Transcript:Rebirth

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

ALL: (discordant yelling) We play Dungeons & Dragons!

MATT: Before we jump into tonight's episode, we do have some announcements to get through, beginning with the first of our sponsors for tonight our friends at Big Bads. Sam?

SAM: So a little mix up tonight. I thought the sponsor was Toys"R"Us, it turns out A, they're bankrupt and B, that was a prank from somebody on the staff. So I didn't prepare anything for tonight's sponsor, nor do I know anything about it. However, it's going to be fine. We have these IFB things. IFP, IFB?

MARISHA: IFBs.

SAM: Thank you. So Kyle is somewhere off screen. He's going to feed me the info. I'm going to just say it to you like an anchorperson reading the news. Okay, so hit it, Kyle. Okay, yes. So Kyle, yes, I can hear you. This episode is sponsored by Big Bads. You can go a little bit faster, buddy, okay? This episode is sponsored by Big Bads, something booklet? Booklet by our friends at Hit Point Press. Okay, okay. Split the difference, Kyle. Yeah, somewhere in the middle, great. Our monthly booklet by Hit Point Press about boss monsters for 5th Edition. Estás escuchando Radio Dance Electrónica canción numero uno-- I think I was picking up a radio station there, a little interference, no problem. Anyway, Big Bads. Their double feature month is almost over at bigbads.com. So subscribe now to get two big dads delivered to your doorstep. Bads, Sam, bads. Two big bads-- not dads, with a B-- delivered to your doorstep. Not dads. I wish. Those boss monsters are ready to drop into your campaign or to star in your next one shot. Turning the page. Oh crap, I've spilled coffee on my crotch. Ow, ow, the pain, the blistering pain. Tell them to cut. Oh god, shuffling noises, crying sounds, unzipping sounds. Oh god, they didn't cut, we're still live. Zipping sounds. Prepare for Exaxia-- please pronounce it Ex-ax-ia-- the spider, which along with-- the what, Kyle? Along with the reprint of the very first Big Bad, Daniel the flesh golem, who just needs a hug, I've got a copy here in my left hand. Go check it out now and subscribe at bigbads.com before May ends to get your hands on this Big Bad double teacher. Feature. Feature, Sam! Jerry, can you get me some ointment, or ice? Yes, Jerry, for my crotch, what else would it be for? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you, Jerry. It just hurts a lot. Oh god, Sam is still say what I'm saying. Sam, the ad is over, please for the love of god, stop. I'm begging you. Oh, screw it. Shuffling noises, a random but soft object being picked up and thrown. Ow! (laughter)

SAM: Is that it, are we done?

KYLE: It's done, we're done! (laughter)

MATT: All righty, thank you, Sam. Thank you, thank you, Kyle. I'm sorry, Kyle. Go get that looked at. And thank you, our friends at Big Bads. Also, a big thank you to our second sponsor and friends since the beginning of campaign two, D&D Beyond.

ALL: ♪ D&D Beyond! ♪

MATT: Our official digital tool set of the show, they are now offering subscriber perks for all their hero and master tier subscribers through the end of May. This means five brand new character sheet backdrops and four of their most popular portrait frames from past book launches available to it. See them all at dndbeyond.link/perks. Marisha, you've got some stuff to talk about.

MARISHA: I do, oh boy. Thank you so much for joining us live on Twitch and YouTube. To join our live and moderated community chat, please head over to our Twitch channel. Next week, we have two pieces of content sponsored by our friends at Bethesda and ZeniMax Online Studios. Join us this Monday, May 24th at 7:00pm Pacific, important, on Twitch for a one-shot inspired by the upcoming release of Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood, with GM Matthew Mercer, Sam Riegel, Laura Bailey, Taliesin Jaffe, and special guests, Aabria Iyengar and Michelle Nguyen Bradley.

SAM: Oh wow.

MARISHA: New people, oh yeah. The VOD will be available on YouTube Wednesday, May 26th. And then Laura Bailey and Liam O'Brien continue their Elder Scrolls Online playthrough as Lex and Lax-- (laughter) for another episode of Everything is Content. Watch the stream Friday, May 28th. I'm done.

SAM: Nice.

MATT: Well done, Marisha.

ASHLEY: Boom!

MATT: There you go. That brings us now to Ashley.

ASHLEY: Hey! I'm going to say more of what I've been saying. Thank you so much for supporting our Critical Role Foundation and our fundraising campaigns with our wonderful friends at 826LA.

MATT: Yeah!

ASHLEY: Since we're prerecording the show, the best way to catch real-time fundraising updates is to follow us @CriticalRoleFDN, which is short for foundation, on Facebook and Twitter. And to learn more about our campaign to build a writer's room for students at Venice High School in Los Angeles, or to donate, head over to criticalrolefoundation.org. And thank you so much for all of the donations and everything you've already done. And we just love you all, thank you.

TRAVIS: Yeah.

MATT: Thank you, Ashley. Thank you, everybody. Keep it up. We are getting closer and closer to our goal for 826LA so go check it out, and if you can, help out. Laura, you've got a couple of things to mention.

LAURA: I do. We've got things to show. Number one is this, I don't know if you can see it. It's a Cobalt Soul tassel pin based on the design that Beau wears.

ASHLEY: Yep.

MATT: Slick.

ASHLEY: Yep, yep.

LAURA: And we also have these fabulous lapel pins, but I'm actually really excited about these. They have a little hook on the back and you can turn them into a necklace.

SAM: Oh, cool.

LAURA: I know. They're not actually nipple tassels. They're just pins but you can wear them as nipple tassels, if you so choose.

ASHLEY: Supposed to pick-- no, sorry.

TRAVIS: That's all that people are going to do now.

SAM: You're supposed to pick.

LAURA: They're available in all our stores, go check it out.

ASHLEY: Gimme that Beauregard burlesque.

MARISHA: Beaulesque?

ALL: Oh!

MARISHA: We're out of COVID, I want to see them titties. (laughter)

MATT: Not out yet, but when we get there, Marisha wants to see the titties.

SAM: Yes, please wear your mask.

MARISHA: Wear your mask.

TRAVIS: Get vaccinated.

MARISHA: Get vaccinated.

MATT: Please get vaccinated. All righty. I think that concludes our announcements.

LAURA and MARISHA: Oh god.

MATT: So, let's go ahead and jump into tonight's episode of Critical Role.

(water bubbling)

(thunder rumbling)

(explosion)

♪ Role, Critical Role ♪

♪ Role, Critical Role ♪

♪ Role, Critical Role ♪

♪ Role, Critical Role ♪

♪ Role, Critical Role ♪

♪ Role, Critical Role ♪

♪ Roll the dice ♪

♪ The adventure begins ♪

♪ They were always beside you ♪

♪ Your nerdy best friends ♪

♪ And the DM to guide you ♪

♪ And they rise from the flames for the battles ahead ♪

♪ Villains beware because you're about to be dead ♪

♪ They got magic and flair ♪

♪ They got falchions and cunning ♪

♪ They don't see over there ♪

♪ There's a monster incoming ♪

♪ Inspiration is waiting, rise up, don't think twice ♪

♪ Put your fate in your hands, take a chance, ♪

♪ roll the dice ♪

♪ Roll the dice ♪

♪ Critical Role (roll the dice) ♪

♪ Critical Role (roll the dice) ♪

♪ Ooh, ahh ♪

♪ Can you answer the call ♪

♪ Diggin' deep in your soul ♪

♪ As the legend unfolds ♪

♪ Now it's your turn (your turn, your turn) ♪

♪ to roll ♪

(flames whooshing)

Part I
MATT: And welcome back. Nice try, everybody. So last we left off, the Mighty Nein had arrived at the living city of Cognouza, adrift for over a thousand years in the Astral Sea. As the Somnovem and the thousands of minds that were melded due to the arrival and a terrifying psychic storm all those years ago had slowly reformed into the chaotic essence of what is now that living city. Giving chase to Cree and Lucien as they both rocketed off to different directions on this rock, you ended up choosing left and followed the path of Cree. Upon searching, you ended up encountering her in the subterranean semi-stone tunnels beneath the city and battled her, catching her entirely off-guard as two of you managed to journey into the Threshold Vault beyond and begin to keep it from being pulled into the city itself, thus temporarily thwarting the Tomb Takers' plan. The rest of you slaughtered Cree and in her dying breaths you heard-- those of you who were currently connected to the Somnovem through the eyes upon your body-- heard Cree mentally reach out to Lucien for aid and Lucien aided in a way, by transforming Cree into a terrifying flesh horror. Flickering elements of "the pattern" seemed to visibly appear upon this creature's body. And some of you upon peering into it could not withstand the will of the Somnovem and grew eyes yourself. As you reconvened, you all aided Jester and Caleb in tearing free one of these two threshold crests and sending it into a distant plane seemingly thwarting the long-form plan of Lucien and the Tomb Takers.

SAM: We won!

MATT: There you went searching for the spirit of Yussa. Beauregard, utilizing the gifts of the Somnovem expanded your consciousness into the city of Cognouza itself, and using the network of minds in this place, you were able to successfully locate where Yussa's spirit was currently being bound. All of you together took flight across the astral sky above the city, arriving and freeing Yussa of his prison here on the city, sending him back to his physical body back in Exandria. Feeling the success still vibrating within you, you decided to go ahead and consider willing yourself a tunnel within the city to lead you to the Aether Crux, this location where it seemed the Somnovem's heart resided beneath the surface. You followed this tunnel downward and came into this massive chamber here in the center of this space amongst the areas of broken stone, echoes of cityscapes, and roiling skin, you saw in the center a massive fleshy structure where you saw nine egg like entities merged in the center: the core of the Somnovem, the Aether Crux. There, all of the varying scattered personalities, these nine long-shredded philosophers combined and spoke to you as the true singular Somnovem. As you discussed things back and forth, asked questions, received answers, and are left with more questions, you weren't the only ones to have entered the chamber. As you noticed across the way Lucien had approached from the opposite side of this massive room and apparently came prepared with the next wave of his long-cracked plan. As a cluster of intuit charges seemed at the ready linked to detonate at a whim. Lucien then offered the opportunity to run for you'd already played your part in distracting the Somnovem enough to allow this moment to transpire. In a brief instant, Jester summoned a massive earthquake here in the center that began to rip and sunder elements of the flesh and stone. Parts of the room began to collapse. As you hear Lucien laughing and laughing, the rest of you running back in the cavern where you came. And hoping that you were far enough away, saw the residual flashes of the detonations of multiple Inuit charges behind you. Intuit charges. You did this to me. (laughter)

MATT: As you all lie scattered on the floor of this cavern, heavily breathing, still processing what had just transpired. And what's about to transpire, we return to the game. So, we had a brief discussion for you, Caduceus. You asked me about whether or not you would know if such blasts of this--

TALIESIN: Would even bother with--

MATT: -- intuit charge would be protected by an 8th-level Antimagic spell. So I said, well, let's go ahead and roll an arcana check for Caduceus to see if you would have known whether or not. Go ahead and roll for me.

TALIESIN: No.

MATT: What'd you roll?

TALIESIN: I rolled a three, which brings it down to two.

MATT: Obviously, it would help.

TALIESIN: Obviously, it would have helped, cool.

MATT: You did burn your 8th-level spell.

TALIESIN: Yeah, I did. It's still up.

MATT: But for 10 minutes, or nine minutes and 54 seconds.

TALIESIN: An hour.

MATT: Oh, its an hour. I thought it was ten minutes, I'm sorry. There you go.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

TRAVIS: ♪ An hour! ♪

SAM: What are we protected against?

TALIESIN: We're pretty much-- I have a 10-foot sphere around me that magic cannot penetrate.

SAM: Amazing.

LIAM: And you also can't cast within it.

TALIESIN: No, but if you have a-- like, you have a projectile weapon that's magical. It will-- that will leave and be magical when it leaves.

MATT: Well--

TALIESIN: Yeah.

MATT: At the moment, you're all hearing the distant slowly dissipating rumble of the subterranean earthquake that Jester had summoned beneath. What would you like to do?

TRAVIS: What can we see?

SAM: Where are we?

MATT: You're further back up the tunnel where you had first entered, that Beauregard had manifested here.

SAM: And if we look back from whence we just ran, just darkness?

MATT: There's no definitive light source down there. There is a faint subdermal glow in places like when a flashlight is held behind your hand. Just a faint, deep reddish glow in sections. But beyond that, it is shadow and darkness. Those of you with darkvision, if you would like to go ahead and make a perception check with disadvantage, because you are quite a ways away.

TRAVIS: Damn it, that was--

LAURA: Why? Why disadvantage? It was so good.

TRAVIS: Two natural twenties.

MATT: No shit!

ASHLEY: Wowzers.

SAM and MATT: Wow.

TRAVIS: Could've saved that for later. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Wow.

LAURA: A dirty 20 for me.

TRAVIS: Look at those.

MATT: Dirty 20. Nice. Okay.

SAM: Nothing.

ASHLEY: 17.

MATT: Jester and Fjord, picking yourselves up a bit and glancing down, you can see where the tunnel curves upward towards the chamber, elements of the stone structures that were beginning to strangely present themselves out of the flesh walls of the entrance have fallen inward, and you can see bits of dust dissipating from within. You hear shifting, and listening and glancing down below, you take a few steps and look beyond and you see that similar glow of the Somnovem's arrival, but it is spastic and continuously flashing. Heavily, heavily wounded. And looking within the chamber itself, the chamber is shredded in many places from what you have accomplished. You also hear, because you've rolled so high, Fjord, specifically, you hear Lucien's voice just go, "(sighs) Unexpected, but still. I needed a little time to heal. I've always wanted to be a butterfly anyway. Come." And you see the shapes that have been torn from the central portion of the chamber begin to lift out of sight, like they're being carried by invisible arms deeper within the chamber.

TRAVIS: Away from us?

MATT: From where you ran from.

TRAVIS: Yeah.

LIAM: I know I don't see it, but you're describing the orbs that were pulsing and communicating with us?

MATT: Correct.

LIAM: How big are those about?

LAURA: A basketball?

MATT: Each one of those was about four or five feet in diameter

LAURA: Oh, they were big.

TALIESIN: Human eggs.

MATT: Yeah, they were rather large, and there were nine of them all clustered within the center of this massive sinewy column that marked the center of this aorta-like chamber.

TRAVIS: Is he using telekinesis on this shit?

MARISHA: Or just willing it into existence. Yeah.

LAURA: So he said he's going to heal?

SAM: From what you did.

TALIESIN: I think you slowed him down.

SAM: Should we go in and attack?

TRAVIS: I don't, we don't know what we're attacking. I thought we might be fighting more than just him. And now it seems like it's him with a bigger-- I don't know.

MARISHA: Yeah. It still feels like it is more than him, but him and then some.

TRAVIS: He knows what he's doing here. We don't. He can't-- he can't leave. You've made sure of that. It feels like we should try and take a moment to, I don't know.

LIAM: Well, our options are to charge in right now--

TRAVIS: Right.

LIAM: -- and start, or we try to compose ourselves. Marshall what forces we have, and if he interrupts us, we're with the first option anyway.

TRAVIS: Yeah.

LIAM: So we might as well try it. We are not leaving. We see this through.

TRAVIS: I agree.

SAM: But he could be disappearing. There's a big city. He could be gone. I mean, he could hide in the city and it could take us days to find him,

LAURA: We could just ask the city to lead us to him.

SAM: The city's dead. He just killed it.

TALIESIN: I don't know if he did. That's a--

LAURA: Yeah, because you saw the flashes. They're still alive.

SAM: Well, we should talk to them?

TRAVIS: Yeah. He may be dictating who's in charge of the city now, though.

TALIESIN: Maybe some of them are hiding.

TRAVIS: Instead of nine.

LAURA: Maybe I can send a message to one of them.

TALIESIN: That's--

LAURA: If I sent a message and it wasn't through the eyeballs, maybe he wouldn't be able to hear it.

TALIESIN: Maybe.

LIAM: Also consider that he could have had us killed many times by now.

MARISHA: Yeah.

LIAM: And why is that?

TALIESIN: Why we still alive?

TRAVIS: Yes. Yes. He could have done it the moment he walked in.

MARISHA: Well, and then every moment traveling the tundra together. He could have done it so many times.

ASHLEY: Why is he keeping them? I mean, he obviously tried to--

LIAM: Why is he keeping them? Why isn't it killing us?

TRAVIS: Yeah. Are those a vessel? Do they need to be replaced, with what?

TALIESIN: Well, he's replacing one of them.

LIAM: Yeah.

TALIESIN: That leaves eight more.

LIAM: Are we the paste to make a sandwich?

MARISHA: But all of his rhetoric was about him not needing the rest of them. It was all about him absorbing all of it and just becoming the sole Somnovem.

TALIESIN: Maybe you need--

LAURA: Should we eat a Heroes' Feast while we're talking about this?

MARISHA: Yes. We should.

LAURA: Do you think that its stupid to set up a Heroes' Feast right here in this tunnel?

SAM: I mean, it's not stupid, but he'll be getting an hour away from us.

LAURA: Yeah.

TALIESIN: Well, let's take a look maybe in there and see what's going-- I don't necessarily-- why would he run?

MARISHA: Yeah, he's not going to leave the city. This is his domain.

TRAVIS: Ask him. One of you two, just ask him.

MARISHA: Ask him what? What are you doing? Where are you going?

TRAVIS: Sure. What-- what now?

MARISHA: What is it that you said you heard? Did we all hear him talk?

MATT: You all heard him talk.

TRAVIS: I relay whatever-- Okay. Yeah.

MATT: Well, you all heard him talk previously. You're the one who picked up him just muttering to himself.

TRAVIS: I'll relay the muttering.

MARISHA: About being a butterfly?

TRAVIS: Entering a cocoon.

MARISHA: Right, right. A new--

LAURA: That's right. You remember when I did the tarot reading and I said that he had to die in order to be reborn? Maybe he has to, like, lose his physical form in order to become the leader of the Somnovem or something.

LIAM: Yeah. I don't think he came here to surf into the world on this city.

LAURA: What if Lucien leaves the body? What if Lucien leaves the body and Molly's left there?

MARISHA: Well, Molly is a part of Lucien. We would have to physically-- we would have to pull them apart. Yeah.

TRAVIS: Molly died.

MARISHA: But there's still a piece of him--

LAURA: But so did Lucien.

SAM: This is an intense conversation that some chicken satay would go really great with right now.

LAURA: Right? I mean, I could-- we could be eating while we talk about this stuff. I seriously-- I could just set up a meal. We could just discuss, you know, because we're going to talk anyway. Let's be honest.

TRAVIS: And Heroes' Feast lasts for?

LAURA: 24 hours.

MARISHA: I mean, let's do it. Let's do it.

SAM: 24 human hours!

LAURA: Wha?

TALIESIN: Do we want to take a quick look in the room just to see what's happening?

TRAVIS: Which room?

SAM: The room we were just in.

LAURA: I think I should just set up the Heroes' Feast. If you want to look, it takes me 10 minutes.

SAM: Yeah, yeah.

ASHLEY: I'll go with you.

SAM: Yeah. Yeah, we'll go. We'll go in.

LAURA: If you guys want to take an hour. Like, this is a big if. Do you guys want to take an hour to eat?

SAM: We can start.

TRAVIS: It's either here on the surface. Is this going to collapse when he leaves this room that we're down in the guts of?

LAURA: No, we talked about it. This is our room.

MARISHA: (laughs) I dunno.

SAM: We think? Unless he controls the body now. And he can just (fart sound), you know.

TRAVIS: Poop us out.

SAM: He can poop us out whenever.

LAURA: Yeah.

LIAM: It's the entire city. I mean he could collapse two buildings on us. He could shrink this tunnel. He could throw a gazebo on top of us.

LAURA: I'm setting up the Heroes' Feast.

TRAVIS: Okay, go for it.

MATT: All right, so setting up the Heroes' Feast. You two are going to the previous-- Three?

TALIESIN: Three of us are just going to take a quick look since we're not too far away.

MATT: Okay. Are you proceeding stealthily?

SAM and TALIESIN: Yes.

MATT: I would like all three of you to roll stealth checks, please.

TALIESIN: I'm adding a-- oh, I can't.

SAM: You can't?

TALIESIN: I was going to add a-- nope, I'm not stealthy at all, natural one.

LAURA: (groans)

ASHLEY: Nice.

SAM: 28, I rolled.

MATT: Okay.

ASHLEY: 22.

MATT: 22, okay.

LIAM: "Echo." "Echo."

TRAVIS: Echo. (laughter)

MATT: So the three of you begin to carefully, for the most part, make your way towards the central chamber. And as you do, you can see now, when you had first walked in there were odd semi-structures that were forming out of the ground and the walls that many have fallen and broken. And you can see these wide fissures in the ground, almost like split bratwurst or severe muscle damage. Just like areas where it just broke open. And it is a very wounded interior, not to mention that this massive column of ligaments and tissue is mostly pulled down. But the first thing you notice is it is all slowly pulling back together. The chamber is healing itself. Also looking up in the ceiling where the tethers were originally attached, instead of it being this convex attachment at the bottom, it is now a concave path upward where you can see the faint last glows of the Somnovem spheres the faint last glows of the Somnovem spheres as they are pulled upward. And it closes behind them.

LIAM: Top side.

TALIESIN: Do we see Lucien?

MATT: You did not see Lucien.

TALIESIN: Is the throne still there?

MATT: The throne is not there anymore.

SAM: It was all about a chair.

MATT: Always is.

TALIESIN: Okay. Let's--

ASHLEY: Did they look to be alive still?

MATT: You saw like the faintest bit of the glow receding beyond your vision. You didn't even see them. You just saw the glow in the upward tunnel right as it closes.

SAM: I'm all for the feast, but don't we need to, like, track where they go?

TRAVIS: The ceiling just closed up.

LAURA: This is a 6th-level spell. I'm already making it. If you guys don't eat this now--

TALIESIN: We're going to eat.

LAURA: -- you're just fucking me over. Is that what you want? You want that, Veth?

SAM: I don't want to fuck you over.

LAURA: I just made a meal for you. You don't want to eat it?

SAM: I don't want to waste your cooking.

LAURA: I made you chicken satay. You said you wanted chicken satay.

SAM: I did want chicken satay. I like it.

TRAVIS: Actually, do we have a menu instead of chicken satay?

LAURA: You can have anything you want, Fjord.

TRAVIS: Really? Well.

LIAM: I will have apple tarts.

LAURA: Apple tarts it is.

TRAVIS: That's incredible. I wouldn't mind some pineapple fried rice.

LAURA: Pineapple fried rice in front of you, Fjord. This is our last meal. Make it good.

TRAVIS: You mean our Heroes' Feast?

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: "I have not tried a pineapple fried rice. I will have some as well."

LAURA: Oh yes. And next to that, I have a big bowl of, what's your favorite type of soup, Essek?

MATT: "I'm not much of a soup person."

LAURA: I thought you said you soup was your fave-- You-- Essek.

ASHLEY: Stew, stew, was it stew? I don't know why I had to say that three times. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Is it stew, stew, is it stew?

LAURA: You know what I'm going to put in front of you, Essek, in addition to the pineapple fried rice? I think this actually would be pretty nice together. I'm going to do a really, like, homemade grilled cheese sandwich. You know, like the kind that mom makes with like Kraft cheese, not like any of that gourmet shit, straight up.

TRAVIS: Are you Essek?

MATT: "My mother has never made Kraft cheese."

LAURA: But I'm telling you, this is what it's going to be.

MATT: "I trust you."

LAURA: And you're going to love it.

SAM: Essek likes soup.

LAURA: And next to it--

TRAVIS: Essek likes soup.

SAM: He's an imposter. Insight check.

MATT: Make an insight check.

LAURA: (gasps)

SAM: 19... Plus six! 25!

MATT: 25. Essek was making a joke. (relieved sighs)

LAURA: A big bowl of tomato soup to dip your grilled cheese in. It's the most comforting of the comfort foods, Essek, and I think you're really going to like it before we all die.

TALIESIN: Until the heartburn.

MATT: "I trust your aesthetic, Jester."

MARISHA: I'll actually take one of those as well.

TALIESIN: With little green curry dip.

LIAM: Was there cheese in Rosohna?

MATT: "Yes, there was cheese."

SAM: Insight check!

MATT: Go-- (laughter)

LAURA: I'm also going to have grilled cheese and tomato soup, if anybody else wants that.

LIAM: Sure.

ASHLEY: I would like to try it, but may I have just a full stack of pancakes?

LAURA: Pancakes it is.

TRAVIS: Bug pancakes or just regular?

LAURA: And then next to it, I'll do a big hot thing of maple syrup, and a big heaping thing of butter, and whipped cream and all the berries you can put on top of it and some fried bugs because the crunch will be really good.

ASHLEY: Ooh, okay!

LIAM: I would also like some green beans.

LAURA: Green beans for the Caleb.

TALIESIN: I'll have some of that.

LAURA: Green beans for the Caduceus.

TALIESIN: I'm having the grilled cheese, too.

ASHLEY: Yeah, it was just kind of a lot.

LIAM: Offset it.

LAURA: Yeah.

ASHLEY: Green beans for the last meal?

LIAM: You need roughage in your last meal.

TALIESIN: That's very fair.

TRAVIS: Beau, can you make the wall move while we wait? You know, just because it seems like the car battery has been removed.

SAM: Make the wall move?

TALIESIN: Do we want to do it now, or wait till later, just not to experiment and accidentally--

TRAVIS: Well, she did it in like five seconds.

LIAM: Yes, but when we tried, it could be that Beauregard is just more adept at messing with the city, but I got an additional eye.

MARISHA: I'm really good at meditating.

TRAVIS: Oh, I forgot that part.

TALIESIN: Yeah. Let's let's wait 'til we really need it.

TRAVIS: Nothing happened to me.

LAURA: Don't do it, Beau! Don't do it, Beau!

LIAM: My theory is he's the king of the castle now, he can be anywhere he wants to be.

TRAVIS: Yeah.

LIAM: So there is no safe place.

TRAVIS: That's fair.

TALIESIN: I drop my Antimagic spell.

LAURA: Oh, Caduceus.

MARISHA: Do you think now I could attune back to my gloves?

TALIESIN: I couldn't eat the meal.

LAURA: Oh yeah. If you stepped towards it, the whole meal would disappear.

MARISHA: You think so, too?

LIAM: I think so.

MARISHA: I think so.

TALIESIN: It would stay, but not, well, it's complicated. I had to read up how it worked. It would be very weird.

LIAM: I think so.

MARISHA: Talking about if we could unattune from our necklaces now, and attune back to another item.

LIAM: I think he wants us to come.

MATT: You have a short rest you're taking, so if you're going to change any attunements, now would be the time to do it.

SAM: But then he could see where we are.

MARISHA: He can already see where we are.

SAM: We don't know that! Has he ever made any indication that he knows where we are?

TRAVIS: Yes.

TALIESIN: Now the city.

SAM: When?

LIAM: I think he can feel us stepping on his arteries. (laughter)

LAURA: In his flesh tunnels. I'm also giving us some cinnamon bear claws, because that's a specialty from my hometown. I think you'll all enjoy it.

TRAVIS: Doesn't the blood magic, when he imbues his scimitars with it, didn't it like make terrible fire and shit like that? We have a ring of fire resistance. Should somebody attune to that? I was suggesting you.

MATT: She's already resistant. Oh, no, you are resistant to cold because you're--

LAURA: Let me see what my equipment is.

TALIESIN: If anyone has something around, I could use a third object, then, because I don't have any attunement.

TRAVIS: I don't have a-- what kind of whatever.

MATT: You're not even going to wear your own ring that you kept this whole time? You poor buddy.

LAURA: You don't want to wear the ring of fire resistance, Fjord?

TRAVIS: I'd rather you wear it.

LAURA: Fjord!

TRAVIS: Yeah.

LAURA: It's so expensive! Thank you.

TALIESIN: Anybody else got something fancy they don't want to use?

MARISHA: That I don't want to use?

LIAM: I'm going to wait 'til the hour's almost up, but when it is, when we're at like the two minute mark, I'm going to burn two pearls and cast Fortune's Favor on both Beauregard and myself.

MARISHA: Oh, sick.

TRAVIS: You still have the Ioun Stone, yes?

LIAM: Jester has that. It's whizzing around her head.

TRAVIS: Nice.

LAURA: Yeah.

TRAVIS: I know, I can see it, I'm just so used to it.

TALIESIN: Thought it was a bee.

SAM: I have a celebone.

MATT: Essek is also going to burn three pearls and put Fortune's Favor on himself, and who else could use it?

TRAVIS: All of us.

MARISHA: Yeah.

SAM: Wait, use what?

LIAM: Fortune's Favor.

TRAVIS: It's what, a reroll one time?

MATT: Essentially, yeah.

MARISHA: I'm here for the clerics, or at least one of them.

TRAVIS: Yeah, give it to the-- We protect you, you protect us.

MARISHA: Yeah.

MATT: "All right," and he steps forward as you're all finishing. He has one bit of soaked bread in his hand as he's chewing it. Puts the pearl up to your forehead, and as he closes his eyes, you watch as the white pearl goes dark and then apparates, or disapparates into a black, smoke-like material that then is drawn into Caduceus' forehead and vanishes. "Jester, for you as well?"

LAURA: Oh, sure, if you're offering.

MATT: Goes ahead and does the same, and you now have a mote of possibility.

LAURA: Thank you, Essek.

ASHLEY: You have an extra?

TALIESIN: I do, if.

ASHLEY: Well, I have a ring of protection, which is a plus one bonus to AC.

LAURA: That's great.

ASHLEY: Yeah.

TALIESIN: Are you not using that?

ASHLEY: I'm not, because I have my Coat of the Crest on.

TRAVIS: What?

TALIESIN: I might take that, if you're not doing anything with it.

LAURA: Fjord also has an open attunement slot.

SAM: I have an open attunement slot as well.

TRAVIS: I'm not unattuning from my necklace. (laughter) Neck-eh-lahs!

LAURA: I have the Wand of Fear, but he's immune to fear, so.

SAM: That's pretty useless.

LAURA: Pretty useless.

TRAVIS: While we're having this feast, are the hallways or room changing, are there sounds, is their color changing at all?

MATT: Make a perception check.

MARISHA: You still have that one fan, yeah?

SAM: The what?

TRAVIS: Dirty 20.

MATT: Nice.

MARISHA: Just making sure.

MATT: As the meal goes on, and it takes an hour to finish this meal, in the latter remaining 15 or so minutes, you begin to pick up faint pulses throughout the hallway.

TRAVIS: The hallway?

MATT: Very faint color pulses. That subdermal light, that faint red, you see it traveling, (whooshes) down the tunnel. (whooshes)

TRAVIS: Down the direction we came to get to this room?

MATT: Down towards that central chamber where you last saw Lucien.

LAURA: Interesting. What is that?

TRAVIS: Well, remember there are other tunnels, I point it out, and there are other tunnels that lead from the room that we're in out the other way, the way Lucien came in.

LAURA: Should we go check it out when we're done?

TRAVIS: If there's another one of those, I think there were a few tunnels and one of them has that light traveling through it. It's an invitation, at the very least.

LAURA: I want Artagan to eat some of the Feast as well. Sprinkle will be eating.

MATT: Okay, so Sprinkle currently comes out. (chittering) Sprinkle eats a bit, finishes, and then, "Well, I'm not going to leave you to do this by yourself. We'll both be here for you. Won't be, boy?" (chittering) You see a momentary frustrated face on this weasel.

TRAVIS: (as Sprinkle) God, it hurts! (laughter)

TALIESIN: (as Sprinkle) Where do I go when he controls me? (laughter)

TRAVIS: (as Sprinkle) Time is weird!

TALIESIN: (squeaks)

LIAM: Sprinkle's like: You hypocrites! Save me! Question about the Heroes' Feast, do you roll the additional--

LAURA: I roll. I roll the D.

MATT: Now, before that spell finishes.

MARISHA: It makes it that much more tragic.

LAURA: Yeah.

MARISHA: It's just--

TRAVIS: (as Sprinkle) I have no control! (laughter)

MATT: Before that finishes, you see Essek stand up. And putting his hands out in front of him, he begins to draw with the same trace of dunamantic energy, that clock-like face and you watch as he grabs it to spin it up and right at the moment, you've seen this spell cast before, at the moment where it clicks, he (whooshes) closes it into a singular small bead of rapidly gyrating energy. Similar to the one that he handed you before, and goes, "One of you is able to initiate this within the next hour. Who would make most use of it?"

LAURA: What does it do again? I forget.

MATT: "It allows you to use the Haste spell."

LAURA: Oh!

LIAM: Trapped in advance.

LAURA: Oh shit.

MARISHA: Oh shit.

TRAVIS: Barbarians are dope when they're Hasted.

LAURA: Barbarians or monks, either one. But yeah.

MARISHA: I'd honestly go barbarian because I already got a decent amount of attacks, but you would get another one.

LAURA: Oh my gosh, you could do--

LIAM: And you're not stunning anybody in this fight, so.

LAURA: -- some serious fucking damage.

SAM: Wait, in an hour, though? Don't we have to eat for an hour?

LAURA: We've already been eating for an hour, he's waited 'til the very--

MATT: This is towards the end of that hour.

SAM: This is the end? Okay.

LIAM: There was a food montage, Sam.

SAM: Oh, I love those.

TRAVIS: Step up.

LIAM: I know.

ASHLEY: Yeah?

MATT: "For you, Yasha."

ASHLEY: Okay.

TRAVIS: Unleash the beast.

MATT: "Be careful, it can be destroyed. So keep it safe."

ASHLEY: I'll keep it secret as well. Do I just--

LAURA: Hey! I rolled an eight and a nine!

LIAM: You eat it like a jawbreaker.

MARISHA: For our hit points?

LAURA: Yeah!

MATT: "Don't do that!" (laughs) Essek's like, "No!"

MARISHA: So that's 18?

LAURA: That's 17.

MARISHA: 17?

LAURA: 17 additional hit points.

LIAM: Sweet!

SAM: Those are temporary hit points.

LAURA: Temporary hit points.

ASHLEY: How many?

MATT: Well, they're not temporary. They're in addition to your max. So you can heal back up to that maximum.

TALIESIN: Oh!

LAURA: For 24 hours, we get 17 more hit points!

SAM: Great.

LIAM: I'm above a hundred!

MATT: Aw! I told you'd do it!

MARISHA: Go be a butterfly with Lucien.

LIAM: For one hour.

LAURA: I don't know how to put that in.

SAM: I'm putting them in as temp.

MARISHA: Yeah, me too.

TALIESIN: You click on your max hit points, and then bottom left-hand corner it's add extra--

LAURA: Oh, override max.

TRAVIS: Max HP modifier?

ASHLEY: Does it work on the temp HP as well?

TALIESIN: You don't need it on the temp.

ASHLEY: You don't need that?

MARISHA: You can put it in as temp, but then just keep track of it, I guess. That's what I'm going to do.

TALIESIN: I like seeing my maximum be much higher.

TRAVIS: Solid 200.

LAURA: Nope, that's not the thing.

TALIESIN: It helps with healing, too.

MATT: Nice.

TALIESIN: So yeah, you click on the max--

TRAVIS: Grog lives.

TALIESIN: -- point on the hit points and then override bottom left.

TRAVIS: I can build him!

MARISHA: So 17 HP, and then we have advantage--

TRAVIS: I shouldn't have told you that.

MARISHA: -- on wis saves.

LIAM: On wisdom saves, no frightened, no poison.

TRAVIS: Are those meteors? (explosions)

MARISHA: No fright.

MATT: Two campaigns in a row.

TRAVIS: Yeah.

MARISHA: No poison.

TRAVIS: Oh my god, that was the worst. Enough with the fucking Meteor Swarm, Raishan!

LAURA: All right.

ASHLEY: Okay, cool.

TALIESIN: Immunity to poison.

LIAM: Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.

MATT: As you wind down, getting closer to the end of the meal and the hour rest, is there anything else you would like to handle? Discuss? Say?

SAM: Oh.

TRAVIS: Let's go get him, we've got a job to do.

SAM: This could be our final goodbye, though. Is there anything you want to say to each other? Any warm words of encouragement, or things that we don't want to leave unsaid? Confessions to make? I've stolen from all of you! (laughter)

MARISHA and TALIESIN: We know. (laughter)

LAURA: It's okay.

SAM: But you've also stolen from me.

LAURA: Your heart?

SAM: Uh-huh. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Let's do this.

MARISHA: Yeah. I have lots of things to say, after we kill Lucien.

TRAVIS: Thank you.

SAM: Yasha, you made a big mistake going with Beauregard, you should've gone with me. I'm just going to say it, it's been said.

ASHLEY: Well, I just figured you were not available because you're married.

SAM: I know. I know.

ASHLEY: Had I known.

SAM: I'm not saying I would've been with you, I just think that I'm a better choice in general.

ASHLEY: Well, I disagree. I think you're wonderful, but.

MARISHA: I'm right here for this whole, we're in a flesh tunnel.

SAM: You've changed so much.

MARISHA: I have.

ASHLEY: She has. (laughter)

SAM: You're a wonderful person now.

MARISHA: You're all right.

SAM: Let's do this.

TRAVIS: You just tried to take her girl! (laughter) You're a wonderful-- fuck you!

MARISHA: Yeah, you're kind of a bitch. Yeah, but I love you for that. Yeah.

SAM: I'm glad.

LAURA: What were you going to say, Cad?

TALIESIN: I'm just happy to be with all of you, no matter how this ends. And I think we're meant to be here. Not just because of Lucien, but I think that this is where we're supposed to be and this is where we're supposed to do our part for our world. And I couldn't think of a better group of people to defend life. I'm proud to die with you and I will be even prouder to survive with all of you. I'll also say that that was a Motivational Speech, so, I'm going to pick five of you. (laughter)

MATT: Oh, did you take a--

TALIESIN: Yeah, yeah, so.

LAURA: Oh, that's great.

ASHLEY: Amazing.

TALIESIN: So, who's it going to be? It's one, two.

MATT: I didn't realize you took that feat, that's awesome.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

MARISHA: Is it the Leader feat?

TALIESIN: It's Motivational Speech, it's a spell.

MARISHA: Oh, cool.

MATT: Oh, a spell.

LIAM: It's a seminar you can take online.

MARISHA: Gotcha, Skillshare.

TALIESIN: Three, four, five. So, not me and not you because it's better, so everyone I pointed at gets five temporary hit points.

TRAVIS: (snapping) And if you're hit by an attack, you have an advantage on your next attack roll for an hour.

MARISHA: Oh wait, so. If, so, okay.

LIAM: Yeah, that's great for the ladies.

SAM: If you're hit on your turn, you get advantage on your next turn?

TALIESIN: Yeah, your next attack gives you advantage if you get hit.

TRAVIS: For an hour?

LAURA: By magical or melee? Hit by anything or just?

TALIESIN: "If an affected creature is hit by an attack, it has advantage on the next attack roll it makes." Once you lose your temporary hit points, that goes away.

TRAVIS: Who cares? It's awesome! If you get hit every round, you get advantage.

TALIESIN: So that's great.

TRAVIS: Say again?

TALIESIN: Also, you have advantage on wisdom saving throws, so that great.

LAURA: Yay!

SAM: We also have that from the Feast, right?

TALIESIN: Yeah, I know, that's why--

SAM: And what else did we get from the Feast?

LAURA: We're immune to being poisoned and being frightened.

TALIESIN: So five temporary, five temporary five temporary, five temporary, five temporary. And yeah, if you get hit.

ASHLEY: Awesome.

TALIESIN: Every little bit.

SAM: Amazing inspirational speech.

TALIESIN: Thank you.

ASHLEY: Sure was.

LAURA: I feel inspired!

TALIESIN: It came from the heart and from my character sheet.

MARISHA: Hey, Caduceus.

TALIESIN: Yeah?

MARISHA: What happens to grave clerics when they die?

SAM: Is this is a joke?

MARISHA: No, but it could be.

ASHLEY: I thought it was a setup.

TALIESIN: Same thing that happens to everything else.

MARISHA: Yeah, that's good.

LAURA: Oh no!

TALIESIN: You're welcome.

TRAVIS: Barf!

TALIESIN: That was for you.

TRAVIS: Don't you bring the first X-Men movie in here!

LAURA: It's the same thing, captain.

TRAVIS: (retching)

TALIESIN: We go where we're meant to go. And what's left doesn't matter.

SAM: Speaking of jokes, I have a few that I won't get to use because I doubt I'll cast Hideous Laughter since he's immune to charm. I didn't get to use these jokes. What's Fjord's favorite bean? The Pinto. (laughter) The Fjord Pinto.

MARISHA: That's pretty good!

SAM: What's Yasha's favorite basketball team? The Orphan Lakers.

MARISHA: Oh!

ASHLEY: Wow.

LAURA: So bad!

LIAM: Terrible. Thank god I'm immune to psychic damage.

SAM: What's the Clay family's favorite philosopher?

TALIESIN: That's already obscure.

SAM: Play-Doh.

TRAVIS: (laughs) Oh god. (groaning)

SAM: That's real bad.

MARISHA: It's actually pretty good, it's not too bad.

MATT: Essek leans forward and goes, "Please."

SAM: Okay, okay.

MATT: "I beg of you."

MARISHA: Stop workshopping your stand-up bit.

SAM: All right, I'm good, I'm good, I'll leave it at that. (laughter)

LIAM: Caleb stands up and says: Mighty Nein, wait a moment. (foomph) Frumpkin appears on his shoulder. There we go. Mighty Nein.

TRAVIS: Oh yes!

LAURA: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Oh, but Sprinkle as well. So now we're the Mighty 10.

LIAM: (foomph) (laughter)

LAURA: No, no, bring Frumpkin back! Now we're the Mighty Omega. We can overpower the Somnovem. We've got our own 10.

LIAM: The Mighty Zehn. (foomph) (laughter)

TRAVIS: Let's go hunt.

MATT: Essek finishes this final bit of the meal and looks around. "It has certainly been a very curious way that our paths have intertwined this past year or so. I'm not going to focus on the burden of shame that I carry for the things I've done in the past, but I'm very thankful for the things I've done since our paths have come together. And if today is to be my final attempt at making good the things I've done, I'd be all right with that. I thank you for your trust."

TRAVIS: Good music, DM.

MARISHA: To crime?

TRAVIS: Crime!

SAM: Let's crime it up.

MARISHA: Crime.

MATT: "To war crime." (laughter)

TALIESIN: Let's bury a city.

LAURA: Yeah.

TRAVIS: Is everyone ready?

LAURA: Poof! Heroes' Feast disappears.

MARISHA: Oh, fucking missed the bear claw, fuck!

TALIESIN: I was going to hit the treats--

MARISHA: Distracted by the speeches.

TALIESIN: -- just cheese.

LAURA: I had five of the bear claws.

LIAM: Look, we didn't think they'd go so fast, we only made two bins, and there was a rush. (laughter)

MARISHA: All right, well, if he was heading to the surface do we also want to head to the surface?

TRAVIS: The tunnel was lighting up, remember?

LAURA: Oh yeah, we should see what the tunnel was about.

MARISHA: Let's do that.

TRAVIS: We'll move into the larger chamber and see if any of the tunnels beyond are carrying that same--

MATT: They are. But they're all carrying it inward.

TRAVIS: Here?

MATT: And you watch as this pulse (whooshes) all comes into the chamber and then up and towards the ceiling where it goes.

LAURA: Oh, it's going to them! He's taking the power of the city.

MARISHA: Yeah, he's siphoning it.

LAURA: (gasps) We got to go.

TALIESIN: We go.

SAM: How do we go up? Do we just think up?

MARISHA: We need to go back up the tunnel that's already been made.

SAM: Do we just go straight up?

TALIESIN: Can we fly down here?

MARISHA: That's going to be--

MATT: Yeah, you can fly.

MARISHA: -- a roll of the dice.

LAURA: What about up through--

TALIESIN: I'm hovering now.

LAURA: -- the tunnel that he made?

SAM: It closed.

LAURA: Did it close? It closed.

SAM: But we can think it open.

TRAVIS: Make our own.

SAM: Or cut it open.

LAURA: Open up a tunnel.

MARISHA: All right.

TALIESIN: You or should someone else try?

LIAM: What if someone with one eye?

MARISHA: Maybe that's the way to go.

TALIESIN: Let me give it a try.

LAURA: I could give it a try. I've got no eyes.

TRAVIS: What's your intelligence?

TALIESIN: Two, technically. I'm going to join in on this.

SAM: Are you pooping?

LAURA: Are you pooping?

MATT: Are you aiding her or are you both doing it separately?

TALIESIN: Am I aiding you, or are we doing it separately, or are you aiding me?

TRAVIS: It's an intelligence thing. Who's got the higher?

TALIESIN: My intelligence is nothing.

LAURA: Oh, my intelligence is nothing.

MATT: Well, this isn't intelligence actually, this is wisdom, this is willpower.

LAURA: Oh, great. Then let's both be trying.

TALIESIN: Okay.

MATT: Okay, what are you attempting to will?

LAURA: I'm attempting to open up a pathway to the surface above me.

MATT: Okay. Same?

TALIESIN: I'm attempting to open a pathway to wherever the energy is moving.

MATT: Okay, both of you roll a d20 and add your wisdom modifier. If you have an eye, add the number of eyes you have to the roll.

LAURA: 21.

TALIESIN: Nine.

MATT: Nine. Caduceus, you close your eyes and attempt to focus and as you do, not only are you having a hard time gathering your thoughts to specifically will this to be, but you feel like the direction that you're trying to will is blocked with light. There's something in your mind's eye as you try and focus that feels like you're staring into the sun as you try and do it. And you come out of it shaking your head. With a slight tickle in your abdomen.

LAURA: (gasps)

TALIESIN: Darn it.

LAURA: Oh, you got another eye.

TALIESIN: Yep.

MATT: Jester, you concentrate upward, not directly beneath where this happened, but in the general space of this interior. And as you concentrate hard towards the tall ceiling of this chamber, you watch as a small opening opens up, heading straight towards the surface.

ASHLEY: Hey!

LAURA: I did it!

SAM: Climbable or we have to float?

LAURA: We fly up through it.

SAM: Can we just do that?

MATT: Yeah.

LAURA: Up.

SAM: Okay.

MARISHA: Up!

SAM: Up!

MATT: "Up!"

TALIESIN: Just like home.

LIAM: Caleb catches Veth by the shoulder before she goes and just shares a beat for three seconds and lets go.

SAM: We'll be fine.

MATT: One by one, you begin to make it up through the tunnel that Jester willed forward. It is a odd travel. Almost like being one of the meals in reverse that you've consumed not but a few moments ago. You slowly, one by one, make your way gliding through this imperfect but continuous tunnel upward. Eventually, within a few minutes of traveling, you begin to see the walls of this tunnel give way to a starry skyscape, the threads of gossamer and purple clouds in the distance. Until one by one, you all begin to float above the cobblestone surface.

LAURA: I will it so that every time one of us comes out of it, it makes a farting noise.

MARISHA: (laughs)

MATT: Make a wisdom check adding your wisdom modifier.

LAURA: Oh no, what if I can get an eye for that?

MARISHA: Get that eye.

TRAVIS: Go get the big loose one.

LAURA: 22.

LIAM: Better than the first.

MATT: (quiet farting) As each one of you pass by, just a little Cognouza squeak.

TRAVIS: (wet farting)

LAURA: Ew! (laughter)

MATT: But as you emerge, gliding up a bit, surrounded by the buildings and the towers, you notice that all of the structures of the city are all leaning inward towards where you are. They're all slightly bent and twisting in this direction. And you see the same pulses traveling and you glance over to where the faint ring of subdermal red-like energy travels to and there is this luminescent dome of film with this thin skin-like egg sac, almost, this... cocoon that is pulsing with glowing bright light that is getting brighter and brighter. And in that moment the pulses stop.

LAURA: Oh no.

MARISHA: Shit.

TRAVIS: Mothra is ready.

MARISHA: Yeah.

MATT: You watch as the top peels away and a faintly luminous lavender glow begins to emanate from within. Gliding from inside, you see a humanoid shape. Muscular, nearly clothless, purple of skin. Long, dark purple hair wildly drifting in space. The red eye tattoos that once adorned Lucien's body are gone. Instead, you see nine thick stalks that protrude from the back, each ending in a red eye. Drifting behind as he lifts up, like a newly born entity, into the sky with a deep inhale. (inhales) And just continues up above the towers.

LAURA: Did he just make himself a god?

TRAVIS: I think he gave form to the abilities that he had.

LIAM: No time like the present.

SAM: The orbs, the glowy Somnovem, they're gone?

TRAVIS: Anywhere to be seen?

MATT: If you want to make a perception check and go inspect the cavity.

SAM: I'll go stare into the cavity. 17.

TRAVIS: 16.

TALIESIN: 17.

MATT: Nowhere to be seen.

LIAM: But were the-- yeah, they're at the end of those stalks.

LAURA: Oh my god.

TRAVIS: Oh, yeah.

TALIESIN: Are there any people around? Is there anyone? We're on the surface, right?

MATT: You are. You look around and while there's nobody immediately in the vicinity, looking beyond this small marketplace opening in the street, you see people standing in every street, still, perfectly still, all looking up towards where Lucien now hovers above the city.

LAURA: How are we going to fight him? Oh god!

TRAVIS: One hit at a time.

TALIESIN: How far away is the closest person?

MATT: Maybe about 200 feet from you.

MARISHA: And the rest of the city, you said the buildings were leaning in? Do the fleshy bits, do they look like they're losing life?

MATT: Make a perception check.

MARISHA: 14.

MATT: 14. It does not appear that's the case. And interestingly enough, now that he's emerged, a lot of the towers are relaxing back into their previous, somewhat straight positioning.

LIAM: He wrapped himself in this city like a chrysalis.

TALIESIN: We should talk to someone, see if we can make contact with anybody.

MATT: "If you're certain, make contact and talk all you like." You all hear drifting through your minds, omnipresent, the voice of Lucien now mingling with layers and layers of soft other voices behind, meeting the words simultaneously. "Come, it's far prettier from up here."

SAM: Okay.

TRAVIS: Yeah. (liftoff sound)

MARISHA: Yeah, I'll go, too.

ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's go.

MARISHA: Up!

LAURA: Up.

SAM: I'm going to cast Intellect Fortress again on myself.

LIAM: Lamb! (claps) (laughter)

MATT: Essek glances over and gives you a look, Caleb and a nervous nod. Then drifts up to follow, as you all begin to rise up into the skyline above. Approaching, you see Lucien, not looking at anyone in particular, but looking past and outward. As the stalks shift and take in each of you at moments before drifting elsewhere. "We welcome you. I welcome you. This is incredible. I'd always wondered, but this is-- (inhales) this is something."

MARISHA: What's it like?

MATT: "Oh." And for a brief moment, your minds fill with a flash of a thousand worlds, endless possibility. Colors that shouldn't be conceived by a mortal mind. All of time condensed to a moment and briefly, you feel your brain twitch and flex before you have to break out of it, the overload of information and sensation. And as you all pull out of it, most of your noses begin to bleed.

MATT: "I wish I could share it, but there's... Well, you'd need to be with us. You have to be with the pattern."

LAURA: (whispered) The pattern?

TRAVIS: You've left us alive. You said you wanted an audience. We're here now, it doesn't seem like many more are. What was it all for?

MATT: "I left you alive." And he seems to linger, confused on that phrase. "Why did I leave you alive?"

MARISHA: You have to have somebody witness, right?

LAURA: Molly?

MARISHA: If there's no one to watch your ascension.

MATT: "Hmm?"

LAURA: Molly?

LIAM: Mollymauk Tealeaf.

MATT: Something twitches inside Lucien as the head that previously was looking through you, for once the beams, all eyes go towards you. "No, child. I needed witnesses, yes. To hear my birth cry." And as he raises his hands, you hear the entire city scream at once. Like a collective child being born. And Lucien just smiles and takes it in. "(sighs)"

LAURA: Jester starts singing the song that the little girl sang in the circus.

MARISHA: Oh, yeah.

LAURA: The little opera that she sang that caught all of our attention.

MATT: You see his left eye twitch. And left hand twitch as well. And he pushes through it and forces the smile. "Well, I do believe now it's time to take the city back to where it all began."

LIAM: Oh, but surely--

MATT: "Where the pattern can reach all the minds."

LIAM: There'll be time for that later.

MARISHA: Do you still intend to leave the world better than you found it?

MATT: Body twitches again. "Where's the other crest? I can't feel it. What have you done? (echoing) (growls) (laughs) Well then, through dreams it'll be, then. Whom do you care about? Whom shall I reach out to in their night's slumber? And show them the pattern until they come and bring me what I need? Your husband?"

SAM: What?

MATT: "Your boy? Maybe they can make the trek up, too, and bring me the other crest I need."

SAM: No, no, I don't think they will. They don't steal from nice people.

MATT: "One by one, they will all begin to see as you have. They'll begin their own paths to becoming my Nonagon."

LIAM: These threats are empty.

MARISHA: Why don't you ask the charm? The charm is here.

MATT: I need everyone to roll initiative. (groaning)

MATT: You pushed too far.

MARISHA: Pushed too far?

SAM: Oh boy.

MARISHA: Wow.

SAM: Oh, no Matt, you're tethered!

TRAVIS: Natural 20.

LAURA: Oh god.

TALIESIN: Thank god somebody did!

MARISHA: Roll my d8. I'm going to use my boots!

SAM: This heart-pounding combat is brought to you by Dwarven Forge.

ASHLEY: My heart, I can hear it.

SAM: Bring your fantasies to life with bit.ly/DwarvenForgeCR.

LAURA: It's like the rooftops!

MARISHA: Oh, it is the rooftops!

LAURA: We're above it!

SAM: From the rooftops!

MARISHA: That is sick!

LAURA: Matt, this is so cool!

TRAVIS: From the rooftops to the walls!

MARISHA: To the walls!

ASHLEY: 'Til the sweat drips down my balls!

MARISHA: What?!

SAM: Don't just tell them you're in the sky. Show them with hand-sculpted terrain from Dwarven Forge. (laughter) Makers of premium handcrafted gaming terrain.

LIAM: This time I thought of it as Veth shouting that in the sky.

SAM: Oh god!

MATT: Tell me where you would like to be placed in this space. You guys seemed fairly close at the moment.

SAM: I think we were strategically placed in a wide, wide circle all round.

TALIESIN: I thought we had spread out a bit. I imagined a little bit of a spread.

ASHLEY: Yeah.

SAM: I was probably near to Caleb.

MARISHA: Oh, skeet, skeet, skeet, skeet, motherfucker!

MATT: Let me reset my music here because it's giving me ambience.

ASHLEY: I have to pee. I rolled a 13.

LAURA: Me, too. I have to pee so bad.

MATT: Oh, go pee as I-- go ahead. Tell me where you are, though, before you leave to pee.

SAM: But if you pee from the sky. (laughter)

TALIESIN: It's just rain if you're tall enough.

ASHLEY: Yep, that'll work.

LAURA: Where is Molly?

LIAM: If Veth is with Caleb-- you've got to go, so you say first.

LAURA: Where's Lucien, I mean?

MATT: You want to see where Lucien is?

LAURA and MARISHA: Yeah.

SAM: Oh no.

LAURA: Oh god!

LIAM: Bring that motherfucker out.

LAURA: We're going to see-- yes, yes, get back here, Ashley.

LIAM: I want to see your peacock, cock, cock.

MARISHA: Your peacock, cock, cock.

ASHLEY: Oh no!

TRAVIS: Oh shit!

MARISHA: Oh, so big!

LAURA: Oh my god, look at it!

TRAVIS: Crew, could you zoom in on that horribleness, please?!

LAURA: He's scary, but he's also beautiful.

TALIESIN: Wow.

SAM: Is that a real Molly mini that you've--

MATT: That our friends at Steamforged customized with me.

LAURA: Oh my god!

MARISHA: Oh!

SAM: Look at his unit! (laughter)

TRAVIS: He's got some junk!

TALIESIN: You've seen it before, I mean, come on.

ASHLEY: That is gorgeous!

MARISHA: Molly was not that buff.

TALIESIN: No, Molly went Super Saiyan there.

LAURA: Long may he reign!

MATT: Yeah, straight up.

TRAVIS: Long may he reign.

SAM: Long and girthy may he reign!

LAURA: Oh my gosh.

MATT: Now, if we can get this to actually function.

LAURA: That's amazing.

LIAM: Now he's got nine egg dicks.

LAURA: Imagine scrambled eggs on all of those. He won't be so scary anymore.

MATT: All right, so.

TALIESIN: This is a lot.

MARISHA: Yeah. Scrambled eggs and oatmeal, is that what it was?

SAM: Reboot, reboot! We'll edit this out later.

MATT: Of course, now is the moment that the app isn't playing the music I want. Fucking goddamn it.

LIAM: It'll come.

TALIESIN: Yeah, no, it's all good.

TRAVIS: Yeah, we've got loads of time.

MATT: I'll just run classic battle music for now, then.

SAM: We need the good stuff!

LAURA: Oh, classic battle music, that's kind of fun for our big fight.

MATT: Sure. All righty, so. Back at hand.

TALIESIN: Oh no, oh man. My initiative is terrible.

SAM: ♪ (imitates background music horn) ♪

MATT: There you go.

LIAM: Got to have it!

MATT: Oh my god. That's interesting.

LAURA: Oh no, he rolled really well.

SAM: Natural one.

MARISHA: Natural 20.

MATT: Natural 20. (groaning)

MATT: I'm not even joking, that sucks.

TALIESIN: I mean, considering how the combat started, we weren't going to swing first.

MATT: It makes sense.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

MATT: All righty, so, sorry. Location-wise with that being where Lucien, the Neo-Somnovem currently resides.

MARISHA: Neo-Somnovem.

MATT: Where would the rest of you be?

TRAVIS: Jester, he's holding you.

LAURA: I would be--

TRAVIS: Pointer?

LAURA: Yeah. Actually, yeah, that seems about right for me.

MATT: Okay. Fjord?

TRAVIS: I'll swing to the other flank over here.

MATT: Over there?

TRAVIS: Yeah.

LIAM: I think maybe Caleb would've subconsciously tried to get the wizards on opposite sides.

MATT: Okay, so where would you like to be?

LIAM: Well, where I am is good, but if Essek were on the other side, so. Caleb and Veth would have tried to flank him. Mage sense.

MATT: Essek, you mean, or Fjord?

LIAM: Essek.

MATT: Okay, Essek will remain there, then.

LAURA: Can I be higher?

MATT: Yeah, if you'd like to.

SAM: Can I be higher, brah?

LIAM: ♪ Your love ♪ ♪ is lifting me higher. ♪

TALIESIN: So we already know about all of the other-- necrotic's useless, psychic's useless, fire's useless.

MARISHA: I'm trying to look it up right now. Where is it?

SAM: We have all the buffs, right?

TALIESIN: Oh yeah, where's mine?

SAM: We've got different buffs.

ASHLEY: Oh my god.

LAURA: I've got a question about that mote of possibility.

SAM: You've got your buffs.

LAURA: Does it work on Divine Intervention?

MATT: No. It's d20 attack, or d20 rolls essentially. All righty, so Caduceus, where would you like to be?

TALIESIN: Fire and necro are half, psychic, charm, frightened, stunned are no.

MATT: Caduceus, where do you want to be?

TALIESIN: I want to be--

SAM: Where the people are.

TALIESIN: Actually, about there, so I can, yeah. That's about right.

MATT: Right here?

TALIESIN: Yeah, a little closer in and a little towards you, but yeah.

MATT: There?

TALIESIN: Yeah, right there.

MATT: Okay. Yasha? (laughter)

MARISHA: Psychic, charmed, frightened, stunned.

ASHLEY: Let's do--

TALIESIN: Are no?

MARISHA: Are no.

TALIESIN: Fire and necrotic are halved.

ASHLEY: I'll kind of go-- your left, back towards the circle of power.

TALIESIN: Which such because most of my damage is necrotic.

ASHLEY: Closer to your right.

MARISHA: Yeah, yeah.

LAURA: Well, now they can move--

MARISHA: But, I mean, that was also proto-Lucien.

MATT: All right, Beau and Veth, where would you like to be?

SAM: Veth is next to Caleb. Beau is next to Yasha.

MARISHA: I mean, yeah, pretty much. Where's Yash? Actually, I'll flank Yasha. I'll go towards this other, above this rooftop. That feels good. Sure, that feels directly in his line of sight. Yeah, that's great.

MATT: (laughs) All righty.

TRAVIS: Like Ursula's [inaudible].

LAURA: Yeah!

MARISHA: That's true.

MATT: There we go.

SAM: ♪ I want to see, want to see 'em seein' ♪

MATT: 25 to 20.

MARISHA: 24.

LAURA: 24.

MARISHA: Whoa!

TRAVIS: 20, so, Beau, Jester.

LAURA: Oh, no, that's a lie, 22.

TRAVIS: Beau, Jester, Fjord.

MARISHA: Fjord.

LIAM: Fuh-jord.

MATT: All righty, 20 to 15.

LIAM: 16. Unnaturally high for me.

MATT: 15 to 10.

ASHLEY: 13 for me.

MARISHA: Where's Essek in this lineup?

MATT: Essek is after Yasha.

TRAVIS: Essek.

MATT: He's rolled pretty bad initiative every time.

TRAVIS: It's that guilt.

MATT: And 10 to five.

SAM and TALIESIN: Eight.

TRAVIS: Nott has the higher dex? Veth.

MATT: Yep.

TALIESIN: Do you want to go-- I was going to say, do you want to switch up who goes first--

LIAM: Tarv, what was it?

TALIESIN: -- on occasion?

SAM: If you would like to.

TALIESIN: There's a couple times I'd like to buff you, please.

TRAVIS: Switch it up. Beau, Jester, Fjord.

SAM: Sure. I'll also buff--

MATT: I'll allow you-- You guys want to switch initiative?

SAM: -- whoever's after you.

TALIESIN: Caleb, Yasha, Essek.

MATT: Cad then Veth?

TRAVIS: Caduceus, Veth.

SAM: You go first.

TALIESIN: Yeah. I'm going to use that trick a couple more times.

MARISHA: Oh, that's a good duo, actually.

TRAVIS: Johnny Dick Monster rolled a natural 20 on his--

MATT: Yeah, it worked out thematically.

LIAM: It's over 9,000.

MARISHA: Is he first?

MATT: Yeah. He's up first.

LAURA: Of course, he's first.

MATT: All righty.

LAURA: He's going to kill us all right now.

MARISHA: Yeah (zooming, explosion).

TRAVIS: You better get your mind right.

MATT: First things first.

LAURA: Oh no.

LIAM: I'm the realest.

MARISHA: I'm the realest? (laughter)

MATT: No, no, not her.

MARISHA: Not Iggy, not Iggy!

MATT: Never, never Iggy.

LIAM: Lucien's final form.

MATT: Lucien's going to go ahead and rise up a bit.

SAM: Rise!

MARISHA: From Australia? This whole time?

TRAVIS: Raise rise up!

SAM: Raise rise up!

LAURA: Oh wow.

LIAM: Oh dear.

TALIESIN: Where are you, Beau?

MARISHA: Cool, cool, cool, cool.

MATT: And is going to--

MARISHA: By the rooftop.

MATT: -- multi-attack with two eyes of the Gaze of the Somnovem.

LIAM: Oh dear.

TRAVIS: The Eyes of the Somnovem.

SAM: This would be such a cool menorah. I'm just saying. (laughter)

LAURA: Oh my god, it would.

MARISHA: I bet Steamforged can make it for ya.

MATT: So let's begin with an Elatis.

LAURA: An Elatis.

MATT: One of the eyes turns over towards--

SAM: Oh!

MATT: -- Veth.

SAM: They all get a move?

MATT: I need you to succeed on an intelligence saving throw, minus the number of eyes you carry.

SAM: One, minus one. But I still get to add my intelligence saving modifier?

MATT: Correct.

SAM: And because I've got Intellect Fortress, I get advantage.

MATT: You do.

MARISHA: Is it going to be like, hideous laughter?

TRAVIS: We'll find out.

SAM: Good, because one of them was a one.

LAURA: Oh my god.

SAM: The other was an 18 plus six minus one. That's a 23.

MATT: Okay. You begin to feel this burbling sense of excitement begin to fill your stomach. And there's something, you glance up and for a second, you see? No, it's gone. Ah, it was all an illusion. No effect.

SAM: (giggling)

MATT: You do gain another eye.

SAM: (shouts)

TRAVIS: Oh shit, you guys!

LAURA: For every hit, we get another?

TRAVIS: Oh shit, oh shit! Oh boy, the plot fucking thickens!

LAURA: How are we going to survive this?

LIAM: Let me out, let me out!

LAURA: Oh my god! What happens if you get nine eyes?

TRAVIS: Five!

LAURA: You get automatic death? Or automatically--

TRAVIS: (shushing) Shush!

SAM: Guys, guys, guys, guys!

ASHLEY: Question, question.

SAM: Stay cool. (laughter)

ASHLEY: How many eyes does everybody have? Caleb has five.

TRAVIS: Four.

MARISHA: Three.

TRAVIS: Four, three.

TALIESIN: Two.

ASHLEY: Why did I think you had five?

LIAM: You have four, right?

SAM: Somebody has four.

ASHLEY: You have three.

LIAM: I have four.

MARISHA: You have four, I have three.

LIAM: Cree had five. I have four, you have three. Got it, right.

TRAVIS: Caduceus has two. Everybody else has one, except for you.

MATT: An Ira eye.

LAURA: I don't have any.

MARISHA and SAM: The Ira eye?

MATT: Burns with bright anger. Looking past the field.

MARISHA: Oh no.

LAURA: Oh no, no, no, no, no.

MATT: It's going to go ahead and shoot a beam from it. (explosion) As a furious blast of fire explodes in the middle of the battlefield.

LAURA: (gasps)

SAM: That's a fireball.

MATT: I need Jester--

TRAVIS: You've got that fucking ring, right?

LAURA: I do, I do, I have the Ring of Fire Resistance.

MATT: You do, that'll help.

TRAVIS: (triumphant yelling) (laughter)

MATT: I need--

TRAVIS: Yes! (laughter)

TRAVIS: Saved my bitch!

MATT: I need Veth, Jester, and Caleb to make a dexterity saving throw, please.

LIAM: What a long road to the payoff.

TRAVIS: (yelling)

ASHLEY: Yep, yep.

MARISHA: Let's just end the campaign--

TRAVIS: Fire!

MARISHA: -- right here. Let's just end on a good note.

LAURA: Ooh, it's real bad, it's real bad. I rolled real bad.

TRAVIS: What kind of a save was it?

LAURA: Dexterity.

LIAM: Fireball.

SAM: Should be better.

MATT: What'd you get?

LAURA: Six.

MATT: 32 points of fire damage reduced to half, so 16.

LIAM: I failed, but I'll trigger the Ring of Evasion.

MATT: 16 points of fire damage.

SAM: 17.

TRAVIS: Oy.

MATT: 17?

LAURA: Oh, and do I get advantage on my next attack? Because I was hit.

MATT: I'll allow it. If you still have the temporary hit points.

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: Yeah.

LAURA: Oh, well, the temporary hit points--

SAM: No, they're gone now.

TALIESIN: It doesn't matter. You've been hit, you lose the temporary hit points, but it doesn't happen again now because you've lost the temp. It's only one.

LAURA: So I still get the advantage.

MATT: Right. So the next time you would have an advantage on an attack.

LAURA: Got it.

MATT: Correct. Okay, we'll go with that.

LAURA: Okay.

MATT: Don't forget to lower the saving throw you roll by the number of eyes you have, too.

SAM: Lower the saving throw, so 16, then.

MATT: 16.

SAM: Oh, no, I have two eyes, 15.

MATT: 15, that's a failure. You take 32 points of fire damage.

SAM: But because I'm a rogue--

MATT: You take half anyway, because of evasion.

SAM: So 16.

LIAM: So is it negative eyes on every save in this situation?

MATT: Seems to be.

LIAM: Yeah, okay.

SAM: Isn't that 16?

LAURA: Oh wow.

TRAVIS: Yes, it is.

LAURA: Oh no.

MATT: All right.

SAM: So okay, my five temporary hit points are just gone forever.

TRAVIS: Yep.

SAM: The rest eats out of that pool of 17 hit points that can be restored.

MARISHA: Correct.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

MATT: And the Gaudius eye flickers--

TRAVIS: Which one, which one?

LAURA: The Gaudius, Gaudius.

MATT: -- flickers a warm orange, welcoming sensation.

LAURA: Oh my god. Each one of these eyes gets to go before we go?

MATT: It shifts over towards you, Beauregard.

MARISHA: Nope, nope, nope.

MATT: I need you to go ahead and make a wisdom saving throw for me. Minus the number--

LAURA: Oh my god!

MATT: With advantage. Minus the number of eyes you have.

MARISHA: Minus three. Wisdom saving throw.

MATT: Yes.

MARISHA: And I can re-roll saving throws if I fail them With ki points.

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: Once.

LAURA: And we get advantage on wisdom saving throws.

MARISHA: Once. Okay, okay, that's a natural 19. So 28 minus three, 25.

SAM: Pretty good.

MATT: That's a success.

ASHLEY: That's pretty good.

MATT: This sense of longing and love and companionship comes and begins to fill you. And you push it away, knowing it's false. No effect.

LAURA: Does she get another eye?

MATT: No.

LAURA: Who got the other eye? You got a second eye. Okay.

MARISHA: Yeah, is there an eye counter? I'm going to do an eye counter.

SAM: Just count your own eyes!

MARISHA: One, two, three eyes.

MATT: All righty.

TRAVIS: I got it up here.

MATT: That is going to finish Lucien's turn, Beau, you're up. Jester, you're on deck.

MARISHA: Oh, I'm up!

LAURA: Oh god.

MARISHA: I'm up!

LAURA: Oh god!

MARISHA: Oh no!

SAM: Oh wait. He only got three turns, not nine.

TALIESIN: Can't do nine in a row.

SAM: So far.

TALIESIN: That's good.

LAURA: That's good.

TRAVIS: That's encouraging. (laughs)

MARISHA: Oh fuck. Okay, well, I'm just going to do what I do, which is I'm going to go up and I'm going to punch him, I guess.

LAURA: Oh my god, you're just going to go right up to him?

MARISHA: (stuttering)

LAURA: I'm so scared.

ASHLEY: Me too!

LIAM: That's her magic power, is punching.

TRAVIS: Loving it. Loving it.

MATT: All right, Beauregard.

ASHLEY: All the emotions. I am the Nonagon.

LIAM: Aim for his real dick.

MATT: (laughs)

TRAVIS: Hey, don't wait. Okay. Let him know.

LIAM: Rage Marshall Bell?

MATT: You rush up, flying up to Lucien.

MARISHA: A little battle cry action?

MATT: Go for it.

MARISHA: Okay. As I hit him, as I'm punching him, I'm going to use my staff, I'm going to say: I liked you better when we were on drugs together. And whack, going to try and crack him, pop, pop, with my staff.

MATT: Okay, are you just saying it offhand or are you trying to connect with him on that statement?

MARISHA: I'm saying it offhand.

MATT: Okay, got it.

MARISHA: I'm just saying it as I whack. Whacky, whacky.

LIAM: Flavor text.

MARISHA: Wow.

MATT: Flavor text.

MARISHA: Real bad. Real bad twice. So the first one is 18.

MATT: 18 misses.

MARISHA: And then the other one I rolled is two. So 14. So miss, miss.

MATT: You go to strike and the phrase you say, there's a bit of a grimace. And one of the eyes peers towards you and you have to dodge out of the way to avoid being struck by some sort of a wayward beam from the Ira. And as you do, your swings just go wide, no impact.

MARISHA: (groaning)

MATT: You've got a bonus action still.

MARISHA: I know, I'm trying to think of what to do with it. Flurry of Blows. I'm just going to see if I can get some hits off on this guy.

MATT: Go for it.

MARISHA: Pop, pop! Okay, those are better. The first one is-- stop sticking to me. Okay, 27.

MATT: 27 hits.

MARISHA: And 23.

MATT: Hits.

MARISHA: Okay. Ooh, ooh, those are both eights! For a total of 15, 30 damage total.

TRAVIS: Let's go.

MATT: Nice.

MARISHA: And extract those aspects.

MATT: All right.

SAM: Extract that ass.

MARISHA: Gimme dat ass!

MATT: Resistant to fire, resistant to necrotic, immune to psychic, immune to charmed, frightened and stunned.

MARISHA: So the same?

MATT: Yeah, the same.

LAURA: Resistant of what?

MARISHA: Fire, necrotic resistance.

MATT: Immune to psychic. And immune to being charmed, frightened or stunned.

TALIESIN: So no holding them in place, no--

MARISHA: So I'm going to quickly, to the rest of the team say: I don't sense any additional vulnerabilities or immunities.

SAM: Why are you talking like that?

MARISHA: I am trying to be very analytical in a moment of stress.

MATT: All right, that finish your turn, Beau?

MARISHA: Yeah, yeah.

MATT: Jester, you're up. Fjord, you're on deck.

TRAVIS: Yep.

MARISHA: Oh, but we're fucking flying.

LAURA: It's like, do I do it? Do I set it up, or? (sighs) I'm going to set it up. And I'm going to Invoke Duplicity.

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: I'm going to send my duplicate right in front of Lucien's face.

MATT: As you go to invoke duplicity--

LAURA: Aw, come on.

MATT: Nothing happens.

LAURA: I can't invoke my duplicate?

MARISHA: I'm so fucking mad at my-- Fuck, fuck, fuck.

LAURA: Well, that's a wasted turn, then.

MARISHA: Fucking field generator thing.

MATT: Who has those?

MARISHA: I have one. Who has the other?

ASHLEY: The what?

LIAM: We didn't say.

LAURA: Who had the second one? I don't have it.

LIAM: I had said we should give it to one of you two. So why don't we give it to one of you two?

TRAVIS: Are you pointing to--?

MARISHA: I have one, so one of you two.

LIAM: Because they had no eyes.

TRAVIS: Oh yeah, yeah, do that.

LAURA: Oh.

TRAVIS: So Yasha or Jester?

ASHLEY: Jester.

LAURA: I guess I could use up my bonus action, then, to send it out, if that counts. Can I do it as a bonus action?

MATT: I'll allow it (laughs).

LAURA: I still wasted my action.

MATT: Your turn, sure, sure.

MARISHA: Do it.

TALIESIN: We need it.

MARISHA: Exactly.

LAURA: Yeah, all right. I'll see that my duplicate didn't work and go: Oh, fuck, I was supposed to-- fuck! And throw out the thing.

TRAVIS: (laughs)

MATT: You chuck it in a heavy arc. And you feel like it should go off. But then it just remains dark. None of the energy releases. And then, poof, as it exits the middle of the field, now you can see this arc right there, as one of the eyes is now facing in this direction.

LAURA: Can I see which eye it's coming from?

MATT: You can see that it's coming from the central eye there.

LAURA: Okay.

LIAM: Can I ask a clarification question?

MATT: Correct.

LIAM: Past encounters with this motherfucker have been on all of us on the ground, so it was a flat plane of space. But now we're at different heights. So if I saw that go out and encompass, say, Caleb and Jester and Veth, but we're all at different heights, should I assume that it is also going like that?

MATT: Correct, it is conical.

LIAM: Okay.

MATT: It is not flat. It is a cone that sprays outward.

LIAM: Okay. Okay, okay, okay. Okay.

SAM: Okay.

LAURA: I'm going to move to where I'm on just the other side of that roof peak.

MATT: Right there?

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: You got it.

TALIESIN: This is a really pretty map.

MARISHA: Yeah, it's cool.

MATT: Okay. That finishes Jester's go?

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: Fjord, you're up. Caleb, you're on deck.

TRAVIS: Because there are no squares, could I get a 30-foot tape measure from Fjord extending towards Lucien, just to see how I am, distance-wise?

MATT: Distance-wise?

TRAVIS: Yeah.

MATT: That is 30 feet right there.

TRAVIS: So I'm shy.

MATT: You're shy of 30 feet, correct.

TRAVIS: Okay, I will come in. What did it look like it needed? 15 feet, 20 feet?

MATT: It needed about 25 or so feet.

TRAVIS: Okay, I'll come in 25 or so feet.

MATT: Okay, that'll put you in.

SAM: We got this. We've got so many tricks up our sleeve.

MATT: About there will get you within 30 feet.

SAM: Easy.

TRAVIS: With my bonus action, I will cast Hexblade's Curse.

MATT: All righty. Hexed. Even within like the glow around Lucien's body, you can see one of the darker spots grows a little darker and this greenish vine begins to curl around. For a moment, you feel as you release the curse, you can almost sense the Wild Mother reaching over and taking the back of your hand and helping you apply this central focus upon your enemy.

TRAVIS: Okay. I will send three Eldritch Blasts. Boy, I want to do the other thing! I'll send three Eldritch Blasts his way.

MATT: All righty, go for it.

TRAVIS: That's a 28 to hit.

MATT: 28 hits.

TRAVIS: That is a-- That's a 30 to hit.

MATT: That hits.

TRAVIS: And that's a natural one.

MATT: That misses.

TRAVIS: Okay. That's 19 points of force damage.

MATT: Nice.

TRAVIS: 16 points of force damage. So that's 35 total.

MATT: Only one hit though, right?

TRAVIS: Yep. 35, total.

MATT: You got it. So (impacts) it hits both sides. Barely a reaction. But you can see the dark where the blasts hit, singed and damaged the outside of the flesh a little bit, as it sits there, barely scathed. One of the eyes, like, over in your direction. All right, does that finish your turn?

TRAVIS: Are you the lover? No, yes, yes, we're done!

MATT: All right, well, because of that at the end of your turn, he's going to use legendary action to go ahead and turn the eye of Fastidan upon you.

TRAVIS: Okay.

MATT: This eye has a dull greenish tint to it. And you feel this wilting energy focus upon your body. I need you to go ahead and make a constitution saving roll for me, please.

TRAVIS: Constitution. 18 plus five, 23.

MATT: 23, that's a success.

SAM: Do you have any eyes?

TRAVIS: Any what?

SAM: Eyes.

MATT: Minus the number of eyes you have, yes.

TRAVIS: Thank you, one, so 22.

MATT: Still enough.

TALIESIN: That was a lot of dice that just got rolled.

TRAVIS: Yeah.

TALIESIN: They did not sound like d4s. (pile of dice rolling)

TALIESIN: Nope. That's got some heft.

TRAVIS: You know you've been at this shit a long time when you know the sound of the die. (laughter)

MATT: You only take half damage, so you take 34 points necrotic damage.

SAM: That's not bad.

MATT: As the wilting energy begins to sap the life from you, the sheer disgust radiating from this eye causing you to shrivel in place. But you shrug off the majority of it and (panting) catch your breath.

TRAVIS: The Fastidan eye had 68 points of necrotic damage in it.

SAM: No problem.

MARISHA: Is that like a Blight type of?

TRAVIS: I don't know. What color was it? Green?

MATT: It was a dull greenish.

TALIESIN: Yeah, that's a Blight theme.

TRAVIS: Oh!

ASHLEY: It was originally 64 points of damage?

TRAVIS: Cool! Cool, cool!

TALIESIN: That's more than eight. That's like a perfect roll. Yeah.

TRAVIS: Come on!

MATT: Finishing Fjord's turn, Caleb, you're up.

LIAM: Okay, I think I remember that his vision was pointed towards Caleb and Veth?

MATT: Correct.

LIAM: Yeah. So I'm going to use my mind powers to fly 60 feet to my left, to Caleb's left, out of that. Yes, and as I'm going--

MATT: Maintaining elevation?

LIAM: Maybe just 10 feet? Or I can just imagine that if it's easier for platforms.

TRAVIS: Tugboat.

LIAM: Yeah, tugboat Veth along.

MATT: (laughs) Goddamn it.

LIAM: And as he's zipping over there, I'm going to down the Potion of Maximum Power,

MATT: You've got it.

LIAM: As a bonus action, right? Is that what we do for potions?

MATT: Ah, for healing potions, what does it say to get in that one?

LIAM: It says it has a muddy taste.

MATT: Gotcha, then--

LIAM: If I can do it as a bonus, I'll do it. But if I can't, I won't.

MATT: I'll allow it, I'll allow it.

LIAM: Okay, so he just chugs that. And when he gets to his position hovering there he pulls out a scroll and opens it up and starts reading from the Protection from Aberrations incantation on it.

MATT: All righty. Focusing on yourself?

LIAM: Yeah.

MATT: All right. As you finish reading off the scroll, the energy consumes it. And as it does, the spark of remaining flame separates into multiple runes around you. And it alights this cylindrical space, where now this shimmering protective field now seems to be apper-- seems to be-- Hmm, my brain is not working well tonight. It seems to be emanating from you. There we go, that's the word.

LIAM: Is it visible to everybody?

MATT: Faintly.

LIAM: Okay, so it's five-foot radius and then a cylinder, 10-foot cylinder. So I guess that means five up and five down.

MATT: Correct.

LIAM: I think you would gain from that if you clumped with me. Do with that what you will.

ASHLEY: Where are you at again? You're over on the--

LIAM: I'm by the bottom left corner of the map.

ASHLEY: Got it, got it, got it.

LIAM: Red base. That's the end of my turn.

SAM: Red rum.

LIAM: All right, end of Caleb's turn, he's going to go ahead and use another legendary action. Let's go ahead and do another Gaze of the Somnovem.

LAURA: Oh.

TALIESIN: That's just a thing you can do twice, in a row? (laughter)

MATT: For as many legendary actions as I have at the end of other people's turns, yeah.

LAURA: (shrieks)

TRAVIS: That's the second one, this round.

LAURA: (shrieks)

MATT: Let's go ahead and do Luctus.

MARISHA and SAM: Luctus.

MATT: This dull, grayish, almost seeping eye spins and glances toward, it's going to say back towards you Fjord.

LAURA: Oh no!

TRAVIS: I am a handsome fellow.

MATT: You are, you are. I need you to go ahead and make a dexterity saving throw, minus the number of eyes you have.

TRAVIS: That's all right. This is going to go poorly, because my dex is balls.

LIAM: ♪ It's my dex in a box ♪

TRAVIS: That's a two.

SAM: Okay, okay.

MATT: That's a fail. You feel suddenly your heart sunken with absolute grief and sadness. You're forced to face every poor decision you've made. Every person you believe you've let down. And it feels like a weighing anchor. Instinctually, your body almost seems to sink in the sky a few inches. You are considered slowed, so your movement is half, you have no reaction, and on your turn, you can choose to take either an action or a bonus action, not both.

LAURA: Oh god. And that lasts how long?

MATT: It could last for a minute, or until you save at the end of your turn. Which you get to try and save every turn after.

TRAVIS: An action or a bonus only.

MATT: Correct.

TRAVIS: I cannot move?

MATT: Your movement is halved.

TRAVIS: And?

LAURA: You can't react.

TRAVIS: Thank you.

SAM: That reaction thing is pretty bad.

LAURA: Yeah.

MARISHA: It is.

MATT: All righty. That finishes the reaction, there they go. Finishes to that one. Yasha, you're up, with Essek on deck.

TRAVIS: Are these spells, are they just innate ability?

ASHLEY: I know.

LIAM: I think so.

ASHLEY: I would like to rage.

MATT: Good on you.

TRAVIS: Yes!

TALIESIN: Please.

ASHLEY: (sighing) Okay. And I'm going to get myself up to Lucien.

TRAVIS: At least that's an effect, not--

ASHLEY: Yes, I have haste.

LAURA: Did you already activate the thingy?

MATT: You have not. It is an action to activate it.

ASHLEY: Oh, it's an action to activate it. Got it, got it, got it. Okay, so I will, Caleb told me to eat it.

MATT: Okay.

MATT: So pop it in my mouth, eat it.

LIAM: I think Liam told you to eat it. Oh god.

MATT: Sure. (laughter)

TRAVIS: (choking)

ASHLEY: Okay, good to go.

LAURA: Okay, go.

MATT: It tastes kind of like a--

MARISHA: Not now, Yasha, not now.

MATT: -- a vague immaterial concept. but nevertheless.

TRAVIS: Ever seen a barbarian rage-choke? (laughter)

TRAVIS: (rage-choking)

MATT: You are hasted.

MARISHA: A bunch of foam at the mouth.

TRAVIS: Fucking into it.

MATT: Which means that's your action to cast it. Well, you bonus action raged. But it does add plus two to your AC. You have-- is it advantage on dexterity saves?

ASHLEY: Advantage on dexterity.

MATT: And you have an additional action on your turn.

SAM: That she can use this turn?

MATT: That you can use this turn, for a single-weapon attack, if you'd like.

ASHLEY: So, here we go, first attack.

LIAM: Slice off one of them tentacles.

LAURA: Slice off a tentacle.

TRAVIS: Slice off a tentacle.

ASHLEY: (relieved exhale) Okay.

TRAVIS: ♪ Thank God I'm a country boy ♪

ASHLEY: That would be 23.

MATT: 23 hits.

ASHLEY: Okay. I am shaking, guys, I'm shaking. Shakin' in my boots.

TRAVIS: Feel it in my plums.

ASHLEY: Yep.

SAM: ♪ Feel it in my fingers ♪

ASHLEY: I feel it in my plums. Savage Attacker.

SAM, TALIESIN, and MATT: ♪ I feel it in my toes ♪

MATT: Gosh, why is that--? That's the only thing I remember from that movie, which is for the best.

ASHLEY: Okay.

LIAM: (whoosh, whoosh)

LAURA: ♪ Meet me in the garden ♪

LAURA and ASHLEY: ♪ Oh garden ♪

TRAVIS: Woof, woof, woof.

MATT: (laughs) Wow.

LIAM: That's a big call back. That was a big one.

ASHLEY: Okay, so for the first hit, that is 36 points of damage.

MATT: Nice!

LAURA: (clapping)

ASHLEY: And as I'm hitting him, I'll say: It's been a while, ice spinner.

MATT: All right, you say it colloquially, in the middle of your fray, which means it gets a little lost. If you're trying to really mark with attention, you have to really spend a bit of your turn, at least.

ASHLEY: That's a bit of the action, okay.

MATT: Or a bonus action, you can.

ASHLEY: I'm going to go stabbies, again.

MATT: Well, you get one weapon attack with that hasted action.

ASHLEY: Oh, it's one weapon attack.

MATT: Correct. So in theory, now that you're hasted, you can use your action to attack twice. And then your hasted action to attack a third time. And then you have your bonus action still, on future turns.

ASHLEY: Okay.

MATT: You only get to attack twice on your base action.

LAURA: And this was your hasted action.

ASHLEY: This was my hasted action.

MATT: Exactly.

ASHLEY: That's right, that's right.

MATT: So, you're good?

ASHLEY: Yeah, that's all I can do.

MATT: All right.

LAURA: Can I ask for clarification, Matt?

MATT: Sure, yeah.

LAURA: The anti-magic (blows raspberry), was that coming from a stalk, or was that coming from Lucien's, like, an eye on Lucien? Oh, he doesn't have eyes anymore.

MATT: The eyes are no longer on the body. That was coming from the central stalk above the head.

LAURA: Got it, okay.

MATT: Oddly enough, the one name you didn't catch.

MARISHA: Pride. That tracks.

MATT: Yeah. So that brings us now, finishing Yasha's turn, to Essek's turn.

LAURA: Come on, Essek!

LIAM: It's Chad.

MATT: Essek is going to go ahead--

LAURA: Chad.

SAM: (surfer voice) Hey, guys.

MARISHA: Chad.

TALIESIN: Chadius.

SAM: (surfer voice) I'm a Somnovem. (laughter)

LIAM: (high-pitched) Biggus Chadius.

SAM: (surfer voice) Wanna chill?

MATT: Is going to go ahead and cast Gravity Fissure.

LAURA: Gravity Fissure.

SAM: (surfer voice) Got this new album I torrented.

MATT: Arced upward. You watch as--

SAM: (surfer voice) Got this new album I torrented.

MATT: Arced upward. You watch as-- Essek's hovering there, looking amongst the group up there, seeing the anti-magic field projecting the other direction for the time being. Puts his hands together, concentrates, and you see a similar starscape, like the center of the beacon, begin to swirl around his hands and begin to shift and shift. And as he pulls it to his chest, he rips it into two pieces and slams them together. And as it does, you hear the sound of time and space ripping, as gravity seems to burst forward in this tearing, cracking sound. It, at this angle, will just barely miss Beauregard and Yasha as he's aiming, upward and outward, because it does have a radial element there. But it does manage to push through. For that now, that is a constitution saving throw.

LAURA: Ooh, chilly bumps!

MATT: Success on this constitution saving throw. However, does still take--

MARISHA: Is it hot or is it cold?

LAURA: I can't tell.

MARISHA: I don't know, don't know.

LAURA: I'm sweating and shaking at the same time.

MATT: Ooh, nice.

LAURA: Taliesin, how many eyes do you have?

LIAM: Two.

TALIESIN: Dos.

MARISHA: You have two?

TALIESIN: I have two.

MARISHA: You still don't have any, right?

ASHLEY: Don't have any.

MARISHA: And you still don't have any.

ASHLEY: Jester doesn't have any.

MATT: 42 points of force damage reduced to 21. He did save.

SAM: Pretty good, pretty good, pretty good. And Essek's going to go, "All right, that's enough for me." (whooshes)

SAM: He's out.

MATT: And just hides behind the tower and peeks. At the end of Essek's turn, he's going to go ahead and use the last two of the legendary actions, to shift the top eye.

ASHLEY: How many legendary actions does he have?

SAM: At least four.

MATT: And is now filling this space here.

MARISHA: So that's Caduceus and me.

MATT: Caduceus, Fjord, and you. But primarily focused on Caduceus.

TRAVIS: So he has four legendary actions per round.

SAM: Is it four or five? Did he use one on you?

TRAVIS: He used two, before this.

LIAM: Two on you.

MARISHA: So is it five?

TRAVIS: It's four, right?

TALIESIN: But apparently it takes more than one legendary action to move the field that far.

TRAVIS: It takes two to move the, we saw it when--

SAM: ♪ It takes two ♪

MATT: (laughs) Finishing Essek's go, and that reaction, Caduceus, you are up.

TALIESIN: I would like to move to get both within, just barely within 30 feet of Lucien. And also just slightly, I want to see if I have enough movement to just--

MATT: What's your intelligence score?

TALIESIN: What's my intelligence score? Uh, negative--

MATT: No, your overall score, the number.

TALIESIN: Oh nine.

MATT: Nine. So you can move, flying-wise, about 25 feet.

TALIESIN: Oh okay.

SAM: Hey, Matthew, sorry, oh--

MATT: Which will not get you out of the cone.

TALIESIN: Oh.

MATT: Unfortunately, you travel slowest of everyone in this group, being in the Astral Sea. So even if you move full movement, thankfully, you can see where it is, but you can't escape this cone this turn.

TALIESIN: I can't. There's no direction I can escape this cone on this turn?

MATT: Not at your current, unless you want to back out. Which you could do.

TALIESIN: How deep is the cone?

MATT: The cone seems to go about 60 feet.

LIAM: ♪ How deep is your cone? ♪

TALIESIN: Okay. Yeah, this changes my plan.

TRAVIS: Yeah, it's very, very interesting. This mousetrap is interesting.

TALIESIN: This is tricky. Fuck a duck.

LAURA: How many hit points do you think he has? A godly amount.

SAM: A hundred.

LAURA: A hundred. (laughter)

LAURA: He's bloodied already, right?

MATT: It's like 50 to 100?

SAM: Matt, we released one of the, what are they called? The field--

MATT: Arcane field generators.

LAURA: Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's why we know that--

MATT: Correct.

SAM: And it still works in this whole area?

MATT: It is, what is the radius on the item?

LAURA: I don't know. I don't have the card. The anti-magic thingy.

SAM: Field generator.

LIAM: Dang it, I've got it here. I'll tell you in a sec.

LAURA: What it basically did was let us know that the top--

LIAM: Hundred-foot radius.

SAM: So that's most of this area, right?

LIAM: Yeah, it's this field.

MATT: It is pretty much the entire field is affected by it.

SAM: That's awesome.

MATT: So if you ever want to ask me where it is, I can go ahead and show you where it's currently set, but the last one was--

SAM: And it lasts for a little bit?

MATT: It lasts until he moves it.

SAM: No, I mean our field generator? It's not going to wear off?

LAURA: I don't think so. I think it lasts for like, an hour or something.

LIAM: Yeah, one hour.

SAM: Great.

LAURA: Well, if this battle goes on--

MATT: Whatcha doing, Caduceus.

TALIESIN: I can't really do much, because I if I move to the right there's no getting out of it? There's just--

LIAM: ♪ Slide to the right ♪

MATT: There's no way of getting closer--

LIAM: ♪ Slide to the left ♪

MATT: -- and getting out of the field.

TALIESIN: Okay then, not getting closer, and getting out of the field.

MATT: Okay, would you want to just move back?

TALIESIN: Oh, I'll move-- Yeah, I'll move, not back, actually, I'm going to move to around to the back. Around towards the back of Lucien. If I can move that way to get out.

MATT: The only way you can get out of the field is to move backwards to some degree, because moving laterally to your left, you're still going to be inside of it. It is a 60-foot cone on both sides. You've only moved 25 feet.

TALIESIN: And I'm right in the middle?

MATT: And you're right in the middle of it, so. He intentionally did that because he's a dick.

TALIESIN: Cool, I'm going to-- I'm going to hold a spell. Can I hold a, no actually, no! I can't do anything this turn, I'm just going to maintain. I'm just going to move like--

TRAVIS: Could you put something between you and him?

TALIESIN: What do you mean?

SAM: Everything he does is magic, though.

MATT: ♪ Every little thing he does is magic ♪

TRAVIS: He has to see you.

SAM: ♪ Everything he does just turns me on ♪

TALIESIN: I'm going to back up a bit.

MATT: You going to back up a bit? All right. Floating back, that gets you outside of the field right there. But you do know that you are beyond 60 feet, just as a note.

TALIESIN: Yeah. Fuck, that'll do for now.

SAM: ♪ Ee-oh ♪ ♪ Ee-oh ♪

TALIESIN: I can't really do-- Yeah. I know, I'm so sorry, this just changed my entire plan.

MARISHA: ♪ Every little thing! ♪

MATT: All right, so that finishes Caduceus' turn.

MARISHA: ♪ Every little thing! ♪

MATT: Veth, you're up.

SAM: No one rocks harder than 1981 Sting. ♪ Every little thing ♪

MARISHA: ♪ Every little thing! ♪

LIAM: ♪ Ee-oh ♪

SAM: I will, I assume-- I'm not in the field thing anymore, so I can do magic.

MATT: Correct.

SAM: And Caduceus can't help me. So I'm just going to help myself. I will bonus action cast Brenatto's Voltaic Bolt on my bolt.

MATT: All righty.

SAM: That I will load into my super hot Aeorian Security Cannon. (crossbow loading and powering up)

MATT: Hell yeah.

SAM: I will fire with advantage, because I was hit by an attack?

LAURA: Yeah.

SAM: Is that how you ruled?

LAURA and TALIESIN: Yeah!

MATT: Yeah.

SAM: Okay.

MATT: I'll allow it for this. Technically, it's a combat attack, but I'll allow it for this because you need all the help you can get.

LAURA: Oh!

TALIESIN: Ow.

MATT: (laughs)

SAM: And I will strike with a 24.

MATT: That hits, yeah.

SAM: All right, let's see what we do. Let's see what we do. (gasps) Not great. (whispering) Okay, it's five, 12, 24, 32, 41. Plus, 53 points of damage.

MATT: Nice! Still focusing and looking about, hearing the little bit of prattle in the space. Shink! (groans) Suddenly, all the attention shifts to you momentarily. You've certainly caught Lucien's attention as the bolt now is embedded, not bleeding, but embedded in his rock, hard abs. (laughter) This is an Astral washboard right here, y'all. All right, are you going to stay put? Do you want to move?

SAM: I'm going to move towards Caleb, but not into any sort of cone or cylinder.

MATT: Okay, maintaining height?

SAM: Yeah, maintaining height.

MATT: That'll get you about there with your intellect. All right, that finishes your go?

SAM: Uh-huh.

MATT: Now it's Lucien's turn.

SAM: Molly, I know you're in there! We still love you!

TRAVIS: (like Veth) You bitch!

SAM: You owe me five gold!

MATT: All righty. You watch the eye shift at the top.

SAM: Goddamn it!

MATT: To about there.

TRAVIS: This is very interesting.

LIAM: The glitter is still everywhere in the air, right? So we see this thing sweeping through?

MATT: Correct, yeah, you see it swinging back and forth.

LIAM: Question?

MATT: Yes.

LIAM: The wording on that scroll says, "This prevents aberrations from affecting anything within the cylinder." So how does that apply to my space?

MATT: Aberrations? This is an interesting point because technically the effect and protection part of the spell is superseded by the anti-magic effect of this space. So I would say that the anti-magic cone, actually nullifies the protection, if you're in that zone. But if you manage to move beyond it, then you are protected.

LIAM: Okay.

LAURA: So it doesn't drop the spell, it just makes it go away while you're in the anti-magic cone? Okay.

MATT: It doesn't dispel it, or get rid of it. It just blinks away for the moment while you're in that space.

LIAM: Okay.

LAURA: That's better than completely dispelling.

TALIESIN: Yeah, it's the same with the anti-magic bubble.

LIAM: Unless he comes to hit me with something, it doesn't do anything in this fight.

LAURA: Right.

MATT: All right, so going into the turn.

TRAVIS: If you're holding a concentration spell, and you get hit by the anti-magic cone, that spell's done.

LAURA: Yes.

MATT: The hand of Lucien to the right, is going to go ahead and reach out towards you, Beauregard.

TRAVIS: The hand? No, no, we're just using eyes. We're just using eyes. Just use your eyes!

LAURA: Seriously though, look at those abs.

MATT: Does a 26 to hit?

SAM: So good!

MATT: I need you to make a constitution saving throw.

MARISHA: Not my strongest suit. Saving throw.

TRAVIS: Let's go, fam, let's go.

MARISHA: Don't fuck me, Gil. Natural 20, natural 20!

TRAVIS and MARISHA: (screaming)

MATT: For a total of?

MARISHA: 28, minus eyes?

MATT: Minus eyes.

MARISHA: Minus eyes? 25.

MATT: 25, okay. That's a success.

MARISHA: (relieved sigh) I just pass out.

TALIESIN: So many dice rolls.

TRAVIS: ♪ So many dice ♪

MARISHA: ♪ So many dice ♪

MATT: Okay, so your 49 points of psychic damage you would have taken is reduced to 24 points of psychic damage, and you are not stunned. As he reaches out, grabs you by the throat, and not even looking at you, says, "Oh, this seems familiar." And your entire body fills with pain as your brain is wracked with a torrent of psychic energy. You hear all the screams of Somnovem coming into your brain at once, and all the eyes in your body flare up with a white-hot pain. But you managed to push away and float a few feet out of his grasp, as the fingers (crunching)

MARISHA: Yeah, I remember that, too.

MATT: (chuckling) He just, looking away, laughs.

MARISHA: I just look the direction he's looking.

LAURA: (laughs)

MATT: And as part of the multiattack on that, going to go head and make two Gaze of the Somnovem attacks. Gaudius once more, shifts over the shoulder towards you, Yasha. I need you to make a wisdom saving throw.

TRAVIS: But wait, there's so many more eyes that haven't done shit yet!

MARISHA: With advantage?

TALIESIN: With advantage.

MATT: With advantage.

ASHLEY: With advantage, with advantage.

MATT: You do not have any eyes, so you do not take any penalties to it.

TRAVIS: What about Mirumus and Timorei?

ASHLEY: Which one am I going to do? Let's do this one. Okay. Let's see if I can-- I mean, I don't know why I'm thinking I can add something out of fucking nowhere. 14 total. 14 total, because my wisdom is zero, so 14 is my roll.

MATT: That sense of love emanates from the eye and this call to belong, to join, with this wonderful possibility. You are charmed by Lucien for the next minute.

LAURA: (gasps)

TRAVIS: And your rage doesn't do anything for that, does it?

MATT: Nope.

LAURA: Oh no, and she's hasted.

MARISHA: That was a you thing.

TRAVIS: Is that a try and shake it off every turn kind of thing?

SAM: You did a wisdom save?

MATT: You'll find out.

ASHLEY: He said a wisdom save.

SAM: With advantage?

ASHLEY: With advantage and I rolled a fucking 14.

MARISHA: You have no pluses to your wisdom save at all?

TALIESIN: Do you have a mote?

ASHLEY: Plus zero.

LAURA: No.

ASHLEY: Hold on, hold on.

MARISHA: Yeah, you didn't get Fortune's Favor?

TRAVIS: No, she ate the Haste.

MARISHA: Damn, damn.

TRAVIS: She ate the Haste.

MATT: She literally ate the Haste.

TRAVIS: Question for you, Matt. When I failed the Luctus one, do I take an eye? The slow?

MATT: No.

TRAVIS: Okay.

LAURA: Which one was the one that hit you, Veth?

SAM: I don't remember his name.

MARISHA: Elatis, I think?

ASHLEY: Luctus was slow.

MARISHA: I think Elatis hit you, Veth.

SAM: Elactus?

MATT: Elatis was the one.

SAM: Who's Elatis? Is that Alactus?

TRAVIS: The charm. Elatis was the charm.

MARISHA: Yeah.

MATT: Gaudius was the charm.

LAURA: Gaudius. Oh god.

TRAVIS: Yeah, that's also charm, but that's wisdom.

MATT: Elatis was something else.

TRAVIS: Oh, I just wrote down Charm Person.

LAURA: We don't know what it was, because Veth shook it off.

MATT: Indeed. The other eye is going to be, for this one, Timorei. It's going to go ahead and shift around to you, Jester.

LAURA: Me? Little me?

MATT: The sense of dread that would wash into your brain, does not because you are immune to fear.

TRAVIS: (gasps)

ASHLEY: Oh, yes!

MARISHA: Glad we ate that grilled cheese sandwich.

LAURA: Yeah, that was the grilled cheese. That was the five bear claws. (grunts)

MATT: Lucien spins in place, looks over towards you. "Interesting. Noted."

LAURA: (groans)

MATT: That eye it begins to-- doesn't fully retract, but pulls away slightly.

TRAVIS: What kind of a trick would that have been?

MATT: That, yeah, that's going to end Lucien's turn. Lucien's not going to move from that moment, knowing you guys are there. All righty. Beau, you're up. Jester, you're on deck.

LAURA: Okay. How far away am I from him?

MATT: You are roughly 60 or so feet.

TRAVIS: (laughs) Fucking awesome.

MARISHA: Wait, what's happening?

MATT: It's a Beau's turn. Sorry, it's your turn.

MARISHA: Okay, okay, okay.

MATT: Sorry, Jester asked a question, I was like, "No, it's not Jester's turn. It's Beau's turn."

MARISHA: Oh, okay. I didn't know what was going on.

MATT: We're just staring at each other, like, "What's happening?" (laughter)

TALIESIN: This is so stressful

ASHLEY: I was like, "Oh, what's going on?"

TRAVIS: I understood that we were waiting on something.

MARISHA: Yeah.

TRAVIS: We all were waiting.

LIAM: Everybody, including Matt, was thinking of their next move.

ASHLEY: Yep, yep, yep.

MARISHA: Everyone arrives at a four-way stop and you're all like, "Do--?"

LAURA: Was it you? Was it you?

TRAVIS: Flash your headlights.

MARISHA: But it is me! It is me! So I am going to-- is his hand still held aloft from where he grabbed me?

MATT: Yeah, it's pulled back a little bit. The fingers are flexing.

MARISHA: I'm going to full instinct, bar brawl, don't-you-fucking-put-your-hands-on-me-bitch grab him by the thumb, that's still out there, and do a big twist, and try and yank for my pop-pop.

MATT: Go for it.

MARISHA: Try and break that thumb. Lord have mercy, what shit rolls.

TALIESIN: You have one advantage roll, by the way.

MARISHA: I do? I'm not going to use it yet, because that's going to be a when I'm dying thing. One is a natural one. One is a natural--

MATT: It's the next attack you make. So one of them is advantage.

MARISHA: Oh! I'll take that! Okay, okay, I'll take that one. That's right. It's a four. It's a four.

TALIESIN: Cool.

MARISHA: So for a total of--

LAURA: You can't break a god's thumb.

MARISHA: I can't break a god's thumb. That one is an 18 to hit.

MATT: No, 18 misses.

MARISHA: But yeah. But the other one is a natural 19 for a 31 to hit.

MATT: That hits.

MARISHA: Okay, that's an eight. So I'm going to do 15 damage there.

MATT: All righty.

LAURA: You sprained his thumb.

MARISHA: I sprained his thumb.

MATT: You grab the thumb and pull it back. It doesn't pop, but it definitely gives a little bit. He looks over at you and the thumb suddenly gives too much.

MARISHA: Ugh.

SAM: Ew!

MATT: You let go and it pops back into place.

MARISHA: I instinctually wipe my hand.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: Yuck.

MATT: Bonus action?

MARISHA: My bonus action is going to say: Don't you still want to see Gustav, now that you've paid off his debt?

MATT: Using your bonus action to say this?

MARISHA: Yeah.

MATT: Make a persuasion check.

MARISHA: Aww.

MATT: With advantage.

MARISHA: With advantage? Oh lord. I'm not charismatic. Okay, 14.

MATT: 14.

MARISHA: With advantage? Not disadvantage. Okay. Sorry, I took the lower number instinctually, because I hate myself. (laughter)

MATT: Relatable.

MARISHA: 16 total.

MATT: 16?

SAM: Minus three?

MATT: Minus three. No, no, that's saving throw.

SAM: Oh good! Whew.

MARISHA: 16.

MATT: Glances over at you, and as the eye twitches, something inside the body (cracking, snarls) "I don't know what you're talking about."

MARISHA: (high-pitched whine)

MATT: He loses a legendary action.

ALL: Oh!

LAURA: He loses what?

ALL: A legendary action.

SAM: An acsh.

LAURA: (gasps)

SAM: Like forever, or just for one round?

MATT: You don't know.

SAM: We don't know.

LAURA: Because of what did you say?

MATT: Seems to fuck him up a little bit.

LAURA: I was looking at my stuff.

SAM: She did some Molly talk.

MARISHA: I said, "Don't you want to see Gustav?"

LAURA: Oh shit!

MARISHA: But I used my bonus action to do it.

LAURA: Okay, okay, okay.

MARISHA: And it was a persuasion check.

LAURA: Okay, okay, okay.

SAM: So if we all say, "Do you still want to see Gustav?" Maybe it'll work a lot more.

MARISHA: What if we all start chanting "Gustav, Gustav"?

MATT: (laughs)

MARISHA: Might not be a bad idea.

TALIESIN: From deep within my subconscious, Molly thinks we're all assholes and we're going to die. (laughter)

MATT: All right, so that finish your turn, Beau? You stay put, or?

MARISHA: I'm staying put.

MATT: All righty, finishing end of Beau's turn, he's going to go ahead and use a legendary action to Fold Space.

LAURA: To fold space?

MATT: Angered and frustrated by the terms that you said, he glares back at you, (three tongue clicks) and just vanishes.

LAURA: Oh!

TRAVIS: Well, that's--

MATT: Appearing 60 feet, this way.

LAURA: (gasps)

MATT: Right to there.

SAM: That's not so bad.

LIAM: What do we see for the vision, after that move?

TRAVIS: The cone?

SAM: The cone?

LIAM: Yeah. So it came with him. Okay.

SAM: It's a nice open space, though, we got to stay out of it.

MATT: All right, that finishes that go. Jester, you're up. Fjord, you're on deck.

LAURA: Can I reach him with my movement? My intelligence is-- what is my intelligence, 12?

MATT: 12, that'll put you at about--

LAURA: 32?

MATT: A little over 30 feet, so you can not it to him with that, unfortunately.

LAURA: No? Okay.

MATT: You can get close. You can get within 10 feet.

LAURA: I'm going to move up five feet.

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: And I'm going to, seeing where the cone, where his eyeball is facing now. I'm going to use my last Invoke Duplicity, and pop it up right behind him.

MATT: Okay!

LAURA: On the underside, like below, next to his feet.

MATT: Next to his feet?

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: And for the purposes of this, because it's fun, I'm going to go ahead and stick you right there.

LAURA: Yes!

SAM: Nice!

TALIESIN: Is that earthquake putty?

MATT: Yep.

TALIESIN: I love it.

LAURA: Amazing. And then for my bonus action.

MATT: That's a Brennan Lee Mulligan trick that I will forever thank him for showing me that.

LAURA: For my bonus action, I'm going to cast Spiritual Weapon at 4th-level, above him.

MATT: Ooh!

LAURA: Like, right here.

TALIESIN: Damocles himself.

MATT: I'll say for the purposes,

TALIESIN: The lollipop.

LAURA: Yeah, a lollipop halo.

SAM: Yeah.

TRAVIS: You need, like, a toothpick and something.

MATT: There we go.

SAM: (laughs)

MATT: Sure. That's not precarious at all.

SAM: Oh god!

MARISHA: (laughs)

MATT: Yep.

TALIESIN: That's what I'm here for.

TRAVIS: We're getting Fraggle Rock in here.

LAURA: Oh god, wait, do I want to do this? Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, because I still get advantage on my next attack, right? So I don't know if I want to use this on my Spiritual Weapon. I'm going to not do that yet!

SAM: He just pasted it to the--

LAURA: I'm sorry, keep it! It's going to go back in a second. But for my bonus action, I'm going to-- I'm going to say-- I'm going to say: You see? It's-- it's-- fuck. It's just like the tarot reading said, Molly! You had to die. You had to die to be reborn.

MATT: Okay, I would like you to make persuasion check.

MARISHA: Come on, Jes! Charismatic as fuck. You're so charismatic, though.

LAURA: Eight.

MATT: As you shot this over the way, Lucien looks back at you and goes, "Oh, little girl, don't you know those cards are stacked every time? Simple storytelling. Make you hear what you think you want to hear." That finish your turn?

LAURA: You were shaking. I saw you twitch!

MATT: (laughs)

LAURA: That's my turn.

MATT: All right, Fjord, you're up.

TRAVIS: Well, I'm slowed. Which is just fucking great. I will try and travel 15 feet towards you.

MATT: Towards me?

TRAVIS: Yeah. Coming down.

SAM: You're attacking the DM?

TRAVIS: No.

SAM: You can do that?

TRAVIS: I'm just going to try and put as much of that tower between me and Lucien, but I don't think I'm going to get that far.

MATT: You don't quite get to the tower, unfortunately, because of the slow.

TRAVIS: Yeah.

MATT: But you get close, and you lower yourself a little lower you said?

TRAVIS: Yep.

MATT: Okay, there you go.

TRAVIS: And I, because I have an action or a reaction-- or a bonus, but not both, I will shout out to Lucien. We're all circus people. We all have our issues.

SAM: Ooh, okay.

MATT: Make a persuasion check.

SAM: Charismatic. He's a charismatic man.

TRAVIS: I am. 22!

MATT: 22.

MARISHA: We all float down here.

MATT: You say that, and while nothing impacts, you see this physical reaction, like a knife to the chest. It's like, (impact). Scratches at it, confused. "(laughs) I don't know what you're playing at. But I'm likely interested to see how this goes." He loses a legendary action. (relieved sighs)

LAURA: This is exciting, okay. Hey, Matt, can I say that I moved-- I said I only moved five feet towards him. Can I say that I moved 10 feet towards him, so that I can--?

MATT: I'll say you do that the rest of your turn.

LAURA: Okay.

MATT: Okay?

LAURA: (whispering) I'm going to go to the bathroom.

MATT: That finishes your go, Fjord?

TRAVIS: Yes.

MATT: Caleb-- Actually, at the end of Jester's turn.

SAM: Uh oh.

MATT: He's going to go ahead and use his last legendary action to gaze and this'll be-- Hmm. Ira, once more, fills with bright red energy, looks over in this direction before--

LIAM: Act one.

MATT: It shifts past Yasha, underneath to where Fjord-- Oh, by the way, I need you to make a saving throw so I can see if you're still slowed.

TRAVIS: Oh, oh yes.

LAURA: Oh, right!

TRAVIS: Yes, yes, that's super important.

MATT: Pause here for a minute. So what'd you roll?

TRAVIS: Oh, you want me to roll?

MATT: Yeah, this is a constitution saving throw, I believe.

LAURA: Come on, come on, come on.

TRAVIS: 19, five plus 14?

LAURA: Do you have any eyes?

MATT: Sorry, this is dexterity. My bad, sorry.

TRAVIS: Oh, dexterity. That's worse. Should I re-roll? Same thing.

MATT: Re-roll. Re-roll.

TRAVIS: Oh, okay. No.

MATT: No? All right, still slowed. (explosion) Explodes in a ball of fire once more, catching Beauregard and Fjord in the explosion. I need you both to make dexterity saving throws.

TRAVIS: Where's my ring?! (laughter)

LAURA: I'm sorry, Fjord!

TRAVIS: It's cocked.

MARISHA: Don't go dark right now.

TRAVIS: Dexterity saving throws?

LAURA: Yeah.

TRAVIS: Minus the eye?

LAURA and MATT: Yeah.

TRAVIS: 10.

MATT: 22 points of fire damage to you. He rolled really bad on that.

MARISHA: 20.

MATT: 20, minus your eyes.

MARISHA: Oh, nope, nope. Minus my eyes is 18.

MATT: 22 points of fire damage to you.

MARISHA: And evasion.

MATT: Makes it to half, so you take 11. Explodes!

LAURA: You mean 17? Don't you have three eyes?

MARISHA: Yup, that's math. 17.

MATT: Still failed.

MARISHA: Still failed, yeah. Yep. Math.

MATT: So as the fire burns around angrily and then dissipates, you're both a bit singed, but holding in okay. That's going to finish that. Now, Caleb, it's your turn. Yasha, you're on deck.

LIAM: Okay. I think I remember where the cone was. So I'm going to fly in this direction, out of it.

MATT: The cone was over this way.

LIAM: Yeah, I will go on a diagonal, so that I'm on the other side of the triangle, instead of the one I'm on now.

MATT: Okay, you have a movement of 60, you said?

LIAM: Yeah.

MATT: Because you have super crazy--

LIAM: Kind of around here with the light is going, I guess.

MATT: Yeah, you can do that.

LIAM: Yeah.

TALIESIN: This map.

LIAM: Yeah, that's good.

MATT: All righty.

LIAM: And I'm going to use a bonus action to shout out: You arrogant bastard! You died to save these people! You're not going to kill them now.

MATT: All right, make a persuasion check.

LIAM: That is 21.

MATT: 21. That would succeed, but he's already used all of his legendary action.

LIAM: So he's spent.

MATT: Yes.

LIAM: And then I will take a palm full of iron shavings and grind my hand through it, and cast Gravity Fissure through space, straight at him. 100-foot range.

MATT: You used the one from the Teleport and then used?

TRAVIS: I think he had one more.

MATT: You're right, he did have one more.

TRAVIS: Because you have four, right?

MATT: You're correct. So you did actually get rid of that, so--

LIAM: So, Gravity Fissure, 100-foot range, and it's a Potion of Maximum Power, so it is just a full 64 force damage.

MATT: You are correct. Let's go ahead and make that save. That is a failure.

SAM: Ooh!

MATT: He's going to use a Legendary Resistance to succeed because he can.

TALIESIN: Good, good.

MATT: Which brings it to, you say it was 60?

LIAM: 32. 64, halved to 32.

MATT: 32 points of force damage. All the eyes are drawn into the body, as his face is still looking at you. (growls) Shakes it off and everything (whoosh) floats out back back, once more, just drifting in space. Starting to see a little bit of wear and tear.

LIAM: End of turn.

MATT: (exhales) All right, finishing Caleb's go. Yasha, you're up. Man, you've got a few targets here. Who you want to pick? Because you want to defend Lucien.

LIAM: Go hard!

MATT: And in this moment, you look to your friends, and you watch as their faces turn into these solid, red eyes. Like the creatures of the Somnovem infecting on the streets of Cognouza. These aren't your friends. These are the enemy. Pick between Fjord or Beau, your choice.

LAURA: Oh!

ASHLEY: Can I roll?

MATT: Or technically Jester, because you do have Haste, which means you can travel twice the speed. So yeah, if you want to roll.

ASHLEY: Okay, what should I roll?

MARISHA: Roll a d6. One, two, three, four, five, six.

MATT: There you go.

ASHLEY: Five?

MARISHA: That's me.

ASHLEY: Oh, baby.

MARISHA: Babe. Here we are again.

ASHLEY: Okay.

LAURA: Oh no! Why is it always you two fighting each other?

SAM: It wouldn't be a fight--

MATT: Blood flowing through the aether of the Astral Sea.

MARISHA: Try to get the other kidney this time.

ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, that one. That one.

MARISHA: It's still rough, yeah.

MATT: Holy Avenger at the ready.

ASHLEY: I'm going to pick one that I feel like doesn't roll well. Hold on. I'll pick one for my bag.

TALIESIN: It's going to turn on you. You know it's just going to turn on you.

ASHLEY: I know it is! I know it is! Just let me have it. Natural one.

MARISHA: (gasps) I love you!

ASHLEY: I love you.

MARISHA: I love you!

MATT: So that's your first attack.

ASHLEY: Oh, fuck

LAURA: Oh yeah, that's right. You're hasted. So technically you get three attacks.

ASHLEY: Okay.

LAURA: Technically.

ASHLEY: Okay, so that's seven. So 19 total.

MARISHA: Miss. Babe. Babe, babe, babe!

MATT: (laughs)

ASHLEY: Natural one. (cheering)

MATT: Jeez!

SAM: That's the power of love!

TRAVIS: Are you serious? Back to back ones? Never have you been so happy.

MARISHA: I just flash her my titties real quick as a distraction. I'm like: No, don't, don't, don't!

ASHLEY: I just start--

TRAVIS: Barbarians love that. (laughter)

MATT: It is tried and true.

LAURA: She's got two Cobalt Soul tassels.

MARISHA: Yeah.

MATT: Yep. (laughter)

SAM: Beau looking stylish.

TRAVIS: That's crazy.

LIAM: Yasha just going, "Whoa."

MARISHA: Trying to make them helicopter a little.

SAM: They stick on with earthquake putty?

MATT: Even the Knowing Mentor's got a secret. (laughter)

MATT: All righty. I believe that finishes your turn, Yasha.

ASHLEY: That does finish my turn.

MATT: Sorry!

ASHLEY: Do I--

LIAM: For the second time.

MARISHA: Yeah, she's like, "Aw!"

ASHLEY: I can't roll out of being charmed, right?

MATT: There's not a save for this at the moment.

ASHLEY: There's not a save, okay.

MATT: You're not quite sure how to break it. I'm sorry. That finishes your go, Yasha. It is now Essek's go. Essek, frustrated, is going to go ahead and is going to cast Dispel Magic on you, actually.

SAM: Ooh!

LAURA: Oh!

MATT: Is going to go ahead and, seeing this happen as you're attacking your friends, go ahead and reach up, "Yasha, be free of this influence!" And scattering his hand, you see these shards of black energy, almost like magic missiles arc off, and looking like they're about to strike you like weapon, instead crackle across the surface of you and-- Hell yeah! No, that works! It's an 18.

ASHLEY: Oh yes!

SAM: You're fine? You're okay?

MATT: The charm is removed from you.

LAURA: Yay!

MATT: You're still hasted, but the charm is now dispelled off of you.

ASHLEY: (sighs) I give a quick kiss to Beau. I mean, that's probably an action. I love you.

MATT: Essek goes, "Aww," and then darts behind the tower.

SAM: I'm so confused! Beau's showing her tits and getting kisses in the middle of the fight! This is very confusing!

ASHLEY: Titties for the win, once again.

TALIESIN: Let it happen.

MATT: All right, that finishes Essek's turn. Caduceus, you're up. Veth, you're on deck.

TALIESIN: I want to head straight towards Beau.

MATT: Straight towards Beau?

TALIESIN: Straight towards Beau. Full-speed.

MATT: Flying up as well?

TALIESIN: Yep.

MATT: Okay, you won't get it quite to her.

TALIESIN: I'm going to burn my action to--

MATT: Oh, okay,

TALIESIN: -- and to get to Beau. And then I'm going to do a quick tag, and then I'm going to fly towards us, or towards me, after I do the tag, just sort of open us up a bit.

MATT: Interesting, so you're--?

TALIESIN: I'm using my bonus action to cast-- where did it go? Why don't I, like, keep the things that I want to say? Holy Weapon.

MATT: Okay!

TALIESIN: Tag.

MARISHA: Hell, yes! That's a d4 to everything, right?

TALIESIN: That's a 2d8 radiant per attack.

MATT: And you're just pulling back?

TALIESIN: I'm pulling towards me. So not back, I'm going to-- yeah. Actually, a little closer to it.

MATT: Closer to you?

TALIESIN: Yeah, towards that little witch's cone. Thank you.

MATT: Okay.

TALIESIN: Or that little hooky thing, yeah, right behind the hooky thing.

MATT: There you go.

SAM: Shit.

MATT: All right. That finishes your go, Caduceus.

TALIESIN: Yep!

MATT: Veth, you are up.

TALIESIN: Yeah, extra 2d8.

MARISHA: Hell fucking yes.

MATT: I'm going to put this on you, Beauregard, to connotate the holy enchantment there.

MARISHA: Thank you.

TALIESIN: Yeah, in theory, if it goes into the anti-magic, it'll pop back up if you.

MARISHA: Right, right, right, right.

TALIESIN: As long as you're not in.

MARISHA: Cool, cool, cool. That's actually good.

SAM: With Mage Hand Legerdemain, I can use the bonus action granted by your cunning action to control the hand. I can't cast Mage Hand with--?

MATT: Correct, you already have to have it out.

SAM: Already have to have it out. (sighs) I cannot attack this guy, unless I get sneak attack damage. It is a waste. It's a waste of me.

MARISHA: He's already burned through all of his legendary actions this turn.

TALIESIN: Yeah, bonus actions.

MATT: Correct. He burned through a couple of them, but you guys burned through the rest.

MARISHA: Yeah.

SAM: A waste! I can't hide; we're flying. I could try to hide! I can attempt to hide behind a creature larger than me.

TRAVIS: Imagine if you could disappear. But I feel like with nine eyes, he'd see me go there. So maybe that's not a great idea.

MATT: Try what you like, bud.

TALIESIN: I'm going to very quickly pee while this is happening. Be right back.

MARISHA: I know.

MATT: If you want to, we're probably going to go to break after this combat round, so we can take a break.

MARISHA: Oh, we are?

TALIESIN: Never mind!

MARISHA: I have to pee so bad.

MATT: That's what I'm saying.

MARISHA: I just keep seeing other people leaving.

MATT: We'll come back.

SAM: Wait, wait, where are you? Jester, are you-- oh, you're not up on,

LAURA: I'm on the other side.

SAM: But wait, is your thing on him?

LAURA: My duplicate is on the underside of him.

SAM: That counts as an ally.

MATT: I think it only counts for her, not for other people, unfortunately.

SAM: Maybe?

LAURA: Yeah, because it's not distracting him in combat. That's the whole point. And I put him in a place that I hope he doesn't notice.

LIAM: Could you hold till one of the melee people's on him?

SAM: That's what I'm going to do. I'll go towards Caleb and beyond him.

MATT: Okay.

SAM: Closer to Mollymauk. And I'll use my bonus action to just-- Oh, it won't make any difference because he's gone through all of his legendary. I'll just say: I miss you! I miss you, Mollymauk! We all do! Keep going past Caleb, to the other side.

MATT: Okay.

SAM: And then I will hold my action until Lucien is in melee combat with one of my allies.

MATT: Okay, so you have your crossbow at the ready? Readying it for the moment?

SAM: Yes.

MATT: You got it. All right, that brings us to the end of the combat round. And we're going to go ahead and take a break.

TALIESIN: Thank god.

MATT: We'll be back here in a few minutes to pick up at the top of the next round, on Lucien's turn and continue this battle amongst the towertops of Cognouza. We'll see you here in a few minutes.

LIAM: Woo!

Break
Voice Over: This is everything you need to know about our terrain, in 60 seconds. We hand sculpt our pieces for maximum detail and artistry, infusing passion into every millimeter of our work. Everything is available, beautifully hand painted, so you can start playing right away, or you can choose unpainted, to paint everything yourself. Our pieces are completely modular, so you can use the same sets to create a new adventure every time. We create everything out of Dwarvenite, our top secret PVC formula, that's nearly indestructible. We pack our pieces with as many features as possible, such as swappable LEDs to quickly change the look of your scene. We offer magnetic accessories to add flavor, or increase the danger. A one-inch tactical grid is sculpted into our floors. We offer a range of environments, including dungeons, caverns, cities, castles, sewers, forests, mountains, streets, burrows, ice, and hellscape, and that's just the beginning. That's everything you need to know about Dwarven Forge, in 60 seconds.

I love Narrative Telephone, 'cause it just feels like what it feels like to be a DM from week to week. Like, what did I say? This is my pitch for the next season, for at least one episode, when we can be together again, in life. Here's my pitch. We do it live, right? Someone tells a story, and then, in the next room over, someone's watching it. My pitch is to have somebody tell Ashley a story, and then she tells it to camera, and then a week later, she comes back and tries to tell it again. Her own story? What she remembers. And then she comes back a week later, and tries to tell it again. (laughs) That's pretty good. "Narrative Ashley." No, we don't need it. "Narrative Ash." We have more than enough content. We'd get out of that so much content. LIAM: It's "Drunk History", but it's just Ashley. (laughs) And not drunk, just Ash. Just Ashley. Honestly, this might have to be the Christmas special or something. No, no! Stop it! (laughs) Yes! Stop it! No more ideas! That's pretty good.

(whimsical music)

(typewriter keys)

LAURA: Hey, Critters, Laura Bailey here. Let's see what's up in the Critical Role shop. Role an investigation if you want, it's basically perfect. Jester: I mean, The Traveler always says, impulse purchases are a good decision. Oh my gosh. It's so amazing. Darling, I'd recommend buying two. One for you, and... Another for you. Let's be honest. You're only, like, five clicks away from owning this. Maybe more, if you have a lot of windows open on your browser, I don't know your life. So click on over to the Critical Role shop. (laughs) Don't worry. There's a few more minutes in the break. You still got time.

PUMAT SOL: (grunts) Oh, well, (laughs) would you look at that? I think it worked. You were right, Pumat Number Three. All we had to do was invoke that subscription cantrip. Pumat? Pumat Number Three? Oh boy. Uh, well, hello there. I'm Pumat Prime. It's good to finally join you here in the Prime Dimension. Ah, I see this is the "Twitch Prime" Realm, I think, and... Oh, we're on the Critical Role channel, aren't we? (laughs) Well, would you look at that? You got chat and everything. (laughs) Respectfully, I was looking for the Prime Rib Realm, but this isn't too bad. You see, if you already have access to the Amazon Prime Realm, you can get a free subscription to the channel of your choice in the Twitch Prime Realm. The two realms have a pretty good working relationship, after that peace treaty the Prime Minister signed a few years back. You just have to remember to renew your Twitch Prime subscription at the top of each month, respectfully. And hey, if you're already a subscriber, you can spread the joy by gifting a subscription using the Gift a Sub button. That is, assuming The Empire hasn't sent a tax man to your shop here recently. (laughs nervously) All right, well, off to find that darn elusive Prime Rib Realm. Who knew the Prime Dimension had so many pockets? (smacks lips) Good luck! (laughs) Pumat Three?

TALIESIN (VO): Subscribe. Re-subscribe. Brian Foster is not a cabbage.

Part II
MATT: And welcome back. So jumping right in. Top of the round. Lucien gets his legendary actions back. Is going to go ahead and begin the round by-- It's going to go ahead and-- You know what? Just going to invite it in. He's just going to keep this-- keep this in a wide spread here.

LIAM: Gross.

MATT: Feels good about that.

TRAVIS: ♪ It feels good. ♪

MATT: He's going to tilt it slightly this way.

TALIESIN: Just a little bit of move.

SAM: Wide spray.

MATT: Yeah. Keep it there. All right. And is going to go ahead and go into the Gaze of the Somnovem and choose three different eyes to strike. Starting with (thinking noises). Let's do, Culpasi.

MARISHA: Oh.

MATT: Shifts over towards you, Beauregard.

MARISHA: Oh no.

MATT: I need you to go ahead and make a constitution saving throw, minus the number of eyes you have.

MARISHA: Okay.

LIAM: Very curious.

LAURA: What save? What kind of roll?

MARISHA: Constitution. Constitution. Okay. Okay. Okay.

SAM: Pop, pop.

MARISHA: Okay. 22? Oh no, wait. Minus eyes.

MATT: Minus three.

MARISHA: So 19?

MATT: 19. Fails.

MARISHA: I will spend a ki point.

MATT: To reroll?

MARISHA: To reroll, and hope I roll over 14.

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: Oh god.

MARISHA: Let me just mark that off.

SAM: With 26 ki points.

MARISHA: Please roll higher, please roll higher.

LAURA: She loses a ki point for every eye she has.

MARISHA: Nope, that's lower.

SAM: Ooh!

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: Got to roll a 20 on Culpasi.

LAURA: Culpas-ah!

SAM: Culpas-eh!

MATT: You suddenly become racked with guilt. The memories of accidentally attacking Yasha pop into your mind. The things you've done in your past. All the elements of life that you feel a failure at, become swimming through your mind. While you are racked with guilt, and only one creature can be racked with guilt at a time, you have disadvantage on saving throws. And we'll figure out what the rest does when it comes time. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Fuck! (laughter)

MARISHA: Disadvantage on saving throws right now. Okay. Okay. Okay. Dis, save, throws. Ah, guilt.

TRAVIS: Where's fluffernutter?

MARISHA: I hate myself.

SAM: I got it. I got it.

TALIESIN: So nothing's changed?

TRAVIS: It's our only hope.

MARISHA: Honestly, Beau feels right at home.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

TRAVIS: Boop!

TALIESIN: No effect.

MARISHA: Yeah. (laughs)

LIAM: You feel no change.

MARISHA: Yeah.

TRAVIS: I mean, look, good job.

TALIESIN: There's no immediate change, is there?

MATT: Fastidan, shifts over towards you, Jester. I need you to make a constitution saving throw for me.

LIAM: Oh, this is the neck row.

LAURA: Oh no, oh no, oh no, no, no. Oh no.

ASHLEY: Oh no.

LAURA: (gasps) Oh no!

MARISHA: Oh no.

MATT: Did you roll a natural one?

MARISHA: Oh no!

MATT and LIAM: Shit!

SAM: That's okay, though. That's just--

LAURA: I'm instantly dead!

SAM: No!

TRAVIS: Shut--

LIAM: You, shut the fuck up, Laura Bailey!

TRAVIS: -- your little gorgeous, blue tiefling head.

LAURA: (pained moan)

TRAVIS: When the eyebrows go up--

LIAM: Study his micro-expressions.

TRAVIS: -- bad things follow.

ASHLEY: Yeah.

SAM: He does the mouth thing, that's a lot.

LAURA: Protect me, Sprinkle! Sprinkle darts in front, and he takes the beam. (laughter)

MATT: You take points of 59 necrotic damage. As you feel the sickening impact of Fastidan's disgust for your existence begin to wither your spirit and physical body. And you just begin to just shrivel up in space, floating listlessly for but a moment before you catch yourself.

LAURA: I feel so shriveled. And my fingers are pruney.

SAM: Oh no!

LAURA: 59 points. (retches)

MARISHA: That's crazy.

MATT: Mirumus.

SAM: Mirumus!

MATT: Is going to go ahead and swish over--

LAURA: Oh yeah.

MATT: -- towards you, Caleb.

SAM: Caleb, no!

MARISHA: Swish, swish, swish.

MATT: What does the--

SAM: Fox say?

LIAM: Yeah, I will tell you.

MARISHA: Every pop culture reference! (laughter)

LIAM: "The barrier prevents aberrations from entering, or affecting anything within the cylinder."

MATT: Beyond that?

LIAM: It moves with me. "A creature can attempt to overcome the barrier by using an action to make a DC 15 charisma check. On a success, the creature ceases to be affected by the barrier, but it takes an action to do that."

MATT: Good to know. No effect.

SAM: No effect.

LAURA: Ooh!

SAM: Yeah.

MATT: Was that the first Mirumus eyeball?

MATT: Indeed.

TRAVIS: We don't got anything.

LIAM: No idea what it did.

MATT: No idea what it did, since it repelled the effect. As the eye withdraws, it looks over towards Lucien, and looks at the eye and then back at you. "Interesting. I don't like it." (laughter)

ASHLEY: With a smile.

TRAVIS: "I don't like it."

SAM: Hey, that's what people say about our show!

LIAM: That means he's horny. (laughter)

MATT: That's all three of the eye rays in that one. So that's going to-- Lucien's going to go ahead and shift.

LIAM: Is he folding time and space again?

MATT: Nope! He can move!

LIAM: He's just walking.

MATT: He can fly.

LIAM: (whooshing)

MATT: Just going to move a little further away.

SAM: Is he still pointing the cone--

MATT: In that corner.

SAM: -- the way he was pointing the cone, or did he swivel it at us?

MATT: The cone remains this direction, there.

LIAM: He can multitask.

SAM: Okay.

MARISHA: Is that a 60-foot cone?

MATT: Yes, it is.

TRAVIS: (mumbling) Is that a 60-foot cone?

MATT: All right, finishing. Beau, you're up. Jester, you're on deck.

MARISHA: Okay.

SAM: Pop? Pop?

MARISHA: Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah. I'm going to get there. I wonder what this other shit is.

TALIESIN: I have theories.

MARISHA: So he's over. Yeah. Is it going to fuck my shit? What are your theories?

TALIESIN: My theory is you're going to take damage when you do damage.

MARISHA: I'm going to take damage when--

TALIESIN: That's my theory.

MARISHA: It's actually probably exactly what it is. Okay. I'm going to Step of the Wind.

MATT: Step of the Wind? All right.

TALIESIN: I have nothing to back that up, but.

MATT: Your intelligence is, once again?

MARISHA: 19?

MATT: 19. Yeah, so you're going almost a full 60, so.

MARISHA: Yeah, I feel like I'm just under--

MATT: Just under 60 or 55.

MARISHA: 60. So do I need to Step with the Wind?

MATT: You do, because you only get about there.

MARISHA: All right.

TRAVIS: That's 60 feet?

MATT: That is 60 feet from where you were.

MARISHA: All right. Step of the Wind. Let's get there.

MATT: Are you getting right up in front?

MARISHA: Ah, can I like, flank him? Get to his butt?

MATT: I'd recommend it, because that is where the--

MARISHA: Yeah, that's where that eyeball is. I want to stay away from his eye.

TRAVIS: ♪ I want to get to his butt. ♪

LAURA: Pop pop!

MARISHA: Yeah.

ASHLEY: ♪ I'm gonna get to his butt ♪?

TALIESIN: ♪ Gonna get to his butt ♪

MARISHA: All right. I'm going to punch him.

LIAM: Tug boat incoming.

MARISHA: With my holy fists.

MATT: Go for it.

MARISHA: Just a bag of holy dicks.

MATT: Before that happens, he's going to use his reaction to cast Blood Maledict Curse of the Eyeless on you.

TALIESIN: Dick!

LIAM: Because you got in range. Oh shit!

MATT: So.

MARISHA: But I'm not eyeless.

MATT: He's going to go ahead-- Ha.

MARISHA: I'm not Billie Eyeless.

MATT: No, you're not. (sarcastic laughter)

MARISHA: Kill me now.

MATT: Yeah, that's the plan. (laughter)

LIAM: In that moment, Lucien, ♪ "I'm going to end you." ♪ (laughter)

LIAM: Just bends over backwards and comes back up.

MATT: Well played. (laughter)

MATT: All righty, he does take 10 damage as, he reaches up and claws across the chest a bit and blood seems to gather as you're rushing towards, flying around, and right as you go into punch, flicks it towards you. And as it spatters, your eyes just go dark. You just try and flail. So all of your, so, yeah. All of your attacks are reduced by 10.

LAURA: (gasps)

SAM: Oh!

LAURA: Whoa?!

SAM: Brutal!

TRAVIS: Matt rolled that dice, and his face lit up like Christmas.

MATT: Yeah, I literally rolled 10 twice in a row for the damage he took, and the reduction of the attacks. So anyway, go for it.

TRAVIS: The hit to hit is reduced by 10--

MATT: Correct.

TRAVIS: -- or the damage?

TRAVIS: Wow. Wow.

MARISHA: What did you say?

LIAM: Don't worry about it.

LAURA: Oh fuck, you've got to roll so high in order to--

ASHLEY: Oh my god.

MARISHA: Am I missing something? Am I missing something?

LAURA: All natural 20s, come on, Beau!

MARISHA: All right, all right, all right, minus 10. All right, first one.

TRAVIS: What can you do besides hit things?

MARISHA: I can't do... You've been with me a whole campaign! This is what I do. (laughter)

TALIESIN: At least the bonus action, you'll be able to, yeah.

MARISHA: To say words?

TALIESIN: To say words.

MARISHA: Cool. Cool, cool, cool, cool. That doesn't hit, that's 13 damage, or 13 to hit. The first one. Same exact roll.

MATT: Swing wide in space, making no impact, as your sight is robbed from you in the moment.

TRAVIS: (muffled laugh) Oh shit.

MARISHA: Thanks for your Holy Weapon. It's very, very-- I'm sorry I couldn't use it. Cool, I'll just whisper in his ear.

MATT: Concentrating.

MARISHA: Because I'm behind him. I'll just get up, and I'll use my bonus action to say: Still have to spend those drinks tokens at the Blushing Tankard in Hupperdook. You owe me a drink.

MATT: Okay, that's your bonus action. Go ahead and make a persuasion check with advantage.

SAM: Drink token bonus action.

MATT: Because you are right up in his face.

MARISHA: ♪ A natural 20! ♪

LAURA: Nice.

MARISHA: So 21 total.

MATT: As you were, like, swinging wide, and as your vision comes back and you say this in his face. He goes and like, reaches up to backhand you. And then, (groans) stops. (groans)

MARISHA: Dark and Stormies.

LAURA: (cries)

MATT: He loses a legendary action, all right.

SAM: Because she's in range, I will spring and fire my shot.

LAURA: Molly's fighting it!

MATT: Go for it.

SAM: 12 plus 12, that's 24.

MATT: 24 hits.

SAM: Okay. Let's do some damage. You still helped, even though you failed.

MARISHA: Thank you, that's my motto.

SAM: 10, 20.

TALIESIN: Technically, you did 10 damage.

SAM: 30.

LAURA: Technically.

SAM: 36.

TALIESIN: His Blood Maledicts.

SAM: 43 points of damage.

MATT: Woo hoo!

MARISHA: Yes.

MATT: Nice. "(groans) I felt that one."

SAM: It sucks, doesn't it. Sorry.

MATT: All right, that finishes your reaction. Beauregard, that finish your turn?

MARISHA: Yeah. Did he hit me before? I don't think he did, I don't think I would have advantage on any of those attacks.

MATT: Mm-mm.

MARISHA: Yeah. All right, cool, that's, yeah.

MATT: Well, you took a fireball. So you would've gotten the first one.

MARISHA: It probably won't do anything, but just in case. Nope.

MATT: Okay, fair enough. Good to know. But you have your vision back. And as you gather that smug like, (groans), pulls back, gets shot by Veth, snarls over at Veth, and then turns back to you. And then just looks away. And as he looks away, all the eyes shift away, except for one.

SAM: Who?

MATT: He's going to go ahead and use legendary action to (thinking noises). We'll do the Fastidan. Go ahead and make a constitution save throw for me, please.

TALIESIN: I hate all of this.

MATT: With disadvantage because you are racked.

MARISHA: With shame and guilt?

MATT: Yep.

MARISHA: That one's, well, that one's cocked, but it's no. It's bad. No.

MATT: Okay.

SAM and MARISHA: No.

MARISHA: Wait, can I reroll? If I reroll it, would it just be one extra die? Or would I reroll it at disadvantage as well? For this.

MATT: Let's double check that feature of the monk.

MARISHA: For the saving throws.

MATT: I'm going to say, it's been a little bit.

SAM: Yeah, no, no. This is a tricky one.

TALIESIN: That is a quandary.

MATT: Just to double check.

MARISHA: Because I get to roll after it's failed.

TALIESIN: I feel like you ignore the disadvantage.

MATT: To reroll it and take it the second one. So you roll it again with disadvantage.

TALIESIN: Oh.

MATT: Not add a die; that's what Luck does. So.

MARISHA: I'm not going to do it.

MATT: Not going to do it? Okay.

MARISHA: No, no, I mean, it's disadvantage constitution saving throw. God, I would have to roll so high. Fuck it, I'm doing it, I'm doing it, I'm doing it. I'm going to do it.

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: I'm going to try. I'm going to try. Do I have anything? Do I have anything?

SAM: What are you using?

MARISHA: I can use a ki point. Nope, nope, two sixes. Nope.

MATT: Okay. Take 48 points in necrotic damage. As you feel your skin begin to blister and pull back, dark spots begin to form at the joints, as you feel your life force begin to wither.

MARISHA: That hurt.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: Question for you. When you do these eye shots, are they attack rolls or are they just abilities?

MATT: They're just abilities.

TRAVIS: Got it.

MATT: All righty. That finishes Beau's turn. Jester, you're up. Fjord, you're on deck.

LAURA: This is probably stupid, but I'm going to try it. I'm going to reach up with my duplicate, and grab a hold of his ankle, and I'm going to cast Contagion.

MATT: Contagion. Okay.

LAURA: At advantage.

SAM: At advantage?

LAURA: Because I haven't taken my hit yet against him. So I've got advantage on this attack.

LIAM: It's an attack roll?

LAURA: It's an attack roll.

LIAM: All right, ooh. All right, all right, all right.

TRAVIS: That would be an attack.

LAURA: So that's a 22 to hit.

MATT: 22? Just hits.

LAURA: Okay.

MARISHA: Okay. Okay.

MATT: So at the end of the creature's turns, it has to make a save.

LAURA: Yeah, it's officially-- He's poisoned.

SAM: Hey, that's great!

LAURA: Yeah. And at the end of every one of his turns, he has to make a save.

SAM: Does he take damage, too?

LAURA: Well, depends.

MATT: It depends on if he saves in the time.

SAM: Okay, okay. Okay, okay.

MATT: Okay. So that finishes, that's your action.

LAURA: Yes.

TALIESIN: Two legendary actions down.

LAURA: For my bonus action--

MATT: And just so you're aware with this ability. The effect takes place once it fails all three.

LAURA: I know.

MATT: Cool.

LAURA: I know, I'm just.

MATT: Just making sure you know.

LAURA: Yeah. I realize that, but I'm hoping that he fails three times in a row.

MATT: He does still have three legendary saves, still.

LAURA: Well, maybe this will eat them up.

TRAVIS: That's true.

MATT: All right. So that finishes. That's your action.

LAURA: For my bonus action, I'm going to say-- I'm going to-- Yeah, I'm going to stay where I am and I'm going to say: Molly, I've never forgiven myself for not being there, when you died. I wish I could have saved you. I wish I could've done something.

MATT: Make a persuasion check.

LAURA: 24.

MATT: 24! Damn! Loses another legendary action. At this moment, he clutches the sides of his horns, and yanks them for a second and goes, "Would you please stop saying that name?!" All right. You going to move or stay put?

LAURA: I'm going to float down to the rooftop.

MATT: Onto the rooftop?

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: All right.

LAURA: Just because I feel like it looks cool.

MATT: There you go.

LAURA: Okay.

MATT: Sorry about that, microphone. All right. That finishes your turn, Jester?

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: At the end of your turn, he's just going to use this last legendary action to go ahead and-- Let's do-- Let's try Mirumus again, since that one didn't function too well. The first time. Just going to go ahead and aim for-- It's going to aim you, since you're the one that just ticked him off. So as Mirumus shifts over, I need you to make a wisdom saving throw. You have no eyes, so no penalty to the save.

LAURA: Right. (snapping) 26.

MATT: 26, you succeed.

TRAVIS: Still don't know what it does.

MARISHA: Still don't know what it does. It's a wisdom save.

MATT: All right. Finishing Jester's go. Fjord, you're up. Caleb, you're on deck.

TRAVIS: Yeah. Okay. Still slowed. Movement halved. Only an attack, or a bonus. That was his last legendary action. I am going to will myself towards the tower. On the side that's opposite of me where your hand is. And I'm going to peek, no, down.

MATT: Oh, down?

TRAVIS: Yeah. I'm going to peek inside the window that's on your side of the tower.

MATT: Okay. I heading over to that side.

TRAVIS: What can I see?

MATT: Glancing inside the tower, you see what looks to be a floor of shifting skin and teeth. that just seems to be settling in its space.

TRAVIS: I am too clumped up with you guys, and I am getting rocked out here doing nothing. And I will cast Far Step, and I will bamf inside the tower through the slit in the window.

MATT: You've got it.

LIAM: Nice.

SAM: Went into the flesh tower through the slit.

MATT: There we go.

TRAVIS: I don't suppose there's a giant anti-Slow potion inside the tower, is there? Battle Royale map?

MATT: No.

TRAVIS: Yeah.

MATT: No, sorry.

TRAVIS: Figured.

MATT: Sorry. Not so much. All right.

TRAVIS: That's my turn.

MATT: All righty. Go ahead and make a save.

TRAVIS: A save? Oh, for the--

MATT: End of your turn.

TRAVIS: (laughs) Yeah. Dexterity, right?

MATT: Dexterity, yep.

TRAVIS: 11.

MATT: 11. Stays there. All right. Finishing Fjord's go.

LAURA: (whispering) On my next go, I'm going to--

MATT: Caleb, you're up, Yasha, you're on deck.

LIAM: Did I hear you utter the words "last legendary action" a moment ago?

MATT: Correct.

LIAM: Okay. I'm going to bee-line with my mind, towards Beauregard. And drag my aberrant protection over her. So if I can get adjacent to her.

MATT: Okay, we'll say you're five feet below her, to get her in the column.

LIAM: I don't know if that negates what she's going through, I hope it does. And I'm just going to hold my tongue for now. And I'm going to cast Slow.

MATT: Okay. That is a--

LIAM: That's wis, right?

SAM: On Fjord.

LIAM: On Fjord, definitely.

TRAVIS: (laughs) Yeah.

MATT: That would be a natural one. He's going to burn a legendary save to save.

LIAM: Okay.

SAM: That's good.

LAURA: (whispering) I don't have to be able to see you.

LIAM: Mission accomplished. That's the end of my turn.

MATT: All right. Finishing Caleb's go. That brings us to Yasha, with Essek on deck.

ASHLEY: Okay.

TALIESIN: Good, that was great.

SAM: Yeah. Huge.

LIAM: That was the goal.

ASHLEY: Okay. I'm going to--

SAM: Has he used two? We don't know how many he has.

ASHLEY: -- get on over to Lucien.

LIAM: You don't know.

MATT: Okay. You are hasted, so your intelligence is?

ASHLEY: 12?

MATT: 12. So you can move about, we'll say 35 feet. Hasted is double. So that puts you at--

LAURA: 70 fucking feet?

MATT: 70 feet will put you, actually, right up into melee.

ASHLEY: Great.

MATT: Or, five feet way. Shit. You're just out of reach. Just out of reach.

ASHLEY: Bitches. Okay.

MATT: And you're still on the cone anyway, which negates the magical properties of your weapons. If you want to use an action, you could dash and move to the side. You'd only get your hasted attack, but it's better than no attacks.

ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's still something. Okay. So I'll go to the side, so I can still.

TALIESIN: I was going to say, is there a flank that exists?

ASHLEY: Well, if I were there.

LIAM: With Caleb, which doesn't work.

TALIESIN: No.

MATT: Yeah.

ASHLEY: Okay. First and foremost, I am going to let out a battle cry.

MATT: Okay.

ASHLEY: So 10 creatures within 60 feet.

MATT: In 60 feet? That's everyone.

TALIESIN: But.

MATT: It gets Jester. So everybody except for Caduceus and Essek.

ASHLEY: Okay.

MATT: And Fjord, because Fjord is inside the tower, and too far out of the range.

ASHLEY: So you get advantage on attack rolls and saving throws.

LAURA: Ah, That's great.

LIAM: On all saving throws.

TRAVIS: That's huge.

MATT: For the next round.

ASHLEY: For the next round, until my next turn.

MARISHA: Battle cry?

ASHLEY: Yeah.

MATT: That'll put you at normal.

ASHLEY: Yes. So at least you won't get disadvantage now. Okay. So--

LIAM: And that's through Yasha's next turn?

ASHLEY and MATT: Yes.

LIAM: Thank you.

ASHLEY: So now I'm going to take my attack. Which one, which one, which one, which one, thank you. Let's go this one. Okay. That would be 25 to hit.

MATT: 25 to hit? That hits.

SAM: Show me some tiny dice.

LIAM: Three grains of salt roll--

TRAVIS: "Three grains of salt."

ASHLEY: I'm going to do Savage Attacker just to see--

TRAVIS: Get a jeweler's eyepiece.

MATT: Go for it.

TRAVIS: That's a--

ASHLEY: That's cocked. Ooh, that's a little better. Okay. So that is 34 points of damage.

MATT: Slick!

SAM: He's looking rough!

MATT: He's starting to look a little rough.

SAM: Hey.

LAURA: Really?

MATT: Yeah. Starting to show some wounds, some gashes.

SAM: "Starting to show some wounds."

ASHLEY: I believe that's all I can do.

TRAVIS: Yeah, I look like I show some wounds when I trip and fall.

MATT: That was your action. You have your bonus, but that's it.

ASHLEY: Yeah.

MATT: Okay. That finishes your go. Finishing Yasha's go, it is now Essek's turn. Essek, frustrated with the distance now, at this point.

TALIESIN: He can move fast.

MATT: He can move pretty quick.

TALIESIN: I'm fucked right now.

MATT: You know what? He's going to go ahead and (whooshing) dart over this way. About 60ish feet there. And he's going to go ahead and at that distance, just full-on high-level Magic Missile. Fuck this shit.

LIAM: Oh yeah.

MATT: So he's go ahead and use a 5th-level Magic Missile.

TALIESIN: Oof!

MATT: Not even having to roll for shit. No saves, nothing.

LIAM: You're within my shell of anti-aberrant. So maybe all your stuff is negated, maybe.

MATT: Not bad.

TALIESIN: Maybe.

LIAM: You can punch in from right where you are.

LAURA: Plus your blood hex is gone. It only lasted for.

MARISHA: Yeah, it's not that, it's the minus 10 situation.

TALIESIN: That should be--

LAURA: That was a hex. It went away.

MARISHA: Oh, that was a hex?

TALIESIN: Yeah, it's one round.

MARISHA: Oh, I thought that was the shame.

LAURA: No, no, no, no, no, no.

MARISHA: Oh, I was getting confused on what they did.

TRAVIS: I mean, your shame is still real.

MARISHA: But the shame is, of course, yeah.

TALIESIN: They never leave.

MARISHA: I tried to bury my shame for two campaigns.

MATT: 23 points of force damage to Nonagon.

LAURA: 22 points of force damage?

TRAVIS: 23 points of force damage--

LAURA: Okay.

TRAVIS: -- to the Nonagon from Essek.

MATT: Essek is out there in the open now at this point, but is now just holding that space there. Finishing Essek's go. Caduceus, you're up. Veth, you're on deck.

TALIESIN: What does 60-- My speed is 25 feet?

MATT: Your speed would be 25 feet, yeah.

TALIESIN: What does 50 feet look like, out of curiosity?

MATT: 50 feet puts you at about, there.

LAURA: I feel like we're all clumping up and he's going to do something.

TALIESIN: I'm going to-- I'm going to use the laser, to show where I would like to go since I can't do shit this round. I'm going to go right over here.

MATT: Okay, 50 feet, just move and dash?

TALIESIN: Yeah. Actually, a little, a little--

MATT: Closer here?

TALIESIN: No, the opposite direction.

MATT: Oh, this way?

TALIESIN: Just to have a little cover, yeah. I'm probably going to drop down a bit just to have a little cover. So I'm not in the spray zone. Can I see Fjord inside that room?

MATT: You saw Fjord vanish.

TALIESIN: Oh, so I don't know where Fjord is. Okay, never mind.

MATT: Sorry about that.

TALIESIN: Do I have anything else I can do?

MATT: That gets you about there, is about as far as you can get, but you're you're down a little lower.

TALIESIN: Not that it'll probably help, but I'll cast Hidden Step at the beginning of that, so I'm just going to be invisible. Not that it's going to work 'til the next round.

MATT: Sure, we'll keep that in mind.

TALIESIN: So in theory, he may not know where I am.

MATT: There you go. All righty, that finishes your go, Caduceus. Veth, you're up.

SAM: I will fire a crossbow bolt at him! Yeah! (laughter)

LAURA: See? That's the good thing about being a shooter, is that you know what you're going to do.

MARISHA: Yeah, yeah.

MATT: What's up?

TALIESIN: I am out of the cone, right?

SAM: I could throw a Fluffernutter, but I'll blow up all my friends, so--

MATT: Yeah, he's far away.

TALIESIN: Okay.

MATT: You mean as far as, like, the placement of it?

TALIESIN: Yeah.

MATT: The cone would have been about there. So you're like, yeah, you're just outside of it.

LAURA: All the shit can change, and you're still going to shoot an arrow.

SAM: All right, here goes. That's not great.

ASHLEY: Advantage.

SAM: Advantage! That's way better, 30 to hit.

MATT: 30 to hit? That hits.

LAURA: Sneak attack!

SAM: Yeah. Oh yes. I can't even hold them all. 10. 20. Eh, not great. 26 plus seven is-- 33?

MATT: 33?

SAM: 33 points of damage.

MATT: Damn! All righty.

SAM: Bonus action! Firing again.

MATT: Go for it.

SAM: With advantage?

MATT: Yeah. All attacks.

SAM: Oof! Okay, that's a 25 to hit.

MATT: 25 to hit? That definitely hits.

SAM: And that's another 10 points of damage!

MATT: So from the one bolt that's sticking through at that point, you see him glancing around and (impact) (groans) Grabs at that one to pull it out, and another one gets in that shoulder as he's pulling this one free. Looks back at you, and just flexes, and both the other bolts just go out.

SAM: (impressed gasp) (laughter)

SAM: You're not my type, but maybe you are?

TRAVIS: I'm open to new things!

TALIESIN: We've known it all along.

LIAM: It puts the minotaur to shame.

MARISHA: Yeah, right?

SAM: If I go that way, if I truck that way at all, I'm going to be entering the cone, right?

MATT: If you truck this way directly, you'll be avoiding it.

SAM: I'll do that.

MATT: How far back you go?

SAM: You know, 30 feet.

MATT: There you go.

SAM: Wait, do I want to be in the cone? Can he hit me in the cone? He can still hit me in the cone.

TALIESIN: Yeah, he can.

MATT: His abilities do not seem to be affected by the cone.

SAM: Got it. Got it. Got it. Okay. Yeah, that's where I'll be.

MATT: They're a source beyond arcane elements.

SAM: Well, then, in that case, actually, I can't go across the cone? Can I cut across the cone?

MATT: You could probably, if you wanted to do that instead.

SAM: I'll cut across the cone and try to get, yeah, over there.

MATT: That'll get you just past the cone.

SAM: Cool.

MATT: Put about there. Okay.

TALIESIN: Oh, little squished, there.

SAM: Little clumpy?

TALIESIN: A little.

MATT: All right. That finishes your go?

SAM: Yep.

MATT: All right. Now it's back to Lucien's turn. Gets his legendary actions back. Top of his turn, he is going to go ahead and use his-- Well, actually, let's see if that comes back. It does. He's going to go ahead and reach out towards you, Yasha. That's going to be a 23 to hit.

ASHLEY: That hits.

MATT: I need you to make a constitution saving throw for me, please.

MARISHA: Not again.

SAM: God. With advantage?

LAURA: This isn't the wisdom one, so--

MARISHA: Yeah, you're beefy barbarian.

TRAVIS: (nervous laughter)

ASHLEY: Yeesh! I don't think I made it, guys.

MARISHA: With advantage and stuff?

ASHLEY: With advantage I rolled a three and a four. (groaning)

MATT: For a total of?

TRAVIS: Shit.

ASHLEY: 11.

MATT: No, that's a failure. Reaches down and grabs you by the face, not even the neck, but like the front of your forehead. And lifts you up into the space. And you watch as Lucien's eyes go from the deep red to a bright white flash. And your brain is seared with psychic energy. The chaotic thoughts of the entire city pierce your mind and consciousness at once. Blood begins to pour from Yasha's nose and ears and mouth. You take... 51 points of psychic damage. (gasps of shock)

ASHLEY: Okay.

MATT: And you are stunned.

MARISHA: Oh, he did that. He did that thing. And you are stunned.

ASHLEY: Stun means I can't do--

MARISHA: Shit.

TRAVIS: You can't do anything.

LIAM: Yeah, you're--

TRAVIS: He's doing that to a lot of us.

ASHLEY: Gerdermit. Okay.

TALIESIN: Yeah, clearing the field real well.

MATT: And then two more gazes of the Somnovem.

LAURA: (groans)

MATT: Actually, you know what? He's going to try and move away from Beauregard and Yasha. You can't react cause you're stunned, but you do get an attack of opportunity.

MARISHA: Can I--

ASHLEY: Wait, wait, wait.

TRAVIS, MATT, and MARISHA: Wait.

MATT: Wait.

ASHLEY: Hang on a minute.

MATT: All right, I'm hanging on. What you got?

ASHLEY: Okay, I don't know how this works because I've never used it because I just attuned to it, the Ring of Protection thing.

TRAVIS: Now's a good time.

MARISHA: Yeah.

ASHLEY: So the Coat of the Crest.

MATT: Uh-huh?

ASHLEY: It says whenever you are the target of an attack, you can use your reaction to gain resistance to the damage from the triggering attack?

MATT: Correct. You can.

ASHLEY: So is there something I can do with it?

MATT: Yeah. So you take a half of the psychic damage from that strike. You're still stunned.

ASHLEY: I'm still stunned?

LAURA: But still.

ASHLEY: Okay.

MATT: So you take-- I said 51? So it's 25 points of psychic damage, instead.

ASHLEY: Okay.

SAM: That's way better.

MATT: So that's way better. Still stunned.

ASHLEY: Still stunned. Okay.

MATT: Definitely a buffer.

TRAVIS: You got back a ton.

MATT: That's awesome.

TRAVIS: That's some good thinking.

ASHLEY: All right, all right.

MATT: Well done, well played.

ASHLEY: I can only do it once, though.

MATT: Hey, it helps.

LAURA: That's a pretty big one.

TRAVIS: 50 point hit? Yeah.

ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

MATT: Beauregard, you have just a roll on this. No advantage or disadvantage because of the yell.

MARISHA: Just a straight-- So wait, the disadvantage is still because of the shame?

MATT: Correct.

MARISHA: I thought that was just on saving throws, but no? No.

MATT: Oh wait, that is just saving throws, you're right. So yeah, it is advantage. I totally forgot.

LIAM: Also question: Does my aberrant bubble do anything for her, since she's in it?

MATT: It does not negate things that currently exist. It's the process of trying to affect it.

LIAM: Okay.

MATT: It's not an anti-magic.

TRAVIS: Oh, it doesn't dump out--

MARISHA: Thanks, though, Lemur. Okay, but, advantage on this. Advantage on this. Ah, okay. Okay, okay, okay. Yeah. 27 to hit.

MATT: That definitely hits. So he can't leave.

LIAM: ♪ Advantages to both. ♪

SAM: Oh, nice.

LAURA: Yeah!

MATT: Sentinel.

MARISHA: I just go: Nope!

TALIESIN: And you add 2d8.

MARISHA: And I add 2d8! Hell yeah. So that regular damage is 12 bludgeoning damage. And then, I didn't roll great, five radiant damage.

TALIESIN: That'll do it.

MARISHA: But it's something.

MATT: Five radiant damage, you've got it. So that keeps him engaged, and looking over the shoulder. Okay. He's going to use the other two other gazes here.

LAURA: God, he gets two more gazes!

MATT: Correct. Because he only did the grab this turn so far on you.

LAURA: What?

MATT: So that's going to go ahead and--

TALIESIN: He's done a grab and a gaze?

MATT: Yep. Grab and a gaze.

TRAVIS: ♪ Grab and a gaze. ♪

MATT: He's going to go ahead and glance over.

LAURA: ♪ Grab and a gaze! ♪

MARISHA: ♪ Grab and a gaze! ♪

MATT: Oh, and he does shift the-- does shift the cone this way. Facing over towards--

SAM: Caleb?

MATT: -- you both.

LIAM: ♪ Gazin' my way! ♪

MARISHA: Ah, that's it.

SAM: Good one, good one.

MATT: Which I will say does reduce-- the extra five holy damage would not have happened because you are currently in the zone at the top of the turn.

MARISHA: Wait, wait. His zone?

MATT: Yes. He shifted it over to your direction.

MARISHA: He shifted it to me?

MATT: At the top of the turn is when it happens.

TRAVIS: You and Caleb.

MATT: Yes.

LIAM: We are under Sauron's eyes.

MATT: Correct. Still did damage, the bludgeoning damage, just not the holy on top of that.

TALIESIN: Only five points.

MARISHA: I swear I will make this worth your spell slot.

TALIESIN: To be fair, it's keeping him irritated.

MATT: It really is.

TRAVIS: (laughs)

MATT: He's going to go ahead and-- Gaudius is going to swish over towards Essek.

LAURA: Oh!

MATT: Essek gets advantage on the saving throws, which is good, because that was not enough. 17, 15. Essek fails.

LAURA: Oh no. Oh no, Essek.

LIAM: Oh no.

MATT: As Essek is over there in the air--

SAM: He's fine. He's fodder.

MATT: -- floating, all of a sudden looks up--

LIAM: Oh, he's charmed.

MATT: -- the eyes widen with this this faint reddish orange energy--

LIAM: Oh, no.

MATT: -- and then looks aggressively towards the rest of you.

LIAM: Oh no.

TRAVIS: Shit.

LIAM: Oh no.

MARISHA: Getting a peek into the alternate timeline that we could've had.

TRAVIS: Uh-huh. Uh-huh.

LAURA: Oh god. This is like a charm spell? Or a--?

TRAVIS: Yes, yes, yes.

MATT: It's a charm effect, yeah.

TALIESIN: It needs a dispel.

MATT: And with that, he's going to go ahead and set up for the second one, which is going to be another Fastidan, since that's the big damage dealer.

LAURA: (whispers) Hey!

MATT: If I can have Jester go ahead and roll another constitution saving throw for me, please.

SAM: Oof.

TRAVIS: This is that necro shit.

SAM: No good?

LAURA: I failed it again.

MATT: Okay. Sorry.

TRAVIS: No, you're not.

MATT: Nah, I'm not.

LAURA: Why's he got to to look at me like that when he says it?

SAM: It's not nice.

MARISHA: Right?

LAURA: It's not nice.

TRAVIS: That's his way of saying--

LAURA: It's not kind. It's not kind.

TRAVIS: Okay, he's not Ronin. He doesn't need to learn what kind is.

SAM and LAURA: It's not nice. It's not nice.

TRAVIS: He doesn't care.

MATT: 40 points of necrotic damage to you. Didn't roll that high on that one, but--

LIAM: Geez.

TRAVIS: Four-zero?

MATT: (gasps in pain) You, like, grab the top of the rooftop, your breath escaping your lips for a second. You feel almost like you're about to pass out, and catch yourself, and stand back up to your feet. And that's going to end Lucien's turn. All righty.

TRAVIS: It's a hell of a turn.

MATT: Beau, you're up. Jester, you're on deck.

ASHLEY: Great job, great job.

MARISHA: Cool. Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool. I want to shift around to where I'm not in his gaze.

MATT: All righty. That could move you to-- Oh god, Caleb's down.

SAM: Aah!

MARISHA: Caleb!

MATT: To this side, there. Moving Caleb back where he was.

LIAM: You angle it right, you get flanking from somebody.

MARISHA: Is that a thing, where I could try and like-- My first priority is to--

MATT: You still have advantage on all your attacks. So the flanking--

LIAM: Oh, there, you don't even need it.

MARISHA: Okay.

MATT: Yeah, from the battle shouts, so.

LIAM: Thanks.

MATT: No worries.

MARISHA: All right.

MATT: I keep leaning over the mic. Sorry, guys.

MARISHA: All right.

LAURA: It's not a visual.

MARISHA: First pop. (laughs) Oh no, wait. That is a seven. I thought it was a natural one and not a natural 20, but it is-- it's a natural 20!

MATT: Nice. All right. (laughter) I love this woman.

LIAM: Oh boy.

MARISHA: I'm going to roll the damage on this one first because it's double the damage die, including your Holy Weapon shit, right?

MATT: Correct.

TALIESIN: Yup.

MATT: Correct.

MARISHA: Okay. So that's-- how many d8s am I holding?

MATT: It's 2d8 of holy damage.

TALIESIN: 2d8 of holy damage.

MARISHA: Oh god. Oh god. Big roll! Aah! Aah! Okay it's good. Good big rolls. Big, good. Good rolls, big.

ASHLEY: Big, good! Big, good! (laughter)

TRAVIS: Jesus.

TALIESIN: Johnny B. Goode.

MATT and TRAVIS: Big bad! Big, big, big bear chase me! (laughter)

MARISHA: That is 15 total. So 30, doubling the dice, plus seven for my initial, so 37 damage.

MATT: 37 points of damage on the opening impact. Whack! As you wallop with the staff or fist, your choice, it flashes with the divine holy energy and splashes across the impact zone. Actually burning some of the skin on the outside of Lucien's body.

MARISHA: And I just start, while I hit him with my second attack, just start going, (chanting) "Molly. Molly! Molly!"

MATT: (laughs)

MARISHA: That's shit. Shit, comparatively. Oh, but it's a 22!

MATT: 22 just hits.

MARISHA: It just hits?! (cheers and clapping)

MATT: I know!

LIAM: She's all the Somnovem! (laughter)

LAURA: I see pride and shame at the same time. (laughter)

MARISHA: That's a little bit shitty of rolls. That is-- sorry, seven, eight, nine. Nine regular damage. And then five holy damage.

MATT: Okay. Got you.

SAM: Pretty good, pretty good.

MATT: 14, not bad.

MARISHA: It's not bad.

TALIESIN: That including the plus seven?

LIAM: Thank you, dad.

MARISHA: Yeah, that's including plus seven.

MATT: I know.

MARISHA: I rolled low on the holy ones.

TALIESIN: The first one was so good.

MATT: Still 50 points of damage on an action. That's great.

TALIESIN: Yeah, I know.

MARISHA: And then, because I've got Holy Weapon, and I'm able to hit him right now, I'm going to do Flurry of Blows.

MATT: Flurry of Blows, go all in. Two more strikes with advantage.

MARISHA: (excited panting) Natural 20!

ASHLEY: No way!

MARISHA: It's the same one! It's the same one! It's my blue one, it's my cobalt blue one! I love-- (kisses dice) Okay. Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. Okay. Okay, okay, okay. So damage. Damage first. Damage.

MATT: I've never been more in love with her.

MARISHA: Okay. That's good. Seven plus, we'll just do that. No, shit. Seven plus five is--

MATT: 12.

MARISHA: 12. Plus three is 15. So 37 again!

MATT: There you go!

MARISHA: 37 again.

SAM: Wow.

TALIESIN: Whoa.

MATT: Slick.

SAM: Oh wow.

MARISHA: Oh wow. And then final one, final one. Okay. Okay. 25.

MATT: Hits. Roll damage.

ASHLEY: Yes.

MARISHA: Okay. 10 plus-- So 10 regular, and then for radiant, it's going to be... 13.

MATT: So 23.

MARISHA: 23.

TALIESIN: Holy fuck.

MATT: That is over a hundred points of damage in one round. (cheering and applause)

SAM: Monk shit.

TRAVIS: Yes.

MATT: Fantastic. Fantastic.

TRAVIS: There it is.

MARISHA: And with each punch I just go: Molly! Molly! I'm beating Molly out of him.

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: Beating Molly out of him, I can't even-- I don't have diction any more.

TALIESIN: That's nice. That's nice.

MARISHA: I just sound like Mark Ruffalo. Just (garbled).

MATT: You got it. All right, that finishes your turn?

MARISHA: Yeah. Yes.

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: Wait, where am I? Can I stay? Should I stay or should I go now?

MATT: ♪ Should I stay or should I go ♪

MARISHA: I'm going to stay.

MATT: Finishing Beau's turn.

LIAM: Great turn.

MATT: As you just pummel the shit out of Lucien, he reaches to try and and grab your arm, and you just parry to the side and-- whack, whack!-- right in the jaw. (growls) You know, like, there are demonic elements to Molly/Lucien's physicality. In this moment, the demon flares up and you truly see the terrifying visage of the bloodline that long came before this entity. And is going to go and spend a legendary action to Fold Space, and vanishes.

LAURA: Oh no.

MATT: Teleporting.

MARISHA: Scaredy cat!

SAM: Yeah.

MATT: That way.

MATT: Mark it there.

TRAVIS: ♪ He's just a scaredy cat. ♪ (laughter)

TRAVIS: ♪ He's just a scaredy cat. ♪ ♪ Get, get out of the way! ♪

TALIESIN: ♪ Yeah, yeah. ♪

MATT: That does leave Jester's--

ASHLEY: ♪ He just bamfed into the middle of the map. ♪ (laughter)

ASHLEY: I don't know where I was going.

MATT: No, we were there with you. We were there with you. (laughter)

LAURA: My duplicate's just floating upside down.

MATT: Yep. So your duplicate is just chilling.

SAM: Whee!

TALIESIN: Oh wow. Yeah, we're going to. Yeah.

MATT: That's just over here.

SAM: (Irish accent) Over here.

ASHLEY: Duplicate?

MATT: Yep.

SAM: (Irish accent) It's an upside down duplicate.

LAURA: (Irish accent) It's an upside down duplicate.

SAM: (Irish accent) Just hovering.

MATT: That's the reaction there. Let's get us to--

LAURA: (Irish accent) Did you do your--

SAM: (Irish accent) Your poison save.

LAURA: (Irish accent) Yeah, your poison save against Contagion?

LIAM: (Irish accent) Hoit-a-toit-a-toit.

MATT: That's right!

LAURA: At the end of your turn?

SAM: (Irish accent) Your poison save.

MATT: That would be, that's a constitution?

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: 18?

LAURA: 18 is what you need.

MATT: So he saves.

LAURA: Okay. That's fine, he's got two more.

SAM: Okay.

LAURA: That he can-- it's like a best out of five.

MATT: Exactly. All right, so finishing the end of that. Jester, your turn. Fjord, you're on deck.

LAURA: Okay. Having seen Fjord not doing shit in this fight, I'm going to hope that he's within 120 feet of me and I'm going to cast Dispel Magic on Fjord.

MATT: Do you have to see the target?

LAURA: Nope.

MARISHA: Yep.

MATT: I think you have to look at what you're dispelling to dispel it.

LAURA: It just says within range. It doesn't say anything about visual.

LIAM: It doesn't say sight.

MATT: Interesting.

MARISHA: We just went through this.

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: All righty. All right. So shit, Fjord. Come on, man. Dispel that, go ahead and roll a d20 and add your wisdom modifier for casting at base level.

MARISHA: Come on.

LAURA: I'm going to cast it at 4th-level.

MATT: Okay. (laughter) (laughter)

MARISHA: Amazing. Didn't even look at it.

MATT: All right, go ahead and roll.

LAURA: I wonder what it landed on? I think I would have succeeded, but it doesn't matter. Okay. Do I roll again?

MATT: Yeah, still roll.

LAURA: At 4th-level? Okay, I'll roll it again.

SAM: No problem.

LAURA: No problem.

SAM: Easy. You got this.

LAURA: Okay. 19?

MATT: 19 does it. You are no longer slowed.

TRAVIS: Ooh!

ASHLEY: Yes! Yes!

MARISHA: Yes!

LAURA: Finally, ♪ it has happened to me ♪ ♪ and I'm going to start singing, ♪ I'm going to say: ♪ Molly! You gave your life to save us! Why are you attacking us now?! Fight it, Molly!

MATT: Make a persuasion check.

MARISHA: Come on.

LAURA: What is this? I can add. 17!

MATT: 17? After he appears, and you shout that over, he looks over, "He's dead. He never really existed. You're shouting into nothing, my dear. Just like you'll be, soon enough."

LAURA: Then why is this working?!

MATT: The eyes (whoosh)

MARISHA: Uh-oh.

LAURA: He doesn't like me.

LIAM: (Irish accent) I'm rubber and you're glue.

MATT: Does that finish your turn?

LAURA: (Irish accent) Toity toity toe. I'm going to float down below the ridge line of that roof and hide on the other side of it, away from his view.

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: Yeah. Right there.

MATT: There you go.

TRAVIS: Where'd you go?

MATT: The eyes that were focused on you slacken, since you are no longer in their visual range.

LAURA: Okay.

MATT: So instead, it's going to go ahead and focus it at, as a reaction end of the turn, on you, Veth.

LAURA: Oh.

MATT: Veth, I need you to make a constitution saving throw.

SAM: No problem.

LIAM: Bitch.

TRAVIS: (laughs)

SAM: 19!

MATT: 19? Fails.

LIAM: God damn.

MATT: That was minus the eye, right?

SAM: No, that would be 18. 17.

MATT: 17. Still fails. All right.

SAM: Still fails.

LIAM: I got to get this woman home for Christmas.

LAURA: We don't get advantage on our saving throws any more? That was just, that was for one turn, Yasha? That's gone?

TALIESIN: Just wisdom.

LAURA: Just wisdom now? Okay. It's already been back to Yasha's turn since then?

SAM: Is that true?

MATT and ASHLEY: No.

MATT: Did you roll with advantage?

SAM: I did not.

MATT: Roll one more time.

SAM: I don't think I can-- I'd have to roll a natural 20.

TALIESIN: Yeah. Go for it.

SAM: Natural 12.

LAURA: (gasps) (laughter)

MATT: You fucking dick. You fucking dick. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Asshole!

ASHLEY: That was cold!

TALIESIN: Burn him.

TRAVIS: Burn him!

MATT: Take 50 points of necrotic damage.

SAM: Five-zero?

MATT: Five-zero.

SAM: But halved because of something?

MATT: No.

SAM: Evasion?

MATT: Evasion doesn't matter for constitution saves. That's only for dex, buddy.

SAM: Uncanny Dodge?

MATT: No. Uncanny Dodge, you can reduce the damage of an attack by half. Is that how it is?

SAM: Uh, yes? I'm looking.

MATT: This technically--

SAM: When an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack.

MATT: It's an attack roll. So technically, no, this would not be affected by that.

SAM: It is not an attack roll?

MATT: Technically, no.

SAM: Okay. 50 points of whatever.

MATT: I give a little bit of leeway with your bullshit.

SAM: All good.

TALIESIN: Bless you.

MATT: But that's as far as I'm willing to bend.

TALIESIN: No, no.

MARISHA: With your bullshit.

SAM: I haven't taken any damage this fight.

TALIESIN: I take the ruling.

LIAM: Yeah, but that means you're near half.

SAM: I'm fine.

MATT: You're fine. All right.

LIAM: Yeah, you said that when you had two hit points.

MATT: That finishes Jester's turn. Fjord, you're up.

SAM: I'm not, like, controlled? I'm not attacking my friends or anything?

MATT: No, you're just physically ravaged by necrotic energy, but you know.

SAM: I've been physically ravaged before. And that wasn't even a minotaur. Heh heh heh.

MATT: God dammit.

TRAVIS: I'll feel the Slow drop from my form, and I'll walk back over to the arrow window that I entered through, and peek up and see Lucien floating up there. With my bonus action, I will call out: Are you sure you don't want to hang a tie on the door knob? You know, we could order some fruit snacks and have a lot of fun. We could get freaky!

MARISHA: Yes.

MATT: Roll a persuasion check. (laughter)

LAURA: With advantage.

MATT: Nah. You're lucky it's not disadvantage.

TRAVIS: But I'm talking about the thing-- yeah. 19?

MATT: 19. Not being in visual range, the voice seems to scatter out into nothing. And doesn't find purchase on Lucien who just, like, hearing it chuckles. "Now where are you hiding?" No effect.

TRAVIS: Well, I'll answer that question and I'll be like, (whooshing) and I'll send three Eldritch Blasts from behind.

MATT: Which you can do within this arrow slit, which also gives you three-quarters cover.

LAURA: Ooh, sick.

MATT: So any sort of attacks against you, you would have plus five to your AC.

TRAVIS: Oh great. No advantage on these attacks, right?

MATT: No.

TRAVIS: Although, this is my first attack since he hit me last.

LAURA: So you do get advantage on this first one?

MATT: Yeah.

TALIESIN: First one.

TRAVIS: On the first one.

MATT: Yeah.

TRAVIS: Fair enough.

ASHLEY: Wait, but wouldn't you get advantage on both because the battle cry?

MATT: He wasn't in the battle cry.

ASHLEY: Ah-ha. That's right. That's right, that's right.

TRAVIS: Nope. (like an opera singer) ♪ Uh. ♪ 22 to hit?

MATT: 22 just hits.

LAURA: Yes.

TRAVIS: Okay. Second one. Nope, that's only a 16. That was crap. And 28 to hit.

MATT: Yeah, two hits, go ahead and roll damage.

TRAVIS: Yes. Okay. Had to remember Hexblade's Curse. Ha, he, ha, mm, mm, been so long. One, two, three, four. 12 points of force damage. 10, 20 points of force damage.

MATT: Nice.

ASHLEY: Yes.

MATT: (impacts) "Ha, there you are."

TRAVIS: (high-pitched) Weep! (laughter)

TRAVIS: Three-quarters cover, so yeah.

MATT: You got it. Okay.

LAURA: You could probably duck into where you get full coverage, unless--

TRAVIS: That's probably true. I'll roll over.

MATT: You can roll over and you're fine. All right, that finishes Fjord's go.

TRAVIS: There's nobody in here.

MATT: Caleb, you're up. Yasha, you're on deck.

LIAM: Okay, so for my bonus action, I'm going to think into Lucien's head. You were infuriate-- You were infuriating when you were with us, egg-dick, but at least you had charm. This is beneath you.

MATT: Make a persuasion check.

MARISHA: Egg-dick.

LAURA: Egg-dick!

LIAM: Egg-dick. Aw! Yep, I'm going to use my Fortune's Favor.

MARISHA: Oh.

LIAM: That gets me to-- Where is it? 19.

MATT: 19 is not enough.

LIAM: Ooh, wow.

TRAVIS: It's what I just did.

LAURA: Yeah.

LIAM: And I will then wave my hand toward Essek and shout: Wake up! And cast Dispel at fifth.

MATT: Okay. Casting where?

LIAM: Dispel at Essek.

MATT: Dispel at Essek?

LIAM: Yes.

MATT: Okay. Fifth. Yeah, that'll do it.

TRAVIS: (sharp inhale) (sigh)

LAURA: Thank goodness.

TRAVIS: Holy crap.

MARISHA: It's good to not deal with his shit.

MATT: Man, that was going to be fun, too.

TRAVIS: No, no, no, no, no fun.

MATT: Essek, you see, was already gathering this dark well of gravitational magic while staring forward suddenly and lets it just dissipate.

TRAVIS: No, you can keep it, just point it at-- (clears throat)

MATT: "Thank you."

LAURA: You shout from the window.

TRAVIS: (muffled) There's no one in here.

MATT: All right, you're staying put, or--?

LIAM: Do we-- Where's the cone at the moment?

MATT: The cone is shifted back this way.

LIAM: I will move closer, but outside of it. I will move next to-- Where's Veth?

SAM: Yellow.

MATT: Veth is over here.

SAM: In the cone.

MATT: No, Veth is outside.

SAM: Oh, I'm outside the cone.

LIAM: I'm going to, with my 60 flight speed from my brain, I'm going to fly through the cone and hover just above Veth or right next to Veth.

MATT: Okay. 60 feet on there will get you yeah, just next to Veth. Pardon my reach.

TALIESIN: You're not going to be able to make a sneak attack this round, are you?

SAM: Um, if I can hide.

MATT: All right.

SAM: I don't have advantage.

MATT: Does that finish your go, Caleb?

LIAM: Yeah, that is it.

MATT: End of your turn, he's going to take another legendary action.

SAM: ♪ But it's over now ♪

MATT: To go ahead and use--

LIAM: Fortune's Favor blown for nothing.

TRAVIS: I feel you.

MATT: -- Mirumus on you, Veth, again.

SAM: If only Fjord were looking.

MATT: But you are in the radius, so.

SAM: Huh? I'm in the radius?

MATT: Because he moved next to you, so he's not going to use it on you.

LIAM: Ah, but you said it, now you got to take it.

SAM: No.

MATT: You want me to hold to that rule?

SAM: No.

TRAVIS: No, no, no, no, no.

MATT: I only got one turn every round.

TRAVIS: No, no, no, no, no, no, no!

MATT: (laughs) Instead, he's going to go ahead and use it on Caduceus.

TALIESIN: All right.

MATT: Caduceus, go ahead and make a wisdom saving throw, which you're still very good at, but we'll see. With advantage. Minus one because of your eye.

TALIESIN: Two, because of my eye.

MATT: That's right.

LIAM: Got pink eye.

SAM: Do we all have pink eye?

TALIESIN: 27.

MATT: Yeah, yeah, you're fine, you're fine. You just look disappointed.

TALIESIN: I give parent disappointed as my reaction.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: "Okay." (laughs)

MARISHA: The worst kind of disappointment.

TALIESIN: I'm not mad.

MARISHA: Yeah, I'm not mad. I'm just disappointed.

MATT: I'm sorry.

LIAM: New me to old me, I'm just disappointed.

MARISHA: Yeah.

MATT: My apologies. This wasn't Mirumus. This was Elatis. I think I said, right?

LAURA: No, you said--

MATT: I said Mirumus? I'll go with Mirumus. Yeah, you're fine. Never mind. I intended differently. I'll go with what I said.

TALIESIN: Yeah. It's loosey goosey.

MATT: We're good.

SAM: If you want to redo it, it's okay, Matt.

MATT: No, we're fine.

SAM: You let us do it all the time.

MATT: All right. That finishes Caleb's go. Yasha, you are stunned. So that's your turn. I'm sorry.

SAM: And stunning!

MATT: All right. Yasha's turn finishes, which means everyone loses their things. Now he's going to use his last legendary action to now do Elatis on you. Make an intelligence saving throw for me, please.

LAURA: Two in a row on Caduceus?

MATT: Without advantage, because that wore off. Well, it was Mirumus and then Elatis.

MARISHA: Come on, Cad.

LAURA: You got this.

TALIESIN: 15.

MATT: Minus.

TALIESIN: That is with minus.

MATT: Yeah. As you're there, looking up disappointingly, you look over the rest of the friends and you hear a familiar voice. "Caduceus?" And you look up and where Lucien was, you see Calliope. And she reaches out to you and says, "Help me," and you feel this excitement to see your sister in the middle of this. And you rush towards her and are pulled 120 feet up until the point where you are now base to base with Lucien.

TRAVIS: 120 feet?

LAURA: Holy moly.

MATT: Or up until base to base with so.

TRAVIS: That is a long way to pull somebody.

MATT: So we'll say for the purposes of this for now.

TRAVIS: Holy shit.

MATT: You are essentially right there.

LAURA: (gasps)

LIAM: (moans in sympathy)

MATT: Right in the junk.

TALIESIN: Hey, you get advantage now.

SAM: Well, I don't think so because you're not my ally anymore right now.

TALIESIN: (skeptical noise)

MARISHA: Is he charmed?

MATT: No.

TALIESIN: No.

SAM: Oh, you are still my ally.

MARISHA: You just got pulled.

TALIESIN: I just got pulled in.

MATT: You just got pulled. Also, you feel a slight tingling in your left shoulder.

TRAVIS and LAURA: No!

TALIESIN: Dick.

TRAVIS: Is that three total or--

TALIESIN: Three.

SAM: So he's still my ally?

LAURA: Yeah.

SAM: Great.

MATT: We'll find out.

TALIESIN: It's about to be my turn.

MARISHA: You still don't have any, and you still don't have any.

MATT: All right, finishing Yasha's go. Now it's Essek turn. Since Essek is in control of himself, but now with Caduceus in the way, he can't do what he was planning to do.

LAURA: Staring up at the junk.

MARISHA: Epic sculpt, ooh.

LAURA: Look at the paint job.

MATT: That is actually really funny. Caduceus is just staring his dick.

MARISHA: Yeah.

MATT: Well done, Russ.

TALIESIN: What spell does that eye cast?

MATT: Well.

SAM: Oh boy, that's a lot.

LIAM: That's a lot.

TALIESIN: Proud of that.

MATT: He's going to do another-- He's going to do a 4th-level Magic Missile. Because it's just the safest thing to do with you right there. Oh, not bad.

SAM: Those are some [inaudible].

LIAM: Ba da bum!

MATT: Nice! 22 points of force damage to him. And then--

TRAVIS: Essek!

MATT: Is going to dart over here. Try and use the tower for cover. All right. Finishing Essek's turn. Is Caduceus and then Veth. Caduceus.

SAM: Oh, me. Oh, me. Oh me, oh my.

TALIESIN: What am I going to-- So I actually get to do things, then? That's nice.

MATT: You are currently standing in the cone.

TALIESIN: I am currently standing in the cone?

MATT: You can move around if you'd like to, to the backside.

TALIESIN: I'm going to move around to the backside.

MATT: Okay.

TALIESIN: This view is a lot. And actually probably go fly a little bit up if I can't without leaving.

MATT: You can fly a little bit up without breaking the--

TRAVIS: No, I shouldn't.

MARISHA: (laughs)

TALIESIN: Is anybody not in the cone right now? Is the other question I have.

TRAVIS: I don't want to find the other eye.

MATT: Nobody is in the cone except for Beauregard and Yasha, I think.

TALIESIN: Damn, so it's just Caleb and Veth?

MARISHA: Uk'otoa, what are you doing here?

TRAVIS: "Consume." Nope, nope.

MARISHA: (laughs)

TALIESIN: Okay. I'm going to do something just a little dumb. This is dumb.

MATT: Okay, just so you know, just to see where you're looking at the cone is right here.

LIAM: I think he's burned two.

TALIESIN: Okay. So yeah. There's no way I can--

MATT: So actually, it's just Beauregard that's inside it right now.

TALIESIN: Yeah, but I can't fire him-- I can't fire a spell through that.

LAURA: No.

MATT: Through the cone to her?

TALIESIN: Yeah.

MATT: No.

TALIESIN: Or through the cone to anyone on the other side of it.

MATT: Correct. So that area's kind of--

TALIESIN: Yeah.

MATT: Yeah, it's part of the chess match of the ability.

TALIESIN: How are you doing?

LAURA: How you doin'?

SAM: Half.

TALIESIN: Okay. I'm going to spend my bonus action. I believe. Let me double check if-- No, this is a-- I'm going to use my action to use Channel Divinity.

MATT: Okay. Whatchu going to do?

TALIESIN: I'm going to use Path of the Grave on Molly.

MATT: On Lucien?

TALIESIN: On Lucien, whatever. Don't think that wasn't intentional.

MATT: So you're holding it or you're using it?

TALIESIN: I'm using it.

MATT: Okay. So the next attack, you got it.

TALIESIN: So the next attack, and then--

MATT: So as as now the Wild Mother's presence is felt stronger between both Fjord regaining his senses and Caduceus now focusing that draw to the grave upon Lucien's recently transformed self. That is your action.

TALIESIN: And then as my bonus action, is Veth 60 feet from me?

MATT: Veth would be within 60 feet.

TALIESIN: I'm going to cast Healing Word as a bonus action at 3rd-level.

MATT: Fantastic.

TALIESIN: So it's not much, but you know.

SAM: I'll take it.

TALIESIN: Just because I don't want you out of commission.

SAM: Thank you, Caduceus.

TALIESIN: That's 11 points.

SAM: I'll take it. I'll take it.

TALIESIN: Yep. Yep. That's 11 points and yeah, that's my turn.

MATT: Okay. Finishing Caduceus' go. Veth, you're up.

SAM: He's in melee with--?

MATT: In melee range of Caduceus, correct.

SAM: Amazing. I'm going to fire a crossbow bolt.

ASHLEY, MARISHA, and TALIESIN: Crossbow bolt.

SAM: Should I make it an extra special one?

LAURA: Yeah, do it.

TALIESIN: Go, go, go dumb.

LAURA: Go hard.

SAM: Okay. Did you boost my attack somehow? All right, I'll go extra special. I'll cast Brenatto's Voltaic Bolt. If I'm in your bubble, can I cast magic?

LIAM: Yeah. It doesn't negate magic at all. It protects you from the things that the aberration does to you.

SAM: Then I will fire. 32.

MATT: That hits.

SAM: No, that's wrong. 28.

MATT: Still hits.

SAM: All right. Let's see what we got. 10 and 20 and 34, 41 plus nine is 50 points of damage.

LAURA and MATT: Times two.

MATT: That's a hundred points of damage.

TRAVIS: Ooh.

ASHLEY: Holy moly.

TALIESIN: Normally, we don't do this kind of thing, but this is a special occasion.

MATT: As Lucien, who's been showing some wear and tear, and is angrily standing there in the space. Caduceus, hovering behind, calls quietly on the Wild Mother. What does the effect look like?

TALIESIN: The effect looks like this sort of strange-- There's a little crystalline shimmer to it, but like heat slowly building. It's that weird shimmer, but it's like it's going through a sunbeam catcher, just a little rainbow vibration.

MATT: As you turn and charging your bolt and fire it forward, you see it going towards Lucien and you see that straight shimmer. And for a second, you're afraid it's a barrier. But what it does is it hits and shatters. And now you see amongst your bolt a dozen shards of energy now flying into Lucien's body. (impacts) (grunts)

TRAVIS: Yeah, yeah, fuck yeah.

MATT: "I think I've been doing this on my own a little bit too much."

SAM: Bonus action, fire again.

MATT: Go for it.

LAURA: Oh no.

SAM: That misses. But because it's the Aeorian security cannon, I can use gravity to pull back the bolt and fire it back again.

MATT: As a reaction, you can. Yeah.

TRAVIS: Really?

SAM: Natural one. (groaning, laughter)

MATT: Aww, that's cool, though. But yeah.

LIAM: (whizzing noises)

MATT: Gravity's weird here in Astral Sea.

SAM: I don't know how to control it yet.

MATT: There's a moment where Lucien is breathing heavy in the air. Still hovering, but you can see there's a bit of a rock to the placement. "(panting) All right. Now that I flexed this a bit, let's borrow the full power of the city around me," and teleports away. Well, no, he doesn't need to teleport away because you're right there. (whooshing) Begins to go into a full dive. You do get an attack of opportunity, if you'd like to take it.

TALIESIN: I'll take it.

LAURA: (grunt)

LIAM: (claps)

TALIESIN: Ha ha ha. That's--

MATT: (deadpan) Ah-ha ha ha. Yeah.

TALIESIN: I actually don't understand how my attack of opportunity works, it's my--

MATT: You just make a melee attack with your strength and proficiency bonus.

TALIESIN: But it's-- I can use a spell attack because I'm a War Caster.

MATT: You can, yeah.

TALIESIN: So that's a 22 to hit.

SAM: Which spell?

MATT: War Caster allows you to use a spell instead of doing an attack.

TALIESIN: So it's my spell attack bonus.

MATT: Yeah. So what are you using to cast? What spell you casting?

TALIESIN: I have to see what actually requires a-- a spell attack, which will take one second.

MATT: It doesn't have to have to have a spell attack. You can just cast any spell.

TALIESIN: I can cast any spell?

TRAVIS: Without rolling.

TRAVIS: Oh shit, okay.

LIAM: Unless it is a spell attack.

TALIESIN: Let me do-- Okay. Just because it's-- I apologize. How rough did he look?

MATT: I mean, he's looking pretty rough.

TRAVIS: I assume he could be rougher.

TALIESIN: But not, like, really fucked. Okay.

TRAVIS: Did he look under 50 hit points rough?

TALIESIN: Yeah. No.

LAURA: (soft high-pitched screech)

TALIESIN: Let's do.

LAURA: Did you see that? He went--

MARISHA: I know. I know. It's like--

LAURA: What does that mean? What does that mean? What does-- mean?

LIAM: No expression.

TALIESIN: I'm so sorry. I'm trying to figure out something to do.

TRAVIS: Lure you in.

MATT: Hurry it up.

TALIESIN: Sorry. I know it's going to be half damage, but fuck it, let's do Blight.

MATT: Which spell?

TALIESIN: Blight.

MATT: Blight? Sure. Go for it.

TALIESIN: It's half damage, but you know.

MATT: So constitution save?

TALIESIN: Constitution save.

MATT: That is a fail.

TALIESIN: Okay.

MATT: He is going to take it.

TALIESIN: Three, four. Okay. So I know he takes half damage on this.

MATT: He does, yeah.

LAURA: Because it's necrotic.

MATT: Indeed.

TALIESIN: Oh my god. That's terrible. 16, 17, 18.

LAURA: Caduceus just got really excited that he got to do a spell.

SAM: Yeah!

MATT: Rightly so, rightly so.

MARISHA: Wait, wait, wait, wait. (laughs)

MATT: (laughs)

LAURA: Ah ha ah ha ah ha.

TALIESIN: 37 points of necrotic damage.

LAURA: That's not terrible. That's pretty good.

TALIESIN: Second roll was--

SAM: Is that halved or is that?

MATT: It is halved.

TALIESIN: That's halved.

TRAVIS: Now is he looking real rough?

SAM: It's very hard for Taliesin to do moves because Matt's wearing a t-shirt with Taliesin's face on it.

TALIESIN: It's true. It's intense close up. I've been moisturizing, it's not that bad.

MARISHA: How do you think we feel whenever you pull that shit?

SAM: I know.

TALIESIN: I have very few things that'll actually hurt him. So that's--

MATT: No, that worked out well. So (grunt). Continues into a dive (whooshing) down towards the city, uses both his action and his movement. And as he dives, the ground (muffled groaning)

LAURA: No!

MATT: Opens up below (whoosh) and disappears down into the ground below.

LAURA: Six feet under the--

LAURA, TRAVIS, MARISHA, and LIAM: -- ground below.

MATT: So for the time being at this very moment, you are out of combat. You are welcome to chase, but you cannot see Lucien at the moment.

TRAVIS: And the hole closes up behind him?

MATT: The hole is still open.

ASHLEY: Let's go.

SAM: Do we need to heal or do we just pursue? He could also be healing.

MARISHA: I could use a heal, Caduceus.

TRAVIS: I also think wherever we're going, he's going to have help.

MARISHA: For sure.

TRAVIS: Yeah.

MARISHA: His whole like, "Oh, I can't do this alone. Blah."

TRAVIS: And we know: We heal, he heal.

LAURA: Yeah.

LIAM: Yes.

MARISHA: I don't think we should stop long, but if you can just drop something in me.

LAURA: We shouldn't stop. We should, like, cast while we're flying.

TALIESIN: Should we do a group heal or, like, one big group heal, or should we--

LAURA: I don't have a group heal.

TRAVIS: Everybody close into a group. Just so we can--

MARISHA: Yeah, let's do it. We all move in together.

MATT: All right, so all of you (whooshing) pair in together into a close group, gathering and diving down this space, following Lucien into this opening into the center of Cognouza.

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: What spells are being cast here?

MARISHA: He's healing us.

TALIESIN: I'm going to do a group heal. I'm just trying to figure out what's the--

TRAVIS: I use my bonus action of bamf out of the tower using Far Step so I can join everybody, in case--

TALIESIN: All right, so I fucked up my spells, so it's hard to find things right now. I'm going to do a Mass Healing Word. I think is the one to go with--

LAURA: I'm going to do Mass Cure Wounds at 7th-level.

TALIESIN: Okay. I'm going to do Mass Cure Wounds at sixth.

TALIESIN: Okay. I'm going to do Mass Cure Wounds at sixth.

LAURA: Who all's hurt?

SAM: I'm hurt a little.

LAURA: Raise your hand, if you're hurt-hurt.

TRAVIS: I'm just not hurt-hurt.

LAURA: One, two, three, four.

MARISHA: Essek?

LAURA: So everybody but Caduceus. Oh Essek, is Essek super hurt?

MATT: Essek, actually, he hasn't taken any damage

LAURA: So everybody but Caduceus heals--

ASHLEY: Wait, have you taken damage, Cad? No, okay, okay.

TRAVIS: Yasha, you're not hurt?

ASHLEY: I haven't really taken that much.

TALIESIN: Yeah, you have.

ASHLEY: Wait, I have.

TALIESIN: Yeah, you have. You took, like, 50-- like a whole bunch of necrotic.

MATT: And psychic.

TALIESIN: So one, two, three, four, five, six. So yeah, you're part of the six.

ASHLEY: Why did that do that?

MATT: I think you took 25 or 26 psychic damage, but because it was supposed to be big. But you used your armor to halve it, so.

TALIESIN: Here's my sixth.

LAURA: 26.

MATT: So everyone healed what?

LAURA: 31 points of healing to everybody but Caduceus.

SAM: That's fucking amazing.

MARISHA: Huzzah, hell yeah.

TALIESIN: 18 points to everyone but me on top of that.

MARISHA: Yes, yes!

SAM: Whoa.

TRAVIS: So 49?

MARISHA: Clerics for the fucking win.

LAURA: You said 18, Caduceus?

MATT: Two clerics in the group, man.

TRAVIS: Fucking awesome.

LAURA: Great.

SAM: And that can go into our temporary-- or our--

LAURA: That can go into the temp, yeah.

MARISHA: The 17, not the additional five.

LAURA: Yeah. That can go into the 17 of the max and then we chase after him.

TRAVIS: Let's fucking move.

MARISHA: Yep. Let's go.

MATT: All right. (buzzing whoosh) You all dive down, (whoosh) flying at the speed of your slowest, unless people want to dart ahead. Which a few can, but your call.

LAURA: Yeah, I think we should chase.

MARISHA: Yeah, I'll dart.

TRAVIS: Go rock nasty, man.

MARISHA: Sorry, Caddy, but you know what, you're fine.

TALIESIN: You got the power, mess him up.

MARISHA: ♪ You've got the power! ♪

LAURA: Yeah, you can go. Go, yeah.

MARISHA: ♪ You've got the touch ♪

MATT: You descend deeper and deeper into the lightless depths of the heart of Cognouza, returning to the space where the Aether Crux was. Eventually, after some time passing, you see the space begin to open. Right about the time that the Haste spell wears off on you, Yasha, which does temporarily stun you.

TRAVIS: I'll use the rest of my Far Step, too, to stay up with these fast cats.

ASHLEY: That's right, because I was stunned, so I probably can't-- would I even have moved?

MATT: Well, the stun only lasts until his next turn. So it would have gone away after that. But when Haste ends, you are stunned for a turn.

TALIESIN: For six seconds.

MATT: So you fall a little bit behind, but as you catch into the opening of the chamber below, you can see that deep red, luminescent pulsing coming from the center of where the previous Aether Crux once stood. The chamber has mostly healed and you can see all manner of crooked buildings and broken ruin and gothic cathedrals that are halfway mutated with elements of flesh and teeth and eyes curling up them. You can see some of the towers that were once there now large twisted, tendrils of flesh, just slightly shifting where this (heartbeat) is in the center of the room. As you all begin to descend (cracking) it breaks open. The second birthing. You see emerge from inside. Lucien. Kind of.

LAURA: He got in there that fucking fast? Damn.

MATT: As now what you see: The front half of Lucien as his lower body begins to twist and morph, connected with the city of Cognouza, a bulbous, twisted mass of flesh and stone and building and winged statue and cathedral and eyes and muscle and teeth. Where the eye stalks once stood behind him, instead now are two giant wings of muscle tissue, the eyes not present. You see him now centered and connected here at the base of Cognouza. And Lucien looks around. "Well, shall we finish this, then?"

LAURA: Oh my god.

MATT: And that's where we're going to end tonight's episode. (groaning)

LAURA: Double boss fight!

SAM: Damn it!

MARISHA: Double-- two part-er.

LAURA: Oh my god.

TALIESIN: We so fucked.

TRAVIS: Five round-- five rounds? Six rounds?

LAURA: How many rounds was that?

TRAVIS: I think it was five.

TALIESIN: That was a lot of rounds.

LAURA: Oh wait. Does he have to save-- Does Contagion still stay on him?

MATT: He rolls a 16 for his next save.

LAURA: Oh, so he failed it.

MATT: No, no, 16 naturally plus the bonuses. Which would, yeah, he makes it.

TALIESIN: But you have to subtract his nine eyes. (laughter)

MARISHA and ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, yeah!

TALIESIN: Don't feel good, does it? Doesn't fucking feel good.

MATT: Natural 20 on the third.

LAURA: (groans) So he does save against Contagion, but good call, good call.

ASHLEY: Very good call.

MATT: So we'll pick up from there, but good memory on that, too.

MARISHA: (groan)

MATT: So we'll pick up here next time for a true showdown.

LAURA: Oh my god.

MARISHA: Aww man.

MATT: I almost want to almost want to show you, give you a peek.

ASHLEY: Yes!

TALIESIN: Please!

LAURA: Yes!

MARISHA: Peek!

ASHLEY: Give us a peek, please.

TRAVIS and MARISHA: (chanting) Peek! Peek!

MATT: It won't be have the same effect because you don't have the proper battlefield to match it

TRAVIS: Or you can save it. It's your call.

TALIESIN: Don't do that. Yes, we want to see it.

LAURA: No, no, no, save it if there's a battlefield to match it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. MATT: I'm going to save it.

LIAM: Don't show us half the picture.

ASHLEY: Ugh, such a tease!

MATT: I'm going to save it. All right.

LAURA: Oh, but that's exciting to know there's a whole other thing.

ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

MATT: That was Lucien form one.

LAURA: Oh my god!

SAM: How many forms are there? Nine? Oh god. (laughter)

MATT: Yeah, this whole boss fight is my love letter to growing up on Final Fantasy.

LAURA: Oh my god.

MARISHA: At least three iterations, always.

TALIESIN: This is the Mortal Kombat that you get knocked into the next level.

LAURA: Yeah, the next--

MATT: (crashing)

TRAVIS: How am I here?

MATT: All righty. Well, we'll pick up from there, here in the Aether Crux chamber at the center of the living city of Cognouza, floating amongst the Astral Sea to see who survives. Next time.

LAURA: Oh, I can't wait.

TALIESIN: Fuck.

MATT: Thank you so much for joining us. Have a wonderful week. We love you very much, and is it Thursday yet?

LIAM: (Irish accent) Get over here.

MATT: Good night. (laughter)