A Bridge Too Far | Critical Role | Campaign 4, Episode 14 Part 2

Summary

Critical Role Campaign 4, Episode 14 Part 2: "A Bridge Too Far" — Summary

Overview

In this high-octane continuation, the party finds themselves caught on the Hochwalenbrücke, a massive, icy bridge hanging over perilous heights, beset by House Taconis soldiers, demonic sisters, and their own family drama. Old wounds surface, allegiances are tested, and a breakneck battle erupts across dizzying heights — ending with a dramatic escape before a new, horrifying threat arrives. The episode features signature Critical Role banter, tension, and cinematic combat, all driven by stellar player improvisation.

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Key Discussion Points & Highlights

1. Setting the Stage (02:24)

• Backdrop: The party stands amidst waterfalls and spiring chapels, at the gatehouse before a massive eyrie along a sheer drop. Enemy patrols appear.
• Vibe: Tension between imminent combat, family intrigue, and looming supernatural threat.

2. Combat Erupts: Initiative, Surprises & Betrayals (03:46)

• The party rolls initiative against a column of House Taconis soldiers led by a knight and the disguised demoness Mozor, soon revealed as Enmity.
• Julian’s Move (04:26): Positions tactically, readying for violence: “If anybody comes close to me, I’m going to shank him.”
• Mozo’s Reveal: Mozor drops his accent, hurling an expletive—signaling the start of hostilities.

3. Battle Dynamics & Social Maneuvering (05:44 – 14:00)

• Octis Tries Diplomacy: Proclaims himself as a Taconis to command the soldiers; nearly succeeds but is exposed by his brother Franz.
  • Quote: (13:00) Brian W. Foster (Octis): “As a scion of House Taconis, stand down.”
• Family Standoff: Franz, Octis’ brother, enters, shifting the fight to bitter family rivalries.
• Enmity (Demon Sister) Enters the Fray: Attempts to magically dominate Franz, but he fights back, resulting in a brutal family conflict.

4. Chaos Mounts: Fog, Spells, and Demonic Banter (21:00 – 35:00)

• Tysha’s Fog Cloud: Obscures the enemy, intimidates the reinforcements. She uses magic and intimidation to brilliant effect.
  • Quote: (22:19) Sam Riegel (Tysha): “If you walk on this bridge, you will fall into nothing.”
• Simultaneous Demonic and Family Intrigue: Enmity, Cruelty, and Agony, three demon sisters, harry the party with psychic damage, curses, and sarcastic villainy, all while obsessed with tracking a mysterious “lion man.”
• Memorable Banter: (41:02) Sam Riegel: “I wild shape into a mean girl.” — continuing to bully the demon sisters.
• Ballista Bolts & Bridge Tactics: The party and enemies dodge giant bolts and use the precarious bridge for positional advantage.

5. Cinematic Showdown: Franz’s Fall (59:38 – 86:45)

• Franz vs. Julian Duel:
  • A brutal, acrobatic duel plays out between Julian and Franz, highlighted by multiple shoves, tactical strikes, and family taunts.
  • Climactic Action: Julian finally knocks Franz over the bridge’s edge after a desperate series of grapple checks.
    • Quote: (85:16) Taliesin Jaffe (Julian): “I know you worship death. Let me do you a favor and send you where you’re supposed to be.”
• Performance Check Request: (87:02) Sam Riegel: “Can I get a performance check? I just gotta know how hot that was.”

6. Enemy Retreat & The Next Threat (88:30 – 92:30)

• Enmity and Agony Withdraw as New Danger Approaches: Twin plumes of black smoke rise from Castle Klippenblik — the sisters, realizing they've been chasing the wrong target, flee just as reinforcements (likely stronger demon kin) arrive.
  • Quote: (89:15) Matthew Mercer (Enmity): “Well, I guess you’ll have to figure that out. Not tonight, Cassius. Form. Run, sisters!”
  • “You see that? Emmy turns around… you hear… two plumes of black smoke rise from Castle Klippenblik. Twin energies racing up through the air in your direction. Shit.” (82:34)

7. Escape & Rally (93:45 – End)

• Fog, Intimidation, and Stealth: Vaelis and Tysha terrify Taconis guards; the party utilizes the fog cloud and banter to scatter their foes, cook a soldier in his armor, and run for the eyrie.
  • Quote: (96:17) Sam Riegel (Tysha): “Smells like a barbecue.”
  • Critical Intimidation: (93:05) Ashley Johnson (Vaelis), after missing with a guiding bolt: “Well, it’s a natural 20 [on Intimidation].”
• Octis Orders a Stand Down: With a natural 20, Octis stops the ballista operators, asserting himself as highest Taconis rank present.
• Retreat: The group dashes off, closing the portcullis as the demonic threat and new twin sorceresses arrive on the bridge.
• Melancholic Moment: Octis uses prestidigitation to mark Franz’s passing: “Here lies Franz.”
  • Quote: (90:09) “On the rocks, kind of leave a short, ‘Here lies Franz’ on the edge of the rock, right where he went.”

8. Aftermath & Reflections

• Wrap-up Banter: Cast reflects on the absurdity and tension of the session.
  • Quote: (113:43) Brian W. Foster: “So stressful and funny combat I’ve ever put in.”
  • (113:45) Matthew Mercer: “How frightening. And also how deeply absurd.”

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Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• “If anybody comes close to me, I’m going to shank him.”
  — Taliesin Jaffe (Julian), [04:35]
• “As a scion of House Taconis, stand down.”
  — Brian W. Foster (Octis), [12:41]
• “If you walk on this bridge, you will fall into nothing.”
  — Sam Riegel (Tysha), [22:19]
• “Are you gonna cry?”
  — Sam Riegel (Tysha, mocking Cruelty), [40:47]
• “I wild shape into a mean girl.”
  — Sam Riegel (Tysha), [41:02]
• “I know you worship death. Let me do you a favor and send you where you’re supposed to be.”
  — Taliesin Jaffe (Julian, to Franz), [85:16]
• “Here lies Franz” (using prestidigitation)
  — Brian W. Foster (Octis), [90:09]
• “Smells like a barbecue.”
  — Sam Riegel (Tysha, after using Heat Metal), [96:17]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:24 — Campaign resumes: Ice, waterfalls, bridge, enemy approach.
• 03:46 — Initiative rolls; battle begins.
• 13:00 – 15:00 — Octis as Taconis; Franz reveals Octis.
• 22:00 – 23:30 — Fog Cloud, intimidation of guards and backup.
• 30:15 – 46:00 — Combat chaos; demon banter, attacks, major spells.
• 59:38 – 86:45 — Franz vs. Julian duel, shoves, critical takedown.
• 88:30 — Demon sisters realize the mistake; supernatural threats approach.
• 93:05 – 96:17 — Intimidation, Heat Metal, escape executed.
• 100:13 – 101:00 — Octis rolls nat 20 to command guards’ retreat.
• 111:00 – End — Group stealth check; party flees into the night as twin sorceresses arrive.

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Tone & Style

• The party maintains a mix of high-stakes combat, intense familial roleplay, and irreverent table banter even in the most precarious situations.
• Demonic villains are both menacing and comic foils.
• The group often breaks tension with jokes, especially as danger heightens.

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For New Listeners

This was a classic Critical Role setpiece — halfway between an action movie and a tragicomedy. The party is relentless but rattled, their clever spells and roleplay just barely keeping them ahead of death. As the episode ends, the party escapes, but new horrors are close behind. Listeners will find memorable characters, quick tactical minds, and moments of levity even in the most dire circumstances.

Missed the start? Go back to Part 1, and don’t forget: Is it Thursday yet?

Transcript

[Ashley Johnson]

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[Sam Riegel]

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[Matthew Mercer]

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[Sam Riegel]

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[Matthew Mercer]

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[Taliesin Jaffe]

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[Matthew Mercer]

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[Taliesin Jaffe]

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[Matthew Mercer]

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[Matthew Mercer]

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[Taliesin Jaffe]

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[Ashley Johnson]

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[Sam Riegel]

Pop Pop's tube while I was on vacation.

[Matthew Mercer]

Make it quick, young man.

[Ashley Johnson]

Aw, see, Pop Pop trusts you.

[Brian W. Foster]

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[Matthew Mercer]

Hello again, it's Brennan Lee Mulligan, and you're listening to part two of this episode of Critical Role. If you haven't checked out part one yet, pause this now and head over there first. What are you doing? Otherwise, let's jump right back into this adventure and the world of Ahriman. We return to the Hochwalenbuka that's so cool.

[Sam Riegel]

Every new words are my favorite Here.

[Matthew Mercer]

The beautiful waterfalls of Riesengurtel descend Towards a cliff plunge some 200ft that will see them scatter on the western border of Helvar. The water is cold, the ice clinging to the sides up here at this high altitude. And we see before us the spiring chapels and this gatehouse. Beyond the gatehouse, probably up some not too far away, but up a small winding stone staircase on the side of the cliff, you see the site of a massive eyrie. And you see up there, Julian, who in a moment will get everybody's initiative but those with high perception. Julian Veilis. You see up here above, there is a massive series of nests. The nests appear to be about 20ft in diameter. Oh, you. Birdies, birdies, birdies. Looking out, you see a column of Taconus soldiers walking out in front of you. And you see that right in front of you. Mozor has just changed his accent and yelled an expletive. Can I get initiatives from everybody?

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Yes, 20 from me.

[Matthew Mercer]

20. Let's go.

[Sam Riegel]

13.

[Matthew Mercer]

13. 15. 15. Great.

[Ashley Johnson]

14.

[Matthew Mercer]

Lovely.

[Sam Riegel]

I didn't do that bad.

[Matthew Mercer]

No, I gotta go with that. Julian, you are first to act as you see the knight over here at the head of this marching order. You don't recognize from this distance any insignia on a shield, but from some vassal house of Taconis calling out, saying.

[Brian W. Foster]

Stand down at once.

[Matthew Mercer]

You are under arrest under the authority of house Taconis.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Guess what?

[Brian W. Foster]

My turn on Lucy.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

So we take them out and keep going.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yep.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

All right. I'm going to go ahead and move forward 30ft to.

[Matthew Mercer]

30 ish.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

About there.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell yeah.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

And I'm going to use my action. I'm going to hold my action to have my blade at the ready, hidden behind with the cloak in front, hiding the demigantlet, and just use that position to protect any of who's going to try and rush past to get at my friends. Or if anybody comes close to me, I'm going to shank him.

[Matthew Mercer]

Beautiful. Moving forward, ready to action. Incredible. You see going next in initiative. Oh, this is so interesting.

[Sam Riegel]

I like that.

[Brian W. Foster]

One quick point of clarification. They are coming from the Eyrie, or they're coming from behind us.

[Matthew Mercer]

You see the gatehouse here? Immediately past the gatehouse falling away is a small. There's what looks like a small tavern over here. Over in this direction. There are some homes on a winding cliffside that goes this way. There is a tall staircase going up towards. Towards the Eyrie here. So in other words, it is not obvious to you at once that these guys came from the Eyrie? Okay. Right.

[Brian W. Foster]

Yeah. So they are between us and where we need to be.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yes, exactly. It also does not seem as though these guards necessarily. They don't seem flush or out of breath, like they were told to come here and look for you. It looks like you might have been spotted by a stationed patrol.

[Brian W. Foster]

Right.

[Matthew Mercer]

Right. Immediately after you. You see? Okay. That's what's gonna happen. Don't like that. No, no. All of this is good.

[Ashley Johnson]

10 minutes.

[Brian W. Foster]

So that's probably faded by. It has been 10 minutes since our conversation. Conversation?

[Matthew Mercer]

Really? I think since the conversation. Oh, yeah. You went and got all your gears.

[Brian W. Foster]

Great. So it's fitted. Yeah, I just wanted to make sure.

[Matthew Mercer]

Gotcha, gotcha. No worries. How much is 60ft?

[Brian W. Foster]

Hate that.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Yeah. Come at me, bud.

[Matthew Mercer]

Over here. I'm gonna go 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30. Who's that? That's Mozor.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Oh.

[Ashley Johnson]

Oh.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

In quotes.

[Sam Riegel]

Okay, so he's just sort of cussed and now is just gonna keep it pushing. That's so interesting of him.

[Matthew Mercer]

So interesting of him.

[Ashley Johnson]

That's so interesting of him.

[Brian W. Foster]

What an intriguing little man.

[Ashley Johnson]

Wait, you're next.

[Brian W. Foster]

No. Did you say I'm next?

[Ashley Johnson]

What did you roll?

[Taliesin Jaffe]

He's checking something right now.

[Brian W. Foster]

I'm at the bottom.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh, so it's.

[Brian W. Foster]

Yeah. Julian, Me, you.

[Matthew Mercer]

You. Yep. This is going to be.

[Sam Riegel]

I don't like your voice.

[Brian W. Foster]

I'm so upset right now.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yes.

[Ashley Johnson]

This is a tone.

[Matthew Mercer]

Everyone's mad at me. Why are you also mad at me? You see that in this instance, what's going to happen here is Mozor walks up and looks over at you, Julian, and says, everything all right?

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Just hold the blade between him and the people ahead of us. He's like, we'll see what your next move is if this blade finds your neck or theirs.

[Matthew Mercer]

You see, I think in this moment, I am going to need.

[Sam Riegel]

A.

[Matthew Mercer]

Question. Julian was not present. No, no. Okay.

[Brian W. Foster]

My curiosity is spiking. I want to know what's happening.

[Matthew Mercer]

You're so good. I'm going to need a constitution saving throw for. Actually give me persuasion check.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Okay.

[Brian W. Foster]

Okay.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

That would be 14.

[Matthew Mercer]

14. I'm going to need a constitution saving throw from you.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

You got it. That is better. That's going to be a 22.

[Sam Riegel]

Let's go.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell, yes, Let's go. Hold on one second. Incredible. You see, as Mozar turns to look at you, his eyes go blood red as he says, well, then why don't you just burn? And you instead. Nothing happens on a 22. You feel a flush of some kind of Powerful fiery thing. And a smell of sulfur fills the space as Enmity.

[Brian W. Foster]

Oh, God.

[Matthew Mercer]

Stands before you. Oh, what a bitch.

[Sam Riegel]

She just gave you a hot flash. I cast men upon.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

No, my little Sweaty right in the gooch right now.

[Ashley Johnson]

Yes, Sweatywear.

[Matthew Mercer]

Incredible. The worst spell vile creature that is on a success. You do take seven points of fire damage as you feel a flash of fire and blood. But you see the enmity readies in action next to you.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

All right, so walks up, ready's in action as the impact of the heat burns through me and I react from it for a second. Shake it off, throw the cloak back. And I can now use my ready action to just.

[Matthew Mercer]

You absolutely can. Go for it.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

I'm not going into that line. That's going to be. Oh, okay, 21 to hit.

[Matthew Mercer]

21 is a hit.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

All right, that'll be 10 points of piercing damage with the rapier.

[Matthew Mercer]

Boom. The rapier flashes out, Enmity throws up one of her arms. A slash of blood across the forearm. You should know not to keep our quarry from us. And that is going to be. That's Enmity's turn.

[Sam Riegel]

My good bitch. Who are you talking about?

[Matthew Mercer]

This is a funny question here. Hold on one second. Da, da, da. The moving forward from here. Julian, you were not present in the beer garden, Right? You saw them, but they didn't see.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Correct.

[Matthew Mercer]

It was Tysha and these two. Right, Cool. Okay, you see, this dude is going to come rushing up. Chariz charge. Put him under arrest. 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60. Whole turn, move and dash. Just closing distance with you guys. Octis, that's gonna be you. Shit. So, okay, so I see.

[Brian W. Foster]

See Enmity appear where Mozo was.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay, shit.

[Sam Riegel]

I did warn you that they.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yes.

[Brian W. Foster]

Yeah. So I was like. But then knowing that you pointed off to the real one, I'm like, okay, so this is a fake. Okay, so what Octus is going to do is move.

[Matthew Mercer]

I can't.

[Brian W. Foster]

I'm just going to be right here. And then is going to look at the house to Kona's vassals and just.

[Matthew Mercer]

Say.

[Brian W. Foster]

As a scion of house Taconis, stand down.

[Matthew Mercer]

Go ahead and give me Persuasion. I'm going to ask you to do this with disadvantage.

[Ashley Johnson]

Good idea, good idea, good idea.

[Sam Riegel]

Another natural 20.

[Matthew Mercer]

Not bad.

[Brian W. Foster]

That's an 18 and a 19. Okay, so that's going to be 20 total.

[Matthew Mercer]

20.

[Brian W. Foster]

Sorry, what skill did you say?

[Matthew Mercer]

Persuasion.

[Brian W. Foster]

Persuasion.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

20 total.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yes, 20 total.

[Sam Riegel]

That's kind of scary, Larry.

[Matthew Mercer]

You call out to the Taconis here on a 20 persuasion. You see the guards tremble in this moment. The knight in front of you, the one charging here, says, my lord Taconis, what be your first name?

[Brian W. Foster]

Shit, hold on. I'm going to write siblings names. Where the fuck take your character.

[Sam Riegel]

Yeah, I got it, I got it, I got it.

[Matthew Mercer]

Franz, you see? Go ahead, give me. You have 20 persuasions. You'll do this with advantage. Give me deception. You need to hit a 20 here.

[Sam Riegel]

Let's go.

[Matthew Mercer]

Come on.

[Sam Riegel]

Franz.

[Matthew Mercer]

I just got it.

[Brian W. Foster]

18.

[Matthew Mercer]

This is simply too funny. I am gonna have to do this. Franz raises his visor. Shit. Tough news, little brother.

[Sam Riegel]

That's so funny. You had a I want an H shot.

[Matthew Mercer]

I don't want an eight shot. Ah, well, hi.

[Brian W. Foster]

And then octus snaps his fingers and pin appears right next to Franz.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay, Pin appears next to Franz.

[Ashley Johnson]

Pinjamin.

[Brian W. Foster]

Pinjamin, his full God given name.

[Matthew Mercer]

Before you do this, I am going to have to resolve something though. This is going to affect your turn. Enmity's readied action goes off in this moment as she turns two. Franz, which one? With a bunch of demons all in disguise going. You're all being confusing.

[Ashley Johnson]

What is going on?

[Matthew Mercer]

What is going on? Everybody say who you really are. On the count of three, say your real name on the counter.

[Brian W. Foster]

Frogs here, God damn it.

[Sam Riegel]

Yeah, Ty's are in the back, just going, you family sucks.

[Matthew Mercer]

Sucks. We are going to roll an incredibly important saving throw right now as Enmity points to Franz and says, come to the aid of your ally House Herlovar and is going to cast dominate person on Franz Taconis. You guys are in the middle of. Sorry, you guys are in the middle of some shit. Erinessa is right next to you. Tysha, still going. She goes a dynamic and fluid situation.

[Sam Riegel]

I just heard her. I'm like, you're my best friend.

[Matthew Mercer]

You're my best friend. On a 13 or higher, Franz saves. Okay, this kind of.

[Sam Riegel]

I don't even do bad.

[Matthew Mercer]

This kind of isn't good or bad for you. It's just different. 13 or higher, he saves now. 20. All right.

[Sam Riegel]

The Dakota says are rolling hot today.

[Matthew Mercer]

You see as she's come to the airhouse, Helenvar. You see that he looks at her and you see that his skin wraps tight to his skull and his gums recede as he goes. He goes, you have come to a world with death chained spirit. And he sits in the back like.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Ooh, I don't like this bridge. I don't like it here. I want to go.

[Brian W. Foster]

It's the worst bridge ever.

[Matthew Mercer]

Worst bridge ever.

[Sam Riegel]

I start recording this for TikTok, I guess World Star.

[Matthew Mercer]

The Slendered Houses are going at it. The slaughterhouse is going at it. That is so Octus. That is what happens. And now Pin has just been stuck.

[Brian W. Foster]

So I snap my fingers. Pin appears there and I look at my brother and go, brother, do you mean to stop me from leaving this place?

[Matthew Mercer]

He says, I mean to stop you from ever making a decision outside the bounds of your house again.

[Brian W. Foster]

Octus spins his hand and a sigil appears in the air, flat, horizontal, and sticks his hand up through it. And his hand disappears through. Through the sigil is green sigil in the air. At which point Pin's mouth opens and a snake's mouth opens up and a skeletal version of Octys arm shoots out of Pin's mouth and grabs my brother's.

[Matthew Mercer]

Leg.

[Brian W. Foster]

I just couldn't. I forgot the word leg. Grabs his leg and tears at the muscle on his leg. And I'm casting chill touch through Pin.

[Sam Riegel]

Hell, his foot, hands. We know.

[Matthew Mercer]

I love this, but so cool, so dope. It's an attack roll. Correct.

[Brian W. Foster]

It's an attack roll.

[Sam Riegel]

That explains why I was like, this is a little puppy next to frog.

[Brian W. Foster]

That's 20 to hit.

[Matthew Mercer]

20 is a hit.

[Brian W. Foster]

Okay.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Hell yeah.

[Brian W. Foster]

And that's where the fuck. Come on. What is this dice that I need? There he is.

[Sam Riegel]

Breathe.

[Matthew Mercer]

You got this.

[Brian W. Foster]

Terrible. That's two points of necrotic damage. But he can't regain hit points until the end of my next turn.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay, cool. All right. You deal two damage to Franz as Pin, as your skeletal arm comes out, grabs him, he hits that feeling of. You can feel the necrotic energy flowing out through him. Octis. Is that the end of your turn? Any other options?

[Brian W. Foster]

I moved this and. Oh, I have to roll initiative for pin.

[Sam Riegel]

Oh, 18 plus Paul is at the bottom, even behind me.

[Brian W. Foster]

In addition, I mean, he technically, he goes right after Julian. I think it's 18, 19, 21. Okay, so the next round, Pin will go earlier, but.

[Matthew Mercer]

Cool, cool.

[Brian W. Foster]

Yeah. That is the end of my turn.

[Matthew Mercer]

End of your turn. Great. Vaelis, you are next in initiative. And then Tysha, you're on deck.

[Sam Riegel]

Cool.

[Ashley Johnson]

All right, so I'm going to move forward.

[Matthew Mercer]

You know what?

[Sam Riegel]

Yeah.

[Ashley Johnson]

Your long arms and your long.

[Matthew Mercer]

Thank you.

[Brian W. Foster]

Where do you want to go?

[Matthew Mercer]

Your longness.

[Ashley Johnson]

All right, so let's go. I'll go forward 30ft.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Okay.

[Matthew Mercer]

So.

[Sam Riegel]

Really lean across that table.

[Brian W. Foster]

Just right up aside. Do you want to be in face to face with.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah.

[Brian W. Foster]

Enmity. Okay.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Great.

[Brian W. Foster]

Well, or one back.

[Ashley Johnson]

Maybe one back.

[Brian W. Foster]

Yeah, yeah. You have reach, don't you?

[Ashley Johnson]

Yeah, I'm not going to go for her yet, but I just want to get closer. Okay.

[Sam Riegel]

So.

[Ashley Johnson]

Seeing this exchange between octys and.

[Sam Riegel]

Franz.

[Ashley Johnson]

My eyes are going to go dark.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell yeah.

[Ashley Johnson]

And I just point at Franz across the bridge and I will let loose a guiding bolt.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell yes. Go ahead. Give me an attack roll. Okay. Oh, God. Which one?

[Ashley Johnson]

I'm gonna do this one. I'm gonna do this one. I think this is the right one.

[Sam Riegel]

Okay.

[Ashley Johnson]

16.

[Matthew Mercer]

16 does not hit. Fuck.

[Brian W. Foster]

Okay.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay.

[Ashley Johnson]

That's all right. I knew I shouldn't have rolled that. I felt it when I was shaking it.

[Sam Riegel]

Well, I hate when you're like, ah.

[Ashley Johnson]

Come, I should change it. But that's going to be weird.

[Matthew Mercer]

Franz raises a shield as the bolt scatters across this sort of enchanted steel of his shield. Any bonus actions from Velis? Yes.

[Ashley Johnson]

I will. As a bonus action. Which one do I do?

[Matthew Mercer]

Which one do I do?

[Ashley Johnson]

You know what? I am going to shield of faith on Octis.

[Matthew Mercer]

I think that's actually another leveled spell. So we will not be able to cast that in this moment.

[Ashley Johnson]

Oh, sorry guys, I don't hear it.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah, yeah.

[Brian W. Foster]

I'm not.

[Ashley Johnson]

That's all I can do. No, that is my turn.

[Matthew Mercer]

No worries. Guiding bolt erupts. And that is going to be Tysha. That is you.

[Sam Riegel]

Cool. I don't have to move to do what I want to do. Bonus action. Let's go. Fog cloud or. No, that's action.

[Matthew Mercer]

Action.

[Sam Riegel]

Fog cloud. I'm going to cast it.

[Matthew Mercer]

Action. What's the radius on that? 20ft, 20 foot radius? Hell yeah.

[Brian W. Foster]

Damn it.

[Ashley Johnson]

God damn it.

[Brian W. Foster]

I know.

[Sam Riegel]

And I'm going to put it on the far. Like on the far bridge.

[Matthew Mercer]

You wanna go here? Yeah. Okay.

[Sam Riegel]

Just to mess with all the backup coming up there.

[Matthew Mercer]

You cast that fog cloud and the main thing that happens is these ballista were about to go. There are massive ballista that are now firing into the dark gray.

[Brian W. Foster]

Oh, yeah, I forgot you had that ball speaker.

[Sam Riegel]

And I want.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah. Julian, you see a. Oh, shit.

[Sam Riegel]

Tarsha and I think all of the clouds that are off that bridge pool up in a reverse of how we see smoke pour over with gravity. And the fog itself just whispers to everyone back there. If you walk on this bridge, you will fall into nothing. Yeah.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell yes. Go ahead. Give me intimidate. Oh, thanks.

[Brian W. Foster]

There's a spooky fog.

[Matthew Mercer]

Natural. Flawless. Yes. With these persuasions and the fog. Tysha, you stand there. I got this, your eyes are the last thing these soldiers see through the fog. As you say that, like, if you walk on this bridge, you will fall to your death. And you see Franz call out through the fog saying, advance. And you see all the sort of guards back there go stand at the ready. And they are not going to charge underneath. I think, man, no one gets paid enough for that shit. I'm not walking in that fog.

[Brian W. Foster]

Yeah, you just summoned a fog that looks like the sandstorm and the mummy with the big face.

[Matthew Mercer]

My boss tells me, fucking advance on Shai Hulud or whatever. I'm not doing it. Okay? I'm fine. I'm fired. I get it. Okay, that's your action. Any bonus actions?

[Sam Riegel]

You know what? No, no, it's okay. That's it. We'll hold back here.

[Matthew Mercer]

Erinessa beside you, looks to the two druids walking behind you and looks and says, we can't go back forward. We have to go forward. She's getting ready for her turn. As you finish your turn, you see that?

[Sam Riegel]

I feel like I should be able to cast shillelagh on Hal's. On Hala's horns, but we'll talk about that later. Just be like, go ram that guy. We can talk about it later.

[Brian W. Foster]

I don't know why I imagine that when you cast shillelagh on the horns and the antlers and they become like Tron weapons, they just go like.

[Matthew Mercer]

That.

[Sam Riegel]

Makes sense.

[Matthew Mercer]

You see, one of the. As Erinassus says, we have to keep advancing, one of the druids behind you looks at you and says, we must save the young Tarkonis. He's your son. And cruelty appears and casts is going to cast a spell on you. I'm going to need a wisdom saving throw. You've jinxed me. Would you please place the figure behind Hala with cruelty here?

[Brian W. Foster]

Is this the one other one?

[Matthew Mercer]

Actually.

[Brian W. Foster]

I was like, I know that outfit.

[Matthew Mercer]

Aw, yeah, he's TVD. Incredible. Oh, what do we get for wisdom?

[Sam Riegel]

Save 26. Say it with your face, you fucking nun.

[Matthew Mercer]

What cruelty turns to you. Her eyes glow, glow bright red, as she says, after all, don't you owe it to him? And you can hear demonic cackling that would require a will tenfold weaker than yours to have any chance of succeeding in this moment.

[Sam Riegel]

Okay. Are you good? You came here to hurt my feelings. All right, tight hold there and then just turn back around and go to the fight.

[Matthew Mercer]

The guards fan out with readied actions all over the bridge as I can't believe the amount of NAT20s. You guys are rolling. Absolutely. It's crazy.

[Brian W. Foster]

You've been getting off pretty easy this campaign. So far we've been rolling like. Is this a fuller hit?

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

You see we're making up for the soldiers table.

[Matthew Mercer]

I love that, you guys. Ooh, a little cross table dice. I do like those shots fired.

[Sam Riegel]

Like, suck it, soldier's table.

[Brian W. Foster]

Talking to you.

[Sam Riegel]

Look, did you know your dice go to double digits?

[Matthew Mercer]

Crazy. Oh, man.

[Ashley Johnson]

Oh, no.

[Matthew Mercer]

We are.

[Sam Riegel]

Back just exhausted from carrying you.

[Matthew Mercer]

We are gonna get some disadvantage shots coming at you. Shoot arrows, Julian. An eight foot arrow speeds past you about three feet off your right shoulder, smashing stone against the bridge behind you.

[Sam Riegel]

At what size do we stop calling that an arrow?

[Matthew Mercer]

A bolt if you prefer. My God. And then another one's coming for enmity.

[Sam Riegel]

Like someone low key threw a tree at you. Yes, an arrow.

[Matthew Mercer]

Both miss. But you see erupting out of the fog, both of them dragging a little trail of fog out of the mist before you. These two bolts.

[Brian W. Foster]

Not bad.

[Matthew Mercer]

Erinessa looks behind at cruelty and looks at enmity in front of her. Seeing like you see that she looks to you as cruelty is cackling at your thing. And Aranessa goes, was that a spell? And you see cruelty goes as a moment of.

[Sam Riegel]

Oh, are we being a little cruel for you? Get out of here.

[Matthew Mercer]

I fucking love it.

[Sam Riegel]

Let's just bully her, Eridessa. Let's bully her.

[Brian W. Foster]

You spent the whole fight bullying a demon.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Is that a bonus action?

[Sam Riegel]

I think it is.

[Brian W. Foster]

It's my bonus action to bully.

[Matthew Mercer]

She is going to actually advance all the way down here on the other side of Velis and she is going to to get behind Julian in this moment. Da, da da. Yeah, she's gonna get behind Julian and just go. Spirits of the Golden Orchard, we know not what has happened to our house, but what if our house remains here? Please give your gift. Golden butterflies surround you. Golden light, haste is cast on you once again.

[Sam Riegel]

We're gonna be okay.

[Matthew Mercer]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Hell yes. And then rushing up. You see, if you want to give me that last druid there. No agony is going to rush forward.

[Brian W. Foster]

Oh, it's so cute.

[Sam Riegel]

I see.

[Matthew Mercer]

Aw. Oh, that is cute.

[Sam Riegel]

You're like the depressed one from the feeling.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sam Riegel]

Get out of here.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh, I thought was it. It does. If. If is good.

[Brian W. Foster]

Hercules.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah. Da da da.

[Sam Riegel]

Oh, I like pain and panic.

[Brian W. Foster]

Yeah, pain and panic are great.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay.

[Sam Riegel]

That was a pretty good start. It's 1986 and everyone's got a bobcat gold plate in the pocket.

[Brian W. Foster]

1986.

[Matthew Mercer]

What is Hala's armor class?

[Sam Riegel]

Oh my God. Dear, dear. Eleven probably.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay. Hala takes seven plus 12 points of damage.

[Sam Riegel]

Well, you only need the last one tight.

[Matthew Mercer]

Wait, how many hit points does Hala have?

[Sam Riegel]

13.

[Matthew Mercer]

13 G. Wow. Okay.

[Sam Riegel]

And her armor class is 10 actually.

[Matthew Mercer]

Unbelievable. And is going to look forward. Who did that?

[Sam Riegel]

Was that Agony?

[Matthew Mercer]

That was Agony. Agony rushes forward, takes out her claws. It goes. Sorry. And slashes across Hala's back as a massive thing of flesh goes off. You see that? Hala bleats in pain as Agony goes and does a noise for noise. Totally sonic mimic of the scream of pain as it comes out.

[Sam Riegel]

That is cool.

[Matthew Mercer]

That's very cool.

[Ashley Johnson]

Very cool.

[Matthew Mercer]

And she is going to look forward. And I think that she's actually going to target Erinessa Here. It is a. That is a success. As a blinding bolt of just a crackling red lightning surges out from Agony towards Erinessa. And Erinessa withstands it. Very similar almost to what enmity was trying to do to you a moment before. That is Agony's turn. We are back at the top with Julian Davinos.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

So yeah, I'd say with Erinass of Venice is speaking behind me. I feel the rush of the haste within me. I likely at this instance, even though she just took a hit from agony, I'd say right now, with the renewed fervor of this spell, my focus currently at the moment is between this demon entity to the right of the me and the Taconis across from us. I would say the fog cloud's thick enough. Do I have any sort of visual range on?

[Matthew Mercer]

Would you have wanted Franz in the fog cloud or out of the fog cloud? Tyson, do you want Franz in the fog cloud or out of the fog cloud?

[Sam Riegel]

I want him at the edge of it because I want Julian to have a clean shot.

[Matthew Mercer]

Cool. So it's dark right behind. It's basically just the upper portion of the bridge is in Skon's.

[Sam Riegel]

I'm just trying to isolate Franz so he has less of a chance of backup.

[Matthew Mercer]

Copy that.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Okay, so I'm going to dash. I'm going to say I'm going to rush up to the left hand side of where the bridge is, leap up onto the edge of that beginning of the bridge to try and come down and knock. What was your brother's name again?

[Matthew Mercer]

Franz.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Franz. Franz. To knock Franz towards the edge of the bridge.

[Matthew Mercer]

Cool.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

So I'm just gonna be taking a shove.

[Matthew Mercer]

Attack.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Shove.

[Matthew Mercer]

Attack on him, okay? Hell yeah.

[Ashley Johnson]

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[Matthew Mercer]

I asked my electrician I found on angie.com to bury my pet hamster Nibbles in our yard for me? Because I was so moved by how carefully he buried my electrical wires, I knew I could trust him to bury my sweet Nibbles after his untimely end. Huh? Nibbles gone too soon. May he scurry in peace.

[Brian W. Foster]

Hey, sorry about your pet, but I just wire stuff.

[Matthew Mercer]

Nibbles would have loved you like a brother.

[Brian W. Foster]

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[Ashley Johnson]

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[Matthew Mercer]

Do you want to move? What square do you want to knock him into?

[Taliesin Jaffe]

So I'm trying to knock him leaping up on the bat, rushing, leaping like a grab on the stone and then push off to try and shoulder slam him from the side this direction.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell yeah. Go ahead. Give me acrobatics.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

With haste. See? Is that advantage? No, it's just Dex saves, right?

[Matthew Mercer]

I believe so.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Correct?

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

All right, so that would be still a 19.

[Matthew Mercer]

19. No problem. You vault on there and you can get the exact angle you want to put. Push him five feet, basically in any direction you want. This is now gonna be opposed. Athletics. Did shove change in 2024. No.

[Sam Riegel]

Yeah.

[Brian W. Foster]

I don't know.

[Sam Riegel]

Say it again.

[Brian W. Foster]

Shove.

[Matthew Mercer]

Did shove change in 2024? No, I think it's the same. I think it's the same. It's opposed to athletics. Right.

[Brian W. Foster]

Shove.

[Matthew Mercer]

Or does it make you make a.

[Brian W. Foster]

Strength saving throw target six Cs on a strength or dexterity saving throw.

[Matthew Mercer]

You know what DC is eight plus.

[Brian W. Foster]

Plus the strength modifier and proficiency bonus.

[Matthew Mercer]

Of the person shoving eight plus strength.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Oh, they did make that change.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah, they did make that change. Okay, gotcha. But you know what? I like a contest, so I want to roll a contest, so let's do that. What is your outcome? Shut up, Internet.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

It's a plus four. I rolled an 18, so that'd be 22.

[Matthew Mercer]

22. Even with his considerable strength, that is still only a 15 from Franz is knocked 5ft in this direction. Bam. Hell yeah.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

All right. Bonus action as part of the. So the shove is technically part of the attack action.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah, Right.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Bonus action. I will strike him with my demigantlet. Basically, I shove him with the shoulder as soon as he's knocked off, Kilturb back and kind of pushed at that kind of forward angle. I rush low and then backhand him up upward with the gauntlet just as hard as I can.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell yeah.

[Brian W. Foster]

Does he have advantage?

[Matthew Mercer]

Because pin's there, not flanking if you want, unfortunately.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

That'd be an 18 to hit.

[Matthew Mercer]

18 hits.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

All right. So for that, he would take it's eight points of bludgeoning damage as the demigantlet strikes him up the side of the shoulder and the back of the head.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell yeah. Eight points of damage, you said.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

And then I'm going to go ahead and use my hasted additional action to try and do another shove as I bring my foot up to try and kick him in the chest.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell yeah. Go for it. This is another contested or another contested.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

All right, it's going to be a 16.

[Matthew Mercer]

16 succeeds. He has shoved another five feet, same direction. Yeah.

[Brian W. Foster]

Boom.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hey.

[Brian W. Foster]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

And I'm going to movement to move right next to both him and the demon and Enmity right there. So they're both kind of locked in combat with me in the moment.

[Ashley Johnson]

Sending us a snack.

[Matthew Mercer]

You find Franz. Franz is like a two above you in birth order. He is the sixth, I believe.

[Brian W. Foster]

Sixth, I believe.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yes.

[Brian W. Foster]

He Is. No, he's the fifth.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh, the fifth. Oh, so yeah, he's three of them. So you are looking at Franz. You have never seen Franz get bodied like this. Julian is up on the railing of the bridge. Bam. Into the back of him, kicking his knees out, kicking him forward again, slashing with the gauntlet. Flurry of strikes and shove attacks. Is there anything else from Julian?

[Taliesin Jaffe]

I think at this point, as we push forward and get closer in his face and be like, say hi to your dad, warmy on the other side of the veil, that's gonna be the end of my turn.

[Sam Riegel]

Let's go.

[Matthew Mercer]

Let's go.

[Sam Riegel]

Free action, Brack.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay. I'd be so pumped. Okay. This is going to be okay. Go ahead. I'm going to get a wisdom save from Octus.

[Brian W. Foster]

Yes. Pin had a 21 initiative.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh, yes. Actually, then Pin goes.

[Brian W. Foster]

Is just going to take the help action against Franz.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay.

[Brian W. Foster]

So that when my turn comes around.

[Matthew Mercer]

Great.

[Brian W. Foster]

Okay. So wisdom saving throw.

[Matthew Mercer]

Wisdom saving throw. D.C. is 15.

[Brian W. Foster]

15.

[Matthew Mercer]

Wow.

[Sam Riegel]

Let's go.

[Ashley Johnson]

I thought you were gonna say another natural turn.

[Brian W. Foster]

Thirteen plus two.

[Matthew Mercer]

Enmity turns to you and basically says, freeze, my Lord, and is going to hit you with a hold person that you resist.

[Brian W. Foster]

I feel the spell pass. Can I make an arcana check to identify the spell really quick?

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah, go for it.

[Brian W. Foster]

Can I take the feeling?

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah.

[Brian W. Foster]

15.

[Matthew Mercer]

15. Yes. You recognize this as a whole person?

[Brian W. Foster]

I just washes over me and I go. I don't know if I'm technically qualified as a person anymore.

[Sam Riegel]

I want to yell over, was that a spell?

[Brian W. Foster]

Yeah.

[Sam Riegel]

You're gonna dunk these girls into oblivion.

[Matthew Mercer]

Eating shit out here. I am going to need. Once again, I'm gonna need a constitution save for from. I'm going to need a constitution save. First of all, Julian, you see Enmity here. The wound disappears on her body that you put there. And I'm going to need another constitution save from you.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Unfortunately, that'd be 15.

[Matthew Mercer]

That's you save once again. But you are going to take another seven points of fire damage.

[Sam Riegel]

All righty.

[Matthew Mercer]

She is trying to boil your blood from inside you.

[Brian W. Foster]

My blood's on fire.

[Matthew Mercer]

You see that? She calls back. You see as she does that, reaching out her claws. So it's you, Franz. You see, Franz is looking to fight both of you. As Enmity turns back and says, sisters, grab the young Lord. Break the spell.

[Sam Riegel]

What spell?

[Matthew Mercer]

And you see, cruelty goes. You made your point.

[Sam Riegel]

Are you gonna cry?

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh, my God.

[Sam Riegel]

Are you gonna cry? I wild shape into a mean girl.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah, Wild shape into A mean girl.

[Brian W. Foster]

Like a Jansport backpack.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell yeah.

[Sam Riegel]

Just pulled out like a giant lip gloss.

[Matthew Mercer]

Julian, your AC is currently 16. 16. Unbelievable.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Who is this from?

[Matthew Mercer]

This is from Franz.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Franz does have disadvantage on his first attack because of the sapping from the demigantlet.

[Matthew Mercer]

Let's go.

[Brian W. Foster]

Okay. Just the first attack.

[Matthew Mercer]

Just the first attack. That's with disadvantage. UC gets that disadvantage.

[Sam Riegel]

Just a Reynolds wrapped backhand.

[Matthew Mercer]

Even with his bonus to hit here, he misses twice as he comes with this long sword. You see, you've been fighting heavily armored opponents like this your whole life. This guy, this is. You understand why Tokonis knights armor up like this. They armor up like this to wade into seas of men at arms and basically be invincible. And he has sacrificed all of his speed and mobility to basically slaughter commoners. And he is not used to fighting a trained warrior of your station.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

The first couple strikes dodge to the side and then one comes towards the head and I just capture it with the demigantlet in my hand, spin it around and as he withdraws, I just let it fly back with a flourish of the cloak and put the blade up again.

[Matthew Mercer]

He steps back from that. Octis, that is going to be your turn.

[Brian W. Foster]

Okay, Octis.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay.

[Brian W. Foster]

I'm right up against those two. So I hear agony and what is it? Agony. Agony and who? The demons.

[Matthew Mercer]

Agony.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Cruelty, Cruelty.

[Brian W. Foster]

Agony and cruelty. Amity. Got it?

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah.

[Brian W. Foster]

I turn, look over my shoulder and see them. And then seeing pincered between the two of them and turns around and looks at the two demons and says, if you want to get ahold of me, you're going to have to go through it. And grabs the golden skeleton in his coat, draws a sigil in the air and out of it comes this absolutely desiccated monitor lizard. Just out and just tears down over the bridge and is going to make an attack on agony.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell yeah.

[Brian W. Foster]

So that will. Ba ba ba. I want to make sure that. Let me read the spell really quick. See when they actually make the attack. If it's after I think it acts directly after I do. But let me. Let me double check. Cool, cool.

[Matthew Mercer]

This monitor lizard surgeon is.

[Brian W. Foster]

Yeah, it takes a turn after me. So it's gonna move over and just be there and it'll take its turn after I do.

[Matthew Mercer]

Incredible. And this is attacking the enmity in front of me. Oh no.

[Brian W. Foster]

So I drew it behind me to put it in front of them. Great. Awesome. Then using Pin's help action, I will. Then I'm gonna go ahead and launch, light up my hand in this Green, sickly fire. And just go. I'm sorry, Franz, that you're having a hard time. And fire the fire at him.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell yeah.

[Brian W. Foster]

With advantage from the help action. Ooh, that's going to be 24.

[Matthew Mercer]

That is a hit.

[Sam Riegel]

Let's go.

[Brian W. Foster]

And it'll be. Oh, much better. Eight points of fire damage.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell yeah.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

There we go.

[Matthew Mercer]

You see? Fire races across, tearing all throughout the armor. Franz turns and says, why won't you serve? It is an honor to be born to this family.

[Brian W. Foster]

You never treated me as such.

[Matthew Mercer]

You see that? He wheels back around. That is your.

[Brian W. Foster]

I'm back up here.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell yeah.

[Brian W. Foster]

No movement at the end of my turn. Then the critter will attack.

[Matthew Mercer]

Go for it.

[Brian W. Foster]

Which is. Where the hell is that? There it is. Okay, so it gets right now only one attack. Is it flanking with. Oh, does it count as being flanked with Taisha?

[Matthew Mercer]

It does.

[Brian W. Foster]

Great. So this is a rotting rend attack.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh, yeah.

[Brian W. Foster]

So that's going to be. Oh, great. 19 plus.

[Matthew Mercer]

What is.

[Sam Riegel]

Where are we?

[Brian W. Foster]

Oh, my spell. So six. So 19 plus six, I assume hits.

[Matthew Mercer]

Absolutely.

[Brian W. Foster]

So that'll be one D8.

[Matthew Mercer]

Let's go, Bayless, your own deck.

[Brian W. Foster]

Okay, so that's going to be eight points of necrotic damage. And then it needs a constitution saving throw. Equal to 14.

[Matthew Mercer]

Constitution saving throw.

[Brian W. Foster]

Yeah.

[Matthew Mercer]

That is a failure.

[Brian W. Foster]

It is poisoned.

[Matthew Mercer]

Fun. Incredible. What type of damage is this, by the way?

[Brian W. Foster]

It's necrotic damage now has the poisoned condition.

[Matthew Mercer]

Very cool. Cause they have poison damage as a resistance. But you said eight points of damage.

[Brian W. Foster]

As it just bites into her thigh and just starts writhing around like a monitor lizard doesn't to tear meat from a bone. Yeah.

[Matthew Mercer]

This lizard surges for his. You know that this is a dangerous undead creature. You're anticipating its necrotic bite to also deliver this poison condition. You have seen this thing at work before. Believe it's going to deliver a painful blow as it bites agony. You see, agony goes as her fangs distend and blood gurgles out of her throat.

[Sam Riegel]

I can't tell if you like it.

[Matthew Mercer]

I mean, either cruelty says, don't lean into it. You see, I love those. I have to shout out Whitney Moore for giving me the most fun three characters to play of all time. Why have I asked my electrician I found on Angie.com to bury my pet hamster? I was so moved by how carefully he buried my electrical wires, I knew I could trust him to bury my sweet nibbles after his untimely end.

[Brian W. Foster]

This is very strange, Angie. The one you trust to find the ones you trust. Find pros for all your home [e-mail].

[Ashley Johnson]

Busy work weeks can leave you feeling drained. Prolon's five day fasting mimicking diet rejuvenates you at the cellular level, lets you enjoy real food and does not require an injection. Developed at USC's Longevity Institute, Prolon supports biological age reduction metabolism, skin health and fat loss when combined with proper exercise and nutrition. Get 15% off plus a $40 bonus gift when you [e-mail] PandoraProMo Incredible.

[Matthew Mercer]

Akis, that is your turn. Veil us. That is you.

[Ashley Johnson]

Okay? So are you okay up there with them?

[Matthew Mercer]

I'm fine.

[Sam Riegel]

Tysha's kill somebody.

[Brian W. Foster]

Yeah, do.

[Ashley Johnson]

All right. I'm going to unclick my sensor whip and I would like to. I would like to try and swing it around Franz's neck and yank him down. So let me just see if that hits first.

[Sam Riegel]

You can lean into that.

[Ashley Johnson]

Come on.

[Matthew Mercer]

Come on.

[Sam Riegel]

I bet he likes it.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

No.

[Ashley Johnson]

It'S 10.

[Brian W. Foster]

No.

[Ashley Johnson]

It'S a fucking 10.

[Matthew Mercer]

It's a fucking 10.

[Brian W. Foster]

What's what?

[Ashley Johnson]

That's all of it.

[Sam Riegel]

Oh, you made it worth all of it.

[Matthew Mercer]

You take a swing with your weapon.

[Ashley Johnson]

All right, so you know what.

[Matthew Mercer]

But you have bonus action spells.

[Ashley Johnson]

I do. So I in my frustration, just under my breath and I will shoot a holy word his way.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell yeah.

[Ashley Johnson]

That's what I can do. So let's see if that goes.

[Matthew Mercer]

You got it.

[Ashley Johnson]

I don't know if that does either. 14.

[Matthew Mercer]

14 does not hit.

[Ashley Johnson]

Okay, excellent.

[Brian W. Foster]

That was like 18.

[Ashley Johnson]

Yeah, it really.

[Matthew Mercer]

It really is so close. Are you moving or staying put on the bridge where you are?

[Ashley Johnson]

I will move closer to Octis. Okay, so.

[Matthew Mercer]

Moving up here. Copy that.

[Brian W. Foster]

Geez, Octus. Why do you get two muffs?

[Ashley Johnson]

Can't help it.

[Matthew Mercer]

I love that. That is going to be Tysha.

[Sam Riegel]

Great. I need to work. I have to. Okay.

[Brian W. Foster]

I need to go to work. I'm leaving.

[Sam Riegel]

No, I was like, I don't want to get the fog cloud knocked out of me. So bonus action. We're cast bark skin on ourselves. My AC is now 8 or 17. And then for my action.

[Matthew Mercer]

Let'S go.

[Sam Riegel]

Primal savagery.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay.

[Sam Riegel]

And I'll attack with advantage because I've got Hala flanking. She's going to give me the help action.

[Brian W. Foster]

The spell rocks.

[Ashley Johnson]

May roll above a 10.

[Sam Riegel]

Okay. 16 for seven. 23 to hit.

[Matthew Mercer]

Agony. Yeah. Yes. You hit 123.

[Sam Riegel]

Sweet. For five points of acid damage. I think Tysha turns in her hands. Yeah, she's got that red decorative, almost henna like pattern going down. But her fingertips are all black. But the very edges of her nails are dark tipped again in that steel, that iron. And that's what grows longer as she just turns and grabs Agony by the throat and just leans in and goes. You can lean into this.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell, yeah.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Kind of hot.

[Matthew Mercer]

This is pretty hot.

[Ashley Johnson]

Ayla is smiling a little bit.

[Matthew Mercer]

Just like a little bit. I love it.

[Sam Riegel]

Just a little bit by the throat because you're like. That was loud. Let me just.

[Matthew Mercer]

Amazing. That is going to be. That's Tysha. That is your turn. Cruelty is going to go next.

[Sam Riegel]

Wait, really quick. Yeah, I heard them specifically. Yeah. Because I warned you guys that they think that you're. For whatever reason, they think that you're wick and tyranny.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh, that's right.

[Brian W. Foster]

Yeah.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

That's why they're here.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah.

[Brian W. Foster]

I don't know this cool.

[Sam Riegel]

Yeah, I forgot then can at the end of my turn just go. You realize that that's not the. They're not in disguise.

[Matthew Mercer]

Where's the Lion Man?

[Sam Riegel]

The what?

[Matthew Mercer]

Where's the Lion Man?

[Sam Riegel]

Do you see a Lion man anywhere near here?

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh, yeah. That's why I'm asking where he is. Duh. Okay.

[Sam Riegel]

But you can see disgust. You can disguise yourself. Can you see other people's disguises?

[Matthew Mercer]

No. That's why we're gonna kill y'. All. So the magic drops off.

[Sam Riegel]

That's so stupid. You're so stupid.

[Brian W. Foster]

Ah, demons.

[Matthew Mercer]

Ah, demons.

[Sam Riegel]

I like them so much.

[Matthew Mercer]

Thank you.

[Brian W. Foster]

I love it.

[Matthew Mercer]

Let's make friends, stupid. Let's make friends. Cruelty is going to rush up to you, Tysha. No. You have not damaged cruelty. Right? Nar cruelty has advantage on anyone that hasn't damaged her. Oh, but she's so fucking mean.

[Sam Riegel]

I think I talked some shit. I think I did some psychic damage in her heart.

[Matthew Mercer]

Does it 21 hit Tysha. Yeah. Okay. Shit. I literally rolled three ones. I promise. These demons are scary. They are. Actually.

[Sam Riegel]

No, for sure, they super are.

[Matthew Mercer]

You take eight points of psychic damage and feel yourself cursed. She reaches up with her claws and slashes across going, oh, Ms. Loy, you should never have taken Sweet. He knows so little of the world.

[Sam Riegel]

Why do you think we've both met him? Do you think I would put up with him?

[Matthew Mercer]

You would be delighted by his company.

[Sam Riegel]

Are you in love with him? Oh, my God, you're so in love with him it makes you look stupid.

[Brian W. Foster]

Sam, I didn't consent to this.

[Matthew Mercer]

Damn it. You see?

[Sam Riegel]

I can't believe I got Cursed.

[Brian W. Foster]

I love getting this to send messages to other tables.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah. This is actually the best part of this.

[Sam Riegel]

Sam doesn't watch the show.

[Matthew Mercer]

He'll never see the much any of our cards. I am going to need a dexterity saving throw from everybody on the back bridge. So that's going to be Hala, Tysha, Bayless, and Octis and the Monitor Liz.

[Ashley Johnson]

All right.

[Sam Riegel]

Does the curse affect my role in this regard?

[Matthew Mercer]

The curse does not affect your role in this regard. Son of a bitch.

[Sam Riegel]

I didn't need the help.

[Matthew Mercer]

If you. No, yeah. You're unclear as to what the curse does.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Hey, I'm just saying you can use me for flanking if ever you need any help for those rolls in the.

[Ashley Johnson]

Future, if I can maybe do anything. Yeah, solid idea.

[Brian W. Foster]

I'm just trying to help.

[Ashley Johnson]

Thank you so much.

[Matthew Mercer]

Thank you.

[Ashley Johnson]

It's gonna happen, the next one.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

I know it is. It's gonna be your moment.

[Matthew Mercer]

It's coming. You're also, if you want any of my cheap plastic dice, I'm happy to give them to you. It's always sad when I criticious deck saving throws. What do we got?

[Sam Riegel]

Five.

[Matthew Mercer]

Five.

[Brian W. Foster]

Myself is 21, and the monitor lizard is a 15.

[Matthew Mercer]

15. What did Hala get?

[Sam Riegel]

Hala got.

[Matthew Mercer]

Eight. Okay, Tysha, in this moment, you take five points of damage and Hala takes two points of damages. Hala vanishes back into the wild. And as you see, a volley of crossbow bolts goes up from the the guards firing over the fog cloud onto the back.

[Ashley Johnson]

I rolled a nine.

[Matthew Mercer]

A nine.

[Sam Riegel]

Oh, sweet. Fog cloud stays.

[Matthew Mercer]

Great. Fog cloud stays. You take three points of damage.

[Ashley Johnson]

Got it.

[Brian W. Foster]

So we saved. We're good.

[Matthew Mercer]

You guys saved? Yeah. The arrows scatter around you. We're going to take Julian. You are no longer standing in the same spot, which means there is no possibility of the ballista hitting you. Enmity is in the same spot. And so. Oh, my God. Disadvantage cancels out a nat 20. But on a 17, enmity is hit with a ballista bolt. For. Oh, christ. That is 1728 points of damage.

[Brian W. Foster]

That would have just killed me.

[Sam Riegel]

Watch out for the arrows.

[Matthew Mercer]

I'm full health next to you. As you guys look at each other, each other, you see as you are looking at Franz, Franz is looking at you as you're like, see, my father Emity says, I don't know what this is about. Bam. He gets hit by a ballista bolt. Boom, into the side. Takes 28 points of damage and stands up unbloodied. Franz also looks. Franz is looking fucked up at this point. And Both of you watch this. This demon take a ballista bolt to the fucking chest and stand up as he turns to you and looks back at enmity.

[Brian W. Foster]

From the bridge. Brother, I think we have bigger problems.

[Sam Riegel]

Y' all are raggedy but resilient. Can we be friends?

[Ashley Johnson]

Be our allies.

[Matthew Mercer]

Our allies.

[Brian W. Foster]

I've never seen the receiving of an attack be an intimidation check.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah.

[Sam Riegel]

I take the frightened condition because she got shish kebab and went what?

[Matthew Mercer]

Erinessa, seeing Hala vanish, whips back around. Ta, ta ta. No, can't do that. She is going to. Oh, I know what she's gonna do.

[Sam Riegel]

She.

[Matthew Mercer]

What is Erinessa gonna do? This is, as we've said, a dynamic combat. Erinessa is going to go. She knows that she can't drop the haste.

[Brian W. Foster]

She locked the boat.

[Matthew Mercer]

Erinessa, she is going to protect yourself. She's going to go 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30. And hide behind the fog behind this corner here. And you see she's actually going to ready an action in that moment. She's got a readied action and that is going to be her turn. Agony is going to go. Agony is going to attack your monitor, Lizard. That is going to be a 22 to hit.

[Sam Riegel]

Yeah.

[Matthew Mercer]

There's a 13ac and deals 16 points of damage. Yeah. Is Lizard still around?

[Brian W. Foster]

Oh, yeah. It has 30 hit points.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay. Incredible. Dang.

[Brian W. Foster]

It has more hit points than I do.

[Sam Riegel]

The fuck.

[Matthew Mercer]

As she once again. What did you do that with? Her claws.

[Brian W. Foster]

Blizzard damage.

[Matthew Mercer]

What's that?

[Brian W. Foster]

What kind of damage?

[Matthew Mercer]

This is actually psychic damage.

[Brian W. Foster]

Okay, now we're fine. It's just immune to poison and necrotic.

[Matthew Mercer]

So I was like, gotcha. And it takes no damage, deals psychic damage to it.

[Sam Riegel]

Oh no.

[Matthew Mercer]

We are going to see if she recharges her ability, which you do not want to have happen to recharges on a six. That's a one. She looks up at Velis. Agony, you're dressed as a nun and Agony is right behind you. Agony looks up and says it's not even a really good disguise. You still kind of look like you. Huh? Huh? What? Don't yell at me. We are going to move. Most confusing combat, the camera getting bodied.

[Sam Riegel]

By the biggest dummies.

[Matthew Mercer]

Julian, back at the top of initiative. Thank you.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

All right, now this here, is this the cliff that goes.

[Matthew Mercer]

This cliff tumbles down. Now this is not the 200 foot column. Yeah, but even this water spilling down here, by the time you're over here, it's like 80ft straight down.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Great. So even with the ballista experience there. I got one singular focus at the moment. I'm going to go ahead and after glancing over in the direction of. Was it enmity right there? Go ahead and focus back on your.

[Brian W. Foster]

Look at me. It scared me.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Back on your brother and going to go ahead and take the blade, Go ahead and feint up towards his neck. And as he goes to try and protect himself, I'm instead going to go ahead and take the gauntlet and see, slam it into his stomach and try and push him back all the way to my body with another shove attack this direction.

[Matthew Mercer]

The DC you are trying to beat here is 15.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

15. That's a natural one.

[Matthew Mercer]

Cool. He plants deep in the ground on that first attack.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

All right.

[Sam Riegel]

Yeah.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

As soon as the gauntlet slams into his chest armor, I'm going to go ahead and spin around and throw the cloak in his face. And then as it catches there, I'm just going to try and back into him as hard as I can. Pushing backward.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell yeah. D.C. here is only a six.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Oh, that's a 20.

[Matthew Mercer]

20 moves five feet back. Boom. He is right at the edge of this.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

All right, I saw my bonus action, but that's only a blade attack, Right. If you're doing two weapon fighting. Yeah. So I will go ahead and move in here. Just keeping them both there.

[Matthew Mercer]

I will say hold on one second here. My apologies. As you push him to the edge of the cliff and are preparing to follow suit. Erinessa speaking in sylvan says halt to you and her ready to action. Gust is gonna go off.

[Sam Riegel]

Yes.

[Brian W. Foster]

Oh, hell yeah.

[Matthew Mercer]

Let's go. Straight rank saving throw, slippy ground. She sees the play and she's gonna try to help out. All her other stuff is concentration, so she's down to just cantrips.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

So she says that I'm gonna go ahead and just duck out of the way to give her a clean shot and kind of keeping right next to enmity on the edge of that bridge center there.

[Matthew Mercer]

So this is good. Her DC here is 14 and which means on an 11 or higher, etherynd saves.

[Brian W. Foster]

Sorry, Franz.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh, sorry. On 11 or higher, Franz saves.

[Sam Riegel]

Don't do it.

[Matthew Mercer]

Stays planted. Boom. Good try, Good try. That is going to be okay the.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Rest of your turn with that. With the gust passing metal, just close the gap again to stay right in between the two of them, keeping them engaged. And then use my bonus action to go ahead and take the gauntlet. I'm going to say at this point, I'm going to go ahead and spin around and Try and rake it against the back of Enmity's shoulder and head.

[Matthew Mercer]

Go for it.

[Brian W. Foster]

Just pinned to the ground.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

That's going to be 22 to hit.

[Matthew Mercer]

22 to hit.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

She takes seven points of plus bludgeoning damage.

[Brian W. Foster]

Boom.

[Matthew Mercer]

As the gauntlet thuds into her. Snarling once again.

[Brian W. Foster]

She's so mad.

[Sam Riegel]

Why are you so angry?

[Matthew Mercer]

You've gotten her full attention now, Julian. I said Peter girl.

[Sam Riegel]

She liked it.

[Matthew Mercer]

She is going to take a swing at you.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

First attack is disadvantage because I hit her with the gauntlet.

[Matthew Mercer]

You just canceled out a natural 18. Love that. She does such cool stuff if she hits with this attack. But turning an 18 into a 3 doesn't do me any fucking favors. Oh no. Doesn't do me no fucking favors. Comes with the claw. You should not have meddled in the affair of the creed, you impudent Cretan.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

I've been called worse.

[Brian W. Foster]

You're so quippy today.

[Matthew Mercer]

She. That's her action. We just had a bunch of we're see if she recharges her bonus action once again recharges on a six.

[Sam Riegel]

Don't.

[Matthew Mercer]

Nope. Nope. Then that is going to be Franz.

[Brian W. Foster]

Pin out of 21. We'll just do the help action again.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh, gotcha. Great. Pin's doing the help action for you here. Franz is going sees what is happening and I think he likes his chances. He is going to move here. Dammit for he's going to move here for some shove attacks as well. I will need. He rolls a 19 on the die for 22. Go ahead and give me the athletics check.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

That's not good. That's going to be a seven.

[Sam Riegel]

No.

[Matthew Mercer]

He this time bodies you with his shield moving you five feet. You are now at the cliff's edge. He's going to close in behind you here. Looks and says not so easy to dance around, is it? And he's going to roll for his second attack. Another shove attack. That is a 14.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

That is not 19 for 23.

[Matthew Mercer]

Boom. Tries to knock you off going 80ft. Oh my God. 80ft down. You hold off. He's got a shield. And you move past him inside of his range. This cliffside fucking duel. This is going to now be Octis. Your turn.

[Brian W. Foster]

Okay. I assume the help action no longer applies because Pin is not next to him because he moved out of range. So I'm just gonna say that doesn't cause he's nowhere near him. Not helping anything.

[Sam Riegel]

He's doing a good job.

[Brian W. Foster]

He's doing a great job.

[Sam Riegel]

Such a good boy.

[Brian W. Foster]

Okay, Lizard is there you're there. Okay, Now just to. I realize I'm standing out of frame. Enmity is not pinned by the ballista bolt.

[Matthew Mercer]

No, damaged by it.

[Brian W. Foster]

Damaged by it, but not pinned. Okay, great.

[Ashley Johnson]

But we saw no blood.

[Matthew Mercer]

No, her blood did scatter on the ground behind her, but the wound from Julian's sword healed.

[Ashley Johnson]

Oh, that's right.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay, I will say you see her partially start to heal as on her turn.

[Brian W. Foster]

Okay, I'm going to take a step. I'm going to move down to the base here just to move, because Octis is clocking that it takes time for the ballistas to aim, and if you keep moving, it's hard for them to track you. And then he's going to pin.

[Sam Riegel]

They're blind firing through the fox.

[Brian W. Foster]

They are, but if we're not in the position we once were anyway, it's better is pit pin is in base to space contact.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Then he is technically.

[Brian W. Foster]

Technically kind of like. Okay, so then I do get the help action. So then I will. God, do I go after.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

I got this boy.

[Brian W. Foster]

You got him. Okay, I need to take down him to close. I know, I know, I know, I know.

[Matthew Mercer]

Important to me.

[Ashley Johnson]

Let him have it.

[Sam Riegel]

It's a thing.

[Ashley Johnson]

Yeah.

[Brian W. Foster]

So, okay, so what I'm gonna do then is ignoring the health action on them. I'm going to.

[Matthew Mercer]

To.

[Brian W. Foster]

Yeah.

[Sam Riegel]

Joke's not you. I'm tyranny now.

[Brian W. Foster]

I think what I'm going to do. Oh. Oh, yes. Octis runs up into base to base contact with Enmity.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah.

[Brian W. Foster]

And is going to chill touch and Enmity. So running up behind Enmity and is going to reach forward. A sigil appears and he reaches his hand through and it comes out the other side completely skeletal and grabs the back the of. Of Enmity's neck and is gonna try and tear at her to prevent her from healing.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah.

[Sam Riegel]

Let's go.

[Matthew Mercer]

Here we go.

[Brian W. Foster]

That's huge.

[Matthew Mercer]

That is huge.

[Brian W. Foster]

Okay, that's going to be a 21 to hit.

[Matthew Mercer]

21 hits.

[Sam Riegel]

Yes. That's so good. Go off, nerd.

[Brian W. Foster]

Oh, great. That's going to be 10 points of necrotic damage and cannot. He cannot regain hit points until the end of my next turn.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh, my God, that's great.

[Brian W. Foster]

I'm in danger now.

[Sam Riegel]

No, probably not.

[Matthew Mercer]

Incredible.

[Ashley Johnson]

Was it Enmity or that was.

[Brian W. Foster]

That was Enmity.

[Sam Riegel]

Enmity.

[Ashley Johnson]

That's enmity.

[Brian W. Foster]

Okay.

[Matthew Mercer]

And we're gonna do something really. We're doing something really important here too. Hold on one second. Okay, great.

[Brian W. Foster]

I have no bonus action to do. And then I will Move to and have the lizard do its continuing to ravage agony.

[Sam Riegel]

Yeah.

[Matthew Mercer]

I also need you to make a roll for me here. As you run up and deal that necrotic damage to Enmity, I'm going to need either persuasion with intelligence or charisma with Arcana. Your choice.

[Brian W. Foster]

Charisma with Arcana.

[Sam Riegel]

That's fun.

[Matthew Mercer]

Mm.

[Brian W. Foster]

Okay. That would reduce it.

[Matthew Mercer]

Or it was charisma with Arcana or intelligence with persuasion.

[Brian W. Foster]

Intelligence with persuasion. Which one's gonna be higher here?

[Matthew Mercer]

Persuasion.

[Brian W. Foster]

Well, intelligence with four times six. It's the same either way. So I'll do the Arcana one.

[Matthew Mercer]

Here we go. Go ahead and roll this with advantage if you.

[Brian W. Foster]

Double 19s.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh, my gosh.

[Brian W. Foster]

So that's.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

You are rolling insane.

[Sam Riegel]

It's crazy.

[Brian W. Foster]

25.

[Sam Riegel]

You rolled like, three natural ones with my die. Before we started, it was crazy.

[Matthew Mercer]

As Enmity is preparing to descend alongside Franz on Julian. Describe for me what runs as you run behind her. Essentially, what happens.

[Brian W. Foster]

So I run up behind and kind of slide over right up behind her and get to the point where I'm almost side by side with her, but slightly behind. As I reach through, my fingers become this skeletal hand which grab the back of their neck, but the fingers start to pierce into the skin of the back of the neck, these skeletal fingers. And I go.

[Matthew Mercer]

What do you have in there?

[Brian W. Foster]

And I just grab a handful and I start pulling it out.

[Matthew Mercer]

She turns around and goes, my lord. I. And looks at the necrotic damage soaking through her body and goes, who the hell are you?

[Sam Riegel]

Exactly who I look like.

[Matthew Mercer]

She screams to the heavens.

[Sam Riegel]

Stop screaming so much.

[Matthew Mercer]

She goes, which one of you is which? Wakanda.

[Brian W. Foster]

Hell of all, none of us are Wakanda.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Who the fuck is Wakanda?

[Matthew Mercer]

She is so furious in this moment, but looks and sees that an enormous gap in her theory has opened up as you have cast chill touch on her. And she felt it.

[Brian W. Foster]

Yeah.

[Sam Riegel]

Did the necrotic damage look like it was? Did they work?

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah, it damaged her not.

[Sam Riegel]

Change of plan.

[Matthew Mercer]

Octus. That is your turn. Anything else from you?

[Brian W. Foster]

No. But the monitor lizard will now make its attack.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell yeah.

[Brian W. Foster]

Is it? It's still flanking. Seems like red.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Brian W. Foster]

So advantage.

[Matthew Mercer]

Where? Fucking damn you.

[Brian W. Foster]

There we go.

[Matthew Mercer]

No.

[Brian W. Foster]

Okay. Natural 20.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell yes.

[Brian W. Foster]

I know. I'm sorry.

[Matthew Mercer]

Unknown.

[Brian W. Foster]

I'm just leeching it all over.

[Ashley Johnson]

It's okay.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

I'm sitting in the wheelchair.

[Matthew Mercer]

Ashley.

[Ashley Johnson]

It's all right.

[Brian W. Foster]

So double the roll of dice.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yes. Double roll of dice.

[Brian W. Foster]

Not great. So that's us.

[Matthew Mercer]

Six. Oh.

[Brian W. Foster]

So 6 no. Yeah. So 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. 12 points of necrotic damage and has to. Well, and are they. They're still poisoned.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yes. Agony.

[Brian W. Foster]

So then they. I guess they can make another D.C. constitution save, but it doesn't matter. They're still poisoned.

[Matthew Mercer]

So.

[Brian W. Foster]

12 points of necrotic damage.

[Matthew Mercer]

12 points of necrotic damage. Agony is shrieking in pain.

[Brian W. Foster]

It's just ripping at the thigh and just tearing with teeth.

[Matthew Mercer]

Incredible. That is your action and bonus action.

[Brian W. Foster]

That is the end of my turn.

[Matthew Mercer]

Vaelis, that is going to be you.

[Sam Riegel]

Okay.

[Ashley Johnson]

I'm just going to roll before I describe anything.

[Sam Riegel]

I've felt that fear before.

[Ashley Johnson]

Yeah, I'm just like.

[Brian W. Foster]

I don't know.

[Matthew Mercer]

Nope.

[Sam Riegel]

You can't just say Nope.

[Ashley Johnson]

You can't just say no.

[Matthew Mercer]

That was a.

[Ashley Johnson]

That was a 4.

[Sam Riegel]

You made him leave plus a 6.

[Ashley Johnson]

Which makes it a 10, which I don't think. Well, I'm gonna hit anybody.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

You can also try and find someone to flank with. You can try moving.

[Sam Riegel]

Yeah, we try to get a big dodge.

[Matthew Mercer]

Right. Move first.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Move tactically first.

[Brian W. Foster]

I'm right there. So you could get. Okay, flanking.

[Ashley Johnson]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can I get up there?

[Brian W. Foster]

Yeah, you have enough.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

I get attack opportunity.

[Sam Riegel]

Oh, that's great.

[Brian W. Foster]

Oh, yeah, there is. You are leaving.

[Matthew Mercer]

Look.

[Brian W. Foster]

You are leaving Agony, so you will take an attack of opportunity.

[Ashley Johnson]

That's okay.

[Sam Riegel]

Do it. Who cares about her?

[Ashley Johnson]

It's fine. So it can roll again.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay.

[Ashley Johnson]

Okay. Okay.

[Sam Riegel]

Okay. 12.

[Matthew Mercer]

A 12 total.

[Ashley Johnson]

A 12 total.

[Matthew Mercer]

A12 total. 12 total does not hit enmity, I'm afraid. All right.

[Ashley Johnson]

I'm just, like, walking around like this.

[Matthew Mercer]

So sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.

[Sam Riegel]

Bayless is. We've all had this combat.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

You decided to go into Reverie, like, right as initiative has rolled.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah.

[Sam Riegel]

Yeah.

[Ashley Johnson]

I'm just gonna sit on the stair and just wait till.

[Sam Riegel]

Yeah, that's fair.

[Ashley Johnson]

I'm gonna pray.

[Sam Riegel]

You know what? You gotta check the augers. You gotta wait for a bird to fly over something.

[Matthew Mercer]

You do also have lay on hands, which does not require any dice rolling at all for those in your party that have taken some damage.

[Ashley Johnson]

Okay. Cat, how you doing?

[Matthew Mercer]

I'm fine.

[Brian W. Foster]

I haven't been hit.

[Matthew Mercer]

Julian is damaged.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

I've been hurt a little bit.

[Brian W. Foster]

But you still have some movement.

[Ashley Johnson]

I still have great movement, I think.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah.

[Brian W. Foster]

You were like 5, 10, 15, 20, 20. No, you're 30. Yeah. And then also, I guess if Agony wants an attack of opportunity, she gets it.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay.

[Sam Riegel]

Me, Julian, and Erinessa have all been hit. If you Want to catch someone. Okay.

[Ashley Johnson]

Let'S do. Yeah, let's do some lay on hands. I have a.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

You have to be.

[Brian W. Foster]

You have to be within the person to do it.

[Ashley Johnson]

Okay, so am I closest to you or you're flipped?

[Brian W. Foster]

Yeah, we're flipped. Yeah. Julian's on the edge.

[Matthew Mercer]

Julian's on the.

[Ashley Johnson]

Julian's on the edge.

[Matthew Mercer]

And Midian octus.

[Ashley Johnson]

Okay, but then I would have to move again.

[Sam Riegel]

You can lay on him. I know.

[Ashley Johnson]

I'm okay.

[Sam Riegel]

I think that's my turn.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay. I think that's Tysha. That is going to be you vibes. Great.

[Sam Riegel]

Now that this is clear. Okay, here's my problem. I'm gonna ask you.

[Brian W. Foster]

This underwear.

[Sam Riegel]

You think it'll knock him over? I could knock him off.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

It might knock a few of us off.

[Sam Riegel]

No, it won't hit you. I'm far enough away from you that.

[Matthew Mercer]

It can't hit me right now. It's just Tysha and this with both demons up here on the bridge.

[Ashley Johnson]

You know what?

[Sam Riegel]

No, I need. I kind of need the health back. Unfortunate. Let's go. Instead I'm going to burn one of my wild shapes to cast land's aid. So I need a DC15 con save from both Agony and Enmity. DC15 con save not Enmity. Agony and cruelty.

[Matthew Mercer]

Agony and cruelty. Agony. Okay.

[Brian W. Foster]

Does this hit all things in that?

[Sam Riegel]

Yeah. It's gonna hit your boy too.

[Brian W. Foster]

Okay. What concave.

[Matthew Mercer]

Cruelty makes it, agony does not.

[Sam Riegel]

Okay, agony's gonna take nine points. Nine points of necrotic damage. And the one that made it make takes four.

[Brian W. Foster]

What's the save?

[Sam Riegel]

15 con.

[Brian W. Foster]

15 con. Oh, it's immune to necrotic.

[Matthew Mercer]

It's not gonna happen.

[Brian W. Foster]

Nothing's gonna happen to it.

[Sam Riegel]

Perfect. Great. And I get back nine points of healing, which was the more important thing.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

That's great.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell yeah. Amazing.

[Sam Riegel]

And then for my bonus action, I'll adrenaline rush, dash and take two bonus HP just to get the. I'm so tired of being up here. I'm not enjoying my time. And with my movement I can. I can get pretty close to the fog cloud actually.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah. Are they gonna get swipes on you sure?

[Sam Riegel]

Yes, they will. Both of them will.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay. What is your AC current?

[Sam Riegel]

17.

[Matthew Mercer]

17 miss from cruelty.

[Sam Riegel]

We'll find out in a second. But I've rolled con saves for all the damage I've taken.

[Matthew Mercer]

That is a hit from agony. Cool. You are going to take.

[Brian W. Foster]

It's gonna hurt.

[Matthew Mercer]

15 points of psychic damage. Hold on, let me.

[Sam Riegel]

Let me get my healing back really quick.

[Ashley Johnson]

Did they take their Attacks of opportunity on me when I moved.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh, Agony would have had an attack of opportunity on you. Let me go ahead. That attack also would have hit your. Was your Armor class currently 16, Tysha? Yeah. Phelous. On your way out you take if you 15 points.

[Sam Riegel]

Golly.

[Matthew Mercer]

Got it. Tanking that from time to you get your healing. It is not erased by Agony who has already swiped at Velas on her way out.

[Sam Riegel]

Copy.

[Matthew Mercer]

You make your way all the way to Eriness's side and also don't have to roll concentration for that fog cloud that is still doing the old path's work up on that bridge.

[Sam Riegel]

You get me a little closer, Alex.

[Ashley Johnson]

Lean.

[Sam Riegel]

Oh, thanks.

[Matthew Mercer]

That's all.

[Brian W. Foster]

I am a Crane to you.

[Sam Riegel]

That's my crane, son. Thank you.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell yes that is going to be. Anything else from Tysha?

[Sam Riegel]

No. That's it.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay. Great Cruelty, I prove you're a good warrior.

[Ashley Johnson]

I don't.

[Sam Riegel]

I don't believe you.

[Ashley Johnson]

This is true. Yeah, this is true.

[Matthew Mercer]

1610 points of damage to monitor lizard.

[Brian W. Foster]

It's dead.

[Matthew Mercer]

Cruelty looks at the lizard as Tysha runs away. Cruelty looks down at the lizard, says do you get hurt? And rips its head off and looks in the back of its neck and.

[Brian W. Foster]

It just falls apart into green smoke and wet flesh.

[Sam Riegel]

I just yell ew.

[Brian W. Foster]

Onto the ground. That's a good album title though.

[Matthew Mercer]

Cruelty. Cruelty looks down to Enmity as she tosses the lizard head, says unsatisfying.

[Sam Riegel]

I like them so much.

[Matthew Mercer]

Me too. That is going to be the guards Pepper. Just Cruelty and Agony with a bunch of arrows. From behind the fog cloud, Agony goes gya. I'll make some saves for them. Cruelty calls out and says, enmity, this bridge is bad. And Enmity calls out and says, find which of them are the lords Wakanda and our sister.

[Sam Riegel]

What the hell? Part of none of them are the people you're looking.

[Matthew Mercer]

God.

[Sam Riegel]

Take a note.

[Matthew Mercer]

You've seen all of us get hit, you see.

[Sam Riegel]

Do any of us seem particularly horny about the damage we're taking? We're not your sister.

[Matthew Mercer]

It's gonna be one more attack with unbelievable enmity. You gotta move. Enmity takes 28 points of damage.

[Sam Riegel]

Oh my God. Do not get hit with these ballistas.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh my God. They hurt your whole body.

[Sam Riegel]

It's all my HP every time.

[Matthew Mercer]

Enmity, you see, goes now Enmity is bloodied. Stop doing that. And that is going to so funny.

[Brian W. Foster]

The most stressful and funny combat I've ever put in.

[Matthew Mercer]

Erin, as it turns to you. Tysha on her turn on her turn. She is going to look at Enmity and go. None of us are who you seek. None of us. The Lord Wicander, I don't know where he is. If it's because we were at Thiazi's funeral, many people were there and we do not know what happened to all of them.

[Sam Riegel]

I'm just Will Smith jester.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah, you see, she da, da, da. God, I kind of want to kill her, though. I'm going to have Eri. You have already spoken to Enmity. You just had that very high persuasion here. So she is going to. She is going to roll. She's going to roll. Persuasion with advantage from you having that natural 18 on the die. And erinessa. Yeah, that's her action, is that persuasion. And Enmity looks and says, fine, give us one thing we can take on our hunt and we'll leave you be. As Agony is going to. Going to go here.

[Sam Riegel]

Stop negotiating, stop negotiating.

[Matthew Mercer]

Agony is going to just rush towards her sister to get out of the firing of the arrows and rush down here. And I am going to need Octis. Roll a luck check on a D20 for me. You don't want to get a.

[Sam Riegel]

He said, ooh, like he hasn't rolled a thousand twenties today. Hot table, Hot table. Hot table.

[Brian W. Foster]

One not hot table.

[Sam Riegel]

It's cause you stared at me like that.

[Ashley Johnson]

It's because you were near me.

[Matthew Mercer]

That was a different die.

[Brian W. Foster]

Different die. Different die. Different die.

[Matthew Mercer]

That was her fault.

[Sam Riegel]

I did it.

[Brian W. Foster]

Natural one.

[Matthew Mercer]

Natural one. Incredible octus. You can see. Agony rushes up to Enmity as it becomes clear to Enmity this moment as Aranesis speaks to her, that they have tracked, they have been following the wrong quarry. That Wakander is in fact not here. Agony rushes up beside her going, sister, I don't even know which one would be the lion man.

[Sam Riegel]

None of us are the lion man, baby girl.

[Matthew Mercer]

And you see that? Emmy turns around on a nat one you hear in the distance and see far in the nighttime sky, two plumes of black smoke rise from Castle Klippenblik. Twin energies racing up through the air in your direction. Shit.

[Sam Riegel]

We gotta go now. We're in the middle of a fight.

[Brian W. Foster]

We have to leave.

[Matthew Mercer]

They're coming here.

[Sam Riegel]

Cool.

[Matthew Mercer]

What?

[Sam Riegel]

There's a worse thing not then the fight that we're in.

[Brian W. Foster]

My sisters are coming.

[Sam Riegel]

Oh, sure.

[Matthew Mercer]

Agony does not take a combat action on whatever you did to Enmity. Agony delays her action, getting out of the arrow fire. Julian, it is your turn.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

It is my turn.

[Brian W. Foster]

Mm, perfect.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

I hear what you're saying. I don't even acknowledge it at this point. I'm just focused right now on the first semblance of vengeance I can get with my back to the edge and all the stuff chaos happening around. I glance forward, then duck low, then leap up and with my rapier hand clamber up onto the side of this edge of the rock, spinning down and getting low to try and knock him back with my other backhand from beneath my shoulder.

[Matthew Mercer]

So, hell yeah.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Giving up over onto this side.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell yeah. That is a nine.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

That is a nine. That will be seven. I will use use one of my second winds.

[Matthew Mercer]

So he got a nine and you got a nine.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Sorry, I got a seven.

[Matthew Mercer]

Seven. Gotcha.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

And then I'm using one of my second wins to use tactical mind to add a D10 to it. Okay, that's going to make it a 15 instead. So I go ahead and as I bring the gauntlet back, I slam my elbow into his stomach and then push with all of my might to try and stumble him back towards the the cliffside.

[Matthew Mercer]

Incredible. Boom. He stumbles back towards the cliff. You see his back armored boot slide. His heel is over the edge of the cliff.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

I go ahead and slide into finish him and Velis. And I'm going to go ahead and.

[Ashley Johnson]

I just very much make way.

[Sam Riegel]

I'm just like go off king.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

I'm going to go ahead and.

[Matthew Mercer]

I'm.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Going to go ahead and take my cloak, my half cloak off the side, spin it in the gauntlet hand to obscure it for a moment, hold the rapier up to his head and say, I know you worship death. Let me do you a favor and send you where you're supposed to be. I'm going to go ahead and thrust with the rapier towards him. But then right as it gets near his face, I'm just going to go ahead and get low and grab him around the torso and attempt to shove him off the side.

[Matthew Mercer]

Side.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Yeah.

[Matthew Mercer]

The number you're trying to beat is a 12.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

That's a natural 17 for a 21.

[Matthew Mercer]

Woof. Boom. As he flies over the edge. Go ahead and roll 8d6 damage for me. And also I will say two. Yes, go for it. Roll 8d6 damage.

[Sam Riegel]

Do we have to do a gofundme to get Matt a second set of dice?

[Matthew Mercer]

One at a time?

[Brian W. Foster]

All his dice are behind the screen.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

This is the biggest trophy, 31 points.

[Sam Riegel]

How many jokes can I make before you can't do the.

[Matthew Mercer]

How do you want to do this? Yeah.

[Brian W. Foster]

So how do do do this how do do?

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Okay, here's what I'll say after I slam into his side and lift him up off the air. He slips off the back and catches himself on the edge with his one hand on the edge of the cliff. Barely about five feet down. And there was the wind blowing past my hair tossed to the side. I stepped down about 4ft onto the edge where the cliff is and looking.

[Matthew Mercer]

Down at him.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

One down. And I slowly clamp my foot onto his gauntleted hand and kick him off the edge.

[Brian W. Foster]

Mist.

[Matthew Mercer]

Water. You don't know if the impact with the water 80ft below killed him or if he had the privilege of drowning in that heavy arm at the bottom of the falls.

[Sam Riegel]

Can I get a performance check? I just gotta know. I gotta know how hot that was.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

I think at this point there's that cold moment of an exhale. Something in him healed just the slightest. And with that hint of a gleam of a tear in his left eye, he clicks back into the moment and then whisks back and says, I'm going.

[Ashley Johnson]

To put my hand down just the little bit that you were.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Takes your hand and lifts up and.

[Matthew Mercer]

Pulls up into you.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Now we can go. And with his hasted movements he's just going to go ahead and dart, I think at this point. Now move about there. Yeah, he still has 45ft of movement.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell yeah. Let's go, Doc.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Going to dart up into the fog just to the edge there.

[Matthew Mercer]

35. 40. 45. 45 gets you basically within the fog up on the bridge here.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Great.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell yeah. But you see, the guards can all hear someone charging through the fog towards them. And that is your turn. We move forward in an initiative. Enmity looks up to see the same twisting plumes of black smoke coming through the house, coming through the sky towards the Haq Wallenbrugge.

[Brian W. Foster]

And I look at her. Why are you calling them?

[Matthew Mercer]

She looks and says, I didn't.

[Brian W. Foster]

You're gonna regret it.

[Matthew Mercer]

You see that? She looks at you standing here, Velas, and says, what trouble are you all in in this place? Your house has turned against itself. Well, I guess you'll have to figure that out. Not tonight, Cassius. Form. And she's going going to say, run sisters, as she takes off into the night sky.

[Sam Riegel]

That looks so God damn stupid.

[Matthew Mercer]

Octus. Enmity vanishes. It is your turn.

[Brian W. Foster]

Okay, I'm going to snap my fingers and pin's going to disappear. And they haven't moved yet because they're still here. Okay, he's going to take off, which will Give him an attack of opportunity from nobody.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh, you see, Agony is there, but does not appear to be ready to take a swipe at you. Okay.

[Brian W. Foster]

So I'm going to move 5, 10, 15 to the edge. I kind of look over where my brother went down. Just kind of have us use my bonus action to take a minute.

[Matthew Mercer]

This is my bonus action to take a minute.

[Brian W. Foster]

Just looking for any signs of what happened to him. And if I can, I'm gonna ask to use a cantrip in a way that it's not meant to, but I'm just curious. I want to use prestidigitation to. On the rocks, kind of leave a short. Here lies Franz on the edge of the rock, right where he went.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell, yeah.

[Brian W. Foster]

And then use the rest of my movement to dart after Julian.

[Matthew Mercer]

You leave that there.

[Brian W. Foster]

Moving rocks or scratching it into the. The dust like something leaving it there.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah. This is very important. I'm going to need you to roll a D4 for me.

[Sam Riegel]

I'm looking at you two.

[Matthew Mercer]

One. You have rolled two. You look up in the sky and believe you may have two rounds. You may have. They will be here. Not after the next time you go, but the next time you go. After that they will arrive.

[Brian W. Foster]

Incredible. So I say it's like we have to leave now.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay. That is you dart onto the bridge. Do you use a dash action or no?

[Brian W. Foster]

Well, I use prestidigitation, which is my action and my bonus action, too.

[Matthew Mercer]

Baelus, that is going to be you.

[Ashley Johnson]

All right. I'm going to stalk forward. Just start walking through the cloud.

[Matthew Mercer]

10, 15, 20, 25, 30. Okay. 30ft of movement.

[Ashley Johnson]

30Ft of movement. And. I'm going to shoot out a guiding bolt.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay.

[Ashley Johnson]

Just to try it.

[Brian W. Foster]

Just a little back of Julian's head.

[Sam Riegel]

Just to know I can. Yeah. You're in a fog. You're in a fog cloud. So you can roll that with disadvantage.

[Matthew Mercer]

You'll roll it with disadvantage if you're casting the fog cloud. Just to let you know.

[Ashley Johnson]

Oh, yeah, that's right.

[Sam Riegel]

What's the worst that could happen if.

[Ashley Johnson]

I backed up a little, if I don't go forward? Because the fog cloud's like. Right.

[Sam Riegel]

The entire bridge, that is.

[Brian W. Foster]

Yeah. So either way, you're going to roll disadvantage.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

I mean, you may as well. Up to you.

[Ashley Johnson]

Who cares? Wild. Okay, that's not bad. That's very bad. Okay, so I think that was a total of eight.

[Matthew Mercer]

Eight. Gotcha. What the fuck? Guiding bolt rockets out of the fog. I'll let you make an intimidation roll with that.

[Ashley Johnson]

Okay.

[Matthew Mercer]

Can I give me an intimidation. That sounds fun.

[Sam Riegel]

Can you use a different die?

[Ashley Johnson]

I will.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

It's like a fog light.

[Ashley Johnson]

I'm gonna do this one.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh, my God.

[Sam Riegel]

That's exactly, exactly what it is.

[Ashley Johnson]

Well, it's a natural 20.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah, there we go. We did it.

[Sam Riegel]

It was a warning shot the whole time.

[Matthew Mercer]

I'm gonna say. I'm gonna say on a nat 20.

[Ashley Johnson]

What a dumb bitch.

[Matthew Mercer]

On a nat 20, intimidation check. You hear one of the guards as they hear boots in the magic fog that they were told they would die if they go to a guiding bolt shoots out of it. And you hear. Ah, duck. Forgot her. And the guards are fucking frightened. Tysha, that is your turn.

[Sam Riegel]

Is this still technically the shoal garden?

[Matthew Mercer]

No, you are out of the shoal garden.

[Sam Riegel]

Okay, cool.

[Ashley Johnson]

All right.

[Sam Riegel]

Just didn't know how much Druidrys I needed. More than 60. 60ft away from me. No, I can get there in movement and a dash.

[Matthew Mercer]

Cool.

[Sam Riegel]

Then I'm gonna use my other adrenaline rush.

[Matthew Mercer]

Cool.

[Sam Riegel]

To get all the way to the one in the front. Like to erupt out of the cloud.

[Matthew Mercer]

30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60. Yeah, you can get right here if you want. Yeah. Hell yeah.

[Sam Riegel]

Who's the guy in the front? What's his whole deal?

[Matthew Mercer]

Who? That guy? What's that I'm going to say on a nat 20? Intimidation. You rush out of the fog to find that 100% of these guards have gone prone, have leapt out of the way, scattered and in disarray as you rush out.

[Sam Riegel]

And they're all wearing Taconus.

[Matthew Mercer]

They're all Taconus insignia and armor. Yeah, they all basically dove for cover as a projectile. Magic projectile rocketed out of the fog at them. Tight.

[Sam Riegel]

Well, I wanted to do it, so I'm going to do it anyway. I'm just going to keep like. Because we still got the guys in the ballista too.

[Matthew Mercer]

The guys in the ballista are readying to fire. Yeah. Neither with line of sight on you.

[Sam Riegel]

I'm having a great day. I could just kind of keep it pushing.

[Matthew Mercer]

These. While these men have been cowed by a sudden act of magic. On their turn, they will re enter.

[Sam Riegel]

Yeah, sure. Okay. Well then whichever one I'm closest to, I'm gonna go ahead and put my boot on and use my LOY staff to cast heat metal on a fully armored.

[Matthew Mercer]

Fuck.

[Ashley Johnson]

Yes.

[Matthew Mercer]

Brutal. Is that a secret save? That is a failure. Go ahead and roll. Damage.

[Sam Riegel]

It's not that much damage.

[Brian W. Foster]

That's so mean.

[Sam Riegel]

Look, if Julian wasn't Like so focused on like I need this for closure. I'm like, okay, that's therapy for you. 12 points of fire damage.

[Matthew Mercer]

You cook a man in his armor.

[Sam Riegel]

And just look up at the other ones. They can't see me. So I'm sorry. Sort of just doing this to the.

[Matthew Mercer]

Edge of the castle as you rush out and stand as just you guys can smell. Smells like a barbecue.

[Sam Riegel]

Yeah. And with that barbecue and heat and steam, the fog cloud dissipates and I'm just going to look at the rest of them and go, you're going to.

[Matthew Mercer]

Want to stay down. Yes. Cool.

[Sam Riegel]

That's me.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell yes. Cruelty turns to look at the bridge. The fog cloud still standing there. Turns around and goes, I told you we should have gone north.

[Brian W. Foster]

Boom.

[Matthew Mercer]

And turns and looked. You see octys as you're about to run over the bridge. Right before you fade into the mist. You see that she turns into you and goes bye. And walks off. Off the bridge.

[Brian W. Foster]

Oh, she's gonna have fun with that later.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yep.

[Sam Riegel]

Every new decision is the worst decision they've ever made.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

That's great.

[Brian W. Foster]

Erinyss is still behind there. Did she go?

[Matthew Mercer]

Erins's turn has not occurred.

[Brian W. Foster]

Okay. I just wanted to make sure we weren't leaving her behind.

[Matthew Mercer]

No, certainly.

[Brian W. Foster]

Okay. My sisters are gonna show up and be like, there he is.

[Sam Riegel]

Oh my God.

[Matthew Mercer]

That's so fun.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

I'll just act as the Deconis boy. No one will suspect a thing.

[Ashley Johnson]

That's so good.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Boom boom, boom boom. Remember Octave?

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah. Demons cannot catch a break. Incredible. I really love that. This combat is far from. This combat is actually showing the world that tyranny is the most serious of her siblings. Crazy you. These guards are going to use Tasmania to stand up from prone. See you, Taisha. And they're going to swing.

[Sam Riegel]

Sure they didn't stay down. I asked them to.

[Matthew Mercer]

I asked you to stay down. What is your AC currently?

[Sam Riegel]

17.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay. That is going to be.

[Sam Riegel]

Octis. Come tell your boys to stop. This is the amount of dice. I think I'm dead now.

[Brian W. Foster]

It'S not my turn.

[Matthew Mercer]

Eh? I can't do shit.

[Sam Riegel]

Yeah.

[Matthew Mercer]

You take nine points of damage across these two. The last one deals five points of damage to you. Cool. Okay.

[Sam Riegel]

So 14 total.

[Matthew Mercer]

14 total. Let's just check.

[Sam Riegel]

Still good. Heat metal's still going.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

But the fog cloud has dropped now.

[Sam Riegel]

Yeah, the fog cloud.

[Matthew Mercer]

Fog cloud has dropped. Gotcha. Okay. In that case, all of you guys can see this unfolding as the guards get up and try to. You see Tysha standing in the Middle of five spearmen attacking as they. Tysha, you move to the side quickly. And even standing here, this burning metal underneath you, this aura of heat waves surrounds you. As many of the spears miss their finding on you in this moment. That was even with some of them rolling. Advantage for flanking. However, fog cloud dropping.

[Brian W. Foster]

Then I can see what's happening.

[Sam Riegel]

Yeah.

[Brian W. Foster]

To Taisha right now.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yes, you can. Okay.

[Brian W. Foster]

And then I know it's not technically my turn in combat, but can I say something?

[Matthew Mercer]

Yes, you can.

[Brian W. Foster]

Okay, so Octa's looking over there, just seeing this. And goes. As the highest ranking member of the Draconis house currently present, stand down.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay, I'm going to ask for. For a persuasion check. These ballista are aiming. They have yet to go. I'm gonna ask for a persuasion check here. This is going to be a DC20, but I'll allow you to roll with advantage.

[Brian W. Foster]

Natural 20?

[Matthew Mercer]

You gotta be fucking kidding. My Alex. Oh my God, Alex.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

I love you.

[Matthew Mercer]

Ashley. He did something to you. Maddie did something to you. We all know it.

[Sam Riegel]

You can't say it.

[Ashley Johnson]

Reddit. I felt like my life was being siphoned out before we started this game. And now I know what it was.

[Matthew Mercer]

As you say, stand down. As the highest ranking member of the Taconus family, stand down. You see the ballista turn to look at you. One of the guards up here calls out. I'm gonna say, because these guys can't see you. Line of sight over the bridge. You're calling to the ballista. They say, my lord, all of these are your allies and companions.

[Brian W. Foster]

Yes.

[Matthew Mercer]

Agony looks at you and goes, thank you.

[Brian W. Foster]

Oh, shit. I didn't realize she was still there.

[Sam Riegel]

No, that's the funniest part.

[Brian W. Foster]

I just turn to go, ugh.

[Sam Riegel]

You believe belong to us now? Is that how that works?

[Matthew Mercer]

Unbelievable. That is going to go back to Erinessa, that is.

[Ashley Johnson]

I'm not going to touch it. That's very pretty.

[Matthew Mercer]

Erinessa. 5, 10, 15, 20, 40. She's going to rush up here and then take a readied action for when the way is cleared to dash again. Agony is going to heal herself, rush over here and tumble off the side.

[Brian W. Foster]

Of the cliff as she goes.

[Matthew Mercer]

I go. You owe me. Thank you. And that is going to be Julian's turn. All right.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Looking at the asked to stand down to the the men with the spears who have been attacking Tysha. Look like they took the command.

[Matthew Mercer]

Only the ballista have. These other guards down here have not been interrupted.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Then they made their choice. I'm going to dart towards the ones that attacked Tysha. And just rapidly go into a full run with the rapier to the side. Hell yeah. And go and try and spear through the one that's first up there.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell yeah. Give me the attack roll.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

That's going to be as cocked natural one. I catch the stone like.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh, no.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

I turn into a tumble and make it act like I meant to do that. But I'm going to go forth. That guy right there. That's my. This is for the demigantlet off the side of my hand. So I just go ahead and just punch him in the head. That's going to be 22 to hit.

[Matthew Mercer]

22 to hit. Hell yes. 22 hits.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

That's going to be eight points of bludgeoning damage.

[Matthew Mercer]

Eight point bam. Eight points of blessing damage to that guard. That is a hit. Or that. He is still up.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

He is still up. No worries. I will use my hasted action to then turn around with the rapier and then try and shank him more or less in the abdomen. That's going to be a 16 to hit.

[Matthew Mercer]

16 hits. Let's go.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

He takes. That's going to be 11 points of piercing damage.

[Matthew Mercer]

Obliterated. Running up that first one just exposes his full abdomen inside. And the length of the rapier to the basket hilt goes through his midsection as he collapses dead in that instant.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

All right, I will then. Oh, sorry, that was the one by Tysha here.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh, by Tysha there. Gotcha.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

And then I will then dart up and around with the rest of my speed to flank the one that's next to him also on Tysha on this side.

[Matthew Mercer]

Great.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

So kind of over to that point to see if I can get the advantage from flanking on him.

[Brian W. Foster]

Cool.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

To then go into an action surge and attack me another time.

[Matthew Mercer]

Awesome. He will get an attack of opportunity on you for moving around. Oh, I guess you can move. No, sorry. You can move through him. He's using a reach weapon. So he had five feet between him and Tysha. So you don't get an attack of opportunity. Okay, great.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

With advantage on him, that would be.

[Matthew Mercer]

14, 20, 20 hits.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

So with that I get the sneak attack because I had advantage on the attack against him. That's going to be.

[Matthew Mercer]

12 points of damage skewered. You rush through. And with the action surge, he is dropped. Both of those on that side of Taisha have been slow in this turn.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

The rest of my movement. I'm going to go ahead and step up right alongside Tysha. Shoulder to shoulder, almost facing out the others with the blood of my rapier. I flick it off against the stone on the ground and look. She said stand down.

[Matthew Mercer]

What is this? Feeling good? Hell yeah.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

That's my turn.

[Matthew Mercer]

I'm going to fix it.

[Brian W. Foster]

Octus in the back goes.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh, Octus, it's going to be you.

[Brian W. Foster]

Okay.

[Sam Riegel]

So fuck up kid.

[Brian W. Foster]

He just full run and dash towards the garrison there.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay. 30's here. Oh, full and then dash as well. Okay. You rush through the gate here.

[Brian W. Foster]

And as I run past the two of them I just say run, you idiots.

[Sam Riegel]

Call me dumb one more time.

[Brian W. Foster]

As looks back at you with just the most fear you've ever seen on his face.

[Sam Riegel]

Got it. Oh, the twins.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah. Incredible. Seeing this, Erinessa is going to use her readied action to also just fall in right behind you rushing for the open gate. Incredible. That is going to be Vaylis. Yes.

[Ashley Johnson]

I will start booking it out. Dash all the things.

[Matthew Mercer]

25, 30. Okay. And you're going to full dash and I'll full dash.

[Sam Riegel]

Yeah.

[Brian W. Foster]

All right.

[Matthew Mercer]

Through the gate. Bam. Unbelievable. And actually you were the first one to make it all the way through the gate. Sprinting off into the night. Tysha, that's going to be you.

[Ashley Johnson]

Sweet.

[Sam Riegel]

Is my guy in the armor being cooked? Is he still alive?

[Matthew Mercer]

No, he's toast. Toast.

[Brian W. Foster]

Literally.

[Sam Riegel]

Bonus action.

[Matthew Mercer]

Boo.

[Brian W. Foster]

He's bread.

[Sam Riegel]

Yeah. I'm going to put my hand on your shoulder then and nudge you forward and cast. Cure wounds as I do so.

[Matthew Mercer]

Thank you.

[Sam Riegel]

Yeah. I wish I had rolled better for you. 12 points.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

I'll take 12.

[Sam Riegel]

Sweet. And then I'll book it. Time to go.

[Matthew Mercer]

Time to go. Taishou.

[Sam Riegel]

Bonus action. I cook a dead man in his armor. I said stay down.

[Matthew Mercer]

Incredible.

[Brian W. Foster]

It's all greasy in there.

[Sam Riegel]

It's like when you re hit the flyswatter but the dead fly's still in it. It just gives it a little lick. Yeah, Just cooking that corpse.

[Matthew Mercer]

These men are going to close on Julian. Brilliant.

[Sam Riegel]

Ah, fuck.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

I will kill every lastaconis bastard.

[Sam Riegel]

Okay.

[Matthew Mercer]

No.

[Sam Riegel]

Okay, no.

[Brian W. Foster]

Sure.

[Matthew Mercer]

Please. What is your AC Julian?

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Technically with haste.

[Matthew Mercer]

18. That is only one hit for seven points of damage.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

I'll take it.

[Matthew Mercer]

And only.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Is that all you got?

[Sam Riegel]

Hot but focused.

[Matthew Mercer]

I could do this all day. That is going to be Erinessa. Erinessa sprints through the gate going Julian run as she moves after Tysha and Vaelys.

[Sam Riegel]

Nobody lets you stay and have fun.

[Brian W. Foster]

Oh, she fell for.

[Matthew Mercer]

She fell from a huge height. Actually I'm going to say running through because she's got a Head start here. What's the range on that? Nah, she doesn't have it. Okay.

[Brian W. Foster]

She doesn't have the range.

[Matthew Mercer]

Julian, that is going to be you.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

All right. I'm going to attack the one that's closest to the exit, the one that's right there up to the edge.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell, yeah.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

So I kind of dart towards him with the rapier.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell, yeah.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

That's going to be a 17 to hit. That hits him for 10 points of piercing damage.

[Matthew Mercer]

Badly injured.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

I'm going to go ahead and use my bonus action to use my gauntlet to grab him by the chin. And the blade is still in him. I could draw the blade, pull it back, and then just. Just jam the blade a second time in with him. Just from a narrative standpoint. That'll be 21 to hit.

[Matthew Mercer]

21 hits.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Technically, I have advantage because I hit him with the rapier for the Vex. So just to roll again for the hell of it. That's a natural one. So it's the same. So that would be 37 points of bludgeoning damage. Boom.

[Matthew Mercer]

Toast.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

So he falls. I will use my. My hasted action to go ahead and strike the next guy in the order. That's a natural 20.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell, yeah.

[Brian W. Foster]

There it is.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

All right. So that's gonna be Julian.

[Matthew Mercer]

This is so cool.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

12 points of piercing damage on that guy.

[Matthew Mercer]

You once again, just like golden moths and butterflies composed of light as you just. The sword is flashing down faster than the eye can see.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

The blood sprays and scatters about. There's the one guy standing there, and I hold the rapier up at him and say, I leave one to survive to go back to your patron and tell the house of the Venus we'll see them fall now. And then I'll use the rest of my hasted movement, which at this point would be 50ft or so, to catch up with the rest of the troop.

[Matthew Mercer]

Whoosh. You rush out past Octus. Octus, you are the last one left on this side of the gate. It is your turn. Okay, there's one guard left standing in the two in the ballista towers.

[Brian W. Foster]

I look at the one last guard as I'm like. I pause by the door for a second and look at that last guard and just, Good luck. And I just take off.

[Matthew Mercer]

You rush through the doors. As you see the shadows of the gate behind you, you hear, is there.

[Brian W. Foster]

A mechanism within there to close the gate?

[Matthew Mercer]

The gate is actually.

[Brian W. Foster]

There is no. There's no.

[Matthew Mercer]

There is a gate and a portcullis. You see that the gate Is open. And there is also a rope holding the portcullis up.

[Brian W. Foster]

As I run by. Can I use my action to undo the rope?

[Matthew Mercer]

You absolutely can.

[Brian W. Foster]

And so the portcullis comes down.

[Matthew Mercer]

The portcullis closes as we exit Initiative. Just for fun, Two twin sisters manifest.

[Sam Riegel]

Think of this.

[Matthew Mercer]

Cuties just out of line of sight, not being able to see over the bridge. Octys is your feet. You hear the faintness of someone casting detect magic and noticing Franz's name written in stone. As you see up here, you guys racing into the shadows as fast as you can. As you hear the ballista, the ballista operators up here. Oh yeah.

[Brian W. Foster]

Oh, no, no, no.

[Matthew Mercer]

Shoot them. Shoot them. As the ballista archers calling down, saying who goes? Who goes there? Shouting to the bridge, looking through the dark as these two women look at each other and hear footsteps racing into the dark. I am going to need in this moment a group stealth check from all of you. Okay, it's a 19 on the die for Erinessa. Vin still here giving her life. What do we get? 18, 18, 13.

[Brian W. Foster]

13, 19.

[Ashley Johnson]

Dirty 20.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Okay, I will note.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yes.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Just keeping this honest. Haste only lasts for a minute. Then it drops, roll in a full sprint and suddenly you watch Julian just fall to one knee and he's incapacitated for a round.

[Ashley Johnson]

I pick him up.

[Matthew Mercer]

Bayless, you shoulder Julian with one arm. Let's go with a dirty 20. 19 and 18.

[Brian W. Foster]

Sorry. 19.

[Matthew Mercer]

19 for you, 18, 18 for me. 19 is our median roll here. You guys rush into the dark as fast as you can up the stone steps towards the eyrie. Down below, as you see mist rise from a spell cast on that bridge by the two twin sorceresses peering out into the darkness as your footsteps vanish into the city. That's all for this episode. Woo.

[Sam Riegel]

Let's go, boys.

[Matthew Mercer]

Let's go. The nick of time. I was like, fucking, run. Run.

[Ashley Johnson]

That was so stressful.

[Sam Riegel]

That was so fun.

[Ashley Johnson]

So.

[Sam Riegel]

Killed so many.

[Taliesin Jaffe]

I killed so many daconesses.

[Brian W. Foster]

Yeah, you really did well, one daconis and a couple of vassal house guys.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah, a couple of guys who knew the job was dangerous when they took it. And one guy who definitely deserved it. Oh my goodness. That was exemplary work. How frightening. And also how deeply absurd. And as you guys depart, we'll have to get back into seeing if your eagles await.

[Brian W. Foster]

Just a bear up there being like, what took you so long?

[Matthew Mercer]

Everything all right?

[Sam Riegel]

That took Max a minute.

[Matthew Mercer]

Stop.

[Sam Riegel]

One of us had to pee.

[Matthew Mercer]

You're all good. I know. That was what, three or four rounds? You had a couple rounds of sprinting top speed before the incafestation hit. And for all of our friends at home, the only thing left to say is Is it Thursday yet?

[Sam Riegel]

Yeah.

[Matthew Mercer]

Thanks for listening to this episode of Critical Role. If you're enjoying this story, consider leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice. We're always looking for new critters to share our adventures with, and your review may help a new batch of wayward souls find their way to Ahriman Exandra. Or if you want to hear what the cast discussed after the episode, head to Beacon TV and check out our exclusive show Critical Role Cooldown. You'll be right there at the table immediately after we say is it Thursday yet? And experience our cast's post show reactions. We'll see you next time. Why have I asked my electrician I.

[Brian W. Foster]

Found on Angie.com to bury my pet.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hamster Nibbles in our yard for me?

[Taliesin Jaffe]

Because I was so moved by how.

[Matthew Mercer]

Carefully he buried my electrical wires, I knew I could trust him to bury my sweet Nibbles after his untimely end. Huh, Nibbles gone too soon. May he scurry in peace.

[Brian W. Foster]

Hey, sorry about your pet, but I just wire stuff.

[Matthew Mercer]

Nibbles would have loved you like a brother.

[Brian W. Foster]

Connecting homeowners with skilled Pros for over 30 years, Angie, the one you trust to find the ones you trust. Find pros for all your home [e-mail].