Transcript:To The Skies

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 Dungeons & Dragons.

ALL: (hollering) We play Dungeons & Dragons!

MATT: Before we jump into our episode tonight, we do have some quick announcements to get through, beginning with our first sponsor, which is NordVPN. There's, like, a weird message here. It says, "Play VHS tape, human."

SAM: Oh, oh.

MATT: It's cute.

LAURA: How did that even--

ASHLEY: Bizarre.

MATT: This is the tape of the previous NordVPN ad.

TALIESIN: You'll have to explain that for all us to under--

TRAVIS: The VHS.

MATT: I do, thankfully, have a VHS player, right here.

TALIESIN: Wow.

MATT: That's how I do all the projector stuff on--

ASHLEY: Oh, cool.

MARISHA: This set has everything.

SAM: Oh, it's starting. Oh, oh.

LAURA: Ooh, wow.

LAURA: It worked! The hacker spirit of BlackWillow69 was successfully transferred into my body. Number Two, do you know what that means?

TRAVIS: It means you're Sam Riegel now?

LAURA: And I can access his 69 teraflops of hacker knowledge. Watch.

ASHLEY (VO): Well, another one of these NordVPN spots. I guess I can just zone out here for a couple minutes while Travis and Laura spout off their hacker bullcrap. Bullcrap? Bull cuh-rap. (laughs) That's such a weird word. Why is it bullcrap, anyway? I'm going to look it up. Yeah, why not rat crap or monkey crap? I mean, what did bulls do to deserve being associated with lies? Poor old big, dumb bull boys! You big, old, dumb bull boy! Oh, dang it, phone is at 2%. It's all those daggum TikToks I watch. God, that bee lady is so funny, the way she talks all calm while bees swarm around her head. Now, I'll place a clip on the queen, and make sure the bees follow her to the new hive." (chuckles) What a weirdo. She's awesome, though. Okay, I wonder if these hosers would even notice if I just, real quiet-like, charge my phone. Where's the cord?

LAURA: Ashley, Ashley.

ASHLEY: (Cockney accent) Oh, sorry, mate, I got distracted thinking about how NordVPN provides the jolly goodest quality encryption for your internet traffic and hides your IP and physical location. With more than 5,400 servers in 59 countries, it's easy to get wicked speed and protection with one simple click. Available on every major platform like Windows, iOS, Android, and Linux. Go to nordvpn.com/criticalrole, or use code criticalrole to get a two-year plan, plus a bonus gift with a chim-chiminey discount! (laughter)

LAURA: This is a disastron. Without Number Two, how can we slice Setty and save the world?

ASHLEY (VO): Whew! Nice cover, Johnson! No one saw you weren't paying attention. Oh, and that accent? Wow, you're a queen! Can I call myself a queen? You know what? I don't care, it's true. Long may I reign. Yeah, no one suspects you're not listening, and no one suspects you aren't Ashley Johnson. (overlapping voices) In fact, you're not even MadHatter69 anymore. These chodes rattle off hackneyed 90s hacker jokes wearing dumb LED visors. They have no idea the root of their cyber problems is sitting right next them! I took over Ashley's body weeks ago, but her pals are so self-centered, they didn't even notice. And now it's too late. I, Setty, will slice Critical Role, then the studio, then, who knows, hack the planet? Sounds fun! Next time NordVPN sponsors the show. (exaggerated evil laugh)

LAURA: Matt, hack to you.

SAM: Whoa, what a strange turn of events.

MATT: That was very strange. Moving on. This episode is also sponsored by our friends at Ghostfire Gaming and their brand new 5E post-apocalyptic setting,

Arora: Age of Desolation. The setting imagines a world ravaged by dragons and includes a detailed survival system, innovative character creation and an evolved advantage system. It also includes 15 new subclasses, 15 background options, and a very special gargantuan red dragon mini, which is my kind of language. The campaign starts soon, so follow it at arora5E.com. It's arora5E.com to get notified when it is available. Special thanks to Ghostfire Gaming for continuing to support our show. (cheering)

MATT: Laura, you got some things to talk about, I believe.

LAURA: I do.

TALIESIN: Right.

LAURA: Number one: Sam, hit it!

SAM: Oh! (pants) (groans)

LAURA: We got a Sprinkle kigurumi! (cheering)

LAURA: Look at him! Right on the edge of death.

ASHLEY: Yeah, show that off.

TRAVIS: You got a tail.

LIAM: Oh yeah!

LAURA: Look at that cutie butt tattoo. You're covering up Tusktooth.

TALIESIN: Other side. Other side.

LAURA: Hold the tip. There you go. There's pockets. It's so comfy.

LIAM: Dat ass.

TRAVIS: (Sprinkle) The tattoo they gave me against my will.

ASHLEY: The cupcake zip.

TALIESIN: Show the--

LAURA: Oh, wait, flip it around.

TALIESIN: Flip it around.

LAURA: Flip it around.

SAM: Flip what around?

LAURA: On your chest.

SAM: I can't see anything.

MARISHA: I got you. I got you. Eyy! (laughter)

LAURA: Check it out. Go to the store.

LIAM: Put your thing down. Flip it. Reverse it.

LAURA: Next thing that we have is this, you can also hold yours up, Travis. I don't know why we both have them.

LIAM: Yeah, handsome.

LAURA: It's a Fjordy Henley!

ALL: Ooh!

SAM: It's so fashionable.

LAURA: I know. I know. It's so cool. It's so subtle. It's like you could rep Fjord and like no one will know, but you'll know. It kind of feels like his armor, and there's like these nice, awesome, little red details. This is designed by Adriann Helton and she's amazing.

MARISHA: Show off that tag. That tag is cool.

LAURA: Oh, and this little tag right here with a little Uk'otoa anchor.

MATT: Oh, that's cool.

LAURA: It's really cool and it's soft and it's wonderful.

TRAVIS: It is.

LAURA: I wear mine all the time.

TRAVIS: I've worn it.

LAURA: Then last but not least, we have this amazing new t-shirt.

SAM: What's it say? What's it say?

LAURA: Hold your horses. It's a Fletching & Moondrop t-shirt. (cheering)

SAM: That's cool.

LAURA: It's a really cool color and it's super soft.

ASHLEY: I love it.

LAURA: So yeah, check these out. They're in the store now. I don't know what stores, but they're in some stores. Check them out, critrole, shop.critrole.com. (cheering)

MATT: Thank you, Laura.

LAURA: That was one of my best ones.

MATT: Hey, that was pretty solid.

TRAVIS: You could see the products.

LIAM: Very little flail that time.

MARISHA: Seven years.

MATT: Yeah. Keep this up, you might have a career in this field. (laughter)

LAURA: This is a medium, if anybody wants to steal this one.

LIAM: You were born for QVC.

TRAVIS: I'll take it!

MATT: Oh, please.

LAURA: I already have one. You wear mediums, don't you?

LIAM: I do and I will wear it.

ASHLEY: I want to see him put it on.

TRAVIS: Like Under Armour.

MARISHA: Matt was like--

TRAVIS: I can't feel my arms.

SAM: He's just Hulk.

MATT: It's a comfortable reaction of mine. I do it often. Marisha, speaking of which, you got an announcement to make.

MARISHA: I do. I almost forgot, but it's a big one.

TRAVIS: (like Marisha) But it's a big one.

MARISHA: It's a big 'un. You guys, this one's going to be dope. Exandria Unlimited... Calamity. (cheering)

MARISHA: Our latest upcoming four-part mini-series was just announced today. Join us and watch as six distinguished heroes from the Age of Arcanum as they uncover an insidious corruption beneath the city that they've sworn to protect. This is a story where Exandria's greatest heroes could not, or maybe would not, see the truth before it was too late, as an inevitable Calamity nears.

SAM: Wow.

MARISHA: And it's going to be GMed by Brennan Lee Mulligan. (cheering)

MARISHA: Uh-huh.

With players: Travis Willingham.

SAM: Travis Willingham!

MARISHA: Aabria Iyengar. (cheering)

MARISHA: Sam Riegel. (cheering)

MARISHA: Lou Wilson. (cheering)

MARISHA: New to our channel. Marisha Ray. (cheering)

MARISHA: That's me. And Luis Carazo. (cheering)

MARISHA: Also new to the channel. You guys.

TRAVIS: It's going to be fire.

MARISHA: I'm getting emotional just thinking about it. It's good. You got to watch it. It premieres Thursday, May 26th, are the numbers,

at 7:00pm Pacific on Twitch and YouTube and continues weekly on Thursdays. Campaign 3 is going to take a little bit of a break on that time. Not a little bit, we're taking a break during that time. It's not--

TRAVIS: Just a little bit.

MARISHA: -- up for debate. Then we'll be resuming on Thursday, June 30th, which I know is the last Thursday of the month. But well, we will have four weeks off.

SAM: We do what we want.

MARISHA: So we do whatever we want. So you get a Critical Role a week early.

TRAVIS: Because we're making the stuff.

MARISHA: We're making the stuff.

SAM: Yeah.

MARISHA: Check out critrole.com for all the details. (applause)

SAM: Calamity.

MATT: Genuinely.

MARISHA: It's going to be good.

MATT: I've wanted there to be a Calamity run narrative for a long time and I can't wait to see Brennan does--

MARISHA: Opulence. Opulence.

MATT: I play everything.

TRAVIS: It's going to be a super puzzle.

MATT: On that note, I think that's the end of our announcements. Let's go ahead and jump into tonight's episode of Critical Role. (cheering) ♪ 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 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 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 ♪ ♪ Get ready (get ready) ♪ ♪ It's Thursday night ♪ (flames whooshing)

Part I
MATT: Welcome back. Fucking dick.

SAM: Jesus, Marisha.

LIAM: Gah!

MARISHA: Oh my god, it's still going! Stop! Stop!

TRAVIS: What have you done?!

SAM: Her volume is on on her phone.

MARISHA: It's good. We're good. We're good.

SAM: She's watching TikTok while we broadcast.

MARISHA: A lot of work.

TRAVIS: (laughs) TikTok. (laughter)

MATT: We--

TRAVIS: It's a watch cleaning video she had on.

MATT: -- are a well-oiled machine.

So, last we left off: Our intrepid heroes, after returning to Jrusar, finished the contráct, the contract, the contraect. Yes, the contrácté.

LIAM: We're not going to get it back.

MATT: No, it's already shaken loose out of the first minute.

LIAM: The horses are out of the stable.

MATT: (laughs) With Jiana Hexum.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

MATT: Completing your long scheduled debt with her and her business, and as well as shaking loose some odd memories within yourself, things you haven't thought of or considered in quite some time. Along with Milo's aid, seemed to ascertain some mysterious nature of the night in which you did fall from Jiana's manor and took the crack on your head that has led to this strange new influx of abilities that you're still discovering and developing as you go. You also began to go about the town and gather materials. You spoke with Eshteross and let him know what had been going on. He let you know that in the interim, while you were up in the Heartmoor, on the north side of the Oderan Wilds, he was keeping tabs on Treshi, specifically Armand Treshi and with the ring that you had placed upon his hand during the ball. It seemed that Armand had skipped town not but four or so days before you arrived. He fled to the southeastern direction and upon touching base with some of his connections in the more seedy parts of the city, got word that he seemed to be fleeing with most of his belongings, the important belongings at least, after clearing out much of his home to the southeast into the Hellcatch Valley to the city of Bassuras. You were then asked by Eshteross, with no necessary obligation to do so, if you'd be interested in seeing this through. You agreed to and he gave you both the device that allows you, within a certain couple mile radius, track the direction of Armand Treshi from where you currently stand. And offered, for safer and quicker travel to the city of Bassuras in the middle of the Hellcatch Valley, which the journey being somewhat dangerous on ground, access to his skyship, which is a little under a month away from its next required shipment. Also, you made him promise to give you some cookies before he left in the morning, which he--

LAURA: We would've forgotten if you hadn't--

MARISHA: Oh, I didn't forget. I have it--

MATT: Yeah, you didn't forget. I didn't forget. Dani didn't forget. (laughter)

MARISHA: Very big.

MATT: The important things, really.

LIAM: Those are like goodberries, right? One hit point each?

MARISHA: Please?

MATT: No.

MARISHA: Damn it.

MATT: One hit point to your spirit. (aww-ing)

MATT: It's not a mechanic.

LIAM: Intangible.

MATT: Yeah. But after gathering some supplies, getting things in order, going and talking to Marwa and making some purchases, including one very chaotic portable hole, which I am both excited and frightened as to what it will lead to down the road, but that's how you roll in D&D.

LIAM: So many uses.

MATT: (laughs) You all went to spend your last evening within the city of Jrusar for the time being in the Spire by Fire in the Core Spire, the familiar space where you all sort of began this venture and met each other, getting a couple rooms, and bedding down for the night. So unless anyone has any business to handle, we can and move to the morning with a long rest.

TRAVIS: I have one thing.

SAM: Oh shit.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: I was still out in the hallway while the stuff was going on. The Spire by Fire is in the Core Spire, right?

MATT: Correct. Yes.

TRAVIS: The Prism Emporium is also in the Core Spire, yes?

MATT: It is.

TRAVIS: I would like to sneak out, please.

MATT: Okay.

LIAM: Quick 25-minute detour that I am here for.

ASHLEY: Shopping on his own now.

TRAVIS: About what time in the evening? How long has it been dark?

MATT: You guys weren't out terribly late. Their business probably went late into the night, but if you wanted to sneak out while they were keeping focused in those various elements of their bedding down.

TRAVIS: I would.

MATT: I would say probably two, three hours past sunset.

TRAVIS: Fair enough. Can I make my way to The Prism Emporium?

MATT: Yes, you may. You head out into the streets of Jrusar. At this point in night you can see the Prakash Pyre still burning fervently giving like a warm orange glow across a large portion of the distant city and the Lantern Spire. The streets are not terribly crowded at this point, but you do see individuals passing by and getting onto their business or finishing their business for the eve. It is thinning out from the stronger crowds, post sunset, until eventually you come around to the familiar exterior of the The Prism Emporium. What would you like to do?

TRAVIS: Can I keep my cloak up as I get close and keep an eye out? Are there any lights on inside?

MATT: You do see a faint bit of light in the inside. The front door's closed. It looks like the windows are mostly-- The curtains in the inside are closed, but you can see a little bit of gentle light from the interior poking through.

TRAVIS: Can I make my way--

ALL: (elderly) ♪ Makin' my way ♪

TRAVIS: -- over to the front door and just with my back to it, just push it, try to push against it with my heel to see if it opens at all?

MATT: Sure. You lean your meager gnomish weight against it. The door does not budge.

TRAVIS: It's night out. Are there any lanterns by the front door? Is it a well-lit entryway?

MATT: There are two lanterns that normally dangle to the immediate right and left of the entryway. Both the lanterns have been currently snuffed or the wick has been closed.

TRAVIS: Can I look around to the side? Does there seem to be a side entrance to the right?

MATT: Make a perception check for me.

TRAVIS: 18.

MATT: 18. To the left hand side, you do not see another entrance. To the right hand side, you do see a small awning that sits over what looks to be a back door or like a side back door that leads into the relatively squeezed alley on the right hand side of it, where there's a few small empty apple crates that are littered on the ground in the outskirts of it, some general garbage and refuse that's just been left off to the sides. The alley does come to an end against the spire rock.

TRAVIS: It won't-- won't let-- I'll go down the side.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: How high up is the awning?

MATT: The awning is about-- let's say eight feet up. There's a couple of steps that lead up to that back door that is closed.

TRAVIS: The surface of the shop is wood?

MATT: It is mostly wood. You could see there are some elements of stone mooring at the corners that are used as central, pillar bases, both decorative and just add a little more.

TRAVIS: Shink, shink!

TRAVIS: Two chisels out.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: I'm going to start (crunching noises) going up the side towards the awning, please.

MATT: Okay, make an athletics check for me, if you don't mind.

TRAVIS: (laughs) 21.

MARISHA: Oh my god, this is happening.

MATT: And make a stealth check with disadvantage because your boots do not kick in for this.

TRAVIS: No. 15.

MATT: Like a man with an intense mission, Terminatal-- Terminator intensity you just--

LAURA: Terminatal.

MATT: Terminatal. My favorite movie from the '90s. (silly voice) I like the Terminatal. One by one, you take your chisels and climb your way up the side of the wooden exterior. The wood paneling barely giving way at certain points, but you know exactly where to find the right load bearing portions of these boards. You carry yourself up rather rapidly with minimal sound. Anyone who would be around the vicinity and the exterior would probably pick up on it if they were within 10 or so feet, but you're practiced both in chiseling wood and not being noticed while chiseling wood. You climb beyond the awning and you can see there is a small lip top with a brick exterior layer that denotes the end of the side walls and leads into an upper roof platform.

TRAVIS: Can I get up there? Do I see a door or a window that's accessible from this area?

MATT: Not from this area. It's a tall single story.

TRAVIS: Maybe even a chimney?

MATT: If you want to get up on top of the roof. If you want to look up onto the roof, you can.

TRAVIS: I'm looking for a way in, friend.

MATT: So do you climb onto the roof?

TRAVIS: Yes.

MATT: All right. Leap onto the roof. The dark night sky above you, the large Core Spire rock formation looming above. You can see the shadows of night simurghs patrolling the space, but you feel pretty confident that you're not immediately catching any attention. Looking across this somewhat open, flat rooftop, you can see there are a couple of tables up here, almost like a break area that hasn't seen a lot of use recently. The wood, and you know wood well, looks to be weathered and sun bleached and probably been in disuse and disrepair for quite some time.

TRAVIS: Shameful.

MATT: Indeed. You do see a trap door next to what looks to be a circular either stone or clay chimney, where a little faint bit of smoke is just drifting out of it.

TRAVIS: A trap door, huh? Can I try that door first?

MATT: You can. You go and pull on it. It's appears to be latched on the opposite side.

TRAVIS: I'll go up, and is there smoke actively coming out of the chimney?

MATT: There is, but just a faint amount. The only reason you recognize it in the low light here beyond just-- You have darkvision as a gnome, right? You can see the slight distortion of the smoke coming up and the scent hits you as you get closer to it. It smells like a gentle wood burning fire that is on the very, very end cusp of being just embers.

TRAVIS: This won't stop me.

LAURA: (laughs)

TRAVIS: I'm fucking going in.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: Grinch style, feet on one end, I'm a shimmy down.

MATT: Now this space, for a normal person, would be extremely uncomfortable if not impossible to squeeze in without fear of getting stuck and becoming an episode of Rescue 911. (laughter)

MATT: But you are--

TRAVIS: (laughs) How specific.

SAM: He has been trapped in the chimney for two hours. (laughter)

MATT: But you are a gnome, and as such, you shimmy in with a couple of inches of space from each side that you can, if you hold your breath and close your eyes a bit, because it will sting rather rapidly, carefully, lower yourself. I would like you to make another athletics check for me, please.

SAM: Come on.

LIAM: Just don't go wolf right now.

MATT: (laughs)

TRAVIS: Natural 20. (oohing)

TRAVIS: 26.

MATT: (sliding on brick) Just releasing in bursts, you slide down and it--

TRAVIS: The gods want this to happen.

MATT: Apparently.

LIAM: (laughs)

MATT: It does begin to widen a bit, but not enough to the point where the reach of your arms prevents you. Right as you get towards the bottom, your eyes are stinging and watering, and the smoke's just drifting up past you.

TRAVIS: I can accelerate it at that point. I don't want to become too uncomfortable. So I'll drop and roll out of the bottom.

MATT: Okay. You drop, and I'll say with a natural 20 on that, you manage to both push and kick off the side as you're falling to prevent you from landing square into the fire, and also aim towards the one open entryway where you can see just a little bit of light beyond. It is enclosed except for a little fireplace exit here. It's not a fireplace. It is a wood burning stove base.

TRAVIS: Oh, shit!

MATT: You come tumbling out of the iron base of it. It's a decent enough size it looks like more for use of warming the space within. But as you tumble out and land on the ground, looking around on the inside, you are in a back room that is adjacent to the front marketplace portion that is adjacent to the front marketplace portion of the emporium within this room. Make a stealth check for me. I'm only allowing you a stealth check on this because you rolled a 20 on the athletics.

TRAVIS: Sure. Dirty 20.

MATT: Dirty 20.

TRAVIS: 12 plus eight.

MARISHA: That level in rogue.

MATT: So as you push off and you roll out, you do hit the iron slightly on the way out, but then land quietly with nary a sound.

LAURA: This is what he took the level in rogue for. This exact--

ASHLEY: This moment.

MATT: This moment here?

TRAVIS: Just the little things.

MATT and ASHLEY: (laughs)

MATT: Looking around, there's a relatively well-made, a cot that's been upgraded to a formal bed, and around it, there's gentle decor. There's some banners, almost like pennants tacked to the wall above. You can see some nice herbs that are tethered and held within a satchel that's hung from the wall that gives a perfumey-type potpourri smell to the interior of the wood here.

TRAVIS: I'm smelling for one in particular person.

MATT: Make a perception check with advantage, because of your wolven scent.

TRAVIS: Tuyen Otwana. Is that right? I butcher that name every time.

MATT: (laughs)

TRAVIS: Perception.

MATT: Yeah, Tuyen Otwana.

TRAVIS: 14.

MATT: 14. The perfume mucks it up a little bit, the potpourri smell, but you do pick up the sound of rummaging from the door but you do pick up the sound of rummaging from the door that leads into the main marketplace portion of the emporium.

TRAVIS: I will creep covered in soot, cloak down, towards.

MATT: You step into the dark front clerical space of the Prism Emporium. There is one single lit oil lantern that is set on the main desk where you had previously had a conversation over with Tuyen. You see across the way, finishing, closing up all the curtains on the walls, and holding in one hand a steaming clay mug of some sort of a drink, Tuyen himself, her, you know, elven form wrapped tightly in a thick night robe, getting ready to go out and leave for the night, having finished closed up shop.

TRAVIS: I'm sorry. Your door was closed.

MARISHA: (whispers) Oh my god.

MATT: "Whoever's here, I don't want any trouble."

TRAVIS: (quick steps) (laughter)

TRAVIS: Moving around at the door real quick.

MATT: Make another stealth check. As you now have been noticed or announced yourself.

SAM: You have the advantage. Are you invisible?

TRAVIS: No, I'm not.

SAM: Oh, okay, okay.

TRAVIS: I have advantage because of what?

MATT: You have an advantage because your boots, when it's a sound-based thing.

TRAVIS: Natural 20. (laughter)

TALIESIN: Should've held these for later, but fine.

MARISHA: Come on!

LAURA: This is bananas.

MATT: As you dart off into another corner, are you intentionally making sound where you're going?

TRAVIS: Trying to give little voice pings as I move around. So like--

MATT: Which I will say, with a natural 20 and an eight on top of that, you do, as you begin darting between, and the conversation seems to move sourcelessly, and you watch as Tuyen, holding the mug is now visibly shaking in her hand. She's looking around.

TRAVIS: Someone's shop (sinister) should be like their home. You should feel (creepily) safe.

MARISHA: He's stealing my shtick.

MATT: "I certainly want to talk this out, whoever you might be." You watch as she starts moving over towards this side portion of the door.

TRAVIS: Don't. It's important that someone who runs a shop (gravely) charges fairly for their wares.

MATT: "I charge what I find to be a fair price, given the work and craftsmanship, and the market prices of such items. That's how you maintain a business."

TRAVIS: That's (snarls) disappointing. (growls)

MATT: Make an intimidation check.

MARISHA: Oh my god.

LIAM: (laughs)

MARISHA: Oh my god.

TALIESIN: Oh boy.

TRAVIS: Oh my god. This is a 17.

SAM: Wow! (laughter)

TRAVIS: Plus zero.

MATT: There is a brief beat after your snarl, before you hear the sound of shattering clay and water on the wooden floor of the interior, the mug dropped, and both hands up, you can see the wide eyes of Tuyen glancing about in the low light. Like these two massive spheres of fear, as she slowly moves forward. "I don't know what I did and what I said, but I will make it up to you, whoever you are. Please don't hurt me."

TRAVIS: There was a time years ago where I would've just sat by my lonesome and hated you from afar, but there's a different side of me now, and he wants (snarling) to hunt.

MARISHA: Oh my god!

LAURA and ASHLEY: (gasps)

MARISHA: What is happening?

TRAVIS: You see the fucking werewolf just (snarls) (roars)

MATT: "(screams)" Turns around--

TRAVIS: I just grab her and pick her up.

MATT: She goes and reaches for the door to try and get it unlocked as you grab the back. Make an athletics check.

ASHLEY: Oh!

MARISHA: I wouldn't want to see him in a Whole Foods. (laughter)

TRAVIS: 14.

MATT: 14. She rolled a 15 acrobatics to try and slip out of your grasp. As you reach out to try and grab, she feels the hand to hit the back and just ducks out of the way, abandons the door and just goes running, vaulting over one of the shelves, like, tumbles and shatters a bunch of knickknacks and various things onto the ground. She is running on the other side of the room, just full on trying to get the hell away from you. "(screams)"

TRAVIS: (deeply) I love a chase. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Oh my god!

TRAVIS: (growls) I'll try and close on her.

MATT: You close easily, because one, there isn't a lot of room to get around, as she tries to put space between the two of you. Arcing around, you get off to the side and you have a better movement than she does, especially given the fact that she's taken off guard and shaken by your presence. As you cut her off, she sees you, leans up against the wall now, like, heavy breathing. (breathes heavy)

TRAVIS: Like Alien 3, just drool coming out of the teeth right up in her face. (snarls) (deeply) Let this be a warning. Charge fairly for your wares. I'll slash across her arm.

MATT: Oh, shit. Okay. Are you going for actual damage or just a--

TRAVIS: Damage.

ASHLEY: Oh my god.

MATT: Okay. Roll an attack.

SAM: Oh my god.

ASHLEY: This is the best.

LIAM: She's got like six hit points.

MARISHA: Ooh.

TRAVIS: Oh, god.

MARISHA: There's no backing out.

TRAVIS: 14 to hit. I didn't hit that.

MATT: That definitely hits, because she's not armored.

TRAVIS: Okay.

MATT: She is a merchant.

TRAVIS: Cool. Then here with the... That's nine points of damage.

MATT: Nine points of damage. All right. So, just double checking with you. Are you trying to just scare her with the wound, or are you trying to go all in on this attack?

LAURA: Are you trying to kill her?

MATT: So, as you claw past, you run your wolven claws

MATT: So, as you claw past, you run your wolven claws through her shoulder, and she screams in pain. There's a spray of blood on the wall, and left on your arm. As she falls to one knee and starts trying to hobble away from you, she's losing a lot of blood. Like, you went right through the arm and there is now just bone exposed through the muscle. She's a merchant. (laughs)

TRAVIS: Right.

MATT: She's alive, but she's definitely "(screams)." Wide-eyed, you see the sweat beads on the forehead and her face reflecting the little bit of lantern light that starting to get closer as she begins to make her way towards the counter. "I'm sorry! I will, I will! I'll charge fairly. I'll charge at a discount. I'll give everyone discounts. I just... Ah!" Leans onto the counter and the slow rolls over before hitting the ground. "Ah, shit!"

TRAVIS: I'm going to use my... What the fuck? Oh my god. What's it called? I'm going to use my Crimson Rite to have flames come off of my claws.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: I'm going to go up and I'm going to sear the slash on her arm where the bone is exposed.

MATT: Interesting.

MARISHA: Cauterizing.

TRAVIS: Cauterizing.

MATT: Okay. She's fallen over the side and is getting back up, and it's like "(groans)"

TRAVIS: Damage die.

MATT: As she stands up, turns around at you, "(gasps)." That immediate reaction, you reach forward and grab the arm and you begin to hold it. She goes, "Ah!" Screams in pain, as you watch this dark smoke of the burning skin and flesh begins to cauterize.

TRAVIS: (deeply) Now I'll know how to find you. (normal) I go back over to my clothes and I dig in through my stuff. I take the little healer's kit, the one of two that I have.

MATT: Yeah.

TRAVIS: I toss it to her. (deeply) I'll be back. I burst through the front door, just smash it open.

SAM: Oh! Reverse Kool-Aid Man?

MATT: Make a strength check.

LAURA: That'll be amazing if it's a one and you smash into it.

TRAVIS: I doubt this is where it goes. Boof!

MATT: I mean...

TRAVIS: Seven. (laughter)

MATT: So--

TRAVIS: Damn it!

MATT: So, in this intense moment, as you slowly withdraw, she's holding her arms, looking down at the healer's kit, like, spilled onto the ground, the bits of balm and bandages that now open against the low lantern light, you turn and, (howls) (runs) (crashes) (laughter)

MATT: Onto the ground. There's this awkward pause.

TRAVIS: There's a (yips) (laughter)

TRAVIS: (deeply) Do you have a key? (laughter)

MATT: Reaches back into her pocket and tosses a keyring to you.

TRAVIS: (deeply) Fucking claws! (laughter)

TRAVIS: (snarls) (laughter)

LIAM: It's hard with his long nails.

LAURA: Yeah. Yeah, they get in the way.

TRAVIS: (deeply) Fuck them. (laughter)

TRAVIS: As I break through the door, I'll cast Invisibility on myself.

MATT: Okay, okay.

MARISHA: Incredible!

MATT: Which is good, because as soon as you burst through the doors and vanish, you can see there's a crowd of at least four or five people that are standing the outside who have been called to attention from the howling and the screaming in pain and the ruckus of battle and fleeing that has been audible to those who are passers by in the street. The doors burst open. There's maybe a brief glimpse of some sort of monstrous thing in the doorway before it just vanishes into shadow and nothing. Everyone around is going, "What was that? Did you see? Call the wardens! There was an attack!" People start going in to check quietly, and you charge off into the night.

MARISHA: Wow.

TRAVIS: (howls)

MARISHA: Wow. (laughter)

MARISHA: Oh my god.

MATT: Okay. Okay. So, you return with a fairly accomplished So, you return with a fairly accomplished strike of vengeance against a shopkeep that did you dirty enough to do that.

TRAVIS: I see the soot, but I just get rid of some of it. It looks tough.

MATT: (laughs) All righty.

TRAVIS: Yeah, I do. (dog shaking sounds) (laughter)

MATT: All right. You return to the room--

TRAVIS: Sneak in. (hums) (deep sigh) (laughter)

MATT: Perfect. All right. Anybody else before you take the rest for the evening?

SAM: I'm good.

ASHLEY: I'm going to see if I notice him walking in.

MATT: Go for it.

ASHLEY: I am sound asleep. (laughter)

TRAVIS: What was it?

ASHLEY: It was a three.

MATT: Okay. Okay.

TALIESIN: About 2:00am, I'm going to sneak out the back window. (laughter)

MATT: All righty. Well, with that, you do all manage to get a full night's rest. You can take your long rest in.

MARISHA: Okay.

MATT: Until eventually, the sunrise of the morning begins to warm the exterior of the Spire by Fire, your chambers begin to warm as well.

TRAVIS: Every time.

MATT: Not to that uncomfortable space, but enough to connotate to your biology that it is time to wake. With that, you all gather yourselves, enjoy a breakfast meal before you have the rest of the day at your disposal. What would you like to do?

SAM: Real quick. We have this hole, and we have a bunch of stuff. Ashley. I mean, Fearne. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Oh no, he's shorting out again!

SAM: Are you capable of keeping track of all of our stuff?

ASHLEY: I absolutely am. Of course.

TRAVIS: Wait, wait, wait, wait, hold on. We're giving Fearne the bag with... Okay.

LAURA: Oh wow.

ASHLEY: Are we actually doing this?

SAM: We're doing this.

ASHLEY: So now you have to keep charge of our inventory?

SAM: Yes.

TRAVIS: She's not going to give us anything.

MATT: (laughs)

LIAM: Liam thinks it's a wonderful idea.

TALIESIN: Yeah. Just assume if you give it to her, you never really wanted it in the first place.

TRAVIS: That's fair. That's very fair.

TALIESIN: It's like a storage unit.

ASHLEY: It's going to be fun.

TALIESIN: You're never going back there.

MATT: All right. So, Fearne, add a portable hole to your inventory on your character sheet.

LIAM: That's your hole, don't you want to go in your hole?

MATT: Get familiar with it, and whatever you all decide to eventually put within it.

MARISHA: So, wait, did you just give Fearne a promotion?

SAM: Fearne is the most mindful of belongings. She always knows what all of us are carrying on our person at all time.

MARISHA: Brilliant.

LIAM: Chance she'll try to nab it off us anyway.

MARISHA: Brilliant.

ASHLEY: What are you saying?

MARISHA: I think this is a great idea. Congratulations, Fearne, this is--

ASHLEY: Thank you so much. Is everybody in agreeance? Just I want to be--

TALIESIN: Oh, yes.

ASHLEY: You know? Yes?

LAURA: Agreeance, yeah.

ASHLEY: Okay, yeah.

LAURA: I have a question about this portable hole, though. Does it have to be on the ground in order for it to work?

SAM: Good question.

LAURA: What if you fold it in half? Can you reach your arm in?

ASHLEY: Let's try.

LAURA: Okay.

TRAVIS: You died. (laughter)

LAURA: Just fold it in half.

ASHLEY: Fold it, okay.

LAURA: Then I'm just going to reach my arm in, like it's a bag or something.

MATT: You reach in and it meets cloth. In fact, you get the sense that it acts as just dark silk anytime that it's folded in some way until it's laid out. When it's laid out, it becomes a large hole.

ASHLEY: I'm going to try to throw it on the wall.

MARISHA: Yes.

ASHLEY: Just to see.

MATT: You throw it on the wall, and as it unravels, it seems to stick to it a little bit until eventually there is a 10-foot dark hole on the wall. There's nothing beyond it. It's just a dark circle.

TRAVIS: Cool.

LIAM: It's like a big circular table cloth that just goes hole.

SAM: I'm just going to roll into it, and see if I can just roll straight in.

MATT: You roll straight into it into a dark lightless space. As you enter inside, your wheel goes over and rolls over a couple of the objects that were previously left within the hole when it was procured, but they've all now spilled onto the side.

LAURA: Oh wow!

LIAM: So it's like a cylinder, right?

MATT: Yeah.

SAM: I can see out to them, but they can't see into me?

MATT: Correct. As you turn around, you can see the hole in the wall and the interior of the chamber where you're all currently-- the rest of them are standing.

SAM: We could even use this to spy on people, like a one-way mirror type of thing.

TALIESIN: I mean, how long can you be in something like this before it gets weird with you? I don't know.

ASHLEY: Oh, I didn't think about that.

MARISHA: Like, you start to lose oxygen?

MATT: Make an arcana check, or an intelligence check.

TALIESIN: I don't know. If I find something weird, I wonder how it's going to kill me.

MATT: Make an intelligence check on that one if you'd like to, Imogen.

LAURA: I'm not very smart, but I'll do it.

SAM: I think I get advantage on arcana checks.

LAURA: Oh. Well, I mean.

MATT: Then go ahead.

LAURA: Okay.

SAM: Terrible, terrible. 10!

LAURA: I rolled ter-- I rolled 11.

MATT: Don't know, have to find out.

SAM: Okay.

MATT: I mean, at the very least, you gather that for extradimensional space like this, there could be a chance that it uses the air from the outside of the hole, it could be a chance that it doesn't. Especially if it's picked up. So there's probably a chance that the air within is finite.

LAURA: I'm going to cast Dancing Lights, my little electrical balls and I'm going to try to send them through the-- shut up-- I'm going to try to send them through the portal without me.

MATT: Okay.

SAM: Sending your balls in the portal.

MATT: They go (zhoop) and you watch them get swallowed by the darkness. You--

LAURA: Can you see in there?

MATT: See them come in and light up the expanse within.

SAM: Yeah, they work, so spells can cast--

LAURA: That's great, through it.

SAM: And they can hear me if I talk?

MATT: You guys don't hear anything.

TALIESIN, SAM, and LAURA: Oh.

LAURA: I wonder if it worked.

SAM: (yelling) It's working!

TALIESIN: That's a good question. Maybe we should go in--

LIAM: Letters, you can hear us, but we can't hear you, is that the deal? Or sound doesn't go either way?

SAM: I can hear them, but they can't hear me, or no one can hear anyone?

MATT: I will say---

SAM: Define all of the features of this.

MATT: I will right now. I do not believe it specifies elements of this, but in my opinion, you're able to see beyond it. I'll say, yeah, you can hear them.

TRAVIS: In the dark, this is legit.

LAURA: That's cool.

TRAVIS: Legit hiding spot.

ASHLEY: This is very good for us to know.

TALIESIN: A couple of other things. How tall is the hole, give or take?

ASHLEY: 10 feet.

MATT: It's 10 feet, side to side.

TALIESIN: Wow! That's fucking huge!

MATT: It's a big space.

LAURA: Could I peak my head through? I'm not going to put my whole body in, but-- oh, hi.

SAM: Hi!

LAURA: Oh, it's light in here. It worked!

SAM: Well, I mean, it's a little light because of your lights, yeah.

LAURA: Well, yeah, that's what I mean. All right.

SAM: Let's go out.

LAURA: Okay.

SAM: But this also means that if we're ever on the water or in the air, we need 10 feet of solid space to access our stuff.

LAURA: That's true.

SAM: So we should just remember that.

LAURA: Good.

ASHLEY: Also, if we decide to ever hide in here, it's very good to know that a breathing creature can survive for up to 10 minutes, but after that we'll all suffocate and die.

SAM: Oh.

ASHLEY: So, just good to know.

TALIESIN: I'll also say, if someone finds the hole or if it falls or if it's folded at any point, getting out's going to be complicated. Like not possible, I think that's a terrible--

LAURA: Then we would die because we wouldn't be able to get out.

LIAM: So that's die if it's closed up, rolled up?

TALIESIN: We would be found by whoever--

LAURA: Is that correct?

ASHLEY: That seems to be what I'm reading here.

TALIESIN: Once it folds.

MARISHA: Also, ten minutes.

ASHLEY: If the hole is folded.

LIAM: What are you reading?

LAURA: Okay.

SAM: (laughs)

ASHLEY: I'm just--

LAURA: Do you have your little book?

TALIESIN: There's a label on the back.

LAURA: Do you have a little book of magical--

ASHLEY: She gave me a little--

TALIESIN: Dry clean only.

TRAVIS: Jrusar weekly.

LAURA: It was like the tag that came on.

ASHLEY: Yeah, it was the tag. So I'm just checking it.

TALIESIN: Hang dry.

LIAM: 90% polyester.

MATT: You do have the Identify ability which I believe you may have used to look into it anyway, so you would have this information.

MARISHA: Oh, made in Nicodranas.

ASHLEY: It is if it's folded or--

MARISHA: She rolled a really good intelligence check.

SAM: So we got this, all right. So what are we doing today? Where are we going?

LIAM: Hold on, as long as we're divvying stuff up, you know, and I pull out the horn that we bought.

LAURA: Where was that?

LIAM: This was from-- Ah, deep. (laughter)

LIAM: You know, it was really cool and I had just enough money to get it, and I thought it would be good for me, I thought it would be good for me, but you know, Chetney, when I was falling asleep last night, I thought, you're our scout, really. You're the one who's always sneaking off, so I think this would be more useful for you, because you're always slipping off. The way it works, is you can alert us if there's something wrong, so you know, one of these times when you're out without us, I just think you'll get more use out of it. I walk up to him and I clap him on the shoulder, and give him the sunniest smile. (laughter)

TRAVIS: That's so generous. I feel like I don't stray too far from the pack.

LAURA: No, you wander off a lot, Chet. I mean, think about at the museum, you were off by yourself for a long time.

LIAM: For sure, and at the ball.

LAURA: That's true, at the ball.

SAM: As the years go on, you'll probably start wandering off more and more and losing a sense of where you are and--

TRAVIS: Does that happen north of 425 or what?

TALIESIN: 425, wow.

LIAM: Age is just a number.

ASHLEY: 425.

TRAVIS: It is, it's how you feel.

TALIESIN: A high number.

LIAM: Take this, and then call, you can call one of us, if you blast this thing, you can choose one of us to hear it, but it'll be silent.

TRAVIS: That's amazing. I'll put it to very good use.

LIAM: Of course you will.

TRAVIS: I can just choose when I'm about to give her a blow? Who it goes to?

LIAM: Yeah.

TRAVIS: You hush.

TALIESIN: When you slip off. Yes.

TRAVIS: That's amazing. Thank you, Orym.

LIAM: Sure, it's a gift.

TRAVIS: Actually, I have something for you because I felt so bad about growling at you the other day and the--

LIAM: Well, we're going to work on that, right?

TRAVIS: Yeah, totally, but I've been working, so I have stuff that I started out, I was like, he likes moons, so I made just like this simple moon dish, but this is dogshit, right? You got the first thing and you throw it away, so fuck that, so I kicked it up a notch, and I thought like, it's all about relationships, so I wanted to incorporate your big moon and your little moon, and also just whatever comes next. So this is for you.

SAM and MARISHA: Oh!

MARISHA: Pass it down.

LAURA: Can I have that little dish?

SAM: If I had a heart, it would break.

TRAVIS: It's garbage, it's filth, you don't want that.

LAURA: I know, but think about all the little trinkets I've been keeping.

TRAVIS: I haven't put any filigree on it or nothing.

LAURA: No, it's fine, it's fine. It'll be a placeholder until you actually make something for me.

TRAVIS: I threw it really far.

LAURA: Get up.

TRAVIS: I'll go get it.

LIAM: I'm going to put this in my office at home, but Orym holds the box for like a good 10 or 15 seconds, just turning it over and looking at it, and then looks up at you, puts his hand on your shoulder. You're a good soul.

TRAVIS: Oh.

LIAM: Thank you.

TRAVIS: Thanks. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Thank you. Could you give this to Imogen?

MARISHA: You should give yourself some credit here, Chet. Look how smooth--

TRAVIS: That's dog-- That's elementary school shit. That's crap.

MARISHA: Well, I don't--

TRAVIS: Anybody with a spoon could do that. And a sharp beveled edge.

SAM: This is terrible.

LIAM: I couldn't do that.

TRAVIS: Thank you, FCG.

ASHLEY: It is very smooth.

MATT: This is an in-character thing, whoever's Etsy page you got that from--

LAURA: Yeah, it's actually really wonderful.

MATT: -- it's wonderful craftsmanship.

LAURA: I really do want it.

SAM: He made it himself.

TRAVIS: Oh, that's a good idea, I should send some love.

MATT: Yeah, you should. Yes, you should. (laughter)

LIAM: That's in-character.

MATT: It's in-character.

LAURA: Yeah, that's all in-character. This is great. (laughter)

TALIESIN: I'm not used to this part of you.

TRAVIS: I can't make any of this, give me a break. Talented people do that.

LAURA: Look, it's perfect for keeping dice in it.

MARISHA: It's pretty cute.

MATT: You do need more places to keep dice.

LAURA: I know, lookit.

ASHLEY: It's quite beautiful.

LAURA: It just keeps getting harder and harder.

MATT: (laughs)

TALIESIN: Oh, that looks quite nice.

LIAM: It is.

MATT: That's really cool.

LIAM: It's got flowers on it, and vines.

ASHLEY: Well, is there anything that you all would like me to put into the hole?

SAM: Let's see. I don't really have anything.

ASHLEY: The porthole. The portable. The portal.

LAURA: The portal.

LIAM: I mean, think of the things we can put in here, like that statue that was so hard.

MARISHA: We do have to go pick up--

ASHLEY: Yes!

MARISHA: -- those cookies.

SAM: Ooh, the statue.

MARISHA: So we could--

LAURA: Oh, yeah, but we have to wait, wait.

TALIESIN: We'll get the statue when we go get the cookies.

LAURA: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SAM: And our fine clothes from the ball, maybe?

TALIESIN: Yeah, it's good to have those ready to go.

LIAM: You got to be careful with breakables, though, because it looks like, Orym pops his head in and out, all the stuff fell down to the side, so.

SAM: We can wrap things.

MARISHA: We should try and put it on the floor. That's right, earthquake putty also can do wonders.

TALIESIN: We can start stealing the sheets and pillows from every place we sleep, too, and just throwing them in there, and that will probably buffer a lot of that.

ASHLEY: That's good.

MARISHA: Pad it to make it like a padded hole.

TALIESIN: Eventually it'll just be a giant thing we can jump into and it'll be very comfortable for nine minutes and 30 seconds.

MARISHA: You know, I was thinking about that, too, that's for one person. If all eight of us get in there, or seven of us, including Dorian, of course.

TRAVIS: Oh, yeah.

MARISHA: Get in there, that's only like 90 seconds worth of oxygen.

LAURA: Is that how it works?

ASHLEY: Well, okay. As I'm looking--

TALIESIN: One way to find out.

SAM: You don't got to count me.

MARISHA: Oh, two minutes.

LAURA: That's right, you don't breathe.

ASHLEY: We only lose oxygen if the hole is folded up, so if we were hiding somebody in there, we could only do it for about 10 minutes, but I think if it's just on the floor and open, we can stay in there just forever.

TRAVIS: Yeah.

MATT: Indeed.

LAURA: That's awesome.

TALIESIN: Oh!

LAURA: That would be great. That's great for camping or something!

LIAM: You could even sleep and then whoever's on guard can perch up top and look around.

LAURA: Yeah!

MARISHA: We could decorate it, you know? Put little--

LAURA: As long as it's attached to the walls.

MARISHA: Yes!

ASHLEY: I'll take it down--

MARISHA: Get little silks and chiffon and you know.

ASHLEY: -- and put it on the ground. Okay, do you want to take a peek in there, just to see?

MARISHA: Yes!

ASHLEY: Okay, yeah.

LIAM: What are the walls and floor made of in here?

SAM: We're going to spend an hour in this fucking hole.

LAURA: I love it.

LIAM: Yeah.

MATT: They feel like a smooth, cold slate or steel.

TRAVIS: Xhorhaus to this.

MARISHA: Uh-huh.

LAURA: Look, we have a hole!

TALIESIN: This is like a bank vault similarity.

TRAVIS: Get a flatscreen in there.

MATT: It kind of feels like it.

MARISHA: Caleb's magnificent tower to--

SAM: Bells' Hole.

TALIESIN: We have a hole!

TRAVIS: A dark hole.

ASHLEY: This is exactly why I should have taken that rug.

LAURA: Oh gosh.

ASHLEY: It's fine, we'll find another one.

TALIESIN: Live and learn.

ASHLEY: It's okay. I mean, it was heavy, anyway.

MARISHA: Laudna jumps in and she props the crates up and she arranges the crates to where they could be their own almost double as a little tea table as well.

MATT: All right.

MARISHA: Just with what's there. We can work on it, we'll ideate and get some ideas.

LAURA: I'm going to cast my Dancing Lights and I'm going to send them up to the top like little--

MARISHA: Like little fairy lights?

LAURA: Market lights.

MARISHA: Little market lights.

LIAM: We went from Scanlan's Mansion, to the tower, to fantasy preppers. (laughter)

MATT: Yep, yep!

TRAVIS: Spider hole. 100%.

LAURA: Can I, as a little flavor, can I split up my fairy lights and make them a bunch of little teeny ones, instead of the three big, normal-sized balls?

MATT: I'll allow it. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Big buckets of food that anybody can eat, but it's all cardboard.

TALIESIN: I was about to say, we should probably get some non-perishable rations and some water, because we are going to--

MATT: 65 pounds of instant macaroni and cheese. Just as the Lord intended.

LAURA: Actually, he did say we needed to get our own supplies for the airship because--

TALIESIN: Let's get them--

LAURA: That's right. We need to stop by the store, buy a bunch of supplies.

TALIESIN: Let's buy a bunch of food and water off-camera and we'll be super.

LAURA: Yeah.

SAM and TALIESIN: Off-camera.

TALIESIN: In a montage.

LIAM: Maybe a couple different colored blankets or tarps?

LAURA: Yeah.

LIAM: That we could throw over it at night when everyone is sleeping in it. You know what I'm saying?

SAM: 12-foot by 12-foot.

LIAM: Yeah, disguise the holes.

TALIESIN: We need one-- Sleeping in a thing that if someone picks up and closes it, we will all slowly suffocate and die. (laughter)

LIAM: We're going to post guards outside of it.

TALIESIN: I'm not going to say I haven't done dumber shit in my life, but that's--

LIAM: He's got the horn.

LAURA: Oh, you know what? Hold on, I'm going to get in the hole.

TALIESIN: He's going to die on his own, though, like any night.

LAURA: I'm going to get in the hole and I'm going to try to talk to-- Who's on the outside?

MARISHA: That's a good idea.

TRAVIS: All of us.

LAURA: Okay, to FCG--

SAM: Via mentally.

LAURA: I'm going to try to talk in your head. Can you hear me if I'm in here and you're out there?

MATT: Let me check something.

SAM: Boy, we are really testing Matt's knowledge of this item.

MATT: Not even knowledge, this--

TRAVIS: We're deciding some stuff.

TALIESIN: Lock it all down.

MATT: There are few more things more D&D than finding out in how many ways you can abuse the specifics of a magical item's utility.

MARISHA: It will all come in fruition in episode 77--

TALIESIN: Yeah.

MARISHA: -- when--

MATT: The ability you use is the--?

LAURA: Telepathy.

MATT: Right, just telepathy.

LAURA: Let me look at what it is exactly.

SAM: If it's cold outside, is it warm inside?

TALIESIN: I think it's the same temperature at all times inside. I think it's a solid 72 degrees.

LIAM: Let's also not forget--

MATT: I will say, it does not continue.

LAURA: Oh man.

MATT: Technically, the interior of this is a pocket dimension.

LAURA: Okay, okay.

LIAM: Yeah.

MATT: There is a definitive separation between the two that does not allow your telepathy to continue.

LAURA: Okay, yeah, because I'd have to be within four miles.

TRAVIS: Do we get cable in here?

LAURA: Okay. Got it.

TALIESIN: I've got another weird thing I want to try. Does anybody-- I don't want to use my rope. Fuck it. I'm going to put a little rope inside, once everybody's out, is everybody out?

SAM: Yeah.

LAURA: I'll get out.

TRAVIS: Yep.

TALIESIN: I'm going to try and start to fold it with the rope halfway dangling on the inside.

SAM: You want to see if it cuts the rope?

TALIESIN: Mm-hmm.

MATT: Okay. You fold it on the rope.

TALIESIN: And then open it.

MATT: And then open it? I mean, it seemed to fold okay on top of it.

TALIESIN: But did the rope halfway through because it's still--

LAURA: Hold up, I'm going to get back in, and try it again and I'll see if the rope's on the inside when--

TALIESIN: Okay, okay.

LAURA: Don't leave me in here, I don't want to die.

MATT: Okay. So you open it back up and as you pull the rope, the rope is indeed severed where it was.

MARISHA: Oh.

TALIESIN: Look at this important lesson we just learned.

TRAVIS: Dangerous.

MARISHA: Sure.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

TRAVIS: We could've learned that the hard way.

LIAM: Let's open it back up. What did you see in there?

LAURA: I saw a rope fall from the ceiling.

LIAM: But what happened to the room?

LAURA: What do you mean?

TRAVIS: It closed.

LIAM: When you were in it.

TRAVIS: What happened?

LAURA: Yeah. What did you see? Did the light go away?

LAURA: I just saw the room and then I didn't see y'all on the outside any more and then--

LIAM: Go pitch black, or did you have your lights in here?

LAURA: I still had my lights.

MATT: What you saw is from the visual perspective of where you are, looking up, right? As soon as he reached to the side, darkness just closed over top. It was like someone had shuttered the doors to it and you were left in this dark expanse with your lights keeping it somewhat glowy, your delightful spread fairy lights.

LAURA: It was still like a 10 by 10 room?

MATT: Yeah, the room is the same.

LAURA: Okay.

SAM: Okay, we got five more experiments here. If we build a 10-foot by 10-foot portable platform, If we build a 10-foot by 10-foot portable platform, could we pick it up and walk with it?

MATT: It's possible.

SAM: Okay, okay, good to know.

TRAVIS: 10 by 10 platform?

SAM: Just want to know.

MATT: It's like carrying a crate.

TRAVIS: Jump in the hole! Once over!

LAURA: What's that grocery store game show where you can just run through and throw things in?

ASHLEY: Oh, Supermarket Sweep.

LAURA: Yes!

ASHLEY: I love that show so much!

LIAM: Or the Double Dare run to Toys "R" Us, come on!

LAURA: Oh my god, yes!

MATT: Don't, don't, Sam.

LAURA: We could just run and throw things in.

MATT: I know, I hate you for it, I'll hate you for that forever.

SAM: Done that.

LIAM: Get out of here.

ASHLEY: That's right. I blocked it out of my head because it made me so angry. (laughter)

TRAVIS: (sneezes)

MATT: Gesundheit. Okay.

SAM: All right. Back to skyship.

LIAM: Also, wait, last thing, and this is the pigeon talking, not Orym, but don't forget, this is a pocket dimension, so pocket dimension plus pocket dimension equals danger.

MATT: Yeah, nobody knows that. Continue.

LIAM: No one in this group knows that. (laughter)

ASHLEY: I saw that in the last paragraph.

SAM: So off-camera, we're going to get supplies. Is there anything else we need before go to this fucking skyship and get on with the fucking episode?

TALIESIN: Cookies and statues are the last thing.

LAURA: Should we all go shopping for a change of clothing? I'm just kidding! I'm kidding.

TALIESIN: Well, we have our fancy clothes.

LAURA: Oh, right, right.

TALIESIN: We're going to pick up that shit.

ASHLEY: But we're supposed to be, you know, not flashy.

LAURA: Oh, that's right!

ASHLEY: Did we get some from--

MARISHA: We got the cloaks from Milo.

ASHLEY: Yes, from Milo.

LAURA: Okay, yeah.

TALIESIN: But let's just put in the hole-- let's just put our fancy shit from the ball in the hole, just in case we have to go to have dinner.

ASHLEY: I just start taking things off of me and out of me, just throwing it in the hole.

LIAM: Out of you?

TRAVIS: Whoa, hey.

ASHLEY: No, I mean, like out of my fur. I stuff stuff in my fur.

LAURA: There's just little dingleberries thrown into the hole.

ASHLEY: Dingleberries, all of it. Pulling things out of my marsupial pouch.

LAURA: How have you had this much on you?

LIAM: It is not a porta potty, Fearne. (laughter)

TRAVIS: The first person to shit in the hole is in deep trouble, okay? (laughter) I got a real good nose.

SAM: Pee pees only!

ASHLEY: Uh-oh!

MATT: "Pee pees only"! (laughter)

TRAVIS: (laughing) Pee pees only!

TALIESIN: Technically, Identify Object should actually link somebody to--

MATT: One way to find out.

TALIESIN: It's not like we won't know.

TRAVIS: How did it get everywhere? (laughter)

LAURA: Oh gross.

MATT and TALIESIN: Anyway.

SAM: To the skyship!

LAURA: No, we have to stop at Eshteross'.

MARISHA: Cookies!

ASHLEY: Eshteross cookies.

SAM: All right, go to Eshteross.

MARISHA: Cookies, stuff we don't have to do do.

LAURA: And supplies off-camera and got the cookies and the statue to put in the hole.

MATT: Okay.

TALIESIN: Foods--

MATT: Any general supplies that you wish to purchase that would be available in the general--

LAURA: We should probably get some more rope.

MATT: You can do that.

SAM: Food, rope, good.

TALIESIN: Food, rope, water.

MATT: All right.

SAM: Done.

MATT: So you can mark off the cost of those as you incorporate them and you head back to the Eshteross estate.

TALIESIN: Buy, like, five gold worth of shit.

MATT: Within a short time, you're let in, as Evelyn guides you to the dining area, and there you see, apron on, a nice buttoned-up shirt, the sleeves rolled up a little bit to his massive forearms, a gentle scarf that's based around the back of his neck that dangles down in front, and this nice, creased apron that's tied to the front. He's there, currently taking cookies off of a platter and putting them into a--

LAURA: They're warm!

MATT: Oh, they're fresh. You can smell it throughout the interior of the chamber. He turns around. "Oh, I'm nearly ready. Just give me a few moments." He finishes getting the last of his batch and adding them to a small wooden box, that he's already prepped. Within, you can see there's a gentle mauve fabric that's lining the interior of it, and he puts the last few cookies onto this stack of probably close to 50 or so cookies that he's made.

SAM: Wow.

MATT: Closes the top. You can see beneath it, he already has ribbons placed and he ties the top off, finishes it. "I guess, good luck on your trip." (applause)

MARISHA: Oh my goodness!

LAURA: Thank you so much!

ASHLEY: Just incredible.

SAM: (glass clinking) That was my hands. (laughter)

TALIESIN: We'll take the statue, also.

MATT: "Please."

TALIESIN: Yes, let's--

TRAVIS: (laughs)

TALIESIN: Yeah. Yeah.

ASHLEY: Are you ready for this? Stand back. (whooshes)

MATT: Leaps back and reaches-- In a second, you see him reaches up and grabs what you didn't even see was a saber hidden on the top of the kitchen cabinet. (slashes)

ASHLEY: Where's the bust, the statue?

MATT: "It's in the other room." The hole now is currently occupying the majority of the kitchen floor. You watch as the table starts to tip a little bit.

ASHLEY: Oh, oh, oh, oh!

MATT: "What have you done to my home?"

ASHLEY: Nothing, nothing, it's very-- I'll start folding it up.

TRAVIS: It's temporary. You need the bust! What are you folding it up for?

ASHLEY: But I just didn't want to scare you. It's just a thing.

MATT: "It's in the study where we left it."

TALIESIN: Yep, yep.

MATT: "That is--"

ASHLEY: (whooshes)

MATT: "Oh my goodness! It is quite a trick." He puts the saber back on top.

TRAVIS: If you want to toss that down in there, we'll keep it on hold for you.

MATT: "I may have a need for it, but thank you."

TALIESIN: Hole open?

ASHLEY: It's open.

TRAVIS: There's a bunch of those around here.

TALIESIN: Jump down.

MARISHA: There's lots. There's so many.

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: Everything's a weapon.

TRAVIS: Not fooling anybody.

TALIESIN: Climbing back out.

ASHLEY: Okay.

MATT: "How very interesting. Seems dangerous, but useful. Hmm. You are a resourceful bunch."

SAM: We are. We sure are.

TALIESIN: Dangerous but useful.

MARISHA: Could say the same about us, I feel like we're dangerous but useful.

TALIESIN: Your hair comes off. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Are you flirting with Eshteross?

MARISHA: Look at him.

TRAVIS: Oh, you're right, yeah.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

LIAM: We're heading out, but--

MARISHA: He cooks. He bakes.

LIAM: I'd like to think that we'll find our way back here again and see you again.

LAURA: I mean, yeah.

MATT: "I hope so, too."

LIAM: But just in case, on behalf of the Bells Hells, and Zephrah as well, we just want to offer our gratitude for all you've done for us here.

MATT: "Mm."

LIAM: I don't think we'd have had an easy of time in Jrusar without you.

MATT: "Well, I am grateful that our paths have crossed and that the memory of the great Bertrand who brought our paths together, it seems that he had an important role to play, more than he expected."

LIAM: Well, he'll be missed.

MATT: "Indeed."

LIAM: And so will you. We're better for having known you.

MATT: "You as well. Do return once you are able to apprehend Armand. There is much he has to answer for and I would very much like to see it happen in-person."

SAM: It will be done.

TRAVIS: In some form or another, I mean, he might be missing a tongue or a throat, but.

LAURA: A throat? A tongue or a throat.

LIAM: He has the tongue, but the throat's gone.

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: "If you can try and keep him in one piece--"

TRAVIS: Yes, of course.

MATT: "If not, things can be regrown."

LAURA: Oh!

TRAVIS: Whoa.

ASHLEY: Oh.

MATT: "Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy the baked goods. This may be my best batch yet. I say that not because I stole a few myself this morning." (laughter)

LIAM: What kind did we get today?

MATT: "Oh, well you had said the other night that you were appreciative of that batch so I decided to add a bit of a... A hint of chai to the flavoring."

LAURA: Oh my god.

TRAVIS: Maybe you should just marry him?

LAURA: Chai ginger?

ASHLEY: I just don't understand. You are such a catch.

TRAVIS: Oh, not that much.

LAURA: You really are. And, I mean, I don't say this lightly. You're a very good person. You know? There's not a lot of people that are, and you are.

MATT: "We've only known each other for a short time. You do not know the breadth of things I have done that might change your mind. But I spend my later years trying to make up for them and to live on the memory of Mistress Prudaj and to live on the memory of Mistress Prudaj who was my patron for so long, whose house this was. So. I guess all I have to say is, keep that heart pure. As long as you can. So much of this world tries to pull it away. So much of it. Anyway, enjoy the cookies, fly safe. Tell Captain Xandis thank you on my behalf and be careful. Things get stranger to the south."

TRAVIS: Awesome.

MARISHA: We'll bring you back a souvenir!

ASHLEY: Just a quick question, because I'm very curious, and if this is massively inappropriate, you do not have to answer.

MATT: Clears this throat and slams his cane on the ground getting his footing for whatever is about to come.

ASHLEY: Was Prudaj... more than a patron?

MATT: "You really must be on your way."

ASHLEY: I'm very sorry, so, you're such a catch. You're so wonderful, I just don't understand how you're here alone.

MATT: "It's a long journey ahead, and--"

ASHLEY: Okay, we're going to leave.

MATT: "Have a good day. Be safe, and we'll catch up when you return."

ASHLEY: Excellent, okay.

MARISHA: Did you ever see someone dismissed so quickly?

SAM: When he answered, did I get any sense that, I mean, obviously--

MATT: Make an insight check.

SAM: Obviously, he's uncomfortable, but is it because?

ASHLEY: He's so wonderful.

SAM: Okay. Insight, huh? 16. Ooh! (oohing)

SAM: I get a whisper sponsored by D&D Beyond!

LAURA: I think we need to match make, because. (laughter)

ASHLEY: He's really so dreamy.

TALIESIN: Some people are wonderful and comfortable.

SAM: Okay, okay. Okay. Okay. He said that D&D Beyond is an excellent platform. (laughter)

MATT: My god. Okay. Quickly ushers you out of the house and the door slams behind you. But rest of the day is yours.

LIAM: Oh, I'm going to have to do so many crunches.

MARISHA: Does anyone want one right now? I do. All right.

LIAM: Just one, sure.

MARISHA: Sorry, FCG.

SAM: I'm okay, I'm good. Maybe I'll taste someday.

LIAM: I flip you a copper.

LAURA: Gosh, I wish we could turn you into something.

SAM: You can! Doesn't someone have the spell that does that?

LAURA: No.

SAM: Oh.

LAURA: That was the Nightmare King that did it to you.

SAM: Oh, you're right. Well, that's a good one to learn.

LAURA: Yeah. If I ever. Yeah.

ASHLEY: This is delicious.

TALIESIN: Actually, I've been meaning, does anybody know how to do that thing where they can make their face not their face? Not actually change the shape of it but do the thing where you?

LAURA: Yeah, that doesn't look like Orym.

TRAVIS: That doesn't count, man. Although that is very impressive. Oh wow.

MARISHA: I have this disguise kit that I've been carrying around for so long and it doesn't...

LAURA: I don't have--

LIAM: Water!

ASHLEY: Oh, like an illusion of sorts?

TALIESIN: Yeah, like an illusion of sorts.

ASHLEY: I feel like Dorian did that every once in a while.

LAURA: Did he?

ASHLEY: Did he?

TALIESIN: The first time that that guy would've been useful and now he's not fucking here. (laughter)

TALIESIN: Fuck!

SAM: Well, maybe it's something we can get an object for.

TALIESIN: Yeah, I just want to try and experiment at some point. I got an idea.

SAM: Okay.

LAURA: Do you have thoughts?

TALIESIN: I do, I have so many thoughts. I keep them keep them all up here.

SAM: (coos) Burn! (laughter)

MATT: Now, the disguise kit you do have does have makeup and all number of things that can be done for very simple stage makeup applications.

MARISHA: My disguise kit?

MATT: Disguise, yeah.

MARISHA: Yeah, but my disguise kit, it looks like a Ben Nye kit you had in college that is 15 years old and it's like, all the sponges are starting to mold.

TRAVIS: What did you do with your makeup kits?

MARISHA: I'm describing it.

TALIESIN: No, it sits in storage and slowly rots.

LIAM: That's a brown recluse. That's a brown recluse.

MATT: Yes, that one.

TALIESIN: But that would be good on one of the cookies.

TRAVIS: Where do we go for this skyship? Is there a port that we go to?

SAM: Yes.

MATT: There is.

MARISHA: Go to the Aerie Spire.

TRAVIS: Captain Xandis.

MATT: Yes, the Aerie Skyport.

MARISHA: What was the name of this ship again?

MATT: The Silver Sun.

ALL: Silver Sun.

LIAM: Captain Zambis?

MATT: Captain Xandis.

TRAVIS: ♪ Captain Xandis, Captain Xandis ♪

MATT: (laughs) Jesus. So you do require one final gondola ride up to the Aerie Spire as you all step into it, this one's a little bit smaller than the others.

LAURA: Great.

MATT: But it does, as you all step in, the door closes behind. It's your troop and two other people that are currently-- This older couple that look a bit frumpy, like they've had a bad day and they're just quietly just holding the silence in the room as the door closes and it begins to set off to the peak of the Aerie Spire.

ASHLEY: Oh no!

LAURA: Stop it, Fearne.

ASHLEY: Okay.

LIAM: You'll be okay.

LAURA: We're almost out of this place.

ASHLEY: I won't do it on the airship because I don't think it'll work.

LAURA: I don't think it'll work.

ASHLEY: My tail's still going.

MATT: Slowly it climbs and climbs and climbs until it opens and sets you all onto the exterior of the Aerie Spire, the tallest part of Jrusar. As you all step off of it and turn around you can look down around you. This one final glance at the city that has set forth a lot of unexpected paths and motions in your lives, brought you all together and have sent you into an odd series of adventures and mishaps. You can see the mists of the jungle below just barely intertwining with the green, varied canopy of the Wilds themselves. You can see the bustle of the tiny, tiny thousands of people that currently spread and weave between the city streets and the Fatewalk below.

LIAM: It's just as beautiful on the way out.

TALIESIN: Well, take it in right now.

MARISHA: Haven't seen it from this perspective.

LAURA: I know. It's nice.

ASHLEY: Wow.

MATT: You glance around and beyond the Conservatory, beyond the other buildings here, you can see the walkway that leads to the Aerie Skyport. There is a singular solid tower that rises up with interior and exterior staircases that wind towards the pinnacle where you can see there is a very, very thick, spread out dock system. All series of metal cables and moorings that keep it standing up. You can see currently affixed to it are two skyships, from this distance, that are currently anchored at the port itself. You all climb the towers, familiar to those of you who took the skyship here, which would be just Fearne-- Actually, you probably took, would you take a regular ship or skyship?

TRAVIS: Regular.

MATT: Yeah, I don't know if you would be able to afford a skyship over here. So the two of you remember the view and the sense of traveling via such a majestic vessel while the rest of you stand at what is the highest point you've probably ever stood in your life. A bit precarious as you begin to walk along the interior of the tower that leads to the skyport. Other individuals who are eager to be off their ship, stepping down past you, looks like some individuals that are running maintenance while they're pushing past you quickly, "Excuse me. Excuse me!" Bringing tools and other elements up to the top. You occasionally look off the side and see the window and you get higher and higher above and you can see faint bits of the soft, low-set clouds in the sky are starting to meet you. As you glance out, you can see just that faint diffusion that comes with the beginnings of the stratosphere. As you step up and emerge from the exit doorframe that leads out into the skyport, you can see the walkways, the high walls that prevent people from just tumbling off to their death and demise. There is a--

LAURA: At least they're high, they're high walls.

MARISHA: Just keeps going.

MATT: There is-- You having fun? There is--

TRAVIS: Jackass.

MATT: There is the central, for lack of a better term, the booth or business center of the skyport. There is one ship that is up to your left that is massive. This is like a sky galleon, if anything. At an immediate glance, you can see the name is not that of the Silver Sun.

LAURA: What is it?

MATT: This one is...

SAM: The Bilver Bun. (laughter)

MATT: No. This one is the Stormkeeper. (oohing)

MARISHA: The Stormkeeper?

MATT: But this is a very massive skyship. You can see it has attached to it five different points of brumestone currently affixed to it and they're in the process of slowly taking off cargo and getting it ready to a large elevator. A heavy, multiple chain elevator that is on the edge of the skyport that they're loading it up to lower it to the actual Aerie itself. You gather, by process of elimination, that the other ship, which is a little more small, a little more modest by comparison, to be the one you seek. As you come upon it, you can make out the details of this magnificent ship, of lighter wood, two straddling pairs of sails of lighter wood, two straddling pairs of sails that fire off to the sides and outward like open hands to two sides of the ship. There are small entryway staircases that can be stepped upon through, well, from where it's moored right now would be just to the left hand side of where it's anchored to the skydock itself with these roped edged gang planks, essentially, that step precariously onto the skyship. They only have about a five-foot walking distance but it is a bit nerve-wracking as you approach and glance to it, especially as the wind is picking up.

TRAVIS: No, there's no wind that day. (laughter)

ASHLEY: No way.

MATT: But you can see there is well-polished, brass trim and detail along the light colored wood and the off-white to tan colored sails. The whole ship has a very sandy color scheme to it beyond the shining bronze that marks the edges of the very, very well-crafted ship. You can see off to the very front of it, there are two thick wooden platforms and the edges of those look double-sided, and the edges of those look double-sided, but it's a singular piece of brumestone to each side that is about 10, maybe 15 feet from top to bottom and it is wrapped around the center and anchored at those points. You can see the ship has two other tiers towards the back of it. And--

TRAVIS: That's called the ass of the ship.

MATT: It would be considered the quarter and the poop decks of the vessel, is what they would be from those two portions back there. Upon the quarter deck, there is a larger central mass of brumestone that is about 15 feet wide and is just glowing faintly embedded in that portion of the floor. You can also see, as you step up the staircase, there are, actually, you only see right now from your perspective the single ballista that is affixed to, that would be the starboard side, I think, of the ship. As you see a figure step out and go, "Ah. Excuse me, what are you, and what are you doing?" This gentleman approaches. You can see he's a male human in probably his 30s or so. Very short, dark hair, deeply tanned skin with these glasses over this unwavering smile and a ragged sailing jacket that's just gently flapping as he's holding onto one of the sail ropes and glancing at all of you with an expectant look. Still grinning, but definitely through the eyes, more emotion is conveyed as to confusion and a sense that he's about to kick you off.

LAURA: Captain Xandis?

MATT: "No. Are you looking for Captain Xandis?"

LAURA: Yes, we were sent by Lord Eshteross.

MATT: "Ah. All right. Come with me. I will introduce you to the Captain. So you are Bells Hells, I believe?"

TALIESIN: Bells Hells, yup.

SAM: That's us!

MATT: "Very well. This will be interesting." He looks over past each of you with a curious turn of the head. "Well, my name is Khalil Benes, I'm the first mate of this ship and it is my pleasure to be one of the bare bones crew taking you to wherever it is that you're needing to go. But yes, please walk with me, and be careful not to get too close to the edge."

ASHLEY: You're the first mate, did you say?

MATT: "I am, yes."

ASHLEY: So you're the captain's best friend?

SAM: (laughs)

MATT: "More or less. Yes."

ASHLEY: Cool.

MATT: "But come with me." Then as you all come up the stairs you are brought briefly inside of the ship before it leads up and opens in a large double door onto the front deck itself. There you can see the two now matching ballistae on each side, the port and starboard sides of it. Other than that, it's just a wide open deck with some crates and supplies. You can see there are barrels containing large, long, metal ballista ammunition. These pointed harpoon, for lack of a better term, these massive bolts that are set. There's probably a good 25 or 30 set into each barrel. You can also see there is anchored to the ground around each of these ballistae, a heavy-wrapped chain, probably a good 200, 300 feet of chain that is affixed to the back of a full-on harpoon that could fire from this as well. So there are backup means of anchoring the ship if it needs to make a quick stop somewhere. What does catch your attention, too, standing onto it, and those of you who have been on a skyship before would know this. While it is anchored, it is still shifting with the wind. It is not magically affixed in the air. It is not an arcanely held, gravity-less piece.

LIAM: Not an Immovable Boat.

MATT: Exactly. The sails do very much keep it moving forward. The brumestone keeps it aloft and keeps it weightless comparatively, so that there is very minimal wind drag, but it is still very affected by the weather and affected by the winds.

LAURA: Oh wow.

SAM: It doesn't have an engine?

MATT: It has no engine.

SAM: So if we're going into the wind we have to tack and stuff.

MATT: More or less, yeah.

SAM: Wow. Cool.

TRAVIS: ♪ Windin' it ♪

TALIESIN: Tack?

MARISHA: I know.

LAURA: Look at this sailor.

MATT: Turning around and looking upward--

SAM: Learned from Fjord.

MATT: That's true. (laughter)

MATT: Turning around and looking up to the back, up onto the poop deck area, there's a small walk way and there's a third ballista to the back that is also there. So you immediately point out the three points of defense and/or exterior mooring to the ship.

TRAVIS: Yeah, yeah, dude.

MATT: It's about this time that a figure emerges from within the ship. You see a strong-looking, squat tiefling, You see a strong-looking, squat tiefling, nonbinary, faintly gray-blue skin with no hair, just these curved, pointed ears and these horns that just jut straight back about seven or eight inches or so, before coming to a gentle curve upward, just ever so faintly. You see there's a pair of facial tattoos that carve these dark, dark black tattoos that go under the eyes and then point down, like daggers down the cheeks on each side.

LAURA: Shit, that's awesome.

MATT: Like a dark Harlequin vibe.

MARISHA: So cool.

ASHLEY: (gasps)

MATT: You see they're wearing billowing clothes of fiery reds and orange that contrast strongly with their skin tone and a massive saber at their side. They walk up and go, "So, can I help you? You're supposed to be the people coming from the Eshteross, right? Said you're the Bells Hells, that's right?"

TRAVIS and ASHLEY: Yes.

LAURA: That's us.

MATT: "I'm Captain Xandis, your captain. You listen what I say. You don't do what I say, we throw you overboard, okay?"

ASHLEY: Whoa, whoa, whoa. (laughter)

TALIESIN: Well, that was easy.

MATT: "No, I'm serious. I'll throw--"

ASHLEY: Have you ever thrown anybody overboard?

MATT: "Like, 20."

ASHLEY: Oh, okay.

MATT: "So many. So many people make problems. They just keep making a problem. Don't make a problem. Don't throw you overboard."

ASHLEY: We will not.

LIAM: Can I make a quiet insight check.

SAM: No problem.

MARISHA: Yeah, yeah.

LIAM: This is pretty good. That's 19.

MATT: 19.

LIAM: Yeah.

MATT: It hits you first. But everyone else picks up on it quickly as the intense expression begins to curl into a mad smile. The eyes go wide and the laughter begins to burble up. "(laughs) I love it when new people come on board. You're so fun. This is going to be a great ride, you guys. I can't tell you excited I am."

SAM: Hi, Mark. (laughter)

MATT: Didn't know if you'd pick up the inspiration that quick. (cheering)

MATT: "Nevertheless, I am Captain Xandis. Welcome to the Silver Sun."

MARISHA: I love them.

MATT: "Been running stuff all around Exandria for the better part of about 15, 16 years now. I know my way, so don't get in my way. You know what I say?"

LIAM: We saw your giant black and white billboards all over the city. (laughter)

MATT: "That shit's expensive." (laughter)

LIAM: When I first moved to Los Angeles, day one, driving around, I'm like, Who is that guy? Why is he everywhere?

MARISHA: Just there.

TRAVIS: It's everywhere.

LIAM: Everywhere!

MATT: "Anyway, we're running a very bare bones crew because this is technically not a paid venture. This is all coming out--"

LAURA: Secret mission.

MATT: "Sure, whatever. I don't know what the deal is. I don't ask questions. I just get paid enough to move the ship and then I take you where you're going. First off, any questions?"

TRAVIS: Yeah, well we--

MATT: "Concerns? What you got?"

SAM: How many-- Oh, sorry.

TRAVIS: You go ahead.

SAM: How many crew? What are their names? You know, if this is a free journey, we want to be extra nice to them and make sure that they're well taken care of.

TRAVIS: And help, we can assist.

SAM: We can also assist.

MATT: "This here's Khalil, my first mate."

SAM: We met Khalil.

MATT: "Yes, very charmed to meet all of you."

LIAM: Do you prefer Captain, or Captain Xandis or...

MATT: "Captain works for me. You can say Cap, could say Cool Person. You can call me Leader. You can call me Most Gorgeous Thing You've Ever Seen Before. You can call me Savior. I'll get you a list tomorrow."

MARISHA: So many titles.

TRAVIS: Savior or saber?

MARISHA: Maybe.

TRAVIS: Either one.

MARISHA: Cool Person, would you like a cookie?

MATT: "(laughs) I would. You are frightening, and I like it."

MARISHA: (laughs)

MATT: "There's no ginger in these, right? I'm allergic to ginger."

LAURA: Oh, take it out of your mouth right now.

MATT: "I'm kidding."

LAURA: Oh my god. (laughter)

MATT: "It's so easy! Look at this! Not even five minutes, they're already falling. This is going to be a great ride."

MARISHA: Instant mom mode.

MATT: "Oh, Khalil."

MARISHA: Take it out. Spit it out.

MATT: "This is going to be great." (laughter)

TRAVIS: Clawed out your tongue.

MATT: "Any way, all right. So, do you have de facto leader? Somebody within your group that I go to for any sort of concerns or questions?"

SAM: Ashton is our leader.

MATT: "All righty. Which one of you is Ashton?"

TALIESIN: I guess that's me. Yeah, yeah, just let me know anything you need. That's fine, sure.

MARISHA: I feel like we all have like-- specialties. You know, we all have, heads of our own department, you know? You go to Fearne in terms of itemization and organization. You go to FCG for, you know, counseling--

LAURA: Morale.

MARISHA: Morale, yes.

MATT: "That will probably be important."

MARISHA: Our morale booster. You go to me for anything art department, arts and crafts related. Chetney, of course, he's an MC.

TRAVIS: Master craftsman. I can help with the ship repairs or artistry as well.

LIAM: Sounds like mutiny, boss.

TALIESIN: Yeah, I think it's ready. We've got to take care of this right now.

MATT: "Take care of it before we start. I don't want to have mutinies while we're on this ship."

SAM: There won't be any mutiny. This is a tight group.

TALIESIN: No more mutinies. I think we've completely cleared that off in the last couple of weeks.

MATT: "Great, perfect, all right. Well, and what is your specialty?"

LAURA: Um.

SAM: People!

LAURA: Y-y-yeah.

MARISHA: She's like our human resources department.

LAURA: You hear in your head: I'm good at weird head things.

MARISHA: Human resources.

MATT: "Don't do that to me ever again, but that excites me. Have you do it on other people."

TRAVIS: (laughs)

MATT: "And you're the small one."

LIAM: Security detail.

MATT: "I mean, you're the small one, too. Don't get me wrong, but you're security? All right. Yeah, you got some nice tats over there and you got not a lot of the fats on the muscles. You look very cut."

LIAM: I do the Marisha Ray. (laughter)

MARISHA and LIAM: Push them out.

TRAVIS: Knuckle biceps.

MARISHA: See if you can double it up with the boobs, too, and get nice cleave.

MATT: "I believe you. Don't got to show it off. I believe you."

SAM: All right, it's Twitch. There's a TOS. (laughter)

LIAM: They're pretty perky, guys.

MARISHA: We know.

TALIESIN: So yeah, let us know where we should be sleeping, some places we shouldn't actually go if it's not an emergency, and how we can help around the ship, and it should be fine.

MATT: "All right, don't go in my quarters. The rest of them, I don't give a shit."

TALIESIN: That's fair.

MATT: "Just don't go in my quarters."

TALIESIN: All right.

LIAM: What do we have in the way of quarters?

MATT: "Well, I'll show you in a second. I'll take you down below. Actually, you know what? Khalil, you take them down below. I got shit to do."

ASHLEY: Where are your quarters?

MATT: "Khalil will tell you where they are."

ASHLEY: Okay, got it.

MATT: "But--"

ASHLEY: I didn't mean it in any way.

MATT: "You're going to work."

ASHLEY: They need to know where it is.

MATT: "You're going to help with the sails."

ASHLEY: So they know not go there.

MATT: "You're going to help with keeping it clean.

LIAM: Insight check.

MATT: "And Khalil will show you how to do that as well. I am going to finish my sandwich. Pleasure. And we'll be shoving off here. How soon you need to go, eh?"

LAURA: As soon as possible.

SAM: As soon as possible.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

MATT: "All right. Takes me about 20 more minutes--

LAURA: Yeah, we're bonded.

MATT: "-- to finish my sandwich. So we'll go in 20 minutes."

TALIESIN: It's a very big sandwich.

LAURA: 20 minutes.

LIAM: Sounds good.

MATT: "I like to take my time."

TALIESIN: Mm.

MATT: "Bye." They turn around and rush back into the ship.

LAURA: A sandwich sounds so good right now.

MARISHA: I know, we should tell them to make us some for the whole class.

LAURA: Did we buy the stuff to make sandwiches?

TRAVIS: Yeah, we did.

TALIESIN: We've got bread and meat and cheese.

MATT: "Well, we do have Denalia here which is our chef on board so she will help."

MARISHA: We have a chef!

MATT: "Don't get too excited. We are only given a certain budget for the food on this trip."

LAURA: We brought some.

MARISHA: So we can contribute.

MATT: "Very well. Then you can contribute, if you feel it is necessary. Denalia won't be difficult to see. They are the big furry one. There's also Terana and Gordi which are my deckhands. They are--"

LIAM: Terana and Gordi.

MATT: "They're very helpful on board the ship. Don't think they have much of a reason to have to bother you, necessarily, but if you need help, and one of them is nearby, they understand what we're doing. Anyway, I will show you how to prepare the sails and I will show you how to load the ballista and generally keep the deck." So from there, Khalil begins to run you through just basics of running the ship, very quickly and with the idea of "we'll go into more detail as we're traveling, but right now we got to shove off. We got to do it soon to get on the sky."

LAURA: Got to get on the wind.

MARISHA: (laughs)

TRAVIS: (laughs) Yeah.

MATT: Khalil begins to lead you then below the deck where you can see there are a number of chambers for, it looks like they could hold up to 10 passengers in relatively small cramped quarters whenever this was or needed to be utilized as a passenger-loading ship. There was a large cargo hold below for the actual moving of cargo. Beyond the 10 small rooms, when I say small, you walk in and there's a cot, and a bucket, and that's it. you walk in and there's a cot, and a bucket, and that's it. And a small, glass-reinforced porthole that looks outward into the sky beyond. As you're heading down, you do see a very young-looking female dwarf with pale skin that's been sunburned and rosy at the forehead and the cheeks and the nose. She's got her hair pulled up tight. It's bright, vibrant, red-brown auburn hair with a polka dotted scarf across the head that's tied in the back. A leather vest and then carrying a pack of tools on one side. Oh, hi. Terana. I'm working." She darts past and heads up. Eventually you hear a door (slamming) open. At first, you see the arms emerge. These heavily clawed, deep, deep brown, Sasquatch-like arms emerge. You see heavily hunched, and it's not terribly high in here. It's probably about five and a half feet. So most of you regular-sized folk or taller have to hunch as you walk through once you're below deck. Smaller folk don't have to worry about that so much.

TRAVIS: Cavernous.

MATT: But this figure, which you quickly make out to be Denalia, has to hunch horribly. As she steps out, you can see the hair on the outside of the arms and the mane around her head. She is a bugbear. (gasping)

TRAVIS: Hell yeah.

MATT: But then the rest of the fur, the softer spaces of her body and face are more of a light sand color, sun bleached, almost matching the exterior of the ship in a lot of ways. But wearing this really nice summer dress.

MARISHA: Aww.

MATT: She steps out.

SAM: That's cute.

MATT: "Oh, hi, I just wanted to meet everybody. My name is Denalia. I'm making meals. I'll be right over here cooking if you need me. If not, I'll be probably sleeping."

LIAM: Looking forward to it.

TALIESIN: Yeah. That must be rough on your back.

MATT: "Uh, uh--" Backs up and closes the door. Get the sense there's a bit of social anxiety in this one. But still a pleasant smile in that brief interaction.

LAURA: That was so brave of her to come and say hi.

MATT: Khalil points out the various small chambers in the side and goes, Well, these are the rooms of which you can pick. The ones that are not occupied, the choice is yours." You hear some sound like a bell. (ringing) "Looks like we are about to take up anchor and head out shortly. So pick your rooms, set your things down and be ready shortly."

ASHLEY: Are we allowed to sleep up top, ever?

MATT: "I mean, I would recommend if you do, fastening yourself to one of the outskirts of the ship in case there is a sudden move. We don't want you to roll off and bye bye."

ASHLEY: How exciting. Okay.

MATT: "But yes. Welcome aboard the Silver Sun, and... enjoy your stay? (disappointed sigh)" (laughter)

SAM: Thank you.

TALIESIN: Everyone on this ship is so fucking nervous.

TRAVIS: I don't think they're used to people.

TALIESIN: I don't know. It's making me nervous.

MATT: (laughs)

LIAM: Nothing happened, though.

TALIESIN: Yeah, what the fuck?

SAM: Well, I don't know. It seems like you're a person of action and--

TALIESIN: I'm not a person-person, but I'm going to go for it. I'm going to go for it because clearly you think this is a good idea, but I'm not a person-person.

SAM: You can do anything that you set your mind to.

TALIESIN: I enjoy the company of people when I've knocked them unconscious or when they're kind of iffy and they're trying to figure out if they should punch me again. That's fun.

SAM: This is a good opportunity to work on your social skills.

TALIESIN: Fuck.

LIAM: You do seem fearless in social settings.

LAURA: That's true.

TALIESIN: It's just-- Yeah, okay, fine. No, no, it's just--

SAM: You can reinvent yourself for this journey and if you don't like it, then you can switch again when we land.

TALIESIN: It's so much easier if you're never going to see them again.

TRAVIS: Plus you care so much about other people's feelings and you know, you've got a (laughs) tender heart.

TALIESIN: What was your name again?

MATT: (ringing) The bell continues to ring.

MARISHA: We should go to the deck.

LAURA: Yeah, we should see.

TRAVIS: Yeah, yeah!

MARISHA: Are you all right?

LAURA: I'm fine.

MARISHA: It'll be good.

LIAM: Are you fine?

LAURA: I'm fine.

LIAM: This is different than the gondolas?

LAURA: N-- yes, it is.

LIAM: Because?

LAURA: Because we're not attached to a tiny little cable. We'll see how it feels when we actually get in the air. I thought I would feel much better than I actually do.

LIAM: I don't want to say anything because I don't want to jinx it. I believe in you. Let's go watch the--

TALIESIN: Yeah, I've never been on one of these before. I'm actually, this is pretty--

SAM: I will calm you if you need.

LAURA: I know, no, it's fine.

TRAVIS: I bet people are going to cheer for us as we're leaving.

MARISHA: Do we get to wave to them?

TRAVIS: Yeah!

MARISHA: I hope so.

TRAVIS: We have streamers?

SAM: We have rope.

TRAVIS: Let's throw all the rope! (laughter)

MARISHA: Just bludgeon someone with 50 pounds of rope.

TRAVIS: Fuck!

MARISHA: (laughs)

TALIESIN: Somebody here has some basic Prestidigitation.

LAURA: I do. I do. I have Prestidigitation. I'm going to light fireworks as we take off.

MARISHA: I join on the other side.

LAURA: Oh, you have it, too!

MARISHA: Yes!

LAURA: We both have it. I love it.

TALIESIN: Pew pew.

TRAVIS: I'm shaving wood chips.

MATT: As you all step up to the outside of the ship--

LIAM: Making it rain.

MATT: Getting onto the deck--

TALIESIN: I'm ashamed.

MATT: Immediately begins to shift and you can feel the wind begin to pick up as it begins to drift away from the skyport. Blowing past, you can see the dotted clouds in the distance from you. You can see the horizon beyond as it begins to shift. You glance over the side and you can see below you getting smaller and smaller and smaller. You can see the skyport beginning to just vanish. The city of Jrusar beginning to shrink before you as the Oderan Wilds get wider and wider below. (gasping)

TRAVIS: Come on.

MATT: The ship begins to shift. The sails whipping up on each side. One begins to shift and turn. The whole ship creaks as it begins to rotate. Then you hear them fill wide as it catches the wind. The brumestones begin to pulse and glow, and the ship begins to lurch and take speed faster and faster. You glance back and you can see Captain Xandis there up at the top, holding onto the wheel, turning it. "All right, everyone! Don't know what's going to happen, but at the very least, I brought sandwiches."

LIAM: Orym has already sprung up onto Fearne's shoulders and is holding onto her horns like tricycle handlebars. Here we go again.

ASHLEY: Here we go again.

TALIESIN: How does she not know what's going to happen?

LAURA: Holding on the railing.

MARISHA: Uh-huh?

LAURA: Uh-huh.

MARISHA: I've got my hands on Imogen's shoulders.

LAURA: (laughs nervously)

MATT: "All right. All hands on deck. Heading to the Hellcatch Valley. Oh boy." (laughter)

MATT: As you all glance backward to see the city and the Wilds vanish behind you, the clustered jungle shifting and the distant glance of the heavy mountains of the Serpentwind Peaks to the southeast beginning to approach, we're going to go to break. (groaning)

TRAVIS: We're doing it! We're doing it!

MARISHA: We're doing it, Peter!

TRAVIS: Oh man!

LAURA: It really feels like we're in a skyship now.

ASHLEY: This is very cool.

TRAVIS: Look at the flex.

TALIESIN: We're going south right now, right?

MATT: Southeast.

TALIESIN: We're moving southeast. Okay.

LIAM: Oh man, Travis, opening vignette. (chef's kiss)

LAURA: What the shit?

MARISHA: Oh my god!

SAM: Why are you a horrible person?

MARISHA: So good.

TRAVIS: What are you talking about? You don't know anything.

SAM: Horrible person.

TRAVIS: No!

LAURA: Mm-hmm.

TRAVIS: Charge fairly.

LIAM: What a ride.

MATT: (laughs) All right, we're going to take a break. We'll back here shortly. Yeah, we'll pick up for the leg of this journey that we've begun to embark on. We'll see you back here in a few minutes.

Break
Narrator: The tale of Arora and the Five Realms is ancient. It began long ago when the dragons arrived from another world. But a great evil had followed them. (intense music continues) Together, we stood against it, the dragons at our side. Yet evil does not release its grip so easily. And in our most desperate hour, a powerful being was set forth to turn the tide. Alas, our victory came a great cost. The world of a Arora broke into five realms, each its own plane. They became harsh places to survive, each realm with its own unique challenges. Exploring these hell scapes was pivotal to survival, though rarely an easy task. Then the dragons turned on Arora and our survival became harder still. The dragons changed and became savage. But we learned to adapt and overcome these challenges. The time is nigh, you are our final hope for survival. But first you must survive Arora. (intense music continues)

D&D is for everyone, and D&D Beyond makes it super easy to play. And I am about to start a new campaign, so today I am going to create a new character. You know what I love to be? I love to be a gnome. All right, I'm thinking about what class I wanna be for this campaign. And I know that some of the rest of my party are gonna do magic users. So I think it would be fun to play someone very practical and down to earth. I think we're gonna go barbarian. I would like her to go ahead and have some athletics and you know, survival. I like to choose the standard array for the ability scores when I'm determining what I'm good at and what I'm bad at. Let's put our highest score in strength, and then our constitution. And I feel like I have a nicely balanced set of skills now. All right, now for background. There is a sailor background. "You sailed on a seagoing vessel for years." This maybe gave me some intimidation. Add that starting equipment. So I think the right name for my gnome is gonna be Rip Scrumble. And then what does she look like? I think that's gonna be a good fit for us. But that is not the only thing I get to set. Let's give Rip Scrumble the spirit board frame, this beautiful one. And for theme, I mean, let's stick to what we're doing here. Let's go living blood. Rip Scrumble is good to go. Anyone can register and start creating characters right now. You can subscribe to get unlimited characters, you can unlock more options by picking up various books, but the free basic rules will always be there for you. So I hope you will join us. D&D is for everyone and D&D Beyond makes it super easy to play.

(whooshing) (flames roar and crackle)

Matt: What mighty hands now turn the Age's wheel, As godly grace gives way to mortal foe Our champions have fallen prey to comfort, As Dire Children chase the Matron's wake. (wings flapping)

Aabria: Cities soaring, framed by ebbing stars, Shake against the echoes of an old hunger And festering wounds from schisms long since past. "Surely they knew," a distant future reckons, "Surely they heard the howl of the Calamity?" (intense music grows) How could they?

Brennan: The wheel must always spin, Its gilded fulcrum rotting from within. (eerie music) (people screaming)

Laura: Hey Critters, Laura Bailey here to guide you through what's new in the Critical Role shop. (lively music) The cuteness, it's overpowering. Look at this, isn't it fashion? So much fashion happening here. (whooshing) Style should never be a dump stat, darling. (whooshing) You need this? You probably need this. And hey, if you want, you could head over to the Critical Role shop right now. (lively music fades) (light music) (whimsical music) (typewriter clacking) (whimsical music continues) (light, classical music) (curtain rings jingling) (regal music)

Announcer: We now go live to a special address from the president.

Ashley: Hey dweebs. Now as your president, I've been kind of killing it lately. I gave global warming an atomic wedgie. I balanced the budget by selling my Pog collection. And I saved the Queen of England from that octopus. But my kick assery is far from done. According to this chart that I made, an estimated 35% of you are still a bunch of nasty goobers. But don't worry, I have a plan, operation gag me with a spoon. It's easy sleazy. According to this study that I wrote, if every citizen subscribed to Critical Role on Twitch, we could reduce maximum goobage be a metric butt load. Twitch is the only place where you'll get live and moderated chat. And if you subscribe to Critical Role, you instantly get access to all their shows as soon as the live broadcast ends. So while you're ogling these Critical Role dorks with their sick goof-'em-ups, their nutty voices, think of me, Gale, the current president of (blows raspberry) whatever. Now I gotta go make a fresh batch of spitballs, but I guess I have some time for your boring questions. You.

Audience Member: Gale, is it true that if you subscribe to Critical Role through Prime Gaming, you have to resubscribe every month? Yeah, I do it right after my monthly prank call to peon O'Brien. Next question.

Audience Member: Does Critical Role have exclusive emotes for their subscribers? Doi, of course they do. I like the hello bees one, 'cause bees are cool. I replace my whole security detail with a bunch of bees that think I'm their queen. Last question.

Audience Member: Yeah, with all due respect, is operation gag me with a spoon a real policy, or are you mad goofin'?

Ashley: (Gale gasping) Am I mad goofin'? What, do you see my scarfing Milk Duds while doodling ding dongs on the SkyMall catalog? Listen, I know I'm new to this. And I admit that when I made the wish to be the boss of everything, I did not know the witch that works at Woolworth's was listening. Well, Faustian bargain or not, I am the president now, and I have an obligation to lead this country. So to answer your question, no, I am not mad goofin'. Security, take him out. (bees buzzing) (man screaming) (Gale laughing and blowing raspberries) Later, chuddruckers. (bombs exploding) (eagles whistling)

Part II
MATT: And welcome back. So, as you all have now gathered here on the deck of the skyship, the Silver Sun, you continue the first leg of your journey to the southeast, to the Hellcatch Valley. First off, I guess, is there anything you want to do in these early moments of your journey? No, okay?

SAM: Just look and marvel.

MATT: There you go.

LIAM: These are the first minutes, you're saying, of takeoff?

MATT: Well, saying if there's anything you needed to do in that time, but if not, we'll move on through the journey.

SAM: Move on.

TALIESIN: Take in the view.

MATT: So taking the journey, and following the map as you go looking down, you can see that the jungle continues to wind to the Serpentwind Peaks. You can follow glimmers of the rivers that push through, and the canopy is still thick enough to the point where you can barely make out the signs of civilization and the small cities, now very distant, and some of which you've passed over before. There's Evishi, there's the small little point of Troll Ferry that you avoided on your journey northward. Then, as the day progresses, and the sun pushes its way through the sky, you can also see what's referred to as The Rift. So The Rift is where the greenery stops, and for the number of you that have traveled through the Hellcatch Valley before, which would be both Laudna and Imogen, when you were accompanying a caravan heading north to the Oderan Wilds, and for FCG and Ashton, when you were both traveling from Bassuras. The Hellcatch Valley is the central region of Marquet, and it is a region that was heavily impacted by the Calamity many, many, many centuries ago. Where the green lush jungles of the Oderan Wilds come to an end, there is about a 300-foot drop where the land just fell about 300 feet. Now, what was once a very lush valley has been left a pockmarked, dusty badlands has been left a pockmarked, dusty badlands of grays, and browns, and cracked top soil that can't really retain water, with all manner of ravines that carve through as large pillars, and tall hills, and mesas, and plateaus, rise up from the rock from ancient seismic activity or as portions of mountain ranges have just eroded and fallen from the multitudes of sinkholes and collapsing underground tunnels that sometimes unexpectedly just collapse.

TRAVIS: What?

MATT: And sometimes unexpectedly fill back up.

SAM: What?

TRAVIS: No, dude.

MARISHA: Sounds like death.

TRAVIS: What's that about?

MATT: Now, this rift is where the shelf of the valley initially fell, from the Calamity, and you can see as you coast further into the day, begin approaching the later hours, maybe a couple hours before the sunset, you can make out the edge of where the green stops and the rest of the valley between the mountains progresses. There you can see along the ridge, to the northern side of it, a city. A city that you've passed beyond before making a beeline northward, maybe stopped briefly in your first journey outward, known as Gujjar-Serai, or also known as the Green City, and is known as the jewel of the Bassur Republic. The Bassur Republic is one governing force that is central to the city that believes it has jurisdiction over the entire Hellcatch Valley. I say "believes," because the denizens of the valley proper disagree. The denizens of the Hellcatch Valley are a roving cluster of various contested factions of what are referred to as Crawler gangs. Now the term, and you learn and ask questions of the captain as you go along this journey and the other members of the ship and you know, some of you know this information intrinsically, and you share this with the rest of the group. Now, the Crawler gangs, "Crawlers" is a term-- It's used as a blanket term for both these factions and these faction members who live outside of a centralized law. There is no centralized law. Any local law is held by whoever is currently in power in that place, and any sort of contested portions usually lead to some sort of violent climax or a tense agreement to go their own separate ways. But the members of these Crawler gangs often ride the crawlers, which are constructs of various sizes that they use as vehicles to race across these dust-encrusted planes, leaving tracks behind them that can be seen from miles away, if they want to be seen, and often they want to.

ASHLEY: Witness me.

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: Yeah, there's very much a Mad Max vibe in places here in the valley.

LIAM: Can we tell what material they're made from?

MATT: You haven't seen one, so you don't know.

LIAM: Okay, just making sure.

MATT: But you do know that a lot of these Crawler gangs are scavengers and will find whatever war materials are outside of the trade protected jurisdictions and utilize whatever is necessary to be cobbled and added to, or used to repair the crawlers should they undergo any sort of damage or unfortunate circumstance. So as you begin to push over the sight of the beautiful last bastion of green society before delving into the valley proper, the sun begins to slowly set and the night comes for you. For this first day of travel, I would like somebody to roll a d20.

MARISHA: I'll do it!

SAM: "I'll do it!"

TALIESIN and ASHLEY: "Get over here."

SAM: What could happen?

MARISHA: An 11.

MATT: An 11. Okay.

SAM: That seems normal.

MARISHA: Yeah.

LIAM: I love the random table rolls. So fun.

MATT: It's a beautiful view, and the weather has been very good, actually, for this first leg of the journey. There's been barely any issues or turbulence or buffeting of the skyship. The meals being presented by Denalia are delicious, if simple. A lot of them a combination of fried flatbread or--

LAURA: That sounds so good.

MATT: I know it really does, too, like simple tomato-based soups with chickpeas and you know, other things that travel well for distances and the different types of weather and temperature. As the night slowly creeps in, it does get colder on board and eventually you find yourselves having to find things to bundle up. Some of the cloaks that you had purchased on the way out or any other means of keeping warm if you want to stay above deck to keep an eye out, but it is a beautiful night. Broken clouds dotting the horizon here and there for the most part. You can glance up and see just an incredible array of stars, thick in some places, thin in others. This far away from the light pollution of Jrusar or the darkening canopy of the jungles you traveled beneath, here it is vibrant view of the starscapes that surround Exandria and beyond. You can see slowly the white glow of Catha rising up in the distance, and on the opposite side, you can see maybe a quarter into the sky, the looming, ruddy, familiar moon of Ruidus. But the night and day is uneventful, and if you wish to, you can rest for your first night. If there's anything else you want to do for the day, we will continue forward.

TRAVIS: I'm just a pile of wood chips, working feverishly.

LAURA: I'm just going to stay up for a little bit extra and not do anything special, I'm just going to stare over the side and stare at Ruidus. Being higher, I feel closer to it.

MATT: Okay.

TALIESIN: I'm going to just stare down at the ground and take in the shit wastes and just keep an eye out for anything moving down there.

MATT: Okay. The ship descends slightly as the temperature drops and you get the sense that as the night goes on, the temperature becomes an issue for people who are manning the ship as well. So it tries to sit in that pocket where it's high enough, where it's not in danger of crashing or impacting anything, but also isn't so high that it freezes everyone on board and it finds that gentle pocket, and the captain keeps it in that space. Eventually, you watch as the captain trades off Eventually, you watch as the captain trades off with their first mate, Khalil, so they can get rest for the night, and you get the sense in that first day of travel that there is a shift turn to prevent the ship ever moving on its own accord without being manned by somebody at the helm, just in case. Glancing down, make a perception check.

TALIESIN: Perception. That's right, I have that on my list somewhere. That's a 18. That's a weird die.

MATT: 18. As Catha climbs higher in the sky, the moon does cast a blanket white light across the dusty landscape, as you just begin to reach where below you, The Rift, the shelf falls, and you can see now the numerous, numerous, thousands of lights that glimmer and glitter from the city Gujjar-Serai, and you can see the line of lights that trail out to the main roads through the jungle, and eventually as you pass over The Rift, looking back you can see the trail of lights that heads up the switchback roads that climb up The Rift cliff walls. It's odd, because at this height and this lighting, the texture and detail of the valley seems to blend, and at certain points you have to adjust yourself because the perspective begins to grow fuzzy. Oddly beautiful, oddly lonely, but nonetheless, calm.

LAURA: You hear in your head: You're from the valley, right?

TALIESIN: I'm going to walk over. Just further southeast. It's complicated, but yeah, I'm more or less from Bassuras.

LAURA: What made you leave?

TALIESIN: Oh, you'll know when we get there. It's not a good place for people.

LAURA: Oh yeah?

TALIESIN: It's not a good place for anything. You go there-- Honestly, the only reason I could think of anyone going there is if they are running away. No one runs there. They run away from somewhere else. I feel bad y'all have to see it.

LAURA: I'm interested.

TALIESIN: Yeah, you're going to hear some shitty thoughts.

LAURA: (laughs) Well, everywhere's got shitty thoughts, so.

TALIESIN: How is it up here?

LAURA: Peaceful, peaceful. I mean, you know, Chet is pretty loud, but outside of that, yeah.

TALIESIN: I mean, I could think real hard about the last time I knocked somebody unconscious and that fight at the-- I'm going to think a lot about that fight at the ball real hard. Does that help? Is that-- Mm. Oh, that hurt.

LAURA: Mm-hmm, yep. I'm seeing it.

TALIESIN: There you go. A little bit of that migraine right there.

LAURA: Thank you.

TALIESIN: Oh, you know.

LAURA: I don't know whether to-- I don't know if I should thank you, but thank you.

TALIESIN: Oh no, pain is better when it's shared, like accents.

LAURA: (laughs)

TALIESIN: Not to tell you what to do with your time, but that fucking moon ain't going anywhere. You should probably get some sleep.

LAURA: Yeah, well, so should you.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

LAURA: I think the city's going to be there when we get there.

TALIESIN: Fuck. Yeah. Well, I apologize for anything you might see tonight.

LAURA: I'm looking forward to it. Go sit down.

TALIESIN: You're scarier than I am. You know that, right? Yeah, it's time for sleep.

MATT: Okay, you all eventually get back to your chambers and get a night's rest. Waking up the next morning, a warm day greets you and glancing down you can see, through the night, you've traveled beyond The Rift quite a bit. You can look behind and just barely make out the cliff shelf. A little bit to the north, you can see signs of a small city that's tucked into part of the mountain range of the Aggrad Mountains to the north and the captain points out at it, "That there is King's Fall. It's another city. We're not going there. Do not worry about it. So here's the thing. The weather here can be very, a lot. There's-- I mean, there's high winds, dust storms. It's generally considered not a great place to take a skyship directly through, so usually the trade routes circumvent it. We go around it. That's why there's not a skyport in Bassuras because you know, it's really bad to bring a ship there, but we're doing it. So just be at the ready. If things go real bad, hold on."

TALIESIN: Should we be down below for this? Or do you want us up here just in case something goes wrong or--

MATT: "I ain't going to tell you what to do."

LAURA: H-H-How often do skyships--

MARISHA: Crash!

LAURA: Yes, that's the word for it.

MARISHA: Burn.

MATT: "(laughs) Not too much, because it's expensive, and you know we-- generally, a lot of them go on routes specifically to avoid dangerous weather patterns. We normally do, too, but you have friends in high places who pay my monthly income, so here we are."

MARISHA: I'm sensing a bit of frustration with all of this, Xandis. I really hope we didn't put you in any imposition.

MATT: "Not yet. Just... Look, it's a little nerve-wracking coming through this place, but I'm also very good at my job, and I just don't want to feel responsible for a bunch of people I just met dying because of mistakes or falling off the side and going splat or anything, so I'm just doing my best to stay focused and just follow my lead. If you got any questions about why we do the things we do, I might answer them. Oh, you should also know for skyships, there isn't a skyport, right? So we can't really anchor in a skyport. That makes it situational when it comes to landing places. Can't really leave it in the air, because wind will blow and just wee, gone ship. Also, don't want to leave it too close to the ground overnight near places where Crawlers might come and you know, take it or burn it down. So... Going to probably just have to drop you off at the city and then go find a safer place to the moor the ship, and you're going to have to summon me to come pick you up. It'll take about a day or so, depending on where I find. You got any means of letting me know?"

LAURA: Yeah.

SAM: We do, yeah.

MATT: "Right, you did the creepy brain thing. All right, good, I like that. You need help after we drop you off, let me know. Give me a little bit of lead time. It'll all be just perfect."

LAURA: You hear in your head: Does that mean I have your permission to talk to you when necessary?

MATT: You hear loudly as they return with their voice. "You have permission when it's absolutely necessary."

LAURA: Got it.

MATT: "(uncomfortable shiver)" You can see the chills on the exposed skin. "But yeah. We might be taking it up at times, taking it down at times. If we have to bring it down in case of bad weather, just once again, hold on. We don't have a lot of hands on deck, so if I ask you to help out, just do your best. We've shown you some of the basics. Yeah, that's it." They turn around and go back up to man the front.

ASHLEY: Wait. So-- just a question. Usually you circumvent around this particular route that we're taking?

MATT: "That is correct, yes."

ASHLEY: We're not doing that now?

MATT: "Nah."

ASHLEY: Oh. Have you ever done this before?

MATT: "Not directly, no."

ASHLEY: Oh. Interesting. So why are we doing it? Just to hurry up and get there?

MATT: "I was told that there was an immediate rush for time, and it's much safer than going by foot. I mean, if you wanted to follow a caravan--"

ASHLEY: No, no, no, I was just seeing. I was was just seeing.

MATT: "Maybe you wanted to go by yourselves, and I don't know, get robbed on the highway or something, get put up on pikes, or you know, put as a warning for other people, totally up to you. You could, I don't know, burrow underground. You got big claws. You could just dig your way. Take a few months. You have options at your disposal. So if you're going to go there, you don't have to take the skyship. But I was notified by my boss that you wanted to go soon, because you're chasing a person."

ASHLEY: This is true. This is true. I mean, we want to get there very--

MATT: "So, we go in the sky."

TRAVIS: Do you know who we're chasing?

MATT: "I have no idea. I don't want to know, because plausible deniability is what I do."

TALIESIN: That's even less deniability.

TRAVIS: That city that we passed, you said it's King's Fall? That's a dramatic name. Do you know why they call it that?

MARISHA: Do a lot of kings fall there, trip on their face, and--

MATT: "I don't know. I have not been there. I just know what it's called. I'm not a huge history buff. I'm sorry. I, once again, I generally go straight from Jrusar to Ank'Harel, or from, you know, Jrusar up to Vasselheim or over to Whitestone recently to drop off a dead body. That was kind of freaky."

TALIESIN: Well, yeah--

MATT: "Don't normally do that."

SAM: We know about that.

MATT: "But--"

MARISHA: Sorry, that, I'm sorry.

TALIESIN: That wasn't really us. I don't know why you're apologizing.

MARISHA: On behalf of us, I guess.

ASHLEY: I cannot place your accent. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Where are you from?

MATT: "Where am I from?"

ASHLEY: Yes.

MATT: "I'm from kind of all over."

ASHLEY: Oh, okay.

MATT: "But earlier from Issylra."

ASHLEY: Okay.

TALIESIN: Do I know why it's called King's Fall?

MATT: Roll a history check.

LAURA: Is that where-- I can't remember.

SAM: What?

LAURA: Where's Issylra?

TRAVIS: It is--

TALIESIN: Eight. Nah.

MATT: Eight. Nah, all you do know is that the Order of the Red Raja bases itself out there, which is a faction you've heard of. It's another one of the competing factions here in the valley.

TALIESIN: Yeah, another group of assholes.

MATT: Yeah.

TALIESIN: Yeah. Okay.

TRAVIS: So it's not good place to be.

TALIESIN: Nothing here is a good place to be.

TRAVIS: I'm just checking.

LAURA: Got it. Oh, right.

TRAVIS: Didn't know why they called it that.

LAURA: Got it.

MATT: Well, let's have somebody roll another d20, and see how this next day of travel goes.

LIAM: Hold on. I'm going to toss something in there.

MATT: Okay, yeah.

LIAM: So after all that morning conversation, Orym, before it gets too late in the day, will wander to the-- He jumps off.

TRAVIS: (screams) No!

MATT: (laughs)

LIAM: He wanders to the prow of the ship. The feel of the wind up here is very familiar to him. He's going to go up to the prow of the ship, and take out a rope because he's not a fool, and tie one end around his ankle, and tie another end to a secure point on the edge of the ship.

LAURA: Oh no!

LIAM: Then he's going to start to practice the Zeph'aeratam and start to move from slow to fast, and fast to slow with his blade out, moving through his forms, leaping up onto the-- what I assume-- There is a rail of the ships, so people won't go off.

MATT: There is, yeah.

MARISHA: Cool.

LIAM: And is just stepping, stepping, stepping, and freezing in place. Then stops and sees the sun rising in the sky, and feels the wind push him, and uses Gust to counteract, like he's been training to do, and hold his balance and looking at the sun. Morning, Dad. Then just continue on. Step, step for a half hour.

MATT: Okay. As you're doing so, you finish your form and step off, and you see a tall, thin goliath who currently has a heavy broom with a leather strap on it, just watching, leaning on it.

LIAM: Morning.

MATT: "Morning, that's pretty cool what you did."

LIAM: Oh, thanks.

TRAVIS and MARISHA: (laugh)

LIAM: Do you dabble?

MATT: "No! No. I just, that's pretty cool. I haven't really."

LIAM: What's your name?

MATT: "Gordi."

LIAM: Gordi.

MATT: "What's your name?"

LIAM: Orym.

MATT: "Orym."

LIAM: Pleasure.

MATT: "That's really fucking dangerous."

LIAM: (sighs) Well, I have ways to mitigate.

MATT: "Well, that's what makes it really cool. When I was a kid, I used to do really dangerous stuff like that all the time."

LIAM: I didn't--

MATT: "I got in trouble for it all the of time."

LIAM: I never got caught.

MATT: "I did. That's why I don't do it anymore. I kind of get caught."

LIAM: Well, I did rope myself to the side of the ship, so, just in case.

MATT: "I didn't see that. That makes it a little less cool, but you know."

LIAM: Didn't need it, though, did I?

MATT: "Are you going to do it again next time?"

TRAVIS: (laughs)

LIAM: Probably.

MATT: "Okay."

LIAM: I trip every once in a while. Every 200 times.

MATT: "Well, if you ever get a wild hair, and want to do it without the rope, let me know. I want to come see that. That's cool."

SAM: (laughs)

LIAM: Okay, bring your broom.

LAURA: (laughs)

MATT: "All right, all right."

LIAM: All right. Orym catches up with the others.

MATT: Gordi just sweeps off. He goes, and you see now, as the weather of the day picks up, too, the wind starts kicking up a little bit. The ship does list a little bit at times gently. You can see there's layers of dust starting to crash in at times, and Gordi just sweeping it off in chunks, just getting it off the edge of the ship. It seems like a trivial task that never quite ends, but he's just busying himself along the journey. Yeah, that was the day. So if somebody wants to--

SAM: I will roll.

MATT: Roll a d20.

LIAM: Yeah!

SAM: Five!

MATT: Five. Roll a d6 for me.

SAM: Oh!

MARISHA: Oh...

SAM: Something happened.

TALIESIN: (claps)

LIAM: Gelidon's back.

SAM: One.

TRAVIS: White dragon. (laughs)

MATT: One.

LIAM: You! (laughter)

TRAVIS: Son of a bitch!

LIAM: I don't care what you're playing. I'll kill you! (laughter)

ASHLEY: I'll find you.

MATT: Okay. About the middle the afternoon or so, the day's gone by without issue. The clouds have gathered a little bit now at times, and it's not a super cloudy day or a gray sky, but the clouds are thicker now, as the weather shifts a bit. I'll say, honestly, probably you, Orym, with the most ridiculous passive perception ever.

LIAM: Not as high as Vex's.

MATT: Yet. (laughs)

LAURA: It's that Observant feat.

MATT: Mm-hmm.

LIAM: Yeah. Yeah.

MATT: Makes makes it absurd.

LAURA: Mm-hmm.

MATT: You glance out.

LAURA: God!

MATT: In one of the nearby clouds-- I'm talking to you. In one of the nearby clouds off to the side, there's a shadow or something. You think maybe it's a denser cloud, or a bird or something, but there's a little shadow in that cloud.

LIAM: Gordi?

MATT: "Yeah, what's up?"

LIAM: Is that common?

MATT: "No, is it a bird?"

LIAM: I'm asking you, man.

MATT: "Captain. Captain, there's a thing on the side. I saw a thing on the side." (laughter)

MATT: "Captain, I don't like it. Anyone got a good idea what that is?"

LIAM: Can I make?

MATT: Make a perception check.

LIAM: Stare intently, yeah.

SAM: I didn't. I can stow away.

LIAM: Yeah.

MARISHA: Oh yeah. That's right. We have a looking glass.

SAM: Do we?

LIAM: Come on. Not too great. That is a 16.

MATT: 16. You eye it for a bit, and there's a brief break in the clouds slightly, where just the dark shadow seems to solidify. It just looks thin, almost like an eel or some sort of a longer, thin thing, just moves from one cloud to the next.

LIAM: Snake in the cloud, Gordi. Snake in the cloud.

MATT: "Snake in the cloud!" (laughter)

TRAVIS: Snake in the cloud!

SAM: Hey, what's going on?

TALIESIN: What the hell is happening?

LAURA: Would we know anything about snakes in the clouds?

TRAVIS: (alarm bell rings)

LAURA: Would we have heard anything?

MATT: Not in particular.

TALIESIN: These goddamn snakes out of these clouds.

MATT: It's at this point, you glance off to the side, and on the opposite side of the ship, you can see another shape, but this one's not quite in a cloud. This one's just out in the open, and you see it gliding. At first, it looks... Does seem like long, thin shape, but you watch as it turns, and as it does, it's wide. It's thin and wide, like a skybound manta ray, but it has a dull brown sand coloration, like something that would, that if it was seen against the surface of the Hellcatch below, would almost blend.

MARISHA: Cool.

MATT: But as it turns, you can see there are rows of long spines across its back, and a lengthy tail that comes to a jagged point at the end. It (whooshes) and then dips below the side of the ship out of sight.

LIAM: Hey, if you can't be safe in the sky, where can you be safe? (shouts) Heads up!

MATT: The captain shouts out, "Oh goodness. Look. We got skirath hunters. Everyone to the front. We got skirath hunters!"

LAURA: What, what, what?

LIAM: Skirath hunters.

MATT: The ship suddenly--

MARISHA: Skirath hunters?

MATT: The ship begins to--

TRAVIS: Dive?

MATT: Go into a slight dive.

TRAVIS: Yeah!

MATT: All of you watch as the various bits of boxes and crates that are currently on the deck and off to the sides slide forward a little bit before it adjusts again. As the ship begins to dive you all feel your stomach rise for a second, and then you catch yourself and hold on, and as it begins to pick up again, you can see one of them, (whooshes) the one that was ducking below is now coming around towards the front where it is. It is moving fast! This ship is moving fast, and not only was it keeping pace with it, but it's almost outpacing it when it wants to. The one that vanished into the cloud before you can now see. It's coming right towards you all. I need you to roll initiative. (shouting)

TRAVIS: We're doing this? On a ship?

SAM: Oh my god!

TRAVIS: We haven't seen the ship in years!

MARISHA: We haven't-- Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's been what? Since Vox Machina days?

LIAM: There's the ground!

TRAVIS: Yeah!

MARISHA: Since we've had--

MARISHA and TRAVIS: A skyship?

LIAM: A ship is coming out. A ship is coming out.

LAURA: Is the ship coming out?

SAM: Is that true?

MARISHA: Oh my god, a ship. (gibberish)

LIAM: I ship it. I ship it!

SAM: Oh my god.

LAURA: Do we have a ship? Do we have a ship? Do we have a ship? He's going to get a ship.

SAM: Oh my god, guys. D&D Beyond is ready for this.

LIAM: Guys, ship's about to hit the fan. Let's go.

MARISHA: Ship-- (laughs)

LAURA: Oh, come on.

SAM: Oh boy.

MARISHA: I know. I rolled like shit.

SAM: Like ship.

MARISHA: I rolled like ship.

TRAVIS: I finally rolled a good initiative, which is worthless because I'm--

ASHLEY: Skirath?

TRAVIS: -- not real close. (excited yelling)

TRAVIS: It's a new one! Oh shit! (yelling)

TRAVIS: (joyful screams)

LAURA: This is awesome! (cheering)

TRAVIS: Bro!

LIAM: (high-pitched laughter)

TRAVIS: Bro!

MARISHA: Did you make the wings?

MATT: No, no, these were put together by Howard Andrews.

LAURA: Oh my god.

MATT: @Minileed.

SAM: Thank you, Howard.

MATT: Who is also the same fantastic person that made the Squalleater for the last campaign.

TRAVIS: Look at the brumestones are metal!

LAURA: All the little tiny planks are actually little planks!

ASHLEY: No, they're not!

TRAVIS: Wow!

ASHLEY: Oh my god!

MATT: It's coffee stirrers, if I recall.

SAM: They're coffee stirrers!?

TALIESIN: Yeah.

SAM: That must have taken days!

MARISHA: What the fuck?

MATT: So--

TRAVIS: Wow.

ASHLEY: That is beautiful.

MARISHA: Oh my god, and it lights up!

MATT: Where are you?

LIAM: Days, even! Orym will be way up at the front, where he was-- I can't reach that far. Practicing his Zeph'aeratam.

TRAVIS: I gotcha.

LIAM and LAURA: Oh no!

TRAVIS: You're doing the Leo up at the front, right?

LIAM: Yeah, you can put me right at the--

MATT and LIAM: Yeah.

MATT: Gordi would be up there with you.

TALIESIN: I had just come from our quarters because I had heard some yelling.

MATT: You would be below from below there.

MARISHA: I'll mirror Ashton.

MATT: Okay.

ASHLEY: Same.

LAURA: I'm going to be on the-- What's the second deck?

TRAVIS: Poop deck.

LAURA: Is that the-- No, poop deck is the top. I'm going to be on the--

TRAVIS: Second is the quarter.

LAURA: I'm on the quarter deck.

LIAM: I got to see it from the front!

LAURA: Over by the side.

TRAVIS: It's really cool, man. It's really cool.

LAURA: Right there.

MATT: There's the captain.

LIAM: (impressed exhale)

MATT: There's the first mate.

TALIESIN: Oh fuck.

MATT: FCG?

SAM: I'd probably be up just around the captain again, yeah?

MATT: Okay, over there.

SAM: Just sort of observing.

MATT: Okay, right there. Then Chetney.

TRAVIS: I'm up on the poop deck to keep eyes on everyone, but also so nobody can see my creations.

MATT: Okay. Now, for the ease of viewing this, if we want to, we can actually remove these.

TRAVIS: Oh, yes!

TALIESIN: Is that some magnets?

TRAVIS: Can we get a round of applause for just a second? Absolutely gorgeous.

LAURA: (gasps) Neat!

TALIESIN: Oh no.

LIAM: There's one in the back-- oh!

LAURA: (gasps) You can go inside of it!

MARISHA: You can go inside!

MATT: Technically, yeah. This-- this picks up.

ASHLEY: This is so-- (yelling)

ASHLEY: Oh my god! That's so cool!

MATT: ♪ Howard did a great job. Thank you, Howard ♪

TRAVIS: The talent of Howard, man.

MATT: All righty, well, to that point, let me roll initiative for them. Okay.

SAM: What spells do I have?

TRAVIS: That back corner, I'd want to be about-- yeah.

LAURA: Do you know this is--

MATT: Back here?

TRAVIS: Yes, sir.

LAURA: -- so close to what I was envisioning based on what you said. I mean--

TALIESIN: Yeah, this is real--

TRAVIS: Oh.

MATT: Well.

TRAVIS: It's so cool.

MATT: 25 to 20?

LIAM: 25.

TRAVIS: All right.

MATT: All right.

TRAVIS: Damn! Coming out.

MARISHA: ♪ I'm coming out! ♪

MATT: Okay. 20 to 15?

TRAVIS: 20!

MATT: All righty.

TRAVIS: Shit!

SAM: Boy, I don't got much.

MATT: All right.

MARISHA: Question is, how do I spend my--

TRAVIS: No, I'm sorry. I had 18. I apologize.

MATT: That's okay. What's your dexterity?

MARISHA: Concentration...

TRAVIS: My dexterity is two. Plus two.

MATT: Got you, all right.

LIAM: Shit.

MARISHA: Bane... There's two of them.

MATT: 15 to 10?

TALIESIN: 14.

ASHLEY: 11.

SAM: 11.

ASHLEY: Oh, Rollies?

SAM: Rollies.

MATT: Rollies it off!

SAM: Five.

ASHLEY: 16.

SAM: All right, you win.

ASHLEY: Okay, okay.

MATT: Okay. 10 to five?

MARISHA: Seven.

MATT: All right.

TRAVIS: Imogen?

LAURA: Four.

MATT: Okay.

TALIESIN: Should've gone to sleep earlier.

LAURA: (laughs)

MATT: I'll say-- for this--

TRAVIS: Yeah, right, I told you!

TALIESIN: Should've had a breakfast. Going to get our asses kicked.

LIAM: Are there--

LAURA: Wow!

LIAM: -- folks mounted on these things, or they're just creatures?

MATT: They're just creatures.

LAURA: Cool.

TALIESIN: Skirath hunters are creatures.

SAM: Whoa!

LAURA: Oh, whoa, look at their weirdo faces!

MATT: Yeah, and these are my proxy minis for them.

LAURA: Whoa!

MATT: The best I could find that fits the shape of them.

LAURA: Creepy.

MATT: All right, so beginning, as they're both darting forward towards the ship, Orym, you are up first.

LIAM: Oh, well, I can't reach them. I am going to step, step, step on the railing, and block Gordi from this one. So, I'll be at-- Nope, the other side.

MATT: I'm going put a piece up here.

LIAM: I'm just going to, at this point, hold my action and protect Gordi.

MATT: You got it. Are you holding your action until something comes within range?

LIAM: That's correct.

MATT: Okay, that finishes your turn. It is their turn. Since y'all rolled decent to low, and they actually rolled pretty high. This one here, actually-- this is going to be important. This one--

TALIESIN: Those fucking--

MATT: -- is going to go ahead and--

TRAVIS: Skirath.

MATT: It's going to dart down towards you, Fearne.

ASHLEY: Hello?

TRAVIS: (laughs)

MATT: At the speed of 90 feet, it is able to do so.

MARISHA: Speed of?

TRAVIS: Whoa!

SAM: Oh god!

MATT: It (whooshes).

TRAVIS: Nine-zero?

MARISHA: Feet.

TALIESIN and MATT: Yeah.

LIAM: Go wherever it wants.

TALIESIN: They're a jet.

MATT: Not to mention, the ship is moving this way, and they're moving this way. So it actually, technically, depending on the direction can move more or less, but it darts down, and as it does, it curls its wings in, and all the spines extrude, and then (whooshes)! Fire out--

LAURA: Ugh!

MATT: In a radius around.

TRAVIS: Shut up!

MATT: I need Ashton, Laudna, and Fearne to all roll dexterity saving throws for me, please.

TRAVIS: (laughs)

MARISHA: Jeez Louise!

ASHLEY: Okay.

TRAVIS: Excuse you!

MARISHA: (sighs)

TRAVIS: Come on. Come on.

ASHLEY: Okay.

TRAVIS: Quit fucking around. All right?

LAURA: What did you roll? What did you roll?

TRAVIS: Get it out of the way. No more of that.

MARISHA: Seven total.

MATT: Okay. 14 points of piercing damage to you, Laudna.

TRAVIS: Damn!

MARISHA: 14 points.

ASHLEY: 16.

MATT: You take seven points of piercing damage.

TALIESIN: 21.

MATT: Seven points of piercing damage.

SAM: Wow.

TRAVIS: Not a joke.

MATT: Also, Terana also takes seven points of piercing damage. She is nearby. Okay. Finishing that go, it's also going to follow up--

MARISHA: It's taking a lap!

MATT: -- with a slam attack.

LAURA: Oh!

MATT: Which it should've done first. Well, it's figuring it out as it goes. This one's going to be against you, Ashton.

LIAM: It's learning.

MATT: 16 to hit.

TALIESIN: AC is 16.

MATT: It just hits you. You go ahead and take 17 points of bludgeoning damage as the spines shoot out of it. It does a flip in the air and comes back and just slams its body into you from the side. Not terribly damaging, but enough to almost knock you off your feet. You catch yourself on the ground. Then it's going to lift up, since it actually has a little more movement because it was moving against the ship. It's going to move 15 feet up into the air.

LIAM: Attack that motherfucker!

TALIESIN: Do we get a--

MATT: Which means the three of you can get attacks of opportunity on it, if you'd like.

MARISHA: We can get attacks of opportunity?

MATT: If you'd like to.

TRAVIS: Look at that!

MARISHA: Yes, I would absolute-- Oh wait. Can I do that with a spell?

LIAM: No, you'd have to be a War Caster.

TRAVIS: Look at this encounter, man!

MARISHA: I don't have War Caster.

LIAM: So you can hit it.

MARISHA: I cannot hit it.

LIAM: You can.

TALIESIN: I'll give it an attempt.

MARISHA: I cannot hit it.

SAM: Punch it!

TALIESIN: I want to know what its AC is. That's 28 to hit.

MATT: That definitely hits.

LIAM: You'll hit it.

SAM: You would get zero.

MARISHA: My strength is negative three.

TALIESIN: I'm not raging, so this is my not raging damage.

MATT: Exactly.

MARISHA: My strength is negative three.

LIAM: That's cool.

MARISHA: I would break my knuckles.

TALIESIN: 15 points of damage.

MARISHA: Break my hands.

MATT: 15 points of damage to it. You got it. As it winds up where you just hit it in the middle of the air and it has to arc around and catch itself.

MARISHA: I think this is my lowest stat.

MATT: Fearne, do you want to take an attack of opportunity or not?

ASHLEY: Yes, of course.

SAM: (as Fearne) Yes, of course!

ASHLEY: Absolutely.

TRAVIS: (as Fearne) Just want to put it in my pocket.

ASHLEY: Okay, I rolled... Wait. What am I adding for attack of opportunity? Why am I having a brain fart?

MATT: Just your physical attack.

ASHLEY: It's got to be a physical attack, so let me get my... Okay, so that would be 18.

MATT: 18 just hits.

ASHLEY: Okay.

LIAM: Ooh, that's high.

MATT: It's very quick.

SAM: That is high.

MATT: They are dextrous and maneuverable. With a little bit of natural armor on them.

LIAM: Eels, you said? Winged eels?

MATT: They look more like large manta rays with an extremely long tail.

TALIESIN: Like a ray Kaiju.

MATT: With spines across the back, three rows of spines on the top and bottom.

LIAM: Cool.

ASHLEY: I rolled a d4. I rolled a one, but it also says minus one?

MATT: Yeah, did you roll-- so whatever you roll, you rolled a one and you got a minus one. You did zero damage.

LIAM: Did you punch it?

ASHLEY: I used my Moon Sickle.

LIAM: A sickle's got to have more than one damage!

SAM: When you just touched it, it showed up on all of our D&D Beyond screens as three points of damage is what it said--

ASHLEY: Well, no, I was--

SAM: Oh, now it says one.

ASHLEY: I was pressing it to see if it, but I pressed the wrong thing, went to more info. Yeah, I didn't do anything.

MATT: We'll say minimum of one damage. So you strike, because you did hit it.

ASHLEY: Oh, I got him good!

MATT: All right so, after a heavy slam, you just streak and it nicks part of the base of the tail before it (whooshes) and is now gliding above. This one here is going to (whooshes).

SAM: Oh god!

MATT: Rocket full speed towards you.

LAURA: Me?

MATT: Yeah.

MARISHA: Lord have mercy.

LAURA: On me?

SAM: Lord have Mercer-y!

LAURA: Lord have Mercer-y.

MATT: This is a swooping charge if it hits. That is going to be another 16 to hit.

LAURA: Oh, yeah, that hits.

MATT: Okay. You take--

SAM: Oh god.

MATT: This is going to be bad.

MARISHA: Silvery Barbs.

SAM: What's that mean?

MARISHA: It's a new thing I've got.

TRAVIS: Do you just shout it out?

SAM: You just say it?

TRAVIS: Silvery Barbs!

MARISHA: It's a reaction that I can do where-- it happens if a creature I see within 60 feet succeeds on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw. I distract the creature and, woo, spooky shadows, and they have to reroll the d20 and must use the lower roll.

SAM: Oh!

MATT: Okay. That'll bring it to a 12. (oohing)

LAURA: I'm 13!

TRAVIS: Go Silvery Barbs!

LAURA: Laudna saved me!

MARISHA: I've got my girl.

TALIESIN: Did you just Large Marge that thing? Goddamn!

MATT: So as it (whooshes)--

MARISHA: So as it--

MATT: -- through the air.

MARISHA: Yeah, and it sees-- As it's trying to go for Imogen, shadows between the planks of the woods that look like they're almost splintering through for a second.

MATT: It has to avoid itself and it thinks it's going to impact towards you and as the shadow darts up in front of it it darts off to the side and ends up slamming instead to the side of the ship. The ship, it impacts, doesn't do any damage to it but you watch as it has to right itself. So--

MARISHA: Then I choose a different creature that I can see within range, which I believe I can look up and see... Where's Chetney?

TRAVIS: I'm up in the back corner.

MATT: Chetney, you do not have eyes on, unfortunately.

MARISHA: Damn it!

SAM: You have Fearne and--

MARISHA: Can I see Ashton?

MATT: Ashton's to the right of you.

MARISHA: Ashton's right next to me. I take a little bit of that shadow magic and it wraps a little bit around your head and around your hammer and you have an advantage on your next attack roll, ability check, or saving throw.

SAM: Whoa! This is a cool ability.

TALIESIN: Cool. (laughs)

SAM: ♪ Silvery Barbs ♪

MATT: So it missed its swooping charge slam attack; however, it is going to--

LIAM: ♪ Silver Barbs ♪

MATT: Where it's standing, it's going to do a tail spear attack on you because you were right in front of it and it's frustrated that it missed. So that's going to be a natural one.

SAM: Hey!

MATT: Its tail-- You watch as its tail rears back like a whip. As it does, you can see the spine in the end of it, this long, barbed blade that's emerging a good two feet from the tip of the prehensile portion of it, it has a dark oily sheen on it. As it pulls back and whips it strikes from underneath right towards you and you just barely duck out of the way as it sticks into the wood. It has to withdraw so now you see it being dragged a bit by the ship before it pulls itself free. That sucked for them.

LIAM: Watch me whip.

MATT: All right. That finishes their go. Chetney, you're up, with Ashton on deck.

TRAVIS: Oh, oh shit, oh fuck!

LAURA: Fucking awesome, Laudna.

TRAVIS: Could I run over to the giant ballista cannon thing--

MARISHA: New spells! that's back here?

MATT: Right here? Yeah, you can.

LAURA: I saw that spell, too.

TRAVIS: Can I tell if that bitch swivels 360 or if it just points the direction?

MATT: It does. I mean, I have it taped down here but I could say yeah, it swivels here.

TRAVIS: Is it loaded, or do I need to load a harpoon and/or--

MATT: You would need to load into it, yeah.

TRAVIS: Okay. I'm going to--

MATT: It takes an action to load--

TRAVIS: Uh-huh, uh-huh.

MATT: -- and an action to fire.

TRAVIS: I'll try and-- Fuck it. I'm jacked, homie! I'm going to load a harpoon into that.

MATT: Okay. You reach over and take the large, heavy iron bolt and pull it into there. (creaking)

TRAVIS: (screaming) (laughter)

MATT: With a strength of 16, yeah, you're fine. You load it in there and then get behind it and now, that's your movement and your action. It'll take another action to fire it next turn but you have it loaded and ready to go.

SAM: Nice.

TRAVIS: Amazing.

MATT: All right, finishing Chetney's go. Ashton, you're up, with Fearne on deck.

TALIESIN: First off, I'm going to fucking rage.

MATT: There you go.

TRAVIS: Yes, you are! (growls)

MARISHA: What you get?

TALIESIN: What am I getting?

MARISHA: Make it a good one.

TALIESIN: This is going to be weird.

MARISHA: He says every time.

TALIESIN: I got Space which might actually turn out to be really helpful.

MATT: I will say before you go, since it can and it will try, because it's the end of its turn, it will try and fly up again to try and stay out of range. Up here. That leaves you with the ability to make a reaction attack, if you'd like to.

SAM: Hit it!

LAURA: Oh, can I use my dagger on it?

MATT: Yeah.

LAURA: I just, okay. (grunts) (laughter)

TRAVIS: With a question mark expression? Pointy end!

LAURA: Okay. I roll to attack. (laughs)

MATT: Do it.

LAURA: Oh! 21!

MATT: That hits. Roll damage.

ASHLEY: Yes!

SAM: Dagger damage!

MATT: As it quickly--

LAURA: (gasps) Six points of damage! (cheering)

MATT: Six points of damage as you quickly--

SAM: She's a stone cold killer!

MATT: -- arc outward and cut into this portion of its softer underbelly where you can see-- Now it's close up in front of you, it has a harder large, scale, sand-colored armor on the outside and then right where it dissipates where the prehensile part of the tail is, you can see a slight opening. You arc up with the blade and carve it causing this dark blue blood just to (spurts) across the wood in front of you.

TRAVIS: Whoa, take it easy, headhunter! Leave some for the rest of us! (laughter)

LAURA: Ah!

MATT: Awesome, that brings it back to Ashton. What are you doing?

TALIESIN: Oh shit, this is going to be fun.

LIAM: Blue bloods.

TALIESIN: Where am I?

LAURA: Rage! (laughter)

LIAM: (like Imogen) I would like to rage.

TRAVIS: Uh-huh.

TALIESIN: Okay.

SAM: Are you going to lick the blade?

MATT: Both of them are about 15 feet in the air, just so you know.

TALIESIN: Good luck for them. Okay.

MARISHA: Oh! Yes, queen!

TALIESIN: The one I hit the first time.

LIAM: That swagger.

MATT: Yeah?

TALIESIN: So the crystal in my head starts to almost become transparent, but all the way through my head, like it's a little bit of a bad Photoshop effect, including the hammer gets a little weird that way where there's almost a lens in the center.

MATT: Mm. I know what's going on.

TALIESIN: Yeah, you do. I'm going to charge up and a portal is going to open in front of me.

SAM: What?

TALIESIN: I'm going to stick my hammer and I'm going to toss my hammer straight down into it, and a small portal above that asshole is going to come down.

ASHLEY: What?

TRAVIS: Shut the fuck up!

ASHLEY: That is so cool!

TRAVIS: Shut up!

LIAM: He's got an occasional Portal gun!

MATT: Roll an attack.

MARISHA: Yes!

TALIESIN: That's a-- Let's actually go to my-- that's a lot to hit.

MATT: What's the range on this?

TALIESIN: 60 feet.

MARISHA: You have advantage on that attack.

TALIESIN: Yeah, I took it. That's 20 to hit.

MATT: That hits. Roll damage.

TRAVIS: Whoa!

ASHLEY: That is so cool.

TALIESIN: That rolls a Chaos Burst, too, so that's one of those out.

TRAVIS: Especially if you're out of melee.

TALIESIN: Fuck, I lost the fucking thing again. That's the only problem.

TRAVIS: What is going on in his dome?

TALIESIN: Where does that live? Fundamental Force, yeah, sorry.

TRAVIS: He's got that gray juice.

LIAM: ♪ This is Rage Science ♪

TALIESIN: That's an additional 1d10.

TRAVIS: Got that gray liquid.

TALIESIN: So that's--

SAM: Greymoore.

TRAVIS: Greymoore.

MARISHA: Greymoore!

TALIESIN: Seven, 15. (laughter)

TRAVIS: (alarm sirens) (laughter)

TALIESIN: That's 16 points of force damage.

MATT: 16 points. The additional force damage on top of it but it's all bludgeoning and then force?

TALIESIN: Bludgeoning and then one force damage.

MATT: Got it. So yeah, as you slam the hammer down and you basically shove it into a folded space, the portal beneath you, and then it slams overhead before being withdrawn back out and both portals close as fast as they did. The creature has to right itself for a second from the impact.

TALIESIN: I'm rolling right back up for an uppercut.

MATT: Okay!

MARISHA: Get it, Thor!

SAM: Is his hand going through a portal, too?

TALIESIN: Yep.

MATT: Another portal opens in front of you and an upward swing and both of your arms and the hammer just vanish into it.

TRAVIS: Shut the hell up.

LAURA: What? That is so--

TRAVIS: Amazing.

MARISHA: (claps) The cake is a lie.

LAURA: Fucking cool.

TALIESIN: Fuck it, reckless.

LAURA: My gosh.

TRAVIS: Yes, yes, let's go!

TALIESIN: Thank god. 17?

MATT: 17? Just misses.

TALIESIN: Oh fuck! (oohing)

LIAM: 18.

TALIESIN: Shit.

MATT: It goes wide. It's learning your tricks. The second portal opens and now that you're this close, you can see there is no real sign of a face on it. It's just a blank of flesh in front. There's no eyes or any discerning characteristic. Then you watch as right in front of it where the portal opens up, the slit opens up and there's this pure black orb of an eye that seems to notice and then it pulls back and the hammer just misses it by about a foot.

TALIESIN: All right, I'm going to use my movement to get some cover.

MATT: Okay. Where are you going?

TALIESIN: Probably just in and around the corner inside.

MATT: Inside? Okay.

TALIESIN: Just behind, just so I can get to them. Just behind everybody who's out. It's on the left side, on the starboard, yeah.

MATT: Little finicky for me to get there but we'll keep that in mind. Okay, that finish your turn?

TALIESIN: Yep.

MATT: Fearne, you're up. FCG, you're on deck.

SAM: Okay.

ASHLEY: Okay. I'm going to summon Mister.

MATT: Okay. Where do you want him to go?

ASHLEY: As a bonus action. Just right next to me.

MATT: All right.

ASHLEY: Okay, here's a question.

MATT: Yes.

ASHLEY: If I put him on the other side of something, would that be considered flanking? I know it probably wouldn't work in this situation because he's flying.

MATT: If it's a melee flanking circumstance, he is technically a creature. Possibly. I'll think on this.

ASHLEY: Okay.

MATT: Circumstantially, I'll think on it.

ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay. For later. Okay. So I am going to cast--

MATT: I'd say, just for the circumstances, probably not because he's not a continuously harrying creature. He's more of awaiting for your command to do it.

ASHLEY: Okay.

MATT: Flanking is more about two creatures that are always at the ready, so.

ASHLEY: That makes sense. I am going to cast Speak With Animals.

MATT: Okay.

ASHLEY: I'm going to say, oh, okay, okay. Just hang on for two seconds. What do you want so we can just speed up this process because we have somewhere to be. What do you need? What do you need? What do you need?

MATT: As you're shouting outward, you see the one dark orb glaring out of this opening, this heavy, faint yellow- brown blubber fold this heavy, faint yellow- brown blubber fold that's opened up to show the eye. It opens up in a weird twist. (squelches) It makes no sound. It makes no response. You get the sense quickly this is not considered a beast.

LAURA: (groans)

ASHLEY: Okay.

TRAVIS: Oh.

SAM: What does that mean?

ASHLEY: Okay.

MARISHA: It's a fiend or something.

SAM: Abomination?

MARISHA: Yeah, or a monster.

MATT: There's many other creature archetypes.

ASHLEY: Interesting.

SAM: Classifications.

ASHLEY: Okay. Then I am going to walk towards--

MARISHA: Fleshy blubber fold.

ASHLEY: The other harpoon.

MATT: Over here?

ASHLEY: Yes, I'm going to get behind him. Yeah, yeah.

MATT: Okay.

ASHLEY: Okay, that's good.

MATT: Mister going to stay put?

ASHLEY: I'm going to keep him there.

MATT: Okay, you got it. So Mister remains there, finishing Fearne's go. FCG, you're up.

SAM: It's not a creature?

MATT: It's a creature.

SAM: Oh, okay.

LAURA: Yeah, just not a beast.

MATT: It's not a beast.

SAM: Oh, it's not a beast, okay.

LIAM: Like wolves, cats.

SAM: Oh, cool.

MATT: You now know this is not an animal.

SAM: Got it. I will wheel on over towards Imogen.

MATT: Okay.

SAM: I don't like these birds! I'll get right under that one.

MATT: Right here? Okay.

SAM: Yeah. 15 feet above me, right?

MATT: Yep.

SAM: The other one's probably 15 feet in front of me?

MATT: The other one's about 10 feet from you that way.

SAM: Even better. I will, at level three, I'll cast Blindness on both of them.

MATT: Oh, damn! Okay. (oohing)

LAURA: Cool.

MATT: Okay.

SAM: I'll do it by, like... I'll say that my lens is finding the light and sort of reflecting up into their eyes trying to blind them with sunlight reflection, like a watch.

TRAVIS: Intense.

MATT: That is fantastic and good to know.

SAM: But they have to make a constitution 14 save, not very big save and they're probably very constitute-y.

MATT: So for the one up top that's right above you. That's a 13. That's a failure.

TRAVIS: Got one. Got one.

MATT: So this one is now considered blind.

LIAM: That was a very nice move.

MATT: The other one... That is going to be a 15, so that one succeeds, but that one is blind.

SAM: All right. They can't see us! Or maybe they can. I don't know! (laughter)

MATT: Oh god.

TALIESIN: We will find out soon enough.

SAM: We'll find out.

MATT: Indeed.

SAM: Do I have any bonus actions? Oh yeah, I do! I'll cast Spiritual Weapon!

MATT: Technically, you can only cast one spell a turn.

SAM: Oh, you're right. You're right. I won't do anything, then.

MATT: That's okay. Are you staying put?

SAM: Yeah, I'll attach my bolt thrower attachment

SAM: Yeah, I'll attach my bolt thrower attachment as the rest of my action.

MATT: Okay. You got it, all right, that finishes FCG's turn. It is now the ship's go. The captain is going to shift things this way.

SAM: Oh god.

MATT: And begin to move, turn.

SAM: Look at that!

MATT: Both of these get moved back slightly this way which I'll say for the sake of height.

SAM: 3D graphics!

TRAVIS: Holds up great.

MATT: Right about there.

MARISHA: Whoa.

MATT: This one here will shift back. Just, we'll say it's a little higher than than that one there.

TRAVIS: Guys, this game is awesome. What the fuck?

MATT: With that.

LAURA: But it is higher than that?

MATT: Gordi's going to move and load that one. Terana is going to-- watching you Fearne, as you get up behind it, Terana the young dwarf girl is going to go, "Uh," and grab and use her action to load the ballista that you're behind.

ASHLEY: Oh my god. Okay, amazing.

MARISHA: Yes. Yes.

MATT: The first mate is going to duck underneath the stairs and hide.

SAM: Not a fighter?

LAURA: Now you said the lower one is actually higher than what we're seeing now?

MATT: Yeah, I would say.... For the sake of just keeping this a little more above board. Precariously place it there.

LAURA: Okay.

LIAM: Okay.

MATT: All right, that finishes the ship's go. Laudna, you're up, with Imogen on deck.

MARISHA: All right.

LIAM: I think you might've jumped me.

TRAVIS: You're the top.

MATT: You're at the very top.

LAURA: You were the very first one. You went right away.

LIAM: Didn't you already go? Oh, that was a reaction you did. It was so cool for a reaction, sorry.

MATT: It's all good. Good looking out.

MARISHA: I'm going to rush out and go up towards the foot of the stairs a little bit so I can have a view on both of them. Okay. I'll cast Bane on both of them.

MATT: What's the save on that?

ASHLEY: (like Bane) Oh!

MARISHA: 16.

MATT: 16.

ASHLEY: Would you like a sandwich?

LAURA: What is that?

MATT: Constitution-- Every time. Constitution or dexterity?

LAURA: Does that count as a spell on your turn? How does that work?

TRAVIS: You can do it with your hands.

LAURA: It can't be, right?

SAM: The Silvery Barbs?

MATT: At the start of your turn, you get your reaction back and does not count.

MARISHA: So it doesn't count as your spell?

MATT: Reaction spells don't count against your spell per turn because it's not part of your turn, technically. It's a reaction.

LAURA: That's awesome.

MARISHA: It's a 1st-level spell.

MATT: Is it wisdom, con? Is Bane constitution or dex--

MARISHA: Charisma.

MATT: Charisma? Charisma.

TALIESIN: That's right.

MATT: Nope!

TRAVIS: (laughs)

MATT: Nope.

TALIESIN: This is why it's my favorite spell!

TRAVIS: Damn.

ASHLEY: Damn!

MARISHA: Not a lot of charismatic monsters.

TALIESIN: Bless and Bane. (chef's kiss)

MARISHA: Yeah.

SAM: Both Baned?

MARISHA: I will Quicken.

MATT: Both Baned.

LAURA: What does that do to them?

MATT: Minus 1d4 to all their attack rolls.

TALIESIN: And saving throws.

LAURA: Yes.

LIAM: My mother says I'm very handsome.

MARISHA: I'm going to Quicken that spell to make that a bonus action or this next one, doesn't matter, to do Eldritch Blast!

MATT: There you go. Bust it out. Roll some attacks.

MARISHA: All right, I'm going to do one to each of them, taking that shadow energy from below deck and then using it like a javelin to both of them.

TRAVIS: (high-pitched) Javelin!

MARISHA: Yes, both of those hit with an 18 and a 20.

MATT: Both hit, yeah. Roll damage to each.

TRAVIS: Crack-a-pow.

MARISHA: Jesus fucking, why?

MATT: Actually, this is valid. Reroll for-- not reroll but roll disadvantage for both those attacks.

SAM: Oh.

LAURA: Why?

MATT: We'll find out here in a second.

TRAVIS: Because they're poop heads!

MATT: So just roll them both again.

MARISHA: 16. And a three.

MATT: 16 total on the first, or you rolled a 16?

MARISHA: I rolled a 16--

MATT: All right. So one of them hits, one of them misses.

MARISHA: What?

SAM: Oh.

TRAVIS: Uh-oh.

MATT: So--

TRAVIS: There's more to that.

MATT: You watch as you throw both out, one of them, the Eldritch Blast looks like it's about to impact. And then, just deflect away, almost like there's a barrier of wind around it. They have an ability called "Aerodynamic," where ranged attacks against them have disadvantage because as they rush around, they carve through the wind and create a wind barrier around them that makes ranged attacks--

MARISHA: Spell Sniper, does that have anything to do with--

MATT: It's not cover, technically. It's a deflection.

MARISHA: I thought I'd try.

MATT: A good try.

LAURA: Is one of them blind?

SAM: One of them, the top one is blind.

LAURA: Okay.

MATT: Which means, technically, you would have advantage against the top one if it's blind.

TRAVIS: Oh really?

TALIESIN: Which means it would just be a straight.

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: So yeah. So you know what? I'll say they both hit then because you would've missed one there. They both hit. Little bit of weird (gibberish), but we got there--

MARISHA: I don't know which one's which now.

TRAVIS: Got to recognize their ability--

MARISHA: Okay.

MATT: Yep.

MARISHA: Three damage to the lower one.

MATT: All righty.

MARISHA: No, what did I just say?

MATT: You said three damage.

MARISHA: Sorry. 10 damage.

MATT: That's a little different.

MARISHA: Seven plus three.

TRAVIS: Yeah, that's it.

MARISHA: I'm an idiot.

MATT: That's okay.

MARISHA: And then the same thing. Another 10 damage.

MATT: Got it. (impacts) You watch as the Eldritch Blast pushes and pierces through that little wind barrier that it's gathered as it's gliding through the sky, and impacts it. (screeches) It rears back and begins to loop around to catch itself. The one that's blind, you just slam it in the back, and it takes a second to even ground itself. You can see that dark sphere that's currently open is wildly trying to glance around and it's just trying to listen and feel for the environment around it.

SAM: Nice.

TRAVIS: Crazy.

MATT: All right, that finish your turn?

MARISHA: Yes.

MATT: All right. Finishing Laudna's go. Imogen, you're up, with Orym on deck.

LAURA: Okay. I'm going to turn around and face them.

MATT: All right.

LAURA: I'm going to put both my hands to the side of my head and I'm going to whisper--

LIAM: (whispers) Brain stuff.

LAURA: (laughs) "Brain stuff."

MARISHA: Brain stuff.

LIAM: I was just excited for brain stuff.

LAURA: I'm just going to whisper... I don't know what I want to whisper.

TRAVIS: Brain stuff.

LAURA: Brain stuff!

ASHLEY and TALIESIN: Brain stuff.

LAURA: And I'm going to twinned spell this--

SAM: Twinned spell.

LAURA: -- at 3rd-level.

LIAM: Twain stuff.

LAURA: And I'm casting Dissonant Whispers at both.

MATT: Ooh.

LAURA: So that's a wisdom save.

MATT: Wisdom save.

MATT: All right.

LIAM: Boy, these things are beset.

MATT: Natural 20 on the top one.

SAM: (groans)

MATT: Down below.

LAURA: Did he--

MATT: Natural one. I've got both sides of the spectrum on that one.

LAURA: Okay.

TALIESIN: What's your save, out of curiosity, again?

LAURA: My save is 15, so even with a d4 he wouldn't get--

TALIESIN: Okay, even with a d4, it wouldn't matter.

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: Yeah, unfortunately, but the other one--

TALIESIN: Remember the d4--

LAURA: So that is--

MATT: Oh yeah.

TRAVIS: Remember the d4.

LAURA: Okay.

MATT: Still would've put it at a 17.

LAURA: On a failed save, it takes-- On a successful save, it takes half as much damage.

MATT: Okay, so roll damage.

LAURA: Okay, so that is 5d6.

MARISHA: What dark tongues is this brain stuff? (laughter)

LAURA: (whispers) Brain stuff.

MARISHA: Don't understand Common.

LAURA: That is-- Okay, fine, whatever. (laughter)

LAURA: 13. On the one that didn't save. I rolled really shit.

MATT: Got it.

LAURA: And six on the one that did.

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: But-- The one that did not save, it has to use its speed to move as far away from me as possible

SAM: Dude, that's huge.

MATT: Okay.

TALIESIN: That's very far.

MATT: You've got it. Okay, that finishes your go.

LIAM: Which one did you do that to? The one that's high or low?

LAURA: I don't know which one didn't save. Whichever one didn't save is the one--

TALIESIN: The bottom one didn't save.

MATT: Oh, the bottom one didn't save. This one did.

SAM: Well, that's the end of the fight.

MATT: (laughs)

SAM: One's blind and one's flying away.

MATT: There you go. All right, that brings us to Orym, Orym, you're up.

LIAM: Orym, without even looking back, just twirls his blade in his hand and uses--

MATT: Oh, it must immediately use its reaction, as far away from you as possible. And it does have a reaction. So that would put it at 90 feet.

LIAM: 90 feet.

MATT: Yeah, this guy.

TALIESIN: It has to use its action and movement as well, if I recall, when it hits its turn.

MATT: No, it immediately uses its reaction to move away. So I'll put it here. As it just darts away from the ship. Okay, and that finishes-- back to what we were doing there or--

LIAM: Yeah, well, I have no idea if this'll work now, because of range, but I'm going to do it anyway.

LAURA: Oh, sorry.

LIAM: No, it's fine. That's what happens. So Orym doesn't even look backward but just use this as a attack to slash the rope, cuts it and then runs--

SAM: Oh god, wait, what, no.

LIAM: -- along the railing.

LAURA: I hate it.

MATT: Slaps the goliath on the shoulder

and says: Teamwork makes the dream work. And I leap down and whip around the harpoon gun--

TRAVIS: Yeah!

LIAM: -- and aim at the one, I don't know if it's close enough or not, And fire at that. Yeah, because it it's primed already. Yeah, because the goliath loaded it.

MATT: Yes. So you fire that one.

LIAM: No idea, if it's close enough.

MATT: You roll an attack roll for me.

LIAM: Okay.

MATT: Let me bring up the tools for ship here.

SAM: (arrow vibrating impact)

ASHLEY: That was good!

LIAM: I rolled a 14.

MATT: Rolled a 14, add six to it.

LIAM: 20.

MATT: That hits. Go ahead and roll 3d10-- Sorry, 6d10 points of damage.

SAM: 6d10!

LIAM: 6d10!

TRAVIS: What?!

SAM: 60 tens.

LIAM: Okay, I'm going to roll two of them three times. So I got 15.

SAM: 600 points of damage.

LIAM: 20, 21, 24-- 30 total.

MATT: 30 points of damage to that one.

SAM: Perfectly average.

MARISHA: Cool, cool, cool.

MATT: You fire, and you watch as it just vanishes, from the top perspective, Imogen, the air above you just (whooshes) as the ballista misses you by three feet. And you feel the impact of the wind just cutting around.

LAURA: I just slowly turn back to Orym like--

LIAM: Well, you see, Orym do like--

You hear: Did I hit it? And he does a pull up and goes (grunts) I hit it!

MATT: As it impacts, it sticks through and almost goes completely through. It pierces out in the back, but there's a little bit still stuck in it, as it falls for about 10 feet and catches itself. These are hardy creatures, but that is a heavy hit. You can see now, that dark blue blood is dripping out from the wound.

SAM: Is that just a bolt, was it attached to a cord or anything?

LIAM: It's a harpoon on a chain or no?

MATT: These are just standard bolts. There is a chained harpoon, but you have to actively utilize that if you want.

LIAM: I love airships.

MATT: (laughs) All right, does that finish your turn, Orym?

LIAM: Yes, sir.

MATT: All right, it is now their turn.

SAM: Oh no. This one used its turn to move away. It's now going to move here. It does not get a slam attack.

LIAM: Oh, so it can come back--

MATT: Let's see if it--

TRAVIS: Pop some pimples.

LAURA: But at least it didn't get to stay up or close--

MATT: It does get its body spines ability again.

TRAVIS: Body spines.

MATT: As it swarms forward, it's going to release the body spines a second time. I need Laudna--

LIAM: Release the body spines.

MATT: And Mister-- Actually no, Mister's just out of range. And I'll have-- Terana to make an dexterity saving throw.

MARISHA: It's better, 16.

MATT: Yeah, she succeeds.

TALIESIN: Oh, was that with that d4?

LIAM: Good job, Laudna.

MATT: They're making a saving throw.

TALIESIN: Okay.

MATT: But good looking out.

TALIESIN: I thought you were rolling a thing.

MATT: No, it's good.

ASHLEY: (tongue roll)

TRAVIS: That's impressive.

LAURA: Oh right, it's not rolling--

MATT: Oh, whoa! Okay. So you both succeed, which is good. So that brings you down to 11 points of piercing damage.

LAURA: Holy moly. That would've been 22.

MATT: Terana is really hurt. Terana's really hurt. Terana's like, "Ah!" Like after loading up for you, Fearne, you watch as the spines shoot out, and one goes through her shoulder and actually sticks to the bottom of the ballista. She's now pinned like, "Ah!" Is trying to pull herself free from the base of it. Then after that, it's going to do a tail spear attack against you, Laudna. Since you're the only one within range of that.

TALIESIN: Got to get you to cover it next time.

MATT: Minus d4 to the attack.

LAURA: Shield on this.

MARISHA: I don't think I can do Shield on that.

LIAM: They descended on her position. There's nothing she can do.

MATT: With the minus d4, that brings it to 17.

MARISHA: Shield.

MATT: Ah, there you go.

MARISHA: That will clear it.

MATT: The tail comes right towards you. As you put your hands up, a little bit of that inky-liquid just lifts itself from under your fingernails and forms this shield of shadow that deflects the tail as it splinters off and withdraws back in.

MARISHA: (groans) Ouch.

SAM: Oh boy.

MATT: This one here. Trying to figure out where things are, is going to try and dart back to where it was, but slams into the deck. It doesn't quite know where the ship is, hits it and glides and spins around. It's going to do its own body spine attack. So I need both FCG and Imogen, as well as the captain to make dexterity saving throws for me. Dexterity save--

MATT: Captain succeeds.

LAURA: Hmm, hmm.

SAM: 12.

MATT: 12, you take 14 points of piercing damage.

SAM: Okay.

LAURA: Five.

MATT: 14 points of piercing damage. Captain takes seven. Behind the wheel and is like trying to hold it and getting ready to turn more on its turn. Then it's going to follow that up with a tail attack, we'll say at you, FCG, since you're the one right behind it, but it has disadvantage on it plus the Bane on it because it can't see anything.

LIAM: Real bad.

MATT: (scoffs) No. Nah. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Not even worth saying out loud.

MATT: Nah. The tail whips around and you're getting ready for like, "Oh god," it just goes (whooshes) shoots out in the middle of the air at nothing, before retracting and--

SAM: Dumb bird.

MATT: -- sticking beneath the bottom of it. That's going to finish their turn. Chetney, you're up, with Ash on deck.

TRAVIS: From Laudna's seat--

MATT: Ashton.

TRAVIS: -- it looks like I could still see the big pigeon on the quarter deck from the--

MATT: Yes, you can.

TRAVIS: I'll take a harpoon shot at that son of a bitch.

MATT: Roll a d20. You have advantage against it because it is blind.

TRAVIS: Oh, amazing.

LAURA: (laughs)

TRAVIS: I just roll a d20 and add nothing right?

MATT: Add six.

TRAVIS: Dirty 20.

MATT: That hits. Roll 6d10 damage.

TRAVIS: 6d10.

LIAM: That's the one that took the first harpoon.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

ASHLEY: Are you eating this? What's happening?

SAM: I like some roughage.

MATT: Yeah.

TRAVIS: 29 points of damage.

MATT: Woo! A secondary harpoon shoots through its body, this one actually passes clean through it, and into the floor, right on the opposite side. Right next to Gordi, who's like, "Ah! Whoa, that was so cool!" (laughter)

SAM: He loves it.

MATT: The thing is just dripping with blue goo. Oh, they do get to try and save against blind and--

TALIESIN: You do not get to save against Bane.

MATT: Yeah, Bane, they just keep. But blind they can--

SAM: At the end of each of its turns, it can make a constitution saving throw.

MATT: Indeed. That's an 18.

SAM: That saves.

LAURA: Does it get minus d4?

MATT: Minus four. 16.

SAM: Still works.

LAURA: Ah.

MATT: Okay, but good looking out.

TRAVIS: After the harpoon goes, can I draw my chisel and I'll run it across my forearm using my Crimson Rite? And I'll use my movement to-- Can I jump onto the (laughs) giant--

LIAM: Oh!

TRAVIS: -- blue stone and try and slide down one of the angled sides so I can get down to the quarter deck with everybody else?

MATT: You can certainly try.

TRAVIS: Yeah, that's right.

MATT: Make an acrobatics check for me.

TRAVIS: It's going to burn my ass (laughs).

LIAM: Or you'll bounce off at like--

TRAVIS: Fuck, five! (laughter)

MATT: So you drag the chisel--

TRAVIS: Yeah!

MATT: -- leap and you land, but you land-- You didn't quite go far enough to reach the other side. So you land and slide backwards. (laughter)

TRAVIS: (yells)

MATT: Landing onto a barrel, cracking your head and falling prone.

ALL: Aww!

LAURA: Poor Chet.

TRAVIS: Any damage?

MATT: Actually, you fell quite a bit, so I would say you take-- Five points of bludgeoning damage.

TRAVIS: Oh, son of a bitch.

LIAM: You should have saved the 20 from the Prism Emporium. (laughter)

MATT: That's valid.

TRAVIS: You know about that?

MATT: Is that your turn?

TRAVIS: That's it.

MATT: All right. Ashton, you're up, with Fearne on deck.

TALIESIN: All right, I'm running back out, now that I took my second to breathe.

MATT: Okay. Shit, this is--

TALIESIN: Yeah, I know, it's terrible. I can get them.

LIAM: Oh my god.

LAURA: I just got a weird feeling they're immune to lightning damage. I don't know if they are, but--

MATT: There we go. Just get Ashton, put you too far in.

TALIESIN: Yeah, you did, too far. It was just around the door.

TRAVIS: That's so freaking cool.

TALIESIN: In theory, are any of them-- How long would it take me to get up there to that one--

MATT: To here?

TALIESIN: -- that's up top?

MATT: What's your movement?

TALIESIN: 40 feet.

LAURA: 40 feet.

MATT: You'd get about--

TALIESIN: I couldn't get close enough to hit the damn thing, though.

MATT: Probably not, unfortunately, because you moved back into hide, that was just enough to get to top, 10 feet from it.

TALIESIN: And that thing's not close enough to hit.

MATT: You don't know. It's got a long tail.

TALIESIN: If I were I eyeballing it, when I came out, I was just going to go with whichever one I actually thought I could actually hit.

MATT: Right, right. Well, I mean, you could hit this one, if you get up on the railing.

TALIESIN: Fuck no.

MATT: (laughs)

TALIESIN: Okay.

TRAVIS: Live a little.

TALIESIN: Yeah, I can't quite get close enough to this one. That's as far-- I'll stay about right here, then.

MATT: Okay.

TALIESIN: Because if it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. Actually, I'm going to go a little closer and just get next to Laudna, just in case shit goes weird.

MATT: You've got it.

TALIESIN: Yeah, right behind.

MARISHA: Help.

TALIESIN: Yeah. Or right next to, actually-- Yeah, right behind is good. Then the one that's up there-- Fucking around up there with those people. I'm just going to open a portal, look through it and knock them right through.

MATT: Got it, roll an attack.

TALIESIN: Hmm, and I will make this reckless. Which is very good because otherwise, it would've been a one. 20.

MATT: 20 hits. Go ahead and roll damage.

TALIESIN: That's a-- There we are.

MATT: As a note, the one that's been shot twice with the ballista, starting to look rough.

TRAVIS: Okay.

LAURA: Okay.

MATT: The blood is visible. It's looking like it's seen some wear and tear from two massive ballistas shot into it. One that's still stuck, and one that went--

TALIESIN: 14 points of damage.

MATT: 14 points damage. All righty. Gets slammed again and hit the edge of the deck before righting itself. Pulling around the eye. It's now looking around, you can see the dark shadow that was enveloping it, dissipates and the eye closes.

TALIESIN: Yeah, that's my turn. Okay, that finishes Ashton's go. Fearne, you're up, with FCG on deck.

ASHLEY: Okay, we'll get to you in a minute, Terana, very sorry, just lay here. (laughter)

ASHLEY: With my hoof, I'm going to--

SAM: Is Terana down?

ASHLEY: -- get the base of the harpoon and kick it so I can grab it with my hands.

MATT: Okay, you hold it

ASHLEY: And I'm going to take a shot at the big boys on the side of the boat.

MATT: Right there?

ASHLEY: Yes.

MATT: All right, roll a d20, add six. These ballista are not affected by its aerodynamic ability.

ASHLEY: Ooh, natural 19.

MATT: That's going to hit, roll 6d10 points of piercing damage. Yeah, these ballista have so much power-- the aerodynamic ability that it has it just cuts right through the wind. No disadvantage on these.

ASHLEY: Okay. So nine.

TRAVIS: Can you misfire on a ballista shot?

MATT: You don't know. No one's rolled a one yet.

ASHLEY: Two.

LIAM: (screeches)

ASHLEY: That's cocked.

TRAVIS: Ah!

MATT: Yeah.

ASHLEY: Seven.

MATT: Who knows.

MARISHA: Oh my god.

LAURA: She's rolling one at a time.

ASHLEY: I'm sorry, I think I only have one.

MATT: It's okay.

ASHLEY: Five.

LAURA: (laughs)

LIAM: It's okay, it's forward math.

TALIESIN: Absolutely done this before.

MATT: It's all good.

ASHLEY: Okay, let's do some math here.

LAURA: 11, 18, 20, 31.

ASHLEY: 31 points of damage.

MATT: 31 points of damage.

SAM: Pretty average. Math is great.

LIAM: Blam.

MATT: Oh, that's to that one there. Sorry, I did it to the wrong one.

TRAVIS: That's the highest one.

LIAM: Yep.

LAURA: Yeah.

LIAM and TRAVIS: 29, 30, 31.

MATT: All righty.

LIAM: She's huge.

MATT: And you're pretty close to this point. It turns around and you can see its weird eye slit open up with the dark orb, and you release, and it tries to pull up and the spear just sticks into its torso as it tries to fly up to avoid it, immediately it folds, and they're not making any sound. It's just weird, odd, silent combat from it as it pierces all the way through and it's now stuck, like a good like two feet on each side, just sticking out.

ASHLEY: Oh, I want one. (laughter)

ASHLEY: So now Mister is going to take a flame shot poop.

ASHLEY: So now Mister is going to take a flame shot poop.

MATT: You got it. (monkey chittering). Go ahead and roll an attack.

ASHLEY: Oh god, where's all my stuff? Let's go into it. Ooh, the anticipation.

LIAM: Really trying to crank one out.

ASHLEY: Yeah.

LAURA: (groans)

MATT: (monkey chittering)

TRAVIS: (like a child) It's stubborn.

LAURA: (like a child) It's stubborn.

MARISHA: "It's stubborn?"

ASHLEY: 18.

MATT: 18 just hits.

ASHLEY: Okay, so.

MARISHA: Aw, it's stubborn.

ASHLEY: Oh, that is so stupid. Okay, I rolled two ones.

ALL: Aw!

ASHLEY: Two.

MATT: Two damage?

ASHLEY: Two damage.

MATT: Does he get any bonuses, for your--

LAURA: It was a teeny poop.

LIAM: He just turtled it out.

ASHLEY: He didn't have enough to eat today. He hasn't had his coffee.

MATT: Does it add in your proficiency bonus to damage?

ASHLEY: Say again.

MATT: Does it add proficiency bonus to damage?

ASHLEY: God, I'm sorry.

MATT: That's okay.

TRAVIS: It's the old Robin Williams. Robin Williams'--

ASHLEY: I'm rusty.

TRAVIS: -- standup routine about morning coffee. Waah! (laughter)

ASHLEY: Yes. What is his proficiency bonus?

MATT: Yours, which is three. So, it'll be five.

ASHLEY: Jeez Louise, okay five, sorry.

MATT: So five points of fire damage to it.

ASHLEY: Well, is that plus two?

MATT: Right, that's five total.

ASHLEY: So, seven.

ASHLEY: Okay.

LAURA: No five total, because your proficiency--

MATT: You rolled two damage, and then its proficiency bonus is three, so it's five.

ASHLEY: I understand.

MATT: I got you, girl. I got you.

ASHLEY: I know. I don't know why I'm questioning like I know better.

MATT: No, it's all good. It's all good.

ASHLEY: No, no, no. I actually know the rules, so.

MATT: We're learning together. It's all part of the fun. All right, does that finish your turn?

ASHLEY: Yes.

MATT: You're going to stay put? Okay.

ASHLEY: Yes, I'm going to stay put.

MATT: FCG, you're up.

ASHLEY: It's hot.

SAM: I will--

MARISHA: I know.

SAM: I will move down the stairs, away from this creature.

TALIESIN: Doesn't it get a--

MATT: Okay.

SAM: Does it get an attack on me?

MATT: It does. Its tail is going to lash out towards you for--

SAM: I'll take it.

TRAVIS: No!

SAM: I'll take it.

MATT: 22 to hit.

SAM: That hits.

MATT: Okay. As your wheel, you start coasting down the stairs and you all watch as FCG is now coming down to join both Laudna and Ashton. Before the tail pierces you from behind--

MARISHA: You know what? Let's try it again. Silvery Barbs, it's a new turn.

SAM: Woo!

MARISHA: New turn.

MATT: You used Shield last time.

SAM: You did, that was your--

MATT: We haven't gotten back to you.

MARISHA: But it was at the top of the round now.

MATT: It doesn't matter rounds, it's until it comes back to your next turn.

MARISHA: That's fair.

MATT: But good looking out. The reactions, you got to be careful how use it. But you saved yourself. You, however--

TRAVIS: Selfish. (laughter)

MARISHA: You bitch!

MATT: You take nine points of piercing damage and I need you to make a constitution saving throw.

SAM: Boy. Constitution?

MATT: Mm-hmm.

TRAVIS: Have we done that yet?

SAM: Ooh, terrible.

MARISHA: No, I don't think so.

SAM: Eight.

MATT: Eight?

LAURA: Uh-oh.

MATT: You take an additional 16 points of poison damage.

TRAVIS: (high-pitched) No!

LAURA: 16?!

MARISHA: Can you be poisoned?

MATT: And you are poisoned.

LAURA: Can FCG--

SAM: I am resistant to poison. So that's only eight points of poison damage.

MATT: Exactly.

SAM: But I can be poisoned.

MATT: Yes, you're just resistant against it.

SAM: I'm resistant to it. All right.

MATT: All right.

TRAVIS: Dang.

SAM: I stumble down the stairs. Which one of those guys is looking rougher?

TRAVIS: Top side.

MATT: This guy is looking real rough. This guy's looking rough.

SAM: I'll turn around and fire a bolt with my bolt thrower at it.

MATT: Go for it. You have disadvantage on this attack.

SAM: I do?

MATT: Because it's a ranged attack and it has a wind protective field on it.

SAM: Doesn't it have something on it? Bane or something, I don't know.

MARISHA: It's when it does something.

MATT: Yeah.

SAM: Shut up. (laughter)

SAM: All right, well then, six.

MATT: Six.

MARISHA: Damn.

MATT: (bolt fires) (whoosh)

SAM: Damn!

MATT: You reel it back in.

SAM: Was I able to get-- Oh shit. Cure Wounds is an action. Okay. Then I'll use bonus action, Healing Word on Lowd-na.

ASHLEY: Lowdna.

MATT: All right, roll that.

MARISHA: Yes, please.

TRAVIS: Nice.

SAM: What's that? It's a one and a-- Nope, that's cocked. Come on. Three. So four plus three, seven points.

TRAVIS: Is that good?

MARISHA: I will take it. Not bad.

SAM: Okay.

MARISHA: Halfsies now.

MATT: All righty, does that finish your turn?

SAM: That's it.

MATT: Okay. End of your turn, Captain Xandis shouts, "All right, everyone, hold on!"

SAM: Oh boy.

MATT: And spins the wheel hard. The ship arcs this way and slams into this way.

LAURA: Oh, cool.

SAM: Nice.

MATT: I'm moving this out of the way here.

MARISHA: Slams into it?

MATT: Slams into it.

LAURA: Cool!

MATT: Wham. As it does, it takes additional 15 points of bludgeoning damage.

TRAVIS: Yo!

MATT: It is looking real rough.

MARISHA: Very cool.

MATT: Then coasts forward--

SAM: Rammed it into it.

MATT: Essentially, yeah.

TRAVIS: Got to get one of these things on the ship, so we can check it out after.

SAM: Oh yeah.

ASHLEY: Oh, good call.

MATT: With that--

SAM: Eat it.

MATT: -- is going to load this ballista again. She pulls herself free from being pinned and is really hurt and is not even going to fuck with this and just runs below deck.

TRAVIS: Yep.

TALIESIN: Well done.

TRAVIS: We got you.

LAURA: Would the big one on the-- What's the middle deck?

TRAVIS: Quarter deck.

LAURA: Quarter deck, would it have shifted that way then?

MATT: I'd say--

LAURA: Or would it be attached to the ship?

MATT: I'd say it's following, it's moving-- You know what? Sure. Because you're asking, it shifts this way, and that's about it.

LAURA: Just wondering.

MATT: That's valid. Because it is flying, you're right. It's not like on the ship itself. I would like everybody to make a strength saving throw.

LAURA: Oh no.

TRAVIS: Woo, yes! Let's do this!

MATT: It's not a terribly high DC, but--

MARISHA: Oh, well.

LAURA: Saving throw?

MATT: Mm-hmm.

TRAVIS: 16.

MATT: 16, you hold on tight, no issue.

SAM: 18.

MATT: All right, you're good.

TRAVIS: Got these barrels.

MARISHA: 10.

MATT: 10, you hold on, keeping your stance as it moves and you ride it along. Fearne?

ASHLEY: Nine.

MATT: Nine? It slides slightly beneath you and you skid a bit further this way.

SAM: Okay.

MATT: But that's fine.

SAM: That's the good direction.

LAURA: 10.

MATT: 10? You manage to just hold onto the edge, guide it over there.

LIAM: 19.

MATT: 19? You put your arm against the rail and use the momentum to hold you against it without issue. Ashton?

TALIESIN: 26.

MATT: I figured that. You're fine.

TRAVIS: Dismiss it.

MATT: All righty, that finished their turn. That one ballista is loaded. Now it brings us to Laudna, with Imogen on deck. Laudna, what're you doing?

MARISHA: All right. I'm going to Ray of Frost both of them, twinned spell. I'm going to Ray of Frost both of them, twinned spell.

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: Mark that off. Disadvantage?

MATT: Yep.

MARISHA: Which one?

MATT: So to which one here first?

MARISHA: I roll separately, right?

MATT: Correct.

MARISHA: For each one?

MATT: This one first?

MARISHA: Yeah, we'll do that one first. Yeah. 19 is the lowest.

MATT: Yeah, that hits. This one?

MARISHA: Miss.

MATT: Okay. But that one does get hit with your Ray of Frost. Roll damage for that.

MARISHA: Not bad. 12 damage.

MATT: 12 damage.

MARISHA: They... Their speed is reduced by 10 feet.

MATT: Got it. Okay.

TALIESIN: You should take some cover.

MARISHA: That's probably a good idea. I'm going to take my movement and head towards under deck.

MATT: Under deck. Okay.

LAURA: You hear in your head: Stay safe.

MARISHA: All right. I yank one of the barbs out of my rib cage.

MATT: Got it. That finishes your go, Laudna. Imogen, you're up, with Orym on deck.

LAURA: Okay. My eyes are going to flash white. I'm going to throw my hands to each side and twinned spell a Witch Bolt.

TRAVIS: Let's go!

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: Come on!

LAURA: 3rd-level.

SAM: These twinned spells.

MARISHA: 3rd-level.

LAURA: (lightning crackles)

MATT: All right, roll with disadvantage the ranged attacks on each of them.

LAURA: Okie dokie.

MATT: Adding your spell modifier, this one here.

LAURA: 14 on one.

MATT: 14, it glances off of its aerodynamic wind barrier.

LAURA: I miss on both of them. (groaning)

MATT: Both them arc off and the energy itself just dissipates in the sky to each side of you. They're hurt, but they're slippery little fuckers when they want to be. Good try, though.

LAURA: All right. I can't think of anything to do with my bonus action.

TRAVIS: Double birds?

LAURA: (laughs) Double birds.

TRAVIS: Well, one of them can't see.

SAM: No, no. He can see again.

TRAVIS: Oh, he can see again?

SAM: Yeah.

LAURA: Wait, for my bonus action. Fuck it. I'm going to-- Oh wait. Can I do this? No, I probably can't because I just did a spell. I can't do it because I just did a spell.

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: I want to run away because I don't want him to get me. He's real close to me now.

MATT: Run away from this guy?

LAURA: Yeah. I'm going to run down the steps.

SAM: Down the steps? Where all of us are.

MATT: Right there or keep moving?

LAURA: I'm going to-- I was-- No? Is that the wrong way?

SAM: No, that's great. Do it.

LAURA: I'm just going to run away.

MATT: Over here?

LAURA: Yeah.

SAM: She's just going to jump off the ship.

LAURA: I'm just going to leap off and hope that the wind carries me.

MATT: You got it. Okay. That one had already taken its reaction--

LAURA: Oh good.

MATT: -- previously against you. So. Or on somebody.

SAM: Me.

MATT: You-- that's what it was. Yeah. So it does not get an attack of opportunity against you.

LAURA: (screams)

MATT: As you go running, screaming along the deck. Orym, it's your go.

MATT: All right, I was about to go into protection mode, but she protected herself because she's awesome. So instead I'm going to--

LAURA: I'm awesome. Yeah, things are going well.

LIAM: To there.

MATT: Yeah. Yeah. You got it.

LAURA: (crackling) No no no!

LIAM: Then I don't know if I

MATT: I can do that.

LIAM: -- can stay. There you go.

TALIESIN: ♪ Stay in the night ♪ ♪ When the beat is enough ♪

LIAM: I will watch its tail whipping around and try to hack the end of it off. So we chase that.

TRAVIS: Ooh!

MATT: Yeah, yeah. Go for it. So are you just doing damage or are you actively trying to remove its tail?

LIAM: Yeah, I'll actively try to remove its tail.

MATT: Okay, cool. So it gives it a minor AC bonus. Go for it.

LIAM: Okay. Okay. That's balls. And I slash again. Also balls. Both miss.

MATT: (groans)

SAM: Double balls.

TRAVIS: Two balls?

SAM: Two balls!

LIAM: So it's a 14 total, so it doesn't hit.

TRAVIS: Two balls in a pouch.

MATT: A good attempt, but--

SAM: Balls!

MATT: Oh no.

LIAM: (groans)

MATT: That's what happens when you roll double balls. (laughter)

LIAM: It's always double balls.

MATT: I'll mark that there. Okay. All right--

LIAM: Cool.

MATT: -- that finishes your go. It's now their turn.

SAM: Oh boy.

MATT: This one here is going to fly up.

LIAM: Slash.

MATT: Yep, you do get an attack opportunity against it.

LIAM: I will not try to take its tail off. I will just try to get it as it goes. That is 18 to hit.

MATT: 18 just hits! Roll damage.

LIAM: Goading attack!

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: Yeah.

LIAM: So it's got to roll.

SAM: Goaded!

LIAM: Beat that. Goadie-do-dee-do-dee. Where'd it go? Where'd you go, goad? That is a-- It's got to beat to 16.

MATT: 16? Nope.

LIAM: Okay.

MATT: Roll damage on that.

LIAM: Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

MATT: Oh no, you fell again.

LIAM: Four plus five is nine, plus the superiority die. Nine. 16 total.

MATT: 16 points of damage?

LIAM: Yeah.

MATT: How do you want to do this? (yelling)

LIAM: Well, I will just, in a panic, try to get it as it goes, and before I was trying to get the tail, but I'll just strike out and go (impact) and pin it, pin the tail. As it pulls away, the tail just splits and slices along and it splits in half as it trails away.

MATT: All right. Awesome. Two halves of it slap onto the deck, leaving a bit of a nasty trail right in front of Gordi who's like, "Oh god, I'm going to have to clean that."

LIAM: Third time's the try and I'll yank it out of the deck and then spray the blood on the wood.

MATT: Hell yeah.

MARISHA: That's it. Nailed it.

SAM: Third time's the try. (laughter)

MATT: Okay. Okay. The other one, it's going to float upward. See this happening as you carve the other. Then it's going to (whooshes). It's going to rush towards you as you flick the blade. It does have Bane on it still. Right? Because you cast Bane, but you took damage. Roll a concentration check for me, technically, which I forgot to do earlier.

SAM: (Bane groan)

MARISHA: Plus my constitution, right?

MATT: Correct. Constitution saving throw.

MARISHA: 10 total?

MATT: 10 total. You took--

MARISHA: I didn't take over...

MATT: I can't remember the number, and that's on me for not remembering. 10 usually is enough.

MARISHA: Damage by half, though, right? Yeah.

MATT: Yeah.

MARISHA: Then--

TRAVIS: You didn't take 20.

MATT: You didn't didn't take 20. So you're fine. You maintain concentration. So it maintains that there.

TALIESIN: I-- I remember my winces.

MATT: With a minus four, that is still a 19.

LIAM: Hits.

MATT: Okay.

LIAM: That's my armor class.

MATT: Oh shit, it just hits you. Okay. Okay. So it does do its swooping charge as part of that.

LIAM: Third time's the try (impact). (laughter)

MATT: I know. Essentially. So. Oof, okay.

LAURA: That was with Bane?

MATT: That was with Bane.

TALIESIN: Just barely.

LAURA: Dang!

MATT: I know.

MARISHA: I know.

LIAM: I love it.

ASHLEY: (Bane groan) (laughter)

ASHLEY: (like Bane) Would you like a side salad?

TALIESIN: (like Bane) Raised in the sky.

MARISHA: (laughs)

MATT: You take 29 points of bludgeoning damage.

TALIESIN: Ooh!

LIAM: Okay.

MATT: From the additional swooping damage that it did.

LIAM: Quite a bit. Yeah.

MATT: I need you to make a strength saving throw for me, please.

LIAM: Yes, sir.

SAM: How many points did he?

LIAM: Nine.

MATT: Nine. You get pushed 20 feet.

TRAVIS: Which way?

MATT: Away from it.

SAM: Oh no!

MARISHA: Feather Fall.

SAM: Wait, are you--

MATT: Hold on.

SAM: -- there?

MARISHA: Yeah, I'm right there.

SAM: Oh, thank god.

MATT: You ran inside and do not have visual.

MARISHA: No, no, I'm right there. I'm right there. From my perspective, I'm not fully under the thing and I would be able to see him.

TRAVIS: That's--

TALIESIN: Actually--

LIAM: She's like right on the cusp--

TALIESIN: That is actually--

MARISHA: I'm standing in the door, still looking out even though I'm facing him.

TRAVIS: But if he goes over the rail...

MATT: Roll a perception check for me.

TRAVIS: Oh, I see.

MATT: Because this is--

LAURA: No!

MATT: I'm letting the dice decide on this one.

MARISHA: Natural 19.

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: 24 total.

MATT: 24 total. As you get knocked off side-- What's the range on Feather Fall, by the way? I think it's pretty decent range.

LIAM: 30 or 60.

MARISHA: Goddamn it! Goddamn it!

SAM: This is not D&D Beyond's fault. This is her finger nail.

MARISHA: This is-- Yeah, sure. (shushes)

TALIESIN: We've been saying this all day, for like three days now.

SAM: Feather Fall. Range 60.

MARISHA: 60 feet.

MATT: 60 feet.

TALIESIN: The terror of long nails.

MATT: As you glance off the side, you--

ASHLEY: That was hard.

MATT: Barely, you don't even see the creature attacking. You just hear the (impact) and you see the very edge of Orym's arm, the impact, and just him go off the side.

MARISHA: My perception. I just instinctually throw it out.

MATT: Yeah. The corner of your eye. You go ahead. Yeah, and you did get your reaction back because you already took your turn previously.

MARISHA: Yes, I did.

MATT: (whooshes) You immediately, after the impact, watch the edge of the ship begin to vanish and that horrible sensation of like, is this it?

LIAM: I'm done.

MATT: -- creeps over. Then suddenly this feeling of wind beneath you, and you're just drifting.

LIAM: There goes the boat.

MATT: The boat is definitely coasting around you at a rapid speed.

TRAVIS: Sickening, sickening feeling! (laughter)

MARISHA: Can't help you beyond this.

TALIESIN: Did he not hit the sails or no?

MATT: We'll get there.

TALIESIN: Oh, we'll get there. Okay.

MATT: All right.

TRAVIS: All right, I'll do it. You know I'll go. It'll be me.

MATT: So that is the impact. It still has some movement left. Let's see if it gets its spines back.

TRAVIS: How long does Feather Fall last?

MATT: It does not.

LIAM: A while.

TRAVIS: Okay.

MATT: It will then...

MARISHA: One minute.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

MATT: Down below.

MARISHA: I know.

TRAVIS: How?

MATT: I will say, because you're still poisoned by the previous tail. It wouldn't see Laudna. It would be able to see Ashton. So it'll go after you.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

MATT: That is going to be a 25 to hit.

LIAM: Ooh!

TALIESIN: Really? No d4? Yeah, that hits.

TRAVIS: Oh boy.

MATT: Well, yeah. With the d4.

TALIESIN: No, it doesn't matter. 25 to hit.

MATT: Yeah. 23.

TALIESIN: Nah.

MATT: It rolled really high on that one. All right, so you take, as the tail whips into you, you take 11 points of piercing damage, reduced to five because you're raging.

TALIESIN: Yep.

MATT: And I need you make to a constitution saving throw for me, please.

TALIESIN: Ooh, hoo, hoo, hoo! Oh, that angled on the one, but no, that's a 25.

MATT: 25? So you take only five points of poison damage and you are not poisoned as the blade of the tail, the barb sinks towards you, you grab it with one arm and force it to only pierce maybe an inch or two into your skin. You feel the poison begin to try to inject itself into your body and you just yank it out and it just like trickles out. Doesn't actually take root into your body or bloodstream. So good on you. All right, that's going to... and then it's going to attempt to fly up.

TALIESIN: I'm going to take an attack.

MATT: It attacked you from 10 feet away. So you do not have an attack of opportunity against it.

TALIESIN: What?! Bullshit!

TRAVIS: "What?! Bullshit!"

MATT: So it's going to guide upward right above the deck and attempt to stay out of melee. Okay. That finishes its go. That one's a little tall for what I need.

TRAVIS: Oh god!

LAURA: Oh no. A little one next...

MATT: Oh, oh, you're right, that's much better. Less precarious like that.

TRAVIS: Whoa!

SAM: Why would that one even exist?

MATT: It's meant for small minis. Like you guys. It was just available.

TRAVIS: Hey, hey, hey.

TALIESIN: So he's that high up, not that high up.

MATT: Correct. All right, so let's say 10 feet up, is what I'm saying right now. That finishes its go. Chetney, you're up, with Ashton on deck.

TRAVIS: Yeah, I'm coming! I'm back here, these fucking barrels behind the lodestone!

SAM: Have you done anything?

TRAVIS: Not since I fell!

LAURA: He shot a ballista.

MATT: Half your movement--

TRAVIS: Yeah.

MATT: -- to--

TRAVIS: Get up!

MATT: -- to get up.

TRAVIS: Just as I get up, enjoying this encounter, can I tell, just a roundabout, how high are we? Hundreds of feet, or thousands of feet?

MATT: Not thousands of feet. You are maybe, I'd say, 300 to 400.

TRAVIS: Oh jeez.

SAM: How many Keyfish high are we? (laughter)

MATT: The ship rides low enough because the higher up it gets, the more turbulent the wind is, so it has to coast this midsection of the valley.

TRAVIS: Nice. I will use the rest of my--

SAM: Uh-huh?

TRAVIS: 12.5 feet to come out to where the captain is.

MARISHA: That's pretty good.

MATT: You get there.

TRAVIS: How's it going out here?

MATT: "Oh, shit's crazy, but you guys really know what you're doing."

TRAVIS: It's true. I'm just going to keep an eye on you, okay? Go get 'em, team! Where's Orym? (laughter)

MATT: "Orym went over the side!"

TRAVIS: Oh!

LIAM: (falling noises)

TRAVIS: I don't have any more movement. I'm not going to throw this damn chisel at 300 feet in the air. I know, but I don't have anything ranged.

MATT: You can dash if you want to just move elsewhere.

TRAVIS: No, I'll stay here.

MATT: Okay, you got it.

TRAVIS: I'll hold my action if--

MATT: Something comes towards you?

TRAVIS: Mm-hmm.

MATT: You got it. All right.

TRAVIS: Manta dick comes up.

MATT: Finishing your go. Ashton, you're up, with Fearne on deck.

LIAM: 20,000 Keyfish Over the Sea.

TALIESIN: Do I even think that if I took a jumping attack, that I could hit this thing?

MATT: From where you're standing? No, but if you had enough leverage off a space, you could.

LIAM: (whooshing)

TALIESIN: Enough leverage off a--

MATT: Meaning--

TALIESIN: A running dash.

MATT: Meaning if you were to get up onto the upper deck and then jump--

TALIESIN: I'm going to try and spend my whole movement running around and just seeing if I can take a flying whack at this thing.

MATT: 20, 25, 30.

TALIESIN: I have 10 more.

MATT: You do, which you can make a full jump towards it and get one attack off in the air.

TALIESIN: That'll do.

MATT: For the sake of this, you get the attack, so make it as you run up the stairs and then full hammer in the air, slow mo, and swing downward, go for it.

TALIESIN: I took that reckless as fuck. That's 23.

SAM: Nice.

MATT: That hits. Go ahead and roll damage.

SAM: Come on, come on, come on!

TALIESIN: I'm using the good shit. Here we go.

LIAM: Come on.

TALIESIN: Yeah, that's good. 14 points of damage.

MATT: How do you want to do this? (cheering)

TALIESIN: I am going to hop up and I'm just going to see that eye and I'm going to take a spin and I'm going to try and baseball that fucking thing out of its head. I want to see the eye fly.

MATT: As you jump in the air and yell with it over, it swoops around, gets its tail below like it's going to try and impale you in the middle of your leap, and you're just too quick, at this point. The current effect of your translucent crystal brain causes you to jump 10 feet further in an instant more than you would have, which means even if it had been prepared, all of a sudden you're right there in front of it, full on Goku, "Dragon Ball Z" fight style, and as you do, the hammer, whack, hits the side of its face, and you watch as the weird blubber lids that hold the orb in place tear, and it just goes (whoosh) jettisoned off the side of the ship as the body slumps and then slides across the base.

TALIESIN: I'm going to float right into a portal.

LAURA: Is that the last one?

TRAVIS: Yeah, this is the last one. The other one died on the deck, too.

SAM: Oh, we did, okay.

TALIESIN: As I'm falling, I'm going to fall right into a portal and I'm going to teleport right next to that ballista up there and start getting ready to load some chain.

MATT: Okay, you watch Ashton.

MARISHA: Cool.

MATT: In the middle of the air, leaping, slams, and is about to fall into the deck, and suddenly, a portal gateway just opens up beneath Ashton. Ashton just vanishes beneath it, and then appears on the upper deck here.

SAM: He's an upper decker!

TRAVIS: Dang!

TALIESIN: I'm going to get ready to load some chain to try and deal with this shit.

MATT: Okay, you got it.

TRAVIS: It's like a Misty Step.

MATT: So we are technically out of battle, but we're not out of danger.

SAM: But Orym is dead!

MATT: Orym.

LIAM: Yes.

MATT: I need you to make a dexterity saving throw as you are currently drifting back. At the moment you're like, "Oh my god, I think I'm going to be okay." What you don't notice is the sail coming up from behind you right as you glance over shoulder.

LIAM: What are you asking me to do? To dodge getting creamed by the sail?

MATT: This is to dodge being hit by the edge of sail as you're going by.

LIAM: Just to not get hit and continue to descend?

MATT: Correct.

LIAM: Oh, nice. Okay.

TRAVIS: Orym's like leaf on the road as a car drives by.

MATT: This is a weird, this could be a side air version of the guy in Titanic that hits the propeller.

LIAM: I see it coming at me. Can I cast Gust to help this along and poof me out of the way five feet?

MARISHA: Same as the Keyfish approach. I'm here for it.

MATT: Gust as in the cantrip?

LIAM: It moves a creature five feet.

MATT: Sure.

LIAM: So how will that affect the DC, or just roll one die?

MATT: I'll say it'll affect the DC. It'll lower the DC for the roll.

LIAM: Terrible. That is a 10.

MATT: That, unfortunately, even with the benefit of Gust, you needed a 12, so.

ASHLEY: Can I try something?

MATT: You will be in just a second.

ASHLEY: Okay.

MATT: So the impact of that at the speed, you take nine points of bludgeoning damage.

LIAM: Okay. I get clocked.

MATT: As you get hit by the sail and just, spinning head over teakettle in the middle of the air as the whole ship just leaves you behind and you continue to descend.

LAURA: Run to the side. Orym!

MATT: All of you rush off to the side, and the captain's like, "What, am I supposed to--"

SAM: Turn around!

ASHLEY: Go!

MATT: "Okay! Normally, this is just a one and done thing when they fall overboard, but I'll go and make my way!" They start spinning, the ship shifts heavily. I need everyone to make a strength saving throw to hold yourself in place from the immediate shift to the side.

TALIESIN: Oh, I'm sorry.

MARISHA: ♪ A natural 20! ♪

MATT: Nice.

TRAVIS: Six!

MATT: Six. You slide and crash into the captain.

ALL: Oh!

TALIESIN: We're so bad at this.

TRAVIS: I mean, I am!

MATT: But the captain is fine, and is like, "Ow, come on!"

TRAVIS: I'm here to help!

SAM: 14.

MATT: 14.

ASHLEY: Eight.

MATT: Eight. Fearne, you slide and hit the edge and just hold yourself on there. You don't go over.

ASHLEY: Jeez Louise, they're so slippery!

LAURA: 15.

MATT: 15, you're fine.

ASHLEY: I have no traction!

TALIESIN: 18.

TRAVIS: Gordi, stop waxing the deck!

SAM: Put some rubber on those things.

MATT: The whole thing shifts around rapidly this way, and as it does, you all can see now Orym just slowly rotating in the air and just drifting out of space.

ASHLEY: Can I--

MATT: From your standpoint, he's a ragdoll.

LAURA: My eyes just flare white all of a sudden, and my hair starts to float up, and I don't even know what's happening, but I am floating up in the air.

MATT: You all watch Imogen just--

TRAVIS: What?

LIAM: Dark Phoenix.

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: I'm going to fly and get him.

LIAM: Ooh.

TRAVIS: You can fly?!

MARISHA: ♪ She can fly, she can fly, she can fly ♪

SAM: She's a witch!

TALIESIN: What the living fuck?!

MATT: What's your fly speed?

LAURA: 60 feet.

MATT: 60 feet.

TRAVIS: Oh shit!

MATT: You watch Imogen just take off into the air, arcing and over the side of the ship. This crackling, purple energy just emanating from the back of her hands and her feet, just gliding her forward in this slow, cannonball-like motion as you arc downward over the side. You see Orym's flipping, and you're kind of dazed for the moment, but you're trying to grasp. You're floating slowly downward, but from the impact, you're also spinning over and over again, and as you're going, you're trying to put your arms out to gain some sort of traction against the wind, and it's helping a little bit, but you're still a little bit out of control, and each time you rotate, you see this spark of pink purple just get bigger and bigger, until suddenly, you reach out and, if this wasn't Feather Fall, this would be a skill check, but because he's floating slow enough with Feather Fall within this minute period, you manage to reach out and grab and prevent him from falling any further.

LIAM: (nervous laugh)

LAURA: Hold onto me, I'm not strong.

LIAM: Okay! Me neither!

SAM: Oh boy.

MATT: You take off back towards the ship, which is now fully rotated and stopped its forward momentum, and the rest of you watch as briefly, for a moment, you have no visual on either of them, they just vanished, and then over the side-- (whooshes)

TRAVIS: Yeah!

ASHLEY: Yes!

TRAVIS: Magneto touch down!

ASHLEY: Let's go!

TRAVIS: Fuck yeah!

MARISHA: She's starting to believe. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Yes.

SAM: Wow!

TRAVIS: You can fly?

MARISHA: Incredible.

SAM: How did you do that?

ASHLEY: Since when?

LAURA: I don't know, I've never done that before. Are you all right?

LIAM: He's totally dizzy and disoriented. I clasp your hand and I just look for the dead thing.

LAURA: It's dead, it's dead.

LIAM: I drag you over to, no no, to Laudna.

SAM: Oh.

MARISHA: I take your hand. You two saved my life. You two saved my life.

MARISHA: You've done it for us many a time.

LIAM: Almost.

MARISHA: Head of security.

LIAM: Hold on. He runs over to the side. (retches)

MATT: That's viable, that's viable.

TALIESIN: We keep feeding the sand worms.

LAURA: Feeding the skiraths.

TALIESIN: Make some spice. That's how you make some spice.

LIAM: It must flow.

TALIESIN: Yep, got to flow.

MATT: The ship rights itself and rotates slowly back on course, and the captain, you can see, after reaching over, takes a large leather strap and wraps it through the actual wheel to keep it on course before stepping away and checking in. "Everyone okay?"

TALIESIN: Holy shit!

LIAM: Very okay.

ASHLEY: Yeah.

MATT: "Yes! That was absolutely ridiculous and incredible! I cannot believe that happened! Oh my-- wow!"

TRAVIS: Do you not see those very often?

MATT: "No! We bring clothes and stuff! Occasionally, when there's a fight, we shoot the things at the creatures. We try and get away or outrace them, but that was crazy. Whoa."

ASHLEY: Whoa! (laughter)

TALIESIN: Everybody alive except Laudna?

ASHLEY: Woo!

LAURA: Are you all right, Laudna?

SAM: I think so. The crew seems okay.

TALIESIN: What're you guys up to?

LAURA: Who's hurt?

ASHLEY: Terana's hurt, as well.

MARISHA: Look in my back and--

TALIESIN: Oh shit.

MARISHA: -- yank out another barb.

ASHLEY: Terana!

MATT: "(groans) Yeah?"

SAM: Oh no, are you okay?

SAM: I'll--

TALIESIN: Gordi?

SAM: You want to heal her?

ASHLEY: (whispers) No. (laughter)

ASHLEY: I don't even know her.

SAM: I got you. I'll do Cure Wounds on her.

TALIESIN: Wow. Wow.

ASHLEY: Sorry, I don't.

MATT: Okay. Roll for damage.

ASHLEY: Not personal, I just-- I'm really trying to save it for-- Well, I know you love it very much. Maybe we'll get there.

MATT: "Mentally noted."

SAM: I rolled an eight, so 11 points.

MATT: "Thank you, little man." As you reach out and touch, you can see the wound with the blood that's running from it, the barb is through her shoulder and poking an inch out the side, and as you touch her, the barb forces its way out of the wound before (tinging) onto the ground. She's like, "Ah!"

SAM: I'll take the barb.

MATT: "Oh, thank you so much."

TRAVIS: The barbs are thick, right? They're not hypodermic and thin, they're--

MATT: No, they're--

TRAVIS: A pool stick.

MATT: Yeah, a pool cue's a good base of comparison, and about that long each.

ASHLEY: Rough.

TRAVIS: That's a bitch.

MARISHA: I agree, we should keep them. This is great crafting material.

TALIESIN: Oh, it's amazing.

MARISHA: I'll also stumble over and carve out a bit of its blubbery wing, fin.

LAURA: Gross!

MATT: Denalia wanders up from off deck and walks up and sees you do this, goes, "Probably make a good soup."

LAURA: Oh.

MARISHA: A good soup? What? This could be a fine hide! It could also be good jerky.

LAURA: Yeah, but you could use the inside for some good soup.

MATT: "Underneath, yeah."

ASHLEY: We do have two.

TALIESIN: There's plenty. There's plenty.

ASHLEY: Yeah.

TALIESIN: Oh, Orym, you look like shit.

LIAM: Yeah, Orym's just on his back, staring at clouds go.

TALIESIN: You need anything, buddy?

LIAM: Just eight hours.

LAURA: Yeah.

TALIESIN: Okay.

LAURA: You should get some rest.

LIAM: I agree.

TALIESIN: Do you want to go back in? You want to go inside?

LIAM: How'd you do that thing with the holes?

LAURA: Yeah, what the hell?

TALIESIN: Oh, which--

ASHLEY: There's a lot going on on this ship.

TALIESIN: I don't know, I had a weird dream last night, and was like, "Fuck it," and yeah, that was weird, but cool, all right.

TRAVIS: (laughs) What?

TALIESIN: I'm going to pick you up and start taking you in to the bed. That's okay, you did good. You flew, you flew, come on.

LAURA: You, with the--

LIAM: That was really a non-answer.

LAURA: What was that shadowy thing?

SAM: And Chetney!

MARISHA: You can fly!

SAM: Chetney was magnetically attracted to all the barrels somehow. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Someone had to keep an eye on the main--

LIAM: So magnets is his power.

TRAVIS: Lodestone generator!

TALIESIN: Okay.

ASHLEY: You kept it safe.

TRAVIS: Yep.

ASHLEY: I'd love to take some spines out of the--

MATT: Yep.

ASHLEY: -- for keeping.

TRAVIS: The body's staying, right? It's not decomposing, or--

TALIESIN: Do you want any pieces before we go inside?

MATT: No more than any creature that's been recently killed or hunted, so yeah, these bodies are ripe for whatever harvesting you wish to attempt.

TRAVIS: Hey, we should get some vials of that stinger on the tail.

LAURA: Oh yes, some of that poison.

SAM: That's a good idea.

LAURA: For sure.

ASHLEY: Okay.

LIAM: Get the stinger.

MATT: Is anyone here--

LIAM: Mr. Rogue.

SAM: I'm medicine-y, is that a thing?

TRAVIS: Yes.

MATT: Is anyone proficient with alchemical supplies, or have some with them?

LIAM: Not I.

LAURA: Can you be-- I didn't even know you could be proficient.

TRAVIS: Yes, you can.

MATT: You can be.

TRAVIS: I have alchemical supplies, but I'm not proficient, I just have one.

LIAM: I have to work with certain epoxies.

MATT: Check under proficiencies just to double check, because if I recall, blood hunters might.

TALIESIN: Horses.

TRAVIS: Under proficiencies.

TALIESIN: Can grind them up real good.

LIAM: They got several uses. Riding, gluing.

TALIESIN: It's a good glue, though it stains.

LIAM: Sorry, Imogen.

TALIESIN: Eh.

ASHLEY: That was so cool.

SAM: That was so intense and scary. But we survived.

MATT: So what we can do is both of you can roll. You can make a medicine check and you can make an alchemical supply. I'll say roll a d20, add your intelligence modifier, and add your proficiency modifier.

TRAVIS: Okay.

TALIESIN: All right.

SAM: Guidance myself. Terrible.

TALIESIN: Put you in the corner. I'm getting you some--

TRAVIS: 19 plus five, 24.

SAM: Just a 10.

MATT: That's okay. With your experience as a physician, unfortunately the physiology of these creatures is far beyond your understanding. You, however, have hunted quite some strange creatures in your time, and you watch as Chetney, with the same glimmer in his eye that you see when he pulls a piece of ripe, uncarved, well-treated wood from a pocket--

TRAVIS: Wood.

MATT: -- pulls out a small set of portable alchemical supplies and carefully, with incredible dexterity and intent, take one of the heavy, barbed tails and find points at the base where the flesh covers the bone and squeezing it at the right places, you watch as that same poisonous, dark, black, oily liquid begins to pour from different hidden, porous sections of the barb, and you essentially milk the tail spine for the toxin.

TRAVIS: Nice.

LIAM: Just got to get it out.

TRAVIS: How many vials would you say? A vial of--

MATT: With that roll, I'd say three vials.

ALL: Woo!

MATT: You rolled a 24 on that. That's pretty fucking solid.

SAM: Am I still poisoned?

LIAM: Look out, fellow toymakers.

MATT: You were, actually, it's a valid point.

MARISHA: Oh boy.

MATT: You do take five points of poison damage.

SAM: Okay, okay.

MATT: Do you have a means of getting rid of the poison? Make a constitution saving throw for me.

LAURA: Really?

MARISHA: Good job, FCG.

SAM: Natural 20.

MATT: Okay, so no, it hits you once, oof! You-- Thankfully, your mechanical form seems to be less eager to retain toxins in your system, and as soon as that burst hits your system, you just let it out, and it no longer bothers you.

SAM: Just trickles down my--

MATT: Yes, sure.

SAM: Wheel?

TRAVIS: This would be a basic poison vial, right?

MATT: Just mark "Skirath poison vial". It's not in the system yet.

TRAVIS: Okay, cool.

MATT: You can mark that, and I can work that up for you.

TRAVIS: Cool.

SAM: Just dribbles out.

TRAVIS: Amazing. What about the eye? Should we--

LAURA: One of them got punted off the side.

TRAVIS: That was pretty great.

SAM: By our leader!

TALIESIN: I'm just coming out of the door with a bottle of liquor I had in my room and was about to put down for you. Oh yeah, that's cool, yeah, leader. It's not all for you, though. Share.

SAM: The other one might have the eye.

TALIESIN: Leader?

LIAM: Is it the metric system?

ASHLEY: The eye that's--

TALIESIN: Don't know what that means.

ASHLEY: -- in the blubber fold?

TRAVIS and LAURA: The blubber fold.

TRAVIS: So are these-- Are they monstrous entities, or are they fiends, fey?

MATT: Make an investigation check.

TALIESIN: Make sure you share, we're all hurt.

MATT: Don't you have--

TRAVIS: I do if it's fey, fiend, or undead.

MATT: It is not fey, fiend, or undead, so you would just roll add your--

TALIESIN: Yep, yep, come on.

TRAVIS: 16.

MATT: 16, you gather that this definitely doesn't fall within, you know, any of your specialties, but this would sit in the monstrosity field of creature types.

TRAVIS: Okay.

ASHLEY: Of course.

TRAVIS: It was a monster!

SAM: Huh? What?

TRAVIS: It was a monster, but not a fey, fiend, or undead.

LIAM: Monstrosity.

SAM: Okay.

TRAVIS: Just in case you were curious.

SAM: No, I'm curious.

TRAVIS: You can't domesticate it.

LAURA: I'm going to lick your hand.

ASHLEY: Ooh!

MATT: Good looking out.

TRAVIS: Eyeball? Anybody care about the eyeball?

SAM: Yeah, we should try to cut it out.

TRAVIS: We going to turn it into bocce ball deck out here on the ship?

TALIESIN: I was just going to poke it.

ASHLEY: I just want to stick my hand in there.

SAM: Go on.

LAURA: In the eyeball hole?

ASHLEY: In the blubber hole.

TRAVIS: Oh jeez!

MATT: Okay.

ASHLEY: Just to see.

MATT: The one that's missing the eye? Or you pull the eye free? What are you trying to do?

ASHLEY: I want to just get my hand in the blubber fold and see what comes out. Maybe that's-- Is that where the eye is?

LAURA: Yeah, yeah.

MATT: Yes.

ASHLEY: Yes.

TRAVIS: The one that has the eye.

LIAM: (as Fearne) I found the TV remote.

ASHLEY: I just want to-- I know it's not going to do-- that's not going to do anything.

MATT: So the one that has the eye or the one that does not?

ASHLEY: The one that has the eye.

MATT: Okay. Are you attempting to remove the eye, or are you just reaching in to feel around?

ASHLEY: I am. (laughter)

MATT: I'm trying to figure out your intent with this.

LAURA: You want to just squeeze the eye?

SAM: That implies that she has intent.

ASHLEY: I just want to get a little squeeze.

MATT: You want to squeeze it? Okay.

ASHLEY: If it comes, yes.

MATT: Okay.

ASHLEY: I just want to see how squishy it is.

MATT: So you thrust your arm into the fold and it hits the squeaky, strangely, solid wet surface of the eye orb, and then slips past it. You're now inside some sort of brain matter contained within a porous skull.

MARISHA: What are you looking for?

TRAVIS: A small person that's like, "Whee!"

ASHLEY: Do I feel the eye?

LAURA: You squished past the eye.

MATT: You can feel the back of the eye. Yeah.

ASHLEY: Oh. Oh, I went past the eye?

MATT: You went past it. You (whoosh) over past it. You're now inside the brain.

MARISHA: (laughs)

ASHLEY: Ooh.

TALIESIN: It's like trying to birth a cow.

ASHLEY: Okay, so I'll try to cut from the back and try to pull the eye out.

MATT: Okay, go ahead and roll a dexterity check for me. Roll a d20, add your dexterity modifier.

ASHLEY: This is so stupid.

LAURA: You can do it.

TALIESIN: I believe in you.

LAURA: You can guide yourself.

LIAM: For every one she pulls out there's 10 more hiding inside.

ASHLEY: Okay, Guidance. This is so stupid.

TALIESIN: This is a good reason for Guidance.

MATT: This is a great reason for Guidance.

SAM: Cocked.

ASHLEY: Oh, natural 20.

TRAVIS: Oh, no fucking way.

MATT: So you reach behind, and you can feel two nerve tethers to the back.

ASHLEY: Huh.

MATT: You go, "Hmm." Schnip-schnip! And use your little claw-like fingernails and just cut them. Then kind of-- It's free to come out. What do you do?

ASHLEY: Okay, so I'ma keep my hand in there. (panicked) Oh no! Oh no! I'm just kidding. (laughter)

MATT: You withdraw, it's about this big around and--

LAURA: Oh, it's like a grapefruit.

MATT: You look at it--

TRAVIS: It's huge.

MATT: Yeah. In the light, as you see it, it is jet black, but it looks like a massive boba because it has that semi-translucent--

TALIESIN and ASHLEY: Yes!

MATT: -- liquid layer, like fleshy layer on the outside. On the inside, there's a harder interior, but it's too dark and too opaque for you to see any details within. But it--

LAURA: You should probably lick it.

ASHLEY: Lick it, I was going to. I'ma give it a sniff?

MATT: You give it a sniff?

ASHLEY: Yeah.

MATT: It has an oddly--

LIAM: It is a poisonous creature.

MATT: It has an oddly citrusy smell to it.

LAURA: Oh, grapefruit.

TRAVIS: (laughs) Yes.

MATT: Not in like a super delicious way, but that kind of acidic you can't place.

TRAVIS: Yep. House cleaner.

TALIESIN: I'm going to--

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: Yeah. Kind of a house cleaner sense.

TRAVIS: Ah! You did it!

ASHLEY: I have to. I have to. I'm sorry.

TALIESIN: No, no, it's fair.

TRAVIS: No, you don't!

MATT: It tastes like it smells. Your tongue goes a little numb.

ASHLEY: I mean, it's actually very good. I think this is going to be a very delicious stew. The rest of the body. If it tastes citrusy like this. What do I do with this?

SAM: Put it in the hole.

LAURA: Oh, yeah.

ASHLEY: (gasps)

LAURA: Yeah.

ASHLEY: Okay.

LAURA: Should we wrap it up at all? Wait.

ASHLEY: Oh, oh, oh wait.

MATT: (laughs)

ASHLEY: No?

TALIESIN: I mean, it's going to make the hole citrusy.

LAURA: And kind of slimy--

TALIESIN: It's going to be--

LAURA: It's going to roll around.

ASHLEY: Do we need this?

TRAVIS: Well, I--

SAM: We might.

TRAVIS: You should try and see what's on the inside of it. If you're going to pull the eyeball out of the creature.

ASHLEY: Well, you have all the--

LIAM: Captain, do you know of any use for this item?

MATT: "I don't know. We usually just shoot them down and keep going. This is pretty crazy."

SAM: Want me to cut it open?

TRAVIS: Is there a black market for these things?

MATT: "Oh, probably."

SAM: I'm going to cut. Just cut it in half.

TRAVIS: Oh!

MATT: The eye?

SAM: Yeah.

MATT: Okay. God, you're making me describe this shit. (cheering)

TRAVIS: Come on, mac 'n cheese.

TALIESIN: Tell us about the viscous humors.

ASHLEY: This is so gross.

MATT: (buzzsaw buzzing) There is definitely a gel-like substance that begins to spill from the wound. The taut exterior of it wrinkles at the top as it begins to expel the interior layer.

SAM: It's just a bag of goo.

MATT: It's very much like an eyeball.

LIAM: It's a water balloon that is now--

TALIESIN: It's those little thing, those little dots you put in water and expand to 200 times their own size.

ASHLEY: We'll give it to--

MATT: It's like a grape that's been left out for a week.

ASHLEY: We'll give it to Denalia, because--

TRAVIS: You're going to make some eyeball soup?

ASHLEY: Eyeballs are good in stew.

MARISHA: Exactly, yes.

ASHLEY: Yeah.

MARISHA: Exactly.

ASHLEY: Do you want this?

LAURA: I mean, that would make so much stew.

TRAVIS: That's fucking gross.

MATT: "I think it might poison all of us, but I'll try." (laughter)

TALIESIN: Can it be turned into an anesthetic?

TRAVIS: (retching)

MATT: "I'm a cook."

ASHLEY: Oh, interesting.

TRAVIS: (laughs) "I'm a cook."

TALIESIN: Anesthetic soup. I don't know. I'm grasping for eyeballs.

TRAVIS: Holy shit.

LIAM: Sell it as an aphrodisiac.

MATT: Well.

ASHLEY: Okay, this was-- I'm sorry, but there was a lot of really amazing things that happened.

SAM: Yeah.

LAURA: That was quite fight.

SAM: We did very well.

TALIESIN: That felt good.

SAM: Yeah.

TALIESIN: That felt real good.

LIAM: Most of it.

TRAVIS: You had portals. You made shadows move. You fucking flew.

SAM: And what of you?

TRAVIS: Me?

SAM: No, I mean, it's a nice background to have a fight in.

MARISHA: It's true.

ALL: What of you?

SAM: And what of you? (laughter)

ASHLEY: That's what I thought.

TRAVIS: That's what I heard.

LIAM: That's what we all heard.

TRAVIS: And what of you?

LIAM: And what of you, my liege?

TRAVIS: I don't know, my lord. (laughter)

LAURA: When y'all flew from your continent, did you fight anything on the air ship on the way over?

LIAM: No, it was-- Well, DM will tell.

MATT: I would say that on the journey over, from the ocean standpoint, there was occasional opportunities for other flying beasts of the ocean, predators to harry the ship. But the ship was also well-manned with a full crew, and had enough onboard weaponry to essentially shoo off anything that got that idea.

LAURA: Shoo now.

LIAM: Okay.

MATT: You know, for the large international treks like that, for that particular reason, there's a lot of money put into the trek. There's often a lot of important people that are on the journey as well. So they make sure that they have a well-manned defense crew for those type of trips.

LIAM: Right. So I'll relay that.

ASHLEY: We fought a dragon.

LIAM: We're the skeleton crew.

LAURA: You fought a dragon?!

ASHLEY: It was intense.

TALIESIN: Bullshit.

MARISHA: It's two very different stories.

TRAVIS: Captain Xandis, I just want to let you know that it looks like those two ballistas up front were well stocked and ready, but that motherfucker in the back was empty! So I feel like you need to blame Khalil because he's obviously asleep. It was probably his fault.

MATT: "Well, I appreciate you tattling on my own crew. I will ensure that he is thoroughly punished when he awakes."

TRAVIS: Ooh. Pirate punishment.

MARISHA: Are you pirates?

SAM: Are they pirates?

TRAVIS: Probably pull thumbs off and stuff. Yeah, you heard them. They take, you know, clothes around the seven--

MATT: "That's not true at all. We start with the toes."

ASHLEY: Do you make them walk the plank?

MATT: "No, we don't have a plank. We make them walk the edge."

TRAVIS: I could craft you an excellent plank.

MATT: "Okay."

TRAVIS: We could make little steps out to the edge and they have like little messages as it goes. Like it gets more and more, intimidating.

MARISHA: Very existential, right?

MATT: "Make them think about things before they don't have to think anymore."

TRAVIS: That's right.

MATT: "I like it. No. That's so weird. I just--"

SAM and LAURA: (laugh)

MATT: "Not a pirate, you guys. Yet." (laughter)

TALIESIN: I'm going to die.

ASHLEY: There's still time.

SAM: Wow.

MATT: "All right, anyway."

TALIESIN: It's so good.

MATT: Looks over to some of the deckhands, "Pull the sail forward again, and nobody else get hit with them. We're moving on." (whoosh) The ship picks up the wind once more and the brumestone glows and the pulse gives that low hum behind it that begins to vibrate the ship ever so slightly. It picks up once more and it continues forward for the remainder of the day. So that'll close the day's events in tonight as we progress into an evening of rest. Unless anybody has anything else they want to do while on the ship. We can progress to the next day of travel. That would mark two days of the possibly four to five day travel journey.

TRAVIS: I'm furiously--

LAURA: Can I just--

TRAVIS: Furiously whittling away.

LAURA: -- ask a question?

MATT: Yeah.

TALIESIN: There's a ship to fix.

LAURA: Why don't we just keep those ballistas loaded?

SAM: Yeah.

TALIESIN: Wood?

LAURA: Pointing outward and loaded. That way we don't waste time loading them if something--

TALIESIN: The stress.

MATT: "That is exactly why. If we leave it out there too long-- See the thing is, that much tension for an extended period of time causes them to fall apart much sooner, which is very expensive. Plus, there's always a chance that if we turn very quickly and it's loaded and it spins on its mooring it might, I don't know, shoot one you. And we don't want that to happen."

LAURA: All right, that makes good sense.

LIAM: The next time we spot something in the clouds, you know, half a mile away--

TALIESIN: Straight to it.

SAM: We'll load.

LIAM: First thing is load.

LAURA: Yeah.

LIAM: Preload.

ASHLEY: Yeah.

MATT: "But good looking out." They go ahead and streak some of the sweat off of their bald head and hold it up for a second. Winds are picking up. Maybe stay inside for the night.

LAURA: Storm's coming.

MARISHA: Storm is coming? I look up in the sky. What do the moons look like tonight? You said a storm's coming. Do I see anything on the horizon?

MATT: Mm. Said winds are picking up. You don't know if a storm's coming.

LAURA: No, sorry, that was me.

SAM: She said that.

MATT: But looking up Catha, at this point, is just starting to barely crest over the distant mountains, and Ruidus is moved a bit further from the previous night. Ruidus is a much slower rotation. Catha does the continued rotation, while Ruidus is a gradual. They are often a contrasting orbit where they do in a crossover each other from time to time. But yeah, the wind does pick up a bit. As you all get into your rooms for the night, you do feel the jumps and shifts of turbulence as the evening wind continues to make it a rough night of sleep, but a doable night of sleep. So everyone does get a long rest. You can mark it off.

TRAVIS: Boom!

SAM: Before we go to bed, I just want to go

to Imogen and ask her: Hey, hey, Imogen. That flying thing was pretty crazy.

LAURA: Yeah, what was that?

SAM: I don't know. But are you okay?

LAURA: I mean, I think so. It felt... Felt like I could feel that electricity through my entire body. Anyway--

SAM: That's amazing. Well, no, I've been thinking, I've been working on something. Like, it's not creepy, but you know, I've been sort of watching you while you sleep sometimes.

LAURA: Sounds creepy.

SAM: Again, not creepy.

LAURA: Yeah.

SAM: But I know that you're troubled by dreams and stuff. So I just thought, I'd like to try something when you're ready, it doesn't have to be tonight or anything, but like, I was wondering if you know your friend, Loud-na, over here. (laughter) You know, you trust her a lot, right?

LAURA: Yeah.

SAM: I was wonder if there's a way that I could somehow facilitate, I don't know.

LAURA: Do you want to go on a date with her? Is that what you're--?

SAM: No, no. That hadn't crossed my mind. Why? Did she say something? (laughter)

LAURA: I could ask.

SAM: No, no. I'm not interested in that. (laughter)

SAM: I just--

MARISHA: Which one?

SAM: You've told her about your dreams sometimes.

LAURA: Oh yeah. She knows all about it.

SAM: I think with the way I've delved into your mind, with consent, of course.

LAURA: Mm.

SAM: And the way I can sort of hear and get into other people's minds, I might be able to bridge-- I might be able to make a connection so that she can sort of experience your dream with you.

LAURA: I've been trying to make that happen. I mean, I've--

SAM: If that's something that would interest you.

LAURA: Most definitely. It's a scary thing to-- It's very lonely.

SAM: I know.

LAURA: Yeah. I would love if Laudna could be there.

SAM: But I don't quite know how it works yet. I mean, I don't know when you're going to have one of these dreams--

LAURA: Yeah, me neither.

SAM: So it's hard to-- I could just try it every night 'til it happens, or I could just watch you for a few hours after you fall asleep. Then if I---

LAURA: It sounds so weird.

SAM: I know it does, but it's not creepy. If I keep saying that, it's not. But if I see you sort of, you know, jerking or reacting badly in sleep, I could rouse her and try to-- I don't know.

LAURA: What exactly is this process?

SAM: I don't know, I haven't done it yet, but I feel like there's a way if I maybe, you know, touch you.

LAURA: Okay, this is getting--

SAM: It's not creepy.

LAURA: All right.

MARISHA: Laudna creeps up. Pâté.

SAM: It's creepy.

MARISHA: "Oi, I heard you talking about jerking and rousing and touching. Sounds pretty erotic." (laughter)

SAM: It does. It does. It's--

MARISHA: "It's been a while since I've been this high, you know? (grunts) Yeah." (laughter)

SAM: Yeah. I mean, I don't know. I'm just throwing it out there.

LAURA: He think there might be a way to bring you into my dreams. Sorry, Pâté.

MARISHA: Oh, that sounds very serious. I didn't realize we were talking about something--

LAURA: Okay. Yeah. Well, now I understand what that-- (laughter)

MARISHA: Still can't fucking see it.

TRAVIS: I can't see it, the son of a bitch.

LAURA: I mean.

SAM: Just think about it.

LAURA: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it seems weird to do it every night.

SAM: I don't know how else to.

LAURA: I never know when they're going to come.

SAM: Yeah.

MARISHA: I was actually just looking at Ruidus, and it's getting closer to being at its apex.

LAURA: Yeah.

SAM: Does that coincide with your dreams?

LAURA: After much deliberation, I realized that they tend to get worse when it's at its peak.

SAM: Oh, well then maybe in a few days or when it's at its peak, we should try?

LAURA: Yeah.

SAM: Okay.

LAURA: I think that would be smart.

SAM: All right.

MARISHA: Who knows? I guess we'll just watch the weather.

SAM: Yeah. Or the moon.

MARISHA: Yeah.

SAM: Yeah. I mean, it's amazing what you can see up here. You can see the edge of the world.

MATT: (thudding) The room shifts a bit heavily, and you all slide and impact the wall a minute.

LAURA: Did you notice, Letters, how the edge of the world is slightly curved?

SAM: Well yeah, because we can see it in the circle.

TRAVIS: Okay. (sighing)

SAM: Wonder how many days it would take to sail there.

LAURA: You know how there's, like, water?

SAM: Yeah.

LAURA: What do you think happens to the water?

SAM: What do you mean? At the edge?

LAURA: Yeah.

SAM: Same thing that happens to the land.

LAURA: Which is what?

SAM: It just ends.

LAURA: The water doesn't fall off anywhere, it just?

SAM: I mean, it goes to the other side, the under.

LAURA: Do you think it's a double-sided flatness?

SAM: Boy--

LAURA: Do you think there's a whole other world on the opposite?

SAM: Gosh! We'd have to ask a real science person.

LAURA: Yeah. Maybe we should find one for you.

SAM: Wow. Do you think there's people just on the other side? Like we're on top and they're on bottom?

LAURA: Maybe.

TRAVIS: Who's on top and who's on bottom now? (laughter)

LAURA: Yeah. But don't you think it's weird how, no matter how far we go, the edge never gets closer? no matter how far we go, the edge never gets closer?

SAM: It must be very far.

LAURA: Mm-hmm. Yeah. We'll talk to a scientist.

SAM and LAURA: Yeah.

LAURA: (exasperated sigh)

TALIESIN: (laughs)

SAM: Okay. Good night. I'll watch you sleep.

LAURA: All right. This sounds great. Right.

TRAVIS: "This sounds great."

MATT: All right.

LIAM: Sam, could you keep your personal views out of this? (laughter)

MATT: Okay.

TALIESIN: Commitment to the bit.

MATT: You do all rest. Sleep through the bumpy night.

ASHLEY: I have one thing.

MATT: Oh yes, please. What you got, Fearne?

ASHLEY: I am going to go to Laudna's room, where she is sleeping.

LAURA: Watching. (laughs)

ASHLEY: And I'm going to look around.

MARISHA: Her eyes are a little open. It's weird.

SAM: Oh god.

TRAVIS: Sure. That tracks.

ASHLEY: I do a wave. (laughter) (laughter)

ASHLEY: I'm going to look for Sashimi.

MARISHA: Oh!

LIAM: Oh dear.

MATT: Okay.

ASHLEY: Is she out?

MARISHA: I imagine I would like unhitch Sashimi and just like place her, yes, next to my head as I sleep.

MATT: So yeah, out in the open, just.

ASHLEY: Okay, so I'm going to grab Sashimi and I'm going to, from my marsupial pouch, I'm going to pull out a little wig that I've been making with the fur on my legs. Just a tiny little wig. (laughter)

LIAM: We hope.

ASHLEY: Place it on top of Sashimi's head. Okay, go get back down.

TRAVIS: "We hope." (laughter)

ASHLEY: I'm going to place her on the pillow.

MATT: Repurposed merkin over here. (laughter)

MATT: Okay. Okay.

ASHLEY: Yeah. Place her on the pillow and then put Pâté on top of her. (laughter)

ASHLEY: And I'm going to leave.

MATT: All right, just for the sake of this, make a sleight of hand check. This is quite a bit of movement here.

TALIESIN: Please. Please.

SAM: Guide yourself.

MATT: I'd say you have advantage on this because you are asleep against your passive perception, yeah.

LAURA: Are you guiding yourself?

ASHLEY: Sure, I'll guide myself. That was pretty high, though.

TALIESIN: Aim for the top.

ASHLEY: Oh wow. Okay. 26.

ASHLEY: 26. Nary a shift in her as you place things exactly how you want and step out.

ASHLEY: Yeah. I'm going to place them in a sexy position.

MATT: Okay.

ASHLEY: So that they got busy last night.

MATT: Cool. Cool.

ASHLEY: Okay. Then I'm going to go to bed.

TALIESIN: I imagine you have a good death rattle. Every breath sounds like the last. (laughter)

MARISHA: (labored breathing)

LIAM: You know what?

LAURA: A spider crawls out.

LIAM: I'm going to sleep in the other room. (laughter)

MARISHA: (forceful breathing)

MATT: The night goes by without issue. You all rest soundly, until eventually, the morning comes here above the Hellcatch Valley. You come to, with quite a display before you.

MARISHA: (gasps) You randy fools. (laughter)

MARISHA: And you were role playing?! Sashimi! Oh my god. Pâté-- What did you-- They do have souls. (laughter)

MARISHA: I just walk out a changed woman. (laughter)

MARISHA: I've got new ideas.

MATT: Okay. The third day of your journey is before you, I need someone to roll a d20.

LIAM: We're going clockwise at this point, so I think it's you, Ash.

ASHLEY: It's me, okay, okay.

TALIESIN: Okay.

TRAVIS: No pressure.

SAM: It's like "Toy Story."

MARISHA: Uh-huh.

TRAVIS: Come on, Gelidon.

ASHLEY: Let's do this one.

ASHLEY: Urgh.

LAURA: Goo.

ASHLEY: Just a free--

MATT: Yeah.

ASHLEY: A free just what it is?

MATT: Yeah.

ASHLEY: It's a six.

MATT: A six, okay. Six... you're okay.

SAM: Hey.

TRAVIS: Five or lower is where it sucks.

MATT: Mm-hmm.

TRAVIS: (laughs)

MATT: So glancing out past the side of the ship, as you continue into the deep parts of the valley. Now, from pretty much all perspectives, you see the Hellcatch surrounding you. It is like a fallen cauldron-type valley in the center of the continent. At all sides, you see the broken mountain ranges that surround the outskirts of it. You can see elements of the ground that just fall away into these deep ravines. As well as keeping an eye on the map, you see some of the sinkholes that were marked on there, that are just these massive, almost mile-wide, half a mile- to mile-wide antlion-type pits that vanish below, to some that are just open chasms that descend into darkness. There are some that you pass that aren't on the map. Not knowing how old that map may be.

LAURA: Should we mark them? Let's mark them.

MATT: I can mark them for you after the session. You also glance around, and can see large birds in the distance that are moving in groups, too far to make out the details of what they are. But there is life throughout the valley, as desolate as it may look in places. You also can see across some of these ravines, there are apparent roads that have been marked, or carved through the open dusty plains, and across the cracked broken hills that dot much of the landscape below you. You can see heavy bridges that are built across some of these chasms, and over these ravines that connect some of these paths. You also see the telltale sign of monsoon flood grooves You also see the telltale sign of monsoon flood grooves that give this unique snaking trail, this awesome pattern that spreads across the valley in places, where it has this almost living, writhing appearance to it just frozen in time, occasionally broken by odd long streaks of movement. Like someone had run a comb, a massive comb through it in certain places and turning. You catch a vision off in the distance of a small cloud. A dust cloud that is emerging. As it moves with your high perception--

LIAM: Ground level, or in the air?

MATT: Ground level.

LIAM: Okay.

MATT: You can actually see it to be a cluster.

MARISHA and LAURA: Hmm.

MATT: Uncertain of how many it is, but a number of things are moving together and kicking up dust and leaving a trail behind.

LIAM: Can I also ask, the birds you mentioned, can we tell if massive birds or just birds?

MATT: Roll a perception check for me.

LAURA: Yeah.

LIAM: That's not it. Aww man, those are terrible rolls, nope.

MATT: Hard to tell at this distance. You don't know much about the topography in the area, so you couldn't even make an educated guess if you wanted to, unfortunately. But beyond that, in the faint bit of turbulence, the winds not as bad as they were in the middle of the night, as the temperature shift at the elevation you were was. The day continues without much of an issue. As you bed down for the evening to finish your third day of travel here--

MARISHA: When we go to bed--

MATT: Yes.

MARISHA: I just pull Imogen aside in a quiet moment on the deck. You doing all right?

LAURA: Mm-hmm.

MARISHA: It's strange watching this landscape moving. We traveled not so long ago from the air.

LAURA: It took so long to get there.

MARISHA: So long!

LAURA: God.

MARISHA: Feel like every 15 minutes is a day.

LAURA: You remember how scary it was thinking those Crawler gangs were going to happen upon us?

MARISHA: Oh yeah. Thought they would just pop out of the cracks in the desert.

LAURA: Yeah.

MARISHA: Rah!

LAURA: (laughs)

MARISHA: (sighs) Maybe we'll actually see one this time.

LAURA: Maybe.

MARISHA: You know you've... You've grown so much just in the past few months. It's astounding. But I also just want to make sure, you know? The pressure and just everything in this new group we've suddenly found ourselves running with. You know, you've seemed a little--

LAURA: Out of sorts.

MARISHA: Yes, I didn't want to say it, but--

LAURA: Yeah.

MARISHA: And I don't want to question your empowerment.

LAURA: I know.

MARISHA: Because if you are owning your truth! (laughter)

MARISHA: Yes!

TRAVIS: (laughs)

MARISHA: But also, you know, just want to make sure, you know, that you're okay.

LAURA: You just hear

in your head: I've still got that crystal.

MARISHA: I respond in your head. Has the feeling of it changed?

LAURA: I don't-- (sighs) It makes me feel safe, but I don't think that's healthy. I don't know. I don't know. I've thought about throwing it overboard, but I don't want to.

MATT: (pulse) Laudna, you feel this kind of, this spike of sweat at the back of your neck when she says that. Something unsettling about the prospect of being thrown overboard. You don't understand it. You haven't really gotten a good look at it, but you're worried about her.

MARISHA: You know I can understand this feeling quite a bit, actually.

LAURA: Really?

MARISHA: A false sense of security and power from an ungodly source. That doesn't... You don't have the control. It does.

LAURA: Has she been talking to you again?

MARISHA: She made quite the theatrical appearance in the Heartmoor after I went down in that glow worm.

LAURA: Yeah.

MARISHA: It can be intoxicating, borrowing from a power beyond you. Just be careful of the moments that you can no longer separate yourself from it.

MATT: (pulses) That same bass fills your body for a second. There's a nervous itch in your mind about that stone that she's carrying.

MARISHA: Does it feel familiar in any way?

MATT: No. Not necessarily.

MARISHA: Okay.

MATT: You, like I said, you haven't got a good look at it, but there's something about it, even just knowing it's near is spiking a curiosity and a worry within you.

MARISHA: Both like a morbid curiosity, intrigued and terrified at the same time?

MATT: Maybe.

LAURA: I don't think it's doing anything. I don't think it's doing anything. I don't know.

MARISHA: Do you feel like it might be providing more harm than good? Or do the benefits--?

LAURA: I don't... I don't think it's doing either. I mean, it's just... It's kind of like a comfort, if that makes sense. But at the same time, I don't remember feeling so explosive or frustrated about things before. I don't know if it's coming from that. I don't. I just.

MARISHA: You have gotten quite a few killer roasts on Chetney.

LAURA: (laughs) Well, Chet deserves it sometimes--

MARISHA: Oh, that's why I haven't fought it.

LAURA: I've never flown before. Do you think that came from it? Or do you think it's just something I have? I mean, before you came to town, I didn't even know I could...

MATT: (pulses) Once again, it hits the back of your neck. You don't know what this is. You should probably take a look at it.

MARISHA: You know, it's truly hard to say, and I don't know if I'm necessarily the best judge of this circumstance. It's something that I ask myself daily on what's me in my own natural ability, and what's hers.

LAURA: Right.

MARISHA: You know, do you mind if I just take a, a look at it? Maybe if I can just hold it, I can get a better sense of what you're feeling. It's hard to understand until...

LAURA: Was there anyone around?

MATT: I imagine this conversation, anybody who's around is probably asleep, or in their own, although you all have individual rooms, unless you're choosing to--

LIAM: I was going to ask.

MARISHA: I imagine we were on--

LIAM: -- because if it's the same bedtime situation we've had in hotels, I was going to say that Orym is staring at an opposite wall, listening to all this. But if you guys want it to be private, it's private.

MARISHA: I would imagine it being on the deck.

LAURA: I imagine it'd be private. Plus, yeah, I was thinking on the deck as well, actually.

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: Plus, all of this in my brain was happening in our heads, because--

MARISHA: Right, once established.

LAURA: Yeah.

MARISHA: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

LIAM: Just keep it rolling.

MARISHA: So, we're alone on the deck.

MATT: Sure.

MARISHA: Okay.

LAURA: I take the pouch off my side

MARISHA: Spindly fingers unfurl. It's all right.

LAURA: Don't do anything with it, Laudna.

MARISHA: I would never do anything without your permission first. Just through the pouch, what does it feel like?

MATT: It feels like a fairly dense rock of some kind, just through the exterior of it. Cold to the touch.

MARISHA: Cold, and I can tell through the--

MATT: Meaning the pouch itself is cold.

MARISHA: I just tip it out into my other hand.

MATT: Okay. It touches your palm. (pulses) That same low bass kicks through you, and it begins to get warmer, and warmer, and warmer. Your vision begins to darken at the peripheries of your eyes.

MARISHA: Hmm!

MATT: Your perspective on Imogen begins to fade, perspective on Imogen begins to fade, almost like you've been holding your breath, and the tunnel vision begins to kick in, and all--

MARISHA: Oh, feels like I'm going to pass out.

LAURA: (laughs)

MATT: As you are focused entirely on this gem, unable to look away. (deep pulsing) A slowly increasing heartbeat somewhere within you, and a voice creeps into your mind that goes, "Child, this, this is far too dangerous in your hands."

MARISHA: Is it Delilah?

MATT: It is. "I'll handle this."

MARISHA: I grip it.

MATT: You do, and it feels almost searing in your hand. As you do, you feel the warmth, the heat begin to travel through your arm.

MARISHA: Tell me what it is.

MATT: "(shushes)"

MARISHA: Tell me what it is.

MATT: "I've taken care of it for you."

MARISHA: I drop it.

MATT: You can't move your arm, and you just feel the heat traveling through your arm.

MARISHA: I just reach out to Imogen.

LAURA: What are you doing?

MARISHA: I can't.

LAURA: (urgently) What are you doing?

MARISHA: It's her!

MATT: The heat passes through your shoulder and into your chest.

MARISHA: She won't let me let go.

MATT: Now that cold (pulse) becomes a warm heartbeat.

MARISHA: I just grab her hand. Wait, what, it does what?

MATT: That cold bass sound becomes a warm heartbeat as the warmth hits your chest. At that moment, your fingers pull open, and the gem is cold and broken.

LIAM: Oop.

MARISHA: I'm so sorry.

LAURA: Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!

MARISHA: It just happened.

LIAM: Uh-oh.

MARISHA: Imogen, I don't know what just happened.

LAURA: You lied.

MARISHA: No! No! I didn't do anything, Imogen. Have you felt a searing heat from it before?

LAURA: No.

MARISHA: Imogen, I, I can fix it. I'll fix it. We'll fix it.

LAURA: Yeah, we'll fix it. We'll fix it. I'm going to go to bed, Laudna.

MARISHA: All right. I let her go, and I walk to the front of the ship,

and I scream: What did you do?!

MATT: As you stare out into the dark expanse around you, the barely visible horizons of the Hellcatch and beyond, you feel once more that dull heartbeat, the warmth receding, (pulse). The familiar voice of the woman who lives somewhere in your spirit says, "(sighs) Don't worry. I've taken care of it."

MARISHA: No!

MATT: "And thank you."

ASHLEY: (gasps)

MARISHA: No!

LAURA: Oh, fuck.

MATT: And that's where we'll finish up today.

ASHLEY: Oh, what?

TRAVIS: Oh no! No!

MARISHA: Oh god!

MATT: ♪ Pick up from there next week ♪

TRAVIS: Like a fish to the lure!

MARISHA: (growls) No!

TALIESIN: You want to destroy Whitestone? Because this is how you destroy Whitestone, well done.

LAURA: Oh my god.

TALIESIN: Well done.

LIAM: Yeah.

LAURA: What did she just get?

TRAVIS: Oh, she didn't bring you back to life.

MARISHA: He said to touch it!

ASHLEY: I have so many goosebumps.

MARISHA: Whoa!

TALIESIN: Damn.

TRAVIS: This is far too dangerous--

MARISHA: I didn't mean

TRAVIS: -- I'll take care of this.

MARISHA: -- to take your pretty crystal!

LAURA: No, it's fine!

TALIESIN: Damn, you two!

MARISHA: This curse thing, though.

LAURA: It's good, it's good. (screams) Oh!

TRAVIS: I have questions!

MARISHA: That bitch is fucking with my friendships now. You do not fuck with my personal relationships!

ASHLEY: Also, side note: It was really fun watching you guys. (laughter)

ASHLEY: I was like, I love this game. Holy shit. I have front row to the best theater.

MARISHA: "You lied," I was like-- (laughter)

MATT: Yep, yep! Oh, oh!

TRAVIS: Uh-huh!

MARISHA: No!

LAURA: Ooh, that's fun!

ASHLEY: But wait, before--

LAURA: Yes, oh my god! It's so cool!

TRAVIS: Hold it, I'll just hold it.

ASHLEY: The warmth.

MARISHA: I thought I was going to help you find out! I fucked around and I found out!

MATT: Well, we'll pick up from there next week. (squealing)

TALIESIN: Yeah!

MATT: Before we finish up, I do have a couple quick announcements to make. More "announcements" like. So thank you to Howard Andrews, @minileed, L-E-E-D, for making this incredible airship.

TRAVIS: Yes, come on, Andrew!

TALIESIN: That's so cool!

LIAM: I'm keeping this forever!

MATT: Yes, The Silver Sun, I'm super happy with it. Also super excited, I've had the pleasure since before this campaign started to collaborate with a bunch of amazing writers and world builders to, you know, flesh out Marquet in many incredible ways, beginning with Mackenzie D'Armas who helped with Ank'Harel, with the "Call of the Netherdeep" book, and that's expanded into Jasmine Bullar, Justice Arman. All fantastic people that I continue to collaborate with in fleshing out the awesomeness of this place. But we're now going into the Hellcatch Valley, which is in particular a large collaboration I've been working on for a while with Basheer Ghouse, which you can find @BasheerGhouse, B-A-S-H-E-E-R G-H-O-U-S-E. His work is amazing, and all his previous work is amazing, and super excited to dive into this space that we built together. So, go check out his stuff, all these amazing people's stuff. Yeah, we'll pick up from this chaos.

TRAVIS: Oh.

MARISHA: Oh my god.

MATT: Next week. (laughter) Until then, thank you for coming along with this chaos. We love you very much, and is it Thursday yet?

ASHLEY and TRAVIS: Hey!

MATT: Good night.

LAURA: Hey!

TRAVIS: Oh, what's happening? (laughter and clapping)