C2 E26 | A Short Knife and a Throng

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Hi, I'm Shaw.

Now I'm your DM Seth. Welcome to Venture Forth! Gather round ye gentles, I've another tale to tell Of woe-begotten heroes and repentant now duels, of villains and their scheming and the fools that heed the call. Sweet melodies to ensure that they venture for the venture. For they venture dueling dragons in a dungeon, toppling trolls till the toes are peeled.

Of course they venture. For they venture, thou may staff to trust a notch fanny when the devil's at the knee. When last we left our heroes in the tavern or a cave. They dispatched a doctor's lace of found some summons off to sleep. There's a mage with much ambition. There's a walking at the gate. The real friends of politician.

When last we left this hero. After an eventful evening at the Split Keel and learning of the treachery of Class Ferry Heague, Shaw took matters into his own hands, and like a good gardener, pruned this diverting branch of the Akonite trade. You returned to the Red Thorn for a short time, able to grab a drink and enjoy the atmosphere of first sprouting before your already very long evening was further extended, with a request from Thistle to escort Elya home.

Alongside Vale and the aforementioned sorceress, you made your way through Black Rock still in the midst of its spring celebration, joined with Ramsay along the road, and arrived at South and Salves just in time to witness a vicious attack on the domicile. You joined the rest of the party in battle, trading blows with bugbears of the Dairoch tribe, and in the heat of battle, the world slipped to gray, as Shaw had his first brush with a strange new power he is possessed of.

In some type of quiet in-between, time slowed, ash fell, and the specter of someone from Shaw's past appeared briefly, as Shaw rejoined the fray, bolstered by a quiet rage. As the battle din faded, sensation flooded back to you, alongside emotion, overwhelming you at first. But you quieted yourself, after a brief conversation with Vale, joined the party inside and saw Reese in some form of catatonic state.

Elia, beside herself, asked for privacy and time with family. And so you, Vale, and Ramsay, found Dom Forger, informed him of the attack, and returned once more to the Red Thorn. But again, your night not over. You ascended the familiar staircase to report to Shawna on the events of the evening. And after hearing your recounting of the exchange between Class and the attack, Shalna told you your once again evening was not at an end.

Despite the very late hour. She opened her assassin's trove, began pulling her gear, handed you a potion you've only rarely seen in your many years here on Elbor, and informed you that you and she were going hunting. So, as we return once more to this moment, Shawna has given you this potion. You see, inside of it is uh is an orange liquid.

Um, and you do see the small sort of writing script at the base of it, and she says to you, drink up, Shaw. And you see she's turned to her sort of trove there, and she's beginning to, she walks over first to the small stand, and you see she pulls off that black uh sort of suit of armor almost, that clothing, set of clothing that you've seen.

And she walks over, sort of off to the side. You see her kind of vanish around the corner for just a moment. I'll look at the vibe. It says what again? It says hi. Halen. Halen Industries.

Halen Industries. Yeah. And do I know I know Phil's last name?

Yeah, you know, you know her last name. Um, I think actually the first time you heard it was at the governor's ball um when her name was read out as part of the guest list. But it is the same, it is the same, same name.

If I can make that connection, I'll just kind of hold it, look at the wording.

Interesting.

Chug it. And Sean, your background, your days, um, you've seen these before. Okay. They're very rare, they're very expensive. Um, this is a potion of rapid rest. And um, yeah, they're very expensive, actually. Um you feel this sort of warmth spread through you as the potion begins to take effect almost immediately.

And um, you know that over the course of the next 10 minutes, basically, you will gain the benefits of a long rest. Did you drink it? Yes, dear. I need you in fit form tonight, Shaw. We are, as I said, we have some loose ends we need to tie up.

Nice.

You see, she comes from out from around the corner pretty fast. And you see, Shauna is not in her normal, sort of bedecked finery and dress. Instead, you see a almost like skin tight, like this dark black silk um that is kind of wraps itself around in these various layers. And in the light of this sort of small enclosure where she keeps all of her bits and bobs and everything else, um, you can see these thin veins of silver like running through it occasionally, almost like fra, then they they have almost, they have like these almost fractal-like patterns, but as you look a little closer, you notice this motif of webs that is like spread out throughout it, the way that the threads connect and and

fold in on one another. You recognize the telltale signs of like a spider's web that is shot throughout this.

I didn't think you could look better.

Stop. And she reaches, walks over, she reaches up. Yes, this is a um a particular gift that I absconded with from, well, let's just say some parties who did not want to part with it. It um is very helpful. Have one for me by chance. Nothing in your size, dear. Okay. Uh but I do have something else for you.

As she reaches up and she begins to grab a hold of her, you see that as I as I think I mentioned last time you saw this, there is this sort of display case almost, and you see a series of daggers that are in it. And she begins pulling them off one by one and sticking them into sheaths and bandoliers across her.

Um she uh turns to you, she says, Well, not one of these. These are my toys. She walks over and grabs um a series of other vials out of her glass case, and she hands two things to you. One, you recognize immediately, you've seen before. Um, it is a thin glass vial. Inside, you see a thick viscous red liquid.

Um she says, Since we'll be going out just the two of this, this is really all I have for you should you get wounded. So be careful. It is quite effective. So might wait until you actually need it. Surely. Um, this is a superior healing potion. So it's 8d4 plus 8 uh worth of healing. And she sort of combs through all of her little little vials and reaches up and pulls uh a small vial, probably about the size of like your index finger.

You see that in her elegant scroll, um, it says on like a label that is across it, you see, Quickling's nectar. She hands it to you. You can drink this, or you can jab yourself with it if you'd like. But um, this should help lighten your step should we need to make any fast getaways.

Alright. I appreciate the help. What's the plan for tonight? Right.

And she walks up to you, she closes the the doors of her treasure trove. Turns. You had mentioned how many assailants were there at Suits and South? Uh a lot. Um Did any make it away?

Uh a few. Uh I believe two is at least. Good. I know Ramsay, I believe, took out one that was a running, so I'm imagining two. Two are still out there.

Alright, well, then we have a trail we can follow. Hmm.

Do you know if they're staying here in town? Not sure. They typically wouldn't, but it could be on the outskirts.

Uh we could. I mean Dom and the Thornwatch are probably at Soothes and Souths now, so it's probably too late to go back and get information from the batties. I mean, we drug them we dragged them out to to take them, to burn them or dispose of them. So they might be around the corner in an alleyway if we went to look at their bodies, but I there wasn't much on them.

You said the Thornwatch is at Sooths and South's now? Uh they should be on their way, uh Dom at least.

unknown Good.

What's on your mind?

Oh, it's simply an opportunity to see how much you've improved.

And can't wait. And this whole time I'm looking at the corner of my eyes. Like I'm I'm like, I'll like be talking to her and then I'll kind of just like look up and around. Almost looking for something at the edges of my vision. And just periodically.

Okay. Yeah. Okay. As you look around, you you don't notice anything in particular. You don't. Yeah.

Not now. No, I know.

As you look around, you you don't you don't notice anything. But um, she grabs a small stone, she slips it into a pocket. Might have need of that later.

We'll see. I love how mysterious you are, but all the time.

You have much to learn about me. After all our time together, well, as you say, a girl needs to answer her secrets. And she looks up at you. Are you ready? Are you always? And she walks over to a portion of her, um, a portion of the office, kind of back into the corner. You see, as she reaches up to uh sort of an area of one of the shelving that is kind of like in the back behind her desk.

Okay. Reaches up and puts her hand like just against the wall, and you see as briefly this sort of brief flare of sort of it's like a s very vibrant caustic green. Okay. And you hear, and you see as a portion of the wall swings open. Have I ever seen this open before?

Mm-mm. You are a lady of many secrets, I see. Looks over her shoulder at you. How many more trapdoors and hose do you have in this here room?

Well, if I were to tell you that, what secrets would I have left, Charlotte?

Apologies. You are, I'd just say, learning more than I might have otherwise intended. Oh. But desperate times. Come. And she waves at you. And I will walk up to her and follow. You see, is there's, yeah, basically the the door swings open and it's a very short of sort of short opening that uh simply leads down to a um like it basically leads straight out into the wall.

And you see that behind this is a um like a uh you look down and you kind of see like very cleverly hidden amongst the bricks down the backside of the Red Thorns building. You see like a series of slight protruded bricks that are, again, like hidden very cleverly. But you see she begins to scale down them.

It's almost like a built-in ladder that is like just part of this the edifice here. Um it's it's yeah, it's just like this kind of hard to see, but she scales down the uh the outside of the wall very quickly and looks up at you.

All right. Now make my way, I'll start climbing down. Girls got to maintain her image. I can't walk through the middle of the foyer with a little bit of a little bit of a little bit.

You would have at least stairs set up. You're so regal.

Well, perhaps I'll make an improvement. And she uh you see as she puts her hand on another spot on the bottom of the of the wall, and you see that same caustic green flare, and and then like seamless the stonework and all of those little hand holes, they they like flatten back into the wall.

I might say still pretty cool.

Stairs would be an improvement, though, I think.

Oh shut up.

And you go off into the night. Yeah. Um she moves. She doesn't sneak necessarily, but she does stick off to the sides of the alleyways, um, or off to like the sides of the streets. At this point now, it's probably gosh, three in the morning. Like three in it's like the middle of the night. Um so you don't like your the revelry is starting to to die.

There's still a party, but it's probably just mostly the drunkards that are stumbling around. Yeah.

Occasionally you see like someone stumble home, but and she kind of just casually like walks off into the shadows a little bit and sticks to the edges of the of the thoroughfares, does not walk out in the open, and she kind of periodically looks over at you.

Is there anything else you want to tell me about this evening, Shaw?

Let's see.

What else did you learn of these people end of class in his well plans?

I told you already that he was betraying us, giving the bugbears and goblins the details of the shipments and the caravans. Did he say why? I think it was just his own interest. I think he was trying to leave BlackRock, I believe. He's trying to make some money and head out of town. I feel like he was working for someone bigger.

I've just based on it, because I believe it's just a wife's tale, but dread, I think it's called. I don't think we're supposed to talk about it in town, it's but it's it's not real, right? Just something to keep the kids from going staying out too late.

Right?

Of course. Oh no, I know that look. What are you not telling me?

We're friends here.

As you say, dread is um it's a moniker. It's a title of sort. Understand this is all rumor and speculation, of course. I've told you about the way our business operates. Yes. The agonite trade is what we would call hard to kill. Each individual is known only to a few others at a time. Prevents exposure.

Yes.

Someone is compromised, as class was, well, there's only a limited number of people that can be revealed. Right. Only a limited number of resources that can be burned at once. It's modeled after, well, it's namesake.

Once it sets in, very difficult to eradicate. So you're saying dread is part of the trade? And she looks up at you as she's walking.

Rumors are to be be believed. But then why would they want to betray the trade if they're part of it?

I don't understand. What do you mean? I think he got words from birds and squirrels or something. Seemed. I remember him mentioning that. And I look up. Um, are we in the forest or in the city still? Are you still in town? I'll look up at the town, I'll look up for like any rodents or birds or anything kind of like oddly staring.

Make a perception check for him.

Yeah, okay. 14? 14. I'll kinda like as I'm looking up. Um not quite sure he knew fully who or what maybe had given him the information, but I think he was the one that hired the thieves that attacked the Well, I guess we're there trying to steal things and the ones that were thrown in jail. He was the one that orchestrated that, and I believe it came from one of the animal messenger things.

He doesn't quite maybe maybe he's one of the lower rungs.

Class is relatively high in the hierarchy. He's largely in charge of distribution, which is why he has knowledge of the good routes and sorry, I was looking for things.

What'd you say again? What were you looking for?

Well, animal messengers. When we went out to the mine to inst uh investigate what happened on our way there, and I think on the way back as well animals. Small animals, squirrels, birds, like I was saying, watching us, staring at us. And I thought maybe it was the thornwatch, but I think one of our party members talked to one and the animal that was an owl, I believe, said it was watching everyone for dread.

So that's why I'm putting the connection that maybe Klaus was getting information from Dread because of the experiences we had in the forest. But I mean it could be the Thornwatch turning him to betray us. I don't know. Because I know the Thornwatch used animal messengers as well.

They do as well.

And but there's no shortage of druidic. It was like a constant thing as we were going through it. It was a bird there, a squirrel up in the forest, snickering at us. I don't think the squirrel liked Phil or Ramsay much.

Interesting.

So Class of his own volition betrayed the roots.

But you believe he ins received instructions from Dredd to send these thieves to the governor's manse earlier this evening?

I believe so.

Regardless if he knew who was giving him the orders or not, I think he followed him because of money or seeing it as a way out of here.

A way to safety at Olgaard or something. Yes, well, it didn't work for him, so. Clearly. Thanks to you, of course.

For the trade and all that. Well. What does it make you think of? Oh, so? Give me a moment. And I'll look up again. Yeah. I got a 14 for the animals. Um, you don't have to roll. Ooh. Tyson? Woo-hoo! He's just putting him on the table. He's just putting him on the table. That wasn't damaged. Rocks fall.

Just kidding.

Hopefully not.

Oh my nice.

Mm-hmm.

Sneaky. You don't see anything. Sorry, I just. Now that I'm thinking about it, I want to make sure there's none of them, but I don't see any. What were you saying? Hmm. And then again, I look up in the corner of my eyes for something different. Almost at the edges of my vision and shake it and come back.

Well, the dread is a salacious rumor that has long lingered around BlackRock. Right. Some speculate that dread is the Agonite Dread. Others believe that it is not involved at all. The unfortunate reality of the way that our organization is structured is that well.

It's very difficult to know exactly who is in charge, which has brought me no end of frustration. Do you have a cool name like Dred?

A few.

Give me one. Am I allowed to know? Or do you have to kill me?

Well. Remember our last little encounter? I know. You may have to, um Well, I've been counting my steps ever since. As I said, Sean, girl has to have her secrets.

Of course.

So you think that this dread could be a part of it? Could be the leisure, could I mean if it's speaking through animals, could it not be part of the Thornwatch as well? Or have some kind of tie with them? Could. It knows that kind of magic.

There are any number of magics that allow someone to see through the eyes of animals, communicate through them.

But it might even corrupt the Thornwatch's messages.

It could. Therein lies the problem, Shaw.

Well, clearly this friend or foe. I think it's probably a bit of both. Seems to be the running theory around here in this town. You never know who's your friend and who's your foe. Indeed. But this dread person. Whoever they are. It seems like they wanted that party to go ahead. They wanted that that item that the governor turned on.

Yeah, it's the thing Bavralda's been making us think about.

Oh, did I tell you she's dead? Did you know that? Did you find that out? Bavralda?

No, the governor. I figured you'd already know, but I've heard. Because you were there, right? I don't think I saw you d I saw you up in the rafters. I asked for help and you didn't help me. What was that about? You seem to be handling yourself just fine.

Besides, Shaw, again, I have a reputation to make it.

Sure, you're a tavern keeper, not a deadly nightmarish woman. I have to keep remembering that.

I'll choose to take that as the term of endearment with which I believe it was intended. It is, it is.

No harm or insultment, dear. But yes, why does Dred want this? I think everyone wants it, so I guess that's why, but the question is why, exactly. It's supposed to summon people. Some summon enemies or things to where the key is. What did you learn about it? Well, it's again. weird, but I think it's some kind of key, and you can activate it to bring people to ya.

And then you can I guess use the key to open some kind of cage or room or something. That has some kind of I think it's some kind of devilish evil inside the cage. And my theory is that you need to summon your friends to you to then open the cage together. But I again I don't know.

Far too many questions and not enough answers. Yes. I'm afraid Pavralta may have stumbled on something that goes far beyond our little time.

I don't think she knows what that key does. I think she just wants it because she's vain.

She's, you know. Say what you wish for the Council of Coin. They get what's theirs. Right. But will that upset the trade if she gets it? Don't know.

Too many questions. Too many unknowns. And I don't like that, Shaw.

I don't either.

Well. It's out of our hands now. I mean it's locked away in some other basement behind another key that we can't teleport. I um a little one. Uh Marion. I believe. So she had some kind of vault and said to Belvarda that she'll lock it away and it'll be safe there for the time being. But I yeah, I learned to not trust anyone in this damned town, so.

Marion, least of all. So wherever that is, the vault is where she's presumably, at least if she's telling the truth, is where she's keeping it. So I don't know if we want to do a second mission where we go break in there, but I I don't know if that's even worth it, because we don't even know what the thing does.

And apparently, the governor died because she was trying to mess with it and show it to the ambassador, to oh uh gods, there's so many people I met today. The ambassador. She was showing it to him, and then apparently she turned it on by accident, and that's what summoned all the creatures to the party, and then she died trying to survive, or at least that's what the ambassador said.

The ambassador could have shanked her in the side and took the thing and just wasn't able to get out. A lot of backstabbing going on, which, you know, just another day in BlackRock. We're in the business of. But that's all I think I remember. Again, it's been a hellish day.

Done well, Shaw. Thank you. I'll have to figure out exactly what it is about this key that has people so in fits.

Also, he wasn't there. The one I'm looking for. But the ambassador is the person that may lead me to him. I had a feeling the person I need is in Olgard, but Ambassador kind of has given me a way to get in the door.

Alright. Do you have a connection with the ambassador?

Introduced myself. Said I wanted to learn about how to connect the worlds. And so he said I might be able to be an ambassador myself. It's all or whatever. Gave a fake name, and that didn't work because I'm a fucking hero of this town, apparently, after the mine situation, which I did not want my name being out there, but it is now.

So well.

You're a victim of your own success, it sounds like shaw. But a little notoriety. Yeah. Besides, names are fickle things.

Yeah, I might throw a few more around to get people confused, just like you two. Seems to be the way to do it. Um. But yeah, that might be a lead. So I thank you for the info and letting me go to the party. And sounds like you have some work to do still to endear yourself to this man.

Yeah.

If he survives, I feel like he's rubbing a lot of people the wrong way. Especially people in the party. But, you know, I don't like him much either. His station should insulate him from any rash action. But not every rash action, and I put my hand on my dagger. And she patience, Shaw. I know.

Patience. Speaking of anything else. I mentioned a hunt now.

I think we are coming up on where we need to be.

And you see it kind of ahead of you as you've walked through the town and had partions of these conversations, you see up ahead of you the uh area of sooths and salves. Oh, okay. And Sean sort of lifts a hand. Well, let's have a little fun, shall we?

I told you the thornwatch would probably be here. What are we doing back here? Exactly. Well, we have a trail we have to follow, don't we? Oh.

Oh. The thornwatch is useful at times. Sure. And I have no enmity in particular against Taggett, though he is remarkably difficult to bend.

Yes, that's a one way to put it.

A better place to start than where the two assailants got away. Right. So we'll have to get a little closer without being noticed. Fair enough. And follow that trail. So, why don't you remember what I've taught you?

Mm-hmm and see what you can learn. Alright, I'm gonna try and hide even from you. Good luck.

And yeah. Um, no, no. No, I'm gonna just roll really.

She steps into a shadow and vanishes. Fucking hell. Like five feet away from you and is gone. That's crazy.

Bye, the cats. Alright.

And I'll uh yeah, I'm gonna fucking go. I'm gonna stealth, baby.

Hey, all right. So you, as you recall, yes, you remember that the two goblins that got away, the goblinoids that got away, they ran off the southern edge of the roof, like right off that southern edge. So as you get closer, I want you to make uh stealth check first, if you'd like, and then also a perception check for me.

Sure. Um, and with my werewolf wall, I know I've been carrying around the dagger. Is that attunement? So would I have you're attuned to it, but would I have feel the the powers of it, feel the feeling of it?

No, very much. You after spending, I mean, you've had it for probably two, three hours at this point. So um your attunement to it probably finished on the walk over to South and Salves, uh, or at some point after the initial first uh first encounter that you had earlier this season.

So I'll leave it up to you because I don't I don't know the dagger as much as you do, but flavor-wise, I will, as I kind of feel the attunement kind of finalize and feel myself kind of familiarize myself with this dagger, I will reach back. So I have like my bandolair that has a few daggers, like little small ones.

Then I have the side one that I usually put my poisons on. And I've basically have taken this Skulker's special dagger that I got, and I'll um I have it kind of in the belt, kind of in the back. Okay. In the back there. And so I will kind of reach behind and I will kind of put my hand on the hilt and pull it out, kind of like back back handed, like that.

And I'll kind of feel it and kind of feel the vibe of it. And I think I'm gonna try and use a charge. Okay. If I can. Yeah, absolutely. So let me bring it up. Okay, okay. Yeah, I'll expend uh I'll as a bonus action, I'll expend a charge to uh to increase my to wreath myself in its magic. Okay. So I don't know what it looks like.

The smoke and the shadows of the area kind of grip to me and kind of warp around me. Um and it gives me advantage on stealth checks. Yeah.

So I don't know if it has any more features. No, you see as the um as the sort of the blade itself, very ordinary looking. You feel the boars hide leather of the grip. It's a very plain looking knife. It it is almost unremarkable in every way, except for the edge that is like razor sharp, no matter what you seem to do to it.

But as you reach, you you feel that the leather grow warm in your palm. And as you said, like some of the shadows like cling to you, and you feel like this almost, you almost feel your feet elevate briefly, like off the ground, just a little bit as your steps are softened and your feet are wreathed in like almost this this effervescent mist.

And you have advantage on stealth checks for the next 10 minutes. Yeah. So go ahead and mark that charge as expanded. Yes. As you used, what did I call it? Skulker's dagger. Skulker, but the skulk is the ability. As you use the skulk feature of the knife. Um and go ahead and roll a stealth check for me and add advantage and then do the perception check as well.

Perception as well. Okay. I'll do perception first. Perception is a total of 20. Oh, wow. Okay. Fair. And then advantage for the stealth.

Fucking it's fine. I'll probably be good still.

Um, not as good, man. I shouldn't roll my stealth first. Um that is 13. 13, 13. For the stealth.

Cool. All right. Cool, cool. You as you move forward, uh-huh. You stick to the shadows around the building. You see that there is a, there is actually an alleyway that is kind of uh that leads up to that southern portion of the uh of the um the building that is soothing south. There's like an additional building across the way, and you begin to to move around through that alleyway.

Yeah. Um, you see with your with your very high perception, as you begin to get closer, you kind of come up that alley, you get out of the shadows, and you can see that there are a total of, with that high of a rule, even though they are trying their best to be an obtrusive, you do notice that there are a total of four Thornwatch, all of which are stationed at basically like, well, you actually you only see three right now.

Okay. You see one that is like across the way. Um, it's basically to the north of you by about like a hundred yards or so. And it is um maybe not even that quite far, about probably 150 feet, actually. And you see they're on the ground and they're sort of just sitting in like uh in the shadows of a building across the way.

Okay. And you see that they're watching the building. You can see that close to you, pretty close, like probably 40 feet away or so, you see another Thornwatch member. Um, and uh with a roll of 20, you um you actually recognize him. It's Dom. Oh shit. And he's like right around the corner from you. Um, and then you see across the way from him, uh, on the this would be the southeasternmost corner, you see another figure that you recognize, and it is Gus Forger, it's Dom's father.

And they are both on this sort of southern edge of the of the area. As you move forward and you sort of like get to the mouth of the alley, you don't make any noise really. There's not like you don't kick anything over, but you just see as with that high of a perception, as you're watching them, you do see that Dom's attention flicks over to the alley where you are.

I pause and I move up, I put my arm my back up to the wall and kind of try and make myself small.

Okay.

He begins walking forward towards you.

unknown Okay.

And you see as he like, as he reaches up and unslings an arrow, and he goes, like you see he as he's like kind of creeping, uh creeping towards you. Okay. I'm gonna allow him one.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I have two things I'm thinking about doing.

Okay, okay, okay.

Um two ideas.

Let me check something.

Yeah, check something. Shit. Okay.

Um Okay. You go first.

Okay. Um. Okay. Let me think. Uh no, I don't want him. I don't want him to gnaw me here. So, um, if you'll allow me, I'm gonna use the dagger again. Okay. And uh um I oh god, this is so stupid. Um, I'm gonna feel uh the that hilt and I'm gonna feel the the feeling of being able to kind of warp and the ability to kind of like change and I feel that and I kind of lean into it, and the shadows quickly kind of enrapture my body, and that mist kind of covers me.

And I'd like to use the other the second ability. Can I burn another charge? Yeah. And I'll use no witnesses, uh-huh. And I'll do another bonus action to disguise self. Oh god, okay.

Okay, so you use disguise self. Yeah. What are you what do you make yourself look like? Will from the Thornwatch. Can I do that?

Wow.

Yeah, okay. I'm doing that. Okay. You I haven't seen him, so I don't know. Okay, okay. Shit, maybe he's up on the fucking hill. Oh god, but I mean it is what it is.

You you yeah, we'll I don't know. Well, what is the percentage chance that Will is here? We're gonna find out.

Oh. Um you sort of step you for a moment, as as Dom looks towards you, you can see based on the posture that he doesn't notice uh that he like he doesn't see you fully yet. As he begins to like walk across the way, and then you lean back and you immediately And I just feel that, and I just immediately let it kind of enrapture me.

The mist and the shadows change me into Will, okay, the Thornwatch member. And what do you do? Immediately I do I'll I'll peek back around and see him walking towards me. I'll um I'll sheath the dagger and I'll just kind of hold my hand out.

Okay.

It's alright.

unknown Okay.

I'll I'll whisper it.

Okay.

It's alright. It's me.

Well. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, do you want to break?

Was that his voice?

Was it like a heard it?

Make a performance check for me.

Um, I'm just for me, too, so I can do the performance. Was he was he uh Southern or no? No. It was just a regular, it was kind of regular voice.

It's just kind of regular voice, yeah. I will say that because you're using disguise self, using magic to like literally disguise yourself. Yeah, I'm gonna say, go to make a performance check. I will consider this because it is a it's literally called disguise self, and you have proficiency in a disguise kit, even though they're technically different things.

Sure. I'm gonna allow a role of proficiency here. So go ahead and make a disguise kit check. Okay. Um yeah, I'm I'm just gonna call it that. So it's performance or persuading a performance? I'm gonna call it a disguise. So you're gonna do um it will be it'll be uh d20 plus proficiency plus um I'm I'm gonna call this, you know what?

I'm gonna do my thing. It's it's still gonna be charisma, though. Because this is there is a performative element to it. It's not just about like the physical manifestation of the disguise, because honestly, that part is pretty damn near perfect. Now it's about can you mimic the voice? Which I'm gonna, like I said, because of the disguise get proficiency, I'm gonna allow you to roll this with proficiency.

Okay, so I just added. D20 plus uh plus your charisma mod? My charisma is zero.

Oh, okay. I'm good at the room. So it'd be plus three. Okay, it'd be plus two. Just roll high, just do it. Just roll high. And roll with right hand.

It's the lowest G.

Okay. I look like a move. No fucking shot.

Yeah, I'm here. You see as he as he peers at you, like he nom actually looks very closely at you. What are you doing? You do a pretty good job. As he sees through the illusion, but he just got himself.

And we're gonna bring through the illusion.

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You see very clearly that Dom he lays like his bow lowers and he kind of relaxes a little bit. Is he Shaw? Damn. What are you doing here?

I'm well this and I'll just like you almost just see like the smoke and the mist kind of just kind of seep out of my face, and it just drops, and as the mist and shadows fall down my face, my face is revealed. Okay. Shot my my vision. Yeah, yeah. And I'll just be like they didn't want me coming back, they want their space, but I'm worried about them.

Have you talked to Ilya and Phil? I need you to make a deception check for me.

Yeah. That is just an outright lie. God damn, are you kidding me? No way, buddy! It's a seven altogether. Oh no, buddy.

Okay. They're fine.

Ellie is well not taking it well. Right. What? Why don't you tell me why you're really here? If I don't.

Nothing? I'm just taking it show. Done. Let me just leave it at that. After everything I've done for this town. Let me just leave it at that.

Sure. But I will say, I heard a few got away.

There's a lot of people I love in that building. And I wouldn't be opposed to taking a stroll either.

Alright. I'll take one for you.

Let me know how it goes.

Gonna be alright. They're strong.

unknown Yeah.

Tracks are over there.

unknown Oh.

We followed him to the edge of town. But no further. Alright. Appreciate that. They go to the bluffs on the southeast. Alright. I'll take care of it. And he signals to his dad, who is nearby.

Yeah. Gives him the all clear. And I'll uh head towards that direction. Um stealthily. Okay. Again, I will try and attempt to sneak back to the shadows. Okay.

Go ahead and make another stealth truck for. How does she do it? Maybe it's maybe it's something to do with the legs.

And I'll try and try again to fucking sneak. Is am I still in the 10 minutes to Oh yeah, you're still very welcome in the 10 minutes.

Alright. Shit, I'm pulling the dagger up like a bloodhead. I need to go to my skills.

And it's uh not advantage, it's plus. It is advantageous.

It's advantageous, yeah, just advantage on stealth. Better 20.

Nice. So a total of 20 of 26, yeah. Oh, natural twenty? Natural 20.

Crazy, bang back. Hey, crazy.

It feels weird to not have somebody else to scream that in here, but so I guess I gotta do it. Yeah, screen Rodney's women's.

Um okay, natural twenty.

Yeah, natural twenty sneaky. Of course, I blow it on the fucking I rolled two ones in a row.

Say, man, did I tell the same thing?

They do, they really do. Hey, that was fun. Alright, yeah, so I'm out of here.

I'm fucking- Do I sneak away from Shana?

So you you sneak and you you you m you move away from the building following the direction of that um the Dom gave you. You do see that uh a short time later, as he kind of tells you, like he nodded in the general direction, and you go and you find and you can see the tracks. You see like a set of big bugbear footprints next to a um a uh a set of smaller goblin footprints.

Um and you do see that they lead south and east. Um actually, no, yeah, like just south for a very brief amount of time before turning hard east. Um and how do we work this out? Going into the forest, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I as you you sneak away.

unknown Hmm?

You rolled a 26?

Well, yeah, if I um if I notice that she doesn't what I'll do is I'll go to that point and I'll go to the outskirts where I'm about to like move forward into the next, like go into the forest and start tracking more, and I'll pause and wait to see if I can see her.

Okay. Yeah, you Okay, so you kind of sneak through town. Yeah, and you Okay, this is fun.

Because I'm curious, you probably heard Dom say where it is.

So she you you sneak away, like as you as you step back into the shadows after your brief uh confrontation with Dom, you move away, and you don't feel like you're followed or seen, and you you're able to follow the tracks relatively easily now that they've been pointed out to you and these creatures were not being careful.

Sure. Um so you're able to follow them, and you also know that they went, he told you they went to the bluffs. So you just kind of follow the tracks, you lose them occasionally, they come back up as you follow the general direction. You get to that bluff to the east of town where you see um Black Rock is sitting between these two bluffs.

One is high stone, and then the other is taller, craggier. There are some residences scattered throughout it, and then atop it is Ilduria's Grove. Um but you see that there this you kind of get there to the to the base of these bluffs. Um you can see that the Palisade Wall is like off to the north a little bit as the the cliffs kind of curve around to the north, and you stop and you kind of make yourself visible.

At this point in the night, there's there's no one here. You're too far back from the Palisade Wall and everybody's asleep. So you just kind of what do you do? Let me ask you that.

Um if I pause, I'll I'll kind of look around to see if I see Shauna. Um and if I don't after a few minutes, I'll Yeah, you just if you make yourself Oh, you sorry, do you make yourself known or not? Yeah, um, I don't know. I kinda wanna s find her. So like I wanna be sneak- I want to find her. I told her I was gonna sneak even better than she could see me.

What am I doing?

A perception check.

Come on, perception. That's cocked. Yeah, it's good.

Yeah, same role. Um uh perception of 15. That's probably yeah, 15.

That's probably not enough to see her stealth, but um, as you look around very co f carefully, you do not see her. Then I'll uh damn, she's good. I'll give a little whistle. And like across the street, maybe 30 feet away from you. And you see as she steps out of the shadows.

You redeemed yourself. I think it's in the legacy.

Oh you think long as you once that was a compliment for a second. I didn't think I was over here, huh?

I did lose you there.

After your little slip made it work, and I had a pretty good teacher.

A cute one.

I don't think I won't remember. And she sort of drops the uh she comes out of of and she looks down at the track. Right, they are out of town. She reaches into her pocket and she pulls out the stone that you saw her grab earlier. She reaches it up to her mouth. Rafe? I'd like to call in a favor, dear.

Could you meet me a few minutes east of town? I have need of your skills. Thank you, darling. And she puts it back in her pocket. Rafe? Did I hear that? Mm-hmm. She says it yeah, very out loud.

Rafe. We'll see you soon enough, alright?

Either way, I love she looks down and follows the tracks.

Oh, these go. Of course. They scroll to the bluffs around the outside of the wall. That's how they got in. Let's see what you make of this.

And you see, she looks up. She whispers something under her breath. You don't quite catch it. And then she walks over to the palace to the to the bluffs, and she puts her foot on it and starts walking up the wall.

Oh, the god.

Another secret revealed, Shonda. Mm-hmm. You'll have to climb on your own power, dear. Uh, of course. Of course, of course. She qu as she you see, she whispers some form of incantation. Like, you definitely know that she has cast some kind of a spell. Um, and actually, what I will say is, like, the the silver veins of the thread that runs throughout her armor, you see them even in the moonlight, just flare silver very briefly as she mutters this incantation and then walks over and begins climbing up the wall.

You can't put your hand on the wall and do the green thing and bring out some stones for me to grab, can ya? No.

Good luck.

Right.

Don't fall. It's a long drop. As you walks up, and she's like, she gets to be about 60 feet up before she like uh reaches some kind of a ledge.

Oh boy. Um, yeah, I mean I just start fucking climbing, I guess. I don't have any spells.

I'm a fucking martial boy. Alright. So, um, this is a very craggy series of rocks. Like it's not, it's not very smooth. There's all kinds of there's a relatively decent amount of hand holds. There's also a lot of like old growth and vines on it. So go ahead and make me an athletics check. Um athletics check to climb, and we'll see how far you make it.

Skills. Okay, athletics.

20 total. 20 total. All right, relying on on your strength and a lot of your training, you are, after actually a very brief amount of time, you're able to climb up the 60 feet until you arrive at the top and you see there a small ledge where Shawna, she's just like resting idly against the wall, like one foot on front of the other.

She's got an apple she's eating.

Well, it's not really a race, darling, if you got that shite on you.

Well, I mean, no one said that there were any particular rules to this race. So I win. Um, but can I have a bite at least? And she throws you the apple.

And I'll take it, I'll throw it off the cliff.

That was wasteful. And she looks down at the tracks now that you see, and as they get to the top here, you can see once again these sort of like uh in the sort of muck and and and rock. This is kind of a small, almost like a it looks like something that like a goat or some kind of like muffin creature would kind of follow, you know, those like little ledges that they run around.

Um, and you can see that there are, again, in the kind of always present mud of, especially now with all the spring rain that's coming in, you can see like pretty clear indentations into the mud and the muck as you see two sets of footprints that go off to the east. We kind of have a pathway now. And you're kind of it's it's narrow.

It's like probably two to three feet wide and gets really narrow down to like a foot or so at some parts. Um, but she says, Why don't you lead the way?

Of course. Show me what you've learned.

All right. I can't have any type of webbing or anything.

Okay, and I'll start walking. Um, I'll look around. I don't see people. I'll just I'll I'll just go for it. I'm not gonna really stealth just yet, but I will keep an eye out. If I hear or see living creatures, I'll I'll maybe quiet down, but I'll also do a quick check to see if I see anything watching us.

Cool. Um, yeah, I mean, uh with your uh go ahead and roll a perception check for it. Let's do it.

Um that is uh 11. Okay, cool. As you look around, you don't notice any people, you do you see the occasional um, you know, the occasional animal, you hear staring at it. It's not you don't see anything notice anything's like watching you. I'll keep on, keeping on, I'll follow the tracks. And you follow the tracks, you get to the point where they are, they kind of round the side of the bluffs until they go like from currently you're kind of on the southeastern side, the side that faces town, but as you circle, you kind of circle around them and you go as you walk, you you're cre you cross over the palisade.

Oh um, so it kind of like loops all the way around the edge of uh of it, and you see you kind of get to a point where you can't keep going, but you do see that there is a rocky escarpment that kind of leads down from this point and will deposit you probably about a hundred, like almost just uh about a hundred feet away from the edge of like the torch light that is uh all along the palisade wall that pushes outwards in away.

Okay, so it's kind of getting us on the other side. Okay, yeah. I mean, I'll turn back to Shauna and uh stairs would be good here too. Oh, I can't manufacture those out of anywhere. So I just don't know your secrets. And I jump and start going down. Okay, yeah.

Go ahead and make an athletics trip for me to come. And she does the same thing. She just walks down the wall. Athletics. Uh 16. 16. Once again, easily enough. You crawl down. All right, and now we're out of our element. She looks up at the Freywood border. This is where things get interesting, Sean.

She looks around. Waiting for my and you see she like smiles as you see very briefly, uh right kind of about 20 feet away or so, you hear like a rustle in the bushes. And you see walking out of the bushes, you see a creature. You see um it's a fox. Okay. Uh you see like red, uh sort of red fur. Um, very much looks like uh any sort of ordinary fox, uh, probably a little bit bigger, um, about half again as as large as you would expect in an ordinary fox.

Red fox, brown brown, probably. It's like a reddish, yeah, but like as you look at it and it kind of steps closely into the fading light of the of the torches, um, you see that its fur is like vibrant and and and very colorful. And then immediately the thing that you notice is where you'd expect to see just one tail, you see three tails that emerge from the back of this fox as it sits back onto its haunches.

Right. And the the creature looks up at you, and then you see as it like almost rolls forward and swells and grows, and as you see emerging out of this fox, as it almost stands out from going from four legs to two, and the form of it swells and sort of like morphs into a humanoid. You see standing about five feet.

Tall, a um like pale skin, vibrant red hair, a very, very well trimmed, well manicured long goatee with mustaches that like curl upwards in a way into almost like wax, like very, very particularly manicured. You see a uh a rapier with like a gold filigreed pommel that is uh down at the side. Yeah. You see he's wearing nice clothing.

Yeah. Very nice clothing, but in a very strange style. Okay. Um, it's angular and cut as if uh from like it almost looks like it's made from leaves. Like the shapes of it. It's got strange kind of ridges and interesting veins of of faint green intermixed with the vibrant green. And you see these very, very bright green eyes that look at you very intelligently as sh he turns to Shona.

Shona, my dear. You didn't tell me we'd have a friend. Wraith.

It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. You know foxes don't have three tales.

But kitsune do.

Make a history check for me.

Oh, okay.

Nature or history.

Skills. Probably doesn't matter. No, four. Four.

Not sure. Um right, friends. Yes. Well, um Shawna, you have disturbed my otherwise very delightful evening for some kind of favor that you ask for. So may I ask what it is and how I can help you so that I can return to my own festivities that I'm so sorely missing right now. You see, as um she turns to Shauna turns to you.

Yeah. This is Rafe. He is, um, I'll just say, um, one of the denizens of the fray. And owes me a favor. Right, darling? And you look she he looks down at her. Yes. I would also like to think that you just very much missed the pleasure of my company. Always, darling. But we have um someone we need to track down, and I thought with your particular skills, well, Shaw and I are, um, let's just say our talents lie elsewhere.

Hmm. Yes, there was an accident, well, an attack. And some of them got away, and we'd rather not let them get away.

Interesting. So if we're out we're out for a bit of sport. Of course. You see this predatory gleam come over this creature's eyes. Could you uh sniff them out for us? I suppose I could be persuaded. And he looks down at the ground and you see his green eyes kind of keenly assess the scene. Yeah. Gobblinoids.

Oh, you have to tell me that story. But you want to find them? Of course. Hmm. Very well. Follow me. You see, as he turns towards the tracks and begins following them effortlessly through the forest. As he will use faultless tracker, and he just like you guys move through the forest. Yeah. You see that the they cut through the forest for a period of time.

Um, and then they join back with the east road, the tide road, about probably 500 yards further in. And then you follow them for about 10 minutes or so. And then suddenly up ahead of you, you see as Wraith veers hard left, like just turns left and goes into the forest, stops at the edge. As the once you get deeper into the Freywood, things start to condense very, very quickly.

And turns and says, I think we're close now. Eyes up, and he goes in and starts. You see, he starts moving quieter as he moves forward through the brush.

Um, it seems like we're close. Yeah, I'll uh again, I've been looking perception. Passive, yeah. Um hold please.

That would be here.

Passive is 14.

14.

Okay, cool. Um go ahead.

Do I see uh whatever you guys begin to move forward and you do see a Shawna also kind of begins to move quietly.

Oh, she does? Okay, if I see Shawna move quietly, I'll I'll sink down and move quietly as well. Okay. But um, as I do before I kind of move, again, I've been just kind of like every once in a while I'm looking in the corners, in the corners looking for that ash. I I I still don't see it, but I'll just kind of look up in the corner.

And uh briefly, unerd, unseen, unscathed.

What was that, dear?

Nothing. Don't worry about it.

And I'll stealth.

Okay.

Go ahead and give me a stealth check. Really good. Okay. Uh 25. Okay. Yeah, rolled a 19.

The three of you move silently through. Yeah. And with a 14 passive after a time, you see his wraith slows down a little bit, and he turns to you guys. You t it takes him a moment to discern where you both are. And he points through the trees, and you can just make out like almost like a line, vibrant sort of orange.

And you smell smoke.

Oh creep closer.

unknown Okay.

And move in to get some good eyes on it.

As you guys all begin to creep closer, go ahead and make a perception check for me, please. Or what's your passive? 14 percent. After 14. Cool. As you move forward into the into that, towards that light, and as you get a little bit closer, you can see now it's probably 100 yards away. You get 80 yards, 60 yards, 40 yards.

You're actually the first one to see. You see a figure move briefly, like you see a flicker of movement, and like through the haze in the dark, you pick out the form of a bug bear that is standing in like a small sort of clearing area.

I'll turn to Shona and I'll I'll give her a look like. And she just nods. I'll approach it. Okay. Approach them. Okay. And as I get closer, I'm um I rolled a perception, but uh, if you want to roll again, I will actively look and see if I can spot any other assailants, any other targets as I'm moving towards this team.

And what was your total roll? Um, it was a 16 on the die. So total uh again, another um perception is total of 20. Total of 20.

As you move forward.

I'm like I I again I reach back, I grab the well, I wait. I'll wait. I'll I'll I'll have my hand at the ready to decide on which dagger I'm grabbing. Cool, cool. And then I will crouch down and I will start approaching as I'm walking right up, trying to get right behind this bugbear as I'm looking around to see what else is available.

You're you begin to move quietly forward through the forest and start looking for other assailants. You see your eyes, your eyes flicker across the space, and you see something catch your eye, a faint gleam, a glimmer. And stretched across the trees. About three about ten feet in front of you, actually.

You don't get that close, but that's a good role. So about ten feet in front of you, you see just this faint line, this taut line that is stretched all the way across the trees. And as you kind of you almost see just the faintest flicker of of moonlight on it, and you look and you follow it all the way over to where it sits, and you can see it connect to a few different elements as it encircles and goes around.

Okay. But uh, like on every tree, you see these this little cluster as the wire connects to two bells that sit along the trees. You spot that, and then the bugbear is probably another like 20 feet beyond that.

As I move up, I just hold my hand up and I'll point uh in the direction of the bells. Uh-huh. And then I will move up and I will just I'll if I can, I will step over. Okay. So you just want to avoid it. I'll avoid it. Cool. Okay. Because I don't want to set it off. If I I can easily, if it looks like I can easily just step over, I'll just step over it.

You can go under it.

Actually, it's like kind of like right at waist height. So it's it's like so you're able to just qualify. I'll point at it and then I'll I'll do this. Okay. And I'll I'll duck under it. You see a shawlna. And then she like kind of like gets down on the ground and like very sort of uh acrobatically, like almost on all fours, she like steps underneath it as well.

Um, and then she pulls her knife out, looks at you, and she points at the bug bear.

On a done. And I will move forward towards the bug bear. Go ahead and make a stealth check for me.

Should I use my save it? I should have used it.

Eleven. Okay. It's just a low roll, man. It's just a low roll is a low roll. Yep, not much you can do about it. Fine.

Okay. You move forward. And your foot snaps on a branch. And you seize the bugbear peers into the dark. Freeze.

Uh drop low. Okay. There's a uh-oh. I do I have a moment to die behind something or no?

I'm gonna see.

Okay. Eleven.

Yeah.

And you see as the bugbear's eyes widen. I will can I do something? I will uh I'll reach back and I'll grab the dagger. Okay. And I will pull it out. And as I pull it out, I almost kind of pull it out towards him or towards them. I'll pull it out, and I I feel this surge of of energy as these smoke and the mist kind of envelops me and envelops the space.

And let me just double check the last ability.

Really debut on this thing tonight. I love it. I fear it. Let's do it, man. Let's do it. It's perfect.

It's perfect. And I will uh I will hold it up as I will do, I will use the third and final ability, muffle the screams, as I will cast silence in this area.

And you just hear the faintest look and then everything goes quiet. As this creature shouts an alarm as the dome of silence drops over. As soon as that happens, I rush him. Okay. Roll initiative for me. This is just gonna see who acts first. Okay. You have advantage on this initiative roll, I believe.

I roll it advantage. That was a terrible. That's not bad. 16. 16.

Shaw, you're acting first. What do you do? Uh fucking kill him. Um actions. Um, okay, so I will I have this dagger out. I will reach down and I will uh bonus action grab a vial. Uh-huh. I will grab um just one of the the the vials that are similar to the original ones, but they're thicker and green. They're darker, they're more vibrantly green.

Uh-huh. Um, and I will I will kind of flip it around on my finger, flip the cap off, put down this skulker's dagger, and I'm gonna go in to attack this motherfucker.

Go ahead, get him. Go ahead and roll. I will say he has not taken a turn yet in combat, so you have advantage on both of these on all of your attacks.

So I will I that's on my side. I will first come up with the um short sword. Okay.

So short sword comes out as you run across the you close the distance pretty quick. He's only about 20 feet away.

So and I'm just trying to remember do I have advantage because I'm first? You have advantage because he hasn't acted in combat. Advantage on uh advantage on attacks, yeah.

Yeah, advantage on attacks against any creatures not acted in combat. Okay, that's not bad.

Okay, so that is uh oh shit. I need to go to my actions, sorry. Actions.

Um the short sword 18. 18? Okay. Go ahead and roll.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um yeah, that is a D6. This is just the short sword. Uh-oh. Fucking terrible. Uh four. Four.

Okay. Four. Are you gonna and are you gonna save your sneak attack for I'm gonna save it? Okay, cool. So I'm gonna then I'm gonna come up with uh Okay, is it is it one on the die plus plus your mouth? Yeah, it was a one. Okay, yeah. Cool, cool. All right, so four points of damage is your sword sword sinks into this creature.

Slashes or sinks or stabs, and then I I pull that out and I try and just hit him in the same spot as the uh the Icker from this poison is dripping on the dagger. Okay. Um I will go in for a strike. Okay. Um and I have advantage? Yeah. That's crazy.

Yeah, you have advantage on any attack roll. So during the first round of each combat, you have advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn't taken a turn. So you have advantage on all attacks for all attacks. You have advantage on all attacks. And then also, if your sneak attack hits, which it will because you're at advantage, the target takes extra damage of the weapon's type for the material roll.

Yeah. Yeah.

So go ahead and roll for that.

And I have advantage also because of vex. It's crazy. Yeah, you have advantage already because of X. I don't know if that's good enough. It's so Oh no, it's not. Maybe it's fine. Uh 15. 15. 16 hit, right? 15 hits. 15 hits. Okay. Go ahead and roll. Um, I I almost kind of like I stab him and then pull it out and almost put my hand behind him as I like use that to pull him into the dagger so the dagger goes as deep as it possibly can into the same hole as this the short sword went into to really get it in there.

Okay. Get that poison in there. Okay. Um, so that is a d4. Yeah, you hear nothing as you everything is completely silent around. So the dagger does seven. Okay. Three plus four is seven. And then I do sneak attack, which is two d6. Two d6. So fucking stop rolling a one. Better. Uh, plus another five for sneak attack.

Six plus five is eleven. Okay. And then um plus the four for uh assassin.

unknown Okay.

Because of the 11. So 15. 15. Plus the uh, I think let me double check what he needs to do. I think he might need to do a save. Okay. A con save. Let me pull up. Nope. Three on the three on the box. Yeah. Okay, uh, that's the brood poison. So that's uh 2d8. Okay. Oh yeah, you this is the one that you brewed.

Yep. Okay, so we're at 15 total. Another 10. So 25. 25. 25 points of damage. Okay.

And he's poisoned. And he's poisoned. Until the end of my next turn. Okay, cool. 25 points and he's poisoned. Okay. And then he slumps into you, yeah. I lay him down. Okay. You lay him down. And I look around and assess. That's it.

You don't see any other creatures move towards you. And I'll turn I'll quickly turn back and look for Shauna. She's standing there with her arms crossed.

And you see as she she mutters something, but it is muffled in the in the silence.

And I will turn back around and look for another. We're looking for two at least, so I'm looking for that other one.

Okay. As you move forward.

Again, I will I will not go towards the room. I will kind of go back to the house. I will I will actually grab the bug bear's collar and drag him as I go back into the the outskirts of the forest and hide him behind a tree, and I will move around in the trees looking for another target.

Okay, cool. Um as you as you look, you I'm gonna go go ahead and make another perception check for me because the things have happened. So go ahead and make another one.

Uh 18. Oh sorry. Uh I think that's actually 20 again. Okay. Um let me just double check. Sorry. Oh, you're good. I know we're moving. Oh no, it is 18. Yeah. 18. Okay.

Um, that is enough. Uh so you look and you see. Oh, interesting. Distance, distance, distance. I will say that even with that rule, okay. You know there are at least two. You look around and you do not see any additional um targets. Like you don't see anybody without getting a little bit closer. As you look around the course, you look left, you look right, you don't see anybody additional out here.

But now I will then step out of the shadows and move towards to get a better vantage point of the rest of the surroundings.

As you get a little bit closer and you exit, especially as you like exit the area of your silent spell, you hear a and the crackling of like low flames. How close are you getting? Uh, if I hear the snoring, I will move towards it until I see a figure. You emerge just out of the tree line and you can see like a small clearing.

You see that it's like dirt, mostly dirt, ground, bit of grass, series of trees, and you are just at the edge of that tree line. And you look and you can see about 15 feet, 20 feet ahead of you, you see the outline of a large tent. You see two fire pits, both of which have burned relatively low. You see like camp, uh, you know, like um, what are those called?

Those like fucking tripods that are over them for hanging kettles and stuff like that. Oh, I searched. And you can hear you hear light snoring coming from inside the tent, immediately to your right. And then you also look and you can see into the middle of the camp, probably about 60 feet away from you or so, you see like slumped over on a uh on a like a stump, you see a singular bugbear.

You don't recognize him, but he is like you can see he's like got like a spear propped up, but he is asleep. Oh but they're both so it looks like they're both I hear sleeping and then I see sleeping. Okay, and that's all I see. And that's that's all you see now. Oh, excuse me. You also see two other tents.

So you see one close to you that's like right here, you see another one that's so uh like looking into the camp, tent close, ahead, fire, fire, uh-huh, beyond that tent, tent. So three total tents, all kind of encircling this small clearing. Got it.

All told is probably sleeping bug bearing on the tree, two farther tents. Got it. Okay. And that's what you see. Okay, I will um I will lump back to Shauna and look for the okay. Nod. And I will move myself towards the tent that has the snoring coming from it.

Okay. Shauna begins to move her way towards the northeasternmost tent. As you see, she Yeah, she kind of vanishes around the side of the other side of the tent. She leaves you alone.

Yeah, I will go into the tent. Okay. I will sneak into the tent. Yeah, go ahead and roll a stealth check for me, please.

Yeah, um, eighteen. Okay. Yeah. Eighteen. Pull aside the flap. See two figures. As you pull aside the flap, immediately, like, the stench kind of hits you. It's not it's just unwashed bodies and the stink of like food. You see, like, amongst furs that have just been thrown on the ground, you see two goblins.

One of them is familiar to you. It has like uh um, what's the word? Rudimentary bandages on wounds that it has. And then the other one is unknown to you. But you see two goblins, both of their forms asleep.

While I'm in the tent, I'll look around for any bags, any type of inf information too. I want to try and gather.

You look around and you can see a collection of like uh, yeah, you see, you know, like kind of travel backpacks, rough more sacks than bags, the kind that kind of like sling over the one shoulder. Um do you go to those? Um sorry, you said they're on them?

No, they're like laying. I'll go to those then, yeah. Yeah, if they're off to the side, I'll sneak over while they're sleeping and I will like ruffle through them.

Okay, cool. Um, very quickly, you are able to go through those. I'm just gonna use your your stealth roll. Okay. You pull and you see a couple of things. You are able to gr gather. Um, excuse me. Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

You pull out actually two vials. Okay. Uh, they are green. And you notice the immediate telltale signs of poison. Okay. Um, these, with your expertise, you're able to recognize them as just basic poison vials. They're just basic poison. You also are able to pull out a series of small, like a small leather satchel from each of them and look in briefly.

You see the glint of mixed coin, mostly gold and silver. You also see that there are um, there is thin wire, like a spool of very thin wire. Yeah. And you see, not in the sack, but kind of like over on the side, you see what looks like climbing gear, like pytons, ropes, a few other pieces of of climbing gear.

Uh that's that's what you find as you rummage through their bags.

Doesn't seem like I have any information or letters.

There's no no no additional information from them.

Um, I'll go up. You said one's wounded that I recognize.

And yeah, you saw him here earlier night. He was. He was the one that was like down across from you, actually. This guy tried to stab you earlier.

I feel like also at this point, as soon as as soon as I rushed the first bugbear, my emotion almost kind of turned off. It's like I turned everything off. So like I'm almost methodical now, and there's not like the shaw that everyone is seeing behind the bar.

It's more there's a practiced element to get it.

Yeah. And I'll walk up to the one that's sleeping, pull my dagger, drip down poison to the throat.

Okay. Go ahead and make an attack roll at advantage for me.

Yeah, fucking lot. 17 plus uh so 24. Okay.

As your dagger slips into this creature. And I just Yeah. As into this row, it cannot make it.

And I just watch it. Just the faintest gurgle. Yeah. And I'll turn to the other one still sleeping. Dagger that one too.

Slides in. Go ahead and make an attack roll for me.

Yeah.

Uh 19. 19? Yeah. It's and this this goblin looks to be clo like the one that you just took out looks to be a little more, a little hardier, more gear. This one just looks like a mook. And it doesn't even wake up. It like, or if it does, it like twitches briefly and then still.

unknown Yeah.

Stand up. Uh wipe the dagger on its chest on its on its hide. Sheath it. Peek back out. Look around. Is the one still slumped on the chair? Or on the um tree? I'll make my way over to that one.

Okay.

And as I get closer to that one, um, I want to see if I can see a better vantage point on the on the tents.

Roll a perception check for me.

Yeah, that's pretty good.

Um, total of 19. Total of 19. Okay, Shaw, as you as you watch out, you or you walk out, you get trying to avoid the the brighter elements of the of the firelight, not try trying not to be backlit or anything. You see a Shawna comes out, and she actually no, she would have done it before. She comes out and just like wipes her hands of the tent to the northeast.

And as you look at her to the north, past the two tents, you catch another flicker of movement. You see another bug bear facing away from you. Like kind of pacing.

So there's still one more tent that has been until one tent that you haven't gone into. And then another person way at the other end, and that seems to be the end of the camp or the edge of the forest. That's that's edge of the forest. Yeah forest.

It's out in the woods, like kind of at the edge of camp.

Got it. I think my my thought is, or my question, I guess now is do we feel like the rest of the camp, the camp has been explored except for that one tent. That one, yeah, that one. And there's this bugbear and that bugbear.

You see two bugbears right now, one that is asleep and one that is awake, but just has not is not left back in. Okay, cool. Um, yeah, I will uh um then there's one tent that's unexplored. So my question to you, Shaw, yeah, are you going for the awake bugbear? The asleep bugbear, or are you going in the tent?

Um, I'm gonna I'm gonna go towards the sleeping one. Okay. And as I do, I kind of again look to the edges of my vision, trying to see that ash. And then it focuses down on the one that's sleeping. Leave nothing that follows. And I'll go up to it.

unknown Okay.

Go ahead and roll another stealth check for me. Shauna, seeing you clock the one, you see as she heads to the one that's alive or that's uh awake. Um, 21 stealth. 21? Yeah. You approach this bugbear. You're where do you go in front of it?

Almost, almost just like not even moving. Just go up step. Like there's no hesitation, just go up right into the heart. Okay. You just grab the back of its head and sh right into it as it go ahead and roll for attack for me.

Natural. Oh.

Because I want to see. Because I want to see how hard it gets. Me too. Um, okay, so that is uh a D4 plus duty six. So that is four plus twelve, so sixteen plus the dagger, which is oh please.

16 plus three or plus four, because you're using the magic one. Yeah, so 20 base, and then did you poison it at all?

Um, no. Okay. I yeah, I've I probably have giga gathered that I don't need to. Okay. 20 base base damage. Go ahead and uh you know what? Fuck it. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, I'll see what I do. Okay, cool. I I almost without like does that flow? It's like flip the dagger, flip the dagger up, drop the poison into the heart, because I don't I'm not fucking around.

I'm trying to show Sean I know what to what know I'm doing. Okay. I've learned.

Go ahead and roll. God, that's so that's 20 plus six 36.

And then 20 plus the poison, which is 2d8. Yeah, it's 36 base.

So go ahead and roll. Roll uh here's the dagger. Sorry, 40, because you also get your your um your assassinate plus 40 for rogue level. So it's 40, and then go ahead and yeah, you're crazy.

If I can make the benchmark happen too, man. All right, here's the d4. 40 base damage.

That's gnarly. One for the d4, here's the two, d6, four, four, five, six. So seven for the dagger in that. Okay. And then plus a d8.

Four, seven, uh, and a three. Fourteen. So a total of fourteen plus forty, fifty-four points of damage to the creature as your dagger just sinks into its chest, and it and then slumps against it.

And I move around, not even let him fall. It just you just let him fall to the ground and he gently falls to the dirt. And I make my way towards the tent. I'll look up as I'm making way to the toward towards the tent and see what Shawna's up to.

Yeah, as you look up, you see just the briefest you you see the back of the bugbear, and then it like it, like he like falls. Fuck yeah. And then you just you don't hear anything. You just hear him, you see his like as he's violently robbed to the ground. And then ten seconds later, Shawna walks out of the forest.

Um, I want to try and see if I can get within. I'll walk into the tent and I'll wanna see if there's like life in there. I want to see if I hear anything or snores or people. Um, and then I'll try and approach Shauna before we go in. As you get closer, you hear the faint, faint sounds of snoring coming from inside of the tent.

Um, I'll I'll hold my hand up and I'll I'm gonna m make my way around and get to Shauna.

Okay.

Alright, we've taken most of them out. Do we want to ask it? Why? Do we want information? Do we want to save one to learn, or should I just take it out? I don't care. What are your orders?

Clean.

No witnesses. You've nothing at all those. And I turn and I go towards the tent.

Walk in. You see this tent is nicer. The stench does not of avail you when you enter in. You see nicer furs and lying reposed on a stack of of uh again, like animal pelts. You see the bugbear matron that you saw earlier tonight. Oh, the one that was talking in class. The one that was talking about. She's sleeping right now.

She's here. And it's her tent. She's in here. It's just her. It's just her.

Fuck. Okay.

Um, yeah, I'll walk up. And next to her, you do see like lying against, sort of sitting against her her bed, you see a um, like a pack, kind of same, same thing. Like, but this actually looks like a reasonably good, like backpack almost. Traveler's pack. Um, you see a what looks to be a a relatively nice, well-made sword um that is sort of sheathed against the against the um the backpack.

Um and yeah, she's she's asleep.

Uh, does it seem like Shauna follows me in? She does.

Don't even want me to ask.

No. Understood. And I'll make my way towards the the matron.

unknown Okay.

And I'll pull the dagger out, trip poison down it. Let me mark these off.

Yeah, yeah. Um use three. Okay.

Um, including the I marked the silence one off. So three uh three on top of that? I think so. Okay, cool.

Yeah. Alright, so one, two, three.

Um, so this would be four.

Oh, I'm sorry, this would be three.

My bad. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. Yeah, I will drip drip poison down it. Um and walk up. Um Yeah, and I I I pause right as I'm about to and I think I see, and I look up in the era.

What do we leave behind?

Plunge the dagger. Go and roll an attack for me. Yeah. At advantage, right? Mm-hmm. At advantage?

That's okay. Um actions.

unknown Yeah, really good.

Um 24.

24. Go and roll damage for me. Plus four is I'm gonna track this. Seven. Seven for the dagger.

This is a sneak attack, right? Yep. Um, I need a con save. Okay.

Um actually pretty good. Six plus one, seven. So that's that, that's that. Um, and let me find the did uh what did she roll?

Uh she rolled pretty good. She got uh she might have passed it. Fifte.

Let me see. I think it's lower root poison.

So I think she just makes it. Um, yeah. Eight. Yeah, eight plus six, fourteen. Fourteen. So yeah, the the it doesn't have nothing happens with her, no damage. So it'll be a total of fourteen points of dagger of damage with the dagger. Okay. Did she open her eyes?

She opens her eyes, and you see as she and she raises her hand. Yeah. And you see as this like crackling black energy begins to emanate from her hand. Okay. And a knife takes her in the side of the neck.

And as I I quickly look back, or not don't look back, but I just like look to the side and look back at her. You see, like, Shauna's hand. Yeah. And I look back at the matron. Does it look like she's dying or is she still out? She's dying. Is there anything you do? Thank you for the dagger. And I pull it out and wipe it on her chest on the clothes, and she does it in the back.

I'm just looking at the body.

She lies there still. And then you hear.

Um distracted, uh, not expecting it. I will pull a dagger from my bandolair and throw it in that direction. Oh well, you it's coming from outside. No, I don't see it. Okay. Then I will um You just see it here. It's coming from outside.

I'll turn the charm. You see as she comes out of the she opens the flap of the tent.

Okay. Does she go out or no?

She she looks at you.

Right. I will unsheathe my dagger and head out of the tent.

As you walk out, you see the bugbear from earlier tonight. Crux standing over the dead body as he like looks over at you and freezes. Shauna looks up to you.

Clean? Or let one live?

Your mission. What do you want?

No, no, Sean. You make this call. One to tell the tale, carry the warning, orn break. Wouldn't run, dear. Not yet. And he remains frozen in the center of the camp.

Why look at him? Mm-hmm.

What are you looking for? Why? Answer me. Why?

What do you mean? Why?

Why did they attack?

She uh the We were all uh connected. Beira, she has magic.

We So she knew she she she left. She sent And he points over at the Southern tent.

She sent one of the twins to look and keep an eye on on the dwarf the dwarf the dwarf. And uh and the dwarf. The dwarf, yeah, because she was worried, and and then sh they they saw they saw you guys take him, and then they followed everybody, and and then they they she she sent word and sent the rest of the group back.

Does it seem wise to fuck with us now? Who's who's us? I I don't I don't even know who you are. That's not important, friend. What's important is that I never see your face again. Or any of your friends attacking caravans or this town ever again. She has the she has the sh What?

She has the the What does she have?

The routes, the rout the route, the routes there and there. The what? The routes, the rat the routes.

And was it just you? Here it hasn't been. Your friends here.

I'm uh and he looks around.

Or are there more that I need to take care of as well?

No, she sent everybody that only took one of the twins and the the he made it back.

You saw what happened. I'm to the last.

I think it's just me.

Better be.

Get out of here. Now and he runs into the forest.

Oh.

And turn towards Shauna. I have a feeling they won't be attacking any time soon now.

I guess we'll find out, won't we?

Well, they do. Flip the dagger. She did. You know who to call. Yeah, good boy, Shaw. Thank you, Sean. Are we done here?

unknown Oh.

See what they have on them.

Yeah, and I will walk in as well, and I will look at that pack with the sword.

As you go through, you find a very detailed series, sheets of paper with exact routes, arrival times, destination. Like of basically every caravan coming from everywhere and Shawna. Just giving it to all of her.

And then I grab anything else in the pack? Inside the pack, like besides the letters and stuff?

There are a few other things. And I will tell you everything you find because we are at time. We gotta end right here. But I will tell you what you find. And uh and uh let's just say you Shaw's debts are probably uh probably gonna Even the sword the sword is very nice.

We'll see what it does. I'll tell you next time. All right, that is gonna be it for your solo session, pal. Um hope you enjoyed it. Hope you got fun. Um awesome. Thank you guys so much for watching. Hope you enjoyed our little solo session with Mr. Shaw. Uh, very interesting choice there at the end.

We'll see if that comes back or not. Who knows? TVD. Uh thank you guys so much for watching. Hope you enjoyed watching as much as we did listening. See you next time. Bye venturers. Bye venture.

Whoa, surprise! I was here the whole time. It's your friendly neighborhood editor, Shane. And I just want to thank you for being here with us. I hope you enjoyed it. We have a few more solo slash duo sessions coming up. So be ready for those. If you like what we're doing, please, please hit that like button.

That makes a big difference. You can follow us, subscribe to us, leave reviews, and comment on every platform we're on for free. And if you're on YouTube and you're watching the episode after it has become public, you can swipe over under YouTube app, swipe to the right, technically, I think, and hit that hype button because that also makes a massive difference for us.

Please do take advantage of those free options. If you have the additional expenditure that you can bear, uh, you are able to support us on Patreon as well as YouTube memberships and Twitch Prime subscriptions. Thank you all so, so much. Lots of cool stuff coming ahead, and we'll see you in the next one.

Bye, venturers.

C2 E26 | A Short Knife and a Throng

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