Menu Close

Campaign 2 Episode 028

Anthony 0:01
Greetings, adventurers, and welcome to the Adventure Incorporated Podcast. ~I am your Dungeon Master, Anthony Reed. This is Episode 28, and it’s part of the Gathering Darkness story arc.~ I’m not gonna sing the whole thing. I mean, I barely- I shouldn’t have sung what I sang, honestly. We’ve come so deep, so far, and I guess in the end none of it really mattered. Patreon.com/adventureinc is a place that you can go to help support the show. You can kick a little money back to us if you get value out of this. If you’re sitting here listening to it week in and week out and you’re like, I really like the show. I want to make sure it keeps going forever or at least until it reaches a natural conclusion or the heat death of the universe, whichever occurs first, then, you know, the way you can do that is go to patreon.com/adventureinc and throw some money at us. And I mean, we’ll probably keep doing the show regardless, right? But a good way to make sure that the show continues to grow, continues to be better, continues to do more for you is to do more for us, and that’s a good way to do it. Another way you can do it of course is to head to our website adventureincpod.com, hop on to the website, go to our shop, and find some merchandise there including some just amazing shirts that went up. Some really awesome artists who are connected to the show made some amazing pieces for us, and you need to go check them out before they disappear which is in a while. You got time, but oh boy, so cool. So, so cool to see those shirts, and I really hope you go and check them out. I guess that’s all I’ve got this week. 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 2:03
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 2:12
Skarpin, the Cleric.

Belroth 2:15
Should I just try and snipe them from over here?

Skarpin 2:17
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 2:26
Ellori, the Bard.

Ellori 2:29
We would want you to leave this warehouse.

Anthony 2:32
He points behind you. Church!

Ellori 2:34
Oh, sorry. We want you to leave this church.

Anthony 2:39
Deeran, the Wizard.

He say you no, worship Shattered Fang.

Deeran 2:44
Yeah, man, he’s like, super wrong. We love Broken Tooth- uh, Shattered Fang, man.

Anthony 2:49
Prepare yourselves, for these are the tales of Adventure Incorporated!

So, at this point, you glance back at the soldiers behind you. You are about 30 feet closer to the monster than you were. The demons are closing in on you and now surrounding you. You are in a higher- it’s more dangerous than it was before. So, let’s see-

Deeran 3:22
How are the soldiers doing?

Anthony 3:24
The soldiers are doing about how well as they were doing before. They’re not floundering with you guys off the line. There’s a lot of them. So, you know, they’re rotating in and off the line all the time. But they are not making fast progress either. They’re sort of holding exactly where they are. You feel like if you moved another 30 feet, you would be 30 feet closer to the monster and you would be 60 feet away from the line. It’s not, it’s really not moving.

Belroth 3:56
Mike said that it might make sense to sneak through buildings to like, get to this creature.

Skarpin 4:06
I said it sounds fun.

Belroth 4:07
You said it sounds fun, and I think it would also potentially be safer too.

Skarpin 4:12
But that was a private conversation.

Belroth 4:14
I wanted to bring it up to the- I’m sorry.

Deeran 4:17
Now I know, Mikey. Now I know what you think would be fun.

Skarpin 4:23
Well, I wish you wouldn’t.

Deeran 4:27
It’s too late. We’re in this world now.

Anthony 4:31
You’re each attacked by each of the types of demons.

Skarpin 4:35
This is the world we live in.

Deeran 4:36
We live in a world where I know what you think is fun, and you have to deal with that!

Anthony 4:44
You are each attacked by each of the types of demons. So, I’m gonna just assign these in my head, cool. Teeth, meat, spikes. Great. So, Belroth all 3 of the spike demon comes down, swings up flail-like tail at you, and you batted away just as one of the beef demons tries to tackle you to the ground. You are able to like, basically you brace yourself as it comes in at you, and you are able to push it back into the teeth demon that was attacking behind it. Skarpin, similarly for you, as they come down, you raise your shield, you know collecting a bunch of spikes. They shoot down at you, they ~tink~ to the ground, and then you’re able to move the shield around to block the teeth demon that swings up at you and push away the beef demon. Deeran, you are not so lucky.

Deeran 5:53
As the attacks start to come in to Deeran, he puts his hands up. And as he puts his hands up his pendant flashes and a protective barrier surrounds him. He casts Shield.

Anthony 6:07
Plus 4 to your AC?

Deeran 6:09
Plus 5.

Anthony 6:10
Plus 5 to your AC. Yeah, so the spike demon actually shoots the teeth demon as it’s coming in. He shoots at you. It hits the teeth demon instead, and the barrier is in place as the meat demon tries to attack you and it just smears up against your barrier. Without that barrier you’re certain that creature would have slammed you in the chest with its fist, but it doesn’t.

Deeran 6:38
That would have been bad.

Anthony 6:40
And Ellori, these were some abysmal demon rolls.

Belroth 6:48
I bet they were.

Anthony 6:49
The demon- I was like, here we go, baby! Like no, nothing. Except for almost Deeran. Ellori, the demons attack you, and you seem to be able to move around them as well in such a way that you, you dodge. And let me think about- oh, Freya.

Belroth 7:15
No.

Anthony 7:19
Freya takes a hit from a meat demon as she is fighting off a teeth demon with the, you know, basically pushing it away with her paws. The meat demon slams down onto her back, and hits her for 7 damage.

Belroth 7:38
Ouch.

Anthony 7:43
And it is now your turn again.

Skarpin 7:49
Skarpin casts Silent Image in the form of a goliath 30 feet- er, let’s see how far I can shoot it from us. A distance from us that is appropriate for the spell. He wants to see if there will be a distraction, and they’ll concentrate on that and attack us a little bit less. So it’s no larger than a 15 foot cube. As soon as somebody interacts with it they realize it’s an illusion, but I imagine that will hopefully help us. So, he does that.

Anthony 8:32
Okay.

Skarpin 8:33
60 feet. So, he does it 35 feet from us to the right.

Anthony 8:39
Okay.

Skarpin 8:41
And then as Bonus Action will strike with his mighty pillow. Fucking 8. An 8 to hit.

Ellori 8:51
Use your Bardic Inspiration.

Skarpin 8:53
You think it’s worth it for the- because it’s the d6, right?

Ellori 8:58
d8, right?

Skarpin 9:02
I’m gonna hold it.

Ellori 9:03
Oh, it is a d6.

Belroth 9:05
You could end up getting, and also the thing explodes, right, because of your mode of creation?

Ellori 9:12
Yeah.

Skarpin 9:12
I’ll wait. I’ll swing it again with slightly higher than that because I’d have to roll like, a six.

Anthony 9:19
Okay. Great. Everyone, give me a Perception Check.

Ellori 9:32
2.

Belroth 9:33

  1. Ellori 9:34
    Well, 6.

Skarpin 9:37
0.

Deeran 9:39
7.

Belroth 9:42
You rolled a 0?

Anthony 9:44
You’re a Cleric with a 0 for Perception?

Belroth 9:47
How did you- you have a negative Wisdom?

Skarpin 9:51
That’s Charisma.

Anthony 9:52
Perception?

Deeran 9:53
No, Perception is Wisdom.

Skarpin 9:54
Boom. That was still a natural 1 plus 3. So, 4.

Anthony 10:03
What was yours, Deeran?

Deeran 10:05
7.

Anthony 10:05
Okay, go ahead make your attacks.

Belroth 10:08
We don’t see, we don’t see whatever that was.

Ellori 10:13
Ellori grabs like, the back of Deeran’s coat and sings ~Believe in all the strength inside you. Let my song support and guide you.~ And then she does a swipe with her sword at another demon. She misses.

Deeran 10:38
Deeran puts his hand out and squeezes. And a like, a purple, translucent hand shoots out of the necklace around his neck and grabs a teeth demon in front of him, and he like, lifts it using Mage Hand tries to like, use the teeth demon to like, clear a way to the side of the street to try to like, push the crowd back. Because if this thing was able to get like, punted like a, like a football-

Anthony 11:20
Yeah, I have no problem with you picking it up. I’m trying to envision how you’re clearing the street with it with 5 pounds of force, you know what I mean?

Deeran 11:29
Sure. I’m just hoping that they’re like, I don’t know, see one of their compatriots moving and like, get confused for a minute and like, step out of the way. You know what I mean?

Anthony 11:42
I would say between your distraction and Skarpin’s distraction you are able to move the group like, 25 feet to the right.

Deeran 11:53
Okay. In the direction of the Pez monster like, kind of down the street that way?

Anthony 12:01
Yeah, yeah, sure. You said toward the edge of the street so I assumed-

Deeran 12:06
Yeah, yeah, I just assumed, you know, at like, a diagonal, you know?

Anthony 12:10
Yeah, yeah, that’s fine. Yeah, forward and to the right is fine.

Deeran 12:16
Yeah, yeah. Because I can’t cast a spell because I used a first level spell as my Reaction.

Anthony 12:27
Yeah.

Belroth 12:27
Oh, okay.

Deeran 12:31
So I can only use a cantrip.

Belroth 12:35
Um, Belroth is going to Sharpshooter the big thing in the distance.

Anthony 12:43
Plink at it from here.

Belroth 12:44
Yeah, that’s a 12.

Anthony 12:50
12, is this a silver arrow or not?

Belroth 12:53
Silver, it’s still silver.

Anthony 12:56
You do not hit the creature as you fire off. This one catches a spine demon in the air between you and your target.

Belroth 13:04
Well, that takes a lot of damage.

Anthony 13:07
Yeah, spine demon dies, but it does not hit the creature.

Belroth 13:12
Yeah, it takes a d6 plus 13, so 16. There you go.

Anthony 13:19
Great.

Belroth 13:20
It explodes. And then Freya hits the one that chomped it. Freya kind of rears back and charges at it

Anthony 13:32
The one that womped it?

Belroth 13:33
No, the one that chomped it. Is that a different one?

Anthony 13:36
Okay, it got womped.

Belroth 13:37
It got womped?

Anthony 13:36
It got womped. It didn’t get chomped. It was fighting a chomp, but it got womped.

Belroth 13:40
Then should I reroll my dice? Because it was really good.

Anthony 13:43
For the meat demon? No, you can just attack meat demon instead.

Belroth 13:46
Oh, okay, well, then I won’t- so, I won’t reroll my great dice roll?

Anthony 13:51
No.

Belroth 13:51
Okay, well, it was an 8.

Anthony 13:57
Nice try. I sniffed that one out on you though.

Belroth 14:04
You know, I felt like that was really good subterfuge there and I know-

Deeran 14:08
Anthony’s DM’d before, Rob. He’s seen that play

Anthony 14:12
Oh, I’d better roll again, just in case.

Belroth 14:16
This was too good. It might be too good. Unfair for the rest of the party, actually. All right. Goodbye, arrow.

Anthony 14:27
Great. Ellori?

Ellori 14:33
I went.

Anthony 14:34
Oh, you’re right.

Ellori 14:37
I did Bardic Inspiration and then missed.

Anthony 14:39
I see that. I see that now.

Ellori 14:40
Yeah, sorry. I mean, just kidding.

Deeran 14:44
Yeah, do you want her to reroll?

Anthony 14:45
So, you guys have moved 25 feet forward and to the right during the process of this. You’re now about 55 feet from where you started. You still have about 250 feet to go. Less than that. Less than.

Belroth 15:02
250 away from it ish.

Skarpin 15:05
249, yeah.

Belroth 15:07
Oh yeah, because it moved one foot closer to us.

Anthony 15:09
Really 244 because you’ve moved an extra 5 feet. So, the creatures make an attack at you. There is some distraction, some confusion. So, it is not 3 attacks against you. It is only 2 attacks against you as the creatures make their assaults. Belroth, you get a teeth demon that chomps onto you.

Belroth 15:37
It was the one that Freya missed.

Anthony 15:40
Yeah, yep, it rears back and it latches on to you for 10 damage.

Belroth 15:45
Oh, Belroth is reading.

Anthony 15:49
While it is- while you’re fighting with that, you get slammed from behind by the meat demon who deals you 13 damage.

Belroth 16:04
Belroth is at 1. Lots of, lots of, lots of bleeding. Lots of blood.

Anthony 16:15
And then for Skarpin. Nothing ever hits Skarpin. A needle demon comes down and swings at you with its flail-like tail, and you bat it away while a meat demon tries to tussle. You just push it away with your back. It absorbs the blow. For Deeran, you get hit by the spine demon that comes down and swings its flail-like tail at you.

Deeran 16:49
Oh, no.

Anthony 16:52
It deals you. It deals you 1 damage as it swings through the air and barely grazes you. I was like, here we go. D12, baby. D12. What do we got? 1.

Deeran 17:16
And do I have to roll a Con Save.

Anthony 17:19
You do have to roll a Con Save.

Deeran 17:28
11.

Anthony 17:30
Okay, yeah-

Deeran 17:31
Oh, wait! I can add my Bardic Inspiration to that.

Belroth 17:37
You sure can.

Deeran 17:40
12.

Anthony 17:43
Okay, still the spines scrape across you, but it does not appear that any hold. You’re able to brush them away, and they fall to the ground.

Deeran 17:55
I also get temporary hit points. I get 3 temporary hit points.

Anthony 18:03
That’s good.

Belroth 18:03
Pretty nice. I wish I had some.

Anthony 18:08
For Ellori-where’s my AC sheet? Oh, that’s a meat. Okay. A meat demon just barely gets past everyone. You try to dodge, and it catches you right on like, the hip with a meaty fist. Punches you in the hip for 8 damage.

Ellori 18:38
Okay. Is it our turn?

Anthony 18:43
It is your turn. Everyone give me another Perception Check.

Ellori 18:52
20.

Skarpin 18:55
8.

Deeran 18:58
13.

Belroth 19:01
12.

Anthony 19:05
Okay, Ellori, you glance up at the sky and notice that something is very wrong. The sun has moved far more than it should have for the amount of time you’ve been fighting. You know, you left the tent maybe 40 minutes ago, but looking at the sun up above you, you would guess that it’s been an hour and a half. And as you glance behind you at the army that is holding the line back behind, you now notice that it seems like everyone’s moving in like, double speed behind you. And the creature that you are moving towards, as you really focus on what’s happening, it’s as though the creature is moving very slowly.

Deeran 20:12
Huh.

Ellori 20:18
Hey guys, I think we got a bigger problem than all the big problems around us. I am pretty sure the big demon over there is making time go slower- no, go faster for us. We’re losing daylight, so the vampires are going to come out pretty soon, and I’d like to kill a demon before I have to kill the vampire.

Belroth 20:43
That sounds all- yes, Belroth coughs up a little blood. I agree. Let’s keep, I guess keep pushing on or what’s your plan?

Ellori 20:55
You hold on a second. ~Fights aren’t easy. Wounds can kill, but if I can help it, none of them will.~ And I’m going to cast cure wounds on you. So, boo beep boop. 5 plus 3. 8.

Belroth 21:30
Okay. I’ll take it.

Ellori 21:37
And then she’s gonna keep her hand on Belroth’s shoulder and sing ~Believe in all the strength inside you. Let my song support and guide you.~

Belroth 21:50
With this vigor Belroth is going to continue his aerial assault on this time slowing crab monster that also spews out demons and is also a crab.

Deeran 22:04
And a Pez dispenser.

Belroth 22:05
It’s a lot of things. It’s, you know, it has a lot- it’s really- it’s got a lot going on.

Deeran 22:14
That side hustle life.

Belroth 22:16
This is gonna be a Sharpshooter, and I’m going to also use Bardic Inspiration because otherwise it’s a 12, and I know that doesn’t hit. It’s a d8, correct?

Deeran 22:26
D6.

Belroth 22:27

  1. Whoo. That would be 15.

Anthony 22:36
Okay, that hits.

Belroth 22:37
Great. And it explodes in a musical note because of that as well which-

Deeran 22:43
Which note?

Belroth 22:45
…F.

Deeran 22:45
Nice.

Belroth 22:55
You asked.

Anthony 23:06
~F~

Belroth 23:06
17 with the silver arrow.

Anthony 23:09
Okay.

Belroth 23:10
And then the extra 3 damage if it fails a Con Save from Ellori’s Song of Creation thingy.

Anthony 23:21
It fails.

Belroth 23:22
Cool. Takes 3 damage. Extra damage.

Anthony 23:26
The creature invites you to a gathering later where it would like to talk to you about being part of its downstream for its other side hustle that it’s working on.

Deeran 23:37
Oh, you didn’t tell us it was a boss babe!

Anthony 23:47
You know, it’s got a foolproof plan that if you just find 10 friends to be under you. You can all make money.

Deeran 23:56
Yeah of course. No I- Anthony I’m in.

Belroth 24:02
It’s a multilevel marketing fiend. Thank you. And then Freya makes an attack as well. Dirty 20, baby.

Anthony 24:19
Okay.

Belroth 24:20
And you said it just- they just fail the charge attack?

Anthony 24:26
Um, I don’t think there’s a lot of room for her to charge right now.

Belroth 24:29
Then she doesn’t make a charge. 9 damage.

Anthony 24:33
All right, great.

Skarpin 24:39
Just getting the lay of the land. We haven’t gone very far, and based on what Ellori said Skarpin is also now noticing that we’re about halfway through our daylight. Is that an accurate summary of the situation? Hey, y’all, do you think we should keep going? Should we retreat? We can’t be here when the vampires show up.

Ellori 25:28
I mean, if we look around us it’s gonna take us as long to get back as it has to get here, and we’re still going to be stuck out here with the Vampire.

Skarpin 25:41
But at least we’ll be at the start of the city instead of deep within it.

Ellori 25:49
Are there any buildings around?

Anthony 25:51
um yeah you guys are maybe 15 feet from the nearest building

Skarpin 25:59
It feels real gross. I hate it, but we have-

Ellori 26:03
I just don’t know what the benefit is for going back.

Deeran 26:10
Surviving. Like, not being trapped out here.

Skarpin 26:17
And some of the army too if we can convince them to retreat. I just, I don’t like, we can’t reach that beast. If, if it took us almost an hour and a half to get here in whatever weird time trip is happening, I can imagine it’s gonna take a lot longer to get to them. Ellori, I don’t want to, but I feel like it’s our only option to get out of here, regroup, and maybe come back with a larger force.

Ellori 26:53
I just feel like if we turn back now we know the city’s lost for good. For done. And if we keep pushing forward, we have a chance to maybe save it.

Deeran 27:06
Do we? Like, realistically, right like, we haven’t made a- look at this. Deeran gestures around as like, all of the demons are just like, swarming the streets.

Skarpin 27:33
If they’re altering time…I don’t know.

Belroth 27:37
But it seems to be slowing- us approaching the demon slows down time, but away from us is speeding up time?

Ellori 27:48
No, the demon is making us go half as fast as we normally would.

Belroth 27:56
Well, then it seems like ranged attacks are the only option, and I’m- unless we can get closer which seems like might not even be possible if it’s slowing- it seems like the slower we get. Um, then maybe I don’t think we should retreat retreat. I think we should get closer to the group, and I should continue to plink this thing with arrows while we approach.

Deeran 28:19
I think we should retreat. I think Skarpin is right. I think the only way that we survive this, and the only way that we protect anybody in the army is by being back with that group. I think if we get too much further into this it’s all over.

Skarpin 28:41
Maybe on a future attack we start at dawn and then, and then we’ll have the whole day. And even if it does speed up time-

Ellori 28:49
What’s it gonna matter tomorrow if the whole city is lost anyway?

Belroth 28:52
I’m, I’m with Ellori. I mean they said this is their one shot and it seems like it was just lost. We have as much time as we can now.

Deeran 29:04
I don’t think this shot is worth taking, man. I think we’re gonna die if we stay here!

Skarpin 29:11
I agree. Belroth, you almost- you were looking real hurt there, and we’re wasting- I’m about halfway spent, and we’re not even close. We already used our Lanier gift. We don’t have any backup plan.

Deeran 29:29
Deeran turns back toward the army, and he uses Burning Hands in the direction of the group that they had left to try to like, move back toward the group to like, regroup with the team.

Anthony 29:50
Okay.

Deeran 29:53
So, they make a Dex Save.

Anthony 30:04
A lot of 1s. A lot of 1s in those Dex Saves.

Deeran 30:08
Great, I burn up a bunch of them then. They take, they take 12 fire damage each.

Anthony 30:15
You clear a path 15 feet back that I assume you move quickly to the end of.

Deeran 30:21
I look back at the group as like, as the flame engulfs these demons, I look back at the group.

Ellori 30:29
So this is it? You’re just making the decision for all of us?

Skarpin 30:32
No we will not- I will not go without you, Ellori, Belroth. We go as a team.

Deeran 30:37
I’m just giving you a chance! Are we going this way or that way?! Or are we gonna die out here, or are we going to try and live?!

Ellori 30:45
Are we gonna die out here, or are we gonna die back there. If the vampires come out, we’re dead either way.

Deeran 30:50
Fuck it then, let’s give up here!

Skarpin 30:52
I think they’re going for the city. If we leave with the army. They’re taking the city. They’re not gonna pursue the whole army. We at least can have a group together-

Ellori 31:02
Why not? What’s going to keep them from pursuing the whole army?

Deeran 31:05
Let’s have this conversation right now. Are we leaving or staying?

Skarpin 31:11
Please, Ellori. Trust, trust that this is- I think we need to do this.

Ellori 31:18
Ellori looks at Belroth.

Belroth 31:19
I’m with you, but I am hurt. I agree with you. I think this is our one chance. This is what we have to do.

Ellori 31:31
So, you’re staying?

Belroth 31:31
I’m staying.

Anthony 31:40
Okay, any other Actions this round?

Skarpin 31:44
I mean, as this is going yeah, Skarpin is casting off spells. He’s gonna do Inflict Wounds with his silver spear. Wow, terrible rolls tonight. He got a 5 to hit plus- I mean it’s not even worth.

Anthony 32:10
Okay-

Skarpin 32:12
The pillow attacks. Sorry, I want to have a hit at least once. Fucking A. 12 to hit? 12?

Anthony 32:20
Okay.

Skarpin 32:20
Plus- 16 to hit mother fucker.

Belroth 32:23
Okay, there you.

Skarpin 32:27
I just want to feel good once. All right. He’s got some damage. That’s 6 damage.

Anthony 32:37
Okay.

Ellori 32:38
You also- the target and every creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet has to succeed a Constitution Saving throw or take thunder damage.

Skarpin 32:48
Nice.

Ellori 32:49
Equal to 4.

Anthony 32:54
Okay, they all take thunder damage.

Skarpin 32:57
Yes, that was really cool, Ellori. I’d love to have many of those in the future.

Anthony 33:07
Everyone give me another Perception Check.

Ellori 33:14

  1. Belroth 33:14
    18 as well.

Anthony 33:15
Ellori, yours is at Advantage.

Ellori 33:21
Nat 20.

Skarpin 33:22
Yeah. 11.

Deeran 33:24
8.

Anthony 33:26
I love Deeran’s Perception Checks. Ellori, since you detected initially this since sensation, looking out ahead of you at the demons you can kind of see the striation like, the waves of where these- how this is like, where it is coming from or whatever, and almost feel like you can pinpoint where it is. You look to the top of a building just behind the crab carrier, and you see a figure standing at the top of the building. It is a woman dressed in gray, her skin pale, and she is- it is like the energy is radiating off of her that in the space around her, the things have been slowed to a crawl, and that it is your perception that has shifted more than actual time.

Ellori 34:35
Ellori throws her hands out and sings ~Twist the mind, and squeeze on the brain. On all you try there is a strain.~ And casts Bane on that bitch.

Anthony 34:56
Okay, that’s a Con Save?

Ellori 34:58
Yeah.

Anthony 35:03
Okay, you do not feel like your-

Ellori 35:05
Oh, Charisma, I’m sorry. Charisma.

Anthony 35:07
Charisma, okay. You still don’t feel like your attack took hold.

Skarpin 35:14
Ellori, what are you, what are you attacking?

Ellori 35:15
It’s not the, it’s not the demon 300 feet away. It’s that lady on the roof over there.

Deeran 35:20
She’s even further. Deeran squints to try to see her.

Ellori 35:25
Wait, what?

Anthony 35:27
Yeah, it is on the building just behind the crab carrier, but it’s fine.

Ellori 35:32
Oh.

Anthony 35:32
I let it be.

Ellori 35:33
Well-

Anthony 35:33
No, I let it be.

Ellori 35:34
Sorry.

Anthony 35:34
Keep going.

Ellori 35:35
I heard “just behind you” because my brain filled in the rest with what I wanted to hear, and not you were actually saying.

Belroth 35:44
Just behind-

Ellori 35:46
Ooo, yeah Carisma Save that changes things a lot. Mmm, still don’t don’t feel like it works.

Anthony 35:53
It wasn’t the range. It wasn’t the range that made it not work.

Belroth 36:00
Can Belroth now see the thing pointed out?

Anthony 36:04
Yes, when it’s pointed out to you, you can see the being.

Deeran 36:08
And so, when they point it out- I’m sorry, I’m confused is time actually moving faster for us slower-

Anthony 36:19
What is time, Mike? You know, what is their perception of time versus time itself?

Belroth 36:26
My understanding is this feels like black hole dynamics where you like, look in and it’s going slower and you look out and it’s going faster. That’s what I- that’s how I interpreted it. Anyways-

Deeran 36:36
I don’t know what that means.

Skarpin 36:38
Yeah, does that help us?

Deeran 36:39
Mike the player doesn’t know what that means.

Belroth 36:41
Belroth takes a shot not with Sharpshooter.

Deeran 36:47
Deeran is going to watch the arrow to see what he means.

Belroth 36:51
Um, that would be an 18 plus 7, so 25.

Anthony 37:00
Okay, you fire off the arrow. Deeran, you watch Belroth pull back the arrow as he always does. And when he releases the arrow the velocity behind that arrow just seems way faster than you’ve ever seen it before. That arrow rips off of that bow, and so it fires super fast out toward the figure. And the figure- the arrow especially, there’s almost like a warping around the head of the arrow, but the arrow slams into your target, Belroth.

Belroth 37:44
Great, I’m going to move my Favored Foe to her. 10 damage with a silver arrow.

Anthony 38:02
Okay.

Belroth 38:03
I don’t know if she has to make a Concentration Check on her dumb bullshit, but you know, I hope she does.

Anthony 38:11
Okay.

Skarpin 38:13
Oh, no. Skarpin’s putting, putting maths together in his head. Y’all, I think is that that’s the Accuser up there. She, she’s making us feel- I don’t know if that time is actually- we might have time, Deeran. Maybe we could do this. I don’t want to be held in despair by her. I think we could do this.

Deeran 38:42
Deeran looks behind him, and then he looks back to the group and like, fires off a Ray of Frost at the front most demon like, headed toward the, toward the bad guys.

Anthony 39:06
Okay.

Deeran 39:10
That is a natural 1.

Skarpin 39:14
Oh, no.

Deeran 39:14
Fuck!

Skarpin 39:16
That would have been so cool.

Anthony 39:24
Weird

Deeran 39:28
Yeah, so as he puts his finger out, the Ray of Frost shoots out of the necklace, hitting his hand. The whole front of his finger like, freezes. Ow, ow, ow, it’s so cold. Oh, man.

Anthony 39:48
When you, you empower the spell right, and then as the spell fires off, the reason your hand was in the way it’s like that Ray of Frost that fired from you it moved way faster than you expected it to. Like, instead of a ray that’s like ~laser noise~ it was just like a bar, instantly out from you that now suddenly your finger was in the way.

Deeran 40:15
This is not helping me understand time, Anthony.

Anthony 40:26
Give me an Intelligence Check from Deeran. Give me the numbers floating in the air while Deeran thinks about it Check.

Deeran 40:38
Oh, my fucking god-

Anthony 40:39
And I will say because- hold on, before you say anything, Deeran spent a lot of nights at the university sitting up talking with his friends-

Deeran 40:49
Thinking about what even is time, man.

Anthony 40:52
So, I will say that for all of the mornings where you thought like, anyone ever notice that cold and wet are the same thing? You can go ahead and make an additional roll here. It’s at Advantage.

Belroth 41:04
Hey, man don’t shame those of us who enjoyed halflings pipe leaf, okay?

Deeran 41:12
So, I will say that there is a universe where Deeran fundamentally does not understand. Just natural 1 level does not understand. In this universe, that’s a 22.

Anthony 41:31
You’re starting to piece together what’s happening here, okay? Looking at the arrow, looking at the ray, looking at the army behind you, and the demons in front of you who have not moved since the last time you fired at the carrier, the crab carrier you are understanding that this magic, whatever it is doing, it is changing your perception of time. So, if you were standing on that back line watching you guys, it would look like you are swinging your sword at half speed at these demons who are reacting at half speed. So, you’re just like, very slowly swinging your blade into these demons and they’re like, and then to the soldiers that like, 40, 50 feet behind you that’s what’s happening.

Deeran 42:29
Sure.

Anthony 42:30
And then for you looking forward at the crab carrier, the crab carrier has not responded to the last arrow it got hit with because it’s moving- it’s perception of time is even slower than your perception of time, but the time is actually passing.

Deeran 42:44
That’s the part that I’m having trouble with. Is the sun in the sky the real time.

Anthony 42:52
From what you’ve pieced together, yes.

Deeran 42:55
Great.

Anthony 42:57
And your reaction to anything is taking twice as long as you feel like it’s taking.

Deeran 43:03
Oh my god and for Deeran and that’s like for everyone. Everyone listening to the podcast is like, yeah, duh, we get it.

Skarpin 43:15
Yeah, no, we totally, we totally get it. So, when Skarpin says to Deeran I don’t think as much time has passed as what it looks like does Deeran agree with that?

Deeran 43:27
No.

Belroth 43:28
I’m telling you we are a physics podcast now.

Deeran 43:34
Deeran thinks that time has passed like, twice as much time has passed as it feels like has passed.

Skarpin 43:44
Oh, so Skarpin’s speech to Deeran wasn’t- what does Deeran say? Deeran shot the Ray of Frost in response. He didn’t say anything.

Deeran 43:53
Yeah, Deeran is gonna support you-

Skarpin 43:56
Even though he is wrong in his interpretation.

Deeran 43:58
And the rest of the group because everyone has decided we’re doing this. And Deeran refuses to be left all alone.

Skarpin 44:10
Wow. Okay. Mike the player did not understand this and neither did Skarpin.

Anthony 44:23
Okay, does anyone else have any Actions this round?

Belroth 44:26
Freya makes an attack too.

Anthony 44:29
Okay.

Belroth 44:30
She gets a 15.

Anthony 44:36
That’s a hit.

Belroth 44:37
Then that’s 8 damage to something.

Anthony 44:44
Okay. All right. The demons around you continue their assault?

Belroth 44:52
Are they still distracted?

Anthony 44:55
No.

Belroth 44:56
Okay.

Anthony 45:01
One hits you, Belroth. It’s a teeth demon. Sinks its teeth into you for 7. Skarpin gets attacked. No attacks hit Skarpin. Some attack Deeran. I got one hit on Deeran from the flail tail, the tail flail. That’s 3 damage, and you need to give me a Con Save.

Deeran 45:44
My temporary points! Oh, no that is a 5 Con Save.

Anthony 45:55
Okay. Okay, so you do take another 7 from a bard. The barb does not stick, but you have taken 7.

Deeran 46:09
Great.

Anthony 46:12
And then Ellori, you take a hit from a meat monster for 8 damage. And then Freya. Freya takes a hit from teeth demon for 11.

Belroth 46:44
Oh, that’s not good. Freya’s at 7 also.

Deeran 46:53
Yeah, Deeran starts coughing up blood, and he looks down at his hand and he looks up at the sky. And then he grabs his necklace, and he looks deep into it. And he rubs the, the symbol on the front of the necklace and tries to forge that connection.

Anthony 47:26
The necklace begins to glow, and for a moment you are transported, not physically. You know, you’ve done this before. You know what it feels like to have this sensation as you sort of fade to a white mist all around you. And you are in a simple, low-detailed place, but there’s a carpet on the floor that you immediately recognize, a couple of chairs just laid out in a common pattern, a small table between them with small figurines and a nice little book laid out. And in the open chair that is the chair for you, across from that are 2 familiar figures sitting in their chairs. It is-

Deeran 48:27
Hey, grandma. Hey grandpa.

Anthony 48:30
Oh, Deeran, dear. Look at you. It’s so good to see you. Oh, how- we’re so happy you came to see us. Look at you.

Oh there’s my boy. Look at you. Come here, come here.

Deeran 48:45
Yeah, Deeran walks over and gives them the biggest hug, just really holds on real good.

Anthony 48:54
Oh, dear. Oh, this is so nice, so nice. I’m so excited to hear all about how you’re doing in school, how that must be going. You look so handsome now, and so well put together. This is- oh, you could probably use a haircut, dear. Do you need something to eat or drink?

Deeran 49:13
No, Grandma. I’m good, thanks. I just, I wanted to stop and say to y’all. Um, it’s been a while, and we’re about to- like, my friends and I are, you know, we’re involved in some pretty important stuff. And I just wanted to check in and say hi to you. You know, because I, I think we’re going someplace where I’m not going to be able to swing by again for a bit.

Anthony 49:48
Oh, important stuff. Important stuff, wow. I can’t wait to see all the great things you’re going to do. So impressive. You know, you got to keep yourself- you remember the rules.

Deeran 50:00
I know.

Anthony 50:00
You got to keep yourself focused. You got to pay attention. You can’t let things slip by. You know you’ve had some slip ups in the past.

Deeran 50:07
I know grandpa.

Anthony 50:07
You got to make sure you stay diligent. Stay diligent.

Deeran 50:10
Work, work hard. Head down, and, you know, people will notice. I know, I know, Grandpa. I know. Hey, how much do you remember from before?

Anthony 50:27
From, from before? We know, we remember lots of things about the time before the Fading or before we were affected by it. I mean we, we remember a lot of things.

Deeran 50:42
Yeah. Grandma, do you remember, do you remember after grandpa passed?

Anthony 50:56
You see a look of confusion cross your grandfather’s face. And you see a look of sadness across your grandmother’s. Yeah, yes.

Deeran 51:09
Um, do you ever talk about like, those days here together?

Anthony 51:19
They look at each other and they look at you and they say, we have the time we have with you.

Deeran 51:29
So like, you know, like, you don’t like, remember going, right? Like, making that, you know, crossing over that, that bridge, you know?

Anthony 51:44
You’re gonna come to a lot of crossings in your life boy, and just remember if you work hard, and really focus, you know, you put the effort in, you’re gonna get the effort out. And you can do it, son. I know you’ve got it in you to really make whatever you want to be come true.

Deeran 52:01
Yeah.

Anthony 52:02
You look hungry. Do you want something to eat, dear? I can get you some water or some tea.

Deeran 52:08
No, grandma I’m good. All right. So like, all right. Uh… Hey, I, I love you guys. And Deeran just gives him a big hug.

Anthony 52:31
Oh, she pats you on the back. Yeah, yeah, we love you so much.

You’re all right, boy. You’re gonna do great. Just, just keep, keep working hard and keep that focus, and you’ll be fine.

Deeran 52:48
All right. Thanks, guys. And Deeran closes his eyes-

Anthony 52:52
Oh, Deeran what is, what is this? She grabs your hand. She runs her hand over the symbol on the back of your hand. Oh, this, what is this? This is, this is new.

Deeran 53:09
Oh, yeah. Um, well, remember like I told you we’re involved in some pretty big things. So, um, this is for, this is for Colliesto. I know-

Anthony 53:28
Her eyes snap up at you, and the voice that comes out of her mouth is not her own. Now is not the time. This cannot be it, and then the image fades from around you. And you are back fighting with your friends, but the symbol on your hand is still glowing.

Deeran 54:02
All right, guys. This can’t be it.

Anthony 54:15
You feel a heat in your hand.

Skarpin 54:18
What do you mean?

Deeran 54:20
I don’t know. Deeran lifts his hand to look at the symbol

Anthony 54:27
As you say that you feel a cooling, like they the heat is fading.

Skarpin 54:36
Deeran it’s glowing. What, what happened?

Deeran 54:40
I think we got to go.

Skarpin 54:43
What do you, what do you mean? You just went blank for a minute and now you’re acting all weird.

Deeran 54:54
If we die here, this is- it can’t be it.

Anthony 54:58
The heat returns.

Deeran 55:02
Like, we can’t die here. The 4 of us, we need to survive this.

Anthony 55:10
The heat builds.

Deeran 55:13
And I don’t know, I don’t know how I’m going to accept like, giving up Morevia, but I think we gotta go, you guys.

Skarpin 55:25
Did you hear- did Colliesto… and he doesn’t finish the sentence.

Deeran 55:32
Deeran just like, makes full like, terror eyes at him like, wide and nodding and slow. And Deeran starts to back up.

Belroth 55:46
Okay, Belroth wipes the blood from his mouth. He grabs Freya by like, the scuff of her neck to try and pull her back from fighting and waves his arm in the air and casts Fog Cloud to try and give us some cover to escape.

Anthony 56:10
You cast Fog Cloud and the area is- like, the fog rolls in in this space just as the sun begins to sink onto the horizon, and when you do, not only does the heat build for you, Deeran as everyone takes that first step back, everyone’s symbols begin to glow. And there is a hum in the air, a feeling that is building even as the sun begins to sink faster and faster. And then, Deeran your hand is almost vibrating with this light as everyone else you begin to feel that heat as well. You’ve taken maybe 5 steps back and then from all of you, the symbols- light transfers between each of you like line zips between each of your hands, and a light fires off into the sky.

A purple figure with wings of dust, glowing dust like a nebula drifts down from the sky as the sun begins to pass behind the buildings. The figure lowers itself down to the ground next to you. It says, the Lady of Fate bidden me to see you on this day. It has not come time to speak, but she will not let you fail in this way. The hour of your failure is coming, but this is not it. We all have parts to play, and your doom here has not been foretold. I give you now a choice. The hour slips. The creatures come. I can stand with you, and we will face them together. Or I can take you from this place. Either will satisfy my Mistress.

Skarpin 57:09
Oh, wow.

Anthony 57:11
If I die while we face these creatures then no fate will protect you. If I take you from this place- he motions back- no fate will protect them.

Skarpin 59:10
Skarpin was convinced so hard that it was the Accuser that was making time seem like it was passing and that time is not actually passing so he assumes they still have quite a lot of time and says, with an angel, oh my goodness. We could do this.

Ellori 59:34
I think we can, but Deeran I won’t push you any farther.

Belroth 59:44
Deeran, I, I also think we can, but we all have to agree. This has to be unanimous. This is something, this is a life or death situation. If we do not all agree, then we all leave because if we cannot fail here then we will not fail here. If this is the right choice then I trust you 100%.

Deeran 1:00:26
I can’t do it, you guys.

Belroth 1:00:31
okay

Skarpin 1:00:32
You, you can’t- we, we- the Angel will help us… And he’s just looks at up at the Accuser with such hatred and just-

Anthony 1:00:46
You think you can see from this distance- it’s hard, but you think you see a smirk play across her lips.

Belroth 1:00:51
There’s also a fog cloud in the way.

Anthony 1:00:56
He thinks what he thinks.

Skarpin 1:00:59
He’s even madder, but he looks back at Deeran and the group and, ugh, I mean Colliesto, they don’t- they thought- ugh… Let’s go. Let’s go together.

Anthony 1:01:23
There is a flash of purple light. There’s a twisting, a stretching, a crushing, a pulling, a pressing, and everything goes black.

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 1:02:32
Serious business.

We’re super serious!

Transcribed by https://otter.ai