The Vanishing | Critical Role | Campaign 4, Episode 20 Part 1

Summary

Critical Role Campaign 4, Episode 20 - Part 1 "The Vanishing" Summary

Release Date: April 2, 2026
Setting: The fractured kingdoms of Ahriman—a world of rebellion and sorcery in the aftermath of divine collapse.

---

Episode Overview

This episode of Critical Role plunges listeners back into the fractured, danger-laden world of Ahriman. The campaign’s heroes—scholars, revolutionaries, and seekers—navigate complex political machinations, personal trauma, ghostly aftermaths, and a deepening web of conspiracies tied to arcane rituals, murdered nobles, and vanishing families. The main focus splits between two plot threads: the Seekers dealing with the bodies and spirits left behind by a brutal ritual, and the city’s schemers unraveling missing persons, magical forensics, and the maneuverings of warring noble houses.

This installment is heavy on character interplay, lore-revealing roleplay, and dizzying tactical intrigue—capturing the best of Critical Role’s signature balance between drama, humor, and collaborative world-building.

---

Key Discussion Points & Major Scenes

1. The Aftermath in the Night Desert (03:56–19:47)

• Octys and Tycha - Having returned from Tanasar, the Seekers solemnly deal with the remains of Dame Gaia Saramai and Tersha—Octys' cousin, transformed by a failed sorcerous ritual. Octys is “palpably empathetic” to the sudden, bewildered ends met by those close to him.
  • Quote: “I feel bad. The last thing she tried to do was help me, tell me to get out. But it was also nice to know someone in my family was nice sometimes.” – Octys (05:17)
• Processing Death and Legacy – The group reflects on the dark reputation of Octys’ lineage and the possibility of goodness persisting within it despite his “asshole” father (06:06). Tycha expresses uncertainty about her own motivations in following Octys, but a sense of being “pulled together for some reason” (08:27).
• Necromantic Ritual—Speaking with Death – Tycha uses the Stone of Nightsong to cast speak with death, contacting Tersha’s spirit.
  • The spectral Tersha’s wings are revealed to be artificial and weigh her down, a direct result of the failed ritual (13:55). She reveals partial knowledge and confusion about her intended fate, hinting at “earlier experiments” and leaving lingering questions.
  • Quote: “Every truth starts as an illusion.” – A motif that frames the intersection of ritual, memory, and deception (140:54).
• Horror Intrudes – The ritual is cut short as Tersha’s spirit is violently snatched by a monstrous talon, uttering, “I’m not scared,” before being pulled away—a chilling supernatural interference (19:29).

---

2. The Schemers’ Table: City Politics and Arcane Conspiracies (30:03–45:00)

• Dolmachyar’s New Reality – After the execution of Thiazi Fang and the revolution’s bloody aftermath, the principal characters reunite at the Seven Stars tavern to share information.
  • Noble houses struggle in the wake of the Royce family’s disappearance to Faerie, with survivors left behind and suspicion mounting (32:11).
  • Magical forensic clues: the party analyzes two “misty step” glyphs—one genuine but shoddy (the “janky” criminal version), one a high-quality dud meant to fool arcane detection, revealing a larger conspiracy (33:26).
  • Quote (On the crime): “It’s the equivalent of stealing Sudafed—grabbing blanks, then making their own spells. Quick and dirty.” – Matthew Mercer (34:28)
• Investigation of Blanks and Connections – The party learns blanks were stolen from Hand and Wheel ceramics, possibly to be weaponized for illicit spells, and that some stolen blanks have turned up at the hallowed round.
• Preparation for Theater – Hal, returning to the city, rallies his troupe and plans for the play’s opening, while worries grow over absent or missing magic-users—an omen of brewing chaos (89:48, 92:50).

---

3. Interlude: Royal Arrival and Unrest (74:12–88:41)

• The Timony Royal Retinue – King Augustus Valian’s retinue arrives in Dolmachyar, but the king himself is missing, providing rare political theater and a chance for character-driven roleplay (75:36–87:41).
  • Hal exchanges pleasantries with the duchess and young prince, inviting them to his play, and senses beneath the surface a swirl of genuine chaos and urgency, masked by courtly formality (83:15).

---

4. The Arcane Investigation at Palazzo Divinos (94:01–142:41)

• Azune Leads an Arcane Forensic Team – Azune is questioned by Lord Einfassen upon arrival, who is both suspicious and shrewd, clearly aware of deeper games in play. Einfassen assigns Azune greater responsibility over magic-user safety and compliance (120:27).
  • Azune uses Detect Magic and sharp investigation to sweep for mystical residue, discovering physical evidence of a “cover up,” not a magical portal—a smooth wall, poorly mended, with traces of violence and missing furniture (99:28–107:19).
  • Quote: “A cover up. That is what the walls are saying. An absence that strikes you as conspicuous.” – Azune (106:17)
• Murray and Bolaire’s Conspiracy – Simultaneously, other party members conspire to escalate tension by planting false evidence implicating House Taconis, using magical illusions and clever spellwork to haunt the investigation with spectral “truths.”
  • The lines between deception and reality blur as their complex magical trickery (musical migraine and phantasmal force) erupts into Grotto’s mind, prompting hallucinations of Taconis-committed massacre, driving him into a panic (135:09–142:33).
  • Quote: “All truths start as an illusion.” – Motif, echoed as the planted vision aligns with reality.
• The Truth Revealed – In a moment of revelation, the group realizes their lies mirror the actual events—Octys was indeed murdered in this very room, his death and the table mark aligning with their fabricated illusion (140:21–140:45).

---

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Octys, on Family: “So much of the narrative around my family is evil. Bad.” (05:51)
• Tycha: “Hopefully there are more like her.” (06:04)
• Tersha’s Spirit: “I was proud to serve my family. I was gonna become something good, right?” (16:19)
• Hrandas Einfassen, chillingly candid: “Know that this secret of yours... gives me power over you. You should fear me.” (118:44)
• Bolaire, in conspiracy: “The watchword is circumlocution. Make a mess with paperwork… If you decide the current administration is trustworthy, remember they kill the storytellers first.” (123:04)
• Roleplaying Brilliance: Extensive use of flashbacks and magical investigations deepen the campaign’s lore and flesh out the city's mysteries (49:22–56:43).
• True Lies: The party’s planted illusion of murder turns out to exactly mirror what actually happened, reinforcing the episode's title and motif: "Every truth starts as an illusion" (140:54).

---

Important Timestamps

• 03:56 — Opening narrative, aftermath of battle, laying Dame Gaia Saramai to rest.
• 13:55 — Tycha communicates with Tersha’s spirit via Speak With Dead.
• 19:29 — Tersha’s spirit is violently snatched mid-ritual.
• 30:03 — Schemer’s Table: City recap, new intrigue, and arcane detective work.
• 33:26–35:18 — The truth of the “misty step” glyphs discussed.
• 74:12–87:41 — Arrival of King Augustus’ retinue, introduction of royalty, and political flavor.
• 94:01–107:19 — Azune and Einfassen’s forensic sweep of Palazzo Divinos; evidence of a cover-up.
• 135:09–142:33 — Execution of the illusion plan, Grotto’s haunting, and the revelation that the “fake” murder is in fact the literal truth.

---

Thematic Notes & Episode Tone

The tone is a careful mix of melancholy (grieving, discussing trauma and regret), mounting paranoia (multiple missing persons, assassinations, and magical cover-ups), and the clever, wry wit that comes from veteran party members strategizing, roleplaying, and needling one another. Characters comment on lies, bureaucracy, power, and personal responsibility, reminding listeners of the morally grey waters their heroes tread.

A standout motif—“All truths start as an illusion”—is woven through both mystical deception and personal confession, hinting at the campaign’s philosophical core.

---

Concluding Thoughts and Setup for Part 2

The party is now deeply enmeshed in political warfare, their fates entwined with powerful families and the supernatural consequences of ancient magic. The web of lies, illusions, and unexpected truths leads naturally into the second half of the episode, promising further revelations, danger, and intrigue.

---

Listen to Part 2 on Tuesday for the continuation of "The Vanishing"!

Transcript

[T-Mobile Announcer]

America's best network just got bigger. Switch to T Mobile today and get built in benefits the other guys leave out. Plus our 5 year price guarantee and now T Mobile is available in US Cellular stores.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

Best Mobile Network based on analysis by Oogle of speed test intelligence data 2H 2025 bigger network the combination of T Mobile's and US cellular network footprints will enhance the T Mobile network's coverage price guarantee on talk, text and data exclusions like taxes and fees apply. See t mobile.com for details.

[Lowe's Advertiser]

Introducing Home Care Plus, a new subscription service from Lowe's that helps make life easier by giving members a hand with home maintenance. Let Lowe's tackle the tasks you keep meaning to do, like electric dryer, vent cleaning, replacing hard to reach light bulbs, and more. Subscribe to Home Care plus for just $99 a year and consider your to do list done. Members get more at Lowe's. Available in select zip codes only. Cancel anytime Non refundable fee. Product purchase required. Terms and service restrictions apply. Details@lowe's.com Terms subject to change

[Matthew Mercer]

why hello there. I'm Brennan Lee Mulligan and welcome to Campaign 4 of Critical Role.

[Narrator]

Thank you for joining us on this journey as we explore Ahriman, a world of fractured kingdoms, tumultuous rebellion and sorcery that rises from the graveyard of the gods. You're listening to Part one of this adventure, with Part two arriving at this upcoming Tuesday.

[Matthew Mercer]

Our episodes typically arrive on the Critical Role Podcast network a week after our

[Narrator]

initial Thursday night streams on Beacon, YouTube and Twitch. But if you'd rather listen to a

[Matthew Mercer]

full podcast episode of Campaign 4 Right When it airs without any ads, consider

[Narrator]

becoming a Beacon member.

[Matthew Mercer]

You'll receive access to exclusive content discounts

[Narrator]

at all our online Critical Role shops,

[Matthew Mercer]

pre sales for live events and so much more.

[Narrator]

Free.

[Matthew Mercer]

Start your 7 day free trial today

[Narrator]

and at Beacon TV.

[Matthew Mercer]

Now, without further ado, let's begin this

[Narrator]

episode of Critical Role. Wind howls across silver white sand in the vast reaches of the endless night, and our sleepless duo once again keeps watch. The seekers have made their way from Tanasar, returning to the Tiriyevija to retrace their steps and return ostensibly first to Castle Torch and then west to Dolmachyar, having learned the vast secrets in the dark at Tanasar. Gathered here in this place, there are horror horses hitched to an outcropping of rock. Tycha and Julian, Dr. Talter sleep nearby. The two of you keep watch as the wind howls. There is another figure, the body of Dame Gaia Saramai here at night. Does she remain tied to her horse, or has she been lowered to the ground to give the beast some chance at rest?

[Octys]

He lowered her to the ground. Don't want the horses to expire.

[Narrator]

Lowering Gaia to the sand, unwrapping her. You see black armor, sword, that serpent tattoo that now stands out even more as her exsanguinated body pumped all of its blood out through these injuries. You see cratered breastplate and ribs from where the scorpion's tail of the half formed attempt at the Daeva vindicta crushed through her viscera. And the second injury shattered her jaw, tore apart her jugular vein, and even cracked the vertebrae at the back of her neck. Her eyes remain her eyes. The bridge of her nose, the upper part of her face remains undamaged, but the mouth is a bloody mess. The green of her eyes stays open. In this shock that Octys, you find some palpable empathy for that sudden realization that you're about to die, and the only thing you can do is be amazed.

[Octys]

Yeah.

[Tycha]

As we're putting her down, I'm just gonna look a little closer to the wound through her jaw. And close her eyes. Creeping me out.

[Octys]

Yeah, no, I know. I know how that feels. I feel bad. The last thing she tried to do was help me, tell me to get out. I feel bad. But it was also nice to know that someone in my family was nice sometimes, you know?

[Tycha]

Yeah.

[Octys]

So much of the narrative around my family is evil, bad.

[Tycha]

Yeah, I've noticed that.

[Octys]

Yeah.

[Tycha]

Hopefully there are more like her.

[Octys]

I think there are. It's just. My dad is a particular kind of asshole, and it tends to overshadow some of the other things. Um.

[Tycha]

Your brothers and sisters seem to

[Marisha Ray]

be

[Tycha]

in competition and competition for your daddy's love.

[Octys]

I think he wanted it that way. He wants everyone to try and impress him.

[Tycha]

What a leader.

[Octys]

Yeah, well, he doesn't seem to know everything, which is comforting. Nor is he all powerful anyway.

[Tycha]

No, he's not.

[Octys]

Look, I appreciate you helping with everything. Here I am. And I'm sorry you got hurt.

[Tycha]

I'm okay.

[Octys]

I. You and Julian almost weren't.

[Tycha]

I know that. What A said when we talked about the stone and you and whatever this means. I don't know. I. I don't want you to think that that's my only reason for following you is because of what you can do for me.

[Octys]

Okay. I mean, I wouldn't blame you. You know, Julian only has one reason for being around me, so. But if that's not the case, Why?

[Tycha]

I don't know.

[Narrator]

Okay.

[Tycha]

I. I believe we were pulled together for some reason and I. I don't know why yet.

[Octys]

Okay. I mean, boiling it down. I don't really know why I'm with Tysha, you know?

[Tycha]

Yeah.

[Octys]

Other than friends kind of. I mean, it's kind of like a weird mom son situa. I don't know. I didn't. It's just kind of. It's gotten weird over the six months.

[Tycha]

Six months she's been mad at me.

[Octys]

I'm doing things that she doesn't like. I don't think she ever thought

[Narrator]

about who.

[Octys]

Where I came from and who I am. And now I'm starting to do things that make her upset. She has to remind me that some things that my family used to do are not normal or nice. Like the cages.

[Tycha]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

That's a.

[Tycha]

You know, that's pretty bad.

[Octys]

You get used to it, you know, it's everywhere you need to go

[Tycha]

to get used to bad things. Like that

[Marisha Ray]

means

[Tycha]

a little bit of disassociation, which is usually not healthy.

[Octys]

Right. But I mean, there was some of that going on a long time ago, Right?

[Marisha Ray]

Yeah.

[Octys]

Yeah. Hey, look, I'm going to wrap up her face. I'm going to take one of the shirts that I took from the Einfassen house, just wrap it around the face just to. No one needs to see that. I'm going to also bind. Take the head of my cousin out of my satchel.

[Narrator]

That's right, Tersha.

[Octys]

And wrap it up in their clothes and bind it to that body, just to keep it there.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Octys]

You've seen me pull a head out of my bag. I want to look at this later. Hopefully it'll tell me something more about what they were going to do to me.

[Tycha]

Do you want to talk to her?

[Octys]

What do you mean?

[Tycha]

I mean I talked to Pascard.

[Octys]

That's right.

[Tycha]

I don't know.

[Marisha Ray]

I guess.

[Octys]

Can we do that?

[Tycha]

We can try.

[Octys]

Okay. Yeah, if you want.

[Tycha]

Sure. I mean, we got all night.

[Murray]

Yeah.

[Octys]

Okay.

[Tycha]

Okay. I am going to take out the stone.

[Murray]

And.

[Tycha]

Cast speak with death.

[Narrator]

Bayless, you step forward once again and feel yourself at the edge of the tenebral reaches. Edge of this vast underworld that should not be. You need to select one of the two dead bodies before you. Either Tersha or Gaia. To whom do you wish to speak in this moment? Tertiary Sand. Darkness. You can hear whales in the distance. There are spirits that are lost here in the desert. They can't find their way home. You see before you the head wrapped in Gauze begins to glow. Sunken, desiccated flesh. Tertia's hair had largely fallen out. Suddenly, translucent. Spirit of a much healthier young woman, perhaps a year or two younger than Octys. See, she stands up. Spectral wings grow from her back. You see? As the wings grow larger and larger, she is anchored to the ground. The wings are too large for her to be able to stand up under their weight. They're not part of her natural body. Something's been done to her, this ritual. Give me an athletics check.

[Tycha]

Natural 20th.

[Narrator]

You go to her holding the Stone of Nightsong, lifting her up. The wings break from her back on a natural 20. And nightingales flash across the sand. And you can hear them singing in the darkness, providing comfort and direction to those souls that are lost here. Tersha looks down at you, spirit.

[Marisha Ray]

Hi.

[Tycha]

Hello, Terse.

[Octys]

Hi, cousin.

[Narrator]

I don't. As you say, hi, cousin. You see, Vaylis, a sort of spectral octis appears here in this place nearby, routed through your command over the Stone of Nightsong. You can see that she looks out and goes, who's that? Hello.

[Octys]

It's Octys.

[Narrator]

And faintly, you can see her go.

[Matthew Mercer]

Octis. Did it work? Did we do it?

[Tycha]

May I? In helping her up.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Tycha]

I want to take in her body and try to see everything that they did to her.

[Narrator]

You see that there is a lump of calcified, the only thing solid in her. She's almost translucent, ghostly. But you're still able to physically interact with her here in this space. You're partially in the underworld as you cast this spell. As you lift her up, the only thing solid you can see is a lunar lump of some fossilized ivory material in her chest where her heart would be. She looks and says, are you. Are you part of the ritual?

[Tycha]

No. Oh. You didn't survive the ritual.

[Narrator]

I know.

[Tycha]

You knew.

[Narrator]

I'm. I'm proud. I was proud to serve my family. I was gonna become something good, right?

[Tycha]

I don't know.

[Octys]

Cousin, if you can hear me, the ritual did something. I don't know what the purpose or the final intention was, but you were changed, and you were something else.

[Narrator]

It didn't. It didn't quite work.

[Octys]

I don't think fully.

[Tycha]

Do you know why?

[Narrator]

My father mentioned something. That there was some concerns about earlier experiments. He didn't share everything with me.

[Matthew Mercer]

Wait.

[Narrator]

Is Saharkis okay?

[Octys]

Um. Saharkis is okay.

[Narrator]

Okay.

[Octys]

Um. Cousin, we didn't know each other well.

[Marisha Ray]

Did.

[Octys]

Did you have access to the magic that all of us have?

[Narrator]

I did.

[Octys]

Okay, good. Good.

[Narrator]

If the ritual failed, where do I go? Why haven't they found me?

[Marisha Ray]

Who?

[Narrator]

Oh,

[Matthew Mercer]

Father, Uncle. I'm sorry. I'm sorry it didn't work.

[Tycha]

You did nothing wrong.

[Narrator]

What did.

[Octys]

How did they say they were gonna find you?

[Narrator]

Octis. Oh, that's right. You'd have no way of knowing

[Octys]

what

[Narrator]

your condition. There's nothing scary about dying. How are they gonna find me? I came home. Phelis. I'm needing you to give me a constitution Saving throw.

[Murray]

Oh, no.

[Narrator]

Okay.

[Tycha]

Oh, that was. Oh, that's not good. That's five

[Narrator]

your concentration on or not your concentration, but your magic of this spell shatters as snaking out of the sky, a massive ichor covered, dripping with dark blood, talon of bone grasps Tersha in its claws.

[Tycha]

I try to grab her back on

[Narrator]

that failed constitution save. She is wrenched from your hands. She looks at you, crushed by the talon and goes. I'm not scared. Who? And that's all for this moment of

[Marisha Ray]

our journey with our Seekers.

[Narrator]

We'll return to Dolmakyar and our schemers on tonight's episode of Critical Role.

[Travis Willingham]

Welcome back, friends, to the Critical Role Announcement Playhouse

[Murray]

indeed.

[Travis Willingham]

We got some announcements to get through before we jump back into Armand, beginning with tonight's sponsor, Aether and Iron, a new video game set in an alternate 1930s. Taking inspiration from New York's rich history, art deco and film noir. Sam, what do you know about the game?

[Detective Narrator]

What do you know about the game? He asked a question more loaded than a six shooter in a jealous husband's nightstand. This flat foot wanted the goods on Aether and Iron. A narrative driven RPG where you're an underworld smuggler in the mean streets of New York, a city dirtier than a politician's search history. But was I gonna spill the sausage? Not on your life. This canary don't sing unless the microphone. Microphones made a moonshine. I don't play games, buddy. But fate's a funny thing. I bet that smoke stained sweetheart knows what's what.

[Travis Willingham]

Name.

[Detective Narrator]

Name sister. Give up the goods or I'll let

[Azune]

the whiskey do the talking.

[Tycha]

Sure, this Seamus acted tough, but he was weaker than a handshake from an escape room designer. I've splashed around with sewer rats like him and managed to keep my two piece clean.

[Marisha Ray]

You want the news, detective?

[Tycha]

Read the papers. Maybe you'll see how the game lets you assemble and upgrade incredible aether powered levitating cars and recruit a team to drive them.

[Detective Narrator]

Don't get cute legs. Next you'll tell me players can add hidden compartments, smoke dispensers, and flamethrowers and a twist on strategic vehicular battles.

[Tycha]

Every SAP knows that, sweetheart. What I don't know is why this two bit goon keeps giving me the side eye.

[Martin]

The dizzy dame was onto me. This skid row siren found out that Aether and Ion lets me navigate the city that never sleeps, dodging dime store thugs, stashing black black market hooch and sidestepping the fat cats. But what she didn't suspect was that Ether and Ion launches on Steam and Steam Deck March 31st. A secret I'd keep tighter than the lid on a jar of month old kombucha.

[Detective Narrator]

And with that metaphor, it hit me. If I could hear this schmoe narrating his internal monologue, maybe they could hear mine too.

[Martin]

Man, oh man, this putz was dimmer than a glow stick at the end of Burning Man.

[Tycha]

And less charismatic than a mime on the radio.

[Detective Narrator]

And more confused than the writers on the final season of Game of Thrones. Oh, wait, you're talking about me.

[Tycha]

Them's the breaks, kids.

[Detective Narrator]

Well, this case was closed, but Aether and Iron was just getting started. Featuring full voice acting, turn based car combat, dice roll, skill checks and a deep, well crafted world level up your hustle, smarts and brass with Aether and Iron. Check out Bitly, Aether and Ironcr. Launching on Steam and steam deck on March 31st. Demo available now. Matt, keep your nose out of the gutter.

[Travis Willingham]

Thank you very much. Marisha, you got the next announcement?

[Marisha Ray]

I do. You guys, we cannot wait to see you for our Echoes of Exandria live shows this year. And we just announced all the details on what you can look forward to at each event. Whether you're hoping for another adventure to the Happy Fun Ball, maybe a spin standoff with the planking, or more space horror on Ruinous.

[Matthew Mercer]

Are these vitalities?

[Marisha Ray]

These are gonna happen.

[Murray]

What?

[Marisha Ray]

Suzy, you're gonna get all of that and. And did you ask for the grand poo ball to doink of all of this and that himself back in the GM seat?

[Matthew Mercer]

What actually did?

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Marisha Ray]

Cause you're getting that too. You're getting all of that. So we only have a few tickets still available. So if you were waiting to pull the trigger, now is the time. Head on over to critrole.com events for all of the info.

[Martin]

Fantastic.

[Travis Willingham]

Thank you, Marisha. Super excited for all that. And if you you are headed to PAX east this Saturday, March 28, you can watch myself and Chris Perkins playing daggerhead of the Acquisitions Incorporated show in the main theater. 8:30pm Eastern time. That's right. We'll be streaming live on the Darrington Press YouTube channel. You can catch the VOD on Beacon the following Monday. Come check it out. It's a continuation of a whole new narrative of acquisitions incorporated. Liam, you're up.

[Azune]

Oh my gods.

[Martin]

We are so excited to announce.

[Marisha Ray]

I am the latest project.

[Martin]

I just got.

[Detective Narrator]

I just.

[Martin]

I just got a hernia. Latest project with our friends at Penguin Random House, Children of Empire.

[Travis Willingham]

What's this?

[Matthew Mercer]

A new novel coming this November.

[T-Mobile Announcer]

I love it so much.

[Travis Willingham]

It's so good.

[Martin]

It explains explores the fates of Empire kids Caleb Widowgast and Beauregard Lion Knight in a first of its kind official sequel to our Mighty Nein campaign.

[Narrator]

What?

[Martin]

Look who's on the back. Children of Empire is written by Hugo Nebula, an Ignite Award nominated author, Nibadita Sen. And cover art is designed by longtime friend of Critical Role, Nikki Dawes. This fucking book is so well written. I can't wait for you guys to get it to pre order and and for all the details, visit criticalrolebooks.com Empire King, Empire kids.

[Travis Willingham]

Thank you, Liam. Ashley, Taliesin, you two are up.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh, oh.

[Narrator]

Costume change. We got a lot of those.

[Tycha]

Hey, get in critters. We're going shopping.

[Murray]

Yes, we are.

[Matthew Mercer]

Ashley and I love the thrill of

[Murray]

finding fun bits, bobs and thrifted treasures. And our friends at ebay Live are going to help us make this that happens.

[Marisha Ray]

Let's go. So join us.

[Tycha]

Let's do it tomorrow, March 27th at 5pm for our weird kids shopaganza, sponsored by ebay Live.

[Murray]

Help us find some collectibles, some rare

[Tycha]

items and we will be auctioning off a few items ourselves with all the proceeds raised going to the Critical Role Foundation.

[Murray]

So tune in on Beacon, Twitch, YouTube

[Matthew Mercer]

and eBay live at 5pm Pacific as we shop till we drop. Fantastic. Heck yeah. Love it.

[Travis Willingham]

Travis, I think you're stepping into Laura's seed.

[T-Mobile Announcer]

Oh my God, you guys. We have some of the best. I love it. Merch new in the shop. Here, hold this up. The Essek Phelous knit pullover sweater vest.

[Murray]

Already got mine.

[T-Mobile Announcer]

The Caleb Widowgast button down long sleeve shirt are both available in the Critical Role shops. The Essek Thalis knit pullover sweater vest is a deep dark purple with rich purple, lilac and cool gray details. Plus a ribbed hem, cuffs and a collar for that cozy yet stylish feel. The design of the colors of the super cool vest are inspired by Essik Thalis and Of course. The Caleb Widowgast buttoned out long sleeve shirt. It's a dark purple, purple long sleeve button down with the quote, you were not born with venom in your veins embroidered in gold along the edge of the left collar. Look at her there. This button down was inspired by Caleb's Level 10 coat and his bright flame magic. Both are available up to size 6 XL. Get them in the crypt. Roll shot.

[Narrator]

They look amazing.

[Tycha]

Oh my God.

[Travis Willingham]

Thanks, Laura.

[Martin]

These two pieces of clothes look like they go together.

[Marisha Ray]

They don't layer it. You absolutely.

[Murray]

It's as if they thought about that.

[Detective Narrator]

Also, I could go with Taliesin's hair.

[Murray]

Everything goes with my hair.

[Azune]

It's true.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah, that's true.

[Martin]

And if it doesn't, the hair will change.

[Murray]

That's true. Yep.

[Travis Willingham]

All right, I think that concludes our announcements. So thank you for hanging in. Let's jump back together into Aramon.

[Tycha]

Woohoo.

[T-Mobile Announcer]

America's best network just got bigger. Switch to T Mobile today and get built in benefits. The other guys lose leave out. Plus our five year price guarantee. And now T Mobile is available in US Cellular stores.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

Best mobile network based on analysis by Google of speed test intelligence data 2H 2025 bigger network. The combination of T Mobile's and US cellular network footprints will enhance the T Mobile network's coverage price guarantee on talk text and data exclusions like taxes and fees apply. See t mobile.com for details.

[Lowe's Advertiser]

Introducing Home Care Plus, a new subscription service from Lowe's that helps make life easier by giving members a hand with home maintenance. Let Lowe's tackle the tasks you keep meaning to do, like electric dryer, vent cleaning, replacing hard to reach light bulbs and more. Subscribe to Home Care plus for just $99 a year and consider your to do list done. Members get more at Lowe's. Available in select zip codes only. Cancel anytime. Non refundable fee. Product purchase required. Terms and service restrictions apply. Details@lowe's.com Terms subject to change.

[Narrator]

Hello and welcome to tonight's episode of Critical Role.

[Matthew Mercer]

We return to the city of Dolmachyar where our city schema's table. We're off to a hot start, gang. Boy, howdy. People are getting tracked to their homes and there's secret people. People have very different apartments from each

[Narrator]

other and that's fun to me.

[Matthew Mercer]

I love that. How often do you get to see

[Narrator]

a D and D character's apartment? Not enough.

[Matthew Mercer]

That's what I said. That's how I feel. Last we left off after the events

[Narrator]

of Thiazi Fang's Execution and his wake. Those left behind as soldiers and seekers left the city to seek and soldier elsewhere were our four most employed heroes.

[Marisha Ray]

Peeve employment.

[Narrator]

It's a living.

[Matthew Mercer]

It's a living. After your first conspiratorial get together at

[Narrator]

the Sevenstar's tavern after realizing that the Lady Cormorant was interested in the Pariah

[Matthew Mercer]

Blades and the Lord Einfassen had dismissed half the Revolutionary Guard or more.

[Narrator]

And Taconis had come in on top of the Penteveral.

[Matthew Mercer]

Installing Dean Cora Keplin Weisreich and the body of Thiazi Fang had been. You know. Had resulted in all of this attention and fanfare in the weak or some

[Narrator]

odd couple preceding the arrival of Murzad. The arrival of the play that you will unveil with the beginnings of the hallowed round. A brand new theater here in this space. You began your conversation in the Aviary of the Seven Stars, an old tavern within the rookery where indeed you actually overheard the arrival of some gentry who had been to the gala at the Palazzo Divinos, A place that all of you had entered in the dead dark of night to find a melted black and silver candle after a massacre had occurred and been cleaned up as though it had never happened at all.

[Matthew Mercer]

It seemed that people had arrived to discover an illusory gala and that the sundered House of Royce had returned to Faerie. That's corrupt.

[Marisha Ray]

Cool.

[Matthew Mercer]

Except for the weeping family members of staff and servants wondering where their family members had gone.

[Narrator]

Had they been absconded to Faerie without a word's notice.

[Matthew Mercer]

Very peculiar. You spoke to Horace Blade, who was

[Narrator]

a partygoer there that you knew as a merchant.

[Matthew Mercer]

Someone you had met through circles of

[Narrator]

your hero's mother Elodie. Your daughter's mother. You knew Horus as a merchant, A

[Matthew Mercer]

hardworking Dolmakyar merchant who helped you figure

[Narrator]

out the mystery of your spell glyphs

[Matthew Mercer]

and the fact that Thyazzi's escaped glyph.

[Narrator]

Even though it had been a fake and would have doomed him to death. He had never actually seemed to break. Why didn't he?

[Matthew Mercer]

Horus led you through a deep analysis

[Narrator]

based on a lot of insight he has into to ceramics and magic crafting

[Matthew Mercer]

that basically the one that Thimble had had was janky and made by criminals and had a little fairy edge to it. But in being janky was true blue.

[Narrator]

That was a real misty step glyph.

[Matthew Mercer]

Which by the way means that you

[Narrator]

guys do have a misty step glyph.

[Azune]

I have it.

[Matthew Mercer]

The really nice looking one.

[Narrator]

That was extremely expensive. That was the dud.

[Matthew Mercer]

That was the one Mr. Made to

[Narrator]

seem like a misty step cliff.

[Matthew Mercer]

Thus that it could bypass Azune's detection

[Narrator]

and rest without the ability to actually do so in Thiazi's coat.

[Matthew Mercer]

Questions abound.

[Narrator]

But Horace also lets you. Or sorry, Orys also lets you know that a bunch of these tablets have

[Matthew Mercer]

gone missing of the Jankies of actually the. So yes, this or Horus blade that his families that Hand and Wheel, which

[Narrator]

is the name of his ceramics company.

[Matthew Mercer]

He let you know that Hand and Wheel had had a bunch of blanks go missing that basically had the ability to.

[Narrator]

They were finally made enough. They were made of the right materials and with the right arcane components to receive a spell.

[Matthew Mercer]

But on their way to being made,

[Narrator]

they got knocked over and a bunch of blanks were taken.

[Matthew Mercer]

These are basically. This is the equivalent of stealing Sudafed. Right. It basically went in and like, oh, we're going to grab the blanks and

[Narrator]

then we'll make our own spells on them. Right.

[Matthew Mercer]

Those had gone missing and the janky one appeared to be someone doing a

[Narrator]

quick and dirty on one of those storm blank. Blanks. Yeah.

[Matthew Mercer]

You also

[Narrator]

realized that you had seen the symbol of hand and wheel before on the amphora of pain delivered by Bolaire to the hallowed round currently being used to paint the theater. That had been mentioned as one of the last mental statements of Thiazi Tuhal in his dying moments.

[Matthew Mercer]

You took off from from the Seven Stars after talking about all the things

[Narrator]

you needed to do.

[Matthew Mercer]

You talked about Bettine to Kon. You talked about Romina Roundtree, a maid

[Narrator]

of the Einfasen who's a sister of one of your company members.

[Matthew Mercer]

You talked about getting together the guard. We have to act. We have to act. You talked about going and making nice

[Narrator]

with Dean Cora and indeed the following. Well, before we get to the following morning, arriving back at Hal's home, you met Lord Felonious Haylovar as Azune, invited

[Matthew Mercer]

to stay with hall, decided to stand guard and successfully turned what was an extremely dangerous encounter into one of the Lords Hailovar, after wishing you a soon to be happy candle feast, believes you to be a man of faith.

[Azune]

I am indeed.

[Matthew Mercer]

And looked at you and said, good man. You spent the night in Hal's home.

[Narrator]

A tearful moment of processing that Thyassi is truly gone. And of course, all of the terror that now befalls you.

[Matthew Mercer]

You spent the night there. The following morning you headed out. You began your morning by finding Varon

[Narrator]

Catorn at the Falcon's Rest at the memorial to those that died in the Falconer's Rebellion, and told him, basically, he said that I've been guarding for one of the vassal houses of House Royce. There's. We're getting crazy.

[Matthew Mercer]

Notice there might have been arrests. Something's going on. Am I in trouble?

[Narrator]

And you basically said, we all need to get together, something's afoot and we need to you should quit and we should all get together and start working against this.

[Matthew Mercer]

You also discover Murray went and had

[Narrator]

a heart to heart with Dean Cora,

[Matthew Mercer]

God in her good graces. Amazingly, we're besties now.

[Narrator]

We're besties now.

[Matthew Mercer]

Wherein she agreed with a letter that

[Narrator]

you that Belair had written talking about an internship program and that people should come, students of the Pentap role should come work. And Cora, knowing the Cormoray's special interest in the Archonaut, thought that was a brilliant idea and gave you a big stack of applicants and said get it sorted by the end of the day

[Matthew Mercer]

and told you to hire some TAs

[Narrator]

with a small stipend. But not to hire Demidus Blix, who

[Matthew Mercer]

missed his class this morning.

[Narrator]

Yeah, how odd. Demidus being a well known wizard of the pen temporal who's beloved by all real kid with a lot of school spirit who had to finance his own way at the school and did so with a lot of performing in the Obermacht marketplace or the Obermach Marketplace before that was made illegal.

[Matthew Mercer]

Baulaire had a heart to not a heart to heart, but had a tense exchange with Machma's Gilfedar, who essentially talked about the Saladyne wing and the switching of the wings, or the idea that

[Narrator]

the Saladyne and Loy wing would have a big uprooting of all their artifacts and talked about the wind is blowing one way. Are we going to do the right thing and be brave? Magma says, I refuse to be brave, but I will talk to you and tell you what's happening. Ahzaneh was called to the Palazzo Divinas to investigate this strange Royce absconding Teferi.

[Matthew Mercer]

So much happened in one episode. This is all one episode. Schemer is not. It is the aptly named Schemer's Table. Hal had a morning full of errands disguised as an older Orc carting his dead brother's body in a wheelbarrow. Made like four stops.

[Martin]

First stop I dropped him off.

[Matthew Mercer]

The first stop you dropped him off with Olgud, with Olgood saying, hang tight my man. Can you go bury my brother? Real quick, and Olgood was taking him

[Narrator]

up to the cemetery near where your father.

[Murray]

You mean Carters have a carpool lane. So you do what you can.

[Matthew Mercer]

You then talk to your fight choreographer, Inez Roundtree, saying, I think we should

[Narrator]

talk to your sister tonight, who works for the Einfassen.

[Matthew Mercer]

Starting to pull threads.

[Narrator]

And then you headed to the Grey Library in Marud, where Berendra Moss, an elder Bullfolk librarian, helped you try to

[Matthew Mercer]

find anything about magic masks and what the history of that might be, which

[Narrator]

directed you to a bullet in the library visages of creation, a book that no longer is on the shelves. Fun.

[Matthew Mercer]

You stepped out to see the arrival

[Narrator]

of a massive entourage bearing three red hounds on a white field. The flag of Timony announcing the arrival

[Matthew Mercer]

of King Augustus Valian who who's nowhere to be found.

[Narrator]

They don't know where he is. Announced by a faithful hound who could

[T-Mobile Announcer]

speak in Kahadi America's best network just got bigger. Switch to T Mobile today and get built in benefits the other guys leave out. Plus our 5 year price guarantee and now T Mobile is available in US Cellular stores.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

Best Mobile Network based on analysis by Ogle of Speed Test Intelligence Data. Bigger Network the combination of T Mobile's and US Cellular network footprints will enhance the T Mobile network's coverage price guarantee on talk text and data exclusions like taxes and fees apply. See t mobile.com for details.

[Lowe's Advertiser]

Introducing Home Care Plus, a new subscription service from Lowe's that helps make life easier by giving members a hand with home maintenance. Let Lowe's tackle the tasks you keep meaning to do, like electric dryer, vent cleaning, replacing hard to reach light bulbs and more. Subscribe to Home Care plus for just $99 a year and consider your to do list done. Members get more at Lowe's. Available in select zip codes only. Cancel anytime non refundable fee. Product purchase required terms and service restrictions apply. Details@lowe's.com Terms subject to change.

[Narrator]

You

[Matthew Mercer]

We Return what a recap. We return.

[Narrator]

We return to the Archonaut, the massive museum here in the heart of Dolmakyar wherein Bolaire is hard at work after his meeting with Machmaz and where our friend Murray Magnessen has just arrived with a big stack of papers. Where would Murray find Bolaire here?

[Murray]

Well, this moment I would probably be in my above board office which is out in the open in the room where everybody's working, working on paperwork, Very frustrated. I don't know if you would look at what I'm doing, but I'm clearly Angry and very delicately trying to do something.

[Marisha Ray]

Murray, you just hear,

[Narrator]

What is this

[Marisha Ray]

bureaucracy?

[Murray]

Well, that's been in a file forever.

[Marisha Ray]

Yeah.

[Murray]

What sort of bureaucracy?

[Marisha Ray]

I sort of. Well, I pitched the idea that we should work together. The Arcnaut and the Penteveral. Dean Cora loved it. And so now we have to pick some interns or I have to pick some interns. I guess it's not really on you, but I have to pick some interns by the end of the day because, you know, nothing like a bureaucrat who has absolutely no idea of like how much time work actually fucking takes. But these are a bunch of students from the Arcnod. I can also pick a couple of teacher's assistants. But if you want interns, here they are.

[Murray]

I'm going to idly start flipping through a few. I'm going to very irritatingly put what I'm working on down and start idly flipping through the first few.

[Narrator]

As you begin to flip through the first few, if you're sort of doing it half heartedly, go ahead and give me investigation with disadvantage.

[Murray]

Bs 16.

[Narrator]

You look through on a 16 and you, I think on a 16, investigation. Not all of these applications are created equal. You see a handful in the early version. There are a few students that just seem to be overeager.

[Matthew Mercer]

And you can just tell from the

[Narrator]

scrawl that this is like the fourth application to some extracurricular that they had made. But I think out of 16, you find one or two that actually seem to. I think you just see some termination terminology, some like, oh, you're not casually interested in artifacts. This is actually like something that you have a little bit of either passion about or education in.

[Matthew Mercer]

But I think on a 16 you don't find what you would consider a slam dunk.

[Murray]

I'm just rolling through a few of them.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Marisha Ray]

Well, you have any water?

[Azune]

Yes.

[Narrator]

Or wine?

[Murray]

No. Well, yes, but not here.

[Marisha Ray]

All right.

[Murray]

Water in the quarter?

[Marisha Ray]

Yeah. Stack of papers.

[Murray]

We have to have a quick conversation about this.

[Marisha Ray]

Okay. I come and get

[Murray]

hydrated, whatever it is you people do.

[Marisha Ray]

All right, what's the conversation?

[Murray]

Well, the question is going to be chaos. Do we want controlled chaos or do we want uncontainable chaos? Controlled chaos means we get more of what we want, but it will be easier to discover that we're a problem. Uncontrolled chaos means we get less of what we want, but.

[Marisha Ray]

But it's off of our hands if

[Narrator]

shit goes wrong completely.

[Marisha Ray]

I don't know if that latter is necessarily the case, however, because if anything Goes bad, it's going to be on my ass. Well, whether it's controlled or uncontrolled.

[Murray]

Well, that's the thing is if things go bad and it is on your ass, we will have failed anyway. If things go bad and everything goes well, it won't matter, will it? In for everything or in for nothing. This may end very poorly.

[Marisha Ray]

What exactly do you have in mind? I mean, personally, I would be willing to hedge my bets a little bit

[Narrator]

more on

[Marisha Ray]

having some inside men, some students that we can inscript in our cause. Intelligent students.

[Murray]

I would say. Let's not take too much time on this list.

[Marisha Ray]

Well, I don't have that much time. I've got to the end of the workday. I've got so much other shit I have to do.

[Murray]

Clearly you are gonna need wine. What we should do is just take a quick, quick flow through. Find people that we know to be. We know. You know, these people, just forthright people that you trust would not betray the damage that this is going to cause. People, hopefully who are not parts of moneyed families. And then maybe a smaller list of absolute idiots.

[Marisha Ray]

I'm going to do a quick look through the papers myself.

[Matthew Mercer]

Cool.

[Marisha Ray]

Is Hal's daughter in there? Hero.

[Tycha]

Right?

[Marisha Ray]

She's the one who's at the Hero.

[Azune]

Yeah.

[Marisha Ray]

Is Hero in there?

[Narrator]

Hero studies at the pentephal. Correct.

[Matthew Mercer]

This is Hero in the list of applicants.

[Narrator]

Is she in the. Go ahead and give me investigation.

[Marisha Ray]

Firing up the eyes.

[Murray]

Would you like if I helped give this?

[Narrator]

Yes, you can do this with advantages.

[Martin]

She's 18.

[Marisha Ray]

Investigation. She's 18. Okay. That's gonna be 13.

[Narrator]

I think that with this. This is a very recent process to be able to apply to. What do you think, Hal? Do you think that. Do you think Hero would you have encouraged Hero to apply for extracurriculars during time at the Pentaveral or to dedicate

[Matthew Mercer]

herself to her core studies?

[Martin]

I think that she probably kept on her own track, to be honest.

[Narrator]

You do not find hero's application on F13.

[Marisha Ray]

Shit.

[Murray]

That's all right. I can make a special request. But I feel like it would be inappropriate before talking to Hal about it.

[Marisha Ray]

I agree. You know who else isn't in this stack? You know, I'm very suspicious of it. Do you know Diminish Blick, kind of nerdy kid used to busk in the marketplace.

[Narrator]

We are going to flash back. We are going to flashback.

[Marisha Ray]

What?

[Narrator]

I love a flashback.

[Matthew Mercer]

Belair.

[Narrator]

This is maybe only a year or two ago. It is a bustling, busy day in the orgrimmack marketplace. You are walking home to your apartment. Your apartment actually overlooks this area. There's street performers everywhere. You look and see sort of facing a crowd, standing up on not just

[Matthew Mercer]

a soapbox, but a soapbox on an apple crate.

[Narrator]

To get up high enough, a handsome young gnomish man. Darkish brown skin.

[Matthew Mercer]

He's got a sort of almost like ice cream swirl of foopy hair that goes up. He's got a little blue jacket and a sharp vest. Stands up and goes one and all. Ladies and gentlemen, all comers and goers, please, your attention please. My name is Demetous Blix. And I am an illusionist of the Pentevral Dolmacher's very own academy of what? Wizardry? That's right. You've heard it here, folk. Not sorcery, not anything else of the kind, but wizardry itself. And I come to you as a proud and recent graduate of the school of illusion. Now, illusion, you may ask, what powers does it have with my studies, this candle. And you see, he snaps a finger and a candle lights goes. This candle will be turned from its dull, mundane yellow flame to a flame of a different color. One and all you see. He looks out and goes. He says, that's right. This yellow candle would be made blue before your very eyes. But folks, magic isn't cheap. That's right. It takes money. Real miracles cause currency. And the currency of this kingdom is coin. So please, dig deep, as I will be doing to arcane as this happens.

[Narrator]

People scream as a wagon parts and a dragon moves its head through a pair of curtains at a fruit stand across the way.

[Matthew Mercer]

It's a massive head. As this spiral eyed, glittering dragon goes.

[Narrator]

You're telling me that you can change the color of a candle?

[Matthew Mercer]

Why, for all my riches, I would give the dragons odd. And you see, he goes, I don't need your riches because you're fake. That's right, folks. Bam. And the illusion of the dragon vanishes into his hand. We're not interested in fake gold, all right? We're interested in real gold. For real illusions. Spoke the dragon is but work of magic. The gold is fake, but the illusions are real. Genuine mirages, bonafide figments, all fictions, factual. But first I gotta see some silver gold. I'll take a copper if you like. And you see that. And his act is again, these incredibly remarkable illusions of very stereotypically wealthy monsters trying to pay him and him going,

[Narrator]

I can't take your money.

[Matthew Mercer]

I'm making you up. Bam. As the Illusion fades as he hypes

[Narrator]

people up to see this very low rent candle trick.

[Murray]

I. Oh, oh dear, oh dear. I am going to walk up and I would say very publicly, take out five gold and drop them in the hat. I assume whatever hat it is.

[Narrator]

You drop 5 gold in the hat

[Matthew Mercer]

and you can see that there are

[Narrator]

a number of other street performers around. It's like a busy sort of thoroughfare. You drop 5 gold in into a small hat that is filled with a few copper. Maybe a silver piece he put in

[Matthew Mercer]

there to suggest that you could put a silver piece in there.

[Murray]

I think I'm probably pretty well known for over tipping buskers.

[Narrator]

Anyway, as he does that, you see that he sort of wraps up his.

[Matthew Mercer]

Or you do that. He goes, hey, thank you. This gentleman right here is a real patron of the arts, sir. And I see that you wear a fine mask yourself. I have something of an interest in

[Narrator]

facades and appearances and may I say yours quite dashing.

[Murray]

Thank you, young sir.

[Matthew Mercer]

What's your name, kind sir?

[Murray]

Balare. It's a pleasure. What is your name?

[Matthew Mercer]

Demetous Blix. You see, he looks around and as

[Narrator]

sort of the crowd begins to disperse, he hops off and goes over and says, Hey, I.

[Matthew Mercer]

Sorry.

[Narrator]

Takes the cap and goes. This is quite a. Quite a sum. Are you. I don't mean to. This is a lot of money.

[Murray]

Yes, well, that's a lot of talent.

[Narrator]

I really don't. I really don't. Well, would it help you if you knew how I was going to use it? Or do I owe you anything for.

[Murray]

I understand that this sort of thing can feel like a debt. It's inevitable. How about we have a cup of coffee and we discuss your future. Because you are quite talented, you're very young and you need polishing. I would be curious what sorts of. What are your thoughts for your future?

[Narrator]

I found where I want to spend the rest of my life. Pentaveral is the best. It's the best place in Aramont. I want to. The school gave me everything. If I can be lucky enough to, I don't know, help put a word of power together or find something or even just teach another kid, kids like me, how to do this. I love this, you know, this is the. I love these illusions, you know, like they. They're not real, but they're realer than. Everything starts as an illusion.

[Marisha Ray]

First,

[Murray]

fascinating.

[Narrator]

Coffee sounds great. And hey, I'll treat you. Cause you've been more than generous.

[Murray]

Well, at least I know that you know how to spend money.

[Martin]

Well,

[Matthew Mercer]

you see he smiles the next

[Narrator]

time you walk through the marketplace seeing him perform, you see that his tiny little soapbox made of this plywood that he's only not breaking because he's a three and a half foot tall gnome, has a tiny inscription that has been put illusory there, but permanently so. It's like an enchantment on the box. And it's very funny because it's just a tiny little soapbox. And written on it is a sort of laughing mask with gold coins around it. And his soapbox now says the Belair center for Performing Arts.

[Murray]

Lord, I will definitely keep dropping one gold coin every time I pass. And we would have definitely at this point had a few conversations about when he's ready, what I can do to help secure his future in the Pentebrel. God save anyone who wishes to be a teacher.

[Narrator]

We return to this present moment in the Arcanade as you hear Murray speaking of Demidus Blix.

[Marisha Ray]

You know, Demodus Blix, little gnome guy, not really the most terse individual. He's a little bit like vertical.

[Murray]

I'm well aware.

[Marisha Ray]

Okay, he's gone. He didn't show up for class. And that is not like divine. This is like Mr. School Spirit. He shows up, he's. I don't think that kid's ever even been sick in his life. Or at least if he has been sick, when was the last. He's gotten everybody else sick because he still shows up.

[Murray]

When was the last time I saw

[Narrator]

him busking before they made it illegal?

[Marisha Ray]

Yeah, I feel like I got to track him down. I. I don't know. We've had.

[Murray]

That is very disturbing.

[Narrator]

I think it's very. Give me a. We'll call it.

[Matthew Mercer]

It's sort of like a luck check,

[Narrator]

but we'll call it a history check.

[Murray]

Straight up.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Murray]

Got a 20.

[Narrator]

You talked with him one time after it was made illegal.

[Matthew Mercer]

You had enough of a coffee date.

[Narrator]

There was a way for him to reach you. And you remember him just saying, yeah, the. Well, I, you know, not being able to perform is tough, but that I,

[Matthew Mercer]

I think there's some other. There's some other way.

[Narrator]

There's like other ways to make some money. And you've been so generous in the past. And there's, you know, I'll find a way. The. There's like, there's job postings. I'm. I'm gonna go talk to Dean Tall Barrel and, and put myself up for some job postings because sometimes people will come in and like contour to the school, but the school doesn't really do that. But they'll make recommendations to grad students if they want to take the work.

[Azune]

So I'll.

[Narrator]

I'll figure something out. You know, you just gotta stay up and you see that there's a tiny little chameleon familiar on his shoulder.

[Murray]

I would know how to get a hold of him, I assume.

[Narrator]

Yeah, you would know where he stays at the Pentagon.

[Murray]

And I'm sure I would have started figuring out how to anonymously make sure that his situation was maintained.

[Narrator]

I think on that history check,

[Matthew Mercer]

your

[Narrator]

ability to move funds to him was.

[Octys]

Was.

[Narrator]

You have obviously enough income that you can help support him, but with the loss of that performance space, it's not that he would starve, but his studies, his tuition, buy books, that type of a thing. Yeah, material components. So there was. He knew that due to your support, he wouldn't have to go hungry. But it's possible that. That. That his dreams were larger than just not going hungry.

[Murray]

I'm sure I would have been looking into some sort of process to make sure that he maintained his school one way or another, and in ways that would not indebt him to me or feel like such a thing.

[Marisha Ray]

I don't like it. Maybe we can run a quick errand, knock on his door.

[Murray]

I would very, very much appreciate that. My name is Get. You fart with him if you don't know him particularly well.

[Marisha Ray]

I know him all right. I mean, he. He was a part of our grant program, more or less. I mean, the kid didn't have a cent to his name.

[Murray]

I'm well aware he was in my

[Marisha Ray]

office quite a lot. Make sure that he could continue his studies.

[Murray]

But he was very talented.

[Martin]

Why?

[Murray]

What have you done to me? He is very talented.

[Marisha Ray]

Me? What?

[Murray]

Oh, I'm terrified of the bloody future now.

[Narrator]

Oh, my God.

[Marisha Ray]

Is this. Is this empathy that I'm seeing behind this glossy facade?

[Narrator]

Oh, no.

[Marisha Ray]

You care.

[Murray]

No, darling. This is empathy that you're seeing in front of this glossy facade. I love empathy. I always have.

[Narrator]

Azune, you are also quite near the Arcanade right now.

[Azune]

I am.

[Narrator]

You've been called to the Palazzo Divinos. You're with your detail. What are you doing at this press?

[Azune]

Well, from the Brethren hall towards the Palazzo Divinos, it's a little bit of a walk. And I know that Arcanat is not far away.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah.

[Azune]

Been clocking my detail after the speech I gave them, and this sort of lukewarm, hard to read response I got from them afterwards. And in my mind I am feeling like it's burning in my pocket. The active glyph, the one with missy step on it. I'm going to turn to my detail and I'm going to say everyone I know that we have an assignment towards the Palazzo Divinos to investigate it. We need a quick detour towards the Archanad. There some unfinished business that's very pressing that I need to take care of first. Follow me.

[Narrator]

The detail falls in behind you and I think Murray and Bolaire you see towards your more public office. Are there notes being passed in class?

[Matthew Mercer]

I who have gone. I hope you brought enough for everybody.

[Azune]

Read it out loud.

[Matthew Mercer]

Read it out. Read your joke out loud.

[Marisha Ray]

I'll say. He thought me slapping down the stack of papers was my.

[T-Mobile Announcer]

Oh my goodness.

[Marisha Ray]

He thought it was Murray's tits.

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh, that's paper.

[Marisha Ray]

Yeah.

[Azune]

Why wouldn't you read that out loud?

[Murray]

It made a very strange sound that

[Marisha Ray]

that stack is about as thick as Murray's ass. So no, it's not that far out.

[Matthew Mercer]

Unbelievable.

[Azune]

Oh my goodness.

[Matthew Mercer]

Azsuna, you end up walking in about

[Narrator]

this time in the conversation. Azsuna, you and turn join with Belair.

[Azune]

And I would have left my detail waiting for me outside.

[Narrator]

Cool. I come in.

[Azune]

I see you, Baler, and I am. You can see on my face. I'm so fucking glad to see you here as well.

[Octys]

Oh, okay.

[Azune]

Two of you.

[Narrator]

Great. Hi.

[Marisha Ray]

I'm just kind of like. As he shows up going through these

[Murray]

papers and I'm back to clearly, delicately and frustratingly attempting to. Well, I don't know if anyone's looked at what I'm doing without.

[Azune]

How free am I to speak here is this. Are we to be spied upon here?

[Murray]

No, I think where I look around, there's just. There's just the people who work directly with me. And while I haven't told them everything yet, clearly they are aware that shit's going down.

[Narrator]

Yeah, for sure.

[Azune]

Well, I won't take up too much of your time, but I just balayare, I have some stuff that I need to give you. I've been assigned.

[Martin]

I'm so bored.

[Azune]

Oh, well. And I start to search through my pockets and I'm searching for the glitch that I got from Thimble, the false one and the candle and the other one that I got from Oras that has been split into the used up one. And while I'm searching for all that stuff, I say to the both of you, Lord Einfelsen has tasked me with investigating the PALAZZO DE MINOS My detail of arcane marshals is waiting for me outside. And I don't know what's going to be waiting for me there, but I know that I don't want. And this is when I hand you the glyph with the misty step. I know that with a team of arcane marshals.

[Octys]

Yeah.

[Marisha Ray]

You don't want to find that on you.

[Azune]

I don't want them to. So I'll give you the misty step glyph. The one, the false one that doesn't ping any magic. And I pull out the candle that we used and I give that to you.

[Marisha Ray]

What are you gonna do? I mean, you're in a position of power in this situation. Are you gonna report the truth?

[Azune]

I'm gonna report something. And that's when I hand to you one half of that split glyph.

[Narrator]

Cool.

[Azune]

That has had any markings, recognizable markings, kind of scraped off of it.

[Narrator]

Cool.

[Azune]

I hand you one half. The other half I'm gonna find there as evidence of something that went amiss. My plan, hopefully, is that we can find a way to inscribe on these something that implicates House Taconis. And the half that you have, well, you can plant that on somebody. This is gonna be evidence.

[Marisha Ray]

Yeah, I know. I'm a Taconis on a Taconis.

[Azune]

Preferably someone that we can. At some point, maybe a gala. They'll be put in a position where I can find it on them.

[Marisha Ray]

What makes you think that even if you implicate the Taconuses in this, that anyone in the sundered Houses is even going to listen to you?

[Azune]

Well, if I build up enough evidence, enough of a case. This is just one other thing to add to that list. Want them to suspect each other. And Einfasten is someone that I'm gonna be talking to on the regular. If I can give him evidence of something that he's unaware of, then that's gonna at least plant the seed of suspicion. He doesn't strike me as the kind of person that wants to be left out of the loop. He speaks of collaboration. I need to convince him that the collaboration has been uneven.

[Tycha]

All right.

[Marisha Ray]

All right.

[Azune]

It doesn't have to happen today.

[Marisha Ray]

I mean, it's a gamble. I think any type of just judiciary due process is pretty much out the window. You know that, right?

[Azune]

I do.

[Marisha Ray]

The only way that you're gonna get Eimphassen to listen to you is if you convince them that somehow the Taconises can are targeting the Eimphassens.

[Azune]

I intend to do that, I met with Varan Cadorn, my contact, and it looks like that part of what I hoped to do is in motion. Now there's going to be a number of people joining the other sundered houses working for us.

[Marisha Ray]

All right, that's good.

[Azune]

House Royce and a lot of their vassal houses have been targeted out beyond Dharmakiar. Look, I can give you the full update when we're all together, but they're waiting for me.

[Marisha Ray]

All right. All right. Do you need anything from me before you go? Can I help you? Can I help you? Can I give you something? What do I have?

[Azune]

What can I. I don't know what I'm going to find there. And I wouldn't mind having other eyes and ears. Colleagues of mine are welcome to work alongside me. Bolaire.

[Murray]

Yes?

[Azune]

How good are you at trickery? Can you impersonate a Taconis?

[Murray]

As long as they're not too well known.

[Azune]

Can you impersonate a specter of a Taconis?

[Narrator]

What do you think of that kind of trickery?

[Azune]

I would love for the arcane marshals working under me to leave the Palazzo Divinos thinking that they saw something terrifying that suggested something very terrible happened there.

[Marisha Ray]

I know a really great illusionist, but he just happens to be missing at the time.

[Narrator]

Great to see. Well,

[Azune]

if you can, wherever you go next, pass by the Palazzo di Minos,

[Marisha Ray]

I can give you a little magic mouth situation on one of those runes that you can trigger to your liking. That's about all I can do right now.

[Azune]

I don't think I have. I don't have another blank rune. I don't have anything to put that on.

[Murray]

Would we have a blank rune?

[Narrator]

Probably not.

[Marisha Ray]

I mean, you don't even need a rune. You can put it on a coin, theoretically, and trigger it as you need.

[Azune]

Then I will hand you a coin

[Matthew Mercer]

if that's the case.

[Marisha Ray]

Okay. I've never done this before. How does magic mouth work?

[Murray]

And I'm looking. I don't. I think I can definitely trick one person. I'm trying to see if. I'm double checking to see if I can do something to a. To a group of people.

[Azune]

Okay, said a circumstance.

[Marisha Ray]

I think you said a circumstance. Which could the circumstance be? Whenever Azune wants it to be. Imagine ifrs recites a message in my voice at the same volume as I spoke. I can try to sound like a Taconus.

[Narrator]

I'm Lord Primus. Taconus.

[Octys]

Hmm.

[Marisha Ray]

Does that sound like him?

[Matthew Mercer]

Not much. One more try.

[Murray]

More acting.

[Azune]

Oh, boy.

[Martin]

Or less do it, but mean it.

[Travis Willingham]

Wait, already?

[Murray]

No, less acting. Less acting. No, no. Try mime.

[Azune]

Interpretive dance.

[Murray]

Well, I feel better already. There's nothing I can do to a crowd, but I can. I can do quite a bit. If you give me access to an individual. Yes. I can do some truly terrible things.

[Azune]

Okay. I will split us up into pairs and I will take the person that goes with me towards the west wing of the Divinos estate.

[Marisha Ray]

What's the plan?

[Azune]

We need to convince them that they saw something. An echo of what happened there. A specter that tells them that House to Konis obliterated Royce and Davinos. That conversation needs to begin out in the world, in private, in public. Rumors. I need someone that's not me to return. Return to the Brethren hall, claiming that they have evidence or saw a vision. That Taconis did terrible things there.

[Murray]

That will not be hard. I will just need access to somebody with. I'll need access to somebody with

[Narrator]

inscrutable credentials.

[Murray]

Someone who would never lie.

[Azune]

Okay.

[Murray]

Somebody with power. But in the meantime, I have forgery to work on and it's going poorly. It occurs to me that

[Azune]

a significant

[Murray]

chunk of this collection, or at least a small portion of it, could in theory, belong to the Lloyd family. And so, with just a couple pieces of paperwork, instead of maintaining the collection, a bunch of it would go back to them.

[Azune]

Now you're going onto topics that are a little bit above my head.

[Marisha Ray]

I've got some minor illusion I can try and I can roll with you and be invisible and just try and figure some shit out. If you want to be spooky about

[Azune]

it, take care of whatever you need to take care of. That sounds like it's a viable plan. What you suggested, I think, sounds viable. I have to. To return to them before you.

[Marisha Ray]

Meet you at House Primus. At House Taconis.

[Azune]

Stavinos.

[Marisha Ray]

House Divinos.

[Azune]

Alas Divinos. It's not far from here.

[Marisha Ray]

Ah, shit. All right, all right, all right.

[Tycha]

You can.

[Marisha Ray]

All right.

[Azune]

I know we all have a lot on our minds and a lot to take care of. I must go. And I'll excuse myself from the two of you.

[Narrator]

Azuna, you take off to rejoin your details and head to the Palazzo Divinas, leaving Murray and Bolaire behind with a quickly tightening set of conspiratorial circumstances

[Matthew Mercer]

up at the Gray Library. Hal, you leave having found this unfortunate dead end, and you see a sort of a cavalcade. There are horses and carriages and a lot of hounds running around in the courtyard of the gray tower.

[Narrator]

You see this speaking hound, this

[Marisha Ray]

broad

[Matthew Mercer]

chested, muscular little fox like dog looking around, being like His Majesty. Anyone eyes on His Majesty?

[Narrator]

You see that a carriage opens and there is a beautiful older woman, her hair tied back in one of those gold beaded and braided nets. The medieval nets. And a small bonnet above her head. A dress of white and cream orange that comes around her looking out. And she looks out and says, has anyone seen Gus anywhere? You see that, Martin says, you, Highness, I'm afraid not.

[Matthew Mercer]

And just sort of see the scene unfolding of a confused looking regional entourage.

[Martin]

So I've just randomly walked out of the library after hours and a retinue has arrived and they announced him and he's nowhere to be seen. Can I ask, has he ever been here? Is this beyond out of the ordinary that King Gus would be here in Dolmach?

[Narrator]

Here, give me a history check.

[Martin]

All right, that's 21.

[Matthew Mercer]

21.

[Narrator]

The King Augustus Valian has never before

[Matthew Mercer]

made his way to Dolmachyar to speak

[Narrator]

to the revolutionary council.

[Matthew Mercer]

But you would know on a 21

[Narrator]

that Timony has only been a kingdom for a very short time. It was formerly a part of Argosia and they won their independence during the war of Axe and Vine. Your brother and you were fighting in the east across the pass, but to the north of Dolmachia, your sort of nearest neighbor, Timony won its independence during that war on 21. You had always heard rumors that King

[Matthew Mercer]

Gus would have fought in the Falcon's

[Narrator]

Rebellion, save for the sad fact that he was already a king and could only oppose himself.

[Matthew Mercer]

That was sort of the joke that

[Narrator]

within the context of his traveling here, I think on a 21 history, you're maybe not sure exactly why he's traveling

[Matthew Mercer]

here, but there are regional caravans that

[Narrator]

come through Dol Makyar all the time. It's the seat of the revolutionary council. It's the home of the victory of the Shapers War. Right. There's a lot of reasons to want

[Matthew Mercer]

to come here on a 21. Is there anything in particular that you're

[Narrator]

interested in knowing about this retinue and what they might be doing here?

[Martin]

Well, I just wanted to get grasp roleplay wise, if this kind of thing. Am I seeing an alien land? Essentially.

[Narrator]

Gotcha.

[Matthew Mercer]

You are not seeing an alien land. You may never have seen one of

[Narrator]

the hounds of the king before, but no, this appears to be.

[Matthew Mercer]

And as you're seeing, you are very

[Narrator]

much a bystander witnessing this event unfold

[Matthew Mercer]

as you walk past. I Think that you on a 21.

[Narrator]

I'll say that this sort of comical scene of a retinue that somehow has lost its king.

[Matthew Mercer]

I think a 21 is a high

[Narrator]

enough history role that, you know, part of the history of Timony is that Gus was

[Matthew Mercer]

believed to be a bastard

[Narrator]

but was actually a trueborn. That part of what happened with him was he was raised by the kennel masters of the Lord his father and ended up opposing him. So he was raised sort of in and amongst commoners before he became king.

[Matthew Mercer]

So in other words, no royal born

[Narrator]

to royalty would just peel off into a city. But you're dealing with someone that would feel probably.

[Martin]

So it's like a young prince Hal who mixed with false Dafluresk. I think because it is so out of the ordinary. I'm going to sort of hang in the crowd a bit and see if I can at the very least lay eyes on this king. If I wait a bit. If time passes, do they wait for

[Narrator]

him to arrive or give me a perception check? You can do so with advantage.

[Martin]

Okay.

[Narrator]

Because you're waiting and being patient.

[Martin]

That's a 19 and that is the roll. So the perception check is 23.

[Matthew Mercer]

23.

[Narrator]

An extremely elegant greyhound lopes over towards this sort of area. Fast looking dog walks up looking at the crowd, addressing those you that are looking at the retinue and says,

[Azune]

good

[Narrator]

morrow to all of you and deepest and sincerest regards from this the retinue of King Augustus Valian. I am sorry to address you so plainly in this manner. Have any of you seen any? A dashing and handsome king astride a white steel.

[Matthew Mercer]

And you see that the fox like dog from the carriage goes cavalier, don't, don't do that, don't do that. And runs over and says it's fine. Thank you for your time. One and all those of you fine

[Narrator]

citizens of Dolmarkyard looking at the king right now.

[Martin]

That's what's going on right now.

[Narrator]

He looks at you and says, looking at the king. No, if I was the king I'd get my way from time to time around here. But no, I don't. Instead I'm out here cleaning up the mess. Handless I might add. Thank you very much for your time, sir.

[Martin]

Well, good sir, whoever you may be, welcome to Dolmachyar. You are well met.

[Narrator]

I am Ser Martin. It's a pleasure, my friend. And you see that the greyhound looks up at you and smiles and says, I am Ser Cavalier. It is a pleasure. And what might I call you, fine friend?

[Martin]

Oh, you can call me Hallandielfang.

[Narrator]

Hallandilfang.

[Matthew Mercer]

And you see that Martin turns around

[Narrator]

and says, halendilfang, the performer, the playwright.

[Martin]

I humbly admit, my place in the streets of this city. Yes, you're actually coming. I don't know if your business here is fell or fair, but if you have some time in the city, we are on the verge of ushering in a new work in a little over a week here in the city. So if you are staying for a while, let me humbly invite you to the hallowed round.

[Narrator]

The hallowed round? Well, you know, we're here on some pressing business and I don't know that. Well, see, Cavalier looks at you and says, your play, is it one of heroes and of good deeds? Of true love, where good conquers evil and night is banished by the light of day?

[Martin]

It's a story of taking a stand.

[Narrator]

You see that A cavalier goes up on his hind legs with his paws up. Splendid. I would love to see this play. You see, Martin goes, yes, if we have time. It's opening tonight.

[Martin]

We're about a week off. Too far off for you?

[Narrator]

Yes, certainly.

[Matthew Mercer]

Well, that's not my call to make.

[Narrator]

His Majesty, if he wants to stay in the city and leave Timmins Rock unattended in the midst of strife for a week or several weeks, then that's fine.

[Martin]

I'll tell you what, I'll make you an offer. Make an offer out of pocket.

[Murray]

Good to be the king.

[Martin]

I own the show, I own the place. I get to make the decisions. If you only have a night or two, swing by the hallowed round, ask for me by name and we'll have some of the company give just a

[Narrator]

private performance, you see, as he says that, you see, he says, I will be sure. The lady of the carriage, older woman, walks over and says, sir Cavalier, Ser Martin, are you. To whom are you speaking? You see that cavalier says, this is Alan Diel Fang. And you see, she looks and says, oh, Mr. Fang, it's a pleasure.

[Matthew Mercer]

You see that?

[Narrator]

Martin looks up and says, harold Fang has recently come into possession of the hallowed round, which was one of the. When we were speaking of the creed earlier. And their. Well, we understand that you have won a deed of title to a quite significant religious location, or at least once was.

[Martin]

It has great historic value here in the city and it has been a long time coming. I've worked a better part of my life to get to this moment, so I have.

[Narrator]

You see that? She says, congratulations to you, sir. I'm sorry you find us at a bit of a puzzlement. Here we are as ever, as ever, we have become apart at the seams.

[Martin]

I'm afraid it is all not well, my lady.

[Narrator]

Oh, it is, it is. Give me an insight check. 18. She's trying to mask. The thing that she's presenting to you

[Marisha Ray]

is

[Narrator]

this is the sort of bumbling circus of small regional power that has come to the great metropolis of Dolmakyar to speak to the revolutionary council. Underneath that is a genuine chaos, not a funny one. They have come here. They have come here hurriedly. The degree to which even with the pomp and circumstance and the armored knights and everything else, she is trying to sort of hand wave in that way you do when you're like, ah, I'm scruffy, it's been crazy. And you're like, yeah, you haven't showered in like two weeks. You know that way that it's the hand wave over the deeper thing. She. Challenging times. Um, might I ask. Oh, and here she looks up and you see that Martin looks to her and she says, I had not put together until just this moment. I'm very sorry for your loss.

[Martin]

Oh, that's. That's kind of you. Thank you. Tumultuous time all around here in this

[Narrator]

city and abroad, you see, she says, well I. And Martin says, yes, you see on that insight check, the dog is a little agitated by how loudly and clearly she just says I'm sorry for your loss. And she looks and says, well, should your play or your troupe ever travel, I hope you make it as far as. As far as Timmins Rock. I am the Duchess Lizabetta, the king's sister. And you see a young

[Matthew Mercer]

11 year

[Narrator]

old boy comes over smiling and bows very astutely and says, hello sir. And she says, and this is the young Prince Rowan.

[Martin]

Oh, I bow to this.

[Narrator]

You see that? He returns it with a head nod and she sort of pats him. And you see, he looks and says, am I supposed to bow back? You said this was a free city and we're not. And you see, she looks and says we may always bow. And you see that she pats him on the head and nods hers as well. If I might ask a favor, my brother the king will certainly ask where, Where good drink, good conversation and good company might be had in the city. My brother is very wary of hearing news only from the ministers and viziers of state.

[Martin]

Wise, wise to keep company in a variety of places. I do know a little place off the beaten path if you guys are Able to make your way about the city with some discrepancy. You can try the seven Stars.

[Narrator]

She smiles and says, and they serve ale here at the 77 stars. Oh, do they? Yes, they do. Very charmed, Mr. Fang. I must attend to our retinue as we will have to present to the council San's monarch.

[Martin]

But, well, they are chaotic times, but as long as we keep a hold of our hearts and his voice reverberates on that single word, we will make it through. And I give her bardic inspiration.

[Narrator]

She touches a hand to her chest and says, all right, come here, my sweetheart. And gives the young prince a kiss on the head as they hold hands and walk out from the retinue.

[Martin]

Actually, me, don't forget my wink at him and say, kindness is free.

[Narrator]

He slowly smiles and nods his head to you as well. I bow again

[Matthew Mercer]

and they walk off.

[Narrator]

You see the cavalier turns to you, nods as well, says a good man, and walks away. Martin looks and says, thank you for your advice. The seven stars, this is in the rookery, correct?

[Martin]

That is correct.

[Narrator]

I'll review the mass of the city. Thank you. And you see that the tired little sort of fox like dog wanders off and you see the retinue makes their way into the revolutionary council.

[Martin]

Hal respects these dogs so highly, but I just want to squirt your.

[Murray]

Who's a good, good hand of the king?

[Matthew Mercer]

Who's a good hand of the king?

[Travis Willingham]

You are.

[Matthew Mercer]

You are put upon a dog working his ass off. How after that, where do you make your way to?

[Martin]

I did a bunch of errands, so I think I will just go. I know we want to check out these paints and we're all going to confer, compare notes. So I will try to get to the hallowed round first and be ready.

[Narrator]

Hell yeah.

[Martin]

Make sure we have privacy.

[Narrator]

You get to the hallowed round.

[Matthew Mercer]

Go ahead.

[Narrator]

If you'd be so kind and give me a performance check as you get there. Just in terms of engaging with the work of your day.

[Murray]

Sure.

[Martin]

That is a 24.

[Matthew Mercer]

24, very high. This plays coming together as you get there, you see Shadia looks up and

[Narrator]

waves and says, morning, dad, and gives you a kiss.

[Matthew Mercer]

See, her hands are stained with paint

[Narrator]

and she's off working all over.

[Matthew Mercer]

You see over in the corner, she's

[Narrator]

actually taking a break from painting everything to get the street troops together, get the crier teams together for going out

[Matthew Mercer]

and actually getting people barking. Yeah, barking, bringing people in. So it's a little bit more than a week to go. Time to get people psyched for the opening night.

[Martin]

I think seeing whoever is here scurrying about, I will walk down to the center of the round and say, everyone, can I get your attention for a second? I just want to say I know how hard you all have been working. I have no doubt that we will get there in a week. I can see how tired you all are. That's lunch. Please, please, on me. Everyone, make your back to the rookery. Go eat and don't come back for three hours, okay?

[Matthew Mercer]

Hey, he's too shiny. He goes, whoa.

[Marisha Ray]

Really?

[Matthew Mercer]

Can we still?

[Narrator]

Can we actually? Is it okay to use some of that time to actually go plan some spots in the city that we're gonna,

[Matthew Mercer]

like, bark at and do stuff?

[Martin]

The city is yours, as always.

[Matthew Mercer]

Onward. And she just does a full, like, acrobatics flip, flip, flip, flip, flip, spin. Bam. Lands and takes off with her friends.

[Martin]

That's my kid

[Marisha Ray]

love. A walk away lunch.

[Matthew Mercer]

She takes off. You see, Nevada says, hal, you are such a darling to them. And I actually could use the time off. I don't know if you've heard about the Timony people, but I'll tell you what, these dogs are barking. And she says, let me tell you,

[Martin]

get yourself to the the seven stars if you want to look at royalty.

[Matthew Mercer]

My God. Finally, my chance to marry up. She says, by the way, whoever you've released lunch to,

[Narrator]

she looks out and

[Matthew Mercer]

says, we've no word from Misha this morning.

[Azune]

Oh,

[Martin]

maybe I'll send a runner to his house. When's the last time you saw him?

[Matthew Mercer]

The last time I saw him. Well, he was here at rehearsal yesterday.

[Martin]

Okay, okay, okay. I will add it to the to do list. Go have a pint. Have a pint for me.

[Matthew Mercer]

A pint shall be had.

[Marisha Ray]

Who's Misha?

[Narrator]

Dramatis Arcana. Yes, Dramatis arcana.

[Martin]

Sort of the magical technique.

[Murray]

Oh, boy, this is looking bad.

[Narrator]

Amphitheater.

[Octys]

Why?

[Marisha Ray]

Magic users going missing.

[Matthew Mercer]

This is bad.

[Martin]

I'll tell you later when you get here.

[Narrator]

Yep.

[Marisha Ray]

Yeah.

[Matthew Mercer]

Incredible.

[Narrator]

So, Azune arriving at the Palazzo Divinos. Yes.

[Matthew Mercer]

You see that?

[Narrator]

Arcane marshals are present.

[Matthew Mercer]

You see that?

[Narrator]

There are. You see, Horondas Einfassen is on the scene.

[Matthew Mercer]

You and your team.

[Narrator]

He's there, he's there.

[Murray]

Oh, shit.

[Martin]

Einfossen,

[Azune]

how many other Arcane marshals are here?

[Matthew Mercer]

In addition to my details, only Einfazen's security are there.

[Narrator]

Yours is the only Arcane martial detail that has shown up.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay, there are some other Revolutionary Guard,

[Narrator]

but very few, as most of them have Been released.

[Matthew Mercer]

But basically you're essentially the detectives arriving

[Narrator]

on the scene with people that have closed the perimeter.

[Azune]

Got it. Okay. As I approach, I am utterly aware of Einfassen. And I'm very sensitive to how he might regard me. The expression on his face,

[Narrator]

if it's

[Azune]

sour, I'm really wanting to clock to

[Narrator]

see if he's give me insight. As you approach.

[Azune]

12,

[Narrator]

he turns to you. He is regarding you with a smug condescension that you think overlays a little bit of suspicion and alarm.

[Azune]

Noted.

[Narrator]

Lieutenant. I am pleased to see you have arrived. The Palazzo has been cordoned off. And this purported disappearance to Faerie reopening of the door to those lands beyond wherein the Fair folk dwell. We would like to get to the bottom of this at once. I have some sorcerous ability myself, but not in the manner that might unveil certain questions. If you would be so kind as to assume, avail yourself and your team of your unique abilities.

[Azune]

Of course, my Lord. I have a plan in place. The four of us know what to do from here. Will you wait for us on the outside of the Palazzo?

[Narrator]

It is.

[Azune]

Or will you accompany us and come inside alongside us?

[Narrator]

Give me a persuasion check. Okay.

[Marisha Ray]

Oh my God, I'm so nervous.

[Narrator]

22 he goes. Oh, the choice is mine. Is there an effect on the magic? If we are present while you are conducting your investigation, or there are. What would you recommend, Lieutenant?

[Azune]

I'm going to approach him so that that it's clearly just a private one on one moment. Well, my lord, at some point I was going to offer to you a bit of a hands on look at how we do what we do. If that is of interest to you,

[Narrator]

then by all means, I would love to accompany you on your investigation.

[Azune]

Of the three that are with me, the speech that I gave to them before Horus, Dalla and Grotto. Horace. Not to be confused with Oras.

[Narrator]

Yes.

[Azune]

Did I get a sense of one of them being less enthusiastic about what I was speaking about? Or was it just sort of a general?

[Narrator]

I think you didn't sense any large commitment. Commitment from any of them of being against you or what you were saying?

[Azune]

Okay.

[Narrator]

I think what you sensed was trepidation from people who view this as a job.

[Marisha Ray]

Like I'm getting paid a minimum wage, man.

[Travis Willingham]

I don't.

[Azune]

Okay.

[Murray]

Dental.

[Azune]

Horace and Dala, you take the east wing. Grotto, you come with me. We'll explore the west. Activate everything that you have at your disposal. We're not just sensing magic in the traditional sense. I want you to open your eyes, your ears, everything you have, to any echoes of anything that might have happened here.

[Narrator]

Oh, my God. You see that? They say, lieutenant. And you watch as the Arcane Marshals here again, dressed in the sort of armor of the Revolutionary Guard, their eyes variously shimmer alight. And you see Horondas looks at the flicker of magic in this space as the Arcane Marshals,

[Matthew Mercer]

warriors though they are

[Narrator]

having these innate magical gifts, begin to move through, casting both detect magic and using a kind of Paladin's divine sense, a sort of mixture of. Of actual spellcasting with an intuitive potent power. Sort of beyond that, moving through the space, you see that Horace and Dalla take off and Grotto accompanies you, or. Sorry, no, grotto accompanies you, along with the Lord Einfassen, who walks with you into the space. You walk back in and you see there are tables with some now sweaty cheese and things that have been put out. The Gala was a day ago. You look and see the illusions have all faded and gone of the things that were welcoming people to the Gala and the disappearance of the Royce returning to Faerie. As you enter, do you want to make an actual. Even though you have your own plans here, do you want to make your actual investigation check?

[Azune]

Oh, absolutely. And I will say to Lord Einfasten, it is important that you hang back, observe, and no matter what you see, if you see anything that seems peculiar in any of the members of the Arcane Marshals, just allow it to unfold. It's best if you don't use your own magic at this moment. It might interfere with what we do.

[Narrator]

Understood. I don't want you to detect anything that would suggest that I was here or present on the night. I understand completely. Yes.

[Azune]

Thank you. And I'm going to. I don't have time to do the ritual, so I'm just going to activate Detect magic.

[Narrator]

You activate Detect magic and begin to move through space. Go ahead and give me investigation with advantage. Great.

[Azune]

Ooh, A 20 on investigation.

[Narrator]

A 20 on an investigation. The last time you were here,

[Azune]

the

[Narrator]

last time you were here, when only so far as this big central chamber where the candle was, you found no bodies, no blood of any kind. You walk up into the west wing where you find some quarters that are on a 20. A little bit unusual to you, looking in this space. It's a small bedroom room, little chamber. On a 20 investigation, you don't get any magic. You don't get any magic, which is unusual because there's a residue in the Palazzo Divinos from the presence of the Royces here for many, many years. It's sort of like people that smoke in a house and there's a residue on the psyched. Yes, this room is clean. This is a clean, clean, clean room. And you look in the corner, you don't detect any magic at all. You know, on a magician's level, this place looks fine. On an interior decorator's level, it's kind of a weird open spot in the sort of feng shui of the room. You look in a corner,

[Matthew Mercer]

there's a

[Narrator]

chair standing nearby that's been put up against the wall. That's clearly a chair that wants to be at a desk. And there's no desk here. Looking at the wall there, there's a lot of damage to the stone on

[Matthew Mercer]

the wall

[Narrator]

that has clearly been mended with a mending cantrip. But the mending cantrip can't fabricate more stone.

[Matthew Mercer]

So if something damaged this, it can patch things over.

[Narrator]

But you're just looking and being like, oh, this is like.

[Matthew Mercer]

If you blow a hole in a wall and you clean up the rubble and mend the wall, it'll be like

[Narrator]

a thin little strip of the.

[Matthew Mercer]

You know, like you can see the

[Marisha Ray]

putty in the drywall.

[Narrator]

You can see the putty in the drywall.

[Marisha Ray]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Narrator]

And there's a table in this room. And what you see in that table is it's a beautiful table, really finely made with one glaring flaw in it. There's just a really ugly knife mark in the middle of the table. Like someone drove a knife down hard into the table surface.

[Azune]

I am taking my time first looking at the wall and these marks and see a sigh in my mind seeing what else could have been here. If there's what looks like it could be a blast mark, was it? Or something in the way a body that would have absorbed some of it. I mean, almost as if I can. I'm looking for a person shaped outline on the wall, but not quite that exaggerated, you know what I mean? Anything that would have absorbed what could have caused that damage on the wall.

[Narrator]

This is a funny one. I'll make it a low DC. I'll make it a DC15. Give me a nature check.

[Azune]

Okay.

[Narrator]

Which is not a skill I think you have. But it's only a DC15.

[Marisha Ray]

Nature check.

[Martin]

Cool.

[Marisha Ray]

Only a DC15. It's not.

[Narrator]

Groto will give you the help action.

[Azune]

Oh yes.

[Narrator]

Groudo can give you the help action here. Oh, Groto can. Beautiful.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yes.

[Azune]

I will pull him in so that we're doing this together. I roll the exact same thing

[Narrator]

twice.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hard to tell.

[Azune]

But is it hard to sell? So I'm gonna spend some time there with Grotto and I will whisper to him. There's something about this isn't tracking. And I'm. Sometimes you can talk somebody into seeing something that is only barely there. Yeah. And I'm going to outline and even with my finger, dig into the. What looks like the puttied over blast marks, the mended ones. And then more gently wave in the area at the center of it, something. Something was in the way. Something happened here. You see that, right? Grotto? You see that this has been mended? Some violence has happened here.

[Narrator]

Yeah, but they didn't have all of it to mend it back.

[Azune]

They didn't.

[Narrator]

You see that? Lord Ironfasten says there has been some degree of magic in this room having to do with the structural integrity of the building.

[Azune]

It appears to be, yes. You see, my lord, could this be

[Narrator]

the gate to Faerie here? If such a thing exists.

[Azune]

If it was the gate to Faerie, then it would be resonating with so much magical residue. And in fact what's happening is the complete deadening of it.

[Narrator]

Can you explain further?

[Azune]

A cover up?

[Narrator]

Give me a persuasion check again.

[Azune]

Use a luck point on this one.

[Matthew Mercer]

Yeah, go for it.

[Marisha Ray]

Go for it, Yaya.

[Narrator]

18 18. He looks at you and goes, a cover up.

[Azune]

That is what the walls are saying.

[Narrator]

There is. Are you saying that there is an absence that strikes you as conspicuous?

[Azune]

Absolutely. You see, when we entered the Palazzo, there's a sort of residual hint in the atmosphere of magic that I would think we would expect from the Palazzo Divinas. As soon as we enter this room, it's as if it's been completely scrubbed. Erased, void. Except on the walls. There's evidence of blasts here. I'm not sure if you can see it for yourself. I see evidence of something absorbing, some of.

[Narrator]

Ah. Fascinating. A fruitful investigation thus far. You don't have any indication about what kind of magic might have scrubbed this place.

[Azune]

As you said, that will take a little more time, but I believe that I have a way to hopefully detect that, yes.

[Narrator]

This is extremely valuable information, Lieutenant. I appreciate your effort. May I speak with you on our way to. On our way back to the gardens?

[Azune]

I would love to. I do take my work very seriously, my lord. And I don't want to let you down. I want to make sure that I give this. It's a thorough investigation. May we speak later tonight?

[Narrator]

Yes, perhaps one moment in the Hallway. And I will let you continue your

[Azune]

work, of course, Grotto. If you continue.

[Narrator]

He says, I'll keep looking. And you see he takes out some small tools and actually begins to scrape at the walls and get his hands dirty. Looking into what's happening here. Einfasten steps out. Give me one more investigation check as you step into the hallway.

[Azune]

Okay. One more investigation check. I'd like to try something.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Azune]

Fuck. I'd like to metamagic. Subtle spell. Cool Guidance on myself.

[Narrator]

Great.

[Azune]

20, 24 rules give you the ask you to select a specific skill. Yeah. I'd like to choose persuasion.

[Narrator]

Perfect.

[Azune]

Great. And so as if hopefully he doesn't notice it. Using a subtle spell. A sorcery point to do that. And it will last for a minute as I step out into the hallway with him.

[Narrator]

Perfect. You step out into the hallway with him. Give me your investigation check. Holy moly.

[Azune]

Investigation. Another 10.

[Narrator]

Okay.

[Azune]

I think I'm focused on him at this point.

[Narrator]

You look down on a 10 investigation. You look up and just see a bunch of burned down candelabras. There were candles in the thing that all were allowed to burn down that had physical candles in them. Okay. Doesn't register anything to you? You see that the Lord Einfassen looks at you and says, You were requested personally to investigate this matter by a member of the Chamber of the Lord's Advisory. Do you know why

[Azune]

I do not.

[Narrator]

Give me. And is that an honest.

[Matthew Mercer]

Actually give me persuasion or deception in your choices.

[Azune]

Okay. I mean, I don't know why. I fear maybe something, but I really don't know.

[Marisha Ray]

You've got that blessing and persuasion right now.

[Azune]

Yep. I don't want to use this one. This one's been. I'm going to use this one.

[Narrator]

What the hell is that?

[Martin]

Welcome to Campaign 4.

[Matthew Mercer]

I'm getting everybody. I'm getting everybody the cheapest plastic dice I possibly can.

[Narrator]

I'm big numbers on mine.

[Azune]

Oh, friggin A, no.

[Marisha Ray]

Is it the 15? What are you looking at?

[Narrator]

Every table needs an extra nine.

[Martin]

Call it a 20.

[Murray]

What is that?

[Azune]

Thanks.

[Marisha Ray]

Thirteen is it?

[Azune]

Oh, it is.

[Marisha Ray]

There's a nine and there's a six. Oh, that's weird. I think it's a 13.

[Azune]

It looks like a B. Yeah, I think so.

[Narrator]

Okay.

[Azune]

Thirteen it does. They're just so close together. It looks like a B.

[Marisha Ray]

That's weird. I think it's a 13 though.

[Azune]

It is a 13. It's a 13.

[Narrator]

Yes.

[Azune]

As I compare it to the other die, the position is 13 plus.

[Martin]

Or is it an ampersand?

[Matthew Mercer]

You rolled a 10 on reading 19.

[Marisha Ray]

Could be.

[Matthew Mercer]

And then you added your guidance.

[Azune]

Oh, yeah, my guidance. So 20.

[Narrator]

20, yes. He looks at you and says,

[Matthew Mercer]

How

[Narrator]

old were you when you joined the Falconer's? Rebellious.

[Azune]

When I was taken from my parents against my Will, I was 12.

[Narrator]

Between you and I, Lieutenant, I am struggling to make heads or tails of you.

[Azune]

Allow me to help you, my lord, because I have nothing to hide.

[Narrator]

I wonder how many friends you have that you do not know about. There are explanations floating in space. I don't anticipate that a young lad, too young to be on the front line, perhaps not even strong enough yet to wield a broadsword, would have a coherent ideology of opposing the nobility who, by right, govern these lands. However, You have people that are speaking on your behalf who I cannot understand why? Give me a perception check. Okay.

[Octys]

Do it.

[Murray]

Get it.

[Marisha Ray]

People speaking on your behalf.

[Azune]

Oh, no.

[Marisha Ray]

No, Louise, no.

[Murray]

It's time to retire.

[Azune]

I know. They were on fire for me last time.

[Detective Narrator]

This is a six.

[Azune]

It's not a natural one.

[Matthew Mercer]

I want to ask, by the way, do you have your divine sense activated

[Narrator]

right now, or No?

[Azune]

I don't have divine sense.

[Narrator]

You don't have divine sense.

[Azune]

I'm more sorcerer than Paladin.

[Narrator]

I'm more sorcerer than Paladin. Cool. He.

[Azune]

But there's people around me that might.

[Matthew Mercer]

He looks at you.

[Narrator]

He looks at you and says, When you think back to your time serving in the Falcons rebellion, a fact that would make you highly unlikely to be valued as a member of the Arcane Marshals. What lies now in your heart about your service to that rebellion in your extreme youth?

[Azune]

There is nothing in my heart that is of service to that rebellion, my lord. Let me tell you the story of how me in the Falconer's Breath rebellion came to be. You're right. I was young, small, not strong. Of course, not a soldier. But I wasn't meant to be a soldier. Words that you've used before suggested that you understood that I might have had a relationship with the Azife. I guess that's one way to call that. The Azifeng came to my village and he stole me and other children like me from our families and forced us into the rebellion against our will. And he threatened us. He said that if we were to not follow whatever it was that he said, then he would kill our families. We didn't fight. We weren't meant to fight. We were meant to be cannon fodder. He used us. I made sure that I was the Arcane marshal. To scan the azife the day that he was going to be executed. So that he can look me in the face and see that I was going to be there to watch him take his last breath for what he did. Because at the end of all of it, he had my entire family killed the day after he took me. I have no love for him and no love for that rebellion. I'm a proud arcane marshal. And when I came here, by the grace of the powers that be, they understood that a child forced into that position was forced against his will. And I was given a second chance here. And I've made the best of it. And I'm dedicated to my work. I'm dedicated to the arcane marshals, the revolutionary guard. And now that you are the head of that department, that institution, I am dedicated to you.

[Murray]

Go ahead.

[Narrator]

I'll allow you to give me either deception or persuasion. And I'll let you add that guidance. Even though it's for persuasion. I'll let you add that guidance, bruh.

[Azune]

Okay. I'm using my other luck point. Okay, Come on, let's spill that first. Okay, that's a three. That's nice.

[Matthew Mercer]

That's good.

[Marisha Ray]

That's good.

[Martin]

Support the role play.

[Matthew Mercer]

Natural queen.

[Marisha Ray]

Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay.

[Narrator]

He looks to you. Natural 20.

[Matthew Mercer]

He. What the fuck, Luis?

[Marisha Ray]

I can't feel my feet. And I don't know if that's a good thing.

[Azune]

I didn't break.

[Marisha Ray]

Jesus.

[Narrator]

He looks to you. The Asi fang was a villain. I am sorry for the torment that he put you through. I do not hold you accountable for what you did as a boy of 12 to survive. But know that this secret of yours that I hold gives me power over you. I will not say it in a sideways or sinister manner. You should fear me.

[Matthew Mercer]

He.

[Narrator]

He puts a hand on your shoulder and says, I trust that you have spoken the truth to me. Serve me well and your life will be a fruitful one.

[Azune]

I look forward to our collaboration, my lord.

[Narrator]

Lieutenant Azunynea, are you a member of the candescent creed?

[Azune]

No.

[Narrator]

Very good. And he pats you on the shoulder and says, there are some who believe otherwise. I do not know why, but for our purposes, if you would choose to be a devout man, that would not be an unwelcome development for me. Do you understand?

[Azune]

Oh, I do. And I share that conviction, my lord.

[Narrator]

Your detail is being expanded, your responsibilities augmented. In addition to patrolling the penteveral and the archenaude. It has come to our attention that many of the licenses signed by One Helen Dlfang at the hallowed round require the utmost inspection and adherence to the protection of the populace from dangerous arcane magic. I would like you to hold Halon Dilfang to the word of his agreements with extreme prejudice. Lieutenant.

[Azune]

Understood.

[Narrator]

Ladies all.

[Marisha Ray]

He started that with the Aussie was a villain and then said the most insane villainous. That is crazy.

[Murray]

Game recognized game.

[Marisha Ray]

That's crazy. Dude, you got too many lies going. It's.

[Azune]

I can track all of them.

[Martin]

Don't worry.

[Matthew Mercer]

You are allowed to continue your investigation. But I believe everyone is heading towards the hallowed room.

[Narrator]

More or less.

[Marisha Ray]

I guess you're cutting Bloo Bloom back to the Arcanade. To the Arcanade.

[Murray]

I would quickly. Yeah, go ahead.

[Marisha Ray]

What do we do? Are we supposed to go and help? Are we supposed to go and help Zune. What are we supposed to do? He just dumped, like, an elephant's load of shit on our laps right now. Are we supposed. What are we. Supposing this is jazz. What are we. Jazz is chaos. Do we go help?

[Murray]

Not at the moment, no.

[Marisha Ray]

But I don't want to leave my boy in the lurches without assistance.

[Murray]

We're all going to be without assistance in a while. If you want to go pick him up on the way to our meeting, that would be fine. That way you get to check. I have to get everyone working on the project in here.

[Marisha Ray]

Okay. Okay.

[Murray]

Um, and you also have a. Do you feel comfortable with what you've selected? That's a yes.

[Narrator]

That's fine.

[Marisha Ray]

There's not enough hours in the day. Whatever. It's just.

[Murray]

Jazz.

[Marisha Ray]

Yes, Jazz. Okay, I'll see you over there. I'm gonna just go slide by the Divinos and see if he needs anything.

[Martin]

Okay.

[Murray]

I'm going to tell everyone the best I can. What's about to happen.

[Marisha Ray]

What was about?

[Murray]

Well, there.

[Marisha Ray]

I am a divination wizard, and I should know this. And I feel so lost right now.

[Murray]

There's a bunch of strangers from the Pentevral who are about to come in asking what to do. They don't know what to do yet. And I'm going to be asking them to make a mess of everything.

[Marisha Ray]

Do I take these papers? Do I leave these papers?

[Murray]

Take the papers.

[Martin]

Leave the gun. Take the canola.

[Marisha Ray]

All right, I'll just head over to

[Murray]

Plaza Del and I'll pull my. The five people in my team and just. I'm so sorry. It's been a bit odd. I know you all have questions, and I don't have time to Answer them just yet.

[Marisha Ray]

Don't be late, Baler.

[Octys]

Go.

[Murray]

We're a museum at war. Those of you who are old enough to know what that means, we are sitting on a giant, unguarded pile of wealth, prestige, and narrative, and it's going to be plundered soon. What we need to do is hide what's important. The watchword of the day is circumlocution. Make a mess with paperwork. Make piles of things that only make sense to you. I'll need everything that has ever touched the Lloyd family to be in one particular corner. I want to make sure that the paperwork is reasonable but messy so that we can get the important things out first if we need to. You're going to be getting a mountain of help that has no idea what's going on or how to do anything from the Pentevral. Use them as best you like. And know that if you decide that the current new administration is trustworthy, they kill the storytellers first. Enjoy. And I'm going to run off.

[Narrator]

Give me persuasion or intimidation if you be so passed.

[Murray]

Which one is more do intimidation.

[Marisha Ray]

That's fun. It's rare you get to use. Use an intimidation check.

[Murray]

That's true. Come on, baby. 22.

[Matthew Mercer]

22.

[Murray]

I'm a monster.

[Matthew Mercer]

You see that? Your team nods their heads low, and you see that one of your archivists,

[Narrator]

Rosadella, goes and says, I believe there are a number of. Of pending requests for retrieval and maintenance from the Loy family to their artifacts that we are merely borrowing.

[Murray]

I actually am of the opinion that somewhere we have a piece of paperwork that says that everything from them is on loan and has to return to the family. I've been looking for it everywhere.

[Narrator]

I make sure to find it, and several copies that might say conflicting things.

[Murray]

They want everything to move quickly, make it move quickly. Quickly the way that quickly things do with a mess and deep irritation. And I leave.

[Matthew Mercer]

Hell, yeah. You swoop out of the museum, Murray, you take off. I think you catch up to Murray.

[Narrator]

Actually.

[Azune]

No time.

[Matthew Mercer]

You arrive at the Palazzo together. You see one of Azune's soldiers is outside that basically sees your approach and

[Narrator]

looks and says, oh, Professor Magnussen, do you wish for me to go and collect Lieutenant Neymar?

[Matthew Mercer]

Oh,

[Marisha Ray]

no, no, no, no. I was just walking by.

[Tycha]

I was just passing by.

[Marisha Ray]

How are you?

[Narrator]

Good. Dahla. Inspector Dalla.

[Marisha Ray]

Dahlan, right? That's right. I think we've crossed paths a few times.

[Murray]

Very well.

[Azune]

Well, I'll leave.

[Marisha Ray]

You know, just. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Bye. And then I go I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go around the corner.

[Murray]

Charm.

[Marisha Ray]

I'm gonna go kind of to, like, the west wing of the house. Kind of like trying to interpret the word vomit that Izune dumped on me when he was at the Arcanade. And then I'm just gonna, like, it's too clear.

[Narrator]

I swear.

[Marisha Ray]

I'm just gonna cast message to him. So just wipe my finger across my mouth and go. Esune, I'm outside. What do you need from me? Do you need me? Do you got this on lock?

[Azune]

Do I hear it?

[Narrator]

Yes. I get a message coming in from outside.

[Azune]

I will respond. I think at this point, I've left Grotto alone in the west wing.

[Narrator]

Yeah,

[Azune]

there is a single person in the west wing. If you have an idea of how to further the plan that I set forth, he's at your disposal. If you don't, don't risk it.

[Marisha Ray]

What type of a caster. What type of. Is he sensitive to certain type of magic.

[Azune]

He's going to detect something that's near him.

[Murray]

Would I be arriving about at this point?

[Matthew Mercer]

Your message to your team was so

[Narrator]

short that I think you could just hurry and catch up to Murray outside of the Palazzo.

[Octys]

Yes, of course.

[Marisha Ray]

I'm on the phone.

[Azune]

I will have made sure to step more than 30ft away from Grotto, knowing the range of something. Like the tech magic?

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Marisha Ray]

All right.

[Azune]

Do what you can. If it's doable, don't push it.

[Murray]

If it's not, what's your plan?

[Marisha Ray]

I don't know. Do I try? I might be able to. To try and get in his head, kind of plant some echoes of what might have happened here. I mean, is that too risky? I can.

[Murray]

What do you want him to know?

[Marisha Ray]

Baler's asking what you want him to know.

[Azune]

I want him to feel like he saw what Taconis did to the Divinos and the Royces. I wanted to hunt him.

[Marisha Ray]

Is he someone who gets visions? Does Grotle get visions? Does he. How does he see magic? If I put, literally implant something in his head.

[Azune]

Perfect.

[Marisha Ray]

All right.

[Murray]

He's too far away for me to see.

[Marisha Ray]

I assume I'm going to cast invisibility on myself.

[Narrator]

Hell, yeah.

[Marisha Ray]

And then I am going to

[Octys]

tell

[Marisha Ray]

Belair to stay the fuck out of sight.

[Murray]

I can help.

[Tycha]

How?

[Murray]

Oh, I hate this. I lay these hands upon the mask, and I slowly begin to pull. And a face begins to overtake the mask and swallow it. And the clothing starts to shift. And almost like cracking glass, slowly, this image of a person comes out of this, which is the man who was wearing me

[Azune]

when

[Murray]

I decided to have a change of heart. And I very specifically give his clothing the look of someone of authority. So that I can walk about and look like I belong there?

[Narrator]

Hell yes. Murray, you're moving invisibly. You are discovering as effectively an arcane marshal, a member of the Revolutionary Guard. You are able to get within distance of where you need to get to. You're able to basically join Azune up in that west wing.

[Matthew Mercer]

You basically got Hraniss Einfassen has left.

[Narrator]

You just said I need a lot of time. And he's giving you a lot of time.

[Matthew Mercer]

But he already just.

[Narrator]

You saying this place has been scrubbed. He didn't appear to need a lot more than that.

[Matthew Mercer]

It's like once you told him that

[Narrator]

he who was interested in leaving. Right. So you guys arrive up in the west wing, not too far from Azune and the room where Grotto is still investigating.

[Marisha Ray]

Is he still in that room that Izune was in?

[Narrator]

Yes.

[Azune]

And you see him and I see you. I mean, if someone of authority is coming to me, then I will approach.

[Narrator]

You see someone you don't reckon recognized in the armor of an arcane marshal.

[Azune]

Oh, excuse me, sir.

[Murray]

You know exactly who I am. Hello, darling.

[Azune]

From that point on, I will pull you so that we're far enough away out of the range of Grotto's detect magic. I'll pull you to the side and I will message into you.

[Martin]

You.

[Azune]

I trust you have a plan.

[Murray]

A bit of a one, yes.

[Azune]

Keep some distance away from him. He's probably detecting magic in the near vicinity. I will leave the room.

[Murray]

How far would his detect magic?

[Azune]

I'm going to walk and show you.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Azune]

If I heard that, I thought you were asking me.

[Murray]

No, I would probably know, but I was like. Because I know that if we have to cast, we have to get within 30ft of him, which is always tricky.

[Narrator]

Yeah, Correct.

[Murray]

Can you somehow get him to drop detect magic for a moment?

[Azune]

It will drop if we have a little bit of time to kill.

[Marisha Ray]

I actually don't think you want him to drop detect magic. You want him to believe that this is something that he sensed.

[Murray]

Did you get close enough to.

[Marisha Ray]

I think so. Without him knowing that I'm there?

[Narrator]

I think at this point his detect magic has dropped. Okay, he's collecting now. He's collecting like physical evidence. Physical evidence,

[Azune]

yeah. Because we've already kind of paced the whole area.

[Matthew Mercer]

It's only a 10 minute.

[Azune]

Yeah.

[Murray]

He just finds something it doesn't have to be magic. Or if you like, I was just going to help you with your little spell. Or if you like, I can just. I can fix this. Or at least I can fix this for a bit.

[Marisha Ray]

I don't know. What are you talking about?

[Murray]

I can make him think he found a piece of evidence that's inscrutable.

[Marisha Ray]

I can maybe bolster that with my spell. If you start first and then I can get in his head.

[Murray]

I was hoping you could make it a little more likely that my spell works. But I will take what I can get.

[Marisha Ray]

One, two, punch here.

[Octys]

Therefore the grace of God.

[Murray]

Therefore the grace of something.

[Azune]

I've gone to a corner on the opposite end.

[Narrator]

Yeah, you go to your corner. What are the spells that we're casting?

[Murray]

I was going to use One second. I was going to use Phantasmal Force.

[Narrator]

Cool.

[Marisha Ray]

I'm going to use musical migraine.

[Narrator]

Hell, yeah. What does musical migraine do?

[Marisha Ray]

The description is you hear faint echoes of music in your mind. You can hum fragments to unlock its subharmonic power while targeting one creature. You can see within range. The target makes a constitution, saving throw on a failed save. You take 3d6 thunder damage and you're incapacitated. But I was hoping I could maybe skin that a little bit.

[Narrator]

Sure.

[Marisha Ray]

To make it feel whatever you do at the same time, to make it feel like. Grotto is catching echoes of what happened. And I want to basically implant the screams of the Divinos and the Royce families getting completely murdered and decimated in his head.

[Narrator]

Give me a DC15 ARCANA check to alter the spell in this way.

[Marisha Ray]

Okay.

[Martin]

Gonna magically Rick roll.

[Marisha Ray]

That's exactly what I was gonna do. So. My poor tent. You beat me to it. The portents that I rolled at the top of this, I wrote them down were 11 and 13. I will use that 11 because that'll put me in a 19.

[Narrator]

Great.

[Marisha Ray]

And that 11 is gone.

[Matthew Mercer]

Perfect.

[Marisha Ray]

So, yes.

[Matthew Mercer]

So this one is going to create screams, horrifying screams of ghostly, of spectral horror.

[Marisha Ray]

Want him to get these flashes. He is tapping into this massacre that happens. So Murray, being invisible, is going to walk around the corner, be far enough away. This is a 60 foot spell, so I don't want to get close. And as soon as I can see Grotto through the threshold of the door, Murray is going to take the tip of her fingernail and she rakes it across the brim of her hat and it's going to create this very imperceivable subharmonic vibration that she then shoots and throws it into his head. He has to make a constitution saving throw.

[Narrator]

Hell yeah. On a natural 7. On the die, he fails.

[Marisha Ray]

So I want to sound like screams, people dying, maybe the voices of the Taconis. Just actual echoes of this massive massacre.

[Narrator]

Give me phantasmal force as you cast musical migraine on him and he hears the screams. What is he seeing?

[Murray]

I know he scoured the room, but at some point, just in his walking around, something that for some strange reason he didn't sense, perhaps because it was in the floor, he triggered a glyph, and that glyph was a recording. It was someone in the midst of dying who somehow captured the events. And they are now being replayed from this person's vantage point before him as a desperate attempt to leave, to leave any evidence of what Taconis did to the Royce and Defevos family.

[Marisha Ray]

Oh, like one last ditch. We're leaving a message to be like, help me. It's the 911 operator call.

[Murray]

Yeah, you can visually just see the

[Narrator]

massacre in the room with that failed con save. I'm going to roll his intelligence save at disadvantage.

[Murray]

Thank you.

[Narrator]

He needs a 13 or higher on. On both of these dice rolls. Intelligence 14 states he gets a plus one.

[Matthew Mercer]

So we are looking for. So we're looking for a 12. Yeah, he needs a 13 or higher

[Narrator]

on both of these to save.

[Matthew Mercer]

Any 12 or lower on either of

[Narrator]

them, and it's over

[Matthew Mercer]

14.

[Narrator]

Come on.

[Matthew Mercer]

Seven.

[Marisha Ray]

Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay.

[Matthew Mercer]

As it happens, my question for you, Bolair, you were the. You guys brought octys back as a fucking revenant.

[Narrator]

What do they see in this room?

[Matthew Mercer]

Like, what is he. Does he. Who is speaking?

[Narrator]

Do you have any people assigned to this?

[Matthew Mercer]

Are there any specific people that are

[Narrator]

speaking or acting in this way?

[Murray]

I'm trying to think. Who do I know from either of these families?

[Matthew Mercer]

You know Octus.

[Marisha Ray]

We know Octus. We know Julian.

[Murray]

Octus is actually perfect. Yeah, Octus is. I make that sad. A little boy voice freaking out and trying and stuttering to explain what happened. And I'm using every detail we managed to hear from him, including the necromantic magic.

[Narrator]

I love it.

[Matthew Mercer]

I'm gonna ask for. I'm gonna throw a wrinkle in here, but this is awesome. First of all, you cast a spell. You guys are winging it. You look. You are fucking winging, swinging it. You look and see. Grotto stand up hard, holding his head. He stumbles back, thuds into the ground. Blood oozes from his nose as he Starts to scream. You do seven damage. He's not that powerful. Seven damage is a good chunk of his hit points. He stumbles backwards. Looking out, Octis begins to scream. Give me a history check based on what you were able to glean that night from conversation at the.

[Murray]

Okay. I'm, by the way, perfectly happy to embellish because I do love a story.

[Matthew Mercer]

I love it.

[Murray]

That's a history check of a. Oh, no, just a 25.

[Matthew Mercer]

Just a 25. I am a librarian. I love it. 25. So in that case, I'm gonna say that you get the details right. First of all, Octus turns and says, they're coming for me. Please remember. Thud's on the table. You see a Taconis hand. The damage in the table is the knife going through Arctis. You see, by the way, as you're

[Narrator]

looking, Bolair, you realize your lie is the truth. This is the room that Octys was murdered in.

[Matthew Mercer]

The knife is the knife. The knife wound in the table is the knife wound. The desk that is missing is the one that Erinessa turned into a tree to escape, that they pulled with its roots out of the wall. And I think, Bolaire, in this moment that all three of you realize, oh, this lie we're doing is true.

[Marisha Ray]

Just the truth.

[Matthew Mercer]

All you can do.

[Narrator]

It's what I do best.

[Matthew Mercer]

All you can do is think of

[Narrator]

Demidus looking at you and saying, all truths start as an illusion.

[Matthew Mercer]

And. You use this lie to tell a

[Narrator]

truth that they used magic to destroy Azune. Was there something that you were gonna

[Azune]

do in this video? I mean, I think I can see that it's starting to take effect. I see what you're doing. I'm going to. I'm gonna cast message into Grotto's mind, and I'm just gonna repeat over and over again, the priestly houses are coming for us. The priestly houses are coming for us. The priestly houses are coming for us.

[Matthew Mercer]

Over and over and over again. You repeat that. Grotto stumbles out of the room. You guys vanish to the side. Give me perception checks. The two of you, Murray and Bolaire.

[Narrator]

Ew. 15.

[Murray]

Thank God.

[Narrator]

15. 6. 6.

[Matthew Mercer]

Okay, 15. You see, Grotto stumbles out. You're invisible. You, I think, are off. Or in this sort of grab. Grotto is bleeding, grabs you and says, something happened. I don't know.

[Azune]

I've got you.

[Matthew Mercer]

I've got you.

[Azune]

I've got you.

[Narrator]

Stay with me.

[Matthew Mercer]

There was a massacre here. They killed Octus Daconis here in this.

[Octys]

Wait.

[Detective Narrator]

Stay with me.

[Matthew Mercer]

As you begin to hold him up and cart him away, you look over, Murray, you look over as you have fabricated the truth of what happened.

[Narrator]

In a corner, these candelabras have all sunken away. Thinking of Demidus, the truth starts as an illusion. You look over and see the last candle burns out as a blue flame goes out.

[Marisha Ray]

Oh, shit.

[Narrator]

And that's where we'll take our break.

[Marisha Ray]

All truth starts as an illusion. That's the title of the episode.

[Martin]

Damn, that's theater, baby. Oh, my God.

[Narrator]

And that's where we'll leave our story for now.

[Matthew Mercer]

Part two of this episode of Campaign 4 drops this Tuesday.

[Narrator]

Thanks for listening, and we'll see you soon for more critical role.

[Marisha Ray]

You know what they say. Early bird gets the ultimate vacation home. Book early and save over $120 with VRBO. Because early gets you closer to the action, whether it's waves lapping at the shore or snooze cruising in a hammock that overlooks. Well, whatever you want it to. So you can all enjoy the payoff come summer with VRBO's early booking deals. Rise and shine. Average savings, $141. Select homes only.