All language subtitles for ilk

MATT: Hello everyone, and
welcome to the first episode

of Campaign 3 of Critical Role,

where a bunch of us--
(cheering)

MATT: -- nerdy-ass
voice actors

sit around and
play Dungeons & Dragons.

TRAVIS: (hollering)
We play Dungeons & Dragons!

MATT: Wow.

After a brief hiatus
and getting to play

with some new friends,
we are back for Campaign 3,

and I'm super excited.

TRAVIS: It's a real thing.

MATT: Yeah, so hello everyone.

Thank you to come join us,

all the Critters
who've been with us

for short or long
periods of time,

and welcome all the
new Critters

that are here for
the first time.

LIAM: Wow.

MATT: But before we jump
into tonight's episode

and kick this campaign off,

we do have some
announcements to get through.

Bear with us, we're
going to get through it

as fast as possible
because it's been a while.

ALL: ♪ It's been a while ♪

MATT: But let us begin with
our sponsor for tonight,

Hit Point Press. Sam.

SAM: First ad of Campaign 3,
so buckle up.

TRAVIS and SAM: Woo!
ASHLEY: Here we go!

SAM: Want an adventure
where fun is guaranteed

and death is very likely?

The folks at Hit Point Press

have *the** campaign setting--
TRAVIS: Oh.

SAM: For you. Shut up.

Based on the--
(laughter)

SAM: Based on the popular
YouTube animated series

by Dingo Doodles,

Fool's Gold:
Into the Bellowing Wilds

is a high-level,
jungle-themed setting

in which you can
uncover the mysteries

of the world's
deadliest jungle,

face new monsters
like sheep and ducks,

and tinker with new alchemy

to create over a million
very questionable potions.

It contains heaps
of new content,

including an adventure module

for new and experienced
adventurers,

plus materials to use
in your own campaigns.

Check it out at
foolsgold5e.com.

TRAVIS: Wow.

ASHLEY: Wow.
LAURA: Woo!

TRAVIS: Well done,
that's a speed read.

MATT: Is that-- is that it?

Is that the entire--
SAM: Yeah!

For people new to
Critical Role,

sometimes I do wacky, zany
ad things for the sponsorship,

but tonight, sticking to
the script, that's it.

MATT: Really?

SAM: No, Matt, of course not!

I wrote a Broadway musical

that the sponsor
did not ask for--

(laughter)

SAM: -- and has
never seen before,

and I'm going to perform it
for you guys right now.

MATT: Oh, god. No, no,

what's happening,
what's happening?

No! No, no!
MARISHA: Get it!

[applause]

MARY ELIZABETH: Honey,
it's 3:00 in the morning.

Do you still have
writer's block?

SAM: Yes, damn it.

Unless I finish
this commercial,

I'm never going to make it,

and you'll never respect me.

MARY ELIZABETH: Oh,
can't you just get a job

at the factory like
the other husbands?

What more do you need?

SAM: You know what I need.

I need the greatest
gift of all.

I need someone like them.

♪ When I'm feeling ♪
down in the dumps ♪

♪ Life is dishing ♪
out its lumps ♪

♪ Our stomachs only ♪
full of butterflies ♪

♪ No food, no hope, ♪
no motivation ♪

MARY ELIZABETH: A big heart!

SAM: ♪ But no creation ♪

♪ My mind is crying, ♪
dying to advertise ♪

♪ Won't someone ♪

♪ sponsor me? ♪

♪ Take out that checkbook ♪
and just sponsor me ♪

♪ I swear that there's a ton ♪
of products I can sell ♪

♪ So come on, what the hell! ♪

♪ Just take my hand and ♪
hear my honest plea ♪

♪ And please sponsor me ♪

(knocks)

MARY ELIZABETH: (gasps)
What's this? A telegram?

SAM: It's from
Hit Point Press.

They want to buy
commercial time

on the first episode
of Campaign 3.

MARY ELIZABETH:
Honey, you mean--

SAM: That's right,
we made it, baby.

We're going to be okay.

♪ Grab ahold and ♪
don't let go ♪

♪ Because there's a sign, ♪
and it's shown ♪

♪ That, baby, we don't ♪
need to get divorced ♪

MARY ELIZABETH: No, we don't!

♪ The ad execs open ♪
their doors ♪

♪ A love way more ♪
important than yours ♪

♪ You're multi-national ♪
company-endorsed ♪

SAM: ♪ They chose to ♪

♪ sponsor me ♪

MARY ELIZABETH:
♪ Sponsor you ♪

SAM: ♪ Spent their
commercial budget properly ♪

MARY ELIZABETH:
♪ This great song ♪

SAM: ♪ I've finally
broken through ♪

♪ and earned some validation ♪

MARY ELIZABETH:
♪ Earned some validation ♪

SAM: ♪ From this
fine corporation ♪

MARY ELIZABETH:
♪ This fine corporation ♪

SAM: ♪ And they called me up
and chose to honor me ♪

MARY ELIZABETH:
♪ Change the key ♪

SAM: ♪ Honor me ♪

MARY ELIZABETH:
♪ Change the key ♪

SAM: ♪ Now someone
sponsors me ♪

♪ They took that checkbook ♪
and they sponsored me ♪

♪ You'll see that there's ♪
a ton of sponsors I can land ♪

MARY ELIZABETH:
♪ Sponsors you can land ♪

SAM: ♪ So, come on,
take my hand ♪

MARY ELIZABETH: ♪ You know
I'll take your hand ♪

SAM and MARY ELIZABETH:
♪ Because shilling paves ♪

♪ the road to prosperity ♪

♪ Now sponsor me ♪

[cheering]

MARY ELIZABETH: So no more
dancing? Go to bed.

SAM: A little bit longer.

MARY ELIZABETH: Go to bed.
SAM: A little bit longer.

MARY ELIZABETH: Longer?

SAM: A little longer.

MARY ELIZABETH: Okay, okay.

SAM: Ah! Ah!

Was that too self-indulgent?

(laughter)

LIAM: Yeah...

MATT: Okay!

TRAVIS: I'm sweating
in my jacket.

LAURA: What the hell?
MARISHA: I love you so much.

MATT: What the fuck, Sam?
ASHLEY: How did you

keep that a secret?

TRAVIS: My face hurts.

SAM: Back to you, Matt.

TRAVIS: No, what?

MATT: Oh my god.

SAM: Oh, special thanks to
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn!

(cheering)

ASHLEY: Mary!
LIAM: Mary!

SAM: And composer
extraordinaire Neil Acree

for doing the--

ALL: Aww.
MATT: What?!

(laughs)

You guys are ridiculous.

LAURA: Oh my god.
TRAVIS: She didn't say shit.

LAURA: God.

SAM: She's good, she's good.

MARISHA: So good.
MATT: Thank you, Sam.

Thank you, Hit Point Press.

I guess, here we go.

In the excitement,
I hadn't mentioned,

new set, by the way.

SAM: Oh!
MATT: Looks amazing.

(cheering)
MARISHA: ♪ New set ♪

MATT: Super excited
to be here.

Wanted to thank all of you

for joining us live in our
Twitch chat and on YouTube,

but if you want to be
part of the Twitch chat,

you have to come over to
our official Twitch channel,

and I think that's all
I have for that one.

But yes.

(laughter)

MATT: I got lost in
the page there.

SAM: It seemed so abrupt.
MATT: I know, it was like,

"And that's it."
I thought I had more.

But yeah, thank you
for joining us,

and Twitch chat, I guess.
There you go.

Marisha, you have
some announcements.

MARISHA: Oh, yes, hello.

(laughter)

MARISHA: I'm Marisha Ray,

the creative director
of Critical Role,

here with a few FYIs for
those who are joining us

for the first time.

See, now it has context.

SAM: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
MARISHA: Yeah.

VODs for each episode
of Critical Role

are available immediately
after the broadcast

here on Twitch for our channel
subscribers, of course,

and will be available
on YouTube-- MewTube--

Mondays.
TRAVIS: MewTube.

MARISHA: Mondays at noon.

MATT: That's my
favorite Pokémon.

MARISHA: Also, a podcast
version of episodes

will be available a week
after the initial broadcast,

so that means you can find
this episode as a podcast

wherever you enjoy podcasts

on Thursday, October the 28th,

and then, starting in 2022--

this is important--

we'll take the last Thursday
of every month off

to give viewers
extra time to catch up,

Matt extra time
to prep and plan,

us time to maybe sleep,

and then, probably, actually
not do those things,

and air a bunch of
new content instead.

MATT: Yes, yes.
LAURA: Eyy.

MARISHA: (laughs)

And then you can
stay up to date

on our weekly schedules, check
out our programming posts

every Monday at
10:00am Pacific

on critrole.com.

MATT: Fantastic.

MARISHA: Ashley Johnson!

MATT: Oh!
ASHLEY: Oh boy!

MARISHA: President of the
Critical Role Foundation.

SAM: We clap now,
is that a thing?

LAURA: Yeah, this is
apparently what we do.

MATT: No, don't
make it a thing,

don't make it a thing.

ASHLEY: Hello,
I'm Ashley Johnson--

(laughter)

ASHLEY: -- President of
Critical Role Foundation,

our 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

TRAVIS and LAURA: Woo hoo.
TALIESIN: Yeah.

ASHLEY: I think it's that one?

Okay.

Just trying to see
where to look here.

MATT: Well-oiled machine.
SAM: Just one camera.

TRAVIS: Split the diff.

ASHLEY: So, I, we,
all of us here,

we just want to
thank everyone

who has donated to our
Shanti Bhavan campaign.

LAURA: Yeah!

MATT: Yes!

ASHLEY: With your help,
we are funding

a new girls' dormitory

and finishing funding
for their music program

at the Shanti Bhavan school

to help build an enriched
life for students

from India's lowest
socioeconomic class.

So to learn more,
it's amazing, go check it out,

and to learn more about CRF,

and our mission--

(laughter)
ASHLEY: Oh.

SAM: Yeah, no, it's going.
TRAVIS: You're killing it.

ASHLEY: To learn more
about CRF and our mission

to leave the world
better than we found it,

check out
criticalrolefoundation.org.

(laughter, cheering)

MATT: Yeah, Ashley.

ASHLEY: I was going to
say .com, but it's .org.

MATT: You did it, you did it.

ASHLEY: Whew.
MATT: Proud of you.

ASHLEY: Rusty!

MATT: Laura!
ASHLEY: Thank you.

MATT: Your turn.

LAURA: It's-a me,

Laura Bailey.
(laughter)

TRAVIS: What?

LAURA: That's right,
okay, okay, okay.

I'm here to bring you
merchandise announcements.

Ta-da.

Okay, wait, I should
tell you what they are.

TRAVIS: Oh boy.

LAURA: First thing up

is our Campaign 3
commencement hoodie.

SAM: Yeah, yeah, that's great.

LIAM: Well, I'll show
just the front first.

Don't forget the color.
LAURA: All right.

There's the front because
it's a great color,

and we don't have
a name for it yet.

LIAM: Action's in the back.
LAURA: Yeah.

ALL: Oh!

♪ The adventure begins ♪

(laughter)

MATT: That's what it says.
LAURA: So yeah,

this is available right now.

It's from our artist,
Jordyn Torrence.

She's amazing.
ASHLEY: Woo!

LAURA: It's available
at our US and...

CA store? Canada stores.

I thought California,
and I was like,

"Why is that separate?"

ASHLEY: US and California.

LAURA: So yeah, this is
available right now.

It's just like our
other hoodies; it's great.

Okay, next up.

MATT: Well oiled machine.
TRAVIS: We bat .1000, you guys.

LAURA: Next up,
okay, okay, okay,

I'm excited about this,

but I'm also excited about this.

SAM: I haven't seen this.

What's this?

LAURA: This is a surprise.

You guys have seen it.

Some of you have seen it.
ASHLEY: Oh, yes.

SAM: Whoa.

LAURA: It's a dress.

It's a hoodie dress.

MATT: Oh, that's actually
really cute.

LAURA: Inspired by Vex'ahlia.

SAM: Oh, that's cool.

TALIESIN: That is so cool.
ASHLEY: Look at this.

LAURA: It's got thumb holes.

SAM: Oh! It's got magic.

MARISHA: Yeah, the thumb holes
are the best.

LAURA: Anyway, it's by
artist Adriann Helton.

It's got a Vex patch
on the chest.

SAM: Nice, it's great.

(laughter)

LIAM: Stop rubbing your patch.

LAURA: Sorry.

It's got a whole
bunch of stuff.

It's available at our US, UK,

Australia, and Canada stores.

Check it out.

I'm excited to have
a dress in the store.

And-- okay.

LIAM: Here, let me see,
let me see.

LAURA: Okay, I don't know
whether to say this next,

or the next part next.

I'ma say this part next.

We launched a whole
bunch of shit

when we were on break,

and so I'm going to run
through some of it right now

because I didn't get to
talk about any of it,

and I'm so excited
about a lot of it.

Okay, first up,
let's talk about this shirt.

It's a Henry Crabgrass tee.

ASHLEY: Oh ho ho!

LAURA: Look at that,
and it goes so well

with our Fjordy lounge shorts,

which I passed over to
Travis to hold out.

SAM: Ooh.

TRAVIS: So soft.
MARISHA: Ooh.

LAURA: So soft, they're great.

TRAVIS: Put your package in here.

LAURA: They've got pockets.

It's got pockets.

SAM: You don't even
need underwear.

TRAVIS: And your buns
on this side.

LAURA: We also have--

Oh, pet bow ties
and handkerchiefs.

ASHLEY: You could also
wear them yourself.

LAURA: You could totally
wear them yourself,

and I do wear them, myself.

ASHLEY: Bow ties.
LAURA: Look how cute those are.

We also got, oh,
Chaos Crew scrunchies.

MARISHA: Ah, so you can
match your dog.

LAURA: That's right!
ASHLEY: (laughs)

LAURA: Well, these ones
have a Critter pattern.

ASHLEY: Boy, we're a
little rusty today.

MATT: Yeah, you think?
MARISHA: Oh, you're right.

Chaos Crew.
LAURA: Save one for me

because I'm probably
going to use it tonight.

And then-- Oh!
We have face masks

that came out, that are
great for Halloweenies.

SAM: Yes, Nott the Brave.

LAURA: Nott the Brave
face masks in adult sizes

and children's sizes.
ASHLEY: So cool.

SAM: Kid sizes, too.
LIAM: (like Nott) Ah!

LAURA: Is that everything?
Is that everything that I had?

I think that's everything
that I had.

There's also more stuff.

Check out our shops.

And last thing that
I'm going to say,

a lot of people have been
hitting me up on Twitter,

and hitting up us on Twitter,

and I know that you guys
have wanted a European store

for a long time,
and I want to let you know

that we're in the works

of getting a European store.
TRAVIS: Yeah!

MARISHA: (laughs)

ASHLEY: Let's go!

LAURA: That's pretty great.
SAM: That is great.

LAURA: It's in the works,
it's coming soon.

That's all I got.

MATT: Thank you Laura.

All right, with that

I guess it's time.

Let's go ahead and jump into,

Tonight's first episode of

Critical Role.
(cheering)

♫ Critical ♫

♫ It's Thursday ♫

♫ Critical ♫

♫ It's Thursday night ♫

(explosion)
(flames woosh)

MATT: I would like to
welcome you to Marquet.

The year is 843 P.D.,
or Post Divergence.

A landmass once marred by
a vengeful god during the Calamity,

the staggeringly twisted
mountain ranges created in its wake

divided the regions
that have now developed

into a varied and
beautiful continent.

The epicenter of this
ancient destruction

created the Rumedam Desert,

a vast expanse of sand dunes
and rocky landmarks

that encompasses nearly
a third of Marquet.

Dotted with oasis townships

surrounding the central
city of Ank'Harel,

known as the Jewel of Hope.

Here, the long-living
ruler, J'mon Sa Ord,

and their Hands of Ord

keep the peace and prosperity
of their people protected.

Beyond the Rumedam Desert
and its sister desert,

the Panagrip Sands,

to the south lies the Gloomed
Jungles of Aeshanadoor.

A shaded territory of
treacherous wilderness

and careful guard

by the historically orcish
erudite society of Yios,

here many skilled dreamers
seek the Marquesian peak

of collegiate study
and social influence

within the political powerhouse
of its ruling council,

the Court of the Lambent Path.

To the southwest, a towering
range of mountain spires

climb into the clouds known
as the Taloned Highlands

where massive shelves and plateaus
scattered among the peaks

are home to elevated valleys,

abundant with agriculture
and rural life,

before reaching to the apex

where the military might
of the region

is held by the Stratos Throne.

Near the center of this continent,

the rugged badlands known
as the Hellcatch Valley

acts as the roadway nexus

between the cage-like
mountain ranges of Marquet,

where numerous independent
villages and cities survive

among the harsh, dusty canyons
and compete for dominance.

The history of Marquet is
filled with vibrant culture,

incredible discoveries,
political intrigue,

and inter-region warfare

that recently culminated
two decades back

in a years-long conflict
known as the Apex War

between the Stratos Throne and
the Court of the Lambent Path

that left both sides
exhausted, expended,

and without victory.

This truce has continued
to this day

as both factions continue
the slow work

to rebuild their societies
to their former glory.

Our story, however,

begins to the northwest
of the Hellcatch Valley

within the natural boundaries
of the Serpentwind Peaks,

where the lush jungle
valley of the Oderan Wilds

thrums with life and mystery.

Here among the vines and mists

that choke the uncarved paths
of the rainforest,

howling beasts and
long, dormant shadows

are rumored to hide among the
lost relics of ancient days.

Here, the dense jungle canopy

is home to numerous towns
along the Honored Trails,

where travelers and
traders trudge

through the dangerous wilds
to seek their fortunes.

Here, from the central
jungle floor,

rises five, tower-like mountains
that reach for the heavens

where upon their rocky exterior,

numerous streets and urban districts
have been carved into them

to form a singular city
connected by bridge and cable.

These spires glow with the
thousands of lights and lanterns

that mark the Oderan Wilds'
capital city of Jrusar,

home to the Chandei Quorum

that oversees and controls the
larger populace of the region.

The spiraling streets bustle
with life and chatter

beneath the cloud-dappled, blue sky,

where the innumerable birds
fly among the Simurgh Riders

that keep watch.

Here, in Jrusar,

is where our story begins.

(nervous laughter)

I would like Laura and Marisha

to remain at the table

while the rest of you exit,
if you don't mind.

(quiet laughter)

TRAVIS: (surprised laugh)

LAURA and ASHLEY: Cool, cool,
cool, cool, cool.

LIAM: See ya in a bit.
MARISHA: Oh, my skin

is instantly clammy.
LAURA: (laughs nervously)

Okay.
TRAVIS: Cool.

ASHLEY: Have fun, I love you.
LAURA: I love you, okay, okay.

What if we die before
you get here? Okay, bye.

TRAVIS: Don't die!

LAURA: Ah!

MARISHA: I got to get a page.

MATT: So...

We begin with the
rocking sensation

of one of the various
engineered cable cars

making its way, dangling
from one of the many cables

that connects the five
different spires of Jrusar

as the two of you now
ride up within.

Just the two of you for now,

the rest of the interior
appears to be

empty at the moment.

But as you coast along the way,

it's shifting and rocking.

The small windows outside
are giving a beautiful view

of the jungle mists that
are just beginning

to slowly return after
being burned away

by most of the midday sun.

You glance at each other
as you head and climb

towards the Aerie Spire.

To that point, Laura,

if you'd like to
describe your character.

LAURA: Oh gosh.

(light southern accent)
Well, all right.

Oh gosh. Okay.

A young lady

with long, light purple hair,

a yellow scarf around my neck.

I look a little bit--

Maybe shy, like I'm trying to
hide myself from other people.

A light blue dress,

just keeping myself tucked
back a little bit

and looking mildly uncomfortable
as we rattle along.

I'm going to just hold
onto your arm, Laudna,

if that's all right.

MARISHA: You feeling okay?
A little sick?

LAURA: I just, you know,
I never get used to these things.

MATT: Human, correct?

LAURA: I am a human. Yes.

MATT: Now, Marisha, if you would
like to describe yourself.

MARISHA: All right.

Oh, goodness.

Don't fuck this up.

(Mid-Atlantic accent)
You see a

also youngish-looking woman,

not as young as Imogen over here,

long, scraggly, dark hair

with a shock of white going
through the top of her bangs.

She has it pulled back
into a half-up bun

with a rock chisel holding it up.

Her skin is pale and
her eyes are big,

a little bulbous
with dilated pupils,

almost doll-like.

Her lips are dark,
and she's wearing

tattered, scraggly clothes,

a black skirt and
a blood-maroon blouse.

a black skirt and
a blood-maroon blouse.

You can see she's
very thin, gaunt,

and around her belt with
some tools and odds and ends,

is a dead rat with a bird skull.

I made him myself.

MATT: Gross.

(laughter)

Now, you've been
here in the city

for a short period of time,
a handful of weeks.

As part of this journey,
you, Imogen,

you went to the
Ascension's Rise University

seeking to see if perhaps
there was a way of

utilizing their extensive
library for research materials.

You have yourself something
you're looking into,

but the university itself
only keeps its grounds

for those who are enrolled
there or have approval.

So instead, you went over to
the Starpoint Conservatory,

also on the Aerie.

They gave you pretty
much the same answer,

but said you may submit
a formal request

and you left behind and have
heard nothing for two weeks.

Now, as you climb up higher
and higher to check in

to see if perhaps there's
been any movement

within the Conservatory,

you can watch the edge of the
Aerie grow closer and closer

as the (clunking) shifting of it

begins to clatter with some
of the slight imperfections

in the metallic cable
pulling you forward.

Some of the nearby birds

that have roosted
on the cliff side

as you get towards
the spire edge itself,

(wings fluttering)
scatter off upon approach.

MARISHA: Hmm.

LAURA: You'd think they
would get better cables

with as often as people
use these things.

MARISHA: Hmm, maybe in time.

Are you feeling pretty good

about your little essay
that you wrote?

LAURA: (laughs) No.

MARISHA: I liked it!

I thought it was pretty good.
LAURA: I hope they will

give us the time
of day this time.

Just a little nudge maybe.

MARISHA: Well, I guess
let's find out.

LAURA: I forget, is the--

MATT: (crashing)

MARISHA: Oh.

LAURA: Is the Aerie Spire

quite as crowded as
the Core Spire is?

MATT: Not by any means.

The Aerie Spire is the tallest

and technically smallest
of the spires.

It is more of a thin peak
amongst the other four,

but this is where a handful

of upper Mahaan houses,
or nobles, live,

but it's largely consumed by
these two different things.

The university,
the Ascension's Rise University

and the Starpoint Conservatory,

as well as a handful of
other guilds that use the space,

predominantly for their business.

But as you come to
rest at this point,

you can see the
massive construct

that is responsible for
winding up the cable

that allows the car to
descend upon its track

and return, finishes
its work, (crashing)

locks it over and then
goes into a stasis mode.

The side of the door
comes ajar

and you can already
see right there,

a small, dark-skinned halfling

who is wearing one of the
general, dark-greenish,

and gold-trimmed outfits

of those that run the
various cable gondolas

throughout the city.

Wordlessly just waits
for you to exit.

LAURA: Thank you.

MARISHA: Thank you.
MATT: Closes it.

MARISHA: Are you supposed
to give tips here?

Is this a tipping culture?
LAURA: I hope not

because I've never--
MARISHA: We haven't been doing that.

LAURA: No.
MARISHA: No.

It's fine.

MATT: Continuing the
familiar path

along this extremely
high portion of the city,

it is unnerving the moment
you step off of this

as you're about 15, 20 feet
from what would be a drop

for hundreds and
hundreds of feet

into the jungle floor below.

The mist actually
obscures a majority

of the jungle floor from here

and you can see just the faint
detail of the canopy below

as hundreds of birds
occasionally dot aspects

of the misty landscape
below you.

Following--
MARISHA: Just adjusting

to the heights.

LAURA: Oh, I love it once
we're off those cables.

MARISHA: Yeah.
LAURA: It's beautiful up here.

MATT: Continuing to follow
the stone pathways

you've traversed once before,

you bypass the massive

and almost gaudy
Ascension's Rise University

and make your way instead
to the multi-level courtyard

that surrounds the exterior
of the Conservatory.

Here you can see each
large platform step

get smaller and
smaller as it rises

towards the massive, double,
gold-plated doors

with the handles up front.

They sit mostly--
readily ajar

for at least two people to
walk in shoulder to shoulder.

The 25-foot wide doors
stay that way

unless it's closed
for the evening.

As you carefully step in,
passing by the gardens,

beautiful fauna and
the torch-topped pillars

that guide you into
the entryway,

you hear this gentle,
sourceless music

that just apparates
in the air around you.

Calming, if a
little unnerving

that you do not see
where it comes from.

MARISHA: Like you just
have ambient music?

MATT: Just gentle atmospheric
music as you step in.

LAURA: How do they do that?
MARISHA: It's so calming.

MATT: There, at the
front desk setup,

you see in a massive,
circular position

as it climbs up to the sides

and on each end, you can see
statues of previous tutors

that took up residence here
within the Conservatory.

You see a female halfling
looking towards you

with darker hair,
an olive complexion,

these shaded glasses

that sit at the
edge of her nose,

these green eyes that
peek from above the lenses.

You've spoken with this
individual once before,

and you recall her name to be
the Escritorae Kunthea.

Escritorae being her title.

LAURA: Escritorae--
MATT: Kunthea.

MARISHA: Kun-- Kunfia.
MATT: Kunthea.

MARISHA: Kunthea.

LAURA: Okay.
MARISHA: Geska something.

LAURA: Escritorae.
MARISHA: Eskay--

LAURA: Escritorae Kunthea.

MATT: And immediately looks up
and makes eye contact.

"Hello. Might I help you?"

LAURA: Do you remember me?

We came here a
couple of weeks ago.

MATT: "Right. Have you
not been contacted?"

LAURA: No. And I just
figured, you know,

the Windowed Wall is
such a packed-in sort of area

that maybe you got
our address wrong

and you have been
trying to contact us,

and I just wanted to
make sure you knew

that we were available
for an appointment

whenever you need it.

MATT: "Allow me to
inquire beyond the doors

"and see if there has been any
sort of adjustment or change

"in your request process."

LAURA: Thank you so much.
MATT: "Excuse me."

MARISHA: Thank you.

MATT: Steps down and
begins to make her way

out to a side chamber
and you hear the door.

(slamming)

MARISHA: Oh, she hates us.
LAURA: I can tell.

She just can't stand us.

MATT: There's nobody
within the room,

but these marble halls
are spacious.

You can hear your voice
echoing and bouncing a bit

amongst the long,
marble flooring.

At first, you think
you're being--

You feel like you're
not being watched

or attended to anybody, but--

Laudna, you do glance up
and can see

what looks to be these
two stone hawks

that sit at the top
of these pillars.

And as you look up and glance,

one of them (stone grinding)
shifts its head

and glances in your direction.

MARISHA: Hello!

LAURA: Hi.

MARISHA: Look at the bird.

LAURA: Oh!

Oh.

MARISHA: Oh.

LAURA: Is that where the
music's coming from, too?

MARISHA: Oh, it's
also a speaker.

MATT: (creaking)

The door shifts open,
and you watch

as Kunthea steps out,

carrying a small
piece of paper,

or an envelope, or some
sort of folded thing, goes,

"Ah, this was intended
to be delivered,

"but could not find
your abode, but--"

LAURA: See, I knew it.

I knew it,
it's going to say--

MARISHA: It's so complicated.

LAURA: "Miss Imogen Temult--"
That's me.

I'm just going to open
it up right now.

I hope you don't mind,

because I would love
to find out

when we finally get to come,

because, you know,
we came really far

to be able to do this.

"Miss Imogen Tamolt--"

You spelled my name wrong,
but that's all right.

"We are appreciative
for your inquiry

"regarding our
internal collection

"of tomes and
historical records.

"Unfortunately,
much effort has gone

"into the acquisition of our
library for studious purposes,

"and at this time,
the Conservatory

"cannot allow individuals

"not enrolled within
the Conservatory,

"nor granted approval by
either the Guro Cotier--"

Coterie?

MATT: "Coterie."

LAURA: "-- Coterie or the
Chandei Quorum entry to our--"

Okay, cool, fine,
yeah, that's great.

MATT: "My apologies.

"Have a good day."

LAURA: No, no, no, I actually
have one more question.

MATT: "Mm-hmm?"

LAURA: How would one
get approval

from the Guro Coterie?

MATT: "You would have to have
somebody on the Coterie

"speak on your behalf."

LAURA: Great.

How do we talk to them?

MARISHA: Do you know anybody?

Family friends.

MATT: "If you already
have your connections,

"then you can utilize them.

"If not, well, then
I cannot help you."

MARISHA: Mm.

LAURA: It's just, you know,

it's really important to us

because, you know,
it's been kind of hard

for both of us.

We've faced a lot of
adversity coming to see you.

You know, we heard
wonderful things,

and so it's really hard to
find out that, you know--

All we want to do is learn.

All we want to do is
find out some information.

MARISHA: My feet, bloody,
blistered on the bottom.

LAURA: That's not what we're--

MARISHA: From walking here.

LAURA: Yeah.
MARISHA: So far.

LAURA: We don't need to learn
about her feet, necessarily.

MARISHA: They're very gross.

LAURA: Trust me,
you don't want to see.

MATT: Make a persuasion check.

LAURA: Okay. (laughs)

MATT: (laughs)

LAURA: Persuasion.

Oh god, first roll,
first roll?

MATT: First roll
of the campaign.

LAURA: (nervous noise)

MARISHA: Don't fuck up.
LAURA: Okay, okay, okay.

MARISHA: Don't fuck it up.

LAURA: I'm going to
choose this one.

(laughs)

MATT: Yeah, let's do it.

LAURA: Okay.

That's great.

Persuasion, setting it off.

Oh, you know what?

No, that's still pretty--

12?

MATT: 12.
MARISHA: It's above average.

LAURA: It's not as bad as
it could have been.

MATT: She listens to
your pleading,

lingers a bit on the
detailed description

of your bloody feet.

MARISHA: Want to see
right now?

MATT: Before glancing
back to you.

"Your best bet, if you
do not have a connection

"to the Coterie,
would be to appeal

"to the Chandei Quorum, and
whether it be through deeds

"or goodwill, have them
speak on your behalf,

"send a letter of
recommendation."

LAURA: All right, an appeal.

MARISHA: And where do we
talk to the Chandei Quorum?

Where do we find them?

MATT: "Well, if they're
meeting on the Core Spire,

"specifically--"

Specifically,
it would be on the--

"-- the Chandei Chambers,
which are on the very top

"of the Core Spire."

MARISHA: Chandei Chambers.

LAURA: Right, yeah.

MATT: "However, they are
carefully guarded,

"and you require appointments
to speak with anybody,

"to give information.

"The Chandei Quorum
is anonymous,

"so to speak directly
is impossible, but--"

LAURA: Do you know anyone
on the Chandei Quorum?

MATT: "Nobody knows who is
on the Chandei Quorum."

MARISHA: That's what
anonymous means.

LAURA: Yeah, but I
thought maybe

it was anonymous
to the public,

but certain people
knew, you know?

MATT: "I'm certain there
are people who know,

"but I am not of
that station myself."

LAURA: Yeah.
MARISHA: Yeah.

MATT: "I'm sorry, I wish
I could be of more help."

MARISHA: How long are these

appointments usually backed up?

MATT: "I could not tell you."

MARISHA: Days, weeks?
MATT: "I have not dealt.

"Best of luck."

MARISHA: Thank you.

LAURA: Great.

Do you work here
all the time?

MATT: "I am not the
only escritorae,

"but I do handle this shift."

LAURA: Okay, thank you.

How often is the
Conservatory open?

Is it an all day, all night
sort of situation?

MATT: "Outside of members
of the Conservatory,

"and the student body,

"it is only open during
the light of the day."

LAURA: All right.

MATT: "Students have access
to it at all times."

LAURA: Great, maybe we should
just become students here.

MARISHA: Oh.

Yeah, I could go
back to school.

That would be fun.

Oh, mm.

MATT: "I have to get to
business and make some tea,

"but thank you
for your time."

LAURA: Great, thank you.

MARISHA: Hm.
LAURA: Yeah.

How do we enroll?

How do you become
a student here?

MARISHA: I don't know.

I always felt like this
was always for the fancy

and rich people
who can afford--

LAURA: This looks like
an expensive sort of place.

MARISHA: It does look
very expensive,

but I don't know, maybe
they have grants, you know,

programs we could get into.

LAURA: Yeah, yeah.

MARISHA: Financial.

LAURA: Can I just open up
my mind a little bit,

and see if I can hear

the thoughts of
Miss Kunthea?

MATT: Certainly, are you
using a spell slot,

or just your feature?

LAURA: Just opening
up my mind.

MATT: All right.

Wisdom saving throw?

LAURA: Oh, did I have to roll?

MATT: I mean, you will
when you use this, yes.

LAURA: Oh, okay, okay.

MATT: But first, as you
step just beyond the range

of your awareness,
and this capability

of creeping in and
seeding into someone's mind,

you are met with an
obstinate willpower,

and a figure that has
likely been trained,

due to their station,

to be somewhat resistant
to such prodding.

LAURA: That makes sense.

MATT: However, you do still
have to make a saving throw.

LAURA: (laughs)

MARISHA: Oh shit.

Oh no.

LAURA: Yeah, that'll
take me out.

It's plus my-- What is it?

MATT: The DC would be
10 plus the number

of people in the space.
LAURA: Yeah, no.

100% don't reach that.

MATT: Okay, while her
voice does not seem

to connect with your
extended will,

a number of other whispers
begin to cross paths.

As you exit the Conservatory,

make your way down
the Conservatory steps,

other students that walk by

and employees of
the Conservatory,

you can hear their voices all

(dissonant whispering)

creeping in,
and it's starting

to give you a headache.
MARISHA: Imogen?

MATT: It hurts a bit.
MARISHA: Imogen, wait.

Before I leave:

Kunthea, darling?

MATT: "Yes?"
MARISHA: Do you have

a pamphlet or something,

little introduction
to the school,

in case we consider enrolling?

You know, just doing a
little campus tour trip.

MATT: "No."

MARISHA: Oh.

Wait, how do you even
fucking enroll then?

How do you get
into this place?

MATT: "Do your research.

"If you just wander in
off the street

"without doing the research,

"well, that does not bode well

"for a student's inquiry,
does it?"

MARISHA: I find that
quite ironic

considering I came here
for research, so.

MATT: "Good day, miss."
MARISHA: Thank you.

Imogen!

MATT: As you head off and
step down the stairs,

you can see there's two cats

that are probably
Conservatory wild creatures

that wander about.
They both stop and turn.

(hisses)

And hiss at you
as you walk by.

MARISHA: (hisses)

MATT: (meows)

And they rush off
into the bushes.

MARISHA: Darling,
are you all right?

LAURA: No, it's fine,
it's fine, it's fine.

MARISHA: Let's get out of
here, it's getting crowded.

LAURA: Yeah.

I promised Zhudanna
I would stop by the market

and get some eggs.

She's out of eggs.

MARISHA: Right.

Let's pick up some
tea on the way, too.

LAURA: That's smart.

MATT: Okay, returning
to the wired gondola

relatively soon after
you disembarked,

you pay the ferry cost
of one silver each.

MARISHA: And those
two universities are the

only ones up here?

MATT: Correct, the
high end universities.

There are other
places of learning,

but they're not as
lauded nationwide as much.

MARISHA: Okay. Okay.

These are Ivy League.

MATT: One of them, if
Ivy League's even that great.

MARISHA: Right.

LAURA: Oh, right,
it doesn't just--

MATT: Sorry, if
you're Ivy League.

LAURA: And 10 silver
make a gold?

No, 10 silver make a--

MATT: 10 silver
make a gold,

you're correct.
LAURA: Okay.

MARISHA: (laughs)

MATT: But you ride the gondola
back down to the Core Spire,

descending as the afternoon
gets later.

You immediately step off

and enter the main
thoroughfare here,

bustling with people
of all walks of life.

You hear the heavy
footfalls of a figure

that pushes past,

hitting your shoulder
a bit, Imogen,

and you watch as a pachydan,

the massive elephant folk,
step by,

holding a large,
netted cluster

of gathered fruits and
vegetables in one arm, goes,

"Ah, I'm sorry."

LAURA: It's fine.

MATT: And continues.

MARISHA: Interlock my arm
around Imogen's.

LAURA: I mean, are we ever
going to find out anything?

Maybe we should just
leave this place

and go find another city.

MARISHA: I mean, we always
have that option.

I know.

I felt so good
about coming here,

like it was, you know,
the first--

Oh, we'd be interacting with
civilization in a while.

I had high hopes for it, but.

LAURA: We've done well here,
we really have.

MARISHA: We have, yeah.

Honestly, I anticipated
somebody running me out

of the city far sooner,

so the fact that it
hasn't happened yet.

MATT: "Misses, misses,
excuse me, so sorry."

And you turn over,
and you can see one

of the katari folk,
lion-like in appearance,

with a heavy medium-brown mane

that has been pulled back

and put over the shoulders,

and it goes to around
the mid back or so,

with a very light, tan fur
coloration in the face,

thinner for a katari,

approaches with
a colorful blouse on,

a small, hand-carried cart

with all manner of
jewelry made of nuts

and pieces of wood
that have been carved.

He goes,
"Sorry to bother you,

"but I had to say,
this would look incredible

"on either one of you

"or both of you,
if you're interested.

"You have some great sense,

"but, you know, accessorizing
is what it's all about.

"I'm just saying."

LAURA: I am just going to
hold onto my coin purse.

MARISHA: Yeah.

MATT: "Any interest?

"It's a special price
this afternoon."

It's locking eyes on you,

and starting to scoot
a little bit away.

LAURA: I think we're fine.

MATT: "You sure?

"It's special, five copper

"for this beautiful
beech nut necklace.

"Kind of clatters together.

"It looks okay."

LAURA: I think--
MATT: "Ah, ah?"

LAURA: I think we're fine,
I think we're fine.

MATT: "Very well, continue
on your way, if you'd like."

Takes it, and places it
back in his cart,

and quickly picks it up
and moves off.

"Excuse me, miss."

Just already skitters
off to the side.

It's at this point,
Laudna, you notice

there's a pair of
dwarven children

that are off the side
of this small alley

that are just staring
right at you.

(gasp)

They both get
spooked and retract,

but not completely
out of the way.

MARISHA: (chuckles)

LAURA: What do you see?

MARISHA: There's two kids,
a little spooked, it seems.

Where did they go?
Are they still looking?

MATT: They're still looking.

They feel like they hid,

but they're still peeking

around the side of the corner.

MARISHA: I'm curious, hang on.

Just going to go over.

Hello.
MATT: They both immediately

go and try and hide
further down the alley.

As you step off to the side,

you can see bits of
shattered cloth

that was part of an archway

that's been just
left to slight ruin,

down the path, and it goes
about 15 or so feet.

You can see left over
rotted bits of wood,

empty boxes that have
been placed there

for storage and forgotten.

You can see a little bit
of the stonework

in the alley has
slowly eroded over time,

and there's a
patch of mud there,

and, right around the
very, very back,

where you see where
those boxes are,

both children just (pants).

MARISHA: Are we playing
hide and seek?

MATT: They both
look terrified.

(laughter)

MARISHA: I jump out.

I found you!
MATT: (fearful shrieking)

They both scream
and run past you.

One runs through your legs.

They both scatter out
into the street.

MARISHA: I'm friendly.

LAURA: You know, I don't
think it goes over

quite as well as you
think it does, you know?

MARISHA: I love kids, though.

LAURA: Little much.
MARISHA: Don't they love--

LAURA: Laudna, no, they don't.

MARISHA: Fuck.

LAURA: They like, you know,
fun scary.

MARISHA: Fun scary.

LAURA: Yeah.
MARISHA: I am fun scary.

LAURA: Laudna,
you're scary scary.

MARISHA: I'm scary scary?

LAURA: Yeah.

MARISHA: Oh my god.
LAURA: But in a good way.

MARISHA: Thank you.

LAURA: Yeah, comes in handy.

MARISHA: I want to just
talk to the kids.

I feel like maybe they
know something.

LAURA: They know something?

What, like how
to get into the--

You know, maybe they could.

Maybe they could sneak
into the Conservatory.

MARISHA: Yeah, kids
know stuff like that,

like weird little
sewer entrances,

because they're tiny,
so they fit in small places.

LAURA: We could get into
a sewer in the Spire,

and go up through the sewer,

and come up out in the middle

of a library in
the Conservatory.

MARISHA: You know, I wonder
what those shadow creepers,

what they were doing,

and if they have any
paths up that way.

LAURA: It's a good point.

MARISHA: Children!

Children.

LAURA: I don't think
it's going to work, Laudna.

MARISHA: Do I see the kids?

MATT: Make a perception check.

(laughter)

MARISHA: Mm. (chuckles)

It's not good.

LAURA: (laughs)

MARISHA: Eight total.

LAURA: Ooh.

MATT: Those children are gone.

LAURA: They're gone.

MATT: They have scattered
to the four winds,

and likely have adopted
a new nightmare.

MARISHA: I'll find
more children.

LAURA: You can visit them
in their dreams tonight.

MATT: You can see
there's an older woman

right off next to Laudna

that hears her say
she'll find more children,

and goes--

MARISHA: Oh, fuck, let's go.

LAURA: Let's get out--

I got to get eggs.

(laughter)

MATT: As you both begin
to wander off to find

one of the larger marketplaces
here on the Core Spire,

I would like to ask

Sam and Taliesin to
come to the table, please.

LAURA: Ah!

SAM: I'm ready, I am so ready.

LAURA: Oh my god, oh my god.

MARISHA: Oh my god, it's you.

LAURA: What are you--
Oh my god.

TALIESIN: Oh boy.

LAURA: Hi.

TALIESIN: Hi.

MATT: Ashton, your eyes
flutter open.

The air, familiar,
if familiarly stale,

you slightly feel
the hint of a hangover,

but, as you rub your eyes,

and sit up, you are on
your standard sleeping cot

and sit up, you are on
your standard sleeping cot

here in the Krook House,

surrounded by the
what would be considered

destitute interior
by anyone of means,

but, to you,
it's colorful, and it's fun.

A lot of cobbled together,
half-torn tapestries,

and colorful strings of
gems and beads of no worth

that give a character to it.

The place has a very vibrant,

whatever you find at
the bottom of the gutter

and polish off feel to it,

but here, in the
Krook House, it's home.

You're not sure
what time it is.

It could be 4:00
in the morning.

It could be 4:00
in the afternoon.

No light makes
its way down here.

It's the odd nature
of being here

in the Fownsee Hollow in
the center of the Core Spire,

this empty, cylindrical
space that resides

in the central area
of the Core Spire

where many of the folk
go to disappear,

disappear intentionally,
to be away from the streets,

and find community
amongst the others

who don't want to engage
too heavily with society,

for all of its good and bad.

The inside of the Hollow

is hundreds and
hundreds of feet

of climbing ladders,
and walkways,

and rafters, and just
a mass collection

of odd pieces of bamboo,
and metal, and wood,

and cables that are
strung together

to create a network
of climbable space

to reach any of
the numerous tunnels

that exit from the
center of the Spire

out to the many streets.

People come here
to be forgotten,

or people are thrown here
to be forgotten,

but you call it home.

If you'd like to
describe yourself, Ashton.

TALIESIN: Ashton, he, they,
he/they are an earth genasi

TALIESIN: Ashton, he, they,
he/they are an earth genasi

with green stone skin,

and a dark purple crystal hair

on the shorter end of things.

They're wearing
an awful lot of leather

that looks like they've
been wearing it

for a very, very long time,

with red fabric lining it.

They've got leather pouches,

a bit of everything to keep

little bits and
pieces together,

some piercings made
mostly of nails,

and, very obviously,

a giant hole

in the left side
of their head

that has been filled
with slag glass,

and beneath the slag glass,

there's a little bit of
an opalescent brain

that can be seen through.

One of the eyes on the
cracked side is milky

like a tiger's eye gem.

The cracks run most of the
upper left side of the body,

and have been patched together

with slag melted gold

to piece everything together.

They also have, on the back

of their very
hand-decorated jacket,

the words, "JUST DON'T"

(laughter)

And a big glass hammer
that they carry around

that very, very gently,

just around the base of it,

says, "FUCK OFF"

(laughter)

So that's Ashton.

MATT: As you stir for
a moment and sit up,

get your bearings,
a familiar voice goes,

"So when are you
going to wake up?

"You're being lazy."

As you hear Milo from
around the corner.

TALIESIN: Fuck off,
what time is it?

MATT: "It's afternoon."

TALIESIN: Fuck.

MATT: "That's right."

TALIESIN: Okay.

(groans)

MATT: It's at this point,
you begin to take in the smell

of some sort of cooking meat

that's filled the room a bit,

and as you push past the
hanging lantern to your left

in a makeshift cloth bed

in a makeshift cloth bed

that dangles between
two portions of the room,

you can see, on the
work shelf to one side,

and the metal,
iron skillet placed

upon a little, heated device
that Milo has created,

you see Milo.

Now, Milo, to
bring this over here.

TALIESIN: Sorry.

MATT: No, no, it's all good.

I'm trying to make sure
I've got everything.

Sees a nonbinary human,
early 20s,

has fawny beige skin,

large glasses,
and a knitted cap,

and they're in the process

of cooking up some food,
and says,

"Soon as you're ready,
there'll be food.

"It's almost done."

TALIESIN: Oh, that's
fucking brilliant.

Ah, shit.

MATT: Scrapes it off onto
a piece of sheet metal,

puts a couple small bolts off,

and places them back in
a shelf that they keep.

TALIESIN: Could've used that,
but that's okay.

Have you seen

Fresh Cut Grass around?

MATT: You motherfucker.

(laughter)

"Hey, Letters."

LAURA: Letters.

MATT: As you are
just milling about,

taking in the space, impatient
for anything to happen,

but not quite ready to
do anything on your own,

you hear Milo shout out,

and the rousing sounds of
Ashton around the corner.

If you would like
to describe yourself.

SAM: Sure!

Wheeling into the room

is a short automaton

with yellow, metallic skin,

a cute little backpack.

He/they has two big, blue eyes

of different shapes.

He's got a wheel that
he rolls around on.

On his chest plate
are four stripes

that sort of look like
blades of grass

down his chest plate, and--

Yeah, he's a robit.

(laughter)

As he wheels into the room.

(broad southern accent) Well,
smiley day there, Ashton.

How you doing?

How was your stasis?

I've been sort of
waiting here on standby,

waiting for your designation.

Are you almost ready to go?

TALIESIN: The stasis was short.

(laughter)

Protein is incoming,
protein is incoming, right?

MATT: "Protein is ready."
TALIESIN: Fuck.

MATT: As they hand it
over to you.

SAM: Short?

I mean, you had to be out
for at least 11 hours.

Do you need more than that?

TALIESIN: Oh, I could've
done with 14, 15 easily.

SAM: Wow, wow.

MATT: "Are you hungry
as well?"

SAM: Oh, I had
some bolts already.

I'm good to go.

Thank you, though, Milo,

and thank you for patching up
my whole thing over here.

I appreciate it.

MATT: "Trust me, my honor.

"As a person who
dabbles in automation

"on a lower arcane level,
it's not every day

"you get the option to work

"with something quite as...

"deep as you, I'd say."

SAM: Well, I'm very pleased

that working on me
gave you value.

(laughter)

MATT: "Anyway, I'm going to
get back to my work.

"Doing anything today?

"You just lounging
around again?"

TALIESIN: No, I thought
I'd head up,

maybe show Fresh Cut Grass
around a little bit,

see something, unless
you've got something

that needs to be
picked up, any work.

I could certainly
use the work,

if you have the work.

MATT: "Not anything that
really hits your specialty.

"I've been doing
some minor repairs

around the Windowed Wall
for a bit."

TALIESIN: Okay,
because I'm bored,

so I'll do some
stupid shit right now.

MATT: "Honestly, we could
use a little bit

"of excitement around here,
so stupid shit away."

TALIESIN: Ah.

SAM: We're doing stupid shit?

TALIESIN: I figure that's the
best way to spend a day,

or what's left of it.

SAM: Feels like we've been
doing a lot of stupid shit

since we got here, but--

TALIESIN: Ah, you're
catching on,

that's good.
SAM: All right.

TALIESIN: That's good,
you're sharp.

SAM: So, I guess, after you
finish up breakfast,

and maybe tidy up yourself.

TALIESIN: (laughs)

SAM: Nope, all right,
we'll just go then.

TALIESIN: Let's go see
what's happening upstairs.

(groans)

MATT: All right, so as you
climb this multi-leveled,

truncated hovel that
has odd stairs

and ladders that lead you up

to the area where it exits out
onto the side of the wall

of the center of the Hollow,

you pass by Anni.

This is Annni Aughta.

You see the half-elf, half-orc

young performer, looks to be
in her early 20s,

sitting down with this,

for as rough as
her clothing is,

this really
nice-looking lute

that you're uncertain if she
saved up for it, necessarily,

or got it off the
back of somebody's cart.

Who knows?

But is sitting there
in the process

of just quietly practicing,

and as you begin
to approach, goes,

"Glad you both finally decided
to do something today."

TALIESIN: Oh, fuck off.

MATT: "You fuck off."

TALIESIN: Please tell me you have
something that needs lifting.

Ah, please, do you have a show,

do you need something carried?

I just want a little cash.

MATT: "Nope, sorry."

TALIESIN: Fuck.
MATT: "I'm practicing

"for an audition because
I want to actually maybe

"get a spot in the Dreamscape
Theater, for Stuvan,

"and that would actually,
I don't know,

"earn us a little money
in this household,

"so you go do whatever it is--"

SAM: The Dreamscape Theater,
did you say?

MATT: "Stuvan's Dreamscape
Theater."

SAM: What's that? What's that?

What's that?

MATT: "It's a
performance auditorium.

"It's where people of all
sort of believed skill sets go

"and try and wow the crowd."

SAM: I mean, that
sounds amazing.

And you're hopeful
to perform there?

MATT: "It's amazing, depending
on what you consider art.

"Some of the music I've heard
there is pretty bad."

TALIESIN: It's pretty iffy.

SAM: Maybe you can
raise the bar.

MATT: "Well, that's the hope."

TALIESIN: Do you actually have
to perform for Stuvan, or no?

MATT: "I actually don't have
an audition yet,

"but I'm practicing for
when I get one."

TALIESIN: Oh, heaven
help you, god.

SAM: Well, I guess
just out there--

unless you need us
to go find out

when auditions are
being held or anything?

MATT: "What do you
want from me?"

(quiet laughter)

TALIESIN: They're
very friendly.

I don't know how to turn it
off and stop that part.

MATT: "I hate it."

TALIESIN: I keep being told
it's going to grow on me.

SAM: Hi.

(laughter)

MATT: "If you hear anything,
just let me know.

"I'm just going to stay here
and practice."

TALIESIN: Well, look forward
to the new show regardless.

Keep it up.

MATT: "Hey, I'll let you know

"if I can pull myself together

"for some sort of a
performance any time soon."

TALIESIN: I believe in you.

SAM: I believe in you as well.

MATT: "That makes it worse."
TALIESIN: They're not joking.

SAM: I know we just met,

but I definitely
believe in you.

MATT: "Get out."

SAM: All right, fuck off!

MATT: "Please, yes."
TALIESIN: Good morning!

MATT: "Ugh."

And begins tuning and
adjusting a bit.

Stepping out into
the Hollow,

you immediately see
this large,

cylindrical space
that climbs up

at a mostly vertical way,

and descends for another
100 or so feet.

It looks extremely dangerous,

if not for the hundreds of
various cables

and ropes that are carved
from wall to wall,

and attached to pitons and
other anchor points

so everyone can
pull their way up

and climb these endless
pieces of scaffolding

and ladders that just
make their way

all around this center space.

You can see entranceways,
and doors,

and tunnels to all little
homes, and cavern nooks

where people have essentially
set up and squatted.

There isn't a lot of oversight
to the Hollow, necessarily,

so it's great for those who
want to be off the grid a bit.

So leading your way through.

TALIESIN: Well, I figure
we've seen a lot

of the underground
of the Core Spire.

Why don't we
take you upstairs

and actually see some sky
for a change?

SAM: Aw, I mean,
that sounds lovely.

We don't have a job yet, though.

TALIESIN: I mean, not yet, no.

SAM: All right.
TALIESIN: I'm working on it.

You can work on it, too.

SAM: Sure, I'll ask around,
see what I can--

TALIESIN: Actually,
that might be better.

I've figured out who
I'm already working for

in this town.
I think getting new clients

is not my specialty.

SAM: Oh, well, don't
sell yourself short.

I'm sure you've got--

You know, you present
yourself as sort of rough

around the edges,
and you know,

brusque a little bit.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

SAM: But I feel like there's
a heart of gold down there.

I just need to stick
on my miner's cap,

and get a pickaxe, and
dig real deep, you know?

TALIESIN: It's been so fun
having you around

for the last few weeks.

I've really enjoyed it.

SAM: I appreciate that,
although it does sound

like there's a "but" or
an end of that coming, but.

TALIESIN: Maybe there is.

You know, I'm not entirely
sure anymore.

Anyway, let's--

SAM: Topside we go.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

MATT: All righty.

Climbing up a number of stories

to one of the various tunnels
that exits the hollow

and makes its way towards
one of the main streets

of this region of the Core Spire,

you eventually emerge.

This would be on the edge

of what's called
the Prism Emporium,

which is one of the general
wares repositories and shops

in this region.

And at this point,
it's mid-afternoon,

a nice, warm day with
the sun pouring through.

And it's a beautiful view

as you step into the
main road, Fresh Cut Grass.

As you glance by, you can
see a flock of birds

going through the gentle clouds

and hear the sounds of people

taking care of their business

throughout the surrounding,
bustling thoroughfare.

(splashing)

Somebody dumps a piss bucket
outside of their door

and just coats you.

SAM: Ah!

MATT: "Sorry."

TALIESIN: Fuck off!

SAM: Sorry I was in your way.
I apologize.

MARISHA: (giggles)

TALIESIN: Man, we got to
work on that.

Fucker! (grunts)

LAURA and MARISHA: (laugh)
LIAM and ASHLEY: (laugh)

TALIESIN: (sighs)

SAM: It's really
no skin off my teeth.

I don't have skin or teeth,

so it's really fine.

(laughter)

TALIESIN: Oh. All right.

Let's take a little stroll.

See a few sights.

Have I taken you to
Spire by Fire yet?

SAM: No, but it rhymes,
so I'm in.

TALIESIN: I knew you would.
(laughter)

TALIESIN: Let's head to
Spire by Fire.

Let's see if we can
rustle up a little work.

I'll give you a tour.

It's pretty nice.
MATT: Okay.

It's, I'd say, about a
20, 25-minute journey

from where you currently
are to Spire by Fire.

The city streets of
each of the main spires

is a gradual spiral
that heads upward

with various stairways
that wind to shortcut

between the different levels

as well as pulley-vators

that are pulled up
by chain cable,

and if you have the money
to spend occasionally,

a few other more expensive
means of jumping between.

You can hire simurghs
to go ahead and ride on

if you know where to go
to one of their spaces.

The simurghs which are
these a deep red,

crimson-looking, massive,
hawk-type birds

with heads of a
wolf-dog-like creature,

native to the wilds here and
are considered dangerous

if spooked out in the wild,

but there are simurgh riders
here that are trained

as part of the Wilders.

Wilders, the colloquial
name for the Wardens,

the guards of the city that
work for the Chandei Quorum.

So you see them keeping
an eye up above

and are considered
the law enforcement

to whatever your perception
of that may be,

and/or the Quorum itself.

But occasionally there
are some that are trained

and their trainers utilize
them to ferry people

from spire to spire
and level to level,

but on foot, eventually
you make your way

to the Spire by Fire Inn.

What you see before you is a
monstrous, six-story tavern

that looks like
a labyrinth built

into the edge of the rock
of the spire itself.

You can see it's climbing up
like a makeshift stronghold

more than an inn, though there
are a number of balconies

that emerge from it.

And if it were
free-standing on its own,

it would look like a
mess and probably crumble,

but because it's
built into the rock,

they got to be very creative
with its layout.

There are all manner
of torches that burn

throughout the day
and night here

and give it a warm,
welcoming glow

at all points of the day.

You can see there is a very
unique mix of clientele here.

There are people from
all different walks of life

and colorful, wealthy outfits

with fine silks
and accessories.

There are some more ragtag,
rough-and-tumble folks

that come in here
for the drinks.

It is a mixing pot here

in the center of the
Core Spire within Jrusar,

and immediately it
just draws your intrigue

as to what adventure
might be found in this space.

SAM: You want me to do
the talking or you, Ashton?

TALIESIN: Well, let's take
a look around.

Let's see what's here.

I value your input.

I'm going to see
if I know anybody.

I think between
the two of us,

we can probably
wrangle something.

SAM: Sounds good to me.
TALIESIN: Yeah.

SAM: All right.
Let's roll on in.

MATT: All right.
SAM: Or walk.

TALIESIN: We can do both.

MATT: Stepping inside,
immediately to the right,

you see there's a table
where three figures

are in the process of
playing a card game.

You can see an orc with
very intense, greasy hair

You can see an orc with
very intense, greasy hair

that almost gives a
frond-like look to it

with a nice, billowed sleeve.

Dressed like a nice shirt

who is currently holding
a hand at their front.

You see a gnome, older,

wrapped in scarves and
bundled up a bit

with an upturned nose

that probably was adorable
in their younger years,

but they've been going on
for a bit and now it just--

Well, it's adorable in
a different way, I'll say.

And you see a massive pachydan
who is at the table,

big, long, draping ears
that go past the tail,

a trunk that is curled around

and up against the chest,

tusks that are adorned
and carved with designs,

and you can see them
holding their cards

in their tiny, little hands,
keeping the watch

as they lean deep down

to get close to the rest of
the people at the table.

You know this individual
to be Towering Kalliyan

who is loosely the bouncer
of the establishment.

And as you walk in,
Kalliyan just goes,

"Ashton."

TALIESIN: Kalliyan.

Is Ishir here, or--?

MATT: "Right over there,
if you're looking,"

and points over to the
front and you can see...

Well, not at the front
at the moment.

There are no patrons at
the central barkeep table

but beyond the door,
you can see

there is a chair in the
corner and beyond that,

you can see a male
katari of lion descent,

orange-brown fur and
a dark, dark black mane

that is braided tightly

and goes past the
back shoulders.

More of a tank top
than a tunic or shirt.

More of a tank top
than a tunic or shirt.

Well-built and seems to
be eager to show it off,

but is arranging and
organizing things back there.

Doesn't seem to
notice your presence yet.

TALIESIN: I'm going to
walk out,

and take out a couple silver,

and slide it down the bar.

And I'm just going to keep
sliding it down the bar,

making as much noise as I can.

MATT: As soon as the coin
hits the wood

and the textures begin to
scrape a bit,

you can see one of the
ears turn off to the side

and Ishir goes,

"Hey! (laughs)

"Sorry, I, you know,
was running a business,

"but I heard your coin
on the table.

"What can I do for ya?"

TALIESIN: Something
for breakfast.

Whatever breakfast beer
you have would be great.

MATT: "Breakfast beer."
TALIESIN: And also,

just to put into your mind,

imagine how much drunker
I would be right now

if you knew a way for
me to earn some money.

MATT: "Ah, ah.

"Okay, okay.

"Well, for a breakfast beer--

"Is this your protector?

"You're one of those
arcane guardians

"or whatever they're called?

"I've seen a couple of
them come through here,

"but this one's quite small.

"You might want to
get your money back."

TALIESIN: They're complicated.

This is Fresh Cut Grass,
please.

SAM: Smiley day to you.

It's a lovely establishment
you got here.

Is this owner-operated,
or is this your place?

MATT: "It is. Yeah."

TALIESIN: Be careful what
you say, they're very vicious.

SAM: Fantastic.
TALIESIN: They'll fuck you up.

SAM: The ambiance is
really nice.

The clientele looks varied,

and I'm impressed that you're
so busy mid-day like this.

MATT: "Well, thank you!"
SAM: Yeah!

MATT: "I thank you!

"No one seems to
appreciate the hard work

"I've put into this place
for the past 10 years,

"and it's nice to get
a little acknowledgement

"from a stranger."

SAM: That's right.
MATT: "Yeah. Yeah.

"Would you like a
breakfast beer as well?"

SAM: I would not.
I can't drink it.

MATT: "Oh, right."
(laughter)

MATT: "Should have...
Sorry.

"I'll say a
Hartmore Brisket Beer.

"I can get it for you.

"I'll get one for
myself as well."

TALIESIN: What a good idea.
MATT: He goes ahead and

fills up two and
hands it over to you.

Begins to drink a bit.

TALIESIN: And down.

MATT: "So what, what's,
what's your deal?

"But what is-- What's your--
What's your deal?

"This is fascinating."

And he grins with
the sharpened teeth

of the heavy canines
appearing.

A bright smile, but
you can definitely see

there could be viciousness.
SAM: My deal?

I'm here to assist

and be helpful to Ashton

in all of their
journeys and travels

at the moment.

MATT: "All right. All right.

"Well, you good at
lifting, arranging?"

SAM: Lifting?

I mean, I can lift
something. Yeah.

Are we--
TALIESIN: Less of a lifter

and more of a thinker,
and a bit of a doer.

MATT: "Okay."

TALIESIN: And, honestly, just
lightens the place up, so.

MATT: "Ledger work."

SAM: Ledger work?

MATT: "How fast can you
do my taxes?"

SAM: I've not done taxes yet.

I do more things like

when people are injured,
I make them less injured,

that sort of thing.

MATT: "Oh, well stick around
'til past sunset tonight,

"there'll be plenty of
injured people probably."

SAM: Oh yeah?

I'm also keen to meet
people who, well,

have a lack in their life and
try to figure out what it is

and see if I can
help them fill it.

MATT: "Okay.
Now it got weird."

SAM: Oh, sorry.

MATT: "No, no. It's..."

SAM: I just feel like there's

a lot of broken people
out there

and I can do a lot to
help them, that's all.

MATT: "You're going to
be real busy, friend.

"Let me just tell ya."

SAM: Can't wait!

MATT: "Right, right. (laughs)

"Sure you don't want a beer?"

SAM: Oh, no.
I definitely don't.

MATT: "All right.
Fair enough."

(chuckles)

TALIESIN: If you have
some scrap iron

or any chunks of metal
back there, though.

Anything particular
you'd be looking for?

SAM: Any alloy.

Anything really.
MATT: "Oh, you're serious."

TALIESIN: No, I'm
dead-fucking serious.

MATT: Goes ahead and takes the
silver that you brought over

and changes it out to
a couple of copper pieces

and slides them over.

SAM: Copper pieces?

Ooh, this is a conundrum.

I want to eat those.

MATT: "Yeah?"

SAM: But Ashton really
likes money. So--

TALIESIN: Copper's not
really money.

SAM: Really?

TALIESIN: Copper's more
of an insult.

You can totally eat that.

SAM: All right.
(laughter)

SAM: You sure? I feel
weird about this.

TALIESIN: Yeah, no, no. Do it.

SAM: Do you want to turn away?
TALIESIN: No, I'm good.

SAM: You're real weird
around money.

You love it so much.

TALIESIN: I also really love
watching you eat, though.

You know this.
SAM: All right.

MATT: Ishir is just completely
enthralled and watching.

SAM: I'll put both the coins
into my mouth and just.

(chomping)

TALIESIN: Okay, I will admit,

that does hurt a little.
MATT: "That is amazing!

"(laughs)

"That's amazing."
TALIESIN: Yep. Never gets old.

SAM: (smacks lips)

I can't taste.

MATT: "Tell you what."
(laughter)

(laughter)

MATT: "Tell you what, you want
to come by about once a week,

"twice a week or so
for the nights

"and you want to
do that for money,

"you'll entertain the
different patrons around here.

"You can make a little cash."

SAM: It means nothing
to me, but sure.

If Ashton wants
some cash, sure.

TALIESIN: I'll also say,
it'll keep you put together.

I know that we--

I have a funny feeling
we're going to need to

patch you up every
now and then.

SAM: Am I going to be a
regular at a tavern?

TALIESIN: If you like.
SAM: Oh!

Will they do that
thing when I roll in

and where they all go,
"Fresh Cut Grass!"

And everyone's just
happy to see me?

MATT: "Keep this up,
most likely. (chuckles)"

TALIESIN: Quite possibly.

We might even get
into a bar fight.

SAM: (gasps)

TALIESIN: I knew that
would excite you.

SAM: This is amazing.

TALIESIN: Yeah, it's
good times.

MATT: "Work for you?

"Your skillset, not quite,

"but I'll keep an ear out."

TALIESIN: Please, please,
please, please, please.

MATT: "Well, in the meantime,
finish your breakfast."

SAM: Are you sure you don't
have anything for Ashton?

He, they would really
appreciate it.

MATT: "I think, honestly,

"between Emir and
Kalliyan, we got

"all the physical stuff
taken care of at the moment.

"You can try back
in a week maybe."

TALIESIN: And if you hear
anybody needs anything around,

you know how it is.

MATT: "I know.
I'll keep up on that."

TALIESIN: Not feeling very
particular right now either.

MATT: "Good to know.
Open options."

TALIESIN: Very open.

MATT: "We've only got
a couple hours

"before the mainstays
start coming through here.

"So either stick around
and be ready,

"or be scarce to leave open
tables for paying customers

"if you don't mind."

TALIESIN: There's a
few people who

probably won't be that
happy to see me anyway, so.

MATT: "Okay, well, stay
for now. Finish your beer.

"And a pleasure to meet you,
Fresh Cut Grass."

SAM: Fresh Cut Grass.

MATT: "Hmm.

"Bring him around more often."

TALIESIN: Yeah. Yeah.

They're sticking around.

MATT: (metal tinging)

Flicks you in the head
for a minute.

SAM: Yep, that's me.

MATT: "Fascinating."

MARISHA: Rude.

TALIESIN: Definitely a little
rude, but I'm drinking, so.

(laughter)

MATT: Meanwhile...
TALIESIN: Hmm.

LAURA: Oh, oh, oh.
SAM: Okay.

MATT: If I could please have--

LAURA: (gasps) Ooh, ooh!
SAM: Oh!

MATT: Liam, Ashley,

and Robbie come to the table.

(yelling)
MARISHA: Oh shit!

SAM: Travis changed
his name to Robbie.

MARISHA: Oh shit!

(cheering)
(applauding)

SAM: Who is this, now?

ASHLEY and LIAM: Woo!

ROBBIE: Matt, you lied.
This isn't your basement.

(laughter)

MATT: Basement, schmasement.
It all works out fine.

TALIESIN: (laughs)

MATT: So now.

The three of you

have been sent on a trek

specifically tied
to the Air Ashari

when a call was made to you

after returning to Byroden

with the rest of
your found friends.

You were given a task by the
Voice of the Tempest, Keyleth.

And as part of this journey--
SAM: Wait, what?

MATT: -- you were told to bring
two friends along the way.

These two could be
helpful in this.

Opal had to stay behind,

still figuring out
where she stood

both with her sister
and the newfound

vestige that lies
upon her head.

And Dariax wanted to keep an
eye and be there to support

and help her figure out what
the next step was to be

while the two of
you were asked

to attend Orym's
side for this.

With that,

Keyleth transitioned
to you via tree to Emon

to bypass the challenging mess

you had left behind in

some of the streets of Emon.
ASHLEY: What on earth do you mean?

MATT: (chuckles)

And enough money to afford
yourselves a skyship

across the Ozmit Sea.
TALIESIN: (whistles)

SAM: Like, that they own
or rented?

MATT: No. A one-way passage
on the skyship.

(laughter)

ASHLEY: It's mine.

(laughter)

MATT: Now, as you come
towards the end

of this multi-day journey,

the three of you glance past
the edge of the skyship,

holding onto the far railing

as the clouds and mist
begin to dissipate

beyond the front of the ship.

Once you look past the bow,
you can see,

beginning to emerge from
the clouds and mist below,

the five different heights
of the rocky spires

that mark Jrusar.

ASHLEY: Oh.

This is lovely.

They're so pointy?

Are they pointy?

MATT: One of them is.

ASHLEY: One of them
is so pointy.

(laughter)

MATT: Now, for those who

have not watched
Exandria Unlimited,

Ashley, would you mind--?

Asshole.

Do you mind describing Fearne?

ASHLEY: Yes.

Fearne is about a
six-foot-tall faun.

Very, very long,
seafoam-green hair.

And is covered in
all bits and baubles

and lots of flowers
and toadstools

and moss on her hooves.

And she has a
little friend, Mister,

and he's little monkey.

That's all.

(laughter)

SAM: Are you drunk right now?

Or is this it?
ASHLEY: Always.

SAM: Oh, okay!

(laughter)

MATT: Glancing over the side

and spilling your
excitement out, to Orym,

if you wouldn't mind
describing yourself.

LIAM: Sure.

Orym is a halfling.

He's three foot and change.

Shock of short brown hair,

and he's wearing a little bit
of brown leather armor,

mostly a breastplate,

And these leather boots

that have round, green,
stone rings

that are laced into the
shin guard of each one.

He has a shortsword sheathed
on his back,

an ivy-adorned shield
on one hand

and the armor and

the very well-worn sashes

that are tied around his waist
and hanging down

have woven patterns of ivy
and flower on them

and they're beautiful,
but they're not fancy.

They're just well-made
and well-worn.

And he has a full-sleeve

tattoo going up his arm

that is all clouds

from the wrist all the way up
onto his shoulder,

and then disappearing under
his armor onto his chest.

And the two moons of Exandria
are right here.

Catha is a white crescent

and Ruidus is a smaller,
full moon cradled within.

And he has very fine features.

He has really ropey muscles
and slender,

like a dancer.

MATT: Okay.

Glancing past the edge

of this wonderful vista
before you,

as the city grows closer.

This is the first journey
any of you have taken

in a skyship, but it's
certainly not the first time

that you've been here, Dorian.

This is an odd,
if conflicted, return

to a continent where you
began your journey

a long time ago.

If you wouldn't mind
describing Dorian.

ROBBIE: Sure.

Dorian is, for all
intents and purposes,

a normal bard.

He's dressed in
traveler's clothes.

But if you were to
first glance at him,

what you would notice

is how uncharacteristically
clean he is.

No mud on his boots.

He has a large,
winged armor plate

that you can't really tell
if it's ornamental

or functional

and there's not a
fingerprint on it.

It's perfectly shined.

And he's wearing a long cape

that has a sunburst ombre
that goes down the back.

He's an air genasi, so
he moves with a lightness

and you might first mistake
it for confidence,

but it just seems like
it's part of who he is

and not so much what
he wants to project.

And he has long, black hair

that goes down into
a white ombre

and he's got a top-knot
man-bun here,

also very pristine.

And yeah, as he
looks out over things,

he feels comfortable
in the sky,

but this is a wild experience.

Yeah. And he's
enjoying it a lot.

MATT: Slowly, the
skyship begins

to grow closer and
closer to dock

between the five
spires of Jrusar

heading towards
the Aerie Spire,

whereupon you can see
from this distance,

these massive structures,
these clusters of towers

that draw high and thin.

You can see mass halls made
of marble with open windows

and crystalline art pieces

that are these murals that
the sunlight catches

and creates a prismatic-like
refraction

across the concrete ground
on the exterior.

What you do also see are
the two other skyships

that are docked on one
large, protruding skyport.

You can see they have
different designs

than the one you're on based
on where they were built,

whatever union or guild
or individual

had conscripted or ordered
their construction.

While they're all a similar
layout for the most part,

each seems to have a
little bit of flair

from wherever its home may be.

And you watch as one
initiates its takeoff

heading more in a
northeastern direction,

and one that is currently
locked in at the dock

as you get closer and
closer and closer.

Some of the other people who
were staying on this trip

and mostly kept to themselves,

you can see gathering
their belongings

and preparing to disembark
upon arrival.

You have about a minute

before you touch down
at the skyport.

LIAM: This is easily one of
the most beautiful things

I have ever seen.

ASHLEY: I agree.

ROBBIE: How do you
suppose it stops?

I think I've understood
how we've been going,

but how does it stop?

It looks like we're
going too fast.

Does it feel too fast?

ASHLEY: I think we crash.

ROBBIE: What?
(laughter)

LIAM: I'm sure they've
got it worked out.

ROBBIE: All right.

Beautiful, beautiful.
Very beautiful. (throat clear)

LIAM: Look at that city.
It looks huge.

MATT: You watch as
the two prominent,

blue, rounded stones,

about 10 to 12 feet in diameter

that are affixed to
the front of the ship,

referred to as brumestone,

which has a natural
arcane ability

to remain aloft in
spite of gravity

and that maintains
a skyship's movement

begin to glow brighter,
and as they do,

the ship begins to come to
a slower and slower speed

until eventually it descends
rather suddenly

and everyone gets that sudden
drop in their stomach

because the butterflies
creep in

until you feel a
(heavy impact).

It impacts on
some sort of dock

and you can already
hear chains (clinking)

being pulled down.

From below, a few shouts.

People shouting in
Marquesian phrases.

"Over here!" "Quick!"

"All right,
we got it locked down."

You guys, who do not
speak Marquesian,

just hear shouting.

LIAM: I give Dorian a little
soft fist on the hip

and say: See, we're fine.

ROBBIE: Thank you.
LIAM: Everything's fine.

ROBBIE: You'd think I'd be
better at this, wouldn't you?

(clapping)

MARISHA: Clapping
for the pilot?

(laughter)

MATT: Two of the other
people watch and clap,

not wanting to
feel left out,

and they gather
their belongings.

You can see there's
an iron gate

at the edge of
the skyship edge.

And now as it begins
to open up,

you can see all the people
walking towards it,

and there is a staircase
that has been affixed to it

that leads them down
one by one

as you gather your things and
exit the skyship yourselves.

LIAM: Okay.

ASHLEY: Shall we?

LIAM: Yeah. Let's get a
feel for this place.

Don't need to rush
into things.

ROBBIE: All right.

MATT: "Thank you all
for traveling.

"Welcome to Jrusar.
I am the Port Captain Tang.

"Thank you for flying."

And you look over--

(laughter)

You glance over,

and off to the side,
there is a heavy station

in the center of the skyport,

which has multiple
outcroppings.

It looks like it could hold

at any given point
in time simultaneously,

up to eight different
skyships comfortably.

And in the center of it,
there is a small tower

and you see there with

a vocal extension horn--

a cone, if you will--

shouting out,
a humanoid bird kinfolk.

Which you know is referred
to as an eisfuura

and you could see
this beautiful

ivory feathers that
eventually transition

into a dark brown
at some points,

and then over the shoulders,

it's like a heavy
brown coloration,

but is wearing
a uniform and a hat

and seems to be very excited
and proud of their position.

With that, you exit

following the rest of the
folks that are disembarking

and make your way down into
a central street here

within the Aerie Spire.

LIAM: Just dive into
the current of it

and see what we see,

learn by walking.

ASHLEY: Okay.

LIAM: Just like the last
few months, huh?

ASHLEY: Yeah. One foot in
front of the other

and you move forward.

ROBBIE: That's exactly
how you walk.

ASHLEY: Yeah.
MARISHA: (laughs)

LIAM: Let's hoof it.

ASHLEY: Let's hoof it.

MATT: Continuing on, you watch

as part of the crowd
splinter off.

Some of them ahead towards
some of those larger,

tower-based structures
that you saw.

A small crew of them
begin to progress

to what looks to be a--

some sort of a
two-story structure where

a large, heavy tower that
has a metal ball at the top

and a cable that
descends out of view.

You know this to be one of
the various wire gondolas

that connect elements
of the city,

and as folks go up and begin
to pay an individual

that lets them onto
one of these gondolas

that is ready to make
its way downward,

he looks over you all
expectantly with his hand out.

ASHLEY: I give him a--

(laughter)
ASHLEY: -- a slap.

MATT: "Thank you.

"Are you taking passage?"

ASHLEY: Oh. Are we taking
passage on this thing?

LIAM: Yes, we are. How much?

I start pulling out
a change purse.

MATT: "One silver per."

LIAM: I got it,
I got it, I got it.

ASHLEY: Are you sure?
LIAM: Sure.

ASHLEY: Okay.

LIAM: This is on top of the
low five she gave you.

MATT: "Thank you."

Goes ahead and opens
the door, lets you in.

And it's now the three of you

and one other large pachydan,

like a priest figure.

Looks younger, you know,
massive, elephant folk

who is wearing this roomy,

almost cream-colored robes

and sleeves that drag
past the arms.

It looks like they have
a long earring chain

that dangles down
to the mid chest

and you can see them
clutching it

with one of their
hands and rubbing it

like it has some sort of
personal meaning.

And this individual you saw
briefly get onto the skyship

as you originally took off

and then was unseen
until you arrived.

They fiddle nervously
as the doors close

and it jerks for a second,
(chains clanking)

and you feel the
gondola descending.

And while the interior
is largely closed off,

there are a few windows
and there is an element

as you can't help yourself
but peek through

where you are looking down
hundreds and hundreds of feet

to just the faintest texture

of a mist-covered
jungle below.

ASHLEY: Oh my.
ROBBIE: For some reason,

this doesn't bother me

like the ship did.
ASHLEY: Really?

ROBBIE: Yeah, I'm all right
with this.

Yeah, I think it's the wire.

It feels like we're connected,
we're safe.

ASHLEY: We're real safe,
just on a string.

ROBBIE: Yeah, big,
safe string.

ASHLEY: It's much more safe.
LIAM: When we were on the ship

it didn't have
that sway to it.

ASHLEY: Oh, it made me
so sleepy.

It was very relaxing just
being on the ship,

just the light sway, you know?

MATT: Suddenly it lurches
midway down the cable

and comes to a stop and sways.

LIAM: Is this normal?

ROBBIE: What's the weight
limit on this thing?

And I nudge the guy
next to us.

MATT: The pachydan,
"I'm sorry. Excuse me."

ROBBIE: Just a joke, joke.

MATT: (laughs)
ROBBIE: (laughs nervously)

LIAM: How were your travels?

MATT: "Nervous."

(metal clanking)
It continues again.

And you see the pachydan
(gagging).

LIAM: Did you get the
tummy flutters?

MATT: "Every time."
LIAM: Yeah?

MATT: "I'll never get
used to it."

And glances back out
past the window.

Now you can see you're
heading now

towards the central spire
of this city.

Of these five that are
there, the middle one

is not the tallest, but it is
definitely the largest

and along the spirals here,

you can see all smattering
of neighborhoods,

like this massive
dream-like quilt

of colors and structures.

You can see one region looks
like a neighborhood

that is encompassing
and swallowing

almost an entire fifth of
the side of this spire.

And it looks like all these
almost vertical buildings

that are locked
onto each other

and are connected by these
tiny little ladders

and pathways and walkways.

And it's incredible.

Beyond that, you see
a smaller spire

to the northwestern side of it

that is a little smaller
than the others

though almost as tall
as the Core Spire

where there are what looks
almost like factories.

More industrial
landscape there

and about a half dozen
or more plumes of smoke

that rise from different
exhaust ports or holes

within the rock itself.

And it changes the
colors of the mist

that gather around
that particular region.

LIAM: I squeeze in between

Fearne and Dorian and look out.

Boy,

a city this big,

all we got to do
is find one man.

Easy.

ASHLEY: Yeah, that sounds
very simple.

LIAM: Not today, though.

ROBBIE: We should
take one night

to get rid of the
jet lag, right?

LIAM: Yeah, don't want
to walk into trouble.

ROBBIE: Well, hold
onto your purse.

I spent a night
here, just one.

I stayed at a hostel,
and woke up

and my purse strings were cut.

So just be on your guard.

ASHLEY: Okay.

I'm going to step over to
the one with the earring.

Is he still on the?
MATT: Pachydan?

Yeah, and he's edging
his way towards the door

that'll open the exit
as it's just come to rest

at the bottom of
the Core Spire exit.

ASHLEY: I really like
your earring.

MATT: "Oh, thank you
very much."

ASHLEY: I reach out and
I just touch it.

MATT: He does a flinch,
but he allows it. (chuckles)

"It's a symbol of
the Allhammer."

ASHLEY: One more time?

MATT: "It's a symbol
of the Allhammer."

ASHLEY: The Allhammer?

(laughter)

MATT: "A great deity of
skilled crafting."

ASHLEY: Oh.

How interesting.

(laughter)

MATT: The brief glimpse
of a smile

that had curled to
his lips begins to fade

and he just starts
fiddling with it again

and turns back to
the door as it opens

and then just steps out
and immediately--

ASHLEY: As he starts
to step out,

I'm going to try to swipe it.

I'm going to try to take
it off his ear, grab it.

Because I like it a lot.

MATT: Make a
sleight of hand check.

MARISHA: We've been
here five minutes.

LIAM: She's the one
we're supposed to be

looking out for.

LAURA: Hold on, let me move

my scrunchie out
of my dice trays.

(laughter)

ASHLEY: Oh okay,
that's a natural 19.

LAURA: Oh.

ASHLEY: Plus two.

LIAM: Wow.

MATT: He exits briskly,

for such a large,
beastly-looking entity,

the steps are quite gentle
and quick (pattering)

as he exits and
a moment later,

you can see Fearne
in her hand, clutching this

gathered chain of
gold and silver

with a particular symbol on it

that looks like
a metallic hammer

with faces lightly carved
on the edges of it.

LIAM: Fearne.
ASHLEY: Mm-hmm?

LIAM: We talked about this.
ASHLEY: What?

LIAM: I know that it
works most of the time,

but that is going to
get us in trouble.

ROBBIE: I told you a
story about someone

picking my pocket
30 seconds ago

and then you pick
someone's pocket?

LIAM: That was a priest!

ASHLEY: Don't get on
my ass about it!

(laughter)

All I know is that it's
pretty easy to do here.

That's all I took
from what you said.

(laughter)

SAM: Oh my god.
TALIESIN: Wow.

ASHLEY: It's beautiful,

and it's for the
god of arts and crafts.

I think that's what he said.

LIAM: Close enough.
ASHLEY: Skills?

ROBBIE: Put it away in case
he comes back, please.

ASHLEY: Okay, gosh,
take it easy.

(laughter)

MATT: As a note,

this is about two and
a half feet long.

(laughter)

It looked much smaller
on the ear

of its previous carrier.

On you, it drags your ear
a bit, but it looks cool.

ASHLEY: Yeah.

LIAM: I pull Dorian over
a few feet away.

Listen, I don't think
she's going to stop,

and I think the only way
that it is going to stop

is if she steps on a rake,
do you know what I mean?

ROBBIE: Of course, but she's
not going to step on a rake.

She's going to step on
our rakes and those rakes--

ASHLEY: We're right in
the same gondola together.

LIAM: Just give us
a second, Fearne.

ROBBIE: How do we keep
her under control?

LIAM: How's that gone
the last couple of months?

ROBBIE: Horribly.

All right, just...

I'll stay on her left.

You stay on her right,
and we'll do a sandwich.

LIAM: We'll just be more
alert than usual, okay?

ROBBIE: She took it so fast.
I couldn't do anything.

LIAM: I know and it's amusing,

but we got to tamp it
down if we can,

and eventually,
it's going to bite her

in the ass and
all of us, but--

ROBBIE: All right, fine.
LIAM: All right.

ROBBIE: Agreed.
LIAM: All right.

We're done talking
in front of you, let's go.

ASHLEY: Okay.

I'll be more careful,
I promise.

It was just so beautiful.

LIAM: Yes, it is.
ROBBIE: It looks great.

ASHLEY: I don't do that
to everybody.

I don't!

ROBBIE: Let's keep going.

LIAM: I guess not that many,
come on.

MATT: Where are you off to?

LIAM: Well, unless you guys
have any other ideas,

I think just finding a place
to eat and stay for the night

and I don't think we
should rush into this.

ROBBIE: Yeah.

LIAM: I know that you haven't
been here much at all,

but you'd know it better
than us, certainly.

MATT: Make a history check.

SAM: History check.

Huge roll.

ROBBIE: A natural 20.

ASHLEY: Oh, oh,
first natural 20.

MATT: First nat 20
of the campaign.

LIAM: Yes, yes!

End the show right there.

(laughter)
MATT: There it is.

MARISHA: Thank you for
joining for Campaign 3.

ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah,
that's it, one roll.

MATT: You stayed here
last time.

That's how it's a natural 20.

You know it so well
because you've been there.

In the Core Spire,
one of the affordable,

interesting, filled with
colorful characters and

not too far from
where you currently

are right now would
be the Spire by Fire.

ROBBIE: (sighs)

Well, we've got a little
spending cash, right?

A little slush fund, but
we've got a lot to do

and it's our first night.
I think we should be frugal.

There are some places around here,

I didn't stay here, but it's
called the Spire by Fire.

It's got a nice name,
catchy, yeah.

So go there, check it out.

Get the lay of the land.

Maybe find a bed, two,
three, whatever.

ASHLEY: We can all sleep
in the same bed.

ROBBIE: Sure.

ASHLEY: Save money if we're
trying to be frugal.

LIAM: You're really tall.

ASHLEY: You're really small.

ROBBIE: We'll figure it out
when we get there.

ASHLEY: Okay.
(laughter)

LIAM: Everything rhymes here.

ROBBIE: And if I recall,
I think it's this way.

ASHLEY: Okay.
ROBBIE: All right.

MATT: All right, so
taking the lead,

you continue to guide
your other compatriots

towards your destination.

As the sun in the sky begins

to slowly make its way
towards the horizon,

the sunset imminent.
SAM: It's happening.

MATT: The oranges and
purples beginning to take

the blues that have been
familiar up until now.

(excited laughter)

Laudna.
MARISHA: huh?

MATT: Imogen.
LAURA: Yes?

MATT: You've been
going about the market,

gathering things and eggs,
you said.

LAURA: I had to get some eggs.

MATT: Anything else

you're looking for?
LAURA: Zhudanna's out of eggs.

MARISHA: I've got a rooibos
here, I've got an Earl Grey.

LAURA: That's great.
MARISHA: I've got a chai.

LAURA: How about some
leeks or I don't know,

onions to go with it?

She said she wanted it
for breakfast or something.

I don't know.
MARISHA: All right.

LAURA: Veggies.
MATT: Sure.

LAURA: We got a basket
full of fucking food.

MATT: Heck yeah.
SAM: Fucking food.

MATT: (laughs)

MARISHA: I grab all of
the teas, a variety.

MATT: All right.

Feeling confident in what
you've sought to acquire,

you begin to make
your way back towards

the Viduun-Devaar,
the Windowed Wall,

where you are currently
holed up with

the elderly compatriot
who is granting you space

in the room where
her husband once lived.

MARISHA: (knocks) Zhudanna?

MATT: You haven't
arrived there yet.

(laughter)

LAURA: Just practicing.
MARISHA: Was that good?

LAURA: That was good.
MATT: That was great. (laughs)

LAURA: She's not going to be
scared of you soon, I know it.

MATT: But in heading back and
walking through the street

and making your way
towards that destination,

the streets are busy as the
individuals who are

finishing up their
work for the day

or their various errands
for the afternoon

are heading back to their abodes.

Whereas the night crew,
as some people refer to it,

those who either work
during the night

or definitely play
during the night

are beginning to make their
way out into the evening air.

You hear

this strange--

you specifically,
Imogen, feel it,

this (rumbles),

this odd, low, bassy rumble

and right as you hear it,
you see it.

This dull blue flash
(swoosh) that emerges

about 30, 40 feet ahead of you
off to the side of the street

and you glance over
in that space

and you can immediately
see a cart

being pulled by two of
these sillgoats behind it.

As this small arcane
sphere that (swoosh)

As this small arcane
sphere that (swoosh)

emerges from it,
flashes for a second,

both of the goats
rear up (bleats)

and rush into
a charge forward.

As they do, the cart seems
to dislodge and (crackling)

splayed out onto its side,
crashing into the street,

boxes scattering across
the center of the row.

People around,
(gasps) "Oh god!"

Looking at each other, and

checking to make
sure it's okay.

The boxes hit and break open.

As they do,
utensils and furniture

and bits of decoration
scatter onto the ground

and a small kitchen knife
(clatters)

begins to glide into the air.

A table that was turned on
its side, the legs bend

(crackles)

and the table seems to be
moving of its own accord.

MARISHA: Are you seeing this?

MATT: A broom suddenly begins
to whip up into the air.

A sword scattered to the side

begins to drift up with no wielder.

MARISHA: Oh.
LAURA: Uh.

MATT: And a rolled up rug
that had spilled open

begins to wrinkle and pulse.

LAURA: Oh my gosh.

MATT: You hear this commotion
outside, both of you.

SAM: What's that,
is that a party?

TALIESIN: Let's find out.

SAM: All right.
MARISHA: Should we go closer?

TALIESIN: Not even putting
my drink down,

I'm going straight out.

MATT: Okay, you two rush.

The three of you
had just begun to make

your way to the outside
of the Spire by Fire

before you watch this
sudden minor cataclysm

to this cart occur and
these objects beginning

to move under
their own power

in the center
of the street.

MARISHA: Do we see any
people nearby?

MATT: There are
many people nearby,

and some of them are curious.

Some of them are
frozen in place,

a bit spooked and
some are just running.

I'd like you all to
roll initiative, please.

(exclaiming)

LAURA: All of us?

LIAM: First half of
the first episode.

(exclaiming)

ASHLEY: Jeez.
SAM: What is happening?

ASHLEY: Okay, okay.

SAM: What is happening?
LAURA: (screams)

ASHLEY: How do I do this?

SAM: Howdy dowdy do dis.
MARISHA: Howdy dowdy do dis.

ROBBIE: What?

(exclaiming)

LIAM: I see it!
I'm touching it!

SAM: It's so close!

MARISHA: Look at the rug!
ROBBIE: Whoa!

SAM: Rug.

LIAM: Wow!
MATT: So.

ROBBIE: Awesome.

ASHLEY: Okay, okay.

MATT: So here--
sorry about the mic there.

This is the sword
that is drifting.

This is the knife,
this is the rug.

This is the table,
and this is the broom.

LAURA: Oh my gosh.
SAM: Those are our enemies?

LAURA: We're fighting objects.
MATT: They're something.

LIAM: Yeah.
MATT: Now,

if I could have
Imogen, Laudna,

whereabouts would
you be standing?

LAURA: Which way were
we coming from?

MATT: You guys would be
walking this direction.

So you would likely be
over on this path.

LAURA: All right.

MARISHA: Back one for me.

LAURA: I would've stayed towards

the side of the street.

I want to stay away from
people, if I can,

for the most part,
whichever area.

MATT: Over here, then?
LAURA: Sure.

MARISHA: Keep me by her.
MATT: So about there?

LAURA: Yeah.
MARISHA: That's good.

MATT: All righty,
if I can go ahead

and get Ashton and
Fresh Cut Grass,

you guys were stepping
outside of the front there.

The cart is right there.

MARISHA: I wonder when we'll
get used to it.

SAM: Never.
MARISHA: If we ever will.

LIAM: Have a smiley day!
TALIESIN: I haven't yet.

ASHLEY: Look at those minis.

SAM: That looks about right.
LAURA: Oh my gosh.

Look at you guys.
MATT: You just step out

the front there.

LAURA: You're so wee.
MATT: All right.

Now, the rest of you who are--

LAURA: That's a big rug.

MATT: -- just arriving as well
were stepping across

this side of the road
to approach the front.

MARISHA: Oh god.

MATT: So that is where you
are currently placed.

LIAM: (cackling)

MATT: So, getting my
initiative sheets out here.

20 to 15?

LAURA: 18.
SAM: 19.

MARISHA: 17.
LIAM: 22.

ASHLEY: 22.
LAURA and MARISHA: Whoa!

MATT: Dang!

LAURA: Holy moly.

LIAM: That was terrible.

ROBBIE: 23.

(cheering)

MATT: Whoa, that's a
hell of an initiative run!

(exclaiming)

All right, so
Dorian up front.

ROBBIE: Oh no.
LAURA: Yeah, ha ha ha.

MATT: Following that, we
have Fearne and then Orym.

I'd say Orym will probably
go first because of his--

LIAM: Dex.
MATT: Dex, right.

All right.
LIAM: -- my dex.

MATT: And then who had the--?
LAURA: Who had 19?

MATT: 19 was--?
SAM: 19 here.

MATT: 19, Fresh Cut Grass.
SAM: ♪ Letters ♪

MATT: 18 was?
LAURA: That's me.

MATT: Wow, you guys rolled
really, really good.

And then 17 was?
MARISHA: That was me.

MATT: What's your dexterity?

MARISHA: Mine?
MATT: Yes.

MARISHA: Oh, it's a plus two, 14.

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: [Inaudible]

MATT: All right.
LAURA: Sorry.

MATT: You're the only one left.
What'd you get?

TALIESIN: 13.

MATT: 13, okay.

TALIESIN: Not terrible,
in a normal world,

that would have been not
terrible, but these people,

for some strange reason,
I don't know.

MATT: Okay.

And then

we have Ashton.

All right, cool.
So top of the round, Dorian,

as you're stepping in and
you see these crates open

and these objects beginning
to just shift in the air

and move around,
people you see scared

and are starting to run
and one of these blades,

the sword seems
to right itself

from one in the direction.

It looks like it's
going for them.

The knife is now
starting to make its way

towards one of
the nearby people.

It looks like these are
not just enchanted objects,

they are currently
looking to make a mess.

What are you doing?

ROBBIE: (nervous exhale)

MATT: Orym on deck.

ROBBIE: In any sort of
conflict, first things first:

I'm going to look
straight to Orym,

I'm going to go:
Correct me if I'm wrong,

but it looks like
those pointy things

are pointing at
those people, right?

LIAM: Yeah, I mean,

it doesn't change
where we are.

ROBBIE: All right.

And--

I'm going to sprint toward

that longsword headed for
that poor guy with the bag.

I'm going to make half
the distance, though.

Half the distance.
MATT: You got it.

ROBBIE: And--

While I'm running,

I'm going to--

on my hip, I've got a handaxe,

and I'm going to
unclip it from my hip

and I am going to attempt
to throw it at the sword

that is going for the guy,
in an attempt to divert it.

MATT: So you go ahead and
throw the axe; roll an attack.

ROBBIE: 19.

MARISHA: Hell yes.

ROBBIE: Plus five, yeah, 24.

MATT: That definitely hits.
Go ahead and roll damage.

ROBBIE: Sweet.

LAURA: I'm glad Dorian's at
the table with us, you guys.

(laughter)

ROBBIE: By the way, these are
the dice you gave me.

So I don't want to give
you all the credit, but.

Seven.
MATT: Seven points of damage?

ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: All right.

So as the axe hits the sword,

you watch as they both impact

and it seems to hit
the ground for a second.

You're like:
Oh, you took it out!

Then it rises and
then (metallic clang)

seems like the metal
vibrates in your direction

as it's getting ready
to reassess its direction.

ROBBIE: (chuckles) Oh no.

MATT: That's your turn?
ROBBIE: That's it. I'm frozen.

That's it.

MATT: Okay, all right.
ROBBIE: I'm terrified.

MATT: Finishing Dorian's go.

Orym, you're up.
Fearne, you're on deck.

LIAM: Okay, the boots on
my feet tighten around

and the leather straps
tighten around his feet

and I get a running start,
run about 10 feet

and then spring into the air,
flipping over the sword.

I can make it 10 feet
into the air

and Orym is going to
thrust down,

swing his sword down and
knock it towards the ground

if he can and I'm going
to use a goading attack.

MATT: Go for it.

LIAM: That is a wisdom save
for the sword.

MATT: Striking down
as you feel

the gravity pull you
to the floor.

LIAM: That is terrible.

So I am going to use

an action surge
and attack again.

So I take two swings
and the second

connects because
I rolled a 19.

MATT: Great.

LIAM: So DC 14.

MATT: DC 14.
LIAM: Wisdom.

MATT: Oh, that's a fail.

LIAM: Okay, so if that thing
tries to attack

anyone else but me, it's
going to be at disadvantage

and it takes--
MATT: You've got it.

LIAM: Five plus--

it takes seven
points of damage.

MATT: Seven points
of damage, got it.

As you strike down
on top of it,

it once again clatters
to the ground

and you feel like you've
pinned it to the floor

and it's hitting
into the stone.

You feel it fighting,
it's weird.

You've never had a
weapon fight on its own

against you until
eventually it slides out

from under your blade
and rights itself.

You can see it's
looking a bit scuffed

and it's looking
a bit damaged,

but it is still intent on

massacring whatever's
in front of it,

possibly.
LIAM: That's new.

Then I just wait
for the next thing.

MATT: All right.
Finishing that,

Fearne, you're up.

ASHLEY: Okay,
I'm going to take

my Thorn Whip
off of my hip.

MATT: Okay.

ASHLEY: I'm going to
look over at this rug

and just try to snap
my whip around it.

MATT: Go for it, all right,

go ahead and roll
for your Thorn Whip.

ASHLEY: Okay.

14.

MATT: 14 does hit.

ASHLEY: Okay.
Nope, 13.

MATT: 13 does hit.

LAURA: Oh, good.
ASHLEY: Okay, okay, okay.

It's just teensies.

Four.

MATT: Four?
ASHLEY: Yes.

MATT: Four points of
damage, all righty.

ASHLEY: Am I able to hold onto
it and keep it from?

MATT: This is the Thorn Whip
cantrip is what you're doing?

ASHLEY: Yes.

MATT: All right, let me
double-check here.

ASHLEY: I guess I could've
done this at a higher level.

LAURA: If it's a cantrip.
MATT: Well, it's a cantrip.

It just what it is.
ASHLEY: Yeah.

I just want to keep it there.
MATT: So yeah,

it takes the damage,
and it is large or smaller,

you can pull it 10 feet
closer to you, so yeah.

It's brought a little
bit closer to you.

It's not grappled,
and eventually

fights its way off the whip

but it now is pulled in
towards where you're standing.

ASHLEY: Okay.

MATT: All right,
that's your action.

LAURA: Is that what
you wanted to do?

ASHLEY: That's my action,
that's what I wanted to do.

MATT: Okay.

ASHLEY: I'm just going
to hold onto it.

MATT: Okay, you've got it.

That finishes your go, Fearne?
ASHLEY: Yes.

MATT: All the people are
now going to start

fleeing and running
off to the side.

Everyone just starts screaming
and charging out of the way,

getting off the road as best
they can, running and fleeing.

This cart runs charging
off the side

as the sillgoats that are
pulling it continue yelling.

These flee off the board,
off the board running.

LIAM: Run away.
MATT: Running away.

Running away.
ASHLEY: Run for your lives.

MATT: Fleeing this way.

This guy's going to
be like, "No!"

He's going to run
that direction.

This guy's running
this way over here,

down the alley
this way to escape

and this individual
is going to run

inside of the inn and vanish.

TALIESIN: They all dress like
they can handle some shit,

but when it really comes down,
they're all just cosplayers.

Just cosplayers.
(laughter)

MATT: They have conventions in
Jrusar sometimes, don't hate.

LIAM: That hammer's
made of PVC pipe.

MATT: Indeed.
Finishing their go,

Fresh Cut Grass, you are up
with Imogen on deck.

SAM: The item in front
of us is what?

MATT: Item in front
of you is a broom.

SAM: It's a broom, okay.

MATT: It's just like
(whooshes).

SAM: I feel like
Ashton's got this. So.

I will turn to Ashton
and focus my eyes on him

and just say:
Believe in yourself.

And I will do
Sympathetic Binding.

TALIESIN: Ooh,
we're going there.

MATT: Okay. All right, so,

Channel Divinity:
Sympathetic Binding.

SAM: Yes, and I guess
as my bonus section,

I could do the feature
of that, but instead,

can I cast a spell
as a bonus action?

MATT: Yeah.
SAM: Okay,

I'll do Shield of Faith,

or as I call it,
Shield of Help!

(laughter)

So Ashton, you, in addition to
being just a fucking badass,

you now have a plus two to AC.

TALIESIN: Woo.
MATT: That's concentration.

So I have a concentration
marker on you.

SAM: That's great.
And then I will,

just to get out of the way,

I'll use my movement to
take off my right hand

and just start to put on,

I have a saw blade
attachment that I'm going

to start screwing into
my right hand socket.

TALIESIN: Oh, you don't.

MATT: Yeah.
TALIESIN: Oh my god.

LAURA: What do you have?

MATT: I had accidentally
snapped the mini,

but that's okay.
SAM: Is that mine?

MATT: Yep.
SAM: Amazing!

ROBBIE: No!
MATT: That's okay.

MARISHA: We have a casualty.

SAM: It's all right.
LAURA and LIAM: Aw!

LIAM: Beebee!

LAURA: Oh no, that's a sign
you're going to die today.

MATT: Oh, don't say that.
LIAM: There he is.

MATT: We'll get some people
over here in the interim.

So where're you going?

SAM: I'm not going to move.
I'm just going to

attach my saw blade arm

and maybe just tuck
behind the box.

MATT: Behind the box
over here?

SAM: Yeah, sure.
MATT: All righty.

There you go.

MARISHA: He's just getting
drug on a plate.

MATT: That's my fault for
holding you two up.

All right, that
finishes your go.

Imogen, you're up.

LAURA: Okay,
I have a question.

MATT: Yeah?

LAURA: I want to try using

Catapult

and focusing my energy on,

is that a dagger
spinning around?

What do we got here?

MATT: That is a dagger
right now.

Some sort of a kitchen knife

that is spinning in
the air on its own

for a second, it hasn't
chosen a target.

LAURA: Okay, can I try to use
Catapult on that object?

SAM: Ooh, interesting.
LAURA: Because I can

use it on objects, but
I don't know about--

MATT: These are
technically animated,

so it would not work.
LAURA: It wouldn't work?

Okay, then in that case,

I'm going to cast
this at 2nd-level

so I can pick up
something that's 10 pounds.

Would I be able to
pick up that box

that that robot thing
just hid behind?

MATT: I would say that box,

the contents of that
one is too heavy,

but this one here that's
been partially broken

would be about 10 pounds.

LAURA: Sure, I will
pick that up

and throw it towards

the rug that just

moved in the whip.
MATT: Over there?

LAURA: Yeah.
MATT: You got it, go ahead

and roll for
an attack on that one.

LAURA: Okay.

How do I do this?

SAM: This whole fight
is brought to you

by West Downing.

(laughter)

MATT: This is the
Crate and Barrel showdown.

LAURA: I don't make an
attack roll; you make a save.

MATT: Save?
LAURA: Yes.

MATT: Good call.

That would be dexterity?

LAURA: Dexterity.
MATT: 12.

LAURA: Yes, so it works!

So yeah, it takes
3d8 bludgeoning.

Oh wait, 4d8 bludgeoning

because I cast it
at 2nd-level.

ASHLEY: Hell yes.
MATT: Nice.

LAURA: ♪ (humming
"Mary Had a Little Lamb") ♪

LIAM: ♪ (sings random notes) ♪

SAM: Ooh, lots of dice.
TALIESIN: Fancy dice.

LAURA: Nine, 11, 14 points
of bludgeoning damage.

TALIESIN: (whistles)
MATT: 14 points.

Very nice.

Slick.

The rug is currently wrapped
in the Thorn Whip and being

pulled over towards this

strange faun character
over there

who's smiling oddly through
the whole experience.

As you lift up, concentrating
your mind on this box chunk,

it lifts and then rockets
with incredible speed.

You watch as the rug
seems to push

like something had punched
almost through it

on the other side and it
comes inches from your face

before crumbling back beyond
the backside and the rug,

some of the threads
are now torn and fraying.

Are you going to stay put?
LAURA: I think that's--

Yeah, I'm going to
stay where I am.

MATT: Okay, you got it.
SAM: Patient Defense.

MATT: All right, it is now
the rug's go.

(laughter)

The rug is going to
go ahead and--

MARISHA: The rug is more
dexterous than I am?

That's bullshit.

MATT: That's how it
goes sometimes.

The rug is now going to

attempt to smother.

That's an 18 to hit.

Does that hit you?

ASHLEY: Yes.

LAURA: Oh no.
MATT: All right.

ASHLEY: It's okay.

MATT: So you watch as
the rug now (swoosh)

whips around and
begins to surround you

and tighten and
pull and crush you.

You all, you can not see.

You're not even
certain yet if you can

even breathe, but
everything just goes dark

as you feel your body now

completely held
against itself.

MARISHA: I grok this,
it sucks.

MATT: You are grappled.
LIAM: Everybody stab it.

MATT: You are restrained,
you are blinded.

SAM: Set it on fire.
ASHLEY: Okay.

MATT: All right.
So we're going to

go ahead and say--
LIAM: Prestige.

MATT: The Prestige.
All right.

Where is the...

elements here.

SAM: If he sets it on fire,
I will-- I'll--

I think he's going to pull
out a lighter right now.

MATT: Yeah.
SAM: Oh, okay.

MATT: Restrained.

LAURA: Oh no.
MATT: All righty.

That finishes its go.

It is now,

let's see, Laudna's go.

MARISHA: Imogen, the objects
have gone postal.

And I turn into

a Form of Dread.

I start to transform.

Let me mark it off.

Wait for it

and my bones start
to crick and crack

and you see Laudna
starts to extend

even lengthier than she
was and even more spindly

and her fingers start
to stretch and drip

as a dark veil
comes over her face

as black tears start
coming out of her eyes and

(intimidating whispering)

MATT: The fleeing folks
that were heading this way

run past you and scream even
louder and run even faster.

MARISHA: Don't worry,
I've got you.

MATT: (screams)
They just keep going.

MARISHA: I'm here to help.

I start echoing a
cacophony of whispers

and I cast Bane on,

I'm going to go for
Bane on the rug,

Bane on

the kitchen knife,

and let's do Bane
on the sword.

All things that
feel more deadly.

TALIESIN: (like Bane)
I was born in the dark.

(laughter)

MATT: The rug fails.

TALIESIN: I was working on it
what I saw it coming.

MATT: Fails.
TALIESIN: Had to

get that in first.
LIAM: What's the angle?

MATT: And which one,
the knife you said?

MARISHA: (whispering)
The kitchen knife.

MATT: That does succeed,
I think, with a 16.

MARISHA: What?
I can't curse a knife?

MATT: Sorry.
MARISHA: It's a fucking object.

LAURA: I just reach down and

pet the back of
her creepy head.

(laughter)

It's okay.

MATT: But those two,

you watch as the parts of them

that are a bit frayed and
damaged begin to almost

unravel or begin to crack
and break on their own

as the magic seems
to siphon away

some of the enchantment
that holds them aloft.

Does that finish your turn?
You going to stay put,

or do you want to move?

MARISHA: No, I'll stay put.
MATT: All righty.

That brings us to
the table's go.

TALIESIN: I forgot
about the table.

LAURA: Yeah, the table's
going to do something.

MATT: You're right there.

The table's going to
go ahead and back up.

(heavy footsteps)
(slamming)

And slam into you full force.
It's going to move.

It's going to attempt to--
Actually, you know what?

No, it's not.
Yeah, it can do that.

LIAM: Let's table this for now.

MATT: You can get
an attack of opportunity

on it as it backs
away from you.

LIAM: Oh, is it leaving?

Sure, absolutely.
MATT: It is, yeah.

LIAM: So I'm looking at a sword

spinning in front of me,

hear the (crackles) and
just pivot and swing down.

Give it a quick stab.

That is a--
What do all my things do?

13 to hit.
MATT: 13 misses.

You swing wide and
it hits the wood,

but it just hits wood
and cuts a little scrape

through it as it
backs up 20 feet

(heavy footsteps)
(thudding)

and just comes full blast,

slamming into you
with a charge.

LAURA: Slam attack.

LIAM: I'm a sword expert,
not a table expert.

(laughter)

MATT: That is a 25 to hit.

LIAM: That kind of hits.
ASHLEY: What the hell?!

ROBBIE: Whoa!

LAURA: What if we all die
in the first episode?

ASHLEY: By tables and rugs?

SAM: Campaign 2, chairs.

Campaign 3, tables.

Campaign 4...

wardrobes?

MATT: You take 18 points
of bludgeoning damage.

LIAM: Woo!

MATT: As you are almost
knocked off your ass

and then catch yourself
(groans)

and the table seems
to be getting

itself ready for
a second round.

That finishes its go.
So now the sword's turn,

which is already
right next to you

and goaded in to attack you.
LIAM: Yeah.

MATT: The sword does minus
four from its attack, though.

So that brings it
to a 16 to hit.

LIAM: I parry it off.

MATT: Nice, nice, nice.

LAURA: That's good.

MARISHA: Oh, with Bane?
MATT: Bane.

MARISHA: Ah.

MATT: The broom

is going to swoop in

towards you--

TALIESIN: (cackles)
MATT: -- and (whooshing)

up in the direction.

That's going to be,
here we go.

That is

17 to hit.
TALIESIN: That is my AC.

MATT: You take--
SAM: Even with the plus two?

TALIESIN: Even with the plus two.
SAM: Okay.

MATT: Five points of
bludgeoning damage

as the broom cracks you in
the jaw and you feel like ugh,

that bit of pain hit,
but you like the pain.

TALIESIN: Ugh.

MATT: And it hovers
there and if a broom

could be angry, it goes

(laughter)

at you.

It finishes its turn.
You're up.

SAM: Yeah.

TALIESIN: So I'm

going to

pop my hammer on the
ground real hard (booms)

and I'm going to rage.
SAM: Yeah!

TALIESIN: And I'm doing
the gravity build, so.

MATT: Okay.
TALIESIN: Here we go.

The

crystal,

the glass inside my head
starts to get a little dim

and light just seems to
get a little dimmer around me.

There's just this strange--

MATT: The broom immediately
begins to

act like it's being pulled
slightly towards you.

TALIESIN: So I am going to
just try and stomp it,

flip, and hit it with the
hammer on the ground.

MATT: Go for it.

TALIESIN: That is a
yes to hit.

That is a...

23 to hit.

MATT: 23 does hit.

I saw the broom actually
has multiattack,

so it attacks again,
and hit you previously

before that as well,
so the broom

actually got two hits on you.

The other one would've
been four points

of bludgeoning damage.

TALIESIN: Okay, so
that's before--

MATT: That would've been
before the rage.

TALIESIN: Okay.

MATT: Broom's a dick.

TALIESIN: That's fine.
SAM: Sweep the leg!

(laughter)

MATT: So how much
damage was that?

You rolled to hit.

TALIESIN: I rolled to hit
and I did hit.

MATT: Yep.

TALIESIN: I'm also going to,
just because this thing's

pissing me off, I'm going to
burn a Chaos Burst into this,

because I don't like this.

Cool, a little force damage.

MATT: Fundamental Chaos,
so how much damage?

TALIESIN: That's going to be--
let me do it all together.

Ugh, that's terrible.

10 points of normal damage,
of just the normal stuff.

MATT: All righty.

TALIESIN: Oh, that's better.

Eight points of force damage.

MATT: Nice.

So after you get clocked
twice in the face

by this broom, you pull
back your weapon, and...

how do you want to do this?

(cheering)

TALIESIN: Do we get shared
damage or no, by the way?

SAM: I can absorb some--

TALIESIN: Okay, so you
haven't-- that's fine.

SAM: No, I haven't.

TALIESIN: I am going to just
take the edge of the hammer,

I'm going to stomp the broom
down on the ground.

I'm going to just take the
edge of the hammer

and I'm just going to come down

and break it right in two.

SAM: Ooh.

MATT: It snaps, immediately
goes limp onto the ground.

TALIESIN: Fuck you!

(laughter)

And I'm going to look up.

I still have my movement.
MATT: You do.

TALIESIN: Let's see,
what'll be fun?

I'm going to move...

I'm going to move towards
that fucking table.

MATT: You move to the table?

TALIESIN: Yeah.

MATT: Up there?

TALIESIN: Yeah, whatever will
flank with the little guy.

MATT: That would be
the flank there.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

LIAM: (like Bane) Your spring
cleaning will be more severe.

(laughter)

MATT: All right, that
finishes your go.

That brings us now
to the knife.

TALIESIN: The knife
immediately moves

10 feet towards me.

MATT: The knife is adjacent to you, so--

TALIESIN: Okay, never mind,
all right.

MATT: But yes, no,
that's good call to know.

TALIESIN: All right.

MATT: All right, so the
knife is now going to

continue to swing towards you,
since you are the one who--

LIAM: Sure.
MATT: Actually no.

You're next to it now.

It'll go after you,
because you're the one

who's now within its space.

It doesn't have a lot
of intel-- ooh, not bad.

That is going to be
a 21 to hit.

TALIESIN: Oh, that hits.

MATT: You take

five points of piercing
damage, reduced to two.

All right.

At this point in time,
you can see now

people are beginning
to scatter.

Another figure seems to be
charging out from inside

of the inn that you had both
had been coming from,

shouting out into the fray.

Travis, if you wouldn't mind
coming to the table.

(cheering)

MARISHA: Bring in the big guy!

Let's go!

LIAM: Get in here.

MARISHA: Let us go.

MATT: So, how do you enter,
and if you wouldn't mind

describing yourself.

TRAVIS: Ah, ah!

(deep bombastic voice) Yes,
for the good of Jrusar!

(laughter)

I will enter the
fray with you!

And you see a gentlemen

in his late seventies,
early eighties.

LAURA: Oh my god.

TRAVIS: Beautiful silver-
trimmed facial hair.

A good receding
hairline going

and a nice ponytail pulled
tight in the back.

SAM: He's a cool grandpa.

TRAVIS: Nice purple refinery,
a nice coiffed collar,

and some burnt orange
underneath.

And he has a very elegant
looking walking stick

in his hand, as well as a
very beautiful looking rapier

on the other hand.

MARISHA: It's because
he's dignified,

not because he
needs the stick.

(laughter)

MATT: Where would you
like to...?

Well, first roll initiative,
if you don't mind.

TRAVIS: Oh, oh, oh,
yes, that thing.

I have a bonus to
my initiative, so 12.

MATT: Gotcha, gotcha.

TRAVIS: That's a first.

MATT: Okay.

TRAVIS: Cheers.

TALIESIN: I don't know
what to do with that.

ASHLEY: Wait, you didn't
have initiative with Grog?

TRAVIS: No, I had advantage.

ASHLEY: You had advantage.

MATT: Okay, so top of
the round, Dorian, you're up,

Orym, you're on deck.

ROBBIE: All right, so
two of my friends

are jacked up side by side.

I'm going to...

I'm going to rush
toward Fearne,

use my movement to get
all the way over to her

wrapped up in the rug.

MATT: Okay.

ROBBIE: And bewildered, I will
attempt to grapple the rug

and try to pull it off of her.

MATT: Try to pull it
off of her?

ROBBIE: Yeah.

MATT: Okay, I will say
go ahead and make

an athletics check for me,
contested with the rug.

ROBBIE: I'm a strong boy.

MARISHA: Oh, damn!

(laughter)

Fucking killin' it!

ROBBIE: 25.

ASHLEY: Oh!
LAURA: What the fuck?

ROBBIE: Strong boy.
TRAVIS: What? Are you-- what?

MATT: Yeah.

TRAVIS: It's real, I see it.

MATT: All right.

As you grab this rug
and you can feel it,

it is in the process of
attempting to smother

and crush Fearne, and as
you get a hold on it,

you put your foot up, the one
space where you can see

the top of her hip is
and pull away

and it rips off with
a terrible tearing sound,

and is no longer
grappling you.

ASHLEY: Who did that,
I can't see.

(laughter)

ROBBIE: It was me, it was me!

ASHLEY: Oh, thank you!

ROBBIE: Mm-hmm.

MARISHA: Some biceps hiding
under that padded leather.

MATT: All right, so
that's your action.

You still have a bonus
action, if you'd like.

ROBBIE: Do I now have
the rug grappled?

MATT: You have not
grappled it necessarily.

You've tried to free her,
you said.

ROBBIE: Uh-huh, okay.

MATT: So, those are
two different actions.

ROBBIE: Okay, got you.

I will say, okay, rug's gone.

Do your best.

And I'm going to give her
a Bardic Inspiration.

ASHLEY: Oh!

MATT: So a d6 for her?

ROBBIE: Hmm?
MATT: That's a d6, right?

ROBBIE: Yeah, let me
double check.

Yes, yes.
MATT: Pretty sure, yeah.

So you take a d6 you can
add to an attack roll,

saving throw, ability checks.

All right, cool,
finishing Dorian's go,

unless you want
to move still.

You still have--
ROBBIE: No, I was-- rug.

MATT: You're just
having a tussle?

Orym, you're up.
Fearne, you're on deck.

ASHLEY: Okay.

LIAM: Okay, I'm going to
use a bonus action

to make a Feinting Attack,
another maneuver,

and go to the left
and then instantly--

MARISHA: Falls on the table.

Catch me, table.
MATT: It is a fainting table.

LIAM: I'll juke to the left
and then instantly

back to the right,
and once the blade

goes for where I was,

I will spring up
into the air

and I will just repeat

what I did before and
try to smash it down

with my blade into the stone.

MATT: Go for it,
roll an attack.

LIAM: So it's at advantage
because of the feint.

That hits.
That's a 20 to hit.

And that's a total of,
one plus six is seven.

15.

MATT: 15.

How do you want to do this?

(cheering)

LIAM: Orym jumps 12 feet
into the air, flipping,

and cracks the blade from the
hilt on the pavement below.

MATT: It snaps and scatters
across the stone,

broken and unmoving.

LIAM: Table, shit.

And I just stand my ground.

Because everyone's
going to hurt me.

MATT: You got it.
Fearne, you're up.

ASHLEY: Okay, am I
still blinded?

MATT: You are no
longer blinded.

The rug has been pulled off--
the wool had been

pulled from your eyes,
proverbially.

ASHLEY: Wow!

Okay, so I see the rug
in Dorian's hand.

He's grappling with it and
I'm going to just look at him

and reach out my hands
and put my hands on it

and cast Burning Hands
onto the rug.

MATT: Okay, yeah, let's do it.

ROBBIE: Am I still
holding the rug?

MATT: I will allow you to
let go as the flames

are going past your hand,

not directly on them.
ASHLEY: Oh, you should let go,

okay?
ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

MATT: All right, easy
enough to get the rug

without having to worry
about anyone else.

Let's see, that's a
dexterity saving throw?

ASHLEY: It is.
LIAM: She's effective--

MATT: Natural one.

Go ahead and roll
for damage on that.

ROBBIE: Nice.

MATT: The rug is still
being held by Dorian,

before you let go at the
last minute and then (burning)

ASHLEY: Okay, well not amazing.

Can I use my extra Bardic
Inspiration for--?

MATT: Not for damage.
ASHLEY: Not for damage.

Okay, so this is pretty awful.

TRAVIS: (chuckles)

ASHLEY: Five points of damage.

MATT: Oh, five points
of fire damage.

ASHLEY: I should have
rolled my teeth dice.

MATT: No worries.

LAURA: Teeny teeth dice.

MATT: As the flames
tear across the rug,

the rug seems to
almost attempt--

if a rug could tuck and
roll out of the way,

that's what it's doing.

It's like, no fire!

ASHLEY: You bitch!
MATT: It singes the outside,

and you can see a lot of
the exposed fraying edges

curl back into a
black matted mess,

but it's still spinning
in the space

getting ready to prepare
for its next round.

Do you want to stay put?

ASHLEY: Yes, I will stay put.
MATT: Okay.

Finishing Fearne's turn.
LIAM: Stop, drop, and roll.

MATT: All the people
start fleeing further.

TRAVIS: What have we
defeated so far?

A sword and--
MATT: Out and off the space.

ROBBIE: Broom.
TRAVIS: A broom.

ASHLEY: As a bonus action--
MATT: Yes?

ASHLEY: Can I summon
my Wildfire Spirit?

MATT: It is an action to
summon your Wildfire Spirit,

unfortunately.
ASHLEY: It's an action, okay.

MATT: Off the board.

Off the board.

LIAM: Look for me at dawn on
the third day at Ikea.

ASHLEY: I understand.

Bonus action to make
him do something.

MATT: All righty.

Fresh Cut Grass, you are up.

Imogen, you're on deck.

TRAVIS: Jesus.
SAM: All right.

TRAVIS: I don't know how--

MARISHA: Never gets old!

SAM: We'll see.
I'm going to--

(laughter)

TALIESIN: Wow, we really will.

MARISHA: We're only
two hours in.

MATT: This is a
unique experiment.

SAM: I'm going to move in
closer to the kitchen knife.

Is that what that is?

MATT: It is.

MARISHA: Aww.
ROBBIE: Oh.

SAM: I don't know
if I can get--

MATT: I'm going to fix
that at the break.

SAM: I don't know if I can get
all the way up, but if I--

MATT: From there, five, 10,
15, yeah, you can get

right up to it,
if you want to.

SAM: Okay.

LAURA: (creaking)

MATT: We'll fix it
at the break.

SAM: I'll activate
my handsaw. (buzzing)

MATT: You hear this loud
whining sound as this

metallic disc attached to
the edge of the arm (buzzing)

begins to spin up.

SAM: And I'm going to
try to... (buzzing)

I'm going to try
to slice it.

MATT: It's that
blade on blade action.

SAM: Yeah.
MATT: Roll an attack.

TALIESIN: Are you
flanking or no?

MATT: Technically, no.
TALIESIN: Okay.

SAM: Here's just
a simple attack.

I rolled a four.

(laughter)

TALIESIN: Yeah, that tracks.

LIAM: He just sharpened it.
SAM: So that's a seven.

MATT: That misses.

SAM: All right.

MATT: You go--
and it just darts out.

It's very small
and very nimble.

It's hard to catch a blade
that's only about that long

and is going through the
air like an angry bee.

SAM: Well then, frustrated,
I will, as a bonus action,

cast Spiritual Weapon.

MATT: Okay.

SAM: And I will...

Make something that most
kitchen knives can't stand,

which is a tomato, because
it's just really hard.

ASHLEY: It's so hard.

MARISHA: It's squishy.
SAM: Yeah.

SAM: It's not serrated.
TALIESIN: There you go.

SAM: So a tomato will
attack this knife.

MATT: We'll say a spiritual
tomato apparates.

I don't have a tomato mini,
my apologies.

LAURA: It looks really
close to one.

MATT: That's as close
as I can get there.

TRAVIS: What's the
matter with you?

MATT: I'm sorry, Travis!

TRAVIS: Did you not have
enough time off?

MATT: God!

Go ahead and roll your attack
for your spiritual tomato.

TALIESIN: An apple, real nice.

SAM: That's a five.

That's a five,
plus five is 10.

MATT: That misses,
unfortunately.

ASHLEY: Oh no!

SAM: It's all right.

MATT: This knife was ready.

It hates tomatoes so much it
doesn't want to be near one.

SAM: It's a Santoku,
they can do anything.

(laughter)

MATT: Does that
finish your turn?

MARISHA: Oh no!
SAM: Yep.

LAURA: All right, I'm going
to step forward a bit,

so I'm a bit closer,
maybe 10 feet forward.

MATT: You got it.

LAURA: And I want to be--
as long as I'm within 30 feet

of what's happening.

MATT: You're within 30 feet
of a lot of it,

you have get a little
closer if you want

to get near the table, but.

LAURA: Okay, I'm going to step
forward 10 more feet, then.

All right.

All right, and I'm going to
spend a Sorcery Point.

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: I'm going to
hold my hand up

and you're going to see

these lightning flares
that are on my arms

start to get a bit brighter
and climb up my arm a bit

and I'm going to
use Twinned Spell.

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: I'm going to cast Witch
Bolt at the kitchen knife

and the rug at the same time.

MATT: You've got it.

Okay, roll for
an attack for each.

SAM: Twin witch spells.

LAURA: Oh cool, a one and a 20.

ASHLEY: That was crazy.

MATT: Well, which one
was for which?

LAURA: The 20 was
for the knife,

and the one was for the rug.

MATT: Okay, you got it.

ASHLEY: Whoa, that's nuts.

MATT: So the rug at this
point, ducking out of the way

of the flames, also ducks
the way out of the bolt

that you were mostly
focusing on the knife,

since that seems to be
the hardest to hit.

So that Witch Bolt goes wide
and just strikes the stone

for no reason.

However, the other one
directly impacts the knife

as it tries to duck
out of the way,

and you see the knife suddenly
surrounded by this

purple flashing electric
aura of energy.

Go ahead and roll damage
and double it.

LAURA: 10 times two.

MATT: 20.

TRAVIS: I saw the one,
figured, I was like one.

(laughter)

MARISHA: Two.

MATT: How do you want to do this?

(cheering)

MARISHA: Fuck that knife.

LAURA: Just for a second,
my eyes--

ROBBIE: No, no, no, no.

LAURA: Don't do that.

(laughter)

MARISHA: It's on small print
on the packaging.

LAURA: Just for a second,
you see

my eyes flicker pure white.

SAM: Critical Role
endorses knife fucking.

MATT: No! Shh!

(laughter)

SAM: Story at 11.

(laughter)

LAURA: And a lightning bolt is
going to come out of my hand

and just turn the knife
bright, bright, bright white,

and just-- I don't think
I can crumble it,

but it's going to turn the
knife completely black.

MATT: Okay.

As the arc hits it,
you watch as it dissipates,

and the knife hits the ground,

and just bends on the impact.

It's so heated by the impact
that it's just

completely bereft
of enchantment.

SAM: Nice.

MATT: That finishes your go.

LAURA: You know what,
I'm going to use my

Telekinetic Shove

and I'm going to pull
this little robot dude,

he seems like he might be
struggling a bit,

and just pull him back five
feet away from that knife.

MATT: You got it.
SAM: Ooh!

MATT: You don't know
what happened,

but you got dragged back
across the ground,

and as you look around,
all you see is

this woman, hand out,
staring at you.

SAM: Shiny day to you.

LAURA: Oh, you too!

(laughter)

MATT: Oh no.

ROBBIE: Oh boy.

MATT: It is now the rug's
turn, but the rug--

MARISHA: Yes.
MATT: The rug's

less worried about the fire,

more worried about the one
that pulled it off

of its previous quarry,
is going to go after you.

ROBBIE: Oh, okay.
MATT: Dorian.

Not bad, not bad.

Oh, it does have Bane on it.

It's minus...

Minus one, not too bad.

That puts it at...

MARISHA: (like Bane)
I see you went to Wayfair.

MATT: 16 to hit?
(laughter)

ROBBIE: It does at that, yes.

MATT: All right.
MARISHA: How dare you.

MATT: You are now wrapped
and grappled by it,

unable to move as you now are
being pulled tightly within.

No sight, nothing, and you
can feel the bones

in your shoulder starting
to get ready

to pop out of the socket
with the force

that it's crushing on you.

LAURA: This damn rug.
MATT: It's not fun.

Finishing its go.

Laudna, you're up.

MARISHA: All right, so we have
the rug and the table, right?

TALIESIN: Some chairs.

MARISHA: Almost have a picnic.

I'm going to fuck the rug.

(laughter)

TRAVIS: Come on.

MARISHA: It seems like
more of a problem.

Eldritch Blast to the rug.

SAM: (posh accent)
Eldritch Blast.

MARISHA: 14.

MATT: 14 does hit.

LAURA: Yes!
MARISHA: All right!

TALIESIN: Hey.

MARISHA: Here's a weird one.

Okay, all right, that's fine.

Nine damage.
MATT: Nine damage.

How do you want to do this?

(cheering)

MARISHA: Well, I was
going to say

because of my Form of Dread

it would have to make
a wisdom saving throw

or be afraid of me,
but since I kill it--

MATT: It's so afraid of you,

it's dead.
MARISHA: Yes.

MATT: Can't get more afraid.
MARISHA: I look

into the rug's eyes,
or where I perceive

its eyes to be.
ASHLEY: Tassels.

MARISHA: Its tassels.

And I just look deep into
it as I just coat it

with black ooey ichor.

And I go: Yes.

MATT: It falls to the ground
and slowly begins

to just turn into
this crimson--

MARISHA: I wanted you to
know it was me.

(laughter)

MATT: This crimson
sludge that just sloughs

off of you into the ground.

You glance right up at
this terribly frightening,

black veiled creature.

MARISHA: Hello.
ROBBIE: (nervously) Hello.

MARISHA: Hi.
ROBBIE: Hi.

MARISHA: Pleasure to meet you.

ROBBIE: Nice to meet you, too.

MARISHA: Oh, this is fun.

ROBBIE: It's so much fun.

Did you just do that?

MARISHA: Yes.
ROBBIE: Okay, thank you.

MATT: He shouts from
40 feet away.

(laughter)

MARISHA: Yes!

ROBBIE: Thank you!

MATT: All right,
that finish your go?

MARISHA: Yes.
MATT: Do you want to move

or stay put?
MARISHA: No.

MATT: All right.
MARISHA: I'm quite comfortable.

MATT: Your turn, sir.

TRAVIS: I am immediately
quite concerned

about the creepy-ass bitch.

(laughter)

40 feet away,
dripping with goo.

But I think she's friendly,
so I will, what's left?

The table?

SAM: Table.
LAURA: Yeah.

TALIESIN: Table!

TRAVIS: I will unsheathe
my Gambler's Blade rapier

and rush towards the table
and take a mighty strike.

(laughter)

Don't fucking laugh!

(laughter)

And I will wager a
plus three to hit

on this strike.
MATT: All righty, go for it.

TRAVIS: That's a 22, 25 to hit!

MATT: That hits.
ROBBIE: Whoa!

TRAVIS: Y'all better learn.
LAURA: I still got it.

TRAVIS: Man, this pencil.

Three, eight points of
damage, of slashing damage.

MATT: You got it.

As you cut through the
table, a deep cut,

that table looks cut.

Probably have to knock the
price off of it in the window.

(laughter)

TRAVIS: I think I get
a second slash, yes?

MARISHA: Floor model.
MATT: You do.

At your level, you do.

TRAVIS: Oh yes, beautiful,
that's a 26 to hit.

MATT: That hits, roll damage
the second time.

TRAVIS: I am rolling
the thing.

And seven points of
slashing damage.

MATT: Nice!

Twice carving into it,

as I spray my map,
my apologies.

ROBBIE: Thank you, sir.

MARISHA: I didn't want
to say anything,

but I saw Laura go--
(laughter)

MATT: Drink of my blood.

SAM: It's going to be
on the big screen.

MATT: I know.
(laughter)

MATT: God.

ROBBIE: Slow mo.

MATT: Sorry.

Anyway.

TRAVIS: We'll get the
first two rows.

ROBBIE: Splash zone,
splash zone.

MARISHA: We'll do those 4D
things that spray people.

LIAM: It's all right, everyone
in the first three rows

has ponchos.

MATT: Two deep gashes
in the table.

Good job, your turn's over.

(laughter)

ASHLEY: He hates us.

LAURA: Yep, yep.

MATT: It is now
the table's go.

LAURA: Oh no.

MATT: Oh, this guy, both of
these guys are running.

They are way out of
the way here.

The table is going to
go ahead and--

The deep gashes, it's
going to turn on you.

TRAVIS: Wait!

TALIESIN: It's got
disadvantage.

MATT: It does, because
it's within--

TALIESIN: Yeah, it's within
15 feet of me.

MATT: That's true, yeah.
LAURA: Ooh.

TRAVIS: 15 feet of you?

LAURA: That's a lot of feet.

TALIESIN: It's 15 of them.

MATT: Still an 18 on
its lowest roll.

TRAVIS: Ow.

(laughter)

TRAVIS: Might we parlay?

MATT: Ooh! That's-- ooh.

That is 19 points

of bludgeoning damage
against you.

TALIESIN: Wow.
MARISHA: Wait, what?

SAM: I will see this
happening to this old geezer.

TRAVIS: I'm okay,
I'm upright.

SAM: I will transfer
half of his suffering

to myself.
LAURA: Aww!

MATT: Okay, so you use that
reaction ability, okay.

SAM: (groans) Ah!

So half damage to you.

TRAVIS: Bless you,
small creature.

SAM: Oh, it's my pleasure.
(groans)

MATT: All right, so you
take half that damage.

TRAVIS: Great.

SAM: So I get nine,
he gets 10,

or he gets nine, I get 10?

TRAVIS: I take 10,
you take 10.

MATT: Yeah. So he takes 10,

and you have nine
temporary hit points

at the moment from that.

So write that off, great.
TRAVIS: That's amazing.

MATT: That finishes the
table's go, because it's not

going to move from it space

and is currently
wrapped around.

That brings us to
Ashton, you're up.

TALIESIN: I just watched

lightning come out of
this purple-haired woman

and fry the knife I was
about to fuck with.

So a little put out, I'm going
to take a big spin

and see if I can knock the
feet out of this table.

MATT: Go for it.

TALIESIN: I have advantage
because it's flanked.

That's a natural 20.

ALL: Ooh!

TALIESIN: And I'm putting
a Chaos Burst into that.

MATT: Go for it.
TALIESIN: Because, you know,

that's going to be awesome.

So let's add some
lightning damage to that.

MATT: All righty.
LAURA: Do it.

TALIESIN: Hammer's going
to crackle a bit,

get going. Oh, this is--
it's done.

MATT: (laughs)
TALIESIN: Oh my god, it's done.

Okay, that's seven points
that don't get doubled.

Seven standard, and then...

18 doubled.

LAURA: Wow.

MATT: So 18 and then double?

TALIESIN: And then double the
18 and then add seven.

MATT: How do you want to do this?

(cheering)

TALIESIN: I am going to
spin around,

knock all four feet out,

flip over, crack it in half,
and then just

keep hitting it until
it's powdered.

MATT: The table snaps with
a loud cracking noise

and then smash, smash, smash,

over and over again.

This table just eventually
is reduced

to a pile of
splinters and fire.

MARISHA: I can probably recycle
some of that.

Okay.

TALIESIN: (sighs)

TRAVIS: That was very
well done, all of you.

That was very impressive.

That's quite the hammer
you have there.

TALIESIN: Thanks,
old person, yeah.

What the fuck was that?

SAM: No idea.

TALIESIN: Oh, yeah, no,
do you need--? Oh.

SAM: No, I'm okay, I'm okay.

TALIESIN: Hit me next time,
just before.

SAM: I'm all right,
I'm all right.

MATT: You do take the
nine damage that you--

SAM: Does that happen here
all the time, Ashton?

TALIESIN: I've broken a lot
of furniture in my time,

and I've never actually
had any fight back.

So this is new.

Maybe it knows.
MARISHA: I'm just wondering

who it belonged to.

SAM: Thank goodness all
y'all were here.

TALIESIN: Where the fuck
did that cart go?

I'm going to run towards where
the fuck that cart went.

MARISHA: Where the fuck
did the driver go?

LAURA: There was a big
flash of blue--

TALIESIN: Oh, the cart's
right there.

LAURA: -- magic energy
as it happened.

So I feel like somebody
set it off.

Hi.

ASHLEY: Hello.
MARISHA: Oh yes, hello.

LIAM: Yeah, Orym's just
looking at all these

strange people.

TRAVIS: I'm sorry, do you
all know each other?

MARISHA: I know her.

TRAVIS: Uh-huh.
SAM: I know them.

TALIESIN: I know them.

ROBBIE: We're like a trio,
sort of.

LIAM: Yeah.
TRAVIS: That's a lot of fingers.

You worked remarkably
well together,

I have to commend you on that.

It was almost as if you
were moving in concert,

a great deal of
talent on display.

MARISHA: It was
just improvised.

ROBBIE: We just
fought a rug.

ASHLEY: Yeah.
TALIESIN: There's three words

and I'm a little iffy
other than that.

LAURA: It was a really
scary rug.

I mean, in your defense.
ASHLEY: It was.

I was going to try to save it,

but you know.
LAURA: Yeah, I saw.

TRAVIS: Are you from Jrusar?

LAURA: No.

ASHLEY: I'm not.

TRAVIS: Are you by any
chance looking for

more of this sort of work,
or just passing through?

TALIESIN: Is there
money involved?

MARISHA: Is there
clout involved?

TRAVIS: Clout?
MARISHA: Yeah.

LAURA: Yeah, would it get
the attention of maybe,

you know, what were
they called?

MARISHA: The Chandei Quorum.

LAURA: Yeah.

TRAVIS: Oh, I think there
could be plenty of clout

and some money.
MARISHA: Do you know them?

TALIESIN: Money, I'm in.
TRAVIS: Do I know them?

MARISHA: Yes.
TALIESIN: You're in.

TRAVIS: My dear, I do.
ASHLEY: Is there a place to

train to show you how to
fight furniture properly?

TRAVIS: Yes, yes, in a city
such as this, of course.

ASHLEY: So this is
what we would be doing?

TRAVIS: Mm-hmm, this--
LAURA: I'm sorry, who--

TRAVIS: -- was probably
just a training exercise

of some sort.

You're right, this is
terribly rude of me.

I was just so excited
seeing you all.

My name is Sir Bertrand Bell.

It's a pleasure to
meet all of you.

ASHLEY: Sir Bertrand.
ROBBIE: You're a knight?

SAM: A real knight!
MARISHA: Are you a noble?

TRAVIS: Not a noble,
a knight is generous,

but it was a title
bestowed upon me,

and I didn't shoo it away.

ASHLEY: Who bestowed
it on you?

TRAVIS: Are you familiar
with Vasselheim?

ASHLEY: Oh, you're not going
to answer my question?

TRAVIS: I'm so sorry.

TALIESIN: I like that one.
ASHLEY: Who bestowed

it on you?

TRAVIS: I don't know
if you would--

(laughter)

SAM: (refreshed exhale)

ASHLEY: That is--

LAURA: What in the hell.
MATT: You motherfucker.

LAURA: Oh no.

TALIESIN: I mean,
we knew that already.

TRAVIS: Did he have that
over there the whole time?

LAURA: That is
so cool, though!

I really like it.
ASHLEY: It looks really cool.

MATT: How?
TRAVIS: Where did you even--?

MATT: How?

What the fuck?

SAM: What? I'm just
getting a sip, guys.

MATT: Continue the
scene, please.

ROBBIE: Just a simple
home game.

ASHLEY: It actually
is very cool.

LAURA: Look at it!

What does it feel like?

ASHLEY: Looks like it's out of
Borderlands or something.

LAURA: Yeah!

MARISHA: What do you
have on the front?

Oh!

(laughter)

LAURA: Yeah.

LIAM: But it was a brand new,
clean container

when you started and you just
gussied up the outside, right?

SAM: That's right.

TRAVIS: You're drinking
out of it?

LAURA: That's really cool.

TRAVIS: Did you get that
at the Warner lot?

What is that?

TALIESIN: I mean, if you're
going to derail,

this is the best way
to derail, let's be fair.

MARISHA: Yeah.

SAM: Sorry about that.
ASHLEY: Anyway.

LAURA: I'm sorry,
you said Vasselheim?

I'm not familiar.

TRAVIS: Are you familiar
with the Dawn Marshals

in Vasselheim?

I've been around Tal'Dorei,
Vasselheim, Issylra.

It doesn't really matter.
MARISHA: Heard of Vasselheim.

TRAVIS: The important thing is

you all displayed
tremendous talent,

and I know someone that would
pay well, perhaps,

for services that
you might render.

SAM: Will it be an emotionally
enriching experience?

TRAVIS: Yes. I mean,
all things in life are.

Have you heard the name
Lord Eshteross?

SAM: Have we?

MARISHA: Have we?

MATT: Make a history check,
those of you

who have been in Marquet
for some time.

I'd say probably--
TALIESIN: 15.

MATT: Fresh Cut Grass.

LAURA: Ooh!

A history check?
MATT: History check.

LAURA: 19.

MARISHA: Oh!
Not too bad either.

SAM: Two.

MARISHA: 15.
TALIESIN: 15.

MATT: 15?

None of you have
heard of the name.

SAM: Oh, actually, zero.

(laughter)

LAURA: No, we've never--
I've never heard of him.

TRAVIS: I know this all
seems a bit strange,

not uncommon for someone
in my decades,

I've seen stranger, but if
you would be interested

in hearing more, I would
love to treat you all

to a drink,
perhaps some food,

and maybe talk it over
a bit more?

Unless you're more interested
in finding out

who let the furniture out.

MARISHA: Are you paying?

For dinner.
TRAVIS: Yes, yes.

LIAM: We literally just
got off a ship.

But food sounds good,
at the least.

TALIESIN: You clearly
need a drink.

You clearly need a drink.

ASHLEY: Absolutely.

SAM: Your fingers
are dripping.

TALIESIN: You clearly
need a drink.

MARISHA: Oh, I'm so sorry.

Oh, actually,
about this time, I probably

shrink down to my normal form.

Sorry about that.

SAM: No, no offense taken.

MARISHA: What was your name?

SAM: Fresh Cut Grass.

MARISHA: All right.

TRAVIS: Fresh Cut Grass.

TALIESIN: You heard them.

SAM: That's right.

ASHLEY: You smell a
little bit like piss.

SAM: Oh.

Very astute.

Earlier today, a gentlemen
threw piss at me.

ASHLEY: Oh.
LIAM: Why?

SAM: Well, I didn't get
a chance to ask him,

but I think he just
didn't want it

in his house anymore, so.

LIAM: Ah.

ASHLEY: Oh, he was
throwing it out.

SAM: I'm so sorry.

You know, I lack the
ability to smell,

so it doesn't
really bother me,

but if it bothers you, I'll
get tidied up right away.

ASHLEY: It absolutely
does not.

SAM: Oh, well then,
piss it is.

ASHLEY: Okay.

Well.

SAM: Oh, what was your name?

ASHLEY: Oh, my name is Fearne.

SAM: You're very tall.

ASHLEY: Yes, I am.

SAM: And what brings
y'all to--

It's you three, right?

What brings y'all to
this neck of the woods?

ROBBIE: Sightseeing,
we're sightseeing.

SAM: Insight check.

(laughter)

MATT: Make a deception check,
make an insight check.

SAM: 22.

ROBBIE: Oh, 17, four, 21.

(shouting)

MARISHA: So close!

MATT: You catch just
the faint hint of

a not entire truth.

TRAVIS: (coughs) Bullshit.

SAM: Sightseeing sounds great.

TALIESIN: You know, I can pretend

I'm much more interested

if there's food and beer
in front of me.

I think that we should
take this all inside.

TRAVIS: I did not notice the--

Fresh Cut Grass,
can you help with the--?

SAM: No, they're fine.

They're fine.

They're like that
all the time.

It's kind of cool, really.

TRAVIS: Wow.
TALIESIN: Free to look.

TRAVIS: It's all right.

TALIESIN: It'll be
a gold piece,

but you're free to look.

TRAVIS: I'm good.

TALIESIN: Some people
stare inside

and they see hell itself.

It's absolutely true.

ASHLEY: May I try?

TALIESIN: Yeah.

ASHLEY: Here's a gold piece.

TALIESIN: Thank you.

SAM: Sometimes it
takes a while.

TALIESIN: It's mostly just
a sparkly opal in there.

I am going to try and
pickpocket her, though.

MATT: Okay, go for it.

Roll a sleight of hand check.

TALIESIN: Game meets game.

MATT: And you can roll
a perception, or no,

what's your
passive perception?

ASHLEY: Okay.

MATT: I got it.

ASHLEY: 15.

TALIESIN: Natural 20.

ALL: Oh!

MATT: So that is a really,
really cool view.

You can see this sparkly
opalescent interior

beyond this dirtied glass
that fills this broken gap

in the head.

Go ahead and deduct 12 gold.

TALIESIN: Oh, I know
what I'm going for.

MATT: Oh, what are
you going for?

TALIESIN: The fucking earring.

MATT: Oh, even better.

(laughter)

TALIESIN: That clearly
does not belong.

MATT: Fair enough.
TRAVIS: 15-foot long--

TALIESIN: Just wrap it around
my waist, like a fucking belt.

MATT: Yeah, nobody
even noticing.

ASHLEY: I don't see hell.

TALIESIN: No, well,
you know, heaven to some,

hell to others.

TRAVIS: Wow. (laughs) Wow.

TALIESIN: Thank you.

MATT: Some other folks are

starting to return
to the street

and checking to see
what happened,

and talk amongst
themselves.

MARISHA: Let's make
ourselves scarce.

LAURA: Sir Bertrand,
would you--

Is it possible to
get a table

that's a little
more isolated, maybe?

Something away
from the crowds?

TRAVIS: An easy task for
one such as myself.

Your name was?

LAURA: Imogen.

TRAVIS: Imogen,
very nice to meet you.

LAURA: You as well.

TRAVIS: Follow me,
if you would.

SAM: 'Course.

TRAVIS: And I'll lead them
to the nearest place.

MATT: All right.
LIAM: Orym lags

just for a second,
looking down at the rug.

You really tied
the room together.

(laughter)

TRAVIS: Shame on you.

(laughter)

ROBBIE: No, it's nice.

MATT: You can hear
somebody on the side,

one of the street musicians
with their French horn

go (sad trombone).

(laughter)

MATT: As they're practicing
for a busking performance.

Ah, got to clear it out.

As you all follow Sir Bertrand
Bell into the interior

of the Spire by Fire Inn,

we're going to take a break.

(cheering)

SAM: First break of
Campaign 3!

MARISHA: Woo!
TRAVIS: That was so much fun.

MATT: We'll back here in a
little bit for the second half

of our first episode.

Oh man, and we're off!

We're off!

Okay, all right, we'll see
you guys a little bit.

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[LAURA] Hey Critters, Laura Bailey here

to guide you through what's new in the Critical Role Shop.

Ooh, so comfy cozy.

Look at this, isn't it fashion?

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Style should never be a dump stat, darling.

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[dramatic music]

ANNOUNCER: We now go live

to a special address from the President.

GALE: Hey dweebs,

Now as your president, I've been kinda killing it lately.

I gave global warming an atomic wedgie.

I balanced the budget by selling my Pog collection,

and I saved the Queen of England from that octopus!

But my kick-assery is far from done.

According to this chart that I made,

an estimated 35% of you are still a bunch of nasty goobers,

but don't worry, I have a plan.

Operation: Gag Me With A Spoon.

It's easy sleazy.

According to this study that I wrote,

if every citizen subscribed to Critical Role on Twitch,

we could reduce maximum goobage by a metric buttload.

Twitch is the only place where you'll get

a live and moderated chat and when you subscribe

to Critical Role, you instantly get access

to all their shows as soon as the live broadcast ends.

So while you're oogling those Critical Role dorks

with their sick goof-em-ups and their nerdy voices,

think of me, Gale, the current president of whatever.

Now I gotta go make a fresh batch of spitballs,

but I guess I have some time for your boring questions.

You.

REPORTER: Gale, is it true that if you subscribe

to Critical Role through Prime Gaming,

you have to resubscribe every month?

GALE: Uh, yeah.

I do it right after my monthly prank call to Pee-an O'Brien.

Next question.

Reporter: Does Critical Role

have exclusive emotes for their subscribers?

GALE: Uh, doy. Of course they do.

I like the hello bees one, 'cause bees are cool.

I replaced my whole security detail with a bunch of bees

that think I'm their queen.

Last question.

Reporter: Yeah, with all due respect,

is Operation: Gag Me With a Spoon a real policy,

or are you mad goofin'?

GALE: Am I mad goofin'?

What, do you see me scarfing Milk Duds

while doodling ding-dongs in the SkyMall catalog?

Listen, I know I'm new to this.

And I admit that when I made the wish

to be the boss of everything, I did not know

the witch that works at Woolworth's was listening.

Well, Faustian bargain or not, I am the president

and I have an obligation to lead this country.

So to answer your question, no, I am not mad goofin'.

Security, take him out.

[bees buzzing]

[Gale laughing]

Later, chudruckers!

MATT: And welcome back.

So, last we left off,

this motley crew of strange
traveling individuals

that gathered

for an odd occurrence
in the street,

cut down some wayward
enchanted utensils

and furniture pieces,
and in doing so,

caught the eye of
an older adventurer

named Sir Bertrand Bell, who
is currently leading you

on the invitation
of a meal and drink

to discuss some
possibilities.

You all followed him into
the Spire by Fire Tavern,

managed to procure
a table in the

back elevated platform in
this little side nook,

not quite a booth,

but at least away
from the main crowd,

which is starting to build
up for the evening.

Food is ordered
and is on its way.

Drinks are passed
around as you all sit

and figure out what
exactly this is about.

TRAVIS: Does everyone have
something to

satisfy their appetites?

LAURA: Are we far away from
other patrons in the tavern?

MATT: I'd say 12 to 15 feet
from the nearest table,

but around the corner sightly.

There is no private
area here, necessarily.

It's not one of
those establishments.

LIAM: Is there a thrum of
conversation

all over the place?

MATT: Yeah, I mean, there's
a bustle about the room.

There's chuckles and
whispers and conversations,

so you can feel
with a lowered voice

you can be fairly discreet.

MARISHA: Do we seem to be
drawing anyone's attention?

MATT: Your entrance
definitely drew some eyes.

TRAVIS: Yeah.
(laughter)

You're a fucking
nightmare right now.

I'm having problems.
(laughter)

Got the damn
Grudge over here.

(laughter)

MATT: So you definitely
drew some eyes,

and every now and then,
you do catch somebody

just glancing over,

but there's nobody that
you've noticed

stooping close yet.

LIAM: So you live here.

TRAVIS: I do, for the moment.
LIAM: How long?

About how long?

TRAVIS: Oh, on and off
in the summer months.

It's so beautiful here.

One of the few
destinations I choose

to frequent with my time.

If you don't mind me
asking, because you all

don't seem entirely
familiar with each other.

Some of you said you were
passing through, tourists?

LIAM: Definitely.

TRAVIS: None of you have
any outstanding entanglements

with the law, warrants,
anyone chasing you?

ASHLEY: Definitely not here.

TRAVIS: Oh, good!
All of you?

If I could just get
a single yes or no

from each of you, please.

ASHLEY: Well, what exactly
do you mean by--

TRAVIS: Is anyone hunting you?

Is there a bounty
out on your head?

Are you criminal folk?

TALIESIN: Do we have to

answer all those
questions or just one?

Is that just one answer?
TRAVIS: General yes or no.

I think you
get the question.

MARISHA: I'd say not that I'm
aware of, but you know,

who can really say
for certain if anyone

is being hunted, right?

How could you really know
unless you are the hunter?

TRAVIS: Fair. I would know.

But by the way, at any
time you can feel free to,

you know, investigate
what was happening outside.

I don't mean to pull
you away from anything

that might be of
interest to you.

But if you are
interested in, perhaps,

a little bit of employment,
I happen to know

a gentleman named Lord
Eshteross that employs

very talented warriors
such as yourself,

and I would be keen to put
in a good word for you

if an introduction to
an estate of that esteem

would be in your interest.

LIAM: You do a lot
of work like that?

TRAVIS: I do.

I do.

I've spent the last few
years really building up

more of a consulting service.

As you can see, I'm a
little later in my years,

I still have a bit
of spring in my step.

But really, it's the
wisdom I want to share

with the next generation.

LIAM: So are you
like a talent agent?

TRAVIS: Well, more of a--

MARISHA: A manager.

TRAVIS: Always out for
a finder's fee,

if I could say so.

LAURA: So, a manager.

TRAVIS: But I also
recognize opportunity.

MARISHA: A middle man.

TRAVIS: Opportunity.

ROBBIE: Did anyone see who
was driving that cart?

LAURA: No, I didn't.

I just saw a
big blue explosion,

like a ball of energy.

ROBBIE: So Bertrand, you're
a talent scout, correct?

TRAVIS: You could say that,
among other things.

ROBBIE: Who just happened
to be here

at this event, right?

TRAVIS: In this very tavern,

enjoying a cold drink.

MARISHA: Do you do magic?

TRAVIS: No.

LAURA: Insight check.

MATT: Make an insight check.

LAURA: 11.

MATT: Hard to read,

seems to be on
the up and up.

TRAVIS: To be fair, I've been
accused of magic by some,

but not of the variety
I think you mean.

TALIESIN: Card tricks,
shit like that?

Like a kid's birthday party
magician kind of thing?

TRAVIS: I have no
arcane abilities.

TALIESIN: Okay.

TRAVIS: So.

But.

If you wouldn't be
opposed to it,

I think perhaps this
gentlemen and his lady

would you be interested in
meeting with all of you.

LAURA: You said he has a lot
of influence in the city?

TRAVIS: Yes.

Eshteross Manor.

Never heard of
Eshteross Manor?

MARISHA: Have we ever heard
of Eshteross Manor?

MATT: We did a check earlier
and you do not.

MARISHA: Oh, we did.
MATT: Yes.

SAM: Is that on this spire?

TRAVIS: Is that on this spire?
MATT: It is.

TRAVIS: It's on this spire.
SAM: Oh, okay.

So it's close by.
TRAVIS: Yeah.

SAM: And this gentlemen would
want to meet with

potential employees
immediately?

TRAVIS: I think so.

I owe him a favor, and it'll
be good to catch up

with an old friend.

Besides, it seems since
you're new in town

it would be a great
opportunity for you

to then network
through Jrusar.

SAM: I mean, Ashton and I
set out today

specifically to find something
to do for money for you,

so I mean--

TALIESIN: And then
a mop attacked us.

This is exactly the sort of
thing that I was trying

to convey to you, just the way
things happen in this city.

It's really--
SAM: It's a wild place.

TALIESIN: It is.

Nothing else like it.

SAM: I mean, this is a pretty
good tour for our first day.

TALIESIN: I'm quite pleased.

ASHLEY: So we would
be employed

to take care of
unruly furniture.

TRAVIS: Oh.

I don't want to speak to
the manner in which

you would be put to service,
but Lord Eshteross

is a bit of a philanthropist.

(stuttering) Philanthropist.

SAM: He's very old.

(chuckling)

TRAVIS: My dentures get loose.
(laughter)

TALIESIN: Teeth stop moving
halfway through.

TRAVIS: And the good part is
that he is really interested

in preserving the
good folk of Jrusar.

There are some, you know,

shady characters
in every city,

but here in particular,
and he seems to really

want to do good.

LIAM: Insight check.

TRAVIS: How many is that?

LAURA: Just two.

LIAM: Natural 20.

LAURA: Oh!

TRAVIS: Telling the truth.
LAURA: Oh, that's great.

MARISHA: You know, I kind of
agree with, Fearne, was it?

ASHLEY: Yes, that was my name.

MARISHA: I'm really distracted
by the angry furniture.

How often--

Have you got attacked
by a broom before?

You're acting like
it's a thing.

TALIESIN: I've been attacked
by a broom before,

this is true, but it's

been normally in the hands
of somebody else.

This was the first time it
was really independent

of any other circumstance.

ASHLEY: Is this--
Is this normal?

I've never seen anything
like that before.

Why did they attack us?

TRAVIS: Normal?

I mean, this shit's got
some nuts in it.

I just want to say even
just this group is--

(dubious noise)

But you know--

MARISHA: I guess we have seen
a few strange things

just in our time that
we've been here.

LAURA: Yeah.

TALIESIN: I mean, that's
pretty weird, though.

LAURA: Did you have anything
to do with it?

TRAVIS: The furniture?
LAURA: Yeah.

TRAVIS: No.

LAURA: Hmm.
ASHLEY: That's a good point.

SAM: Furniture attacks us and
then a strange old man

comes and offers us a job.

I mean, it seems like
a pretty cool day.

(laughter)

ROBBIE: It is a
very convenient day.

LAURA: Regardless, I think I
would like to meet with this--

I can't remember his name.

SAM: Eshteross.

LAURA: Lord Eshteross,
that's right, thank you.

MARISHA: Eh, never mind.

We'll find out.

Let's go meet him.

TRAVIS: Is everything okay?

I'm sorry.

I just wanted to make sure
that this isn't something

that'll wear off after a
minute or something and just--

MARISHA: My appearance?

Do you want my face to wear
off after a few minutes?

TALIESIN: No, it's
fucking awesome.

TRAVIS: No, no, no,
yeah, no.

MARISHA: Thank you.

TRAVIS: Just wanted
to be sure.

MARISHA: Pleasure to
meet you, Bertrand.

I don't think
I got your name.

TALIESIN: Ashton.

Ashton.

Actually, yeah.
LIAM: We should go around.

TALIESIN: Oldie.
TRAVIS: Sir Bertrand Bell.

TALIESIN: Bert, yeah.

ROBBIE: Dorian Storm.

Dorian Storm.

MARISHA: Laudna.

SAM: Hi, I'm Fresh Cut Grass.

LIAM: What do you mean?

TALIESIN: (laughs)

SAM: I'm Fresh Cut Grass.

LAURA: That's your name?

SAM: That's what I'm called.

Yeah.

MARISHA: Like your first name,
or is Grass your middle name?

Or your last name?

LIAM: Or Cut Grass.

MARISHA: Yeah. Hyphenated?

SAM: I'm just called
Fresh Cut Grass.

I don't really distinguish
between a surname

or anything like that.

ROBBIE: Did you give yourself
your name, or--?

SAM: No, no.

My former associate
gave me my name.

She named all of her creations
after her favorite smells.

MARISHA: Hmm.
LAURA: Oh, that's lovely.

SAM: There was a bunch of us.

There was me,
there was Oatmeal.

There was Apple Pie.

There was Pussy.

There was a bunch of us.

LAURA: Wow.

TALIESIN: So nice to see other
people having to hear this.

It's really just
bringing everything

into sharp perspective.

ROBBIE: (wheezing)

LIAM: This has been a day.

ASHLEY: That took me
a bit by surprise.

LIAM: This has been a day.

TALIESIN: You--

What was your name?

(laughter)

MARISHA: Help us.

ASHLEY: Wow, it was just
thrown out there so quick.

TRAVIS: Did you say,
"Send help?"

(laughter)

ASHLEY: My name is Fearne.

Yeah.

I've heard of
creatures like you.

SAM: Oh, you have.

Have you ever met another
automaton such as myself?

ASHLEY: No.

SAM: But you've heard?

ASHLEY: Mm-hmm.

SAM: I've only met the ones

that my former
associate created.

So I haven't gotten a chance
to talk to many others, so.

So I haven't gotten a chance
to talk to many others, so.

If you ever hear of any,
I'd love to meet more.

ASHLEY: I'll make sure
to let you know.

SAM: Thank you.

ASHLEY: What's your name?

LAURA: Oh, I'm Imogen.

Temult.

ASHLEY: Imogen Temult, okay.

LAURA: Nice to meet you.
TALIESIN: I like what you

did with the lightning,

that was pretty cool.

LAURA: Thank you. You know,
I've been working on it.

Thank you.

MARISHA: She's quite
naturally talented.

Very gifted.

LAURA: Fresh.

Was your associate also
from the Taloned Highlands?

SAM: No, she came
from Bassuras.

LAURA: Oh, all right.

SAM: Yeah, that's where we
sort of originated

and went out on our
journeys and adventures.

I was part of
a group of adventurers,

of all sorts of
different exciting folks,

and yeah, we worked out
of Bosarus.

MARISHA: Where's Bosarus?

Is that here in Marquet?

SAM: It is in Marquet,
in the Oderan Wilds.

MARISHA: Oh!

We passed by that.
MATT: Hellcatch Valley.

SAM: That's what
I said, yep.

TALIESIN: It's a ways.

LAURA: Is that far away from
the Taloned Highlands?

MATT: It's loosely between
the Oderan Wilds

and the Taloned Highlands.

It's a central nexus point

between many of the
different regions of Marquet.

ROBBIE: Where's your
former group?

TALIESIN: Oh.

They're not
around anymore.

Things went a
little south and--

LAURA: Oh, I'm so sorry.

TALIESIN: Job in a silver mine
not too far away.

You don't have to get into it
if you don't want to.

SAM: No, it's fine.

It's better to confront
tragedy when it happens

and admit it.

Yeah, they were--

They didn't make it,

and I was unable to heal them.

LIAM: Oh gosh, we're sorry.

MARISHA: How long ago
was that?

SAM: When did we meet?

TALIESIN: That was a
couple months ago,

I got to say, at this point.

MARISHA: Not that long ago.

TALIESIN: Time moves very
weird when there's not

a lot of sundown, sunup.

ASHLEY: How did they die?

SAM: We were--

No, it's okay.

MARISHA: I would like
to know as well.

No, I agree with
this question.

SAM: I feel like I'm taking up
a lot of the spotlight here

when we haven't even met this
little fella over here.

LIAM: I'm good,
I'm curious, too.

Go ahead, please.

SAM: Well, yeah, we were on a
mission in this silver mine,

hired by a family
to clear it out

because there was
monsters in there,

and we got as far into
it as we could,

but we met with a lot more
resistance than we expected,

and had to retreat,
come out and make camp

and rest for the night, and--

Well, I was in a
stasis mode, which is

what y'all call sleep,
I think, and when I came to,

they were all deceased.

TALIESIN: Very deceased.

MARISHA: Tragic.
SAM: Yeah.

Ashton came upon me
some time later.

I'm not quite sure
how long, but--

TALIESIN: In theory,
a few days later.

I got paid to go see
what the fuck had happened,

and Letters over here
was the only survivor.

SAM: Yeah.

ROBBIE: I didn't mean to pry.

SAM: No, no, it's fine.

It's best that we all know
everything about each other.

MARISHA: Did you keep
their corpses?

SAM: Well, you know what?

MARISHA: Just saying,
they're a great resource.

SAM: You know what?

I actually did keep
parts of them.

MARISHA: Really?
SAM: Not their corpses.

It's not morbid like that, but
Dancer, my former associate,

she had made some
other automatons,

gizmos and gadgets,

and some that were
pretty sophisticated

and some that weren't,

and I grabbed
a few of their parts

that I can use now.
And so I pull out

the saw blade and
the bolt thrower

and a hammer tool
that was attached

to something else
at one point.

MARISHA: Very resourceful.

SAM: Yeah.

But I left the bodies.

We covered them up
as best we could

and gave them a
proper-ish burial. It's--

TALIESIN: It did its job.

SAM: It's heartbreaking

when a soul-touched like that
passes away, and--

It was wonderful that Ashton
came along when they did.

LIAM: Soul-touched?

SAM: Oh, yeah.

That's folk like you,
with souls.

LAURA and MARISHA: Oh.

ASHLEY: You don't have a soul?

SAM: I would assume not.

ASHLEY: How do you know?

SAM: Well, I can't do a lot of
the things that you can do.

ASHLEY: Were you sad when
you lost your group?

SAM: I imagine so,
but that could have been

something that Dancer
made me think.

ASHLEY: Well, I think only
souls can be sad.

SAM: I hope you're right.

I don't see how that's
possible, but all right.

I was built out of parts.

ASHLEY: Yeah, but
anything's possible.

MARISHA: Technically, we're
all built out of parts.

ASHLEY: Yes.
TALIESIN: Very fair.

ROBBIE: And technically,
we don't know

if we have souls either.

ASHLEY: That's a
very good point.

TALIESIN: Very sketchy
on my end.

SAM: I'm pretty sure
you got one.

TRAVIS: You were very adept
with that sword

and all of the acrobatics.

Reminded me of myself
50 years ago.

LIAM: You were pretty good
out there, too.

TRAVIS: Thank you.

What's your story?

LIAM: Well, I'm from overseas.

MARISHA: Where overseas?

LIAM: Tal'Dorei.

MARISHA: Oh, same.
LAURA: Oh wow.

That's really far.

ASHLEY: It's really far.
LIAM: What parts?

MARISHA: All over, really.

I was quite the traveler.

Originally from Whitestone.

That was a long time ago.

SAM: What sort of
place is that?

MARISHA: A shitty one.

ASHLEY: And you?

TALIESIN: Oh.

That's not a very
interesting story.

I've been living in this city
for quite a few years now,

just picking up odd jobs,
living in the Core Spire.

Got a nice place,
got a nice life.

Beats anything else
I've found so far.

LAURA: And your name
was Ashton?

TALIESIN: Yes.

Ashton Greymoore.

ASHLEY: Ashton Greymoore.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

Just a local,
I like it here.

It's fun.

LIAM: We saw.

LAURA: So y'all reckon we all
want to go meet this Lord--?

Damn it, I keep
forgetting his name.

SAM: (whispering) Eshteross.
LAURA: Eshteross.

TRAVIS: Yes.

Sorry, I fell asleep.

(laughter)

LAURA: How soon would you be
wanting us to meet him?

TRAVIS: I mean,
my time is your time.

ASHLEY: Do you need
to take a nap?

TRAVIS: I just
took care of that.

(laughter)

LIAM: Are we talking
about tomorrow?

Or--?

TRAVIS: What time is it?

MATT: The sun, at this point,
is close to set at this point

and it's turning
to nighttime.

TRAVIS: Oh.

Yes, yes.

Tomorrow will be fine.

First thing.

No time like the present,
except not the present,

the future present.

MARISHA: Well, I imagine we should

get eggs back to Zhudanna.

LAURA: Oh my gosh,
the vegetables.

MARISHA: The vegetables.

TALIESIN: Shit.

LIAM: Does this place put
you up for the night?

TALIESIN: They do.

As far as I remember.

MATT: They can, yeah.
They have rooms.

TALIESIN: This place
is great.

TRAVIS: How far are we from
here from Eshteross Manor?

MATT: You're probably about

15- to 20-foot walk from here.

TRAVIS: Oh!

LAURA: It's how far?
TRAVIS: We're right--

SAM: Did you say 20 feet?
TRAVIS: We're here.

MATT: Sorry, 20 minute.

My brain.
(laughter)

TRAVIS: I was like,
it's next door.

(laughter)

MATT: Sorry, 15- to
20-minute walk. My bad.

TRAVIS: Sorry, just woke up.

MATT: My brain.

TRAVIS: We certainly can
stay here for the night.

Do you need to meet
with someone?

LAURA: Well, we have a place
over in the Windows.

The Windowed Wall.

ROBBIE: Meet us
in the morning.

LAURA: Sure. Yeah.

What time were
you thinking?

TRAVIS: Oh, first light.

SAM: Oh, no, that's not
going to work for Ashton.

TALIESIN: I mean, if you don't
mind waking me up,

I'll just, you know,
get a couple drinks in me

and fall asleep as
quick as possible.

SAM: You're very,
very cranky, though.

And not pleasant at all.

TALIESIN: When am I not
cranky and unpleasant?

SAM: That's true.

TALIESIN: Thank you.
SAM: That's true.

This would just be
the same, but earlier.

TALIESIN: Yeah.
SAM: All right.

TALIESIN: I need the money.

I'm not going to
pretend I don't.

SAM: All right.

First light, then.

TRAVIS: We have an accord.

First light.

Room's on me.

TALIESIN: Wait, what?
ASHLEY: That's wonderful.

Very generous.

TRAVIS: Well, of course.

I appreciate you putting
yourself out there like this.

It's very admirable.

TALIESIN: Want a room or
do you want to go home?

SAM: I mean, we're here.

TALIESIN: Fair.
SAM: Yeah.

TALIESIN: Yeah, it'll be
much easier waking up

if I don't have to walk here.

That's great. I'm into that.

TRAVIS: By all means.

How many rooms?

Any roomies?

TALIESIN: Let's go nuts.

Private rooms.

SAM: Oh, I mean, I don't
need that, but sure.

TALIESIN: Just go for it.

Just-- paying.

TRAVIS: Private.

SAM: Doesn't matter
for me at all.

TALIESIN: Matters to me, yeah.

I'll let him spend money.
TRAVIS: Nobody wants to--?

Not a problem.

I'll be back.

(laughter)

SAM: Got to go to the ATM?

ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

(laughter)

TALIESIN: "Drinks are on me!"

Top shelf, top shelf,
top shelf.

MATT: So you walk over
to the side,

Ishir is over there
finishing conversation

with a couple of other
clientele at the bar,

is like, "That's when--

"Can I help you?"

TRAVIS: Rooms for the
evening for one, two--

LAURA: None for us.

We have a place.

TRAVIS: Oh, great.

For six, six rooms.

MATT: "Oh, you need six rooms
for the night, you said?"

TALIESIN: Quietly try
and signal to Ishir

that this person's got money.

MATT: "Let's go with one gold
a night per room.

"Nice, fair,

"you know, friends and
family discount,

"since you got
a friendly face."

TRAVIS: I do, I do.

And for the six, could we
call it maybe four gold?

MATT: Make a persuasion check.

TRAVIS: Oh god, that's balls.

I think that's a seven.

TALIESIN: (laughs)

LIAM: You let out
that squeaker.

MATT: (laughs)
TRAVIS: That's terrible.

It's less, it's a six.

(laughter)

MATT: "I understand where
you're coming from,

"but you also got to--
I'm running a business here."

TRAVIS: Sure, yeah, six gold.

ASHLEY: I'm going to
walk up behind him.

Wait, were we trying to
figure out rooms here?

MATT: "Right, well, is this--"

TRAVIS: Yes, this is
one of my party.

ASHLEY: We're together.
MATT: "Ah, yes.

"Six rooms, just paid for.

"Let me get
the keys for you."

ASHLEY: Oh.

Did you get a discount
or anything like that

on account of us helping
the town and everything?

And saving your establishment
from rugs and tables?

MATT: "Oh, I heard something
about that tale out there."

ASHLEY: Yeah.
MATT: "Good on you, I guess."

ASHLEY: Would you want to
give a little discount?

(laughter)

ASHLEY: I'm going to
try to persuade him.

MATT: Make a persuasion check.

ASHLEY: Okay.
MATT: With a higher DC.

ASHLEY: Stand by.

(laughter)

TALIESIN: I potentially
made this very hard

and I'm quite pleased.

MATT: Yeah.

ASHLEY: What am I--
SAM: Persuasion.

MATT: (French accent)
Persuasion

I think is how
it's pronounced.

ASHLEY: Oops, cocked.
SAM: Cocked.

ASHLEY: Nine.

LAURA: No.

MATT: "No."

(laughter)

MATT: "Them's my rates."
ASHLEY: Okay.

TRAVIS: It's really
no trouble at all.

ASHLEY: Okay.

SAM: Did someone
say negotiate?

No, I'm kidding.
(laughter)

MATT: Keys are passed out
for the rooms

that are necessitated,

six rooms.

TRAVIS: One, two,
three, four, five.

Six.

MATT: "Very well,
here you go.

"Have a good night."
TRAVIS: Thank you.

MATT: Grins.

Pointy toothy grin.

LAURA: I'll stand up.

Laudna?
MARISHA: Yeah.

Till tomorrow.
LAURA: Basket of food.

It was really wonderful
working with y'all?

See you in the morning.

TALIESIN: It was fun beating
the shit out of people

with you. Or things. Things.

LAURA: Kind of was.
TALIESIN: That was fun.

Felt good.

MARISHA: Sleep tight,
Bertrand.

LAURA: Bertrand hears in
his head as we leave:

Thank you so much.
SAM: Ooh.

TRAVIS: What the
fuck was that?

TALIESIN: The fuck was what?

LIAM: You guys are
going to kill him.

(laughter)

MARISHA: Have a heart attack.

MATT: And they exit into the
now darkened night sky.

SAM: Oh, oh.

MARISHA: Ooh, ooh, ooh!

MATT: The moonlight
breaking down from above,

lighting the stone
across the streets.

Not as busy as the day was,
but still,

folks wandering through,
but you have a straight shot

on to the Windowed Wall.

The rest of you have
your rooms about you

and at your disposal.

MARISHA: How are you feeling
about everything?

LAURA: I feel fine. That was
a little overwhelming.

MARISHA: It was
a lot overwhelming.

LAURA: That was
a lot of people.

MARISHA: Yeah.

LAURA: But, I mean,
it was really interesting

to see a whole bunch
of people that,

you know, kind of do
the same thing that we do.

MARISHA: I agree.

Were they in
your head at all?

Did you get any--?

LAURA: You know,

after what happened
over at the conservatory,

the whole rest of the day
has just been

a bit of a cacophony.

So I didn't really hear
anything particular.

It was kind of hard to
hear the conversation

at the table, to be honest.

But--

Yeah, I mean, everybody
seemed real nice.

MARISHA: Yeah.

Maybe this could get us
that recognition.

LAURA: That's what I'm hoping!

I mean, if we can
get enough notice,

then maybe we can get,
you know,

somebody to
pay attention to us,

and then we can
actually get in.

MARISHA: And if this goes
horribly wrong,

we could always leave.

LAURA: Sure.
MARISHA: We have that option.

LAURA: Yeah.

And worst case scenario,
I mean, make a little coin,

get us some money so we can
actually travel in style.

MARISHA: That would be nice.
LAURA: Yeah.

MARISHA: I've grown to
like Zhudanna, though.

LAURA: I really do like her.

I hope she doesn't
mind that

a few of the eggs
got cracked, but.

MARISHA: Just blame it
on the broom.

LAURA: (chuckles)

She's never going
to believe this.

(chuckles)

MATT: As you both approach the
outside of the Windowed Wall,

you can see at the base,

the massive neighborhood
that is slowly curling up

in different shapes against
the rocky exterior

of the Core Spire base,

these hundreds of abodes and
homes of different colors,

and painted over the rock
on the outside

to stand out against the
patchwork neighborhood

in front of you, you can see
all manner of platforms

and stairways and ladders
that lead up

to different portions of it.

And at this
point in the night,

you can see a lot of the
porches that are built

out in front of these are
filled with the families

and folks that are sitting
out there and looking

at this beautiful view,
because from upward,

more than 30 or so feet and
beyond up the Windowed Wall,

you get a beautiful view,
just past the ledge

of the roads on the
outside of the Spire

and down into the
dark jungle below.

As you eventually
climb your way up,

and it takes about 10 minutes
or so to get up to where,

where she lives,
as I tangle on the name,

you approach the door,
and you can see the door

is partially open,
this little warm light

coming from inside.

And you hear
what sounds like scrubbing.

As you glance through,
you can see the older woman,

her stark white hair
is currently let down

past her shoulder, she's
wearing a comfortable robe,

a softer robe for the night.

And she's in the process of
finishing cleaning up dishes.

Doesn't even notice
your approach.

LAURA: Zhudanna?

MARISHA: Zhudanna!

MATT: "Oh, you've come."

LAURA: You will never believe
what happened to us today

in the market. Now, we got you
the eggs that you wanted,

but a few of them cracked,
sorry about that.

MATT: "That's all right."

LAURA: They'll still be
good for tomorrow.

MATT: "I could cook
them up now."

LAURA: How about,--
We'll tell you what,

We had a really nice meal
already, crazy story.

But we're going to be getting
up first thing in the morning.

So maybe a nice breakfast?

MATT: "All right, I'm more
than happy to do so.

"I hope your day in the city
was enjoyable."

MARISHA: It was fantastic. Here,

let me finish these
dishes for you.

MATT: "Oh, it's fine."
MARISHA: Go sit down!

MARISHA: Please.

MATT: "Very well.
(laughs)"

And she walks over to
her little ottoman cushion

that she sits on when
she does her knitting

or reading a book, and she
stretches out her feet a bit

and slips them into her
slippers and looks back.

MARISHA: Zhudanna?

Have you heard of
a Lord Eshteross?

(snickering)

MATT: "I have."

LAURA: Oh, you have?

MATT: "I have not seen him,

"but he's certainly
one of the--

"one of the odd recluses
of the city."

LAURA: Oh, have you heard
good things, bad things?

MATT: "I've heard
strange things."

LAURA: Great.
MARISHA: All right.

Oh, we're strange recluses.

LAURA: It's true.

MARISHA: Cut from
the same cloth.

MATT: "Who was it he used
to work for, it was,

"what was the name?

"It was a very nice woman,
Mistress Prudaj,

"that a long time ago
lived in that house,

"that estate,

but when she passed,

"Lord Eshteross took over."

LAURA: How long ago was that?

MATT: "Oh, maybe
20 years ago."

LAURA: Okay, wow.

Would you like me to get
some of your knitting?

MATT: "Oh, I've got it
right here, actually."

She leans over and pulls up
some of her stuff, and says,

"I'm thinking about making
you a pair of socks,"

LAURA: (gasps) That would
be just wonderful!

MATT: "Color of preference?"

LAURA: Oh, well,
you know what?

How about a nice color
that matches this scarf?

MATT: "Very well."
LAURA: Thank you.

MATT: She begins quietly,
adjusts her glasses

and focuses on her
work at hand,

as you finish
doing the dishes.

MARISHA: Mm-hmm.

LAURA: We tell her all about
the broom and everything,

and the craziness as she
continues knitting.

MATT: She's knitting, she's
like, "That sounds wild."

(laughter)

Half interested, and also
really focused on her work.

(laughter)

The rest of you retire to your
various rooms for the night.

LIAM: I'm going to get out
into the hallway

and find Bertrand's room.

Give it a little
gunk-gunk-gunk-gunk-gunk.

TRAVIS: (snoring)

SAM: First ship, right here.

(laughter)

TRAVIS: (grunting)

(long throat clear)

Yes?

LIAM: I'm sorry, it's 7:30.
Were you asleep?

TRAVIS: 7:30 in the morning?

LIAM: No, it's still,
it's barely--

TRAVIS: Oh, I don't know.

LIAM: We just saw each other
30 minutes ago downstairs.

TRAVIS: Yes.

LIAM: I'm sorry.
TRAVIS: Who are you?

LIAM: I feel really--

(laughter)

TRAVIS: Oh yes, no, no, no.

I remember, I'm sorry.

I work a lot during the day.

How can I be of service?

(laughter)

LIAM: Gosh, this is stupid.

You said that you know a lot
of talent here in town,

you help sort of
hire or find people

for the type of work
you're talking about.

TRAVIS: (sighs)
From time to time.

I've made quite a name
for myself in various cities,

and so my name carries
a certain weight.

And I know that for a fact,
that this Lord Eshteross

is in need of people,
and for the moment

it seems that
talent is scarce.

LIAM: So people know you,
do you know people?

TRAVIS: I do.

(laughs) I do.

LIAM: Do you know a man
by the name of Breshio?

Oshad Breshio?

TRAVIS: Breshad Breshio?

LIAM: Oshad.
TRAVIS: Oshad Breshio.

Does that kick anything
around in the old noodle?

MATT: Roll a history check.

(laughter)

TRAVIS: Hold on to your butts.

Nine.

MATT: Nope!

TRAVIS: Rashad Brareo.

(laughter)

TALIESIN: His final form.

TRAVIS: It's--
(laughter)

MATT: It's a snapshot
of the future.

(laughter)

TALIESIN: It's a dark mirror.

LIAM: There you go.

SAM: Richard Broborough.

ASHLEY: Richard Branson.

LIAM: I'll just try one more.

What about somebody
named The Anger?

Does that mean
anything to you?

TRAVIS: The Anger?

LIAM: I know it's a long shot.

TRAVIS: No, I do feel like
I would remember someone.

LIAM: It's a specific name.

TRAVIS: It's someone
here in Jrusar?

LIAM: Yeah,
a friend of a friend

of a friend, yeah.

TRAVIS: Sadly, no.

LIAM: Okay.

TRAVIS: A friend of yours,
though, not--?

LIAM: Not of mine, just
someone I know is here.

Somebody capable,
I guess, maybe more so.

So I thought you might
have crossed paths.

TRAVIS: Well, I mean, if his
name is The Anger, I mean,

is it worth bringing him
in on a little venture?

Would he be of asset?

LIAM: Maybe.

Got to track him down first.

TRAVIS: Ah. (sharp inhale)

Perhaps, just perhaps,

we could arrange this
introduction first

and then we can bring him
in on our merry adventures.

LIAM: Okay, yeah,
all right, cool.

Sorry, I didn't mean
to wake you up.

Really good sword work
out there, though.

(laughter)

I look up and down the hall.

(laughter)

TRAVIS: Did you,

did you need anything else?

LIAM: I just sort of take
him by the finger,

and I lead him over.

I think it's time for, this is--

I'm going to go.

TRAVIS: See you in
the morning...

Orn.

(laughter)

LIAM: You got it, Bell.

Good night.

TRAVIS: (snoring)

(laughter)

LIAM: I shut the door and just

soak that really bad
interaction in for a second.

Fuck.

I walk down the hall and
I find Dorian and Fearne.

Come with me.
We show up at your door.

Can we talk in your room
for a minute?

ASHLEY: Yes, yes,
come in, come in.

LIAM: I kind of want
to do this thing,

but I didn't want to speak
for the two of you.

ASHLEY: What thing?

LIAM: What this guy, Bell,
is talking about.

I don't even know
really where to start.

And this seems like
it's probably a dead end,

but it's at least a start.

ROBBIE: We were just
pointed in a direction.

How we achieve what
we're trying to achieve

is up to us, I suppose.

And we don't know anyone here.

LIAM: You okay with it?

ASHLEY: I'm along
for the ride.

I know we have
things to do, but.

ROBBIE: I know you don't like
to take the lead, Orym,

but this is your choice.

LIAM: I think it's stupid,

I don't think it's
going to work,

but there's something

biting at the back of
my brain, I feel like.

ROBBIE: We've done pretty well
with stupid so far.

LIAM: Okay, well, stick with
what works, I guess.

Okay.

ASHLEY: You feel
okay about it?

LIAM: Yeah.

Not going to figure
it out all at once.

This is just day one,
not even.

ASHLEY: Is it okay that
we take this detour?

Will she be okay with it?

LIAM: I think so.

LIAM: If we're lucky,
it's not a detour.

Probably is a detour.

ASHLEY: Just a little one.

ROBBIE: Yeah, we can
take a little detour.

ASHLEY: Yeah.
ROBBIE: Yeah.

ASHLEY: And this
quite a fun group.

LIAM: Yeah, yeah.

ASHLEY: (sighs) Well.

ROBBIE: I don't think
I'm quite ready for bed.

ASHLEY: Oh!

ROBBIE: I'm going to
go down and see what

the tavern has to offer.

Once again, you don't
have to follow me.

You're the leader.

I'm going to go down.
LIAM: Have fun.

ROBBIE: Fair enough.

Fearne?
ASHLEY: I did kind of want

one more glass of
milk and whiskey.

ROBBIE: One, just one.

ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, yeah,
let's go, let's go.

ROBBIE: Come on, come on.
ASHLEY: We'll definitely

sleep better.
ROBBIE: Yes.

TALIESIN: Is Kalliyan
playing cards?

MATT: Currently, yes,
are you guys in two rooms?

SAM: I'm with Ashton.

So if we're still down,
I'm still down.

TALIESIN: I dropped my stuff
off and I was going

to go right back down
and have some drinks

and play some
fucking cards.

SAM: I'd be looking
downstairs for anyone

who looks really,
really tipsy,

super tipsy, or drunk.

Is there anyone?

MATT: At this point
in the day,

there's one person
really drunk.

(laughs) It's 8:30-ish.

SAM: Oh, it's still early.

MATT: It's still early.

SAM: I'm going to
stay down there

till I see someone who's
really, really looking bad.

MATT: Okay.
SAM: And I'll just

watch Ashton.

MATT: Okay, we'll stay between
these conversations and such,

and about 9:30, maybe,
pushing 10:00 or so,

you guys get down there,
while you have been.

TALIESIN: I saw that there's
a card game going on.

I'm going to bet
against the Tower.

MATT: (laughs) Okay,
so you're just carousing.

TALIESIN: Oh yeah.

This is good fun, I got
some money in my pockets.

MATT: Okay, roll a d20 for me.

How much are you ante-ing?

TALIESIN: I rolled 10.

MATT: How much money
are you ante-ing?

TALIESIN: Oh, you know,

I got 10 gold in
my pocket to burn.

MATT: Sure.

MATT: You lose five of it.

TALIESIN: Fair.

SAM: Was that Rollies?
Did we just play Rollies?

MARISHA: Yeah, we did,
we played Rollies, yeah.

LAURA: Seriously?

(laughter)

MARISHA: Betting money
on Rollies.

LAURA: Oh my god, I'm going to
be so addicted to Rollies!

(laughter)

SAM: Guys, Rollies is
the greatest game.

MATT: It's the greatest game.

We'll tell you about it,
it's pretty exciting.

(laughter)

LIAM: You heard it here first.

(laughter)

SAM: While Ashton's playing,

I'm going to roll over
and just say:

Ashton, hey, can I just pick
your brain about something?

TALIESIN: Yeah, yeah, yeah,
no, no, no, yeah.

SAM: So, these new folk
that we've encountered.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

SAM: They seem
very interesting.

TALIESIN: They do.

SAM: Are you okay
if one of them

lied to us a little bit?

MATT: "Don't look
at my cards,"

and a half-giant is on
the side of the table

that you're in between,

pulls the hand back
and goes like--

SAM: Oh, sorry, no--

TALIESIN: Oh, we all know
your cards are shit,

you've got such
a fucking tell.

MATT: "Fuck you."

TALIESIN: Fuck you!

(laughter)

Honestly, if one of
them's lying,

I kind of like them better.

SAM: All right, I just
wanted you to be aware.

TALIESIN: I really
appreciate that.

I mean, clearly,
we've got to know.

I trust you, I trust you.

SAM: You would have
no reason not to.

TALIESIN: No, definitely not.

So how do you feel
about this group?

SAM: Oh, I'm really interested
in digging in with them

and seeing what
they got going on,

because there seems like
a lot of backstory there.

(laughter)

TALIESIN: This is why
we're friends.

I can't wait to see what
sort of shit you uncover.

I can't wait to see what
sort of shit you uncover.

SAM: And I'll turn to
the half-giant?

MATT: Yeah, the goliath.

SAM: I apologize, I did
see all of your cards.

So you might want to just
reshuffle and re-deal.

They're very poor cards.

TALIESIN: You have a tell.

MATT: "Shit."

(laughs) And folds.

(laughter)

Roll again.

Well, first, before you roll,

you still have five more gold,

you said you're ready to burn.
Are you putting that up?

TALIESIN: Yeah, I'll
put that up.

Actually, I'll
put another five.

MATT: So another 10.

SAM: Rollies!
MARISHA and ROBBIE: Rollies.

TALIESIN: One.

(laughter)
ROBBIE: Oh no!

MATT: Ten gold gone.
TALIESIN: Burn it.

ROBBIE: No!

MATT: Best game ever, y'all.

(laughter)

SAM: We'll release
the rule book later.

MARISHA: We're game designing
geniuses.

MATT: It needs some play
testing before we do that.

(laughter)

ASHLEY: I'm going to
saunter over,

I'm going to go see,

I'm going to help Ashton
just a little bit.

ROBBIE: Sure, yeah,
happy with your drink?

ASHLEY: I am.

ROBBIE: All right, one second.

Barkeep, what was
your name again?

MATT: Look over at
the individual

who's there at the edge

"Ishir, Ishir's my name."

ROBBIE: Ishir,
nice to meet you.

My name is Dorian,
and I am a bard.

I was curious if you had any
entertainment for the evening.

MATT: He gives you a real--
It goes from this smiling,

you know, "Patron walks up,"
to "Fucking musician,"

kind of a glare and
gives you a look over.

Make a persuasion check.

ROBBIE: Oh!

Hmm, oy-oy-oy.

That would be a seven.

MATT: Seven. Goes,

"We don't have entertainment
for the evening.

"If you want to play, do it
near the front door.

"That way, if it goes poorly,
it's quicker to kick you out."

ROBBIE: Deal, and listen,
I work for tips.

MATT: "Good luck."

(laughter)

ROBBIE: And I'm very happy
about it now.

LIAM: Got cold in here fast.

(laughter)

ROBBIE: And whereabouts it
normally it would be,

I'm just going to set up
a little spot for me,

I'm going to, you know--

MATT: You go over, and
as you start setting up,

there's a nearby table of

three, soot-covered,

hands covered,
almost miner types.

You see one that's
a half-elf,

probably pretty deep
into his cups.

You see another human

who's youngish, you know,

thin but scraggly,
scratching his neck,

and a half-orc who's in the
process of gargling a drink,

all of them look over at you
set up, and go, "Oh, fuck."

ROBBIE: I will sit down
and I'll pull my lyre out

and tune it,

(string tuning)

not quite right.

And he tunes for a
little bit too long.

And then he looks over
at the half-orc and goes:

What's your favorite song?

MATT: "Jordan, Fetch
My Whiskey."

ROBBIE: Don't know it!

Then I just start
playing whatever.

(laughter)

MATT: You just start going.

Make a performance check
for me.

(laughter)

ASHLEY: Let's go!

(laughter)

ROBBIE: (laughs)
MARISHA: Oh my god!

LAURA: Is it a one?
Tell me it's a one.

ROBBIE: That would be a one.

ASHLEY: Yes!

ROBBIE: Yeah, plus seven.

But yeah, yeah.

MATT: Natural one.
ROBBIE: It's a natural one.

MATT: You get that grin
on your face,

and people are starting to
lean over in anticipation,

"This guy's got some bravado,"
got some confidence.

And there is an air
about you of,

"You don't know what
you're in for."

Ping!

(laughter)

String breaks, first strum in,
immediately.

(various patrons laugh)

Laughter starts picking up
around the space.

ROBBIE: I'll immediately
sink into myself.

LAURA: Aw!
ROBBIE: Put my lyre back,

quietly pick up my things,

accidentally drop one of
them, pick it up again--

(laughter)

ROBBIE: -- and walk back
over to Fearne.

(laughter)

ASHLEY: (gasps)
ROBBIE: Not my best.

ASHLEY: Are you Dorian Storm?

Oh my goodness!

(laughter)

ROBBIE: Please, please,
please.

ASHLEY: You are incredible.

Wow, can you play us
another song?

MATT: (as Ishir) "The great
Dorian Storm,

"feared by all
twangy things."

ASHLEY: Oh, he's amazing,
you have no idea.

MATT: (as patron) "Destroyer
of silence is what I heard."

ROBBIE: All right, I'm going to, fuck!

I'm going to unclip
the handle of my axe,

which is also my flute.

TRAVIS: Oh, shit!

ROBBIE: And I am going to
try one more time to play.

ASHLEY: This is my favorite

instrument that
he plays, actually.

ROBBIE: Please, please, please.

MATT: Make a performance check.

It is a higher DC,
because it's now

turned into a tough crowd.

ROBBIE: Oh no!

(laughter)

ROBBIE: That'd be a
six plus seven, 13.

MATT: 13, 13, okay.

Everyone's waiting for
this to be a disaster,

but it's actually decent,

to the point where
people aren't cheering,

but they've lost interest
in focusing on the music,

and just are letting
it be background now.

They've gone back
to their business.

You do see one.

(laughter)

ROBBIE: It's one of these
flutes, not one of these.

We got to be clarified,
one of these.

MATT: You see from
the back room,

a younger dwarf

woman walks up.

She has a leather vest

over an elbow-cut sleeve.

Her hair is slicked
back and short.

She has some sort of a gem

that is embedded
in her cheek.

You see over one shoulder,

she has herself a lyre

and she walks up and
tosses a gold, and goes,

"It's a tough crowd, honey,
but you're doing the work."

ROBBIE: Hoot. Thank you!

MATT: And she exits.

(laughs)

So you make a gold.

ROBBIE: Yes!

MATT: From another musician
who felt bad for you.

(laughter)

ROBBIE: Thanks, Fearne.

ASHLEY: I'm going to post up,

just lean back
against the bar,

behind the guy that Ashton
is playing cards with.

behind the guy that Ashton
is playing cards with

so I can see his cards

and try to communicate.
MATT: Okay, there's two people

playing cards with Ashton.

There's the half-giant,

and then there's
the large pachydan

who normally
guards the door.

ASHLEY: Okay, so I'm
just going to try

to stand between the two of
them so I can see their cards.

MATT: Okay, make a perception
check from that distance.

Actually, make two
checks for me.

Make a stealth check, and
then a perception check.

SAM: And I'd like to just see
if I notice her doing this.

MATT: Okay, make
a perception check.

ASHLEY: I'm making a
stealth check, okay.

12.

MATT: Okay, what'd you roll?
SAM: 17.

MATT: You definitely
see her doing this.

ASHLEY: Okay.

And now I'm rolling a--
What was the other thing?

MATT: Perception.
ASHLEY: Perception.

Okay.

Oh no.

SAM: Cocked?
ASHLEY: 10.

MATT: 10.

The pachydan,

Towering Kalliyan,
as you know,

twitches over the shoulder

and shifts the cards closer
to their chest,

to where you have
no opportunity to see.

The half-giant is now
scratching their head

in the cards and
completely oblivious.

You can catch out

two of the cards,
but not the full hand.

ASHLEY: Okay.

SAM: I'm going to cast
Detect Thoughts

on the player who's
going, the pachydan.

MATT: Okay.

What's the DC?

SAM: 13.
MATT: 13?

At first, you just get a
brief hit of soupy thoughts,

things that involve,
"What's my play? What--

"No, I feel like
we're being surrounded.

"I certainly hope Ashton's
not trying to play me.

"That would make me angry."

SAM: Not thinking about
his card though, damn it.

MATT: And then goes,
"Well,

"If I drop the
two stones card,

"draw, that might,

"I think I've got
a decent chance."

SAM: Okay, okay.

I'll roll on over to Fearne,

and sort of try to whisper.

ASHLEY: Hello,
Fresh Cut Grass.

SAM: I think he's dropping
a two stones card

and drawing something else.

ASHLEY: Okay, okay,
let's just--

SAM: Take that information and
do with it what you will.

ASHLEY: Great, great, great.

I just look at Ashton.

MATT: "I'm going to say,

"eight more gold in the pot,"

the pachydan says.

And the giant goes,
"Too rich for my tastes."

And goes out, and starts
gathering his things.

And now it's just between
you and the Towering Kalliyan.

Fearne, what are you doing?

ASHLEY: Hmm.

(laughter)

I'm just standing back
here, just looking at him,

just trying to let
them know that I am

halfway seeing
some of the cards here.

TALIESIN: I am so focused
on this shit.

I ain't seen--

I am deep in my weird card
playing showdown fantasy.

I am deep in my weird card
playing showdown fantasy.

MATT: "You in?"

TALIESIN: You motherfucker.

Yep, eight more.

MATT: "Roll."

TALIESIN: Fucking Rollies.

ALL: Rollies.

TALIESIN: Four.

MATT: Five.

ROBBIE and ASHLEY: No!

ROBBIE: Oh no!

SAM: Rollies is--

It's just the
hardest game to master.

It takes a minute to learn,
but a lifetime to master.

(laughter)

MATT: Kalliyan collects
the money.

"Always a pleasure
playing with you."

TALIESIN: Fuck.

MATT: "I'm going to
get a drink,"

and gets up and heads
over towards the bar.

LIAM: That guy:
addicted to Rollies.

(laughter)

SAM: Well, thank you for
trying to help my friend.

ASHLEY: We can work on it.

SAM: We'll have to work on.

ASHLEY: We can make a system.

SAM and ASHLEY: Yeah.

SAM: I think they weren't even
looking at you is the problem.

ASHLEY: I don't think
they were.

TALIESIN: I'm going to
wander back to the bar.

(sighs)

ASHLEY: Well, I'm
going to go to bed.

Good night.

SAM: Good night.

Sleep tight.

TALIESIN: Good night.

ASHLEY: I clock the earring

around his waist
before I go to bed.

TALIESIN: Do you make
any sort of--

Do I notice that
you clock it?

Make a perception.

SAM: Perception, perception,
perception.

TALIESIN: Wow, I'm going to
put this one away.

I got a four.

LIAM: Counter perception.

MATT: I'm going to say
you're too frustrated,

but also the
thrill of losing.

TALIESIN: Sure, no,
I'm into it.

It's a good time.

MATT: Yeah, you
definitely clock it.

ASHLEY: Okay.

Sleep well, you two.

SAM: I don't sleep.
ASHLEY: Oh.

ROBBIE: I-I-I'll
come with you.

ASHLEY: Oh.
ROBBIE: Yeah, that was fun.

Oh, not with you-with you,

I'll go to my room--
ASHLEY: Sure, sure, sure.

ROBBIE: --and you go to yours.
ASHLEY: Okay.

Okay.

TALIESIN: Was it one of these
two that was full of--

So once they're gone--

One of these two that
was full of shit?

SAM: Yeah, it was the very
clean one was full of shit.

TALIESIN: Huh, I wouldn't have
pegged that, interesting.

SAM: Yeah.

We'll just keep
our eyes on him.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

Oh, what time is it?

MATT: At this point,
you're getting

closer to midnight,
I'd say.

SAM: Got to wake up soon.

TALIESIN: Fuck, work, okay.

Time for bed.

SAM: And before I head up,

I'll find the drunkest
person in the place

and give them my room key.

MATT: Okay, the
drunkest person

is passed out on a table.

SAM: I will try to help
them up to the room

and put them to sleep.

(groaning)

MATT: As you pull their
face up, you see a half-orc

with big bushy sideburns
and a receding hairline.

Looks like they're
wearing an outfit

of one of the Wardens,
or the Wilders,

the guard that maintain
the city.

And he looks like
he's a little ragged

and had a rough day.

And he's like, "What?"

SAM: It's all right,
you'll be fine tomorrow.

You just need to sleep.

Here, take this bed.

MATT: "Okay, weird thing."

(laughter)

SAM: I definitely exist.
This isn't a dream.

MATT: "Weird."

And just goes
along with you.

(laughter)

Doesn't even argue.

(laughter)

LIAM: Sometimes I do that
after these games

when I get home.

ALL: Oh, weird.

(laughter)

MATT: All right, so everyone
go off to bed for the night?

TALIESIN: Long rest.

MATT: All right, long rest.

SAM: Oh, so many things.
MARISHA: Oh my gosh.

TALIESIN: Been so long.

MARISHA: You guys, first long
rest in campaign three.

(cheering)

LIAM: First Rollies,
first long rest.

ROBBIE: Bertrand's had,
like, four, though.

(laughter)

TRAVIS: I wake up at
5:00am naturally.

(laughter)

(laughter)

MATT: Eventually, you all
take your mornings

and gather on the outside
of the Spire by Fire Inn

and gather on the outside
of the Spire by Fire Inn

and collect yourselves
to meet with Bertrand

onto what your plans
are for the day.

Bertrand, as you
see them assembled,

the day is yours.

TRAVIS: Hi, sleepy heads.

About time.

LAURA: Morning.

TRAVIS: My third bowl
of Grape Nuts.

(laughter)

How did everyone sleep?

(laughter)

SAM: Fine, fine.

TALIESIN: Fine.
LIAM: Like a baby.

TRAVIS: And ladies, your
travel was uneventful, safe?

MARISHA: Yes.
LAURA: Yeah.

Same as it always.

TRAVIS: Well, should we get
some food in our stomachs

and then be on our way?

I'm sure Lord Eshteross will
be thrilled to see all of you.

LAURA: Oh, I already ate,
but thank you.

TRAVIS: Very well.

Anyone else?

TALIESIN: I'll definitely
take some food.

LIAM: I'll grab and go.

TALIESIN: Yeah, we can
grab and go.

ASHLEY: Yeah.

TRAVIS: My little friend,

is there something that
you would care to, uh, eat?

SAM: I ate.

I ate some nails last night
and I am fine now.

So thank you for
asking, though.

MARISHA: How often do you
have to eat nails?

SAM: Just when I need to
just prepare myself.

And it's not always nails,

it's whatever I need.
MARISHA: That's fascinating.

TALIESIN: Mm-hmm.

TRAVIS: Insight check.

MATT: Make an insight check.

SAM: Don't know
why I'm rolling.

(laughter)

I need to eat nails.

(laughter)

Or other pieces of metal.

(laughter)

LAURA: That's an
interesting thing, though.

You eat the metal

and then your body
just repairs itself?

SAM: It's a very
complicated system

that Dancer sort of
made for me.

And yes, it's a
self-repairing system.

You know, I didn't
design it,

so I don't quite know
how it works,

but it needs raw materials
to operate.

LAURA: Yeah, it's
just amazing.

LIAM: Is there any sort of...

I don't know how to ask this.

ROBBIE: Waste.
LIAM: Byproduct?

SAM: Oh, that's a
fine question.

I mean, sometimes I
have to consume rocks

that have metal in them

and the rock part that
I don't really need,

the minerals that I
don't use, I just sort of--

LAURA: You puke it back out.
ASHLEY: You regurgitate.

LIAM: Like an owl.

SAM: Yeah, yeah.

LIAM: Or a...

LAURA: Interesting.

SAM: Yeah.

It's sometimes it takes
a little while to get it up.

So if you hear
me go (gagging).

TALIESIN: I can't
look at that.

SAM: That's why--
LAURA: I almost started--

SAM: That's why
I'm doing that.

ROBBIE: That's why, huh?

SAM: Yeah.
(laughter)

MARISHA: I was wondering how
long you were going to commit.

(laughter)

(gagging)
(groaning)

LAURA: Thank you.

MARISHA: That was just in
5.1 surround sound.

SAM: You, uh...

TRAVIS: Do you have control
over when you regurgitate,

or is it just whenever
the spirit moves you?

SAM: No, I can control it.

If it disturbs you, I can
do it when I'm alone.

LAURA: Yeah--

MARISHA: Honestly--
LAURA: I mean, no, it's fine.

ASHLEY: I don't mind
it at all.

TALIESIN: It's
strangely calming.

SAM: I like you so much.

MATT: You hear Ishir from
about 20 feet back go,

"I don't mean
any offense here,

"but if you're
going to go ahead

"and continue
those sort of sounds

"amongst my other
breakfast eating patrons,

"I'ma ask you to do it
outside, if you don't mind."

SAM: Absolutely fine.
MATT: "Thank you."

SAM: Maybe we just grab and go.

LAURA: I'll just wait outside
of the tavern today.

I'm not going to go in.
MATT: Okay.

So you grab yourselves
some food.

You're paying for it?

TALIESIN: Yes.

(laughter)

TRAVIS: Put it on my tab.

(laughter)

MATT: "You don't have a tab."

TRAVIS: Okay.

(laughter)

MATT: Four silver for
everyone's grab and go meal.

(laughter)

TRAVIS: No tab.

He's a joker. (chuckles)

Let's go.
(laughter)

ASHLEY: That's good.

TRAVIS: Oh, I'm
leading the way!

Yes, I'm sure it's this way.

Follow me.

(laughter)
LAURA: Oh my gosh.

TRAVIS: Start making our way
towards Eshteross Manor.

TALIESIN: We're going to
get lost, aren't we?

TRAVIS: No, no, no.

LAURA: Sir Bell?
Mr. Bertrand, sir--

TRAVIS: You can
call me Bertrand.

LAURA: Bertrand, how long have
you been an associate

of Mr. Lord Eshteross?

TRAVIS: (sighs)

A few months.

LAURA: Oh, all right.

Have you been in the city
that long or longer?

TRAVIS: Oh, much longer.

Jrusar in particular just
the past few months,

but I try and visit all
the beautiful areas of Marquet

that I can.

So much to take in
and so little time.

ROBBIE: Very little time.

TRAVIS: Yes.

ROBBIE: Hm.

TRAVIS: Yes.

But he's a wonderful man,
as is his lady.

And I think you'll
find him very entertaining.

He has a strange
manner about him.

LAURA: Great.

LIAM: What does that mean?

TRAVIS: He can be
a bit mysterious.

He has an interesting charm.

Hard to pin down.

SAM: We'll see soon
enough, I suppose.

TALIESIN: Yeah.

LAURA: How was y'all's night?

TALIESIN: Expensive.

LAURA: Oh, really? I thought
Mr. Bertrand was paying for--

TALIESIN: Oh, I played cards.
LAURA: Oh.

You know, I'm real
good at cards.

TALIESIN: Really?
LAURA: Mm-hmm.

TALIESIN: We should
play some time.

I would be delighted
to lose money to you.

LAURA: You definitely would.

TALIESIN: That's not
an impressive feat,

if that means anything.

SAM: If you don't mind,

I did an awful lot of talking
about myself yesterday,

but we didn't really get
much about you and Laudna.

Why are you two
strong individuals

moving about the city?

What are you out for?

LAURA: Oh, you know, we just
started, you know,

Laudna came through my town
a couple of years back,

and we hit it off real well,

and, um, just decided to
start traveling together.

And, you know, we like to
tour around Marquet

and just see different--

SAM: So you're
like backpackers?

LAURA: A bit, yeah.

You know, we came to Jrusar

because we heard it had
a wonderful, you know,

just all these different

restaurants and places.

You know, I-I-I'm just
not real good at this.

W-w-we're going to
the Conservatory.

I just really wanted
to go to the Conservatory.

MARISHA: We're looking
for answers.

LIAM: What's the Conservatory?
SAM: Answers?

LAURA: Oh, t-t-the, um,
let me just tell you.

The Starpoint Conservatory,
actually,

is this really uppity, um...

MARISHA: University.
LAURA: Yeah.

MARISHA: School.

LAURA: That has, apparently,
a wide range of books

and things that
you can research

if maybe you go there and
pay tuition or whatever.

And, you know, it's just
real hard to get in

and we've been
trying for a while,

but, apparently,
what you need is clout.

So hopefully w-w-we
will get some.

TRAVIS: Of course,
the Starpoint--

I actually sponsor
a section of the library.

TALIESIN: Oh, for fuck's sake.
LAURA: You do not!

TRAVIS: I do.

LAURA: Well, we didn't
even have to find--

MARISHA: Can you
give us access, then?

LAURA: Yeah, could you maybe

write a letter
of recommendation

or walk us in?

That would be the
most amazing thing.

TRAVIS: Yes. Not a problem.

LAURA: Can I--
TALIESIN: Insight check.

LIAM: Do you need it?

TALIESIN: Natural 20.

LAURA: Mm.

MATT: Make a deception check

or a persuasion check,
up to you.

LAURA: I'm going to just
cast Detect Thoughts,

because I want to
hear it right away.

MARISHA: Yeah.

TRAVIS: Six.

(laughter)

LAURA: Can I cast Detect
Thoughts on Bertrand, though?

MATT: If you want to.
LAURA: Yes.

MATT: Are you using
your feature, or the--

LAURA: No, there's a lot of
people around here right now.

I'm going to cast.

MATT: Okay, so use
it as a spell.

Go ahead and make a...

Is it a charisma saving throw
or a wisdom saving throw?

LAURA: That would be,
I don't know.

Is that a 2nd-level spell?
MATT: It is.

LAURA: Motherfucker.

It's a wisdom save.

MATT: So make a
wisdom saving throw.

TRAVIS: First wisdom
saving throw.

Modifier of zero.
Get on the tray!

Ooh, natural 19.

LAURA: Come on.
MARISHA: Oh fuck!

TRAVIS: Mind like
a steel trap.

MATT: So you don't carve
too deep into his mind,

but you definitely see
a bit of bullshittery.

but you definitely see
a bit of bullshittery.

TALIESIN: Huh.

SAM: So you just
want to go to school

for the glory of education?
LAURA: I don't-- no.

I don't care about school.
No-- I, you know--

TALIESIN: That's a
fancy fucking school.

LAURA: It's just really hard--
MARISHA: She's very gifted.

Naturally gifted.

ASHLEY: You're both
very gifted.

LAURA: Thank you.

But no, yeah, it's just a
means to an end, if you will.

I just really want to learn.
SAM: What's the end?

LAURA: About just
different things.

You know, I-I-I would
like to know

where this stuff comes from.

MARISHA: Focus, I think

the little one said.
SAM: This stuff?

Oh, magic.
LAURA: Sure.

TRAVIS: Have you tried
applying as a student?

LAURA: No.
MARISHA: They were very

enigmatic about how to apply.

TRAVIS: Oh, well it's all
about who you know,

like any sort of
application,

you can just run
it up the chain.

MARISHA: Yeah, so they
keep telling us.

TALIESIN: Yeah, you should
have your parents

write you a letter.

MARISHA: (groans)

LAURA: Yeah.

TRAVIS: This would be an
excellent start for that.

I'm sure the lord and lady
(clicks tongue)

will put in a good word.
LAURA: I mean, that's

what I am hoping, sir.
TALIESIN: If you say so.

MATT: About this time,

you come upon the exterior
of an impressive estate

of deep red rock and teal
stone accents throughout it.

Framed with wrought iron,
it is beautiful

and least three stories,
not built into the rock,

but emerging a bit from
it with a courtyard

and a high metal fence
around it.

You can see the massive,
almost patina-ed wooden door

You can see the massive,
almost patina-ed wooden door

that sits at the front

with metal bars
across the front,

not from an actual
barring standpoint

from a design standpoint,

with a beautiful brass door
knocker on the front.

TRAVIS: Okay.

We're here.

Just follow my lead.

Keep your chins up.

Stand up straight.

Straight.

Straight, Ashton.

That's good enough.

Keep your hands to yourself,
don't touch anything,

and do as I do.

Nothing to worry about.

ROBBIE: Bertrand, do they
know we're coming?

TRAVIS: (laughs)

What kind of question is that?

They expect me at all hours.

(heavy knocking)

MATT: There's a brief pause.

TRAVIS: Frau Blücher.

LIAM: (horse whinnying)

MATT: (door creaking)

The door opens
slightly, and there

you see standing
in the doorway,

a middle-aged elven woman,

with light auburn hair.

Bits of lighter color
near the temples.

You see she is
wearing a shawl

that has a simple but

well-made dress of
black and silver.

And she peeks out
around the door.

"Hello?

"Sir Bell."
TRAVIS: (exhales)

MATT: "I'm uncertain the
master was expecting you."

TRAVIS: I-I-I believe
he said to drop by

whenever I procured
additional talent.

MATT: "Just a moment."

(resonating thump)
The door closes.

TRAVIS: He has many
servants and whatnot.

It's hard to be on
a first name basis.

SAM: Of course.

MATT: (door creaking open)

"The master
will see you.

"Come this way.

"I will ask to follow me
and follow me directly.

"Do not wander,

"at your own safety at hand.

"So careful."

You enter the interior
of this chamber

and it is very, very,
very low light.

You can immediately see

it's a beautiful interior
of dark wood halls

and a staircase that
ascends upstairs.

There are a number of
decorative statuettes

placed on small tables

and intricate inlays
amongst the marble,

almost gold leafing
in the corners.

It is a very, very amazing,
old, beautiful house.

It all looks extremely
dusty and there is,

other than a
handful of lanterns,

all the windows
are closed.

There's very little
interior light.

She leads you to the right,
down the right-hand hallway.

And then eventually, partway
through that hallway

to the left, there is a door
that is partially open

and she goes, "The master will
see you inside his study."

SAM: Thank you.

ASHLEY: What was your name?

MATT: "I'm Evelyn Wress, I am
the caretaker of the master,

"Lord Ariks Eshteross."

TRAVIS: Everyone be calm.

SAM: Sure.

TRAVIS: Here we go.

Push the door open.

MATT: All right.

As you all step
inside the chamber,

immediately you see
the crackling fireplace

across the room

that is one of the
only light sources

of the interior space.

You can see torches on
the walls, magically lit,

that slightly crackle.

All you can hear is

the snapping of wood
across the way.

With what light that
goes across this,

and it's a long study,

it's just open,
ominous space.

Across the floor, you see two
fur rugs of massive beasts,

what looks like a tiger and a bear,

that have been laid out in
the center of the chamber

for decor.

You can see shelves
of books on both sides.

It looks like
a desk and decorations

and banners hanging
from the walls.

And across the way,
facing the fireplace,

away from you, is
a tall-backed, leather chair.

As you all enter the chamber.

And Evelyn steps in behind you

and stands in the doorway.

There's a pause.

A voice goes, "Sir Bertrand,

"it has been a moment

"since you stained my abode
with your empty bravado.

"Did anyone see you enter?"

TRAVIS: Ah, no.

I can't imagine anyone
would be looking.

We came early.

MATT: "And why do you return?"

TRAVIS: Well, Lord Eshteross,

I know you have a
keen eye for talent

and for those that might
assist you in your endeavors.

And I know it's been
(chuckles) a few months

since we last were
able to work together.

And I must say,

I don't know if you heard
of the dust up yesterday

in front of the Spire by Fire,

but these individuals here

handled the situation
marvelously. (coughs)

MATT: "Word has come
to my ears of this...

"event.

"You seem to speak highly
of these individuals.

"How long have
you known them?"

TRAVIS: Oh... (clears throat)

I just met them yesterday.

But I've seen more than enough

to know that they
would handle anything

that you threw at them.

MATT: Evelyn steps around
and heads to the chair

and grabs the back
and pulls it

with a little (squeaking).

And begins to arrange it
as a figure stands and turns.

You see, standing
about six foot two,

broad-shouldered, in a deep
crimson burgundy robe,

with a high collar,
some sort of a scarf

that's laying around
the shoulders, wider neck,

an older, full-blood orc

of grayish skin.

A pair of spectacles

that are affixed
behind the ears.

A well-trimmed, like a
Van Dyke goatee and beard,

but bald on top.

And you can see, with
what little bit of light

catches the side of
the face, old scars.

Turns around.

In his left hand, you can see
there is a solid metal cane,

with a heavy ball at
the end that he clutches

that hits the wood
with a heavy impact

as he spins.

Evelyn pushes the chair back
in behind him and he sits.

She returns back
to the doorway.

He goes and rests the cane
at the side of the chair

and leans forward.

And with a little bit of light
that's crackling

from the torches on
the sides of the walls,

you can see he's
in his later years,

but that doesn't mean
there isn't a power

and a presence to him.

"Do you lot feel
as confident?

"Do you believe

"that you have much to offer?"

MARISHA: I guess it
depends on the context.

MATT: "What do you want?"

LAURA: Oh, um.

ASHLEY: In general, or--?

That's a very large question.

MATT: "Guileful Bertrand."

TRAVIS: No, a-a-apologies,
my lord.

They seek coin,

and merely the opportunity
to prove themselves to you

and to make a name
for themselves in Jrusar,

and I assured them that you

were the ideal person

to do such a thing.

MATT: "So you come to my
abode to prove yourself?"

LAURA: In a manner of
speaking, yeah.

MATT: He gives a nod and

Evelyn steps of
out of the room

and closes to the door
behind her.

He sits there and
places his hand on his cane.

MARISHA: Did she
lock the door?

MATT: Make a perception check.

MARISHA: 14.
MATT: 14?

You faintly hear (clicking).

He stands up out of his chair.
MARISHA: Unsettling.

MATT: "Then show me."

MARISHA: Oh, shit.

MATT: He throws the cane up
in the air and catches it.

MARISHA: Oh.

MATT: And rushes.

SAM: Ah!
LAURA: Oh fuck.

MATT: That's where we're
ending the episode tonight.

(groaning, shouting)

MARISHA: Fighting old men!

TALIESIN: I was so hoping we'd
get to fight an old guy.

This is great.

MATT: Next episode, you may.
You may.

LIAM: This campaign is about
silver foxes only.

MATT: I mean, I'm here for it,
I'm not going to lie.

SAM: Only furniture
and old people.

(laughter)

SAM: It's that high fantasy
that everyone wants.

(laughter)

MATT: Aw yeah.

MARISHA: Oh shit!

TRAVIS: It's going down.

SAM: Man.

LAURA: I don't want to wait.

ALL: ♪ For our
lives to be over ♪

MATT: Man, that was too easy.
MARISHA: Oh.

LIAM: A layup.

MATT: Well, there you go,

we're off.
LIAM: Wow.

MATT: First episode
in the campaign.

New campaign, who dis?

TRAVIS: Third campaign!
MATT: Yeah.

(cheering)
MATT: Ah!

SAM: Oh, the set looks
amazing behind you right now.

MARISHA: Yeah.
ASHLEY: So beautiful.

MATT: Everyone did
such a fine job.

MARISHA: The cues all
look so good.

MATT: Everyone did
such a good job.

MARISHA: Everything looked
so great.

LIAM: So many people
worked so hard.

Thank you.

MARISHA: Thank you.
LIAM: Thank you.

MARISHA: Production team!

ASHLEY: Yeah!
TALIESIN: Yeah!

MARISHA: Production team!

MATT: Thank you all
for making this happen.

Thank you all for joining
us at home and at large.

We're get to pick
this up next week

and see where this goes.

But one, so happy to
have you join us, Robbie,

into these adventures.
(cheering)

LAURA: Robbie, I'm so
glad you're here.

ROBBIE: It's so fun.
MARISHA: Yeah.

MATT: Thank you for
joining us, and

is it Thursday yet?

Good night.

(cheering)

TALIESIN: Yeah!