Transcript:In Too Deep

List of Transcripts

Pre-Show
MATT: Hello everybody, 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: Wow. We-- (laughter)

LIAM: Got a lot of energy, man!

MATT: Yeah, apparently! Yeah, we got some announcements to get through before jumping into tonight's game, beginning with our first sponsor tonight, (exaggerates) "Skillsshare," Sam. (laughter)

MATT: This is your fault. This is your fault. Y'all came in with weird energy and you done fucked me up. I am nonfunctional. Skillshare! Sam, fucking go. (laughter)

SAM: This episode is sponsored by our friends at "Skillsshare." An online learning community with thousands of inspiring classes for creative and curious people. "Skillsshare" offers classes designed for real life and all the circumstances that come with it, including graphic design, creative writing, music, and I found out recently, dozens of courses on, this is true, artificial intelligence and machine learning. Which I found fascinating, so much so that I took a class, fed a bunch of my old commercial bits into a computer and programmed an AI to write tonight's ad copy.

MARISHA: Already starting good.

SAM: Yeah. So what you're about to hear was written by a machine. I've never seen it before, and it's based on what a computer thinks my ads sound like. So here goes. "Hey Matt and the gang, is it Thursday already?" Cute. “It's me, Sam, with another advertising commercial ad experience." Okay, you know, the AI made a little verbal mess up, but so far pretty good. There's more. “No one truly loves me. My life lacks purpose and I fail to connect with those around me on a deeper, authentic level. Sure they say I'm a valued friend, but there's a part of me that doesn't believe them. That's why I make an ass of myself in front of thousands of people every week. It's me convincing myself that I don't care about the constant echoes of rejection in my lonesome, hollow life." Well, that got pretty heavy, pretty fast. Sorry, guys. I thought this was going to be a weird computer writing thing but took kind of a dark turn. We can just wrap it up there.

MARISHA: I don't know. Keep going. I kind of like this.

SAM: Really? Is it funny? Is it funny, though?

ASHLEY: Well... Sam, I-I-I actually think that this might be good for you to hear.

SAM: Oh!

ASHLEY: Yeah.

SAM: Okay. "Why else would I eat disgusting food, dress up like a cat or pinch clothes pins to my face if I wasn't begging the world and myself to notice that deep down I don't believe I matter?" Wow, this is not what I thought the AI was going to do. I thought it was going to make some silly mistakes and word things like call the show "Chronicle Role" or something, but this is...

LIAM: Sam, it's okay. We're here for you. We all are.

LAURA: Finish the ad, Sam. It's important.

SAM: Oh. Okay. I'll read the rest. "The truth is every laugh I earn is one fleeting moment of freedom from myself. One extraordinary second to breathe when the crushing weight of existence is lifted from the mantle of my being. And for a heartbeat, an insubstantial fraud like myself can pretend to feel alive. Back to you, Mark." Mark! (forced laugh) See, it made a mistake! Stupid AI thinks Matt's name is Mark. What a dumb computer. So ridiculous! Right? Anyway, with memberships starting as low as $10 a month with an annual subscription, Skillshare is a great way to learn and explore classes to unlock your creativity for social good. As a special offer for our audience, the first 1,000 Critters to join "Skillsshare" by following the link, skl.sh/criticalrole01221, holy shit, will get a free trial of a premium membership.

MARISHA: Silly computer.

SAM: Go check out "Skillsshare" for yourself now and thanks to them for continuing to support the show. Mark, back to you. (laughs) Get it? Because it was...

MATT: Wow. (laughter)

MATT: Thank you, Sam. And (solemnly) thank you, Sam.

TRAVIS: Why.

SAM: Oh.

MATT: This episode is sponsored by our friends at Ghostfire Gaming and their new campaign in partnership with Eldermancy, Sunken Isles. Now, Sunken Isles is a unique adventure that allows the party to choose between two or more adventures every week. Each choice will leave players with either a reward or a consequence. The adventure begins with the introduction of a volcanic spirit, an undead dwarven king, a bloated pirate captain, an ancient being and the roaming creator of the Isles. Each of these forces immediately sets out with their own plans and it's up to the party to forge new alliances to fight back against their armies. Check everything out now at sunkenisles.com and thank you so much for supporting the show.

TRAVIS: (high-pitched noises)

MATT: You okay, Sam?

LAURA: How you doing?

SAM: Should I not be?

LAURA: Laura, we got some merch to talk about there. (laughter)

SAM: Oh, it's fun to tease me about my problems. (laughter)

MATT: Oh my god. (laughter)

SAM: Too real, everybody. Laura, take it away!

LAURA: Ooh, we got merch! (laughter)

LAURA: Check it out. We have Vex and--

LIAM: No!

LAURA: No, shit.

SAM: Jesus, Laura!

LAURA: Vax and Veth neck gaiters. It's a rogue kit, y'all.

LIAM: Yes!

ASHLEY: I love gaiters!

LAURA: I'm going to bring it out. Who wants to wear a black one?

LIAM: Me!

LAURA: Here you go.

ASHLEY: Well, okay. (laughter)

TRAVIS: "Well."

ASHLEY: The green'll--

LAURA: Put them on.

LIAM: Wow!

LAURA: Or do I need to show you how to?

LIAM: No, I think it's like this.

LAURA: Yes. It's cool. It's got a draw string. All the art is by Grace Berríos. So cool! It's got a little nose band--

LIAM: Form fit your nose so that-- Then you can tighten it. Sweet, huh?

LIAM: On the Playa, you can't see me anymore.

LAURA: If you don't pull it up, it just makes a really cute little scarf.

ASHLEY: Oh my god, it has a nose thing in it?

LAURA: Yeah. Then pull it down and look how just fly you look.

MARISHA: Oh, that's cool.

TRAVIS: Pretty white.

LAURA: Anyway.

ASHLEY: Little extra drawstring.

LAURA: We also have-- Oh, we also have an Essek chibi pin! (awwing)

LAURA: Art by Jenny Park. I'm going to pull this out because I know you want to wear this, Liam.

LIAM: Yes.

TRAVIS: You didn't pre-open it though, right?

LAURA: No, of course I didn't! (laughter) Why would I do that? Look at him! He's so cute!

MATT: Oh, buddy.

LAURA: That's in our store. We also have ♪ (triumphant singing) ♪ These are Mighty Nein-- (oohing)

LAURA: Wyrmwood dice trays art by William Kirkby.

SAM: What?

LAURA: Look it! Look it. They're so pretty.

LIAM: These are stunning in person.

LAURA: They feel beautiful.

SAM: Wait! I want that one!

LAURA: Yeah.

ASHLEY: There's me. There's my baby. This is so cool.

LAURA: They've got these little thingies on the back so you can hang them on your wall because they're art. (oohing)

ASHLEY: That is cool!

LAURA: Check it out. They're available now at wyrmwoodgaming.com.

TALIESIN: Until it's time and you can remove it from the wall.

MARISHA: Are we having a bug feast?

LAURA: They're so cute!

MARISHA: Is that a bug feast?

ASHLEY: Oh probably.

LAURA: We're having a hamster, spiritual weapon.

MATT: That's pretty adorable. Thank you, Laura.

LAURA: You're welcome.

MATT: Travis.

TRAVIS: Huh?

MATT: Hey ya hey.

TRAVIS: Oh! Guys, episodes one through nine of The Legend of Vox Machina are available right now on Prime Video! (cheering)

TRAVIS: This is it. We're coming up on the last weekend, the finale. The last three episodes of season one released at 12:00am Pacific on February 18th, which is midnight tonight. (screaming)

TRAVIS: Oh man, we are so deep in Percy's backstory. It's going down.

LIAM: Just deflates at the end, though.

TRAVIS: Yeah. We didn't at all build the show so it just ramped up to the very end. Nothing like letting the air out at the end. The final watch party is this Tuesday, February 22nd at 7:00pm Pacific on our Twitch channel. Join us. Watch the show. We can't wait!

MATT: Thank you, Travis.

TRAVIS: Let us know what you think!

MATT: Awesome.

LIAM: I was teasing. When I watched those last three episodes, I was shocked Pikachu through all three. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Yeah, we're coming for you with the last three.

MATT: It's going to be fun.

TALIESIN: Shocked if anyone gets this St. Elsewhere joke, but yeah.

MATT: I did.

TALIESIN: I felt... We're old.

MATT: I know. We're old. Thank you all very much for the fun times, laughter, and the existential crisis. (laughter) But I believe that concludes our announcements. So let's go ahead and jump into tonight's episode of Critical Role.

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

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

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

MATT: How do you want to do this?

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

TRAVIS: ♪ From the healer ♪

LIAM: ♪ To the renegade ♪

MATT: ♪ We all share the same goal ♪

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

SAM: ♪ Hold your breath and roll ♪

MARISHA: You can certainly try.

ALL: ♪ It's Thursday night ♪ ♪ All ye Critters, come join us ♪ ♪ It's time to continue our plight ♪ ♪ It's Thursday night. ♪ ♪ There is magic and mystery ♪ ♪ From darkness, our friendship will rise ♪ ♪ But one thing's for sure: ♪ ♪ We never give up on the fight ♪ ♪ Oh, get ready, ♪ ♪ Get ready, ♪ ♪ It's Thursday night! ♪

(flames whooshing)

Part I
MATT: And welcome back. So last we left off, our group of heroes under the watch and patronage of Lord Eshteross have been dragged into a masquerade ball, being held by the mysterious Chandei Quorum. Of which the intent was to both discover if possible, any membership to the Quorum, which is maintained as anonymous, as well as place an enchanted ring, a replica of an enchanted ring onto the thumb of Lord Armand Treshi. You bought outfits. You presented yourselves to this event and arrived to where there were drinks and music and many, many upper-crust individuals in the society here rubbing shoulders, making deals, making snide comments and rumors. In the midst of this delightfully chaotic social environment, The Dance of the Crossroads began in which you began to attempt to make this endeavor viable through your quick wit and eventual, (laughs) through your dedication to the goal at hand. (laughter)

MATT: I'm trying to talk to you guys up here. You eventually managed to achieve the baseline of your goal. (laughter)

MATT: The bare minimum required of you. (laughter)

TALIESIN: D- is still a passing grade.

MATT: But the evening is not finished as it is only part way through. After this ring was placed upon his thumb, the dance come to a conclusion, the machinations of other things transpiring seemed to been followed by Chetney who wandered out to discover that Cyrus, the brother of Dorian was in attendance to the party seemingly with his own ideas and had wandered off further down the left hallways, deeper into the chambers beyond. Upon searching for him, you also discovered that another figure that you had just met that evening, it seemed to have some communications with Cyrus and Lord Armand Treshi known as his Lady Emoth Kade had gone off to the side, looking a bit odd, a bit out of sorts, a bit ill in some ways, had been doing some sort of a burglary of her own in one of these chambers. And seemed to be in league with some of these shade creepers that you had encountered in previous moments. Not but a week or so before. While this is happening, Ashton, who had created a mask in the image of the Nightmare King, Ira Wendagoth, seemed to draw the attention of Lord Armand Treshi. who had some dealings, in secret, with the Nightmare King, who then notified the captain of the Paragon's Call that are present at this event. This General Ratanish approached you, asking questions and pulled the mask off your face in which you responded by slapping him square in the middle of this event.

TALIESIN: That was physical assault is all I'm saying.

MATT: Slap back?

TALIESIN: First.

MATT: I-- no. I'm making no judgment to that one way or the other, but nevertheless, it is now seeming to lead to a duel. A fisticuffs throwdown on the outside of this event in which the hustle and bustle of the chamber has now shifted from their own political attempts at making deals and now enthrallment with the coming violence that is drawing its way to the outside of the chamber. As the rest of you are gathered, and I believe you've returned at this point?

TRAVIS: I think I made it back out into the middle chamber after the second journey into the room and back out.

MATT: Gotcha. Or did we end on you seeing what had happened?

TRAVIS: We definitely saw that. I can't remember if I made my way back into the--

LAURA: Uh oh.

TRAVIS: -- the main room or not.

MATT: Well, regardless. While you're looking into your notes for that, the crowd, abuzz with conversation, excitement, claps, murmurs, begin to shift to the outside under the stars, just upon the grassened landscape on the exterior of the Chandei Quorum chambers. There, amongst the glowing pedestals with nightlights and the various carriages and carts and sillgoats that have brought individuals up through the entire evening, then placed off to the side at rest, there is an open space here the crowd seems to already be aware is a common dueling ground when events like this transpire and people come to a disagreement. The crowd begins to shift and encircle the space as you feel this is where it's going to happen. How do you prepare in advance? I know some of you had done a little bit of-- like you had went ahead and--

SAM: What did I do?

TALIESIN: I don't remember what you did.

SAM: I don't remember what I did. Did I bind with him?

MATT: Yeah, you bound with him as you were all making your path towards where this showdown was about to happen.

LAURA: I--

LIAM: I-- no, you go.

LAURA: I was staying inside.

MATT: Gotcha.

LAURA: Away from the crowds.

MATT: Okay.

LIAM: And I stayed close and was at the front of the ring around them so that I could be there if it came to worst.

ASHLEY: I'm going to go outside as well. I also gave him that definitely very small saber that fit right into the pocket of his jacket.

TALIESIN: I've already dropped the jacket. (laughter)

TALIESIN: I am sleeveless. I mean, that nice vest. Yeah. I need some room to move. This is a fistfight, by the way, I believe we agreed, this is a fistfight.

MATT: You agreed it was a fistfight.

TRAVIS: Oh, he said that fucked up.

ALL: (skeptical murmuring)

TRAVIS: He said that.

MATT: Laudna, whereabouts are you?

MARISHA: I'll also stay inside for the moment.

MATT: Okay. Dorian?

ROBBIE: I'm following the crew out to watch.

MATT: Okay.

TALIESIN: Is Lord Eshteross around or...?

MATT: Lord Eshteross is around and staying close to them. You can see him, especially in an environment that involves unexpected change, he's very nervously glancing about the space and staying near his guard. But as the circle begins to almost close, it comes to more of a semicircle with the stone roadway that curls around the front of the complex where everyone was dropped off for the event, still leads outward. There is a crescent-shaped crowd around where the center of this grass-covered, small hill is, where you can see General Ratanish, the half-giant brute, step up there and shrug off parts of his hide and fur armor with bits of metal, as he pulls the edge off his shoulders and throws the ground with a heavy (crashing), he flexes and starts throwing some punches to the air and cracks his fingers. His eyes don't leave being locked on you, as he steps up to the center of that space.

TALIESIN: Anybody around got a drink? In the crowd?

MATT: You see an older woman comes forward with a flute of some sort of bubbly drink.

TALIESIN: I think I need that more than you do. Thank you, thank you.

MATT: "Good luck."

TALIESIN: Thank you.

MATT: (whispering) "He's going to die." (laughter) You turned back around and feel the warmth beginning to burn in your stomach. There at the top, you see, now sufficiently stretched, at least, and arms at the side, looking at you, expectantly, General Ratanish. Gives you a glance and a beckoning hand signal as he goes, "Very well. I'll let you throw the first punch."

TALIESIN: Okay. Just to be clear, since-- (laughter)

TALIESIN: If I win, do I get my mask back?

MATT: "Sure."

TALIESIN: Awesome. Wow, initiative, I suppose.

MATT: "No, throw first punch."

TALIESIN: Sure.

MATT: Leans forward.

TALIESIN: I headbutt. I'm going to rage and headbutt.

MATT: Okay.

SAM: You're breaking the rules!

TALIESIN: I haven't thrown a punch yet.

MATT: So as you feel that burst of energy hit you, go ahead and roll your d4.

TALIESIN: Come on, come on, come on. Fuck.

LAURA: What is it?

TALIESIN: It's useless. So ain't got nothing.

TRAVIS: Uno?

TALIESIN: Two. It's, yeah, Space. Ain't got nothing.

MATT: You can always unrage and rage again if you want it.

TALIESIN: May happen.

MATT: But go ahead and make your attack roll as he stands there at the front, head forward and arms to the side, seemingly ready to take the brunt of whatever you throw at him as you suddenly glance at him and then move forward.

TALIESIN: All right. Figure that's respectful. Do I want to--? I'll start simple. (laughter)

MATT: By throwing it off the table.

TRAVIS: It's good, it's a good omen.

ROBBIE: Ominous, ominous.

TALIESIN: I can read it. Should I roll it again, or--?

ASHLEY: Unless it was a 20.

TALIESIN: It was not as 20.

ASHLEY: Okay.

MATT: Roll on the table. If it rolls off the table, I usually don't count it.

TALIESIN: Oh, okay, that's better anyway. 25.

SAM: Oh, wow.

MATT: 25 hits. So you do?

TALIESIN: Seven points of damage.

MATT: Seven points of damage. Crack! The resounding impact and the sound of bone and cartilage impacting, (echoing impact) Immediately causes this brief (gasps) in the air as you take the first hit, you watch as General Ratanish (thuds).

TALIESIN: I get a second attack now.

MATT: If you want to take a second one, yeah.

TALIESIN: I'm going to take a second attack. Just a good ear boxing as I back off.

MATT: Go for it.

MARISHA and TRAVIS: Oh yeah.

TRAVIS: Let's go!

TALIESIN: That's an 18.

MATT: 18 hits, yeah.

TALIESIN: Seven more points.

SAM: Wow.

MATT: After he reacts for a second, he comes back with a bit of a grin. You can see the blood already beginning to pour from the nose as the sides of the head get hit. He puts his arms up to try and block it, but you're just a little bit too quick. Whack on the sides. He's kind of, "Ugh!" Now roll initiative. (cheering)

TRAVIS: That's 14 free points, baby! We take those free gifts.

LIAM: Ashton said, "Fuck your rules."

MARISHA: (laughs)

TRAVIS: That's some punk shit.

LAURA: (laughs) That's some punk shit.

TALIESIN: 16.

MATT: He got 16 as well. What's your dexterity?

TALIESIN: My dex is 16.

LAURA and ASHLEY: Rollies!

MARISHA: Rollies!

MATT: 16, you do go first. (groaning) (laughter)

ASHLEY: I was excited Matt was going to play Rollies.

TALIESIN: All right.

MATT: I am beyond Rollies. (laughter)

TRAVIS: You do not Rollies.

MATT: I am Rollies.

ASHLEY: You are Rollies? (laughter)

SAM: He is the one! (laughter)

TALIESIN: I'm going to give a little spin see if I can get an elbow right below the ribs.

MATT: Go for it.

TALIESIN: That's another 27 to hit. I should probably make a point.

MATT: 27 to hit.

TALIESIN: I rolled an 18 plus seven.

SAM: That's 25.

TALIESIN: 25, excuse me. Brain is a little broken, because I'm actually nervous. (laughter)

MATT: So yeah, you were going for the elbow to the side?

TALIESIN: Elbow right underneath the ribs.

MATT: All right. So after boxing his head, you crawl underneath and crack right in the side, it hits, but it's just hitting a wall of dense muscle. You get the impact, and you know, you can feel the chest compress from the pain, but he's taking it with stride.

TALIESIN: All right.

TRAVIS: Plus you're made of stone.

TALIESIN: Well...

TRAVIS: Or stuff.

LIAM: Stone-adjacent.

TALIESIN: Since this is my turn, I'm going to use my bonus action to-- I'm going to drop rage and use my bonus action to rage again.

MATT: Okay.

TALIESIN: That's just making--

LAURA: Do you take an exhaustion point? How does that work?

TALIESIN: Nope, just rage.

LAURA: Oh, you just get multiple rages per day.

TRAVIS: Certain number.

LIAM: I'm mad all over again!

LAURA: Okay.

TALIESIN: Ah, yes!

LAURA: Okay, that's good.

LAURA: I can never tell with his reactions.

MARISHA and TRAVIS: We don't know it he means. (laughter)

ROBBIE: Seven!

TALIESIN: You'll find out.

ROBBIE: It's good though, it's good.

SAM: He rolled DNA.

LIAM: These pages-- The pages are blank. (laughter)

MATT: So what did they notice about you initially in this fight, and then what transitions?

TALIESIN: For a second, my head seemed to get less there. Like there was almost a transparency underneath the glass in my head wound. I don't know if it would have even been caught. It was super fast. Now there's little sparks of colored electricity dancing around a bit in there. It got a little like one of those little Christmas toys.

MATT: Okay.

TALIESIN: That you spark up.

MATT: You got it.

TALIESIN: Just a little bit.

MATT: All right, and you have one more attack, don't you?

TALIESIN: I do. So I'm going to try and pop up and hit him in the chin. (laughter)

TALIESIN: This is now mine. Thank god. Eight, nine, 10-- 15 to hit.

MATT: 15 just hits.

TALIESIN: Okay, good to know.

LAURA: Mark it down, 15's a magic number.

TALIESIN: That's another--

MATT: Seven points of damage.

TALIESIN: That's another seven points of damage.

MATT: All right. So where's that hit going?

TALIESIN: That's going to the chin.

MATT: To the chin. So after you turn around and smack with the elbow to the side of the chest, then you turn around and whack right up the side of the face. You hear this cracking sound as his teeth impact against his own teeth. The jaw forced to clench. In the crowd you hear, "Ooh!" "Whoa!" around.

TALIESIN: You hurt to hit. Wow!

MATT: "(laughs) Now that we're awake, it's my turn."

TRAVIS: Now that we're awake.

MATT: He's going to rage.

TALIESIN: Awesome.

TRAVIS: Ragé!

SAM: Ragé! (laughter)

MATT: All right. As soon as watch him, he goes from this calm and collected state to this square jaw, clenching where the blood is now in the teeth from the impacts that you've given him and the blood seems to bubble a bit at the edge, the corners of his mouth. The air around you in this cold night seems to suddenly warm up.

TALIESIN: Oh fuck.

MATT: He's going to go ahead and make two strikes towards you. That is going to be a 16 to hit.

TALIESIN: 16's my AC.

MATT: And a 20 to hit.

TALIESIN: No, that doesn't hit. (laughter)

TALIESIN: Well, here we go.

TALIESIN: Oh, he gets to roll?

MATT: He does.

TALIESIN: Oh, fucker!

MATT: So that is going to be... eight points of bludgeoning damage reduced to four. As he rushes towards you and grabs the back of your head and slams into his knee, crack, almost Muay Thai style. With that, he's going to spin around with a back fist. Whoosh! It comes with an extreme speed towards you for nine points of bludgeoning damage reduced to four.

TALIESIN: All right.

MATT: This guy's a big fella and you can see now after the impact hits you, your eyes go wide for a second. The crowd goes, "Oh!" Some whispering. You can see now members of the Paragon's Call, are beginning to move in the crowd and keep a boundary. They're also like, "Come on, come on!" Cheering him on from the side. Other people start whispering around the space. New round. You're up.

TRAVIS: You got those first four in without any rage cap.

TALIESIN: Fuck it, let's make a reckless attack.

MATT: Go for it.

TALIESIN: See what happens. That hits, 18 plus seven.

MATT: That definitely hits.

TALIESIN: That's seven points of damage.

MATT: All right, you got it. Reduced to three.

TRAVIS: Let's go!

TALIESIN: Yeah, that also hits. Seven more points of damage.

MATT: Reduced to three. So how do these hits come at him?

TALIESIN: So still getting my bearings after the pretty impressive hit, I go in for another headbutt and don't actually go for it, just go for a straight jaw punch, connect. go for the same thing again, two.

MATT: Just two in the same space. The one actually gets a square hit. The second one, he puts up his arm to defend. You glance off and still catch the jaw, but it reduces the weight of the impact and he grabs your wrist in a reaction to that. Now he has you there for his round. He immediately comes in. That is going to be another 16 to hit, and a 24 to hit.

ALL: Ooh.

MATT: That's another eight points of bludgeoning damage and nine points bludgeoning damage, so four and four. As he grabs your wrist and then brings his arm up and pops where the elbow is the arm. If not for your tensing of your muscles and pulling away, he may have broken your arm, but you just managed to take the hit. You pull your arm back. As you do, you pull him towards you and he headbutts you in reaction. Everything goes white for a second. As you pull away, you noticed where the headbutt was, there's a flash of flame and you take three points of fire damage. The air around you is significantly warm. For a middle of the night, cold sensation, it's like you're standing in the middle of a hot desert, oddly. That hit left a singe mark on your face.

LAURA: Oh no.

TRAVIS: What the shit?

MATT: He starts grinning at you. Your turn.

TRAVIS: What the shit?!

TALIESIN: I'll hold off on reckless now that I know he's got a little bit, I want to see how much more of that there is. All right.

MATT: It's up to you. Just gives him advantage every time he attacks you, too.

TALIESIN: I know. Let's see where this goes.

TRAVIS: (laughs) The temptation.

TALIESIN: Natural 20. (cheering)

TALIESIN: So let's pop a chaos burst into this.

MATT: All righty.

TALIESIN: Thunder damage.

LAURA: Oh, it's not like damage damage.

MATT: It's with your fists, which technically are not a melee weapon.

TALIESIN: Oh. Even if I've got my fucking--

MATT: You don't have anything on you, physically.

TALIESIN: So you're not letting me use the--

MATT: Not for this ability, no. Unfortunately, a lot of these abilities are contingent on a melee weapon, which the fists don't count.

TALIESIN: So a natural 20 doesn't do anything?

MATT: It just does two points of damage as opposed to one for you.

MARISHA: Fuck!

LAURA: Ugh.

MARISHA: That's what makes monks special.

TALIESIN: Wait, hold on.

MATT: You do one point of damage when you hit, so now it's two. Plus your modifier. So you'd been doing seven, it would be eight now.

TALIESIN: All right.

TRAVIS: Do you get to roll an extra damage die at this level?

TALIESIN: No, no, no.

MATT: Unfortunately. You go and attempt it, but you haven't been in a fistfight in a while where you've thought you needed to emphasize any of that energy, and the minute you attempt to, you realize that it needs a focus. It needs something to drive itself through. The chaotic energy that seems to occasionally muddle around in your head needs an implement to go through. It's just not able to come through your fists.

LIAM: Gets him by the nose.

MATT: But it's one strike.

TRAVIS: Place your bets. Place your bets.

TALIESIN: Damn, that hit hard.

MATT: I know.

TALIESIN: Come on.

SAM: I'm going to just be making sure I'm within 30 feet of Ashton in the crowd.

MATT: You do have to finagle a little bit, but you manage to get near the frontline. And, thankfully, you're short enough, comparatively to some of the other patrons, that, without issue, you can keep an eyeline and stay within 30 feet.

SAM: Okay.

TALIESIN: That definitely hits again. That's another seven points of damage.

MATT: Another seven points of damage. And how does that hit come through?

TALIESIN: After that beautiful hit that seemed to do very little right to the fucking forehead, I'm just going to take the knuckles backward and do a full spin and just do the backhanded slap again, but just really fucking hard. I'm just sticking on the face.

MATT: Got it. Crack, crack, crack. Just a large, heavy impact of meat on meat. Everyone goes, "Oh," from both impacts of that round. And he seems to stagger for just a second, pull back a bit into a defensive position, wipe the blood from the front of his lip.

TALIESIN: Where have you been all my life?

MATT: "I could ask you the same question." And he rushes in.

MARISHA: Kiss.

MATT: You take three points of fire damage as he rushes in.

TRAVIS: Now kiss.

ASHLEY: Now kiss.

TALIESIN: I don't like the fire damage.

MATT: That's going to be a 20 to hit.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

MATT: And, oh, that's a 23 to hit. He's rolling pretty decent. You're both rolling pretty good, actually. That is nine points of bludgeoning damage, reduced to four. And that is 11 points of bludgeoning damage, reduced to five. As he comes forward and rushes you again with a jumping knee towards your head, you try move out of the way and he just grabs the back of your head as you dodge it, and slams you onto the ground. Your face impacts the dirt, but there's a rock there that catches your forehead. And immediately you can feel like the blood beginning to run. As you start to get back up, you feel his hand grab the back of your-- the scruff area of your neck, lift you up and slam your back down over his knee, like, almost like a half Bane back break, but you manage to tense up and pull off the side. But nevertheless, you could feel the muscles tear and flare up a bit as the pain (pulses) in your body. You pull away and release and he gets his fists up and goes, "You know, if you're looking for work, there is opportunities. You have some skill, and I like the fact that you do not give a shit."

TALIESIN: You are so much fun. All right.

SAM: At the top of Ashton's turn this time, I'm going to use a bonus action and pump four temporary hit points into him with--

MATT: Okay.

SAM: Ardent armor.

MATT: All right. Explain how you do so.

SAM: Oh, okay. I'm not on the battlefield, I guess, right?

MATT: You are not. You are hidden within the crowd. Everyone's eyes are on the scuffle.

SAM: I know how much he likes boozing, so I'll grab somebody's liquor and I'll just say: Hey, a refill, Ashton? And I'll just chuck it at his face. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Mid-fight.

MATT: Sploosh. It spreads across you.

TALIESIN: Ow, ow, it burns! Oh. I'm bleeding! You threw alcohol on a bleeding person!

SAM: It'll staunch the bleeding! I'm not that kind of a doctor. (laughter)

TRAVIS: What color is your blood?

TALIESIN: I've thought about that. I mean, I think it's a deep enough red that it's almost, like it's not quite black. It's like really dark wine, basically.

LAURA: Cool.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

MARISHA: A Merlot.

MATT: Which, with the additional wine that may have been thrown on you, it now just blends in as a splash of different shades of red.

SAM: Four temporary hit points.

TALIESIN: Oh, okay. I'm going to to take that four away and put it in temporary.

MATT: Indeed.

TRAVIS: That robot threw blood!

MATT: It's your go, what are you doing? You're both now squared up again on the hill, on even ground, a few feet from each other, and you can see he's now fully engaged and in a proper stance, what do you do?

TALIESIN: I guess I should impress. I'm going to run straight forward. Well, let's see if I hit.

MATT: Okay.

TALIESIN: Run straight forward try and grab the wrist. I'm going to try and see if I can make it attack.

TRAVIS: Okay.

LIAM: Trust me, you get to know.

TALIESIN: 14. That's not going to hit, is it?

MATT: 14 does not hit. You go and try and grab for the wrist and he just slaps your hand out of the way to the side, gives you a little bit of a gleaming glance and a head tilt.

TALIESIN: I'm going to spin around, try and make a kick to the chest.

TRAVIS: Should've had popcorn.

TALIESIN: That, on the other hand--

LAURA: I said the same thing.

TALIESIN: 15, 22, that hits.

MATT: 22 definitely hits.

TALIESIN: Seven more points.

MATT: Seven points reduced to three. Great. As the second one does connect, it's like still hitting a wall, like a heavy rock. And, yeah. That finishes your go?

TALIESIN: It's all I got.

MATT: Okay. As soon as your blow spins around and hits him in the back of the head, he seems to go low. There's this moment where his massive height, especially compared to you, seems to diminish rapidly. That's a natural 20.

LAURA: Oh, no thanks.

MATT: As he goes into a spinning kick from underneath--

LAURA: ♪ Spinnin' the leg! ♪

MATT: Now, there is a control and discipline to his fighting style that, it began more brutish, but now has become refined. As he spins, you feel your legs leave from underneath you. And as you're coming downward, he just grabs your head and crack! Right onto his shoulder.

LAURA: No!

SAM: May I absorb some of this blow?

MATT: You may, yeah. That goes to four plus seven. 11 points of bludgeoning damage.

TALIESIN: Reduced.

MATT: Plus--

LAURA: Oh no.

MATT: Oh, no, actually that'd be this down here. So 14 points bludgeoning damage reduced to seven.

TALIESIN: Seven.

SAM: And then I take half of that. Is that right?

MATT: You would, yeah. So you would take--

SAM: So is that the four or the three?

MATT: You would take three.

SAM: I take three.

TALIESIN: And I take four.

MATT: You take four, correct.

TALIESIN: Okay.

SAM: (winces)

MATT: So you hit and you feel your jaw almost dislocate from the bottom of the skull from the impact. But it doesn't hit as hard as you expect, something seems to guard you. There's a slight sense of, not aggressive or dangerous warmth that wasn't there before in a brief flash. And for a second, you can't help but, out of the corner of your eyes, see Fresh Cut Grass seem to almost accept a portion of the blow themself. After that strike, is going to... That is going to be an 11 to hit.

TALIESIN: So, I'm just going to fall back and let it fly over me.

MATT: Okay. Now, after impacting that way, he spins around to try and grab you to almost bring you in a pile driver-type maneuver, he's now getting into full physical wrestling aspects. And you just fall out of the space as the hands go wide and grab nothing. It's now your go, what are you doing?

TALIESIN: I'm going to try and make that wrist grab again and try and turn it into a thing.

MATT: Go for it.

TALIESIN: Here we go. Nope. That's the 12. I'm still a little woozy, make a grab.

MATT: Ducks out of the way, he's backing away from you and leading you in a certain direction across the battlefield. Go make your next attack.

SAM: Oh, crazy roll.

LIAM: Cocked.

TALIESIN: It landed. I can read it. 22.

MATT: That hits, and that's another.

TALIESIN: So I'm definitely woozy for a second and smile, look up, run over, and flip around to get an elbow toward the ear again and land on the other side.

TRAVIS: In the ear? Oh, fuck.

MATT: You impact on the side. You see him go down to one knee for just a moment before kicking back up onto his feet. He seems to feint to one side. And as you prepare to block, he instead weaves to the direction, comes from the other angle, and that is going to be a 19 to hit.

TALIESIN: That hits.

SAM: Oh, damn.

MATT: And a 20 to hit.

TALIESIN: Both hit.

MATT: So what you don't notice is he's moved you over away from the center of this grassy field and the crowd's shifting with you guys as you begin to move away from the initial starting point, brings you over to where one of the small marble pillars is holding one of the lanterns above and with that feint, he jumps up, jumps off of it and then, crack! Just kicks you right across the face midair for--

MARISHA: He's so good.

SAM: He's a general.

MATT: Nine points bludgeoning damage, reduced to four. And then, as soon as you take the brunt of that to the face, the jaw spitting your dark blood across the grass right next to you, he then leaps in the air, two fists just hammer blows you over the back of the shoulders for 10 points bludgeoning damage, reduced to five.

MARISHA: Yikesies.

MATT: Ugh! You feel the wind leave your lungs for a second, your vision begins to go unfocused. The sparking in your skull is still present, but it's flashing at times. And folks are starting to like, (concerned mumbling). You can see people beginning to make bets off to the side. And a lot of the other Paragon's Call are like nodding in an odd element of excitement and respect.

TALIESIN: All right. So--

ROBBIE: How does Ashton look right now, by the way?

TALIESIN: I've looked better.

TRAVIS: A hundred gold? I'll take that action.

TALIESIN: Yeah, I've looked better.

SAM: Has the opponent moved him further than 30 feet away from me, by any chance?

MATT: They'd begun to, but the crowd has been shifting with it. As long as you're keeping up with the crowd, you can still keep that tether.

LAURA: Is it moving farther from the entrance?

MATT: It is moving farther from the entrance.

LAURA: Okay.

MATT: It's still in the grassy area, but it's starting to get closer and closer to the stone road.

LAURA: Okay.

TALIESIN: So I'm currently up against the pillar.

MATT: Yeah. You just got knocked, you're not up against it because he jumped off of it to hit you, but you're about five feet from it now staggering off to the side.

TALIESIN: All right. I'm going to try and use my very intense hair straight to the face, just as a hop up.

MATT: Oh, Sonic the Hedgehog him, hell yeah.

TRAVIS: Uh-huh.

TALIESIN: Come on. Yeah, that hits. That's 28 to hit.

MATT: That'll hit, yeah.

TALIESIN: Seven more points.

MATT: Seven more points. All right, so three there.

LAURA: It's nice not have to roll for damage.

SAM: I know, right?

TALIESIN: I really wish I could add that little chaos burst because that'd really help right now. And with that, I'm just going to assume that's given me just enough to come in and keep trying to get the eyes to bleed.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: Specific.

ROBBIE: Yeah.

TALIESIN: 18?

MATT: 18 hits.

TALIESIN: Seven more points.

MATT: All righty.

TALIESIN: Right below the eyes. See if I can get them to bleed.

MATT: Crack! You're going for the cheekbone area-- Just starting to pummel the face. And there is the smeared mess of blood that is like in the lower part of his face, beneath the nose, but also yours as well. You both are just messes, but you're both grinning through the blood and pain. And there's a certain connection that comes in that moment of one-on-one battle that is-- it's weirdly almost a friendship if you weren't trying to murder each other. You can see there's a level of respect and enjoyment here.

MARISHA: I want them to kiss so bad.

LAURA: I know.

MATT: Just go right into it. But as you push upward off the side of the face, reaches up to try and grab. That is going to be a 10.

ALL: Ooh!

MATT: Goes to reach for your wrists and you pull back away. And as you break the attempt at a hold, he comes forward with his foot up to go for a full on kick to the chest. That is going to be for 17.

TALIESIN: 17 hits.

MATT: For 11 points of bludgeoning damage, reduced to five and--

SAM: I'll take half of that.

MATT: Okay. So you take two points of damage and you take three.

TRAVIS: You just get kicked backwards in the crowd.

MATT: But you did also take the damage from the previous one that you did not expend as well.

SAM: Yes, of course.

MATT: Yeah.

SAM: I know it.

MATT: The kick burns you for another three points of fire damage. As the foot impacts you and there's a smell of charred charcoal and brimstone for a second. And you feel back, and the air in your lungs seems to be unfathomably hot for a split second. You find yourself coughing as a reaction to it.

LAURA: No, is he hot?

MATT: He's coming straight towards you.

LAURA: Is he like, really attractive?

TALIESIN: That is so cool.

MATT: He's so fucking hot, you don't even know.

LAURA: Yeah. He's really attractive.

MARISHA: Wait, let me check my notes. Yes, he's hot.

TALIESIN: 12.

MATT: 12? 12 misses. Still staggering from the impact.

TALIESIN: Try and grab the leg and I miss.

MATT: As you go for the grab, he just leapfrogs over you from behind. What are you going to do in response to that?

TALIESIN: I'm going to try and swing around, just haymaker and hope I hit something.

MATT: All righty.

TALIESIN: Yeah, that hits. That's a 19 to hit.

MATT: 19 hits.

TALIESIN: Full spinning haymaker right to the face. Another seven points.

MATT: Okay. You see, after he leapfrogs over you, he's turning around to try and go ahead and grab for you again, but wasn't expecting the speed in which you whipped around and just whack, right across the side of the face for another three points of damage. Like, he's looking a little roughed up.

TALIESIN: (exhausted laughter) Fuck. (laughter)

TALIESIN: No matter what, I'm not forgetting this.

MATT: All right, he's like, "The offer still stands when this is over. You want to work, I could put it to you."

TALIESIN: Very-- we'll talk later.

MATT: "But first, you understand I have to finish a show."

TALIESIN: I'm not backing down, that'd be rude.

MATT: "Good." And at that point he jumps forward actually, you think he's going to try and kick you again. As you put up your arms to block, he hooks his foot over your hand and jumps almost on towards your shoulder for a 19 to hit. Actually, you know what? He's going reckless now. He's going all in.

TALIESIN: Oh.

TRAVIS: Yeah, here we go!

MATT: Yeah, that definitely hits. It's higher than that.

TRAVIS: Kick it up a notch!

MATT: That's nine points of bludgeoning damage reduced to four. As he kicks you, he almost jumps up the front of you and then kicks off of your back, sending you flying even further forward, just past the grass into where the stone is. As you catch yourself, and begin to turn around, with a speed that you weren't even expecting, he's already back upon you and is now trying to grab the back of your head and slam you face down onto the stonework of the road right there, reckless.

TRAVIS: How about the teeth?

MATT: It's a natural 20. (groaning)

SAM: Ooh. I may absorb this one as well.

MARISHA: Oh, jeez.

MATT: That is going to be two, three--

TALIESIN: Oh, F.C.G. just explodes.

MATT: 13 points.

TRAVIS: Whoa!

MATT: Plus 19 points bludgeoning damage. (groaning)

MATT: Reduced to half, so that would be nine. You take half, which is four. You take five.

LIAM: (pained laughter)

MARISHA: Are you still up?

TALIESIN: Kind of.

LAURA: Oh my god.

MATT: So he like-- after that, he catches up, he grabs the back of your head right as you start to catch your senses for a second and then, wham! Hit the stone. He just grinds you across the ground. (grinding noises)

TALIESIN: No, not stone.

MARISHA: (grunts)

MATT: Everyone can hear the heavy sound of stone grinding against stone. And your body drags across it. But as you're trying to find some sort of purchase to get yourself back into a place of control, the crowd just like, "Oh! God!" They're cheering. "Yeah, get him!" What are you doing?

TALIESIN: I'll let you know if I hit.

MATT: Oh, also take two more points of fire damage. (groaning)

TALIESIN: Oh, I take two more points of fire damage?

MATT: Three more points of fire damage.

TRAVIS: Three or two?

MATT: Three.

TALIESIN: I'm out. (yelling)

ROBBIE: No!

MATT: As he drags your face into the stone, you feel your conscious begin to fade.

LAURA: Oh, what a way to like, end it.

MARISHA: Oh yeah.

MATT: Then the heat picks up and darkness takes you.

MARISHA: Full road rash.

MATT: The rest of you watch as General Ratanish releases him on the ground, gets up ready to fight and goes, "Is that it? Well, that is mildly disappointing, but not entirely." Grabs the back of his shoulder and picks him up off the ground. You can see his feet dragging in there. He goes, "Gentlemen," and tosses your unconscious body over to one of the Paragon Call members who grabs it. Go ahead and roll a death save.

TALIESIN: Help. Help.

LAURA: They're not going to kill you. They want to work with you.

TALIESIN: Natural one.

SAM: What does that mean? What does that mean?

MATT: That's two death saves.

SAM: Oh, jesus!

MATT: As you land in his arms he goes, "Hey, boss, he's not doing well. You really did a number." He's like, "Patch him up!"

LAURA: Okay.

MATT: "He earned it, at least." And they glance each other and they start quickly looking for any sort of materials.

SAM: Oh, they don't--?

MATT: They don't have--

SAM: All right, I'll zoom on over.

TALIESIN: I have a healing potion on me, if that would--

SAM: Don't worry, I can do this, I can do this. I can do this.

MARISHA: Save your potions.

SAM: I'll go up and I'll just say: Excuse me, I know this fighter. May I please lay some hands?

MARISHA: Just.

LIAM: Taliesin does not want to lose another character.

TALIESIN: No, not right now. Please do it right now.

MATT: They're not arguing.

MARISHA: Level five! (laughter)

TALIESIN: Not in the mood. Not in the fucking mood right now. This is not how I want to spend my weekend.

MARISHA: No?

SAM: I've just healed you nine points.

TALIESIN: Wow.

LAURA: Yay.

TALIESIN: I'm okay.

TRAVIS: Oh my god. (laughter)

TRAVIS: "Not right now."

MATT: You take your breath. Your eyes begin to slowly focus out of the dark space that you found yourself for a moment. The crowd now is all eyes on this interesting end The crowd now is all eyes on this interesting end of the scuffle. The Paragon's Call, they're still holding you up. You're conscious, but your feet are still limping, almost dragging on the ground as they're just holding you aloft. The human is there next to you, glances down and says, "Hey, thank you for your help, whatever you are."

SAM: Oh, you're kindly welcome.

MATT: And then smacks you in the face a little bit, not enough to hurt you, but enough to like, "Hey, hey, wake up."

TALIESIN: Oh yeah. Oh, I haven't been hit like that in months. You're amazing.

MATT: Ratanish, after checking him with you, turns around to the rest of the crowd as everyone gets quiet and goes, "And these are the skills that you could easily pay for to keep your people safe."

MARISHA: Hashtag ad.

ROBBIE: Oh.

TALIESIN: I knew it was coming.

SAM: Hashtag promoting.

MARISHA: Promote. Oh no. (laughter)

MARISHA: Gross.

SAM: "I'm on Cameo." (laughter)

LAURA: Hold on. Let me cross out the "hot" note.

TRAVIS: Oh man.

MATT: "This is just fists. Imagine the strength of me and my soldiers, my guardians, with our arms and weapons at your beck and call. How much more comfortable your people will sleep."

SAM: Oh, fuck this guy.

MATT: "And, if you are not interested, we respect that and we will speak to other folks elsewhere who might be. But please, let us continue the party. Inside, inside!" And everyone starts pushing the crowd of it. People begin to shuffle and start heading back into the chamber. Presently you're inside.

LIAM: I'm here.

LAURA: Laudna's inside.

MATT: You're both there. You're also out here?

TRAVIS: Yeah, I took them outside, had just come through the front door.

MATT: All right, cool.

TRAVIS: -- realized Cyrus was gone.

LIAM: So the littles are all here.

MATT: You have a high enough perception, passive perception. You have really high passive perception, actually.

LIAM: Sure do.

MATT: Yes, you do. So, to that point, after this presentation by Ratanish, everyone starts looking about. You do glance over and see Gavis lean in and is listening to somebody, looks like a really well-dressed woman in probably her early 50s or so, who is just whispering into his ear, arm on the shoulder. And you can see him listening intently, gives a nod and she releases her hand, clasps hers together. And as the crowd is shifting, goes and saddles up next to Armand Treshi, and they both begin to whisper together.

SAM: Wait, is that Jiana Hexum? Or, who is it?

MATT: No.

MARISHA: We don't know her.

LIAM: I would recognize Hexum.

LAURA: What does she look like?

MATT: You can see she has darker black hair with streaks of gray that are coming through. The hair is gently braided in this long braid that heads down the back. There's these gold and silver rings that, at the very base of the braid, are tied into it and hang. These beautiful earrings that are long and dangle past the shoulders. Her dress is this deep red and gold coloration, too, where she has a combination of a shawl-scarf that just wraps around her arms and keeps them together when she finishes her conversation and prepares to reenter.

LIAM: Does she have round ears, pointed ears?

MATT: She appears to be human.

LIAM: Okay.

LAURA: This is happening inside while the fight is going on, or right after the fight has ended?

MATT: This is right after the fight has ended.

LAURA: Okay.

MATT: After the display.

SAM: I'm just going to sit with Ashton outside for a bit and make sure they are with it. How many fingers am I holding up?

TALIESIN: How many fingers do you have?

SAM: You know what? I've never actually thought about that. I think it's 10. I think it's 10. Let me look at my character art. It's 10! I got 10 fingers!

MARISHA: Are those-- is that...

SAM: I can't tell.

MARISHA: No, that's 10. That's 10. Yeah.

ASHLEY: Yeah.

TALIESIN: I don't know. I cannot wait to do that again.

SAM: Oh wow.

TALIESIN: Holy shit.

MARISHA: Imogen and I are just looking at the whisper network on the inside. Or at least that's what I'm doing. I don't speak for you.

LAURA: That's totally what I'm doing.

MATT: Well, as the group begins to fill out of the interior again, it's a loud bustle of conversation. Some folks being like--

LAURA: Shh, they're on their way back in.

MATT: "God, I can't believe I lost money on that one." Somebody else's talking about how, "Who even was that? What even started that? Did he slap him for no reason?" You know, "Oh, they must have some long, arduous history. You know, when you're a warrior for a lifetime, you can build rivals everywhere." It's just all this extrapolation about this interaction that people are just creating their own lore in the spot about what they assume it might be because it sounds interesting. Yeah, if you want to both make, because you're looking to the crowd, both think perception checks for me.

MARISHA: 20 total.

LAURA: Eight total.

MATT: Okay. As the crowd quickly begins to move in, you sense the oppressive return of proximity minds and those whispers getting to press a bit. You begin to back away instinctually, as it becomes briefly a bit much as it washes into your mind and distracts you from focusing on the group. Laudna, as you glance through the crowd. You see the other side of this conversation as this woman walks alongside Armand Treshi. And they're both having, almost like hidden within the crowd, a very quick, intense conversation back and forth. So they both just keep looking around and glancing back towards the direction of where Ratanish is.

MARISHA: Where is Ratanish?

MATT: Ratanish is still towards the entrance, but is now heading in with the crowd, and people are patting him on the shoulders. He stands quite tall over a lot of the group. But you... He got blood all over his face. He looks hurt. Looks like he definitely, he didn't come through in a perfect spic-and-span type presentation, but still has some vigor left in him. People are clapping his back and congratulating him and introducing themselves to him. Most people were avoiding the Paragon's Call earlier in the evening. As they're mingling through now, there's like an introductions are made-- And now they're starting to want to engage with the current star of the moment. And there, to the back of it, you can see Fresh Cut Grass, the rest of your troop that was in the exterior over in the direction of the now conscious and brutally bloodied Ashton.

SAM: Just lean on me, Ashton. It's all right.

TALIESIN: Are there any looky-loos still like--

MATT: There's a handful that are watching to see what you're going to do. They're heading inward, but they're also keeping--

TALIESIN: Lean forward. Father. (sniffs) (cries) Might as well start some rumors if I can.

MATT: Make a deception check.

TALIESIN: Bonuses, because they can't see my face through the blood?

MATT: I'll give you advantage, because they're definitely invested in whatever falsehoods are being spread throughout here, yeah.

TALIESIN: It's a deception check, right?

MATT: Yes.

TALIESIN: Oh, thank god. Wow. Nope. That was a zero with advantage.

MATT: So the closest person is--

LAURA: A zero with advantage? Wow.

MATT: The person closest to you goes, watches this display and turns to their friend and you just barely hear, as they begin to walk into the building, "He beat him so hard, he's asking him for his father."

TALIESIN: Ow.

LIAM: Wow. Did you say that the woman with the long braided hair walked indoors with Treshi?

MATT: Walked in with Treshi after coming over and engaging Gavis.

LIAM: Okay. So Orym sees that F.C.G., he's here, but he sees the F.C.G. has got care for Ashton. So I'm going to--

TALIESIN: I'm fine.

LIAM: I'm going to follow in at a distance and just try to get within earshot and observe.

MARISHA: Yeah, I'm going to keep eyes on him, too.

MATT: Okay.

ROBBIE: I'm going to make my way over to Ashton pretending that I don't.

MARISHA: ♪ Making my way ♪

ROBBIE: Mm, I forget!

MATT: Every time. Every time.

TALIESIN: We all forget.

ROBBIE: Pretending that I don't know him, like I'm another patron.

TALIESIN: Oh, thank god.

ROBBIE: Ouch. And after a while I'll go to him and I'm going to be like, Young man, such a show of courage and braggadocio. I must shake your hand.

TALIESIN: Ow.

ROBBIE: And as I do, I'm going to cast a level two Cure Wounds on him.

MATT: Oh, slick.

TALIESIN: Thank you.

ROBBIE: (laughs) Womp.

TALIESIN: What do you heal me? Okay. 10 points.

TALIESIN: Hey, that's nice.

ROBBIE: I'm going to just do a very flamboyant move and I'm going to go to: Well done, well done to kiss him on the cheek. As I do, I'm going to whisper in his ear: We need you. And then I'm going to walk away.

MATT: Okay.

TALIESIN: Oh, that was so much fun.

SAM: Who was that stranger?

TALIESIN: Oh, Ratatouille or something, I didn't really catch it.

SAM: Are you up to going back into the party, or do you--

TALIESIN: No.

SAM: Just to, okay.

TALIESIN: I think going back would be a very bad idea at this point, but I feel like we learned something. Sadly, this fucked up my new clothes, but that's okay.

SAM: Do you feel badly about how this went? Do you need revenge?

TALIESIN: No.

MATT: It's right about this time that three of the members of the Paragon's Call crew, the minotaur, the half-orc, and the human have stepped beyond the crowd to approach you. The minotaur, "The general would like to sit with you at the table and converse."

TALIESIN: I'm a little... punched at the moment.

MATT: Reaches into the side of his little vest that he put over the heavy hides and the meager attempt at looking presentable and pulls out a thick piece of cloth, like a napkin of some kind that may have been stolen from the inside. And just reaches over and wipes the blood off your face aggressively, like a mom who's done with their child. He's like, "Now you're presentable. Come inside," and grabs your shoulder.

TALIESIN: Will there be booze? Oh.

MATT: And they don't even pay attention to you, just begin to muscle back--

TALIESIN: I'll be back!

MATT: -- as you watch.

SAM: I'm going to try to tag along, just to make sure that they don't take him and throw him in the back of a station wagon or something.

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: Do we see him come through the door?

MATT: Yes. You watch him flanked by the crews. They're being brought over to one of the distant tables in the far left-hand side, where you can see General Ratanish is now like finishing stretching the arms and massaging part of the shoulder. A few of the people are talking at him, but you can see he's not really listening and seems to still be in the moments of conflict before glancing over and seeing Ashton approach and gives a nod.

LAURA: You hear in your head: How you doing Ashton?

TALIESIN: Ow. Probably, but we'll see where this goes.

LAURA: We'll keep our eyes.

MATT: You're seeing this, too, after the requests you just gave he's quickly pulled off to the side.

MARISHA: Where's the woman?

MATT: The woman is now within the crowd a bit moving off to the far back where you see her and Armand separate and now begin to be having conversation entertaining other guests and talking about what just transpired.

MARISHA: Does she pass me at all?

MATT: I would say, if you're trying to cut her off or whatever, she's trying to move through the crowd and around to the center back of the room. So you can either follow or cut off. What are you trying to do?

LIAM: I'm following.

MARISHA: I'll cut--

LAURA: Oh, are you guys following?

LIAM: Yeah. I followed them, I went right in.

MARISHA: You want to keep close ear out?

LAURA: I will.

MARISHA: I want to see if I can draw some attention and gather people towards the back of this room. I'm going to do that party power move. I want to sit at a table alone by myself, towards the back away from things. And when I'm just alone, look open and see if I can make eye contact with her, if she glances over.

TRAVIS: Nobody's going to make eye contact with you. (laughter)

MARISHA: Probably. You're not wrong.

MATT: All right, you go ahead and set up in that space.

LAURA: Party power move. Augh!

LIAM: I'm going to try-- I'm going to try to use my size to stay hidden behind other people between her and I and overhear as many conversations as I can.

MATT: I'd like for you to roll a stealth check and a perception check. What are you doing?

ASHLEY: I was following the people in after he said, "Father" and I correct them. No, no, no, that, that, that was his father that was beating him. (laughter)

MATT: Make a deception check.

TRAVIS: No!

MARISHA: Yes!

TALIESIN: Thanks for having my back.

ASHLEY: You got it, baby. Probably not going to work.

TALIESIN: No, I appreciate it though.

ASHLEY: Eight.

MATT: "(uncertain noise) They look nothing alike."

ASHLEY: What does that even mean?

MATT: "I just-- (disgusted scoff)" They just wander off, flustered by the encounter.

ASHLEY: Then I'm going to walk over, and (sighs) I'm going to walk over to where F.C.G. is.

MATT: Okay, the music is picking up once more. While the evening seems to have definitely crested between both the Dance of the Crossroads and now this exterior duel, where the energy is starting to wind down a bit, you imagine there's probably maybe a few more hours of this event, if anything. People are getting to to the part of the night where they're starting to just get to the business they meant to do, if they haven't yet.

TRAVIS: Because everybody's come back in, and I'm still-- well, my invisibility's going to wear off in an hour. So I'll just find a corner. I'm just gesticulating wildly because nobody could see me, like: Where the fuck is Cyrus? Shit. (whooshes) Ah! Who can I see in the room that hasn't gone off to a side or being tended by his daddy? (laughter)

MATT: What'd you roll for stealth?

LIAM: Stealth, 12.

MATT: 12, okay. You can roll a perception check if you'd like to, Chetney.

TRAVIS: Sure, I would like to look for Dorian, but I would take really anybody.

LAURA: Anybody.

MATT: The only person that's trying to be hidden is-- actively hidden.

TRAVIS: Perception, 19.

MATT: Orym. So you do see Orym dodging through the crowd, keeping that servant energy, but you know, doing the thing that he's been doing for most of the night, which is paying attention. Dorian, you can see as well, you can see pretty much everybody else who is present in this event.

LAURA: Can you see me standing awkwardly in the middle of the room?

MARISHA: Not knowing who to talk to or what to do. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Hands.

MARISHA: (laughs) Yeah.

LIAM: Oh boy.

TRAVIS: Do I see Imogen?

ASHLEY: Oh my god. (laughter)

LAURA: That was the same pose I was doing.

TRAVIS: I miss it. I know, we're late. You drink too fast, goddamn it.

ROBBIE: Yeah, it's hurtful over here.

TRAVIS: Remember to open up--

ROBBIE: Get all the jokes.

TRAVIS: If I can Orym trying to be sly, I'll go towards Imogen.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: Hey, Imogen?

LAURA: (squeals) Hi, there you are. (stammers) What have you doing?

TRAVIS: Oh man, it's been the craziest night and not in, like, the hot, sexy way. Listen, I was tracking a couple of things, but I saw-- Are you around people?

LAURA: I mean--

TRAVIS: Are we kind of alone?

LAURA: There's no--

TRAVIS: Kneel down. Hey, how are you doing?

LAURA: I'm great.

TRAVIS: Listen, I was going after Dorian's brother. Cyrus was here.

LAURA: Oh, oh!

TRAVIS: But he was here with the elf woman, Emoth Kade.

LAURA: I don't know what you're talking about.

TRAVIS: Anyway, she turned into something else. She went into a secret room--

LAURA: What do you mean, wait!

TRAVIS: Then I lost Dorian's brother.

LAURA: What do you mean she turned into something else? What are you talking about?

TRAVIS: She got all crazy in one of these secret rooms past the double doors over by the pisser.

TRAVIS: I'm southern all of a sudden. (laughter)

LAURA: That's talking to me.

TRAVIS: (ululates with tongue)

LAURA: You can do it, you can do it, Chet.

TRAVIS: I think Dorian needs to be aware that his brother is missing.

LAURA: His bro--? Can I look around? Do I see Dorian?

MATT: Dorian's hard to miss.

TRAVIS: I'll do the same.

ROBBIE: I made my way over to my date--

MARISHA: ♪ Makin' my way ♪

ROBBIE: Fearne, yeah.

LAURA: I'll see if I can talk to Dorian if he has not blocked me out still. Oh mi'lord. Oh my fucking lord.

TRAVIS: (blows raspberry)

ROBBIE: Who is that, hello? I can't quite tell from the voice. Who's speaking?

LAURA: Chet's has been following your brother and he's gone missing.

ROBBIE: Oh. Missing?

LAURA: I don't know.

ROBBIE: How could he go missing? From the party?

LAURA: I think so. He said he followed him into a back room and he's missing now. And some elf woman turns weird and attacked and went into-- I don't-- I couldn't follow him.

ROBBIE: Attacked someone?

LAURA: I think so?

ROBBIE: All right, well, can you send him over? Should we talk, or--? I don't know, that sounds not right.

LAURA: Come over here.

ROBBIE: Okay.

LAURA: I'm over here.

ROBBIE: Where is he?

LAURA: You can come over. He's right next to me.

ROBBIE: Okay.

LAURA: Just look down.

SAM: I imagine they're, like, 16 feet apart.

MARISHA: Yeah. (laughter)

ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah!

MARISHA: Just staring at each other.

LAURA: Just awkwardly staring.

ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, all right. Then I'll walk on over.

MARISHA: Gesticulating a little, but just staring.

ROBBIE and LAURA: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. (laughter)

ROBBIE: I'll come on over. Is Chetney still invisible or is he?

LAURA: No, you can see him. (laughter)

SAM: He's just little!

TRAVIS: What's up, fuck face?

ROBBIE: Oh shit!

TRAVIS: Fuck you, I'm here!

ROBBIE: Keep your voice down. That's very strong language--

TRAVIS: Oh, I'm sorry, your grace.

ROBBIE: -- for a nice party.

TRAVIS: Your grace.

ROBBIE: We're not going to start this again.

TRAVIS: All right.

ROBBIE: I swear just the information, Chetney.

TRAVIS: Oh, right, your brother. I was with him for a second. He said he was trying to earn some money to get rid of, you know, his problems.

ROBBIE: Yes.

TRAVIS: Not a physical one, but the one that we all know about, you know? It starts with a B.

ROBBIE: I know, you don't have to hint at it.

TRAVIS: Then he was working with this woman and then I lost track of him. But when I followed her, she was back in this room and she looked like she didn't live there and she was turning it upside down, and there were all these little creepy creatures. They were digging through stuff.

LAURA: Wait, wait, wait! Creepy creatures?

TRAVIS: Yeah, they were all shadowy and (growls).

LAURA: (gasps)

ROBBIE: Were they small, smaller than you?

TRAVIS: Yeah, yeah, about my size. A couple of different variations. But then she went from being totally normal-looking to she was sweating and then (growls and groans). Then it was no good, and she had a moldy smell.

LAURA: (gasps) Dorian.

ROBBIE: Okay.

LAURA: Dugger!

ROBBIE: Yes, but what does that have to do with my brother? It doesn't make sense!

LAURA: He was working with her?

TRAVIS: Yeah, he said he was trying to make good on his thing.

ROBBIE: All right.

LAURA: You don't think he could've been taken by the--?

ROBBIE: Don't say that, please.

TRAVIS: I asked him if he was working protection or something, but he didn't really elucidate.

ROBBIE: So you looked for him and then he was just gone?

TRAVIS: Yeah. Actually, I heard him going to the pisser, so then I checked there and he wasn't inside. Goddamn it, it's so southern now, fuck! (laughter) I just heard it.

ROBBIE: You're doing great. You're doing so good! You got it, doing great, Chetney!

TRAVIS: Fuck Santa! Okay, here we go. I'm back in it.

ROBBIE: You got the touchstone. You have to have a touchstone for every performance.

TRAVIS: Got to check in.

ROBBIE: Yes.

TRAVIS: So I went and he wasn't in there, and I came back out and he's gone. (laughter)

ASHLEY: She's too powerful.

TRAVIS: It's like a black hole, man.

SAM: It's so close to Old Prospector, it's so close.

MATT: I know, I love it!

TRAVIS: You hit the event horizon and go (zooms). (laughter) Each hour is seven years. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Oh my god.

ROBBIE: We've done what we came for. Should we go look for him? Is he accessible?

LAURA: Yeah, where did you go? Where was he?

TRAVIS: So those double doors over there, behind the guards, to the right was the room that she was ransacking. The restrooms are to the left.

ROBBIE: Guards?

TRAVIS: Yeah, there's two guards by the door. You can go if you just have to go to the restroom.

LAURA: Did you check the restroom to see if he's in there?

TRAVIS: I did, empty. Room, no Cyrus.

LAURA: Did you look and see if maybe the restrooms have holes in them the same way the other rooms did?

TRAVIS: There are holes in the restroom. I don't know how many nice places you've been in, but, what?

ROBBIE: Not that kind of hole.

TRAVIS: Oh.

ROBBIE: You don't think that he could've been taken, do you?

LAURA: Honestly, I don't-- (gasps) Wait!

ROBBIE: What?

LAURA: I could try something.

ROBBIE: Yes, try something, try it. What is it?

LAURA: I'm going to try.

ROBBIE: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm?

TRAVIS: She's going to kill us.

MARISHA: (explodes)

LAURA: I'm going to reach out. I'm going to open up my mind, and you guys are going to see my eyes start flickering white, and I'm going to try to reach my mind out and see if I can find Cyrus.

TRAVIS: Ooh, what?

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: If I can, I'm going to send him a message. (laughs)

MATT: Okay. So you are attempting to--

LAURA: Cast Sending.

MATT: Cast Sending to him, okay.

TRAVIS: Oh shit!

MATT: All righty.

ASHLEY: Good idea.

MATT: You begin to concentrate and focus on the memory of the voice and the expression and the dress that he was wearing in that brief moment that-- You did not see his dress.

LAURA: I didn't, but I know what he looks like.

MATT: But you know what he looks like, and what he wore previously, and you focus and concentrate, and you feel this tug. You're not able to place the direction of it necessarily, but you find a connecting point to his mind. What would you like to say?

LAURA: Cyrus, where are you? Your brother's looking for you. Are you all right?

MATT: Okay. He responds, "Uh. I'm fine, don't-- Tell him, don't worry. I'm-- I'm paying my debts. It's being taken care of."

LAURA: He sounds like he's safe. He said he was paying his debts. He wouldn't tell me where he was.

ROBBIE: What? Paying his debts? In the bathroom? (laughter)

TRAVIS: That's how it starts.

ROBBIE: Sounds like a lot of work. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Who does Number Two work for? (laughter)

TRAVIS: Couple trysts.

SAM: I will only call taking a dump “paying my debts" from now on. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Same.

SAM: Got to go pay some debts. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Making a deposit.

ASHLEY: (laughs)

LAURA: We can look for him in the bathroom, but he sounded like he wanted to be left alone. (laughter)

MARISHA: Such a departure from, (like Jester) "Are you pooping?" (laughter)

LAURA: I mean, it could've been so easy. (laughter)

LIAM: (like Imogen) Are you pooping? (laughter)

ROBBIE: I suppose I have to trust him for now.

LAURA: But I am concerned about this woman.

TRAVIS: Yeah, I mean, she was crazy, but we're not supposed to make a big--

ROBBIE: But what if he is making some sort of deal? What if he has a chance to free himself? My brother, I know he presents a certain way, but he is capable. If he's in the midst of some sort of plan to get himself out of this, I don't want to ruin it for him.

LAURA: If you think you can trust him, then--

ROBBIE: I do trust him.

LAURA: Well, then we will, too.

ROBBIE: Thank you. But Chetney, was there any more exits out of that area or do you think those two doors are the only way?

TRAVIS: Fuck! I really should've looked. I was rattled. I was on my own. There was a hallway to the left and the right. But did I remember seeing any other doors at the end of the hallways or where there windows?

MATT: Within this chamber, there are two other sets of doors to the far right and the far left, yeah. Well, within the main dome chamber you are. There's other doors that lead into other portions, and there's a lot of hallways and chambers beyond that. That was just the one section that they went to. Everything is guarded to each of these entrances, so there is no real difference between them necessarily. It just depends on where you want to go in the Quorum chambers beyond.

LAURA: I mean, we do have two rooms available to us.

TRAVIS: In here?

LAURA: Yeah, Lord Eshteross said that we had rooms here to stay the night.

TRAVIS: Oh, do we have that on paper somewhere?

LAURA: I don't think so, but I mean, Lord Eshteross could certainly get us in, or you in. We're not with the same party, but we have rooms available.

TRAVIS: Oh, I'll go find out about the rooms.

ROBBIE: Help me keep an eye on that exit. You see my brother leave, come find me?

TRAVIS: Yeah, sure.

LAURA: I've got to tell Lord Eshteross about the shade creep-- And Laudna. I'll be back. Are you all right?

ROBBIE: Yeah, I'll be fine.

LAURA: Okay.

MATT: Okay. So you're going to go ahead and watch the back door. You're going to go--

LAURA and MATT: Find Eshteross.

MATT: While this is happening, and the three of you were reconvening. Actually, you're at the table in the back keeping your own pace.

SAM: Notoriously alone.

MATT: We'll come to you. (laughter)

MATT: Yeah, we'll come to you in bit.

TRAVIS: So boring.

MARISHA: He's like, "I don't know what to do with that."

TRAVIS: Nobody's going home.

MATT: The two of you have met up and Eshteross has come to you as well and is just trying to look for familiar faces. You can see he's looking anxious and uncomfortable.

ASHLEY: Gonna link my arm in his. The object has been acquired.

MATT: "You mean delivered?"

ASHLEY: Do you have it already?

SAM: No, no, no. We put it on. It's okay. (laughter)

SAM: We put it on his thumb.

TRAVIS: Oh god. (laughter)

MATT: Eshteross takes off his glasses and cleans them.

ASHLEY: Now hold on just a second. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Wasn't the whole thing because we needed to give you his--? No, it wasn't at all. (laughter)

ASHLEY: I understand.

ROBBIE: She doesn't know the mission. (laughter)

SAM: But you know what, though? Bonus, I do have the ring off of--

MATT: As soon as you hold it up, Eshteross snatches it from you and says, "Be careful."

SAM: That was my lunch! (laughter)

ASHLEY: What are you going to do with that one, though?

MATT: "Just remove it from any possibility of it being linked to us."

ASHLEY: I know, but I think I should wear it.

MATT: "Don't go flashing it anywhere."

ASHLEY: I won't.

SAM: I could eat it if we're trying to get rid of it or I trust Fearne to conceal it.

MATT: "You decide, just don't go showing it in public anymore" and hands it over.

LAURA: No, Fearne.

ROBBIE: No, no, no! Please, Fearne! No, Fearne.

SAM: She's got fur. It'll cover it up.

ASHLEY: I don't have fur on my hands.

SAM: Oh, fuck.

MATT: I love it. I love it.

TRAVIS: "Oh, fuck."

MATT: I love it.

ROBBIE: Oh my god, no.

ASHLEY: It's for safekeeping. You put it in a pocket, it can fly out through the hole in your pocket.

SAM: I am-- yep.

ASHLEY: You can eat later!

SAM: I'm here to serve.

MATT: Eshteross is glancing over at the direction of Ashton. "Is your friend all right?"

ASHLEY: I think he'll be okay.

SAM: He's recovering, but that was quite a walloping he took, and now-- they took and now the general wants to sit down with them to converse about something. Is the general bad news? He with Paragon's Call, right?

MATT: "I'm not terribly familiar with this individual myself, but I am aware of their rebranding in recent years."

SAM: Oh, were they a scallywag before who's now sort of put on airs as some sort of formal group?

MATT: "More or less, yes. They are known as the Hellcatch Valley problem for quite some time. Very brutal mercenary group, who definitely got things done through fear and brutality, which worked well for those who would be willing to let their morals slide. But it seems they're making a more social play these days and are looking to be a little more official."

SAM: Well, I think we inadvertently bolstered that aim of theirs. We sort of gave them a whole bunch of free advertising for their abilities.

ASHLEY: I mean, we could always fight him again. I could fight him and really drag him into the dirt.

MATT: "I appreciate your wanting to help, but I think at this point, just keeping your eyes and ears open. It's likely that they have made such a display, certain important individuals might be looking to make connections, but even so, I grow a bit nervous with our presence lingering here now that the main goal has been completed. The longer we stay, the more chance we have of causing issues."

SAM: We start rustling up the others and get out of here?

MATT: "Unless there's anything else to handle, then?"

LAURA: As I walk up. Oh, I'm sure you guys already informed him of everything. Chetney was following-- do you know who that woman was that was with Lord Armand?

MATT: "Yes."

LAURA: She apparently went back into one of the rooms and turned into something, I think like Dugger, and was surrounded by a bunch of those shade creepers.

ASHLEY: (gasps) I don't think we knew who it was. No, we didn't know this.

LAURA: That just happened.

SAM: Holy shit!

LAURA: Yeah, so I don't know if we should gain access to the rooms that you said that we had and try to see what's going on with that or if we should just pretend like it doesn't exist. Also, Dorian's brother is mixed up in it, too, because he was walking around with her and he says he's fine, but I don't know, he could be in trouble.

ASHLEY: We also didn't get any information on who's in the Chandei Quorum, and we were going to do all that.

SAM: One of our missions was to do that.

MARISHA: That's what I'm still trying to do.

ASHLEY: I know. Laudna's putting out the--

ASHLEY and LAURA: The vibes.

LAURA: Yeah.

ASHLEY: Gorgeous.

LAURA: God, she's so beautiful.

ASHLEY: How is nobody going over to talk to her?

LAURA: Beautiful.

MATT: Most eligible bachelorette of Jrusar over here. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Let those shoulder blades stick out.

TRAVIS: Laudna just screams.

MATT: There are definitely eyes on you.

LAURA: Do you still have a scary fox head in front of your face?

MARISHA: It's right here with missing eyes.

LAURA: Did you take your mask off?

MARISHA: Right here. Oh, that's right, I still have my mask on, too, so it's dead fox and a dead fox, yeah. (laughter)

TRAVIS: With black eyes wide.

MARISHA: Yeah.

MATT: (Eshteross) "Um. Hmm. If there is Mahaan house pulled into whatever this creature business is, that gets very messy, politically. I would call the guards, but I don't even know what sort of web of approval has been placed and put ourselves in a position of weakness."

LAURA: Do you think the Quorum could be involved?

MATT: "I have no idea. Anything is possible. At the very least, we can't call on the guard or trust them at the moment, just in case. If you need to help your friend, do it quickly. Try and find out if there is enough information that we could perhaps bring it to the attention of someone I trust in this space."

LAURA: So it wouldn't be wise to go digging in right now.

MATT: "If you do so, do it quietly."

LAURA: How do we find out where our rooms would be located?

MATT: "I can do that."

ASHLEY: Oh, that's right, we can spend the night.

SAM: Wait!

MATT: "Would someone accompany me? I wish not to walk unattended."

LAURA: Sure.

MATT: He clutches his cane close and begins to walk towards the entranceway. Who's coming with him?

LAURA: I'll go.

MATT: Okay.

SAM: Don't we need to communicate with the others?

LAURA: I can do that while I'm walking.

SAM: Oh, okay, okay. I just had an idea. Sorry, sorry, before you go, I just had an idea. You said that we were trying to find Cyrus? I might be able to find him.

LAURA: What do you mean?

SAM: If he's around. I think-- oh man, can I do this? Hold on, did I load this spell today? Yeah, I did.

LAURA: You can find him?

SAM: Well, yeah, Dorian gave him one of the stones, right?

ASHLEY: That's right.

LAURA: Yeah!

SAM: I could find it.

LAURA: We could also use it.

SAM: Oh, shit, yeah, we also could do that. (laughter)

ASHLEY: We could call him.

LAURA: But yes, that might make noise, you know? So it might be smart to just locate it.

SAM: If we need it.

LAURA: Because he might not want to tell us where he is, you know what I mean?

SAM: Well, first, let's take care of--

ASHLEY: But what if that could get him in trouble, if that starts with (lip trill).

LAURA: I know, that's what I meant. Does it make noise? Does it beep or something?

ALL: (singing Nokia ringtone) (laughter)

TALIESIN: Someone set the stone to vibrate. (vibrating noises)

SAM: That's old magic. I don't know how that works, but it's an option is what I'm saying. Maybe we don't use it yet.

LAURA: Keep me posted. I'll be with--

SAM: Okay, I'll just sit here.

ROBBIE: Chet and I are together.

LAURA: You can come.

SAM: No, no, no, I got to keep eyes on Ashton.

ASHLEY: Should we go try to go in the back and find out?

LAURA: Do not go wandering around that back area until all of us can go back there because--

SAM: Are you telling Fearne or Ashley? (laughter)

ASHLEY: Well, I'm just saying, you know-- okay, I won't. (laughter)

LAURA: She's going to do it. At least if you do, Fearne, do it quietly and don't go by yourself.

ASHLEY: Oh my god, so quiet.

LAURA: Don't go by yourself.

ASHLEY: No, no, no, no, no. No, I'll figure it out. I'll figure it out if I do. It's okay.

LIAM: She already negotiated you down. (laughter)

LAURA: She's so charming, you know? She's just so--

ASHLEY: I got it, I'll all be safe. Go, go, take care of everything.

LAURA: I don't even know what I'm t-- Let's go.

MATT: "All right." You walk with Eshteross towards the entryway where all the sign-in and weapon check-in was established. While that's happening, Orym, you rolled on perception earlier.

LIAM: 16.

MATT: 16. (sighs) It's hard to cut through the chatter of the conversations around you to pick out anything specifically. You do watch as the woman that you're keeping an eye on circles back around after you've watched as she goes and has little greetings and brief conversations with a handful of other people. Some of them approach her and she talks, and it's just quick and cordial, but she definitely has a curtness to her engagement. She has business to attend to.

LIAM: Do I even get a name?

MATT: You would with a 16, someone refers to her as Mistress Orlana Seshadri.

LIAM: Orlana Seshadri. That's a great name.

LAURA: Or--?

LIAM: Orlana Seshadri.

MATT: Seshadri.

MARISHA: Seshadri.

MATT: Just looking around.

MARISHA: If she gets within 15 feet of me, Unsettling Presence.

MATT: She would probably eventually arc past you. So as she is in the process of-- and she's doing an odd from this person to this person to this person, is very much on a path, closing out interactions for the evening. At one point, does pass by and you do Unsettling Presence. She's walking like (shivers). You could see the air escaping from her mouth gets cold suddenly, and she turns around and looks at you.

MARISHA: Oh, hello.

MATT: "Hello, I am afraid we have not met."

MARISHA: No, we haven't. What's your name?

MATT: "My name is Mistress Seshadri. And who might you be?"

MARISHA: Lorelei. Lorelei de Rolo.

MATT: Make a deception check.

MARISHA: Yeah.

SAM: What the fuck?

MARISHA: I don't know. I do not know. (laughs) Winging it here. Yikesies. Eight.

MATT: Eight? "De Rolo? Of the Whitestone de Rolos?"

MARISHA: That's correct. You've heard of us.

MATT: "I've heard of the family. I cannot say I've heard of you."

MARISHA: I'm the unspoken sibling.

MATT: "I can't imagine why." (laughter)

MATT: "Well, I hope you enjoy your evening."

MARISHA: I was curious.

MATT: "Yes?"

MARISHA: You seemed to be chatting up Armand. I was just hoping to bend the ear of a few other Quorum members.

MATT: "Armand is not a member of the Quorum, but a business ally of mine. We've had dealings in the past."

MARISHA: But you are.

MATT: "I am not a member of the Quorum. I am but a lower Mahaan House. We focus in livestock and beasts of burden. We do not have the influence to be so involved."

MARISHA: Insight check.

MATT: Make an insight check.

SAM: Big roll, big roll, big roll.

LAURA: Big money, big money.

TRAVIS: Here we go. Peanut butter.

MARISHA: What is it?

LAURA: Natural 20. It's a natural 20.

LIAM: You guys need dice with numbers.

MARISHA: It's not, it's not, it's a six. (laughter)

ASHLEY: They're getting old after all these years.

MARISHA: Fuck!

ASHLEY: Can't read anymore.

ROBBIE: What?

MARISHA: Eight again.

TALIESIN: Boy, really?

LIAM: No more glyphs.

MATT: She's hard to read.

MARISHA: Yeah, fuck.

MATT: Maybe it's the distraction. Maybe it's you've not been so one-on-one focused by a person of such intense social practice directly at you with a combination of curiosity and disdain, but you're not certain.

MARISHA: Well, perhaps we could still find business dealings, maybe at a later time.

MATT: "A later time would be preferred. Have a good night, Lorelei de Rolo." She turns and heads back into the crowd.

LIAM: Kept thinking you have lore and lie.

MATT: Ashton. (laughter)

MATT: As you have been sat down at the table, Ratanish, you can see, is sitting there, finishes wiping off the lip and uncorks this bottle of a dark brown liquor and pours a glass in front of him, pours it in front of you, sets it down, corks it again.

TALIESIN: Apologies, I don't like to be touched. About earlier.

MATT: "I am intrigued. It is not often that they encounter individuals in such a ridiculous atmosphere who may be as bold and quick to-- quick to tussle as you. It was refreshing."

TALIESIN: Thank you. I was not looking forward to coming here. And boy, this was better than I could've hoped.

MATT: "Honestly, this made my night far more memorable. I appreciate it."

TALIESIN: Cheers.

MATT: Leans forward a bit, still grinning. "What is your name?"

TALIESIN: Tonight? The name is Aaron. I'm a professional. Find me in a couple weeks, that may change.

MATT: "Fair enough, Aaron, fair enough. Tell me: Where'd the inspiration for this come from?" He lifts up the mask from the side of the table. You can see it; it's still mostly intact though. It was torn from your face, but he twirls it on the finger a bit.

TALIESIN: Yeah, I suppose I can. You did kick my ass. Seems only fair. Something I saw. I see a lot of weird shit. Freaked me out. Figured, maybe it'd make me intimidating. Since I'm working here tonight, I didn't expect to have any fun. I thought maybe I could be spooky.

MATT: "So you're telling me that you've seen the inspiration for this. You have encountered something that inspired this?"

TALIESIN: Well, there's been weird around town lately. You never know. There's-- (sighs) Shit's been weird around here.

MATT: "But this, this in particular, I would like to know." He's unblinking, eyes focused on you.

TALIESIN: Yeah, I don't know.

MATT: "It would behoove you to tell me. I would like to keep this a very, very positive relationship. It's already gotten off to such a wonderful starter. I just would like a bit of information. You say you are a professional."

TALIESIN: Well, this is the trouble is that sometimes some of the stuff you're involved in, you are, let's say, locked in the contract until the contract is finished. I certainly wouldn't work for you if I couldn't prove to you that I am definitely a staunch professional. What I can say, I suppose, without actually breaking anything tonight, is that the reasons I am here had nothing to do with that and definitely had nothing to do with you. I didn't even know who you were until-- I still honestly just have the vaguest idea of who you are. So this was just not what I was expecting the night to be. The reasons I am here genuinely had nothing to do with you. I cannot get into the reasons why I'm here, but they were honestly pretty boring.

MATT: "You do not seem like Oderan local. You're Hellcatch folk, aren't you? I recognize like."

TALIESIN: Don't hear that very often.

MATT: "Well, growing up in such an environment breeds a specific kind of person, and there is a unspoken kinship. Those who survive such a desolate and interesting place."

TALIESIN: Yes, there is.

MATT: "Well, I will not wish to impede upon your professional means of maintaining anonymity. I respect that, but if I may be so bold as to recommend in the future, when you are involved in the destruction of property within the city of Jrusar, do not immediately show your face in the center of its political machinations."

TALIESIN: (laughs) Oh. Assuming that that advice meant anything to me, I would've been fine if someone hadn't come over and ripped the mask off my face.

MATT: "Eh, would not have been this much of a problem if someone hadn't come and destroyed the tower. But you know, that doesn't matter to me too much. It is more important to those who I occasionally do business with. Me? I will say, you and whoever you work with, they do fine work."

TALIESIN: Well, I work for a lot of people, and I assume you work for a lot of people, too. And I believe in keeping things professional.

MATT: "I do as well."

TALIESIN: Cheers.

MATT: Cheers. Cheers the drinks together. "Now--"

TALIESIN: If I'm in a situation where I can tell you anything that I think might be interesting to you that doesn't put me in a breach of contract, I will let you know.

MATT: Pulls a chunk of flesh out of the inside of his lip, out of his tooth. Flicks it off to the side.

TALIESIN: It's a big city.

MATT: "This city is not so large."

TALIESIN: It goes deep.

MARISHA: Yeah.

MATT: "Well, should you be looking for more interesting employments, I think you know how to get ahold of us."

TALIESIN: I will genuinely consider the offer. Honestly, after tonight, I feel like there will be plenty of opportunities.

MATT: "All I can do is hope that when next we meet, it is not as opposition, because I would hate to cut your throat.

TALIESIN: Oh. Honestly, I do look forward to another round at some point, maybe after a few nights' sleep.

MATT: "Good night, Eric."

TALIESIN: Good night--

MATT: "Or was it Aaron?"

TALIESIN: Rigel, Regal, Ratatouille?

MATT: "Piss off."

TALIESIN: Everyone knows who you are. Thanks for the drink! [ice clinking In liquid in metal mug]

ALL: (imitate ice clinking)

MATT: I know, I'm sorry. (laughter) Damn it.

TALIESIN: I love this guy.

MARISHA: Oh no, the Sending Stones are losing battery.

TALIESIN: I'm so excited.

TRAVIS: Yeah, it's the iPhone when it starts to die.

TALIESIN: Oh, now I'm going to get my ass kicked in like a month. (laughs)

MATT: So Ashton is being released from the table just as Eshteross and Imogen leave the two of you to head towards the front, to look into the room arrangements, Ashton, and just to reconvene with the two of you.

ASHLEY: What was that about?

TALIESIN: Holy shit, that's a dangerous motherfucker. We'll get into that.

ASHLEY: Okay. He sure looks like it. I mean, he dragged your face across the ground.

TALIESIN: Oh, I've been knocked unconscious many times.

ASHLEY: Okay. Well, you still look great.

TALIESIN: Thank you.

ASHLEY: Yeah.

TALIESIN: I break and bruise very well. It just sets everything.

ASHLEY: Yeah, it just adds to the whole thing.

TALIESIN: Yeah. Chunk of hair comes off. It's like a rock.

ASHLEY: So, listen, Imogen said that Dorian's brother is here.

TALIESIN: (scoffs) Fucking idiot.

ASHLEY: Yeah, right? And the woman who was with Treshi?

TALIESIN: Yeah, she doesn't like me.

ASHLEY: She doesn't?

TALIESIN: No!

ASHLEY: Well, turns out, Chetney went in the back and followed her, and she is not what she looks like. She turned into some weird creature, and--

LAURA: I love this game of Telephone.

MARISHA: I know. We're just slowly...

TRAVIS: We should be better--

TALIESIN: Is Chetney all right?

ASHLEY: I think he's okay.

MATT: (sneezes)

TALIESIN: Oh, okay.

MARISHA and LAURA: Bless you.

MATT: (sneezes)

MARISHA: Bless you.

MATT: Don't make it a thing.

TRAVIS: Give me three.

TALIESIN: We should probably get the fuck out of here, at some point.

ASHLEY: What do you want to do?

SAM: Oh, Fearne was suggesting that we go after the monster lady and investigate her.

ASHLEY: Just us privately, just us gals.

TALIESIN: I will admit, I'm tired.

ASHLEY: Yeah.

TALIESIN: I have ruined several of these tablecloths at this point, with my version of blood. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure what this is. But yeah, I'll admit, I'm a little tired.

ASHLEY: Okay. Let's just sit here and just wait and see what happens.

MARISHA: (laughs)

TALIESIN: Where's Lord Eshteross?

SAM: Oh, he's with Maude.

ASHLEY: He's with Imogen. He's with Maude.

TALIESIN: Maude.

ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SAM: She's serving him and taking care of him.

ASHLEY: Yeah.

TALIESIN: I should probably just keep an eye on, but probably keep some distance.

ASHLEY: You know what? You relax. I'll go get us some drinks.

TALIESIN: Yes.

ASHLEY: Okay.

SAM: Insight check.

MATT: Make an insight check. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Damn it!

ROBBIE: Yes!

TRAVIS: Roll at disadvantage.

SAM: 14?

MATT: You can make a deception check, or just roll for the hell of it and just... Based on the roll, see how you want to go with it.

ASHLEY: Ugh. Seven.

MATT: What does he sense?

ASHLEY: Well, I was going to take a little bit of a detour. (laughter) What's wrong?

SAM: Nothing. I just-- I feel like my-- (stammers) I just feel like my-- I-- I've got-- I have to, my-- I want to help us stay and make sure that Ashton's all right, but I just have a sneaking suspicion that I should also stay with you to make sure you're all right. I'm just-- I'm a little conflicted, is all, so--

ASHLEY: Oh, well, I'll be right back.

TALIESIN: You're making-- I know that tone of voice. I know that tone of voice.

SAM: You do?

TALIESIN: I do.

SAM: Oh. What is it?

TALIESIN: You should go. I'll be fine.

SAM: You'll be fine?

TALIESIN: You should go.

ASHLEY: No, no, no. Literally, I'm just going to go get drinks, and then I'll be right back. You can watch me.

TALIESIN: Yeah, no. She's talking too fast, you should go.

MARISHA: She's talking too fast. (laughs)

ASHLEY: The speed of my way that I talk doesn't have anything to do with what I'm do with-- Whoa.

TRAVIS: Whoa! (laughter)

ROBBIE: You're so bad at this! (laughter)

ASHLEY: Listen!

SAM: No, it's fine.

ASHLEY: I'm not lying. I will come right back. I'm not going to go where I was going to go.

SAM: Your impulses, I think you should follow them. All right? You have great instincts and you should trust them. All I'm saying is, I'd like to be there to support you.

ASHLEY: That's so nice to hear.

SAM: Yeah. You make good decisions. And make good decisions now and I will be there to support whatever they are.

ASHLEY: Really?

SAM: Yes.

ASHLEY: Okay.

SAM: I'm coming with.

ASHLEY: Okay, let's go.

TALIESIN: I'm going to go bleed next to Laudna. I think that's a really good plan.

ASHLEY: Okay.

TALIESIN: Oh, yeah.

MATT: Okay. So you head over towards Laudna. You guys are heading to "get drinks." You are still with Eshteross. You're amongst the crowd.

LIAM: I'm just going to keep wandering amongst all these people and try to find out the last piece of information we came here to find.

MATT: Okay. You are getting a sense that, at the bare minimum, that at this point in the evening, the conversations have grown more direct. The play is a bit over, you know, and now people are, as the evening begins to draw closer to a close, trying to get the real business in. Make an insight check for me.

LIAM: Insight. Not perception, correct?

MATT: Correct.

SAM: General insight, cool.

LIAM: (heavy sigh)

TRAVIS: Are you being watched?

LIAM: That is dog shit. Four.

MATT: Four. You're not familiar with a lot of social dynamics in this level of politics. You're having a hard time picking up patterns of who's more important than who, whose connections are beyond just common conversation. It's frustrating you, because you're in the middle of it. You know you're like in the right space, but there's a level of social perspective and expertise and clocking those dynamics that you just lack the experience for. You've been trained as a soldier, as a warrior. You're a little out of your depth here, and it's frustrating.

LIAM: Different country, even.

MATT: Yeah. Chetney, you were keeping an eye out in the backspace of the chamber.

TRAVIS: Like a hawk, back on those doors.

MATT: Perception check, please.

TRAVIS: (hums) That's a 16.

MATT: 16. While all of this is happening, while all of this chaos is unfolding and the groups are now going into this feverish speed networking portion of the evening, you've seen this group of two folks throughout the night, but it hasn't really caught your attention. Now you see them again, but they're definitely a bit... Their air, you suddenly zero in on, and they are walking with direct intent. You see these two individuals, one of which is a tall half-orc man. The other is a short, intense female gnome. They're both wearing these dark green, almost trenchcoat looking outfits. They're nice, but they're definitely function. They both have kept together the entire evening. But at this point, now you can see they're talking to guards, specifically, the ones in the back of the area. The guards, there is a recognition and almost a disarmed openness to how they talk to these individuals before one of them motions off this way. They both nod. They open the doors for them, and they head off into the hallway beyond where you just previously were. With authority.

TRAVIS: Dorian?

ROBBIE: Yes?

TRAVIS: I saw those two, they've been making the rounds. Eyes like a hawk, I have, they haven't faded with time.

ROBBIE: What two?

TRAVIS: The two in the dark green robes that just moved through. The tall half-orc man and the gnomish woman.

ROBBIE: Did I clock that at all?

MATT: You've seen them around the room.

ROBBIE: Okay.

TRAVIS: You silly bitch. Open your eyes.

MATT: Make a history--

ROBBIE: I'm sorry.

MATT: Make a history check for me.

ROBBIE: A history check?

MATT: Correct.

SAM: These checks are crazy.

ROBBIE: Come on, baby. 16.

MATT: 16. You describe them, what they're wearing and like, it tickles a memory in your head. You've heard of two individuals like this before called The Green Seekers.

SAM: The Green Seekers.

MATT: They are fairly well-known detectives.

ALL: Ooh!

MARISHA: What?

MATT: That have been--

MARISHA: Oh shit!

MATT: That had done some work in Ank'Harel, done some work here in the Wilds, they've done some work in the Hellcatch Valley, which is where they really broke out and made a name for themself in the criminal underbelly there. But they're definitely wandering agents that have a very strong moral compass, and follow whatever scent crosses their path. That's as much as you know about them.

MARISHA: Shit.

ROBBIE: Chetney, when you were following my brother, and you said he was looking to broker some sort of deal.

TRAVIS: Right?

ROBBIE: Did you feel that it was nefarious or underhanded in nature in any way?

TRAVIS: It certainly didn't seem upstanding. He wasn't very quick to speak about it. I feel like if it had been on the up and up, he would have been more open.

ROBBIE: All right. They went into the--

TRAVIS: Yeah, that's where I was. Off to the left is the pisser. Off to the right is the doom room.

ROBBIE: The pisser.

TRAVIS: Ooh! I have an idea!

ROBBIE: All right!

TRAVIS: Let's make this room work for us.

ROBBIE: Okay, all right.

TRAVIS: How about we go up to the guards--

ROBBIE: Sure.

TRAVIS: -- and we say, "Hey, there's some shit going on in that room to the right."

ROBBIE: Okay.

TRAVIS: "They're challenging the Chandei Quorum. You should go check it out." Then while they go, you go look. Do you need to pee or anything?

ROBBIE: I could lie that I need to pee.

TRAVIS: You don't have to pee?

ROBBIE: They won't check my bladder.

TRAVIS: This whole time?

ROBBIE: No! I've got--

TRAVIS: You haven't been drinking at all?

ROBBIE: Not really, no.

TRAVIS: That's just wasting an opportunity.

ROBBIE: All right. Ugh.

TRAVIS: Let's go.

ROBBIE: Shit. All right.

TRAVIS: We head over towards the guards at the door.

ROBBIE: Correct.

MATT: Okay. You both--

ASHLEY: We meet them there.

MATT: Yes, you--

ASHLEY: Just behind them.

MATT: Yes. Are you letting them know, or are you just following them up? Okay.

ASHLEY: No, just a little b-b-behind. What's happening to me today?

MATT: You approach the back part of the room and the guards are standing there, spears in hand, as you approach.

TRAVIS: Excuse me, I wanted to let you know, the bathrooms are absolutely pristine. However, when I was coming back in, there was a room off to the right, second on the left. The door was slightly ajar, and I couldn't help but hear a commotion of what sounded like a woman in trouble and a man's voice screaming, "Oh, the Chandei Quorum is vulnerable!" Now, normally, I would keep this information to myself, but I respect the environment. So, I don't know, might be worth a little looky loo.

ROBBIE: Also, I have to pee. (laughter) (laughter)

MATT: Make a deception check. Make a persuasion check. (laughter)

TRAVIS: That's hilarious.

TALIESIN: Wow. Covered some bases there.

ASHLEY: Come on.

MARISHA: Good, good.

TRAVIS: 14 deception.

ROBBIE: 12 persuasion. Did you say persuasion?

MATT: This would be persuasion, yeah.

ROBBIE: It's 12.

MATT: 12, okay. Both the guards look at each other, and back to you. "Are they with you?" You glance over and see behind you, Fearne and Fresh Cut Grass.

ROBBIE: Fuck.

ASHLEY: Oh!

SAM: Smiley day!

ROBBIE: Oh, hello.

ASHLEY: Hello. Oh, I have to go to the restroom. The bacon-wrapped persimmons just didn't sit well in my stomach.

MARISHA: Persimmons?

TRAVIS: Oh, it's a lovely restroom. I'm actually fine. Help yourself. I'll just walk off.

MATT: All right. As you're walking that way, the guard just speaks out, clears his throat. "One of us will have to escort you. This hallway is for those who are staying on the grounds only."

ASHLEY: Oh, I thought we...

ROBBIE: I believe we're staying as well for the evening, yes.

ASHLEY: Because that was part of the invitation, is that if you hang out, you drink a little bit, and then you get to stay.

ROBBIE: Ooh, I really have to go. And I'll do a little potty dance, for sure.

MATT: All right. You make a persuasion check. This is hanging on by a thread.

ROBBIE: Oh, yeah!

TRAVIS: I'm not. I've already started to walk off.

LIAM: Wild stuff.

ASHLEY: 13.

LIAM: Got to love her.

ROBBIE: We had it.

MATT: They roll their eyes, like--

ASHLEY: It is really weird that they didn't tell you guys this part of the party, that that was happening.

MATT: "No, you may indeed use these services. You just must be escorted now."

ASHLEY: Oh, that's fine.

MATT: They open the doors and the two guards emerge, and both walk alongside both of you. Do you know where you're going?

ASHLEY: Well, I don't know where the restroom is.

ROBBIE: Which way's the restroom? Oh. Yes. Thank you.

MATT: "To the left, sir."

ROBBIE: Whew! I'll walk briskly towards it.

ASHLEY: Same.

MATT: All right. You both head that direction. One of the guard stays behind at this point. The other one follows the path of the two of you. What are you two doing?

SAM: And what are we doing? Are we just waiting for them? Is there a plan here? What's happening?

TRAVIS: Oh, I was just trying to get the guard to go check on the room that I was in. By the way, have you heard about the shit that was going on a little while ago?

SAM: So I heard, Fearne told me that--

TRAVIS: Wait, roll over this way.

SAM: Fearne told me that Imogen told her that you told Imogen that you were in the bathroom with a monster lady, and she attacked you while you were trying to pee. Is that what happened?

TRAVIS: Now I'm confused. (laughter)

TRAVIS: No, no. I was going after Cyrus because he disappeared. Off into the right, The Lady Emoth Kade, she went into a room and there were all these creepy, dark creatures around, and she was dripping with sweat and looked monstrous. But I left. I couldn't find Cyrus, so I came back out to find you guys.

SAM: The plan right now, Dorian's going to go check it out?

TRAVIS: I think he might go try and look for Cyrus. He mentioned something about holes in the wall, but look, he's in the restroom. So I don't see why there wouldn't be holes in the walls.

SAM: I guess we should just hang here for a second until we get some sort of a signal.

TRAVIS: Yeah.

ROBBIE: As we're walking to the potty, I'm going to lean to Fearne--

TRAVIS and LAURA: The potty.

ROBBIE: The potty. ♪ I have children! ♪ (laughter)

TRAVIS: Me too.

ROBBIE: I'm sorry, to walk to the pisser! (laughter)

ROBBIE: Pisser, bro! (laughter)

ROBBIE: I lean over to Fearne and I go: Talk to him. Talk to him. Talk to him.

ASHLEY: To the guard?

ROBBIE: I'm going to nod my head to the guard.

MARISHA: (laughs)

ASHLEY: Um. (laughter)

ASHLEY: How long have you been working at this establishment?

MATT: "I have been working in the chambers for close to a decade."

ASHLEY: Close to a decade?

ROBBIE: As soon as he's engaged with her, I'm going to cast Minor Illusion. As soon as I see that he's distracted.

MATT: Okay. What are you doing?

ROBBIE: I am going to as far away as I can from us toward the direction of where Chetney mentioned, it is going to be the voice of a woman screaming in distress.

SAM: Oh.

MATT: Okay. You suddenly hear breaking through the quiet in that direction, "Ah!" This woman screaming down the hallway.

TRAVIS: That was good.

MATT: All heads turn, and this is further down the left, or in the direction of that? Sorry.

ROBBIE: I think it's the other way. It's where Chetney said the commotion was coming from.

MATT: Correct. The guard goes--

LAURA: Ah!

MATT: "Shit!" Gets his spear and just abandons the two of you for a moment to go follow the scream sound. The other guard who's standing at the door, hears the sound as well. The other one meets up. They make eye contact,

TRAVIS: I told you!

MATT: They both begin to head down the right side to follow suit. What do you do?

ASHLEY: Oh, okay. That was great.

ROBBIE: I was just trying to go off of Chetney's play.

ASHLEY: Okay.

ROBBIE: I do have to look in the bathroom, though.

ASHLEY: You do have to go to the bathroom?

ROBBIE: No, I don't have to go to the bathroom. I should be looking in the bathroom.

ASHLEY: Okay, look in the bathroom. I'll stay here and keep an eye on the guards.

ROBBIE: Perfect. I'll pop into the men's restroom.

SAM: And pay your debts? (laughter)

ROBBIE: Pay my debts. (laughter)

TRAVIS: That's the real work, you guys.

ROBBIE: I guess I'm going to look for my brother.

MATT: Okay. You step inside and right as you come in within the front door, you see a short, rotund well dressed man, in his late 60s with thinning combed over hair, he's in the process of putting his pants up. He's like, "Please excuse me," and just pushes past you, and turns right.

LAURA: Oh, that bathroom's got to smell.

MATT: Begins heading back towards the main chambers.

ASHLEY: I'm going to follow the guards.

MATT: Okay. You follow the guards?

ASHLEY: Yeah.

ROBBIE: I'm going to look under stalls? How do you make a pee-pee or poo-poo in this universe? I don't know. (laughter) I don't know. Is it a hole in the ground? Are there stalls?

MATT: There was a small hallway and there are three small water closets that are off to the sides of it there, but they're individual doors. But the one that the gentleman just came out of is not great. The other two appear to be empty.

ROBBIE: I'm not going to say his name. I'm going to go test the one closest to the smelly one. Is it open?

MATT: It's open. Yeah.

ROBBIE: Open it up. Oh god! I turn the other one. Whip it open.

MATT: Empty.

ROBBIE: Empty bathroom.

MATT: Yeah.

ROBBIE: Fuck. Okay. Ah, fuck, fuck! So I'm going to go back out, looking for my guard, Fearne.

MATT: Fearne's gone. (laughter)

MARISHA: This is like a production of "Noises Off." (laughter)

LIAM: The play that went wrong.

LAURA: Yeah.

MARISHA: Yeah. (laughs)

ROBBIE: I'm going to head back. Fuck! I'm going to head back to the group--

ASHLEY: Well, he can probably still see me?

MATT: Yeah, you glance at the hallway and you see her disappearing in the direction the guards went. Fresh Cut Grass and Chetney, what are you doing? Because the one guard was there. You hear the scream.

TRAVIS: We should help.

SAM: I guess? Was that Fearne's voice?

TRAVIS: I don't know. We should just capitalize on it.

SAM: All right, we're going in.

MATT: Okay, are you following directly after the guard?

SAM: So there's two guards. One's way down the hall, one's closer to us?

MATT: The scream happened. The first guard looked in and leaned into the hallway. The other one walked past him quickly and said a word to him. He went and joined him and they both just barreling down the hall in the direction of the scream. That's when you guys began to have this conversation.

SAM: Then we should follow them.

TRAVIS: Yeah. I mean, they could just tell us to leave.

SAM: Sorry.

TRAVIS: Yep.

SAM: What room were we supposed to be inspecting here?

TRAVIS: Down the hall on the right, second door to the left.

SAM: That's where the guards are headed?

TRAVIS: I mean, I assume that's where the scream came from.

SAM: All right, well, let's go.

TRAVIS: There was some shit happening.

SAM: Okay, let's go.

TRAVIS: Let's do it.

SAM: Yeah!

ROBBIE: Before I leave the bathroom, I'm going to take one final look and see if there's anything out of sorts that looks like just totally wrong about this space.

MATT: Make a perception or an investigation check.

ROBBIE: Make things better! Poop. It's shit, it's poop.

MARISHA: Oh jesus!

ROBBIE: It's an eight. What is going on?

MATT: You find--

LAURA: Why are we rolling eights tonight?

MATT: Poop and shit and poop?

LAURA: Poop and shit and poop.

ROBBIE: That's it. That's all that's in there.

MATT: That's all that's in there.

ROBBIE: Okay, cool, cool, cool. When I burst out and look down the hallway and see the commotion that I created and--

SAM: Hi.

ROBBIE: Hi.

SAM: Did everything come out okay in there?

ROBBIE: Nope. No brother. No, nothing.

TRAVIS: Did you find your hole?

ROBBIE: No scary holes. No, just normal holes.

SAM: I don't know what we're doing here.

TRAVIS: We're looking at the guards to see if they've gone over to the door where the commotion came from.

SAM: All right. Let's follow the guards?

TRAVIS: Well, I think we just come in and look.

SAM: All right, go! I'm with you. I'm on your six!

TRAVIS: Are the guards rushing to the door second on the left, where Fearne should also be heading at this point?

MATT: They've moved beyond your sight at the moment. It's like still darkly lit in this space. It curves around the side. You see Fearne is also now beyond your sight as you guys stopped to converse. But you do hear the footsteps. You hear some sort of a physical commotion ahead. The door is still ajar. Now, Fearne, you were following that direction the guards had moved past. You get there first. As you come by the side, and the door is now open. You hear first, some whispered hushes. "(gasp) What do you see? What the fuck?" (monster growling) (yells) You hear somebody else try and scream before, (gagging) Then silence, then (snarls)

ASHLEY: Do I see that the guards are coming?

MATT: From the room to the left, that is the door is partially open, where you think you saw the guards duck into.

LIAM: The guards are getting fucked up.

ASHLEY: Oh, got it. Okay. Oh.

TRAVIS: -- this whole time? I thought they would have am-scrayed.

ASHLEY: Oh. This is a turn of events. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Okay.

SAM: Episode title. (laughter)

ROBBIE: It all hinges on your good judgment.

ASHLEY: Okay. I'm just going to stay there and just listen.

MATT: Okay.

LIAM: Just to interject briefly, Imogen, on the elbow of her sleeve feels her elbow tug a little bit. Maude, where the hell is everyone?

LAURA: Well, I told them to wait, because we were going to get access to the rooms. Are they not there?

MATT: Eshteross turns around, and now he has the keys in his hand and goes, "It has been handled."

LAURA: Great!

MARISHA: Where are the Green Seekers?

MATT: They're beyond sight. They went through the same back doors and...

TRAVIS: Back where we are.

MARISHA: They were there. Okay.

LIAM: I mean, Laudna's over there and Ashton's bleeding over at that table.

LAURA: And everybody else is missing?

LIAM: I haven't seen any of the others in five minutes.

LAURA: Laudna, in your head, where did everyone go?

MARISHA: I haven't the slightest idea. I'm totally out of the loop. You just see me. I'm just making Pâté tap dance.

LAURA: Get over here.

MARISHA: I was trying to make myself open to Quorum members and maybe Pâté, maybe they'd be interested.

TALIESIN: Don't stop. Keep that up. That's great.

LIAM: Tug, tug, tug, tug, tug.

LAURA: What?

LIAM: Every dangerous person here knows each other. We're in over our heads. There's just a lot going on.

MARISHA: I make my-- ♪ makin' my way ♪ over to-- ?

LIAM: You did it yourself.

TRAVIS: You can't sing yourself. (laughter)

TRAVIS: How dare you.

MATT: At this point, you're entering the room and heading in that direction as you're having this conversation. Eshteross has the keys in his hand and is looking about nervously. You meet up with these two.

LIAM: Where's the other half of the group?

LAURA: Maybe they already went back. You know them. I bet they didn't wait.

LIAM: But we're staying here, right?

LAURA: Huh?

LIAM: Back where?

LAURA: Back at the back, where the rooms are. Oh, I haven't told you. Okay. (laughter)

MATT: Meanwhile... (laughter) Roll a perception check for me.

SAM: Come on! Come on! Big money.

TALIESIN: This place is bad vibes, man.

SAM: Big numbers.

ASHLEY: (scoffs)

SAM: Terrible.

ASHLEY: Mother bitch!

SAM: The worst.

ASHLEY: 11.

MATT: 11. You listen in and you faintly hear the sound; (wet chittering) Then, some heavy dragging on the ground. Some metal scraping. Then you hear-- (snarling) Like some sort of conversation through non-human voices in this chamber. It seems a little, I don't know, tense, if anything, but unable to understand the language at all.

ASHLEY: Okay.

MATT: So right about this time that you all begin to approach Fearne, who is carefully listening around the partially-open door.

ASHLEY: (quietly) Okay. The guards went in there. They got eaten. (laughter)

ROBBIE: What did you just say?

ASHLEY: I assume, I just heard like (eating noises)

SAM: Maybe they're eating. Maybe they were hungry.

ASHLEY: I doubt it because there was also screams of pain.

SAM: Is this the monster room?

TRAVIS: They're still in there!

ROBBIE: Did I just kill those two nice guards?

TRAVIS: Probably. We should get backup because we're supposed to be keeping a low profile.

ASHLEY: Should I go--

SAM: Let's avenge them!

ASHLEY: Should I turn into something and then go in there so I can see better?

TRAVIS: No!

SAM: Yes, yes, yes! What if they're still alive? We could help them.

TRAVIS: They're dead. (laughter)

SAM: Let's at least see then if one of them's still alive! I have healing powers.

ROBBIE: They killed two armed guards.

SAM: Well, we don't know that until we go-- I'm going to go in and look! (yelling)

MATT: As Fresh Cut Grass wheels into the room--

MARISHA: We're going to get so framed.

MATT: You come into the room and you can see across the way, there is the open balcony that leads outside with Catha's moonlight pouring through. There is a number of-- There's a little library off to the side there. There's a desk. A very faint bit of torchlight that's just glowing in the room. You do see a blood trail, a heavy blood trail and a secondary smaller one that are both dragging through to a doorway that leads into an adjacent chamber, a continuation of this suite beyond.

SAM: So they're dead. They're dead.

ROBBIE: Do we hear this? Are we peeking through the doorway?

SAM: Hey, yeah, you can come in.

ASHLEY: Okay, okay.

SAM: It's fine. Is there any people in here?

MATT: Right now, roll a perception check.

LAURA: There's two rooms, right? It's not just one room, it leads through the back room?

MATT: Yeah, it's one room and then there's a doorway that leads into--

SAM: 25.

ASHLEY: Oh wow.

ROBBIE: Whoa!

MATT: 25.

ROBBIE: Jeez!

MATT: Soon as you all begin to scuffle, and you hear in that next chamber over that's part of this suite, you hear scratching sounds and (chittering).

SAM: So they're either dead or in the process of dying. So if we want to save their lives, we should go in there and help them. Otherwise, we are just going to leave them to die.

ASHLEY: Wait, who are we saving?

SAM: The two guards that Dorian killed.

ASHLEY: Why?

SAM: Because they're innocent and haven't done anything wrong.

ASHLEY: How do you know?

MATT: A voice--

SAM: They have souls.

LAURA: Uh-oh.

MATT: -- breaks the tense silence of the room. "What are you doing in these chambers?" You look for the source of it and you don't see anyone else in the room, but you with your extremely high perception roll glance up and see--

LAURA: Oh no.

MATT: -- latched to the ceiling--

TRAVIS: Shut the fuck up.

MATT: -- in her dark gray, silver dress, pale sweaty skin, latched, head turns down, black eyes and extended jaw, just dripping liquid saliva from it. The sharp teeth exposed. You see Lady Emoth Kade looking down, as she's like crawling back from the hallway, through the door behind where you came in.

LIAM: Oh, she came behind?

LAURA: Ew!

MATT: You can see like wrapped around her shoulder, it looks like a satchel that is somewhat half full. (snarls)

SAM: Hello. Smiley-- smiley day to you.

MATT: And that's where we're going to take a break. (laughter)

TRAVIS: "Smiley day to you!"

LAURA: Whelp.

ALL: Well hell.

MATT: We'll pick up from there in a few minutes. (laughs) And yeah, we'll see you here in a second.

Break
(upbeat tropical music) ♪ We sail through hell ♪ ♪ The king at our prow ♪ ♪ Seeking the peace our king he did row ♪ ♪ Land we beheld, the isles we found ♪ ♪ And so on for the future we ran aground ♪ ♪ The isles were kinder than we could've thought ♪ ♪ We traded what little of goods that we brought ♪ ♪ But kindness is not what the old Ekoth sought ♪ ♪ We took to the land, sea, and stone that we wrought ♪ ♪ The prideful King Skadi we thought was our guide ♪ ♪ But like any leader, the monster he lied ♪ ♪ Were it not for the locals, their magical heart ♪ ♪ The island, the people they all did their parts ♪ ♪ He took the promise away from us ♪ ♪ Then turned our homes to crumbling dust ♪ ♪ That's why we came first and why we returned ♪ ♪ The isles don't want us, they've sent us to burn ♪ ♪ So we cursed the children who learned how to stay ♪ ♪ They celebrate peace and winning today ♪ ♪ Little do they see the game that they play ♪ ♪ The future of Makolf is turning to gray ♪

We have a real chance of reclaiming Whitestone here. Are you sure you wanna, I mean this town ain't even gotten the ale Aye we've seen our share of dark days but Percival de Rolo is back from the dead. If that won't inspire the people nothing will Sorry Archibald right now I'm only thinking about my sister. I guess they're a close knit family. Eh, you know what I'm saying? Everyone: Shut it. I know you're eager to rally the troops but Cassandra's my only family. I have to find her Percy, old friend. I reckon we can both.

LAURA: Hey, critters! Laura Bailey here, to guide you through what's new in the Critical Role shop! Look at this, isn't it fashion? (laughs) So much fashion happening here. (bear growling) Ooh, so comfy cozy! (swooshing) Style should never be a dump stat, darling. (swooshing) The cuteness, it's (sighs) overpowering. (mouse clicking) And, hey, if you want, you could head over to the Critical Role shop right now.

MATT: From Darrington Press, experience the dawning of a new age with Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, the definitive 5e source book that brings the land of Tal'Dorei to your game. Rediscover the land of Critical Role's Vox Machina 20 years after their campaign, with new maps, detailed guides for each region, and a fold-out map of the continent. Delve into Tal'Dorei's hidden histories with this nearly 300-page tome containing nine dazzling subclasses, five rich backgrounds, and dozens of new creatures, feats, and magic items, including the Vestiges of Divergence. Explore uncharted waters with the Oath of the Open Sea paladin, unlock the arcane secrets of hemocraft as a blood magic wizard, defend the land from elemental chaos with the Ashari background, or even come face to face with the legendary heroes of Vox Machina themselves, complete with official stat blocks, portraits, and biographies, detailing their lives 20 years later. The future of Tal'Dorei is in your hands now. How do you want to do this? Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, available now at Critical Role's shops.

(light sneaky music) (typewriter clicking) (light sneaky music) (swelling inspirational music)

MARISHA: Hey Critters, it's me, Marisha Ray. I had exactly a minute and a half of free time today, so I thought I'd make a little unboxing video for y'all unpacking everything you get with a Twitch subscription to Critical Role. (bright music) Okay. Safety third. (ethereal voices laughing) What the fuck was that? (Marisha exclaiming in awe) So the first thing we've got here is our live and professionally moderated chat. Twitch is the only place that you can actually get this. You know, it's a little strange to hold because it's an amorphous concept, but honestly, you can't deny this craftsmanship. It's really well made and, aw, oh, you can post links in this too! That's really cool, so yeah. Put that in your chat and click it. Oh yeah, this is cool. This is the ability to watch all of Critical Role's VODs immediately after the live broadcast ends and before they're uploaded to YouTube. Oh, it smells like ranch. Oh wait. Oh no, that's me. I had ranch on my salad earlier. Yeah, this smells like nothing. Oh, oh, here we have (Marisha grunting) gift subscriptions, which you can either give to a fellow Critter by name or at random using a fancy Twitch algorithm. You can give away a lot of subs with this, which I guess is why it's so heavy for something that's technically non-tangible with a value that's deeply subjective to the consumer. Oh, sick, yeah, I'm so excited to show y'all this part. With a Twitch subscription to Critical Role, you can use all of our incredible custom emotes in chat. We have so many emotes in here. Let's see, we art dad, super cool. We got Ashley hype, fun one. Look at Trinket here. He's so, oh, oh god. (clattering and crashing) Oh god. Broom, broom. Hang on, I can fix this. I can fix this. I'm fixing it! Jerry! Oh god, okay. I'm sorry, trinket. (machine whirring) Yeah, that'll work. I need more glue, this is not gonna be enough. (tape ripping) Don't tell Rachel, okay? Okay, please nobody. (metal clanking) Schapiro, will you cut all this out? (electronic buzzing)

Part II
MATT: Hello, everybody, and welcome back. So. (laughter) Where we had left off.

SAM: Oh god.

ASHLEY: Oh, that's right.

LAURA: Uh oh.

MATT: Laudna. Orym.

SAM: What?

SAM: Who now?

MATT: Imogen, you have all together been gathered, with Ashton not far behind, and Lord Eshteross who had gathered the keys to your suites in hopes of following up the strange information that Chetney had bestowed upon you, of interaction he had in the back chamber, and then noticing that the rest of your troop seems to have vanished somewhere within the event.

MARISHA: Cyrus is here? (laughter)

MARISHA: What?

LAURA: Yes. Yes.

MARISHA: Oh my god, what a fucking idiot.

LAURA: I didn't see him personally, but yeah, no, he sounds like a moron, but Dorian says he trusts him, but still.

LIAM: Everyone's here, it's like a bus station.

LAURA: Yeah. So we should head back. I mean, I don't see anyone else. We should probably go see where they went off to.

MARISHA: Yeah, sounds good.

TALIESIN: Hey, what are we all doing?

LAURA: We're going to find our rooms.

TALIESIN: Oh, perfect, you know, I don't say this often, but man, I'm done for the night, I'm really-- (laughter)

TALIESIN: I had a great time. Just ready to get some sleep, it's been great. But yeah, I'm fresh-- I'm fresh done, yeah, let's just--

ASHLEY: You want to hit the hay?

TALIESIN: Yeah, let's go pass out.

LAURA: End the night, yeah.

LIAM: I-- I think--

MARISHA: (giggles)

LIAM: I think we might need you.

TALIESIN: (scoffs) For what?

LIAM: Emotional support?

TALIESIN: Oh no. Who do we have to punch?

LAURA: You know, you remember Dugger?

TALIESIN: Yeah.

LAURA: I think there's another Dugger.

TALIESIN: Oh no, I mean, I'm only going to be, so-- hold on, let me put on a mask.

MARISHA: What party where you all at? I was at a totally different party.

LIAM: Do either of you guys have something for him?

LAURA: What do you mean?

LIAM: Something to-- some refreshment?

MARISHA: Oh.

LAURA: I've got some--

TALIESIN: I mean, it's only going to do so much at this point.

LIAM: Could he hold it for you, though?

LAURA: Do you want to hold on to it just in casies?

TALIESIN: Sure.

LAURA: All right.

TALIESIN: Yeah. I'm a little tapped. Okay.

LIAM: Let's go see if everybody's dead.

TALIESIN: Yep. Yep. All right.

MARISHA: (groans)

MATT: All right, so you are now heading through the currently unguarded doors at the back of the chamber.

LAURA: Great, we're on our way.

LIAM: There's still mulling conversation?

MATT: Yeah, everyone is very intensely focused in the middle of the social space here.

MARISHA: Should I try and send a message to them? Just to see where they are?

TALIESIN: That's a good idea.

LAURA: Oh yeah.

LIAM: Sure.

LAURA: Good idea.

MARISHA: All right. Take strand of my hair. Oh, Chetney.

ALL: (creepy whispers) Chetney.

MATT: Now just to double check.

LIAM: I swear you can't do this--

SAM: 120 feet. You need to point in the direction.

MATT: You point in the direction of the creature.

MARISHA: Well, I'm walking towards where we're going.

MATT: Yeah. Where are you pointing?

MARISHA: Towards the double doors, yeah, I guess.

MATT: There's no response.

MARISHA: There's no response. Do I see any of our crew over there?

MATT: No, the doors are closed and they're just there.

MARISHA: No response. He's dead.

LAURA: We should hurry.

MARISHA: All right.

LAURA: We walk a little bit faster.

TRAVIS: I was going to say, I probably would like to go try and catch the others. Not drawing too much attention to ourselves, but still.

MATT: Well--

LIAM: Isn't she on the scene?

MATT: You are in the room.

TRAVIS: Oh, did I go in there? (laughter)

ASHLEY: Did you go in?

TRAVIS: Did you go in?

ASHLEY: Yeah.

TRAVIS: Yeah.

MATT: So while you are heading towards the chamber, we come back to the other group, which currently has latched above. (wet growling)

TRAVIS: I pooped. I pooped.

SAM: Smiley day to ya.

MARISHA: That's right, where we left off.

ASHLEY: Is this where the sleeping quarters are for the evening?

MATT: "Sleep can be arranged."

SAM: Oh god.

ASHLEY: Oh.

MATT: (saliva dropping)

ASHLEY: Well, we didn't realize this room was already taken, so we'll just go.

TRAVIS: Yeah, we just start backing out and walk real slowly out of the room.

MATT: As you take the first step, she (wet snarling) and you see spittle spray from her mouth a little bit as her head (cracks) turns to the side, the bones in her arms move in a very unnatural way.

TRAVIS: No.

MATT: She drops from the ceiling into the doorway and is now blocking your exit. You hear the chittering sounds of other creatures in the other additional chamber of the suite. (chittering, growling)

TRAVIS: Is the doorway is still open? Or did the door close while--

MATT: She's standing at the doorway and now blocking the space and goes, "Sorry. We've got business for her tonight." I need you to all roll initiative. (excited noises)

LAURA: All of us, even the ones not in the room?

MATT: The ones who are not in the room, we'll do your elements between.

LAURA: Okay. Oh god.

SAM: Oh yeah, here we go.

LAURA: Oh my god. They're going to die in there together.

TRAVIS: I love it, I love it.

LIAM: And we're breaking in--

ASHLEY: Oh, an old rug! Both rugs!

LAURA: Look at the cute little bell, look at--!

SAM: Wow, this is a great little map!

LAURA: Look at the little bear!

SAM: Ooh.

LAURA: Uh-oh.

SAM: She looks like a fun mime. (laughter)

MATT: All righty. So in this room we have--

LAURA: Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

ASHLEY: No, you're fine, you're fine.

MATT: Fresh Cut Grass.

LAURA: Oh no.

MATT: We have Chetney.

MARISHA: Oh, so she's in the door there.

MATT: Yeah, she came in through the ceiling and then dropped down to prevent you from exiting.

LAURA: So she wasn't in the room when they walked in?

MATT: No.

LAURA: Was she in the-- (gasps) Oh wow.

ASHLEY: Is the door open to the other room,

LIAM: She boxed all of them in. She was on the hallway ceiling.

LAURA: I thought she was on the-- oh god.

SAM: The skittering, or the guards were dragged to the blood--

TRAVIS: Oh, I thought she was in the room on the ceiling, she was in the hallway?

MATT: She came in from out of the hallway, on the ceiling.

TRAVIS: That's just wretched.

SAM: The blood streaks are leading to what room?

MATT: Into here.

SAM: Okay, there's a door there?

LAURA: These are big suites.

TRAVIS: I'm really glad I didn't go in there by myself last time. (laughs)

SAM: Oh, I see.

LIAM: -- we have Eshteross here.

ROBBIE: You and me. You old man.

TRAVIS: Ba-bat!

MATT: That'll do it. All right, so getting into this insanity.

TRAVIS: Yeah.

SAM: Oh boy.

LAURA: (sighs) Jeez. You guys can do it. You guys are going to be fine.

ROBBIE: Four to one? No problem.

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: All right. 25 to 20.

LIAM: Even for the outsiders?

LAURA: No.

MATT: No, the outsiders are not rolling yet.

LIAM: Okay.

MATT: All right, 25 to 20, 20 to 15.

TRAVIS: 17.

ROBBIE: 18.

MATT: 18, what's your dexterity?

ROBBIE: (blowing bubbles) Plus three, 16.

LAURA: And you rolled 17, Chetney?

MATT: Dorian?

ROBBIE: I rolled 18, 17.

MATT: Great.

LAURA and TRAVIS: Yeah.

MATT: All right, so 15 to 10? 10 to five?

LIAM: Grassy.

SAM: Four.

ASHLEY: Four?

ROBBIE: Jeez.

LIAM: Whoa.

ASHLEY: Fearne, where are you? Both at four?

LIAM: Both at four.

ASHLEY: Both at four.

SAM: Better rollies.

ASHLEY: Rollies?

LAURA: Rollies!

TRAVIS: No, what's your dex?

LIAM: Dex first, then Rollies.

SAM: Oh, but I'm Rollies-ing. Mine is, I got a 16 on Rollies.

LIAM: Just do the dex.

ASHLEY: I got a 12.

LIAM: Rollies?

ASHLEY: Wait, what's your--

LAURA: You did jump straight to Rollies.

SAM: My dex is less than yours.

MATT: You may choose to Rollies, should you not wish to handle the dex.

ASHLEY: We Rollies-ed.

SAM: We Rollies-ed.

ASHLEY: We're two witches, we Rollies. Yeah.

LIAM: I challenge Lucien to Rollies. (laughter)

MATT: That would've changed Campaign 2 very, very much. All righty.

ROBBIE: Who went first? I'm sorry.

MATT: So you're both four?

ASHLEY: Yes.

MATT: Got it. All right.

LIAM: Wait, who won Rollies?

LAURA: F.C.G.

ASHLEY: Wait, who won Rollies? Serious?

LAURA: (gasps) Who won Rollies?

MARISHA: Guys.

ROBBIE: It matters!

MARISHA: See who won Rollies.

ROBBIE: You made it matter.

MATT: So Lady Emoth actually begins.

SAM: Lady Emoth? Okay.

MATT: Lady Emoth rolled the highest. After descending to the ground and snarling, you can see the absence of white in her eyes and the jaw extending long. The teeth seem somewhat translucent as thick slobber drips out onto the ground in front of her, her arms and shoulders bend back as she quietly growls. There's still a sense of keeping things quiet and contained as she begins to rush forward towards you, Fresh Cut Grass.

SAM: Well, hello.

TRAVIS: Not Letters!

LIAM: Cleric.

MATT: She is going to go ahead and make two claw attacks against you. Natural one. The first strike goes towards you and you wheel back out of the way. The second one, that will hit, however, with a 26.

SAM: Yes, it will.

MATT: You take six points of piercing damage.

ROBBIE: Okay, okay.

SAM: And?

MATT: Plus 11 points of necrotic damage.

SAM: Oh boy.

MATT: As her claw, the first one misses, the second one, she leaps forward again and drives it right into the chest area of your torso and streaks down the metal in the front, (shrieks) and leaves this gash in the front. (growls) Now that she's up close and personal in the face, you can see the blackened veins across her body. There's small, I want to say large, porous openings, certain parts of her skin that seem to breathe on their own.

LAURA: Ew!

MATT: On parts of her shoulders and open areas. (growls)

TRAVIS: Nope.

MATT: That's going to finish her turn.

LIAM: This campaign's for you, Travis.

MATT: Yep, Dorian, you're up, with Chetney on deck.

TRAVIS: Damn it.

ROBBIE: Just going to look at her and I'm going to say: Where's my brother? I'm going to cast Dissonant Whispers.

MATT: Ooh, okay. Is it a wisdom save for her?

SAM: ♪ ("Careless Whisper") ♪

ROBBIE: That is 14.

LAURA: (laughs) I can never remember how "Careless Whisper" goes.

ROBBIE: Wisdom, yes.

MATT: 13 on her end.

ROBBIE: Ooh, okay.

TRAVIS: Let's go, let's go, let's go.

ROBBIE: All right, 3d6. Not great. That is six points of damage, but she must also be moved back her maximum distance.

MATT: Okay, so she--

ROBBIE: Push up against.

MATT: -- immediately leaps back into the air, onto the ceiling. (skittering)

LAURA: Ew!

SAM: Oh, okay, okay.

MATT: Skitters back.

SAM: That's a good move, dude.

MATT: Is currently now in the back hall, (growls) upside down, her hair stringily hanging from above.

SAM: That's a good move.

ROBBIE: Get her away. She's scary.

ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah.

MATT: All right. Are you going to stay put?

ROBBIE: I will stay put, I want to say with the group.

MATT: You got it. Chetney, you're up.

TRAVIS: (groans) Right. Well, I am totally armed. I'm going to shimmy out of this dress. Just let it fall to the floor. Undies on, okay? (laughter)

LAURA: What color?

TRAVIS: They're kind of cream, they're mother of pearl. (laughter)

MATT: Ooh, okay.

SAM: They were white.

TRAVIS: You got to stick with the one that brung you. So anyway.

LIAM: Is there any pattern?

TRAVIS: I'm going to run over to F.C.G.

TALIESIN: Wow.

TRAVIS: Open! Open your mouth! (laughter)

SAM: Ah!

TRAVIS: I shove my whole damn arm down in there and start looking for my chisel.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: Because there are guards down the hallway, so, you know.

MATT: You do eventually find it. It does take your full action to remove it, but you do find a chisel. You pull it out and it looks like maybe part of the metal began to corrode in a way, but it's still largely functional and usable.

TRAVIS: Fuck yes. It's game time.

SAM: Ooh, I feel lighter.

TRAVIS: Amazing, let's see. With my bonus action, I'll draw it across my hand and imbue my Crimson Rite.

MATT: All right.

TRAVIS: So I got to roll a d6. That's cocked. One point of damage.

MATT: There you go. All right, so you take one point of damage as you draw it across your skin, the blood, as it pulls across, is absorbed into the chisel and as it does the chisel does what?

TRAVIS: It ignites with flames. (crackling)

MATT: All righty. So is that your turn?

TRAVIS: It is.

MATT: All right, Chetney, finishing that, as she's-- yeah?

TRAVIS: Actually, because my movement's still there, I'm going to run over towards the doorway to see if there's anybody else in there. How fair is this fucking fight?

MATT: Okay. You head to the door and look. The first thing you notice is two guards on the ground here and here.

LAURA: (whispering) You can still save him.

MATT: There's blood being dragged. One of them you can see is coughing blood up from gash marks across their face and neck. And currently two little humanoid creatures with all-black eyes and grayish skin. They're these horrible toothy mouths and clawed arms beneath these tattered cloaks. And yeah. That's what you see.

TRAVIS: Two of them, copy. We got two more in here! Guards and enemy.

MATT: That's 25. Move is 25?

TRAVIS: It is.

MATT: That gets you to the door.

TRAVIS: Thank you.

MATT: All right. Finishing your go, you hear from around the corner, (growling).

LAURA: Oops.

MATT: Two more emerge from around the edge. One of them is going to attempt to leap over you through the door.

TRAVIS: Your timing sucks.

MATT: Okay, it leaps through, but you do get an attack of opportunity on it because it does pass through your combat space over here, if you want to make a strike.

TRAVIS: Hold on, it leapt over me?

TRAVIS: Yeah.

TRAVIS: Oh, motherfucker.

SAM: Well, you're tiny.

TALIESIN: It's not that hard. (laughter)

TRAVIS: With a chisel. That's a 20 to hit.

MATT: That definitely hits. You can roll damage.

TRAVIS: Great.

TALIESIN: Plus blood rite?

TRAVIS: Seven. Yeah, it is. So 11 points of damage. Seven slashing, four fire.

MATT: All right, it leaps over you, you strike in the front. (snarling) It lands, skids to the ground, and grabs its stomach and turns back. (growling) at you. Spittle flying out and hitting your face a bit.

TRAVIS: You got to use your diaphragm. (laughter)

MATT: It's going to continue moving over this direction angrily. That one's going to stay there, and this one's going to attempt to-- it's going to close in on this space here as well as you're technically in that there. This one also is going to charge over. This one's going to try and leap past all of you and get into the next chamber. It's going to be a harder DC for it. Rolls a natural 19, though. (whooshes) Leaps past over you, is going to go ahead and rush over here to engage with Fearne, the first it sees.

TRAVIS: I can't even swipe because that was my reaction.

MATT: That was your reaction. So the two that are right there on the doorway, engaging with you right there. Rolls a two, that misses entirely with a seven. The other one, 13 to hit?

TRAVIS: Misses.

MATT: Misses. This is with no armor on.

TRAVIS: Oh yeah.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: Yeah.

MATT: So as it goes and swings towards you, (growls) reaches out with its claws towards you. You just duck out of the way and its hand (whooshes) strikes the stone framing of the doorway in front of you.

TRAVIS: AC's 16.

MATT: With no armor?

TRAVIS: Mm-hmm. Yeah, 18 normally. Then down two for the shield to 16.

MATT: Well, you have a breastplate on, that gets your armor up that high.

TRAVIS: And a breastplate, it's-- thank you.

MATT: Let's see, what's your dexterity modifier?

TRAVIS: Dex is plus two.

MATT: So you'd have an AC of 12. So the second hit would hit you.

TRAVIS: Would hit, okay.

MATT: So keep that in mind. All right, so as this one goes in strikes towards you, you take...

TRAVIS: Why did I wear a dress?

MATT: It's a terrible roll.

SAM: They're not in a good place.

MATT: You take four points of piercing damage.

TRAVIS: Yes.

MATT: And two points of necrotic.

TRAVIS: Okay.

MATT: The claws, you just pull out of the way and it catches your forearm. You're like, "Ugh." It stings, but you've had far worse. The one that's running towards you on the other side, that rushes to Fresh Cut Grass is going to attempt to attack you with a natural one. You're just (whooshes) nothing, ducking at the side, ready for it without issue. The one that rushes up to you Fearne, however, it's going to leap in the air, claws out, (growls), and go a frenzied strike on you for 18 to hit?

ASHLEY: Yes.

MATT: All righty. You, there we go. That is five points of piercing damage and seven necrotic.

ASHLEY: Oh. Okay.

MATT: That finishes their go. Fresh Cut Grass, with Fearne on deck.

SAM: If I had to estimate the distance from me right now to where I last saw Imogen, Eshteross, all them, would it be within 120 feet or no?

MATT: The doorways that lead in this hall, because there's another room here. The hallway continues this way. About here is where the door would be.

SAM: But they're beyond that across the hall.

MATT: They're beyond that across the hall. So I'd say they're probably a little more than that right now.

SAM: Okay. So casting Message would not be smart. Okay. So in that case, I'm going to try to-- No, let me try and-- Okay, I will try my best. Boy. What's the best play here? Do damage or defuse? I'll try to defuse. I will cast-- I will say: Now, now. Now ladies and gentlemen, we don't want to fight here, let's just calm this down. I'll cast Calm Emotions on all of them.

MATT: Okay.

SAM: I can center the radius within, in the center of all of them and hit all of the little critters.

MATT: The little critters you can, yes.

SAM: Yes.

MATT: Okay.

SAM: It's a charisma 14 save.

MATT: It is. If they are hostile, do they get advantage on it now?

SAM: Let's see.

MATT: No, I do not think you can. However, if they're attacked or harmed, then it goes hostile again. So let's go ahead and roll for these. The one that's next to Fearne. Natural one, you're just pulling the ones up there. So this one, we'll say, is a little more docile for the time being. Goes into a confused (grunts) and looks over to its leader for some sort of interaction. The one that's right in front of your face, that fails as well.

SAM: Nice.

MATT: They do not have a, they're not known for their intense wisdom. We'll put a marker.

SAM: Except for Charlie.

MATT: Except for Charlie. He's pretty tough. Here we go. That's the combination I want to pull for.

TALIESIN: Yeah, just can't smack them around.

MATT: The one in back, two that're facing you. That succeeds, and succeeds. 14 and 16. Okay. So the two that are right there in the room with you put their claws to the side and start looking over down the long hall where Lady Emoth's hanging from the ceiling and getting ready to possibly charge back in. Do you want to stay put?

SAM: No, I'm going to go diagonally that way and duck around the alcove there.

MATT: Right here?

SAM: Yeah. Just so I'm out of sight a bit.

MATT: Okay, you skitter off. Those two, because they are docile at the moment, or at least not actively engaged in aggression. Do not take any swipes on you as you move out of their combat range.

SAM: For my bonus action, I will, if you'll allow it, I will use it to speak to my comrades and say: If you attack them or any of their friends, they will once again become hostile.

TRAVIS: Shit. There's two others in the other room, right? Not infected? Okay.

MATT: Yep. That seems to be at the moment.

TRAVIS: Yeah.

MATT: Okay. That finishes your go. Fearne, you're up.

ASHLEY: Ooh.

TRAVIS: Going to blow it right here.

ROBBIE: Yeah, immediately, immediately.

ASHLEY: Oh. So, we can't hit anybody in here.

SAM: But they can't see anything in the next room over, so you could have fun with her.

ASHLEY: Yeah. Okay. So what we're going to do here is, we are going to, we-- me, I am going to bring Mister into the game.

MATT: So Mister apparates from underneath your shawl. (hooting) (shrieks)

ASHLEY: Good boy.

MATT: Where do you want to place him?

ASHLEY: Just beside me, in between Dorian and I. Our baby.

MATT: Okay. Now, does Mister do anything when he arrives?

ASHLEY: No, I think it's the next, I think I command-- Hold on, I will tell you right in this moment.

MATT: Okay, no worries. (laughs)

ASHLEY: Let me find it. Okay. "As an action, you can expand one of your Wild Shape--" Okay, already did that. "Summon your wildfire spirit rather than--" (mumbles) "Each creature within 10 feet of the spirit when it appears, must succeed on a dex saving throw or take 2d6 fire damage." So we might be fighting them if they fail.

MATT: Knowing this, do you want to place him between the two of them?

TRAVIS: Or somewhere else?

TRAVIS: What would Fearne do?

SAM: You do your thing.

ASHLEY: Okay.

LIAM: Dance.

ASHLEY: Let me see how far, how far can I place him?

TRAVIS: Yeah, baby, Pulp Fiction.

SAM: 20 feet.

MATT: Within 30 feet, I think. Yep.

ASHLEY: Within 30 feet of me? Okay.

MATT: Correct. So you could move and choose elsewhere if you wanted to.

ASHLEY: Okay. Ooh, that's a bit of a pickle.

LAURA: Ooh, what a pickle.

MATT: What you got?

ASHLEY: Okay. Shit. Can I put him in the room?

MATT: Over--?

LAURA: Which room?

ASHLEY: The room in here, yeah.

MATT: If you get enough visual sight, you can, if you move over.

ASHLEY: Yeah. I'll move over a bit.

MATT: Like there?

ASHLEY: Yeah. To where I can see and I'll pop him right in front of those two.

MATT: All right. So both of them have to make a dex save.

ASHLEY: Yep.

LAURA: Oh, does that mean that the guards that are down would have to make dex saves, too? If you put him right there.

MATT: So if you put him there, likely, yeah.

ASHLEY: That's okay. (laughter)

ROBBIE: They were never making it out of here.

ASHLEY: I mean, they're probably half eaten.

MATT: Double sixes, they both fail, so go ahead and roll damage on that.

ASHLEY: Okay!

ASHLEY: Oh, what a dumb roll. Three.

MATT: Three?

ASHLEY: Three points of damage.

MATT: Three points of fire damage on each of them, as Mister suddenly vanishes from your shoulders, (whooshes) and bursts into flame into the other room with a bright light. It blinds you momentarily, Chetney, as you watch the flaming Mister (screeching), and the two shade creepers withdraw. The two guards on the ground begin to writhe as they burn.

MARISHA: (laughs)

MATT: They're not dead, but they're certainly closer!

LIAM: They will be soon.

MATT: (laughs)

TRAVIS: Oh man.

ASHLEY: As I see that, I'm like: Oh, I'm so sorry.

MATT: That's your bonus action?

ASHLEY: Then as a bonus action, I'm going--

MATT: Is that your action to some of it?

ASHLEY: That's my action.

MATT: Yeah.

ASHLEY: Bonus action, I'm going to produce a Flame Blade from my hand and have that prepared. I'm going to look at F.C.G.

MATT: Describe how you create the Flame Blade.

ASHLEY: I just fling out my hand and it just (whooshes) very slowly starts to come out of my hand and (whooshes).

MARISHA: Cool.

ASHLEY: I'm waiting, but I--

SAM: Are you? (laughter)

SAM: Because it seemed like you just... killed some people.

MATT: The one that's docile that's right in front of you looks over at you, up at you. Looks over and sees Mister appear and burn his friends and he goes, (growls).

ASHLEY: I'm sorry. (laughter)

MATT: So you summon it. You still have to use your action to attack next turn, correct?

ASHLEY: Yeah.

MATT: Okay. But yeah, the one that didn't see it, which is over by the wall is still just standing there going (gargling). But definitely one of them broke from that.

ASHLEY: Okay.

MATT: That's your turn.

ASHLEY: All right, that's my turn, that's my turn.

MATT: All right, so at the end of this round, you all have come through the hallway, and you glance down one side and over the other and you hear commotion and you see suddenly-- you do, actually, because you have the super high fucking crazy passive perception. All of you just hear noises. You're not quite sure what's happening. You watch something skitter across the ceiling, back into the hall and you see some sort of a humanoid figure that's spider-like on the ceiling. (sucking)

LIAM: I've heard a description that I didn't see before, but does it look Dugger-esque from my point of view?

MATT: There's not enough light to see.

LIAM: Okay, just something creepy.

MATT: Yeah.

LIAM: All right. And we're how far away?

MATT: You are down here.

LIAM: Okay.

MATT: We'll say for the purposes of placement, somewhere in this neighborhood.

LIAM: Are we in loosey goosey? I would start running in.

MATT: Okay. Are you moving and dashing?

LIAM: Yeah, but I would be like: Hang back. And I would start running in there.

MATT: Okay. What's your speed?

LIAM: Oh, it's 30.

MATT: 30? 30, and you're dashing as well?

LIAM: Yeah.

MATT: That will get you double move to about there. So you are now in the hallway, but that's your full turn to get to that place.

LAURA: I would take off running as soon as he took off running,

MATT: Right, I need you-- and then, so you do the same?

LAURA: Mm-hmm.

MATT: That'll get you back there.

LAURA: I wouldn't dash, though. I would probably just take my 30 and then try to attack the thingy that I saw.

MATT: Okay. There you go. So you are still back in the hall.

TALIESIN: I'll stick with you, I'd stick with Laudna.

MATT: Okay. So you both have an action to go.

LAURA: Okay.

MATT: That's your turn. But we need you to roll initiative now to see where you are. This is essentially coming into the space.

LAURA: Cool.

TRAVIS: (laughs)

MARISHA: Yeah. 10.

MATT: Okay. Imogen?

LAURA: Five.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: Should we just put them--

LAURA: Is that above you, though?

TRAVIS: -- at the bottom of our initiative or working it out.

ROBBIE: This is after-- Yeah, this is after Fearne, before Emoth.

MATT: It is-- This is them just moving while all that's happening. Now they're rolling initiative and they're going to be added to it this round.

TRAVIS: Oh, okay. I didn't put what the numbers of individual people were, so.

MATT: I got it all situated here.

TALIESIN: Yeah, but we--

MATT: Fearne and Fresh Cut Grass are both four.

LAURA: What was yours?

LIAM: 20.

MATT: Dorian was 18. Chet was 17.

LAURA: So, Dorian is-- I mean, Orym is on top.

LIAM: Oryam.

LAURA: Oryam is at the top. (laughs)

MATT: Okay.

TALIESIN: Also, 21, so I'll go after.

LAURA: Yeah, and I'm right after you.

ROBBIE: You did it. You said it out loud.

TALIESIN: Going after Orym.

ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

LIAM: Boy, I'm thinking of cookies now, too.

ROBBIE: Sure. (laughs) Me, too.

TRAVIS: Thinking of cookies.

ROBBIE: I am thinking of cookies.

MATT: Got it. So at the top, Orym, you rush in and watch this creature up there. It hasn't quite noticed your approach, and is more focused and is getting ready to tear back into this open doorway. You can hear scuffling and sounds of growling and skittering from within. What do you do?

LIAM: Do I see it better now?

MATT: You do.

LIAM: Okay. It's covered in mucus and shit?

MATT: It definitely evokes a similar vibe as to your encounter with Dugger, if a little more refined.

LIAM: Okay, then I'm going to run at her and leap nine feet into the air and double slash her legs.

MATT: Because of your jump, you can do that. So you rush up, go ahead and you land back on the ground below, but go ahead and make your two strikes.

TRAVIS: Orym got ups!

LIAM: Okay, first one--

ROBBIE: Fashionable twists.

LIAM: -- is not that good.

TRAVIS: Master twist powers.

LIAM: Where'd it go? That is a 14.

MATT: 14 misses, unfortunately.

LIAM: Okay, second one is a 20.

MATT: 20 does hit.

LIAM: On a dagger. That was three. So that was eight and I will make it a Goading--

MATT: Okay.

LIAM: -- Attack, so she has to make a wisdom save.

MATT: You got it. That is a failure with an eight.

LIAM: So she takes 15 points of damage from the second slash, the blade slashes across the stone of the wall. Then I kick off and as I'm coming down, rake it across her leg, and any attacks on anyone but me are at disadvantage.

MATT: At disadvantage. You've got it. Okay. As the first swing goes wide, you go and strike towards her. She pulls up and it hits the wall and you swing upward with your momentum as it goes down. As you do, you catch part of her leg and you hear (pained snarl). Onto the ground and you glance back to you land and see and it's still in the shadow, but some of the light from the torch catches the eyes, like a cat in shadow when a flashlight moves by and you're like, "Ooh."

LIAM: And: Hey, Fearne. And that's it.

ASHLEY: Oh, hi.

LAURA: Does it start the initiative now, or would we have gotten an attack as we ran up as well?

MATT: You guys actually got-- You guys still have an action, so you can do that now, and then we'll come back because that should have technically been before him.

LAURA: Oh, sure, okay. Then I'm going to

MARISHA: (sneezes)

LAURA: Bless you, bless you, bless you. I'm going to see her and as I run up, just shoot my hand out and I'm going to cast Tasha's Mind Whip and try to--

TRAVIS: Ooh, what?

MATT: Okay.

SAM: Mind Whip.

LAURA: Yes, Mind Whip. LAURA'S IWATCH: I didn't get that. Could you try again?

MATT: Could you, please?

LAURA: I'm going to try to get a Mind Whip. (laughter) It's an intelligence saving throw.

MATT: Okay, you got it. Natural 18 plus two. (groaning)

MATT: Does save, unfortunately.

SAM: Watch me nae-nae.

MARISHA: All right, as I run up.

LIAM: Saddest nae-nae.

MATT: Still takes half damage, though.

LAURA: Oh, it does?

MATT: Yes.

LAURA: That's great. Well, then, I'll roll that. (hums)

MATT: Get that Mind Whip damage.

SAM: Not bad for a servant. (laughter)

MARISHA: My god.

LAURA: 16, so--

MATT: 16, so eight points of psychic damage. You got it. So as you extend your consciousness and tear through the creature's mind, it manages to just catch you in the moment and the wills collide, and you still manage to push through and do damage, but there is resistance. All right, so that finishes your action at the end of the last round. And Laudna, what are you doing?

MARISHA: Oh shit. Oh goddamn it.

SAM: Oh shit.

MARISHA: Hang on, shit. It's a bonus action. Bonus action, Hex.

SAM: Yes.

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: Going to hex her.

MATT: Hexed.

MARISHA: I can still take an action as well, yeah?

MATT: You can.

MARISHA: In this round?

MATT: As long as it's not a spell. If it's a cantrip, you can.

MARISHA: Yes, I will cantrip Eldritch Blast.

MATT: Indeed, but you have two now.

MARISHA: I have two of them now.

MATT: Go for it.

MARISHA: Okay! Is this? What it is? This is a six. All right, six plus seven is 13.

MATT: 13 misses, unfortunately.

MARISHA: Okay, and the other one is a 17, plus seven, which is 24.

MATT: That hits. So go ahead and roll damage for one plus Hex damage. (laughter)

SAM: Yeah, I've never had a problem reading my dice ever in my entire playing career.

LAURA: What are the numbers?

MARISHA: 13. So it's the sixes and the nines.

LAURA: Yeah, yeah.

MARISHA: They get all, you know.

SAM: That's fair.

LIAM: Those are always nines.

MARISHA: Can get a little-- (laughs)

TALIESIN: Hey, there is no six.

MARISHA: There are no sixes on those dies.

LAURA: (laughs)

MATT: Nice.

TALIESIN: Even the d6. (laughter)

MARISHA: 13.

MATT: 13 points of...

MARISHA: Of necrotic.

MATT: Necrotic damage. It impacts the creature. "(snarls)" Seeing you all rush into the hallway, you striking from below at that point. Glancing over to everyone else in the other room, there this, it's contemplating and calculating its next move. So now we're at the top of the round. You had taken your action already.

LIAM: Yeah.

MATT: Now? Okay. One of the guards is not looking like it's going to make it.

SAM: I don't. Come on, come on.

MATT: Yeah, it's... (laughs)

SAM: Come on.

MATT: One of them in the background is-- the flames are smoldering on its boot, and it's (croaks).

LIAM: His name is Russ.

MATT: Just bleeding out of the mouth on the ground.

LAURA: Oh, Russ! Poor Russ.

TRAVIS: Don't do it. Don't name it.

MATT: All right. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Don't name it.

MATT: It is now, at the top of this, Ashton's go, since you rolled so high.

TALIESIN: Fuck, of course.

LAURA: His birthday was next week. (laughter)

ROBBIE: He was about to retire.

MARISHA: He was about to get a promotion.

ALL: Aww! (laughter)

TALIESIN: Can I see anything that's going on over there?

MATT: No, all you do is hear sounds from within. You just see your friends focusing on this creature that's still latched to the ceiling. It's humanoid, but moving unnaturally.

TALIESIN: Okay, I'm going to just take a few steps forward.

TALIESIN: I'm going to drink a potion because it's looking like that. Hey, and that's plus two, right?

LIAM: Yeah.

MATT: Yep.

LIAM: Nice.

MATT: Nine hit points you get.

TALIESIN: Nice.

MATT: And pass that over. ♪ Pass that over, baby ♪

TALIESIN: I'm going to take a sip.

MATT: Sorry.

TALIESIN: I'm going to yell.

ASHLEY: ♪ Pass that over, baby ♪

TALIESIN: Fuck, are you guys all right?

MATT: You all hear Ashton's voice from around the corner shout, asking if you're all right.

TALIESIN: Hello!

TRAVIS: Fucking in here!

SAM: I'll answer on my turn!

MATT: (laughs) All right, and you're staying put?

TALIESIN: Yeah, I'm coming a few feet forward. I'm just staying in front of the spell casters.

LIAM: Cool, cool, cool.

MATT: Okay, you got it. Finishing your go.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

MATT: It is now Lady Emoth's turn. Looking down at you in the ground, she spider-climbs across the ceiling. Over here.

TALIESIN: Oh no.

MATT: And is going to dart down towards Fearne, is going to go ahead and... Her neck curls back. It seems to almost lengthen as it does so. The spinal column itself pulls back. Right above where their somewhat bony sternum is, the flesh seems to almost gather up before (retches) she fires a line of translucent spittle that goes right through Fearne and you.

LAURA: Yeah.

SAM: Oh god. (sighs)

MATT: I need you both to make dexterity, saving throws, please.

LIAM: Yeah, motherfucker.

LAURA: He knows what he's doing! (laughter)

MATT: Dexterity saving throw.

LAURA: You with your skills.

LIAM: Right. Me, too? Sure. Oh, so bad.

TRAVIS: That's a lot of dice.

LIAM: So bad. 10.

ASHLEY: 17.

MATT: That's a success. You take half damage on this. So, Fearne, let's see here. You take 12 points of poison damage.

SAM: Not bad.

ASHLEY: Jeepers creepers!

MATT: You take 24 points of poison damage.

LAURA: Ooh!

MATT: And you are poisoned.

LAURA: Ooh!

LIAM: Well, wait. Wait, wait, wait. I have a thing about poison. I have advantage against poison.

MATT: Then roll again.

LIAM: Okay.

SAM: Just on the poison effect?

MATT: What's this for?

LIAM: I have advantage on poison because of the halfling that I am.

MATT: Oh! Okay.

LAURA: Because of the halfling that I am.

LIAM: But is that still a-- (laughter)

TRAVIS: There's a bunch of different--

LIAM: That's still a dex save, though?

MATT: Still a dex save, yeah.

LIAM: Okay, so that is 16.

MATT: 16 succeeds. You only take 12 points poison damage, and you are not poisoned. (cheering) (applause)

LIAM: Remember your rules, folks.

MATT: Look at that!

TRAVIS: Oh shit.

MATT: All righty.

LIAM: It burns!

MATT: So as you both managed to get out of the way before it can completely engulf your eyes, and nose, and ears and any sort of open, sensitive spaces... (laughter)

LIAM: It's in my urethra! (laughter)

TRAVIS: Oh my god.

MATT: So while it stings and burns into the skin, it could have been a lot worse. All right, that finishes Lady Emoth's go. Now we are back to Dorian, with Chetney on deck.

ROBBIE: (sighs) All right.

MATT: Dropped down right next to you, and after spitting this line through the door and beyond, and your friends get coated. She turns back to you. "(snarls)"

ROBBIE: I said, where is my brother? I'm going to pull out the Gambler's Blade, close the gap, and just take a piercing slash right at it.

MATT: Heck yeah. Go for it.

ROBBIE: (hums nervously)

MATT: You have-- No, you do not have advantage.

LIAM: Swashbuckle that shit.

ROBBIE: Yeah.

ASHLEY: Wait, the hex? What does the hex do?

MATT: Hex just does additional damage when she damages.

ASHLEY: When she does it?

MARISHA: But a disadvantage on checks.

MATT: On ability checks of your choice.

MARISHA: I'll say dex checks.

MATT: You got it.

SAM: Hex checks.

ROBBIE: That is a 18.

MATT: 18 hits, go ahead and roll damage.

ROBBIE: Sweet. Nice. Seven plus three, that's 10.

MATT: 10, awesome. Do you have any other abilities from your class?

ROBBIE: Yes. So, for my bonus action, I'm going to expend one bardic inspiration, and I am going to use Slashing Flourish.

MATT: Okay.

ROBBIE: So I take that stab at her, and then I look at the two other people, and while it's still stuck in her, I pull it out, and I stick it straight back in her again, because if a weapon attack hits, it can use it to deal the extra damage equal to the number that I roll. So I think that's another seven?

MATT: Well, you roll your bardic inspiration die.

ROBBIE: Oh, I roll my bardic inspiration die?

MATT: Yeah.

ROBBIE: Oh. Which is what? Oh no! I've never used this before.

MATT: That's right, because you've been giving other people bardic inspiration.

ROBBIE: It's got to be, oh, it is a d8. So, I roll?

MATT: Yeah, just roll that again.

ROBBIE: Roll it again?

MARISHA: Come on!

MARISHA: Oh!

TRAVIS: Oh baby, let's go!

ROBBIE: That's an eight!

LAURA: Oh yes.

MATT: An additional eight points of damage to it.

ROBBIE: But then also with Slashing Flourish, I pull it out, and I can also hit anybody within five feet of me. Would that be the two little guys?

MATT: If you wanted to move in closer to have done so, I'll allow that to make that guy.

ROBBIE: Just one of them?

MATT: Just one of them, yeah.

ROBBIE: Yeah, then the little guy in the light and I'm just like: That's for you too, bitch. Then I'll stick him with that one.

MATT: So he also takes eight points of damage.

LAURA: So you're going to stick it in her, pull it out, stick it back in her, pull it out, and then stick it in the other guy?

ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah!

LAURA: Okay, cool.

ROBBIE: I'm just poking everybody.

TRAVIS: He's a bard!

ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah. (laughter)

MATT: So, after you stab it into her, pull it back, and stab her again, moving to the side, and then flourish back and strike the other guy who had already been wounded by Chetney, the blade carves through him, and he (gurgles) just crumbles to the ground.

ASHLEY: (gasps) Yes.

ROBBIE: All right.

MATT: The body ignites and burns in a radius.

LAURA: Oh shit, forgot about that!

SAM: Yeah.

LAURA: Oh god.

ROBBIE: Oh no!

MATT: I need Fearne to make a dexterity saving throw.

ROBBIE: Sorry, Fearne!

TALIESIN: Oh yeah.

ROBBIE: Burst into flames.

TRAVIS: ♪ Pardon me while I burn ♪

ASHLEY: Eight.

MATT: You take four points of fire damage.

LAURA: So many eights!

MATT: From the burning atmosphere around the creature. But that creature is dispatched.

ASHLEY: Rough shape.

MATT: Some heavy damage. Awesome, that finishes your go, Dorian. Chetney, you're up.

LAURA: Ooh!

TRAVIS: Can I see--

MATT: With Laudna on deck.

TRAVIS: -- quickly, looking through the doorway past the two shade creepers that are there, do either of the guards look more alive than the other?

MATT: Yes. This one, you're uncertain if they're alive. This one, you see a little bit of movement as one of the legs is twitching a little bit, and almost like it's trying to kick away.

TRAVIS: All right, I will try and run by the shade creeper on my right, along that inner wall and head towards him, so to not draw attacks of opportunity from both if I can. If it is, I'll try for it. I'm going to try and push towards that guard.

MATT: Okay, are you trying-- They're both blocking your path unless you go around this way. Unless you arc around, otherwise, you can try and leap over.

TRAVIS: Oh, I see. Yeah, I'll try. Oh, is that going to spend my action if I try and leap over?

MATT: Just an acrobatics check.

TRAVIS: I'll try it.

MATT: All right, so since they too have leapt over you, you're like two can play at this game, bitch. You go ahead and immediately pull back and go into a Chetney leap over the one in front of you. Roll an acrobatics check for me, please.

TRAVIS: (chuckles) Okay. 17.

MATT: 17, so.

TRAVIS: Age ain't nothing but a number! (laughter)

MATT: Landing right next to our good monkey boy there, you land. One of them does-- No, actually, you're still in melee with both of them, so none of them get attack of opportunity, and you land next to the guy there on the ground, yeah?

TRAVIS: I'm next to the guard that looks like he might have some life left in him?

MATT: Yeah.

TRAVIS: We got to have one of these fuckers alive, otherwise we're going to get framed to shit. I will take out the green healing potion. The greater healing potion that also has, I think, poison immunity or whatever in it, and I'm going to dump it in his gullet for my action.

MATT: Okay, go ahead and roll 2d4.

TRAVIS: (sighs) 2d4.

MARISHA: I'm kind of here for sour apple. I know most people don't like it.

LAURA: Sour apple.

TRAVIS: Six. Six points plus... It was a four and a two, so six plus four?

MATT: Yeah, so that's 10.

TRAVIS: 10.

TALIESIN: Hey!

TRAVIS: It was 10 points.

MATT: You finish administering the potion, and the guard (pants) (cries out) looks down and sees the flaming monkey, and sees the two other creatures there, and immediately grabs the spear and sits up and puts its back against the wall that separates the two rooms.

TRAVIS: We're friends. We're here to help. Things are about to get wield-- weird.

LAURA: (laughs) Wield.

TRAVIS: Wield. Don't hit me. (growls) (laughter and cheering)

ASHLEY: Let's go!

MATT: With that, you transform into to your lycanthrope hybrid form. The guard just goes "(screams)." (laughter)

MATT: It's not quite sure where to focus its fear, but it's back against the wall, spear in front of it, and it's just in a defensive mode right now.

TRAVIS: We're good.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: That's my turn.

MATT: That finishes your go. Laudna, you're up.

ROBBIE: Bathroom guards.

MARISHA: I know! (laughs) Literally bottom, what? Me?

MATT: Your turn, yeah.

MARISHA: Oh shit! (laughter)

MARISHA: You were staring at me expectantly. Okay, well, fuck. Imogen and I are fucked right now. So I look at Imogen. Hi. (mumbles) Run forward.

MATT: Okay. You're about 30. That's your movement.

MARISHA: Damn! So I can't see shit, can I?

MATT: Not right now, no.

MARISHA: (clicks tongue) I will dash.

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: It's a bonus action to dash?

MATT: No, it's your action to do that.

MARISHA: My action?

MATT: Yes. Unless you're a rogue, because they can do that.

MARISHA: Right, can I see her? Oh yeah, she's right there. Okay. I will quicken a spell.

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: Because I can do that now.

SAM: That sounds fun.

MARISHA: Spend two sorcery points. Actually, wait, what? What? Hang on. Doing this for the first time. Hang on. Sit down, action.

TALIESIN: New toy.

MARISHA: New toys. Oh shit. "Create a spell, when you cast a spell, the other one, one action using two sorcery points to change," okay, okay, okay. So, two sorcery points, and I will Chill Touch her.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: Ooh, nice, nice, nice.

LAURA: Quicken means you can turn it into a bonus action?

MARISHA: Mm-hmm.

LAURA: Oh, that's so badass.

SAM: Pretty cool.

MATT: All right.

MARISHA: So from the ceiling, from the the darkness, you just see like two skeletal hands reach out and clasp on top of her. (oohing)

TRAVIS: Ooh, bad move!

MATT: Make a ranged spell attack.

MARISHA: Come on, don't fuck me! ♪ Natural fucking one ♪ God.

LAURA: Oh!

MARISHA: Natural one, daddy!

TRAVIS: That's why you can't say that on the non-Gil dice.

MATT: Yeah.

MARISHA: Yeah, I can't say that on the non-Gil dice, huh?

MATT: You rush around the corner, drawing on that source of arcane power within your blood, your cold, half-undead blood, and release the Chill Touch. The two skulls and claws collide downward, and this creature, as the claws strike, seem to slide off of her from the strange layer of weird, viscous excretion that coats her exposed skin.

MARISHA: Well, there goes my sorcerer points. (sighs)

TRAVIS and SAM: Ooh.

MATT: It's worth a shot.

MARISHA: All right, it's my turn.

MATT: All right, finishing Laudna's go. The rest of these individuals are-- This one, which has now been attacked, is going to shift around behind Dorian. This one here is going to run through here. You have a reaction, so you do get an attack of opportunity.

ASHLEY: Does Mister get a reaction?

MATT: Mister does not.

SAM: Who gets an attack of opportunity?

MATT: You do, Chetney.

TRAVIS: I do?

MATT: Yes, because one of them rushed past you.

TRAVIS: Amazing.

SAM: Yes.

MATT: That one's going to turn and strike towards you.

TRAVIS: I just have-- I still got my chisel.

MATT: Yep.

TRAVIS: A werewolf with a chisel. (laughter)

TALIESIN: I'd watch that.

TRAVIS: Oh, that's 22 to hit.

MATT: That hits, go ahead and roll damage.

TRAVIS: Two plus--

LIAM: Welcome back to Chisel Wars.

TRAVIS: -- eight, 10, plus? Five, 15!

MATT: 15.

MARISHA: Oh!

MATT: As that one rushes past you, you quickly streak out and catch the back of its head, and as it moves two steps forward, it goes (gurgles), and that head wobbles, as you've actually severed the back of where its spine would be at the back of the neck, and it just crumples into the ground before bursting into flames. Make a dexterity saving throw for me.

TRAVIS: Okay. Dexterity save. 17.

MATT: 17, you succeed, so you only take three points of fire damage.

TRAVIS: Three points fire damage. I turn and look at the guard and go: (guttural) Friend. (laughter)

MATT: The other one's going to go ahead and strike you. That is a 17 to hit. Which I think does hit you.

TRAVIS: It does without all my other stuff, yeah.

MATT: All right, you take-- oh, there we go. Eight points of piercing damage.

TRAVIS: Okay.

MATT: Reduced to four because you are in your hybrid form.

TRAVIS: And it's non-magical?

MATT: It's non-magical and non-silver. You do however take nine points of necrotic damage.

TRAVIS: Copy that. Damn.

TALIESIN: Yeah, man.

MATT: All right. (sighs) So that'd be three points of bludgeoning damage. I looked at the wrong bonus. But yeah.

TRAVIS: Three instead of four?

MATT: Three instead of four, so you get one more. Then there is the one that is now moved behind Dorian, and it's going to go and strike you. It does have advantage because it is flanking you with Lady Emoth. Yeah, that'll-- I'm pretty sure it hits with the 19.

ROBBIE: Oh yeah.

MATT: Yeah, okay. It circles around. It shakes off the influence from the Calm Emotions, and just unleashes into your back, as you just see it move around with unnatural speed, and then it tears into you for five points of piercing damage, and 12 points of necrotic.

ROBBIE: Oh my.

MATT: The claws just bury into your back, and you feel your whole back muscles tense up from the pain before you pull away. It's now attempting to climb onto your body and tear into you.

TRAVIS: Oh! Come on!

ROBBIE: I just had a massage, man! (laughter)

MATT: Imogen.

TRAVIS: You are ruining--

MATT: You're up, with Fresh Cut Grass on deck.

LAURA: Okay. All right, having seen Laudna take off running, I'm just going to close my eyes and put my hands down, and Misty Step to the doorway.

MARISHA: Hell yes! Yes, yes, yes!

MATT: So you're going to move forward.

TALIESIN: Fine.

MATT: And then just (boof).

LAURA: I, if I can, I'm just going to use the 30 feet of Misty Step to get to the doorway.

MATT: It would've been, 15, 20, 25, 30.

LAURA: I can Misty Step that far?

MATT: You can Misty Step this far.

LAURA: Okay, then I can walk it.

MATT: But then you can move, yeah.

LAURA: Great, and then I'm going to use my action. Can I see scary lady?

MATT: You can.

LAURA: Bad scary lady. Not good scary lady?

MATT: She's between Dorian and Fearne.

TRAVIS: Yeah, yeah.

MATT: It's a good distinction, yes.

TRAVIS: Be specific. (laughter)

LAURA: All right, I am going to... I'm going to just look at her and say: Take it in! I'm going to send all of the mental anguish that I'm feeling from the party and send it to her, and I'm going to cast Dissonant Whispers.

MATT: Is that a cantrip? Because you did cast Misty Step, which is technically a spell.

LAURA: Oh, I thought because it was a feature that I could do it. Does--

MATT: Feature from which?

LAURA: Fey Touched.

MATT: Gotcha. So that--

LAURA: Does is still count as a spell usage?

MATT: It still counts as a spell. It's like casting a spell when you use the feature.

LAURA: Got it.

MATT: But you can still do a cantrip.

LAURA: Got it. In that case, I'll do the same thing, but with Mind Sliver.

MATT: You got it.

LAURA: Same thing.

MATT: It's a saving throw or attack roll from you?

LAURA: Same flavor, different text. Intelligence saving.

MATT: You got it. That is going to be a 14.

LAURA: Yes, 15!

MATT: You got it, just misses.

ASHLEY: Oh yes.

LAURA: Seven points.

MATT: Seven points of damage, all right. She's now on the ground and (growls), seems to be wrestling with the pain, striking the head. For a second, the monstrous form almost snaps back, and you see the woman once again, almost brought back to her previous form in the party before looking over right at you. (snarls) All right, does that finish your go?

LAURA: Uh, yeah?

MATT: All righty, Fresh Cut Grass, you're up. Fearne, you're on deck.

LAURA: I just duck my head behind Laudna. (laughter)

SAM: Hmm, go to you or attack? (laughter)

SAM: We got a lot of heavy hitters here, so I'm going to look up at the wall beside me and see a crude poster, a picture of Russ the guard, and it just says, "Guard Of The Month" over him. (laughter) I'm like, I'm coming for you, Russ! So I come out. (laughter) I come out and I start making my way over to the other door. How-- do I see? Do I see-- can I see past all this melee madness to see if any guards are awake, or alive, or anything as I'm walking? No, no.

MATT: The closest you can get is about there, which will get you into melee with that one over there, but you can see this guard across the way, and a little bit here. This guard is now conscious and backing-- and back against the wall, sitting spear in hand, and is just taking in the chaos around it. The other one is on the ground and not moving.

SAM: And it's hard, a little hard for me to see. So there's one bad guy in front of me in the room?

MATT: Right here's one bad guy.

SAM: And behind me is the bad lady.

MATT: Over here is the bad lady.

SAM: Rules are I can cast a bonus action spell and a cantrip spell? Is that right?

MATT: Correct. If you'd like to. Or you can cast a spell and then do a bonus action feature, up to you.

SAM: I will use bonus action to cast Spiritual Weapon.

MATT: Okay, all righty. In what form?

SAM: Well, we're at a party.

TRAVIS: (laughs)

SAM: So I would like to cast it to look like a formal invitation, and on the front it says, "The honor of your presence is cordially invited." Then if you flip it open it says, "To a whoopin'-- an ass whoopin'!" (laughter)

LAURA: I like that it would say, "Whoopin'-- an ass whoopin'!"

MATT: Yes.

ROBBIE: It's an ellipsis.

MATT: An emotionally-charged bit of writing.

TALIESIN: I was already there for "The honor of your presence is cordially invited."

TRAVIS: Is that handwritten?

TALIESIN: I was already on board.

SAM: I hired a calligraphist and I didn't want to pay her to redo it, so I just left it in.

LAURA: (posh) "Your presence is cordially--"

TALIESIN: (posh) "Invited."

MATT: I don't have a--

SAM: Why not?

MATT: I don't have an invitation, so we'll just--

TRAVIS: Matt, we're breaking the--

MATT: Where do you want it to go?

TRAVIS: Breaking the illusion.

TALIESIN: I need a piece of paper, I can whip one up.

SAM: I mean, I feel like the bad lady is now swarmed by our people, but yeah, I'll attack her, I'll attack her.

MATT: Okay, on this side or this side?

MARISHA: Do a newspaper swat.

SAM: On my side.

MATT: Okay. There it is, go ahead and roll an attack.

SAM: Okay, attack.

LIAM: Get her, Ted Grasso.

SAM: Nope, four plus something. I'm sure it doesn't hit.

MATT: It hits her like an invitation would. (laughter) Just flops against her.

SAM: I chose another--

LAURA: You got to angle it. Angle it, paper cut!

TRAVIS: Yeah, yeah, yeah!

MATT: Yeah, now you know, now you know.

TRAVIS: Not broadside.

ROBBIE: An RSVP, I'm sorry I can't attend. (laughter)

SAM: I still have an action. Oh man, I can't reach the dead guy. He's probably dead. I see the other guy's doing okay. Is that Russ?

MATT: No.

SAM: Oh no!

ROBBIE: Oh! No! (laughter)

TRAVIS: Fucking terrible.

MARISHA: We're killing the NPC we made up! No! (laughter)

TRAVIS: Employee of the month!

SAM: I can't reach him to Spare the Dying, so I guess I'll use my action to cast Sacred Flame. I guess I'll style it that a little door opens right here, and a little hose sticks out and (sputters). (laughter) Blast of fire.

MATT: You got it.

SAM: At the guy in front of Chetney.

MATT: You got it, you got it.

TRAVIS: Little servo.

MATT: A dex save, I assume?

SAM: I think so. Let's see here, Sacred Flame is a dex save 14.

MATT: It failed with a six.

SAM: Okay, I roll a... 2d8!? Seven points of damage.

MATT: Seven points of damage. The flames (roaring) seem to immolate him for a minute before he shakes it off. Looks hurt, but is still like (snarls).

SAM: Okay, okay. That's my move!

MATT: Okay, that finishes your go. You got it. Fearne, you're up.

ASHLEY: Okay.

MATT: With Orym on deck at the top of the round.

ASHLEY: So Mister, let's start with him. He's going to shoot a flame seed at this boy here.

MATT: One in front, okay, you got it.

ASHLEY: Yep. Yes, 15 plus seven.

SAM: Correct.

ASHLEY: So, yeah.

MATT: That hits, go ahead and roll damage.

ASHLEY: Get my little teeth, my baby teeth. Okay.

MARISHA: Did we win? Do we win?

SAM: Yeah, it's the same on both sides. (laughter)

ASHLEY: 11 points of damage.

MATT: 11 points of damage on him.

TRAVIS: Some Harvey Dent shit.

MARISHA: Yeah. (laughter)

MATT: Okay. (fire roaring)

ASHLEY: Yes!

MATT: He explodes from the flame seed that's thrown point blank into its back. And just (rasps). And then detonates around.

SAM: Oh no.

LAURA: Oh no, Mister!

MATT: Mister--

SAM: And the dead guard.

MATT: Is Mister immune to fire?

ASHLEY: And Chetney.

MATT: (chuckles)

ASHLEY: Well, I feel like he would be.

MATT: I assume he might be.

MARISHA: He is made of fire.

SAM: Resistant, immune to you?

ROBBIE: He is made of fire.

SAM: How can you tell?

ROBBIE: Oh, that look. She's deep into it. She's deep in there.

MATT: He is. Immune to fire, yes.

ASHLEY: He is?

MATT: So he takes no damage. I need both Fresh Cut Grass and Chetney to make dexterity saves.

ASHLEY: Oh jeez, sorry, guys.

SAM: It's okay, 17.

MARISHA: That's good, that's good.

MATT: That's a success.

TRAVIS: Is this considered-- never mind. 16 plus five, 21.

MATT: Okay, yeah, you both succeed. You both only take five points of fire damage.

TRAVIS: Five points.

MATT: You got it.

ASHLEY: Sorry, guys.

SAM: Well, it's all right.

MATT: All right.

ASHLEY: Okay, and I am going to turn around.

MARISHA: Oh no!

ASHLEY: Flip my flame blade, and try to--

SAM: Ooh, okay.

ASHLEY: Sorry.

SAM: Just hit the camera.

ASHLEY: Try to take-- slice it across her throat.

LAURA: Such a dangerous place.

MATT: Roll an attack with your spell attack modifier.

TALIESIN: That's how you paper cut.

MATT: Go for it.

ASHLEY: Okay. Is there an advantage because I'm flanking with Dorian?

MATT: Yes, there would be.

LAURA and ROBBIE: Yay!

TRAVIS: There you go.

ROBBIE: Rules Queen!

TRAVIS: There you go!

ASHLEY: Oh, you know me, knowing D&D rules, no big deal. (laughter)

SAM: Oh!

ASHLEY: Natural 20. (cheering)

ROBBIE: (whoops)

TALIESIN: Murder!

MATT: So go ahead and roll 3d6 and double it.

ASHLEY: Okay.

SAM: Come on, come on. Make this a good roll.

LAURA: Howdy durr de durr!

ASHLEY: Howdy durr durr dee!

TRAVIS: Did you just roll sand?

MARISHA: Why are you-- Yes, yes!

TRAVIS: Why?

MATT: It's like some broken croutons.

ASHLEY: Okay, okay, it's not terrible.

MARISHA: Salt grains.

ASHLEY: Yeah.

SAM: 10 doubled.

ASHLEY: 10 doubled, 20.

MATT: 20 points of fire damage.

TRAVIS: That's no joke.

MATT: Nothing to scoff at.

ASHLEY: Okay, okay, okay.

LAURA: That's not nothing.

MATT: So describe how this crit goes through.

ASHLEY: Okay.

MATT: She's currently focused between you and Dorian. She just took the blast attack from across the way, just dodged the Chill Touch, and is now like glancing around.

ASHLEY: So I'm going to turn around with all the mucus all over me. I just got shampoozled. (laughter) Then I'll try-- try to slice it across her throat to try to open up all the mucus sac.

MATT: Okay, she pulls back and the blade cuts past, and you see the cut does go through, and a bit of excretion (slurps) down the side of the neck. It's not a heavy-- it doesn't bisect her at any means, but definitely cuts through. (snarls)

TRAVIS: Does it smell?

LAURA: Gross.

MATT: You're not close enough, but it does not smell great. Actually, with your senses, yeah, it doesn't smell great.

TRAVIS: (gurgles) (laughter)

ASHLEY: Okay, and then--

MARISHA: Like a Shih Tzu.

ASHLEY: Can I have Mister walk to me?

MATT: You've already used your bonus action to have him attack.

ASHLEY: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

MATT: Can you move as part of that as well? Actually, no, he has a speed of 30 feet on his turn, so yeah, and he can fly. So you can have him.

ASHLEY: Okay, so I want to get him as close to me as he can get.

TRAVIS: The monkey can fly?

MATT: Right next to you. (laughter)

MATT: Yeah.

ROBBIE: You really glossed over that.

MATT: (roaring take off sound)

TRAVIS: Is that what he looks like?

MATT: Yeah, he just glides through. On fire.

LAURA: Oh my god, he's so cute!

ASHLEY: I didn't know he also flew. (laughter)

MATT: He just hovers in the air.

ASHLEY: Oh, I'm such a proud mother.

MATT: (chuckles)

LAURA: That's so cute!

ASHLEY: Okay, great, that's my turn.

MATT: All right, that finishes your go. Top of the round, Orym, you're up.

LIAM: Okay, so slinging venom or poison off of my body, I will bonus action, Second Wind.

MATT: You got it.

LIAM: To start.

TALIESIN: Oh god, I miss Second Wind.

LIAM: So I rolled a 10.

LIAM: So that is...

TRAVIS: Let's go.

LIAM: 15 back, oh, nice.

TRAVIS: Yeah, you needed that after the--

LIAM: Yes, I did. Okay, oh, it brought me up to full. Now, it's really crowded in front of me, so I just crouch and start to run, and I go underneath Imogen, underneath Laudna, underneath Fearne, and I use Bait and Switch and say: Sorry, coming through. And switch places with her, move her back. I will take the superiority die to my AC. Add seven to my AC.

LAURA: Whoa!

MATT: Great.

LIAM: I will attack with a dagger, at advantage because I'm flanking with Dorian.

MATT: You are.

LIAM: First one is a 19 plus. Second one is an 18.

MATT: Both hit, go ahead and roll damage.

TRAVIS: Those Street Fighter combo moves, man, it pays off.

MATT: I love it, I love it so much. (laughs)

LIAM: Six and--

MATT: Crossover.

LIAM: Eight for the second.

MATT: Nice.

LIAM: Action surge. I continue to slash.

MATT: You got it.

LIAM: Then we get a 22, and we get a natural 20. (cheering)

LIAM: Make the natural 20, just in case, a Goading Attack, and I will try to slash her. I will slash her across the eyes.

MATT: Go for it.

LAURA: Whoa!

MARISHA: Fuck this party!

LIAM: So four plus five is nine on the first, and the second is two, so all the dice are doubled. So two. (chuckles) 16. That's 20, plus 25 on that last slash.

ROBBIE: 25?

TALIESIN: Wow.

MATT: From a dagger? Hell yeah. Oh, you rolled an eight, yeah, hell yeah! Okay. So, after ducking through, pushing back Fearne, and just getting the first couple of strikes in, releasing that further push of adrenaline and speed forward, you gash once again, and then with backward swing, you watch as she turns back to try and slash towards you, not expecting you to be coming with such a vicious strike, and as you do, (sharp whoosh) (screeches)

TRAVIS: Yes!

MATT: You see her scratching almost at her face as black gore begins to pour from one eye. You've set this massive cut from top to bottom right there.

TRAVIS: Sick. Sick!

LAURA: Wow.

MATT: Where the cheek is opens up a little bit, and you can see the sharp teeth within.

LAURA: (grossed out noises)

ASHLEY: Ooh, cool.

LIAM: Wisdom save for her.

MATT: Indeed.

LIAM: Because I used another superiority die for a Goading Attack.

MATT: 14?

LIAM: No. Wait, I don't know. (laughter)

ROBBIE: Confidence--

TRAVIS: "No, wait, no-- I don't know!"

LIAM: I'll be right with you. Features and Traits... Where are you? It's a 16, fail.

SAM: Whoa!

MATT: So, it's a fail.

LAURA: 16! Damn!

SAM: Damn!

LIAM: I will-- so disadvantage on anyone but me, and I will stay put, because I know that Dorian and I have her surrounded.

MATT: You got it. Okay, that ends your turn.

LIAM: Yep.

MATT: All right.

TRAVIS: Great turn.

MATT: The other guard, one of them--

MARISHA: Russ.

MATT: This one over here is going to stand up--

SAM: That's not Russ.

MATT: -- go over towards the other guard on the ground--

LAURA: Oh good!

MATT: -- and manages to try and to deal with his wounds, but he's no longer with us. (shouting)

TRAVIS: Russ!

SAM: How could you? You're a monster!

TRAVIS: Russell!

MATT: You had ample opportunities to save both of them. (groaning)

LIAM: You got Fearned.

ASHLEY: I mean, yeah, they got Fearned. (laughter)

ROBBIE: Oh man!

ASHLEY: My bad!

MATT: But then he grabs the body and pulls it back, and is slapping the face, like, "Come on, come on," trying to wake him up.

LIAM: It's really sad, actually.

ASHLEY: That's really sad.

LIAM: But it's not real.

MATT: But it's not real. (laughter)

MARISHA: But it's still sad.

LIAM: It is sad.

MATT: Ashton?

TALIESIN: Let me take my 40 feet of movement.

MATT: 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, the hallway is currently constrained and tight, and you have many friends that are blocking your path inward, but you can see beyond them to this mass of spraying blood and growling claws.

TALIESIN: Oh fuck. I can't get through this shit, can I?

MATT: Not until they move out of the way.

TALIESIN: Okay. I'm going to rage, and I'm going to hold my fucking action.

MATT: You got it.

TALIESIN: So what do I get? Gravity roll, okay, cool.

MATT: Okay. That finishes your go.

TALIESIN: Yeah, the light bends around and everything gets a little black and white around my head.

LIAM: Wibbly-wobbly.

MATT: Okay, Lady Emoth, grabbing the side of her face just dark, dark black liquid is dripping from the wound, (growling and panting)

LIAM: I'm down here.

MATT: (whooshing) leaps up into the ceiling, both Dorian and Orym get attacks of opportunity.

ROBBIE: Okay.

ASHLEY: And Mister?

MATT: Mister does not have--

LIAM: I have advantage because of flanking.

ROBBIE: Oh, that's right.

ASHLEY: He doesn't have anything.

MATT: Good to know.

LIAM: Almost a 20.

LIAM: 20 something--

TRAVIS: Advantage.

ROBBIE: Oh, advantage.

MATT: That hits.

MARISHA: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

LIAM: Eight for me. (laughter)

MATT: Eight damage? All right.

ROBBIE: 24 to hit or do I-- what do we?

MATT: That hits, yeah. So roll damage.

ROBBIE: Okay. Four, six, seven.

MATT: Seven points of damage, nice. You both streak upward, and more blood drops to the ground and she latches into the ceiling and begins to skitter across underneath the hall here.

LIAM: Oh no, where's she fucking going?

SAM: Oh no!

MARISHA: Ah, she's getting--

ROBBIE: She's running.

LIAM: Chet!

LAURA: Does Chet get to attack her?

MARISHA: No!

MATT: Both Fresh Cut Grass and Chetney get attacks of opportunity, if they want to take them.

TRAVIS: As a reaction?

MATT: Yeah.

SAM: When she passes us by?

MATT: Correct.

TRAVIS: How high is the ceiling in here?

MATT: The ceiling is about 10 feet or so, so you could-- she's pretty close, but you could rush up and try and strike her as she goes past.

TRAVIS: Yeah, I'll try.

SAM: The only means with which I would have to hit her are--

MATT: Would be a punch.

SAM: -- are a spiritual weapon.

MATT: Spiritual Weapon does not get an attack of opportunity, but this could be you trying to punch her as she runs by.

SAM: I'm like three feet tall. I can't jump.

MATT: Well, she has to go through the doorway that would bring her within the space.

SAM: Oh, I see. I see. Well then, sure, I'll take a weird, but wait, will this use my reaction, though?

MATT: It would, yeah.

LIAM: Help me help you.

SAM: My next turn's coming soon.

MATT: Yes.

SAM: So I'd get it back.

MATT: It's up to you.

SAM: All right, yeah, I'll go up and I'll punch.

MATT: You'll Mario punch it?

SAM: Yeah.

MATT: All right, roll a d20 and add your strength modifier.

TRAVIS: It was a 22 to hit.

MATT: That definitely hits.

SAM: 18 here.

MATT: That hits as well. So you do one damage plus your strength modifier.

SAM: That's two points of damage.

MATT: All righty.

TALIESIN: Every little bit.

TRAVIS: Eight points of slashing and four points of fire, so 12 total.

MATT: 12 points, okay.

LAURA: Wow.

MATT: You watch as she skitters around the way, through the hall, across the ceiling, over you, and vanishes around this corner.

MARISHA: Son of a--

LAURA: Ah, come on.

TRAVIS: She's got some crazy movement.

MATT: You hear as she rushes by, she's like, "She'll help me. She'll help me."

MATT: She darts around--

MARISHA: She'll help me?

LAURA: She'll help me? Oh no.

ASHLEY: Who, who, who?

MATT: Finishing that, Dorian, you're up, Chetney, you're on deck.

ROBBIE: Is that little creep still on my back?

MATT: Yep.

ROBBIE: All right.

TRAVIS: Finish him.

ROBBIE: I'm going to reach back behind me and try to grab onto him.

MATT: Yeah, it's right there.

ROBBIE: For my action, I'm going to try to throw him off of me.

MATT: Okay.

ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

MATT: You're going to grab. Go ahead and make a strength, no, an athletics check, I'll say.

ROBBIE: Athletics, okay. Ah, that is a 24.

MATT: You, without an issue, throw him off your back onto the ground in front of you. Do you want to throw him across the area?

ROBBIE: Yeah, I want to-- No, never mind.

MATT: What do you want to do? what do you want to do?

ROBBIE: I want to do-- Have you ever seen a flip throw-in in soccer?

MATT: Mm-hmm!

ROBBIE: I want to have him like this and I want to do a front handspring and throw him as far away--

MATT and MARISHA: Yes!

ROBBIE: -- as possible.

MATT and TRAVIS: (whooshing)

ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

MATT: (screams) It hits-- (laughter)

MATT: -- the bookcase with that high of a roll, it hits the bookcase, falls to the ground, (growls), on the ground, the bookcase (creaks).

TRAVIS: Yeah! (laughter)

MATT: Just gets showered in books. (thudding)

LIAM: Oh, they should have earthquake-proofed it.

MATT: Go ahead and roll a d8 of bludgeoning damage to it if you don't mind.

ROBBIE: Okay, cool. A one.

MATT: Okay, so you can see it sort of (grunting). It's currently restrained, but it's still alive under there. It hasn't taken a whole lot of damage, but it cannot currently move from its position without trying to escape. That's awesome. Do you want to stay put, or--?

ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, I'm good, I just wanted to get him away from everybody.

MATT: Okay, you got it. Finishing Dorian's go, Chetney, you're up.

TRAVIS: (growls) I'll turn and try and go after 25 feet. Can I see anything?

MATT: You turn the corner and you see her. The bed itself is pulled away from the wall. There is the baseboard and base portion of this chamber wall is now pulled open and there is a hole that leads in a dark interior, and you can see her in the process of slithering into it.

MARISHA: Get her out! Get her out!

TRAVIS: So from where I was, yeah, can I get within melee?

MATT: You could, if you jump onto the bed.

TRAVIS: Well, I will definitely jump onto the bed.

MATT: Okay (whooshes), onto the bed.

SAM: It's a water bed.

TRAVIS: And I will, I'll take my--

ASHLEY: His claws puncture it. "Ah!"

TRAVIS: I'll take my claws and say: Where are you going? I'll shove it up against her back and I'll cast Inflict Wounds. (cheering)

ASHLEY: Let's go!

LAURA and MARISHA: (howling)

MATT: You have to roll to see if you hit first.

TRAVIS: Oh, sorry. Ignore me. 15 plus five is 20.

MATT: Yeah, that definitely hits.

TRAVIS: Great. Same as what I started with.

LIAM: Scurrying after a squirrel.

TRAVIS: 12, eight, 20, 20 points of necrotic damage.

MATT: Nice, as you reach out and claw into her, this burst of dark energy swarms down your forearm and into your claws and digs into the leg that you're grabbing, and as she's pushing you away, you hear her scream--

MARISHA and LAURA: ♪ Pushin' your way ♪

MATT: -- and the muscle seems to pulse within your grip before it begins to slip free.

LAURA: The most discordant.

MATT: That hurt her a lot.

LIAM: Is that what Dissonant Whispers sounds like?

LAURA: Yeah, that's what Dissonant Whispers sounds like.

MATT: Okay.

ASHLEY: You have a hold on her, though?

TRAVIS: No, I didn't grapple.

MATT: It wasn't a grapple, that was just an attack. Grapple would have not done any damage, but it may have held her in place, but that was your action.

TRAVIS: Yeah, but she's at the top of the initiative anyway, so she could have tried to break it. Yeah, that's my turn.

MATT: Okay, finishing Chetney's go, we're back to Laudna.

MARISHA: Um... So she's been walking across the ceiling and shit, is this not the full ceiling, is there-- Where's the door?

MATT: So this is the chamber. The only opening is right here that goes out into the balcony and there's a door here.

MARISHA: And there's a door there.

MATT: That leads into the secondary chamber with another balcony and then the bed area on this side.

MARISHA: All the other, all the dudes are dead?

MATT: You hear the shuffling of something, but you're not in the chamber, so you don't see much because you're currently in the hallway.

MARISHA: Oof, all right, I go in the chamber.

MATT: Okay, so you can move in past Fearne on this side. You come around this way and you can see the bookshelf is now on the ground. There are books scattered around. You can see something (high-pitched grunts) trying to push its way out from underneath the bookcase, and is currently pinned.

MARISHA: Oh, he's still alive, though.

MATT: Yeah.

MARISHA: All right, well, Eldritch Blast.

MATT: Go for it. It is restrained, so you have advantage on these strikes.

MARISHA: Oh, that's fun, so first one. 10 and 11, but that's still 18.

MATT: That hits.

MARISHA: And then second one. Natural 17, so 24.

MATT: They both hit, go ahead and roll damage for each.

MARISHA: That's a d10. Nope, he's not hexed. Wow. What the fucking bitch tits. (laughter)

MARISHA: Oh my god, okay. So that is four, and then plus six. So that's a total of--

MATT: 10?

MARISHA: 10, yeah, that's--

MATT: 10 damage. Launch both of the Eldritch Blasts, books go flying out from the impact of the force and go scattering across the room. It's still under there (screaming) and it's looking really hurt--

MARISHA: What the fuck!

MATT: It's trying to claw its way out from underneath. (screaming) It's barely holding on. It's having a rough night.

MARISHA: I just-- I look at Imogen and I just--

LAURA: You're doing great, it was great. (laughter)

MARISHA: I guess that's my turn.

MATT: Finishing Laudna's go, it's going to try and get itself free from underneath the books. With a natural one, it does not. It's (straining) and it just gives up. It's just awaiting the eventual end. All right, that brings us to Imogen, with Fresh Cut Grass on deck.

LAURA: I'm going to run in the room. Shouting: Where'd she go?

MARISHA: Books, under the books!

LAURA: She's under the books?

MATT: You see something skittering under the bookcase.

LAURA: I'm going to keep going. I'm going to run into the other.

MATT: Okay.

ASHLEY: Oh yeah, she's in the bedroom.

MATT: We'll say that's as far as you can get probably here with your movement.

LAURA: Can I dash?

MATT: You can. Kind of pushing past. 30, that's as close as you can get.

LAURA: I can't see anything, right?

MATT: No, but you hear the growling of Chetney around the corner and some sort of a scuffle just beyond your sight. That finishes your go, Fresh Cut Grass, you're up. Fearne, you're on deck.

LAURA: Don't let her get away! (laughter)

SAM: Shit. I can't get there either. I'll enter the room. Russ is dead and gone, yeah?

MATT: He's certainly not moving.

SAM: Sure, I'll just keep going, hearing Imogen's call.

LIAM: Over Russ.

SAM: And use my full movement to get as far as I can.

MATT: You get right this way.

SAM: Do I see?

MATT: You can barely see the Lady Emoth, part of her. She does have three quarters cover, so you're only seeing her legs after she's trying to push her way into the hallway. So she does have a bonus to AC.

LIAM: I literally see that line of sight from her and F.C.G.'s head poking over the bed.

MATT: -- barely.

SAM: Chetney's in the way, too, yeah?

MATT: Yeah, so three quarters cover. So, which means, it's possible.

TRAVIS: If I didn't grapple, I figure we'd have to dash to get there, and then you wouldn't have an action, anyway.

SAM: Yeah, exactly. I can use an action to get to her and then do nothing. Or, I don't have any freezing spells or holding spells?

LAURA: You don't have your grappling hand, do you?

SAM: I don't. Yeah, I don't think so, it says it's in the backpack, which we left behind. So I don't have that stuff.

MATT: Unfortunately.

SAM: I have no way of holding here her or confusing her or anything. So I can only just either rush to her or attack her, I can't touch Chetney, right?

TRAVIS: Yeah, if you rush to her, if she leaves, you get attack of opportunity and so will I, or you can try and hit her from here, and try and hit her before she goes.

SAM: My attack of opportunity is two point--

TRAVIS: Yes, so maybe not that one. Let her have it. (laughter)

TALIESIN: Can you buff Chetney?

SAM: Only if I can touch him. I mean, I could cast Cure Wounds on him. Or give him a better AC. Give him better AC?

LIAM: Chetney can't get any more--

SAM: Doesn't really help, though I don't think. I could calm her emotions. I could enhance his ability. There's just not much I can do. By the way, the spiritual weapon's coming with me.

TRAVIS: The invitation.

MARISHA: Just floating.

SAM: It wants its RSVP. (laughter)

MARISHA: Do you want the salmon or the prime rib? Please!

MATT: All righty.

SAM: I could charm her. I could charm her.

TRAVIS: (high-pitched) Ronald Weasley!

LAURA: Yeah, you could try it.

SAM: She's going to beat it.

LAURA: So? Give it a try!

TRAVIS: Yeah.

LIAM: She lost--

LAURA: She could roll a one.

LIAM: -- both wisdom saves--

MATT: Charm Person?

LIAM: -- against Orym.

SAM: No, this is Fast Friends. Let's be friends, young lady.

LIAM: I think that's for just...

SAM: I need you to-- I'm supposed to give her a command.

MATT: Okay.

SAM: Or a task.

LAURA: Oh yeah, okay, that's a higher spell.

SAM: That bed looks pretty messy. You probably should make it. (laughter)

MATT: All right, that is a wisdom saving throw.

SAM: For just 14.

LAURA: She can roll really low.

MATT: She rolled specifically a 14 plus bonuses, so she succeeds.

TALIESIN: Good shot.

MATT: That was a very, very, very good shot.

ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

MATT: Very good shot.

LIAM: She's making a bed in my mind.

MATT: All right, Fearne.

ASHLEY: Okay.

TALIESIN: Military corners.

ASHLEY: I want to try to get in there. So, how far am I?

MATT: 20, 25, 30 is as far as you can get.

ASHLEY: I have 35.

MATT: You have 35? There.

ASHLEY: So, you know what I'll do, then?

MATT: Hmm?

ASHLEY: Okay. With Mister back there, I can teleport with Mister. So I can teleport 15 feet, so if he can get me the rest of the way to see her.

SAM: What can't Mister do?

MATT: Okay.

ASHLEY: So I'll have him--

MATT: So it's a bonus action to make him teleport?

ASHLEY: Yeah, so I can get within range to see her. So that's one of his actions that he can take.

MATT: This is action-- he does go. That shares your initiative count, so you can totally do that.

ASHLEY: Okay.

LAURA: Awesome. Does that leave an action for you or a bonus action for you? Or does that leave both for Fearne?

ASHLEY: That's--

MATT: No, that-- to get him to teleport-- it says here.

ASHLEY: I think that's just his action.

MATT: The only action he takes on his turn is the dodge action, unless you use a bonus action to command it, so it's a bonus action for you to tell him to teleport.

LAURA: Okay, so you can still do your action, right?

ASHLEY: Okay, so I can still do my action.

MATT: Indeed. So you both. (whoosh) Next to you and you watch as the flaming monkey comes cruising through the air next to Fearne. They both go (swirling) and vanish and a moment later emerge in a burst of fire, around the room, and you just barely see them out just beyond the edge of the wall, as flames light up the room in a splash. Go ahead and roll damage on that one. Which is 1d6 plus your proficiency modifier.

ASHLEY: What is my proficiency modifier? Oh okay.

MATT: That is a 20 on its save. So it succeeds on a save.

ASHLEY: Okay, nine total. Nine points of damage.

MATT: It does succeed on its saving throw, so it does not take any damage, unfortunately, but you are within the room.

TRAVIS: Do I take any damage from her?

MATT: She teleported. It is a five feet, so no.

TRAVIS: Okay.

MATT: You're just out of the radius.

ASHLEY: Am I in range of her at all, touching-wise?

MATT: If you wanted to emerge touching, her space--

ASHLEY: Yes.

MATT: You could be there.

ASHLEY: So I am going to reach down and try to grab an ankle and cast Burning Hands and try to just...

MATT: You're just going to (laughter), I love the idea of Burning Hands as a contact. It's so great. Okay, it's a dexterity check. Go ahead and roll damage on it.

ASHLEY: Okay.

MATT: So that is a 16. Does that succeed?

ASHLEY: 16 is the--

MATT: Okay, so half damage, but go ahead and roll.

ASHLEY: Okay, so... Seven points of damage, that's so--

MATT: Reduced to three, okay.

ASHLEY: But can I, I guess I should have tried to do a grapple instead, because I'm trying to keep her there.

MATT: Right, but the Flaming Hands burn through, fill around her and the hole where she's currently going. Just all of a sudden lights up with bright light. You have to avert your eyes from the intensity of the blast before it diminishes and she's still (gnawing) trying to slip through and vanish within. That finishes your turn, Fearne. Orym.

LIAM: Okay, Orym, like a tiny Olympic runner, just starts bolting. I've counted it out. I think I can get to here, at 55 feet and do the same Bait and Switch move and switch with Fearne so that she backs up and I'm right up against if I use movement and dash.

MATT: Correct, yes.

LIAM: I would get all the way behind Fearne, Bait and Switch, move in, take the armor class for myself, again. I rolled a seven again. That's the end of my turn.

MATT: You got it. You swap positions.

LIAM: I'm right within melee.

MATT: You got it. Okay.

LAURA: You can take it if she gets away. Okay. Good.

MATT: Ashton?

TALIESIN: I'm going to run in the room.

MATT: You missed the action. (laughter)

TALIESIN: I've had enough! (cheering)

TALIESIN: Okay, I take it in.

TRAVIS: My cart's full.

TALIESIN: There's a thing underneath the bookcase.

MATT: Yes.

TALIESIN: I'm going to end it. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Yes!

TRAVIS: Go play golf.

MATT: Are you just, what weapon do you have?

TALIESIN: Nothing. I'm just going to pick up the bookcase and slam it.

TRAVIS: Yeah! (cheering)

MATT: Okay, so roll your attacks and damage for it.

TALIESIN: Advantage? Because it's on the ground?

MATT: Yes. It is restrained, so advantage on your strikes.

TALIESIN: Thank god for advantage, that was, there was a one on the other end of that. That's a 20 to hit.

MATT: 20 to hit, it hits.

TALIESIN: That's at least seven points of damage unless I get a bonus damage from the bookshelf.

ROBBIE: (laughs)

MATT: (crashing) You just see one clawed hand. (bursting) It explodes. I need you to make a dexterity saving throw.

TALIESIN: Cool, I have advantage on that, too.

MATT: You do.

ROBBIE: Those are my Dean Koontz. (laughter)

TRAVIS: My Dean Koontz novels.

SAM: My Dean Koontz!

TALIESIN: 20.

MATT: 20, you take three points of fire damage and it just turns to ash, from beneath the fire.

TRAVIS: It doesn't ignite the bookcase, right?

MATT: The bookcase is, yeah, it's smoking. It's not enough continuous fire to catch fire to things, unless they're extremely flammable. The books in there are definitely burning, but it's more like ash and the pages are being damaged, but it's not starting a fire. Yet.

TALIESIN: Is there, do I have any more movement left? How far have I moved?

MATT: That'd be, I'll say 25 feet.

TALIESIN: Okay. Let's see if I can get into that end of the room at least and not block it. I have 40 feet.

MATT: 40 feet, you can get right there, yeah.

TALIESIN: Okay, and can everyone get in?

MATT: Yeah.

TALIESIN: I'm just running in (yelling).

MATT: Okay, all right, it's now her turn. She's going to go ahead and use Slippery Dash.

MARISHA: Slippery Dash.

MATT: Actually, no, sorry. I said it wrong. She actually has a cunning-- Technically, it's called a cunning action, but it's Slippery Dash. She's going to use bonus action to disengage--

LIAM: All her mucus, huh?

MATT: Yeah, and then (slurping) slips down without taking any attacks of opportunity because of the disengage action and vanishes into the wall below.

ROBBIE: Oh, come on. (groaning)

MATT: It was real close. She's hurt.

TRAVIS: Just out of curiosity, does disengage also gets you out of a grapple or no? You have to roll to break a grapple?

MATT: You have to roll to break the grapple.

LIAM: God.

ROBBIE: No.

LIAM: We all converge.

MARISHA: We were there!

LIAM: (whooshing)

MATT: I know. Just at the very end.

TALIESIN: In a distance shot, they want to throw down a Hail Mary?

MARISHA: I've got a hell of a distance, but I'm--

SAM: So far away.

MARISHA: So far away!

ASHLEY: Can I try to Thorn Whip her ankle?

MATT: You, the hole is about this big in the wall. If you want to glance in, you can almost get your arm in there to look down, and there's no light and she got to move. She got to dash. She's--

LIAM: It would have to be a reaction attack and only two people are in a position to do that.

TALIESIN: If we had something explosive to drop down there, but yeah, no.

TALIESIN: Fuck.

TRAVIS: Can I stalk back through the room and go to the balcony and look over the balcony?

MATT: Yeah.

TRAVIS: I'm curious what we see or how high we are on this ledge.

MARISHA: Son of a bitch.

MATT: You look over the balcony. There is the courtyard below and there's probably about 30 or so feet before the cliff edge that just drops off into the end of this top part of the Core Spire. So from the edge of the balcony, you can see pretty much the entirety of Jrusar down and around you and the surrounding jungles of the Oderan Wilds. At least as much as your eyes can pick up in the moonlight.

TRAVIS: I'll drop my werewolf form and walk back over to the guard that's cradling his comrade.

MATT: He just takes his hand and closes his eyelids. Stands up. (grunting) "What was that? Who are you?"

TRAVIS: I don't know, but listen. There's going to be more people coming. We need you to make sure and vouch for us. We didn't do this. We came to your rescue. You understand?

MATT: "I know, very much so, but what can I say you are?"

SAM: What, like a name? (laughter)

MATT: "A name or a person or an affiliation, something?"

MARISHA: Now's our time.

SAM: Oh boy.

MARISHA: Now's our moment. This is it. (laughter)

SAM: I've got a thing I got to get to. (laughter)

MATT: "Who are you here with?"

SAM: No, we're not here with anybody.

LAURA: Yeah, we're not here with anybody. We were here as representatives of--

MARISHA: Of the deceased Bertrand Bell, carry on his legacy.

SAM: Yeah, yeah.

MATT: "Okay."

MATT: Make a deception check.

MARISHA: Fuck. Come on, come on, Laudna, come on.

SAM: Natural 20 right here.

MARISHA: It's pretty good. I think it was 16. No, it's a 10. You can't read this. But 13.

MATT: 13, goes "Okay, all right, Bertrand Bell, okay."

TRAVIS: You saw the crazy lady on the roof and all the little guys?

MATT: "Yes!"

TRAVIS: And they hurt you?

MATT: "Yes!"

TRAVIS: Okay. Whose room is this?

MATT: "This belonged to, was it, Gryz Alakritos?"

LAURA: Oh!

SAM: Gryz.

MARISHA: Wait, this is--

LAURA and MARISHA: Gryz's room!

SAM: Wait, Gryz-- oh, the Headmaster guy. But that's just random. He's not a bad guy. Is he?

TALIESIN: Might be, might be.

TRAVIS: He knew the Gorgynei, right?

TALIESIN: Paint on the wall now.

LAURA: You've got to give a name!

SAM: Give them a name--

LAURA: Got to give them a name.

TRAVIS: The Headmaster knew the Gorgynei, right?

SAM: What's your name?

MATT: No, he said he was a friend of Ajit. And said, you know, he's somewhere at the party.

TRAVIS: Okay.

SAM: What's your name, young sir or madam?

MATT: "Dunot."

SAM and MARISHA: Do not?

MATT: "Dunot." (laughter)

MATT: You guys are the worst.

ROBBIE: Do not pick a name right now. (laughter)

LIAM: I did not hit her! I did not!

TALIESIN: I was going du hast, but that works well, too. That's a little more--

MATT: For all Critters named Dunot out there, I'm so sorry. (laughter)

MARISHA: Same to the Purvans.

SAM: Are we evacuating the premises or staying to face the music here?

TALIESIN: I don't think there actually is music here. I feel like this was a pretty open and shut nightmare. This is clearly some crazy shit that we are not capable of.

ASHLEY: Are we in the same spire where we were in Dugger's place? No.

TALIESIN: I don't think so. I don't think we've ever been. This is the first time we've been to the--

ASHLEY: Yeah, which spire?

MATT: This is the top of the Core Spire, so I believe it might be, yeah.

ASHLEY: Oh yeah, it is.

MATT: Yeah.

LAURA: Yeah, it is. Because we... Zhudanna's place is in the Core Spire.

MARISHA: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't know what to do.

TRAVIS: I go into the other room, put my dress back on.

MATT: Okay.

SAM: Jesus.

MATT: Yeah.

LIAM: Orym is going to go grab the torch that I see burning on that wall in the other room. And carry it back to the room with the hole in it, pulls out that rope that they bought and says: Tie up. And it wraps itself around the leg of the bed, and then I hold the other end and say the same thing, tie up. And then it loops around my ankle. I've got a torch and I'm going to start to climb down in to get a look around.

MATT: Okay. As you begin to head downward, it's relatively easy because one, when you're compact, and two, the interior of this wall is--

LIAM: It's knotted.

MATT: It is knotted, but the space, while it is small, is... lubricated. So you slide down relatively easy, knot over knot, until you reach the end of the 50-foot rope and it just continues down into the darkness below.

LIAM: I figured, just wanted to be sure.

MATT: Right you're down there, Dorian and Laudna, you hear a ruckus in the hallway. Like the sound of a voice or voices elevated.

MARISHA: Here we go.

ROBBIE: All right.

MARISHA: How do we look?

ROBBIE: You look amazing as always.

MARISHA: You got some goo or--

ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, game face. Game face. Everything is normal. We're just in from-- We got to go down and up and ah!

MATT: You listen in and you can hear the voices. They're echoing through and it's (panting) "No, you've got the wrong idea. This is-- I am a Lord. I'm supposed to be here. Titania, you can look it up," and you just hear like, "Keep it quiet. We got you."

MARISHA: Tootle loo!

ROBBIE: That was the fake name, right?

MATT: (creaks) You hear the doors opening into the main chamber from where you came from, in that direction and the sounds of discussion and music all of a sudden entering the chamber.

MARISHA: Be quite careful, there's quite a bit of debris.

MATT: You guys are still in the room. You're hearing this from over here.

MARISHA: They're coming in, though, right?

TRAVIS: No, no, they're coming into this way.

MARISHA: They're moving away!

MATT: You hear it coming this way in the hall, and then you hear doors open into a main chamber.

MARISHA: Oh! Should we?

ROBBIE: Do I recognize this voice?

MATT: It is indeed the voice of Cyrus.

ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was like: Come on. And I'm going to break for the door.

MARISHA: I'm following behind.

LAURA: Are you telling anyone that you're all leaving, or you're just doing it again? Cool. This-- We're the worst group for informing anyone about anything.

TRAVIS: I will stay because I'm in the same room and I'll go back and get everybody.

MARISHA: I can sort of see Ashton through the door and I just say: Be right back! Brother alert.

TALIESIN: Fucking shi--

MATT: You go into a chase and head just as the doors close, and you push through and open and you can see people in the chamber are beginning to spread apart, from the central area and they're all looking upon what looks to be a guard and two green-cloaked figures that currently have your brother in shackles, and are just holding one, each of them on each side of him are holding his arms and parading him through the central area.

ROBBIE: Of the party?

MATT: Of the party.

MARISHA: As we're walking away, I'm going to turn back towards the direction and send a message to Imogen as well, and be like: We've got a Cyrus alert.

ALL: (creepy whispering)

LAURA: Orym's down the fucking tunnel!

MARISHA: We'll try and handle it.

MATT: Right about now, Orym gets out from the tunnel because you've made your...

LAURA: Then I start heading off after Laudna.

TALIESIN: I'll book it with you.

LAURA: As we turn the corner and I'm walking away from the guard. We're Bell's Hells, and don't you forget it. And I'm going to keep walking out.

LIAM: Are we? And I run after her.

MATT: All righty.

SAM: I'll just say: I'm sorry we laughed at your name, Dunot, and hope you don't laugh at ours. (laughter)

MATT: "Touché." (laughs) You all begin to head down the hall into the main area, following where you are. You can see the crowd has parted and people are whispering to each other, and your brother is still like, "(laughs) This is a misunderstanding. I don't know where-- we're going to work this out. Does anyone know where Lady Emoth Kade is?"

MARISHA: Oh shit.

MATT: "She's my date."

MARISHA: Oh shit.

MATT: "We were supposed to-- Anyone?" People are like, (whispering) "Who is that?" "Honestly, I don't know." Talking amongst themselves as you hear people like, "Oh my, is that the Green Seekers? Oh, I've never actually seen them in person." They continue to drag him through the room. What are you doing?

MARISHA: So they're full on shame dragging him?

MATT: More they've arrested him and they're bringing him out to the front.

TALIESIN: Perp walk.

MARISHA: Perp walk. All right. What do we do? Do we create a distraction?

ROBBIE: I don't know, I don't know what to do. A distraction. Do you have anything in mind? We have to get him out of there right now.

MARISHA: I could create an illusion? I don't know what to do.

MATT: Gavis--

ROBBIE: I don't know, just wing it!

MARISHA: Uh! Darkness!

MATT: You watch as--

SAM: Good god.

MARISHA: Wait, what were you about to say first? (laughter)

MATT: No, you tell me. What are you doing?

MARISHA: No, no, you tell me first.

ROBBIE: Oh my god.

MARISHA: What were you about to do? (laughter)

MATT: Gavis rushes up towards the investigators and starts asking them questions. One of them talks on the side and Gavis turns around to the rest of the troop. "Not to worry, everyone. It seems a burglar has been apprehended within the chambers and will be dealt with appropriately within the Citadel. So one, thank you to the Green Seekers and our fantastic wardens for finding such a perpetrator, and please, let us continue the night unworried and unbothered." The music swells-

MARISHA: Nah, fuck that, Darkness! I'm going to do it in the ceiling, though.

SAM: In the ceiling?

MATT: In the ceiling?

MARISHA: Uh huh.

MATT: So it's a 20-foot radius sphere.

MARISHA: Mm-hmm.

MATT: How far up? Are you just creating a sphere of darkness? It doesn't-- What are you doing? There are multiple chandeliers in the room, and in a wide space. It's a very big dome chamber.

MARISHA: Coming from the top of the dome, you just see the chandelier start to (poofing) as they're getting snuffed out from this magical darkness that is coming down from below.

MATT: Okay, so the central chandelier in the middle of the room suddenly-- and this sphere of dark shadow encompasses the chandelier.

MARISHA: I don't know, I'm trying to make a distraction here.

MATT: All of a sudden everyone in the room, after Gavis just begins to calm everyone down and people begin talking, all of a sudden, (gasps) "Wait, what?"

ASHLEY: Oh no!

MATT: Everyone's looking up at this sphere of dark shadow that has now appeared in the center of the room. What are you doing?

LAURA: You hear in your head, Laudna: We can't fight them all.

MARISHA: I just want to scare them away, I don't know.

ROBBIE: How far are we from them?

ALL: (echoing whispers)

MATT: From where they are?

ROBBIE: Yeah.

MATT: They're probably, I'd say, if you're just watching from a distance, not trying to make a huge scene, they're like 40, 50 feet ahead of you.

ROBBIE: And darkness is swallowing all the light in the room?

MATT: Just the central chandelier. There's a lot of light sources everywhere. There's just more of a sphere of darkness that encompasses the central chandelier.

TRAVIS: They can probably still see. It's like a distraction.

MATT: Yeah, and everyone's looking up at it at the moment.

ROBBIE: Oh my god.

MATT: One of the patrons goes, "Hmm," and flicks their finger and the darkness vanishes.

LAURA: (laughs)

MATT: You're not the only magic practitioners in the city, unfortunately.

MARISHA: Of course not.

ASHLEY: Are we all out into the chamber?

MATT: You've all now caught up a little bit, and you watch as everyone's still, while people are wondering what that was and starting to make questions and Gavis is still trying to lay down the tension of the room. Things are definitely-- the energy's weird. The party's gotten odd, and people are starting to look around, and there's definitely a chaotic anxiety. What are you all doing?

TALIESIN: Are we goopy like Ghostbusters at the moment? Are we just like--

MATT: You're a little bit goopy.

LAURA: What?

TALIESIN: Yeah.

LAURA: I think some of us, yeah, some of us.

SAM: I don't, I mean, what can we do? I don't even understand who they are.

LAURA: Can I go up to-- is Gavis surrounded by a bunch of people, or is he--

MATT: Gavis is. Eshteross, by the way, as soon as you come into the room is (whooshes) right up next to you and says, "What is going on?"

TRAVIS: Time to leave, now.

ROBBIE: I'm going to lean over to the Laudna. and I'm going to say: Tell them I'm sorry. I'm going to reach into my bag... (sighs) and I'm going to pull out my last vestige of my trip to Gilmore's. I have got a smoke grenade, and I'm going to pull it, and I'm going to pop it, and I'm going to throw it right at all of them.

SAM: At who?

ROBBIE: At the guards that have my brother and everybody, I'm going to pop a smoke grenade.

SAM: Pop smoke?

ROBBIE: Throw it right into the middle--

SAM: Oh boy.

ROBBIE: -- of the mat.

SAM: Oh boy!

ROBBIE: Hey, that's my brother!

SAM: Oh, sure it is.

ROBBIE: Sorry!

MATT: What's it do?

ROBBIE: It lobs through the air and lands right in the middle of them, and (pops) creates a 20-foot radius smokescreen. I'm going to sprint straight for it.

MATT: All right, everyone distracted with the darkness appearing and then vanishing, the shouting, suddenly (hissing) the smoke fills the region. People (gasping) start freaking out and people start fleeing from it, not certain what it is, and it feels like it's an attack or an aggressive action. Some of the guards glance around to see where the source of it was, but they weren't paying complete attention. As soon as you do this, Eshteross begins to follow up behind you. You rush towards and into this smoke. Do you want to do it overtly or stealthily?

ROBBIE: (groans) Overtly.

MATT: Okay.

ROBBIE: Just full bore running right in.

MATT: Okay, you go charging into it, and you watch as this wave of smoke and fog hits you. The light suddenly dims from inside. You can just see shapes moving within. Make a perception check with disadvantage.

ROBBIE: With disadvantage?

MATT: Because you are walking into a fog cloud.

ROBBIE: Shit. Six. (groaning)

MATT: Six. You go rushing in and then (thuds).

ROBBIE: Oh, I know!

MATT: Bump into a figure. You see as a half-orc in a dark green cloak suddenly turns around right towards you and goes, "Hey, what do you think you're doing?"

ROBBIE: What have I done?

TRAVIS: (laughter)

SAM: What are you doing?

MARISHA: Oh my god!

TRAVIS: Yes!

ROBBIE: I bumped into him?

MATT: Yeah.

ROBBIE: I'm going to say-- I'm going to put my arms on his shoulders and go: Don't worry about it, and cast Charm Person.

SAM: Oh shit.

LAURA: Oh my god.

TRAVIS: You're also hidden by the cloud, so that's, if it succeeds, nobody's going to see it.

ROBBIE: I know.

SAM: If it doesn't, you're arrested.

ROBBIE: I know.

MATT: That's a natural nine.

ROBBIE: 14 save.

MATT: Plus four.

ALL: Oh!

MATT: Because he has-- I'm not even joking. He has a really high wisdom, because they're investigators. They're high intelligence, high wisdom.

ROBBIE: Yeah?

MATT: Fuck, okay. He just misses it. He turns and says, "What are you doing?"

ROBBIE: I said, don't worry about it. I'm going to let him go and try to fade back into the smoke and feel around for my brother.

MATT: "Yeah, it's okay." (laughter)

LAURA: Oh my god.

TRAVIS: How long does that last? One hour.

ROBBIE: Yeah, an hour, okay.

MATT: As you finish casting it, you see that his other arm is still holding your brother, is right to the side, and the other figure is just out of vision in the smoke.

TRAVIS: You're still wearing a mask, he's still wearing a mask, right? Or has his mask been removed?

MATT: The investigators are not wearing masks.

ROBBIE: Okay.

MATT: They're not--

ROBBIE: I'm sure he's got my brother unmasked, too.

TRAVIS: Oh, no, I mean Dorian and Cyrus.

MATT: Well, you haven't said you've taken your mask off.

ROBBIE: It's still on.

MATT: Cyrus does not have a mask on.

TRAVIS: Got it, got it.

MATT: Cyrus has had his mask pulled off.

TRAVIS: Got it.

ROBBIE: He's still holding him?

MATT: Yeah, they're both holding him by the arm and then smoke apparating and just got into a guarded position before you bumped into one, turned around, and then you charmed him, and he's just like, "Okay."

SAM: We can't see what's going on in there, right?

MATT: You guys just see smoke.

MARISHA: How many patrons are still around? How many party goers?

MATT: Oh, there's probably close to 80, 85 or so in the room still.

SAM: You should just soothe them.

TRAVIS: I'm just going to fan out around the cloud.

ASHLEY: Fan out, and I want to get somewhat close.

MATT: Right as you turn the corner and see, as you move past the half-orc that you bumped into, the other figure, which is the shorter, gnomish member of the troop, the female gnome, same coat, is holding onto the other side of your brother's arm, chains still behind his back and just goes, "What the fuck?" Is about to look over in your direction, sees you, mask and all, and gives an intense look before-- (groans) She drops to the ground.

TRAVIS: What?

MATT: Whack, hits their face. You just see a shadow pulling back with a long, dark cane in their hand. (yelling)

MARISHA: Oh shit!

ROBBIE: Come on!

MATT: Just all you hear is, (Eshteross) "Go," and he steps back into the fog. What do you do?

ROBBIE: I--

MARISHA: Oh my god.

ROBBIE: I'll look to the charmed person that is holding my brother, grab his arm and is like: You heard the man, we've got to go. And try to lead my brother out of the smoke.

MATT: Make a persuasion check.

ROBBIE: (nervous humming)

MARISHA: Come on, Dorian. This is it!

TRAVIS: He's charmed, right?

MATT: He is, so you'd have advantage, technically, because he is charmed.

ROBBIE: Persuasion.

MARISHA: You have advantage.

ROBBIE: Is a 16 plus six, 22. Okay, I'll do it with advantage. Sure, why not? (screaming)

TRAVIS: Natural 20! (laughter)

TALIESIN: Always roll advantage.

ASHLEY: Oh my god! (yelling and laughter)

TALIESIN: Unbelievable.

ROBBIE: Natural 20, 26.

ASHLEY: Oh my god, holy shit.

MATT: 26.

MATT: The half-orc looks at you and goes, "I guess I can finish the investigation if you're taking him down to the Citadel." Hands the arm over to you, the chains at that point. The other gnome goes, "Wait, what the fuck are you doing?" Once again, the cane.

TRAVIS: Oh!

MATT: Whack! Cracks her in the back of the head. "Gah!"

MARISHA: While all of this is going on--

MATT: All you hear is, (Eshteross) "House, now."

SAM: House?

MARISHA: Oh, okay, I didn't hear that, right?

MATT: You didn't, you did.

MARISHA: I'm going to crack my neck and drop on all fours, and grow a little bit into my Form of Dread and say: Get out! To everybody around.

MATT: Okay, make an intimidation check.

ASHLEY: Oh my god.

SAM: The reverse of [JENGA].

ROBBIE: Do you want any of these? Do you want any of those?

MARISHA: No, no, fuck all of those.

ROBBIE: Oh, okay.

LIAM: Total chaos.

MARISHA: Okay, what's my intimidation? It's pretty good, it's pretty good. All right. Don't fuck me, Gil. Okay, okay, 21.

MATT: 21. The majority of the--

MARISHA: 22, sorry.

MATT: No, I'd say all of the attendees in your vicinity just go scattering and running out in a mass exodus towards the front entranceway. The downside is the seven or so guards that are in the chamber now have their spears out and are coming in your direction.

MARISHA: Run.

ROBBIE: Oh my god.

SAM: Wow.

ROBBIE: I've got my brother by the arm, and as we walk out of the smoke, right before we leave its precipice, I'm going to tap him and cast Invisibility on him.

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: Brilliant.

TRAVIS: Slick.

SAM: Do you have a higher level available?

ROBBIE: I just used my 2nd-level Invisibility. That's it.

MATT: Your brother, while still holding the weight of his arm, goes, "Dorian." (whooshes) His image fades, but you still feel the weight on your arm, and he gets up back on his feet. "Okay," you hear him whisper under his breath and he follows your lead. I want you to make a deception check, just as you exit, to-- Actually, no, this would be stealth to see if you can mingle within the crowd that is now rushing out from your distraction.

MARISHA: Get.

ROBBIE: 20.

MARISHA: In the crowd.

ROBBIE: 22 on stealth.

MATT: 22. With your brother under your arm and a mass exodus pushing through because of Laudna's distraction and furious intimidation, people might be bumping into your brother, but they're not even caring because they're fleeing from this terrifying creature that has appeared in the middle of this party. With that--

MARISHA: We're a family.

MATT: -- you push through, out into the road where you can see the carriage awaits off to the side. What are the rest of you doing in this moment as Laudna is now drawing the attention of the nearby guard?

SAM: Making our way to the door.

LAURA: I'm not abandoning Laudna in the room.

SAM: Oh, you're going to stay?

LAURA: I'm not abandoning her. What, is she going to get fucking arrested?

MATT: Oh, there are plenty of drinks around left behind.

TALIESIN: I'm going to see if I can find some tobacco or something.

LAURA: I'm going to.

TALIESIN: I'm fucking done.

LAURA: Shit.

MATT: You're just going to stay there and start to--

TALIESIN: I'm going to go through and see, yeah.

LAURA: -- step up next to Laudna and cast Calm Emotions.

SAM: If I see you doing that, I'll do the same thing.

MATT: Okay. To the guards?

LAURA: To the guards, to everyone. I'm just going to cast Calm Emotions to try to make them indifferent towards--

SAM: Laudna.

LAURA: Laudna.

MATT: All righty.

SAM: I'll do the same thing.

MARISHA: Instantly try to drop my Form of Dread as well.

MATT: Okay, there are six guards. You'd have to wait until they get close enough that they would be in your radius, but I'll allow it, so.

MATT: Natural four. Natural one. This is on Imogen's stuff. That'd be-- 14?

LAURA: 15.

ROBBIE: Let's go.

MATT: Fuck.

SAM: That's three?

ROBBIE: Hired help.

MATT: On yours. Natural one. You guys are fucking lucky as shit.

MARISHA: Well, we sucked it up the whole ball.

MATT: That is going to be a 14, again.

SAM: 14.

MATT: One of them succeeds.

SAM: Okay.

MATT: And a natural four.

ROBBIE: Nice.

TRAVIS: Wow.

MATT: Five of them like stop and put their spears to side and glance back at the smoke that's still brimming through and just a little confused and you drop the Form of Dread. The one that still is like, "Who are you? Get on the ground!"

MARISHA: Oh my god, how dare you treat a lady as such. Oh god.

MATT: "What?!"

LAURA: Is everything all right, sir?

MATT: "I don't--"

MARISHA: Rude. Do you know who I am?

MATT: Make a deception check.

SAM: Please do good.

MARISHA: Fuck, fuck. I don't know. I'm trying! Ooh! That's a two. Five.

MATT: Five. This one guard still has his spear towards you as the others have stopped and like-- "Calm down, man." Just chill, but that one guy is intensely questioning all this that's happened in the room and then you just transformed into this creature and he's like, "I said get on the ground." At which point, the guard that you had saved in the previous room comes through. "There's been an attack." The guard with the spear is like-- "Is it this one?" (as Dunot) "No, no, no, she helped save me. They're gone. "They're gone." The guard says, "What?" (as Dunot) "I'll explain." And stumbles forward. The one with the spear towards you puts it down and they all begin to scatter a bit to try to calm the crowd as they're now exiting the room. They're gathering up with your friend that you made fun of after saving his life. (chuckling)

MATT: For the moment, at least, they're all clocking you closely. They are making a very, very strong intent to remember your faces. To remember how you look, your interactions with them.

MARISHA: I still have on my fucked up fox mask.

TRAVIS: Masks on, masks on.

MATT: The masks help.

SAM: I've got a mask on. No one will remember me! (laughter)

LAURA: As I've said multiple times, I've taken my mask off since I can't fucking see through it.

MATT: Mm-hmm.

LIAM: In the middle of all that chaos, if Orym saw Dorian exit the cloud, he would wind his way through the crowd, Assassin's Creed style, just to-- I'm not sure what's going on, and I think you guys went out the door, you said?

MATT: I will say, from your perspective, they exited--

LIAM: Didn't see it at all?

MATT: They exited a fog cloud. You saw them go into a fog cloud.

LIAM: Yeah.

MATT: Then--

SAM: Gone.

MATT: That's the last you saw.

LIAM: Cool, cool.

MATT: Especially with a stealth check, you have a passive perception, but he actually rolled a higher stealth than your passive, so--

LIAM: Okay, great.

ASHLEY: Can I try to take a look and look to the crowd to see if he popped out the other side?

MATT: How long does that smoke grenade last?

SAM: (whispers) At least a minute.

ROBBIE: Yeah, I have to look.

TRAVIS: Depends on the currents in the room.

ROBBIE: 20-foot radius-- Four round? Four round? Uh-uh.

TRAVIS: God, it'd be like eight, 24 seconds.

ROBBIE: Not long. 20-foot radius, four rounds.

MATT: Four rounds, okay. So, the smoke by now would be beginning to dissipate. As you're all moving forward and keeping a keen eye out, the smoke disappears and one of the investigators, the half-orc, is standing there and assessing the area, nodding, and his friend's getting up and he's like-- "Gus, what the fuck? Gus!" Smacks him and he's like, "What do you mean? What's wrong?" (Gnome) "Where's our prisoner? We just--" Slaps him in the face, "Ah! Shit. Shit!" They both begin to charge into the crowd, but you do not see Dorian and you do not see his brother.

MARISHA: Perhaps we should go?

SAM: I don't know if they're going to let us. The guards have eyes all over us. Well, we could try.

TALIESIN: No, the party's over.

LAURA: Can we try to leave? Are the guards going to let us leave?

MATT: Only one way to find out.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

MARISHA: Let's go.

LAURA: We start to walk out and as we're walking out, I'm going to just reach out with my mind and-- Send a message or try to cast Sending to Dorian.

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: Did you make it? Where are you?

ROBBIE: Close, a few steps from the carriage.

LAURA: Great. We're on our way. Oh, shit, I can't do that.

MATT: Yeah, you can't respond. You get 25 words each.

LAURA: That's not my mental thing.

MATT: All right, so you head to the carriage that is marked for you and your troop.

ROBBIE: Mm-hmm.

MATT: The paid hand that recognizes you upon arrival opens it up, does not notice your invisible brother. As you all begin to exit the chamber, the guards definitely keep an eye, but it's less of a we're going to keep you and more like we have reports to make. We have records of your arrival. That's all you can consider. You are now definitely persons of interest.

TALIESIN: Closest one the way out, I make eye contact. Great party. I tip a gold coin. (laughter)

MATT: He just holds it in his palm.

TALIESIN: Blood and-- Great party.

MATT: (chuckles) Carefully, you all begin to come to your carriages, respectively, Eshteross is already inside his. You can see him, cane, top in his hand, just clenching his jaw and looking forward and as you enter the door, he doesn't even look at any of you. You come into the and quietly the door closed, and then with that the sillgoats begin to (clopping) make their way on, and the carriages one by one begin to leave and disperse until eventually, tensely, you come to the Eshteross Manor. As the door opens, he hasn't said a word along this journey, unless you have any words to impart.

SAM: I think I'll just wait until we get home.

LIAM: Pretty hang dog right now.

LAURA: I feel like--

LIAM: He's like Bruce Wayne in Batman Beyond.

LAURA: We really let this guy down.

MATT: The door opens. He gets out. The door opens into his manor. You all enter and he gives a whistle, and the carriage closes the door and takes off. The next one of your troop, just a short time behind, you're dropped off back into the manor. The late, near midnight hours of the night in the city as you all begin to convene within his study and you see him now pacing back and forth in front of his fireplace, which has been freshly lit by his associate.

TRAVIS: As we're going in, can I just make sure everything smells like us?

MATT: Make a perception check with advantage.

TRAVIS: Yeah, no foreign scents, anything that might be trailing us. 18.

MATT: 18. Nothing catches your attention. You feel fairly confident.

TRAVIS: We're alone.

MATT: "Well, that was certainly... eventful."

SAM: We are open to notes if you'd like to give us any. This was our first big brouhaha.

TALIESIN: I can certainly see why you don't attend very often.

MATT: "Did you tell anybody of your connection with me?"

MARISHA: No. We deliberately didn't.

ROBBIE: Tell, but, full disclosure, it's not just us. I tap my brother and drop the invisibility, so he's there with us.

TALIESIN: Oh, fuck.

ROBBIE: He was in trouble.

MATT: "So you've ushered what is now currently a fugitive of the Quorum?"

ROBBIE: He was invisible.

ASHLEY: But also, he wrongly accused, I think. I don't know if he did anything else. I don't know.

MATT: As your brother's still chained, by the way.

ROBBIE: Oh shit.

MATT: He's like, "Yeah, no, I-- I'm not good at this, this whole thieving thing."

TRAVIS: No shit, you stupid son of a bitch. I come up behind him and start picking his little locks and everything.

MATT: Okay.

TALIESIN: The list of people. Oh my--

ASHLEY: What were you doing there?

MATT: "I was just trying to pay off my bounty. I didn't-- I'm so stupid."

LIAM: What can you tell us about the people you were working with?

TRAVIS: (clicking)

MATT: "Thanks. I was... You know, folks around the Corsairs knew that I was looking for work, fast cash, whatever was available. One of them mentioned that they occasionally do work with, you know, Lady Emoth Kade. She worked for a while with that Dugger fellow you guys were looking for a while back."

LAURA: Oh.

MATT: "She... I don't know. You know. We hit it off a little bit after she wanted to hire me to... She said she was going to escort me into this place. I was going to help her steal some stuff to both embarrass some other of the lower Mahaan houses, and make some cash on the side. I was meant to embarrass some other people here, and she promised me that she'd, you know... She's got a great treasure hidden somewhere that she was going to help split with me afterward."

ROBBIE: So your bounty was for being falsely accused of stealing from a Mahaan house, and you thought the best way to pay it off was to literally steal from another Mahaan house. You're in trouble, aren't you?

MATT: "Yeah. Honestly, I'm not worth this. I... At this point, you've all... I'm so sorry."

ROBBIE: That's fine. The Green Seekers. I barely remember tale of them, but why are they after you? The bounty, I understand, but why them? What else could you have done?

MATT: "I don't know. They just kept asking me questions about some tower, some sort of other... Burglary, destruction, or something. I don't know anything about it. I feel like I-- Yes, I wasn't doing something great, but I feel like I got something pinned on me that wasn't my doing either. But still, I--"

ASHLEY: The Green Seekers thought that you had something to do with a burglary at a tower?

MATT: "Yeah."

ASHLEY: Oh.

TRAVIS: He's a patsy.

ROBBIE: They think he's me.

LIAM: Emoth came in on the arm of Armand Treshi. Do you know anything about him or are you clueless?

MATT: "I don't know much. He just pointed me to a few people whose rooms probably have the most valuable things to grab easy."

LIAM: He did?

MATT: "She did."

LIAM: She did.

MATT: "She refused to introduce me to anybody at the party, which I understand. I'm just trying to keep a low profile, but apparently, I failed at that."

ASHLEY: Did Emoth ever talk about a woman that she worked for?

MATT: "Just said she had a-- She had a partner, business partner, somebody she went to often, yeah."

LAURA: Did she say her name?

MATT: "No, I think it might have been her mother. Yeah, she called her mother a few times."

LIAM: So Kade was your one point of contact.

MATT: "Yeah. She worked with the Corsairs before. It seemed to be reputable. You know, it's the kind of job that not more than one person can do and, honestly, you've met the Corsairs. There aren't that many that can hold themselves in an environment surrounded with wealth and well-to-do sociology. So, everyone pointed it to me as the most likely choice. The new kid without any sort of known rap really, aside from the bounty. Actually, no, I'm real bad at this. I'm so sorry. I just got to turn myself in."

ROBBIE: What? No. Ashton, Ashton, tell them no.

TALIESIN: No. No, you'll be dead in a week. No.

MATT: "What, I can't go back home like this. I could find a way to fix--"

TRAVIS: Back home like what? You mean free and not dead?

TALIESIN: Not in a box?

ROBBIE: How do we even get you out of here?

MATT: Eshteross has been just pacing this whole time, stops and puts his cane on the ground and turns. "(sighs) My sky ship should likely be loaded for its next journey in the morning. If we can smuggle... I don't know. If we can smuggle you onto it, just get you out of Marquet, at the very least."

SAM: Where is bound to? Where's it going?

MATT: "Emon."

ROBBIE: Is it private? Is there anyone else aboard, or?

MATT: "All under my employ."

LAURA: So we just have to get him on. Maybe he can go get in a large chest or something? We can put you in a carriage?

MATT: "You figure it out. I'll talk to Captain Xandis. We're old friends, and he will be very discreet under my instruction. It won't be the first time I've smuggled anyone out of the city. No."

LAURA: Will the Green Seekers try to follow? They won't have any idea where he went, right?

MATT: "I think you're lucky enough to have pulled him free without much information, but... It's likely they are looking for a certain type of person."

LAURA: Well, we're going to be on their radar shortly.

TALIESIN: Paragon's Call, too. I bet they're looking for him also.

MATT: "They're going to be looking for a certain type of person."

TALIESIN: Fuck.

ROBBIE: You're offering-- yeah?

MARISHA: Dorian.

ROBBIE: Yeah?

MARISHA: Sorry, go ahead.

ROBBIE: It's all right. You're offering my brother free passage out of the city?

MARISHA: He's talking about you as well.

ROBBIE: I know.

ASHLEY: Wait, wait, wait.

LIAM: Yeah, I don't know if that's necessary. We just get your brother out and we get out of town.

MATT: "Do you think this man could possibly take care of himself with what he's done in the city? And possibly figure out a way to fix any of this?"

MARISHA: Plus, the family resemblance is quite strong.

ROBBIE: I'll turn to my brother and I'll say: This deal with Lady Emoth, was this your last ditch effort to get out of this bounty?

MATT: "A lot of help that it was. I'm not good at a lot of things, not like you."

ROBBIE: That is not what I expected you to say. I'll turn my back on the rest of the group and I'll look to Lord Eshteross and I'll say: We'll take you up on your offer.

ASHLEY: Well--

MATT: "Very well. It'll have to be before sunrise, if we're going to utilize the darkness to our advantage. I'll have to expedite passage and the paperwork, but it can be done without any sort of irregularities."

ROBBIE: First light?

MATT: "Before."

ASHLEY: No, no, no, no, no. We can cut your hair. We can make you look different.

ROBBIE: That's very sweet, Fearne.

SAM: Or we can pay off the debt.

MARISHA: Do you need any of us to come with you?

ROBBIE: I can't be a burden to this group any more. Not like this, not for now, not for now. This is a a f-f-family issue and we will take care of it.

MATT: Your brother, Cyrus, looks up to you and grabs your hand, and just, "Brontë, I am so sorry."

ROBBIE: Don't be, don't be. We're all just trying to find our way. And it appears, for now, our way is somewhere different.

MATT: Eshteross steps up a bit and clasps his hand on your shoulder and goes, "You need not take this responsibility, but I know that you're the kind of person that would. I would, too, in your position. I see the looks on your faces. Do not consider this failure. Like it or not, you've all succeeded at many great things this night. Trust me, I've worked with, and work with, others who, well, you heard what happened to the rest of Bell's compatriots. You have a knack for survival, and we've... we've a few things that we have in our pocket that can help in what's ahead. I do not think we are hopeless in this. And yes, this is your fault," he says to Cyrus. And Cyrus sinks into his shoulders a bit. "But if you are willing to work to amend these faults, this is an opportunity that I am granting you to do this. To make it up to your brother, to make it up to these people, and to make it up to me, because this is not a cheap excursion. Do you hear me?" Cyrus looks back. (Cyrus) "Yes, sir." (Eshteross) "Who knows, maybe this is the experience you need to find the strength that your family history requires of you eventually. I'll be working on my end to see what I can do. Do you have anywhere in Emon, you could go?"

ROBBIE: Emon. Probably not. Maybe somewhere different in Tal'Dorei, Kymal, perhaps. I've heard things about it. Music, gambling, a place where a simple bard could blend in.

MATT: "Maybe some opportunities to," and he claps the back of Cyrus, "make some money the proper way." And Cyrus nods, still-- As tall and as broad a figure as he is, is very much a shrunken, guilt-ridden individual. "Stand up. Do not sulk. It doesn't befit a man of your station, of your blood." Cyrus stands up and turns to Eshteross. Your family relies on you. Your brother relies on you. Find that strength in yourself, do some good in this world, and maybe learn a thing or two from him on who to trust. I'll go get the paperwork completed. In the interim, set your affairs." He takes his cane in hand and exits the chamber.

LAURA: I hate this.

LIAM: Are you sure?

ROBBIE: No, of course not.

MARISHA: You'll come back, right? Maybe in time.

ROBBIE: I don't-- No promises. We have to sort this out. Him and I. I'm sorry.

MARISHA: No--

ROBBIE: You're like family to me, very much so, but this is my family, and we have to see this through, whatever it is. No goodbyes, not for now.

SAM: Man, I'm-- I'm so upset that I could just kick the dirt.

ROBBIE: Are you trying to kick the dirt with your little legs?

SAM: Yeah, I am.

TALIESIN: It's also very clean in here.

LAURA: I forgot you had those stupid little wooden feet on.

LIAM: I kick the dirt right in front of it for him.

SAM: Thank you.

TALIESIN: It's just a carpet. Okay.

SAM: But also, you know, there-- I think this is the right thing for your family, and I support this decision, but at the same time, I don't want to lose you. I think there's a couple of stones that y'all have, that maybe we could keep one so we could--

MARISHA: We could still talk to you.

SAM: -- still call you every once in a while.

ROBBIE: Yes. That's a good idea. Cyrus, do you have the--?

MATT: Reaches in, sheepishly pulls out the other stone.

TRAVIS: Oh yeah, you gave it to that shit head.

ROBBIE: Here. I'm going to toss it to Orym.

LIAM: I'm not going to say I'm happy about it, but I think we all understand.

ROBBIE: This feels so dour. It's a real downer. Come on, we just had a great night. Wasn't it fun?

SAM: It was something.

ROBBIE: It was strange.

TRAVIS: But we were clicking, we had chemistry.

ROBBIE: Yeah. Hold-- What was Eshteross' house attendant's name? Does anyone recall?

MATT: Evelyn.

SAM: Evelyn.

ROBBIE: Evelyn, right. Evelyn!

MATT: "Yes?"

ROBBIE: May I bother you for something?

MATT: "It is not a bother."

ROBBIE: Do you have any wine and some cups?

MATT: "Yes. Yes."

ROBBIE: May we have some?

MATT: "Of course, I'll be right back." She leaves and comes back with a tray with all manner of wine glasses and three hefty bottles that are freshly uncorked, and sets it upon one of the small tables on the side of the study and presents it to all of you.

ROBBIE: This is how we met. This is how we got to know each other. Why not? No pressure.

TRAVIS: Smells good.

ROBBIE: May I?

TRAVIS: Oh yeah.

ROBBIE: To the--

TRAVIS: Oh, what'd you say?

ROBBIE: Yes.

SAM: Bell's Hells.

LAURA: I said Bell's Hells.

MARISHA: Bell's Hells.

ROBBIE: But do you like it?

LAURA: I did, it felt good.

ROBBIE: Does it feel good?

LAURA: I mean, we are a bunch of hellions.

TRAVIS: We raise hell.

ROBBIE: Well--

MARISHA: And we killed Bertrand. (laughter)

ROBBIE: That is true.

ASHLEY: I mean, in a way, yeah.

ROBBIE: I finished his song, by the way.

SAM: Oh!

ROBBIE: I did.

MARISHA: What do you mean?

ROBBIE: I will play it for you the next time our paths cross. That's a promise.

LAURA: I feel like that's just a--

ROBBIE: Well, you know, leave a little something behind. Cheers to--

MARISHA: To the Bell's Hellions.

LAURA: To Bell's Hells.

TRAVIS: To Bell's Hells.

MARISHA: Bell's Hells.

SAM: I'm not holding a cup.

MARISHA: You are a cup.

SAM: You're right.

MARISHA: Cling! (laughter)

MARISHA: You know, you're always a part of Bell's Hells.

ROBBIE: You know what's funny? I've always felt, my entire life, always, like I was on the outside looking in. And you, you have all made me feel like I am part of something bigger, and I will be forever grateful for that. Thank you.

TALIESIN: To Dorian, who is leaving us for his stupid brother. What the fuck is up with that?

TRAVIS: What the fuck is up with that?

SAM: What the fuck is up with that?

LAURA: What the fuck is up with that?

ASHLEY: May the hair in your ears never fall out.

ROBBIE: Oh, thank you.

TRAVIS: You have hair in your ears?

ROBBIE: Someday, I'm sure I will.

TRAVIS: You're not a burden, by the way. You shouldn't have said that. You were quite the asset. You, you little fuck, I'll cut you open--

ROBBIE: Wait, hold on, hold on! Stop, stop!

MATT: "Who is this?"

TRAVIS: You keep your shit intact!

MATT: "Who is this guy?"

ROBBIE: He is a friend. A very hairy, angry friend.

MATT: "I get it. Look, I am sorry."

TRAVIS: Yeah.

MATT: "I remember you."

TRAVIS: Yeah. You want me to leave you with something to remember me by? I'll tell you right I--

MATT: "No, look I get it! I'm sorry, I'm sorry. All of you, all of you, I am so sorry."

ASHLEY: You're an idiot.

MATT: "I know."

TRAVIS: You better earn this. This is a good one. I mean, he's a little famous and pretentious, but he's good, so you earn it.

MATT: "No, you're right."

TALIESIN: Don't put anything in your mouth without his permission. You're just going to choke on it.

MATT: "Got it, got it, okay."

MARISHA: And just maybe don't come back next time.

MATT: "Fair, fair."

ROBBIE: Not in she wants you to die way, right?

MARISHA: Oh, no, no. Just, you know, you can come back, but you should stay home and raise a garden or something.

MATT: "Honestly, I agree. I, um-- I've gotten a taste of the winds I was seeking and I got blown in the wrong direction. Maybe I'll find them. Maybe it's, when all this is over, it's time for me to go home and be who I was meant to be."

ROBBIE: Let's just get out of here first.

MATT: "Okay."

LAURA: You hear in your head: I know what it's like to have people shouting in your brain all the time, so before you go, I just want to apologize for submitting you to that earlier this evening.

ROBBIE: No need to apologize. Very few people have challenged me the way you have. It's been fun.

LAURA: Just remember it's okay to accept help. You really don't have to do it on your own.

ROBBIE: Well, thank you. I've always felt like there's been someone protecting me. I feel like now I have the chance to protect someone else. It's nice.

TALIESIN: I wish that person had been around this evening. It may have made things go a lot better, that person who protects you. That would've been great. Fuck.

MARISHA: You have mentioned before that you have other people back in Tal'Dorei. Do you think--

ROBBIE: Oh!

MARISHA: -- they're still around?

ROBBIE: Interesting. Very interesting. All right, that's something to consider. You know, Ashton, you weren't my first adventuring party either. I take a big swig of wine. Remember how I gave you shit about when you first came into town and you got a bounty put on your head almost immediately?

MATT: "Yeah, no, I remember it very, very distinctly actually."

ROBBIE: On the air ship ride over, I will tell you a tale of why we probably shouldn't go back to Emon.

MATT: "Okay, I look forward to that story. Aren't we going there, though?"

ROBBIE: No, I don't think so.

LAURA: You are, you're going to Emon.

ROBBIE: I thought Eshteross said we could go to Kymal?

LAURA: I think you have to stop through Emon first.

ROBBIE: Oh shit.

LAURA: That's where it lands.

SAM: Do you have money and stuff to get out of there?

ROBBIE: Do we have money?

MATT: "I have some saved up, yeah."

LAURA: Why didn't you use it towards your bounty?

MATT: "I was going to, it wasn't that much. I'm sorry, that was-- Hmm."

ASHLEY: I have-- I have, here, six platinum.

ROBBIE: Six platinum?

LIAM: There's 10 more. (laughter)

ASHLEY: It's yours.

ROBBIE: What a lovely, selfless gift.

ASHLEY: Well, you know, I--

ROBBIE: Thank you so much.

TRAVIS: Plus, you got the airship, you know?

ROBBIE: That's true. What do you think I could sell--

TRAVIS: Two hands!

ROBBIE: I'm sorry!

TRAVIS: Two hands!

ROBBIE: What do you think I could sell this for, Chetney? I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I will treasure it always.

TRAVIS: See that you do.

ROBBIE: I'll put it in my little pocket.

TRAVIS: On the floor.

ROBBIE: On the floor. (laughter)

TRAVIS: (cracks) (yells) (laughter)

MARISHA: Oh god, I don't want to crush it.

LIAM: I put another 10 in your hand, platinum.

ROBBIE: Orym, thank you. What is this for?

LIAM: For the company.

LAURA: For all those nights in the bed together.

ROBBIE: No, no, no. It wasn't like that. It's--

MARISHA: You don't have to deny it.

LIAM: If you do find them--

ROBBIE: All right.

LIAM: -- say hi for us.

ROBBIE: Oh, you couldn't stop me if you tried. Any messages you want to send, or should I leave it up to my imagination?

LIAM: Well, I can't wait to hear a progress report.

ROBBIE: Oh, I'm sure it will be full of simple things. A quiet life. I'm sure nothing has gone wrong there.

LIAM: I reach up and take both Fearne and Dorian's hands. I got so used to it. It feels weird that it's over for now.

ROBBIE: I will miss big spoon, medium spoon, little spoon.

ASHLEY: Big spoon, medium spoon, little spoon.

TRAVIS: That's true.

ROBBIE: Fair enough.

LIAM: I know my spot.

ROBBIE: One less spoon.

SAM: Well, there's still a few hours probably, if you guys wanted to just--

LAURA: Just lay on the ground together.

SAM: Do one more spoon.

LAURA: Do we all just lay down in a row and spoon in a line until Lord Eshteross--

TRAVIS: If you want to line up I can just make a little--

LAURA: -- comes back in?

TRAVIS: -- wood carving of everybody.

LIAM: We already shot that video. (laughter)

TRAVIS: With a little etching.

ASHLEY: I don't like this feeling.

ROBBIE: Mm. It's a little sad, but the right thing.

ASHLEY: It's a weird feeling right here.

LIAM: Sad is sad.

SAM: Up here, in your?

ASHLEY: No, it just hurts.

SAM: Okay, I thought you were-- I don't know how fey creatures' anatomy.

ASHLEY: Well.

LIAM: Shit.

ROBBIE: Shit.

MARISHA: You're a good man.

ROBBIE: (scoffs) Has yet to be proven. Would anyone like to hear a song?

TRAVIS: Oh yeah.

ROBBIE: All right. I've been working on this one. Is there a place where all of our shit's been stored that we would've had access to, or in the carriage?

ROBBIE: All the things that you checked, were then placed into the carriage during the event.

ROBBIE: All right. I'll pull out my lute and I will try to sing a little song for everyone.

MATT: All right.

LAURA: Are you going to sing it?

ROBBIE: No! (laughter)

SAM: I wanted to hear it.

MARISHA: I know!

LAURA: Damn it!

TRAVIS: Fuck no!

ROBBIE: But the real question is, is it good or is it bad?

MATT: I think it's good. You don't need to roll for that. Yeah, and so through the wee hours of the morning, and the late remaining parts of the evening, you drink as friends, share stories as friends, and remember this face until it comes back around to cross your paths again.

SAM: Dorian?

ROBBIE: Yes?

SAM: Worcestershire.

ROBBIE: Harder than goodbye.

ASHLEY: Oh, wait.

ROBBIE: Worcestershire.

SAM: That's good.

ROBBIE: Thank you.

ASHLEY: I'm going to take one of the teeth from the mimic in the alleyway.

SAM: Sure.

ASHLEY: I'm going to pull out a ribbon and make him a little necklace. Just, you know, for you to remember us and the adventures that we've had. In case, you know, something bad happens and we never see each other again.

ROBBIE: It is entirely possible. But I'll tell you this. If for some reason this tooth ever falls off, there's no way I would ever forget you.

ASHLEY: I will never forget you.

ROBBIE: I hope not.

LIAM: It's not goodbye.

ROBBIE: No.

LIAM: See you later, that's all. And you are a good man. We've seen all the proof we need. I give him a halfling hug.

ROBBIE: I'll bring him in tight and I will kiss his tiny little forehead.

MARISHA: (as Pâté) "Oi."

ROBBIE: Oh shit.

MARISHA: "Give me a hug."

ROBBIE: Mm!

MARISHA: "Going to miss ya."

ROBBIE: I will miss you so much. And I'm going to pull out a dead little Bertrand doll, and I'm going to make them make kissies together. (laughter) (as Bertrand) "You said you were so horny, didn't you?"

MARISHA: "Oh, Bertrand!"

ROBBIE: "Oh yeah, so Pâté."

MARISHA: "I didn't know I was your daddy."

MATT: The metal cane (thuds) on the ground. You see Eshteross there. "It's time."

ROBBIE: All right, then.

LAURA: Until next time, Dorian.

ROBBIE: We'll see you later.

MARISHA: Big group hug.

ASHLEY: Please be safe.

ROBBIE: We'll be fine.

ASHLEY: And make good decisions. I can't believe I'm saying that.

ROBBIE: Yes. We'll be all right. We'll be all right. We will be alright. I promise you. That's enough of this.

LAURA: Send a message every day on that stone.

ROBBIE: I will absolutely not, but thank you for suggesting it. But if you need me.

LAURA: Should you need us.

ROBBIE: Just call. I'll take my brother, clasp him on the back, and walk toward wherever Eshteross is leading us.

MATT: Leads you out the front door to the awaiting carriage, where he's going to hide you both underneath one of the backseats.

ASHLEY: Orym, can I have the stone real quick?

LIAM: Break it in.

ASHLEY: Hey, just checking in. I know you just left, but I was just seeing if you guys were okay.

LIAM: (like Fearne) Breaker, breaker.

LAURA: Breaker, breaker.

ROBBIE: How does this come through on the stone?

MATT: You hear the words directly into your head, like she's whispering in your ear almost, as you hold the stone up.

ROBBIE: Do I know how to make it send back?

MATT: You just speak into the stone. It works just fine, end.

ASHLEY: Okay, well, at least just let us know--

SAM: Nope, it only works once.

ASHLEY: -- when you get there. I don't know that.

TALIESIN: Let her keep going. Let her keep going.

ASHLEY: Let us know when you get there to the ship, and then when you get to, when you arrive in Emon.

TRAVIS: Like mom when you go to college.

ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

ASHLEY: Just to make sure, okay.

TRAVIS: When you get into your dorm at night, give me a call.

TALIESIN: You have to hold it further away so he can see you. You can't. Just got to, like a little--

MARISHA: We're only seeing the top of your head.

TALIESIN: I can only see your mouth. You got to-- Ugh.

LIAM: I slowly take it back from her hand and say: We'll figure out how it works together.

MATT: You hear the distant muffled (thud) of the door on the carriage and the wheels creak as it takes off. Eshteross steps back into the manor and closes the door. "You've all had a very long night. Get some rest."

MARISHA: Eshteross?

MATT: "Mm-hmm?"

MARISHA: Are you mad at us?

MATT: "No. I'm actually very quite proud."

MARISHA: Sorry we weren't great party guests.

MATT: "I didn't bring you to be good party guests. I brought you to be problem solvers. I think you did quite a good job. Little messy in some ways, but nothing I can't clean up in time. But get some rest. There's work to do.

ROBBIE: If you were to look where the carriage went away, as it pulled away, left floating there, where the carriage just went away with Levitate on it is just a little toy boat, and a little kid from the street runs along and snatches it off, and runs down the street.

MATT: I love it. And that's where we'll end the episode. We'll end it there.

LIAM: Wow.

LAURA and ASHLEY: (sob)

MATT: Robbie!

TRAVIS: Oh, I love it! I love it! It will be loved!

ROBBIE: That's all you wanted, right?

TRAVIS: Uh-huh!

MATT: Robbie, thank you so much for joining us.

ROBBIE: What fun, so much fun!

MATT: Definitely not the last time we drag you into our chaos, but definitely the big, heavy introduction between ExU and this, you're a part of the family now, so don't go too far, bud.

ROBBIE: All right, thanks guys.

ASHLEY: Guh, I'm so sad!

MATT: Love you so much, man.

ROBBIE: Love you guys, too! Stop it.

MARISHA: First big tearjerker moment of C3.

ASHLEY: So sad!

TRAVIS: You look into the distance and the carriage explodes. No. (laughter) Gotcha, motherfucker.

ROBBIE: Oh my god.

TALIESIN: I thought you said the ship exploded, killed the kid. You took a shot and missed.

SAM: It was a bomb.

LIAM: No, it did. There was just a timer on it. In three, two, one. (explosion)

TALIESIN: Fuck. Almost, problem almost solved.

ROBBIE: Amazing.

MATT: Well. All of you give some love to Robbie Daymond. He's fucking brilliant. Dear friend.

ASHLEY: Love you, Draymond.

MATT: So proud of you. (laughter)

ROBBIE: How dare you? Savagery!

TALIESIN: Oh wow.

MATT: Thank you all so much for joining us. We love you very much, and is it Thursday yet? Good night.

MARISHA: Robbie!

LIAM: We love you, Robbie!