Pre-Show[]
MATT: Hello, everyone, and welcome to tonight's episode of Critical Role, where a bunch of us nerdy-ass voice actors sit around and play Dungeons & Dragons.
ALL: (muffled) We play Dungeons & Dragons! (excited plastic shuffling) (continued shuffling)
MATT: Okay, well, our first sponsor of the night, in case you can't tell, is a collaboration between Critical Role and Among Us. Sam, why don't you tell us about it?
SAM: Sure. Sure, Matt. That's right, we've teamed up with Innersloth to design a CR-themed cosmetic pack, AKA a Cosmicube, for the game called Gilmore's Curious Cube. Now you can play Among Us alongside Vax, Nott, Chetney, Mollymauk, Laudna, Fearne, Jester, and Artagan in the iconic game of teamwork and betrayal. The Cosmicube also includes Mister and Pâté as pets plus unique hats featuring Sprinkle, FCG, Orthax, and more. And Impostors who equip with Chetney's cosmetics will unlock a unique werewolf kill animation, the first time Innersloth has created a bespoke kill animation for any collab!
MATT: That's amazing. And I can see that you convinced the cast to dress up for the occasion.
SAM: Most of the cast, Matt. Someone seated before you is not a cast member of Critical Role. They are in fact an Impostor.
MATT: I got you.
SAM: Now, Matt, can you figure out who it is?
MATT: Mm-kay.
SAM: Yeah, move around, everybody.
MATT: Yeah, there you go. Make it nice and helpful. All right, quick, everyone, roll your dice! You all have very distinct rolling styles.
SAM: There they go, there they go. Okay.
MATT: Okay. Ah! It's Travis! He didn't do his little backflip thing! Right?
SAM: Okay, let's see it. Would the real Impostor please reveal themselves?
MATT: Oh, okay.
SAM: Uh-huh, uh-huh, okay. There's one more. (chuckles) There's one more. I think that's not the only Impostor. Let's reveal them all!
MATT: What is happening? (laughs) (plastic shuffling)
SAM: Oh, oh! More Impostors! Impostors abound! More Impostors still!
MATT: Oh god, Impostors birthing!
SAM: Some Impostors are stuck. Help those Impostors. (laughter)
SAM: Those Impostors... (laughs) (laughter) (quiet yelling)
TALIESIN: (screams)
SAM: Wait, there's still one more Impostor! (laughter)
TALIESIN: Okay, Liam, we got you. We got you. Liam? Liam? MAX: Oh god! (laughter)
MATT: Okay!
TALIESIN: What the hell? Why was I the only in this bloody costume?
SAM: Oh, well--
TALIESIN: This is awful!
SAM: I'm sorry, Taliesin, but Ray, pay up, please.
MARISHA: Yeah, I can't believe he fell for that. Fuck you, Taliesin.
SAM: Yep, we got you. Sorry, Taliesin. Thanks, Marisha. Thanks, Taliesin. And thank you to Innersloth. The Critical Role and Among Us collaboration is now live for a limited time until November 12th. Find Gilmore's Curious Cube in the Among Us Store and check it out at bitly [1] for more info. Now I'm done venting. Back to you, Matt.
MATT: Thank you so much, Sam. (laughs)
SAM: Oh, thanks to the amazing crew--
MATT: Indeed.
SAM: -- for being our Impostors! (cheering)
MATT: Thank you all so much. (clapping)
MATT: Sorry, Taliesin. Our next sponsor is Czepeku. Are you looking for high-quality fantasy maps for your next Dungeons & Dragons or Pathfinder campaign? Or perhaps even future Daggerheart. Czepeku has you covered with over 4,000 stunning hand-drawn maps. You'll take your tabletop games to the next level! Now launching, Czepeku Scenes brings a cinematic edge to your campaigns with amazing painted and animated scenes. These alternative views of these maps give GMs immersive settings to introduce encounters, support narrative-driven campaigns, and set the scene for their game. So, join Czepeku-- (babbles) Join the Czepeku Patreon by going to czepeku.com/criticalrole and get over 4,000 battlemaps that they have already made for just $5. So major thank you to Czepeku for sponsoring this episode. And I believe with that, Marisha, you're up next. (fast-paced piano music)
MARISHA: The VOD of our latest Everything Is Content--
TRAVIS: So smart.
MARISHA: -- is available to watch right now on Beacon and YouTube where Ashley and Taliesin--
TRAVIS: Oh, who are they?
MATT: Yeah.
MARISHA: They sit down and they play a little turn-based naval combat in SteamWorld Heist II!
ASHLEY: Fun. (whooping)
ASHLEY: We had a good time.
TALIESIN: That's right. That's right.
MARISHA: Yeah.
ASHLEY: I was thinking. I was like: What are we... Oh yeah, it was fun.
MARISHA: Wait, what did we do? Beacon members can look forward to our next Fireside Chat as well on Monday, August the 19th, this time with Taliesin Jaffe. (cheering)
MATT: Yeah!
MARISHA: He's going to be answering questions directly from our live Beacon Discord, so be sure to join and stay tuned on beacon.tv. The Fireside Chats are really fun and they're nice.
TALIESIN: I'm excited.
TRAVIS: He may take your soul. He may take your soul if you got a question.
MARISHA: Well, you just can't stare--
ASHLEY: You can't stare too long.
TALIESIN: I only take 10%.
MARISHA: Yeah.
TALIESIN: 10% is industry standard.
MARISHA: 10%. Yeah.
TRAVIS: That's all you need to siphon?
LAURA: It's lime and mint.
SAM: Oh.
MATT: Oh, that'll do it.
TRAVIS: Your glasses look nice, man.
TALIESIN: Thank you.
MATT: Well, Darrington Press also continues its Queen era with the announcement of Queen by Midnight: Quarter Past. (clapping, cheering)
MATT: A new standalone expansion to Queen by Midnight coming November 13th! Not that far away, y'all. Creator and designer Kyle Shire and the fantastic creative team from Darrington have created a perfect entry point to Queen by Midnight, working great on its own, and also adding a wealth of fun to the base game when played along with it. So this deck-building board game of princesses locked in a battle royale brings a more travel-friendly format than the base game which has an amazing whole setup with a massive clock tower and stuff. But this has two-player rules, has tons of new Bazaar cards to add to it or use alone with this as well as four new princesses with unique strategies to incorporate with your competitive battle royale. So pre-order with your friendly local game stores or hop on over to Critical Role shops for a closer look and to sign up to be notified when this beauty arrives. (slaps hands) Liam, you're up next.
LIAM: Hey, guys. How about a quickie? The Midst cosmos have officially arrived in a comic shop near you thanks to Third Person and our pals at Dark Horse Comics.
MATT: Yeah!
MARISHA: Let's fucking go!
LIAM: "Midst: Address Unknown" is a standalone issue exploring the origins of the islet, the is-let? I don't remember, of Midst.
MARISHA and MATT: It's islet (eye-let).
ASHLEY and TALIESIN: Islet (eye-let).
LIAM: Is-let of Midst, providing you with a chance to explore this rich world--
MATT: (laughs)
LIAM: -- in a whole new way, in a comic. Pick up "Address Unknown" wherever you get your comics, and in September, look forward to the next standalone story, "Midst: The Valorous Farmer." (ooh-ing)
LIAM: (mysterious wind blowing)
MATT: Hey, Laura!
LAURA: Huh?
MATT: You're up.
LAURA: Oh, you guys! Okay.
LIAM: What's that stuff? What's that stuff?
LAURA: Look, look, look, look.
TRAVIS: Look at what? What?
LAURA: It's our Healing Party T-shirt!
ASHLEY: Whoa!
TRAVIS: Oh, the healers!
LAURA: I know!
MARISHA: What's Jester doing on there?
LIAM: Yeah, that's what I was going to ask! (laughter)
TALIESIN: Aw, yeah!
LAURA: It's her late level. That's when she actually did heal people.
MARISHA: Oh, got you.
MATT: That's true.
ASHLEY: Yay!
MATT: That's true. Yeah.
LIAM: Yeah, I don't remember that.
LAURA: Yeah, look at FCG!
TALIESIN: I don't remember that at all.
ASHLEY: Oh man!
LAURA: This is so beautiful!
MATT: That's really pretty.
LAURA: Myrmidia is the artist, and I am in love with this shirt.
ASHLEY: That is very cool.
LAURA: And it's available in the US, in Canada, in the UK, and the EU. ♪ Da-da-da ♪
LIAM: Three out of four ain't bad.
LAURA: And also, if you were at the live show, you might have seen this, but it's available now in all of our shops.
MATT: That's really cute, actually.
ASHLEY: So cute.
TALIESIN: Nice.
ASHLEY: That's really cute.
LAURA: It's a beanie. It's subtle. It's cute.
TALIESIN: Aw.
LAURA: It's by Jordyn Torrence.
TRAVIS: Jordyn Torrence, shout-out. (snaps fingers)
ASHLEY: Yeah!
LIAM: I'm going to wear the shit out of both of these things.
LAURA: I know, right?
TALIESIN: I'm really excited.
LAURA: It's very hot or else I would put that on right now.
ASHLEY: God, it's so hot.
LAURA: It's very hot in here.
MATT: It is the summer in Los Angeles. I believe that concludes our announcements.
TRAVIS: ♪ It is the summer ♪
MATT: So, let's go ahead and jump into--
LAURA: No!
TRAVIS: No, no, no, no!
MATT: -- tonight's episode of Critical Role. (roaring)
♪ Critical ♪
♪ Critical ♪
♪ It's Thursday ♪
♪ It's Thursday night! ♪
ASHLEY: ♪ One-by-one, we climb until we reach the top. ♪
♪ Two-by-two, we fall. ♪
LAURA: ♪ Will we meet our end or meet our destiny? ♪
♪ Hold your breath and roll! ♪
MATT: How do you want to do this?
ALL: ♪ It's Thursday night ♪
♪ All ye Critters, come join us ♪
♪ It's time to continue our plight ♪
♪ There is magic and mystery ♪
♪ Who knows what will happen? ♪
♪ He might! ♪
♪ But one thing's for sure, ♪
♪ We never give up on the fight! ♪
LIAM: ♪ From the healer ♪
♪ To the renegade ♪
MATT: ♪ We all share the same goal ♪
MATT and TALIESIN: ♪ Adding more allies ♪
♪ Taking more chances ♪
SAM: ♪ Hold your breath and roll ♪
MARISHA: You can certainly try.
ALL: ♪ It's Thursday night ♪
♪ All ye Critters, come join us ♪
♪ It's time to continue our plight ♪
♪ It's Thursday night. ♪
♪ There is magic and mystery ♪
♪ From darkness, our friendship will rise ♪
♪ But one thing's for sure: ♪
♪ We never give up on the fight ♪
♪ Oh, get ready, ♪
♪ Get ready, ♪
♪ It's Thursday night! ♪
(flames whooshing)
Part I[]
MATT: And welcome back. So last we left off, Bells Hells, after trekking to the ruins of Aeor had an encounter with Ludinus Da'leth himself, which he showed you visions of the fall of Aeor in hopes of expressing the dubiousness of the great deities that are considered the Prime beings of law and morality in this world. After trying to convince you to come to join him and the Vanguard and their interests, you combated his outlook and combated each other's with some internal strife in communication, after which Laudna's own dark passenger was triggered. Thus battle ensued with a Delilah-possessed Laudna. Thus battle ensued with a Delilah-possessed Laudna. You defeated her--
TRAVIS: That bitch.
MATT: -- and while she was reduced within, used the soul anchor that you had taken from the ruins, and successfully completed a ritual with Essek's help that bound Delilah into the stone, which was then bound within you, reversing the power dynamic between you and Delilah. After which, you went to go meet up with the Voice of the Tempest and the rest of the troop that was waiting on the western encampment within the Hellcatch Valley. You arrived to find it in ruin, still smoldering, the fallen stone being picked through by Reilorans and Vanguard soldier alike. With rapid reaction, teleporting to Vasselheim. There, you were able to maneuver through the city, climb the stairs that lead to the Platinum Sanctuary, where it seems a lot of dignitaries from around Exandria are gathering, along with their compatriot armies and protectors. Upon arrival of that, Essek had to say his goodbyes, for there was tenuous relations with some other figures that were present. But upon arriving here on the outskirts of this crowd that had gathered in the central forum of the Platinum Sanctuary, you were trying to push through to get a good view. You saw people from all over Exandria here. You saw within Vasselheim itself the Highbearer Vord, the Earthbreaker Groon. There's the Holy Curator and the High Hierophant, as well as the coven of the veil of the Matron of Ravens present. J'mon Sa Ord, the leader of Ank'Harel and one of the great rulers of the northeastern side of Marquet is present. Keyleth the Voice of the Tempest is present, a little battered, but other than that looking fine. The Bright Queen of the Kryn Dynasty is present. Gavis Aranda, you do notice, from the Chandei Quorum of Jrusar is present.
LAURA: Oh.
MATT: Guardian Tofor Brotoras is also present from the Council of Tal'Dorei as well as Mythtaker Qi Mandozi, who you met at the encampment before it collapsed. Allura and Kima are present. A number of other figures from all over Exandria are present. As you tried to push your way through, a massive goliath figure with oversized stone gauntlets, a bit of a paunch, and a black, fuzzy beard with streaks of gray made your announcement loudly, causing the group in front of you to divide slightly and the entire chamber to shift its attention back to you in one moment. Here in that tense awkward silence with one occasional (coughs) off in the distance, all eyes are on you.
ASHLEY: I got Orym on my shoulders still.
TALIESIN: Well, I really don't like this.
MARISHA: (laughs nervously)
ASHLEY: Hello.
LAURA: Didn't mean to interrupt.
MARISHA: Just keep going. We'll catch up. Context clues.
MATT: A room of grumbles begin to build up as conversation begins to sweep back into a bit of a chaotic spin. Voices shouting out, "We have to assemble our communal forces, our greatest warriors. Let us plot a unified assault, the likes have not been seen since the Calamity." "Yes, yes, the army's already scattered at home. We're trying to figure out--" "We understand the discomfort of such arcana is widespread within your walls, but we require approval to maneuver armed masses towards the fray and rapidly, before even skyships cannot provide that sort of speed." Somebody else on the back shouts, "We have unlikely powers from our disposal, allies from darker places and factions. We have chosen of the Betrayers who have sworn themselves to the cause." At which point, the Bright Queen immediately shouts out, "Absolutely not!" (echo reverberates) echoes through the hall. Her with her massive horned crown behind her head and the guards slam their spears in the ground (echo booming) echoing to the chamber. Somebody else off to the side, this older woman you see with heavy robes goes, "We have seen firsthand what their alien warriors can diminish some of our protective magics and certain elite soldiers can prevent restorative magic altogether. How do we face such anathema?" Another older mage you see, this long, very Vincent Price looking human archmage with a tanned, liver spotted exterior. Very short, gray hair with streaks of white across the back of it and a red, golden robe sits down. Make a history check if you're from Marquet.
TRAVIS: No. Liver spotted?
MATT: Or spent a period of time of Marquet.
MARISHA: A period of time in Marquet or--
MATT: An extended period of time, like a few years in Marquet.
LAURA: 18?
TALIESIN: 16?
MATT: 16. 18. We'll go with that.
MARISHA: 19.
MATT: Okay. The two of you may have seen this figure once before when a small historical post Apex War parade went through the Taloned Highlands.
LAURA: I recognize her.
MARISHA: Mm-hmm.
MATT: There was a small celebration at your hometown and one of the figures there that briefly showed up but then got out as soon as they could with the lack of interest to be out in the boonies of the Highlands themselves. An individual known as Galtheid of the Ember Vigil, who is the archmage of Sruwargas, which is the capital, the Apex city of the Taloned Highlands and one of the two factions of the Apex War.
MARISHA: Galtheid of what?
TRAVIS: The Empire Vigil.
MATT: Galtheid of the Ember Vigil.
TRAVIS: Ember.
MARISHA: Of the Ember--
MATT: A figure that you both recognize, but the rest of you would not be able to make out. You also, glancing past him, you can see there is... I think I mentioned last time, you saw the king and queen of Uthodurn. Queen Fruunast and King Talviel are present within the chamber as well as you get a better view in sweeping across, and other figures that wear the colors and banners of the Dwendalian Empire, of the Clovis Concord. You see this spread of figures, all in the midst of this heightened conversation. Galtheid, as you recognize, says, "The ever tangled mess of the solstice continues to place stress upon the trellis of leylines, threatening an imminent unraveling of our world's magic as long as that Bloody Bridge continues to hold Ruidus in place. It must be destroyed." Gavis Aranda from Jrusar steps forward. "(clears throat) Our denizens are in disarray, terrified of the solstice skyline and the vanished red moon, shaken by the whispers of war. While Vanguard growth within most of our communities seem to have been stayed for the moment, we are still just discovering the insidious depths of Ludinus' influence. We need to root it out domestically before we rot from the inside." One of the other figures of one of the temples goes, "Matters at home must be finished or held, for the window of time to act directly closes imperceptibly soon." Goes back to Galtheid who says, "The chaos of the solstice still echoes, and not all communities have the resources or manpower to have our local challenges quickly wrapped up." Another figure steps forward, "(clears throat) Emissary Lord Zeddan Graf. What happens if we fail to quell the worries of divinity? If the gods destroy the divine gate and start another Calamity, leveling Exandria once more to using stone and bronze. What assurances do we have that the gods will allow us the chance to sort these issues before resorting to Armageddon?"
TALIESIN: (laughs)
MATT: The room quiets for a second as everyone hears that phrase and the only sound that rings out in response is the echoing chuckle of Ashton across the room.
TALIESIN: (laughs)
MATT: A few people look back in the room and glance toward you.
TALIESIN: Sorry. Ludinus told us what he plans on doing next and you kind of hit the nail on the head.
MATT: Everyone looks at you, a complete lack of recognition or interest, and people have that immediate glance of: Who the hell let this riffraff in. Keyleth steps forward to support your statement. "We've many of our finest who have been out in the field battling Vanguard powers, gathering intel on their movements, seeking answers in the frozen ruins of Eiselcross as of late. Yet our attempts to scramble through Ludinus' long-plotted chaos keeps us on the back foot. Even now we've lost our footholds in the Hellcatch, and many lives along with them, waiting for you all to get your shit together."
SAM: Ooh.
MATT: At which point Keyleth puts her hands out and she raises her hands. You can see now in the center of this chamber, there are numerous thin channeled basins, in the lowered central area between all of these council seats. There is an open, almost like the center of a courtroom floor. There are these thin, half-foot long little water canals that seem to spiral through this pattern, almost like a Celtic knot. As she raises her hands up, the waters shift up and begin to spin into a sphere. The sphere, as it spins and widens out, begins to shimmer and a vision begins to come through, like a projected Scry spell seems to then gloss over this glassy surface of the spinning liquid. What you see now is the Hellcatch Valley, the Malleus Key itself. The red beam of the Bloody Bridge rocketing up past view and the cavernous expanse of the the Tishtan Excavation Site around it. As dust begins to (rumbling) build up, you see the landscape around it: (emerging forms) Masses, impossible masses of dust and stone and earthen materials from Exandria begin to punch up from the ground one after another, like localized earthquakes are just jettisoning bits of stone from the very surface itself. You see as they rise up with these massive resounding cracks, thunder rolling with each impact as everyone watches quietly, each (emergence booming) echoing throughout the chamber. You watch as the landscape around the Malleus Key is building into a fortress. (structures emerging) Something, someone, or some things is magically carving a stronghold out of the surrounding landscape around the Key. You see towers (rumbling emergence) come to rest at odd twisted angles, dust settling and falling to its sides.
MARISHA: Does it look Ruidian?
MATT: It looks like it's carved from the surrounding landscape of the Hellcatch from what you can tell.
LAURA: This is happening in real time? Is this happening in real-time?
ASHLEY: Yeah, is this happening--
MATT: You're uncertain.
TALIESIN: Does this look primordial, elemental?
MATT: Make a nature check or an arcana check.
TRAVIS: Yeah, who's actually--
TALIESIN: Probably both suck.
TRAVIS: -- capable of doing that?
LAURA: Doing that?
TRAVIS: Some kick ass Earth Ashari.
TALIESIN: 14.
TRAVIS: Or a Titan.
MATT: 14?
MATT: You're uncertain.
TALIESIN: Yeah.
MATT: As the rapid ascension of this stronghold begins to settle and the dust clouds begin to slowly dissipate, the vision (whoosh) ends and the water (sploosh) splashes and hits the ground before it all begins to seep into the channels once more.
ASHLEY: Was that happening right now?
MATT: "That was the last thing that we saw before we were under assault."
TALIESIN: Shit.
MATT: "We need to work together united now! Now, now, now," echoes through the chamber. There's a pause as everyone looks at each other, some whispers over shoulders. A figure steps forward, a tall, thin, dark-skinned, burning ember-eyed figure with long, thin, black hair and simple clothing. Those of you from Marquet recognize this as J'mon Sa Ord, the leader of Ank'Harel. "The Voice of the Tempest is correct and Ank'Harel is in agreement. Who else is of like mind?"
TRAVIS: We are.
MATT: Other hands start rising and going up. A figure "(clears throat)" puts their hand up and J'mon gives a nod, steps back. "Marquis Zhafe Uludan. The Concord agrees and commits the majority of our non-naval forces to helping wipe every last one of these moonborn heathens from the surface of our realm." Allura steps forward. "That is not what Keyleth means, Marquis. There are many innocent people of and upon Ruidus who also suffer under--" The High Curator steps forward. "People? They are godless creatures born in the red shadow of the god eater. They are outside of the laws of our creators, Ruidusborn in the purest sense and belonging not within or near our sympathies." The Bright Queen follows in off of that immediately. "How can we be certain these denizens of Ruidus aren't all bent on our destruction? You speak of certainties and perspectives none of us could possibly know." The wind in the room (gust swirls) picks up more, everyone looking around again, causing the rising tensions to dissipate in just a moment. Keyleth has her hand up. "But we do know some among us who have seen it, walked into the crimson storms themselves and infiltrated their capital city. And they return to us now." As Keyleth puts her hand out towards the rest of you.
LIAM: From Fearne's shoulder: We've been there. We've seen its people with our own eyes.
MATT: The crowd begins to pull away from you a bit and the central part of the chamber begins to reveal itself.
MARISHA: Question. Is Evoroa here? Do we see Evoroa?
MATT: You do not see Evoroa currently. Make a perception check, actually.
MARISHA: Okay, that's good. 24.
MATT: 24 is great. Because you know what you're looking for, you see a squat hooded figure that is amongst the Ashari that are around where Keyleth is currently holding court in the center of this forum.
MARISHA: Okay.
LIAM: The tension here is understandable. Please, you're speaking without all the information. Don't act from ignorance. Let us fill in some of the gaps.
MATT: "Friends, compatriots, and allies, this is the group of chosen heroes, Bells Hells--"
TRAVIS: (snaps)
MATT: "-- who graciously offered their lives time and time again in the pursuit of stopping Ludinus, the Vanguard, and all of these terrors that have transpired in the weeks since. If anyone present deserves the floor to speak, it is them."
MARISHA: (laughs nervously) Chosen. Chosen feels strong.
TALIESIN: Chosen, my ass.
ASHLEY: Heroes!
MARISHA: But willing.
ASHLEY: Cool.
LAURA: There's a lot to say. We've seen even more than you know now.
MATT: The room settles a bit. Everyone shifts as you all step out a little bit to take the, as much of it you want to, the central floor of this forum space where multitudes of high throne chairs and ramshackle sitting arrangements all encircle the center of this temple floor.
TALIESIN: Do we start with the moon and make our way to Aeor?
SAM: As we step forward, can I pop a Divine Sense to see if there's any celestial, fiend, or undead around us?
TRAVIS: Nice, nice, nice, nice.
MATT: Certainly, yeah. You gather your thoughts around you. No undead, no fiend, but certainly a handful of celestial throughout this chamber.
TRAVIS: Really?
MATT: You know the direction, and it points to crowds or groups of people on certain chairs, but you're uncertain who is what, not at this distance.
SAM: Cool.
LIAM: The situation on Ruidus is as complicated and faceted as things are here in Exandria. They're not one monolith of will. They're not one monolith of will. There are people in control.
LAURA: There are people oppressed.
TALIESIN: There are people fighting.
LIAM: The worst of Exandria and the worst of Ruidus are working together.
MARISHA: It's true. They've got just as much of a diverse culture and biome and wildlife that you would see here on Exandria. It's just been cultivating for several thousand years.
LAURA: And it's without knowledge of the gods either. All the people on Ruidus experience what we know. They know of the gods.
MARISHA: They call this the-- Was it the green land or the blue land?
LAURA: The Blue Dream.
MARISHA: The Blue Dream. Thank you. They call this the Blue Dream.
TRAVIS: The Greenland?
TALIESIN: Greenland and Iceland, it's very confusing.
MARISHA: It's very confusing.
ASHLEY: Iceland, you want to go to Iceland--
LIAM: Just the flat earth.
ASHLEY: -- not Greenland.
LIAM: The flat earth.
TALIESIN: Edge of the pizza.
MARISHA: They experience our thoughts, our emotions, our joys, and our sorrows.
ASHLEY: They dream our dreams?
LAURA: Mm-hmm.
ASHLEY: There are children there. It's beautiful.
MARISHA: Laudna is going to make a Silent Image and hold it aloft over where Keyleth was projecting her image, and starts cycling through all of the people, and the heritages, and the races, and everything that we saw, almost like as they're spinning. It spins and switches and spins. You see a Bormodo, and you see a Ruidian, and it shifts again, and again, and again.
LAURA: As much as we'd like to go into all of the political structure of what we experienced, I'm afraid time is not on our side. We ran into Ludinus in Eiselcross, and what he uncovered can change everything.
TALIESIN: If you think you're fractured now, you have no idea how bad it's going to get.
MATT: You see Allura's hand out, like she's trying to grasp for what question to ask before another voice across the way, the Bright Queen, steps forward a bit, "If you would mind sharing with us what it is Ludinus has discovered that is so dangerous."
LAURA: Gladly.
TALIESIN: Proof.
LAURA: He discovered an orb, memories of Aeor, everything that happened leading to its downfall.
TALIESIN: Its last day, everything that happened, everybody that was there, the truth of every moment of it.
LAURA: The gods.
MARISHA: I start shifting the Silent Image to the mortal form of the Everlight, the mortal form of the Dawnfather, the mortal form of the Raven Queen.
LAURA: They walked on Exandria and contributed to the downfall. You see them as mortals in these memories. It's not contained to Ludinus, not anymore. He's going to find a way to share this to everyone on Exandria.
TALIESIN: Everyone's going to know.
MARISHA: Just as we mortals all through history, they have their fallacies.
MATT: A couple of chuckles in distant parts of the room.
MARISHA: No really, it's going to be quite divisive.
MATT: (laughs)
LAURA: You spoke of how unheard of it would be if the Betrayer Gods, those worshiping them would contribute to our cause. The Betrayers and the Prime, they worked together. We saw it.
TALIESIN: Happily.
LIAM: On that day, for that moment. Some of the mages of that city meant to fell gods, and the Betrayers and the Primes came together and wiped them all out.
TALIESIN: They taught them a lesson.
MATT: "Good. They deserved it. Are we all seriously this worried about a historical truth?" You see the figure stepping forward speaking is this would be the Holy Curator.
TRAVIS: It is the fucking High Curator. This is Cobalt Soul--
MATT: The Holy Curator. No, the Holy Curator is of the Quadroads, No, the Holy Curator is of the Quadroads, this is of the Lawbearer.
TRAVIS: Got it. This motherfucker.
MATT: "Historically, we know the gods worked together to destroy the city of Aeor because it needed to be destroyed. Itself marked the height of mortal arrogance and misuse of the knowledge and power it was granted. It is a cautionary tale, the Age of Arcanum, and its end."
TALIESIN: It's the height of the gods' arrogance also, and it shows.
MATT: (gasps) There's some gasps in the back of the room, you see some of the soldiers square off.
TALIESIN: Are you idiots really not prepared for what people are going to think of this? Are you so fucking blind?
LAURA: Just--
TRAVIS: Shave it, shave it down. Wood shave it down.
LAURA: Just one step down.
TALIESIN: (frustrated sigh)
LIAM: We've been through a lot. Forgive our friend's bluntness, but he is not entirely wrong. We have met a lot of people, encountered many folk who are swayed by Ludinus' song. encountered many folk who are swayed by Ludinus' song.
LAURA: Not everyone's faith is as strong as those in this city.
MARISHA: I show images of the gods betraying their acolytes, letting their followers die, of the Arch Heart.
SAM: In times of great trauma, even purely faithful can fall from the path and make alliances with unholy or terrible entities. We wouldn't want that to happen to any of your friends and followers.
MATT: Some nods in the chamber.
TRAVIS: (laughs)
MATT: (laughs)
LAURA: (knowing hum) (chuckling)
MATT: Make a persuasion check. (exclaiming)
TRAVIS: This is unbelievable!
SAM: New Braius dice. Is that a 19?
LAURA: Yes!
ROBBIE: That's a 19, bud.
SAM: So--
LIAM: Did you get some Ashley dice?
MARISHA: Yes, yes.
SAM: 33.
TRAVIS: Wow!
MATT: 33!
LAURA: Whoa!
LIAM: (laughs)
MATT: The nods begin to spread a bit. There's acknowledging across the chamber, and you can see some of the individuals wearing ranked raiments of various temples steeple their fingers and get lost to a furrowed brow in the midst of thought at the statement.
TALIESIN: Who are you?
MATT: Keyleth steps forward a little bit. "The danger of the gods is definitely one-- The danger of their reveal is one thing to be debated. The fate of those from the red moon equally important." She steps aside, and as she does, reveals the hooded figure you see there sitting. It peeks out from the hood towards Keyleth and Keyleth goes, "Go on. Go on, I got you."
MARISHA: Evoroa! Evoroa, hi! You got this.
MATT: Steps out, you know, the heavy waddling gait of the Bormodo. Stepping out for a bit and then the pulling the hood back, revealing the unique and non-Exandrian musculature and physical form of the Bormodo. Squat with its two large hulking arms in its tiny chest, curled ones up front. Its thick, trunk-like legs stepping out to the center. As it takes a moment for her to glance around, wide-eyed, the darkened orbs of her eyes look both filled with awe and terror simultaneously as she almost begins to stumble into a moment of anxiety and-- The word escapes me for a moment suddenly. Vertigo. You watch as some movement from underneath the hood catches up, and a small cytaa, Gona, rushes up and begins rubbing against her cheek.
SAM: Aw.
TRAVIS: A little soothe.
MATT: One of the small arms reaches up and grabs and holds it there. She goes, (shakily) "Hello, everyone."
MARISHA: (sympathetic) Oh.
MATT: "My name is Evoroa."
ASHLEY: Woo! (laughter)
MARISHA: Yeah.
TRAVIS: Amazing.
MATT: "I'm one of the people of Ruidus that these fine individuals are talking about. It's a rugged, harsh life, perhaps, but it's the only one we've known for centuries. Inner conflict, limited resources, it's all kept the majority of our scattered clans from truly walking in the dreaming call of Predathos, instead sleeping within your dreams and longing for color, and zest, freedom. and longing for color, and zest, freedom. We are a very much a varied, gentle lot historically, since honed to a deadly edge under the tyranny of the Weave Mind over generations. These five Reiloran overlords have worked in distant concert with Ludinus towards this very moment in time, where their tyranny could spread to your world, the Blue Dream, Exandria. (exhales)" She looks back towards Keyleth and looks towards the rest of you. "The vast majority of our people only wish to be left alone, and maybe one day, walk the golden fields and swim the crystal waters of your world. When out from under the Weave Mind's subjection, we can be kind, beautiful even, just as you are, all of you. We have far more in common than not." There's this long pause and you can see some people are leaned forward, enraptured, a few are just stoically taking it in, and there's some whispers over shoulders. There's two individuals that are sketching intensely. (Everoa) "Your world is, as you say, is tangled in disorder. Your magic's twisted, and nearing an unraveling. None of this is coincidence, as I myself was coerced to be tangential in executing this plot." More whispers begin to circulate the chamber, and you can hear the shifting of armor and handles being grasped, just in case. "For that, I am filled with regret. The mess you wallow in is by design, and it is meant to hold you back until it is too late to stop them. I can offer what insight I can to your cause to atone for my part in all this. All I ask-- My mouth is so dry. All I ask is some empathy for my brethren, misguided or indoctrinated as some of them may be."
MARISHA: I pass her my water skin. I just sneak--
MATT: (gulps) Gives some to the cytaa.
LAURA: (laughs)
MATT: "That is all," and she goes into a kneel. (laughter, clapping)
MATT: So immediately, conversation starts going, people are talking. It's like, "What--?" "I don't trust it here."
LAURA: In her head she hears: You did great, sweetie.
MATT: (laughs)
LIAM: If I may, for the people in this room who are listening today, we are far better served trying to win the Ruidians as our allies against the small circle of folk at the top who are working with Ludinus above them. There is no need to start a war against innocents.
MARISHA: We've already made contact with some Ruidians on the inside, who are on our side of this cause. They call themselves the Volition. They'd be willing to help, but they will need resources and our trust and loyalty, From them and us to them as well. From them and us to them as well.
MATT: A middle- to older-aged male in decorated robes and an endless supply of rings and jewelry with graying, blonde, long hair steps forward, carrying an emblem across his chest of the triple diamond of the Assembly. He says, "Speaking on behalf of the remains of the Cerberus Assembly, those who were also duped by these atrocious plottings."
LAURA: Insight check.
MARISHA: Who is this?
TRAVIS: Jesus, insight check. (laughs)
MATT: Make an inside check.
TRAVIS: Half an intro.
LIAM: Yeah, what do they look like? What do they look like?
LAURA: I don't know.
MATT: I explained what they look like.
LAURA: I don't trust anyone who has that many--
TRAVIS: He's got too many rings.
MATT: An older gentleman with graying, blonde, long hair.
LIAM: Gray hair, okay.
LAURA: 15.
MATT: 15.
TRAVIS: Liam's on Trent watch.
MATT: He seems to be speaking loudly in a chamber.
LAURA: (laughs)
LIAM: (tearing sound)
TRAVIS: You bitch!
TALIESIN: I think this guy is loud.
LAURA: In a chamber.
TALIESIN: He's in this chamber. The echo is really rough. (laughter)
MATT: "This is all possibly a grand boon, but if indeed these individuals had traveled beyond the Bloody Bridge, there is also the opportunity that they have been compromised and this is also part of Ludinus' plot. We've worked alongside him for a very long time and his machinations go far deeper than even we were prepared for. How do we know we can trust these Bells Hells?" Some other conversation begins to brew a bit. Keyleth looks over towards him, towards this figure who crosses his arms a bit. More murmurs begin to get louder and louder. You can see some groups are starting to turn insular. The chatter begins to brim louder. Eventually, there is a heavy foom! And a spark rains out from the center of the room and flutters down. Everyone stopping and looking upward as the Highbearer Vord steps forward. "We all speak from places of impassioned concern and holy guidance, wrestling with revelations all in the wake of a strategic loss. The hour grows late, and many of us are on many sleepless days. Let us adjourn for the evening, recover our hearts and our minds, and counsel within our circles. In the morning, bring your finest war minds to the Trial Forge and we shall speak of a unified plot, as which is largely in agreement within this chamber. With a clear vision to proceed, we will return to these halls for debate and approval. This is adjourned." (boof) A second boom against the ground. Immediately, all the groups break off, meaning to divide and talk amongst themselves, gathering into each other, and you're now almost swept up. You're not immediately swarmed by people talking towards you, but people are getting near you and talking amongst themselves and watching.
TRAVIS: It's true. We're real. (laughter)
TRAVIS: We will take appointments, by the way. You can find us at the-- Fuck, who's been here before? Where are we staying?
LAURA: Over here.
LIAM: Fearne, can you swim through to the Tempest?
ASHLEY: Yep.
TALIESIN: Thank you.
ASHLEY: Excuse me, excuse me. Ow. Move.
TRAVIS: Step aside. Fearne coming through.
ASHLEY: Go.
TRAVIS: Those hooves can kick.
ASHLEY: Yeah, they can.
MATT: You all begin to push through and you come to Keyleth, who is there with Allura and Kima. Allura, hands together, rubbing them, and Keyleth's like, "I hate this place."
ASHLEY: Psst.
MATT: Wait, Allura is saying this?
MATT: Huh? This is Keyleth.
MARISHA: Keyleth? (chuckles) Yeah.
TRAVIS: That was Keyleth.
TALIESIN: Idiots. They're all fucking idiots.
LAURA: He got that right.
MATT: "Hi. It's so good to see you all. (sighs)"
LIAM: So do you want the full download?
MATT: "Not here. We should talk more in the-- Let's step outside. Come this way."
LAURA: I hope we didn't speak out of turn.
MATT: "Not at all. You were wonderful. You were beautiful. We'll need more of that shortly. We need to come at this forum with a very clear and defined vision. Otherwise, there's open room for debate, as you've seen, and many individuals willing to pull it apart. I hate it."
MARISHA: Make a pitch.
SAM: Yeah.
MATT: "Not alone, not alone." Allura goes, "We have some of our finest here, and the Trial Forge is a place that is well-defined in best hammering out, if you will, the best procedure towards conflict. It's a place that is looked over by the Stormlord himself and is blessed when it comes to conflict to come. So if there was a place to forge this, this would be the place to gather a blessing in the process. Besides, I think Kima just really wants to hit something." She's like, "You know I do, Ally. I just--" Looks over at Keyleth. "I feel you, I used to live here."
SAM: Oh.
TRAVIS: That's true.
MATT: As you all begin to settle out a bit, the groups begin to sift outward beyond the doors of the Platinum Sanctuary and towards the long staircase that descends into Vasselheim.
MARISHA: Allura?
MATT: Mm-hmm.
MARISHA: Is she around?
MATT: She's walking with you, yeah.
MARISHA: It's kind of impressive. It's kind of intimidating. Every important person is here right now.
MATT: "A few of them. There's others that should have been here."
MARISHA: Oh, we'll put a pin in that. That's interesting. But what kind of safety measures do we have going on? But what kind of safety measures do we have going on? Because if something were to happen here?
TRAVIS: You mean to us while we're talking, or the whole city?
ALL: The whole city.
MARISHA: Just from that and above.
LIAM: Most of the nations in the world.
MATT: "As far as I understand it here, this city has existed for a long time for a number of reasons. For one," and she points out to the perimeter wall. Along the outer wall, you can see there are these small shrine-like structures that are built along the wall. "This prevents anything passing through the boundaries of this space through illusion. At least when there is intent of aggression. There are a number of wards set up throughout the city as well as celestial guardians that keep watch, especially since they've elevated the recent concern of Exandrian danger. Also, we do have--" As you walk past the stairs, she points up to the Sanctuary and you see the massive rooftop of the Sanctuary with this beautiful-looking silver dragon statue that's perched across the top of it, and you watch as its tail (waves).
LAURA: (gasps) That's no statue.
TRAVIS: Are you serious?
MATT: "There are, from what I know at least, three dragons of Exandria that are part of this communal discussion, two of which were incognito within the chamber.
LIAM: What?
LAURA: Sick.
SAM: It's me. I'm one of them. (laughter)
TRAVIS: ♪ It's me, hi ♪
MARISHA and TRAVIS: ♪ I'm the dragon, it's me ♪ (laughter)
LAURA: Stupid.
MATT: "There are an entire slew of platinum protective golems, also, at the ready, if called for. I don't know the specifics--"
MARISHA: You don't have to go through all of the defense.
MATT: "But they're very particular."
MARISHA: I just want to say, though--
TALIESIN: I think it's the opposite, actually, from my end.
MARISHA: Well, we are dealing with a thousand-year-old elf with a very old grudge and daddy issues and access to ancient tech and moon magic, so I just want to point that out.
TALIESIN: If this were a slightly different fight, would he be the one that you would be consulting about how to keep this city safe?
TRAVIS: Are you talking about Ludinus?
TALIESIN: I'm talking about Ludinus. There is another world where this is the person who you would talk to about how to keep this city safe.
LAURA: So, yeah, you know about all of the defense.
MATT: "Strangely enough, Vasselheim, not huge fans of non-tangential, worship-based arcana."
LAURA: Right.
MATT: "Everything that is instilled within this landscape is through divine ritual."
MARISHA: Right, but the Cerberus Assembly person--
LAURA: So if, say, the divine magics got weakened, then all of the defense here would be the same.
MATT: "It is possible, but as would any magic, really."
LIAM: Well, the worry is, you know, the myths say that this place stood against the gods and then, Tempest, you've told me how this place survived an onslaught by a would-be god.
MATT: (Grog) "(chuckles) Damn right it did!" A hand slams on the side of Allura's shoulder. Allura goes, "(coughs) Knocked the wind out of me."
LIAM: He almost killed her. (laughter)
MATT: That massive, half-giant figure that led you in goes, "Yeah, that thing up there, that big old one, yeah, I did that."
TRAVIS: You did that?!
LAURA: All by yourself?
MATT: "Yeah."
LIAM: One-v-one?
MATT: "More or less." (laughter)
TRAVIS: I believe him. (laughter)
TALIESIN: I know good work when I see it.
MATT: "Where do you think I got these?"
TRAVIS: Those are impressive. Can you hold up your hand against mine?
MATT: You are the tiniest little baby hand on those gauntlets.
ALL: Oh.
TRAVIS: A little lightning. Ah! (chuckling)
ASHLEY: May I get a--
MATT: "Keeps you virile." (laughter)
ASHLEY: Can I get a closer look at those?
LIAM: Do it.
MARISHA: What? (laughter)
TRAVIS: Fearne! (laughter)
MATT: Make a persuasion check.
MARISHA: Steal that vestige. (laughter)
ASHLEY: Okay, did you say persuasion?
LIAM: Yeah.
MATT: Yes.
ASHLEY: Shit, okay. 22.
MATT: 22. Grog goes--
ASHLEY: So sorry, 32.
SAM: Ooh.
ROBBIE: What?
MATT: Oh, 32.
ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
MATT: He goes, "I mean, yeah," and puts them right up to your face. This man is massive. Leaning forward, these two massive stones. As it like, (static crackling) the static curls on them, you feel that flame on the inside of your soul begin to flicker a little bit, and there's some odd tether between them.
TRAVIS: They're made from primordial.
MARISHA: (gasps) Yes.
MATT: The gauntlet knuckles begin to glow red, like the stone's beginning to heat up. He goes, "Um, um, it's making me uncomfortable." He pulls away. "(blows) (gasps) It's never happened before."
ASHLEY: It hasn't? I wonder what would happen if I put them on.
MATT: "No." (laughter)
ASHLEY: Maybe later.
MATT: "What's your name?"
ASHLEY: My name is Fearne. What's your name?
MATT: "My name? Oh, it's kind of a legendary title, really." (chuckles)
ASHLEY: Okay.
MATT: "Grand Poobah de Doink of All of This and That, one of the masters of Whitestone. I'm kind of a big deal. Legendary warrior from Vox Machina."
ASHLEY: Oh yes.
MATT: "Grogory Strongjaw." (laughter)
MARISHA: Grogory!
ASHLEY: Grogory Stonejaw. Wow.
TRAVIS: It's so eloquent. (laughter)
TRAVIS: He's distinguished!
LAURA: He's gotten smarter and smarter.
TRAVIS: He's a prince!
TALIESIN: I think he just worked for a couple years to get that down.
ROBBIE: One IQ point per year.
MARISHA: Yeah!
TRAVIS: He's so refined!
MARISHA: Got two more syllables to his name.
TRAVIS: Oh my god.
LIAM: He's up to an intelligence of seven.
TALIESIN: My Fair Barbarian. (laughter)
MATT: A voice kicks in with--
ASHLEY: Grogory Stonejaw? Is that what you said?
MATT: "Sure."
ASHLEY: Okay.
MATT: A voice on the side goes, (Pike) "And Grogory shouldn't have been drinking before this meeting." (laughter)
MATT: You see, next to him, this small, gnomish figure that you met in Whitestone, Pike Trickfoot, who goes, "Guys!"
TRAVIS: Pike!
MATT: "So sorry, we were in the middle of a thing when you arrived, but it's so good to see you all."
LAURA: Hi.
MATT: "You went to the moon?"
TALIESIN: Among other places.
TRAVIS: Yeah, we really mixed it up. It was intense in there.
MARISHA: I show her my Reiloran fetus.
SAM: Ew.
MATT: "Wow."
MARISHA: Yeah. Please don't break it.
MATT: "That's real gross."
MARISHA: Ah!
MATT: "Ah!" (laughter)
MATT: She looks to you and goes, "I'm sorry, I don't think we've met. Hi, I'm Pike Trickfoot."
ROBBIE: Oh, hello. Dorian Storm. A pleasure to meet you.
MATT: "Dorian Storm. Pleasure to meet you, too. How'd you get pulled into all this?"
ROBBIE: Well, I most certainly did not go to the moon, but these are my friends from weeks ago. We've recently reconnected. I'm learning about everything with them.
LAURA: He did go to Aeor with us, though.
TRAVIS: He's extremely valuable.
TALIESIN: Might get you to the moon.
MATT: "Wow!"
LIAM: He's part of Bells Hells.
MATT: "Wow. Welcome. Nice to have you. Me and Grog here are just working as temporary bodyguards for two of the dignitaries present."
LAURA: Which ones?
MATT: You can see she looks behind her, and now, talking off to the side, you see Keyleth is in the process of having a conversation with Vex'ahlia.
LAURA and MARISHA: (gasp)
TALIESIN: Hey.
ROBBIE: So you're like us. You're freelance adventurers?
MATT: "Kind of, yeah. Well, semi-retired."
ROBBIE: Okay.
MATT: "You know, run a bakery."
ROBBIE: (gasps)
MATT: "But, yeah, things are kind of getting crazy. Not selling a lot of croissants these days with all the-- And you know."
MARISHA: (laughs) That's so stupid. (laughter)
MARISHA: It's a dumb joke.
TRAVIS: Slayer's Cake, man.
MARISHA: Not selling croissants.
ROBBIE: Everybody needs croissants. Yeah, for sure.
TALIESIN: I really, really--
MATT: It's the shape.
TALIESIN: Oh, that's-- (laughter)
MARISHA: It's like when people didn't want to buy Coronas after COVID.
MATT: Yep. (laughter)
ROBBIE: Oh my god.
TALIESIN: Maybe dying the bread was a bad idea, yeah.
LIAM: We don't want your moon bread. Only freedom bread. (laughter)
ROBBIE: Oh my god.
TALIESIN: Oh.
MATT: "Anyway, I've spent some time here, I have some friends here, so I'm here also just to help Keyleth not get too angry around the holy people. But it's so good to see you all. I'm glad you're okay."
TRAVIS: We should also introduce Braius.
SAM: Oh, hello. Sorry, I've been nervously in the background.
MATT: "Hi, you're a big one."
SAM: Oh yes. Yes, it's actually my first day on the job, so it's been a lot to take in and I'm just trying to observe. You guys went to the moon?
LAURA: Oh yeah, yeah.
ASHLEY: Oh, yes.
LAURA: We did it.
TRAVIS: Oh shit! (laughter)
TRAVIS: Oh fuck! We don't download ass, do we?
ROBBIE: I had the same moment.
MARISHA: I feel like we told you that.
ASHLEY: Sorry, that was a lot to spring on you.
LIAM: Braius is more of a recent acquisition.
ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
LIAM: How do Braius and Grog stack up? Height-wise?
MATT: So how tall is Braius?
SAM: Probably slightly shorter than-- Grog's, what, 6'8", 6'10"?
TRAVIS: Yeah.
SAM: I'm like 6'6", 6'4".
LIAM: You can get that?
SAM: So 6'4", but then 6'8".
MATT: You have the horns. As you guys are having this conversation, you do see Grog is trying to stand up as tall as possible and trying to get the nose and the head past the horns.
ASHLEY: We're the same height.
MARISHA: Yeah, you're both monochromatic, too.
TRAVIS: I do have a drinking horn in my Bag of Holding that might go on Grog's head. (laughter)
TRAVIS: (like Grog) Not so big now, are you? (laughter)
MARISHA: Put it on like a party hat?
TALIESIN: You have an official hat of your station, also, if I recall.
MATT: Actually, you know what he does? He reaches in his bag and he pulls out a helmet that he puts on. It has this big bladed horn in the front.
TRAVIS: It has a point!
MATT: He goes, "Hm, not bad.
SAM: It's a pretty good helmet. It's a good horn.
MATT: "Mine's bigger."
SAM: Yes, it is. Maybe we'll arm wrestle for it later.
MATT: "Arm wrestle!"
SAM: Oh!
SAM, ROBBIE, and TRAVIS: (laugh)
SAM: I'm sorry, did I offend you?
MATT: "No!" Looks at Pike. Pike's like, "Buddies, not tonight!" And does this, and you look around and there's just, once again, the tense energy still letting out from the room as people are scattering. (Grog) "Give me 10 minutes."
SAM: I'll give you 12.
LAURA: (laughs)
TRAVIS: (laughs) (laughter)
MATT: He get lost in there for a minute. (laughter)
TRAVIS: No.
ROBBIE: Got him!
TRAVIS: Spinning wheel, keeps on turning!
TALIESIN: Does that mean you have 22 minutes now? (laughter)
SAM: I think I found his weakness.
ROBBIE: Yeah. (laughter)
MATT: Pike goes, "Anyway, I probably got to get him drinking water, but it's been nice to see you all. Maybe we'll see you in the morning or something."
TRAVIS: Wait, wait, wait, Pike! Just a question. Since all these people are holy and they seem to have their little cliques and stuff, before we talk to these people that we don't know very well, is there any affiliation of yours that we should be cognizant of? We don't want to reference you or anybody else that we've met and put you in an awkward situation.
MATT: "Oh, I'm not really closely moved in with much anyone here."
LAURA and ASHLEY: (laugh)
MATT: "I mean, the ones you're moving with are kind of my people."
TRAVIS: Yeah. But your armor has the--
ASHLEY: He knows.
TRAVIS: Isn't that the symbol of the Dawnfather on the chest, kind of?
MATT: "Oh! Oh! (laughs)" Actually it's an interesting point of order. She's not wearing the Dawnfather's plate here.
TRAVIS: Oh!
ROBBIE: Oh!
MATT: She's just wearing standard travel armor.
TRAVIS: Got it.
MATT: She's--
TRAVIS: (rewinds tape)
MATT: Yeah. No worries.
LIAM: Chef suit.
MATT: But good looking out.
MARISHA: ♪ Too many campaigns ♪
MATT: I know.
ROBBIE: (laughs)
MATT: But she does carry the holy symbol of the Everlight around her neck.
TRAVIS: Nice.
TALIESIN: Oh.
MATT: Goes, "I can talk to my temple here. I kind of helped refurbish it a while back. But, yeah. I mean, as long as you're hanging with Allie, and honestly, Keyleth and Vex, you should be okay."
LIAM: I don't know if you're able to split off, but we're about to dump a lot of stories about the moon, if you're curious.
ASHLEY: Yeah, come with us.
LIAM: We're going with the Tempest. Where are we going?
MATT: (Keyleth) "Oh! Well, we can download a bit, but if we're supposed to be setting up plans tomorrow morning at the Trial Forge, then we should probably get our ducks in a row for that. So, you know what? Come walk with me. I'm going to show you one of the places here that I actually do like." So, she's going to begin stepping away. Vex'ahlia steps up. "(sighs) Well, I'm glad you all could join us, finally. I'm glad you're all here. Where's the little--
MARISHA: She's so pretty.
TRAVIS: So attractive.
MATT: "-- metal one?"
MARISHA: I know. She's gorgeous.
TALIESIN: Oh.
TRAVIS: What did she say?
LAURA: He sacrificed himself.
MARISHA: I don't know.
LIAM: No longer with us.
ASHLEY: He didn't make the rest of the journey.
MATT: "I'm sorry to hear that."
TALIESIN: Thank you.
LIAM: It made our return possible.
LAURA: Yeah, he saved us all.
SAM: Fuck that guy.
LIAM: You take that back!
TALIESIN: Is it just you, or--
SAM: No, no. I was just joking with my friend, Dorian.
ROBBIE: (laughs) (laughter)
MATT: "Oh, it's just me. Me and--"
ROBBIE: We've got inside jokes already.
MATT: "Me and the General Brotoras are representing the Council of Tal'Dorei alongside Allura here, though she's more with the Pansophical."
LAURA: She has her pants off?
MATT: "(sighs)" Allura goes, The Arcana Pansophical, it's... Nevermind."
LIAM: Vax rubbed off on you.
TRAVIS: Gener Brotoras.
MATT: Yes. General Brotoras.
MARISHA: General.
TRAVIS: General Brotoras.
MATT: Yeah, which is--
LIAM: Right, Brotoras.
MATT: -- the Guardian Tofor. That's part of the council.
TRAVIS: Got it.
LAURA: Pants off.
TALIESIN: Pansophical though, great band!
LIAM: Pants off with Brotoras.
ASHLEY: Yeah, that was--
LIAM: Have to take pants off Tofor Brotoras.
MATT: "But I have two more meetings before night is done, elsewhere, I have to get to. But I will be present for this meeting in the morning. I have some thoughts. Hopefully, you'll bring some as well and we can come in here and shut everyone the fuck up."
TRAVIS: Do you mean tactical thoughts? Because there's a little bit of an understanding that we probably need to come to before we war plan.
MATT: "Mm-hmm. Well, darling, tell me."
TRAVIS: Well, I think we would tell you that the knowledge that we received from Ludinus, regardless of how people feel about that, is an insight into who these deities are. Obviously, this city is dedicated to those deities. So I think there's a conversation about which direction this room is going to go, left in support of the deities, or right without support of the deities. That room is going to need to be split or removed from the section that is disagreeing from the other side.
TALIESIN: That room's going to go left. It's everywhere else that I'm worried about. Is Pike still here, or no?
MATT: Pike is still here.
TALIESIN: I want to really quickly: Everlight?
MATT: (Pike) "Yeah. Do you--"
TALIESIN: No.
MATT: "I didn't think so. You didn't take me for a praying kind."
TALIESIN: I'm just, she was there. Be ready.
MATT: "Okay."
TALIESIN: She was there.
TRAVIS: The only reason I bring it up is because there should probably be some magical means to ensure we know who's telling the truth and who's not. You heard the Holy Curator, I think, calling people out if they can trust us. We're the least of your worries. We're going to need to know who's actually saying what they mean.
SAM: I have some magical means of forcing people to tell the truth.
TRAVIS: That's hot.
TALIESIN: That is kind of hot.
ASHLEY: It is hot.
TALIESIN: How do you do that? Not that--
SAM: I just stare at them, flare my nostrils.
TALIESIN: Oh god! It's working. I hate this.
SAM: Yes.
TALIESIN: (groans)
TRAVIS: Also, can you remind me, are you with anyone, married, spoken for? I can't remember. You're just absolutely stunning.
SAM: Are you single?
LAURA: (laughs)
ROBBIE: (laughs)
MATT: "Oh! (laughs) No, not--"
ASHLEY: (laughs)
MATT: "No."
MARISHA: He's not talking to you, Pike. He's talking to the pretty one.
SAM: Yeah, the tall one.
TRAVIS: With the blue feather.
MARISHA: The tall one.
MATT: "Oh, oh, obviously."
TRAVIS: Holy shit!
MARISHA: With the really great boobs.
LAURA: The other pretty one!
TRAVIS: Striking image! (laughs)
ASHLEY: You're really cute, too, I mean.
ROBBIE: So mean!
MARISHA: (laughs)
MATT: You're talking to which?
TRAVIS: Vex'ahlia!
MATT: Vex? (laughter)
MARISHA: Pike is right in front. Oh. Oh!
ASHLEY: Oh, my bad!
TRAVIS: Pike--
TALIESIN: It was a solid neg with a 4.0 on the dismount.
ASHLEY: Thank you so much! I really just--
TALIESIN: The negging was good, but then you lost it at the end.
ASHLEY: Oh, not me? (laughter)
MARISHA: Just palm her.
TRAVIS: I'm sorry. Excuse me. (laughter)
TRAVIS: Yes.
TALIESIN: Could you put in a good word with your friend there? Yeah, no.
MATT: (Vex) "Oh darling, even if I was single, you couldn't afford me."
SAM: Ooh!
TRAVIS: (gasps)
ASHLEY: Wow!
MARISHA: She's so cool!
ASHLEY: Chet, she's with the guy that's in Whitestone!
TRAVIS: She was?
LAURA: Yeah.
ASHLEY: Yes, they--
TRAVIS: A lot of time has passed between now and then, I'm just saying. These could be end of days.
ASHLEY: They had a lot of kids together and stuff.
MARISHA: Oh yeah! That's right!
ASHLEY: Remember?
MARISHA: Hey, you might like to know this! I inappropriately open my blouse up and a little titty falls out.
MATT: "(sputtering) What--"
MARISHA: That right there!
MATT: "Are you all right?"
MARISHA: It's Delilah! That's Delilah!
MATT: "What?!"
ROBBIE: Well--
MARISHA: Yes!
MATT: She reaches back for--
MARISHA: No, no, no, no, no, no!
TRAVIS: No, no, no!
MATT: The minute you say Delilah's name, Keyleth's head on a swivel-- (focused shift)
MARISHA: Okay.
MATT: Allura goes--
LAURA: Maybe the wrong time to-- She's trapped. She's been trapped.
ASHLEY: She's trapped.
TALIESIN: Locked up.
MATT: "What?"
TRAVIS: Soul Anchor. Laudna's in charge. Big magic.
LAURA: Trapped for all time!
TALIESIN: The finest Aeor has to offer.
MATT: Vex'ahlia steps forward with Keyleth off to one side and Pike on the other as they all approach Laudna. Vex'ahlia, looking--
TRAVIS: Cover the one titty.
MATT: -- towards the scar.
MARISHA: Yeah! (laughs)
LAURA: Just with her titty out.
MATT: Yeah. (laughs) Doesn't bother Vex.
ASHLEY: Let me just-- (chuckling)
MATT: Reaches out. "(chuckles) Really?"
MARISHA: Yes, it was a whole thing.
LIAM: It's true.
MATT: "So she's--"
MARISHA: She's still alive, but she's trapped in this little bead.
LIAM: Technically not alive.
LAURA: Yeah.
TRAVIS: Flipped the script.
LIAM: But she's in there.
MATT: "How sure are you that this is perhaps permanent?"
LAURA: Well, that same stone kept a grand demon trapped for--
MARISHA: 1,000 years.
LIAM: 1,000 plus years, yeah.
TALIESIN: Give or take.
MATT: She and Keyleth share a look. Her and Pike. She looks over towards Allura. Allura goes, "Grand demon? Good luck, Delilah."
MATT, LAURA, and TRAVIS: (laugh)
MATT: At which point, Vex goes, "(laughs) Oh, I love this! Oh, can you talk to her? Can you force her to eat bad foods? Is there a way to make her hurt?"
MARISHA: That's the most privileged thing I've ever heard. (laughter)
MARISHA: I can... It's new. I'm still figuring it out.
MATT: "All I'm saying, darling, is make her hurt."
MARISHA: Oh!
MATT: "Well, that's lovely."
TRAVIS: There's some history there.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
LIAM: Can you knock on her fishbowl?
LAURA: Seems like it.
LAURA: (tapping on glass)
MARISHA: What happens if I do that?
TRAVIS: (forceful smack)
MARISHA: Yeah. Ah! (laughter)
MATT: I mean--
TALIESIN: It comes flying out the back.
LAURA: Ow! My tit!
TRAVIS: Oh shit! (laughter)
MARISHA: Ah!
TALIESIN: It's going downhill!
MATT: Touching it doesn't do anything. Do you want to look inward? Close your eyes and feel inward?
MARISHA: Yeah, sure. Give me one minute.
MATT: All right. As you focus-- (laughter)
ASHLEY: Why is it never not funny?
MATT: As you focus inward towards where the anchor resides inside you, you can feel, again, that (heart beating) but whereas once it emanated around you like a cage, now it's just the faintest little tickle on the inside.
LAURA: (laughs)
MATT: As you begin to push inward towards the darkness--
LAURA: (laughs)
MATT: -- the faint--
LIAM: Nice.
TRAVIS: Unbelievable.
ASHLEY: (laughs)
MATT: You see something shift in the shadow. You hear the grinding of metal. As you begin to see some of the shapes, you see a thin, frail, broken wisp of a woman in tattered robes shackled to an unseen wall, her head hanging down, look up at you with burning purple eyes.
MARISHA: Delilah.
MATT: "You!"
MARISHA: I have a question.
MATT: She's just staring at you.
MARISHA: What's your most hated food?
ROBBIE, LAURA, and TRAVIS: (snicker)
MATT: "I will find a way out of here."
TRAVIS: (laughs)
MARISHA: Okay.
MATT: "And I will tear you apart fiber by fiber."
MARISHA: Okay.
MATT: "I will protract your suffering for eons."
MARISHA: Unseasoned beans it is. All right. (laughter)
TRAVIS: (laughing) Unseasoned beans?
MATT: As you pull out of the shadow, her voice gets louder. "You will-- I will--" Echoes into the darkness.
LIAM: It's eggs sunny side up.
MARISHA: Yes. (laughter)
MARISHA: She's really not happy.
TALIESIN: Should've put that in the fridge, really.
ASHLEY: Unseasoned beans?
MATT: "Good."
ASHLEY: She's going to have gas for days! (laughter)
MATT: "I might sleep well tonight. Thank you for that, Laudna. All right, our next meeting, Allura? Gods, I want this to be over." As they begin to walk past, Kima goes, "All right, see you in the morning! Get some rest. It's only going to get more annoying."
TRAVIS: Bye, Kima!
MATT: Treks back. Allura gives a nod.
TRAVIS: So awesome!
ASHLEY: She's really cool.
TALIESIN: We should spar at some point, Kima. I really like that piece you're carrying. I would--
MATT: "Hey, thanks! You too!"
TALIESIN: Yeah!
MATT: "(tongue clicks)" As they begin to descend--
TALIESIN: She's cool.
MATT: -- down the stairs, Allura joining them, Keyleth remains with the rest of you. "All right. Well, I figure it's a good time of night to take a walk in the garden. Come with me."
ASHLEY: May I ask you a question?
MATT: "Of course."
ASHLEY: You seem a little uncomfortable, a little angry here. You're not a fan?
MATT: "I have a hard time with, really any kind of bureaucracy."
ASHLEY: Oh.
MATT: "And while I appreciate and respect a lot of what the temples do, and there are some wonderful people here who are leaders of the community, there are others who may have bought into their position and their influence over the tenets of their faith at times. And I-- I have a hard time with that level of contradiction."
ASHLEY: Huh.
TALIESIN: Please, god, tell me some of those titles are inherited, because there are some stupid fucking people in that room! I should not be saying that, but god, they're stupid!
LAURA: You really should not have been saying that out loud, Ashton.
LIAM: Those are the heaviest hitters on this flat earth. They could squish--
LAURA: (laughs)
TALIESIN: We're so fucked.
LIAM: Rest in peace, FCG. They could flatten the lot of us in the blink of an eye.
LAURA: Yeah.
TALIESIN: We are fucked! They are not thinking clearly.
LAURA: Well, no.
TRAVIS: For sure. They also need to be read in on what we have, and if we can attract them with honey instead of vinegar, it's a good place to start. But I feel you. That Holy Curator, a fucking nimrod, his ears closed to anything that we're going to have to say.
TALIESIN: At least he's saying what he thinks.
TRAVIS: That's fair.
LIAM: Keyleth, you seem in decent standing with them. I feel like we need to tell you everything, but it's going to be hard to hear.
MATT: "I wish I could say I wasn't used to it. (sighs) Come walk with me." She leads your troop down the stairs, the soldiers separating a bit.
TRAVIS: We were in--
MATT: Evoroa has re-hooded and has come to join alongside you. And Evoroa, still feeling a bit uncomfortable, approaches. "Hi, y'all. It's good to see you."
ASHLEY: Hey! You did so good!
LAURA: Rub her back.
TALIESIN: That was really solid.
LAURA: Hi!
ASHLEY: Probably so stressful. I hate public speaking.
MATT: "I'm still coming down from that. Thank you for the water. I appreciate that. Oh wow, this is..." She looks out across the white moonlit expanse of Vasselheim as the snow begins to fall from the bit of gray clouds above. "I've never seen snow before."
TRAVIS: Oh!
MATT: "It's gone."
TRAVIS: Kind of magical, huh?
MATT: "It's kind of damp."
ASHLEY: You can taste it.
MATT: "Can you?"
ASHLEY: Yeah.
LAURA: Yeah, just got to hold your mouth open.
MATT: She opens her mouth and this massive (sloppy gurgle)
TRAVIS: Ugh!
MATT: -- tongue, like a rug rolls outward and catches.
ROBBIE: (laughs)
TALIESIN: It mostly tastes damp.
TRAVIS: Okay.
ASHLEY: Just if it's ever yellow, just leave it.
LAURA: (laughs) Intense!
TALIESIN: If it's falling yellow, then we've really got a problem.
ASHLEY: Then you really got a problem.
TALIESIN: Oh god!
ASHLEY: Yeah.
LIAM: Orym's going to start doing it too.
LAURA: (laughs)
LIAM: His tongue out.
MATT: The rest of the Zephran guards, the two that were flanking Keyleth, also escort. You recognize both of them as some of the individuals that you've sparred with in the past that were considered Blades of the Tempest.
LIAM: From Zephrah?
MATT: From Zephrah, yeah. You all trek down the staircase back into the central city. Here, it's a calm quiet, even if there is a tension that sits over the world, especially in the shadow of the conversation that transpired. Other groups are still moving throughout the city. People are still having huddled conversations in street corners that have settled out. Others are finding their rooms for the evening, stationed at different inns and spaces throughout. Eventually, Keyleth leads you to an outer, beautifully tall iron and wood latticed gate that opens up into this incredible interior forest, like a forest that has grown as part of the city. At first, it just looks like a tree line, but as you step through all these coiled, small sapling trees that curve upward to produce a glowing bloom, produce these rows of natural lanterns that scatter throughout. You can see all these winding twisting trees with their bows and branches pushing off in different directions with also lanterns hanging from branches and dangling, giving this this beautiful nightscape of hanging natural glowing orbs and baubles that slightly sway with every push of the wind. Snow's been collect atop the trees and the various gaps in the canopy that begin to gather and give little white ashen scatterings to the walkways through. Keyleth looks about and takes a deep breath, holding her staff, "Welcome to the Birthheart. This is the Vasselheim... This is where the Wildmother claims the holiest of her sites upon Exandria. This is one of the places in the city that I do have kinship with. In fact, it's where," and she holds her staff aloft. You can see the curled and curved crook of a staff that in which a gem sits gently, floating in space in the center of the crook top. "I have this back on loan given the state of things, but this also is a vestige to the Wildmother. One that I share with the Hierophant of this region. So, walk with me, let us talk."
LIAM: It's funny, I've never been a man of faith, like you, but have felt her presence on our road together. The gods are watching even as we take our tiny steps.
LAURA: Watching with bated breath, I'd say.
MARISHA: She was there as well, the Wildmother.
TALIESIN: She tore a mage's throat out with her teeth.
MATT: "Really?"
ASHLEY: She was kind of cool.
MARISHA: She was really cool.
LAURA: Yeah.
MATT: "It makes me like her more."
LAURA: A lot more thorny than she would appear here.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
MARISHA: But you could see the warmth. You could feel it, especially when she transitioned to her godly form.
TALIESIN: You could also see it when she talked to the Betrayers.
LIAM: From what we could tell, the Prime Deities at least had come with a plan to take some time and try to resolve it without any bloodshed or destruction. But it spiraled out of control pretty fast. The mortals of Aeor, just like the Primes and the Deities were not in lockstep and some of them still held some faith, but many more were looking to tear the gods down. The short of it is the two sides ended the threat. The short of it is the two sides ended the threat.
TALIESIN: What will the seraphim do when they know?
MATT: "So what you've seen through this vision, this memory that Ludinus has recaptured from Aeor, in your worldly minds, do you think it will move the needle?"
SAM: We all know that the Prime Deities are well-meaning and good, but if others see what we saw, they will have doubts but if others see what we saw, they will have doubts and they will know that they are complicated, more complicated than perhaps we understood. They made rash decisions, some of them violent, some of them bad decisions, and it could corrupt some of them bad decisions, and it could corrupt the will and empathy of lots of people here.
LAURA: I don't know how many people want to see their gods be human. It's nice to believe they're all-knowing, but from this vision, we've learned they are not.
TALIESIN: They're not even necessarily good at being human.
MATT: "There's a comfort in ignorance, certainly."
MARISHA: They were scared.
ASHLEY: I mean, we got to watch it. I don't know, I feel like hiding it from everybody... I don't know if I like that idea. It feels dishonest. Let people make their own choice.
LAURA: I think if anything you learned the gods aren't bad.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
LAURA: They're just--
LIAM: As fucked up as we are.
LAURA: Yeah.
ASHLEY: I feel like that's a pretty good lesson.
MARISHA: I just think the difference is when humans get scared, backed in a corner, we are limited by our mortal capabilities. When the gods get backed into the corner, like a feral cosmic dog, unlimited possibility.
TALIESIN: I was dropped into the middle of nowhere with nothing and nobody and no name, and managed to make it to a very reasonable age without burning an orphanage down. If anything, I feel like that gives me a minor amount of superiority at this point.
MATT: "I think that's more what's at stake here. It may not turn the hearts away from the gods entirely, but even that crisis of faith at this moment would rob them of a lot of the capability they have when they need it most."
LAURA: They need belief. They need worshipers, right? To gain power. I remember there was talk of the Everlight losing a lot of her power because her worshipers were killed.
TALIESIN: The smart thing would be to kill all of us before we can talk to people.
MARISHA: They certainly had that debate, didn't they? They could have wiped the slate completely clean if they really wanted to.
TALIESIN: They tried.
MARISHA: Who's to say they won't try.
TALIESIN: The fact that we know what we know is a mistake.
TRAVIS: But they wouldn't have enough time. They had to go back, be born, live a life, and then act. They didn't crash the gate down then. I don't think they'll do it now.
LAURA: They can't crash the gate down anymore, right? I mean, they put that gate in place because they realized they were too present.
LIAM: They left.
ASHLEY: I think it's good that they left.
LIAM: They learned and they left.
SAM: I think they can break it down again if they wanted to though.
TRAVIS: I think so too.
LAURA: You think so?
LIAM: They built it.
SAM: Yeah. They did. From what we saw, again, not how I feel, but many people would not ever trust them to be faithful to their own word.
LAURA: Yeah.
MARISHA: Plus, not to mention the fact beyond what the gods can do, Ludinus has a god breaking, gate smashing device, Ludinus has a god breaking, gate smashing device, or at least parts of it.
TALIESIN: I imagine he knows how everybody on this bloody council will turn anyway. I imagine there are tons of realities where he's in this bloody room helping make these war plans. I'm sure he knows every thought and he knows every stupid fucking move everybody wants to make and has already planned for it.
LIAM: Could have friends in the room.
MATT: "Or does he want us all to think he's that smart?"
TALIESIN: I know he wants everyone to agree with him. So far, that's the only thing that's kept him from killing us, is he wants us to say that we like him.
LAURA: No, the thing that has kept him from killing us is he needs us.
TALIESIN: He needs you, maybe.
LAURA: Well, he knows I wouldn't help him if all of you were dead.
SAM: He seemed to be interested in Fearne as well.
LAURA: Yeah.
TALIESIN: It's true.
TRAVIS: Keyleth, I think you're onto something, actually. I know a lot of people in that room were talking about needing to come together and shifting blame and everything, but the math of this is really pretty simple. Ludinus is trying to say, "Help me release Predathos so that the gods can be wiped out." Nobody will rule over Exandria except mortal beings. Except as we've said, we don't know if Predathos stops with the deities. It could just wipe everything. So we have to ask ourselves, are we going to help him do that, or are we going to understand that the gods are not perfect beings, they are fallible and we have to stop Ludinus and the red moon? But to your point, I don't know if that's actually the decision. That could just be misdirection. He could be trying to do something different entirely.
MATT: "It's possible."
TALIESIN: Hear hear.
SAM: Aren't we supposed to show up tomorrow with some sort of plan or idea? Like a plan of attack?
MATT: "We're going to discuss with a number of other allies what we have at our disposal, what we know, and what we think might be the best course of action with what we have at our disposal."
SAM: Well, we should assume that Ludinus is going to show this to the world.
MATT: "Do we know how?"
TALIESIN: No.
LAURA: Oh, did he say?
TALIESIN: No.
ROBBIE: He just said that he could.
MARISHA: He also had abilities to spread messages across all of Exandria. I'm sure it's not hard for him to do a little global projection.
SAM: You're a bard. How do you spread messages like this? How do you spread legends quickly?
TALIESIN: I imagine it's a catchy hook. Is that how you do it?
ROBBIE: You have to have someone willing to listen first.
SAM: An audience?
ROBBIE: An audience.
MATT: "Like an entire populace gripped with fear and uncertainty."
ROBBIE: I just feel like they're trying to get us to choose sides again. It seems cruel, doesn't it?
SAM: It does.
ROBBIE: History repeats itself.
MATT: "Hmm."
LAURA: Always.
ROBBIE: It was my least favorite subject to be tutored in. But if I recall, the last time people of Exandria made a choice, we lost two thirds of the population of this world. The only math I care about is how we save the most lives. I don't care what the gods want. I just want to save people. I don't know how.
LIAM: It is tangentially related, but not the same issue. We have no idea what will happen if Ludinus pulls the trigger.
TALIESIN: Somebody does. Gods.
SAM: Someone in that council chamber was saying that there's others willing to help, others who are aligned with the Betrayer Gods. I wouldn't want to humor that idea, but if they're powerful, maybe we should consider that as well.
TALIESIN: It's funny, you strike me as someone who would be really into strange bedfellows.
MATT: Keyleth looks to you and goes, "Having actually been to the Hells myself, I'm uncertain I'd throw in with any of that lot, to be honest."
LAURA: (laughs)
ROBBIE: The Betrayer Gods are acting on their own anyway, without us.
LAURA: Yeah.
MARISHA: (laughs)
SAM: You've been to all the Hells? I mean, there's a few Hells. (laughter)
TALIESIN: All I wanted.
ASHLEY: Yeah, which ones?
MATT: "I've been to a couple."
SAM: A couple?
MATT: "Yeah."
SAM: Really?
ASHLEY: Have you been?
LAURA: No, he's never been.
ASHLEY: I know. So why are you giving a shit?
SAM: I just am curious.
TALIESIN: Don't measure your Hell right now. Why don't the gods bloody... Why don't they weigh in?
LIAM: Yeah, have any of the religious figures here spoken to their particular gods here?
MATT: "Many of them speak on the behalf of the gods that they've communed with and continue to commune with."
LIAM: Passed on any messages?
MATT: "As far as I understand, everything they speak is in the behest of their god."
ROBBIE: Isn't that always the way, though?
TALIESIN: I think we have to have a more frank conversation with the gods at this point. I think they need to put some things on the fucking table. All we heard about--
LAURA: What? Like go talk to them ourselves?
TALIESIN: I have been--
LAURA: Face to face. Go and say hey?
TALIESIN: -- I have been to the moon.
SAM: That's not a bad idea.
TALIESIN: We have been to Aeor. We have seen some crazy shit at this point. Maybe this is just, I believe everything.
MATT: Keyleth--
SAM: I don't know if it's possible, but that seems like a pretty smart idea actually.
LAURA: I don't think anyone can go talk to the gods. That doesn't seem feasible.
MATT: Keyleth looks over her shoulder a bit, to a southern direction in the distance and says, "It's been done with a variety of outcomes."
LAURA: People have spoken directly...
MARISHA: "Not to brag here, but--"
TRAVIS: Oh shit! You've done it?
MATT: "When I used to be part of an adventuring group, like you all, we spoke to a few of the gods ourselves."
LAURA: Which ones?
MATT: "Well, someone very dear to me had a very strong connection to the Matron of Ravens."
ASHLEY: Whoa.
TALIESIN: Nice.
LAURA: She was cool.
ASHLEY: Yeah, she was cool.
TALIESIN: She actually--
MATT: "She is fine."
LAURA: Not cool? Okay.
TALIESIN: She was pragmatic.
MATT: "Sure. She's complicated."
TALIESIN: Boy, that's true.
MARISHA: Are you talking about that feathered one? That got turned into a little marble?
LAURA: Oh.
MARISHA: Just trapped for forever.
LAURA: Laudna.
MARISHA: What? Sorry.
LAURA: Don't give...
MARISHA: What? I was just curious.
LAURA: Laudna.
MARISHA: What? I'm sorry.
MATT: Keyleth steps towards you.
MARISHA: It's my character. I can bully her if I want to. (laughter)
MATT: That's valid.
LIAM: Fight, fight, fight!
MATT: "The greatest loss I've ever suffered and the deepest wound I still bear to this day is because of her."
ASHLEY: Oh.
MATT: "She took from me the most important thing I have and will ever know. So yes, she is complicated, and he is gone. And he is in pain and he is in that tower, in that bridge. We will destroy it and we will stop this."
LAURA: Yes, we will.
TALIESIN: Cheers to that.
MARISHA: Maybe all the more reason to go talk to her? Maybe we can get him back?
ASHLEY: Maybe you can--
MATT: "I have no interest in talking to her."
ASHLEY: -- make a deal.
MATT: "But be my guest."
LIAM: I'm curious to talk to the Everlight.
LAURA: Okay, so wait. You spoke with her?
TALIESIN: Or the Wildmother or the Arch Heart.
LIAM: Or all of them.
MATT: "I've spoken with some of them, tangentially. I've been around them. Other people kind of took charge."
TALIESIN: Very much like--
LAURA: How?
MATT: "Well, there are ways to travel to different realms. But you don't want to go in half-cocked."
ROBBIE: Oh, well--
TALIESIN: (laughs)
ROBBIE: Maybe.
TRAVIS: (laughs)
ROBBIE: I'm all about new experiences.
LAURA: (laughs)
LIAM: I can't help but think--
ASHLEY: But what do you mean-- Well, yeah.
LAURA: You want to a bone a god?
ASHLEY: What does that mean?
ROBBIE: Oh! That's not what I meant.
LIAM: The priests in that room were just rattling sabers.
ROBBIE: I'd be full-cocked.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
TALIESIN: A lot of harrumph.
LIAM: I can't help but think that this circle of people who have direct knowledge of that day, those days, could learn something from them and maybe teach them something about us as well.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
MATT: "It's certainly possible. I might recommend maybe offering a prayer of communion in a temple first. Knock before you open the door. They seem understandably agitated given the circumstances, and even just my brief encounters with them, awe-inspiring as they might've been, my opinion is a bit colored over time because of it."
LIAM: Well, I'm tired of hearing stuff through a middleman.
ASHLEY: Yeah, I've been knocking and no one answers the door.
LIAM: We keep talking about what they think, what they say. We don't know.
ROBBIE: I used to pray when I was a kid. No one ever answered back.
TALIESIN: Cheers to that.
MATT: "Well, this is the place. If they were going to answer, it would be here."
MARISHA: Also, with all due respect, all of those acolytes and Highbearers and people with fancy titles in that room, even if they commune with the gods, who's to say that they're not twisting the words or omitting certain truths for their own whims.
MATT: "Oh, it's very possible. The number of historical mysteries that have been buried and locked into the vaults under this city is likely endless. But so it is with any system in power. I may not like how the high-aucracy here functions at times, but I do feel that at least they're looking out for the best interests of their people and their followers. It's about convincing them that we can have both. We can take action knowing that it is in the best interest of their people."
MARISHA: What makes you so sure?
LAURA: Chet.
MARISHA: Chetney.
TRAVIS: Oh, I was just curious. You went and talked to them before. Why, and what did you get from that?
LIAM: Why? Wow.
TRAVIS: Was it just a convo, or did you need something?
MATT: "(sighs)" She looks over past the tree line that's now slightly broken to the looming shadow of that massive, stone entity that's standing in the central streets of the city. "So me and my friends, a while back, might've fought a new god that rose on this side of the Divine Gate. A terrifying necromancer, one deeply tied to that bitch you currently have bound in your chest."
TRAVIS: You were here for that?
MATT: "I was part of the group known as Vox Machina."
LIAM: I told you, she's a shit.
TRAVIS: Oh yeah, but I didn't put it together. Man, that was the pay-per-view.
LAURA: Wait, that's the giant titan over there.
MATT: "That we stopped, yeah."
LAURA: That was--
MARISHA: Also, you look phenomenal for your age.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
MARISHA: Just have to say.
MATT: "Thanks. Yeah, thanks."
ASHLEY: That's true. Fancy creams or I don't know what you're doing.
ROBBIE: So you had to fight a god?
MATT: "We could not kill it, of course, but we did not know how. We tried to stop their ascension and failed. When they became this burgeoning god, their power began to rapidly grow with the faith they could farm and foster through fear. That thing was one of its terrible miracles that marched its way across this continent from buried far beneath the mountains to the frozen northwest of here."
LIAM: This was in the menu at Taste for Tal'Dorei.
LAURA: No, yeah, yeah, yeah. (laughter)
ASHLEY: That was the appetizer thing.
TALIESIN: It was that lava cake, was really good.
SAM: This god or wannabe god or whatever, that you didn't kill, sent away somewhere?
ASHLEY: Where is it?
MATT: "We had to craft artifacts to seal it away, divine trammels that were architected by these gods, and we had to gather the necessary materials and forge them by their specifications in a volcanic, ancient anvil forge beneath the ocean. We then had to combat it at the top, the peak of this titan, and managed to seal it with--"
SAM: It sounds like some sort of convoluted game.
MATT: "It was deeply convoluted, and honestly, overwrought and unnecessary." (laughter)
TALIESIN: Vox Machina: Overwrought and unnecessary.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
SAM: I am spitballing. This is a spitball.
MATT: Yeah.
SAM: This is bad idea.
ASHLEY: Spitball it, spitball it.
SAM: I'm just going to say the bad idea.
ASHLEY: Workshop it. It's great.
SAM: What if we free that wannabe god and use him to kill Predathos?
ASHLEY: Oh?
SAM: Is that a thing? Could we do that?
MATT: "I--"
SAM: Seems very powerful.
TALIESIN: I feel like there's a temperature check that had to go along with that.
MATT: "If this entity, whose name I will not mention here--"
ASHLEY: What does it start with? (laughter)
MATT: "Let's--"
ASHLEY: Okay, I was just saying--
ROBBIE: If you say it three times, does it come to life or--?
MATT: "Absolutely not."
ROBBIE: Okay.
LAURA: Yeah. (laughter)
MATT: "If this entity ascended, it would be of the same divine make that the rest of the pantheon would be, hence why it was so dangerous. If Predathos is the entity that devours that divine essence, it would be as useless as the others."
TRAVIS: Oh, fair, fair, fair.
ROBBIE: See, now I'm beginning to understand why Ludinus thinks that if he shows this orb to the world, they'll side against the gods. You've only mentioned three in the last 20 minutes, and one of them you hate and the other almost wrought the end of the world. I'm sorry, but I want to do the right thing, but the gods seem like trouble.
TALIESIN: Sometimes there is no right thing. Sometimes it's just--
LIAM: If you're looking for the black and white here--
TALIESIN: -- moving forward.
MATT: "Well--"
LIAM: -- you're not going to find it.
MATT: "The Dawnfather--"
LIAM: I know.
MATT: "-- the great god of the sun, the glory of daylight, watches over us like a stern, paternal general. I've met him, and he's a peach. The Matron is a challenged but necessary, lonely figure. The Everlight, as you've mentioned--"
LAURA: Just a sweetie pie.
ASHLEY: Yeah, she was tight.
LIAM: (sighs)
MATT: "A once-fallen god that sees the best in those that maybe don't deserve it."
LAURA: Aw, she'd even like you guys. (quiet laughter)
MATT: "But is a beacon of redemption in this world." (clattering)
LAURA: Oh shit. Shit.
MATT: "The white light of Catha is looked upon by the Moonweaver, great goddess of illusion, shadow, trysts, hidden love, beauty in that regard. The Arch Heart, the god of arcana and art and creation, the one who blessed us mortals with the ability to manifest arcane spellcraft outside of the gods' will and gifts."
TALIESIN: Mm-hmm.
MATT: "There are many gods, and they feel far away because they chose to be. I am not a follower of any, but if there is any that I feel closest to, we stand in her realm." You see now as your walk has come to a stop, there is one gargantuan tree that twists up in the center of this massive terrace. "This is the Birthheart. This is one of the trees that are a symbol of eternal life and regrowth in Exandria. The Wildmother watches over all that is natural, has taken on and lives with and is guardian to the spirits of nature that existed before she even arrived. Nature is fickle. Nature can be angry, hungry. Nature can be beautiful, it can be warm, it can teach, it can take. It is a force of nature."
ASHLEY: It is what it is.
LIAM: Orym grows a little bloom in his hand. Any time you smell a flower, you are enjoying something the gods have wrought. The flower immediately withers and dies.
MATT: As it dies around your hand, you see this glow from Seedling at your side.
TALIESIN: The flower was here before the gods. The flower would be here after.
LIAM: Above table question.
MATT: Yes?
LIAM: Wasn't it lava party when the gods showed up?
TRAVIS: Lava party? You mean primordial--
LIAM: It was titans, stone, maelstrom.
TRAVIS: Yeah.
LIAM: Volcanoes going off.
MATT: In some places, yeah.
LIAM: Didn't they tame it?
LAURA: Why is your sword glowing?
MATT: Make a history check.
LIAM: Oh, I'm above.
LAURA: (laughs)
LIAM: That's not--
MATT: Make a history or religion check, your choice.
LAURA: Why's your butt glowing?
LIAM: Uh. (laughter)
TALIESIN: You should answer that.
LIAM: Because I got it going on.
TRAVIS: Wargs and goblins are near.
TALIESIN: Is your butt on vibrate?
LIAM: Oh, that's a one, so I'll reroll it.
MATT: Yeah, you can.
LIAM: That is real high. That is 28.
MATT: Ooh, 28.
ASHLEY: Nice.
MATT: History or religion?
LIAM: History.
MATT: History. You would know this because of your journey in Issylra, further cementing elements of broken history that you've picked up through the years. When the gods arrived, much of Exandria was elemental tumult. It was landscapes that were shifting and changing a perpetually amorphous Pangaea, which they did historically tame--
LIAM: Mm-hmm.
MATT: Push to the various planes and bring it to a less dangerous space for the mortal life they wanted to craft and see bloom and persevere. But there were also places of great natural beauty, trees and jungles and forests. The Eidolons, the natural nature spirits that you saw the cultures of Issylra, beyond the religious influences of the temples of Vasselheim and Othanzia worship and live alongside, that you've heard preexisted the gods' arrival. There was a natural thrum to the life of the world. You rolled pretty dang high. (laughter)
MATT: It is rumored and spoken in some of those spaces that before the gods came, life was a cycle of rebirth. The soul, upon death, would return to the world to be reborn into some other form.
ASHLEY: Wait, what?
MATT: The afterlife as we know it did not exist until the gods came and the realms of the gods were crafted. Now, the spirit passes on to its divine eternity in the image of the god that it worshiped or the god of which it lived its life most followed their tenets, their beliefs most followed their tenets, their beliefs into a beautiful, celestial eternity. Or damnation, who knows? But, yeah, so it was a lot of chaos, but there is debate as to how tumultuous it may have been.
LIAM: Okay. That's pre-history, yeah?
MATT: Yeah. It's debated.
LIAM: Mm-hmm.
MATT: But as you're thinking this, you can feel this buzzing warmth from your sheath. you can feel this buzzing warmth from your sheath.
TALIESIN: You should answer that.
MATT: Laura Bailey!
TALIESIN: It's in there. There's nothing to be done about it.
MATT: I know, I know.
LIAM: Standing by Keyleth, actually, it's here, so it's glowing on my back.
MATT: Yeah.
LIAM: Pull it out, because I can feel that is the blade.
MATT: As you pull the blade out, you can see the vines and leaves that curl around the hilt of the blade all are reaching out, like small tethers reaching towards the massive Birthheart tree.
LIAM: That's right. We are talking about you. Hi.
MATT: The wind picks up. In spite of the snowflakes that fall gently, this breeze is warm and it pushes in the direction of the tree.
LAURA: What if you just touch the tip on it?
TRAVIS: That's what I was going to say.
LAURA: Just give a little tap--
LIAM: To the tree? You want me to find a knot to put it in?
LAURA and ASHLEY: Yeah.
TALIESIN: Just don't sword fight her. Just--
TRAVIS: Wood can be very inviting.
TALIESIN: (sighs)
LIAM: Oh, I know. (laughter)
MARISHA: I know. I learn something new about Chetney every day.
ASHLEY: (laughs)
MATT: That's always the question. (laughter)
LIAM: If I take a few steps towards the massive tree, does it change at all?
MATT: If you step a few steps towards the tree--
LIAM: Yeah.
MATT: -- you can see the vines stretch a little further.
LIAM: Okay. I will touch the tip.
ROBBIE: Do it.
MATT: Okay. So you begin to step, and it's about 50 or so feet to the base of the tree. As you begin to step out, Keyleth follows about 15 feet behind. Do the rest of you follow along as well?
LAURA: Yeah!
TRAVIS: Oh yeah.
LAURA: I want to see this.
TRAVIS: Of course.
LIAM: I'm going to fuck that tree. (laughter)
LAURA: I want to see you fuck that tree!
MATT: As you step towards it, you can see now all amongst the tree, there are balconies, there are beautiful, elf-designed latticed windows that are built into elements of it. It is a massive trunk. Staring at it, you can barely make out the edges of it from each side of your periphery when you're this close to it. It is like the base of a mountain, but a tree, with a number of doorways and gates and these lit up natural lanterns that turn inward towards it. As you hold the sword aloft towards it, there is just a center of a knotted tree trunk that is gnarled and pushing upward. You see just a glow of green towards one of these heavy roots.
LIAM: You once reached out to me another time, across the ocean. We could really use a frank chat with you, and I humbly ask with a sprinkle of faith, and I will turn the blade and not harm the tree, but I will wedge it carefully between two roots there.
MATT: Okay. You set the blade between the roots.
LIAM: I take a knee.
MATT: You take a knee. The rest of you watch as Orym kneels, and you hear this faint creaking sound as the root begins to shift. You watch as vines begin to extend and wrap around Orym--
TRAVIS: Uh oh!
MATT: -- like a rapidly gathering cocoon of leaves and vine.
TRAVIS: Orym, you good?
LIAM: It's okay.
ASHLEY: You look so comfortable.
MATT: You watch as the ground flowers sprout, grasses begin to suddenly rise up. Within but a couple of moments, Orym is gone from your sight--
ROBBIE: Whoa!
MATT: -- in what is now a knotted cluster of wildflowers and vines standing resilient against the falling snow.
LAURA: Is he all right in there?
MATT: And that's where we're going to take a break. (screaming)
MATT: (laughs)
MARISHA: Fuck the tree! Fuck the tree!
TRAVIS: Passive character dad let it happen! (laughter)
MARISHA and TALIESIN: Brand new character! (laughter)
MATT: Yeah, the Dark Souls level on this is getting a lot higher now.
TALIESIN: (laughs)
MATT: All right, we're going to--
LIAM: My name's Andreas. I'm a rhino man--
SAM: (laughs)
LIAM: -- and I work for I can't say who. (laughter)
SAM: I like him. (laughter)
TALIESIN: Last name Rocksteady?
MATT: Yeah, yeah. (laughter)
TRAVIS: You here with anybody, or--? (laughter)
MATT: All righty. We'll re-torn here, re-torn here. We'll return here shortly for a few minutes. We'll see you in a little bit.
Break[]
(goofy banjo music) [somber piano music]
[Alleria] When we are young, we are taught to revere the light. But when I turn to it, I see only fire. -[flames whooshing] -[orc snarls] The fire of pain, of loss, the choices I made. [epic orchestral music] Quel'Thalas. Home. Until the Horde threatened everything. My family was sworn to protect it. [dramatic orchestral music] [orc roars] And protect it we did. [orcs groan] -When Sylvanas and I fought together... -[orc roars] ...we fought as one. [both gasp] But the conflict here was growing, pulling my sister and I apart. [Alleria grunts] [thunder crashes] [somber orchestral music] [Sylvanas] How can you leave? You would choose the Alliance over Quel'Thalas, our home? [Alleria] It's not just our kingdom at risk. If the Horde isn't beaten back, others will fall. I have to go. But you're abandoning your family. I am doing this for our family. [thunder rumbling] [Alleria] I lost a sister that day. Had I known that my actions would curse Sylvanas to her fate, would I have chosen differently? I left my home to fight this war to the end. I had no idea how far away that fight would take me. -[whooshing] -[baby wails] Yet, despite the war, I found my life's true love, Turalyon. And together, we fought side by side until we became three. But beyond the boundaries of our world, our enemies grew powerful. You can make your stand here. Why risk marching into the unknown? Our only choice is to take the fight to them, before it's too late. Should we not succeed... I will keep him safe. Just come back. We'll return before you know it, Arator. [Arator coos] [Arator grizzles] [Alleria] Had I known that I would not see my son again until he was a man himself, would I have still left? [fire crackling] I had given everything for this fight. [dramatic orchestral music] The only thing left to give was myself. [fighting grunts] There was no other way. -[demon snarls] -[Turalyon grunts] In order to defeat the darkness... [demons snarling] ...I had to embrace it. [whooshing] [demons snarling] So embrace it I did. [Alleria screams] [demons snarling] [guttural panting] [demons snarling] [Alleria yells] [Alleria grunts] But at what cost? Turalyon, who had known me, loved me, fought beside me, now saw me differently. What have you done? The Shadow, it saved us. No. [Turalyon groans] I would rather have died than see you fall to evil. [Alleria] Turalyon didn't understand, but I could not fault him. If I had known that embracing the Shadow would push him away, would I have sought another path? [Alleria exhales shakily] [thud in distance] No. All of the things I did, I did for a reason. [demon snarls] War is sacrifice. And I have sacrificed everything to protect those I love. To keep them safe. And if it takes sacrificing myself to protect our world... I will not hesitate. [soaring orchestral music] I am a soldier of Azeroth.
(mischievous music)
From sweeping narratives, to precision tactics, Czepeku has you covered! Explore beautiful, cinematic surroundings with Czepeku's Scenes, your perfect storytelling partner. Swap variations to match the mood of your game, and immerse your players with animated versions. Our Scenes are VTT-compatible, with… Oh… It's time! Ready your dice! Every Czepeku Scene has a matching battlemap on our main Patreon. Subscribe to both! Admire the view, then fight for your life! Each map pack includes variations for time of day, weather, and mood. Surprise your players with beautifully animated maps. Jump straight to the action. Our VTT-ready maps have walls, lighting, and fog of war prepared for you! Subscribe on Patreon now. Your next adventure starts with Czepeku!
(mysterious music) (epic music)
XEN: It doesn't occur to any of you that the moon is about to fall out of the sky. And why would it? It's just a regular Monday here on the moon. Goe is watching the gigantic wall of darkness inbound. This isn't going to have transformative, long-lasting, incredibly far-reaching consequences, is it? Unfortunately, it will. We have gathered together a small squad of unlikely chums to seek what perhaps cannot be found. SARA: This is feeling really weird, really fast. XEN: I think it's time to go. All aboard. What could possibly go wrong? Such as, for example, the moon literally exploding literally right now. LIAM: What's in it for you? Helping us... MATT: If there is even the remotest chance that they are still alive, I have to see that through. MARISHA: It's not about knowing or not knowing. It's about being willing to find out.
(peaceful music) (music builds) (adventurous music)
You fought well, princesses. But you didn't think winning the throne was gonna be that easy. Did you? [laughter] No, no, no. Midnight draws on. But this battle is just getting started. [laughter] I can't wait to see how this turns out.
LAURA: Hey Critters! Laura Bailey here to guide you through what's new in the Critical Role shop. Ooo so comfy cozy. This is pretty badass. Roll an investigation if you want. It's basically perfect. Style should never be a dump stat, darling. I mean the Traveler always says, impulse purchases are a good decision. Ooo so moody. Just like my brother. This is seriously magical. Go ahead, Darling. Treat yourself. And hey if you want, you could head over to the Critical Role shop right now.
(tavern music) (ominous music) (epic music) (mischievous music) (typewriter clacking) (peaceful music)
(door opening) [studio audience laughter] [light applause] FATHER: Honey, kids, I'm home! MOTHER: Welcome home, dear. [studio audience laughter] MOTHER: And you know what night it is? CHILD 1 and CHILD 2: It's Thursday night! MOTHER and FATHER: (laugh) ♪ (upbeat TV theme) ♪ NARRATOR: This summer, get the membership the entire family can enjoy! Your one-stop shop for the world of Critical Role. FATHER: (laughs) NARRATOR: Including a 10% discount in all our shops, live event pre-sales, a private Discord. FATHER: The popcorn monster! NARRATOR: And instant access to all podcasts and VODs for all your favorite shows. CHILD 1: Hurry up, Mom! CHILD 2: Critical Role is about to start! ♪ (upbeat TV theme ends) ♪ (remote control click) (ominous flashing) NARRATOR: With Beacon, all your dreams can become a reality. Beacon will introduce you to what has been and what could be. CHILD 1: Is Sam turning into a sunflower? MOTHER: No, Son, Sam has always been a sunflower. (static crackling) CHILD 2: Is Sam my father? FATHER: No, I'm your father. NARRATOR: Beacon will bring you to the edges of the (distorted) cosmic threshold. (distorted speech and gnashing) (distorted speech and gnashing) (increasing beeping and powering up) (chirping notification) MOTHER: Oh, the new episode of Candela just dropped. FATHER: Oh, spooky. [studio audience laughter] ♪ (upbeat TV theme) ♪ NARRATOR: Beacon. Endless stories, endless possibilities.
Part II[]
MATT: And welcome back. So the rest of you watch Orym cocooned against the exterior of the Birthheart. As your bodies instinctively lurch to protect, Keyleth puts a hand up, silently acknowledging to just let it happen.
TRAVIS: I knew it was you, Keyleth! Should have let that sword take you.
MARISHA: (laughs) Plot twist!
TRAVIS: Or Winchell or whatever his name was.
MATT: Orym--
MARISHA: Look, you're not doing that.
MATT: -- as the warm sensation of the surrounding branches and vines and flowers and grasses engulf you, you begin to hear the sounds of nature around you, the natural landscape, like an evening amongst the densest of bog forests, the sound of wind (blows) rustling through tree boughs, and eventually you feel the vines pull back from you. As it does, you are standing in a glade, a beautiful moonlit glade, soft white light beams piercing through numerous points in this clustered canopy of massive majestic tri-pointed leaves. The sense of scale is challenging your perspective. You feel so small, but the leaves look so large in comparison. You feel big until you look down at yourself and you are made of leaves. Your skin is green and veined with leaves protruding from your fingers, from your shoulders, no armor, no weapons. You are as nude as the day is long, but like you had grown from a bud, which you did.
LAURA: (laughs)
MATT: When you look around you, the pullback of the nature around you are massive rose petals, like a massive flower had opened up that you had emerged from. Here you stand, yourself, but different. You take a step beyond the bud and as your foot touches the ground, you can feel the breath and whisper of the forest around you. Like you inhale and everything around you inhales with you and welcomes you. You take a second step. (inhales) It inhales with you and welcomes you. You hear the chirping of birds. (exhales) The creaking sound of the tree and the wind gets louder as the vines begin to unroll from above. The canopy itself seems to expand, grow more dense. The white moonlight begins to dissipate as it's clustered, and instead, a golden, sourceless light begins to fill this glade like a golden dusk color, just as the sun begins to disappear beyond the horizon. As these branches begin to expand and lower, you watch as they pull open. From them, emerges a face, a beautiful, welcoming smile, earthen brown skin, its gentle golden eyes, the leaves and canopy itself the hair that continues to tumble and curl around as it comes down to you and meets your gaze. So massive to where you felt like you had grown yourself from a large flower, now you feel like you grew from a regular flower. You are so small, and she's so encompassing. But there's no fear, just awe. Her smile is a wordless, touch-less hug.
LIAM: Thank you for admitting me to your realm. I know that I don't offer prayer. I've never been a follower, though I have taken note of you. Will you talk to me?
MATT: (blows) The wind curls and drifts throughout the space and the color in the eyes shift, and you don't hear words, but you feel emotions and imagery connecting through where your feet make contact with the surrounding space of nature. The language-less sense is that of gracious appreciation, acknowledgement that your path is yours and an apology has no need here. The next sense you feel is, 'And he's here with us, too.'
LIAM: (sighs) I don't know if you know this already, but my friends and I have looked back through a window in time and saw you and your kin, minus the grandeur. We saw you come together, saw you bridge the divide with your estranged family. Soon, one that walks in the mortal realm means to show everyone that story.
MATT: The golden light in her eyes seems to (whooshes) flicker to a silver for a moment as the warm smile turns a bit cold. The leaves rustle around her face and seem to close like a curtain as a number of leaves begin to fall from the branches. Where the leafless branches now lie, you see a paler face, a sallow face, a flash of the face that you saw in that vision. The golden beauty of this space now seems to lose a bit of its color, and you hear the howls of hungry wolves in the distance. The canopy continues to shift and it returns to the Wildmother's more welcoming face, though the expression still remains darker. You watch some of the trees behind her face begin to creak and shift and open, revealing paths beyond the wooded glade where you stand, and the face withdraws (whooshes) back up into the trees.
LIAM: Wait, wait, wait! No, no! Please! We are running out of time! You are running out of time!
MATT: The loud creaking sound comes to a halt. That's where the trees have shifted in the background. You can see new paths exiting the glade continue on.
LIAM: Oh. I turn to look behind me, hoping, but not really expecting to see my friends. I don't, do I?
MATT: It's just you here.
ASHLEY: Oh!
LIAM: I start with this form of plant and vine and flower, this facsimile form, I start to rustle and move through whatever path is in front of me.
MATT: With each step you take, those tethers of vines extend from your foot and reach, almost like your foot is extending to root itself before it even meets the ground, much like your sword reached for the tree as you approached. So, you root yourself with each step before the next dislodges, never fully leaving the ground as you progress. As you begin to walk, the flashes of color and flower begin to bloom as you approach and almost seem to lose color as you step past. There is a path to the right and a path to the left. Which do you choose?
LAURA: (laughs)
TRAVIS: ("Friday the 13th" sound) (laughs)
LIAM: To the right.
LAURA: He chose down.
MATT: To the right?
LIAM: To the right.
MATT: Walking the right path, you step into a darker wood, this one feeling cold, that the wind is present. You step further into this space and these blanched trees, their tall, thin trunks cracking and peeling, leaving a darkened, exposed, diseased trunk beneath. You step further in to a smaller glade beyond this and you see a singular statue, not unlike the one where you last had your brief communion.
LIAM: In Jrusar?
MATT: But the statue lies cracked and fallen. You hear a sorrowful owl hoot above, and while there is life present, it feels diminished. It feels abandoned.
LIAM: I will reach out and touch the marred statue.
MATT: Your hand touches the statue, which shudders (deep cracking) and falls, and crumbling into a pile of broken stone.
LIAM: I don't want that to happen. I worry about the balance of the world that you fostered and we live in now. We don't know what this thing is. Predathos. But I fear it is coming, and if you mean for mortals to help maintain balance, it would be really helpful to know what it is we're coping with. I know I'm not in mortal existence, I know I'm not in mortal existence, but I will use the same force of will I do when I cause blooms to grow, and I'll touch my planted hands down into the pile of rubble and try to will growth.
MATT: As you place your hands between the stones, your fingers extend and reach out to root into the ground itself, like you yourself becoming a multifaceted tree, finding different points of contact. As you do, you feel your fingers running deeper and extending, splintering, and pushing throughout. You are becoming deeply ingrained in this space and you will growth and life here. As you do, you sense that warmth begin to return to the space. Blossoms begin to spread throughout within, the warm breeze picks up, and you glance upward and the canopy above itself, her face there awaits, smiling once more. The breeze encircles you. (whooshes) You pick up that emotion and imagery once more. You get the sense she is the custodian of this, but she acts through you. Since they withdrew, you are her instrument. You.
LIAM: (sighs)
MATT: As she smiles down upon you, the cheeks fall to a stoic intensity and her golden eyes burn red. The light around you turns red. It grows more and more red. You blink and you have visions, imagery of a shoreline, the waves large and crashing against the stone and rock, an island built with towers and walls. You see shapes, massive, titan-like, walking, gathering at the edge. A strange star falling from the sky, crashing into the space. The red light grows bright (violent whoosh) flashes once more. As you come back, you see, standing, towering over the landscape, dozens, it seems almost. Family. Faceless, but strong guardians, gods, one head of light, one, enwrapped within an endless tether of scroll and script. You see shattered visions of the Pantheon gathered around this fallen star. gathered around this fallen star. Two of these figures vanish. The star grows brighter and redder, and you feel the fear. You see the people of this city, this island where it fell, shouting, calling. You feel the fear. You feel the recollection of a fear only felt once before. And with a sadness a deal is brokered. You see mountains shift and flames plume. You watch as the sea rises, the city, this island swallowed in stone. You watch as runes and glyphs the size of a coast ensnare and jettison it into the cosmos. You hear the screams of those sealed within as they are sent off into the darkened ether. You feel sorrow. In that flash, that moment that you watch the earth and rock heated and condensed, you know the hunger of nature, you know the hunger of the predator, you know the hunger of being abandoned, the hunger of survival. You feel but a flash of a hunger you cannot understand. It is outside of your emotional capabilities. It is an oblivion hunger. It is primal, and it is bringing you to the brink of madness to try and understand it in that flash. Make a wisdom saving throw for me.
LAURA: Oh shit!
MARISHA: (groans)
TRAVIS: Oh, he's failing. I mean, succeed. (laughter)
LIAM: Just checking the features and traits before I do that. (laughter)
TRAVIS: Your features and traits can't help you now.
LIAM: Okay.
ROBBIE: We're going to leave.
LIAM: That is--
TRAVIS: You want to leave?
ROBBIE: Good luck, motherfucker.
LIAM: -- 13, which probably is a failure, right?
MATT: I don't know.
LIAM: Well, if it is, I would want to use Indomitable. You can reroll a saving throw that you fail.
MATT: It is a failure.
LIAM: It's worse.
TRAVIS: (unhinged) Oh! (laughter)
TRAVIS: Yes! (groaning)
TRAVIS: I mean, no! (laughter)
TRAVIS: This is such a good story, though!
MATT: Do you have Indomitable more than once?
LIAM: I do, can I--
MATT: Does it say you have to use the second result?
LIAM: "You must use the new roll. You can use this two times per long rest."
MATT: Okay, so you have to use the new roll. Okay.
LIAM: Right.
MATT: Okay.
LIAM: I assume I can't use another Indomitable. That's one per roll, not two per roll.
MATT: Correct.
LIAM: Yeah.
MATT: Correct.
LAURA: Uh-oh. It's good. It's good. It's good!
MATT: That peek into an outer cosmic hunger and that brief experienced celestial survival based fear that you sense within the issues and experience of the Wildmother and those present overwhelms you. You hear a sound, this high-pitched sound that gets louder and louder and louder until you recognize it. It's you screaming. You're screaming. You don't know why, but you're now realizing that you're just screaming. As the red light begins to fade back from this vision, you sense the emotion, apologetic. Apologizing, warming. The leaves surround you and pick you up like a child. You feel yourself cradled in the boughs of the Wildmother, the warmth pulling you back from the screaming edge. The screaming subsides and you feel the tears wet on your cheek. You don't fully understand what you saw or what you felt, but it's there now. There's something either broken in you or rooted in you. But something in some small way has changed. But she's so sorry.
LIAM: Very small, like an infant or a child, with a thousand-yard stare. I say: I say this with an open heart. But I know you all to be inherently flawed, like me, and all the children that love this world as much as you. Whatever comes next, please let the garden grow.
MATT: The warmth you feel surrounding you, you can no longer see the smile, but you feel the cheek against yours and you sense her expressing natural, unconditional love and an ask, "Protect us, for we protect you, and together we protect this." The leaves crash open once more and now the bright of sunlight comes in. You wince as you're now held knees to your chest in a fetal position cradled within these boughs, like a nest within a tree. Now before you, you see the endless mountains climbing and spilling across the most beautiful valleys of rivers and streams and waterfalls, jungles and swamps and forests and storms and clear blue skies. All of the beauty and terror and wonder of nature itself just stretches out for infinity beyond you. "Together, we protect this. We." You feel something on your shoulder. You look over, and there sitting next to you, made of similar green vines is Will. His eyes, golden like hers, smiling from its green and brown facsimile of his memory. "Together."
LIAM: I hold out my hand to clasp. Together, the hands erupt in little flowers that spiral down and around our arms. I've got this.
MATT: The hands and flowers themselves, now the roots try and burrow from your hand into his, like they rooted into the forest. But he pulls his hand away and touches your cheek. "We will. But I also need you to live. Be happy. Don't live your life in the shadow of mine."
LIAM: Eventually, everything becomes one.
MATT: "I'll be here waiting."
LIAM: I'll see you soon.
MATT: The branches begin to give way and you both begin to tumble through them like the most gentle fall into bush and branch as you tumble that grows darker and darker and darker and quicker and quicker and quicker until suddenly (encompassing void) you are just drifting in darkness and nothing. The rest of you watch as the shell begins to crack and unwind, brown and curl back.
ASHLEY: I'm going to run up to the base of the tree and get on my knees and just sit and watch.
MATT: As the cocoon pulls away, you see Orym kneeling where he was. Face likely damp.
LAURA: Did we hear screaming at all from the inside or was it just silent?
MATT: No, just quiet. Your eyes blink back to awareness that you are back at the base of the Birthheart.
LAURA: Orym.
ASHLEY: Hey.
ROBBIE: Are you all right?
LIAM: Yeah.
LAURA: What was that?
LIAM: Took a meeting.
ASHLEY: You took a meeting?
LAURA: (laughs) Okay, and?
LIAM: I wish I had some concrete course of action. I don't. But I do take a little comfort. She-- I look up at the Tempest. She showed me a glimpse of our foe, how old it is. I think older than our world. I saw them all for a moment.
LAURA: The gods?
LIAM: Yeah. And I think I saw Predathos. And they were terrified. And then I was terrified. Then they ripped it from the world and jettisoned it.
LAURA: So basically what we thought.
LIAM: Yeah.
LAURA: Where did it come from?
LIAM: Beyond the stars, I think.
ASHLEY: Wow.
TALIESIN: Like them.
LAURA: Yeah.
TALIESIN: But where did the people come from? There's people.
LIAM: In that vision, above the board, you said they made a pact, and then they locked that prison and you said heard screams. So does that mean I heard mortal screams?
MATT: The city where the star landed was encased within the stone it was sealed with.
LIAM: Right, so the screams were the people that went away with it? You said screams, plural.
MATT: An entire civilization locked away with the entity.
LIAM: Like Babylon.
LAURA: Yeah.
TRAVIS: Ice cream scoop.
LAURA: That was pre everything else.
LIAM: It was after the Founding, but before--
MATT: The Schism.
LIAM: -- the Schism.
LAURA: So that's when they were all still family?
MATT: Seems to be.
TRAVIS: A star, huh? A falling star.
MARISHA: Cosmic horror being.
LAURA: Uh-huh.
SAM: Do you trust what you saw?
LIAM: I do.
SAM: And do you trust the person who showed you?
LIAM: I'm one Ashari, but I believe what we saw in Eiselcross. It destroyed them as they destroyed. I believe they're broken beings, just like their descendants, just like us. And I believe that they still care to tend this world and see it grow.
SAM: Well, then you should give a little of your faith to her and maybe she'll give you some of hers as well in the fight ahead.
LIAM: I'm going to try to be less of a follower and more of a partner. Ally, maybe.
SAM: That sounds right.
LIAM: I don't believe in blind faith.
SAM: Well, you saw.
LIAM: They have some work to do, finding their own redemption. If we can help facilitate that, well, that'll be a miracle. I still don't know what the hell to do.
MATT: "The more you learn about the world, the less easy it becomes, Orym. Lest I'm lucky, I'll be living here a very long time."
LAURA: The gods you saw disappear. Did they seem in pain when it was happening, or--?
MATT: The imagery that you got seemed more like a representation--
LIAM: Yeah.
LAURA: Oh.
MATT: -- than an actual in moment memory.
LIAM: Yeah.
ASHLEY: There were two, two figures that walked by?
LIAM: It was a circle of family and two winked out.
MATT: Yeah.
TRAVIS: Are there any twigs or branches that seem to have fallen around this Birthheart that are just on the ground?
MATT: Yeah, there are plenty of branches. There are--
TRAVIS: That have fallen?
MATT: Okay, well, what you do see, what is fallen is usually quickly gathered by some of the acolytes and then used in the creation of furniture or decor or things but--
TALIESIN: Oh my god.
TRAVIS: I'll show you furniture.
MATT: I mean, there is--
TRAVIS: Amateurs.
MATT: -- two branches that have tumbled from this tree that have not been recovered yet.
TRAVIS: (gasps)
LIAM: Let's go, rogue.
TRAVIS: Can I-- Yeah. Can I creep towards--
MATT: ♪ Yeah, just creepin' down ♪
TRAVIS: ♪ The downlow ♪ (laughter)
TRAVIS: ♪ Said nobody goes to show ♪
MATT: Yeah, go ahead. You trying to do this stealthily or visibly out in the middle of--
TRAVIS: Stealth!
MATT: -- the Abundant Terrace?
TRAVIS: 16!
MATT: 16. Okay. You carefully go and grab some of-- They're not massive. They're easy enough to put under your arm and grab.
TRAVIS: Oh my god.
MATT: You can probably break it a little bit to make it more succinct, if you want to. But there is indeed fallen wood from one of the most holy nature sites on Exandria that you have gathered. So you could put two pieces of Birthheart wood.
MARISHA: Let's go.
TRAVIS: In the bag of holding.
MARISHA: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
TRAVIS: Touch the tree.
MARISHA: Yeah. (laughs)
ROBBIE: (laughs)
TRAVIS: We cool.
MARISHA: (laughs)
MATT: "Well, if anything, this helps to know that they're, at least some of them, the right people are open to conversation."
LAURA: Wow. Did you tell her what we saw?
LIAM: I didn't get much of a chance. It was kind of disorienting. Now I have regrets. Flawed just like them.
TRAVIS: Did she give you a weapon? Any knowledge? The knowledge thing, yeah. She gave you a vision. Check your pockets.
LAURA: Is his armor fancier? What's going on?
MARISHA: Can you turn into a tree?
TRAVIS: Ah! (smacks) (laughter)
LIAM: (echoing smacks)
TRAVIS: Oh no! He's weaker!
ASHLEY: What'd you do that for?
TRAVIS: Pick him up, dust him off.
MATT: Yeah, no, armor's the same.
TALIESIN: No immediate change?
MATT: The blade's still wedged in there, but the armor's still--
LIAM: I will remove that gingerly.
MATT: Okay. As you pull the blade free, the blade itself is longer than it was when you placed it within the roots.
TRAVIS: Oh shit!
MATT: As you glance--
TALIESIN: The power of wood.
MATT: -- at the hilt and the handle, you can see the vine growth is denser. There are two golden gems, like two golden eyes now looking from the front of the blade, like she's guiding its strike.
TRAVIS: Oh!
ASHLEY: Cool-ah!
LIAM: (like Uk'otoa) Consume.
TRAVIS: And there's a fucking thing! (yells)
MARISHA: Exalt that baby!
LIAM: Exalted--
TALIESIN: Let's exalt that shit!
MATT: So, interesting point of order here. Vestiges of the Divergence are relics of a time gone past. Newly crafted items--
LAURA: This is a new--
MATT: -- will forever be referred to now as, at least for this event, Relics of the Red Solstice.
TRAVIS: Oh! (exclaiming)
TRAVIS: We got the first Relic of the Red Solstice?
MARISHA: Woo hoo!
LAURA: What?!
MARISHA and ASHLEY: Cool!
LAURA: Oh! Now we need all of them.
TRAVIS: RRS!
TALIESIN: I was going to say, I got a god I want to bitch at, but you know.
TRAVIS: Relics--
TALIESIN: Wow.
TRAVIS: -- of the red--
SAM: Solstice.
ASHLEY: Solstice.
TRAVIS: -- solstice.
MATT: I mean, it's not like a major thing.
LAURA: No, it is, it is.
TRAVIS: Shut up, Matt!
MATT: I'm just making sure--
TRAVIS: You know where he's is going to be in five years.
MARISHA: Exactly.
MATT: I'm just saying, it's not called a Vestige of Divergence, because historically it has just now been imbued with its power.
TRAVIS: Got it.
LAURA: Hey.
ROBBIE: Cool name.
TRAVIS: I run over and I shove my wood chisel into the tree.
LAURA: If you fall down, that's great.
TRAVIS: Bless me! (laughter)
MATT: Make a dexterity saving throw.
TRAVIS and ROBBIE: (shout)
TALIESIN: May I? All right.
LAURA: No, I was looking at it, too.
TRAVIS: Oh no, it's terrible. 12.
MATT: 12.
TALIESIN: Hot. Whoa!
MARISHA: Branch of the tree about to bitch slap you.
MATT: You take 29 points of bludgeoning damage--
TRAVIS: (screams)
MATT: -- as a massive tree from the Birthheart falls from its canopy and slams onto you, pinning you to the ground. (shouting)
MATT: (crackling slamming)
TALIESIN: We're staring at the sword, we're not paying attention to this at all. That's so cool.
MARISHA: The Wildmother giveth and she taketh.
TRAVIS: I grab the huge branch. I try to shove it in the bag of holding. (laughter)
MATT: Three acolytes emerge and go, "What was that? Oh, oh, we're so sorry." They help get you off of it, and they bring the branch inside.
TRAVIS: Oh no!
MATT: "We're so sorry."
TRAVIS: Oh.
MARISHA: (laughs)
TALIESIN: That's hot.
TRAVIS: Name it after me. (laughter)
TALIESIN: Pocket Pea.
MARISHA: Pocket Pea.
LAURA: (laughs)
TRAVIS: Oh, my spine and my back!
LIAM: I will just stand quietly at the foot of the tree a while longer and run a thumb along a contours of the bark.
MATT: "If you would all like a place to stay for this evening--"
TALIESIN: Yes, please.
MATT: "There are quarters within the Birthheart."
ASHLEY: No way.
MARISHA: Inside? Inside the big tree.
LIAM: Get right up in there.
MATT: "I'm kind of--"
ASHLEY: Got my thumb going.
MATT: "Kind of got some friends here at the Birthheart, so--"
TALIESIN: You're a big deal in the tree.
MATT: "At the time, yeah."
TALIESIN: There's a pun in there and I'm missing it and it's going to drive me insane. I have a migraine and there's a pun. Oh. Yes, that sounds-- If there's something to drink in there, too, and somewhere warm, that's nice.
SAM: In the tree?
LIAM: Still at it.
MATT: "If you'd like."
SAM: Is the pun--
ASHLEY: Yes?
SAM: -- this is an Arbor-BnB? Nope. R BnB? (laughter)
TALIESIN: Arbory BnB?
LAURA: R B?
SAM: No, no.
ROBBIE: It's close. It's close.
SAM: No, no.
MATT: We're going to abandon that right now. (laughter)
MATT: Keyleth looks back. "Would you want to--"
MARISHA: Yeah.
MATT: "-- stay with us here. I prefer you to stay close." You see Evoroa is still just wide-eyed, snow gathered on her shoulders, just looking at all of you. Like a child that's just been brought to Disneyland for the first time.
TRAVIS: Yep.
MATT: "I-I-I had no idea. Even no matter how many dreams you have, it doesn't even begin to compare. I'm sorry for all that's happening to you because of us."
LAURA: No, I'm sorry.
LIAM: We're sorry for all that's happened to you.
TALIESIN: This is the pain we inflict on each other.
MATT: "Oh, I'll have some berries to that."
TALIESIN: And enjoy yourself. You've earned this. You've worked really hard and you've been really kind and...
MATT: Keyleth looks.
TALIESIN: More than we deserve.
MATT: "There'll be more work tomorrow. because you are going to be one of our plotting stars of what you've worked on, what you know, and what we can use to our advantage in figuring out our plans of attack against Ludinus and the Vanguard. But tonight, you rest. All of us rest. Come. Enjoy a night in the tree house."
TRAVIS: That's dope.
MATT: Keyleth guides you all into the Birthheart, the beautiful warm interior, these countlessly meandering and twisting halls of beautiful elven inspired architecture and numerous odd scattered libraries. You can smell within, the cooking and roasting of fruits. It's a beautiful space. After a little bit of conversation, Keyleth does indeed managed to score you all a large guest chamber that is too big for even your troop. Looks like there's 12 beds across this for hosting large diplomatic troops and such. But you all have a shared chamber. As you're all brought into rest, Keyleth gives a nod. "I also have not slept for a day or three. I'm going to find my night's rest as well, and we can come at this tomorrow with clear minds."
TALIESIN: I'm going to need a fireplace and a drink for a little bit before I turn in. If there's a place--
SAM: Fireplace up here?
TALIESIN: -- or some warm--
LAURA: That's not wise.
TALIESIN: -- hearthy...
MATT: (laughs)
TALIESIN: I want to sit and drink. Is there place to sit and drink? Comfortable.
MATT: "I can have a drink sent to you. There is a lounge on the second floor beneath." She reminds you one place you walked by. It has a hearth, but it's not actual fire.
TALIESIN: I assume it's--
MATT: It's a non-burning magical fire. But yeah, as she--
MARISHA: Canopy and B?
SAM: Ooh, okay.
TRAVIS: Oh, canopy and B.
TALIESIN: Ooh. Canopy and B.
TRAVIS: Good job, De-lame-us.
MARISHA: Sorry, what? (laughs) I've been thinking about it this whole time.
TRAVIS: Gears have been grinding.
MARISHA: Yeah, that was the best I have.
MATT: This is good. Best we've had so far. Well spent. (laughter)
MATT: Keyleth quietly allowing a moment of the exhaustion wash over her. You see, as youthful as she appears, there is a shadow under her eyes and an exhaustion that is very visible on her as she lets it through for a moment, that vulnerable window, as she nods and leaves to her chambers for the night's rest. So.
TALIESIN: I'm going to go have a drink, sit down.
MATT: Okay.
TALIESIN: Quietly.
TRAVIS: I grab a bed, crack out my new holy branches and I'm going to spend three hours whipping up some fucking beauties.
MATT: (laughs)
TRAVIS: Don't nobody say anything or interrupt me!
MARISHA and ASHLEY: What are you making?
TRAVIS: Don't try and steal my shit.
MARISHA: What? What?
LIAM: You went to bed? You went off to a bed, you've left us, or--
TRAVIS: Well... we have a big ass bed chamber, right?
MATT: It's a massive communal chamber.
ASHLEY: What are you making?
TRAVIS: In fact, I pushed two of those fuckers together. Queen bed. Ha! That's mine. Okay?
ASHLEY: Great.
LAURA: Yeah.
TALIESIN: Chetney, while you're asleep--
TRAVIS: Wood chips.
TALIESIN: I'm going to steal your sticks. All your sticks. Those sticks are mine. (laughter)
TRAVIS: (whittling) (laughter)
MATT: All right.
MARISHA: A Motel Sticks?
TALIESIN: Hey, Motel Sticks!
MATT: Motel Sticks is pretty great.
TALIESIN: That's pretty good.
MATT: Do you want to go ahead and make a, either a dexterity check or a performance roll.
TRAVIS: I will do dex.
ROBBIE: The DoubleTree, the TroubleTree?
ASHLEY: Oh.
ROBBIE: That's not bad.
MATT: The SingleTree.
MARISHA and ROBBIE: The SingleTree. (laughter)
TRAVIS: 21, straight up dex roll.
MARISHA: Yeah, that's good.
MATT: All right. Very fine craftsmanship on what you're intending to make. You can make it in half the time with 21.
TRAVIS: (gasps)
LAURA: Whoa.
TRAVIS: I'll have three.
LAURA: What is it?
MATT: All righty.
TALIESIN: If it's not a stick anymore, I don't want it.
MATT: Anybody else have anything they wish to do before the evening? Anything to discuss or we can move to a night's rest.
SAM: Plan anything for tomorrow, I mean...
LAURA: I don't know what the fuck to plan.
MARISHA: I know, I wish they would've told us, anyone would've told us what the Trial Forge is. Is it just--
TRAVIS: Well, I think they're going to try and either battle out or argue out a plan of attack. But they keep talking about taking out the Malleus Key, which it feels like either we're going to try and if we take that down, who knows what that does to the moon, to the leylines, to everything else. Or an incursion into the moon and trying to stop Ludinus and the Weave Mind, right?
LAURA: Yeah.
SAM: Or both.
TRAVIS: Or both.
LAURA: I would imagine. I don't think there's anything wrong with taking out the Malleus Key. I think that's wise.
TRAVIS: You don't think it'll destabilize the leylines or the magic running through the world, or--? It's got a black orb in it. Is she here? No, she left. The black orb in it now, the guy with the feathers.
LAURA: Yeah.
TALIESIN: Boy, that really pissed her off, didn't it?
LAURA: True, but.
SAM: Won't it just restore things to the way they were?
LAURA: I know, I feel like the bridge is, that's all that Ludinus knows. You know, he doesn't know about what we found. If we can take out that bridge, it cuts off his access and they didn't have to work again. I mean, obviously, it would be hard. They've built that entire fortress around it.
LIAM: Now, what do you figure did that? Do you think that an army of Ruidusborn--
LAURA: I don't know.
LIAM: -- used--
LAURA: That's massive.
LIAM: -- abilities like yours in conjunction with each other?
LAURA: I've never seen anything like that.
TRAVIS: There's no way the Ashari, like Earth Ashari, have turned tail and tied.
TALIESIN: Or primordials.
LAURA: That's like raising a mountain.
LIAM: I find that hard to believe, and I would probably recognize that if I saw it.
MATT: The Earth Ashari had, and the manipulation of stone and rock like that, it wasn't entirely unlike it, but the means of it happening, you didn't see-- like usually it's done smaller sections and it's over a longer period of time. This was a massive construction in a brief moment.
MARISHA: I guess my, and I was trying to ask this earlier, and I don't know if I conveyed it.
MATT: Sorry. Yeah, go ahead.
MARISHA: When I was asking if it looked like Ruidus, did it look like-- Obviously, it was on earth initially.
MATT: Oh, the architecture of it.
MARISHA: Did the architecture feel like terraforming that they might have done on Ruidus?
MATT: The architecture was reminiscent of the central structures around the Prime Pillar in Kreviris.
LAURA: Okay, okay.
MATT: So this is definitely a build of Ruidian make and experiential inspiration.
MARISHA: Yeah, I mean--
LAURA: Do you think the Mind Weaver was able to do something like that.
MARISHA: 100%, I mean, look at what we've seen them do. Look at what we've seen you do and Otohan do. You've taken down entire city blocks with just--
LAURA: God, I wish I knew how I did it.
ROBBIE: So you're thinking these people from Ruidus are helping?
LAURA: Oh yeah, I mean-- Oh right, you were there.
ROBBIE: I was just thinking, it doesn't bode very well for the gentleman who was making the argument of wiping them them out. It sounds like--
LAURA: There's a lot of Ruidusborn Ruidians, who are working with Ludinus.
ROBBIE: What about the ones who--
LAURA: Who aren't.
ROBBIE: (whispers) -- who aren't. Is she, is Evoroa with us?
MATT: Evoroa is currently being kept with Keyleth.
ROBBIE: Oh, is with Keyleth, okay.
TALIESIN: There will be no wiping out of these people.
LAURA: If we take out the bridge. I mean, ideally we would still be able to help those...
ROBBIE: Wouldn't that isolate them?
LAURA: Well, yeah.
ROBBIE: Wouldn't it be a--
LAURA: But we now know of a passage that Ludinus doesn't even know about. We found a path.
MARISHA: To what people--
SAM: Are we going to tell--
TRAVIS: A back door.
SAM: Are we going to tell people about that passage?
LIAM: We already have.
LAURA: Keyleth knows.
SAM: But I mean, are we going to tell everyone about that?
TALIESIN: No.
TRAVIS: I feel like she has.
MARISHA: I would also just argue though, you're talking about a pin prick in a giant levee. You're talking about...
LAURA: It's a one by one.
MARISHA: It's a one-way road. Exactly, if anything goes tits up on Ruidus, we're not saving masses. We're saving few.
LAURA: We're doing exactly what the gods did.
TALIESIN: I don't want to kill them and I don't want to lock them in there.
ROBBIE: That's my only question.
LAURA: Oh, I don't lock them in either, I want to help them.
MARISHA: It just feels like Ludinus has been two, four, six steps ahead of us this whole time. He has to be anticipating that the first response would be to destroy the bridge. Right?
LAURA: Yeah.
TALIESIN: That's what I would do, if I were an idiot, like them.
LIAM: He'd be expecting it from the Exandria side. I wonder if we could pants him if we brought it from--
LAURA: The other side?
LIAM: -- the Ruidus side.
TALIESIN: That's a great idea.
MARISHA: That is cool.
TRAVIS: Because there was a sim-e-lar simular, Jesus, similar structure on the moon.
LAURA: (laughs) There was a Malleus Key mirror up there when we landed.
MATT: No, actually there was a platform for the Bloody Bridge to land, but there wasn't a secondary key holding it on the opposite--
LIAM: One-way water pistol?
MATT: People can walk both ways--
TALIESIN: Walking both ways.
LAURA: But we could--
MATT: But it looks like it's held from the Malleus Key.
LAURA: -- hop in the bridge. It's just--
TALIESIN: We've still got a back door. We can get in quiet. We don't have to touch that bridge again to get in and out of there.
TRAVIS: But yeah, but what are we doing if we get in quiet, I think is the question.
TALIESIN: I mean, we're--
ROBBIE: Ludinus controls it for now, right?
TALIESIN: I think--
MARISHA: Yeah.
TRAVIS: The bridge, yeah.
ASHLEY: But in the-- don't you--
TALIESIN: I think it's the one place, yeah, go ahead.
ASHLEY: -- through Ruidus is the only way that we could get back down in there.
LAURA: Yeah.
TALIESIN: That went both ways, if I recall.
TRAVIS: It does.
LAURA: Yeah, it did.
TALIESIN: We can go in there and we have an army that he does not expect. If we can get this group of morons to join forces with the rebellion up on the red moon. I don't know, I think that does it.
MARISHA: But once again, an army through that back door?
TALIESIN: No, just power. Not-- The army's already up there.
TRAVIS: Are you saying using the people on the moon, not bringing any of our heavy hitters through the one per entrance?
LAURA: I think we bring a small group, not an entire army
LIAM: Of heavy hitters, yeah.
SAM: To do what? To attack--
LIAM: To drop down into the center of their operation, where they're not expecting it.
ROBBIE: But on the moon.
SAM: But to do what? To destroy the Weave Mind or to--
ASHLEY: To destroy the Key.
LIAM: The Malleus Key.
SAM: On the moon?
TRAVIS: There isn't one on the moon.
ASHLEY: No, to take the elevator from the bottom.
LIAM: Take the elevator down and then--
ASHLEY: -- from the moon.
LIAM: Destroy the elevator.
SAM: Oh, I see.
LAURA: Pop in.
SAM: Go to the moon, take the elevator down, destroy the elevator.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
LAURA: Then basically, I don't know if there's a way out that fast, you know. It would be--
TALIESIN: We'd have to figure out a way of making sure that the people who live up there are okay and have a way of getting back down even if it means rebuilding something.
ROBBIE: So for all we know, the only way to move large groups of people is through the Bloody Bridge.
LAURA: Yeah.
TALIESIN: Yeah.
LIAM: Of course, we might get into this place tomorrow and hear seven other plans--
LAURA: I mean, yeah.
LIAM: -- that we're not anticipating.
MARISHA: If the Weave Mind, or at least part of them, Already seems to possibly be on Exandria, terraforming it, though. I don't know, I'm just trying to figure out what destroying the bridge-- Like, are we past that point?
SAM: Yeah, what does it do?
LIAM: We don't know yet.
MATT: What you would recall from conversations you overheard from people talking throughout the past few weeks, since the bridge has been built, it's tidally locked Ruidus overhead in that place. Since then in the solstice, as it continues to spin with the world locked in, it's dragging and tensing the leylines and it's building up more or less pressure against the flow of magic in the world.
TALIESIN: An earthquake.
LAURA: Which he can use to his advantage.
MATT: That's what's partially keeping a lot of things chaotic and scrambled. It's also continuing to push fear. A lot of major arcanists are worried it's going to shatter the use of magic on Exandria. All these things that might work to his advantage at the moment and might be an imminent side effect of what he's done, if not dealt with.
LAURA: We got to take it out.
MATT: Uncertain. But it is an estimation.
LAURA: Take out the bridge and we worry about saving everyone after.
MARISHA: What were you saying?
TRAVIS: Well, it's just concerning. They're still fortifying the bridge, right? They're not leaving it out there as something they're not concerned with.
TALIESIN: They don't know we can attack it from the other side.
TRAVIS: That's true. Unless we get up there and they fortified the top as well.
MARISHA: It would have to be a two-prong approach. We would probably have to have ground forces here on Exandria to distract, while we have an elite team on that side. A lot of people are going to die.
SAM: We sound like the gods.
TRAVIS: (laughs)
SAM: We're destroying a weapon.
LAURA: Sacrifices must be made.
SAM: Mm-hmm.
ROBBIE: Speaking of which, as of yesterday, we weren't really decided on whose side we were on. Your experience. We asked you a lot about what you learned, but what did you feel? Did you meet her? Was she good?
LIAM: I believe she means well, but I...
LAURA: Does it matter?
LIAM: Exactly.
ASHLEY: I mean--
LIAM: I want to see the best in her and many of them. I wish on all of them, but we... The world is precious and took so long to reach the balance that it's in now. The things that Ludinus is doing is, it's an escalation at a breakneck speed. There's no guarantees of-- That what he enacts will be better or worse than what the gods did.
TALIESIN: Not that I agree or disagree with you, I really don't yet, but I've never had a guarantee in my life. Not one that wasn't a lie. I'm not disagreeing.
LIAM: Sure, but none of us are going to say, let's roll the dice and see what happens, right? We know that sitting back and letting Ludinus ease into whatever he wants to do...
TRAVIS: Did Ludinus say we could contact him?
MARISHA: He was certainly like, "Call me if you want Delilah handled."
TALIESIN: We did that ourselves pretty well, didn't we?
ASHLEY: Why? What were you thinking? You want to talk with him or something?
LAURA: (laughs)
TRAVIS: Of course. Communication is the key to all of this.
TALIESIN: Honestly, I'm almost not done talking to the gods yet.
MARISHA: I don't think the two have to be mutually exclusive.
TALIESIN: They don't, and I'm okay with us making this decision.
ROBBIE: Us?
TALIESIN: Honestly, we are worthless. We are just worthless. I say that with love and respect here. We are not heroes. We just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. That's what makes us the perfect people for this. The difference between us and the gods when it comes to this is that we are actually, we're probably going to die in the middle of this, where they know they're not. We are risking ourselves where they never really have. They got wind of what we feel every day. They got the tiniest taste of it, and they panicked. Our lives horrify them. Again, I don't know if that's a judgment. I don't know what that means yet. I am still grappling with my life changing so much since I met you fucking crazy people. I'm grateful for it, but I feel like we are better equipped to think about this than anybody, maybe Keyleth is the only exception of any of those people in that room. They are aloof. They are untouched, and they have never felt helpless in their lives. I could see it in all those eyes that met me. I didn't see a moment of fear or helplessness.
LAURA: It's funny when all this started, I thought it was very odd that it would be us doing this mission that it would be us doing this mission when we were so separated from the gods. Out of all of us it was only FCG, right?
TALIESIN: That's true.
LAURA: But maybe that's...
TALIESIN: But not at first.
LAURA: That's the important part of it. Maybe we were unbiased.
LIAM: Maybe we see a little clearer.
LAURA: Yeah.
TRAVIS: Maybe.
LAURA: We all had prayers, right? That went unanswered.
ASHLEY: Yeah. Many.
LAURA: We've tried and tried and we weren't heard for so long.
ROBBIE: You went to the other side and you still don't know what to do.
LIAM: Well, I don't know how to destroy a star, but I think I know what the right thing to do is.
TRAVIS: It's also hard to take--
ROBBIE: Tell us.
TRAVIS: -- the room at their word. I mean, they all have vested interests in maintaining the status quo. If there was a group that would recuse themselves because they understand that their power and everything they've worked for is wrapped up in whatever they decide, that would be one thing, but...
TALIESIN: I understand the urge not to want to die. I really do, but it is a whole 'nother thing when you can keep yourself from dying by sacrificing a few hundred thousand people in a fucking army. I don't want to die, but I know that's on me. I don't have a thousand people to throw at something so that I don't have to take that risk.
MARISHA: We have a vested interest, maintaining the status quo of the people in the room that extends to the gods.
TALIESIN: There's one I want to talk to.
TRAVIS: Which one?
TALIESIN: The Arch Heart.
MARISHA: The one who gifted us magic?
TALIESIN: He felt shame and he wanted to die.
MARISHA: Hmm.
ASHLEY: That's how you saw it? I don't feel like he wanted to die.
TALIESIN: He asked.
LAURA: Yeah, I think he was bored.
ASHLEY: I think he was bored.
TALIESIN: I don't know. I want to find out.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
TALIESIN: I've known a lot of artists in my life. They are fucked up.
SAM: Ahem.
LAURA: (laughs)
TALIESIN: In beautiful ways.
SAM: I'm pretty normal. (laughter)
LAURA: Your cup would disagree with you.
TALIESIN: Gosh, you're pretty. (groans) (laughter)
TRAVIS: You have to lick the eyeball.
TALIESIN: Guilt, though.
MARISHA: I mean, as someone who's died a few times...
TRAVIS: Yeah.
MARISHA: There are elements of it that are pretty thrilling. It's pretty crazy. You cannot deny that it's an experience.
TRAVIS: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
ASHLEY: Where did you go? Do you remember?
LAURA: ♪ Do you remember ♪ ♪ Ah ♪
MATT: (laughs)
TRAVIS: Fucking nerds.
MATT: We need to stop hanging out. (laughter)
MARISHA: Married couples.
TALIESIN: Wait. (laughter)
TRAVIS: We'll stop in 10 years.
MARISHA: Full rebel.
MATT: No.
LIAM: What's it? Octuple, what is it?
TALIESIN: Octogenarians.
MARISHA: Yeah.
TALIESIN: Hold on, it was--
LIAM: Getting there.
TALIESIN: Yeah.
ROBBIE: Octoamorous?
ASHLEY: Well, did you, I mean, this is kind of a larger question, but--
TALIESIN: Not just octo?
ROBBIE: Mm.
TALIESIN: No.
ROBBIE: Mm-hmm.
ASHLEY: Did you as Matilda worship any gods?
MARISHA: Well, we were from Whitestone, so there's a precedent to at least give your attention or at least some reverence to the Dawnfather but we weren't super religious, I would say. It was more of a cultural tradition. So, you'd pray, we would do the little spring festivals to try and bring in good crops and say goodbye to the winter weather and worship the sun that is peeking out from behind the gray skies that's going to bless our crops with bounty.
LAURA: Do you think that the gods get power from that kind of worship? Or do you think they get power from genuine devotion?
TALIESIN: From what I saw at the temple that we were at when we were separated, I don't feel like the Dawnfather was necessarily looking for real devotion. I think there was-- I feel like anything would've done. There's too much pressure. Maybe it's better.
ROBBIE: What's more pure a devotion than to pray for some sunshine and rain? It's simple, it's pure.
MARISHA: To answer your question, Fearne, when I died, of course it was a bit of a unique experience because I was bound by Delilah, I was put in her little box of a realm.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
MARISHA: Stasis, darkness. Just this aimless limbo with no certainty or guarantee or loss or happiness in any direction. You're just floating. But from what I know of the gods, if you are one of their devout worshipers, you get sent off to their little pocket realm, their little dimension to float endlessly as a little speck of dust, a little mote of light with no feeling or certainty. Seems kind of similar, but I don't know. Who's to say?
TALIESIN: What happens to none of the above?
ASHLEY: Yeah.
MARISHA: Well, above table talk.
TALIESIN: Yeah.
MATT: Yeah.
MARISHA: The question that Liam asked about
MARISHA: The question that Liam asked about before the Gods got here in the primordial realm and how things would basically go into a cycle.
MATT: Those were--
MARISHA: Would that be said out loud to us or was that just what--
MATT: No, you heard that from the people at Hearthdell. The village you visited in Issylra in which the people were--
MARISHA: Right.
MATT: -- lived alongside the nature spirits and Eidolons.
MARISHA: Eidolons?
MATT: It's not a part of history or the mythology. That's just what you heard from them as they have a belief system that they say predates the Pantheon and was a lifecycle like that.
MARISHA: From what we've learned from the Eidolons, asterisk--
TALIESIN: Everybody got a story.
MARISHA: -- at least if you die and you're part of a cycle, you are well, a part of something.
SAM: So, you just get brought somewhere? Even if you don't believe in that somewhere?
TALIESIN: Well, it seems like an awful lot of work getting people to pay attention to you if you're just going to get them anyway.
ASHLEY: So, if you don't believe in anything and then you die, you're just, you're just floating out on your own and you're not accepted into their awesome theme park unless you believed in them.
TRAVIS: Maybe.
TALIESIN: Theme park.
MARISHA: Maybe.
TRAVIS: Maybe. None of this is certain.
LAURA: That's the eternal question, right? Nobody really fucking knows.
TRAVIS: Yeah, they do.
ASHLEY: Do they?
TALIESIN: Raven Queen, Matron would--
TRAVIS: Maybe.
LAURA: The Matron? She would know.
TRAVIS: We can't really worry about what's going to happen when we all die. We just have to figure out what we do while we're still alive.
ROBBIE: I'm mostly worried about tomorrow morning.
TRAVIS: Yeah. Yep.
MARISHA: There going to be so much public speaking. Maybe public fighting. Definitely public fighting.
TALIESIN: I love public fighting.
TRAVIS: Wonder why it's happening in the Trial Forge instead of where we just were.
TALIESIN: Over the walls.
LIAM: Do we still have the ability to communicate with Ludinus? Some of you can do that.
LAURA: I mean, I could try.
MATT: To clarify.
TRAVIS: Clarify.
MATT: Clarify. The meeting of the Trial Forge in the morning is the think tank--
TRAVIS: Yeah.
MATT: -- to build a plan to present back at the Platinum Sanctuary.
LAURA: Got it, got it, got it.
MATT: That way you weren't debating a plan in a public forum of hundreds of people that all have ideas.
TRAVIS: Oh, like crick crack?
LAURA: Got it.
LIAM: So at dawn, we plan.
LAURA: We're going with the friends, too.
MATT: Yeah, you're going with the friends of the Trial Forge and a few other people with--
LAURA: That's Stormlord's place?
MATT: Correct.
TALIESIN: At dawn, we dawn.
LIAM: So, Irish breakfast first.
TALIESIN: Mm.
TRAVIS: Oh yeah.
LIAM: Then the big deal. Well, I'm wondering if we can communicate with Ludinus, if you can. I like the idea of hitting it from the back door up top, but (clicks) Ludinus is smart.
MATT: (laughs)
LAURA: (laughs)
LIAM: I wonder if we could declare our intentions to do a full frontal assault down here below to Ludinus and also seed, to leak information of a stealthy or secondary attack also here on Exandria. So he thinks that's what our backup plan is, but we're actually a double feint and we and some choice friends are the third.
TRAVIS: Yeah.
ROBBIE: Sounds fun, but you want to try and trick the guy who's been pulling the strings for a thousand years?
LAURA: I have no idea.
LIAM: I do.
ROBBIE: All right.
TRAVIS: Or maybe we just let the room of people that want to attack the Malleus Key that's now been super fortified do that and we do our own thing.
LAURA: Yeah, I think that's a good--
ASHLEY: That's a good strategy
LAURA: Why give him any idea that there's a, that we are aware of a secondary plan. I don't want him keeping eyes at all. You know what I mean?
TRAVIS: Yeah, hopefully Keyleth hasn't told everybody about the (squeak) back door.
LAURA: I mean, she might.
TALIESIN: I doubt it. She doesn't strike me as someone to let loose on that grip.
MARISHA: I don't think she had time. She's been here just a little bit more than we have. Could be wrong.
TALIESIN: Maybe her immediate friends.
LAURA: She's probably told people she trusts.
TRAVIS: We should rest. We should rest and bring this up with the homies in the morning.
ASHLEY: Should I check in on anybody? Should I Scry on anybody before we go to bed?
LAURA: (sighs)
ASHLEY: Bedtime?
ROBBIE: So tomorrow we're just along for the ride?
TALIESIN: Quick drink and then--
TRAVIS: Maybe.
LAURA: I mean, we'll have stuff to offer.
TRAVIS: We could shape policy.
ROBBIE: No, no, don't get me wrong. I'm used to it.
LAURA: But I don't think--
MARISHA, TRAVIS, and MATT: (laugh)
LAURA: Are we really the group of people-- We think it's our job to decide what happens to all of the souls for all of eternity.
TALIESIN: Who else?
MARISHA: I don't think it's about-- to Chetney's point-- what happens to the rest of the souls of eternity. I think unfortunately it feels like this is a "one day at a time" type of a situation.
SAM: If you have doubts, just know that I was hand selected by the King of Devils.
LAURA: Yeah.
TRAVIS: Oh boy.
SAM: You all aligned with me, are serving his will.
ASHLEY: Inherently.
LAURA: All right.
ROBBIE: Well--
LAURA: In that case--
SAM: So you have a purpose?
TRAVIS: Can we get a coin or something or do you have a stamp that we could have? Could you give us little sharpie tattoos or something so we could just--
SAM: I can paint something on you, but it'll probably wear off.
TALIESIN: I'm very quickly--
TRAVIS: You won't sear into our flesh?
LAURA: I'm okay, I've got enough random marks on my body, thank you very much.
SAM: I could do acid?
MARISHA: Ooh.
TRAVIS: I'm just saying, we might as well memorialize this partnership.
SAM: It kind of burns you.
TALIESIN: Just for you.
MATT: Oh god.
SAM: If you would like me to burn you with acid, I will.
TRAVIS: I think I'm kind of here for it.
MARISHA: (laughs)
ROBBIE: Are you swearing yourself to the devil right now?
TRAVIS: I'm not sure. I'm kind of hedging my bets.
MATT: (laughs)
TALIESIN: I'm not against the tattoo.
TRAVIS: Did you see? Did you see--
TALIESIN: Maybe not tonight, but--
TRAVIS: -- his boss in that flashback?
ASHLEY: Yeah.
TRAVIS: Fucking smart.
LIAM: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Tomorrow it will bring what it's going to bring. Let's talk about the bull in the shop here. You want to fuck up Ludinus' shit. You want to stop Ludinus,
SAM: Yes.
LIAM: That's great. Are you good in team situations and team building?
SAM: Haven't I been this whole day we've been together? (laughter)
TRAVIS: Absolutely!
TALIESIN: I'm actually disturbed how useful he's been.
TRAVIS: This entire 22 hours.
SAM: It's been 23 hours. (laughter)
TALIESIN: There's been a remarkable amount of contribution at this point--
ASHLEY: Yeah, that's true, that's true, that's true.
ROBBIE: You painted a picture of us. It was nice.
ASHLEY: It's beautiful.
SAM: I can paint individual pictures, if you'd like.
TALIESIN: And clever.
ROBBIE: That's all right. (laughter)
LIAM: Weren't you talking about being able to--
TALIESIN: I'll take one.
LIAM: -- get people to speak the truth?
SAM: Oh, yes, I have a spell that can do that. Yes.
LIAM: Does that work for you?
SAM: I've never done it on myself.
LIAM: I find that hard to believe. (laughter)
SAM: I could try, but I don't know what it would achieve. I'm an open book.
ROBBIE: How does it work? Does it affect one person or several or?
SAM: I don't know. (laughter)
ROBBIE: It wasn't a trick. It was just genuinely curious.
TALIESIN: I think it's everybody within a field, if I recall.
MATT: Is it the Zone of Truth you're referring to?
SAM: Yeah.
MATT: It's a 15-foot radius--
TALIESIN: Yeah.
MATT: -- of a point within 60 feet. If anyone enters that area, they have to make a charisma saving throw. Then if they fail, they cannot speak a deliberate lie while they're in the radius.
TRAVIS: Yes.
TALIESIN: Or you can just, I believe you can just decide to let it happen, too. You don't have to make that charisma--
MATT: Yeah, if you want to.
TALIESIN: You can just be like fuck it.
LIAM: But he's a liar.
TALIESIN: He is a liar.
SAM: We can totally practice this, if you'd like.
TALIESIN: We used to do this at parties. It was great.
LIAM: It is bedtime.
MATT: (laughs)
ROBBIE: Is this like Truth or Dare, but just truth and truth?
TALIESIN: It's truth and truth.
LAURA: Truth and truth.
SAM: We could add a dare element to it, if you'd like.
ASHLEY: We could do Truth or Dare--
ROBBIE: Don't threaten my with a good time.
MATT: (laughs)
ASHLEY: -- Truth or Dare, but then also like a Spin the Bottle situation.
LAURA: You just really want to play Spin the Bottle, Fearne.
TRAVIS: Where'd the bottle come from?
ASHLEY: Yeah, because I think it's hilarious--
TRAVIS: We're in a tree!
ASHLEY: -- to play a D&D Spin the Bottle-- (laughter)
ASHLEY: -- on our maybe last night on Exandria, guys. I'm just saying.
TRAVIS: Jesus.
MATT: (laughs)
ASHLEY: I'm just putting it out there.
SAM: So you--
LAURA: (laughs)
ROBBIE: You think we're going to die tomorrow?
SAM: We'll ask a question--
ASHLEY: Maybe not tomorrow, but maybe in the next couple days.
SAM: -- and if you don't tell the truth, you have to kiss someone.
MARISHA: Maybe not for a board meeting.
SAM: Is that right?
ASHLEY: Maybe.
LAURA: Sure.
SAM: Or if you-- You could either answer or kiss someone.
TALIESIN: You're just going to kiss everybody--
ASHLEY: You can make the rules.
TALIESIN: -- and you won't fucking answer!
SAM: I will. I will. (laughter)
TALIESIN: That's not how these rules work!
LAURA: So that's the dare. You kiss somebody or you tell the truth.
ASHLEY: You have to decide who kisses who?
SAM: Oh!
LAURA: No, you spin the bottle to decide who you kiss.
TRAVIS: This game is fucked.
SAM: That true.
TRAVIS: You can ask him truth or dare--
TALIESIN: This is just Spin the Bottle now.
TRAVIS: -- he'll just choose dare!
ASHLEY: I was just thinking--
TALIESIN: We've lost the Truth or Dare.
ASHLEY: -- in case we didn't have a bottle.
LAURA: Oh no, there's truth.
SAM: Why don't we forget the Zone of Truth and just make out? (laughter)
ASHLEY: Nah.
ROBBIE: This is how the fate of the world should be decided. (laughter)
TALIESIN: I mean, I'm not against it.
ASHLEY: I'm just trying to keep things light for a little bit. I don't know if it's the time, guys. I don't know if it's the time.
MARISHA: I do wonder what our percentage is of waking up to a world in which Ludinus has told everybody--
LAURA: Mm.
MARISHA: -- what we saw.
TRAVIS: (startled groan)
LAURA: Oh! Are you dead?
TRAVIS: Nope, I'm okay.
SAM: Are you asleep already?
TRAVIS: Of course.
SAM: We're about to make out!
TRAVIS: (snores) (laughter)
TRAVIS: Covered in wood chip.
ROBBIE and LAURA: (laugh)
TALIESIN: That's why they call him the Sandman.
LAURA: If you're going to do it, do it. Otherwise, I'm going to sleep.
SAM: Zone of truth!
MATT and LIAM: (laugh)
TALIESIN: All right, everyone in the room.
MATT: Okay, here we go!
SAM: What are we doing with this?
LAURA: What does it feel like?
MATT: I don't know. What are you doing with this?
TRAVIS: Yeah, what are you doing with this?
ROBBIE: What does it look like? Are we aware that it--
TRAVIS: You got to make a charisma saving throw.
MATT: As soon as it goes down, it's a 15-foot radius.
LAURA: Oh yeah. We make a charisma save?
MATT: You can get everybody. Everyone has to make a charisma save.
TALIESIN: You don't have to.
MATT: Or you can choose to fail it.
MARISHA: Oh, fail it.
TALIESIN: I'm failing it.
SAM: I'm going to try to overcome it.
LAURA: I'm going to try to make a save.
TRAVIS: What's the DC?
ASHLEY: Oh! (laughs)
SAM: Oh. 18, sorry.
TRAVIS: Oh shit! That's high!
ROBBIE: 18! Fuck!
MARISHA: 18! Damn! Wait, I just want to see if I would make it.
TALIESIN: I know, I'm just going to--
LIAM: I got natural 20--
MARISHA: What is it, a charisma saving throw? No.
LIAM: -- on this dice with a pie on it.
TALIESIN: I definitely did, but I'm not.
LAURA: Nice!
MATT: Yay!
TALIESIN: I'm letting it happen.
MATT: All right.
TALIESIN: I saved it--
MATT: There is a Zone of Truth. You all watch us as this faint--
TALIESIN: No, I didn't. Never mind.
MATT: -- gold, just the almost imperceptible--
MARISHA: Ooh. (gasps)
MATT: -- curtain of gold--
MARISHA: It bounces?
MATT: -- drifts outward. While you can't see it anymore, you can feel an energy in that space.
ASHLEY: (goat-like laugh)
ROBBIE: (sighs)
MARISHA and MATT: (laugh)
TRAVIS: Did you just bleat like a goat? (bleats like Ashley) (laughter)
LIAM: Yeah, she felt an energy in that space. (laughter)
TALIESIN: Oh man, I haven't done this shit in a while!
ASHLEY: Wow!
LAURA: So if you beat it, you can lie?
SAM: I think so.
LAURA: All right.
TRAVIS: Better start beating it. (laughter)
MATT: I guess this will be the bottle.
TRAVIS: Yay! (cheering)
ASHLEY: (laughs)
ROBBIE: Who's asking the questions? Are we asking each other?
LAURA: I don't know.
SAM: I don't know.
TRAVIS: Anybody. Anybody!
ASHLEY: This is so exciting!
ROBBIE: Are you the game master? It's your Zone of Truth!
SAM: I don't even know you people!
ASHLEY: I've wanted to play Spin the Bottle--
TRAVIS: Braius, Braius!
ASHLEY: -- with this group so bad!
LAURA: Ask a question, Fearne!
TRAVIS: Have you been happy serving the Lord of the Hells?
ASHLEY: Ooh!
SAM: It has been the honor of my life.
ROBBIE: Do we get to know what the other people rolled? Are we aware whether or not they--
MATT: No, you do not.
LAURA: No?
TALIESIN: This has been the honor--
ROBBIE: So we won't know if they're telling the truth or not?
TALIESIN: -- of your life?
SAM: It has been the honor of my life, and I will--
MATT: Just, if you know you failed, you cannot speak a deliberate lie.
SAM: I know that some of you might have gotten the impression that I maybe haven't visited the Hells--
MARISHA: (laughs)
SAM: -- and maybe haven't met the king of the devils.
TALIESIN: Have you met the king of the devils?
SAM: I know that you have the impression that I haven't. (laughter)
SAM: Maybe not technically. I haven't technically met the King of Lies.
ASHLEY: For now.
SAM: But gods speak to us in many different ways. Some wrap us in bark.
LAURA: (laughs)
SAM: Some speak to us in symbols or blood or ichor. I feel like he has reached out to me and I feel like we have a connection, maybe not a literal one.
LAURA: Hmm.
TRAVIS: Nice!
MARISHA: Good answer.
LIAM: Are you going to fuck us over? You going to turn on us at any point? Are you going to fuck us over?
SAM: Hmm. Maybe I should spin the bottle. (laughter)
ROBBIE: Yes! (laughter)
MATT: All right, there you go. (laughter)
TRAVIS: Oh!
LAURA: That's a good spin! That's a good spin!
TALIESIN: Well, it's going to take a little while.
ROBBIE: That thing spins a long time!
LAURA: Spin forever.
MATT: It really does!
SAM: Oh my god--
MATT: It was the nearest bottle I had.
TALIESIN: What happens if it lands on Matt?
LAURA: It's slowing, it's slowing down.
TRAVIS: Oh! Whoa, whoa, whoa!
MARISHA: What happens if it lands on Matt?
LAURA: Oh, wait.
LIAM: Is this Inception?
MARISHA: Is it a wild card?
MATT: I know, right?
LAURA: Don't spin it that hard in the future.
ASHLEY: I'm so scared!
LIAM: It's going to land on Matt.
SAM: Oh my god, it's still going!.
LIAM: Please! We can't do this more than--
TALIESIN: No, no, no, no, no.
ROBBIE: The suspense!
LAURA: Oh! Oh!
ROBBIE: Ooh!
ASHLEY: Oh! (excited cheering) (laughter)
ASHLEY: Get it! (laughter)
TALIESIN: I'm naming this game "Tumblr."
TRAVIS: Oh no! Will their relationship survive? (laughter)
ASHLEY: I'm so excited!
MARISHA: You have permission.
SAM: Yeah.
MARISHA: Mainly because I want to know what it's like!
LAURA and MATT: (laugh)
SAM: All right.
MARISHA: Does he have weird breath? Does it smell like grass? (laughter)
LAURA: You're human-faced, though. You don't have cow face.
SAM: Yes, but I'm getting a little bit excited.
LAURA: Oh no. (laughter)
SAM: So my bovine features are starting to--
LAURA: Oh, starting to come out?
SAM: -- flare out a little bit.
LAURA: Oh!
LIAM: Time to ride the mechanical bull!
ASHLEY: Whoa!
MATT: Oh my god.
ASHLEY: Whoa, what's going on?
SAM: (awkward moos)
MATT: This is a mistake. (laughter)
ASHLEY: No.
TALIESIN: All of this was a mistake.
MATT: No, this is amazing!
TALIESIN: Nine years--
MATT: All right.
TRAVIS: Roll for kiss.
TALIESIN: -- leading to this.
LAURA: Roll for kiss?
SAM: Performance check?
LAURA: Yeah, okay.
ROBBIE: Yes!
MATT: Sure!
TRAVIS: Yeah, yeah. yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
MATT: Sure!
TRAVIS: Yeah, yeah!
LAURA: Oh wait, what kind of a check? Is that charisma?
MATT: Performance. Yeah.
LAURA: Performance.
SAM: 21 over here.
ROBBIE and TRAVIS: Wow!
ASHLEY: Wow!
SAM: I'm giving it my all. I'm doing all the tricks.
TRAVIS: Holy shit!
LAURA: A 13. I'm not as into it. (laughter)
SAM: I'm on you.
MATT: Checks out. (laughter)
MATT: Checks out.
SAM: My mouth is all on you.
MATT: Ugh!
LAURA: I'll bring my hand up.
SAM: (laughs)
MARISHA: (laughs)
MATT: Okay.
LIAM: You ever see when a cow goes up to something and just licks sideways?
MARISHA: Yeah, licks it!
LIAM: (thick, slobbery lick) (laughter)
LAURA: That was great. That was really good.
SAM: I appreciate your--
LAURA: So glad we played this game.
SAM: Woo! That was good.
TALIESIN: I don't like this rule. I want to know if you're going to turn on us! I feel like that's an appropriate--
LIAM: I think that means that's a yes.
ASHLEY: It's a possibility.
MARISHA: Was it like sandpaper?
SAM: It's a possibility.
MARISHA: His tongue?
ASHLEY: Great.
LAURA: Yeah, it was.
LIAM: Cool.
TALIESIN: I don't like that answer.
LAURA: Yeah, his nose felt bigger up close.
TRAVIS: Ashton, do you agree with Ludinus?
TALIESIN: No.
TRAVIS: Hmm.
TALIESIN: That was a broad question. People are complicated. There are things that he said that I think are definitely true, and I understand because I've had a life that sometimes the truth is its own kind of lie. So yeah, there are things I agree with and there are things that I definitely do not.
ROBBIE: But you said no first.
TALIESIN: I did.
TRAVIS: (laughs)
TALIESIN: It's because he has to be fucking stopped. He has to be stopped.
TRAVIS: Do you spin the bottle now?
LAURA: No.
TALIESIN: Because I answered.
TRAVIS: Sorry, I was just--
ROBBIE: You ask the next question, though.
LIAM: This is like Boulder, Parchment, Shears with three players. It's really disjointed.
MATT: Yep.
TALIESIN: It is really disjointed. Okay.
TRAVIS: Man, y'all got no questions? I'll just keep firing them out.
LAURA: Go for it, Chet.
ASHLEY: Keep going, Chet! Keep going, if you got them.
TALIESIN: New kid.
SAM: Oh!
TALIESIN: Do you have a grudge against your previous god?
SAM: Do I have a grudge against--
TRAVIS: Previous god?
SAM: Yes, I do. Yes. I was forsaken and abandoned by my temple and by all my fellow followers.
TALIESIN: If it came down to hurting your previous god or saving us?
SAM: Saving you or hurting the Platinum Dragon?
TALIESIN: Yeah. I'm not saying that they're exclusive, I'm just saying that, if it came down to helping a fellow mortal or just not killing, but just--
SAM: That's a good question! I will say this. My mission is not to hurt the Platinum Dragon. My mission is to destroy Ludinus and to save my master. You all have been nothing but nice to me in the last day.
MATT: (laughs) I know I said it would be difficult, but I don't believe I will turn on you. You've given me no reason to. I would not stab you in the back to kill the Platinum Dragon.
TALIESIN: It would be very hard to stab me in the back. It's mostly rock back there.
SAM: Also, I don't have any daggers or knives.
TALIESIN: I've got some spares. You can definitely--
SAM: Oh! Lend me one.
TALIESIN: Why am I--
LAURA: (laughs)
MATT: (laughs)
SAM: You seem like good people.
TALIESIN: We're people.
LAURA: What is it, Chet? You just look so anxious over here.
TRAVIS: Fearne!
LAURA: (laughs)
ASHLEY: What?
TALIESIN: Shit.
SAM: I love this game.
TRAVIS: If Ludinus gave you the ability to save the people closest to you or of your choosing, would you conspire with him?
ASHLEY: What, like-- Okay, so if he was going to say, "Hey, you can save all of your friends, everybody here, would you conspire with me?" I rolled a natural 20. I'm trying to figure out how I want to answer this.
MATT: For the record, you do not have to tell what you rolled either.
TRAVIS: I know. That was the inside part out loud.
TALIESIN: Yeah.
ASHLEY: Oh shit! (laughter)
TRAVIS: But in character. (laughs)
MATT: Oh yeah.
ASHLEY: You know what? Yeah, I'm going to roll. I mean, I'm going to spin.
MATT: Right. A light spin.
MARISHA: Ooh!
ASHLEY: A light spin.
LAURA: Yeah.
LIAM: (bottle wobbling)
ROBBIE: Whoa. (laughs)
ROBBIE: I'm so--
ASHLEY: I'm scared.
SAM: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
ROBBIE: It's scary.
LAURA: ♪ (triumphant fanfare) ♪
TRAVIS: Come on home!
LAURA: Oh! Oh!
TRAVIS: Come home!
SAM: Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!
TRAVIS: Come home to daddy!
LAURA: (laughs)
MATT: That would be Chet. (laughter)
ROBBIE: Yay!
ASHLEY: I just go over and I straddle him and just have a big old kiss.
MATT: (laughs)
TRAVIS: (blissful wail)
SAM: Oh. (laughter)
ASHLEY: I'm also going to try to take the branches from the Birthheart that you were working on.
TALIESIN: Bless you.
ROBBIE: (laughs)
MATT: Make a sleight of hand check, and you make a perception check.
TRAVIS: Goddamn it!
LIAM: Advantage with all that.
MARISHA: Wow!
LAURA: Yeah.
MARISHA: Never misses an opportunity.
MATT: I'll say with disadvantage because you are--
ASHLEY: Disadvantage? Okay.
MATT: No, he's at disadvantage because--
ASHLEY: Oh, okay.
SAM: While she's doing that, I'm going to Mage Hand this. (laughter)
ASHLEY: You Mage Handing?
SAM: I Mage Handed the bottle so it would face me.
ASHLEY: Oh! (laughs)
TALIESIN: Did you just say that out loud?
LAURA: Why didn't I realize--
MARISHA: She's already kissing him!
MATT: She's already kissing him right now.
SAM: I know, but maybe afterwards.
MATT: Okay. (laughter)
MATT: We'll get to that in a second.
TRAVIS: Just be careful which sticks you're reaching around for. I'm just saying, we're smooching. 13.
MATT: 13. What'd you roll?
ASHLEY: 19.
MATT: 19. Okay. So as this is happening, you deftly reach into the bag of holding and withdraw the Birthheart twigs that you had--
TRAVIS: All three of them? Damn!
LAURA: Cold.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
MATT: You don't have those in your pocket.
TRAVIS: It's the best kiss ever!
MARISHA: Oh, Fearne, you kicked the bottle a little bit. Let me just-- Hang on.
ASHLEY: Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry!
SAM: Wait, no--
ASHLEY: My bad.
SAM: It was still rolling.
ASHLEY: My hooves are just all over the place.
SAM: It was still spinning a little bit.
LAURA: I don't think it was.
TRAVIS: Just like I remember, Fearnie!
ASHLEY: Oh, it was still spinning?
SAM: It was still spinning.
TRAVIS: You still got it!
LAURA: Hmm.
ROBBIE: Laudna?
ASHLEY: Then I'm just going to hold the sticks.
TRAVIS: Oh! What?
MARISHA: I was about to ask you a question.
ASHLEY: What?
LIAM: Hey, Al-ster.
ROBBIE: Can I go first?
MATT: Aw.
MARISHA: Yeah.
ROBBIE: Are you sure?
MARISHA: Yes.
TALIESIN: Wow!
ROBBIE: This is fun, but there's something that's been weighing on me since I've been back.
MARISHA: Okay.
ROBBIE: I don't even know how to say it. I'm sorry.
MARISHA: Are you all right?
ROBBIE: No! This is supposed to be fun. I heard you say to Orym and to Imogen that if something happened to you where you put us at risk, that you would be willing to sacrifice yourself for all of us. I'm sorry. If the shoe were on the other foot and Imogen were to become a vessel for Predathos, would you be able to do the same?
MARISHA: If she asked me to, just in the same way that I asked them.
LAURA: Well, then I'll say it now. If I put you all at harm, do what it takes to defeat me.
MARISHA: It will be the absolute last resort.
ROBBIE: I'm sorry. I hate being a downer.
TALIESIN: This is what we're here for.
LAURA: Do you want to spin the bottle, Dorian?
ROBBIE: Kind of, but nah, I'm okay.
SAM: Go for it. It's fun!
ROBBIE: No.
TRAVIS: I'm all warmed up now.
ROBBIE: Okay! (laughter)
ASHLEY: Come on, come on!
ROBBIE: I spinned it so slow.
LAURA: (laughs)
TALIESIN: There's really only so much you can do.
LAURA: ♪ (trilling jaunty tune) ♪ Oh! Yourself!
ROBBIE: No! (laughter)
ROBBIE: Anything but that! (laughter)
TALIESIN: ♪ ("Price is Right" loss trombone) ♪ (laughter)
ASHLEY: Yes!
LAURA: Chet's lucky night!
ROBBIE: No!
ASHLEY: Chet!
ROBBIE: Please!
LIAM: RTA, baby.
TRAVIS: I'm not moving. I'm just saying, you got to earn these lips!
LAURA: (laughs)
ASHLEY: Ooh!
ROBBIE: Ooh, if you didn't smell like cedar and chestnuts! (laughter)
ROBBIE: I'm going to kiss him! Oh, this is my nightmare!
MATT: Performance check on both of you. (laughter)
LAURA: You didn't even do one.
ASHLEY: Oh wait! We didn't a performance check. Whatever.
MARISHA: Oh! Oh!
LAURA: What'd you get?
ROBBIE: 26!
MARISHA: (laughs)
ASHLEY: Whoa!
TRAVIS: 19! (laughter)
SAM: Ooh!
LAURA: This is a good kiss!
ASHLEY: Oh my god!
TRAVIS: These bards are fucking serious!
MARISHA: (laughs)
ROBBIE: I'm going to pull away and I'm going to say: I fucking knew it. (laughter)
ASHLEY: See? See?
ROBBIE: Throw him back on the bed.
TRAVIS: He is royalty!
ASHLEY: Wow!
LIAM: In all of history, there's been five great kisses. (laughter)
LIAM: That kiss topped them all. (laughter)
ASHLEY: Yes!
MATT: Thing is, Fearne and Chetney, in my opinion, already had--
ASHLEY: Yeah, no, no! Fair, fair, fair.
MATT: -- a lot more than a kiss. So I think for you guys, it's just going back to where you left off.
ASHLEY: I respect the choice.
ASHLEY: Yeah. Yeah.
TRAVIS: Yeah.
MARISHA: Dorian?
ROBBIE: Oh, that's funny.
MARISHA: Dorian?
ROBBIE: Yes! I'm sorry! Yes.
MARISHA: Not to bring the mood down--
MATT: (laughs)
MARISHA: -- and you could always spin the bottle again.
ROBBIE: Sure.
LAURA: (laughs)
MARISHA: You haven't said much at all since your return. In fact, you were almost quite glib, flippant about it on your return in regards to the death of your brother.
ROBBIE: Yeah. That's not for fun and games.
MARISHA: Well, we never said that this game was going to be fun.
LIAM: It was my question too.
TALIESIN: And mine.
MARISHA: Are you running from it? Do you feel responsible? Are you trying not to process it? Do you feel like, if there is a chance at reversing it, that you would take it, even if it came at a cost? Speaking of making deals with gods.
ROBBIE: I won't be making any deals with gods. That was four questions.
MARISHA: Well.
TRAVIS and ROBBIE: (laugh)
MARISHA: I'm lumping it into one. Here.
LIAM: One from Ashton, one from me.
MARISHA: (laughs)
TALIESIN: I'll go last.
MARISHA: Answer how you see fit. This is not meant to bully anyone into talking about things that they don't want to talk about.
ROBBIE: No. I think a little laughing and bullying is just fine sometimes. I don't know my place in all this sometimes and sometimes the way I feel feels unimportant. But that's okay. I've felt like that most of my life. But when I'm with you, I feel important. I can't even believe you've been thinking about that at all with all that's going on. I've gotten really good at putting my feelings where they should go for the greater good. And for now, allow me to continue. But it doesn't mean I don't feel them. It doesn't mean I don't think about them. I'm not shallow or callous or unthinking. When we first met, I was a liar.
SAM: Really?
ROBBIE: Mm-hmm.
SAM: Sexy.
ROBBIE: (laughs) And a bad one. But I lied to hide what I feel, and now I don't have to lie. I can just put it away. I know it will come for me one day, and I'm okay with that. There will only be one brother that I've ever had and none of you can replace him. Nor would I try. He might have been a fool, but he was kind and honorable and honest. If he were still here right now, he would be with us all and we could use him. But for my part, allow me to honor his memory by doing what is right because I know that's what he would do. The only thing that scares me about being here anymore is that I don't know what's right or wrong anymore, and there's no one here to guide us. We are leaderless, drifting, going on instinct and love. And sometimes that is not enough. I once told you to stay steadfast, but perhaps that was more for me. Everybody finds their strength in different ways, and a smile is mine. So, thank you for asking, but I'm just fine.
MARISHA: What was his name again?
ROBBIE: My brother?
MARISHA: Yes. There's strength in a name.
ROBBIE: Cyrus. His name is Cyrus.
MARISHA: To Cyrus.
TALIESIN: Mm.
ASHLEY: To Cyrus.
TALIESIN: And to all who walk with us and who are not walking with us.
ASHLEY: Cheers to that.
ROBBIE: Someone ask a funny one.
TRAVIS: You want some of this Birthheart, dog? (laughter)
TRAVIS: I put some shavings in there. I'm fucking seeing some shit.
TALIESIN: You're an impressive person, Dorian. I want to see you cough now.
MARISHA: Yeah, smoke that fake joint. Smoke that fake joint. (laughter)
ROBBIE: That's birch. (laughter)
TALIESIN: Work that improv class.
ASHLEY: Some good birch?
MARISHA: Yeah.
ROBBIE: (sighs)
MARISHA: Well, I'm not going to skip this opportunity.
LAURA: (laughs)
MARISHA: (laughs)
MATT: I don't understand the rules anymore.
TALIESIN: There are no rules. We live in chaos.
LAURA: Oh my god, if it ends on Chet again.
TALIESIN: I'm going to laugh my ass off.
SAM: Orym?
LAURA: Orym!
ASHLEY: Oh. (laughter)
ROBBIE: Personally, I'd like to see it.
TALIESIN: Well, everyone's getting what they deserve, aren't they?
ASHLEY: You could always--
MARISHA: Fuck. (laughter)
MARISHA: I'm making it worse!
ROBBIE: It's going to go back!
MARISHA: Fuck! No!
TRAVIS and MARISHA: Oh!
ROBBIE: No, no.
ASHLEY: Listen.
ROBBIE: No.
ASHLEY: Listen. Listen.
TALIESIN: Just making your way.
ROBBIE: First rolls first.
ASHLEY: I mean--
TRAVIS: Pick up that little druid and give him a kiss.
MARISHA: What are we rolling? (laughs)
MATT, SAM, and ROBBIE: Performance.
MARISHA and ROBBIE: Performance?
ROBBIE: Why is it performance?
MATT: Because it's funny, and most everyone's bad at it.
ASHLEY: Because it's funny.
MARISHA: This is hilarious.
LAURA: Oh no. (laughs)
LIAM: Yeah, this is perfect.
LIAM: I got a three. (laughter)
MARISHA: I rolled a two. (laughter)
LAURA: That's just right.
MATT: This is like the two teenagers with head gear.
TALIESIN: Oh!
ASHLEY: Yes!
MATT: Trying to find a way in.
ASHLEY: Stuck.
TALIESIN: Well, that answers that question.
LAURA: Oh, gosh. Sorry about that.
LIAM: It just turns into a hug.
MARISHA: Yeah.
MATT: Yep, yep, yep.
MARISHA: Yeah, like an awkward peck. I imagine we, I try to go left, but you do too and then we crack our heads and then it happens again.
LIAM: Yeah. Yeah, we accidentally kiss each other on the lips when neither intended to.
MARISHA: Correct. Yeah, and we're making it count.
LIAM: Then it ends fast.
ASHLEY: That was really cute.
TALIESIN: The juvenility of this is making me so happy.
MARISHA, ROBBIE, and MATT: (laugh)
LAURA: Well this has been fun, y'all.
ASHLEY: This has been fun. (laughter)
MARISHA: We should probably get some sleep.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
MATT: As we pull back from the chamber--
LAURA and MARISHA: (laugh)
MATT: (laughs)
TALIESIN: One last thing actually if we're all going to sleep. I'm going to grab my bottle. I'm going to finish my fucking drink and I'm going to follow you.
LAURA: (gasps)
SAM: Fearne?
TALIESIN: Fearne.
ASHLEY: Me?
TALIESIN: Towards where you're going. I'm going to just have the bottle.
ASHLEY: Oh.
TALIESIN: I'm just going to point it at you.
SAM: Ooh!
LAURA: Oh!
TALIESIN: Once we're--
ASHLEY: (pleasantly) Oh. Sure. I still got a little, I'm not quite tired yet.
LAURA: I got a little juice.
ASHLEY: I got a little--
TALIESIN: Yeah.
ASHLEY: I got a little juice left in me.
SAM: Are we still in this big room?
TALIESIN: No, we moved to the corner. Yeah, yeah.
SAM: Are you gone?
LAURA: Oh, they're still in the room, though.
ASHLEY: We'll go to the corner.
TALIESIN: Yeah.
ROBBIE: Is it 12 beds in one room?
LAURA: Yeah.
MATT: It's 12 beds in one room.
ASHLEY: We'll just go in the far corner.
SAM: I am just glaring at you from across the way. (laughter)
TALIESIN: I feel nothing.
LAURA: I'm going to telekinetically pick up one of the blankets on the bed and hold it up in front of them.
LAURA: Just give them some privacy.
MATT: Okay. Okay.
ASHLEY: Little private room?
TALIESIN: Yeah.
ASHLEY: Hi.
TALIESIN: Hi.
MARISHA: Oh, wait, wait! Oh.
LAURA: Wait. Is Zone of Truth still left, though? Y'all have to tell the truth to each other as you do this.
MATT: Well, if you walk to the back of the room, you've stepped out of the zone, so.
TALIESIN: No, we're out of it.
ASHLEY: We stepped out of the Zone of Truth.
MARISHA: Oh, the two of you are talking.
ROBBIE: No faking. (laughs)
MARISHA: Okay. All right.
ASHLEY: How's it going?
TALIESIN: I don't know. There's only one real way to find out. I walk over and grab the back of your head and just go for it.
SAM: Whoa. Whoa.
LAURA: Lock it down!
LIAM: This is like 30 feet away from us over a blanket.
LAURA: Yeah, but I have a blanket.
MATT: There was a blanket hiding it.
LIAM: That hides it.
TALIESIN: That's it.
LIAM: For sure.
LAURA: Now we just see silhouettes. It's a show.
LIAM: And a loud conversation.
MARISHA: (laughs)
ASHLEY: I just sort of am--
LAURA: (claps)
ASHLEY: -- shocked and surprised. I'll kiss you back.
TALIESIN: I'm pickpocketing you right now.
LAURA: (gasps)
TRAVIS and MARISHA: Oh!
MATT and ROBBIE: (laugh)
MATT: Sleight of hand. Perception check.
ASHLEY: Perception check?
LAURA: Guys.
ASHLEY: Okay.
LAURA: You're meant for each other.
TRAVIS and ROBBIE: (laugh)
ASHLEY: Okay. Perception check? (groans) Okay.
TALIESIN: 21.
ASHLEY: Shit. 15.
MATT: (laughs)
TALIESIN: What do you have?
MATT: What are you going for?
LAURA: She's got three sticks.
ASHLEY: What are you going for?
TALIESIN: I was just going for something random in your pocket.
MATT: Okay, so you get to decide.
ASHLEY: Okay. Why don't you take... What do I have in here? Okay.
TALIESIN: Don't go through your real pockets.
ASHLEY: Well, no, no, no. I was looking because I have a list and I don't have that with me.
TALIESIN: Go random.
ASHLEY: Because I don't know where that notebook went. Anyway, it doesn't matter.
TALIESIN: (laughs)
ASHLEY: Okay.
TALIESIN: Mm-hmm.
ASHLEY: You are going to take out, it is a little spoon.
TALIESIN: Mm-hmm.
ASHLEY: It's a little tiny spoon like this. It has a little engraving It has a little engraving in the ladle part. The engraving is TJ. The engraving is TJ.
TALIESIN: Mm-hmm.
ASHLEY: I think that's what it was.
SAM: Tommy--
ASHLEY: I'm pretty sure it's TJ.
TALIESIN: So we're kissing again for this.
ASHLEY: Okay.
TALIESIN: As we break up: I got you something. It says something on it. I'm not quite sure.
ASHLEY: Oh my god. I've been looking all over for something like this.
TALIESIN: It felt very you.
ASHLEY: This is so me. Where did you even-- I have one just like this.
TALIESIN: Now I'm just going back to kissing.
ASHLEY and LAURA: (laugh)
MATT: (laughs)
TALIESIN: Going in for another kiss.
ASHLEY: All right. I'll go in for another kiss too.
TALIESIN: Yeah.
MATT: Okay.
TALIESIN: I'm happy to keep his up for as long as, I assume--
LIAM: There's two more hours to the show.
TALIESIN: Yep. There we are.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
MATT: Yeah.
ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
MATT: (laughs)
ASHLEY: Okay, great.
LAURA: I just throw the blanket over top of them. (blanket flops) (laughter)
LIAM: Spooky ghost.
LAURA: ♪ I don't want to hold it anymore ♪ (laughter)
TALIESIN: We do it for you all the time.
LIAM: Afraid to drop the spell. (laughter)
MATT: Only the best friends help them soak. So, anyway.
TALIESIN: Yeah.
MATT: As the evening comes to a close, eventually the morning light begins to appear through the one solid window that's there. Since you all stayed up far later than the rest of the folks here because you actually arrived out of time. You had come here in the middle of the night, what was the middle of your afternoon or day, and so rest comes a little later and you stayed up playing Spin the Bottle, telling stories, kissing under a blanket.
TALIESIN: Spin the Bottle nightcap.
LIAM: I'm going to add a detail, too, for when everyone goes to sleep.
ASHLEY: I love making out under a blanket.
LIAM: Just that Orym, as he lay in his bed in this small room, spent some time looking at this sword that has changed. In the last 10 or 15 minutes before falling asleep, he goes back to just watching Dorian sleep, he goes back to just watching Dorian sleep, which is something that he's done for a very, for a long time.
MATT: Yeah. Okay.
LIAM: As long as he's known him.
ROBBIE: Yeah. The problem is, Dorian's not asleep. He doesn't sleep. His back is to you.
SAM: Just--
ROBBIE: But he just stares at the-- (laughter)
ROBBIE: Furious! (laughter)
ASHLEY: As he's crying.
ASHLEY: Oh no. (laughter)
ROBBIE: Just tear lube. Oh yeah. (laughter)
TALIESIN: Oh my god!
ROBBIE: Perfect.
ASHLEY: Sorry. (laughter)
TRAVIS: Horrible. Horrible.
ROBBIE: This is how I compartmentalize. (laughter)
TALIESIN: These are my emotions. I serve them in a bento box.
TRAVIS: Horrible.
TALIESIN: There's little corners for everything. That one's my self-loathing on some rice.
LAURA: Buddy.
MATT: (laughs) (lingering laughter)
ROBBIE: No, that's it.
LIAM: That's it? Got it.
MATT: All right, great.
ROBBIE: I'm not.
LIAM: It serves the same purpose.
ASHLEY: What I would love to do--
MATT: Yes.
ASHLEY: This is just a very quick thing. Before bed, I'm going to take the Birthheart branches.
MATT: Mm-hmm.
ASHLEY: I'm going to put them back in Chetney's hands--
ROBBIE: Aw.
ASHLEY: -- in his sleep. I can't take those from him.
TRAVIS: (snoring) My baby.
ASHLEY: I just wanted a reminder of who's in charge here.
TRAVIS: (snoring)
MATT: Understood.
ASHLEY: Then I slither back.
MATT: You do wake up, some of you more haggard than others, but rested nevertheless. It is later morning.
TRAVIS: We'll see when we're done.
MATT: Your twigs are in your hand. We'll see if you're alive to recognize them.
TRAVIS: It's going to be fine. All right. (laughter)
TRAVIS: Oh!
TALIESIN: I would not be--
MARISHA: I want it to happen so bad.
LAURA: (laughs)
ASHLEY: You.
TRAVIS: Thanks.
ASHLEY: Good morning, everybody.
LAURA: Morning.
MARISHA: Morning.
ASHLEY and LAURA: (laugh)
ASHLEY: Hello. (laughter)
LAURA: So we should head to wherever the fuck, the trial, something something.
MATT: All right. So you all head to-- You gather your things and you head to the Trial Forge, asking a few questions and some of the acolytes within the Birthheart are happy to guide you there. It's not hard to miss. There are large black plumes of smoke that rise up from the Trial Forge itself. In pushing over to that area of Vasselheim, the Braving Grounds, you can see it's very rough and industrial in some places. you can see it's very rough and industrial in some places. You can see the architecture itself seems a little more function over visual form beyond the massive statues of warriors, of displays of strength and contest. Eventually following the smoke that billows upward around this area, you do see, not far from these massive blacksmithies and places of mass armament construction, you do see this incredible temple, this almost gladiatorial, arena-type Colosseum temple with massive stone structures of various robed monks of various robed monks that are themselves in various poses of either meditation or battle combat. It is ominous as much as it is ancient and filled with a quiet strength and intensity. As you approach the exterior of it, you can see a number of other scattered protectors and guards from different factions are waiting on the outside. Julian, who's one of the-- Blades of the Tempest--
LIAM: Another Ashari, yeah.
MATT: -- that you recognize, looks over to you. He's a young human, maybe in like his mid-twenties or so. He actually was a pretty fast climber up the ranks and trained underneath you before you went on your trek. Looks over. "Orym, they're inside. They've already begun, but they're expecting you."
LIAM: We're late?
MATT: "Yes. Barely, barely."
LIAM: You holding up?
ROBBIE: Of course we're late.
LAURA: Yeah, that's right on.
LIAM: You holding up?
ASHLEY: We're supposed to be here right now.
MATT: "I'm holding up as well as can be. How about you?"
LIAM: Under the circumstances? I reach up to his arm. One day at a time. We do what we do.
MATT: "Truth. Indeed."
LIAM: Good to see your face.
MATT: "Come." Leads you through the massive stone halls, the smell of herbs and dirt and smoke, ancient smoke that sits across the stone here from incense braziers and various ritualistic burnings that are set throughout these halls to give them this smell of old battlefields, eternally charred.
ASHLEY: Cool.
MATT: Eventually, you're brought through a few side hallways to a central war room chamber, which has a massive circular table in the center. You can see within this room, you have Earthbreaker Groon, Vex'ahlia, Lady Kima of Vord, Allura, Queen Fruunast, J'mon Sa Ord, the Bright Queen, and Tofor Brotoras are all present in this room, around the table, as well as Evoroa is right up against Keyleth, who is the last member around this table. As you step in, you can see they're already mid-discussion and as you begin to make eye contact, Keyleth goes, "Ah, perfect. We've only just started a moment ago. So, Evoroa was giving us a breakdown of some pertinent information." Evoroa at the edge of the table, looking at everyone and looking at the rest of you as you filter in, "So, the Prime Pillar of Ruidus itself is the remains of Predathos' original form when sealed is how it's understood on our, my, home. The glass itself is extremely resilient against both physical excavation and magical alteration. What we do use as tools is either flecks that have come free from the overall interior structure or spent a long time trying to chip away and eventually make doable. Once it's left the primary glass vein structure of the moon, it becomes more brittle and workable. But before then, it is extremely hardy. Now, it has taken many unique and experimental designs and some recovered arcane technology from the ruins that you were all at to build devices that could work towards the core on the timeline that Ludinus requires. Now, I do not know how close they are to the core as we speak, but I do know that the Weave Mind and Ludinus acknowledge through communion with Predathos that it lies sleeping somewhere near the center of the moon in something they refer to as the Hallowed Cage. From what I've overheard, this Hallowed Cage is likely the heavy boundary that the gods put on Predathos to keep him eternally slumbering. Now, Ludinus mentioned that this is what Predathos has created the Ruidusborn for. They were the seeds that would one day germinate and return to open the cage, to come home and set him free. Now, this activity, everything that's happening, everything that's occurring on the moon here through the Weave Mind, through Ludinus and the Vanguard, getting to this core is the center of all this. The armies, the fortresses, the psychic warlords, all layers of protection are all meant to safeguard this one final act. So, that being the case, that needs to be, as far as I understand, some important focus. Everything else to a degree is a distraction or a means of just-- Well, if they achieve that, then it's just a domino effect across everything else they're trying to do. Right?"
LIAM: Mm-hmm.
MATT: "So, it's not much, but at least I do know that, I know that's something that they're heavily focused on."
TRAVIS: Dispelling or breaking apart this Hallowed Cage.
MATT: "Getting to it and then getting through it. The rest of--"
LAURA: Predathos isn't fully asleep. Not fully. They still hunger and call out.
MATT: Keyleth moves across the table. "We've also been able to look a bit within this fortress that sprung up around the Key and it seems like a rather extensive Ruidian army sits within and around its halls that is led on the ground by the Sunder King, Ozo Cruth himself. That is one target, right? The Weave Mind," and Keyleth looks over to Evoroa. "You told me a bit about last night. Is an incredibly dangerous, astronomically powerful collective of psychic alien minds. You've seen these, you mentioned before. Do you corroborate this information?"
LAURA: Yeah, they're extremely powerful.
MATT: "Do you know this Weave Mind to travel?" Evoroa goes, "As far as I understand, they're rarely ever seen outside of their cathedral, their stronghold around the pillar. They don't need to move, but if they have, it's probably for good reason. Their minds are so refined that they can influence many places on Ruidus without having to be physically there. I do not know enough or understand enough to know their limits, if there are any."
LAURA: Their bodies were withered. They've been alive for a long time.
MATT: Groon then leans forward, "If they are withered, then they can die. So, that's two. The Sunder King Ozo Cruth at the Malleus Key, and the Weave Mind possibly also at the Key or on Ruidus, still within the city Kreviris."
LAURA: They were able to project themselves. They weren't physically there, but it certainly felt like it. They were still very powerful even without their physical form.
MATT: You can see the Bright Queen then sitting back at the table. "Then do we have a way of confirming where this Weave Mind might reside?"
MARISHA: We sort of know.
TRAVIS: Confirming.
LAURA: I could reach out.
SAM: Didn't they talk to you?
TRAVIS: We were in the den.
LAURA: The Weave Mind certainly doesn't know, but I could try reaching out to my mom.
MARISHA: You knew, just from the limited time we were on Ruidus, we know vaguely where they are, but we didn't see them in person. Oh! We have diagrams for this, and I get the bag of holding and I pull out that globe.
MATT: As you pull out the globe and set it towards the table, everyone leans in. Keyleth smiles, "Holding out on us here, but--"
LAURA: Sorry, I thought we totally showed you this--
MARISHA: I thought we did too.
LAURA: -- when we landed.
MARISHA: It is--
MATT: You did. I didn't remember.
LAURA and MARISHA: Yeah. (laughter)
MATT: Somebody else says, "Oh wow." (laughs) (laughter)
MATT: "Holding out on us."
SAM: Yeah.
ASHLEY: "What? Wow, I didn't see that."
TALIESIN: Who are you? This is a private room. Get out. Get out. (laughter)
MATT: You know, as they all began taking turns, looking it over with an intense look, and they begin debating like, "All right, so this is the glass veins throughout. This is the body. Is this all true," and Evoroa goes, "As far as I understand, this is an estimation. No one has truly seen or fully explored the vein network, but we know the prime pillar and we know the glass veins that gather out throughout Ruidus at different places, so this is an estimation from a number of our studying forces. Hopefully that helps."
TALIESIN: Is this a place where the All-Minds-Burn might useful?
LAURA: Yeah, 100%.
ROBBIE: Evoroa, can I ask you a question?
MATT: "Of course."
ROBBIE: I wasn't with you all in Ruidus. Of all the people or beings who live there, how many of them are compelled to help Ludinus and how many are doing it of their own free will? Do you know? Do you have an estimation? How many are like you? How many are like those guarding the fortress?
MATT: "I know there are many, many who deeply dislike being under the tyranny of the Weave Mind. The Vanguard has offered promises of the Blue Dream, of a better home. So, those who aren't acting on fear, which is many, are acting on hope. But even so, there are many who, well, there are many who know better and still fight within this, the Volition, the ones who sent you to come find me and rescue me, they are very much a sprawling network throughout Ruidus. That was their core organizers in Kreviris. But they've been around for some time generationally, and there are many who fall into their beliefs, but dare not speak or even think it at times, because the Weave Mind is a very terrifying force when focus can peel past deception, can leave one's mind bare and punish (snap) just as quick. They're a terror."
ROBBIE: But perhaps without them, your people could be compelled by hope.
MATT: "I think so." Allura goes, "All right, so we have the Sunder King Ozo at the Malleus Key, and we have the Weave Mind possibly on Ruidus."
LIAM: Can Ludinus achieve his goals without them? Or is it all--
LAURA: He'd have a much harder time. They've been his contact the entire time on Ruidus.
ASHLEY: Evoroa, do you have any, I don't know if we've asked you this before, but do you have any history of the Weave Mind, of who they were?
MATT: "I don't personally."
ASHLEY: Anything?
MATT: "They're... what we know is when they, when they came to power, it was an era of prosperity for the Reilora specifically. Kind of a slow subjugation of Bormodos, Quanikkas. Kind of everyone who wasn't Reiloran fell in line. It's hard to resist when you don't know how. Anything before was largely just cast away. Seems to be a pattern on both our worlds," and looks over towards Keyleth and they all make eye contact about the gaps in Exandrian history. "But what I do understand is most everyone wishes to not be perceived by them, and the best way to not be perceived by them is to not question or balk."
TRAVIS: I still stick by what I said last night. We control the backdoor entryway. We go after the Weave Mind.
MATT: The Bright Queen says, "What backdoor entryway are you referring to?"
TRAVIS: Well, I have a lot of code words for things. You know, backdoor is like the opposite of what you would expect, so--
MATT: Make a deception check.
TRAVIS: Yeah.
MARISHA: Mm!
ROBBIE: Oh!
TRAVIS: ♪ Doo doo doo doo doo doo ♪ ♪ No worries ♪ Eight!
ROBBIE: Oh, you flipped it!
MATT: Bright Queen smirks. "If there is to be trust within this circle--"
ROBBIE: Oh my god.
MATT: "-- if we are to plan by putting the lives of ourselves and all of our beloved people to achieve any grand victory, it would behoove us to lay our proverbial cards on the table."
TRAVIS: Do we spin the bottle again?
ASHLEY: Yeah, well how do we know that we can trust you?
SAM: Oh boy.
ROBBIE: Ooh.
MATT: She glares towards your direction, and Allura goes, "We have to all trust in each other. We have shared-- (huffs) We have shared concerns. The Bright Queen and the Kryn have been fruitful allies since the Solstice, and I believe do not wish any ill will, so."
ASHLEY: Wait a minute. I want her to tell me that, not you.
MATT: The room gets tense.
ROBBIE: Whoa.
MARISHA: Let's go, Fearnie.
ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: The two Kryn defenders square off to the Bright Queen's shoulders and the Bright Queen just puts their hand off to wave them away. "My people were once cast from the light and climbed to return to it. I was there at the end of the Calamity when we rose above the shadows the Spider Queen threw us. We walk now on the path of the Luxon, progenitor of all light and life. What Ludinus, sworn enemy of the Dynasty, wishes to do would send echoes that spiral out that would leave us in the most dangerous places of despair, so while I do not, and we do not ascribe to the worship of your temples, we do acknowledge the mutually beneficial alliance that we have forged and should maintain, so we bid you no danger or harm. Does that satisfy your curiosity?"
ASHLEY: Yes, it does. That's all I needed to hear.
MATT: "Very well."
ASHLEY: Love the look, by the way.
MATT: "So, this backdoor."
TRAVIS: We got a backdoor. We figured out a way into Ruidus.
MATT: See Keyleth kind of like. (laughter)
ASHLEY: Yes. Just yeah.
TRAVIS: We got a way.
TALIESIN: Sorry.
TRAVIS: But I mean, obviously it's fraught with peril and it's very, very dangerous. We've only used it once. We don't even know if it's still there, if it's been discovered, if it's been compromised, so we're playing a little close to the chest.
LAURA: It's also really small.
MATT: "It's secured." Keyleth puts her hand up. (whispers) "We have to be trusting here or all is lost anyway."
LAURA: Yeah, no--
MATT: "We received your missives and notice and essentially, Bells Hells here, while they were on their intel mission on Ruidus, they discovered an ancient tether. An old portal that connected wherever this section of moon once was to a place in Issylra at the bottom of a lake. This gate endured through the sealing of the moon, and so is a second way in and off Ruidus that aside from those in this room nobody else we believe is aware of. So--"
TRAVIS: Sorry, guys. I fucking screwed the pooch on that one. (laughter)
TRAVIS: Sorry.
ROBBIE: You're such a tactician, too!
TRAVIS: Fucked that one up.
ASHLEY: It's all right.
TALIESIN: One in 100 roll would've solved this 10 minutes ago. (laughter)
TALIESIN: One in 100 roll. (laughter)
TRAVIS: Too much at once last night.
ASHLEY: Your brain's mid.
MARISHA: Just--
ROBBIE: Eye on that product.
MATT: Queen Fruunast--
MARISHA: Just handing over the beacon.
TRAVIS: The burst heart fucked me up.
MARISHA: Yeah.
MATT: Dwarven queen of Uthodurn leans on the table. "So, if we have a backdoor this way, that means we can send armies on the surface of the moon and attack with them not being prepared."
LAURA: It's a small door.
LIAM: It's single file. Real slow. You're not going to get a whole phalanx through it.
MATT: "Right."
TALIESIN: It's hard.
MATT: Vex'ahlia goes, "But maybe some strike teams."
LAURA: Yeah, maybe some strike teams.
TRAVIS: Yes.
LAURA: Whatever you said. Yeah. Strike teams.
MARISHA: Whatever you said. (laughs) Whatever you said, we agree with it.
TALIESIN: Anything we can do to--
LIAM: "So attractive, I--"
LAURA: (laughs) You're like, "I don't know."
MARISHA: (laughs)
LAURA: Hamana.
TALIESIN: Start forging some plans with the locals.
MATT: "I don't even think that. We have the Sunder King and the Ruidian army sitting at the base of the Malleus Key, Something that must be destroyed for the good of all of Exandria. We have the Weave Mind sitting most likely either in the center of their city or somewhere on the surface, possibly near Ludinus, though based on what we've heard here, they aren't the best of friends. Just allies. That's a second target. Then we have Ludinus and his cohorts. Those that are pushing towards this Hallowed Cage. Three targets. If any of these are assaulted, the others will move to protect the others. Any sign, any assault, we can assume information will be immediately available to the others and set them on alert. So, what do we do?"
LAURA: Can one work as a distraction for the others?
TRAVIS: We could. Well, all I was going to offer is they've heavily fortified the Malleus Key, so they're expecting an attack there.
LIAM: Mm-hmm.
TRAVIS: We've already hit the interior core of the Weave Mind, so they're expecting an attack there, or they'll have at least learned from it. Ozo Cruth is a specific target that I don't think is expecting an offense.
LAURA: Well, he's at the Malleus Key.
TRAVIS: Right.
LAURA: Yeah.
ROBBIE: He also has a Ruidus army at his disposal. Are we talking about being the tip of the spear to an army?
LAURA: I don't think that's right for us.
ROBBIE: I don't either.
MATT: Keyleth chuckles. "(chuckles) I might know a few old legends who might be up for joining an assault on the fortress. Besides, if it means destroying the Malleus Key, I want to be the one to do it, for many reasons. I'll see if I can pull some friends out of retirement." You see Allura curls a smile and Vex'ahlia curls a smile. Allura then says, "Well, then, if we assault this as a distraction, then we'll have to have an assault on the Weave Mind. That will notify Ludinus."
LAURA: Yeah.
MATT: "So these would need to be simultaneous, if that's what I'm getting from you."
LAURA: Yeah. I mean.
ROBBIE: We're team back door.
LAURA: I'm no military genius, but it seems the right plan.
TRAVIS: Communication's the hard part, right? Moon to--
TALIESIN: Especially since we're going to need brain shielding, aren't we? We're going to have to be as invisible as possible if we go back there. We are a known problem.
MATT: Allura goes, "Hmm. I think I have an idea. There are a few troops in this world who have equally endured otherworldly psychic trauma and stood in the face of the worst manipulators like they have. I just need them to return together in one piece. I may have a strike team to focus on the Weave Mind."
TRAVIS: (laughs)
LAURA: (exhales excitement)
SAM: Well, what are we doing then?
ROBBIE: I was going to say, it doesn't sound like you really need us.
LAURA: No, that means we would--
ASHLEY: We'd go to Ludinus.
TALIESIN: Shattered Teeth? The Shattered Teeth? Shattered Teeth? Shattered Teeth.
LAURA: The cage.
TALIESIN: We all cool?
TRAVIS: Hallowed Cage.
MATT: Earthbreaker Groon leans forward with a smile, his massive arms rested on the table and his calloused fingers woven in front of his white beard. "If this intel is correct, the Vanguard's most dangerous work is happening near or beyond this Hallowed Cage, which requires Ruidusborn to traverse. This means the infiltration team will require at least one. You have two."
SAM: That means one of you gets to stay home.
LAURA: Right.
SAM: I'm just joking.
LAURA: Oh, okay.
MATT: Keyleth nods. "If the infiltration team can trek beneath the Prime Pillar of Kreviris and stop Ludinus from releasing Predathos while the other forces are simultaneously engaged, then perhaps we can for once put them on their back foot. The team most suited for this is likely you, Bells Hells."
LAURA: Poses the most risk, but--
MATT: "You have been there."
LAURA: We have.
MATT: "You are capable."
LAURA: You were there with us in spirit, Dorian.
TRAVIS: For the most part, but we'll need help with disguises, concealment, brain shielding.
TALIESIN: Mm-hmm.
TRAVIS: We'll probably need some booze and some more branches from the Birthheart. It's going to take a lot.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
LIAM: That sweet kush.
LAURA: Of course we'll do it.
ASHLEY: Yeah. Makes the most sense.
TALIESIN: We need supplies.
MATT: "Well, you have until we walk to the Platinum Sanctuary to back out, because if we present this to the forum, that's an awful lot of expectation on each and every one of you."
LAURA: Won't they have their own warriors they want to send in?
ROBBIE: Do you think they'll go for it?
MATT: "Do you trust anyone who hasn't been to the moon to go there and do this carefully with precision and understanding of the scope of what we're dealing with?"
LAURA: Not really.
TALIESIN: I don't really trust the people in this room.
ASHLEY: I like that angle.
MATT: "I'm sure they'll have other ideas and maybe we can tie many of them together, but they don't know about this back door. And we're going to keep it to us in this room."
TRAVIS: Yes. Keep it to us.
LAURA: Yes.
TRAVIS: In this room.
ASHLEY: In this room.
TRAVIS: Button it up, right?
TALIESIN: Whittling yourself something to look at.
TRAVIS: I asked for an acid etching and I didn't get it.
ASHLEY: No one's going to tell anybody about it? Groon.
MATT: "(deep laugh)"
TRAVIS: Oh, shit, he laughed.
MARISHA: (laughs)
MATT: (Groon) "I do not think you need to worry about me."
ASHLEY: I don't at all worry about you. I was just trying to-- I think you're going to be so good at everything we're going to do. Let's see. Vex'ahlia stands up a bit. "Well, then, let's hope they go for it. I hope you've all brought your talking caps with you and shine your smile a bit bright because now we just have to convince the rest of Exandria this is the best course of action."
MARISHA: Did we bring our talking caps?
TRAVIS: Figure of speech. Figure of speech.
MARISHA: Oh, okay.
TALIESIN: I don't have a talking cap.
MATT: "Sorry. It's a-- I'm a parent." (laughter)
TRAVIS: So real. (laughter)
LAURA: Did everyone go pee-pee before we head in?
ASHLEY: Make sure everyone's gone potty.
LIAM: So we just have to take out the world's oldest living, most powerful mage.
TALIESIN: I'm into it.
LIAM: That's us. No worries.
ASHLEY: I look to the Bright Queen again. You said, well, you don't worship any of the gods. You worship the Luxon?
MATT: "Yes."
ASHLEY: Huh.
MARISHA: Is the Luxon like Predathos?
MATT: "In no way, shape, or form."
MARISHA: Meaning like it not being a god, but something else.
MATT: "In a way. The Luxon came before all else. Exandria was but a cold black ball of nothing in the cosmos. The Luxon broke itself apart and gave life to this world. Brought the elements, brought the spirits, brought everything. Now it just rests until we can bring it back together." She looks at the top of her staff and at the top of the staff you see a 12-sided relic made from almost an ivory material, very reminiscent of the object you saw in the center of the Malleus Key right before it was first engaged. Her eyes fall over towards you.
TALIESIN: I think I got one of those. I'm going to burn a rage.
MATT: Burn a rage.
TALIESIN: Got it.
LAURA: His head looks just like a beacon.
MATT: I mean--
LIAM: One corner of it.
TALIESIN: Just start trying to fire it up and the sparkles, little space cosmos starts flaring in my head and through my eye.
MATT: You watch the Bright Queen's eyes go wide as well as her two compatriots. Her look of surprise turns to confusion, to curiosity, to concern.
TALIESIN: There we are. Just waiting for it. I knew you'd get there. Yeah. (whoosh) Then it's gone. It's six seconds.
MATT: "It's hard to describe, but I feel like I trust them. And we will have to talk when this is done."
TALIESIN: I'm so excited.
MATT: (sternly) "You shouldn't be."
TALIESIN: (laughs)
MATT: (Keyleth) "All right."
TRAVIS: Feel good. Feel good.
ASHLEY: Yeah, I think-- I feel--
SAM: Let's go make the pitch.
ASHLEY: -- about this. Yeah.
MATT: "If all this fails, maybe they'll have offered better options or we can try to come up with something different or we go rogue and do it anyway."
TALIESIN: I was hoping for that.
TRAVIS: Yeah.
ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: "Very well, Bells Hells." She looks around. Brotoras goes, "This will be such a fight." Looks over to Groon. "Hmm. There have been many times where I felt the Stormlord was preparing me. Here at the end of my days, this feels right." Looks over towards Allura. "Are you ready to break a castle?" Allura goes like, "Certainly put that way, that's evocative. I prefer to survive and do it from a distance." (laughter)
MATT: "But--" Kima slaps her on the shoulder and goes, "Ah, come on Allie, let's break a castle." She's like, "(sighs) Let's break a castle." Keyleth smiles, looks over. Vex nods. "Onward to the fate of tomorrow and the end of the world." As you all begin to exit the chamber--
LAURA: Before we leave, I step off and look around
LAURA: Before we leave, I step off and look around and I say in Groon's head, where exactly do you go here to speak with him?
MATT: "You fight."
LAURA: (scoffs) Great.
MATT: In his head, you see a flash (sparks) of an open sandpit arena that lies in the bowels of this temple, an open space with raised platforms and stairs, statues that loom over it, broken and withered with time, and a gentle snowfall that comes to rest on its center. (crashes) It flashes back. "When you are ready."
LAURA: All right. I'm no fighter, but I look forward to that.
MATT: You all begin to step outside of the temple, the Trial Forge, passing by the monks that are now lined up and bowing in a procession as you exit. You, being the last one that exited amongst everyone else, (crackles) feel the strike of sudden pain in your head.
MARISHA: Oh!
LAURA: Shit!
MATT: And your consciousness goes into a red, dusty expanse.
LAURA: Fuck.
MARISHA: Oh.
MATT: But just as fast as the storm is there, (airy whoosh) it blows away. There you stand in the middle of the beautiful green, tall grass fields of the highlands where you grew up.
TALIESIN: Ooh.
MARISHA: What is happening? It's coming in.
MATT: The dream you've had time and time again, but reversed. You see the trees shifting with the breeze. You see your horse running freely. In this vision, you hear, "Imogen?"
LAURA: Mama?
MATT: You turn and look and she's standing in the field behind you, the wind blowing her coat and hair. (gentle whoosh) "Imogen." And that's where we're going to finish tonight's episode. (exclaiming)
MARISHA: Whoo. (exclaiming)
TRAVIS: Is it her?
LAURA: (screams) I don't know!
TRAVIS: We've gone green.
ASHLEY: Oh boy. What a fun game.
LAURA: Why do I feel like it's not her?
ASHLEY: I know. It doesn't feel like it.
LAURA: It doesn't feel like her.
MATT: We'll find out next time.
TALIESIN: George Wendt?
LIAM: Tell us about the dream you had.
TRAVIS: Good shit, Matty. Oh my god.
MATT: All right. (exclaiming)
MATT: Y'all are good. That was some interesting-- Okay. Yeah.
ASHLEY: Dang.
MATT: Okay, this setting up an interesting setup. (laughs)
LIAM: I love the idea of the Bright Queen, and the Tempest, and de Rolo, and Allura all in the same.
LAURA: They found each other--
LIAM: And Groon.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
MARISHA: Mm-hmm.
ASHLEY: All working together.
TRAVIS: We'll see if they're working together.
ASHLEY: Oh, yeah.
TALIESIN: "Working."
LAURA: Hey, doesn't it feel like the Luxon is this light being?
TRAVIS: Sure feels.
LAURA: Then the star falling.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
LAURA: It feels like, and then they're trying to make the Luxon whole again.
TRAVIS: The narrative's like, it fell and broke itself apart and gave life. Or did it fall and (whooshes)?
LAURA: Yeah.
MARISHA: It certainly has its similarities.
LAURA: (silly trumpet)
TRAVIS: Find out next time!
MATT: Yep.
LAURA: Yeah.
TALIESIN: Excuse me.
MATT: All right. We got some things to think about and some methods of bureaucratic, conversational persuasion.
TALIESIN: My specialty. I'll go in first.
MATT: To plot for next time.
ROBBIE: The king never kills the jesters. Let's go. (laughter)
TALIESIN: Well--
ROBBIE: Well, sometimes.
MATT: Yeah. We'll pick up there next week as we jump back into this sudden vision, this daydream--
LAURA: Oh gosh.
MATT: -- with Imogen. But thank you so much for coming with us. We love you very much, and is it Thursday yet? Good night.
TRAVIS: Oh man!
Cooldown[]
MARISHA: There's a lot to talk about in this Cooldown.
LAURA: Oh my god.
LIAM: Y'all, we still got to get up into the crack of that titan.
TALIESIN: Get up in that crack!
LAURA: Oh, gosh, we can't miss that.
LIAM: I need it to happen.
TALIESIN: Actually, the inside of that crack is the original Taste of Tal'Dorei.
ROBBIE: Does someone live in the butt? Is it hollowed out?
TALIESIN: Someone's clearly opening a restaurant
ROBBIE: I mean, it's real estate, right? It's free real estate.
SAM: Location location.
TRAVIS: What do you think, is it her?
LAURA: I don't know.
SAM: Of course it's her.
ASHLEY: What do you mean?
LAURA: It's probably her, but that smile was like-- because it could be Ludinus.
TRAVIS: Or somebody fishing. Is it Mom, or--
ASHLEY: It could be Weave Mind--
LAURA: It could be Predathos.
ASHLEY: --it could be Predathos
LAURA: It could be Weave Mind.
MARISHA: We've already talked with your mom, not on dream-- you haven't had a dream of her being like, "Run!" ever since we've met up with her and talked with her.
LAURA: Right. But that's the only-- because we can't do Sending between the moon and here. So the only way to really communicate is through those dreams.
MARISHA: Unless she's in trouble.
LAURA: She might be. She might have been found out.
TRAVIS: Just to say it, after seeing Downfall, are we sure that Ludinus isn't a god?
SAM: Were we supposed to watch that? (laughter)
LAURA: Wait, Ludinus is a god?
ASHLEY: What do you mean?
LAURA: What do you mean Ludinus is a god?
TRAVIS: A bunch of mortals had a life where they came down so that they could come on the other side of the Divine Gate and did a bunch of shit. Ludinus has been around for a thousand years, absorbing a bunch of shit, yes
LAURA: Before the gate.
TRAVIS: But what if--
ASHLEY: If he's one of the (gasps)
LIAM: Self-locking.
ROBBIE: Wasn't the OG conflict a mortal trying to become a god? Isn't that where all this shit started?
TRAVIS: Yes. In Campaign One. But the Arch Heart--
ROBBIE: Is history just repeating– is our job just to break the cycle?
TALIESIN: It's happened a couple-- people keep trying to do-- it's the Captain America plus Super Soldier. You got one that worked, and ever since everyone keeps trying to do it, and it sucks.
LAURA and TRAVIS: Yeah.
ROBBIE: But this is working.
MARISHA: Does the timing work out, though? I don't know if the timing--
ASHLEY: That would be a long time to--
MARISHA: Because Ludinus has been like, "Oh, I was around and I got fucked over and saw them during the Divergence." I think IN the Divergence.
TRAVIS: But they were all different ages.
LAURA: We weren't Zone of Truthing him.
TRAVIS: He could have stayed down here.
ASHLEY: We don't know for sure. He could have been here longer.
TRAVIS: He could have stayed down here.
SAM: Spin the Bottle with him?
MATT: Now that's how you do a boss battle.
LIAM: Remind me. I thought he said he was there since the start of the Calamity, right?
LAURA: No.
MARISHA: He said the end. The end of the Calamity.
LIAM: The end of the Calamity-- do we know roughly how far after Aeor going down-- ♪
LAURA: It was like 200 years after.
ASHLEY: Wait, he never said he was born then.
MATT: The Calamity was a couple hundred years.
TRAVIS: He just said he was there for it.
ASHLEY: He was there for it, yeah.
MATT: The fall of Aeor was in the last 50 or so years.
LAURA: Oh. Oh shit.
LIAM: Right, so if he was, as Travis was theorizing, if he was born like the other gods in Downfall, into the body of an elf who then is using whatever tricks a god in an elf suit can use--
LAURA: So much.
LIAM: -- to stretch that lifetime. Could be a god.
ROBBIE: What would his motivation be, if he was a god?
TRAVIS: The Archheart was so interesting because he was like, "I want an end." He was enjoying the hedonistic pleasures of Aeor and everything, but he was like, "I'm bored. I want it to end." What if Ludinus' whole thing was like, "I don't like how it went down. I left the group. The histories have forgotten that." What if one of the three-- two gods?-- that Predathos ate--
LAURA: Is actually Ludinus?
TRAVIS: He just went missing.
LAURA: Weird.
MARISHA: That's an interesting theory.
TALIESIN: I've had odd thoughts, and they're too complex to get into, over the fact that since you replaced a god, what happens to all of that? Like there's a whole chunk of weird out there that used to be a death god. I don't know why now 'you're' the Matron--
LAURA: I am the Matron.
TALIESIN: You are. In my head now, it's you.
LAURA: No, it's hard, like during the game, because I keep going back to my memories as the Matron and wanting to call on that so like-- (boggling noise)
TALIESIN: I love what you do with the Matron.
MATT: A lot of weird brain chess in this campaign, which I love.
ROBBIE: Did you determine the source of your red dreams are Momma sending you messages in your sleep? Do you know where your dreams come from yet?
LAURA: No. The dreams were from Predathos calling out, right? And Mom was trying to--
MATT: Warning you to not embrace it.
LAURA: My mom was the one going, "Don't give in to these dreams. Get out."
TRAVIS: He's like ringing the dinner bell.
ROBBIE: So the red storm is Predathos.
LIAM: Yeah, Predathos makes the Internet and Imogen and Mom are using the Internet.
MATT: Which is interesting that this dream began with the storm and then it cast away.
LAURA: Yeah, so maybe she hid-- she can do that. Maybe. She's always been the one to say, "Run." She was always the one to like--
TRAVIS: Is his holiness the god of all gods Ludinus?
MARISHA: It doesn't track to me.
ASHLEY: Yeah, there's something funky about it.
SAM: What if Ludinus was a god, he was the Matron of Ravens and he was unseated, and then--
TRAVIS: The old god?
ASHLEY: Oh my god.
SAM: Yeah.
TRAVIS: I love it. That's a spicy meatball. That's fucking hot. We don't know what happened to the old-- They were defeated? Banished?
TALIESIN: No one remembers. It's gone.
LAURA: It's gone. Lost.
MATT: Only two people know that.
ROBBIE: But that's what I'm saying. They're the OG concept--
TRAVIS: You two know!
ROBBIE: --of becoming a god, right?
TRAVIS: (gasps) I've got work to do, y'all.
LAURA: Get in there. Get in there, Travis.
TRAVIS: I got to start cooking some dinner, rubbing some feet. (laughter) Light some of that nag champa, let's go.
LAURA: Honestly, I'm shocked, Travis, that you haven't tried to find out something. Like he has not--
ASHLEY: Start rubbing those tootsies.
TRAVIS: I've whispered to you in your sleep every night.
MATT: I swore you to secrecy.
LAURA: I know.
TRAVIS: And all you do is snore.
TALIESIN: I've got some emergency [JENGA no stopper? Nut cracker?] right here. We can get started right now. Let's just get that lit and let's get it going.
MARISHA: I was coming back from the bathroom when you mentioned-- and then someone was talking, and I didn't have full context when they were like, "I've got an elite force of people to--"
LAURA: I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts.
MARISHA: "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts." To deal with psychic damage. Are they talking about the Volstrucker?
TRAVIS: The Mighty Nein.
LAURA: No! Mighty Nein! He said, "Who else has done psychic damage?"
MARISHA: Ohhh.
LAURA: That's the Mighty Nein.
MARISHA: I didn't have context.
LIAM: Caleb's endgame specialty was Mind Blank and keeping things out.
LAURA: DOO-dah.
MATT: So, if all this goes well--
LAURA: Mighty Nein goes after--
MATT: --then this might be a scenario where for certain simultaneous assaults on Ruidus--
TALIESIN: We're hopping!?
MATT: You guys get to hop into Vox Machina-- (joyous screaming)
TRAVIS: Are you serious?
MATT: And assault the Malleus Key--
LAURA: Shut up! Wait, we get to be Vox Machina AND Mighty Nein?
MATT: Hop into the Mighty Nein-- In a different episode, yeah. Assaulting the Weave Mind, all to support Bells Hells--
LAURA: Who are you going to be?
MARISHA: Who would--?
LAURA: Dorian, right? Robbie would still be there.
ROBBIE: Oh, I'd be there. I'd be a little fly on the wall.
LAURA: No, you'd still be there as another character.
MATT: We'll get to figure out who you play--
SAM: I'll be Scanlan and you can be Taryon.
ASHLEY: Oh my god.
LAURA: Oh my god, Robbie would be such a good--
MATT: That is an avenue.
TALIESIN: You want a Kingsley?
MATT: Here's the thing. Bertrand Bell technically was a member of Vox Machina for a one-shot, meaning there are other characters that in the 30 years since a troupe like that has existed, that may have become allies with, or possibly become a member as well--
TRAVIS: So no Grog.
MATT: So yeah, we'll figure something out.
MARISHA: So no Grog!
MATT: So no Grog. Greg.
TRAVIS: Greg.
LAURA: Grog and Greg.
LIAM: This is Grog--
ASHLEY: Grogory.
MATT: (laughing) Grogory.
TALIESIN: Grogory was magical.
SAM: We're going to put that in the animated series.
TALIESIN: That's enough of you, Grogory.
MARISHA: Something still bothers me from the very beginning of the campaign, and I keep thinking about it and maybe it's just weird dream stuff and it doesn't mean anything--
LAURA: If this is what I think about--
TALIESIN: The furniture has been bothering me the entire fucking time.
LAURA: There's something that's been bothering me too.
MARISHA: You watched.
LAURA: I watched.
MARISHA: Bertrand--
MARISHA and LAURA: --and the twins--
LAURA: --turn into the storm.
MARISHA: Yes. And nothing like that has happened since. So what was that?
LAURA: What was that? Why did I see dead people walking into the storm? That's how I knew that Bertrand--
MARISHA: Died.
LAURA: Yeah.
MARISHA: Because you had that dream.
LAURA: What does that mean? Was that Predathos telling me that?
TRAVIS: Bertrand Bell was Ruidusborn.
LAURA: Was he?
TALIESIN: No, he's full of shit. Now you're making your other full-of-shit face.
LAURA: What if he was?
MARISHA: Because you've always seen all other Ruidusborn.
LAURA: Maybe he was Ruidusborn. Help me.
MATT: So, for context on that, some of it is just visions, too, of things that were either granted to you, or you picked up on with your currently emergent psychic capabilities.
LAURA: Oh, right.
MATT: Other people that are currently closely tethered to you or closely in your mind have died in your presence. You were physically there. Bertrand was the person who was closely tied to you at the time and then passed away while you were in this vision.
TRAVIS: You basically killed me.
MATT: Yeah.
TRAVIS: That's your fault.
MATT: It wasn't like Duggar. It wasn't "Why is my nose..." (expires)
LAURA: "It's my secret."
ASHLEY: Did C-pop make the furniture from the very beginning?
MATT: You tell me.
TALIESIN: Did you make the evil furniture?
TRAVIS: The stuff that you had trouble defeating because it was crafted so well? I made it, but I didn't enchant it.
MATT: The furniture, amongst a series of other weird arcane mishaps in Jrusar were engineered to make the streets feel less safe so they had an excuse to make the Paragon's Call being approved to come in as a secondary military force.
ALL: Ohhh.
ROBBIE: It was a false flag.
MATT: False flag.
ROBBIE: False rug.
MATT: False rug operation. Yeah.
TRAVIS: "Unleash the false rug!" Fucking Luxon.
LIAM: Spin the bottle was fun. Next week we can play seven minutes in hell.
MARISHA: Just bring the pieces back together. I don't know about Ludinus being a god, but the Luxon being somehow a part of Predathos, that's fucking interesting. That makes sense.
ASHLEY: That does make sense.
MARISHA: In a weird way. And it's a ball of light--
LAURA: Uh-huh. Came from another place.
MARISHA: Yeah, ball of light.
ASHLEY: And I didn't know that--
LAURA: What if they're the same, and--
MARISHA: Should have rolled an insight check when she was saying all that.
LAURA: I know.
SAM: She has high everything.
LAURA: Yeah, I know, there's no way we would have found out--
MARISHA: So, I was thinking about it--
LAURA: --landed on Ashton.
TALIESIN: Fuck yeah.
MARISHA: That would be a wild twist, though. If this whole thing is like a Luxon.
ASHLEY: Thanks for letting us play Spin the Bottle.
TALIESIN: Spin the Bottle on graph paper.
ASHLEY: Spin the Bottle on graph paper.
MATT: I was like, "Oh, uh-- they want to-- Let's go. Let's fucking go."
TRAVIS: Tension elicits strange reactions out of everybody.
MATT: Exactly.
LAURA: Matt. Name an NPC.
MATT: An NPC?
LAURA: Any NPC.
TALIESIN: A new one or an old one?
MATT: Artagan.
LAURA: Oh, sweet!
MATT: Oh, the bottle!
ASHLEY: That'd be fun!
MATT: "I never thought it was going to go this way, Jester."
LAURA: "Oh my goodness!"
MATT: That's pretty gross. No. All right, I think it's time to pack up and get home. Let's go. Goodnight, everybody.