Targeted | Critical Role | Campaign 4, Episode 25 Part 1

Summary

Critical Role Campaign 4, Episode 25 Part 1: "Targeted" – Summary

Date: May 14, 2026
Hosts & Players: Brennan Lee Mulligan (guest DM), Marisha Ray, Ashley Johnson, Taliesin Jaffe, Liam O’Brien, Laura Bailey, and others.

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Episode Overview

This gripping installment of Critical Role's fourth campaign unfolds as a high-stakes political thriller: the party finds themselves poised on the edge of disaster at a grand gala, uncovering multiple assassination plots, arcane mysteries, and deep family machinations as enemy forces converge. Two parallel tracks emerge: the fallout from arcane and political intrigue in the desert, and the chaotic, violent events of a poisoned banquet that erupts into battle.

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Main Discussion Points and Story Developments

1. Aftermath in the Barodel: Clues and Arcane Unraveling (02:10–22:42)

• Setting: The party awakens in the Barrowdell, having unearthed documents and remnants from the ruined empire and recent barracks raid. There's deep concern and speculation regarding troop movements, the mysterious "sea door," and divided allegiances within one party member’s powerful family.
• Rescue and Reflection: Some members worry about Tysha and her son, recognizing both danger and heroism in his absence. Dark humor and camaraderie emerge as they try to process the previous night's encounters with the dead and their own actions.
• Family Letters and Insurrections: The party discovers a letter from Petra and Raya to their uncle, revealing dissent in the family about "reckless" political-magic rituals, targets of both the "orchard" and the elusive "sea door," and the precarious opportunity created by a looming assassination of the Timonish king.

"[My sisters] always more smart." – Petra/Raya, in weary humor, after finding their family’s dissenting letter (20:51)

• Arcane Breadcrumbs: A sprig of holly, marked by magic, is identified as having grown only by the abbey of Marisha's character—suggesting targeted spells (like locate object) and linking current magical espionage to the party's personal histories.
• Necromantic and Political Overlap: The party unpacks the risks: heavy troop buildups at the orchard, closed gates to Faerie after necromantic attacks—hinting at large-scale, multi-pronged threats.

2. The Gala: Precarious Politics and Unmasked Threats (33:06–54:25)

• Backdrop: The action jumps to the Archonaut, where a lavish gala is underway—a perfect setting for unseen machinations.
• Tense Alliances: King Augustus "Gus" Valiant of Timony and the Fotarch (a high-ranking priestess/royal) are in a private suite, surrounded by knights, guards, and their own courts, each suspicious of the others.
• The Setup: Multiple characters are scattered throughout—some invisible, others disguised, all wary. Hal notices an Argosian (Timony’s enemy nation) minister acting suspiciously and slipping into a secluded side room, prepping for something dire.

"Bro is about to get assassinated. It's gonna be bad, you guys." – Murray (46:13)

• Foreshadowing: The party pieces together the threads of an imminent assassination, with references to real-world events ("Are we going Hail Caesar? [or] Russian royalty?") (46:20–46:30).
• Arcane and Political Defenses: Subtle spells are detected—Gus’s druid bodyguard is glassy-eyed, likely under magical compulsion, casting only cantrips on his drink. Tension ratchets up as hidden crossbows are cocked, and moves are made both magical and martial.

3. Assassination, Betrayal, and Battle Erupts (54:25–124:07)

Combat Unleashed (54:25 onwards):

• Assault Begins (59:53): Masked, armored figures burst in, targeting both Gus and the Fotarch's entourages. Chaos erupts as clouds of strange, sweet-smelling dust incapacitate guards' hounds; crossbow bolts and daggers strike out.
• The Fotarch Falls (60:53): In a stunning moment, the Fotarch is shot and drops, appearing to bleed out—yet this only marks the beginning of the unraveling of deeper plots.
• Arcane and Martial Responses: The party, split between different rooms, springs to action—deploying spells (see invisibility, booming blade, flaming sphere), illusions (disguise self), and potent bardic and wizard abilities.

"Your fights are also puzzles." – Brennan Lee Mulligan (as DM, 44:46)

Notable Character Actions and Moments

• Murray’s Quiet Heroism (66:12–67:39): While invisible, Murray risks breaking cover to slip a healing potion to the poisoned King Gus, playing the role of unseen savior in the bedlam.
• Marisha/Murray’s Arcane Revelation (93:22–96:11): In a remarkable meta-gaming feat, Marisha uses her Divination wizard’s Portent feature to try and seal the Fotarch’s fate, only to discover—via DM’s "cheating"—that the Fotarch is faking her death in a masterful ruse, upending character and player expectations.

"You go to the grid, the hum. The gem-like structure of fate and destiny, destiny doesn't have a thread available for you for her to die here..."
– Brennan Lee Mulligan, after Marisha attempts to use Portent (95:37)

• Hal’s One-on-One Duel (72:06–99:50): In a dramatic split, Hal confronts the suspicious Argosian minister in a quiet library, unleashing a devastating shatter spell and leveraging bardic powers to try and break his concentration, affecting a parallel magical conspiracy connected to events in the main ballroom.

Battle’s State at the Break

• Assassins' Advance (119:00+): Deadly professionals—likely Argosian, acting for a third party—close in on Gus with poison-coated weapons, some turning on each other due to Crown of Madness.
• Party Wounded: Azune is dropped to zero HP by a vicious, poisoned critical, losing her concentration on flaming sphere but not before inflicting serious harm on the assassins.
• Fotarch's Illusion Exposed: It's revealed her apparent death is staged, suggesting a profound level of subterfuge in play.
• Reinforcements & Cliffhanger: Security is en route, but the immediate survival of the party—and the kingdom’s leadership—hangs in the balance.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Family Dynamics and Motives
  "It's kind of nice to know that maybe not all my family agree with it."
  — Petra/Raya (20:56)

• Meta-Insight on DM ‘Cheating’
  "I cannot believe there's a game system that lets you discover that I'm cheating. As you reach out... you get a 404 from the universe.”
  — Brennan Lee Mulligan (95:00)

• Foreshadowing Political Upheaval
  "Are we going Russian royalty? Are we going Hail Caesar? Let's find out. Well, Augustus... Oh, no."
  — Table banter (46:20–46:30)

• On Combat’s Chaos
  "The fights are also puzzles."
  — Brennan Lee Mulligan (44:46)

• Player Banter in the Face of Assassins
  "You have to suck the poison out of his mouth."
  — Bolair (56:08)
  "Anything I do is going to un-invisible me."
  — Murray (56:32)

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Important Timestamps for Key Segments

• Arrival and Setting in the Barodel: 02:10–14:12
• Discovery of Magical Holly and Speak With Plants: 12:17–16:35
• Family Letter and Plot Revelation: 17:06–22:42
• Transition to the Gala: 33:06
• Combat Erupts at the Gala: 54:25
• Fotarch "Death" and Aftermath: 60:53–96:11
• Hal vs. Argosian Minister, Shatter: 72:06–99:50
• Critical Hits, Azune Down, End of Part 1: 120:28–124:07

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Tone and Table Chemistry

The episode leans heavily into improvisational storytelling—balancing humor, shock, and strategic tension. The group adapts rapidly to evolving threats, juggling table banter with life-or-death decisions. Brennan Lee Mulligan’s DMing brings meta-aware commentary and dramatic flourishes, especially in revealing the Fotarch’s ruse and allowing players' creativity to deeply affect narrative outcomes.

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Conclusion and Cliffhanger

The episode ends on a dramatic cliffhanger: Assassins close in, a key party member is gravely wounded, and the reality of shifting alliances and deceptions is only beginning to be understood. Reinforcements are approaching, but the fate of multiple nations—and the party themselves—remains perilously uncertain.

"And that's where we'll leave our story for now. Part two... drops this Tuesday. Thanks for listening and we'll see you soon for more Critical Role."
– Brennan Lee Mulligan (124:08)

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Tune in for Part 2 to see whether the heroes can unravel the assassination attempt, rescue their allies, and confront the deeper magical and political threats manifesting in the heart of Ahriman.

Transcript

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

From origin to legend.

[Dungeon Master]

I need to become a symbol. I need to become Batman.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Become the hero.

[Murray]

Someone's gotta step up, build a legacy.

[Dungeon Master]

Let's get to work.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You wanna get nuts?

[Dungeon Master]

Let's get nuts.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

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[Ashley Taliesin]

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[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

is now at McDonald's. It's made with strawberries and a whole lot of whimsy. It's one of many new drinks now at McDonald's. Refreshers contain caffeine. Why, hello there. I'm Brennan Lee Mulligan and welcome to Campaign 4 of Critical Role. Thank you for joining us on this journey as we explore Ahriman, a world of fractured kingdoms, tumultuous rebellion and sorcery

[Dungeon Master]

that rises from the graveyard of the gods.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You're listening to part one of this adventure, with part two arriving this upcoming Tuesday. Our episodes typically arrive on the Critical Role podcast network a week after our initial Thursday night streams on Beacon, YouTube and Twitch. But if you'd rather listen to a full podcast episode of Campaign 4 Right When it airs, we're without any ads. Consider becoming a Beacon member. You'll receive access to exclusive content discounts at all our online Critical Role shops, pre sales for live events and so much more. Start your seven day free trial today at Beacon tv. Now, without further ado, let's begin this

[Dungeon Master]

episode of Critical Role. The windswept dunes of the eternal night. Barodel of the fallen God of the sun, here in the ruins of the Obra Demian empire. Having departed from Tanasar knowing that some large portion of the Barrowguard had ventured into endless sand, being pursued by one Alagar Fang. You return not knowing Tysha, where your son could be, but knowing that he had survived under his own power and was attempting to do something reckless and heroic. Perhaps something that he gets from.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Perhaps the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. I'm stressed and proud.

[Dungeon Master]

Stressed and proud.

[Murray]

I'm stroud.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I'm Stroud.

[Dungeon Master]

Awaking to endless starlight and freezing white sand. You come to after the evening in which Octys and Velis communed with the skull of Tertia Taconis leaving Tanasar, you gathered a tremendous amount of resources from the barracks. The last thing that you saw, you uncovered the tremendous arcane knowledge of what the ritual had been intended to do, and grabbed, I think, a trove of more martial military and political documents from the barracks, as well as some of the remains, or looks like some signs of there having been a basilisk present here in this place for some amount of time. We return to the moment. Julian tycha. You awaken. Dr. Talter in tiny little bedroll is shivering in the sand. And you see laid out on the ground in repose is the body of Dame Gaia Saramai, Octys and Velas both awake as you come to.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

That was.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, hi.

[Marisha Ray]

Hi.

[Dungeon Master]

Hi.

[Azune]

Good morning.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

Ish.

[Azune]

Yeah. How are you doing?

[Marisha Ray]

We have. We did a lot. We read a lot last night. Got a lot of. And other things.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

A new type of conversa. We spoke to Tersha, my cousin. Sorry, the thing.

[Azune]

You're dead. Yeah, sorry.

[Marisha Ray]

It's new for me. I don't understand.

[Azune]

I still got this on. Sorry.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

The speak with dead.

[Murray]

Yeah. You good?

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

She seemed very sweet. And then a giant skeletal hand took her somewhere.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, delightful.

[Azune]

Was it like the one that we saw attempting to take Peskard?

[Marisha Ray]

Yes, yes. It was just like Itcha.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

Okay, so obviously my family has put some precautions in place to keep anybody from talking.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

But also, we took so much. We got some time to go through some of the papers from the.

[Azune]

All the stuff from the barracks.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

From the barracks? Yeah.

[Ashley Taliesin]

Fantastic. Gather your things. Tell us on the way.

[Azune]

Okay.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

Yes, yes, yes, yes.

[Azune]

Hold on. Dr. Talter. Still listening. She's not used to this.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Pick her up.

[Ashley Taliesin]

Take her with us. Okay, Doctor.

[Dungeon Master]

Okay.

[Azune]

Oh, don't knock on a person.

[Dungeon Master]

Oh, no, no. I'm a very light sleeper when, you know, hollow, it's time to go.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Sorry.

[Azune]

Yeah.

[Ashley Taliesin]

Gather your things.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah.

[Dungeon Master]

Do you want some help?

[Azune]

And I'm gonna help her.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

She rolls up her bedroll, takes her

[Dungeon Master]

little bag and goes.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I'm gathered. I'm gathered.

[Marisha Ray]

What do we do with Saramai?

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

Let's put her back on the horse.

[Azune]

Do you want to? How do you want to.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

You could see that we've wrapped a cloth around the head where most of the damage is visible, just to kind of preserve some sort of dignity. And I'm going to go over and lift her back onto the horse that she was on before we took her off to give the horses some rest and start bringing her back. I have put the head back in my bag.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Gotcha.

[Dungeon Master]

Looking around as you guys break camp, do you review the documents from the barracks? Yeah.

[Marisha Ray]

Something that I found a bit disturbing. Gillian. There are forces that are hidden outside of the orchard and there were. There was writing that a sea door is closing. Possibly. Is this ringing any bells for you?

[Ashley Taliesin]

Does the sea door ring any bells?

[Dungeon Master]

No, Sea door does not.

[Ashley Taliesin]

Yeah, we're certain this is not some sort of misdirection?

[Bolair]

I.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

We don't know, but the Gulnorger was mentioned.

[Azune]

Oh, that was in the. When you were back. When we were. You saw those? Those were communications between the Taconus. It would be weird if it was misdirecting private conversation, but yeah.

[Marisha Ray]

This was written by your dad,

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

Correct?

[Ashley Taliesin]

Is he there?

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

My father? No, not that I believe it said, but it was communications to.

[Ashley Taliesin]

Given our current placement in the eternal night. My knowledge of these boundaries from Castle Torch and the location of the Golden Orchard is the path through that region. A very large divergence from the return of Dallmaquiar.

[Dungeon Master]

If you were riding for the Golden Orchard at top speed, you would pass through Castle Torch.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

In other words, the direction you were

[Dungeon Master]

heading is the direction towards the orchard as well. Actually, Castle Torch is where you. If anything, you're taking a circuitous route to get back to Dolmachyar. Does that make sense?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You go to Castle Torch because the

[Dungeon Master]

Tyria Via is a safer path through the desert.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

There's a straight shot. Who knows?

[Dungeon Master]

Alagar may have gone straight through the desert to Dol Machiar, but going straight through the desert is. As you suffered those attacks from shadows and other things. Going through the desert is not a wise proposition. So the Tiri Ofiya ends up being a safer way to traverse, if that makes sense.

[Murray]

So

[Dungeon Master]

you would go to Castle Torch to get to the orchard the fastest, and you would go to Castle Torch just to get out of the endless night? The safest,

[Ashley Taliesin]

I suppose, since we sent Erinessa to the orchard, we stop it. Castle Torch. See if there's been any sign of any sort of issues or incursion or

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

if she sent a message.

[Ashley Taliesin]

Well, I would request a hasteful pursuit.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dungeon Master]

In that case, if you're trying to go with all speed, do you review those? Do you take time to review what you took from the barracks here?

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

I think so.

[Dungeon Master]

You find evidence of troop movements, things kept in Ledgers. It's a little bit of detective work, but seeing where supplies are shipped tells you you don't find a war room with little pieces on it, but it's easy enough to go. You don't send wagons full of food to a place that doesn't have soldiers there. Right. People were stationed at the orchard. And you see a lot of activity in a Timonish city called Houndsport. It looks like there are soldiers there that were moved quite recently.

[Azune]

Is there a way to ascertain from the amount of supplies being diverted there to figure out how many troops are supposed to be at the orchard?

[Dungeon Master]

A quite significant amount of troops at the orchard.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay.

[Dungeon Master]

You see something that you took from the Basilisk room. There's some missives there about petrification and making the resistant sort of the anti venom.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Right. I have two vials of it. You see, there's one thing that strikes

[Dungeon Master]

you as odd there, which is a little line in a missive written by a knight that works with your cousin's family named Aniko Seramai, that just says, we learned this little trick at Oak Obramis. Obramis to you would be the name of your family's manor in Dolmachyar. So we learned this little trick at Obramis. Unbelievably, Vaelys, you find amongst some of the supplies, you grabbed a bag of documents from the Basilisk chamber, there is a small sprig of holly.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Can you give me a nature check? Yeah.

[Azune]

Oh, okay.

[Marisha Ray]

19.

[Azune]

Let's go.

[Dungeon Master]

This sprig of holly grows in the Mourn Vale. It grows like a plant, much like this one. Grows right outside the gates of your abbey in the Mournvale. You have this holly on the grounds of your temple?

[Marisha Ray]

Um.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Hmm.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

Is something wrong?

[Marisha Ray]

No, I. This. This has grown outside of my temple in the Mourn Vale.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

Why would they have that?

[Marisha Ray]

I don't know.

[Azune]

Taking a look at that.

[Dungeon Master]

Yeah.

[Marisha Ray]

Yeah, I just. Passion.

[Dungeon Master]

Yeah.

[Azune]

I'll let you hold on to it.

[Murray]

Okay.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Man.

[Azune]

I want to do a tag. Can I cast speak with plants?

[Dungeon Master]

Yeah.

[Marisha Ray]

Cool.

[Azune]

I want to ask it if it's like the plants that grow outside of your abbey or the plant that grew outside your abbey.

[Bolair]

Cool.

[Dungeon Master]

Da da da.

[Azune]

Come on. German holly plant.

[Dungeon Master]

I love it.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

It's from Castle Klippenblik.

[Dungeon Master]

I'm gonna say that we have not talked about this, but there are some. I'd like a nature or religion check from you.

[Azune]

Never religion.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah.

[Azune]

23.

[Dungeon Master]

Fuck yeah. You cast speak with plants. And here in the Barrow Dell of Endless A little residual piece of speak with dead. This dead plant before you shudders and speaks. Great joy. Do I feel returned to the hand of a sister of Salandri?

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

Oh. Oh.

[Azune]

Do you know the hand that holds you?

[Dungeon Master]

No. But I know the touch of those who mourn for the goddess that was.

[Azune]

And I think in that moment, I'm not taking the plant, I'm staring adamantly at it, but I think I'm holding your hand, holding the holly and giving

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

you a live feed of what's being said.

[Azune]

I think this is a plant. Sorry, one sec. This is from outside your abbey.

[Marisha Ray]

Why is this here?

[Azune]

Hey, little bud. Do you know who brought you here and for what purpose?

[Dungeon Master]

The wind blows and the holly brushes your thumb ever so slightly. And you see, it says, I am not given to question where my mistress places me. You feel the spell, and as this dead thing can no longer communicate with you, but on that last brush, you feel it brushing your thumb and get a residual feeling of a spell that you've cast. A lot. This holly has known the touch of the magic you've been casting on Alagar's earring.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Quite a bit.

[Murray]

Okay.

[Azune]

It's been used as a conduit for a locate object spell.

[Dungeon Master]

Hi. Wow.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

Does that mean somebody.

[Marisha Ray]

Should we keep it with us then?

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

Yes, it's possibly someone planted that on somebody to then track them or. I don't know, they're using it to find something. Why would that be used? Why would they use that specifically?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Could this have something to do with

[Ashley Taliesin]

the Stone of Night song that they stole from your people?

[Dungeon Master]

Maybe.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

But the Aussies stole that.

[Dungeon Master]

The last thing you find amongst these documents, Alex, is a letter written to Secundus, your uncle, by your sisters, Petra and Raya. Petra and Raya. And if you'd be so kind,

[Murray]

physical props.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Physical props. Fuck. Yes. Of the things you find here, the

[Dungeon Master]

troop movements are the most significant leading to the orchard into that. This is one of the last things you pull out and find here.

[Azune]

Sound it out.

[Dungeon Master]

Okay.

[Azune]

Uncle.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

We hope this letter finds you well and that Castle Torch's garrison proves sufficient to handle this last minute improvisation. We must make all haste to Tudormachiar. And from there we head north to board the Moray and see forthwith beyond the sea door. Loathe though we are to admit it, we find ourselves condemned to some degree of confusion. To wit, Father will not listen to our entreaties, nor explain our sudden need for urgency. The failures in experimentation up to this point include some very dear sacrifices indeed, as you all are well aware. Are we certain we have isolated the possible risks? If Octus. If Octys is indeed the appropriate choice. Why can we not suffer the few days it would take to transport him from Dalmachiar to Tanasar? Are our forces truly so embedded within Telmora that they cannot be recalled stealthily and safely? We understand that Univere endorset almost done with their harvesting. Have now been reassigned to retrieve the stolen Chalcidian. Is the path itself not a more worthy target than the orchard? Having split our family's forces between two extremely significant rituals on either side of the reaches, it feels we are rushing both. When there is no need to rush either. Or at least no reason that has been explained to us. What is time sensitive, however, is the opportunity we have once the Timonish king is dead. Oh, that political opportunity, though non magical and therefore perhaps born boring to Father, is our most urgent cause. With two thirds of the council on our side, this represents the single greatest chance we have to lay low the Gray tower. At which point we will no longer have to deceive the barrel guard into doing anything. Doubling our forces, access to the Barrowdells. Answering the Kahad problem. Let us not make themselves of our great grandfather and rely on magic to the exclusion of politics. Father will not listen to us. He may well listen to you, given your respect, given your recent demonstration of devotion. Please entreat him if not to reconsider, then at least to explain why we are behaving so recklessly. Patron rioticums. She isn't, huh? Well, his sister's always more smart.

[Azune]

How are you doing?

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

Fine. It's kind of nice to know that maybe not all my family agree with it.

[Dungeon Master]

Yeah.

[Ashley Taliesin]

What are they doing at the Sea Door?

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

What is the Sea Door?

[Ashley Taliesin]

A second ritual?

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

I don't know.

[Azune]

Isn't the second ritual okay? Sorry.

[Ashley Taliesin]

They cannot chance it closing whatever it is.

[Azune]

Yeah, but there's was the split between the seadoor and the orchard, or the orchard and Dulmakia?

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

It was. From there we head north. Temora head fourth to the Seadore. Where are we here? They're concentrating on killing the Timonish king. Having split our family's forces between two extremely rituals. The path.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

That's the path.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

It's the other.

[Azune]

Yes.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

Okay, so the orchard and the path are the targets.

[Azune]

The best I can tell. I mean, the gates to Faerie were closed because of a necromantic attack.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

Is the path itself not more a worthy target than the orchard?

[Azune]

So they're not targeting the path? They're not targeting the path.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

They're targeting the Orchard. What is the other? The other one was. Don't. Was what they did.

[Marisha Ray]

Not yet.

[Hal]

We're moving.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

[Dungeon Master]

And from there we venture elsewhere

[Marisha Ray]

in

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

tonight's episode of Critical Role.

[Ashley Taliesin]

Hello, friends, and welcome back to the Critical Role Announcement Playhouse.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Hey, Travis, you're up next. Board. Oh, no.

[Laura Bailey]

This is where I have to take over for Laura again. Oh my gosh, you guys, we have the best stop. And in the Critical Role shops.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Check out.

[Bolair]

She doesn't sound like that.

[Laura Bailey]

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[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I should read the resist.

[Laura Bailey]

It's an oversized mineral wash long sleeve shirt with distressed seams, dropped shoulders and a relaxed sports jersey fit. The shirt features bright red puffy paint details across the chest, sleeve and back with the United Factions symbol on the front, Ahriman down the sleeve and can you hear the falcons cry on the back. It feels really good. It's like all textured and stuff. Plus an illustration of a blindfolded Thiazi Fang beneath the city of Dol Makyar by Hannah Friedrichs. And that's not all. We've got three new heroes of Ahriman.

[Murray]

Reaction teams H, Team Z's.

[Laura Bailey]

These are so bitching. The artist credits the Schemer's art is by maf, Seeker's art is by Kato Choi, and the soldier's art is by Mermidia. You've gotta head on over to the Critical Role shops to pick up one or all of these awesome shirts for

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

your very own

[Azune]

love.

[Ashley Taliesin]

Falconer's Rebellion. That's for dummies. That's what I think. For all you Daggerheart players out there, the Daggerheart core set has come to the gorgeous and cinematic VTT Alchemy. Finally get the Alchemy enhanced version and experience the game like never before with immersive motion overlays, ambient sounds and original dynamic audio score for your games at home. Get it [e-mail] Daggerheart and also speaking of Daggerheart, we're almost at our one year milestone since the game came out. It's been almost a year.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

That's seven years in TTRPG years. Yes, it certainly feels like it.

[Ashley Taliesin]

In honor of this anniversary, you are all invited to celebrate Daggerheart's birthday week with us May 18th through the 25th. So look forward to a new free adventure to play at Darrington Press Guild stores. And we'll also Be hosting a celebratory livestream with the team on May 20 with reveals of what's to come in the Hope and Fear expansion, as well as sneak peeks into what's next for Daggerheart and. And much, much more. Plus, critters coming to Atlanta for the Bells Hells Daggerheart Live show can join a massive Daggerheart game day on May 25th at our Darrington Press Guild store. Level Up Games. It's going to be awesome. So please visit daggerheart.com bday for all of the info of what's to come.

[Fabletics Advertiser]

I didn't get Daggerheart a present for their birthday.

[Ashley Taliesin]

You got.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You have a baton. Okay. Jump in there real fast. I think you can do it.

[Ashley Taliesin]

Ashley Taliesin, you got some announcements.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Weird Kids is back. Yeah,

[Liam O'Brien]

you should watch or listen to brand new episodes. We're so good at this. Every Tuesday only on Beacon.

[Marisha Ray]

We are so excited to share with you all new weird topics, anecdotes and friend joining us on our orange booth.

[Liam O'Brien]

And friend.

[Murray]

And friend.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

We made one. We made one.

[Liam O'Brien]

And you haven't met them yet.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah.

[Marisha Ray]

I'm keeping it singular for the moment,

[Murray]

because that's how it is.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, my God. Oh, yeah.

[Marisha Ray]

Okay, wait. This is so cool.

[Murray]

Dream project. Dream project. Project.

[Marisha Ray]

Guys, we made a zine.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

There's a zine.

[Liam O'Brien]

We have a zine.

[Marisha Ray]

Oh, you can go check it out now at Beacon TV, WKZine and Andrew WKZine. Andrew WKZine.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes.

[Marisha Ray]

And it's awesome.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

It's really cool.

[Marisha Ray]

It's so cute.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Go see it.

[Marisha Ray]

There's so many people that worked on it and put such love and weirdness into it.

[Murray]

And some stuff from your childhood.

[Hal]

There's some fun stuff.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah.

[Dungeon Master]

Little Easter eggs.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah.

[Marisha Ray]

Little Easter eggs.

[Bolair]

Little stuff.

[Marisha Ray]

It's fun.

[Murray]

Yeah.

[Ashley Taliesin]

Hell yeah. Thank you, guys.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

So both.

[Ashley Taliesin]

That's not a sentence. So both.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

So both. So both.

[Ashley Taliesin]

You both.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

So both. This is not the word for you guys.

[Ashley Taliesin]

Aurora, Marisha, you're up.

[Murray]

Friendly reminder that there will be no new episode of Campaign 4 next week as we wrap up our schemer table.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

No.

[Murray]

Surely not. Wait, what am I. I'm trying to do.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

That got real weird. I don't know.

[Murray]

I'm trying to do my nails. I don't know. But I just started doing this.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I think that explains a few things

[Liam O'Brien]

that are going on there.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Stop clicking. Just do this. Smack it. Smack it. Anyway,

[Murray]

you can join us for the next tailgate live on May 19th at 7pm Pacific, where we'll be spilling all the tea and deep dive into the schemers with myself, Luis Carrazzo, Liam o'. Brien. Intelligent Jeffy.

[Liam O'Brien]

There was a whole thing that happened before this.

[Murray]

Wow.

[Liam O'Brien]

It worked.

[Murray]

Intelligent Gaffy.

[Hal]

Do not spend too much time under the towels and lights. You will get messed.

[Liam O'Brien]

Those horns cut off your circulation really bad. Which is why I gave them to you.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

We gotta finish this. Go, go. We're almost there.

[Murray]

Okay, We're. We will be back with the full table, actually. On May 21, as our fated conspirators converge in the far flung adventures of Ahriman Reunite. You can find everything you need and more to catch up. Dive deeper or get a quick [e-mail] Campaign4Awesome.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Thank you. Marisha, Liam, you're up next.

[Hal]

We're almost through celebrating the second anniversary also of Beacon the Beaks. This week's it has truly been so lovely to have a dedicated community space with all of you lovely critters. And you guessed it, we're just getting started. Look forward to a dedicated Beacon discount day on our critical role shops and a new fireside chat with me and Sam rage next Tuesday, May 12th at 7pm Pacific. Go to Beacon TV Stateoftheat app for all the Beacon bit benefits you can expect in 2026.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Thank you.

[Murray]

So both two years is like 40 years in SVOD years.

[Ashley Taliesin]

Well, friends, thank you for your patience as we've made our way through what is its own episode within an episode of these opening announcements.

[Bolair]

It is just friend.

[Ashley Taliesin]

It is just friends.

[Dungeon Master]

Thank you.

[Ashley Taliesin]

One friend watching this. With that, let's go ahead and jump into our night's adventures in Ahriman.

[Fabletics Advertiser]

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[Murray]

on the Serta counting sheep hey uncle

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

number one, why aren't we counting anymore? Long ago Serta invented the Perfect Sleeper mattress.

[Murray]

Oh no.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh yes. It says the all new Certa Perfect sleeper with a Q4 support system has four in one perfectly interlinked coils that help relieve aches and back pain for perfect sleep night after night.

[Murray]

We'll never get counted again.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Nope.

[Fabletics Advertiser]

Serta.

[Bolair]

We make the world's best mattress this Memorial Day.

[Murray]

Save on Serta Perfect Sleeper X At a retailer

[DSW Advertiser]

at DSW we ask the important questions like what shoes are you going to wear? Whether you're prepping for wedding season, festival season or just planning the ultimate vacay, the right shoes can make or break an rsvp. So own the moment. You've got big plans and we've got just the shoes at the perfect price of course. Get ready to get ready with Designer Shoe Warehouse. Head to your DSL DSW store or dsw.com today and let us surprise you good folks.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Welcome to tonight's episode of critical role. Here at the Archonaut our schemy schemers have been scheming away and the fomenting seeds of insurrection, sedition and dare I say, rebellion bubble under the bubble Fomenting. God, I love to foment. I love a good fomenting.

[Liam O'Brien]

I just fomented. I'm ready to foment again in three to five minutes.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh no.

[Murray]

We

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

soldiers released from Revolutionary Guard and sundered houses alike find themselves directed to warehouses of hand and wheel ceramic merchants

[Dungeon Master]

finding food and some small amount of

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

pay to keep the the fires lit

[Dungeon Master]

inside a symbol, a passphrase.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Demetus Blix, graduate student of the Pentevral, rescued from the clutches of Crow Keepers Fay and Taconis alike, knows what happened on the night of the Divinos massacre and has the magic notes to prove that Royce did not abscond to Faerie. Inspector Grotto informed the Einfassen of a lie that concealed the truth of who was at fault for the murder of Octys Taconus and Kothairi's opening night is two nights away, which is what we gathered here at Bolaire's Loy wing of the Archinaut to celebrate. The rookery was the first home of Hal and his troupe, following that it performed for many years at the Lyceum here at The Archinaut. What better place to celebrate, raise some funds, get some excitement and just speed on. Hallendil Fang with his incredible new venture of Dolmachyar's first full amphitheater, what was supposed to be a night of culture and revelry.

[Liam O'Brien]

This is not how I wanted to raise the fund.

[Bolair]

This is bad.

[Liam O'Brien]

This is raising them.

[Bolair]

You can always loot whatever dead bodies.

[Liam O'Brien]

Apologies.

[Bolair]

We're there and then we're just talking into the theater.

[Murray]

It's for charity.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Your group, you little magpies fluttering around behind the scenes have begun to develop pieces on the board. Soldiers, friendly merchants raising money and unraveling the secrets of what is to come. Along with your own steps, putting together soldiers and merchant allies and academics and students that have been living on couches for almost a week now. You also were able to use Romina Rountree to find out that the sundered

[Dungeon Master]

houses will be meeting on the night of the play.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Perhaps for House Daconis to answer all of this horrifying, bloody work that has

[Dungeon Master]

been going on in the background.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You, however, have been trying to get this party and Baler put a lot of work into these masks. And the Fotarque very rudely did not wear hers and instead got into a kerfuffle with King Augustus Valiant of Timony, who long ago wished to depart the city, but has not been able to pin down the foetard for a meeting about why exactly her priests are openly calling him a tyrant in his kingdom, being pulled aside into a banquet chamber off in one of the halls at the Arcanade. We find ourselves set out in this arrangement. Gus speaking to the foetarch down here, Sir Fallonius positioned outside. You all have split up it into your various ways and I'm going to go ahead and hand you your minis. I will let you know where you guys would be stationed, more or less. So, number one, Bolaire and Azune, you would have brought through a back channel from the main party. Space is way out over here. It's probably like two or three rounds of full dashing over that way. You guys were able to bring them through this hallway to this room where they've closed the doors over here. So Azune and Bolaire, you guys are positioned over here. And Bolaire, the last thing you heard was the cock of a bolt being loaded into a crossbar distantly down this hallway. The doors have closed around you. Now we have to resolve a couple things first, and then I'll let you ask me as many questions about the Battlefield as you want. So, Murray, you are in the room invisible. Where in the room, invisibly, are you?

[Murray]

Excellent question. Okay. I imagine she would have done her little scuttle skitter and probably be. Let's say I'm over here, kind of behind this pillar.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Behind this pillar. Great, great, great, great. And we're going to go ahead and give you a little invisibility token over there,

[Murray]

kind of peeking around this pillar, listening in on what's happening.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Listening in on what's happening. Are there any questions you guys have about the nature of the sort of miniatures that are out here?

[Liam O'Brien]

Whom?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah, Gus and Gus's attendant Druid, along with Martin, who appears to be the leader of his Hounds of the King, who are here with him. So Martin is to his side, and Druid is right. Right there. And then across from him is the Fo Tark and one of her attendant luxes. Her son Thelonious is with Wrath and Judgment on the other side of the Fotarch's son. That is Sir Felonious Haylvar. Yeah.

[Bolair]

Oh, yes. I mean, I know who he is. I didn't put together that he was the Fotarch's son.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes.

[Bolair]

Or maybe I forgot.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

These dudes keep it in the family. So Felonious is Wick's uncle. That's it.

[Bolair]

Yes, Yes, I do remember that.

[Hal]

And wait, Tyranny's sisters are here?

[Dungeon Master]

No.

[Murray]

Wrath and Judgment are the dogs.

[Hal]

Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Wrath, Wrath and Judgment are the dogs. Invisibility, right here on Murray.

[Dungeon Master]

Right, right, right, right, right, right.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Reminder also, that you guys have some potions of healing. You guys also have the spell glyphs that you were able to make.

[Murray]

Shield glyphs.

[Bolair]

And sea invisibility.

[Liam O'Brien]

Sea invisibility glyph. Have I cracked it or no?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay, I will let you guys know. We are going to resolve. Are there any other questions about. Oh, then over here. This is Cavalier, another hound of the king, and two Timonish knights. So these are two of King Gusset's knights.

[Hal]

Timmish Knights. Okay.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay.

[Hal]

Are there more partygoers that are just not represented on the map?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Many more partygoers. Partygoers. Some partygoers over there.

[Hal]

These are partygoers, but there's not like another imaginary hundred people. People mixed in. We're not that packed in amongst people.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, no, no. They wanted privacy. There are probably, like 200 people back in the main gala chamber that way, which is where you are. And I'm gonna give you your mini and I'm going to do a couple things before we get started. You're out in the main gala chamber, and we have to resolve some stuff beforehand. So I'll say this, Bolaire. We are going to enter initiative, but because of that high perception roll, I am going to pre Initiative, not give each of you a full turn. So no movement, but I'm going to give each of you basically an action prior to initiative beginning. Oh, okay. Wait for.

[Dungeon Master]

Okay.

[Liam O'Brien]

Just an action. Not a full turn.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Just an action, not a full turn.

[Murray]

Bolair or the both of us. Both of you.

[Azune]

Okay.

[Murray]

Okay, that's good.

[Liam O'Brien]

And do I see who Do I see our crossbow problem?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You don't see the crossbow problem. Holy schmoly. As you guys are considering what you want to do, because there's going to be no. It's an instinctive, like, click. And you have to do one thing before we launch into initiative.

[Murray]

And this is the fo targ. And this is like the photoargh's hand or something next to her.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes, that is an attendant lux of the photo.

[Liam O'Brien]

Shit. Okay. Tricky, tricky, tricky. Sun's over there.

[Bolair]

Okay.

[Liam O'Brien]

Yeah.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I will also say now at this point, we need to roll some. While you guys are thinking of those actions, Murray and Hal, I'm going to need a perception check from each of you.

[Dungeon Master]

Okay.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

And also an insight check from each of you.

[Hal]

Perception and insight.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

Perception and insight.

[Murray]

Let's do this. One perception first. Natural one.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Natural one. And perception.

[Liam O'Brien]

Great.

[Murray]

I'm really invested in this conversation right now.

[Azune]

Nice.

[Hal]

Oh, I rolled real high both times.

[Murray]

Insight is much better. My insight is 20. Dirty 20.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Dirty 20 on insight in incredible.

[Hal]

I got 22 for both.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

22 for both. Okay.

[Hal]

An 18 and a 17.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

22 for both. 22 for both. Incredible. So we're gonna describe a couple things that happen. On that 22. Perception and insight. Hal, out in the main room there is you just, I think, in schmoozing and talking. Elodie's nearby. You are aware of a partygoer dressed in a sort of minister's garb who you can see has a sort of sheep like mask over their head, who is sort of engaged in some polite dinner conversation. And I think you notice through the crack of your eye down a long hallway, you have partial visibility to that door on that side. This one over here, you're way off at an angle over there. And as that door shuts, you see that person in that mask has been rudely not paying attention to the people they're speaking with. That door Shuts. And you see that person turn, look down and mutter a quick excuse me, and move away from the group they are with and begin to move off away from the party. On that 22 insight, they seem very distracted to you. And it's a lively party. There's a lot of stuff going on. But I think that you get some sense as they're moving away that they are muttering under their breath a little bit, and there just appears to be something altered. Party just started. No one's drunk yet. But there seems to be an altered

[Dungeon Master]

state with that person.

[Hal]

All right, I have a couple of questions. One is my allies, my friends have moved under duress. So I have an inkling that things are already getting tense elsewhere.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Right, you have an inkling that they actually, at this point, on 22 Insight, you don't see anything. The only tension you'd be aware of at this point is the general tension between Gus and the foetarch and them having shuttled them off to go have a private room.

[Hal]

So I'm somewhere down here, and I could see all the way down to this hall. So I can see wrath and judgment and Thelonious.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes, you can.

[Hal]

And just for clarity, the door that closed, it's that one or a different door.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

It looks like they were closing all the doors in the chamber to have some privacy. Okay.

[Hal]

And I saw a person head towards this.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Bizarrely, you saw someone head away from this. There was someone watching the door. And it was only for the timing

[Dungeon Master]

of it that it struck you as

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

odd that the door clicked and the person went, sorry. And began to move away.

[Hal]

Quick, move away, not towards.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Move away, not towards.

[Hal]

Then the last question for those, the 22 perception, insight, did I see the golden bird motif that Bolaire put into masks for all friends or.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

No, this lamb mask has no bird motif.

[Dungeon Master]

Not a friend.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

And actually, on the 22 perception, I'll give you something else. The minister's garb they're wearing, they are an Argosian minister.

[Murray]

That's your shit.

[Bolair]

No Argosian. No.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Argosia is the Timin's enemy.

[Murray]

Timiny's Edmond, Timony's Eminem.

[Hal]

Knights in our prayer land.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

In your presence, you look around and do not see those Argosian knights anywhere. Okay?

[Dungeon Master]

Shit.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay, okay.

[Murray]

Bro is about to get assassinated. It's gonna be bad, you guys.

[Ashley Taliesin]

It's just.

[Liam O'Brien]

How are we going? Russian royalty? Are we going Hail Caesar? Let's find out. Well, Augustus. Oh, no.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

As all of that happens.

[Hal]

Sorry, one last question. Is he walking down a secluded Path is he walking away from the crowds, that individual,

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I will say. And this happens. We had that whole conversation that Gus and the Fotarch had in this room. After the door is closed, there's a little bit of time that we're covering for Hal out in the party right here. You see that minister walk out. And by the way, as he walks away, you see a swishing lion's tail

[Dungeon Master]

behind him as he's walking.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

He may be Naama, he may be similar to Teor. As he walks, you see that he opens a side door just off of the main gala and sort of barks something. You see him go, like, I need the room to someone else. And you actually see Hiro walk out of that room. Your daughter walk out of this little side chamber with a bunch of papers and stuff in her arm. As she walks away from that room and he closes the door behind her, she sort of looks around, nonplussed, looks up at you and walks over and goes, dad, sorry, I got bored of the party and I got back to

[Dungeon Master]

organizing the cards for a lot of the magical objects.

[Hal]

That's perfect. Let's disperse them amongst the partygoers.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, like factoid cards. Yes.

[Dungeon Master]

Awesome.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah. Okay. And you see, she goes and begins to start putting a little fun fact stuff around. As you see, the door is closed

[Dungeon Master]

behind that minister who goes into that private library.

[Hal]

Okay. And I'm just trying to get. Sorry, the mind space is everything. I'm trying to get an idea of how busy is the area around that door that he just went into.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

It looks like probably the quietest area visible. He went to the most private, quietest area he could.

[Hal]

Okay, okay, okay.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

No more questions. No more questions. You got it?

[DSW Advertiser]

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[Azune]

Let's check in on the Serta counting sheep.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Hey, uncle number one, why aren't we counting anymore? Long ago, Serta invented the perfect sleeper mattress.

[Murray]

Oh, no.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, yes. It says the all new Serta perfect sleeper with a Q4 support system has four in one perfectly interlinked coils that help relieve aches and back pain. For perfect Sleep night out, dark night.

[Murray]

We'll never get counted again.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Nope.

[Fabletics Advertiser]

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[Bolair]

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[Azune]

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[Murray]

Perfect sleeper X at a retailer near you.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Um, no more questions. Great, Murray. On that insight. As they sit down, you see servants have laid out some food and beverage for everybody. Completely rote, you see. Gus hands the goblet to the druid behind him as he goes to take his seat again. Big burly guy, he's got a hound's head pommel longsword on his side. See, he puts the shield against the table. Besides, beside him, you see he goes. Cyrus hands the goblet up

[Dungeon Master]

on a 20 insight.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

There's something really weird happening. Give me arcana with advantage.

[Dungeon Master]

Based on that 20 insight.

[Murray]

Pretty mid. But that's going to be a dirty 20 for me.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

That's mid.

[Murray]

Mid roll.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Mid roll. Good at arcana. Good at arcana. Murray, you see that the goblet is handed to the druid. The druid puts their hand over it. Light comes from their palm as they hand it back.

[Dungeon Master]

And you see, they say, clean, my

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

lord, and hand it to Gus. Gus takes a swig, puts the goblet down and says.

[Dungeon Master]

So the council of all courts has come to your attention, your radiance. It seems to me none of the business of the creed to

[Murray]

none of no.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

On that dirty 20 arcana, you look over and see the residual magic. The druid next to Gus. That light that came out was the druid craft cantrip. It was a total cantrip. It was a little blast of green light and nothing more. But you look up at that druid,

[Dungeon Master]

and on that 20 insight, the druid's eyes are completely vacant.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, okay.

[Murray]

So a little mind control, little suggestion probably happening.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You would some sort of influence. I think you believe that there's some influence on this. Clearly Gus trusted this druid enough to hand his goblet to them.

[Liam O'Brien]

Cast brownie.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

And you see that Gus looks and

[Dungeon Master]

goes

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

looking over as Martin the hound looks over to the druid next to him. This is where we are going to enter initiative.

[Murray]

I just got goosebumps. I just got goosebumps.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

No.

[Murray]

With these two still getting out.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I'm very sorry. To the schemer's table. Because your fights are also puzzles. Oh, it's gone. It's good.

[Murray]

It's gone.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

It's gone.

[Liam O'Brien]

That's best escape room ever.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Actions from from Azunay and Belair.

[Liam O'Brien]

Quick question, Triss. Trying to get a read on the face of that guard. Do they seem nervous? Bored. The one who's closest to me as I'm walking up to them,

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

vigilant and alert. How you would describe them.

[Liam O'Brien]

Okay, I'm going to. And since I heard the click coming from down the hall.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Down this hall, over here.

[Dungeon Master]

Yep.

[Liam O'Brien]

I'm going to loudly say I clearly don't look like myself because I put on a very, very nice Rowan, the Trickster God. Historically accurate. Not that anyone would know. Kind of the only one. And I have a human face underneath it at the moment, but I can do my voice. I'm going to say, sir, behind you. And I'm going to click and break my sea invisibility

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

spellgliff.

[Liam O'Brien]

Yeah. Spellgliff.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Unbelievable. Okay. And I'm a very.

[Liam O'Brien]

I have a very honest voice.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Incredible. Sea invisibility. Bam. It breaks. I'll also say, one of the nice benefits of this spell glyph for sea invisibility is much like a potion. It does not require concentration. Why? They're fine. So sea invisibility is on you. Bolair, where are you? Okay. That's. So you won't be able to move until your turn. Sure.

[Liam O'Brien]

But since I'd already been moving that

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

way, I assume that's great. You go. Sir, behind you. You see both knights turn and whip around to the other direction. Azuna, your action.

[Bolair]

Okay. I don't know the stuff that happened over here. We're too far away to hear King Gust start to kind of choke is

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

what it sort of seemed like it was.

[Liam O'Brien]

Oh, yeah, We're.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah. You're not far away.

[Bolair]

We know that the meeting is happening over here. I am going to.

[Liam O'Brien]

As I started to speed walk. Sukuli. I know some shit's happening.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes.

[Bolair]

And I'm next to you. Do I see you crack that?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Well.

[Bolair]

Oh, yeah.

[Liam O'Brien]

It would have just been in my hand like a coin. Snap.

[Bolair]

I need to be able to see what's happening, too. I'm going to cast. See invisibility. Okay. What happens in my mind is I hear a memory from training with Yazzie and cling. Cling. Swords clanging. And I hear his voice saying, open your eyes. Because I had been training with my eyes closed out of fear of getting struck. And my eyes open to see what's invisible in Incredible.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Both of you, your eyes open to see what's invisible. We are going to move into initiative right now.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

Hell.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes. Here we go. Okay. That's hell. That's belair. And then we had four down here.

[Hal]

You're about to assassinate Archduke Ferdinand here. Is that what's going down.

[Liam O'Brien]

It's going.

[Murray]

It's fully. Fully some world war. It's fully fucking poisonous.

[Liam O'Brien]

Which one's Rasputin now? At this point, yeah, took our Anastasia.

[Bolair]

You have to suck the poison out of his mouth.

[Hal]

I poisoned your wine.

[Murray]

I am a wizard. I am not a cleric. I don't have. I am a dwarf. So I've got some like poison. Resistance means nothing for him.

[Liam O'Brien]

And you have like a potion at best.

[Murray]

I'm gonna be dumping. Dumping my fucking potion in this guy's head.

[Liam O'Brien]

That's. What else are we gonna fucking do, okay?

[Bolair]

I mean, that'll uninvisble you.

[Murray]

I know. Anything I do is gonna unmissivil.

[Liam O'Brien]

Which one's a cleric? Okay, he has a cleric, though. Oh, he's a druidist. He has a druid.

[Murray]

Okay, the druid is mind control task.

[Liam O'Brien]

I know, I'm just. I'm making plans.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay. Initiative breaks out, rushing from behind this corner. Armored, medium scale and breastplate wearing armor. Rushing around the corner. Black cloaks, crossbows, swords, a belt filled with potions. Masked rush forward. They're going to rush here. This one takes a swipe from that. Timonish knight is going to get out here to this chamber.

[Murray]

These are Argonians, Yes, Argosians.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

They are not wearing any symbol you can see in this moment. These are just for the tim. Fucking shit. So I will say what happens here is this. I'm gonna leave these two here. These two are gonna rush over here.

[Hal]

Knives edge.

[Bolair]

Knives edge.

[Murray]

Knives edge. Knives edge.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Duh, duh, duh.

[Murray]

I'm so fucked. I'm so fucked. I don't know what to do.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

So you see, crossbows loaded. Several of these armored warriors rush up, cuffed and take crossbows. Crossbow bolts loaded not with bolts, but with small fletched sticks and pouches on them. Fly out. You see a group, a sort of yellow dust that smells sweet like flourish lands all throughout there. These two rush and fire towards Gus. And you see five of them have these crossbows loaded with just these sort of pouches on them. You see, as the dust hits, okay, there it is. As the dust cleared, they've all missed that. No one hit anybody with the. Those pouches. But you see, as the dust clears for a second, the hound of the King is on its side, going, pawing at its nose as fast as it can. You smell sweet flowers. And almost like, you know, that garbage gets kind of sweet when it rots. A smell like that, like a little fermenting, the humans are unaffected by it. But you see this hound Here. And this one down here are both frothing at the mouth, their eyes wide, scratching with their paws at their nose. Motherfucker. Quick mode activated.

[Murray]

Is this aoe hitting me?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

It is hitting you, and you do not need to roll a constitution. Saving throw.

[Bolair]

It's specific to them.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Unless Murray has the scent ability, then you are okay.

[Murray]

Oh, wait.

[Liam O'Brien]

Only for the fucking dog.

[Bolair]

And the other two are unaffected.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

The Timidish knights are unaffected. You see, however these guys have. That's going to be okay. That is a miss on those knights. That is a hit. You see that? One of the Timonish Knights. This one right here goes as a sword goes in under the armor, into his ribcage as he buckles down. And this one right here, I said five crossbow bolts had pouches on them. One does not. It's the one you heard. Click. And this one right here raises up black crossbow bolt into the fo tark's chest. What? No. What? What happened? Oh, Whose side is.

[Bolair]

Wait, Anybody?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

On whose side is anybody?

[Murray]

Oh, my God. I was about to throw a portent out on some. I did not.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Murray, you look out and see the fotarch goes, what is the mean and collapse to the ground. Toad.

[Liam O'Brien]

No, this is complicated.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Murray.

[Murray]

You know when. Like the human brain, when you see something, like, super horrific and it takes a minute for your brain to process what you're seeing, that's happening to Murray right now.

[Bolair]

Slow download.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Invisibly.

[Murray]

Yes, invisibly.

[Liam O'Brien]

Maybe we're all about to learn a valuable lesson.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Maybe we should all back off.

[Murray]

Was like, yeah, the puzzle is, there's a party.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Hell, yes.

[Liam O'Brien]

It's getting a handle on the situation

[Bolair]

that changes so much.

[Murray]

Are the assassins with King Gus, or are they just a whole other third?

[Liam O'Brien]

I think they're a third. I think someone is making a big play. Yes, I think someone's trying to clear the board.

[Murray]

Are these tous assassins?

[Bolair]

I think they might be, because there's a setup. Cause who's gonna be implicated?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

We'll talk later. Uninjured knight.

[Murray]

Timiny.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Uninjured timinish knight reaches out and thuds a sword and goes. Goes. My liege, Sir Martin calls out and just yells the top of his voice.

[Murray]

Martin's the dog.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Martin's the dog. Who you see is collapsed on the ground.

[Bolair]

That's Martin down here.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Martin down here. Murray, it is your turn. This is a. As Lady Aranessa Rice would say, a dynamic and fluid situation. So any questions about what is going on? You see, you're gonna answer. You see Gus in the Chair clutching at his throat, looks as the foetarch hits the ground in front of him with a look of dismay and confusion, and is sliding out of his chair, reaching feebly at the sword at his waist as he hits the ground and looks eye to eye with Ser Martin, who is foaming at the mouth, eyes bulging. Murray, that is your turn.

[Murray]

For my turn. I want to go back to a week and a half ago where I'm just a teacher.

[Liam O'Brien]

Remember, Remember, we've all made some bad career choices here, okay?

[Murray]

So I know Bolair is over. You're in this hall over here. Yeah, you are.

[Bolair]

I'm in that hall over there as well. You're with the hall. I escorted them here and then waited outside.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

And to help us out, I am going to throw poisoned on.

[Liam O'Brien]

Excuse me.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I think it's not a mystery for you that King Gus is currently poisoned. Poisoned.

[Bolair]

The poisoned condition.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

The poisoned condition.

[Murray]

I'm dwarf enough to at least be able to recognize it.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

And I think both hounds are as well.

[Hal]

It's a sick individual to attack dogs, Brandon.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Hey, dogs want to get in the mix and be characters they got to fucking deal with. I'll take that, dogs. And of course. And of course, some kind of effect on that druid over there. But, Murray, it is your turn.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

Holy shit.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I'm so sorry.

[Bolair]

I don't know what to do.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I know. I'm so bad.

[Laura Bailey]

I'm not going for this.

[Murray]

Why don't I roll? I have bad initiative and I'm still first. Can I get a beat on what the attending is for? The photoarch? Attending?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Hell, yeah. Give me insight.

[Murray]

Okay, 19.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

19 on a 19. She looks and says you're radiant and screams and looks like she is preparing a healing spell. Okay,

[Bolair]

okay, okay.

[Liam O'Brien]

No, stop. Don't.

[Murray]

Okay. Is this door locked? This front door is locked.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

That.

[Bolair]

This.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah. Well, it is closed. But they just closed it.

[Azune]

They just closed it.

[Murray]

Yeah, I don't want to fuck up my invisibility yet.

[Hal]

You are in ground zero of a major political assassination.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Let me get some.

[Liam O'Brien]

I'm not helping, Murray.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I will also say you can go home. You can go home. You can go home.

[Murray]

It's been a good schemer's run, guys.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You can absolutely go home. You look out and see.

[Dungeon Master]

Fuck.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You can delay your turn if you wish. Right? But if you just go, like, I'm screwed. There's nothing I can do. You can't. Obviously, time is of the essence. Something very bad is happening here.

[Murray]

But, you know, I'm gonna see how I can do this. So King Gus is, like, face to stone, foaming at the mouth, looking at his dog, right? He's like, yes. Messed up.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah.

[Murray]

I would like. Oh, my God.

[Hal]

Guys are dead.

[Murray]

I would like to. If I can kind of sneak over here, I am going to take my healing potion and can I sneak over and basically palm the healing potion to King Gus chest?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes. Cause that's not. Huh?

[Bolair]

Yeah.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah, you absolutely can. Okay.

[Murray]

So, yeah, I basically kind of try as much as I can. I know I don't want to be revealed, but I'm kind of going to kind of like, slip him a healing potion instead, and hopefully he grips it. That's what I do.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

It's an object in a random.

[Laura Bailey]

That is awesome.

[Hal]

That is wild. To be, like, sneaking into the middle of, like. That's awesome.

[Murray]

Here you go. And then I'm going to palm him the healing potion and then go back and hide behind my pillar and wait. That's all I do.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay, killer. Great. You see? Yeah. As you put it on his chest, it suddenly just appears on his chest. And he holds it. With no context for what's happening, but you see that he holds it and you see. Looks out and just grasps it and you see. Goes and hides it under the table, basically. But you got the healing potion to him.

[Liam O'Brien]

Okay.

[Murray]

A healing potion.

[Hal]

Well, you know, put an option on the table.

[Bolair]

My God.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah.

[Liam O'Brien]

It hasn't gotten rid of it yet.

[Hal]

Yes.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Genghis. Fotarch. Yanessa Haylovar. Death saving throw.

[Bolair]

What?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

What

[Laura Bailey]

do we care?

[Liam O'Brien]

Oh, that's a natural one.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I know what that looks like a wonder. That's a natural one.

[Liam O'Brien]

That's a nat one.

[Murray]

The foe tark.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

The fo Tark.

[Laura Bailey]

Yes.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

She got three. She got three death saves. How does it feel? Not anymore. That was.

[Murray]

She just dropped down, too.

[Bolair]

I can't tell if I'm happy about this or not.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I don't know. Tell me how I'm supposed to be. Okay, we cut to. We cut to a lovely gala. Hal, you're out in the party. Wave the fuck far away.

[Hal]

Shaking this off, shaking this off.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Shake it off, shake it off. You don't know what's going on.

[Murray]

There's a John Travolta gif happening right now.

[Liam O'Brien]

There's a beautifully rendered classical version of Wonderwall playing right now.

[Hal]

All right, so.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, no.

[Hal]

So my bardi senses are tingling. I'm going to start. Here's what I want to do. Now, I can't see our invisible museum halls, but what I would like to do is start to move through the crowd towards and get away from the crowd towards that door. I'm hoping that there are that the crowd thins out and that there are pillars or other works of art that I could move behind briefly. And if I need to use one of my bonus. I can't breathe. I can't breathe. I can't breathe. If I could use my orc trait adrenaline rush if I need to to take the dash action just so I can move faster and cover more ground. I want to move behind a sculpture or pillar and and I'm in a very gorgeous black suit with elaborate silver stitching and this silver fox mask. I want to move behind this object and come out with an unfurling. I'm going to cast disguise self and have a gray green cloak unfurl over me. And the fox mask is replaced with Think of Salieri at the end of Amadeus. A mask of Osgra appears dark and severe with a snarl on its face. And I present the appearance of a high level security detail who is masked and patrolling the place.

[Dungeon Master]

Yeah.

[Hal]

And I even use the magic of it to make my shoulders look broader. I'm a couple inches taller. I look a little more imposing.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah.

[Hal]

And I want to go up to that door and as I approach it do I hear anything?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Give me a perception check. That is 13 on a 13 through a closed door. You hear muttering. This is in the little study that hero just got kicked out of by this Argosian minister. But you hear swords get the sword. Sword just aside cosmic and it sounds urgent and distracted and hushed.

[Hal]

I'm going to open the door.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

We have discovered secret extra battlefield.

[Bolair]

What?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

No. No. Is that good?

[Murray]

That's.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I know. I don't want. That's the opposite of good Gamers fight happens in one place place.

[Murray]

No. This isn't a fun secret.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

No. Okay.

[Hal]

But I know that I can't just walk away from this room with whatever the fuck is going on and turning on your proposal.

[Liam O'Brien]

I don't like.

[Murray]

No.

[Bolair]

She walked out.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Hal opening Hal. It's the wrong dagger. Wrong dagger. Opening the door. Seated in this chair in this small city arcana. By the way this is like 250ft away from this central. It's like other side of the main golf. So you're on your own. So Hal, you're on your own baby. But you see as you open the door you hear this is the lamb's mask is off. And you see a beautiful golden red gold mane Nama lionfolk minister who seems regal, genteel to the manor born. You see that he is in the chair, and he goes. You see that his eyes are rolling back in his head, and he goes,

[Dungeon Master]

remove the sword caster. Remove the sword.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

And you see that as the door opens, he stands up and goes. I beg your pardon, sir. Just getting a moment's rest.

[Hal]

I'm sorry, sir. This room is off limits to the general public.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Ah, very well. Is he bidding?

[Dungeon Master]

Sorry.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Sorry. Yes, please. Remy, will you. Sorry, I don't feel well. Could you get a. Could you get a cleric for me? I don't feel well.

[Hal]

I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave. And I'm going to draw back the cloak and the Liar's blade. Looks like a dark blade, a totally different appearance to it. And I put my hand on its hilt.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay, you put your hand on its hilt. He looks and says, no need for that.

[Dungeon Master]

Please just leave me be.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

And I'm going to say, it is your turn. This is your turn.

[Hal]

Yes. So I cast a sky myself.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

So you move. So. Okay, that's going to be the end of your movement. Got you here. You look in and can see him as he turns around and just goes, I don't feel well. Leave me be. And stands from the chair.

[Hal]

If I've used my action.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes.

[Hal]

Here's the last thing I'll do with my action. Economy.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes.

[Hal]

Is close the door behind me and say, we're going to have a word. That word reverberates through his skull. And I use my. I use unsettling words. As a bonus action. You explain.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Is this a cantrip or level?

[Hal]

It's neither. It is barred.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Start. Okay. Awesome.

[Hal]

That's a bonus action. You expand. Spend one use of your bardic inspiration and choose a creature you see within 60. Roll the Bardic Inspiration. Die at D6. That's A5. So they subtract that from the next saving throw. It makes for the start of its next turn.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Unbelievable. That is awesome. Okay. Da, da, da.

[Hal]

Unsettling words.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Unsettling words. This is a bard trait. He will subtract five from his next saving throw. Unbelievable. Please remember that, Belair. That is going to be your turn.

[Liam O'Brien]

I am going to mix my way down that hall at full speed. Well, let's see. How far can I get without breaking into a run?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You can go 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30. That's your movement. That gets you right there. And you can see these assassins are blocking the hallway right now.

[Liam O'Brien]

They're blocking the hall.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah. Okay. 30ft of movement gets you into melee with them.

[Liam O'Brien]

It gets me into melee. All right.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay.

[Liam O'Brien]

That's fun. I don't want to spend anything too exciting yet. I'm going to use my bonus action to put my hand behind my back and cast my sword.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay.

[Liam O'Brien]

And then to the one in front of me. Are they holding swords or.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, yeah, swords out.

[Liam O'Brien]

Actually, not the one in front of me, the one to the side of me. I'm going to look and just for a brief moment, they're going to almost see their own face in my face. Like there's a mirror in front of them, a little twisted. And they're going to hear. They're going to hear. Grovel as I cast command. And they're prone till the end of their next turn.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

So I believe with command, they have to take the action. They can't do it immediately, can they?

[Liam O'Brien]

No. Let's see you speak one more command to the creature. You can see within range. Targets succeed on a wisdom saving throw or follow the command on its next turn.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay.

[Liam O'Brien]

So sorry. No, I wasn't gonna do wisdom saving throw.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Wisdom saving Throw is a 12.

[Liam O'Brien]

I don't think. Where's my.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I don't believe that passes.

[Liam O'Brien]

I don't think it does either. Oh, there it is. 14.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay, 14.

[Bolair]

Awesome.

[Dungeon Master]

What to do?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Wisdom. Da, da, da. Great. Okay, is this the one you're facing or the one next to it?

[Liam O'Brien]

Oh, the one next to me. Because since you're right there, I figured just give you a little bit.

[Bolair]

Yeah, I'll give him another time.

[Liam O'Brien]

Well, it gives you advantage.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay. Because they're on the ground doing something a little different.

[Liam O'Brien]

Wait, does that. That means they can't take an attack because they're prone or.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

No, he has to use his movement on his turn.

[Liam O'Brien]

In that case, since I'm still learning this one, I may just. If it's okay to change, just drop it. And I'm gonna have him drop his weapon, which I can do.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Sure, sure.

[Liam O'Brien]

I believe that's perfectly reasonable.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes.

[Liam O'Brien]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it is. I'll allow him to drop anything they're holding.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Anything they're holding.

[Liam O'Brien]

Okay. Until the end of its next turn.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Great.

[Liam O'Brien]

And

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

that's what I got. Okay. That is your action. Awesome.

[Liam O'Brien]

And my bonus.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

And my bonus as that goes into effect. The one right in front of you drops his blade, right?

[Bolair]

Yes.

[Liam O'Brien]

The other one's got you coming up.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay, Bolair, that is your turn. It is. Then that is going to be. You see, King Gus, who is badly poisoned, takes his entire turn to heave an elbow onto the table and go to draw his sword. As he does, you see the druid next to him pulls the sword out of his grasp and tosses it to the ground. Fuck. As it clatters away. Snap out of it.

[Murray]

It's this Fuck.

[Azune]

It's this.

[Murray]

You gotta do something about this fuck.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

As the Lux shouts, you hear Felonious hail of Argo mother. Turn around and. And he goes to open the door and Murray, give me an arcana check. Oh, we are so fucked.

[Bolair]

He's not. He's not our enemy at this moment.

[Murray]

Okay, that's gonna be 22.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Felonious goes to open the door and you hear the familiar of magic keeping the door shut.

[Murray]

I have to. I have to. I had a feeling and it wasn't. It wasn't. It magically looked. Okay, okay, okay.

[Bolair]

There's ways to fix that.

[Murray]

There are ways to fix that.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay. Holy crap. Okay, that's going to be. Our hounds are completely incapacitated. Da, da, da. Biggest dogs are outside.

[Dungeon Master]

Okay, okay,

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay.

[Dungeon Master]

Oh, he's fucked.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Hold on. Okay, You see that? This minister stands up and is going to attack you. Hal. He raises a paw up.

[Hal]

A paw. So throwing at me, he's casting. Yes.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Paw up. And with a nat one blasts the door. Second nat one of the combat. He unleashes a firebolt cantrip that slams into the wall behind you. And he gets up and rushes back. Rushes back over here. Just trying to clear as much space from you as possible. And that's his turn. That's all he can do. Yeah. Misses his attack roll. Bonus action. No bonus action from him. Okay, Azhun, it's gonna be your turn. Okay. Oh, wow.

[Murray]

Oh, that was before Azun.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah, yeah.

[Bolair]

I'm very slow.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay. Okay.

[Murray]

So it doesn't matter.

[Bolair]

I didn't. I don't have my shield drawn, so I'm going to have to. Because I'm not going to waste an action to draw my shield. So I am going to draw my warhammer.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes.

[Bolair]

As I rush towards that empty space in between the guard.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay.

[Bolair]

The one with the sword is a guard on the side of Timothy, right?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes. The white cloak is Timothy. Yes.

[Bolair]

So I'm gonna go after the one that is in between he and I. Next to that statue. I'm drawing my weapon as my object interaction. I'm wielding my hammer to weapon.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Gotcha.

[Bolair]

And I am going to quicken spell booming blade.

[Dungeon Master]

This guy.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Hell yeah. Go for it.

[Bolair]

I am gonna. That is definitely gonna miss. Do I use a heroic inspiration right now and reroll that it's just an attack. Let it go. That's my bonus action. So, bonus action Cantrip with quicken spell for my action. These motes of fire start to gather around me and they start to grow. And I'm going to absorb them.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Cool.

[Bolair]

Let go of one hand. As that fire channels around my arm through my hand, I summon a flaming sphere.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay.

[Murray]

Whoa.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

Going for it.

[Murray]

Big gun.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Whoa. Flaming sphere.

[Dungeon Master]

Damn.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Flaming sphere, I believe will break concentration on sea invisibility.

[Bolair]

Sea invisibility does not require concentration.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I'm wrong. You're right. Very cool.

[Liam O'Brien]

Oh, yeah.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I have copy.

[Bolair]

Sea invisibility does not require concentration. Flaming sphere. I'm going to place it right behind those two guys.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Over here or right here? Right there. Okay, cool. Boom. Okay, go ahead and give me your for attack roll.

[Bolair]

It's not an attack roll. It's gonna be Booming blade is not Booming blade. I missed.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay, gotcha. All good.

[Bolair]

My booming blade missed. But my flaming sphere is active and

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

we're doing things late. Booming blade is a bonus action because

[Bolair]

I Quicken spelled it.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Great. Awesome. Yes, yes, yes.

[Bolair]

Love that.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Very good. Okay, great. And that's my turn. Okay. Any creature that ends its turn within 5ft of the sphere to make it dexterity saving throw. Okay. Cool. Awesome. Vroom. Fire raises up around you. Okay. From there we are going to move Azune. Is there anything else? So that's your bonus action. Action. Are you saying anything? Do you speak at all as part of your turn? Not cool. Cool, cool. Don't want them to hear the sound of my voice. What I want you to do then is I want you to roll a perception check. Okay. You're going to add four to this because you are rolling for Verin catorn. Difficulty's only a 10. A lot of shouting.

[Bolair]

Nine plus four is 13.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay. Out in the main hall as the shout. As Flonius shouts more, you hear Varen shout backhaul upstairs. And you hear. I cannot tell you how much you have changed your odds by remembering to hire security for this party. And you hear, Varen and the rest begin to rush up. Give me a. I love that shit. Do me a favor. Give me roll 2D4 and take the

[Dungeon Master]

lower of the

[Bolair]

A4 and A3. So it's A3.3.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay. So as I said, a couple hundred feet away, they spend one of three rounds. They'll get here on the third round. Cool. We want it to be really low.

[Murray]

It's okay.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

So rushing. But you can hear the clank of the magpies. The secret sort of security Guard that you've called coming here as fast as possible. That is going to be back at the top of initiative.

[Dungeon Master]

That's going to be our assassins.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Let's see here.

[Dungeon Master]

5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 60.

[Liam O'Brien]

Okay.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, man. Okay, okay.

[Hal]

That guy's scary.

[Murray]

He's so scary.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah, he's beefy.

[Liam O'Brien]

Are they full?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

This guy's gonna go

[Dungeon Master]

5, 10.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay. And he's gonna rush. Ozzani. Give me an attack of opportunity on the guy that you swung on with booming blade.

[Bolair]

Okay.

[Liam O'Brien]

And do I get an attack?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

And Bolair, you get one as this guy moves in to block the way.

[Liam O'Brien]

In that case, hold on, let me see what's better.

[Bolair]

Ooh, that's gonna be a 15 to

[Hal]

hit

[Bolair]

with my warhammer.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

15 to hit with your warhammer.

[Murray]

Are you attacking the assassin?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Fifteen does not hit.

[Azune]

Does not hit.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah.

[Bolair]

Opportunity attack for the one who moved away.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Bolair, go ahead and give me.

[Bolair]

Does he end in turn? Did he end his turn next to the flaming sphere?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Those guys, or at least these two do end their turn next to the flaming sphere. So go ahead and hold these.

[Liam O'Brien]

Double checking. If since I have battle mage, I have to have a spell that has an attack roll. Correct.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You have to have a spell that has an attack roll. Okay. Oh, sorry. Let me actually look up the rules for that.

[Bolair]

Or ward caster. Yeah, yeah. You can use your reaction to cast

[Liam O'Brien]

a spell, but I can cast a spell at it. But it doesn't have to have an attack roll. It can be a save.

[Bolair]

I think it has to be an attack roll.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

The spell must have a casting of one action and must target only that creature. Be a saving throw. Can be a saving throw.

[Liam O'Brien]

In that case, I'm going to use mind sliver. And that's an intelligence 14 save.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay, that is a fail.

[Liam O'Brien]

So. It's in this.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, my God.

[Liam O'Brien]

As the soldier turns, just a shard of mirrored glass just pierces right in the head before vanishing out of nowhere. And they take one point of psychic damage and they have Fuck you. And they have a negative one to their next saving throw before the end of their next turn. Okay, end of my next turn.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Minus one to saving throw before the next turn. Got it. This guy's got the minus one to the saving throw before the next turn.

[Liam O'Brien]

Double ones I rolled.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah, well,

[Bolair]

those two guys need to make a saving throw. A dex save for the flaming sphere.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay?

[Bolair]

If they save, they take one damage. If they don't save, they take two. Because I rolled two ones.

[Liam O'Brien]

I'm so embarrassed.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

They both take two damage and seem unperturbed as they square up and block the hallway. Block the hallway as they rush in.

[Bolair]

Yeah, that's tricky.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I'm gonna watch out for that fire.

[Bolair]

I'll say two.

[Liam O'Brien]

I should have just made them run

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

as these two move in past the flaming sphere. You see this one right here? Wheels in under this timonish knight who goes after him with a sword dagger, slits the knight's throat, drops him to the ground.

[Murray]

Whoa, some other guy?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

No, no, just the same guy. He was moving past him to block the way and killed him on his way into the dragon. That is.

[Dungeon Master]

I should have done that.

[Liam O'Brien]

I'm learning. I'm learning. I can see what I should have done.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Cavalier, the greyhound that you spoke to before. This guy steps in and without even looking swift, swivels his sword and plants a sword into Cavalier's chest on the ground behind him.

[Murray]

The Red Wedding.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Fucking.

[Murray]

I know.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Cavalier looks injured but not dead. But he uses the fact that the dog is prone to these two use. They use a bonus action to clear and their movement to get that far. And you can see they take dropping their crossbows here at the door. They take another round of smaller hand crossbows out preloaded and fire out. They don't bother going for Gus because Gus has fallen back down and is prone again. They don't aim for the druid. All of them light up. The attendant lux, sure as they are running full tilt hand crossbows riddled with bolts, falls to the ground dead. And they drop their bolts without even bothering to reload and go for swords.

[Bolair]

Oh my gosh.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

That is going to be wiped their guns away. Okay, this knight is going to close in here. He's gonna take away from the fire.

[Bolair]

I will tell him.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay, copy that. He rushes in and you see that? He rushes in and bashes his shield into the assassin here. And for his second attack goes to trying to clear the doorway, goes to just bash him over and can't get past. And then. And takes a. He takes a step back and is gonna get an attack of opportunity which is a miss climbing off of his shield. Okay, that is going to be Murray. Your turn again.

[Liam O'Brien]

Some but

[Bolair]

just on the loop.

[Liam O'Brien]

Start. Start looting whoever's down. Don't know what to do.

[Murray]

I still really don't want to.

[Liam O'Brien]

If I can get in there, I can start doing some mad visibility right now.

[Bolair]

Don't.

[Murray]

Yeah, don't. I mean visibility.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

No, no, no, no.

[Murray]

Do this.

[Bolair]

Please don't die.

[Marisha Ray]

No,

[Murray]

I don't have anything that's like. Like a negate magic type of thing right now.

[Hal]

You got ranged. Try to let your friends in the room.

[Murray]

Anything I do. Huh?

[Hal]

Oh, I know.

[Liam O'Brien]

Anything you do is going to drop my.

[Murray]

I am going to hold my action.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Cool. Murray.

[Murray]

She's a little lightheaded and her eyes roll back into her head as she's trying to stay focused, but she cannot help but be overwhelmed by pulsing. It's almost like the room is starting to pulse as gravity, as sound, as time is starting to pulse through, as she's getting these feelings that only a divination wizard could understand. And I'm going to hold my action as I just continue to watch and wait.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay. Your whole. I think that is a very brave choice. Taking a turn is always fun. And I think that is the correct strategic choice. I'm alone right now.

[Murray]

This team is forever in a way.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Sometimes the fact that we're playing a game takes over and you're like, I want to use one of my powers. And I think that that is the in character choice.

[Liam O'Brien]

There's nothing invisible to see so far from us.

[Murray]

I do. I'm holding because Gordy's.

[Liam O'Brien]

I've got an angle, correct?

[Bolair]

Yes.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Let me go first. Of course.

[Murray]

Is it the photoarch?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

It's the fotarch's turn.

[Murray]

Brennan.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes.

[Bolair]

Yeah. Yeah. Yes.

[Murray]

As once again, she's getting overwhelmed. I hope this is not a terrible idea.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah.

[Murray]

And I hope that I can use it this way.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah.

[Murray]

It's almost like sound waves are coursing from front to back. From the back going through this room. As you can see, it's vibrating like boom, boom. And Murray just kind of mutters under her breath. It's already been written. It's been written this whole time. All truth starts with stories. Can I use my six that I rolled on portent for her last death saving throw?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You tipped the scale.

[Murray]

It's already been written.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Murray, can I do in all of the flow sheets that I wrote for this combat? You have no idea how profoundly

[Marisha Ray]

cool

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

this moment is about to be. Oh, good. Give me an investigation.

[Dungeon Master]

Investigation roll.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Investigation.

[Dungeon Master]

Give me an investigation roll.

[Bolair]

Oh, my God.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

What? Why? I feel like fuck me.

[Murray]

Fuck you, die is appropriate for this.

[Azune]

18.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Murray, you go to right the fate

[Dungeon Master]

of the foetarch and let her succumb to her wounds as you reach out and say, let this be one of the futures where she dies.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I've never had to interpret a portent this way. And I've never seen a portent used to actually do what a divination wizard is supposed to do. You go to replace her death saving

[Dungeon Master]

throw to discover she's not making them.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

When I rolled her, that was a lie. What you reach out to fabricate. Every once in a while, a DM has to use some tricks to make things seem a certain way. You go and say, let her die, and reach out to touch the fabric of the universe and touch nothing. I cannot believe there's a game system that lets you discover that I'm cheating. As you reach out.

[Hal]

She's faking it.

[Dungeon Master]

She's.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

She's faking it.

[Hal]

She's faking it.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

It's an act as you. There was no way for you to discover that in this fight. Except for one I didn't remember. There was no way for you to discover that in this fight. There was no way for you to discover that in this fight.

[Murray]

You feel like I'm on one of those slingshot rides that are on Boardwalk Jesus.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You reach out. You reach out and go, let her die. It's literally like you get a 404 from the universe. You get a blues. The cosmos is like, have this be the time she dies.

[Murray]

She's.

[Dungeon Master]

What do you mean?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I can't do that? Like, you go to reweave destiny and it's like. In other words, what you're seeing with your eyes is her bleeding out on the floor. But when you go to the grid, the hum. The gem like structure of fate and destiny, destiny doesn't have a thread available for you for her to die here

[Bolair]

because that domino wasn't falling in this moment at all.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

At all.

[Hal]

Oh, my.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You don't know why or how, but that is the fucking coolest use of portent I've ever seen.

[Hal]

Your gut instinct realized more than your eyes were seeing.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You're literally what is happening. It's like. So you want to rewrite a book and you're like, I'm telling you, that book's not in this library. I'm in the Dewey decimal thing. It's not here, right? Like, wow. Unbelievable, Murray. Unbelievable.

[Murray]

Hail of our shenanigans confirmed.

[Hal]

Oh, my God.

[Murray]

They're trying to pin it on

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

us. Oh, well, maybe, but, like, are these

[Murray]

supposed to look like.

[Bolair]

We don't know.

[Murray]

This is somebody else.

[Bolair]

This is somebody else taking out both of them. It's.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

It doesn't look like them, but she was in.

[Bolair]

She's not being taken out.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I really can't believe that. That is so fucking cool. You know, you do some, like, every once in a while. You do something, you know, you got a. You'll say like. You'll say like, oh, I'm gonna do a perception check. And I'll roll knowing there's no one there, but just to keep it, because. Because if I don't roll when no one's there, it means I'm only rolling when there's someone there. So you have to make the sounds of dice to make it seem like, you know. And I was doing a little nat. My little cute little nat. One thing. Thing to sell. Oh, my God. To sell the act. But you have. That's a. I can't lie.

[Hal]

Who doesn't love Close up magic?

[Bolair]

It's my favorite.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Unbelievable. Marisha. Unbelievable. Okay. That's so fucking cool. I love that. Okay, Hal, that is your turn. Ms. Murray, as you realize, you can't have her fail her last death savings because she has made her first. How. That's gonna be you.

[Murray]

And that does use my portent, though, right?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

That just. No, no, your portent is still remaining.

[Murray]

It's still remaining.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You go to cash in your chip, and they're like, this isn't a casino. This is a gas station. You know, like, you're like, let me do my thing right, me lady.

[Liam O'Brien]

This is a Wendy's.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes. That is Hal's turn. Fuck. Okay. Oh, my God.

[Hal]

This nama who's run for cover in this corner sees a hand plant on the side of that bookshelf. And this dark austere Amadeus like Mask of Osgra appears behind it, stalking out behind and from behind the mask that I am wearing, say, still throwing his voice, still changing his voice. You mess with our city, you feel our fangs. And that unleashes the shatter spell.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Ooh. Hell yes.

[Hal]

I'm going to launch it into him as well as the bookshelf near him to destroy any cover he might want to use in the future. Hell, yeah. So that is a con save. Minus five.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

He gets a negative three.

[Bolair]

That's double damage, I think.

[Murray]

Oh, my God.

[Hal]

10. That's 15.

[Murray]

That's such a cool setup.

[Hal]

15 points of damage.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay. Yeah, that's great.

[Murray]

Cool.

[Hal]

Thunder damage.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Fifteen Thunder damage. Incredible.

[Hal]

And then still in full Bene Gesserit mode. Yeah, I'll snarl. One of us isn't leaving this room. And I will re up

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

the hit

[Hal]

to their next save.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay. Incredible.

[Hal]

Which is a minus six.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, my God. Here's the truly significant thing. You just did 15 points of damage. Our friend here is a talented spellcaster, but they are not particularly tough. Which means. Which means this Is. And this is. Obviously, you're in a dangerous fight in a quiet room off in a gala, but you deal 15 points in damage,

[Dungeon Master]

which means he needs to make a concentration save.

[Liam O'Brien]

And did you just fuck up his save?

[Hal]

I did.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, minus six.

[Liam O'Brien]

Yes.

[Murray]

Yes.

[Bolair]

Concentration save.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I don't want to get our hopes up, but this is one of. In the vast puzzle of this arcane conspiracy, this is one of the major switches in the railroad tracks.

[Bolair]

Yes.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

And the fact that he has minus six in his save.

[Hal]

But before you roll, I just want to add a little bit of flavor, which is Hal is acting. Hal is presenting a dark, ominous figure, but behind the illusion, behind the mask, he is anything but sure of his chances and is just trying to keep his breath steady behind the act. What you will.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Difficulty is 10 for this concentration saving throw. Normally, he would roll flat. Now he's rolling at a minus six, which means he needs to get a 16 or higher to maintain concentration on the spell rolling in front.

[Hal]

16 or higher.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

16 or higher is what he's looking for. 15 or lower. What's that? Was it mattress 2020? No.

[Hal]

No.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay. You gotta be able to see him.

[Murray]

I gotta be able to see him.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Gotta be able to see him. Gotta be able to see him. So boom. It goes off. He flies back. Bookcases fly everywhere. Yeah, you have to see it.

[Bolair]

No, wait. For my thing. You can spin it to reroll anytime.

[Hal]

Wait.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh.

[Murray]

Are you looking at luck?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Looking at luck?

[Bolair]

No, I'm looking at. You can have.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I feel like I'm a drunk. No. Okay, so water on the bridge. Water on the bridge. But you also see, in addition to whatever else, he's badly injured. And this bookcase flies apart. All of poor hero's work goes up. Boom. As this bookcase flies apart. Bam. He stumbles backwards. Damn. And you are staying here or you've moved over.

[Hal]

I said that I came around to be like the Grim Reaper coming around the bookshelf to help with the act.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Hell, yeah. Awesome. Okay. That is how fangs turn.

[Dungeon Master]

Wow.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Incredible. But you are doing absolutely. He looks. You can see that. That is a sizable injury for him. He's alone in a room with you. He's not bloodied, but that's a sizable injury, by the way.

[Liam O'Brien]

We can't use the spell.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Do we have. No one's bloodied yet. I don't think anyone's even been hit yet, so. But we should fly in desperate measures when we can. Okay, Belair, that is your turn.

[Bolair]

That's the death save mechanics.

[Hal]

We don't need that.

[Bolair]

Okay, allow me, allow me.

[Liam O'Brien]

Oh yeah, that's right.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I'm holding my turn until, until Azune gets.

[Liam O'Brien]

Okay, thank you.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay, Bolair, you're sending, you're sending it down there.

[Azune]

I know.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay, you're going down there. The druid, Hal, as the shatter goes off, you see that the minister behind you calls out and says the shield in this room, Murray, you see, the druid reaches out and tosses Gus's shield to the side of the room. As Gus begins to army crawl across, going. He only manages to crawl about 5ft, crawling for his sword. In the corner of the room, the da da, da.

[Liam O'Brien]

Shit.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Felonious outside slamming on the door saying, help, help that asshole.

[Murray]

Performative fuck.

[Liam O'Brien]

Mm.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay, hold on.

[Murray]

Okay, I do have a desperate measure sheet here if anyone wants a reminder.

[Liam O'Brien]

Yeah, I would like that, please.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay.

[Liam O'Brien]

Oh yeah, that's right.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Gorson looking out, leaps forward and just takes his claws out and is going to go for it. What is your armor class, hal?

[Hal]

It's a 13.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

13. Okay. He hits twice.

[Hal]

For what?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

He hits for a 17 and a 15.

[Hal]

I break seven. 17 and a what? 15, 15 and 17. I break my rune shit.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay, your armor class moves to what? 18, 18. He goes, he goes. Stop your medley. You break the glyph and boom. Slap your titties. And all of a sudden you just see buzzing gem light and Murray's shield spell. What does your shield spell look like?

[Murray]

What does my shield spell look like? I haven't even thought about this. Let's see. It's gotta be very, very Murray. Magnascent. I mean, I think it's still a little divination based, right? So it's still a little weird science in the sense that it probably looks like once again a sonic boom. Like ripples of. Ripples of reality that just jiggy just a little bit to make it bounce across, changing what was to be.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, sick. So you see, he reaches out and sort of ripples through time and destiny is. You see glimpses of times where he hits you and times where he doesn't. And it reasserts to the time where he doesn't hit you. Either time you are uninformed. That is going to be Azune and Bolair. Okay,

[Bolair]

those guys near the flaming sphere haven't gone yet this new round, right?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

No, they have not gone this new round. They're at the end of the round, they're at the top of the round.

[Bolair]

Copy that.

[Hal]

Yes.

[Bolair]

So I'm going to step in and I'm going to. I'm Stepping forward, bonus action. Yeah, I want to clear the way. Yeah, I'm going to step forward and I'm going after that guy in the diagonal.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

So you're going to step here next to the flaming sphere.

[Bolair]

Next to the flaming sphere.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Cool.

[Bolair]

And I'm going. I need to sky casting Blooming Blade as my action. Going to spend a luck point to roll that advantage.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Let's go.

[Dungeon Master]

My heart.

[Bolair]

I will take the first 14 plus 6.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

20 to hit. 20 hits.

[Bolair]

Okay, so booming blade sparks absorb in my body. They channel through my weapon two handed. And I push him 10ft.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Whoa, a booming blade pushes him?

[Bolair]

No, my weapon mastery does with my warhammer.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh shit.

[Bolair]

So I'm gonna push him behind the guy that's next to him. So I'm pushing him I guess diagonally 10ft.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Hell yeah. You can push him diagonally 10ft. Yeah, so. Oh my God, that's so good. That's very good. Okay, using weapon mastery, you push him 10ft. Yes. Fuck yeah. You slam into him and he flies back. Boom. 10ft diagonally

[Bolair]

and bonus action. Reach towards the flaming sphere. And I pull it. Dragging it across. It can move 30ft. On my bonus action. I'm going to roll it so it's in between the two. Oh, you lined them up cool. I'm actually going to bump it. And I can with. Because I can use an attack with my bonus action. I'm going to slam the guy. Actually let me roll my damage before I decide.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Roll your damage from the first guy? Yeah, you're doing it.

[Liam O'Brien]

You're doing. You're doing so good.

[Bolair]

Let's see. Schemers, screamers, booming blade.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Are you ready for my latest scheme?

[Hal]

That little girl with a punch bowl.

[Bolair]

Booming blade. We're at level.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay.

[Bolair]

Yeah, we're at that level. Okay, so the initial attack that he takes is. It is two. No, that's my weapon attack. Two plus four. Six points of damage. Oh, actually I rolled the wrong die. I'm wielding it two handed.

[Laura Bailey]

Hey.

[Bolair]

Okay, so it's a D10.

[Dungeon Master]

Got it.

[Bolair]

It's still a two. Still a two. Okay, so same, same damage. Six points of damage.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Six points of damage. Great.

[Bolair]

Six points of my weapon damage. And then he's enveloped in booming energy. And I'm going to slam the flaming sphere into him. He's got to make a dex. Actually I'm slam the flaming sphere into these guys look pretty hardy into the guy that I just attacked. He needs to make a dex save.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay, that is a failure.

[Bolair]

And you're then going to take six points of Fire damage.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Six points of fire damage.

[Hal]

Yes.

[Bolair]

As the flaming sphere. Just like it's almost as if it lunges enveloping him and lights him on fire for a moment.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Hell yes. You can see for the first of these assassins moves into bloodied as that flaming sphere. These guys are. These are the people you hire when you're trying to kill a religious primarch and king. Right. So these are extremely hardy. Bam. Flaming sphere hits my movement and your movement.

[Bolair]

I'd like to move. So he is got the booming blade on him.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah.

[Bolair]

Is there?

[Liam O'Brien]

He also might not have his sword. If that's the one I made. Who'd drop all your weapons?

[Dungeon Master]

Ah.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, yes, yes, yes. This guy right here. This guy right here did drop his sword and is now using a dagger.

[Bolair]

Okay, I'm going to.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

We gotta move in there.

[Liam O'Brien]

Yep, we gotta get in there.

[Bolair]

Yeah, we gotta get in there. So I'm just gonna move past that and I'm gonna do my full movement to get further in to the chamber.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Doing 30. Yeah, I'm going to do what I have left.

[Bolair]

I think I may have already moved five.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah. So that's going to be 10, 15, 20, 25, 30.

[Bolair]

Yeah.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay, got it.

[Liam O'Brien]

Who's that on the ground?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

That's Cavalier. Okay. No, no, Cavalier's not dead. Cavalier is badly injured and foaming at the mouth and scratching at his nose.

[Liam O'Brien]

I don't think there's any. Anything I can do about that.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I.

[Murray]

So you clear the air. Like if you have any case of the dust or anything you have.

[Liam O'Brien]

I have mage hand.

[Dungeon Master]

I can.

[Bolair]

I don't know, I can't right now. But instead of taking that full move, I'm going to. We can move through ally spaces.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes, you can. Okay.

[Bolair]

So then I'm going to position myself. I'm going to not move that far. I'm going to go back up and be next to the guard who's wielding a dagger.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay.

[Bolair]

Because he's gonna either move and take an opportunity attack or stay and then suffer the wrath of the flaming sphere.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay. So you're out of your flaming sphere, not getting opportunity. Yeah. People can move through your square. Great.

[Bolair]

Okay, that's my turn.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

As you move in, I need a perception check difficulty of 10.

[Dungeon Master]

Okay. Okay.

[Bolair]

Have you been good to me? I don't think you have. Oh, perception, perception. With my modifier.

[Dungeon Master]

11.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You thought the tricks were over. Trick's not over. Fuck yeah, trick's over. Trick's not over.

[Bolair]

Are you this mean to all the other tables?

[Liam O'Brien]

Suddenly a dove's gonna.

[Bolair]

Yes, A dove's gonna.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You looking out for magic as you always do as an arcane marshal, you're always ready for the unexpected, which is why, hiding behind this table, an invisible spellcaster. You see, there is an invisible.

[Bolair]

He's invisible. I can see him.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

He is invisible. You can see him. And you see that he has his hands up, sweating, focusing on all three doors.

[Murray]

He's keeping him locked down. Oh, so is there another fucker doing a bunch of illusion shit to make it look like the fo targh went down? There's gotta be some illusion.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

It depends.

[Liam O'Brien]

The spell save. A reaction.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Saving against a spell. Yeah, saving against a spell does not use the action.

[Bolair]

No, it doesn't.

[Liam O'Brien]

Reaction. I mean, huh, A reaction. No, it's just. Okay. Figuring it out.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah.

[Bolair]

Spell save is. Is. Is a part of whatever is instigates it.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Right.

[Liam O'Brien]

All right. That changes the. The territory a little bit.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

What were you looking at?

[Bolair]

It's your turn.

[Liam O'Brien]

I'm going to start walking my way into the room and I'm going to survey the damage really quickly.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

5, 10. Okay, you're going to move through Azune's space. 15, 20, 25, 30.

[Liam O'Brien]

I can get to there.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You can get to there.

[Bolair]

Out of the flaming sphere.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Out of the flaming sphere. So you're on the other side of Cavalier. You see this beautiful, slightly brindled greyhound on the ground, convulsing. And that is.

[Liam O'Brien]

Do I see the invisible? Not that it really is.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You see this guy over here, sort of tucked behind a pillar? Shit. Fuck.

[Dungeon Master]

Bugger.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

More or less.

[Dungeon Master]

Yeah.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

He's right. He's got to keep an eye on that door, too. So he's got all three doors, but yes, you move through and have line of sight. Or actually give me a perception, if you would be so confident.

[Liam O'Brien]

I love rolling perception. Yeah, that's 25.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yep, yep. You got him.

[Liam O'Brien]

23. Excuse me?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

23. Yeah, you got the invisible guy clocked as well.

[Liam O'Brien]

All right.

[Dungeon Master]

I don't have my shape.

[Liam O'Brien]

Well, this complicates things. I don't have a drawer.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay.

[Murray]

How far.

[Liam O'Brien]

How far away am I from the big fuck with the axe over there, probably. Oh, yeah, I'm within.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You've used your movement. Yeah, I would say you are. What's that? 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55. You're actually. You're 60ft away.

[Liam O'Brien]

Oh, that's okay. I can do this then. No matter what, I'm going to hold up my hand like Hamlet himself in my hand with my sword still behind my back and a glass face is going to appear. Just a glass face going all the way back. And I'm going to turn and start whispering in its ear. They've never liked you, you know that.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, God, you're the patsy.

[Dungeon Master]

What do you want to do about it?

[Liam O'Brien]

And Crown of Madness on the man with the axe. As slowly spikes of broken shattered mirror glass start making a crown around his head.

[Hal]

You sick buck.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Wisdom saving throw.

[Liam O'Brien]

It is a double checking. It's a wisdom saving throw.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

10 plus 2 is 12. No. Incredible.

[Liam O'Brien]

I'm going to tell him to on his next turn, attack the the man behind him.

[Murray]

Sick.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Unbelievable.

[Dungeon Master]

Duh, Duh.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Where are you?

[Dungeon Master]

Charmed.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Charmed. Where'd you go?

[Dungeon Master]

There we go.

[Murray]

Okay, still in the 90s.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

So, Baler, there's a slight apparition that comes with Crown of Madness. What is your apparition?

[Liam O'Brien]

Oh, it is a crown of broken mirror shards that are just cutting into and growing out of the lobes of his brain, out through his head.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

As you step forward, you see the charging axe wielding who hit one of the crossbow bolts into the acolyte here and is now looking for Gus crawling across, you see, as he mutters under

[Dungeon Master]

his breath, says, lay with dogs. Get put down like dogs.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

And then suddenly goes has the mirrors appear. He whips around to his companions and says, oh, Goren, gonna take the fall. Not this time. And screams at the top of his lungs as the other assassins look out. Yes. Yes. Incredible. Okay. Amazing. Belair, that is your movement and action? Hell yes. We second round veterans will arrive on the next round. Yay. Okay, okay. Back at the top. It is sadly, our Sushikan. Go ahead, if you'd be so kind. Now, the text of Crown of Madness here. Let's take a look. Because he has to attack. Does he attack to the best of his ability? Does he attack?

[Liam O'Brien]

I believe so.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay.

[Liam O'Brien]

It says it must use its action before moving on each of its turns to make a melee attack against a creature other than itself that I choose. Mentally. The target can act normally on its turn if you choose no creature or if no creatures are within its reach. The target repeats the save at the end of each of its turn against the spell, ending the spell on its success.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Gotcha. And this guy's got a minus one save, right? I think you did.

[Liam O'Brien]

He's got a minus one save, minus one save.

[Bolair]

You did that.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Go ahead and give me an attack roll. This assassin will be adding +5.

[Liam O'Brien]

13.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

13. You see, he wheels around, swings with his sword, and you see the one Says, what are you doing? As he leaps back. By the way, I will say this. I don't think anyone here speaks it. That what are you doing? Actually sounds more like Kvarest as they speak.

[Dungeon Master]

Argosy.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Fuck. Duh duh duh. That is going to be a miss though. A miss. Yes. The rest are now going to go.

[Murray]

So did Haylavar team up with Argosia? And these are Argosians.

[Liam O'Brien]

Oh, it can make if I was the end of its turn.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

It can make themselves clean.

[Bolair]

Making themselves a part of.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh. At the end of his turn, he makes a save. Gotcha. It's not the end of his turn yet. He's gonna lurch off over in this direction with the crown of madness.

[Dungeon Master]

1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay, not quite close enough yet. They're gonna use move and double to surround Gus.

[Azune]

No.

[Hal]

Oh my gosh.

[Liam O'Brien]

Elisa can't attack.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay. Double move in action. You see, each of them takes as a bonus action swords out and take a vial off of their belt and splash a nasty sticky looking dark brown liquid onto their sword blades.

[Bolair]

Damn it.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay.

[Murray]

Fuck.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

As they surround King Gus. That is going to be.

[Dungeon Master]

That's them.

[Azune]

Shit.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Fuck.

[Liam O'Brien]

Bugger.

[Bolair]

Fuck.

[Liam O'Brien]

That could have gone better.

[Bolair]

Yeah.

[Liam O'Brien]

Take it for now.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay, this knight is going to close in and flank with Azune. That's gonna be a hit. And that's gonna be a hit. As he flanks with you, he's gonna deal. Okay. This assassin is now bloodied. As well as seeing you step into the fray. This Timidish knight looks down and goes. Cobra. Looking at the fallen knight next to him takes out a sword. And just against the assassin. That one is now moved to bloodied. These two are going to go as well. This one's going to stab.

[Bolair]

He blows up the thunderous energy that he was surrounded in from my booming blade.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Activates.

[Bolair]

Activates. Go ahead and deal damage. He is going to take four points of thunder damage.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

He takes four points of thunder damage. Both of these assassins also apply that venom as a bonus action to their blades.

[Hal]

Okay.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

One's gonna come for Azune.

[Bolair]

Okay.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

And one is gonna come for Bo. Two attacks.

[Dungeon Master]

That is two.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

That two eights for Lair. I'm rolling trash over here, gang. Azune, two attacks for you with these venom coated blades. That is going to be a 23 and then a natural 20. No way.

[Murray]

Wait.

[Bolair]

Against me?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Against you.

[Bolair]

23. Three and an. They will both hit.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay.

[Bolair]

I don't have my Shield, so my AC is down.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

2.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I'm going to Need a constitution save from you.

[Bolair]

Okay.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Shit.

[Bolair]

And I'll also. It's also a concentration save on that.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yep.

[Bolair]

Con save.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

We'll deal with damage in a sec.

[Liam O'Brien]

Don't like any of this.

[Bolair]

My con save is 13.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, con save is 13.

[Dungeon Master]

Uh huh.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay. Okay. You will only take half damage to the poison on the 13.

[Bolair]

Okay, good.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

But a tremendous. But actually that's the Nat 20, so. But you do. You just turned eight D10 dice into four D10 dice. Okay. That.

[Hal]

You got your max up by five.

[Bolair]

I do. And it's. It's logged.

[Petra or Raya (family members)]

Oh.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Roll low. Oh, wow.

[Hal]

Wow.

[Bolair]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Tremendous amount of damage incoming, my friend. Yes.

[Bolair]

Heroic inspiration doesn't work.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay. This is just the crit we're rolling for right now.

[Bolair]

Okay.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

11. 19. 20. Fuck. 29.

[Bolair]

Oh my gosh.

[Liam O'Brien]

Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

That is going to be. That is going to be 40 points of damage.

[Murray]

Whoa.

[Bolair]

I'm still up.

[Murray]

You're up 4.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

0 for 0. 40 points of damage. We have to roll the second hit.

[Bolair]

But the second hit.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh my God.

[Bolair]

The second hit. The second hit. The second hit.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You don't have any resistance to poison damage, do you?

[Bolair]

I do not.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay, okay, okay. The second hit is. Shit. You see that? That dose of poison does not accompany the second hit. It is one dose thing. Okay. The second one. One is 15 points of damage. On this next one, I drop. Flaming sphere is gone.

[Murray]

All right.

[Azune]

All right,

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Bolair. You see Azune. Boom. Hits the deck as this assassin. Just a huge dose. This minute the sword touches you, a stage stinging numbness spreads through your torso and you lose the ability to breathe and trap.

[Bolair]

However, the one that attacked Bowlaire ended his turn before that, right?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes.

[Bolair]

So he has to make a dexterity saving throw because at that moment the flaming sphere was still up and he ended his turn adjacent to it.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay, sure.

[Bolair]

So he takes seven points of damage if he fails his dex save. And he takes half of that if he succeeds.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

He fails seven points of damage.

[Bolair]

Seven points of flaming damage.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes.

[Liam O'Brien]

While standing.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Both of these two look very bloody thanks to you. Azune. You drop that is the end of our second round.

[Hal]

Yes.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

And that's where we're gonna go to break. And that's where we'll leave our story for now. Part two of this episode of Campaign 4 drops this Tuesday. Thanks for listening and we'll see you soon for more critical role. Now at McDonald's. A McDouble is 250. So you can get your gym gains on or just get lunch for only 250. Get more value on the under three dollar menu. Limited time only. Prices and participation may vary. Prices may be higher for delivery.

[Liam O'Brien]

Bottom up.