Stone-Faced | Critical Role | Campaign 4, Episode 4 | Part 2

Summary

Critical Role: Stone-Faced | Campaign 4, Episode 4 | Part 2

Release Date: November 4, 2025

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Episode Overview

In Part 2 of "Stone-Faced," the party navigates secrets, betrayals, and supernatural events in the city of Dolmak Yar. The session is a confluence of personal revelations, magical discoveries, and pivotal choices as the group responds to the aftermath of tragedy, unearths hidden truths, and faces threats that span both the mortal and spiritual planes. The tone oscillates between tense vulnerability and sardonic camaraderie, true to Critical Role's storytelling style.

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Key Discussion Points & Story Developments

1. The Quiet Before the Storm (01:34-09:00)

• As the tension from earlier events settles, Hal and Murray are left alone at the Fang household. Shadia, Hal's daughter, discusses plans for revitalizing the community theater—injecting art and myth into a city searching for meaning after decades under a tyrant god.
• Notable Quote:
  "I think that sounds like an excellent idea. All of those did. And I think you should pick out your favorite ones, and then we will get to work on figuring out design." —Hal (08:57)

2. A Letter for Murray (04:00-14:55)

• Murray receives a mysterious letter, allegedly meant for “Bolair.” The letter is filled with ominous undertones about alliances, warnings, and the existence of hidden files on notable figures in the city. The group speculates on its implications, including possible blackmail.
• Notable Quote:
  "If you took that mask off of him, I suspect you'd have him well in hand. Signed the Ozzy Fang." —Murray, reading from the letter (12:29)

3. Secrets, Files, and Intrigues (14:55-20:00)

• The conversation proceeds to analyze the relationship between characters and the city’s shadowy power brokers. Trust, old alliances, and the business of dangerous magical artifacts feature prominently.
• Notable Quotes:
  • "If you are going to get into the business of magic, then you need to be willing to get a little greasy." —Murray (16:31)
  • "I thought you were a bursar." —Hal (17:31)
  • "Have you ever met a trustworthy financial advisor?" —Murray (17:34)

4. Reflection and Legacy at Falcon's Rest (23:11-29:54)

• Azune slips into reflection at Falcon's Rest, reciting names of the fallen to ensure they are not forgotten. The theme of memory versus letting go emerges, and a failed insight check reinforces Azune’s struggle to distinguish between remembrance and release.
• Notable Quote:
  "I don't know the difference between letting go and forgetting. And I don't want to forget." —Azune (27:09)

5. Gathering at the Archives—Revelations & Trust (34:00-57:06)

• The party, joined by Bolair (Curator of the museum), gathers in his secret archive—a repository of arcane artifacts and secrets.
• The group confronts Bolair about their true nature and the past. Bolair finally reveals a major secret: they are not simply a person, but a magical mask—a living weapon created in the Shapers War to kill a god, capable of “wearing” different people over centuries.
• Notable Quotes:
  • "I am an object created to kill a God. I am a thing. I am a mask that can be worn. I am a mask that wears other people." —Bolair (65:34)
  • "Knowing you has made me bigger. Watching your talent has made me capable of wanting to be more." —Bolair to Hal (68:39)
  • "He thought I was a thing. He had no compulsion about treating me as." —Bolair on Ozzy Fang (69:27)

Timestamp: The Archive Scenes (42:57–57:06)

• The players descend into Bolair’s secret vault, confronting personal and historical mysteries. Murray’s magical intuition (Diviner Wizard, portent: nat 20 and a 2) foreshadows a pivotal success.

6. Museum Intrusion & Suspicion (73:02–80:09)

• Bolair is interrupted in the archives by Temade Wernst (museum benefactor) and the influential Lady Amaria Cormoray inquiring about the Pariah blades—legendary weapons from the God Wars. A sudden blackout at the prestigious Palazzo Divinos signals imminent danger.

7. Palazzo Divinos – Aftermath and Investigation (82:14–92:48)

• The group investigates the Palazzo, now mysteriously dark and eerily empty. They encounter a melted black wax—soon identified as a powerful necromantic spell component.

• Murray and Azune, encouraged by the group, mend the wax, triggering supernatural effects: Hal perceives (with nat 20) the presence of a spirit fox, leading the group to the Loy family estate.

• Notable Quotes:

  • "This is powerful necromancy. Maybe you realize it's a material component of a spell that was supposed to... shred violently the fabric between the world of Ahriman and the realm of death beyond." —Narration (86:58)

8. The Loy Family Estate—A Miracle and Its Cost (93:03–125:13)

• At the estate, they find Tysha with Octus’ body, desperately trying rituals while others hold vigil. Investigation and magic reveal Octus’ heart is gone, replaced by a necromantic stone (the Stone of Nightsong).

• Through expert collaboration (portent nat 20 yields automatic success), Murray and Bolair extract the stone and restore Octus—against all odds, returning him from death. His body is stitched together by a magical ribbon—the act is described as one of the most significant magical feats in the city’s history.

• Notable Quotes:

  • "Turns out you do. Because several absolutely thunderous, potent magical mistakes are not only prevented, but in this moment mended. You've fixed things you weren't even aware had been broken." —Narration, on the effect of the portent and the extraction ritual (112:18)
  • "It's gravity. The inevitability of the fuck objects to come into contact." —Bolair, reflecting on the weight of the moment (114:11)

9. Resurrection, Distrust, and Unanswered Questions (115:06–125:13)

• Octus, revived but altered (no heartbeat, uncertain status between life and death), struggles to remember and articulate his afterlife visions, hinting at a spectral war and the plans of the Taconis family in the underworld.
• Tensions rise as Julian nearly strikes at Octus, questioning if the miracle is a ploy—and the group prevents any rash acts.
• Notable Quotes:
  • "This one who walks from the realm without a heart. Once again amongst you. And you're so easy to call him a great gift from beyond. His family have always been nightmares. And tonight they have taken everything from me." —Julian (124:30)
  • "The doors to Faerie have closed. Step by step, wound by wound, we are made less. I will not have it. ... If there are answers, we will find them." —Erinessa (126:45)

10. Cliffhanger—A City on the Edge (129:49–End)

• The episode closes with the party reeling from the miracle, crisis of trust, and the looming threat. The city is described as beset by supernatural and mortal danger alike, while Octus is asked to recollect what he saw “on the other side,” knowing the fate of the city may depend on it.

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Memorable Moments & Quotes (with Timestamps)

• Unpacking Bolair’s Secret:
  • "I am an object created to kill a God. I am a thing. I am a mask that can be worn. I am a mask that wears other people. I am as old as the war itself." —Bolair (65:34)
• On Trust and Betrayal:
  • "I have tried so hard to never lie to you. Any lie I've ever told you is because your brother forced me to." —Bolair (54:22)
• On the Cost of Memory:
  • "Who knows what letting go is? But forgetting would be an injury and an insult. Forgetting is death." —Narration (27:15)
• On Resurrection and Possibility:
  • "Several absolutely thunderous, potent magical mistakes are not only prevented, but in this moment mended. You've fixed things you weren't even aware had been broken." —Narration (112:18)
• On Loss and Determination:
  • "The doors to Faerie have closed. Step by step, wound by wound, we are made less. ... If there are answers, we will find them." —Erinessa (126:45)

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Critical Timestamps for Navigation

• [03:33] Re-entry to story (post-break; setup at Hal's home)
• [04:00] The letter from Thimble to Murray
• [14:22] Reflection on the letter’s intent; theorizing city politics
• [23:11] Azune’s ritual honoring the lost at Falcon's Rest
• [34:56] Searching for Thimble; calls for the party to gather
• [42:57] Bolair opens the hidden archive and reveals his vault and identity
• [57:06] The group discusses the implications of Bolair’s revelation
• [80:09] Blackout and danger at the Palazzo Divinos
• [86:48] Investigating the spell component in the Palazzo
• [93:03] Arrival at the Loy estate; Tysha's unsuccessful attempts to revive Octus
• [107:07] Portent-aided extraction of the necromantic stone
• [115:03] Octus’ resurrection and the aftermath
• [124:30] Julian’s accusatory confrontation
• [126:45] Erinessa’s speech and the party’s shift towards action

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Tone and Language

The episode is rich in emotional vulnerability, with sardonic wit, raw grief, and philosophical asides. The tone is both epic and intimate; long-time fans will appreciate the layers of lore and high stakes, while the party’s banter grounds even the most miraculous moments with humor and heart.

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For New or Returning Listeners

This episode is a narrative pivot, drawing from campaign-long arcs but accessible through its clear emotional stakes and character-driven scenes. Mysteries are unearthed, and major character developments unfold. If you missed Part 1, you’ll want to catch up for full context, but this episode stands out for its potent revelations and the extraordinarily rare event of a PC dying and being brought back—brilliantly, through a combination of luck, lore, and layered teamwork.

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Next Episode Tease

The Overture concludes, with a one-shot scheduled for the following week before the narrative returns to the "soldiers" storyline. The city stands at a crossroads, with trust tested and the supernatural threat scarier—and more personal—than ever.

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Is it Thursday yet?

Transcript

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[B]

Hello again, it's Brennan Lee Mulligan, and you're listening to part two of this episode of Critical Role. If you haven't checked out part one yet, pause this now and head over there first. What are you doing? Otherwise, let's jump right back into this adventure and the world of Ahriman. We return to the city of Dhulnakjar. Did anything happen before the break? We return to the city of Dolmak Yar, to the drawing room of Hallandil Fang, where you sit, the liar's bed on your side, the sort of Thimble and Teor Cadogan, the now sort of itinerant Lord Wicander, Haylovar and Tyranny have all headed off under the stewardship of Azune to the Falcon's Rest there to, you know, pursue Casimir or Tera's brother Cid. Here in this you bid farewell earlier to Octus, who traveled off with Julia and to Venus. And Tysha has just run off after him to make sure he's okay. Hal, it is currently just you and Murray in your home. Shadi is out with some friends, and you have just passed. You have a letter in your hand that Thimble gave to you, which was supposed to make its way to Murray. Murray, here in this place, you have no idea about what is transpiring elsewhere across the river. It's a pretty chill night. Pretty chill night.

[E]

Things have finally calmed down.

[B]

Things have finally calmed down. And the letter that Thimble gave to you, you know, Hanta. Murray, the envelope just says Bolair on it. Murray, do you open the envelope?

[F]

Yeah.

[B]

Hell, yeah. If you'd be so kind, Liam.

[A]

I.

[E]

Had been looking for a moment.

[B]

To.

[E]

Pass this on to you. And even before this, when I saw Thiazi at the end, with Azune's help, I spoke to my brother only fleetingly, and he told me to help you. I don't know. I don't know why. And maybe you can tell me. Maybe this can tell us. I don't know.

[F]

You said on the outside it says Bow Air Bonaire. And Thimble gave you instructions to give this to me specifically for you. Is it pertaining bold? What, am I kidding? I'll read it. Do I read this out loud?

[B]

I think you should read it. However, Murray would read it if she would read it out loud. You read it out loud. But if she would read it first and decide what to do with it later, she should absolutely do that. Hal, looking around your home, you see Thiazi still on the table here, sword on your back. You see walking in the door as Murray's going over the letter, Shadia walks in bidding farewell. You hear some voices shouting like, we'll see you tomorrow. You see, she waves out and says.

[F]

Yeah, I'll see you then.

[A]

Great.

[B]

It was great seeing you. We should all. We should practice that. The routine again, because I think it's gonna be different with pins than with the balls, because they have the. They're just weighted differently in this. They're gonna move differently through the air. So we should just. We should go up to the next step. Hey, dad.

[E]

Hey, kiddo.

[B]

Hey. Juggling. Just trying to get everybody on the same page.

[E]

Juggling.

[B]

Well, I was thinking that it would be a great way if we go, maybe not the marketplace, but maybe head down to the fray or even just here in the rookery, just to let people know about the hallowed round, because I think there's a little bit of. I'VE been thinking about it. There's a little bit of a hurdle to clear of just like, you know, it's been a space that hasn't been used in so long.

[E]

A lot of misconceptions to overcome, a lot of people to put at ease.

[B]

And, you know, I was thinking about some of the decorating plans, which we were going to wait longer for, but we have that. The paint kind of, I guess, got earlier. Whatever. There was a lot. There was a lot.

[A]

Put it to use.

[B]

So I made the. I was thinking. I don't know what the plans are for the stage or stuff like that, but we have all those panels everywhere for the different boxes and stuff of doing some murals or some paintings. There's a bunch of stories from old plays and stuff. And she puts a list in front of you of a bunch of the characters of legend and story. Especially from the past 70 years, there's been an explosion of art and culture and some very old stories that weren't allowed to be told under the dominion of the God of war. And then other different lessons that are being interpreted a new light. And she gives you a list of different historical and legendary figures and things that there are a lot of plays already about and was like, yeah, I was thinking maybe decorating them on the boxes or on the panels or something like that could be kind of cool.

[E]

Hal does a ton of talking in his life, but he loves to listen to his children and gives her all the time in the world to run through all of her ideas. And especially with the insanity of the last pile of hours, this is a welcome reprieve. I think that sounds like an excellent idea. All of those did. And I think you should pick out your favorite ones, and then we will get to work on figuring out design.

[F]

I zoned out. What are y' all talking about?

[B]

Art, Painting, the theater. So there's like. There's some bigger, like, skyboxes around and different, like, viewing things, but especially the ones that are closer to the stage. I don't know which one. There's a couple. So there's some that are, like, way, way far legends, and there's some that are more recent, and there's, like, very near history. I don't know what the.

[F]

Right.

[B]

Because we can. Al.

[F]

I'm so sorry. I do not mean to be rude. We might want to have a chat. I'm sure this is, like, so important and so pressing, but. So I do not want to undercut that in the slightest, but.

[E]

It is important, and we will crack into it tomorrow.

[D]

Great.

[E]

What I think is that we start on the edges with the oldest and move in towards the center and the tree. But you start noodling.

[B]

I love that. I think Boland de Varstre is great. I think even though it's sort of more of a myth and a legend. There's Lugzub Kettle Helm, which is great for kids. And there's like, I don't know, there's a bunch of legends. I'll put it together, I'll think about it.

[E]

Both hands on the sides of her.

[B]

Cheeks, she smiles, says, excited. Okay, boy, there's a lot to do. Okay. And you see, she, without even thinking about it, just does a one handed cartwheel towards the stairs. Just a little acrobatic. And up the stairs.

[F]

Oh, wow.

[E]

In the morning, over breakfast.

[B]

Over breakfast.

[E]

He turns back and his smile fades.

[F]

Damn, I wish I had that type of energy still. Could you imagine I would throw my back out so fast, my big old titties doing cartwheels. There ain't a chance. All right, here's the thing.

[E]

Are you sharing?

[F]

This letter was meant for me. This letter was without a doubt meant for me.

[E]

Can you enlighten me or are we talking all secrets?

[F]

He talks about Bolair in this letter. The Aussie does. Honestly, it's. It's strange, it's fair, it's fairly benign, all things considered. But the letter A. But it does tend to open with the caveat of either I'm dead if this letter finds you. Either I'm dead or Lockmir has finally called in my tab at the Seven Stars and I've had to skip town. He talks about that he's rooting for me and that both him and I know the forces that are working against the city and the Pentevral, all of.

[B]

It.

[F]

Friends are in short supply, so allies will have to do. And then he talks about how he's had some success working for Bolaire. Although he goes on to say that he's not necessarily a friend, but that he says some things that are honestly, kind of disparaging. Unless I'm wrong to quote, he should be in that museum, not curating it. If you took that mask off of him, I suspect you'd have him well in hand. Signed the Ozzy Fang.

[A]

But.

[F]

This letter was addressed to Bolaire. I have a feeling whomever the betrayer was that we know has maybe been navigating some of these machinations of theirs for some time.

[E]

Sorry, help me understand. It's disparaging of Baler. While Being disposed.

[F]

It's not dispar. It's neut. Leaning, disparaging. It's neutral, negative.

[D]

May. I.

[E]

Don'T know what he is. Well, to start, my brother liked to keep me in the dark about most of his goings on.

[F]

I was very smart of him.

[E]

He's talked about sheltering me, his older brother.

[F]

Can I just in case, do some sort of. Am I sensing any type of Arcana, Any type of magic, any type of anything that might be hidden in this world?

[B]

Give me either arcana or investigation.

[F]

I shall give. Oh, they're both pretty good, honestly. But I'll give you arcana.

[B]

Shoop. No. Okay, I'll take it.

[F]

That is going to be 14.

[B]

The letter's not magical. And it was addressed to Bolair. Unless there were more than just these letters around, it's possible that the name on the outside was for the Azzi's own benefit. In terms of. Maybe he had a big old file folder of dirt on people. And the name.

[F]

This one was regarding Bolaire.

[B]

This one's regarding Bolair.

[F]

Is the name written on the front Bolaire? Does it match his signature in his hand handwriting?

[E]

I mean, I would recognize the handwriting too. Yeah.

[D]

Okay.

[B]

Looks like it was his way of keeping track of. And again, he had it in a hideout somewhere, so. So it's possible that he wanted dirt on people waiting should something happen to him that those like. Let's say it happened to be that Thimble could deliver it to you. But what if she couldn't? Then at least it's all sorted and filed somewhere for a worst case scenario.

[F]

All right, so, new theory. I know I just had one theory, but I think that's wrong. Immediately after thinking about it for more than two seconds. I think maybe this is kind of in reference to like his personal collection, like files, essentially, on a lot of people in the city. Does this bastard have a file on me?

[E]

Can we put all our cards on the table here?

[B]

Yeah.

[E]

I know my brother had dealings with you. I don't know the extent to which those ran. I don't know detail yet. Dealings with you?

[F]

Yeah.

[E]

Dealings with Volaire.

[B]

Yeah.

[E]

What exactly was the through line between you and my brother?

[F]

Well, similarly to Bolair, not to speak for him and his experience, but both Bolaire and I have uses and interests. Business needs for some of the more rare artifacts in life. Some magical supplies. Sometimes these things aren't necessarily obtained by the most virtuous of means. Magic is a dirty business.

[E]

It's more difficult every week.

[B]

Yeah, in the city.

[F]

So if you're gonna engage in a dirty business, if you are going to follow in this pursuit of knowledge, as much as I hate it, it should be far more accessible, in my opinion.

[B]

But.

[F]

The current circumstances in place do not allow for such a thing and have not for some time. So if you are going to get into the business of magic, then you need to be willing to get a little greasy.

[E]

So my brother was providing to you with the help of our maybe less than a friend. Bolaire.

[F]

Yeah, well, I mean, it goes both ways, right? Meaning sometimes he would have a need, sometimes I would have a need. It was very mutually beneficial. Sometimes I would go up against Bolaire, sometimes I would have to work with Bolaire.

[E]

Hal looks around at the insides of his house. Any sense that anyone outside of the three of you were wise?

[F]

Eh?

[E]

I mean, you cover your tracks?

[F]

Oh, yeah, sure.

[E]

Real sure.

[F]

I mean, honor amongst thieves, you know what I mean?

[E]

I thought you were a bursar.

[F]

Huh? Have you ever met a trustworthy financial advisor?

[E]

I run a theater. Point taken. Well, we're going to have to have a talk with my friend. Our friend, Bolair.

[F]

You know, I actually like Bolaire quite a lot. I don't think he likes me.

[E]

I like Bolaire quite a bit.

[F]

Yeah, I like how he's a little bit freaky.

[E]

He is an interesting sort, isn't?

[F]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[E]

Knowledgeable.

[F]

Are you sure you want to pursue in this, Hal? The Aussie, as you have mentioned, sheltered you quite a bit. He sacrificed. He did a lot to protect you. Honestly, he's about to undo.

[E]

I don't. Honestly. But do I have a choice? Everyone and their brother has been through my house in the last 24 hours. Are my kids safe? It doesn't feel like it. He worked his whole life to keep me safe. Fell apart at the end.

[B]

Murray. Seeing a look of determination pass over Hal's face. So sweet with his daughter. He's an established man in town. A lot of effort went into keeping him clean. And now he's got the liar's blade strapped to his back. There's something in the air. The plucking of strings, some kind of hum. You look at the mandolins and lutes, the pipes and instruments. It's almost like this whole world or an instrument being played and you can finally hear the frequency. You were kind enough to tell me before you got to the table what your portent rolls were today. As a diviner wizard.

[D]

Do you want.

[B]

To let me know at the table, know and our friends at home know what you've rolled.

[F]

I was very, very, very lucky. Very auspicious, as you mentioned.

[D]

Diviner Wizard.

[B]

That's so cool.

[F]

Diviner Wizard. She's been revealed. We got a sopas, baby. I rolled a 2 and a natural 20. So seeing building off of what you said and looking at the liar's blade on your back, Murray runs her tongue across her teeth and she gets a little bit of a metallic taste in her mouth, a little bit like burning ozone. There's a little bit of a hum, like a high pitch frequency that is almost entirely reserved for the ears of the youths before they start to lose that aspect of their hearing. There's a little bit of almost a gravitational shift, like a. Well, because as Murray knows, time is not a supernatural concept. Time is something rooted in science, in physics, in astronomy.

[A]

And.

[F]

She knows where some people might in the back of their head feel like the sign of deja vu means that it is the universe affirming that they are on the right path. That's bullshit. She knows she's tapping into something else, into the cosmic DNA, the math that connects everything and knows, yes, we are on the right path. But it has nothing to do with your superstitious bullshit.

[B]

Tomorrow the frequency may change on a pure mechanical level. Come the morrow, you will roll a new portent Roll. But there's a few hours left in this night. And with a Nat20 in your back pocket tonight, one thing that would maybe even be close to impossible. You are guaranteed success at. It's a shameful thing to waste. We are going to move from here. As you consider what you must do, we'll move to Falcon's Rest. Azune, you watch those horses vanish. The steeds ride away. Teor Cadogyn, the Lord Wicander Hailovar. What a strange sight. Strange days indeed. The aspirant tyranny and flitting to and fro fimble flying ahead of them riding north. All those names written on the columns as you hear the roar of the falls beneath you.

[D]

As they were leaving, I started to speak the names of those that fought alongside us, that fell, and for all intents and purposes were forgotten names that don't appear on Falcon's Rest. And I watch them disappear as they move towards the horizon. And I keep repeating those names and.

[B]

I.

[D]

Add one final one as they are finally out of my sight and I speak the name Thiaziphang. I have a moment at Falcon's Rest and think hard and try to resist the urge to you feel the sense of doom that I have for those that have just left. And I have this impulse to speak their names, but they're not gone.

[B]

They're just off.

[D]

And I shove that down, and I start to head back towards. And instead, I try to hold onto what I can from these people, from my past that saw me. Some of them grow up. And I try to remember what their faces look like today when I saw them last. And what I remember learning from them. Mostly how to fight. Mostly how to take a hit.

[B]

And.

[D]

And then I remember something that Thimble told me long ago that I often push aside because I didn't understand it as a lesson. I remember asking her how she was able to let go of the past.

[B]

And.

[D]

I don't remember the answer that she gave me because what I was left with was that she was able.

[B]

To let it go.

[D]

And I don't know how.

[B]

Give me an insight check. A natural one.

[A]

Oh. This side of the table's cursed.

[F]

They somehow play me.

[A]

That's rough, buddy.

[E]

Appreciate your honesty, though.

[B]

Thimble told you how you could let something go. How often do you come to the Falcon's Rest?

[D]

Every day. Unless I know that I can't.

[B]

You on a nap? 1. Feel the certainty deep within your heart, as you have for as long as you can remember. You don't know the difference between letting go and forgetting.

[D]

And I don't want to forget.

[B]

Who knows what letting go is? But forgetting would be an injury and an insult. Forgetting is death. While something is remembered, it is still here. There is something within you that feels as protective of these memories. Like a dragon in its golden hoard. There is something here that is more precious than anything in the world. It's those names written on those columns. It's the memories of what you had. And if you have to stay in pain to honor them, then so be.

[D]

I've said the names that have fallen over and over again to try to honor them and keep their memory alive. Those whose names will never be written anywhere. No record of them existing anywhere, as far as I know.

[F]

And I.

[D]

Wish I had more time with those that just left. I wish I had a moment to say so much. But I never got a chance. Mm. But I do say their names not to honor them because they've fallen, but to honor them because they're.

[B]

They're still here.

[D]

And I want to remember everything about them.

[B]

The good, the bad, the ugly, the.

[D]

Injuries that they've caused inadvertently. I want to remember the entire story of who they are. And I speak their names, those five that just left over and over again in a whisper to myself. And I wonder if they. If they'll forget me while they're gone.

[B]

On that nat one Remembering as much as you can. There is a strength and a power that comes from remembering. You can't let go of it.

[D]

Not yet.

[B]

You leave this place to return to Hal's home to check in after the eventful days here. Much to come. And much is happening.

[F]

I think as Azunay is walking up before you reach and your hand touches the handle. The door flies open and it's Murray on the other side in her face and the top of her blouse is wet with ice water and she's like perfect. Time, let's go. I got my second win. We are going. Time is right.

[D]

What have you had to drink?

[B]

Come on, just follow me. Okay, great. Murray, you take off. Hal, are you coming with?

[F]

We gotta go find Octus. He's in trouble.

[E]

Well, sometimes you just have to say yes.

[F]

Just say yes, baby.

[E]

And here we go.

[B]

Out the door.

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[B]

He Archonaut Polaire, you're working late once again. What are you up to?

[A]

I am just I'm trying to re establish a feeling of control. I'm not enjoying this process. Things are moving faster than I'd like to and I've cleaned up, put my mess away. I feel content that my most recent activities are well hidden. I need to find Thimble desperately. I just need to have a conversation before I can do anything. And I can feel things coming to a head and the only way I can maintain any control is by having a talk with Thimble. I don't know. You might know better where I might find her or where I would think.

[B]

To look for her here at the museum. Go ahead and give me an investigation check.

[A]

Check.

[B]

1313 on a 13. You spend that evening reaching out. You have some of your curators, your archivists, other people reach out to the usual contacts. Thimble hits a number of spaces pretty routinely. You're well aware of the rhythms and how she would have to maintain them in Thiazi's absence.

[A]

It's that or eventually going to the places I know just because of grief.

[B]

She might be on a 13. Nothing comes back like the strands of a spider's web. It is so hard to read the information of absence is something being perfectly still or have you caught nothing?

[F]

We're marching our way up to the Arcanat. Off we go into the wild little moon.

[D]

Can someone explain what's happening?

[B]

Where are we going and why?

[F]

I send a message. Polair. Kind of like through my fingertips. I have a little thread, a speaking tune as speak into it. You can see it vibrating.

[B]

Almost like.

[F]

It's like sound waves.

[E]

Are you sending or are you messaging?

[F]

Messaging.

[E]

Okay. You're trying to ping.

[B]

Yeah.

[F]

You are at the door.

[B]

A locked door at a loading dock. Behind in a service area. This massive revolutionary museum. It's like this gorgeous civic infrastructure. And there's raised stone platforms where carriages can move up to be unloaded. And you're at this little thing saying balare. And you see Balare working in your office. As you are, you hear some hushed voices from up farther in the museum area. Maybe something like a curator working at night or someone restoring something. But you get that magical pang of Murray Magnessen, the bursar of the Pentevral.

[F]

A liar.

[E]

This is normally where we bring set pieces in. It's at the back. Is he close enough to hear you?

[A]

Do I know that I can respond to this or not?

[B]

Yes, you do know that you can respond to this.

[F]

We're going hunting.

[A]

What do you need, Ms. McNessen?

[F]

We're going hunting. And it's bastard season. Let's go.

[D]

We have some.

[B]

Where are.

[A]

I know where you are. One moment. And I assume she's just going to be an asshole when we open the door.

[B]

You go to open the door. In my head I'm just seeing brick season. Bastard season. Brick season.

[E]

Bastard season.

[B]

Brick season. Fire. Unbelievable.

[A]

Yeah. I assume at the back door I swing it wide open. Please come in.

[B]

What cares however it is. Pull up a chair.

[A]

I have cigars I may have. You have.

[E]

Get them out. We've got to talk. Invite us upstairs.

[B]

Why?

[E]

Isa, we need to hash some stuff out, friend.

[A]

I will go get some wine and cigars. Has anyone seen Thimble as I bring everybody in?

[D]

Oh, yeah.

[F]

She left like two hours ago.

[A]

Where to? I need to talk to her about some other things.

[F]

She's very gone.

[E]

Left us sitting.

[B]

She.

[A]

Why would she do that? That's. No.

[F]

This is why we should probably have a conversation. You. You shady.

[E]

Find that wine.

[A]

Okay, hold on.

[F]

It's a good night.

[D]

All right.

[F]

It's a good night.

[D]

I thought we were finding Octus.

[F]

We are finding Octus. That's still on the to do list.

[E]

Once I.

[A]

She's really gone?

[D]

She's gone?

[B]

Yes.

[F]

She's not dead?

[D]

No.

[F]

Yet. I don't know. Once again, why are you so pissed off?

[A]

We had an arrangement. I needed to speak to her about our arrangement and I thought she would.

[B]

Be decent enough to give me the time of.

[D]

She ran out of time, Bolaire. She had to.

[B]

Yeah.

[F]

I don't know if you're aware, but one of our real dear friends died tonight and everything went 10. So I think the status quo was out the window right now.

[A]

Bolair, I am deeply aware and I am unhappy with where she left me and for that matter, where she now left all of us. How am I going to have to do this?

[B]

How are we doing?

[E]

Are we alone? Yes, for the most part.

[A]

I am taking you all down into the archives.

[E]

All right.

[A]

This is not a thing that is done. I am opening up the archive doors and I am walking at a speed that definitely seems to be that if I stop walking and stop doing this, I will think better of it. Anyone?

[B]

You three give me an insight check how I'll do so with advantage.

[F]

Insight check. Insight check.

[E]

That's good.

[F]

Let's use my little flip.

[A]

What does that one say?

[F]

Oh, that's bad. That's real bad. 4.

[E]

420.

[B]

18.

[F]

18.

[B]

23. 2318, I think. Azunay. You're just looking. You can tell that Bolaire is breaking museum rules by having you guys back. You are fine. Hal and Murray are not fine back here because you've done the deep scan before, right? Maybe not all the way to this level, but certainly in the archives more generally. You've come around and investigated. Hal, on a 23, you saw Bolaire. Bolair stopped by with the paint earlier today and he was looking a mess. This Bolaire. I'll say on a 23. What does someone who does a lot of work with specifically body posture and knowing that notice about Bolaire.

[E]

All I do is study people.

[A]

I'm. I will say it's a couple interesting things. I seem a little. A little energetic, more energetic than normal and a little shaky. But that just could be because of the way things are going. I'm not as delicate on my feet right now as I normally am. I'm a little clunky, like I've been drinking. But not just in the way I walk. Also, there are always little. I cover up pretty tightly. But in the couple places where you can see skin and there are not a lot of them. I am not gray. I am much healthier looking than I was for the last couple months. And it's not like it's never shifted back and forth before, but this is pretty.

[B]

Your friend Belair's made a pretty miraculous recovery. Yeah.

[E]

Image of health.

[B]

Image of health.

[A]

Yeah, a little.

[F]

Yeah.

[D]

I think.

[E]

As we move through the museum, I drag back a bit and I catch Azune by the arm. I know you trust me, so trust me. En garde.

[B]

Yes, of course.

[A]

I stop in the middle, or towards the back of the archive, and I turn. I was really hoping to have that conversation with Thimble, because this would have made all of this a lot easier. I'm going to need all of you to trust me and I don't know any other way to make that happen. One moment. And I'm going to open my secret Archive.

[B]

What do they see within this sanctum sanctorum?

[A]

Have you ever seen Young Frankenstein? No. So only 20 times overtine it is.

[E]

Nice knockers.

[A]

Thank you, darling. It is a.

[F]

Pit.

[A]

It's like a round staircase that goes down about a floor and a half, maybe two floors down into God knows what, underneath the museum. The winding staircase, stone staircase, which has no rail on it, is lined by bookshelves all the way down. And then at the very bottom of this pit is a desk, boards, papers, the sort of tools one does to clean and study magical objects. And then a little room to the side. There's just a vault door to the.

[B]

Side.

[A]

That once we get down to the bottom, I will open up. And it is. It's about three times the size of the building, of the room we're in right now. This hall, well, it's a very reasonable.

[B]

Family of four home.

[A]

And it is Ark of the Covenant, filled with very bizarre objects.

[E]

You have been holding out on me.

[A]

I've been holding out on everybody.

[F]

I was just like a kid in a candy store. And as she walks by the. The rows of books, she very.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[F]

A little sleight of hand just kind of runs her fingernail, her quill, tip, fingernail, just across the spines and just gets those little tingles of anything arcane ever so slightly.

[A]

There is a desk and there's some chairs. I'm going to pull up chairs, put down a table at the very bottom, because we can be bit a little alone here and pour some wine for everybody.

[B]

Give me an arcana check as you're passing by.

[A]

Oh, yes.

[F]

Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom, nom, nom. What?

[B]

Ooh.

[F]

I'm going to keep it. It jumped in the back that is going to be 27, natural 19.

[B]

You're dragging your hand over there is a piece of stone sculpture maybe about 30ft long. It's a stone sculpture of a hand. How it got moved down to this vault would have required Lord knows what. But the hand, you see that it's a sculpture of a hand, but within it there is these ever so slightly raised. And you realize the raising of the runes on the hand is about the same proportional distance of a tattoo. Like someone was so fine to be able to on a solid piece of stone render the raisedness of a tattoo in a language. On that 27 you realize this is. It's not even an Alphabet you recognize, except that it bears some resemblance to elements of giant writing you have seen in the past. And when you get to the back of the hand where the sculpture stopped, you realize that the shattered wrist essentially you look and your eyes go wide on a 27 because that should just be the rough unhewn stone. And it kind of is, except that a chunk of stone bone is coming out like would happen if a hand actually got torn off somebody.

[E]

Simultaneously, separately, as Murray moves forward into the space. Hal closes his eyes after getting a glimpse of this massive space. Thinks of a lifetime of his love of language, focuses that intentionality in his heart. It moves to his head. And I cast comprehend languages and step up behind Murray looking at what she's looking at and read out loud the thing that is there.

[F]

Murray is almost a little entranced. She's a little in a daze looking at this.

[B]

The beginning of the tattoo says written in ancient high giant. This language would have been taken from the language directly of primordials. You think that this giant with a 30 foot hand what their head would have touched the bottom of cloud. You know, how tall was this creature? The phrase begins, where we have stood since the the dawn of time. No one else will shape against and reaches the rest.

[E]

And you hear Hal's voice recite that hanging over your dwarven shoulder.

[A]

Do I hear what he said?

[B]

Mm.

[A]

If you're going to read things, just be careful what you read out loud. Temperamental in here.

[E]

Anything you want to point out out in particular?

[A]

Oh, take your bloody pic.

[F]

I'm gonna do it. I gotta do it. I gotta do it. I grabbed hand, I shake its hand. It's like has anyone seen talk to me. It's that I don't know what happens.

[A]

I immediately cast command. No.

[B]

Give me a wisdom saving throw.

[E]

How spunky is nerd?

[F]

You're very spunky.

[B]

Yeah.

[F]

Wisdom saving throw. Yeah, it's okay.

[A]

14 Save as DC 14.

[B]

Save as DC 14.

[F]

Mitsa beats it.

[B]

Meatza beats it. Yeah. So you. You see the magic, but you're so curious, you reach out, grab the finger. You're touching a big stone finger.

[F]

Oh, fuck me.

[A]

I walk up and I look right, right in your face. With my complete lack of eyes and those two tiny little shiny blue gems that are set back way too far to be actual eyes. There are things in here that are far more clever than you. I will allow you to have the run of the place. But just be careful for now. You young.

[E]

All right, well, I think we can.

[F]

I think I'm older than him.

[E]

Table our rabid curiosity for a little while. We have some discussion.

[B]

We do.

[A]

To get through Bowlaire, I have opened up a very expensive bottle of wine.

[F]

What if I could talk to a dead giant? That would have been awesome.

[D]

What if I want to talk to you? That would be really, really not awesome.

[F]

That would be rude.

[B]

The wine opens, glasses are poured. Business is at hand.

[A]

So I assume this wine is older than I am. If I'm opening the good shit, it's in here.

[B]

You open the good shit and the fragrance of fermented grape stamped by immortal feet under the loving gaze of a now dead goddess fills the room.

[C]

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[D]

My warhammer is out. It's just casually at my side. But I do look at how I'm watching you.

[E]

So, to bring you up to speed, not that I know what's going on in Thiazi's final moments, thanks to you. I had a moment with him. A moment to learn that he and we have business with Murray and business with Bola. I don't understand the entirety of it. I can't see the entire beast yet. But we're going to hash it out. I don't know what the paint was about. I don't know what help you need. My brother seemed to think you were both important. My brother had warnings about you. Which I would love to understand after. Oh, at this point, let's call it years of talk over coffee on an almost weekly basis. Why is my brother warning this woman about you? Why do you think that is?

[A]

I was really hoping to speak to Thimble. Do you remember the day I met your brother at your house?

[E]

Insight check. Right now, does he look like he's trying to come up with lies to me?

[B]

Insight versus either persuasion or deception.

[A]

Nat 20. So sorry.

[E]

Natural one.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[F]

What is happening?

[B]

I love it. I'll say on that that Hal will believe. Probably whatever Baler would ask him to believe.

[A]

One week after I met your brother at your home.

[B]

Thimble arrived at the.

[A]

Museum with a letter. Your brother had discovered things about me that could get me. I'd say, put away where that sounds like I'd done something. He knew things about me that were. If put out into the open, would have made my life, if not difficult, unbearable. And he told me I had to work for him. And he forced me to start stealing from this library for him, for other people. And he told me if I told you any of this, that would be the end of me.

[B]

I.

[A]

I have tried so hard to never lie to you. Any lie I've ever told you is because your brother forced me to. And I thought finally I would be free. And I thought finally I could just.

[B]

Just.

[A]

Know that my contract was over. Know that there was someone who would let me go so that I could start cleaning up this fucking mess that your brother put me in. He has compromised every level of my life that I was very happy with and just treated me with more disdain than I can possibly. Possibly express. And it has broken my heart that I've had to sit here and think about that in front of you for so long. Your brother was a very complicated man. And many people, I've heard, have said many things about him. He could also be very cruel and hateful. And he was not kind to me to the bitter end. And I did not deserve it. Any sins that I have put forward pale in comparison to the things that I have done for him or. Or the things I have seen him do. And I thought Thimble. I thought maybe since she had been kind and worked very hard to make sure I never had to be in his presence. Used to say that she. I would give her gifts. And in return, she would, as a Thimble, should keep me from coming into contact with a prick. So he's dead. And there is something wrong out there. You know there's something wrong. There is a shadow.

[F]

Yeah. Balare.

[A]

On the world. And I need you to trust me. And that is why we are in here. As I don't know how else to get any of you to trust me without thimble.

[E]

Well, I think that the four of us can all feel the daggers out around the city. Yes.

[A]

Yes.

[E]

And you want us to trust you. And I'm your friend and I want to trust you. So maybe we could start with the things you say my brother held over your head.

[A]

Where to start? I fought in the Shapers war. I helped with my family murder a God. I watched it happen with my own eyes.

[B]

Okay.

[F]

He's older than me.

[A]

That wine is older than me.

[E]

How old are we talking about? A few centuries, give or take.

[A]

I was created during the Shapers war. I woke up. I woke up two days before the death of Rowan, the trickster God. Two days before I was created to destroy her. I'm not. I'm used to half truths. It's what I do best. This is uncomfortable.

[E]

What do you mean? What do you mean created? You were born.

[B]

I'll ask actually for arcana checks from any of the three of you.

[A]

I'm trying to think of how to do this without having things get really messy.

[B]

Have arcana or religion?

[F]

Natural one.

[B]

Natural one. You got it.

[A]

That's fair.

[D]

8. 19.

[E]

19.

[B]

On a 19. There are a couple other. You're an orc. So the pariah blades were the swords that were crafted by the Loy family, by Tysha's family to destroy the God of war. And you know that there were other. The other weapons of the mortals of the Shapers war. I think you had heard that the humans had actually made staves. That there were essentially spellcasters that were were to destroy the God of the sun. The elves only made one. The elves made one arrow. The last arrow to destroy their goddess. But sitting here as Balir invokes the name of the dead trickster God. God of the halflings. You realize on a 19 you've never heard what the weapons of the halflings. Maybe that's a gap in your education. But also, did you hear something you might have heard somewhere? That there was a rumor that was one of them. But you suddenly realize you don't know that with certainty. You know the sword that killed the God of war is enshrined in a domed, beautiful glass exhibit right upstairs. That's not what happened with the weapons of the Halflings. You don't actually know what those weapons even were.

[E]

Born a little less than a century ago.

[A]

Not born. Made. Made.

[F]

He belongs in a museum.

[D]

I've been torn. Looking back and forth between Hal and Bolaire and watching. I've been ready to see how Hal responds to this. But at this moment, seeing this confession, I walk up to you. You are alive. Yes.

[A]

I mean, I suppose that depends on your dad. Definition of alive, that gets very complicated.

[D]

Are you a machine?

[A]

No, I'm not.

[D]

Are you somewhere in between?

[A]

I'm a part. I am a character. I am of the panto. A series of masks created to perform a very, very specific play. In a play that was designed to murder a God. This mask could be worn by anyone. No, the mask can wear anyone. I can wear anyone.

[E]

I love poetry and verse, but can we speak in prose for a moment here?

[A]

This is me, unfortunately, stuck.

[B]

To this.

[A]

I need this. But I'm not in here. This is just what I need.

[E]

Does Buller's ear look the way it looked 48 hours ago?

[F]

No.

[A]

Well, you can't see it. It's underneath the hair.

[F]

Okay, so if you put on a different mask, would you be a different person?

[B]

Give me a perception check. With advantage.

[A]

I can answer that.

[E]

It's not that good, actually. Not a good roll. Just a 12.

[B]

Just a 12. Gotcha.

[A]

I really thought you were more clever than that. No, if I put on a different person, I'm still the same mask. Do you understand?

[C]

All right.

[A]

Is this the way it's going?

[B]

Wait.

[D]

Come here. Come here. And I get very close to you and I start to put my hand on your face.

[A]

On the mask.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Yes.

[D]

And I run my hands, my finger across. I trace whatever the shape of this mask is. Where there's a cheekbone, I'll trace along that. The jaw, the nose. Does it feel like flesh? Is this flesh?

[A]

How would I know? And I remove my wig.

[B]

You see, this is not on that 23 insight from before. And you see a chip out of the ear. And earlier tonight, to revisit the time in Speak no Evil, that den of fiendish magic down in the fray, when our dear friend Obrys Dryme cast sleep on. Bolaire. Bolaire. You remember the unconsciousness and waking up as Obrystreim looked at the rune in the center of the mask. Became enchanted and charmed. Put them mask on. And there was Baulaire looking at his old body before the glass cleaver came into his hand.

[A]

I pulled my own clothes off of my old body, chopped my old body up, threw most of it in the fire. I have a few things just to make sure. Cleaned up, put my clothes back on and came here for a nice shower.

[E]

I need a moment without innuendo. You and I have spoken about literature for over 200 hours. Over coffee in the neighborhood around the rookery. You have attended performances where my daughter played music. I want to hear you say the words that speak plainly and true. Who or what. What are you?

[A]

I am an object created to kill a God.

[B]

I am a thing.

[A]

I am a mask that can be worn. I am a mask that wears other people. I am as old as the war itself. When I am not one, I sleep. Minutes after the death of the trickster, I slept until the next war where I was worn and used. And then I slept. And then I was worn and used, and I slept through battle after battle. And then one day, during the Falconers Rebellion, I suddenly had the first thought that hadn't been put in my head when I was created. I had realized that the play I was written for was long over. I was a character whose play had ended. And I had just been left there waiting, just running through the motions. And I suddenly knew there must be more. And so I ran away. I saw an opportunity. I took the body that was holding me and I left. And I found my way here. I knew. I know these things. I have seen all these things. I am. This was something I was good at. This was something I could do. That was not what I was made for. And I went through the motions. And I didn't change, really. I was just another character. I was. And then one day I saw one of your plays. And for the first time, theater was more. And. Oh, my God, Hal. Everything you write changes everything. Knowing you has made me bigger. Watching your talent has made me capable of wanting to be more. And I don't know how to express what it is, because you are the only friend I've ever had. But I will. I was ready to tell you everything before your brother, and instead he poisoned it. And you are genuinely all I have beyond this. He's ruined my career. He's poisoned the only friendship that ever mattered to me. And.

[E]

I.

[A]

Will do anything, anything to make this. To make this work, to make this better, because this is the most important thing I've ever known. This theater is so important. You're so important. Your children are so important.

[F]

None of that explains why he hated you.

[A]

He didn't hate me. He thought I was a thing. He had no compulsion about treating me as.

[D]

You were useful to him.

[A]

I was useful. And I wasn't real.

[E]

How did he find out?

[A]

I don't know. I have my suspicions. During. When I was woken for the Falconer's Rebellion. I was used for some clans, destined missions. Nothing I thought about. Didn't think about. These things. And someone must have known. I have brothers and sisters. There are more masks, but they have not been found.

[B]

For you. Hal, you remember the shattered pieces of a black ceramic mask in that coffin? The coffin with Murray, as you know, halfling, ancient halfling writing on it. Hal, you also remember your brother's, at times, juvenile sense of humor, where he loved to put something literally true, hidden in a euphemism. And you remember the last line of his letter, the one where he said, if you have that letter there, you can read that last line. It seemed like a euphemism, but you begin to realize, based on what Polaris told you, it's not.

[F]

If you took that mask off of him, I suspect you'd have him well in hand.

[E]

Touched his wound the entire time, and he drains it in one go.

[B]

Upstairs, you hear a shuffling chime of someone calling for you. One of the night curators, or some docent up above. Baler is calling for you.

[A]

This is too important. I won't be.

[D]

Wait, wait, wait. Before you leave, I want to scan this mask. It's been around for a long time. Are there any dings? Is there any imperfection on it anywhere?

[A]

Just that it was clearly handmade out of something, maybe bone, clay. The eye sockets are un. There is nothing. They are voids. And there is the blinking. That when Volare blinks, it is just those little blue lights somewhere, maybe 4, 5. 5 inches back. The blink, not the zero.

[E]

Text, runes, language at all.

[B]

Okay.

[E]

Okay.

[A]

I would show you, but I doubt you would trust.

[D]

No, it's okay.

[A]

Put on. And I would show you, except this body is.

[D]

That's not what I'm looking for.

[A]

Ornery.

[D]

Well, there. That's not what I'm looking for. And I try to find the closest thing to a nick, and I'm. I'm going to cast mending on it.

[B]

You cast mending? I'll say that. Taliesin, I'll allow you to determine what the effect of a mending cast on your mask would be.

[D]

Oh.

[A]

Interesting. I don't know. I haven't seen thought about that.

[B]

I think in that moment, as you go to cast amending, the spell energy goes into something, and you hear someone letting themselves into the archive. Not the secret part, but someone is walking around in your archives right now.

[A]

Just a second. I'll make this very quick.

[B]

And I pull back. The intention is there. As you step up, the three of you remaining here. Bellaire you arrive up and you see one of the benefactors of the museum. This would be Temade Wernst. Is standing there with someone you haven't seen before. Temode is an older man, sort of smiling. You're up here in the archives. You see some sort of dim, windows out. Give me a perception check if you'd be so kind and.

[A]

Shit. Seven.

[B]

Seven. Great. You see that Temode is standing there. You can look out and see that rotund man, regal robes. He's standing there with another woman who you see, he goes. Curator Bolaire, I wished to introduce you to. I know it's quite late hour, but she has come here actually from. And you see that woman who dressed resplendent white robes, middle aged, very bejeweled woman, dark skin, braided hair wrapped around her in a crown. You see that she smiles and says. I am the Lady Amaria Cormoray. It is a pleasure to meet you, Curator Bellair.

[A]

Yes, hello. Hi.

[B]

How may. Good evening.

[A]

I'm so sorry, I've been in the middle of so many things. What can I do for you this evening?

[B]

I'm sorry to bother you at this late hour, but I actually wished to ask you a question, if I could, about some of the artifacts contained in the loyewing. I've been selected by the Chamber of Lords advisory and we are engaged in a review here of specifically the Pariah blades. Those that have been recovered.

[A]

Yes, of course. It is a bit late. Would it be possible to reschedule? After I've had my beauty sleep, obviously.

[B]

I certainly understand. Believe me, to drag me from the comforts of my own home at this late hour is certainly a bother. Well, I'd be happy to come back another time. Would tomorrow suit you?

[A]

Well, tomorrow would be absolutely amazing. Would you like to have a discussion about them before getting the tour or would you just prefer the tour itself?

[B]

The tour would be absolutely lovely. Temode has been kind enough to show me around the sort of public exhibits, but I understand. I understand that you've been gaishir for quite some time.

[A]

Oh yes, quite some time. I'm very proud of our collection.

[B]

How long have you been working here for?

[A]

Oh, years now. It's been since. My God, not quite a decade yet, but maybe eight years, I suppose. Yeah, it was about that.

[B]

Well, splendid. Well, you must get your beauty sleep. I'd be happy for my carriage to give you a ride. Where do you live?

[A]

I live uptown a bit. I have my own carriage. But I also say I'm actually Putting away some work for the next hour or so. That's dangerous to say the least. Which is why if you would excuse, I would give you a tour right now if it wasn't for help.

[B]

Give me a persuasion check. Okay.

[D]

That'S.

[F]

Where'd it go?

[A]

That's about 8:14.

[B]

You see, she says, oh, you have work that you're attending to. Well, don't mind me, I'm a fly on the wall. I'll be happy to. But the archival work is actually what I'm more interested in frankly than the. I mean I could come here in the middle of the day for the general admission to see the exhibits of course, more broadly.

[A]

All right, this is Jess Vocal. All right. I'm going to attempt to cast suggestion.

[B]

Great. Are you disguising the casting of the spell?

[A]

I can do that. Can I? Or no, I can't, can I?

[B]

How's it you can. I don't know if you can. You can give me a sleight of hand. I mean it is.

[A]

Ah, fuck.

[D]

Shit.

[B]

As you are doing that. Yeah, you see that there's this tense moment as she stands there with you and you see that Temaday who's just sort of smiling and you can tell in his face he's like.

[A]

This is going.

[B]

Well you see, he looks over and goes oh, that's strange. And you see he looks down the river from the Archenaud through this window. He looks out and goes oh, suppose they're turning in rather early. And you see he looks down. Right downriver from the archenaut is the Palazzo Divinos in which you see Temode noticing and seeing all of the. The lights are out in the entirety of the Palazzo. It's a strange dark smudge on the well lit. These are like the riverside palazzos are like the high station to have this riverside palace on the cliff's edge overlooking the river. And it's just one.

[E]

It's like seeing the Empire State Building blackout in the skyline of New York City.

[A]

Yeah, is this. What is what is this triggering anything in me? Am I having any.

[B]

Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad.

[D]

That was a lot.

[B]

You see also at this moment you also look out and see that the Lady Amaria looks and goes. She sees the same thing that Temode has noticed and goes well, that is strange.

[A]

We are going to have to put this off right now. I'm so sorry, I have an emergency. The thing downstairs is volatile and can hurt people.

[B]

So I'm giving you to leave.

[F]

Come on. What is happening?

[A]

How dare. Shit Bugger. This is what I'm good at.

[F]

11.

[B]

You see, the Lady Amaria says. I did not mean to disturb. You're a busy expert. You have your own work to attend to. Monster Warnst, would you please? And you see, she held out her hand. And Temede says oh, very well. Well can always be counted on for a nighttime tour of the museum. On different circumstances or the day. I am a benefactor and they let me in because of that. And you see that he.

[A]

I will owe you so much more after this. I promise. Special tour behind the scenes.

[B]

Yes, special. Yes. And you see that he walks off. And the Lady Amaria smiles. Turns quickly to walk off with Temaday. What the fuck is that?

[A]

I turn around full speed and run back.

[B]

Getting downstairs. The three of you are encountered there. Bolair, you approach them.

[A]

We have a situation. Now everyone.

[E]

I thought we already had a situation.

[A]

No, I agree.

[D]

All right.

[B]

You rush back. As you do so you guys get back up and you see lights out. Palazzo Divinos. Where Octys was headed.

[A]

This is very bad.

[D]

This is very bad. Is anybody around us?

[E]

We're alone.

[D]

They had gone off somewhere else.

[E]

Yes.

[F]

Wait, what's happening?

[B]

Yes, those two are gone.

[D]

They're gone.

[F]

Why do you all feel like. I feel like you guys know something I don't. Why is this what's happening?

[E]

Well, Octus was headed there.

[F]

Oh yeah. He's in danger. Did you guys know he's in danger? He's headed there. He's in danger.

[E]

I want to put my faith in you. I want to. For the moment, I'm going to just take a leap of faith. And the word faith reverberates in the back of all of your brains. And I cast aid. And the three of you, not me. The three of you gain an extra temporary. Five hit points for the mobile.

[D]

Temporary or max hit points up.

[E]

Each target's hit point max and current hit points increases for the duration for eight hours until you.

[A]

So max goes up. Max goes up.5 hit points.

[D]

Oh, with that. I was about to ask if you felt unsafe. But that tells me everything I need to know. And I'm casting false life on myself.

[B]

Okay. You also know how that Tysha was headed there?

[A]

Yeah.

[F]

Promise was looking practice. I was trying to get to this. This was literally the whole impetus of us going out tonight. Did you guys already know this? Son of a bitch. No one tells me anything. Let's go.

[B]

Great. Where are you headed?

[F]

To the woodlands.

[B]

Great. The four of you head off into the night as fast as you can.

[F]

To the Palazzo.

[B]

You guys arrive some 20 or 30 minutes later.

[E]

We don't come in banging pots and pans though, right? The place is blacking out. It's already done that.

[B]

Yes. You arrive as you. As you arrive. You arrive at the Plaza Divinas. Do you want to give me any skill checks? Upon arriving there?

[A]

I can see. I will just say immediately that I can see in complete darkness. Including magical darkness. So I am trying to get spotted by vision.

[F]

I'll immediately know. You said Tycha was here. Hey, hey.

[E]

Yes, she went with the boy.

[F]

All right. I'm going to send a message to Tycha.

[D]

I will have on my way time to detect magic rituals so that it's activated by the time we get here.

[B]

Okay?

[F]

Oh yeah. Mage armor.

[B]

Mage armor. Detect magic. And you're casting what now? Message.

[F]

Message.

[B]

Okay, great.

[E]

I stand behind the three of them.

[B]

Great.

[E]

That's my skill.

[D]

I'm right at your side.

[B]

You have to take magic on.

[D]

I have to take magic on.

[B]

Give me investigation or arcana checks. I will do an arcana check.

[D]

I would like to use a luck point.

[B]

Yeah, go for it. Oh my God. 12.

[F]

19 for arcana.

[B]

19.

[A]

Natural one I've had. I'm very distracted. Shit has gone tits up today.

[B]

Jesus. Yeah.

[E]

Eight investigation a lot.

[B]

Eight investigation. You guys get. You have a 19 Arcana?

[F]

Yeah.

[B]

You guys arrive at the Plaza Divinos, the gates open. Beautiful garden.

[F]

I send that message to Tycha. Once again. I get like a no.

[B]

Nothing coming back. Nothing. You walk into the main hall. It's absolutely deserted.

[E]

No guard of any kind.

[B]

No gates are not closed.

[A]

I hate this so much.

[F]

Yeah, I don't like this either.

[E]

And above table, there's no bodies.

[F]

Yeah. Blood, Nothing. Blood, nothing. You said you detected magic.

[D]

I have it running. I'm walking around and seeing if anything pings.

[E]

Well, this is fuckerdly.

[F]

Yeah, you can say that again.

[A]

If they said anything. Have you tried contacting them with your thing?

[F]

I did. Taisha's not responding.

[E]

Can we hear anything?

[F]

It could just be because she's not in my range.

[B]

How deep into this dark palace do you want to walk?

[E]

I personally don't want to walk too deep.

[A]

As far as necessary.

[E]

We're in the beginning of the entry Hall.

[B]

Yeah. 19. The highest roll you got was a 19 Arcana, right?

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

Murray, it's so empty in here. There should be people here. There's always some staff at the Palazzo. The Divinos house. It's a vassal house of House Royce. There's something there in the middle Very middle of the great hall, on the floor on 19 arcana, there is something. But you have to walk in there to see it.

[D]

How far away is it from us?

[A]

I can go.

[E]

Are there any questions or anything lining the walls?

[B]

All snuffed.

[E]

All snuffed.

[A]

I can see perfectly fine. You can't.

[B]

Yeah. Balare. You walk up, you can grab whatever it is and bring it to Murray for that 19 arcana check if you. If you'd like.

[A]

Yeah, I'm going to. Yeah.

[D]

I will accompany you because I don't.

[F]

I'll stay right here because I want you to feel.

[D]

I want you to be safe.

[B]

Baler returns with something pulled up off the stone. Melted black wax.

[F]

Melted black wax.

[B]

Is there a wick?

[F]

Is this something. Yeah, is there a wick. Is this something that you feel like it would be used in a spell casting component, ritual.

[E]

Anything carved into.

[B]

On a 19 arcana? On a 19 arcana. This is powerful necromancy. Maybe you realize it's a material component of a spell that was supposed to. To make this world not only coterminous, but this was supposed to shred violently. The fabric between the world of Ahriman and the realm of death beyond.

[A]

Azane.

[D]

Yes.

[A]

What do you suppose would happen if we mended this?

[F]

I don't know if I would do that if I were you. I mean, I actually should elaborate. I don't know if anything would happen. This is just a singular component likely used in a larger ritual where you would probably need other components. But I am getting some very intense necromantic energy from this. This is something that has. Necromantic. It's malicious. This is larger than us. Where's Octis?

[E]

I'll walk past them.

[B]

Further into.

[E]

Is there stairs or doors or anything leading off of this large chamber? So I'm not leaving the chamber, but I am separating from them and just straining to hear anything. Do I hear anything?

[B]

Give me perception.

[E]

Natural 20.

[B]

On a natural 20. I need to ask this. Azune.

[D]

Yes.

[B]

You have mentioned mending that wax to see what it originally was. It's the only way. It's the only. This place is so picked clean that it is a source of true fear that it is this clean. The only clue you have is this little bit of melted wax. And a mending might give you some insight into it. But as you said, it was a powerful material component of something necromantic and foul.

[D]

My detect magic is up. Is any active magic reverberating from it?

[B]

No, not. Not like a spell, but you know, just yeah. It would be like reconstituting a knife when you have detect stabbing.

[D]

Correct.

[B]

So it's not a knife. Doesn't mean that someone gets stabbed. But fixing a knife is a great way for someone to happen. For some stabbing to happen.

[F]

No, I'm detecting a straight line for nothing to stab.

[B]

Yeah.

[F]

Like I said, look like I normally these very complex rituals and whatever they were doing here, looking around, looking to see if I can even continue to sense anything. But it takes more than just a few candles and a little bit of magic flame. So I'm sure there's. Just do it is what I'm saying. Just do it.

[D]

You want me to do it?

[F]

Yeah, do it.

[D]

We both do. Okay.

[A]

Deeply agree.

[D]

I looked to each of you. How far away is Hal from us?

[B]

Hal's about 40ft away from you.

[A]

I move 10ft towards Hal.

[D]

Hal, come closer, please.

[B]

Shh. You can move closer to Hal as well.

[D]

I'll take the candle so we're closer to each other. And I will conjure that magic and I will cast magic on that candle.

[B]

Speaking that word. I don't know. Does Azunay know the meaning of the words and the verbal component for mending?

[D]

Some. It's like a translation of something that he's a few steps removed from.

[B]

On a NAT20 perception, you say a word that you just know was handed down to you. It's just as natural as anything else. You speak the word NAT20 perception on the residual, comprehend languages from earlier. You don't even know what language Azune is speaking, but you know the exact meaning of the word. He says mending. But you can mend things that you don't even know what they are. So what does that mean? How are you fixing it if you don't know what it was? Cause you don't have to know. The word you say is remember. And the candle remembers what it was. It comes back. And on a NAT20 perception, hell. You and you alone here, you hear a fox's footprints as something. When that candle comes back, races past you out the door towards the gate, following people you need to find.

[E]

So the fox just bolted past us through the chamber?

[B]

Yes. With the candle reconstituted.

[E]

We're moving. Come on, keep up.

[F]

What you say? What just happened?

[E]

Let's go.

[F]

Nobody tells me anything.

[B]

How you race from the Palazzo and you are rushing through the streets. It is past the witching hour. It is deepest night in Dolmachyar. And you realize you know where you're running. You're running to the loy. Family estate. I'm going to need Aabria, Ashley and Matt in here.

[E]

Y.

[A]

I'm an object.

[F]

I get it.

[E]

I don't want to objectify.

[F]

Yeah.

[E]

Oh, please.

[D]

I will revisit this.

[A]

I am so excited to. Yeah. I was like, I just want to play ascension over.

[F]

Or do they want.

[B]

No, stay on this with a little. Don't we punished.

[A]

Make that.

[E]

It's a ghost. It's a ghost.

[D]

What a weird. What a weird day.

[B]

What a weird day.

[F]

Yes, bro.

[B]

So you rush through the nighttime streets of Dolmachyar, Balare, Hal Murray, Azunay and arrive in Dolmakyar. The Loy home in the neighborhood of Mirza across from Lugsash. Mirza overlooks the cliff on the lower neighborhoods of the city. The loys have been there forever. Aabria, can you please describe the loys who are not a noble house, but they are a house of heroes. It is the house of the Smiths that forged the future of this world. Can you describe the what the house of the Loy's looks like?

[F]

Yeah, it is a large single story estate that sort of spills over onto a gentle, gentle decline.

[B]

It's built into the side of a.

[F]

Hill and very specifically on the property. It's a very normal outdoor indoor high arched, stucco, sort of Spanish colonial vibe. But all the trees on the property are either golden ginkgo, but fiery red or ironwood trees. So that the really thick, not that shreddy trunks of the tree, they get very dull gray and very hard easily. So it's just two very specific kinds of trees that don't appear anywhere else in the city.

[B]

This beautiful garden with these red ginkgo trees, these trees that seem vibrant and not only alive but at the ready. There is a power of readiness here. And as you move through this place, you see there are also throughout the gardens, these large boulders that stand almost like places of meditation. Many of them have worn seats smooth up high for someone to go meditate or pray or be at peace within. And the boulders have veins of rich copper and iron and metals running through them. Here in this place, you see, you know the. The Loy family, the family estate. A lot of the. Lois moved to Dolrunga away from here. But I think you see tending to this place, there's only like one or two and they're not even really. It's not your family doesn't have like attendance. But it's like, oh, there's like a neighbor that you guys like have known for your whole lifetimes that you paid like that you like take care of some of their stuff and they come and like watch for you. You see this old orcish man, Rohor has made this little lantern. He's come in. Erinessa is there. Valis, Julian, Tysha. Where is octys body?

[F]

There's no universe in which I put it down.

[B]

You're just holding it.

[F]

So I'm holding it and I think at this point I'm out of spell slots. I've been putting pumping cure wounds into his corpse the entire time.

[B]

It's like a heartbeat. Yeah, it's cpr. His body with those cure wounds.

[F]

All.

[B]

Of the vitality has drained from him. It'd be running through city structures with this body viscera missing. But you've effectively mended him. Not healed him. The wound is still fully open on his midsection. And there's a smell of iron in the air from the blood. But the gashes from the ghouls, the tear of the garrote that's healed. Lifeless Erinessa stands nearby gazing on. Where are Vaelys and Julian? Here in the garden. I think. Julian is keeping a vigilant watch in case any of these entities have followed and is using that task to keep him from really facing the reality that's right over his shoulder.

[F]

Vaelys is also keeping watch and watching. Tayshia just keep trying to bring back Octus and just taking everybody in.

[B]

Erinessa looks down at you.

[D]

Taisha.

[B]

Do you know what they did to him?

[F]

I think this is the first time she realized she has no idea what happened and didn't even think to. Didn't think to think about was just the life of him. And I think in that moment we'll start ritually casting detect magic.

[B]

No, I don't know. I. Thus corpses in the room threw me to the ground. I saw only in the mad dash of horror. They threw him on the table. One of those monsters sat up. Bit of wire around his neck pulling him down. And his brother plunging a knife into him. And then when I opened the door the brother was holding a object up in his hand. A stone. A carved stone with wings.

[F]

My eyes immediately he snapped to Veelys. Could that have been it? Could have been. They put this stone.

[B]

He had it in his hand and he was holding it while he killed your friend. They were brothers. The Taconis. The Taconis have. They've been silent for so long. They've been silent for so long. They've been silent for so long.

[C]

He was killed by his own brother.

[B]

He had a. I Saw him. I thought he had it in his hand.

[F]

He didn't have the stone. When I saw him in the hallway, he was holding something else, covered in blood. Was I able to suss that it was his heart?

[B]

It looked like. I mean, you were in wolf form. And I think on an instinctual level, you know that was a heart. Yeah, it smelled like a heart. Aetherenduck.

[F]

Etherenduck is a heart.

[B]

The detect magic finishes the most potent divine necromancy comes radiating in waves from something buried in this port.

[F]

I don't mean to do it, but I am repulsed. I push the body and start backing.

[B]

Away until I hit a tree.

[F]

What's wrong?

[B]

There's something in him.

[F]

Me put something in him.

[B]

What does that mean?

[F]

What?

[B]

Walking in from outside. You see coming in from the gate. Hal, Balaire, Azune and Murray walk with Rohor. You see Rohr looks up and says, it's Hal.

[E]

I was shouting on the grounds and once I found Rohor followed in. And I see you standing over this boy. And like a parent irrationally, in a flash, see Alagar, our son on the ground. And blink. And it's this young man that you've been traveling with. And I run past him. And I catch you.

[F]

She dissolves in your arms. He died.

[B]

There's something in him. And I don't.

[E]

Easy, easy end him.

[B]

I couldn't save him.

[F]

I couldn't stop. It was this Primus.

[B]

Yes.

[F]

He killed. He killed Julian's father too.

[B]

Is there still a shadow on Julian?

[A]

I'm gonna walk over to Julian. You're different. There's something attached to you. Something wrong. I'm so sorry. It's going to have to be dealt with. I'm going to walk over to the body.

[F]

I'll go with you.

[D]

Yeah, me too.

[A]

You may not want to watch this.

[F]

What are you going to do?

[A]

You said there's something in him. I repeat my question, I'm gonna go looking for it.

[E]

Why don't you all tell us what happened first?

[F]

We don't know. Let's also remember the last time that one of us touched something of great arcane power. It did not go well.

[A]

That's why I'm going fast.

[F]

Before you touch anything, what did you feel? Necromancy.

[B]

Divine.

[F]

I'm going to take my mage hand first. And a little bit of mage hand, a little bit of arcane detection.

[A]

If the mage hand comes up, I'm going to manifest a glass scalpel in the mage hand for you.

[F]

That's radish.

[B]

That's cool.

[F]

And I'M just going to see if I can sense what Tysha was talking about in there as well.

[B]

There is something in there I think I'd like you to make. Actually. Whoever has the higher score between the two of you as you collaborate on this may roll medicine with a help action from the other.

[A]

I'm a two. I'm a plus one.

[E]

This is not my vibe, but just be careful. And my voice hits the base of your skull again. And you take a bardic inspiration.

[B]

I'm going to channel a guidance 3. Threw you into him. How much bardic inspiration?

[E]

All right.

[A]

And then.

[B]

And a D4 and a D4.

[A]

All right.

[B]

The difficulty for this roll is 30. Oh, okay.

[A]

Well that ain't gonna happen.

[B]

You could.

[A]

Wait, wait, wait.

[F]

I hear Hal's voice. Boom. And a little bit of that reverberation hits as he says be careful. And it pings just a little bit in the back of my ears. And I get. You know when you hear like that high pitched frequency and it kind of makes your like the deep inside, like. What are they called?

[C]

Cockles.

[F]

My ear cockles. They don't call. They buzz a little bit. I'm gonna use my portent is what I'm saying. What I'm saying is today it's a. It's a hell yes.

[B]

It's a hell yes. Just. Just for bits and giggles, can we roll the value of the. The guidance and the bardic inspiration as well?

[F]

Yeah, just. Yes.

[B]

In advance. In advance. We know what the role is.

[F]

My 4:20. So.

[B]

Yeah, go for it. No, you roll. Okay, so belair.

[A]

Go ahead and roll.

[B]

Go ahead and roll a D6 and a D4 for me. Okay.

[A]

D6 and a D4. Now I'm panicking.

[D]

Shut up.

[B]

Two ones. Roll two ones from here. Hey, bud. Love it.

[F]

Damn.

[B]

Incredible dice. Do tell a story. This is Daggerheart.

[A]

A critted.

[B]

I just want to see what the. With the D20s would have been as well, but for this.

[A]

Both.

[B]

Both T20s. Both T20s.

[F]

Let's see if you rolled again. If it would have rolled differently.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

And one nat 20 and a three.

[B]

One nat 20 and a three. Okay.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Now what I so with this portent that comes in. Yeah. There are certain moments where there can be no room for error. Standing here in the garden of the Loy family where they first spoke to each other almost 100 years ago, long before the shapers war, where an orcish smith looked at his family and said, I can work wonders of steel and forge engines of war. Why can't I keep my family safe? What would it take to make something that could make us free? Standing beside here. Ah, Zane, in your head. Remember, remember, remember, remember, remember. Like the strings of a great instrument being plucked. You watch Murray reaching out with this mage hand. There's only one way this happens to give you a chance. It goes wrong every time. Except for right here, right now. Balare's hands. Balare, you know with intimate detail how to handle dead bodies. You did it earlier today, Hal. And Tysha. Your hands are closed. You have to get this right, Tysha, in the garden of your family, Julian, farthest away from what now unfolds. As your shadow gets longer, Vaelys reaching in flesh is parted. And something where a heart should be is removed. This is an auspicious day, Murray. You see it? The stone of Nightsong. And as it is removed, flapping of wings. Not only Tycha and Vaelys, but all of you can hear us from a distant wood nightingale. Nat 20 stone is here in Balare. It floats in that mage hand. That medicine check is successful. The perfect preservation of magical forces is unveiled in the this moment. Bair and Murray, you make eye contact with each other. This group of people in this space, Murray, you are certain, was supposed to happen not by the will of some God, not by some plan. It was supposed to happen if and only if you want this city to be saved. Turns out you do. Because several absolutely thunderous, potent magical mistakes are not only prevented, but in this moment mended. You've fixed things you weren't even aware had been broken. And Belair and Murray, as you look at each other, you realize you are very different people. But you've just done one of the most important magical acts that the city's ever seen. And this is where they made a sword that killed the gods.

[E]

Want to share your work with the class?

[F]

You know how to process this?

[D]

I don't know if we can.

[F]

I take an in for a flash as it's levitating in this mage hand.

[A]

And.

[F]

Marie looks at Balayer.

[B]

What is this.

[F]

Gravity? And for a brief second. And Marie squinches the exhaustion in her eye, but she sees a grid of space time. And in this grid the rock weighs heavy and bends a little bit as it all washes over us. And then she sees it in almost for a brief second, takes the threads with her, pin her. Oh my God, my brain, my quill fingernail. And you start to see the true calling of the dwarves as she starts to trace in almost like a script like pattern, a Grid. And she sends it over in almost a little hammock and holds it with her mage hand. Very delicately. This stone gravity.

[A]

The inevitability of the fuck objects to come into contact.

[B]

Oh. You all hear a gasp. Not only from yours as the ground shakes. You hear a gasp. You hear a gasp from Octus to Conus. Alice, would you come to the table please? Is there a chair? Oh, we need a chair.

[A]

Here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here.

[B]

Here you go.

[D]

Light him in behind you.

[B]

Yes. You wake up dead. What happened?

[F]

I moved from a fully in house.

[B]

Embrace to just tackle this.

[F]

Dude, gal, you were dead. I am. Are you okay?

[C]

Are you okay?

[B]

There's still a hole in the chest. Very okay. Everything's open. Your viscera are absolutely open. Your innards are fully exposed. And you see that they begin to wriggle and writhe.

[F]

Body's dj.

[B]

Get your hand out of my stomach before it closes. And you see that leaping from your viscera, pincushion lands on your chest.

[D]

Wow.

[B]

He was inside? I have no idea.

[E]

Followed him here.

[F]

I saw him at the. At the blotzone.

[E]

Wow.

[B]

Why are you here?

[F]

Is that the most question?

[C]

Thank you.

[B]

Good luck. Octus awoke belair on your NAT20 from Murray. You see, Murray, you understand this is your first NAT20 that you've used your portent ability for. It is not destiny. It is not the calling of some God saying what will be. There is a grid. There are words of creation. There is a rhythm to the matter of life and death. And much like throwing an end enormous stone into a stream, yes, the stream of time moves forward. But some events are so heavy with their gravity that they can send ripples backwards up the stream when the stone falls into the water. And you are capable with the words of creation. You have learned of sensing those events so important that they can be felt before they happen. You see this? You stand with Bolaire. Octys awakens as his own blood falls in a drop from the stone of Nightsong. And as it landed in his viscera, it. And you see that. That blood turns into a ribbon. And the ribbon, just like you did on the other side, stitches you closed.

[F]

What an absolutely uncomfortable feeling.

[B]

Why Is. Are you okay?

[F]

I'm sorry I wasn't there to stop it.

[B]

Are you all right?

[A]

I have no idea how to answer that question.

[B]

What happened?

[A]

I remember.

[B]

I remember Etherend. And I remember wings. Octus. You remember more flashing before your eyes. You see Nightsong. Words. Celestials. Black wings, white wings. Carriages of gleaming white liquid as blood moving out from the city, you see endless night. Storm. You see the Dvalmar Pass. Carriages of the Royce family. You see the Taconis moving the face of. Not your father, but could it be his father? Something else. Spirits of the dead. Armies of the Taconis. But the armies aren't marching in life. They march in death. There is a war being fought in the underworld. Your family is waging it. You saw it all unfolding. You see an Orcish warrior standing against the dead. Somewhere past the Dvalmar Pass, you see the symbol of the Berylguard. In this moment, all of you Octys, you standing with the visions you have seen. Your soul is unraveled, but your body is alive or dead. It's maybe not alive, but it's kicking. Tysha and Hal, you stand in your ancestral place. Baler and Murray, you've just worked some form of magic here. Azune and Julian, from either side of the Falconer's Rebellion, looking at something impossible that has just unfolded. And Velis Stone, taken from your order by Thiazi Fang has just brought someone from past the veil of death back to the waking world.

[D]

May I?

[F]

I'm going to crouch down next to October. May I place my hand on your chest? Sure.

[C]

I just. I want to place my hand where the stone was.

[F]

Just to see.

[C]

Just to see if I can feel.

[F]

Any connection or something. Or just to feel Salandry in some type of way.

[B]

Give me. Give me a religion roll. And if you put some of your lay on hands into the roll.

[F]

Great. Absolutely.

[B]

I will allow you to roll with advantage. Okay.

[E]

And the stone is floating in a Murray mage hand, so a little net. Little cat's grandma.

[F]

Oh, that was cat's grail. Okay, you said advantage.

[B]

Mm.

[C]

Okay.

[D]

15.

[B]

Pouring your healing out.

[F]

14.

[B]

14. Pouring that healing out to Octis. You feel Octys. Even though this doesn't feel good, your body is cold. You're breathing because you're trying to catch your breath. But you realize. You realize you're never gonna catch it. You might as well just stop. And you realize you don't actually have to breathe. It just feels so scary not to try.

[D]

Bayless.

[B]

As you pour that healing in, hoping for an answer back. It's so far distant. You don't feel that warmth anymore. You look up, floating in the air. It's the thing you traveled halfway across the world to get. It would be so easy to take it and head back. But you look at October.

[E]

Practice.

[B]

You've been alive for more than 800 years. You know the life that awaits you if you take that stone back north. Sorrow, Mourning. And prayer to a God whose voice you cannot hear. This is the youngest person here. And it's something you've never seen before. It's remarkable. What is?

[C]

You are. Do I feel a heartbeat?

[B]

How could there be? He doesn't have one. Remarkable indeed. As Julian raises his blade in the direction of Octis. Ah. What do you know? About what specifically?

[F]

I immediately step forward to Kurpos.

[B]

I interpose myself between him.

[A]

A glass rapier appears in my mind.

[B]

You trust also. Quickly. Okay.

[E]

Okay.

[B]

This one who walks from the realm without a heart. Once again amongst you. And you're so easy to call him a great gift from beyond. His family have always been nightmares. And tonight they have taken everything from me. And I just slowly push the blade toward that chest. Give me a wisdom saving throw. I will use the die he gave me.

[A]

That's going to be a 16.

[F]

Saves.

[B]

Erinessa.

[F]

Put my hand where the blade is.

[A]

Push through.

[B]

Everybody just come down. Look. I'm so sorry about your family.

[A]

I have no idea why my family was there.

[B]

I haven't seen them in years.

[A]

I've been traveling with Tycha.

[B]

I. I tried to help the Aussie. I don't know what they were doing. Did you see anything across the veil? Did they. Did they unveil some great plan? What did they take from you? And why are you still. Are you still the bait in our midst? Is this miracle a way to gain more trust? So we follow you even further into whatever their great plan is to. To guide us into what? Meat shredder. Will make more of whatever it is that fucking kills everything that matters to me. So you put your hand and you defend him. You call him a miracle. You laugh. You sit there and you.

[A]

You are so prideful with what you do here.

[B]

I don't have an answer for you.

[F]

I'm going to do my best to hug you. But I do think it's like a grapple.

[B]

Check. I move the blade to keep you from coming near me.

[F]

I walk forward.

[B]

I hold the blade out. I walk into the blade. You see? As you walk into the blade and feel it press within your skin. Erinessa steps forward. Puts one hand on your chest. Puts another on the hilt. Wrapping it around your hand. And separates the two of you. You see? She looks and says, tonight the House of Davinos, the House of Royce have fallen. Our allies turned against us. This city is no longer safe. But we are not without our own strengths. So understand me when I say this. Julian There is a fight waiting for you. And it's waiting for me, too. Shadows lengthen. They surround us all. The doors to Faerie have closed. Step by step, wound by wound, we are made less. I will not have it. They have counted on our acquiescence, our kindness, which they see as weakness. But no one in the wide world has counted on what we have all just seen here. If there are answers, we will find them. We will find them. And you see that as she thuds her fist into the boulder at her side, that the leaves gulls and moths and butterflies. I know you saw something on the other side. Side. Please, Noctis, however, you can tell us what you saw. Perhaps the fate of this city, our houses and this world depends on it. And that is all for this episode. Hell yeah.

[D]

Hell, yeah.

[B]

We've done it.

[F]

My brain is trying to process so much information. Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

Yes.

[F]

It's firing on all cylinders.

[E]

Your computer fan firing out.

[A]

Yeah. Nowadays I'm not charging till the temperature goes right. Right.

[F]

Well.

[B]

Holy shit. We love you very, very much. Thank you for watching. This is the final episode of our Overture. Tune in next week as we go back to see what's going on at the soldiers table. What are those five up to? Oh, my God.

[C]

Technically.

[F]

Technically, we probably said this in the announcements. Next week is going to be our dispatch. One shot.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[F]

30Th. And then a week after that we check in with our soldiers.

[B]

Check in with our soldiers to see what they're up to.

[A]

Hell yeah.

[B]

Thank you so much for watching these wild episodes. First player character death. Don't worry, with a nap. 20, a very auspicious day.

[F]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. That happened too.

[E]

Also. Happy Halloween.

[B]

Happy Halloween. Happy Birthday. Don't assume your birthday's Halloween.

[A]

Very merry on birthday.

[E]

Don't let Pastel Alex haunt you in your dreams. He can't hurt you in real life.

[B]

Hey, do you want to go fishing?

[F]

And of course, that our theme was Oops. All Alex. And then this happens.

[B]

Oops, no Alex.

[F]

No Alex.

[B]

Oops, no oops. Alex, we love you very much. One Alex down on ten more, don't forget. Is it Thursday yet? Thanks for listening to this episode of Critical Role. If you're enjoying this story, consider leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice. We're always looking for new critters to share our adventures with, and your review may help a new batch of wayward souls find their way to Ahriman, Exandria and beyond. Or if you want to hear what the cast discussed after the episode, head to Beacon tv and check out our exclusive show Critical Role Cooldown. You'll be right there at the table immediately after we say, is it Thursday yet? And experience our cast's post show reactions. We'll see you next time.