Chapter 11, Episode 1 - Transcript

DM (0:00 - 1:34): i'm just going to give you uh just kind of a bit of like a rough notes of it all okay so at the light steam of the black lord you defeated crudo you freed uh the lord commander uh extra brahms levith fenric and grayley from their imprisonment um levith and fenric have chosen to stay in flan uh to kind of organize a resistance to whatever uh you know whatever whatever um uh you know move against the cult of the dragon and uh and the maimed virulence that will occur lord ector is going to leave the city and try to uh well one gather all of the people who have successfully made out of the city and gather forces to return to take the city uh and grayley as i wrote the notes is just happy to get the hell out of there now you find a skiff uh you make your way out down the river uh you're about to get into the uh the moon sea itself when pug passing denlor's tower which is the abandoned mages tower that sits on let me take you to a map to show you the better it sits on the edge of the old city of flan so everyone see this

DM (1:34 - 2:02): it's right there um it actually this in this depiction it's within the city wall city walls it actually extends out it's it the the walls are kind of broken there for the tower to stand so pug tells you he will keep in touch with uh uh it is you have sending or message you're both

Tiz (1:57 - 2:07): yeah you're both I have both so yeah okay

DM (2:02 - 2:13): So he'll keep in touch with you through Tiz, but he needs to just do something before he leaves the city.

Tiz (2:07 - 2:16): Oh, so he gets to stay behind.

Kei (2:11 - 2:19): Yeah, well, because he's not here today.

DM (2:13 - 5:30): no one's forcing your hand to the rest of you make it out into the moon sea and as some luck would have it you get found by the gilded trophy and the surviving 120 or so refugees from Flan that it had picked up and you know they picked up a few others that made it out of the city and chose a water route so by the time you guys get picked up it's probably more like 130 to 140 citizens of Flan that the gilded trophy is getting out of the city now at first the thought was you know where where will you all go there's plenty of cities along the moon sea area I'll bring it to a better map for that now the thing about that is all these cities have a kind of a loose very loose alliance or you know feeling of being compatriots only for the idea that they are you know these these northern cities that that you know no one would else would understand like the way of life the way everyone who resides in these various city states does but really they're all competitors if not outright enemies and you don't exactly get warm welcomes everywhere you go some messages get sent out from the ships before they make port to certain places Melbourne which is a rather rigid and stern city run by guilds made it has made it known that anyone who's willing to forsake any allegiance to Flann or any promise of rejoining the lord commander once he's ready to attempt to retake the city and is willing to become full Melvauntian citizens is welcome and even if they were to change their mind at some point a fee would have to be paid for Melvaunt to release them so basically Melvaunt is basically welcoming anyone who wants to you know join a labor guild of some sort and then plans on holding them hostage if they ever want to return Dentia as well the next closest city a bit of a friendlier what you call friendlier conditions Dentia has said all who want to go there are welcome um you

DM (5:30 - 6:30): There's quite a few perks in Thentia, but there's also something very unusual about the city. The weather in Thentia never changes from a pleasant spring day, no matter how cold of a winter day it is. The city's ruling class fosters a large Arcanist community that serve the various nobles in return for unique privileges and power. However, Thentians, their cultures and how they govern, even by moon sea standards, put an extreme premium on self-reliance. So Thentia has put out, come as many as you want and go as many as you want, as you like. But in Thentia, you are on your own to survive. So really, all Thentia is allowing is people who want to disembark the boat and come, but they're not going to help them in any way.

DM (6:30 - 8:11): Now, the cities across the Moon Sea all kind of follow Hillsfar's lead, which Hillsfar would be the most powerful city on the southern coast. And Hillsfar is as close to a direct adversary as Klan has, including the ruling or the army that Hillsfar uses, which is a mercenary company called the Red Plumes. The Red Plumes are pretty much a have had direct conflicts with the Blackfist. So Hillsfar has let it be known that there are there's plenty of room in their minds and fighting pits for anyone who wants to come join their city. But that is pretty much where you'll be relegated. So, needless to say, not too many people disembark from the ship. And most of this group states, you know, a few people go to Vettia, a few people go to Malvant, a few even take up the fighting pit offer in Hillsfar. But one thing they, all these city states are adamant about is the Lord Commander, any remaining, any remaining Blackfist who plan on remaining Blackfist, who made out with you, and any group that's going to be considered the official government of Flan in exile is not welcome inside their walls.

DM (8:11 - 8:51): So, this left really one choice for the ship to disembark all of its passengers. There was one power in the surrounding area that responded with really no conditions and allowing you a place to set up a camp, a refugee camp. Does anyone care to take a guess at who that was going to be?

Kei (8:53 - 9:05): Scentile Keep? I don't know. Cannibal Incest Island?

DM (8:53 - 9:01): no one wants to guess you you've had you've had dealings with them

DM (9:05 - 9:11): The Bondclaw and the Lizardfolk of the Twilight Zone.

DM (9:11 - 9:18): In return for the assistance that you gave him.

DM (9:18 - 9:56): Now, there's still a lot of distrust and hard feelings towards the non-lizard folk that they feel. But they promise you, as long as you reside and don't bother their way of life, you can remain in the marsh in a camp. So with no better choice for a place to go, that is where Lord Hector takes his refugees.

Jaag (9:53 - 9:59): Where is this on the map? I'm looking for it.

Tiz (10:00 - 10:07): I believe it's The Twilight Marsh.

DM (10:06 - 11:02): are in here or and more uh more specifically you are near uh you you you are in the estuary of the river that goes through the twilight marsh and empties out into the moon sea an area of islands called the ring islands and as the party knows from their uh their time in the twilight marsh this heavy fog just or mist just settles in and sealing these islands uh from um easy view or you know making you know making it easy to get to or find so you are well concealed there are hundreds of islands in this uh this estuary and you have basically been given one enough away from the lizard folk that you don't have to really interact but large enough to support your camp you

DM (11:06 - 11:56): Okay, so let's just get to, let me skip over some stuff. Lord Ector, the Black Fist that joined him in exile, and several other fellow refugees who showed some acumen for martial matters, have worked to organize this refugee camp into more of like a military camp in the field. This did mean that the camp quickly handled all the logistic infrastructure organization required, but also policed it with a military brand of discipline and order, which was not unlike how the Lord Regent ruled from the Cinnabar throne, and you all know that they only had mixed results.

DM (11:57 - 12:15): As far as the business of the resistance, an effort to return to Flan. After a few weeks, communication was established with those resisting within the city.

DM (12:15 - 13:09): this was a bit chaotic and dangerous and as is often with these things disconnected at first you did have some successes contact was made with someone named Giselle Greycastle who is the captain in the Blackfist who was organizing the surviving Blackfist in the city contact was also made with Gleveth who was organizing the welcomers as well kind of work kind of an underground and communication was established with the Lord Sage of Mantor's library now these were like the big three as far as resistance goes in the city

DM (13:09 - 15:38): It was really impossible to know how many free agents or online groups were forming or attempting to resist. It was at least a bit easier to keep these three, if not on the same page, at least aware of each other's movements and plans. But they were also the most exposed when they acted. Everything they did had to be done with risk of losing a major force. Outside of the city, recruitment was a little disappointing. Of all the refugees you have, there were barely 20 fighters beside yourselves in the initial group, with maybe another 20 willing and able to fight. But not much would be expected of them if it came to that. A little more than a dozen refugees were spread out to the surrounding areas, recruiting. But again, reliable numbers that were produced were questionable. The surrounding city-states offered a little more than access to their mercenary companies, the largest of which being the Red Plumes. Now, even though there was this rivalry or adversarial relationship between the Blackfist, a small number of Red Plumes and other notable mercenary companies had a small presence in camp. More of just keeping, like, attachés there to be, you know, apprised of what was happening. You know, what the movements of Lord Hector was going to be. The only other notable additions were the odd adventuring company that largely came and went, with the understanding that if able, were interested in taking part in taking on a dragon. So all told, after about a month in the marsh, there were fewer than 60 fighters in camp at any given time, and most likely less than that in the city. But to sum up, while not yet at a tipping point, morale was decidedly lower than the first few weeks, having fled the city, when a return to engage in glorious battle for the lost city felt all but inevitable. Now things are kind of settling into an indefinite stall. Well, let's go.

DM (15:38 - 17:25): It's amidst this transition that you are summoned to Lord Ector's War Council tent. One of the largest structures in camp, you approach the military pavilion tent under two constant guards. There's not a lot of passage here. You approach his tent, which is always under constant guard at the front entrance and heavy patrolling around its perimeter. Within, there is this sparse decor. It's both what you've come to like and respect about Ector. His utter lack of interest in the trappings of luxury, but also recognize as his shortcomings as a ruler, is straight to the point severity, lacks nuance and empathy required of a benevolent leader. Aside from the official crest of the city of Flann and that of the Black Fist, the only other furnishing of note is a large round table. A map of Flann and the surrounding countryside unfurled across it, and a few pitchers of water and juice, no alcohol. Ector's meetings are conducted and participated only by sober minds. You enter to see Lord Ector stifling a chuckle with a cherubic halfling dressed in traveling clothes, traveling robes. Someone you recognize. Uh, Kastra Brandywine smiles at your entrance. She looks at all of you and goes, So? You wet your pants or what seeing me here? Shaman Shaman Shaman Shaman Shaman

Kei (17:14 - 17:41): Yeah, I remember she was, uh, very clumsy with ink. That's the main...

DM (17:32 - 17:45): She was already clumsy with egg. This was Pug's direct supervisor at Mantra's library.

Lavinia (17:46 - 17:56): We thought you had burned to death in a horrible fire.

Lavinia (18:01 - 18:08): I suppose there's still time.

Petra (18:01 - 18:11): It's still time. It happened. Yeah.

DM (18:12 - 18:28): Lord Hector kind of hangs his gauntleted hand on the table. Peace. Time is of the essence. He is kind of showing a little bit of a smile. Right. He says, clutching herself.

DM (18:28 - 18:37): Lord Sage has learned some concerning news about the cult's activity outside of Flag.

DM (18:37 - 19:36): That sewer-dwelling shit of a dragon has tight security on us in the library. If he doesn't dare reach out through magic, here he'll be found out. Though the Lord Sage, through assistance with the welcomers, has been able to spend short amounts of time outside of the library. We've arranged for this to occur, and he wishes to meet with you all tonight, just after midnight at Denlor's Tower. He puts a crystal shard on the table. There is a door, where the outer wall of the tower sits beyond the wall of the land, across from the Lyceum. This shard will reveal the door to you. When it appears, speak the words, Mountain Laurel, and the door will open.

Lavinia (19:35 - 19:49): And how are we getting in and out of LAN?

DM (19:43 - 20:08): that is how you are getting in. The black fist amongst the tears that are still loyal to us will man the watch on the walls of Lyceum tonight and the welcomers will create a diversion on the city side of the wall. So you should be able to come and go relatively safely. Safety.

DM (20:14 - 20:30): even this simple operation is putting many at risk understand the Lord sage would not do this unless he believed it to be necessary and when you come please understand that asses are on the line for you

Lavinia (20:33 - 20:42): Alright, I look forward to this, no doubt, incredible information.

Tiz (21:07 - 21:23): No twins, just siblings. Siblings? Yeah. Yeah, give my head a nod.

Kei (21:22 - 21:34): i already said something i already said asses online got it but be good best behavior be organized

DM (21:32 - 21:43): With that, she says, good luck to you. She snaps her finger and she disappears. Love the smoke.

DM (21:46 - 22:04): Lord Commander looks at all to all of you and says, is there any provisioning or anything we can do to support?

Kei (21:58 - 22:22): Well, as a start, I'm going to hit the long rest button because surely I've slept some time in the last however long. There's no time! I've not had a decent night's sleep in a month. So I'm going to do that.

Lavinia (22:06 - 22:29): There's no time, Keith Lewis, there's no time! The asses are on the line!

DM (22:09 - 22:20): It's a bit of luck. Just so much yourself.

Kei (22:29 - 22:40): In terms of provisions, sorry, I'll let Petra go.

Petra (22:36 - 22:55): Oh, I was just going to, well, I was going to say I was going to recap the mission, but what I really meant is, what is the mission again? We have to get into the library? Or did I mishear that?

Lavinia (22:53 - 23:05): We break in via Denlor's tower, and then we were going to meet the sage to talk to him. And was that at the library?

Kei (23:05 - 23:16): I think because of the giant dragon guards, Jag.

Lavinia (23:15 - 23:23): I think he was meeting us at Dan Lewis Tower, actually, but maybe I just misremembered that.

DM (23:20 - 23:30): The Lord Sage has asked you to come to Den Lord's Tavern. Thank you for the access.

Jaag (23:24 - 23:37): I was about to say it would be good to just understand are we breaking in or are we just meeting someone there because otherwise there might be a few miscommunications along the way.

Kei (23:35 - 23:43): Well, we're technically breaking in because the city's under siege by the giant dragon. We don't want to get seen by him.

DM (23:43 - 25:23): So one thing that you know about Denlor's tower, those of you who have resided in Flann for a while, when the Pug was here, he would know this and could tell you all. So Denlor was an archmage that was, you know, part of the founding of Flann. Lived a long time ago. He's been dead for some time. His tower is, it has no visible entrances. It is believed that the Lord Sage or whoever the head of Mantra's library is throughout the ages is the only one who knows how to access the tower and the only one authorized to access the tower. Now you have been handed this sharded crystal. You were told to approach the tower. I'll take you over to a better map just to show you. Like I said in the beginning when, yeah, so that wall, it actually is part of the tower. The tower extends past the walls of the city. So you are to approach the wall from this side. You've been assured that allied clandestine soldiers in the tiers of virulence will be keeping watch along the river. So you'll be able to get there, get in and get out if need be.

Lavinia (24:33 - 24:38): We have like a code phrase thing, right?

Kei (24:48 - 24:55): It does sort of like jut out more than it looks on this map.

DM (25:26 - 25:41): um do you pick up Ector's um offer of provisioning at all there's very little other than like you know um basic weapons and armor or

Lavinia (25:39 - 26:03): We'll take your magic items, healing items, armor, gold. We'll take, you know, all of the many provisions. I think I heard the distant echo of plate armor.

Tiz (25:39 - 25:58): Wait, Emma? Wait, Emma?

DM (25:49 - 25:55): able easy they're able to spare a portion of healing to each each one of you

DM (26:00 - 26:20): uh there is well they they they don't really have a lot of stores like that but you know you can you probably get like like a uh what's what's it's not full plate on what's the other one half plate something like that yeah

Tiz (26:16 - 26:23): half plate what does half plate give me

Lavinia (26:22 - 26:48): I think it's the same, but minus one AC, like one less AC, but you don't get disadvantage or something. Or maybe it's just minus one less AC. I want to say it's like 17 AC. Let's have a look. 15. But is it plus two? Man, that's... Oh, it's plus two. Dex. So it's not actually heavy armor?

Kei (26:30 - 26:49): I'm pretty sure you still get this advantage.

Tiz (26:36 - 26:58): 15. Medium up.

DM (26:51 - 26:56): text modifier for some reason max two

Lavinia (26:54 - 27:04): What's that other heavy armour that's below full plate? Is that, oh, that's a plate, a chest plate or something?

DM (27:02 - 27:15): basically it's a it's like a breastplate plate and like uh you know the part that covers your thighs but it's not it's not a full plate on there it's basically basically the torso

Lavinia (27:10 - 27:17): Splint. Do they have splint?

Lavinia (27:21 - 27:28): They have like a cobbled together set of splint that Tiz could get.

DM (27:25 - 27:34): Nothing that would count as a full set of splint armor.

Lavinia (27:32 - 27:38): Do they have chain mail?

Petra (27:33 - 27:40): put on leather armour and then while walking around we'll just nail some retriever.

DM (27:35 - 27:44): there's change there's change shirts like i said there's no complete sense of armor but there's bits and bits and bobs

Tiz (27:41 - 28:03): anything that is slightly better than ring mail no anything that doesn't rely on dex yeah

Kei (27:54 - 28:08): what armor have you currently got on

Lavinia (28:03 - 28:16): Ring mail. Ring mail. Chain mail splinter plates.

Tiz (28:06 - 28:16): No, I currently have ringed mayo. I want something slightly better than ringed mayo.

Tiz (28:18 - 28:31): would just be like a changed shirt. Yeah.

Lavinia (28:23 - 28:31): We're going to have to kill some guy and steal it off his body.

DM (28:26 - 28:35): Basically, Lord Ector's wearing a full suit of split veil.

Lavinia (28:31 - 28:41): what have you got um as as um armor jack

Jaag (28:46 - 28:58): Well, I've got no smouldering leather armour and a cloak, but my AC is still only 17, even with all my decks.

Kei (28:48 - 29:03): I mean that's that's normal

Lavinia (28:56 - 29:07): 17. Wow. I can only dream of 17.

Tiz (28:59 - 29:07): I know, you got more powerful than me at the moment.

Kei (29:03 - 29:23): Mine? Yeah.

Jaag (29:04 - 29:10): Most of it's coming from my decks.

DM (29:08 - 29:24): leather like you don't need a full suit right you can just they definitely have leather shirts with metal you know the the the the metal metal studs on them that would give you that little bonus to to set a leather armor

Kei (29:24 - 29:32): What have I got? I've only got an AC of 15. Clearly I don't have much. What am I wearing?

Tiz (29:31 - 29:38): We're going to have to leave some full life from his armor.

Lavinia (29:32 - 29:44): You got a plus. All right.

DM (29:32 - 29:39): I mean, if you're a podcast, 90% of the magic guys look around.

DM (29:40 - 29:54): I literally dropped a very powerful magic on your feet and you guys walked right by it. I can't say.

Kei (29:44 - 29:56): No, when, where? We're past it now.

Lavinia (29:47 - 29:58): i think he means hector let's kill him guys let's kill hector right now

Kei (29:57 - 30:03): It was probably on Crudo and Crudo fucking floated off.

Lavinia (30:08 - 30:14): So we're all getting a healing person? Is that what is going on?

Lavinia (30:23 - 30:32): Yeah, that's right. Healing? You got it? Was it one healing potion?

Lavinia (30:32 - 30:45): God, Hector, you're really breaking the bank here. A whole healing motion. I'm just trolling.

DM (30:43 - 31:09): They can spare torches, lanterns, some oil, they can spare rations and water skins, you know, most things that are found in the equipment guide, you know, for just the generic equipment list in the player's handbook is available.

Kei (30:51 - 30:57): So I'm just checking in my inventory now for the sort of thing that we might want.

Kei (31:11 - 31:41): So, like, I've got a climber's kit, I've got rope, I've got pipes and harnesses and all that sort of shit. I don't really need a torch, because we have the light cantrip between us. I've got, for some reason, two different crowbars. Love that. I've got a hooded lantern, even though we never use it.

Petra (31:43 - 32:01): is going to be a sort of a stealthy uh well a stealthy mission i guess so does that change what we might need i think i mean maybe our armor is actually the opposite of what we need for a stealthy mission everyone take your heavy armor off

Kei (31:50 - 31:57): slightly not sure because if we run into

Kei (32:00 - 32:10): Got the robe of scintillating colours... I know that's not how you pronounce it, I don't care. Scintillating.

Kei (32:10 - 32:41): It's scintillating. Yeah. So, you know, I can flash bomb anyone. All right. Whatever it is that you're hinting at, I want to ask for that. I don't know. You've asked like three times and we're all like, yeah, no. So I'm getting the feeling. It feels like. Oh, yeah.

Jaag (32:29 - 32:37): Hang on. No, I have something for this.

DM (32:30 - 32:40): You can't come up with two things every time I say anything else.

Jaag (32:37 - 32:50): I have something for this, give me one second. Yeah, I have something for this, let me find it. I've said this before and it's exactly the same thing I was looking for back then.

Tiz (32:45 - 32:58): Does he have any like antidotes or anything to help with poison?

DM (32:53 - 33:16): Um, well, given the fact that you are in the, in the swamps, uh, there are a few people who have been doing some foraging. So yeah, there, there are, um, he can only spare two antidotes or two vials that will, will, uh, you know, clear you of basic poisons.

Tiz (33:17 - 33:24): yeah i'll grab two i'll grab both those antidotes

DM (33:21 - 33:37): There's quite a strong, heavy need for it in camp, given the locale that everyone's stuck in. Lots of snake bites.

Jaag (33:31 - 33:43): So, Pete, I'd like to use eye for detail to see if I can uncover anything around.

Lavinia (33:49 - 34:07): Inspect the stocks. Look for the hidden magic item that they left in the stockpile that is under our nose. Go, Jack, go! Yeah.

DM (33:57 - 34:10): Give me a roll, either investigation or perception.

Petra (33:57 - 34:03): Are there any unusual items sitting at our feet?

Lavinia (34:08 - 34:19): Who's got that magic detection thing? Oh, 26, pretty good. Pretty good, Jag. It's a nat 20, actually, isn't it? Nice.

DM (34:18 - 35:03): So you're looking through this, there's a tent basically of where they keep most of their equipment and stuff like that. Things have been coming in, you know, people bring things in, others, people who have left camp to go kind of collect whatever stores and equipment they can gather and they bring it back. You see a lot of it's barely serviceable junk, but you do find two rather fancy looking arrows stuck in a basket full of arrows amongst a bunch of other ordinary ones.

Kei (34:56 - 35:21): i would like the arrows please they're already gone i've already got them

Lavinia (35:05 - 35:21): We can only hope they're dragon slang, Eric.

Jaag (35:09 - 35:16): Hang on, hang on. I haven't even said they're there yet. I haven't pointed that out to you.

Tiz (35:19 - 35:33): Will it be anti-toxin in the items? I'm just looking for the actual item name because I can't find anti-dote.

DM (35:42 - 36:00): Look, it's just writing manually. You have two doses of something that will cure a simple poison.

Jaag (35:42 - 35:49): What are the errors? Sorry, answer to this question first. I'm jumping in, I apologize.

DM (36:02 - 36:12): So if anyone gets a poison effect, you can apply that. Okay. So.

DM (36:12 - 36:17): How do you do you have a way of knowing with these arrows?

DM (36:19 - 36:50): Well, one thing that sticks out to them, they are very well made. Very sharp, the arrowheads are glinting. They don't seem to have been affected by the dirty and unorganized wire that else is being kept. The fletching stays perfect and clean. You can tell there's something special about these arrows.

Kei (36:45 - 37:06): yes yes all right and then uh i will come and inspect the arrows and if necessary i will use

Jaag (36:48 - 36:58): I pick them up and I go, Keith Liss, you're an archer, what do you think of these?

Kei (37:06 - 37:19): Uh, actually, I don't know if I've got the item. I think Petra might have the item. Oh, no, apparently I do. The Wand of Magic Detection. So if I need to, I'll do that. But I'll...

Lavinia (37:16 - 37:27): just detects it. It doesn't identify it, just as a note. Yeah, true.

Petra (37:23 - 37:31): Yeah, actually, I think I still do have that identify magnifying glass, don't I?

Kei (37:29 - 37:43): yeah so we've got a magic wand but we've also got a magnifying glass that casts identify which i think you definitely have because i don't have it in my inventory yeah

DM (37:39 - 38:12): So, do you use the Wand of Magic Detection? Okay. So, look, there's one arrow has a very unusual look to it. It's got a more, it doesn't really have an arrowhead at the end. It's like a blunt kind of cylinder or an arrowhead. Yeah, but both arrows do glow with magical auras.

Kei (38:10 - 38:23): know the kind of magic, technically the school of magic, I'm happy for you to be vague with it because I don't fucking know the school of magic.

DM (38:21 - 38:41): um it's a good question let me just take a look i you're making me look these things up i guess one would be evocation that's an easy one i suppose and the other one the blunt one uh enchantment

Kei (38:40 - 38:53): All right. Yes. All right. Do you want the enchanting one or do you want the probably fire explosion one?

Jaag (38:52 - 39:02): i'll let you pick and actually we will how much gold have you got

Kei (38:54 - 39:06): I will allow you, whoa, uh, not as much because I keep giving it to everyone else.

Kei (39:12 - 39:19): All right, you can have 10, and then I pull out my pouch of gold and give you 10 of coins from it.

DM (39:18 - 39:32): i um i'm gonna change that so the one the one is enchantment the other arrow the one with the regular arrowhead is uh transportation

Kei (39:27 - 39:41): transmutation all right well i'll take the transmutation and you can take the sorry i'll take the enchantment one and you can take the transmutation one

Kei (39:41 - 40:15): Alright. Yeah, I mean, we could identify, but it's more fun to just find out. Don't forget to mark that you've got ten gold, because I just removed it from mine. Good. Yep. I'd like to roll an insight to work out if Jag has worked out that I have definitely not given him all of my gold. Good.

Jaag (40:13 - 40:27): is warming up to the party and it feels like this is more of just a pro forma yeah but it's just a pro forma now uh nothing comes for free but the price is going down

Kei (40:15 - 40:29): Jag appreciates that I lied to him.

Lavinia (40:19 - 40:30): Classic.

Kei (40:29 - 41:09): You know that I will net you more gold later. That's what it is. Because I'm an idiot and keep sharing it. I think so. Yeah, you guys head out. I'm just going to be right back. But go on with that.

DM (40:53 - 41:40): I'll show you an image. So, the plan's unique positioning. It's the main city on an island, splitting the mouth of the Stodgenau as it empties into the Moon Sea. Over time, as the city's population grew, the noble quarter was built on the northern bank of the eastern finger of this estuary. Dominated by the Lyceum of the Dark Lord, the riverbanks between the two walls separating the old city and east flan is a long, rocky berm covered in scrub brush and exposed roots of woody, spiddly trees and thick, viney patches of ivy that climb the walls.

DM (41:41 - 42:07): Fading light mutes the stains of time and battle on the red brick tower. This seems like a non-separator. Long shadows caused by the scant slivers of twilight that filters through the thicket help hide your progress to the facing of the tower that extends over the walls.

DM (42:08 - 42:18): Guards that man the battlements and the lyceum either don't notice you or, true to Casper's word, are allied to your cause and ignore your passing.

DM (42:19 - 42:28): On the old city side, you can hear some sort of commotion within the walls, leaving that section of wall unmanned.

DM (42:29 - 42:36): Crystal Shard gives off a pale glow, white with a tinge of blue.

DM (42:36 - 43:10): As you come up to the side of Denmler's tower, an ornate outline of a door fills with the same light on the wall. Once all the lines connect, the stone in between fades, leaving a black empty space before you. There's a few stone steps leading up to a heavy wooden door with iron bands and a large brass knocker fastened to the middle of the door.

Lavinia (43:17 - 43:34): weren't we supposed to meet like some people on the beach or did that happen and they let us here? Okay. We've got the, sorry, yeah.

Kei (43:29 - 43:41): Were we given instructions on how to use that magic thing to get in the crystal shard?

Tiz (43:33 - 43:42): to use that.

Lavinia (43:37 - 43:42): I thought it was just like, hold it up and say the key phrase, right?

DM (43:37 - 43:47): Yeah, which I'm assuming you did to get to make the wall fade.

Tiz (43:45 - 43:51): I knock and hope pug answers.

DM (43:48 - 44:36): All right. So, Tiz, you grab the knocker. Just as you're about to knock, the door opens, kind of tugging you a little bit. A rather fresh-faced young man in a dark gray tunic and leather trousers ushers you hurriedly into a spacious kitchen. Hot stones in the hearth give off heat without smoke. He goes, I was worried you weren't going to be coming. Please, please, please be seated. The master will be ready or should be ready for you shortly. I am Kral. Unfortunately, I can only offer hot tea or ale for your treatment while you wait.

DM (44:38 - 45:00): Looking around the room, you can see along one wall, a sideboard with a small keg of ale, along with a number of tankards. There's also a large teapot, a honey jar, and ceramic mugs. There are two doors on the far side of the room.

Lavinia (45:02 - 45:07): So your name is Lark backwards?

Kei (45:05 - 45:33): yes but

DM (45:07 - 45:27): he looks at you and goes very good there's a symbol on his on his tunic uh it looks to be of a rather intricate looking heart um anyone can give me either history or religion check

Lavinia (45:26 - 45:38): I just assume it's the Hoppers. Okay, okay. History?

DM (45:29 - 45:35): It's not the Harpers. It's not the Chris and Moon and Harpers, but the Harpers.

Tiz (45:36 - 45:47): That was a 2. I rolled a 2. I'm rolling fantastically.

Kei (45:43 - 45:55): Oh, I don't have any bonuses. That's a gnat.

Jaag (45:50 - 46:10): Heathless and Lavinia there Hang on Let's give it a go Yeah, there we go I was going to hold out I felt peer pressure and then look what happened

Lavinia (45:53 - 46:16): Whoa! Protect it, protect it! Oh no, oh no!

DM (45:59 - 46:09): I mean, I should be here to give it a go.

DM (46:16 - 46:39): So, Cthulis and Lavinia, you recognize the crest on his tunic as the symbol of the deity Milil, M-I-L-L-I-L, who is like the patron of bards.

Kei (46:38 - 46:46): Ah, I'll take notes.

Kei (46:47 - 47:02): I will refuse politely. No thank you, I don't drink on a job. Even if it's just tea.

DM (46:47 - 46:53): Do any of you take up his offer of anything to drink?

Lavinia (46:59 - 47:04): I do, but not tea.

DM (47:07 - 47:20): well i'm sorry this kitchen's not really in use um this is all that could be um to be get to be gathered for this impromptu meeting

Petra (47:19 - 47:26): Speaking of this impromptu meeting, Kral, do you know why we're here?

DM (47:26 - 47:48): I myself don't, but all will be made clear to you, I'm sure, once the Master is ready. I do hear you have been in service to the library, as well as the Black Fist, if I understand. Who are all of you? How is it you've come to be in the Lord's Sage's service?

Petra (47:49 - 47:57): are incredible heroes of amazing prowess. You may have heard of our stories.

Kei (47:50 - 48:12): we definitely have a group name and we will tell you that name and you will instantly recognize it even though i don't need to say it out loud it's this

DM (48:07 - 48:28): As Keith was talking, Paul, like, he seems to, like, snap to attention. The Lord's sage is ready for you. Please, please. And he goes to one of the doors and opens and just, you know, motions with his hand to beckon you through.

Petra (48:30 - 48:44): Petra's interested, how did he know that? Yeah, probably.

Kei (48:36 - 48:42): Probably with Message or something like that was cast to him.

Jaag (48:41 - 48:48): would like some tea, she would like to test, I mean drink the tea.

DM (48:51 - 49:04): Why don't you go and I will bring it to you. It would be bad form to leave the Lord Sage waiting.

Kei (49:03 - 49:11): What do we know about the sage himself? Like, do we know his name? What do we know about him?

DM (49:10 - 49:17): you have encountered him before. You can give me... You can give me a...

Kei (49:12 - 49:20): Oh, have we? I need an IRL history check, I think.

DM (49:18 - 49:29): either a history or an intelligence tech, you know, if you want, if you, to see if you know anything other than he is the head of the, of Manchester's library.

Kei (49:27 - 49:34): All right. Oh, I used all my history already.

Lavinia (49:35 - 49:55): we'll we need bug for history checks 18 for jag

Tiz (49:38 - 49:45): We are so good.

DM (49:43 - 51:02): as far as you guys know he's the head of Mantra's Library Jag Jag is not right Jag, perhaps with your time you have spent on this plane in this city, prior to all these things happening, you did a little sneaking and snooping around so Mantra's Library is basically like the equal to Candlekeep on the Sword Coast or to the tower in Luskin in the north right now the order of mages that runs that city escapes me basically it is one of the major one of the major collections of knowledge in Faerun at least known collections in Faerun so Jag what the others might either guess at or assume you happened upon somewhere while you were living you know residing in the city that the Lord Sage is also a high herald is does is anyone not familiar with who the heralds are are you You

Kei (50:50 - 51:05): That sounds really familiar.

Kei (51:05 - 51:20): I am bad at life and that's really not answering my questions in my head. Thank you.

DM (51:12 - 51:30): Okay, I'll give you a brief description. The Heralds of Farron, or simply the Heralds, are a quasi-independent group of historians and heraldists that took on the responsibility of recording

Kei (51:26 - 51:44): oh yeah hold on you're breaking up a lot yeah start again

DM (51:31 - 51:36): Shields Battles

Jaag (51:52 - 51:59): Yeah, the internet has decided it's too inflammatory.

Petra (51:52 - 52:00): the Roll20 Spirits were against this.

Kei (52:05 - 52:24): I can hear you now. Yeah, it seems better.

DM (52:14 - 53:12): Okay, here we go. The Heralds of Theron were a quasi-independent group of historians and heraldists that took on the responsibility of recording, preserving, and policing the coats-of-arms flag standards, shields, badges, mottos, symbols, and sigils of the nobility of Theron. Over the years, they also became the foremost authority on courtly courtesy, inheritance, precedence, genealogy, correct furniture, and general history. Their impartiality and neutrality earned them the respect of nearly every nation, kingdom, city, state, mercenary company, clan, and tribe in civilized Theron. Now that is basically what their public reputation is.

Petra (53:35 - 53:42): The Heralds okay, so

DM (53:46 - 53:55): He is a high herald. So he is one of the leaders of the heralds.

Petra (53:51 - 54:00): Oh, I see. Well, if that's what we know, let's go meet him.

DM (54:00 - 54:11): Okay, so Kral just kind of pushes you through saying, I'll bring you your tea.

DM (54:11 - 54:30): The room you enter has piles of old wood along the walls, enchanted light globes float along the ceiling, and a large table is on a raised platform at one end of the room. Three benches are set up in the U formation.

DM (54:30 - 54:47): person in a dark hooded cloak reclines against the wall just back of uh where the tables are behind where the lord sage sits i'll show you a picture

DM (54:47 - 55:08): He doesn't stand, he just motions and says, please take a seat. We've got much to go over. And he's sitting at the head of the table. He does not introduce the hood figure reclining with a glass of wine on the cushioned bench behind.

Kei (55:08 - 55:14): i will note that we were not we were not offered wine

DM (55:39 - 56:06): There's a funny odor in the room, Lavinia. You perhaps are a bit distracted, or maybe there is some sort of dissonance in the room. You can't quite pick up on it, but you find that smell alluring. You're just not quite sure why. Just a hint of a scent.

Lavinia (56:02 - 56:15): Hmm, my assumption, if I'm allowed to make one.

DM (56:10 - 56:19): can't you can't quite you can't quite put your finger on him for some reason your mind's a bit distracted

Lavinia (56:18 - 56:28): Okay, I have a suspicion here, but I will let it slide. Yep.

Kei (56:20 - 56:28): That's alright. You may know your character does not.

DM (56:39 - 57:03): More than an age ago, a rather eccentric member of our order, a talented wizard with rather unique interests, built a sanctum, an island far to the north, near where the Stajnau issues forth from the dragon spines.

DM (57:04 - 57:14): his reputation as an oddity, he built a large silver pyramid, what was to become known as Sorcerer's Isle.

DM (57:17 - 57:29): this next bit he actually this next bit was written that he's addressing Pug directly but Pug's not here perhaps

DM (57:31 - 57:38): of you may know of this um this history

DM (57:41 - 57:49): Does the name Yarosh mean anything to you?

Kei (57:47 - 57:55): Honestly, that does sound familiar, but it shouldn't, because I don't think we've actually had it in game yet.

DM (57:55 - 58:03): will allow tiz and keith list to roll history checks in this one

DM (58:03 - 58:19): too are from the north and uh petra since your people have patrolled the quivering wood for uh about a hundred years i'll allow you to roll history check as well

Tiz (58:20 - 58:27): I am too focused on his beard.

DM (58:25 - 58:43): tools again perhaps through some of your cat burgling ways or maybe it's even a story you heard when you were a child but you have heard that name yarish before uh yarish

DM (58:44 - 58:58): what you seem to recall was said to be a powerful wizard who lost his mind and spent his

DM (58:59 - 59:12): spent his the the the his his years on a secluded isle far to the north pursuing

Kei (59:19 - 59:51): Ah, so I'll be like, oh, the mad mage Yarsh, who dabbled in transmutation. I heard stories when I was very small. Yeah, yeah. I'm gonna get transmuted by the mad mage into whatever transmutation magic does in D&D.

Tiz (59:30 - 59:40): You used to tell Tiz that she would be sent over there if she was bad. Turn the door.

DM (59:44 - 1:01:05): Lord Sage clears his throat in that kind of gross, wet way that the aged tend to do. Yes, Yarish became a master of transmutation, and his road to that mastery meant wild experimentation with the flora and fauna of the area. Some of these experiments were extraordinary, and some were utter failures. There was a long time the waters around the isle, entered pure as the mountain snow that fed the river, became spoiled and dangerous, only to return to its purified form as soon as they passed beyond the effect. Both the flora and fauna of the area that lived near the isle went through changes as well, and became a danger to the expanding populace. Wren O'TheBlade, the hero of Flann and his company, journeyed to the pyramid, hoping to convince Yarish to fix the damage he had done. But unfortunately, this resulted in them having to slay the mad wizard. Most of what Yarish brought was repaired, or at least contained, over time.

DM (1:01:05 - 1:01:26): unfortunately some of it proved to be permanent. With our efforts we have at least prevented the corruption from spreading. But in our current state of affairs we've lost access to the site and our ability to wield any kind of magic has been heavily censored by the dragon.

DM (1:01:26 - 1:01:39): Our moles in Vallejo Castle have informed us that the corruption of Sorcerer's Isle is spreading again.

DM (1:01:39 - 1:01:49): And from what we've been told, at a much quicker pace and severe alteration.

DM (1:01:50 - 1:02:03): Reports we've seen speak of trees growing upside down and fish that can swim on land or even through the air. And we have learned the cult is sending a mission to the pyramid.

DM (1:02:05 - 1:02:46): Now, these corruptions are different than what occurred in the time of Yarish, and I don't know what to make of it. But a safe assumption is there is still powerful magic active in Sosho's Isle, chaotic and dangerous magic, and we cannot let the cult have a chance to possess it. I brought you here to ask you to journey to Yarish's pyramid, prevent the cult from succeeding, and if possible, retreat Yarish's research and keep it safe from our enemies. Thank you.

DM (1:02:47 - 1:03:07): Wren's memoirs speak of the interior of the pyramid being a large, confusing maze that appeared to change design as they made their way through it. In the decades that have passed, any group known to have explored the pyramid has never returned.

DM (1:03:08 - 1:03:21): the lord spades finishes that last statement the cloaked figure stands drains her goblet and walks to the table removing her hood

DM (1:03:26 - 1:04:10): My name is Welsi Tarantay, Viper of the Zhentarim. She runs her hand across the Lord Sage's shoulders as she passes by him and takes a commanding stance at the head of the table. Her voice is low, seductive, and her moves deliberate with a sultry quality. Like each step as well as each intonation of her words are designed to suggest an unspoken promise. I need everyone to give me Charisma saving throws, please.

DM (1:04:18 - 1:04:28): Anyone immune to charm effects or gets advantage on charm effects can roll advantage.

DM (1:04:32 - 1:05:00): Okay. Petra and Jag, you two don't feel anything. The rest of you, you feel kind of drawn to her, attentive and even attracted to her. Lavinia, you are positively swooning. You are just...

DM (1:05:00 - 1:05:08): Hanging on every word, every motion of wealth.

Lavinia (1:05:02 - 1:05:13): can't stop staring at her neck

DM (1:05:09 - 1:05:19): contacts the Lord Sage speaks of are our agents. There's a bit more to the story, if you'll allow me.

DM (1:05:21 - 1:05:26): Okay, now I need perception checks from everybody.

Kei (1:05:25 - 1:05:38): oh good 15.

DM (1:05:38 - 1:05:49): Okay. So, Aethelis, you think you catch...

DM (1:05:52 - 1:06:29): this for a second you can't be sure but you thought when she kind of smiled and her lips part a little bit that you saw two fangs um jag as she crosses over from across the lord sage there is a mirror off to the side not never not in anyone's direct view but yours you clearly see the lord sage sitting at his at on his at the table at the table all of you sitting around in his u-shaped bench but you do not see a reflection of well see

Jaag (1:06:29 - 1:06:40): Hmm. Team, everybody. Oh, yeah.

Jaag (1:06:40 - 1:06:48): Actually, maybe not here. No, probably not the smartest thing.

DM (1:06:48 - 1:07:11): continues we have one agent in particular who's provided valuable intelligence about what is happening in that ruined castle his name is filrin saj one of my best agents but he's also a bit of a risk taker

DM (1:07:11 - 1:07:18): been communicating through a ring that only allows him to pass messages. We cannot reply.

DM (1:07:22 - 1:07:28): was that he managed to get on the party that is heading to the pyramid.

DM (1:07:28 - 1:07:58): While the Lord Sage here simply wants to ensure that our enemy cannot either access the pyramid or for you to steal away with anything of value to them, I require you to intercept this party and rendezvous with Thilren. If you discover that he's been exposed or killed even, whatever you do, make sure you get this ring back before the cult figures out what it is.

Kei (1:07:43 - 1:07:53): Can we get the spelling?

Lavinia (1:07:56 - 1:08:05): That's so smart. We will definitely do that.

Jaag (1:08:03 - 1:08:26): Jag speaks up. Jag speaks up and says, look, I like everybody in general. I have no issues with any particular race.

Jaag (1:08:26 - 1:08:35): yours has a certain connotation. What should we bear?

DM (1:08:31 - 1:08:39): He goes, look, I am definitely not racist, but.

Jaag (1:08:35 - 1:08:49): Yeah. I'm not racist, but generally vampires are controversial and I'm not a hundred percent. So.

Kei (1:08:51 - 1:09:17): Oh no. I'm conflicted. I hate vampires, but I'm strangely drawn to this lady. No. I'm having a crisis.

Jaag (1:08:52 - 1:08:59): I say this out loud to her. I say the vampire word.

Lavinia (1:08:54 - 1:09:00): Do you use the V word?

Tiz (1:08:55 - 1:09:07): the evening what?

Lavinia (1:09:08 - 1:09:19): I also hate vampires, and I'm also strangely drunk to this lady. Are we charmed? We can't do anything about it.

Jaag (1:09:13 - 1:09:21): Okay, everybody, you are under her spell, seriously.

DM (1:09:17 - 1:09:24): She smiles at you, Jag.

DM (1:09:28 - 1:09:46): Are you going to let something as simple as what I am stand in the way of you obstructing the cult from consolidating more power?

Jaag (1:09:43 - 1:10:00): Absolutely not, absolutely not, but you're already putting my friends here under influence. I need to know why a vampire is asking us to go into this situation.

DM (1:10:01 - 1:10:09): I believe I told you the reason already I have lost touch with my contact.

DM (1:10:10 - 1:10:19): Also has use of you, I figure we can kill two birds with one stone.

DM (1:10:22 - 1:10:29): I am here as a representative of the Centaurum.

Kei (1:10:31 - 1:10:49): we've had a little bit of

Petra (1:10:44 - 1:10:58): Yeah. Oh, sorry. Yeah, we, sorry, we have had a bit of contact with them. I was, I was confused. I was thinking about Zental Keep. Yeah, I know the Zentiron. We know the Zentiron.

DM (1:10:54 - 1:12:22): So the Zhentarim were basically a, they're also known as the Black Network. Over the centuries, they have done quite a few things. In this current time in Faerun, the Zhentarim are basically like an umbrella paramilitary organization. They also control thieves' guilds and wizards' guilds throughout Faerun. They control black market trade routes. But they're not as the Black Network moniker really represents more of their past. Today, they're more of a, like a powerful, yeah, like a powerful paramilitary organization that has some political goal in most of the short coasts and the western heartlands. Now, in the Moon Sea area, Zhentarim is the birthplace of the Zhentarim. And Fland, about a century ago, was rebuilt by exiles. The Zhentarim is now a ruin. Exiles of the Zhentarim. So the Zhentarim have always had kind of a close relationship with the people who run the city of Fland.

Petra (1:12:24 - 1:12:33): Can I insight check to see if the Lord's sage seems to be under the same influence?

Petra (1:12:37 - 1:12:43): Is he operating of his own volition here, or is he just enthralled as well?

Kei (1:12:44 - 1:13:18): Well, the High Sage, he did say he is part of the, sorry, he is part of the Heralds, and the Heralds are notably, like, unbiased and sort of neutral in their alignments, so it's very possible that he's just chill with her. Yeah.

Petra (1:13:01 - 1:13:06): That's true, but if he's affected by it, he could be...

DM (1:13:01 - 1:13:24): So as far as you can tell, the Lord Sage, you don't see anything noticeable that tells you the Lord Sage is under her charmer or anything like that. His eyes are clear. He has not reacted at all to anything you guys have just said. He's kind of letting this play out.

DM (1:13:24 - 1:14:11): The Lord Sage speaks up and says, I...

Petra (1:13:29 - 1:14:06): Given the nature of perhaps your affliction, the Zhentarim's goals, we simply have a concern. We need to know that what we're doing is not harmful to the people of the Moon Sea. Can you give us that assurance?

DM (1:14:12 - 1:14:25): you my word that Welsey is here as a representative of the Zhentarim who is in alliance with those that were seen flying free.

DM (1:14:26 - 1:14:32): the maimed virulence and the hold of the cult of the dragon.

Petra (1:14:40 - 1:14:47): Can I insight check that comment?

DM (1:14:46 - 1:15:08): We can use the 16 that you got. There you go, 17. Look, he, again, he's speaking, there's a bit of authority in his tone. You're not picking up anything that's to suggest he's being compelled or, you know, doing anything against his will.

Kei (1:15:02 - 1:15:16): He's not sitting there with goofy heart eyes drooling over her like the rest of us are.

DM (1:15:10 - 1:15:20): In fact, he's not even looking at her. He's looking at the rest of you.

Petra (1:15:10 - 1:15:18): Is he speaking honestly and earnestly?

Lavinia (1:15:21 - 1:15:34): I think we can trust them better, ordinarily I would want to kill any vampire who has ill will against us, and these people seem on the level.

Tiz (1:15:30 - 1:16:51): um can i let me let me just because i'm charmed by her i trust her that's just kind of like well even if we are charmed i'm sure she's a nice person and i cast calm emotions on all of us is that allowed uh yeah we're we are uncharmed and it's okay i mean there wasn't any nice you you you you

Lavinia (1:15:57 - 1:16:04): Is that allowed? Yeah, yeah, it's interesting.

DM (1:16:03 - 1:16:14): the lord sage norwell see attempt to stop you i want you once you complete the spell what she says uh may i continue

Kei (1:16:05 - 1:16:34): Oh, yeah, no, I'm pissed off too.

Lavinia (1:16:21 - 1:16:42): I'll pull out my sword. And prepare to threaten. Yeah. Keithress and I are for a change as one on this.

DM (1:16:37 - 1:16:55): Lord Sage stands up and says, look, I understand this might be unusual to you, given the encounter you recently had, but we don't have time for this.

Kei (1:16:51 - 1:17:41): i will begrudgingly put an arm like put a hand on lavinia's shoulder and be like this might not be the place i really don't like that she charmed us i've got no problem with the zenta and personally i don't like that she charmed us because that's suspicious but we can get more information and then come back and kill her

Lavinia (1:16:53 - 1:17:03): You're right, we should kill her now. We can always follow up with her contact ourselves.

Lavinia (1:17:29 - 1:17:40): I kind of like hiss begrudgingly, but, you know, I let Keithless hold me back.

DM (1:17:30 - 1:17:43): He kind of smiles at that. He says, I'm always to blame for the weak of will.

Jaag (1:17:43 - 1:17:55): jeg speaks up and says look i can't blame someone for charming like i'm just charming all day long so i get it right but

Lavinia (1:17:48 - 1:17:56): I don't know.

Jaag (1:17:56 - 1:18:15): think we need to pay attention to the overall mission and decide is there something we want to do regardless of who's giving us the information i'm not charmed i'm happy to cut through at the moment it's a decent mission but most importantly of all we haven't discussed payment

Tiz (1:18:15 - 1:18:40): also do you know anything about the the cultist party that is gone that has been dispatched or did phil get anything phil rent open yeah

Kei (1:18:30 - 1:18:44): I'll run full-blown. I'll get your spelling of that. I'll get some spelling when you can for my notes.

DM (1:18:38 - 1:19:04): Unfortunately, all I was able to learn was he joined the group that was heading out. I do not know more than that, unfortunately. And she continues. So she starts making her way around the table.

Lavinia (1:19:03 - 1:19:21): Stay where you are. I hold up the sword again. I am going to attack her with the sword, Cathaless.

DM (1:19:08 - 1:19:15): He completely ignores you. Speaking of...

Tiz (1:19:14 - 1:19:26): I

Kei (1:19:16 - 1:19:39): Oh, no, we probably, hold on, the sage is not affected by charm because of calm emotions, and he trusts her, and the sage is really smart, smarter than both of us combined, most likely. So we should probably trust his judgment, for now.

Jaag (1:19:40 - 1:19:46): Okay. I'm not under a charm. I trust his judgment.

DM (1:19:45 - 1:19:52): She starts running her hands across your shoulders as she comes walking around, passing all of you.

Kei (1:19:52 - 1:20:21): I will... Bing. Nope. Nope. Consent is important.

Lavinia (1:19:52 - 1:20:06): deliberately move out of the way i'm not not i'm not letting this happen and i also grabbed his and pull her out of the way

DM (1:20:03 - 1:20:16): She stops behind Tiz's chair and attempts to run her hand through Tiz's hair.

Jaag (1:20:04 - 1:20:12): Jag turns around to me and says, normally I'm happy with a beautiful woman running her.

Lavinia (1:20:15 - 1:20:21): I smack her hands.

DM (1:20:19 - 1:20:27): You go to move and you find yourself stuck.

Lavinia (1:20:21 - 1:20:39): Find myself what, sorry? Stuck? I hiss in fury.

Kei (1:20:21 - 1:20:51): It's stuck.

DM (1:20:33 - 1:20:41): The Lord say he says, my apologies, but.

DM (1:20:42 - 1:20:52): can't do with any interruptions. Welsey, Welsey, please continue.

Lavinia (1:20:44 - 1:20:52): I knew we couldn't trust them.

Tiz (1:20:51 - 1:22:01): Yes. Yeah. Can I grab her wrist? Yeah, I'm going to try. Let's try athletics. Cut. I am really bad at rolling tonight, apparently. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

DM (1:20:52 - 1:21:20): his as she runs her hand through your hair she runs it down to your chest where she lifts up your your holy symbol uh for a moment uh giving it a bit of a consideration and she places it down kind of wipes your hands a little bit Lavinia she looks right at you

Lavinia (1:21:24 - 1:21:35): for it. Do it. Fuck her up! Fuck her up!

DM (1:21:31 - 1:21:42): i guess roll me a uh you do either sleight of hand athletics or acrobatics i suppose

Kei (1:21:35 - 1:22:01): Good go.

DM (1:21:54 - 1:22:09): go you reach the grab her hands and with this subtle speed that you you know faster than a blink of your eye she's already moved past you

DM (1:22:10 - 1:23:02): Also, as the Lord's sage has said, the area around the pyramid has been altered, as have the beasts and creatures that reside there. From what we know, most are quite benign, but some have become powerful as well as volatile. There is no telling what Yaris' research will have to say about any of this. It is my understanding he was an avid practitioner of trial and error. These new aberrations may not have anything to do with Yaris' foolery as well. My organization would highly value any specimens you can retrieve for us. This time she stops behind you, Kethalus.

DM (1:23:03 - 1:23:12): And as she passes her hand across your shoulders, she stops and runs both hands down your arms.

Kei (1:23:08 - 1:23:18): ah it's like twitches

DM (1:23:14 - 1:23:35): If you, right above your ear, she says, if you determine the source of the aberrations. The Black Network would also like you to stem it. She runs a hand up to your chin, Keethalus, and steers it up to look at her face.

Kei (1:23:32 - 1:24:13): Keithless is very very awkward right now I will pull my chin out of her grasp and that's about all I do because you've you've found Keithless's weaknesses is it's like some some lady starts doing something and he just shuts off has no idea what to do he's terrible at this

DM (1:23:35 - 1:23:50): And she gives you a kind smile. Not only would this be rewarded with gold, but I have my own way of rewarding those who've done me a great service.

DM (1:24:08 - 1:24:31): the lord sage gives another wet cough okay welsey i do believe they get the gist crawl enters and you know he never entered with your drinks crawl enters with a large bundle that he deposits on the table before quickly making his exit

DM (1:24:31 - 1:25:17): We have mounts available if you choose to leave straight from here. Our lone surviving member of the Shroud can get you out of the city through a tunnel under Valingan Cemetery. We will arrange for the mounts at the warehousing complex west of the city. If you need to head back to Ekter first, let him know he will be compensated for any mounts he can lend you. Lord Sage unwraps the bundle to reveal about 20 days of dried rations for you and unfurls a map of the northern Moon Sea area. He points out two routes. I'm going to take you to a map.

Kei (1:25:21 - 1:25:38): Yeah, the big overmat.

DM (1:25:42 - 1:26:00): You have two options for your way to the Isle. If you stay on the western side of the Stargenau, it is a four-day journey by Steed of Farmstead, he says pointing to a mark on the map.

Kei (1:25:56 - 1:26:08): Yep, that's it, the red dot.

DM (1:26:05 - 1:26:32): just north of the mark on the river denoting the isle. From there, you can secure river transport to the isle itself. The farmer there has made a good living ferrying doomed adventurers to the isle. Or, he runs his hand up the east side of the river, near the quivering wood.

DM (1:26:34 - 1:27:01): can ride to Cobbles Hill. From there, our agents can have a ferrier range to take you upriver. Cobbles Hill is the quicker route, but also the more dangerous. The cultists and the tiers have spread out to garrison and occupy all of the hub villages along the river. There will be a strong presence there.

Kei (1:26:55 - 1:27:38): well it sounds like time might be a little bit of the essence so unless it's like not a very big difference oh yeah what way will they be going have they left yet i i'm a little unclear on the the timeline the expedition have they like left the city yet or they are leaving the city

Kei (1:27:38 - 1:27:50): Yeah, that had left. Okay, cool. Yeah, in that case, we should probably go the faster way, I think.

Jaag (1:27:49 - 1:28:03): Um, excuse me, sorry to jump in here, but we haven't discussed the most important thing here. Have, are they aware of, yes, but are they aware of our day rate?

Kei (1:27:50 - 1:28:02): She already mentioned that she's going to pay us back with gold.

DM (1:28:04 - 1:28:25): laughed she said my ignorant half dragon i am a ranking member of the zentara name your price i assure you it will not be more than what i can meet

Kei (1:28:25 - 1:28:31): Yeah, well now you've just set him a fucking challenge, haven't you?

DM (1:28:36 - 1:29:04): I pledge to you as a base, no matter what occurs, if you return alive 1,000 gold pieces to be increased depending on, and she talks over you, Jack, depending on the level of success and the value of what you return with.

Jaag (1:29:04 - 1:29:13): That does not sound specific at all and 1,000 is not worth our lives at this point.

Lavinia (1:29:13 - 1:29:25): Jagged is pointless. She will offer you whatever you like. Lies are free after all.

Kei (1:29:28 - 1:29:46): We don't necessarily need bold and advance, but I will look at the sage and say, I don't suppose you've got any fantastical magic that could aid us on our journey, perhaps?

Kei (1:29:46 - 1:30:01): weapons uh better armor for for tiz i will gesture to tiz as i say it um i suppose you got a shiny magic bow

Tiz (1:29:56 - 1:30:05): She has slowly turned to Jag and he's just like nudging, ask her for some armor.

Kei (1:30:01 - 1:30:09): yeah yeah i said that i said that

Jaag (1:30:04 - 1:30:13): Okay. Okay. Vampire woman. Vampire woman.

DM (1:30:04 - 1:30:16): I'm sorry, we didn't prepare any weapons or armor for you.

Lavinia (1:30:14 - 1:30:21): I am of the leader of the centaurim. Nothing is outside my power.

Jaag (1:30:20 - 1:30:31): To be fair, that's a really good impression of what you just said.

Lavinia (1:30:31 - 1:30:38): Oh, okay. Well, I still say it in a very mocking tone.

DM (1:30:32 - 1:30:50): he looks back at you goes nothing is it whether i choose to give it or not another question

Jaag (1:30:48 - 1:30:54): Oh, we will need half of the payment up front as well.

Kei (1:30:58 - 1:31:17): I don't like you calling him a creature, that's a little racist.

DM (1:31:05 - 1:31:13): That's how all of you, all you agree with this creature.

Kei (1:31:19 - 1:31:25): as the guy who's the most undead racist of the lot.

Jaag (1:31:21 - 1:31:31): Jag is frantically gesturing behind his back to everyone nod. We're behind Jag.

Kei (1:31:25 - 1:31:58): I don't know, Jag, I might be behind you, but my my coin purse is kind of light at the moment. I would like to give it a quick appraisal.

Lavinia (1:31:28 - 1:31:46): oh yeah you know we can wait

DM (1:31:39 - 1:31:53): She reaches into a pouch on her belt and she pulls out a solid lump of platinum and just throws it on the table.

Jaag (1:31:56 - 1:32:07): While Aethlis is doing that appraisal, I look up and say, now let's discuss what you have in your vaults from an armor perspective.

DM (1:32:06 - 1:32:15): and nothing I can get to you quickly. And you need to go if you're going to catch the food.

Tiz (1:32:11 - 1:32:37): No, we should probably head out, we should, I mean, I know, but also there's corruption I am horrible at negotiations, yes.

DM (1:32:24 - 1:32:34): Look, the Lord says, I would request you real quickly as well. The Lord says, I request you.

Jaag (1:32:25 - 1:32:33): Look, you lot are crap at negotiation. Can you just let me do it?

Lavinia (1:32:28 - 1:32:37): I'll see you next time.

Jaag (1:32:34 - 1:32:46): Can you maybe let the charlatan do the negotiation for the group, maybe?

DM (1:32:39 - 1:32:54): the lord say the lord say puts his head in his hands and goes fate of the city rests upon these

Lavinia (1:32:39 - 1:32:49): please go go do it

Jaag (1:32:55 - 1:33:06): The fate of our party and the city relies on that member of our party, pointing at his, being adequately armoured.

DM (1:33:03 - 1:33:13): He slams his hand down on the table and says, You have been made an offer. It's either accepted or don't.

Jaag (1:33:12 - 1:33:22): Jag turns around, looks over his shoulder at the rest of the party and thinks, I don't think we're getting any armour, let's just take the platinum. Key Cliffs, how much is there?

Kei (1:33:21 - 1:33:30): Good question. Can I roll like an investigation or something like that to find out or do I just know?

Kei (1:33:30 - 1:33:35): A history of being a thief.

Kei (1:33:38 - 1:34:00): Disguise kit, poisoners kit, thieves tools. I do not have a jeweler's kit. Sorry, I said I don't have a jeweler's kit, because that would probably be the most useful. So probably just... no.

DM (1:33:42 - 1:33:53): give me an investigation well you can roll with your jewelers kit roll that with

DM (1:33:53 - 1:34:01): All right, roll investigation.

Lavinia (1:33:55 - 1:34:02): Do you have proficiency in it?

Kei (1:34:07 - 1:34:20): This is probably your half up front, Jack.

Jaag (1:34:16 - 1:34:22): Okay. All right. We'll take it and see if we can pick her up some armor on the way.

Kei (1:34:21 - 1:34:28): We might be able to kill someone and get some.

Jaag (1:34:23 - 1:34:35): Which way are we going? Yeah. Which way are we going? Are we going to take the ferry or are we going to take the steeds?

Lavinia (1:34:34 - 1:34:40): Cabal's Hill approach I think we were leaning towards.

Kei (1:34:37 - 1:35:11): Yeah, whatever the quicker one is. The Cobbles Hill, that was...

Jaag (1:34:39 - 1:34:46): Yeah, we've got Petra up front, so danger's fine.

Petra (1:34:44 - 1:34:56): Yeah. Plus, this is my stomping grounds, isn't it? I mean, you said it's more dangerous on the eastern side, but, you know, maybe I know it.

DM (1:34:50 - 1:34:59): Yeah close to it. And if you all recall you you all have been to Cobbles Hill before.

Jaag (1:34:59 - 1:35:09): I mean, this is sounding a bit like when I was told Woolloomooloo is dangerous and I came from Brixton.

Petra (1:34:59 - 1:35:07): long as there are no follow-up questions, yes, you recall.

DM (1:35:07 - 1:35:14): It was right before you entered the Dread Realm, you were in Cobbles Hill.

DM (1:35:19 - 1:35:30): Okay, so you guys head out in the night. Crawl escorts you down deep into like an under cell. Go ahead.

Lavinia (1:35:25 - 1:35:55): um i i would like to uh do something as we leave um which is uh you know i've been i've been kind of thinking about this a little bit for the last 30 seconds um which is just um my familiar i'd like to kind of leave it behind invisible as a spider to eavesdrop on this conversation after we leave

DM (1:36:01 - 1:36:12): But you're going beyond your ability to see or hear through its senses. So it's, I guess, when you recall.

Lavinia (1:36:08 - 1:36:24): Correct. I will, you know, re-summon it after, you know, a minute sort of thing to bring it back to me, to report in. You know, how long should I wait, guys? Like 10 minutes? 5 minutes?

Kei (1:36:23 - 1:36:48): or 10. I wouldn't bother any longer than that but I also probably wouldn't go any shorter. And what they do if they do notice is probably just as telling.

Lavinia (1:36:25 - 1:36:35): Yep. Yep. Yep. That's like 10 minutes.

DM (1:36:30 - 1:36:39): You are leaving this behind with two very powerful magic users.

Lavinia (1:36:38 - 1:36:55): Yeah, that's fine. Let's see if they notice. It is invisible. Yep. Yep.

DM (1:36:47 - 1:37:09): So as you make your way down, so the crawl takes you down into like an under cellar where a door opens and there is Cassit waiting for you. The former novice of the Church of Kellenwar who originally took you through the crypts.

Kei (1:37:10 - 1:37:22): I think Lavinia scared her off.

Lavinia (1:37:15 - 1:37:23): Oh, yeah, that's right. I remember her.

DM (1:37:18 - 1:37:28): You didn't catch her again at the end when you attacked Stajanogate. She was with the Blackfist.

Lavinia (1:37:26 - 1:37:36): Ah, yeah. Just the tour guide, right?

DM (1:37:29 - 1:37:54): So she leads you through this maze of corridors beneath the city. You're traveling for some time. In that time, the spider comes back to you. And you get its report.

DM (1:37:54 - 1:38:14): It says that the Lord Sage turned to the spider and addressed it directly, saying, I do hope your master and his friends take this a bit more seriously than they did the briefing of it.

Kei (1:38:14 - 1:38:34): Well, I'd have taken it more seriously from the start if we hadn't been charmed. That just screams bad actor. It's the kind of shit I'd do.

Lavinia (1:38:15 - 1:38:23): I tell the others that. I let them know that information.

Lavinia (1:38:25 - 1:38:51): Exactly. You cannot trust a vampire. They are evil, self-interested creatures. I can guarantee that that woman is getting something out of this and using us for her own ends.

Tiz (1:38:50 - 1:38:58): samples of corrupted samples of powerful magic.

Petra (1:38:56 - 1:39:06): she was aberrant specimens so I've missed what was the nature of the ring she asked us to get back

Kei (1:39:01 - 1:39:22): You can cast like magic sending messages, but only one way, like if you're wearing it, you can talk to them, but they can't talk back to you.

DM (1:39:15 - 1:39:30): She wants you to retrieve it or get Thylren out of there before the cultists realize what they're in. I'll reread to you what she said.

Kei (1:39:24 - 1:39:45): yes please yeah unless he's already been compromised in which case just get the ring back

DM (1:39:41 - 1:40:20): Um, yeah, she says, I, well, while the Lord Sage here simply wants to ensure that an enemy cannot either access the pyramid or for you to steal away with anything of value to them, I require you to intercept this party and rendezvous with Thylrin. If you discover that he's been exposed or killed even, whatever you do, make sure you get his ring back before the cult figures out what it is. Oh, and I should note, I, this was an important piece of information I should have told you before you decided to go, but you can still change your minds in the direction you take. They know that the cult is taking the overland route.

Lavinia (1:40:20 - 1:40:27): Which one is the Overland, the Isle?

Petra (1:40:26 - 1:40:34): But here's the deal. Are we actually, I'm not sure that we're in a race for the cult. I think we want to catch up to them, don't we?

Kei (1:40:29 - 1:40:46): Possibly, because we could just

Lavinia (1:40:30 - 1:40:55): and find this guy but ideally we get to the place first because they're going to turn up there anyway right and then we just you know investigate the place first and catch them as they're arriving that would be like yeah either way it would work right yeah yeah yeah

Petra (1:40:41 - 1:40:54): yeah yeah yeah we know where we know where they're going so yeah we may as well get there first yeah yeah yeah okay yeah we still want to go the quick way i think yeah

DM (1:40:54 - 1:41:09): So Kassik gets you through these corridors underneath the city. You're underneath for quite some time. To get you to the outskirts of the city. To mounts for each of you. Waiting.

Tiz (1:41:10 - 1:41:31): I take a moment to congratulate Cassit for her getting over her fear of the sores underneath the city. Because she ran away.

DM (1:41:25 - 1:41:39): And she smiles and she says, well, with everything we've been through, I'm not sure anyone has any time to be afraid anymore.

Lavinia (1:41:38 - 1:41:45): Exactly, and think of all the much worse things we have encountered down there.

Lavinia (1:41:47 - 1:42:09): Anyway, we must go.

Tiz (1:41:48 - 1:41:56): I can pick a turd. Bye!

Petra (1:41:50 - 1:42:02): Hi, dream of scary things. Hey, what are the mount? Because Petra only likes to ride giant badgers.

Petra (1:42:05 - 1:42:19): yes that would be good but in the interest of time I might climb on the human animal

Jaag (1:42:12 - 1:42:21): Hey, look, a battle badger, a battle badger on this journey would not go a mess.

DM (1:42:24 - 1:42:49): There's an old SNL skit commercial done in the style of an old 80s kids toy commercial. And it's battle equipment you can put on pet ferrets and cats and stuff and have them fight.

Kei (1:42:49 - 1:43:27): Excellent. Obviously. I think Etchro would not want to be on a battle ferret, because ferrets are known for killing and eating rabbits. Like, that's their number one most predator predator.

Jaag (1:42:50 - 1:42:59): hang on so we started out with a battle badger and now we've got a battle ferret is that what I'm hearing

Jaag (1:43:00 - 1:43:09): do. Hey, look, I'll take a giant battle ferret. That's fine. Ferrets are awesome.

Petra (1:43:18 - 1:43:33): Who's a rabbit? I'm a harringle. Well, hey, if you're lucky, you might get a taste of Petra's animal handling at some point in the future, but if you play your cards right.

Jaag (1:43:31 - 1:43:39): Hey, look, that's just a bit too kinky for my liking. Thank you very much.

DM (1:43:37 - 1:44:19): just heartbreaking my oldest daughter right she's living in this supervised living out west and there's one other person uh in the same program as her there they got a pet rabbit for the house right and the person that's staying with her you know uh quite same circumstances as my daughter he's got some really severe emotional um problems just absolutely loved having this rabbit consisted on taking it for walks so like they got it and everything and she was walks

Kei (1:44:14 - 1:44:29): I am already knowing that this is not going to end well.

DM (1:44:19 - 1:44:35): apparently there are things that are people were using to treat the area around to to keep away rabbits and this rabbit got

Kei (1:44:29 - 1:44:39): Myxomatosis, that is a terrible way, oh my god.

DM (1:44:35 - 1:44:41): It got an incredible infection from it. They had to put it down.

Kei (1:44:39 - 1:45:15): oh man oh fuck well like if if i'm correct because i used to have it so if i'm correct and i'm right in what it caught that is a brutal violent terrible ass way to go yeah it's yeah that would be oh man that's rough not vaccinatable

DM (1:44:43 - 1:44:52): and it is yeah my daughter handled it okay but apparently the other girl was just erect about it

DM (1:45:03 - 1:45:09): why they they put it down they said look they can't cure it it could be bad

Jaag (1:45:14 - 1:45:22): Yeah, no, my brother's rabbit growing up in the UK back in the 90s was vaccinated for myxomatosis.

Kei (1:45:16 - 1:45:31): they have one in they have they have it in the uk but not in australia not legal here yeah it's not legal here

Lavinia (1:45:24 - 1:45:31): It might be illegal in case they breed or something. I don't know.

Jaag (1:45:27 - 1:45:36): Oh, yeah. Oh, right. Yeah, that makes sense.

DM (1:45:31 - 1:45:40): that would that would be my knowledge to question i just heard this yeah all right

Kei (1:45:31 - 1:45:52): yeah no so if it was yeah brutal brutal disease um very contagious for rabbits very terrible way to go uh no no way around it in australia

Jaag (1:45:51 - 1:46:02): all right should we find our battle badger for our battle bunny

Lavinia (1:45:57 - 1:46:39): Oh my god, you're going to lose your hand That was great Thank you

Kei (1:45:58 - 1:46:06): she just gets, I'm pretty sure, unfortunately.

Petra (1:45:59 - 1:46:15): there's a bunny i don't see any bunnies around here now i will i will begrudgingly i'll begrudgingly ride the horse the bloody horse whatever fine it's fine it's fine okay it's just fine

Jaag (1:46:10 - 1:46:34): Jag walks up behind Petra ruffles her ears and goes of course not, no battle bunnies around here scritchy scritchy

Petra (1:46:20 - 1:46:29): She glared at you, but her foot is like tapping excitedly on the side.

DM (1:46:31 - 1:47:34): guys head off to Cabo's Hill. The first full day of travel is uneventful. The ride up, in fact, is eerily free of any traffic at all. You pass a few farmsteads and weigh stations, but with the intel you were given, know to give them a wide berth. The chimney smoke and distant sounds informs you these places are still populated and from all appearances still operating. You make your first camp under the eaves of the edge of the quivering wood. Careful to assure your campfire is adequately masked in easy detection. You are close enough to the road to hear any activity and would seem those running the show now prefer travel under the cover of darkness. The face is full of the sound of hooves and wheels making their way down to the city.

DM (1:47:35 - 1:47:44): guys uh when you make camp what kind of watches do you set

Kei (1:47:40 - 1:47:53): Yeah, we definitely take it in turns, probably in sets of two because there's enough of us.

Lavinia (1:47:51 - 1:47:59): Yep, and I can have the familiar just, you know, watch the whole time as well.

Jaag (1:47:57 - 1:48:06): Jag will take the first watch with anyone else that wants it.

Kei (1:48:05 - 1:48:39): I think if we're going to take watches in shifts and we're going to be specific about it, probably matching up a high perception and a low perception person together, so that way everyone's useful. All right, so more specifically, plus six would be definitely you. What gives you advantage?

Jaag (1:48:23 - 1:48:31): But I'm high perception. I've got plus six with advantage.

Jaag (1:48:37 - 1:48:43): I don't know, I've got a feat that gives me permanent advantage in perception.

Kei (1:48:41 - 1:48:50): Okay, I won't question that. So I've only got a plus three. Does anyone else have above a plus three?

Tiz (1:48:49 - 1:48:55): I'll go to plus full.

Kei (1:48:52 - 1:49:01): Alright, so Jag and Petra, sorry, Jag and Tiz have the highest. Does anyone have below a plus three?

Kei (1:49:02 - 1:49:28): Alright, cool. Jag and Lavinia should be together, because highest and lowest to counterbalance. And everyone else is close enough in perception that it probably doesn't matter. That might be different if Pug was here. I don't know what he's got, but he's not here, so it doesn't matter.

Tiz (1:49:02 - 1:49:13): That's such a bother thing.

Jaag (1:49:29 - 1:49:38): Though Jag looks knowingly at Lavinia and says, do you even need to sleep?

Lavinia (1:49:37 - 1:49:42): Yes, I need to sleep, just not breathe.

Jaag (1:49:42 - 1:49:48): Jack shudders and goes, fair enough.

Lavinia (1:49:55 - 1:50:02): Do we have one, two, three? Like three groups worth? Or am I...

Kei (1:50:07 - 1:50:40): There's three watches, so if the first one is Jag and Lavinia, that leaves Tiz, leaves Keepless, and that leaves Petra. That's only three people left. Yeah. Yeah. In that case, Jag, you take one by yourself, Lavinia and Tiz as the next highest, and then Petra and I will take one of the shifts. Yeah.

Lavinia (1:50:15 - 1:50:29): Oh, and Jagger's the highest should do the solo one, right? I mean, we've still got the familiar helping.

Jaag (1:50:31 - 1:50:37): My passive perception is 21 with advantage.

Lavinia (1:50:35 - 1:50:44): Oh, pretty good. Yeah, he'll be fine. Yeah.

DM (1:50:39 - 1:50:46): Jack, roll a perception check for me.

Tiz (1:50:39 - 1:50:50): Thank you very much.

Lavinia (1:50:47 - 1:51:07): how is it with an advantage and what is it plus eight or something jesus unluckiest role ever god damn

Jaag (1:50:49 - 1:50:56): Oh my God.

Jaag (1:50:59 - 1:51:07): Seriously, I rode a four.

Kei (1:51:03 - 1:51:16): After all of my strategic planning, you were too busy doing whatever the fuck.

Lavinia (1:51:08 - 1:51:23): the familiar where's the familiar can i roll for the familiar

Jaag (1:51:12 - 1:51:19): Yeah, please roll for the familiar and save my house.

DM (1:51:16 - 1:51:40): keep a watch of jag um but basically uh after a meal and you know you guys are kind of keeping the conversation to a minimum um and the rest of you go quickly off to get your rest while jag remains doing the watch and you know you know if if your familiar is doing a watch you can you can make it roll

Jaag (1:51:44 - 1:51:55): please forgive it's better it's better beats it beats an 11.

Lavinia (1:51:46 - 1:51:52): Barely better. Barely better. Still pretty great.

DM (1:51:47 - 1:52:25): so nothing nothing too serious about what happens there is right now like you're just like in the beginnings of the forest right not quite in the forest but you're not in open ground either you're just under the cover of some of some trees so you're a good ways off the road you can hear wagons and horses coming and going you can definitely hear the sound of what would sound like armored people moving you can hear

Jaag (1:52:22 - 1:52:29): Sorry, how strong is their armor? Does it sound like plate armor by each one?

Lavinia (1:52:26 - 1:52:47): we'll all rub our hands together metallic you say kind of heavy weighty perhaps

DM (1:52:28 - 1:52:40): It sounds metallic. It sounds metallic. Dad, what language is the difference?

Jaag (1:52:43 - 1:52:55): Oh, hang on. I speak common, draconic, thieves, thieves count, celestial and elvish.

DM (1:52:53 - 1:53:28): look you're too far away to make out like conversation or anything but you do make out a couple words uh that you hear being spoken or shouted and um there there are people speaking draconic on that road it's nothing enough for you to figure out like what's being said or or anything like that just you recognize snippets and you recognize the language other than that there's the you can attempt to you

Kei (1:53:18 - 1:53:30): if you want to.

DM (1:53:29 - 1:53:35): You'll be leaving your watch of the camp.

DM (1:53:35 - 1:53:50): You can't, well, you can't get familiar.

Lavinia (1:53:39 - 1:53:50): Yeah, yeah. We can ask him to. He does what he wants.

Kei (1:53:49 - 1:53:58): The familiar says that, too. He goes, I do it alone, and then it just stays where it was. It doesn't go anywhere.

Jaag (1:53:58 - 1:54:06): Yeah, can I stealthily move over just a little bit closer just to see if I can overhear what's being said?

DM (1:54:05 - 1:54:18): what's a little bit closer you are like okay let's get to the map here let's see there's a better

Lavinia (1:54:15 - 1:54:45): You find an armoured patrol. They look like this. Perfect size, it is.

Tiz (1:54:22 - 1:54:39): I love it. Can't take that armor, though. Don't do that.

Jaag (1:54:23 - 1:54:35): I'll see you next time.

Jaag (1:54:36 - 1:54:43): For so many reasons, I'm stealing that and sending that to my girlfriend.

DM (1:54:37 - 1:54:59): i i don't have a better i don't look i don't have a better uh map to show you the distance um but you would be you'd have to probably go like like over 100 feet away from where the camp is to get it get a look

Jaag (1:54:53 - 1:55:00): that's too far can't leave it unguarded yeah

Jaag (1:55:00 - 1:55:12): there's dragonborn on the road okay that's good enough intel i'll just sit there and wince

DM (1:55:11 - 1:55:45): Nothing other than that, you hear the sounds of the forest, right? So there's crickets, you hear bats and birds and the things that hunt or are active in the night. But your watch passes without anything else happening. I said you're rousing Lavinia and Tiz. You're going to get Petra. I thought Petra was third.

Petra (1:55:45 - 1:55:53): fuck up Jack I gotta look just like

DM (1:55:48 - 1:56:54): All right. Well, Petra, you're being kind of shook awake by Jag, the rest of you are sleeping. Petra, as your eyes open to kind of like, you know, your internal clock, it feels way too soon for you to be waking up. You can say something. When your eyes open, you're looking directly up. You can see Jag and you're looking up at like the branches of the tree you're sleeping under. There is a rather large owl sitting on one of the branches. And it starts giving off hoots as its head turns pointedly in a full 180 degree arc. It then looks down directly at you. It just makes eye contact with you. And before you can, you know, say anything to Jag or motion for, you know, that there's what's going on. The owl grows into the familiar form of Serenola the Whisperer.

Kei (1:56:53 - 1:57:08): Dag, you're terrible at keeping watch, I say sleepily as I wake up.

DM (1:56:55 - 1:57:01): Well, friends, she waves, dangling from her perch.

Jaag (1:57:05 - 1:57:12): Excuse me. I just identified an owl. Thank you.

DM (1:57:13 - 1:57:36): my friends and I will keep watching for you this night. I assure you if any of those damn cultists come close we will handle it. She says that she looks off to the road as she speaks as if she's using some keen sight to note what's happening there.

Kei (1:57:32 - 1:57:42): Well, I trust her. I roll back over and go to sleep.

DM (1:57:37 - 1:58:04): She then looks back down at you guys and says, When you near the village tomorrow, come to the wood. Do not attempt to enter the town from the road. The cult has recruited an orcs tribe. They're using them to bolster their numbers out here. There are many in town along with the cultists.

DM (1:58:04 - 1:58:24): captain named Kel, a friend of Truflann, will be taking you upriver. The plan is for his nephew, Briek, to get you into the village unnoticed. Come to the northern gate just after sundown and wait out for sight of him.

Petra (1:58:27 - 1:58:37): say uh you have our thanks serenola and we will we will uh be there

DM (1:58:43 - 1:58:53): She quickly forms back into an owl and remains at her perch above your camp.

Kei (1:58:53 - 1:59:05): Oh yeah, we're going to end.

Petra (1:59:00 - 1:59:13): so whoever was on next watch i'll just let them know like wake them up let them know and let them decide for themselves but but i sort of think we can all go back to sleep

Kei (1:59:11 - 1:59:55): Oh, let me.

Tiz (1:59:37 - 2:00:00): What are we fighting against? Okay. Like the flaming shield.

DM (1:59:45 - 1:59:53): said that amongst the cultists, they've been reinforced by a group of orcs in the village.

DM (2:00:04 - 2:00:14): She said an orc tribe, but she had mentioned a specific tribe.

Petra (2:00:12 - 2:00:29): I see. All right. And she said, like, when we get to the village, peel off the road and come to the forest. But then she also said, meet at the gate of the village at sundown.

DM (2:00:35 - 2:00:54): So a keelboat captain named Kel will be taking you upriver. The plan is for his nephew Briak to get you into the village unnoticed. Come to the northern gate just after sundown and wait for a sight of him.

Kei (2:00:48 - 2:01:06): All right, can do, yeah.

Petra (2:00:57 - 2:01:10): like the the the point she's making is bypass the village completely just uh uh get get to the village meet the uh boat captain and and continue up river from there

Lavinia (2:01:08 - 2:01:31): Yep, love it.

Petra (2:01:10 - 2:01:21): okay all right well we'll uh i suggest we proceed to the city and do what she said i mean

DM (2:01:22 - 2:01:35): so look it's it's basically a full day's travel um you guys stay clear of the road and stay close to the forest as you ride up

Petra (2:01:36 - 2:01:42): Absolutely. I'm keen to be under the eaves of the forest.

DM (2:01:41 - 2:01:55): Okay. So you approach Cobbles Hill late in the day. Is there any deviation from what she has said? Do you head into the wood and come around to the northern part?

Kei (2:01:41 - 2:01:58): We do exactly what she told us.

DM (2:01:57 - 2:02:43): okay as sun as the sun lowers uh and evening uh begins at the appointed time a little side sally part opens on the northern edge of the village facing the wood it's just as the sky darkens enough for the first few twinkling of stars to appear moon is in view against the clear blue sky uh dark blue darkening blue sky sitting serenely over the spires of the mountains far to the north

DM (2:02:43 - 2:03:05): small boy wearing a red cloak and a large rucksack attached to his belt steps out of this little door. He looks towards the wood and takes his cloak off, wrapping it around a staff, and then waves it several times in the air and then waits for your approval.

Tiz (2:03:05 - 2:04:50): um just before while we were waiting could i have please cast um sorry prayer of healing um before we we're going into enemy territory um so i just wanted to cast because it takes nine minutes sorry it takes 10 minutes yeah um so everyone gets an extra nine hit points yeah um no two temporary um um short breaths and also again two d8 hit points oh damn yeah that works as well i thought it was on damn i thought it was or is it aid yeah eight is max max hp i think i wanted to cast aid sorry wrong one yeah which is everyone gets an extra five um hit points your maximum hit points are increased by five uh total yeah eight hours yes eight hours you you you you you you you

Lavinia (2:03:55 - 2:04:12): Oh, wait. Well, if you're going to do this and it gives me the short rest, I'll give you some death wards. Or you can just not cast it if you don't want to do it.

Lavinia (2:04:14 - 2:04:21): 8 is temp, yeah, I think. Or 8 is max HP actually.

Lavinia (2:04:47 - 2:05:18): I'd suggest you be careful about how you do that like don't override your max HP and forget how to do it yep

Tiz (2:04:50 - 2:05:06): There is no... Yeah. Yeah, I'm just putting it right there.

DM (2:04:50 - 2:04:56): your current hit points increased by 5. Okay.

Kei (2:05:01 - 2:05:13): Uh, I've decided to just put it in temp because I don't trust myself. Yeah.

DM (2:05:02 - 2:05:09): Just put the five in parentheses or make it five, ten hit points.

DM (2:05:16 - 2:05:31): Alright, so as you near, he smiles, he puts his finger to his mouth, and whispers, Leave your mounts here. I will stable them once we've secured you away.

DM (2:05:37 - 2:06:11): So, he begins to take you around the wall of the village, hugging the palisade towards the river. Two orcs with shields, emblazoned with a burning banner, lie at the main gate of this northern end of the village, intentedly snoring, flipped over jugs lay beside them. No tolerance, the brutes, Reek points with a mischievous smile.

Lavinia (2:06:11 - 2:06:17): burning banner we saw last time or a new one?

DM (2:06:15 - 2:06:23): do recognize the insignia yes as the orcs you encountered at kingspire

Lavinia (2:06:17 - 2:06:28): oh good call whoever that was was that you tis yeah good call good call

DM (2:06:27 - 2:06:51): On the other side of the wall, chimney smoke and some glow of firelight rise overhead. The rowdy noise of a full tavern, muted but distinct, suggesting despite the occupation, the leaky bucket is in full swing.

DM (2:06:52 - 2:07:02): They've taken to keeping only a few guards on the gates at night. The rest of them get right soused at the inn.

Kei (2:06:55 - 2:07:09): works out well for us.

DM (2:07:03 - 2:07:23): the docks are guarded and he explains this crouching as he moves against the wall but i'm going to take you down over the rocks where the fishermen keep their skiffs uncle boat uncle's boat is on the last dock closest to them

DM (2:07:23 - 2:07:42): And just as he states, he takes you to a point where the land descends from a rocky ledge to a sandy shoreline. Several skiffs are tucked up onto the beach and nets lay stretched out and weighted down or rolled up into the side.

DM (2:07:42 - 2:09:09): Riek unfurls a rope ladder hidden in the edge of the brush and hurries you down. You are just to the north of a raised stone platform with three separated docks reaching out to the river's end. The two furthest away have small barges or runabouts tied up. The dock closest to you extends the furthest out, and the Arbitest, a keelboat, large for a river craft, obs with the courage tied up to the dock. Aside from a few tarped crates and barrels, the stone platform is bare. At the stair lead to the village, two orcs cross-legged, their spears resting against the wall as they play either bones or dice. They do not seem too interested in the stillness of the river. Riek takes you to the edge of the platform, and he gets up to the top step and lays down, peering down the platform. He waves for you to go to the boat. It will require wading into the river a short way, but there is ribbed netting over the side that you were meant to do. I think I have a map. It's been a while since I built this. There we go.

DM (2:09:37 - 2:09:46): look i just put this map out so you can you can kind of get the idea so there are two orcs over here

DM (2:09:47 - 2:09:56): You guys are here, Kuriak is here, and the kill boat is here.

DM (2:09:58 - 2:10:06): We were meant to wade through the water and climb up the netting of the boat.

Kei (2:10:01 - 2:10:13): I mean that sounds easy enough to me but

Lavinia (2:10:09 - 2:10:21): Yep, sounds good.

DM (2:10:15 - 2:10:25): Okay, so I'm going to need stealth rolls from everybody.

Kei (2:10:16 - 2:10:49): Yeah, um, so, so I will put my hood up so I have advantage on this stealth roll, and then... ... ... ...

Lavinia (2:10:23 - 2:10:42): Our specialty. I don't think we even need to roll. You know, it's going to be so good.

DM (2:10:31 - 2:10:38): I need everyone to roll, and we'll take the average.

Jaag (2:10:33 - 2:10:42): After my last talk-up, I'm not risking it. There we go.

Jaag (2:10:46 - 2:10:54): I get advantage of mine. There we go. It doesn't matter. Gee, look at that.

DM (2:10:51 - 2:10:57): All right. Is that Jag? You rolled a stealth 20?

Tiz (2:10:55 - 2:11:01): I am so glad you guys are rolling so high.

Lavinia (2:10:59 - 2:11:16): Let me fix that for you.

Jaag (2:11:02 - 2:11:09): Let me know.

Tiz (2:11:05 - 2:11:12): Same! Coom, coom, coom, coom.

DM (2:11:06 - 2:11:16): H 2621 at 11, 17, 17, 17, 18.

Jaag (2:11:15 - 2:11:25): You just know that both me and Keith List are just leaning over our shoulders at Lavinia and Tiz, just going,

Lavinia (2:11:20 - 2:11:39): I'm like a cat in the water I'm like

DM (2:11:31 - 2:11:59): One by one, you all start moving out off the beach into the small lapping current onto the sandy little shore there, making your way over to the side of the boat and start climbing up. Now, look, it's very easy as far as the DC. I need athletics or acrobatic checks for everybody.

Kei (2:11:47 - 2:12:39): Okay, alrighty, get rid of my head, cause I don't.

DM (2:12:13 - 2:13:21): guys, it wasn't a skill challenge. You guys all did well. Alright, so I'll show you a picture. You scale up the side of the Arbitus, which is uniquely shaped. The long swoop of a longboat with a steeply raised aft deck. There are two stairs, port and starboard, leading up to it, framing a wide stair in the middle, leading down to the belly of the boat. A single mass pole sits in the middle of the deck. The boat was obviously built for cargo, but its longboat like design gives it a shallow draft. There are holes dot in the gun walls, but you do not see any oars. Rather, long poles tied up to the inner wall of the deck. Tie down tarps cover various equipment and barrels in a few places, and great spools of thick rope heavily rest fore and aft. A tanned and weathered river man is on the deck.

DM (2:13:23 - 2:14:33): He greets you quietly as you come aboard. James Cel, welcome aboard the Arbitus. Quickly, quickly, down to the hold. Hot food, and hopefully a comfortable enough space for you. Hides you down a wide stair into the hold of his small riverboat. The smell of old fish, or at least the absorbed aroma of the constant presence of fish, chokes the air. You get used to it, he says. The space is tight, with five of you now in the belly of the ship. Barrels, nets, hooks, cages, and other various containers and equipment take up most of the space, especially along the walls. You can see there's a space under the stair with several more secured barrels. There is a short entrance way into the bow area of the hold, with at least a little open space and a single hammock stretched at the bow tip. But apologies, I do not host guests very often. I do not host guests very often.

DM (2:14:34 - 2:15:01): will have to wait until just before dawn to depart if we manage to slip away tonight unnoticed as soon as we're discovered to be stopped in the river or I'll face questioning upon my return the commander is this foul half dragon named Firthak an unholy spawn of that lizard in Vallebo

DM (2:15:01 - 2:15:55): It has become commonplace as an everyday way to show resistance to the main virulence, to refer to it as that dragon, or lizard, or some other such lessening term. Anything but either of his common names. And Kel continues, This Verthak, a ripe bastard, commands the company of the burning banner orcs. They may not look like much, but they're disciplined for those beasts. Verthak makes all the boats at port log our voyages for approval. Even the locals and the little skiffs all have to get approval. Any deviation from what's been logged is, I suppose, questioned is the word. It doesn't do the experience justice.

DM (2:15:55 - 2:16:04): free to use the hammock. I'll stay in town tonight and return by an hour before dawn.

Kei (2:16:11 - 2:16:32): No, I think that was.

Tiz (2:16:16 - 2:17:03): I was going to say, was he telling us that they don't refer to the dragon as their full name, as their name? Was he referring to the dragon as its name, rather than in derogatory terms? Okay. Yeah. Because you said Verve Vak a couple of times and I thought, hmm. Oh, okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.

Lavinia (2:16:17 - 2:16:25): We just got some time to kill. Sorry, you go, Tiz.

Kei (2:16:43 - 2:16:56): oh that was the name of the dragonborn that's like in charge here

DM (2:16:56 - 2:17:02): He says,

DM (2:17:02 - 2:17:11): An unholy spawn of that lizard in Valjeva.

Tiz (2:17:10 - 2:17:28): Oh, okay. Yeah, so they're calling the dragon that lizard. Okay. I've got a bit confused, sorry.

Kei (2:17:49 - 2:17:58): you thought we were going to fuck around for another session

DM (2:18:14 - 2:18:22): take you to a map i got a bunch of you on there but i don't have

DM (2:18:24 - 2:18:35): i win how long ago i built this shit all right jag let's get your show let's find you

Lavinia (2:18:41 - 2:19:11): if we're kind of waiting around for a couple of hours I can throw some death wards up on people how yep is he and when did he say he was coming back like how long in the

Tiz (2:18:54 - 2:19:01): That would be handy.

DM (2:18:58 - 2:19:06): uh well you are it's it's night and he's leaving you there

Lavinia (2:19:11 - 2:19:24): Oh, okay. So we should probably just long rest and wake up early or whatever.

Kei (2:19:17 - 2:19:34): yeah uh sleeping shifts yeah i would i would be suggesting sleep keeping keeping track keeping watch and stuff

Tiz (2:19:28 - 2:19:44): Yeah, and in the morning before he comes back, I'll put the 5 extra HP back on everyone because, yeah.

Lavinia (2:19:36 - 2:19:48): Love it. Yep. Yes.

Kei (2:19:43 - 2:19:54): I could if I shut Kale, Sel, Kel, whatever his fucking name is, left that open. Yes.

DM (2:19:53 - 2:20:07): Okay, so where I have you all right now, that's like the main hold. You can see the stair leading up. So there's all barrel nets and other equipment around. And then there's like a little room in here that has a hammock.

Kei (2:20:07 - 2:20:29): It's just us.

Petra (2:20:16 - 2:20:26): Well, perhaps who else is on board? Just.

Kei (2:20:31 - 2:20:44): We're not moving into the morning.

DM (2:20:33 - 2:20:40): tied up he said he'll be back he'll be back before dawn and you'll be you'll depart just around dawn

Petra (2:20:40 - 2:21:14): so we've been maneuvered um not that i don't trust if i was a mistrustful person we've just been maneuvered by strangers on board a ship and left alone it does seem a bit uh potentially suspicious let's just uh post our normal watch but they they go up on deck and just watch to the east and the west um especially the the town side um we're just kind of like these people seem untrustworthy but we're just set up for an ambush i don't like it

Petra (2:21:18 - 2:21:24): So let's do the same watch as last time I suggest, but those that are on watch go up on deck.

DM (2:21:34 - 2:21:43): So Jag first, then Lavinia and Iz, and then Petra and Kipolis.

Lavinia (2:21:42 - 2:21:48): And I'm doing the familiar with Jack.

DM (2:21:48 - 2:22:01): familiar jack okay so first things first uh heading up on to deck i need a stealth check

Lavinia (2:22:03 - 2:22:11): Do you want the imp to roll if it's invisible?

DM (2:22:23 - 2:23:41): look you got a lot of sounds coming from town right right now it's you know it's the early part of night everyone else is down below getting their rest uh it's dark the sky is filled with stars let's go back to i just need to see it so you don't need to be on there okay so um there is kind of like a rocky uh like kind of ledge that the village is built upon um up from the uh um the beach you can't really see over it and there's walls but you do see lights coming from the village and the sounds uh so it does sound like uh you know there is quite a bit an active nightlife in this village uh the two orcs that are keeping watch at the bottom of the stair really don't seem really interested in anything at all other than their gambling um not really looking out at over any of the boats not really being very attentive and your watch comes and goes without event lavinia and his

Kei (2:23:33 - 2:24:14): Iz does not want to roll that disadvantage still.

Tiz (2:23:39 - 2:25:00): If I just stick my little head out, will I have to roll stealth? Can I stay inside the ship? Okay. Yeah, I don't want to roll stealth. Do you want to roll? Can I give Lavin your advantage instead? Guide. Yeah, I was going to say I give you guidance. And also, like, can I look out? I give Lavin your guidance and I stay close to the door. I try to stay as inside of the hold as possible. Or just roll around on the ground so no one... I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. You

DM (2:23:45 - 2:23:53): uh well you said let me stick your little head out out of where you have to walk up the stair

DM (2:23:56 - 2:24:05): you want to sit i mean it's not i don't care lavinia you'll go up on deck and and tizzle to stay awake down below

Lavinia (2:24:04 - 2:24:17): guess so yeah yeah we can we can split it i got i got better stealth but worse worse perception

Lavinia (2:24:18 - 2:24:34): emotional support

Kei (2:24:25 - 2:24:35): explaining to her how to look

DM (2:24:57 - 2:25:10): I'll say Lavinia is rolling and then communicating to you anything. You're down there. You can wake everyone up in case there's trouble.

Tiz (2:25:03 - 2:25:54): yeah um i do give lavinia guidance before she goes out you have guidance not that it will help and advantage no sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry You

DM (2:25:29 - 2:25:38): So you creep up onto the deck and give me a perception check.

Lavinia (2:25:42 - 2:25:55): Eight.

DM (2:25:55 - 2:26:02): You're up on the deck, you're hiding, trying to be observant.

DM (2:26:05 - 2:26:23): of you kind of get distracted we'll moon out some kind of large winged creature off in the distance somewhere catches your eye as it flies across the moon

DM (2:26:25 - 2:26:33): That's when you hear some loud complaining. What languages do you speak?

Lavinia (2:26:30 - 2:26:41): Um, common, common sign language, infernal and undercommon.

DM (2:26:40 - 2:27:05): Okay, it's not in a language you understand, but it does snap you to attention when you look over to what appears to be now two different orcs sitting down by the stair as the two orcs who were there are walking up the stair. It appears to be there is a changing of the guard.

Kei (2:27:03 - 2:27:22): We can hardly see the part, yeah.

Lavinia (2:27:04 - 2:27:11): It's like, you know, on the docks or whatever. It's not our boat.

Lavinia (2:27:13 - 2:27:18): Sorry, what? So they're climbing onto our boat.

DM (2:27:13 - 2:27:23): i'm not on the map you're not no no they're at the stair leading up into the village

Lavinia (2:27:22 - 2:27:32): Okay, okay. Yep, yep. So that's fine.

DM (2:27:48 - 2:27:54): Okay, Petra and Keith Lewis, what do you guys do?

Kei (2:27:48 - 2:28:10): all right well i'll go out onto the onto the dock because i have advantage of stealth uh not onto the dock onto the top of the boat is what i meant roll roll a stealth

Petra (2:28:12 - 2:28:18): Well, if I'm armoured, I've got disadvantage on stealth. Should I risk it?

Kei (2:28:17 - 2:28:32): I've got a really high slot though, on average. Yeah, my perception's a plus three. I think we're both going to be roughly the same on perception.

Petra (2:28:27 - 2:28:44): Yeah, we'd just double the opportunity if I was up there too, but I'll follow Tiz's lead and just stay armoured.

Kei (2:28:39 - 2:28:54): Just get, like, on the ground and just, like, really slowly inch your way up, creepy crawling, super slow so you don't make any noise. Take 20 minutes to do it.

Tiz (2:28:46 - 2:29:25): can I give guidance on my way to bed is that possible yeah yeah oh no well you can keep it it doesn't have to be for the next one does it or must it be for the next yeah okay

Kei (2:28:57 - 2:29:02): you need to concentrate, doesn't guidance only last a minute?

Kei (2:29:13 - 2:29:26): No, doesn't guidance just last a minute? Yeah, so I'm going to be receiving for the next several hours.

Kei (2:29:31 - 2:29:38): So I'm going to go up onto the deck and I roll a 17.

DM (2:29:42 - 2:29:52): yeah okay all right so you if you manage to creep up onto deck give me a perception check

Kei (2:29:45 - 2:29:59): All right, the problematic perception, 16.

DM (2:29:59 - 2:30:13): Okay, so you guys watch last just as, you know, the hours start slowly getting towards dawn.

DM (2:30:16 - 2:30:51): sky begins to lighten a little bit the orcs that were laying there would fall on fast asleep wake up and move up the stairs uh into the village maybe 30 minutes to an hour later hell comes walking down those stairs down the platform and towards the orbitus you are you remaining on on on the top of the deck you

Kei (2:30:50 - 2:31:06): uh no i'll sneaky sneak my way back down uh midway down the stairs so that i can sort of meet him as he comes in and sees us uh but that way i'm out of view of everyone not on the boat

DM (2:31:14 - 2:31:27): Okay. So he hops on to the deck and sees you there at the stair and goes, puts his finger to his lips to tell you to be quiet.

Kei (2:31:23 - 2:31:40): I give him a thumbs up and I give him a thumbs up and I do that.

DM (2:31:28 - 2:31:33): Motions for you to get down the stairs.

DM (2:31:35 - 2:31:57): Okay, up above, it sounds like he's busy getting to work, getting the boat prepared. You guys can hear him shuffling about, going about his labors. Now I need everyone to roll perception checks.

Tiz (2:31:57 - 2:32:04): Can I cast 8 as soon as we wake up please?

DM (2:32:10 - 2:32:19): Yeah, it was really good. I live in E07. So one, two, three, four.

DM (2:32:25 - 2:32:31): What's the average there? That's 39.

Tiz (2:32:48 - 2:33:01): who has the lowest health out of all of us because i just realized that's only up to three creatures okay so why

DM (2:32:53 - 2:33:09): Okay, so while you guys are waiting down there, yeah, I can hear it, listening to Kel moving about above deck.

DM (2:33:10 - 2:33:23): Amidst the distorted, reverbering sounds, you hear someone call out to him in a raised voice, and Kelv respond.

DM (2:33:25 - 2:33:57): It's a bit distorted, but it sounded, you know, a bit like common. You're having a hard time making out full words, full sentences, but yeah, it sounded enough like common. After a brief quiet, Kel has stopped moving above deck, he'll stop making noise above deck, you hear the sound of several boots on the deck.

Kei (2:33:45 - 2:34:54): all right hold on hold on hold on i can all right mine's a longer list i've got thieves can't common abyssal elvish orc and infernal nice i yep

DM (2:33:59 - 2:34:17): There is one main other voice speaking in common to Kel, and then another language to which you hear responses in that other language. So what language does everybody speak?

DM (2:34:30 - 2:34:36): Okay, so Keith Liss, you can tell that the other language is Orcish.

DM (2:34:37 - 2:34:45): You can only make out snippets of what's being said in either language.

DM (2:34:45 - 2:35:03): Kel says something like, warm a bed. The other voice says something to the effect of the walls and the stables. You hear Kel say, good lad.

Kei (2:34:54 - 2:35:43): All right, I will whisper that along to my companions and tell them to shut the fuck up, be quiet. Shh. Is there anywhere to hide down here in this place?

DM (2:35:04 - 2:35:11): And something along the lines of what do you expect and quota.

DM (2:35:12 - 2:35:19): The other voice says, shortfall, unauthorized.

Kei (2:35:45 - 2:35:57): Yeah, maybe we should get out of sight in that room.

DM (2:35:51 - 2:36:04): you hear the final thing why even pretend to ask and the other voice in Orkish search the boat

DM (2:36:07 - 2:36:55): So, you look around, try to find places to hide. In the main hold, there isn't much you can do. There are barrels and sacks that you could attempt to hide behind or under, but anyone medium-sized would not be well protected. Under the stair could fit Petra and one additional medium-sized person, but again, this may not hold up well. There are a few empty barrels. Petra, or un- or lightly armored medium creatures, can attempt to hide in them. The hammock room would take you out of view of the main hold, offers nothing to hide behind. Yeah.

Lavinia (2:36:08 - 2:36:17): Let's hide and ambush him.

Lavinia (2:36:51 - 2:37:15): question um can i can we all get into the hammock room and can i minor illusion a wall over the door

Kei (2:36:57 - 2:37:39): No way of knowing. Yeah.

Tiz (2:37:08 - 2:37:37): If they've seen the room before? Wait, no, they haven't. They haven't seen the hall before, have they? I don't know. I'm going to try. Yeah, that's true.

Lavinia (2:37:16 - 2:37:35): I don't know. They might've, but either way, you know, they're going to go, they're going to go, where's this, where's the door gone? Let me go like stumble into this five people who are about to stab me in the face.

Petra (2:37:33 - 2:37:49): Question. Based on the look of the design, it looks like the only ways in and out are the stairs, and then there's an opening down to the hold from the deck. Is that the reality of the situation?

Kei (2:37:40 - 2:38:15): So, upper deck.

Petra (2:37:54 - 2:38:10): So it looks like the only ways in and out of the room we're in are the stairs, but also above our heads in the centre of the room is a sort of an opening to the upper deck that I can see on the upper deck map. Is that correct?

Lavinia (2:38:12 - 2:38:21): we can see both sides. We can see where we are and we can see the other map.

Kei (2:38:18 - 2:38:32): yeah there's like this weird uh hold on I'll print screen and show you what we can see it's a weird arc in the lighting

Lavinia (2:38:28 - 2:38:46): It just got a little bit darker, but we can still see it. I don't know. I thought we were supposed to see it because we like came in that way.

DM (2:38:32 - 2:38:39): How can you see that? You've got dynamic lighting going on.

Tiz (2:38:36 - 2:38:44): I've just been ignoring it.

Kei (2:38:39 - 2:39:01): Yeah, I don't know.

Petra (2:38:50 - 2:38:56): that weird arc of where the shadow stops.

Lavinia (2:38:54 - 2:39:13): oh yeah i found it there's a fucking it's this guy i found i got another lavinia like 20 meters off the bottom left of the map yeah i found see i just hey here it is can you see it

Lavinia (2:39:13 - 2:39:45): it was like down it was like i had to like drag select all oh there's another person over here what is this what's this thing who's this oh it's whim i found a whim okay now we can't see the other map well there's sort of a hole through here but pretty much we can't see the other map or at least i can't

DM (2:39:38 - 2:39:51): it okay but yes there is that kind of lattice grading at the top in the middle of it it's a bit thicker where that's where the mass is sticking up

Petra (2:39:49 - 2:40:15): Yeah, no worries. So, my question is, how high is the ceiling in the room we're in? And the reason I ask is, if that grill was opened, obviously people can get in by jumping down, but do we reckon people could get out again through that same grill, either orcs or us, if we get out that way?

DM (2:40:16 - 2:40:30): look there does not appear to be a stair of any kind um this is a hold you're thinking that's like where fish get dumped down and then maybe pulled out by nets and stuff

Petra (2:40:29 - 2:40:42): I guess the reason I'm asking is if people came down the stairs and we ambushed them and we blocked off the stairs, they're trapped in here with us, right? There's a grill above, but they probably can't really get out that way.

DM (2:40:40 - 2:40:52): It's about, look, it's like maybe 12 to 15 feet above you. Yeah, it wouldn't be like a full 15 feet, I don't think.

Petra (2:40:51 - 2:41:08): okay well i mean we're pretty capable i reckon we'd let them come down and uh and then just like block off the stairs they're trapped in here with us and uh top left corner

Tiz (2:41:06 - 2:42:05): I like the idea of the, let's all hide in the hammock room. We could come touch me out, right? Oh, we kill one dude, and then we, what's it called? Pup, cure him up? Yeah, disguise him up and bring him back up. Yeah, hi, I'm fine, guys.

Kei (2:41:17 - 2:42:01): yep i'm gonna be quite far back ready to super bow anything yeah i'm kind of going for the we might not need to get into combat at all with potentially that's my strategy that's that's what i'm thinking

Petra (2:41:24 - 2:41:35): Then we'll be trapped in there. I guess we'll be trapped in the bigger room. All right.

Lavinia (2:41:29 - 2:41:51): well i think if they send down someone to investigate we kill them and then they send down the next guy to see what the original guy was doing and we kill them we just keep repeating

DM (2:42:18 - 2:42:28): And Lavinia, you're casting Minor Illusion.

Lavinia (2:42:22 - 2:42:31): Yep, just going to turn this door into a wall, basically.

DM (2:42:33 - 2:42:41): delusion against a creature takes a study action to examine the sounder image creature manager okay

DM (2:42:49 - 2:43:06): roll me stealth checks now this is not uh um you know for moving stealthily this is like a hiding action it's basically you know to be quiet and see if anyone sneezes or makes noise or anything

DM (2:43:29 - 2:43:48): back so you all huddle into this little room uh Lavinia you cast minor illusion for this um um a wall covering you guys can you guys see out of it

Kei (2:43:49 - 2:43:54): I think we can because we know that it's an illusion.

Lavinia (2:43:50 - 2:44:03): Basically, if people, yeah, if you know it's an illusion, the illusion becomes faint to you.

Kei (2:43:58 - 2:44:18): so like we can see out of it but i'd say that the vision's probably like distorted like fuzzy like it's not clear yeah so there's like

Lavinia (2:44:04 - 2:44:24): I just assumed it was like a hologram that you were kind of like seeing through, you know?

DM (2:44:14 - 2:45:00): So you see two orcs come down the stair. They check under the stair, the barrels around there, and they start kind of shaking them and stuff. And they turn to everything in the hold. They're kicking over barrels. One barrel, it kicks over, just like salt, like curing salt, just pours out. Another barrel, it kicks over, and it like sloshes, and you see water spill everywhere. They're lifting their nets. They're kind of rolling tarps. And they are just popping the room. I'm going to roll stuff.

DM (2:45:49 - 2:45:57): coming so what's the for the investigation what do they got to get

Lavinia (2:45:57 - 2:46:13): uh if they're sort of examining the image they can determine it's an illusion with an investigation check against my spell save dc dc which is 17.

DM (2:46:15 - 2:47:10): yep okay so they're moving through this hold kicking things about knocking things over um sticking their their their blades into like wound up nets and tarps and things like that this one comes to here and it comes over to here and just kicks a barrel that goes right through your illusory wall knocking into you and bouncing out and both orcs just immediately give these snarls and you can tell they can now see you as your wall disappears i rolled a natural 20.

Kei (2:46:35 - 2:46:55): Fuck.

Lavinia (2:47:07 - 2:47:18): Oh, we kill him.

Kei (2:47:07 - 2:47:14): Nice. Congratulations, but also that's annoying.

DM (2:47:14 - 2:47:20): All right, let's roll some initiative.

DM (2:47:22 - 2:47:29): 11-23, do you guys want to do this fight or do you want to save this for when...

Lavinia (2:47:27 - 2:47:34): I could do one round of combat, and then I'd maybe call it.

Kei (2:47:32 - 2:47:49): I'm not sure what about you, you're very often the one that needs to be a responsible adult who goes to bed. Why did mine not count? I clicked on myself so many times.

Lavinia (2:47:48 - 2:48:04): unselected yourself

Tiz (2:47:48 - 2:47:55): problem

Petra (2:47:53 - 2:47:58): Yeah, you either did it too much or not enough.

Kei (2:47:58 - 2:48:06): All right, my initiatives are 20, so you've got to add that in as well.

Tiz (2:48:01 - 2:48:20): Absolutely.

Kei (2:48:20 - 2:48:31): think but that won't happen much like I won't remember to pre-click on my guy yeah I got a 20.

Tiz (2:48:26 - 2:50:00): So if the jig is up, we can do whatever we want. There's one that says green and orange. I'm worried that there's some guys upstairs. No, I wish. I was thinking about taking it, but I didn't. I have an idea, but it needs me to get up on deck and then we can make a very, very quick escape. I don't know. Uh-uh. Thank you.

Lavinia (2:48:32 - 2:48:45): well yeah can we kill these guys silently is that still a possibility or no

Kei (2:48:47 - 2:49:07): yeah just because there's two down here doesn't mean there's not more up there

Kei (2:49:24 - 2:49:43): We've kind of fucked Cal over though, regardless.

Lavinia (2:49:29 - 2:49:42): Well, it's not our fault. We did what we could. He never told us about orcs inspecting his boat, you know. What do you want from us?

DM (2:49:40 - 2:49:46): You guys didn't hear the full conversation up there.

Lavinia (2:49:43 - 2:49:54): And we never will.

Kei (2:49:44 - 2:49:53): You tactfully didn't tell us.

Tiz (2:50:02 - 2:50:25): If we can kill these guys silently, that would be great, if we can't, then...

Lavinia (2:50:31 - 2:50:54): Guys, I can make them deaf. What if I make the guys upstairs deaf and then they can't hear the screams of the dying?

DM (2:50:47 - 2:51:00): You are first to go. There seems to be a moment where the orcs are just a little bit stunned by the discovery they've made. They're not quite surprised, but they're a little bit stunned.

Kei (2:51:03 - 2:51:37): uh murder murder i think is what i do um so i will yeah yeah so i'm gonna use my short bow um i'll use a bonus action to hunter's mark red who i think i should be able to attack without any issue um i've got surprising strikes i've got surprising strikes because it's the first round of combat so i'm adding that uh i should have

Lavinia (2:51:09 - 2:51:19): Moira.

Kei (2:51:42 - 2:51:49): not have an assassinate button? Of course not. Why would I have an assassinate button?

Lavinia (2:51:49 - 2:51:59): He's a killing machine.

Kei (2:51:50 - 2:52:20): fascinate. Yeah, so I have advantage because it hasn't taken a turn yet, so I've got sneak attack and it does extra damage and shit like that. All right, cool. I think I've got that set up. That should roll at advantage. It did not. Let me roll a second time. 21.

Kei (2:52:20 - 2:52:40): all right cool i do 21 damage yeah hunter's max sneak attack surprising strikes and the actual thing yep

DM (2:52:30 - 2:52:35): 51 points of damage. All right, so you take aim with your bow.

DM (2:52:35 - 2:52:45): this creature in the chest for 21 points of damage all right still standing anything else

Lavinia (2:52:54 - 2:53:28): Okay, um, you guys are going to kill Red, yeah? Cool. I think I'm just going to do this, because I have never done it, and I want to try it. I attempt to banish Blue.

DM (2:53:24 - 2:53:31): Attempt to banish blue. Charisma save DC 17. So what happens?

Lavinia (2:53:29 - 2:54:06): Uh, but basically he just gets sent into a, uh, you know, uh, he gets dragged down into like a pocket dimension. Hey, okay. Let's, uh, let's flavor it as sort of like a portal opens up and these like skeletal hands reach out and just drag him down into this portal. Okay.

DM (2:53:53 - 2:54:21): so blue is like reaching for a horn as they're trying to pull it up and just as that happens this space opens behind blue you see these skeletal and mummified hands just reach out and yank him in and he disappears he's gone for a minute okay all right anything else

Lavinia (2:54:09 - 2:54:27): yep ah no I'm good

Petra (2:54:25 - 2:54:47): All right, well, this changes things. I was going to go out there and just get in snug and close to those two and just start lashing out. Now that there's only one, I can hop past him. Could I go up on deck and see what else is going on and just be a bit of a... Or are we still trying to do things quietly here?

Lavinia (2:54:45 - 2:54:56): Oh, see if you can kill this guy. Yeah, see if you can kill this guy before they notice.

Petra (2:54:50 - 2:55:44): all right okay so i will enter enter rage um you know east yeah quiet quiet rage just like outcomes uh my um my claws i can um move half my speed as part of the same bonus action to enter my rage instinctive pounce i think is the ability and so i'm going to come to here and just recklessly attack this guy which is which is uh going to be three big claw attacks uh which magic strike uh rage uh claws advantage okay i think i've set this up god it's so many little uh little thingies to click isn't it um um all right you you

DM (2:55:25 - 2:55:52): It's a hit, so you come running out. You go into a rage.

Petra (2:55:47 - 2:56:01): which is not a crit yes yes recklessly so that's the advantage

Petra (2:56:01 - 2:56:07): Nine points and second.

Petra (2:56:11 - 2:56:24): is a miss that's so unusual for me final slash 27 another nine points this single digit damage it just doesn't feel good

DM (2:56:15 - 2:56:40): He blocks one attack, and you get another attack in for nine points of damage. You slash him up pretty good. He's backpedaling, but he is still standing. Anything else?

Petra (2:56:38 - 2:56:48): I attempted, well, I mean, if possible, I attempted to go to the throat to minimize his ability to call out.

Tiz (2:56:57 - 2:58:44): This is a relevant question. How far up are they? Are they within 10 feet? Yeah. Yeah. 12? I'm saying this because I have a spell, but it generates noise within 10 feet of the creature. So if I cast it, then they can't hear it because they're about 12 feet away. Toll the dead. Yeah. Audible within 10 feet of the target. So if they're 12 feet away, they can't hear it. Okay, cool. Sorry? Yeah, it's a wisdom saving throw. Yes. Of 15. Damage is 11. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Um, quietly. Yeah. It's just like, it's just like a tiny little, like, and the dog drops. It's not the big mess of church bells. It's just like the, the thing fell. at least a little. Okay. Thank you.

DM (2:57:04 - 2:57:15): far up so yeah so yeah what the guys above you oh no we said about 12 feet

DM (2:57:50 - 2:58:06): and then you know some wood and they're above there so it's like you know it's almost 15 feet above what is the saving throw wisdom wisdom saving throw

DM (2:58:17 - 2:58:26): 11 points of damage. Tis, how do you kill this orc?

Lavinia (2:58:26 - 2:58:48): I'll see you next time.

Kei (2:58:26 - 2:58:34): Quietly.

DM (2:58:36 - 2:58:42): I can't shatter quietly.

DM (2:58:42 - 2:59:07): All right, so the bells toll. Blood starts pouring out of this orc's ear, out of his eyes, out of his mouth, out of the wounds around his neck. This gurgling sound starts, and Petrodus wraps his hands around, her hands around the nut and mouth, and helps bring the orc down, lowering it down to the ground.

Petra (2:59:06 - 2:59:14): I'll just do the comforting shushing noise, you know, like. That's good, that's good, that's good.

DM (2:59:11 - 2:59:21): all right that work is good

DM (2:59:23 - 2:59:43): there's a real something okay you don't you can still hear like there's talking upstairs it's like it's kettle now doing most of the talking um jag you're up

Jaag (2:59:43 - 2:59:52): Um, what do we want to do as a group? Do we want to go upstairs or?

Kei (2:59:44 - 2:59:59): Yeah, I guess maybe take a peek, you're nice and...

Lavinia (2:59:50 - 3:00:09): Well, this blue guy is going to come back in one minute. So you can either try to peek upstairs or you can all surround this where he's going to come back and then I can bring him back and you can all kill him.

Lavinia (3:00:09 - 3:00:18): That's a minute, so we've got time if you want to go check out what's going on upstairs.

Petra (3:00:21 - 3:00:33): Was there any, who had AUK? Is there any additional words that we can understand or someone can understand about what's being said up above?

Kei (3:00:29 - 3:00:51): yeah i speak hawkish uh i only know what peer reception perception nine

DM (3:00:46 - 3:01:21): um so it's a little muted it's mainly kel complaining you're hearing kel say you know search all you want all you're doing is keep me from going getting uh uh the fish you guys eat um you do know these stairs lead up to kind of like the top deck where um kel is you know where the ship's wheel is and from the voices you could you know that kel is at the top of the near the top of these stairs possibly with someone else

Petra (3:01:33 - 3:01:46): um jack what if you step to the side um and like we can like flank the stairs and and like give a whistle and just uh call them down

Jaag (3:01:43 - 3:01:55): that's not a bad idea plus i also have something that handles here one second

Jaag (3:02:00 - 3:02:08): I have something gives automatic attacking.

Jaag (3:02:29 - 3:02:38): And one second, I thought I had everything sorted, and I don't.

Jaag (3:02:41 - 3:02:47): I'll stand here and wait for an opportunity stroke.

DM (3:02:46 - 3:02:52): holding an action. If somebody comes down, you're going to strike.

Jaag (3:02:48 - 3:02:57): Yeah, yeah, sneak attack, so I will use...

Jaag (3:02:58 - 3:03:10): Rakish of Audacity, and I will prepare a sneak attack if anyone comes within five feet of melee range.

DM (3:03:07 - 3:03:49): you're starting at third level your comments propels you into value you can give yourself a bonus at your initiative is rosie there's again an additional way to use your sneak attack you don't need advantage in your attack rule do you think attack this creature within five feet of it no other creatures are within five feet of you and you don't have a disadvantage on the attack on the attack roll all other rules for sneak attacks still apply to you so this is like you don't you really need to prepare this or do this right i think this is just something you can add back you do so if you if you're holding your action right you then you you're using your reaction really to strike right is that am i am i getting right guys

Jaag (3:03:45 - 3:03:54): Yeah, basically I want to do a sneak attack on anyone that comes into range.

Petra (3:03:53 - 3:04:05): Yeah, if sneak attack is available or if you meet all the requirements for sneak attack, it applies to an opportunity attack just like any other attack.

Jaag (3:04:03 - 3:04:13): Yeah, but it doesn't apply unless I have advantage and rakish audacity gives me that.

Lavinia (3:04:10 - 3:04:21): If you're hidden, you have advantage, but yeah.

Kei (3:04:15 - 3:04:37): There's also, you would have a sneak attack in this situation anyway, because if an enemy pops down those stairs, Petra will be within 5 feet of it, which gives the normal sneak attack. Doesn't give you advantage, but you would still have sneak attack.

Jaag (3:04:35 - 3:04:44): I'm just making sure I'm prepared so I have it.

Petra (3:04:40 - 3:05:03): Can I just raise another point? If they come down the stairs because of where I'm standing, they're probably going to come down like this side because they'll see me. So if you're hiding there, they're not within five feet of you. So I suggest you hide over here because chances are they'll come down the stairs and make a beeline towards me.

DM (3:05:01 - 3:05:10): Can you take the hide action as a bonus action?

Kei (3:05:20 - 3:05:27): And that's why he got the check, because someone got cocky.

Jaag (3:05:26 - 3:05:40): someone did get cocky. You know how low I have to roll to get a score of 10.

DM (3:05:27 - 3:05:48): Alright, so you're, you see, uh, Jan, sit behind some barrels to hide. Um, you know, you guys are looking right at him, so you know he's there, you can see him. But he's all crouched, like he's hiding. Alright?

Jaag (3:05:45 - 3:05:50): I'm hiding my feet. Don't look at me. Don't look at me.

DM (3:05:49 - 3:05:54): in Spanish. Anything else, Jeff?

Jaag (3:05:51 - 3:05:59): I shrink into embarrassment.

Petra (3:05:58 - 3:06:07): want to do we want to do we want to whistle to see like like or do we just wait and see what happens

Jaag (3:06:02 - 3:06:16): Yeah, so I'm not actually going to whistle because both my dogs are going to try and break the door down if I do, so pretend I've just whistled.

DM (3:06:23 - 3:06:29): Okay. Give me a deception check.

DM (3:06:31 - 3:06:39): He's got a shitload of his ability role. Oh, my God.

Jaag (3:06:36 - 3:06:50): sorry it is is 30 good i'm not sure

Kei (3:06:42 - 3:06:49): you know what i think it might be okay like it could be better but it'll do

DM (3:06:50 - 3:07:03): So you here in common, ah, just keeping you from your fishing, huh? You too, go see what this is all about.

DM (3:07:11 - 3:07:26): Okay, Green comes running down the stairs using his dash action. He's running down, gets to the bottom of the stairs, sees Petra.

DM (3:07:27 - 3:07:41): to yell out Jag you have your your held action 1927 that is

Jaag (3:07:38 - 3:07:48): Now, also, don't forget, I also get an extra 1d6 cold damage.

Kei (3:07:46 - 3:07:52): Did you not add that into your paperwork and stuff yet?

Jaag (3:07:49 - 3:07:57): No, this was a manual thing and I've been ignoring it all the way through.

DM (3:08:01 - 3:08:24): 31 points of damage so this orc comes running down the stairs yeah but plus the the 1d6 cold damage yeah so 31 plus the cold right i'm sorry 27 and then 31 with the cold down

Jaag (3:08:05 - 3:08:12): So it's 31 damage, plus cold, plus cold.

DM (3:08:24 - 3:08:48): 31 total. As Orcum's running down the stairs at full speed, sees you, Petra, and goes to start to yell out, Jag, you just poke out with your rapier and just give him a belly wound for 31 points of damage. He does get his yell off.

DM (3:08:49 - 3:09:01): and then you hear instantly a commotion at the top of the stairs red is dead the jig is up so kel attacks

Petra (3:09:00 - 3:09:10): Sorry, just in the spirit of transparency and honesty, Green never actually had an action.

DM (3:09:11 - 3:09:41): Yeah, it was a dash. Yep. Things don't look good for him. Kel is going to attack with his longsword. You hear fighting upstairs. Levin, you hear this creature, this person he's been talking to, yell out, I knew you were a traitor. And Keithless, you're up.

Kei (3:09:39 - 3:09:56): yay yay oh green took an oh he took a turn technically he hasn't taken an attack but he has taken a turn so i don't get all of my fun features um

Kei (3:10:10 - 3:10:33): all right no more surprising strikes sad um i will use my bonus action to move my hunter's mark over to green um i will five ten step forward so that i can see him clearly um and i will shoot with my short bow

DM (3:10:32 - 3:10:41): Okay, 16's a hit, yep, yep.

Kei (3:10:34 - 3:10:45): roll something for sure 16 16 hit uh there'll be 15 damage

DM (3:10:41 - 3:10:57): You put an arrow right in his chest From the belly wound and the chest wound He is just reeling up Back against those stairs Bleeding profusely He does not look good He's almost dead

Kei (3:10:54 - 3:11:09): Excellent. I will then step to the side to make space for people to come out past me, and that is my turn.

Petra (3:11:06 - 3:11:20): thinking ahead if anyone up if anyone upstairs decides to uh just go for help we're net we're then on a very we're then on a clock to like cast off and head up

Lavinia (3:11:17 - 3:11:24): Or stop them, yeah.

Tiz (3:11:18 - 3:11:47): I got a way to get us moving very, very quickly. No, no, I can control the flow. I can control the flow. I don't have to make a whirlpool. Whirlpools are just for fun. That's just for stopping the rest of them from following us.

Lavinia (3:11:25 - 3:11:57): I think you mean sink our boat again. I don't know. All I've seen is boat sinking.

DM (3:11:47 - 3:12:07): oh what's his what's his on the glass okay um you hear kel uh make a sound like a grunt sounding like he's been struck

Lavinia (3:12:08 - 3:12:15): Hit bar, struck bar, a smooth criminal.

DM (3:12:12 - 3:12:20): Ooh, that's good. All right. Lavinia, you're up.

Lavinia (3:12:16 - 3:12:26): You guys can deal with green, right?

Lavinia (3:12:28 - 3:12:39): If I go here, question, if I go here, can I see upstairs or no?

DM (3:12:38 - 3:12:49): Yeah, you can give me a perception check. I can tell you what you see. Or you can tell me you go to the... It's up to you.

Lavinia (3:12:45 - 3:12:56): Um, yeah, yeah, alright, I'll just go here and see what I can see. Can I see upstairs from here, or do I need to go one step up?

DM (3:12:53 - 3:13:05): You're not there. You're not at the top of the stairs. So if you want to go to the top of stairs, just let me know. Otherwise, you can try to do a perception checkup.

Lavinia (3:13:05 - 3:13:12): Um, do I have to use an action or anything for it, or?

DM (3:13:11 - 3:13:17): Look, I'll give it to you just as you're looking to see what you can see as you get to the stairs.

DM (3:13:18 - 3:13:52): What you can see is at the top of the stair, you see from the waist down, two sets of legs, obviously locked in melee combat. One seems to be wielding a polearm of some sort. The other, you can't see any kind of weapon. And the other one, the one that's obviously not Kel, appears to be wearing some sort of scale male armor.

Lavinia (3:13:53 - 3:14:24): scale mail you say scale mail scale mail armor okay um uh okay well i don't want to take an opportunity attack from this guy so i think i will just clonk him over the head with uh soul ripper non-lethally clonk him over the head

Tiz (3:13:54 - 3:14:04): Hello.

DM (3:14:23 - 3:14:39): non-lethally. So Lavinia runs up the stairs and kind of looks up and then turns around and then just whacks this guy up the back side of its head, knocking him to the ground unconscious.

Lavinia (3:14:37 - 3:14:52): It's 12 only, just in case that makes a difference. All right. And then I will go up the stairs with my remaining five feet of movement.

DM (3:14:39 - 3:14:48): Yeah, no, he didn't have any headphones left.

DM (3:14:49 - 3:15:16): I'm going to bring you up and you get to here and you see Kel and this creature. I'll show you the picture of him. You see this. Now, he's wearing this brown and forest green scale male armor. It is glinting with this very sharp metallic glint.

Lavinia (3:15:15 - 3:15:31): I come up the stairs and I say nice armor and then I clonk him over there um yep

Lavinia (3:15:32 - 3:15:45): 21 to hit and 19 damage. Yep.

DM (3:15:38 - 3:15:43): again trying to do it non-lethally

Lavinia (3:15:45 - 3:16:03): uh yeah yeah i have two attacks i should i kind of fluffed it though i should have done my uh bonus action thing first but whatever it's fine oh like a form of dread

DM (3:16:10 - 3:16:24): you're up you have this unconscious bleeding orc at your feet the vignette has run up the stairs and said aha and then you heard a whack you come running up

DM (3:16:25 - 3:16:41): Okay, you get to the top of the stairs, you see this green half-dragon locked in combat with Kel. You see below another orc starting to move towards the top deck.

Petra (3:16:43 - 3:16:56): um where's where's the other orc oh down there i see um uh he's moving towards our sissy

DM (3:16:57 - 3:17:02): he's getting yeah he's starting to move towards that in that direction yeah

Petra (3:16:58 - 3:17:08): Okay, which one's Kel and which one's the dragon guy?

Petra (3:17:15 - 3:17:20): Have I got room to move past him here?

Petra (3:17:24 - 3:17:58): Well, then that's what I'll do. I'll move to there, and then I will recklessly slash out at this guy. And my first attack will also include my Stasis Strike, which adds damage and potentially restrains him. So, first attack.

Petra (3:18:00 - 3:18:30): as i've said 25 okay 16 and that includes the stasis strike did that did that include yeah it did include the stasis strike damage and he needs to make a wisdom saving throw ec um eight plus proficiency plus strength um okay

DM (3:18:25 - 3:18:34): the natural 20 don't worry about it all right so he's still moving

Petra (3:18:31 - 3:18:50): hang on 13 14 15 yeah okay okay so he's not restrained okay no worries that was just the first of three so no more stasis strike but uh two more two more slashes at him which i will do in quick session

DM (3:18:49 - 3:18:58): All up here, the 15s a miss, the 18s a hit.

Petra (3:18:55 - 3:19:01): 18 so that's 13 another 13 points of damage

DM (3:18:58 - 3:19:18): 13 points of damage so you come up strike him once he she shakes off the effects of your station strike looks out of the way of your other attack can't get his glaive up in time and your third attack lands for another 13 points of damage okay anything else

Petra (3:19:17 - 3:19:27): Uh, possibly, hang on, just as a bonus action, uh.

Petra (3:19:28 - 3:19:37): Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, sorry. As a bonus action, I will.

Tiz (3:19:45 - 3:21:49): Cool, I'm going to run all the way up here. That's as far as I can go. Can I see... 20. Mm-hmm. Okay, can I please guiding bolt the one in the heavy armour that I know is not Kel? Ah, cool. Nope, I missed. Slow, it fizzled. No. Can I just choose not to do that? It's 16. This is not for- oh, I'm sorry, Lavinia. Yep. So, I'm going to lift you up. You

DM (3:19:54 - 3:20:02): same as Lavinia. Give me a perception check to see how much you see. Lavinia is kind of blocking your view a bit.

DM (3:20:02 - 3:20:28): Okay, so yeah, you can see there's Lavinia, and then kind of with a bit of extra, I guess, cover now, because of the obstructions, you can clearly see something from the waist down in a green and brown metallic armor, and then directly in front of Lavinia, you can see movement that you know is probably Kel from the way he's dressed.

DM (3:20:37 - 3:20:43): Yep, so he's got a little bit of extra cover, so go ahead and roll.

DM (3:20:57 - 3:21:05): Yep. Give me another Guiding Bolt attack roll. Lavinia, what's your armor class?

DM (3:21:07 - 3:21:26): All right. So she fires up the stairs, perhaps stumbles on a step. And Lavinia, you get hit with the guiding bolt blast. So please roll damage for me, Tiz.

Lavinia (3:21:27 - 3:21:51): 17? Yep. I have advantage on concentration saves to maintain... on saving throws to maintain concentration.

DM (3:21:32 - 3:21:38): Yep, and give me a concentration check, please, Lavinia.

DM (3:21:48 - 3:21:54): Yeah, and the guiding bolt just gives people advantage to hit you now, right?

Lavinia (3:21:51 - 3:22:05): Uh, yes. So, yep. Uh, 21.

DM (3:22:02 - 3:22:13): you are still the banishment holds you take this blast full in your back Lavinia

Lavinia (3:22:12 - 3:22:52): turn around and just give tis a hurt look i see tis looking apologetic and i i just sort of give her a smile and turn back you

Tiz (3:22:13 - 3:22:38): you can bite me like three times now three bite i have blood bag i just i just sink down onto the set like literally just sink down and just like i'm sorry

DM (3:22:32 - 3:22:40): All right. Orange is yellow.

DM (3:22:46 - 3:22:53): Orange runs up to you. He's going to take two attacks with a scimitar.

DM (3:22:55 - 3:23:01): Okay, the first one is a 19.

DM (3:23:01 - 3:23:09): And the second one is a 20, unnatural.

Petra (3:23:08 - 3:23:18): are a hit, but I'm raging, so slashing, piercing, bludging.

DM (3:23:10 - 3:23:25): you take eight points of damage total that's already half as you get these two hacking at your legs and waist

Jaag (3:23:32 - 3:23:39): Okay, so we're going up the stairs.

DM (3:23:39 - 3:24:00): Okay. So I was taking you to the top of the stairs. You get to there. You have Lavinia and Kel here. Lavinia, Kel, this is the half dragon. What do you want to do? That's 510. You've used 15 feet of your movement.

Jaag (3:23:58 - 3:24:04): So we don't like the half dragon, we want to kill the half dragon.

Jaag (3:24:10 - 3:24:19): so i've got full advantage on sneak attacks so we're gonna stabby stab stab

Jaag (3:24:22 - 3:24:32): we are stabby stab stabby hee hee hee plus an extra 1v6 cold

Jaag (3:24:33 - 3:24:41): And 1d6 plus an extra 3 cold damage.

DM (3:24:33 - 3:24:49): is a hit and you come up the stairs yep so 28 points of damage they uh the half dragon just just just grunts out how many of these vermin you have hiding down there

Jaag (3:24:48 - 3:25:01): all right well i'm gonna get out of dodge so i'm gonna move over here and using my feet of

DM (3:24:58 - 3:25:05): You move out of his melee range, so he's going to take an opportunity to attack at you.

Jaag (3:25:02 - 3:25:32): well no he's not because I have fancy footwork because I have learned my character so all the things Keith less suggested that I got in our many many sessions together I've actually now paid attention to

Lavinia (3:25:07 - 3:25:18): Oh, very cool. Swashbuckling. That's awesome.

DM (3:25:21 - 3:25:33): Get another feat. Get another feat. Okay.

Petra (3:25:29 - 3:25:34): had a swashbuckler rogue in a previous game is so cool

Jaag (3:25:33 - 3:25:46): uh yeah he pulls up his middle finger and he points at the half dragon go you boy

DM (3:25:44 - 3:25:55): Blue is still banished. Green is dead. Tails go. Tails is going to press his attacks. Two longsword attacks.

DM (3:25:58 - 3:26:52): Oh, that's not too good now. I'm going to use a dexterity save. Okay, so Kel goes in to strike this half-dragon. He doesn't hit you again. Half-dragon is looking around at all the enemies, waving around. He's holding his pole with one hand for a second. As Kel comes down to strike at him, the half-dragon's hand reaches out, grabs Kel's hand by the wrist, and twists, and Kel drops his weapon. Tis, this longsword, comes skittering down the steps. Oh, nice. And that is Kel's go. Ethalus, you're up.

Lavinia (3:26:10 - 3:26:21): He hits me again, that's all he hits me!

Kei (3:26:43 - 3:27:14): good work we i was literally about to say that um it is midnight top of the round probably the probably the go unfortunately all right

Petra (3:26:50 - 3:27:00): I suggest it's midnight and this is the top of the round, so maybe this is a good place to do good stuff.

Lavinia (3:26:57 - 3:27:04): Good call. Good call. Yep. Sounds good.

DM (3:27:01 - 3:27:09): Okay, let me give you guys experience points, so I'll give you experience points of the two orcs that you killed.

DM (3:27:11 - 3:27:19): make a calculator out all right here's what level are you

Tiz (3:27:17 - 3:27:29): I'm level 8.

Tiz (3:27:32 - 3:28:02): 8 yes hey we might get we might get um Petra you want to roll off for it because I feel like I've been going on about it but we can both use some oh

DM (3:27:34 - 3:27:41): This route's cool, but I was hoping you guys would take the Overland route.

Petra (3:27:55 - 3:28:08): I'm wearing armor. I wouldn't deen to deny you your armor that you've been so keen to get.

Tiz (3:28:04 - 3:28:20): no I've just I think it's become a bigger deal than I realized 300

DM (3:28:10 - 3:28:20): It is 305 experience points, 305. Ecolis, what level are you?

DM (3:28:29 - 3:28:36): You had a lot of ability checks, 530 experience points.

Kei (3:28:42 - 3:28:52): i think most of us will be i think it's just pug and jag who are level seven

DM (3:28:57 - 3:29:04): patrick 455 so jack you're a little late as well

Jaag (3:29:11 - 3:29:17): Hey, only 18,000 hours ago.

DM (3:29:22 - 3:29:27): at 280. I have no features being used in the video, is that correct?

Lavinia (3:29:30 - 3:29:39): What did I do? I did the Familia. I think that was, you know, that was it.

Lavinia (3:29:52 - 3:30:23): Yeah, this is a fun little one. I'm enjoying the boat combat. Yeah, GGs. Bye.

Kei (3:29:53 - 3:30:04): Alright, see you all next week. Yeah. Yeah.

Petra (3:30:01 - 3:30:08): I'm surprised Tiz got herself onto the boat. She has a fear.

Tiz (3:30:03 - 3:30:25): My fear of water is slowly becoming less with the amount of water travel we have had. Yeah. Bye.

Kei (3:30:10 - 3:30:25): yeah yeah all right good night good night

DM (3:30:12 - 3:30:21): All right, guys, I'm hopping off. I'm going to bed.