Anthony 0:00
Greetings, adventurers, and welcome to the Adventure Incorporated Podcast. I am your Dungeon Master, Anthony Reed. This is Episode Seven, and it is part of the New Beginnings story arc. I want to thank the patrons at patreon.com/adventureinc who listen to this show and get value out of it, and it means something to them enough that they want to support it financially in the ways that they can. I appreciate that so much that they see what we’re trying to do as something worth having in their lives, and that’s so special. So, I want to thank all of them so much for contributing to the show, for all the bonus stuff we get to do like the tavern nights where we’re doing our live streaming, or the bonus episodes, or the Beholder Streams. That is all because of the patrons, for the patrons. It’s such a joy to be able to be a part of. All that bonus content is there for you too. You can go and check it out at patreon.com/adventureinc. If you’re not a patron, you can be one and get access to all of those things, and support the show at the same time in a very tangible and real way. There are things that we can do with the show, like the transcripts for every episode, for instance, that we just couldn’t do without patrons. So I’m so grateful to everyone who makes this show possible in a very real way. Every once in a while we have an episode where I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I just want to go and do it, and so that’s what we’re gonna do because it’s happening, man. We are now in full swing. So, thank you for being here, and let’s get started.
Nobles and farmers, knights and scoundrels gather round, gather round to hear a tale of excitement and mystery. Brave adventurers, facing grave dangers. Belroth, the Ranger.
Belroth 2:15
She’s a grimalkin. That’s understood. No pets allowed. Even though she’s not a pet. I will wait outside. Everyone, if anyone needs anything. I am outside.
Anthony 2:24
Skarpin, the Cleric.
Belroth 2:27
Should I just try and snipe them from over here?
Skarpin 2:29
Yeah, okay. I did say they were as good as dead. I would hate to break my word on our first contract with Adventure Incorporated.
Anthony 2:37
Ellori, the Bard.
Ellori 2:41
We would want you to leave this warehouse.
Anthony 2:44
He points behind you. Church!
Ellori 2:46
Oh, sorry. We want you to leave this church.
Anthony 2:51
Deeran, the wizard. He say you no, worship Shattered Fang.
Deeran 2:56
Yeah, man. He’s like, super wrong. We love Broken Tooth, uh Shattered Fang, man.
Anthony 3:01
Prepare yourselves, for these are the tales of Adventure Incorporated.
You are standing in a long entryway, inside this temple here on the Demon Isles. There is a silence over this place, one that despite the buffeting, raging energy outside, inside, you hear almost nothing. The hallways echo as you move slowly through them. Along the sides of this entry way there are a few side rooms set up. It looks like maybe just from glancing through the doors that are all open. There’s some stuff scattered everywhere. They seem to be sleeping quarters off of this main entry chamber.
Ellori 3:59
Hey, guys, I don’t know how, uh. It seems really important outside, but it also seems like we need to take a little rest before we try to do anything more.
Skarpin 4:19
I don’t feel great.
Ellori 4:22
Like, I know that the guards outside didn’t lead us here to take a nap, but…
Deeran 4:33
I don’t know, you guys. That seems like a really bad idea. Things are, like pretty crazy out there.
Belroth 4:44
How much time would we have? How much time do we realistically have to wait?
Skarpin 4:51
Probably not long enough, that’s true. We had a quick rest earlier, and that seemed to exhaust some resources that I would use now. So yeah, Deeran, maybe now we push on.
Deeran 5:09
I mean, look, man, like, if anybody wants to stop, you know, it’s “me too”. But like, I don’t know, guys,
Ellori 5:22
It just seemed pretty fortuitous that we come all this way into this temple, and the first thing we see is sleeping chambers off to our right. Unanimously, the first thing we all noticed was sleeping chambers.
Deeran 5:41
It’s definitely like, serendipity or whatever. Oh, maybe we should sleep. Maybe like-
Ellori 5:49
It’s like the universe is directing us to nap.
Deeran 5:52
Yeah, man, maybe it’s a sign. Maybe that’s the way to do the magic thing. You know, like, maybe we have- Skarpin
Anthony 6:01
The ground beneath your feet rumbles.
Deeran 6:05
As soon as I say his name?
Anthony 6:06
Yeah.
Deeran 6:07
Oh my god, man, it’s true! Skarpin, this is a sign, man.
Skarpin 6:14
What? A sign for what?
Deeran 6:15
Check it out, dude! You’re like a dream guy, right?
Skarpin 6:22
Yes.
Deeran 6:23
And this like is a church, man.
Skarpin 6:26
Yes.
Deeran 6:27
And those are sleeping chambers.
Skarpin 6:31
They appear to be, yes.
Deeran 6:33
And we’re all tired, man!
Skarpin 6:35
Oh, I see where you’re going.
Deeran 6:37
Like, put all the pieces together, man.
Anthony 6:39
I need Perception checks.
Belroth 6:47
Belroth is actively looking around. I rolled a 21.
Deeran 6:52
Wow, Belroth, I feel like you weren’t listening to Deeran.
Belroth 7:00
Can’t imagine why.
Anthony 7:03
So, as you have entered into this space- Belroth, you have Freya with you, right?
Belroth 7:12
Yeah.
Anthony 7:13
She’s laying down in the corner, exhausted from the travel.
Deeran 7:19
Sleepy kitty.
Anthony 7:22
They’re discussing things behind you, and you have set up to, you know, try and figure out what’s going on around here. You hear the sound of creatures scraping claws against stone coming from deeper in this temple headed toward you.
Belroth 7:41
Guys, I don’t think we have time to sleep. We might have company. Everyone might want to ready their weapons. Belroth, crouching next to Freya because he was scratching her belly, pulls out his bow and arrow and nocks an arrow and waits to see what comes through.
Deeran 8:02
What if we just hide from them?
Ellori 8:04
In the sleeping chambers!
Deeran 8:06
Are you making fun of the waiver in my voice right now?
Ellori 8:13
No, I’m just so tired.
Deeran 8:17
All right, cool. Never mind. Sorry. Like, I’m just, you know, self-conscious. But yeah, let’s hide in there.
Belroth 8:25
Hiding seems like a good idea.
Skarpin 8:28
I’ll take this one over here.
Belroth 8:30
Come on, girl. And like tries to move a cat, which is, if you’ve ever tried to do, impossible.
Deeran 8:37
So, you fail?
Belroth 8:39
I assume?
Anthony 8:40
No, I think she is aware of imminent danger, and so while she is very tired, she follows you into one of the chambers. So I’m going to need Stealth checks from everyone as you try to do this quickly with, you know, creatures on their way.
Deeran 9:00
Also, we shut the door behind us.
Anthony 9:02
Certainly.
Ellori 9:04
Quietly.
Anthony 9:08
We’ll see how quietly you do it. That’s why I want Stealth checks.
Skarpin 9:15
3.
Ellori 9:18
16.
Anthony 9:19
So, okay.
Skarpin 9:23
We split the party?
Deeran 9:25
I did do better than Mikey.
Anthony 9:26
You did do better than Mikey. I think Ellori and Belroth, you two quickly duck into side rooms, and shut the door quietly. Deeran, I think maybe you go for the same one that Ellori was going to. Ellori gets in there first. You’re like, “oh sorry, man”, and then you go to the farthest one away. So, as people are coming down the hallway, you’re like still scrambling to get into place. And Skarpin you realize you don’t fit through the doorway. You’re too wide. That shell of yours.
Skarpin 10:08
Which one?
Anthony 10:09
Yes.
Skarpin 10:11
One of them’s more easily turned sideways.
Anthony 10:15
That’s true. Although it’s difficult to turn them both sideways simultaneously. That’s the real problem.
Skarpin 10:21
If I had more time I could figure this out.
Anthony 10:23
Right, it’s like a puzzle.
Skarpin 10:28
Oh, no, oh, no, oh no.
Anthony 10:31
So, as you are still in in this entryway Skarpin you, now exposed to this room, and Deeran in you as well, you see, 4 small, imp-like creatures. There are 4 small creatures, similar to the ones you saw outside: the ones with sort of bulky creatures with human-like faces and claws. Those creatures, 4 of them are coming down the hallway. Behind them, two figures in armor, humanoid. They look like Belroth, except different. Their features are almost like a caricature of them. The features are enhanced in ways. There are wider horns sweeping off the head, like a different shape to the bone structure of the face, enough to make you think of a tiefling but something very strange and different about these creatures. They see you, Deeran and Skarpin, and they say, what is happening here? Intruders? What do you hope to accomplish?
Skarpin 11:50
Oh, is just the way to the restroom? It’s just a little small, this door here. Is it just down this way? I’ll head this way. Don’t worry about me.
Deeran 11:57
Yeah man, we were like, just here before and then all this started happening, and it made me have to pee.
Anthony 12:07
Very much. So give me Deception checks.
Skarpin 12:12
I wish Skarpin had participated in the deception, this would have gone better.
Deeran 12:20
Deeran like crosses his legs convincingly. 21
Skarpin 12:24
Oooo. 18.
Anthony 12:28
Okay.
Belroth 12:28
Nobody knows how a turtle pees, so I’d believe you.
Deeran 12:33
Through a cloaca, Rob.
Belroth 12:35
Oh, well, now everybody knows.
Anthony 12:40
So you get met back by stunned silence from these creatures. The four little bulky creatures trudge their way out of the building right past you. They were given instructions. But these other two, they seem confused by what you’ve said. You know, you don’t know that they’ve bought it, per se, but they definitely haven’t acted on this information.
Deeran 13:11
Come on, man, is this the room? Deeran gestures to the door that he was trying to go through.
Anthony 13:17
Uh, you cannot be here.
Deeran 13:22
Just real quick, man, come on!
Anthony 13:25
He turns to the other, and he says, “secure the ritual chamber”. The creature nods and heads back up the hallway.
Skarpin 13:35
Now that we’re here, what is going on here?
Deeran 13:38
No, just tell me about the bathroom, man. Come on!
Anthony 13:44
There is no bathroom here. You will not get access to this place. Be gone!
Deeran 13:50
Look at all the pews, man. There’s no way you can have this many people in here without a restroom. Come on!
Anthony 13:57
I don’t… Go outside! Give me a Persuasion check. Don’t forget that your ability checks- well, I guess only Mikey, yeah, you’re Exhausted.
Deeran 14:18
What level Exhaustion am I?
Anthony 14:21
You’re 2.
Deeran 14:23
Okay, so what is that? Where is Exhaustion? I do have Disadvantage. Okay.
Skarpin 14:31
It would have been a 16.
Deeran 14:33
So my Persuasion is 11.
Anthony 14:38
Okay.
Skarpin 14:40
Let’s roll this.
Anthony 14:45
You need to leave now. Both of you. You are not welcome here.
Deeran 14:52
And it’s just the one?
Anthony 14:53
It is now just the one creature, yes.
Deeran 14:58
Deeran shoots eyes at Skarpin, really quickly.
Skarpin 15:04
Skarpin makes eye contact.
Deeran 15:08
Yeah, and then Darren’s eyes roll white back in his head, the hair floats up again really quickly. He grabs the necklace around his neck and a dark lightning bolt flies out of it. He casts Witch Bolt.
Skarpin 15:25
I hate when he does that with his eyes.
Deeran 15:30
It’s a ranged spell attack. 15 to hit.
Anthony 15:38
No, not gonna hit. You fire off the Witch Bolt, and he actually- it crackles into his armor and bounces off, like tearing off to the side, like ricocheting away. He says, you are here to stop this. Well, you are too late. And he draws his hand forward, and a dark rift of energy opens behind him. And Skarpin, for you, this energy is similar to the energy you felt when you use to Detect Magic. It’s almost like an absence of energy in this place, like it’s drawing in. From it a large creature, 2 heads on this dog-like beast, veins of magma running across its body, steps out of this portal. As it steps, everywhere its foot touches fire flares up on the stones around its feet, and they begin to melt. He says, deal with it. I must go back. The ritual is almost done. And he turns and walks away. Roll initiative.
Belroth 16:49
Oh boy. Belroth is in another room, so natural 1, which would be a 6.
Anthony 17:01
I don’t know if a initiative is actually at Disadvantage, but you’re Exhausted. I’m saying, you know what, let’s make it a thing.
Skarpin 17:09
It’s a 4.
Deeran 17:11
Well then mine’s a 4 as well.
Skarpin 17:14
You’re busy. You already did something.
Deeran 17:17
It had been an 18.
Ellori 17:21
I got a 6. Awesome.
Belroth 17:23
I got an also 6.
Skarpin 17:25
We’re bad.
Belroth 17:28
We were surprised!
Ellori 17:29
We’re exhausted. We’re sleepy.
Skarpin 17:34
Are the two of you in the room sleeping, and you just hear this?
Ellori 17:38
No, I imagine it’s pretty easy to hear.
Anthony 17:46
Yeah.
Ellori 17:47
So, once we go in, we heard the confrontation start, and Ellori would have had her ear pressed to the door to see if they were able to get themselves out of it.
Anthony 17:55
Belroth and Ellori, what you guys realize when you enter these rooms, it looks like- so we’ll put a pin in what’s happening outside the room for a moment, just to talk about what’s happening inside these rooms. These rooms look like they were used very recently, like today. They have people’s belongings in them, but they have also been absolutely ransacked. Everything’s been torn apart, thrown everywhere. The beds have been ripped apart. They have just been destroyed, but it looks like everything is new and current. So, these were rooms that were being used and now are in bad shape. But yes, the door is thin enough that you’re able to hear what’s been going on, and you know shit has gone sideways. So, the creature charges forward. The first one goes for Skarpin. As it charges towards you, you can feel the heat coming off of this creature. It runs up and tries to like throw its paws out at you, and then it also tries to bite down onto you with its heads. So, when was it throws its paws up, you get your shield up, and it slams against it, and, you know, it’s hot. It doesn’t like destroy your shield or whatever, but you can see the lines of magma that seemed to stream through this creature as part of its being. It does bite down onto you hard with one of its heads. The two heads are barking, hot spit coming from their mouths. As one of them slams its teeth down into you, you take 6 damage.
Skarpin 19:53
Skarpin’s down.
Anthony 19:58
Okay, it’s your turn. Give me a Death Saving Throw, Skarpin.
Skarpin 20:04
I’ll go last. 18.
Anthony 20:11
18? Nice. Okay.
Deeran 20:16
Oh, if you come back from being downed, does that fix your Exhaustion?
Anthony 20:25
I doubt it.
Belroth 20:27
It’s not Shadow poison or whatever?
Anthony 20:30
I think the only thing that fixes Exhaustion is Long Rests, and I actually think you have to rest a number of days equal to your level.
Deeran 20:37
Yes, every time you Rest, you get one level back.
Anthony 20:41
It’s not even a long rest. It’s like non-adventuring time.
Deeran 20:47
Yeah, yeah.
Ellori 20:48
Oh my god. All right.
Skarpin 20:51
Skarpin is Long Resting right now.
Belroth 20:54
Very long rest.
Ellori 20:57
Ellori is going to run out of the room, and she will throw her chakram at this thing.
Anthony 21:08
Okay.
Ellori 21:12
16.
Anthony 21:13
That hits.
Ellori 21:17
For 6 damage.
Anthony 21:20
Okay.
Ellori 21:21
That’s gonna be the beefiest I get, y’all. So I hope you heal yourselves.
Belroth 21:31
Anthony, quick scan of the room I’m in. I mean, is there anything useful that isn’t ransacked?
Anthony 21:38
Like what?
Belroth 21:41
Some sort of a weapon or magical thing that I could potentially throw at this beast.
Anthony 21:48
You do not see any weapons here. You don’t see any weapons in here. You throw objects, like improvised objects, but you don’t get the sense that that would be-
Belroth 22:01
Nope, got it. Belroth bursts out of the room that he’s in, sees Skarpin down. Hunters Mark on this magma beast. Here we go. So, I make an attack.
Skarpin 22:19
I thought you were going to say, “and he heals him”.
Belroth 22:22
I don’t have the ability to.
Skarpin 22:26
Okay.
Belroth 22:29
15.
Anthony 22:30
That hits.
Belroth 22:32
So, I deal d8 plus another d8. Nope, d6. D8, d6. Hell yeah. 13 damage. He’s seen a fiery dog before, just not quite this one necessarily and assumes the weak spot is the same and turns out necks are usually pretty weak.
Anthony 23:09
Yeah, in general, this is definitely very different, but it does have a neck. You’re right.
Belroth 23:18
2, in fact!
Deeran 23:21
Deeran notices Belroth scanning the creature, and he goes, hey, man, should us Ray of Frost on it or whatever? Because like, fire, or like, should I do Toll the- cuz it’s hit. What do you think, man?
Belroth 23:42
I don’t…know. I don’t know.
Deeran 23:45
Oh, my god, fine! And Deeran swings his arm around his head and rings the bell. So, it has to make a Wisdom save.
Anthony 23:59
It fails. It rolled a 1. So, you know what, that’s a Critical.
Deeran 24:06
Okay, it does 12 damage. Oh, wait, we do max dice roll plus a role for Criticals.
Anthony 24:13
Yeah
Deeran 24:14
It is 21 damage.
Anthony 24:17
I know spells don’t typically Critical, but I think in this instance, like he really felt that Wisdom saving throw.
Deeran 24:26
12 plus 10 is 22. Yeah. That’s math.
Skarpin 24:32
Nice.
Belroth 24:34
That seemed like the correct choice.
Anthony 24:39
Obviously, there’s only one- go ahead.
Deeran 24:42
Deeran pats his pockets, and he’s like, hey, man, I can’t find mine, But, like, does anybody still have their potion for Skarpin?
Ellori 24:55
Yeah, Ellori tosses it to Deeran.
Deeran 25:07
Deeran catches it as it comes to him.
Anthony 25:14
Okay. Obviously, I have no other choice here, but to have the hound attack three times to Skarpin, so…
Deeran 25:24
Like, what else would it do? It would certainly attack at least twice.
Anthony 25:32
Okay, so the creature turns back to the room having just been struck by several things. It got hit by a chakram and an arrow and magic, and it just scans the room, and its heads actually are both looking in different directions when it starts to bound away. It does sort of this scrambling with its body as the heads try to coordinate which direction they’re actually going to go. And the answer is after Ellori when all is said and done as they bound toward her. They make another attack with their paws. It’s a miss, and then it tries to bite twice. That is 2 hits. You take 2 damage from the first bite and 3 damage from the second bite.
Ellori 26:34
Bad dog.
Anthony 26:39
The creature is just snarling, and it’s hot saliva, from where it has bitten you is rolling down your body. It’s almost boiling, like scalding salava- saliva. Salav-sa-lava. It’s kind of sa-lava. I mean, kind of.
Deeran 26:58
Saliva lava. Yeah, I knew that you were saying there, Anthony. I was on the same page. I don’t know where the rest of this cast is, jeez.
Anthony 27:07
Okay, it’s your turn.
Deeran 27:09
Um, I guess I’ll do this then. Does it cost me an action to give Skarpin the potion?
Anthony 27:17
It does.
Ellori 27:17
It does?
Anthony 27:18
Yes, it does.
Deeran 27:19
Great.
Ellori 27:20
Let me do it, Deeran.
Unknown Speaker 27:22
I mean, it’s gonna take as much time for me to give it to you as it-
Ellori 27:27
Ellori runs to Deeran and grabs it.
Anthony 27:29
If you run from where you’re standing, you will take an Attack of Opportunity. The creature is on you.
Ellori 27:35
Fine.
Deeran 27:36
All right. And Deeran pops the potion and pours it down and Skarpin’s gullet.
Anthony 27:42
So you will roll the dice for the potion, Deeran.
Deeran 27:45
Okay, and those were- I wrote it down.
Anthony 27:50
Yeah, 2d4 plus 4.
Belroth 27:54
How many potions that we have? I forget.
Deeran 27:56
Everybody had one.
Belroth 27:57
Okay.
Anthony 27:58
Everybody gets one.
Deeran 27:59
That’s right.
Skarpin 28:01
Thanks, Spider Man.
Anthony 28:03
That’s right.
Deeran 28:05
So, 2d4 plus 4. So, you get 9 health back, Skarpin.
Skarpin 28:12
Wow. Skarpin pops up real fast.
Deeran 28:17
He does a kip up.
Skarpin 28:18
Yeah, yeah, you’ve never seen a tortle do that.
Belroth 28:20
Except he uses his shell to like-
Deeran 28:25
It’s just like in the traveling plays from when I was a kid.
Skarpin 28:29
Whooo, yeah! I feel great! Skarpin wants to attack. He feels ready. He feels ready.
Anthony 28:37
Okay.
Skarpin 28:38
Yeah. He just swings with an, um, 8.
Anthony 28:45
Okay, yeah, Skarpin and you run over with that quarterstaff, and you go to smack it onto the back of the creature. You hit the creature. It doesn’t seem to be fazed.
Skarpin 28:55
Oh, well. I’m glad to be back.
Belroth 28:58
Goodness. Belroth makes another attack at the flaming hound. It is not as good. 12.
Anthony 29:13
12 does not hit.
Belroth 29:15
Yeah. Off to the side.
Anthony 29:19
Ellori?
Ellori 29:20
Yeah, so Ellori is going to take the chain of her cloak, and try to swing up and around the neck of- one of the necks of this dog, I guess. to either leash it or choke it, she’s not sure which.
Anthony 29:45
Okay. So give me a Strength check.
Ellori 29:50
Okay. I don’t want to roll a d12 for that. 18. Wait…18.
Anthony 30:03
So Ellori, you take the chain, you loop it around one of the heads, and I think you just like plant your feet on the side of the creature and yank backwards, pulling this head this way. The other head is spun around, like, searching for a Skarpin who just hit it on the butt, which actually is increasing your ability to, like strangle out this creature in theory. So I think what’s going to happen is that head will not be available during this next attack
Skarpin 30:40
Ellori, you learn that from Grandma?
Anthony 30:44
As you say that, Skarpin, the other head turns to you and tries to bat at you with its paw and tries to bite down onto you.
Ellori 30:53
You know what she says, you got to wrangle a few sheep to stay warm in the winter.
Anthony 31:01
Okay.
Yeah, I was rolling dice and didn’t realize what you said. That’s…woof. I mean, I know generally wool doesn’t kill the sheep, right? But not the way you said it. Feels a little weird.
Ellori 31:23
We also are a village of vampyr who purposefully breed sheep to keep blood.
Anthony 31:32
Yeah, to keep warm in the winter.
Deeran 31:37
I think it was just the accent that really made me think immediately cuffing season
Ellori 31:42
I’m not gonna look it up.
Anthony 31:46
A paw comes in at you, Skarpin, and you again pop your shield up and get pushed back by it. And then when the head turns you can see Ellori tugging on the neck of one of the dogs. It’s fighting to try- like gnashing its teeth, trying to get away. The other one clamps down right on to you, bites in for 4 damage. So, it’s your turn again, everyone.
Skarpin 32:23
Skarpin’s just angry, and just like yanks his body away from the creature, and takes his quarterstaff, slams it onto the shield, casting Toll the Dead.
Anthony 32:37
Okay. So, Wisdom saving throw.
Skarpin 32:42
DC 12
Anthony 32:44
It succeeds.
Skarpin 32:45
All right. I thought a loud noise would scare it away, but it didn’t. Anybody got anything else?
Ellori 32:57
Ellori is going to kind of do a jump off of its side and twist the chain as she goes down to, like, secure it.
Anthony 33:10
Give me another Strength check.
Ellori 33:14
A 4.
Anthony 33:16
Okay, so I think, yeah you jump down to try and pull the creature’s head, and it tugs back. You’re still riding this thing. You had enough to hold on to the chain still. You’re still wrapped in there, but you didn’t really get to do what you’d hoped to do with it.
Ellori 33:33
Yeah.
Belroth 33:35
Belroth seeing things not going the way they planned, or should have gone- I don’t know. He shoots another arrow, hopefully into the neck again. A 14.
Anthony 33:51
Okay, 14 hits.
Belroth 33:53
Yeah. 12.
Anthony 34:01
Okay. The lava is pouring from the wound that you shot into.
Belroth 34:09
Can I also try and- basically I want to try and not necessarily intimidate it, but like basically use some animal knowledge. I want to roll an Animal Handling check, and I don’t necessarily know what it would do.
Anthony 34:30
Then, no. If you have a plan-
Belroth 34:31
I don’t. I really don’t. I just was like, I’m gonna start talking and the plan’s gonna be there, and then it wasn’t. It just wasn’t. It’s fine.
Deeran 34:43
I hate when that happens, bud. Because that never happens to me. Let’s see. I am going to- it worked the first time so well, he’s gonna cast Toll the Dead again. Hands above his head, he rings the bell.
Anthony 35:03
I don’t know why, Skarpin Tolls the Dead, right? It’s like, I roll the Wisdom save. It’s like 15. Boom. And then you Toll the Dead and he’s like, 2.
Skarpin 35:16
He’s just better at it.
Deeran 35:18
It takes 6 damage.
Anthony 35:20
Which is enough for this creature. You Toll the Dead, and Ellori you feel it shift under your feet as it falls down onto the ground. You like surf it to the ground, and now hot molten lava is now flowing out from it into the stone around your feet.
Deeran 35:45
Hey, man, um, Skarpin?
Skarpin 35:48
Yeah?
Deeran 35:49
Why is- Why is your Toll the Dead so bad?
Skarpin 35:54
I think I’m not hitting it directly in the center here where I get the best acoustics? I think I’m just missing the mark. I gotta choke up a bit.
Deeran 36:03
Oh, sure. Yeah, yeah. It must be that. And Deeran puts like, his robes back together. He pulls them tight and corks the bottle from the empty potion, puts it in his robe- Oh, man, here’s mine. Hey Ellori, thanks. And he hands it to her.
Skarpin 36:28
The empty bottle?
Deeran 36:30
No, the full bottle.
Ellori 36:33
Thanks, Deeran. That’s a good idea though, if any of us need to- I am not gonna be able to make anyone feel better until I can get some sleep.
Skarpin 36:49
Skarpin chugs his apparent potion that he has.
Deeran 36:53
He definitely remembers having, that he wrote down on his character sheet, Anthony. Quit asking questions. Don’t make that face.
Skarpin 37:03
They told me I had it! 2d4 plus 4. That sounds weird.
Anthony 37:12
Maybe it’s plus 2. I don’t remember. Take the 4.
Skarpin 37:18
I’ll take it.
Belroth 37:18
It is plus- I’m not gonna finish that sentence.
Deeran 37:24
Great, good work.
Skarpin 37:25
I rolled a 6, which I’m just happy about. I’m at full. No, no that’s not accurate, but I have more than I had.
Belroth 37:33
That is also accurate.
Deeran 37:36
Um, like if y’all just are gonna stand here I’m gonna go- like, I feel like we really need to go fix this.
Belroth 37:43
I don’t think we can rest.
Skarpin 37:47
Skarpin smashes the bottle and heads down the hallway. Let’s do this!
Belroth 37:55
All right.
Anthony 37:56
That’s so aggressive.
Deeran 38:00
Deeran places the empty bottle, like so gingerly in his pocket. Skarpin’s like, “fuck this bottle! Let’s go!”
Belroth 38:07
In my head, I imagine Skarpin breaking it on his own head. Drinking a potion of healing and then smashing it on your own head.
Ellori 38:18
Skarpin, uses his tortle talons to punch a hole in the bottom of the vial, opens the top, and shotguns it.
Skarpin 38:34
That’s cool. Let’s wind it back. Let’s wind it back.
Anthony 38:40
Okay, so the 4 of you are pressing on?
Ellori 38:45
Yeah, Ellori is gonna pick up her chakram on the way.
Anthony 38:48
Okay. You press forward into the next chamber, which is outfitted with a long table, probably could see 12 people at this table. There is a opening at the far end of this room and an opening along one of the walls. The wall opening is both a doorway and a large window that seems to go into a kitchen area behind this space. The opening in the far hallway seems to open into another chamber.
Deeran 39:29
Where’s the magic coming from?
Anthony 39:31
Deeper in. Yeah, it’s not coming from the kitchen. Kitchen magic.
Deeran 39:37
Deeran doesn’t go there.
Anthony 39:38
Turns out it was just real good bread. The whole thing was just real good bread.
Ellori 39:43
Honestly, never underestimate the power of really good bread.
Skarpin 39:48
I want real good bread.
Deeran 39:49
It’s enough to raise a city.
Ellori 39:52
It is life changing.
Anthony 39:53
So yes, you push on through this dining area into a large, almost looks like a theater space. It’s built like an amphitheater, but it’s inside. The steps go down to a central space down below. It looks like this may be a meeting place, or maybe a place where sermons were delivered. It has an opening behind it as well. That’s where the magic is coming from. There’s another chamber beyond.
Deeran 40:31
Oh, man, this reminds me of being back in school. Let’s go!
Belroth 40:35
Wait, should we have a plan before we go in? We can’t just kick down the door. These creatures seem to be a lot stronger than we expected. What if we kicked down the door and then kill them?
Skarpin 40:52
Yeah, let’s do it! And Skarpin kicks down the door.
Anthony 40:55
So as you get down to the bottom and you kick open the door, what is beyond, this door is a solid door. It’s ornately carved. You kick open the door, and beyond it is a whole way. At the far end of this hallway, you can see magical energy glowing, but it is at the far end of this hallway. Just by looking at it, this hallway is not all that it seems. Now that you’ve kicked it open, in the space above the door, you can see carved into the stone, that this is the Hall of Trials.
Ellori 41:41
Oh.
Anthony 41:42
It’s always a trial.
Deeran 41:46
You’re telling me in 300 years-
Anthony 41:49
Still trials, dawg. There’s always trials.
Belroth 41:53
Trials all the way down.
Anthony 41:57
What? This is just trials. Always has been.
Ellori 42:00
Always has been.
Belroth 42:03
Belroth nocks an arrow in his longbow, and, if everyone’s proceeding forward, he’s proceeding forward behind them.
Skarpin 42:12
Skarpin’s lost a little steam because he was, like a hothead going through the door, and then it’s just a long hallway, so he’s like, …okay. He just meanders in.
Belroth 42:22
The 3 levels of Exhaustion hit him.
Anthony 42:26
Who is first, in this process?
Skarpin 42:29
I feel like, Skarpin.
Anthony 42:31
Skarpin, when you step through the door, the hallway in front of you shifts and changes. Suddenly what was the end starts to raise up, and this hallway turns into not a hallway but, like a tunnel that you have to climb, ascend to reach the platform above. So, like the whole thing has shifted from your perspective.
Skarpin 43:01
Ughhhhh.
Anthony 43:03
For those of you who are still in the room previous, this whole bottom floor has dropped down, and now the amphitheater space above you is now like- you’re almost like in a well, surrounded by those seats up above.
Skarpin 43:20
I don’t want to make it up this- oh this sucks. All right. Let’s do it. Let’s do it.
Belroth 43:26
I’m the least exhausted. What if I climb up, and drop a rope down? Would that make the most sense so that we don’t all kill ourselves getting up there?
Deeran 43:39
Yeah, all right.
Ellori 43:41
Yeah, yeah.
Skarpin 43:42
That would help me.
Belroth 43:43
He puts the arrow he nocked away, kind of like wraps the longbow around him, and he tries to climb the hallway.
Anthony 43:57
Okay, yes. So, you approach, and you can see that there are several of what were floor tiles are now available as like handholds. Like, you have to really try to get in between these spaces, but they are there, so go ahead and give me an athletics check.
Belroth 44:19
Why not acrobatics? That’s good. 15.
Anthony 44:29
Okay. Yeah, you start to climb up. Give me a Perception check.
Deeran 44:33
So many checks.
Anthony 44:35
I’m checking on you.
Belroth 44:40
5.
Anthony 44:42
Okay. Yeah, you begin to scale this floor, that is a wall and make your way up the tunnel. A couple of places there’s no good handhold, so you have to like move to the wall, and start to climb there. One place you see a perfect place to put your hand. You slap your hand on it, and it shifts slightly, and a bolt fires from the wall behind you, and shoots into your hand for 2 damage.
Belroth 45:15
Oh, not that bad. It’s fine. You just hear echoing through the hallway…Ahh!
Ellori 45:22
Belroth, are you all right?
Belroth 45:30
I’m fine!
Anthony 45:32
The bolt is fletching-less, and as you pull your hand away, there is now a bolt jammed into the wall.
Belroth 45:41
So I pulled it through?
Anthony 45:44
You could pull it out of the wall if you want, but I don’t think you have the leverage to get it-
Belroth 45:48
Well, if it bolted into my hand, it went through my hand, and then I shifted it out the other side. God, I do it that way?!
Deeran 45:57
You’re so cool.
Belroth 45:58
I know!
Skarpin 45:59
Yeah, that’s bad ass.
Anthony 46:01
I mean, there was not there did not appear to be another great way to get it off.
Belroth 46:05
Well, Belroth is pretty sweet, I guess. He keeps climbing with a giant fucking hole in his hand.
Anthony 46:13
So give me another Athletics check. This is not a Disadvantage, however, if you get shot again, it will be.
Belroth 46:22
Sure, he’s gonna be on alert looking for bizarre looking holds.
Anthony 46:29
Okay, and give me Athletics first.
Belroth 46:31
- Anthony 46:32
Great. Give me another Perception check.
Belroth 46:37
17.
Anthony 46:38
Okay. So, this time as you climb up through, you go to reach up and you feel, before you put your hand down on like a hold, you feel the string that is set up here. That is like a trip wire. And so you’re able to pull up beside it and see that it’s connected to some sort of mechanism that goes into the wall. You’re not sure what would happen if you trip this trip wire. You don’t particularly want to find out I suspect.
Belroth 47:09
You don’t know.
Anthony 47:10
You’re right. That’s why I said, “I suspect”.
Belroth 47:14
He keeps climbing.
Anthony 47:15
Okay, give me another Athletics check.
Belroth 47:19
11 and then 15 for Perception.
Anthony 47:26
The way Belroth is doing this, I don’t think there’s a risk of Belroth falling off unless he triggers one of these traps too aggressively, right? I think that it’s just about how many checks we have to make to get up there, right? So yeah, so you said you’re had an 11 for Athletics, what was your Perception?
Belroth 47:46
15 I think I said.
Anthony 47:48
I believe that’s correct. I believe that’s what you said. So, yeah, you continue to make your way up, you find another what you believe to be a trap, and you sidestep that as well. You’re not even sure if it was a trap, right? Like, it was just a more protruding handhold than you felt comfortable using. At this point, you’re on the ceiling of the hallway, as you make your way up, and you feel like it’s close. You’re close to the end.
Belroth 48:18
All right. Perception and Athletics, right?
Anthony 48:20
Yes, please.
Belroth 48:24
Uh oh. Perception I will start with. 18.
Anthony 48:32
Okay.
Belroth 48:33
- Anthony 48:35
Okay, Belroth, you start to make your way up, and almost too late, you spot a trap. You spot it, like from looking behind you and seeing the line of arrows that would come at you if you put your hand there. It’s so last second that you actually scramble and fall a bit of a ways down the thing, but you catch yourself. So, you’re just lower down than you were. Go ahead and give me another set of rolls.
Belroth 49:08
Oh, that’s much better. So, I know where that trap is, right?
Anthony 49:14
Yes.
Belroth 49:15
Okay. So, knowing where that trap is, that’s good, because I rolled a 16 to climb and 7 for Perception. I know where it is. I know what I’m looking for.
Anthony 49:27
So, you scale again, and you avoid it this time. You get around back to the top of this space, and you drop down on to the area below. You can have to do like a swing and jump to get onto the top of this tunnel. When you land, you feel you hear your feet, click and the ceiling drops several stones down the tunnel to the bottom. So, I need everyone else- you can see. You’re looking up. You’re watching this happen. You see him land. Everyone’s excited, and then the stone start to fall. So, I need Dexterity saving throws at Advantage. So if you are Disadvantaged, you are now at normal. And Ellori you have Advantage.
Ellori 50:21
You said Dexterity save.
Anthony 50:22
Yes.
Deeran 50:24
Since I’m only level two Exhausted, I get Advantage as well.
Anthony 50:29
Okay, great.
Belroth 50:30
So, Mikey.
Anthony 50:31
You get regular. 20, you said Ellori?
Ellori 50:35
Yes.
Anthony 50:36
Great.
Deeran 50:38
Deeran?
- 8 is better than the natural 1, which was the other die.
Anthony 50:54
Cool. Okay. So, you both take 9 damage as you are buried by stone. So, Deeran, are you still conscious?
Deeran 51:10
Yep.
Anthony 51:10
And Skarpin you’re just barely conscious, right?
Skarpin 51:13
Yep.
Anthony 51:14
Okay, so the rocks pile on top of you. It’s a lot, but you think you could push your way out if you felt up to it. You might not.
Deeran 51:28
Deeran feels up to it.
Anthony 51:30
Give me a Strength check.
Deeran 51:31
Hey, oh, geez. I just thought you meant like if he’s up to it.
Anthony 51:36
If you’re up to it.
Belroth 51:39
Belroth rips a page out of his notebook with his hand bleeding and starts to write a note. “Look for step stones and trip wire. They are traps. P.S. Sorry”. And he ties it to the rope that he’s going to lower.
Deeran 51:55
- Skarpin 51:56
Sorry for not telling you which ones.
Anthony 51:58
So, Deeran, you like press your hands against the ground and like push with all of your might, and the rocks like clatter against each other as you push yourself up out of the fallen stones. Ellori you just see all these rocks fall on your friends as you’ve jumped out of the way with Freya, and then you just see Deeran like rise up out of the stone, like covered in chips and dust.
Deeran 52:30
~cough. cough.~ Oh man.
Ellori 52:31
Oh, gosh. You all right, Deeran?
Deeran 52:37
Yeah, I’ll be all right. And he reaches into his robes, and he pulls out the empty bottle. Oh, man. He just like discards it, like he just throws it on the ground.
Anthony 52:52
A rope falls from above and slaps you on the shoulder.
Ellori 52:57
Ellori is gonna hold out her potion to him and then she’s gonna like, blow on his face, which sounds really weird when I say it out loud. But I was thinking like, you know, to get some of the like dirt off.
Deeran 53:16
The schmutz off?
Ellori 53:18
Yeah, yeah.
Skarpin 53:19
That’s sweet.
Ellori 53:20
It sounds very- it’s not a- it’s a weird sentence to say.
Anthony 53:25
I blow on his face. Did you get that? Did you get that I blow on his face.
Belroth 53:30
Do I have to roll a check?
Anthony 53:33
All right, Deeran if you’re gonna-
Roll a Blow check?
Belroth 53:37
You heard me.
Deeran 53:41
That’s, uh botchedpodcast.com.
Belroth 53:46
Well, great, now we can’t use this as a promo!
Anthony 53:52
Deeran, if you’re gonna suck down that potion, you may roll the dice for it.
Deeran 53:58
I don’t know, man. I think maybe you should hold on to it for now. You seem to get hit more than I do.
Ellori 54:04
She looks at him for a second. Okay.
Deeran 54:10
Yeah, he like, wipes the blood off his nose like he doesn’t look good. It’ll be all right.
Anthony 54:18
Skarpin, are you gonna stand up?
Skarpin 54:21
No. No, he’s gonna hang out for a little while.
Belroth 54:26
I’m okay down here. Skarpin’s becoming more and more Eeyore as we get further along this dungeon.
Ellori 54:35
Aggressive Eeyore though. Like, Rabbit plus Eeyore.
Deeran 54:41
Skarpin, are you all right down there, man.
Skarpin 54:44
No, but I’m here.
Deeran 54:49
Deeran starts like scrambling to throw rocks off the pile to get to him.
Skarpin 54:54
That might help with his second Strength check.
Anthony 55:01
Go ahead.
Skarpin 55:03
Oh, an 11.
Anthony 55:05
Yeah, you push yourself up out of there. So, I think what we will say is that with the rope, and with the guidance from Belroth lifting and helping, you guys do manage to get your way up safely, but it takes some time.
Belroth 55:24
I assume Freya, was like tied to the end and like, hoisted up.
Anthony 55:29
Yeah. There’s like, ropes underneath her arms, pulled up slowly. But yeah, so the five of you get to the top. And Belroth, you are now sort of in the lead, you turn and take another step. The whole thing shifts as the space behind you raises back up to meet with the same level that you are now on.
Belroth 55:58
Am I the only one who sees that? Or does do they also see that?
Anthony 56:01
Everyone sees that.
Belroth 56:02
Okay. I didn’t know. I’m sorry, everyone. I should have just stepped through the door. I didn’t realize that would have made the rest easier.
Ellori 56:12
Oh it’s all right. It just made for a little bit of dust down below.
Belroth 56:17
Does anyone need a potion? I still have mine.
Skarpin 56:21
Yes.
Belroth 56:23
Okay. He gives Skarpin his potion.
Skarpin 56:29
He drinks it and just drops it. He doesn’t slam it on the ground. He just drops it.
Belroth 56:36
Take your 2d4 plus, whatever Anthony says.
Anthony 56:39
4 is fine.
Ellori 56:41
Has Skarpin taken 3 out of the 4 potions that we have?
Belroth 56:48
That’s what happens when you have Disadvantage on every roll.
Skarpin 56:53
Disadvantage on healing potions. So, yeah, Skarpin’s looking pretty good.
Anthony 57:01
Attached to this hallway, there is another short hallway, and on the other side of that, you can see the ritual occurring.
Skarpin 57:13
I think that’s where we need to head.
Belroth 57:15
All right, team, what’s the game plan? We’re hurting.
Deeran 57:20
Do you think when we step into this hallway it’s gonna be a down slope.
Skarpin 57:24
Oh, that would be great.
Ellori 57:26
Maybe it would be like a slide that we can just go down.
Deeran 57:30
Deeran jumps into the hallway to have it slide him in.
Anthony 57:34
Yeah, nothing happens. You’re just standing in a hallway. It’s very short. It’s a very short hallway.
Deeran 57:42
It’s not like the last one.
Ellori 57:44
Sorry. Deeran.
Deeran 57:45
Me too.
Skarpin 57:48
I guess we should still do this.
Deeran 57:50
Do we have a plan? Belroth, did you come up with a plan yet?
Belroth 57:54
I, well, no.
Deeran 57:57
It was your idea to have a plan. I thought for sure, like while we were climbing the ropes and getting buried by rocks and like, drinking potions and stuff like, you would be using that big old brain of yours to come up with a plan for us to do.
Belroth 58:08
I was trying, but I got shot in the hand with an arrow, and it is very distracting.
Deeran 58:13
That was like a long time ago, man.
Belroth 58:15
It was two minutes ago.
Deeran 58:17
Yeah.
Belroth 58:20
Well, it’s a ritual. So, all we need to do is disrupt it. I just don’t know how to get out then safely. So, if we can figure out what the ritual is, disrupt it, and then hightail it out of there. We’re good.
Deeran 58:35
Oh that’s so good!
Belroth 58:36
I just don’t know how to do any of that.
Deeran 58:39
Deeran runs in. Like, a long, lanky, weird run.
Anthony 58:45
You burst out into the chamber. Inside you see 6 of these humanoid-like creatures standing around a giant stone circle imbedded into the wall. This stone circle is covered in mystic runes, and it has 8 gems embedded into this circle, a large crack running through it. The creatures who are focusing their attention up there turn as you enter. One of them, the one you recognize from down below, says, I told you. You’re already too late.
Deeran 59:28
Yeah, man, it seems like there’s no bathroom anywhere in here. You were right.
Anthony 59:34
There is a sudden crack as the stone on the wall- the crack that runs along it begins to widen, and the whole thing seems to take in a heavy sigh and then shatter, pieces of shrapnel flying off of the object across the room. So, I need everyone to make Dexterity saving throws.
Ellori 1:00:01
Oh no.
Belroth 1:00:06
Belroth is fine. 16.
Anthony 1:00:12
Give me one for Freya too, please.
Belroth 1:00:14
Sure, um, I don’t know what it would be, but I can look it up
Skarpin 1:00:21
Skarpin got a 12.
Ellori 1:00:25
With my plus 4 Dexterity, I got a five.
Belroth 1:00:34
Freya got a 20. Dirty 20
Anthony 1:00:37
Okay, Deeran and Ellori, as these fragments of stone spray across the room, Skarpin and Belroth and Freya are able to turn away, but these stones just buffet against you and hammer into you, slicing your skin. You both take 6 damage, and it’s as though the stones have embedded themselves into your skin. As this happens, the stone crumbles away. The space behind the stone is a shimmering rift of this negative energy. The circle is 15 feet all the way around, and as it pulses with this anti-energy, a wave of force pushes off of it. I need Constitution saving throws from everyone.
Ellori 1:01:47
17.
Belroth 1:01:50
Freya got a 15. Belroth got a 3.
Skarpin 1:01:57
- Deeran 1:02:00
I beat Belroth. Deeran got a 4.
Anthony 1:02:06
The wave of energy pushes Belroth and Skarpin and Deeran against the wall, and as they do, you fall unconscious instantly from the force of this. Ellori you and Freya are standing there like facing off against the force that’s coming from this gaping portal. And as you do 6 figures emerge from this void. 6 beings. You don’t have a lot of time because this energy is still pouring off. At the front, the very first figure, she is regal in her appearance. She carries herself with so much strength and power. She is demonic in a way that it just embodies everything you would think about from what you know about the tieflings and the other creatures you have seen. She is the pinnacle, with four sets of horns coming off of her head, bending and sweeping away, in a large rack on top of her head. She wears a golden crown with flames styled as flames between them. And she wears a long, regal, red robe. Make another Constitution saving throw. For Freya as well.
Ellori 1:03:44
20.
Belroth 1:03:44
Nat 20. Freya’s good. Good girl.
Anthony 1:03:48
The figures that were in the room as you were here, they all drop to a knee in front of her. You just manage to look at another of these figures that has walked out. You know, there are 6 of them in there, but you can only get the details of so many before this thing buffets against you again. You get a few more details off the second creature. The second creature is hooded, and underneath you see just the inkling of a skull underneath this long hood. Emerging from the long black billowing robes that it has, two scythe-like blades off of its arms. Make another Constitution saving throw.
Belroth 1:04:40
Freya didn’t do that good that time.
Ellori 1:04:42
20.
Belroth 1:04:43
Frey gets a 9.
Ellori 1:04:45
I like, wanna get knocked out. I like, want to go night night. Want to go night night!
Belroth 1:04:50
End of campaign.
Deeran 1:04:51
Steph is tired of seeing scary things.
Ellori 1:04:54
I do not want to meet any more of them.
Deeran 1:04:59
You should have picked a character who would willingly quit.
Anthony 1:05:05
You focus for a few seconds on the other side of the figure in the center, and you see another demonic looking woman. Her skin, ashen gray. Her attire is very proper, very prim for what you would expect from these creatures. Like, the neck of her robes are done the right up to the very bottom of her chin. She stands sternly as she emerges from the space. Another Constitution saving throw.
Belroth 1:05:44
I assume Freya’s unconscious.
Ellori 1:05:45
Ooo, that’s a 2! Wussup? Good night, everybody. So, 3.
Anthony 1:05:53
So, you are pushed back as well, and you fall unconscious. Yes, everyone is now unconscious. You all fall into a fitful slumber. One filled with dark dreams, and-
Deeran 1:06:13
Long rest, baby!
Anthony 1:06:41
Hey everyone, DM Anthony here, just reminding you that if you’re enjoying the show, tell your friends, tell your family. Let people know word of mouth. And you can support the show at patreon.com/adventureinc, or you can check out the shop at adventureincpod.com/shop. Make sure you check the show notes and the website for all our social media, including our Discord where you can come and hang out with some great people. We’ll see you there, and until next week, I wish you nothing but critical success.
Adventure Incorporated 1:07:15
Serious Business.
We’re super serious!
Transcribed by https://otter.ai