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Welcome to Tales of the Broken Realm, A multistory episodic Dungeons and Dragons Campaign. Where the Dungeon Master is changing once their story has been told, all within the same world. Sit back and enjoy this adventure.
Grace: So you all awake once again in
the tavern, as you have stayed for the
past two And really, the time is yours.
There are things happening in
places, but it is open to you what
you would like to explore first.
Skyy: But we did get a long rest?
Grace: Yes.
Skyy: Okay.
Adam: And Sky wasn'tâ¦
Was Sky here when I raised the dead?
Skyy: Yeah, I was here.
Oh, that
Grace: was, that, that was me.
Yeah, Caleb.
Skyy: That was the day
I murdered somebody.
Adam: Yeah.
Grace: Oh, yeah.
We should probably recap a little bit.
It has been a
Skyy: while.
Grace: Yeah.
Might've jumped the gun a little bit.
We can catch you up.
Kaleb: Thank you.
Okay.
The last thing I remember, we
Adam, you had just left the temple
and we were "Hey, dog, what's up?
You're being super sketchy."
And then I was gone after that.
Adam: Okay.
So basically, if I'm remembering
correctly, I convinced them to
wear the cultist robes, or pass
them out, as members of the
wonderful society that they are.
And then- Yes ⦠and
then we all met back up.
They followed us for a little bit,
and then I went to the cave whereâ¦
we found out where the dead bodies were
being held from Sky's killing, and and
the other guy that was supposed to be
used for the ritual to summon the god,
Yeah ⦠that got killed beforehand.
So I have some necromancy powers, that be.
And, Yeah ⦠and I raised I raised him
back up from the dead, and he's fully
living with no side effects at all.
And we got- Ooh ⦠some information
about who killed him, and I forget
what his name was, but we got
information of who killed him.
And he's going back to the temple, and
I talked him into some robes again.
Kaleb: Bless.
Okay.
Adam: And then we headed back to
the tavern to end the, end, end
the day, basically, and they're
supposed to be summoning them today.
I think dawn, final day is happening.
Okay.
So they're attempting
to summon them today.
So that kind of catches you up.
Kaleb: All right, perfect.
That's-
Adam: And you were there the whole time.
The whole time.
Kaleb: I w- hey, guys,
I, it's really funny.
My voice sounded just like Adam's for
a second I'm just testing that out.
Skyy: Wow.
Crazy.
Adam: All right, Grace,
Kaleb: continue.
Grace: Yeah, you guys can I
assume make your way down from
your rooms, or room singular.
And as you enter into the tavern space,
The Final Draft, you see very casually in
a almost too casual kind of way, leaning
up against the bar a tiefling woman who
very quickly glances over you all and
then very much looks away in a way that's
not gonna look at you in any way that
other people might find suspicious."
And that is what
Kaleb: Oh, I hear that.
Yeah, I guess Kel, it like we immediately
clock that, no rolls necessary, correct?
Skyy: Yeah.
Kaleb: Okay, cool.
Absolutely.
Yeah yeah, no, Kel is going to do his
best to nonchalantly walk over to the
bar and sit down and I guess order like
a coffee or some sort of like drink
and try to strike up con- conversation
Grace: All right.
Yeah easy enough.
How about we just, let's just
roll a little charisma roll?
Just- Yeah, a little charisma
roll, definitely ⦠go from here.
Kaleb: A
Grace: straight up charisma.
Kaleb: Straight up charisma.
Oh, ignore that noise
that is a 12.
That is ba.
Just flat charisma, no modif- no nothing?
Yep.
Grace: Cool.
That is
Kaleb: gonna be a 16.
Your charisma.
Grace: 16.
Pretty nice.
Pretty smooth.
You yeah, approach and is there
any particular conversation
that you're trying to start up?
Or just general, "Weather is
nice today," kinda nothing?
Kaleb: Oh, absolutely not.
I 100% clocked that she is
doing a very poor job at
trying to hide that she saw us.
And I'm just gonna sit down and go, from,
I'm assuming one professional to another,
if you're trying to surveil on anyone just
in general maybe don't stare at them and
then panic when they look back at you.
That, just throwing that out there."
Grace: Oh, you thought that was Panic?
Interesting.
Kaleb: Spirit Guide If it
wasn't, you sure did fool me.
All of that to say the name is Kel.
We're just gonna dispense
with the niceties.
I know you're probably
here trying to watch us.
Who, is yet to be determined.
But figure it, I might as well try to be
nice even if you are here spying on us
Grace: Oh, I know who you are, Cal.
I know just about everything
that I need to about you already.
I'm Valkyrie, it's a pleasure to meet you.
And we should talk, all of us together.
I might have some stuff
you'd like to know.
We could go somewhere, maybe
far from prying ears and eyes?
Kaleb: Down to the cave.
Let's go to the cave
Yep.
I'd just say listen- Just in case
I'd say listen to the turtle.
He is one you really do not
Adam: want to- I'm very wise
⦠Kaleb: don't wanna step on his- Very wise.
Adam: Don't nah.
Yeah.
Kaleb: Yeah.
Let's talk.
I think that's smart.
Adam: Let's head off to the dead cave.
Grace: Yes.
The dead
Adam: body.
Coined.
Yes, the dead body cave.
That classic- I've just
coined it, the dead body cave.
Oh, dude.
Kaleb: Trademark.
Your creativity is staggering.
Adam: Don't need any, any
fancy te- term on the map.
When I draw it up, it's gonna
just say, "Dead body cave."
Grace: I'll I'll add that
label to my beautiful map.
Kaleb: Oh, gorgeous.
I love this so much.
Grace: Yeah.
You guys head over to the cave
of dead people, and- Dead people
yes, retreating back into the mines
Dead body cave ⦠the one guy
whose name is fully escaping me.
Ambrose.
His body is still here.
It looks like some sort of flowers,
some wrappings, some things have been
placed here just as preparations for
whatever burial they have in mind.
But otherwise, it is currently
empty aside from the rest of you.
I
Adam: think I told you
this was a great place.
Just us and a dead guy
Grace: Yeah, it's it's nice.
Anyway, as I said, Valkyrie,
pleasure to meet you.
I really just I know a lot and I have
been, paying attention and it seems
like you guys don't know a lot, so
I'm just gonna help you out a little
bit before I skip town, if I can
Kaleb: So yeah, you're just gonna need
to tell us everything 'cause the, the
whole skipping town is contingent on you
being able to physically leave this cave.
So whatever you got, let's hear it.
Adam: Yeah, that's the reason
why it's called Dead Body Cave.
Kaleb: Correct.
You- Ma'am friend, your s- survival
instincts are severely lacking.
Skyy: Severely.
Grace: Oh, I'm not too worried
about my survival instincts.
I am worried about yours.
Anyway yes, everything.
Everything.
That is a tall order.
She pulls out a notebook and starts
flipping through it, and is like, "Okay.
So I got here six months ago, just
been, like, watching, keeping tabs
collecting information, as is, my job.
And just Okay.
What do you guys know?
That's the real question,
'cause you've talked to a lot
of people, but I haven'tâ¦
It's been hard to track what
you would know, what you would
still have questions about.
I'm just trying to help out here"
Adam: We know that they're trying to
summon a god in the Black Temple or the
Black Dome, and they need a sacrifice.
They had a sacrifice.
The sacrifice that wanted to be the
sacrifice killed the sacrifice, and
therefore today is the day that is
happening for the new sacrifice to
go without a hitch with the people.
We don't know which god they're
trying to summon necessarily.
My guess is on Pelor, just
throwing that out there.
Kaleb: They also seem to need, have
some use of some sort of artifact
that they're having made for them.
We haven't really gotten- There you
go ⦠the specifics of what that's for.
I have a copy of it, minus some key arcane
components, but it's of some importance.
I could- couldn't really
tell you what, though
Grace: Okay.
Sweet Malakar, I'm glad I asked.
All right.
So that was mostly wrong.
Okay.
Let's see.
First of all there is one sacrifice,
but Dan and Birch, not one of them.
They're just there.
As far as I can tell, Telea's gonna
be the sacrifice, but that- that's
a whole lot of mystery there.
And you said, okay, summoning a god.
Not entirely correct.
They're gonna make one.
Like a new one.
Kaleb: Brand new god.
Grace: So that was- That brand
new god ⦠pertinent to know.
Okay.
Let's let's- And they need the artifact
Adam: to make someone a god.
Is that what they're trying to
do on the other side of things?
Grace: Yeah.
So the vessel, that's what
they're, like, making right now.
They're really just finalizing that.
That's really just,
channeling it all into Telea.
And that's just stage
one as far as I can tell.
So yeah.
Let's see.
What else?
What else?
And she'll just continue to
flip through her notebook.
Okay so that's stage one, right?
Stage two, that's when the whole black
dome thing, that's all happening.
I don't actually know
a lot about that one.
They've been very secretive about it, but
seems pretty important, and just, yeah.
Okay.
And then Birch and the guy he killed
they're, they both got kicked out.
That feels important as well to know.
Okay.
Any questions so far?
Moving real fast
Kaleb: I, you obviously
you're hitting the highlights.
You mentioned that someone was kicked out?
Grace: Yeah.
Kaleb: Are they currently still in
the settlement, or are they likeâ¦
Let me get this straight.
Are they kicked out or
are they kicked out?
Grace: Oh right as I was, like, going to
come and meet you guys, they were, like,
packing up their things, getting ready to
be like, "Hey, killing people is not cool.
You gotta go."
So that's how that went down.
I imagine they would've
left by now, so probably.
But yeah, they bothâ¦
anne was like, he was
doing some weird stuff.
I don't even know what, but he was trying
to be one of, one of the meditators with
the vessel and all that stuff, and then
Birch was like, "No, I wanna do it," and
so then he killed him, and then theyâ¦
Yeah, it was a whole thing.
A lot of drama, a lot ofâ¦
They're both real petty, and
Delilah just wasn't having it,
so no, they're both outta here.
Kaleb: Oh, I think this goes
without saying, how do we stop it?
That, th- Iâ¦
All the information, that's all cool.
That's window dressing.
I need to know how to make
sure this god does not pop up.
Adam: Or creation of a god pop up.
Kaleb: Yes.
Adam: I s- I suggest faking the
artifact, but we don't necessarily
have all the parts to that, and a
sleight of hand high enough to place
it in the hands of the right people.
But that's
Skyy: just my suggestion.
Actually.
Zac: I have a pretty high sleight of hand.
Skyy: I do, too.
Zac: Yeah.
Adam: That would be my suggestion
as the wise turtle, but if anyone
else has any other better ideas,
I'm willing to hear them out.
Zac: Think of that.
We have not trusted you this whole time,
Kaleb: that's the understatement
of, let's say, the century of, ever.
Zac: And respectfully I'm sorry, Miss
Tiefling how do you play into all this?
Where did you get this information, and
who sent you on this reconnaissance?
Grace: And Malakar sent me, like-
Adam: Did you not put that together?
Sorry, did I
Grace: not say that?
Adam: You didn't.
That's like- No, you did.
You clearly did and stated- but
listen ⦠six months ago, Malakar sent
you here to watch that over this town.
You're the informant in this town.
Therefore, that they didn't
find this informant in time,
and you had to basically pop up.
Oh, this is the what?
Oh.
This is the
Skyy: what I saved?
I saved your ass?
Okay.
Sorry.
Low intelligence, it's going over me.
I can't.
Adam: It's a problem.
This is why I can't play
low intelligence characters.
This is why I can't.
Mind
Zac: you, my character has
a nine intelligence, okay?
Kaleb: Oh, confused unga bunga over here.
I may not be, I may be smooth talker,
talker boy is smart as a box of rocks.
So
Adam: I'm the resident genius
with an intelligence of 11 here.
Skyy: Yeah.
I think I'm second with a 10.
Adam: Oh.
I'm wise beyond my years, but
therefore I figured out what was at
play here, and now I'm telling you
guys, "Hey, here's our informant.
She has been sitting here
for Malakar last six months.
She has a lot of information,
and here she is giving it to us."
So Valkyrie- Yeah ⦠continue.
Do you like the plan of taking
the artifact away from them and
replacing it with a semi-functional
artifact that blows up in their face?
Grace: If you can pull it off, maybe.
I don't know.
I'm not the, the plan guy.
N- I was just in here to get information
and then- I'm the resident plan
Kaleb: guy here in this group apparently.
I, so I've got an in to the man
that's making the ves- the artifact.
So I can get the plans and we can try
to make something, that looks similar.
If one of you can help me make it
look more convincing, magic-wise,
that would be the ideal situation.
But I can at least get the plans
so we can try to fake something.
Adam: So if we do that, we need to
find out when the handoff is happening
between- ⦠them completing the
artifact and handing it over to, I'm
assuming it'll be Talaea or the other
guy- that was in the temple with Talaea.
I forget his name.
Grace: Yeah, it'll probably be Damian.
I think Talaea will be
a little preoccupied.
Yes.
But that's all going
down at this afternoon.
Yeah.
I wanna say noon exactly is when they're
trying to kick it all off 'cause it's-
Got it ⦠there aren't any druids around,
so I don't think you would really know
this, but it is the equinox right now.
Middle of the equinox is
kinda what they're going for.
Cosmic balance, all that stuff.
Yeah.
Is there an
Adam: eclipse?
Grace: No.
Adam: Dang.
Grace: There might be.
I don't know.
Some weird stuff is
probably gonna pop off, but-
Kaleb: Yeah,
Adam: there might be.
I don't know.
Pop off king.
Grace: You never know.
No one's tried this
before, so there could be.
Adam: All right.
'Cause our plan, ourâ¦
J- just throwing it back three
months ago when we started this,
the plan is not to make it obvious.
We can't make it obvious that we're here.
We gotta just let it blow up
in their face, themselves,
that they fail at this mission.
And then the rest of the townsfolk
that are on Malakar's side come in and
they're like, "Hey, we don't like y'all.
Take 'em out."
And there may be burning happening at
that same time when all this other stuff
that Valkyrie's saying may pop off.
There may be a lot of burning happening.
I don't know.
Just got I got a weird premonition about
burning in my brain, but I don't know.
You'll have to wait and see.
Kaleb: We'll just wait and
Adam: see ⦠but-
Kaleb: Okay
⦠Adam: I would suggest that.
We find the handoff time And move
someone disguise self as something or
knock out your guy, take the artifact
and then hand it off, or you get
in with him better and you'll say,
"Hey, I'll hand it off for you."
And you trot along, and
you hand off the other one.
That would be the best thing.
But if that doesn't happen,
then we need a plan B.
Well- And probably a plan Z
at this point with this party.
Kaleb: Hey I may have a better plan
than, risking all of those moving parts.
I could just swap the item
above door, above table.
I have dimension door.
I could just dimension door- Oh ⦠into
the workshop, swap the two, the
li- Door ⦠artifact that I have
that we could make look convincing,
and then not have to worry about
doing the handoff and everything.
Adam: Okay.
All right.
That's something.
That's something.
All
Kaleb: right.
Or- Plans are forming ⦠I can either
get the plans I can get the plans 'cause
I can also spy through somebody else'sâ¦
Like I can spy through somebody
else- ⦠and I can see the actual
item and we can try to get it that way.
We have a couple of
avenues to get the item.
I can facilitate either getting the actual
thing and sabotaging it, or swapping
it, or trying to get information on
how to make it look more convincing.
I just need to know what
works best for everybody else.
Skyy: Guys, I fear I'm only good
for the killing part just call
me up when y'all are ready for
Zac: that.
Yeah.
Kaleb: Oh, so can come.
Cool.
So it looks like it is going to be
me and Evan- ⦠doing a whole lot
of heavy lifting here, friends.
Adam: Large turtle friend here is great.
It's great.
Kaleb: Yeah.
Yeah.
Adam: Not suspicious at all ⦠okay
⦠random tortle comes walking into town.
Kaleb: Correct.
Grace: Yes, the giant turtle is
the best for a stealth mission.
Kaleb: Correct.
Adam: Also, I- If I need to
hide I look like a rock, okay?
Kaleb: Also, I can go
invisible, so there's that.
Adam: I look like a rock.
Pay no attention to the voices
coming inside the shell.
It's a rock.
Kaleb: It's just a rock.
Everything that Cal is
built for is subterfuge.
Adam: All right.
Do we have- So- Do you, do y'all two
have skills to make something nice?
In
Grace: two hours?
Adam: Yeah.
Do, do you have- What
Skyy: skill are you wanting here?
Adam: I don't know.
That's the DM's, that's the
DM's discretion of making aâ¦
Grace: it probably would
depend on how you approach it.
Could be athletics, could be sleight of
hand to try and get the finer details.
Oh,
Adam: guys, I
Grace: just realized- Could
Adam: be- ⦠we're in Dead Body Cave.
You know what that means?
Kaleb: What?
Grace: What could that possibly
Kaleb: mean?
What?
Say it, please.
Oh, Jesus
Adam: Oh my God ⦠we're in the mines.
Do you remember?
The d- I formally named this De-
Dead Body Cave, but this is also
the mining area where we can use
the ores to heat some, some artifact
mate- 'cause you have the blueprints.
We can see what we need.
I'm sure we need some ore.
Oh.
And Dead Body Cave can supply the ore.
I'm sure.
Dead Body- I have a pickaxe.
Kaleb: I
Grace: have- Yes, Dead
Body Cave is very generous.
Kaleb: That's I have the
simplified blueprints.
I don't have like the fullâ¦
what I can see is that there's some
sort of like arcane bit inside of it.
Oh.
Adam: The- The sphere around it?
What that looks
Kaleb: like?
I've got the, I've got the housing.
Like that I have.
I've got that fully assembled.
That's what they gave me.
The arcane part is what the like
head blacksmith was working on,
and they would not let me down
into that part of the shop.
Adam: Okay.
Kaleb: Again,
Adam: I can- We need to get, we need
to get into that area of the shop.
Yeah.
Look at what color the
gemstone in the middle is.
And then I can cast light on that
gemstone of that color to make it
look as close to it as possible.
Kaleb: I couldâ¦
I've got so many ways we
can get into that shop.
I also have disguise self.
Adam: Okay.
So if you can get down there-
Kaleb: Yeah
⦠Adam: and sneak in- Okay
and figure out what the color of that
gemstone or that whatever it looks
like, s- mental image snapshot it.
Yeah.
And then we'll go find an ore in
Dead Body Cave that matches that.
Okay.
And then if I need to change the
color, if it's glowing a certain color,
I'll cast light on it in that color.
'Cause you have the sphere.
You have the sphere, right?
The, or the- I have the casing.
Kaleb: I have the housing.
The casing.
Adam: I have not
Kaleb: already put together.
Adam: Okay.
Question.
So yeah, we just need that piece.
Kaleb: Do we wanna build our, do
we wanna build our own or do we
wanna sabotage the real thing?
I don't,
Adam: I don't think sabotaging
the real thing's the play.
Kaleb: Okay, cool.
That'sâ¦
I was just asking 'cause I can
do a couple different things-
Adam: I think stealing the whole thing
is the play, bring it back to Malakar,
that way he has more information on said
device if others pop up from here, okay.
Or wherever, because I'm
sure these schematics are
available in the resistance, so-
Kaleb: local
Adam: DDR.
This is moreâ¦
Yeah, so I'm sure a USB drive
somewhere is getting sent around to
all these other- ⦠other places.
A torrent.
Kaleb: A torrent's
gonna make it somewhere.
Adam: If we could just steal the
whole device, that will stop them
from trying to remake it, because
they know that they messed up.
But in reality, probably could, if it does
work, if what they're saying does work,
then Malakar can become a god himself.
Got it.
God, I gotta go back He's already
killed gods I don't know what
we're doing I'm sure Malakar wants
to become a god at this point.
He's bloodlusty enough for that.
And hey, maybe we can be demigods,
and I could be over the tortle domain.
Skyy: That's crazy.
I'm sure he'll give that to you.
Kaleb: Demigod, that's- My little
Adam: claws are, like, moving
back and forth, like snapping a
Kaleb: little bit, like- That
does have a good ring to it.
Dang.
Zac: I am a little bit confused here.
Malakar's entire reign is to get rid of
the gods because we are not dependent on
them, and you are wanting to become one.
Adam: Oh, but power.
You know that, that whole saying,
power, creates crazy people.
You see it all the time.
If someone gets power, they
get too bloodlusty, and, things
happen, and no one likes that.
But the, he just wants
the power for himself.
If we can give that to him, sure, fine.
We just
Kaleb: wanna give the big M options.
I'm ju- is all he's saying.
I'm sure, he doesn't wanna become
a god, but what, what if he did?
If we
Adam: give him the option to become
a god, I don't see no, I see no
problems with him becoming a god.
He would be a great ruler, I think.
Kaleb: And who's he gonna
Adam: thank if- And his own
Kaleb: independence
if he becomes a god, who's he gonna thank?
Us.
Adam: Valkyrie for getting
all that information for us.
Kaleb: That's correct.
True.
Skyy: Yeah.
Kaleb: That's
Skyy: true.
Kaleb: This is justâ¦
Hey, this is a win-win-win in my book.
I'm down.
Let's do this.
Zac: I am holding out reservation.
Kaleb: Yeah.
Skyy: I'm just here, guys.
Zac: Oh, we lost him.
Shit.
Skyy: Oh
Zac: no.
Now we can have a real
pan plan while he's gone.
Kill him.
Okay.
Kill the turtle.
Kill the fucking turtle.
Kill
Skyy: the turtle.
I don't trust this turtle with nothing.
Zac: Mitch and Doris asked me a volcano.
Okay.
Adam: I've
been here the whole time.
Look, I can do the action too.
And he puts up
Zac: his turtle mask.
You're very mean to me, that's not funny.
This is my voice.
I can't ex- I can'tâ¦
What do you expect me to do here?
I
Adam: expect youâ¦
Come on, man, you
Kaleb: gotta, you gotta admit it.
It's low-hanging fruit to
poke fun at your voice.
It's just too funny.
It is.
Yeah.
It's just asking for
Adam: it.
You're just too funny.
Everybody get around and
point and laugh at him.
Hell
Kaleb: yes,
Zac: look at me in the mask.
Adam: Look at me, I twitch your snitches
Zac: for a living.
Nobody cared who I was
until I put on the mask.
Kaleb: And guess what, brother?
I still don't care now that you have
it on there, so let's just get this
Adam: party started.
Okay so Valkyrie, I
appreciate the information.
Is there anything else you need
to disclose to us before we
begin action plan A, B to Z?
Grace: Okay.
So let's say for some
reason this doesn't work.
Listen, call me a pessimist, but just
to give you some options here be careful
messing around with stage two, 'cause
that supposedly is the most volatile.
And that's the- even- ⦠that's the
Adam: black dome thing?
Grace: E.
Adam: Okay.
Grace: Even Damian is scared by that one.
He has tried to talk people out of it
on multiple occasions, but not the one
who makes the decisions, so here we go.
Adam: Is there a stage three?
Grace: Stage three is- There is
not ⦠when they all come together in
the grove up in the north part of town.
Adam: Dang, they seem
like a cult or something.
Kaleb: Yeah, I mean- That's crazy.
Grace: It's crazy.
You would call
Kaleb: it that.
I say it walks like a duck- It's not
weird ⦠talks like a duck, come on.
I
Skyy: think it might be a duck.
It
Kaleb: could.
Adam: And they call us crazy, so come on.
I
Kaleb: mean t-
Grace: No, they fully identify-
Yeah, I think that- ⦠as a cult.
There's noâ¦
They're self-aware.
Skyy: Oh.
We love a self-aware cult.
Adam: Yeah, did you notice, like, all
the matching outfits around town today?
It's
Skyy: It's definitely
Kaleb: giving culty vibes,
I'll just tell you that.
Adam: It's a book I read called "The
Handmaid's Tale," very culty, same thing.
Kaleb: I'm f- pretty sure I heard
some people saying Blessed Be or
some weird shit like that, all right.
All right, enough of this fool.
Let's just get this done with.
I'm ready to get out of this weird place.
This, this keg gave me the creeps.
Body count provided once again
I'm proud of
Adam: myself.
Kaleb: All right.
Let's-
Grace: Dead Body Cave,
Kaleb: let's eat
everything ⦠head on over.
That's correct.
Hack the code.
Let's head over to the blacksmith.
Adam: It
Kaleb: unlocks the
Adam: future.
Kaleb: I guess, do you guysâ¦
Do we all wanna go over to the
blacksmith, or do you want me to go
me and maybe somebody else go over?
No, I wanna go
Adam: to the black dome to
figure out what stage two is.
You go to the blacksmith's-
Ooh ⦠and figure out how to get in,
and take someone stealthy with you.
I'll just walk up to the black dome again.
Kaleb: Stealth.
Skyy: Eh.
Adam: Who's stealthy in this group?
Skyy: I got a plus six,
but it's at disadvantage.
Kaleb: I got a
Adam: plus seven.
Skyy: But no, it's
advantage, so it's neutral.
I have a plus six.
Kaleb: Correct.
Correct, yeah.
You, a plus advantage.
All right, so we got a
Adam: seven and a, and
a- Six ⦠and a six.
Kaleb: I mean-
Respectable ⦠re- respectable.
Let's be honest it's the
choose, the choosing of my
twin or creepy man in a mask.
Just random
Skyy: man.
Kaleb: Random man in a mask.
I'ma goâ¦
Hey, Mal, come on.
J- Mal, come with me.
We're gonna let- Slowly but
surely ⦠the two of you have
a moment at the black dome.
Correct.
Skyy: I will always be first.
Let's go.
He
Adam: coversâ¦
he takes his mask.
He takes the claws of his face.
"Perfect."
Skyy: God.
Zac: Do remember, I can
cut your fucking head off.
Let's go.
Adam: Try that you might.
You will fail.
Kaleb: Oh.
That's phenomenal.
All right.
I'm here for it.
So let's, yeah, me and Mal will head
over to the blacksmith, and I willâ¦
So just to clarify, am I'm
stealing the actual thing?
Adam: Or am I- Yeah, no.
No, you're not stealing the whole thing.
No.
Zac: I can't wait till- I thought
Kaleb: we
Zac: were ⦠these, these
guys get the wrong thing.
No.
No,
Adam: before you walk out- Dead
body cave ⦠here's the plan.
Plan.
All right, here's the plan.
Write it down if you have to.
No.
The plan is for you to sneak in and sneak
down to see what gem is in the middle
of that artifact and what color it is.
Once you figure that out, then
you come back to me and I will
cast light on it, and I willâ¦
We'll find in Dead Body Cave
the ore that we need, 'cause
I'm sure they got it from here.
Then we figure out, this is a side thing.
This is Quest A, Part One is find
out- ⦠the color and the ore.
Quest A, Part Two is find
out when the drops happen.
Kaleb: Which
Adam: I'm gonna- And once we
figure that out, then we go
in and we- ⦠not kill 'em
Not kill him
Skyy: I'm sorry, I wasn't listening.
You said not kill him?
Adam: Not to kill him.
Skyy: But we could.
Adam: But walk behind him- Yeah ⦠as
he's talking to him, distract him, and
then someone else walk by, take the
artifact, slip the other one in, and
Skyy: continue.
I'll be honest, my friend, last time
I distracted, he was a married man and
I just had to kill him, so I think-
Kaleb: I, you, hey I'll
figure out the schematics.
I'll fig- wh- I'll-
Skyy: We
Kaleb: got this.
We'll do it ⦠handle the handoff.
You get me the information.
You figure out who it
is when it's happening.
Skyy: Okay.
I got this.
Yeah, you're a great you're a great
Adam: talker, Mal.
You're
Skyy: a great talker.
I'm such a great
Kaleb: talker.
Skyy: Oh,
Kaleb: You are the talker
sister ⦠my dearly belo- my
dearly beloved sister I love you.
I was more so talking to the turtle.
I'm gonna do the heavy lifting-
Oh ⦠of getting it done.
I need him to find out the information.
Adam: It's really hard.
Okay, that makes way more sense.
It's really dark in this dead body cave.
They like to keep the ambience around.
I couldn't tell which direction you were
facing.
It's really echo-y.
It's hard in here.
I, the the voices, they bounce
off the walls weird in here.
The voices.
Also the voices in my head that tell me
to kill everything, that just, it happens.
Cool,
Kaleb: Cool.
All right, yeah.
I keep those at bay.
Me and Mal will head
over to the blacksmith.
Adam: Sometimes.
Kaleb: You guys head
back over to the dome.
The dome.
Figure out what's going on there.
Adam: Yeah.
Thunderdome.
Let's go.
Let's go, lover boy.
Let's go to the dome.
Grace: Okay, great.
Zac: You lead the way, Mr.
Turtle.
Adam: Yeah, I don't like
my back to be behind me.
See, I can sound like Mal and Mel too.
Oh my God, I'm just a
linguist around here.
Skyy: Hey you can just
Kaleb: kill him, and we can,
Skyy: we can just be done with it.
We can just do this ourselves.
Zac: I can't.
I can't.
He's, he seems to be the only
brains in the group right now,
so I'm gonna keep him around.
Skyy: That's fair.
That's fair.
I
Kaleb: mean,
Zac: Morath, would you kill-
Statistically we're, we can't argue that.
Kaleb: No, this is true.
I I was not blessed with smarts.
I'm just a, I'm just a pretty face.
Adam: All right.
Repeat to me- That's
true ⦠Mel, what the plan is.
Zac: Why do I have to repeat?
No, Mel.
You do not get to condescend
on the rest of the group, Mr.
Brain.
They know the fucking plan.
I wanna make sure we got it,
Adam: we got it
Zac: correct.
They know
the plan.
So let's go
Adam: to the plan.
Grace, can you have them roll
to know if they know the plan?
'Cause I think that'd just be hilarious.
Grace: No, I don't feel like it.
I think we're just
gonna find out together.
Yeah, okay.
We're just gonna do it.
Kaleb: All right, we're gonna do it.
I love this
so much.
Adam: We walk out of Dead Body Cave.
Grace: Yes.
Adam: Lazarus coming out of the-
raise from the dead ⦠coming out of
Grace: the tomb.
You exit Dead Body Cave into
the early morning light.
As you go kind of curiosity, who of
you has the highest passive perception?
Kaleb: I pr- I have a pretty high one.
15.
Skyy: That's a 13 for me.
Kaleb: 17.
Wild, yeah.
Skyy: Keeps that blade on me.
Sad boys.
Grace: Gotta quick draw
with that perception.
Anyway so you actually just barely
catch her 17 sleight of hand- Oh ⦠as
she deposits a little, what looks
to be a little scroll shaped item
into a, some sort of a pocket or a
pouch or really just anywhere on on
Morath.
Small toes.
And she just slips that in and
then casually- The old winky face
starts walking away over
towards the town gate.
Just gonnaâ¦
I would like to sleight of
hand it out of Morath's pocket.
Ooh, what the-
Skyy: Okay.
Make sure I don't notice.
Sleight of hand
Grace: versus
Skyy: perception.
Adam: It's against your perception?
Kaleb: So this is delicious.
I'm here for this.
Skyy: 22.
Oh, I have to
Kaleb: roll a nat.
And that ain't a nat.
Skyy: Just a slight
Grace: yoink.
Yeah.
As you're walking along, you
just casually skim by him.
Maybe a little bump, a little
rustle to distract for a sec.
And you pull out it does
look to be a spell scroll.
Make an arcana check
to try and identify it.
Skyy: Oh, what the fuck?
That is a plus four, so we're at 18.
Okay.
Okay.
Grace: An 18.
You identify this as a
scroll of meteor swarm.
Skyy: That goes into my pocket.
Grace: And you you can tell with that
18 even though it's obviously, it's
a ninth level spell, so some very
complicated arcane mumbo jumbo in here.
But it does look to be somewhat
augmented, and like the, the trigger
phrase is just slightly different,
and is almost spelled phonetically,
like really e- it's surprisingly easy
to see that like trigger phrase, even
though the rest of it is hard to tell.
And that this has been augmented
so that any spellcaster can use it.
Regardless of class or level.
Zac: Oh, I was about to say I'm not
a spellcaster, so looks like- I'm
not either ⦠nothing up my hands.
That's a, a problem we all have
Skyy: solved.
Who knows?
With a good
Zac: arcana
Grace: check, you could give it a shot.
Skyy: Nah that's asking
to be killed, honestly.
I'll save it for my brother.
Kaleb: My brother.
My,
Skyy: my brother.
My
Kaleb: blood.
My, my, my
Skyy: blood.
No, I guess we part our separate ways.
Grace: Yes.
With that, you head two to
the dome and two to the forge.
So we will start with the
forge, with the twins.
So if you're trying to
approach stealthily, go ahead
and give me stealth checks.
Kaleb: Say less.
Skyy: Ooh.
23.
Shockingly.
Damn.
Sky's
Kaleb: killing
Grace: it today.
Kaleb: Yeah, that's that's an 11 for me.
Skyy: I blessed my dice.
Kaleb: Oh, wait, sorry.
One sec.
Oh, just kidding.
Not 11.
That is a twen- 22.
Grace: Ooh.
Ooh.
You become one or two with the shadows.
Yeah, absolutely.
You can, ⦠You approach the forge,
the sort of like storefront part,
and it is- ⦠completely deserted.
There's no one here.
Kaleb: Okay
⦠Grace: and no, we won't do
this with a skill check.
They're not trying to
hide it too terribly much.
And you poke around look
in all the different behind
doors, in corners, all that.
And towards the back of the shop,
actually in their, we'll say, standard
forge, there is a trapdoor tucked behind
a couple things that is currently left
open, and you can see a dull orange
glow and hear some pretty intense
metalworking happening down there.
Some chanting, classic
ominous basement stuff.
Yeah.
Kaleb: Rad.
Cool cool.
Well-
Skyy: This wasn't the plan, I don't think
Kaleb: No, I'm gonna be honest,
you would've thought the security
would've been a little bit tighter.
But these aren't artists, and
they're pro- probably not thinking
world-ending entities are trying
to thwart them or anything.
Skyy: Ooh, speaking of world-ending-
⦠I have something to tell you
later, and something for you.
Quite interesting.
But we'll talk about that later.
So you,
Kaleb: you can't you can't tease
that with me and then, this,
that's all I think about now.
Okay, fine.
Kel, get your mind in the game.
Game face.
Okay I'm going to- I would've said, "I
Grace: know something you don't know."
Kaleb: Correct.
Shoot.
So can I hear more than one
voice, or is it just one?
Grace: You definitely hear more than one.
You can give me a perception check
if you wanna know exactly how many.
Kaleb: Yeah, that's gonna be key.
Oh, wasn'tâ¦
That's a 20 dirty.
Grace: Nice.
Kaleb: Yeah.
Grace: Yeah, with that you can make
out seven distinct voices chanting,
and then two others- ⦠just
idly, speaking seemingly to each
other which you recognize I don't
know if you would recognize.
For- ⦠narrative's sake it is the
the, oh my gosh, I'm totally blanking.
The guy you met before,
and his apprentice.
Kaleb: The forge assistant.
Malkree.
Forge assistant.
Grace: No
Zac: Smith.
Yes.
Oh.
No, Nolan.
Grace: There it is.
Nolan.
Yep.
Kaleb: Nolan.
It's Nolan?
Okay, that was- Oh, that's
the thing ⦠thingy.
That was who it was.
I was
Zac: helping out-
Grace: And
Kaleb: then Barns, the apprentice.
Yes ⦠correct.
Correct.
Dang.
Okay.
We can
Grace: take him
Yeah, it's only nine people
Kaleb: Grab something from my pocket
Grace: It's around your brain.
Metalworking tools?
Kaleb: I really also don't wanna
hear any more crap from the
turtle, if I'm being real honest.
Skyy: I can't
wait to kill him.
It's fine.
So what are we doing here?
You were planning- What are we planning?
Kaleb: So I'm thinking I could
either disguise myself or you.
⦠But we can'tâ¦
I see that'sâ¦
Okay, above table, I'm trying to think
of who I could disguise myself as, Yeah.
⦠That wouldn't seem super suspicious.
Oh,
Skyy: wait.
Oh maybe the guy I killed?
Do they know he's dead?
Zac: Him.
I was about to say, the merchant tra-
the main trader guy, like- The, like,
Skyy: dead guy?
Yeah
Kaleb: The, the, theâ¦
Yeah, I was gonna say
him or the girl that I
Grace: scared out of town.
I feel like what this town knew-
The political leader in this
town who you murdered and then
called everybody's attention to.
Skyy: Oh,
Grace: that's true.
Yeah.
Give it a shot.
Yeah.
That's
Skyy: cool.
You could- What happened to that?
You could be the guard.
You could be the guard.
Kaleb: I wanna say his name was
Skyy: something ⦠I
Kaleb: could, I could disguise myself
as Mor- I'm not pr- mispronouncing it.
Morvale, the jeweler- ⦠because
she would be the one that's probably
crafting the jewels for this piece.
Skyy: Oh.
Kaleb: Yeah.
I don't think anybody
knows that she's gone yet
So
Yeah, we can do that.
So yeah, I'm gonna cast Disguise Self
on me- ⦠as Morvail, and I'm gonna
go down there and attempt to s- get a
look at what they're working on and see
if I can get any information from that.
Skyy: Before you go down
there, we need a code word.
That way I can come
down and murder people.
You yell it.
It k- has to be casual.
Kaleb: It's gotta be casual.
Kill
Zac: them.
Skyy: Help.
Murder.
Zac: Murder them.
Kaleb: You know what?
You know what?
Okay, hey sister, just in the, in the-
Yeah ⦠the spirit of let's not get
it cu- conf- confusing, you're just
gonna- Yeah ⦠hear me yell, "It's game
time," and then you're just gonna- Okay
dive on in and we're just gonna
start murking fools, okay?
Skyy: I got you.
Cool.
Cool,
Kaleb: Cool.
Let's do this.
All right.
Skyy: Go
Kaleb: crazy.
Yeah, so I'm gonna go ahead and
cast my- Yeah, let's just murder
them ⦠Disguise, once daily Disguise
Self as Morvail, and I'm gonna go,
I'm gonna make my way down withâ¦
I'm gonna make my way down
there and see what's going on.
Grace: All right.
As you enter this space you see a roughly
30-foot diameter circular chamber.
Along the outside edge there are seven
people in just standard clothes, but
you'd assume probably cultists sitting
around each just sitting, eyes closed,
very, focused and maintaining this chant.
Towards the middle there is, Oh my gosh.
Names.
The guy and his dude.
Kaleb: Nolan and Bernard.
Grace: Yes, Nolan and Bernard.
Oh my lord.
And they are currently at,
two separate work stations.
You got anvils, you got
all the standard stuff.
And they are working away at
these thick metal bands that,
like sort of curve around.
And in the middle you see
this massive just like a kiln
almost, but with an open top.
And inside a number of gemstones
swirling around in this formation
that almost resembles a flame if
it were made of glowy pebbles.
And that is, the main attractions.
And then at very, at four points around,
interspersed between the cultists,
you see a few constructs, a couple big
old statue-looking guys just chilling-
made out of cast iron looks like.
And then if you were to direct your
attention to the ceiling, there is a
massive mechanical dragon just making
circles around this central kiln
Kaleb: Cool.
Does anybody notice me as I walk in?
Or are they all pretty preoccupied
with what they're doing?
Grace: Are you trying to maintain
your stealth from before, or
do you want to be noticed?
As
Kaleb: m- as much as I can, yes.
Obviously if somebody sees me, like
I'm not like being super like hiding
and like skulking, but like I'm
not trying to make myself known.
If somebody sees me, that's great,
I'm disguised, but I'm trying to
prevent, like if I don't have to
get noticed, I don't wanna be.
Grace: Yeah, with everyone very much
focused on their respective works
at this time, with your roll from
earlier you will only be noticed-
if you wanna be at this point.
Kaleb: Cool.
Do I notice, you mentioned the gems.
Am I close enough to see
like color, shape, any kind
of defining detail of that?
Grace: The third of a b- you'd
probably be about 15 feet away,
so- ⦠sure, you can see.
Roughly there's a number of different
sizes, ranging from probably about fist
size to maybe diameter of a quarter.
Looks to be mostly rubies
maybe some opal mixed in there.
A lot of red, some white there's maybe one
or two sort of like yellowish orange that
you can see flicker up at some points.
Kaleb: Okay, got you.
So it's several different colors, types.
Grace: Yes.
Kaleb: Cool.
Grace: Did you think I would
make this easy for you?
Kaleb: But d- you can't
blame me for asking.
Cool.
Yeah I'm gonnaâ¦
W- what are the cultists chanting?
Just ha- can I, is it something
I understand, or is it
all in a made up language?
Do you speak Elvish?
I do not know.
I don't understand that.
Cool.
Cool.
Yeah, I'm gonna, I'm gonna walk up
'cause I have my, like, finished casing.
And I'm gonna walk up and to, I'm
gonna walk up to Bernard, who was who
I was speaking with before a- and me-
say "Hey," or not the obviouslyâ¦
i'm gonna say, "Hey the, the weird
some, some person you said you spoke
to, Kel, said that he ga- he, you needed
this as some sort of copy or a backup
for what you guys are working on."
And I'm gonna give this to
him and be like, "Whatâ¦
I don't I don't know what
you need from this, but they
instructed me to give this to you
Grace: He goes "Oh yeah, sure.
We'll we'll add this to the stack.
We got about 20 out of 30 done
so far, so this'll give us
just a little bit of a boost.
Thanks a lot.
That's,
Kaleb: Oh, of course.
Grace: Do you- "I didn't realize
you were working on this.
That's great"
Kaleb: Hey, honestly, like I'm, I
was working on the gems, which let
me know if you guys need any more.
I, gonna take me some time to get
whatever you guys need, but if you
need something extra let me know.
If you need any backups or
if there's any kind of scraps
you need from me, like please.
" Grace: Oh, I think we're good
with like the jewels and stuff.
We had River take care of that for us.
Yeah, I thought you didn't wanna
be involved with any of this.
That's awesome that you're joining in."
Kaleb: It I didn't at first, I
had to think of my kids, but with
everything that's going on, let's be
real, everybody's gotta do their part
Grace: Yeah, totally.
All right thanks.
That's a lot of help-
Kaleb: And-
Grace: But
Kaleb: I think we got it,
yeah ⦠while I'm talking, while
I'm, while I'm- ⦠talking here, can
I get a better look at those gems?
I just, I need more detail because of what
they are, now that I'm like, I'm right up
next to him, I'm assuming at this point.
So I should be able to see
directly into that little kiln.
Grace: Yeah.
You can, give me just give
me a perception check.
Kaleb: Ooh ⦠I
Grace: would give you advantage,
but you already got that,
Kaleb: that's right.
That's right.
That's right.
That's literally two
10s, so it's gonna be 13.
Grace: Sure is a lot of gemstones in there
Kaleb: Oh, nice
Grace: And they're moving
Kaleb: Okay.
Grace: They're shifting and swirling-
⦠and doing all sorts of stuff.
Kaleb: Cool.
What I am gonna do as I
am- The infinity stones.
That's correct.
As I am doing this I'm gonna place
my hand on Nolan's shoulder as a
reassuring you're doing great work.
I appreciate what you guys are doing.
A- and I'm gonna cast Gaze of Two
Minds as one of my warlock classes.
He has there's no check.
There's no nothing.
I can now- ⦠hear and see
through Nolan's perspective.
Grace: Incredible
⦠Kaleb: and I'm, yeah-
Grace: Does it say anything about
you understanding languages that they
understand, or is it purely just-
Kaleb: Ba
I benefit from any special senses
that are possessed by the creature.
So I'm, it literally just
says- Apparently not.
I
Grace: mean, it- It's not
like you can't do the thing.
It's just a-
Kaleb: So I, special senses
is very vague, so I don't know
if that means that I- I would
Grace: imagine that would mean dark
Kaleb: vision or like- It's Gaze
of Two Minds, like perceive senses
Grace: sense of smell-
Oh ⦠that kind of thing.
Skyy: Blindsight or something like that.
Yeah.
Grace: Yeah.
Kaleb: So again ba.
Yeah, I perceive through its senses
until the end of, like it's a,
it's, like it says till the end of
my next turn, but I, that doesn't
give me any specific timeline on it.
But yeah, so I can at
least for a time- You
can use the action bonus
action.
Yeah.
Correct.
Da.
And I'm able to cast spells
through Nolan as if I was there.
Oh, neat.
I don't have to be in that room to cast
any kind of spells or anything like that.
Yeah, there's that.
Da da, da.
Oh, actually
oh wait, no, I already castâ¦
I can cast comprehend languages,
but that would have to be a little
bit later 'cause I already, I've
already got disguise self on me.
Yeah, so I'm just gonna
put my hand on him.
I'm gonna cast that perceive senses,
and then I'm just gonna leave
Grace: Okay.
You do that.
No one tries to stop you.
You are good to go.
Kaleb: And then as soon
as I get upstairs, isâ¦
So I'm assuming it's still Mal's
still up there, nobody's up there?
I am dropping disguise self and
immediately casting comprehend languages
Yeah, now I wanna be able to hear I
wanna be able to understand anything
that Nolan and Bernard are talking about.
And then obviously I
g- I'd wanna be likeâ¦
'Cause I've missed, do Iâ¦
Comprehend languages and I s- yeah,
so I can understand what they're
chanting, I can understand what
they're saying- anything like that
Grace: So you hear the chant which
is in Elvish and occasionally a
little word of Celestial thrown in.
⦠And you hear it's ha- about half of it
is this Elven blessing almost of just
speaking well of the craftsmanship
that's happening and manifesting
that it will all be good and that,
your hammer will always strike true,
and s- all that kinda, you know-
Kaleb: Yeah
Grace: flowery language.
Kaleb: Heigh ho.
They are just bouncing about as they're
Grace: chanting about it.
And then that, yes, and that
is interspersed with theseâ¦
It's a weird sort of mix
of adjectives, traits.
They're like just, protector,
strong, healer, that sort of thing.
Which- Yeah ⦠is a little tricky
to try and comprehend out of context,
but they all seem to be fairly
positive things that they're saying.
Gotcha.
That don't super fit the cadence
or the, the overall- ⦠themes of
that Elvish blessing, which isâ¦
So you can infer that they
are two separate things.
And then-
Kaleb: They're saying these
saying one thing, the other,
saying A, saying B, sayingâ¦
they're doing- ⦠a back and forth.
Cool.
Grace: Exactly, yeah.
Gotcha ⦠and then you can alsoâ¦
How long does the spell last?
Kaleb: So let me look it up
other than on my character sheet.
So it doesn't give me a set timeline.
It says as long as I amâ¦
Like, if we're in combat I have to
use a bonus action to keep it up, but
I can just I have to be on the same
plane of existence as the target of it
Grace: Yeah.
For your seeing through their
eyes or for comprehend languages?
Kaleb: Oh, sorry.
The, the perceived senses like I just
have to u- it's just a bonus action
to keep up, like if I'm in combat.
Comprehend languages isâ¦
do, do.
Grace: That's an hour.
Kaleb: An hour
Grace: Yeah.
So you can still listen to
the conversation between-
Yeah ⦠bernard and Nolan.
And they just seem to be just chatting
about, oh it's this step next, right?
Yeah.
And then like talking through little bits
and pieces of the process and oh, let's
make sure we have that attunement really
in there, and gotta make sure it's down
to the millimeter, that kind of thing.
And you do hear for a second them kind
of address this piece that you've given
them, and I forget, did we do any sort
of check of your craftsmanship of that?
Kaleb: So yeah, it was a sleight of hand.
I remember it wasn't outrageous.
I think I, I think it did like a 14.
I can't remember the exact number.
It wa- Okay ⦠i, it was enough for it to
be, like, usable, but not master crafted.
Grace: Okay.
So we're just gonna inspect it real quick.
And they seem to
approve, ⦠and get to work.
You see them start to incorporate
it into other bits of their process.
Kaleb: Okay, cool.
Do I hear them talking about anything
specific about what they're building,
what they're putting together?
S- they mentioned the steps, but am
I getting any kind of details about
what's going on, what they're doing?
Grace: That would depend on
how long you stay and listen in
Kaleb: Cool.
Are you giving this five minutes?
Are you staying like an hour?
Yeah.
I'm gonna look at Mal and say, do
you, how long do we wanna risk this?"
'Cause I've got a direct line
to what they're talking about
Skyy: We seem to have the only outside
door, so we just close it, sit on it,
and sit here until you're ready, I guess
Kaleb: Hey if it ain't
broke, don't fix it.
If it's simple, let's keep it simple.
Yeah.
That's what I'm saying.
So I'm gonna say we're gonna,
if we can, try to sit here
I'm trying to weigh the risk
of waiting the full hour.
Sky, what do you think?
Skyy: I say full hour.
Kaleb: Let's do it.
Yeah.
I, let's, so yeah, we're gonna sit there
the full hour and I'm gonna try to get
as much information from them as I can.
Grace: Yeah.
All right.
So with that hour, and with
your comprehend languages they
start chatting about assembly.
And they are going to fit all
of these strips, these bands,
around that mass of crystals.
And you can looking, I would, if the
spell on your or the wording on your
ability is not specific, we'll assume
that you can just maintain that as long
as you essentially keep concentration.
And so looking through that you kind of
guesstimate that it'll be probably three
or four feet across just this massive orb
with that very hot flame adjacent center
surrounded by these sort of twisting,
shifting bands that are meant to align
line up with, you hear ley lines and start
talking about the magical weave of the
earth and, like, all that sort of stuff of
how it's just supposed to basically catch
bits of energy and focus and channel them.
Kaleb: Okay, cool.
I would have enough that we could
fake something, I'm assuming.
Grace: Depending on what you were trying
to fake and how well you do it, sure.
Kaleb: Yeah, obviously all rolls
aside this would be information that
we could use to create something.
Okay.
Yeah after the spell wears off
I'm gonna, I'm gonna dr- obviously
comprehend languages, yeah.
I'm just gonna, my comprehend
languages wears off and then I'm
gonna look at Mal and say, "I've
got, I can see and I can hear.
I can't understand Elvish
for next to nothing."
Neither can I.
Okay, cool.
Yeah, I'm just gonna- But
Grace: you have comprehend
languages, so you're fine.
Kaleb: Yeah, I guess I could just castâ¦
No.
Yeah, 'cause I guess I could
cast comprehend languages again.
I guess the only other thing, when they
were talking, did they mention anything
about somebody coming to pick this up,
or were they taking it to somebody?
Grace: You do get a vague sense
of the timeline- ⦠and they are
trying to at least be done by noon.
Like high noon- Okay ⦠peak
daylight, that kind of, yeah.
Okay.
And so they're starting to count
down of "All right, we got three
hours left," that kind of language.
Kaleb: Cool.
So they're more so just discussing
the like technical of, "Okay,
we gotta do this by this time."
Like got- ⦠gotcha.
Got it.
Okay.
Yeah.
Cool.
So now-
Grace: They're very much craftsmen at
work in their craft at this moment.
Kaleb: Yeah.
They're in the flow
state of just crafting.
Got it.
Grace: Oh, yes.
Kaleb: Okay, cool.
Yeah.
I'm gonna I'm gonna obviously keep
perceive senses up, and then if I need to
cast comprehend languages again, I can.
So I would say, Kel's just gonna look up
and say, "Hey let's get on out of here.
Let's go find Tweedledee and
Tweedledoofus and see what kind of
information they got cooking up."
Skyy: Speaking of Tweedle
Doofus, I'm assuming.
No, I guess it'd be Tweedledee,
and I pull out the spell scroll.
Hey, de- dealer's
Kaleb: choice.
Skyy: I pull out the scull-
spell scroll and hand it to him.
I caught our little friend putting this
in his pocket, and I took it, obviously
Kaleb: And I just, Kel I'm gonna assume
like I, I grace, I auto- Kel automatically
knows what this is, I'm assuming.
Absolutely, yes.
Like I don't need to
Grace: be able- You have-
Kaleb: Okay, cool
Grace: heard tale of this spell, and-
Kaleb: Cool
⦠Grace: you're able to
identify it really quickly.
Kaleb: I have the just biggest,
goofiest grin and I'm just like,
"Since it's not my birthday, but damn,
this is a perfect present," and I'm
just gonna tuck that into my pocket.
That's gonna- Okay.
That's gonna be a good- Go
ahead and just make an arcana
Grace: check just for kicks.
What is
Kaleb: it?
Yeah, of course.
Grace: Is that a- An arcana
check if you don't mind.
Kaleb: That's gonna be a 22.
Ooh.
Or 21, sorry.
Oh.
Grace: Okay.
With
a 21 that the sort of language, the
dumbing down of this spell is not the
only alteration that has been made.
It also, of the targets that you can
select with the spell, there is one
that to cast this spell from this
scroll must be centered on the caster
Kaleb: Oh, so when I cast
it, it has to be on me.
Yes.
Skyy: So it's a suicide scroll.
I got it.
Kaleb: Cool.
Skyy: I understand.
Kaleb: Yeah.
Mal, this is- We just give
Skyy: that back to him?
Kaleb: This is cool.
Infinite less cool that I
have to nuke myself to use it.
Skyy: But I could just bringâ¦
I could hire someone to bring you back.
I can't do it, but.
We stop hiring them tomorrow.
Adam: There's someone in the
party that can raise the dead.
Kaleb: I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be
honest, after seeing the turtle
raise that guy from the dead, I
don't want nothing to do with that.
I mean- Just promise, hey, my
sister promise me you will not let
that eer- eerily cr- just creepy
thing- ⦠try to raise me back up.
I'd rather be dead.
Skyy: I would rather you be dead,
and I would carry your dead body
to a thousand towns from here,
Kaleb: Okay.
Thank you ⦠and have
Skyy: someone revivify
Kaleb: you than him do it.
As long as we're having an understanding
that's all I needed to know.
Yeah.
We- Okay, cool.
Cool.
Yeah.
Let's go ⦠we're gonna, I'm gonna po-
I'm gonna pocket that and we're gonna
head to just in the general direction of
the dome and let the other two kindaâ¦
Hopefully we can meet
up with the other two.
Grace: Yeah, totally.
So rewinding to roughly an hour
ago we have our two fellas, our two
spooky boys, headed over to the dome.
Adam: Hi, lover boy.
Zac: Do not speak to me
that way, turtle man.
I do not like you like that.
Adam: Oh it's our culture
in in turtle world.
Oh, yeah?
That's how we greet each other.
Zac: It's not my culture.
We kill each other.
Adam: That's a problem that you have.
Zac: No, can we go to the dome please?
Adam: We're walking.
We're walking.
I don't know what you're talking about.
How do we get there?
We're going places.
You
Grace: can be there if you wanna be.
Adam: We're there.
Zac: Look.
Yes, we're there.
Wow, there it is.
I will fast travel.
There we go.
Adam: Clicked on it.
We're there, black dome.
That's what it said on
Zac: the fast travel.
Oh.
Click.
Right next to Dead Body Cave.
Adam: Yeah.
Wait, no, it's not next to Dead Body Cave.
Dead Body Cave's a little
Grace: further out.
No, that's the southern part of town.
You're in- Yeah ⦠the
western part of town now.
Adam: Yeah.
We have a whole map.
Don't you know the instructions here?
They gave us a map when we walked in.
Grace: Yeah, you guys approach.
Are you trying to be stealthy
or are you just going for it?
Zac: I am actually quite stealthy
if you want me to be a sneaky sneak.
Adam: Sure, go in there.
See if you can sneak in.
We'll try to sneak it in first.
You go in there.
Zac: Why am I going first?
Adam: Because I have a
negative four to stealth.
Zac: Oh, okay.
Let me go first.
I
Adam: guess- That's crazy.
Because I explained to
myself, I am a giant turtle.
There is no sneaking around this.
Zac: All right.
What exactly, I don't think I
can sneak through the front door
if there's people watching it.
So is there like a, a window
or a little area I can get in?
It's a dome.
Yeah.
What, so it's just a window- It is a dome.
A
Grace: pretty solid dome.
Zac: Okay.
Okay.
Then I'm just gonna
wait till one of theâ¦
Are there guards in the front?
Grace: Yeah.
Zac: There's two.
I'm just gonna create a distraction
and try to get past them.
That's it.
Adam: Oh, wait, hang on.
Hang on.
Boop.
Two seconds.
Zac: Oh, magic man, do some distraction.
Adam: Do some-
Zac: Yeah, give
Adam: me a second.
Zac: Do some distraction.
Adam: Are they wearing metal by chance?
Zac: Ooh.
Skyy: Yeah.
Zac: I
Skyy: know
where
Kaleb: you're
Adam: going.
I know where you're going.
Metal.
Do it.
Yeah.
I'll, Is there a bench nearby?
Like- A what?
Just a bench.
It came through clear.
It came through clear.
Is it-
Zac: Adam,
Grace: wh- There could be
some public seating nearby.
There,
Adam: public.
So I'm just gonna go sit down, and I'm
gonna cast Heat Metal on one of the
guys, and it's gonna be on their back.
Specifically, like, where
a place they can't reach.
It's gonna be a little
pinhole bird happening.
Right between the shoulder blades.
Yeah.
Pinhole bird.
I'm not trying to burn his whole, outfit.
I just need a something there-
Magnifying glass ⦠that's kinda yeah,
kind of annoyance, and then it gets
hotter and hotter, and then he starts
having to get his buddy to help him.
Grace: Okay.
Remind me, is it a con save for-
Adam: It is a, let's see.
It is a
Oh.
You cast such as metal weapon
or suit of medium metal armor.
You can see within range, you can
cause the object to glow red hot.
Any creature in the physical
contact with object takes 2d8 fire
damage when you cast the spell.
Until the spell ends, you can use
your bonus action to keep it up.
Grace: Oh, it just happens.
No save.
Cool.
Adam: It just happens.
Yeah, no save.
Grace: Okay.
All
Adam: right.
Grace: Yeah.
Adam: Well- So
Grace: he's been- Are you ⦠I
will give you the leniency of
being an experienced spell caster.
Are you trying to inflict damage, or
do you truly just want a distraction?
I, no, I'm just,
Adam: I'm just wanting
to burn a distraction.
I'm not trying to kill him.
Not yet.
Grace: Okay.
Adam: That's for later.
Grace: Yeah.
Get to the verge of damage.
And trying to think if this
would even be a skill check.
Adam: I can roll something
if you need me to.
Zac: Stealth.
Grace: Let's just do ⦠We've done
this a lot already today, but let's
do a little arcana check just to see-
Okay ⦠how exactly precise- How I
Kaleb: do it.
Yeah
Skyy: A 15.
Okay.
Yeah, you see-
Kaleb: Oh, plus three
Skyy: Oh, there you go.
Adam: I think that's
Zac: 15, right?
12 plus three ⦠you definitely-
Kaleb: I'm
Zac: right?
Yes.
Yeah.
Yes.
Just wanted to make sure.
With your math, yes.
Adam: I get weird math
when I'm on the weekends.
Grace: Okay, so you cast a spell and
start to heat up this man's armor.
And you see him look up, check
the sun, see if it's some
weird reflection something.
Start tapping his back, pulls his
hand back, he's like, "What the heck?"
And gradually start get a
little panicky of help."
And he taps his friend, his
buddy up by the door, and they're
like freaking out a little bit.
And they start to step aside,
get away from the door.
G- you get almost a sense that they're
like trying to be really quiet around
there, but they like need to get away
so they can start screaming if need to.
And they start trying to like
rapidly like undo clasps trying
to get this like plate armor off.
And yeah, they seem decently
distracted for the moment
Zac: Morath is going to do sneaky sneak
Grace: Okay, do some sneaky.
Zac: All right.
Grace: I'll do a perception
check with disadvantage.
Zac: That is a 17.
Grace: Yeah.
Yeah, I rolled a two for them, so you can
pass through the door, and it would seem
that you are undetected in this moment.
Adam: He passes through the door,
I'm gonna sense a heat metal.
Grace: Okay.
Yeah.
You you enter the chamber.
Like before, there's there's kind
of an open space around, and then
this building in the center that
is what used to be the chapel.
Small, very humble building with a, a
fairly tall roof and ceiling and all that.
You got, got some bolted
arches and stuff going on.
And though they haven't noticed you
in this moment, there are a number
of people just bustling around.
You see them carrying
little bundles of things.
And curiously, each person in here
is moving around, making whatever
preparations has some item.
There's a variety.
There's books, there's pieces of cloth,
there's scrolls, there's this just
seemingly random assortment of things.
And then they also each carry a
little bundle, probably eight inches
across, that's wrapped in cloth,
and they each have one of these
Zac: Okay.
Grace: And as we see the
exterior of this building
Zac: the
Grace: center dome.
Zac: They're, everybody's like moving
around trying to get everything situated?
Grace: More or less.
So a lot of people- Yeah.
Like speaking to each other but just
milling around in this courtyard-ish area.
Zac: Okay
Grace: And the door to the
chapel is currently closed.
Zac: The door to the what?
Grace: The little chapel.
The little mini church
is currently closed.
The front door at least.
Zac: Okay.
I'm gonna make my way over
there and see if I can't get
in the door of the mini chapel.
Grace: Okay.
What was your stealth roll again?
Like a 17,
Zac: 10?
Grace: 17, yeah.
Okay.
And with a natural four, the
group here does not see you.
As you approach, they're all just
chatting, making adjustments to clothing,
like just random stuff of a bunch
of people who are trying to be busy.
And yeah, you go up to the door.
Are we just straight up trying to open
it, or- ⦠what is the approach here?
Zac: I wanna do an arcana check
just to make sure it's not magically
booby-trapped, and then I'm gonna- Okay
just try to lurch it
open if there's no sign.
That's a 10 on the arcana.
It's not great.
Grace: 10 total?
Zac: 10 total.
Grace: You get a vague sense from beyond
the door, but not the door itself.
Zac: Okay.
I want to try to open the door
and just peek in, not fully go
in, just see, poke my littleâ¦
Not little, but poke my head in
there and just "What's going on?"
See what's up.
Grace: Okay, yeah.
You the door opens, it's unlocked.
⦠And you peek in, and you see this
space has been entirely cleared out.
There is just one sort of table in
the very middle, and then in two
chairs on the opposite side from you,
Thalea and Damian, her husband, having
some sort of hushed conversation
on the opposite side of the chapel.
But otherwise, it is basically
just a big, empty room right now.
Zac: Okay.
I'm going to try to get back
out of the dome and report
what I am seeing back to Evaan.
But while I'm trying to get back out
of the dome, I wanna see if I can take
those, one of those little scrolls
from somebody that's not paying
attention, 'cause if everybody's
bustling, the one that's wrapped up,
you were saying everybody had one.
Yeah, I wanna take one of
those and see what that is.
And
Grace: like- Yeah, can we slide a hand?
Zac: Oh, it fell out
Kaleb: of the thing.
That's a 12
Grace: A 12.
Okay, let's see what do I get.
Okay, that's a 14 on the die.
So I will give you a
choice in this moment.
Would you like to succeed in taking
it but be noticed, or not take
the thing and get away unseen?
Zac: Oh, not take the
thing and get away unseen.
Yes.
Grace: Okay
Then you do that.
And all right.
You then sneak back out through
that main entrance and- Thank
Zac: you, thank you
⦠Grace: you s- the guards are now
recovering and making their way back
to the door, but you can slip past
just before they get back in position.
Zac: Wonderful.
We'll do that.
Okay.
I'm gonna go up to Vey and I'm gonna say
it seems like everybody's busy in there.
Tried to grab a tiny scroll off of
one of them, but was inadvertently
spotted before I could do so.
It seems like Thalea and Damien
are in the chapel having a
private conversation of sorts.
I couldn't gather any more
information before being seen."
Skyy: Let's see if I can do anything
Adam: No, I don't have anything.
Okay guess we'll just head back to the
meeting point with the guys regroup.
Zac: What was that mission for then, Adam?
Adam: I was hoping you'd be able to gather
intel, but you can't, so it just happens.
It's fine.
You rolled poorly, so it's D&D.
Kaleb: So give up on it.
Adam: Yeah.
I'm not gonna walk in there with
negative four stealth and just, and
try to persuade my way through to say
"Hey guys, what are you talking about?"
Grace: You can certainly try.
Kaleb: Hey, obviously super secret cult.
What super secret cult
things are you doing?
Yeah,
Adam: just tell me.
All right.
Zac: What matter y'all summoning?
And I'm not dressed like them.
You can trust me.
I, nobodyâ¦
Yeah, like I'm extremely noticeable.
This is not a good reconnaissance mission.
Yeah.
It's okay.
We'll head back.
Kaleb: All right.
Grace: Okay.
Back to dead body cave, I assume.
Zac: Dead body cave.
Kaleb: Dead body cave.
Grace: Yeah.
Kaleb: DBC.
Oh,
funny.
All
Grace: right.
Yeah.
You all can make your
way back with no trouble.
Adam: Perfect meeting place, DBC
⦠Kaleb: Grace, before we kick everything
off 'cause I'm assuming we either got to
the cave before them or at the same time,
what am I seeing through Nolan's eyes?
R- are they still working on everything?
Grace: Yes.
Still working and they have moved
on to assembly at this point.
Kaleb: Okay.
Grace: Oh.
They are fitting the pieces together.
Adam: Okay.
Cool.
Cool.
Yeah.
Perfect.
All right.
So if you see that when you get back, I
want you to follow along in Nolan's eyes
as they're putting the pieces together.
Kaleb: Actually not the worst idea.
Adam: If, if-
Kaleb: Yeah.
So I guess- Or just describe
Adam: what's happening, and I
can put it together if you need
Kaleb: me to.
Yeah, I was gonna say I can, because
I'm not, I'm like viewing, like it's
like I'm looking through his eyes.
Yeah.
So I can't see anything
that's going on around me.
Yeah.
So I'm gonna instruct Evaan on
how, what they're doing to put it
together while they're doing it,
and then Evaan can put it together.
I don't know if you want me
to give him the help action
on any sort of roll or what.
But yeah, that's I guess I
would kinda- On whatever roll
that I need to do.
Oh, Zach died.
Don't
Zac: worry about that.
Kaleb: Zach died.
Zac: Oh, God.
That meteor
Grace: storm.
So what exactly are you
trying to replicate?
Kaleb: What they're put- like the
artifact that they're putting together.
Grace: The four foot sphere of metal-
Four foot- ⦠and precious gems?
Kaleb: Yes.
Correct
Grace: That took them two
days to make as professionals?
Kaleb: I don't know what
you're talking about.
We can definitely pull this
Adam: off.
It doesn't have to work.
Yeah, we're not having
Kaleb: to like act or- It's gotta
look, it's gotta look convincing.
It doesn't have to
Adam: work.
It's gotta look convincing, yeah.
Grace: Okay.
Sure.
What check would this be?
Kaleb: I'm struggling
with this skepticism.
Adam: I really, honestly Grace, I
don't know what check this would be.
I was going through skill checks, so
Kaleb: I was like-
⦠Adam: survival is the only one
that kinda makes sense, but
it doesn't, so I don't know,
Grace: Or maybe we just make it
straight dexterity to try and
finagle things a little bit.
Just two little questions: Where
are you getting the metal, and
are you mining precious gems?
Kaleb: Oh, wait a minute.
Yeah, I just realized I gave themâ¦
I messed up and gave
them a copy that I had.
But Grace, correct me if I'm wrong,
the part that I made was just one
of the smaller parts in it, correct?
Grace: Yeah, it was one of the
bands surrounding of which-
Kaleb: Cool
Grace: He mentioned there are about 30.
Adam: Yeah, but you can see the
rest of the bands and the gemstones
aligned in the bands right now
Kaleb: through his eyes.
Yeah but I get what Grace is saying.
I don't have any of the other, like,
bands made 'cause this is like- Yeah.
Yeah, I get it ⦠a multiâ¦
But what we could do, we could pivot.
'Cause I would relay that this is
just, isn't just one small thing.
We could pivot to- Yeah, it is a
Grace: very complex little mechanism.
Kaleb: Yeah.
We could pivot to- And I say little,
Grace: again, about-
Kaleb: Correct ⦠three
to four feet across.
Grace: Three to four
Kaleb: feet, it's, yeah, rather large.
We could pivot to intercepting
whoever's transporting it and
sabotaging it on the way there.
Adam: Okay.
That's fine.
' Kaleb: Cause there's-
Adam: All right.
So then what we'll do is instead of
creating it, then what we'll do is
we'll wait for it to be finished and
see if Nolan is taking it or- ⦠if
he hands it off to somebody, and we'll
just be in the middle of the town and
see which direction he's headed from the
mine itself, or from the blacksmith's.
Blacksmith's.
Kaleb: Yeah.
So I'm just gonna continue Cal's just
gonna continue spying on Nolan, I don't
know if we have anything else we wanna
be doing while we're waiting, but I
can let you guys know when he, when
they're leaving with the artifact.
Grace: Okay.
From their progress and from just little
snippets of conversation that you get
it'll be about three hours from this time
that you guys are rendezvousing that- Oh.
And then they will finish
Kaleb: Yeah, so I'm just gonna look
at Evaan and go my man, there'sâ¦
It's gonna be a minute
before they're done."
Adam: So tell me what gems are in
the middle, and let's get those-
Kaleb: Yeah
⦠Adam: out.
And we can at least replace
the gems inside of the three
to four-foot radial band and-
Kaleb: Yeah.
Gotcha
⦠Adam: device.
Kaleb: I need
Adam: a name for this device.
Kaleb: Yeah, I was gonna say, they
nev- they didn't ever give me one.
I was gonna say, d- Grace, did I ever hear
them disc- calling it what it is, or did
they just keep calling it the artifact?
Or did I get a name from
them when I was listening?
Dan's calling it vessel.
Vessel?
Okay, cool.
Vessel ⦠yeah.
So yeah, I'm just gonna relay, Yeah,
they, there was literally justâ¦
it was a hodgepodge of like f-
and I just relay everything.
The fist to quarter-sized,
like rubies, opals.
I, like, all of the different types
of gems that I saw in there, and then
we can kinda make it look believable
for what we can swap- All right
in and out once we do intercept it.
Adam: And then I can roll
a nature check for that?
If that'sâ¦
I don't know what other check it
would be if you have another idea.
Grace: No, that works.
Adam: All right.
Okay.
Let me check.
Nat 20.
Look at that, you can see that through
my- Let's go ⦠you can see that through
my glasses.
Kaleb: Let's go.
Grace: With a nat 20, the
universe wants you to succeed.
So you- That's
Skyy: correct
⦠Grace: looking around this chamber
you actually see some of the veins
that these gemstones were mined from.
Perfect.
And around in this area, scattered
about, are a few gems that have
been discarded, but were, you kind
of infer s- of those selected.
So-
Adam: Could I
Grace: infer that they were trying to
select the best- Someone went through
and harvested a bunch of these, and
they took a bunch of them- Yeah ⦠and
these are the ones that are left.
Adam: Yeah.
Are they, Could I infer that they were
trying to get the the best quality ones?
Like they're trying for purity.
Absolutely, yeah.
And then they, the ones that they
discarded around are the impure ones?
What we
Kaleb: see in there.
Adam: Yeah.
Perfect.
Grace: Yeah.
Adam: Perfect.
So we take the impure ones, replace
the pure ones for ourselves.
Okay, cool
Kaleb: While we are working on that,
Adam: Anybody get anything
cool while they were gone?
Just asking.
Grace: No.
Adam: No?
Skyy: Nothing cool.
Grace: Chickened out.
Yeah.
Skyy: We mainly just sat there.
We kinda just sat there.
Adam: Okay.
That was dope ⦠trying to think what
else we could do while we're waiting
Can I go outside the gates
into that shanty town?
Grace: Sure
Adam: Okay.
Does anyone wanna come
with me to the shanty town?
I just wanted to observe with
my perception, with what's
going on in there and see.
Zac: Okay, quick question.
If we go out of the gates to
come back in, do we have to go
through the vetting process again?
Grace: No.
That's only if you like, like the-
Adam: There's an
Grace: outer wall and an inner wall
⦠our little fantasy PSA was beyond the-
Yeah ⦠it's not a wall, it's just
a guard shack I'll go with Melraith
⦠but that's beyond the tent town.
Adam: Yeah, guard shack area.
Kaleb: We'll go
Adam: with
Kaleb: them.
And then if Mel wants to, 'cause I'm
gonna have, I'm gonna stay and like
watching Nolan, so like I'm gonna
need somebody 'cause I have zero like
awareness of what's going on around me
Yeah, that's fair.
So I'm gonna need somebody to protect me.
Skyy: Don't you worry, I got you.
Kaleb: That's
Skyy: right.
Planning your funeral, that's all.
Adam: All right, so you stay
there- Yeah, ⦠me and Melraith
will go out to the shanty town.
Skyy: Yeah, you guys
gotta go on your date.
Go on, shoo.
Okay.
Kaleb: Need some alone time.
Grace: You're going for a charming
little walk out on the town.
You guys exit the city gates.
So nice.
And you guys go out to the tent little
village, and you see probably about
close to, however many are left,
which is probably about 75 to 80
people and they appear to be packing.
They are collapsing tents,
clearing firewood, like gathering
belongings, that kind of thing.
Adam: I look over to Melraith
and I'm like they seem to be
getting out of here lickety-split.
I wonder why."
Zac: It's probably 'cause
they're trying to summon a god.
I'm noticing
Adam: a pattern.
Why would they be trying
to get out of here?
Zac: Because it's probably doomed to fail,
Kaleb: doomed
Zac: to
Kaleb: fail?
Zac: Yep.
So that's my theory.
You got any, smart man?
Smart tortle?
Kaleb: I'm just gonna
Grace: approach a guy- You can do
an insight or intelligence check.
Kaleb: Yeah.
I have in- I can do an
insight check, that's fine
My intel
inside, insight's plus nine.
Okay
Another nat 20, so
Adam: 29
Grace: They're leaving 'cause
they don't need to be here anymore
Adam: Okay
Grace: They're here for the ritual,
and the ritual is about to be over
Adam: Okay.
But they're not attending the ritual?
Or are you, which way are they going?
They're going out of town or are
they coming into the town to go to
the dome where they got tickets?
Grace: They're just gathering
their stuff right now.
Okay.
They're literally just packing.
Okay.
They don't seem to be moving
in any particular direction.
Kaleb: Okay.
Grace: Just doing stuff.
Zac: Can I pick the weakest looking
person I see and try to get something
out of them in terms of what's going on?
Kaleb: Could just ask
Zac: I'm going to ask, and if that
doesn't work, I'm gonna intimidate.
That's what I'm really good
Kaleb: at It does work very
well, I can already tell
Grace: Okay.
Here's a question.
What would you categorize as weak?
Like physically weak?
Zac: Yes.
Grace: Weak in a willpower sense?
Zac: Let's just say yeah, w- they look
like they suffer from extreme anxiety.
So someone like me, for example.
Just find a little Zack
out there and, just-
Grace: You wanna find someone
shaking in their boots.
Got it.
Zac: A little Zack.
Ooh.
That looks- Self-burn, that's
right ⦠severely anxious, yes.
Grace: Yeah.
You wander around for a sec, and you
find a little gnomish woman who is- A
hand ⦠packing rather frantically.
Very much just she's on the older side.
She's like yes, time to get my stuff
together and get on out of here."
Adam: I can't wait for
another hand to go missing.
Zac: That's not what's gonna happen.
I deserve it in my head.
Pardon me.
I have a couple of questions for you, if
you do not mind bending an old man's ear.
'Cause remember, I'm a
deacon for Dagon, okay?
From Tideswell.
Okay?
Yeah,
Grace: totally.
Zac: Totally.
That's totally.
For sure, for
Kaleb: sure.
Zac: I'm still over with my hood and mask.
For sure ⦠I'm gonna say,
"May I ask why everybody is in
such a hurry to get out of here?
Are you leaving?
Are you going in further intoâ¦
I'm confused.
What's happening here?"
" Grace: We're going on home.
We don't gotta be here no more once
that whole ritual gets done, so
we're just heading on out of here."
" Zac: What do you mean you
don't have to be here?
Youâ¦
Do you have to be here for the ritual?
I'm so confused here."
" Grace: Sure, we're all gonna go watch, but
a lot of us got families waiting at home.
We're fixing to get back to them."
So we're just gonna pack up all
our stuff, and then once that whole
ritual's out of the way, skedaddle
Zac: So do you have to watch?
I'm somewhat confused.
You
Grace: won't, you won't watch
I suppose we don't have to, but
we've been here for months on end.
Might as well see the whole thing through
Zac: there a ticket
Adam: required?
Grace: It's quite exciting, and
it's the reason we're all here.
So we're gonna go and
enjoy it while we can.
Once in a lifetime event.
Oh.
Not even that.
Where?
Once in a millennium.
Once in a- W- where at?
Where's the- once in a cos
Adam: makes sense ⦠where's
the event taking place?
Zac: Hey, Mr.
Metagamer, I got you.
Adam: Just asking.
I walk, I'm walking with you.
I'm right next to you.
Grace: You hear a whisper on the wind.
"Ask
Adam: him where it's-" I'm right next to
you, and I ask him, "Where is it, where
Zac: is this happening?"
Yes, okay, so where are you
watching the event from?
Like right here?
Are you going into the dome?
I'm the clarification seems to be- no,
Grace: we're going to the grove.
Zac: The grove.
Yes, the grove.
Adam: Stage two.
Zac: That is stage three, Adam.
Adam: No, it's three?
That's three.
Wait, let's
Grace: see.
What was,
Adam: what was two?
Pay attention.
Two is the dome.
What?
Two is the dome?
Two
Zac: is the dome.
Yes,
Grace: that's what- One
is the forge ⦠huh?
Adam: One is the forge.
Oh, okay, see, I'm kinda- One's
already happening ⦠okay in, in my
mind- One, one I'm actually spying on.
Okay.
Lord of mine.
Okay.
Sorry, I, in my mind, the forge
was already done, so I was in
sta- I just, I skipped over it.
Hey, it's still a stage.
He's skipping ahead.
He's excited.
Yeah.
All right.
Okay.
So stage three is the grove
where the thing happens.
Zac: So I'm kinda, I think
Morath might not be smart, but
he's decently wise, I would say.
I think he's gonna put
together the- I keep saying
Grace: it
⦠Zac: yeah, exactly.
If you keep saying
Adam: it enough it comes true, I hear.
Grace: I know it.
Zac: I will say that he's going to
know that somehow all of these denizens
have a part to play, whether that means
they're, like, going to be a giant
sacrifice, whether there's gonna be
some kind of power withdrawn from them.
So I think I'm going to try, or Morath's
going to try to convince this woman she
does not need to stay to watch this.
Adam: Oh, I don't think
he has a change of heart.
Zac: No.
We're trying to fuck it up.
This would just be another fuck up for it.
She's the most anxious.
I would try to get say something
to her to get her riled up.
So I think Morath's gonna go as a
deacon of Dagon, I did have certain
access that Thalea let me in on some
of the information of this ritual
that they didn't tell you, did they?"
Grace: Just tell me what
Zac: My dear you are the ritual.
You and all these fine people around here.
When you go to the grove, your
lives will be forfeit for this god
Kaleb: Staring
Grace: contest situation no,
certainly no one mentioned that.
You heard this straight from Taleah?
Zac: Yeah not Taleah,
but her husband, Damian.
I believe he was the one who tell me.
Taleah did seem to reassure him
that it was all for a worthy
cause against the evil forces of
Malachi, god, gods forsake his name.
Despicable man he is.
Grace: Yeah, you're right.
I never trust nobody from Tadswill.
I knew he was a down
right dirty scoundrel.
Zac: So yeah, I don't know.
I guess my plan, like after telling her
Adam: that-
Zac: No one likes Tadswill.
Yeah, apparently.
I just want her to get
like- And a C with Roy
⦠Grace: angsty
Zac: and start word of mouthing to
everybody else what is really happening,
and just kind of game of telephone.
Let's see what happens.
Grace: Okay, go ahead and give me aâ¦
i'll let you take your pick of
persuasion or deception, 'cause you
have technically told a lie in that
you didn't hear it from Damian, but
you are just generally persuading.
So whichever is higher for you really.
Zac: Oh, they both suck, so here we go.
Grace: Oh, wow.
Zac: That is a 19.
Let's go.
Grace: All right.
Send it easy at 18.
We'll say- Be different ⦠I'm
just going to roll a D100.
Oh no, come back
Kaleb: A D100
Zac: The
Grace: mighty D100 See how
many people you persuade
Adam: 25
Zac: 38
Grace: You get about 20 people
Adam: Hey.
To leave.
20 people.
Zac: Oh, 20, 20's
Adam: better Out of 80.
20 out of 80
That's better.
Okay.
So 60 left.
Let's kill
Zac: them.
No.
Adam: He's got blood lust coming out.
Okay.
All right.
I like
Kaleb: John.
Zac: Okay.
So yeah, we convinced 20
people not to show up, so
maybe that'll help us some way.
All right.
Adam: All right.
Well- We'll we'll head back,
Kaleb: and then we'll kill them.
Adam: And then weâ¦
And then we blow up.
As they funnel through
the gate into the city.
Kaleb: Okay.
One by one.
Grace: Yeah.
How long are you guys spending out here?
Are you waiting the full time or
giving it an hour or two hours?
You've got roughly three
hours before- Oh, I meant to
Adam: ask, Olynio
Grace: closes
⦠Adam: I meant to ask how many
people are wearing the cult
uniforms that I had made out there?
Grace: You see maybe 15 or so.
Adam: Hey.
Good enough.
Kaleb: Good enough.
Recruitment's good
Grace, while they're doing that
have I noticed anything other than
like obviously like they'reâ¦
Has the chanting changed at all?
'Cause there's that the blessing
and the like all of that.
Has the chant stayed the same the
whole time, or has it permanently
changed- ⦠with all their doings?
Grace: It has changed.
It has slowly shifted so that
less of the blessing and more of
this like little manifestation is.
And, Okay ⦠at this point probably,
I don't know, maybe an hour or so
before they're done, they switch
to fully just that again, that's
just- Like they're manifesting-
like manifestation ⦠that
good things are gonna
Kaleb: happen.
Grace: Yeah.
Okay,
Kaleb: cool.
Just wanna make sure.
Zac: Can I ask, is
there- and- Oh, go ahead.
Grace: No, you go.
Zac: I was gonna ask- I'm just
gonna clarify- Is there like a
place that is overlooking the grove
that you can see from a distance?
Not like far away like a bell tower
or anything, but just, I don't
know, like a football field away.
Like 100 yards?
Grace: It's notâ¦
It's it is within the city walls.
It isâ¦
Let me see if I can find I don't have the
map right in front of me at the second.
One, one might say a mile from- But it
is towards the north end of town in a
clearing with a cluster of trees nearby.
And I assume you just walk
by it to see what's up.
There's like some trees that seem to have
been grown very intentionally in a circle
as well as some pillars of some sort of
metal that have been put up in between
these trees and some sort of pattern
on the ground in this circular space.
Skyy: Okay
That was the extent of my question.
Grace: Okay
so going back to my question,
which is how long do you guys wait
before heading back to the cave?
Are you giving it the full three hours,
or do you just stay out here for a
little bit and then head back, or?
Zac: Evaan, what would
you like to do, sir?
Kaleb: We can wait three hours
Zac: Wait the three hours.
Okay
Kaleb: That was- Okay ⦠I was debating,
Grace: but Yeah.
So if you're waiting for the full
time, you, after about two hours, one
hour before they're done, you hear
this bonging sound from withinâ¦
it's hard to place, but in
the direction of the dome.
This very loud just like ringing
that's, it's got some bass to it too.
You hear it almost like you feel
it in your bones kind of thing.
Kaleb: You need pork
through your whole body
Grace: Yeah
Kaleb: I'm assuming, are the
other two back at the cave now?
Are theyâ¦
What are you guys doing?
Grace: This is about, They
come back to the cave ⦠this
is two of the three hours.
So they can go back after they
hear this, but they would not
be heading back at this point.
Kaleb: Okay, cool.
Grace: And a couple minutes
pass and you hear it again
Kaleb: Like a pattern
Kala's gonna be sitting there
and he's gonna go, "Mal, what,
what is going on out there?
Did they do something or is itâ¦
Am I crazy?
What's that gonging noise?"
Skyy: If we're being honest with each
other, they probably did do something.
It's probably the turtle that
did something and then- Oh, yeah
you know how I framed the other one.
I mean- That's true ⦠he could
be going to jail right now.
That could be what's happening.
Kaleb: That's very true.
Yeah.
Grace: I forgot about that.
You did in fact frame him for murder.
Kaleb: You absolutely
framed him for murder.
I did ⦠okay, cool.
I, you just, again, I'm, I am
simply the conduit to spy on them.
I have zero context for what's
going on, so I just, I assume
the worst of our companions.
Skyy: But too, do you think we
should go out there or should
we just wait here or like?
Kaleb: I'm cool chilling
'cause I like- They
Skyy: didn't give us a plan for this.
Kaleb: No, they kinda just peaced
out when they said they were gonna
go on their long romantic walk.
But,
Skyy: I know
⦠Kaleb: yeah I'd say let's give them a
little bit more time before we decide
to head out and do our own thing.
Skyy: Sounds good to me.
I'm gonna be mixing my buffs for later.
Yeah.
As we are
Adam: walking back, we hear this as well?
Okay.
All right.
I'm gonna nudge Molrath as we were
about to walk back and be like,
"Let's go check out the dome, see
what's going on around there."
Zac: My question is the dome empty?
Do we know that,
Adam: last time you checked
you were in the dome.
What was that?
Zac: It was quite busy.
There was people scattered.
Adam: We can go see what's
around the dome right now.
Zac: Okay.
Adam: See what's happening, 'cause that's
where the noise is coming from, right?
Zac: What about the twins?
Yes, I understand, but we do
not have a full team here.
Adam: I can go.
You can go back, grab them,
and come back to the dome.
Zac: Fine, I will do so.
Stay out of sight.
Grace: And
Zac: I'm gonna go grab the
Grace: twins
All right.
Easy peasy.
You head on over there
Zac: Come with me if you want to live.
Just a little joke for you.
Skyy: Did you kill the turtle?
He doesn't seem to be with you.
Did you
Zac: do us a favor?
No, I doubt heâ¦
No, I wish.
I have a feeling he is far more
nefarious than he is letting on, but we
must go see him at the dome right now.
All
Skyy: right.
Man,
Grace: he didn't get to break
⦠Skyy: let, let me just
chug this one real quick.
Okay, yeah.
You see it.
And I'm gonna use one of my
mutant, mutant gen craft and give
me a plus four to my strength,
Adam: it's got the FEV virus over there.
Skyy: Yeah.
Zac: Turns into a death claw,
Skyy: just straight up.
That's pretty much what he's
Adam: doing right now.
Straight up super mutant.
Zac: God, super mutant behemoth.
That's what's gonna happen.
Adam: What do I see?
What do I see as I approach the dome?
Do you see?
Yeah, as I approach the dome.
Grace: The two guards are still standing
there, and one of them is doubled
over, appears to have thrown up, and
the other is patting him on the back
Adam: Do I hear the dinging again located
Grace: a little more?
It has been persistent every-
Adam: Yeah
⦠Grace: two to three minutes.
Adam: Okay.
Canâ¦
A- and it's still the location's
still coming from the dome itself?
Grace: Yes.
And now that you are
closer, it is much louder.
Adam: Got it.
To
Kaleb: Can I roll an
insight on the guards?
Skyy: Sure
Kaleb: Weird for him to be throwing that
Grace: With an 11, you
don't really get much sense as
to why, like specifically man,
why is he throwing up over here?
But what you do get is a headache.
Just this like little in the base of
your skull pain as you get closer and
hear this like gonging sound again.
Kaleb: Yeah.
Grace: It just, it gnaws at
you in the back of your head.
Kaleb: Magical sound
Oh, let's see
Skyy: here
Zac: No, I'm still here.
I s- sorry guys, I'm responding
to a text real quick.
Skyy: How rude.
Zac: Yeah.
Kaleb: All good.
Zac: Jeez.
Skyy: Damn.
It'd be rough out here in the streets
Kaleb: That's right
Grace: You can just
wait for your buddies if
Adam: you- Yeah
⦠Grace: don't have-
Adam: I was
Grace: just- Okay.
Adam: I was just seeing it through my
spells, see if I could do anything.
Grace: You have spells?
Adam: Yeah.
Zac: So what's, so what are
we doing on the game plan?
What's happening?
Y'all
Adam: are approaching while I'm figuring
Kaleb: out
Adam: something.
Grace: Yeah, we're- Yeah.
Kaleb: Y'all- Yeah we're running up to him
⦠Grace: outside.
Yeah.
And I won't make you
roll stealth or anything.
The two guards are thoroughly distracted.
Kaleb: Preoccupied.
One of them's just straight f- following
Grace: Yeah.
At this point, a couple minutes have
passed, and you see the other one
starts, like clutching his head.
Skyy: Anyone else
Grace: around him now?
And you, Avian, the like, pain
in the back of your head has like
only grown as you stand here.
Yeah.
Skyy: Don't like that.
Yeah.
I don't like that
either.
Zac: Hey, quick question, can Molrath can
he see that they're doing this and grab
like little, I don't know, what kind ofâ¦
Are we like around dense
dirt or like coarse dirt?
What are we talking about?
What kind of dirt is around?
There's like
Grace: a-
Zac: Is it clay?
What's going on?
Kaleb: What's the makeup
of like rock to sand?
Rich in like- Give me
give me the minerals that
Grace: are in the ground.
Yeah, it's a- Give me the mineral count
it's like a standard gravel road.
Yeah.
You know- Okay.
Zac: So- Can I find two stones- ⦠big
Grace: rocks
⦠Zac: yeah, can I grab two stones
that are kinda close to my ear hole
size and stick them in my ears?
'Cause I'm assuming this gong sound
is fucking with them, and I do not
wanna be fucked with right now.
So I'm gonna stick the rocks in my ears.
Where, mind you, not like all the way
in there where I can't get them out, but
like in there- ⦠so it dulls the noise.
Grace: Not like cloth- I'm
gonna put one in my whopping
nose hole ⦠or cotton or wax.
Rocks?
Zac: Like that's why I asked
what kind of dirt there was.
I was gonna roll it up into a little
clay ball and pop it like, like- Can
Adam: I find a candle?
Grace: You can find some dirt.
Adam: Can I just find a candle?
Okay.
I'm sure there's candles
around in, you know- Yeah.
Yeah ⦠some place.
Yeah, they're not hard to
Grace: come by.
Zac: I'm gonna say-
Grace: You probably have candles
in your inventory or something.
Adam: Like- Okay.
I'm gonna pull out some candles and
hand it out to everyone as he's grabbing
dirt and throwing it in his ear, and
I'm melting it- You're in pain ⦠with
my eternal flame that I have on me.
Melting the wax, forming it around
everyone's ears, and I get to Molrath
and be like, "Would you like the
dirt out of it, or would you like
the dirt in your ears plus the wax?"
Zac: Molrath, you might
as well do it both.
It'd be better safe than sorry.
I,
Adam: and I do like a sloppy job.
I'm notâ¦
I took care of Mel and Kel.
I molded it around their ears, but his
little orc-ness down there- Oh ⦠I just
take blobs of wax, and I just smack him
in the head, and I give him a little pinch
on the cheek and be like, "There you go."
Skyy: I think they're in love.
That might be the tortle way to
express- ⦠romantic affection.
Kaleb: I was just gonna be
like, "This is the most romantic
thing I've seen in a long time."
Skyy: I know.
Iâ¦
Adam: Did my headache go away?
Yeah.
Zac: Did
Grace: our headaches go away?
Adam: Minimal.
Minimal headache.
Make me a little wisdom
Grace: saving throw.
Adam: Wisdom saving throw.
That's perfect.
This all of us or just him?
That's perfect for me.
Grace: No, just him.
Adam: Just him.
He's
Grace: definitely the longest.
Adam: Yeah.
All right, plus nine to
wisdom saves, here we go.
Grace: Nice.
Oh, don't even bother rolling.
It's, it's- Oh ⦠you'll
definitely be the DC for that.
All right.
Damn.
It's a low DC.
Wisdom rolls as
Adam: well.
14.
14.
Grace: Yeah.
Adam: Did it work?
Grace: It has lessened slightly.
Adam: S- subsided, okay.
All right.
Grace: Yeah.
Still there a little bit, a little achy.
But-
Adam: Yeah, but not as severe.
Grace: Yeah.
Okay ⦠but you see the two guards, the
other one has started just dry heaving,
and the other one has fully passed out.
Adam: Poor dude.
Oh,
Kaleb: cool.
Grace: R.I.P.
Adam: All right can I approach one
of the guards that's passed out and
throw down a note in his pocket?
Grace: Sure.
Yeah.
Adam: And then the otherâ¦
And then to the other dude that's
keeling over, I'd be like I
think this'll help in some way.
I found it over there in the grass."
And I hand out the other last note.
Grace: Okay.
Adam: Great.
And then I just- Take it ⦠and then
I'm just gonna walk on in to the black
dome, and if they wanna follow, they can.
Zac: Yeah.
Kaleb: Yeah.
Might as well.
Zac: I have a question.
Can we hear each other well, or�
Adam: You just see me go over to the guy.
Yeah a little bit, but- You
just see me go over to the guy.
Yeah.
You're like, "What the heck's going on?"
He hands him a note, slides
something in his pocket.
Zac: Does anybody know ASL?
Anybody in the group?
Is there like
Adam: a- There is a language, but you
don't know it ⦠that is a language you
can learn in Fifth Edition new rules.
Grace: Good.
You can't really be, like, quiet.
You do have to be louder than normal,
but you can still hear each other some.
Kaleb: Okay.
Okay, cool.
Adam: So yeah, I'll do that and I'll
walk into the dome, and I'm assuming the
other ones will walk into the dome too.
Kaleb: Yeah.
No, we're right behind him.
Adam: We're in the dome.
Grace: Yes.
Yay.
As you walk in, a ring of
cultists that have spread out
around this little chapel area.
The doors are now open, and you
can see they're you catch them in
between two of these bonging sounds,
and one sort of exiting and joining
the line on one side while another
from the other side walks in.
You get the sense that it is a line
essentially of them rotating through.
And you see probably the first eight
or so in line their hands are empty.
They're just standing at attention.
And the rest are still
carrying those two items.
And they allâ¦
it is very much catastrophically
louder in here, and they do not
notice you at all as you enter.
Adam: You do-
Grace: They are
Adam: locked in ⦠it's
a 15 passive perception.
Do they have something over their ears?
Grace: They do.
But you also, with that perception,
you see a lot of them are,
like, clenching their fists.
There's a lot of tension in the jaw,
and they're like, they're feeling it.
They're just making, They're
maintaining their focus to not
be affected like the guards were.
Adam: And are they
wearing specific clothing?
Grace: Some of them are.
There's maybe-
Adam: Some
⦠Grace: two or three that you can see
with their little garbs or whatever.
Adam: Okay, cool.
Perfect.
I g- I pull out of my bag I'm holding
the other four or the other three
garments and say, "I had the tailor
make these up for you guys," and
put them, and have them put it on
Skyy: So determined to make all
the tailor's outfits worth it.
Zac: No.
Correct.
Adam: We gotta blend in.
They have it on, we gotta blend in.
Zac: Yes, no.
Skyy: Three of them have it.
Adam: Yeah, but that's three that has it.
Do you wanna be approached?
We're not cultists around here.
They know that.
We're outsiders.
These are people that are crazy.
And he does this with his claws.
They're crazy.
You never know what they'll suspect.
Zac: Respectfully, I'm
not putting that cloak on.
Adam: It fits perfectly.
My tailor is amazing.
Zac: I'm good, but I'm- How
Skyy: did you get our measurements?
Adam: Don't worry about that.
Zac: Yeah.
Adam: I don't fucking-
Measured you in your sleep.
Don't worry about that.
Skyy: No.
God's
Kaleb: honest- My man, one, that tracks.
Two- ⦠I don't think
Adam: anybody should be putting
this on ⦠okay, I'm rolling
persuasion to get them to put it on.
That's it.
Okay.
Persuasion.
What
Kaleb: do we need to contest?
I will roll that.
I will contest that wholeheartedly.
No.
Oh, no.
You wanna contest?
That doesn't, this doesn't
pass the sniff test.
Adam: All right, fine.
Fine.
Grace: Whatever check
you wanna do to try and
Adam: stop me.
Is it a pers- is it a persuasion?
Zac: Yeah.
Adam: Persuasion?
Yeah.
Okay.
Persuasion is what?
15.
No 17.
Okay.
Zac: 19, fuck you.
Kaleb: That's also a 19.
17.
Damn.
Okay.
Adam: If y'all don't wanna
put it on, that's fine.
I'll put mine on.
But if y'all get caught doing something
stupid, I'm not helping y'all.
That's fine.
You're on your own.
Kaleb: That's so fine.
All right, so wait.
Are, is Evan putting one on?
Adam: Oh, yeah.
Evan has a sash on, but he's gonna put on
a full robe garb that he had made up, and
he had each one of y'all made up one too.
You can insight me if you want.
I will tell you the truth I want to.
I want
Zac: to yeah.
We're all gonna insight
We're all insighting
Skyy: Nat 20 for 27 15 Tell me all
your motherfucking secrets That is an
Zac: 18.
That
Adam: is an 18
Kaleb: I have no secrets,
my dear, but Morath
Adam: does.
No your, you know your garbs are safe,
but you do know that I have woven metal
into the other guys' garbs, and you
could suspect that I will cast massive
heat metal when the timing is right
Zac: Other guys' garbs, you
mean the, the- Literally
Grace: everybody else's No, y'all's
Adam: Everybody else's
Grace: All the other ones
wearing metal slap bracelets
Adam: Yeah, they will be forever- I'll
put it on them and then I look at y'all
and be like, "They will be ever f- they
will be forever scarred, and we can hunt
them down, 'cause the scars don't go
away, and we can send Malakar's forces
on them because they have the specific
scars on them, and then we can kill 'em"
Skyy: I like your language, turtle man.
And I put it on
Kaleb: Yeah, hell, if she's gonna do
it, let's, birds of a feather, I guess
Skyy: Yep
Kaleb: Let's do it
Adam: And then I look at
look at Malakar and go-
Kaleb: You
Adam: look at Malakar?
"Put it on, baby" You're
looking at Malakar?
Or mean Morath.
Grace: Yeah, I'm
Zac: looking at Morath He's been here the
Adam: whole time Morath is Malakar
It's Valkyrie, really, in disguise.
Grace: No, he's actually a PC from one
Adam: of my
Zac: first campaigns Oh, nice.
Good Aw Cool Yeah.
Adam: So you gonna put it on Morath?
Zac: Morath is going to-
Come on, swim with us
Like what is this like a cloak,
Adam: yeah, it's like a cloak.
It's like a robe with a hood.
Zac: Okay.
I'm going to tie it like a bandolier
across my chest, and I'll say, "We're
going to have to compromise on this, and
this is all you're getting out of me."
Adam: That's good enough.
Good enough.
You see that guy over there?
He's just wearing a sash
'cause he couldn't afford the
full robe from the tailor,
Grace: as you guys are having this
little conversation the sound rings
again, and it is again astoundingly
loud in here as this- Do I need to
make a con- or a wisdom saving again?
⦠what you now recognize as an
echo chamber, Ooh ⦠like just
magnifies it and resonates.
And you also hear what you could not
hear outside of the dome, which is a
piercing scream that cuts through the
sound coming from inside the chapel.
And
Adam: yeah, everybody give me a little
Kaleb: wisdom saving throw.
Okay.
Everybody or just him?
Grace: Everybody.
Adam: That is a 24.
Does it increase, does the
check increase since we're in
the dome or is this my nine-
Grace: Maybe
⦠Adam: wisdom suffice still?
It's
Kaleb: gonna be a, it's gonna be an eight.
Adam: Nice.
Skyy: I'll do you one better.
It's gonna be a four for
a nat one plus three.
Adam: Oh, very wise.
Kaleb: No, that's a re-
Grace: 24.
Now remember, now that you have
all succeeded on your little solo
missions, you do have advantage.
Oh,
Skyy: shit.
Kaleb: Oh, that was, thank you.
Not on
Grace: that.
Kaleb: Oh, hey you
Skyy: know, a 13.
How does a nine sound?
Kaleb: 22.
Skyy: It's all right, guys.
That your
Adam: one chance
At advantage or
Grace: is it- You hadâ¦
That was my first
Skyy: roll.
I rolled a nine as my advantage, yeah.
Adam: That was a 13.
So you don't have advantage anymore?
Grace: You do.
Adam: Okay
⦠Grace: I'll tell you what you don't have.
Skyy: Oh.
Grace: I had a little
request of you before- Oh
⦠this session.
Ooh.
Of a memory that your- Oh ⦠that
Mal finds particularly- I'm
gonna cry ⦠absolutely not
central and important.
Would you
do us a- I'm gonna use
my advantage though.
I'm gonna use my advantage
How about you you tell us what that was.
Describe.
Yeah.
Put us in the scene here.
Adam: Is this happening in her mind?
Okay.
Skyy: I will
Grace: read you the memory.
You, all of you, what you perceive
is her head just shoots back as she's
rocked by, physically by this sound.
Adam: Damn, Vecna's in her game.
Just rocked by the sound.
Yeah.
Skyy: I will read word
for word what I had.
I'm not gonna do it in the
accent, 'cause that's hard.
"After a long day of drills
and lessons, they found a quiet
place away from everyone else.
A high stone balcony warm from the
sun, overlooked by no one who mattered.
No servants, no instructors,
no expectations.
Just the two of them.
Cal lay on his back staring at the
sky, talking endlessly about theories
and possibilities and what power
could become if shaped correctly.
Melora sat beside him, cleaning
blood from her hands, listening.
Not because she needed instruction,
but because his voice grounded her.
Because in that space she didn't need
to be sharp or dangerous or brilliant.
She just needed to be his twin.
At one point he laughed,
unguarded and genuine, and
she remembers thinking, 'This.
This is what I protect.'
Not his body, not his power, but
that spark, that certainty that
they were never alone in the world,
no matter how dark it became.
And that memory stays with her, and
it reminds her why she fights, why she
endures the pain of mutation, and why she
never hesitates when things turn brutal.
Because no matter how th- how much they
change, how much blood they spill, or
how far the world bends under their
will, they are still side by side."
Zac: Aw.
Grace: Need some popcorn after that.
This just goes to show you- This-
⦠poor villain ⦠touching moment
that you shared with your brother
so many years ago, you relive it in
a split second, those hours spent
on that balcony, and it, you feel
the warmth of the sun on your face.
You feel the laughter in your chest,
and then it is simply gone and vanished,
and you have no recollection of it,
only this gaping hole in your memory
where you know that something should
be- Oh ⦠but there is just nothing.
Skyy: Gonna cry in the club.
Kaleb: Yeah.
Grace: Anyway.
Kaleb: Cal is gonna run over and
Skyy: just
Grace: start
Adam: going,
Kaleb: just like- That was amazing.
Save throws.
There will be more.
Crying.
My heart, that hurts.
Skyy: That hurts a lot.
Adam: That hurts.
Skyy: Okay.
Adam: All right, so I hear
a blood-curdling scream
from- ⦠inside the temple?
Grace: Yes
Adam: And okay, p- can you
paint me a picture of what's
going on inside this dome?
Again, there's cultists
coming out of the temple?
Grace: Yes, they are circled around and
chaining, like one goes out, one goes in,
and this, they shift the circle around.
So it's just a revolving line
of them going in and out.
And yeah, you have the
chapel in the middle.
The door currently stands open.
And as you previously saw, there
was Damian and Leia inside and some
sort of table, a handful of chairs.
And then you have probably about, I
forget how many I said we'll say 10 or
so of the cultists now have nothing in
their hands, and the other half have
these either some little item just a, an
assortment of scrolls, cloths, little bits
of like tapestry, a book, a, a symbol,
something like that, like a little crest.
And then they have some roughly
eight-inch little bundle of
something that is not visible
Adam: I'm worried to go in just- ⦠for
the scene that could be, the, the
scene that could be described in there.
Could be anything with
the Black Herdin scream in
Kaleb: the temple.
Yeah.
Adam: Real quick.
Kaleb: That's just
Adam: me.
Kaleb: Grace, w- I'm gonna real quick
tap into Bernard, or tap into Nolan.
W- are they finishing, are they finished
at this point and are transporting
it, or what's going on with that?
Grace: They are putting the
finishing touches on, like doing
little final checks, double checking
their schematics, ⦠starting to
like power down the forge clean up
their supplies, that kind of thing.
So they're definitely
like in the final stages.
Kaleb: All intents and
purposes it's finished.
Grace: Sure.
Kaleb: Okay.
Who can
Zac: go invisible again?
Kaleb: That's me.
I don't know if anybody
else can, but I can
Zac: I stand incredibly still.
Adam: Is there any windows to this
temple or is it just a door that's- It's
Zac: a gnome.
Yeah, or any dome.
Grace: I'm just asking like the- The dome
is is a- There's a dome and there's a
temple ⦠pretty and kind of black glass.
Yes, the temple has a number of windows.
It's got,
Adam: Okay
⦠Grace: three stained glass windows on
all sides- Okay ⦠that you recognize
as like the little cubbies where there
were shrines to each of the gods.
Oh,
Adam: gotcha.
Okay.
Can we make our way out on the outskirts
of this dome to go behind the temple?
I'm assuming like there, behind the temple
area where the altar or where the head of
that table would be, there would be two
other pockets of gods there, 'cause you
had three and then two and then three.
Is that how that was?
Or is it just three and then
there's just nothing behind there?
Grace: Unless my brain has lied to me.
I was curious.
I believe there were nine total,
so it's three, three, and three.
Adam: So three-
Grace: And the door
⦠Adam: three and three, and then the door.
Yes.
So there would be, so technically
there would be a window
behind the temple looking in.
Grace: Yes
Adam: Okay.
Let's sneak our wayâ¦
I don't know if we need to sneak
though, 'cause they seem pretty
focused, but if we don't, if we
need to roll, we can roll, but-
Skyy: Now that you were, like,
moving through the space,
yeah, let's roll stealth.
Kaleb: Okay, I rolled good.
Let's see what my minus
is to that, though.
16.
Okay.
Grace: And are the rest of you
joining or staying put for now?
Zac: Yes, I guess I want to join.
Kaleb: Yeah.
I was gonna ask Mal, have you
recovered from having your
memory ripped out of your brain?
Are you just Did it happen
and you're just like, "Oh,
Zac: well."
Kaleb: What memory?
Exactly.
Exactly.
Jesus.
26.
Yeah.
You said stealth?
Yeah.
Zac: I'm sneaky boy.
Kaleb: That is 23.
Zac: Ooh, 23, 26.
21.
This guy.
Oh, 20 gang.
Let's go.
Adam: Hey, you're lucky I
rolled well, so just saying.
I was the one thatâ¦
I was like, "I don't know.
This is gonna be shaky."
It's
me that you gotta worry about.
Yeah.
So yeah.
Grace: No problem.
You guys make your way over there, kind
of cir- skirting the edge of the dome.
And yeah, you can see there areâ¦
The circle of cultists does
fully wrap around the building.
So there are just a handful that
are technically in your way but you
can very clearly see the the, theâ¦
golly, brain work, the temple the wall.
And itâ¦
Thereâ¦
It is poetically Pelor, that is the
central one in the very middle, and there
seems to be a bit of light happening.
There's sort of a glow from this
one, that it's a really interesting
effect where there is light, but it
is shining inward from the window.
So it's like you're looking through
a fluorescent light panel, but
you don't see any light bulbs.
It's just there is light
coming in on the other side.
Yeah, it's a key light on
Adam: theâ¦
Yeah, it's a key light on
the table with no light.
Zac: Interesting.
Adam: Okay.
So I look through the window with
my 15 pers- passive perception,
or if I need to roll higher, I can
Grace: It's like stained glass,
so let's go ahead and roll Okay
just to see if you can-
Adam: That's fine.
I don't mind.
Yep.
I was just asking whatever you wanted.
Whatever you wanted.
Advantage.
That is 21.
Grace: Okay.
Yeah.
It's a little murky, but you do
you are able to see through it.
And we'll, let me just paint you a
little picture of what's happening here.
So the chairs from before have
been stowed away, presumably.
And Thalea laid out on this table.
Kaleb: That was expected.
Grace: And, yes.
And at, various points is
restrained and strapped down.
Kaleb: Okay.
Grace: Damian standing next to her with
two bulky gauntlets on his hand and
a massive hammer set off to the side.
And you watch as one of the
cultists enters this space
and unwraps a little bundle.
Almost looks like a shard of
glass that's easily half an
inch thick eight inches across.
And you can't really tell what
color it is since you're looking
through a colored window.
But they hold it up along with, you see
a scrap of tapestry that appears to have
a a dragon-esque pattern sewn into it.
And they lift it up, and it catches
the light that's shining in through
this window, which is part of
the reason that you can see so
well, and lifts up into the air.
And you see it start of,
start to deteriorate.
The threads unwind themselves
and are, like, bleached of color.
The sh- glass shard looking thing
gets smooth along the edges as
if it's being slightly melted.
And then from maybe five or so feet
that it is hovering, this shard, part
of it solidifies into a point and then
shoots down and hovers over Thalea's arm.
Damian takes the hammer, lifts
it up, and slams it down,
hammering the shard into her skin.
And that is when you hear that
ringing sound and the scream,
which of course is coming from her.
Adam: The hammer's making the noise
Grace: Yes, as it is- Hitting Alma
with that glass ⦠landing with- Just
Zac: basically nailing
the shards into her.
Crucifying her.
Geez.
Grace: Eh, not really, but sure.
Oh my gosh.
And could you all make me
another wisdom saving throw?
Skyy: Sure.
I'd be happy to.
13.
I'm muted.
I refuse.
I'm done.
It's gonna be a 14.
Grace: Actually, you can not do it, Sky.
Skyy: 19.
Good, because I got two nat ones.
Grace: Oh, well done.
Milrath, what did you get?
Skyy: 13.
Kaleb: Oh,
Grace: sorry.
Okay.
Kaleb: I misread my die.
That was a dirty 20.
Grace: Oh, okay.
I rolled a 19.
A 13 was the DC, and at
each one it is increasing.
So it was a 12, now it's a
13, next time it'll be a 14.
Kaleb: Ooh.
Okay.
Skyy: Roll better,
Grace: Zack.
For now you all escape unscathed.
Okay.
⦠but I, you take two
points of psychic damage.
Skyy: Perfect.
Wonderful.
Zac: I'm just here, guys.
Skyy: I just, it's,
let's get it over with.
It's fine.
Just might as well.
Grace: Yeah, just rip off the Band-Aid.
It lose a little bit of what makes you.
Got it.
It doesn't really matter.
It'll
Skyy: be okay.
It's fine.
Zac: Could literally alter this
man's entire alignment what?
Skyy: Oh, God.
Ugh.
Adam: Okay do we have a game plan, guys?
Skyy: I thought you had the game plan,
Adam: sir.
I'm just like, "I got us this far.
Do, do demon."
I am a
Skyy: soldier.
Do you want me to kill him?
What do you want from me?
Not really.
Have we-
Kaleb: No, man.
We don't need you to kill
him ⦠have we fully just abandoned
the, have we just fully abandoned
the vessel part of this plan, or
Adam: what are we just- no,
that's stage two, or stage three,
when they go to the grove, okay,
Kaleb: cool.
Adam: If we do anything- I'm just, I
don't see a way to mess this section up
in my brain.
I just, I can look at my spells and
see, but I don't have anything, I
don't think, that can mess this up.
Zac: Caleb, read the spell.
I'm justâ¦
i'm joking.
Just
Skyy: nuke the whole fucking place, dude.
Zac: Yeah.
Kaleb: Just be done with it.
Okay, so nuke out.
Get 24
Zac: kills, nuke it out.
Kaleb: There is one thing
that I could think of.
Let me just re-read the spell real quick.
So I could te- I could cast Phantasmal
Killer on Damian and cause him to
just straight lose his b- his gourd
and think that something's chasing
after him, and I could, we could
warp that into whatever we need it
to interrupt this part of the spell.
Zac: Quick question.
Are they drilling shards
of metal into her?
Is that what I'm catching?
Grace: Glass.
Zac: Oh, it's glass.
It
Grace: appears to be glass.
Kaleb: Yeah.
Zac: But we don't know what it is.
So I've gotta say if
Grace: it's- Maybe it's something else.
Zac: Yeah.
I would like to see if I can notice
what they are putting into her,
because if it is any kind of metallic
structure, I'm gonna look at our
buddy who can heat metal over here.
Adam: Yeah.
Really
Zac: just fuck with them.
Adam: I'm assuming it looks like
that obsidian stuff, but- Yeah
⦠Grace: no.
It isâ¦
You couldn't quite tell what color
it is, but it was not- ⦠black
like the walls around.
Black.
Zac: Okay.
So can Iâ¦
what can I roll?
Perception,
Grace: yeah, give me perception.
Zac: That's a 18.
Grace: So you can see
clearly what this is now.
There's almost little ridges in it.
And you can see some of the as the next
person brings forward this shard, that
not all of it is jagged broken edges.
There is a natural edge to it.
And I'd like you to
roll me a history check.
Zac: Ooh.
My history sucks bad.
That's a five.
Grace: Okay, never mind.
Zac: I need someone else to roll history.
Grace: I can if you
Zac: don't.
I'll let somebody- Can I
describe it to them and be like-
Adam: What are you using?
History?
Zac: Sure.
Oh, I messed up.
History.
I'm gonna describe it to the
rest of the group and see if
Grace: they can- Or we'll
say if any of you has better
nature, I'll allow that as well.
Adam: Nature?
Okay.
Grace: That doesn't seem- It's not
Skyy: looking good on either front
Adam: there.
Grace: Oh, okay.
I got a 15.
D20.
Adam: 14, so she's higher.
Can you take-
Grace: With a 15-
Adam: Oh yeah,
Grace: no, don't pass right out ⦠as
he's like describing the the shape and
like just the general characteristics
of them, ⦠you realize that these
are dragon scales, but- Oh ⦠not
any naturally occurring dragon
scales that you've ever heard of.
The material and the behavior
of them is really strange.
Adam: These are dragon cultists.
They're raising Tiamats.
Well-
Kaleb: Would, well would Iâ¦
So as he's describing this, because I
saw that dragon that was in the workshop,
would I have recog- like w- from hearing
his description, would I have recognized
that from the dragon that I saw?
Grace: No.
So that dragon-
Adam: I thought it was
a mechanical dragon.
Grace: I
Kaleb: wasn't- This is
gonna get- Yeah, I didn't
Grace: know if
Kaleb: this was like-
Grace: But that was the
more like worm type dragon.
But with that 15 history/nature, whatever
it was you would recognize that these
are like the more, the four-legged,
the big wings, your like classic-
Kaleb: Actual
Grace: classic
dragon dragons.
Skyy: Ah, they're
Kaleb: raising Bahamut
⦠Skyy: partners.
Gotta stop this.
I have good news and I
have not so good news.
Not so good news is that's
probably, they're probably
raising some kind of dragon.
But the good news is, Okay ⦠we
having a way to kill the whole planet.
Adam: Oh, really?
We do?
Skyy: We, we do.
Not y'all, we do.
Zac: No what do you mean by that?
What do you have?
Skyy: I have the ability to murder.
Kaleb: Correct.
Zac: Yes.
Kaleb: I was also gonna pull out
that scroll and say this, one.
Two, my man, you've got
some explaining to do."
Yeah, I
Skyy: did steal
Kaleb: that
Skyy: from you.
I do apologize.
Kaleb: Yeah, we're gonna, and I'm gonna
say "I've got this here, a little meteor
swarm scroll from our friend Valkyrie."
Zac: Hold up.
I'm joking, dude.
Where did you get that?
Skyy: That woman, the infiltrator,
whatever her name was, I can't remember.
She put it in your pocket, and I stole it
from your pocket- She put it in my pocket?
⦠'cause I don't trust you, to be fair.
She did put it in your pocket.
Zac: It's magic.
I don't even do magic.
What the fuck?
Skyy: It was in your pocket.
Maybe they want you to nuke yourself.
Maybe that's your top secret job here
Zac: Give me my scroll back, please.
Kaleb: That, my man, that's not happening.
I'll tell you that right now.
Zac: Aw, why
Adam: not?
You canâ¦
How about you give it to
me and I can sacrifice
Skyy: myself?
Hell no.
We-
Kaleb: Hey,
Skyy: brother
n-
Kaleb: absolutely not ⦠that's
happening even less than it
is happening giving it to me.
Adam: Oh.
I thought it s- I thought on the scroll
it says whoever casts it can't move.
I have the highest AC
out of everybody here.
I'm not moving.
I can go into my turtle shell,
and I can probably live.
Skyy: Isn't it a saving throw?
I don't know much, but I feel
like it's a saving throw.
Zac: Saving throw
Adam: with your scroll.
It's a dexterity saving throw.
Yeah, you're still taking damage.
I have good dexterity, thank you.
Skyy: Still taking damage.
You're still taking-
Adam: I think I can live, though.
Unless you guys want an out
for this tortle, and you wanna
kill him, here's your chance.
That's all I hear is, "Kill the tortle."
I'm giving you an opportunity
here to kill the tortle.
Zac: Every episode,
it's, "Kill the tortle.
Kill the tortle."
And we're also giving him the most
powerful spell we've run across.
No.
Kaleb: Correct.
All right, I'm justâ¦
Here's the thing.
If the time comes, I'll give it to you.
It's staying with me for the time being.
Adam: All right, let's sneak our way out
of here, 'cause I don't think there's
anything we can do with dragon scales,
unless someone else has something.
Kaleb: No.
Nothing.
I got nothing.
Adam: Okay.
Grace: As you guys are finishing
up this conversation they have the
chance to do, do the thing again.
So everybody give me
another wisdom saving throw.
Oh.
Heck yeah.
Except for Sky.
You take one point of psychic damage.
16.
Kaleb: Nat 20.
Wow, nice job.
That
Adam: is a
Kaleb: 15
Grace: Okay.
I pass.
Very nice.
Very nice.
Yeah, you all- I pass ⦠for
the most part escape this one
with your memories intact.
But curiously enough, as you're, like,
going, moving out you're, like, going
over this conversation in your head,
trying to think "Man, that's whoâ¦
what could they be doing
with dragon scales?
Is it something with Tiamat?
Is it something with- I figure it's
Adam: Bahamut
⦠Grace: Oh, wait.
What is that one dragon?
What was his name?"
And you realize that little
details of what you know about
Bahamut have begun slipping away.
Kaleb: Eh?
Grace: And you can't
quite remember, "Oh, wait.
Wasn't, didn't he die or wasn't there aâ¦
there definitely was a dragon god.
That was-"
Zac: I was literally there.
Grace: You were there.
Zac: I was there.
Do I forget this?
Grace: You- Yes, I- ⦠remember
killing a dragon.
Can't remember his name.
Adam: Yes.
So they're taking Bahamut, so outside
of, outside of- The bottle ⦠the
portal man, above the table, from what
I'm assuming what Grace is describing is
Bahamut's getting replaced with a new type
of god through whatever ritual that is.
So whenever they're summoning a new
god, they're replacing Bahamut and all
Kaleb: of his- Yeah,
they're replacing people
Adam: memory.
Yes.
This will be- Since the green bean
replaces forgotten memories, therefore
it replaces the memories itself
through these stages, and then out
comes a new Bahamut, but not Bahamut.
A new god.
Kaleb: A new dragon god.
Adam: And we can't remember Bahamut 'cause
they're literally taking memories from-
Kaleb: Erasing them
⦠Adam: everything.
Kaleb: Ooh, I love this.
This is great.
Adam: Is that a good synopsis of that?
Kaleb: Well done.
Adam: Good.
Okay.
Right on
Grace: the money.
Adam: Cool.
All right.
I don't know what dragon
god you're talking about.
What do you mean there's a dragon god?
I'm the only reptile here.
Kaleb: What is dragon?
What is
Adam: a dragon?
Kaleb: Grace, now I guess are we
out of the dome at this point?
Grace: Sure.
Adam: Are the guards
Kaleb: passed out on the
Adam: side?
Kaleb: I was gonna say, the guards,
are they just dead at this point?
Adam: Their just heads
Grace: are just split open.
They're not dead.
They're maybe not entirely alive
either, but they're not dead.
Adam: Can I kick one?
I hope not.
Can I kick one?
Grace: Sure.
Adam: Okay.
Kaleb: Just gonna stab one
with one of his daggers.
Okay, give me a second.
Grace: Yeah, now
Kaleb: he
Grace: seems
Kaleb: like- Since
Adam: he's down ⦠a different monster.
He's down.
That's a 20.
Doesâ¦
I did 20 to hit.
Grace: Okay.
Are you trying to inflict damage?
Adam: Oh, yeah.
20 to hit.
Oh
Kaleb: my gosh.
Grace: Okay,
roll your damage.
All right.
I'm
Kaleb: a monster.
1D4 plus three.
Okay
Seven
Skyy: I got max damage on that.
Kaleb: Yeah.
Four, four plus three.
He's
about to Steve Berk this poor guy.
Adam: Just straight up and smelt like it.
Kaleb: Kick him in the head
Adam: with
Skyy: his trench blade.
This is- You're like, you guys
are like walking out of the- Two
lashes would kill him ⦠you
Grace: literally like you guys
walk out of the door, I see one
of the guards like on the ground
and you just str- I just straight
Kaleb: Kick him.
And you're like, "What?"
Breaks his neck.
I'm
Adam: gonnaâ¦
no,
you can get him, So he's doing
that ⦠pretty hard, but yeah.
What
Grace: was that, Caleb?
Kaleb: Oh,
Grace: no.
Kaleb: I was gonna tap by, while
we're, now that we're outside,
I'm gonna tap back into, Nolan
vision and live in technicolor.
What are they doing right now?
Grace: They are currently maneuvering
these like big, sturdy, like cast iron
looking rods, ⦠into position to
presumably start to carry it out of here.
Kaleb: Cool.
I'm gonna relay that back and just,
"Hey guys, so I guess step number,"
whatever number we're on at this
point "they're getting ready to trans-
transfer that, the vessel to something.
So we gotta start coming up with a
game plan on how we're gonna get that."
I'm all for straight mercing some fools
and trading places with them, but I
don't know how well that's gonna go.
Adam: No, we need toâ¦
We- we're far we're further away, right?
Yeah.
I'm not next to the dome, not dealing
with this- Oh no ⦠predicament
This is as we're walking.
Okay.
As
Kaleb: we're walking.
Adam: So we don't really need to
merc them 'cause whatever's happening
there is working, question mark?
Yeah.
So this isâ¦
We need to switch them or deflect
them or, take the gems out.
Yeah, we're sabotaging
Kaleb: at
Adam: this point.
Yes.
Because we need them to make sure that
they don't think anything's suspicious.
Kaleb: Yeah.
Cool.
Well-
Man, I, if you've got ideas I don't know
how we're gonna get them to, let us take a
look at this vessel without somebody dying
'Cause obviously we can't,
Use all the- Less problems if they die.
If they die Then it's-
We just need to get- I
mean, technically it stops.
Technically it stops,
Adam: but-
Kaleb: We just need to get
the artifact in that building.
Who does it is of no consequence.
Am I wrong?
Adam: I figure, I feel like they have
a chain of command that's happening.
And if they- Wow ⦠or
if Nolan or Nolan's-
Kaleb: Bernard ⦠not
Adam: there delivering it,
that's a little suspicious.
Kaleb: I can replace one of them.
I just, we just need toâ¦
I need a mo- a, a moment to get in
and swap out those gems beforeâ¦
So I'm gonna need your guys'
help with the distraction.
Adam: Not necessarily a
distraction that needs to happen
Kaleb: Hey, my man, I'm all ears on how
you think we're gonna get enough of a
window for me to, for one of us to get
Zac: into this fucking Jeep
Just tell me who I need to kill.
I'm j- I'm, I'm- Thank you ⦠that's
where we're going with this.
Who do we need to kill and
where do we need the body?
I don't
Adam: think we need to kill anybody.
I think we can do this
without killing anybody.
Even though I would love
to kill people, but- Ah.
Our orders were to let
this see through, but fail.
Zac: That is why we asked
where we can hide the bodies
Adam: But the point is if we're the one
that's delivering it, they're not gonna
take it and then they know something's
up, and then they're gonna try this
again because they know that, "Hey,
we were this close, we can try again."
Yeah.
We have to make it seem like
they, they failed on their own.
That way they don't try this
again and it was all for naught.
Kaleb: What I'm trying to
figure out, like table talk, is
how we're going to get theâ¦
Because they're, if they're
transporting it, they're not just
gonna let somebody look at it.
Yeah, I get that.
Because we need a moment of time
for us to get in and swap the gems.
So either we need a distraction so that
somebody can sneak up and do it, or
again, I think who-- Like once they get
it delivered, I don't know how important
it is for those people to do something.
Iâ¦
That's what I'm saying, like
we just need a moment for us to
be able to swap those gems out.
So whether that's a distraction of some
sort or what's going on, like that we--
that's what we're trying to figure out.
Zac: Ooh.
Kaleb: Butâ¦
Zac: So Skye, didn't you
frame Morath for murder?
I
Skyy: did.
Vague description-wise?
Yeah
Zac: Y'all could make a ruckus
and say, "Isn't that the guy
who killed such and such?"
And I can run away out of the peripheral
of the rest of the town, ga- garner
enough attention while some guards chase
me, and then I can go kill some guards,
and y'all can do what you gotta do,
and, nobody's gonna think twice of it.
Or I can get caught and kill
them in while I'm in the jail.
No big deal.
Kaleb: Either way, you
get to kill somebody.
Zac: Either way.
Kaleb: Hey, for lack of a better
option, I feel like that's all we
got at this point, unless Vayan or
my beloved sister has something else.
Adam: Unless they just leave it alone.
Let's say they get done, and
then they leave it alone.
Zac: I feel like as much- And
then- ⦠preparation went into it,
they wouldn't just leave it alone.
Adam: I don't
Kaleb: know.
Adam: These townfolk are pretty stupid.
Kaleb: Like-
Zac: We're all pretty
fucking stupid, Adam.
Stupid.
You're
Kaleb: like, "Hey, my man, you're talking
about literally everyone in your party."
Zac: You're the highestâ¦
Wait, the highest intelligence is 12?
Kaleb: 11.
Correct.
Zac: Oh, 11.
Yeah, so- Even worse.
I can't say that, yeah, but you
Adam: can't just murder
hobo through all of this.
That's just-
Zac: We're not murder hobo.
That's why I said-
Adam: Yes but what I'm saying is
what's gonna happen is they deliver
it, and it's gonna be a problem.
So many checks are gonna have to happen
if you just go in and murk 'em, and
then take whatever they have, and then
hand it off and be like, "Here you go."
So many checks are gonna have to
happen before that, because then
they become like where's, Nolan?
Where'sâ¦"
Kaleb: Yeah.
That's cool.
I, we just need a, I, Cal can get in and
swap things out or whoever wants to do it.
We just need some sort of distraction.
I, that's why I think Mo- Why don't you
Adam: just go invisible and hang
out down there, and find a- I can
do that ⦠opportune time to come
in contact with it and change out
the gems before- I can do that
they finish it.
Kaleb: Yeah.
Okay.
Yeah.
Are you talking about going back
into the blacksmith and doing it?
Adam: Yeah.
Into the forge?
Yeah, and see if like I'm sure he has to
step away from this forge because it's
so hot and he's gotta cool himself down.
That would be your opportunity to step in,
change out the gems-
Kaleb: yeah
⦠Adam: and then leave.
Kaleb: Yeah.
I guess let's doâ¦
That, that's the best we got
right now, yeah, I guess-
Adam: And,
⦠Kaleb: Cal.
What's up?
Adam: Okay.
I need a timeline for Grace.
How much longer till
stage two, three happens?
Grace: For what Cal is in-
Possibly, like they're starting to move
it, get things in position within the
hour, if not the next like 30 minutes.
Adam: Okay.
But that's stage one.
Stage two is happening right now.
And then stage one's piece is going
to the grove once stage two is done.
They're carrying the body of-
Kaleb: Moving everything.
Yeah
⦠Adam: yeah, I'm assuming.
I can't wait till we get to that part.
I gotta do this now.
Yes.
So what I'm going to do is I'm
gonna ask you to tell me what was
one of the colors of the gems?
Kaleb: It was-
Grace: They were predominantly red.
Kaleb: Oh, yeah.
So like red, like a bunch of rubies.
Adam: Okay.
I'm gonna pick up a similar
sized rock from the ground.
Kaleb: Okay.
Adam: And I'm going to change
the color of it to red.
I'm gonna hand it over to him and say,
"Put one of these in there just in case
the impurity is enough in these gems
that we have to-" summon something.
I don't want it to summon anything,
so we- Yeah ⦠just ha- a regular
rock that looks like a gem.
Kaleb: Gotcha.
Okay.
I'm down for it.
Adam: Is that okay?
Is that good?
That makes sense?
Kaleb: I-
' Cause I can- Cool with
me
⦠I canâ¦
Yeah.
Grace, is that okay?
Chris was like, "Let's go for it."
You're welcome to try.
So I guess-
Okay.
I'm just asking if that made sense.
To- Yeah ⦠simplify things, I can
go by myself because if stuff hits
the fan, I can dimension my door,
dimension door myself out of there.
Adam: Yeah.
Grace: Dimension your door.
Kaleb: Dimension the door.
That's dimension my door.
I can dimension the door.
But yeah, so like I can go by myself
if you guys want to start planning
something for an escape route once
things are going south with, if
everything goes according to plan.
So whether that's scouting out
the grove or anything like that
Adam: Okay.
So I'm gonna cast my favorite spell
of all time, Prestidigitation Yeah.
And
change the rock to look like a ruby.
Cool.
And, Ruby ⦠I hand it to you.
Kaleb: Cool.
Yeah, I'm gonna grab that and then,
yeah, I'll just- It's a lively
spell ⦠I, I, hey, could fool me
if I didn't already know what it was.
I'll go take, I'll go swap these out.
I don'tâ¦
I think it'll be simpler if I do
it by myself just in case we need
to peel out and, the less hands
in the kitchen sort of situation.
Yeah.
Adam: I'll be near
Kaleb: What do you-
Butâ¦
yeah.
Cal, I guess if you guys, we can
all head over towards the general
area of the blacksmith, but I
can go and infiltrate on my own
Adam: thoughts on this plan
Good
Kaleb: plan.
Okay.
Bunga, good plan.
Bunga.
Good plan.
Adam: And we say that we
do it and it's successful.
Aha.
You thought of me.
Grace has set up like, has been
setting up a line of checks
to happen- ⦠for this toâ¦
How can I F this up for them?
Kaleb: So Grace, do
you need me to stealth?
Grace: Yes, please.
Kaleb: Orâ¦
Okay, cool.
Adam: You're invisible, right?
Kaleb: Yeah, we do
Grace: still bump things.
Kaleb: Yeah.
Adam: Oh, okay.
Kaleb: So I can, I'm
gonna stealth and then-
Grace: We sneeze on accident.
Achoo.
Kaleb: That is ba, a 15
yeah, 15 for the stealth.
Okay ⦠'cause I, my plan is
I wanna get inside.
With advantage on that?
Yep, that was with
Skyy: advantage.
That was with advantage?
Okay.
Yikers.
I was asking.
Kaleb: Yeah.
But that was, so Grace, what I'm
thinking, that stealth was more so
to get in because I'm assuming it's
or is the shop open at this point?
I'm assuming they're not really doing
anything 'cause their whole attention
is getting the vessel prepped.
Yeah.
Grace: It is as you left it.
Kaleb: Okay, cool.
So it's,
Grace: is it- So
Kaleb: you
Grace: can maneuver through pretty easily.
Kaleb: Cool.
My line of questioning, is it dim at all?
Is there like a darker s- corner,
or is it darker in there, like
inside the shop right now?
Sure.
Like the lights aren't on?
Okay, cool.
Yeah.
The reason I ask is 'cause if it's
dark, I can cast invili- invisibility
without wasting a spell slot.
Ah.
That was my line of thinking.
Nice.
Cool.
So I'm gonna cast invisibility.
Yeah, in
Grace: the shop there's no light, and in
that like basement forge, the only light
as far as you could tell was like the
forge itself which is, pretty bright, but
also casts a lot of shadows with that like
single point- Yeah ⦠of light, so yeah.
Kaleb: So in like going down right
before I get into the main forge area,
I'm gonna cast invisibility on myself.
And then as, I'm assuming the situation
has changed a little bit since the
last time I'm in there, so what do I
see when I get down into the forge?
Grace: Yes.
So you see the seven cultists
that were surrounding it, ⦠all
appear to be unconscious.
Just like they're all like soaked
in sweat, they're pale, just
like very visibly exhausted.
And now that their chant has concluded
are, have just completely like lights out.
Nolan and Bernard also
looking pretty rough.
They've spent two days working
on this basically nonstop.
But they are securing
these like cast iron poles.
They're like positioning them underneath.
And you can see as they put them
into place, it rises a little bit.
So not sitting on them, but like
clearly carried by some magical force.
There are four constructs around and
they have stepped up and look like they
are about to lift and carry this thing.
And there is again that mechanical dragon
up top just surveying, keeping watch.
Kaleb: Okay, cool.
And I can do some sort of roll.
I guess I'm waiting for a moment
where either Nolan or Bernard are
going to step away, and I'm gonna
use that as my window to try to sneak
down and swap out our fake ruby for
one of the gems that's inside of it.
Grace: Sure, yeah.
We'll just lump that in with
just a slight of hand check.
Okay ⦠'cause that'd be, part of it is
waiting for your opportunity, so yeah.
Kaleb: Okay, so slight of hand?
Grace: The DC will be 20, 'cause
you also have the clockwork
dragon and the constructs that
are somewhat keeping eyes on this.
Kaleb: Dirty 20.
Grace: Cool.
Yay.
By the skin of your teeth, you do it.
Adam: Whoa.
I'll let you know that Iâ¦
you hadn't made that roll,
but I'm, like, sweating over
Zac: here.
You said 20, and I was like no."
Woo.
That's awesome.
Okay,
Grace: yeah.
Yeah.
Zac: 30 20.
Grace: You creep forward,
expertly evading all these
little gears and scraps of metal.
You can see there are even a few other
gemstones that have been just discarded.
And you step around them,
step over a couple bodies.
And invisible and quiet as a mouse, you
just slip in, and you're just depositing
this rock into the center of it, correct?
That's the idea?
Kaleb: Correct, yes.
I'm swapping out one of the ma- the
magical r- rubies for this fake one.
Grace: Yeah.
So you wait and watch it as it, these
interlocking bands just shift and
move and do all sorts of crazy stuff.
And, ⦠as you're, like,
starting to sweat, it's hot in
here, there's people all around.
Yeah.
You see an opening.
There, a gap forms where you can clearly
stick your hand down and just swipe, drop,
and you done it, and you now have a ruby.
It is, Make me a constitution
saving throw, 'cause this thing is-
Kaleb: Geez,
Grace: of course ⦠piping hot.
Kaleb: That is a 15.
Grace: Okay.
So you only take, oh, just two
points of fire damage as this
thing kind of sears into your hand.
And manage not to make
any noise 'cause it hurts.
Kaleb: Yeah.
Oh, that is full gritting teeth,
just like trying to do everything
he can to not make any noise.
Yeah.
But yeah, so I'm gonna do that unless
there's something else that sees
me or does something, I'm gonnaâ¦
i'm just gonna try to walk out.
If I, if something notices me,
I'll full dimension door out, but-
Grace: After, you still have to
do only new stealth for your exit.
Kaleb: Okay, cool.
Grace: And no advantage- but- ⦠because
now you smell like burning flesh.
Kaleb: No, that's solid.
The, does natural 20.
Skyy: Ooh.
This plan is going according- Okay.
Grace: Yeah.
Yeah.
The constructs rolled a 14,
the dragon rolled a nine, and
the boys rolled a natural one.
Kaleb: Ooh.
Grace: You tiptoe out of there, and
you have succeeded in your little plot.
Kaleb: Adam, I am
also now sweating.
All work, I don't know.
We'll see.
I'm also now fully fully sweating.
Yeah.
So I get out and then I'm gonna meet up
with the rest of the group, 'cause I'm
assuming we discussed that they're all,
Unless they're doing something different,
like- No, I'm going on you to get
Adam: back
Kaleb: I'm meeting up with them.
Yeah I walk up and I flash the ruby
and I say, "Hey, it's perks of the
job," say, and I just tuck that back
into my bag and say, "It's it's done."
Adam: Good.
Good.
Now let's
Kaleb: hope they didn't
Adam: notice.
Kaleb: Do I notice anything in
particular, roll arcana about this
ruby, or is it just a ruby that they
were using to channel something with?
Grace: Go ahead and roll arcana, yeah.
Kaleb: Okay, cool.
That is a 19.
Grace: Okay.
This ruby, you can tell that it
has been, in fact, enchanted.
There is a very minor sense of conjuration
magic to it insofar as it hasâ¦
it is almost like a tuning fork
that you would use for plane shift.
It is attuned to something
beyond this plane.
Kaleb: Okay, cool.
All right, cool.
Yeah, so I'm gonna say hey, I guess at
this point it's a waiting game, or if
there's something else we can do to, hurry
this this train wreck along, hurry this,
dumpster fire that's about to happen."
I don't know what you got in mi-
you got in mind, but I did my part
Zac: Wonderful.
I've got to do one thing before this all
ends the way however we want it to end.
I don't know what the
fuck's going to happen.
I must do something real quick.
Kaleb: And Molrath is going
Zac: to make his way to the market
to tell his good friend Jayna.
Kaleb: So that, full transparency, I
fully thought you were about to stab me.
Skyy: I thought so too.
I was like, "Whoa."
Zac: No.
Skyy: I was looking at, I was,
like, looking at my reactions.
I was like, "This motherfucker."
Zac: No, I'm not that evil.
No, I'm just gonna walk to the market-
You are ⦠see if she's still there.
If she is, I'm gonna tell her
"Get out of town while you
can," and throw her hand back to
her.
And say, "Thanks- How comical.
"Thanks for giving us a hand,"
and throw her hand back to her,
Grace: of course.
Adam: How kind.
Zac: Gotta sneak a plot in there.
That's it.
That's it.
Just a quick little bit
of terror, and then,
Adam: all right.
Do you still have access
to Nolan's eyes and ears?
Kaleb: Oh, yeah.
No, I'm stillâ¦
i've not cast any other
bonus action anything.
Adam: Yeah.
Kaleb: So it's, I'm just
constantly burning my bonus action-
Adam: Gotcha
⦠Kaleb: until, until I don't
Adam: need it anymore.
Canâ¦
Okay, can we just wait till they're
finished and have you watch Nolan
and them in the room to make sure
they didn't find out about the
ruby or the, the fake ruby through-
Kaleb: Yeah.
Of course.
We can go somewhere.
I don't know if we wanna go back to
the, the, the dead cave, dead body cave.
I don't know.
Adam: How close is dead
body cave to the grove?
Grace: It's on the other side of town.
Kaleb: Okay, cool.
Grace: Wherever we can
get close to the grove.
The grove is towards the north,
and then dead body cave is far
south outside of the city walls.
Adam: Okay.
Let's go just to the tavern room
bef- Okay ⦠let's go to the ta-
the final draft and up into our room.
Kaleb: Yeah.
That way we're centrally located.
And then I can start monitoring Nolan.
Grace: Yeah.
I'm gonna roll some investigation
for him as he does some final checks.
That is a- Oh, let's talk about it.
Kaleb: He needs success nothing.
Grace: That is a 14, which
does not beat your sleight of
hand from earlier, Let's go.
It does not appear to notice
Kaleb: Okay.
Oh,
Skyy: yeah.
Kaleb: Cool.
So far so good?
Grace: Yeah.
Kaleb: Yeah,
I'm relaying all of this to Penny
Grace: Yes yes.
Kaleb: Do
Skyy: you wanna go to the grove or justâ¦
Zac: That's why I asked if there was
a way we could look at it from afar,
'cause I do not wanna be anywhere
near this when this goes down.
Adam: Hey, if it works, we have meteor
swarm to cast, and we go down as heroes.
You
Kaleb: do.
Adam: Have you been with the scroll?
Yeah, if it doesn't work- Let's give it to
Zac: you.
Kaleb: Yeah it'sâ¦
I have the scroll.
Zac: I don't think
Kaleb: they wanna kill
Zac: themselves, Adam.
Kaleb: No,
Adam: No, I'm saying if it does
work and creates a god, like we're
fighting a god at that point.
Kaleb: That's true.
That's true.
Ugh.
Yeah.
Worst comes to worst, I have to cast that.
Yeah, 'cause I Cal, I'm
Adam: going to- Or a minor god
gets summoned or something.
I don't know.
Kaleb: Yeah.
Hey about that plan, my, my turtle man
this scroll, and again, also gonna have
to have some explaining to do, Morath it
is been tinkered with in that when you
cast it, you have to cast it on yourself.
Zac: Yeah.
That's fine.
Yeah, so I'm confused.
Why do I have to explain myself?
I didn't even know this
fucking thing existed.
Our
Kaleb: friend put it in your pocket.
Zac: Yeah.
Do you think I, I am
the non-magic user here.
Do youâ¦
Does that make sense to you?
Let's use common sense here.
I know we're not smart.
But anybody
Skyy: can use it.
Zac: Yeah.
Okay.
Do
Adam: you think I would
want to kill myself?
I think Valkyrie wanted you to use it.
Zac: Yes.
Adam: Why?
Yeah, I think we've tried to
tell you answer the question.
Why would- I'm gonna persuade you
that Valkyrie wanted you to use it
because you're so grand, and you're
Malakar's right-hand man, and that
sacrificing yourself for the cause is
the best way to have the cause continue.
Zac: Roll.
Please.
Grace: And you're the
highest ranked person there.
Adam: Yeah.
Don't you wanna go down a hero?
Grace: Please roll.
Kaleb: I'm absolutely
giving him the help action.
Adam: All right.
Grace: Triple help.
Adam: Okay
Kaleb: I know it does mechanically
nothing, but I'm still giving you
Adam: that action.
Yeah.
Okay.
Let's see, that was a 15 plus
my persuasion, plus five, a 20.
Zac: Okay.
Yep.
I'm not gonna do it.
So I am gonna be convinced
that I am just so strong.
Adam: I look over at Hella Belle
and give him a big old wink.
You gottaâ¦
And I was like, I kinda whisper over
to Mal, and I'm like, "You gotta
stroke the ego a little bit there."
Once again- I figured that out over time.
Zac: Oh, that's where you have him ⦠I'm
not convinced to take the, the scroll,
but I am not convinced to be in the grove.
So what was the thought process here?
Adam: Oh, no, I convinced
you to take it, to use it.
That's what the whole purpose
was, unless you want me to roll
again for the, for you to use it.
Zac: You want me to use
it if things go awry?
Adam: Yes, if things- if
Skyy: there's a god that is
Adam: summoned,
Skyy: you gotta
Adam: nuke this place
if things go south, I want
you to summon the damn thing.
Zac: Fucking fuck it.
Adam: Yep.
All right.
I'm not fooling around.
Can we see can we see the,
where our d- final draft is?
Can we see the grove entrance?
The pathway to the grove?
Grace: Not really Out our window?
Not really There is- Okay ⦠a
pathway basically from like
the dome to the grove itself.
Okay.
But you guys are far more central in
town- Gotcha ⦠to be able to see.
Like there's buildings in the way.
Adam: Okay.
So we will wait until Nolan and them
are done and carries the device or
the vessel- ⦠out in the open.
And when that happens, we will wait until
they cross over to the black dome, and
then we will code out of the final draft
and walk behind them at a decent pace
Grace: Okay.
Yeah, so you guys you watch through
Hill's connection as Nolan for one
excuses Bernard because Bernard has
had a very long two days and needs
some rest, and he's a lot younger.
But Nolan takes charge and takes these
cl- constructs as they heave the vessel
out up some stairs and out of the forge.
And yeah, they start to make their
way over vaguely in the direction of
the dome, but the, down in the grove.
We're like right next to each other.
Adam: Yeah,
Grace: they're headed that way ⦠so
they are in fact headed that way.
Adam: Okay.
So we'll go out-
Grace: And you realize that it's been a
hot second since you've heard one of the
Adam: things.
Things.
So I assume that they've probably
made it into the grove at this
point with whatever's going on.
Grace: Yeah, they're leaving.
Adam: Okay.
Then let's walk to the grove.
Okay.
Since everyone else will
be there, around 60 people.
It'll be a little, it'll be a
little weird if we weren't- And plus
whoever in town is for the, for it
Grace: Yeah.
As you walk, you see there are a number
of townspeople that aren't fully going
in that direction, but just you see
a bunch of people camped out up on
their roofs just watching from above.
And you also see a stream of people
coming in from the gate from that
tent village over in that direction.
Adam: Okay.
Grace: Just to, observe this thing that
they've been working on for so long.
Adam: Is there chanting going
Grace: on
Adam: in the woods?
Grace: Not really.
There are some people singing
just general, spiritual songs-ish.
Like things that you would hear as ambient
music in a temple, that kind of thing.
Just establishing a general sense
of what's going on right now is
important and celestial in nature.
Got it.
And a much smaller procession of some of
the cultists that you saw within the dome.
A lot of them have nosebleeds.
Some of them are sweating and
shaking a little bit just from
such prolonged exposure to what you
all were feeling inside the dome.
And they are leading this figure that you
swear you've seen before, but you can't
quite place that is just a very, like,
pale white just, like, all the color has
been drained out of their skin and is the
epitome of ambiguous, where you just, It
is every face you've ever seen combined
into one currently being held by Damian
as he marches along towards this grove.
Shards of glass sticking out of the
skin of this figure that there should
be blood, but there's just a sort of
clear, viscous liquid just dripping
down, making this trail along this path
towards the grove, and it is just this
grim, haunting procession of a bunch of
people who have worked so, so hard and
are finally seeing it come to fruition.