C3 E121 A New Age Begins Part 1 - Critical Role

Summary4 min read

Critical Role Episode C3 E121: A New Age Begins Part 1 – Detailed Summary

Release Date: February 13, 2025

1. Introduction and Campaign Recap

The episode begins with Laura Bailey welcoming listeners to what is likely the conclusion of Critical Role's third campaign. Before diving into the main adventure, the cast shares important announcements and updates about future projects, including the upcoming series "Exu Divergence."

Notable Quotes:

Laura Bailey ([03:13]): "Hello everyone and welcome to tonight's episode of Critical Role where a bunch of us nerdy ass voice actors sit around and play Dungeons and Dragons."

2. The Aftermath of Predathos's Defeat

Following the chaotic battle against Predathos in the moon Ruidus, the Mighty Nein and other heroes regroup. The narrative picks up with the aftermath of securing a temporary remission of Predathos's power, allowing the group to return to Exandria. However, tensions rise as they navigate their way back through holy armies who remain unaware of the group's true intentions.

Notable Quotes:

Marisha Ray ([04:07]): "But yeah. And then of course next week there will be no new episode of Critical Role."

3. Summons to Vasselheim

As the group settles back into Exandria, they receive a mysterious message from Mr. Caleb Widogast's Bells Hells, requesting their aid to escape Ruidus. The lack of detailed instructions leads to frustration and speculation about the true nature of the summons.

Dialogue Highlights:

Travis Willingham ([13:27]): "I just think it's really rude, you know, to send a message and say, you need help and then not give any kind of follow up."
Beau ([17:37]): "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, dear. We will leave as soon as we are able to. Vassalheim."

4. Journey to Vasselheim

The Mighty Nein, alongside Vox Machina, make their way to Vasselheim. Upon arrival, they are met with suspicion and hostility from the city's elite and militia, who are wary of their intentions. The group must navigate tense interactions with the Dawn Marshals and other influential figures within the city.

Notable Quotes:

Marisha Ray ([38:10]): "Are we on trial?"
Beau ([38:13]): "I think everyone here is just holding their breath."

5. The Divine Ritual and Council of Gods

A pivotal moment unfolds as the group engages in a high-stakes ritual intended to bind or confront the gods of Exandria. The ritual, known as Katathiosis, requires the participation and persuasion of multiple divine entities. The Mighty Nein and Vox Machina must navigate complex negotiations, attempting to persuade the pantheon to support their cause while contending with opposing divine forces.

Key Events:

Persuasion Checks: The cast makes several attempts to influence the gods, rolling for persuasion and intimidation to sway the council's decision.
Emergence of the Matron: A spectral matron appears, overseeing the ritual and presenting the gods' dilemma regarding their existence and the impending threat of Predathos.

Notable Quotes:

Ashley Johnson ([38:41]): "We have some experience. I've spoken to a few already. Will they come to us?"
Marisha Ray ([84:00]): "Let's walk with purpose. Let's go."

6. Confrontation with Predathos and Ashton’s Rescue

During the ritual, Predathos attempts to regain power by targeting the gods. In the ensuing chaos, Ashton, an ally of the group, is critically injured. The Mighty Nein and Vox Machina execute a daring rescue operation, utilizing spells, wild shapes, and strategic teamwork to save Ashton from certain death.

Notable Quotes:

Travis Willingham ([156:12]): "Hail a biz. Moving toward the Bright Queen, not threateningly, but within parley distance."
Sam Riegel ([137:05]): "We can betray them now."

7. Closure and Set-Up for Future Adventures

As the episode draws to a close, the group successfully rescues Ashton, but not without significant effort and the use of powerful magic. The ritual concludes with the gods witnessing the group's determination, leading to a fragile truce. The matron concludes the ritual by requesting an artifact necessary to complete the binding, setting the stage for future challenges and adventures.

Notable Quotes:

Marisha Ray ([158:20]): "You saved the gods."
Laura Bailey ([74:00]): "All we ask is clarity."

8. Conclusion and Final Remarks

The episode ends with the cast expressing gratitude to listeners and briefly touching upon real-world fundraising efforts to support community organizations. This heartfelt closure provides a moment of calm following the intense adventure, leaving listeners eager for the continuation of the story in Part 2.

Notable Quotes:

Travis Willingham ([174:39]): "We just wanted to thank you from everybody here at CR for your patience while we take care of our family and our friends."
Marisha Ray ([175:34]): "Thank you for listening to Critical Role. If you've enjoyed the adventure, please consider rating and reviewing this podcast."

Key Takeaways and Insights

Teamwork and Strategy: The episode highlights the importance of collaboration and strategic planning in overcoming formidable challenges.
Moral Ambiguity: Characters grapple with difficult decisions, such as negotiating with divine beings and choosing between survival and morality.
Emotional Depth: The narrative delves into themes of family, sacrifice, and the burdens of leadership, adding emotional weight to the characters' quests.
Future Implications: The ritual's outcome and the partial resolution of the conflict with Predathos pave the way for future storylines, hinting at unresolved tensions and upcoming adventures.

Final Thoughts

"A New Age Begins Part 1" serves as an epic culmination of Critical Role's third campaign, weaving together intricate plotlines, character development, and high-stakes fantasy drama. The blend of intense action, emotional moments, and strategic negotiations exemplifies why Critical Role remains a beloved cornerstone of collaborative storytelling in the tabletop RPG community.

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Transcript1,405 lines

[00:00]
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[00:47]
Beau
Hey there critter Podcast listeners. We have a special new membership service at Beacon TV where you can get early access to all new podcast episodes, including Critical Role. For the first time ever. Beacon members also get things like live event presales, merch discounts, access to a private community discord, and new exclusive series like Critical Role Cooldown. Think of it as our digital Critical Role Land. Head on over to Beacon TV to check it out for yourself and start a seven day free trial. Thank you so much for your support for being a podcast listener and for being a part of our community.
[01:29]
Laura Bailey
Hey there critters. We are so excited to share with you our brand new podcast from the World of Exandria. The Re Slayer's Take in this audio adventure, you'll be guided through the wild continent of Issylra, home to some of the most dangerous creatures. Here, the Slayer's Take is the most notorious monster hunting group in the realm. But when previously slain creatures start returning from the grave, it's up to six misfit mercenaries to band together and reslay these supernatural threats as the reslayers take. So come follow along these audio escapades as the second coolest monster hunters this side of Exandria battle a growing undead army of dangerous creatures. The party is led by a duo of game masters, George Primavera and Nick Williams, with the main cast including Jasmine Bular, Caroline Lux and Jasmine Sheong. Listen to new episodes every Monday anywhere you stream podcasts or become a Beacon member and listen to the podcast two weeks early and uninterrupted by ads.
[02:36]
Sam Riegel
Oh hi folks, it's me, Sam Riegel, and I'm here to welcome you to the wonderful world of Exandria. Although it might be called something like Critical Role wherever you're streaming it on if you would like to watch the stream as it airs. You can tune in on Thursdays at 7pm Pacific at Twitch TV CriticalRole or at YouTube.com criticalrole. The video on demand versions are immediately available for our Twitch subscribers or on YouTube the following Mondays at 12pm Pacific. Podcast episodes are right here on the Critical Role Podcast network on Thursdays, one week after the initial broadcast. Alright, the adventure awaits. Let's roll.
[03:14]
Laura Bailey
Hello everyone and welcome to tonight's episode of Critical Role where a bunch of us nerdy ass voice actors sit around and play Dungeons and Dragons. Thank you for joining us on what is likely to be the conclusion of our third campaign. But before we come into this episode, we do have some announcements to get through this evening. I'm Marisha.
[03:37]
Marisha Ray
You got some announcements in case you missed it. We dropped some major updates in our latest State of the Roll last week, including what's to come after Campaign three. There will be life after Campaign three. Starting with Brennan Lee Mulligan. I know. Back in the dmc as we dive into a well known but unexplored age of exandrian history with Exu divergence. Diverge premiering February 13th. It's gonna be great. Matt's playing in this one time a player. Yeah.
[04:07]
Laura Bailey
Kill everybody.
[04:11]
Marisha Ray
But yeah. And then of course next week there will be no new episode of Critical Role. But you can catch Matt in the Fireside Chat chair over on Beacon to talk about All Things campaign 3. Join the Beacon Discord to submit any of your questions. We will be having a big campaign wrap up but we're gonna do it after Divergence so we can talk about the whole King Caboo.
[04:33]
Laura Bailey
Laura, you're up.
[04:37]
Marisha Ray
I have this.
[04:42]
Ashley Johnson
That's upside down. White stone is for lover.
[04:46]
Travis Willingham
Come on.
[04:47]
Laura Bailey
That's cute.
[04:48]
Ashley Johnson
Artist Ricardo Besa. Thank you so much. It's available now in the us, Canada, UK and eu, blah blah blah. And wait, hold on. My purse is in the way. Okay, this box, you guys.
[05:01]
Travis Willingham
It's Big Whiz kids.
[05:03]
Ashley Johnson
I'm trying to help celebrating Critical Role's 10 year anniversary.
[05:07]
Travis Willingham
Oh wait, I'm not supposed to hold this up yet. With some really exciting new products.
[05:13]
Ashley Johnson
A collection of Taste of Exandria food charms. Featuring delectables from all over Exandria. And now I can a life size figure of Baby Tring.
[05:26]
Beau
Let him out of the poke box.
[05:27]
Travis Willingham
This figure is made out of.
[05:30]
Laura Bailey
Oh my God. Oh my God.
[05:32]
Ashley Johnson
He stuck to the cardboard stove.
[05:34]
Laura Bailey
Oh my God.
[05:34]
Ashley Johnson
He's made out of soft foam and he's hand painted. To show off every claw, tuft of.
[05:39]
Travis Willingham
Fur and piece of armor. Isn't he the cutest little. They're both available for pre order right now.
[05:45]
Ashley Johnson
You're friendly.
[05:46]
Travis Willingham
Local game store or@wizkids.com it's perfect size to like punt.
[05:51]
Ashley Johnson
Look, he's a baby.
[05:55]
Travis Willingham
You probably could probably like.
[05:59]
Sam Riegel
Don't encourage him.
[06:00]
Ashley Johnson
Should we just keep him up here?
[06:01]
Laura Bailey
Yeah, probably, sure.
[06:03]
Ashley Johnson
We get him off this cardboard, we.
[06:05]
Travis Willingham
Could make like a. Like a game. Like a.
[06:07]
Laura Bailey
Okay.
[06:08]
Travis Willingham
We don't need a thing like that.
[06:09]
Laura Bailey
Like rugby.
[06:10]
Travis Willingham
Like rugby with trinket.
[06:14]
Laura Bailey
It's super cute. However.
[06:16]
Ashley Johnson
No, no.
[06:17]
Laura Bailey
I believe this concludes our announcements. So let's go ahead and jump into tonight's episode of Critical Role. It's Thursday night.
[06:36]
Travis Willingham
One. One by one we climb until we reach the top. Two by two we fall. Will we beat our end or meet our destiny? Hold your breath and roar.
[06:50]
Laura Bailey
How do you want to do this? It's Thursday night. All ye critters come join us. It's time to continue our flight. There is magic and mystery. Who knows what will happen in life? But one thing's for sure, we never give up on the fight.
[07:17]
Beau
From the healer to the renegade, we.
[07:21]
Laura Bailey
All share the same goal. Adding more allies, taking more chances.
[07:27]
Sam Riegel
Hold your breath and roll.
[07:30]
Ashley Johnson
You can certainly try.
[07:31]
Laura Bailey
It's Thursday night. All ye critters come join us. It's time to continue our blast. There is magic and mystery. From darkness our friendship will rise. But one thing's for sure, we never give up on the fight. Oh, get ready. It's Thursday night.
[08:12]
Ashley Johnson
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[09:09]
Sam Riegel
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[10:10]
Pharmaceutical Representative
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[10:57]
Laura Bailey
And welcome back. So last we left off through the chaos of Bel's Hells, Vox Machina and Mighty Nein, and many other heroes that rise up to try and halt the unbridled emergence of the God Eater. Bell's Hells finally is delivered to the core of the moon Ruidus, where they battle with Predathos itself, which now upon its defeat, remains dormant temporarily within its vessel. Imogen Tumult after passing beyond the boundaries that kept it locked away for an untold amount of history, you begin to step to your trek back towards Exandria. Tense interactions with some of the holy armies that marched upon the moon to stop what you are doing at all costs, without maybe understanding the intent behind it, you eventually are given passage to Vasselheim itself. The moments of a dim sky, which we will return to momentarily. For back within the core of Ruidus Amongst the scattered subterranean tunnels, a wayward troop of adventurers responsible for defeating the Weavemind and dealing with those who remained to surrender. Within and around the Arx Creonum, the mighty Nein, shoulder to shoulder with the battered but still surviving Gaztomo and other members of the Volition suddenly received a message to Mr. Caleb here. Mr. Caleb widogast bells. Hell's asking for their aid. Some way to free themselves from Ruidus, to get back. To get out from where they were. Though not enough to actually find or gather where they might currently reside. As such, hours have passed since in search. And there we find them, scattered amongst the dark underground. The smell of fungus. And a distant sad echo to each word. Spoken of a relatively silent world.
[13:18]
Beau
So a few hours later, then knowing vaguely where they went, but not knowing the lay of the land, we have been trying to spiral our way down.
[13:27]
Laura Bailey
I imagine so.
[13:28]
Travis Willingham
I just think it's really rude, you know, to send a message and say.
[13:31]
Ashley Johnson
You need help and then not give any kind of follow up.
[13:33]
Sam Riegel
You're saying that they're bad at sending messages?
[13:35]
Travis Willingham
Yeah, they're really shit at it. Yeah.
[13:37]
Beau
They may have other strengths that make up for their lack of performance skills.
[13:41]
Marisha Ray
Maybe they're dead.
[13:43]
Ashley Johnson
Oh my gosh.
[13:44]
Travis Willingham
What if they asked us to get us out and then you didn't show up?
[13:46]
Ashley Johnson
Caleb.
[13:47]
Travis Willingham
And then they all died?
[13:48]
Beau
This is on me, Hussein.
[13:51]
Travis Willingham
It is all your fault.
[13:53]
Liam O'Brien
Most things are caduceus. Is there anything you can do about these? The smell.
[13:58]
Taliesin Jaffe
Oh, I hadn't noticed. I don't mind it, actually, no.
[14:02]
Travis Willingham
Could we. The fungus smell. Are there any of these we can eat?
[14:07]
Taliesin Jaffe
I don't think this is fungus. I'm not sure. I've never seen it before in my life. Honestly, I couldn't even tell you what the smell was. That's.
[14:15]
Sam Riegel
I can do some quick chemical analysis of it, see what it is.
[14:21]
Taliesin Jaffe
Why are you just rubbing your fingers in it? That's really gross.
[14:25]
Laura Bailey
Not.
[14:25]
Liam O'Brien
Not into it.
[14:29]
Laura Bailey
If you would like to make a.
[14:31]
Sam Riegel
Nature check, I'll lick things.
[14:34]
Laura Bailey
Sure.
[14:34]
Sam Riegel
And first roll of the last episode discovered by penicillin. Ooh, I can't read about that.
[14:40]
Travis Willingham
That's really good.
[14:41]
Beau
Oh, it's a 17.
[14:42]
Marisha Ray
You can't read?
[14:42]
Sam Riegel
No, it's just sausages. Get shit out.
[14:47]
Laura Bailey
Yeah, fair play.
[14:50]
Sam Riegel
Dirty 20.
[14:51]
Laura Bailey
Dirty 20. Okay. It definitely has a fungusy mildew flavor to it, but it has contrasting textures and as you bring it up to taste this weird material, this faint purple, spongy material, it pulls away and there is a yellowish green contrasting Texture to it that has a very sweet decay flavor to it. As you pull back, you see the material. This fungus, it's shifting. There's some sort of. Like something is growing within the dark color and sharing. Occupying the vacuous space between.
[15:37]
Sam Riegel
This is alive. This thing is alive.
[15:39]
Taliesin Jaffe
I'm really glad that we didn't try and interrupt it then. It clearly is. I don't know. It's going through something. Maybe it's. Maybe it's pregnant. Maybe this is some sort of pregnant.
[15:55]
Ashley Johnson
I didn't know mushrooms could get pregnant.
[15:59]
Taliesin Jaffe
We are somewhere beyond our wildest dreams. Who knows how any of this works?
[16:05]
Laura Bailey
This is amazing.
[16:08]
Marisha Ray
I mean, maybe Ford has. Do we need to do a little stompy stompy around this action?
[16:16]
Beau
How much of there is it around.
[16:18]
Laura Bailey
Us now that you let your lights expand, you can see the actual fungus in this cavern permeates probably the majority of the surrounding surfaces. The walls and the ceiling. Around you there is rock. But as the light passes by, the rock seems to be coated. And you can see now as it passes through these, it's almost like. Like two separate trees have grown together with two different textures. And it's not until the light hits it that the color variations almost seem to have their own pattern. And you faintly can see movement. They're still tethering. They're still shaping.
[16:53]
Travis Willingham
Funguses are boning right now.
[16:56]
Sam Riegel
They're getting pregnant.
[16:58]
Beau
They are coming together.
[17:03]
Laura Bailey
You don't interrupt.
[17:05]
Travis Willingham
I'm growing really fast.
[17:06]
Ashley Johnson
If we make it angry, it might grow on us.
[17:08]
Marisha Ray
I've had a lot of people tell me they want me to step on them.
[17:11]
Laura Bailey
Spark of static hits your awareness.
[17:13]
Travis Willingham
It might be one of them.
[17:14]
Laura Bailey
As a familiar voice comes in. Caleb, I don't know where you are, but wherever it is, you all should come soon. Something big's happening in Vasselheim.
[17:30]
Beau
You wouldn't believe me if I told you, dear. We will leave as soon as we are able to. Vassalheim.
[17:37]
Travis Willingham
What did he say?
[17:39]
Beau
Summoning us back.
[17:42]
Sam Riegel
Esokis, don't we have to save the hells?
[17:47]
Laura Bailey
Yeah.
[17:49]
Sam Riegel
Are you gonna use a spell slot?
[17:52]
Travis Willingham
I don't have any. Otherwise I would have messaged them earlier.
[17:57]
Marisha Ray
Maybe. If he's summoning us back, that means it's done.
[18:01]
Beau
Don't I have the ability to reply?
[18:04]
Ashley Johnson
Yeah. Can you reply to this message?
[18:06]
Beau
I have a sending.
[18:07]
Laura Bailey
You have a sending stone as well?
[18:09]
Beau
So I can speak to the little one, the liviest one.
[18:12]
Laura Bailey
I'm right here.
[18:15]
Beau
The bells live.
[18:16]
Travis Willingham
Why didn't you do that sooner?
[18:18]
Beau
Because Liam just thought of It.
[18:21]
Travis Willingham
I thought you had a keen mind.
[18:24]
Beau
Caleb is a kid in mind. I can barely see strikes. All right. But I don't want to cock it up, you know?
[18:37]
Ashley Johnson
So you want me to do it for you?
[18:40]
Beau
No, I'm attuned to it, Chester.
[18:42]
Ashley Johnson
I won't do it.
[18:43]
Sam Riegel
Pretty sure you could activate it. She could talk. If you're holding.
[18:46]
Travis Willingham
If you want.
[18:46]
Ashley Johnson
If you want.
[18:47]
Beau
I don't think. I think I'll do it.
[18:48]
Laura Bailey
That's fine.
[18:50]
Travis Willingham
I mean, Jester is a very good communicator, really.
[18:53]
Beau
Orym of the air Ashari, we are trying to find our way to you.
[18:59]
Travis Willingham
Ask them why. If they know anything about Vasselheim. Ask them if they're. If they're that long or if they're up high at all. Ask them if they're alive.
[19:07]
Laura Bailey
Testin the boar.
[19:08]
Marisha Ray
You wasted like two words with the air, Ashari.
[19:11]
Travis Willingham
He's the one with the three words.
[19:13]
Laura Bailey
Oh, shit.
[19:14]
Marisha Ray
The three.
[19:14]
Beau
It's a stone.
[19:16]
Ashley Johnson
It's taking you so long.
[19:18]
Beau
Are you getting out? We'll come if we can. If you need.
[19:22]
Laura Bailey
Where are they?
[19:23]
Taliesin Jaffe
Oh, okay, fine. Never mind. I thought you'd get there on your own.
[19:26]
Marisha Ray
These mushrooms are about to come. If they can.
[19:32]
Beau
World's ending.
[19:37]
Laura Bailey
And Orym responds with, oh, shit.
[19:40]
Beau
Well, where are we in the timeline.
[19:44]
Laura Bailey
Currently, you are in Vasselheim. Approaching the chord.
[19:49]
Beau
Whoa.
[19:50]
Travis Willingham
Weird.
[19:51]
Sam Riegel
Okay.
[19:51]
Travis Willingham
That's right. We were just.
[19:52]
Beau
Ahead of us, wizard. We're in Exandria.
[19:59]
Ashley Johnson
Who are you talking to?
[20:04]
Marisha Ray
Beat me to it.
[20:05]
Liam O'Brien
Can't fucking escape her.
[20:07]
Laura Bailey
Oh, my God.
[20:09]
Sam Riegel
Ask them if they're alive. Ask them how they're doing. Ask them if they know anything about.
[20:14]
Ashley Johnson
Did he get my message?
[20:14]
Travis Willingham
Did he get my message?
[20:16]
Beau
It's really loud here.
[20:18]
Marisha Ray
I think you have a limited amount of words. You should talk quick.
[20:23]
Travis Willingham
How's the tall woman doing? Is she okay?
[20:25]
Taliesin Jaffe
Can they reply to this message?
[20:27]
Laura Bailey
Is there a.
[20:28]
Liam O'Brien
My upper half changed back, but my lower half hasn't.
[20:34]
Beau
Come home. Quick.
[20:39]
Laura Bailey
We immediately cut away now to the early morning light, pushing through a mostly closed curtain in the interior of a guest bedroom of Whitestone Castle, where a figure is sleeping alone on a bed, her red hair tangled as a briefly shuddering bit of arcane static, wakes you, Keyleth, from your slumber. The voice of Elora Vysoren pressing into your consciousness. Keyleth, I know it's early, but major things are happening in Vasselheim. I think you and the rest should be present.
[21:33]
Ashley Johnson
All right.
[21:34]
Marisha Ray
No worries. We'll be right there. She rubs her face. She's a little Puffy from where? She probably cried a lot. A little bit of that hungover feeling. But she didn't drink. And I get up and I start wrangling people.
[22:00]
Laura Bailey
Get your stuff together as you go and grab your cart. And the last thing, you immediately go.
[22:04]
Marisha Ray
And try and see if Vax is still here.
[22:07]
Ashley Johnson
Wouldn't he have been next to you? No.
[22:09]
Laura Bailey
Sure.
[22:10]
Marisha Ray
Will that sleep together? Yeah.
[22:14]
Laura Bailey
What you do find, however, as you open your door to exit, you're chambersed. That faint, very early morning light creeping through is a single black feather that drifts without even a moment's more awareness. You already know that he's gone. But right around that moment, a door across the hallway opens and you see the yawning, stretching mass of Grog's strongjaw pressing out of his mourning wake.
[22:44]
Liam O'Brien
Fires. So good. Oh, so it happens every morning. Just ignore it.
[22:51]
Marisha Ray
No, yeah, that's fine. Quite the sun tree you got there.
[22:59]
Liam O'Brien
I don't know what that means.
[23:02]
Marisha Ray
Where's the others? Have you seen anybody yet? You just woke up. What am I talking about? I'm gonna go to Vex's room.
[23:08]
Laura Bailey
Okay.
[23:09]
Ashley Johnson
I like that. It's my room.
[23:11]
Laura Bailey
You decorate.
[23:19]
Marisha Ray
Hi. Morning. Sorry. I know it's early.
[23:22]
Ashley Johnson
Is he here?
[23:24]
Marisha Ray
I was wondering if you knew that answer. Is he. Where did he sleep last night? I snuck away when you all were talking. I'm. I'm sorry.
[23:41]
Ashley Johnson
It's all right. It was hard. I'm sure we stayed up quite a while, but I thought he would go.
[23:53]
Taliesin Jaffe
I offered him a best room, but.
[23:57]
Laura Bailey
I don't think he used it.
[24:03]
Marisha Ray
I get the feeling he's not here anymore. We're requested in Vasselheim. I'm gonna go find the others.
[24:17]
Ashley Johnson
Keyleth. Yes? I love you, dear. I love you, too. And I'm so very proud of how strong you are. Huh. Minutes required of me.
[24:37]
Marisha Ray
Maybe this isn't the end.
[24:39]
Ashley Johnson
We'll see how Belzells did. Did he?
[24:51]
Marisha Ray
Never. I go find the others.
[24:58]
Laura Bailey
Who will probably be up early in the morning. Crack of dawn early.
[25:03]
Sam Riegel
I got up to go get some trinket. Bear claws from the Slayer's cake for everybody. But I'm having trouble carrying them because I don't have hands.
[25:14]
Ashley Johnson
Wait, What?
[25:15]
Travis Willingham
Cause you're still a.
[25:16]
Ashley Johnson
No, you're a.
[25:17]
Matthew Mercer
It's a good thing you've got Serkonos at your side.
[25:20]
Laura Bailey
You have your arms.
[25:21]
Sam Riegel
Oh, I do have arms. I do have arms. I don't know how that works for.
[25:24]
Laura Bailey
A second sleep fight. You can't feel them.
[25:26]
Sam Riegel
Six appendages progresses One head.
[25:31]
Ashley Johnson
This whole time, we thought you had no arms.
[25:34]
Sam Riegel
They're just hanging limply. I don't know what to do.
[25:38]
Beau
I like that you bust my balls because I couldn't remember a magic item. And he thinks he has. No, they don't have arms.
[25:44]
Liam O'Brien
They're right there.
[25:46]
Laura Bailey
Oh, God.
[25:49]
Sam Riegel
Here, give me my Cliff Fox.
[25:50]
Laura Bailey
Oh, my God.
[25:51]
Ashley Johnson
Oh, yeah.
[25:53]
Marisha Ray
Wait, Are you with him?
[25:54]
Matthew Mercer
I would like to be beside you, if that's all right. Oh, of course.
[25:57]
Sam Riegel
Yes.
[25:57]
Laura Bailey
You cannot get rid of me.
[25:59]
Matthew Mercer
And I'll be helping you carry them.
[26:02]
Laura Bailey
Are you riding him or are you walking alongside him? Oh, ride him.
[26:04]
Marisha Ray
Ride him.
[26:05]
Matthew Mercer
Would you allow me?
[26:08]
Sam Riegel
Come on, big boy.
[26:09]
Matthew Mercer
He's my greatest honor. I'll bare back immediately.
[26:14]
Laura Bailey
Yes.
[26:16]
Sam Riegel
It's warm.
[26:17]
Laura Bailey
Yeah, you bet it is.
[26:20]
Sam Riegel
I think she really likes you. I think you made a really good impression.
[26:23]
Matthew Mercer
You are an excellent coach.
[26:25]
Laura Bailey
When you have time.
[26:26]
Matthew Mercer
I have a small list of jokes, puns and quips I'd like to run by you for future endeavors.
[26:31]
Sam Riegel
It's always good to prep them ahead of time. That really makes them really feel off the cuff.
[26:35]
Laura Bailey
Yes, thank you.
[26:36]
Matthew Mercer
I'll explain them to you. They're funnier when you explain them.
[26:39]
Sam Riegel
Okay, sure. We'll work on your delivery, but just be. I mean, I would say be yourself, but I don't think that that's a good idea, so. Yeah.
[26:51]
Matthew Mercer
I get it. I'm not humorous.
[26:58]
Sam Riegel
Do you. Do you drink? Do you take spice?
[27:03]
Laura Bailey
Have you ever spiced? I've never spiced.
[27:05]
Sam Riegel
Maybe some spice would do you good. Just to loosen you up. I'm looking at you.
[27:14]
Matthew Mercer
This is awkward, buddy.
[27:18]
Sam Riegel
Oh, I have hands.
[27:22]
Matthew Mercer
If you don't tell the others.
[27:24]
Laura Bailey
I would try once, but just with you.
[27:27]
Sam Riegel
Really?
[27:27]
Matthew Mercer
You seem like you would be a good babysitter.
[27:32]
Sam Riegel
I would. You know, I have some in my saddlebag back there.
[27:35]
Laura Bailey
Okay. Maybe later. Maybe later.
[27:36]
Sam Riegel
Oh, okay.
[27:37]
Travis Willingham
Okay.
[27:37]
Laura Bailey
Okay.
[27:37]
Sam Riegel
We'll wait till the time goes right.
[27:38]
Matthew Mercer
I feel like it has to be the right environment.
[27:40]
Laura Bailey
Sure, sure.
[27:41]
Sam Riegel
A safe, dark space, friends around. Do you want her there, too?
[27:45]
Matthew Mercer
For the first time?
[27:46]
Sam Riegel
Well, it might be a bonding experience. You might confess things.
[27:50]
Laura Bailey
Oh, my God. I'm so excited about this. Yes.
[27:56]
Sam Riegel
Okay, I'll set it up.
[27:58]
Matthew Mercer
Just grinning ear to ear.
[28:03]
Laura Bailey
The rest of you. The rest of you meaning? Probably just you at this point, pike.
[28:10]
Travis Willingham
Knowing that Vax did not take the best room. I did. So I am sleeping and still snoring in the ginormous bed. Just finally getting the best sleep. Sleeping like a baby.
[28:25]
Laura Bailey
All right, who's the first to wake pike me.
[28:33]
Liam O'Brien
The door just splinters out of the room.
[28:35]
Laura Bailey
No, no roll for that.
[28:36]
Liam O'Brien
They really don't make these as strong as they should.
[28:39]
Travis Willingham
Look at this big bed.
[28:40]
Laura Bailey
What up. But. Oh.
[28:50]
Liam O'Brien
Pick her up. Dust off her head. How'd you sleep?
[28:53]
Travis Willingham
I slept so good.
[28:55]
Liam O'Brien
Really?
[28:56]
Travis Willingham
Yeah. Weirdly, after all of the events, I don't feel like I've ever slept so well.
[29:02]
Liam O'Brien
Wow. Maybe there was like a big cathartic release.
[29:06]
Travis Willingham
I think that's what it was.
[29:08]
Liam O'Brien
A cardiac.
[29:10]
Travis Willingham
You actually said it.
[29:11]
Liam O'Brien
I got it right the first time. Amazing.
[29:14]
Travis Willingham
What's going on? Was everybody up?
[29:17]
Liam O'Brien
I don't know. I just came in here first. Do you have any food? Oh, no. Keyleth's up and she looked concerned.
[29:25]
Travis Willingham
Oh.
[29:26]
Liam O'Brien
Wonder if Ax is still here.
[29:31]
Travis Willingham
We should go see. I. I don't think he is. Which is why I slept in this bed. Because I figured he was not going to come in here, so I just.
[29:43]
Liam O'Brien
And you just claimed it.
[29:45]
Travis Willingham
I just.
[29:47]
Liam O'Brien
Yeah. Let's go see. But brush your teeth first because God damn.
[29:57]
Marisha Ray
Goes down to, like, the fireplace in, like, the sitting area where everyone was chatting last night before she slinked off and ghosted to see if maybe Vax passed out next to the fire.
[30:14]
Laura Bailey
Unfortunately, no sign.
[30:18]
Ashley Johnson
Okay.
[30:20]
Laura Bailey
The sadness and expectation meet in the middle of your mind. And as you process it, the smell of fresh baked goods fills your nose as two of your companions enter from the outside of the castle. Oh, you're up.
[30:38]
Marisha Ray
I am.
[30:38]
Travis Willingham
Yeah.
[30:39]
Marisha Ray
I tossed and turned a lot last night.
[30:42]
Sam Riegel
We brought breakfast.
[30:44]
Laura Bailey
Oh.
[30:45]
Ashley Johnson
Oh.
[30:46]
Marisha Ray
Did they not box them for you?
[30:48]
Liam O'Brien
Just on the floor?
[30:49]
Laura Bailey
You were just holding Loosey Goosey. Okay, okay.
[30:54]
Sam Riegel
The truth is, he fell off and they kind of spilled all over the ground. We had to pick them up.
[31:01]
Marisha Ray
You were writing.
[31:02]
Sam Riegel
I'm not good at carrying.
[31:03]
Laura Bailey
That's.
[31:04]
Beau
That's the problem.
[31:05]
Marisha Ray
I see. Because you have little T. Rex hands.
[31:08]
Matthew Mercer
They seem very normal to me. I feel like that's rude to him.
[31:11]
Marisha Ray
Oh, well, it's Scanlan.
[31:13]
Sam Riegel
It's how we show love.
[31:14]
Laura Bailey
It's okay. Okay.
[31:16]
Matthew Mercer
I'm sorry if I'm overprotective of you.
[31:18]
Beau
No, I like it.
[31:19]
Liam O'Brien
I like it.
[31:20]
Marisha Ray
I am your peer.
[31:21]
Laura Bailey
Oh, yeah. I feel a little messed up over.
[31:25]
Beau
The last few days.
[31:26]
Laura Bailey
I'm sorry. She's cool.
[31:27]
Marisha Ray
She's cool. Gay. He knows that.
[31:31]
Sam Riegel
Don't worry. You can trust her.
[31:33]
Marisha Ray
Numb each other for sure. It's fine.
[31:39]
Ashley Johnson
Come downstairs, Trinket. They went to get bear claws for you.
[31:43]
Marisha Ray
Apparently I'm like, plating the bear claws.
[31:46]
Ashley Johnson
Oh, they're for us. Apparently Wait, wait, wait.
[31:49]
Travis Willingham
Why weren't these boxed?
[31:50]
Ashley Johnson
You know we had to go baskets.
[31:52]
Travis Willingham
Yes, we do.
[31:54]
Marisha Ray
Apparently, he fell off of Scanlan and the bo. I don't just.
[31:59]
Laura Bailey
We're riding Scanlan. Really? Yes.
[32:02]
Ashley Johnson
Exciting.
[32:03]
Matthew Mercer
His haunches are firm, yet supple.
[32:06]
Laura Bailey
We've heard.
[32:09]
Sam Riegel
Where'd you sleep last night?
[32:12]
Travis Willingham
I slept in the best room in the house.
[32:14]
Sam Riegel
Well, you weren't in my room, so that's not true.
[32:18]
Travis Willingham
Well, there's many great rooms in this house. I slipped where I thought Vax was going to, and he isn't here.
[32:30]
Marisha Ray
Yeah. You know, I got a message from Alora. Very first thing cracked on this morning, and she's requesting us in Vasselheim. She said it was important, so I think we should snap to it.
[32:45]
Travis Willingham
I'm gonna run over and I'm going to hug Keyleth very tightly. Are you okay?
[33:01]
Ashley Johnson
Yeah.
[33:02]
Marisha Ray
I'll be okay. I'm always okay.
[33:09]
Travis Willingham
I love you very much.
[33:13]
Ashley Johnson
I love you, too.
[33:14]
Marisha Ray
I love all of you. Let's go. Maybe get some good news or bad news. Maybe it's all bad. Maybe it's called a condition.
[33:30]
Sam Riegel
We're together. It's always gonna be good to be good.
[33:33]
Marisha Ray
You know, we haven't done a little group trip in a. I know We've all kind of been scattered and you've been like, finding yourself for whatever midlife crisis you've had, But I don't know, it's been a while since, like a Dolan's closet, so maybe we could plan that for the future.
[33:58]
Laura Bailey
A bit of family might be nice.
[34:00]
Ashley Johnson
Yes.
[34:01]
Travis Willingham
Might be fun.
[34:02]
Laura Bailey
Yeah, I'm in.
[34:05]
Travis Willingham
Yeah, me too.
[34:06]
Marisha Ray
And you can come too.
[34:09]
Matthew Mercer
Thank you.
[34:09]
Marisha Ray
I didn't want to be weird.
[34:11]
Matthew Mercer
Like where it appears I was also summoned.
[34:14]
Laura Bailey
Yes.
[34:16]
Marisha Ray
Yeah.
[34:17]
Sam Riegel
You can transport eight of us right?
[34:20]
Marisha Ray
Through plants.
[34:21]
Travis Willingham
Yeah.
[34:21]
Marisha Ray
As long you just got six seconds. You girl's gotta sprint.
[34:24]
Sam Riegel
You should go ask if Leetel should join us.
[34:29]
Laura Bailey
Shall I? Yes. Where is she? I don't know. Where is she? Why are you talking to the wall? You don't know?
[34:41]
Marisha Ray
In Vasselheim, I think you'll find her.
[34:42]
Beau
She's from Vasselheim.
[34:43]
Marisha Ray
In Vasselheim.
[34:44]
Beau
Oh.
[34:44]
Laura Bailey
All right.
[34:46]
Matthew Mercer
I'm sorry for my impropriety.
[34:47]
Laura Bailey
His energy is infectious.
[34:50]
Marisha Ray
It's something. Yeah.
[34:52]
Taliesin Jaffe
I feel infectious is an absolutely appropriate word.
[34:56]
Liam O'Brien
Infectious. I've had that before.
[35:03]
Marisha Ray
What's her name? Fexious.
[35:05]
Laura Bailey
How did you know? As we shift back from the. There. Too powerful.
[35:14]
Marisha Ray
Too powerful.
[35:15]
Travis Willingham
Level 20 druids.
[35:17]
Laura Bailey
Yep. To the BAMF over. Huh? As you all start heading towards the sun Tree and we bamf there we come to your troop bell's Hells.
[35:33]
Liam O'Brien
Oh shit.
[35:34]
Laura Bailey
Tensely walking through the quiet, still crowded, staring streets of Vasselheim beyond the main exterior walls, you realize what you thought adjusting from your trip from Ruidus and beyond was. Perhaps a morning light is indeed the transition to evening. A sunset more than a sunrise. The glow of the setting sun throwing the pinks and purples across the clouds that consume the majority of the air above. The passing of the recent gentle snowstorm itself starting to break to glimpses of a blue sky. Cold wind strikes through as you watch a populace stepping from their buildings to see what is going on. The aftermath of the recent conflict. The tension in the wake of priests and clergy. Speaking of days of uncertainty and a moment that may have already come or soon will, in which everything shall change. As you are escorted by the most elite and decorated of Vasselheim Bastion soldiers and leaders, you can sense without even needing to look, the hundreds of weapons that are trained on you with every step. As every soldier, every piece of militia armed civilian that looks towards you, there is a combination of fear and mistrust and for some bit of hope, even those that looked upon you with friendliness and threw behind you when you last left the city. Your arrival here brings an unease that is palpable as you step within each progressive interior guardian wall of the ancient dawn cradle city itself. You watch as the gathering populace grows denser and denser towards the base of the Heaven Stair Mountain.
[38:07]
Marisha Ray
Are we on trial?
[38:11]
Beau
I think everyone here is just holding their breath.
[38:14]
Laura Bailey
What exactly are we supposed to tell them?
[38:18]
Marisha Ray
I have a feeling they have some sort of ideal already.
[38:25]
Ashley Johnson
They probably sent word.
[38:29]
Sam Riegel
But remember, it's about leverage.
[38:33]
Liam O'Brien
We have all the leverage.
[38:36]
Ashley Johnson
Yeah. We need to speak to the gods, not just the people.
[38:42]
Sam Riegel
We have some experience. I've spoken to a few already. Will they come to us?
[38:48]
Ashley Johnson
I don't know. Maybe.
[38:51]
Sam Riegel
Do we signal them somehow with a spell or a. Wait, can you do it?
[38:57]
Laura Bailey
You're.
[38:59]
Ashley Johnson
I mean, I don't think I can just. They're probably aware.
[39:04]
Travis Willingham
I feel like they know. Does Imogen look like Imogen right now? Or is she still in the form of Imogen?
[39:11]
Laura Bailey
Looks like Imogen, though. Because of your ruidus born connection to her. You do feel there is almost a layer of intensity to the thrumming heartbeat of that energy that connects the two of you. Make a perception check for me. Fearne.
[39:37]
Ashley Johnson
Get back to Fern.
[39:40]
Laura Bailey
Just a couple characters juggled here in 30 minutes. It's fine.
[39:43]
Beau
Just sorting through my tabs.
[39:47]
Laura Bailey
Get to the correct tab.
[39:50]
Travis Willingham
It's almost good, but perception's pretty good, I think.
[39:54]
Ashley Johnson
Oh.
[39:54]
Travis Willingham
Oh, okay. 22.
[39:58]
Laura Bailey
22'S quite good. You recognize what you can only assume to be the alien presence of Predathos contained within your friend. Sensible. Through that Ruidian connection, you swear it's just getting faintly stronger each time you pick it up. That as reduced as you may have made it, it's definitely temporary. It doesn't take long for you to glance and see that those that once looked upon the interior chambers of the Platinum Sanctuary, the High Priests and Dawn marshals of this city that all look down at you with concern to trust, now all look like they're on the other end of a standoff. As you reach a point in your progression towards the deep heart of this city, that council does not move, signaling the end of your journey. As now you stop and look around in the entire populace is upon you.
[41:25]
Beau
Are we just in an open square section of the city?
[41:28]
Laura Bailey
The open of the center of the city at the base of the Heaven Stair Mountain, the massive staircase that climbs up to the Platinum Sanctuary. The peak itself still casting shadow down as the light is getting dimmer and dimmer.
[41:39]
Liam O'Brien
Anyone trailing us. Anyone hovering above us.
[41:42]
Laura Bailey
Above you you can see perched all along the mountain what looks to be various snow griffins that are armored with barding. You can see all sections of the surrounding city. You can see thousands upon thousands of civilians in the distance. But the remaining armies of Vasselheim and Guest militia that survived the conflict of the Malleus Key are all trained upon you. Highbearer Vord steps out from the opposing line. Belsheld, you have stepped into the very center of the Moonvilloman, charged with the means of our pantheon salvation. Conflicting reports speak that perhaps you are agents for the God Eater. Please clarify what you represent and what news you bring back.
[42:57]
Ashley Johnson
We don't have time. That's the news we bring. It doesn't matter what you think. We didn't go there to sow chaos. We went there to help. And we're running out of time.
[43:19]
Marisha Ray
We seek counsel with the gods. It is imperative that we talk to them as soon as possible.
[43:26]
Laura Bailey
Earthbreaker Groon, off to the side of the front line, speaks. And what of Predathos?
[43:36]
Matthew Mercer
We stopped Ludinus from using his power.
[43:42]
Ashley Johnson
The only option we had was to contain it for the time being.
[43:50]
Laura Bailey
Where is it? Contained. And with his voice you swear you can hear a cross of thunder rolling in the distance as the cloud grows darker on the periphery.
[44:00]
Beau
Orym Just steps in front of Imogen, in front of the entire crowd. That's his answer.
[44:10]
Laura Bailey
The highbearer acknowledges with the faintest of nods and the only time you've ever seen fear enter the eyes of one of the eldest dawn marshals of the eldest city. She bears the God Eater. What do you intend?
[44:41]
Ashley Johnson
Do you expect us to tell you? We're here to talk to the gods.
[44:49]
Laura Bailey
We represent the pantheon of this world and half for generations, people have died and given their entire family's future to see your safety to your destination. All we ask is clarity.
[45:10]
Ashley Johnson
We seek counsel with them to ensure their survival.
[45:18]
Laura Bailey
It's at this point, emerging from the opposite side of the circle, the black veiled mistresses of the matron step from the outer edge.
[45:37]
Matthew Mercer
That's stressing me out, man.
[45:42]
Sam Riegel
Go to her.
[45:47]
Ashley Johnson
Go to her.
[45:49]
Laura Bailey
One of them steps forward and plucks a black bead of obsidian and rolls it into the snow before her. It carves a path before the black begins to roll out. And then it casts this faintest shade that extends out hundreds of feet like a black bird expanding its wings impossibly wide. There's a communal gasp and the sound of armor shuffling as soldiers step onto their back foot, as weapons clatter to their side. You watch as this black bird like form, immaterial but present, rises into a spectral shape of a cloaked female. Her white mask standing protective of your troop like a dome of black sheer silk.
[46:57]
Marisha Ray
She's like over top of us.
[47:01]
Ashley Johnson
So cool.
[47:02]
Marisha Ray
If you look up, you can see.
[47:03]
Ashley Johnson
Straight up her dress.
[47:06]
Travis Willingham
Is she wearing panties? She is.
[47:08]
Sam Riegel
Don't think they're kind of dirty.
[47:11]
Laura Bailey
Panties.
[47:12]
Marisha Ray
That's gross.
[47:14]
Beau
It's an endless void.
[47:20]
Marisha Ray
Do you think they'd give me some of those ball bearings?
[47:23]
Beau
Is that where we go when we die?
[47:25]
Travis Willingham
Yeah.
[47:26]
Laura Bailey
I sure hope so.
[47:27]
Travis Willingham
Yeah.
[47:30]
Laura Bailey
In the cold stillness, the echoing voice of the matron rings out like crashing waves of static and resonant godly words. They carry the egg that Will would eat all, but they do so at the behest of all of our futures. They are here with my protection and I would ask all of yours. For as it was was said, there is not much time. At which point the wind begins to pick up around her and the cloak begins to swirl and spin. You see the faces of the thousands around looking at you, becoming more gray and vague. I like their details. The sharpness begins to blur, like a boundary is being drawn that leaves them in a distant dream beyond your current acknowledgment and understanding. The clouded somewhat sunset broken skies grow gray and dark indeed. You look up into the shadow of the arched matron's visage and you see from the core of her the skein of golden threads stretching out, out. And as each begins to reach the distant horizon, you see sparks begin to glide along them. As the sparks grow closer and closer, shapes become visible. You see the spectral image of some hooded cloaked wraith like entity as it seems to almost slither along this thread. You see flickers of glass like eyes and fangs snapping through the wind as it comes another. You see, brighter than the others, a burning starlike ball and what looks like the shining glistening set of armor. One by one, the images and consciousnesses of the various gods of Exandria begin to drown out your vision of the city itself. Until here, under her shadow, you are surrounded by a council, at times just colors and pillars of shifting emotion. And with a blink for a moment, you see clear shapes, a bearded muscular man who seems to roil like the storm. You see a woman of white hair and an endless unraveling spool of scrolls. You see a dark, squat and furious being, its jaw filled with teeth of a bleeding eye. You see the shadow of extending spine arms. Eight From a female form, you see a squat chiseled man himself, adorned with all manner of tool and hammer, stone and form, and rigid and timeless, a pillar of strength. One by one, they all flicker into view and then pass into color and formlessness here in this communal vision. And it's at this moment that all of them become aware of you.
[52:00]
Taliesin Jaffe
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[53:03]
Laura Bailey
What you know to be the Dawnfather speaks first. Matron. Why do you call the family here? Where do we stand? On the precipice of oblivion. The matron shrinks and instead joins your presence. Human height in that same position. Is it subservience? Is it solidarity? You're uncertain. But her presence isn't felt. Smaller. More. You are present a unit. These eight are the only keys any of us have to survival. And I believe they have earned the right to share the path forward. Her mask turns and faces you. Imogen. Show them what you carry.
[54:46]
Ashley Johnson
I turn toward the Dawnfather and I let the fury of Predathos that feels like almost vertigo inside of me come to the surface for a moment. And all of my lightning flares very bright. And I look into his eyes so he can see.
[55:11]
Laura Bailey
For a brief, flickering moment, you see Imogen. But you see around her this immaterial shape of extending red and blue, a clouded concept of hunger and flesh and crystal. You see the protean image of what you've just battled in the core of Ruidus. And in that moment, all of the gods flare burning brightly. All the color of the chamber shifts and suddenly you are now engulfed in white light from all sides. As now the shapes that define them melt away. And instead you. You just see two dozen burning beings, not unlike the first visions that you had in the ruins of Aeor. You see how they were before they came here, brought and fearful. One of them speaks up. Well then, should we eat her? Is that how we stop it? Eat the eater? Another voices. I think not. I'm more interested in who goes first. Do we start to run now? After all, it's only the slowest that need to worry. Another voice peaks out from the opposite side. From the flashing of color and movement. Our children would not abandon us. If they wished us dead and gone. It would be unleashed already. Hear them out. All of them. As you feel their attention focus onto the matron. You see one of them shift and be like. Well, both of them. And you see the faintest dark spot beyond the shoulders of them. A flicker of darkness, that burning flame in one shape that looks like an eye before it flickers out of you. Tell them what you've seen. Bell's house. Tell them what you've done. And tell them what. What we can do to free us all.
[58:19]
Ashley Johnson
As you can see, I have Predathos contained. His power grows. But there is a little time I joined with him on Ruidus. There wasn't another choice. But when I was within his mind. If you can call it that I saw. I saw those of you that he had destroyed already. There were two. When I joined with him, I could sense all of you. And I felt that hunger. I feel it now. But everything else. Everything else disappeared. The mortals on Exandria, they were darkness. They didn't exist to Predathos. So we offer you a chance at survival. You mentioned running. That is something you can do. We won't stop you from doing what you want, obviously. But if you don't want to run, if you'd like to stay with your children, we offer you the chance to do what you did before, what we witnessed you doing before, which is to accept immortal form.
[60:33]
Laura Bailey
You feel this rumble strike through them, the one that roils and flashes like a storm. They hold us hostage. Our creations hold us hostage. Another voice in the back goes, ah, indeed. Perhaps we earned it in time. Another familiar voice goes, trust me, they're very good and very clever. But don't worry, I've had quite a few conversations with him. And the cleverer than you think. The matron goes, I have been working with them. And though you may view me from outside your kin, I do care about each and every one of you. Each and every one of you. As she turns her mask, you can see. She scans the various where you assume the heads would be, and they are in different places. 1. You can see its form writhing like a worm, multiple arms flickering and shifting. You see one with massive curled horns that burn back, a flame flickering on its shoulders as it flickers past you. Brayus. You feel this fire burning your chest as it nods.
[62:03]
Sam Riegel
Now I look like grog in the morning.
[62:09]
Laura Bailey
You see one whose hair seems to drift and extend endlessly and almost encircles the others, itself an extension of the horizon. You see one that looms behind a massive beast of shifting heads, of hooked toothed mouths, itself, the colors shifting as it glances. You have never felt more small and more powerful. The rites of Ascension have been reassembled, rewritten, reconfigured. We now weave the fabric of reality, concept and possibility into the rites of Katathiosis. All the gods kind of pause because.
[63:15]
Sam Riegel
They don't know what that word means.
[63:20]
Laura Bailey
Who's going to admit it? Who's going to admit it but the crawling one of the voices, soft but stern. So we return to mortal form. For some, for those who have been there, it's not so bad. But what of our realms if we're not here? The matron responds, should we die, our realms fade with us. Predathos, devouring Our essence, the souls of the claimed return to the Eidolon cycle, and we are no more. But if we bind ourselves to Katathiosis, we bind ourselves to exandria, as the Kryn bind themselves to their beloved luxon. Diminished perhaps, but no more than our isolation has imparted in our protective eternity. We will be loosening our grasp collectively on the order of this world and allow a balance not yet seen, perhaps one even greater. We shall be reborn to live amongst our children. Indeed, for some familiar journey, we will experience this world we've cultivated in ways that will enrich us, break us from out attachment, and perhaps even in time, break us of our eternal enmities. We will grow, live, love, hurt, and pass as our beautiful children always have. And with it be given more clarity in our purpose than we would have ever had otherwise.
[65:54]
Beau
Worm slips forward and looks at all of these massive beings of light. And if you're still not convinced, we caution you to look at this practically. We have Predathos contained for a moment, yes, but that moment will pass whether we want it or not. And someone far worse could be holding Predathos now. History is littered with mortals trying to ascend and pull you down from your place and take your thrones. But if any of you love this world and its children, as you claim to do, then walk amongst its people. Live with us. There will no longer be any need to tear the gods down from the sky. No wars between gods and mortals. Equilibrium.
[67:22]
Laura Bailey
Make either a persuasion check or a wisdom check.
[67:27]
Ashley Johnson
Can I give advantage on that? Since I did a lot of talking earlier and. And I didn't roll at all.
[67:32]
Laura Bailey
No, I'm have you roll here shortly because currently we are now engaged what is essentially a group skill check to convince the pantheon.
[67:40]
Liam O'Brien
How do I kick off initiative? It's okay, because this is what I've been waiting for.
[67:48]
Laura Bailey
So if any of you have any spells you want to utilize to improve your chances. If any of you will have some particular arguments, displays, reveals personal attributions you think might speak to their experience and the promise of a future. Now is the time, or forever hold your peace. Orym.
[68:10]
Beau
What did you roll? I want to see if I can make this go a little bit higher with something. Checking, checking, checking. No, those are for investigation. Nevermind. 22.
[68:24]
Laura Bailey
22. Okay. Another voice, wistful, playful, Speaks There will likely be unforeseen circumstances to the order of our world changing in this future of our boundaries, our presence. Maintain the veils that stood timeless in our wake. Some immutable Truths might wax and wane with our absences. But is this not a better risk than to embrace Oblivion entirely? Another voice goes, Oblivion. Will this free the chained Oblivion? The Matron. The Oblivion is not of our kin. And outside both this rite and the vision of Predathos, it shall remain sealed under our guardianship and those of our children. There's almost a collective sigh of relief amongst all the entities present. And another voice you see from a very honorable, powerful presence of almost a metallic light that shines dimmed in the presence of the Dawnfather, yes, but like the brightest of sunlight reflected off the smoothest shield mirror, its fanged draconid presence almost smile as it looks around. What of the Whispered One and his false ascension? As they all look around, that same flicker of shadow that you saw briefly appear before on the periphery, like the echoes of a voice behind us. All truths are mutable in time. All mysteries a problem to solve. The knowing mistress speaks up in response. Indeed. And in time we shall solve you once more. The shadow flickers out beyond the attention periphery.
[70:53]
Ashley Johnson
Just don't let him take immortal form. Radathos will take care of it.
[71:00]
Laura Bailey
The matron looks back to you. The rites take us. All who are present for the gate must fall for it to work. So those who wish not to be part of this, run. Those that do, we shatter the gate together and are reborn somewhere. Now make your persuasion check. From the basis of your discussion up.
[71:40]
Liam O'Brien
To this point, Cast your spells or whatever. I cast blindness on imagine.
[71:50]
Travis Willingham
No, no, no.
[71:51]
Ashley Johnson
Did I get advantage?
[71:52]
Beau
I'm standing next to you, so it's not a.
[71:59]
Laura Bailey
Jeez.
[72:00]
Ashley Johnson
Oh my God.
[72:01]
Travis Willingham
I'll do it twice.
[72:03]
Sam Riegel
It's amazing.
[72:04]
Travis Willingham
It just made my stomach drop.
[72:05]
Ashley Johnson
Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. 25, 25. Jesus.
[72:19]
Laura Bailey
The horned one seems to step forward a bit. With that massive, imposing, almost oppressive presence. Comes a heat with it, and you can hear the flickering flames of the endless hellcat as it speaks. To walk as them once was a travesty. To walk as a mortal forever is a curse. At least obliteration brings dignity. As he's having this conversation, a second conversation enters your mind. Breuse. You have done well, Doomseed. Follow the call of my other servants and find me again. The rewards for your service are unimaginable. For once we do, we find them and it's a race to punish them forever.
[73:29]
Sam Riegel
Can I respond?
[73:30]
Laura Bailey
If you'd like to.
[73:34]
Sam Riegel
Lord, might I suggest that fate is a strange thing? Fate brought me to you. It delivered me in my time. Of need. You gave me great counsel. You gave me great power and great opportunity. And I listened. And I used your weapons and your tools. I learned your lies. Might I suggest that this is an opportunity for you? Just as fate delivered me to you, I feel like it might have delivered me to these people. I've always sought a family. And I sought it in your Hells. But I found another Hells, and they're pretty cool. They're not pious. They're not believers. They're not devotees like you would expect. But I think that that's right. They represent Titans and Ashari and Fae and Ruidus Born and the wisdom of ages and the wisdom of death and the charisma of the wind. They're not godly people. Which is why I think they can be trusted. Like you, they've just been searching for something. Searching to reconnect with something. Someone. As I have a family. And I fear that if you run, you'll never get a chance again to reconnect with yours. You've given me great wisdom and advice. I guess my last prayer is that you would listen to ours and accept the offer and find your family again.
[76:43]
Laura Bailey
Make a persuasion check for me. Well done, my friend.
[76:47]
Liam O'Brien
Roll a one and die.
[76:48]
Matthew Mercer
I'm giving him Bardic inspiration.
[76:56]
Sam Riegel
I don't know what that is.
[76:57]
Liam O'Brien
I can't read it.
[76:59]
Matthew Mercer
11.
[77:02]
Laura Bailey
Not great.
[77:06]
Sam Riegel
27.
[77:15]
Laura Bailey
As this looming fiery entity that you can only sense to be the Lord of the Hells present seems to stalk between some of the flickering lights and colors. Of course they want us brought low, brought to their level. It snaps towards Breus. And as it does, you hear in your mind. Interesting point. Well, hold true to your faith. I'm not daunted or worried for you. Fractured faith is my specialty.
[78:08]
Sam Riegel
I'm sorry that I couldn't be truer to you. But when I promised you I would betray them, I. I guess I lied.
[78:37]
Laura Bailey
You all watch as the flames seem to grin. A low resonant chuckle emanates, reverberates outward as you hear in your mind. I'll find you.
[78:55]
Ashley Johnson
Did he go away or did he.
[78:56]
Laura Bailey
He just steps back with the rest of the train.
[78:58]
Ashley Johnson
Okay, okay, okay.
[78:59]
Laura Bailey
I like that.
[79:00]
Beau
We're just in a psychedelic miasma.
[79:04]
Marisha Ray
It's weird.
[79:05]
Taliesin Jaffe
Yelled at by geometry.
[79:06]
Laura Bailey
Yeah. Would anyone else wish to contribute perspective or points to this?
[79:15]
Marisha Ray
Lord Know a step up.
[79:19]
Laura Bailey
And so will I.
[79:23]
Marisha Ray
You speak first.
[79:28]
Laura Bailey
She listened to them and stuff. They're nice. That's all I got.
[79:39]
Marisha Ray
It is quite intelligent to weigh all of the risks. If you step down from where you've been ruling on high. Even if there are moments where you cannot be present, in between whatever this Kata Theosis demands of you, in those moments of oblivion between life and death, I think it's important to remember that just because you're not no longer on this realm of Exandria, it doesn't mean you're forgotten. I wasn't forgotten. It were these people that are standing next to me. It brought me back.
[80:47]
Ashley Johnson
Look at where you stand.
[80:49]
Marisha Ray
Look at this city. It is built in your image, in your honor. Thousands of people love you, worship you, all good and bad. It's the beautiful balance that we trifle with on a day to day basis. In those times where you may not be able to represent your domain, your pillars, you will have others. You have taught your children well. They will uphold your teachings. What you stand for, your moral proceedings. We've interacted with many of your champions in the time that we've been on this wild quest. Just because you're gods does not mean you're not afforded to lean on those around you. Lean on those that believe in you. Trust them. And this is coming from someone who has not worshipped a God before, but understands what it means to not be forgotten during those times where you were not present on this world.
[82:45]
Laura Bailey
Make a persuasion check for me.
[82:48]
Sam Riegel
Let's go.
[82:51]
Ashley Johnson
Better than we stand right next to her.
[82:53]
Beau
It's 30ft.
[82:56]
Marisha Ray
Are you next to me?
[82:57]
Laura Bailey
Yeah.
[82:57]
Marisha Ray
Do I get advantage?
[82:58]
Beau
No.
[82:58]
Marisha Ray
Only ones.
[83:00]
Beau
It only fixes ones.
[83:01]
Liam O'Brien
You can re roll anything.
[83:07]
Ashley Johnson
Damn.
[83:09]
Marisha Ray
It's a nine. It's not good.
[83:19]
Beau
Delilah. Busted out.
[83:23]
Laura Bailey
The light of one side of this surrounding council seems to crystallize into a lattice of metal and plate and hooks. A voice streaks through it like it's straining. I will not be forgotten. My children, yes, have been touched. But you do not have to be the one to show me you are adrift.
[83:55]
Marisha Ray
It sounds like we're agreeing. Okay, whatever.
[84:01]
Laura Bailey
Yes.
[84:03]
Liam O'Brien
I think it sounded better than it actually came out.
[84:05]
Marisha Ray
Did it to me?
[84:07]
Liam O'Brien
You kind of fumbled it.
[84:08]
Sam Riegel
Yeah, your jaw sort of unhinged during it. And you were drooling for most of it.
[84:14]
Marisha Ray
He reset it. Is this campaign over yet?
[84:22]
Taliesin Jaffe
The Crawling King is making a threat right now.
[84:28]
Laura Bailey
No, this one appears to be more the presence of the Strife Emperor. You see chains dangling and looks like. Like heavy flail. Like swinging bits of metal that protrude from an armored exterior. Some of us have left our impression long ago. We know we will not be forgotten. All will kneel in time.
[85:09]
Ashley Johnson
Yeah, yeah. Come back. As a king, you'll be great.
[85:13]
Laura Bailey
So the light and he's kind of like turn. He's always like that.
[85:22]
Travis Willingham
We're really not that bad. And I don't know if you can tell. I'm from the Fey Realm, okay? And the time that I've been here, I really have been able to accomplish so much. And I'm not even a God. I'm a professor. I'm a princess. Fey scion of the ancient flame. And most importantly, I'm a mother. But I sit between thrones and I get to whisper in the ears of all the so called gods and queens. And sometimes gods. But I think when we watch some of you take a mortal form.
[86:37]
Laura Bailey
And.
[86:38]
Travis Willingham
I look at the everlight. You fell in love. You had children. And I'm gonna look too. Asmodeus, do you know how much she loves you? I think you've all forgotten that you all are a family. And you all should get a choice to do what you want to do. Stay. And you will enjoy life here, I promise you. But if you don't, you better run for the rest of your life.
[87:35]
Laura Bailey
May persuasion check or an intimidation check. Your choice.
[87:39]
Travis Willingham
Oh, we're trying to intimidate. Let's see.
[87:43]
Liam O'Brien
Got this.
[87:52]
Travis Willingham
Okay. Where's my persuasion 25.
[87:59]
Laura Bailey
Okay.
[87:59]
Sam Riegel
It seems a little fair.
[88:01]
Travis Willingham
It is. It is it? But I mean it's God's.
[88:03]
Laura Bailey
It's.
[88:03]
Travis Willingham
I don't know.
[88:04]
Ashley Johnson
You make a good point though, Fern. Because your family, you've been together for so long, I think you've forgotten how much fun it is to meet someone. To meet someone new. Imagine the fun of trying to find each other. What a new experience after all these years hunted. If that's what you want to call it. Sure.
[88:44]
Travis Willingham
That's a fun game too.
[88:46]
Matthew Mercer
She's right though. Life can be fun. And Dorian's gonna reach into his pocket and. And he's going to grab out just a little set of dice that he's had with him since the very beginning.
[88:59]
Ashley Johnson
Some silly string.
[89:00]
Laura Bailey
Yeah, close.
[89:07]
Matthew Mercer
Not quite silly string, but he is going to do a little one handed flare like layover in front of the gods. And he's going to start to juggle his little dice. I didn't really get into dice until I was a little bit older. In taverns after shows. It's pretty fun. Do you know why it's fun? Oop. And he stumbles 1. Because you don't know what's going to happen. You've been gods for so long. Wouldn't it be nice not to know what comes next?
[89:47]
Marisha Ray
Lot of spikes and dice out of his hair.
[89:50]
Matthew Mercer
You get my point? And then he'll do a quick pirouette, pull out his flute and go doodly doo. Put it back in. And he's like, I have a chance to live a life. I've lived more life in the last few months than I ever thought I could. Life is fun. Certainly. Legacy is important. Family, responsibility, honor. But to live life by yourself for once instead of your followers.
[90:19]
Laura Bailey
To be free.
[90:19]
Ashley Johnson
That's beautiful.
[90:23]
Matthew Mercer
Well, I'll grab one of the ones I fumble. I'll throw it over my shoulder. We'll never know what that was. And that's okay.
[90:36]
Laura Bailey
Make persuasion or perform performance. Roll your choice. Close up. Magic always bewilders.
[90:42]
Ashley Johnson
Can I help him with advantage on that one.
[90:45]
Sam Riegel
Can I give him bardic inspiration?
[90:48]
Laura Bailey
I'll allow bardic inspiration, as in under the wire here with no number. Confirmed.
[90:53]
Matthew Mercer
What's the number?
[90:54]
Sam Riegel
I think I only give a six.
[90:55]
Laura Bailey
A six.
[90:56]
Matthew Mercer
I'll take it. I'll take everything I can get. That's great. 22.
[91:00]
Laura Bailey
Okay.
[91:00]
Ashley Johnson
Okay.
[91:01]
Liam O'Brien
That's good.
[91:01]
Marisha Ray
That's good.
[91:02]
Sam Riegel
It's been a lot inspiration.
[91:04]
Matthew Mercer
My last one too.
[91:05]
Sam Riegel
For you.
[91:08]
Laura Bailey
One of the figures that leans inward with a golden flare to it. See, it's really marvelous what they're capable of doing, if I'm going to be honest. I know you've all had your own businesses and you've own conflicts and such, but they're just constantly surprising us left and right. And I know we're all been getting tired. We've all just kind of been going through the motions. Why not mix it up? Why not? Why not write a new chapter together? Ay. As the archart's presence pulls back a bit. The multi headed beast entity. The dragon behemoth that hulks on one side. It's multiple heads, like seeming to only come in and encircle you. As it begins to curl inward. The matron cocks her head with a. Okay. Brilliant. They all seem to speak in unison. A chorus of five voices. And what if we just ate you now and ran?
[92:48]
Ashley Johnson
I don't think you could run fast enough.
[92:52]
Taliesin Jaffe
Five heads.
[92:53]
Laura Bailey
What's that like?
[92:56]
Taliesin Jaffe
Would you come back with five heads? Would you be something else?
[93:03]
Laura Bailey
I don't know.
[93:03]
Taliesin Jaffe
If you have a temple in Vasselheim, I certainly haven't seen it. Know what we call that city where I come from? We call it the Coward City. Cause all they did was act like your children and build themselves a tiny wall just like yours. You fucking coward. Why don't you come down here and Find out which of you is lying to yourselves about what you think of us and what you'd want to do. I've seen. Seen plenty of it. I have heard those intimate little conversations that a few of you had in aeor. Every fucking word. I don't believe you. You might believe. You put your money where your fucking mouth is. All fucking five of them.
[93:58]
Ashley Johnson
Yeah, baby.
[94:00]
Laura Bailey
Make an intimidation check or persuade? Persuasion check.
[94:04]
Taliesin Jaffe
I'm going to go. Persuasion since minus two.
[94:06]
Laura Bailey
Well, intimidation you can use. I know.
[94:08]
Taliesin Jaffe
If you want to.
[94:13]
Laura Bailey
24.
[94:14]
Matthew Mercer
Hey, good rolls.
[94:16]
Sam Riegel
Good rolls, Good rolls. Sorry, man.
[94:20]
Laura Bailey
The heads seem to encircle around. And as they grow close, you feel that burst of primordial strength from up inside. Something ancient and instinctual begins to brim and swell within. As the seams on your arm and on your various fractured self begin to glow a reddish hue in reaction to the proximity of this furious godly presence. The headstop. We'll find you first.
[95:00]
Taliesin Jaffe
I cannot wait.
[95:03]
Beau
You can kill us all here, no question. But if you do, you all be devoured on the spot. We're offering you a chance to write new chapters in your story. Otherwise you're just closing the book.
[95:24]
Laura Bailey
The palest one that seems to almost shimmer like a distant pearl lost amongst a bit of a dark blue horizon. Bless you.
[95:39]
Beau
Come on.
[95:41]
Laura Bailey
Jeez. The light of the moonweaver seems to extend from its form. You feel the lycanthrope urge, that pulse within you begin to swell a bit at the renewed presence. We all like to say that we are something beyond the animals we found here. But we all still work on instinct. We just have a higher opinion of our own. This one's been quite.
[96:43]
Liam O'Brien
Me.
[96:44]
Beau
I thought you were dead.
[96:48]
Laura Bailey
Oh, wow.
[96:49]
Liam O'Brien
This is real, right?
[96:51]
Marisha Ray
I'm not entirely sure.
[96:52]
Laura Bailey
Okay.
[96:53]
Liam O'Brien
I didn't know if I had, like, passed. And this was just the start of it. A grey at the gate sort of a thing. And everybody shows up that you've met in your life.
[97:00]
Marisha Ray
If you're dead, we're all dead together.
[97:02]
Taliesin Jaffe
We're all spicing.
[97:03]
Beau
Go to the light, Pop.
[97:04]
Marisha Ray
Come on.
[97:05]
Sam Riegel
To the light.
[97:06]
Liam O'Brien
It's funny. I've actually been looking for death in all of this. I've been doing this for a long time. 400 years. 4 hundo got the badge and everything. There is a lot of cowardice around here. I assume it's just fear from the unknown. The next great adventure, whatever that could be. You guys should be excited about this. It's a chance to really mix things up. We don't fear death. Well, I think some of us do. Only because, you know, the people that would be left behind would miss us. I would only miss them. And we had to face that fear. We came out on top. Imogen over here is about to change everything. But it really is simple. It's kind of a binary choice. You can live or you can run. And running is finite. It always catches up with you. But if you choose life, let's see you make it to 4hundo and break my record.
[98:28]
Laura Bailey
Make a persuasion check if you'd like.
[98:30]
Beau
Chat.
[98:30]
Liam O'Brien
I didn't want to say anything because my fucking.
[98:33]
Laura Bailey
My.
[98:33]
Liam O'Brien
They suck. They're both zeros.
[98:36]
Travis Willingham
Guidance, can you guide him? Guidance.
[98:37]
Ashley Johnson
Guidance. You can do that?
[98:39]
Travis Willingham
You can guide him?
[98:42]
Laura Bailey
It's a quick spell. You guys have everything at your disposal.
[98:47]
Travis Willingham
Which is really going to help.
[98:48]
Marisha Ray
It might help.
[98:49]
Liam O'Brien
I've played this game before.
[98:51]
Travis Willingham
Me too.
[98:53]
Liam O'Brien
Natural 6 gives me 20. It's a 9.
[98:59]
Marisha Ray
It feels good down here, doesn't it?
[99:01]
Ashley Johnson
It does.
[99:06]
Laura Bailey
As the various council of lights and colors seem to share various vibrations or tones. Conversation that's not meant for your mortal ears. It sounds like distant symphonies warming up. Discordant, but still beautiful. And you feel like your heads are being talked over a private conversation. You can just make out the briefest and dullest of murmurs through a dense wall as they all glance back down towards you. One of you gets to make the final conclusion remark.
[99:57]
Marisha Ray
Oh, my God.
[99:58]
Laura Bailey
This is your. So all of the previous checks are all modifying this final round.
[100:05]
Liam O'Brien
Roll farts are funny.
[100:09]
Ashley Johnson
Is this a persuasion room?
[100:11]
Laura Bailey
It's however you want to present this. If you have enhanceability or any spells that can give anyone an advantage on this one. Anything that can use. Now, what you got while you can.
[100:27]
Ashley Johnson
Persuasion. Mine's 17.
[100:29]
Sam Riegel
That's one better than mine.
[100:32]
Travis Willingham
And if I. I'm going to enhance ability on you.
[100:36]
Marisha Ray
Your persuasion is 17?
[100:37]
Ashley Johnson
Yeah. You're almost trying to give advantage to you guys.
[100:48]
Marisha Ray
I'll keep an illusion handy in case I want to soup up anyone's point with an imagery. I can do that.
[100:55]
Matthew Mercer
Mm, that's good.
[100:57]
Travis Willingham
I. Shit, I don't have any spell slots left. Wait, hang on. Okay, I do. I want to do enhanceability. I would like to cast enhanceability on Imogen. And that would be for charisma.
[101:13]
Ashley Johnson
Charisma.
[101:14]
Travis Willingham
It's like Bear, Eagle, Splendor.
[101:16]
Ashley Johnson
That gives advantage.
[101:18]
Travis Willingham
Yes.
[101:18]
Laura Bailey
Okay, you do have a spell slot for that.
[101:20]
Travis Willingham
I do.
[101:21]
Laura Bailey
Okay.
[101:21]
Travis Willingham
I do have one. Second level spell slot.
[101:25]
Marisha Ray
Amazing.
[101:25]
Travis Willingham
That's literally all I have left.
[101:27]
Ashley Johnson
Yeah.
[101:29]
Taliesin Jaffe
It's been a long day.
[101:30]
Ashley Johnson
Okay. Maybe.
[101:32]
Marisha Ray
Go.
[101:33]
Ashley Johnson
Okay.
[101:33]
Laura Bailey
The matron now swells back up to her primary size, but as she does so, she lifts you all up with her, like you're all being carried within a body of water that doesn't have any sort of density or material to it. As you all drift within her, you now find yourselves drifting what would be at eye level without eyes. You are peering into the focal consciousness of the great gods of Exandria and what you can make of them. They all are on the cusp of a decision.
[102:09]
Ashley Johnson
So much light, so much power. Must be a hard decision to run away or to survive. Whatever you choose, you should make a decision quickly. Cause I'm getting hungry.
[102:41]
Marisha Ray
I don't know what kind of imagery could support that.
[102:45]
Matthew Mercer
It's a big floating middle finger.
[102:48]
Laura Bailey
The matron's voice.
[102:50]
Ashley Johnson
Maybe you can make Predathos look like it's.
[102:53]
Marisha Ray
So I'm gonna cast a minor illusion, and the image that we fought of Predathos with the spiked head and the Reilorian kind of face starts to almost emanate. It's this visage that starts to arise around Imogen, its power beginning to manifest.
[103:11]
Laura Bailey
The matron's voice brims beneath Imogen's as the visual of this expanding Predathos. And Your point begins to disseminate amongst the now shifting and quaking light. Imagin's voice says, join us or join the annihilation that took your precious Tengar. Go ahead and make your persuasion roll. So the DC on this is a 30. A 30? Yeah. Skull witch, for every point below 30, a member of the pantheon does not join in the ritual.
[103:50]
Ashley Johnson
Oh, jeez.
[103:51]
Liam O'Brien
Say it again. Say it again. For every number below 30, for every.
[103:55]
Laura Bailey
Point below 30, a member of the pantheon will not partake in the ritual. I love it.
[104:02]
Marisha Ray
Okay, well, hang on.
[104:03]
Laura Bailey
I love it.
[104:04]
Marisha Ray
There's 14.
[104:07]
Ashley Johnson
I can't get. I can't get below. Unless I roll one, which I can't get.
[104:11]
Laura Bailey
A one you can get. There are 20 members of the pantheon.
[104:15]
Marisha Ray
20? Okay, 12 primes.
[104:16]
Liam O'Brien
A couple of them are bitches.
[104:17]
Beau
But it could just be one. Like, if you roll a two plus.
[104:20]
Ashley Johnson
Your 17, then there's 18. Yeah. So a lot of them would.
[104:25]
Beau
All but one or two.
[104:26]
Ashley Johnson
A couple. Okay, so we'll see, we'll see, we'll see.
[104:29]
Laura Bailey
30.
[104:29]
Travis Willingham
It's a 30.
[104:31]
Sam Riegel
So she's got to roll a 13 to get all of them.
[104:34]
Liam O'Brien
We should funnel our energy into you with a little light chaos right now.
[104:38]
Laura Bailey
Yeah, while you're doubling.
[104:39]
Liam O'Brien
While you're doubling. The dice. This is just a.
[104:42]
Travis Willingham
This is the pantheon and I'm going double.
[104:45]
Sam Riegel
This is. This is a critical role.
[104:48]
Laura Bailey
Are they both.
[104:48]
Ashley Johnson
They're both.
[104:52]
Laura Bailey
Doing the table do on the table.
[104:55]
Travis Willingham
Come on.
[104:56]
Laura Bailey
Oh my God. No. No way. Let's get shot.
[105:27]
Ashley Johnson
Oh my God.
[105:29]
Laura Bailey
What was the other dice?
[105:30]
Marisha Ray
Three.
[105:33]
Matthew Mercer
Amazing.
[105:34]
Laura Bailey
So wait, that's a 40.
[105:36]
Travis Willingham
No, that's a.
[105:37]
Ashley Johnson
A 47. No, you. No, a 37.
[105:40]
Travis Willingham
37.
[105:41]
Marisha Ray
37.
[105:41]
Laura Bailey
Three.
[105:42]
Ashley Johnson
No, no, that's a three. That doesn't add to it.
[105:44]
Laura Bailey
Quick, make up seven more guys.
[105:45]
Ashley Johnson
No, this is an advance. Doing like 37. 37.
[105:51]
Travis Willingham
Oh my God.
[105:53]
Sam Riegel
That means we get seven new members.
[105:57]
Laura Bailey
Most of us become gods.
[105:59]
Beau
Who's staying?
[105:59]
Laura Bailey
Who's staying back?
[106:03]
Marisha Ray
Two lost, Scott.
[106:04]
Beau
Yeah, the two L Scots are like, member me?
[106:07]
Travis Willingham
I have goo.
[106:08]
Laura Bailey
Don't know how that happens.
[106:12]
Liam O'Brien
I'm glad we got it on video.
[106:13]
Sam Riegel
Cuz otherwise no one would ever have known.
[106:16]
Matthew Mercer
I got it. Not at all.
[106:19]
Laura Bailey
Holy. That symphony of tones.
[106:24]
Travis Willingham
You want to watch it again right now?
[106:25]
Marisha Ray
Immediately reliving the moment.
[106:27]
Beau
Oh my gosh.
[106:28]
Laura Bailey
The symphony of tones and endless heavenly and demonic music that swirls amongst this council of ancient powers begins to crescendo in ways you don't understand. Until eventually the shadow of the matron fills your perception. Darkness consumes you, and the sense of warmth fades to cold on your cheeks. And then suddenly you blink and your eyes are back in Vasselheim. Everyone looks around you expectantly. Everyone looks up. The sound of a cracking glacier, magnified a million times, echoes across the sky as it looks like the very air above cracks. Golden spidering breaks begin to carve out of nothing as you see the flicker of countless arcane divine magical equations. A flash of the divine gate itself beginning to crumble. Everyone is still in this city and silent. It echoes off in all directions. The clouds are scattered off. And now the cloud clear blue sky itself. An endless kaleidoscope. A kaleidoscope of crackling gold before it all dissipates at once. And in that moment, you hear rumbles, you hear the shifting of mountains. And everyone at once knows the gods again walk exandria. With that, the wind picks up, and not ephemeral, but physical. The blackened feathered cloak of the matron reaches out of the ground and climbs her way physically on this plane for the first time. Everyone taken aback by this. The mask peers over the crowd and her voice rings out, present cold, but hopeful. The ritual requires one more piece. She looks over towards the direction of the queen. I need your artifact. The Dynasty all looks about. Each Other. And the Bright Queen says we do not take into your. We cannot allow such a relic into the hands of yor. We do not understand. What is this for? Y'all look amongst each other. You can see the matron's extended arm, the fingers awaiting. Then if not you, who can take it?
[110:26]
Ashley Johnson
Wait. What?
[110:29]
Laura Bailey
If I'm to bind my family with this ritual, I need a beacon to complete the binding.
[110:40]
Travis Willingham
We have a beacon.
[110:40]
Sam Riegel
Well, I do. We don't have a beacon.
[110:43]
Marisha Ray
Oh, Grog has a beacon. Oh, Vox machina does. In their bag of holding.
[110:49]
Sam Riegel
I don't think we know that.
[110:50]
Marisha Ray
We don't know that.
[110:52]
Laura Bailey
I'll do it.
[110:53]
Marisha Ray
I don't know.
[110:54]
Ashley Johnson
Wait, are you.
[110:56]
Beau
Yeah.
[110:57]
Ashley Johnson
Oh, yes.
[110:59]
Laura Bailey
Oh, shit.
[111:03]
Ashley Johnson
Wait. Ashton.
[111:07]
Laura Bailey
It's all right.
[111:09]
Beau
Feels good.
[111:10]
Sam Riegel
What will it do to them?
[111:14]
Liam O'Brien
Wait, wait, wait. You're gonna start being spoilers. Selfless now.
[111:21]
Laura Bailey
Oh.
[111:24]
Taliesin Jaffe
I go over and I give Chetney a very uncomfortable hug and I make it hurt. I love you, old man. And you've never understood me. And I'm going to walk forward.
[111:38]
Laura Bailey
Well.
[111:38]
Travis Willingham
Wait, wait, wait. What is.
[111:41]
Laura Bailey
The matron's arms begin to curl around. And as she does, you watch soldiers get pushed back by some unseen force as the very ground itself, the center of the city, this open pathway was once this circular courtyard that sits at the base of the mountain, suddenly begins to alight with all manner of runes. You watch as she moves her fingers about. The inside of the mask's dark eyes begin to glow that same silver glow. She's in the process of writing this equation that in itself is a fractal within a fractal. It is an endless pattern that looks like long, thick runic bands built of smaller runes that are built of smaller runes that are built of smaller runes. And as she carves it out into space, this is but a sketch. As you look up into the sky and notice that it is mirrored on an impossible scale amongst where the divine gate once stood. Without even turning, she just extends her hand towards you.
[112:36]
Taliesin Jaffe
I walk forward and I offer my left hand.
[112:39]
Laura Bailey
She takes your hand and lifts you off your feet, places both of her hands around you. Almost like you are the core of a prayer position.
[112:51]
Beau
Ashton, this is good.
[112:55]
Ashley Johnson
You're good.
[112:55]
Taliesin Jaffe
This is why I'm here.
[112:57]
Ashley Johnson
You're a good person, Ashton.
[112:59]
Laura Bailey
I know.
[113:01]
Taliesin Jaffe
I am. I know I was looking for way too long. I am Ashton Greymoore of Bassuras and I am nobody's child. Not the gods, not anybody.
[113:18]
Laura Bailey
Let's go for it.
[113:20]
Travis Willingham
Wait, wait. I'm just gonna run over really quick. And give him a hug. You're so wonderful and I'm very proud of you.
[113:33]
Taliesin Jaffe
This has been the best time of my life.
[113:36]
Travis Willingham
Me too.
[113:37]
Sam Riegel
And.
[113:40]
Laura Bailey
We'Ll see how it goes.
[113:41]
Sam Riegel
I'll try and visit.
[113:43]
Ashley Johnson
Okay?
[113:46]
Beau
I love you.
[113:47]
Taliesin Jaffe
And I love you all very much. Fuck, now I'm embarrassed. Let's just get this over with, all right?
[113:55]
Ashley Johnson
We love you.
[114:00]
Taliesin Jaffe
That's all I needed.
[114:02]
Liam O'Brien
Go get him.
[114:05]
Laura Bailey
As you're nodding, the rest of you notice the runes are extending across his body and starting to weave up. And all seem to extend like endless circuit board curvatures and knots, Gordian and extending endless around all piercing into it seems, the exterior where the exposed oddity that resides within his head crystal. Before the matron jettisons him at an incredible speed up into the air, nearly breaking the sound barrier. You see atmosphere burning off the sides as he's sent higher than you could ever conceive in but a matter of moments before he gets almost caught up in the spiderweb network of this ritual. You can only see the smallest of flint spark of where he sits up there. You see on the horizon a flash of the Dawnfather's starry head stepping through the landscape towards the city. You see the burning flame names of the infernal armies returned from the strike on the Malleus Key. Once an apocalyptic sight, now a mystery and a fear. Distant black clouds on one horizon roil and flash with anger, another with pure spite. All of the emotional elements of the this world converge at this moment. And here the matron removes her mask when she looks upon you all it is just a pale absence of expression. And she looks at it will return. She places it back on, holds her hands out. And you hear that odd chorus of discordant harmonic music again as the entirety of your horizon view gets brighter and brighter and brighter. You almost can hear war horns in the distance. You can hear the cracking and sundering of something far off. It's almost like in one moment you can feel every war, every conflict that has echoed through the history of Exandria itself, brimming and about to strike at once. Time, presence, matter, philosophy, concept, existence, all seems to almost fold into one moment. As in the core of this equation, this old forbidden fractured right made new, made strange, made hopeful. There is a flash of gray, a flash of Gramor Champion. And in a blink, it's all gone. She's gone. The storm's gone. The rumbling's gone. The lattice is gone. Just the blue sky above.
[118:01]
Beau
With worm's passive perception. Our friend is gone.
[118:06]
Laura Bailey
Make a perception check.
[118:16]
Beau
18 18.
[118:22]
Laura Bailey
There is an intense, a held moment where all breaths are still clutched in the chest of everyone present in the city, likely everybody in this world. Those who did not know what was even happening feel a change, a shift stronger than that of the snapping back of the magical ley lines that themselves were on the cusp of untethering and tearing apart. Twice in oh so short time, the magic of this world has been rewritten. But as that collective exhale is happening, you see just the faintest dark shape as the limp form of your friend Ashton plummets from an impossible height.
[119:17]
Beau
I point him out. He's there.
[119:22]
Laura Bailey
I got him.
[119:23]
Liam O'Brien
I got him.
[119:24]
Ashley Johnson
Oh my God.
[119:24]
Travis Willingham
I have nothing.
[119:25]
Marisha Ray
As soon as he's in range.
[119:26]
Laura Bailey
Let me see.
[119:27]
Matthew Mercer
How long have we been gone?
[119:30]
Ashley Johnson
Not long enough from the last fight. How long? We haven't had a short rest.
[119:34]
Matthew Mercer
No, but I mean, how long? Do we know how long it's been time wise?
[119:37]
Laura Bailey
Oh, it's been a number of hours.
[119:38]
Matthew Mercer
A number of hours?
[119:39]
Laura Bailey
Yeah.
[119:40]
Matthew Mercer
Okay, he's barely alive, but I've still got Coriola.
[119:44]
Laura Bailey
Coriolis.
[119:46]
Matthew Mercer
Can I. I'm just going to. I'm going to direct him up into the sky to try to fly up.
[119:50]
Laura Bailey
To try to catch him. All right?
[119:52]
Travis Willingham
Amazing, Amazing.
[119:53]
Laura Bailey
So do you leap onto Coriolis to guide him?
[119:54]
Matthew Mercer
No, I'm just sending.
[119:56]
Laura Bailey
Sending him. All right. I got somebody gliding up in the air as fast as it can. You watch as Dorian's conjured steed rockets up into the pale blue endless expanse. Go ahead and make a dexterity saving throw for Coriolis, please.
[120:23]
Matthew Mercer
With his stats.
[120:24]
Laura Bailey
With his stats.
[120:26]
Matthew Mercer
Okay.
[120:26]
Liam O'Brien
Come on. Dragon ball.
[120:29]
Laura Bailey
Solid.
[120:30]
Sam Riegel
What is it?
[120:31]
Matthew Mercer
Unbelievable, man. 5.
[120:35]
Laura Bailey
Coriolis heads upward and attempts to snag and scoop up Ashton, but with a slight unfortunate calculation in speed. Instead you watch Coriolis get smacked and knock off his axis and spins out as Ashton. Now spins twice as fast as.
[120:53]
Ashley Johnson
Now I invoke a sorcery point and start flying in the air.
[120:59]
Marisha Ray
Take me with you.
[121:00]
Ashley Johnson
Okay.
[121:01]
Marisha Ray
Can I?
[121:01]
Ashley Johnson
Yeah. I'll grab Laudna and fly up to try to reach Ashton as he's coming down. You've got him, Laudna.
[121:09]
Marisha Ray
As soon as we're close, I'm going to try and. It's my last spell, Featherfall. But I know it's going to be about timing.
[121:22]
Laura Bailey
It will be. Okay, so given the trajectory, pacing here in the winds, picking him up, since you are flying, it's going to be. I'm going to need you to go ahead and just roll and Add your dexterity modifier.
[121:39]
Ashley Johnson
Oh, God, I'm such a bad.
[121:41]
Laura Bailey
Okay, you're just trying to beat a 12.
[121:45]
Ashley Johnson
Okay, trying to beat a 12.
[121:49]
Laura Bailey
That's good. That's good, right?
[121:51]
Ashley Johnson
It is 11.
[121:55]
Laura Bailey
As you go flying as best as you can, the trajectory of his plummeting and the upper streams of air that have been battering him as he plummets have sent him off course as fast as you can fly. You try and meet before you realize you're now trying to catch up with him, but he's falling faster than you're flying.
[122:18]
Ashley Johnson
Wait.
[122:23]
Matthew Mercer
How far is he from the. I mean, how far is he from the ground?
[122:25]
Ashley Johnson
You double the distance of your spell. And again, do you still have any Sorcerer points?
[122:29]
Liam O'Brien
I'm just playing outfielder.
[122:31]
Travis Willingham
Splattery.
[122:32]
Liam O'Brien
Now's the time I'll gladly take. Come on, Ashton, you.
[122:36]
Laura Bailey
He is very off target, so you're gonna have to try and rush off to that. That needs to be a wolf.
[122:42]
Marisha Ray
Hang on, let me think, let me think. My instinct is for you to drop me if you can get. My instinct is for you, but how.
[122:51]
Ashley Johnson
Close are we to him? I mean, like.
[122:54]
Laura Bailey
I mean, you basically tried to head him off, and then you got there.
[122:57]
Ashley Johnson
A little bit too early, and he's going down.
[122:59]
Laura Bailey
Now you're trying to chase him downward.
[123:02]
Ashley Johnson
But you wouldn't fall faster than he would fall than. I could fly down.
[123:05]
Matthew Mercer
When I see them miss. When I see them miss, I know I'm far away. I'm just gonna keep kick on my wing boots and try to go as quickly as I can toward him as a backup.
[123:13]
Marisha Ray
Terminal velocity.
[123:16]
Ashley Johnson
All right, I'll drop laudna. I let go 100 miles an hour.
[123:20]
Laura Bailey
Okay, you are both plummeting at a comparable speed. Unless you have a way of increasing that.
[123:26]
Marisha Ray
Try and go Halo drop style. Because he's unconscious, right?
[123:31]
Ashley Johnson
So he's going like this.
[123:33]
Laura Bailey
He is, but he's also a very dense figure compared to the flailing waif of a Reed that you are.
[123:41]
Travis Willingham
Okay, so I have.
[123:42]
Marisha Ray
Once you get there.
[123:45]
Travis Willingham
I thought I used both of my wild shapes, but I still have one open.
[123:51]
Laura Bailey
Hang on.
[123:51]
Travis Willingham
Let me ask Danny and see if she.
[123:53]
Laura Bailey
I feel like I used him both. You were trying to.
[123:56]
Liam O'Brien
I'm trying to run under him, but not to catch him. Just as a last minute.
[124:03]
Sam Riegel
You just want to see him die.
[124:06]
Laura Bailey
Just wants to be there. Watch it. So.
[124:09]
Liam O'Brien
But as I'm running, I. I'll. I'll take out the Staff of Dark Odyssey. Okay, but I. I got a long way to go. I could kind of see him. And these fucking legs are tiny.
[124:20]
Laura Bailey
He's ways off. Do you have any way of increasing your movement speed?
[124:23]
Liam O'Brien
I have. I do have my boots of speed, which is a bonus action as that's still up. Boots of speed? Yeah. It's just a bonus action. So I can total of 10 minutes. I only use them during combat, so.
[124:37]
Laura Bailey
I should have another that doubles your movement speed.
[124:40]
Liam O'Brien
It does. So it's 80ft instead of 40.
[124:43]
Laura Bailey
That is a faster fly speed. So with that, it'll only be for.
[124:49]
Liam O'Brien
Six minutes, I think.
[124:50]
Laura Bailey
Oh, he'll impact before then. Okay.
[124:53]
Liam O'Brien
I don't know how far off.
[124:54]
Laura Bailey
So you are basically running as fast as you can, weaving through the crowd. And that's the biggest challenge here, is pushing through the crowd. Because the city is dense right now and the wind has picked him off. Heading eastward. With the wind off to the eastern side of the heaven Stairs, you're having to carve through the crowd. Could you make an athletics check for me to see if you can manage to push through the crowd? I'd say athletics or acrobatics, your choice to try and slip through untethered, to even try and get beneath him or somewhat within the radius of him falling.
[125:26]
Liam O'Brien
Natural 20.
[125:29]
Laura Bailey
It is.
[125:30]
Liam O'Brien
It is, dude.
[125:33]
Laura Bailey
Fuck, yeah.
[125:34]
Travis Willingham
Okay. Okay. I have a wild shape.
[125:37]
Laura Bailey
Do you?
[125:37]
Travis Willingham
Yes. So I am going to shoebill.
[125:44]
Laura Bailey
And.
[125:45]
Marisha Ray
Just try to triangulate here. We're gonna try and triangulate.
[125:50]
Laura Bailey
Okay. What's your fly speed of your shoe bill.
[125:54]
Travis Willingham
Standby?
[125:55]
Liam O'Brien
What's a shoe bill sound like? Wow.
[126:04]
Travis Willingham
Using giant eagle standby. What did you just ask me?
[126:12]
Laura Bailey
What was the fly speed?
[126:13]
Travis Willingham
Flying speed. I'm so sorry. My brain is so scared right now. 80ft.
[126:17]
Laura Bailey
80Ft. Okay. And yours was 60ft, right?
[126:21]
Ashley Johnson
A fly? I think so, yeah.
[126:22]
Laura Bailey
So you are a little bit faster, and you're about the same speed as Chetney. So if both of you take off at the same speed, you can try and get there as quickly. He was dealing with the challenge of the group. You were dealing with the challenge of the winds.
[126:33]
Beau
Does it change if Orym and leaps onto the shoebill's back, does the flying speed change at all?
[126:39]
Laura Bailey
Not at Orym's side. Okay.
[126:41]
Beau
So he's riding along.
[126:42]
Laura Bailey
Okay. Extra set of hands.
[126:43]
Beau
Yeah.
[126:44]
Laura Bailey
All right. So as you take off with Orym on your back, the wind's buffeting you. As you get over the hills, that cold wind is still blowing through. Especially with the blast out of the clouds clearing the sky, There's a vacuum that filled there, and now it still seems like there's an equilibrium of pressure that's starting to cause this sudden gust. So I need you in your shoe bill for form to make an athletics or acrobatics check, which would be either a strength or dex check.
[127:09]
Beau
Can Orym assist by constantly using the gust cantrip for this entire flight to try to help stabilize against the wind that's buffeting her?
[127:18]
Laura Bailey
Sure. Add a plus one to that roll.
[127:20]
Beau
Okay.
[127:20]
Laura Bailey
Because it's a gust cantrip against massive readjusting winds, I give you a minor bonus.
[127:25]
Travis Willingham
You said strength or dex.
[127:27]
Laura Bailey
Yeah. Come on.
[127:29]
Ashley Johnson
On. You.
[127:31]
Laura Bailey
Shut.
[127:32]
Travis Willingham
It's a natural 20.
[127:36]
Laura Bailey
Oh, my God. You guys saving them all like they're right here at the end of the campaign.
[127:40]
Sam Riegel
I'll take a picture.
[127:43]
Marisha Ray
Oh, God.
[127:44]
Laura Bailey
Oh, my God.
[127:45]
Travis Willingham
I almost didn't roll that one, too. I almost rolled a janky one just for fun. I'm so glad I didn't.
[127:50]
Taliesin Jaffe
For me.
[127:51]
Travis Willingham
Okay, okay. No, I know, I know, I know, I know. Oh, my God.
[127:55]
Laura Bailey
Describe to me how the two of you triangulate and stop the death plummet of your unconscious friend. What are you doing?
[128:06]
Travis Willingham
Okay. Flying with Orym on my back, and I just really get a good wind gust, and it's. I'm going a little crazy, but then all of a. All of a sudden, I just get a really good glide, and I'm like, I know. I got it, I know I got it. I got him. I got him. I'm just on the right path. I feel it.
[128:31]
Ashley Johnson
Are you gonna try to grab onto his belt or get him?
[128:33]
Travis Willingham
I think I'm gonna try with my talons to try to just grab him.
[128:37]
Laura Bailey
Okay. He's still moving fast. And you don't think you're gonna be able to intercept him? Just barely. Probably missing, but you're getting close. Okay, what are you working on?
[128:46]
Liam O'Brien
I'm playing the greatest game of 500 ever, where I'm just running, tracking this thing, fucking coming as fast as I can. And the staff is out, and if he comes, if he breaks, like, 100ft, I'm gonna aim the staff at him and hold one spell. The only thing I have slots left for, which is banishment. So I'm just. I'm just doing this.
[129:13]
Laura Bailey
Okay, so I'm still falling, trying to.
[129:17]
Liam O'Brien
Get within 60ft of.
[129:19]
Laura Bailey
Correct.
[129:19]
Marisha Ray
And I also have to be within 60ft for feather fall. So I guess whatever happens.
[129:23]
Laura Bailey
Exactly.
[129:24]
Travis Willingham
But I'm also trying to get streamlined.
[129:26]
Laura Bailey
Right. No, understood. So, Laudna, you are trying to keep up with him, but you are both falling at practically the same rate. Unless you have some way to try and propel yourself forward. You're both at terminal velocity, essentially.
[129:37]
Matthew Mercer
I guess my movement's would be half of yours. So I'm half the distance behind you. I'm way behind. But I'm there.
[129:43]
Laura Bailey
So you're working on. Everyone's pushing away their brace. You're just watching from a distance.
[129:47]
Sam Riegel
Now is our time, Asmodeus. We can betray them now.
[129:54]
Laura Bailey
Weirdly, no response.
[129:55]
Sam Riegel
I'm furiously painting this.
[129:59]
Laura Bailey
Wow.
[129:59]
Sam Riegel
This is great.
[130:03]
Laura Bailey
So you are not able. Able to get to him in time to grab him. Orym, you are.
[130:11]
Beau
Going to hang off.
[130:12]
Laura Bailey
You're going to try and do what?
[130:14]
Beau
Well, I think I've already used.
[130:16]
Laura Bailey
You've used your seedling. That's gone.
[130:22]
Travis Willingham
Can I hold him in my beak? My talons.
[130:26]
Beau
How close. How close are we to him? And how close are we to them? And how close are we to the ground?
[130:34]
Laura Bailey
You're both colliding here. There will be a moment where basically you would just pass overhead. You could try and make a grab for it. But you're not going to be able to fully intercept or catch him. It's all down to the wire at this point.
[130:47]
Travis Willingham
Okay.
[130:48]
Sam Riegel
There's one thing I can do. There's one thing I can do. If I was hoofing it over there, I only have one spell. Break his fall, paint him and riposte. I was gonna. I could do plant growth to try to make a little cushion for it.
[131:07]
Laura Bailey
What's your movement speed?
[131:08]
Sam Riegel
My movement speed is only 30, but plant growth I can cast 150ft away from me.
[131:14]
Laura Bailey
All right. I think the speed that they have to travel because they're double moving at 80ft fly speed over a number of rounds to even catch a with him as he's falling. I don't think you'd be able to get enough distance to cast the spell in time.
[131:27]
Sam Riegel
Then I'll just slowly walk over there.
[131:30]
Laura Bailey
Okay. While working on your painting.
[131:31]
Marisha Ray
While I'm painting, can I gauge roughly how far away I am from Ashton right now as we're falling?
[131:36]
Laura Bailey
Probably about 100 or so feet.
[131:38]
Ashley Johnson
If I had fastball specialed her though, like flown down and then chucked her.
[131:42]
Travis Willingham
Instead of just letting her go.
[131:44]
Marisha Ray
I've got to pass it.
[131:45]
Liam O'Brien
Throw the love.
[131:45]
Marisha Ray
I've got a pitch girlfriend.
[131:47]
Laura Bailey
Sad.
[131:48]
Marisha Ray
You can tell me if you will allow this. One spell left. I'm saving for Featherfall. I've got two sorcery points.
[131:56]
Sam Riegel
Yeah, you've got Dilava.
[131:59]
Marisha Ray
I don't have dilava.
[132:00]
Sam Riegel
You don't? She's Just gone.
[132:01]
Marisha Ray
Well, she's not like active.
[132:04]
Sam Riegel
Can you make her active?
[132:05]
Marisha Ray
And do what?
[132:06]
Sam Riegel
I don't know, use her.
[132:07]
Marisha Ray
All right, well, kind of can go on. This is warlock shit. Got two sorcery points left that I can cash in for for a second level spell and do darkness. This is what I wanted to do the other day. 60ft ahead of me. And then use my shadow step now to step into darkness.
[132:25]
Laura Bailey
No, it's not going to work, is it?
[132:28]
Sam Riegel
Very clever.
[132:30]
Laura Bailey
Try it.
[132:31]
Sam Riegel
Very clever.
[132:34]
Liam O'Brien
What's the reading on shadow step?
[132:35]
Marisha Ray
You got to be in shadow to jump to another shadow or like in darkness and jump to. To darkness.
[132:41]
Laura Bailey
I don't know how.
[132:42]
Ashley Johnson
What would you be able to do? Jump to underneath Ashton's incoming shadow as he's falling or you just want to.
[132:48]
Liam O'Brien
Jump to the darkness?
[132:50]
Laura Bailey
You can jump into darkness. You have no shadow to jump into from where you are currently.
[132:53]
Marisha Ray
You can cast darkness, but you can.
[132:54]
Laura Bailey
Cast darkness and enter that shadow. What shadow would you emerge from?
[132:58]
Marisha Ray
Could I emerge from under Ashton? That would be sick.
[133:01]
Liam O'Brien
It'll be small until it gets closer.
[133:05]
Laura Bailey
You can certainly try. Try.
[133:07]
Marisha Ray
This is it. This is all.
[133:08]
Travis Willingham
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[133:09]
Sam Riegel
Easy move.
[133:10]
Laura Bailey
Do it.
[133:11]
Marisha Ray
So something is sort of failing, right?
[133:14]
Laura Bailey
So here's what I want to happen. I want one of the two of you to go ahead and roll an athletics check to try and grab Ashton. The other one giving the other advantage.
[133:27]
Travis Willingham
You do it. My athletics is.
[133:29]
Marisha Ray
Yeah.
[133:31]
Laura Bailey
I need you Chetney to go ahead and roll a dexterity check to try and properly time and aim this spell to catch him possibly before the impact.
[133:46]
Liam O'Brien
I'm going to roll my dunamis die.
[133:47]
Laura Bailey
Just for Ashton and Lauda. I need you to roll a D20 and add your spell modifier to see if you can manage in the last few moments before impact to cast darkness stumble into it and immediately attempt to momentarily conjure a dark enough spot against the fading light on Ashton's plummeting body to crawl out of him.
[134:09]
Marisha Ray
How many of us need to succeed?
[134:10]
Laura Bailey
One or all?
[134:11]
Liam O'Brien
Is it a saving throw or just regular?
[134:13]
Ashley Johnson
Maybe like hedging our vets if one fails and you pop underneath. So it's double whammy's here.
[134:21]
Marisha Ray
I've got feather fall. I just have to be. That's good. I'm going to use my bow die because it never failed me. It's okay.
[134:31]
Ashley Johnson
That was danger.
[134:33]
Travis Willingham
That was dangerous. To say something like that as you roll it.
[134:35]
Sam Riegel
That's too stressful.
[134:36]
Liam O'Brien
That could have been a goldish moment.
[134:38]
Marisha Ray
That is true. 1919.
[134:40]
Beau
I'm going to Spring from Shoebill's wing down towards her talons and whisper, diana Mora, your granddaughter and I need you.
[134:51]
Ashley Johnson
Yes.
[134:54]
Beau
Dirty 20.
[134:55]
Laura Bailey
Dirty 20. Okay. Did you roll something?
[134:59]
Ashley Johnson
What'd you roll?
[135:01]
Liam O'Brien
21.
[135:01]
Ashley Johnson
Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay.
[135:03]
Laura Bailey
So you reach out and catch the edge of his boot loop as he's plummeting. Grab and the strap breaks. Just barely breaks under your grasp as he plummets out of your grasp. And the DC was 20. As it breaks and he tumbles you.
[135:29]
Beau
Does not meets it beats.
[135:30]
Laura Bailey
It was a 20 total.
[135:32]
Beau
20 on 20.
[135:33]
Laura Bailey
You're right. You're right. So 20 was it. Okay, so the order of this would be you. You cast the darkness. Sorry. Flashback to attacking the darkness. You cast darkness and vanish into it. An attempt to pull from the shadow of Ashen's body as it's turning end over end. As you begin to emerge from the back of his shadow, his body spins and the light casts the shadow from from that side of him. And you instead emerge once more from the space of darkness where you were. The spell itself called back and you are now plummeting him out of range. You go ahead and concentrate and get the banishment spell. You manage to grab Ashton. The boot snaps. You dive harder in. And as you do, you spin. This is interesting. You spin seedling around, grabbing it by the vines on its hilt and then using the handle of it to try and hook the inside of his jacket. It just catches him and strains your body as you just barely hold on with Vern, trying to pull up as hard as you can. You feel both shoulders pop from their sockets.
[136:56]
Ashley Johnson
Your Captain America moment. Except instead of the helicopter is just a person.
[137:00]
Laura Bailey
Yeah.
[137:04]
Marisha Ray
It'S a heavy person.
[137:05]
Travis Willingham
He's made of rocks. Yeah.
[137:09]
Laura Bailey
And as you pick him, the momentum of the fall and the density of Ashton still pulls you and Ashley down a little bit, slowing his fall. Which allows Chetney just enough time to properly aim and scatter Ashton out of.
[137:27]
Ashley Johnson
Sight in your head. You hear? You killed him.
[137:30]
Travis Willingham
Let it go.
[137:31]
Liam O'Brien
All right. I thought this was a good stuff.
[137:34]
Marisha Ray
Feather fall on myself and anyone else who needs it.
[137:37]
Laura Bailey
Wait.
[137:38]
Sam Riegel
I run up. If he comes out in a minute, he's still going to be falling.
[137:42]
Liam O'Brien
Is that how this works?
[137:43]
Matthew Mercer
Well, I mean, yes.
[137:45]
Laura Bailey
Get under him.
[137:46]
Beau
Mattresses, anything. The portable hole.
[137:49]
Liam O'Brien
What do we got? 60ft above the grounds?
[137:51]
Ashley Johnson
Wait.
[137:52]
Laura Bailey
Grow your grass, Patrick.
[137:54]
Sam Riegel
I'll cast plant growth, I guess.
[137:57]
Ashley Johnson
Wouldn't he have been fallen on whatever plane he was?
[137:59]
Laura Bailey
I'm saying I don't know what plane he was, but whatever plane.
[138:03]
Sam Riegel
Could you, if this if he went.
[138:04]
Ashley Johnson
To the astral plane, he would just be flying fast as the astronaut than.
[138:07]
Liam O'Brien
The one that you're on.
[138:09]
Sam Riegel
He would either hit something on the other plane or continue at full force.
[138:15]
Laura Bailey
The crowd.
[138:16]
Beau
Is Widowgast here or the nine here?
[138:17]
Sam Riegel
Oh, we're far away, aren't we?
[138:19]
Laura Bailey
No idea. As you've rushed beyond the wall now crowds are rushing up and other figures are catching up in the midst of all that's happening here and the shifting of movement here. Indeed, both the Mighty Nein and Vox Machina have been rapidly gathering to see if they can help at this point. Okay, okay.
[138:37]
Beau
So Widowgast saw the trajectory and is stalking out that area and is all already pulling components out. And I he we are preparing telekinesis to try to catch up.
[138:51]
Laura Bailey
Okay. A moment passes. Everyone seems to wait for the right moment before you.
[139:00]
Sam Riegel
Yeah, it's fresh cut.
[139:02]
Laura Bailey
There you go. Right. As you release the staffborn spell. And Ashton reemerges at the spot no more than maybe 30ft above the ground at terminal velocity. Widowgast, who has been holding his Ashton.
[139:20]
Beau
Immediately casts featherfall telekinesis.
[139:22]
Laura Bailey
Telekinesis? Ashton's tumbling form. Actually, if it's telekinesis, this will be your.
[139:28]
Beau
Can I use the math and my keen mind to sort of match the force to slow him?
[139:35]
Laura Bailey
Correct.
[139:36]
Beau
As he comes down.
[139:36]
Laura Bailey
I'll say just go ahead and roll and add his spell modifier.
[139:41]
Beau
Yeah.
[139:41]
Laura Bailey
Correct.
[139:44]
Beau
That's a very widow gas. Dirty 20 again.
[139:50]
Laura Bailey
Ashen reappears and then quickly slows down caught in the telekinetic grasp.
[139:56]
Beau
Jesus Christ.
[139:56]
Travis Willingham
What happened to him?
[140:00]
Beau
Your guess is as good as mine. Bell's house Jackham.
[140:04]
Travis Willingham
Thank you.
[140:05]
Sam Riegel
Set him down. Yes, but not on that blade of grass. That's Henry Crabgrass.
[140:12]
Travis Willingham
It's okay, you can set him down.
[140:16]
Beau
He slides in a prone position like a princess. Just on his back down onto the ground.
[140:22]
Travis Willingham
I run over to him.
[140:26]
Ashley Johnson
And I heal them.
[140:30]
Laura Bailey
Well, the first thing you notice is you approach. Ashton remains in one single piece other than the shattered cavern. That is the side of his head larger than it was or where that crystal was exposed. It is just a shattered gap.
[140:52]
Ashley Johnson
Oh no. Caleb.
[140:57]
Travis Willingham
I can try to heal them, but I don't know what this is.
[141:01]
Marisha Ray
Let's start with the basics. Is Ashton dead?
[141:05]
Beau
Yeah. Orym sprints up and is feeling for a pulse.
[141:10]
Travis Willingham
I might be able to do something. Pike is here. Give me just a second.
[141:17]
Ashley Johnson
Hi.
[141:18]
Travis Willingham
Hi.
[141:19]
Sam Riegel
Come on.
[141:20]
Laura Bailey
Ash.
[141:20]
Ashley Johnson
I don't know.
[141:21]
Beau
Come on. Ashley.
[141:22]
Ashley Johnson
You're so cute.
[141:24]
Sam Riegel
You're A rock. You're a rock.
[141:26]
Beau
Be a rock. Come on, Ash.
[141:28]
Ashley Johnson
Imogen flies down.
[141:30]
Marisha Ray
Where's Fern?
[141:33]
Laura Bailey
Shoebill is flying.
[141:36]
Travis Willingham
I've landed, taken off. And I'm just running over and I'm just holding him. What do we do? What do we do? What do we do?
[141:43]
Laura Bailey
Work.
[141:43]
Taliesin Jaffe
Out of curiosity.
[141:45]
Ashley Johnson
Oh. Cause you had spare the dying on you, didn't you?
[141:48]
Taliesin Jaffe
I'm nothing but that.
[141:50]
Ashley Johnson
Oh, wait, you're Caduceus. Yes, I know what you mean.
[141:54]
Taliesin Jaffe
To spare the dying.
[141:55]
Laura Bailey
Would greater restoration do anything? Spare the dying? They are not dying.
[142:00]
Taliesin Jaffe
Oh, spare the dying is zero hit points.
[142:03]
Laura Bailey
Correct.
[142:04]
Taliesin Jaffe
Okay, so there's nothing. It's not taking is what I'm saying.
[142:08]
Laura Bailey
Yeah, okay. Cold. Just checking.
[142:11]
Beau
Orym. Not Orym. Caleb pulls a large stone that is fastened to his belt and it glows a faint amber color. I may be able to, if we act now to help your friend.
[142:26]
Marisha Ray
What is that?
[142:28]
Beau
This is a transmutous stone.
[142:30]
Travis Willingham
What does that do?
[142:31]
Beau
Well, it will bring him back.
[142:33]
Laura Bailey
Oh. If you.
[142:34]
Beau
He wishes to come back. I don't know if you will wish as a wizard. Transmuter Stone can be destroyed to cast resurrection.
[142:47]
Laura Bailey
Okay.
[142:49]
Marisha Ray
Fern.
[142:50]
Travis Willingham
Yeah.
[142:52]
Marisha Ray
The two of you share an identity. Oh. Is there anything? I don't know. I don't understand how it works. But you all are connected. Primordial. From a primordial aspect.
[143:10]
Travis Willingham
Do you think I could? What If I were to give him my shard? Would that be the thing I could do?
[143:17]
Marisha Ray
I don't know.
[143:18]
Travis Willingham
Mr. Caleb.
[143:19]
Beau
Yeah?
[143:21]
Travis Willingham
I have a shard from a Titan. Can I get it out and maybe give it to him?
[143:25]
Beau
I do not know. I have never worked with such a thing.
[143:30]
Liam O'Brien
I think we gotta get him alive first.
[143:34]
Ashley Johnson
Okay.
[143:37]
Liam O'Brien
The Transmuter Stone. If it does what you say, we should try that.
[143:44]
Travis Willingham
Oh, come on.
[143:45]
Laura Bailey
Don't you feel me? Now turn. Turn around.
[143:47]
Marisha Ray
I know.
[143:52]
Travis Willingham
Wait. Did Chester try to heal us?
[143:54]
Ashley Johnson
No.
[143:54]
Laura Bailey
Raised dead.
[143:55]
Ashley Johnson
No.
[143:56]
Laura Bailey
Correct.
[143:56]
Beau
Just raised dead.
[143:57]
Travis Willingham
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Hang on a minute, all right?
[143:59]
Ashley Johnson
Pike's gonna come over this.
[144:02]
Travis Willingham
This is just a lot to keep track of.
[144:04]
Ashley Johnson
This was like their brain is gone now.
[144:09]
Marisha Ray
Yes, but they were patched up once before.
[144:15]
Ashley Johnson
With a beacon.
[144:17]
Marisha Ray
With Dunamis.
[144:19]
Sam Riegel
Something like it.
[144:20]
Marisha Ray
Like a potion made of Dunamisy.
[144:23]
Laura Bailey
We look inside the concave space and it's like the inside of a geode. You can see the crystal on the inside, but it is just an absence.
[144:34]
Marisha Ray
We had that potion. Do we still have the potion in our home?
[144:37]
Laura Bailey
Are we.
[144:37]
Liam O'Brien
The Dunamis potion?
[144:38]
Marisha Ray
Yeah. Or do we hand it over?
[144:40]
Beau
Oh, wait a minute. Wait a minute, hold on. I don't know if this will work. Orym takes Seedling and lays it out, King Arthur style on Ashton's chest. If we can get him back, he can. He can attune to this. His body will grow back. His body will grow back. We just have to bring him back. I don't know how magic works.
[145:11]
Ashley Johnson
What do you mean?
[145:14]
Travis Willingham
Come on.
[145:15]
Ashley Johnson
We can't attune something to him if he's not doing it himself. We can't attune the sword.
[145:20]
Travis Willingham
I think pike is.
[145:21]
Beau
But maybe I can work together with your halfling friend. And I can get him back from death's door. And you little friend, can get him the last few steps. Just mechanically speaking. This sword has regenerative powers and grows back. Limbs, fingers, legs, anything.
[145:43]
Laura Bailey
To a living individual.
[145:44]
Beau
To a living individual.
[145:48]
Marisha Ray
Got rid of that crate.
[145:50]
Ashley Johnson
There we go.
[145:51]
Travis Willingham
Okay. Sorry, my pike was.
[145:54]
Matthew Mercer
Did you say pike had showed like vox machinas? Like pocket pike started to show up.
[146:02]
Travis Willingham
There it is.
[146:03]
Ashley Johnson
And you didn't use it?
[146:05]
Travis Willingham
No, I don't have any. Yeah, those are barely any. I've only used a couple spells.
[146:10]
Pharmaceutical Representative
Right.
[146:11]
Ashley Johnson
Yeah. I mean if you can cast it.
[146:12]
Travis Willingham
Okay, pike is going to go up. Where did it go?
[146:20]
Matthew Mercer
I think Serkonus is there with him and he just says I may be able to, but I don't have the requisite materials.
[146:27]
Laura Bailey
I.
[146:28]
Travis Willingham
There it is.
[146:29]
Matthew Mercer
I can. I have. I never used my ninth level in the fight. I have true resurrection.
[146:34]
Ashley Johnson
But you need.
[146:34]
Matthew Mercer
But I need somebody rich. I need diamonds.
[146:38]
Beau
How much do you need?
[146:38]
Matthew Mercer
25K worth.
[146:40]
Laura Bailey
Whoa.
[146:40]
Ashley Johnson
Diamonds.
[146:41]
Beau
25K.
[146:42]
Matthew Mercer
25. 25k worth of diamond.
[146:46]
Travis Willingham
Does anybody have diamond worth a thousand?
[146:48]
Ashley Johnson
I have. Yes, of.
[146:50]
Marisha Ray
Of course I do.
[146:51]
Ashley Johnson
Hold on, let me.
[146:54]
Matthew Mercer
I think Serkonus, when he suggests knows that it is a tall order. That suggestion is sad.
[147:00]
Liam O'Brien
Just said that on rodeo.
[147:02]
Ashley Johnson
How much? You said you only need 1,000. You need 25. What's the difference?
[147:08]
Matthew Mercer
You only need 1,000.
[147:09]
Travis Willingham
I only need 1,000.
[147:10]
Laura Bailey
Go, go.
[147:10]
Ashley Johnson
Yeah.
[147:11]
Laura Bailey
Move.
[147:12]
Travis Willingham
All right, Pike's going to go up.
[147:15]
Liam O'Brien
Oh, Pike's here.
[147:16]
Laura Bailey
Yes, has arrived as well. All three campaigns have now merged at this spot.
[147:21]
Travis Willingham
My ginger beyond was not loading pipe.
[147:23]
Laura Bailey
That's why it was taking so long.
[147:25]
Sam Riegel
Scanlan is passing out pastries to everybody. This is good show.
[147:28]
Travis Willingham
All right.
[147:28]
Liam O'Brien
I'm going to go up to see how what happens.
[147:31]
Travis Willingham
I'm going to go up to Ashton and put my hand over where his the space in his head and just above on his chest and on his heart. Just look around. Cast resurrection okay, who's on the other.
[147:53]
Marisha Ray
End to receive the call now?
[147:58]
Ashley Johnson
The matron was here. The matron was here.
[148:03]
Travis Willingham
Oh my God.
[148:04]
Laura Bailey
My. Oh, the gods.
[148:06]
Marisha Ray
Yeah, they're gone. Who's gonna to be here? We don't know yet.
[148:08]
Ashley Johnson
All that I can facilitate without the.
[148:11]
Beau
Help of the gods.
[148:13]
Marisha Ray
You can.
[148:14]
Beau
I have what is correct.
[148:16]
Ashley Johnson
Okay.
[148:17]
Marisha Ray
I think. How well would that stone fit in that space?
[148:22]
Laura Bailey
Well, do your thing.
[148:22]
Liam O'Brien
What happens?
[148:23]
Ashley Johnson
Yeah, what happens?
[148:24]
Liam O'Brien
Yeah, Might as well find out now.
[148:25]
Beau
Pretty good. Be a little lumpy.
[148:27]
Marisha Ray
But he was already lumpy.
[148:29]
Laura Bailey
Yeah. The magic of your ritual carries and completes. How long are you doing? Which is it? Resurrection. Do you have? Revivify?
[148:40]
Sam Riegel
Do you have. Because that might be easier and faster.
[148:42]
Laura Bailey
So resurrection takes an hour to cast.
[148:45]
Ashley Johnson
Revivify is fast. But they would have to be dead for under a minute.
[148:48]
Beau
Mine is instantaneous.
[148:50]
Laura Bailey
Instantaneous. So you begin to prepare the resurrection ritual. As you begin to set up the requirements for this ritual. The runes that grasp the core of the being, that restores flesh, that restores color, that restores the anchor that the soul returns to. It's almost like the space in the skull resists it. It's not working.
[149:22]
Travis Willingham
It's not working.
[149:24]
Marisha Ray
That's with the transmuter stone.
[149:26]
Ashley Johnson
No, that's with. Did that eat my diamond?
[149:30]
Travis Willingham
I'm sorry. Vex. Ask your husband to get you more.
[149:34]
Sam Riegel
Do your thing.
[149:36]
Beau
I'm going to try to see if my transmuter stone will loosely fit into the crater in Mr. Ingramor's head and try to cast what is it praised.
[149:52]
Laura Bailey
At home as you place the stone within. And it doesn't quite fit Snug by any means, but it fits inside the space. Now you, as a transmutation specialist, you envision it taking up as much space as it can within and finding connection and transmuting it to the best of your ability to the type of glass like structure that you recall it being. But it's still not oddly, finding purchase. There's something missing to this equation that you've tried to put together here.
[150:29]
Marisha Ray
Did you see there were runes in there? In the inside of Ashton's.
[150:33]
Laura Bailey
Just like it looks like the inside of a geode.
[150:35]
Travis Willingham
I'm going to look at the bright queen.
[150:37]
Marisha Ray
Yes.
[150:38]
Travis Willingham
Give me your beacon.
[150:41]
Laura Bailey
Absolutely not.
[150:42]
Travis Willingham
Give me your beacon.
[150:44]
Laura Bailey
We're done here.
[150:46]
Marisha Ray
Wait, wait, wait, wait. Look, you must know something. You must be able to help. I turn. Is Essek here?
[151:00]
Laura Bailey
You make a perception check.
[151:06]
Liam O'Brien
Who are you right now?
[151:07]
Marisha Ray
I'm Lorna.
[151:08]
Liam O'Brien
Oh, you were panicked. It kind of bled.
[151:10]
Marisha Ray
I'm sorry. Sorry. Why am I 18? 18 plus 7. What's 18 plus 7? I'm fucking blinking. 25. 25.
[151:22]
Laura Bailey
You do not see Essek anywhere nearby. You do see a somewhat shabby, bearded, familiar looking mage who. Who is looking upon all this aghast.
[151:35]
Marisha Ray
You. You.
[151:36]
Travis Willingham
Yes.
[151:36]
Ashley Johnson
Hi. Sorry.
[151:37]
Marisha Ray
Do you have a potion? Do you have one of those Dunmancy potions? Something. Someone here must. Everyone in Exandria is here. There's got to be spare Dunmancy.
[151:48]
Laura Bailey
You see? He looks to the Bright Queen. Looks to you. Looks to Caleb. To all of you. Comes over and sits next to Caleb. And Caleb, you recognize this common image that your partner takes. Hello.
[152:12]
Beau
Do you carry anything on you?
[152:15]
Laura Bailey
I carry everything with me. He places his fingers over yours, and where the Transmuter Stone Crystal is. You watch as his fingers, pressing against yours, begin to conjure the basis of Dunamantic script within the glass. As it does, you see flickers and flashes as the Transmuter's stone seems to almost expand and then contract. For moments you see the stone vanish and it's empty once more. Then you see shards of crystal apparating outside, then slowly reforming. Like in this brief little pocket. Time has reversed as the fingers press hard against yours to the point where the Transmuter Stone is now gone. You think it's like nothing had happened, but Essek's fingers are painfully pushing into yours as they intertwine, sweat dripping from his brow. And he pulls back and gets blasted away, his illusion dropping. Immediately, he's thrust about five feet back, and the kaleidoscopic flesh begins to glitter on the inside of the head as the raised dead takes effect. What is that do?
[153:42]
Sam Riegel
But like.
[153:42]
Laura Bailey
Is he a zombie?
[153:43]
Beau
No.
[153:44]
Sam Riegel
Okay.
[153:45]
Laura Bailey
Your eyes flicker open. Damn it. Fcg.
[153:56]
Ashley Johnson
Hey.
[153:57]
Taliesin Jaffe
Am I dead? Cuz if I am, this is really a disappointment.
[154:01]
Beau
Melie.
[154:03]
Taliesin Jaffe
No, no, no.
[154:05]
Beau
You're okay.
[154:05]
Laura Bailey
Mm. You okay?
[154:07]
Taliesin Jaffe
I wanna sleep. Sleep for now.
[154:11]
Beau
You get to do that.
[154:14]
Sam Riegel
We've been through this before. You have to call him Kingsley now.
[154:21]
Laura Bailey
Right off. Sam.
[154:22]
Liam O'Brien
Love you.
[154:26]
Ashley Johnson
You'd make a really good pirate.
[154:31]
Sam Riegel
I hate the ocean.
[154:35]
Marisha Ray
I look at Essek.
[154:36]
Beau
I look at the Bright Queen.
[154:39]
Laura Bailey
The Bright Queen stands watching as Queen's soldiers now begin to move to encircle.
[154:46]
Taliesin Jaffe
Caduceus is going to walk over and just do two little taps of just casting heal. Twice.
[155:02]
Travis Willingham
I was right here.
[155:03]
Taliesin Jaffe
Yeah, but you don't like. You don't like.
[155:06]
Laura Bailey
Wow. Caduceus. Tap, tap. You're so good at that. So that's a. I already said I.
[155:11]
Ashley Johnson
Was going to do it.
[155:12]
Laura Bailey
I couldn't help with these other points.
[155:14]
Taliesin Jaffe
To Ashton. To Ashton. And then just for fun, we're going to. While all of this is happening, little spirit Guardians. Just so I can ignore the soldiers while we're doing this. So a bunch of little beetles are just going to start flying around where we are? Okay, we're all fine. They're not going to bother any of you.
[155:40]
Laura Bailey
Essek has gotten to his feet. Now. As the soldiers swirl in, he quickly flashes an incantation. Roll a D20 for me.
[155:47]
Beau
Oh God.
[155:48]
Laura Bailey
Oh my God.
[155:49]
Beau
Hail a biz. Moving toward the Bright Queen, not threateningly, but within parley distance. Yeah, it's a nine.
[155:58]
Laura Bailey
It's a nine. That's a failure on the counterspell.
[156:03]
Marisha Ray
In a good way.
[156:04]
Laura Bailey
Meaning Essek is attempting to teleport away. And one of the approaching mages attempts to counterspell it.
[156:10]
Beau
Well, I'll flick that off with a counterspell.
[156:12]
Laura Bailey
Well, okay, the counterspell already failed. Oh, it failed. That was the roll before the catalog. So Essek immediately vanishes.
[156:22]
Ashley Johnson
Oh.
[156:24]
Travis Willingham
That was Essek.
[156:32]
Laura Bailey
Make a deception check.
[156:37]
Ashley Johnson
Okay, Wiggle on. Where's my dick?
[156:39]
Travis Willingham
Dies.
[156:41]
Ashley Johnson
Nope. 1.
[156:44]
Beau
You're 35ft with an or a. Oh, yes.
[156:48]
Ashley Johnson
Okay, hold on.
[156:48]
Laura Bailey
5.
[156:49]
Ashley Johnson
He dies.
[156:52]
Laura Bailey
3.
[156:54]
Ashley Johnson
Which goes up to a 10.
[156:58]
Laura Bailey
The bright queen strikes a look and the soldiers look back for order.
[157:02]
Beau
Oh, I don't know.
[157:03]
Laura Bailey
Okay. But at least we know the fugitive is in close circles. Good night, Queen. A smile comes across the Bright Queen's face. We will have business in the future. But I'm glad to see that you are back and nothing of value was lost. She turns around as the soldiers begin to fall into line. Before she looks towards you. And you. What was that with that? The chaos of Vasselheim is notable in the distance. And most of the people who are watching at the periphery begin to pull away and return to the town. But your friend has been saved.
[158:08]
Ashley Johnson
Ashton.
[158:13]
Marisha Ray
You saved the gods.
[158:21]
Liam O'Brien
Or destroyed them, whichever way you want.
[158:23]
Beau
To look at it.
[158:24]
Laura Bailey
Oh God. Did I piss off a five headed dragon?
[158:28]
Ashley Johnson
Yeah.
[158:28]
Marisha Ray
Yes, he really did.
[158:30]
Beau
And it was epic.
[158:32]
Laura Bailey
Oh God.
[158:33]
Taliesin Jaffe
I told you all I loved you.
[158:35]
Beau
Haha. Can't take it back. Fuck you.
[158:37]
Taliesin Jaffe
I was not supposed to come back from that.
[158:39]
Marisha Ray
Too bad.
[158:40]
Ashley Johnson
Shame happens.
[158:41]
Marisha Ray
Wait, Imogen.
[158:43]
Ashley Johnson
What? Yeah, I know.
[158:46]
Marisha Ray
It's. It's still in there.
[158:50]
Ashley Johnson
Mm.
[158:51]
Marisha Ray
What do we. What do we do?
[158:52]
Sam Riegel
Does it feel like anything?
[158:54]
Marisha Ray
I mean, if you release it, it'll just wander off, right?
[159:00]
Ashley Johnson
Should.
[159:06]
Taliesin Jaffe
We got you no matter what?
[159:08]
Beau
Do we need to give any Runners. A head start.
[159:11]
Ashley Johnson
None of them ran. I think all of them did they tell us. Just kidding. Yeah, sure gave him a head start.
[159:17]
Laura Bailey
Fine. It is pushing against its binds. And the voice of that childlike perception within you still feels hungry and waking and wanting out to feed.
[159:39]
Matthew Mercer
Like we really, really know. It only wants to eat gods.
[159:42]
Laura Bailey
Right?
[159:43]
Ashley Johnson
I wasn't lying. And I really didn't see anything but the gods when I was. When I was inside of it, I guess. Did I see any of the Ruidus born? I didn't. Right. I only saw the lights of the gods.
[160:04]
Laura Bailey
You saw the lights of the gods and you saw the pale red of the Ruidus born. But they were just an awareness.
[160:10]
Beau
Those were buddy lights.
[160:11]
Ashley Johnson
Those were buddy lights.
[160:12]
Laura Bailey
Those.
[160:12]
Ashley Johnson
Not real lights.
[160:13]
Travis Willingham
Babies.
[160:13]
Matthew Mercer
Okay, well, I wasn't saying you were lying. I. I just think that, you know, if that's what you saw, then that's what I saw. It's probably okay.
[160:23]
Sam Riegel
How do you get rid of it? Like, open your mouth?
[160:27]
Ashley Johnson
Yeah, I think I just try to force myself to throw up. No, I don't get up and down.
[160:32]
Travis Willingham
No.
[160:32]
Ashley Johnson
I think I need to. Maybe I just need to talk to it. I'm not sure. Maybe I need to flip. Fly up in the sky. Maybe I need to just go up into the sky.
[160:40]
Laura Bailey
Okay.
[160:40]
Ashley Johnson
And try to, like, aim for outer space.
[160:43]
Laura Bailey
Sure.
[160:44]
Matthew Mercer
Aim what for outer space?
[160:45]
Ashley Johnson
Aim my body up, you know what? And then flip upside down and try to shoot it out, you know?
[160:53]
Beau
Yeah.
[160:55]
Sam Riegel
Birth of Predathos. Cosmic space.
[160:57]
Ashley Johnson
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know.
[161:00]
Liam O'Brien
There are just tons of people still standing around, just like all the amassed.
[161:05]
Laura Bailey
Oh, yeah. No, I mean, there's many. Army soldiers, bastions of Vasselheim. Still remnants of the Bright Queen's army that are exiting the mighty Nein and Vox Machina all present.
[161:15]
Ashley Johnson
What about the matron?
[161:19]
Laura Bailey
She's not mad.
[161:20]
Ashley Johnson
She disappeared too. They all just disappeared.
[161:23]
Matthew Mercer
Just one last thought. The gods, Predath. They traveled from somewhere to be here.
[161:29]
Taliesin Jaffe
Right?
[161:30]
Matthew Mercer
If we set Predathos free into the cosmos, would they hunt down other gods on other worlds?
[161:37]
Ashley Johnson
Some other beings?
[161:39]
Matthew Mercer
Isn't that just passing off our problems to someone else?
[161:42]
Liam O'Brien
You betcha.
[161:44]
Beau
I grab you by the hand. We all know it's coming out one way or another.
[161:50]
Ashley Johnson
I'd rather allow it out and instead of it ripping its way from me.
[161:54]
Marisha Ray
I would really love for that to not happen.
[161:56]
Ashley Johnson
Please. Sure.
[161:59]
Laura Bailey
Sharp pain curls on the inside of your torso.
[162:01]
Ashley Johnson
Yeah. I feel like I don't have a lot of time left.
[162:06]
Marisha Ray
Can we find a moment of privacy? Can we go somewhere top of the mountain? I don't know. Not maybe in the center of the town square.
[162:17]
Liam O'Brien
Usually, if you catch a tiger, you. You don't release it in the middle of the metroplex.
[162:21]
Ashley Johnson
Maybe I can fly up.
[162:23]
Beau
You can get up the stairs above Vasaline.
[162:26]
Sam Riegel
You'll be alone, though.
[162:28]
Marisha Ray
Up the stairs?
[162:29]
Beau
Yeah, there's the.
[162:30]
Ashley Johnson
That would be fun.
[162:31]
Marisha Ray
We've never been up there. You can't go alone. And we don't have the means to catch another terminal velocity falling body right now.
[162:38]
Sam Riegel
Just walk up the stairs and go up the stairs.
[162:40]
Ashley Johnson
Okay. Are we allowed to. Are people stopping us?
[162:43]
Sam Riegel
I don't think anyone's gonna stop Predathos.
[162:47]
Laura Bailey
At the moment, most everyone's still stunned and trying to keep the populace in check. Some soldiers might try and step into your way, but as you assert your walk, they let you pass. They've all witnessed some odd collection of miracles today that they're still grasping with, let alone for the most pious, still grasping with this renewed absence in them.
[163:11]
Marisha Ray
Let's walk with purpose. Let's go.
[163:13]
Beau
In a low voice, Caleb says to Imogen, go. We'll handle this. I'm sure Jester can keep them occupied.
[163:21]
Ashley Johnson
Jester?
[163:27]
Laura Bailey
As you begin to ascend the massive steps of the Heaven Stair Mountain, other members of the Dawn Marshals and their various generals High priests fall in to follow, keeping most of the populace from wandering close to where you go. Until eventually the path thins to a very drifting hiking path, at which point they begin to fall back in waves. Watching from a distance, I, Liam, have.
[164:10]
Beau
Always wanted to go up here.
[164:16]
Laura Bailey
Eventually, you come to the edge of this cragulous cliffside, this massive peak that overlooks all the surrounding timberlands. You can see the distant mountain ranges and the stretch of white snow, the clusters of forest, the atmospheric cloud front starting to try and push back in from the massive blast of divine transference. But above you, still probably the most wide open blue sky Vasselheim's seen in a very long time. And there, beyond it, as you focus in, you can just faintly see the sparkle of distant stars lost beyond that great blue hue and endless expanse of cosmos your mind and spirit could not even conceive. The sharp pain hits again.
[165:18]
Marisha Ray
What can we do? What do we do to help you?
[165:20]
Ashley Johnson
I don't know. I just hold my hand.
[165:30]
Marisha Ray
Grip her hand tight.
[165:33]
Ashley Johnson
Funny, the whole time we've been together, I've been dealing with voices on the outside. Hey. I.
[165:47]
Marisha Ray
More than most, understand what you're going through.
[165:58]
Travis Willingham
Fern, we got you, okay? You're Gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay.
[166:04]
Ashley Johnson
I feel our tether. And it almost starts pulling your energy into me. And I look inward to the child.
[166:24]
Laura Bailey
You feel that lightish being, that small, primal alien presence within, curling from its slumber. It looks back at you. I'm so hungry.
[166:47]
Ashley Johnson
I know there's nothing for you here.
[167:00]
Laura Bailey
Why.
[167:03]
Ashley Johnson
All your food went away? You've been gone so long. I'm sorry. I know.
[167:31]
Laura Bailey
You feel its presence suddenly spread within you, piercing into your physical self. It's like it's trying to claw through and out and drag your very essence with it. The rest of you watch as suddenly Imogen's chest begins to tense and pull instinctually. Purple lightning. She begins to arc off. She begins to lift up in the air. You watch her arms and chest and shoulders contort. Her eyes go bright.
[167:58]
Marisha Ray
Just keep a tight grip on her hand. Next to fine same.
[168:03]
Laura Bailey
You feel it tearing you apart from within. What do you do?
[168:10]
Ashley Johnson
Can I try to funnel my energy and allow it to. To escape?
[168:21]
Laura Bailey
Go ahead and roll a charisma check for me.
[168:26]
Travis Willingham
Do you still have enhance ability on her?
[168:29]
Laura Bailey
It's gonna end her an hour.
[168:30]
Ashley Johnson
Okay. Okay.
[168:34]
Laura Bailey
Advantage.
[168:35]
Ashley Johnson
Okay. Okay.
[168:36]
Laura Bailey
Okay.
[168:37]
Travis Willingham
Can I also do an additional guidance list themselves?
[168:41]
Laura Bailey
They probably not. Okay, okay. This is pure good you for check.
[168:46]
Ashley Johnson
Okay. And this is just a check. A charisma check, that is. I can do my math. 23. Is that right? 23.
[168:58]
Beau
No.
[168:58]
Ashley Johnson
24. 22.
[169:00]
Beau
17.
[169:04]
Laura Bailey
As you feel it clawing through your consciousness, as well as finding an escape through the physical pathways that connect your consciousness to the physical, you instead try and guide that exit point as opposed to letting it just rend in any direction to wherever it hopes to find the thinnest surface of resistance. Instead, you almost jingle the arcane keys to keep its attention where you want it to go, as opposed to physically pulling its way through. You begin to release it through the spaces that you know to be the least resistance. The rest of you watch as Imogen closes her eyes and seems to curl into a ball. As her focus goes inward, the energy around her like a massive plasma ball just arcing out around all of you, arcing into you. You can feel it. It burns. It doesn't quite damage. But you feel the very basis of this power granted to her and how dangerous it can be when unbridled. But you hold yourselves taut until eventually her eyes and mouth open. And you watch out of her ears, out of her eyes, her nose, her mouth. This black and red gaseous fume just emanates outward itself like a Flashing black volcanic storm of purple energy. As it begins to spill out of her, it begins to congeal and shift. You see claws, you see teal and purple glows pulsing within this ever growing and spreading roiling storm of something not of this physical realm even. What you took into you on Ruidus was mostly. You changed this. In its pure, unleashed form, it seems to defy dimension in ways that you've come to understand. It seems to spread and entirely envelop the sky. As much as it seems like maybe just a few feet away. Depth seems to fold on itself. This entity seems to walk in its truest form between dimensions. And you watch as it seems to spread, its endless consciousness flickering and looking everywhere it can, the fury of its flashing and spark suddenly coming to a cold, quiet sigh before it drifts off toward the stars. From once it came, the darkness eventually giving way to blue.
[171:47]
Marisha Ray
I grab my water skin, give it a nice cold cup of water.
[171:51]
Ashley Johnson
Just like.
[171:53]
Marisha Ray
Just like old times.
[171:54]
Ashley Johnson
Yeah, I did just need to barf it up.
[171:58]
Laura Bailey
Yeah.
[171:58]
Sam Riegel
Sound was really cool. I drew a picture. It's not a view barfing, but it's a nice picture.
[172:06]
Laura Bailey
Both of. That's.
[172:07]
Ashley Johnson
Wow. That's really nice, Brian.
[172:09]
Sam Riegel
You might like that.
[172:11]
Beau
That's beautiful.
[172:12]
Ashley Johnson
That's so beautiful.
[172:14]
Sam Riegel
I mean, it was just a sketch. It's just a doodle, you know, no big deal.
[172:17]
Ashley Johnson
Wow.
[172:18]
Sam Riegel
Wow. I got inspired.
[172:20]
Ashley Johnson
Wow. Wow. You're really talented.
[172:24]
Taliesin Jaffe
Why aren't you doing this as opposed to just killing people? Honestly, a lot. Kind of randomly. On occasion.
[172:30]
Travis Willingham
You should do, like, one of those where you're, like, on a street and someone can come up and you can, like, kill them. Draw them.
[172:36]
Sam Riegel
Oh, draw them.
[172:38]
Ashley Johnson
Yeah.
[172:38]
Taliesin Jaffe
I see the problem now.
[172:40]
Laura Bailey
That's fair. Sure.
[172:41]
Beau
How do you feel?
[172:43]
Marisha Ray
I brush her hair kind of back.
[172:47]
Ashley Johnson
Pull my hair back.
[172:48]
Marisha Ray
Uhhuh. Rubber back.
[172:53]
Ashley Johnson
I feel. I feel great, Roxy. I feel great. Yeah. Do I still have lightning today?
[173:02]
Travis Willingham
I'll check.
[173:03]
Laura Bailey
And the mark's still remaining.
[173:04]
Ashley Johnson
Okay.
[173:08]
Sam Riegel
Do you need me to check also?
[173:09]
Ashley Johnson
No.
[173:12]
Laura Bailey
The divine spark, the magical echo of the rite of Katathiosis, slowly begins to fade. And the blue sky returns to the sunset that have been threatening to send Vasselheim into night. As that color begins to go.
[173:34]
Ashley Johnson
The.
[173:35]
Laura Bailey
Distant clouded horizon breaks just enough to see the pale, faint light of Catha and on the other side return to its orbit, the pale, distant red hue of Ruidus, freed of what once its purpose, now to whatever its future may be. As you all gather here on the top the heaven stair, looking down upon the dawn cradle. We're going to go to break.
[174:12]
Beau
Godspeed, little moon.
[174:15]
Taliesin Jaffe
Good night moon.
[174:16]
Laura Bailey
Good night.
[174:18]
Travis Willingham
Good night stars.
[174:20]
Ashley Johnson
Good night gods.
[174:22]
Laura Bailey
Well, wherever you are, we're gonna take a short break here. We'll be back here to see where the rest of this story takes us. Okay, we'll see you in a few minutes.
[174:40]
Travis Willingham
Oh, hello there friends. We just wanted to thank you from everybody here at CR for your patience while we take care of our family and our friends and our cast and our crew with everything that's been going on during this time and we've been trying everything we can to bring back our beautiful city. So Critical Role foundation is currently raising funds for three incredible organizations, the California Community Wildfire Recovery Fund, the Latino Community foundation, and the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation. If you can donate, anything helps, it would mean the world. Head to criticalrenollefoundation.org we love you.
[175:34]
Marisha Ray
Thank you for listening to Critical Role. If you've enjoyed the adventure, please consider rating and reviewing this podcast. Your insight can really help support the show by bringing new critters into the fold. Until next time, dear critters, adventure awaits.
[175:54]
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