Transcript:Ghosts, Dates, and Darker Fates

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: Yeah. Before we jump into our episode for tonight, we do have some announcements to get through, beginning with our first sponsor, our only sponsor for the night, NordVPN. Travis.

TRAVIS: Not now, Matt, we're in the middle of a level 69 phase swap to delete Setty once and for all.

TALIESIN: Setty, of course, being the skeevy virus who's infected the Critical Role set.

TRAVIS: Almost in, just need to deets the otho.

TALIESIN: Showtime the sandworm.

TRAVIS: Juice the beetle and-- Ugh, debooted! Again? This cipher's unhackable, if only...

MARISHA: I know, I know, if only I had installed NordVPN on the set. Look, I realize that they're the providers of the highest quality encryption for your internet traffic and hide your IP and physical location. With 5,400-plus servers in 59 countries, it's easy to get better internet speed and protection with one simple click, and it is available on every major platform, including Windows, iOS, Android, and Linux. Just why didn't I?

ROBBIE: Not to mention that if you go to nordvpn.com/criticalrole right now to get a two-year plan, you'll get a bonus gift with a huge discount.

MARISHA: Okay, I got it.

ROBBIE: Do I get a hacker name?

MARISHA: No.

TALIESIN: No!

TRAVIS: No.

TALIESIN: Hold on, Number Two.

TRAVIS: Mm.

TALIESIN: I know you're frustrated, but remember, what do I always tell you?

TRAVIS: Stop sticking my body parts into scuzzy drives?

TALIESIN: Not that, not that.

TRAVIS: Binary is the language of lovemaking?

TALIESIN: No, the other thing.

TRAVIS: You mean, if you can't hack it, jack it?

TALIESIN: Positronic.

TRAVIS: Of course, a vigorous hand jacking will zero out the memcache.

MARISHA: Uh, translation?

TRAVIS: We can unplug it.

MARISHA: W-wait, unplug the set? My beautiful baby, the thing I spent months building?

TRAVIS: I'm sorry, Marisha, this is for the good of the interwebs. (grunts) Okay, here I go. Watch me nae-nae. (electrocution sounds)

MARISHA: Travis!

ROBBIE: Travis?

TALIESIN: Don't give up, Number Two. Remember how leet you are.

TRAVIS: Right, Morpheus. I just need to hack with love. (electrocution noises) Ow, fuck me. Ow, no, this did not work at all.

MARISHA: Okay w-wait, maybe if there's two of us, here let me help.

TRAVIS: Ready? (electrocution noises)

TRAVIS: Why did I think that was going to be any different?

ASHLEY: (Cockney accent) Hey, oy, oy! Number Two and Morpheus. Why you need some help, mate?

LIAM: Sometimes hacking is the friends you've made along the way.

LAURA: If we daisy chain our cyber bodies together, we'll create a P-Funk psi channel that could defrizz Setty, and reset the set.

TRAVIS: That's brilliant, Cryptonic Override.

LAURA: I learned it from Blackwillow69. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Who's that?

LAURA: (laughing) The only man I ever loved.

MATT: Affirmative, Cryptonic Override. 'Tis I, the Ultra Kodex, and I have traveled through dimensions to correct your timeline from the consequences of my devious plan.

MARISHA: Okay, yeah, Ultra Kodex is back. It's great, just shut up and help us, please.

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: Daisy chain, daisy chain.

TRAVIS: Okay, ready? Three, two, one, slice! (yelling, electrocution noises) (groaning)

ROBBIE: Ouch.

TALIESIN: Oh.

TRAVIS: We failed! If only Blackwillow69 were here, he'd know what to do.

TALIESIN: Wait, what if there was a way to get Blackwillow back?

TRAVIS: How?

TALIESIN: I'll tell you next time NordVPN sponsors the show, Matt, hack to you. (grunts)

MATT: Totally, cool, thanks. That fucking helmet. (laughter)

LAURA: That was so long!

MATT: That was so long. Sam, you need to be stopped.

ASHLEY: So long. (laughter)

SAM: There's a lot of you. I had to write you all in or else some of you get mad that you're not in the bit.

MATT: Never been mad about that!

TALIESIN: No one gets mad.

SAM: I think that you're mad. (laughter) Maybe it's me projecting. Maybe it's me, I'm being mad for not being in the bit. (laughter)

TALIESIN: That felt very intentional.

TRAVIS: I loved it.

MATT: Thank you, NordVPN, for this continued ridiculous--

TRAVIS: Blackwidow69. Blackwidow.

LAURA: Blackwidow.

MATT: We also have the Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, coming out next week, on January 18th. (cheering) This tome is lovingly crafted to reflect the updated continent of Tal'Dorei with rich new art pieces, lore, tons of content to use in your games, including such fun things like the College of Tragedy Bard. We've talked about it before. It's in there and it's fun. It's likely fucked up. But it digs deeper into their existing lore for all of you Exandrian historians out there. It serves as a perfect introduction for those exploring Tal'Dorei for the very first time. So look for it at Critical Role's shops and Darrington Press Guild stores next week, and other friendly local game stores soon thereafter. Go to Darringtonpress.com to learn more about it. Sam.

SAM: Y'all, we are just 15 days away from the debut of our amazing animated series, The Legend of Vox Machina, which drops on the 28th of January. (whooping)

SAM: I know, it's exciting. But next Thursday, the 20th, FanologyPV will be spotlighting the Legend of Vox Machina, our show, during their Fanimation Week, dedicated to celebrating all the amazing adult animation available on Amazon Prime Video. Keep an eye on Fanology socials for more info about their Vox Day Celebration to come, and set your DVRs for January 28th.

TRAVIS: Yeah! (cheering)

MATT: I'm excited. All right, well, I guess that brings us--

LAURA: That was so good, that was so salesman-y.

MARISHA: That was really good. Half of that wasn't even on a prompter. You just rattled that off.

SAM: Yeah.

LAURA: Top notch. (laughter)

SAM: I don't like how you said that. (laughter)

MATT: Well, I believe that does bring us to a close to our announcements. 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 we begin. Last we left off, this group of heroes, after solving one mystery, gaining an ally, and following their path as this newcomer to this troop for the time being, known as Chetney Pock O'Pea was in search of a person that they were meeting with here in Marquet, in the Oderan Wilds, the wild man Gurge, who vanished in violence. (laughter) After finding he was captured by the local wardens and interrogating them, more or less, you discovered that actually he was taken by a bounty hunter. Finding this bounty hunter, discovered the person that hired them to acquire this individual and went and found them within the Moon Tower at the top of the Core Spire. After walking your way in and trying to talk your way into their office, you were told they were out for the evening, but as you were distracting the one person who was keeping tabs on the entry to the tower, the invisible Chetney snuck into the office as the door was closed. There, while the rest of you were leaving the tower to be escorted out for the evening, the rain pattering outside in the night sky, the early evening now coming to bear upon the city of Jrusar, you inspected the contents of this office, and amongst them found a button that shifted the bookcase and revealed a stairway that delved below. There you heard some conversation and some approaching footsteps. Scrambling about, you couldn't find a way out of this room and hid in the corner, invisible. However, some of the things that were now missing at the desk where it was once left, the individual whose office it was, Vali, began to search around, saber in hand, of who might be responsible, poking and prodding and swiping in the corners of the chamber. As it began to bear upon you, you lept onto the arm and shoulder and back of Vali jumped onto the desk and through the stained glass window, landing into the wet grass of the courtyard outside. And that was where we left off. The rest of you, who at this moment have been forced out of the tower, closed behind you, you take a moment to talk amongst yourselves before you hear (glass shatters) to the left side of where you're standing around the eastern side of this tower. What do you do?

LIAM: Oh, that can't be good.

TALIESIN: Nope.

MARISHA: Shall we?

LIAM: We got to get eyes on that.

SAM: Just hurry, hurry, and get out of here.

LAURA: Can we see him at all?

MATT: You are-- it's around the edge, you hear the sound.

LAURA: Can we run over to that direction without like running backwards, just like, so we can see the angle?

MATT: Okay, got it. Chetney?

TRAVIS: Yes?

MATT: (laughs) Rolling on the slick grass, you feel the impact of the shoulder. You glance over and can see there in the stained glass, Vali there, saber in hand, going, "Who are you? Show yourself!"

MARISHA: Back up, back up. Shh, back up.

MATT: All right. Roll a stealth check. You are invisible, so you have advantage on it. But the rain is--

LAURA: Oh no!

MATT: -- making it a little easier for them, perhaps.

TRAVIS: 19.

MATT: 19.

TRAVIS: Oh, that's not a good face.

MATT: As they're standing there at the window, saber in hand and glancing out, "There," and they jump from the window and begin giving chase after you.

TRAVIS: Oh fuck.

MARISHA: I send-- Oh, can I send a message to Chetney?

MATT: Do you have to see the figure? What does it say on the spell?

MARISHA: I don't know.

LAURA: I think it's just within a hundred--

SAM: You just point in the direction.

MARISHA: You don't have to see, "You point your finger towards a creature within range."

SAM: 120 feet, are we that far?

MATT: You are-- At this point, as you just begin to rush around, after hearing the shouting, and shortly after, the glass impact. You can see a figure running away from the window. That's all you can see.

MARISHA: I say: Oh, Chetney, you should run to your nine o'clock. We're towards the front of the building. Where the fuck are you going?

TRAVIS: Can I reply to this?

MARISHA: You can. You can reply to this message.

TRAVIS: I'm in hot pursuit! (laughter)

TRAVIS: They're in hot pursuit.

ASHLEY: Oh no.

MARISHA: He's in hot pursuit.

MATT: So as you all turn around and see this happening, the figure is giving chase, and what's your speed?

TRAVIS: It's not great. 25.

MATT: The figure is gaining on you. In front of you, you can see there is a hedge approaching quickly and probably a heavy bench just past and poking out the side of it. You're not sure what's beyond the hedge. What are you doing?

TRAVIS: I'm running, but I'm just going to start gauging in a serpentine style running pattern to try and shake them loose!

LAURA: H-H-How far away is the man chasing Chetney now?

MATT: From where you guys are?

LAURA and LIAM: Yeah.

MATT: I'd say about--

LIAM: I can't see him.

MATT: You can't see him, but you see the man running and he's like, from where your position is it's not an open field, you can see he crosses by some of the hedges and you lose sight for a second and then becomes visible for a moment. Is about, I'd say about a hundred or so feet from where you are.

LAURA: Okay. (exhales)

MARISHA: He's just out, he's running away.

LAURA: I'm going to talk to Chetney.

TRAVIS: You can't see me, though, right?

MATT: No.

TRAVIS: Okay.

LAURA: I don't know if can talk to you, I think I need to see you to start the connection, shit.

MATT: Yeah, then you can't.

MARISHA: I can do another message.

LAURA: Just ask him if he's close by because I don't want to hit him.

MARISHA: Um, Chetney? (creepy whispering)

MARISHA: Are you close by? Imogen doesn't want to blast you out of the sky. (creepy whispering)

TRAVIS: Holy shit! I don't think I'm that far! I'm running the way we came in; just fucking lay it on me!

LAURA: I'm going to--

MARISHA: Do it. He's running this way.

LAURA: Okay.

MATT: You don't respond mentally.

TRAVIS: I say it out loud?

MATT: Yes, to Message.

TRAVIS: I still say it anyway.

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: He knows where you are.

MATT: As you start saying this, you watch as the eyes are following, and then, "Ha ha!" you hear the chuckle and begins to push even faster. You have one round of actions before he gains to you. What are you going to do?

LAURA: Can I try something?

MATT: You can see him at this point, but you're about to lose sight between-- past another hedge.

MARISHA: -- chase-- person chasing?

MATT: Yes.

MARISHA: Okay.

LIAM: I don't want to kill anybody.

LAURA: No, no, no, no, no. I'm going to pull out a handful of my ball bearings that I have.

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: I want to use Catapult to shoot them out. I want to aim it low so we can get under his feet. I'm going to try to trip him from a distance.

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: ♪ From a distance ♪

MATT: Okay, this'll be difficult, just so you know, because it is in the middle of the rain, and he is running between stone and dirt ground. In which case, the ball bearings, depending on where they hit, might not.

LAURA: I want it to be on the stone. When he gets to the stone--

MATT: Right. So it's possible, it's just a difficult roll.

LAURA: Okay.

MATT: So go ahead and roll an attack.

LAURA: Is he within 60 feet of me, at this point? Or would he be--?

MATT: No, he's running parallel. So you'd have to actually approach.

LAURA: Okay, then I'm going to use-- Oh god. I'm going to use a sorcery point--

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: -- to double my distance.

MATT: You can indeed do that.

LAURA: Okay.

TALIESIN: F.C.G.!

SAM: I'll just stare her in the eye and just say: Come on, you got to make this work. And I'll cast Guidance on you.

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: All right, so I'm just rolling?

MATT: You're just rolling a d20, then add your spell attack modifier, I believe.

LAURA: Okay, it's actually a dexterity save, so I don't know--

MATT: Oh, it's a dexterity save their part? Never mind, then.

SAM: Block out the world. Just focus on this.

MATT: It's a dexterity save on his part.

LAURA: Oh, so I don't have to roll, thank god.

MATT: You don't have to roll for that one.

LIAM: Because that was a one.

LAURA: That was a one. You know what, it didn't count, it didn't count, it didn't matter. It didn't mean anything.

TALIESIN: Burn one.

TRAVIS: (laughs)

LIAM: Got it out of the way.

MATT: (sizzles) You release it. (whooshes) You see a clump of dirt (poofs) to his side, unfortunately.

MARISHA: That was such a cool idea.

MATT: It was fucking cool. Anybody else have anything they want to do before it gets back to Chetney?

SAM: I'm changing my hand out.

MATT: You did Guidance for her, so that's your thing.

SAM: Forget it.

MARISHA: I crack my neck and take my Form of Dread.

MATT: Okay. All right, Form of Dread is clicked in, veil falls over. Who else?

TALIESIN: They're coming straight towards us right now?

MATT: They're running parallel across from where you guys are looking, and heading, giving chase.

TALIESIN: How close could we get if we were moving towards the situation?

MATT: I'd say they are about 90 to 80 feet from you right now. So, even at a move and then an action, you would close the distance mostly, but still not get up to them.

TALIESIN: Okay. I'm not going to rage or anything. I'm just going to start walking towards, put the hood up, walking towards--

LAURA: No--

TALIESIN: Are we?

LAURA: I don't want to engage. I don't want him to know it's us.

TALIESIN: I'm just walking. I'm not running.

ROBBIE: I'm on Ashton's heels. I'll be right behind.

TALIESIN: I'm not engaging. Not even looking.

MATT: Okay. All right. Anybody else?

ASHLEY: Yeah, I'm going along.

MATT: Okay, so we now have a trio walking at a brisk pace in that direction, but not closely quickly closing the distance.

LIAM: You said it's like bushes and shrubs and everything.

MATT: Correct.

LIAM: Breaking up the view, and they're going like this--

MATT: Correct.

LIAM: -- in comparison to us?

MATT: Yeah. You see them and then they vanish behind the hedge, then appear, and then vanish. Right now, they're in sight. Or, he's in sight, you do not see Chetney.

LIAM: I'm going to get really low and scuttle, this way, if they're coming this way, and try to get close so that I know they're going to run past me, and crouch low behind a bush. I'm going to pull a little burlap sack out of my bag.

MATT: Okay. Go ahead and roll a stealth check, as you dart around to try and cut them off along the way.

LIAM: Good. That is 23.

MATT: 23, okay. Darting off through the rain, the cold and wetness sinking into all of your various suits and armor.

MARISHA: I'm also going to move, not the direction that Orym is going, but back and up against the hedge.

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: To let them get past me.

MATT: You got it. Okay. As you all are moving forward.

TRAVIS: If I could look over my shoulder, is he getting within striking range?

MATT: He will be here in a moment. You have one more thing you can do before he gets up to you.

TRAVIS: Okay, I'll save that one thing.

MATT: Okay. So what are you going to do?

TRAVIS: I'm going to use my action to dodge.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: So whenever he gets close, I'll turn on my heel and stare down my attacker.

MATT: Okay. As you get to the edge and you can see, you come upon where that hedge is and there's a bench off to the side. You have to dart right or left to even get in there or try and leap over it. But instead, you dig your heels into the wet dirt and spin around. And there, you prepare yourself in a defensive stance. As you see, bearing towards you, saber in hand, "(yells)" a large swipe in your direction. "Burglar!"

TRAVIS: So you have to roll with disadvantage.

MATT: He does. That'd be a 12 to hit.

TRAVIS: It misses!

MATT: (whooshes) "(groans)" That's his turn.

TRAVIS: Eat middle fingers!

SAM: He's a one-hit guy.

MATT: All right. So what are the rest of you doing?

LAURA: I got an idea, but I don't know if everybody else is--

SAM: Can you mind fuck him?

LAURA: Yeah, that's the idea.

SAM: Maybe that's a thing.

LAURA: Can I step out and go: (gasps) Oh, Mister-- What's his name, Vole-y?

MARISHA: Vali.

SAM: We think.

LAURA: Mr. Dertrana!

MARISHA: There, yeah, yeah.

MATT: "(noise of exertion)"

LAURA: Mr. Dertrana.

MATT: "What?"

LAURA: Oh, thank goodness.

MATT: "No, I'm handling--"

LAURA: I'm going to start running towards him.

MATT: "No, stay back!"

LAURA: I'm so glad you're here, you know, I've been searching everywhere for you.

MATT: Are you doing anything?

TRAVIS: Well, I used my turn, that was my turn.

MATT: Right, we're coming back to, with all this happening and they're slowly approaching--

LAURA: As I'm approaching, I'm going to cast Calm Emotions on him.

ROBBIE: Mm-hmm!

MATT: Okay. What's the DC on that?

ASHLEY: Come on.

SAM: 15 for you?

LAURA: Charisma.

SAM: But what number?

LAURA: 14.

MATT: 14, got it.

TALIESIN: Is it a roll?

MATT: It is a charisma saving throw on their side.

TALIESIN: Okay.

ASHLEY: Charisma saving roll?

SAM: A Christmas saving roll.

LAURA: A Christmas saving roll.

SAM: It's a Christmas miracle.

MATT: That is a 13. (cheering) Exactly.

LAURA: So I can make the target indifferent about creatures of my choice that it is hostile towards.

MATT: Mm-hmm.

MARISHA: Yes!

LAURA: So I'm just going to try to calm him down and make him feel like he's not, he doesn't need to go after anyone right now.

MATT: Okay. "(groans, pants) Miss, I'm dealing with a... burglar of some kind."

LAURA: Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that.

MATT: "I'm very confused. I'm missing things from my-- Who was in there? Who are you? Step out."

LAURA: Who are you talking-- Sir, I don't mean to-- I don't see anyone.

MATT: Make a deception check.

TRAVIS: I just lay prone on the ground. Very close to the ground, invisible.

LAURA: What was that? That was terrible. Eight. Oh, but I have Guidance still.

TALIESIN: Mm-hmm.

MATT: You do, d4.

SAM: It's not going to help that much.

LAURA: Nine. (laughter)

MATT: He goes, "Right." Looks past you at the--

TALIESIN: I'm walking over.

MATT: -- The rather intense looking individuals that are now rolling up behind.

TALIESIN: You all right, weird guy? What was that about?

MATT: "I'm fine."

TALIESIN: All right. Walking away now.

MARISHA: I look and try to make eye contact with Orym. (mouthed) And back away.

MATT: You see, there's gears turning in the head. You have definitely halted the assault and calmed him to a point of conversation, but there's still a look of intense mistrust, and putting the pieces together in his head as he's looking about.

LAURA: In my head, I'm just going to tell Laudna: Stay back, make sure nobody comes up. He's aggravated.

TRAVIS: You hear a small whisper from the ground go: I died in that room. Let me be free! I'll start running towards the rest of them--

MARISHA: Oh my god! (laughter)

SAM: Like you're a spirit?

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: I'm invisible!

MATT: Okay. Make a stealth check and a deception check. (laughter)

ROBBIE: Does he believe in ghosts?

TALIESIN: I mean, they're real.

LAURA: I'm going to instantly go: (gasps) Did you hear that?

MARISHA: I am going to hit him with, not hit him--

MATT: With a knife! (laughter)

MARISHA: Just stab him!

LIAM: "Laudna, what do you have?" "A knife!"

MATT and LAURA: No!

MARISHA: What's it fucking called?

TRAVIS: 19 for stealth, but only a 16 for deception.

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: And I do Unsettling Presence to him to just aid to that feeling, like maybe it is a fucking ghost.

MATT: Okay, what is the range on Unsettling Presence?

MARISHA: 15 feet.

LAURA: Ooh.

MATT: So you are, you backed away. You're very far.

MARISHA: Okay. Does that not work?

MATT: Not yet. You can get closer to try and do it, though.

MARISHA: How far away-- I'm hidden behind a bush.

MATT: Right, but you're about 60 plus feet away.

SAM: Oh, that's going to take a while.

MARISHA: That's far, that's far.

TRAVIS: Just run at him in your scary-ass state.

SAM: Ahh!

MATT: But you can begin to work that way.

MARISHA: I'll begin to work that way just in case it's needed, but stealthily.

TRAVIS: ♪ Makin' my way! ♪

MATT: Okay, roll a stealth check.

MARISHA: Yep.

MATT: Going carefully and stealthily is slower so it'll take a couple rounds to get there.

MARISHA: I know. I-- ooh! Uh-oh. Six?

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: So, he should be indifferent unless he's attacked or harmed by a spell.

MATT: Right.

LAURA: Just so we know.

MATT: Indifferent, yes. They're still a person with their own.

LAURA: Fully, I'm just saying, please don't attack him or else it might get--

LIAM: About 15 feet back behind Vali, you see from a bush, a little head go like-- (laughter)

MATT: As you dart by, pulls the blade back and goes, "(startled noise)"

LAURA: (gasps) Did you hear that?

TRAVIS: (whispers) Free.

LAURA: (scared noise)

MARISHA: Fucking Chetney!

MATT: "What is going on?"

LAURA: Is this place haunted?

MATT: "Is it?"

LAURA: I don't know!

MATT: "I don't think so. Who are you? What are you doing out here?"

LAURA: Oh, ah, me?

MATT: "All of you!"

ASHLEY: Fearne just has her mouth open, drinking the water. (laughter) (applause)

LAURA: Well, I-I came here. You can ask your assistant. We came here just a little while ago to leave a message with you. We were hoping to have a meeting, actually.

MATT: "Well, I've been busy. I believe I notified him of that."

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: At this point, looks past and sees the dark veiled creature, stepping through the shadows. He goes, "(screams) What?! This place is haunted!" He starts backing away, blade in front, like, "Go, you will need to go now."

LAURA: Ah, all right. I guess we'll meet later.

MATT: Make an intimidation check.

MARISHA: Oh, yeah, that works, that's cooler.

MATT: You just keep walking forward as he does this.

MARISHA: Uh-huh.

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: But I'm not working at him. I'm still, I'm behind the bushes where he is. So he is also just seeing me from the bushes.

MATT: Eyes are just locked on Laudna, like--

LAURA: What do you see?

MARISHA: The rain is making my veil wet. So it's sticking to my--

TRAVIS: Nope!

MARISHA: -- skeletal face in a very unnatural way, adding to the ghost-like presence.

ROBBIE: I'm going to cast Levitate on Laudna as well.

MARISHA: 23, 23, I rolled an 18.

ROBBIE: So I see the acts and I cast Levitate, and I now put Laudna about just three feet in the air.

TALIESIN: Get a little foot drag?

MARISHA: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

MATT: What do you do to intimidate him, beyond just the presence?

MARISHA: Ah, am I not doing it? (laughter)

MATT: I'm just saying, if there's anything more you want to add to it, or is that just it?

MARISHA: I just, I full, you know, haunted house Marisha, just roll my head a little.

MATT: "(screams)" Throws the saber and just goes running off towards the front of the courtyard.

TALIESIN: Shit.

LAURA: We should get out of here.

SAM: Let's go.

ASHLEY: He dropped this, but--

TALIESIN: We should save that for later. We'll bring it back.

ASHLEY: Of course.

SAM: Chetney, if you're out there, we're going to leave.

TRAVIS: (whispers) Free.

TALIESIN: Well, we've lost Chetney. (laughter)

SAM: Orym, we're also going to leave.

LIAM: (rustling) Shit!

MARISHA: Transforming into the Form of Dread gave me a crick in my neck.

SAM: Drop her down so she can go.

ROBBIE: I lower her down to the ground.

ASHLEY: Can I take the saber?

MARISHA: Thank you.

ROBBIE: You were excellent.

MATT: You can try and look for it. Go ahead and make an investigation check or a perception check, your choice.

ASHLEY: 12.

MATT: 12, yeah. It's not too difficult. It takes you a moment to find it if you're looking, but you do find it. It is definitely ceremonial. It looks like it probably would hurt somebody if you hit them with it. But it's not fully sharpened. It's definitely a decorative saber.

ASHLEY: We'll make sure to definitely give this back to him when we come back.

TALIESIN: Absolutely.

ASHLEY: Yeah.

MATT: All right. So now you are in the courtyard, rain pouring.

SAM: Let's get out of here!

MATT: The broken window is open to the lit office. The wall is off to your right surround, and the person who is in there is now screaming and running towards the entrance. What are you doing?

LAURA: We should leave.

LIAM: We should leave right away.

TALIESIN: Beer, beer, beer? Yeah, let's go get a drink.

SAM: It's nighttime, yeah.

LIAM: Aren't we dropping you guys off to meet--

TALIESIN: Yeah!

LAURA and MARISHA: (gasps)

SAM: There's a date!

MARISHA: Our date!

ASHLEY: Oh my god!

MARISHA: Oh my goodness!

LIAM: Yeah, walk and talk.

ASHLEY: Walk and talk, walk and talk.

TRAVIS: I'm here.

LAURA: Oh, good.

LIAM: (startled noise)

TRAVIS: Keep walking, heads up, eyes forward.

MATT: All right. Where are you? Are you just heading back towards the entrance?

LAURA: Really, I don't know what else to do.

MATT: There are two wardens that are approaching, and you can see them looking a bit confused and a little spooked.

LAURA: I'm going to look scared. Oh shit, Laudna, hide. They shouldn't see you. (laughter)

MATT: How do you hide, Laudna?

MARISHA: I don't fucking know! (laughter)

ASHLEY: I'm going to stand in front.

MARISHA: Yeah, get behind Fearne.

ASHLEY: Fearne just like-- Floof up, if I can.

MATT: Okay.

TALIESIN: If Levitate was working, just--

MATT: Like a finch in the rain, just-- (laughter) Perfect. One of the ones says, "Um. Have any of you seen a ghost?"

LAURA: We heard there was a ghost. I heard a ghost.

ASHLEY: Did you see it?

LIAM: Have you seen a ghost?

MATT: You see one on the right goes, like, "There's no such thing--" (Warden 1) "No, I've seen some shit around here. Just be careful. You should go."

SAM: A ghost can be a manifestation of other stresses in your life or anxieties.

TRAVIS: Oh my god.

SAM: Is there something going on at home, maybe with your family that sort of is manifesting?

TALIESIN: Goddamn it.

MATT: "Well, you know. Me and my lady have been having some--" and the other guy smacks him in the shoulder. "Right, right, uh." (laughter)

MATT: "How'd a ghost break the window?"

TALIESIN: Ghosts, man.

LAURA: They can do all sorts of--

TALIESIN: They do crazy shit.

LAURA: All sorts of things.

TRAVIS: (whispers) Crazy shit.

LAURA: (gasps) I heard-- I think I heard it!

MATT: "You all should leave."

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: "We can't get that fixed until the morning. All right. Please go, go, go, go."

ASHLEY: Please be safe.

TALIESIN: Good luck with your lady.

MATT: Make a--

SAM: Don't go to bed mad.

MATT: -- stealth check. Behind Fearne. You are helping, so you would have advantage on this as you are carefully statue blocking her as you go.

MARISHA: Okay. Mm-hmm. 17.

SAM: Ooh!

MATT: With advantage?

MARISHA: Oh, it's with advantage?

MATT: Because she's helping, technically.

MARISHA and SAM: Cocked.

MARISHA: Nope, I'll take that 17.

MATT: Okay.

MATT: Okay. You carefully begin to maneuver your way through the courtyard garden. The guards are-- one's watching, pressing you back. The other one has now pulled out his sword and is holding it in front of him. You can see him shaking as he is moving through the courtyard.

MARISHA: As we passed the one who was the non-believer, Unsettling Presence.

SAM: Oh jesus.

ASHLEY: Oh my god.

MATT: You see where the armor and elements of scale and tunic are, this little shiver begin up the back that carries up the spine to the shoulders as he (shudders) (breathes heavily) "We got to go! We got to go!" The guy's like, "Fine, fine!" They both begin looping around to the other side of the tower, getting as far away from that corner as possible where you guys begin to move aside.

MARISHA: I can't believe that worked!

TRAVIS: Oh, you guys, you guys. Are we out of earshot of anybody?

LAURA: Yeah, let's get a little further, yeah.

TRAVIS: I got into his room, I found a map and a bunch of coin. Oh fuck, we're rich. But also, there was a hidden staircase and I heard him and someone else speaking in a subterranean room. I think maybe Gurge was down there, but he came up quickly and I had to break the fuck out, so we have to get back down there.

SAM: You think it was Gurge? Did you recognize his voice?

TRAVIS: No, I didn't hear his voice, but he was talking to somebody else. Something about... I was panicking. I'll have to watch it back... in my head. (laughter)

TRAVIS: He was talking about waiting 'til something was finished. Then, I don't know why, it felt dastardly. Dastardly!

LIAM: It's so weird watching the raindrops just slide down nothing.

TRAVIS: They collect at the tip of my nose. (laughter)

TALIESIN: Is that what that is?

TRAVIS: Well, yeah.

SAM: That's great intel, Chetney, good job. Were you hurt at all?

TRAVIS: No, no.

SAM: You jumped through a plate glass window and you weren't hurt at all?

TRAVIS: (scoffs) As old as I am, please. That's just a day of the week that I can't remember offhand.

SAM: I think Matt has named these days of the week, yes.

TRAVIS: I was going to say Tuesday, but that's not real. (laughter) Shit. We should know one of these days.

LAURA: Well, they said they wouldn't be able to fix that window 'til morning, so--

SAM: So we can sneak back in.

LAURA: We can sneak back in.

TRAVIS: I know you have a date, I was thinking, I could do it until the invisibility wears off, but I want to keep an eye just in case they freak out and try and move him or relocate him or maybe take him out of this place. At least we would know that he was moved.

SAM: Oh, you mean stay here and keep an eye on the outside of the building?

TRAVIS: Yeah. We might not see anything, but I just want to cover our bases. I don't expect anyone to stay with me. I know you have a date and everything and I could meet up after.

LIAM: That's not a bad point because we don't want to go back in right now, that's ridiculous.

TRAVIS: Oh yeah.

LIAM: You guys have to go on this date. Clearly.

LAURA: Yeah. (laughs)

SAM: As important as that date is because we don't want to leave this poor gentlemen out in the rain without a--

TRAVIS: What was his name?

ASHLEY and TALIESIN: Pretty.

TRAVIS: Seems like a sweet guy.

MARISHA: It is raining. Just think of how tragic it would be if he got stood up. It's just so melodramatic.

ROBBIE: You couldn't tell what was the rain or his teardrops.

TALIESIN: They're going to up security anyway tonight. It's not like we're going to get back in.

LAURA: That office is going to be full of security.

TRAVIS: I mean, the secret door is still secret. I don't think he knew that I was down there. Just that things off his desk were missing. So as long as they don't move him out of the facility.

LIAM: Which they might do after tonight.

TRAVIS: They might. But if they do, then I can follow them and we'll know. But if they keep him inside, we'll at least know that much. It'll narrow our search.

LAURA: Did you see him down there?

TRAVIS: No. I only heard voices from the top of the stairs.

LAURA: So you heard him talking.

TRAVIS: Gurge? No, no, no. (sings gibberish)

ASHLEY: Ira?

TRAVIS: Yep. And then some other voice.

SAM: I don't think it's a terrible idea, Chetney. However, if you said that there was a subterranean room, there's also nothing to say that there aren't subterranean tunnels of some sort that they could be whisking him around in.

TRAVIS: True.

LAURA: There are definitely tunnels in this city.

TALIESIN: Did you hear anything else down there, names, places, things they're trying to--

SAM: Something about nightmares or kings.

TRAVIS: I was totally taking fucking notes when I was standing up there, but the rain washed them off my hand but I got a mind like a trap. They said the name Nightmare King. There was other stuff.

MATT: Nightmare King was written on a note in the desk.

TRAVIS: Yep! It was on a note!

MATT: But you heard a name Ira.

TRAVIS: Ira!

ASHLEY: Something about--

LAURA: They were talking about--

ASHLEY: -- killing a child?

LAURA: -- killing a kid, looking for more people, reading a--

TRAVIS: Just listen to Imogen, she's up in my fucking head unwarranted again. (laughter)

LIAM: Sneak into a tower, act two. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Can I relay all this stuff that I heard?

MATT: Do a history check for us.

TRAVIS: Oh boy.

LAURA: Oh, because you would've heard of the Nightmare King, maybe.

ASHLEY: (gasps)

LAURA: That was so crazy.

MARISHA: Fuck that dice.

LIAM: That was quite a roll.

LAURA: Fuck you, dice.

ASHLEY: 20. Dirty 20.

MATT: Dirty 20?

ASHLEY: 19 and then plus one.

MATT: That's a pretty decent roll.

TRAVIS: Fucking good roll.

MATT: Your caretaker had mentioned to the various stories that she told you over the years of certain myths and tales of intrigue and shadow and mischief throughout the Feywild. One of these tales centered around an entity that if you recall correctly, had something to do with the Nightmare King, almost.

ASHLEY: You know something. I have heard that name before. The Nightmare King. My grandmother told me many stories about the Nightmare King.

LAURA: Is he as bad as he sounds?

ASHLEY: Oh, terrible. Just terrifying. Just an absolute nightmare.

SAM: Someone who is local to the fey realm or wherever you're from?

ASHLEY: No, it's just stories I've heard. So I don't know if he's from the fey or, you know, around. I've heard stories.

ROBBIE: Like a children's story, or--?

LAURA: You took that book with you, right, Chetney? You took that book with you?

TRAVIS: Yeah. I pull it out and I got a bunch of-- well, there's platinum in here and there's a fucking--

LAURA: Well, let's wait until we're not in the rain anymore and we can look at those words.

TRAVIS: I also got a map.

MATT: The best you can recall, because you did roll a 20, which is decent, is tales of a figure that bent and twisted nature for fun. Beings that that exist within nature, just didn't care for them.

ASHLEY: It was very scary. I also heard that, at least what my grandmother told me, that when you were asleep and laying on your pillow, he would give you a wet willy in your ear and crawl through and give you nightmares and stand there above your bed, over you, giving you absolute terrifying dreams. Sometimes, sometimes you might not wake up.

SAM: Your grandma told you these stories as a child?

ASHLEY: Well, this is the story, you know, that I've heard over time.

LIAM: Wet willies on their own are pretty bad, yeah?

ASHLEY: I don't know about the wet willy part. I was just trying to make it not as scary. But I do know he gets into your, you know.

MARISHA: Sounds like he had to lubricate, you know, to slide through.

MATT: By this point, I'd say you have exited the courtyard and a number of other individuals have been escorted out and it looks like they're closing it down for the evening.

LIAM: Anybody eyeballing us from behind?

MATT: Roll a perception check.

LIAM: A natural 20 and a one, a 20. 20 plus four, so 24 total.

MATT: Gotcha. I mean, every person that leaves is generally given an odd glance. Yeah. I mean, there's an intense look, but you don't see anybody following you at the moment, but you're all definitely being remembered.

SAM: Chetney, how much longer can your invisibility hold? It can't be too much longer, can it?

TRAVIS: 15 more minutes.

MATT: 15, 20, I'd say at this point.

SAM: Are you going to stay here for 15 minutes or should we just go?

TRAVIS: No, no. We could walk a little ways away and then I could hide behind Dorian's sweet, sweet calves and then drop it. Then I could just be there.

SAM: Oh, okay.

LAURA: Oh, okay, so you're not going to try to sneak back in tonight.

TALIESIN: Ooh.

SAM: No, that sounds--

TRAVIS: That sounds like a great idea. No, I can't do that, no.

LAURA: Okay.

TRAVIS: It's a lead! This is more than I had before I met you so this is, I'm getting my wood's worth!

LAURA: At least half a toy.

SAM: Your wood's worth?

TRAVIS: Yeah, the toys.

SAM: Oh, the toys?

TRAVIS: Commissioned.

TALIESIN: That took me, yeah, me too.

LAURA: Well...

MARISHA: What? You look pensive.

ASHLEY: No. I just... What if the Nightmare King is real?

MARISHA: Well, of course he's real. Look, I've been called the Nightmare Queen, you know. So. It just depends on where you go from town to town.

ASHLEY: She's very much a queen.

MARISHA: Maybe he's just misunderstood, honestly.

ASHLEY: Maybe.

LAURA: Do you know what kind of nightmares he gives?

ASHLEY: I don't remember. Every time my grandmother would tell me this as a bedtime story, it was all kinds of different dreams and just terrible, terrible things. I would always, you know, I would never sleep well after she would tell me this, but it's kind of fun, though.

ROBBIE: Very often children's stories are based in reality, cautionary tales.

ASHLEY: Yes. Very true.

ROBBIE: Wolves in the night.

ASHLEY: Yes.

ROBBIE: It's a way to keep children safe from the real things in the world.

ASHLEY: Yes.

MARISHA: (giggles)

ROBBIE: Case in point.

TRAVIS: Wolves in the night?

ROBBIE: Sure.

TALIESIN: Great way to prop up your rep too, moving around. Making sure people are worried when they find out that you're in town.

LAURA: That's true. That's true.

LIAM: Why does he have this King's name in a book?

SAM: It sounded like someone involved in this conversation was starting... was sending-- was kidnapping people?

TRAVIS: Seemed like a quest by the Nightmare King, right?

SAM: To create ruckuses, to create chaos?

TRAVIS: Uh.

MARISHA and LAURA: (laugh)

TRAVIS: Anybody was taking notes better than me?

LIAM: (as Chetney) You got that Keen Mind feature handy there?

ASHLEY: "-- by Nightmare King. Bring alive," is all I wrote down.

MARISHA: Yeah. They were talking to someone named Ira. They were talking about how they had a patron and how they had to pass legislation in a very quickened manner and that they were trying to make patterns across the city. Then Ira was like, "Bring me riffraff from the streets or a Mahaan child. That would be fun. That would spice things up." He said something like that. Then Vali was like, "Mah, what? I don't want to." He was like, "Finish your work!" That's what I wrote.

SAM: So Ira's the boss.

LAURA: Well. Yes. Once Ira's work is done, yeah.

SAM: So Vali works for Ira. Ira works for the Nightmare King. Is that right?

MARISHA: Maybe? But it seems like Vali was like, "Oh, I'm unsure about this. I don't want to."

ROBBIE: Ira had more of a mad scientist vibe.

MARISHA: At least from what Chetney told us. (laughter)

ROBBIE: Is this table talk or is this role playing? I don't know what's happening. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Yes.

MARISHA: (coos) Fucking pigeons here.

TALIESIN and LAURA: So many pigeons.

LAURA: I didn't know they flew around in the rain.

ASHLEY: Ah!

SAM: (as Chetney) Well, I like them.

TALIESIN: It's been a while. Haven't seen that many pigeons in a long time. (laughter)

MARISHA: So many pigeons!

TALIESIN: So many pigeons!

MATT: All right.

TRAVIS: You should go. Go on your date. I'll stay.

LAURA: Yeah. We'll head over.

SAM: For your date, you got to go all the way to Smolder Spire. Are we coming with you, or are you going to go on your own? I guess you don't need a chaperone or anything, right?

LAURA: I mean, yeah, it's up to you.

SAM: No, I don't... You're fine.

MARISHA: Do you want to be our chaperone?

SAM: I've just never seen a date before. I would love to know what happens, but--

TALIESIN: You should check it out.

LAURA: Sure! Yeah, come with us!

SAM: Dancer would, you know. Dancer hooked up a lot, but didn't really date a lot. So I was sort of curious.

LIAM: Pretty didn't strike me as the type that would mind for you guys to bring a friend.

LAURA: Pretty-- it could be a double date!

MARISHA: We could do the bottle trick.

LAURA: Yeah.

MARISHA: All night.

SAM: Only if it's-- I don't want to be a fourth wheel,

TRAVIS: You got there.

SAM, ASHLEY, and LAURA: Fifth wheel.

SAM: Thank you. But y'all, do we need to go talk or anything, or reconnoiter, or?

LAURA: Maybe let's go to that tavern. We can sit down and talk and then--

MARISHA: Wait until Pretty gets off of his shift and then we'll take it from there.

ASHLEY: I think that's a great idea.

TRAVIS: Ashton, here's four platinum.

SAM: Four platinum?

TRAVIS: Yeah. I think I owe you three, right?

TALIESIN: That'll do very nicely.

ROBBIE: It's up to you.

TRAVIS: Yeah. Take it. It's fucking heavy.

TALIESIN: Four platinum.

LAURA: Do you owe any of us anything?

TRAVIS: You opted for the toys. They're works in progress. I'll have to take a percentage off of the deposit, I mean, I can't just...

ASHLEY: When can we make our requests?

LAURA: Yeah, we haven't even told you what we want yet.

TRAVIS: Oh, I was basing them off of your general outward personalities.

SAM: You're going to surprise us?

LAURA: Oh!

TRAVIS: Yeah. But I also take requests.

MARISHA: I want a rat puppet.

TRAVIS: Rat puppet.

MARISHA: For Pâté. That was a genuine request. Yes.

TRAVIS: Got it.

SAM: For... Pâté?

LAURA and SAM: Like a smaller rat?

LAURA: Pâté will hold the other--

ASHLEY: Pâté needs a--

MARISHA: He needs a companion.

TALIESIN: It's Pâtés all the way down.

MARISHA: So at least--

TRAVIS: Oh, a rat puppet. I wrote down something else, but I think we're talking about the same thing.

MARISHA: Mm-hmm.

TRAVIS: Mine started with an F, but go ahead. (laughter)

ASHLEY: May I have a very long pipe?

TRAVIS: Oh shit, like a big, long, meerschaum pipe? All ornate and stuff?

ASHLEY: No, so I can put some lavender and little things in there that I can smoke.

TRAVIS: Yeah. Oh, we can get down like that. Yeah.

ASHLEY: It's really great. It's good for you.

TRAVIS: Fearne, I didn't know. Long-ass pipe.

ASHLEY: It helps me think.

MATT: Everyone mark off a silver if you're all making your way to the Smolder Spire, by the way.

ASHLEY: Oh, that's right.

TRAVIS: Bye, guys!

LIAM: You're staying behind, right?

TRAVIS: Yep.

LIAM: I am, too.

TALIESIN: I actually, this platinum, I may have a lead, but I have to do it by myself. This platinum may give me exactly what I need. Where can I meet you all? Where are we meeting up after this date?

TRAVIS: Oh yeah. Where do we sleep? Wait, where are we staying?

SAM: A lead? What's the lead?

LAURA: Spire by Fire?

TALIESIN: If it works out, I'll let you know.

SAM: Do you want me to join you?

TALIESIN: Oh, no, I got this. This is way more important.

SAM: The date is?

TALIESIN: You got to see this.

SAM: I know, but I don't want you to be in danger.

TALIESIN: I know in danger. This is a friend who I owe money to. It will be fine.

SAM: A friend?

TALIESIN: It will be a friend again, once I pay them back.

SAM: Okay.

LIAM: You do seem to be a study of all the interactions of life and that's really a central.

SAM: For sure. I would love to. Also don't want Ashton to do anything Ashton-y.

TALIESIN: I'm easy. This is good.

ROBBIE: As much as I'd like to witness this act of romance, I don't feel right leaving Chetney behind either. If you're all right, Orym, I'd like to stay with you both.

TRAVIS: You got some trauma with leaving somebody behind? What's the deal here?

SAM: (laughs)

ROBBIE: I feel like you're one of us now. When you're one of us, we take care of each other.

TRAVIS: (tearfully) Excellent. I appreciate that.

ROBBIE: What's that sound in your voice?

ASHLEY: His lip is quivering.

SAM: We got to get this stuff out of the rain.

LIAM: Are you crying invisibly?

TRAVIS: It's raining fucking cats and balls!

SAM: Cats and balls? (laughter)

TRAVIS: Yeah, what's the expression where you're from?

LIAM: Yeah, it's cats and balls.

ROBBIE: Yeah, that's fine.

TALIESIN: It's raining water, is what I usually hear. Just water.

SAM: All right. We'll split off three ways, then?

LAURA: I guess so.

ROBBIE: Should we rendezvous at a certain time?

LAURA: I can't imagine this date will take longer than a couple hours.

ASHLEY: What if we're having a good time?

MARISHA: It could go late. You never know.

TALIESIN: Let us know if it's going well. Just check in. Just check in with everybody.

LIAM: Are we coming back here?

LAURA: We would need one of the stones. Who has the other sending stone?

LIAM: I got one and Dorian's got the other one.

LAURA: Oh, Dorian, can you pass over one of the sending stones and then we can...

ROBBIE: Ah, it's a funny story. I... gave it to my brother.

ASHLEY: (laughs)

LAURA: That's funny. (laughter)

TALIESIN: Oh my god, he fucking did.

LIAM: That makes sense.

ASHLEY: That's funny, though, because-- The reason it's funny is because now it doesn't work. (laughter)

ROBBIE: I'm sorry. (laughter)

MARISHA: Why are you apologizing?

ROBBIE: Oh!

MARISHA: It was equally yours. We can just trade it. It's like the Sisterhood of the Traveling... Rock.

ROBBIE: Thank you. I appreciate that.

MARISHA: Plus, your brother could die.

ROBBIE: Okay.

ASHLEY: Yeah. It's good that he has it.

LAURA: All right. So we won't know when anybody else is done with their shit. We'll meet back at the Spire by Fire whenever.

TALIESIN: Spire by Fire.

TRAVIS: I might be a little late. I want to make sure that there's no movement. Clandestine operations usually happen deep in the middle of the night.

LIAM: Are we at least casing this place later to strike while the iron is hot? Or are we just letting it go?

LAURA: Well, we won't be able to get back in tonight.

TRAVIS: Yeah, but maybe Orym has a point. We can look for entrances and things to exploit in a casual way.

LIAM: Yeah, the three of us will take a stroll around the place. Keep an eye on it.

LAURA: Chetney, you should get rid of anything that you stole from the office so that if they do find you and they stop you, they won't check your pockets.

TALIESIN: That's a very good idea.

TRAVIS: Is anybody looking?

MATT: You've all walked far enough away. Go ahead and make a perception check for me.

TRAVIS: Eww, nine!

MATT: It looks pretty safe at the moment.

LAURA: Maybe we can do it when we get on the-- you can ride in the car with us. Because that's a nice private place. Then you can pay.

TRAVIS: Why would I give away a silver just to ride in the car?

LAURA: Because you got a lot of money. I thought you said you were rich now.

TRAVIS: Well, I am, but I handle my finances responsibly. I'll ride the car. (laughter)

MATT: All right.

LIAM: Dorian and I'll stay here and keep an eye on the tower. Come back when you've unloaded the money.

TRAVIS: Okay.

SAM: Dorian, do you need any help being a little bit more stealthy, or are you okay?

ROBBIE: Despite my appearance, I am surprisingly stealthy.

SAM: Well, it is raining so maybe you blend in more.

ROBBIE: Well, my cloak inside is the brightest part, I'll wrap it around me.

SAM: How about you, Orym? Do you need some stealth help or anything?

LIAM: I mean, I'm pretty wee, but I'll take it.

SAM: Oh, okay.

LIAM: Does it last long?

SAM: An hour.

LIAM: I'll take it.

SAM: I'll Enhance Ability on-- I think it's dexterity for stealth? Yeah.

LIAM: Viper armed.

SAM: Cat's Grace.

ROBBIE: What's it called?

SAM: Cat's Grace. He has advantage on dexterity checks.

MATT: Indeed. All right--

TALIESIN: I'm just going to walk by Dorian on my way over. I'm not disappointed. I'm just angry. I'm going to keep going. (laughter)

LAURA: It's really all right, Dorian. We understand.

ASHLEY: I think it was actually a very good idea.

LAURA: Yeah.

ROBBIE: Thank you for that.

ASHLEY: You're welcome.

MATT: All right. So you two are staying behind at the moment? You're going to ride the gondola back and up--

TRAVIS: Yeah.

MATT: -- to trade off? All right, so you all step in. You can hear the rain tapping on the top of the enclosed gondolas. You all step on it, it swings slightly before--

LAURA: Don't do it, Fearne, don't do it. Don't do it, Fearne. Stop!

ASHLEY: (playfully) Oh no! (laughter)

ASHLEY: I shake really hard and all the water comes off.

MATT: It sprays. There is one well-dressed pachydan, a little older. He's wearing a suit that maybe like fit him better when he was younger. It's a massive suit, but it's already a little, little tight. As you shake, it scatters across the back as he's facing away from all of you. Like he was one of those people in the elevator that doesn't want to make eye contact. You watch him go. (deep sigh) (awws, laughter)

TRAVIS: Prestidigitize that guy.

LAURA: I will, I will when we're about to get off. I don't want him to know we can do anything fun in here.

MATT: You can pass off whatever you'd like to them.

LAURA: Yeah. I'm going to stay in your head. Don't say anything. Just hand it over and we'll pretend like nothing's going on.

TRAVIS: Hand what over?

LAURA: Exactly.

MARISHA: I keep an eye out for any eyes that might be watching. Is it just us and the pachydan?

MATT: It's just the-- yeah.

MARISHA: I'd be drilling in the back of his head.

LAURA: We'll keep talking, keep having a conversation about boring shit.

TRAVIS: I take out the trade map, which is really big in my hands, but probably not so large in yours. It says Oderan Wilds.

LAURA: This is all in my head. Thank you.

TRAVIS: Wilds.

LAURA: So wild.

TRAVIS: Then I hand each of them a platinum. One, two, three, four-- eight, nine left. Okay.

LAURA: Didn't you steal a book? You said you stole a book and a chest of platinum and a bag of something?

TRAVIS: Yeah, I did.

LAURA: You want to keep it on your person?

TRAVIS: I don't know. What are you going to trade for it?

LAURA: I'm trying to keep you out of jail, Chetney. I'll give it back.

ASHLEY: Give her the rest of it, Chetney.

LAURA: I like that it's all been in our heads and then it's just, "Give it to her." (laughter)

MATT: To be fair, if anybody could just poke in there for a second--

LAURA: As we're boring into each other's eyes like, "Give it."

TRAVIS: Yeah, I hand it over.

ASHLEY: I keep forgetting that's inside your heads.

LAURA: A bag and a book.

MATT: (grinding sound) You reach the bottom of the ride and step out into the Smolder Spire. Is there anything else you want to give to Chetney before he heads back? Chetney is going to go ahead and return to the previous.

TRAVIS: Guess I'm striking out on my own again. Hopefully, I see you when the sun comes up. Anything you want to leave me with? Perhaps a kiss for luck?

MARISHA: I lean in.

TRAVIS: (shrieks) (laughter)

LAURA: One on each side.

TRAVIS: Laudna, I thought we were cool! Aw, shit.

SAM: Is this dating?

MARISHA: Kind of.

TRAVIS: Oh shit.

ASHLEY: Should we at least have a plan in case something goes awry? Like, you know, meeting somewhere at midnight or something. What time is it?

MATT: At this point, I'd say, yeah, since sunset was around 6:00, 6:30, it's close to 7:30, 8:00.

LAURA: Sure. At midnight-ish.

MARISHA and LAURA: Spire by Fire.

ASHLEY: Spire by Fire.

TRAVIS: Spire by Fire. Spire by-- Oh. Spire by Fire.

LAURA: Oh. Prestidigitation the pachydan.

MATT: You catch him just as he's leaving. He shivers, huffs a bit, and then heads back out into the rain and gets soaked.

LAURA: I guess that makes sense.

MATT: All right. Well, as you separate, you return.

TRAVIS: I get back on.

LIAM: Before he gets back, we're probably sitting on a street corner watching the tower. You know, I'm not mad. There's no reason to be. That makes sense.

ROBBIE: Thank you.

LIAM: But I mean, they like you. You could have-- It's your brother.

ROBBIE: I didn't fib. That was my inclination at first, to say I dropped it or something, but I trust them.

LIAM: How are you feeling about it? About your brother, I mean?

ROBBIE: It still makes me feel better to know that if he's in trouble and still capable, he can reach out to one of us.

LIAM: Speaking of which, it makes more sense for you to have that. Oh, sorry-- that.

ROBBIE: I went up, too. Thank you. (laughter)

TRAVIS: I will meet you.

ROBBIE: I suppose, thank you. So, Chetney, am I right? What a weird little guy.

LIAM: Skillful little bastard, though.

ROBBIE: Yeah, amazing.

LIAM: So short. (laughter)

ROBBIE: What?

LIAM: I think he's taller than me. He's just, you know, age catches up to you.

ROBBIE: Yeah, but those little boots have a heel on them.

LIAM: Oh, you got a sharp eye.

ROBBIE: For fashion, certainly.

LIAM: He's always running on his toes, though.

ROBBIE: It's better for your knees, you know.

LIAM: They say that's the best way to run as you continually fall forward.

ROBBIE: If you want to be that spry when you're 200-something, run on your tippy toes.

LIAM: I'm not going to make it that long. Anything going on at all with the tower window?

MATT: Roll a perception check.

LIAM: Yeah, okay. That is a 17.

MATT: 17. Glancing over the wall a bit and having to climb up slightly to glance at a distance, still a decent roll, you can see there is light moving from the inside and are you guy's on the far back of the wall, closest to it? Make a stealth check just to make sure you don't get seen prying towards the back of the wall.

LIAM: 23 for me.

ROBBIE: 23 for me.

MATT: Nice! Dual 23s. Slickly, you both vanish into the rain and the dark, making an arc towards the back wall where it meets the Spire itself. You glance, helping Orym up a bit, you can manage to leap up and grab the edge of the wall. Look over the edge into the courtyard. There you can see within the window, there are two wardens at least that are inside investigating and looking throughout the office. There's a third one you can see, who's trying to put some sort of wooden pole and sheets over the broken window, so it doesn't rain into it. It doesn't look necessarily great, but enough to at least keep the water from soaking, probably the interior carpet and wood of the office for the night. But that's what you see.

LIAM: Okay. Grabbing the top of the wall, I scrunch my legs in and then flip and land on the ground next to Dorian. All right. Well, let's go where Chetney left us.

ROBBIE: All right. He should be coming back up the gondola, right?

LIAM: Yeah, he's coming to us. So he should probably be, unless he's invisible. Are you here right now?

ROBBIE: Chetney?

MATT: You do not hear anything Chetney-related at all.

LIAM: Doesn't mean anything. Could be right there.

ROBBIE: I don't trust him.

MATT: Okay. You do eventually return to the meeting spot and see the two of them barely as they're trying not to be seen.

TRAVIS: The gondola doors open and I'm laying there dead. (laughter)

LIAM: Wait, are we at the gondola? You walked away to the gondola, my man.

TRAVIS: It came back up.

MATT: There's nobody there to greet you at the gondola and you play dead for a second before the doors look like they're about to close again.

TRAVIS: Oh shit! Wait, wait, wait, no! (laughter)

SAM: Another dead guy on the gondola.

MATT: It's been a rough week on these spires.

TALIESIN: Probably more common than you'd think.

MATT: Yeah. (laughs) You rush out into the rain and catch up to the two that are waiting.

TRAVIS: Oi, I mean--

LIAM: Are you visible?

TRAVIS: Yes.

LIAM: Nope.

ROBBIE: Oh yeah, yes.

TRAVIS: So,anything happen?

LIAM: Movement, but nothing too fishy.

TRAVIS: Can you see the window or the tower from where we are?

LIAM: Yeah, there's lights up in there and somebody's poking around, but not much to tell from that. Do you want to give the place a walk around? I mean, we can't go all the way around, but side to side.

TRAVIS: Yeah, let's do it.

LIAM: Okay.

TRAVIS: One of us should watch the front entrance, right, though, while we're doing that?

ROBBIE: I don't know. What's more casual? A lookout and two strollers or three strollers? I don't know.

TRAVIS: I can just sit and watch the front, if y'all want to roll, or one of us can switch for the front.

LIAM: I'll watch because I've got a pretty keen eye.

ROBBIE: You and me.

TRAVIS: Let's do it.

TRAVIS and ROBBIE: Okay.

LIAM: I'll still keep low key at that spot.

MATT: Okay. The two of you are now heading to the other side of the the wall, is that what you're doing?

ROBBIE: We're going to look for any alternate entrances, other ways to access it besides that one window.

TRAVIS: Do you ever think about death? (muffled laughter)

ROBBIE: My death, or in like the grand scheme of things?

TRAVIS: Just in general.

ROBBIE: Well, I think everyone does sometimes.

TRAVIS: Because Laudna's fucking terrifying.

ROBBIE: Oh, I don't know. You sort of get used to it after a while.

TRAVIS: Really?

ROBBIE: Yeah, it becomes like a... You ever have a friend that tells the same bad joke over and over again?

TRAVIS: A friend...

ROBBIE: Oh. You have a friend, right? Like a group of friends?

TRAVIS: I do now.

ROBBIE: Oh, yes, you do. Yes, you do. (laughter)

ROBBIE: Yes, everyone thinks about death, I think, Chetney.

TRAVIS: Okay.

ROBBIE: Yeah, why? Do you think about death?

TRAVIS: No, Laudna's just fucking terrifying.

ROBBIE: That was it?

TRAVIS: If that's what death looks like, I don't know. I've got a whole other--

ROBBIE: I don't think that's normal.

TRAVIS: -- perspective. Are you sure?

ROBBIE: No, no one's sure what happens after we die, Chetney.

TRAVIS: Hmm.

ROBBIE: Yeah.

TRAVIS: Nice night.

ROBBIE: It is a nice night, Chetney. Talk about anything else?

TRAVIS: No... friend. (laughter)

ROBBIE: I'm going to reach down, down, down and put my hand on his shoulder as we stroll.

TRAVIS: I'll put my tiny, tiny little hand on his. (laughter) (awwing)

ROBBIE: Continue to stroll a little.

MATT: All right. So, perception checks from each of you.

ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah. (laughter)

MATT: It's fucking cute.

ROBBIE: That's a six.

TRAVIS: 17.

MATT: Okay.

ROBBIE: Distracted by the leathery little hand on my fingers.

MATT: It's rougher than you expected! It's definitely the palm of a craftsman.

TRAVIS: Callouses on callouses on callouses.

MATT: Oh yeah, a few splinters that never quite made their way out.

TRAVIS: That's right. It's called traction. (laughter)

MATT: More of a wood shaper than a carver. You keep a close eye across the wall's construction. Any other sort of patches or sewer grates, or anything that would lead you to believe it's a secondary entrance, but it seems pretty self-contained, at least as far as the towers themselves, anything within the courtyard. You don't see anything that is an overt secondary entrance or exit or any system that could run through it. This is the best you can glean.

ROBBIE: What do you think? Notice anything?

TRAVIS: Not really. I guess we can go back and sync up with Orym.

ROBBIE: All right.

TRAVIS: I'm sorry about your brother.

ROBBIE: Nothing to be sorry about yet. A little scary.

TRAVIS: You know Orym from-- seems longer than the rest.

ROBBIE: Yes, Orym and Fearne. They were sort of my first friends. Not to say that we're your first friends, but we are your current friends.

TRAVIS: Right. How did you guys-- It's okay. I don't want to pry.

ROBBIE: You're not prying at all. We've got a second.

TRAVIS: You've just got a great dynamic. I don't know.

ROBBIE: Well, that happens when you bond with someone. You spend more time with them. You learn about the intricacies of each other's personalities and how you mesh or don't. After time, it just feels like you're part of the group.

TRAVIS: How often do y'all fight?

ROBBIE: Fight?

TRAVIS: Yeah.

ROBBIE: Each other?

TRAVIS: Yeah, like slug it out, or test each other, or get on each other's nerves.

ROBBIE: I don't know that I've ever fought any of them.

TRAVIS: Oh. You know, you don't truly know someone until you fight them.

ROBBIE: Hmm, I would say you don't truly know someone until you fight alongside them.

TRAVIS: Oh shit. That's so deep.

ROBBIE: It's a little cliché. I know.

TRAVIS: My world's upside down. Let's go find Orym. (laughter)

MATT: As you move to connect with Orym, we go to the other crew here, who is heading towards the Soot and Swill. What preparation do you have in the short time before your arrival?

LAURA: Well, we're walking up in the rain, so...

ASHLEY: Okay, well, did we want to change? Did we want to, I mean, I feel like we all look pretty great.

LAURA: Yeah, and he liked us just the way we were. I think. Why change it?

ASHLEY: That's true. Okay.

SAM: Normally, though, do you gussy up or anything?

LAURA: I imagine so, yeah.

ASHLEY: Sometimes.

SAM: "I imagine so," because you haven't been on a date before?

LAURA: No, I mean, so there was a boy.

SAM: Oh!

LAURA: In...

SAM: In what?

LAURA: He was also-- he worked in the stables, so--

SAM: Did you work in the stables?

LAURA: Yeah, yeah.

SAM: Oh! Was there a romantic interest between you?

LAURA: Well, you know, we flirted. It was young. It was sweet. We didn't go on any dates, per se, but--

SAM: But you made eyes at each other?

LAURA: Made eyes.

ASHLEY: You would have romantic stable trysts?

LAURA: (laughs) Nothing quite so...

MARISHA: Did you ever reach out to the rein of a horse, and then he was also reaching out for the same rein and you just lightly touched each other's hands?

ASHLEY: He's like, I've wrote you letters.

LAURA: No, none of that, but man, I wish it would've happened.

MARISHA: Sounds so romantic.

LAURA: It really does.

SAM: What was his name?

LAURA: Sam. Samuel.

SAM: What a stupid name. (laughter)

SAM: I'm just kidding. No, that sounds great. What happened to Samuel? I hope he had a wonderful end.

LAURA: A wonderful end? Did he die?

SAM: No, I mean. What happened to him?

LAURA: He's quite happy. He's fine.

MARISHA: Did he marry someone else? Should we kill her?

LAURA: I don't think he's... No, he wasn't married. At least not when we left.

MARISHA: Okay.

ASHLEY: Well, he better not be!

LAURA: I didn't talk to him for a long time. He was fine. He seemed happy.

SAM: Sam, the only man you've ever loved. Got it. (laughter)

MARISHA: Just like Andy.

LAURA: Just like Andy.

SAM: Sam and Andy. (laughter)

MATT: So... what are we doing? (laughter)

ASHLEY: I mean, we basically already had a bath.

LAURA: Yeah, we feel great, I feel great.

SAM: Do you need to plan this date? Will you go somewhere? I heard that dates--

LAURA: Oh, we had talked about going to the theater.

LAURA: Should we make sure that there's tickets available?

MARISHA: Pick up our member passes.

ASHLEY: Oh, yes, our member passes. Yeah, we're good.

SAM: To the Soot and Swill.

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: Should we bring him flowers?

ASHLEY: Oh, that's a great idea!Yes!

MARISHA: Are there any flowers nearby?

MATT: Glancing about around the immediate area, no. I mean, the Smolder Spire is not known for its vast gardens and beautiful spaces. It is very much an industrial portion of the city.

MARISHA: What about any trash?

MATT: Plenty of that!

MARISHA: I start picking up trash.

MATT: Okay. (laughter) You pick up some wayward tattered pieces of linen that's probably been left--

MARISHA: Perfect.

MATT: -- to gather oils and dirt in the street. You find a heavily dented tankard that just got tossed on the edge of the road. A thrown horseshoe. Yeah.

MARISHA: All right. As we walk, I craft. I walk and craft.

LAURA: You can mend. I'm going to Prestidigitation and clean some of that shit up.

MARISHA: Oh right. All right.

LAURA: Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's going to have a nice, clean tankard.

MARISHA: Yes.

MATT: Yeah.

MARISHA: Over the walk I mend the tankard. I pop it back in shape. I take some of the extra linen and I take some of the extra chicken bones that I had from the ribs and I take the linen and I take some of my red string and I make little fake flowers.

MATT: Okay, go ahead and roll either an intelligence or dexterity check, your choice.

MARISHA: Intelligence or dexterity. Let's do dexterity. (laughs) I rolled a one.

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: You know. It's raining.

MARISHA: Fuck.

LAURA: Not anymore.

MATT: Well no, you feel it's been a little tough, but you think you can figure it out. As you approach the exterior of the Soot and Swill, it's that time of night where it's loud. It is crowded. There are people in there coming in from their day long shifts. It is raining out in the streets, but it is warm and dry on the inside. As you hit the threshold within, you're immediately hit with the smell of a lot of people who've been working hard through the day, as well as many drinks, some food, and the sounds of laughter and a few odd turns as you enter. There at one of the tables, right in the center of the room, sitting down, is Pretty. No one's sitting at the table around. He has the tiniest of bow ties (awwing) that is tied around his wide ogre neck. It looks to be extended with multiple ribbons to make it all the way around, that don't match the coloration of the pale blue. On the table, you see three small boxes. (awwing)

MATT: As you enter, he looks up, "Hi."

ASHLEY: Hello, Pretty.

MATT: "Told you." You see, around the room, about seven or eight other figures go-- and they pull out coin and set it on the table. He's like, "Hmph! Hi."

MARISHA: Hello, Pretty.

MATT: "You actually came."

ASHLEY: Of course.

LAURA: Of course, yeah.

MATT: Smiles with this big, toothy grin, and he pushes the boxes forward. They skim and topples forward a little bit. They're a little damp.

MATT: "It's hard to buy presents when I don't know much about you, but here."

LAURA: Thank you, Pretty.

MARISHA: You did not have to do that!

ASHLEY: Thank you so much.

MATT: "I know."

ASHLEY: Should we open them now?

MATT: "Okay."

ASHLEY: Okay.

MATT: Two of you roll a d6 for me, please.

SAM: Rollies.

ASHLEY: Rollies.

LAURA: Six.

MARISHA: Five.

MATT: Okay. So you open yours and the first thing you see is an incredible, fractal spiral of tiny little points that spiral within themselves. This is an incredible craft, whatever it is. You reach down and touch it, and it's a little give to it. You pull it out and realize: Oh, it's a cauliflower. It's a very beautiful spiral cauliflower.

MARISHA: It's lovely.

LAURA: This is so wonderful, Pretty.

MATT: "Well, wasn't a lot of notice so I just looked what I could find."

LAURA: I love it.

MATT: You open yours and you find probably the most perfect artichoke you've ever seen. Well kept, well washed, still a little damp in some places, probably wasn't dried properly, but it looks pretty solid.

MARISHA: Pretty! She's absolutely gorgeous! I take it and I--

LAURA: I know. I'm trying to figure out do we put it in our jacket, or do I put it in maybe our hair? Oh, will you put mine in my--

MARISHA: Yes, absolutely.

ASHLEY: Oh that's a great idea.

MARISHA: I just pin it.

LAURA: Thank you.

MARISHA: I take mine and I wrap it around my wrist, like a corsage.

LAURA: I'll tie it. I'll tie it for you.

MARISHA: Thank you so much.

ASHLEY: That's lovely.

MARISHA: What did you get?

MATT: You open yours and you pull out two pumpkins stacked on each other. Like small, tiny pumpkins, but you realize that they're actually two pumpkins merged. One grew out of the other and it has this double pumpkin appearance to it. An oddity in nature.

ASHLEY: Oh! This is remarkable. Where did you find this?

MATT: "My kitchen. Are you hungry?"

MARISHA: I am. Goodness.

LAURA: Yeah, we could eat. Did you want to eat here? Did you want to go somewhere more quiet?

MATT: "Is there somewhere more quiet to eat?"

LAURA: I'm sure we could find somewhere.

ASHLEY: I'm going to stick it on the end of one of my horns. (laughter)

MATT: Perfect. "That looks very nice."

ASHLEY: Thank you.

MARISHA: We got you something as well. I pull out the tankard filled with trash.

MATT: It's real rough, guys. I'm going to be honest. As you set it down, there's a moment where even just holding together, you're like: Oh, oh honey. Then it falls apart. The tankard, while you did mend it, it looks like the chicken bones have somehow... You rolled a one. I don't know how this works, but-- (laughter)

ROBBIE: How did the chicken bones get worse?

MATT: You watch as a series of previously unseen...

TALIESIN: No, no, I heard it in your head.

MATT: Tiny maggots, (plunks) out of the bones onto the table. They're moving under the linen. He's like, "Okay. Thank you."

MARISHA: It was dark outside. I couldn't--

LAURA: In the dark, it was a lot better.

MATT: "It's the thought that counts."

ASHLEY: I grab one of the maggots.

MATT: "Protein. I'm going to put this on display." He takes the several pieces that have fallen apart and gathers them, and stands up, and people move out of the way as he goes over and sets it up on the mantle where the rest of the alcohol bottles are. You see Preio's like, "Pretty, we're not going to--"

MARISHA: It looks so beautiful! Perfect location.

MATT: "It's your big night, buddy. We're going to support you, but that's not going to stay long. We'll find another place. Yay," and everyone in the room, now you now notice at this point, that everyone is watching. It is just a room of eyes who are... Some that were waiting for the possible spectacle, and others that are now enraptured by it. Many with a look of disbelief, but mildly entertained. Some people genuinely invested in this. You've become a Soot and Swill reality show. Comes back. Sits. "We can eat here." (claps) "Charles!" The night shift cook comes out and coming around the corner this older half-elven man. We're talking Ichabod Crane from the classic Disney Headless Horseman. Just this scrawny, big Adam's apple, the whole nose comes to a point like mine, He just scoops through, "Right, righty." (tings, clanks) "Oh, hold on, hold on!" Comes out with four different plates precariously balanced on his hands, sets them onto the wheeling cart, and begins to wheel them out and he's like, "Here? Or..."

LAURA: Is it still raining outside?

MATT: It is still raining.

LAURA: Shit. Do you have a table that's more private?

MATT: "Yeah." Stands up. As the food's being wheeled behind them, the other chef is trying to figure out where he's going and is just following behind. Walks over to this table in the corner with about seven ruffians who are sitting there watching them approach. As his shadow begins to barrel over them, "Get out." They all stand up. Their chairs scoot back and fall back. They grab their drinks and leave. He turns around and goes, "Get out!" Everyone stands up, and grabs their stuff, and finishes their drinks, and grabs their food, and starts collecting. The room is suddenly, within a few moments, empty except for the three of you, the people who run the Soot and Swill, and Pretty. And you. (laughter)

LAURA: You're just watching.

SAM: Just watching.

MATT: Sits back down. "Private."

LAURA: Thank you, Pretty.

ASHLEY: Much better.

MATT: (as Charles) "Your meals for the night."

ASHLEY: Thank you.

MATT: They are just the standard meals they serve here. More of the same.

LAURA: Did you make this, or did he?

MATT: "I made them a while ago. He's been keeping them warm."

LAURA: Oh, great.

ASHLEY: Oh, I'm so glad to have this again today. (laughter)

ASHLEY: It was delicious the first time.

LAURA: So, Pretty, how long have you been here at the tavern? (laughter)

MATT: "Five years."

LAURA: That's a long time.

MARISHA: What was your previous place of employment?

MATT: "I hit people for a living."

MARISHA: That's kind of what we do. We have so much in common. Oh my goodness.

MATT: "I like this better."

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: "People treat me nicer."

LAURA: Where did you hit people?

MATT: "In the head, mostly."

LAURA: Oh, no, I meant, no, that wasn't--

MATT: "Sometimes the sternum, or like if I got the drop first, maybe a cold cock in the back of their head. Take care of things immediately."

LAURA: Oh yeah.

MATT: "Yeah."

ASHLEY: Just kill them outright?

MATT: "Oh, hopefully not kill them."

ASHLEY: Oh, oh-- I misunderstood, I'm sorry.

MATT: "Not on purpose. Some people are just so fragile."

LAURA: Did you fight for spectators or did you fight for a reason? Did people hire you to take-- Were you a bounty hunter? I hear there's a lot of bounty hunters around here.

MATT: "No, I just watched the door." He points up front and you've walked past a couple of times and perched there there is a human fellow who looks like he has some arms at the side, is just sitting and keeping a watch on the door, who's actively been the peacekeeper of the chamber. As he points over in that direction, he looks back at rest of you, gives a two fingers over towards Pretty. "But I worked my way up the ladder."

ASHLEY: By the way, we brought our friend, Fresh Cut Grass, because he's never witnessed a date. We figured this would be the perfect time to let him see how that goes.

SAM: Smiley day to ya.

MATT: "Smiley day to you, too. I didn't make another meal. I'm sorry."

SAM: Oh, I don't eat. It's fine. Just continue. I'm a bot on the wall. You just continue.

MATT: "All right."

ASHLEY: Would you also like something to drink?

MATT: "Yeah. Drink!" You watch as, in the back, Preio grabs a bottle off the top. "Is this for everyone, or just-- Anyone want anything in particular? Wine or--"

ASHLEY: What would you like to have, Pretty?

MATT: "Drink." The bottle in their hands, "I know what he likes,"

ASHLEY: Okay.

MATT: And brings it by. It's this, it would definitely be a party sized, dark green, glass jug about that big with a big cork on top and (groans) onto the table. "Thank you." (bottle opening) (gulps) You can smell it from here. That is strong.

MARISHA: (interested noise) Fills your cups with it, if you want it. "So," looks over towards the bar.

ASHLEY: That's such an interesting taste. What is that?

MATT: "I don't know. I just call it drink."

ASHLEY: I like drink.

MATT: "Mm-hmm."

LAURA: Have you ever been on a date before, Pretty?

MATT: "Not in a long time."

MARISHA: When was your last date? Who was she?

MATT: "Well, when I first came to Marquet..." During this time period. (laughter) I'm going to sit here and role-play this entire date for the next two hours, y'all.

ASHLEY: We haven't gone to the theater yet.

LAURA: Anyway.

MATT: What about you?

TALIESIN: I'm going to the Lucent Spire.

MATT: Okay. Knock off a silver.

SAM: Have we been there yet?

TALIESIN: Mm-hmm.

TRAVIS: Which one?

SAM: Lucent.

ROBBIE: Lucent, yeah.

TALIESIN: Where's my stuff? There it is. Kill a silver.

TRAVIS: Have you guys been there?

TALIESIN: Nope.

MARISHA: I don't think so.

TALIESIN: Nope, no you have not. I'm going to Hexum Manor.

MATT: Okay. Arriving on this largely residential Spire, there are a number of neighborhoods that cluster the central portions of it. As you climb higher and higher up the spiraling streets, they get narrower. The stonework is more well kept. You can see decorative walls and greenery that has been manicured to definitely carry an air of wealth and station. What is neighborhoods begin to give way to estates, to manors, to where a number of the Mahaan houses and other guild masters and elite of the city of Jrusar, some of which anonymously within their midst, guide the political future of the city and the Oderan Wilds as a whole. You come to a standout estate of black and green wood framed in non-indigenous leafless trees. This gorgeous, if ominous, household, you've been to before, is the home of Jiana Hexum. Jiana Hexum.

TALIESIN: Jiana.

MATT: Jiana.

LIAM: With an M on the end, Hexum?

MATT: Hexum.

LIAM: Hexum.

TALIESIN: I forget. Is there a little call, or is there-- I go up to the door just to knock and let them know?

MATT: Well, as is your previous experience, as you step up to the front gate, the gate pushes open. There is no lock on it. The steps descend towards the front of the manner and you can see the hooked trees, their different branches and boughs twisting amongst each other, and two of the sentry statutes on the side of featureless humanoid shapes that just stand at the ready, the heads (whooshing) watch you as you pass. You give a nod. You approach the front door. The large, heavy, dark doors with metallic oiled bronze rings that knock across the exterior.

TALIESIN: I knock. Nobody's here.

MATT: A moment later, the door opens. There, standing in the doorway, a female elf who, uncertain of her true age, gives the appearance of the equivalent of a human in their 60s. She has very short auburn brown hair and a smooth tan complexion with a whole matter of fine necklaces with a high collar. The sleeves billow a bit and then tighten right above the elbow. Her arms just folded across her front. A singular broach set in gold with a gem in the center that looks jet black is sitting. "Well, took you long enough."

TALIESIN: I apologize. I have been weirdly busy. I'll let you in on it in a minute. Can I come in? It's freezing out here.

MATT: "Certainly. Come, come." Stepping inside, the door closes behind. We're going to go to break. (shouting)

LIAM: Nice, nice, nice! Got us on the hook.

MATT: Yep.

TALIESIN: Boom.

MATT: We'll pick up from there in a moment.

ROBBIE: Oh, it's nobody. Don't worry about it.

SAM: It was on the thing that the automaton was-- or the golem was stolen from?

LAURA: Yeah.

SAM: Was it on the caravan? Was it on the cart?

LAURA: It was on the chest.

SAM: On the chest. There was a chest that a robot was in?

MATT: Well, it was a large storage crate with the initials on it.

SAM: That took up the whole cart?

MATT: Yes.

SAM: Okay.

MARISHA: That was the one that his brother was protecting?

LIAM: Yes.

SAM: But it was an inside job?

ASHLEY: The team that his brother was working with--

LAURA: Were the people that stole it.

ASHLEY: Were the people that stole it, but they--

LAURA: So they were hired to be security.

SAM: But they also stole it from J.H.

LIAM: And Ashton just walked between two stone statues.

MARISHA: Golem-y things. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SAM: Got it.

MARISHA: Very Castlevania, right?

MATT: Yeah, more or less, yeah. We'll pick up from there in a few minutes. We'll see you in a little bit. (shouting)

Break
(gentle music)

Man: We don't have the strength alone.

Lizard Woman: It's the truth. If we try to storm the gates again, we will be killed.

Girl: By what though?

Man: How long has she been in the ditches?

Lizard Woman: Just a week, she'll learn. Girl: I could help.

Man: You've never seen the gates of the sun. I have, I know what lurks there.

Girl: But to explore the Astory in Acropolis beyond, it's a scholar's dream.

Man: This is no dream.

Lizard Woman: It's not even a nightmare. Nightmares end, our imprisonment in the ditches is eternal.

Girl: But if we can pass through the gates--

Man: Horrors unimaginable await beyond the gates.

Girl: But you have magic, weapons. Together we could survive the necropolis, make it through to the surface, be free there.

Lizard Woman: Free? The sun itself is forsaken Astoria. There is no freedom in the dark. And what would you be willing to sacrifice to get to the surface? Would you give your blood for it, your friends, your soul?

Man: When you stand in the court of the blood drinkers, haunted by what you've seen, well, you would be a brave hero indeed if you still thought of saving anyone but yourself.

Girl: Well, I have to try. Someone has to.

Lizard Woman: All of us here, you think we have not tried? Those whose bones hold up these very walls, you think they did not try? Girl: If you've given up, I will wait here for others. There must be more like me. (heart beats) I just hope they get here soon. (gentle music) (raven cawing)

Narrator: Evil rises. Our only hope lies in these brave warriors.

(dramatic music) (dwarf grunting) - What the fuck?

Narrator: Right. Who else have we got?

Crowd: Chug, chug, chug! (Trinket moans) (Grog burps) - I'm sorry, who the hell are you? - We're Vox Machina, we fuck shit up. (upbeat music) - Let's go. (gun fires) - Come on, come on, work. ♪ Scanlan's hand ♪

Man: You can't be seriously considering them for such a task.

Vex: Our reputation is less than stellar. (upbeat music) - If killing for gold isn't getting us anywhere, maybe we try doing some good this time.

Group: Nah.

Grog: Boring. (upbeat music)

Woman: Kill Vox Machina! (upbeat music)

Vax: If this evil persists, the kingdom will starve to death. (upbeat music) - Oh, oh yeah, oh, oh. - Shh. - Light 'em up. (upbeat music) - I suggest we run right now. - Fuck that, we fight! (Grog roars) (dramatic music) (Pike screams) (upbeat music) - Grog, you're hurt. - No big. Question, is this normal? - Oh no. - Holy shit. (upbeat music)

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?

(stirring music)

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? So much fashion happening here. I mean, the traveler always says impulse purchases are a good decision. Roll an investigation if you want, it's basically perfect. You need this? You probably need this. (gasp) Could anything be more perfect? And hey, if you want, you would head over to the Critical Role shop right now.

(whimsical music) (typewriter clicking) (sneaking music) (moving piano music)

SAM: Hi critters, Sam Riegel here. There are many relaxing properties to a Twitch subscription to Critical Role, so today I'm going to tell you all about them in soothing ASMR, which stands for autonomous subscription meditative reaction or something. With a Twitch subscription you can watch our VODs immediately after the live broadcast before they're uploaded to YouTube, so you can unwind with us at your own pace. Listen, that's the sound of your blood pressure decreasing. You also get access to all of our custom emotes. And you can post links in chat. Doesn't that sound nice? (squeaks) And speaking of chat, Twitch is the only place to join our live and professionally-moderated chat while watching Critical Role. So snuggle up with some cocoa and let the calm flow through those fingers, critters. I'm whispering from really far away. And if you're an Amazon Prime member you get one free Twitch subscription to a channel of your choice through Prime Gaming, so why not use that tranquil little freebie on a Critical Role subscription? Just remember to resubscribe every month. Am I doing this right? Or, oh, sorry. Am I doing this right? You can also gift subscriptions to fellow critters. So what are you waiting for, start spreading that sweet serenity with a Twitch subscription to Critical Role. It's like a warm blanket. Oh, oh hold on, hold on. It's my proctologist, just give me a second, okay. Hello, hello. Oh hey doc, yeah, what's up? What do you mean more teeth? I thought you got rid of them all. Well no, don't tell me to relax. I'm the one with teeth up my-- (calm music) Subscribe. (calm music)

Part II
MATT: And welcome back. So. While the date is transpiring, and you are off scoping the space at night, you have come into the abode of Jiana Hexum. Entering the foyer, which is about as far as you ever get, glancing into the immediate entryway, you can see two more of the stone sentries that are placed at the base of the large pinching staircase, that ascends to the second floor of this manor. Both still always trained on you. She steps a bit in. Takes a piece of cheese off of a platter that she has set on a small side table. Takes a bite and turns around again, her arms still crossed. "So, Mr. Nobody, I had an idea as you get close to closing your debt. If this goes well, I might even consider wiping the remainder. I am currently in a deep wager, with a rival of mine, A Mr. Evon Hytroga, owner and proprietor of the Twilight Mirror Museum in the town of Heartmoor Hamlet. After the failed burglary of my home, of which you are very aware, everyone has continuously teased me, and lauded his impenetrable security that he's developed with tinkerers and engineers from across the Wilds and beyond. Now I've made a bet with him. For one of his prized items, should the right people under my employ be able to bypass, and prove its acquisition. He accepted and decreed that he will choose a proxy of his own chosen item that he may grant to me to keep. Otherwise, I had to give up something personally of my own. I'd like not to. You, um... You've been running with the troop recently, have you not?"

TALIESIN: Got a new crew. I'm with a new crew.

MATT: "Do you feel confident in their abilities? Or should we hire outside?"

TALIESIN: I'm getting confident. I don't think outside's going to be necessary. There are some complications. This is not what I was expecting. You got-- Well, maybe you were part of it. I know that something of yours, a crate of yours, got pulled out by some sort of golem. Recently, I thought that's what this was going to be about.

MATT: "How do you know about that?"

TALIESIN: Other jobs, bringing me closer to it. I know you appreciate discretion. I haven't mentioned you, but I will admit, I would like to, with this crowd. It would make things less complicated, but you're the boss. Honestly, that's what I thought you were calling about. That's why I took time. I wanted to get a better perspective.

MATT: "To be honest, I'd already looked into hiring-- and I say this with a modicum of respect-- more skilled and experienced independents to handle that particular job. But if you're feeling arrogant."

TALIESIN: No, just kind of close to it, at the moment. I think it may be more complicated than it looks. I know who you suspect. I think you're probably wrong about that, but I know that there's not much I can do about that, nor can I change your mind.

MATT: "If they are innocent, perhaps they'll have something that will lead us to those who are not. At the very least, I'm in a vengeful mood, when such inspirational investments go missing."

TALIESIN: Well, if I can find something to put you on what I think might be the right path, I will happily bring it to you. No charge, just because we are old friends of a kind.

MATT: "Perhaps."

TALIESIN: I'll need some time, and whatever information you have about this. This sounds complicated. Very complicated.

MATT: "I can provide the pricing for food and travel expenses, of course. The Heartmoor is not right around the corner. Means of travel are up to you. So it's up to you to decide what can be done. But, if the wager is accepted, and our a sponsored troops are decided upon, 'tis a race."

TALIESIN: Do I have some time to figure it out? I've got some business to clean up here. It's-- having a crew complicates things.

MATT: "Understood."

TALIESIN: I appreciate it.

MATT: "Don't take too long. These, um, sort of wagers of passion tend to wane with time and forethought. I would hate to think that, Evon would be, I don't know, given enough time to second guess his foolhardy offer."

TALIESIN: Do you want me to not mention you to the rest or can I tell them that I have previous engagements?

MATT: "There's nothing under the table about this particular arrangement. It's merely a way to pass the time amongst those who are bored and have too many means. I will say the ante-- the ante has been expanded. It seems Mistress Isha Sabanis will be the one who is going to be sponsoring this other troop."

TALIESIN: Hmm.

MATT: "Let me know soon when you would feel comfortable undertaking this wager."

TALIESIN: I will.

MATT: "It would include travel from Jrusar to the Heartmoor, and infiltration and gathering. There is a pre-chosen item that will be revealed at the time of the wager."

TALIESIN: I don't know if my new friends will accept debt. They'll probably need some payment of some kind.

MATT: "Oh, they will be paid. You will not be."

TALIESIN: That's fair. Before I go, and I know you won't tell me what was in that crate, what do you know about the Nightmare King?

MATT: "I'm actually unfamiliar with that."

TALIESIN: There's some weird shit going down in this town.

MATT: "That you are not wrong. I have my own suspicions and curiosities. Many late night conversation amongst friends and rivals in this neighborhood trying to conjecture why it's all going to shit, but."

TALIESIN: Just had a big thing happened at the Dreamscape Theater. If you hear anything about that, that's the new crew. Things coming alive, objects. We had a showdown with some fucker named Vali over at the Moon Tower.

MATT: "You tussled with Vali?"

TALIESIN: It's complicated. It sounds more--

MATT: "Now I have to ask is this-- Vali is a business broker. You did not physically shake them down, did you?"

TALIESIN: No, not physically. We may have raided his office.

MATT: "Why, if I might ask?"

TALIESIN: Oh, trying to help a friend find another friend, and Vali's into some dark, weird fucking shit. I would be very careful with that fucker.

MATT: "I would say the same to you. They are very well-connected within the Quorum. If they are indeed involved in some dark stuff, I would be very curious to know what this dark stuff is."

TALIESIN: Well, I'm always happy to tell you what's going on, so long as it's not a client's name. I protect them the same way I protect you.

MATT: "You're a good boy, Ashton. It's a shame you're not as good a burglar as you are a brawler, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying our arrangement."

TALIESIN: Could be worse.

MATT: "Could be better."

TALIESIN: I wish I could bring something back to them about Nightmare King, but I understand. If you hear anything, I'd love to know.

MATT: "I'll ask around. While it may not jog my memory, I'm certain there are scholars who are a bit more well-read in such dark scenarios than I was. But I should know. But, like I said, don't take too long."

TALIESIN: Don't take anything too personally on what may go down with your hunt. I think you guys are on the wrong track.

MATT: "I appreciate your candor. Good night, Ashton."

TALIESIN: Night, Miss Hexum. I'm going to take off. Put the hood back up.

MATT: Okay. The door opens on its own. When you step out it closes behind. As you step back out into the rain of the evening, the two stone sentry statues watch you as you step through an exit back into the night. (low laughter) All right. You three, what are you doing now?

LIAM: So did you get into-- what came first, woodworking or B&E?

TRAVIS: Well, well, B&E was more of a hobby after the fact. Woodworking is something I've had a passion for for decades, maybe longer. But I learned from some of the best.

LIAM: For the wood.

TRAVIS: Yeah, yeah. The wood. The wood speaks to you. You just have to be ready to listen.

ROBBIE: So admirable. After all these years, you still have a passion for your craft.

TRAVIS: Well, of course. I don't have as much free time or, you know, ample wood to choose from.

ROBBIE: Hmm.

MATT: About now, you hear the front gates open. As you glance over, you can see the two station wardens, the immediate front, step aside as three wardens, one of which is wearing a short cloak over both shoulders that covers the left arm and has visually an air of station and importance about them. Themselves, a hood up as the rain scatters past and to the right of them, you see Vali accompanying them and they exit from the courtyard. What are you--?

TRAVIS: We got to turn away and do the, like, you know. (whistles) We're not doing-- (humming) Don't look over here.

ROBBIE: What should we do? Should we--?

TRAVIS: (mumbling) So this is my fucking forte. Okay? We give them some space and then we divide up. Just in case they make any surprise turns.

ROBBIE: And then we follow.

LIAM: You want to take off right now?

TRAVIS: Well, yeah. I mean, that's Vali.

ROBBIE: We follow them, not go back to the chamber?

TRAVIS: How the hell do we get in?

ROBBIE: That's a good point. Not my thing.

TRAVIS: Well, I mean. Look, you're fucking all over the place. Can you get through there, aside from the gate that we went through?

LIAM: I think I can get over the wall, just me.

TRAVIS: Oh shit! Yeah?

LIAM: Yeah. But I don't know if we do that right now.

TRAVIS: No. Okay, listen. Oh my god. This is the fucking moment. Oh, you're going to shine! Okay. Look, here's the deal. You go in through the window.

MATT: They start walking by.

LIAM: Yeah.

MATT: On the corner where you guys are hiding you can faintly overhear some conversation. Vali's like, (sighs) "I've always felt uncomfortable in there. It's just a confirmation of something I've been worried about for years. So I'm going to be moving offices shortly. Just, you know, keep a couple of people stationed in the vicinity. We'll come by. I'll have to move a lot of things out of the office in the morning, so--" That's about the last bit you hear as they pass by and continue on down the street through the rain.

LIAM: Okay. All right. That moves the timetable up a little bit.

TRAVIS: So here's what I'm thinking. You go in, brave warrior. You go in through the window because it's still open.

ROBBIE: But didn't he just say that there were guards all over the place?

TRAVIS: What, you can't handle a couple of guards?

ROBBIE: I think he can, but I-- there's--

LIAM: I probably can, but I don't want to kill guards, Chetney.

TRAVIS: I leave the method up to you.

ROBBIE: What about your original idea? Sneak behind those two? They seem to know what's going on. Maybe they have more information. It's a gamble either way. If your friend's not down there and we risk breaking in, then--

TRAVIS: He's down there! I can feel it.

LIAM: He mentioned moving some stuff out.

TRAVIS: That's right. It feels like he's down there.

LIAM: Why don't we wait a little longer for the others to get back and then get in?

TRAVIS: All right. Okay.

MATT: At this point, we transition over to the exterior of the Dreamscape Theater.

ALL: Ooh!

MATT: The crowd is just letting out from the evening's performance, and you see a bunch of individuals in warmer coats prepared for the cold rainy night. Some of them are holding up leather, spread umbrellas. A couple of more magic-oriented figures, you can see a a cascade of wind that separates it off to the sides, spraying some of the other individuals on the right and left without really giving a shit, and exiting amongst the crowd, a bowtied ogre and his four companions. (laughter) How do you guys look as you exit?

MARISHA: I'm draped over Pretty's right arm.

ASHLEY: I'm just-- I'm dangling on him, too, somewhere.

LAURA: Off of his left arm?

ASHLEY: Yeah. (laughs)

LAURA: I'll be walking in front of them, holding onto F.C.G.'s hand.

MATT: Okay.

SAM: I'm holding the playbill, trying to figure out if that was an understudy or-- (laughter)

MATT: "I'm not going to lie, it was an amazing display of acrobatics, and singing in the midst of it was unexpected. An odd artistic choice."

ASHLEY: Just incredible. Flying through the air and then singing the song at the same time.

LAURA: It went longer than the previous time. It was nice.

SAM: Still no otters, though.

MARISHA: Still no otters.

LAURA: No.

MATT: "I tend to be more of a purveyor of narrative stage theater, but I can appreciate the interpretive dance and acrobatic aspects of the Lauders. Not my favorite, but."

ASHLEY: You are a patron of the arts.

MARISHA: You're so cultured.

MATT: "Well, thank you."

MARISHA: So intelligent.

LAURA: Pretty.

MATT: Looks up and the rain hits his face a bit and he just exhales deeply. "Yes?"

LAURA: This has been a wonderful, wonderful night.

MATT: "I agree."

MARISHA: Thank you for dinner. It was fantastic.

MATT: "Well, it's quite literally all I do." (laughter) "I must say, this has been an unexpected pleasure. I enjoy your company and friendship deeply. But I just think we're different--" (laughter)

MATT: "-- kinds of people. Please, do not misunderstand." (laughter)

MATT: "I just--" (laughs) Goddamn it.

TRAVIS: Let 'em down easy.

MATT: "I just think you three have a lot of the world before you to see. I don't know."

MARISHA: Oh, we can still be friends.

MATT: "Of course. Please come visit."

ASHLEY: Is there any advice that you would have for me? Maybe I-- something was off that, you know, for the next time around I could--

MATT: He kneels down, his knee splashing into a puddle, and it scatters off to the side. Puts his right hand onto your left shoulder and gets down to eye level and looks at you with a big grin and goes, "You're a wonderful just how you are. Just not meant to be."

ASHLEY: It's okay. It's just hard when you feel something and the other person doesn't. It just happens every time.

MATT: "Is that right?"

ASHLEY: Always the bridesmaid. (laughter)

ASHLEY: That's okay. That's okay.

MATT: "I am compelled by each of your adventurous spirits. But my search continues." (laughter)

LAURA: You'll find them. You'll find them, Pretty.

MARISHA: You're so good. You're such a good-hearted ogre. Don't settle, all right?

ASHLEY: Yeah.

MATT: "I won't." (laughter) "I won't."

MARISHA: I pull out Pâté. (as Pâté) Could I have a hug?

MATT: "Okay, Pâté. He goes and you hear a crack. "Oh, sorry." Reaches forward, and goes to grab your hand, scoops it up with your hand, scoops it up with your hand and pulls together. Gives a little (kisses). "Now, I'm going to go read the next chapter of my favorite novel and go to sleep."

LAURA: Good night, Pretty.

ASHLEY: Good night.

MATT: "You too. And--"

LAURA: Sweet prince.

MATT: "You'll find your special someone. One day. And when you do, bring them by and I'll make you all a meal."

MARISHA: Well, we have to have your approval, right?

MATT: "Of course, I'm invested in your happiness now."

ASHLEY: As we are with you.

MARISHA: Go, Pretty, into the rain.

MATT: He turns. As it spatters onto his shoulders, he throws his scarf with a wet (splash). It scatters all across your faces with a whip, and continues lumbering onward to the cable to return him to his homestead in the Smolder Spire.

ASHLEY: ♪ Goodbye, my love ♪ (laughter)

MARISHA: Who guessed we would be the ones left standing in the rain?

LAURA: I could've, I could've guessed.

ASHLEY: You could've?

LAURA: Yeah.

ASHLEY: Well, how come?

LAURA: Well, because throughout the show, he was, you know, thinking about how good the show was and how much he wanted to get back to the tavern. He didn't once have a thought. You know what I mean?

ASHLEY: Oh, you couldn't hear him?

LAURA: Well, no, no, no. I mean, well, he had some thoughts, but none of those thoughts.

ASHLEY: Oh, he wasn't having any of those thoughts about any of us.

LAURA: Yeah.

ASHLEY: Well, okay.

SAM: You could hear his thoughts?

LAURA: Well, yeah. I mean, sometimes. It's not like I did it all the time.

MARISHA: Did he ever have like a, "Ugh, this is awkward"? Like, "Oh, she's getting real clingy"?

LAURA: No, no, no. He enjoyed everyone a lot.

MARISHA: Okay.

LAURA: He never thought that about you.

MARISHA: Oh, thank you.

LAURA: You're not clingy. You're wonderful.

MARISHA: Just a little, you know. In the back of my head.

LAURA: No, don't be nervous.

MARISHA: Insecurity.

ASHLEY: What did you think of your first date?

SAM: Well, it was a little boring.

ASHLEY: Oh.

LAURA: Did you think there'd be more--?

SAM: You know, the end of it was probably the most interesting part.

LAURA: Yeah.

SAM: But, you know, there was food, there was drink, there was small talk about work. There was--

LAURA: I thought dates were supposed to have sparks, you know?

SAM: It was really fun seeing y'all be on your best behavior and be really charming and delightful and caring towards him, and... But I think, yeah, I think I agree with him. It's just, something wasn't clicking, right?

LAURA: Yeah.

SAM: I mean... Yeah, yeah, I mean, Dancer always said that love equals friendship plus alcohol, but I think there's more to it than that. I feel like there's-- I think that there needs to be something. A feeling, you know?

MARISHA: Yeah.

TRAVIS: Oh my god.

MARISHA: Sparks.

SAM: But it was so-- Thank you for bringing me along for the ride, and I hope I wasn't a fifth wheel.

LAURA: You didn't say anything the whole night.

SAM: I was just listening. Is it close to midnight?

MATT: Yes, it's--

LAURA: Mm-hm, I think it is.

SAM: We should probably get back.

LAURA: Yeah, we'll start walking.

SAM: But I would recommend that you all journal about this, just to sort of--

MARISHA: Get it out.

ASHLEY: Absolutely.

LAURA: Thank you.

SAM: Yeah, just to get it all out. Any insecurities that you might have.

MARISHA: Sure, sure.

LAURA: You should maybe journal about it, too.

SAM: All right, sure.

LIAM: My favorite John Hughes movie.

MARISHA: I just link arms with my fellow witches.

LAURA: You know what? You three were the best part of the night, in my opinion.

MARISHA: I agree.

ASHLEY: Me, too, or three, and four.

SAM: Who needs an ogre to make you feel good, right? (laughter)

ASHLEY: These witches be bitches.

MARISHA: These witches be bitches.

MATT: You all decided to reconvene at the Spire by Fire, yes?

SAM and LAURA: Yes.

MATT: Okay. After a short time, one by one by two by three, you all begin to gather at a familiar table within the Spire by Fire. At this hour, a lot of the clientele have either passed out and are in the process of groggily finding their way out, or are the definitely night owls that keep to themselves. It's not incredibly busy, but, you know, it's definitely winding down for the night. But you all reconvene to share your intent.

MARISHA: Do we see the others?

MATT: Yes, you've all gathered at this point. For the sake of brevity, you have all gathered at this point.

LIAM: How did it go?

MARISHA: He was so charming, and we laughed so much, and the Lauders-Not-Otters were so much better this go around,

LAURA: They really were. They didn't fall.

MARISHA: I don't know.

LIAM: Depends on the audience.

SAM: You don't have to kiss and tell.

MARISHA: He... turned us down. (laughs)

TRAVIS and ROBBIE: What?

TALIESIN: Holy shit.

LAURA: He wasn't into it.

MARISHA: Well, it's not that he didn't like us, but he was like, you know... He ended the night by saying, "I respect you, you all are beautiful and the most captivating women I've ever had in my life, but I--"

LAURA: I know, all right?

ROBBIE: Yes!

MARISHA: He was very insistent.

ROBBIE: Of course, of course. Definitely not.

TRAVIS: You talked about your adventurous spirit.

ROBBIE: Oh, sure. How's it go? It's not you, it's me. Ah, yes, yes. Was that something like how it went?

ASHLEY: Well, he didn't say that, he just... He just wasn't interested in us, I guess.

TRAVIS: Wow.

LAURA: Yeah.

ROBBIE: And to think, between the three of you, you've got so many different types. Not a single one of you.

MARISHA: I know.

ROBBIE: Wow, all those choices, not one.

SAM: Well, okay, Dorian.

ROBBIE: I'm just teasing, I'm teasing. Everyone teases me, I get to tease every once in a while, right? All right.

LIAM: At least he didn't string you along.

ROBBIE: I'm glad you had fun.

LAURA: He was quite the gentleman.

ASHLEY: We did have fun, and we got to see the full show, which is something else.

LAURA: And a delicious meal out of it. How about y'all?

LIAM: Well, the place is probably emptier right now, if you all wanted to continue. I leave that to you guys.

TRAVIS: Now's the time to strike. He's underplaying the situation.

LIAM: Vali's gone. Well, it seems like Vali left with some higher level security. There's still people left behind, but he walked off past us and mentioned moving things.

MARISHA: Moving things?

LIAM: So.

TRAVIS: In the morning, but I know that's when our meeting was, but I mean, it could be disposed. I mean, besides, now's the time.

ROBBIE: I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Chetney. If we have an opportunity to see what's there before they take it away, it's now or never.

MARISHA: Well?

LAURA: Oh, man.

MARISHA: I could go for a bit of nightcap to this date.

LAURA: You'd have to find a way to get through the gates.

TRAVIS: Or over the gates. Orym said there's ways of doing that. I can tell you exactly what you need to do.

MATT: The wall altogether is about, let's see, close to nine feet.

LIAM: Nine feet?

MATT: Eight to nine feet, depending.

LIAM: I can leap over that, tie a rope around my waist, and then if I can get over there--

TRAVIS: Really?

LIAM: Yeah.

TRAVIS: Oh, shit. That's outstanding.

LIAM: But we still got to get in. We still got to get through without hurting anybody.

MARISHA: Why without hurting anybody? I don't understand.

LAURA: Well, I don't want to make enemies of all of the Wardens in the city.

TRAVIS: You'll only make enemies if you get caught.

LAURA: Exactly.

TRAVIS: Don't you leave anyone to tell.

TALIESIN: I will say, I poked a couple of sources, and this guy is serious business. We want to be careful--

MARISHA: How do you know? What did you do?

TALIESIN: I shook some trees and saw what came out. Not a lot on what we're on right now.

MARISHA: Apples.

TALIESIN: Do apples come out of trees?

ASHLEY: Yeah, if you shake them.

TALIESIN: Or leaves, or all sorts of things.

MARISHA: Bananas.

TALIESIN: Do they grow on trees? I guess they do.

LIAM: Sure do.

ASHLEY: Pickles.

TRAVIS: What'd you learn from your person?

SAM: (laughs)

TALIESIN: I know who your brother pissed off.

MARISHA: What?

TALIESIN: That's a thing we got to deal with. So that's a problem. I didn't learn much about where we are right now other than the people that we're-- The guy we're about to rob is bad news.

MARISHA: Proper nouns, Ashton.

TALIESIN: I have them written down. They're hard to read.

MARISHA: What?

TALIESIN: Because my notes are really iffy. Vali, Vali is bad news. That's what I wrote there.

LAURA: Yeah, he's an important guy.

TALIESIN: Best be careful is what I was told. Might have lined up a gig later, if everybody wants to make some cash. We'll see how this goes.

SAM: What kind of gig?

TALIESIN: Kind of similar to what we're doing now. If it goes well, it might be a nice thing.

SAM: For whom?

TALIESIN: All of us, me in particular.

SAM: No, I mean, who would hire us?

TALIESIN: (discontented sigh)

TRAVIS: Is this another Eshteross?

TALIESIN: Sort of. I have a regular client that I do work for on the side. It's complicated. That's a whole story.

ROBBIE: Ashton, I'm sorry. You said you knew who held my brother's bounty?

TALIESIN: Yeah.

ROBBIE: Who was it?

TALIESIN: Well, that's my client.

LAURA: Well, if it's a job--

TALIESIN: Jiana Hexum.

LAURA: Jiana Hexum?

TALIESIN: Yeah.

ROBBIE: Who is that?

TALIESIN: She's a collector of sorts. I don't want to say harmless, necessarily, but... she's good for her word. She gets things done. She likes people not to ask questions. Once she gets pissed off about something, there's really nothing to be done about it.

LIAM: Did you talk about Dorian with her?

TALIESIN: Gently. She doesn't know anything other than she's putting the money and wants it solved, what people assume, she doesn't bother with particulars. She's just the money everyone's trying to collect.

LIAM: Is there an angle to free the family up?

ROBBIE: You said they're a client. Can't you just tell them the truth, that my brother had nothing to do with them?

TALIESIN: It's not the kind of thing she's interested in. Honestly, once she's got an idea in her head, it's hard to move that train unless you can prove something.

ROBBIE: Prove.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

LAURA: So we prove it.

TALIESIN: If you can pull it off, that's a way to go, but--

SAM: She's hired you before, though.

TALIESIN: Many times.

SAM: Just you?

TALIESIN: I have a debt to pay off.

SAM: What does that mean? Is this part of your old friends?

TALIESIN: Yeah, since it looks like you're sticking around... My old crew, the Nobodies, they-- We had a job to rob her place. We didn't know who she was. It hardly mattered. It was just grab something. Get out. Simple stuff. Didn't go well. It really, really didn't go well. Long story short, and I'm sure at some point if you want to hear the whole fucking tale, you can buy more liquor. Everyone had to skip town. I got hurt. She figured out who I was, what I did, and instead of turning me in to the authorities, let me pay it off, and I've been doing that for a while. Honestly, it's a good gig. It's fair. She's not rough to work for. The stuff I've done is nothing I'm not proud of. So, like you would say.

LIAM: How much do you have to work off?

TALIESIN: Well, if I can get a bunch of you to agree to do something, that might be the end of it.

LAURA: How can we just walk in and take a job from her with Dorian, who looks just like his brother?

TALIESIN: I don't think she actually knows the particulars. I think she just went out and said: Find who's responsible and delight me. It's very her.

SAM: But maybe doing a job for her could ingratiate us with her.

LAURA: Yeah.

SAM: This group that you used to work with, the Nobodies, did they... If I might ask... Do you resent them for all leaving you?

TALIESIN: Absolutely fucking not. I would've done the same.

MARISHA: I thought you said they died.

TALIESIN: No.

MARISHA: Maybe I just assume that, always.

TALIESIN: No, they very smartly took off, and I very happily took the debt. It's what you do for family, is you fucking take care of them.

SAM: Do you know if they're still together?

TALIESIN: I do not.

LIAM: So that was the last you ever saw or heard?

TALIESIN: Yep. They did the right thing.

SAM: You don't blame them just a little bit?

TALIESIN: You know what you get into when you do this. Sometimes the best thing to do is save whoever you can.

MARISHA: So, you were the fall guy.

TALIESIN: I took it. Again, family.

MARISHA: Fall guy saving a fall guy. I like it.

TALIESIN: But I did rob her place.

MARISHA: What'd you get?

TALIESIN: You know, I don't know.

MARISHA: What?

TALIESIN: It was in a box. Never saw it. I actually, technically, I was on lookout. I wasn't really watching.

MARISHA: Just like your brother! The similarities!

ASHLEY: You were hired to break into her house and take something.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

TRAVIS: Did that hurt?

SAM: Is that this thing?

TALIESIN: Yes, it is.

LAURA: (gasps)

SAM: Ooh.

LAURA: Oh no!

TRAVIS: How did... Who... What?

TALIESIN: Well, oh boy. More drink.

SAM: Aren't we on the street? No, we're in the--

TALIESIN: No, we're in the-- It's very comfortable.

MARISHA: We order another round.

MATT: All right.

LIAM: The rain outside the window, though.

MARISHA: So cozy.

TALIESIN: Oh boy. Back in Bassuras, I had a bunch of people I came up with in a state home called the Greymoore State Home. A bunch of kids, we took off when we were younger. Said fuck off to that place. Formed a gang. Made a little money doing this and that. A lot of it from Milo, who you've met. This job, was just like most of them until it wasn't. She has a very, very big house, and we were high up on practically the top floor, and... She walked in on us trashing her office. And I don't know what happened after that, because I got hit with some sort of magic force bolt right in the back, went through the window, and dropped.

LAURA: On your head?

TALIESIN: I don't know. I would assume, because the next thing I know, they have dragged my pretty much fucked body back to my house. Milo had done their best, putting me back together without knowing any healing spells or fuck all.

MARISHA: They fixed you?

TALIESIN: Basically, with some sort of weird chaos fairy magic bullshit. Who knows? Whatever it did, it worked. It was whatever they had around, and I'm basically fine.

LAURA: Is that what this gold is?

TALIESIN: Oh yeah, that was actually very specifically, this is what I was supposed to get paid with for that gig. It got melted down, and this is just glass. So, worked out all right.

TRAVIS: Yeah. I mean, it's a fucking bitching look.

TALIESIN: Thank you. I like it.

ASHLEY: I think you're sort of beautiful.

TALIESIN: Me too. Any other questions?

SAM: I'm so sorry that happened to you, Ashton.

TALIESIN: Shit happens. Worse things have happened.

SAM: You didn't deserve it, though.

TALIESIN: No one deserves anything.

TRAVIS: I don't know if trust is the right word, but you expect her not to screw you, right?

TALIESIN: We have had a relationship for a very long time, and... she's never told me anything that I found out wasn't true, and never sent me to do something she thought I couldn't do, and has been pretty upfront with everything. I mean, she's not a nice person, but--

LIAM: If you had to guess, the bounty on Dorian's brother, is that principle, or is that monetary?

TALIESIN: With her, probably monetary, but a bit of both. Money doesn't matter to her. She has moods.

LIAM: You think there's a chance that if we band together and do this thing that you're talking about, pro bono, it could wipe the slate clean?

TALIESIN: (sharply inhales) (exhales) I think she'd want more. I think she'd want her property back, too. I think she'd... She's not somebody who likes to make deals unless she really feels like she's getting her money's worth, her peoples' worth. Again, she's honest. She's trustworthy. She's just not very nice.

MARISHA: She sounds rich. Is she a part of these Mahaan houses?

TALIESIN: I don't think so. I don't really ask. That's not our relationship. But I don't think so. She feels like, I've always got the assumption that she is her. And that's probably as far as it goes. She didn't have anything to say about anything that we've been doing other than, wow, you're fucking with crazy people and dangerous people. And if she says that...

LAURA: So you told her that we were messing with Vali?

TALIESIN: Yep.

LAURA: And that's safe?

TALIESIN: Yeah. Absolutely.

ASHLEY: You trust her.

LIAM: That's a pretty big trust fall, Ash.

TALIESIN: She trusts me. I probably know enough to certainly make her life complicated, and she trusts that I'm not going to do that.

TRAVIS: Mutual leverage.

TALIESIN: She knows that I was going to tell you all about this. She's usually very private.

TRAVIS: I think this is great. I mean, it's a chance for you to get out of your debt. We have a chance to make some money.

TALIESIN: I will say--

SAM: Maybe help Dorian's brother.

TALIESIN: At the very least, I will say that if your brother is taken off the table, one way or another, I think they'll just find someone else to pin it on and move on. It's a good possibility.

ROBBIE: So you're saying he may be on the run indefinitely?

TALIESIN: For a while. Further is better, probably.

ROBBIE: You told them almost everything, but not the details of my situation or my brother's?

TALIESIN: I told her that I had information that would lead me to believe that who her people think did this is probably wrong. She said that's interesting and useless, basically, unless I can back it up.

ROBBIE: Thank you for that, nonetheless.

TALIESIN: I do not lie to this person.

ASHLEY: What if we try to find whatever was lost, and that could absolve your brother, maybe?

LAURA: Yeah, or at least find the people who actually did it.

ROBBIE: I appreciate your concern, but I would rather... I would rather leave than any of you endanger yourselves on my brother's behest. Thank you. Thank you. But if it comes to that, I could not live with myself if something happened to any of you doing something for me.

MARISHA: If it comes to that. Let's not jump to conclusions.

ROBBIE: How can you make something so nice still sound so creepy?

MARISHA: (laughs) You're cute.

SAM: That sounds very interesting, Ashton, and we should definitely pursue it. That's not a tonight thing, though?

TALIESIN: That is definitely not a tonight thing.

LIAM: No, clock's ticking for tonight.

TALIESIN: I had to double check that I could say things before I told you all what was going on.

TRAVIS: Do you think you'll run into any more of these... What was the group? Nobodies?

TALIESIN: No, they've been gone... It's been years. It's been years. It was a good crew. They did well.

SAM: I know you say you're not traumatized by the event or resentful of them or anything, but I can just speak for myself and say that if anything like that ever goes down with us, I won't run away. I don't think any of these folks will, either.

ASHLEY: I probably will.

SAM: Okay.

LIAM: No, Letters is right, and that goes for both of you. You're not going to Prestidigitate us off like mud, friend.

SAM: It's a cantrip.

LIAM: Yeah... You need 9th-level, at least.

LAURA: That'd be a big one.

ROBBIE: Are you talking?

SAM: No.

TALIESIN: Yeah, I don't know. This is the first time I've worked with a group of people since, I will admit, and if I ever see them again, there'll probably be a couple punches and then we'll be done with it. That's how you resolve shit with family.

TRAVIS: Oh, okay.

LAURA: Thank you for trusting us, Ashton.

TALIESIN: It was time. This fucker, jeez.

SAM: Sorry.

MARISHA: He loves you so much.

TALIESIN: Despite everything.

SAM: I'm lovable.

ROBBIE: That's a lot of big questions.

LAURA: That's a lot on the table.

MARISHA: Are you all right, Orym? You've looked a little queasy throughout this conversation.

LIAM: I'm just concerned for everyone at the table. I want everyone to find the things they're looking for. I don't want my friend's brother to die.

TALIESIN: One thing at a time.

LAURA: One thing at a time.

TALIESIN: Are we going to do a little B&E tonight?

LAURA: Oh my gosh.

SAM: Going back into the ghost-y place?

LAURA: Going to find Gurge?

TRAVIS: You just see what's down there. If he's not down there, we can fucking skedaddle.

TALIESIN: I think it's a terrible fucking idea, but--

SAM: You love those.

TALIESIN: I'll do... I like hitting things. It's been days, and I want to hit something really bad right now.

ROBBIE: It has been stressful, hasn't it?

TALIESIN: I'd feel so much better if I hit something.

ROBBIE: Let's go do some crime. Fuck it.

TRAVIS: Wait, this job that she was talking about, would it be here in Jrusar?

TALIESIN: No.

TRAVIS: Well, that's not nice. If we fuck this up...

SAM: We get out of town.

LAURA: Take the job right away.

TRAVIS: Yeah? Nobody will get hurt. It's important to leave people alive.

MARISHA: Safety third.

TALIESIN: I've taken a few jobs from her that have left town. It's a nice break. Think of it as a very complicated vacation.

ASHLEY: Oh boy.

LAURA: All right. We're going to have to be so careful, though, because we just barely made it out of there.

TALIESIN: I can't be...

TRAVIS: Really?

TALIESIN: I'm not sneaky for the re-- I need to-- Yeah, I'm too tired to pull that shit off, so.

ASHLEY: Thank you for telling us all that.

TALIESIN: I don't know. This feels like a thing.

LIAM: Talk it out with me a little bit, though. I don't want to go in and start stabbing.

TALIESIN: Do we have a plan?

LIAM: Once we all get in, what are we doing with any opposition that we run into?

MARISHA: You said we want to try to not murder?

LIAM: Correct.

MARISHA: All right.

ASHLEY: Okay, okay, okay, okay.

MARISHA: But also, leave no one alive? This feels a little conflicting.

LIAM: No, that's incorrect.

TRAVIS: No, you would leave them alive. Alive.

MARISHA: Alive.

TALIESIN: Unconscious.

TRAVIS: I would offer that the drawer has to be unlocked. It's the upper right-hand drawer. The button is inside.

TALIESIN: I don't know what you talking about.

TRAVIS: This is how you get in once you're in the room.

TALIESIN: You're in the room when you have to get to the desk, I don't understand what the fuck you're talking about.

ROBBIE: Aren't you coming with us?

TRAVIS: I mean, I don't know, I don't want to assume anything, but yeah. I didn't know if you wanted me to be on crowd control or something.

LAURA: What are you talking about, Chet?

TRAVIS: What? We're going after Gurge, right?

LAURA: Yeah.

ROBBIE: This is your thing. You're part of the thing.

TRAVIS: Oh, okay. Well, I was just checking.

MARISHA: I don't think we just got clear details on how you got where you got. That's all.

TRAVIS: Oh, I shared this with Orym a little bit earlier. Because the window's broken, I don't think we need to go inside the old fashioned way. Just get into his office, open the door, press the button, the bookcase moves, we make our way down the steps, we kill-- we subdue anyone downstairs, and then see if Gurge is down there.

LAURA: All right.

MARISHA: Okay.

ASHLEY and LIAM: Okay.

LAURA: So maybe we can get over the fences close to the Moon Tower, so there's less courtyard we have to run through in order to get to it.

LIAM: All the way up on the side.

LAURA and SAM: Yeah.

TRAVIS: Yeah.

SAM: Any sort of distraction or anything, or are we going to just try to do it all stealthy like?

TALIESIN: I think distraction if something goes wrong.

LIAM: Distraction is good.

ROBBIE: What if we just kick the door in?

SAM: I'm sorry, the front gate?

ROBBIE: No, to the room, to the office.

LAURA: Well, I mean, the window's open, so why don't we just crawl through the window?

ASHLEY: How do we know they didn't board it up yet?

LIAM: Well, let's find out. It wasn't when we were there a couple hours ago.

MARISHA: Well, it sounds like what Chetney is talking about is an office and then an office inside an office, right?

TRAVIS: Yeah, if you can get over the wall, we can make it to that window unseen, if we're careful, through a window, unlock a drawer, touch a button, bookcase moves, and a staircase that goes down.

LAURA: Secret room.

TRAVIS: Secret room!

ROBBIE: All of us are going to sneak in the window?

TRAVIS: I think a minimum number of personnel.

LAURA: Yeah, why not?

TRAVIS: Well, I only left a gnome-size hole. But that big fuck came after me, right, so he must've--

MATT: Well, when you came through as a gnome, (laughter) a larger portion of the window then fell from the shattering.

TRAVIS: ♪ Things are looking up. ♪ (laughter)

MARISHA: That was beautiful.

ROBBIE: You have a lovely singing voice, Chetney.

TALIESIN: Do we have anything, there's probably going to be guards at the window. Do we have any way of... Can we make them not see us? Or pretend that they're--

SAM: Yeah, Dorian do you have any sort of distract-y things, or--?

TALIESIN: Psychic ring.

ROBBIE: I could make some noise for certain.

MARISHA: I can make some images.

SAM: All right.

MARISHA: Not an Imogen, but an images.

SAM: Sure, sure, sure.

MARISHA: But they are quiet.

LIAM: There may be people on the ground. There probably will be people on the ground. Maybe we could lure them away.

SAM: Sounds or something.

TALIESIN: Or even just make them think nothing happened. Can we do that?

MARISHA: Word on the street is that tower is haunted as fuck.

LAURA: That's true. We do have that on our side. Maybe we can just creepy it up and--

MARISHA: Ghosts are on the loose.

TALIESIN: It's dark and rainy.

ROBBIE: Some more play acting? I do like that. I do like that.

LAURA: Drama school.

TALIESIN: All right.

ROBBIE: Do we scare them out?

LIAM: Theater is trouble.

ROBBIE: All right.

MARISHA: Oh!

TALIESIN: I've been part of stupider plans.

MARISHA: Which reminds me! I start passing out everyone's memberships to the theater that I picked up when I was there. Everyone has one now.

LAURA: Don't lose that. They said if you don't have it, they don't remember your name. It's just the card.

MARISHA: Yes, they don't keep a record. It's just such bullshit!

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: All right. What is the plan?

LAURA: Oh yeah, okay, we're going to--

SAM: Just going to up there, and scout it out!

LIAM: Something near the front to draw people there, on the inside. No?

LAURA: Well, let's get over to the side and see what guards there are first. How about that?

LIAM: Sure.

LAURA: Then we'll come up with our--

LIAM: Sure.

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: Just in case.

TRAVIS: (raspy) I'll just offer this because it's been a long day. I could see some apprehension on your faces. We do have an appointment tomorrow morning. We could show up early. Make our way in through the front gate with the letter as we presented it. Then we get fucking stealthy with it.

LAURA: That's true.

TRAVIS: Break off.

LIAM: You're not worried about losing your man in the middle of the night?

TRAVIS: Well, remember we overheard have to move things in the morning. I know it's risky. I just think talking it out.

MARISHA: Why don't we use that as plan B? You all right?

TRAVIS: (raspy) Yep.

MARISHA: Do you need some water?

TRAVIS: No.

MARISHA: All right.

TRAVIS: Do you have any?

LIAM: I do have a little bit because I--

TRAVIS: Does wonders for the old muscles.

SAM: All right, we'll walk and talk. We're going up.

TALIESIN: Holy shit.

MATT: Okay.

SAM: Second B&E of the day.

MATT: Yeah! You're racking them up.

LAURA: This is so dumb.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: Is it?

SAM: We're going to be fine.

MATT: Returning upward on the Core Spire to the exterior of the Mirror Tower, as you return to the familiar wall that surrounds the interior courtyard. Are you approaching from where? From where you guys previously checked?

LIAM: The idea, right, is to skirt around along the wall so that we're nearest we can be to the tower?

MATT: Yeah, okay.

LIAM: Moon Tower.

MATT: All right. I would like, first off, everyone roll a stealth check just to--

LAURA: Does somebody have Pass Without A Trace?

TALIESIN: Nope.

LAURA: Nobody has it?

TALIESIN: I burned mine already. I think. It's still today, right?

MATT: Yes.

LAURA: You did?

ROBBIE: Mama mia.

TRAVIS: Mama mia.

MATT: I think the only person that can cast it in this group, I think, is Fearne if she has it prepared but--

TALIESIN: I just rolled a one, so.

MATT: I don't know if you do, yeah.

LAURA: I just rolled a one as well.

LIAM: Oh, come on, I rolled a natural 20.

MATT: Okay, that offsets one.

TRAVIS: 21.

MATT: 21.

ROBBIE: 11.

MATT: 11.

MARISHA: 10.

MATT: Okay.

SAM: 11.

LIAM: (painfully groans)

ASHLEY: 10.

ROBBIE: Jeez, we suck.

TALIESIN: We must know we suck now. We might as well turn around, at this point.

MATT: Here's what you do. You all quietly begin to head along the outside of the exterior wall. One of the wardens that's just doing an outer perimeter of the space-- and begins walking over in your direction.

MARISHA: Yeah, he's coming our way. Fuck!

SAM: It's just one guy?

MATT: One guy.

LIAM: On the outside, inside?

MATT: On the outside. He's just walking the street perimeter and notices a large group of people clustering over towards the edge of the wall and just goes, "Hmm," and starts walking your direction.

LAURA and MARISHA: (nervous humming)

MATT: Well?

LAURA: Walk away? Do we just walk away now?

SAM: Someone say something to him? Someone talk?

LAURA: How close is he?

MATT: He's about 150 feet away and is getting closer.

ASHLEY: (slurs) That was such a fun night!

SAM: Okay, we're doing that.

MARISHA: Is he by bushes?

MATT: No, you are outside--

ASHLEY: We don't have to talk to him! We can just act

MATT: -- of the walls.

ASHLEY: Like we're drunk. Woo.

LAURA: (slurs) I swear, y'all, there were ghosts around here. I heard a ghost.

MATT: "All right, what is your business?"

LAURA: (whispers) There were ghosts over here.

ASHLEY: We heard it's haunted.

MATT: Both of you make deception checks. Or you can make it with advantage, because she's helping you. Your choice.

MARISHA: Ghost hunters.

SAM: Come on. Not good?

LAURA: 16?

MATT: 16's not bad. He goes, "Yes, there are rumors. However, it is late. You should get back to your homes."

LAURA: Sure.

TALIESIN: Have you seen anything?

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: "I've heard voices whispering in the night fog."

LAURA: You did?

MATT: "For many weeks."

LAURA: Over here?

MATT: "I've heard that 35 years before, there was a massacre within the Mirror Towers."

ASHLEY and LAURA: (gasping)

MATT: "And those spirits still remain chained to here, begging for release."

LIAM: How do you even work here? I couldn't handle it.

MATT: "I'm brave."

ASHLEY: I heard that if you die in these walls, your spirit can't leave and you're there forever. Are you sure you're safe?

MATT: "I'm safe. I can take it. You should all get home."

LAURA: You're so brave.

SAM: Thank you, Fearne.

TRAVIS: (laughs)

TALIESIN: That was worth it.

SAM: Thank you. Good night.

MATT: "Good night."

LAURA: Could I insight check and see if he was telling the truth, or making up a story?

MATT: Sure, make an insight check.

LAURA: All my dice are betraying me tonight.

LIAM: Yep. (laughter)

LAURA: Six.

MATT: Hard to tell.

LAURA: Yep! I believe him.

SAM: Is he watching us, though?

MATT: You seem to have dissuaded him to the point where he's not watching you intently, but you may want to step away for a little bit--

LAURA: Rethink this plan.

LIAM: Laudna, Laudna.

MARISHA: Yes?

LIAM: Maybe you should whisper in his brain right now.

MARISHA: I was thinking the same thing.

LAURA: Maybe we should just, y'all. Maybe we should not do this tonight.

MARISHA: Where is he looking?

MATT: He's walking along the edge of the wall, getting back towards the front of the gate, occasionally looking over his shoulder, just to like--

MARISHA: As he's walking right ahead of his path, I do Silent Image. I make it look like a ghost face is peering out of the wall and does a haunted house reach.

MATT: Okay.

TALIESIN: You're a beast.

MATT: That is a natural one.

MARISHA: I don't know to what end, by the way, either. Let's see what happens.

MATT: Okay. So as this ghostly face pushes throughout the stone, you watch him just freeze in place.

MARISHA: I cast Message. (creepy whispering)

MARISHA: Let me free. (creepy whispering)

MATT: He just runs. He just runs away from the wall, drops his spear, and goes. Leaves the district, He is out of sight.

MARISHA: (cackles) (shushing)

LAURA: Were there other guards around here?

MATT: This is the only one you've seen, but you've also only spent your time on this side of the wall. He rolled a natural one on trying to look through that illusion and nope.

SAM: Get over, Orym! Get over now.

ASHLEY: Take a peek and see if anybody's up there.

LIAM: I run straight at Dorian and I spring off of his hand. With a running jump, I can get-- My high jump with a running start is nine feet in the air. I will cast Gust under myself to go another inch.

MATT: Yeah. You get up onto the top. There are these large iron pikes that sit at the top of the wall that you just grasp to catch yourself at the top. Glancing over, you now have a view of the courtyard. Most of the torch lights are out, except for the different intersections that walk around the arches that are scattered throughout. You do see where the window is, but there's nothing lit to let you know what state it's in at the moment. You do see a few... They would be torchlight, but they're carrying essentially waterproof magical globes that give a similar flicker for light. But you do count at immediate glance out there-- actually, roll a perception check for me.

LIAM: That would be a 17.

MATT: 17. You count six of those lights throughout the entire courtyard at the moment.

LIAM: What's the closest? How far off is the closest one?

MATT: From you, about 30, 40 feet or so. But it's moving slowly away.

LIAM: All right, so I just lower so I'm like this watching. (whispers) We have somebody who's not too far off, but they're heading away. Someone throw a rope up to me.

LAURA: Somebody got a rope?

ROBBIE: Oh, I actually think I do. Hold on one second.

TALIESIN: Who the fuck carries rope with them.

LAURA: I think I've got rope.

TALIESIN: That's the stupidest thing.

ROBBIE: I've got 50 feet of rope.

MATT: There you go.

TRAVIS: We didn't even check first.

ROBBIE: I had to check.

LIAM: I put the end of it in my mouth, and then I just grasp and I roll up and over so that I'm hanging on the other side, and then I take this and drop.

MATT: Okay, you feel the rope go taut and now you have a climbing means of getting over the tower.

TRAVIS: See you on the other side. (laughter)

MATT: One by one, you each begin to climb over the tower.

LAURA: ♪ One by one ♪

ALL: ♪ We climb until we reach the top ♪

SAM: Hey! We just did that. (laughter)

TRAVIS: ♪ Two by two we ♪

TALIESIN: We fall.

TRAVIS and LAURA: ♪ Jump ♪

SAM: Jump, Travis.

MARISHA: Ow! Ow god, ow.

LIAM: Chetney--

MARISHA: I fell!

LIAM: -- the next person's going to be heavier. Help me.

TRAVIS: Oh, yeah. Come on.

MATT: Eventually, you're all within the courtyard, keeping low. There are two large hedges to the right, and there is a path that leads across. It's not directly in view, but down this straight path between all these various clumps of bush, small tree and such, you know where that window is just beyond sight. But it's almost a straight shot across this part of the courtyard to where the tower base is.

LAURA: Is it hiding? Can we hide underneath hedges and stuff?

MATT: You can dart between them as you go, but it is a straight shot to the tower, so if anybody crosses that path, they'll have a view. Unless you want to dart in between and carefully...

LIAM: Roughly how high is the broken window?

MATT: The base of it is about four feet up.

LIAM: Oh!

MATT: It's not super high. You were on the base floor when he jumped through.

TRAVIS: It was real dramatic.

LIAM: Okay.

TALIESIN: Just a four-foot--

ROBBIE: It was a long fall for you, though.

TRAVIS: (yells)

MATT: Yeah, this is no fast Briarwood's plummet.

ASHLEY: Your body cut out in the glass. (laughter)

LIAM: He's a third the size, so for him it was a big drop. Oh, that's four feet, three feet, two feet, oh.

TRAVIS: Everest. (laughter)

SAM: We need to get across a clearing. We'll be exposed?

LAURA: We can dart from bush to bush. That's what he said.

LIAM: This is just like jumping through someone's broken living room window. Let's do it. (laughter)

MATT: All right. So keeping an eye out there, from this perspective you cannot see all the torch lights that are out there. You're going to have to attempt as you go. Who is being the point man for this stealth journey?

LIAM: I can.

MATT: Okay.

SAM: I will give you Guidance.

LIAM: Okay.

MATT: All right.

ASHLEY: I'll give you a high five.

MATT: I would like first for you to roll a perception check.

LIAM: With a d4 for Guidance.

SAM: If you need it.

LIAM: Natural 20 plus four.

MATT: Actually for this, I would say you have... It would be disadvantage because of the rain that's preventing you from able to hear and it's blocking the view a bit, so you would have just a straight roll.

LIAM: Well, the other one was 18, so then that gets us down to 25.

MATT: Okay. (laughs) At the moment, you hear faint footsteps in the shifting pattering of rain against a form of some kind, like hitting a leather spatter sound variation, in the direction of where you saw that light. It's not getting closer at the moment. So time is of the essence. I need everybody to roll a stealth check for me.

TRAVIS: Let's go!

MARISHA: Don't.

SAM: Can I Guide myself?

LAURA: Yeah, you can.

TALIESIN: Yeah, yes, you can.

LIAM: Yes.

SAM: I will Guide myself for this one.

MATT: All right.

TRAVIS: Damn it, Marisha, what?

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: It's real bad.

TRAVIS: 22.

MATT: 22.

ROBBIE: 21.

MATT: 21.

MARISHA: Natural one.

MATT: Okay, cancels that.

SAM: Seven.

ASHLEY: 14.

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: 13.

LIAM: 17.

TALIESIN: 17.

MATT: Okay.

SAM: Not great.

LAURA: But it is balanced.

TRAVIS: That's a Scantron, baby.

LAURA: We're all over average except for her.

LIAM: It's a solid 14.

MATT: You dart through the first cluster of hedges, making the straightaway, thinking, okay, if we can make this across in one go, this should be fine. As you begin to dart forth, most of you make it. You guiding them over, glance over, and suddenly that light is getting a lot closer. You all carefully get down, and you watch as a figure comes by, holding this small iron rod that contains a cage at the top of it. In this cage, there is a little spark of faint reddish orange that just occasionally sputters and sparks, like a torch light, but it's a magical source. Looking around. Did not see any of you, but is seemingly on alert.

SAM: DC is higher.

MATT: "Whose footprints are these?" (laughter)

TRAVIS: Still raining, right?

MATT: Still raining.

MARISHA: It must have been my imagination. (laughter)

ROBBIE: I find a cardboard box.

MATT: If only. What do you do?

LAURA: How far away is he now?

MATT: Oh, he's 10 feet from you.

LAURA: Oh god.

SAM: Create a distraction.

MATT: He heard you guys, came to check, and you're out of sight for the time being, but he is definitely searching in this space.

TRAVIS: Can't you lure him to sleep? Knock him out?

MARISHA: Which direction is he looking?

MATT: He's not looking directly at you at the moment.

MARISHA: He's 10 feet from us?

ROBBIE: How far away is he?

LAURA: I got it! I got it! I got an idea.

MARISHA: Just being vocal, vocal shit, be mindful.

LAURA: No, no, no.

MARISHA: But you don't have to.

LAURA: I'm going to Mage Hand far away from us, so I'm going to use one of my sorcery points to double the distance. So 60 feet away from us. I'm going to pick up a rock and throw it as far as I can.

MATT: Easy enough to do and the Mage Hand itself is--

LAURA: Invisible, everything's invisible because it's telekinetic.

MATT: Right. Throws it. (rock clatters) Puts a hand on the side, begins walking towards the sound. He's about 20 feet from you right now, still on alert, still nearby. But he's faced away from you for the time being, at least. What are you doing?

SAM: Maybe now? Maybe now's the time?

LAURA: 20 feet.

MARISHA: 20 feet is not that fucking far.

MATT: It's not that far.

SAM: It's now or never.

ASHLEY: Maybe he needs to get a little further away.

LAURA: Can you Silent Image? Can you Silent Image far away?

MARISHA: Uh-huh, uh-huh. But my fear is Silent Image takes vocal shit.

SAM: What's Orym doing?

MARISHA: But it's also raining, so I don't know--

MATT: It is raining.

MARISHA: -- if that would help cover it.

LAURA: Yeah. Yeah, that'd be pretty loud.

SAM: Wait for thunder.

LAURA: Can you whisper? Vocal, can it be a whisper or does it have to be full voice?

MATT: It's not like-- No, you can whisper it and it'll be like, I'll say just roll a d20.

MARISHA: All right, all right. Another Silent Image.

SAM: Silent Image.

MARISHA: d20 plus anything?

MATT: No, just roll for me.

MARISHA: 18.

MATT: 18, yeah, essentially you don't roll super poorly. So yeah, you go ahead and whisper underneath the rain. The smattering of it hitting the stone slabs around you where the walkway is on this portion of the garden, definitely gives cover for the whisper. What are you doing?

MARISHA: I want just out of his periphery, to where he has to turn, he sees a young flower girl with--

SAM: That's nice.

TRAVIS: That's fucking awful.

MARISHA: -- a white... with a white cloak and she's barefoot, and her hair is in her face. Almost like Laudna. She's holding a basket of flowers.

LAURA: Oh, and she's drenched.

MARISHA: And she's drenched. She looks up and her eyes are hollow and her jaw is missing, and it's just a black void as she reaches out.

TRAVIS: Those creepy girls are the worst.

MATT: The guy turns with the torch and stands there frozen.

MARISHA: I make the image go, (yells) and rush him.

MATT: He passes out. (laughter)

MATT: He just fucking... That was so much at once. That was so much at once and he rolled so low to try and look through that illusion that he just had an immediate panic attack and he's down.

SAM: Go! Go!

TRAVIS: Good thing he wore the brown pants.

MATT: Everyone rolls stealth checks again, please.

SAM: Oh, Guidance.

LAURA: Oh! Good!

MARISHA: Okay.

LAURA: That's good.

SAM: Oh, fucking awesome.

TRAVIS: 21.

ROBBIE: 11.

MATT: 11.

MARISHA: 15.

MARISHA: 15, okay.

SAM: 19 on disadvantage!

MATT: Nice.

ASHLEY: 18.

LAURA: 20.

LIAM: 19.

TALIESIN: 12.

MATT: Okay. Now finally you got your shit a little more together, you all brave the straightaway. As you glance through, there are the hedges to the side, and occasionally it breaks and you can see another pathway. Of course, Orym at the front, you're keeping an eye, as you go by each one. To the left, you do see a light, but it is far off and you're like, we got the momentum, go, go, go, and with that you all continue past the straightaway, reaching the far end of where the tower is, gather yourselves and look around. No sign of any immediate eye lines, any existing torchlight. No one seemed to notice. You are now up against the Moon Tower.

LAURA: Can I have everybody back up a little bit so I can-- I want to open up my mind and see if I hear any thoughts on the inside of the tower.

MARISHA: Good idea.

MATT: Okay, what's the range on that?

LAURA: 30.

LIAM: Infinity.

LAURA: It's infinity. I think it's within 30 feet.

MATT: 30 feet, okay. Are you using your ability, or are you using--

LAURA: I would be using my ability, but I want to be away from everybody else, so it's not as hard.

MATT: Okay, so everyone pulls back a bit from you. If everyone pulls away from you, it's going to spread out some space in this area, as most of you guys keeping up against the edge of it. So I'm just saying you have to choose here.

ASHLEY: I'm going to keep my brain very quiet. No thoughts.

MARISHA: That's a good point. What if we think about nothing?

ASHLEY: Easy to do.

MARISHA: Does that help?

LAURA: I don't think it does.

MATT: We can say, for all intents and purposes, Fearne does not add to that modifier.

LAURA: Okay. (laughter)

LIAM: Tiki music playing.

LAURA: ♪ I am stuck on Band-Aid brand-- ♪

ASHLEY and LAURA: ♪ -- 'cause Band-Aid's stuck on me! ♪

TALIESIN: We could get you in there first and then that would give you some--

LAURA: Yeah, maybe I can get up quicker, so that I'm ahead of everybody else and just think.

MATT: Now you get up to where the base of the window is, and as the wind's blowing, you can hear (wind flaps). Some sort of tarp-like material is just flapping with the small gusts of wind that are coming through from the rain. Just glancing over, you can see there are slats. It's not completely boarded up. It looks like they just grabbed what materials were ready and they're going to do a more thorough job in the morning. But it's a series of cross-beams that have been temporarily placed, and a tarp nailed to it, to keep it for the time being.

LAURA: Okay. I open up my mind.

MATT: Okay. 30 feet. Nothing.

LAURA: I don't think anyone's in there.

SAM: Would we have to remove a plank to get in? There's not--

TRAVIS: It's just tarp.

SAM: There's tarp and slats.

MATT: The gap is about that wide, which means most of you could be able to get through.

TRAVIS: That's my shit. Push me up. (acrobatic flipping sounds) (laughter) Half quarter turn.

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: Is anyone in there? Is somebody dead in there?

MATT: Going inside, a lot of the space has been checked. Some of the furniture's been moved. Looks like there's been an investigation gone through here, looking for points of entry, for any other signs of damage or... It's definitely been given a once-over by whoever was in here post your initial break-in, but most everything with the desks have been put back. It is now clear. Any of the papers that were left on there, it is just a clear desktop.

TRAVIS: Bookshelf is in place?

MATT: Bookshelf is in place.

TRAVIS: No living bodies?

MATT: No. None that you see there, no.

TRAVIS: It's clear. I get my lock picks out, and I start going to the drawer.

MATT: Okay. The two people, I'm going to have to ask them to roll an acrobatics check to squeeze through the space there, is going to be Fearne and Fresh Cut Grass.

SAM: Oh, okay, all right. Athletics check?

MATT: Yes.

MARISHA: You said acrobatics. Is it picksies?

SAM: Acro or--

MATT: Acrobatics.

LAURA: You can Guide yourself.

MATT: Athletics would be bruising your way through.

SAM: I will Guide myself.

MATT: This is trying to maneuver through the space, and even though you are short, you are relatively broad.

SAM: Sure.

MATT: Fearne's just overall-- Fearne.

TALIESIN: Yeah, this is a good use of a d4.

SAM: I will Guide myself.

TALIESIN: It's an intentional move. Guidance is very intentional, yeah.

ASHLEY: 18.

SAM: 15.

LAURA: Ooh!

MATT: Okay! Fearne, you pull through and your horn catches on the edge of where the slat's corner is. (laughter) You carefully pull away, just in time to not begin to peel it away from the rest of the structure, tumble, and catch yourself inside the office. You, watching her, take her by the arms and pull through. The wheel skids on the rain that's slicked across where the sill is. You catch a part of the glass, and you hear a (glass cracks). It breaks a bit, but you do not catch the actual wooden frame, and you all manage to climb into the office with no issue.

SAM: Okay, okay, okay.

ASHLEY: Okay, we did it.

MATT: The rest of you can now take in the space inside, and you can see all the--

SAM: Is it light in here?

MATT: It is not lit, so those of you who have darkvision, you can see more of the details. The rest of you have just the faint bit of--

LAURA: No, I don't want to light them, I have a hooded lantern.

MATT: That could help tremendously.

LAURA: So I'm going to use the hooded lantern so we can just--

MATT: Okay. Imogen lights it up and carries it across the room, and you can see all the... This is very much like that every now and then you go to somebody's grandparents' house, and they have that one room with all the furniture under plastic that's like, "Why do you have this? Nobody ever uses it." It's very nice and unutilized. It's an office of that furniture. Floral patterns on very well-carved furniture. You, actually, it is decent craftsmanship for what you see before you, if the upholstery is an unnecessary choice.

TRAVIS: Yeah.

MATT: You can see, once again, the delightful cottage paintings.

MARISHA: Tom Kinkade.

MATT: Kinkahday.

LAURA: Kinkahday! (laughter)

MARISHA: The famous elven painter.

LAURA: Kinkahday!

TRAVIS: I look at the desk and see if there are any new traps, as Ashton suggested.

MATT: Make an investigation check.

TRAVIS: 19.

MATT: 19. There is a trap that was not previously set.

TRAVIS: Son of a bitch.

MATT: Underneath, where you first checked, where there was no button, there is a cable that is affixed very, very, gently between multiple drawers. All the drawers have now been connected to where if one of them is opened, it would pull some very difficult to see cable that's in the shadow underneath the desk.

TRAVIS: These are wooden drawers, right?

MATT: Yeah.

TRAVIS: That won't stop a man like me. I reach back and pull out a wood drill, small, hand-crank, and I put it on the front of the drawer and start working a hole through the front of it. (laughter)

TALIESIN: I'm going to quietly scan the bookcases to see if there's anything interesting, anything that looks expensive.

MATT: Roll a perception check.

TALIESIN: All right.

SAM: I'm going to look for something metal in the room that I can maybe balance against the door, so that if anyone were to open the door, it would maybe clang and alert us if we're not in the room.

MATT: Interesting. Yes, in the far back corner, where you were originally hiding before you darted out, there is a hollow metallic, an odd, welded sculpture of a seahorse, but it's not very well made. It definitely makes for an odd corner of the chamber. As you reach out and grab it, you can hear the (metal clanging) sound against it. It has that hollow ring to it, to where even just the slight bump against it is going to make some noise, let alone if it were to fall over.

SAM: I'll put it right in front of the door.

MATT: Okay, you set it there.

LIAM: Orym will stay as a lookout at the window.

MATT: Okay, roll a perception check.

LIAM: 21.

MATT: 21, okay. Are you still maintaining your silent illusion out there? It lasts for 10 minutes.

MARISHA: Oh.

TRAVIS: Oh my god.

MARISHA: I mean...

LAURA: I feel like it'll draw people.

MARISHA: Yeah.

TRAVIS: It's silent, though, unless they actually go over to it, right?

MARISHA: Can I just have her walking into the distance?

LAURA: Oh, yeah, that's good.

MATT: It has to be within 60 feet of you. That's the only issue with it.

MARISHA: Right, right. How about this--

MATT: So it would be--

LIAM: They could patrol the tower.

MARISHA: Yeah, I'll bring her to the base of where we brought in, we jumped in at the base of the-- (general protesting hmms)

MATT: That's beyond 60 feet from where you are, but you--

SAM: Oh, you mean the wall.

MARISHA: Yeah, yeah.

LAURA: I thought you meant right next to the window.

MARISHA: No, no.

MATT: You can't quite get it that far, because that's over 60 feet from where you are. You would either have to remove it, or keep it where it is, or closer.

TALIESIN: She could just float in a 60-foot radius around us through walls-- Well, no, that might alert people inside.

MARISHA: I could just bring her up here.

SAM: Just lose her.

MARISHA: She could just hang out with us for a moment.

SAM: Sure.

LAURA: Yeah, bring her inside.

SAM: Put her right in front of the door.

MARISHA: Psst! I bring her inside.

MATT: Suddenly, a terrifying--

LIAM: Oh, jeez!

MATT: -- ghostly flower girl with vacant eyes, a missing void jaw, is just there in the room next to you.

ASHLEY: Hello, dear.

TALIESIN: That was really good.

LAURA: This is one of your best ones, Laudna.

MARISHA: You think so?

MATT: Is this your interpretation of a disarm traps?

TRAVIS: Why'd you talk about the jaw, man? Why you got to--

MATT: Because that's one of the best parts!

TALIESIN: Let's leave her by the door, so if anyone opens it, they get a nice surprise.

TRAVIS: Yes.

MATT: Okay, so if you can go ahead and roll proficiency plus dexterity.

TALIESIN: There would be a clang and then...

LAURA: Oh my god, that would scare him so fucking much.

TRAVIS: 18, 19, 20, 21.

MATT: 21. Carefully going through and using your wood drill, you manage to find the placement where each of these cables is currently set and where the tension is set to a spring mechanism on the inside that you had missed the first time you were inspecting the interior of it. After drilling to that point, you get one of your tools out, and you find where that spring tension is set, and offset it to where now it's disabled.

TRAVIS: Amazing. I'll take one of my refining chisels and slide it in through the hole and, using the bottom as a fulcrum, I'll (clicks) hit the switch inside the drawer.

MATT: Okay. (lock clicks) All of you hear (heavy grinding) The bookcase that's behind the desk shifts out of the way, revealing an open walkway into a lightless space. You can barely see, from the little bit of light of your hooded lantern and those of you who have darkvision, steps that descend below.

TRAVIS: Wait just a moment. I'll move to the top of the stairs. Do I hear or smell anything?

MATT: Roll a perception check.

TRAVIS: Natural 20.

SAM: Ooh!

LAURA: Yeah!

TRAVIS: 21.

MATT: You hear humming. (cheerily hums) You hear (crackles) some sort of arcing energy. Occasional pulses. (crackles) (cheerily hums) (crackles) You hear, "Don't worry, my pets. As much as I'm loath to leave my setup, let's see how much I can get done before we're forced to uproot our operation. I do hate packing."

TRAVIS: Very quiet, I'm just going to move down the stairs to get-- Shut up! I start moving with my boots down the steps, silently, until I can get any kind of a 60-foot darkvision visual on anything. Even, as I'm coming down, feet appearing, I'll stop.

MATT: Go ahead and roll stealth, which, with your boots, does advantage?

TRAVIS: Yes.

SAM: Boots.

TRAVIS: 19.

MATT: Okay. Slowly you descend about 30, 40 feet before you begin to see a bit of light, a pulsing, blue, spark-like light. It gets brighter, then not, then brighter, then not. The sound, that (pulsing crackles) matching it.

TRAVIS: What the fuck?

ASHLEY: Who's there?

MATT: Then it stops. As you begin to peek down, more light comes to your attention. There are lanterns set against walls that give a soft warm glow to a stone chamber. It looks almost like a prison, or some sort of a holding chamber. As you begin to glance downward into the very beginning stages of your descent, revealing what's below, beyond the staircase, you can see some boxes to the side, some storage or containers used for transference. To the right, you see some sort of odd contraption that, from just what you can see so far, can't be any smaller than 10 feet tall. Metallic, with odd, glowing, blue-ish lines and tubes, giving a faint glow and a pulse to it. You look across the way, and you can see bars that connotate side chambers where these holding cells would be. You hear the humming. Just beyond your vision, you see a figure stepping back, to a central table, covered in all manner of odd alchemical and arcane implements, spread across it in a cluster. The figure you see from behind appears to be human. Tall. Maybe, I don't know, quick glance, seven, eight feet tall. Very thin. Long, lithe arms and legs, and a black coat with tails.

TRAVIS: What?

MATT: Their head is hairless. Their skin almost a pale, gray, jaundiced yellow. Long ears. Long ears that curve just slightly backward, far longer than any elf you've seen. As they continue to hum, they pull up a stool and sit in it. This stool is far lower than a person of their stature, and as they sit, the way that their knees now bend upward, and their arms extend outward in a very Jack Skellington figure, they look like a spider in the way that they then curl forward on the table and begin pulling implements in. You hear a voice somewhere else in the chamber, "And what are you doing, huh? What the fuck are you planning?" Echoing in the chamber.

TRAVIS: Do I recognize that voice?

MATT: You do. The figure goes, "Oh, do not worry, friend. You've a gift. A gift that you hoard so selfishly. I want to see it shared with the people. After all, why not share your gifts with the world, my friend. (menacingly cackles)" You hear something else shift and bang against bars in another area, and goes, "Oh, don't worry, your time is soon. But for now, we have more pressing matters." They stand up and start walking back towards the contraption in the corner, carrying this odd blue stone. What do you do?

TRAVIS: (whispering) Come down. All of us?

ASHLEY: Dad? (laughter)

TRAVIS: By the way, the person that's on the table, are they in a slanted gurney, or are they flat?

MATT: Oh, the person's not on the table; you just heard a voice.

TRAVIS: Just heard a voice. Okay. I only saw him sitting in that crazy spider position.

MATT: Facing away from you. Yeah. You haven't seen this person's face yet.

TRAVIS: Any sort of tables or anything like that? Desks?

MATT: You'd have to get lower into the stairs.

TRAVIS: I'll do it.

MATT: Okay, you get lower?

TRAVIS: I'll do it.

MATT: He's walking back in your direction.

TRAVIS: I'll go back up.

MATT: Heading back towards the contraption to your immediate right. So you back up a bit.

TRAVIS: Yeah, I'll hug that wall, too.

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: In your head, you hear: Chet, is he looking your way?

TRAVIS: Yeah, there seems to be just one.

MATT: (crackles) You hear that sparking and there's flashing again. Takes a moment and inspects it, walks back to the table.

TRAVIS: I think we can take him.

LAURA: What is he?

TRAVIS: I don't know. He's enormously tall, skinny, very long ears, more long than elven ears, and very, very pale skin. I don't know what he is.

LAURA: I tell everybody that I'm talking with Chet.

SAM: He said tall?

TRAVIS: If he's come and he's turned around again, are the arcs throwing shadows that intermittently show where he is in the room?

LAURA: Mm, that's cool.

MATT: Little bits here and there. Then once the arcs, steps away from it, it's not like it instantly stops.

TRAVIS: Yeah.

MATT: You can hear the sparking going and this winding sensation. (buzzing) Finishes with the stone in the middle, and you can't get out the details off to the side. You can just see the edge of the contraption and see the sparks coming off of it and the flashes of energy. When he steps away, it winds down. As it does, it still (crackles) sparks again. You can occasionally see long streaks of shadow across the room.

TRAVIS: On the wind down, I'll come down with the boots, come down and I'll slice the pie so I'm just putting one eye around the edge, keeping my profile around the edge as thin as possible to see what I can see in the room.

MATT: Roll a perception check for it.

TRAVIS: (hyperventilating)

LAURA: Should we stay up here, Chet?

TRAVIS: 16.

MATT: 16. Coming down a bit and glancing inside, you can see that large table in the center where he's sitting, with all the materials and contraptions upon it. Beyond that, you can see on the opposite end of the chamber, there is another cell, and there, arm held against it, on the ground, on both knees, looking haggard, is Gurge. Within the room you can see a desk on the far back left that is also covered in odd contraptions and books and scrawlings. Can't really make out any more details about what's on there, but it definitely looks busy. You can-- No, that's all you can see with that roll.

LAURA: Should we come down or stay up?

TRAVIS: Come down.

LAURA: Quietly?

TRAVIS: As you can.

LAURA: All right, we'll head down the stairs.

TRAVIS: I will draw my wood chisel and hold it in a reverse grip, and I'll keep an eye, as thin as I can, on him, and keep an ear to the stairs.

MATT: All right.

TRAVIS: If a loud noise is made, it's on.

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: I'm going to cast Mage Armor on myself before I head down.

MATT: You got it. Any other preparation anyone's doing here?

LIAM: (sword unsheathes)

TALIESIN: I'm ready.

MARISHA: I guess I'll go ahead--

MATT: If you got any of your spells you don't want to-- in case things go into a combat, you want to not spend a round getting ready for, now's the time to do it before you decide.

ASHLEY: I'm going to whisper into my staff. The little snakies, get them ready.

MATT: Okay, do you want to bring out Mister? Or you want to wait on that?

ASHLEY: Yes. God, I have one Wild Shape left, so I don't know if I want to bring out Mister.

MATT: It's your call.

ASHLEY: Mister?

MATT: (excited grunting)

ASHLEY: Do you want to play?

MATT: (panting)

ASHLEY: Be very, very quiet.

MATT: Gives a little (farts). (excited panting)

ASHLEY: Oh, you're getting ready, huh? You're brewing it up! Okay.

MARISHA: Back to back with my flower girl, I once again crack, yank my arm a little bit, got a little stuck.

SAM: Ooh, that was a real one.

TALIESIN: Wow, that was a sound.

MARISHA: I'm going to take my Form of Dread.

MATT: Okay, this is your last use--

TRAVIS: Real question.

MATT: -- of that this day.

TRAVIS: Who's got the longest speed, I'm just curious. Who's got a north of 30?

ASHLEY: I'm 35.

TALIESIN: Ooh.

TRAVIS: Everybody else that or under?

TALIESIN: Yep.

TRAVIS: Okay. Anybody got anything ranged?

MATT: You can do Form of Dread twice per day? Yep, proficiency, right?

LAURA: I got lots of ranged stuff.

TALIESIN: These are the ranged kids.

ASHLEY: I got some range.

SAM: I will--

MATT: Not bad. Yes?

SAM: Does anyone need any temporary hit points?

MARISHA: I just got some.

LAURA: Yes.

SAM: You do?

LAURA: I've got very shit hit points.

SAM: Okay, I will do my Sympathetic Binding with--

LAURA: Oh!

MATT: Okay.

SAM: You don't want that?

LAURA: Well, I don't want you to get hurt trying to protect me.

SAM: Oh, don't you worry. I'll bind with Imogen and who else needs some? You're a healer. Dorian.

ROBBIE: Okay.

SAM: It's an action, and as a bonus action, I can grant them four temporary hit points.

MATT: Yep, so you both get four temporary hit points. Now I'd like everybody to make a stealth check except for Chetney.

SAM: I'm not going to go down.

MATT: Okay, you're not?

SAM: Not right away. I just don't trust my stealth.

MATT: Okay, all right, so you hang back. It's about 40 feet from the top of the staircase to the bottom, so just keep that in mind. All right.

ROBBIE: Nine.

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: Natural 20.

MATT: Okay, good.

LIAM: She's a ghost.

ASHLEY: 12.

MARISHA: One with the walls.

LAURA: 15.

LIAM: 22.

TALIESIN: 14.

MATT: Okay. You all carefully descend the stairs, and you all can begin to hear that (cheery humming)

TRAVIS: That's terrible.

MATT: (cheery humming)

TRAVIS: Some BioShock shit.

LIAM: It's just Matt in the map room.

MATT: (humming)

LAURA: (groans)

MATT: You see a spark come from the table. A smaller iteration of what's been coming from that machine. You all slowly begin to come to the bottom of the stairs. You all check in, see the same things that Chetney's been seeing. The figure's sitting there humming at the table, its knees knocked up and high, its arms over and bent out of sight, facing around. (sighs) Lifts up over its shoulder a blue gem, about the size of someone's clenched fist, up, the fingers long and clutching it. "Very well, I think that'll do, don't you?" Glances back towards you all at the stairs. Spins around on the stool. "Well, I wasn't expecting guests, but well, the night seems to be getting more and more interesting, doesn't it?" You now get a glance at the figure as it spins. The face, eyebrowless. The eyes themselves these dark, green, full-sclera eyes. Almost alien in their elf-like points and their size. No nose, and the mouth itself doesn't appear to have lips more than it's like a Jack-O-Lantern jagged grin that curves up where the ears begin.

LAURA: Oh, jeez!

TRAVIS: What?!

LAURA: I don't like it.

MARISHA: I love him.

MATT: And that's where we're going to end the episode.

ALL: No!

ASHLEY: No, Matt!

LAURA: Oh no, oh no.

TALIESIN: Fuck yes.

MATT: Pick up there next week.

LAURA: (groans) Oh my god.

ASHLEY: Let's fight him right now, it's okay. Let's just do it!

ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah!

MATT: You guys almost had the drop, you almost had the drop.

TRAVIS: Holy shit.

LIAM: Antici...

MATT: We'll pick up there (laughs) in a week.

TALIESIN: Not yet.

LAURA: Not yet?!

TALIESIN: Gotta hold the "pation" till next week.

TRAVIS: (babbling)

MATT: (laughs) All right, well, thank you, guys.

TRAVIS: Holy-- what the fuck is that?

MATT: Maybe we'll find out.

MARISHA: It's Alex Ward.

MATT: We'll see. (laughter)

MATT: I mean, kind of, yeah. I'm wearing this shirt he gave me

MARISHA: Alex, spooky boy!

MATT: Love you, buddy. All right, so pick up there next week. We'll see you guys then. Remember, we love you very much, and is it Thursday yet? Good night. (cackles)

LAURA: Oh my god.