The Place of Wings | Critical Role | Campaign 4, Episode 17 Part 2

Summary

Critical Role — Campaign 4, Episode 17, Part 2: "The Place of Wings"

Date: March 10, 2026

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Episode Overview

In Part 2 of “The Place of Wings,” the Seekers venture deeper into the haunted ruins of Tanasar, the titular "Place of Wings." The party battles a relentless horde of skeletons, grapples with the lingering influence of necromantic crystals, and uncovers secrets about the excavation site, the Taconis family, and a mysterious set of plans involving powerful magic and celestial artifacts. The episode is marked by fast-paced, high-stakes combat, a discovery-laden interlude, and an emotionally resonant ritual of final rites for the dead. The party ends poised to interrogate the recently deceased using Speak with Dead, teetering on the edge of further revelations.

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Major Discussion Points & Story Beats

1. Resuming Battle at Tanasar (01:34–13:39)

• Setting: Seekers are surrounded by a skeletal horde near the necromantic crystal.
• Combat Dynamics:
  • Julian unleashes brutal attacks, using the Daredevil subclass abilities (03:32).
    • Quote: “I can kill you so many times. That's my turn.” – Julian (04:30)
  • Octis casts Wither and Bloom to devastating effect, drawing necrotic energy and healing himself (06:29–09:31).
    • Quote: “Pain works differently for me now... I pull out a small withered vine, twisted into a loop... I breathe out this area around me and I cast wither and bloom.” – Octis (05:56)
  • Tysha and Bayless coordinate healing and offense with magical synergy, notably Lands Aid (15:33).
    • Quote: “It’s like dreams and stories... Her action on the world is a memory of itself. It’s screaming wake up into the earth.” – Tysha, describing her connection to the Ancients (18:13)

2. Crucial Combat Moments & Character Interplay (13:39–32:00)

• Tactical Play:
  • Bayless executes an impressive cleave, wiping out two skeletons with one strike (21:03).
    • “Describe for me as you absolutely obliterate. No joint is still connected. No bones are connected to the prisoner.” – DM (20:34)
  • Risky healing choices are made, with tactical advice about saving healing reserve for emergencies (23:59).
    • Quote: “If you save one hit point, that can be used to bring somebody up from unconscious.” – Julian (24:08)
• Flavor and Chemistry:
  • The party’s banter remains sharp and irreverent, despite dire stakes.
    • “I cast explode bones.” – Julian (26:57)

3. Octis Shatters the Necromantic Crystal (30:08–31:52)

• Dramatic High Point: Octis, after a tense flashback to family pressure, critically succeeds with a Firebolt (natural 20), shattering the crystal that maintains the undead horde.
  • Quote: “He steps out of reality... just fires it out and just explodes this crystal.” – DM narrating Octis’ triumph (31:32)
• Echoes and Consequences:
  • The destruction is felt far and wide, and the skeletons surge in a final, desperate attack.

4. Aftermath & Tense Lull (37:07–61:27)

• Battered but Victorious:

  • The Seekers regroup, count their wounds, and weigh their next steps. Octis, Bayless, and Julian are battered, while Tysha and the NPCs are virtually untouched (57:54).
  • The group debates the safety of resting in place—Tysha’s urgency vs. party caution.
    • Quote: “I'm already dead. What does it matter?” – Octis’ signature gallows humor (59:03)

• Loot & Investigation:

  • The Seekers plunder Taconis tents, discovering:
    • Correspondence revealing the scope and urgency of the excavation
    • Alchemical potions (petrification antidotes, correlated with possible basilisk threats)
    • Personal notes about failed “chalcidian” experiments
  • Skill Checks:
    • Octis rolls a legendary 30 on Investigation, uncovering site schematics and key names (62:08–80:12).
    • Bayless sifts through logs for useful context and names.

5. A Moment of Remembrance (70:49–72:41)

• Tysha identifies the skeleton of Pescard Valmonte, a familiar face, and leads the rites for the dead.
  • Quote: “She will begin the rites, but holding onto Pescard and reaching for him on the path and calling to him and all of the others here.” (71:32)
• Spiritual Interlude: The souls begin their journey onward, underscoring the cost and weight of the battle.

6. Discoveries & Revelations

(73:30–86:32)

• Excavation Insights:

  • Reports of failed magical experiments, references to celestial beings ("Obelad"), “chalcidian prostheses,” and a threat referred to as “the cloak.”
  • Key locations dubbed Deva Vindicta, Apotheon Vindicta, Hall of the Demon Guardians, Apotheotic Obelisk, and Sepulchral Veil.
  • Basilisk antivenom found, confirming magical beast presence.
  • Reference to Octis’ cousin, Tersha, involved in failed experiments.

• Implications:

  • The Taconis family used this site for profound magical research, with uncertain and possibly dangerous results.
  • The presence of unstoppable magical constructs or guardians is implied.

7. Speak with Dead—A Cliffhanger (87:33–91:01)

• Bayless casts Speak with Dead on Pescard Valmonte’s remains, opening a channel to interrogate him.
  • Quote: “Hello. Have you come to shepherd me, tomb where I am supposed to go?” – Pescard's spirit (90:03)
  • The episode ends on his ominous reply: “...I think what happened here was chaos.” (90:40)

---

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Octis (on family pressure):
  “No one taught him how he did it. This was his spell.” (38:52–39:28)

• Tysha (evoking the land’s memory):
  “Her action on the world is a memory of itself. It’s screaming wake up into the earth.” (18:13)

• The DM, deadpan:
  “Describe for me as you absolutely obliterate. No joint is still connected. No bones are connected to the prisoner.” (20:34)

• Bayless and party, appreciating epic teamwork:
  “I think we're drift compatible, even though I can't even see.” – Bayless to Tysha (15:23)

• Party Gallows Humor:
  “I'm already dead. What does it matter?” – Octis (59:03)

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Key Timestamps

• [02:02] — Opening narration: “There will be no flying from Tanasar tonight…”
• [05:56–09:31] — Octis casts Wither and Bloom, dramatic healing.
• [21:03–22:31] — Bayless’ cleave and tactical turning of the tide.
• [30:14–31:52] — Octis shatters the necromantic crystal (natural 20).
• [37:07–39:28] — Octis’ family flashback: themes of magical inheritance and individual effort.
• [57:54–59:03] — Party’s battered state and rest discussion.
• [62:08–80:12] — Looting, investigation, and discovering plans/documentation.
• [71:32] — Tysha begins the rites for the dead.
• [87:33–91:01] — Speak with Dead cast on Pescard Valmonte; episode ends on his cryptic answer.

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Episode Flow and Takeaways

• The episode is driven by intense, tactical combat but gives equal weight to character growth, narrative revelations, and the party’s dynamic interplay.
• Family legacies, the ethics of necromancy, and the cost of knowledge are central themes.
• The cliffhanger with Speak with Dead sets the stage for major revelations in the next episode.
• Memorable moments abound, from critical combat rolls to poignant funerary magic and snappy one-liners. The episode’s tone ranges from grim and gritty to darkly hilarious, making it a quintessential Critical Role installment.

---

For further depth:
The next episode promises further answers about the fate of Tanasar, the true purpose of the Taconis excavation, and the secrets lurking beneath the Place of Wings. Don't miss it!

Transcript

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[C]

Hello again, it's Brennan Lee Mulligan, and

[D]

you're listening to part two of this

[C]

episode of Critical Role. If you haven't checked out part one yet, pause this now and head over there first. What are you doing? Otherwise, let's jump right back into this

[D]

adventure and the world of Ahriman. In the midst of a skeletal horde, the Seekers have found what they sought. Tanasar, the place of wings.

[C]

There will be no flying from Tanasar tonight. No indeed. You must finish what you started.

[D]

We left in the midst of Julian devoting himself to the taste of blood in his mouth. Julian, it is your turn indeed.

[A]

I don't know about wings, but this place is full of bones.

[E]

It's got so many bones. It's got hella wings though too.

[B]

So in this level up and taking the Daredevil subclass with my fighter bonus action to utilize my ride the Threshold feature, I changed it over the breaking jokes. I was like, that's when they talked

[C]

about changing your thing.

[E]

The same works.

[C]

I can't believe that you're such a forever GM that you still have to be renaming shit as a PC. You know when you're like, what? Oh God damn it.

[A]

Strong.

[F]

Find it.

[G]

We will find it instantly.

[E]

100%.

[F]

Yeah.

[B]

But with that bonus action utilized here, feeling that wave of violent joy of that sense of intensity and nearing death, really, the adrenaline spikes within him and he's going to go ahead and use his action. The rapier blade goes down as he pulls. Pulls back the gauntlet and goes into a full upward backhand to the skeleton. That's I'm going to say directly. And you know what? I'm going to say that directly on that corner there, the one that's furthest away to try and strike that.

[C]

Hell yeah. I will say you'll have disadvantage on these two because they're in darkness and these two are in light.

[A]

Oh, right. Because of fire.

[B]

Never mind. I'm going to do the one right in front of me.

[C]

Cool.

[B]

That is going to be a 22 to hit.

[D]

That is a hit. Let's go.

[B]

And that will be

[A]

three plus four,

[B]

seven points of bludgeoning damage.

[C]

Seven points of bludgeoning damage becomes 14 points of bludgeoning damage and you shatter this skeleton apart.

[E]

You are the back. Can I roll to be kind of impressed?

[H]

Not.

[C]

Hell yes. And actually that means the one that you actually. I beg pardon, the one you hit

[D]

before actually didn't take five. Took ten.

[B]

That was when they rushed to you.

[E]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[C]

Yep, yep, yep.

[F]

What?

[C]

Great.

[B]

After that one shattered with the goblin side. I'm just going to bring the claw back and just kind of glance at their skeleton.

[D]

It's kind of like three turning one next. Bring it.

[B]

I can kill you so many times. That's my turn.

[C]

Great.

[E]

This energy is wild.

[C]

I love it. Octis, that's going to be you.

[A]

So it has these claw stripes. Bayless, you rolled an animal handle in check. Leave me alone. My D and D beyond keeps being like. Bayless rolled this roll anyway.

[E]

I can't see it.

[H]

I can see it.

[A]

I know it's just me. These strikes come in and they tear chunks of flesh and cut. But pain works differently for me now and it just happens. And I'm standing there looking at them and I survey the undead around me. And where within a 10 foot radius could I hit the most undead?

[C]

So a point within a range that is a 20 foot diameter or 10 foot radius sphere circle. Yes.

[A]

Let me double check and make sure. Here it is a point within range with a 10 foot radius sphere centered on that point.

[B]

So you can do like there.

[A]

Exactly there. And I would like to still be inside the radius.

[C]

You want to be inside.

[E]

It was undead inclusive of self.

[D]

Yes.

[C]

So probably I think if you exclude this guy.

[A]

Great.

[C]

You can get the three on the bridge with you and that one by the foot of the staircase.

[A]

That's awesome. I take these hits, and then I kind of like dodge the last one that didn't hit me. I spin around, throw open my coat, grab in, and I pull out a small withered vine that's twisted into a loop, and I hold it out in front of me and I say, transference. And I suck in air through the loop, which this green mist starts to coalesce and funnel through the loop into my lungs. And then I breathe out this area around me and I cast wither and bloom.

[C]

Hell yeah.

[A]

And so in a 10 foot in that area, everyone's going to need to make a constitution saving throw, except for me taking 2d6 necrotic damage on a failed save.

[G]

Cool.

[A]

Sweet.

[D]

Love that.

[A]

I know. It's the best I can do. Constitution Safe against a 14.

[D]

Constitution save against a DC 14.

[E]

You could roll bad.

[C]

I just realized watching three of them succeed, one fails.

[A]

Okay, so the one that fails is going to take 11 points of necrotic damage, and then the rest will take half of that.

[D]

Aha.

[A]

Okay, so they are undead, so they'll probably take half and then half.

[C]

Actually, I think you see something here that you would probably know as a necromancer. Skeletons for undead to have a resistance

[D]

to necrotic damage typically means that they

[C]

are an undead powered by their own will.

[D]

Things like wraiths and vampires and things like that tend to have that resistance.

[C]

Skeletons and zombies and things like that that are essentially animated through the necromantic will of a greater entity. No skeleton wants to be here, which means that their resistance, their innate resistance to necromantic energy is sort of canceled out by how much they don't want to be here. Okay, so they want to already. It's incredible magic making them be animated at all to just sort of knock that domino over. They're not that resistant to it. So go ahead and roll 2d6.

[A]

I did. So it's 11 points of damage. Okay, on the one that didn't save, and then half on the ones that saved. And then in addition to that, my Grim Harvest triggers, causing me to gain temporary hit points equal to my spellcasting ability, which is four plus the spell's level, which is I gain six temporary hit points and then the other half of wither and bloom triggers, and I get to roll a hit die to regain hit points. Where is my hit? Oh, it's a D6. I know. What I'm doing. Okay. So that's. And then plus my spell casting ability in order. Four and then. No, sorry. Regain points equal to the three plus. Okay. Yeah. So then I'm gonna regain. So many things where the hell you're doing so good. Thanks. Four. So I'm regaining seven.

[G]

Nice.

[C]

You regain seven.

[A]

Regain seven hit points. And then I will gain also temporary hit points equal to. Let me double check my math there. The spell's level. So two. Plus my intelligence monitor. So I will gain six temporary hit points as well.

[C]

Incredible. Even with most of them saving. This was the group of skeletons that had gotten knocked back by Tysha's thunder wave before. Even with those successful saves, half damage is already past what they could sustain and vroom.

[A]

So this field appears around. It's kind of like this little black dot appears in the ground. Then goes. It just fills the space and just all of the vegetation. Any non magical vegetation that happened to be left here in this area sort of withers and away. And then all of the energy flows up into the air and then flows back through the ring into myself. And I heal.

[E]

Why do we hang out? We have opposite powers.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I love it.

[E]

That's just lands aid. But you said it's scary.

[C]

Incredible.

[A]

I have movement still.

[C]

There's one behind you.

[A]

There is one behind. I will take an attack of armor. I'll go ahead and I'll stay where I am.

[D]

Cool.

[C]

You cast that spell. These two rush over here or that one rushes over there. They will move to get flanking. You can see that the one in front of you appears to be rending with its steel blade specifically at your chest. You can feel it clanging off of the sealed metal from Tysha's spell on your chest. That is going to be a hit. And that is a miss you take.

[A]

So I will use my reaction to cast shield.

[C]

Okay. What does that raise your armor class?

[A]

That would raise my armor class by five. So that will put me at 21.

[G]

Cool.

[H]

Let's go.

[D]

It still hits.

[A]

Okay. Well then.

[H]

Damn.

[B]

It'll last until the extra.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. So I'll go ahead and cast that cast shield.

[C]

That is going to be four points of damage to you as the sword comes rattling through this thing.

[D]

I'm sorry. What are they saying?

[A]

I don't speak their language.

[G]

Why don't you Sounded like you said Takona.

[E]

I feel like gotta speak.

[G]

It sounded like it. But maybe I was just.

[E]

No, it did sound like that. It kinda did.

[C]

Damn. Saramite holds off the skeletons in front of her. Not taking Any hits? One of them's gonna swing at you. Tysha, that is going to be a miss against you. No. And then we're gonna get some attacks against Julian here.

[B]

Come at me, Bones.

[C]

That is a hit.

[D]

Oh, Were you factoring in Shield of Faith?

[A]

It was not recast on me.

[C]

I did not recast on it because

[A]

I was out of range.

[C]

Yeah. Miss and hit. Okay, Julian, you take nine, and then nine slashing damage. You take 18 points of slashing damage.

[A]

Great.

[F]

Let's do this.

[G]

What?

[C]

Dumb as these skeletons just in a circle around you. God. God. Just slashing again and again and again. And then, Baelus, you've got a mob on you. Who Again. The thing that's really brutal about these

[D]

hits coming on Julian is the flanking, is the fact that these guys are surrounding you.

[C]

That is a miss on Velas. That is a hit with a 23.

[G]

Okay,

[C]

and then that is another miss. The two behind just raking at the backs of their own allies trying to get to you. You take eight points of slashing damage.

[D]

Okay?

[C]

And that is the undead in this space. We move forward initiative. That's going to be Dame Saramai again, who's going to take another swing. She's gonna connect on that one miss on that one. Deme Sarami, sword over. Bam. And just brings the flat of the blade down, cracking through the ribs and

[D]

disanimating one of the skeletons in front of her.

[A]

Oh, yeah,

[C]

Back at the top. That's going to be

[D]

who?

[C]

Is anyone here looking like they have fewer than 20 hit points?

[A]

I have fewer than 20 hit points.

[C]

You both do. Does anyone here have fewer than 10

[D]

hit points right now?

[C]

You have fewer than 10. Oh, God.

[E]

What's happening?

[D]

What am I not.

[G]

It just happened. It just happened. We're okay. I'm gonna take it with it.

[A]

Okay.

[D]

You see.

[C]

Doctor Talter just praying and praying and praying, looks over at you, sees you Velas across all of this and is going to raise her hand and miss dramatically. But she looks at you and just goes. Spirits of undeath, by the truth that governs this world, I abjure thee. And flame rockets straight up into the ceiling. And she goes, aha. And that's her turn.

[A]

Let's see.

[G]

I just. I just hit.

[A]

Just goes.

[C]

Oh, no. Oh, no. Is Grimy giving her the help action?

[A]

Yeah, absolutely.

[C]

He has. Okay, hold on.

[E]

Those little button eyes are like.

[C]

Well, that's in that one would be

[A]

Change of things works for the narrative.

[C]

That's going to be Tysha and Baelyn

[A]

that, like, stanced up and like used.

[H]

Wanna go first?

[C]

No, you go.

[D]

You go.

[E]

Okay. You know what? I think we're drift compatible. Even though I can't even see. Yeah.

[A]

You have line of sight on Phaylas.

[C]

No, no, no.

[E]

I can't see you.

[C]

No.

[E]

So I didn't see that. You just did wither and bloom, but it's almost simultaneous. I'm going to point in front of me and cast land's aid and 20 foot circles. I want to catch Julian and all the nasty boys I can around him.

[A]

I learned it from watching him.

[E]

Is there?

[C]

Yeah, you got all three.

[E]

And yours and mine.

[G]

Can't get anybody else in there.

[E]

All right, sweet. So I need a DC15 con save from all of them.

[D]

DC15 con save from all

[E]

Gorgeous.

[C]

2. Make it one fails and the one in front of you fails.

[E]

Okay, great. The one that makes it only takes 5 points of necrotic damage. The others take 10 as the basically under Julian's feet. I think you feel it this time. It's just been the afterimages before, but there's just a space that opens up and it's like this desert under a burning full sun. You can see in the distance past this little circle plant life and animals and what this place would be and should be. And you're going to be healed for 10 points.

[D]

Oh, shit.

[C]

Juliana's healed for 10 points. You, as you cast lands aid here

[E]

because it's the desert. I think it's. That wailing woman of woe is also

[C]

like in the background.

[E]

I get a soundtrack on my Lansing.

[C]

The two of them are. One of them is badly injured. Yours is destroyed. The one that got wounded by Julian on its way past. And then two others. One more is dramatically injured. As you hold out your hand, these

[D]

reaching grasping vines grow out from this place.

[C]

And I think around you, Julian, in

[D]

that moment, there is also.

[C]

You hear a rending and a tearing.

[D]

What is Tysha's connection to the concept of the Ancients? This circle of your people was created to honor the fact that for thousands of years the most powerful beings in the world sought to destroy the truths that you held dear and couldn't.

[C]

And that whatever songs were sung in

[D]

the ancient world, mists of time still exist today.

[C]

As you call out. What does Tycha evoke when she feels

[D]

like she's trying to heal the land?

[E]

I think it is. It's like dreams and stories. That idea of reminding the world of itself. It's a torpor or a stupor. The time of the Shapers was part of the world. Forgetting what it could be in order that it could be shaped into something by powerful beings. So her action on the world is a memory of itself. It's screaming, wake up into the earth.

[D]

All of the stone and sand in that emanation glows, but not with luminous luminosity. It doesn't create light. What you realize in this moment here in Tanasar is that the sunlight that once touched this place is reflecting back from the ground as though you were standing in bright day. And the plants hear that call and bloom up around you.

[C]

Tycha, that's you.

[E]

Yep, that's me.

[A]

I killed on my book.

[E]

That's why I like that it was like this perfect opposite.

[D]

Bayless, it's going to be you.

[G]

Great. All right, so, okay, she's the eight, folks. Can I flank with Julian at all to try to get advantage here? I can't really see around Julia.

[B]

We are both swarmed.

[G]

Are we both swarmed?

[C]

You are both swarmed.

[G]

That's okay. That's all right.

[A]

I scientifically said, don't let that happen.

[G]

All right, I'm going to.

[D]

Oh, go ahead.

[C]

Oh, no, go for it. I will say, too, if you can get the one behind you, you will at least open up a path of escape.

[D]

Escape, right.

[C]

Okay, there's only one. You got four in front of you here and one behind you.

[G]

Great. Okay, I'll start with the guy in the back.

[C]

Cool.

[G]

All right.

[C]

Still have bless active.

[G]

Still have bless. So I'm gonna use that just in case.

[H]

Oh, I should have used that last time.

[D]

Or.

[G]

No, I did.

[E]

Okay.

[G]

8, 9, 10, 16.

[C]

16 hits.

[B]

Let's go.

[G]

Okay, what am I? D10.

[D]

Okay.

[B]

D10 plus D6.

[D]

Fire. Fire.

[G]

Okay, so we've got. Okay, so 11 points of bludgeoning, which

[C]

becomes 22 points of bludgeoning.

[E]

Do you need to say the other part?

[C]

You are fully the one behind you. Describe for me as you absolutely obliterate. No joint is still connected. No bones are connected to the prisoner.

[G]

I think what I would. Okay, so since that hit, if I'm swinging, I would love to swing it around the skeleton's neck and just yank to pop the head off. And then since that hit, I'm gonna redirect the sensor to another one that is within five feet of the other one, maybe.

[C]

Yes, I believe. Will that work?

[G]

Because I can use cleave.

[C]

Yes, I believe you can use cleave here.

[D]

That's correct.

[G]

With my. So I don't get a modifier to add to it, but it is a D10.

[C]

Yes.

[D]

And I Think too.

[C]

Let me actually double check how Cleave works here. Cause this could become really rad.

[B]

This could be.

[C]

This could fuck.

[G]

This could fuck.

[C]

Yeah. Cleave. Okay, so you can make a melee attack roll with the halberd.

[D]

Oh.

[C]

So it has to be against the second creature within 5ft of the first. So tons of them.

[A]

But the other one's on the other side.

[C]

The other one was on the other side. There's not one within five feet of the other.

[G]

Oh, okay. All right.

[H]

That's okay.

[G]

But it'll be cool one day. It'll be cool one day, so I'll stick with that. But is he still up?

[C]

He is destroyed. And the way is open behind you.

[G]

Great. Okay.

[A]

The way is shut.

[G]

I kind of want to keep going, but I can't. All right, so if the way is open behind me, I'll say I will give.

[C]

If you don't want to retreat, I'll give you your cleave here. If you want to stay in the thick of it. Cause at least they won't get flanking

[D]

on you right now.

[E]

How dead are you? Yeah, you let him sucker. You don't let him use his cool voice.

[G]

But I do have a burn.

[E]

You're fine.

[G]

I can bone it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to cleave.

[C]

All right, you cleave. Go ahead and make your attack roll.

[G]

Okay. So I would make another attack roll.

[C]

You make another attack roll.

[H]

Got it.

[G]

Okay.

[H]

Okay.

[E]

Okay.

[D]

Okay.

[E]

She dies after final.

[G]

I know.

[H]

Okay, that's great.

[G]

That's a natural 18.

[C]

Woo. Hell yeah. So go ahead and roll D10. You don't add your strength bonus to this.

[D]

Okay.

[C]

But I think.

[E]

Does it still take the fire damage from.

[C]

That's a really great question.

[D]

I think it kind of. I'm hitting the string increase.

[C]

Chase. How it. Don't add your ability modifier. I think it does. It does take the extra dice. Yeah, I think so.

[D]

Right?

[E]

D10 and D6.

[C]

So D10 and D6. Just don't add your strength.

[G]

Okay, so we got seven points of bludgeoning and two points of fire.

[C]

That becomes 14 points of bludgeoning. This other skeleton is destroyed.

[D]

Boom.

[E]

We're just listening to Bayless do a xylophone solo down a corridor.

[C]

Yeah. This. You know, it's real Looney Tunes hours over here.

[E]

Play freebird.

[C]

Sick. Okay. Two skeletons destroyed.

[G]

And I obviously can't use Divine Smite because they're both down.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. And yeah, it would be dramatic overkill.

[E]

Yeah, yeah.

[H]

It would be too much okay. Okay.

[G]

And then. Oh, yes. Thank you. I'll heal my. I'll do lay on hands.

[C]

Okay.

[G]

And I will do. I've got 10 points left. I'll just do the 10 points.

[E]

Great.

[G]

I'll pump in 10 points.

[D]

17.

[A]

I'm gonna do lamb hands.

[B]

If you want to just. Recommendation for tactically do nine points is if you save one hit point that can be used to bring somebody up from unconscious.

[G]

Great advice.

[A]

All right.

[G]

Let me do that.

[A]

Great.

[G]

So if I. Yeah, that's really good hit, sir.

[E]

If we die, we die.

[B]

We die. You're right.

[C]

I mean, hey.

[A]

Oh.

[C]

Do what you gonna do.

[E]

You say my plant touched.

[C]

You'll do nine points of lay on hands.

[G]

Nine points of lay on hands and save one.

[C]

You're at 16.

[G]

But I also do have spirit of the dying.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Which is great.

[D]

Yeah.

[G]

But that's a different thing. Let me keep.

[F]

Let me.

[D]

I like this idea.

[C]

16. You have 16 hit points.

[E]

Not dead yet.

[D]

Duh duh duh.

[C]

16 hit points. Incredible. But you are rooted to the spot. And that is going to be Sir Julian.

[A]

All right.

[B]

Feeling the wave of healing energy and the odd flash of this unexpected vision of what this might have one point been. Glance over my shoulder and look at you and be like,

[A]

let's do this.

[B]

And she's going to go into. As the skeletons are withering from this ability. Going to go ahead and do one big sweep of the rapier to the one. I'm going to say in this flash of light. Does that give me a momentary bit of vision?

[C]

I will say as the lands aid comes here.

[D]

You know what?

[C]

We flavored it as sunlight. So I'll stick by my words. Yes. I think you have a momentary bit of vision here for this first attack.

[B]

Totally fine. So I'll go ahead and use that to flick off to the one to the right of me.

[D]

Oh.

[B]

Oh, that's a natural one.

[D]

Okay.

[C]

Natural one.

[B]

I was not. That's okay. So here's what I'll say. I'm like, I can see. And it gets a little too bright for a minute.

[D]

Oh, no.

[B]

Like going from such dark vision, like having no vision in pure darkness to this bright light. I'm like, ah, shit. I can't just kind of swing out to nothing.

[C]

It makes me sneeze.

[B]

I'm gonna angrily spin back with my gauntlet and strike the one that's right in front of me that is still within the range of her flame.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

That's a natural thorny.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Both sides of the spectrum.

[C]

This combat here we go.

[B]

All right, so that is going to be. I love it with the backhand.

[E]

That is very good. You're just so good at just skippity papping people like.

[B]

Golly, Julian's A disrespectful 10 points of bludgeoning damage.

[C]

20 points of bludgeoning damage.

[E]

Oh, my God, that's.

[B]

Let's go. Since I rub my eye for a second, be like you. And from your perspective, Elsevios, as you turn back and look, you just see the skeleton turn around to look at you before its entire torso explodes into bones with my gauntlet of fist there comes back together. We got this. I'm going bad.

[E]

Just hear exploding bones.

[A]

I cast explode bones.

[D]

Now, the last two are in darkness with you here. Right?

[B]

You know what? I'm going to take my movement and I'm going to go ahead and.

[D]

Oh, boy, oh, boy. I'm going to see.

[B]

Is that one in front of Tysha still present?

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Okay.

[E]

Wait, I thought that was the one that got melted by.

[C]

Oh, sorry. No, yeah, melted. Done.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Dunzo.

[D]

All right. You know, don't.

[B]

You know what? I'm going to stay there to give. No, fuck it.

[E]

Yeah, keep going.

[B]

I'm going to go ahead and move around the back of the one that's closest to Tysha.

[D]

Okay.

[B]

Just to prep for some possibility of either you or Vaylis kind of moving this direction and give some opportunities for flanking.

[A]

Gotcha, gotcha.

[C]

Cool, cool, cool. You move around to this square here.

[A]

Yeah, I do.

[B]

Take an opportunity attack, possibly from that skill.

[C]

You do. That is going to be a hit for six points of damage.

[A]

I'll take it.

[D]

That's nice.

[B]

I like it.

[C]

Octis, that's going to be you.

[A]

Okay, so when I fired off that firebolt and I saw the reaction of the crystal, what did that look like? Did I get any hint as to what that reaction might have meant?

[D]

Give me an arcana check.

[A]

Fine. No, that's an actual one.

[D]

You had no idea.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

I think in a moment, you flash

[D]

back to your family looking at you and saying, just do it. It's effortless. It is our gift, our birthright. And once again, the magic of your family, that could only ever be explained as something you should just already know how to do, comes thundering back to you.

[A]

Okay. I think in that moment of that natural one, it puts him. He's remembering this thing that always used to drive him absolutely nuts, and it makes him just burn up inside. And in that moment, seeing the two skeletons on either side of him and filled with this desire to. A desire that goes against his normal careful study of a situation. He make sure I don't need any components for this. I don't. He just looks at the skeleton in front of him and says, elsewhere. And takes one step to the side and just fades into a Wraith form. And Misty steps down to the ground there. Let's go where I can. When I have line of sight of the green glow there.

[D]

5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30.

[A]

And then I just kind of step back out into this reality and just fire a firebolt directly at the green.

[E]

Yeah, let's go.

[C]

Hell yeah.

[D]

Let's do it.

[E]

That's still blue.

[A]

It's green over here.

[G]

I mean, it's like a teal.

[A]

That is a natural 20.

[C]

Hell yes.

[H]

Hey.

[C]

So, wow.

[E]

A lot of like.

[C]

So you just hit it with a firebolt on a natural 20. Great. This thing is crystalline. I was about to be really mean and that nat20 means I don't have to be as mean. This has a hardness of 10, which means you have to do 10 points of damage to it to do anything at all. Right. And then it also has resistance against all non magical forms of damage. Now your magic is gonna bypass that, but you still have to do. You still have to do 10 points of damage to do any damage at all.

[A]

Damage.

[D]

Okay.

[C]

You got it, man.

[E]

Roll a 10.

[D]

I did.

[H]

Yay.

[A]

Wait, so you roll the 10, doubling the die.

[C]

You do 20 points of damage.

[E]

Oh, my God.

[C]

Good job, Hellion. You shatter the crystal. Unfucking believable.

[B]

So just.

[C]

He steps back and.

[E]

Oh, I'm looking at a different crystal.

[A]

Yes. That's what I've been trying to explain to you.

[C]

Use your words.

[A]

I was like, it's a big one. So he steps out of reality. It's red now, back into this reality. Just sort of fades back from his Wraith form and just all this energy just kind of. With the anger that he's feeling feeding the flame inside of himself pumps through his arm and just. Just fires it out and just explodes this crystal.

[F]

This episode of critical role is sponsored by World of Warcraft Midnight. When the world feels like it's slipping into darkness and the odds are stacked against you, there's a choice to make. You can turn away, or you can answer the call, stand shoulder to shoulder with your allies, and face what's coming together. In World of Warcraft, Midnight players are called back to Azeroth to face the growing threat of the void. You'll return to the legendary kingdom of Quel'. Thalas. Standing against Xal' Atath and forging new alliances as familiar lands like Eversong woods and Zul' Aman are revealed in striking new ways. The journey pushes beyond into Horondar, a bioluminescent primordial jungle woven through the roots of the world trees. And even farther still, to a distant world consumed by the void itself, where survival must be earned. And for the first time, player housing lets you create a space that's truly yours. Design and decorate a home in Azeroth with baubles and items collected throughout your adventures. World of Warcraft Midnight is available now. Adventure is calling you home.

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[C]

As the fire is gathering in your

[E]

hand okay, I see what you see now.

[C]

As the fire is. Sorry, as the fire is gathering in your your hand.

[D]

You are looking at Primus Taconas. Arctus. You can simply spare me the lecture. It is of no concern to me. Where you study the Pentiveral, the totality, a mummer's troupe. You have no gift. I do not need to see any of your essays on what utility your time at the Pentecoverel may give you. As far as I am concerned, the highest obligation you owe to your family is to not embarrass us further.

[A]

Yes, Father.

[D]

What do you. Out of some inane curiosity, what do you intend to study? There they are. Nothing more than. What is it? Magicians. Yes. They ape the mannerisms of sorcerers.

[A]

They call themselves wizards. Yes. I'm looking to solve my problem.

[D]

Do you believe that to be something that this school would seek to help you with? To unlock some latent gift of our house?

[A]

It's possible. I don't know. But some of them can have figured out how to do

[E]

spells.

[D]

There is enough residual magic in this world. Echoes of the Shaper's War and strange things beyond that. I imagine some small portion of magic does fall into the hands of strange. If there is some ability to unlock this gift, then so be it. However, I don't hold out a tremendous amount of hope.

[A]

Yeah, of course. Yeah.

[D]

There is something in the grasping nature that befouls the earnest intent of true magic. Effortlessness accompanies pure workings of will. I hope one day you manage to find some degree of effortlessness. Octus.

[C]

That's all.

[D]

You're dismissed.

[A]

Yes, Father.

[D]

It meant so little for you to go to the Pentel for. And now you are calling fire to your hand. That nobody in your family could help you discover how to do. And in this moment, does Octus feel that he has proven them wrong? Does he feel that this is his gift? Or is this something else?

[A]

I think in this moment, as his energy is gathering in his hand and he is doing it at this point, he's done it so many times. It is becoming instinct. And he's not even thinking about it anymore. It's. It fills him with this almost joy. Because he figured it out. No one taught him how he did it. This was his spell

[C]

rushing forward. The flame strikes the crystal, and you

[D]

can sense in this moment that an energy echoing out from this place is destroyed. And what you truly feel is a frequency. And you sense a glass scalpel. And you sense vibrating gems like teeth in a wizard's mouth. Two miracles happened that night after the horror of the massacre at the Palazzo Divinas. One was something that happened just between you and Tysha in the realm beyond and was fully of the realm of the divine. The second was of a realm for those that have not followed the path set out for them.

[C]

The skeletons screech and as you see their jittering bones reacting to the sudden absence of magic, they make a desperate push to destroy you and you alone in this space.

[D]

5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30.

[C]

This one's going to take a swing from Gaia. She misses. This will move to flank on you here. This one will close using its action. Julian, you're going to get an attack of opportunity with disadvantage because of the darkness.

[D]

5, 10, 15, 15, 20, 25, 30.

[E]

Should be a flat roll. They're making xylophone sounds as they go.

[B]

Even disadvantage.

[A]

18.

[E]

So let's go.

[C]

Okay, go ahead and give me the attack. I'll give me the damage.

[E]

Check them up.

[B]

That's gonna be eight points of bludgeoning damage.

[C]

16, you destroy a skeleton on its way to go get Octus.

[B]

I grab it by the collarbone like, no, you don't fuck us.

[C]

Break.

[E]

He's so disrespectful to skeletons.

[D]

20, 25, 30.

[B]

See, I used to know most of these men.

[C]

That's fair. Incredible. So four have gathered around Octis, but only two are going to be able to swing on you. That is going to be a hit, though. That's also going to be a hit.

[A]

What were the numbers?

[C]

Oh, sorry. The 21 to hit on the first one, 22 to hit on the second one.

[A]

If I cast shield again, I can block one of them.

[E]

How are you doing those spell slots, kiddo?

[A]

I'm actually. I've used both my second level, but I have three first levels left. I'm not gonna do anything.

[C]

Okay, you take eight points of damage and six points of damage as I don't like that. And these ones are going to press in further on. Vaelis no longer attacking with advantage. That is one hit on Vaylis with a 23 to hit for six points of damage. And that is the skeleton's turn. You have. You guys have been smashing through their numbers. And the other side of this battle is within view. Dame Saramai comes up after these skeletons. She is going to rush forward. Get behind her, lord. Take an attack with advantage for flanking. That is a hit. And she is going to deal 10 points of damage to that skeleton that is then going to go back to the top. Dr. Talter also going to. Go get it, girl.

[E]

You got this.

[C]

I'm going to roll in front of the board in case she's coming up.

[E]

Can she cast light or something that can't fuck up.

[B]

Let's go.

[E]

That helps the light.

[C]

That's an outline, baby. She casts radiant flame and deals five points of damage to Dame Gaia, who goes.

[E]

Ah, but there's light.

[C]

There is light. For a moment.

[E]

Julie, you could use that.

[B]

Absolutely not. Say no to this guy.

[C]

Tycha and Bayless, that's your turn. Golly.

[E]

You go first.

[A]

Oof.

[G]

Okay, I will. I'm gonna keep hitting these skellies in front of me.

[D]

Let's do it.

[C]

Oh, four. Here we go. Okay.

[G]

In front of you.

[B]

No, they ran away.

[E]

They all win.

[D]

Cool.

[G]

Natural one.

[C]

Oh, I'm so sorry.

[G]

It's okay.

[C]

Natural one and you've used your healing. We're going to go. That's all from you.

[G]

But let me. Am I able to. Well, I don't want to disengage. This is rough. I'm sitting alone here.

[C]

Yeah, they'll get swings on you because you use your action to attack.

[G]

Okay,

[E]

I will

[G]

do nothing.

[C]

We have much of our party is looking bloody right now. I'll remind you guys also, you know what?

[E]

Shield of faith.

[G]

I'll do shield of faith in myself.

[C]

Shield of faith in yourself. I was also going to say you guys do have desperate measures in front of. So if you wanted to reroll that attack and give me some death save

[D]

failures, you know, fuck it, let's do it.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

Sick. All right, you're in. Here we go. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, you're gonna take a death save fail and you're gonna reroll that attack. Here we go.

[G]

So that gives me a plus five.

[H]

Wait, no.

[C]

Oh, no. I'll give you a freebie. I'll allow you even though it's not on the menu. I did it. I done this before where I'll take a single death save for a reroll. If you want to just reroll the attack, I'll give it to you for

[D]

one death save fail.

[E]

You will?

[C]

Yeah. You have 10 hit points.

[A]

Are you tricking me?

[B]

Don't trust it.

[H]

All right, all right, all right, all right, all right. I'll do it.

[G]

I'll do it.

[C]

I'll do it.

[H]

Okay.

[E]

Does she also get the free disengage?

[B]

Choose one of them.

[C]

You have to choose one of them.

[A]

Damn it.

[E]

Let me work. I'm trying to think.

[C]

What's that?

[G]

No, that's a 17.

[C]

17. So, Vaelys, you move yourself one step closer to death. You are putting it all on the line here. This is your second time today that you've had a death save fail, but you hit on this attack. What is going through Vaelis's? Mind as she becomes this reckless in this moment.

[G]

Okay. I think sort of seeing this burst of kind of seeing around the bend that octys has sort of blew up whatever that crystal is. I'm just angry. I'm just swinging because I'm just ready to go. I'm ready to move. I'm ready to get past these things.

[C]

Let's do it. Go ahead and roll damage.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

D10, D6 plus four.

[G]

Okay. Okay, great. So that's four points of bludgeoning.

[C]

Eight points of bludgeoning.

[G]

Eight bludgeoning. And then that's plus four for strength is 12.

[C]

And then roll your D6 for fire damage.

[F]

Okay.

[G]

That's two points of fire damage.

[C]

Two points of fire damage for 14 overall destroyed.

[G]

I do have a question. So the you get to cleave again

[B]

if you you want.

[C]

Yes, you can cleave as well.

[G]

So the with grip, great weapon fighting that ones or twos turns into threes. That wouldn't also apply to the fire.

[C]

Yes, it would. It would. Yes.

[G]

Okay, great. So that's three points of fire damage.

[C]

Great weapon. Any dice that are produced by a great weapon, you can.

[G]

It's all of it. Even Divine Smart.

[C]

Even Divine Smite. That's why he's okay. That's why it's very good.

[A]

Every time you cleave, you gotta go

[E]

for Clive who is hopefully on his way home.

[G]

Great.

[B]

Clive will save us all one day.

[G]

Dirty 20.

[C]

Dirty 20 hits.

[G]

Great.

[C]

Okay, so this is not adding strength, but it's still the D10 and the D6.

[G]

Okay. And the D6.

[E]

Let's give a dog.

[G]

Okay, so great. So six points of fire damage.

[C]

Okay.

[G]

And six points of bludgeoning which was 12.

[C]

So that 18 damage, you go from a nat one miss turnover to going deep in some place giving over a potential for your character again with a single death save failure. A NAT1 death save becomes instant death. So you and two skeletons are laid low before you.

[E]

But could you imagine in a fight that we would have where you would roll a natural one on your death safe probably wouldn't happen.

[C]

No, I can't even imagine it.

[A]

Who would imagine exists?

[E]

I don't think that happens.

[H]

No.

[G]

No, I don't think so either.

[B]

Okay, so casting shield of faith or are you feeling a little more confident now?

[C]

Oh yeah. Do you want to cast shield of

[D]

faith or how you feeling?

[A]

I don't want a death seat.

[G]

I'm going to save it. Yeah, I'm going to save it.

[E]

Probably not.

[G]

I'm going to save it.

[C]

Hell yes. Julian, that is your turn.

[E]

Let's go, big dog.

[C]

Hell yeah. Bayless. Julian.

[B]

As everyone rushes, it's like I look over towards you, Vales. I'm like, hey, she's got these.

[C]

I look over you battles relieving veils, being like, you got it. She's just like, teeth knocked out.

[A]

Please.

[C]

I know. I'm good, Danny. I'm good.

[A]

I'll sleep it off.

[B]

She said this long, I figure she's fine.

[H]

Was that your turn?

[G]

That was my turn. That was my turn.

[C]

Wait, you didn't go, Tycho. I'm sorry.

[B]

No, you didn't go. You didn't go.

[E]

I wasn't sure, so I was like,

[C]

I'm gonna ask you. The Initiative Tracker has you going first and then Vaelis, but you guys actually go in either order you want.

[E]

I literally was like, I forgot if I win or not.

[C]

Yeah.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

That is you.

[E]

We're gonna move six and get right up in the thick of it. Otherwise, that's Julian.

[D]

Oh, sorry. 5, 10, 15, 20, 25.

[E]

Yeah, right in there. Let's hit the one behind me with shilleli.

[C]

Let's do it.

[A]

Shalom, Shalom, Shalulu. Shamol. Ding dong.

[E]

Hateful 19, 7, 26 to hit.

[C]

26 is a hit. Go ahead and roll. Damage.

[E]

2 plus 6. 8 points of bludgeoning.

[C]

Damage becomes 16 destroyed.

[E]

Sweet. End of turn.

[C]

Incredible. Bam. Shatter the skeleton before you. Julian, that is going to be you.

[E]

Sorry if I kind of blocked you

[A]

out there, big dog.

[B]

No, it's fine. I can still get in. I'm going to rush into the gap that you just opened, actually. So I get a skeleton on each side of me.

[D]

5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30. Yeah.

[B]

Kind of rushing in behind you. Kind of tag you in the shoulder and be like, what have done? Slip in there and use that momentum. I'm going to go ahead and try and drive the rapier, kind of like a low lunge, into the one that's directly to the right of you.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Hell, yeah.

[B]

Let's make that one.

[E]

Let's go, big dog.

[B]

There we go. That's going to be 15 to hit.

[C]

15 hits.

[D]

Okay.

[B]

So with that, okay, it's 10 points of piercing damage.

[C]

10 points of piercing damage. Okay. Badly injured.

[B]

All right, I think I'm going to go ahead and after that, that goes through to that side. Let's see the one that's behind me. That's not necessarily flanking with Saramai, I don't think.

[C]

Okay, so that one takes eight, right?

[B]

Correct.

[C]

And then this one behind you is Badly damaged.

[B]

Badly damaged.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Good to know. I should have reversed that. That's okay. I will go ahead. And I'm going to continue on the one that I already struck.

[C]

Cool.

[B]

As the blade slinks in. I'm going to go ahead and reach in with the claw into its ribcage and try and grab the back of its spine and pull it through from underneath.

[D]

Hell yeah.

[B]

Because I struck it before with the rapier. That gives me advantage on the second bonus action strike. Which I'm glad I did that. That's going to be 17.

[D]

17.

[C]

17 hits.

[B]

That will be with the sneak attack damage. Thank goodness. Seven points of bludgeoning damage.

[C]

14 destroyed.

[E]

Let's go.

[C]

Hell yes.

[D]

Gang.

[E]

Okay.

[C]

Hell yeah. That's a turn.

[B]

Yeah. So just tear that through as the body kind of crumbles to go over you and be like.

[A]

We're almost there. We're almost there.

[D]

Octis.

[A]

I think at this moment. Because this is all happening at the same time as you two are running up and I've taken these hits from the four undead that were surrounding me. And it's just torn me. I have six hit points left. It's just torn me up completely. And I think one of them catches the side of my face and spins me and cuts open here and I. And a globule of half coagulated blood drips out of octys face at that moment. He sees it and suspends it. I think I'm going to level up at this point.

[E]

Yeah. Let's go.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

Here we go.

[A]

And catches it and takes this bit of blood. Blood. And looks at the undead around him and is going to burn. A desperate measure. At the same time. To immediately give myself disengage as an extra action.

[C]

Hell yeah.

[A]

To leave that Move away from the group.

[D]

Hell yeah.

[A]

And then take my double ch. I have the page open for a reason. So I remember what this does. Yeah. So I think I'm holding this mote of blood in front of me and I move all the way over there. And I'm going to cast false life on myself.

[D]

Hell yeah.

[A]

Giving myself 2D4. Great. That's seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven temporary hit points.

[G]

Damn.

[A]

So I don't die. And then just sit there and surveying the area. Holding this bit of blood in my hand. And then I set it off. And it starts to float around the top of my head. Just circling. As this bit of condensed blood floats in the air. And that will be my turn.

[E]

Okay.

[D]

Unbelievable. The red glow as the fire continues to burrow into the Crystal from your firebolt. The sickly green energy becoming red in time. This globule of blood, this tiny incandescent gem of what once gave you life, hovers in air, begins to catch more and more of this pulsing red light turning from this place. 5, 10, 15.

[C]

Julian. This one actually Tysha. And Julian gets Tysha. You get an attack opportunity first.

[G]

Damn it.

[C]

As this one rushes away trying to close on octis.

[G]

Hell yeah.

[E]

22 to hit.

[C]

22 hits. Go ahead and roll damage. Also, we're getting to see the coolness of a reach weapon. This guy, even though 10ft away from you is gonna leave your threatened range.

[D]

You get an attack of opportunity.

[C]

22, 10.

[E]

Bludgeoning destroyed. You don't leave me.

[B]

You see, Julianne's getting ready to strike and it's just like.

[C]

Well, do you remember Ed? Bless fair play.

[A]

I'm in a way better.

[E]

Plus three.

[A]

15.

[C]

15 hits, right.

[E]

She just could have been an injured

[A]

winning 13 hit points and 11 temporary.

[C]

Let's go.

[A]

Way better now.

[F]

Whee.

[H]

Four.

[G]

So eight. Eight bludgeoning. Yes, bludgeoning. Plus 12.

[C]

Plus your fire sundered. One last skeleton rushes towards Octys. He's going to attack. That is a hit.

[E]

I would like to rule the lawyer and say that his disengage. He didn't use his additional movement. If he had had any.

[C]

Honestly, if you wanted to move farther away, you could.

[A]

I would say I'm going to have moved farther away there just cause. Yeah, I'll just. Just move my full movement.

[D]

Great.

[C]

In this case, this guy. But because he was in melee, there's no amount Octis can move that's not within 30ft.

[E]

I thought disengage included movement in it.

[A]

No, it does not. It's just the ability to get away with that in 10 rounds. Yeah, you can get to me. Yeah.

[B]

Shoot. Good looking out, though.

[A]

What was the attack roll?

[C]

The attack roll was 20.

[E]

Yeah.

[A]

So hit me anyway. Okay.

[D]

Yeah. Yeah.

[C]

You take five points of slashing, that's much.

[D]

Oh, the best.

[C]

Hell yes.

[D]

It's going to be 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30.

[A]

Let's go.

[C]

Dame Gaia rushes up to you as the skeleton pursues you and scatters the bones and destroys the skeleton before you.

[D]

And we leave initiative.

[E]

Oh, my God.

[D]

They're done

[C]

looking around. I just want anyone. Tysha did not sustain any injury. Neither did Dr. Talter, nor did the Dame Saramai. However, what state of injury are Julian

[D]

Vaylis and Octys at?

[A]

I'm at 13 hit points right now. Out of 31.

[D]

Vaelis, what are you at?

[G]

I'm at 10 of 31.

[D]

10 of 31.

[B]

Just dead. Bloodied at 26. Okay, we're going to take a minute to rest.

[A]

I think I do. A short rest would be nice. Just give me a minute. And I look at Dame Saramai as they scatter these bones and just go, thank you.

[D]

She looks at you and bows. You know, she has the appearance of like. This is the one thing I'm here to do.

[A]

Just blood orb continuing to halo around my head.

[E]

Tycha isn't saying anything, but it is very apparent that she does not want to rest. She wants to keep going.

[A]

If you want to go, we can. I'm fine.

[E]

You will die if we keep going.

[G]

I don't think we should stay here.

[A]

I'm already dead. What does it matter?

[B]

As you're having this conversation, Julian is just marching to gather the scattered bones and begin piling them.

[D]

I'll help.

[E]

Yeah, we should take a break if we think this place is safe for now. I think.

[A]

Help.

[D]

What?

[G]

What should it do to that crystal?

[A]

Blew it up.

[G]

Yeah.

[A]

I think that put a. I think these crystals. This is a very loose hypothesis. These crystals are amazing. A sort of necromantic field that made it easier for these to be resurrected en masse. I think me shooting that disrupted the field a little bit. Didn't make them go away, obviously, but it definitely made them angry.

[G]

Should we do that to the other one?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Juliana stops at this point, arm filled with bones and armor and goes.

[A]

Do you think they know that we're here?

[B]

Do you think they know their crystal

[A]

has been breached Again, I have no idea. This magic, I don't.

[B]

Should we keep going?

[A]

I see what you're asking. There is every possibility that they felt the vibrations and the disruption of their magic.

[B]

Do we push on?

[A]

We can push on.

[E]

I'm asking you, push on. You both look like shit. Professional opinion.

[A]

I don't think it is good for us to rest here. If we can move forward a little bit, change location and maybe rest then might be safer.

[G]

These were Taconis tents, right?

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

I would like to move over there and kind of look through little bit

[D]

as Tysha and Julian. As Tysha and Julian begin to collect the remains here. Dame Gaia is going to give you the help action here. And Dr. Talter walks with both of you over to the tents as well and is going to give each of you a flat plus five on any investigation checks that you make here.

[A]

Great.

[G]

Great Queen.

[E]

I think I'm Funneling you towards putting all the remains over in that area I used Lancelane on and is kind of gesturing without trying to ask directly if you want her to do final rites.

[A]

So take that. I just give you a nod and

[B]

keep going about it.

[A]

Cool.

[D]

You begin to collect these bodies here. I would like either a. I would like a survival or nature check from either of you as you do that. What do we get for our investigation checks?

[A]

30.

[C]

30.

[G]

That's pretty damn.

[E]

Let's go.

[G]

That's amazing.

[A]

Not bad for level four.

[G]

Yeah.

[A]

The plus five helped.

[D]

Yeah.

[G]

22.

[C]

22.

[D]

You guys go over to the Taconis tents. Octys. This red field of energy coming from this crystal right now. This globe of blood floating around you. That image of your father. Effortlessness, Prizing effortlessness. That's fucking stupid.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Your family sits on a vast inheritance not only of ill gotten lucre, but literally of magical importance. Gifted to them by a God that came to this world to shape the fate of men. Men. Everything they have they got as servants a lineage of sorcery that then when the benefactor that gave it to them vanished, they congratulated themselves on retaining. And I think you walk to these tents and what you can feel is just that idea of laws of magic existing immutably, not as the pronouncements of a ruler, but rather that the greatest laws are merely the descriptions of cause and effect. Great magic thrives on principle. And there are certain principles at work here. And looking at that globe of blood floating around you, it is a precious thing. It is what gave your body life. Your body used to be able to make more of it. And now all the blood that you will ever have exists in static form here. As precious as rubies, as life giving as fire. And now it glows with a ruby fire illuminating the interior of a tent filled with coral correspondence. The letters written in the script of your family. This excavation site was kept for the past four odd years that they began excavating it tended to by the Taconis in this place. And what you immediately see on a 30 is, is that there are both

[C]

important pieces of correspondence here written in

[D]

plain obra daei between your family. Moving back and forth the ability discussing the matters at work here.

[C]

You see these cages hanging over. There are several cages within here that

[D]

are very clearly the home for homing pigeons that have been released, that are no longer here in this place. You sense also that this place was abandoned hurriedly. There are also within this place arcane texts, a small number of flasks or bottles kept here as well. There are some small what looked like restorative potions within the tent as well. We can get into all of it and I will ask sort of direct questions for what you are looking for here too on a 22 Phaelous that's also an extremely good roll.

[C]

What I would ask you for is

[D]

I'll take a moment to ask you

[C]

guys for

[D]

anything you would be searching for purposefully to reward specifically on these high rolls as you go through this

[C]

place if you would have a focus on and basically it's like you'll find

[D]

it all but it takes time to investigate, takes time to literally read and move through stuff. So thinking about what your first priorities would be. I'll come back to you in a minute.

[C]

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[H]

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[C]

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[E]

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[C]

For you guys outside, what did we

[D]

get on these Survival in nature I

[E]

cast guidance by the way I felt as locate object gutters out and her concentration drops. I think in the passing brushing of a limb. She's going to cast guidance on you as we work. Great.

[B]

I'm going to say Julian. With each of these very focused, disassociative paths of gathering. With each skull that he picks up, he takes a few seconds to look at it and tries to trace a memory to see if perhaps he can place who it might have once been under his training. That distraction, unfortunately, keeps him from being focused on anything beyond that. I rolled an eight.

[D]

What did you roll, Tasha?

[E]

18. On a survival check.

[D]

Helping Julian. Just observe. It occurs to you that even though you do not detect the spike through your son's ear here, certainly Alagar has lost people he cares for in this space. And looking down, you wonder if you knew any of these people. Looking at those wearing the armor of the Bero Guard, a place that drew your son's fascination rather than the Circle of Ancients or the Order of Roses. Beaugard Taconis. Beaugard Taconis. And then one of these strange robed figures. These robes have a deep maroon lapel and a dark navy in a thread where there's almost. It's like a checker. It's the same color, but the reflectiveness of light changes, so there's glossy squares and matte squares of the same shade of navy. You are holding the body of Pescard Valmonte, rendered into skeletal structure before you. This is the man who you know, a little more than a week ago, or maybe about two weeks ago at this point, gifted you a halfling sized coffin that was referred to as a box. Told you to bring it to Thiazi Fang. And he is dead in this chamber. He had been a charming and friendly man engaged in a dangerous line of work. Friends with a man you considered a brother.

[E]

I think at that point she's going to just. She can't gather anymore. And whatever you bring over, she will begin to work with. And from there she drops to her knees. And in that place where the sand is cooling rapidly under her, but still almost remembers the sunlight, for just a second she will begin the rites, but holding onto Paskard and reaching for him on the path and calling to him and all of the others here, as she imagines herself looking at at a mass of people walking through a dark wood, and directs them as gently and as kindly as she can to walk

[A]

the path in return.

[D]

In offering to walk that path, do you think you speak to the spirit of your friendly acquaintance, pass guard first, or do you hold for a while to speak to him last?

[E]

I think it's him first. It's like seeing a group of people and recognizing your friend right away. So you're speaking. I'm speaking to him. And speaking loud enough for the others around him whose faces I cannot or will not recognize.

[D]

He looks to you. You can't quite see his face right now you're so alive. Having called on the power of the land. You're quite far away from the realm of death right now. But you hear something like rushing water, babbling stream.

[H]

Dream

[D]

Pascard's soul leaves headed somewhere. But you're not sure if it's down a path. You look around at these figures that walked out of the desert seemingly to attack this place. Did Pasgard attack the Barrowguard? Did he attack your son? What happened here. Vaelys and Octys? What do you begin with? As you peel through these richly appointed Taconis tents in this excavation I feel

[G]

like I'm looking through notes, journals, writings, anything where Auctus name may pop up or having to do with whatever this place is.

[D]

Incredible.

[A]

And for me I'm looking for starting with these bottles in front of me and what they exactly do and if is there any instruction as to how they are used and what their purpose is after that? Any other item that may have been overlooked when they left. Things that are useful, things that could be brought with us.

[D]

Very quickly Dr. Talter begins to move over to you octys helping you gather essentially one of these tents appears to have been a captain of the Taconis family a sort of vassal and is filled with all manner of logistical military ordering more supplies here.

[C]

A lot of that I think Vaelys

[D]

you and you're sort of posted up in that tent almost on Your own

[C]

as Dr. Tolter helps you with a

[D]

lot of the occult stuff.

[C]

The other tent has a lot of

[D]

the here's what we're here trying to do. The sort of pointed arcane focus of this baelys you find find plenty of notes in this place first of all

[G]

also looking for names. Just names even beyond octus just like who they're working with. Anything I can take in. I read Valis reads a lot. 800 years of octus really really great comprehension skills save them in there.

[D]

You find journal entries in this place. You find some journal entries in this place that seem to indicate

[C]

written in

[D]

the hand of what you realize to be a lord of the Taconis family, perhaps one of Octys uncles. Within it.

[G]

You

[D]

hear reading into the text it describes having lost the trail of an artifact concerning a celestial called Obelad saying That the trail had gone cold in Vanadas. And there are some notes written between each other to say, I fear that the drowned men may have beaten us to the punch on this one.

[E]

I like storytelling.

[D]

You find other missives here written between the head of this excavation site, explaining our most recent findings were from about two and a half months ago. The final experiment was a failure and wasted our last supplies of osment. A word that you do not recognize. O S S E M E N T O S S E M E N T.

[C]

A response you see in some correspondence there says.

[D]

Haley joel.

[C]

You see that

[D]

looking throughout, you see that there is also a letter here that basically says, The hail of ours have proven a dead end. Some inherent power of their sorcery immunizes them against the procedure.

[E]

So they control again, I think you know.

[A]

Fuck.

[G]

Okay.

[D]

Ask a stupid question.

[A]

Okay.

[D]

There is a letter here signed by Primus Taconus. In it, you see, it says, a new source of Chalcidian has revealed itself. But we need to move quickly. The cloak is moving faster than anticipated. If the obelisk holds fast in Tanasar, does the sacrifice itself need to happen in Tanasar?

[G]

Can you say that last one one more time?

[D]

If the obelisk holds fast in Tanasar, does the sacrifice itself not need to happen in Tanasar? And a new source of Chalcidian has revealed itself. But we need to move quickly. The cloak is moving faster than anticipated.

[C]

You see, that cloak here is capitalized. If the obelisk holds fast in Tanasar. Another letter in Primus Taconus hands that

[D]

you find here reads, the risks may be.

[C]

These are like scrawled on like pigeon.

[D]

These are clearly like quickly written notes. It reads, the risks may be necessary. We cannot long keep our forces hidden outside the orchard. And we can't chance the sea door closing.

[G]

The sea door.

[B]

I'm not there.

[D]

Shut up. Jesus, I feel crazy. In the other tent, going on a 30.

[C]

Going on a 30. 30 and 30.

[D]

You discover Octus.

[C]

You discover octus.

[A]

I find myself in the table today.

[G]

There you are.

[E]

I want you to know I was whispering the exact same thing as he did. He did it.

[C]

Finally, number one, there are a number of sites on a 30. The layout on a fucking 30, which is the highest DC the game bothers to list. You get the interior schematics of Tanasar. You piece together a map of actually

[D]

what has been excavated here thus far.

[C]

There are several areas of note within this place. There is an area.

[D]

Da, da, da.

[E]

Hold on.

[C]

One second. The central chamber, where it looks like

[D]

they discovered all of the magic necessary to do this. You discover a term called the Deva Vindicta, which looks like what they were trying to create here.

[C]

And there is a chamber of the

[D]

Apotheon Vindicta

[C]

which is guarded by a place that they refer to without having an actual name of whatever it was in Tanasar that they just called the

[D]

hall of the Demon Guardians.

[C]

There is also a long bridge going

[D]

over a subterranean lake that goes to a place called the Apotheotic Obelisk. Fuck.

[E]

Those words could mean something different in Obra Dinnian. Yeah,

[A]

yeah. There's a whole chamber with just a couple of guys hanging out with dogs that are like, we're garden. Yeah, it's in a garden.

[E]

It's in a garden.

[G]

It's in a garden. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's really nice.

[C]

And then the last area that is

[D]

unveiled to you in this larger. In the chambers beyond this place.

[C]

It appears to be an area of

[D]

Tanasar that has within it still. It appears to be an area that has still within it a.

[C]

For lack of a better word, funereal, or actually more like funereal and preparatory chambers of the ancient Deconis path for the preparation of dead bodies.

[D]

That it looks like they have a

[C]

small area in that was more about

[D]

their day to day life. Here at the excavation site, there is one area where they refer to the creature's dwelling place.

[C]

And you see here that there are some correspondence of house Saramai. This is what's connected to the potions.

[D]

The potions appear to be a petrification antivenom.

[G]

Hmm.

[A]

May I make an arcana check to make the association between what a petrification antidote could mean?

[D]

Yes, go for it.

[G]

Cool.

[C]

And do it with. On a 30.

[D]

Do it with advantage.

[E]

Yeah, Whatever grows together, grows together.

[C]

Why would you need that 25. 25. Looking at ceramite, you need that Saramai fuck.

[D]

With all manner of deadly magical serpents, you've probably seen a basilisk up close.

[A]

I look at Saramai and picking up the bottle and go, basilisk.

[D]

You see that? Gaia nods. He makes that.

[A]

We're going to need these.

[C]

The last location you find on that

[D]

30 is deep underneath that. The chamber of the Apotheon Vindicta, which

[C]

they just refer to as the Sepulcher veil.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Deva Vindicta and apotheotic.

[C]

Oh, sorry.

[D]

The Daeva Vindicta is the creature they referred to.

[C]

That's the celestial that they were trying to create.

[E]

Right.

[C]

There is a.

[E]

Something sepulcher.

[C]

The sepulchral veil is underneath the Apotheon

[D]

Vindicta, which is a central chamber past the hall of the Demon Guardians.

[A]

Okay, makes sense.

[G]

Totally got it.

[C]

Totally got it.

[A]

It's a veil.

[H]

Like yours?

[G]

Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

It's. Wear it.

[E]

Yeah, probably.

[A]

I love hearing Laura.

[E]

You're like, I like what I think those words mean. Dang it.

[B]

I need a rest.

[G]

It's terrible.

[C]

Take a break within here. The last thing you find, I think, Octus,

[A]

is.

[D]

These tents look very undisturbed by the Barrow Guard. They largely left these alone. You find. Actually, Velas, the last thing you find in your tent is written in a journal in the hand of this Taconus Lord, saying, final experiment, a partial success, but largely failure. It is my opinion that Tertia's innate gifts and connection to the tenebral reaches thwarted the grafting of the chalcidial prosthesis. I will miss her dearly. Jesus. Damn.

[A]

What was that name again?

[B]

Chalcidio.

[A]

Sorry, the name of the person.

[C]

Tersha.

[D]

Your cousin.

[G]

Tersha, who was the owner of the scorpion.

[H]

Yeah.

[E]

So, look, that scorpion was just, you

[A]

know, missing its mouth. It was sad and we had to kill it.

[B]

Yeah.

[E]

You gotta put.

[D]

It doesn't matter.

[B]

It came after me first.

[A]

Yeah.

[H]

Yeah.

[A]

That's how I justify everything.

[E]

Okay.

[D]

You believe that these other chambers will have the answers you seek about maybe these terms and what they mean here?

[A]

Possibly a place where the rest of the Barrowguard fled to.

[B]

Mm.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Fled.

[G]

I'm going to come out of the tent. Is that.

[D]

Yeah?

[G]

Yeah.

[C]

Is that okay?

[D]

Is that okay?

[E]

Yeah. Stay out of the tent.

[G]

Yeah. And I'm going to walk out to where Tycha is preparing the restaurant back

[E]

by the gate where I did that little

[H]

Landsay.

[G]

Are you still in the tent or are you coming out?

[A]

I think I'm still looking around in there.

[H]

Okay.

[G]

I would like to relay this information to everybody of what I found.

[A]

How many paralyzed antidotes were in there? 2. 2 had no healing potions, paralyzed anthroes or petrification antidotes. Petrification. Sorry.

[G]

I'm going to reach down and grab one of the skull heads.

[E]

You do that and my hand snakes out and grabs you. Not in a way to hurt you, but it is the strongest. Like the fuck

[G]

I can do. We want to talk to anyone here?

[E]

Hmm? I can use your words.

[G]

I can speak with the dead if we need to ask them questions.

[A]

What do you think?

[E]

Let's lead with that.

[G]

I can speak with the dead if we need to ask some questions actually.

[E]

And I'm gonna gesture to the one right in front of you that I was speaking over.

[D]

Okay.

[E]

His name is Pescard Valmonte and give a brief description of this was the man that handed off an artifact.

[G]

I'm seeing that, yeah.

[E]

Did you see the box when he

[C]

was at the Ozzy spot?

[G]

Yeah.

[E]

Then it's exactly that.

[G]

Okay.

[E]

Okay. Oh, and I don't know that. Fuck meta knowledge.

[F]

Yeah.

[G]

I'm going to take out the stone. Here goes nothing.

[E]

Okay.

[G]

I'm going to cast speak with debt.

[D]

This stone was crafted from the rib of a celestial who chose to die so that your people would not have to walk into the dark alone. Crafted with hands of love. No one should have to walk into the dark alone. The lights of the glowing crystals fade and veil us. You stand looking into death, the underworld all around you. You see in his maroon and navy robe, a warm faced middle aged man. A little skinny, balding, smiling. You see a pendant of humble leather around a silver coin. His spirit, ghostly translucent, turns to look up at you.

[G]

Hello.

[D]

Hello. Have you come to shepherd me, tomb where I am supposed to go?

[G]

I won't be doing that. And I'm very sorry to disturb you

[D]

from where you're going.

[G]

I just have some questions for you if you'd be able to answer them. What happened here?

[D]

What happened here? I'll tell you what I know if you can answer my questions as well, because I think what happened here was chaos. That's all for this episode of Critical Role.

[C]

What are you doing? That's all for this episode. Tune in next week for the thrilling conclusion and we'll dive into it.

[G]

I can't write down my questions though.

[A]

No, I mean, that's not what. I'm just.

[E]

Yeah, freaking out.

[C]

We're freaking out. There's more to come. I know. And hey, from the bottom of my heart, I really mean it. Is it Thursday yet? Thanks for listening to this episode of Critical Role. If you're enjoying this story, consider leaving a review on your your podcast platform of choice. We're always looking for new critters to share our adventures with, and your review may help a new batch of wayward souls find their way to Ahriman, Exandria and beyond. Or if you want to hear what

[D]

the cast discussed after the episode, head

[C]

to Beacon TV and check out our exclusive show Critical Role Cooldown. You'll be right there at the table immediately after we say, is it Thursday yet? And experience our cast's post show reactions.

[D]

We'll see you next time.

[C]

Oh joy. Another day, another buzz delayed.

[H]

Look on the bright side, you can finally catch up on podcasts.

[C]

You don't mind running late.

[E]

What's your deal?

[H]

What's my deal? I saved at Metro with no activation fees. I got one line of 5G for just $25 a month, kept the phone I love and a 5 year price guarantee for my talk text and data.

[C]

Only $25. I'm going to Metro when we hop off.

[H]

Get that more for your money feeling only a Metro by T Mobile. Just bring your number. $30 first month and $25 after with autopay price guarantee exceptions.

[E]

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[E]

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