Transcript
Speaker: I am your game
Speaker: master, Eric. I'm Mia. hello welcome to eron renewed natural play podcast that nebron campaign setting i am your game master eric im mia I'm Philip.
Speaker: I'm Jeff. And welcome to another episode. Folks, what happened last time? It's getting more weird. It is getting more weird.
Speaker: That is true. Yeah, we fought a dryad. Well, like, Not a normal dryad. of A hollow-eyed, bloody, angry dryad.
Speaker: true.
Speaker: And then... tiskin Had a conversation about none of us knew what was going What was last episode? What? Was last episode where we found out about the extra scratchings on the orb or was that the previous?
Speaker: I think it was, i might have waited two episodes ago. That this was all deliberate. This isn't some crazy, that all this plane crossing is very much on purpose from somebody. do Yep.
Speaker: So, yeah. And you all are continuing your descent further down.
Speaker: So I need everyone for a reminder. You all are descending beneath where you found the sister tree in Lamania. There are roots snaking about. You all are having to clamber and climb along when you find different outcroppings that you're able to stop climbing for a brief respite from time to time. Um, but you all must continue climbing down. So I need a check from each of you, a strength based check.
Speaker: Or I'd accept dexterity climb down with any relevant backgrounds. I can't remember we just had my mischief background.
Speaker: We'll use like sneaking around and kind of agile doing that sort of stuff. Yeah, i I think that's fine. That is a dirty 20 on dex. Nice. I got a 26 on dex. And I think I ended up 14 on strength. 14 on strength. Okay.
Speaker: You all are able to successfully climb and navigate down. Nyx, at one point, the route that you are climbing on, you feel it shift and pulse under your hands for a brief moment, almost like an artery, like a heartbeat, like sending something through it.
Speaker: I don't like that. That's your choice. But nothing nothing detrimental happens unless Nyx freaks out and just lets go. But I can't imagine Nyx's self-preservation would give up that quickly.
Speaker: No. so yeah. Everyone give me a wisdom-based check to notice something about your surroundings. Oh, no. Do I get Zoriat or Investigator?
Speaker: Investigator, yes. Yeah. Yeah. Black marketeer, Nyx, you're like adept at noticing your surroundings, looking out for potential threats. Well, that makes it a 15. Oh, so mine's an eight, unless you want to give me Fae touched. Uh, no, not Fae touched.
Speaker: So the low 17 for me. Low 17. and said Okay. You all are pretty adeptly climbing down and the the marching order has gotten a bit muddied as you all are having to like find the next handhold.
Speaker: And so what has occurred is that Vrail has kind of fallen to the back of the pack as you all are navigating and you hear, a, a shout of pain from her from up above that quickly stops as you all look up you see her having recoiled back up like retreated a bit from what you don't you don't see anything like you all just passed through the area that she stopped at
Speaker: And she looks confused. She extends a hand out. And as her hand gets closer, you see the dragon mark on her arm and hand begin to glow brightly as it gets closer and closer. And the, and finally she like reaches a point where the dragon mark fully flares and she lets out another like cry of pain and reaches her hand back.
Speaker: Mela is with you all. She also has the mark of handling and was able to pass through without issue. I can't go further. Why? is it see what's happening, but why? Is this no longer Lamania? There is a crossing here. I can't leave.
Speaker: Fantastic. yeah well I don't understand why. and sister seed should be on Lamania. Evidently not.
Speaker: parasitic back door is still a parasitic back door so technically it might not really be has like its own little bubble around it where it's Zori at inside of Wamanian so technically you you can't but you could but you can't possibly I only know that this, and she holds her hand up, keeps me off the material plane.
Speaker: I don't know if it would impact my ability to travel to another plane entirely, but so based on my experience, this burrows down somewhere into the material plane.
Speaker: But you may not be wrong. It may be a pocket. No, we're going to go with the material plane. So, my tire survival rate on that one.
Speaker: Yeah, this...
Speaker: Will you? i
Speaker: There's a clearing that we passed by. I'll make camp and wait for a bit. If you all find a way out of wherever this is leading you to, to where you stay on the material plane, will assume after a day that you found it made it out.
Speaker: If you're in danger down there, I can't help anyway. so Yeah. Do you have the thing that you wanted to use to destroy the seed? It's a thing that i might just kill everything. so bacation She reaches into her pocket and tosses down, holds out. It's a sheathed blade, and she extends it out.
Speaker: Blade person? Sword? Do you think you have to know what you're doing? Sorry, everyone was everyone was frozen for a moment. so Oh, was you're good. Nexus wasn't going to take a sword.
Speaker: I'm getting it. To define blade? a knife? like A large dagger.
Speaker: Well, yeah, Nix is described, I'm describing Nix as being towards the rear generally. So sure. Nix will clamber back up enough to take the, the knife from Vrael. Once Nix gets within reach and Vrael hands it to her, Vrael says it should have the ability to destroy the markings on it and sever any connection.
Speaker: i I, don't know what it would do to someone with a mark if it were to cut through the mark on their skin. But this will destroy the magic in the Sister Seed.
Speaker: Oddly specific comment. That hadn't occurred to me, and I don't know why you just said that, but now really, now that's definitely on my mind. As Nyx sort of tucks the tucks the knife into into her belt.
Speaker: Nyx, give me a I know this is not Nyx's strong suit, but give me a wisdom check to notice something on Vryll's face. Keep asking for wisdom. I've made it really clear that there's not a positive. Don't worry. I'll give you something to stab soon. Don't worry. She's smarter than, than what like it well. I'd also the dice are just not doing it. Um, wisdom.
Speaker: Nine. Nine. Nyx, you take the large dagger and turn back and begin climbing down. And Vrail looks down at you all.
Speaker: I hope you all find your way out. If not, climb back up and you can find me here. But good luck looks at Barna sadly and, uh, whines a little bit as Barna howls and softly and then turns away and Valinor and Brielle begin climbing back up as you all.
Speaker: I'm assuming you all continue climbing down.
Speaker: Yep. You all see that the, as opposed to being a sheer drop down where you're climbing begins to curve slightly.
Speaker: The roots still are burrowing down further, and you all are ah able to continue climbing navigating that too many issues.
Speaker: I will take either a wisdom or intelligence check from each of you. 26. Wisdom. 23 intelligence check. qui step twenty three intelligence Okay, 21 intelligence.
Speaker: Hey, Bert. you all, now that you're getting closer and the, the space that you're navigating is actually getting narrower, each of you can tell that the routes have become a bit more, not uniform, but definitely tighter.
Speaker: And there is kind of a spiral pattern to them, almost like a drill. And, um, all of you got above a 20.
Speaker: You all can tell that whatever was being done with the sister seed and these roots, it wasn't just trying to gain purchase to grow the tree. It's like it was looking for something, like honing in on something and it's finally getting closer it.
Speaker: So you all know with the quality of your checks that you all are close to the sister seat at this point, like you are about to come upon it. So any preparations or anything like that, that you all would maybe you want to do prior to arriving 26 about.
Speaker: with a twenty six vow You also notice you finally see some tracks, an indication of other individuals.
Speaker: It's not like the the seed just did all this on its own and burrowed down in the ground. You could tell it was either being carried or followed by individuals. You see footsteps like big prints in some of the dirt that's along the walls of this area.
Speaker: Can I figure out how many? Sure. That's a natural 20. Oh, my. Yeah, you know definitively that there were eight sets of distinct feet.
Speaker: was hoping one of them got eight. they It's okay. They are of various sizes, but all humanoid. I think that would share that there.
Speaker: and
Speaker: all footsteps are accounted for. So all eight of the wizards were assuming that they're... that it's them. But yeah. They are all still going down. Excellent.
Speaker: Not excellent. The owlbear should have ate at least two them. Do they eat... I thought we were being positive again. Oh, they definitely eat meat. Yeah.
Speaker: Like human meat? They eat the meat that becomes available or, and if they suppose, I guess if they, you know, killed a guy in a protecting themselves or they're young, that meat would then be available.
Speaker: You know it's tricky because, you know, some owls are scavengers and both owls and bears are carnivores and Ranger Ricks didn't get a lot into this part of it because it is in fact, yeah, I'll remind you, for children.
Speaker: probably what would have been included in Ranger Rick's because part of this is like, you know, prevention of harm. Um, Owlbear's, like won't attack somebody they perceive as threatening unless there is a threat like their child being left alone and you all coming upon it was probably a great enough threat if these people came by when it was in its cave with its cub then it it would not have drawn attention like it would not have sought to uh to raise the ire of people that could fight back
Speaker: I have a question. Is Ranger Rick still relevant? Wait, it it it it here here in the material plate, is Ranger Rick still relevant? I think to our listeners, yeah. I didn't know if it was like...
Speaker: I don't think I've yet aged out of my own demographic. We don't listen to that guy anymore. Now, is it extant? No, I do not think so.
Speaker: I'm pretty sure Ian and Zubix have both stopped publishing. And I will be Googling it right now. No, still, subscription's still available. We're still going. Here you go. So yes, and there's one for little kids it called cub. Anything you all would like to do before you proceed, knowing that you are imminently approaching the location of the seat.
Speaker: Uh, I re covered if we haven't already. I don't remember if we did that at the end of last episode when I was not at a full health. think we did, because, well, maybe we didn't. I don't think we did take a breather after the... reach ian Okay, then you all are welcome to make any recharge rolls or spin recoveries as normal. honey
Speaker: Oh, wait, let me see if I can swap one of these. That's the same. t oh you know My AC and physical defense went up temporarily last time. That's gone, right? That was a thing during the battle.
Speaker: Yes, that was Mela's stuff. king Okay. And I don't think I used... to have anything else do Daily means in-game and not... We've talked about some of this stuff is by session, some of it actually means in-game. Daily means in-game, yes.
Speaker: So I can't roll it. Daily is per full heal-up. So once you, which we had last time, right? We did a full heal up before we rolled by cleric. You'll vacation there. So it's still the, yeah.
Speaker: Get a second try after whatever i roll on the D six. Okay. Yeah, that's that's one of the changes from first edition to second edition is first edition. They used the term daily, but realized that that was a bit muddying. And so now daily means per full heal up.
Speaker: Ascension. Okay. But I have not used any of my daily spells since then. So I am to actually, I am too precious about my daily spells and very rarely use them because I'm like, what if the big battle's the next one? Okay.
Speaker: So you all continue your descent. You see up ahead, the roots have broken through stone of some kind.
Speaker: Not rock, but like treated stone. And you can see just first blush looking, you see that some of the stones were pulled back into the tunnel that you are now climbing through.
Speaker: and you can see stone floor um underneath the opening. You also see quite a bit of like leafy vegetation roots, like staking across the stone flooring.
Speaker: Um, but yeah. So there's a artificial floor way down here that we have broken into. Yep.
Speaker: Or a roof. Or a roof. And we are descending upside down. yes yeah right Yeah. Oh, no. oh no
Speaker: Can I want to check if there's anything weird? you Yes. in your company Do a quick weird. It's what I do.
Speaker: I'm assuming I get one of my plus fours. Investigator, surely. That... Can I math? I don't... Hold on. That's between you and the board. And very clearly a no. That... Okay, I just want to make sure. That's 32...
Speaker: thirty two at whom That was 18, 4, 8, 2. Valk's sensing weird stuff from three counties over. It's my job.
Speaker: So, Valk, you... Yeah. ah With that high of roll, you instantly recognize the pattern of this flooring because it is pretty unique from what you have encountered twice before.
Speaker: You recognize the architecture of the stonework as being that of the bunkers that you all have encountered before. Of course. Cool. So whoever burrowed down here was also, it would seem, looking for one of these bunkers. Did we ever run into that guy again? i don't want to call him the wrong name again.
Speaker: Dimitri? No. misss No.
Speaker: Definitely not Zolargo Jones. Oh. Zolargo Jones, yeah. His real name I'm going. Oh, I've got it. hey Because he had a... Not making assumptions, but he also had a map that also had marks similar to... It's true. Where the markers are. Yeah. Nick Wick's Talamantle.
Speaker: Thank you. Nick Swick. Nick Swick. Plural singular. Nixwick. Talamantle. but It doesn't mean to doesn't stay. And now the staying power is Elbargo Jones. Which I can't.
Speaker: That's like candle-coated language in that name. I don't know what you want from me. that's Exactly what you give us, buddy. I'm just doing my best over here. Elbargo Jones as his name.
Speaker: But no, you never ran into him again. whovi can not Can we tell if we're on the material plane? Because we weren't near a bunker on the map. You were not.
Speaker: But you did travel quite a long distance through Lamania to find the sister tree. Also, geography acts weird extraplanarly. So it is entirely possible that you all are 20 miles from where you entered Lamania, 200 miles from where you entered Lamania.
Speaker: Great. Cool. Push. Well, I think I'm just going to assume it's a bunker. Is there can I go? Can I keep going? Yes. you You did notice a couple other things with a plus 30 roll.
Speaker: You notice that the roots and vegetation that I described covering the floor are moving. You see that they are like snaking around a little bit and you hear some voices. One of them saying, be quick about it. We have to find it.
Speaker: She needs it. what Where are the voices coming from? In the the hole down below. We all hear the voices? ah Yes. Well, but you might hear noises. Valk is like locked in and hears exact. sch say I didn't know if I would, if I would hear a similar voice to the one I heard earlier, but I did a clever job with the owlbear. I heard a voice in my head. yeah I know you do not. Okay.
Speaker: hear that in your head so yeah about you hear those voices saying that so whatever they're looking for in the bunker they have not found yet i'm going to retweet re retweet we tweett good retweet you know where i've been this weekend um i'm gonna retreat and then share that there are people in there looking for something. So either and we can move fast to prevent them from finding what they're looking for or we can go quietly and stealthily and we in see what happens. Either way we will see what happens. But I think it's best to not let them get a hold of whatever they're looking for first.
Speaker: It does seem very important to not let them get a hold of what they're looking for. do we have any notion of whether we have arrived at the Seed or have we stumbled upon something else?
Speaker: i don I don't know. I have no idea.
Speaker: Well, we have to deal with the thing we've stumbled upon, regardless. That has been the whole theme of this adventure. How big's the hole there? Eight feet across.
Speaker: I don't know what we gain by waiting to see what they do. You said they said she wants it. I assume we are all thinking the same thing.
Speaker: With regard to who she likely be given the strangeness that we have encountered along the way. I try not to. That's probably wise, but them finding what she wants seems like something we don't want to wait and see about. There are still eight of them, assuming. There's at least two voices, but there were there are still eight tracks.
Speaker: Well, I'll go in first. Yup. You won't. Okay. So Nyx will walk over to the hole and draw out her her soul blade.
Speaker: The hole is coming from above just so it's at like a diagonal like this, but then there's a hole and then the floor is down below it. If we're on a slanted surface is what you're saying.
Speaker: Yeah. Okay. We're on a slanted surface and then there's a hole. So we're like jumping through a wall of like the corner of the roof and the wall kind of thing. Okay. that guy oh but bit Cool.
Speaker: Playing portal. Sure. So I'm not dropping towards the floor. I'm springing in through the slanted ceiling. Yes, sure. Sure. That's fine.
Speaker: I guess. ah I guess Nyx will work her way around to be at the up slope of the hole so that she's not climbing onto a floor. She can like drop down into the room and land on her feet instead of clambering up into the room.
Speaker: Yes. No, you're coming from above. Sorry. I'm making sure that I'm describing it correctly. Okay. So like, there's so can you see my hand? I can see your hand. This is the hole.
Speaker: So wall, roof. So even if you were to slide down, you would drop into the roof. I see. So coming top of the wall we're coming down a slope towards yeah another slope. No, you said it's like this. It's like a V. No, no. no Yeah. refuse Look at me as drawing.
Speaker: Okay. Wait, where are we? weird Above. Okay. I'm going to need Legos. You're coming from above at an angle. Yes.
Speaker: And there's a hole. So I'm dropping through the i'm dropping through a hole. Yes. Sorry, you said... That's started out saying. yeah You said, so I didn't have to clamber up, and I was like, wait, there's no situation where you would be clambering. That only occurred after you guys... Eric, did say the hole starts... My first statement was, I'm going to drop through the hole. and i understood, Eric.
Speaker: Oh, my God. The first thing I said was, I'm going to drop through the hole. And go, well, the hole's slanted. i'm like... Well, the hole technically is... like We all got there.
Speaker: I'm going to drop through the hole. Okay. See how I said the same thing? So you can just cut that insanity that just occurred. I'm going to drop through the hole. So Nyx will approach the hole, draw her sword, and then glance back to see if everyone's ready.
Speaker: And then Nyx is going to jump down through the hole. And as I jump in... I am going to summon a fiend so that when I appear in the room, I will not be alone.
Speaker: Okay. Let's go ahead and roll initiative. i am now thinking about, I'm playing with what pose might Kaz take to signify readiness?
Speaker: sorry I want to know that too. i'm i'm very I'm very eager to know the answer to that question. Sorry, we're rolling initiative and I'm not. 22.
Speaker: Valk, 22. Nix, what'd you get? 18. 18. And... Cass? 19. Grab dice now. retroactively's... eighteen te and ca nineteen greg grab more dice in the bow sorry retroactive leave Let me get a dicks yeah we'll we'll keep it simple dexterity-based check to remain quiet as you approach, just to see how well you want it. but that
Speaker: Just next one's gone through are all of us to get this close. All of you to get this close. If I roll low, does that change my 30? No. How far back are we going? it Just literally, I should have done it before we rolled initiative. As well, got close to the hole. That is an 18. Mischief?
Speaker: Yeah. 18. Black Marketeer, also next. Yeah. 17. Okay.
Speaker: You all were able to successfully bypass their ability to notice you coming. So i will let you all have a initial round of combat as a surprise round where you all get to kind of just have the jump on them.
Speaker: So Nyx will say that you went ahead and summoned your demon as you were dropping in But to actually jump into initiative order, Valk is up first.
Speaker: So Nyx, what you see as you drop in, ah You see the seed in the center of the room right above the table where you all have gone to these bunkers before and you like the crystal has been deposited to show the recording.
Speaker: It is hovering right there above that. Um, it's not interacting with the table in any way, but the roots are holding it up right above there. Um, the seed is glowing with the mark of handling that you recognize on it.
Speaker: And there are branches and roots and leaves kind of all over the place in here snaking around. You also see potentially to Nyx's relief, four corpses that, less to Nyx's relief, like the roots are like going into their mouths and it seems to be that like their life force is being siphoned out of them into scene.
Speaker: There are four figures still standing. They look, pulling a somewhat old cultural touchpoint that I mean, you'll get, Philip, some of our audience may not, how...
Speaker: In the second Pirates of the Caribbean movie, like Davy Jones's crew had like barnacles and reef growing out and think that but forest. Cool. On the other four that are still standing.
Speaker: Forest's got it. They don't see, they're not shambling. Like they seem to be much like Davy Jones's crew. we're just mutated in some way. And they turn and look at you.
Speaker: There seems to be at least one point an elf, two humans and hassling. They are all wearing the guard of artisans and crafts people. so Okay. So,
Speaker: They see Nyx jump into the room and as she lands an enormous fiend with just like hulking figure with long metallic looking blade like claws and just sort of armored scales all over it.
Speaker: And that's what is, but I don't think my turn is first though. Well, I was going to say that to kind of represent the fact that you all are making a coordinated like jump on them that this first round you all can go in whichever order you like just to be able to, um, represent the coordinated effort and attack.
Speaker: um So if Nyx wants to go first, I will say Mela is going to go ahead, just timed as Nyx drops in. She is going to use her turn to cast a spell on Nyx, to give Nyx a plus two to Nyx's AC for the remainder of this battle.
Speaker: Plus two? Yes. Nice. Well, I think that's a good idea because at least i can get I can clear the doorway and not be in anybody's way as they try to come in after me. Okay.
Speaker: Kaz wants Nix to go first so Kaz knows what to fight. It may be wise, though, to let Val go ahead and gain Val's focus just in case anything happens on Nix and Kaz's charge.
Speaker: So... Yeah. That makes sense. I don't do anything special. I just say I get my focus. Then say it. It's just game going. Admin is the fun part of this game, Mia. You have to say it.
Speaker: I gain my focus. Yay. Okay, cool. you dumb mother... At least choose, like, spookier sound. Just wait. I have two default options here. I have ballpark and drums. Those are my options. If you had a minor key charge, that would be me.
Speaker: Are all of the, or all the bad guys in here nearby? Yes, it's not a very big room. Cool. So Nyx will spring into the room.
Speaker: with this enormous hulking fiend leaping after her. And as, as she does a I'm going to do two things.
Speaker: One is she is going to put out her empty hand and a a rent will open out of which will come swarming flame demons.
Speaker: but Are we going to sit in there? Oh yeah, it'll be it'll be fine. they're They're just there for a minute. A minute? It's a long time. Anyway, I get to target 1d3 nearby enemies, so I'm rolling a d6 to figure that out.
Speaker: Okay. Okay. I get to target two of them. Okay. So I will target the two nearest ones to me, uh, wherever I am, whatever their position is. Uh, and they are going to be attacked for, do I, so I'm really multiple. Anyway, do I make roll multiple attacks?
Speaker: with This is a spell. Roll once. yeah Roll once, okay. Alright. That is... That is a dirty 20. Okay. Against their physical defense.
Speaker: Physical defense. That hits. Excellent. Each of them takes 20 fire damage. Toasty. No, we're not physical. Yes, 20 fire damage.
Speaker: yes good twenty fired in Okay. What was the natural roll? The natural roll was 10. Okay. Alrighty. Yeah. Nix will, as a quick action...
Speaker: turn towards the ah towards the the fiend that has leapt in behind her and ah reach up and just run her fingers across the scales of it and a a a a fiendish sigil will form on the scales marking the two creatures that have been harmed by the prior spell and the Nyx will just step out of the way Okay.
Speaker: As the creature rushes into the room. So it gets to make two attacks and it has a bonus against the creatures that I have now damaged. Cool. So it's first, I'm just going to do one attack against each of them.
Speaker: Which two did I hit? You said there were the halfling and two humans. The halfling and the elf are the two that you hit. Okay. So first against the elf, that's 25 versus AC. hits 12 damage.
Speaker: that hits twelve damage 12 damage. Okay. The halfling nearby reaches out as the demon goes to swipe down and out of like the side of her, like between her ribs, a large root kind of erupts out and shoots between the elf and the demon. Uh, the elf still takes some damage, but the, there is a certain amount of transference of damage from the elf to the halfling.
Speaker: Cool. And then the second attack against the halfling is 24 hit. twenty-four to hit ah That does hit. 12 damage. Okay.
Speaker: Cool. And that's my turn, except I got a roll for its degradation. Degradation dice also increase as as demons would become more powerful as that I can summon, so it gets more tripling.
Speaker: It's totally fine. Everything's completely fine. ah Okay. My turn is now over. Nyx is of the way. The creature is in there hacking and things. You're the last one to go. Yeah, so it's funny. I was just saying how I never used Kaz's daily spell, so I had already played to do that.
Speaker: um I pulled attack, which means I roll for weirdness, and hasn't come up yet, so I didn't say it. This is a global effect. For the remainder of this battle, anything that would normally be a normal save is now an easy save.
Speaker: Oh. All creatures, both sides. Globally, so everyone in the world. That's cool. Yeah. The funny part of that is the thing that I'm about to do has several things that it was saved. So I think I'm hitting maybe two for the back, but I also get to, Oh, first I'll do my quick action. All right. We have to make it to round two before somebody can re roll a miss.
Speaker: I also target one D six enemies. Like how many, how many bad guys are there? Total four, four. I get to hit all four of them. Nice. And it is a,
Speaker: That's not great. I gotta stop saying that and then remembering how much stuff we had. That's an 18 to physical defense. 18 against physical defense. That hits all of them.
Speaker: Okay, so real quick, I'll let you decide which one's number one, which one's number two, which one's number three, which one's number four. Okay. Number one it's hampered.
Speaker: Number two is weakened. Number three is weakened. And number four is Weak It. The Weak It ones end with a save, hampered it until the end of my next turn, and they all take 24 points of damage. Okay.
Speaker: Wow. That's a lot of damage. Cool. And then I walk in. what is What does it look like when I walk in? Pretty sparring attack. I think...
Speaker: Since we are, I am above them, yes, because yeah because of the nature of this hole that we've discussed, and like, I think they're distracted by Nyx and this demon, and so just, they don't even see the source of it, but it feels like almost as a vertical pressure comes down app upon each of them, and just, the spell is called Blarg, so I think that it, it is the,
Speaker: is Kaz releasing frustration. So I think it almost feels to them just like a pressure, like a weight okay squeezes. They may not even have much of a physical manifestation. ads ca As Kaz follows Nyx sliding into the room, this just happens to them.
Speaker: Nice. Okay, so the hampered is until the end of your next turn and weakened as a save ends? Yep. And it is an easy save now. All right. The escalation die is now at a one and it is Valk's turn.
Speaker: Oh, there's another person. Mayla went very first. Mayla blessed Nyx as she dropped into the ring. been So it's the bonus surprise round.
Speaker: Okay. I have to use... Well, can I see the table? ah Have you entered the ring?
Speaker: Yeah. you You could poke your head in and see it. Yeah. Does it look like the seed or the roots are trying to navigate? Like, is there like a map? just clear root There's no map. There's no crystal or anything that you can see in the table.
Speaker: Um, it, it looks like the seed was drawn to the table. What that means would require a bit more research and investigation, but that's what you can tell from just looking. yeah There are other rooms, like the other bunkers had like side rooms and stuff.
Speaker: Those also exist here. It's not a singular room, yeah but everything is kind of centered around this table.
Speaker: There's nothing on the table, just the floating seed. Yes. ah But the table does have the slot for the crystal. The table has all the mechanisms that you've come to expect from those central tables, yeah just the crystal's not there.
Speaker: Okay. I don't think that's smart. Okay. I'm just gonna use Carbic Rebuked. Okay. The Halfwing Lady. Okay. That is... I don't remember what I do. yeah. Okay.
Speaker: That is 24 to hit. That hits. And... That's 11 damage. that' So that's That was the quick action on Karmakir Booth, and then I'm going to gain my focus again.
Speaker: Is it possible to start shimmying towards the side rooms? Yeah, mean, you can move towards the one of the side rooms, yeah. Yeah. I'm going to towards one of those rooms.
Speaker: Okay. Yeah.
Speaker: That is Falk's turn. Mela's turn. Nobody has taken damage yet. So... Actually, four guys are taking quite a bit of damage.
Speaker: My fiend. Two. Oh, yeah. Um...
Speaker: then Mela is going to she doesn't really have a spell worth casting right now. Actually, she will cast a spell on Nyx.
Speaker: Nyx, you get a plus two attack bonus until the end of the battle. She's buffing the crap out of you. Yeah. And then Barna is going to rush forward at the halfling. It's a natural 19. So that will definitely hit only 12 damage though. All right, Kaz, it is your turn.
Speaker: Okay. I rolled defense. We just watched melee get hit. No, Mele didn't get hit. Oh, Mele hit. Barney hit someone. Oh, okay. Oh, right. Sorry.
Speaker: So no one is hurt. So no one has been hit yet. Correct. The bad guys have not gotten a chance to go. then One of these days though. Yeah. So I have one option really. It is to do my chaos blessing.
Speaker: So let's see. Let's see who's going to grow something. No, it's it's me in this case. it up It only helps me. And it's a natural 20, which...
Speaker: Are you kidding me? 17 to 20 is healing. You or your nearby ally with the fewest hit points can heal using our recovery. i mean, is everybody at at full? Yeah, I am.
Speaker: Can it go to a scene because it's an alley? I can't. They don't have recoveries. Sometimes that happens. You know? Sometimes. It is a chaos. It's a chaos character. Yeah. I was going to say it's what I signed up for.
Speaker: It's not. But it's what I have and I do love it. So let's see. Okay. Next one is... oh whatever hell we're called. Icon? Icon. Thank you.
Speaker: And just in case you were wondering, the icon in question is... Blood of Volk. Neat. I'll figure that out. Yeah, think on that.
Speaker: Carry on. Okay. Shocking absolutely everyone. One of the humans is going to attack you. So... Who's you? Nyx. Or actually... Probably the demon makes the most sense. The demon did rush forward. um Oh, I guess Hampered is done for the three-door Hampered cause that was my next turn.
Speaker: Ah, yeah yeah dave more more quickly than I expected. Yep. This one is one of the weakened ones. So this will have a minus four to its attack roll against the demon. That is only a 13 against mental defense though.
Speaker: mental defense is a 16. Okay. So that misses. This fiend's mental stability is exactly equal to Nyx's. Uh, Nyx should examine that. Speaking of that's fine.
Speaker: Nick's cool. All right. Oh, he needs to roll his safe for weekends. He rolled a natural 18. So he passes. What is the arrangement of the bad guys around the seat?
Speaker: Uh, they're all off to the side a bit. So they, the, the roots came in through the hole down to the table and are holding the seed. So that's kind of blocking half the room.
Speaker: So they are along the other side opposite the hole. Okay. the seed has roots in the corpses. Yeah. I hesitate to give you this opportunity to describe, but...
Speaker: Can I tell if it's still actively feeding on them? Yes, it is drawing off of these bodies. Okay.
Speaker: I want to... Yeah, Nyx is mission focused. Nyx is going to rush jump up on the table, and I'm going to pull this dagger out and just attempt to drive it as deeply as I can into the seed right in the center of that mark.
Speaker: Okay. I think we're been given no instructions in the usage of this. Yep. Daggers are for stabbing. Daggers are for stabbing. Okay. So they're on the other side of the seat. this, I was going to try to finally use the intercept rules, but they're not applicable in this situation.
Speaker: So yeah, Nyx, give me a basic melee attack with this weapon. Okay. ah That is 12, and I get an extra plus 2 from Mela, so a total of plus 2. So 23. 23? Yeah, you are able to stab. So are you is it a stab or a slash across the mark?
Speaker: The... Nyx does not know what we need to do to this seed other than we've been instructed to kill it, and all of... All of the blade geometry of a dagger is for stabbing. So yep you said it was a dagger. So Nick's going stab with it.
Speaker: So do you want me to realize do I use my basic attack damage? Yeah. Go ahead and roll. Yeah. 715 25 32. 3. Plus 37. Everyone give me a saving throw. Is still easy? Right? thirty five thirty two three so plus i thirty seven everyone give me a saving throw it's easy is it still easy It's a, it well, is it?
Speaker: Yeah, it's all saves. I just wanted to try how long that lasted. All battle. Six or higher. Six plus. And we add nothing to it?
Speaker: Add nothing. Straight roll. Cool. oh I failed. Natural 20.
Speaker: I rolled an 11. Okay. No, you don't. Oh, good. but unfortunate I'm thrilled to hear this. Okay. You got this one? Cause I also can do that.
Speaker: do Do what? I just attack. Yeah. Fortune smiles. Oh, it's created by an enemy. is a seed, seed an enemy? Seed, seed is an active enemy. Yes. There we go. hi So you have a plus four.
Speaker: Eight. Okay. So this does not stop the sound from affecting you all, but there is a ear piercing screech. Like think steam engine whistle turned up to 11. That's just targeting your eardrums. And so it's like the most piercing loud sound imaginable that hits all of you and and hits the other combatants as well. In fact, I will roll save for them. oh eat One of them failed.
Speaker: So he is dazed. Do you want me to roll for the demon? ah Yes. 16 demon has the ears. Yeah. Okay. no no So yeah, the the the seed screams loudly.
Speaker: And yeah, that's what you've got this turn. 37 points of damage. Nyx isn't quite enough to completely debilitate it. In fact, you see much like the route that you touched on your way down felt like a artery with a heartbeat.
Speaker: You see the roots in the four corpses begin like undulating. Got it. Yeah, that's it. Anything else? Nyx? Demon attack?
Speaker: I believe the demon gets to attack now. And I think that's yeah.
Speaker: Uh, no, that doesn't. Okay. Yes. ah So it's just going to continue you to split its attack between the two creatures it's adjacent to. So the first against the elf. Whole lot. 26 to hit.
Speaker: 26 to hit. That does hit. 12 damage. And for the halfling, only 18 to hit. Gets AC that misses. Cool. Okie dokie. What?
Speaker: I have to keep track of its misses because it gets a bonus based on how many, ah based on each miss. Did the halfling get a boost? Because I thought Kaz's attack was an 18 and it hit. Kaz attacked physical defense, not.
Speaker: Okay. okay Uh, if there's nothing else, then the elf is going to finally go. So the elf is going to make tap against the demons physical defense. That is a 16.
Speaker: That exactly hits. Cool. So I think this ability is intended for like a get over here, scorpion style move, but it's going in fact be the opposite from behind the demon, a root shoots up and grabs the demon around the waist and yanks it away from the elf and the halfling. And the demon is going to take 12 damage. Okay. And it is slid 15 feet back away. And then the root immediately lets go. It's not like you called in place. Um, that's my question.
Speaker: And that is it for his turn. And then the halfling as a quick action, the halfling you see their skin turn more natural like as their skin turns to bark.
Speaker: And then they are going to rush to Nyx with a great sense of urgency, um, and attempt to attack Nyx.
Speaker: I have the Hydro. That's true. 17 to AC. and That does not hit. Oh, actually 13 because weakened. so That hits even less.
Speaker: And then save. She does save against the weakened condition. And that's it for her cherry. And then the last human.
Speaker: That
Speaker: He extends his wand up and it splits at the end. And so he's gonna make two separate attacks. The first one against Nyx.
Speaker: That grief. That's only an 11. Oh, ah you briefly went away. 11 versus physical defense.
Speaker: That does not hit me. And the demon 13 versus physical defense. 16, yeah. Let me see if I can save against this weakened condition. i can't, and I don't.
Speaker: Good. Even with it being easy. The bar is so low. This die is going back in the bag. one's giving you plus four, butthead. sorry that was too much.
Speaker: Rude. Okay, an escalation die is now up to a two, and it is Valk's turn. I am, I have to get my focus, that I'm going continue shimmying towards the other room. Okay. You're able to get into the doorway of the room.
Speaker: Are you looking back into the room? Yes. You see that this seems to be a small barrack sleeping quarter. um There are stone, like, built into the wall, little sleeping alcoves, almost.
Speaker: ah The mattresses and everything have long been destroyed by times. But you do see little stone foot lockers and near each one. um they're They're all open, like they have been rummaged through.
Speaker: Give me a wisdom check to perceive and investigate the room as you glancing. so I get a plus four. That is 32. That's 18. so already two that's eighteen 82 and then my 8 modifier and then plus 4. Yeah, you see in one of the back alcoves very briefly, Bawk, you see the spectral form of a wolf's head look out of the alcove and look at you and then pull back.
Speaker: What? It looks like Balinor that you saw before. Okay, okay. There's almost a sense in the wolf's eyes of over here.
Speaker: Yeah. h Okay. And I'm going to call that your turn. Okay. Mayla, has anyone taken any damage for my cleric to do something?
Speaker: No. my I have not. You've meaculate you were attacked my demoness exclusively. The fiend doesn't have recoveries. Oh, it requires, yeah. So much of the healing is you get to spend a recovery.
Speaker: Then she's going to pull out her hand crossbow or her light crossbow and aim and fight at the one trying to attack Nyx. That does not hit because of her bark skin.
Speaker: i Her AC is higher now. So that's a miss from Mayla. Question. Am I so am i i'm in the doorway? Hold on. I have to go back to the other tab. No. No. Because I think that'll draw attention to me. Okay. Okay.
Speaker: Barna is also going to attack the halfling. That will hit 14 damage. Kaz. Okay, so I'm taking a chance on something, and this turn, the only thing that happens is Kaz takes flight, hoping that it pays off next round. It's kind of a prep thing, but I did roll, or only pull for next round, and it is...
Speaker: weirdness so after cast takes flight the next thing that happens is nothing well hang on yeah i think nothing it's so i rolled 75 which is if one of your allies is at zero of hit points or below that ally can roll a free death save that won't count against their missed death save total that is at this moment not at some point around right correct yeah okay well They don't always hit, guys. And then also... I can teleport, but I'm already flying, so who gives a rat, so you know?
Speaker: What's the Blood of Bold thing that you that he pulled? So it's going to manifest on the next... Okay. the The spell that I chose really manifests next round, so i'll catch you I'll explain it all day.
Speaker: Okay. We'll be here waiting. if We make it. All right. The human who tried to attack attacknis is going to do it again.
Speaker: Or you tried to attack the demon last time. In fact, he's still going to target the demon. Never mind. think he tried to do both. No, the other human did. This isn't the one that had the split wand. Well, he's not weakened anymore, so that's a 17 versus mental defense, which I know hits.
Speaker: Against what? Against two. Oh, yes. Don't look me like I'm crazy. You're crazy. The demon takes nine psychic damage and has a minus two penalty to its next attack roll.
Speaker: Okay. As a glyph, like this, this human waves his wand around and like draws a glyph in the air and then pushes it and like a net, it wraps around the demon.
Speaker: Nyx. Okay. So the dagger is in the seat. Nyx, seeing what's happening with the roots, Nyx is going to slash out with her sword and try to sever many of the roots as I can.
Speaker: Going to mean attack roll. All right, that is cocked. All right. At this plus two thing going on. So that is 19 to hit that hits the reach.
Speaker: Okay. 36 points of damage. That severs this route. So you cut through it and like green ichor shoots out of it ah spray all over nix's legs and feet cool okay then the fiend ah is going to bellow and rush at the elf that it was fighting it is going to attack it has a plus one and a minus two
Speaker: or But it's rolled a 17, so it's going to be a crazy amount. It's going to 28 to hit. yeah it's And it now gets to add an extra d4 because it missed an attack.
Speaker: three So that is going to be 15 damage. How does this demon kill the elves? I think as it comes just screaming across the room, its it's forearms like morph into blades, and it just lunges and just drives both of them through the elf and pins it to the wall or something like that. Nice.
Speaker: Is there anything else within easy reach of it? Because it has another other attack. It could attack the halfling. Okay, cool. It will wrench the blades out and then charge the halfling.
Speaker: That is 23 to hit AC. And that is going to be 16 damage. Okay. It was attacking AC though. Yes, AC. I'm sorry. 16 damage.
Speaker: How does the demon kill the halflings? I, so yeah, comes rushing across the room and just, it's, it's this big thing i think just jumps and kicks the halfling to the ground, puts a foot on its chest and then just jams one of its arm blades through the halfling's face into the ground.
Speaker: Okay. Yikes. It's graphic. all right. The Wand Smith with the split wand is going to attack. yeah First attack on Nyx.
Speaker: It's a natural 20. Misses. And in fact, he's going to use his overcharged wand ability since he rolled over a natural 16 to add some additional damage.
Speaker: So that is going to be... Sounds like a lot of dice. 30 lightning damage. Okay. But he takes eight lightning damage as the wand kind of like backfires a little bit for his overcharged wand ability. And then the next attack on the demon.
Speaker: Perfectly balanced, natural one. wash do That is Nyx okay. That was exactly half of Nyx's hit points. Oh, is that staggered?
Speaker: Yep, that was a staggered Nyx. Okay, finally, I'm going to use blood for blood. Against the... was that the elves? but One of the humans. oh the humans. 25 against mental?
Speaker: and That hits. Okay. Well, it's not. Okay.
Speaker: it's not that It's not that cool, guys. That is as... twelve damage against it as I think that lightning that attaches to Nyx absorbs some of the blood and then it shoots back at the wand builder.
Speaker: And that target is, well, I mean, it's a, they're all easy saves, but is vulnerable. Um, it's a save end. He's not because he's dead.
Speaker: Oh, what does it look like about when he dies? I think because it is like a form of like blood magic, Valk's not entirely familiar with that. It's almost reactionary. So I think like the, as the blood is transferring, it goes from like red blood to black to purple. And then it's just like a poison that seeps into the body and starts to kind of blacken the skin.
Speaker: And then that tree root kind of wraps around his arm and then pierces his heart. and he kind of Yikes! Well, from the doorway, by the way. I'm trying but i'm trying to leave.
Speaker: Okay. That is the end of that round. So Escalacia dies now at a three. And it is Vap's turn. ah i'm I am going to regain my focus. I'm going to go towards Sissy Dog. Okay. I think they're okay in there.
Speaker: You move back to one of the back alcoves where you saw the wolf head, peek out. And as you round the corner, you see the last remnants of the tail of Balinor phasing through the wall.
Speaker: But through, there is a, the the inside is like carved worked stone that has been laid and mortared out there. But you see that there is a cracked stone in the back center that you would have to like climb back there and reach in and pull out.
Speaker: um But that seems to be where Balinor's tail was pointing you towards. And it looks to be a little bit loose, like there may be something hidden back there. Okay. I mean, that was my action and my movement. So that's all I Okay. Mail is going to heal Nyx. Hot dog.
Speaker: So, uh, Nyx, quick action. You can use the recovery. Cool. Not your quick action. Her quick action. You can use the recovery.
Speaker: Oh, it's a free recovery as well, just so you know. It doesn't count. It's your total. i'm Even better. That's 20 points bit. The human is dead. and so Is there there is another one that went down? There's one white human left. One human. That's it. Yeah.
Speaker: Oh, that's it. And then she is going to extend her hand and a beam of radiant light forms in her hand and she chucks it at the last human.
Speaker: It's a natural 20. 22 damage. o He is staggering, but he is not down. Kaz. Okay. So I guess I...
Speaker: Are we attacking the egg? like Is that also a necessity? Is that correct? or well I have put the dagger in it and now I'm trying to sever. And now I'm trying to sever the roots that are attaching it to these corpses so that it can't keep feeding. I'm trying to figure out if I have ability to help with that. So, okay, first I'm going to just i would i would target the human.
Speaker: with my standard tentacle that's not actually a tentacle in this case so because of the blood of volatil all this time though you see as kaz is warming up to cast these kind of spectral leathery wings don't come like out from him but like appear behind him almost like a guardian protectorate kind of thing uh and That is a 21 versus physical defense on the remaining human. Sorry, what? 21 versus physical defense on the remaining human.
Speaker: Yeah, that'll do it. Okay. and And 23 damage. What does it look like when Kaz destroys this human? So in this case...
Speaker: This is not even the Blood of Vole thing. This is the precursor to the thing I was going to do. But since it's in him, it's coming out of him. And it's just a void.
Speaker: Like Vantablack spray comes from Kaz's leaves. Swallowing the light as it goes towards this human. And just blinks him out.
Speaker: Not disappear, just like yeah the the light goes out of his eyes, much like the light has gone out of the path of this inky blackness that's come from Kaz. um I still have quick action spells that I'm supposed to be able to do because of this. Should I target the roots, I guess?
Speaker: Yeah. Yeah, let's do it. So, let find it. Continuing, kind of scroll, the almost emboldened by that working, the the wings behind me go from like this move this to big and out and huge fully extended wings.
Speaker: And the blackness, I'm going narrate as I'm going to miss. Hang on. Oh my gosh. This is great. That's a natural 19, which is a oh my gosh, like almost a 30, 29. That'll hit the root. Yes. No, it is a 30.
Speaker: Okay. So that root is going to take 5, 10, 17, 18. five ten so te 25 damage plus six ongoing damage.
Speaker: And because I hit with a natural odd, I'm going to go ahead and attack another route as well with the same spell. So now it's just getting real buck wild. These wings are trying... I will say, Jeff, did do you have to target a different target? Because that was not quite enough to fully destroy that route.
Speaker: On a natural odd hit... I can roll another attack against enemy I've yet to attack. Okay. So does have to be someone there. Okay. Just play. Yep. Yeah. Yeah. it's going to be different one. Oh, I see you're saying. Yes. Yes. I have to attack a different guy.
Speaker: So I'm going to attack in another... Oh, this is lightning damage, by the way. If that matters to this... but yeah Okay. Okay. kid Another attack is a natural nine. So that's only going to be a... Me 20. Because the 19 was 30. Yeah, right. That's exactly right. That's a 20. That's it. Of the root.
Speaker: That's another... Oh, that didn't roll as well. Six, seven, eight, nine, 10. 17 damage. And you tell me if it stops there or because it was another natural odd hit, can I target another thing that I have not yet targeted this turn?
Speaker: Right? here's The language is, if I hit with a natural odd hit, I could roll another twisted B attack against an enemy I haven't targeted yet with this turn. Since it specifically calls out that it's the spell again, then I would say yes, it chains.
Speaker: Okay. However, I realized I did read something wrong.
Speaker: That 20... With I am three damage or 25 of the first one would actually be 13. It's half damage from a director. Leave it. I apologize. okay I missed that bit. So half the damage from those last two hits, I will attack another route.
Speaker: That is 28 hit. Which is 6, 7, 8, 11, 19.
Speaker: So 9 damage. Okay. And if there's there's one more root, right? No, that was the last root. That's all the roots. and yeah I wept for there were no more things to beam.
Speaker: Okay. Okay. As Kaz finishes his turn, taking out the last spell caster and then like sweeping across the rest of the roots, damaging them. um There is a pulse of force damage that kind of comes out from the scene.
Speaker: Nyx, you're not fully knocked on your back, but you are thrown back a little ways. So you're now nearby to the scene in the roots. And Valk, you hear from behind you in the other room.
Speaker: All of you hear this, but Valk, you're a little bit further away. a laughing that grows a little bit louder. And you hear you all hear a voice say, how you really didn't think I wasn't going to show up and see what you all were up to.
Speaker: And the seed turns around and it opens and a large eyeball comes from the seed. And all of a sudden the roots recoil and pull back and other roots grab the corpses the other four that you just killed.
Speaker: The four that you just killed, their jaws dislocate. And in their mouths, you see large eyeballs as they get dragged above the seed and are like kind of flailing and flopping above it as the other three corpses wrap around and you see this horrifying corpse built beholder in front of you all and the corpses on the bottom manipulate like a mouth as a additional laugh comes out of the creature end of episode thank you all so much for listening if you want to be part of the conversation surrounding this episode you can head it over to our discord the link to which is in the show notes you can ask philip what lewd gesture he made at me when all that happened have to ask things figured out We also have a YouTube channel, youtube.com slash epantheon. you want to watch some TTRP cheap videos made by myself, Philip.
Speaker: On YouTube and Spotify, you can find Tales from the Laughing Tree, where we have another actual play using the Legend in the Mist system called the Queen's Blades. That's true. We also have a Patreon, patreon.com slash epantheon. If you want to financially support the show, you can do so over there. Thank you all so much for listening. I have been your Game Master, Eric.
Speaker: I'm Mia. Hate it here. I'm Jeff. We'll see you next time.
