All Part of the Plan - Elysia Rising FINALE Pt2 - Blades in the Dark Actual Play

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Previously on Alicia Rising. Who goes there? The figure sort of like turns to look at these two that are kind of mid lunge, and they drop. So they're gonna drop into defensive positions, and the hired muscle is going to shout the intruders like the enemy is here. In the gloom around the sides of the building, you start to see small flecks of reflective red light. [00:00:37] Speaker B: Oh, I'm probably actually going to use the fireballs. [00:00:41] Speaker A: There's this gout of flame that explodes outwards and carpets like a good half a swarm. Wrapped in spiked chains surrounded by rotating concentric rings is a large crystalline structure. You recognize the woman encased in this crystalline chunk as Turia Valenar and Nephene. Her voice echoing off the off the walls of this place says, it's good of you to join us, Alganon. Though I only remember the invite being for one. A shame, she says. And in a uniform, the Black Guard turn and raise their halberds to look at the four of you. Welcome to Elysia, the jewel of the North. On our gilded streets, fortune and fame can be found by anyone. [00:01:51] Speaker C: Hi, I'm Julia and I'm playing Magpie, an ace of our lurk. [00:01:56] Speaker B: Hi, I'm Nate, and I'm playing Cavern, a dragon scent slide. [00:02:01] Speaker D: Hi, I'm Meg. I'm playing Frieda, a wolfkin cutter. [00:02:06] Speaker E: Hi, I'm J.C. and I'll be playing Algernon, an ace of our spider. [00:02:11] Speaker F: Hello, I'm Errol. I am playing Atta, a goblin whisper. [00:02:16] Speaker A: And my name is DM Dan. I will be the games master on this event. So come on in and marvel at our wonders. [00:02:26] Speaker C: Make sure you see the beautiful views. [00:02:28] Speaker D: We have to offer. And don't mind the ghosts. [00:02:31] Speaker A: They're friendly, really. Grab yourselves a seat and make yourselves. [00:02:35] Speaker C: Welcome in the city of Alicia. [00:02:44] Speaker A: Hello, everyone, and welcome back to. To Explorers of Elsewhere's Elysia Rising campaign, where we are about to begin the final part of the final episode of the campaign. Oh, boy, oh, boy. [00:03:03] Speaker D: It's gonna go fine. [00:03:04] Speaker C: It's gonna go fine. [00:03:05] Speaker A: The five of you have made it into the curious. The Alien Origins prison complex building that houses the former regentess of the city, Turia Valenmar. And arrayed between aligned with her are the Lodge reticent Nephene, and somewhat worryingly, the Blackguard. You've also discovered that Turia. Well, the. The verminous rat swarm is resurgent once again and are coming back for seconds. And yeah, we. We can acknowledge at this point that pretty much this is it. This confrontation will question mark decide the fate of Elysia. Who wants to jump in? I will take that as a resounding yes. [00:04:16] Speaker C: Don't jump in. We can't all die. [00:04:19] Speaker D: Big brain. [00:04:20] Speaker A: If only it worked like that. So we have a number of clocks in play at the moment. Overcome. Turia's swarm is a six clock defeat. The Blackguard is a new eight clock. We also have. Well, we also know that there are some other things kind of happening in the room. But the most pressing matters at the moment are the Swarm and the Blackguard. So yeah, we will. Who. Who wants to step up to the plate first? Algernon, Magpie, Songbird and Frieda are inside the like the prison cell itself, this large kind of 40ish foot wide hexagonal building made of this kind of glossy white marble like stone. The walls and pillars are inscribed with these alien runes of indecipherable origin. Cavern Velka. And the kindling marionettes along with Atta are outside, like just outside the front door. The sounds of the swarms this like converging on your location growing louder by the moment. But as the staccato rhythm of the Black Guard marching towards you, halberds drawn, glowing red gemstone eyes looking at you, the, the four of you as they march towards you. Who's stepping up to the bat first? [00:06:02] Speaker D: Oh boy. I guess Friede's going to sort of like draw the bloodletting blade and sort of, you know, sort of get between the nearest blackguard and like Algann and just be there like defensive ready. But I guess at the moment she's just kind of looking around to see like where she can sort of like who to go for first, like where the first threat's gonna come in. [00:06:26] Speaker A: So the, the Black Guard are kind of encroaching on position and they're in a somewhat enveloping motion. So whereas your stood at the southern kind of wall of this hexagonal building, at this hexagonal space, they're kind of like wrapping rounds to, to ping you in. You can hear kind of the panic cries from the lodge reticent nobles who were just kind of stood underneath this floating like Turia, who's floating in the center of the room about 20ft off the ground, encased in this red heart shaped crystalline growth structure that seems to be kind of emitting from her, whilst Nephene watches from a walkway just to the right, just to the east of. [00:07:15] Speaker D: Her stepmother and over my shoulder. I'm just gonna be like Owlgie, if you've got any bright ideas right now. [00:07:23] Speaker A: Algernon you also, from your position, as you started to kind of go around the side, you have spied your long lost sister, Devira Cadwaladar, suspended also approximately 20ft above the ground. And she seems to be in this sort of, like, trance like state. State, her mouth moving, like, frenetically, as if. As if she's chanting something. And in unison with her chance. This power is thrumming out of Tyria and the like, the. The bursts of energy are kind of growing quicker and quicker, increasing in frequency, whilst a stream of mana, presumably from the ghosts being conjured by the Onishi, descends down from a hole in the top of this hexagonal building into a cracked hole into Turiya. [00:08:22] Speaker E: I look up at Nephene, take my rat mask off. Well, I was rather hoping it would just be the two of us escaping in your little arc. [00:08:39] Speaker A: She kinda. You see her laugh and she laughs and then looks to you, flicks the hair out of her face. And be careful what you wish for, Algernon, she says. And she turns and sort of, like, holds a hand up towards her stepmother, cocooned in this, like, crystalline shell. And you see, like, her. Her crystalline arm begin to glow as she starts incanting something towards her stepmother. [00:09:20] Speaker E: Okay, I would like to flashback, please. Some point after our heist at Castle Antalya, but before we were thrown in Belltower, we received the House Antalya Crown of Authority. Yes, with its three gems, one of which was a big ruby, and it had two smaller ones, opals or something. And I'd like to flash back to Atta's workshop at the manor, where we are both tinkering with this crown and examining the gems. [00:10:07] Speaker A: Okay. [00:10:13] Speaker E: It seems like House Antalya might have something to do with this after all. Lady Nephene's recent reappearance. It's interesting. She wanted the cube from her ancestral home and not the crown. Don't you think, Asa? [00:10:37] Speaker F: Maybe. I wouldn't know what she's got, but planned. But yeah, this is pretty powerful. Big focus. I think that's what Atta found out. This. This gem is a really big, arcane focus. But maybe it didn't do what the cube did. I guess it's different somehow. [00:11:02] Speaker E: Well, the Crown of Authority must have a similar focus. Perhaps we could reverse engineer. What's the reverse of authority? [00:11:18] Speaker A: Liberty? [00:11:18] Speaker C: Submission. [00:11:20] Speaker F: Yeah, I was gonna say subservience. I feel like this is one of your crossword puzzles, Aghkonam. [00:11:32] Speaker A: The opposite of authority. Anarchy, Almost. [00:11:39] Speaker E: Perhaps. Maybe if there's some sort of manner. I'm not one for really understanding the ways of the arcane like you are, Atta, but if you could perhaps reverse whatever magic energy is in this gemstone. If House Antler ever wanted back, we could maybe have a trigger pass leave. [00:12:03] Speaker F: I trust you, Arganorn. I'll do my best to work backwards. [00:12:10] Speaker B: Okay. [00:12:12] Speaker A: Okay. [00:12:13] Speaker F: What do you want me to do then? [00:12:16] Speaker A: You. I will let you dealer's choice as to which. Which ability would you like to use to fundament. So it sounds like you're almost like trying to reverse the polarity of this thing. Almost. Okay. Okay. So yeah, Atta, what would you like to use in order to do such a thing? [00:12:35] Speaker F: I mean, I was gonna say attune because I've got more in attune, but I'm still soul fatigued, which means that I. [00:12:41] Speaker A: So you're only. You would only take less effects from that. [00:12:44] Speaker F: So that would still be three dice, but it would be. [00:12:48] Speaker A: It start on Mike. So in this moment because. Well, I'll start you on a risky standard. [00:12:55] Speaker F: Okay. [00:12:56] Speaker A: So the sulfatige would then move you to risky lesser to begin with. [00:13:00] Speaker F: So like. Yeah, risky limited stuff. [00:13:02] Speaker A: Yeah, risky limited. Yeah. And then by all means in this flashback. So I will say that this is a pretty. This is the halest of the Mary's. So I'm gonna say. Say I might have to say something this by. How's three stress sound for this flashback? [00:13:30] Speaker F: For Atta? No, for. For Ali. Okay. [00:13:33] Speaker A: O. [00:13:34] Speaker F: It's g. That's a lot of stress. [00:13:36] Speaker A: It's a lot of stress. But it's. Well, th. This is. This is the biggest of the plans. And this was a. A big brain all the way from episode 11. So three stress for this to happen. Would you like to algon. Would you like to help Atta in this endeavor? [00:13:57] Speaker E: I would and I'd like. Is it possible to use my foresight ability to do that? [00:14:02] Speaker A: Yes. Yes, because you still had a supply, so you would. Might have been able to see to this point. Okay. Okay. So you help for free. So ati, you've got either extra effect or extra dice. [00:14:16] Speaker F: Well, extra effect would take it to standard. [00:14:18] Speaker A: Yep. [00:14:19] Speaker F: And then if I push myself, can I push myself in? [00:14:22] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. [00:14:23] Speaker F: Okay, then I'm. I'm first. [00:14:26] Speaker D: Oh boy. That's risky. [00:14:29] Speaker F: Well, but it can't. I can't. It can't just be a standard effect. [00:14:33] Speaker A: So does that take you up to eight of nine? Yeah, Keith. [00:14:38] Speaker F: Well, so that would be great effect, but still three dice. Or I could have standard effect and roll. [00:14:45] Speaker A: You can always switch to Desperate. Great. For free. [00:14:49] Speaker F: What does desperate do? [00:14:50] Speaker E: Harsher consequences. [00:14:51] Speaker A: Harsher consequences. Greater outcomes. Better outcomes. [00:14:56] Speaker F: So I'd get four dice to roll. [00:15:00] Speaker C: Desperate. [00:15:01] Speaker F: Great. I'm desperate. Great. Why not? [00:15:03] Speaker D: Oh, dear. [00:15:05] Speaker C: They're going for it. [00:15:08] Speaker A: Okay, this time, regardless of what, the energies released are more chaotic than you could have ever anticipated. [00:15:24] Speaker F: Come on. [00:15:27] Speaker E: That's the easiest of. [00:15:30] Speaker A: So is this a five dice? [00:15:32] Speaker F: Yeah. [00:15:33] Speaker A: Desperate. Great. Attune it is. [00:15:36] Speaker F: I don't think I can look at the dice. [00:15:39] Speaker A: Roll them bones. [00:15:40] Speaker F: Please don't. [00:15:41] Speaker C: Please. [00:15:45] Speaker A: Oh, yes, there. [00:15:46] Speaker D: There is. [00:15:46] Speaker A: Is it one six? There's a five. [00:15:49] Speaker D: Two fives. [00:15:50] Speaker A: One six. That is a success. [00:15:54] Speaker D: Well done. [00:15:55] Speaker C: Good job. [00:15:55] Speaker F: Thanks. [00:15:56] Speaker C: Fantastic. [00:15:57] Speaker A: And chaotic. Chaotic. Great as you. So that is three segments on a clock off the back of a greater success. [00:16:08] Speaker E: So can we flash forward from there to our escapade underneath Bell tower? I'm looking down at the swarm of rats. It's forming the face of Lady Antalya. [00:16:24] Speaker A: Yes. Yes. [00:16:25] Speaker E: And I have the ruby gemstone, the Crown of Authority. I see what the Authority gets here and I toss it in. [00:16:35] Speaker A: And as the swarm opened up and enveloped this gem, it formed into a hand to ensnare the gem and kind of drag it down into the depths. We flash back to the present and you notice that the Crown of Authority has been, for all extents and purposes, embedded in the forehead of Lady Turia. [00:17:03] Speaker D: I was gonna give her a headache. [00:17:04] Speaker E: Can I. Can I say we've made some sort of gizmo with the two other smaller gems? Like a sort of flint that clicks together to reverse it. [00:17:13] Speaker A: Yes. Okay. In which case, yes. Nephene has turned to like, hold her hand out to begin. Fundamentally, you. It looks as if she's almost using Turia as, like an arcane focus. And as the spell. As her spell begins and the gem illuminates as you've. As you've kind of. I'm always imagining the two opals as they kind of connect and then slide together. That reverses like the polarity of sorts. And you watch as Turia's like one exposed eye illuminates as she goes to cast a spell, presumably to kind of take control of the swarm directly. And suddenly, like, the gem in her forehead cracks as there's a sudden feedback loop that's caused by your. Your apparatus. Anturia, like, screams as. As much as she can with crystalline crystallized lungs. And the two of you outside ater and cavern as this rats surge. And they form almost like a pert. Like a tide or a tidal wall as tall as you all you feel this kind of resonant boom emit from inside the chamber behind you. And as it ripples out through the wall, it washes over the swarm and like, it blows them away as if they've been. As if. As if a tsunami has crashed into them. And as the rats kind of scatter, you see them all sort of like the. The glowing eyes all begin to flicker out. Normal rat eyes as they all start to like, fall apart from one another. And this. It seems as if Turia has now lost control of the swarm. The rats have reverted back to basic natural instinct. And while some of them are still kind of looking in your direction, Turia has no longer got control of it as a hive mind. And like, Nephene pulls her hand back as if. As if she. She looks at her hand as if she's done something wrong. And then as she hears her stepmother scream and alganon you kind of. Through the din, you also hear Devira scream at the same frequency as Turia. Nephene then looks to you and. No, she shouts and screams as she watches as the crystal cracks and then shatters outwards and shards of red ruby kind of tinker to the stone below. Yeah, I'll do so at the sound of that, like, the Black Guards stop and sort of like they glance over their shoulders to see what's happened. And those of you, all of you feel as if suddenly there's a. A slight change in the momentum. Who wants to start the assault? [00:20:41] Speaker D: Go on. Then. In that moment where, like, the Black Guards are distracted, I'm just gonna like, get my. Get the, like, bloodletting blade and just try and like, essentially jam it upwards like between the plates and just like, just go for it. [00:20:58] Speaker A: So bear in mind the. The Blackguard are still a Tier six faction. So I like, if you're going mano a mano, that will start you on a zero effect. If anyone wants to join in, if you want to start tag teaming, that will help, because getting help could at the very least take you up to. [00:21:22] Speaker D: Lesser Chug a little rage essence. [00:21:24] Speaker A: You could chug a little rage essence. [00:21:25] Speaker D: Can you remind me what they do? Because usually I have to look it up every single time. [00:21:30] Speaker A: Not to worry. A rage essence, it greatly enhances your strength, resistance to pain, and irrational aggression for the span of several minutes. [00:21:39] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, that's exactly what we need right now. [00:21:42] Speaker D: What does that translate to in terms of, like, mechanics? [00:21:45] Speaker A: We will see. [00:21:46] Speaker D: Okay, great. Yeah, I'm gonna. I'm like, yeah, I'm pulling the cork out and then Chugging it back. [00:21:53] Speaker A: Okay. So, yeah, those of you watch as Frieda. Nexus. Nexus, vial of rage essence. You find yourself sort of stooping over as this burning sensation rips down your gullet towards your gut. And you feel the heat begin to sort of like swell out from your center mass into your arms, into your legs, and they just feel bigger. And you watch as Frieda hunches a bit more, and then you emerge slightly more bestial in nature. [00:22:24] Speaker D: Could I combine that with my. My not to be trifled with. And could I actually try picking up a blackguard and throwing it into another one? [00:22:34] Speaker A: Okay, yeah, why not? Absolutely. Absolutely. Okay. So how are you. What ability are you using, Frida? [00:22:43] Speaker D: I am using not to be trifled with. You can push yourself to do one of the following. Perform a feat of physical force that verges on the superhuman. Engage a small gang on equal footing. I don't think the small gang's gonna, like, count for shit, but perform my feat of physical force bordering on superhuman. [00:23:02] Speaker A: Yeah. So if you're fighting with the strength of multiple people, that will certainly help. Are you skirmishing, Wrecking? [00:23:09] Speaker D: I am skirmishing. [00:23:10] Speaker A: Skirmishing, yeah. [00:23:11] Speaker D: I'm skirmishing. I'm putting all my dice in this one. [00:23:14] Speaker A: Okay. Right. So we start on three. I'm going to start you on a. Because the tide has turned somewhat, I'm going to start you on a risky zero effect. [00:23:27] Speaker D: Okay. [00:23:28] Speaker A: So not to be trifled with, you fight with the strength of multiple people. So that will increase your effect for all extensive purposes. Okay, so we start. You want a risky letter, the rage essence. I will. The rage essence. If you're using it with skirmish, I would say you'll get an extra effect. [00:23:52] Speaker D: Okay. [00:23:52] Speaker A: Because you're going that much more batch it. If you end up wanting to use it with Wreck, I will let you add an extra dice. If you're using with wreck, because that is sheer savage force, which. [00:24:03] Speaker D: No, I'll do skirmish. [00:24:05] Speaker A: And so that will then push you to risky standard. The rage essence. And not to be trifled with. [00:24:15] Speaker D: Sure. I've got to push myself. So that's. That's. That's too stress as well. [00:24:21] Speaker A: So you're on seven of nine. You also. Then you're. You're still pushing yourself, so you also get an extra dice or an extra effect as well. So I say you're now at risky standard. You can swap that to desperate. Great. For free. [00:24:36] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:24:39] Speaker C: Desperate could go real badly wrong. [00:24:42] Speaker A: Or you can move to a place. [00:24:44] Speaker D: Would that just. That would just mean, like, probably Some real bad harm, Right? [00:24:48] Speaker C: Really bad harm. [00:24:49] Speaker D: Yeah. But I do have armor, so that would lessen the effect of harm. Be a desperate grape and put an extra dice in for the. [00:24:57] Speaker A: So that's a four dice, desperate great against the Black Guard. [00:25:00] Speaker D: Yay. [00:25:02] Speaker F: Oh. [00:25:03] Speaker D: Oh, no. [00:25:05] Speaker A: The four is a partial success. [00:25:08] Speaker D: There is a four. Okay, There's a four. [00:25:10] Speaker A: There is a four. Right. So defeat the Black Guard. A desperate great will be three segments. Okay, so, Frida, as you. You drink this potion and as you like, you rage out faster than any of you have seen it, as Frieda bolts towards a blackguard before they get a chance, like swing the halberd. You've grabbed the collar, gorget, and like the belt and lifted this, like, 300 pound, fully armored figure above your head. And with a launch, the Black Guard goes hurtling into the. Near the, you know, the next other Black Guard, sending the two of them sprawling to the ground. And whilst all of you are, I don't know, are you happy? Horrified of what's. What's happening. Pretty happy. You then, however, notice that the Black Guard, the two Black Guard are able. Well, the. The standing Black Guard are able to effectively fill in the gap much more quickly than you anticipated. So I'm gonna say a reduced effect. So two segments. Unless you want to resist, which case, we'll ignore that. [00:26:34] Speaker D: Oh, I know. Have other people got stuff up their sleeve or should I try and resist? What do people think? [00:26:44] Speaker B: You're on very low strength. [00:26:46] Speaker F: Yeah, you're very low. I think you need to. [00:26:49] Speaker B: Don't resist. [00:26:49] Speaker A: Two. [00:26:50] Speaker B: Two's good. [00:26:51] Speaker D: Yeah. Okay, let's do it. We've made a dent. [00:26:53] Speaker A: Okay. So, yeah, the. The two blackguard clatter out of line. But then with staccato, other Black Guard teleport in to fill their spaces, and they carry on moving towards you as Frieda's kind of launched herself forward from the rest of you, who's following up? [00:27:14] Speaker C: Guess my. I might try something. [00:27:17] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. I feel like you can also bear in mind you can also call for help. And Songbird is available. [00:27:23] Speaker C: Oh, well, obviously. Yeah. Do the Cowabunga or whatever the signal was, I think. [00:27:31] Speaker D: Yeah, just the screaming Cowabunga. It's funny, that's what we're doing. [00:27:37] Speaker C: I feel like I would hope that whatever I do now there's been enough ruckus that the others. The backup is probably flying in. [00:27:46] Speaker D: I think it'd be more like for Friedrich be like, come and have a go if you think you're hard enough. [00:27:52] Speaker A: Well, yes. Those of you Outside Cavern Attar Velka. The marionettes. The kindling. Yeah. You've definitely heard that combat has been joined. [00:28:01] Speaker D: Yes. [00:28:02] Speaker F: Magpie, if you wanted to to have had Ata Palmy, the Alchemist's fire, that's still something you could potentially use if you'd like to finessely aim it well. [00:28:11] Speaker C: Lastly, aim some alchemist fire at a little cluster of blackguard. Keep them busy with some being on fire. [00:28:18] Speaker A: I mean, I will also say to Atta that whilst the swarm is no longer under control, they are still hungry and they are still present. [00:28:28] Speaker B: I do have an idea for the rats. [00:28:31] Speaker F: Yeah. You want to go for it? [00:28:33] Speaker C: Okay. In that case, if I don't have the alchemist fire, then I guess I was gonna do. I was gonna try a thing where I was gonna try and sneak up on a black guard who looks a bit busy and try and like leap up onto his back and like rip his goggles off and see if that does anything. [00:28:52] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:28:52] Speaker C: Assuming that's how they see. So if you can't see. [00:28:58] Speaker A: Is anyone helping Magpie and. Or are you? So you can request help from Songbird or Velka and then depending on circumstances, they might say yes or no. [00:29:11] Speaker F: Yeah, probably. [00:29:13] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:29:14] Speaker C: I'm just trying to decide which one I want help from. Would you be more distracted if Songbird got in his face or if he was on fire? If he's on fire, I might not want to be on him. [00:29:25] Speaker A: Yeah. The eternal question. [00:29:29] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:29:30] Speaker A: Okay. Songbird. So she. This will be the second time she's helped out. So. Yep. You. You'll get an extra dice from her. Is it a prowl if you're kind of sneaking up? Yeah. Cuz Prow's like Mr. Prow also covers misdirect and. And the like. So you traverse skillfully and quietly. I mean. Yeah, Prowl. I can even argue skirmish or finesse. [00:30:01] Speaker C: Skish. I've got three 3Ps. [00:30:07] Speaker A: No hood. No hood. [00:30:11] Speaker C: Okay. I guess I. It is probably time to start pushing, right? Because. Okay, so if I push for lesser effect. [00:30:24] Speaker A: Yeah. So we start you on Risky Lesser as well. That's like a risky zero. [00:30:29] Speaker C: So if I push for lesser effect and then I infallible for standards. [00:30:34] Speaker A: Yep. [00:30:34] Speaker C: It's my special armor that works. [00:30:38] Speaker A: Okay, so if you. Yeah, if you push now it's a. [00:30:41] Speaker C: Three dice risky or desperate standard. [00:30:46] Speaker A: Well so. Well, so pushing takes you to 7 of 9 stress. So you push up to Risky Lesser. You can use infallible in your special armor to take you up to risky standard. [00:31:01] Speaker C: Yes. [00:31:02] Speaker A: So it's a three Dice, you can switch to desperate Grape for free. [00:31:08] Speaker C: I don't want to die right now. I'll die in a little bit. [00:31:12] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. Okay, so three dice. Risky standard. And then are you taking. So Songbird, is she giving you an extra dice or an extra effect? And she will also be implicit in any consequences off the back of us. Extra nice. [00:31:38] Speaker C: I hate. I hate desperate consequences. I'm really scared of them. [00:31:43] Speaker A: Okay, so four dice. [00:31:45] Speaker C: Four dice. Risky standard. [00:31:47] Speaker A: Risky standard. [00:31:48] Speaker C: Okay, try and lift his goggles off. Oh, two, six, critical crit. [00:31:56] Speaker A: So double six a crit. Okay. Noise, noise, noise, noise. Nice. So you so offer a crit, adds an extra segment so that instead of two segments for standard, will take you up to three segments. So as you and song. So Songbird, still fresh from her recent chastising from El on, the two of you, like, swoop in on one of the. The blackguard. And as the halberd swings, the two of you both sort of like bent up and dive out the way. So the halberd just misses you. You have to calculate it that you have to get close enough to the blade that you're then inside. The Black guards reach in so much. And the songbird goes low and with a swift stab, slide her punch dagger in between the plates around the kneecap. And you hear a grunt as the. As the blade pierces into the black guy's leg. And you're able to then come up and kind of grab onto the arm and swing onto the back, using the cloak to sort of like get a bit of purchase. And how are you. What are you using to prize the eyes out with? [00:33:20] Speaker C: Or are you smashing them or probably my dagger. I've got a rapier and I've got a dagger. [00:33:26] Speaker D: Shuck it like an oyster. [00:33:27] Speaker F: I'm shucking. [00:33:28] Speaker A: Okay, so in which case, yeah, as you come around and you have to kind of use your legs to kind of grip round the ribs, two blades go into the sides of the goggles and with a hefty, like a wrench, these two gems crack and fly out and kind of collide with each other in midair just in front of the face. And the Black Guard roars in pain as if you just plucked out his. Their actual eyes. And as they stagger around, those of you who are stood in front of the blackguard can see in inside the mask. And you just see these sewed up eyes that then there's nothing. They're hollow, they're sunk. And there's nothing between. Nothing behind the sewn skin and the Black Guard. Kind of stumbles around swinging wildly. And as the two of you disentangle and kind of roll away, the black guard sweeps and clashes the halberd into the blackguard next to them, taking the two of them out of the fight. That is three segments on the clock. That's five of eight to defeat the blackguard. Oh, boy. Great. Let's. Let's throw it out to those of you outside who. What. What's Cavern andor Atta doing? [00:34:53] Speaker B: After hearing the scream, like, the two screams go in there and the. Whatever you're shouting, they've got this. I'd like you a flashback. Cavern has gone on the prowl for some trance powder and has not been able to find any. It seems the stash of it is limited at the moment. [00:35:18] Speaker A: Okay, okay. [00:35:19] Speaker B: He's heard news that someone might be able to make him something else. He's gonna go talk to Lorenzo. [00:35:27] Speaker C: Lorenzo. [00:35:29] Speaker A: Okay. [00:35:30] Speaker F: Lorenzo. [00:35:32] Speaker A: So this is before the B team. [00:35:35] Speaker B: This is. This is before the B team. He has heard of Lorenzo's like, he's had a quick chat with Davarien. He's heard of Lorenzo's plan, and he's gone quickly to Lorenzo and asked if he's got maybe some extra paralyzing powder. [00:35:52] Speaker E: That you can borrow. [00:35:54] Speaker A: So, yeah, you find Lorenzo in the little apothecary at the back of the specter lair. [00:36:01] Speaker E: And. [00:36:01] Speaker A: Yeah. As you enter. What is it? He says as you enter, he looks to you and you know, it takes me a long time to create all of this. All of this poison. He says he is happy to try and synthesize some more for you if you're. Are you happy for him to. Yeah, he's gonna. He's gonna. So basically he's gonna make his standard apothecary roll. I'll let you roll this. This is. So Lorenzo is now a three, a tier three apothecary. Nice. So that's a three dice fortune roll. Oh, four. Okay. [00:36:47] Speaker F: So very Lorenzo. [00:36:49] Speaker A: Very, very. [00:36:51] Speaker D: I think he might be worth them fiends, you know. [00:36:57] Speaker A: Okay, so he. He is able to. You what? Cavern watches horrified, I assume as Lorenzo, like, size, and then sits down on the little kind of medical bed chair thing that he has in the center of his apothecary. And then he places his hands like. He rolls his sleeves up. Sorry, he rolls. Yeah, he rolls his sleeves up and then places his hands on his knees and he, like, closes his eyes and he looks like he's in a very kind of zen center space. And then he. You see him clenching on his back teeth and he starts vibrating. [00:37:36] Speaker B: As he starts, you're gonna yourself. [00:37:40] Speaker A: And you watch as from his lower arms they. It's almost as if they've become clammy and sweaty as he just seems to secrete this like liquid, this clear liquid from his paws. Oh, God. Because horrifyingly, that's what it turns out he can do. [00:38:00] Speaker D: Hang on. Was this established in B team like Lorenzo can secrete rufies? [00:38:06] Speaker F: Yeah, I decided that. [00:38:11] Speaker D: Okay, you're in Sprinkle. We're just gonna move this. [00:38:17] Speaker A: And like his dark brown skin flushes red as he. And yeah, it. It kind of looks like he's about to shoot, but when he is that the complication, he just shoots himself. And then as he stops and he gets a little kind of vial and starts like scraping this like slimy secretion off his forearms and like wiping it into a vial. And then as he hands it to you, it's not particularly full. He told, yeah, be careful with this. And as he has. As he rolls his sleeves back down and kind of recalls the re buttons the. The collars and he. He looks at the small. It's the half vile. And he. I am very tired. Fine. [00:39:08] Speaker B: It happens to the best of us. [00:39:09] Speaker A: So, yes, you've got it. But not as much as you might have hoped. [00:39:13] Speaker B: Okay, okay, okay. [00:39:15] Speaker A: I will ask for one stress for that. Okay. So I believe that takes you to 2. To 3. [00:39:21] Speaker B: To 3. [00:39:22] Speaker A: To 3. [00:39:23] Speaker F: I like to think that's how Lorenzo then decides to make much more for the other things that happen in B team. [00:39:31] Speaker A: Yeah, he's tuck it out from all of the B team stuff. Okay, so the cavern's up on three stress. What are you doing with this? [00:39:41] Speaker B: I would like to decant it into the bellows and try and wash it over the rats with finesse. [00:39:51] Speaker D: You're turning the flamethrower into a roofy float. [00:39:55] Speaker B: Yeah, it's got no more energy. Gotta do something. [00:39:58] Speaker A: Okay, so what we'll say is, because it wasn't. It's not a full dose, I will start you on a risk lesser. [00:40:07] Speaker B: Right. In that case, I will. Velca will probably do his own role. [00:40:14] Speaker A: If Vel is going to help us, Velka might just. Yeah, well, he's. That you've noticed that the. The wrist mounted flamers are seemingly tuck it out. But. Yeah, if you want Velker to help you, he absolutely can. [00:40:28] Speaker B: Yeah, if Vel can help me in a way. [00:40:29] Speaker A: Okay. In which case, yeah, the pipes that lead down to his wrists that you saw him kind of expunging flame with earlier, as he sees what you're doing, he unplugs one of the pipes on his torso, and you hear the hissing coming from it, and he effectively kind of jabs it into the back of the bellows to give it more pressure. So he'll be able to bump you up. Well, dice all. All effects, whichever you'd rather. [00:40:58] Speaker B: I will take that. [00:41:00] Speaker A: Yep. [00:41:01] Speaker B: I will then push myself. So I'll go for a. So I'll go for a standard effect and then an extra dice as well. So it be three dice. [00:41:14] Speaker A: Okay. Stand effect. Three dice. Roll them bones. [00:41:22] Speaker D: Six. [00:41:22] Speaker F: Oh, there's a. [00:41:23] Speaker C: On the tiny dice. [00:41:25] Speaker B: On the tiny dice. [00:41:26] Speaker A: Tiny six. And just I. Are you pointing this at the rattos? [00:41:32] Speaker B: Pointing it definitely at the rattos that seem a little bit more interested in us. [00:41:37] Speaker A: Okay. In which case, so off the back. [00:41:42] Speaker B: You know how, like, they've got fainting goats. [00:41:46] Speaker A: Okay. So there's still some sort of like, a modicum of, like, oily liquid from the. From the flame from earlier. But mixed with the higher pressure from Velker's, like, suit, Lorenzo secreted paralysis poison like mists out. And for success, that is two segments. So the swarm is on five of six. It is almost completed. So, yeah, just a bunch of the rats just, you know, effectively. Yeah. Fainting goat over the swarm is greatly, greatly diminished. Atta, is there anything you want to box off? [00:42:29] Speaker F: I mean, the only thing that I feel like I want to do, I'm not very. I've not got a lot of stress left. I've got zero stress left, actually. But I still feel like I would like to try and study these runes and see whether they. Anything can be done to the runes to help us. [00:42:44] Speaker A: Okay. [00:42:45] Speaker F: That's still a three dice for me because I've got a high study. [00:42:50] Speaker A: Yes. [00:42:50] Speaker F: But I won't do anything extra to it. So I can just roll a three. Maybe it'll help. [00:42:56] Speaker E: Can I assist you with foresight? My second foresight? [00:42:59] Speaker A: You absolutely can. You absolutely can. Okay, so in this moment, I will start you on a risky lesser. [00:43:11] Speaker F: Okay. [00:43:13] Speaker A: So primarily because it's just so overwhelming. Well, there's a lot happening. Yes. [00:43:25] Speaker E: This isn't necessarily for the swarm, though. It's just to study the. [00:43:28] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, sorry. [00:43:30] Speaker F: Yeah, it's. Yeah. Should I take the extra dice or should I take an 8? Can foresight only do an extra dice, or can it do. [00:43:39] Speaker E: It's an assist. [00:43:40] Speaker F: Ah, let's do an effect. [00:43:43] Speaker A: Okay. It's a risky standard. [00:43:44] Speaker F: Unless you'd like to give me a devil's Bargain. And depending on some description. [00:43:50] Speaker A: Regardless of what happens, the remaining swing, like, catches you. [00:44:01] Speaker F: I want catches up with the group. Oh, not the groove. If it was just me. [00:44:08] Speaker A: Like, they will swarm Velka. [00:44:11] Speaker F: No, I do. [00:44:13] Speaker A: So there was bargain. Regardless of what happens, Velker gets swooned. [00:44:17] Speaker F: Well, no, I can't swim. [00:44:20] Speaker B: He's right next to me. [00:44:24] Speaker F: He's right next to Cavern. [00:44:25] Speaker A: I like, there's. There's not enough that there will be instant devouring like with Lucra, but there will be many nibbles. [00:44:36] Speaker D: Just a light nibbling, you know, he's. [00:44:39] Speaker B: Very jerky, like, hence why smoked. [00:44:43] Speaker A: Yeah, fine. [00:44:46] Speaker F: I'll take the. [00:44:47] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:44:50] Speaker A: Yay. [00:44:50] Speaker F: It'll be fine. [00:44:53] Speaker D: It'll definitely be fine. [00:44:55] Speaker F: Oh, it's a crit. Thanks for the extra dives. [00:45:00] Speaker A: As you. So you turn around and like, you're looking. I'm imagining that there's all this scrapping and then at is like looking at the side of the building. [00:45:11] Speaker F: She's really tired. She's very stressed. She's like, I'll just study for. [00:45:16] Speaker A: So you. As you look at these runes, like, they. They look kind of alien. They look kind of incomprehensible. But as you stare at them for a while, you start to see what you can only describe as like, linguistic patterns such as they are. And it looks like the same kind of common tongue that you and all Elysians have. Like, it's like a. It's common for all extents and purposes, but it's a really old archaic form. You've never seen, you know, sentence or word structures like this. But it's clear that there is some form of connection with your modern, like your current scripts and language. But this just seems old, ancient even. And it's. So for all extents and purposes, it would be like if we saw a script in Latin. We kind of know it's the language that we share and we derive from. But. Yeah, and like, but you still. You pick out enough points that you realize that these are runes of like, there's a. There's an abjuration style kind of thrum that comes from them. And it seems like these are fundamentally anti magic runes. Anti arcane magic runes. And then you acknowledge they're on the outside, but even as you peer it, you can like, perhaps this structure is designed to in like imprison arcane magic users. But the rise of arcane is nowhere near as old as this building would make you believe. Whatever. Whoever built this structure once upon a time also lived in a world of arcane Magic. But that was a gift from a calm significantly closer to the present day than the building is. [00:47:47] Speaker F: That is just their studying or car. Like Velgamus spraying these rats with paralytic poison. [00:47:55] Speaker A: Atta like cavern. You can only help but glance over your shoulder as Atta. Presumably, like, you are stunned by this dissonance in chronology. Like, that this building is designed to stop a force that theoretically happened centuries, millennia after this building, like the. The age of the text would imply. [00:48:25] Speaker F: Okay, I don't know what to do with this yet. [00:48:29] Speaker A: I suspect you do. [00:48:31] Speaker C: And in the background, Velka just stops thrashing, screaming. [00:48:36] Speaker A: But, yeah, as this happens, covering, like, your guards over your shoulder are actually. But then in your moment of, like, distraction, you turn back to see, like, these ravenous rats kind of swarming towards you. And as they begin, like, surging towards your feet, Velka breaks away from the. The bellows, like, pulls the pipe out. That was pressurizing. Even as the. The pipe kind of spit flicks around like an angry snake as it hisses, he kind of wades in to sort of, like, sweep kick a load of the rats away and then sort of like, leans down and begins sort of like, scratching and slashing with the. The claws on his gauntlets. But you watch as he. As he staggers, as a number of rats begin climbing up and, like, gnawing some of the pipes. You can visibly see, like, pressurized gas kind of emerging from his suit as he roars, as he starts thrashing around, as they scale up his right leg and up his torso. [00:49:45] Speaker B: I would like to use emergent divinity to try and blast the rats out of his scene. [00:49:52] Speaker A: Okay, okay. Which. Which ability would you like to use in a vertical. [00:50:02] Speaker B: I don't know. I guess it would be an attune. Yeah, I guess it would be in a tune to sort of. Yeah. [00:50:10] Speaker E: To. [00:50:12] Speaker B: While he's sort of thrashing around. I'm gonna go. I don't do this often. No, really, I don't do this often. And he's gonna jam his hands, like, in the, like, the closest thing that he can find to try and get under his suit. [00:50:25] Speaker A: Okay. [00:50:26] Speaker B: And just then use immersion divinity to just try and sort of, like, kind of push the rats out and away. [00:50:34] Speaker A: In some sort of way. In which case. Yeah. As Velka threshes and you're like. As you jump forward, like, your. So your claws. So as you lean forward and your claws kind of impact with his, like, where almost where his kidneys are, you. Your claws do pierce through the suit. And as you. As your Scales turn into that bright blue glow from whenever you emerge. You know your. Your divinity emerges Assa. You turn just in time to to see like cavern explode into this like supernova of blue white light. A cone of divine energy explodes out from your kind of expanded hands. And Asa. You also watch as what look like like energy is also emerging backwards out of cavern. And it almost looks angelically winged for a moment as this light kind of tears out of him. But the. The rats kind of screech and skitter and they are blown off of Velka. They're thrown away. And the light illuminates the cavern to a point where at you have to close your eyes for a moment and as your divinity like it surges for a moment and then as it begins to peter out and the room returns like you turn back to your normal grayscales and the. The room returns to a normal light, the rats that remain begin scampering off and skittering away back into dark corners, terrified by this explosion of divinity light. And regardless of what effect level that was, you will get at least one second segment as the swarm is shattered by by you. And as you kind of catch your breath, Velker turns to you the wheezing of his apparatus and he looks to you like. And he looks like he's heavily breathing and take you. He says as he kind of pulls himself off of your claws. But you see that from the four holes where your fingers pierce through there is this dark oily liquid that's seeping out and it looks like. Like. Well, it looks like bad and blood. And he turns to regard the two of you and. Let's go. He says as he begins limping in to be. [00:53:32] Speaker B: Are you sure about this? [00:53:33] Speaker A: Do you. [00:53:33] Speaker B: You can stand outside. [00:53:36] Speaker A: He flicks a look to you and even though he's got his. His goggles and his mask on, you know you've seen the face underneath and you kind of just get the impression of the look of determination he gives you as he stubbornly through the pain staggers into the hexagonal room. The swarm has been overcome. Back back in the room as Velka Cavern and Atta emerge. So Magpie, you've just kind of tag teamed one of the Black Guards with Songbird. Frieda, you've just launched another Black Guard into another. What's Algon on doing? [00:54:20] Speaker E: I was wondering if there's any evidence in this room of the. The shroud machine machinery that we know that the lodge has stolen. It's obviously being used up above. [00:54:31] Speaker A: Yes. [00:54:32] Speaker E: To funnel down here but is there anything down here on the receiving end? [00:54:36] Speaker A: So you, as you're looking around you kind of get the impression that the chains that surrounds Turia's like crystalline form, they look like they're part of the architecture, but the spinning kind of astrolabe concentric rings that rotating around her that looks out of place. So you wonder if. And you know the, the stream of kind of ghost energy from above seems to be feeding into those rings and it's then kind of dispersing it around, flickering across various arcane runes and kind of bouncing down into her and like with every pulse of ghost mana into her like the red crystal round of thrones with more energy. So you suspect here that this spinning apparatus around her is the shroud. [00:55:28] Speaker E: And is there any sense that the stream of souls is dying off currently. [00:55:35] Speaker A: At this moment it looks like this. The stream isn't particularly. It's certainly not a torrent, but it is still coming through. So there is a part of you that's wondering what on earth the B team are doing like that. It seems like they're doing something because you, from, you know, your expectations of what the or nation were planning, you were expecting a stream of, of mana to be flowing into her. But yeah, it's kind of, I've been called, it's a bit of a wispy, a wispy stream rather than a river. [00:56:12] Speaker E: Okay, so on the safe assumption that the B team has failed, I'm going to carry on up the stairs as much as I can to go and confront Nephenate. [00:56:24] Speaker A: Okay. As you like, as you break away and begin to head up, you do hear a. And in front of you is a figure wearing a silver corvid mask. [00:56:42] Speaker D: There he is. [00:56:43] Speaker C: There he is. [00:56:44] Speaker A: And as the Raven appears in front of you, there is like as they teleport in, the blade of the rapier is already sweep like sweeping towards you as he looks to skewer you as you approach his mistress. [00:57:05] Speaker E: I'm going to test my luck again with my self defense skills. We flash back in Arduan's mind decades ago to his travels around the world learning martial art from a strange old master back of some bazaar. [00:57:22] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:57:23] Speaker E: A fighting skill. A fighting style with a stick and one leg. [00:57:28] Speaker A: Yes. [00:57:30] Speaker E: As if he knew he some daemite with it. [00:57:34] Speaker A: Okay. [00:57:35] Speaker E: And going to attempt a skirmish reaction. [00:57:39] Speaker A: Okay, so. So I will state that the Raven is a tier four opponent. You are obviously tier three gang. So we're going to start you on a. I'm going to start you on A risky lesser. [00:58:02] Speaker E: Okay, well, immediately I can bump that up with Infarbo. [00:58:06] Speaker A: Okay. [00:58:06] Speaker E: Yes to standard. [00:58:09] Speaker A: Yep, Risky standard. [00:58:13] Speaker E: And then I'm going to push myself for another dice because I've only got one hit. [00:58:18] Speaker A: Okay, so two dice. Risky standard skirmish. Do you want to trade up to desperate grade? [00:58:27] Speaker E: I've got to. [00:58:29] Speaker A: Okay. Is anyone wanting to reach out to help Algernon in this moment? [00:58:36] Speaker C: Yeah, I'm gonna help Algernon. [00:58:38] Speaker A: So realistically, Raven. [00:58:39] Speaker C: I hate that guy. [00:58:40] Speaker A: Yeah, Okay. [00:58:41] Speaker C: I hate that guy. [00:58:42] Speaker A: Okay. Okay. [00:58:43] Speaker C: So how far am I from where? [00:58:49] Speaker A: Well, you fundamentally. You can tell me. So like, whilst the Black Garda kind of tied up between Songbird and Frieda. Yeah, yeah. Algon's made a break for it. But given that you've just kind of incapacitated your Black Guard, if you want to make a break for it to be alongside Algernon, you can be. If you want to do something range, you can. Yeah, you tell me. [00:59:10] Speaker C: I need to know the layout of this part of the room a little bit to do what I want to do. Because basically I want to maneuver somehow so that I can get behind the Raven. And if it helps, I. I would have a silence potion so that I am extra. [00:59:33] Speaker A: I. Well, I think it would be more a case of so or I can. [00:59:39] Speaker C: Just shout look out or something like that. [00:59:41] Speaker A: So Algernon's effectively halfway up a staircase, so he's about 10ft off. [00:59:46] Speaker C: It would be tricky for me to move around. [00:59:49] Speaker A: Unless you were to use say shadow to. [00:59:51] Speaker C: Then I've used my special armor. Okay. But I could help by shouting a warning perhaps. [01:00:00] Speaker A: Okay. [01:00:01] Speaker F: Or if you wanted one of Atta's dimension door balls, you could have that in your loadout. Yeah, but Atta can't help anymore. [01:00:11] Speaker C: No, Atta can't. I can. I can help. [01:00:14] Speaker F: But Atta can and you can't help her help. [01:00:19] Speaker A: I think doing the. [01:00:20] Speaker C: The shout out shouty outy. And that's my last thing I can do this session before I traumatize myself. [01:00:29] Speaker A: So Magpie is up to 8 of 9 stress. So Algan on. Yeah. As you're going up, you hear the like Magpie spying the. The patterns of the Raven that's she's more familiar with. She shouts out. That gives you enough moment, enough time, the split second extra to figure out what you need to do. Do you want to take an extra dice? [01:00:52] Speaker E: Yes. That's four. [01:00:56] Speaker F: Oh no. Desperate Raider. [01:00:57] Speaker A: So you're starting on one. One lesser. So risky lesser then you're pushing an infallibility to. To take you up to? [01:01:08] Speaker D: No, no, no. [01:01:09] Speaker E: I'm pushing. [01:01:10] Speaker C: Infallible up to standards. [01:01:12] Speaker A: Yes. [01:01:13] Speaker C: And then pushing and being helped for the two extra dice. [01:01:17] Speaker A: Three. And then switching to desperate brain. [01:01:21] Speaker C: Did I? [01:01:22] Speaker E: No, I think you're right. I push for two, you help for three. And then I've done all my stuff to bump it up to desperate. Correct. Great. [01:01:32] Speaker A: Okay, so a three dice. Desperate great skirmish against the Raven. [01:01:41] Speaker E: Four. [01:01:42] Speaker A: It's a four. Okay, so both of you will have to consider what's about to happen. Algomol, you succeed. So what. What is your. So effectively, what are you doing? What's the. The maneuver that you're doing to kind of disable the Raven? [01:02:16] Speaker E: His rapier comes up the top of my crutch, nudges it off. He's slightly off balance. I go in because I'm slightly lower than down on him on the steps, swiping up his legs with my good one. [01:02:30] Speaker A: Okay. In which case, as you like you, the blade comes forward, you do your best to sort well, you parry it away as best you can with your crutch and in doing so also sweep his legs out, which causes the Raven to tumble down sort of a 15 foot drop onto the off the staircase, onto the floor below and like aided with a bit of a shoulder barge to kind of fully knock him off balance. Magpie, you just shouted look out. But Algernon, as you finish the shove with your shoulder to. To body the Raven off the staircase face. As you pull back your. You suddenly feel this searing pain in your chest. And as you look down, you realize that the blade has pierced through your chest and your lungs. And that is going to be a level 3 harm. Unless you wish to resist, which will take it to level two. Two. And Magpie, you will take a level two harm. Okay, Sorry, a level three harm. [01:03:50] Speaker C: Oh great. [01:03:51] Speaker A: As. As you shout, as you focus your attention on Alganon, that's all the window opportunity another Black guard needs to swing a halberd down towards your back. [01:04:04] Speaker C: Right. So what's the harm? [01:04:06] Speaker A: So that'll be level three halberd in the back. [01:04:08] Speaker D: However, Halbert in the back. [01:04:10] Speaker A: Halberd in the back. So effectively. Like lacerated back and pierced lung. But before you write, does Algonon wish to resist? No. Well, no. Cuz you're. Well, so fundamentally you'll be resisting separately. But Algernon has a pierced lung. [01:04:35] Speaker D: Could I. Could I resist on someone's behalf as a protective measure? Because now I can use bodyguard. [01:04:43] Speaker A: I. How far away are you from Algernon? If Al if this goes through on Algernon, as level three harm, Algonon will need help. So you'll have to push to basically do anything. So I'll. I'll say that you're in a position to help Algonon if you want to push in and you take the Pierce lung instead. [01:05:16] Speaker D: Oh, okay. But I wouldn't be able to use my. Because I was thinking of using like, the bodyguard ability rather than. [01:05:21] Speaker A: So I think bodyguard, you'll get an extra dice on the resist. [01:05:24] Speaker D: Yeah. [01:05:24] Speaker A: If you want to resist. [01:05:26] Speaker D: Okay. But then if I fail it, I would take the Pierce land instead. [01:05:29] Speaker A: Well, so you'll take the stress, which. [01:05:32] Speaker C: Which will traumatize you. [01:05:33] Speaker D: Which will traumatize you, which will. Yeah. How are you feeling about your pierced lung? [01:05:43] Speaker A: So Alganon will fundamentally, like, be on the staircase, like, struggling to breathe. Breathe. As one lung collapses. [01:05:50] Speaker C: Yeah. What does it mean? [01:05:52] Speaker D: It means he'd have to push himself to basically do any actions. [01:05:57] Speaker C: We're both out of the. [01:05:58] Speaker D: Out of it now anyway. [01:06:00] Speaker A: Well, who is anyone reaching out to help Algonom very specifically or. Because we. We can leave him to his father. Because if. Well, if you jump in. If you jump in, you've got armor. [01:06:21] Speaker D: I do have armor. Yeah. I think it would be pretty reckless for Frieda to jump in the way of that. Of that. Yeah. So I'm gonna. I'm like, I'm gonna say, as I'm gonna use my bodyguard ability, I'm gonna resist that for Algannon. And you just see Frieda come inside. You can just see her sort of charging towards as this thing happens. [01:06:47] Speaker A: Very much Incredible Hulk, like, filled with a rage potion. Like, your. Your thigh is swollen with it with power. But like, yeah, you leap up, you clear a good 15 foot rise up onto the staircase. You grab the tip of the rapier and like, bend it away as it then skewers into your peck. You can roll, resist. If you don't want to roll, resist. You have armor. So you can immediately use that to reduce its level two. [01:07:17] Speaker D: Okay. Oh, yeah. I'll just do that. Yeah. Level two arms. Just one, like one minus dice, isn't it? [01:07:23] Speaker A: In which case we'll say that the blade hits your chest plate, scrapes along the side, and then instead enters into your shoulder. Shoulder. So your left arm is like dead. [01:07:36] Speaker D: Like your left wiggly arm. [01:07:41] Speaker A: So, yeah, your left arm can't be used at the moment as the blade pierces through and kind of pops out your shoulder a little bit. So Alganon, you watch as the blade just swings Past you, so you no longer have level 3 harm. Freedom. Are using your armor? [01:07:56] Speaker D: Yeah, yeah, I'll use my armor. [01:07:58] Speaker A: So level two Harm. [01:07:59] Speaker D: Yeah, got it. [01:08:00] Speaker A: Unusable left arm and magpie. You shouted out, look out. And you feel the presence of this blackguard take a step towards you. You hear the sound of the halberd swinging through the air. And then you are pushed out of the way. And you hear the sound of a blade connecting with flesh and the scream of Songbird as the halberd rakes across her front. [01:08:32] Speaker C: Oh, my God, Dan. [01:08:34] Speaker A: She bodies you to the ground. And she staggers a few steps and you see a large gouge right across her midriff from shoulder to hip. And she stands for a moment, looks at the blackguard and then falls backwards on her back. Oh, Songbird receives level three harm. Like obliterated torso. [01:09:02] Speaker F: Obliterated torso. Excuse me, I got a case of obliterated torso. [01:09:07] Speaker C: Dog can't come into work. Got an obliterator. [01:09:12] Speaker A: However, I should say all of this is also on top of three segments on the defeat. The blackguard. [01:09:23] Speaker F: Nice. [01:09:25] Speaker E: As Friede takes the wound on behalf of algae. And he sort of stumbles down a bit onto the stairs. And he in his mind flashes back to nearly two years ago when he was alone in Cadwalad and face down in the Foresight solution, thinking specifically about his possible death and anything that could cause it. And he saw the face of Frieda before he even knew her, before he recruited her to the gang, because he knew that someday she'd save his life. [01:10:07] Speaker A: In which case, you and Frieda are side by side, like Frieda, like your left arm just hanging limp at your side. But yeah, you can see the brave and prone on the stone floor just down below. But yeah, Algernon, you have this horrendous, like this vivid sense of deja vu as this moment you've dreamt of once upon a time. The face of a stranger at the time or suddenly whips into sharp clarity as the sound of Songbird collapsing to the floor echoes out her scream ringing off the stone walls. The Black Guard continue pressing on towards the rest of you, who are gathered near the front door. So cavern atto, primarily. And as Songbird screams between the two of you, Velka stops and like his shoulders hunch as he turns and slowly looks at the prone form of Songbird. And you watch as he kind of doubles over slightly and like he's still hissing, he looks to the two of you and says, finish this, he says. And you watch as he lifts his hands. And with a click of his fingers, the igniters spark and the gases like releasing from his suit ignite and he erupts into an inferno. But cavern, you noted. You know that perhaps unlike when he did something similar to this at the Ruby Keep all that time ago, his suit is now punctured. And Velker lets out this mechanically enhanced and surges towards the Black Guard and begins tearing into them as he tries to re. Like. As he slowly begins trying to move towards Songbird's fall. But the way is now open. It is now. And like Ne. As Nephene looks at you, Frieda, and you, Alganon, you now realize that it is time to stop the ritual. [01:12:46] Speaker F: Oh my God. [01:12:47] Speaker A: But as you look past her, as you look past Nefhne, you also notice that you need to free D'Vera. [01:12:58] Speaker F: I think I want to try something. [01:13:01] Speaker A: Okay. [01:13:02] Speaker F: Without any stress to work with. So in my loadout I've got got demo tools. [01:13:10] Speaker A: Yes. [01:13:10] Speaker F: Bombs. [01:13:11] Speaker D: Yes. [01:13:13] Speaker F: Or some. Or maybe alchemist's fire. And rats. Many in my loadout while outside doing studying can I also have been talking to my rats. I think there's going to be some things in there that you might need to run up to. Like as we go in, maybe you just like run up to the thing that needs blowing up the most. [01:13:40] Speaker A: Whatever. [01:13:41] Speaker F: Whatever looks like it. It needs to, you know, trust your judgment. Yeah, you know, whatever. These guys. I trust you guys. I love you guys, Peter. I love you. And they're giving them all names. Anyway. I think I'm going to try and I feel like this is either. Well, I'd like to argue for either a wreck or a tinker at the least, because then I get two dice maybe. [01:14:11] Speaker D: Are you gonna blow up the crystal in the center of the room? [01:14:14] Speaker F: Well, I was thinking the astrolabe, because that maybe looks like the thing that's doing stuff. [01:14:22] Speaker A: Yes. So that you. So you've come in so at it. So this is the first time you're in a bit of a wonderland. So you can see these spinning circles around this lady encased in a heart shaped red crystal floating about 20ft above the ground. You can see Algernon and Frieda on a staircase on the eastern side of the of this Hexagon Caverns alongside you. Vel is just going ham on the remaining Blackguard. You can see Magpie stood over the collapsed form of Songbird, who appears to be just out, absolutely bleeding out. And yeah, you take one look at these spinning rings and you go, oh, that's the shroud and you can see this sort of like slight stream of mana running down into it. So yeah, that's your picture. Okay. [01:15:17] Speaker D: Are you about to blow up the thing you love most? [01:15:21] Speaker F: Just magic stuff maybe. [01:15:24] Speaker D: Damn. [01:15:25] Speaker F: I don't know. [01:15:26] Speaker D: We'll see if the shroud is like a mini version of Bubble. That's. [01:15:31] Speaker A: I feel like actually, sorry, I'd just like to call my own mini flashback. Cuz I feel like the stakes aren't high enough because at you come in and you acknowledge all this and Alan on you're stood on the side thinking oh, one of the beating doing you then watch as the stream that funnels down in through the ceiling begins to for all extensive purposes sputter out. And then it stops. And as the like as Nephene is looking around, she's just watched the raven get bodied by. By. By Aladdon and Frieda. She sort of like looks around and. No. No. She shouts as she realizes the energy that she that her stepmother needs has been stopped. And you get this sense of pride maybe that the B team have pulled through and they've stopped. Feel Naishi. And then Nephene sort of looks to you and there is a look of indignant rage that you never seen etched on her face before. And then she turns to her stepmother and shouts, tear it down. Tear the veil down. Let them in. Swarm the city. She shouts. And there's a lurch of. You feel this kind of wave of confusion from. From the center of the room and like Turia's eye looks to her stepdaughter and there's no time. Swarm the city. She shouts. And we will flash to the B team in Union park having just in the aftermath, the smoke, the magical vapor from capable Tom's guns still smoking, the dust still settling from the assassin that's just been sucker punched by Tarvarien Alejandro and his crew running off into the adjoining district. And as the B team kind of look down and the the gathered crowds are kind of scattered around and looking confused. They watch as patches of the purple veil overhead begin to flicker and fade. And then like burning parchment, holes begin to appear in the veil. And slowly at first, but then with increasing frequency, screaming specters begin pulling themselves through the veil as two Elizabeth stops channeling her power into it. And as the ghosts descend down onto Union park, screaming, you find you Alganon your. Well, perhaps all of your nightmares are come true as Alicia is once again undefended from the ghosts that would tear it apart. So just to add that to the mix, what would you like to do now? [01:18:52] Speaker D: Gosh, just have a little break. [01:18:54] Speaker C: Pointless now, doesn't it? We must. I think Magpie's gonna make a break for Davira. [01:19:01] Speaker A: Oh, sorry. Sorry, Atta. [01:19:04] Speaker F: No, it's okay. [01:19:06] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:19:06] Speaker F: So we either need to get Devira out or we don't. What going to stop the rhythm. [01:19:11] Speaker C: So Da Vera's the heart speaker. Maybe she. If she's free, she might be able to influence Turia somehow or get her to turn the veil back on or. [01:19:22] Speaker F: I don't know. I feel like Nephene needs to fall from a great height. So maybe the rat bombs are at her feet as she shouts at her mother. And if they succeed, then she falls from a great height. [01:19:35] Speaker A: Okay. Okay. [01:19:37] Speaker F: And the rat gives a little wink to Algernon as they skitter over his prayer. [01:19:42] Speaker A: So did you want to lean in on a. I mean, you're using exploding rat. So that's quite wreck. [01:19:47] Speaker C: It's quite wreck. [01:19:48] Speaker F: It's quite wreck. [01:19:48] Speaker A: Quite wreck. [01:19:49] Speaker F: So that would be two. Two dice for me. [01:19:52] Speaker A: Two dice wreck. I will start this on a. Yeah, A given that you had this hot. Like you felt the air around you seemingly turn cold, much like you felt when you ventured beyond the Vale in the castle Antelier job. And as you kind of get this feeling that you are now utterly unprotected to the. To the memory spirits, I'm going to move you up to a desperate position to start a desperate standard. [01:20:25] Speaker F: Desperate standard Against. Okay, sure. [01:20:31] Speaker A: Yeah. So two dice is Aladdin or Cavern. Or maybe Frida. Frida's just ushering them in the right direction, mate. [01:20:42] Speaker D: I'm still. I've got, like a gammy, like, arm just dangling. [01:20:47] Speaker B: I can help you with an extra dice. I'm just. You're just going. Go on, off you go. [01:20:51] Speaker F: And I'm like, fucking throw that way. Okay, I'll take what color. Oh, let's do the cavern dice again. The white one, it feels like cavern. [01:21:00] Speaker A: Okay, so is this a three dice? Desperate standard. [01:21:03] Speaker F: Yeah. [01:21:04] Speaker A: Okay, so you're attempting to stop the ritual. It's a brand new six clock. [01:21:08] Speaker F: Oh, six clock. Jeez. No, it's a four. [01:21:13] Speaker A: Help you here. So a four is a partial success? [01:21:16] Speaker D: Yeah, it's a partial. [01:21:17] Speaker A: We were. Okay, okay. In which case, as you encourage the rats to kind of run off, they scamper up the stairs surprisingly well following your lead. And like, Nephene is kind of red in the face, screaming for this, like, scorched earth policy to just flood Elysia with ghost energy in a desperate attempt to get More power into this ritual. But as these rats kind of scampered. As you watch these rats scamper between your feet, and you notice the telltale signs of the red. The red strappings. [01:21:59] Speaker D: I think we should move backwards. [01:22:03] Speaker A: The, like, the rats kind of. Two rats run towards Nephene and, like, she looks down just in time to. She switches, swings her left arm in, like, across herself, and a magical veil, like an arcane shield appears before her. That is a success, but it's only reduced effect. Unless you want to hope for a six. Resist. [01:22:28] Speaker C: Don't do it. Don't resist. [01:22:30] Speaker F: What. What resist would it be? [01:22:31] Speaker C: What role? [01:22:32] Speaker A: It would be a prowess. [01:22:34] Speaker C: Resist. [01:22:35] Speaker F: I can use. [01:22:37] Speaker A: Come on. [01:22:38] Speaker C: You've gotta. You've gotta get a six or you're out. [01:22:41] Speaker F: I can resist. [01:22:42] Speaker C: And it's only. It's only a lesser effect. You'd be resisting. So take the lesser effect. [01:22:48] Speaker F: If I go out with rat bombs, it feels very utter. [01:22:53] Speaker D: Oh, my God. [01:22:53] Speaker F: Does it not? [01:22:55] Speaker D: You've got a little straggler behind you. Just, like, picking him up and almost like rugby rugby. Rugging yourself into a. [01:23:04] Speaker A: Are you. Are you doing the resist? Yeah. This will get you a second. So this will get you two of the six slots rather than just one. [01:23:10] Speaker D: Shit. [01:23:11] Speaker F: There's not a lot else I can do. [01:23:12] Speaker A: Well, no, there is. [01:23:13] Speaker C: You could not do that and then take another action in future. That might go better and that will add more to the cloth. [01:23:21] Speaker F: Sure. [01:23:22] Speaker A: Okay. Pulling Atom back from the precipice of trauma. [01:23:26] Speaker F: I'll keep my. I rarely get to use my special ability. I've never actually used it. [01:23:32] Speaker C: This whole game filled the clock up a bit. [01:23:34] Speaker D: I really like the idea of you picking up this rat, going to, like, rugby run. And then as you go. As you go past Magpie, Magpie just grabs you by the back of the, like, back of the neck and goes, scruff. [01:23:47] Speaker C: Nope. [01:23:49] Speaker A: Okay. In which. [01:23:50] Speaker D: Not today. [01:23:51] Speaker A: Yeah. Neferna, like, brings her arm up. This magical. The shimmering shield appears in front of her. The rat. [01:23:59] Speaker F: Oh, Peter. [01:24:00] Speaker A: The rat detonates. But the concussive force still knocks Nephene backwards. And she, like, spirals and clatters down the staircase, down the other side. BS1 One segment of the stop. The ritual clock. Done. Who's up next? So Devira is suspended in the air. [01:24:21] Speaker C: I'm gonna make a break for Divera. [01:24:23] Speaker A: Okay. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. [01:24:24] Speaker C: How do I get to her? Where is she? [01:24:26] Speaker A: So if you're. So where are you? So you're kind of roughly in the center of the room. Ish. You've got turia floating up there and you can see D'Vera floating about 20 foot up, like due north of turia. [01:24:42] Speaker C: Yeah. Okay, so I. Yeah, I'm gonna duck and dive and weave and try to get over her and do. Can I pick the locks on her chain? [01:24:51] Speaker A: So she is currently suspended in the air, say 20 foot up, arch back and her mouth is. [01:24:59] Speaker C: That's not good. What do I do? [01:25:01] Speaker E: Did you say she was actually locked? [01:25:03] Speaker A: So she's floating. She's got these kind of white marbles. [01:25:06] Speaker C: I don't know how to get her down. [01:25:07] Speaker A: So they're not manacles as such, but these things, these. They look like magic. Well, they're made of the same kind of style. Bonus everything else. [01:25:14] Speaker D: I might be able to help you here. Okay, well, because I've got Ghost Fighter, so I may imbue my hands, melee weapons or tools with spirit energy and I gain potency and combat with supernatural. I may grapple with spirits and restrain and capture them. But if you're. If. [01:25:29] Speaker A: Well, I was gonna say if nothing else you like, you've got to be able to get her to an interactable range first if anything. So if you've got anything to. I know. Lasso for. Wow. [01:25:39] Speaker D: Do I. I could have some manacles. [01:25:45] Speaker C: In fact, my loadout so far has only been one. [01:25:49] Speaker A: Is there anything on your list that can be used to like. Yeah, either get you up 20ft or get her down. [01:25:55] Speaker D: So I've got manacles and chains for chains, which is a zero loadout. [01:25:59] Speaker A: Okay. [01:26:00] Speaker D: Try and like, I don't know, use the chains to kind of like lasso her. Her foot or wrap it, you know, sort of throw it so it wraps around her foot. Okay, Do a yang. [01:26:08] Speaker C: That's not a bad idea. [01:26:09] Speaker D: I could try it, give it a go with my one arm. [01:26:12] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, you're skipping your right hand. [01:26:15] Speaker C: I'll see if there's anything I can do with the manacles. [01:26:20] Speaker A: Okay. What ability would you like to use for this, Frida? [01:26:23] Speaker D: Well, no, it sounds. It sounds more finesse. Y really, doesn't it? [01:26:27] Speaker C: How's your finesse? [01:26:28] Speaker D: I've got one. But then how does that work with the minus one die? Does that mean just no dying? [01:26:33] Speaker A: So you're not realistically. A lasso job isn't really a two handed job in this sense, so I would say we won't count that. [01:26:43] Speaker D: Okay. Oh, well, thank you. [01:26:45] Speaker A: Your gammy left arm isn't going to affect you in this, but it would affect you if you were like defending yourself. [01:26:52] Speaker D: It's a good job I'm right handed. [01:26:54] Speaker C: I would help, but I can't. Feeling very. [01:26:58] Speaker A: Okay. [01:26:58] Speaker D: So I still have my special armor. [01:27:01] Speaker A: So this is a. Oh, okay. [01:27:03] Speaker D: So I can still take a devil's bargain. [01:27:05] Speaker A: Okay. Regardless of what happens, Turia unleashes a magical assault on the room. [01:27:18] Speaker C: On the room. [01:27:21] Speaker D: Yeah. But I mean, it could, like, put some pips on, stop the width ritual because I get two extra dice. [01:27:27] Speaker C: Okay. [01:27:29] Speaker D: We can weather a magical assault surely. [01:27:35] Speaker C: Okay. [01:27:36] Speaker D: Yolo. Yay. Okay. Oh, boy. So it'll be three dice, finesse to grapple De Rivera down essentially. [01:27:49] Speaker A: Yep, yep, yep, yep. [01:27:51] Speaker D: Does that do I. Does it. Does my ghost fighter count for shit in this? [01:27:57] Speaker A: Not in this case. Everything's quite physical. I will start you on a desperate standard. [01:28:01] Speaker D: If she's like being held up in the air by supernatural forces and I can imbue the manacles with magical art. [01:28:08] Speaker A: Do you think that maybe these shackles around her wrists are what are suspending her? Much like Tyria? But no. So I'll start you on a desperate standard. [01:28:17] Speaker D: Yeah. [01:28:18] Speaker A: So you've got. [01:28:20] Speaker D: Well, I can't bloody do anything because, like, if I push myself, I'm out of the game. [01:28:25] Speaker A: So this was added one dice. Are you taking both of those upgrades to give you two more dice? [01:28:33] Speaker D: Yeah, well, yes, Go three dice, desperate standard. [01:28:37] Speaker A: You could go two dice, desperate. Great. [01:28:43] Speaker C: It might be worth. Because it's gonna be desperate either way. Yeah, it might be worth. Go shooting for the great. [01:28:49] Speaker D: Yeah. [01:28:50] Speaker C: It's only. [01:28:52] Speaker A: Are you. I've given you a devil's bargain. [01:28:55] Speaker D: Well, I get three dice anyway because I get one dice in finesse. Two dice with the devil's bargain. [01:28:59] Speaker C: Oh, yeah. [01:29:00] Speaker D: So I've got three dice. [01:29:01] Speaker C: Oh, cool. [01:29:02] Speaker D: So I could just go for the better effect. [01:29:05] Speaker C: What is it that's giving you the better effect? [01:29:07] Speaker D: Oh, wait, what? [01:29:08] Speaker A: So devil's bargain. You've you two. Two upgrades, basically. [01:29:11] Speaker D: Oh, okay. So it's not just two dice, it's two upgrades. [01:29:13] Speaker A: So this dice all effects? Yeah. [01:29:15] Speaker D: So I could do like one dice and do it at two dice and then do one on the effect. Or I can do. I can do desperate standard 3D but for three dice and get better chance. [01:29:26] Speaker A: So three dice desperate standard or two dice desperate. Great. Are you risking it for a biscuit? [01:29:35] Speaker D: I mean, it sounds pretty reckless, isn't it? So two dice. That's right. Four and a three. [01:29:44] Speaker A: Still a partial. [01:29:45] Speaker D: Is partial. [01:29:46] Speaker A: It's a partial. Okay. So that is desperate. Great. I'm going to whack you up to I'm gonna say lesser effect just to twist that knob a bit so that three segments down to two segments. So you manage to kind of wrap around Davira's leg and you have to pull hard. And it's like at this point the lack of left arm is a bit of a struggle as you. [01:30:14] Speaker D: As the watch muscles bulge, biceps are. [01:30:18] Speaker A: Like Captain America wrestling a helicopter style. Pull her down and you manage to break the magical bar bonds that are holding her aloft. And D'Vera comes crashing down to terra firmament with you. [01:30:33] Speaker C: Oof. [01:30:34] Speaker D: I would have caught her but no arm. [01:30:37] Speaker A: Good boy. As that happens there is a rippling pulse through the room emanating from D'Vera. And you hear a chorus of screams as and Cavern and Atta. You see this moment before the wave hits you. But you watch as the. The gathered Lodge reticent that kind of scattered around underneath Turia all kind of grab their heads and scream and they start to wither like the. The moisture is being sucked out of them and they all collapse to the ground as Turia siphons their life energy and then assaults you all with a like a blast that assails your. Your minds. I'm going to ask everyone to roll. So we'll do it one in turn. A single D6 to see if you can resist this psychic assault sword. [01:31:45] Speaker D: Oh, do we all get plus one to die rolls? [01:31:47] Speaker A: No, you do not. [01:31:48] Speaker D: No. [01:31:49] Speaker A: So start starting with Cavern A1 Dice Fortune. [01:31:52] Speaker C: It's not a full on resistance cuz otherwise. [01:31:55] Speaker D: Okay, so I just thought I'd try jammy bugger and see if it. [01:31:58] Speaker A: Cavern is a fail. Frida. Yay. It's a fail. [01:32:02] Speaker D: Yay at. [01:32:06] Speaker A: All these threes Fail alonon. [01:32:11] Speaker C: Oh wow. [01:32:12] Speaker A: Join us. [01:32:14] Speaker D: Join us as well. [01:32:19] Speaker A: Oh tpk. And if someone could roll another for Velloca. [01:32:27] Speaker B: You got six. [01:32:30] Speaker F: Valko finishes the game for us. [01:32:34] Speaker A: So you feel your mind's bludgeoned by this magical assault as Turiel unleashes this kind of mental scream that ripples through the air. Empowered by the essence, she's just forcefully drawn from the other Lodge reticent members and your worlds kind of the five of you are flung back to the ground. Your world's kind of enveloped in darkness. And as you come back to anyone that's failed takes a level one harm like mental assault. Oh, so anything. Yeah. So as you come back to you feel like you're on your. Your. Your hearing is fuzzy, your vision is blurry. It feels like you're drunk and underwater simultaneously. Just as like, everything just seems to be going in slow motion. As you can't. Like, your brains are addled by this psychic assault. And, like, Turia is thrumming with. With energy even as she's kind of cocooned with the crystalline shelf. As you. As the five of you kind of pick yourselves up, the sounds of Velkar tearing into the. Like, oblivious to what's happening, who's picking up, who's going next. [01:34:08] Speaker C: Can I go? Can I attempt to lockpick in any way possible? [01:34:14] Speaker A: Yes. [01:34:15] Speaker C: To bypass these security measures around De Vera's wrists? [01:34:20] Speaker A: Yeah, no, absolutely. [01:34:22] Speaker C: So I suspect it'll be a tinker, if it's. If that's possible. [01:34:26] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, we'll say. We'll say a tinker. I will start you. Because of the. The mental assault, I will start you on a desperate Lesser. [01:34:35] Speaker C: Yeah, okay. Is there anything I can do about that? [01:34:45] Speaker A: You push yourself and bounce out the floor. [01:34:48] Speaker F: Thank you. [01:34:49] Speaker A: Perhaps not, then. So it might just be a three dice Desperate Lesser. [01:34:53] Speaker C: So even if I succeed, it's only one pick, right? [01:34:56] Speaker A: Correct. If you crit, that's two. [01:35:01] Speaker C: It's a crit. [01:35:07] Speaker F: On lock picking. [01:35:09] Speaker C: That's because I'm really good at lock picking, obviously. [01:35:12] Speaker A: In which case, Magpie, as you go, like, it's a proper moment as you kind of stagger towards the. The blurry form of Devira, you kind of drop to one knee and you struggle to focus on what you're doing. You feel your kind of muscle memory kick in to the point where your brain is adult as it is. You don't have to rely on it to do what you do best. And as you sort of, like, interact with these arcane locks that you've kind of dealt with in your time as a. As a lurk, like, even as you're kind of blacking in and out of consciousness, you still kind of working away. And, like, as the world kind of comes to again and your vision returns, you hear a clonk as these magical stone manacles fall to the floor, and. And you hear this echoey groan from the woman in front of you as Davira kind of snaps to. And Magpie, she says she looks to you, but her voice trails off into an echo. And you then see as she kind of stands up and Al Gharnan, she says she looks in your direction, but with a crit, one extra slot, you have freed D'Vera. [01:36:39] Speaker C: Nice. That's great. Probably gonna let her know that the city's being flooded with dangerous spirits and that Tauria really needs to, you know, get that Veil back up. If there's any way she can help with that. [01:36:54] Speaker A: Yeah, if that's what your. It was. You come Asheville and like, you're shouting, but not that you know it just like. [01:37:02] Speaker C: Yeah, because I go. [01:37:06] Speaker A: Tavira sort of like, looks to you. Looks to you. Algernon looks up to Turia and you see her sort of like kind of close her eyes as if she's. And Alganon. She has this look as if she's concentrating on something she doesn't do all that often that she unsure, like, not so confident about doing. But you Algon and you register this kind of red aura emanating around her sort like central torso. And she sort of. She strains and struggles. She thrusts her hands towards Turia and Turi, like, who's still thrumming. Like, the air around her vibrating with energy. And suddenly it stops as D'Vera catches control as a crystal singer. And now that turier is almost all completely made of mana crystal, she seizes her. And you feel. As she strains and struggles and Turia just frozen in spot, you feel that familiar warmth begin to permeate the room again. As the veil begins to restructure itself as Dhaveira wrestles control of Turia to. Yeah. Reinstate the veil herself. I will reduce the threat level back down to risky. While D'Veira is concentrating on this. Who's next? [01:38:38] Speaker E: If D'Veira's handling that, might go and see what Nephene is doing. [01:38:43] Speaker A: Okay. [01:38:43] Speaker E: She got knocked down the stairs. [01:38:45] Speaker A: She did. So, yeah. As you. So as you stagger to, like, the edge and, like, you have to shaking your head, trying to be able to focus. Nephne is gone. [01:38:55] Speaker C: Uh. [01:38:56] Speaker E: Oh, yeah. [01:38:57] Speaker A: Where'd she go? You see her like, as you scout the room, you see her sort of like limping away from towards the other side of the room. She's trying to put distance between you and her. You collectively and her. [01:39:17] Speaker D: Can'T be having that. [01:39:18] Speaker A: But fundamentally, she's out in the open. There are no more lodge. They're all withered husks scattered around underneath Turia like dead flies. [01:39:28] Speaker D: No more blackguard either. And no more rats. [01:39:31] Speaker A: The Blackguard more. So the Black Guard are currently. Yeah. Swarming Velkur. [01:39:36] Speaker F: Oh, no. [01:39:37] Speaker B: Nothing to block her from a pistol. [01:39:40] Speaker F: What would it be like to put those, like, manicles on her that were on. [01:39:51] Speaker E: So she looks like she's trying to escape? [01:39:54] Speaker A: She does, but then she watches. So as the veil kind of re. Emits out of Turia thanks to Tavira's manipulations like Watches Nephene kind of stops and then turns around to see what's happening and noticing that Devira is cognant and doing her best to stop whatever's happening. You see Nephene, it looks like Nephene is about to attack your sister to stop her stopping, definitely. So she has stopped. Yeah. And she's about to do something. Okay. [01:40:35] Speaker E: Seeing that's about to happen, I'm gonna let her try it and do that and then see if she comes close enough to. For me to get in range of my pistol. [01:40:45] Speaker A: Okay. She noticing that what Da Vera's doing. You watch as Nephene pulls out a small, slender crystalline dagger. And yeah, she begins running towards Dhaveira. And she's within striking range. [01:41:04] Speaker E: And I'm going to go up to my sister and I'm going to reach into the inside of her jacket pocket, pull out a little vial of red mineral. [01:41:21] Speaker A: Okay. [01:41:30] Speaker E: I'm going to uncork it. Just inhale the whole thing. And I want to see every single possible version of where Nephene is coming from, where she's going to strike, and I want to be there. [01:41:48] Speaker D: And a Sherlock Holmes it. [01:41:50] Speaker A: Okay. I mean, sure. We. Would you like to count that as like a free push? A free. An extra bump of foresight? [01:42:07] Speaker E: Yes. If I'm foresighting it, I think it could be a tune. [01:42:11] Speaker A: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Okay, so we'll say it's a free push. So free use of your foresight ability. We will start you like everything is balanced, like you as you see possible future time, like path ways and they. They play out in. In unison. And you've, like, you just feel. Feel centered. So I will start you on a risky standard. Risky standard. Two dice were you've got a free push. So where do you want to put that? [01:42:53] Speaker E: More dice. [01:42:55] Speaker A: Three dice. Risky standard. Do you want. Wish to switch to a desperate grade? Yes. Three dice, desperate grade. A tune. [01:43:06] Speaker D: Oh, boy. [01:43:10] Speaker E: Five. [01:43:11] Speaker A: Five. You do it. What? So you find the correct series of, like, the minuscule combination of cause and effect that will lead you to the future that you want to be in. And as you kind of visualize it in your mind and kind of select it from the myriad thousands of possible outcomes. When you come to, you are in the space that you want to be. Nephene is in the space where you want her to be. What do you do? [01:43:53] Speaker E: I just reach out softly, grab the back of her neck, almost as the moment where her dagger's about to stab Tavira. And I said, is this your card? And my Pistol goes off. [01:44:19] Speaker A: Okay. I will. Desperate. Great is three segments and the gun. So you've got the. The pistol effectively to a. Okay. As you say that. And there is the. The world goes silent for a moment as you hear the click. You. You hear the sound of skin being depressed. You hear the sound of the mechanisms colliding as you pull the trigger. You hear the staccato kind of snap as the mana crystal inside your pistol ignites, firing a energized beam from the barrel into Nephene's neck to emerge from the other side of her neck. And as in this moment of stillness, she looks to you, shocked. And then the world catches up and she's flung away from you as the concussive force of your pistol fires her away. And she screeches across the ground, a hole clean through her neck, one side to the other. And Davira turns, like, slowly turns to look at you as you peer down. And the dagger is embedded in your heart. Level three heart. I didn't get the lung, but I might get the heart punctured. [01:46:21] Speaker E: Like to resist that, please. [01:46:23] Speaker A: Okay. Okay. [01:46:25] Speaker E: If it's a resolve. [01:46:26] Speaker A: This is. I think. Well, I think in this case I might have to argue for a prowess. If it's a knife to the heart. Okay, so it's still. It's still a three dice. If nothing else is it two, but you get plus one cuz you're forged in the fire. [01:46:42] Speaker E: Oh, I love that forge. [01:46:44] Speaker A: Three dice. [01:46:47] Speaker E: Yeah, it has to be four. [01:46:50] Speaker C: More three, four or more. [01:46:58] Speaker E: Six. [01:47:01] Speaker D: Yes. [01:47:03] Speaker A: Level two, Harm. Let's just call it like a deep chest wound. So the. The knife is still. The dagger is still embedded in your chest. And like, it will make it hard to move, to breathe, to whatnot. But you also know that to pull it out would be. Would make things infinitely more catastrophic. But like you. You suddenly feel your legs go weak as the world kind of catches back up to you. But three segments on that clock. The stop. The ritual is nearly complete. Who's going next? Who's got any juice left in them? [01:47:49] Speaker D: Don't know what I could do. [01:47:51] Speaker B: Just go over there and kick her in the head. [01:47:53] Speaker F: I. [01:47:54] Speaker A: She's on the floor. [01:47:56] Speaker C: Magpie wants to call. Tarot. [01:48:00] Speaker A: Bold. Little bit bold. [01:48:05] Speaker C: I was think she. She would probably do something like. [01:48:08] Speaker B: She'd probably love this. [01:48:11] Speaker C: She probably. Yeah. Invite her. [01:48:14] Speaker A: Let me raise the stakes. [01:48:15] Speaker C: Right. [01:48:18] Speaker A: You watch. You all hear the sound of Alganon's like hidden firearm fire through Nephne's neck. But then you all turn to see like your vision Starts to see kind of come to like, because your visions are returning to normal because d'veir is, you know, controlling Turia. But you see Algernon kind of stagger a few steps with this knife protruding from his chest. And you watch as Da Vera no like turns to grab her younger brother. And in doing so, the grip of over Turia drops. And Turia's eye kind of flicks back to you that she can see. And there's this kind of. There's this anger, this primal anger. And it looks like Turia is about to do something horrendous. Whatever. Whatever her and Nephene were planning on doing. It looks like Turia is about to strike the flag final match. [01:49:24] Speaker C: So seeing that Magpie is going to essentially turn her face up to the sky and yell Taro. Are you not entertained yet? If the city falls, there is no more fun for you. Get down here. [01:49:43] Speaker A: Okay. Which ability would you like to use? [01:49:47] Speaker C: That sounds quite commandee. And I have nothing in command Sway. [01:49:52] Speaker A: Would anyone like to aid Magpie? [01:49:57] Speaker B: I will aid. [01:50:00] Speaker A: Yes. [01:50:02] Speaker C: It's one plus a help is unless. [01:50:06] Speaker A: Someone would like to lead a group role. [01:50:11] Speaker D: I can do that. [01:50:12] Speaker C: Who's got good command? [01:50:14] Speaker D: Yeah, I've also got good command and also I've got something who. [01:50:19] Speaker C: Well, it needs to be whoever's got the most stress available, basically. [01:50:22] Speaker B: Yeah, that's true. [01:50:23] Speaker C: Because it. The. The how good the leader is at this skill doesn't affect how much algae's got three. [01:50:31] Speaker A: Kevin's got four. [01:50:32] Speaker B: I've got three. [01:50:33] Speaker A: A three big one. [01:50:34] Speaker C: So either of you guys, if you want to lead it. [01:50:38] Speaker A: Okay. Okay. Okay. So Algernon, bear in mind so this will be a minus one dice for you because it's hard to breathe. But it is what it is. [01:50:52] Speaker C: I am happy to just do it with a bit with a help. I think that's probably safer because if you end up taking multiple stress because we all fail, that's really dangerous. [01:51:05] Speaker A: I feel like this may well be the last roll of thrill. [01:51:07] Speaker D: I was going to say I don't mind taking a bit of stress. Like, you know, I don't mind doing. [01:51:11] Speaker F: Let's all take. [01:51:12] Speaker B: Let's all just take stress ourselves out about it. [01:51:17] Speaker D: Group trauma. Yay. [01:51:22] Speaker A: I will need a leader. Does Algernon want to lead? Okay. Algannon is leading a group sway, not. [01:51:30] Speaker E: The person that sits back and pushes the pawns. He's the leader. [01:51:34] Speaker A: So this is a group command to summon the attention. [01:51:40] Speaker C: Yeah, I presume. [01:51:43] Speaker D: So do we all roll our regular command rolls? [01:51:45] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [01:51:46] Speaker D: Cuz it's been a while since we've done a. [01:51:48] Speaker A: We'll start. Yeah. So everyone rolls separately. So we'll start with alganon. [01:51:53] Speaker E: Two dice. [01:51:54] Speaker A: So two dice and the. I mean, this is. I feel that this is kind of it. Right, so this is a desperate grade. So a desperate standard. [01:52:09] Speaker C: Five. [01:52:10] Speaker A: Okay, so we've got a five. We'll go the other way. Start with Magpie. [01:52:14] Speaker C: I have zero in command. So it's two dice and take the lower. [01:52:18] Speaker A: Yep. Okay, we have one fail and a five Atta. [01:52:29] Speaker F: So I've got one pip in command, which means one dice. But I've also got soul fatigued and mental ass. So does that mean zero dice? [01:52:40] Speaker D: Well, that's less effect. [01:52:42] Speaker A: Yeah, so that's actually moot in this case. [01:52:45] Speaker F: But my soul fatigued means I get. Oh, is that in just a tune or resolved. [01:52:51] Speaker A: So yeah, fundamentally I like. I feel like you're all just shouting into the ether to. To tarot. Three. Okay, so 2000. Frida. [01:53:01] Speaker D: Hello. Oh boy. Fools. [01:53:07] Speaker C: Success. [01:53:09] Speaker D: Yeah. [01:53:10] Speaker A: Four. [01:53:10] Speaker D: Four and a two. [01:53:11] Speaker E: Yeah. [01:53:11] Speaker A: Okay, so that's a partial cavern. [01:53:14] Speaker B: I've got no command as well, so it's going to be taking the lesser. [01:53:19] Speaker C: Aw, I'm sorry. [01:53:20] Speaker F: Algae. [01:53:24] Speaker A: So on the back of a five, Algernon is you. Well, as the five of you kind of scream to Taro, I have a. [01:53:35] Speaker E: Suggestion that we use her real name. [01:53:39] Speaker C: Mm. Are we confident that's her real name? [01:53:45] Speaker E: And we shout out for Melody's help. [01:53:54] Speaker A: I will invoke. I will. Off the back of a partial, desperate standard, that is, I will invoke a complication alongside two segments on the clock. And as you scream your V voices, your throats roar for Tarot. And then Melodani, your voices, the chorus of your voices is joined as Turia begins like channeling whatever spell she was channeling. And as the arcane energy thrums through her in this devastating explosion, you will watch as the small portion of her face that is still like, visible her flesh erupts into jagged crystalline growths as she fully encapsulates herself and becomes a solid crystalline structure. And the force of the energy cracks the concentric rings around her and the mechanisms of the shroud detonate outwards into shrapnel that scatter across the room. And for those of you that can see her, you watch as nephenes pray prone form lifts off the ground and vanishes. And as you see this eruption of energy emerge from Turia, the force of which fully kind of engulfing her in crystal, the world Stops Meladani Curious, very curious. And you feel weightless as you feel like you're no longer part of the physical world. But you turn to see a lady wearing a purple ringmaster's coat and. And she's adjusting a purple top hat on her head. I can't say that anyone's called me Meladani before. I feel like Meladani would be very upset if she heard that. And you don't want to upset a God now do you? She says, as Taro looks to you all. And she takes a step back and regards what's happening, this moment of time that she's frozen. Yes, I am entertained. This has been thrilling, she says. Would you like to see the results of your actions? She said. And with a smile, the room disappears from view. And you find yourself somewhere. You find yourself in front of the ruins of the Ruby Keep, and Elysia has frozen in time. But as you look up, you can see this stream, this tidal wave of ghosts now that the veil. You realize that with Turia completely crystallizing herself and fundamentally ending, like ending her own life, the veil has disappeared, with no one to control it anymore. And the ghosts for a second time are surging down. You can see citizens of Elysia running in a panicked way, trying to escape ghosts that have seemingly appeared from the first dropping of the veil. But you can see that the tidal wave that's now descending will seal Elysia's fate. And Tarot stands among the five of you, looking up at the sky. Who would have thought that after everything we've done together, it would end up like this? Did you enjoy yourselves? She says. And you feel like you've regained control of your voices. [01:59:17] Speaker E: Now? I'm sorry to disappoint you, Taro, but this isn't the way it ends, I'm afraid. Take us back for one last game. [01:59:31] Speaker A: You see, Algernon, I feel that you're right on many things. But there are just some truth. There are some games that you're just simply not equipped to play. And she kind of looks. Looks around and it's. It's curious, everything that's happened. Truly. There was a question that was burning all of your minds at certain points. Did you ever figure out where we are? I'll take the resounding silence as a no. Elysia. Some of the structures around Elysia are impossibly older than any of you could imagine. But I must admit, it's quite heartwarming to feel, to see a little slice of home every now and again. It's been a While since I've seen architecture as beautiful as Turia's coffin. But I prom when I told you all that, when you felt. When I told people that at least the veil would fall. I wasn't lying. You understood that correctly. It was a promise. It wasn't a threat or a risk. It was a promise. And now we have a city of people who are in the final moments of their lives. And it's just so exciting, perhaps exciting enough that I would like to watch you play on a little longer. Such interesting creatures. You know, I've loved that about you. You've been some of my favorites. And she kind of steps backwards to be kind of among you. And it's endless, isn't it? She says as she gestures to the roiling purple void overhead, no longer filtered by the veil. It makes you wonder where it came from, why it exists. Would you like to see? And with a click, the world, the cacophony of chaos enveloping Elysia, snaps back into action as you see this tide of ghosts descend down. You see the people suddenly snap back into motion as they're running away for their lives. The five of you turn, look. And you can see like you can see Roath kind of limping down from a rooftop. You can see fiends and Lorenzo in the park just off to your right, kind of looking around. These ghosts descend on them. And Tarot shouts over the din. Everyone pay attention now, she says, pointing at the sky, the void overhead. And you watch as in this roiling purple mass, a sliver of yellow begins to appear. And it expands and expands. And then you notice there's a black column running up the middle of this yellow shape that's expanding from. From a. Into a circle and cavern. As you look up all of those years looking in a mirror, you can't help but wonder if you're looking at an eye like your own. And as the enormity of this. This gargantuan eye opening in the distance and looking down on you, the void seems to shift and perspective kind of warps and shapes. And you realize that framed around this floating eye is an impossibly large Draconic face. And you. As the thorns begin to come into relief, whether or not you've seen it in books or not, you all know that looking down on the city of Elysia is a Khan, the father of the Draconic pantheon. And as a Khan seemingly opens his eyes and there's a. There's a ponderous thrashing of movement in the void overhead. The ghosts that are descending on Elysia stop. And they turn to look up at this deity that's floating in void space overhead, and they begin to surge upwards away from the citizens, towards the Dragon Father. And as they begin colliding and scratching and biting at his scales, you see him thrash and roar. This place is a prison, Taro says as she stands marveling at the ghosts ripping Khan's scales. You're just unfortunate. It's just it wasn't ever really meant to be a prison for you, she says. And as you like, as the citizens of Elysia kind of stand around a bit dumbfounded as to what's happening, as their attention follows the ghosts drifting up, you start to hear murmurs of confusion, of panic, of surprise as the Elysians see the Betrayer in physical form looming over this speck of a city in his shadow. And Tarot sighs a contented sigh. Just think of all, all the tales they're going to tell, she says with a smile. And as a Khan's eye turns to transfix on Elysia, this impossibly booming sonorous voice utters a single word of power and your world explodes into light. Darkness stretches on, invading all of your senses before being replaced with this feeling of being pulled violently. It if it were physical, it would feel like hurricane winds rushing through your hair, but instead it feels like it's pulling, it's blowing through your souls, your very essences instead. And as everything comes to a sudden halt, as the five of you slowly open your eyes in lieu of the face of the Betrayer, you see a blue sky. You see clouds overhead, and perhaps for the first time in over two years, you hear birdsong as you pick yourselves up. You can see the citizens around you kind of looking dumbstruck as they peer around. And it's difficult to see past the skyline of Elysia, given that you're pretty much in the center of it, but your noses are struck with this saltiness in the air, you hear. It's a sound from your memories perhaps. It sounds like the sea gently crashing waters. The sounds of. You can see birds flying overhead, walking like angrily at one another as they kind of flying away from your location. But it seems like you're back. What do you collectively do? So let's start with Agarnon. What do you do. [02:09:35] Speaker E: As the first ray of sunshine hits Aghknon's face? For over two years, he's just overcome with a warm nostalgia for the days out on the water at Moreton Boys College, cheering for the sky blues as the sky is finally blue Again. And even though it wasn't exactly all part of the plan, it seems that everything he's wanted to happen and all of the dark deeds he's done have come to fruition somehow. And he doesn't understand why he's not in control of everything, but he, for once in his life, accepts it. [02:10:22] Speaker A: Atta. As you take in everything that you're seeing, given that it's been years since you've seen this blue sky, as you look around, you notice that there are these kind of moats of pearly light. Light floating around you. And one of them seem. You just get the feeling it's looking at you as it floats up towards you like someone getting closer to a foggy, a misted window. You see a face you haven't. Well, you see a face that would always bring you some form of happiness. As your grandmother's features begin to form out of this pearly light. And unlike the last time you saw her, her features twisted in rage and hunger, there's a contented smile with a touched with pride as your grandmother just her form somewhat materializes out of this pearly light, and she reaches a hand out to you. [02:11:58] Speaker F: Yeah, Attila was going to think of Grandma and see if that happens. So since Grandma is here, she's gonna reach her hand out, take Grandma's hand, and just kind of try and hold on to it. [02:12:21] Speaker A: In which case, as you grab her hand with both, like your fingers, your palms come into contact, one over slightly, as you realize she is incorporeal, but there's. You can still feel her presence in a way. And your grandmother once again smiles and nods. And then you watch as these kind of pearly moats that you feel are these for souls that were trapped in Elysia. They begin to drift upwards towards the sky. And your grandmother holds your hand for as long as she can before she fades from view and her mote of light disappears up before twinkling out like a star in the daylight. [02:13:18] Speaker F: Arthur's gonna try and compel. [02:13:24] Speaker A: Yeah. [02:13:25] Speaker F: Yeah. [02:13:28] Speaker A: What are you compelling? [02:13:29] Speaker F: I'm compelling Grandma to stay. [02:13:33] Speaker A: As. As you kind of reach out, you've never. Like in Elysia, like in the void, the spirits around you just kind of like, they've been wordless, they've been voiceless. But as you reach out to your grandmother, in your voice you hear, I'll never be far away, but now I need to rest. And you get the impression, feel that now that she's no longer trapped within the void that Elysia found itself in, in a calm's Prison void. She's now able to move on. [02:14:35] Speaker F: I'll come and find you. [02:14:40] Speaker A: I know you will, she says as she drifts away. What's Frieda doing? [02:14:50] Speaker D: I think Frieda is looking around a bit dumb. Dumbfounded. And then just. It's kind of like a. Feels a bit like a hiccup, you think, maybe a sob, like. And then just laughter. Just this laughter to the point where tears just start forming and streaming. And she's just looking around at everyone, just laughing. [02:15:26] Speaker A: As you kind of rock slightly at your kind of happy hysteria. I guess as you're kind of taking in your surroundings, you, like, you look up and you see that there's an almost perfect circle of clear blue sky above you, as if the clouds have been blown away. But like, as you turn and kind of scan the horizon, you look. I mean, growing up in Alicia, you know that you'd be looking westwards, so towards like haveny, the edge of kind of celestry. And you notice that in the distance of this place that you're in, there appears to be cliff line a way away. And as you peer, you feel like you can see buildings along the cliff line and down, but it's. You don't see much of the cliff, given the skyline, but there seem to be buildings down the side. Side of it as well. But you feel like it's. I mean, you don't know. Don't know if there's ground between you and them, but there's civilization over there. [02:16:53] Speaker D: I start pointing, I start pointing and I start like, kind of like pointing out to other people. And I'm still laughing and it's still just. It's just. And I just. I just so full of like overwhelming hysterical excitement that I'm almost like dragging people along to be like. And it just starts. We can leave. We can leave. [02:17:19] Speaker A: What's Magpie doing? [02:17:21] Speaker C: I think hearing Frida and seeing where she's pointing, I think Magpie is just gonna start climbing. [02:17:29] Speaker A: I mean, the Ruby Keep is behind you. [02:17:32] Speaker C: She's right there. [02:17:34] Speaker A: So, yeah, you see that a number of people are trying to get to high ground to see what's. What's up. But as. As you gain more elevation, Frieda's absolutely right. There's a. There's a cliffside that leads down to what appears to be a beach. And like, you, you. You kind of get the impress again. It's a bit difficult to tell because of distances and perspectives and whatnot, but you feel like you. You're not like. You feel like you're out to Sea. But you're not in the sea, are you? Is Alicia floating in space. But you see that there's a. There's a coast that rises up this cliffside, this settlement at the top. And it's far, although it's far enough away. It's Earlvok's quite far away. You can see that there is certainly activity happening in this settlement. And you begin to hear Elysians gathering around and where are we? What's, what's happened? Why is the sky not purple? [02:18:45] Speaker C: I think she's just gonna. A huge smile just breaks out over Magpie's face and she just calls out, we're back. We're over the sea, but we made it. [02:19:01] Speaker B: I think from hearing everyone else shouting, we're back. He's going to scan the crowds and see if other people we know have made it. [02:19:17] Speaker A: As you look around you can see the rest of the B team. You can like, you look up and you see kind of Mecha, Tavarian, Tavarian standing like many floors up in the ruins of the keep. They seem to be struggling to get down, but Tarvarien is just kind of peering down at you with her head slightly tilted. You can see Ro. Well, Lorenzo and fiends attending to Ro, who is limping very heavily. But as the group of. As the gathered crowds in the square in front of the Rui Keep grows, you spy a yellow scaled dragon sent bundle. And she looks, she stands at odds with the other, with the citizens of Spire park for her disheveled look, her rag like appearance. But you watch as Dorothea stands up and is just looking around and she turns to regard you and you've never seen. I doubt you've ever seen Dorothea break and like cry before. But her eyes are quivering as, as is her bottom lip as she looks around and she looks sides with you. She just, she studies you for a moment and then nods as her mouth slowly twists into a thanking smile. You looking around, it would seem that through your various actions like there are no. You don't see any casualties. So it doesn't look like the, the spirits that were sailing Alicia managed to catch anyone. Never been seen. There doesn't appear to be any. Any wounded. So through your actions you have saved Elysia and her citizens. Was there anyone else you're hoping to see? [02:22:06] Speaker B: I think some other people who we've met just sort of like along our way. He, he's assumed that, that he's probably not going to see Songbird and Velker. He's looking to like probably not the first person he thought he would think of. But he wonders if Musto's down there. [02:22:37] Speaker A: You wonder. You hear from the crowd, out of the way, out of the way. Someone get me a box. And like you see a tight fitting pork pie hat emerge from the crowd. As Musto looks around at the. What's going on? But what, what, what's happening? He starts shouting. And you see him sort of like shouting to a couple of the. The gathered cobbles that are kind of lurking nearby. And he's like, yo, yo, knowledgeable Tom, where are we? And you just hear, you ain't my boss anymore. And you just sit like Musto, just like you get the impression he's just like hands on his hips like shoulder height with everyone else in the crowd just looking around. And he pops his hat off and starts scratching his head as he begins to try to gauge what's happening. But over the next few minutes, hour perhaps. [02:23:55] Speaker E: Can I make a suggestion? [02:23:56] Speaker A: Yes. [02:23:57] Speaker E: As these adrenaline sort of succeeds, Algernon feels that deep pain in his chest from the stab wound and he takes from his possessions the Verin seed. And he looks around and he finds an appropriate space within the ruins of the keep and spire park and he plants it in the ground. [02:24:24] Speaker A: Okay, as you well I perhaps aided by the others as you complete the burial of this seed and like as you finish covering it over, you see this like you see a slight thrum of energy emitting from where you've buried it. You, you hear from behind you, did we do it? And as you turn round, you see De versus with Vela in his completely blackened eyes, eye goggles cracked and smashed with one arm over her shoulders as she emerges from the the ruins of the keep. Did we do it? She repeats. [02:25:37] Speaker E: I'm not sure if it was us, but it definitely happened. Perhaps divine intervention. [02:25:48] Speaker A: As you say that the rest of you, like you're hearing some of the overhearing some of the conversations from the crowd and the wonderment of being in a new place seems to have passed. But you start to hear some people start to question how did we get here? Who was was that in the sky? What was that? Was that. That was a Khan, wasn't it? That was a Khan. Did. Did we get brought back by a khan? And these rumors and murmurs begin to ripple through the crowd and alganon as the, as the crowd sort of like start moving and kind of throwing to and fro to as they're asking kind of their nearby, anyone nearby in the crowd. It parts enough that you see a lady in A purple ringmaster's coat. And as she closes her eyes and smiles, as she listens to these questions being asked, and she opens her eyes to look to the five of you. And as the crowds blend in front of her again, Tarot is gone. And as you, as everyone, well, as you begin to take a moment that the Veren seed planted in the ruins of the Ruby keep, as the five of you kind of turn to kind of step out of the keep itself, the dust on the ground in front of you begins to swirl. And you watch as a circle of silvery blue runes emerges into reality and stretches, creating a portal. And from the portal emerges a Laur man in a fine gray cloak, gray coat, a blue cloak hanging from ornate kind of clips. A circlet with a red, blue and yellow gem embedded across the front. Sat over silver white hair swept back. Following behind him is a much older, a gruffer, broader shouldered Lorevar man with short cut gray hair, a relatively well maintained beard in a. In a long coat like a long jacket of sorts. A rife, a firearm over his shoulder and an eyepatch over his left eye. And the white haired Lorevar man emerges. And seeing you as the first, he turns around as a portal closes behind him and. Excuse me for interrupting. I was. I was wanting to ask where you've just come from. My name is High Magister Meridius Radahn. This is Carmichael Comstock of the town of New Prosper. We have some questions to ask you. One year later. [02:29:39] Speaker F: They finish their questions. Takes that long. [02:29:50] Speaker A: A whole year has passed since the city of Alicia rematerialized above the seas south of the town of New Prosper in elsewhere. Connecting to what you've discovered is one of many explorer expedition founded towns. Elysia has been returned to the fold, so to speak. A curious floating city about a half mile off the coast of the landmass. Let's start with Friede. Where do we find her? [02:30:41] Speaker D: A year later so a year later you actually see Frida and it's actually the first time you've seen her in about a year. And she's crossing the threshold of the spectre and she's wearing traveling clothes and there's a sort of like a sort of, you know, sort of brazened look to her skin where she's clearly been out in the sun a lot. And you know, she's carrying a heavy like, you know, like traveling satchel and she sort of like plonks it down in front of the bar and leans over and calls the whoever's working behind the bar now is not necessarily Eric. I don't know who it is, but call and say, hey, what a bartender. What have you. What have you got to drink these days? [02:31:49] Speaker A: The figure stops and turns around and perhaps you're glad to see the familiar face of Eric. Who? Frieda. By the gods, girl, you've been gone for. How are you? [02:32:08] Speaker D: I'm alright, you know, I'm good, I'm good. I've been away for a while, but I'm back just specifically to have a drink at your fine establishment. [02:32:24] Speaker A: Oh well, I mean it is a bloody fine establishment, I'll give you that. You're looking good as well. What are you having? We've got slightly more on the menu than we used to. [02:32:33] Speaker D: Wait, wait, wait a minute. To be honest, Eric, I'll take anything as long as it's never been near a bloody mushroom in its life. [02:32:42] Speaker A: He. He looks to you and as he turns to the now fully stocked like bar shelves behind him, he don't you worry. I think we can sort you right out. [02:32:53] Speaker D: This is fantastic. [02:32:57] Speaker A: As he pours you a drink. What's one of. What's the tale that impresses him the most for your journeys over the last year? [02:33:11] Speaker D: So I think the last year Frieda has been just, you know, she's spent her entire life in Alicia, either in indentured servitude or under a dome. She's never been outside the city limits. So she essentially goes as far and as wide as she can in a year. She's been, you know, she's done hired mercenary work. You know, she's. She was a sheriff for a small town. Not unlike knew prosper when it started out. You know, just on the, on the verges like she was a sheriff in a small town for a few months. You know, she's reconnected with some of her like Wolfkin kind of culture and heritage, met people and these are the sort of stories that she's sort of you know, relaying, you know, as she sort of like cradles her drink. But then she finishes it by saying, but to be honest, I still think the most impressive thing that or the most awe inspiring thing I've done in the past year. And to be honest in my life is, is meet the people that meet my family, you know, that I. That I made in this city. And now I'm back, I'm back to see my family. [02:34:54] Speaker A: He kind of nods and there's an almost fatherly warmth in his face as you tell him this story. [02:35:04] Speaker D: Speaking of where are the buggers? Are Any of them still left? [02:35:08] Speaker A: Well, I mean, well, he hums the nerves and well, when it comes. So I suppose. Well, let's start with Atta. Where do we find Atta? One year later. [02:35:29] Speaker F: There is a probably. It's hard to tell whether it's natural stone or man created stone, but Atas in a room. The room is filled to the brim with various things. There's probably little to no light in this room. On the walls are multiple copies of the runes that we saw in the Turiya's prison. There are multiple books filled with notes, notably of which Umi's notebook copied several times, used very, very close to Ata, kind of wrapped around, chained to her. There are spirit bottles, experiments, many different kinds of spirit bottles strewn about the place. And Ata is furiously writing, muttering to herself. And a small rat near her. Just can't get it right. Stephen, not really sure where it will be. And then as it kind of pans out, there are also multiple versions of diving suits around the room. And you leave. You leave her muttering to herself and Stephen with her research. [02:37:08] Speaker A: Well, as. As you're. Well, as you do find yourself muttering, the door creaks. Well, a door opens, throwing some light into the room. And you hear two distinct footsteps, one very kind of loud and thuddy like, and then much lighter footsteps. And the room is somewhat illuminated by a shifting blue glow as Tarvarian peers in. And have you had any luck, Atta? [02:37:50] Speaker F: I'm not sure yet. I need to try more. [02:38:00] Speaker A: When Vile, I was going through the city, she says, and behind her you can hear the sounds of the bustling streets of Avonmoor. For all extents and purposes, the new capital of Elsweyr rediscovered. While I was walking the streets, I bumped into this wonderful lady. Young lady, she says. And you hear a tutorial from the figure stood behind her. She's a curious one, a bit like you. And I thought that perhaps if you were to put your heads together, you might be able to crack those runes. And Tarvarian steps to the side to reveal a like a brown gray skinned Terran sprite woman with a mohawk down her head. And the sprite steps in, looks around and by the divine, she says as she looks around, my name's Galena Alperman. Sounds like you've got a bit of a riddle, she says. [02:39:08] Speaker F: Are you interested in crystals? [02:39:11] Speaker A: Oh yes, says Galena. Where do we finds Katherine? [02:39:25] Speaker B: Katherine is standing on a sort of dirt path, sort of near New Prosper, and looking up at Elysia, which is floating. He's also Got a sort of like a large duffel bag, like a travel bag that he's got with him. And he is standing next to a lore of our woman who's sort of about the same height as him. And they're what. They're. It's almost like they are. They are just parting ways at that time. And he is standing with his sister, who he was able to find through records. He was. And both of them started looking for the rest of their family, but they have had no luck as of yet. But he has said that he wanted to return back to Alicia for a little while and see if he can find anyone that he remembers from back then. From a year ago. [02:40:53] Speaker A: News of Elyse's return has certainly kind of rippled through the expedition towns that have been founded and part perhaps for the. For you all, it's quite surprising to see just how much ground has been covered over the past, well, two years when you first arrived and all the progress that's been made since as you discover that Elysia elsewhere is three years beyond the Eschaton. And there are some who have begun. Some lost Elysians who were left behind have begun to return. But yeah, as you're. As you're stood with your sister, we missed you dearly, Catherine. [02:41:51] Speaker B: I missed you too. [02:41:55] Speaker A: She like you. You notice that? She said it almost like. Incidentally, as she looks at what remains of the city that you know was off on the horizon as you were growing up as. As children. I'm. It's a good place as any to start, but I'm. I'm sure we'll find him. He's. He's got a loud enough personality that he won't be that hard to find in a crowd. I. I wanted you to know that once we do find brother, I'm. I'm considering signing up to the explorers. I feel that what they're doing is incredible. And well, if. If we can find Elysia, then we've got a pretty good shot of piecing the whole world back together, I reckon. And if you wanted to join me, and I'm sure the full three of us could go, but I appreciate if you want a little bit. A little slice of home instead. [02:43:17] Speaker B: Yes, I. I made a new family while I was in Alicia, and that's hard to step away from after all we've been through. And maybe when. Maybe when I'm a little older, I'll join, but I've still got a lot of now with the brand new world. I've got a lot more fun to. [02:43:49] Speaker A: Have Your sister nods and then maybe we can explore it together again. [02:44:01] Speaker E: I like that. [02:44:03] Speaker A: And she smiles as she looks back to the city. Before the two of you make your way to the local, to the nearby portal system to teleport to the floating city. Where was Magpie one year later? [02:44:23] Speaker C: I think Magpie is still in Elite. I think she took a role in helping to clean up after two years in the Void. And you know, she's been helping to re sort of locate and reunite family that were outside of Alicia when the bubble when this got on happened and reuniting the sort of orphans and family, lost family members with each other, kind of helping to just re. Establish some sense of order and you know, around. Around the city and just helping out where she could, I think rather than trying to get back with her blood relic, she has. She's living with Samuel, I suspect. But I think now that a year has gone past, she's probably thinking that her role in rebuilding the city has coming towards an end and she might be thinking about spreading her wings and leaving to explore some of this world. But they've been reunited with. [02:45:45] Speaker A: In which case, as you float these ideas to Samuel, the two of you on this bench in Spire park, glance up at this enormous tree that over the past year has just exploded in size, fully encapsulating what was once overgrowing what was the ruins of the Ruby Keep. Now this beacon of, you know, life sits at the center of Elysia, in stark contrast to all of the dark times that he had to endure before Elysia's response turn. Are you sure you want to leave? Samuel says to you. I. It's. It's a big world out there. I mean, and they. They still don't know everything that's waiting for us. I mean, there's still all these expeditions going up. But haven't you had enough excitement for one lifetime, Samuel? [02:47:05] Speaker C: I spent the first, however. Well, up until today, as I'm speaking to you now, on a path that I didn't want. I was confined and then and now I've spent a year helping to reestablish the city so that it can be even a shadow of what it once was. I just want to get out there and there's. Yes, a lot of it remains unexplored, but there are still people in need in the parts that we know. It won't be forever. I'll be back. I just need to live a little. [02:47:54] Speaker A: Samuel looks visibly kind of glum for a moment, and then he kind of rallies himself and gives you like A he puts on a brave face as he smiles to you. And wherever you end up, just know that we'll be waiting for you here if you decide to come back. But you've done amazing things in this city and if that's anything to go by, you're going to be amazing throughout elite, throughout, elsewhere. [02:48:38] Speaker C: The only reason I can go in good conscience is because I know I'm leaving the city in such good hands. [02:48:45] Speaker A: He kind of looks away, a bit bashful and maybe, maybe you should go then, before you inflate my head too much. And he sort of like takes his glasses off, cleans them and as he places the spectacles back, he puts an arm around you and kind of pulls you in for a hug. You got this, kiddo, he says. [02:49:12] Speaker C: Thanks, dad. [02:49:14] Speaker A: As yeah, as he looks back up to the tree in the center of Elysium. And where do we find Algernon? [02:49:25] Speaker E: So Cadwaladr Manor is now part of a complex of several buildings in the Ivory, which have been refurbished not for use as private homes, but as part of Kodwalada College, a new school not just for the public school boy, but for all the children of Elysia, especially the orphaned. And it doesn't just teach theology, but arcana. Not just the history of Elysia, but the history and cultures of the entire world. On the campus is the new grove of the Garden Keepers. Algernon has made good on his promise that the controlled burn would work in the end. And where Castle Antelaeur once stood is now the ocean, the boating dock from which he oversees the rowing team, which isn't quite up to scratch but one day he hopes might be a match for his beloved Morton score Sky Blues. And of course he is the co headmaster alongside his elder sister, Da Vera Cadwaladr. [02:50:40] Speaker A: In which case, as you stand in what used to be the like the welcome hall of Cadwalado Manor and now the welcome hall of Cat Wallaber College. The silver white haired Loravar man stood alongside you, kind of takes in everything and Archmagister Meridius Radahn looks to you and I'd have to say you've done a pretty, pretty good job not polishing this up. If I mean I've seen quite a few impressive things on the. On this tour, but. So I suppose all that's left to say is if you're still open to the idea, I'm more than happy to invite Cadwaladr College into the Magister Circle. This could be one of the the finest spots of academia teaching the arcane arts in a safe man manner. It's a prestigious accolade to be sure. The the students of this place could could be the pioneers to the rediscovery. [02:52:00] Speaker E: Agonon thinks about that very sincerely, and then he's distracted by an incredibly naughty and irritating schoolboy that is frequently sent to his office and he shouts after him, Fairfax, what did I tell you about running in the hallway. [02:52:26] Speaker A: And the I forgot what I know you do. You probably remember. [02:52:32] Speaker E: It's like omel or something. [02:52:34] Speaker A: Yes. Fairfax's son. Curious son kind of looks to you and like stops looks a bit bashful and sorry sir, he says as he then sort of like scampers away giggling to rejoin his fellow schoolmates, their college mates and Meridius, like you can't help. Like he can't help blood kind of smirk and chortle slightly as you chastise Fairfax's son. And then the mage turns to you and I wouldn't expect an answer straight away. It is. It is still a commitment from you for. For everything. So I'll leave it with you. But when you have the answer, feel free to visit us in Avul. We Sometimes it's good to stretch your legs and see other impressive cities. Perhaps ones that aren't as airborne as Elysia. [02:53:39] Speaker E: Quite. I think I'll take you up on that invitation. I'll have to run it past my co Headmaster. [02:53:46] Speaker A: Meridius. Meridius nods and well, if there's nothing nothing else, I'll leave you to your business, he says. [02:53:55] Speaker E: Jolly boating weather, old boy. [02:53:58] Speaker A: Jolly boating weather indeed. Riddius smiles back, says back. And you watch as the Arch Magistrate leaves via the front door and sort of like or standing on the renovated streets of the Ivory, he kind of looks left and right right. And then you see him conjure a spell and silvery blue runes open up and he steps through the portal back into the bustling streets of Averl. [02:54:27] Speaker E: Yes, because I want Fairfax to be able to learn that. [02:54:35] Speaker A: You hear a voice say, that went well, brother. [02:54:44] Speaker E: Well, of course it did. I was in charge. [02:54:48] Speaker A: There. When you have a moment. There are a few new applicants. Applications that have come through. Some of them seem promising. [02:55:01] Speaker E: There's promise in old people, I'm assured. Perhaps I'm going a little soft, but why not just approve the mord? We've got the room. [02:55:12] Speaker A: She. She kind of raises her eyebrows as if to say okay, but then she kind of nods. And then is it a bit chilly in here? She says, and then she looks up to the floating mana crystal overhead as she uses her now practice crystal singing. She. The. The crystal overhead begins to glow slightly brighter and you immediately feel this warmth, this greater warmth emanating from it. Much better. [02:55:45] Speaker E: Okay, show off. [02:55:48] Speaker A: And as she titters as she walks off, you glance out your periphery and you see Fairfax looking from around the corner and realizing he's been caught. [02:56:02] Speaker E: And then I just very secretly turn the temperature back down to a more comfortable. [02:56:07] Speaker A: Very, very good. So that's. Yeah, that's basically. From what I understand, that's basically where everyone's gotten to. But I'm pretty sure it's good timing actually that you're. That you're here. Frida. And as he says that, you hear the sounds of footsteps on the curving stairwell down into the. What was once a secret speakeasy and now is just a VIP only section of the Spectre. And Frida, as you turn to look who is descending down the stairs. [02:56:48] Speaker B: Catherine is definitely descending down the stairs. [02:56:50] Speaker E: Yeah. [02:56:51] Speaker B: And as he sees Frieda, a big smile graze on his face and he comes around and he squeezes your muscle again. It's good to see you. [02:57:00] Speaker D: If anything, they're a bit bigger. [02:57:02] Speaker A: Oh no. [02:57:02] Speaker B: It felt like. [02:57:03] Speaker A: Felt it. [02:57:04] Speaker F: Bigger and bronzed. [02:57:07] Speaker A: Can we trust that Atta has been convinced by Tavarian to tear herself away. [02:57:11] Speaker F: Atta appears dimension door just in the corner of the room. Smash a bottles matter. [02:57:20] Speaker A: What have I told you? [02:57:23] Speaker F: Frida's there everyone. [02:57:29] Speaker A: And then from following behind Cavern Magpie and Alganor. Okay, as the five of you like emerge in the space in front of Eric's bar and the specter, he. He kind of. He looks genuinely chuffed. And he kind of takes a big sigh. And I've. I've made sure to save you space on your table. He says, pointing to the corner. The. The half moon table with the in. In the booth area. Why don't you take yourselves. Take one of you will grab a seat and I'll bring your drinks over. He says. [02:58:14] Speaker D: Sounds kind. [02:58:15] Speaker A: And as the five of you slip in and Eric begins preparing your drinks, we will call it there Elsewhere. [02:58:35] Speaker C: Oh no, wait, what Elsewhere? [02:58:40] Speaker D: And the city gets dragged back into the forest. [02:58:42] Speaker F: Definitely disappeared. So we never know. [02:58:49] Speaker A: In a surprisingly quiet tavern somewhere in the streets of Avermoor, the sounds of beautifully played violin floats through the air. It sounds enchanting, enthralling even. And it's a travesty that there are next to no patrons to hear the song, to hear it play. The door opens and a silhouette of a Lorevar woman steps through. And she stands out with her curious purple coat and hat and as the bartender kind of looks in her direction can I get you a she lifts a finger to shush him and he freezes in spot and Tarot walks in up to the bard stage in the center of the drinking hall. Stood on the stage is a slender Lorevar person wearing a very curious leaf like green ensemble like very much like a a traveling bard's gear but his skin is curiously golden, his blonde hair flowing down over his left shoulder over their left shoulder and they stop the violin as Tarot freezes the bartender. Come now, they say, that's quite rude and Tarot smiles. It's good to see you. You've been quite a stranger these past few and the figure on the stage kind of tuts and dramatically flicks her hair back and come now, you know I don't like that title unless it's uttered by these lot. He says. They say, gesturing to the frozen bartender, have you been keeping well? Fallacious? Tarot asks and Valesius gives Tarot a look, a knowing look. You're still quite. You're still quite smug with yourself with what you did with Elysia, aren't you? Velasius says as they step down from from the stage and placing the violin in a case. You can't rest on those laurels forever, you know, sister. And Tarot shrugs. I always love seeing what happens when they ask questions and now I've made them ask one of the most compelling questions since the eschaton. Do you know the links they're going to to see if what the Elysians were saying was true, that they saw a khan and to think that they thought he was dead. And Velasius looks thoroughly unamused. If you keep pushing them, they say, they will rally against you. I hope you realize that you can't twist that many strands of fate. And Taro smiles. Oh I know. That's why I'm going to find the others. Congratulations everyone on completing Elysia Rising. We have done it. We have concluded Campaign two and everyone is still in one piece. [03:03:54] Speaker C: Except Songbird. [03:03:55] Speaker A: Except Songbird. [03:03:58] Speaker D: I can't believe Velker came out of that after he set himself apart and just his general condition. And Songbird's the one that she would. [03:04:11] Speaker C: The ramen out of both of them at least she redeemed herself. [03:04:19] Speaker A: We are done. You now you're the five of you after just over two years in captivity, have a whole unexplored world to explore and I am very much looking forward to seeing if we see five familiar faces crop up in future Explorers of Elsewhere campaigns or side adventures or the like. [03:04:42] Speaker C: Yeah. [03:04:45] Speaker A: So because we've been going at this for quite some time, if you enjoyed any part of this campaign, make sure to hit the like button and comment down below on who you think of. These five is going to get into trouble the quickest. And if you would like to see where the Explorers of Elsewhere setting goes next, make sure to hit the subscribe button and the Bell icon for notifications of new releases, because I assure you, there's going to be lots of them and they're going to be coming thick and fast, and there might be a few familiar faces in Campaign 3. So thank you all for playing, thank you all for watching, and thank you Dan. [03:05:44] Speaker D: Yeah. [03:05:47] Speaker A: We will see you in the next adventure. Bye.