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C1 Ep. 2 Dancing with Shadows: Chapter Two
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The time has arrived for the next episode of Eberron Renewed! This week we see our heroes venture deeper into the Faded Forest as the hunt for young Jacob continues, but will the goblins turn out to be friend or foe? Find out this week on Eberron Renewed!
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Transcript
Sun Tzu's Art of War Philosophy
00:00:03
Speaker
The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. Sun Tzu, The Art of War.
Podcast Introduction and Promotion
00:00:47
Speaker
Hey everybody, this is Jeff Lyle in the show. I just want to take a second to thank you so much for downloading the second episode of Eberron Renewed. We're really excited about this podcast. We're really excited about where it's going to go, even though I have no idea where it's going to go. I just wanted to ask you guys, if you like it, please refer it to a friend, even if they're not in Dungeons and Dragons. I had never entertained the idea of playing the game
00:00:55
Speaker
D20 radio, your game is rolled.
00:01:10
Speaker
And yet I've been listening for over a year to a D&D podcast because it's fun to listen to. It's not about the game. It's about the story. And there are not a lot of people I would trust to craft a more compelling story as we go along than Eric and Phillip and.
00:01:28
Speaker
I will do my best to keep up with them. Please, please, please tell your friends if you like it to give it a try. And definitely, now that we're up on iTunes, stop by there and give us a rating. If you wanted to review, great, but please at least drop a rating. With our show being new, if we can show that we have even a following of 50 people willing to take the time to rate us, that's going to do a lot towards being able to promote our show through the medium of iTunes.
00:01:53
Speaker
So again, thank you so much for listening. We're having a blast doing it. We hope you're having a blast listening to it and we hope you continue to enjoy it.
Hosts Introduction and Recap
00:02:00
Speaker
Hello and welcome to Eberron Renewed, a actual play D&D fifth edition podcast set in the Eberron campaign setting. I am your dungeon master, Eric. And I am Philip. I'm Trevor. I'm Jeff.
00:02:10
Speaker
And welcome to episode two of the Eberron Renewed podcast. Previously, before this episode in episode one, what happened guys? We were in the town of Miss Marsh and after kind of ignoring a couple of really low level and sort of uninteresting problems as the deputies of a very, very lax police station.
Search for Missing Boy, Jacob
00:02:40
Speaker
We prevented a bar fight and then discovered that there's a young boy missing from the town and after interviewing
00:02:49
Speaker
his father, the senile old lady he goes to hear stories from, and his two friends. We found that he has gone into the faded forest, which is all kinds of mysterious and shadowy, in an attempt to gather magical acorns. Yes, and as we were approaching the magical forest,
00:03:07
Speaker
We came across some goblins that were around a campfire. Um, and at first we were a little wary of them, but then we decided to approach them and we spoke to them and they said they had not seen a boy, but also revealed that they, right. The night when the moon is high, uh, they sleep outside, but their leader shadows dance in the moonlight, uh, their hobgoblin leader stares in a night. He stays in a night thingy in the middle of the forest.
00:03:34
Speaker
And we learned that Beric might be a vampire. No, he's definitely not. Okay, he is sentient, necrotizing fasciitis. We learned that Draconos has negative people skills. But I appreciate that you always let me go first. Super nice. You keep asking to. I'm very confident in my people skills. And we learned that Lyle is a beloved character who has few flaws, if any, and everybody. Bessie's heart is only for him.
00:04:05
Speaker
He's very selfish with the available supply of eligible women in this very tiny town. The supply of eligible everything. I call this. Do you want Graham? I want it all. But it's become very clear that one day Lyle will be the one they're singing the folk songs about. Right. He's the man they call Jane. And he's not, Beric's not like rotting. Everything. It's just that his clothes keep turning black.
00:04:30
Speaker
He doesn't know why. You're like reverse Midas. You're Bizarro Midas.
Navigating the Faded Forest
00:04:36
Speaker
Okay. Well, where we left you all, you were entering the Faded Forest on the hunt for Jacob. How do you all want to go about this? They told you to head towards the middle of the Faded Forest. What would the check be to attempt to do that, to attempt to keep our sense of direction in order to head towards the middle of the survival? That would be a survival check. Okay.
00:04:53
Speaker
Well, I have a decent survival check. It's wisdom-based for those of me that... So I will try to... I mean, I'll roll as well. I'll try to find a path that seems to be leading us towards the center of the forest. Now, would my high perception or investigation help in keeping us on a goblin path?
00:05:09
Speaker
investigation would help you maybe try to start picking up on some symbols for whoa so you are able to I rolled natural 20 yes bear grill surviving because the moon is hanging so high you notice that there are shadows being cast in the forest from the bright moonlight and so kind of using those to keep your bearings based on the time of night you're able to keep a good sense of direction are they the trees shadows are not
00:05:44
Speaker
Okay. Yeah, you start noticing odd scratchings in the trees and maybe a little bit of cloth, very cleverly hung on art to make it seem like it just blends in with the tree, but you're spotting it. You're able to really easily get on a goblin path. So yeah, you all successfully navigate the forest and you start to see a large hill. And we said that thing? With your incredible investigation check, you notice that there is some stonework built into the side of this hill. There seems to be a doorway built into the side of the hill.
00:06:01
Speaker
Your shadows, though, are boogie in there.
00:06:13
Speaker
We've seen any sign of the boys passage like in examining the ground if we notice footprints that aren't goblin or You have not even even with your awesome investigation check. No you you haven't noticed young boy footprints You've heard general forest noises birds kind some rustling here and there Yeah
00:06:38
Speaker
Only if the little boy has an awesome bird collar. You're looking at a door frame. The stone door to this structure lies in a pile of stone strewn about a few feet inside the entryway. And you can tell there are stairs that lead down deeper into this sort of ancient looking hallway. I'd like to examine the door. Are there runes on it? There's markings, yeah. That would be a history check, which is intelligence based.
00:07:08
Speaker
12. You recognize the basic architecture as being Dikhanian nature, so this is ancient hobgoblin stone.
00:07:17
Speaker
I take a sort of open the journal I carry around and press one of the back blank pages against it and pull out my little charcoal pencil and take a rubbing of some of the runes first that I can show to somebody who speaks goblin if I ever meet me but he does that since apparently it's none of us. Okay, as you're doing that, you two give me perception checks. Suddenly the runes flare and I catch fire. Is wisdom right? Yes. 11. That's 20.
00:07:43
Speaker
Okay. So, Lyle, what are your thoughts on the fact that in the middle of this manhunt, Barracks taking some rune tracings and rubbings? I mean, honestly, at this point, like... It might be relevant. It's not new.
00:07:58
Speaker
It's not a new thing that he's pulled out his journal to jot down something that to me seems completely asinine. Well, and I guess this is a good question for you, Beric. Is this your first time in the Fated Forest? Or have you been... Have you poked out here? I think this is as deep as he's gone in.
00:08:13
Speaker
I assume that there are probably rules about going into the Faded Forest
Encounter with a Black Bear
00:08:18
Speaker
being this town. And so he's joined the Constabulary partly because he feels kind of an obligation as a member of a noble family to do something useful while he's wandering around. But also because he figured it would give him the most common excuses to go into the forest and find out more about it.
00:08:39
Speaker
He's not entirely sure what he's looking for, so he's interested to go in whenever he's had the opportunity. But I don't imagine he's ever been this deep into it. Okay, Lyle, with your perception check, you hear wrestling very closely behind you, and it's getting louder. But it's not fast moving, it's just wrestling getting louder. Okay, I am going to...
00:08:58
Speaker
I'm saying this assuming that you were watching Barrick do his thing and looking at the door. Right, I was. I was. Guys, guys, guys, quiet, quiet. And then I'm going to turn around. Okay, you see... With my hand on the hilt of my right ear. In fact, I may even... You see a black bear, and it looks iced. Oh. If it's black, fight back. If it's brown, lay down.
00:09:17
Speaker
If it's white you're dead So we got an angry black bear all right you all want to make a nature check to try and calm this black bear you can or we're gonna roll initiative Can I try for the nature check sure just to kind of yeah, let's see if your bear skills are better than your people's No, they're not they're not I just went oh
00:09:39
Speaker
You are now almost assured the bear is coming after you first. Okay. Here's a two, by the way. And it's, it's, it's right on us. Like, this isn't a, we might get a chance to hit it with a bow before it gets to us. No, it was able to get pretty close to you before you noticed it. At least two. All right. So initiative? Yes. Eighteen. Eight. Six. Okay. Uh, three.
00:10:05
Speaker
I also greatly appreciate the fact that the three of you named your characters with different letters for your first name. It makes writing down initiative order very easy. Good. Appreciate it. You're welcome. And the long-forgotten Aiko is also going to roll his... Has he been with us the whole time? Yeah, he's here.
00:10:23
Speaker
What? For our listening audience, Philip just had a very funny, like, double take. Like, someone snuck up behind him. Akko. He has been the quietest. He's like... Do you speak goblin? Yeah, Akko, do you speak goblin? Yeah. Does he seriously? Yeah, I was a realish soldier fighting the Dargoon warriors. Why wouldn't I speak goblin? Why didn't you speak up earlier? Nobody asked me what they wanted to be. Hey, look, a bear.
00:10:53
Speaker
All right, well hey echo if we all survive this I'd like you to read the door for us then okay Okay, so Lyle you were up first. Okay. I rapier is drawn So I'm gonna attack the bear Seems reasonable tech very nice. We're not taking that's 16. That's it. All right. You just say that every time someone doesn't
Discovering a Hidden Doorway
00:11:22
Speaker
attack you
00:11:22
Speaker
Yeah, I mean it is now the Bears turn so kind of shaking my shield He's gonna reach up and bite you Oh seven. No, I'm good. And now he's gonna slash it with his claws. Okay, that is a 17 Okay, Eric you got a black bear up on Okay
00:11:50
Speaker
Does the bear... Does the bear look like a normal black bear? Or does the bear look like some other kind of bear that's black because it lives in this creepy forest? It looks like a natural black. Does it look like the kind of bear that like it was white but for some reason over time it just turned black? Does Barrick have a kinship with this bear? Alright, Barrick then draws out his longbow and fires it at the bear.
00:12:19
Speaker
That is 23. That is a hit. That's six damage. Beric just sort of sighs, closes his journal, stands up, picks up his longbow off the ground where he said it, draws an arrow.
00:12:30
Speaker
Akko is going to, he's going to run up with his mace, just try to whack the thing. 21, hit, and Draconos. What's a bear? It's got four legs, a lot of fur, generally angry. Can you tell me my surroundings real quick? You're in A4, it's at night time. I mean like, how thick of a tree.
00:12:50
Speaker
I mean, they've cleared out a little bit to make way for this entryway to this structure. Are there... how high are branches? This is very tall, ancient forest. Oh, so that's not like a country? No. I mean, you could, but you're going to be shuffling up a trunk. Bears can climb faster by a tree. You know what else can climb a tree. They can walk. Right, but I could be a distracted... Okay. You already are. The bears attacking you. It seems fairly distracted by you. I know. I just don't want to kill anyone. That's my thing.
00:13:16
Speaker
Okay, so my shield's up and so I'm just gonna kind of like I'm assuming he's right on me. Yeah, so I'm just gonna bite your face off Yeah, I'm gonna push him a little bit just so he's not right on me and as I'm doing that I'm gonna pull my Battleaxe out and try to just like with the with the flat side just whack him in the head So you're gonna strike to subdue? Okay. Yeah, go and roll
00:13:38
Speaker
Bad bear. Basically. So, 16. That does not hit. It's unwieldy, the easel acts that way. So, Lyle. Alright, and it's, we were established, it's all on him. Yes. Okay, well I'm gonna go with my rapier again. Okay. 10.
00:13:53
Speaker
nope black bear time i'm i'm still standing right or it like yeah okay he hasn't occupied he hasn't hit you yet that bite is only eight to hit which means gonna do it and six so yeah this bear is not great at fighting this bear's been drinking maybe these glasses bear just just worried about these dancing shadows
00:14:12
Speaker
How much would we know your desire not to kill animals? I'm sure I'm sure it hasn't come up It only would have like I it's not something that I would have talked about it's just young that's in my nature, okay 20 a lot 20 enough that that's a hit. All right, that's another six damage
00:14:31
Speaker
Your arrow sinks into the black bears hide and it slumps to the ground in front of and is dead Okay, okay for a while whatever they're about to do I'm just gonna kind of sit in front of it. Okay. I will mopis over there Mopin can are you are you done doing your charcoal rubs? Yeah. Okay, Akko. What's the say? Um Sorry, Akko. What's this say?
00:14:55
Speaker
Well, this is a really old dialect. This is much more ancient than a goblin that I learned, but, uh, looking at it, um, while examining the door, Barrett goes over to the bear and just as a precaution due to the nature of where we are, he sort of leans down and he reaches into a pouch and he takes out some, um, silver filings and sort of
Negotiating with Goblins
00:15:17
Speaker
scatters them across the bear's fur. And then he steps back and he reaches over, he reaches out a hand and just snaps.
00:15:24
Speaker
and casts Create Bonfire and this silver bonfire. Did you realize I'm petting this bear at the time? I mean, I'm resistant to fire so it doesn't matter, but I'm sitting here petting his head. He jumps up and this silver bonfire just jumps up and begins to consume the body. And I say, Jesus, what's that smell?
00:15:45
Speaker
Just gonna keep sitting here. Eiko kind of, after examining it and making some notes, best I can figure, this is a tomb for the night, for the light of Joshua, which Joshua, I cannot translate, but I can read it.
00:16:03
Speaker
There's nothing in modern goblin that I know of that would designate that that word would is that something we would have heard of ever? Okay, I can't imagine there's another thing like this in here. This has got to be the night thing, right? I mean Yeah
00:16:19
Speaker
There's a guy in there who we need to talk to, especially if those three guys outside thought that he might have Jacob. We need to get in there. So, uh, do we, I'm going to check the door for traps if they're in there trying to protect themselves. So I'd like to do that. That investigation. Yes. Okay. So that's an 18. You don't spot any traps. Okay. As far as you can tell.
00:16:38
Speaker
Yeah, no, I know what you mean. Do we want to try the door? The door is shattered. It's just an opening. Oh, yeah. It was an old stone door that's been shattered and the pieces are kind of lying. Oh, I was on the impression that there was a door. Okay. Well, I mean, onward. Yeah. Okay. The stone door that used to cover this, there's still scattered pieces down the stairway leading into this ancient hallway.
00:16:59
Speaker
As you all, it goes for a little bit and then beers to the right and then you all can see into an opening and there is a fire burning in the next room. You all haven't gotten quite close enough to see into the room, but you see light pouring out.
00:17:11
Speaker
Okay. Is this hall, this tunnel, whatever wide enough that we can change position? It's about 10 feet wide. Okay. So yeah, sure. I just want to do like a Muppet entrance and peek my head around as stealthily as possible. Okay. Do we hear anything in the room? Good call. You hear the echoes of things talking, but once again, you're the, you need to get a little bit closer to be able to distinguish with your
00:17:30
Speaker
ear and what you're hearing. So yeah, you poke your head around the corner just very faintly. And what you see, this is a room that tells two varied stories about it. There are moldy tattered bedrolls strewn about the room with simple tools and supplies scattered about. There's crude cooking implements over an ornate brazier that has a fire roaring in it. The walls are masterly carved with these beautiful almost murals that
00:17:58
Speaker
tell stories of their own, and you see three goblins sitting around the fire, and they are talking. You don't speak goblin. You hear, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin.
00:18:13
Speaker
Shockingly, he does manage to make it up there, right? They're talking about their leader, Drexhigan. They're using a lot of foul language to describe this guy. Yeah, they don't like him. They don't want to be in the forest anymore. Yeah, I mean, these guys hate Drexhigan. That sounds like people we should talk to.
00:18:34
Speaker
Here's what I would like to happen if you guys are amenable to this. And Eric, you can tell us if it's possible. I want for, again, no offense to YouTube, creepazoids, but you look terrifying. What if I put my battle axe up, but I look less terrifying? Yeah, because what it is is the battle axe. It's definitely not the horns and, I don't know, what do you have? Bright red skin? Yeah, a little bit. Yeah. My skin's just a little bit ashy. It's shadowy in here. No one's going to notice. Yeah. And what's Eiko? He's a dwarf? He's a dude. He's a human.
00:19:02
Speaker
Okay, Akko and I around the corner with Akko talking in the goblins and then we'll ask later if they speak common. What do you want him to say? Just say, you know, we don't need any harm. We're here because we need help. That basically. Okay. And I think I can't like channel my charisma to him. Okay. Yeah. Well, what I'm going to do since you are Akko's essentially letting you choose the words that he says, we're going to do kind of anything. It's going to be a persuasion check.
00:19:30
Speaker
with disadvantage, but each of us are going to roll and take the lower of the roll. So either your words or Akko's delivery, and we'll see which one is better or which one's worse. Well, that's a 13. Well, Akko got a 21, so 13 does not do it. So the goblins are just like, and they draw swords and go to attack you.
00:19:56
Speaker
and he and I are still behind the wall I'm gonna use my free action to say fellas okay cuz maybe seeing you would yeah because suddenly there are four initiative yeah 22 18
00:20:08
Speaker
17. How's our cleric? 13. Not a 2, so that's good. Woah. Was that woah for the goblins? Mm-hmm. Piss. What's your dex modifier, Lyle? 4. Okay. Lyle, you are up first. Okay, I am going to give them the option to not do this. These two are visible to them now, right? Yep. So before I sweep, this is a free action, right? I'm not wasting an action. If you make a check related to it, like an intimidation check, then that's your action. Ah, see, I have really good intimidation. Go for it.
00:20:36
Speaker
Alright, I was gonna say, look at us. Alright, there's four of us, there's three of you. These jagwagons have magic. Say, uh, this is your last chance to put, we don't mean you any harm, we will not hurt you if we can talk to you. This is your last chance to put down your weapons. Intimidation check. Yes. 21.
00:20:58
Speaker
The goblins begin shaking and drop their weapons. Just just let us go and I did they hate it here This guy is so weird not in my stupid voice. Well, listen fellas. I think you made the right choice and then I stabbed them with Look, I don't know if it's our place the end of the politics of your trap But we do need to ask you a very important question and if you can help us we will do what we can to help you
00:21:21
Speaker
We're from Miss March, you know, the town that's right there. Yeah. There's a missing boy. We have it on pretty good authority that he came into the forest. And as you know, on this night when the winds are whipping in the willows and the shadows are dancing on the plains. You're doing great. That's not how it goes, but good effort. You know, there's a language.
00:21:42
Speaker
Say do you know have you seen a boy? Have you heard about a boy anything? It would have been it would have been early it would have been before nightfall So I assume you guys were still you know or you and your tribe and your people were still out among the forest at that time We know nothing about a boy
00:21:57
Speaker
What's your problem with your chief?
Planning to Confront Goblin Leader
00:21:59
Speaker
He's a jerk. He beats us, doesn't give us loot. When we go, when we find ancient DeConnie stores, I, he just, he's a jerk. What'd you go for? What's he here for? That's not really how that works. How'd you take over? Sheer force. He killed our old leader and none of us are, want to cross him because he's bigger than us. He's a hobgoblin. So you wanting to change the direction of your tribe? You've, as far as I know, mostly lived quietly in the forest.
00:22:25
Speaker
I mean, he seems really aggressive, he's not a huge fan of, like, he calls him lesser races, but he hasn't made any concrete claims, like he hasn't asked us to kill or kidnap anybody. He seems mostly content to go hunting for old DeConnie stuff. What does he do with them? Like I said, he doesn't give us any loot. Yes, but what does he do with them? That's my clever way of saying, I don't know.
00:22:48
Speaker
I don't know. All right. All right. All right. He just takes it. Can you tell me how old the murals in this room are? No. They're old. Real old. Beric, I think at some point you've got a field of our quest. I'm just saying this is starting to feel like something of a more personal nature.
00:23:08
Speaker
Do you know where he might be? Yeah, do we need to he's in the next room? Oh great You hear one of the goblins say and Beric and Draconis you hear footsteps behind you and another voice go What who are you and you see three more goblins behind you?
00:23:23
Speaker
Are they all just regular goblins? Yes, there are no hobgoblins. One of the goblins is not wielding a scimitar but has a really gnarly-looking wooden staff, but that's the only thing that really distinguishes them. We're discussing your problem about the new chief. Wait, I'll lean over and I'll think.
00:23:39
Speaker
Hey, are these guys with you or with the chief? Yeah, they're part of the tribe. What part of the faction are they? They agree with you. All of us really hate this guy. Okay, okay, great. We were just discussing the problem you have with your chief and perhaps some ways we might mutually benefit one another. What are you proposing? Mutual benefit means a good thing happens for both of us when it's over. We are not idiots. We know what that means. You never can tell with these goblins, Berg.
00:24:05
Speaker
Well, we have a missing boy. Racist! You didn't hear that. We have a missing boy, and you know the forest better than we do. He hasn't come here by any chance. He hasn't been as small as that young human boy brought here. No! We don't kidnap kids! Well, I don't know. You've got a new chief who's a little more aggressive. He might have done something without...
00:24:22
Speaker
without discussing it with the rest of your tribe. And I think it's, I think I want to make it clear that we're not, we're not accusing anybody of taking the boy. We're asking if you've seen the boy. He came here and here where you are. No, we don't, we don't know where the boy is. But perhaps you could help us find the boy. If we were a terrible to help you with your problem.
00:24:40
Speaker
I guess? What are you proposed helping us with our problem? My understanding is that you have a new chieftain who's a bit on the aggressive side and is perhaps taking your tribe in a direction that your tribe's not prepared to go.
00:24:55
Speaker
But being a tribe of your own culture, you don't exactly have diplomatic or democratic means of getting rid of him. We're gonna kill your chief if you need us to. Yeah, can we do that? I was getting around to that. I know, yes, you, eventually. Oh! I was gonna wait for it, trying to let them propose it in case they didn't like the idea. I told you, they are dumb. I don't think that's a very helpful thing to say right in front of me. I don't even think they can hear me. Have you looked at these murals?
00:25:29
Speaker
Okay taps his staff and his wire mason bright light starts emitting from it. Oh, no, these murals are quiet Yeah, if you can manage to kill him then I guess we'll we'll let you know if we see the boy in the forest Well, I suppose I'm asking a little bit more. Would you actively help us try to find the boy? Yeah, that's that's the terms. Oh
00:25:52
Speaker
Sure I mean the ones behind you say we were just out on patrol we haven't seen a boy anywhere but we could go out again. So you'd go out looking if we if we help you with this. I mean once morning comes I mean the shadows dance to the moonlight. Well if the boy's missing tonight and the forest is as dangerous as you say it would seem that a proposal such as ours a benefit such as this to your tribe allowing you to get back to the way that you preferred things and to choose a leader more your own speed
00:26:19
Speaker
would be worth you actually making the effort to perhaps risking the forest. Hey listen, Drexhigan is a bow. Don't get me wrong. But, like, we're not joking about the shadows dancing in the moonlight and literally stabbing you. Like, a bad leader is better than death. Well, but let me suggest, let me ask this. What would you do if one of your own young were out there? Well, we would go after him. Obviously. And I'm asking- One of my young is not out there. And I'm asking you to get a little bit of goodwill with the town that you live nearby.
00:26:50
Speaker
Alright, I'm laying the terms. You'll have a new regime. Drex Shagan will be Shagan. And you will have built some diplomacy with the nearby town. All you gotta do is sack up a little bit and get out there and avoid the Dancing Shadows and find our boy. We made it here unscathed.
00:27:17
Speaker
And it would have been there tomorrow everyone can give me a persuasion check now, it's super gone
00:27:28
Speaker
You've been very persuasive with all the talking you've been doing No, no, they they kind of did you get okay? They all kind of I Draconos. Okay. Here's the deal
00:27:42
Speaker
We will help you. You just kind of fan out, look for the boy, if you kill Dreck, and we get to stand next to your demon here. Because I feel like he would be really good against Dancing Shadows. Thanks! So your terms are, you'll kill Dreck, you'll go look for the boy, as long as- With you? With us? Right, right, right. As long as- If at any point we need to split up.
00:28:03
Speaker
Draconis. Demon guy comes with us. Stays with you. I don't see a flaw in that plan at all. I'm willing to accept those terms with Draconis as your goal. Let's go. I'm down. Go kill. Go kill Drexhicon first. Is there anything we should know? There's going to be two goblins with him in there. Don't even try talking them out of fighting on his side because they're going to be too terrified to even think of betraying him. I see. And there's no way that you could separate him from those goblins.
00:28:34
Speaker
No, they're his constant guard. Like, they're with him. Oh, if we kill him first, will they, like, calm down? Probably. Okay. I don't know, though. They... Maybe. Let's do it. Okay. Well, Barak, I'm assuming you're not gonna wanna leave this room without looking at the murals a bit more. Yeah, I'm gonna wanna look at the murals, but...
00:28:51
Speaker
If we're in a hurry, I'm willing to. Well, it's just, it's general, like while you're talking and everybody else is talking, you can look around. The murals show scenes of hobgoblin warriors fighting massive creatures and fearless foes and it's all very dark and like the enemies they're fighting seem almost inky in nature. Like tendrils are coming off of them. They don't quite have whole forms and you see writing on the southern wall.
00:29:19
Speaker
Well we can work on that okay It says Against the shadows I will fight Against the darkness. I am the light With my life. I shall fight the shade and with my death my debt is paid I
00:29:41
Speaker
Sounds like some kind of initiate chant. Against the shadows, I will fight. Against the darkness, I am the light. With my life, I shall fight the shade, and with my death, my debt is paid.
00:30:06
Speaker
Yeah, you shout poetry at him, I'll stab him, we'll see which one hurts him more.
00:30:12
Speaker
Look, which room is Dreck in? You're going to go down a hallway, then take a right. I mean, the hallway, there's no branching. You're just going to keep walking until you hit a giant, like, hall sort of area. And that's where Dreck has made up his camp. OK, do we just go? I mean, do we want to try to see if we can sneak? I'd love to try to get a surprise round. That would be pretty advantageous. Depends on if it, like, because if the door is closed. Is there only the one way in?
00:30:41
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, is it an empty hall or is there a chance I could pink panther my way behind something once we're in there? Is it the dining hall? Yeah, I mean, it's a big massive open area. There's all the furniture and stuff. I mean, there's like broken pews and stuff like that, but it's all from whenever this place was originally used. If we were to go down to the hall just before we get into the room with Dreck, would you be willing to walk in there and just hold some conversation with him?
00:31:09
Speaker
to draw his attention away from the door that we'll be entering through and then once the fighting starts you can throw yourself on the ground and you know act stunned or something like that okay i guess unless you you know you want to participate in the killing of track that would be fine too but we'll see we'll see how things play out and if you felt like uh
00:31:27
Speaker
maybe shouting at the other two bodyguards, hey, they're cool at some point. This is not terms, this is just throwing it out there, but we would like for one of you to go in and do what you can to distract, direct. The one with the staff kind of steps forward, he's like, I'll go do it. And so he starts walking down the hallway kind of clanking his staff as he walks.
00:31:47
Speaker
Are you all going to like follow closely behind him or yeah? Yeah, we're gonna be right behind. Can I? Kind of ready in action. Is that something I could do or I mean if you get a surprise around then that's essentially gonna be the same thing You can't really ready in action outside of conduct. Well, that's what that's what I meant I basically what I was gonna say was as soon as he has him turned away from the door Yeah, I want to rush in and get the first hit. Okay, and point of order is this person now considered an ally is this goblins?
00:32:14
Speaker
They wouldn't take a bullet for you. Like, I mean, is that an answer? They are ambivalent towards you, so no, they're not an ally, but they're also not an enemy. Okay, you understand why I'm asking. Yes. So for the purposes of sneak attack, they would not be considered.
00:32:27
Speaker
No. Okay. Are you all following closely behind or giving them a little bit of time to go down the hallway?
Surprise Attack on Drexhigan
00:32:32
Speaker
Follow them close behind until we start to get towards the entrance. Okay. I say that we stop five feet away from the mouth of the... Yeah. Okay. Because it's an open doorway as well, right? Yeah. It's an archway. As you all begin walking down the hallway in some
00:32:48
Speaker
form of shadow, I hope. Paying attention to the way that he stabs in case there are traps. What order are you all walking in? I'll be in the back. That makes sense. I'd like to be close up to the goblin so that I can get eyes on Drek as soon as possible once he's not being hitched. Yeah, like I want to be able to see. And also, I'm going to need for you to tell me how deep into the room he is. I basically need to know if I can move to him in one move or if I need to do a short move.
00:33:14
Speaker
This hall is over 50 feet long. He's going to be down at the far end. So you're going to want your short bow initially. And unless you want to use your dash action. Everyone give me stealth checks. 21. 16. Okay.
00:33:29
Speaker
You all are walking down the hallway. So who's in front, Barrick or Lyle, in terms of closest to the goblin? I'll go in front. All right, Barrick, as you're following the goblin, being careful to watch where he's walking, you're in the first hallway off of this little makeshift barracks that they made. And all of a sudden you take every step he does and the floor falls out from under you. And you take eight damage. What did he fall into? A 10 foot deep pit.
00:33:55
Speaker
Stop beans. He was like right behind the goblin. Yeah goblin walked exactly where he walked. What size are goblins? Small. They are okay so that would be why. Yeah I weigh more than the goblin. And the goblin kind of turns around and is like oh my god what happened? Don't worry, Inko sees you and reaches a hand down to help you up and as he does and as he pulls you up you regain nine hit points so
00:34:21
Speaker
But presumably, I jumped out of the pit that that caused quite a ruckus, the following and and and so and the what happened? The guy was like, are we still going with the plan? I think there's no reason to change. OK.
00:34:37
Speaker
Yeah, I mean if they just we need in there tell me farted. You see him finally found this cool pit. You we were on the corners. No, tell them tell them there's a there's a demon in the hallway and he'll run out and fall into the pit. He walks in and begins speaking to Dreck. Hello, honorable Dreck. I have come to give you reports of our patrol mission and what we found and what we saw and
00:35:11
Speaker
Well, no he's a Drex at the far end of the hall So he's like walking down making this big production for their pillars or anything Did he not understand what we needed him to do? Well, he's trying to get like Drex at the far end of the hall. So it's hard to get him not facing this way He's got it. I can turn your attention to the mural behind you. Our patrol was very what's that? Oh
00:35:33
Speaker
Well, but to be fair, if both of our first attacks, assuming we get to attack... Well, if it's surprised, do we roll initiative for which ones of us go first or can we just agree? Yeah, we'll roll initiative first, but then you all get to do a round of combat. If it's ranged, we just have to be him to be distracted, not looking away. Right. Because my shortbow range is 80 feet. You heard Drek interrupt this goblin, what do you want? I came to give you a report on the patrol.
00:36:00
Speaker
Literally never do that. Why are you here? What's the lighting like in the hole dim lighting? Can I try to just? Okay can be since he's on edge contested perception versus stealth checks Okay, can I say that if he fails I I have moved to a position where I can where I can fire the first shot? Yeah
00:36:27
Speaker
So what what what is it? It's it's 14 14 you succeed Hell I should do it too. Then you are one with the shadows. The shadows are one with you. So how Far is he now? Oh, I mean it's a 50 foot long haul I'm assuming you just kind of snuck in around the corner hugging the wall. Yeah, since you're sneaking you're moving at half speed so 15 feet in Am I still by the door I'm assuming you eventually caught up with them and are just like
00:36:57
Speaker
Right, but I figured I wouldn't be just standing in the middle of the hallway, so I'm just trying to picture what it looks like. I am still outside of the Grand Hall, but I have moved myself to a position where I've gotta be on track to fire the first shot. Okay. My plan is fire the first shot, because then if something rushes at me, I can rush at them, meet them halfway, and still get them with my rapier in the next round. Gotcha, yeah. I'm behind you, still in that back area.
00:37:23
Speaker
Okay, and real quick since you you are now in the room this large room tells a story of a time long gone by broken chairs and tables littered the large meeting hall with tattered tapestries Barely hanging from the walls at the far end of the hall you see a massive statue bearing the resemblance of a hobgoblin and ornate plate armor Holding a strange weapon like you've never seen before
00:37:44
Speaker
And hobgoblins are mediums, right? Yes. Okay, so what I'd like to do to sort of aid my companions here in their efforts, I'm going to, I sort of whisper very softly a couple of words in and make a gesture with my hand and I cast
00:38:03
Speaker
Hex on him now this doesn't have any immediate physical effect on him, but I want him to have disadvantage on Wisdom ability checks, okay Is this something where he would know that you're casting it on him or kind of it's kind of vague like nothing nothing physical occurs, okay? No anything like that
00:38:24
Speaker
Okay. I'm trying to figure out what you're brewing. Perception checks. Oh, reception checks, insight checks. So I ought to try to get in as well. Yeah, as soon as this barrack kind of goes, gestures. Okay. What I want to do is I want to sneak like Barrack, but counter. I want to, like, if he went right.
00:38:43
Speaker
around the walls. Well the way this entrance is is basically Beric went right on the hall that leads towards him and the only other way in this entrance is along the back wall so it would be the direction he's directly facing right now looking at this goblin. Okay so that doesn't work. I mean he would still have disadvantage on his wisdom because it's dim lighting but he does have dark vision. So yeah no I need to get around. Well I need a disadvantage because perception check right or is that not what I'm rolling against?
00:39:06
Speaker
Yeah, you're right. That's why I just said this. He would have disadvantage on his check. Oh, okay. Uh, no, I'll, I'll follow a bear. We'll, we'll stick together. So go ahead and give me a stealth roll. That's a 22. You got it. Yeah. I thought I might have. You're going to do it. Well, I'm kind of like very quietly high five barriers for the smooth move and your hand just turns to black. It's not that fast. Um, I'm just kind of kind of peek around the corner, uh, just so now I can see what's happening. Where are the torches?
00:39:36
Speaker
Um, just kind of a very oddly spaced along the wall and they're pretty dim. Once again, it's dim lighting in here. So I'm the only person in this world that doesn't have dark vision. So if you take out torches, I will be completely hamstrung.
00:39:52
Speaker
Right, no, I wasn't gonna take him out. Is there a torch that like, just so I can visually see, like, let's say he's here, and they're here on the right side. Yeah. Is there a torch kind of to his left area? Yeah. Oh, well, his right, your left. Right. Is it in his peripheral? No, it's kind of behind him. It's on the wall with the statue. Okay, so he could, there's not one to his, to his right. I mean, he would notice if something happened to it, because it's kind of casting light behind him, he would notice a change in the lighting. You about to blaze that thing up, make him turn around?
00:40:20
Speaker
Well, I was going to change the color if you can see it. Yeah. If you can see, yeah. Okay. So it's red. I'm going to make it, can I make it like green? Yeah. Okay. That's the hardest decision. I'm going to make it crimson. I was like, what is like an obvious color change? Because orange wouldn't work. Literally anything else. So yeah.
00:40:38
Speaker
green fire and making it a little bit brighter, so it definitely makes his attention. What's happening? He has turned around. Okay, so am I 30 feet from him yet? Yeah, we'll say you were moving at a steady enough pace to where you... Yeah, we'll say yes. Okay, wait, wait, you're not gonna do a melee attack.
00:40:55
Speaker
Okay, yeah, I'm gonna move up not for the first one. I take that back. I'm gonna use my bow So that is a Yeah, oh I do yeah, okay. Well I did a 20 with my short bow that is a And that is
00:41:19
Speaker
Surprise round is a full round of combat where your enemies don't get that. As a bonus action, I'm going to place my Hexblade's curse on him. And so you see that he becomes real in little tendrils of shadow. And then I stand up, draw the longbow, and fire. And I roll a...
00:41:39
Speaker
That is a hit. Sweet. Alright, so this is where it gets fun. My bow damage, and my hex stem so I get some additional damage, and my hex blade first also.
00:41:52
Speaker
15 damage. Good board. Okay. I only have a battle axe and I'm at the other end. You can use a dash action where you move double your speed so you can be up on him. How far is he? He's 50 feet so you can get there. Yeah, I'm gonna sprint. Okay, so you don't get to attack but you are there for the next round. So you're right there next to him for his turn. Now we get to roll initiative. Let's just hope that I go first.
00:42:22
Speaker
I forgot 13. Nine. Three. Boof. I know. Do you have negative decks? I have plus one decks. I keep rolling twos. Okay. I had negative decks last time. That's you. I could have conceivably rolled a zero initiative. I'm just going to go ahead and say that Aco also used the dash action to get up there as well.
00:42:39
Speaker
All right, Akko. I'm so glad that I ever remember that you exist, right? Now. I just don't want him to take spotlight away, but he tends to fade into the background, so, you know. Honestly, if he's just there buffing when we need him to, I'm fine with that. Whatever one sees him, right? You guys see that. Okay, so Akko actually goes first in the order, and he is going to cast Reign of Thorns. Guiding Bolt?
00:43:09
Speaker
That would be great. What was that one that I liked? Rainbow Strike. Color Spread. Blind him and move on. He casts Finger of Death. He casts Tasha's Hideous Laughter, which is my favorite name for a spell. That's a wonderful spell. Hideous Laughter. Tasha's Hideous Laughter. Oh, Tasha's. That's actually what it's called. Tasha's Hideous Laughter. Hey, Eric, I have a quick question. He actually doesn't get all the way up on him. He keeps some distance to cast a spell. What's up? Because I have a shield. Do you know what the damage is if I were to do a shield bash?
00:43:38
Speaker
There's not actually any, yeah, that's actually a hotly debated topic, but there's a feat called Shieldmaster that lets you do some stuff with your shield, but it's not dealing damage. Okay, so I couldn't, like, now I couldn't say, like, like when we were with the bear, the bear was up on me, I couldn't just like, wow. I mean, that's flavorful in giving yourself enough space to attack, but you can't physically push it. Okay, 3d12. Okay, Dreck succeeds on his deck saving throw to avoid sacred flame damage.
00:44:06
Speaker
tragedy that it is. So now it is the Gerblin's turn. Did our friend fall to the ground? So they're going to rush up to this scary demon boy that's attacking their leader. Both of them? Yeah. Finally. That's gonna be a 20. That's fine. I just don't have a lot of health.
00:44:27
Speaker
4 damage to you. And the other one's gonna rush up on Akko back in, who also has an 18 farmer class. That's a critical hit! So Akko's gonna take a crit. He has one health point, so that really goofed up Akko. So now it is Drek's turn. Drek kind of cracks his neck a little bit and slowly walks up to you, Drakonos. You did this. I know, I think I might have made it bad. Come on, shield.
00:44:53
Speaker
and he's going to pull out his flail that he has.
00:45:01
Speaker
That's going to be 19 to hit. Where are your hit points at? Seven. That is going to be five damage. You notice that when the two goblins see Imland hit on you, they seem like emboldened and like ready to go. Like, we can do this. We can win. So now it is.
00:45:26
Speaker
Hello, my boys. Lyle's turn. I'm going to rush. Use my move action to get right up on him. Okay. Or both within five feet. Akko's a little bit back. Akko was like right behind Draconos. Akko has a goblin on him. And then Draconos has one goblin and Dreck on him. Okay. I'm going to use my rape here. Okay. On who? Oh, sorry. On Dreck. Okay. And that is 15. That's a miss. Piss.
00:45:53
Speaker
Barrick, it is your turn. Okay. I am going to... Yeah, I'm gonna try and shoot direct. Okay. It's prettier for a hundred bucks. It's gonna miss this one as well. All right. Draconos.
00:46:10
Speaker
Yeah, I'm gonna try to battle axe the guy that's right in front of me. Okay. Give me something. Hey, where's our goblin friend during all this? Did he dip out? Yeah, he bolted. I mean, he's not out of the room, but he's definitely chilling in the back. Okay. It is Akko's turn and he is going to cast, you're at two hit points. Yeah. Okay. He's going to cast Cure Wounds on you, which is 1d8. So that's going to be nine hit points.
00:46:42
Speaker
That's all his first level spell slots y'all so You took them all No, he took one. Okay from the trap. Oh, that's right. Now. It is the garblin's turn. So one on a co That's a miss and direct 23 late all three of late. Oh
00:47:05
Speaker
two missed, the two goblins missed. Drek is hitting. Oh, they all going together? Well, I mean, the goblins are together and then Drek rolled. Oh, okay. Okay.
Victory and New Allies
00:47:14
Speaker
That is going to be six damage. Okay. It is now Lyle's turn. Drek, rape here.
00:47:24
Speaker
That's gotta be a crap die, right? It hit my pile of dice and stopped moving. On what? On a low number that is not gonna hit. Not a one, though? No, no, no, it was a three. Barak, do stuff.
00:47:37
Speaker
Please. I'm dying. Barak seeing what's going on. He draws an arrow back and as his fingers on it the silvery fire spreads down the arrow and he fires it right at Drex's feet. Can you put that bonfire stuff on an arrow? That's what I'm doing. He fires it right at Drex's feet and immediately in the five foot cube fills with silver fire and he is making dexterity saving them.
00:48:02
Speaker
He's not he's not in the same square it's only in one hour four is his exit, okay, he's gonna take damage Please let's just kill him He's gonna take five fire damage and three necrotic. Okay necrotic, huh? Yeah necrotic
00:48:19
Speaker
Oh, yeah, because that is every round until he makes a save, right? So the Hex, every time I hit him, he takes an extra V6 of Necrotic damage. The Bonfire will keep going. At the end of each of his turns, he can make a Hex 30 saving throw to jump out of it. But if any time he begins his turn, he gets burned. Okay. And you said five, fire, three Necrotic? Yup. Draconis. I'm going to give an if-then statement. Okay. I'm going to do attack first, and if I hit, then cool. If I miss,
00:48:49
Speaker
And then I'm going to run back towards the doorway. Okay. 21. Hit! Cool. Finally! I guess not finally, he's hit him several times. 4. Eiko casts Sacred Flame at Drek, so Brilliant Silvery Flame shoots out of his mace. And Drek does not succeed on his saving throw, so he takes 4 damage.
00:49:15
Speaker
Dreck is looking pretty pretty worse for wear now and the Gerblin's turn they get advantage on attack rolls Because Dreck has shown combat prowess against you by hitting you multiple times. So that's Well and against it so they
00:49:32
Speaker
The one on you missed you, one on Akko missed Akko. I'll get it. Drek's turn. So at the start of his turn, he takes how much damage? He takes another of the eight. Oh, eight, fire damage. He erupts in flame. Plus? Well, he's dead, so. Plus two necrotic. He erupts in flame, screaming, especially you, Draconis, can smell shard, hobgoblin flesh in the air. The shadow that was kind of breathing him immediately departs
00:50:02
Speaker
Gosh, I'm gonna be I'm gonna be honest with you I'm gonna have to roll Some kind of check to see if the goblins attack you because your shadow is dancing in the pale moonlight Yeah, I will let you make fortunately. I'm at full hit points, so I don't actually get any healing from it, but we're indoors I was not dancing in any pale moonlight dancing shadows freak them out
00:50:25
Speaker
I'm gonna make this an opposed persuasion check against their... I don't know what it would be. Wisdom of some kind. Yeah, wait a second. Are you the goblin chief now? Because you killed the goblin chief! That's going to be a six.
00:50:45
Speaker
Six. Well, they rolled well on their insight check. So I'm going to say they kind of, they understand that it's not the same thing that they're freaked out about. You're definitely not the new goblin chief. Like they want you to go away. So I'm the new goblin chief. So I think that's a good place to end this episode with Dreck burning up in the flames and the hunt for Jacob continues with some new Gerblin allies. So thank you all for listening. Blow him a little kiss as he's like burning.
00:51:12
Speaker
and we will see you again next week once again I am your dungeon master Eric I'm Trevor I'm Jeff thank you so much for listening