Transcript:Omens Above

List of Transcripts

Pre-Show
MATT: Hello, everyone, and welcome to tonight's episode of Critical Role where a bunch of us nerdy-ass voice actors sit around and play Dragons & Dragons.

ALL: We play Dungeons & Dragons!

MATT: Biff the timing on the intro. (laughter)

MATT: But yes, welcome. Before we get into our episode tonight we do have some announcements to get through beginning with our sponsor for tonight, which is not on this list here.

SAM: Thorum.

MATT: Thorum! There we go. I found it, Thorum, Sam, go ahead and take it away.

SAM: Tonight's sponsor is Thorum, T-H-O-R-U-M, makers of unique wedding bands, handcrafted out of everything from meteorite to whiskey barrel, all true. (oohing)

SAM: Right? Made right here in the USA, Thorum has been making rings for 10 years and takes pride in their amazing customer service, quality, and original designs. Each purchase includes a free silicone-- Oh, I don't have them. A free silicone activity band and a wooden ring box. This is not wooden or a ring box. And they make the process easy by offering ring sizers--

LAURA: Ooh!

SAM: So you can size yourself at home.

LAURA: You can also wear them as rings.

SAM: Yep. Sure.

LAURA: Because they're so fancy.

SAM: So, whether you need a wedding ring, anniversary ring, or a ring that just looks awesome, head over to thorum.com and use promo code Criticalrole. There's a lot of talking over here, but it's okay, I'm going to focus. Use code Criticalrole to get 20% off a truly unique ring. They are unique, but they're also romantic. Now, one of the most romantic stories I've ever heard is how Travis proposed to Laura back in 2010. Now, our audience might not be familiar with the story, so tonight we're going to share it using Thorum rings as featured props. Now, Travis and Laura get embarrassed about their lovey-doveyness, so for this dramatization, Liam and Ashley will be playing the soon-to-be Willinghams.

TRAVIS: No!

SAM: To set the--

LAURA: This is why you wouldn't let us see the copy!

SAM: Yes. (laughter)

SAM: To set the stage, the year is 2010 and Laura and Travis have just gone on a spectacular date.

ASHLEY: Hoo doggy, Laura, a double feature of "Jonah Hex"--

TRAVIS: Are you me?!

ASHLEY: And M. Night Shyamalan's "The Last Airbender." What a rootin' tootin' night at the movies. (laughter)

LIAM: This date has been perfect, Travis.

TRAVIS: Oh my god.

LIAM: Book shopping at Borders, dinner at Ruby Tuesdays, and thanks for picking up--

LAURA: Ruby Tuesdays!

LIAM: -- that charger at RadioShack. (laughter)

LIAM: I wanted to take a self photo of us to remember this amazing night. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Ooh! Whoa, is that an Apple iPad?

LIAM: Uh-huh, first of its kind, say cheese! Click.

SAM: It's 2010, guys. Okay.

TRAVIS: We didn't have those in the day.

LIAM: Oh, I wish I could apply some sort of filter to this picture and instantly share it on social media, but unfortunately, no such instant photo sharing site exists. (laughter)

MATT: Unfortunate?

ASHLEY: You know, Button Butt, which is my actual pet name for you, we're both like 22 now, and... And I love you so hard. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Have you ever thought about our future?

LIAM: Sure, Spanky Pants, which is my legitimate pet name for you, I have dreams. My agent just sent an audition for something called "The Last of Us," and thinks I've got a real shot at the lead role, Ellie. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Ooh! And I totally nailed my audition for Joel, but I'm not talking career goals. Lord knows I'm not a business-savvy man.

LIAM: Oh! What an understatement. You, Travis Willingham, making business decisions? Ridiculous!

ASHLEY: Ha ha ha.

LIAM: You're an actor, not a CEO! (laughter)

ASHLEY and LIAM: Ha ha ha.

ASHLEY: Babe, I'm talking about more serious stuff. I was watching my favorite brand new TV show, "Glee," and I realized I don't ever want to stop believing in our relationship, Pinky Pie.

TRAVIS: Am I like that? (laughter)

LIAM: Oh, Pookie Lamb, I feel the same way.

ASHLEY: Oh...

SAM: Where is it, where is it? The ring!

ASHLEY: That's why, with this custom-made, Thorin wedding band, I'd like to ask you--

SAM: Thorum.

ASHLEY: To be my gol'durn wife.

LAURA: Thorum. Thorum wedding band.

ASHLEY: What'd I say?

SAM: Thorin. It was in the prompter wrong.

ASHLEY: Sorry, I'm thinking Thorin Oakenshield,

SAM: No, I wrote it wrong.

ASHLEY: It's my bad.

LIAM: Pretend to cry!

ASHLEY: (sobbing)

LIAM: Travis Ashley Parker Angel Willingham, are you sobbing like a bebe?

ASHLEY: Yes, I am. I cry every time I'm with you because I'm so in touch with my feelings!

LIAM: You're such a sensitive soft boy, and I love you.

ASHLEY: So, you're saying?

LIAM: Yes, Travis, yes, I will marry you, a thousand times yes! Just as long as you promise we won't do any nerdy stuff ever. (laughter)

ASHLEY: That is a promise. Yee-haw! (laughter)

LIAM: And scene.

SAM: Yes! That's how it went down. 100% accurate. So, go to thorum.com and use promo code CRITICALROLE to get 20% off a ring for your romantic occasions. Matt, back to you.

TRAVIS: Oh.

MARISHA: Wow.

MATT: Oh my goodness.

ASHLEY: I have "Hobbit" on the brain, I'm sorry. (laughter)

TRAVIS: I liked it.

MATT: Yeah, yeah, you know? That was a beautiful rendition, well done, everyone.

ASHLEY: They're smooshy.

LIAM: That's the part I've always wanted to play.

SAM: It's true.

MATT: Well, now you get a second part, because, Liam, you got announcements.

LIAM: Oh my gosh, so much comic book stuff. We have so much comic book stuff going on. It makes me so happy. The final issue of The Tales of Exandria: The Bright Queen with Dark Horse Comics is available right now. (cheering) The collected version of the four-issue series is also available for pre-order and is expected to release later this year. It is freaking gorgeous. For the most up-to-date information on our comic book releases, check out critrole.com/darkhorseguide

MATT: Perfect. Laura.

LIAM: Boy, the way guide broke in half in between lines.

LAURA: I totally thought we'd be moving back to our seats for this, so I'm just going to... Okay, you guys.

TRAVIS: You're one chair over.

LAURA: Still, I-- okay.

MARISHA: Broke everything.

TALIESIN: It's not like an area code change.

LAURA: I'm usually really good at this and it's just throwing my vibe completely off.

LIAM: I think they still think I'm Laura.

LAURA: Okay. So, okay. So what we have right now are these Beaurebar coasters and bottle openers! (cheering)

MATT: That's actually pretty awesome.

LAURA: For your complete Tiki bar set goodness, hold on.

SAM: Is that a fist?

LAURA: It's a fist bottle opener! So it's like Beau's opening your bottle, pop pop! It even says pop pop.

MARISHA: Oh my god.

LAURA: You want to hold it?

MATT: Bob bob.

SAM: That's really great.

LAURA: Bob bob. Then these coasters, which are also super awesome.

TRAVIS: I love the volcano on it.

LIAM: If you could get it open.

LAURA: I really should've opened this stuff before the episode.

MARISHA: Does this have a magnet in it?

LAURA: Yeah, oh, and it's a magnet so you could stick it on your fridge!

TRAVIS: Dope!

SAM: Clutch.

LAURA: Then look at these awesome coasters!

LIAM: They're so cool.

ASHLEY: Whoa!

MARISHA: Yeah!

SAM: Those are thick!

TALIESIN: Goddamn.

LAURA: Yeah, they're good.

SAM: Those are thick-ass coasters.

LAURA: So use them for your bar, use them for your house.

MATT: Those coasters are thicc.

LAURA: Anyway, they're available in our stores. Then the other thing we have, look out.

LIAM: Ah!

LAURA: We have new--

TRAVIS: Stop reaching in other people's cubbies.

LAURA: New dice sets!

TALIESIN: Whoa!

MARISHA: Oh shit.

LAURA: We have the finishing of the Vox Machina dice sets so we have a Taryon Darrington set.

TRAVIS: Of course it's gold. Oh! Look at the inside!

LAURA: Yeah, the inside, they're all beautiful.

SAM: Love it.

LAURA: Here you go.

LIAM: It's a little gold Doty d20.

LAURA: Then we've got Caduceus and Molly dice sets.

TALIESIN: (like Caduceus) Oh, that's great.

ASHLEY: Oh my goodness. (oohing)

LAURA: Oh no, oh no!

TALIESIN: Wow, too real, thank you.

LIAM: Those are deep grape.

LAURA: These look so beautiful, they're like little crystals!

ASHLEY: Oh my goodness.

LAURA: There's those and we have these, oh my gosh, Ashley, look at these! These are Yasha dice sets. Look at those.

ASHLEY: Yeah!

LAURA: They're freaking gorgeous.

ASHLEY: Oh, I love them so much!

LAURA: So anyway, they're available, in what stores?

ASHLEY: These moody dice.

TRAVIS: Emoji.

LAURA: I'm not sure.

SAM: Go to the various stores.

LAURA: But go to--

TALIESIN: Stores.

LAURA: -- shop.critrole.com.

SAM: You'd better know the URL.

LAURA: And check it out. I think that's everything.

SAM: Great.

MATT: Thank you.

ASHLEY: Wow, rolls well.

MARISHA: They look like they could murder somebody.

MATT: (sighs)

ASHLEY: Yeah.

MATT: Well-oiled machines, every one of us.

TALIESIN: Every time.

MATT: I believe that concludes our announcements so let's go to jump into tonight's episode of Critical Role.

♪ Critical ♪ ♪ Critical ♪ ♪ It's Thursday ♪ ♪ It's Thursday night! ♪

ASHLEY: ♪ One-by-one, we climb until we reach the top. ♪ ♪ Two-by-two, we fall. ♪

LAURA: ♪ Will we meet our end or meet our destiny? ♪ ♪ Hold your breath and roll! ♪

MATT: How do you want to do this?

ALL: ♪ It's Thursday night ♪ ♪ All ye Critters, come join us ♪ ♪ It's time to continue our plight ♪ ♪ There is magic and mystery ♪ ♪ Who knows what will happen? ♪ ♪ He might! ♪ ♪ But one thing's for sure, ♪ ♪ We never give up on the fight! ♪

TRAVIS: ♪ From the healer ♪

LIAM: ♪ To the renegade ♪

MATT: ♪ We all share the same goal ♪

MATT and TALIESIN: ♪ Adding more allies ♪ ♪ Taking more chances ♪

SAM: ♪ Hold your breath and roll ♪

MARISHA: You can certainly try.

ALL: ♪ It's Thursday night ♪ ♪ All ye Critters, come join us ♪ ♪ It's time to continue our plight ♪ ♪ It's Thursday night. ♪ ♪ 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, ♪ ♪ Get ready, ♪ ♪ It's Thursday night! ♪

(flames whooshing)

Part I
MATT: And welcome back. So last we left off. Bells Hells had made their trek northward from the large city of Jrusar to handle a couple of elements. One, following a thread of the unfortunate murder of the Lumas twins that seem to have a connection to Orym's initial goal in coming to Marquet, as well as following up on a thread from Jiana Hexum to perhaps help some of Ashton's historical baggage. Upon making your way northward for a number of days, you had some interesting encounters, some dangerous encounters, and eventually came to the town of Heartmoor Hamlet. Here you began to wander about, take in the atmosphere that you had found yourself, went ahead and got rooms situated, had your horses taken care of for the week. Went ahead and went towards the estate that is known as the Twilight Mirror Museum. Met the glorious Mr. Evon Hytroga, Met the glorious Mr. Evon Hytroga, and announced yourselves as one of the two chosen groups of this unique barter, this odd... The word for some reason, my brain totally--

TALIESIN: Contest.

MATT: Thank, yes, wow.

TALIESIN: You're welcome.

MATT: Thank you.

TALIESIN: That's the only word I had.

MATT: That works. No, this particular attempted burglary that you've been asked to do. You've been told to return at midnight the following day as soon as the other team arrives that have been chosen by one of the other competitive interests, the Mistress Isha Sabanis. After making this conversation, you began to wander back to the town heading over towards the Blue Herald's Hill where you knock on the door of the last known individual to have been with the Lumas twins when they were slain. An individual called Estani. You knock on the door and Estani greeted you there, an elderly orc fellow, orc-elf lineage, who seemed to smile and greet you warmly who seemed to smile and greet you warmly as he invited you within his abode. As you all began to look around and step through the threshold, seeing the mostly moss-taken townscape around you, this building itself, very much being reclaimed by the elements other than the one piercing, metallic device that is prodding through the roof. A unique-looking telescope that itself is pushing from beyond the back end of the building. You step through the front door into the warm interior. On the inside of this, you can already make out the piles and piles of books that are gathered along the ground. A number of boxes and satchels that have been left in disarray, all intentionally placed in their own unique, intentional chaos. But this modest homestead itself seems to carry a comfortable atmosphere, if a little scattered. But as you all step within, Estani closes the door behind and looks over at the rest of you. "Well, if you are here to talk for a bit, would you like a snack or a drink of some kind?"

ASHLEY: Yes.

MARISHA: Lovely, yes.

TALIESIN: What do you have to drink? Yeah.

MATT: "Water, tea."

TALIESIN: Tea?

LIAM: I'll have tea.

TALIESIN: Tea, tea.

MATT: "A little lime juice."

ASHLEY: Ooh.

TALIESIN: Dealer's choice.

ASHLEY: Surprise us.

MATT: "Lime juice." He walks away and heads into a small--

SAM: He surprised us.

ASHLEY: All right. I'll give it a try.

TALIESIN: It's just a lime in a--

MATT: Wanders off to the side kitchen for a bit and you hear some rummaging and a cabinet open and slam shut. He's gathering his things but you all have a brief moment to check in quietly with each other before he returns.

SAM: What are we doing here again?

LIAM: Well, we're looking for answers. A few of us. Two or three.

LAURA: You know the Lumas twins?

SAM: Yes.

LAURA: Yeah, he was the last person that saw them alive, potentially.

SAM: That's right, okay. Yes. I know this, of course.

MARISHA: He knows that Oshad Breshio fellow that Orym spoke with.

SAM: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

ASHLEY: Also--

SAM: The Anger.

MARISHA: Yes.

ASHLEY: Possibly about your mom?

LAURA: Yeah, so the Lumas twins had, god, you remember that book that I was looking at at the Starpoint Conservatory? I know the name of the place.

SAM: The Starlight Academy?

LAURA: Yeah.

LIAM: Express.

LAURA: The pages had been ripped out. Well, it turns out the Lumas twins were the last people that checked the books out. So potentially he might have their notes and therefore the pages. It's a stretch, but--

SAM: No, you've got to go for it.

LAURA: There's a possibility.

MARISHA: It's just all strange because if they had something to do with this celestial something or another, that maybe your mother was involved with?

LAURA: I don't know, how is it all connected? Why does my mother have anything to do with the things that you're looking up?

LIAM: I wouldn't think they would. I don't know, it feels like we're all grasping at straws here. But I don't know.

MARISHA: Sure.

LIAM: Maybe lime juice will bring answers.

MATT: Bit of a bump into the side, you see the small tray that he's holding itself almost tips for a second before he (yelps, sighs) "Here we go," and he sets down the tray and you can see a cluster of modest mugs that are gathered on one side of this tray. The other has these somewhat, almost like a matching, mossy-green coloration biscuits on them. First glance, you're worried maybe they've been out too long and mold's taken them, but even at a quick glance, you look and the coloration is intentional and they do appear to be fresh. The cups themselves, you can see a little bit of steam rising off them in the moist air, you're like, "Oh." Not entirely certain what this is, but at least it looks warm and comforting.

SAM: Okay.

MATT: "Please, find a-- If you can find a stool, you are welcome to sit."

LIAM: Thank for letting us in your home.

MATT: "Of course, of course." Sits down and takes one of the mugs and warms his hands on it for a second before sipping.

LAURA: I'm going to stand at the side.

TALIESIN: My hammer's a seat.

TRAVIS: Is that warm lime juice?

MARISHA: I don't know, I'm going to try it. Is it?

LIAM: Hopefully it's the tea.

MARISHA: Is it a hot toddy but with lime?

MATT: Without the toddy part, it is hot and it is lime.

TRAVIS: (groans)

MARISHA: Just hot water--

MARISHA and LAURA: And lime juice?

MATT: Yes, yeah.

LAURA: Or no water, is it just lime juice?

SAM: Hot lime?

MATT: It's probably equal parts. (laughter)

MARISHA: Does this person still have enamel on his teeth?

MATT: You haven't looked.

LAURA: I don't know, it sounds kind of good.

TRAVIS: Gross.

ASHLEY: I would have it, yeah.

MARISHA: I pass one to Fearne.

ASHLEY: Oh, thank you so much.

MARISHA: I haven't tried the biscuit yet.

ASHLEY: Yeah, we'll get to that.

LAURA: Maybe it's lime biscuits.

SAM: Oh god.

MATT: It's got a real sour kick--

ASHLEY: Ooh!

MATT: -- to it, yeah. It definitely hits you. Burns the surface of the tongue, but it wakes you up, most certainly.

TALIESIN: Biscuit?

LAURA: Those will clear you out.

MATT: The biscuits are very dry, they're very sweet. You, trying them after the lime juice, you find that that's where their unique mixture hits. The direct sourness of the drink mixed with the dryness and the sweetness of the biscuit creates this almost tang when combined--

LAURA: Like lemonade.

MATT: It's surprisingly delicious when you combine the two.

TALIESIN: My tongue is numb.

MARISHA: Take a sip of tea.

TALIESIN: Thank you. That--

MARISHA: Shouldn't be that good, honestly.

TALIESIN: That's weird.

LIAM: Well, sir--

MATT: "It's a bit unorthodox, I'm sure."

LAURA: Thank you for your hospitality.

MATT: "Of course, of course."

LIAM: We've come quite a ways. All of us were working in Jrusar before coming here together. We're here for a few reasons, but the place we'd like to start is we're looking into, unfortunately, the death of two siblings from House Lumas back in Jrusar.

MATT: "I had a feeling. (sighs) Probably had some connection to it. Not much else folks visit me these days since they're gone, and... There was a purpose to your eyes that made me believe that there was likely a connection. What can I help with? What would you like to know?"

LIAM: Well, I've spoken a bit with Oshad Breshio.

MATT: "Mm."

LIAM: Back in the city. He suggested that you might know more than he. The twins were killed here. Do I have that correct?

MATT: "Not far from here, yes. (sighs) We were having a walk and talk through the Herald's Hill Garden, not far from here. It's a place we usually wanted to just have open discussions whenever they visited. Well, it was just so sudden. It was three-three attackers, dressed in black and gray, masks, cloaks. I could not follow their rapid movements. They're too swift for these old eyes, I'm afraid. Breshio did his best. He-he is a very brave one, and had been very kind in the times that he visited as their protectors. But it-it was sadly not enough. Both Balan and Zeyar were cut down in seconds, and Breshio lie bleeding and poisoned. Two killers still standing, fled without a trace. I-I-I wasn't even touched. I obviously was not the target."

LIAM: Insight check?

MATT: Yeah, insight check.

TRAVIS: Did you say there were three attackers?

MATT: Three attackers.

LIAM: One went down?

LAURA: But two ran away?

TRAVIS: Yeah.

ASHLEY: What happened?

LAURA: What happened to the third attacker?

MATT: "Breshio managed to cut that one down, slew it, before he himself nearly succumbed to his wounds. The one that was killed, strangely just kind of discorporated into some sort of a black, gray liquid. They--"

SAM: You didn't happen to save any of the liquid or anything, did you?

MATT: "I-I-I did not. The-the investigators of the town went to look into it, but by the time they arrived and I had gotten help, it seemed to have gone away, evaporated or some sort. It's very, very strange." What'd you roll?

LIAM: 14.

MATT: 14?

LIAM: Mm-hmm.

MATT: You get a decent idea that he's being honest, best you can tell.

LAURA: Might I ask what the Lumas twins were here visiting you for? You said they came often.

MATT: "Yes."

LIAM: You knew them well?

MATT: "I had been getting to know them well over the years, yes. I myself have long personally studied the layout of the planes around Exandria, whether they correlated to stars or astral bodies within the night sky, long theorized myself that the world holds its own planar ecosystem. That it's unique. There-there are other worlds that exist beyond this one (chuckles), other realms."

SAM: I don't think that's true.

MATT: "Well..." (laughter)

MATT: "I've-I've in my time, have worked alongside many well-known astronomers, such as Planerider Ryn, the great Ebenold Kai, before my tenure and subsequent retirement to the Hamlet. I-I still do my studies here, just out of personal interest, more of a hobby in my retirement, and crafting my own theories and submitting any of my kooky theories to the youth, the younger academics for study and publishing. That's long passed me in my days."

ASHLEY: Do you have anything published?

MATT: "Oh, a number of papers from my youth, yes, but--"

ASHLEY: Oh!

MATT: "But the twins, you're asking about, we became friends through letters, originally. They would write. They would reach out to me in their later teen years after reading some of my work, and became... Hesitate to use the word fans, but at least intrigued by some of the things that I had written, and we became friends. And, just a couple years ago, they-they-they began to come and visit me, with Breshio, of course, protecting them. They were very kind to this old bag of bones and thoughts. We'd have tea and talk about things astronomical. (chuckles)" Kind of gets lost in thought for a second. "Spe-specifically, over this past year or so, their research began to focus on the moon of ill-omen, specifically. The twins were-- they were transfixed on studies surrounding, and the sudden flares of ruddy light that are occasionally seen and recorded through history from Ruidus."

LAURA: Ruddy light, is that what you said?

MATT: "Yes, at certain times the moon grows bright, without warning, decades between, sometimes mere months. Some believe, and have long-believed, that it is a portent of-of disaster to come. But many studies seem to find no correlating disaster, either. When children are born under the light of this moon, they are themselves referred to as Ruidusborn. Many important, whether for honor or great sorrow, individuals of history have been claimed to have been born under such a ruddy light."

LAURA: How long ago was the last flare, do you know?

MATT: "Oh, it's about two and a half years-ish, I think. There seems to be a growing reoccurrence that has-has begun to instill further interest in funding into the study of Ruidus. So yes, there had been an abnormal record of-of these Ruidusborn, and some that were children that were not even yet due, but under this light, labor suddenly was induced, and people believe that there was some correlation to this. So, I'd been speaking with the twins about this study for some time, as I touched on it a bit in my youth. They-they had intended to trek to Yios to seek something I mentioned to them known as the Omen Archive."

SAM: The Omen Archive?

TRAVIS: Omen?

MATT: "The Omen Archive."

LIAM: Omen Archive.

LAURA: In the city of Yios, that's where the... the Aydinlan Seminary is?

MATT: "Yes, yeah, I myself taught there for some time. It was some time ago, but yes."

LAURA: Were you familiar with Professor Kadija Sumal?

MATT: "Yes, it was a bit before my time, but before I finished my tenure there, we-we had some crossover, yes."

LAURA: Really?

MATT: "Yeah."

LAURA: The Lumas twins had potentially in their possession when they were attacked, some notes from an essay written by Professor Sumal. Do you have any of the papers that they may have left behind? Maybe they shared them with you to discuss?

LIAM: Did you compare notes at all?

MATT: "Well, we compared notes, but they left nothing with me. They kept it, kept it to themselves."

SAM: Did they leave any objects at all with you?

TALIESIN: Maybe the last letter they sent?

MATT: "Um." Thinks to himself for a second, gets oddly dark. "They themselves had-had brought their... their notes with them when they last visited, the... the satchels, the keeping pouches, and come to think of it, they weren't on the bodies when--"

SAM: They were stolen.

LAURA: Insight check just to--

MATT: Yeah.

TALIESIN: Such an insight check.

MATT: Make an insight check.

SAM: Such an insight check.

MATT: (laughs)

LAURA: I'm rolling balls.

TRAVIS: In addition to that--

LAURA: I rolled a two, plus whatever, it's terrible, six.

TRAVIS: While he's talking, do his eyes ever visit a repeating location in the room?

TALIESIN: Ooh.

MATT: Make a perception check.

MARISHA: Mm.

TALIESIN: Hot.

LAURA: Hot! (laughs)

TRAVIS: Ugh, six.

TALIESIN: Never mind.

MATT: Six.

LAURA: Ahh, that's such a great thought.

TALIESIN: That was an amazing idea.

MATT: Good idea. Hard to press, he seems to be more focused on the table in front, from what you can tell. He just occasionally gets lost staring at the cluster of steaming cups, and cycling his thoughts. "Yes. I-I-I don't know much about this study, this archive, but the children seem to have come across word of it, and there seemed to be something very-very much on their mind the last time we spoke."

LAURA: You said it was the Ill Omen Archive?

MATT: "The Omen Archive."

TRAVIS: Omen Archive.

LAURA: The Omen Archive.

ASHLEY: Do you know if the twins were Ruidusborn?

MATT: "Hm."

TRAVIS: That's a good question.

MATT: "I don't- I don't know. I don't- I don't believe so. If they were, they kept it to themselves. I-I know not what their-their date of birth is. They never seemed to share information about a possible history attached to-to such an event, personally."

ASHLEY: Is there a place to maybe see the... What am I trying to say? The Ruidus calendar of when those times have happened in history?

MATT: "Well, I mean, hold on. (chuckles)" He gets up and wanders over to one of the bookshelves and starts going through, mumbling under his breath, before finding two large tomes. Sits over, puts down. "There have been thousands of recorded individuals throughout all of recorded Exandrian history that themselves would be considered Ruidusborn. There are many who, very certain that many more have just gone unrecorded, due to the somewhat stigmatizing opinion in many places in Exandria about those who were born under these flares. Many just refuse to speak about it. But there have been individuals through history who perhaps have been born under this moon." Begins just reading through a list of historical figures, Pre-Calamity, Post-Calamity. Has anyone here--

LAURA: Pre-Calamity? Wow.

MATT: Anybody here trained in history?

LIAM: Yeah.

MATT: Or proficient in history?

LIAM: I am.

MATT: Roll a history check for me.

LIAM: 21.

LAURA: Ooh, that's good.

MATT: 21. You do know that certain figures that existed historically, that were born, Ruidusborn, the ones that come to mind from where you're from, Drassig, a figure that was very influential at the initial development of Tal'Dorei, before it was known as Tal'Dorei, a great tyrant king that essentially ruled the land with an iron fist before falling to Zan Tal'Dorei, is heavily theorized to have been Ruidusborn. Trying to align calendars. Once again, a lot of individuals and a lot of these notes are theorized, because people don't normally come forward with this information. There is an individual known as Alyxian, that was a great hero during the Calamity period, that was an individual marred by the mark of the moon of ill omen, but still rose up to become a hero in spite of it, before vanishing. There have been individuals who theorize that whatever entity that once rose up to ascend to become what is now referred to as the Matron of Ravens themself, may have been Ruidusborn. You know this, from just your reading and hearsay, it is a circumstance that many people superstitiously think is a negative thing. But scholars instead think at least it means that a person is fated to be important, to some degree.

LAURA: Let's all look up our birthdays.

TALIESIN: A negative thing, clearly.

LAURA: Do we have a calendar? We can all look up our birthdays and see if we were Ruidusborn.

MATT: "Right, well--"

LIAM: (coughs)

LAURA: You all right?

LIAM: It's the lime juice. (laughter)

LIAM: Stings on the way down.

TALIESIN: Yeah, it's--

SAM: Better have more.

MATT: "That information is, from what the twins were telling me, what the Omen Archive itself is, at least one of many things."

LIAM: (coughs) Excuse me.

MATT: "It is some sort of study that very, very intentionally is trying to record all existing Ruidusborn, to once and for all," thinks for himself for a second, "from what they told me, ascertain the nature of this. Whether to dispel the superstition, or to truly pinpoint what it means. or to truly pinpoint what it means. This, unfortunately, study is after my years at the, at schooling so, you'd have to, probably have to travel to Yios."

LIAM: Were the twins very open about their work?

MATT: "To me, they seemed quite open."

LIAM: To anyone else?

MATT: "I do not know. I do not think, well, before their terrible fate, I did not think it would be something worth being worried over."

MARISHA: Did they ever mention why they were interested in studying this Ruidusborn?

MATT: "They all--"

MARISHA: What sparked their curiosity?

MATT: "They themselves were young academics. They grew up with a fascination, just like I did (chuckles), of astral bodies, and they just took a liking to my previous work and some of the other professors at Yios, and since I lived the closest, they began to visit on occasion."

SAM: But you would think that there might be some sort of personal connection, like they thought they might have been, or one of their relatives or something like that. Nothing? You don't know?

MATT: "It's possible, now that you think, you mention this. I never questioned their reasonings."

MARISHA: Come on, Estani, think. Think.

MATT: (sips)

TALIESIN: I can't imagine the lime juice helps.

MATT: "It's possible. Maybe we need to find what their birthdays are, and cross reference it with this archive."

ASHLEY: Do you think people that are Ruidusborn could possibly, I don't know, have, like, crazy dreams?

LAURA: (laughs)

ASHLEY: Just like super wild, just but the same.

MATT: "Well, from what I understand, the twins themselves spoke of various signs of Ruidusborn, individuals who have been part of this study that they were researching."

SAM: What are some of those specifics there?

MATT: "They were discussing it being strange marks on their body, perhaps even having--"

TRAVIS: The mark of the ill omen moon?

MATT: "Perhaps, though that, to me, seems a bit superstitious, to be honest. I mean, I'm covered in odd marks but I do not believe I was born under the moon."

LIAM: What kind of marks are we--

TRAVIS: That figure you mentioned, though, he seemed to thrive even though he possessed this mark. Did they describe what it looked like? Even though it's legend.

MATT: "For which one?"

TRAVIS: Wasn't there the one that Tal'Dorei beat? Didn't he heave a mark of the ill-omen moon?

LIAM: Those are just ones that I remembered, but I don't remember marks.

TALIESIN: Could just be a bad burn.

MATT: "They've spoken of themselves, premonitions, bad dreams, all sorts of odd psychic phenomenon."

LAURA: Dreams affecting their powers.

MATT: "Perhaps, yes, if I recall."

LIAM: But not the twins themselves.

MATT: "Not in the way that they were privy to tell me."

LIAM: Did they, when they were here working, where did they stay? Did they spend time with anyone else?

MATT: "I honestly don't know where they stayed. I didn't ask. They seemed to be well off, and Breshio was protecting them. I assumed that they were taking care of themselves."

TALIESIN: Where would you stay if you were well off in town?

MATT: "Let's see."

TALIESIN: If you don't mind.

MATT: "One of the most viable places is the Sodden Grange Inn mid-city."

TRAVIS: Hey, that's where we're staying. We've got rooms.

TALIESIN: Convenient.

ASHLEY: So what was the--

SAM: Oh, the Sodden Grange Inn.

MARISHA: Sodden?

LIAM: The Sodden Grange, yeah.

MARISHA: Yeah.

ASHLEY: What was the work of yours that they first learned of you?

MATT: "Well, I began to follow various astral movements in the sky. I was watching as certain celestial movements would come to points of unity. The solstice, even a half solstice, in which many astral bodies would align, the various ley lines, magical energies across Exandria themselves would spike, and, at these times, it would be very important to notify some of the great mages for their own ritualistic purposes. Some of the most powerful protective incantations could only be done during these times. Powerful rites of development and protecting society required specific timing of these unifications, so there was good money to be made, and when I was young, that was my initial drive, but then-- Then there were strange, I don't want to say inconsistencies, but-- Signs of other places. Signs of other worlds, and historical records of visitors and strangers who said they themselves visited from far-off realms, some thought mad, some thought just odd, and many just vanished without a trace after a brief time in our realm, and, well, I find that positively fascinating. It was through that time that I began to do a study about perhaps Ruidus itself being like a waystation or some sort of a source for this travel. I concluded that it is perhaps not that. It seems to almost-- It is one of the most inconsistent elements of our astral net, the red moon. It almost-- It almost has a life of its own."

ASHLEY: Has anyone ever been there?

MATT: "Not that I'm aware of. No one that would have returned if they had. Such powerful teleportation magics, well, those who could, likely know better. But that would be very fascinating, would it not?"

ASHLEY: We should build something to take us there.

MATT: "You are welcome to try! (chuckles) You all have time ahead of you. I fear I am a bit past my prime for such journeys."

TALIESIN: Man. Such a shame.

LAURA: Do you-- Have you ever heard of red storms being connected in any way to Ruidus, or maybe present in some of the dreams in the studies that you heard of?

MATT: "Well, Ruidus should be in the sky as of this time of year. Why don't you all stay a bit? When night comes, I have a telescope, and I can show you."

LAURA: That would be wonderful.

MARISHA: That sounds amazing.

TALIESIN: We have an engagement at some point.

SAM: Tomorrow night.

TALIESIN: Oh, that's tomorrow night, even better.

SAM: We should just stay with you here all day, or go and come back?

MATT: "You're welcome to return, if you'd like."

SAM: Okay.

MATT: "But yes, to answer your question, from what we can make out at this distance, it is quite a tumultuous place, Ruidus. A barren, red moonscape that is continuously bombarded with storm-like winds and storms."

LIAM: You've looked at it through glass, then.

MATT: Yes, arcane enhanced, of course, but--

LIAM: Is that what you have here?

MATT: "Yes. A much smaller version. This was a gift when I left my professorial duties. I'd helped design it long ago, and they made a smaller one for me, but the one you would really want to get a close look at would be at the Aydinlan Seminary in Yios. One of the largest arcane telescopes on Exandria."

MARISHA: An arcane telescope? What?

LAURA: Is that similar to what you have, an arcane telescope?

MATT: "Mine is much smaller. More of a hobbyist model, if you will."

ASHLEY: How does that work?

MATT: "Oh, it's all manner of extremely delicately-created lenses, glass that has been shaped appropriately to help take the light that is projected into it and magnify it, and then through the utilization of enchanted mirrors and the proper implementation of metals, you can get a very clear image of something far away, but much closer."

ASHLEY: How big is it?

MATT: "Which part?"

ASHLEY: The telescope as a whole.

MATT: "I can show you."

ASHLEY: Okay.

MATT: "Follow me."

TRAVIS: Tell me you're not going to fucking take it.

ASHLEY: I'm just going to look at it, Chetney. Calm down, dad.

TRAVIS: She called me dad.

MATT: He takes you down this short hallway--

LAURA: (laughs)

MATT: -- and there is a doorway that is open. There's no door, just an open doorway, and there is a back room which has a stepped platform that leads up, and in this rickety looking chamber, in the center of it, there is an impressively large, metallic telescope. You can see it, it expands and builds out and you can see it's being held up by ropes and girders. It's impressive, based on what he was telling you.

LIAM: This is the little one?

TRAVIS: Yeah. (laughs)

MATT: "Oh yes, (chuckles) trust me, this is very much the little one."

LIAM: I'm a halfling. That's big.

TALIESIN: It's pretty big from up here, too.

LAURA: It's big for all of us.

ASHLEY: Okay, it might be a little bit too big to take. I was just checking.

TRAVIS: Are you sure?

TALIESIN: Coward.

MARISHA: You should try.

ASHLEY: I don't think I could fit it in my cape.

LAURA: Estani, are you a studier of history as well, or is it just celestial bodies?

MATT: "I've read a few things here and there, but that was not my specific passion."

LAURA: Oh. We ran across some ruins out in the jungle before we got here.

MATT: "Oh."

LAURA: I'm going to pull out part of the ruin that I had chipped off and hand it over to him. I took it in hopes that we would be able to show it to somebody. It's just sitting out there and nobody even knows it's there. What did you say it was? It was part of some--

LIAM: What did I say?

LAURA: It was part of some city--

LIAM: It was an explosion from--

LAURA: -- that had fallen from the sky or something.

MARISHA: It's pre-Calamity shit.

LAURA: Yeah.

TALIESIN: Pre-Calamity.

LAURA: It was, no, Elvish writing? It had Elvish writing, ancient Elvish writing on it.

MATT: "All right, I certainly know who I can get this to. Deramond is a friend of mine in the city who himself is an archeologist of ancient--"

LAURA: Should I take it to him instead? Is that easier?

MATT: "I can take it to him."

LAURA: All right.

MATT: "Unless you'd prefer, but he and his team can mend this to its original ruin."

LAURA: That's what I was thinking, and you could use it to locate it, right?

MATT: "That is why this is extremely helpful."

LAURA: Okay.

MATT: "Exact directions in the middle of the wilds can be a little imperfect and dangerous. But yes, utilizing this, we'll be able to locate it and return it to its source, so thank you."

LIAM: Have you personally ever seen other ruins of that nature here?

MATT: "I don't really travel much off of the beaten path. Most of my focus is up there, so no."

LIAM: Understood.

MARISHA: Where does this Deramond live?

MATT: "On the north side of the city, a small brick abode, if he's home. He might be off and about. He has, I believe, two digs not far from the city that he's currently overseeing. Why?"

MARISHA: I just thought it might be fun to meet him.

MATT: "Okay."

MARISHA: History's fun!

MATT: "I'm going to get some more of my lime juice."

MARISHA: All right.

MATT: "Come."

SAM: Oh, come? Oh yeah, because we're in the telescope room. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

MARISHA: Imogen! How are you feeling? I hope he's leading the way.

MATT: Oh yeah, no, he's walking you guys.

LAURA: We'll be back.

MARISHA: Yeah.

MATT: Would you like me to turn around? Would that make you feel better? (laughter)

MARISHA: Don't look at me!

LIAM: Don't look at me while I roleplay! Don't you look at me!

TRAVIS: I can't roleplay while you watch. (laughter)

SAM: It's not working!

LAURA: What was your question?

MARISHA: Just, you know, that was a lot of information. How are you feeling? You're clearly Ruidusborn, right?

LAURA: No, I don't know if I am, but I think my mother might've been.

SAM: Did she have a mark? Did she have a mark?

LAURA: I have no idea, I never met her.

SAM: You've seen her naked?

LAURA: I never met her.

SAM: Oh, okay, okay.

ASHLEY: You didn't even know her name. Did you know her name?

TALIESIN: Dad didn't have any drawings?

LAURA: I knew her name.

ASHLEY: Okay.

LAURA: I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound like that.

TALIESIN: Tasteful.

LAURA: I never knew. No, but in the essay that I sort of saw, pages were ripped out, but it said, strange dreams influencing powers, and Ruidus, and my mother was part of the study, so I thought, you know, maybe she is, maybe it passed down onto me, maybe I was as well, I don't know.

MARISHA: What do you think about these on your wrists? That could be considered strange markings.

LAURA: That could be considered strange markings. I never even thought about that.

ASHLEY: I mean, they're beautiful.

SAM: What do they look like again?

TALIESIN: I'm distracted by the blue.

LAURA: Like electricity, like lightning. You can still see the bright purple streaks coming up my arm, though.

MARISHA: It's pretty cool.

LAURA: I forgot I was blue until I looked down at my arm.

TALIESIN: We haven't.

MARISHA: Did we explain that to him? Do we need to say something, by the way?

LAURA: Maybe somebody here studies magic. Somebody would know, understand why I turned blue?

SAM: It's very pleasant to look at.

LAURA: No, I like it, I just, you know, it is different. I haven't even seen myself in a mirror yet, but I'd imagine--

MARISHA: Didn't you say you thought you can, you know--

TALIESIN: He is a cosmologist, right? He should be able to do that.

SAM: Maybe, if that does it. You can try tomorrow.

TALIESIN: Clap, motherfucker. Sorry.

SAM: That happened today, didn't it?

MARISHA: Did you say, wait, cosmologist?

TALIESIN: Yeah, cosmologist.

MARISHA and SAM: You mean cosmetologist?

TALIESIN: Yeah, whatever. (laughter)

SAM: Maybe this guy is a cosmetologist cosmologist.

TALIESIN: Cosmetologist.

SAM: He applies to rouge to the--

TRAVIS: ♪ Beauty school dropout ♪

MARISHA: I hear he makes good cosmos.

SAM: He loves cosmos.

MATT: "You're welcome to stay, if you'd like. I have more biscuits and lime juice."

SAM: You've been so kind to us with all this information and whatnot. Is there anything we can do for you? I just feel like this has been a one-way street so far.

MATT: "Well, if your hope is to-- I get the sense from your, well, your equipment, your disposition, the questions you ask, that you might be seeking the ones responsible for what happened to Balan and Zeyar."

LIAM: Particularly following a very long thread, and I can't lie, I'm a little discouraged here today. Sir, if you, in the next day, think of any detail, if any memory floats up, it would be very much appreciated.

MATT: "Of course."

LAURA: The two attackers, they just fled?

MATT: "They fled. There was so much going on at the time."

LIAM: No notion of where they went?

MATT: "They vanished into the garden."

ASHLEY: May I look through this history book of all the people that have been Ruidusborn for just a moment?

MATT: "If you'd like to, yeah.

MARISHA: How current is this book?

LIAM: What's the most recent date?

MATT: This one seems to be about, again, general historical record, the historical record of individuals that were pertinent to history. So it's not, you know, Jamie from down the road. It's about specific figures that have had a lot of influence on history and theorizing which ones were born under the red moon or not.

MARISHA: Okay.

MATT: And it still remains mostly theory. Only a handful have been confirmed, but.

MARISHA: Who's who of the Ruidus moon.

SAM: Of American high schoolers.

ASHLEY: I'm looking for a particular name.

MATT: "Which one?"

ASHLEY: Her name is Keyleth of the Ashari.

LAURA: What if you were Ruidusborn?

MARISHA: News to me.

LIAM: Gingers, man.

TALIESIN: (laughs)

SAM: All gingers are cursed.

MATT: "When abouts would she have been--"

ASHLEY: Have been born? When would she have been born? Around--

LIAM: Not too long ago.

ASHLEY: You know.

SAM: 800 or so?

TALIESIN: Last couple of years?

SAM: Is that right? 800 PD?

LIAM: Three decades, at most.

SAM: Where are we now? 850 PD, what are we at?

LAURA: No, three decades at most.

MATT: You're three decades since Campaign 1.

SAM: Which was what?

LAURA: Yeah, and she was-- so four decades, otherwise she would've been one.

LIAM: Wasn't she?

ASHLEY: Four or five decades ago.

SAM: Are we in the 900s?

MATT: No, you're mid to late 830s. This is, yeah, 50 something.

MARISHA: Keyleth's probably pushing 60, but she looks 30. That's where you're getting confused.

SAM: That is where I'm getting confused.

TALIESIN: That was five decades ago? Oh my god, I feel old.

LAURA: She would age a little bit.

SAM: She was 13 through all of Campaign 1, right?

MARISHA: She's the motherfucking Voice of the Tempest. She stopped aging when she reached level 20.

LIAM: Yes, just Vex.

LAURA: Just stopped aging.

MARISHA: Well, she ages--

LAURA: Don't you "Just Vex" me, you fuck! (laughter)

LAURA: How dare?

MATT: Wow.

MARISHA: She didn't stop aging; she ages now one year for every 100 or something like that.

LAURA: Note to self, let's all become druids.

TALIESIN: I mean, technically, you just age really fast now.

LIAM: Yeah, Vax stopped aging.

LAURA: Yeah.

TALIESIN: You're going faster than the rest of us.

MATT: Going through the appendices, Estani looks back and forth. "Unfortunately, it looks like this book, the records go up until about the late 700s PD, so."

ASHLEY: And that's not the time we're in right now. We're close to--

MATT: "This is more of a loose historical overview. If you want the specifics, you probably have to--"

ASHLEY: I just have one more question. What year is it right now?

TALIESIN: She's serious.

MARISHA: What year is it?

TALIESIN: This is an actual question she's asking.

MATT: I'm going to double confirm so I don't get it wrong. I announced it at the very beginning of the campaign.

TALIESIN: Does anybody have an iPhone?

MARISHA: You did announce it at the beginning of the campaign.

MATT: I did, but I'm going to double check.

MARISHA: 843 PD.

MATT: There it is.

LAURA: Look at that.

ASHLEY: I remember that.

MATT: Boom.

LAURA: 843 PD.

ASHLEY: Okay, okay, I understand. I had a theory, but maybe it's nothing.

TALIESIN: That was a fun jaunt.

MATT: Yep, 843 PD, confirmed.

SAM: 843 PD. New York City.

ASHLEY: I just thought maybe these people were maybe going after--

LIAM: Can't resist. ♪ In the eye of a hurricane there is quiet ♪ (laughter)

LIAM: That's so dumb.

SAM: That's so beautiful.

MARISHA: Keep going.

MATT: "Anything else?"

SAM: No, sorry about that. It's been a long day. It's been a long day. We had battles today, I think, right? No, maybe?

LAURA: In the middle of night, and then we slept--

TRAVIS: ♪ In the middle of-- ♪

LAURA: God, what is happening at this table right now?

SAM: It's the lime juice, the lime juice. What's in that stuff? It's fermented.

MATT: "I'm going to take my biscuits and go."

SAM: We're going to come back at nightfall. We'll come back at nightfall.

ASHLEY: One more question.

SAM: Ah, jeez.

ASHLEY: Did you say that-- Just getting info, did you say that Breshio was poisoned?

MATT: "Yes, the weapons that they used were coated in some sort of toxin."

ASHLEY: Oh, okay. Just to know what we're up against.

SAM: No, no, that's very good to know.

ASHLEY: Did we already know that? We might have already known that.

SAM: No, that's good, good stuff.

MARISHA: We didn't know that.

LIAM: Nothing left afterward.

MATT: "No, unfortunately."

LAURA: Do you have any knowledge about things that would turn people blue?

LIAM: Asking for a friend.

MARISHA: She's not normally navy. I mean, she's rocking it, right? Tell her she's rocking it.

MATT: "Let me look."

TALIESIN: The goal is to get you back to normal and the rest of us go blue, I guess.

LIAM: It's all about confidence, really.

TALIESIN: I'm into it.

MATT: Actually, pretty good. He goes through a few books. Pulls out an odd leather tome that has a textured, almost snake scale leather binding to it. The text on the front is Marquesian, and he goes ahead and opens it up, starts reading it through before finding a page and goes-- "Um. This is a collection of various ailments, curses, and arcane mishaps. These sort of things happen in studies, especially when we are working alongside other practitioners of magical or divine arts. It says here, there is, in errant magics, a minor curse that can occur involves the radical altering of the hue of one's skin somewhere in the realm of the primary colors. So that is the closest I can guess."

LAURA: So I just need to find somebody that can remove curses?

MATT: "If this is indeed the source of your discomfort."

LAURA: All right. It's not discomfort. It's not.

MATT: "It's quite fetching on you, to be honest."

SAM: (clicks tongue)

LIAM: Okay.

TALIESIN: I kind of like it, but yeah.

SAM: Thank you for your time. We'll see you at nightfall to look through the looky-loo.

MATT: "Of course. Always happy to host interested parties in the wonders above. So."

MARISHA: All right, we'll bring more limes.

MATT: "Please do, I'm running low."

MARISHA: Okay.

TALIESIN: Where are we going to get limes?

MARISHA: I don't know. I don't fucking--

SAM: As we leave.

TALIESIN: They expensive?

SAM: What time is it? What year is it, what time is it, what month is it, what day is it? Quick, go.

MATT: (laughs) For right now, it would be, I'd say between-- No, this is still the same day. So you guys have traveled through, you spoke, it could be late afternoon. So you're maybe a handful of hours from sunset.

TALIESIN: All right.

ASHLEY: Should we get a drink or something?

LAURA: Is there anything we need to do in this town?

SAM: Yeah, good call.

LAURA: You know what we should do? Estani, would you be able to point us directly where you had a conversation with the twins when you were attacked?

ASHLEY: Oh, good idea.

MATT: "Yes, yes, I can do that." Goes and gets a coat and puts it on. "Follow me." He leads you outside of his homestead. Not terribly far, you remember clocking this as you were heading to where he lives, there is an open garden here in the center of Blue Herald's Hill. You can see there are stone walls that rise up about chest level and sometimes higher than that, there are a number of hedges that are kept and probably a dozen or so trees that don't look directly indigenous to the surrounding trees within the bog that the city is built in the center of, the heart of it, which gives it this beautiful, alien little island sense here. There is a small stream that is kept from an endless source of water that is just nestled into this stone statue formation that looks like a weathered man who is currently holding a pot and pouring it down into the river and it just continues to flow continuously. Some benches, it's a beautiful little respite from what can be the more ramshackle, bog-centric areas of this city. There are a handful of other denizens that are just sitting there reading a book, or themselves just looking around. Someone's taking a nap on the ground behind one of the benches and is just snoring quietly to themself. He starts retracing his steps, and you can see with a smile, he very much enjoys being in the space of this area, before going, "It was right as we were turning on this bend, right around here, beyond this wall." He points out to this walkway that curves around this large tree, and-- He stops for a second, and points up to the tree and says, "They descended from the boughs above, and cut them down right here." He points into this normal-looking part of the walkway. Without the context of it, you wouldn't be able to tell it was any different.

TALIESIN: Do you remember what direction they left when they ran away, even vaguely?

MATT: He takes a few steps forward and retraces his placement, turns a bit. "Southward."

TALIESIN: Out of curiosity, where's the fountain?

MATT: Where's the fountain from where you are right now? It would be about southeast.

TALIESIN: Okay.

LIAM: Pardon me one moment. Orym is going to flea bounce up into the tree, and see if I can find any long-cold trace and see if I can find any long-cold trace of the attackers in the tree.

TRAVIS: How long ago did this happen?

LAURA: A few months?

MATT: Yeah, it was a couple months ago.

MARISHA: She was still mourning.

MATT: Yeah.

LAURA: Yeah. It was recent, yeah.

LAURA: Oshad was--

LIAM: 21.

MATT: 21?

LIAM: Investigation? Yeah, 21.

MATT: Okay. Going from branch to branch, glancing around-- For individuals that would be as effective at such an assassination as these were, there's nary a sign of their presence. With that I'll say you do find a gash on a piece of a branch, and you go ahead and look into it, and there's a hint of a dried, tar-like substance that is embedded in the groove.

LIAM: I will use one of my knives to cut that away. I'll cut under the-- I'll whittle the wood out to not disturb it.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: Good technique. Away from you.

MATT: Plucking it free and careful not to touch it, you glance at it, and-- It does resemble--

MARISHA: Level five.

MATT: A toxin, substance you've seen used before.

LIAM: Okay, so just hearkening back to the beginning.

MATT: Yeah.

LIAM: I'll wrap it in a bit of cloth and keep it.

MATT: Okay.

TALIESIN: Who's got some good eyes? I want to find something.

SAM: I've got decent eyes, but I can also help your eyes do better.

TRAVIS: I've got bitchin' eyes.

SAM: You've got bitchin' eyes?

TRAVIS: Yeah. Cold like a glacier, blue like the sky.

MARISHA: That was beautiful, Chetney.

TRAVIS: Thanks, I'm working on it.

MARISHA: I didn't know you did poetry, too.

TALIESIN: Cold dead eyes, come here.

TRAVIS: I don't want to-- I mean, for what? You can't have my eyes.

TALIESIN: Got to sleep some time. But no, come here.

SAM: All right, we're looking for something important?

TALIESIN: We're going to walk south and look for gutters.

SAM: I'm going to enhance you.

TRAVIS: Ah!

SAM: Going to give you some male enhancement.

LAURA: Fearne's really good at looking at things, too.

TRAVIS: Yeah, yeah, use Fearne. I was just fucking around. I have a better nose than eyes.

SAM: Oh, well--

TALIESIN: So disappointing.

ASHLEY: Maybe I'll look at this and you do some sniffs.

LIAM: Yeah, get somebody else. He's got dead eyes.

LAURA: Yeah, you guys should go together and see what you see.

SAM: How good are you-- Should I enhance you, female enhancement?

TRAVIS: Worse than hers.

ASHLEY: I don't know.

SAM: Are we all consulting D&D Beyond right now? Did I just mention that because I love the app and all it does, or because we're contractually obligated to? I don't know. Maybe both.

MATT: God, Sam. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Every day. It's official love.

TALIESIN: Fearne, you want to come help me look for some gutters to the south?

ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

TALIESIN: Let's--

SAM: What's your perception?

TALIESIN: It's getting too meta over here.

SAM: That's even better than mine. Mine's really good, too. I will enhance your ability.

ASHLEY: Perception, okay.

SAM: I'll give you advantage on perception checks.

ASHLEY: Okay.

LAURA: Ooh, nice.

TALIESIN: Looking for gutters or ways into the sewer system to the south, and we're also going to check out the fountain to see where the water goes, where it comes from, if it feels like slime could get in and out that way.

MATT: Okay, make a perception check.

SAM: Owl's Wisdom is what I did.

MATT: If you want to each roll.

TALIESIN: Oh, hmm?

ASHLEY: Okay, I've got advantage.

SAM: Advantage.

TALIESIN: Perception or investigation?

SAM: Slightly better.

MATT: Whichever you prefer.

TALIESIN: Awesome.

ASHLEY: 21.

MATT: Okay.

TALIESIN: Both the same, natural 20 for 21.

MATT: Nice, 21.

TALIESIN: I got a mushroom.

LAURA: Nice! (laughter)

MATT: Then we'll say that, for both checks, both instances, this will work. Looking at the statue, the source of water, it's a gentle trickle. It's not like a rushing river, it's just enough to gently fill the stream that gives a slight comfortable sound of trickling water to the center of this garden space. You get the sense that the water source itself, this stone-carved pot that's part of this, has a very, very faint enchantment, where it just gently produces water. You're not sure if it was designed specifically or was affixed to the statue as a final touch, but it just continues to create it, it apparates and then continues downward. It seems to be fresh. The river itself, upon passing through the garden, heads to where the main city walk is in this portion of the hill, of Blue Herald's Hill, there's a slight bridge that goes over it and then just runs off into the swamp itself.

TALIESIN: Oh. I'm going to go over and put my hand in the statue, see if there's anything in there. Just, I don't know. There's a big pot of pouring water.

MATT: Okay.

TALIESIN: Scrape around.

MATT: Okay, so you reach in the pot, the front of the pot's about that large.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

MATT: You reach into the pot?

TALIESIN: Yeah.

MATT: Okay. You reach in, and it is cold water. You reach in and the pot itself seems to go only about that far before it gets to the stone arm, but your arm can go a lot further than the pot itself.

TALIESIN: I take the hammer.

LAURA: It's like a little portal.

TALIESIN: I'm going to take the handle of the hammer, and I'm just going to keep going and see how far it goes.

MARISHA: You'll lose your hammer.

MATT: It goes to the very head of the hammer before the hammer will no longer, it's wider than the pot's exit.

ASHLEY: Oh my god, that is so cool.

LAURA: Oh, I'm not there.

ASHLEY: No.

MARISHA: Where does it go?

ASHLEY: But you should be. What else can we stick in there?

TALIESIN: I guess anything we want. If we only had that fucking rope! Why? Why'd you do that?

LIAM: And the coin, too.

TALIESIN: Fuck. (laughter)

ASHLEY: I still have some ribbon, a bunch of ribbon.

TALIESIN: How much ribbon do you have?

ASHLEY: Just loads.

SAM: But won't it just shoot back out?

TALIESIN: -- together? Oh yeah, that's true. It'll just shoot back out. We need something--

MARISHA: Something weighted.

TALIESIN: I'm going to say it, and I apologize, I know what I'm about to say. If you're going to stick something in there, it needs to be something stiff. You're welcome.

TRAVIS: How big's the opening again?

ASHLEY: I understand what they want.

TRAVIS: I mean--

TALIESIN: Head size.

ASHLEY: It's hard to--

TRAVIS: You know.

TALIESIN: You could wiggle something. Is that what you're saying?

TRAVIS: I can make myself pretty small.

SAM: You can make yourself smaller than that?

ASHLEY: You'll disappear.

TALIESIN: How well do you swim? How well do you breathe underwater?

TRAVIS: One way to find out.

TALIESIN: I'm so excited to see what your next character is.

SAM: But isn't it just like a portal for water? It's not going to be an entrance--

LAURA: Maybe it'll be the portal to the water--

TRAVIS: Plane?

LAURA: -- plane or something.

ASHLEY: I could turn myself into a frog.

SAM: Oh, yeah! Or salmon, you could swim upstream!

ASHLEY: Oh, good idea!

TRAVIS: Some salmon are really fucking stupid. You'd just go in and that'd be it. You're out.

SAM: She retains her intelligence?

LAURA: Yeah, she's not like-- She's the smart kind.

TALIESIN: Maybe an octopus. She'll be able to stick on things better.

MARISHA: Sure, yes.

ASHLEY: We don't have--

MARISHA: I've got my--

TALIESIN: I'm so sorry. I realize what I've done now.

MATT: No, it's great.

MARISHA: That's a terrible idea.

ASHLEY: Is this-- are we getting off track here?

SAM: Probably, but it's fun.

TRAVIS: No, get in there!

LAURA: We got a few hours before we've got to be back to look at the telescope.

ASHLEY: Okay. Zoomp.

SAM: What are you doing? What are you being?

TALIESIN: She just said, "Zoomp."

ASHLEY: Frog, I went frog.

MARISHA: Okay, Laudna takes her red yarn, and I make a little frog holster for you. You know, a little harness.

TRAVIS: It's yarn, right?

MARISHA: It's just yarn. We're not talking about some steel rope or some shit. It's just fucking yarn.

LIAM: It's going to hold up well.

TALIESIN: We should have a count before we start pulling her back out anyway, in case something goes wrong.

SAM: How's she going to signal us? I guess pull three times? Can you pull?

LIAM: She's three inches tall.

SAM: Oh wait, we can still communicate with her mentally.

LAURA: That's right, we can.

SAM: For a bit of time.

TALIESIN: Unless it's like a dimensional portal or something like that.

SAM: We can try.

TALIESIN: If 60 seconds go by, we just start dragging her back in.

ASHLEY: Yeah, that's fine.

MARISHA: 60 seconds.

TALIESIN: 60 seconds.

SAM: I can communicate an emotion to you and you can communicate one back to me. That's not verbal at all.

ASHLEY: Great.

SAM: Okay.

ASHLEY: We probably did all this before I--

SAM: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

ASHLEY: Okay.

TRAVIS: If you turn into a frog, I can just talk to you.

SAM: But she'll be gone.

TRAVIS: Oh.

LAURA: As all this is happening, while they're tying Fearne up and doing all this stuff, Orym hears in his head: How are you doing?

LIAM: Good, good. It's not the end of the road. It's just a dead end. Sorry, or maybe it's not. I'm good.

LAURA: All right. Okay.

MARISHA: Laudna shoves the frog in the hole.

LAURA: Oh god. I instantly-- oh, shit.

MARISHA: Go, Fearne!

LAURA: Fearne hears in her head: Okay, ribbit, ribbit. Let us know if you need help.

MATT: So Fearne. You are pressed into a cold body of water, lightless, with a very faint current. What do you do?

ASHLEY: I just keep leaping forward.

MATT: Okay, you swim with the current, and you keep swimming with the current, until eventually the yarn goes taut. How far do you give slack?

MARISHA: I just keep going as she pulls.

SAM: How far does it go?

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: I don't know, it's a spool, so--

ASHLEY: Pretty far.

TALIESIN: 30 meters.

MARISHA: Yeah, 30 meters? What do you get at Michael's? What's an average spool of yarn?

SAM: I don't know, I'll look it up.

LIAM: Does it say "Michael's" on the front?

MARISHA: Yeah.

MATT: You continue on.

MARISHA: Polyester.

MATT: 30 feet, 40 feet. There's a very, very faint general atmospheric deep blue light. It feels almost like being at the bottom of the ocean looking up, but it's a little bit everywhere, to where you have no sense of what's up or down. You see shapes and shadows at your periphery, and like there are large land masses or clusters of rock around you, but you're not entirely certain how close or how far they are.

SAM: Damn.

SAM: That's what it says, the first one I clicked on at Michael's. Michael's, everyone. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Do I smell-- Can I sniff, get some sniffs? [ice clinking in liquid in metal mug]

SAM: (imitates ice clinking)

TRAVIS and LAURA: Water sniffs?

ASHLEY: Water sniffs.

MATT: Looking for?

ASHLEY: Just to see if I smell anything other than water?

MATT: Make a perception check.

SAM: Non-water. You've got advantage.

ASHLEY: Oh, I still have it?

SAM: Yeah, sure.

ASHLEY: Okay.

SAM: Right? She's still the same creature.

MATT: Yeah.

ASHLEY: Okay, 15.

MATT: 15. It's interesting, because this feels ocean-like, but the water lacks any sort of brine. It has a fresh water sense to it. It is cold. It's less about picking up different scents, but there are waves that have an earthy iron-like sense to it, and that shifts and goes away, and the temperature shifts. It gets colder for a moment, and it feels glacial before it shifts again and becomes a little more like a natural temperature. The currents here are odd, and in some cases they pull to different directions. At one point, it picks up a bit, and you're worried you're maybe going to lose your tether, but then it slows down. It's slow chaos in a near lightless, fathomless depth of water.

LAURA: Can she still hear me? Fearne, you all right in there?

MATT: You're just on your own, out in the middle of nowhere.

ASHLEY: I just roll on my back.

TALIESIN: We should probably start...

MARISHA: Has it been about 60 seconds?

MATT: It's been about 60 seconds.

TALIESIN: All right.

TRAVIS: What if the rope--

LAURA: We're going fishing.

MARISHA: Yep. Who knows.

MATT: You start being tugged back.

SAM: Oh, okay, okay, okay.

MATT: You're being pulled back, pulled back, and the scent changes a little bit in the water,

TRAVIS: Oh no.

MATT: -- and it has a-- It's oddly a citrus-y taste to it. Not quite like lemon, it reminds you of the lime juice you just had.

TALIESIN: Fuck, it's lime juice.

MATT: Yeah. (laughter)

TALIESIN: It's limes all the way down! Sorry (laughs).

MATT: This is where he gets his drink. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Puts his hand in there and comes out with a cup. (laughter)

MATT: It's harder to describe, but it has that acidic taste to it, and you glance over, and you see these two very faint blue lights that are just drifting.

LAURA: Oh no, oh no, oh no.

MATT: Getting bigger and bigger in your direction.

TRAVIS: Turbo.

LAURA: You're going to get eaten.

ASHLEY: I'm going to try to just... pull myself with the yarn.

MARISHA: Pull the other side.

ASHLEY: Just try to start--

MATT: With your frog hands?

ASHLEY: Yeah, frog hands. Good old frog hands. (laughter)

SAM: Do we know those?

MATT: All right. You pull, you pull.

TALIESIN: Let's roll her in. Roll her in, roll her in.

MARISHA: How long am I rolling?

ASHLEY: I'm using my back legs.

MATT: You're kicking.

ASHLEY: Real fast!

MATT: You're kicking. The slack's coming faster, and you start pulling tauter and tauter.

MARISHA: Oh god.

MATT: The two blue lights get larger, and larger--

LAURA: Oh my gosh.

ASHLEY: No, no, no.

MATT: -- and larger and larger.

MARISHA: Fearne? Does it still feel taut?

MATT: You managed to catch up to the slack.

TALIESIN: That's it.

MATT: You pulled, and pulled, and pulled, before (air popping) she comes out of it.

LAURA: Ugh!

ASHLEY: (pants)

LAURA: What'd you see?

TRAVIS: Ribbit.

MATT: As you pull her out, and you say, "What did you see?", the gentle trickle of water that's been coming out of it, suddenly (water whooshing) increases in pressure for a second. It begins to pour out from this opening

LAURA: Oh.

MATT: -- with a much stronger current for a moment, before returning back to its general (laughter) slow trickle.

SAM: What was that?

TALIESIN: Okay. Probably not that direction.

ASHLEY: Okay. I'll turn back. Boy, that was very weird. I think that would've gone on forever. I saw... It turned a little blue, and there were shadows and maybe some land masses.

LIAM: Land masses?

LAURA: Land masses in the water? Was it water? Was it all water?

ASHLEY: I don't know. Then, I think there was a creature in there with big eyes, and I think it was, maybe trying to eat me.

LAURA: Oh!

ASHLEY: So that's when I hurried back. Yeah, I don't know if that's where we need to go. (laughter)

SAM: But it sure was interesting.

TALIESIN: It was an exciting diversion, nonetheless.

ASHLEY: Well, it was. It was!

LAURA: Did you hear me in your head at all?

ASHLEY: No, did you talk to me?

LAURA: I did. So that's definitely not--

ASHLEY: Okay.

TALIESIN: Look at that.

ASHLEY: I think if--

MARISHA: We would've lost you for forever! (laughs)

ASHLEY: Where would I have gone?

MARISHA: I don't know!

ASHLEY: I would've been in the belly of a big beast. (laughter)

LAURA: Oh my god.

MARISHA: Oh my goodness.

ASHLEY: Forever. I would've made a little home in there.

MARISHA: Wow! You could've just lived out a frog life.

ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah.

LAURA: I'm glad you're here.

ASHLEY: Okay, well, I don't think that helped us at all.

SAM: Well.

LAURA: No.

TALIESIN: We've learned something.

ASHLEY: We learned that this fountain is really wild.

TALIESIN: If we ever need to really get rid of something...

ASHLEY: Foomp.

TALIESIN: Gone.

MARISHA: That's great. (gasps)

SAM: That's a great idea.

ASHLEY: Oh, that's a good idea.

TRAVIS: Chetney did not join the others. He's still over by the tree that Orym was in. He's just petting it, caressing it. (laughter)

TALIESIN: If we ever need to get rid of Chetney--

TRAVIS: Tell me your secrets. (sniffs) Can I smell anything on the tree?

MATT: Make a perception check.

TRAVIS: Of the fey or blah, blah, blah, variety from my Hunter's Bane. Ah! 19!

MATT: 19.

LAURA: I thought he was going to get up there when he started--

MATT: It smells, and you, being a person that enjoys the smells of fresh tree, wood, bark, (laughter)

MATT: You can definitely tell from the scent. This, were it not living, and given enough time to ripen, it would be a fine piece of carving wood. But still just a tree. But as you do take a moment to take in this smell and caress the tree, you hear over your shoulder, "Should I leave you alone?"

TRAVIS: Huh? Sorry, I was somewhere else.

MATT: "Right. I'm going to return to my abode. Tell the others it's been a pleasure, and I'll be ready to show you all the telescope this evening."

MARISHA: This guy just watched us shove a frog in a fountain. We look like fucking idiots. (laughter)

MATT: He's just been standing there like, "Okay."

TALIESIN: Didn't see him throwing a frog into a fountain. He didn't know what was going on there, but we know.

TRAVIS: I'll make sure they know. Trust us, we're professionals.

SAM: (laughs)

MATT: "Yeah."

TRAVIS: Oh, my beauty. (laughter)

MATT: Then he wanders off, back to his home.

MARISHA: (laughs)

TALIESIN: We just found a dimensional portal. What the fuck has he done today?

LAURA: So the attackers probably ran off into the swamp, right?

MARISHA: That's what I would assume. That's due south, yeah? The swamp?

TALIESIN: I suppose so.

MATT: Correct. I mean, really, any direction will eventually get you there and this garden appears to be somewhat central to the hill. So walk far enough in any direction. It's even to find the swamp point anywhere, but to the far east and the far south, will get you closest to just the open swamp area of the Heartmoor.

LIAM: They also, from my experience, appeared out of nowhere, so it stands to reason they might be able to disappear to nowhere as well.

TALIESIN: That's true.

LAURA: When they attacked where you're from, there was no ability that they had. Did anybody, afterwards, have trouble remembering them, or have trouble remembering any details about them?

LIAM: Well, I was right there, and I remember it like it--

LAURA: All right.

LIAM: -- was yesterday, so no.

LAURA: Okay, just ensuring that maybe Estani didn't get his mind altered in some way, in dealing with them. He seemed so straightforward that I didn't check. You know?

LIAM: Seems genuine. They appeared out of nowhere. When they were felled, they just melted away into nothing. Left us with nothing, and here we are at another dead end. Shit.

LAURA: Maybe the next step is to head to the Omen Archive, and see what the twins were in search of. I don't know if they were targeted because of that research or because of what they had. I mean, if the attackers took their belongings then it feels like something they had with them is what drew the attack.

LIAM: Yeah. Were they poking at something that somebody didn't want poked at?

LAURA: Why would they have attacked your people, though?

LIAM: I--

LAURA: Does your Voice of the Tempest, does she deal with anything celestial? The phases of the moon in any way?

LIAM: (sighs) Um.

LAURA: I mean, you have the tattoo on your arm. Do the Air Ashari study the moons?

LIAM: I mean, your first question, that's a little above my pay grade. This is personal.

LAURA: Oh, all right.

LIAM: No, I mean, she preoccupied herself with everything around our home, but if she had a focus there, she didn't share it with me.

MARISHA: You said they were transporting something, or they were trying to make-- when your people were attacked?

LIAM: No, they appeared in the heart of our home, our seat of power and it was-- It didn't last a minute. It didn't last half a minute.

ASHLEY: Did they just appear?

LIAM: They--

ASHLEY: Just (poof).

LIAM: They came down out of a very large tree.

LAURA: Maybe they can travel through plants. I've heard of people being able to do that.

LIAM: Yep.

TALIESIN: Seems weird.

ASHLEY: That seems so cool.

MARISHA: It's interesting. Yeah, because they keep falling out of trees.

TALIESIN: They keep snatch and grabbing.

ASHLEY: Well, I had a theory. The reason I was asking about her is because, what if they're trying to attack people that are Ruidusborn or something?

SAM: Hmm. Interesting.

ASHLEY: I mean, I don't know if that's anything, but--

SAM: Maybe.

TRAVIS: Until there's only one left?

SAM: (considering noises)

TRAVIS: Maybe there can only be one.

LAURA: Oh, yeah.

ASHLEY: Yes.

LAURA: That makes sense.

LIAM: You are high.

TRAVIS: That tree had some serious pollen in it. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Wow.

TRAVIS: Ah.

ASHLEY: Oh, I can see.

LAURA: Oh, yeah, it turned your tongue red.

ASHLEY: Yeah. (laughter)

TRAVIS: The Omen Archive, that was in Yios?

LAURA: Yeah, the city of Yios.

SAM: And where is that? Do we know? It's not on the map.

LAURA: It says it's south.

LIAM: No, it's further off.

MATT: It is much further south. It's in the realm of-- or it's in the center of Aeshanadoor. Specifically in the Gloomed Jungles of Aeshanadoor.

TRAVIS: The gloom?

MATT: The Gloomed Jungles of Aeshanadoor.

LIAM: Gloomed Jungles.

MATT: It is on the southeastern side of the continent of Marquet, on the opposite side, essentially, of Marquet as the Oderan Wilds, and you have to pass through the Hellcatch Valley to get there.

TRAVIS: Aeshanadoor.

SAM: All right, so before we come back and look through the telescope, is there anything else we need to do about town? For instance, do we need to plan for a heist? Do we need to get heist gear?

LAURA: We need to get some stuff.

TALIESIN: I would do that.

TRAVIS: Is the heist tomorrow, or the day after?

SAM: Tomorrow night.

TALIESIN: Tomorrow night.

TRAVIS: So we definitely got to thin out their numbers. So half of them need to die, right? Before--

SAM: Are they going to be heisting at the same time? I guess so, right?

TRAVIS: I think so.

LAURA: Are we going to be in a versus match? Who can get to the item the fastest?

MARISHA: I think so.

SAM: What if we get to the back door, and they're there? Do we need to, how do we--

TALIESIN: I think there's a starting line.

ASHLEY: We're taking something? We're taking something.

TALIESIN: We're going to be stealing something

LAURA: But we don't know what it is yet.

SAM: And we don't know the layout of the space.

TRAVIS: The other team is definitely Hutchin. The ones we met on the road.

SAM: For sure.

LAURA: Yeah, I think so.

MARISHA: Okay, so there was Hutchins who seemed... Seemed shifty.

TRAVIS: Silver dragonborn.

MARISHA: A roguish type, maybe.

TRAVIS: Yep. Tejana.

MARISHA: I don't know. I wonder what their deal was. Then there was that--

LAURA: A furless--

MARISHA: That firbolg. Oh, and then the tabaxi.

LIAM: Katari, yeah.

TRAVIS: Katari, hairless.

MARISHA: Katari!

SAM: A goblin? A firbolg? (laughter)

SAM: But we also don't-- the one who did the talking, Hutchin.

MARISHA: Uh-huh.

SAM: Might be the leader, or maybe not at all.

LAURA: Maybe she's just there like--

TRAVIS: The face.

LAURA: Fake speaker, yeah.

SAM: Maybe somebody else.

LAURA: Like you are for us, Chetney. You know, the face.

TRAVIS: Oh my god. (laughter) What a privilege.

SAM: You're imagining this. It's just the pollen.

TRAVIS: I got to step it up more. I've just been sitting back. Okay, I'll take the front seat from now on. Your interests are safe with (deeper) me. (laughter)

SAM: Do we need rope? Do we have rope?

LAURA: I have some rope.

TRAVIS: I have rope.

SAM: Do we have pitons? Patens?

TRAVIS: Mittens?

SAM: Putóns? Potons?

TRAVIS: What are they called?

SAM: Patowns?

TALIESIN: Spikes to go in walls.

MARISHA: Pytans? What are they?

MATT: No, I grew up calling them pytans. They're not pytans.

SAM: Poutans.

TRAVIS: What are they? They're really pitans?

MATT: I think they're pitons.

SAM: Pitons?

MATT: I think! I don't remember. I know, every time.

TRAVIS: I can't remember.

MATT: It's right in my brain.

TRAVIS: Let's just stay consistent.

TALIESIN: Wall knife! It's a wall knife.

ASHLEY: Tetons.

SAM: Do we need leather gloves, so we don't leave any fingerprints behind?

TALIESIN: They literally know we're going to be there.

LIAM: Yeah, not hiding evidence.

TALIESIN: We could stop for a selfie. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Can you not peel the skin off your fingers? (laughter)

TALIESIN: That's what the lime juice, if you just soak it.

LIAM: Every night you do it?

SAM: Do we need flash bangs?

TALIESIN: Flash bangs would be interesting. Darkness potion.

TRAVIS: We should see what stores are in this--

SAM: Yeah, let's just do a quick sweep.

MARISHA: Plus, we have to get limes.

SAM: Yeah, we totally do.

TALIESIN: You did that.

LAURA: Is there a store in town that we can find that might have some sort of magical goodies?

MATT: Glancing around and getting an overview of the town not too far from you, back in Etan's Square.

TRAVIS: Etan's Square. (laughter)

SAM: Place your bets?

TALIESIN: Heart.

LAURA: No, fuck you!

SAM: What'd you say, Taliesin?

TALIESIN: I said Heart.

TRAVIS: I got two bucks on Loonch.

TALIESIN: It's the first thing that died in me, so I figured--

SAM: Oh, here's my chalk.

MATT: Places that catch your attention. It was the place referred to as Mosscobble Wares.

TALIESIN: Ooh, mosh cobble.

MATT: Which looks to be a general, all around store, for tools, materials, and what the average traveler and person who lives here might need. There's also a place called Knot Forgotten, which looks more like an antique, knick-knack place.

LAURA: I'm going to go there.

MATT: Kinda old, kitchy.

LAURA: I'm just going to go antiquing!

MATT: There is a place called Witherbough Medicines. Witherbough Medicines, which is more of an apothecary.

LIAM: The one at the swap meet?

LAURA: Oh, cute. Oh my god! I love this town!

ASHLEY: Oh, this is pretty great.

LAURA: Seriously, Laudna, let's move here after everything.

MARISHA: Wash Cobble, Witherbound, and Knot Forgotten.

LIAM: It was Witherbough, what now?

LAURA: Weatherbound.

LIAM: Weatherbound?

MATT: Witherbough.

LIAM: Witherbough.

MATT: Witherbough Medicines.

LAURA: Witherbough.

LIAM: Medicines.

TALIESIN: Knot Forgotten. With a K?

LIAM: Two Ts?

TALIESIN: A K and two Ts?

MARISHA: They also sell knitting supplies. That sounds like one of those places.

LAURA: This place is great! I love it.

TALIESIN: It's like a swampy San Diego.

SAM: So what are we looking for? Potions? Gear?

TRAVIS: Who's going to the potion place?

TALIESIN: Let's just do three in a row. We don't need to split up. We'll have to split up the conversation anyway. We just do all three at once.

SAM: Three shopping scenes?

TALIESIN: Only one of these is clearly going to be a shopping thing. I think think the other two are just going to be--

SAM: Trying to spare Matt here?

TALIESIN: I think there's only one shopping scene in here, I think the other two are just--

MATT: It's your guys' game to play.

LIAM: It's not a big town.

TRAVIS: I'm going to the general store. Who's coming with?

SAM: Which one is that?

TRAVIS: Mosscobble Square.

ASHLEY: Same, I'm coming.

SAM: I thought it was Moshcobble.

MARISHA: I heard Washcobble.

TRAVIS: Open your ears.

TALIESIN: We're going to that one first, then we'll get to the interesting shit.

TRAVIS: All right, Fearne and I are going to the general store. Who's going to Knot Forgotten?

LAURA: Me!

TALIESIN: Me.

TRAVIS: Who else?

LIAM: Why are we splitting up?

TALIESIN: I don't know why.

TRAVIS: Who's going to Witherbough?

TALIESIN: It changes nothing!

LIAM: I'm going to Witherbough, too.

MARISHA: I'll go to Mosscobble.

TALIESIN: This just means you can't buy anything in two stores.

SAM: That's fine, it'll be great.

MARISHA: I don't know what's happening.

MATT: All right, well, let's begin with--

SAM: Speed round, speed round.

LAURA: Who should I make contact with?

SAM: What?

LAURA: You're going to the general store?

TRAVIS: I am, yeah.

LAURA: I'm going to keep contact with you, Laudna, in case there's anything cool at the general store.

MARISHA: All right.

LAURA: I'll let you know if I see anything nice that you might like it at the antique store.

MARISHA: All right, yes. If they have sticky boots, I want boots that let me walk on the walls.

LAURA: Ooh, you'd be able to creep out so many people!

MARISHA: I know!

LAURA: All right. I'll keep an eye out.

ASHLEY: That would be so cool.

MARISHA: I want them to so bad. I've only heard of them.

TALIESIN: No, I get it.

MATT: So, Mosscobble Wares, who all's going? Raise your hand.

SAM: I think that-- nope, I said Witherbough.

MATT: Okay. So the three of you approach, you find a fairly well-worn, but dependable looking, general store. Almost a woodsy barn-type exterior. It's just a large, detailed warehouse space when you walk in. It looks to be just rows and rows of all manner of tools and materials, construction, and repair materials. You can see what looks to be fishing goods, and just all things that the average denizen of this village might need to keep up with. There are a handful of folks wandering around and collecting things and looking it over. You do see a tall, broad, big smile, dark brown skin, gentleman with very short hair, and a cocked eyebrow, looks to you as you walk in, and goes, "Hi. Can I help ya?"

LAURA: (laughs) Damn, I missed him.

TRAVIS: Hello. We're new in town. Well, we seek supplies. First of all, the Mosscobble Inn. What's the one thing that the store is known for?

MARISHA: (laughs)

MATT: "The one thing? The one thing?"

TRAVIS: Top three, whatever you measure.

MATT: "(laughs) Oh-ho. We're definitely known for our potting materials. There is all manner of interest--"

ASHLEY: Party materials?

MATT: "Potting materials. The earth here is very rich and very ready to bring anything you want to plant to life. So we cultivate the finest of earthen pottery and all manner of foods and liquids that can be utilized to bring the finest of vegetation to vibrant life. We've got tools, we've got trowels, we've got rakes, whatever you want, we got 'em."

ASHLEY: That is so cool.

TRAVIS: I don't know if it's that cool. Do you have you have fishing materials? Do you have a spool of a fishing line?

MATT: "Yes, yes, we do. We have all types of fishing line. We got fishing poles, we got fishing hooks, we got bobbers, we got sinkers, we got magnets. I don't know why anybody wants those, they never quite worked well for me, but we got all kinds of things for you that could work."

TALIESIN: New age fish.

TRAVIS: We're going to catch whatever the fuck you saw. Okay. Can I get a spool of fishing line, a few hooks, and magnets, because you just happen to have, let's say three magnets. How many magnets do you have?

MARISHA: Are they strong magnets?

MATT: Pulls a shelf out from behind. "I got seven."

MARISHA: That could be a magnet for each of us.

ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

MARISHA: Maybe we should all have magnets.

TRAVIS: Four magnets.

MATT: "Four magnets."

ASHLEY: So we're getting, wait.

MATT: You hear (clacking).

LIAM: Literally the fishing mini game in every video game. (laughter)

MATT: They're like smooth ball bearings, but they're a little bit flat on different sides. They have a rounded look to them, but they do have two flat edges, and they're all stuck together. You can see he tries to pull them apart, like (grunts). "Ah, you'll figure it out."

ASHLEY: Are we also getting a rod?

TRAVIS: Do you want to get a rod?

ASHLEY: Well--

MATT: "Small spool or big spool?"

TRAVIS: Big spool.

ASHLEY: Biggest you have.

MARISHA: Big spool.

MATT: "All righty." Nice, big, thick cylinder.

ASHLEY: Because also--

MARISHA: What weight is this?

MATT: "Weight?"

MARISHA: Gauge? How much can it hold before it snaps?

SAM: Just buy it.

MATT: "It's fishing line. I don't--"

MARISHA: I'll take it.

TRAVIS: I appreciate your question.

LAURA: Laudna, in your head, you hear: Limes.

MARISHA: Oh! Limes.

MATT: "We got limes."

MARISHA: You've got limes?

MATT: "Couple of weird folks here really into limes, keep ordering it. All right, yeah, let me get it for you."

TRAVIS: Wait, wait. A lot of people order limes?

MATT: "There's a handful here."

TRAVIS: What? Why is that odd?

MATT: "I don't know."

ASHLEY: Limes are delicious.

MARISHA: How many limes do you have?

MATT: "I think three baskets full."

TRAVIS: This is the new chair. Did the fascination with limes begin recently? (laughter)

MARISHA: Are these imported limes?

TRAVIS: Is it an onset condition?

MATT: "It's the strangest thing. Limes normally don't grow here, but these past few months, there's just been--"

TRAVIS: Shut the fuck up.

MATT: "No, they're just limes. They grow on the north bank of the bog."

ASHLEY: This is something, this is something.

MARISHA: I thought it might have to do with Ruidus.

TRAVIS: Insight check.

TALIESIN: Ask him if the lime tree was planted under Ruidus.

MARISHA: Was the lime tree planted under Ruidus?

TALIESIN: Limes of destiny.

MATT: "Yes, and Catha, in the sky. What do you want from me? Do you want to buy limes or not?"

TRAVIS: Can I have a half dozen hooks?

ASHLEY: Yes.

MATT: "Half dozen hooks, all right."

MARISHA: And a dozen limes.

MATT: "A dozen limes. I'll get that for you right now."

ASHLEY: Do you have little fly-- What are those things called? Actually, I feel like I--

TRAVIS: Lures?

ASHLEY: -- have that in my collection.

TRAVIS: We can make lures.

ASHLEY: Oh, I have a few fishing flies--

TRAVIS: Do you have any first aid kits, health potions, anything of the mending variety? I know there's a medicine store, but we want to give them competition, right?

MATT: "Don't really do much in the way of potions, per se. But as far as a healer's kit, yeah, we've got a few of those on stock, if you want one of those."

TRAVIS: I'd take a healer's kit.

MATT: "All right, put that in the pouch there."

ASHLEY: And a rod, a rod.

MATT: "Fishing rod, all right, I can throw that in there. Sure, sure, sure."

MARISHA: And a bag of ball bearings.

MATT: "A bag of ball bearings."

MARISHA: Always good to have ball bearings.

TRAVIS: I know!

MARISHA: They're the best thing in D&D.

MATT: "All right. So we got all this here."

TRAVIS: Made out like bandits, y'all.

TALIESIN: There's a lot of useful shit you just bought.

ASHLEY: Yeah.

MATT: Yeah, it's great.

TALIESIN: I'm very impressed.

MARISHA: Ooh, oh. What about--

TRAVIS: Climbing equipment?

MARISHA: Sure. Yeah, sure.

TRAVIS: Do you have climbing equipment, harnesses?

MATT: "We got that."

TRAVIS: Pitons.

MARISHA: What about glass cutters?

SAM: Now you're getting niche.

TRAVIS: You know, because we--

MATT: "Why would you need--"

TRAVIS: Artisans. We make mosaic windows.

MARISHA: He's a master crafter.

TRAVIS: Mm-hmm.

MARISHA: An MC, if you will.

TRAVIS: It's lost art.

ASHLEY: Look at his hands.

MATT: Make a persuasion check.

TALIESIN: MC Chetney?

MARISHA: Do I get assistance because Chetney?

MATT: No.

MARISHA: Fuck. (laughter)

LIAM: You're a corpse.

MARISHA: Persuasion, you say?

LAURA: Corpse.

MATT: Mm-hmm.

MARISHA: 21.

MATT: Nice, he goes--

SAM: Whoa.

MATT: "No, I don't carry glass cutters."

MARISHA: Fuck.

TRAVIS: Dying art.

MATT: "That's a specialist tool. It's not really a general sales thing, and generally the purview of, you know, burglars and thieves, so."

TRAVIS: What?!

MARISHA: What?!

TRAVIS: Scoundrels!

ASHLEY: What did you say about burglars?

MATT: "I'm not making an assumption. I'm just saying that's why we don't carry them."

TRAVIS: Terrible.

MATT: "That's all it is. Ah, man."

ASHLEY: (lip buzz)

MATT: "All right."

MARISHA: People will ruin anything. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Oh, yeah, climbing equipment.

LIAM: All of this back to back.

MATT: "All right, so, all this, all in."

TRAVIS: Yep. Climbing equipment, four magnets, fishing spool, six hooks, 12 limes, healer's kit, and ball bearings.

MATT: Healer's kit--

TRAVIS: Boop, boop.

MATT: "Say all in, 10 gold."

TRAVIS: Boop. Done.

MARISHA: All right, I got it.

ASHLEY: I can pitch in, too.

MARISHA: How about five and five, halfsies?

ASHLEY: Let's do it.

LAURA: You should let Chetney cover it all. You hear in your head.

MARISHA: He's been paying so much here recently.

LAURA: He stole a lot of stuff.

TRAVIS: I have?

MARISHA: Have you? Do you want to pay?

TRAVIS: I mean, no, I--

MATT: "Anything else you require? You happy with your haul here?"

TRAVIS: Anything else we need? Do you have weapons?

MATT: "We have small utility knives and such, but--"

ASHLEY: Wait, were we supposed to get gloves?

TRAVIS: Were we?

ASHLEY: No, FCG was talking about it.

MATT: "We have gloves if you need them."

MARISHA: What is FCG going to do with gloves?

ASHLEY: I know, that's a good call.

TRAVIS: Like leather gloves, or other?

MATT: "Yeah. Work gloves? Sure."

TRAVIS: Yeah, we'll take two pairs of work gloves.

MATT: "All right. That's four silver."

TRAVIS: Fair enough.

MATT: "You got it."

MARISHA: With his feet.

MATT: "Work gloves? Here you go." Throws them on the stack.

TRAVIS: Got it. Okay. I think we're good.

MARISHA: Are the gloves free? You know, like you buy ten gold worth of supplies and you get free work gloves?

MATT: "No, they're four silver he just paid for them."

MARISHA: Oh shit.

ASHLEY: Do you have any stuff that you keep behind the counter for special special customers?

TRAVIS: Yeah, anybody put down a deposit and hasn't come back on that big ticket item in a while?

ASHLEY: We paid... for it.

SAM: You were going to say something.

MATT: "You want the shovel?"

TRAVIS: The shovel? An enchanted shovel?

MATT: "It's just a shovel."

TRAVIS: Oh. Do we need a shovel?

MARISHA: I don't know.

ASHLEY: (whispers) How much is it? (laughter) (laughter)

MATT: "It's three silver."

TRAVIS: I don't know, that looks like it's got some damage on it. (laughter)

SAM: Jesus.

ASHLEY: We don't need it. We don't need it.

MARISHA: Why do I want the shovel?

TRAVIS: I know!

MATT: "Okay, here's your shovel."

ASHLEY: We have a shovel. (cheering and laughter)

LAURA: You're just carrying a shovel on your back now.

MATT: Have to add that to the character art.

MARISHA: So much.

MATT: Just Fearne with a shovel from here on out in the campaign.

TRAVIS: Potting materials another time. I'm sure they're sublime.

ASHLEY: Wait, no. Laudna wanted the shovel. Maybe you can put the little yarn through it and wear it like a little--

MARISHA: Oh!

ASHLEY: Like a guitar. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Give it to me. I'll do an engraving on the handle. It'll be legit.

MARISHA: Put my name on it?

TRAVIS: (carving) (laughter)

MATT: It's like those shitty little baseball bat presents you get your kids with their name carved into it.

MARISHA: Little slugger, baby.

TRAVIS: (engraving) (laughter)

ASHLEY: Okay.

MATT: I had one of those.

MARISHA: Let's go meet up with the others.

TRAVIS: Thank you. Oh, did we get his name?

MARISHA: Oh, what's your name?

MATT: "Ify, Ify Mosscobble."

MARISHA: Ify?

TRAVIS: Ify Mosscobble.

TALIESIN: Oh, of the Mosscobble tool.

MATT: "Ah, you've heard of us. Good man."

TALIESIN: I'm not there, but yes.

MATT: Yes. "Mysterious voice in the air seemed to recognize me."

TRAVIS: Pleasure meeting you, if you see other able bodied, you know, groups coming through, be sure to overcharge them and be rude. Okay, thanks! (laughter)

MATT: "Leather gloves, asking about glass cutters. Don't do anything untoward," and he gives a wink.

TRAVIS: Artisans.

MATT: All right. Who all's going to Witherbough Medicines?

SAM: Witherbough is us.

LIAM: Orym and FCG.

MATT: All righty. Now, this is a little out the way, it's not quite center of Etan's Square. This is around the north, northeastern side of the square, and it's nestled between two homes. There's an alley that leads to the back, and in the alley, you can see decorated there are all these long pieces of rope that are hanging with laundry thrown over them, some of it, the laundry looks like it's just been forgotten there and it's starting to green and elements of moss and vine have taken root in some of it, and just adds this weird little section of forgotten swamp jungle that is overtaking the laundry cords. You head towards the back of this. You have to push through some of the scattered hanging strips of material. You can see there is a shack, legitimately just a straight shack that is built about 10, 15 feet into this alley, and on the front, you see the wooden sign that's a little crooked to one side that says Witherbough Medicines. There is no window, there is just a door. As you approach and push the door open on the inside, it is a very simple shack. There appears to be two stools set in the front. There is a counter, there is a door behind it that is closed, and you can see there, asleep, there is an older woman with deep, deep red skin, a bright graying hair with streaks of black that still exist in it, and these curled horns that turn upward and forward. This tiefling woman, in a relatively simple looking blouse, is just mid-nap.

LIAM: Excuse me.

MATT: "Hello."

LIAM: Sorry.

MATT: "Sorry, no, I'm sorry. I was just catching up on some sleep."

SAM: Well, that's fine. Everything-- Everything feels better after a good stasis, right?

MATT: "Of course, yes. I take it you are here to buy? What you looking for?"

LIAM: Well. Numerous things. I'm here to ask for a friend. She's having an issue. She looks like she might be cursed, and I don't know if you have anything, if you know anyone, or if you have anything that could help someone.

MATT: "Oh, I have something that could help you, yes."

LIAM: What is it?

SAM: What's that mean?

MATT: "Wait here just a moment." She turns around with this shifting speed that you're, whoa, she's immediately awake, rushes through the back door, (creaks, slams) closes it behind and leaves you both.

SAM: Okay, before you spend a whole bunch of money on this.

LIAM: I don't have any.

SAM: Oh, I don't have any either.

LIAM: Oh, cool.

SAM: I don't carry money. I mean, I have a little bit.

LIAM: Jump off that bridge when we get to it.

SAM: Sure, sure, sure.

LIAM: You were going to say?

SAM: I was going to say, I actually think I can help Imogen myself. So let's not break the bank on it.

LIAM: Okay, well, we'll see what they got. Maybe she went to get glass cutters.

SAM: Yeah.

MARISHA: (chuckles)

SAM: Maybe. What else do we need here, before she gets back? So we can present a united front.

MATT: (creaks) Door opens.

SAM: Oh shit. (laughter)

MATT: She returns and places this squat glass vial, shaped in this oblong, egg-almost design, with a very thin spout top that flares out slightly. It's tied in leather around the neck of the bottle and the leather straps on the bottom in four different places, and you can see it has a-- a somewhat tattered, burlap type material that is underneath the rope right around the base that just shreds as it coats the top of the bottle. The inside, it has this deep green-brown, brackish, opaque liquid that as she swirls it before sitting it on the table, it maintains the swirl and these odd textures and colors in the inside. "This here is an enchanted remedy that itself, when imbibed by an individual who has a minor curse, per se, it would absolve their body of this dark magic's influence."

SAM: How much does that? Insight check.

MATT: (laughs) Make an insight check.

SAM: Oh boy. Nope. Where's insight? It's gone. Oh, nine.

MATT: Nine.

MARISHA: "It's gone."

MATT: It's hard to tell. She seems like she's definitely running a business.

SAM: How much would it run? How much would it cost if we had-- Were going to purchase?

MATT: "Well, these materials are quite rare to bring together. This would be about 150 gold pieces."

SAM: That seems like a terribly reasonable price. We're also interested in items that-- Other sorts of potions or concoctions that might confuse or distract-- Or obscure.

LIAM: Or refresh.

SAM: Or refresh. I mean, we have a couple of those already, I think.

LIAM: I don't have anything like that.

SAM: You can have mine, if you want. But anyway. I'm just thinking about the task at hand. We might want to, you know, smoke and mirrors a little bit.

LIAM: Sure, Imogen can be blue for the night.

MATT: "I-- let me check."

SAM: When in with the moonlight, anyway.

MATT: "Some of the things you inquire about, I just recently sold out of, but let me look."

SAM: They got here first!

MARISHA: They came here fucking first!

MARISHA: Assholes!

ASHLEY: Wow. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Do not worry, we have fishing rods. (laughter)

TALIESIN: We got fishing wire.

TRAVIS: Yes.

LIAM: But--

SAM: "Sorry, I just sold all my fishing rods, Hutchin." (laughter)

LIAM: "I'm out of limes."

MARISHA: Yeah. (laughter)

TALIESIN: We have plums. (laughter)

TALIESIN: Oh, it's the worst joke, so sorry. God.

MATT: She returns and says, "I do have, at my disposal, two such bottles of refreshing healing enchantment two such bottles of refreshing healing enchantment as what you were inquiring about."

LIAM: Those look like things I've used before?

MATT: They do. The coloration's a little different, but you definitely can see a similar consistency that reminds you of the healing potions that you've utilized in your past history.

LIAM: I'd be the easiest person to swindle. Is that real, though? Not pointing at these two. Is this real? Do you know?

SAM: I can-- I'll look, I'll just look and see if these look like healing potions I've seen before, Matthew.

MATT: Yeah, make an investigation or arcana check.

SAM: Can I guide myself?

LIAM: Yes.

LAURA: Yeah.

SAM: Okay, Guidance.

LIAM: And the other one. The-- The thing for Imogen.

SAM: Sure. I'll just look at all of them. Is that three different rolls? What is that?

MATT: Hmm? You're looking at that one.

SAM: I'm going to look at the healing potions right now.

MATT: Okay.

SAM: Oh my lord. What am I rolling?

TRAVIS: So high?

MATT: Investigation or arcana, your choice.

SAM: God, oh wait, why does it say advantage? Why does it say advantage? It says advantage on intelligence checks made to reveal information about an object that you can see?

MATT: Yep.

SAM: Oh.

MATT: So you have advantage on that. (laughter)

MARISHA: What?

SAM: Whoa, that's amazing. one of which appears to be of the baseline variety and one that is a slightly greater variety.

SAM: Okay. These are real.

LIAM: What about that one?

SAM: Okay, I'll look at that one, too. The other one, the first one that she brought out.

MATT: Okay.

SAM: Guidance. Advantage.

TALIESIN: I'd like to think you say this out loud.

SAM: 20.

MARISHA: Guidance!

MATT: That is an Elixir of Remove Curse.

SAM: Okay.

MATT: It does indeed remove a curse.

LIAM: 150 gold, I got about 40.

SAM: We went shopping with no money.

LIAM: We located it, but you think that you-- I'm sorry. Excuse us for one moment. You think that you can--

SAM: I actually think that I can handle Imogen. She and I have a special bond and I just feel like--

LIAM: I could tell right away.

SAM: Yeah. I just feel like we can-- I feel like I'll be able to take care of her. If not, we'll come back here tomorrow, when we are rich from our heist.

LIAM: Can I leave a seven silver deposit-- (laughter)

LIAM: -- on this one?

TRAVIS: Oh boy.

LIAM: Just to hold it for 24 hours.

SAM: This is on the Remove Curse ones?

LIAM: Yes.

MATT: "Certainly, I can hold that for you, yes."

LIAM: That's silly. Take one platinum.

SAM: (muffled confusion)

TRAVIS: That's a dumb plan!

SAM: We need that.

LAURA: Great job.

LIAM: That's the deposit.

MATT: "Very well. What is your name?"

SAM: You said seven silver before, seemed to be working just fine.

LIAM: Aah...

TRAVIS: (laughs)

MATT: "What is your name?" (laughter)

LIAM: Orym, Orym.

TALIESIN: This is amazing.

LAURA: That's silly, let me give you more.

LIAM: I don't want to lose it.

SAM: I understand, but as I said--

MATT: "This will be held in your name."

SAM: I'm pretty sure I can take care of this.

MATT: "I do have one more of these." Pulls forward this--

SAM: Oh, what's this?

MATT: -- this wrapped leather pouch. It looks like it's tightly bound. It looks like a small pillow. It's like a slightly square but soft at glance, leather wrapped with a strap around it. She picks it up. It has a bit of a give or a squish to it. "This is known as a tanglefoot bag."

SAM: Ah.

MATT: "Last one we have."

SAM: That sounds good. How much is that?

MATT: "This would be 30 gold pieces."

LAURA: That's it?

TRAVIS: Come on, yeah.

SAM: This one, I think we could actually use it. It can trip people up who are in pursuit or possibly--

LIAM: Last one you had, did those just get scooped up?

MATT: "A few of them, yes."

SAM: Good to know, anyway.

TRAVIS: Tanglefoot bag?

MATT: Mm-hmm.

LIAM: How do you use it?

MATT: "Oh, you remove this top leather portion and then throw it--"

LIAM: Okay.

MATT: "-- with enough force that the contents of the bag spill outward. They expand rather rapidly and create a very sticky substance within the vicinity."

LIAM: Okay, okay.

ASHLEY: It's like getting inked in Mario Kart.

LAURA: Is this going to be a robber race? Are we going to be running against them?

TALIESIN: If they're trying to get away with the stuff.

SAM: It can muck up their-- Their adventure.

LIAM: This was 30?

MATT: "Indeed."

LIAM: You sure you can handle, Imogen?

SAM: I'm going to say 100%.

TALIESIN: That's a 50%.

LIAM: I'll just put down two more platinum and I'll buy the tanglefoot bag instead.

MATT: "Very well."

SAM: Instead of the deposit?

LIAM: Yeah.

MATT: "Very well."

SAM: Our friend who was here before, Hutchin-- Right? Can you tell us, so we don't double buy, can you tell us what she purchased? (laughter)

LIAM: Yep.

MATT: Make a deception check.

MARISHA: Come on!

TALIESIN: I believe in you.

LIAM: I will assist.

SAM: You'll assist?

LIAM: Yeah, I'm smiling.

MATT: How do you assist?

LIAM: I'm smiling.

MATT: You assist by smiling? (laughter)

LIAM: Look at this!

TRAVIS: Look at his smile! (laughter)

MATT: Sure. (laughter)

SAM: Oh, 20.

MARISHA: Assist by smiling.

MATT: 20. "I don't recall this name."

SAM: Silver dragonborn.

MATT: "Yes, yes, no, I spoke with your friend earlier. What did you--"

SAM: I just-- We all split up on our shopping mission today and I don't want to double buy something that she already purchased, so can you just inventory me real quick what she she got here?

MATT: She starts looking at one of the previous pages.

MARISHA: Amazing.

MATT: "So there was three tanglefoot bags. There were two smoke bombs. There was--"

MARISHA: We're going to get our asses kicked.

MATT: "-- handful of potions of healing, much like these before you."

LIAM: Smoke bombs, that's so Hutchin.

MATT: "There was one-- The only one I had of a vial of Gaseous Form."

TALIESIN and LIAM: Oh...

MARISHA: Shit...

LAURA: That's so smart!

MARISHA: So they can go in small places.

SAM: Thank you so much for your help and for helping our friends earlier. I hope you showed them as good customer service as you showed us today.

TRAVIS: God...

MATT: "They were quite delightful."

SAM: Yeah, thank you so much, you've been-- Your name, again, was?

MATT: "Oh, my name is Timma."

SAM: Timma?

MATT: "Yes. I am the proprietor of the The Witherboughs."

SAM: Well, hey, why don't you-- Why don't you go back to your nap? Because I think we're all done here. Thank you so much.

MATT: "I shall. Thank you very much."

TALIESIN: For the final...

LIAM: Tanglefoot bag.

TRAVIS: ♪ Knot forgotten ♪

LIAM: Okay.

TRAVIS: ♪ Knot forgotten ♪

TALIESIN: I have so little money, but it'll still be funny.

TRAVIS and MARISHA: ♪ Secret tunnel ♪

TALIESIN: (snorts)

MARISHA: ♪ Secret ♪

TRAVIS: ♪ Tunnel ♪

MATT: Is there anything else people were doing?

LAURA: Oh, yes, we were going to Knot Forgotten.

MATT: You're going to Knot Forgotten, okay.

TALIESIN: Oh, yeah!

SAM: You forgot.

TALIESIN: You tripled us, this is what happened.

MATT: Okay and that's just the two of you?

LAURA: Yes.

TALIESIN: Mm-hmm.

MATT: Okay, so you head into a very quaint looking older homestead here. It looks like it was a house that's been retrofitted now to be essentially an antique and knick-knack store. As you go-- The roof has beautiful wood, scrolling designs, like the Victorian roof detailing on the outside. It very much resembles like the grandma cabin you would rent in Big Bear. It is--

LAURA: (laughs)

TRAVIS: Yeah.

MATT: -- very sweet. Upon stepping inside, it is cluttered as fuck! The shelves are filled front to back with all sort of tiny little carved wooden shapes and people. You can see little porcelain designs. You can see tiny doll house furniture. It is very much a knick-knack antique store. To the very back, you see-- I mean, it is empty. There is nobody else in this establishment and in a rocking chair to the back of the chamber, you can see in the process of knitting themselves, an older dwarf woman with sun-scarred skin. You can see the sun damage across the forehead and nose. Beyond that, just tan from a life outdoors. Simple clothing, her hair a deep, deep brown with streaks of white across the sides. She has this long chin tuft of matching hair that itself is braided down and occasionally, as she's knitting, she has to knock it out of the way because it keeps getting stuck in her knit before she looks up. "Oh, hello. Can I help you?"

LAURA: Yes. And I'm going to open my mind and just hear her thoughts as they come in.

MATT: Her thoughts are, "Well, this is quite nice. Ain't anyone come in here in quite some time. Good to see some faces, don't recognize them, though." Wish to go deeper?

LAURA: Not just yet.

MATT: (laughs)

LAURA: Not just yet. We are new to town.

TALIESIN: We're new to town.

LAURA: We're just wondering. This shop just seems so fabulous and wonderful, yeah.

TALIESIN: Amazing, just so much stuff and so much oof it's so unique.

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: "Oh, well, most of it's handmade."

TALIESIN: Really?

MATT: "Yeah, yeah."

LAURA: Now, a lot of this, it looks like maybe it was previously owned, some of it, or was this all made by you?

MATT: "Some of it was previously owned and then was brought back when the folks didn't need it anymore. Some of it was friends of mine. Some of it's just things I carried along with me through the years and one day it'll find a home."

LAURA: Have you ever procured anything or had anything returned that was enchanted, or--?

MATT: "Oh, well many of these pieces are enchanting, most definitely."

LAURA: Anything special comes to mind?

MATT: "Oh, yes. Depends on what kind of stuff you're looking for. Do you want bright decor? Do you like cherub and childlike designs? Are you thinking--" (laughter)

MATT: "-- of like a--" (laughter)

TRAVIS: Oh my god.

MATT: "Specifically, soldiers and toys for the little boys, or you looking for candle holders?"

TALIESIN: Actually, toys are-- That's very interesting, you see we have friends that-- Well, we like to play practical jokes. We're very, very big into practical jokes. We like, just poking each other on occasion, something funny and they also were new into town. We all came into town together and we're looking for something particularly unusual that sometimes something that startles, surprises, is interesting, something to catch them unawares, maybe or like--

LAURA: Maybe one of these little clown dolls would do it. (laughter)

TALIESIN: They pop out of-- I mean, it looks like it used to pop out of-- Let's, no, that doesn't work anymore. I'm going to put that...

MARISHA: (laughs)

MATT: "You want one of these specific clowns? I can do that, yeah."

LAURA: Well, do you have anything that--

TALIESIN: Magical in nature, maybe, super surprising. Unusual, very old.

MATT: "Certainly, there's a piece in particular that was designed by my... trainer before me, who was quite the master of toy making himself. Let me just rummage--"

LAURA: What was his name?

MATT: "Oh, his name was Oltgar."

LAURA: Oltgar.

TALIESIN: Is that true? Sorry. (laughs)

LAURA: Yeah, Otgar or Okgar?

MATT: "Oltgar."

LAURA: Yeah... (laughter)

MATT: O-L-T-G-A-R.

TALIESIN: It's like Starbucks, just go for it.

LAURA: Yeah.

TALIESIN: Come on.

MATT: "I'm going to be honest. He was a cutthroat little dick who almost ruined my business."

ASHLEY: Oh.

LAURA: Oh!

SAM: (laughs)

MATT: "Just picked up and left out, went to [inaudible] and here's what I do. But his work was good, to say the least."

TALIESIN: Well, I'm always excited. Places like this, everything is interesting. There's always something very special.

MATT: "Do you want something spooky?"

TALIESIN: Yeah! Mess me up.

MATT: "Okay. All right. So there were six of these that I had commissioned and there was one that was left behind and it's particularly creepy."

TALIESIN: Oh, that fucker.

MATT: Goes back and opens a box and pulls it out. This marionette--

LAURA: Ew!

MATT: That she draws out. It's hanging limp in her arms. It's maybe about, tip of feet to top of head, about a foot and a half, almost two feet long. It has this harlequin look to it. But the porcelain face is featureless, just white, except for these wide eyelid-less eyes that just look straight forward. The bells shake.

LAURA: Laudna would love it.

TALIESIN: She would fucking die.

LAURA: Oh my gosh, I mean--

MATT: She pulls it forward, the head--

TALIESIN: Again.

MATT: -- limps to the side and...

LAURA: How much is that?

MATT: "Oh, well, I've been trying to get rid of it for some time. I'll be happy to part with it for five silver."

LAURA: I love, yeah.

TALIESIN: It's on the table. Got any other--

LAURA: Is that magic in anyway? That's just--

MATT: "Oh, I certainly hope not." (laughter)

ASHLEY: We'll name her Annabelle. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Oh god.

LAURA: Wow.

TRAVIS: No, thank you.

TALIESIN: I mean, this is great. I'm amazed. Do you have anything else that's interesting in this way? Either spooky or--

LAURA: Just cradle her in my arm facing toward.

MATT: "That's upsetting."

TALIESIN: Perfect, wonderfully upsetting practical joke material. Like something that makes noise? Something that flashes, makes light or like, you know?

LAURA: Oh, yeah, what about a jack in the box? Maybe a delayed sort of situation.

MATT: "I can find something like that, got music boxes. We got some jack in the whosits sort of circumstances I can look into it, hold on." She gets up and walks over to one of the shelves. There's something so delightfully disturbing about glancing over and seeing Liam just like intently sucking on his ring pop while staring at me.

LIAM: Look out your window tonight. (laughter)

MATT: I've had this club night. (laughter)

MATT: How you doin'?

TALIESIN: Three floors up, you must be very tall. (laughter)

TALIESIN: Scare me! (laughter)

TRAVIS: Okay.

MATT: All right. Comes back with this dark, stained wooden music box, looks very simple. She goes ahead and you can see this little, metallic crank in the side. (cranking and winding) Then lets it go and it just slowly begins to open, you hear this (chimes) As it slowly opens up, you can see the metallic gears and inner workings of the music box. There's this smaller, obsidian box on the inside and as it opens up and opens up and opens up, the music plays, plays, and the music stops. (pop)

LAURA and ASHLEY: Oh!

MATT: It leaps out. (laughter)

ASHLEY: It fucking worked. (laughter)

MATT: The lid pops and you see emerging from it, a large, cartoonish, after you get past the adrenaline burst, almost a devil face with these large curved horns that curve outward into the sides. These brightly painted eyes. One's a little bit off to the right. It just emerges on a spring and shakes for a second there.

LAURA: That's lovely.

TALIESIN: I'm just-- That's amazing.

LAURA: I bet that would really do the job.

TALIESIN: Oh, that's great. That's great. I think we'll take that, too.

MATT: "This would be a gold piece."

LAURA: Oh wow.

MATT: "I'm just happy to get rid of this stuff that nobody else here buys."

LAURA: I've got that.

MATT: "You got some really interesting taste, I got to say."

LAURA: All right.

TALIESIN: You have an amazing collection here. It's truly spectacular.

MATT: "Thank you, tell your friends."

TALIESIN: Oh.

LAURA: What is your name again?

MATT: "Oh, sorry, my name is Zadro."

LAURA: Adro?

MATT: "Zadro."

LAURA: Zadro, sorry about that.

MATT: "It's okay, Zadro Ichlen."

TALIESIN: It's absolute bloody pleasure. This is great.

LAURA: Is there any-- Anything truly magical in your possession that you know of?

MATT: "Oh, you mean like magical."

TALIESIN: Yeah.

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: "Not really my purview. Sorry, I just make toys."

TALIESIN: Or a little dangerous. A little dangerous, our friends are kind of tough. So we occasionally-- I show the hammer. Sometimes a bit of...

LAURA: Oh, oh! Do you have anything specifically wood chiseled?

TALIESIN: Oh, yeah.

MATT: "Most of these things are wood chiseled."

LAURA: Oh.

MATT: "That's how I made a lot of these things. That's how that, that marionette I gave you, I chiseled myself."

LAURA: Oh.

TALIESIN: Genius.

LAURA: I can't wait to show it to Chetney. I bet he'll really enjoy it.

TALIESIN: Dangerous ring a bell on anything or--

LAURA: Dangerous, oh, yeah, I am listening to her thoughts. So on the dangerous thing, do I hear anything?

MATT: You mean surface thoughts? She's going through like, "Dangerous. Well, you know, if you drop some of these things, they're going to break and then cut your foot up if you step on it."

TALIESIN: I think we're good. Oh, so jacks, do you have any of those classic jacks games with the ball?

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: "Oh, yeah, no, we, we got some of those. One of them, actually, that's a little dangerous now that you point it out, yeah, yeah. Let me get that for you." She has another toy box over here and moves alongside some of these stuffed animal elements and then pulls out a box of spiky metal toy bits. and then pulls out a box of spiky metal toy bits.

TALIESIN: Man, I love a choking hazard, all right.

MATT: "That's a silver piece for those."

TALIESIN: Silver piece and, oh, that's two silver pieces. You're magical. Thank you.

MATT: "No, thank you."

TALIESIN: We'll be back. That was amazing.

LAURA: Yeah, I do have someone that I think will really enjoy meeting you.

MATT: "Okay."

TALIESIN: I love this place.

MATT: "Take care."

TALIESIN: Score. Score.

MATT: All right. So now that you've all done your odd bits of shopping here.

SAM: Jeez, I'm sorry, Matt.

MATT: No, why are you apologizing?

TALIESIN: I got a plan.

MATT: This is silly shit, man.

TRAVIS: Yeah, catch some fish.

ASHLEY: That was amazing, though.

LIAM: Is there a botanist in town, though? (laughter)

MATT: It's one of those people that only does eBay. (laughter)

MATT: All right, so you all gather up at the tavern where you had set your rooms. I assume, unless you had another place you'd prefer to meet up.

TALIESIN: No, that sounds great.

MATT: All right. What else would you like to plan before the day is yours? It is starting to get close to sunset. Now that you guys have gone--

LAURA: Oh, we should gather up and go--

MARISHA: Yes.

SAM: Go look through the telescope-y?

TALIESIN: I'm so excited.

ASHLEY: Me too.

MARISHA: Maybe we can grab a quick bite to eat.

TALIESIN: Or a little bite.

TRAVIS: We are going by the Sodden Grange Inn. Might not hurt to know where our competitors are staying.

LAURA: Oh, yeah.

TRAVIS: In relation to us.

LAURA: Well, they said that she probably would-- They wouldn't stay at the Sodden Grange Inn when we asked about it in the...

TALIESIN: I think they did say that.

SAM: We asked about Evon Hytroga.

LAURA: Yeah, I think that's--

SAM: No, that's their.

LAURA: Evon Hytroga is one of the people in the group or something.

SAM: No, she hired the group.

TRAVIS: Yeah.

LAURA: Mmm...

SAM: But they're probably staying with her.

MATT: Evon Hytroga, actually, is the owner of the museum that you met.

LIAM: Is the flamboyant.

LAURA: Oh.

SAM: Oh, I'm sorry. I'm thinking of--

MATT: Isha Sabanis.

SAM: Isha Sabanis?

MATT: Yes, that's the one who hired them.

SAM: -- the competitor burglar.

LAURA: Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. So we haven't actually asked about the group.

SAM: No.

LAURA: We just asked about her.

SAM: We asked about her, but I assume they're staying with her.

LAURA: You don't know. Maybe--

SAM: I don't know.

LAURA: -- she's not very kind.

SAM: All right, you want to ask the front desk?

TRAVIS: Sure.

TALIESIN: Do it.

TRAVIS: Hey!

LAURA: There goes our face.

MATT: Dobby turns.

TRAVIS: Greetings! Some of our friends may have come through here. Silver dragonborn, tall female firbolg.

MATT: "Yeah, well, no?"

TRAVIS: No? Male goblin, a male katari, no hair.

MATT: "Don't think I've seen those folks come through here, sorry."

TRAVIS: Silver dragonborn, though?

MATT: "No."

TRAVIS: No? Insight check.

MATT: Make an insight check.

TRAVIS: 17. No, more than that, jesus. 19.

MATT: 19?

SAM: Oh boy.

LAURA: Mm! Oh, they got paid.

TRAVIS: This is, like, my third whisper this campaign.

LAURA and ASHLEY: They got paid.

TALIESIN: You've got the marionette?

LAURA: I do.

TALIESIN: All right.

SAM: He found his insight check stat very easily on D&D Beyond, is all I'm saying.

LAURA: For sure, yeah.

MARISHA: Which you did not do earlier. Which you lost your insight.

SAM: But I was looking at D&D Beyond either way.

MARISHA: (laughs) Oh.

TALIESIN: We're going to go full-on Batman villain.

TRAVIS: I understand.

TALIESIN: It's going to be great.

TRAVIS: There's so many people that come through a place like this. You know, I was wondering, do you know of anywhere that we might be able to find some food? I'll slide a gold across the top of the desk. I sure would like to be able to find our friends.

TALIESIN: Should have made it a copper.

MATT: "I think you might be mistaken. I haven't seen anyone like that."

TRAVIS: Oh. Oh. Oh, butterfingers! I'll just take this back. Thank you. (laughter) Thank you for your help. So much, it is appreciated. Ta-ta.

MATT: "Mm-hmm."

TRAVIS: Follow me. They're staying in this fucking place.

SAM: They're staying here?

TRAVIS: He's hiding something.

LAURA: Oh, we should read his thoughts.

SAM: Well, which is it? I mean, they're definitely here, or--?

TRAVIS: Yeah, he was being-- He was being shady.

SAM: Mm-hmm.

TRAVIS: I don't know why. But do you know what that means? We got to clear all of these rooms. In the dead of night, we kill everybody inside.

ASHLEY: Okay.

TRAVIS: It's the only way to be sure.

LAURA: Detect Thoughts on Dobby.

MATT: On Dobby? Okay. You catch-- The surface thoughts of Dobby's brain are more-- Are not-- Nothing to worry, more just like, "Oh, I'm sad there's some competitive forces around here. Well, paid me well enough to keep it alone."

SAM: Hm.

LAURA: Go ask again. Go ask again.

TRAVIS: Why?

LAURA: Because I'm reading his thoughts, Chet.

TRAVIS: Oh, and if I ask again that'll do it? Or do I have to--

LAURA: I might be able to hear his answers.

TRAVIS: Oh, okay. Oh, sorry, just one more thing. I need to leave something for our friend, that beautiful silver-- You haven't seen them yet. But I'd like to leave a package with you, if that's all right. That way, you can just-- If you happen to see them, you can make sure that they get it.

MATT: "I can hold onto something, yes."

TRAVIS: There's a silver dragonborn, a hairless katari, a goblin, and a firbolg. Just picture them in your dome.

MATT: "Why?"

TRAVIS: Chet, ask what room they're in.

TRAVIS: He said they're not-- They're not staying here.

LAURA: How do you know? You hear in your head. Not out loud, by the way.

MATT: (laughs)

TRAVIS: If you were to give four hypothetical rooms away, what vacancies might you have this evening?

MATT: "I apologize." (laughter)

MATT: "I'm not at liberty to discuss other people who choose to stay here."

TRAVIS: May or may not choose to stay here.

LAURA: Am I hearing anything in his thoughts as Chet is--

MATT: You get the sense there's a little bit of frustration-- (laughter)

MATT: -- in the mind. A hint of, "This guy is not getting the hint." (laughs) All you see-- There's no specifics, just trying to, "Why is this guy so interested? This is probably exactly, exactly why they don't want to be found."

LAURA: Okay.

TRAVIS: How we doing?

LAURA: It's not working.

MATT: You can push deeper if you want.

LAURA: No, he'll know.

TRAVIS: I see I'm making you uncomfortable. I have that effect. Guns.

TALIESIN: (wheezes)

TRAVIS: Thank you, have a nice day.

MARISHA: (laughs) He just says, "Guns"? (laughter)

SAM: Nothing cooler. (laughter)

MATT: Gives you a nod. He gestures with the pipe and doesn't seem offended by anything, but more just holding his ground.

SAM: Maybe I should go ask.

LAURA: Maybe. (laughter)

LAURA: Yeah, he... He wasn't going to give anything up. It's weird, though. When you asked about it, he didn't even think about their room number.

ASHLEY: That's weird.

LAURA: I know, right? Usually when you bring it up, people are like, "Oh, I shouldn't tell them room five."

ASHLEY: "Don't say the number that's in my head."

LAURA: "Don't say five, don't say five."

MATT: It's almost like mind reading is not an easy out to every information you can find.

LAURA: Sure.

TRAVIS: We're going to have to be on our guard.

LAURA: Who said that to me?

TRAVIS: Heavily defend our position.

MATT: Your conscience.

TRAVIS: Or stay somewhere else. That's what I'd do. You know, open them up in the middle of the night.

SAM: Well, we should protect ourselves at night for sure in case they come looking for us.

TRAVIS: Mm-hmm.

SAM: We should also sniff around the hotel, just in case. But for now, we need to go look through a telescope.

LAURA: Dobby, sir?

SAM: Oh, boy.

MATT: "Mm-hmm."

SAM: She's still on it.

LAURA: Well, I just want to make sure, obviously, other people that are-- May or may not be staying around this area have asked to not be found. That's a given.

MATT: "That's not an uncommon thing around these parts."

LAURA: But did anybody come sniffing around asking about us?

MATT: "Not particularly."

ASHLEY: Not particularly?

MATT: "No, no one's--"

ASHLEY: So maybe just a little?

MATT: "No one asked any questions about someone like you."

LAURA: All right.

ASHLEY: Well, maybe you should keep your mouth shut-- (laughter)

ASHLEY: -- about us. Do you catch my drift?

LAURA: Give him a gold--

MATT: Make an intimidation check.

LAURA: Or you're just going to intimidate him.

ASHLEY: I'll just intimidate. I'll try that first.

LIAM: You want to catch these hands. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Mm-mm.

TRAVIS: (laughs)

ASHLEY: Five. I pull out a piece of gold. I'm just going to put this-- Slide it right across to you, right in front of you.

MATT: He looks at it and looks back at you, takes another puff.

MARISHA: I sweeten the deal with a lime. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Those are-- I mean, you know those are hard to come by here.

MATT: Make a persuasion check. (laughter)

MARISHA: Me?

LIAM: Yeah.

MARISHA: I gave the lime, not the gold.

ASHLEY: Guidance.

MARISHA: Guidance?

SAM: Nope.

ASHLEY: No, I have it.

SAM: Oh, you have Guidance?

ASHLEY: I have Guidance.

SAM: You're a cleric?

MARISHA: What?

ASHLEY: I have Guidance.

LAURA: Amazing.

SAM: Okay, great.

MARISHA: What do you-- What do I-- Is that a d4? What do I got?

MATT: You add a d4.

LAURA: d4, you add a d4.

ASHLEY: You add a d4.

MARISHA: That's your Guidance. Oh. Wait, what am I doing, persuasion? (laughter)

MARISHA: (stutters) 21.

LAURA: Ooh!

MARISHA: 22.

MATT: "So it's a mighty fine lime."

MARISHA: I know. (laughter)

ASHLEY: It's even ripe, right now. You can have it, juicy.

TRAVIS: So who else is dying? Goddamn it.

MATT: Scoops the gold and the lime over the table.

LIAM: A show about a lime.

MATT: "I didn't see anything. (puffs)"

MARISHA: (excited panting) Yes.

TRAVIS: All right, so we're going to look through a telescope? Do all of us need to go for that?

LAURA: Only if you want to.

LIAM: I don't think you want to miss--

SAM: Do you want to do something else?

TRAVIS: I mean, it's a telescope. How fucking exciting can it be?

TALIESIN: I spent like seven years of my life thinking that that red moon was made of cheese. I'm very excited about this.

TRAVIS: Cool, you can all report back. I'm going to keep a lookout.

LAURA: Hey, Chet.

TRAVIS: Yeah?

LAURA: There is a store here where Ashton and I went. It's a toy shop. Now we thought it was an antique shop.

TRAVIS: I'm sorry?

LAURA: But it is a toy store. The woman there whittles her own wooden toys.

TALIESIN: She's a whittler.

LAURA: And I'm just going to reach over you here, Fearne. And--

ASHLEY: Wait, did you finish this?

TALIESIN: I think she might have killed a man.

LAURA: It's a used Ring Pop and--

SAM: In a bag of Fritos?

LAURA: And some old Fritos. (laughter)

ASHLEY: I was just seeing if--

LIAM: That's a weirdly--

ASHLEY: -- there was some leftover Fritos.

LIAM: -- in-character thing to say.

SAM: How discrete.

MARISHA: That's very Fearne.

LAURA: I just wanted to-- (laughter)

LIAM: (like Fearne) I'm just going to have a couple licks. (laughter)

LAURA: Yeah.

SAM: (like Fearne) Ooh, it's salty, though. (laughter) From the Fritos. (laughter)

ASHLEY: You guys know I'll eat anything.

LAURA: Yeah, you should check her out. I just--

TRAVIS: Remove the competition?

LAURA: Well, no, I'm not saying kill her, Chetney.

SAM: Or fall in love!

LAURA: I'm saying you might have a lot in common with her. Maybe you can discuss, I don't know, technique.

TRAVIS: What was the name of the store?

LAURA: Knot Forgotten.

TRAVIS: You said they were hand chiseled?

LAURA: Yeah.

TRAVIS: I'll be sure to stop by.

LAURA: All right.

TALIESIN: Be careful. She could fuck you up.

SAM: He'll murder her.

LAURA: Don't kill her, Chet.

TRAVIS: Why would I kill her?

LAURA: I don't know.

TRAVIS: Why'd you go dark?

LAURA: You just--

MARISHA: (laughs)

LAURA: I don't know.

TRAVIS: (ominously) I'll pay a visit. (laughter)

ASHLEY: It's so ominous.

TRAVIS: But I'm going to keep an eye out. I might post up on the roof, find a way to skitter up, and then--

ASHLEY: Whoa.

TRAVIS: -- just keep an eye out. So if anybody's coming or going, I can clock them like a hawk.

LAURA: From the toy store?

TRAVIS: No, from the-- The inn!

TALIESIN: So you're not going to the toy store?

TRAVIS: I don't know. You don't need to know my itinerary. (laughter) What I need to do will be quick.

LAURA: All right, well, when you're done... (laughter)

TALIESIN: I can't even look at you.

TRAVIS: It could be any number of things. You don't know me. (laughter)

TALIESIN: How much could there be?

SAM: We're going to go to a fucking telescope. (laughter)

TALIESIN: I want see a cheese moon.

MATT: Okay.

ASHLEY: I finish going through the trash. (laughter) Definitely a trash panda.

MATT: There you go, yeah. You can gather a few fun things in your pocket you think you can save for later.

ASHLEY: Oh yeah.

LIAM: We depart.

MATT: You head back over to Blue Herald's Ridge to the outside of the Mosslight Manor, where there waiting for you is Professor Roe Estani once more. "Come on in. It seems the time is right to show you what I wanted to. I think you'll be quite interested to see it." Leads you inside. The sun at this point has now been set for the better part of an hour or so, and the night sky begins to release the hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of stars above. There, you see Catha itself still moving from one side of the sky, and the red, round Ruidus still visible across the way, slowly arcing over time. He takes you back to the observatory chamber and leads you atop the uppermost platform. He gets underneath and does some tweaks, shifts over and grabs and turns a large ratchet. You see it shift a little bit with this heavy, screeching (grinds) Stops, goes and checks it again. Makes some more tweaks. (grinds) You see it shift a little more. Closer there. "Perfect. Who would like to look?"

TALIESIN: I'll go first if no one-- Oh, unless someone--

LAURA: No, no, no, go ahead.

TALIESIN: Okay, I'm doing it. What-- I don't actually know ho this works. What do you--?

MATT: Make a perception check.

TALIESIN: That's a 15.

MATT: 15. You glance through, and you can see now. Its frame is a little bit to the right, but you can see the round visage of Ruidus. You've seen it in the sky. But here, you can see there's all manner of unique textures across it, brighter lines, darker lines. It almost seems to have this soft, reddish glow to it that you've noticed in the sky, but now, you can see bands and differences. There is topography to it, you can see. It looks almost like crevices, almost like mountain ranges across it. It has-- It's something more than just a colored sphere. It's quite, quite beautiful.

TALIESIN: This is completely amazing. Okay. Yeah, yeah, y'all need to do this. This is-- this is crazy.

LAURA: Do you mind?

MATT: Make a perception check.

LAURA: (groans)

SAM: Oh, I'll guide you.

LAURA: Ah, come on, motherfucker.

SAM: I'll help her by smiling. (laughter)

LAURA: I can't see shit. I see shit all. I see seven.

MATT: You see seven? You look through it, and it's hard for you to focus your eyes a bit on it. You can see--

LAURA: Oh, it's my glasses. Hold on. (laughter)

MATT: Oh, now she has, canonically, glasses? You've given in to the fan art?

LAURA: I just proved it. (laughter)

MATT: The sheer force of fandom has-- (laughter)

LIAM: (forcefully) You wear glasses!

LAURA: How did this happen? Where did they come from?

ASHLEY: What are those?

TRAVIS: Does she have glasses?

LAURA: Huh?

TRAVIS: Does she have glasses?

SAM: Sure.

LAURA: Why not? No, I don't know. (laughter)

TALIESIN: Reading glasses.

ASHLEY and LAURA: TBD.

MATT: She needs glasses, apparently.

LAURA: Yes, she needs them, yes. That makes so much sense, actually. Maybe I could buy them somewhere. Anyway.

LIAM: I have all these thoughts, but I can't see shit.

LAURA: Yeah. (laughs)

MATT: It's hard to focus into it, and there's an impatience to you, especially given the driving thread of notes and answers and weird--

LAURA: My eyes start watering up. It makes it harder to--

MATT: He look back through again. He's like, "Ah, I need to adjust it a little more." Takes it there. Even he is having a hard time focusing. "Can somebody... Somebody with keener eyes than maybe I?"

SAM: I have some pretty keen eyes.

TALIESIN: Wow, yeah.

MATT: Roll a perception check.

SAM: Oh, Guidance. Natural one.

MARISHA: Oh my god.

LAURA: Oh, come on.

MATT: It's starting to lose-- You can see it's--

TRAVIS: Fearne, Fearne.

LAURA: No, no, Fearne, Fearne, Fearne.

MATT: The moon's shifting out of the--

LIAM: Fearne.

ASHLEY: I'll give it a look-see. Guidance.

SAM: Do I guide you?

ASHLEY: No, I'm putting it on myself.

SAM: You can do it yourself all the time?

ASHLEY: I don't know.

LAURA: Yeah, you can do it all the time.

LIAM: Yes, you can do it.

ASHLEY: I can? Okay, great. Oh, ugh.

LAURA: (groans)

TRAVIS: Ha.

ASHLEY: What? What am I adding? Okay, one of those.

TALIESIN: I've had a religious experience. I don't know about the rest of you. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Don't you roll with advantage, anything you can see?

ASHLEY: 15.

SAM: That was for something else.

MATT: You--

TRAVIS: Was it?

MATT: You glean the same details that Ashton managed to pick up. But it's about this time that the clouds begin to settle into the night.

ASHLEY: Wait, wait, wait, Imogen. I got it in the spot. Can you look one more time? Right here. Because I got it just right.

TRAVIS: Let Orym take a look.

LAURA: Orym should take a look. It's so important to him.

ASHLEY: Okay, okay, look, Orym.

LIAM: I don't even have to bend down. I'm the right height. I'm going to reroll my natural one.

MARISHA: What the fuck?

LIAM: So the best one-- This is perception?

MATT: Correct.

LIAM: 19.

SAM: Oh, that's pretty good.

LAURA: That's better.

MATT: 19.

LIAM: You could have guided me.

SAM: Guidance.

MATT: Too late, too late. This is the last shot before the clouds begin to overtake the sky. But you peer through, and you give some verbal cues to Estani as he begins to shift it and shift it, until it gets to just the right point and the focus hits. You can see the same textures. Something else catches your attention. There's a brief moment where you instinctually inhale. The first thing you think is, "She should see this." From over where he had placed it, you see what he had seen. Across some of these details and striations and mountain ranges, it's challenging to understand because some of it seems almost like it's shifting or moving. What you thought were static shapes, there's movement to it. You realize they're storms. There's clouds, red clouds, and the occasional flash. (quiet lightning flashes) And that's where we're going to break. (groaning)

ASHLEY: Oh, my hair is standing up.

TRAVIS: Yeah, yeah, yeah!

MARISHA: Me too, me too!

ASHLEY: I have goosebumps!

MATT: Back here in a few minutes. We'll see you here shortly.

Break
(hopeful adventure music)

LAURA: Hey Critters. Laura Bailey here to guide you through what's new in the Critical Role shop. It's the little things in life. Roll an investigation if you want. It's basically perfect. I mean the Traveler always says impulse purchases are a good decision. Darling, I'd recommend buying two. One for you and another for you. Let's be honest. Can you put donuts in this? Only one way to find out! And hey, if you want, you could head over to the Critical Role shop right now.

(typewriter clicking) (light mysterious music) (inspirational orchestral music)

MARISHA: Hey, Critters, it's me, Marisha Ray. I had exactly a minute and a half of free time today, so I thought I'd make a little unboxing video for y'all unpacking everything you get with a Twitch subscription to Critical Role. (bright music) Okay. Safety third. (ethereal voices laughing) What the fuck was that? (Marisha exclaiming in awe) So the first thing we've got here is our live and professionally-moderated chat. Twitch is the only place that you can actually get this. You know, it's a little strange to hold because it's an amorphous concept, but honestly, you can't deny this craftsmanship. It's really well made and, aw, oh, you can post links in this too! That's really cool, so yeah. Put that in your chat and click it. Oh yeah, this is cool. This is the ability to watch all of Critical Role's VODs immediately after the live broadcast ends and before they're uploaded to YouTube. Oh, it smells like ranch. Oh wait. Oh no, that's me. I had ranch on my salad earlier. Yeah, this smells like nothing. Oh, oh, here we have (Marisha grunting) gift subscriptions, which you can either give to a fellow Critter by name or at random using a fancy Twitch algorithm. You can give away a lot of subs with this, which I guess is why it's so heavy for something that's technically non-tangible with a value that's deeply subjective to the consumer. Oh, sick, yeah, I'm so excited to show y'all this part. With a Twitch subscription to Critical Role, you can use all of our incredible custom emotes in chat. We have so many emotes in here. Let's see, we art dad, super cool. We got Ashley hype, fun one. Look at Trinket here. He's so, oh, oh god. (clattering and crashing) Oh god. Broom, broom. Hang on, I can fix this. I can fix this. I'm fixing it! Jerry! Oh god, okay. I'm sorry, Trinket. (machine whirring) Yeah, that'll work. I need more glue, this is not gonna be enough. (tape ripping) Don't tell Rachel, okay? Okay, please nobody. (metal clanking) Schapiro, will you cut all this out? (electronic buzzing)

Part II
MATT: Welcome back. So, having all headed into the observatory, taking a moment to gather around the telescope, Orym catches something odd and unique to his eye, and draws in Imogen, glancing, and you see a sight that triggers a familiarity within you.

TRAVIS: (coughs)

MARISHA: Oh no.

MATT: And it kills Travis.

TRAVIS: (coughing)

MARISHA: Oh no.

LIAM: Going to find a Werther's. (laughter)

LAURA: Nothing worse than choking on a chip.

MARISHA: Yeah.

ASHLEY: That's literally what I did--

SAM: Need some--

LAURA: Should we?

SAM: Is he okay?

TALIESIN: You all right there, buddy?

TRAVIS: I choked on my spit! (laughter)

MARISHA: Yep.

TALIESIN: Aw.

LIAM: This is why we rehearse so much, because it gets this level of--

LAURA: I'm glad we are back from break right when we are.

SAM: D&D Beyond. (laughter)

LAURA: Does it, I mean, it looks like what I see?

MATT: It's reminiscent in some ways, yeah. Different, but reminiscent.

LAURA: (sigh) Am I dreaming about the moon? Am I dreaming about... I don't understand.

MARISHA: Are you saying this out loud?

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: "It is quite beautiful, isn't it?"

LAURA: I back away from the telescope. As far as I can get, actually.

LIAM: It was just fading out sight, right? That was the last--

MATT: Mm-hmm. It's starting to shift.

MARISHA: I go over to Imogen, and: Are you all right?

LAURA: I see it so often. I didn't believe it actually existed. You know what I mean? To see it when I'm awake is... I don't know what it means.

MARISHA: Well, you said in your dream, you're always at your farm, at the ranch.

LAURA: Yeah, and--

MARISHA: But the sky.

LAURA: Then the storm up, the storm comes in, and I... Why does my mother tell me to run from it? Why did I see Bertrand in it? Why did I see the twins?

MARISHA: Estani mentioned earlier that it-- there's beliefs that it can grant powers of prophecy.

LAURA: What if it is opening some kind of rift into another plane? What if these people aren't actually passing on? What if they're just somewhere else? Why is my mother telling me to run from it?

MARISHA: Perhaps, perhaps she's in it.

LAURA: She's in the storm?

MARISHA: I don't know. She just knows that it's to be avoided.

LAURA: What if she's trapped?

MARISHA: What if she doesn't want you to suffer her fate? I'm just spitballing here, by the way, I don't know.

LAURA: Do you know anything about the studies that they did on people?

MATT: "The studies?"

LAURA: The essay, the essay that--

ASHLEY: The professor that, why am I? I'm sorry. The professor that--

MARISHA: Sumal.

LAURA: Thank you, yeah.

ASHLEY: Yeah, that she was talking about earlier.

MATT: "Are we referring to Kadija Sumal? You mentioned earlier."

LAURA: Yes.

MATT: "Her work was after my time. If this is the same study that you mentioned, something that the Lumas twins mentioned that there was a continued research in that direction, but then we never got around to discussing it specifically. but then we never got around to discussing it specifically. The day that they passed, they mentioned they had found something important. They wanted to talk to me about it, and that was when they were taken from us."

ASHLEY: Did they have-- I know we were talking about this before, but did they have their bags on them when you started the walk?

MATT: "They did."

ASHLEY: Okay, so it was taken.

MARISHA: Then it's gone. We, speaking above the table, we struck out on finding notes from the Lumas twins, at their estate, just no-- seems to be no records of their notes, correct?

MATT: Correct.

MARISHA: All right.

MATT: Cleaned out.

ASHLEY: Did you happen to speak with with anyone about the Lumas twins, and, ever?

MATT: "Not beyond, not really, no, I had no reason to, and no one really talks to me beyond them, and the few contacts that I do keep from my older days in academia, I just keep in contact with them individually. I have no specific reason to. I was hoping one day, if they were interested in publishing something, I would be able to vouch for them, and introduce them to some individuals. But I believe they had, they had already begun to make a few journeys to Yios themselves. To be perfectly honest, I felt my utility to them getting a bit unnecessary until they came to me wanting to discuss this-- this Omen Archive that they were seeking."

MARISHA: They made several trips already, or at least a few.

MATT: "They'd been there once before, at least, yes."

SAM: Imogen, you said you never knew your mother. Did you ever-- I mean, obviously, you met her at least once, but when you were very young, did you? Were you with her, or you don't know? You just don't know.

LAURA: I don't know.

SAM: Because you know, dreams often times are, you know, manifestations of things that you're stressed about, or worried about, or in the future, or hopeful for. But they can also be, you know, repressed memories, or things that you had been told as a very young child that you didn't understand, and sort of tucked away somewhere in there. I don't know, maybe this is something that was shared with you, shown to you, something that, an experience that you had as a very young child that you don't even remember having, and it's sort of bubbling back up? Not that it actually happened, but maybe it represents something that happened.

LAURA: That's a great theory. I don't know how I would find out. I mean, short of going back, and forcing my father to tell me, I mean, you know, he, and forcing my father to tell me, I mean, you know, he, he just avoided the subject so much. I don't think I-- I ever realized how important it was until I was with you.

SAM: If you asked him, and you told him how important it was to you now, you don't think he would help?

LAURA: I could try sending him a message. I don't think he wants to see me. I don't... I don't think he wants to see me.

SAM: Well, who wouldn't want to see you?

LAURA: Somebody that doesn't like having their thoughts read.

SAM: Mm.

ASHLEY: Well, maybe we could go talk to that professor.

LAURA: I would love that. I mean, I do think, not just for my sake, I think the city of Yios might be a place to--

LIAM: Yeah, that's the next stop.

LAURA: Potentially, I mean, it's such a far destination. It seems--

LIAM: Yes, but whatever this is, it was overseas as well.

LAURA: That's true.

LIAM: It's not local to here. I don't understand it, but we're nudging at something big that we can't see yet. Except you, maybe, in glimpses.

ASHLEY: What was the professor's name again? Professor--

MATT: Professor in Yios?

ASHLEY: Neos?

MATT: No, in the city of Yios, it's Professor Kadija Sumal.

LIAM: Kadija Sumal, okay.

LAURA: At the Aydinian Cemetery, did I write that down right?

MATT: Aydinlan.

LAURA: Aydinlan.

MATT: Yeah.

SAM: Aydinlan Seminary.

LAURA: Yes, Aydinlan, that is what I wrote, and I just read it wrong.

MATT: That's okay. (laughs)

MARISHA: You know, Estani was also saying there's a lot of beliefs around people who are Ruidusborn, and their importance to history. I always said you're quite capable.

LAURA: (laughs) Laudna. We don't even know that that's true for me.

MARISHA: Oh, can't deny the similarities, though.

LAURA: Yeah.

ASHLEY: Maybe you're going to change the world.

LAURA: (laughs)

MARISHA: I think she already has.

ASHLEY: Certainly changed ours.

LAURA: Y'all are wonderful.

SAM: Well, thank you for letting us look through your scope. You know, if you want, I can give you some of-- I carry some grease with me. If you want, I can put it on some of those squeakier gears to make them a little less creaky.

MATT: "Oh, that would be delightful. Thank you so much. I appreciate it."

SAM: I go squirt a couple splooges on each, I think that's how you measure grease.

TRAVIS: That's the technical term.

SAM: Couple splooges.

LAURA: Yeah, a splooge of grease.

MATT: "Oh, four splooges is more than enough, thank you." (laughter)

ASHLEY: I give it another splooge.

SAM: Mm-hmm. (laughter)

SAM: It's amazing that, you know, that device can see so far, and it's so lucky that, you know, Ruidus is facing us, too, you know?

LIAM: How do you mean?

SAM: Well, you know, it's just a flat disc, right?

TALIESIN: Yeah, that.

SAM: It just happens to be facing right at us.

MATT: "But that, they didn't... Poor addled creation. In time, maybe you'll learn. (laughs) Well, um..."

SAM: This guy.

LIAM: Do you think my hand and my head are on the same plane right now, or right next to each other?

SAM: No, I can see in three dimensions.

LIAM: Okay. (laughter)

SAM: I have parallax.

MARISHA: (laughs) It's just a depth perception issue this whole time. (laughter)

ASHLEY: That moon is definitely round.

SAM: Yeah, it's a circle, all right, yeah.

ASHLEY: Well, it's--

SAM: You can see it.

MARISHA: (laughs)

ASHLEY: It's not... It's not flat. I think your programming is...

MARISHA: Perhaps that's something Milo can update.

LAURA: Oh god, that'd be wonderful.

TALIESIN: We'll put it on a list.

MARISHA: All right.

LAURA: Can I--

TALIESIN: A long, long list.

LAURA: Have I ever noticed, I mean, I don't think I would have ever thought about it, but a correlation between where Ruidus is in the sky, in conjunction with my dreams, does that?

MARISHA: Hmm. Hmm.

TALIESIN: Do you keep a journal?

LAURA: Nope.

TALIESIN: Oh.

MATT: Make a history check for me.

LIAM: Make a moon check.

SAM: Oh, Guidance, well, I only can--

LAURA: I don't know, I don't even know what I'm going to do.

SAM: Can I guide her to think, silently?

LAURA: Yeah, especially if I haven't-- like I've spoken anything. I wonder!

MATT: (laughs) (dice roll)

SAM: Clunk-a-lunk.

LAURA: Ooh!

LIAM: Nice.

LAURA: 19!

MATT: 19, very good. I mean, you don't have a photo memory of every single time you've had one of these bad dreams, but they definitely seem to... They seem to come more often at certain times of the year, and then diminish in almost a six-month cycle. Which definitely seems to correlate with a six-month orbit.

SAM: Oh.

LAURA: What in the fuck.

MATT: And it is ascending.

MARISHA: Hmm.

LAURA: Oh no.

SAM: So they're going to get stronger?

MATT: At least more frequent.

MARISHA: More frequent? Honestly, we should keep a dream journal. I can't believe we haven't.

LAURA: We should, we should. I should start doing that.

MARISHA: There are a few notes that I made last time, but detailed dream journal.

LAURA: Yeah.

MARISHA: I'll help you. It'll be great.

LAURA: Thanks.

LIAM: Estani.

MATT: "Eh?"

LIAM: Can I ask? Would it be possible to reposition this to look at Catha?

MATT: "Oh, ah, yes, of course, if I can, I could use somebody's help here."

TALIESIN: All right, this is what I'm going good for.

MATT: "All right, ugh."

TALIESIN: Come on. Mm!

MATT: It is a heavy amount of cranking as the entire device has to shift around. It gets stuck at certain points, and you can see--

LAURA: Needs more splooge.

LIAM: Who has the splooges, though?

MATT: (laughs)

SAM: Splooges!

MATT: Eventually getting it right. Goes, inspects it, makes a few adjustments, slight rotation back, as it overshot, until resting. "Ah, there you are."

TALIESIN: How do you move this thing on your own? Okay, yep.

MATT: "Very slowly, and sometimes with the neighbors' help."

TALIESIN: Oof, all right.

MATT: "You come, come, come."

LIAM: I'm going to look.

MATT: Okay, and now, as previously, Ruidus maybe took up, you know, a quarter of the space you have to look at, Catha is encompassing.

LIAM: Fills it?

MATT: It fills it entirely, to the point where you're catching just a little bit of a sliver of starscape behind it.

LIAM: Mm-hmm.

MATT: But is a very clear, beautiful view of the crater-pocked, white, silver, warm, welcoming evening moon that has guided so many people at sea or land for as long as there's been life on Exandria.

LIAM: I think Orym just looks for

MATT: "Of course. Believe me, I understand." He looks, peers in through it again once more, and then he looks through, he goes, (sighs) "Even as I come to the end of my life, I do believe it's been well spent. Just-- just thinking about it all. (sniffs) Anyway."

LIAM: I gently clap him on the shoulder as he says that, and then I float over to the group.

MATT: "Thank you for keeping this old man some company for the past couple of days. It's been a day, it's only been a day. I'm starting to (laughs) starting to lose it myself a little. Well."

MARISHA: Just out of curiosity, how near death does he look? Is this guy real old?

LAURA: Oh, us and old people, here we go.

TALIESIN: Say "boo," see what happens.

MARISHA: Honestly, I'm asking, since we got to be careful, you know? Us around old people.

MATT: No, I mean, he's definitely geriatric, you know? You're--

TRAVIS: Fucking shit.

MATT: You're not terribly familiar with the health and lifespan of uniya, but he doesn't look like he's on death's door by any means, but he's certainly, you know, up in his years.

SAM: I cast Decompose on him.

MARISHA: Oh my god! (laughter)

TRAVIS: (yelps, groans)

LIAM: Oh no, you missed and hit Chetney. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Yeah.

TALIESIN: Well, no effect so far. Huh.

LAURA: Why did you switch shirts in the break?

SAM: I was off rhythm, off- cadence, I had to catch up.

LIAM: What do you mean, you had to do two in one?

SAM: I had the wrong week.

LIAM: Can I ask what the fine print says, under "gravy"?

SAM: I don't know what it says.

LIAM: Oh, right. (laughter)

MATT: Anyway, what is your business now?

SAM: Oh, what is our business now?

LAURA: I think--

SAM: We got to go sleep.

TRAVIS: I'm still perched out on top of the inn.

MARISHA: Oh, that's right, we got to go catch up with Chetney!

TRAVIS: I didn't come back to that, I didn't go to that telescope. I know the moon well enough.

SAM and LAURA: (howling)

MARISHA: That's right.

TRAVIS: I've managed to, because it's a one-story dwelling.

MATT: Mm-hmm.

TRAVIS: I've managed to find and climb a way up, and keep a low sniper's profile over the roof, and keep track of anybody coming and going, hoping that ol' silver dragonborn.

MATT: Okay, roll a perception check.

LAURA: Yeah, his little beanie.

TRAVIS: Little boof. (laughter)

TRAVIS: When I go real stealthy, I turn it inside out.

LAURA: Oh, nice. (laughter)

LAURA: Dark blue.

TRAVIS: Perception check.

MATT: Yes.

TRAVIS: 13.

MATT: 13, okay. While they're out for a little bit, probably no more than an hour or so, given the time that they're going to visit, nobody catches your attention. There's not a lot of travelers in and out of the inn necessarily. You do see one figure that leaves, and at first glance, you're like, "Oh, shit," but it looks to be somebody you don't recognize who's heading off into the night. But no sign of the silver dragonborn, or any other companions.

TRAVIS: Fair enough.

MATT: Until eventually you see the rest of your compatriots begin to return.

TRAVIS: Oh! I hide.

SAM: As we were leaving the Estani estate, can I pull him aside and ask him: Do you happen to have any extra of these ocular magnifying lenses lying around? I thought maybe in the future I could like make something to give me some--

MATT: "Oh, that?"

SAM: We can purchase them maybe, or--?

MATT: "No, I understand. I did not build this. I am not a--"

SAM: Oh.

MATT: "I helped design it long ago, but I'm-- This was constructed for me when I retired."

SAM: Oh, oh, all right.

MATT: "So I don't have any extra materials."

SAM: That's fine. I can find a looking glass somewhere and bust it apart or something. Okay. Thank you, bye.

MATT: "No worries."

TALIESIN: It was an absolute pleasure.

MARISHA: Oh my god. I almost forgot. I hand him an almost dozen limes.

TALIESIN: Oh, yeah.

MATT: "Oh!" You've just been holding them in a--?

MARISHA: I just had them in a satchel. You know, I just, I don't know, we got so distracted by the moon.

MATT: "Oh my goodness. Thank you so much. This is the secret to keeping my fit form. (laughs)"

TALIESIN: Limes?

MATT: "Yes."

SAM: A lime a day.

MATT: "It's the longevity that catches up to you. (laughs) Thank you so much."

MARISHA: Of course.

MATT: "Have a good night."

SAM: Mm-hmm.

MATT: "Stay safe. (laughs)" He wanders off happily with his lime satchel. (laughter)

TRAVIS: His lime hoard.

TALIESIN: What does he do with all these limes?

SAM: I guess we can just get to the heist? Is there anything else we got to do? I want to heist, I want to heist.

TALIESIN: We got to nap.

LAURA: Sleep it up.

MARISHA: Skip time and--

LIAM: Time jump.

LAURA: Yeah. Oh wait, but we should, we should give Laudna.

TALIESIN: We should give--

LAURA: The present.

TALIESIN: Give Laudna her present.

LAURA: Just before we go to sleep.

TALIESIN: Although, yeah, it's probably going to hang with-- Yeah, it's a thing for everybody, but definitely it's, yeah.

LAURA: Right.

TALIESIN: Because we're going to use it. I think it could come in handy tomorrow. But, yeah, we should show her.

MARISHA: You got me a present?

LAURA: I'm going to--

MARISHA: Oh my goodness.

LAURA: Pull out from my--

TALIESIN: Pageantry.

LAURA: My, I don't know, my bag that I have definitely on my person.

TALIESIN: We all have bags.

LAURA: Yeah.

TALIESIN: Pageantry, pageantry.

LAURA: As I start to pull it out, I use my--

MARISHA: The anticipation.

LAURA: My telekinesis to move its little head up to look at her.

SAM: (gasps)

MARISHA: (gasps)

LAURA: I have it walk across the room over to her.

MARISHA: Oh my god, she's beautiful.

LAURA: She doesn't even have a name yet, Laudna.

TALIESIN: She has no name. (laughter)

LIAM: Talking Tina.

MARISHA: I've seen you in my dreams. She shall be called Sashimi.

SAM: Sashimi?

MARISHA: Yes.

ASHLEY: Pâté has a girlfriend.

MARISHA: (gasps)

TRAVIS: I was working on that.

LAURA: Huh?

SAM: Oh.

MARISHA: Oh, Pâté.

TALIESIN: Pâté could get around.

MARISHA: What do you think? (laughter)

ASHLEY: He can have more than one, Chet.

MARISHA: Oh.

LAURA: He's writing mean--

MATT: Poly-puppetry.

MARISHA: I was thinking of poly-rat-orous. (laughter)

LIAM: Poly-puppet-ous?

MARISHA: Poly-muppet-ous.

MATT: There you go.

TRAVIS: I'll come up with something for the happy couple.

LAURA: I make Sashimi give Laudna a hug and look up at her.

ASHLEY: Oh, she's so dear.

TALIESIN: That's amazing.

MARISHA: Pâté just tilts his head and he looks back at me. And he looks back at Sashimi.

LAURA and LIAM: ♪ And I look at him ♪ (laughter)

MARISHA: I'll save this for later.

MATT: (laughs)

MARISHA: Thank you.

ASHLEY: What else did you guys get here?

MARISHA: It's incredible.

TALIESIN: Should we show them?

MARISHA: I don't know if Pâté is going to be--

TALIESIN: A couple things that are more or less surprises, but we could, we could--

MATT: What are you up to?

TALIESIN: Show them the fun thing.

LAURA: Yeah.

TRAVIS: I come down off the roof. If we're all going to bed, I'm going to go back over to that tree where Orym scuttled up and take out my mallet and chisel and I'll start taking off pieces of the side of the tree and stowing them away. Then I'll make my way back to the inn.

MATT: Okay, okay.

TRAVIS: Some pieces of bark, some other--

LAURA: (laughs) Some other bits.

TRAVIS: -- Candidates. I have an idea. I had to switch. You went and bought the thing that I was making for Laudna.

LAURA: I'm sorry.

TRAVIS: No, it's cool. You bought it with your own hands, didn't you?

LAURA: Well, it wasn't made by an MC.

TRAVIS: How do you know?

LAURA: She didn't claim she was an MC. She did say she knew an MC. What was his name?

TALIESIN: Sucker.

LAURA: Oltgar? Ultger?

TALIESIN: Oat Dicker or some such.

LAURA: Something like that. She said he screwed her over.

TALIESIN: Fuck that guy.

LAURA: Maybe all MCs are bitter, old men. What? Why are you looking at me like that?

TRAVIS: It's late.

MARISHA: Are you all right, Chetney?

TRAVIS: I need to go to bed.

TALIESIN: We've also got this box. Don't you want to see the box?

TRAVIS: You got a box?

TALIESIN: We got a box. Look at that box.

TRAVIS: What does it do?

TALIESIN: I don't know, you got to turn the wheel, find out.

LAURA: I start to wind it and then let it sit there.

TRAVIS: Is it a music box?

LAURA: Uh-huh.

TALIESIN: Oh, yeah. Check this out.

TRAVIS: Does it have metal in it? (humming)

TRAVIS: It's basically going to poison my skin just from time.

TALIESIN: (shouts)

TRAVIS: (shouts) (laughter)

ASHLEY: Whoa.

TALIESIN: Sorry.

LIAM: But, like, it didn't open at all. You just did that. (laughter)

TRAVIS: That's very effective.

TALIESIN: Take it any way you like. (laughter)

TRAVIS: (grunts)

ALL: Oh no! (laughter)

SAM: Healing Word! Healing Word! (laughter)

TALIESIN: You should've just let this play out. I wanted to see how well it worked, but fine.

TRAVIS: That was close, Laudna. Fearne, I don't know how much longer we have.

ASHLEY: Oh no.

TRAVIS: Perhaps we should? (laughter)

ASHLEY: What's that?

TRAVIS: Huh? Never mind. Go to upstairs. (laughter)

ASHLEY: I don't think we should test your heart any more.

TALIESIN: No.

ASHLEY: You know?

TRAVIS: It's called conditioning. (laughter)

ASHLEY: It's just a lot of cardio. (laughter)

TRAVIS: (laughs) So? We got to focus. We got a heist to do. (slams) (claps)

TRAVIS: Oh god. (laughter)

MARISHA: Mayhem!

LAURA: Don't hit the camera.

ASHLEY: My glasses went in the trash. (laughter)

LAURA: Next to the ring pop.

LIAM: I think while everyone is yelling at each other, Orym is clocking Laudna walking away with this little lady hanging from little ropes, and he's just thinking of the story she told him the other night.

MARISHA: You see Pâté's little, dead rat hand just grab onto Sashimi's ass-- (laughter)

MARISHA: -- as they walk away.

TRAVIS: Instant heat.

MATT: (laughs) Oh no.

TRAVIS: I'll make something for the two of them.

LAURA: I'm going to regret this purchase.

TALIESIN: I'm not.

LAURA: You're not the one sleeping next to it.

TALIESIN: Nope. (laughter)

ASHLEY: This head is great.

TALIESIN: Yeah, no, really, that was the big selling point.

ASHLEY: We can use that tomorrow.

LAURA: Yeah, I think so.

TALIESIN: Oh, yeah.

ASHLEY: Kind of looks like one of my uncles.

TALIESIN: You have an uncle that looks like that?

LAURA: That looks like a--?

ASHLEY: Well, a little bit. (laughter) It's in the eyes or something, I dunno.

TALIESIN: The cold dead eyes.

ASHLEY: Yeah, cold dead eyes.

TALIESIN: There's a lot of cold dead eyes going around.

LAURA: All right.

LIAM: Okay.

LAURA: We go to sleep.

SAM: Heist day.

MATT: Okay. Y'all go to bed?

ALL: Yes!

MATT: Okay.

TALIESIN: I'm going to tie a little bit. We're going to grab a little bit of that fishing line.

TRAVIS: No, wait, we don't go to bed. What the fuck?

SAM: What are you talking about?

TRAVIS: Got to be on our guard.

TALIESIN: It's why we're going to tie, we're going to tie a little fishing line.

TRAVIS: Okay. Just making sure we don't--

LAURA: Before I go to sleep, I look out the window and look up at the moon.

MATT: Okay. Which one?

LAURA: The red one. (laughter)

LIAM: ♪ Look up, it's the moon. ♪

TALIESIN: Which window?

LAURA: I'm just trying to clock where it is in the sky, so I.

MATT: It takes a second to look through the, you know, the tree canopy is over in the direction of where it is, but you can see it peeking through, that dull, glowing, red sphere in the sky. that dull, glowing, red sphere in the sky.

LAURA: All right.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: I'm going to take, shit, I'm going to take first shift.

SAM: I'm going to take a shit. (laughter)

TALIESIN: First shit.

TRAVIS: Who wants to hold my hand? (laughter)

TALIESIN: Fine.

TRAVIS: We have four rooms. Do we want to knock it down into two? Just?

TALIESIN: It might not be a bad idea.

LAURA: Probably.

ASHLEY: Let me see.

TRAVIS: Sure. All right, I'll stay up for one.

MATT: Okay, all right.

TALIESIN: I'll sleep in the other one.

LAURA: I'm going to go to sleep.

MATT: Okay, everyone else going to sleep?

LAURA: Holding onto the--

TRAVIS: If the doors--

LAURA: -- the purple stone.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: If the doors open in, on the outside, pull a little Caleb and tie some actual fishing line.

TALIESIN: We have the fishing line. We can, yeah.

TRAVIS: On the outside, so if they opened it and try and sneak in, they'll catch it.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

MATT: Good looking out, okay.

TALIESIN: We got it.

MATT: Okay. So go ahead and situate some sort of audible trap, trip wire device. Okay. All right. You go ahead and go for the first watch. Both of you guys roll perception.

TALIESIN: Eh.

TRAVIS: Nice. creaking down the hallway, but they don't seem to slow and don't seem to pay mind, move on past to whatever chamber lies beyond, before you hear a door close towards the end of that particular hall. You feel confident, at least, there wasn't somebody paying some extra interest to what you were staying in. Eventually, your shift ends. Who's taking next shift?

LIAM: Up.

TALIESIN: Up, up.

MATT: All right.

TALIESIN: Good night.

ASHLEY: I'll take-- I can do the other room.

MATT: Okay. So both of your perception checks, if you don't mind.

LIAM: Okay. It's 21.

MATT: Okay.

ASHLEY: 24.

LAURA: Ooh.

MATT: Nice. Both of you feeling pretty solid in your watches. You hear the gentle sounds of your compatriots sleeping, maybe slightly snoring. This late in the evening, doesn't seem to be much movement, motion. It's quiet, it's calm. You find your minds wandering a bit at times.

ASHLEY: I'm going to stand over Imogen.

MATT: Okay. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Just watch her.

MARISHA: (laughs) That's fucking creepy as fuck.

LAURA: Does she notice my hand in the pouch with the rock?

MATT: With that perception roll, yes.

LAURA: I've got my hand in the pouch that holds the purple stone.

LIAM: I'm silently watching this.

ASHLEY: I put my finger under her nose, make sure she's breathing.

MARISHA: (laughs)

TRAVIS: Finger smells like poop. (laughter)

ASHLEY: I just look at the stone in her pocket. Huh. That's all.

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: (laughs)

MATT: Imogen.

LAURA: No! (shouting)

SAM: It got red!

TRAVIS: No it's only, pink, it's fuchsia. Oh, no, it's red.

MATT: The image fresh in your mind as you drift off to sleep, that final bit of odd, cold connection with that distant entity in the night sky. You go to sleep trying so hard to think of anything but, focusing on memories, friends, even just nothing. You feel like you almost succeed, until suddenly you find yourself once more in that familiar field. You feel your stomach sink. Your horse runs off. The wind picks up and you almost don't want to turn and look as you hear the crackling of lightning and thunder. What do you do?

LAURA: What do you want? I take a step forward.

MATT: Towards the house?

LAURA: No.

MATT: Towards the storm. The wind is now blasting your face. Around you, you hear the sounds (thunder rumbling) The wind is battering you. Your eyes-- you're having to squint to keep it from blinding you, but you look forward. You take a step into the storm, and as you do, it gets stronger, colder. What do you do?

LAURA: Mother?

MATT: "Run!"

LAURA: Why? Where are you?

MATT: "Run, Imogen! Run!"

LAURA: I don't want to run anymore. What does it feel like?

MATT: Stronger. Scarier. Standing where you are, the storm begins to overtake the entirety of the sky above you. You glance back now to the farmhouse and you see it now falls under shadow.

LAURA: Oh no.

MATT: What semblance of a blue sky that usually was what drew you to safety is starting to fade. What do you do?

LAURA: Did you run? Did you run?

MATT: There's no response, just the ever loud, deafening sound of the storm.

LAURA: I feel like I'm going to die. (shaky breathing) I don't know what to do anymore. I walk forward.

MATT: Further into the storm? You take another step and another. Your eyes sting from the wind. All around you is just this landscape of endless black and red. The light begins to darken. You feel alone. And then you're not. Before you, you see a shape, a shadow, standing there. The woman, strong, defiant. You see not a face in this outline, just a figure standing there. You watch as other outlines step out from behind it. Two, four, eight.

LAURA: Do they feel scary? Do they feel...

MATT: They just stand there. The one in the front, you can't even see it, but you sense a smile, not comforting, intent, focused, maliceful.

LAURA: Can I hear its thoughts?

MATT: You try and concentrate. It's not quite a mind you're grasping for. You realize as you reach out that there's nobody there. This is just a vision. (thunder crash) With a loud crack, the storm consumes you, cold, and traps your body. Darkness takes your sight, your mind, and you wake up. (gasps)

ASHLEY: Oh. Did you have a dream? Are you okay?

LAURA: I'm not dead. (shuddering breathing)

ASHLEY: I wake up Laudna. Laudna, Laudna, she had a dream.

LIAM: You're not alone, either.

ASHLEY: I remove my hand from her pocket. (laughter)

LAURA: What are you doing?

ASHLEY: No, I was just checking. I was making sure you were okay. (laughter)

LIAM: She get anything?

ASHLEY: No. (laughter)

MARISHA: I grab some water, bring it over.

LAURA: I went-- I went into the storm.

MARISHA: You went in this time?

MARISHA: How was it, what happened?

LAURA: It was terrible, and cold, and there were people there and I don't even know who they were. I couldn't tell who they were. They were... They were looking at me and--

MARISHA: Did you feel warm, did it feel inviting?

LAURA: No, it didn't feel inviting. It felt... malevolent.

MARISHA: I grab a journal and I immediately start the dream journal. I start writing everything down.

LAURA: What do... what does it mean that I went into it? What does it mean?

MARISHA: That you're strong.

LAURA: That didn't feel like my mother in front of me, right? It didn't feel like my mother standing in front of me.

MATT: There's an odd calm and comfort to the sound of your mother's voice and the dream that you've had over and over, time and time again. This presence was unfamiliar.

MARISHA: Did you hear your mother?

LAURA: I did. Until I didn't.

MARISHA: Until you didn't.

LAURA: I heard her until I was in the storm.

MARISHA: You couldn't see any discerning features or faces on these figures?

LAURA: No, it was too far, too... dreamy. (laughs)

LIAM: When you dream, it's lucid?

LAURA: I am in control of what I am doing, yes. I am not in control of the environment, no.

ASHLEY: Did you feel like whoever was standing there saw you, too?

LAURA: Oh, they were looking at me. All of them were.

MARISHA: Do you know how many there were?

MATT: You recall there was one, then three, and then five, then 10. It was like stepping out from each other. More. Similar.

LAURA: Not like the same person, but did it feel like one person with many presences?

MATT: Kind of, it's hard to pinpoint. It all seemed like at least a uniformed cadence. A uniform presence.

MARISHA: What if you're dreaming of those, the shadow people, the assassins.

LIAM: What if she's dreaming of these people who were moon touched?

LAURA: We got to get more information.

MARISHA: I also think it's smart to... be on our guard, take watch, even if we're in a hotel room.

LAURA: Yeah.

MARISHA: These people seem to come out from anywhere and I-- I would murder everyone around us if anything happened to you.

ASHLEY: I could help you.

MARISHA: A murderous friend?

ASHLEY: You'll be fine.

MARISHA: That sounds fun.

ASHLEY: Well, the interesting thing is it seemed as if you did have a little bit of control.

LAURA: I've only ever run before.

ASHLEY: I think next time it happens, I think you need to explore it.

LAURA: Yeah.

MARISHA: How do you feel physically?

LAURA: Like I was eaten whole.

MARISHA: I just don't want any of this inflicting upon you in your physical form.

LAURA: I think I'm all right. I just don't want to sleep. That's all.

ASHLEY: I'm going to check her markings.

MARISHA: Good idea.

MATT: Okay. You can make a medicine check or an investigation check, your choice.

ASHLEY: Okay.

LAURA: Can you pass me a Kleenex?

SAM: Ooh!

ASHLEY: Natural 20.

LAURA: Ooh!

MATT: Natural 20.

TRAVIS: Come on, now.

MATT: Interesting. It's extremely faint. But those markings on her skin appear to have just ever so slightly grown.

SAM: Ooh!

MATT: Ever so slightly, a quarter of an inch, if.

ASHLEY: Well. This all seems normal. Yeah. I'm just kidding, they've grown a little bit. I'm sorry, I just was trying to keep you calm and I'm not good at that.

MARISHA: What do you mean they've grown?

ASHLEY: Oh, they're just a little bit longer. I remember last time they were by this mole. Not that I'm staring at you intently. Then they just grew a little bit more.

MARISHA: Oh my god, you're right. In fact... Would Laudna remember if like slowly over the past two, two and a half years of being with Imogen, if they feel like they've slowly creeped up over time? Or is it just unique to this one?

MATT: I'll ask you, Imogen. What do you think?

LAURA: I think they've grown.

MATT: Incrementally. Slow enough to the point where unless you looked for it intently, it would be too gradual to make note of it. At least in the time that you've known her.

MARISHA: Rings on a tree.

MATT: Yeah, but as long as you've had it you definitely know it's been a very slow, continued spread.

ASHLEY: I mean, I think it looks so cool. You know, it's a pretty, such a pretty purple.

LAURA: Maybe by the time I'm Estani's age, I'll be covered in them.

ASHLEY: Make you look very wise.

LAURA: I think so.

ASHLEY: Yeah.

MARISHA: Do you-- I don't know how to say this, but are you enjoying this path? I don't know, do you want to--?

LAURA: I love certain elements of it, I do. I think more than anything I just, I want to know why, where it came from. I want to be able to control it a little bit better. I just-- What if it is malevolent? What if it's coming from a very bad place? It doesn't feel like it. It doesn't feel like when I use anything it doesn't feel wrong.

ASHLEY: Does it hurt?

LAURA: No. It feels sharp.

LIAM: I have one question for you. These dreams, how long have you been running from it?

LAURA: Since they started. Which was... About a decade now.

LIAM: 10 years?

LAURA: Yeah. They've been getting stronger. It started out just being a storm in the distance, and then it would get closer and closer.

LIAM: Well. Orym looks out the window up at the moons. Maybe running isn't the answer.

LAURA: Yeah. It felt like for so long that there wasn't a choice, you know? It was just a given that it happened, and I would run, and then I would wake up. It happened and I would get to safety, and then I would wake up, you know?

LIAM: Sometimes we have to learn the same lesson over and over again before we understand we need to change our track.

LAURA: Yeah.

MARISHA: I hate that you're alone in there.

LAURA: I know. I didn't have the stone in my hand this time, did I?

MATT: You didn't check to look.

LIAM: Ooh.

ASHLEY: Have you ever gone to the house in your dream?

LAURA: Oh yeah, yeah. That's usually where I would run for safety.

MARISHA: We'll figure this out. You're alone in there, but you're not alone out here. Often find a little bit of understanding helps in easing the fear.

LAURA: Yeah. I mean, I don't know if this is a good thing or not, that I did something different, but I certainly would've never had the courage to do it if I wasn't with y'all, so thank you.

MARISHA: Well, I've written everything down that we've been talking about. We're going to keep a nice record going forward. I'll put a little date next to this. Then you know, I can probably backtrack a little bit and fill in information.

ASHLEY: Great.

MARISHA: Before, about the previous dreams.

ASHLEY: Maybe each time, you can try to do something a little different.

LAURA: Yeah.

MARISHA: Oh, it's like a choose your own adventure!

LAURA: Yeah, maybe.

LIAM: I will say this, it doesn't seem like there's anything we can do for you in there. He reaches up high and taps her on the head. But if anyone shows up here, I mean, have you seen these people?

LAURA: We'll gut 'em. Lick salt.

TALIESIN: I'm not there.

LAURA: Just kidding.

MARISHA: (laughs) Lick salt.

ASHLEY: I'm going to take a little ribbon and let's use some of your yarn.

MARISHA: All right.

ASHLEY: I'm going to tie these around.

MARISHA: Are we making friendship bracelets?

ASHLEY: Yes.

MARISHA: Oh my goodness!

ASHLEY: So when you're in your dream, you can look down and know that you're going to be out of it soon and you'll be back with us.

MARISHA: That's brilliant!

ASHLEY: Okay, does that work?

LAURA: I love that so much, thank you.

MARISHA: I twist the yarn a little around the red ribbon. Make a little--

SAM: Also, it hides the little meatball. (laughter)

SAM: I'll show you the clip later.

LAURA: What time is it?

LIAM: Well, we've got a couple hours left, right?

MATT: Yeah, we'll say like 3:00 in the morning.

LAURA: Fuck.

TALIESIN: Third shift.

MARISHA: We should get some rest. I know it's hard, but it's probably time for my watch anyway. Watches every night.

LAURA: Oh god, that's so much.

ASHLEY: No, no, it's not.

MARISHA: Everyone here loves the fuck out of you. We'll fucking murder a motherfucker.

ASHLEY: We would be doing it anyway. We would be doing watches just 'cause. So don't be stressed.

MARISHA: All right, sweet dreams.

ASHLEY: All right, good night.

LIAM: Orym's going to turn three little circles and then curl up in a little pill bug ball in the crook of Fearne's knee.

MATT: Perfect.

LAURA: I will just lay there and do third watch with you because I can't go back to sleep.

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: I just try to ease Imogen's mind with a little burlesque routine. I don't, there's no words. I'm just emoting through a little Muppet dance. This new tryst between Sashimi and Pâté.

MATT: Wonderful. Okay, final watch is who?

LAURA: Us two. Oh, I thought me and Laudna.

MATT: Roll perception checks for me, please.

SAM: Jesus.

MARISHA: 20 total. Oh, nope, is that an 18? That's an 18.

LAURA: I'm useless right now.

TRAVIS: Yeah.

MATT: That's okay, it makes sense. You're a little distracted, a little shaken up. Okay, keep proper watch. Pretty comfortable. Seamless evening. Eventually, the sun begins to come up. The morning greets you. The next day is here. Ensure to prepare whatever spells you might need for a heist. Whatever you think might be viable.

SAM: Speaking of, remember how I said 100% I could cure you of your blue skin?

MARISHA: (laughs)

SAM: For sure I can, but I would rather not today. Because we got to do--

MARISHA: You could've done that last night.

SAM: No, I couldn't do it last night.

MARISHA: Oh, because you didn't prepare it.

SAM: Maybe tomorrow? Is that okay?

LAURA: Yes, of course.

SAM: Okay, okay, okay.

LIAM: One more day with the blueberry? Sold.

SAM: I feel like she'll blend into the surroundings more. Maybe advantage on stealth.

ASHLEY: I think it's going to bring us luck.

MARISHA: Do you think somewhere Dorian has a nosebleed right now and he doesn't know why? (laughter)

ASHLEY: Oh, we got to tell him.

LAURA: Yeah, send him a message.

MATT: All right, so as the morning becomes day, is there anything you wished to do in advance, or do we move ahead to later in the day and then midnight for this event?

MARISHA: Yeah, let's move ahead.

TRAVIS and LIAM: Let's move ahead.

LIAM: I prep all my spells.

MATT: Good job.

TALIESIN: Oh shit, I should prep my spells.

MARISHA: We hand out all the stuff that we bought.

TALIESIN: Mm-hmm.

MARISHA: Lightly assess that we are prepped with a jack in the box and some jacks, and some ball bearings and stuff.

TRAVIS: I've got a couple yards of fishing line.

TALIESIN: Let's actually give everybody some fishing line.

MARISHA: They have smoke bombs.

LIAM: I have some ball bearings.

MARISHA: And potions of gaseous form.

SAM: They do.

MARISHA: They do.

TALIESIN: Who's the stealthiest here?

SAM: Isn't it Chet?

LAURA: It's Chet, Chet is stealthy.

TRAVIS: I'm pretty--

LIAM: I'm a plus five.

MARISHA: Plus five.

TALIESIN: I think the music box should go to you.

SAM: What is it? Oh, it just scares people?

TALIESIN: Yeah. You can place it, you can set it, you can roll it. Then it'll just be there.

LIAM: We're about to Home Alone them.

LAURA: Yeah, let's be real.

TRAVIS: Is it activated by movement?

TALIESIN: No, when you let it go, right? You just hit the switch.

MATT: You wind it up and then release it.

TRAVIS: Oh.

LAURA: Do you want to use it or do you want somebody else to use it, Chet?

TALIESIN: It's good because you can place it and then back away. Which is what I was thinking is if we need it, it's one of those things where if you want to draw someone to it or someone's coming to you, you can leave it and bugger out.

TRAVIS: Give it to somebody else. I don't think I would use that correctly. You have to like hit the switch and then it starts its thing, right? So you have to be close to it?

LAURA: Yeah.

TALIESIN: Yeah, you have to start it.

LAURA: You know what, I could do it with telekinesis so I can do it from a distance.

TALIESIN: Woo!

LAURA: Yeah, so I'll take it.

SAM: Woo!

TRAVIS: Yep.

TALIESIN: That's fun.

TRAVIS: Better.

TALIESIN: That's sexy, I'm into it.

SAM: I'm not bringing any attack things.

LIAM: I'm keeping the tanglefoot bag.

SAM: I guess I'll prepare some healing things because I have to, right?

TALIESIN: It's good to have a couple.

SAM: Yeah, yeah, I've got a few.

MARISHA: Anything good to make us more stealthy?

TRAVIS: I have a smoking bottle of smoke.

MARISHA: Oh, that's right!

LAURA: Oh, that's good.

TRAVIS: Just a reminder.

TALIESIN: Anything windy so that we can push fog away? Anything that will cause gusts of wind or shit like that?

SAM: Not me.

MARISHA: I think Orym has a few of those.

ASHLEY: What did you ask about?

LIAM: It's not super strong.

TALIESIN: Well, since it's going to be foggy things and smoky things, maybe being able to gust wind could be a--

LIAM: Yeah.

LIAM: FCG, you have two of those potions, right, healing?

SAM: I have one healing potion.

LIAM: Oh, I thought-- Oh, we didn't buy those two.

SAM: We did not.

LIAM: Okay.

SAM: But you can have it.

LIAM: But I can reach those, they're right there.

MATT: These are actually gone.

LAURA: How much were they?

SAM: We never asked.

LIAM: Two coppers.

SAM: We had no money. You can have mine.

LIAM: No-- mm.

SAM: I can do it with magic.

LIAM: Why don't I take it--

MATT: If you would you like to go buy them during the day before the event, you're welcome to.

SAM: Oh yeah.

TALIESIN: Theoretically, how much would they have been?

MATT: If you wanted to go ask, it'd be 50 and 150.

LIAM: I am dead broke.

LAURA: 50 and a hundred-- Oh, we should definitely get them.

MATT: It's 200 gold for both.

TRAVIS: Get them.

LAURA: Yeah.

SAM: Okay.

LAURA: Split it up between the party.

TALIESIN: I'll throw one in--

MARISHA: I have zero cash.

LIAM: Oh my goodness. I'll take one.

TALIESIN: I've got 50 gold I can throw at that.

MATT: I'm just setting it on the table.

LIAM: I'm never going to use it for myself.

TALIESIN: Boom.

LIAM: I'll take an ale.

TALIESIN: Yeah, so I'll put 50 in for that. If someone else has got 150.

TRAVIS: I've got 100.

LIAM: I've got one platinum and seven silver.

TRAVIS: I got the whole 150.

SAM: Whoa.

TALIESIN: Whoa, really?

SAM: How are so rich all the time?

TALIESIN: Damn.

LAURA: Because he stole all the loot and never gave it away.

TRAVIS: Be good with your money, kids.

LAURA: We had so many things of platinum that he never passed out.

LIAM: (elderly voice) You've got to invest.

MARISHA: Well, good.

MATT: All righty.

MARISHA: Let him buy healing potions.

LAURA: But it's fine because he's fine.

MARISHA: Exactly.

TRAVIS: For now.

LAURA: (laughs)

MATT: The sun sets, the night comes, you gather your things, distribute your materials, and then. About an hour until midnight happens, you gather your supplies and begin to trek out to the Twilight Mirror Museum.

LAURA: I'm going to pass-- I have a hooded lantern that I'm going to give to you just in case we all get separated. The hooded lantern, you can...

LIAM: Aim and shadow it, so it's not--

LAURA: Aim the light, exactly.

ASHLEY: Oh, I have Pass Without a Trace.

SAM: Amazing.

LAURA: What?

TALIESIN: I've also got one round of Pass Without a Trace.

LAURA: You do? Okay.

TALIESIN: Just one.

SAM: Great.

TRAVIS: You have Pass Without a Trace and Guidance, and (shouts) what else do you have in there?

MATT: That's druids, man.

LIAM: What do you need?

TRAVIS: Let's go, I say.

ASHLEY: Wouldn't you like to know?

MATT: All right.

ASHLEY: I mean, I would like to know. (laughter)

MATT: Stepping along the night street, you approach the familiar exterior gated perimeter of the Twilight Mirror Museum. The front gates are open, and there you see, standing in the front walkway of the courtyard leading to the front of the estate, you see the two guards, and there, dressed to the nines, Mr. Evon Hytroga, and another grouping of individuals to his left.

MARISHA: Is that Hutchin?

SAM: Nope, totally different group.

LAURA: Wouldn't that be funny?

MARISHA: Aww.

LAURA: Oh.

TALIESIN: Who are these fucking people?

MARISHA: We're just being assholes.

LIAM: We're just petty jerks.

MATT: Funnily enough-- No, it's totally them. (laughter)

MATT: You step in and see the familiar faces, and as you do, they look back at you all and give a, "Hmm."

TALIESIN: Hey.

MATT: A knowing nod, and of all of them, Hutchin, the one you were speaking with, gives a cocked nod and a bit of a smile. Evon raises his hands. "Ah, welcome. It seems everybody has arrived, which means the events are at hand." He raises his hands, and these sparkles start spraying magically out of his sleeves. They go about three feet. (oohing)

MATT: It's really not all that impressive, but it definitely lights up the vicinity.

ASHLEY: Whoa!

MARISHA: (laughs)

MATT: He smiles around before ending them immediately. "So, we have and would like to welcome, Hexum's proxies..."

MARISHA: Oh, Bells Hells.

MATT: "Bells Hells." (clapping)

TRAVIS: We're applauding for ourselves.

MARISHA: Yes, we are.

TALIESIN: We are.

MATT: The guards clap. The other team claps.

LIAM: Bells Hells!

MATT: "As the proxy for Sabanis over here, we have..." Hutchin steps forward and goes, "We are the..." looks back at the rest of the group. "Let's call ourselves..."

LAURA: They had trouble coming up with a name, too.

MATT: Yeah, no, no. I had it my notes here. I totally fucking lost my place, hold on, hold on.

TALIESIN: Ain't easy, is it? (laughter)

SAM: Focus group.

MATT: There it is! I had it on the wrong sheet. That's my problem. "We are The Verdict."

LAURA: Oh, that's cool. Damn it, that's cool.

TALIESIN: That's pretty good.

TRAVIS: That's pretty cool.

LAURA: That sounds like a band name, I like it.

TRAVIS and ASHLEY: Pretty cool.

LAURA: Whatever.

ASHLEY: Whatever, they're still--

SAM: Fuck them.

MATT: "Very well."

LIAM: Bet it took them seven weeks to think of that.

LAURA: (laughs)

MATT: "So. Both teams may enter the abode however they see fit. But be respectful of the other wares and decor. Any damage to my museum that I find unnecessary will lead to immediate forfeiture."

MARISHA: What constitutes as unnecessary damage?

MATT: "Only one way to find out. You are to find and acquire within my vault a simple lapis earring of the mythic djinn Harudan, the djinn who built and subsequently dissolved his modest kingdom of Taj-Najmeh at the behest of a clever beggar who entrapped his logic in an agreement that undid his nation during this Age of Arcanum. This earring is known as Wind Folly."

SAM: Wind Folly?

MATT: "It is sealed somewhere within (with flair) the estate behind me."

SAM: (laughs)

MATT: Sparkling magic sprays out once more behind him to accentuate the line.

LIAM: Pew pew pew!

MATT: "Do not worry. None of my defenses are fatal. I believe. You have until sunrise to bring this item to my hands. If no one manages to procure the item in question by then, the wager ends in my favor. Hmph. So, any questions?"

SAM: What does it look like, this lapis earring? I mean, can you show it to us? How will we know when we find it?

MATT: "You'll know. All of my objects are identified, tagged, and given cute little bits of information about them. It is a museum."

SAM: Sure, but is it a dangly one or a pearl?

MATT: "It's a hoop. It's gold with a lapis gem in it. You'll know it when you see it!"

SAM: Gold hoop, lapis gem, got it.

LIAM: So not hidden, on display.

MATT: "All of these things are on display."

LIAM: All right.

TRAVIS: But this is in the vault.

LAURA: The what?

TRAVIS: Didn't you say it was in the vault?

MATT: "It is an area called the vault."

MARISHA: An area called the vault.

MATT: "The museum-- (shouts) You'll figure it out!"

MARISHA: All right.

MATT: "You'll figure it out."

TRAVIS: It should be a gallery. I'm just saying.

MARISHA: Sure.

MATT: "Shh! Any other questions? They can be about me." (laughter)

TALIESIN: I'm personally enjoying your mysterious nature.

MATT: "Oh, thank you."

TALIESIN: You're welcome.

SAM: Will we expect traps down there?

MATT: "Oh, maybe."

SAM: I'm excited. These traps, are they designed by you yourself?

MATT: "They are designed by individuals I paid quite a sum to build."

SAM: Okay.

MARISHA: Are we all going in together?

LIAM: The front door together?

MARISHA: Or is there different starting areas? Because it's just so awkward, yes, when you're like: Oh, hello, are we going this way? Oh, are you going the same way?

LIAM: It's like when you say goodbye.

LAURA: They're going the same way.

TALIESIN: Everyone's walking

LIAM: Yeah, you say bye-- to the same carriages.

LIAM: You later...

MARISHA: It's so very--

TALIESIN: Very--

MATT: "No, this is all very good points, actually. How about you stand over there on that side of the road, and then you group go stand over on that side of the road so you're not next to each other, because that's weird, as you said, and then when I clap, you go, and it's up to you to find your way."

LAURA: We all just run towards the same location.

MATT: "Well, it depends. If you're all going in the same way, I mean, there's many ways in! Look! It's an estate!"

SAM: We're allowed to break things to get in?

LAURA: We should've scouted--

MATT: "If it's required."

LIAM: Yeah.

LAURA: (laughs)

ASHLEY: Where is the ring, or the earring?

MATT: "Somewhere within."

LIAM: Nice try.

ASHLEY: I was just--

LIAM: Go ahead.

SAM: No, I was going to say, the rules of the game are we have to acquire this object and make it out?

MATT: "Make it out and bring it to me here before sunrise."

SAM: Do all of us have to make it out alive?

MATT: "No, just one of you."

SAM: Just one of us, all right.

MARISHA: If there are accidents and people who aren't in our group get hurt?

SAM: Oh yeah, are we allowed to engage with the opponent?

MARISHA: Does, you know--

MATT: "Oh, that is entirely up to you. I mean, look at them." You glace at the other group and they're sitting there sharpening their weapons.

SAM: Okay. Okay.

LIAM: Can we kill them, or--? (laughter)

TALIESIN: We'll try and keep it clean. Try and keep it clean?

MATT: Hutchin goes, "We're going to keep it clean, if you even find us."

LIAM: DM.

TALIESIN: So excited.

LIAM: Can I ask you to remind us of the layout of the building that we are looking at here? We're at the front. How big is it again? Was it three stories?

MATT: From what you recall, it is a three-story building. The final story appears to be an extended attic, and it is built like a-- I guess you would say a mansion, but it has almost a palace-like aesthetic to it. It is a bit garish, definitely stands out against the surrounding neighborhood. There are windows. They all are heavily barred, at least from what you can see here in the front. Intentionally, it seems. You haven't been given the opportunity to make much of an assessment of the full grounds. Part of the entry includes figuring out what you deem to be the best means to enter.

LIAM: Okay, okay.

TRAVIS: It's such an opulent building. Do you reside on the premises normally, or--?

MATT: "I do, indeed."

TRAVIS: It's fabulous.

MATT: "Thank you kindly."

TRAVIS: How many bedrooms does it have?

MATT: "I guess you'll have to find out."

LAURA: Well, is there an entrance we should avoid that is your personal quarters?

MATT: "I doubt you'll be able to find your way in, so I think you'll be all right. I would recommend perhaps not taking the front door. It's a bit obvious, a bit garish, and my guards are right here, but I'm sure you can find other unique ways, being very well trained burglars being chosen for this endeavor. Isn't that right?" You see Hutchin gives a little bit of a bow and says, "We are indeed quite practiced, and I think this is all a very fine show of upfront sportsmanship, and I, speaking on the behalf of my team, The Verdict, am quite excited to see what you're capable of."

LAURA: So much.

ASHLEY: Wait, so if we did go in the front door, the guards would not let us in?

MATT: "Yes, guards do not let you in the front door, so if you wanted to go through the front door, then you'd have to find a way past the guards. That's part of the challenge."

ASHLEY: What about a ticket for the museum?

MATT: "The museum's closed! The tickets aren't taken right now!"

ASHLEY: Oh, because it's midnight.

MATT: "Yes!"

ASHLEY: I understand.

MATT: "Sorry, good question, good clarification--"

ASHLEY: No, no, no, yeah, just wanted to double check.

TALIESIN: On a normal night, do you do a midnight flashlight tour thing, so that we can--

SAM: As they're talking, can I just take a look at the weaponry of some of our opponents?

MATT: Make a perception check.

SAM: Perception check. Guidance! 21, already 21. 23.

MATT: 23. Hutchin, you see... You can't see everything beneath the cloak, but you do see either a rapier or a longsword sheath on one hip, and you see a dagger hidden in the left boot. You rolled pretty high, actually. You do also see a small, dangling case of crossbow bolts on the left hip.

SAM: Okay.

TALIESIN: All right.

MATT: On the hairless katari you look at, you see two shortswords sheathed on each side.

SAM: Okay.

MATT: On the human, who is not wearing any armor--

SAM: There's a human and a goblin, or--

MATT: Yes.

TRAVIS: Oh, I didn't even have a human down.

MATT: There is a human. She has a massive warhammer slung over her back.

LAURA: Uh-oh, no armor?

TALIESIN: Oh yeah.

TRAVIS: Bard.

MATT: (laughs) The goblin, you see, has actively a light crossbow just tucked under one arm under the cloak. At one point, it did peek through, and you caught sight of it, and just keeping it hidden.

SAM: Okay.

MATT: The firbolg looks to have nothing, no weaponry.

TALIESIN: That's the problem.

SAM: But also, the goblin, just the light crossbow might be some sort of a--

LIAM: That sounds like a problem.

SAM: -- mage, yeah. Okay. Cool, cool.

TALIESIN: Cool, cool, cool.

LAURA: What did the--

MARISHA: Cool cool cool.

MATT: "Any other questions?"

LIAM: Two shortswords.

MATT: "I'm an open book."

LAURA: Are you seeing anyone?

SAM: (laughs)

MATT: "Ha ha," Immediately blushes. "Oh, I'm not one to be tied down."

SAM: Well? Oh, no, go on.

LIAM: What is the focus? The focus of your museum is, fill in the blank.

MATT: "Well, now that you asked, I have spent the majority of my past traveling all across the seas of Exandria, past the undying mists that enshrouded--"

LAURA: Detect Thoughts.

MATT: "-- the Shattered Teeth. I spent most of my youth with the Wanderman Assembly, where I began my fortune, and after that spent seven years studying under Prefect Thoshai in Vasselheim. We became great friends, and I was privy to many secrets of the city's history."

LIAM: Insight check. It's low, low. Nine.

MATT: Hard to tell, seems very forthright in the intent. "I was also a close personal friend of the late Sovereign Uriel Tal'Dorei III, and the last sovereign of Gwessar, and was present on the assault of the capital that took the sovereign's life. It was a desperately terrible event. But I've traveled the world, I have met and befriended many individuals. I have procured all manner of relics and artifacts and historical objects of great significance and import, and I keep them all somewhere in here for the public's viewing, and tonight, to be interesting for you to see and dangerous for you to surpass. I'm excited to see what you can do."

SAM: To the members of The Verdict, may you have a fair fight, and I invite any of you who wants to say a prayer for all of us, to do so now before we embark.

MATT: Hutchin steps forward, hand on a sword resting there. "Well, that is very kind of you. Not really much the praying sort ourselves."

SAM: Cool, cool, cool, good, good, good.

MARISHA: Checking to see if there's a cleric?

SAM: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. (laughter)

MATT: "But indeed, good luck to you as well." (as Hutchin) "Are we really standing--" (as Evon) "Yes, stand over there, and you stand over there!"

LAURA: What would you suggest be the best place that we sneak in at?

MATT: Who are you asking?

LAURA: Ivan?

MATT: Evon?

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: "No, that's not, you figure it out!"

LAURA: I've got my Detect Thoughts up, though. Make it just pop up in his head.

LIAM: He'll think of a white elephant.

MATT: I will say, for the surface thoughts, there is something there, but it is currently blocked with a sea of frustration and tangled organization. You get the sense that they had something, an idea of how this was going to work in a grandiose way up in their head, and it's--

LAURA: You're doing-- great. This is

MATT: -- not quite getting there. (frustrated noise)

LAURA: -- a really, really impressive--

MATT: "It's fine, it's fine. Get in your spots." You can look deeper, if you want.

ASHLEY: Have you ever worn the earring before?

MATT: "I have, actually."

ASHLEY: You have, like to parties and things like that?

MATT: A couple of times.

ASHLEY: How fun.

TRAVIS: Is it enchanted?

MATT: "Maybe, you'll have to find out. Hmm."

LAURA: And where do you keep it?

MATT: "You are incorrigible. Get to your place!"

ASHLEY: Okay, okay.

MARISHA: Just going to stand on the corner, I guess.

SAM: ♪ Standin' on a corner ♪

ASHLEY: Are we all standing in different spots?

TRAVIS: Are our starting spots within visual distance of each other, The Verdict and Bells Hells?

MATT: Yes, they are, they're just out on the street, maybe 100 feet from each other.

LAURA: Great.

MATT: Outside of the gate.

LIAM: You guys ready to play paintball?

LAURA: Which side should we go to?

MARISHA: Oh my god.

LAURA: Left side, right side, front door?

SAM: I have no attack anything.

TALIESIN: I'm always a fan of the left.

SAM: I'm just useful.

ASHLEY: Me, too. I'm always a fan of left.

LAURA: All right, we go to the left.

TALIESIN: Widdershins.

LIAM: I'm the exact opposite.

MARISHA: Should we follow them?

LIAM: I'm not useful, I'm just attack.

MARISHA: Maybe we should see where they go. They can just lead the way. No, that's probably dumb.

TALIESIN: No.

TRAVIS: We're a big group.

TALIESIN: That'll put them in front of us no matter what, though.

MATT: There's an awkward pause as you all stand there looking at each other across the way.

SAM: Shoot as them as we run in? Anything?

TALIESIN: What? Nah.

SAM: When they say go, just blast them?

MARISHA: (like Fjord) Eldritch Blast!

SAM: Come on, why not?

TRAVIS: We'll see what they do.

TALIESIN: Yeah, let's let it happen.

MARISHA: Above tabletop.

SAM: Get ready.

LIAM: How far away are the two groups?

MATT: "Go!" (screaming)

MATT: And that's where we're going to end the episode tonight.

SAM: No, no, no, no, I want to do it so bad!

TALIESIN: Let's fuck some shit up in a haunted house!

MATT: Pick it up next time for this fucking chaos.

MARISHA: We got to be fresh, you guys. We got to to sleep, we got to plan.

LIAM: Frozen and suspended in time like that, how far apart are the two groups, though?

LAURA: Like 100 feet.

LIAM: 100 feet, okay.

MATT: You're out on the street facing it, 100 feet from each other, catty-corner to the outside perimeter wall, and there's a little alley between the wall and the next building, and we'll just see where you guys go from there.

LIAM: Guys, is this the "Double Dare" Toys "R" Us run?

LAURA: Oh my god, oh my gosh.

TALIESIN: The Toys "R" Us run I've always dreamed of. Our whole generation.

MARISHA: We all get to be Sam Riegel as a child for a day.

MATT: You fucking asshole.

LAURA: Did you do that?

MARISHA: Yeah, his FAO Schwarz run.

LIAM: Sure, I'm Sam Riegel.

SAM: I went to a birthday party at FAO Schwarz as a child and we could play with any toy in the place, sure. Yeah, didn't everybody do that?

ASHLEY: FAO Schwarz was the best.

SAM: It was friend of mine who was a celebrity, and it was closed, and it was just us, and we could play with any toy at FAO Schwarz. This is a normal thing that all children did.

MARISHA: He got to be Tom Hanks in "Big."

MATT: I had to rake my front yard for a month when I was eight so I could afford to earn the money for my "Gremlins 2" NES game.

SAM: I earned my invitation to that party.

MARISHA: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

MATT: Thank you guys so much for joining us tonight. We're going to pick up on this chaos next week. We love you very much, and is it Thursday yet? Good night.