Chapter Five: The Black Door | Sagas of Sundry: Madness

Summary

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Podcast Summary: "Chapter Five: The Black Door"

Podcast: Critical Role & Sagas of Sundry – Sagas of Sundry: Madness
Host: geekandsundry / Game Master: Ivan Van Norman
Date: April 27, 2026
Season: Ten Candles: Eclipse (Actual Play RPG, Tragic Horror)
Featured Characters: Jude, Emmett, Selina, Abigail (aka Kathy), Fenley
Special appearances: Mr. Ren (mysterious narrator/antagonist)

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Main Theme & Purpose

In this harrowing and surreal episode, the story of five doomed tenants/friends reaches a fever pitch as they confront “The Black Door”—an ominous, chained threshold tied to an eldritch horror lurking in their apartment’s depths. Battling supernatural terror and their own past traumas, the group faces unspeakable cosmic horror, tests of sanity and sacrifice, and the inexorable pull of Fate. The episode explores questions of reality, guilt, and the burden of secrets, set against the backdrop of a tragic horror RPG where no survivors are guaranteed.

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Key Discussion Points & Story Developments

1. Return from the Uncanny Planes [04:35–09:18]

• The episode picks up after the characters escape a terrifying alternate reality—possibly the void, possibly their own minds—and return to their apartment building… just as the lights go out.
• They scavenge flashlights and prepare to investigate, suspecting both mundane and otherworldly dangers.

2. The Descent & The Black Door [09:18–18:00]

• The power outage prompts concerns about a mysterious machine in the building (linked to prior occult investigations).
• The group navigates a series of winding, unnaturally long hallways in search of the electrical sub-basement, encountering unsettling evidence that the building’s geography itself is mutable or haunted.
• They discover “the Black Door”—heavy, ancient, locked with twelve chains and cryptic codes. Solving its puzzle requires cooperation and insight, with symbolism and supernatural interference intensifying the struggle.

“There’s a series of rings… There’s papers written. Open up the papers.”
—Selina, [16:29]

“As you finish the final lock… you can watch as the chains down to the ground. The final bolt being the one that held the knob in place.”
—Game Master, [19:17]

3. The Void Calls: Cosmic Horror & Sacrifice [19:17–25:47]

• Opening the door reveals a vast, star-speckled void. The room becomes a vacuum, sucking the group toward cosmic oblivion where a monstrous, many-eyed “Watcher” awaits.
• A desperate struggle to avoid being pulled into the void ensues, culminating in Fenley’s heroic self-sacrifice to save the others.

“One is all it takes... One for each of your lives. One for opening the black door. One to not be eaten by the great watcher...”
—Game Master, [23:27]

“Fenley. This is a heroic sacrifice. And because of that, no one has to pull. You did it for everyone else. That is not something that happens lightly.”
—Game Master, [24:34]

4. Aftermath: Trauma, Sanity, and Secrets [33:09–42:37]

• Fenley’s death has real consequences: his notes and journals are lost, and the game's mechanics shift from “Tower of Dread” to “Tower of Madness,” increasing unpredictability and danger.
• The surviving four share their reasons for moving into the cursed building: unremarkable or tragic histories, avoidance, familial obligation, criminal pasts.
• Reveals Abigail’s real name—Kathy—and underlying trauma surrounding her past and her father’s death.

“All we got is the four of us. That’s all we got.”
—Emmett, [40:55]

“It doesn’t matter what your name is. It doesn’t matter what you did. It really doesn’t matter right now.”
—Emmett, [40:55]

"Kathy."
—Abigail, [41:38]

5. The Descent Continues: Into the Sub-Basement [43:50–53:33]

• Navigating the wrecked building post-storm (symbolizing the havoc wrought by the void), the party manipulates the out-of-service elevator to access the sub-basement.
• Encounters include a literal sea of rats and a mysterious black box—initially thought to be the sought-after machine, but revealed as another elevator.
• Descending again, the elevator shaft itself begins to change from brick to cold stone, signaling a shift into something even more alien.

“As you get closer, you can shine your light right onto it... this large black box has a grate on it.”
—Game Master, [48:07]

"Notice how this elevator has power."
—Abigail, [52:29]

• The final moments are filled with dread as something starts moving on top of the elevator, and the players brace for whatever horror lurks next.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------| | 04:55 | “Thank you. No one’s ever thought I’d been worth it before.” | Selina | | 13:25 | “It’s not rats. But you can face one. Whatever it is, you can do this.” | Selina | | 14:25 | “If only you knew. I hope there are evil, dark things in the world. Cause then maybe that would explain why terrible fucking things happen to good people.” | Abigail | | 23:27 | “One is all it takes. One for each of your lives. One for opening the black door. One to not be eaten by the great watcher...” | Game Master | | 24:34 | “Fenley. This is a heroic sacrifice. And because of that, no one has to pull. You did it for everyone else. That is not something that happens lightly.” | Game Master | | 40:55 | “It doesn’t matter what your name is. It doesn’t matter what you did. It really doesn’t matter right now. After this… All we got is the four of us. That’s all we got.” | Emmett | | 41:38 | “Kathy.” | Abigail | | 47:08 | “Yeah, I’ll go.” (on volunteering to check the ominous box) | Selina | | 52:29 | “Notice how this elevator has power.” | Abigail |

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Important Segments & Timestamps

• [04:35] — Setup: Return from the void, power outage crisis begins
• [09:18] — Descent to the basement; discovery of supernatural hallway
• [15:00] — Discovery of The Black Door and lock puzzle
• [19:17] — Opening the Black Door; encounter with cosmic horror
• [24:34] — Fenley’s sacrifice and group’s escape
• [33:09] — Consequences: Game mechanics and sanity shift, regrouping
• [37:08] — Players reveal their reasons for living in the building; secrets shared
• [41:38] — Abigail’s true identity revealed
• [43:56] — Investigating and fixing the elevator to reach sub-basement
• [48:07] — Entering the rat-infested sub-basement; discovery of an elevator within an elevator
• [52:16] — Sub-basement elevator descends, turning to stone, as something claws above

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Tone & Atmosphere

• Dark, oppressive, introspective: The session’s tone is drenched in mounting dread, existential terror, and emotional rawness, punctuated by group solidarity and gallows humor.
• Language/Tone: Characters are frank, often profane (“fuck,” “shit,” “damn”)—reflecting authentic panic and desperation.
• Pacing: Intensity spikes during puzzles, supernatural encounters, and personal confessions, with quieter interludes for grief and regrouping.

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Conclusion

"Chapter Five: The Black Door" is a pivotal, emotionally gripping installment: a blend of puzzle adventure, personal drama, and cosmic darkness, marked by sacrifice (Fenley), secrets revealed (Abigail/Kathy), and the party’s fragile unity against encroaching madness. The group’s passage through the Black Door signals not just a physical, but a metaphysical crossing—transforming the rules of their reality and foreshadowing even worse terrors below. The session ends on a literal and figurative cliffhanger, promising further revelations and horrors as the survivors plunge deeper into the unknown.

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For more episodes, RPG stories, and video feeds, visit geekandsundry.com or follow Critical Role & Sagas of Sundry wherever podcasts are served.

Transcript

[Dungeon Master]

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[Mr. Ren]

Your mind. Oh, it's a wondrous thing, my darlings. All that it can do, all that it can help you accomplish. And yet there is always that small part of it saying, you are not good enough. You are not smart enough. You are not enough. You see, your mind can create nightmares. Your mind can create fear in even the strongest person. It can create the thought that darkness is all around you and the creatures waiting to deliver your demise are present and ready. But is it real? Or is it just in your mind? These are the sagas of Sundry. I am Mr. Ren. And there will be madness.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

As the blinding light of the burning

[Game Master]

sun pierces into the Guardian's room, you gaze out into an endless desert. Emmett, would you like to make a pull to remove Selina's handcuffs from her hand?

[Emmett]

Yep.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

And you smash the rock down onto Selina's handcuffs. Over and over and over again.

[Selina]

Thank you. No one's ever thought I'd been worth it before.

[Game Master]

And you watch as a giant snake like form with plates of armor just crash onto the barren horizon. And you go towards this castle, this great monument of safety. It's gone. And you see something. A tooth. That's one of its baby teeth. As you come closer, you begin to see several robed men gathering in a circle. You feel like you could grasp this language if you just had something to hold on to. Open your mind. And I will open the void of endless infinity. You can see on a stone Dais A book with five eyes.

[Selina]

This is a journal. The last entry says the thief has built a device or a machine. We haven't found it yet, but it's somewhere in the old granary. Now operated by his nephew. Our eyes and the police and courts have already secured the rights to purchase the property. Must be police.

[Abigail]

Was our landlord the nephew?

[Jude]

And that's why they killed him?

[Abigail]

That is exactly why they killed him.

[Game Master]

Look at that.

[Selina]

It's an apartment door.

[Abigail]

It's our apartment door.

[Jude]

Dammet.

[Game Master]

We try to find somewhere to hide. Can you just imagine how they might dismember you?

[Emmett]

I'm not gonna make it.

[Mr. Ren]

Holy shit.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit.

[Game Master]

And you climb up with your four friends up to the second floor. And you open the door to the

[Narrator/Storyteller]

lobby of your apartment building.

[Dungeon Master]

I knew it.

[Jude]

Met my friends. Calls for a smoke.

[Game Master]

We all reflect on what just happens on the other side of this door when the lights go out.

[Mr. Ren]

Sa.

[Game Master]

Hello and welcome back to madness.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Ah.

[Game Master]

When we last left you, our five still five adventures tenants now friends, you had a harrowing experience out somewhere that wasn't here. Where was it? There. On another plane of existence. Maybe in your own minds. We have no idea. Idea? Only you do. But now you have found yourself back to the lobby. And just as you were to come out and breathe that sweet sigh of relief, you felt the lights go out. And taking a few moments, you managed to look and find a couple of flashlights. Ironically, they've been placed almost as if someone was expecting the lights to go out. But whoever they may have been for you five found them first. What would you like to do?

[Selina]

Any research that I could do on my computers is out of the question. With the power gone.

[Fenley]

If the power's gone, then there might be a limited time that the machine is still on. Is there a circuit breaker? You guys that know the building better, is there. Is there somewhere we could check?

[Jude]

Yeah, to see there's a. Like a. There's a room that we can go to that has the. You know, like generators and all that stuff in there.

[Selina]

Sub basement.

[Jude]

We have to get there.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Yeah.

[Jude]

Which means the out of service elevators.

[Emmett]

Elevators?

[Game Master]

Are you proposing the first floor door, Jude? Is that what you're suggesting?

[Jude]

Not much of a choice.

[Game Master]

All right. All of you, quietly and with as much stealth as possible, creep down to the first floor of this building. Which to be fair, always seemed a little small for the grand scheme. That is the square footage of this building, this tiny miniscule mail room must take up only a portion of what this massive building has to offer before I head down.

[Fenley]

Is the body still there?

[Game Master]

No.

[Fenley]

Body's gone.

[Game Master]

The body is gone.

[Abigail]

What about any sign of a murder? Blood spot?

[Game Master]

It is nighttime. Deep nighttime. And you can see the flashing lights of sirens punctuating the front part of the open door. And you can see someone has taken a lock and a pair of chains and has bolted the front door shut completely.

[Emmett]

Great.

[Game Master]

Jude, do you want to take them to the black door?

[Abigail]

What is it with you in this door?

[Game Master]

What happened as Jude.

[Jude]

It doesn't even really exist.

[Fenley]

You saw something. You saw a door.

[Abigail]

Is this why you freaked out before we entered the door yesterday?

[Emmett]

I'm like, nothing is gonna sound crazy anymore.

[Selina]

Something in your mind rebels at the thought of it, but you have to face it.

[Abigail]

Where do you get this? Shed.

[Jude]

Because she's right. I feel like I've been resisting this and I've been keeping it just so, like, locked within me. And it wasn't until I met all of you and was put in this situation that I now feel like I can open it.

[Game Master]

Jude, as you move down to an opening, one of which it's surprising you've ever really known, it was there. It's hidden just behind a few of the male racks. In fact, it made a perfect T section. But as you curve to make that first right and then that left down the hallway, you notice that it stretches a long way. As your beams pierce down the long hallway, you can hear something.

[Abigail]

Is that getting closer?

[Game Master]

It seems to be everywhere and yet nowhere at the same time, Abigail. But you can hear something moving around you.

[Selina]

Okay.

[Game Master]

Make a pull.

[Abigail]

I know Mr. The landlord talked about a roach infestation, but I don't. I don't know if that's it.

[Game Master]

Rats.

[Selina]

Stick close. Rats?

[Jude]

Could be rats.

[Emmett]

Happy to be curious.

[Abigail]

Like really big rats.

[Game Master]

There's a whisper of something, Abigail, that's coming into your mind. It's small and it doesn't sound as intense as you would think.

[Jude]

Come on, Abigail.

[Game Master]

But you can hear it, Abby.

[Selina]

It's not rats. But you can face one. Whatever it is, you can do this.

[Abigail]

Faced some.

[Jude]

You can do this.

[Abigail]

Pretty horrible things.

[Jude]

You got this.

[Abigail]

Okay.

[Selina]

Rats.

[Game Master]

Do you think fear is in the shadows? And creatures of the night?

[Abigail]

I hope there's fear in the shadows.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Fear is knowing darkness is all around you.

[Game Master]

Seeing it, and the creatures who deliver it to you.

[Fenley]

Deep breath. Deep breath.

[Game Master]

Are already there.

[Abigail]

I'm afraid to let go.

[Game Master]

Let it go, Abigail.

[Abigail]

I'm afraid to let go.

[Game Master]

You accept the creatures of the night.

[Jude]

No.

[Game Master]

Fear as they are there.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

And you embrace the darkness that is around you. And the creatures that may or may

[Game Master]

not be, they are yours and you own them.

[Emmett]

Badass motherfucker.

[Abigail]

If only you knew. I hope there are evil, dark things in the world. Cause then maybe that would explain why terrible fucking things happen to good people.

[Game Master]

So you clamber down this hallway. The clicking and the popping and the seeming to subside as you make a bend, and then another bend, and then another long hallway. And then another bend and one more bend, and then yet another hallway.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

It bends twice, making yet another solid

[Game Master]

turn as suddenly you look to the right and see an onyx black door. A solid, giant frame made from hard, sturdy wood. It seems to sit there. It's like nothing you've ever seen. The most rich black color you could possibly imagine, punctuated by long, glistening chains, mullied by the layers of cake dust of years, decades. As it lays across each side of the door, you see 12 locks, each of them holding links into place, keeping this black door all from impenetrable. Otherwise.

[Selina]

The keyring. I have the keyring.

[Game Master]

Now, I can hold this while you take time to mull this over and figure it out. But at this point, I'm inviting you to come and inspect the locks, if you so wish.

[Abigail]

Here, I'll take a strand.

[Game Master]

Yeah.

[Fenley]

I'll take the other side.

[Selina]

There's a series of rings.

[Game Master]

What's the paper?

[Selina]

There's papers written. Open up the papers.

[Abigail]

This is code.

[Fenley]

They're codes to open them. Start from V. Make four directional moves for this one.

[Jude]

This is heart, pound sign, square, hashtag, hashtag paris.

[Selina]

There's a series of numbers and of symbols on the keys. On the key rings. So, starting from here, heart, number, square, Number, number. Try 9-329-329-3293.

[Jude]

Got it.

[Game Master]

As you find yourself leaning against the door on occasion in order to find all the different combinations to open this, you realize that it is cold. The door is ice cold. As if a freezer was lined up against it.

[Selina]

That's another one.

[Abigail]

Good, good, good, good.

[Dungeon Master]

It's nothing.

[Selina]

This one has a symbol. Don't listen to it. You don't control us.

[Emmett]

So what does it line up to

[Jude]

get out of my head?

[Game Master]

Cowards.

[Mr. Ren]

Each of them.

[Abigail]

Got it.

[Selina]

Look at me.

[Game Master]

I am the matching lock that will

[Mr. Ren]

bring you to endless.

[Fenley]

Is there another?

[Dungeon Master]

Is there another?

[Jude]

Yes, it was Dia.

[Fenley]

This key goes to this.

[Abigail]

This key goes to that.

[Jude]

Yeah.

[Fenley]

So what was it?

[Selina]

5, 27, 27.

[Fenley]

A pink circle. Oh, here.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

I'm the watch Out.

[Game Master]

Who brings the void to endless infinity?

[Fenley]

The voice is back again.

[Jude]

Come on. Guys.

[Fenley]

Remember which ones.

[Jude]

We gotta get this door open.

[Selina]

Guys.

[Emmett]

N. P or O.

[Selina]

Here.

[Game Master]

000 for 2.

[Selina]

Don't listen to it.

[Dungeon Master]

Shut it out.

[Abigail]

Keep going.

[Selina]

Just keep going.

[Glass Cannon Podcast Host]

Open your eyes.

[Game Master]

Gotta try the other one's.

[Mr. Ren]

D V. Open your eyes.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Endless infinity.

[Emmett]

O M. Venom.

[Selina]

Venom.

[Mr. Ren]

So we have Open your mind.

[Fenley]

That's the last one.

[Game Master]

To the endless void.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

No.

[Selina]

You're not real. Open.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

As you finish the final lock. You can watch as the chains down to the ground. The final bolt being the one that

[Game Master]

held the knob in place. But the lock falls down to the ground. And you lift the grate to pull. And the handle is there.

[Mr. Ren]

Who will open the door?

[Jude]

I'll open it.

[Mr. Ren]

Jude.

[Game Master]

You reach your hand into the cavity and grasp the knob. And it turns.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Door flies open. And you watch as stars lay out

[Game Master]

in front of you.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Endless space. And you start to feel a vacuum pull all of you straight into the door frame. Somebody make a pull to hold on. All of you are pulling out into the endless void of space. Stars are falling everywhere. Someone grab a hold of the door before you're all sucked out into space. You can hear as wind and air are running by you as Jude. You hold on with every available strength you have. Your friends are grabbing your legs. And they are grabbing their legs as all of you basically form a chain. And space is pulling you out. And Emmett. It's the last one. He's there. Waiting. Falling. You can see his hands grasping a hold of his side as the air is escaping your lungs and falling and falling. And he holds on Emmett. His hands grasp the side of the door frame as he links up with all five of you. As the door frame pulls in.

[Game Master]

And you can feel the air.

[Mr. Ren]

Whoosh.

[Game Master]

Whoosh.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

As this cavernous hurricane wind is brushing by you.

[Game Master]

And you can see stars. Endless stars.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

As air is escaping in a vacuum in this hallway of your apartment. Apartment building.

[Game Master]

And you hear.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

You hear the voice.

[Game Master]

My time is near. I am the watcher who guides all into blessed infinity.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

And you look out into the stars and you can see a lidless. Its eyes staring at you. Its vertical slit peering into each one of you as you see a writhing mass of flesh and bone and form pulsating in a purple cloud. And its eyes. Its eyes stare back at you. And you watch as all of its mouths. Mouths on mouths. Endless infinite mouths. All scream and sing a song.

[Dungeon Master]

You can't take them. They're not yours.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

We'll close the gate. You Pull. And you attempt to pull. And all of you are attempting to get back into the door frame. But the.

[Game Master]

This wind is so strong.

[Abigail]

Come on.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

All of you need to pull to get out of this place. All of you. Only one will bring them back. Endless infinity. Endless infinity. The eyes gazing and seeing standing on you.

[Game Master]

One is all it takes.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

One for each of your lives. One for opening the black door. One to not be eaten by the great watcher who is gazing at you from the endless void of space.

[Game Master]

Who will try their hand at it first?

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Who wants to survive the endless void of space as you each clasp a hold of each other?

[Fenley]

I can't. I can't take it anymore. No.

[Jude]

No.

[Fenley]

No.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Fenley.

[Fenley]

Why no?

[Narrator/Storyteller]

It should have been me.

[Fenley]

They get a fresh start. They can all pull.

[Game Master]

Do you want to describe your death or should I?

[Fenley]

You can. Master storyteller.

[Game Master]

Take a seat. Everyone. Take a seat. Fenley. This is a heroic sacrifice. And because of that, no one has to pull. You did it for everyone else. That is not something that happens lightly. No one pushes their own tower down without a gracious sacrifice like that. And just as gracious of a reward. Fenli, you were the first in this line in this great chain of power. People who you have come to know as friends. And each one of them grasping a hold of you tightly with the will to survive. And all you've had at this point is Jude to grasp ahold of. And Jude, taking his strong arms, lifts you and puts your hand onto that doorway and pulls himself in. Finally, you're feeling your arms weak as each one of these people. Abigail. Selina.

[Dungeon Master]

Greetings, adventurers. Gather round the fire and lend me your ears, because I've got just the quest for you. Streaming great supernatural movies and TV shows for free on Pluto tv. From the hundred to the X Files to Battlestar Galactica, there's no shortage of paranormal adventure. Craving more of the arcane binge fringe or the spellbinding Charmed? And when you're ready for a full party quest, embark on a cinematic journey with Dungeons and Dragons. Honor among Thieves. Thoughtfully made by fans of the game, this movie includes iconic monsters, classic spells, and insider details you won't want to miss. No gold required, just pure supernatural adventure that you can stream free anywhere from Neverwinter to the Material Plane. And if you need a time stop, just hit pause and return to play when you're ready. So free your mind from the real world and fire up the Supernatural on Pluto TV stream. Now pay. Never. Greetings, adventurers. Spring has sprung here in Los Angeles. And that means it's a brief period where it's only 75 degrees instead of 95 degrees. I'll take it. And that means I've been outside a lot more, walking around, occasionally galloping after a toddler hopped up on juice boxes, traveling a bit, you know the vibe. And after doing some spring cleaning, my wardrobe, I gotta say, looking a little bit sad. I want clothes that can keep up with me and my son. But updating my wardrobe every spring sounds pretty expensive. So that's why I wound up signing up for Fabletics as a vip. It let me overhaul my springtime outfits without obliterating my bank account. New VIPs unlock major savings on that first purchase, so trying new fits feels way more doable. When I signed up as a new VIP with fabletics, I got 70 to 80% off everything. It made it easy to grab a few new pieces without overthinking it, and the quality really surprised me. Everything feels premium and soft and breathable, but you're not paying those premium prices. What I like most though, is how versatile everything is. You've got stuff you can work out in but also wear out. There's matching sets, lightweight hoodies, joggers, tees, you name it. The kind of stuff you can throw on in the morning and not worry about later. When I'm at home, my favorite thing to pull on is the oversized hoodie. It's so comfy I could just live in it 24 7. It's perfect for walking my dog on like a chilly night. But when I'm out and about, I've really been loving the ribbed Johnny collar polo. It makes me look like I should be taking a high powered meeting by the pool at the White Lotus, but hopefully with less murder involved. I don't know. It's insanely comfortable. I highly recommend it. So shop [e-mail] criticalrole to get 70 to 80% off everything when you sign up as a new VIP, take a quick style quiz and be sure to select critical role when prompted to unlock your 70 to 80% off. This is a limited time offer, so don't wait again. That's fabletics.com criticalrole for 70 to 80% off everything as a new VIP. And now onto the show. Greetings adventurers. Lately I've been getting a bit more intentional about what I wear from day to day because instead of just falling out of whatever laundry basket's nearby, I've been leaning into pieces that feel easy and comfortable but still put together because it just makes getting dressed simpler when I have a plan. Quince has been my go to to help with that because the fabrics feel elevated, the fits are clean, and everything just works without me needing to overthink it. And Quince has all the wardrobe staples you need for spring. Think 100% European linen shorts and shirts from just $34. They're lightweight, they're breathable, they're comfortable. Your legs and torso will thank you and you will still look put together and clean. 100% Pima cotton tees with a softness. Well, you gotta feel that to believe it. Believe you me. Their pants also hit that same balance. They're relaxed, they're comfortable, but still polished enough to wear basically anywhere. And everything's priced between 50 and 80% less than what you'd find at similar brands. Quince works directly with ethical factories and cuts out the middlemen, so you're getting premium materials without the markup. And since spring is here in Los Angeles, a brief period where it's 75 degrees instead of 95 degrees, I spruced up my wardrobe with a pair of the Comfort Stretch Traveler five pocket pants and the Heritage Wash denim shirt. Not only do they feel great, but I unequivocally look good as hell while wearing them. That's just science. So refresh your everyday with luxury you'll actually use. Head to quince.com criticalrole for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q U I n c e.com criticalrole for free shipping and 365 day returns.

[Game Master]

Quince.com criticalrole Mitts pull themselves up your very tired, worn form. And as Emmet, the last of the line, begins to pull himself in. The bruises from your body are just too much. The muscles in your weak frame are just too much. And the voice of him, the endless void that calls you is just too much.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

And as Emmet and Jude reach out to pull you in, it's just seconds before you have to let go and your body flies. It goes out. The wind gushes you out into the endless void of space.

[Game Master]

You can feel warm because your muscles have been tightening from the long extrusion of how it's been happening. But then in just seconds, it starts to feel cold. So cold as the air is sucked out of your body. And the four of you watch as the momentum of his form slides out into space. The I. And nothing, nothing is there as Jude pulls with all of his might to grasp the onyx door and shuts it forever. Fenli, thank you so much for joining us on this journey, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave our group.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

No.

[Game Master]

Thank you for participating, and you are wonderful.

[Fenley]

Give him hell.

[Jude]

Thank you, Bradley. You're a good man.

[Fenley]

Make me proud.

[Game Master]

All right, everybody. Because of the manner of his death, I also have to take what he had with him. His notes, some of the paper from the Guardian's room, and his journal have all joined him in the void of space.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Also, as you know, the tower fell.

[Game Master]

And normally, in a time of morning, we would all have the opportunity to. To rebuild the tower together. And I'm sorry that I've denied you that. At the same time, I feel like that you four have upgraded from a tower of Dread into a tower of madness. This is the tower that you'll be playing with for the rest of the game.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

What is that?

[Game Master]

Are you fucking kidding me?

[Fenley]

What is that?

[Game Master]

Fenley's death has pulled and stretched your sanity to its absolute limit. So even the boundaries of the game have now been changed. It is no longer linear. It is no longer balanced. It's no longer fair.

[Emmett]

And what are we gonna do now?

[Selina]

We're gonna make it worth it. We're gonna do it for Finley.

[Abigail]

Okay. Well, I hope opening that door wasn't all for nothing. Did we figure anything out?

[Selina]

Maybe it's time to pull together the clues that we have.

[Jude]

Can you remember what Finley's note said?

[Abigail]

Keep it on. Was in there.

[Selina]

Yeah.

[Abigail]

And then what he heard when we were in. In the desert.

[Jude]

Look into.

[Game Master]

Look at me. And I will waken the void of your mind into endless infinity.

[Abigail]

I feel like my mind has been open to endless infinity.

[Selina]

Now, the back of the book says. The Christians say the song that ends the world will be sung by four horsemen, A quartet of misery. The Muslims say the sun will cry out the song as it rises in the west, A portent of the last day. What fools men are these. Natoc pentabius. The song is the end. The song sings itself. The voice out there, beyond the door. It talked about the song. This diary talks about opening a gateway near the beginning of a new millennium. It talks about how this cult has been tracking the landlord or the landlord's nephew and the landlord's nephew. And it repeats that word and sometimes in different glyphs. Natoc penatibus. Natoc panatibus. There's just all these different languages in here.

[Game Master]

You've been looking at that book a long time, Selina. You should make a pull. Try to keep your sanity Together as you're looking at all these various languages, knowing that one man wrote not only in Sanskrit, but Copic, Hebrew, Latin. Every written language known to man is ingrained in this book. Yet you push those details away. You ignore them as you continue to read through the journal. The language barrier is not something of a concern. Who cares how old this book is? It has the secret to redeem Fenley's sacrifice.

[Emmett]

Why us? We're dealing with a centuries old order.

[Game Master]

We're a bunch of fuck ups.

[Emmett]

Why does this guy have so much on us?

[Abigail]

What if those weren't even pictures? They're called the Watchers.

[Jude]

And that big eye. So it saw everything that we've been through.

[Abigail]

I think it's still watching us. And has been for.

[Selina]

Why did all of you decide to move here out of all the apartments you could have chosen in this city? Why?

[Emmett]

There's nothing magical about my story. I had a play going on in New York. My leading actress started getting interest in Hollywood. I thought I was in love. I followed her out here. I rented this place. Cause I don't. I was tired of getting clouded by all the bullshit. So I wanted to keep things simple. I don't have any grand history or grand past. I write plays. Mediocre ones maybe. I don't know why I'm here. There's no mystery for me being here.

[Jude]

I had a nice house. I bought it. I thought it was what I wanted. I realized it wasn't. My mother ran into some health problems. I didn't want to put her in a home or put her somewhere where I. I couldn't be somewhat responsible for her. So I gave her my house. But after she moved in, I just. We like stopped talking. And so I felt as though I had nothing. I had no home. I had no family. This place was weird. So I said I'll move in here.

[Game Master]

How about you, Abigail? Things seem to be agitating you right now.

[Abigail]

Just. I don't. Thought you already knew everything about me. Selena.

[Emmett]

I don't.

[Selina]

I don't even know your real name.

[Abigail]

But you know, Abigail is not it. And that's enough. I'm here because this building doesn't do criminal background checks. All right? I'm here because.

[Selina]

Because of your father. Yeah. What happened?

[Abigail]

Fuck you, Selena. Fuck you.

[Selina]

I don't know.

[Abigail]

I don't know what happened. I don't know. Okay? I don't know. I don't know what's happening right now. I don't know what happened when I fucking might have killed him. I don't Know a lot happens. A lot happens. And I don't know what I was holding in the process. I don't know how he got on the floor. I don't know.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Abigail, a lot's going through you right now. You can feel this heated tense of emotion. Some of it's yours, but you can

[Game Master]

also feel the voice.

[Jude]

Yes.

[Mr. Ren]

Yes. That's exactly how it needs to be.

[Game Master]

Hold my hand and have it be yours.

[Mr. Ren]

Take her. Take her and give her to me. Make a pull.

[Game Master]

Make a pull and resist the voice.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Resist the voice. Or smash Selina.

[Game Master]

Take her, put her in your hand and give her to the watcher. Or fight the voice inside your own mind. Take it.

[Mr. Ren]

Yes. Yes.

[Selina]

You can't trust the voices.

[Game Master]

I am always watching. I am your personal dark knob.

[Selina]

The voices aren't real.

[Game Master]

They m I u.

[Mr. Ren]

Yes.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Don't. Fuck you. Throw the crowbar down onto the ground.

[Abigail]

You wanna talk about trust? I shouldn't. It seems like all of you all are pretty fucking great people. Pretty fucking awesome. Taking care of your fucking mom.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Look, it doesn't matter what fucking falling in love.

[Emmett]

It doesn't matter what your name is. It doesn't matter what you did. It really doesn't matter right now. After this. None of us care what you did. All we got is the four of us. That's all we got. I don't care. I care that you stay with us right now. All right? Cause fucking insanity on all sides.

[Abigail]

Don't.

[Jude]

Just tell me something.

[Abigail]

What?

[Jude]

What's your real. It's okay.

[Selina]

It's.

[Abigail]

Kathy.

[Jude]

Kathy.

[Abigail]

Pretty fucking stupid, right?

[Jude]

I think it's beautiful.

[Mr. Ren]

It's okay.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Wait. What kind of fucking punishment does a parent put on their kid by the able to. Kathy.

[Jude]

Just go by Katherine.

[Abigail]

Jude.

[Jude]

Okay? Kathy.

[Abigail]

So it's fucking.

[Selina]

One of the reasons that they chose us is we're all criminals. We all wanted there to be a building where we wouldn't get the background check. We've all done things that we're not proud of, that we have to live with. But I chose this place because out of all the places on the list, I knew that this was home.

[Game Master]

As you begin to wind and move through the old alleyways, the hallways, the twists and turns, which now seem much more practical than they were the first time. You went through this long hallway, you come back to the main lobby and see a disarray of papers, furniture, all have been pulled towards you as if a hurricane swept through this part of the building. Because, well, it did. And as you see the scattered furniture in various places, you See that the out of service elevator has been pulled and manipulated and bent and torn. And you can see it's slightly askew to the point in which you can barely see the carpet ripped up and hard laminate flooring underneath the chain is still hangling. They're mocking you. Out of service. The grate still seems in place even though it is bent and molded against its frame.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

All right, let's go to the elevator then. I mean, it's there.

[Game Master]

It's waiting for you. Would you like to make it in service?

[Abigail]

See what we can do? I guess.

[Fenley]

Sure.

[Abigail]

I mean, is this even doable?

[Game Master]

You can feel the weight of it crooked and bent inside of it, but yet it has some give. It does feel like it could be bent into place.

[Abigail]

I bet if I can squeeze through.

[Game Master]

All right.

[Abigail]

Maybe we can leverage it from here. Okay, ready?

[Emmett]

Both sides.

[Selina]

Ah.

[Abigail]

There we go.

[Emmett]

What the hell did you do?

[Abigail]

I don't know. Okay.

[Selina]

Now. I swear.

[Abigail]

Does that do anything?

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Moments pass in which, after you flip the switch.

[Game Master]

Abigail. That the grate starts to close.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Shit.

[Abigail]

Shit.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

No, no, no.

[Game Master]

And you can hear a dull. As if something, the power, maybe something left over from the batteries lifted.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

And it drops ever so slightly.

[Game Master]

Drops 3, 4, 5ft out of nowhere. And instead of taking you down to the next floor, you can see brick lined up as the elevator is in between two different floors. The top lobby and the basement below you. You peer down with your flashlights into the area on the sub basement and you can. You can see movement. Small amounts. Almost as if the floor is waving like a dark ocean. There's just enough distance between both the bottom and the top where the elevator shaft is in between that you could crawl and roll underneath it if you wanted to. Looks the hell is it, Emmett? As you lean closer and get your face across the threshold and get your flashlight closer, you see rats.

[Jude]

Ugh.

[Game Master]

Hundreds and hundreds of rats. That's the shit you were hearing.

[Abigail]

It's definitely the shit I was hearing

[Game Master]

as you see them running and scattering everywhere. And there seems to be something else. There seems to be. Well, as you move your flashlight around, you can see that it's a giant open space. It's huge. It's the entire span of the building

[Narrator/Storyteller]

in one solid, columnless holy hell floor.

[Game Master]

And in the center, Emmett, is a black box. Is anyone going to go down there and make their way to the box?

[Selina]

Yeah, I'll go.

[Emmett]

No, I got it.

[Jude]

No, no, no.

[Emmett]

Yeah, I got it.

[Game Master]

All right, I'll go with it. I'll go with you. As you Crawl out underneath and come into the sub basement. You drop your feet down onto the bottom and you watch as the rats scatter away from you. And you watch as they run away, seeing you as you crouch and move slowly towards the box. And as you get closer, you can shine your light right onto it. 10, 15ft closer. And you realize that this large black box has a grate on it.

[Selina]

What do you see?

[Jude]

There's the box.

[Game Master]

Box.

[Emmett]

Got some fundamental grate on it.

[Glass Cannon Podcast Host]

It's got a grate.

[Fenley]

What is this going to do?

[Abigail]

Does the grate open?

[Narrator/Storyteller]

You can start to find out. Feel as the rats who moved around at first scared of who you were, now starting to challenge your territory.

[Jude]

Fuck out of here.

[Game Master]

Fuck out of here.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

And as one's moved the other direction, you feel the other ones come coming around to the side of you. Jude, they're starting to move closer. Make a pull, Emmett, as you begin to challenge. And look at all of these things

[Game Master]

around you as you move the racks. Jude, you're pushing it around.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Emmet, this grate, it's empty. There's nothing inside of it.

[Game Master]

It's another elevator.

[Jude]

What?

[Game Master]

And the rats move. But then just as quickly, they disperse. Challenging, but keeping ever so close.

[Selina]

What is it?

[Jude]

It's another elevator.

[Emmett]

Come on.

[Selina]

All right, we're coming in.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Right.

[Selina]

This is the basement. There's a sub basement. Sub basement.

[Abigail]

What's up? Basement. Let's go.

[Selina]

Here.

[Josh Horowitz]

Watch out.

[Jude]

These rats. Watch out. Watch out.

[Game Master]

All of you run forward as you hop into the next basement. The basement.

[Glass Cannon Podcast Host]

The war is over and both sides lost. Kingdoms were reduced to cinders and armies scattered like bones in the dust. Now the survivors claw to what's left of a broken world, praying the darkness chooses someone else tonight. But in the shadow dark, the darkness always wins. This is old school adventuring at its most cruel. Your torch and ticks down in real time. And when that flame dies, something else rises to finish the job. This is a brutal rules light nightmare with a story that emerges organically based on the decisions that the characters make. This is what it felt like to play RPGs in the 80s. And man, it is so good to be back. Join the Glass Cannon podcast as we plunge into the shadow dark every Thursday night at 8pm Eastern on YouTube.com theglasscannon with the podcast version dropping the next day. See what everybody's talking about and join us in the dark. The world of Sonic the Hedgehog has

[Mr. Ren]

been thrust into a not so dark, not so stormy, hard boiled detective story that probably nobody saw coming.

[Glass Cannon Podcast Host]

Follow Sonic and the intrepid Chaotix Detective Detective Agency as they take on their biggest case yet. This high flying, action packed adventure will take them across the world, fighting for every clue they can find. It's one heck of a tale, which

[Mr. Ren]

is good because this story might be

[Glass Cannon Podcast Host]

the only thing that can save their lives.

[Mr. Ren]

Well, if that's all, I can just dispose of you.

[Game Master]

Wait, what.

[Glass Cannon Podcast Host]

All will be revealed in Sonic the Hedgehog Presents the Chaotix Case Files. Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Josh Horowitz]

Look, we all know there are a lot of celebrity interview podcasts out there, but there's only one Happy Sad Confused. I'm Josh Horowitz and yeah, I'm the host of the show, so I'm a little biased. But truly Happy Sad Confused is the place for nerdy and intimate conversations with all your favorite actors and filmmakers, from Andrew Garfield and Scarlett Johansson to Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino. For over 10 years and over 700 episodes, Happy Sad Confused has broken movie and TV news every single week. That's because I ask all the questions I want to know. And more importantly, you want to know casting, what ifs, backstage stories, acting, pet peeves, and much more. So whether you're into superheroes, prestige TV, or just the coolest actors and directors alive, you're going to learn something in every episode. Listen to Happy Sad Confused on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Game Master]

Elevator and flip the switch the great as you can hear it whirling as it starts to descend.

[Abigail]

Notice how this elevator has power.

[Jude]

Why does this have power?

[Abigail]

Fuck if I know, man.

[Game Master]

Let's go back in here to the elevator so that we can properly do the sub basement. This sub basement elevator continues to move all the way through. You can see walls of brick and brick and suddenly it goes from no brick to stone, dark stone, wet stone as you continue to descend more into this shaft that seems to appear forever. And suddenly this wave of nausea just comes across all of you as this feeling continues to come across and pierce into your consciousness. And you can feel that bending, that twisting, that moving, writhing anger.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

As you hear something on top of the elevator,

[Game Master]

You feel it lift itself off from the top as it begins to move. And you can hear scratching talons moving as stone and claw seem to break across various places. And something is with you.