The Lost Monastery | Age of Umbra Episode 2 Part 2

Summary

Critical Role: The Lost Monastery | Age of Umbra Episode 2 Part 2 Release Date: June 17, 2025

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Overview

In "The Lost Monastery | Age of Umbra Episode 2 Part 2," the adventurers delve deeper into the mysterious and perilous ruins of an ancient monastery. As dark forces loom and secrets unravel, the party faces both external threats and internal dilemmas, culminating in a cliffhanger that sets the stage for future episodes.

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1. Entering the Monastery Ruins

Timestamp: [03:12]

Matthew Mercer, serving as the Dungeon Master (DM), reintroduces the players to their current predicament. After narrowly avoiding crossing into the next realm and witnessing the fall of Velk, the party finds themselves amidst the temple exterior ruins of a larger monastery.

• Setting Description:
  • Shreds of moonlight pierce through the clouds.
  • Ceremonial weaponry and armor adorn the ruins.
  • A small stone reliquary lies at the base of a statue.

Notable Quote:

Matthew Mercer [04:32]: "As you duck down, you can see ... there's a small stone case, like a reliquary case of some kind at the base of the statue as you kneel down."

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2. Discovering the Reliquary

Timestamp: [04:32 - 10:56]

The party investigates the reliquary, uncovering a sealed humanoid skull with an iron band across its mouth. Upon manipulation, the skull reveals a glowing orb known as a Valor Stone, a rare relic from the old world used for protection.

Key Events:

• Brixton's Prayer:
  • Brixton: "We have punished Velk for his transgressions. Please, Aratu, grant us your favor."
• Unveiling the Valor Stone:
  • The skull transforms, releasing a magical orb with a faint golden glow.
  • Snix: "Well, life is short. We should keep both, right?"

Notable Quote:

Matthew Mercer [11:57]: "You open the stone case, and inside this little box is a skull. An old skull... sealing it shut."

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3. Decision to Push Forward

Timestamp: [17:29 - 20:35]

Faced with the discovery, the party debates whether to retreat and report back or seize the opportunity to explore deeper into the monastery. The allure of uncovering more secrets and the potential benefits of pressing on inspire some members to advocate for continued exploration.

Key Dialogues:

• Ashley Johnson [17:31]: "Or we could seize on this opportunity and push further than anyone has before."
• Truvo [20:35]: "That is destiny calling."

Notable Quote:

Ashley Johnson [18:35]: "The gods have left. ... I'm not from Desperlaca. ... I would love to know why we have these abilities."

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4. Encounter with Infection

Timestamp: [31:55 - 43:13]

During their investigation, one of the party members, Aaron, succumbs to a mysterious infection likely caused by inhaling spores from the reliquary. The group decides to seek immediate help from Truvo, a healer in the nearby settlement of Desperlock.

Key Events:

• Aaron's Collapse:
  • Matthew Mercer: "She vomits a little onto her chest."
• Seeking Healing:
  • Truvo: "This might be beyond my capabilities."
  • Ashley Johnson [38:41]: "She's my friend."

Notable Quote:

Truvo [43:55]: "I'm afraid whatever Scott Aaron is, she's got a bit of the umbra on her."

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5. Interaction with Halloran

Timestamp: [64:07 - 78:46]

The party visits Halloran, a retired scholar living a reclusive life amidst a cluttered homestead. They seek his knowledge regarding the artifacts they've found and the dark forces at play.

Key Events:

• Halloran's Reluctance:
  • Halloran: "I can't go back. I can't go back."
• Revelations About the Umbra:
  • Halloran: "With the gods gone, the devils play in the shadows..."
• Discussion on Valor Stones:
  • Halloran: "These were funeral rites to seal away someone deemed evil."

Notable Quote:

Halloran [73:06]: "To bask in their glory and learn of their true color... But with the gods gone, the devils play in the shadows."

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6. Critical Developments and Cliffhanger

Timestamp: [89:08 - 91:44]

As the party returns to Desperlock, they discover that the sacred pyre has been extinguished, resulting in chaos and death within the settlement. A teenage girl stands ominously, signaling impending doom and leaving the adventurers in a state of uncertainty.

Key Events:

• Extinguishing of the Sacred Pyre:
  • Matthew Mercer: "Across the ground of where the pyre once stood, you see the bodies..."
• Appearance of the Teenage Girl:
  • Ashley Johnson: "I have goosebumps."
  • Snix: "We're so fucked."

Notable Quote:

Matthew Mercer [90:00]: "As you charge in, the smoke begins to dissipate a little bit... you see the bodies of Desperlock folk and two robe-adorned pyre keepers bisected."

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7. Conclusion and Teaser for Next Episode

Timestamp: [91:44]

The episode concludes with the party reeling from the devastation they've witnessed, setting up a tense and intriguing scenario for the next installment. The dire circumstances underscore the escalating threat of the Umbra and the mysteries surrounding the monastery.

Notable Quote:

Matthew Mercer [91:44]: "So we'll see you guys next time. We love you very much ..."

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Conclusion

"The Lost Monastery | Age of Umbra Episode 2 Part 2" masterfully blends intense role-playing, strategic decision-making, and rich storytelling. As the adventurers uncover ancient relics and face unforeseen threats, the narrative deepens, promising even greater challenges and revelations in future episodes.

For those who haven't listened, this episode offers a gripping glimpse into the high-stakes adventures and emotional journeys that define Critical Role's captivating storytelling.

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End of Summary

Transcript

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[Ashley Johnson]

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[Matthew Mercer]

If you went on a road trip and you didn't stop for a Big Mac or drop a crispy fry between the car seats, or use your McDonald's bag as a placemat, then that wasn't a road trip. It was just a really long drive at participating McDonald's.

[Truvo]

Hey there critical Role Podcast listeners. We have a special new membership service at Beacon TV where you can get early access to all new podcast episodes, including Critical Role. For the first time ever, Beacon members also get things like event presales, merch discounts, access to a private community discord, and new exclusive series like Critical Role Cooldown where we riff after the show. Think of it as our digital Critical Role Land. Head on over to Beacon TV to check it out for yourself and start a seven day free trial. Thank you so so much for your support for being a podcast listener and for being a part of our community.

[Misty]

Hey there critters. This is Ashley Johnson and Telus and Jeffy and we're popping in here to talk about our new podcast on Beacon. Weird Kids.

[Snix]

In this series, we're diving into our lives as former child actors, from unraveling our eccentric upbringings to embracing all the delightfully odd interests we still have.

[Misty]

Today, we're covering so many topics like antique toys, taxidermy, Japanese pop culture and and honestly, anything else we come up with.

[Snix]

Weird Kids is available exclusively on Beacon. But good news, we're offering a one month free trial on Beacon TV so you can take a look before you become a member. Just use the code Weirdos at Beacon TV to start the trial.

[Misty]

You can also find fellow weirdos by following the series on our heirdkids pod Instagram and using the hashtag weirdkids.

[Snix]

So, to all the misfits, outcasts and weirdos out there, come take a seat at our table and celebrate all things unconventional, nostalgic and wonderfully weird. Welcome to Weird Kids.

[Misty]

New episodes release every Tuesday.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hey there, Matthew Mercer here, and you're listening to part two of this episode of Age of Umbra, a dark tale and campaign setting from our recently released tabletop RPG Daggerheart from Darrington Press. If you haven't checked out part one yet, pause this now and head over there first. Otherwise, let's return to our adventurers striving against the darkness in part two. And welcome back. So, Velk has fallen, cascading down the cliffside to his doom. You, a few of you, have managed to avoid crossing into the next realm. Exhausted and taking a breath, you find yourselves now here amongst the temple exterior ruins of the larger monastery itself. Here, the shreds of moonlight that still push through the clouds. Aaron peeks around from the side. Is done. Y' all okay?

[Ashley Johnson]

I think so.

[Misty]

Are you okay?

[Matthew Mercer]

I'm fine. I did what you told me to do. I just ran and hid.

[Ashley Johnson]

You did great. You did great.

[Snix]

Anyone want to fuck up a statue?

[Truvo]

Wait, I'm going over to the statue.

[Snix]

All right.

[Truvo]

And I. Brixton prostrates herself onto the ground.

[Matthew Mercer]

As you duck down, you can see there is on top of the fact that inside this chamber there are ceremonial adornments. On the ruins around here, you can see there's ceremonial weaponry. There's armor set upon his decoration. There is a small stone case, like a reliquary case of some kind at the base of the statue as you kneel down.

[Ashley Johnson]

Oh, should we empty the other brazier.

[Matthew Mercer]

Before you do that?

[Snix]

Yeah, I think that's it.

[Ashley Johnson]

Sure, we can. All together. Teamwork. Even you, Aaron.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay.

[Ashley Johnson]

One, two, three.

[Matthew Mercer]

The coals come tumbling out and the flame is.

[Ashley Johnson]

Just kidding.

[Truvo]

Brixton just gives a little prayer. We have punished Velk for his transgressions. Please, Aratu, grant us your favor. Watch over us. And I'm going to check out this little reliquary.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay? You go to rest the lid on it and it holds tight.

[Snix]

I'm going to take a look to see if there's a mechanism here and just see what kind of lock it is.

[Matthew Mercer]

Stone relic, weld, make a knowledge roll.

[Snix]

For me, all right.

[Matthew Mercer]

Stone relic welding. Yeah, there's a stone lid. It's like a small case. It's actually in the statue. It's a card from the stone with a lid on top.

[Garruk]

12 with fear.

[Matthew Mercer]

12 with fear, yeah. Looking at it, it's a stone case. You can see there's a lip where a lid would come up. It's not like a carved solid piece. There is a container of some kind, but it is holding closed and there's.

[Truvo]

A lock on it.

[Matthew Mercer]

The best you can tell is there is a small. Not even a keyhole, but a pinhole in the stone.

[Ashley Johnson]

Don't you have a long.

[Snix]

I do.

[Garruk]

And you're made of stone. Can you talk to it and tell it to open? Okay, I got.

[Misty]

I would love to go look at it for just a moment. And is the face, the head still on the ground?

[Matthew Mercer]

The head's still attached to the statue. It just has massive gashes across its face. The veil mask that sits in front of it just has its.

[Misty]

Can I just look around and look at it and see if it is something familiar to me? I just sort of want to look at the God's face.

[Matthew Mercer]

The face itself is obscured, as is the nature of the veiled gods by the mast and veil that covers it. The visage that you carry is an echo of the imagery of the veiled gods. The vessel that you hold was once a messenger to them. So in a similar way there is a veil, but there is a mask adorned on top of it itself that denotes something beyond humanoid, something divine and inhuman in its design. Beyond the scratches and gashes, of course.

[Garruk]

Is she a relative of yours?

[Misty]

I don't think so. But I do believe this body was probably sang many songs to him.

[Snix]

Oh. Should it be prepared or something like that?

[Matthew Mercer]

Any of this stuff worth anything around here?

[Garruk]

Maybe. What's in the box?

[Matthew Mercer]

Need to open that?

[Snix]

I do.

[Matthew Mercer]

She rustles in her and pulls out her pouch and has a couple of long metal tongs and picks and hooks and says like. I mean, you get around here.

[Misty]

Can we check it for.

[Snix]

I sort of did that.

[Misty]

You did.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay. Sorry. Yeah.

[Ashley Johnson]

Do your thing, kiddo.

[Matthew Mercer]

Sure. Anybody else?

[Garruk]

I'm going to step back.

[Misty]

I'm going to step up close, just close to her to protect her, I might add.

[Truvo]

I'll flank. Yeah.

[Matthew Mercer]

She gets down. Watch and learn. Goes and starts fiddling with it through the little pinhole. She gets two little long pieces of thin iron. One of them just bends a little bit, tempers it. Looking at it. Gets it inside. Okay. Yeah. And she finds a bit. I think I got a tug. The lid opens almost like a spring, but dust out of it. And she's like, looks inside and you glance over and look within from above, lording over her. Inside this little box is a skull. An old skull. Polished sutures almost have a golden coloration pushed into them. But where the jaw is, there is an iron band bolted across its mouth, sealing it shut. Cool.

[Truvo]

Is it an art piece like a carved idol? Or is it a human skull or a humanoid skull?

[Matthew Mercer]

It is a humanoid skull.

[Truvo]

Cool.

[Matthew Mercer]

That has been polished, prepared and set within here for some purpose.

[Ashley Johnson]

And its mouth sealed with iron.

[Matthew Mercer]

There's also a very, very faint glow almost emanating from underneath it, like it's underlit, even though it's within a shadowed box.

[Misty]

What do you think this is?

[Truvo]

Marcellus Wallace's soul.

[Matthew Mercer]

Bryn kind of backs up. I've done my business. Y' all picked it up. I opened it, but this is a bit creepy for my liking.

[Snix]

Press the digitation up into the air. Turn it slowly. On a couple different axes, you lift.

[Matthew Mercer]

It up and as you do, there is at the base of the skull there was a natural hole where all manner of matter of its previous owner went through. As it lifts, something within the skull rattles. You can see the light protruding from within it. As you turn it, eventually it tumbles out. It is a small orb about that big that itself is giving a faint golden glow and it ting, ting, ting.

[Snix]

Then I grab that, I put the skull down and I bring the orb here.

[Matthew Mercer]

It has a faint magical ore to it. Some sort of. You don't know if it's an enchantment or a blessing or what, but there is something magical about this orb.

[Snix]

Well, life is short.

[Ashley Johnson]

We should keep both, right?

[Snix]

Of course.

[Matthew Mercer]

I think so.

[Truvo]

Would I know anything about any type of.

[Ashley Johnson]

I'll grab this.

[Truvo]

Rituals from the old world. Anything about binding of.

[Matthew Mercer]

Make a knowledge roll for me.

[Truvo]

A knowledge roll? Can I spend my one and only hope to add, historically inspired?

[Matthew Mercer]

Yes, you may. Of course.

[Truvo]

Okay. Plus two.

[Matthew Mercer]

Here.

[Truvo]

Come on. I thought it was gonna be a crit, but it's not. This should actually be 3:19.

[Matthew Mercer]

With hope.

[Truvo]

With fear.

[Matthew Mercer]

With fear. Okay. Not a word. Sorry about that. I fucking hit the microphone. You have seen one of these orbs before? It is embedded in the breastplate that your Ember Warden has worn since the day you met her. They are rare relics used for protection from the old world. Used by generals and high clerics of Amber Reach. Their creation or the secrets to it are apparently lost to time. But many of them that were cached at that era have since been disseminated in the post Apostasy era. They're known as Valor stones.

[Truvo]

Valor stones.

[Matthew Mercer]

You can attach the stone to armor that doesn't already have a feature on it and then it gains a new feature.

[Snix]

Before you mark your last armor slot, roll a D6 on the result of 6. Reduce the severity by one threshold without marking an armor slot. Wow.

[Matthew Mercer]

So it gives you a lot every time. If you burn all your armor, you have a 1 in 6 chance of just not spending that last armor.

[Truvo]

This is a Valor stone.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh boy.

[Garruk]

Is it a sign?

[Truvo]

Everything is a sign.

[Snix]

I was about to say.

[Garruk]

I mean you got when the Aether weave courses through. But I mean the armor, the crown, now this. It's like you keep finding blessed objects.

[Misty]

I think you are chosen.

[Truvo]

It means something.

[Garruk]

Sure.

[Ashley Johnson]

Do we know which deity this was?

[Truvo]

Aratu. This is the veiled God representative. Also known as the Dawning Sorrow.

[Ashley Johnson]

So whose skull is this?

[Matthew Mercer]

You don't see any markings on the stone case?

[Snix]

I read. I could try and read it.

[Matthew Mercer]

There are no markings.

[Snix]

Oh, there are no markings. Never mind.

[Matthew Mercer]

Sorry.

[Snix]

Clearly it was someone who needed to.

[Matthew Mercer]

Shut the fuck up.

[Snix]

Who needs a Hail Mary.

[Truvo]

6 reduce the severity of. I want to show up veiled gods. So it's definitely Hail Mary. You got a one in six chance of it even popping off.

[Snix]

This would be someone with low armor.

[Ashley Johnson]

From this area where we are. Now that the danger has passed and we've opened the reliquary, does the path continue on? Are there more stairs?

[Matthew Mercer]

So where you stand you can. In this night you can barely make out the shapes of the rest of the Greefcleft mountains beyond each side rising up in their hooked spires. You can see the mists that hang down into the valley of the jungles that you had traveled from below. You can faintly see the flicker of fire from the sacred pyre of Desperlock down below. And that orients your position. You are indeed in the middle of the road. Rocky outcropping. There's the firmament's harrow. And beyond this temple, this half collapsed roof of this temple portion the rest of the monastery sits. There is a massive double door that is closed. The wall sits up and you can see there's that extremely tall pointed vaulted roof. And you can see the edge of where the cliff had slid down and where the ruins had partially fallen from the monastery to create where the desperlock was set is around the way. But the rest of the monastery sits in front of you. It is just the doors to it are closed.

[Snix]

Now.

[Ashley Johnson]

It would be perfectly understandable if folks wanted to return, wanted to.

[Garruk]

We've done our job. We were here to get Velk. Valk's gone. We're done.

[Snix]

I'm going to peek over the side of the cliff and fly over and see if I can see the body.

[Matthew Mercer]

Go ahead and roll an instinct roll for me.

[Snix]

Instinct. That's 13 with hope.

[Matthew Mercer]

13 with hope. Take a hope. No sign of body from up here because there is no light. It is pitch black into the jungle below.

[Snix]

Actually, what I have. If it was pitch black, would I have underborn advantage on that roll to have advantage on rules to hide investigator perceived details when I'm low light to heavy shadow.

[Matthew Mercer]

I'll say, yeah, take advantage of that roll a D6 because you are very well adapted to 14. Unfortunately. No, you do see. I will say you do see. On some of the more ragged bits of rock along the sheer cliff face, you do see signs of bloody trail of where Velk had likely had a rough tumble.

[Garruk]

And would I know from my ranger's focus if I still have a connection to him?

[Matthew Mercer]

There is no connection. Okay, you're pretty certain? That's pretty certain. You have put to rest the restless spirit that was taken by some dark power here.

[Ashley Johnson]

And you're right. We would be well within our reason to go back and, you know, let them know what happened to Velk.

[Truvo]

Or.

[Ashley Johnson]

Or we could seize on this opportunity and push further than anyone has before. And when we return, we would have a lot to bargain with.

[Matthew Mercer]

That's true. Riskello'd really hate somebody else were to push deeper into the monastery, wouldn't he?

[Misty]

He would be very upset. I feel like he very much. I want it to be here, but that doesn't seem to matter to either of your faces at the moment.

[Matthew Mercer]

He's kind of a dick.

[Misty]

Okay.

[Ashley Johnson]

And also, we kind of earned it. I mean, there were half as many of us and we've pushed further than anyone else has before.

[Garruk]

What are you hoping to find in there? Glory. What do you need?

[Snix]

Power.

[Ashley Johnson]

Answers.

[Garruk]

To questions. That for you?

[Ashley Johnson]

Well, yeah, the gods have left. And there are some of us that have almost divine powers or gifts that I don't understand. And where I'm from, those powers are not welcomed. I'm not from Desperlaca.

[Matthew Mercer]

Where are you from?

[Ashley Johnson]

Another town. I left my mother there. The people that see these sorts of powers, they're hunted almost. It's like a sign that the gods haven't left or that the power structures that have risen up since are going to be tumbled. So I would love to know why we have the abilities that. Or how these things still exist. And are the gods really gone? I mean, if ilk was dead set that they were not gone, that they were hiding and still in wait, or could be communed with or. I don't know. But if there's some place that's going to have the answers we're looking for, it feels like this is it. And I would really love to continue going with this hall pass and stuff of asking for permission from a group of people that are going to look at us like a bunch of outsiders.

[Matthew Mercer]

I mean, you know, I'll go where you go, as long as you'll fucking have me.

[Ashley Johnson]

All right? That's fair.

[Truvo]

We've witnessed a miracle here today. Did you not see which one? The gods. The statue of the God. Whether you could consider that a curse or a blessing, that was an enactment of divine intervention from one of the veiled gods themselves. Bureaucracy holds no bearing on the choice we make here and in the now. We must push forward. Don't you hear that?

[Matthew Mercer]

What?

[Truvo]

That is destiny calling.

[Snix]

That was mostly a sigh, I think from.

[Truvo]

No, you can hear it whispering in the wind.

[Garruk]

Look, I'm not keen to keep going forward, but I'm also sort of not keen to go back by myself. So if you guys are moving ahead, I'll be behind you a few feet, but I'll stick around. I gas.

[Ashley Johnson]

It's very fair, very wise.

[Snix]

Also means whatever rewards happen, get cut.

[Garruk]

You guys keep promising me rewards. Is there anything around here that's valuable?

[Ashley Johnson]

We got a skull.

[Matthew Mercer]

Along the walls of here, there are ornamental and ceremonial weapons and armor, pieces of holy decor that were put on the walls that look like they were made from fine metals and stuff. In fact, while some of them have withered over time, there is one beautiful looking falchion that looks like it's pressed against the chest. Part of a stone entity that is carved in the wall like some sort of holy warrior. But it is not itself stone. It is just set within the grip of this stone figure.

[Garruk]

Does it have a yellow eye in the middle of it?

[Matthew Mercer]

Weirdly, it does not.

[Garruk]

It's something that could be plucked and kept.

[Matthew Mercer]

You could certainly try.

[Snix]

Just because we can. I have a thing I can do. Where is it, adept, where I can utilize an experience and mark a stress to use it. And I have a prestidigitation to repair a small object. If I have a way of using my experience to repair a small object to try and fix the face of this statue, would that be reasonable?

[Matthew Mercer]

Certainly. Try. Yeah.

[Snix]

Okay, I'm going to try and I'm just going to crawl up and try and magically undo some of this damage.

[Matthew Mercer]

Sure. Make a spell cast roll for me.

[Snix]

All right. I'm going to add more hands, make less work because I'm sort of trying to weave many other hands. Yeah, I have a lot. And I can move the web with. I can burn a stress instead of.

[Matthew Mercer]

A hope for that.

[Snix]

And that also means I got to double it.

[Matthew Mercer]

So that's.

[Snix]

What kind of roll would this be?

[Matthew Mercer]

Spell cast. So just add your knowledge.

[Snix]

Okay, so that's four. Six. Ooh, six. 22 with fear.

[Matthew Mercer]

Sorry, guys. No, it's okay. However, you do manage to switch with your hands and a little bit of silk that you're pressing around and you maneuver and magically connect with the stone. The aether weave that flows ever so faintly through the realm that you've attuned yourself to enough to know how to pluck and pull it. You weave it through the stone and then just tug on the stone until it fills the gaps that were once carved. Then you break away the silk that you had laid as you maneuver and as you pull the way the stone looks like it was unscathed.

[Ashley Johnson]

Just picturing the nun that did the restoration on the medieval page.

[Matthew Mercer]

I was thinking it to you. I was thinking if you had rolled poorly enough.

[Garruk]

Wow, that's great. August. I'm going to try to remove the falchion.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yes. Okay. You can roll strength or finesse.

[Garruk]

Finesse. 15 with fear.

[Matthew Mercer]

15 with fear. Because it's fun. Or an umbra. I'm going to take it when I can. You manage to tug, turn it and eventually find that it was placed in and probably locked with a stone cap on top to keep it there within the monastery. No one would attempt to take it, especially at this distance from the majority of the outer domain. But here you manage to crack that stone seal on top and pull it from underneath and the falchion is free.

[Garruk]

Ooh.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay. Okay.

[Snix]

There you are.

[Garruk]

Gilded falchion strength to use it. It's powerful, two handed weapon and it's holy. This feels like a you thing.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh. Oh.

[Truvo]

The gods are looking down upon us.

[Matthew Mercer]

What is this?

[Snix]

Read. That's deep.

[Matthew Mercer]

Glancing around you. Also the other thing that catches your eye would be what looks like an art piece. Above the double doors shows a. A sun ray or a spread of various sun rays in color with a golden hue to it. And what looks to be the image of an angelic figure standing with its arms out. But where its torso is the armor that's there is three dimensional.

[Ashley Johnson]

Oh, three dimensional armor coming out of the relief.

[Matthew Mercer]

So like a breastplate, like a chainmail set of armor that is either so intricately carved and painted that it looks metallic or it's real and set in up on something. Yeah. It's about 12ft up.

[Garruk]

I can leap up there and do it. Or you can fly.

[Snix]

No, no, no.

[Ashley Johnson]

This is far more fraught with peril.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah.

[Garruk]

I'll leap up and try to pull it down.

[Matthew Mercer]

Grab it, and it's embedded in the stone.

[Garruk]

My legs are just kicking.

[Matthew Mercer]

You can try and kick off the wall and give it a shove if you want.

[Garruk]

Sure, I'll try that.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay. Go ahead and just roll the string. Uh, okay.

[Garruk]

That's a four with fear. Minus one makes it a three with fear.

[Matthew Mercer]

Three with fear. All right. I'm going to take that fear and immediately spend it as you tug and pull. The chainmail does come free.

[Garruk]

Yeah.

[Matthew Mercer]

And you fall back onto the ground. And part of the wall tumbles out as well and comes spinning down.

[Snix]

I'm going to use my grapple to pull this one out of the way. If it's possible.

[Matthew Mercer]

Right? Yeah. You grab the grapple and throw it around him just as the stone falls on him and you pull him out like a cheese grater from the stone. You take a stress.

[Garruk]

Okay.

[Matthew Mercer]

And two points of physical damage. It wasn't enough to crush you, but definitely enough to kind of grind and wind you a little bit.

[Snix]

The gut reaction isn't the thing.

[Garruk]

I'm out of stress. I mean, I'm full. My stress is full.

[Matthew Mercer]

So you are vulgar, vulnerable.

[Garruk]

Oh, boy.

[Matthew Mercer]

Y' all think maybe we should, like, take a break or something then if we're feeling a little wrecked?

[Snix]

Might not be a bad idea.

[Garruk]

Maybe.

[Snix]

What is that armor, out of curiosity?

[Garruk]

The armor? I don't have armor.

[Ashley Johnson]

Hold the helmet.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh.

[Ashley Johnson]

Oh.

[Matthew Mercer]

This.

[Truvo]

Okay.

[Ashley Johnson]

That's a good weapon. But I like the reach of the armor.

[Truvo]

Reach. Right. I'll use it for now if you change your mind.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yes. Yeah, yeah.

[Truvo]

Because it's a little bit better than the one that I have. But not by much.

[Garruk]

And it doesn't do. It doesn't slow you down or anything.

[Ashley Johnson]

The additional damage dies, though.

[Matthew Mercer]

It's just Chainman.

[Snix]

That's amazing.

[Garruk]

Oh, this is good.

[Halloran]

That's amazing.

[Ashley Johnson]

Read it out loud.

[Snix]

That's so amazing.

[Garruk]

The gods have smiled on us this day.

[Matthew Mercer]

No, Clanberg.

[Ashley Johnson]

It's happening.

[Garruk]

He's beginning to believe this is just. This is direct intervention from an unseen force from beyond. This is Anointed chain armor. It's just very good armor.

[Truvo]

Okay.

[Snix]

Stunningly good armor.

[Garruk]

I mean, anyone could use this. It doesn't slow you down. It doesn't have any negatives. It's just positives.

[Truvo]

Thresholds 11 and 20.

[Garruk]

Just positive.

[Matthew Mercer]

Like, don't. Don't forget. Yeah. Armor in this, y' all can use any sort of armor. Just certain armor heavier has penalties, like if you invasion and other attributes bloodied.

[Snix]

By the corrupted heart of. Okay. Yeah. Okay.

[Truvo]

Oh, a velk.

[Garruk]

Yeah.

[Truvo]

Roller critical says you clear an armor.

[Snix]

Yeah, that's pretty cool.

[Truvo]

That is very cool.

[Snix]

That's pretty cool.

[Ashley Johnson]

You can also just hold onto it if nobody wants to use it.

[Snix]

I mean, if no one else is.

[Truvo]

Using it, I want you to use it.

[Snix]

Cause that's pretty insane. Yeah, it's pretty insane. I'm going to clean the blood off from the splatter. It's a nice chainmail. I think it can go into the shirt and fits on.

[Matthew Mercer]

Are you taking a short rest, or are you pressing?

[Garruk]

Yes, please.

[Ashley Johnson]

Are we short rest?

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah.

[Truvo]

Can we?

[Matthew Mercer]

You can. Yeah.

[Ashley Johnson]

Cowards.

[Matthew Mercer]

You're out here in the middle of this roll.

[Snix]

Yeah.

[Ashley Johnson]

Oh, wow.

[Snix]

This is about to get real crazy.

[Matthew Mercer]

Here we go.

[Garruk]

I'm going to clear stress. We can do things we did last. Last short rest, too.

[Matthew Mercer]

Right.

[Misty]

So I'm gonna repair all my armor.

[Garruk]

Clearing stress. Two plus one.

[Snix]

Oh, my God.

[Matthew Mercer]

All right, so it's one D4 plus one for your armor, but you're doing. Oh, you can do the long rest one. You said clear.

[Misty]

Yes. So my short rest can be a long rest. So I can do.

[Matthew Mercer]

Run me that ability again just with this.

[Misty]

Yes. When you take a short rest, you can choose a long rest move instead of a short rest move.

[Matthew Mercer]

That's awesome.

[Garruk]

Yeah.

[Matthew Mercer]

So there you go. Armor's all good.

[Misty]

And long rest. I get two of the following moves.

[Matthew Mercer]

Is anybody taking watch?

[Ashley Johnson]

I will take watch.

[Matthew Mercer]

All right.

[Ashley Johnson]

And I will leave my strength.

[Matthew Mercer]

I've done my roll.

[Snix]

Changing armor. Do I get all my armor slots back since I'm changing the armor I'm wearing, or.

[Matthew Mercer]

No, no, not in this instance.

[Snix]

Okay.

[Matthew Mercer]

That's the thresholds of change. And next time you want to, you can use a downtime action to replace that.

[Snix]

Now that's fine.

[Ashley Johnson]

What kind of a roll do you require?

[Matthew Mercer]

Just roll a D12 for me.

[Ashley Johnson]

Just one D12?

[Matthew Mercer]

Yep. And then tell me if you want to use your roll or mine.

[Snix]

I was not.

[Ashley Johnson]

I'll use yours.

[Misty]

What'd you roll?

[Ashley Johnson]

Five.

[Matthew Mercer]

I also rolled a five.

[Halloran]

Oh.

[Matthew Mercer]

Roll these the Air grows ever cold. The shadows and the absence of the fiery braziers grow thicker. You all feel the chill wash over you as the hair stands up in the back of your head. And once more, that shrieking echo on the distant horizon of the elemental death known as the umbra seems to almost get lost. Louder.

[Halloran]

Oh, boy.

[Matthew Mercer]

I gained two fear. Also Aaron's now like. Sorry, I just need to take a little moment to sit down here for a second.

[Ashley Johnson]

Are you okay?

[Matthew Mercer]

I'm okay. Her brow is sweaty.

[Ashley Johnson]

How long has that cough been there?

[Matthew Mercer]

Well, I got some of that dust from. We opened it up, but. Oh, shit.

[Ashley Johnson]

From the reliquary.

[Truvo]

I have to say she's been coughing for a while now.

[Misty]

May I check you?

[Matthew Mercer]

And she vomits a little onto her chest. It's like, I'm so sorry. This is embarrassing.

[Ashley Johnson]

Can I come over? And just out of panic and concern, can I use sparing touch to place hands on her and pump some divine healing into her?

[Matthew Mercer]

Sure, yeah.

[Ashley Johnson]

It'll clear two hit points or two stress from the target.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay, so she'll go ahead and clear stress and hit points. And she's like, thank you. Thank you. I appreciate that. You can see the dark under her eyes a little bit.

[Ashley Johnson]

Oh, jeez.

[Matthew Mercer]

Should we. Moving on?

[Ashley Johnson]

Have you been this far before?

[Matthew Mercer]

No one's been this far before.

[Ashley Johnson]

Just thought I'd ask.

[Matthew Mercer]

That's what's so exciting about it. It's really gonna be soft Rap Askalo.

[Garruk]

August. Is she becoming an undead? Do we have to kill her and chop off her head and burn her body?

[Snix]

Not. Not yet.

[Garruk]

From.

[Snix]

I don't know.

[Garruk]

Should we?

[Snix]

It might be the only way.

[Matthew Mercer]

No, just.

[Ashley Johnson]

That's all right. If you were going to lead us on, which way would we go?

[Matthew Mercer]

I figured we probably can try and pick through this door here. I think it's probably too dangerous to go around the sides where it collapsed so we can go through the door.

[Misty]

May I go over to her and sort of take the throw up off of her shirt? Just see what it is.

[Matthew Mercer]

It looks like a bit of bile. A thick, grayish, almost viscosity to it.

[Garruk]

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[Snix]

With McValue. With McDonald's, you don't just get deals.

[Matthew Mercer]

On the drinks, you get deals on McDonald's drinks.

[Snix]

So when you're breaking a sweat, embrace the chill without breaking the bank.

[Matthew Mercer]

And when your crew is running on empty, keep your wallet full while refreshing the squad. Get more than you expect on your favorite medium drinks, like frozen Fanta, Blue Raspberry iced coffee or lemonade. Now at just $2.29, price of participation may vary. Cannot be combined with any other offer.

[Alltrails Representative]

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[Garruk]

None of us know anything about this stuff, do we?

[Matthew Mercer]

She walks over towards the door and is like, all right, so I think and walks over the stone bits that you had plucked from the top and that part of the surface wall had crumbled down. This is definitely locked by some key.

[Garruk]

Uh oh, I'm say a prayer or something.

[Matthew Mercer]

He starts getting down to pickle up.

[Misty]

Should we take take her back home?

[Truvo]

I know. Do we? At what point does it do we have to turn back and take her to a healer. Take her to. What's his name? To Truval.

[Garruk]

Truvault. The hedge.

[Ashley Johnson]

The keyhole that she's operating on, what does it look like?

[Matthew Mercer]

It's about an inch and a half tall, thin. It's just a small opening. And she's currently trying to bend that long, thin piece of iron by looking inside to match what she imagines the interior mechanism is. She's taking and has a small hand tongue that bends it and is like.

[Ashley Johnson]

Can I reach over and grab her arm that she's working on? And can I just take my two fingers and wrap it around. Around her wrist and feel what her heart rate and pulse feels like?

[Matthew Mercer]

First thing you notice is her skin is burning hot to the touch.

[Snix]

Shit.

[Matthew Mercer]

The second thing you notice is her pulse is.

[Ashley Johnson]

Aaron. Yeah, I know. This is the last thing that you want to hear. We have to go back. Your heart is running a million miles a second. You're. Your skin is hot to the touch. You are burning up.

[Matthew Mercer]

We're so close. Can you imagine what's inside? Inside there?

[Ashley Johnson]

I can't. It's not worth putting you at risk, though. And everyone will know that you were with us when we made it this far. I am sure the scholars and the vigils will all be clamoring over themselves to recruit you to their service.

[Matthew Mercer]

You promise you're gonna tell them how much I help?

[Ashley Johnson]

I promise.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay. Maybe we don't tell them when we get back, and we can come back tomorrow and pick up.

[Ashley Johnson]

Sure.

[Misty]

I think that sounds like a great plan. I could also take you back home.

[Garruk]

Alone.

[Misty]

Well, I don't know. I. I do not think that she should continue. I'm sorry.

[Ashley Johnson]

Yeah, I'm definitely gonna take her back. If you want to push on, you can.

[Garruk]

I'm good.

[Truvo]

We know how to get back. Back to this place. We might as well all go back, rest, recover. I don't hate the idea of letting them know that we need further investigation into Velk. Maybe keep some of what we found here to ourselves so that we can just come back after we've dropped her off.

[Matthew Mercer]

I agree.

[Truvo]

Even a handful of us can just still camp beyond the outer walls.

[Snix]

How's stress, hp? How's she looking? Is this just beyond that?

[Matthew Mercer]

This isn't damage, okay?

[Snix]

This is something else.

[Matthew Mercer]

This is infection or disease at this point. Some poison. You're uncertain, like, you can see, like her. The eyes are getting dark around there. The sweat, the high temperature. It's like she's running a Fever. So something's causing a fever?

[Truvo]

We said it.

[Misty]

She's beyond our kid.

[Ashley Johnson]

Let's go.

[Matthew Mercer]

I'm sorry.

[Ashley Johnson]

No. Nothing to be sorry for. We wouldn't have gotten into the reliquary with you or found this place, or done any of these things.

[Matthew Mercer]

Well, just keep the skull with us. At least it's worth something.

[Ashley Johnson]

Of course.

[Snix]

Let's go.

[Misty]

Would you like me to carry you?

[Snix]

Yes, please.

[Matthew Mercer]

Carry her. Don't. Don't. I'm fine. Just a little piggyback. I'm fine. Piggyback.

[Snix]

Thank you.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay. She climbs up onto the wings and drapes her hands over. And you hold on and you all delve back down the stairs into the caves of the Luzal vaults. Of course. Quietly keeping watch in case anything else still lurking here in the darkness decides to assail you unexpectedly.

[Ashley Johnson]

Blue torch is still aglow.

[Matthew Mercer]

Blue torch is still aglow. The door. The gate itself still openable. The gate guardian seemingly thoroughly destroyed by your second bout and the final boomerang blow that was dealt. Its crown missing, its blade taken. What? You asked.

[Ashley Johnson]

Where did I.

[Truvo]

Where did you get that?

[Garruk]

The boomerang store.

[Misty]

We gotta see if it actually works. Is it really boomerang?

[Ashley Johnson]

Boomerangs are awesome.

[Matthew Mercer]

Boomerang stealth.

[Snix]

Come back soon.

[Matthew Mercer]

Challenged by the heavy cough that echoes through the hall about every 30, 40 seconds that only seems to get more and more thump.

[Garruk]

Can we put an iron clamp on her jaw?

[Truvo]

Yeah.

[Matthew Mercer]

You wanna try it?

[Garruk]

No.

[Ashley Johnson]

Touch her forehead to the skull.

[Matthew Mercer]

Every few moments. She keeps apologizing, keeps apologizing until she can't because she passes out.

[Ashley Johnson]

Can we dump a healing potion in her mouth just to try and stave off whatever is happening with her?

[Matthew Mercer]

Sure, if you want to spend one.

[Ashley Johnson]

Yeah.

[Snix]

I've got a magic thing.

[Ashley Johnson]

Okay.

[Snix]

I'm going to use mending touch and just try and add a hit point. If actually, if we want to do both. Well, I'll just try and put a hit point into her.

[Matthew Mercer]

You put a hit point into her?

[Snix]

Actually, I can even do.

[Matthew Mercer]

I'm sorry.

[Snix]

I can even do two. Don't fall asleep.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay.

[Snix]

I need you.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay. I'm good. I'm good. She just keeps holding on and holds a little tighter too. You did give a little more strength to her. And she's now holding onto your wings.

[Snix]

I need you to protect us when things get bad.

[Matthew Mercer]

Of course. Of course. Your pace quickens again. And you exit the vaults back into the jungle. I hope.

[Ashley Johnson]

Is there a reason why the iron band is over the mouth of the skull? Was it Coughing and spreading something. Could we put the band over her mouth or.

[Snix]

Well, it's on a skull, so clearly whoever the band's on did not do well. You know, it's.

[Ashley Johnson]

Maybe we can get the band off and look at it or something.

[Snix]

Not yet.

[Truvo]

You do have an interesting point, though. Perhaps we should maybe wait outside of the walls and someone should go and bring Truvo out. Just in case there's any type of plague or sickness that could spread to the rest of us.

[Ashley Johnson]

The little gold orb, that was like a ward or a protection, right? We shouldn't be putting that on her, right? Or have her hold onto it.

[Garruk]

Stuff armor.

[Ashley Johnson]

But.

[Garruk]

I mean, we could. But it seems like it does stuff to armor.

[Ashley Johnson]

Maybe she can just hold it till we get there and see if it helps at all.

[Misty]

Can you link with Truvo or Noren or. You have to be able to.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay.

[Snix]

I can, on the other hand, cast telepathy. So I can. As long as they're awake, I can hear their thoughts.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh, of Erens.

[Snix]

Yeah. Of Erens.

[Matthew Mercer]

Sure. Yeah.

[Snix]

Actually, let's make sure I can do that.

[Matthew Mercer]

As you step out into the night jungle again, the direction of the flame, the sacred pyre that denotes Desperlocke's position, pushing through the heavy sound of nearby jungle insects and creatures. You can hear Aaron's inner monologue going. Just don't blow this, don't blow this, don't blow this. You can sense she's scared, but you can also sense that she's holding herself strong. She doesn't want to embarrass herself in front of idols. She doesn't want to embarrass herself in front of the rest of you. And she just really wants her dad.

[Snix]

I'm gonna tell you a secret, I say in her head. We didn't find you. We didn't find your father. We were running. We ran from something scary. Misty and I. Sometimes. Sometimes you have to run.

[Matthew Mercer]

I think each and every one of us is running from something scary from the day we're born to the day we die. So let's keep running together.

[Snix]

It's gonna be okay.

[Misty]

I'm gonna move her to the front.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay. She does not give any resistance at this point. You're just gonna move just so she.

[Misty]

Doesn'T have to hold on anymore.

[Alltrails Representative]

We all belong outside. We're drawn to nature. Whether it's the recorded sounds of the ocean we doze off to or the succulents that adorn our homes. Nature makes all of our lives, well, better. Despite all this we often go about our busy lives removed from it, but the outdoors is closer than we realize. With alltrails, you can discover trails nearby and explore confidently with offline maps and on trail navigation. Download the free app today.

[Ashley Johnson]

And as we're getting closer, can I take the skull and just kind of look at the band closer? Like, is there anything other than just markings, engraving?

[Matthew Mercer]

It is very well made. The band itself has no markings on it, but if you pull it back with a little bit of light, you can see on the inside of the skull, the interior of the bone. The inside, like open space where the stone was is just completely, completely covered in script.

[Ashley Johnson]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And the iron band is attached to the skull. Like, can it be pried off?

[Matthew Mercer]

You can certainly try.

[Ashley Johnson]

I will definitely try.

[Matthew Mercer]

Make a strength check for me.

[Misty]

Let me spend a hope to sure.

[Matthew Mercer]

Give advantage on that.

[Ashley Johnson]

Awesome.

[Snix]

May have to have you around the head.

[Garruk]

Sure, I can run kick ass.

[Ashley Johnson]

12, 9, 21, 26, 26. With fear.

[Matthew Mercer]

You dislodge the metal band, and it is like so much fear. It is bolted into the skull as it breaks the bone of the jaw shatters with it. As you pull it off, you can see all the teeth were already removed, the areas where it was pushed in and bolted. There's also script carved into the bone above where the teeth were. So it looks like the skull was heavily treated with some sort of a ritual, some sort of a holy means. You're not certain necessarily what the script is, though you have had. I will say, if you'd want to, if you'd like to mark a stress, you could delve into whatever power touches you to try and see if you could suss the nature of this.

[Ashley Johnson]

I'll take that stress.

[Matthew Mercer]

All right. Close your eyes and. And try and reach into those visions, those dreams, these strange little moments where you feel like some divinity out there that still lingers in the domain has found you. And while you can't read it, you sense that this skull belonged to something heretical and it was placed there to seal it away. It doesn't mean that it held power necessarily. But this skull is not a saint. This skull is not of a martyred figure of renown. It was put there to be forgotten and protected. Cool.

[Ashley Johnson]

The inside of the band that's covered in the runes and the markings. Do I recognize any of it? Know anything about any of it?

[Matthew Mercer]

The inside of the band, as you look at it, is also covered in script. Like every part of this was designed to, whether it be symbolically contain or Actually magically contain. Contain whatever was there. You sense no power in the skull anymore. There's nothing like it isn't a charged relic. Make a knowledge roll for me. I'm just going to make this a reaction roll. No hope or fear gained on this one. This is just a 17. 17. The best you can tell even just from the little bit of scraps of research you've pulled from the scholars in your hope to figure out the nature of what has found you through the Aetherweave or divinity. These were funeral rites to seal away somebody who was deemed evil by the church. You're uncertain if this wasn't something that was put on them in life. This was definitely a final rites.

[Halloran]

Got it.

[Matthew Mercer]

You come to the outside of the slag walls and you can see the burning glow of the sacred pyre just above in the distance. As you approach the vigil, shout out from atop the hill, halt.

[Ashley Johnson]

It's us. We've returned. Let Rascallo know that we've returned.

[Matthew Mercer]

We need a healer. They look to each other. They glance over, hold their torches free. The horn's going to blow for a second. The front gate, not far from where you are, pulls open. They go in.

[Misty]

Oh, they need to come out.

[Garruk]

I'll go get them.

[Snix]

Please, quickly.

[Matthew Mercer]

All right. So you go ahead and dart off inside, heading towards the interior of Desperlock. Charging through. At this point in the evening, it's midnight ish at this moment, and a lot of the village is going about its business that would be up this late. There are shifts of people, Vigil, fire keepers and other folks who just can't sleep due to the nature of a challenged life. But you push through. Over until eventually you find the exterior of Truvo's tent. And as you push inside, you see his massive Galapa form sitting on a chair, currently pouring himself a cup of tea into a small stone mug. And looks up to you quickly. Oh, well.

[Garruk]

Hey, I need you. We need you. Sorry. There's someone who's very hurt. Sick? Poisoned? We're not sure.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh, no.

[Garruk]

We don't know if it's contagious though. So could you come out to the gates to make sure that this.

[Matthew Mercer]

Have you been in contact with this individual?

[Garruk]

I kind of stayed away from her. She was kind of grossing me out. I did.

[Matthew Mercer]

Reaches over and grabs a big bundle of cloth and wraps his face and head around it till it's just his eyes peering over his turtle head, barely coming through the top of it. It's like a reverse Ninja Turtle. He takes his bag and sets it onto that long table where he had initially treated you and starts plucking all manner of small vials and herbs and ointments and is just grabbing anything that could possibly help, some medicinal cloth and stitched gauze and whatever he can puts it in the satchel. All right, take me to them.

[Garruk]

Can you run? Do you run?

[Matthew Mercer]

I can run.

[Garruk]

All right, keep up.

[Matthew Mercer]

You shh. And.

[Garruk]

Look back. Oh, my goodness.

[Matthew Mercer]

He's older, but keeping up decently. Other folks watching this commotion and starting to whisper and ask, what's happening, what's going on? You start by. And Trumo just raises his hand.

[Garruk]

Don't worry, it's going to be fine.

[Matthew Mercer]

Go about your business. Don't worry. Until eventually you come to where the gates are still open and you see the vigil. Now, the vigil have come tight to watch because to leave the gates open is incredibly dangerous. So right now, as the gates are only open wide enough to let a person or two through, the vigil is congregated to keep watch. They have crossbows, they have weapons at the ready, and they're all just torches, free looking, looking out into the shadow beyond you. So nobody is opportunistic in this moment as you rush up and while you're waiting for this point, Aaron is eye lowing a little bit.

[Garruk]

Wake up.

[Matthew Mercer]

Can you fall asleep right? I can't. Eventually you see Snix and behind Truva approach. Oh, goodness. This is Aaron, isn't it? Oh, poor girl. Got takes her and sets her down on the ground, lays her out and starts inspecting her, taking her pulse. And takes a small wineskin of water and pours it over a cloth and puts it over her head to try and cool her down. And more or less starts going through a book and checking things. There's about a good 10 minutes or so before we.

[Ashley Johnson]

And we say we opened something. There was an aerosol that came out.

[Matthew Mercer]

This is likely some sort of infection, if indeed this was from a long untouched patch of sealed air or a space. Various molds, various things can grow in there that can be very dangerous to younger lungs especially so. But however, such infections are treatable, they just take some time to recover with proper materials. I can definitely treat her. Someone will have to keep an eye on her overnight. But I'm glad you took her here immediately. This is rapidly growing, so if you hadn't have done so, it's likely she wouldn't have survived the night. So you've done good.

[Ashley Johnson]

Glad you're here. I will watch over her for sure.

[Matthew Mercer]

It is not infectious either. From what I can tell, it looks like this is just an inhaled spore or some form of infection. So would one of you want to keep an eye while she stays in my tent for the evening?

[Ashley Johnson]

You want to keep an eye on all that?

[Misty]

I can keep an eye.

[Ashley Johnson]

Get Garruk.

[Misty]

Yes.

[Matthew Mercer]

All right.

[Misty]

Pick her back up.

[Matthew Mercer]

Goes ahead. And as you pick her up, he goes ahead and says, all right, dear, I need you to just open your mouth a little bit. I'm going to pour you a little sour tasting liquid here. Her breath starting to get a little labored. And he pops this vial and puts this thicker herbal liquid. And she coughs a bit. She's like, you did good. You did good. And he wipes her brow. And then she swallows it and sinks into you a little bit as you hold her. And Trubo smiles through his. Pulls his cloth back now that he's noted that it's not contagious, and looks at you and says, get her to my place. Come on. At which point you all step into the settlement and the rest of the vigil look down upon you. Do you all stay outside or do you return to Despilac as well?

[Snix]

I think we're going to stay and watch. I think because I'm going to stay.

[Truvo]

With you, I might as well come inside.

[Garruk]

Are you taking her to Truvo's place or to just staying outside?

[Matthew Mercer]

No, take him to Truvo's tent.

[Garruk]

Okay.

[Matthew Mercer]

So everybody's, like, running the outskirts of the town.

[Ashley Johnson]

I'll go to Garrux and let him know that we're back and she's back.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay. While you all step inside, people looking about, a little bit of whispering, some panic, some people curious as word gets.

[Misty]

Around that covering her with the wings so no one can gawk, gawk and gawk at her.

[Matthew Mercer]

In doing so, the curiosity spreads, but confirmation of who or what does not. But people also instinctually keep a distance from the eight winged angel that walks among them. You come near the comforting hearth of the sacred pyre beyond the forum to the tent where Truvo runs. His herbalistic skills set her upon the table. He takes her big gray cloak and swaddles her with it and sets her down, renews his cloth and sets it upon her brow and begins to progress his development of whatever treatment he'll have to apply to her throughout the night. You go ahead and retrieve Garak, who immediately is like, what happened to my girl?

[Ashley Johnson]

We were out trying to find Velk. We told Eren to stay but she followed us. You know how she can be. And she got into something. Truvo has her now. Why don't you come with me and we'll go be by her side, all right?

[Matthew Mercer]

All right. And he puts his coat on and kind of follows off after you. But Truvo finishes his treatments for the night. The people begin to die down their curiosity. As it seems the tension begins to subside. Eventually, with a bit of conversation, a bit of cool water renewed upon her brow and body, she goes to sleep and settles into a rest. Truvo nods and.

[Garruk]

No, you've got it too.

[Matthew Mercer]

Burn her. Split. He kind of nods and then wipes his brow after he's been kind of focused on all this and says, if.

[Halloran]

You don't mind, I'm gonna go give.

[Matthew Mercer]

Myself a drink and then return to keep watch. You're staying? Keep an eye?

[Ashley Johnson]

Yeah, absolutely. I think a few of us will be very good.

[Matthew Mercer]

Good thing happened. I'll be at my hovel in the back. And you know where he lives. He's off. And Aaron's asleep. Every now and then, cough comes through. But it's not as bad as it was as you were getting close to Desperlock, which is comforting.

[Ashley Johnson]

People are going to want to know what we found, what we have, what came of Velk. Should we try and hold onto some of that information until we can venture out again? Should we share with the scholars?

[Truvo]

If the scholars see what we have gathered, they will assuredly take everything off of us. They will claim it as importance to the Luzon.

[Garruk]

But might they have information? Shouldn't we share this knowledge with. With them? We can hide the stuff. I can just go take it and stash it somewhere. If you're worried about losing it.

[Truvo]

We should definitely hide what we have.

[Snix]

They'll take it one way or another and they'll tell us nothing. You know, I don't trust them.

[Ashley Johnson]

They might. Maybe if we leverage it like there's more that we could share and that this is just an initial offering of our findings. If we ask for a partnership of sorts, that we'd be part of the next wave, we can lead them to the things that we found and help them avoid the things that have been perilous. We could ingratiate ourselves to their efforts.

[Snix]

Even though Valt's dead, we can still go up and try and get the body.

[Garruk]

Well, if we're worried about talking to the scholars, I mean, I'm friendly with one of them, with Halloran. He's not one of the current scholars. He's Retired. But he. He wouldn't take any of this stuff.

[Ashley Johnson]

But would he know maybe some of it. The script on the inside of the mouth plate, or.

[Garruk]

He wouldn't, I think, if he would know everything. As far as I know, he knows as much as the others, but he just doesn't. He's retired. He's drunk. He's a drunkard.

[Ashley Johnson]

Oh, okay.

[Garruk]

And I carry hooch. Some of the. I carry. Pull out two bottles of sort of vinegary wine. I deliver this to him about once every couple weeks. And he's a nice. He's a nice fella. Just. He wouldn't care about stuff. He just wants booze.

[Ashley Johnson]

That might be a great place to start. If you ask him if the scholars would care or be willing to share. He could also say, whatever you do, don't tell them. They'll never let you.

[Garruk]

He might not even remember.

[Matthew Mercer]

Honestly, I don't even remember.

[Snix]

You have a sense of their disposition, at least.

[Ashley Johnson]

Do you know where he is?

[Garruk]

Sure. I mean, I've got a delivery that I'm supposed to do.

[Ashley Johnson]

I mean, we probably have until sunup.

[Garruk]

Just me, or are you guys coming?

[Ashley Johnson]

You tell us. He's your guy.

[Matthew Mercer]

Knowing him, he's probably awake still.

[Garruk]

Sure, yeah. Come. Or some of us can come. Somebody's gotta stay.

[Misty]

I can stay.

[Ashley Johnson]

And I'll give you the skull and the.

[Garruk]

I'm not going to touch that stuff. You take it.

[Matthew Mercer]

I don't want to touch it.

[Truvo]

I'll come with you. All right. And then I also take out my robes, my vestments of the Pyre Keeper, cover my armor, cover the swords, cover everything that we have. And then I'll go with Snyx. Are you coming, or are you going to stay with the kid?

[Snix]

I'll come with you. For this way.

[Misty]

Goodbye, August.

[Truvo]

Misty, we'll be right back, okay?

[Misty]

Please be safe.

[Truvo]

I'm going far.

[Ashley Johnson]

If you're not backed by sun up.

[Garruk]

You'Re dead to us and probably the.

[Truvo]

Rest of the world.

[Garruk]

We're just going to an old guy's.

[Matthew Mercer]

House.

[Misty]

Already grown attached.

[Truvo]

I've already grown attached. Attached, yes. Godspeed.

[Matthew Mercer]

All right, so you two are staying behind. Yeah, we'll stay with you, and you three head off with Snix leading them. All right, so a little ways off from where the Praxis Collective does the majority of its research work here in Desperlock. The homestead of Halloran. What? It was at one time a nice, quaint homestead for a very vigilant researcher, but, you know, it's fallen into a bit of disarray. And he's become a bit of a hoarder, this home. As you begin to approach, you can see the windows are completely blocked. And outside in the front you can see all manner of broken junk that he's amassed. Things that were discovered to be of no necessary use to the scholars. Relics of the old world that were just discarded pieces of garbage that he has snatched up and built this little junkyard around this little hovel that he lives in. You can see the faintest little flicker of lantern light from what segment of his window is still not fully plugged. And you could hear a hum coming from within.

[Garruk]

I will go up to the door and knock four times. Boop boop boop boop. And go hoo.

[Matthew Mercer]

Eew.

[Halloran]

I was wondering when you were gonna come around here.

[Matthew Mercer]

All these locks get like down the door before and you see this old. It's rare to see somebody this old and haggard who has survived this long here in the Halcyon domain. These days you're not sure if he is very old or just life has been hard enough to where he looks that way, but he is just missing a majority of his teeth. Patchy scraggly chin, White hair that looks like parts of it have either stopped growing or burned off at some point. Long matted curly hair that pushes past his shoulders like a really down his luck Gandalf. As soon as he speaks through the door, it says, hey, Snick's glad you made it. The smell of thick alcohol is just. It clears anything that might have been caught in your sinuses.

[Halloran]

Hey, my friends.

[Garruk]

I sure did. Yeah, yeah, they're cool. They're with me. We've been. They're cool. They're cool. They're messengers in training. You grab drink, I always bring drink, friend. And I pull out two bottles of.

[Halloran]

All three come in.

[Matthew Mercer]

He pulls back into the room.

[Garruk]

When you sit down, just watch where you sit because there might be some trash or food or something alive.

[Truvo]

Understood.

[Matthew Mercer]

As you step inside the interior, here it is indeed stacked wall to ceiling with maybe some old books, bits of oiled rags. You can see clusters of boxes and crates that may or may not be full indeed. The smell of rotten food and refuse sits all throughout the chamber. You can see there are paths in this hall. It's only about maybe 15 by 20ft, this entire homestead, but there's only maybe about 10ft of actual walkable space. And it's very much. You know how Scroogeman Duck has worked that loop and around his number one dime. That's how you have to walk through the house where he's kind of created these grooves where you can just barely get around to where this pile of groove cloth and rag where he sleeps, a little table in the center and the rest is just stacked garbage.

[Truvo]

What was his name again?

[Garruk]

Halloran.

[Ashley Johnson]

The sot Halloran the SOT S O T T. S O T. Halloran.

[Matthew Mercer]

And he pops open a bottle immediately and starts pushing through one of the piles, like, where are my cups? And pulls out a few cups that look like they haven't been washed in a while. And he sits down and goes, oh, excuse me. Gets another rag and, like, starts cleaning them. Oh, boy, oh, boy. He poured a lot more in his than yours. And he kind of slides him forward on the one table and it's like.

[Garruk]

To your health.

[Halloran]

To my health.

[Ashley Johnson]

He's got drinking breath.

[Matthew Mercer]

Downs. It goes to Phil's other one.

[Halloran]

Oh, oh, right, sorry.

[Matthew Mercer]

Reaches back and his arm vanishes into one of the nearby piles and pulls out a small satchel. They got a handbag. And opens it up a little bit, rides into it. And what would he have traded that alcohol for?

[Garruk]

You?

[Matthew Mercer]

What would you have asked for?

[Garruk]

Sure. I mean, probably not. I don't think he has money, per se. Is there money in this world?

[Matthew Mercer]

I mean, there is money, but it only matters to a handful of chunks of society. To this day, most people, it's just for trade of use.

[Garruk]

I do trade with some of the. What is the people at the works. Barrel Spearborn.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh, yeah.

[Garruk]

I trade supplies and stuff. Nails and screws, bits of leather, if he has any building materials, anything like that. I also trade books, scrolls. People seem to like that stuff. So anything he has that might be.

[Matthew Mercer]

Of interest, being a scholar, he has books, but he does not let them go. But he does indeed bring within this thing a large cluster of what looks to be old iron materials, things that were probably used in construction and then have been since scavenged and recovered that can be remelted down and reused, much like they do for the slag walls on the outside of the city. All manner of nails. There's actually a pretty decently kept thick band of leather that's wrapped on itself that can be used for all manner of straps and basically just gives you a few things in trade.

[Halloran]

Is that enough?

[Garruk]

Oh, plenty, plenty. You know what? It's plenty. Because something we would want from you tonight is actually not things, but information, if you got it. And if you do, I can bring twice as much hooch next time.

[Halloran]

I'll see what I can help with.

[Matthew Mercer]

You see one of the teeth in his lower jaw? Jaw. It looks like it's a little loose. And as he talks, it kind of flaps a little bit against the lip. Do you? No.

[Snix]

An extra. An extra arm comes out and slaps your hand.

[Misty]

Let me just.

[Matthew Mercer]

Is that true Lies moment where, like, you envision the whole scene in your head and then it cuts back and you've just been sitting there the whole time?

[Misty]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Matthew Mercer]

Your mouth.

[Garruk]

I know you don't like to talk about the vaults too much.

[Halloran]

I don't know anything about them.

[Garruk]

Well, I mean, of course not, but if you did.

[Snix]

We'D hate to pry, but we need help. We need your help.

[Matthew Mercer]

His hands start shaking as he refills his glass. Like.

[Truvo]

Perhaps you just might be more informed about some of the ritualistic rites from the old world. You don't need to tell us much about the vaults, just maybe some information about the past that you may have come across.

[Garruk]

If we show you some things that might have come from the vaults, would you be able to tell us their origin? What they mean? Where they're from?

[Matthew Mercer]

Maybe.

[Garruk]

I have a little bit more alcohol in my pouch.

[Halloran]

Show me.

[Truvo]

Pull out the skull. It's okay. He's dead. Long dead.

[Matthew Mercer]

Who points to the table.

[Snix]

I press the digitation head over.

[Halloran]

You bring Acer Weavers into my home?

[Matthew Mercer]

I.

[Garruk]

Is that a bad? Is that a bad?

[Halloran]

I don't know if I trust your friend.

[Garruk]

I was almost killed in the vault and they saved me.

[Snix]

I take my wand and I stab it very gently into the table. And I let go.

[Halloran]

You gonna fix that?

[Snix]

Yes, of course. As soon as we leave, I can literally fix it. There's no problem.

[Halloran]

That's expensive wood.

[Snix]

And I'll owe you favors of any kind, you know.

[Halloran]

Okay.

[Matthew Mercer]

He takes the wand and starts prodding around the skull and starts giving it a look over. While this is happening, we're going to come to the two of you. Is there any conversation you wanted to do? Any sort of elements, or you just want to wait for them to return?

[Ashley Johnson]

I think we're just kind of.

[Misty]

Yeah, I think. Just waiting to return. I think I'm going to just kneel before her at the table and just hold. Just hold her head. And I'm just watching her guilt amok.

[Ashley Johnson]

Over here.

[Misty]

Guilt amok. And just making sure she's breathing and.

[Matthew Mercer]

Just watching her keep breathing. Okay. Okay. That's how he looks.

[Halloran]

Best I can tell. A lot of these markings represent.

[Matthew Mercer]

Many.

[Halloran]

Of the ordinance binding rituals. Use here. Seems to be against the underlying shadow Currents of the domain. Spirits that would transfer dark powers and enduring wills and intent that would.

[Matthew Mercer]

Lock.

[Halloran]

Themselves into a relic or a person or a place. And these shields would keep them there.

[Truvo]

So this entity, this person, was infected by some sort of darkness. Either a spirit or some sort of dark umbra even.

[Garruk]

We saw some shadows.

[Halloran]

This is before the umbra was unleashed. And there are all manner of dark spirits that were anathema to the veiled gods in the ordinance. So they. They had ways of dealing with them, but none or.

[Matthew Mercer]

This is.

[Halloran]

I don't know if these seals kept after the apostasy, hence why so much has run amok since they went away.

[Garruk]

We saw blobs. Shadow blobs. Sort of moving from darkness into living creatures and making them empowered.

[Snix]

Like liquid shadow.

[Halloran]

Not any of you?

[Garruk]

No, no, no, no. We killed one of them.

[Snix]

It's good. Its mouth was banded closed.

[Halloran]

Why isn't it anymore?

[Garruk]

We were curious.

[Snix]

And there was a stone.

[Halloran]

I was curious once.

[Garruk]

What happened?

[Matthew Mercer]

He pulls back the cloth onto reveal his peg leg.

[Halloran]

I don't go prying anymore.

[Matthew Mercer]

Drinks again.

[Halloran]

Whatever that is, get rid of it. Or sell it to the scholars. Even make it their problem.

[Garruk]

They'll buy it.

[Halloran]

Maybe.

[Garruk]

Oh, okay.

[Halloran]

Whatever was in there has not been held for a long time. And if you killed this thing, there ain't nothing to worry about anymore.

[Snix]

Well, it was glowing, wasn't it?

[Truvo]

Well, he said it was a darkness, though. I'm assuming that darkness is what came out of the statue.

[Snix]

I don't know. That's a lot of assumptions.

[Garruk]

Do we have the crown?

[Truvo]

Yeah, it's on my head.

[Garruk]

Oh. Wanna show him that it's my crown? Sure. Just show him back. He doesn't kill me. This came from the vault.

[Truvo]

The Aether bestowed this crown upon me.

[Matthew Mercer]

Of course he did.

[Garruk]

You are the chosen one.

[Truvo]

I am.

[Ashley Johnson]

I believe.

[Garruk]

Also, if I not overstepping, makes you look very nice.

[Truvo]

That is very kind of you to say. Do you want to see my crown?

[Halloran]

Is it also a bearer of shadow? Of ancient curses?

[Truvo]

You tell me. I'll take off.

[Garruk]

Someone was wearing it who was infected with darkness. But again, we killed that one too. You did a lot of killing.

[Halloran]

This is of holy make. This is a protective element empowered by the divine.

[Matthew Mercer]

This.

[Halloran]

This bears the mark of a rot, too. This is quite the relic.

[Garruk]

Oh, okay.

[Halloran]

Scholars obey quite a plenty of this.

[Snix]

I'm gonna unbutton my shirt. Since we seem to be doing this.

[Halloran]

We're not that close of friends yet.

[Snix]

There's chainmail underneath. This came from the same Temple.

[Halloran]

Where'd you find all this?

[Garruk]

In the vault.

[Halloran]

In the vault?

[Garruk]

We made it all the way to the doorway to the firmament hollow. No, past the firmament hollow. Doorway to what was next.

[Truvo]

The observatory?

[Garruk]

The monastery.

[Halloran]

You made it to the monastery?

[Garruk]

I mean, it's been a while.

[Truvo]

We almost made it to the monastery.

[Snix]

To the door? Yeah.

[Halloran]

That's incredible news. The scholars are going to.

[Garruk]

What are they gonna do? If they knew, what would they do? How would they react? They would be ecstatic and shower us with rewards and praise.

[Truvo]

Perhaps strike a deal. Maybe allow us to keep exploring them.

[Snix]

Take everything?

[Ashley Johnson]

Maybe.

[Truvo]

Or would they take everything we have?

[Halloran]

Could be.

[Garruk]

But if you were.

[Snix]

Would you trust them?

[Halloran]

Some of them.

[Matthew Mercer]

Who uncorks the second bottle?

[Halloran]

Thalia. Finny.

[Garruk]

Were there any consonants in that word?

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah, Thalia, if any.

[Truvo]

Thalia, if any.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay.

[Halloran]

Yadrova is forthright in her intent, though willing to do what is necessary for their means. Thalia seems clear of. Of mind and heart, young as she may be.

[Garruk]

And if you were us, would you keep pressing further into the.

[Matthew Mercer]

Points of the skull?

[Halloran]

That's even put too far.

[Snix]

Infer copper.

[Halloran]

Such a Soviet choose did kill what held that shadow you speak of?

[Garruk]

Think so. I mean, wasn't moving.

[Matthew Mercer]

You see?

[Halloran]

Only two bottles you got.

[Snix]

I have not touched my cup, so I'm just gonna slide it back.

[Truvo]

Oh yeah.

[Matthew Mercer]

I pour into his cup.

[Truvo]

I pour my cup into August. Yeah, good frame. That frag did not look clean.

[Snix]

I want to scan the books on the shelf to see if there's anything that catches a young scholar's eye.

[Matthew Mercer]

Make an instinct rule for me.

[Snix]

If you don't. Instinct, not a knowledge.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay, that's fair. No, there's between getting a good look and perusing and analyzing the material and just looking about and seeing if you can make out details. Very fair.

[Snix]

And I'm so sorry everybody. If I scroll this.

[Garruk]

Hey.

[Snix]

Eleven with hope.

[Matthew Mercer]

Eleven with hope. Oh, take it home. You're hard pressed in this low lantern light in this cluttered ass mess of a homestead to make out anything beyond the occasional letter that isn't covered by rags, dirt or spider webs.

[Garruk]

What else can we glean from this gentleman?

[Snix]

We've got a name.

[Truvo]

We've got a name.

[Garruk]

Anything that we can say to Thalia to butter her she up? I don't know, my friend.

[Halloran]

I never got close. She came in right about the time that I got out. But she seemed like she had a good heart.

[Matthew Mercer]

She kind of thinks for a second.

[Halloran]

I don't know. She's got a Soft spot for Outgast, so she might like you just how you are.

[Garruk]

And if you don't mind. What did you see in there that made you not want to go back? I know that you were injured, but what did it to you?

[Matthew Mercer]

His eyes start going wide and distant.

[Halloran]

In the vaults down there, there are a great many beautiful things. Bronzed halls of worship. Catacombs of holy warriors of old. Those that fought beside the greatest of ordnance and fell the most dangerous of evils in the old world. To bask in their glory and learn of their true color as something astonishing. But with the gods gone, the devils play in the shadows, dance on the graves of those that nearly cut them down before. And there they cuckle. There they feast. There they wait and tear and tease and bite. I can't go back. I can't go back.

[Matthew Mercer]

I can't go back. And he starts pushing back into the various clusters. I can't. I can't. I can't. It's just like going into a full panic attack, pulling away from you.

[Snix]

Stop. You never have to. You never have to ever.

[Matthew Mercer]

Go, kidda. Get out of here. Go. And he grabs the bottle that's still open and starts chugging it and starts pushing and shooing you out of his head.

[Snix]

I grab my wand on the way out and just fix the. The table as I leave and put it away. Okay, that could have gone a bit better.

[Truvo]

Could have gone worse.

[Matthew Mercer]

The two of you. While this is happening, Trubo comes back. You see, he has a glass vial. And he's like, you don't mind if I talk to you for a second? I just don't want her to hear.

[Ashley Johnson]

Of course not.

[Misty]

Absolutely. Yes.

[Matthew Mercer]

Pulls you outside of the tent and holds the vial and is like, I've been running a few tests back in my bowl here. And she has an infection, from what I can tell. And while the treatment's kind of staunched briefly, this is something more than just a standard mold infection. It's. Well, look, he holds it up, and you can see the liquid has a faint pale blue to it, and there is a red droplet of blood that sits on it. You watch as the red is slowly turning brown, then black, and then the blue liquid turns black around it. That's not natural. I'm afraid that whatever Scott Aaron is, I'm afraid she's got a bit of the umbra on her. But.

[Ashley Johnson]

Have you seen this before?

[Matthew Mercer]

Not like this column. I mean, we all carry a bit of this old black within us. That's just the curse of the enduring. But like this. Acts like a disease, but it is. It's more of a curse. Something placed upon her. Something that found its way. I'll continue to do my best what I can, but this is. This might be beyond my capabilities.

[Misty]

Have you ever heard of anybody being healed from. From something like this?

[Matthew Mercer]

I mean the umbra itself is. It is the final death. It is the judgment from the gods upon us when they left. But there are rumors. There are rumors that in the fangs that still hold against the dark. The places across the domain that even yomra can't step. That there can be healers capable. Nothing I have seen. As with my pursuit of what's real and tangible. As a healer, I can't guarantee anything. But I don't know anything in Desperlock that can help her.

[Misty]

How much time does she have?

[Matthew Mercer]

I don't know. Days.

[Misty]

And then what?

[Matthew Mercer]

Then we do the honor of not letting her be desecrated by the umbra when she passes.

[Misty]

But she is my friend.

[Matthew Mercer]

This is also part of just how things are.

[Ashley Johnson]

You said in the veins of the umbra we'd be looking for healers that have had success. Or areas outside of Desperlock where a remedy might exist.

[Matthew Mercer]

There are a great many secrets that were kept by the grand ordinance in the cathedrals of amber reach. There are scriptures that were scattered and lost across the domain from the old world and beyond. Is what our very scholars are hoping to ascertain. A way to turn the tides against.

[Ashley Johnson]

This.

[Matthew Mercer]

Trodden path to oblivion. We all just slowly step towards.

[Misty]

Do you think they are on to something? Anything?

[Matthew Mercer]

Maybe. I hear tale from those who have traveled from beyond. There are places where nature still stands untouched. There are spirits of the wilds that still keep the dark at bay. And there are miracles still. Though perhaps not sourced by the veiled gods themselves. So there's always hope. I just don't know know if it's here.

[Ashley Johnson]

Thank you for telling us.

[Matthew Mercer]

Of course. Smoke begins to fill the forum around the tense. Black smoke just begins to burst and swallow the central forum and go back.

[Misty]

To the tent's body and just sort of.

[Matthew Mercer]

You step back into the tent and Aaron is gone.

[Truvo]

Fucking.

[Matthew Mercer]

The three of you begin to return Just as you see this black smoke begin to billow and completely envelop the center of Desperlock.

[Truvo]

I look up at the pyre.

[Matthew Mercer]

You can't see the pyre. The smoke has completely obfuscated the center of town.

[Misty]

We shouldn't have brought her in here.

[Matthew Mercer]

What are you doing?

[Truvo]

I'm Gonna run to the pyre. The pyre is what's supposed to keep us safe.

[Snix]

What can I see above you?

[Matthew Mercer]

Fly up and there's just a cloud of smoke that's filled the space around a central point around the Forum, the center of desper life.

[Garruk]

Which is where the pyre is.

[Matthew Mercer]

Correct.

[Snix]

Okay, so I can't see the pyre.

[Truvo]

Where the pyre. Does it feel like it's emanating from the pyre?

[Matthew Mercer]

It feels like it's in that general vicinity. Fuck.

[Ashley Johnson]

We're rushing towards it.

[Matthew Mercer]

You all charge in as the smoke begins to dissipate a little bit. Here amongst the nearby homesteads and the northern portion of where the Forum sits, there is the massive column of black smoke where the sacred pyre once was. What? Oh shit.

[Ashley Johnson]

It extinguished the pyre.

[Truvo]

Is it out? It's out.

[Matthew Mercer]

Across the ground of where the pyre once stood, you see the bodies of Desperlock folk and two robe adorned pyre keepers bisected and their blood spilled across one of the only things that can quell the flame of these sacred flames.

[Truvo]

No.

[Matthew Mercer]

And there, standing, facing the smoke, a small teenage girl who turns and smiles. And that's who we're going to.

[Ashley Johnson]

I have goosebumps.

[Matthew Mercer]

Me too.

[Misty]

Me too.

[Garruk]

Never trust a teenager.

[Matthew Mercer]

No. No. So.

[Truvo]

Romond. Romond. Fucking bisected. Dead. Corbin is dead.

[Matthew Mercer]

We'll come back when you find out. Next episode.

[Ashley Johnson]

Oh, shit.

[Matthew Mercer]

Shit.

[Truvo]

To quote Ashley Johnson, I'm already attached. Yes, it's only been two episodes.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh no. We're so fucked.

[Truvo]

We brought her in.

[Snix]

We're so fucked.

[Matthew Mercer]

So we'll see you guys next time. We love you very much and. Is it Thursday? Good night. No, it's not. And we finished up this episode. Thanks for coming along on this wild journey with us. If you like the adventure, consider leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice. We're always looking for new critters to share our stories with, and your review may help a new batch of wayward adventurers discover the show. See you next time.