Episode 20: Everyone Dies Eating Mushrooms

Four adventurers find themselves transported to the Fae Wild. Can they uncover its mysteries before the agents of evil do their worst? No.

I believe it was the poet, Robert Frost, who said, "In three words, I can sum up everything I've learned about life. It goes on."

DM, Mother Frost - Jon Ciccolini Nigel - Satyr - Matthew Lillard Baroth Kruuncith (Dragonborn Fighter), Apprentice("You")/Rabbit - Jonah Ray Gelbin Rakankrak (Hill Dwarf Cleric) - Lou Wilson Inis (Human Cleric) - Aabria Iyengar Westleigh Fezzeroth (Firbold Wizard) - Patton Oswalt

The last you all remember, you were asleep in your beds, suffering from a restless sleep. But now you find yourselves in a dark, snowy wood in a clearing. Within this clearing, you see the light of a campfire. Sitting at the fire, wrapped in furs, is an ancient hobgoblin woman playing a woodwind instrument. Listening to her play are a collection of forest animals sitting in an arc around her; rabbits, deer, owls, mice, all sitting around. As she plays, the fir trees themselves seem to sway to the sound of her music. As you listen, you have a slight sense of paranoia running through you. As you stand and look around, you see these others standing beside you in the clearing.

Highlights

• 15:30 Baroth Kruuncith's sick flute solo
• 18:18 Nat 1 by Jonah turns him into a rabbit
• 25:13 Encore flute solo
• 29:34 A satyr is discovered.
• 31:21 BBEG
• 35:31 Fan Art Moment Bunny Riding the Flute as it's fired at the dragon.
• 38:45 Nigel the satyr hopping through the woods Runnin' into heroes, doin' what he could

Episode 19: Everyone Dies at a Resurrection

Four family members try to raise a lost loved one. Can they get out of their deal with the demon lord and save their own souls? No.

I believe it was the Roman poet Virgil who said, "The can conquer who believe they can."

DM, Marcus (Orcus) - Ify Nwadiwe Stuart the Fridge - Bill Rehor Aella Dewdrop (Halfling Bard) - Krystina Arielle Fay-Lor Swift (Wood Elf Bard) - Mal Blum Junior (Mountain Dwarf Cleric) - Matthew Lillard Tildred "Tilly" (Mountain Dwarf Bard) - Kelen Coleman

In a cottage, in a forest, you all gather. You are all coming in with a dish. It's become a monthy gathering between adopted siblings. You have lost your father two years ago. Your father was a man of money. Y'all were used to the life of plush rich people things. Because of one unsigned will, y'all are all broke. Out of all of the children, we all know that one of you are taking it the hardest. There's a knock at the door. When you open the door, you know it's someone you invited. Seeing as Tilly has been having such a tough time, you wanted to introduce someone to her that she might like. She does not like. Tilly instead suggests a resurrection, which Junior immediately rejects as a breach of his holy vows. She goes into her back and pulls out something. When she was back in town, she met this salesman who had this trinket from Vassa (Vassa is a place up north that you might have heard had some demon issues) and said it could make her dreams come true and bring back someone from the dead. When Tilly taps the stick on the ground it starts to shake and light up. Black smoke and flames start to spurt out of the skull. This is confusing to you becaus the person who sold it to you said that an angel was going to come out and allow you to bring your dad back to life. No one can see anything through the smoke and then, in an instant, it disappears from the room, and standing before you is something like an angel. It has wings, it's big, burly. You can't see its face; it's covered. The skull stares down at you and says, "Oh, Zingy, were you able to hold off the dragon's bane?" He, then, looks at all four of you. "Why did you summon me?"

Highlights

• 25:35 BBEG
• 44:33 Matthew reveals his own father's terminal state and his gratitude for being able to process that emotion with a silly game and friends around a table.
• 47:12 Krystina:"D&D is actually very healing. We all have different things, but the thing that always brings us back to the table and helps us to relate to each other is that human element:
  • trauma
  • feelings we didn't know we had
  • to see ourselves use the masks to kind of see behind the mask of who we are
  • and to feel free to process a lot of things that we don't get to

and I'm grateful that we could all share this moment. It is a very real moment. It is a very honest moment. I like to do this thing with my kids and we're going to do it right now. Everybody stop and we're gonna take two deep breaths and we're gonna move forward." breath "One, two three." breath "Remember, life's gonna life, but all we can do is live it."

Episode 18: Everyone Dies in Wildspace

Four intrepid spelljammers come across a derelict ship floating in Wildspace. Can they uncover its mysteries before a sinister evil destroys them all? No.

I believe it was the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus who said, "The greater the difficulty, the more the glory in surmounting it."

DM - Jon Ciccolini Balloon - Bill Rehor Daldagga (Giff Fighter) - Ify Nwadiwe Delaware Jones (Giff Monk) - Matthew Lillard Joey Jeff Jimmy (Giff Fighter) - Noura Ibrahim Findelin Sploo (Giff Bard) - Lou Wilson

We find ourselves sailing through the airless void known aa Wildspace. You are all crew on the deck of a Bombard spelljamming ship. Bombards are usually built (and "sailed") by Giff (tall, broad-shouldered humanoid with hippo-like features. The primary retrieval team for your ship has recently boarded a derelict ship that you have found out in Wildspace. There's something strange going on with this derelict ship. It's another Bombard garishly painted in red and yellow stripes. The sails are a patchwork quilt of different fabrics and colors in strange patterns. Your primary retrieval team has not returned. The captain of your ship, Joe Mariner, tells you that you are up next. You're the secondary retrieval team. Joe Mariner:"I need you to go onto that ship and find out what has happened to your fellow crew members." There's a gangplank connecting these two ships. The four of you could cross over to this other bombard. Findelin Sploo's singing is interrupted as one of the first retrieval team comes stumbling off of the derelict ship ad over the gangplank. He falls in the middle and starts crawling in your direction. He looks up at you and says, "The 'Squeakers'. Beware." You board the derelict ship and descend below deck in search of your missing crew members. As you walk down the companionway and start looking in some of the different quarters, you notice something right away. There's some sort of corrosive, ichor clinging to the walls, in pools on he floor as you move about. You find the captain's quarters. Inside something stands out to you: a large three-foot-square jack-in-the-box with a winch on the side, painted in eerie, multicolored designs. On the front, painted in an arc, it says,

"Open me for a thrill"

Highlights

• 10:35 Findelin Sploo sings: There once was a time where I was on a ship. There were men attempting to take over the ship. I said 'No! This is my ship! You will not have it! You will not take it from me, Findelin Sploo!' Then I took the ship and I turned the wheel, so the ship was put down, and I crashed the ship. Most of the crew died, but I survived. It was me, Findelin Sploo!
• 16:43 "I, Delaware Jones, bequeath my gift medal to none of you!"
• 17:50 Ballet
• 24:00 Placebo healing
• 29:00 The first team is found stuck in space taffy and there are some normal-sized space hamsters nearby. Space taffy can be broken down with oil and Delaware Jones brought gallons.
• 30:01 You had to lick the space taffy. Make a CON save.
• 36:05 Scott Passarella channels John Williams
• 46:08 The last song of Findelin Sploo: They were four second choices but they acted like one. So they went over to the boat, and there was a balloon. He was creepy as hell, so we cut him in half. Then they saved them, their poor crew members and made sure they were safe. And they stared down the danger and fought til the end because they were The Secondary Retrieval Team! The Secondary Retrieval Team!

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Episode 6: The Spider and the Flies

We began as Endellion listened in on the scenes unfolding around the jail complex. Despite the cacophony and chaos, she decided to return to Casper's hideout, trusting that her companions would succeed in breaking out Medea. Having arrived back at Casper's and trying unsuccessfully to coax conversation from Goff, she warmed herself by the fire. Meanwhile the others were up to their knees in wastewater in a rancid reservoir beyond the city walls. They sought out a nearby well and some clean clothes to regain a little dignity, though I had "gone into his shell" after his struggles during the breakout. The worst of the filth removed, Kelnys, Dolly, Raidion and "I" (the character not the me) re-entered the city, bought some ill-advised mystery meat and returned to the hideout. Once there, you washed, rested and ate. Raidion took the opportunity to interrogate Dolly on her connection to the prisoner, Indy, and the truth of her past. They shared a little of their lives before resolving to try to trust one another as Kelnys secretly listened in. Casper attuned Endellion to the gem that allowed entrance to the hideout and they shared a secret conversation which I shan't spoil for players who weren't present (so if you want want to find out about that go back and listen to the previous episode). Endellion brought "I" out of his funk with an elaborate ruse to convince him he was capable of controlling the gem. As the others slept, Kelnys spied Radion placing something into Dolly's pack. When you woke the next morning, Raidion (full of apologies for his previous impulsiveness) asked the rest of the party to trust him and to follow along with his plan to speak to Grawnoth. It was now that Kelnys spoke up regarding Raidion's actions in the night, but a search of Dolly's bag revealed nothing. Raidion removed a leather pouch from his pack containing a deck of cards. I reached out to touch it and felt a jolt of pain in his head, hearing whispers coming from the deck. Raidion told the others that the cards called to him and that he feared using them, though (at Kelnys' request) he removed the deck from the leather back and you observed that patterns of mountains, thorns and black water on the cards matched patterns in the Palace of The Virtuous. With the deck carefully placed back in its leather bag, you headed to The Crest (the highest level of Baruun) still partially under construction. There, you made your way to Grawnoth's estate where Brunhilda (captain of his guard) led you to his chambers. Propped up in bed you found Grawnoth unnaturally aged since you last saw him at the peak of Mount Atria. You told him of Barabask's betrayal and Jasmee's wisdom. Horrified, he told you the truth of the world: that mortals were first bred as soldiers in The Divine War and that the gods placed some of their own power into these mortals, and as their numbers grew, they drained more and more divine power from the gods. Realizing that the collective power of mortality now outweighed that of the divine, The Virtuous, Vile, and Wild agreed a truce; creating three separate planes of existence (Reliquiae, The Fae Wild and The Shadowfell) so that mortality could never unite and destroy those that made them. Endellion told Grawnoth of the voices in the orbs and the words "The Shadow Will Flood". Showing him the mask, you you'd taken from the group in the forest, Grawnoth knew nothing of the words, nor "the child" mentioned by the voices in the orbs, though he speculated that the forest group may be affiliated with The Vile and that this child of a god could hae been the reason that the powers of The Virtuous faded suddenly a century ago. Perhaps there is a new demigod. He also revealed that the Antiqua had tied their lives to that of their deity (ie. with The Virtuous dead, the Antiqua's powers would diminish and they would die. Danily the halfling cleric of Persephone had already fallen. Grawnoth planned on telling the Council of Equals the truth in a few days once he had recovered his strength. Raidion showed him the deck of cards and though Grawnoth didn't recognize them, he could sense great magic coming from them. You then asked him where to find the other Antiqua and he told that they would have returned to their respective capitals with the exception of Parvus who would be at The Sanctum (the seat of dragonborn power). Grawnoth then told "I" that he did not think that Themself was responsible for the deaths of the other Virtuous and that they may well have sought refuge in The Old Dark (a semi-mythical place in kobold culture said to be the place where they first came into being). Though Grawnoth could not tell you where to find The Old Dark, he thought Parvus would know. Led by Raidion, you asked to be allowed to go to the Council of Equals yourselves and to warn them of the coming danger, fearing that Grawnoth's condition would not improve that that he (as Danilo had) would succumb to death. Grawnoth was (at first) reluctant to do so, fearing Raidion's impulsiveness, though eventually he agreed and sent you off with a letter than declared that you spoke with his voice and in his name. You made your way to the Council of Equals and gained access to the council building, having left your weapons at the gate (though Endellion and "I" managed to hide a dagger and thieves' tools about their persons). Endellion was keen to keep her head down throughout and spotted a red-haired, mustachioed man entering a chamber as you were led to see Trusk Moore, High Advocate of Baruun and leader of the Council of Equals. Dolly recognized this man to be Riodhir Grenweird, the Reeve of a small town called Mouse. Once inside Trusk's chambers, Dolly told her of the group in the forest and the threats made upon her life. She seemed relatively unconcerned, though revealed that she had already tightened security since the disappearance of a member of the council, the dwarf Rashiid. Then Raidion played the hits and told Trusk that the gods were dead. Blindsided and unwilling to accept this, she stormed from the the chamber to see Grawnoth herself. As you followed, Dolly went to open the door through wich she had seen Riodhr Grēnweard disappear before Endellion stopped her, insisting that 'it's not where we need to go". Skeptical, Dolly agreed, but told Endellion that a conversation would be required down the line. You reclaimed your weapons and headed back to Grawnoth's residence, where you waited until Trusk emerged after long discussions with the Antiqua. She was now accepting of the reality of the situation and returned to the council chambers to inform them. Raidion pressed Endellion on her actions outside Grēnweard's chamber, though got short shrift. You headed to the Orange Tree Tavern for a drink to touch base and take the edge off, but after Endellion said she heard a voice within, she suggested a different location. you decamped to the Wise Walker where Dolly and Endellion studied one another in silence before Casper burst in with news.

The Spider Prince wants to see you.

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Previous Episode: Hot Heads and Fast Words

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Episode 17: Everyone Dies Near a Hole

Natures greatest monstrosity has awoken. Can four novice adventurers stand in its way? No.

I believe it was the Bohemian novelist Franz Kafka who said: "The meaning of life is that it stops."

DM - Jason Azevedo Apprentice to the Great Wizard Steve - Bill Rehor Old Tammy - Matthew Lillard Chrissy (Changeling Fighter) - Deborah Ann Woll Iggy Bird (Aarakocra Ranger) - Clare Grant Tomas Bizzbear (Half-Orc Ranger) - Sean Gunn Vesuvia (High Elf Sorceror) - Danielle Perez

The first thing you feel is the warmth of the sun on your faces. You smell the sweet scent of stale mead, the braying of farm animals, and birds singing outside the window of the Happy Hummingbird Tavern. You sit in the tavern because the day before, in this quaint village of Meadowbrook, you completed your first quest. As you sit and enjoy your beverages (warm honey mead, sweet wine, perhaps some ale) and a collection of meats and cheeses, you hear what sounds like a slight rumble. You watch as your cups, your mugs on the table, shake slightly. The liquid in them just kind of ripples a little bit. You continue your conversation until again, just a little tremor occurs throughout the tavern You're alone in this tavern (other than the barkeep) and the barkeep starts to look around, and looks a little confuse, and looks at you all and says, "D-d-did you feel that?" A Mage's apprentice shows up and heads directly for the group. Steve's apprentice:"I bring you a dire warning, but some hope. You see, there is a magic spell that can take an entire town and move it into a pocket dimension, just long enough for this monstrous beast to run through, at which time the town can be redistributed back where it came from and, be totally unharmed. A great wizard in Bumbleflux was preparing this spell...but unfortunately he ran out of time, and has been crushed along with everyone else in Bumbleflux. But in this case, we have an even better wizard, my master Steve. He knows this same spell and is preparing it as we speak. But we're going to run out of time. If you could slow it down for just a moment, it would be enough to cast the spell and save your town and your loved ones. You would be heroes. Would you take on this mighty task?"

Highlights

• 13:11 Bag of Magic Items Contents:
  • Wand of Wonder
  • A Bag of Beans
  • An Immovable Rod
  • Nolzur's Marvelous Pigments
• 17:06 Iggy Bird:"Immovable cow! Rawk!"
• 18:50 The wisest villager, Old Tammy
• 25:55 BBEG

(click to reveal)

Muthafuggin TARRASQUE!!1!

• 33:45 Dainty changeling gets jacked "Chrissy's ready to kill some shit."
• 43:27 Fan Art Moment Tomas' skeleton hanging from the Immovable Rod
• 44:33 The Poem of Cat Team 6 Iggy Bird with the brightest bluest feathers drew the most bravest holes of all the birds who wear leathers. He may not have been much for most of his life. But when it counted, he was just enough. Vesuvia tried to hit him with an acid splash and went bust. There once was a fighter named Chrissy. She wasn't at all very prissy. She once saved a cat, but not just that... She also saved a city.

Episode 16: Everyone Dies at the Temple of Lathander

Tonight, four criminals attempt a daring heist. Can they steal enough gold to save their own skins? No.

I believe it was the famous Indian Revolutionary Mahatma Ghandi who said: "Learn as if you will live forever..."

DM - Jared Logan Priest of Lathander - Bill Rehor Orphan - Ross Bryant Alister (Gnome Rogue) - Matthew Lillard Juniper Sands (Half-Elf Rogue) - Katie Wilson Knickknack (Tiefling Rogue) - Luis Carazo Kruman (Gnome Rogue) - Skeet Ulrich

The scene: Waterdeep. The jewel of the Sword Coast. A massive, sprawling city of spires and turrets and minarets? You are in the castle ward near Castle Waterdeep. This is a "high-end" area of the city. There are many lampposts. You are looking at the Spires of Mourning. They are the temple of the god Lathander, a god of good and goodness. But your characters are all evil. The sun is setting on Waterdeep. A light rain is falling. From one of the lampposts, there is a serpent coiled around it and it has a pair of dirty wings. You know that you are under the watchful eye of the Zentarum. Cut back to 7 hours earlier. You're deep inside one of the Zentarum's many safehouses, here in Waterdeep. They're located in places you'd never expect them to be located. This one is behind a nice restaurant that does an excellent scone. You're all enjoying delicious scones. "Would everyone stop talking about the scones?" This, of course is the voice of Argor Vuun, a name that sounds made up. He has a lot of rings and he has one of those very sharp, little goatees. He's got one eye that's red and one eye that's blue. Coiled around his wrist, he has the aforementioned serpent, his pet. He reaches down and pulls up a cockroach out of a small box that he keeps for keeping cockroaches in...and he feeds the cockroach to the serpent. He looks at you and he says, "What do you all have to say for yourselves? You shouldn't be making jokes, you all owe the Zentarum (Faerun's notorious criminal organization). Within the next seven hours or so, I want you all to go to the Spires of Mourning, in the castle ward. There inside the Temple of Lathander, is a very powerful and sacred artifact: it is a belt. It's a belt that ties up your private parts so that nothing sketchy goes on. It doesn't matter why I want it. You will know it because it glows with a holy light. and it perfectly encapsulates the glory of Lathander. You'll find it in the Sanctorium. Beyond the Great Hall. I want you to bring it back within 24 hours or your lives are forfeit!" He slowly slinks back into the shadows, even though it's a small room and he doesn't really have anywhere to go. It is now seven hours later and you're back on the streets of Waterdeep. Ahead of you is a pair of huge oaken keep doors. In front of those doors are the soldiers of light, Lathander's sacred crusaders. They're standing with their hugs swords at their hips. How do you intend to get inside the Spire of Mourning?

Highlights

• 22:59 Epic booming voice sound FX
• 25:10 Thumb assist
• 29:15 The prayer to Lathander
• 31:09 BBEG

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Action Surge!

> It might have been the fewest rolls yet (and a little break from combat), but there was still plenty of lore, intrigue, and of course, mystery meats. Catch up with Action Surge as the team reflect on their first full day in Barunn.

Highlights

• 02:40 Harry:"It's kind of Lore Dump-y"
• 05:35 Harry:"...what Can you do? You're level four..."
• 09:03 Harry:"...NADDPoD and Lord of the Rings and also the film Moonlight."
• 16:11 Postulation on how the Antiqua are terminally affected by the absence of their gods
• 29:17 The Old Dark has many high chairs
• 30:11 Harry:"...Worlds Beyond Number..."
• 45:32 Harry:"...where he wasn't quite so old."
• 46:26 Hollie:"Little marshmallow."
• 46:53 Ben makes it clear that he does not condone Raidion's behavior

Harry's Favorite Part: (click)

Endellion's hypocritical moments that subtly reveal her motivations

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RP (Rolly-Poley) Points

| Alex | Aoife | Ben | Doug | Hollie | | :------ | :------ | :------ | :------ | :------ | | 58 | 122 | 103 | 22 | 127 | | Totals | | 539 | 410 | 494 | 526 | 623 |

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Episode 6: Hot Heads and Fast Words

Last time you began in the forest. Kelnys, Dolly and Endellion disguising themselves in the cloaks and masks of your fallen foes. Raidion and I (the character, not the me) hiding among the branches of nearby trees. After hours of waiting, and Raidion and I sharing a hammock nap, someone finally arrived. It was an exhausted, hungry, masked dwarf who refused to give her name. She passed on a message that you were to "return to the caves", but as Dolly questioned her further on those caves and probed for more information, she became wary. She suggested that you should make your own way without her; that she needed to rest and recover her strength. High in the trees, I made a gesture to rell Raidion to say silent, though after a poor insight check, Raidion let fly with a Mind Spike which both harmed and terrified the dwarf. As Kelnys and Dolly attempted to intimidate her, she fled towards the tree line. Raidion casting Web before an arrow to the back from Endellion's longbow snuffed out the dwarf's escape. Chalk one up to experience. You headed towards Baruun and stashed the cloaks and masks beneath the grate in one of the sprawling shanty towns that spreads out from the city walls. Kelnys spotted Raidion replacing his cloak and mask in his pack, and though making his disapproval clear, the dragonborn did not prevent his companion from doing so. At the gates of Baruun, your bags were summarily searched. One of the guards moaning that someone called Grenwyrd (a member of the Council of Equals) was throwing his weight around unnecessarily by insisting on checking the packs of travelers who entered the city. You gained entry to The Depths, the lowest level of Baruun, and hive of industry and activity. At its center you found a great staircase with a mural of The Virtuous scarred by the words "The Shadow Will Flood" in black paint. Raidion spoke to a guard called Marcus about the group you had encountered in the forest and demanded a reward for this information, swiftly being shot down in that request. Marcus took the party's names (though Dolly referred to herself as Pamela) before you made your way up into The Deal (the second level of the city). After filling your bellies with meat skewers, you approached a tavern called The Wise Walker. Endellion, Kelnys and I headed inside, but Raidion spotted a hooded orc beneath a half-finished web symbol scratched into the tavern's exterior wall. He revealed himself to be a member of The Web. Telling Raidion and Dolly that The Spinner sends his regards. The others were retrieved from the tavern and you all followed the orc, Casper, to his hideout beneath an abandoned apothecary. There you met Juno (Casper's lieutenant) and Goff (a silent soldier who stared unblinking into the middle distance). Casper informed you of your new mission: to break out a member of their chapter, a halfling called Madea from Baruun jail. You headed out to case the joint before midnight when a guard change would give you a chance to spring and escape. Down in The Depths again, Kelnys Wildshaped (it was a big moment for everybody really) into a cat and searched the walled jail complex (making friends with a guard and discovering a sickening act of violence that had been perpetrated by a female inmate that day). He also spotted a halfling matching the description of the one you were meant to rescue locked in a basement by looking through a grate in the jail floor. This done, he returned and explained the layout. "I" took up a vantage point overlooking the area and resolved to make his entrance via the roof planning to shimmy down on a rope secure to the outer walls of the city. The plan for the others involved a Disguise Self-ed Radian and Endellion posing as guards while Dolly played the part of a prisoner, though Endellion wisely decided that her skills lay elsewhere, so she would keep a watch from outside. Kelnys turned back into a cat and slipped again into the jail complex. Raidion and Dolly put on quite a show at the gate, gaining access on the condition they were accompanied by another guard. As they made their way towards the jail, "I" misjudged his distances, crashed into the ground (alerting the guards to his presence) but a swift clamber back up the rope afforded him a chance to stay unseen on the outer walls of the city. Kelnys entered the jail before dropping his cat form and trying to open a large door that gave access to the basement. Here he was spotted by a prisoner who begged to be released, though Kelnys snuck away as Raidion, Dolly and the other guard entered. Raidion convinced his guard companion to go home for the night, though not before lending Radion his keys. As you passed his cell, the prisoner made another plea, this one to Dolly. She recognized him as Indie, an old acquaintance and agreed to release him. He was too scared to help with the escape of the halfling however and instead snuck away towards the gate house. By now "I" had made his way down to the ground behind the jail house (taking some falling damage in the process) before he scaled the building and shimmied down the chimney, joining his companions as they relieved the guard on duty in the basement. There you met Madea. Bloodied, bound, and unafraid. Chained in a cell between grates in the ceiling above and the floor below. As you heard the sounds of Indie being recaptured in the courtyard, you quickly removed the grate in the floor allowing access to the fast flowing sewer water beneath. Radian unchained the halfling but triggered a glyph which left him briefly paralyzed. Madea insisted on having a weapon and having been lent Kelnys' scimitar, thrust it through the throat of another inmate who "had been looking at her in a way she didn't appreciate." Heaving Raidion's paralyzed body with you, you all jumped into the sewer. As Raidion regained the use of his limbs, you negotiated protruding pipes, sudden drops, and a near-death experience for "I". As Madea managed to swing herself clear of the water, the rest of you were catapulted out of the sewers into a lake beyond the city walls. Stinking but alive. Endellion, you have watched your companions (as cats, disguised as guards, and as rope-toting Kobold rogues) disappear towards a prison complex. Then you have started to hear shouting. You can't hear names, but you hear that someone is being recaptured in the courtyard. You are at a distance. There was a kind of collection of buildings that you were near. “I” had gone up and got a vantage point and looked into the compound. You, for now, have stayed on the ground floor.

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Previous Episode: The Girl in the Cell

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Director of 'The Alters' Discusses Working With One Actor to Voice Almost An Entire Cast

article by Katelyn Jewett > Individual actors playing multiple roles in a single video game is nothing new, but few are tasked with quite as many roles as Alex Jordan, who plays all the titular characters in 11 bit studios' The Alters. Jordan stars both as miner Jan Dolski and the horde of alternate Jans summoned up to perform various maintenance tasks and generally keep the base running. Given its isolated setting, Jordan and his various incarnations comprise most of The Alters' cast—a difficult task, but one he approached with passion and enthusiasm. > In a conversation with Game Rant, The Alters director Tomasz Kisilewicz expressed the sheer joy of working with Jordan, praising him as the perfect choice for The Alters' Jan Dolski and his many alternate selves. Kisilewicz revealed that he felt "That's a match" from Jordan's very first audition for the role(s). Jordan's enthusiasm persisted despite "hundreds of hours" in the recording booth, and the result is a memorable series of performances that makes each Alter feel distinct yet connected to one another. > The cast of The Alters is unique in that they represent different incarnations of the same man along many life paths he could have taken. The "core" Jan Dolski is a general worker for Ally Corp to maintain a giant wheel-shaped base reminiscent of Frostpunk on an isolated planet. But his Alters include an engineer, a scientist, a doctor, a miner, and many more. > At their heart, they are the same man—but they also aren't. They made different decisions and had different experiences, at least according to supercomputer calculations that invented these personas. Engineer, for example, is abrasive and not quick to open up to the "main" Jan. Scientist is work-focused and doesn't appreciate breaks. "Main" Jan can get to know them through a series of conversations and branching dialogues. Kisilewicz praised Alex Jordan's grasp of this difficult concept and his ability to strike the balance between the Alters' similarities and their differences. > Naturally, playing so many roles, Alex Jordan, who previously appeared in Dragon's Dogma 2, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, and several other games, spent "hundreds of hours" recording the characters' dialogue. According to Kisilewicz, Jordan "said his time in the recording booth totaled up to about a month" before he had even been "fully" finished with the project. Kisilewicz admired how the actor's ability to "really be in those characters" did not wane despite the major time commitment. > The final product will showcase Jordan's work not just in the main branching narrative, but in a series of - also branching - dialogues between Jan and each of the Alters he creates. While taking breaks from resource gathering and base management, Jan can speak to his Alters to learn more about their "pasts." This can also result in learning new skills or even unlocking new modules to expand the base further. > As Alters players cannot create every Alter in a single playthrough, they are encouraged to play through the game multiple times. This way, they can experience all of Alex Jordan's excellent work as the many, many incarnations of Jan Dolski when The Alters launches later in 2024.

The Alters Trailer: All By Myselves

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> An eventful episode that started with a stakeout and ended with a jailbreak - how are the six feeling after maybe their most complex episode yet? They discuss character thoughts and motivations, as well as get very honest about how they're feeling as players, and what they're excited for next.

RP (Rolly-Poley) Points

| Alex | Aoife | Ben | Doug | Hollie | | :------ | :------ | :------ | :------ | :------ | | 112 | 45 | 91 | 106 | 121 | | Totals | | 481 | 288 | 391 | 504 | 496 |

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Episode 5: The Girl in the Cell

Last time we began in the aftermath of the fight with Jasmee. The five of you and (Housewives' Choice) Morgan, the newly dead, alone in the forest. Holding a letter in which Barabask had condemned you. Morgan told you it was time for him to depart; that he would be reporting back to The Spinner, who had been kept abreast of developments up to this point. Knowing that your path led towards Baruun, you said goodbye. Before the sounds of the Festival of Benediction and the promise of caramel treats proved impossible to resist. Dolly, I and Kelnys convincing Endellion and Raidion to let them 'check out' the market. You slipped unnoticed into the tents, I stealing his body weight in artisanal gnomish popcorn before Endellion was finally able to take the edge off with a goblet of spiced wine. Dolly spied an opportunity to make some quick coin and set up a store hawking the many spoons that Kelnys has made along his travels. A crowd soon gathered and spoons were selling like hotcakes before Endellion spotted Pollyanna (the junior cleric of Theolon who you first met when you entered the festival). Kelnys scrambled to gather his spoons as you all prepared to run before a clutch use of Thaumaturgy from Dolly attracted the attention of Pollyanna and the other festival goers to a new caramel seller's startup. It's rich story telling. You left the festival, and guided by Kelnys, you knew the roads well. Made your way to a tavern, the Old Oak. There you drank and ate your fill; Kelnys gifting Dolly an ornate spoon and I gleefully discovering the existence of high chairs. As the others made for their comfortable beds, Raidion sought out the quiet of the forest. He dug a hole in the earth and buried a deck of cards inside it, silencing the perpetual whispers and screams he could hear in his head. With that done, he burst into uncontrollable tears (God he's complicated, but I know I can fix him!) The next morning you headed for Baruun, taking a shortcut through the forest so as to avoid a ponderous journey by road. As you made your way through the dense trees and foliage, Kelnys spotted light and heard whispered voices. I (the character, not the me) and Raidion snuck forward, spying two figures dressed in slate gray cloaks with silver masks. They were disagreeing over their orders (to wait in the forest) with one of them relishing the chance to "bleed the council" and making particular reference to someone called Trusk. The other insisted that, having written the message, they were now to wait for further instructions. Raidion snuck back to relay this to the others and Dolly approached, but a misplaced step in the dry bracken alerted the vicars to her presence. She attempted to pass herself off as a lost traveler heading for the toilet miles from the road, but as she headed back into the dense forest I watched as the masked figures prepared to follow. The kobold bolted back to you all with Dolly still in the open and the others hid as an arrow flew from the trees and struck Dolly in the chest. Another followed and Dolly fell. Two enemies, one wielding an axe and the other a bow, approached to inspect the body. Raidion cast web, restraining two of them, as Endellion emerged to slice into the axe man. A third enemy emerged from the trees, wielding a rapier, and he too went on the attack. I was first to Dolly, bringing her back with a potion of greater healing and from this point on, Dolly rescued from death, it got pretty dark. Raidion killed the archer with a mote of acid. Before the rapier-wielding mask man battled with and (sliding a rapier between his ribs) downed Kelnys. I (the character, not the me) slew the axe man with a crossbow bolt as Dolly brought Kelnys back with a healing word. Raidion cast mind spike on the rapier wielder and gained the ability to psychically locate him. Realizing the danger he was in, your remaining enemy fled into the forest with the words, "the shadow will flood". Thanks to the Mind Spike, Raidion and I were able to track him through the trees before another well-placed crossbow bolt to the back brought the runner down. I approached, wearing a mask like that of his enemies (having cast silent image) and attempts to gain more information, but learning little. You discovered a letter on the body. Raidion arrived and begrudgingly praised I before reading the letter which said, "Camino, write the message on the mural, then return to the forest and wait. The water will soon rise." As Raidion put the letter in his pack, he discovered the deck of cards he buried in the forest had returned to him. As you searched the bodies in the area around the campfire (where you had happened upon your enemies) you discovered black paint and and a brush before Raidion suggested that Dolly, Kelnys, and Endellion adopt the identity of the three enemies you had killed, and wait for instructions to arrive. This course of action decided on, you remained in the forest and that's where we are now.

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Previous Episode: The Newly Dead

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Episode 15: Everyone Dies in a Haunted House

Four ghost-hunting heroes explore a haunted House. Can the brave of heart overcome the evil undead? No.

I believe it was former president Benjamin Harrison who said: "Great lives never go out, they go on."

DM - Rob Ciccolini Barildrea Warmfeet (Mountain Dwarf Rogue) - Kate Welch Serafina Spritefoot (Halfling Rogue) - Tiffany Smith Bastian Johnson (Human Wizard) - Troy Lavallee Eleanora (Fairy Rogue) - Kate Micucci

Cormier is a jewel in the sea of fallen stars and that's where you find yourself: In front of a large gothing mansion. You can see that the gables and the roof is very high. You thought you spied, as you approached, a widow walk and a weathervane that even now goes back and forth squeaking. You know that what you are looking for is in this mansion. You have heard that the Lord Mayor had some kind of artifact of the Churh of Selune, but the only people that you could convince to go were a whole bunch of rogues. You've convinced them that the Lord Mayor was a penny pincher that did not let go of a coin. Rumor has it that his treasure is somewhere in the house. The door in front of you is very heavy and ornate. It is beginning to rain and you probably want to get out of it.

Highlights

• What can run, but never walks, has a mouth, but never talks, has a head, but never weeps, has a bed, but never sleeps?

answer (click)

A river.

• I'm found in socks, scarves and mittens and often in the paws of playful kittens. What am I?

answer (click)

Yarn.

• A guard set here. I halt your way. And down this path you cannot stray. Although your path has ended here, the way beyond is seen so clear, bolstered by chain or wood, or lock, through night and day, all folk I block. What am I?

answer (click)

A gate.

• We act as one, in groups of four, while from the back there comes one more. We make a sound upon a door. We seek the hilt in times of war. We claim the feather, when writing lore. What are we?

answer (click)

Fingers.

• The sea of fallen stars wears a jewel so bright, our kingdom of Cormier with glorious might. From humbled start, Soosara's city was born. Not winter's ring nor goblin wars were our people torn. Near 1500 years have our noble folks seen. What was the name of Cormier's first queen?

answer (click)

All answers are wrong; Gontharia Oberscere was correct but just a ruse.

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Action Surge!

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> From the sweet taste of caramel to the even sweeter taste of Dolly's vengeance, episode 4 was a rollercoaster of highs and lows. Join us as we dive into the fun and chaos of The Festival of Benediction, to some intense saving throws behind the DM screen. In this episode, the team breaks down everything, from the improv of homebrew madness to how Harry masterfully builds the world when the party decides to go totally off the rails

RP (Rolly-Poley) Points

| Alex | Aoife | Ben | Doug | Hollie | | :------ | :------ | :------ | :------ | :------ | | 119 | 113 | 91 | 81 | 67 | | Totals | | 369 | 243 | 300 | 398 | 375 |

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Action Surge!

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> Well that was eventful. In a story episode that covered everything from fireside chats to deadly blights and even deadlier letters, join Natural Six as they discuss the evolution of everyone's favourite DMPC Morgan, the challenges of improv, and those DM secrets Harry keeps in his back pocket, just in case! Action Surge is Natural Six's fortnightly post-show debrief, where Dungeon Master Harry and the cast break down their favourite moments, their regrets, and any theories from the Dungeons and Dragons session they've just played, as well as adding their thoughts and hopes for future play.

RP (Rolly-Poley) Points

| Alex | Aoife | Ben | Doug | Hollie | | :------ | :------ | :------ | :------ | :------ | | 67 | 139 | 66 | 138 | 97 | | Totals | | 250 | 230 | 209 | 317 | 308 |

♪Episode Song References♪

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• 48:30 Ben:"Dolly got high high high..." Styles P - Good Times

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Episode 4: The Newly Dead

Last time you began in the aftermath of a landslide. After the chaos of the previous day, the mountain peak, the blight, the death of the Virtuous (all of which happened within a single day) you finally had a chance to rest and take stock of all that had occurred. I found a spot to camp. Dolly confessed 'in all her travels what she experienced on Mt Atria was the first time she'd witnessed something that she couldn't understand'.As the only members of the party not affected by the blight, I took Raidion aside to see whether they could offer the others any help. Raidion shrugged off this suggestion, telling I that 'they were out of their depth and he was only staying with them because they were currently useful to him'. Around the fire, Endellion, Kelnys and Dolly spoke of what had brought them to the Web. Endellion revealing that she had wanted to escape a life she led before. Morgan suggested that (rather than escape) the Web merely offered a different kind of cage. After being pressed by Dolly, he (Morgan) disclosed that he had joined the Web to ensure that he was able to (in his words) "hurt the right people". It was Kelnys' turn to confide next that the Web had killed his family, but he also revealed that his family were not dragonborn. As the party began to rest, Raidion took Dolly aside and thanked her for the gift of the daisy chain bracelet. Taking her into his confidence, he revealed that he had been struggling to sleep, due to a whispering deck of cards that he carries in his pack. Dolly told him 'that when things begin to call out, it is a sign that they possess great power and that power is hard to escape'. As the rest of the party settled down, Endellion and Morgan took first watch. Morgan beginning to scratch the symbols of Ignas from his armor. Endellion questioned him on his loss of faith and Morgan told her that 'having lost so much already, the death of his god had hit him hard'. The pair challenged one another on the nature of faith, choice, and loss before they too finally got some sleep. The next morning you descended, made your way down to the foot of the mountain and to the Festival of Benediction. There you met Polyanna, a junior cleric supervising the construction of a stage. As she fussed and attempted to heal those of the party suffering from the blight, Endellion insisted that you be taken to Jasmee (the cleric that Barabask instructed you to seek out). Polyanna led you through the hubbub of the festival with its traders, musicians and worshippers until you found Jasmee offering instruction to a group of young religious students. Raidion immediately blurted out that the Virtuous were dead and Morgan handed her the letter that Barabask had written. Jasmee read that letter, her expression darkening. She asked if you had been sickened by the blight that now infected the mountain. When you confirmed that you had, she gathered guards and escorted you away from the festival. As the sounds of revelry faded into the distance, you entered a forest glade, far from prying eyes. There Jasmee rounded on you and with a whispered 'I'm sorry' cast Guiding Bolt on Endellion. She called to the guards that you had tried to kill the Antiqua and they, too, leapt into combat. As the fight began, Dolly appealed to Jasmee to stop her attacks, insisting the party had nothing to do with the deaths on the mountain. The cleric seemed in turmoil, stepping back and observing as Morgan roared a battle cry. Endellion added her appeals to Dolly's with little effect. Raidion tried to use Hypnotic Gaze, as per, but Jasmee was angered by his attempts to deceive her with magic. At last Dolly's words seemed to land and Jasmee threw her the letter which Barabask had written. After reading it, Dolly made one final plea for reason and the cleric at last commanded that the guards cease fighting. She cured Dolly, Endellion, Kelnys, and Morgan of the blight and told the party that she would report their deaths back to Barabask. With that she departed, leaving you alone in a forest glade.

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Previous Episode: Oathbreaker

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Episode 14: Everyone Dies in Barovia

This evening, four heroes venture into the mists of Barovia, bent on revenge. Can they triumph over the most legendary of evils? Foolish Mortal.

I believe it was founding father, Thomas Jefferson who said: "Nothing can stop a person with the right mental attitude from achieving their goals."

DM, Strahd von Zarovich - Kate Welch Charna Thunderforged (Dwarf Barbarian) - Kelly Holden Bashar Hjulmek Boldgrip (Dwarf Cleric of Kelemvor (Lord of Death)) - David Epley Marnia (Half-Elf Bard) - Kate Micucci Tollen Loch (Dragonborn Paladin of Pelor) - Matthew Lillard

You have just managed to get to the part of the road, and swarmed by mist and fog, that will lead you into the fabled darkness that is the land of Barovia. Now, you are all avenging a loved one. This dragonborn, freshly-molted, bagpipe teacher, buys dwarves drinks in bars, knows dwarven song, Named Jean Applebottom. You are on your way through Barovia. The mist gets in your nostrils. Usually it is something that is slowly killing you over time, but you knew you were going into the mists of Barovia. You have prepared a spell and had it cast upon you by a local wizard who has given you resistance to Barovia's evil magic. It has a short duration, so you need to figure out what happened to Jean Applebottom quickly. You are making your way toward the town of Vallaki, or at least where you think this town of Vallaki is. Wandering through these mists, you see shapes. You see what looks like a ghostly wolf run past you, but then it's gone. Spooky as shit, and it's mist everywhere. You feel lost, but then this strain of music starts to float towards you, the sound of rather eerie mandolin coming through the mist. You follow the music and you start to see the outline of caravans, and tents, and a warm fire. You realize that you have come upon a Vistani camp in Barovia.

Highlights

• 03:59 The Dwarven Love Song
• 08:43 The Wheel of Quirks
• 19:41 Fortune Teller Cards: Beast, Mists, Ghost, and Dark Lord
• 32:05 Matthew hits everyone else on his team when the DM catches him in a mistake.

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Episode 13: Everyone Dies at the Circus

Our heroes must infiltrate a sinister circus. Will their performances allow them to escape the big top alive? No.

I believe it was Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky who said, "To live without hope is to cease to live."

DM, Leopold the Chihuahua, Hemlock Harper (Dracolich) - Kailey Bray Ferret Farreach (Goliath Warlock) - Charlie Rehor Emra Emerald (Rock Gnome Ranger) - Allison Haislip Theodoric Claarwine (Half-Elf Bard) - Ross Bryant Garnoll Mountainheart (Dwarf Cleric) - Paul Shapiro

It's an idyllic day here in the lush Umbral Valley. You all have been summoned by Lord McGuffin. He is an odd duck and very worries as his guards usher you into his keep. Looking upon all of you with some stress and a little bit of hesitation. He has summoned you here out of concern for his twin children, who are noticeably absent. Normally they would be here in the halls. "...but the twins, they've appeared to have run away to join the circus. I don't trust the circus people. Not one bit. Actually, it is some sort of macabre something going on and I need a team of charming and brave adventurers to go rescue my children. One small caveat. Sorry to sneak this in there, but the only way really to obtain access without gaining any suspicion would be to infiltrate the circus, and they are holding auditions rather shortly."

Highlights

• 03:43 The Ladder of Entertainment:
  • Theater
  • Choir
  • Ventriloquism
  • Improv
  • Mime
  • Circus
• 07:45 Meta moment about posing as inferior performers.
• 10:02 "This group of bizarre and twisted harlequins, this insane clown posse, if you will?"
• 11:31 "I may not understand it, but my kids are gonna love it." (BttF ref)
• 14:00 "The circus?! I was trained at Julliard." - Leopold
• 30:28 Scott's Epic Circus Music
• 37:40 The Bard falls with great dramatic effect.

Episode 12: Everyone Dies...Again.

Next! Four heroes are all that stand between the dragon queen's hordes and their beloved city. Can they hold off wave after wave of draconic destruction? No.

I believe it was the American poet Emily Dickinson who said, "Dying is a wild night and a new road."

DM - John Ciccolini Tower Armorer - Bill Rehor Amalla (Autumn Eladrin Paladin) - Mica Burton Norty (Goliath Artificer) - Amy Vorpahl Tsogomo Scruggs (Bugbear Cleric of Bahamut) - Kyle Newman William Smallwood (Human Ranger) - Matthew Lillard

You stand at the top of the Keep of Greenest. Greenest is a provincial town on the Uldoon Trail. All around, billows of smoke fill the sky, as you look down on the town that as been destroyed beneath you. The forces of the Army of the Dragon have surged forward to take the city, and you all have been charged with defending the roof of this tower keep. This 50' diameter, crenelated tower. Below in the keep, is where all the townsfolk have congregated. Those who have survived, and they're depending on you. Okay, so your captain, Captain Homer Lockjaw, comes running up the steps onto the roof. He barks at you, "You best be prepared for a very, very long night of battle. The longer you can stay alive, the better off we'll all be. I suspect forces are coming to aid us. But they may not be here until morning." There are forces all throughout the town. The problem is that there's smoke everywhere. So your visibility is limited, but you can hear them moving about. Captain Lockjaw goes down into that trapdoor. As you're all casting and huddling up, out of the smoke, riders come swooping in to attack. They're riding these dragon-like creatures. You don't think they're dragons, but they have masks that look like dragons on them. They swoop down and attack with spears, and they appear to have military training because they're attacking in coordinated ways that seem to be giving them advantage.

Highlights

• 10:20 World Record for fastest TPK
• 10:45 Bahamut saves the day! But... Each of you have now been resurrected. You're back on the roof, and there's only one change. As each of you were resurrected, there is some little tweak... Norty goes through a "second puberty". William Smallwood becomes Willhelmina and readies an arrow in her bow. Tsogomo's traits (stinky, hairy, contrarian) are slightly amplified Amala gives herself bangs for breaking up with her previous diety, Oberon.
• 20:10 World Record for fastest Double TPK
• 21:50 Another rez...
• 31:52 World Record for fastest Triple TPK
• 32:50 Level boost to 10!
• 33:20 Tsogomo is a believer now.
• 34:08 Willhelmina becomes non-binary.
• 35:00 Muthafuggin' TIAMAT
• 36:12 24 to hit...JUST misses
• 42:50 Last Resort: Summoning Bahamut like a cat in the Ethereal Plane

Episode 11: Everyone Dies Getting Their Wish

Tonight, wishes do come true, but not always in the way we expect. Will our adventurers realize their hearts' desires? No.

I believe it was the great poet, Walt Whitman, who said, "Nothing can happen more beautiful than death."

DM - Justice Ramin Arman A.K. Rowdy (Human Druid) - River Butcher Bard (Gnome Barbarian) - Khary Payton Dr. Gene "Gene 17" Splicer (Harengon Artificer) - Gabriel Hicks Nachasha (Yuan-Ti Monk) - Elisa Teague The Portal - Matthew Lillard

A host of strange phenomena have begun plaguing a city in Calimshan (which is located in west Faerun). Citizens' wildest dreams have become true overnight. Paupers turned to princes gaining fortunes in an instant. Unlikely pairs falling head over heels in love. Elderly locals made young again and children walking around with unimaginable beasts as their pets. You all have been summoned to the court of Bacrom (a dignitary in Calimshan) to address this threat. You arrive in a palatial court that is aptly named as a congress of birds. You pass hawk-like guards, their beaks as pointed as daggers. It has vaulted ceilings supported by mosaiced columns. Seated on a throne amid them is a blue-feathered aarakocra (a bird folk that looks somewhat like a peacock). His plumage is draped over his own shoulders, creating a royal coat, and his eyelashes are beautiful and outlined with green feathers themselves. A female warrior with russet brown skin, bronze armor, and a tall spear, as well as a scar over her left eye, stands beside him. On the other side stands a genasi, a mage with white hair that seems to blow in the wind at every moment. When you arrive, the warrior stamps their spear, prompting you to introduce yourself. The dignitary looks over each of you and says, "Ah, this will be a great group of adventurers to take care of this threat. Have they told you what's going on? Bring in the baby!" says this peacock and claps his hands and in marches a palanquin carrying a small baby bird. You just see the top of it coming out of the palanquin. "That was my uncle yesterday. He was 103 years old. Does this seem acceptable to you? We just tucked him in last night. Things are getting out of control. I believe there's an evil mage to blame, a saucy sorceror that lurks in these lands named Bill the Bold. Our economy runs rampantly uncontrolled. I have reason to believe there are certain legends in these lands of powerful genies that have the power to grant wishes in an instant. I believe that this mage has bound one of these creatures and I need you to rescue it, to take out this mage, and to stop these phenomena from plaguing our land. Free this noble genie. Would you do this thing for me?"

Highlights

• 10:28 The Cauldron of Wishes
• 36:00 Flashdance
• 37:45 "Yuan-Ti Sha-sha"