longer.

Let's go, wait, go, go, go.

Wait, did anybody write down what Nanomori just said?

Infernal of Eternal Edict.

Diablo.

Sure.

Infernal Edict.

Dicks.

Got it.

You all leap through this portal.

And you thought was warm in the presence

of Tevin Class

is now an unbearable heat that surrounds you at all sides.

You see around you a torn and broken landscape of red stone crags, sharp shale and obsidian glass blades jutting from beneath.

Snaking flows of glowing orange rivers slip slowly through the landscape.

Their molten rock currently ominously pushing through this very hell.

The sky is a black clouded swirl that feels like a roiling thunderstorm without rain.

Bolts of bright red lightning

arc through at an uncomfortable consistency,

occasionally striking the blasted landscape.

And you begin to realize where these

pyres of obsidian glass come from.

As one strikes not but 400 feet away from you with a fk.

Welcome to the wastes of Diabolos.

I like the vibe.

Yeah, it's really cool.

I spent most of my adult life trying to get down here, and now I'm here, and

it's it's really cool

But no, no, we're the good guys, and we're here on it on a job.

Can anyone locate Fern or sense where she is or which direction to go?

Not me.

I can sense magical creatures around us, but

or I'm will bound up and leap onto the top of your head, Breyus,

and try to scan the horizon for anything that looks like what Nana Mori said.

Yeah, yeah, anything that stands out from the hellscape for us.

May I?

I don't know where I am in this yet.

But if they're following my path, can I leave little pellet poos for them to find?

Fern, I would love for you to.

So,

Fern, as Tevin has pulled you through, as you attempt to resist, the minute you touch down, you find

extremely heavy infernal chains wrap around and bind you tightly.

You're unable to even move enough of your arms to cast any magic.

And the attempt to transform into any sort of beast form to shuck them seems to be held at bay.

As Teven carries you under one arm and begins to charge in a direction and says,

Do Do not worry, my dear.

In due time,

you will be ours through and through.

It is so hot.

Could I just get like an ice water or something?

Whatever you want when this is done, Wolf.

Um, I just start putting that little poop out there.

You do?

Coming back to the rest of Bell's Hell's Aurum.

I would like for you to make an instinct roll

to seek out any sign of Fern in the path she might have taken.

All of us or just Auram?

John.

But I'm going to help him by boosting him a little higher and higher on my horns.

Yeah, go ahead and mark that hope.

So I'm going to spend a hope myself to use my experienced eyes and ears.

And of course, the Sentinel Shield aids in this as well.

Okay, oh, very low roll on the initial dice.

Very low roll on the Sentinel shield.

What about

your advantage?

Six.

Yeah, I'm getting there.

I'm getting there.

Then it's plus eight, gets me to 14, and here comes the advantage.

20 with the advantage, which was

so I'm like on one foot balancing on the top of your horn while you extend up on your doing calf raises for me.

Of course.

Are those little shits?

20 is what you needed.

You literally.

There was going to be a lot of wandering and some other things if you hadn't.

You see what looks like the tiniest little cocoa pebble.

Like a.

Like a cocoa puff, more likely.

A little cocoa pepper.

You rush up and you kind of grab it and then...

Oh, yeah, you know what that is.

No, no, no.

You're an expert tracker.

You have to smell it, taste it, figure out what it is.

Could be anything.

It's romantic!

It's growing on me.

Now, just so you know,

it's a loose one.

Wait, was that with hope or with fear?

That was with shit.

I think it was, I'm going to, let's just say fear.

I think it was fear.

So you get a fear, but I still get a hope because of my build.

Okay.

Well, that does tick down the

trekking to the enclave progress counter by one.

So it goes from a six to a five as you're working towards getting to the enclave.

So I will spend a fear that I just would have gotten from you.

As you begin to follow this trail, your mind begins to wander, Aurum.

And the very presence of this landscape begins to

cause you to remember things.

it's loud in hell.

What's going on down there?

Or

I need you to make an instinct reaction roll for me, please.

That is

14 with hope.

Okay, so no hope, you don't gain hope, it's a reaction roll.

Dang it.

That is a failure.

Which is good to know.

But I have a question about the game.

Yeah.

In my two wills, one mind feature, is that only for actions, or can I take that for a reaction role as well?

What does it say?

Is this action?

I was just hoping I could maybe

Laura Bailey, your way through this.

You know.

Yeah.

Okay.

Sorry,

the exaltant class hope feature will not help them in this scenario.

Um, all right, but so Aurum.

Doesn't hip-hop you can use.

I know.

Orum,

describe to me a past guilt that begins to creep into your mind.

A memory that you hope not

rear itself at this time.

I think of how much it hurt to watch Bordor die.

And

even though I knew sacrifices had to be made

to reach the road we walked,

I'll never forget the look on his face in those final moments.

The cost.

As you consider this guilt and this this memory, not wandering off track but kind of slowing your steps for a moment, I need you to mark a stress as it consumes your thought.

I'm going to spend another fear, because he failed to roll.

For Lightning of the Damned.

At this moment, the rest of you kind of look over towards Orm and see his pace slow.

And as his kind of focus comes back, you watch as his hair begins to stand up.

a bolt of red lightning strikes down and slams into the ground near you

repudiate okay i am lightning i'm gonna try to stop this spell and its effects yeah

okay

dorian are you doing something

you listen to me

You pulled me from a wonderfully smoky, beautifully fun tavern into hell.

And you're trying to electrocute my boyfriend.

Not a chance.

I'm going to try.

Let's give it a shot.

Go ahead, Mike.

So I can interrupt any magical effect actively taking place.

Cray, you have to roll to see higher than the deep in the difficulty of it.

Anything you want to add to that, or anybody want to help before that happens?

I'll help with my experience.

I remember your mom.

All right, so you.

You mark a hope to help your friend, flavoring it with the memory of whose mom in particular?

Aurums.

Incredible.

So add a D6 to that role.

Come out.

Gonna need it.

13.

16.

Plus the 6?

Yes.

You add your spellcast modifier to it, I mean?

Yes.

Oh, man.

Unfortunately, as you try to capture this lightning in time, the hellish bolt is too quick, and your reputation

just glances off of its flash.

Aurum, I need you to make an agility reaction, please.

Which, because of my Zephyr armor, I do at advantage.

You do?

Aren't you on top of Breyus right now?

I sure am.

How's it going up there?

You do have gray on the back and bottom of your hooves, right?

Make an agility reaction roll.

23 with hope.

You don't get a hope in that

reaction.

Mine's a 19.

Okay, both of you succeed, so you both only take six points of magic damage.

And you don't have to mark an armor slot.

So that just fizzles, for me, this fizzles out on the armor.

It does not even make it through.

So it's one armor?

Well, okay, so,

meaning because you succeeded, it would have otherwise just marked an armor slot automatically.

Now you just take six points magic damage, which means you take one hit point unless you spend an armor slot to really spend the armor.

You go.

The rest of you watch as this bolt of lightning strikes down, slamming next to both Orm and Braus.

You both dodge out of the way, just sometimes just catch some of the electrical field, and you can smell kind of that sulfurous ozone combination in the air as lightning still arcs the sky above.

This is a dangerous space to traverse.

Orm pulls himself up on top of Braus's head and looks like the little kid from Jurassic Park.

Watch your step, everybody.

Seeing how

glassy-eyed and bummed he looks, I'll just sort of reach up and pat him on the side there and say, Hey, hey,

I know it's already tough, but we're going to find her.

She's going to be okay.

And I will use

lean on me.

You're literally leaning on me.

When you fail in action, I can console you and you'll clear to stress.

Travel on, traveler.

Alright.

So, following this path of Cocoa Puffs,

through the hellscape, you come upon what looks to be a river of slow-moving lava.

It is burning through and is about 20-30 feet across in places.

How do you traverse it?

Good.

A lava river?

Yeah.

I can fly, y'all.

Yeah, we already did that.

Yeah, well.

Can't just do it again.

Unless somebody's got a banffin power.

How far?

You said how far across?

About 20, 30 foot places.

Like, you can try and find, I'll say the shortest distance you can find is 20 feet.

I flea jump across, spending stress.

All right, you watch the orange just

to the other side.

Good for you.

It's super easy.

I'll take that ride.

All right, I'm gonna

fly.

I'm gonna try to fly.

Okay, go ahead and roll for fly.

Okay, that is.

Oh, that's good uh 20 20 with hope with hope take that hope that is going to mark the progress meter down two

is that a good thing or a bad thing it's a good thing okay we've this is your travel towards fern all right

i'm gonna go one by one and fly them across the lava river except for brace i have to make an agility

no because there's no immediate like wind

thrashing you at all sides so with that cast you're able to shepherd and ferry the rest of your troop across this field.

Pushing on further through the wastes of Diabolos,

you can see this mountainscape that gets closer and closer.

And you see large dark spires that rise up throughout.

There is

a small stronghold or city on the horizon that marks kind of close to the direction of where this kind of path of

little nuggets

continues to lead you.

But you also see the shape of winged entities

cycling above.

Dozens.

You're uncertain the size at this distance, but there are many sentinels that are watching from above.

And you figure any further travel has the opportunity to be spotted.

Is there anything about the geography that would help us sneak by?

There are a number of rock outcroppings and large obelisks that have pushed up naturally from the ground, as well as occasional like carved stone obelisks that rise 12-15 feet in the air with all manner of infernal sigils in them.

I mean, I guess we could try and kind of shatter the shadow, hop along.

I'm alright with that.

If we stick to the shadows, I might be able to do something to help us a little bit.

Okay.

Do you want to lead a stealth group role?

Yes.

I will use...

Can I add my shadow manipulator ability to make everything a little bit darker, a little bit grimy?

Kind of take a shadow

as we jump and add that role.

Yeah, so you could spend a hope and add that to the

role.

But before we get to your role, I'd like everyone else to make a finesse role, or maybe a finesse reaction role.

So no hope or fear gained on this one.

Alright,

imagine 14.

14.

Okay, it's minus 1.

9.

Minus 2.

24.

24.

Minus 1.

24.

24?

I'm sorry, actually.

Sorry, I'm counting them around as the 24.

Actually, I got that.

No, 24.

I'm wrong.

A critical for 24.

Phenomenal.

We're at a zero zero on that.

Dorian?

13.

It's a minus 1?

11.

Alright, so.

Okay.

Latna, it's a minus 2 on your final roll.

Minus 2 on your final, okay.

As the group is darting and rushing from shadowed corner to rock outcropping to small dip and kind of passable crevasse.

Okay.

I would like to, so I'm going to do my shadow manipulator, but can I also spend a point of favor to add a little bit of Delilah's essence and use my shadow sphere of influence?

Yes, you may.

Alright.

So that's going to add plus six

to this role with a minus two.

So

can I

hope to give her advantage?

You're part of the group role in this one, so you're already kind of

done.

So

you, as you pull that essence from within, you all watch as the center of Laudana's rib cage seems to glow from within, this purple pulse, and you hear this faintest cry, this...

Shut

as you pluck power from your currently caged patron.

Did you eat a burrito before?

It's that cheeky treak I heard it.

Oh, that's right.

All right.

All right, it's gonna be this plus four.

Come on, come on, mother.

All right,

um, that's gonna be 13.

That's gonna be 13

with fear.

See, now this could be a time that you could use your premonition.

Your two wills, one mind.

Two wheels, one mind.

Just reminding you, is your mind?

I already used two wheels, one mind.

What does it do to you?

I was like, I already used premonition, Matt.

Okay, two wheels, one mind.

I'm gonna spend three hope.

And I'm gonna make a roll in addition to you.

And if I roll better, then we can use that one instead.

Okay.

No.

Wait, what did you roll?

13?

Yes.

Does she get to add all the bonuses that I have with the shadow stuff?

Can I add a prayer dice to her roll?

Can we throw everything we have?

I have a small wash pan.

I can't add anything to that.

Like a kitchen dish.

I rolled a

13.

Oh, but that's kind of romantic.

It's gotta be a little bit of a mess.

You know what?

No,

no, no.

Together, me and you, we made a a crit.

That's right.

You girl failed together.

Oh, that's true.

Can I use my girl fail experience?

Oh, no, but I could use my tether.

My tether experience.

Gotta use it before the rule.

Fucking hell.

Yeah, we are in fucking hell.

It was a good try.

It was a good try.

But it's a dangerous landscape.

As you dart between these spaces.

You see one heavy shadow behind one of these large sculpted black obelisks with these devilish runes along the side.

And as you rush out in the open behind it, the sigils begin to light up.

And a column of fire

begins to surround it.

Everyone in the group takes 12 points of magic damage.

As magical hellfire engulfs your troop.

Okay, I'm gonna burn in armor for that.

Me too.

I take it.

I'm gonna use a shrug it off, and I'm gonna mark a stress and then

make it go away.

You take no damage, actually, because you know.

Hellfire be damned.

You're a being of rock and fire at this point.

Rock.

Now,

as you all begin to shake off this column of hellfire, you hear the shrieking sounds of airborne devils that have caught glance of this triggered glyph and begin to head your direction.

What do you do?

Uh-oh.

Uh

run!

Is there a super hot or are we running?

Yes, can we run?

You can.

This would be a group agility roller.

Who wants to helm the run here?

Oh boy.

Use the experience.

I remember your dad.

Well, first off, who's helming this?

Who?

The run.

The run.

I'm flying, so I could, you know, kind of lead.

Sure, all right.

You want to start?

You want to helm this?

All right.

So you're the leader of this group role.

I need everybody to make agility reaction rolls.

Oh, man.

Oh, this is the fun stuff.

What the heck?

I rolled the same damn thing.

All right, Breyus.

13.

Minus one.

11.

Minus two.

Eight.

Minus three.

Twenty-two.

Okay.

Minus two.

Eighteen.

Minus one.

Eighteen.

Zero.

Alright, so Imogen, just is a straight roll for you with agility.

Alright.

Alright.

I'm really trying to work my way to work this experience in.

Can I use my God Eater experience?

Listen.

Here's my...

Get it.

Get it.

Because I've seen worse

I've seen worse than this.

I'm not intimidated by it.

I'm keeping my cool.

I love that, yeah.

You've you've become bound and a host to the devourer of the pantheon.

What's a little hellscape sprint?

Yeah, go for it, spend that hope, and add that bonus.

All right, all right, all right, all right, all right.

My little soda, pop

11 plus four is fifteen, plus 3 is 18

with hope.

18 is the difficulty of this environment.

So gain that hope, and

that is a success with hope, which brings the counter to one.

You are on the cusp of arriving.

The devils are giving chase, but you are faster than they can be.

And as you begin to still use the landscape to your advantage, you're not fully hidden, but they get scattered a bit before you go on to your next sprint.

And using Imogen's guidance, you also kind of have this field between Laudana's shadow and her psychic imagery, almost like casting nearby illusions instinctually by your presence.

It seems that sight almost seems to glance off your movement at places.

And you begin to see some of these large winding towers and chain-wrapped structures that mark the Enclave's approach.

But you do not see fern yet in sight.

And it is a large number of structures.

At this point, the pellet trail has gone cold.

Literally.

It would seem really

insane.

I like trying things that are insane.

I am going, I want to try

a meditative prayer to Commort,

since there is a, the Primordials do have a claim.

to

show us the way to

save one of their own, and I would like to spend a hope to use one of my experiences.

You in particular, Fern.

All right.

Here, I'll let you pick for this.

Which of the traits do you feel best represents how you're connecting with your shard of a primal type?

Honestly, instinct.

I'll allow that.

All right, so burning a hope.

It's cool that all of you are jumping to help here.

I'll give you a.

We did a lot, Talison.

I'll give you a prayer dice for this.

You get a plus two.

Woo!

Thank you very much.

See?

See?

The new guy's helping.

Wait to show up.

I'm rolling the damn dice.

I'm rolling the damn dice.

Can you also get help before you...

Too late.

It's too late?

Too late.

I just rolled the dice rolled.

I just rolled the dice.

Everyone had tons of time.

7, 8, 9, 10.

15 with hope.

Unfortunately, that does not mean the difficulty.

You gain a hope.

Yeah.

Did you add in the prayer die?

Is that adding the prayer die?

Yeah.

Are we looking at...

You said we're looking at several structures and we're not sure.

Correct.

There is.

It looks like a bunch of towers and stronghold buildings made of dark stone and black obsidian, polished and carved, are all built into and around this mountainscape.

And you know this was the direction that was being traveled, just the trail ran cold.

As you sit there and focus and try and gain connection with this spark within you, this spark within Fern, and hope that that could be a beacon of direction and path.

The rest of you watch

as the sky above begins to glow.

I'm going to spend a fear.

Shit.

And a bolt.

Slams into the ground where you are, Ash.

Now I need you to make an agility reaction roll for me, please.

okay

that's a

that's 15 unfortunately that is a failure really okay you take 18 points of magic damage and I need you to mark an armor slot for me I'll take that armor slot and

take

one hit point

but I'm gonna use that to

clear a stress so you know all's cool all right all right that marks one HP this is going great no no If we're gonna,

if I'm really gonna have faith in the traveler, he's gotta have faith in me too.

I'm gonna spend three hope and cast divination

to

seek out the guidance of the traveler.

I'm going to quickly scroll

on the ground

a dick.

onto like a rock or something.

Now mind you, you're a very talented artist.

This This isn't just a simple scrawling.

There's cross-hatching.

Yeah.

There's a visible vein.

It's

a different stiff thing.

Yeah, stiffling where you sort of do this and give it some extra shape.

Tap the brush, tap the brush.

And a little green for the traveler, too.

I love that.

All right.

And it's on a rock.

Yeah, it's a green dick.

Don't be a child, Travis.

You've never seen a green dick before.

You're Ford.

I have.

That's a surprising number of green dicks in this group, actually.

Okay.

I'm going to cast divination and reach out to the traveler and ask him for guidance to point us in the right direction using the means that he knows best.

So, this Wang.

As you finish this amazing rock phallus,

what is the phrase you use to call out to the Traveler for aid?

What do you say?

Traveler,

I've known only evil my whole life,

but now I'm ready for a new path, one of trickery and chaos.

Traveler, I beseech you to guide my rod

in the truest direction

to find what it wants most.

Fern.

As you point in a direction like that,

two green-robed arms appear on the outside of yours,

almost like

the clay seen in Ghost.

And just helps guide your hands down to this rock.

And a voice whispered into your ear says,

Oh, sweet boy, all you had to do was ask.

I believe she's somewhere around that way.

And you see, like, you move the rock poof to point a certain direction, you look up, and you see, like, a little fiery flare and a little purple flecking light in the distance.

Just a short jaunt away, just over a hill.

I'll pick it up like a divining rod and I'll let it guide me there.

Follow me, everyone.

He's on to something.

Good luck, hornboy.

You turn around to see what figure that was, and there's nothing present.

He is real.

Follow me, everyone.

I've got an incline.

Oh, man, rock out with your cock out.

It's not that hard.

As you all begin to rush, the sound of those shrieking devils getting closer and closer, you head over that hill and down into almost like a courtyard on the outside of this winding tower.

You see around it rising bits of rock and bits of black stone that spill out bursts of molten rock.

Seem to emerge and break through the ground and spaces.

As the rock rises upward, almost like carved steps and large red spikes, you can see at the very top this purple glow that seems to fill the face of a black-crowned devil that is holding a long scroll and reading aloud.

You see the purple glow from the scroll itself.

And you see next to it on the tower, arms crossed, this Tevin,

kind of looking down

on the ground at the base of this area, a massive devilish gate with other obsidian pillars chained to it in the sides.

And down in the front of this courtyard, kind of keeping guard, are two gargantuan devils.

You see one is feral and beast-like.

You see it carries a massive, terrifying hooked axe and itself a long, gnarled snout with sharp teeth and a massive mane.

The other

you see clad in devilish spike armor, thinner but with large wide wings, curled horns, multiple eyes across its face and snarling teeth that drip a black saliva.

It carries with it a large red burning lash, a whip that looks like it could be easily 40, 50, 60 feet long as it kind of curls in the ground and they both look on the horizon and see you approach.

For there in the center of this courtyard, you see standing Fern Calloway.

Devilish chains wrapped around her, pinning her to the ground.

Fern, you are brought here, and these devil guards were set up to keep watch over your judgment as they begin to comb through your choices,

through your

agreements,

your infractions,

and what could be a balance of them weaving through infernal law.

to take claim on your soul combined with how much sin from the hells you might carry.

And that's what we'll return after our break.

Hang tight for a few minutes.

We'll see you guys shortly.

That's a wrap for part one of this podcast episode.

Part two will end here this upcoming Tuesday at 5 a.m.

Pacific, and we'll pick up the story right where we left off.

We'll see you soon, and thank you for listening.

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