Transcript:A Dark Balance

Pre-show
MATT: (Cajun accent) Hello everyone, and welcome to Critical Role, where a bunch us nerdy-ass voice actors sit around and play Dungeons & Dragons!

ALL: (shouting) We play Dungeons & Dragons!

MATT: More or less what they were saying. But don't you worry about that. (normal voice) No, we're all obviously doing our Halloween episode. So we're in costume. We've never done that before. It's weird.

LAURA: Yes!

MATT: We all decided to be X-Men characters. I, of course, beginning with Gambit, a delightful character that allows me to not have to wear a wig. We'll start over here. Taliesin.

TALIESIN: I am dressed as Mr. Sinister. Delightful character that does, in fact, require a wig. (laughter)

MATT: What you got, Liam?

LIAM: I'm dressed as-- Best boy Nightcrawler was too much time and effort for me to do in two weeks, so I chose Cyclops instead. (laughter)

LIAM: AKA Scott Summers.

MATT: Yeah!

LAURA: I'm Rogue. (laughs) (laughter)

MATT: Nailed it!

LAURA: What's up, darlin'? (laughter)

MATT: There it is. Yeah.

ASHLEY: I'm Emma Frost! (cheering)

ASHLEY: I just know so much about her, and really just--

SAM: Connected to the character?

ASHLEY: -- so excited to play this character-

MARISHA: We all went, "She's blonde."

LAURA: Yeah.

ASHLEY: This is the least amount of work. I'm having a good time, though. Who are you?

SAM: I am Mr. Fantastic.

TRAVIS: Fucking asshole.

MATT: You dick.

LAURA: AKA not an X-Men.

SAM: I'm the leader of the X-Men.

MATT: No! Fucking--

TALIESIN: Boo.

TRAVIS: Oh jeez. (laughter)

LAURA: Get away.

MARISHA: We already had one Wolverine claw casualty. Oh no!

LAURA: He's going to hit one of the mics!

MATT: This is already the worst.

LIAM: Somebody use your mutant powers to take his hands off.

ASHLEY: Not an X-Men?

LAURA: Let me touch you.

SAM: I don't think he's an X-Man.

TRAVIS: Going to make some umami with your arms. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Baby!

MATT: Stop it. (laughter)

MATT: (explosion) Now Marisha.

TRAVIS: Did it explode?

SAM: Wait, who are you looking at right now?

TRAVIS: Whoa, look, yeah!

ASHLEY: Whoa!

MATT: Always you.

TRAVIS: Oh shit!

SAM: Oh shit.

LAURA: Nice, nice.

MARISHA: I am the Dark Phoenix, and apparently California passed a law where you can't buy colored contacts over the counter. But luckily, I have a post team at my power.

ALL: Whoa!

MARISHA: Take it, Max Schapiro!

MATT: Whoa!

SAM: It's happening! I'm imagining that it's happening!

MARISHA: Ah!

LAURA: So scary.

LIAM: Wait, why is she wearing the propellor beanie, though? (laughter)

MARISHA: You shut up! You shut up. Don't listen, Max, don't listen. Travis, go.

TRAVIS: Oh, me?

MARISHA: Yeah.

TRAVIS: Hello, I am Piotr Rasputin, cosplaying as my favorite teammate, Wolverine. (laughter)

TRAVIS: He is so buff, and I am very tall, but so is Hugh Jackman, ja? (laughter)

MATT: Wow.

TALIESIN: Later.

MATT: Wow.

TRAVIS: Yeah.

MATT: Okay, well. Well, my X-Men and whoever this douche is-- (laughter)

MATT: Let's go ahead-- (laughs) Let's go ahead and kick off this Halloween episode of Critical Role. But before we get into tonight's episode, we do have some announcements to get through. Beginning with our first sponsor, D&D Beyond. Sam.

TRAVIS: ♪ D&D Beyond ♪

SAM: Guys, you already know a D&D Beyond subscription lets you create unlimited characters, share your books with friends, and access game tools that make playing Dungeons & Dragons easier. Heck, we use it on this show, but now D&D Beyond is offering exclusive Halloween-themed character sheet backdrops just this month!

MARISHA: Yeah.

SAM: To get into the scary spirit, our crew is trick-or-treating us to some spooky backgrounds right here on our spooktacular set.

TRAVIS: What?

SAM: So Travis and Marisha, I'm going to need all of your acting abilities.

MATT: Oh boy.

SAM: Even though you look like superheroes, because of the magic of green screen--

MARISHA: Mm.

SAM: You are now trapped in a spiderweb--

MARISHA: Oh, oh no!

SAM: And there's a spiderweb-- there's a spider right above you! So get the spider off of you by sticking your arms up! It's above you!

MARISHA: Oh, god, cut me down!

SAM: Really get that spider! Dig it with your finger, dig into it with your fingers!

MARISHA: Over here, stop it!

SAM: Okay, good, good. Now the background is changing.

TRAVIS: I know what this is fucking--

LAURA: Mm-hmm.

TALIESIN: Yeah, babe.

SAM: And now the background is changing, and I need your acting skills to sell this. There is a super scary horde of zombies right behind you. Oh no, be scared!

MARISHA: (screams)

SAM: Be really scared! Oh no, you got to run away!

LAURA: Run, run!

SAM: Now be even more scared, there's another one!

MARISHA: Ah!

SAM: And it's even closer!

TRAVIS: Take this! (stabbing noise)

MARISHA: Ow! Wait, what?

SAM: All right.

MARISHA: Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. How do we know that you're accurately describing the backgrounds, and you know, you're not just tricking us into doing weird shit that's going to embarrass us later?

SAM: Marisha, I would never!

MARISHA: Yeah, yeah, I know you're trustworthy. I trust you.

SAM: Last one. Now, I hate to say this, but right in the middle of you, right between you, like right here, is the creepy girl from The Ring, and the only way to survive is to punch her! Punch her right there, punch her over and over.

SAM: Punch her, punch her.

TRAVIS: Mm-mm.

ASHLEY: Stab her with your swords, or your claws.

TRAVIS: (weakly) Shing. (laughter)

SAM: Well, that wasn't funny on paper-- (laughter)

SAM: -- but I promise it might be after the post team is done with it. (laughter)

SAM: Don't forget to subscribe at D&D Beyond at https, no, I don't need to say that part. DNDBeyond.link/CRSub.

MARISHA: Yeah.

SAM: Creeping it real. Bugs and hisses. (laughter)

SAM: Back to you, Matt. (laughter)

MATT: Well done, Mr. Fancy.

SAM: What does this do?

LAURA: Making a point?

SAM: Oh, I'm making a point?

MATT: There it is. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Listen, what do we need? No new taxes!

ASHLEY: Making the speech, the guy's--

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: This is a terrible idea.

SAM: Clap, clap!

MARISHA: Yeah, get it to clap, beat.

ALL: Yay!

MATT: There it is.

ALL: Yay!

MATT: Congratulations. (laughter)

MATT: Well, this episode is also sponsored by a returning sponsor, Blades in the Dark!

ALL: Ooh!

MATT: One More Multiverse Edition. A game that is out now. For those not familiar, One More Multiverse is a game developer making online roleplaying games that you can run with your friends. Blades in the Dark: OOM Edition out now for purchase and play at Multiverse.com Blades is a game about doing crime in an occult world. Heist an art museum with the help of a ghost, fight a demon on top of a train, infiltrate a secret society of vampires, eh? With 130-plus pre-made levels, illustrated character sheets, custom smart dice rollers, and game guides, this game is built for the new GMs, and making learning a new system as easy as possible. So if you have never run a game before, now is your chance. Run your first session within 20 minutes. It's that easy. Marisha.

TRAVIS: (laughs)

MATT: You got announcements.

TRAVIS: Those fucking contacts look amazing.

MARISHA: I got a big one, wait, hang on. This is important, this needs fan. You guys.

ALL: Oh!

MARISHA: Back, finally, the moment you've all been waiting for! The Mighty Nein are returning! (cheering)

MARISHA: That's right, we're very excited to announce that The Mighty Nein Reunited will be a two-part reunion special, and will air on Thursday, November 17th, and Thursday, December 1st at 7:00pm Pacific on Twitch, and YouTube. And!

SAM: Oh!

MARISHA: For those of you that would like to check out the special on the big screen, we've partnered yet again with our friends at Cinemark--

TRAVIS: Yes!

MARISHA: For a special in-theater, two-night event.

TRAVIS: Yeah, yeah, yeah!

MARISHA: Yeah, it's going to be epic, there's really cool tickets where you can get cool stuff. Anyway, you can check it out at CritRole.com for more details!

TRAVIS: Nice, high five.

MARISHA: Yeah!

TRAVIS: (slicing)

MARISHA: (screams)

TRAVIS: Ha ha, noob! Whack! (laughter)

MATT: Damn.

TALIESIN: Wow.

MATT: Liam, what do you got to say about that?

LIAM: Oh my gosh. Tangentially related--

LAURA: Tangentially.

LIAM: -- to The Mighty Nein, we made comic books. We still do, and Tales of Exandria: The Bright Queen is now available. We made it with our friends at Dark Horse Comics, and this volume collects the-- I have no peripheral vision.

TRAVIS: It's so pretty, though.

LAURA: It's, yeah, that's right.

LIAM: This volume collects the four-issue series of Leylas Kryn and Quana in their pursuit of the Luxon, written by Darcy Van Poelgeest with art by CoupleOfKooks! Plus, we have this stunning limited edition hardcover version.

LAURA: Yeah, that's the wrong way.

LIAM: Yep.

TALIESIN: There you go.

LIAM: My mutant superpower is not knowing what I'm doing. A decorative slipcase, a commemorative print--

ASHLEY: You can't look, you'd burn it.

LIAM: No, if I take these off, I will burn you all!

TRAVIS: You can't do it, you can't do it!

LIAM: And plenty of extras! Find it exclusively, open that up and show the people, at our Critical Role shops.

LAURA: Don't tell me what to do, Liam O'Brien.

LIAM: Aww, that's not our dynamic?

ALL: Oh!

MARISHA: Look at that.

ASHLEY: Oh!

LAURA: Beautiful.

LAURA: That's actually really beautiful.

LIAM: That's so good. Look at that.

TALIESIN: Aww, yeah.

LAURA: Dang, that's gorgeous.

LIAM: All right.

MATT: Read it quietly to yourself now on air. (laughter)

SAM: Laura!

LAURA: Oh, me?

SAM: Oh wait, sorry, that's Matt's job.

LAURA: Am I--? No, wait.

MATT: Thank you, Liam. Laura? (laughter)

LAURA: All right, guess what we have?

SAM: The tension!

LAURA: We have some dice in the store.

ASHLEY: Woohoo!

TRAVIS: Yay, new dice!

LAURA: There's these three new sets. There's Nott the Brave. (oohing)

SAM: Damn.

LAURA: Oh wait, oh wait. I mean, they're beautiful dice, but check out, this one comes with an extra special treat!

SAM: Oh, cool!

LAURA: Yeah!

SAM: Wow, they're shiny.

LAURA: There you go. You can play with them.

LIAM: Dobby dice.

SAM: Thank you so much.

LAURA: And then we also have these Beauregard Lionett dice. (oohing)

LAURA: Oh, such a beautiful color.

ASHLEY: Ooh-hoo-hoo.

MARISHA: Pop, pop, goes in your dice bag.

LAURA: I'll give those over to you--

MATT: No.

LAURA: -- Marisha. And then these ones, these fabulous Fjord Stone.

TRAVIS: Oh shit!

ASHLEY: Ooh.

LAURA: Ooh, it's like the ocean with flecks of Uk'otoa gold.

ALL: (creepy whispering) Uk'otoa.

LAURA: There we go. Check them out, they're all in the store. Also! This new shirt is available now, ta-da!

LIAM: Yo!

TRAVIS: Yeah! I love it so much!

LIAM: Look at this shit.

MATT: That's awesome.

LAURA: It's by artist Josh Cranton, Twitter handle @JCSketches, or--

TRAVIS: That's fucking cool.

LAURA: JCS ketches, depending on how you read it.

ASHLEY: Where is this one going? Is this one for me?

LAURA: Is this one for-- You can have it.

TRAVIS: Yeah, you can have it.

MATT: There you go, well done.

LAURA: That's it. That's what we got. Go check it out!

MATT: Awesome, thank you, Laura.

SAM: Good job, good job.

ASHLEY: Good job.

LAURA: Yeah, it's good, it's a good shirt.

MATT: Lest I am mistaken, I think that concludes our announcements, so--

TRAVIS: Help, I'm stuck, I'm stuck.

MATT: (Cajun accent) Let's go ahead and jump in to tonight's episode of--

LAURA: Doo-doo-doo-doo.

MATT: -- Critical Role.

Part I
MATT: Welcome back. So, last we left off, Bells Hells, after a very deadly encounter with the Legend of the Peaks, Otohan Thull, with three members of their team dead, two returned, and Laudna left unable to do so. You brought her body back to Jrusar, pulled in some favors with Eshteross, who then pulled in some favors of his own. But then you called out to the leader of the Air Ashari, Keyleth, who brought you to the town of Whitestone. There, she hoped to introduce you to people that could help you in your concern. There, you met Lord Percival de Rolo, who upon learning about Laudna's condition and involvement with Delilah, was extremely unhappy and unwilling to grant aid in this circumstance. But Vex'ahlia felt a little more empathetic.

LAURA: She's really cool.

MATT: Upon calling Pike Trickfoot, the cleric of Vox Machina, to come and try and resurrect your friend Laudna, discovering this lingering connection, the dangers of being uncertain as to how to assure that Laudna came back and not Delilah herself. You traveled to the Trickfoot manor, and she put you all through a unique ritual that projected your spirits into whatever dark pocket dimension it seemed that Laudna and Delilah had been whisked away in the afterlife to. There, you traversed a series of odd memories, dark traumas of Laudna's past, battled some of these inner shadows that seemed to linger and be drawn around Delilah's necrotic life force. Eventually coming through a shadow version of the town of Whitestone, a twisted leafless version of the Sun Tree where she once hung from and did battle with the shade of Delilah Briarwood. Upon going through this struggle, this fight, it was discovered that it wasn't just Delilah, but the dark tree itself that represented what was holding Laudna here, it seemed. Through some ingenuity, and some well-placed druidic fire spells, the tree was set aflame. After a few of you had been knocked out of this dream, eventually, you destroyed the tree, left Delilah screaming. All of you awoke suddenly, back on the floor of Pike Trickfoot's home. Here, in the dark interior of this room, you all come back to your conscious physical self here in Exandria, looking at this low lit, candlelit interior of this abode, the glowing sigils along the floor, the glyphs that anchored you to this strange dark realm now fleeting, their energy dissipating, leaving the room and floor dark. As you all glance around at each other, realizing that you've managed to escape, hopefully with some semblance of victory, you look upon the still body of Laudna, still there on the ground. At this very point, as you all look about at each other sitting up, Pike Trickfoot, who is still sitting in a prayer position, glances up as the last of you come to. "So, how'd it go? Did it work?"

LAURA: I think so.

ASHLEY: Yeah, yes.

LAURA: We didn't see Laudna get released, but--

ASHLEY: We came back so fast. I don't know what--

LAURA: Delilah was screaming. I think it worked.

LIAM: What do you see, Ms. Trickfoot?

MATT: "Okay, hold on." She grabs her symbol again. She reaches into this side pouch she has settled on the ground that's half-cocked and opening a bit, and you can see some materials are spilling out. She goes, "Oh, oh no." Puts them back in her hand and scatters it across the area just around the floor outside of Laudna his body. Then she places her hand out about a foot over her corpse. Concentrating for a bit, you see a soft orange-ish glow that seems to emanate between the hand and the top of Laudna. At which point, she closes her fist and pulls it back, her eyes opening. "Okay, I sense that-- I sense that that force, that connection between Delilah that I previously saw is heavily diminished. It's not gone, but it's--"

LAURA: Oh god.

MATT: "It's definitely not as strong as it was." She looks over her shoulder and you see Vex'ahlia, who's still leaning back against the door, looking around, an intense expression on her face of both concern and a hint of relief at your return, and goes, (Vex) "Well, if you left her screaming, then that's one thing, is it not? Pike, do you trust this? Do you think this is a good idea?" Pike just thinks for a second and makes eye contact with each of you in turn, as she glances about the circle. "She means a lot to you, right?"

ASHLEY: Well yeah.

SAM: Of course.

LAURA: She means everything.

MATT: "Then you understand that I don't have assurances entirely that this is going to work."

TRAVIS: Well, of course. It's better than... It's better than where she is now.

LIAM: Nothing in this life is guaranteed but we want to try, please.

MATT: She looks back over her shoulder at Vex'ahlia and Vex'ahlia just gives her a tense nod. Pike turns back around. You can see the beads of sweat that have been building on her face streaking down and the dampness on her blouse. She's been concentrating on this journey you just went on for quite some time and you can see it's taking a bit of a physical toll.

SAM: Lady Vex? Is is your husband going to be okay with this?

MATT: "He'll have to be. Don't you worry about that. I'll handle it. Pike?" (Pike) "Okay, hold on a second. I'm going to get some water." She gets up and darts off to the kitchen.

TALIESIN: Okay, sure.

LAURA: What does Laudna's body look like? The same?

MATT: The same, just as you left it. Peaceful in its stillness. Still cold to the touch, but present.

TRAVIS: Who thought all you needed was water to bring her back? We've been doing this wrong the whole time!

SAM: We should have done that days ago.

ASHLEY: I thought when we went there and then came back, she would be fine.

MATT: Vex'ahlia goes, "These matters are a bit out of my specialty," and she gestures over to the kitchen. You see Pike Trickfoot come around the corner with a full pitcher and she's just like... (gulping) Just chugging, it's spilling a bit on the chin. (Pike) "Sorry, I was just--

ASHLEY: Thirsty.

MATT: "-- a little dehydrated. Okay. Anybody else?"

SAM: Need water?

ASHLEY: I'll have some.

MATT: "Yeah. Here you go." Passes it.

SAM: Is that important to the...

MATT: "No, it's just important to stay hydrated. Just a general matter of health."

ASHLEY: It's very good to stay hydrated.

TRAVIS: It'll keep you looking young.

ASHLEY: Have some. Well, she's--

LAURA: I know. I feel like Pike's pitcher would be the right size for you.

LIAM: Wow, this is huge.

ASHLEY: For me it was--

LAURA: Y'all are the same size.

TRAVIS: Orym, you're getting smaller! (laughter)

SAM: Oh no! Deliliah's curse!

LAURA: Where is he?

MATT: Pike sits back down in the position she was and she goes, "So no, we haven't actually conducted a resurrection ritual yet. To raise the dead, we needed to see if we could separate the two. because I wasn't certain-- We had an equal chance of bringing one or the other back if I tried it then."

ASHLEY: Oh, that's right.

MATT: "I think the odds may be now more in our favor. Which is great, you did great. All of you did great. So now we just got to-- Now we've just got to cross our fingers, I guess."

LAURA: It could still be Delilah?

MATT: "There's always a chance."

TRAVIS: So we got to see if it's Laudna and be happy. And if it's Delilah, then we're in a fight.

MATT: "Well, if it's Delilah..." and she looks back at Vex again and Vex goes "We'll handle it."

TRAVIS: Oh shit.

SAM: So, I'm sorry, wait. Delilah's soul might come back into Laudna's body?

MATT: Pike goes, "Well, I mean, it's possible. It's always been possible. They're connected in ways that are a bit beyond my reach and I'm, not to brag, I'm pretty good at what I do."

ASHLEY: You seem like it.

MATT: "Yeah. Thank you. I appreciate that. I like you a lot, too."

ASHLEY: Thank you.

MATT: "Something about your energy, I don't know."

ASHLEY: Yeah, yours too. It's really great. It's just fantastic.

MATT: "Anyway."

ASHLEY: Wait, I thought we killed Delilah in there.

SAM: We dream killed her?

MATT: "Not to burst your bubble at all, but we've also killed Delilah a couple times. She has a habit of not really going."

TRAVIS: Damn.

ASHLEY: Oh.

MATT: "But. But, with what you've done, not only is there a better chance that we'll bring Laudna back, but there's a slight chance that we can break them apart entirely."

LIAM: It's worth it.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

LIAM: Laudna is worth it. Please.

MATT: "Okay. Okay." Looks back over at Vex. "Okay." She begins to lay out a secondary ritual. This one, not quite as elaborate as the one that took you all into that dark realm, but not without its beauty and detail in its own right. As she scatters elements of patterned silver and other components and reagents that she arranges and speaks little soft whispered prayers under her breath. You feel that excitement and tension and worry, all that emotion coming up at once, that anticipation, that horrible, wonderful anticipation. She wipes her hand and the far curtains that kept a little bit of light in the kitchen close on their own. The doors close a little bit. She lights a few more candles. Looking about the rest of you. "So as part of this ritual, I have to reach out to her soul, her spirit. I'm going to need three of you at some point to step forward and take my hand and speak to her. I'm a stranger to her."

SAM: Do you need to take my hand?

MATT: "Possibly, yeah."

SAM: Oh, I'll wait until later.

MATT: "Wait 'til I cue you."

SAM: Okay.

MATT: "But when that happens, you may feel odd. You may feel like you are speaking into a chasm, an echo. But I assure you, she should be able to hear you. Just think of something that would give her a reason to come back. And I also have to tell you, sometimes the spirit doesn't want to, and there's nothing we can do about that. So if you really care about her and you really want her back, find a way to let her know. This isn't the first time I've done this, and I know it won't be the last. For the most part, it's worked. So take heart in that. Anyway." She reaches up and grabs her holy symbol once more. "Everlight, please bring these friends together." She places her hand onto Laudna's chest and begins to whisper beneath her breath. You watch as the silver begins to burn up. You watch as the glyphs begin to glow, this time golden at first, but then they fall to a pale white light, almost matching the coloration of Laudna's skin. As that light begins to brighten and brighten, the rest of the ambient light in the room begins to dim and dim, like all the focus is now pushed into the center where the body lies. For a moment, you watch the back begin to arch as the body begins to lift off the ground ever so slightly, her hair dangling past her shoulders and falling to the ground like a dark, unmoving waterfall. Here the breath seems to almost leave the room as everyone holds it. Even Lady Vex'ahlia across the way can't help but lean forward, focused, intent on this ritual. As Pike closes her eyes, finishes her prayer, then opens them once more. That bright, pale silver light once again is now glowing out of her own eyes. As she speaks, her voice echoes, like numerous versions of her own voice are projecting and supporting what she says. As she shouts out into the space between you all, she says, "Laudna, wherever you are, come back to us. Come back to your family." And without breaking eye contact with whatever distant space she's focused on, she reaches a hand out to whoever will take it.

LIAM: Please, may I?

LAURA: Yeah.

LIAM: Laudna, I know I don't know you any better than the rest of the gang, but I know your history. You deserve to be more than a footnote in Delilah's story. There are people here who need you. They need your life and your heart. I don't know what Bells Hells will be without your darkness, Laudna. Or your light. Please. We don't want to leave anyone behind, least of all you. I got to get that blood flowing through your veins again. Please. Come back. And with his free hand, scooches forward on his knees and he starts trailing his hand down through Laudna's hair, and red poppies start to bloom all through her black hair, sort of wreathing her face.

MATT: Okay. So in that regard, I will allow you to make either a persuasion check or nature using the poppies as an anchor. Your choice.

TRAVIS: Come on! As you prepare, you see Chetney take three chisels in between his knuckles. Just in case that bitch comes back.

LIAM: Nature. This is basically a straight roll. 11.

MATT: 11, Okay.

SAM: Okay.

MATT: Threshold was 10.

LAURA: Oh!

MATT: So that is one success for the ritual, which lowers the DC by three of the resurrection. As you finish the completion of the poppies and withdraw back to the space where you were sitting, or you can remain with your hand on her if you wish.

LIAM: I'll stay by her side, holding Miss Trickfoot's hand.

MATT: Pike, still focusing forward, puts her other arm out, palm up, waiting for somebody else to step forward and join the ritual.

SAM: I'll take it, unless...

TALIESIN: No, no, you're better at these things. I won't actually take it because I feel like that would ruin the moment, so.

MATT: Appreciate that.

SAM: With my other hand gripping that coin, I will take her hand and I'll just whisper to her. Laudna, you might not have been perfect, but you loved and you loved Escargot and Sashimi, and you loved Imogen. I've always been told that a soul that loves at least touches perfection. You once said to me that the worst thing that ever happened to you has already happened, and now I can say that the worst thing that ever has happened to us has already happened. With you not here, it's really scary and not the fun kind. Pike said that you might not want to come back, so I'm afraid we can't let you do that. So I'm going to cast Compulsion on her and compel her to come back, if possible.

MATT: Okay. To that point, that spell will be considered your entry for this skill check.

SAM: Sure.

MATT: So I will say the spell allows you to either choose intimidation to compel in your own intimidating way.

SAM: Sure.

MATT: Or to roll and just add your spell modifier, which is your wisdom modifier.

TRAVIS: Bring out the buzzsaw.

SAM: Yeah.

TRAVIS: Bring out the (whirring).

SAM: I'll fucking fuck her up. Yeah, okay. Natural one.

LAURA: Yeah. Yeah.

TRAVIS: Oh!

TALIESIN: You didn't have a mote by any chance, did you?

SAM: I did, but I--

LAURA: You drank the potion.

SAM: Didn't take that ahead of time.

TALIESIN: Okay.

MATT: Unfortunately, the attempt to push forth a spell into another ritual, to a soul that currently is beyond any boundary you've attempted to reach past, you feel the magical energies scatter, like they hit nothing. Like a breath into the wind.

TRAVIS: (laughs)

ASHLEY: I can't fucking...

MATT: You still feel her presence, much like you did in that dark space, but you're uncertain as to whether or not this contribution was strong enough.

LAURA: I'm going to put my hand on FCG's shoulder and... Can I...

SAM: I'll release her hand, yeah.

LAURA: I'm just going to stand behind her head and press her forehead and say... You know you saved my life, right? If you hadn't come into town when you did, I don't know how long I would've lasted. These last few years have been everything. And through it all, through all the laughter and all the hardships, she was with you. She was choking you. If you come back, I don't know how you're going to feel. I don't know if you'll feel free, or if you'll feel empty. But I want you to know, whatever... whatever hole she's leaving, I'll be there to help fill it, all right? I'll be there for you. (sniffs) I'm not going to tell you to come back, (tearily) I'm not going to try to compel you to come back, because that choice, Laudna, is yours now. No one gets to control you anymore, all right? (sniffs) (tearily) Just know that I love you, and I'm here. I'm going to take Pâté and I'm going to put him on her chest.

MATT: Make a persuasion check for me.

SAM: Can I guide her?

MATT: Sure, I'll allow it.

LAURA: Oh no. (laughs) Yeah, nope.

TALIESIN: Do you have a mote or no?

LAURA: I used them both.

TALIESIN: Okay.

MATT: Did you add the d4?

LAURA: I did.

MATT: Okay. What's the total?

LAURA: It's a seven.

MATT: That's a seven? Okay.

LAURA: No advantage on that, huh?

MATT: (laughs) It's challenging, given the fact that this is a soul that is still bound to shadow, shadow that now is vengeful, as diminished as it may be, and is still, in some ways, holding your voices back from finding the ears that needs to hear them. But with that final call, you watch as Pike's hair begins to drift upward past her shoulders, and undulating, floating in the air, she begins to carry herself up off the ground and begin to lift an inch, two inches, three inches off the ground, legs still folded in front of her. You watch as all the sigils light up from underneath. Laudna's dark hair, as it hangs off her shoulders, begins to lift up as well, and as Pike leans forward and places her hand once more on her chest, all the glyphs at once alight and then go dark as they both drift back to the ground. I cannot find my usual resurrection dice. I thought it was here.

TRAVIS: It's that silver dude, right?

MATT: Yeah, but shit, that's okay. I'll use this one. I'll use the black-purple, almost Laudna-esque color.

TRAVIS: It seems fitting.

MATT: It seems fitting, it seems fitting.

ASHLEY: Fuck.

MATT: Okay. We're going to take a picture of that.

LAURA: My nose is fucking bleeding.

SAM: Oh no!

LAURA: I'm so stressed, I got a nosebleed.

SAM and TRAVIS: Oh no.

ASHLEY: Oh my god.

SAM: How appropriate.

MATT: Okay.

SAM: Oh god.

MATT: A moment passes.

LAURA: I got some.

MATT: In that stillness, you hear Pike exhale, and under her breath say once more, "Come on, come on." Vex'ahlia leans forward. "Pike, did it..." (Pike) "I don't..." She leans forward and places her hand over the front of her mouth, her nose. "Is she a real shallow breather?"

LAURA: She doesn't breathe at all, most of the time.

MATT: She licks her hand, and slaps the side of Laudna's face, of which immediately, Laudna sits up, jolted awake from the pain. Laudna, if you'd come back to the table, please.

SAM: What did you roll?

MATT: 16.

LAURA and ASHLEY: Oh my god.

TRAVIS: What was the DC after two failed... Oh man, 15?

MATT: Well, it was 12 initially.

TRAVIS: Holy shit.

MATT: Then it went down to nine.

MATT: Then it went to 10, to 11.

TRAVIS: Oh my god, dude. That was so gnarly.

MARISHA: What did you roll? What did you roll?

MATT: 16.

MARISHA: What did you need? A 15?

MATT: An 11.

LAURA: Oh my god.

TALIESIN: Oh my god.

ASHLEY: That was fucking stressful.

LIAM: Time to rise.

TRAVIS: You know, no big.

LIAM: Time to rise like a Dark Phoenix.

MARISHA: (laughs) Where's my fan?

MATT: Yep.

TRAVIS: Holy crap.

MATT: Hard to read from that angle. (exhaling)

MARISHA: Oh! (emotional noises)

TRAVIS: Oh Jesus, Will it never fucking end?

MARISHA: Oh my god!

LAURA: I don't want to bleed on you. I got a nosebleed from the stress.

TRAVIS: (laughs) Hey man, we're feeling it.

MARISHA: Don't worry about it.

LAURA: Oh my god.

MARISHA: Where's the thing?

LIAM: Those Mickey Mouse hands are messing me up, dude.

TRAVIS: "They're messing me up."

LIAM: (Mickey laugh)

TRAVIS: (Mickey voice) Oh boy, touch me!

SAM: Laudna, you're back! Are you back? Are you okay?

LAURA: Is it you?

TRAVIS: Say something only Laudna would know, quick!

SAM: Uh-oh, she can't speak?

MARISHA: I don't... Have you found anything else out about your mom?

TRAVIS: It's her. Take this! No, I'm just kidding.

LAURA: I'm so glad you're back. Do you remember anything?

MARISHA: I do. I remember hearing you and I remember seeing you, seeing all of you. I remember all of it.

LAURA: Is she gone?

MARISHA: Is she gone?

MATT: You don't know. (gasping)

LIAM: Is there any--

TRAVIS: (laughs) Fucking--

LIAM: -- physical difference whatsoever?

MATT: From what you can tell, no. Not from where she was left.

SAM: I'm going to do a quick Detect Thoughts and see if she seems like she's not too confused or like she's all there.

LAURA: Are you all there?

MATT: What thoughts do FCG glean from a passing view of your mind?

MARISHA: I imagine it almost reads like a flip book of all the memories that she was just reliving and going through. Confusion. Terror. Frustration. Elements of regression. A little lost.

SAM: Do you need to sit down? Do you need water? There's a lot of water here.

LAURA: Is she still levitating?

MATT: No, no, no.

MARISHA: Ah!

MATT: No.

MARISHA: My back.

MATT: She and Pike both landed on the ground. Which, at this point now, while you guys are in this moment of joy, you begin to take awareness back in of the room around you. Pike is standing back about five to 10 feet from you. Lady Vex'ahlia is at the door with this dark green bow covered in these arced, twisted bits and wood and vine, arrow nocked in it, aimed right at Laudna. Pike, hand out in front, clutching holy symbol.

MARISHA: Who are you?

MATT: (Vex) "I think the more appropriate question is, who are you? Pike. Would you have a look? I mean this with all due respect, do not move. The moment you do anything strange or untoward, this goes between your eyes." She pulls the arrow back taut, and as she does, you can see these small, thin brambles spiral out of the arrow's wood and prepare itself with this extremely pointed, jagged element that's just aiming straight for you.

LAURA: I'm just prepping Telekinetic Shove, just in case.

MATT: Pike steps forward. "Hi, I'm Pike Trickfoot. I just need to check something real fast. Do you trust me?"

MARISHA: No.

LAURA: She's trustworthy.

MARISHA: Is she?

LAURA: She's good. She's real good.

MATT: "Shh, shh." Reaches up and places her hand in front of you, and that same warm energy seems to draw this tether between the two of them for a moment before Pike withdraws her hand. "Okay, no, she's... It's her. It's definitely her."

LAURA: Her? Her, Laudna, her?

MATT: "Laudna, yeah, sorry. I should've specified. That's on me. Sorry, it's Laudna. It's Laudna."

MARISHA: Did you see anything else?

MATT: "I don't..." She goes ahead and focuses hard once more. Pulls her hand away. "Nope. Just Laudna."

LAURA: (startled gasp)

MATT: Vex'ahlia kind of... "(exhales)" The bow goes slack.

MARISHA: Is she telling the truth?

MATT: Make an insight check.

TRAVIS: Ooh.

LAURA: Oh shit. Good question.

TRAVIS: You don't know your mods at this point? Shink! Ah. I had to pull them back in, but it hurts.

LIAM: Orym is still--

LAURA: It hurts every time!

LIAM: Orym is still eyeing Lady de Rolo and holding Bait and Switch.

TALIESIN: Oh, very intensely waiting to, yeah.

LIAM: Shield up, in the way.

MARISHA: Five.

MATT: Five.

LAURA: She's so truthful.

MATT: She seems pretty honest, best you can tell.

TRAVIS: What wood is that bow made of?

SAM: I had a pepper or something stuck in my throat.

MATT: As Lady Vex slackens, "Oh, you know, stuff of the gods, all that business. Well, Laudna, welcome back. My name is Lady Vex'ahlia de Rolo."

MARISHA: What?

SAM: Oh, that's right.

TRAVIS: Oh yeah.

TALIESIN: Oh.

TRAVIS: We took a trip.

MARISHA: Where are we?

SAM: We're in Whitestone.

TRAVIS: It's okay, it's okay.

LAURA: It's not like it was. It's not like it was. It's very different now.

TRAVIS: Orym, you should catch her up. She's obviously missing some pieces.

TALIESIN: A lot has happened.

MARISHA: (scared panting) You see her recoil.

LIAM: Now I'm going to step between de Rolo and Laudna. It was the best chance we had at bringing you back.

MARISHA: Why would you bring me back here?

LIAM: So we wouldn't lose you, Laudna.

LAURA: We can leave. we can leave right now.

LIAM: We don't have to stay. We had nowhere else to go, Laudna.

MARISHA: Okay. I'm sorry.

LAURA: For what?

MARISHA: I'm so sorry.

LIAM: You've got nothing to be sorry for. I'm sorry.

MARISHA: Everything you all went through, you didn't have to do that.

LAURA: You're right, we should've just-- We should've just left you for dead, and just gone on, checking out the moon.

TRAVIS: It was a terrible inconvenience.

MARISHA: How long has it been?

TRAVIS: Years.

MARISHA: Oh god. What happened at the Solstice?!

TRAVIS: I'm sorry, this is all that's left.

ASHLEY: Just us only survived. It's just us.

LAURA: It's been a couple days.

TRAVIS: These fine people here are going to help us recreate society.

MARISHA: I'm so confused!

TRAVIS: The one with the bow is with me. (laughter)

MATT: You hear the bow tensing once more.

TRAVIS: It's a joke! Okay, okay.

MATT: "Be careful, you're in the presence of a lady."

LIAM: It's been a couple of days.

MARISHA: Only a couple?

LAURA: That's it.

LIAM: We're going to get you out of here.

MARISHA: All right.

LIAM: And we're going to get back to business.

LAURA: If you want, you can just close your eyes the whole time we're here. You don't have to look at anything, all right? But it is quite lovely outside now. We saw what it might've looked like for you. It's not the same.

MARISHA: You saw everything?

LAURA: Yeah, we saw everything.

LIAM: The place has healed, and so have you.

MARISHA: (gasps) Okay, maybe I'd like to see it. Just a little.

LAURA: Is that all right?

MATT: Pike and Vex nod. "All right, boys. Stand down." In the two corners of the room, you see two figures step out of invisibility.

SAM: Ooh.

MATT: You see two armored, masked members of the Rifleman Corps.

TRAVIS: Dope.

LAURA: Shit.

MATT: Weapons at the ready, lower them.

ASHLEY: I knew they were there.

TRAVIS: Oh.

LIAM: Like tearin' ghosts.

TRAVIS: Also, I don't know if we made the proper introductions. Pike Trickfoot, and then that's Lady Vex'ahlia de Rolo.

SAM: Yeah, she said.

MATT: Pike goes "Hi."

SAM: She said that.

TRAVIS: Oh.

MATT: "I feel like we may have met, but under different cir-- We'll talk later."

MARISHA: Do I have any recognition of who she is?

MATT: You would-- You know what, go ahead and roll an intelligence check for me, if you don't mind.

MARISHA: Just straight intelligence?

MATT: Just straight intelligence.

MARISHA: Is that a seven?

LIAM: Yeah.

MARISHA: It's a seven.

LIAM: You got your mod.

MARISHA: Eight.

SAM: Nice.

MATT: Not really, unfortunately.

TRAVIS: You were just dead.

LAURA: You woke up stupid. (laughter)

MARISHA: Intelligence of six! I know what I'm doing! (laughter)

MARISHA: Still a little dazed.

MATT: Lady Vex'ahlia steps forward a little bit and slings the bow over her shoulder a bit. "We have technically met. I should like to speak with you at some point. I believe we do have some things to talk about. But for the time being-- For the time being, you are our guests."

MARISHA: You're very pretty.

MATT: "Well, so are you."

MARISHA: (chuckles)

MATT: "Anyway. We're all quite exhausted. I imagine you're all very exhausted. We have some guest rooms in the castle, if you'd like to stay for the night."

MARISHA: The castle.

LAURA: Is that all right? Are we good to stay?

MATT: "If you'd like."

TRAVIS: In a castle? Fuck yeah!

LIAM: Well, why don't we let Laudna make that call.

TRAVIS: Oh, you were looking around like you were--

MARISHA: (stammering) I don't know yet. Maybe we just take it one step at a time. Hi, Ashton.

TALIESIN: Hi.

SAM: Everyone at the castle was really nice. Well, except for one guy.

TALIESIN: Let's not jump to--

MATT: "Right, and to that point." Vex, who's in front of the door, steps to the side and opens it, and right as she opens the door, you hear... (guns rattling)

SAM: Oh god.

TALIESIN: Oh, this asshole.

MATT: Looking just beyond it, you see four, five dozen Riflemen, and then them flanked by probably 50 or more Pale Guard.

TRAVIS: Damn!

MATT: All completely surrounding the front of this house.

LAURA: Uh-oh.

MARISHA: (scared gasp)

MATT: Beyond that, you see across the way, elevated on a platform, a bit of a shine hits your eyes, and you see a glimmer of some sort of glass, before you make out to be the light hitting some sort of a sight as a large, intricate, metallic rifle sits trained at the door, and a white-haired figure behind it shouts into the air, "Vex'ahlia! Pike! Do I have your assurance or your authority?" Vex steps out and into the view of everyone present, arms up. "You have my assurance, darling." The man back there with the rifle. "(sighs) Very well. Pale Guard, Rifle Corps, stand down." You watch as he pulls it up, and this is a long, strange-barreled rifle, before slinging it over his shoulder and stepping up from behind a barricade. All the other riflemen put their weapons to the side and still train intensely on all of you as Vex'ahlia steps out into the light. Pike steps out as well. Do the rest of you follow?

SAM: Sure.

TALIESIN: Oh yeah.

LIAM: Staying close to Laudna.

SAM: If Laudna does.

LAURA: Are you okay to walk?

MARISHA: Take my hand.

LAURA: Of course.

MARISHA: Just stay close.

LAURA: Always.

MARISHA: All right.

TRAVIS: Eyy. (laughter)

MATT: You all step out, with Laudna and Imogen holding up the rear. Here, you see the scattered Pale Guard and rifle corps taking steps back, weapons down at the ready, but still, some of them intense looks, some of them curious. Some of them are young and look like their inexperience comes through in that tension that you see in the face of a young soldier who hasn't really faced the danger of warfare yet. But around them, the first thing you see, Laudna, is color. You see a light gray sky with broken bits of sky blue. You see vibrant rooftops and fresh shingles, gardens and flower bushes set at the base of windows. You see a well kept cobblestone roadway. You hear people laughing in the distance and talking. You see Whitestone as you remembered it, and even brighter. The memories you've held of this place for so long, its decaying, corrupted, beaten form, the last memory you had of your home fade. Instead now, recalling your youth, you remember running up these streets. You remember excitedly meeting your elders as they set up shop. You remember running out and sneaking in to listen to Keeper Yennen's sermon. You remember trying to sneak into folks' yards and being caught and sent back to your parents with a stern talking to. All these positive memories return to you, which, after who knows how long of reliving the traumas, you can't help but breathe cleaner air in the moment. The thing that catches your attention behind this crowd of people, of soldiers and guards, is the towering, vibrant, bright green and yellow leaves of the Sun Tree in full display, healthy as it's ever been, turning into the autumn colors.

MARISHA: Can we go towards it?

LAURA: Of course.

TALIESIN: Can we get a little air, people?

MATT: "Oh yes."

TALIESIN: Yeah, come on.

MATT: "Sorry." They all divide a bit.

MARISHA: Do I see Percy?

MATT: As you glance through the crowd that's around you as they separate, you don't see Percy at the moment. Actually, make a perception check for me.

SAM: She's dumb now. (laughter)

TALIESIN: It's been a rough day.

TRAVIS: My eyes.

MARISHA: Still a little--

MATT: Do be aware--

MARISHA: Still a little loopy.

MATT: -- because this is a thing to be mindful of, as this was a Raise Dead spell. You do have minus four to all attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks right now.

SAM: Ability checks.

LIAM: Right now.

MARISHA: Right.

LAURA: You need to sleep.

MATT: And that reduces by one every long rest.

LIAM: Right.

TRAVIS: Wow.

TALIESIN: Yep.

LAURA: Oh man.

MARISHA: So really mess stuff up.

TALIESIN: It's going to be a couple days.

MARISHA: And ability checks.

LIAM: Does Orym see de Rolo? Because this whole time, even though Orym understands the reasons and the fear that people here would have, his head is still on a swivel in case we need to throw down.

MATT: Of course.

MARISHA: So, four.

MATT: Four. You do not see him anywhere in the crowd.

TRAVIS: I know she's walking, and I know she's talking, but does she look the same as before? Same pallid complexion? Any sort of indications of, I don't know, rouge anywhere?

LAURA: Yeah.

LIAM: Yeah.

MATT: Make a perception check. And you make one for...

LIAM: 22.

MATT: 22?

TRAVIS: Don't worry! Coming in hot with a six! (laugher)

LAURA: Wow.

MATT: High rollers over here.

LAURA: Nice shit.

TRAVIS: Well, actually, I have advantage on fey, fiends, and undead. I don't know if--

MATT: Technically, she counts as an undead.

TRAVIS: Come on, bitch. Rolling with a 10. (laughter)

MATT: I mean, aside from the--

TALIESIN: You're doing okay.

TRAVIS: Creeping up there.

MATT: Aside from the somewhat shredded elements of her dress that are still remnants of where the blades struck her during the fight with Obann, Laudna looks pretty much the same. If I could say a little oddly more pale or exhausted, given the lingering remnants of the Raise Dead spell, but nothing beyond that.

TRAVIS: Starkly different, okay.

LIAM: Actually, your skin does look a little--

TRAVIS: Oh boy. Oh jeez.

TALIESIN: Rosy complexion.

TRAVIS: The dads are in full effect.

MATT: Orym.

MARISHA: You all got cool glasses without me? I want cool glasses.

LIAM: Here you go.

MATT: You did watch as Lord Percival, upon alleviating his position with the rifle is looping around the north side of the marketplace around the crowd to head off on the way to the Sun Tree.

LIAM: Did he look twitchy?

MATT: At this distance, hard to tell.

TRAVIS: Always. (laughter)

MARISHA: Yeah.

MATT: But as you step through the crowd, beyond the southern edge of this open courtyard at the center of the city, as you step out into the open space and you now have a full view of the beautiful Sun Tree. You can see the constructed benches and little paths that wrap around its base. You can see the people that were completely unaware of all the tension and danger and odd brushes with the necromantic history of this city just going about their daily business, though very curiously looking at the large gathering of soldiers and Pale Guard that rushed the outside of Pike's homestead. But the tree sits there before you, the gentle wind blowing through it. You can see its size is so immense that as the breeze hits it, you can see the waves of wind scatter across it in sections.

MARISHA: It doesn't seem real. Like I'm still in a dream, but this one's just not a nightmare.

LAURA: This gets to be real now.

MARISHA: Are you sure this isn't one of her tricks?

LAURA: I'm sure.

MARISHA: You promise?

LAURA: Cross my heart.

MARISHA: I'll be right back.

LAURA: Okay.

MARISHA: Just don't go far.

LAURA: I'm right here.

MARISHA: Laudna walks up to it. Actively trying to rewrite the vision and the memory in her head, but it's like the Sun Tree she knows is fighting. It's like it's flashing back and forth. It's like right in the periphery of her eyes, she can see darkness and ropes swinging and the sound of screams. In the dissonance between that and the laughter of children and the market nearby, and it's confusing.

MATT: From that laughter of children, you see four kids run past. One of them trying to tag the others as they dart off. A little bit older, a little bit sprier. Looks like a younger sister who is not able to keep up with three other local children. As they all run off, she glances over at you and sees you. "Hi."

MARISHA: Hello.

MATT: "You're scary."

MARISHA: (breathy laugh) It's okay. I'm fun scary.

TRAVIS: (laughs)

MATT: "Yeah."

MARISHA: Yeah?

MATT: "Yeah." She reaches in this little overall front pocket and pulls out a crumbly piece of bread or some sort of a baked piece and goes, "Are you hungry?"

MARISHA: I bet my pet rat would love that.

MATT: "You have a pet rat? That's so cool. Can I see him?" (laughter)

MARISHA: This is Pâté.

MATT: "Hi, Pâté."

MARISHA: Would you like to hold him?

MATT: "Yeah." You can see out of the periphery, the three other kids are behind part of the tree going like, what the heck? She reaches out and grabs it. (sniffs)

MARISHA: You see the black sinewy strands form as Laudna skitters around the kid.

MATT: "He smells funny." (laughter)

MARISHA: He knows. He's a little sensitive about it.

MATT: "Hi. Okay, bye." (laughter) She lets it go for a second, and then runs off to join the other kids. (Kid 2) "Who was that? Who were you talking to?" (Kid 1) "She was fun scary!" You run off and you hear them darting behind the tree out of sight.

MARISHA: As Laudna grapples with this concept that there are these children who are never going to know anything different, she reaches up and she touches the Sun Tree. Do I feel anything?

MATT: It feels warm. Like a tree that's been in the sun for a protracted period of time. The bark itself has a noticeably living warmth to it. As you take in its texture and that odd connection with something that feels so natural, but has so long been an image-- a representation of the darkest time in your life. (soft whooshes) A little orange leaf flutters down past you.

MARISHA: I pick it up. Just press my forearms and my cheek against the Sun Tree as it's the first warmth she's felt in some time. And she closes her eyes and starts to embody her Form of Dread. But this time, you see her normal mourning veil cracks and crumbles and falls in the same way that the leaf does. She takes the Sun Tree and embodies it. From onlookers, it looks like branches start sprouting from her shoulders. You see an entire life cycle season's worth. Or years worth of seasons as the branches bloom and then wither and then fall. Until eventually, she drops it.

MARISHA: All right.

LAURA: All right.

MATT: You hear the footsteps approach of about a dozen or so figures, heavy boots. Not intently, but just approaching with purpose.

MARISHA: Wait, Im--

MATT: Amongst them is a white-haired, white-bearded gentleman with glasses and a long gray and blue coat, and a rather massive rifle-like contraption slung over his shoulder and his back. "Hello. I take it your name is Laudna. My name is Percival de Rolo III. This is my home, and I acknowledge that you have suffered much under the Briarwoods."

MARISHA: This is my home, too.

MATT: "Indeed. On behalf of the de Rolo family, I apologize for what befell you and yours."

MARISHA: Okay.

MATT: "There's no way to make up for any of it. Believe me, I've tried. But we've done our best, and I suppose, you are welcome home whenever you should wish."

MARISHA: I named my dead rat after you.

MATT: "Excuse me, what?"

MARISHA: You have a long-lost cousin. His name's Pâté.

MATT: Lady Vex'ahlia approaches from behind him, puts her hand on Percival's shoulder and goes, "Darling, you're so awkward." (laughter)

MATT: (Percy) "Just imagine the circumstances. I mean, we-- We were merely taking precautions."

MARISHA: Have you felt it? The tree?

MATT: "In what way?"

MARISHA: It's warm.

MATT: Looks to Vex with a curious glance. She goes... (Percy) "Oh, you're going to make me do a Keyleth thing, aren't you?" He walks forward to the tree next to you, gives you the look of a parent that's placating a child's request for a moment, but then softens a bit and places his hand on the tree, looks up to it, that slightly put-out expression and a sigh to his breath, still keeping a close eye on you at the corner. But then you see he can't quite hold back the edge of a smile that curls to his left lip. "Oh, you're right, it is... Hm. It is quite warm."

MARISHA: Lady Vex'ahlia should feel it, too. Imogen?

MATT: They step forward, and Lady Vex'ahlia places her hand on the tree. (Vex) "Darling, have you not really touched the tree?" (Percy) "Well, I don't really... I look at it. It's beautiful."

MARISHA: You should touch it.

MATT: "All right, all right." Pike runs up and puts her hand on the tree.

LAURA: In your head, you hear: Get up here.

TRAVIS and SAM: Oh!

SAM: I'll touch the tree. Ooh, so warm.

TALIESIN: I'm really enjoying the view right now. I don't know if I can. It's just really hilarious.

LIAM: Come on!

TALIESIN: Okay, fine.

TRAVIS: Strong bark, very supple. Oh, yes.

MARISHA: Isn't it magnificent?

TRAVIS: It is. Mm! Yes.

MARISHA: Laudna moves her hand over on top of Percy's.

MATT: "(displeased grunt)"

MARISHA: I'm sorry, for what the Briarwoods have done to you, too.

MATT: "That's what it means to be a survivor, to break the cycles."

MARISHA: To break the cycles.

MATT: "You know, Keyleth had this strange habit of talking to this tree."

MARISHA: He talks?

MATT: "Well, she talks to it."

LIAM: She talks to a lot of trees. Sorry.

MARISHA: What does she say?

MATT: "She says it's nice. (clears throat) Anyway."

MARISHA: Hello, tree.

MATT: "Well, this has been a delightful, um, invitation. And to be honest, it is nice to just spend a bit of time here, because it has been some time." Looks over to Vex, and she smiles back at him. (Vex) "Well, I've invited them to stay in the castle as our guests." Percy's like, "(sighs) Of course, of course, yes. Yes, they are our guests. Very well, then I assume you will handle showing them to their quarters. You have some people that care a lot about you. So. Know that. Sometimes, it's... all you can rely on." He adjusts his glasses a bit. "I need to go ahead and have a drink and calm my nerves." He steps away a bit, "Into the good wine." He steps away, leans back. "Vex'ahlia, darling, are you--" "Actually, I'm going to stay with these folk for a bit, show them around. As you said, show them to their quarters, since that's obviously not your responsibility, darling." "(sighs)" He walks off, his guard accompanying him back to the castle. But you see him, as he steps away, as brusque as his exit was and as formal as his presentation wished to have been, you still can't help but catch him making one sidelong, wistful glance at the Sun Tree as he heads north back towards the castle.

LAURA: Lady Vex'ahlia, thank you. I know you put yourself on the line for that. I don't know how we can repay your kindness.

MATT: "Well, consider it a gift out of the goodness of our hearts, and a favor that maybe one day we'll call back in."

LAURA: Anytime you need it.

MATT: "Well, nevertheless, this mood's a bit dour. Let's have a little walk around the town, show you some places here. There's a fantastic bakery that Pike here works in."

SAM: A bakery? Sounds great.

MATT: Through this, the afternoon of Whitestone is yours. Before the evening begins to creep inward, is there anything specifically you wish to accomplish here within?

LIAM: Just as they were walking off, Orym moves over by Fearne and pulls her down close to his mouth, your ear.

MARISHA: Feels like being back from the dead.

LIAM: I was ready to hold off all of Whitestone, but I'm sure glad we didn't have to.

ASHLEY: Me too.

LIAM: And then he doesn't let go of your hand.

ASHLEY: Thank you. Oh, hold on one second.

LIAM: Mm-hmm.

ASHLEY: Miss Trickfoot?

MATT: "Yeah?" Looking up to you.

TRAVIS: Yeah, really looking up to you.

ASHLEY: I wanted to thank you very much for helping us and bringing our friend back.

MATT: "Oh, happy to help."

ASHLEY: May I give you a hug?

MATT: "Yeah, yeah." Goes out and--

ASHLEY: I'm going to try to swipe it.

TRAVIS: No, you're not going to do this! You're not going to do it to your own character!

ASHLEY: Okay.

SAM: Okay, okay, okay.

MATT: Hold on, I got to--

TRAVIS: Oh my god.

MARISHA: I was already processing.

MATT: I'm going to go to CritRoleStats, and look up Pike's stats here for a second. Shout out to CritRoleStats. Amazing, wonderful people.

TRAVIS: Love you, love you, love you.

MATT: Okay. What'd you roll?

ASHLEY: 17.

MATT: Okay, okay.

LAURA: Okay, okay, okay. (laughs)

ASHLEY: Not as high as I wanted it to be.

TALIESIN: In the nosebleed meta territory.

ASHLEY: I just, I have to.

MATT: Okay, Pike gives you a big hug and goes, "Wow, you're so fuzzy," and rubs the fuzz on the side of your legs a bit. Anything in particular you're going for?

ASHLEY: The holy symbol.

LAURA: No!

TRAVIS: Wow.

SAM: Oh fuck.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: What is the matter with you?

ASHLEY: I'm sorry, I just have to.

TRAVIS: Well, get ready to do another resurrection.

MATT: Yep. You get your finger through the chain and begin to pull, and as she pulls away from the hug, she gets caught. "Ah, oh, I think you're caught."

ASHLEY: Oh, shoot. your necklace.

MATT: Pulls your finger out of the chain, adjusts it on her, and goes, "Sorry about that. It just gets caught on things."

ASHLEY: Oh yeah, my bracelets and all this hair. It just gets all tangled.

MATT: She smiles.

ASHLEY: Thank you.

MATT: She gives you a wink and a knowing look. "Well, feel free to come by the bakery, where I can see you."

ASHLEY: Okay.

MATT: "In plain sight."

ASHLEY: Yes.

MATT: "At all times."

ASHLEY: I just-- Okay. Orym.

LIAM: You're incorrigible.

ASHLEY: Well, no, I was just thinking, because--

LIAM: And amazing.

ASHLEY: Well, if we ever had to bring somebody back again, the necklace seemed to help.

LIAM: All right, you.

ASHLEY: So I just figured--

LIAM: Come on, come on, come on.

SAM: Miss Pike, that was amazing back there. You said you've resurrected things in the past?

MATT: "I have, yeah."

SAM: Have you ever done animals? Because I was thinking maybe Pâté or something.

TRAVIS: Oh boy.

LAURA: But he's missing a head.

SAM: Oh.

MARISHA: You know, it's funny.

TRAVIS: No.

MARISHA: When I was in whatever plane of existence that I was trapped in, I did have Pâté, and I got to remember and recall creating him, and I think I felt you all there. And that was nice, because I made Pâté to just have someone to talk to.

SAM: (sneezes)

MARISHA: Bless you, FCG. But. Building him again, but still feeling your presence, I-- It didn't feel so lonely that time. It felt like it rewrote that memory a little bit as well. It was already a good one. And I was able to have great conversations with him again. He was still my anchor, even there. I think I was able to take a little of all of your collective essence? I'm still finding words. I pull Pâté out, take the sinewy strings. I collapse him down on himself, on top of him, and pull him apart, and cast Find Familiar.

SAM: (gasps)

LAURA: Yes.

TRAVIS: What?

MARISHA: And just like releasing a dove, just--

TRAVIS: It falls dead.

MARISHA: -- see what happens. I don't know if this is going to work, and I-- (whooshes)

SAM: Can it fly?

MATT: So you watch as the lifeless, headless body of a rat affixed to a skull tumbles into the air with the strings stretching and breaking. It arcs downward before the back tears open, and what looks to be a pair of awful-looking, tattered wings that emerge from the back.

MARISHA: Like his ribcage is now his wings. (groaning)

ASHLEY: Oh my god, I love it.

LAURA: Fucked up.

LIAM: Orphan Maker!

MATT: As it flies up, seemingly held aloft by some unseen necromantic powers, as it hangs there limply as the wings (flapping). You've not seen this sort of puppeteering before. The head looks up towards the rest of you before it goes, (rough Cockney) "Oh, 'ello." (yelling)

MATT: "It's so nice to meet all of you."

LAURA: He's real!

TALIESIN: Okay, now I'm going to cry.

MARISHA: You can hear him, too? Can you hear him?

LAURA: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

ASHLEY: Absolutely.

MATT: Pike goes, "Wow, that's really creepy. I'm going to go. Bye."

SAM: Bye.

ASHLEY: Bye.

LAURA: Thank you.

MATT: "Oh, happy to help." Goes over and, keeping an eye on this, goes over to Vex and gives her a hug, whispers in her ear, and then takes off and heads off to the bakery.

MARISHA: Pâté?

MATT: Pâté is now... (wings flapping) He goes, "All right, so it's real nice to meet all of you for the first time. Really not for the first time, but really the first time. You especially, you're real nice looking. (laughs)"

SAM: Oh, it's so nice to meet you, too. Is it Bâté now?

MARISHA: No, he's still Pâté.

SAM: Okay, okay, okay.

MARISHA: But he can fly.

MATT: "I can fly."

SAM: Yeah, he can, just like a normal dead rat can.

MATT: "I can sing. I can get real randy."

LAURA: He can sing?

ASHLEY: Oh, we've heard.

MATT: "(screams)" This loud, high-pitched squeak, like two smooth bones are rubbed against each other. It causes this high, weird, off-kilter sound. Lady Vex'ahlia goes, "All right, that's interesting. Lovely. Can we not?"

MARISHA: Pâté, save it for later.

MATT: "Oh yeah, right, no worries, but no. Sorry, I don't want to put it all on display for free yet, you know?"

MARISHA: Save some for later.

MATT: "Got to build some mystery."

MARISHA: Pâté, this is Ashton.

TALIESIN: It's so nice to meet you.

MATT: "Oh, look at you! Look at you!"

MARISHA: This is Orym.

MATT: "Orym, you're even smaller."

LIAM: What a couple of days it's been.

MATT: "Oh, wow."

MARISHA: You remember Imogen.

MATT: "Imogen, I do indeed." Flies up with this tiny little rat hand, puts it out, takes it, goes... (groaning)

MATT: Kisses it, but the bone--

MARISHA: Pâté, boundaries.

LAURA: Ever the gentleman.

MARISHA: We'll have to work on that.

LAURA: He needs to work on his manners.

MARISHA: And this is FCG.

SAM: Smiley day to you.

MATT: "Whoa, what are you?"

SAM: Yep, yeah, I mean, whoa. You are alive now.

MATT: "It feels great."

SAM: It does. I just found out I have a soul, so.

MATT: "Congratulations, that's amazing!" (laughter)

MARISHA: Then, of course, Fearne, who--

ASHLEY: Oh, hello.

MATT: "Hello. Oh, hello Miss Fancy, hello."

TRAVIS: All right, all right, take it easy.

MATT: "(farts) Sorry, it's just a natural process, you know." (laughter)

ASHLEY: You're a delight.

MATT: "Oh, speak for yourself, darling."

MARISHA: Fell like I'm--

LAURA: This is a lot.

MARISHA: -- rethinking a lot of things. That is Chetney.

MATT: "Chetney. Hey, buddy." He puts his little rat fist up.

TRAVIS: I get a fist bump? Yeah, okay.

MARISHA: He's still made of bones and rotting corpse.

TRAVIS: Put her there!

MATT: It snaps a little bit and it hangs.

TRAVIS: Oh, shit!

MATT: "It's all right."

TRAVIS: I can make a wood--

MATT: "(bones cracking)"

TRAVIS: Ah!

MATT: "Whoa, this is quite a day, isn't it?"

SAM: And this spell lasts, like, a minute, or--?

LIAM: 24 hours?

LAURA: Is this forever?

MARISHA: This spell... just lasts.

SAM: Oh, that's great news!

LAURA: I love him!

LIAM: Find Familiar? Until you dispel them.

MARISHA: It lasts for--

MATT: There's, I think, more going on here, too.

MARISHA: Yes, there's more, because of my pact.

TRAVIS: Got a little more English going on here, huh?

MATT: Yeah.

TRAVIS: Your pact with whom?

MARISHA: He's just here now.

SAM: Great!

LAURA: He's just here now!

MATT: "One of the family! Just like the rest of you! We're going to have so much fun. (cackles)"

ASHLEY: I can't wait.

SAM: I love flying things! (laughter)

TRAVIS: Oh, that's right.

MARISHA: All right, Pâté, why don't you just get on my shoulder?

MATT: "Yeah, yeah, crawl back in the home." Skitters up under your hair, up into your hair, and just lays flat against your skull until he's not visible anymore.

ASHLEY: He's like a little--

MARISHA: He almost looks a little--

LAURA: You can do a bouffant.

MARISHA: A little fastener, yeah.

MATT: Yeah.

MARISHA: Fascinator, yeah, yeah.

TALIESIN: Is that actually what-- I don't know.

LIAM: Just poppy flowers going (whooshes).

TALIESIN: They were never going to last.

ASHLEY: They're all thrown around.

LIAM: Oh, that was so... nice. Okay.

MARISHA: But yes, I do feel like he has a little of you, of all of you, in him.

LAURA: He reminded me of us.

ASHLEY: I could see it. I could see it.

LAURA: Yeah, especially FCG. He was really similar to you.

MARISHA: Mm-hmm.

TALIESIN: Absolutely.

SAM: I don't like him! I'm sorry, I just am trying to be honest with all of you! He freaks me out, and he flies, and it's creepy.

MARISHA: Does he remind you of Shithead?

SAM: He does.

MARISHA: I'm sorry, maybe this is-- You can rework those traumatic memories just like I've been doing.

SAM: All right, yeah. I guess I could work on myself and try to get past that fear, slowly.

ASHLEY: He would be a good partner in that, because he flies and he's smaller, so it could get you used to--

SAM: All right. Maybe once a day I could spend a minute with him.

ASHLEY: Exposure therapy.

SAM: Maybe work up to two minutes.

LIAM: You've got really long arms. You can keep him away.

SAM: Yeah. Shoo! Get!

TALIESIN: Yeah. Are we going to fix those at some point? Do you need anyone to take a look at that? Because I don't remember that being quite as--

LIAM: Do they retract?

TRAVIS: That would be a retract function, telescopic mechanisms.

SAM: Let's go talk to Mr. de Rolo about it actually. I think he tinkers with things.

TALIESIN: Yeah, maybe you have an ally for this then.

LIAM: So, a tour of Whitestone.

MATT: "Yes, yes, let me show you around the city a bit, and then we'll get you to your rooms, and that should be just about time for the sun to be setting for dinner. A different chamber, darling. We've done some renovation since you were last here."

MARISHA: All right.

MATT: "But follow me." As Lady Vex'ahlia begins to give you a relatively detailed, if brisk, walk through the major portions of the city, explaining the expansions, explaining the clock tower that you came in as one of her husband's grand personal projects to commemorate the sacrifices that their troop known as Vox Machina had made in protecting Tal'Dorei and, as put in an inscription on the stone, "the realm," which feels a little arrogant, to be honest, but. (laughter)

SAM: Vox Machina? What a stupid name.

TRAVIS: Yeah, there's no real branding in it. (laughter) (groaning)

TALIESIN: Oh boy.

MATT: But--

ASHLEY: It's hard to say.

MATT: -- after a fine tour--

MARISHA: I would say Machine-ah.

LAURA: Yeah, Vox Machine-ah.

ASHLEY: That's how I read it.

TRAVIS: Mack-ina.

LIAM: Match-eena.

MATT: You return to the castle. You are given fine guest quarters that are beautifully set and decorated with fine linens. For the various inns and/or cramped spaces you've stayed in for a while, it is a welcome change of pace. Dinner is eventually served. You are called to this fine, long table where the lord and lady are sitting and the scents fill the interior of this fire-lit, stone arched room. It is a fine meal, and if there is anything specific you would like to inquire about to the lord and lady, you may, or we can continue on into the evening's rest.

SAM: I'm going to ask them just for the location of that temple, the Horizon Temple, at some point.

MATT: Percival leans forward with his goblet. "Oh, yes, the Horizon Temple rests on the southern edge of the city. Not quite on the edge. It's in the intersection of five different streets. It's on the corner there. The entryways are designed to face the major exits to the southern walls of the city, as is the wont of the Changebringer. But yes, if you're going there, speak to Guide Osli Kamyda."

SAM: Guide Osli?

MATT: "Osli Kamyda."

SAM: Kamyda.

MATT: "Yes. He is the proprietor of the temple. I guess proprietor's not the right word. The holy person."

SAM: You're not very religious, I take it.

MATT: "You know, it's interesting. You meet a few gods, it just dispels the mystery."

SAM: Hm. Oh sorry, no.

ASHLEY: No, go ahead, go ahead.

SAM: Just out of curiosity, I don't want to be forward or anything, someone like you of your stature has a staff and people all around him to take care of him. Again, not to be too presumptuous or anything, but the way that you carry yourself, your demeanor, it just sort of implies that you might need just a friendly person to talk to every once in a while. I mean, some people, I'm not suggesting this is you, but some people who sort of have a guard up, you know, sometimes that could mean that they had some guilt in their past or a trauma or something. I don't think that you have any of those things, but if you did, it would be nice to talk to someone about that, sort of get it off your chest.

MATT: "I have nothing of the sort."

SAM: Well, that's good. If you ever did, you know, that's what I specialize in. If you just want to talk, I'll just listen, ever.

MATT: Takes a deep breath and Lady Vex'ahlia puts her hand on top of his and goes, "Darling, just be kind." (Percy) "I appreciate your offer. I, in all due respect, have spoken with a number of individuals over these matters. Maybe in time, more trust will be gained, and comfort, we could talk then. But for the time being, I'm a bit talked out about my traumas."

SAM: Sure, of course. I didn't mean to presume. You know, whenever you feel comfortable, talk to whoever you wish. Yeah. Also, I don't know how long we're going to be in town, but it seems like you, from the clock and stuff that you built, are pretty handy with some tools and stuff.

MATT: "(laughs)" He laughs a bit. "I have a bit of experience crafting, if you will. Quite a few of the renovations of the city, actually, were my design."

SAM: Oh, really?

MATT: Vex'ahlia goes, "Yes. Percival here is quite an intellectual figure. He's accomplished at many things, but we can--" He goes, "Do you have a mind for crafting? Do you...?"

SAM: Well, I don't have myself, but, you know, I don't know if you could tell by just looking at me, but I was crafted. I was built at some point and constructed, and every once in a while I get together with crafty folk like yourself and mess around with my parts to see if we can get some new stuff out of it. You know, tinker around with my hands, my arms, and try to do some new, cool stuff with it, so.

MATT: "Unfortunately, I believe such matters are a bit out of my expertise. I'm impressed by your vocabulary. The only other one of your kind with such personality I've met a friend of ours had created, and it was limited a bit in its speech."

SAM: Oh, you met one that could talk?

MATT: "Yes, yes. A friend of ours, Taryon. Tary Darrington. He's over in Wildemount. He's pursuing god knows what these days. But yes, so this is not the first time I've met a socially engaging automaton."

SAM: Well, that's me. What was the automaton's name that you met before?

MATT: "Doty."

SAM: Hm.

ASHLEY: Doty.

MATT: "Though there's been, if I recall..." He looks to Vex'ahlia. (Vex) "Yes, a number of different versions."

SAM: Amazing. Well, if you could give me contact information or an address, I'd love to just write them a letter or something.

MATT: (Percy) "If you ever find yourself in Deastok in Wildemount, I'm certain if you ask around for the homestead of Taryon Darrington, I can guarantee you folks who live there would know exactly where to send you."

SAM: Great, thank you.

TRAVIS: It would be a pen pal.

SAM: Yeah, I'd love one. Ask some questions.

ASHLEY: I have a request. I, too, am a bit of an inventor and an intelligent thinker myself. I have a design that I'm really hoping that maybe you could make. Something small. It's nothing crazy. I'm going to dip my finger in the wine and I'm going to draw a little gun.

SAM: A little one.

ASHLEY: So, this would be for my monkey, but what it needs to do is it needs to be able to shoot little fire pellets, so it needs to work under tremendous heat.

LIAM: Are you asking for a gunkey?

ASHLEY: Would you be able too please-- Say again?

LIAM: A gunkey. Are you asking for a gunkey?

ASHLEY: A gunkey. A gunkey, and it's also, you know, so he can have better aim.

MATT: Roll a persuasion check.

SAM: Do it, do it. Come on, natural 20. You've got to get this gun.

LIAM: Come on.

SAM: You've got to get this monkey gun.

TRAVIS: High DC.

LIAM: Come on.

LAURA: Monkey gunkey.

ASHLEY: Okay, persuasion?

LIAM: Spread the de Rolo legacy.

ASHLEY: 21.

MATT: 21. You see Percy sits back in his chair, leaning back into the high backed portion of it, his hands together. "Are you asking me to craft a custom firearm for your monkey?"

ASHLEY: Yes.

MATT: "And it's to shoot seeds?"

ASHLEY: Flame shit. (laughter)

MATT: "Flaming..."

LAURA: (laughs)

SAM: It's more solid than it sounds.

ASHLEY: It's more solid than it sounds, but I'm thinking of something like, it has a little shoot. He can take them and then load them in.

TRAVIS: Poop in the gun, yeah.

MATT: He puts his hands out on the table, blinking a bit, adjusts his glasses a bit, and Lady Vex'ahlia goes, "I mean, you know, this isn't too different from the pop gun design that you made for a number of our children years ago." (Percy) "Actually, I just might have something for you right now."

ASHLEY: Oh!

MARISHA: Oh my god.

LAURA: I cannot believe that worked.

LIAM: This is how Planet of the Apes started. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Caesar!

MATT: (Percy) "How big is your monkey?"

ASHLEY: Mister!

TRAVIS: Oh boy.

MATT: (monkey noises)

ASHLEY: I put him on the table.

MATT: Immediately starts jumping through the plates, starts grabbing and stuffing food--

TRAVIS: Come on, Mister! Keep your shit together!

ASHLEY: It's fine, he's just a kid.

SAM: Oh, okay, then it's fine.

MATT: (Percy) "So, this is your monkey. I don't know what I was expecting."

TRAVIS: (monkey hooting) (laughter)

ASHLEY: So this is his size. So something that would fit in the hand.

SAM: Grab him! Grab him! (laughter)

MATT: "Certainly the most interesting dinner we've had in a while." He finishes his half filled goblet of red wine, takes a napkin. "I'll return." Scoots the seat back and steps away from the table. After he leaves the chambers for a bit, the door closes. Lady Vex'ahlia leans back. "Well, you certainly loosened him up a bit. You're a strange troop."

LAURA: Lady Vex'ahlia, in her head, she's going to hear me talking. Before the final course comes out, I can't help but notice, Laudna seems a little uncomfortable, and I would like to ensure that it's not a lobster dinner or anything. That's what she was served here.

MATT: The voice in her head responds, "Appreciate the heads up." There's a moment after that where Lady Vex'ahlia goes, "I'm going to check on something real fast. Just powder my nose, and then I'll return shortly."

LIAM: Put them back in the tanks! Back in the tanks, back in the tanks!

MATT: Gets up and also leaves the room. At this point now, you are all left alone in this dining chamber, the crackling of the fire nearby.

TALIESIN: Okay, just to double check, we're going to be on our fucking guard for the rest of the time we're here, right?

TRAVIS: For sure. But also, the robes and the sandals in the room are fair game, right? They're incredibly soft.

ASHLEY: I think you take those.

TRAVIS: The embroidery with the castle on it is also a very nice touch.

ASHLEY: Yeah. And how they fit us all.

SAM: Aside from being safe here, relatively, I know we do have to get going to pursue our other goals and stuff, but it seems like they might have a lot of resources here for, I don't know, finding out stuff and knowledge and libraries and things.

TALIESIN: That was the question, to that point.

LAURA: Did we tell them about the city? Did we tell them about the moon?

LIAM: We told Keyleth a tiny little bit.

LAURA: Then we should tell them.

LIAM: We mentioned residuum.

LAURA: They seem like powerful people.

LIAM: But we only mentioned it.

LAURA: All right.

LIAM: Right when we showed up, when everything was FUBAR.

LAURA: When they come back--

TRAVIS: They were talking to gods and stuff, allegedly.

LAURA: -- we'll tell them.

TALIESIN: Are we just going to put everything on the table? Are we going to tell them about the potions, the residuum, the moon?

SAM: They saved Laudna's life.

LAURA: I think we should.

TALIESIN: Well, one of them did, yeah.

TRAVIS: Couldn't hurt. I mean, you know, the moon affects everybody, so, a fair heads up.

LAURA: Yeah, I think we should tell them.

TALIESIN: What do you think?

LIAM: I'd rather have them as allies. However, we are definitely posting up at Laudna's door. I'll take the first watch.

TALIESIN: I'll take second.

LIAM: You take second. And you're number three.

TRAVIS: Number three!

LIAM: (blade popping out)

TRAVIS: (blade retracting) Ah! Every time.

MARISHA: Every time.

LAURA: I'm just going to, hm.

TALIESIN: Okay.

LAURA: I'm going to look around. Do I have the spell left? Hold on, let me see.

SAM: Are we in our rooms? Are we still--

LAURA: No, we're still in the dining room.

TALIESIN: We have to be quiet.

LAURA: I'm going to cast Detect Thoughts and see if there's any more invisible people in this room.

TALIESIN: Oh fuck.

TRAVIS: Oh!

MATT: Okay.

LIAM: ♪ Invisible people ♪

LIAM and TALIESIN: ♪ Invisible people ♪

MATT: Okay.

TALIESIN: No!

MATT: There are two figures in this chamber that are currently cloaked on opposite corners, just keeping watch.

LAURA: All right. I'm just going to one by one, bing bong bing bong, tell everybody to watch what they're saying because there's still people listening.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

TRAVIS: Fair.

MATT: A short time later, Lady Vex'ahlia returns. "The final course should be up here very soon. A slight delay in the kitchen. I hope everyone likes potatoes."

LAURA: I love them. They're my favorite food.

MATT: "Wonderful."

ASHLEY: Me too.

SAM: Is that true?

LAURA: Yeah, potatoes are so good.

TALIESIN: Especially as a main course, they're fantastic.

ASHLEY: Yeah.

TRAVIS: (laughs)

SAM: Insight check. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Why?

SAM: Two. She loves potatoes. I'm going to write it down.

MATT: Shortly thereafter, Lord Percival returns with a small box.

SAM: Po-ta-toes.

MATT: "So, Fearne, was it, right?"

ASHLEY: Yes, yes, yes.

MATT: Takes his glasses off, sets them on the table, opens his box. "I made this for my children when they were much younger. I think this might do for what you're looking for. Now, I know not how you train your monkey, but I would recommend not aiming it at anybody's face or head that you like." He pulls out--

ASHLEY: Unless he's-- Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SAM: Oh boy.

ASHLEY: For sure.

TRAVIS: How do you train your monkey?

ASHLEY: He kind of does what he wants. (laughter)

MATT: He hesitates. (laughter)

ASHLEY: He'll only do it if we're in a fight or something and he needs to help us.

MATT: "If you would do me the favor of not giving this to him until--" He ducks as one of the small saucers goes (whoosh) over his head and shatters on the wall behind him. Mister's like (hoots)

ASHLEY: Mister, come here, come here, come here.

MATT: Curls back up onto your shoulder.

TRAVIS: Fucking eyes are crazy, bro.

ASHLEY: I know.

MATT: (snarls) (laughter)

ASHLEY: Sometimes I can't tell if you're looking at me or--

SAM: I know.

ASHLEY: Yeah.

MATT: Perfect. "If you wouldn't mind giving this to your monkey once you've left the city, just to be safe. But," and he shows you, it's essentially a small, simple tube with a trap door that pulls open. It's more or less a potato cannon, a small version of a potato gun.

TRAVIS: (potato gun pop) He says, "Taken in the fact that you are... Well, you say there's flame involved here."

ASHLEY: Yes.

MATT: "Put the right cap set in here." He shows you how to load it with just a little bit of black powder, lock in. Yeah, just a little bit.

LIAM: Just a little bit. Three grains.

MATT: Yeah.

TRAVIS: Scattershot of shit.

MATT: Yep. (laughter)

MATT: Which is kind of what it'll do.

MARISHA: Oh my god.

TALIESIN: Oh boy.

MATT: "This is primarily a teenager's toy. Just don't put any actual ammunition in it beyond your monkey's excrement."

ASHLEY: Okay, but you just put black powder in there, so is it okay to do that? Just saying if that were, down the line, one time, to put in some black powder, that would be okay?

MATT: "It's your lesson to learn." (laughter)

TRAVIS: Thank you.

ASHLEY: Thank you so much. Thank you very, very much, Mr. Lord de Rolo.

MATT: Your main course of rapidly-prepared potato soup presents itself. For what you thought it would be, it's still nice, hearty. But eventually, the dinner comes to completion. You're brought to your chambers.

TALIESIN: Actually, we were hoping before that--

LIAM: A little bit of business to discuss, actually.

SAM: Maybe retire to a salon or something to talk.

TALIESIN: Somewhere relatively private.

MATT: (Percy) "That can be arranged." Goes ahead and they finish their meal and lead you over to an entertainment chamber with a number of cushions and couches, high-back, dark maroon leather seating, a small piano in the corner. It's just a hosting space.

LIAM: Is the Manners ball in here?

MATT: What was that, sorry?

LIAM: The Manners ball?

MATT: Manners ball. More or less. It's a smaller chamber. It's not meant for a larger event.

SAM: What's a Manners ball?

LIAM: You don't remember Campaign 1?

TALIESIN: Everyone loves Manners.

LAURA: (gasps) Manners ball! Yes.

MATT: But the doors close behind. Vex'ahlia and Lord Percival sit in their normal, respective seats.

MARISHA: Oh, the Manners ball!

TALIESIN: I'm sure you understand that this is going to be a little difficult, because trust is thin. This place clearly has some negative connotations for some of us. Do we understand that?

MATT: (Percy) "Yes." (Vex) "Yes."

LIAM: We've shared a bit with the Voice of the Tempest, regardless, so it'll probably wind its way back to you eventually. In our travels overseas, we encountered something near and dear to you, Lord de Rolo.

TALIESIN: I'm going to open the hole and hop in while this is happening. Don't mind me.

LAURA: Oh god.

SAM: What's going on?

LAURA: I hope they don't take it back.

LIAM: So, I encountered this on the black market in Emon some time ago. It's the residuum.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

LIAM: And more recently came across it in Bassuras, in Marquet. We believe connected to the Cerberus Assembly in Wildemount, and I have to imagine that is not your intended destination.

MATT: You open the lid of the box that you had--

TALIESIN: Oh yeah, I pull it out.

LIAM: Yeah.

MATT: Immediately, Percival leans forward, fingers steepled, the bit of oil lantern light glistening across his glasses as he reaches out and picks up and runs the powdered residuum glass through his fingers.

TALIESIN: This was one of two interesting materials that they were smuggling.

LAURA: I'll pull out the other potion.

MATT: He looks over to Vex'ahlia. She takes up the potion and begins to look it over. (Percy) "We've been aware of some missing shipments for some time. We've been trying to pinpoint as to where they were going and who was involved. The care that was taken to keep them enshrouded was extensive. Now, I've been following some personal threads that were leading us eastward, and believed to have some sort of Dwendalian and/or Wildemount involvement. The Assembly, of course, had crossed my mind, but that is a truth I had been hoping would not be the case, as they are a very... messy organization to confront."

LIAM: We've definitely seen signs that it's the case.

TALIESIN: It's been moving through a lot of hands.

MATT: "I'm glad it found its way into yours, at least this much."

LAURA: What do you know about the Apogee Solstice?

MATT: "(sighs)" Takes a deep breath. "I know quite a bit. I've read about solstices. The Apogee Solstice, it's once in a lifetime, at least a human lifetime. Most currents, it tends to draw out the best and the worst of Exandrian society. Anyone with an interest in cheating their way to a better position through magical means is going to be out on those nights doing their best and their damndest to achieve things normally unheard of or incapable."

LAURA: That's who we think-- That's what they're working towards. They're working alongside Otohan Thull and the Unseelie Court, am I right? There's so much to-- We've been looking into Ruidus, the powers that it can bestow, potentially. We were able to gaze upon the moon with a special telescope, and Orym and I both witnessed a lattice, a magical lattice wrapped around the red moon. Trapped within it, on the surface, we saw a city.

MATT: "That is a dark portent, I suppose. This magical lattice, you said--" He reaches over into a pile of parchment and a small pencil box that's resting over on one of the bookshelves, and begins sketching out rapidly on the table, drawing this pattern. It's an intricate, lattice-like pattern. It isn't just a cross-over. There is a design to it, something that almost looks like a kaleidoscope, a fractal pattern within the lattice that progresses and continues around, and it does indeed look similar to the one that you saw through the telescope. "Is this what you saw?"

LAURA: Yeah, very similar.

SAM: Have you seen-- How do you know?

MATT: He looks to Vex'ahlia, and she leans back. (Vex) "We've seen it ourselves with our own eyes, though not on the moon, as you put it. This is the design of the Divine Gate. This is the barrier that divides the realms of the gods from Exandria, put in place post-Calamity, so." SAM: Is there only one Divine Gate, or several, or?

MATT: "The Divine Gate is one... As far as I know, it's one continuous entity or barrier."

SAM: It's just everywhere?

MATT: "Kind of, it's hard to describe, and I don't fully understand it myself. It's just a boundary that exists between." She looks to Percy, and Percy goes, "Between these dimensions, it exists, this boundary, but it's not a thin sheet, it's a bit more esoteric. But it only exists in these spaces between dimensions, and only exists around Exandria. But you saw this within Exandria, the sky of it, at least?"

LAURA: Around Ruidus.

MATT: "I don't know what that means."

LAURA: Have you heard about secret gods, forgotten gods?

LAURA: Have you heard about secret gods, forgotten gods?

MATT: "No."

LIAM: Yeah, we're hitting you with a lot. We've also learned, we think, that texts exist from long ago that describe gods from the beginning, two of them. Your residuum, Lord de Rolo, I don't know how yet, I don't think we know how, but there are people out there who are stopping at nothing to make sure that whatever is up there is not found out, and those people are tied up in this. Pointing at the residuum.

MATT: "Many across the entire world are constantly trying to steal this out from under us. So, you'll excuse me if it brings a bit more context as to our slightly paranoid nature here in the city."

LIAM: Does de Rolo seem skeptical, piqued?

MATT: He seems interested, but his mind is...

LIAM: You okay?

LAURA: Oh, like a clock tower? Is this what this is? (laughs)

ASHLEY: Wow.

TALIESIN: I can't believe that actually works. (laughter)

TRAVIS: That looks really fun.

MARISHA: Really fun, yeah.

ASHLEY: I want one of those pieces.

MARISHA: I want one I know.

TRAVIS: That gets a little-- (claps)

MATT: Well done. (claps)

LIAM: Clap, clap. (light clapping)

MATT: His eyes are darting around like he's not just accepting all the information, but is trying to piece things together in his mind.

LIAM: Is Lady de Rolo still here?

MATT: She's still here.

LIAM: Yeah? How about her?

MATT: She's listening and keeping an eye on all of you.

TRAVIS: She's over at the hookah with Chetney. (intense inhale) (laughter)

TRAVIS: Fucking moon! (laughter)

MARISHA: I could see her getting down on some hookah. Yeah.

LIAM: Maybe not in this context, but.

MATT: (Percy) "We do have allies in Vasselheim. We can look into some of this mystery with our contacts and see if we can connect any of these dots. There are many... There are many who are preparing in advance of this solstice, while we're doing our best to keep our home protected, under watch, and the majority of our very controlled residuum exports from falling into untoward hands."

LIAM: A lot of people who've poked at this mystery have ended up dead. Easy does it.

MATT: "I'm certain they are. We do appreciate you being forthright with this information. I guess I'll put it on the pile."

ASHLEY: Sorry, I don't know anything. This Divine Gate that you're talking about.

MATT: "Mm-hmm."

ASHLEY: Is there an entrance and an exit to it, or is it...

MATT: "Beings of a less grandiose, divine nature can pass through it, for the most part, without issue. It's mainly designed to keep the gods themselves from passing into our realm."

TALIESIN: Like a fishing net.

MATT: "Indeed."

SAM: Yeah, because Exandria's here. It's probably over us, right?

MATT: "It's more around. It's around the entire--"

SAM: It's like this, and then that's between us, and then they're up there.

TALIESIN: We have to figure out a way to get you drunk at some point. That's really important.

LAURA: He just doesn't understand.

MATT: "It's all right. Maybe one day, our friend, Taryon can have a look at you. Fix what's mixing up those gears."

SAM: That's a great idea. That sounds fun.

TRAVIS: That clock tower is impressive. How long did it-- I believe Lady de Rolo said you were the architect.

MATT: "The architect of it, yes. Yes, I was."

TRAVIS: How long did that take you?

MATT: "Oh, a good number of years. It was a personal project of mine. I needed something to distract myself after many years of, well, of intensity."

TRAVIS: Hm, years. It's a very fine piece of work. My compliments.

MATT: "Thank you kindly. Well. This leaves me much to ponder on and avenues to carefully inquire about. Thank you."

SAM: Is there anything that we need info wise that they can find out for us or contact someone for us?

LAURA: They've done a lot for us already.

SAM: No, I know, but this is-- Is there something that we are desperate to know right now? What's our next step after this?

LAURA: Just if you notice anything funky going on with the moon around the apogee solstice.

SAM: Where are we trying to go to next?

TALIESIN: Honestly, any general patronage, considering that we are basically cleaning up, what is on a certain level, your mess, with our-- Not even our free time. With our particular time. As we've said, a lot of people do get hurt and killed looking into this, including present company.

MATT: "Indeed, and it's almost like we nearly, requesting nothing in return, spent quite a bit of money and quite a bit of energy bringing your friend back to life. So I would consider that a debt paid."

TALIESIN: Oh yes, I'm just saying our success would be your success.

MATT: "Hmm, well, should you find out anything specific that we could look into, do let us know. We find anything that might pertain to this particular challenge, we'll let you know."

TALIESIN: Do you personally know any contacts in Bassuras or--

MATT: "I've never been there, no."

LAURA: One more thing. I don't know how we're getting home.

TALIESIN: Oh, yeah.

TRAVIS: Yeah, you see, Keyleth, she-- The Tempest. Sorry, Orym. She opened a tree with her hands and we walked right through its butt and came out here. But I don't think you can do that, and she's gone, so we're on the wrong side of the--

LIAM: World.

TRAVIS: The flat earth, sorry.

SAM: We're on the wrong end of it, yeah.

MATT: "It is--

LAURA: And you know the solstice is coming up.

MATT: "-- not flat."

LAURA: No.

TRAVIS: I know. I just feel bad for him.

LAURA: Oh, all right.

MATT: "That is a bit of a predicament. I could charter you a ship to Marquet."

SAM: Like a boat?

MATT: "Like a boat, yes. South of this."

LAURA: Okay.

SAM: Pass.

TRAVIS: Actually, ships are pretty great.

LAURA: That might be the only way.

SAM: They take a long, long time.

MATT: "Lest you know anybody else with the ability to put you through trees or bring you through arcane means across the ocean in an instant."

ASHLEY: I'd certainly like to try.

SAM and LAURA: (laugh)

TRAVIS: Really?

ASHLEY: Yeah. I mean, just--

TRAVIS: You ever opened up a tree before?

ASHLEY: I don't think so.

TRAVIS: Oh.

TALIESIN: How long would a boat take, out of curiosity?

MATT: Oh, from where you are now? A few weeks. (laughter)

LAURA: What are we going to do?

MATT: You do, just as a reminder-- you do have Manaia Turei in Jrusar, who was about to bring you over here, to call in Eshteross' debt.

TRAVIS: Shania Twain.

LAURA: So she could open up a portal.

SAM: Was she going to teleport us here?

MATT: She was about to do the same thing as Keyleth did, but you had called Keyleth--

SAM: Oh, that's right.

MATT: -- who basically beat her to the punch.

SAM: So we could just call her and do it.

LAURA: We could call her and she like-- We stand next to the tree, she opens it up and we just run through really fast before it closes.

SAM: Great. Great, we got it. We're good.

LAURA: All right, cool. Cool cool cool.

SAM: Thank you, never mind. Go to bed.

LAURA: Potentially, we're good.

TRAVIS: Will we see you in the morning before we go?

MATT: "If you so choose."

TRAVIS: Oh yes, we would love to thank you, you and your lady, and then also your beautiful children. You've been so accommodating.

ASHLEY: Just a nice breakfast, a nice brunch.

MATT: "Yes. Breakfast will be waiting--"

SAM: Are you asking for one?

MATT: "-- for you in the morning.

ASHLEY: Yes.

MATT: "Brunch will be arranged--"

ASHLEY: A buffet situation?

MATT: "-- as a continued celebration of your return. Laudna. I apologize if my manners have been less than stellar. Sincerely. We've both been through a lot and it had been some time since I'd been in the proximity of the source of our traumas."

MARISHA: No apology needed. I'm sorry to be a source of anguish.

MATT: "As am I. Nevertheless, the hour grows late. I have some letters to send and some questions to ask." He stands up and grabs the box of residuum.

LAURA and TALIESIN: (stuttered murmurs)

TALIESIN: That was--

MATT: "I'm sorry. Does this belong to you?"

ASHLEY: Yes.

TRAVIS: No, it doesn't actually. But we might be able to find out more on our journeys on the opposite side of the planet, where it was taken, and we would be happy to report back anything that we found, since it is your property. But we might need it or a small portion of it in order to--

LIAM: I was going to say, would it be possible to ask even just an ounce so we have it for explanations, research?

TRAVIS: Yeah. Just in case we have to act like we're not who we are to people untoward. You like that word.

MATT: He takes the same pencil box and empties it. He takes a couple handfuls of residuum, puts them into the box, closes it, and hands it back to you. "That should suffice for emergencies and explanation purposes."

LIAM: We'll keep it safe. You have my word.

MATT: "Thank you. Goodnight. I guess we'll see you in the morning."

TRAVIS: Good evening.

MATT: "Vex'ahlia?" She says, "Actually, I'll stay behind a moment, if you don't mind."

MATT: (Percy) "All right." He nods and leaves the chamber, closes the door.

TRAVIS: Finally alone--! (laughter)

TRAVIS: -- with our thoughts.

MATT: (Vex) "This one's adorable."

LAURA: Mm. Quite.

MATT: "I just wanted to say, sorry for my husband, and also, specifically to you. I am so very sorry."

MARISHA: Why are you sorry?

MATT: "Because I can't help but feel a bit responsible for what happened to you. And I'm just sorry."

MARISHA: You remind me of the ladies that I used to emulate when I was a little girl. Your hair, it's so pretty.

MATT: "I know. (laughter)

MATT: "Um." She reaches down and rubs her hand for a moment and goes, "You need to take care of yourself. You all need to take care of each other and you all need to take care of her. This has brought me some help and protection in the past and I hope maybe this can do the same for you." She pulls a small band off of her finger and hands it out to you.

MARISHA: To me? I can't tell with your eyes. (laughter)

TRAVIS: They're not doing weird stuff.

LIAM: Take the ring.

LAURA: (excited squeal)

MARISHA: What is it?

MATT: "It's a ring that contains a protective enchantment. I've had it for quite some time, but I think... I think you have more of a use of it in the paths you're walking."

MARISHA: Thank you, my Lady.

MATT: "Anyway, I'm going to go drink myself into a stupor."

ASHLEY: If you get restless, you can come to our room. Just letting you know.

TRAVIS: Yep.

LAURA: "We'll see how wild the night gets." She stands up and quietly gives everyone a nod and a smile. Looks back to you once more, Laudna. "Good night." And she leaves.

TRAVIS: Hey! Welcome back.

MARISHA: It's good to be back. It's very good to be back and not where I was. I don't know how I could ever repay you all for what you've done. I feel like such a nuisance.

LAURA: You're not.

MARISHA: I missed you so.

LAURA: I missed you so much. You're never a nuisance. If it happened again, we would do it again. Ends of the earth and beyond, as it happens.

SAM: Mm-hmm.

LIAM: We're Bells Hells, this is what we do now.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

MARISHA: We're like a real family.

LIAM: Yeah. Yeah, I think so.

TALIESIN: Could be.

LIAM: Get down here.

TALIESIN: No, I-- Yep, yep. Okay, this is weird.

LIAM: I start to give him a noogie, but it hurts.

TALIESIN: Oh, this is weird.

LIAM: Ah.

TALIESIN: Yep, this is weird.

LAURA: Oh, that hurts so bad.

TRAVIS: Scratch your knuckles up big time.

TALIESIN: Okay.

LAURA: Slice.

TALIESIN: Okay. No, I'm okay.

LIAM: Plus, the Mister Sinister costume is spiky.

TALIESIN: I know, it's a lot. There you go. Yeah. I wanted to dress up for dinner. I thought it was important.

MARISHA: I open my hand and look at the ring. What does it look like?

MATT: It looks like a simple silver, platinum band with a little groove in the center that runs around it. In that small groove, you can see these extremely intricate tiny runes that are embedded into it. The craftsmanship on it is incredible. You can't imagine the small hands and detail that must have gone into it.

TRAVIS: Huh.

MARISHA: It's very pretty.

LAURA: It's beautiful.

MARISHA: Not sure what to do with it.

LAURA: Well, I think you wear it.

TRAVIS: Yeah. Boy, she really is dim coming back from dead, huh?

LAURA: She looks a little exhausted.

MARISHA: I'm still a little confused.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

LIAM: Give it time.

MARISHA: I don't know if I want to sleep in here. I might go sleep by the Sun Tree, if that's all right.

LAURA: Yeah.

TALIESIN: Of course.

LAURA: Whatever you want.

LIAM: Mind if we come with?

MARISHA: I don't want you all to sleep out in the cold.

LIAM: Laudna, we just crossed the planet. I think we can camp with you.

MARISHA: Maybe we can take those robes and those slippers with us.

LAURA: (laughs)

TRAVIS: Those are 50,000 thread count sheets. I might pull them out and drag them out, if it's okay.

MARISHA: That's not a bad idea. Maybe we can--

LIAM: I'm also going to take this blueberry pie nobody touched. We're going to bring this with us.

TALIESIN: That's a really good idea.

ASHLEY: That's a great idea.

LAURA: Yeah. Camping trip by the Sun Tree.

MATT: All right. So your whole troop is going to camp out by the Sun Tree?

SAM: Mm-hmm.

TALIESIN: Yep.

MATT: Okay. Out there in the beautiful night sky, the stars above barely broken by the faint wisps of cloud that are just passing over above, you see the shadowed form of the Sun Tree still lush in the night air. But that frost is starting to gather at the tips of the local bushes and plants as you pass by. It's a cold night. You can see your breath. But it's still a little warm around the Sun Tree and no frost touches its leaves. As you bundle up together, prepare yourselves for, hopefully, a comfortable night's sleep all together, we're going to go to break.

SAM: Hey! (cheering)

LAURA: I'm so glad you're back.

MARISHA: I'm so emotional.

TRAVIS: That was real dicey!

MATT: I was like, oh shit.

LAURA: I thought it was good.

TRAVIS: That went a little tits up.

LAURA: I forgot that you roll.

ASHLEY: Yeah, me, too. I thought it was done.

LIAM: Yeah, we all forgot your fucking roll.

LAURA: We thought we were done.

MATT: Oh, no, it affects the DC based on that. I know, it's been a while since you've done a full ritual.

LAURA: I thought it was done.

MARISHA: What did the DC start at?

MATT: Well, because you had already died in your backstory.

TALIESIN: 11.

MATT: The DC starts at 10 and then it goes up by one every time you're resurrected. So you were at 11 and then you had just died, so this would've been a 12.

LAURA: Oh my gosh.

SAM: But then--

MATT: Oh no, sorry. Sorry, it would've been 11. You already died once, it would've been 11 and then it was--

LAURA: A success.

MARISHA: It went down by three.

MATT: Yeah, it actually would've been eight.

LIAM: Success, fail, fail.

MATT: So it would've been eight, and then it went--

TALIESIN: Back up.

MATT: Then it went back to nine, ten, so the DC was 10, actually, on that one.

LAURA: Oh, okay.

MATT: So you had a 50% chance.

LIAM: And my success barely cleared the bar.

ASHLEY: Barely cleared.

LAURA: God, we rolled like shit so far.

MATT: You guys rolled real shitty on that one.

LAURA: Have we rolled good at all in the first half?

MARISHA: No.

SAM: Ever?

LAURA: Jeez. Ever?

MATT: Good. Get it out of the way.

TRAVIS: Natural one.

MARISHA: Ah!

TALIESIN: Hey!

MARISHA: Get it out, get it out.

MATT: There you go, there you go.

LAURA: Okay, that's good.

MARISHA: That one's better.

MATT: We'll see y'all in a few minutes.

SAM: Bye!

LIAM: Oh man!

Part II
MATT: (like Gambit) And welcome back. So you all gather up and sleep around the Sun Tree. Gather up for a long rest, which you all do complete. (cheering)

MARISHA: So now I'm down?

LIAM: Three points.

MARISHA: Three to everything, right?

TRAVIS: To your life.

LIAM: Your life.

MARISHA: Is there a way to track that?

MATT: Imogen.

LAURA: Goddamn it.

TALIESIN: Three levels of exhaustion.

SAM: Is this a nighttime thing?

MATT: Indeed.

SAM: Because I said in the last session that every night I'm casting Shared Dream.

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: Did you have enough spells left?

SAM: Uh-huh.

MATT: Then, as you all lay down, you feel yourself drawn through the arcane weave that you've laced into Imogen's restful state, and join her as you find yourself standing in the same grass field, the same childhood, open area that the dreams continue to start in, except for there isn't green, there isn't your horse. The red storm is already around you, (wind whooshing). The red dust and the clouds pushing into, through you, and around you at a rapid pace and speed. Your hair tossed about your shoulders. You immediately come in feeling the sense of this ominous, red storm, just pushing and pushing. All the grass, the field around you is bent, trying to resist and failing.

LAURA: Do I feel them with me?

MATT: You take in your surroundings and glance, and you can see behind you and to the left, not but a few feet from you, the faint outline of FCG joining you in this dream.

LAURA: You're here?

SAM: Where are we?

LAURA: Home.

MATT: You can see the faint, dark shape of the house behind you where it normally sits, quite a ways away, barely visible, only marking because you know it's there, because it's always there. You do not hear your mother's voice.

LAURA: Do I see Otohan?

MATT: Roll a perception check for me.

TRAVIS: Oh shit. Start us off good in the second half. Right here, here go, here we go, here we go.

LAURA: It's a new game, it's a new world, it's a new game.

MARISHA: No more low rolls.

LAURA: Okay, okay, okay. 16.

MATT: 16. Glancing about, you see ahead of you, the opposite direction of the house, a shadowed shape that just moves away and vanishes into the dust away from you.

LAURA: She might be here.

SAM: Otohan?

LAURA: Yeah.

SAM: Ah. We can't cast spells in here, right?

LAURA: I don't know, I never tried. Stay close. I'm going to move towards it.

MATT: You move towards it. You step closer and closer, and pick up pace to try and catch up with this shape that is moving briskly, but not running. You get closer and you can see it's a broader shape, not the thin, familiar, feminine, warrior body that you faced off with in Bassuras, not but a few days ago. This is more of a warrior's form of a masculine outline.

LAURA: (gasps) Does it look familiar?

MATT: It's hard to make out the specifics in the intensity of the storm, but you see the walking figure stop, glance over its shoulder in your direction for just a moment, and then (wind whooshes).

LAURA: No.

MATT: It's gone.

LAURA: Did I recognize a face?

MATT: You didn't get to look at the face.

LAURA: Did it feel similar to when Bertrand walked away from me and the twins?

MATT: It had some similarities to it.

LAURA: I think somebody just died.

SAM: What?

LAURA: I think somebody passed on, I think--

SAM: And you saw them?

LAURA: Didn't you?

SAM: But I mean, you knew-- you can see people pass on?

LAURA: I saw Bertrand here. I saw him that night. It looked like a warrior, someone big.

LAURA: Oh god, I hope it's not Eshteross.

SAM: Are you okay?

ASHLEY: Oh my god.

MATT: Where do you go? What do you do?

LAURA: I keep walking forward.

MATT: You keep walking forward. You follow suit, FCG?

SAM: I'm staying slightly behind, but yes.

MATT: The wind and the storm gets stronger and stronger. You're forced to clench your eyes, Imogen, to push through it, the pain of it stinging. Occasionally, gusts hit and you both get pushed back. The grasses, the field, giving away to broken dirt and rock.

LAURA: I'm going to reach back and try to grab onto FCG and kick up into the air and see if we can both fly up.

MATT: Okay. You feel Imogen grab your hand and then, with a tug, you both lift up into the storm. Without the ground to hold you, with a semblance of weight and gravity, the storm begins to buffet you slightly and you have to resist to not be swept up and taken away by the almost tornado-like winds that are blowing past you.

LAURA: Guess you can cast spells?

SAM: Wh-- oh god. Okay. Just mechanically, do we have spell slots from the long rest, or--?

TRAVIS: (laughs)

MATT: Do you want to try and cast a spell?

SAM: Well, how badly are we being buffeted?

MATT: Right now, not terribly bad, but you know there is danger in pushing into more dangerous air elements of the storm this high up.

SAM: Okay, once we get a little bit more dangerous, I might try something.

MATT: What are you going to try?

SAM: Well, I have Freedom of Movement.

LAURA: Ooh.

MATT: Okay.

SAM: That I would put on her to maybe aid us as we fly through.

MATT: As you attempt to draw the energy of the spell forward and reach out to impart her with this capability, no effect takes hold. No spell here follows through, as you are a visitor in somebody else's vision.

SAM: That makes sense. (chuckles)

MATT: Even you, when you took flight, it was less of a casting of a spell and more just a willed impulse and you took off.

LAURA: Huh.

MATT: You didn't even think about it.

LAURA: I want to see where exactly I am. Is it the Taloned Highlands or is it something else?

MATT: How do you want to see?

MARISHA: (whispering) How do you want to see this?

LAURA: I'm going to envision the storm in my mind, and I'm going to try to part the winds and the clouds until I can see the ground.

MATT: As you focus, the winds pick up stronger and stronger. Roll a d20 and add your charisma modifier.

LAURA: Pfft. Guide me, FCG. Seven.

MATT: Seven.

LAURA: (clears throat)

MATT: You will the storm back and the storm wills itself towards you. You see it begin to separate a bit to reveal some of the cracked, broken ground and then it shuts up and blows in your direction. Both of you begin to be tossed around rapidly, end over end. For a moment, you are uncertain which way is up, which way is down. You have to reach out and hold tightly to each other's hand to at least know you're tethered to something before, eventually, you can regain your standing here in the dream, in the storm.

LAURA: Cracked earth. That's not where I'm from.

SAM: Do I recognize anything?

MATT: You just see dust and wind and red all around you. It looks like the ground below is swallowed by the storm.

LAURA: I'm going to open up my mind, see if there's anybody else around.

MATT: You release the boundaries and binds of your ever-pressing, expanding consciousness. Nothing here.

SAM: Without casting a spell or anything, can I just tell if Imogen is herself in all ways? Does she have a different affectation or are her eyes different or anything about her?

MATT: Make a perception check.

SAM: 19.

MATT: 19. She is Imogen, though her form, when you look at the details around on the edges get a little fuzzy. At the elbows, the joints, at the corners of her face, at the edges of the brows, the minute you focus on something, it blurs, like it's being smudged in real time before you. In the red light that surrounds you, all of the colors, the chromatic elements that make up Imogen as you know all fit squarely within a spectrum of red.

SAM: Cool. You look really cool right now. No, keep going, keep going.

LAURA: I'm going to see if I can reach out through the dream scape. I want to try to send a message to Eshteross through my dream.

MATT: Okay. You concentrate to connect your consciousness and the essence of your imagination. Language, emotion, all the different means you have of connecting and conversing with another being, and it finds nothing. The storm is growing colder--

TRAVIS: Go higher.

MATT: -- and colder.

LAURA: That's different. I'm going to grab FCG and just Misty Step down to the ground.

MATT: You both land on the ground, not by an instant leap of the spell, but the willfulness of you both just taking towards it. You've acknowledged in this space that spell craft has no effect, but the will of your mind seems to influence the journey you take.

LAURA: Okay.

MATT: Here at the bottom, the storm continues to get cold and darker. The warm, red light that filled it begins to dim until eventually, the vibrant red becomes a deep, dark maroon. As the wind begins to die--

LAURA: This is different.

MATT: -- the space above you begins to thin. Where the dust dies down, instead, you see a dark, voided scape filled with thousands and thousands of stars.

SAM: Where are we now?

LAURA: We're on the moon, bitch. Can I see-- Can I see Exandria?

MATT: You glance up, and the stars begin to blink out, until within a few moments, inky blackness sits above you both. The storm subsides and you put your consciousness back down on where you were standing, but there's nothing there. Blackness beneath you. Dark, lightless space until you can't even see each other. In that moment, all you have is the sense, the physical sense of holding each other's hand. You feel yourselves being pulled away until your grip finally gives.

LAURA: (gasps)

MATT: You both come to consciousness in the morning.

SAM: Morning.

MATT: Indeed, having completed a long rest.

LAURA: (sighing) Oh.

SAM: Whoa.

MATT: But the rest of you begin to awaken, a bit stiff for a night's sleep at the base of the Sun Tree. It was a cold night, but you had the things to bundle. A bit hungry, but it is a gentle morning. The town is beginning to rouse and start its day. A few of the townsfolk are walking by, but you could notice they're lookie-looing to this strange-looking crew that stormed into the town. Of course, rumors and whispers have gotten around of these unique friends of the Lord and Lady of Whitestone, who now slept around the Sun Tree overnight, which seems odd for guests of the Lord and Lady of Whitestone. But nevertheless, here you are.

LIAM: Orym's been doing crunches for 20 minutes with his feet tucked under a root. (laughter)

MARISHA: This guy.

TALIESIN: Nope.

TRAVIS: Ah! It was so bad for my back! I don't think I can walk. You're going to have to go on without me.

TALIESIN: Well, I guess we're going to have to go on without you.

TRAVIS: Oh god. I need an adjustment. Just pull real hard.

TALIESIN: It's too late. He's gone.

SAM: I'll pull super hard.

TRAVIS: (fake fart) Ah. (laughter)

TRAVIS: That's all I needed. Right as rain. Thanks, FCG.

LIAM: Ah, the golden years.

LAURA: (laughs)

ASHLEY: I'm going to knock on the Sun Tree. Hello? Hello? Can you hear me? Can you open up a door?

TRAVIS: What?

ASHLEY: Just open up.

MATT: Do you have Speak with Plants?

ASHLEY: Mm-mm. (laughter)

MATT: What level is that?

ASHLEY: Hmm?

MATT: What level is that?

MARISHA: Speak with Plants? It's one or two. It's a low level.

ASHLEY: I don't have it.

MATT: You don't have it?

ASHLEY: Hello. No.

MATT: (laughs)

ASHLEY: Hello. Nothing's happening.

MATT: If you wanted to, you could've set it as one of your spells overnight while you were sleeping, since you just woke up.

LAURA: Oh, yeah.

LIAM: For fun and role play.

ASHLEY: This is true.

MARISHA: Do it!

MATT: Up to you.

MARISHA: Talk to the Sun Tree. Do it!

ASHLEY: Give me a minute, give me a minute.

TALIESIN: The fun thing of course-- is that it means you can--

ASHLEY: Let me just see.

TALIESIN: -- understand the Sun Tree.

MARISHA: Also, Matt, what is the ring? Do I have to identify it?

MATT: Hmm?

MARISHA: The ring.

LAURA: Oh, FCG can look at it.

MATT: Yeah.

SAM: I can.

TALIESIN: Unless you were wearing it overnight, then you'd know what's up.

MATT: If you attune to it, then you can figure it out. Or spend an hour with it.

MARISHA: I'll attune to it.

MATT: Yep, it is a ring of protection.

MARISHA: It is a ring of protection plus one.

SAM: Plus one?

MATT: Plus one.

MARISHA: Plus one.

TRAVIS: Seven?!

MARISHA: That's pretty good. It's plus one to your AC and?

MATT: Saving throws.

LAURA: That's great.

ASHLEY: That's more.

SAM: Do you want your shit back, by the way?

MARISHA: Yeah, well I was going to say-- Imogen, I noticed you were using the Bloodwell Vial.

LAURA: It's yours.

MARISHA: I mean, it looks fantastic on you.

LAURA: Sure, but it's yours.

MARISHA: Sincerely, I think you'd get more use out of it at this point.

LAURA: Really?

MARISHA: Mm-hmm. Also because, well, recently, I think this re-invigoration of life, I think I'm... I just think I'm okay. I think I'm okay without it. I want you to feel protected.

LAURA: All right. But if you want it back, you just let me know.

MARISHA: It does have this fancy thing, though.

LAURA: What?

MARISHA: You know, you get a little bit of healing in the fit of a battle, like a kind of-- That Wither and Bloom thing that I've been doing where I kill the grass?

LAURA: Yeah, yeah.

MARISHA: If you do that, you can get all your sorcerer points back.

LAURA: No!

MARISHA: So, not that you know what a sorcerer point is, but. Yes.

LAURA: I totally did not have it equipped when we were--

MARISHA: You didn't have it equipped? You didn't have it attuned? Oh dude, it's fucking-- Yeah, it's great.

ALL: (like Marisha) Oh dude. (laughter)

LIAM: You really got to give that a try.

LAURA: I just hadn't clicked it. So, there you go. Wow.

MARISHA: Mm-hmm.

LAURA: Thank you. Are you sure? Are you sure?

MARISHA: Mm-hmm.

LAURA: Okay.

MARISHA: Very sure. Plus, I've got this fun new ring. A lady wore it. Does that make me a lady now?

LAURA: Yeah.

SAM: Mm-hmm, I think that's how it works.

MARISHA: Is it? Oh!

SAM: Yeah, you're royalty.

MARISHA: My parents would be proud.

MATT: So Fearne, are you doing this? (laughter)

MARISHA: Oh yeah.

ASHLEY: Yes.

SAM: That is a question that is asked every session. Are you really doing this?

LIAM: Let Matt be a plant.

ASHLEY: I'm just getting really close. (whispers) Hello. I was just actually seeing if you could open up your body. Just like a door. Are you there? Can I talk to you? Hello?

MATT: Are you just saying this, or are you actually using the spell?

ASHLEY: Yeah.

MATT: You're just saying it?

LAURA: You're using the spell?

ASHLEY: I'm using the spell, sorry.

MATT: Oh, you're using the spell?

ASHLEY: Yeah. (laughter)

MATT: Okay, that's what I was curious about. Okay. As you finish whispering, a gentle breeze blows through the boughs of the tree. More of the golden amber leaves drift down, and a warm voice emanates from the tree that fills your mind and your heart. It says, (laid back) "Hey."

SAM: (laughs)

MATT: "Hey, Fearne."

ASHLEY: Oh, hi.

MATT: "I mean, people make doors out of trees. We don't do it ourselves but--"

LIAM: This is an American detective.

MATT: "If you figure it out..."

ASHLEY: If I figure it out, I can just do--

MATT: "You know where I am." (laughter)

ASHLEY: Great. Wow, you're so just relaxed.

MATT: "Yeah. You too."

ASHLEY: Well, sometimes.

LAURA: (whispers) Is he more relaxed?

ASHLEY: How long have you been here?

MATT: "Oh, long time."

ASHLEY: A long time. Do you... Mm.

TRAVIS: Leaves come and go. I stay the same age. (laughter)

LIAM: Oh shit.

TALIESIN: Nope. Nope.

ASHLEY: All right, all right, all right.

MATT: Yeah, no.

TALIESIN: Nope. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Since you've been here for a while, did you ever notice when they put up a new moon? Were you here when there was just one moon?

MATT: "No. Long as I've been here, there's been two."

ASHLEY: Oh. Are you excited for the Apogee Solstice?

SAM and LAURA: (laughs)

SAM: Any plans? (laughter)

MATT: "I mean, I guess a little. It's interesting. Makes me feel all tingly."

TRAVIS: (laughs)

ASHLEY: Oh. That's pretty nice.

TRAVIS: We're asking the Sun Tree.

ASHLEY: All right, well, we'll come back and talk to you at some point. I'll figure out how to get you open.

MATT: "Well, you got consent from me."

ASHLEY: Oh yes, I should've asked. Thank you, Sun Tree. Thank you very much. It was really nice to meet you and talk with you.

MATT: "Any time, Fearne."

ASHLEY: All right.

MATT: "Any time." (laughter)

ASHLEY: I don't know how to do the door thing, but.

LAURA: Okay. I can send a message.

ASHLEY: Yeah, I'm sure that'd be fine.

LAURA: Or you can.

SAM: Yeah.

LAURA: Either one of us.

SAM: Do you think you want to send a message to the lord?

LAURA: Yes, why I do.

SAM: I mean, not the Lord.

LAURA: No, I know who you're talking about. I want to send a message to Lord Eshteross.

MATT: Okay, what do you say?

LAURA: Are you alive still?

MATT: That's it?

LAURA: I had a dream. (whimsically) A dream about you, Lord Eshteross.

MATT: (laughs) Okay. You wait a moment. Then another moment. And then another moment, and then it passes. No response.

SAM: (gasps)

MATT: Two minutes. Five minutes.

ASHLEY: No.

LAURA: No.

MATT: No response.

TALIESIN: We know it was likely--

LAURA: I don't know if it was him for sure, but I think it was. We got to get back to Jrusar.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

ASHLEY: What's wrong?

LAURA: I had a dream last night. FCG was there, and in the same way I saw Bertrand pass on, I saw a figure that seemed... I don't know. It just reminded me of Lord Eshteross.

ASHLEY: Oh no.

TRAVIS: You mean in your dream?

LAURA: Yeah.

TRAVIS: You think you saw him and that means that he might've died?

LAURA: Well yeah, that's what happened with Bertrand.

TALIESIN: He had a pretty big target on his back when we left, so.

MARISHA: He was a very cautious man.

LIAM: Do you get a message back every single time? I mean, that's a different part of the world.

LAURA: I mean, I haven't been doing this forever, but so far, yeah, I've gotten a message back from everyone.

TALIESIN: What if they're asleep? What time is it over there? I don't even know.

LAURA: That's true. He might be. I don't know what time it is.

MATT: It's still early morning there.

LAURA: Okay, maybe he's sleeping.

MATT: Like pre-dawn.

LAURA: Maybe he's just sleeping. That's a good point.

SAM: We need to go back there anyway, right?

TALIESIN: Yeah.

LAURA: Yeah, well, now I'm worried that... I don't remember her name. What was her name that we needed to contact?

MATT: Manaia.

LAURA: Manaia. (laughs) Thank you, brain.

TRAVIS: Shania Twain.

LAURA and MARISHA: Manaia Twain.

LAURA: Twain.

MARISHA: What's her name?

TRAVIS: Manaia.

LAURA: Twain? No?

LIAM: Never the twain shall meet.

MATT: Turei.

LAURA: Turei. Manaia Turei.

MARISHA: Shania Twain.

MATT: Goddamn it.

SAM: Do you want me to contact her, or are you still okay?

LAURA: No, you can try, but I just don't know. She might be... Maybe Lord Eshteross was sleeping.

SAM: Oh, because it's just so early.

LAURA: It's so early.

SAM: We can wait a half hour and try, or an hour.

LAURA: Sure.

TRAVIS: Besides, we're supposed to have breakfast, right?

SAM: Yeah, that's right.

LAURA: I mean, yeah.

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

TRAVIS: We'll try again. No reason to assume the worst.

LAURA: Yeah.

TRAVIS: Dreams are interpretive, right?

LAURA: (skeptically) Mm. Sure.

TRAVIS: Same kind of dream you always have?

LAURA: No, in fact, this one was far less aggressive. More cold.

MARISHA: You said Letters was there. That's amazing.

SAM: I was watching, and it was frightening and...

LIAM: You had the same dream?

SAM: I was just watching hers.

MARISHA: But you got there.

SAM: And it was interesting. Well, first of all, I think I felt what cold feels like for the first time. But also, what was striking to me was that you were... I think you were more in control of the dream than I expected, maybe even more than you knew. I don't know. I feel like you could do more. Control more. Push it where you want it to show and maybe these dreams aren't just something that happens to you, but something that you were doing to it? I don't know where you were, though. I don't know what that place was. If you were seeing him.

LAURA: You saw the stars, right?

SAM: Yeah, but that doesn't make any sense. I mean, if you were seeing a soul that you thought was passing on to another place, why would it go through the moon to get there?

LAURA: That's true. It's dumb.

SAM: It's not dumb, no. I'm just trying to figure it out.

LAURA: Maybe we were jumping around. Maybe it wasn't just-- I mean, obviously I wasn't really... I wasn't really home, right?

TRAVIS: Right?

SAM: No! I mean, this... Dreams aren't a thing that happens to you. Dreams are a thing that you do.

LAURA: I felt more control than I ever have before. I don't know if it's because of what happened, but.

SAM: You might have more knowledge inside, or power than you knew. Oh yeah, how's your arms?

LAURA: Nice and--

SAM: Veiny?

LAURA: Yeah.

MARISHA: What exactly--

LAURA: Don't make that face, FCG!

SAM: No, I can't make a face.

LAURA: It's not like it's ugly.

SAM: My face can't move.

TALIESIN: And yet.

ASHLEY: No, it's beautiful.

MATT and LAURA: (laugh)

LAURA: That's the one face you can make. The stinkeye, you look just disgusted.

SAM: I'm smiling.

MARISHA and ASHLEY: (laugh)

MATT: Love that. Smiley day to ya. (laughter)

SAM: It's my O face.

TRAVIS: Jesus. (laughter)

MATT: Well--

LIAM: Let's burn it.

ASHLEY: Maybe next time you're up there, if it happens again, and if you are in the moon, I wonder if you can will yourself to the city or something.

LAURA: Oh shit. I should've done that.

SAM: There's no should'ves.

ASHLEY: There's no-- yeah, no, no, no, because you couldn't have gone there alone.

SAM: I also don't want to pry. This is your mind palace. If you don't want me there, that--

LAURA: I do. It was comforting to have you there.

SAM: Well, if that's the case, maybe next time we could bring another friend, too.

LAURA: You think that's possible?

TRAVIS: I'd love to come.

LAURA: (laughs)

SAM: Yeah, yeah.

TRAVIS: You know what I've always wanted to do in a dream? Fly. Sometimes people can control themselves in dreams. I've never been able to.

LAURA: I don't think that's possible.

TALIESIN: Control yourself or dream?

TRAVIS: Fly, in my dream.

TALIESIN: You've never been able--

MARISHA: If you keep a journal, like a dream journal, then you can train yourself to be able to control your dreams.

TRAVIS: Does that involve writing after you wake up?

MARISHA: Yes.

TRAVIS: Horrible waste of time.

MARISHA: I find it quite therapeutic.

TRAVIS: If I could fly, and if you're on the moon, you should just go straight up. See how far you could get.

LAURA: Well, I tried to go up, and it was windy.

TRAVIS: Oh.

LIAM: What did you see in the sky? Did you see home?

LAURA: In the sky, we saw stars.

TALIESIN: But no--

LIAM: No flat disk?

LAURA: No, that's why I was trying to spot Exandria. I wanted to show FCG that it was fucking circle.

SAM: I couldn't see it though because the angle was like that. (laughter) It was right there.

TRAVIS: It rotates, but on the flat axis.

LIAM: You were probably looking right at it.

TALIESIN: Wafer thin.

LIAM: Right under your nose.

TALIESIN: Wafer thin.

LAURA: Yeah.

TRAVIS: (laughs)

LIAM: Would you like the planets, too? (laughter)

TALIESIN: Thank you.

TRAVIS: Oh, no.

TALIESIN: Oh. (laughter)

MATT: Nevertheless-- (laughter)

MATT: You acquire a fine de Rolo provided brunch. (laughs) Spend your morning contemplative, discussing what you need to get the day started until a point of action you feel is necessary. Is there anything else you wish to do here in Whitestone?

TRAVIS: Oh, Lord de Rolo, thank you again for this excellent brunch.

MATT: Oh, he's not there at brunch.

TRAVIS: Oh.

TALIESIN: No.

SAM: He says to the world. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Oh shit.

TALIESIN: Clearly, listen, he has people, but no.

TRAVIS: Oh no, that's terrible.

MARISHA: That is some--

MATT: He's provided a meal.

SAM: Is what I would say if he was here.

MATT and SAM: (laugh)

MATT: Or at least Lord de Rolo has gone off and is handling his morning business, but the meal is provided to you.

TRAVIS: Are any of the royal family in attendance?

MATT: Not at the brunch, but on your exit heading back towards the center of town, you do catch Lady Vex'ahlia waiting on the outskirts of the castle in an archery range that's built off to the side.

SAM: Cool.

MATT: Hearing the rapid (arrows loosing), "Ah, I see you're heading off."

TRAVIS: Yes, we're going to be making our way out soon. By the way, I wanted to compliment you on that tremendous bow. I don't know what kind of wood it is, but the possibilities are endless. If you ever need anything for the family, here. I produce another wooden coin that says C-POP Industries on it. Please, keep my information close, and if you would, just relay it to your husband that his clock tower served as a point of inspiration, through crudely made and taking years to construct. I wanted him to know, he doesn't have to be limited to just metalworking. Imogen, the time has come.

SAM: Oh shit.

TRAVIS: I just wanted you to know that I took my final inspiration from this, and I wanted you to have--

MARISHA: Oh.

SAM: I can hand it to her. (laughter)

TRAVIS: This horse. Your dreams so tormenting you for so long--

MARISHA: Does it move?

TRAVIS: Why yes, but it requires no metal of any kind for such a feat. Just the wood that's given to us from the earth.

MARISHA: How does it move? I'm terrified to touch it.

TRAVIS: There's a little switch and everything, but don't worry about it.

MARISHA: There's a switch.

TRAVIS: Yeah.

SAM: A metal switch.

TRAVIS: It only took me 17 hours to make. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Wow.

TRAVIS: I believe the horse's name was Flora.

LAURA: It was.

MARISHA: Wow.

MARISHA: Chetney, that might be your finest work yet.

TRAVIS: There's 415 pieces in there.

LIAM: What material is the mane made out of?

MARISHA: You had to build that?

LAURA: It's a lot of--

TRAVIS: The mane?

LIAM: Mm-hmm.

TRAVIS: It's a very unique wood. It comes from the southernmost part of Exandria territories where there's stretch to it. Don't pull on it so hard!

LIAM: It's stretchy.

TRAVIS: You can also chew on it, and it is edible in dire circumstances.

ASHLEY: What in the world?

MATT: "I'm not going to lie. That is very impressive woodwork."

LAURA: But seriously--

TRAVIS: Thank you.

ASHLEY: He's great.

LAURA: Oh, there is a switch.

SAM: But no batteries.

MARISHA: You can wind it.

TALIESIN: There's a windey.

SAM: There's a winder?

TRAVIS: Careful! If you wind it the wrong way, it does explode. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Just to keep people from (shouts) fucking with it that it doesn't belong to. I'm sorry. I'm very protective.

MATT: "That's all right. I understand."

TRAVIS: C-POP Industries. If you ever want to upgrade or go back to, you know, a more rustic look.

MATT: "Of course."

TRAVIS: I wouldn't recommend it for firearms, but you know, there's a first time for everything.

LAURA: Chetney, this is--

TRAVIS: The shit? I know.

LAURA: I mean, it really is.

TRAVIS: Can you see why I was taking so long? I had to assemble it in small pieces.

LAURA: This took a really long time--

TRAVIS: I barely slept last night.

LIAM: Looks like it travels easy, too.

ASHLEY: Yeah.

SAM: Wow, Chetney, that's amazing.

TRAVIS: Thank you.

ASHLEY: That's so incredible.

TRAVIS: Prig de Rolo-- I mean, His Grace, you know--

LAURA: I'm scared. (laughs)

TRAVIS: Wanted to make sure he knew.

TALIESIN: Make it walk.

LIAM: Set it off.

ASHLEY: Do it, do it.

MATT: "Well, I--"

MARISHA: You should have-- Sorry.

LIAM: Does it wind up?

MATT: "I was just saying, I appreciate this. And I'll let you know if such an interesting idea to be commissioned comes to mind."

TRAVIS: Thank you, Lady de Rolo.

MATT: "I'll escort you to wherever it is you're exiting from."

LAURA: Oh. Oh gosh! We need to send a message.

SAM: We do.

TRAVIS: Distracted by my work. Just like my booty, or my beauty.

TALIESIN: I'd say if we have a few minutes, too, if there's a-- I mean, if we want to have a quick stock up, see if there's anything interesting, since we're probably not going to be coming around this way again.

SAM: Is there a store in these parts, Lady Vex?

MATT: "There's all manner of stores. There's general stores. There's blacksmithies. There are--"

SAM: Potions or anything? Magic?

TALIESIN: Weird shit. Look at what we do for a living.

MATT: "Fair enough. There is two herbalists in the town. I think one is out getting materials."

SAM: Okay.

TALIESIN: Anything for, I don't know, magic potions, magic swords, magic whatever, belts, whatever weird shit that comes around this way?

MATT: "Let's see if he's open."

LIAM: (gears turning)

MATT: Are you?

TALIESIN: The tension is killing me.

LAURA: Does it go?

SAM: Does it just rattle and just break apart?

LAURA: How do I make it go?

TRAVIS: If you break it--

SAM: Don't you wind it the other way?

LAURA: No, no, it says wind up this way.

ASHLEY: It has an arrow.

LIAM: Keep twisting it to watch Travis' heart shatter.

LAURA: No, I'm scared. I'm scared it's going to break.

SAM: Turn on the switch.

LAURA: I thought I did.

MARISHA: Does it have a switch?

SAM: Oh, here, I'll move my hands. Oh.

MARISHA: Oh god! Get your fatty hands.

LAURA: Travis, seriously, do I do it?

TRAVIS: Don't-- We can figure it out later.

LAURA: Okay. (laughter)

MATT: The tension is immense.

TRAVIS: It moved once.

LAURA: It did?

TRAVIS: Then it stopped and I got a little concerned. (laughter)

TRAVIS: Forever.

SAM: I'll catch it if it falls.

MARISHA: Oh my god.

TALIESIN: You introduce a horse in act one.

LIAM: Oh-- (nervous noise)

TALIESIN: It's a--

ASHLEY: Oh, something's turning.

LAURA: It sounds like it's going to die.

TALIESIN: I'm so sorry.

SAM: This is the best kind of television. (laughter)

LIAM: It's even better for podcast.

SAM: Oh yeah, for our podcast listeners, Laura's winding a horse.

TRAVIS: There are two five-foot rubber arms grabbing it from off-screen.

SAM: Literally nothing is happening. (laughter)

SAM: Matt's eyes are looking at the ceiling.

TALIESIN: We think.

MARISHA: We're not sure. (laughter)

TALIESIN: Yes.

MATT: "To answer your question, there is a particular shop here that does specialize in various magical accoutrements. However, the majority of its materials have been conscripted in preparation for some of the tense events to transpire in the wake of this coming Apogee Solstice."

TALIESIN: We've been hearing that a lot.

MATT: "Let me check in." She wanders off into the town. But.

TALIESIN: I suppose we should start making plans while we've got a second.

LIAM: Maybe. Yeah, you want to--

TRAVIS: Send a message! Stop touching the horse!

LAURA: I'm sorry, I just really want to see. Okay.

SAM: Want me to send a message?

LAURA: Yeah.

SAM: I do have to make one quick stop. I can do it super fast. But I'll send the message right now to Shania Twain and ask-- Oh! Shania Twain. (laughter)

SAM: It's Bells Hells. If you are awake, we are at the Sun Tree in Whitestone and require transportation back to Jrusar.

LIAM: A little later. In a little bit!

SAM: Oh!

LAURA: In 30 minutes.

SAM: Don't reply to this message until-- Fuck! (laughter)

TRAVIS: I liked the first five words being like (laughter)

TRAVIS: First and last name. It's Bells Hells. (laughter)

TALIESIN: Better pick that one up again.

SAM: (laughter)

MARISHA: I will never pick that spell. It's too stressful!

SAM: Okay. I guess I'll send another one.

TALIESIN: Yeah, better send another one before a portal opens.

SAM: Well, does she respond to that?

MATT: If you wait for a response, about 20 seconds later, you hear a voice come through. "Hello. Who is this?" (laughter)

MATT: "It's really early, but what?"

SAM: I'll just wait. I'll wait 'til later.

LAURA: Well--

TALIESIN: No.

LAURA: No, tell her at what time--

SAM: Do we have clocks? Is there clocks in this world?

TALIESIN: There's a giant clock!

SAM: Okay. Okay. (laughter)

MATT: It's literally in the town!

TRAVIS: It's not very well made, but it's there!

TALIESIN: Look at that thing!

TRAVIS: I don't know if it works. It's hard to read. The craftsmanship--

SAM: Okay. Set a time. What time?

LAURA: You should say in exactly one hour, however much time we need to--

SAM: Two hours?

LAURA: Whatever.

SAM: Okay.

LIAM: Two. Let's do two. It's safe.

LAURA: Two hours.

SAM: Because y'all might start shopping.

LAURA: Also have her-- Well, no.

TALIESIN: Make it quick.

LAURA: I'm scared. I want her to check on Eshteross, but he's probably sleeping. He's probably sleeping.

SAM: Yeah. Okay. She also asked who we were.

ASHLEY: I thought you said Bells Hells.

LAURA: Ask her if she heard your voice in her sleep--

MATT: Manaia Turei.

TRAVIS: Turei.

MARISHA: Turei.

LAURA: -- if the message woke her up.

SAM: I want to focus on communicating the essentials first.

LAURA: Oh, yeah.

MARISHA: How do you spell Turei?

LAURA: Maybe you can just use another spells slot.

SAM: I can!

MARISHA: Sure.

ASHLEY: Maybe be like, get us in two hours. Did you hear my message while you were sleeping?

LIAM: But she didn't know who you were?

SAM: I said Bells Hells, but maybe we didn't introduce ourselves as Bells Hells. How does she know us? As Eshteross' friends?

LAURA: Yeah.

SAM: Okay, okay, okay, okay. I'll send another message.

LAURA: Make sure she knows we're in Whitestone at Sun Tree.

ASHLEY: And to come in two hours.

SAM: We're Eshteross' friends! Could you open portal to Sun Tree in exact two hour?

LAURA: Why? Why? You can finish the word.

LIAM: Why aren't you speaking Common anymore?

TRAVIS: Let him do his thing.

TALIESIN: There's pluralization. There's some tenses. There's a--

TRAVIS: You got 12 more.

ASHLEY: If you add an S to hour, it's still the same. (laughter)

ASHLEY: It's still one word.

SAM: Did hear me-- (laughter)

SAM: -- in sleep? (laughter) (laughter)

TALIESIN: Do we need to be concerned again?

LIAM: I quickly turn him off and turn him on again.

MARISHA: Yeah.

LAURA: Look at how many words you have left! (laughter)

SAM: I have left! (laughter)

TRAVIS: I am left? You have words left.

SAM: Did you hear me in your sleep? (laughter)

LIAM: What?

TRAVIS: One left.

MARISHA: But you said, "In sleep. Do you hear me in your sleep?" (laughter)

MARISHA: That's insane.

SAM: Reply. (laughter)

MATT: "You are very strange." (laughter)

MATT: "I remember you, and my favor shall be paid. Two hours. Be there."

SAM: Okay. Okay.

TALIESIN: Everybody look at the giant clock.

SAM: She didn't understand did hear in sleep, for some reason.

TRAVIS: Mangled piece of garbage! (laughter)

MARISHA: A giant clock. So two big clickies from now.

SAM: Okay.

MATT: Yeah. Lady Vex'ahlia does return.

SAM: It's just an hour hand.

MATT: "Come with me. I think there is one place here that might be able to help you out on your way.

TALIESIN: Let's see if there's anything we can pick up. Don't want to have that happen again.

MATT: Leading you through the northern ward region of the city, a little bit to the eastern side of the town, there is a small, quaint little shop. It has a dark burgundy and purple coloration to its paint outside, The sign that says, "Gilmore's Glorious Goods Whitestone Expansion."

MARISHA: Oh!

SAM: Yes!

LAURA: (laughs)

MARISHA: Oh my god!

SAM: We're all there?

TALIESIN: I wasn't going to not let this happen. Jesus.

SAM: I've gone off elsewhere.

MATT: Mm-hmm. To which Vex'ahlia knocks on the door. A pause goes by, and a voice inside goes, "Hello?" (Vex) "It's Lady Vex'ahlia de Rolo." "Hello. Sorry." You hear unlocking noises open up and you see a young half-elf man, probably in his mid-thirties or so. So I guess compared to you, older. He looks through, little sleepy under his eyes, has a purple robe with gold trim on, a little bit of a pointed Van Dyke goatee, leans out. "Terribly sorry, Miss de Rolo. I was just about to open. I slept in. Did you need something?" She goes, "Yes, I have some compatriots here and they're on their way out and might have need of some of your wares. Is the man around?" He goes, "Oh, no. He's running the Emon original store at the moment. But I can go ahead and take care of them. Come on in. Come on in. Hello, I'm Jerry."

ASHLEY: Hi, Jerry.

LAURA and TALIESIN: Hi.

TRAVIS: Hi, Jerry.

MARISHA: Hey.

MATT: "Welcome to Gilmore's Glorious Goods! I'm not Gilmore, but I am an associate. Was in training, recently graduated, and now I'm the--"

TRAVIS: Congratulations!

ASHLEY: Wow.

MATT: "Thank you. Thank you."

LIAM: Where did you do your training? Right here?

MATT: "Right here. When Shaun Gilmore came by and he needed somebody to watch it when he wasn't around and I've been working my way up here and doing some small level enchanting and such."

SAM: ♪ Makin' my way! ♪

MATT: "But yeah. (stammering) What do you need? (nervous laugh)"

TRAVIS: Well, what you got? Any health potions? Any unique items that this, what's his name, Gilmore?

LIAM: Shaun Gilmore. We've met him.

ASHLEY: We met him. Yeah.

LIAM: How is the boss?

TALIESIN: Oh!

MATT: "Oh, he's good."

LAURA: Oh, you met him.

MATT: "He's very busy." He looks over to Lady Vex'ahlia. He goes, "Ve-ve-very busy." She gives him a nod. (Vex) "He's doing quite a bit of work for us and other friends. Continue."

TRAVIS: Nice.

MATT: (Jerry) "Yeah. So we've got a bit of an array of smaller level enchantments." For the sake of the narrative, we can discuss the details of this between sessions.

LIAM: I want a deck of many things.

MATT: That's not there.

TRAVIS: Any signature items?

SAM: Gilmore specials?

MATT: Gilmore specials? Sure. Let's look and see what we can find. I'll go into that.

SAM: We'll do it offline.

MATT: We'll do it offline.

TALIESIN: We'll do it offline.

MATT: Just so we don't end up turning this into a full scale shopping episode.

TALIESIN: Could not, and yeah--

MATT: Of course, of course. No worries. I figured you were. We can discuss in the--

TALIESIN: Yeah, yeah. It's all good.

MATT and LAURA: (laugh)

MATT: Unless you want to turn this into a shopping episode.

TRAVIS and SAM: No, no, no.

MATT: We can totally do that.

SAM: No. No. Not with a trainee salesperson. We want Shaun or nothing.

MATT: (laughs)

LAURA: (laughs)

MARISHA: What do you want?

TALIESIN: An edge.

LAURA: Like a sword?

TALIESIN: No, like anything, anything to not have what happened just happen again, especially considering what we might be getting back into and what we might find when we get there.

LIAM: A glow up.

TALIESIN: He gets it.

LAURA: Right.

TALIESIN: I want to come back bigger. When you get fucked up, you come back bigger. Don't come back smaller.

MARISHA: So you're looking for strength or protection?

TALIESIN: I don't know. Bigger stick, bigger shield, bigger something.

MATT: "Well, we've got some things here, but I can also inquire with Master Gilmore if he has anything in the Emon branch we can possibly move over here. But we have basics and enchanted armors. Potions, you said you were asking about. We got potions. We've got regular and greater at our disposal, if that's what you're looking for."

TALIESIN: I think we're completely tapped, aren't we?

LAURA: On potions? I think so.

TRAVIS: Yeah, we're pretty much out.

LAURA: These all got taken, right? During the fight? I don't remember.

TALIESIN: I think they did. Well, I'm out. I definitely know that.

LIAM: I chugged the big one that I had.

LAURA: Oh. Here, Laudna. I'm going to pass you the Potion of Possibility.

MARISHA: What is this?

LAURA: It was the potion-- Oh. What we took from Paragon's Call. Yeah, I'll tell you about it later.

MARISHA: Oh. Thank you. That's fun.

TALIESIN: So what are the potions running? How many do you got?

MATT: "We've got three greater and 10 regular."

TALIESIN: (whistles)

MATT: "The regular are, let's see, right now, about 60 gold a piece for the regular."

TALIESIN: 60 gold a piece?

MATT: Yes.

TALIESIN: All right. Wow!

MATT: And the greater run about 200 each.

TALIESIN: I think--

MATT: "250."

MARISHA: For sure the greaters. Or the regulars.

TALIESIN: 250. Yeah, I think we'll probably take all the regulars.

MATT: All the regulars?

TALIESIN: The greaters, I mean. So sorry, the 250. How many do you have of those? Six of those, you said?

MATT: "No."

TRAVIS: Three.

TALIESIN: Three of those.

MATT: "Two there. And... Ah, there it is." Trying to move in this chest plate. (laughs)

TRAVIS: Uh-huh. Bend at the waist.

MATT: "Three right there for you."

TALIESIN: All right, and that's 750?

MATT: "750 for those three."

TALIESIN: I got that. 750 gold.

MARISHA: All of it?

TALIESIN: Yeah, you all can buy me some other shit, man.

MATT: "We've got standard base enchantments, plus one armor. We can do commissions, if you're looking. General plus one--"

LAURA: I don't know how we would get it from you. We don't live around here.

MATT: "Oh. Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't--"

TALIESIN: This is mostly just to see what was up. This is already a pretty big help.

MARISHA: Do you have any toys? Trinkets?

MATT: "Oh, we certainly do. Magical trinkets. That's kind of my specialty. That was some of my early training. What are you looking for?"

MARISHA: What's your favorite?

MATT: "Oh. Hmm." You see him turn a little red in the cheeks. "This is the one that got me in the door, actually." He turns around and nervously starts going through a small box that's hidden underneath this stool off to the corner. Pulls it out and brushes it off, opens it up, and pulls out this little intricately carved, bright beechwood griffon that's held together by twine, all these chunks of wood are all strung with twine in between to form the shape of a griffon. It hangs limply there as he sets it down and goes, "Ah, but watch this." He says a specific command word. Do any of you speak Elven?

MARISHA: No.

LIAM: Nope.

LAURA: No.

MATT: Got no Elven in this group. Hell yeah! Demora.

LAURA: What does that mean?

MATT: "It's the key phrase for--" As he's trying to explain it, you watch as the wings suddenly shore up and begins to flap its little wooden wings with this clack, clack, clack sound, and the head rises and seems to make this roaring sound and it begins to fly up in the air and do gentle loops in the air on its own.

TRAVIS: Amazing!

LAURA: That's cute!

MATT: "It's not dangerous. It's really fun. Kids love it, love to play with it, throw things at it, the usual. It's pretty hearty, and pretty proud of it."

MARISHA: It can maybe be friends with your horse.

ASHLEY: What's the price on it?

LAURA: (laughs)

MATT: "I hadn't thought about parting with it, but--"

ASHLEY: Oh. Oh. Well you should keep it.

MATT: "No, no, no. It's honestly just gathering dust in the corner. I would say 70 gold. Just to cover materials and enchanting, time period, you know?"

ASHLEY: I'll get it.

MATT: "Okay. Yeah. Wonderful, wonderful!"

ASHLEY: It's very cute.

MATT: "Thank you. Thank you. I'm working on it."

ASHLEY: I like it a lot.

TRAVIS: What are we doing? We should hurry up.

LAURA: Yeah.

MARISHA: I think I'm ready.

LIAM: Yeah, potions and then back to business.

LAURA: Yeah, we should go.

ASHLEY: I'm going to take my griffon.

LAURA: Was there somewhere else you wanted to stop, FCG, before we--

SAM: I'm already gone.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

LIAM: FCG didn't come with.

TALIESIN: Pass that down to fun scary over there, and then here's one for you.

LAURA: Thank you.

TALIESIN: Can't have you going down.

MATT: While this is transpiring, FCG, where are you headed?

SAM: I've already gone to Horizon Temple. I'm in there. I'm asking for Guide Osli Kámyda? Kamýda?

MATT: Easy enough to find. As you come to the modest, beautiful, cylindrical temple that sits on the southern side of the city. It's wedged at the intersection with the main road that heads south and then heads east. It's on the corner and both of the main openings, the entrances seem to glide into both of the main roads, almost like anywhere in the temple you look, if you look towards an exit you could see a road that carries on straight from that point. There are lush bushes maintained around the base. You see at the top of each one of these entrance ways, the arches, there is a stone carved image of woman's arm reaching out, almost like it's reaching out and welcoming the road that it's facing. On the inside, with the simple dome chamber, you see a shrine of woman, no larger than a normal person you see, in the center. Her hair tumbles around her into the ground. Where it hits the ground, the hair seems to become waves and the waves gently dissipate into the cobblestone paths that exit the interior of the temple and lead into the roads themselves, like she's an extension of the intersection. In her hands, cupped in the center, you can see is a small bowl. In there, there are a number of small trinkets and gold coins and pieces of fruit and general offerings placed to her. You do see one man who is sitting down, eating a bowl of fruit and yogurt. He's just finishing his meal. Long, tan, orange robes that fall over his entire body and down to his legs, but sleeveless. On his arms, you can see there are these bangles that have charms along them, just jingle as he eats. The man's in his 50s, tan skin, short graying hair over eyes that are marked with ever present smile wrinkles at the corner. He finishes eating and looks up to you. "Well, hello. You're a strange one."

SAM: Yeah, I know. That's what they say. Do you know Guide Osli Kamyda?

MATT: "You've found him. That is me."

SAM: Oh. Smiley day to you. It's a pleasure to meet you.

MATT: "Smiley day to you."

SAM: I'm Fresh Cut Grass. I don't know quite what I'm doing here, but I-I-I just came to seek answers or guidance or just, I guess I've been... This is a holy place, right? People come for answers here. Yeah?

MATT: "For answers, for comfort, for direction, for sanctuary. All sorts of reasons. But you've found yourself here for your own."

SAM: Someone gave me this coin. I'll show him the coin.

MATT: "I'm quite familiar with such an emblem."

SAM: I'm really drawn to it. It's little and it's metal, but it seems to have a purpose. I've been doing a lot of thinking about where I came from and who I am and who made me, but I think maybe I should be looking ahead more at what I want to be or what I should do or what my purpose is. I wondered if you had any insight, or if she might, I guess I'm just asking how to talk to her.

MATT: "Well, to talk to her is to open your heart to whatever wisdom she might impart, whatever symbols that may take. I get the sense that you don't have a lot of experience with the divine."

SAM: No, not really. I don't have much experience with anything, and honestly, if even I wanted to open my heart to her, that might be hard, too.

MATT: "And that's all right. She doesn't demand that of you, but, when you ask for guidance, when you begin the trek of walking the path to reaching for a sign, for a push, for a beacon of light in the distance to guide you when you feel aimless and lost, that's where she will be. The symbols may be interpretive, signs in the surroundings, a feeling. With each step you take, they'll become stronger. Your confidence will grow as you begin to understand and interpret what she lays before you. If you want to speak to her, then just do so. Find a moment, here, in places that are sacrosanct, or out on the roads, which are as holy as any place for her. She'll guide you along the path. Just ask."

SAM: The roads are holy for her?

MATT: "My friend, my metal friend, you're in the temple of the Changebringer. She is the patron of open roads and adventure, of freedom and guiding your own path and experiences to explore that which is beyond what is known. She pushes all to look beyond the boundaries that we and others impose beyond us and carve our own way. So every road has been forged by somebody following her path, and when that road comes to an end, maybe it's time for you to carve your own."

SAM: Well, that's a little scary.

MATT: "It is. You're not wrong. But what is bravery if not standing the face of fear and pushing ever onward?"

SAM: Do I leave an offering or a gift?

MATT: "If you'd like."

SAM: For her to notice me?

MATT: "I think the fact that you're here already says that she's noticed you. I guess it's up to you. If you have something to thank her for, or a hope to glean."

SAM: I don't know what to leave her, but... I mean, I guess I'll just speak to her and see if she hears me?

MATT: "Now, she's always listening. Her responses, that's a journey in its own."

SAM: Mm.

MATT: "Just keep your eyes and ears open. She'll push you, as she has pushed all of us, to discover the wonders of the world and to discover ourselves. After all," and he reaches behind his robe and pulls out a small chain. At the end, you see a near identical coin to the one that you brought here, polished and well kept. "It is the smallest of pieces, that you get to choose how they're used. All things made and crafted are but tools, but it's whoever uses them that gives them purpose. A sword can kill and murder. It can also defend. What will you be?"

SAM: I guess I'll figure it out as I go. But I'll keep rolling forward all the same. Thank you. I mean, I don't have much, but I can leave a... I really don't have anything. (laughs)

LAURA: You can leave your tongue.

MATT: (sighs) God.

TALIESIN: Oh, thank god.

LIAM and TRAVIS: (buzzing)

MARISHA: It's sentient.

LIAM: It spawns another robot.

TRAVIS: I knew it.

SAM: I'll leave one of our Potions of Possibility. No, I'm not going to give that to her.

LAURA: No. (laughter)

MARISHA: I'll fucking murder you.

SAM: I'll leave the 300 gold piece diamond. All right, I got nothing to leave. I'll burn some incense, because I got that. I'll leave... I have a bunch of powdered silver, I'll leave some of that behind. I'll just... I'll ask the guy, I just feel really embarrassed. I've never really prayed before or anything. I don't know how it works. So do you mind covering your ears for a second and just...

MATT: "Of course." He retrieves his bowl of fruit and yogurt and takes another bite and then walks out of the temple to leave you alone at the shrine of the Changebringer.

SAM: Okay. I'll ask her... I can't kneel, so I'll...

MARISHA and TRAVIS: (clanking) (laughter)

SAM: I'll lean up on something.

LAURA: A casual prayer.

SAM: Yeah.

LAURA: (flirty) Hey, Changebringer. (laughter)

LIAM: Hey, girl.

LAURA: Hey, girl.

SAM: I don't know if you can hear me. I don't know if you can speak, but I'll be listening, and I'll be waiting, and, I guess I'll be hoping for, for you to... I guess just let me know that you're there. I guess that's the first step. I don't need anything more than that, just to know that someone out there knows who I am and that I exist. Amen. And I'll just leave.

MATT: You leave the temple, and as you're wheeling out, Kamyda, who's still standing outside finishing taking a bite out of a piece of peach, yells out behind you-- "The curious thing about faith is often it takes some to find some. Smiley day to you," and he steps and enters the temple.

SAM: You too. I'll go out to the five roads converging and I'll sit for a second and look around and be like: I have no idea which road I took to get here. (laughter)

SAM: I'll flip a coin, pick a direction, and go.

MATT: Okay. The good news is--

TALIESIN: Only two sides.

SAM: Yeah.

TALIESIN: Okay, carry on.

MATT: The good news is, Sun Tree's visible from all points in the town.

SAM: Oh, thank god.

MATT: You flip the coin, look at it, look at the Sun Tree, perfect.

SAM: It's a sign.

MATT and LAURA: (laugh)

MATT: But you all reconvene, having gathered your potions and whatever odd items we can discuss.

LAURA: At the store, were there any diamonds?

MATT: They didn't have much in the way of gems or gemstones, necessarily, at least not in the diamond realm.

TALIESIN: I may have picked up if they had it, because there were some toy stuff, some ball bearings and maybe some rubber balls if they have children's, anything like that.

MATT: Not so much there in Gilmore's, but you can find that fairly easy in any of the general stores and such.

MATT: All right.

LAURA: Mm-mm. Don't break it. Stop it.

LIAM: Why...

LAURA: What are you doing?

SAM: I'm putting it in frame so I can get--

MATT: (buzzes lips)

TALIESIN and MATT: (laugh)

MATT: Weirdo. There you go.

MARISHA: How'd you think that was going to go?

TALIESIN: We're going to have to take those away from you at some point.

MATT: You earned that. Well, you all reconvene here in the center of Whitestone.

LIAM: Samuel.

MARISHA, TRAVIS, and SAM: (laugh)

MARISHA: Full name.

MATT: What are we doing?

SAM: Yeah. It's been two hours?

LAURA: We're waiting for the tree to open up.

MATT: Okay. All right. As you're waiting carefully, the tree (whooshes) open up the portal. On the other side, you can see the same shaded interior, the Parlor of the Collective. You see Manaia on the other side glancing through going.

LIAM: Leave town quick.

LAURA: We run, we run.

TALIESIN: Let's go, let's go.

MATT: All right. You all start darting through. (whooshing) Imogen, as you're about to step through, you feel a tug on your arm, and Lady Vex'ahlia's like, holds you there, and goes, "Anything strange, you let us know," and pushes your through. (whooshes)

LAURA: I land on my butt on the other side.

MATT: It closes behind, and you all stand now in the dug-in mountainous courtyard that is away from the sunlight and shadow that has maintained the small forest-like central structure where the trees awaited you as you were about to leave before Keyleth arrived and sent you off to Whitestone in a rapid moment of chaos. There you see Manaia. Greets you all. "Wonderful. You have apparently now settled that debt. Thank you so much. Goodbye."

LAURA: What time is it?

MATT: "Oh, it's early. Early morning at this time. About 6:30 in the morning."

LAURA: All right.

TALIESIN: There's a little more time.

SAM: Okay.

LAURA: I think we should head over.

TALIESIN: We should head in that direction, definitely.

LIAM: Absolutely.

MATT: "All right. Tell him the debt's settled."

LAURA: Thank you.

MATT: "Of course." She heads back off into some other end of the Collective. You exit back onto the massive outcropping where little bursts of garden, plant life are situated across the stone flooring and the wall that overlooks the top of Jrusar here from the Aerie Spire, just below where you see the gondola cable continuing down towards the Core Spire. You head back up the staircase and take the car back down to the Core Spire. Everyone mark off a silver, or somebody mark off seven.

MARISHA: Oh jeez.

MATT: Public transportation, man, it's convenient, but it does add up over time.

MARISHA: Get a fucking fast pass.

TRAVIS: You got this?

MARISHA: I got it.

TRAVIS: You look like you weren't spending anything.

MARISHA: I owe you all so much.

TRAVIS: Very true.

TALIESIN: Seven silver. We're square.

TRAVIS: This is a good start.

MARISHA: Seven silver.

LIAM: Death and taxes, Laudna, death and taxes.

LAURA: Oh, did Laudna pay for that?

TRAVIS: Just to be clear, we're heading back towards-- I don't say his name. We're heading back to his place, but we're not all going to it, right? Because if something as happened--

LAURA: If somebody's there, which-- Yeah.

TRAVIS: So send one sneaky person that can--

LAURA: Have fun.

TRAVIS: -- affect the way they look.

LIAM: Do we need you to reach out?

LAURA: I mean, I can try.

LIAM: Okay.

TALIESIN: If we do have to get in there, if anyone has to get in there, it's going to be a fucking nightmare.

SAM: Oh, that's right, all the traps.

LAURA: Yeah.

TRAVIS: Who said anything about going in?

SAM: Well, what if he's hurt?

LIAM: Let's just reach out. Go from there.

MARISHA: With Imogen, sometimes these visions predict what, or show what has happened or predict what could, correct?

LAURA: In those instances, it's always been--

MARISHA: After?

LAURA: Yeah. But it could've been somebody else, I just-- I don't know. It just felt like him.

MARISHA: All right.

LIAM: Well, let's get our fingers into it.

TALIESIN: Keep an eye out as we get over there. See if anyone's trying to pay attention to who comes by the house.

ASHLEY: Let's get right in there.

LAURA: Let's get, and leave them in.

TALIESIN: It's not like we're exactly in tiptop shape right now, even for you.

LAURA: Yeah.

TALIESIN: Be careful.

LAURA and TRAVIS: (laugh)

MATT: You are down to a minus three modifier, by the way.

MARISHA: Yes.

LAURA: Okay. Is that like a-- Can I add that as a condition? Oh, exhaustion?

TALIESIN: Are we rolling up at a distance?

MATT: Not exhaustion, technically.

LAURA: I think yeah. Once we get at a distance, I'm going to try Sending, because by then it'll be around seven, and I think Eshteross wakes up pretty early.

TRAVIS: Make sure that shit's not on fire or something.

LAURA: I will try casting another message.

MATT: Okay, so--

LAURA: I will try Sending.

MATT: We'll say, for the purposes of the lighting here, the early morning is starting to push into mid-morning. The deep oranges and blues and purples of the jungle skyline still cascade across the various spires, their different heights and beautiful orange and brown colors given a renewed vibrancy this early in the day. You scoot by and see the various Wilders flying overhead. You come into the neighborhood and you can see, around the bend and further to the back, across the roadway where you sent off Dorian not but a few weeks before, the front doorway and household of Lord Eshteross.

LAURA: We can see the doorway?

MATT: You can see the house.

LAURA: Does the doorway look open? Does it look normal?

MATT: It's closed.

TRAVIS: How's the front?

MATT: House looks fine.

LAURA: All right.

LIAM: Rooftops, hallways, Orym's looking.

MATT: Make a perception check.

LIAM: That is a 18.

MATT: 18?

LIAM: Yeah.

MATT: You don't see anything untoward, no odd figures or anybody looming.

LIAM: Nothing hinky.

LAURA: Okay, then now I'm going to try to cast Sending.

MATT: Cast Sending again? Okay. What do you say?

LAURA: Eshteross?

LIAM: Come on.

LAURA: Tell me you were just sleeping earlier. Are you there? Really loud I'm going to say: Wake up! (laughter)

MATT: Okay. Nothing.

SAM: (sighs)

TALIESIN: Fuck.

LAURA: Still nothing?

SAM: I can't tell if he's looking at us.

MATT: Still nothing. (shouting)

MATT: Oh jeez, what are you doing? Come on, man. What the fuck? (laughter)

SAM: He was looking at the horse when he said that.

MARISHA: That's my husband.

LAURA: Nope, nothing. Nothing?

SAM: We got to get in.

LAURA: Nothing from him.

ASHLEY: We got to get in.

LAURA: How are we going to get in?

TALIESIN: We got to be careful about this.

LAURA: Stop it. (laughter)

ASHLEY: Can I see if there's anybody around that's looking at us?

SAM: Oh, wait--

MATT: You can make a perception check, if you'd like.

SAM: I have a spell. I can cast a spell.

ASHLEY: Okay.

LAURA: To what?

SAM: No, no, go on. I have Locate Creature.

TALIESIN: Does that work on--

SAM: A dead person?

TALIESIN: On people.

SAM: Probably not.

MARISHA: If he's dead, you won't sense him.

ASHLEY: Never mind.

LAURA: You can cast Locate Object.

LIAM: What's the range on that sucker?

SAM: Thousand feet, I think.

LIAM: Thousand feet.

MARISHA: Should be good.

TALIESIN: Locate Object for the cane sword.

ASHLEY: What if, just throwing this out there, what if this is like a trap or something?

LAURA: I mean, it very well might be.

LIAM: It's pretty possible.

ASHLEY: Is that pretty obvious?

TRAVIS: No, it's not obvious.

SAM: No.

TRAVIS: It could be. I think we need to figure out if he's dead or not first without going in there and getting all fucked up in the process.

LIAM: That place is a death trap. I'm curious to see if anything is sprung.

SAM: Yeah.

TALIESIN: I'd be even more curious if everything wasn't.

LIAM: Yeah.

TRAVIS: Do your Locate shit. I like it.

SAM: Yeah? You want--

MARISHA: I agree.

SAM: Okay.

TALIESIN: I think, yeah. Anything we got.

SAM: I will cast Locate Creature.

MATT: Okay.

SAM: At 4th-level.

MATT: Focused on?

SAM: Lord the Eshteross.

MATT: (laughs) All right. You concentrate, you finish the incantation, and you open your eyes and see a gentle gold line that leads into the house.

SAM: Oh.

MARISHA: Wait, what does the spell say? Does it detect if he's alive or dead?

SAM: It says, "Describe or name a creature that's familiar to you. You sense the direction of the creature's location as long as it's 1,000 feet of you." It does not say whether the creature has to be dead or alive.

TALIESIN: Mm-hmm.

MARISHA: Fuck.

LIAM: But--

SAM: If the creature's moving, you'll know the direction and the movement-- or the direction of its movement.

TRAVIS: Is it moving?

SAM: Is it moving?

MATT: Not at the moment, no.

LIAM: If we're talking crunchy rules talk, I think it was Laudna's corpse, or somebody's corpse was described at this table as a thing.

SAM: An item.

LAURA: Yeah.

LIAM: So if Eshteross is dead.

SAM: He could be at death's door.

LIAM: Yeah.

MARISHA: Shit.

SAM: And the line is going straight into his house?

MARISHA: Can you sense him? Can you sense his presence?

LAURA: I mean, I'd have to get closer.

SAM: We got to get in there.

MARISHA: Let's go closer.

SAM: Wait, does anyone have Unseen Servant or something?

TRAVIS: I can be invisible. I'll go invisible.

MARISHA: I can send in Pâté.

SAM: (gasps) But what if he gets injured?

MARISHA: I can bring him back.

LAURA: Yeah! Send in Pâté!

MARISHA: Oh, you seemed really excited.

TRAVIS: What happens if Pâté goes in?

MARISHA: He can fly and if he dies then he--

TRAVIS: No, not that part. Like, is he going to report back? Is there a telekinetic bond--

SAM: He could set off the traps and stuff?

MARISHA: Well, he can fly, remember? He can fly through everything.

LIAM: What happens if he hits the first trap that Eshteross has laid and blows up in a ball of goo and we don't hear back.

MARISHA: Then he dies and I bring him back later.

LIAM: Can we just wait?

TRAVIS: Do it. Try it. Do it.

LAURA: At least it's something.

SAM: How are we going to open the door, though? He can't open a door, he's a dead rat.

TRAVIS: Are all the windows closed from the outside that we can se?

LAURA: He's a familiar, he can do things.

SAM: He can't open a door. These things are locked and trapped.

MATT: The windows are always closed every time you've been here and the curtains have been drawn. It is very much a "Don't come here" type atmosphere that the estate gives off.

TALIESIN: I mean, we can also start by knocking. We can just knock.

LAURA: Well, yeah, but what if-- What if T-T-Thull is in there?

TALIESIN: Well, we're kind of fucked anyway.

TRAVIS: I'll kick it off and I'll go invisible.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: Listen, if you see the door open, send in the dead rat.

LAURA: I'm going to pull out the orb.

MARISHA: All right!

MATT: What?

LAURA: I'm pulling out the orb.

SAM: Oh, the location beacon?

MATT: Okay.

ASHLEY: Good call.

MATT: You pull it out.

LAURA: Do I see--

MATT: Nothing. It's dark.

TRAVIS: I'll be back in a moment, or I won't.

MARISHA: Which door? Wait, which door-- All right, bye.

TRAVIS: I make my way invisibly--

ALL: ♪ Makin' my way! ♪

TRAVIS: -- to the front door.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: But I check the stairs and everything for new traps that maybe weren't there before.

MATT: Okay, so the handful of steps that lead to the front door to the estate, pass the front gate.

TRAVIS: He was paranoid.

MATT: Make an investigation check.

TRAVIS: Come on, postman!

LAURA: It sounded like a middle school band. (laughs)

TRAVIS: Not bad, 18.

MATT: 18. Doesn't appear to be trapped.

LIAM: The oboe, the clarinet.

TRAVIS: I'll go to the front door and invisibly just-- (knocks "Shave and a Haircut")

MATT: No response.

TRAVIS: (fast knocking)

SAM: (whispers) On death's door or paralyzed.

MATT: Nothing.

TRAVIS: (pants) (cracks) All the cartilage pops. I get out my thieves' tools and I'm going to start working on-- Does the door appear to be locked?

MATT: It does appear to be locked.

TRAVIS: Does the door appear to be trapped?

MATT: Make an investigation check.

LAURA: Of course it's trapped.

MARISHA: Door's trapped.

TRAVIS: Oh no. 17.

MATT: 17. Doesn't appear to be trapped.

SAM: Oh, that's a high DC.

TRAVIS: We're fucked! (laughing)

TRAVIS: Going to try to pick the front door lock.

MATT: Go ahead and roll and add your dexterity modifier and your proficiency modifier.

MARISHA: Come on, Chetty! Chetty, Chetty, Chetty!

TRAVIS: Oh yeah. 29.

ASHLEY: Woo!

MATT: This is a challenging lock. It's fairly intricate. Partially because it's this single lock and there are other locks along the door. You've seen them from the other side, you know where they're placed and it's a series of locks that you undo with this. You pick them all with robustness. The door opens up ever so slightly.

TRAVIS: You saw the door open.

LIAM: Opened the door.

MARISHA: Fly, you fools! Fly, my pretties!

TRAVIS: I will invisibly get out of the fatal funnel of the doorway and put my back to the wall, just in case, I don't know, a pet dragon decides to barf out the door or something.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: Could happen.

LAURA: You saw what the trap, where he disabled them, right? The last time we went in there?

TRAVIS: Only a couple, but I don't even know if I could recall those. I can't.

MATT: So you just wait outside?

TRAVIS: Well, the door cracks and that was this code to let Pâté fly through and see what happens.

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: So I sent Pâté.

MATT: "What am I doing?" (laughter)

MARISHA: Holy shit.

TRAVIS: Fucking eyes!

ASHLEY: I hate the eyes.

TRAVIS: Straight up owling, bro.

ASHLEY: So good.

TRAVIS: It is American Werewolf in London. Oh my god.

ASHLEY: I love it so much.

MARISHA: You're going to go in and you're going to give Chetney back up, you understand?

MATT: "Yeah, yeah, okay. Let's do it!"

MARISHA: Wait, wait. He's invisible, so--

MATT: "How am I supposed to help him out if he's invisible?"

MARISHA: Watch for him to be corporeal again, all right? If you see his form, just follow the room-- I'm going to give you direction, and don't touch any walls or the floor, just try and go in.

LAURA: Ah--

MATT: "'Kay!"

LAURA: Wait, I'm going to try to tell him where we saw Eshteross dis-- turn off the trap before.

TRAVIS: You're going to tell a familiar that?

LAURA: Why not?

MARISHA: I can, yeah. Yes.

MATT: Did you tell him all that?

LAURA: Yeah, when when we went in.

MARISHA: I can communicate with it telepathically, yeah.

LAURA: When we went in with Laudna, we saw him disable a trap next to the door and--

MATT: "Okay."

LAURA: Yeah.

MARISHA: Additionally as an action, I can see through my familiar's eyes.

LIAM: Yes!

MARISHA: And hear what he hears. Sorry. New spell!

LIAM: Yes!

MARISHA: Don't judge me!

SAM: Who dis?

MARISHA: I didn't have a cat. (laughter)

MARISHA: (mumbled reading) Okay, okay, okay.

MATT: "So am I following the one I can't see, or am I just going in?"

MARISHA: I can message Chetney, and then I can message you. All right?

MATT: "'Kay!"

MARISHA: Just don't be weird or touch anything.

MATT: "I'll make half that promise."

MARISHA: Go in, I'll look through your eyes all right? It might be weird. Oh my god, this is so fun. I can't believe I'm going to do this. All right, bye.

MATT: He flies into-- Now the rest of you, while this is happening, are you standing outside of the--

LAURA: We are are hiding.

LIAM: Yeah, I think we're waiting.

LAURA: Yeah, we're not being out in the open with all of this.

MATT: Okay, sorry, got it.

MARISHA: So I'm in a bush and you guys see me go catatonic.

MATT: You're all hiding; can you all make a stealth check.

SAM: Stealth check?

LAURA: Stealth check, c'mon--

MARISHA: All of us?

MATT: All of you who are hiding. Not you, you're--

LAURA: Did anybody cast Pass Without Trace?

TALIESIN: Nope. I can if you like, but--

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: Too late.

TALIESIN: Yeah, too late for this one. That's 18.

LIAM: 19.

LAURA: 10.

ASHLEY: 18.

SAM: 14.

MARISHA: 18.

MATT: Okay, pretty good.

SAM: Wow, those were great..

MATT: Across the board, not too bad.

MARISHA: First good roll of the game.

TALIESIN: I figure save it in case we--

LIAM: Of the campaign, yeah.

MATT: (laughs) As you all hide off to the side and try not to be conspicuous in this early morning light, people are beginning their day and so you one by one jaunt off the beaten path and hide in nearby foliage and/or dark nearby shadow so you can still keep an eye line on the front of the building. You wait there invisible by the door as Pâté flies in. You're looking through his eyes. As soon as he comes in and glances around, it is dark inside. Does Pâté have darkvision?

SAM: Oh no!

MARISHA: He's an imp, right?

LIAM: He has dead-vision.

MATT: He uses the imp stat block.

TRAVIS: Don't rush.

SAM: Oh my god, you haven't added him yet? This is going to take forever.

MARISHA: This this is new. This is new.

TALIESIN: You going to give her a hand?

MARISHA: God. Oh my god. Okay.

SAM: I could give her a hand.

TALIESIN: Thank you, thank you.

MATT: Imp does have 100 feet of darkvision.

MARISHA: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

ASHLEY: Whoa!

MATT: So yes.

MARISHA: "At advantage--"

TALIESIN: I'm so sorry for encouraging that.

MATT: As he flies in--

MARISHA: So [JENGA] attack plus five. Okay. Yeah. Yep, yep, yep.

MATT: First thing that you catch, it is dark and still, but the entire interior of the house is marred by signs of struggle. Slash marks streak across the walls in all directions. Furniture is broken, most of it sundered and overturned in the walkways. You can see there are gashes and impacts across the bits of wood on the walls. The floor itself looks like there are all manner of crossbow bolts and knives that are jutting out at different edges.

TRAVIS: Wow.

MATT: A major struggle to place here, and you can see where a number of the traps that you've previously seen have been set off. You look off to the side, and a large, carved wooden crushing battering ram seems to have fallen and jammed into the ground at a certain point, its chain cocked open as if it hung over and slammed into the side wall. You can see the the air smells-- Actually, can you smell through his senses as well? I'll say sure.

MARISHA: Yep. Yep.

MATT: Air smells strongly of iron.

LAURA: Mm.

MARISHA: Blood?

MATT: Well, you do see across the floor a few dotted red pools, tracked and streaked around the stairs.

MARISHA: I relay to the others. Bells Hells, it doesn't look good. Then describe much of what I see to them.

MATT: Mm-hmm. You're still waiting over by the door?

TRAVIS: Mm-hmm. I don't hear anything go off, so I'm going to let Pâté keep moving.

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: He can be your thing.

TRAVIS: Canary.

MARISHA: Yeah.

LAURA: In your head-- I'm going to touch your shoulder and in your head you hear, is it all right that I'm talking to you?

MARISHA: Yes.

LAURA: Do we need to let Chet know?

MARISHA: I think he'll know pretty obviously. I'm letting Pâté lead the way.

LAURA: All right.

MATT: Where's Pâté going?

MARISHA: From what we remember of Lord Eshteross' house, I'll have him follow the carnage. Follow the path of the fight.

MATT: Okay. The fight seems to go all over.

MARISHA: The blood. How about the blood puddles. He follows the blood puddles.

MATT: Okay. Best you can tell, the most signs of blood are across the stairs. Whether it went upstairs or came downstairs, you're uncertain.

MARISHA: I'll go upstairs.

MATT: Okay. Pâté goes up the darkened turnabout staircase to the secondary floor, which leads into the hall that goes to the one guest room where you had stayed that one night. Here you can see there are a number of axes sticking out of the wall and a heavy armoire that sat in the middle of the room is now overturned in the middle of the floor and is crushed on the back of it, the wood splintered outward. Roll a perception check for Pâté.

TRAVIS: While Pâté's doing that with the door open, I can see in a little bit, can I take a smell in and then look out from the POV of the front door?

MATT: You very familiar with this smell. Even with the door open just briefly, you're like-- (sniffing) This is your training, this what you work with. This is definitively the smell of blood.

TRAVIS: Got it. Is anyone from the front door, back to the wall, is anybody looking at the front door? Anything perched up on roofs? Anybody standing still, not moving in the early morning traffic--

MATT: Roll a perception check.

TRAVIS: -- that stands out. 17.

MATT: 17. No one that catches your eye. The door's only partially ajar, nobody's close enough to notice that it's open or be paying direct attention to the house and what you're doing.

TRAVIS: Cool.

MARISHA: I rolled garbage for Pâté's perception.

LAURA: Aww.

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: Real bad.

LAURA: The streak continues.

MARISHA: I know. I rolled a two.

MATT: So following the signs of struggle and battle, you can see a line of multiple crossbow bolts across the opposite side of the hall. Then it turns right and left. Turning left, following what you can see now is a direct smear of red, which is across the ground.

MARISHA: Across the ground?

MATT: Mm-hmm.

MARISHA: He follows.

MATT: Following that path, you can see as it switches back--

MARISHA: You said to the left?

MATT: To the left. There is a very nice looking set of double doors that is partially open where the smear continues in.

MARISHA: Quickly message Chetney and say: Pâté is looking at a pretty significant blood smear-- (creepy whispering)

MARISHA: -- up the stairs to the left towards his bedroom.

LAURA: (whispers) Towards his bedroom.

SAM: (whispers) Cappuccino.

TRAVIS: Can I reply to that?

MARISHA: You can.

TRAVIS: Upstairs to the left. Copy that. Let me know if you find anything else.

MARISHA: Are the doors open?

MATT: Yes. One of them is.

MARISHA: He squeezes through.

MATT: Heading into the room, you see a partially damaged bed chamber. It's still in the darkness. A canopy bed that looks like it has been partially shredded. Not a whole lot of damage in this chamber compared to others. It looks like the majority of the fight either started in here and then exited, or briefly tumbled into this space. You can see the signs of struggle, but not as much as the main chambers of the household. You see at the base of the bed a humanoid body, face down, reaching underneath, a familiar, maroon, padded robe.

MARISHA: I will message Chet. He's in his bedroom at the base of the bed. Doesn't look good. Get there quickly.

TRAVIS: Yeah, I'll go in the door.

MATT: Okay. You come in and glance around and you now take in the same imagery.

TRAVIS: Fuck!

MATT: You can smell that blood. It's blood, but it feels a little off. You continue up the stairs following the path.

TRAVIS: Just because of Hunter's Bane, fey, fiend, undead, if anything-- (sniffs) Smell.

MATT: Roll a perception check.

TRAVIS: Oh god, five.

MARISHA: Goddamn, what is with--

MATT: Five.

TRAVIS: Although, for Hunter's Bane for perception, I get advantage.

MATT: You do.

TRAVIS: That's better. 13.

MATT: 13.

LAURA: (laughs) Stupid fucking shit.

MARISHA: So bad.

TRAVIS: Huh?

MARISHA: So bad.

MATT: There's nothing, fey, fiend, or undead-centric here. There's the smell of blood and splintered wood. But the blood smell is odd. You continue up the stairs, see the shattered armoire. Stepping past, you stub your toe on something, glance down and you see a long silver cane, with a ball end of it.

TALIESIN: (groans)

MARISHA: I quickly message Chetney and just say: One more thing. Ashton wanted me to remind you to check his body for traps.

TRAVIS: Got it. Check the body for traps. It's a shit show in here, by the way. Everything's been set off or it looks like it. The smell of blood is overpowering. Don't follow me. I leave the cane where it is and I'll continue on.

MATT: Okay. Following the left path, pushing the door slightly open. You step into the bed chamber and it's Ariks Eshteross, face down at the foot of the bed. Unmoving, arm reaching beneath it. Still.

TRAVIS: As I move in, I'll check the corners immediately.

MATT: Perception check.

TRAVIS: That's cocked. Fuck!

SAM: Oof.

TRAVIS: Four. Perception check, I got a four.

LAURA and MARISHA: God.

MATT: Seems pretty clear in here, nothing catches your attention.

TRAVIS: Is the streak leading up to where Eshteross is laying?

MATT: It is.

TRAVIS: I'll freeze. Is there any chest rise or fall on Eshteross, and I'll sit there for 30 seconds. Even the slightest.

MATT: You don't notice any, no.

TRAVIS: I will approach the body slowly and I'll make my way around it.

MARISHA and SAM: ♪ Makin' my way ♪

TRAVIS: Just looking for... You said his arm is under him, right?

MATT: One arm is on the ground, the other is partially hidden under the bed.

TRAVIS: Yeah... Do I see any obvious wounds from that bathrobe? Arms, head, body?

MATT: You get close to it, and it is riddled with wounds. Heavy gash marks, fine slashes. The robe, at a quick glance, is barely held together. Ribbons and shredded elements of it dangle at the side. The reason looks solid is because the color of the maroon robe mingles with the red blood that is now caked and congealed in the places where the flesh would've been exposed.

TRAVIS: This close, the first thing I want to do is check for any familiar scents on him from combat. Anything, Otohan Thull or otherwise that would (sniffs) trigger.

MATT: Roll a perception check with advantage, since this is scent based for you.

TRAVIS: Natural 20. (cheering)

MATT: For a total of?

MARISHA: Is that 20 and a one?

TRAVIS: 22. That's a 20 and a one.

MARISHA: Holy fuck!

TRAVIS: Maybe that dice goes and sits over there for a bit.

MARISHA: (whispers) Changebringer.

MATT: Two things. One, the smell of blood is strong, but it-- it smells off. It's hard to describe. You're very familiar with the blood of creatures, especially humanoid creatures, your own and others. There's just something off about it.

TRAVIS: That's on him?

MATT: The blood that fills--

TRAVIS: The room.

MATT: -- the air. The other thing that you do smell is a smell that you won't forget because it's the smell of blood that you've tasted before.

TRAVIS: Did you taste Otohan's blood?

MATT: You did briefly.

TRAVIS: Mm-hmm.

MATT: There's a faintest smell. I don't know if it's like a sage or an oil combination, but it's distinctly Otohan, that just barely lingers here. Barely.

TRAVIS: Without disturbing the body, I'll just look under the bed and see if he was reaching towards anything or crawling for a hatch or trying to retrieve a weapon.

MATT: Okay.

LIAM: Set something off.

MATT: You glance beneath and see there are some cushions piled underneath there, and an iron lockbox about a foot across and about a half a foot deep. It's about six or seven inches from the other arm.

TRAVIS: I can't communicate with anybody. I will slide the-- I'll look for traps underneath the bed.

MATT: Roll an investigation check.

SAM: So many rolls.

TRAVIS: That's a natural one. Cool.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: Looks fine.

MATT: Looks totally fine.

TRAVIS: I pull the lockbox out.

MATT: Okay. Roll a dexterity saving throw for me.

SAM: Ooh!

MATT and TRAVIS: (laugh)

SAM: Zip, boop, psh, coo, pft.

TRAVIS: 14, 15. 15.

MATT: 15. You reach and grab it and as you're pulling it free, it comes off of a plate that you didn't notice that was weighted and goes (plate engages). As it does, you're like, "Ah shit." As soon as that happens, you feel a heavy impact on your back as something drops from the ceiling above that cracks onto you and partially onto the body of Eshteross.

TRAVIS: Oh no!

LAURA: No!

MATT: You take... Oh, eight points of bludgeoning damage before it rolls off and (thuds) onto the ground.

TRAVIS: (groans)

MARISHA: I immediately message. Chetney? Are you all right?

SAM: (creepy whispers)

TALIESIN: Actually, can you see this?

LAURA: Oh yeah.

LIAM: Yeah, Pâté's there.

LAURA: So you can totally communicate.

MARISHA: You could be like, yo Pâté, call Laudna. But I wasn't going to say anything.

TRAVIS: Oh. No, there was a trap. I missed one. I think I fucked up Eshteross. He's--

MARISHA: Is he super dead?

TRAVIS: He definitely seems dead.

MARISHA: He seems dead.

TRAVIS: Hold on, wait. Just hold on.

SAM: Back to Whitestone.

TRAVIS: I reach over and I check for a pulse against the neck just to be totally sure.

LAURA: Well, now he's dead.

TRAVIS: I mean, look. (laughter)

SAM: He instantly fails two death saves.

LIAM: We'll never know for sure.

MARISHA: Yeah.

SAM: And he's dead.

MATT: No pulse.

TRAVIS: Got it. The lock box is free?

MATT: Mm-hmm.

TRAVIS: Does it appear to be locked?

MATT: It does appear to be locked.

TRAVIS: I will try to pick the lock.

SAM: You're stealing from this man?

MARISHA: He's dead.

TRAVIS: He was crawling for it.

LAURA: Is the lock-- (pigeon coo)

TRAVIS: Trapped? I don't know. How bad could it be?

TRAVIS: Jesus!

MARISHA: No way.

TRAVIS: Natural one.

ASHLEY: No.

TRAVIS: For a 13.

SAM: Oh, that's pretty good.

MATT: Okay. This lock is a little too complicated for you to get through. Your lock picks get stuck and you worry they're about to snap. As opposed to pushing further, you just carefully take a moment to pull them out. Slightly bent, you could probably fix it later, but this lock is a little bit beyond you.

TRAVIS: Very heavy?

MATT: No, actually. The metal itself is about the weight of it. Whatever contents there seem pretty lightweight.

TRAVIS: Okay. I'm going to slide it out and put it next to the body and say, I'm so sorry. I'll very gently just pat him down, see if there's anything on him. Hard objects, anything that would stand out.

MATT: Make an investigation check.

MARISHA: Come on.

SAM: More rolls. More rolls.

TRAVIS: More rolls. There we go. 23.

MATT: 23. You find within his coat pocket two conjoined key rings that carry six different rings of different sizes and metallic colorations.

TRAVIS: Yeah. That'll help. Huh? Hey, Pâté.

SAM: Different rings?

TRAVIS: Will you tell them I found some rings, and I'm going to try and open this lock box, but he's definitely dead. I think we should probably get out of here.

MATT: "Yeah, no, he's like totally dead."

TRAVIS: Could you keep your voice down?

MATT: "Sorry. Sorry."

TRAVIS: I think they came in from some other way besides the front door. So either they're still here, or there was another point of ingress.

MATT: "Sure."

TRAVIS: Okay, cool.

ASHLEY: (laughs)

MARISHA: I relay that message--

MATT: You hear all this.

MARISHA: -- to the others.

TRAVIS: Just with the new keys, can I just try any ones that they have on the lockbox really fast and just see if any happened to open it.

MATT: Yeah. About the fourth one you get to and it goes (creaks) and it opens.

TRAVIS: And I die.

MATT: Game over.

TRAVIS: (explodes) (laughter)

MATT: Looking inside, it looks to be a cluster of envelopes, sealed letters. Looking through them, they all have names on them. One says Evelyn Wress. His associate, caretaker. One says Lex Emenar. Another says Chief Wilder Namin Oros. Another says Ajit Dayal. Another says Mistress Orlana Seshadri.

LIAM: (whispers) This is networking.

MATT: Another one says Manaia Turei. These are a number of letters with just different names. Including one that says Bells Hells. (gasping)

TRAVIS: Fuck.

SAM: Oh no.

TRAVIS: I take the letters, I stick them inside my harness, and I take the Bells Hells open one and I open it.

SAM: Oh no, what's it say?

TRAVIS: Oh shit. Oh, it's thick.

SAM: (quick gasp) It's an invoice!

MATT, MARISHA, and TALIESIN: (laugh)

TRAVIS: (quick inhale) (poof)

MATT: (laughs)

LIAM: Glitter shit.

SAM: We owe him $800 for air conditioning services?

TRAVIS: "My friends, if indeed you have this letter in your hands, then my fate has finally caught up to me. I have done many violent things in my life, some I'm proud of, and some I still deeply regret. I've already been long running on stolen time. I feel the looming specter of recompense with every morning, and since our paths have intertwined, I chose to stare down directly without lament. I could assure you that I embraced my end with aplomb and left a mark on my foe they will never forget. In our comparatively brief time together, you have brought a light in" blah, blah, blah. God, his fucking purple prose. (laughter)

TRAVIS: "The world so continuously ruled by," Mm-hmm yeah. Okay, "I've been lucky enough," sure. "You and the late Bertrand Bell were the latest of these deeply appreciated encounters." Oh! He enjoyed our time with us. "With every step, I worried you had all stepped into matters far beyond your ability, foolishly marching into oblivion like I once had been." Well, I mean, I wouldn't call it foolish. "I now know I was wrong. Those that twist the roads of history to their own dark ends want us to believe we can do nothing, they have no power in the face of such ancient, terrible machinations. I know they are wrong. True bravery is to stand in the face of fear and doubt and march ever on. True bravery inspires others to fall in line behind you and defy their illusions. You inspired me to fall in yours, and for that, I thank you. I have many debts to settle, gifts to disperse now that my day is closed, whatever sunset I may have been running from for so long, I look forward to seeing Ellia once more."

SAM: Ellia?

TRAVIS: Damn. "I look forward to watching you all do great things from whatever realm calls me to rest. Remember me not just as a warrior, but as a friend. A friend in my own awkward way. Thank you. Now go stop this weird moon shit."

SAM: Is that what it says?

TRAVIS: "Ariks." Well.

SAM and LIAM: (sigh)

TRAVIS: "My maple ginger cookie recipes." (gasping)

SAM: Oh no. That's the worst.

TALIESIN: Hide that shit right now.

SAM: (shouts) What?

LAURA: Do not.

SAM and LAURA: Do not that,

LAURA: Travis Willingham.

SAM: You cannot.

TRAVIS: Bet your ass I can.

LAURA: That is not acceptable.

TRAVIS: Take out a torch so I can read the letter better. (laughter) (groaning)

TRAVIS: "To the Variant Coinstores of Duman, on behalf of Lord Ariks Eshteross."

SAM: Coin stores?

TRAVIS: (shouts) I'm just fucking reading the letter. "Heir to the Prudaj fortune and business." Did I say that right?

MATT: Mm-hmm.

TRAVIS: "In the eventual event of my demise, I leave to the members of the band known as Bells Hells- Ashton, Laudna, Orym, Imogen Temult, Fearne Calloway, Letters, and that odd older gnome fellow--" (shouts) You fuck! "My trusted weapon Turmoil, and the ownership of the skyship, the Silver Sun." (gasping)

MARISHA: Oh my god!

TRAVIS: Calm down! He's dead.

MARISHA: I mean, I'm sorry. He is dead.

TRAVIS: "I also will upon the crew of the Silver Sun, under the guidance of Captain Xandis, a sum of one year's worth of payment for their services under Bells Hells for as long in accordance to our previously agreed upon wage contract. All executed responsibilities All executed responsibilities to Chetney Pock O'Pea, including all my..."

SAM and MATT: (laugh)

TRAVIS: I made up that last part.

TALIESIN: The weird thing to do-- You read it to yourself that way. Even weirder.

LAURA: None of us heard any of it.

TRAVIS: (shouts) Shut up!

SAM: I'm so sad he's dead, but we got an airplane.

MARISHA: We got a ship!

TRAVIS: Well, you don't have shit yet because I got the will, and I'm in this house with a dead body.

MARISHA: Oh fuck. I just tell everybody else: He got a letter, and he read it really quick, and he's definitely dead and he loves spending time--

TRAVIS: I definitely read it silently because we're in the middle of a fucking house. You didn't hear shit.

MARISHA: I thought you read it--

TRAVIS: No.

TRAVIS and MARISHA: (shouting)

LAURA: Reading it out loud!

MARISHA: You read it out loud.

SAM: You move your lips when you read.

TRAVIS: I look up at Pâté, and I say to him: There's a will and left a bunch of letters to people. I got to get out of here. I'm coming back out the way I came.

MARISHA: He's coming with a will.

SAM: Bring the body so we can resurrect him!

LAURA: Get the cane!

MARISHA: The body?

SAM: (mimics Marisha) The body? (laughter)

TRAVIS: I leave the room I follow my tracks. Have my invisible feet been making any tracks in the blood and everything else that's in the hallway or the dust?

MATT: I assume you've been careful in this.

TRAVIS: I'm trying to. I could roll a stealth check, if you wanted.

MATT: You know what? Do that for me, if you don't mind.

MARISHA: What?

MATT: Invite the natural one. What can possibly go wrong?

TRAVIS: I know, right?

TALIESIN: Still keeping an eye outside, too, for anybody finding the shit we're doing here.

TRAVIS: 21.

MATT: You feel pretty confident that you've not left much of a discernible track on your journey through this house.

TRAVIS: Awesome. I will go back to the walking stick. I think that houses the blade Turmoil, correct?

LIAM: Yep.

TRAVIS: I'll pick up the walking stick, and by holding it, it becomes invisible along with me, right?

MATT: It does, as you lift it.

TRAVIS: It's a big fucking stick. As I head back downstairs, actually, as I get to that intersection where we went left instead of right, what is down right that I can see?

MATT: It looks like another pathway that leads to a closed door.

TRAVIS: The shit looked like it went down that way? Or is it relatively undisturbed?

MATT: It looks relatively undisturbed.

TRAVIS: (dejectedly) I'll just head downstairs.

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: I send Pâté back.

MATT: "Sure enough, coming."

TRAVIS: Take it down to the ground floor instead of going upstairs, can I detect any other way that they may have come in? A back door? Something in the back of the house?

MATT: Make a perception check or investigation, your choice.

SAM: Can't they just appear?

LAURA: Yeah.

TRAVIS: Oh, they just pop up. Oh, 21.

SAM: Then they melt away or something?

LIAM: There's no bodies in a house full of sprung traps.

MATT: So 21?

LIAM: So they all melted away.

SAM: Yeah.

MATT: They can't really tell. There isn't an open window. There isn't a-- If they went through a window, they closed it behind them and left very little sign. But you don't see any very notable visible entries.

TRAVIS: Great. I'll come right back out the front. I will stop at the front door. Look, because it was wide enough for me to get through. Is anybody looking at the door, clocking? Anything that was different from the last time I left?

MATT: Make a perception check.

SAM: One more roll!

MARISHA: Come on.

SAM: ♪ Come on, come on. ♪

TRAVIS: God, Jesus. Eight.

MATT: Eight. Looks clear.

TRAVIS: Cool, I'm invisible. ♪ dun dun diddle dun ♪

MATT: (laughs)

TRAVIS: I'll go down the steps and start stealthily ♪ making my way ♪ back to the group.

MATT: Okay. As you were all taking in these updates from Laudna and contemplating the fate from Laudna that found its way to your friend and patron, you hear the gentle footsteps of what you assume to be your friend, Chetney, approach.

TRAVIS: I'm going to stay this way. We should move quietly away from the house. He's... he's gone. But there are documents you should see. The front door was locked. I couldn't find any other point of entry. Somebody very powerful did this. We know how strong he was. We should move.

TALIESIN: Where do we want to go?

SAM: We can go to our place or we can go to the Rusty Nail or whatever it's called. Swine and Swill? Yeah, I don't even remember.

LAURA: Sit and Swill.

SAM: Swell and Spell?

MATT: Soot and Swill.

SAM: Thank you.

LAURA: Jesus, yeah!

ASHLEY: Swill.

TRAVIS: The one that's on the same spire.

LAURA: That is not on the same spire.

MATT: That is not--

LAURA: Spire by Fire.

MATT: Spire by Fire's in the same spire.

MARISHA: Soot and Swill, we could get a meal from--

SAM: You're hungry?

MARISHA: I've been dead for five days.

SAM: That's true, that's true.

MATT: Going to say hi to Pretty?

MARISHA: No, we can go wherever.

TRAVIS: That's why you should eat more breakfast. I told you.

MATT: Okay. Still processing this realization, you gather yourselves and head out into Jrusar here in the early morning light to a safer space to conjecture what the next step may be. That's where were going to go ahead and finish the next episode. (sighing)

TRAVIS: I'll pass this around at the beginning of the next game so you guys can read it.

MARISHA: We're sitting over breakfast.

ASHLEY: Oh my god.

ASHLEY and MARISHA: I can't believe he's dead.

LAURA: I know.

SAM: We can just take him to Whitestone and revive him. We just did it. Let's take him to Whitestone.

LIAM: Is there any--

TALIESIN: That was the three minute hold. We don't--

LIAM: When Chetney showed up invisible, was there blood on the cane?

MARISHA: That is true.

TALIESIN: Mm-hmm.

MARISHA: Way dead.

TALIESIN: Dead dead.

MATT: There's a faint bit of blood on the cane, yeah.

LIAM: Does the smell that you said it smelled off, does anything ring as familiar to Orym?

MATT: Make...

TRAVIS: It wouldn't be the shadow--

MATT: Make a medicine check.

LIAM: Was Eshteross poisoned the same way as my husband and my father?

MATT: Yeah.

LIAM: Yeah, it's huge. 19 plus--

MATT: Perception?

LIAM: Yeah, 19 plus, plus, plus, plus-- 25.

MATT: It is a familiar smell. As you are walking through the streets and take the cane a bit, and as you're inspecting it, you're smelling it. As the sense of smell is one of the strongest memory linked senses, you recall, briefly, the trauma of asking for help when you heard whatever toxin these assassins brought somehow seem to lock away any chance of recovery.

LIAM: I just quietly let that sink in while I walk with the group.

MATT: On that cheerful note.

TRAVIS: Yeah!

MATT: Now we'll go ahead and finish up. Okay.

TRAVIS: Oh shit, oh shit.

MATT: Contemplate where next steps are next time we get together. But in the interim--

MARISHA: So glad this episode's over.

SAM: Boo.

MATT: Just put those arms away!

SAM: Why?

MATT: Some... Gain some things, lost some things.

LAURA: Should we be Eshteross' Hells now?

ASHLEY and MARISHA: Eshteross' Hells!

SAM: Oh, we're going to change it Bells Eshteross' Hells.

LAURA: Yeah. Just for the hell of it.

TALIESIN: It's Ls Hells now.

MATT: There you go, just keep adding.

ASHLEY: Ross's Bosses.

MARISHA: Eshteross' Bosses? (laughter)

SAM: Ooh! That's pretty good!

MARISHA: That's really good.

MATT: Anyway. Happy Halloween, everybody. Enjoy the rest of your month. We'll see you soon. We love you very much, and is it Thursday yet? Good night.

ASHLEY: Bye.