Session 3 Episode 4 Medium Cut

A group of friends encounter a man named More who they chase and eventually capture using magical vines. They discover that More is part of a group called the Locusts who are looking for them. More leads them to a mountain where they meet an older woman and her masked followers. Serafina notices that one of the followers has horns similar to her own. Wicky, wicky, wicky, wicky. What did you guys do? Want to talk with me? Uh, I want to, I'm in a chase. I don't like chasing. I don't like chasing. It's like... It's like at night when I'm chasing someone in a friendly way. Idaho, can you give me a persuasion check to chase somebody in a way that doesn't seem like you're trying to murder them? Or, you could give me a reverse intimidation check. It says I want to fail that? Yeah, it's an intimidation check you want to roll low on. That is a nine. Hey! Hey, wait! I'm a friend! Wait! And with a nine, I'm going to assume you're running with, like, sword and shield. Yeah, I have a shield. Which is not, I'm sure, helping as this person continues to run. I remember! We were already friends. They keep running. Alright, I'm putting a stop to this. Can I cast Entangle? Oh my god! That's friend-shamed. I can grasp leaves and vines from the ground within a 20-foot square starting at a point within range. It's 90 feet. A creature within that area has to succeed a strength-saving throw or be restrained by my entangling plants. Okay, I'm rolling the strength-saving throw. You watch as your plants... What kind of plants are these? They're just, like, vines, but they're not spiked vines. You know, like in Zelda, the big vines that come up from the ground? They're like... You know how Bulbasaur's got the vines? I'm going to keep going to video games for those. For the folks at home, Carlos was waving his hands around like the guy you see outside of a car dealership. Yes, the tentacles come up like big inflatable tube men. The tentacles? They're Earth's tentacles. Just admit you wanted to be tentacles. It's fine. Okay, so these tentacles of grass erupt from the Earth and they fully wrap around this guy totally ensnaring him. He just hangs in there and is like... He's not facing you guys. I don't want to hurt you. We took too many risks with the wolf guy. What? There's a wolf in this forest. We'll get closer. You guys all walk up to him and he's still entangled in arms uncomfortable positions and is like... Okay, so there's a wolf. Who are you? Who are you? I'm... Moor. Moor what? Don't say that. That sounds like a setup to something. He's going to trick you. I got got by this at Paladin High School. Nice to meet you, Moor. I'm Les. Oh! We have someone named Les too. Do you have an equal? Les and me fight pretty much on the same level, yeah. No, I mean is there someone named equal? No. That's not a name. That's true. That's not a name. It absolutely is. If Les is a name, it absolutely is. It could be short for Lester. Okay, well what's your name? What's your name? Mine? Give her a second. It's hard to remember. I don't particularly know you. Well, Les is Moor. No, Moor is Moor. He's right there. I'm Les. Well, you're Les, but Les isn't Les. I'm somewhat of a Moor myself. I'm Moordred. Oh! Nice to meet you, Moordred. I'm in pain right now. Yeah, I'll let you down. I'll let you down. We're not here to hurt you. Yeah. They drop out of the vines. This is our friend Aang. And I show him our stick. I threw Aang into the... You threw the stick. You left the stick behind. We left Aang behind. It's been a hundred years. We need him. Now that we're closer, can we tell if they're wearing the mask or it's just their face looks like a mask? It looks... I'll give this one to you. It looks like they're wearing a mask. The mask itself has straps leading around the back. They've got a hood on to hide hair and stuff. And you see they have two horns that protrude forwards and then up. This seems like the locusts. Oh yeah, that's us. Hi, what's up? Oh, we were looking for you. Yeah. Wait! We were looking for you! Why? We are looking for you. Who do you think we are? Why are you looking for us? You're humans in the forest. We're good around. And that's good. We're all the humans in the forest. That's us. I think... How many of us are humans? Is it just me? Yeah. Five of us currently here. Yes. Oh, human, human, no way! Let's back me up. Yeah, that's... We're all humans. We're all humans. In here. Gestures to his heart. Some of us more than others, but sure. Some of us more... than others. Don't understand what that means, but I see that you're enough, and I understand it. That is more than enough. No, I am more. You're enough. Guys, I'm getting awfully confused. Yeah, let's... You dropped your sticks, buddy. What's going on? Yeah, sorry. You startled me. I wasn't expecting to see you here. Yeah, I was collecting firewood. But I've got you now. This is better. I'll take you guys. Okay. We're trying to get beyond the mountain, and that was closer, I think. Yeah, the forest is weird. Well, take us with you, More. Thanks. And we'll see if less is enough. No. Oh, God, I'm not doing this again. More starts walking up. Yeah, as we walk more... Now, not that I'm the most... I'm just going to ask out, right? We're all friends here, right? You're taking us to people who aren't going to hurt us, right? It's been a wild day and a half for me. We're better than firewood. Yeah, but we might be better than firewood, and more lightable than firewood. Are you going to light us on fire, little man? Or do something bad to us? I'm not lighting you on fire. Are you going to do something that's going to harm us in some way, shape, or form? I don't know. I don't... What do your people want with us? I don't know. We're here. They're there. I'm not them. Because you're More. I'm More. And I'm More Dread. And that's enough for me. Alright, let's go. And you all keep walking. I hate this already. We've descended into an abbey castello bed. Well, the gang's all here, so... Gang's all here. You guys walk up the mountain with More. More's singing a jaunty little tune with his breath. Pretty happy. Just, like, loves looking around. Big smile on his face. Checks back that you guys are following him a couple times. And then keeps walking. What's this tune sound like? Like that. That's pretty jaunty. You guys walk up to a set of big double doors. More turns around to you all and goes, Um, okay, I've got to go in here. Can I have you all wait a minute? Just so I make sure everything's ready. Okay. Hey, More. I trust you, okay? I trust you. Is there anything we shouldn't be doing as we're waiting? Honestly, you can kind of do whatever you want. That's the beauty of the locusts. What do you want to do? Do it. You guys are all about, like, freedom here? Yeah, in a sense. Hey, I'm a paladin oath of freedom. I think that's pretty cool. Yo! Freedom. Freedom's awesome. I love freedom. Freedom's pretty cool. Great word association, Idaho. Well, we'll see you in a bit. See you in a bit, More. They get into the double doors and leave you all alone out here for a couple minutes. Well, that went more or less okay. That was great. Well enough, at least. I'm going to hide in a tree, just in case they come out with a lot of guys. There are no trees this high up on the mountains. Actually, there is a tree line about, like, 60 feet back, if you want. Is there anything for me to hide behind? Me? I stand really imposingly. I, like, hold out my arms. Okay, I try and stealth behind Idaho. How well does that work? Give me a stealth check with triple disadvantage. But I can help with this, right? You're helping in a way. You're imposing at third disadvantage. 15, 20, and 28. So that's a 15. Doran pretty much disappeared. You all know Doran's there. Doran's pretty hidden with a 15. You walked into the wrong mountain, motherfucker. Now, Idaho, don't move. I start hyperventilating. The door is open. Oh, okay. Well, all three of you, come on in. I'm, like, inching forward while holding pose. I'm creeping along behind him. Just to clarify, he's holding the door open, so as you guys go by, are you rotating your bodies? Yeah, absolutely we are. We're matching his gaze. That's right. Doran stays Superman pose. Or Idaho, right along the way, making a wall as we pass. As you pass, you first walk face forward into a grand room within this mountain. A red rug covers the area from the doorway to what appears to be, like, a throne room. I guess the throne is a better way to put it, on which an older woman sits with a mask on and around her sit on either side. Sorry, stand on either side. Six well-robed, tiki-masked, horned humanoids. Varying different horn styles, varying different robes, but all pretty just dark kind of browns and blacks. The woman looks at you all, a sap in one hand, and points at you all with a gold-coated finger and points at you all and gestures for you all to come closer into the room. Wow, I feel severely underdressed. I mean, if the animals weren't nice, maybe they'll be nice. You know? Maybe it's like, roles are reversed here? You know? Um, Ordred, is this the big woman? Oh no, the big woman is way bigger than her. No offense. I think you can say that. Does anybody else recognize these people, her, anything? Anybody who wants to can do, like, a perception check to, like, see what they recognize. Um. I guess I asked a question. I could do. Okay. I guess I'm still behind Idaho. Yeah, yeah. You see the back of the room. Whoa. Eighteen plus zero, so eighteen. I rolled an eight, so I don't think I perceive anything. Which seems right. I'm a little distracted right now. Yeah, you're trying to keep pose. Hey, I think I'm gonna step out of stealth. I don't know if this is helping me. It's certainly not helping Idaho. You watch as you step out of stealth, um, Moore, who opens the doors for you guys, now closes them behind you and makes direct eye contact with you as you step out of Idaho's shadow. I give him a polite nod. Polite nod back, he says verbally. And a wink. And another wink. Love it. What does eighteen get? An eighteen! An eighteen on a perception check. Uh, Serafina, that is a good roll. You notice something strange. You recognize a pair of beautiful, magnificent horns. And all the horns in this room are all varying. You have some, like, goat ram horns that go out to the side and curl back in. You have some, like, gazelle horns that, like, shoot out in one direction. You have some, like, antler bucks. But there's a pair of horns that you recognize almost immediately but wrong. The last you saw Hope's horns, how tall would you say they were? Oh, no. Her horns were probably about a foot and a half long each. And, um... Standing near the old woman, a locust stands about five foot seven with two foot long horns that remind you significantly of Hope's horns. I felt it too tall for Hope. And, sorry, her name is Near? What does the inside of this room look like? I can't... Okay, well, Near, Far, whoever you are, I... It's a decadent green throne room with hues of brown and wooden tables. It appears to be a throne room that also operates definitely as just kind of another room during other hours. Not like super fancy? No, it's nice enough, but it's not super wonderful. The walls are all cave wall, just a single plow of stone. It's sort of a multi-purpose slash throne room. You have, like, the gym, like, the gymnasium, like, jungle gym equipment in the back, like, every gym... There's some weights, yeah. You put them in, like, the elementary school gymnastics section that they can pull out once a year. Get some medicine balls. How far away are we from the throne and these other people? Specifically the one that looks kind of like Hope? 45 feet away from the old woman who's probably, like, 5 feet away from Hope. So, 30 feet away from Hope. Hey, Seraphine, are you okay? You look... You look rattled. I... Guys, I think that might be Hope underneath one of the masks. And I turn my attention to the old lady with the gold finger and I say, May we approach? You may! She's beckoning for us to approach, right? Yeah. Her finger is still, like, Yes! Please! And I book it, like, down the steps as quick as I can without tripping. As you run into, like, the main part of the throne room, and as you approach, she says, Halt! Can you give me a wisdom saving throw? Sure. Red light. Uh-oh. Um... It's a 7 minus 1, so a 6? 6. Her words wash over you and you feel yourself magically stopped in the middle of the room. Okay. And she goes, Wait! And says, You all also approach! Yes! Yes! I go forward to stand with Seraphina. Yeah, and I light you up. Yeah, me too. Nothing else magical, but she does. She just, You all approach. I'm physically stopped, but I can still talk and stuff, yeah? And see? And after a couple seconds, you kind of, you feel your body kind of go back into its own, as all your friends rejoin you. Weird. Please don't rush at me. Sorry, it wasn't actually you, it was... I turn to the person I think is held. You! Um... Oh, is that you? Uh, they, you see these locusts on either side of the old woman all stare at you all with no expression in their eyes. And lips flat. Um, and the old woman goes, I don't know who you think that is or was, but you are here now! Do you four even begin to comprehend where you are? Honestly, not at all. No. I have been here. I have so many questions. For about a day and a half and nothing I believe is real, so no. We are in a forest mountain that only gets closer one way. This one speaks truth. You are in not A forest, you are in THE forest. And you are not in A mountain, you are in THE mountain. Ah, you poor people. You still cling to your past and your future, but you are in a new place. I propose that you join us, Locus, as one of us. What does that entail? Oh, sorry, I raised my hand. I put somebody else's hand up, and so I go to them. What is your name? Oh, I'm Mordred Wilhelm. Your name is Mordred Wilhelm. Um, I'm actually gonna defer to Serafina, because I feel like, I feel like you're coming at me really strong. And her name is Serafina. Serafina, go ahead. Thanks, Mordred. Um, what does becoming a Locust entail? What have you Locust, not Locust. Locust. So we're clear. What does becoming a Locust entail? What have these people done or undergone? Come down the swarm. Swarm to what? A swarm, like a bunch of bugs. We're trying to keep the motif. But you're not Locust. Explicitly not Locust. But it really feels like you're trying to, like, keep everything about it except for the T. She hides a really cool medallion she has with, like, a Locust symbol that also has, like, a point in the center. She, like, kind of tucks it away. It's got wings on it. She's like, Silence! Uh, give me a wisdom saving throw. Okay. For me? That's just you. Okay, okay, give me a second. For being right. That'll be a 10. Idaho is silenced. I will be the rest of you, I'll say. I put my hand up. I put my hand up again. You lift your hand up. Okay, so I understand that you guys are Locust, and there's a swarm. I love, I love bugs! I love all animals. Um, what does that mean for us? Like, are we, are you guys like, really about, you know, the whole swarm lifestyle, or how does that work? Yeah. How do y'all feel about free will? Free will? Very pro. We believe in doing in truth whatever you want. Idaho, like, gestures at his mouth and, like, what the fuck? Guys, you may speak. Kind of fucked up, bro. Alright, uh, Serafina, you have your hand up. Yeah, um, this is a two-part question. One, how do you feel about hive minds? And two, do you mean doing whatever you want, as in whatever we want, because you are not your own, and it's actually just a collective entity, and therefore you only do what you want, not what I want. You're asking far too complicated a question, but it's simple. You are you. I am me. We live together here in this mountain to make things easier on the life outside that aren't us. Animals are free. They're the freest things they can be. They've got no burden. But we are not. We're not. We're burdened by past. We're burdened by future. We're burdened by so much. And so willingly, you may remove the burden and become one of us and you do what you want. She points at a person and goes, that's, um, that's Bose. Bose loves bones. Bose goes out, collects bones, likes looking at them. I don't know. I don't dig into what he does. Is that right, Bose? Yes. Okay, I want to, okay, hold on. Is everyone here in this thing just missing a letter in their name? Oh, no. Is that what's happening here? Oh, no. Oh, no. How do you spell Bose, madame? Also, what's your name? I don't have a name. Don't. Idaho, stop grilling the elder. You may call me Queen of the Swarm. Not a queen in any way that really matters, but I am the Queen of the Swarm. The Swarm of Locusts. Idaho. That sounds like it matters. You're asking us to join it. Well, I'm the leader, but it's not a monarchy. One second. I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna call for a group huddle for a second. I turned back. I have more questions. For a lady who talks about freedom, she has used the command spell twice on us. I also think those people are completely devoid of life and personality. They don't have anything behind those eyes. I am not comforted by the fact that it's called the Swarm. But, like, I really, when Therese talks about this, she's like, oh, you know, you can join us. You can be free of, like, time and, like, your obligations to time. You know, we had a lady like this at Paladin High School, one of the teachers, sorry, Paladin University, sorry, and she was basically saying, like, you know, if you got in at the ground level, you could set your own hours and kind of run your own business out of your house, you know, selling these kind of essential skull oils. And that did not go well. There was a whole mummy and a pyramid and everything. I really think that this is, we should just be careful about what we're signing on to here. Okay, I agree. And not because they're cool and I like bugs, but if she really does look like a hope, maybe not completely joining though, but maybe we could, like, do, like, a contract job and, like, do, like, a trial run? I think to get some information. An important question for me is, can we leave? Are we free to leave? Okay. That's the thing. It sounds like we're free to join, but once you're in, you're kind of done. And also, I'm not entirely sure it's Hope. Now that I'm up close, that person behind the mask is a little too tall, the horns are longer than what I last saw with Hope. It's been a few months, but they couldn't have grown that much, so I don't know. But it does seem like time is not normal here. Yeah. It's true. Time is wonky. Also, and I hate to suggest it, but it is possible they took her horns. And put them on someone else. Okay, I think I think we should, like, I wonder if they'll give us, like, a night? Can we, like, sneak it over? Hang out with them for a bit? Has anyone asked if they're going to let us leave? I got this, I got this, I got this. Hey, I have a question. I guess you and your hand raised Mortred Willow. Stop raising your hand. It's polite. It's the only way she can listen. So, look, what you've got going on here is really cool, and that bone guy, you seem really awesome. Thanks! But we just kind of want to feel it out. We're still new here. I mean, we don't really know yet. So is it, like, cool if we, like, hang out for a bit? Maybe take it over a couple hours? See what you guys got going on? Of course. We, unfortunately, cannot let you into most of the inner area. But we do have guest rooms, which you may stay in as long as you like. Preferably not more than a day. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You got it. You have another party coming up. Doreen, you were saying something. No, I'm talking. Go ahead, please. I raised my hand. Yes, you. Oh, mighty queen of the swarm, we are not studied in the kinds of things that you do here, and I'm not familiar with how the masks work. I'm wondering if you could explain to us a little bit more about this tradition, and I'm interested in learning more about the masks, what they mean, if they can come off, if... what's going on with them. Perhaps we could get a tour of your great tree mountain cave place. I think that is acceptable. Tour, and, she looks around, spore. Please take them around the acceptable areas and answer their questions. Oh, yeah, okay, sure, yeah, I can do that. Yeah, okay. We'll do it. Sorry, just slightly before we leave, and I turn to the one that looks kind of like a makeshift help. You look so much like somebody I know. What's your name? And I give them the most charming smile I have. Give me a first question, sir. Please, yeah. So that's going to be a 16 plus an 8, and my math is correct, that's a 22. I can do math. 24. Thank you. I can't do math. Ah! They look at you kind of taken aback by your smile and they go, Hoat. Have you always been named Hoat? I don't know. Okay, enough, enough, enough. What are you doing? Go tour the place. I'm just intrigued. Come on now, let's go. She gestures for you all to leave, and from the back of the line closest to you, tour and spore. Oh, spore. Hey, tour and spore, what are you guys like? What are your... Spore goes, uh, animals. And tour goes, rocks? I don't think it was spore, but I like that he just changed his interest in the last minute, so his name had to change to... Give me tour and spore, I swear. As we... As we walk away, can I lean over to Seraphine and be like, I don't think you gave her your last name. How did she know that? I don't know. But you gave her my name. I gave her your first name. I barely know your last name. She never asked for my name. While I appreciate trying to be so polite with the people that are hosting us, I feel like names are a bit of a fickle thing because we learn nothing else. And I didn't know the stating. But she knew your last name. That was freaky. It was. It was. And, um, I'm still really fucking freaked out by the fact that that kind of seems like my sister, but not my sister. Uh, yeah. I'm gonna be honest. Again, it's me, tour. Hi, tour. I don't know what you're talking about, but you guys all have a great energy, and I really love it. You should all keep it up. Tour, what are you like, man? Tell me about yourself. First off, I'm a woman. That's all good. Um, great. I'm so sorry. It's all good. Um, second off, I like rocks. I'm a real big I'm a real big rocks fan. Like the music? Or the stone? Stones. Stones. Like some are big, some are small. What's your favorite kind of mineral? I like rare gems. What kinds? Ruby. Oh. What do you like? Big metal rubies. Sorry, I was asking her. Oh. Yeah, personally, my favorite mineral is olivine. Because it comes in different types of forms, depending on what's in it, and it also can be really pretty in a gem form. Yeah. That's so cool, olivine. I've never heard of it before. Sarah, maybe while you're here we can call you olivine. Hey, what's your name? You can call me Friendship. Nope, I won't. Because I like friendship. And I think it's a very special thing. Good for you. Come on, Sarah. I'll show you the room. Fantastic. Do you want to give her a fun fact, Joel? Of course. And I've got a couple for you. Oh, fantastic. And we fade as you two are walking away. Spore is standing where the rest of y'all go. So you Yeah, what do you like, Spore? I like animals. Oh, cool. What kind? Wolf. What kind of wolf? Like a timber wolf? Or like a mountain wolf? Or like an arctic wolf? I don't know. I like looking at wolves. Spore, what are your pronouns? Him. I'm sorry, I should mention this is a very large, muscular half-orc. I want to flip through my notebook and I just kind of point at different wolves' drawings that I might have. Can I whisper to Mordred? Yeah, as I just go, look, do you like this wolf? Or like this wolf? Is there like a wolf you like? Yeah, I like that wolf. Those are wolves. Okay, I I'm going to lean into Mordred and just say, keep him busy. Okay, I go on all fours and I turn into a wolf of some kind. There is a role needed. Can you roll for wisdom something? Like nature or persuasion? Yeah, you Mordred, just to distract. And I'm going to give you advantage on this roll. I'm not distracting him, I'm genuinely, I just think that he likes wolves and I like wolves. But you are distracting him whether you need to or not. Play into that. I'll do nature, I guess. I'm turning into a wolf. Okay. It's not good, it's an eight. I'll give you advantage. Thirteen. That's probably enough. This DC is not very high. You're just being a wolf and he's like, okay, okay. Oh, well I've never been this close to one. And I want to show him all of the features. So I'm going to throw my fang, I'm going to do this with my paw. And we fade out. Doran fades into the background. Idaho? I was planning on grabbing him by the elbow. Okay, okay. As we fade it out. Okay, we fade out, but as we fade out, Doran fades in. Um, so obviously first gotta go grab Idaho by the elbow and hold my finger up, keeping him to shush. Oh, we're being quiet now. Oh, shhh. Okay, shhh. Okay, and then I'm just going to lead him away, and I'm going to go exploring. I think we're in a corridor. Can I go down somewhere we haven't been? You guys get away. I split off with that other one, and then the rest of you guys... She just took you into a room. Okay. Doran, are there like gender segregated dorm rooms here? What is happening? I have no idea. Also, did they not notice us? Wow, okay. That guy really likes wolves. Yeah. I think we may have finally found someone who likes wolves as much as Mordred. It's also crazy to be that into wolves when there's like a serial killer wolf like two miles away from where you live. I mean, it makes sense to me. Why not? You know, maybe we turn all of our greatest fears into things that we worship at the end of the day. Anyway, should we have a look around? Idaho has like a religious moment of like, what am I... What? Yeah, let's explore. I'm going to say you guys take a little look around. And beyond where they were taking you, there was a path off to the right. And as you're walking down this path, it's not very long it just takes you into like a narrow little hallway with a bunch of like decorative things like small stuffed animals, little pictures of nondescript people that you don't recognize, small little candles, other little trinkets of such. And at the end of this room are three doors and the doors don't have signs on them. A puzzle! What do you think, Doran? Idaho, just stay here for a second. You're clanking. I'll be right back. I'm going to go up to the first door on the left and see if I can open it. You give me a self check. 24. You open this first door and it takes you into basically a narrower, less constructed and more natural looking cave system that seems to go down really deep. With your dark vision you can see that it goes like a long ways before it even turns left or right and it just goes down deeper into the mountain and as you open the door you feel a wave rush over you. I'm just going to back out of that door and check the middle one. Slowly close it. You open the middle door and it's similar. It's like a long cave but this cave winds almost immediately. Okay. DM, what's behind door number 3? And this one was just right. This one leads upwards and you get hit with a blast of cold. Ah. Okay. So I'm going to scuttle back to Idaho and let them know what I've found. There's a hot one that goes down, there's a cold one that goes up and there's a normal one that goes way down. Hey man, I've had a few hot ones that went down in university. I get what you're saying. That's gross. Which way should we go? Cut that out. I don't want to make that joke. See what I did? No, you didn't. It's in the book. Carve it in granite. Hey, Dorian, I feel kind of bad about that one. Let's pretend I didn't say that. What are you talking about? Let's figure out what we're doing. I think that... I just think that those kind of jokes they really add a lot of... For God's sake, Fireboy, shut up. Ha ha ha. That's cool. You got any other animals you can do? Okay, they're still going. I'm still a wolf but then I get on hind paws so I'm just standing up now. Oh, you've been raptured again. Okay, they're going to be so busy for a minute. Which way do we go? I say up. I feel like up is summit. Down is like death cave system. Do you know what I mean? I feel like up there's less to go. Although, maybe we should be looking for Hope. Do you think she'd be in a dungeon? That downward hot one, pretty dungeon-y. If she is here then she's probably the one outside, right? I feel like Hope is not here, unless it is the one that looks like Hope. Do you know what I mean? Seraphina seemed pretty sure that those were her horns. Oh, you're saying that you think that her horns were taken here. I think it's possible. I don't know. These guys are giving me the creeps. Serious creeps. Let's go down. Let's go. You guys begin heading down into the warmth. And with that, we cut back to the room with Tor in it going. This is one of the bedrooms. There's a couple different ones. This is the nicest of them. Don't tell anyone. Sorry, I thought I'd show it to you. It doesn't have a view because, again, we're in a mountain. But it's a pretty nice room. I don't know. This place seems lovely. Are you happy here? How long have you been with the Hive? The Swarm? Heck yeah. Swarm? I literally do not know. Yeah, no, no. I don't remember. How long have you been with your friends? I met them probably 11 years ago. Oh, wow. There was a large break in between where we didn't really see each other for about six years. But we're friends nonetheless. What was he like before all this? I don't know. You don't remember? There wasn't just that big of a change? You just don't remember anything from your past? We don't remember things. We're unburdened by the past or the future. So you don't have any dreams or goals for the future? No. Do you? No. Then you're kind of like us already. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. This is a lie. Deception check. Yeah. I don't know when you're lying. I'm going to be honest. Am I that good? Yeah, you're good. This is a lie. She's such a good liar that she doesn't tell people she's about to do it. It's just no fun. Okay. So it's a 15 plus 8. That is a 23. I can do math based on my last math. Nice. Good math. She and I believe you. Yeah, I could fit right in here. Well, you'd have to give up your past. And the future. Well, you said you don't have a future. You've got no goals. No, just the future is a general idea. Not that I have one. The future still exists. Okay. Got it. What? I'm talking to you now. I was talking to you a second ago. What are you talking about? Yes, you've been talking to me the entire time. Yeah. Going forward. This is the future. That's the future. I just don't know what I'm going to be doing in the future. Like you. Like you probably Listen, we could you know stay in this bedroom all night. We could go our separate ways. You could leave. I could leave here today. Who knows what will happen? The future isn't written. The future isn't written. That's very true. So, since it seems like I'm so similar to you guys already, what would it take to become part of this one? Well, you see, you don't you willingly just go to the queen and you just say I want to become part and then you go through the three trials. You open the three doors, you talk to the three people and then everyone else wants you after or even if you don't, you can do the three trials and then you become after. That's it. Everyone who's ever gone through the trials has given it up of their own will. Sorry, given what up? Their past and their future. Oh, okay. I thought you meant the endeavor to become part of the swarm. Got it. No, no. We're all here. Yeah. Wonderful. I mean, I feel like we're kind of best friends already. Are there any other Do you want another fun fact about Olivine? Hell yeah! Can I have one more answer first? Okay. Okay. Um, is there anything else I should know, kind of as your bestie, for any inside information before I become part of the swarm? Give me an insight check. Okay. 12 plus 1. So 13. Okay, 13. The best number in D&D. She looks for a second like she... I'll give you two Olivine facts. I think I know what you're looking for. And she's going to take you out of the room, back into the hallway, where, Mordred, what are you doing at this moment? Um, at this point I've moved on from Two Paws Hines. Now I'm doing different sounds wolves make. So at this point, you're just hearing throughout the corridor howl. Wait, are you in wolf form, though? Yeah, yeah. I'm in wolf form, still. Oh, that's cool. I like that one. And then I go grrrr. But not in here, but like, yeah. And I just kind of cycle through. You go through a couple times. Yeah, I just go through a couple times. Tor goes, hey, Spore, we're just going this way. We're going to my room. I'll see you soon. And Tor takes you and you guys run past and then down a hallway on the other side and off into one of the rooms. Very bare room. Just kind of a bed. But in the corner is a couple different layers of dirt and stuff piled on top of each other. She goes, check it out. Rocks. Wow. Oh my gosh. Tell me what you have here. Secret. I've got a surprise. You were looking for a little secret or something? I got you. Yeah? She looks around and she goes, I found this one. And she reaches into the dirt and pulls out a little ruby. She goes to give the ruby to you and goes, here, take it. We're friends. Tor, are you sure? Yeah, it's a gift. Listen, I like rubies. You like rubies. I don't have the rock you've been talking about. To be honest, I don't really know what it is. But it sounds cool. I wish I had some olivine to give you. Well, if you find some, come back and give it to me or join and we can go look for it together. Sounds great. Here's your little ruby. Thank you. Does it look booby-trapped or weird or anything by just looking at it? Is this deadly? Holy shit. It just opens up. There's like a little liver on it. I just... It looks like a ruby just looking at it. Thank you, Tor. And I pocket it. Okay, let's go. Your friends must be in the other rooms. Let's go talk to them. And with that, we cut back down to the two friends that are feeling like it's getting hotter and hotter as they go deeper and deeper and magma starts flowing past the cave that you two are in as you keep walking. And then it goes up a little bit. But I just think that when you make misogynistic jokes, it just adds to this area of misogyny around the world. Sometimes they slip out, but you really gotta do your best to keep track of the stuff you're saying and no one's going to be perfect ever, but it makes a difference to try to improve yourself day after day. Are you broken? Oh! And as you guys walk up now, kind of like these stone steps almost, you come up and you see above yourselves a terrible torrential downpour. You feel wind and rain whipping up against you guys as a thunderous sky is booming and around you, bubbling lava and magma flows. And as you look around, that's in all directions from where you are. Sorry. We're in cave, but there's sky there? You went down, and then you went up a couple, you know, twenty steps or so. And now, yeah, the sky's above you and in all directions is boiling magma and rock. Okay. Hmm. Are we outside now? Yes, you're outside. Officially outside, magic happens. Magma to clouds. There's magma everywhere. Can I just do an investigation? What's going on? Yeah, you don't even need a roll. It's a friggin' storm. And as you look around and listen... Hey, looks like our local murderball team won the world championship, eh? Hell-boiled over, eh? Look at that. Hell-boiled over. Do I know anything about this? Can I do a check of some kind? No, but as you're doing your investigation check, you do hear a scream come from just a little ways over, almost beneath the hill, in what looks to be almost like a crater. Alright. And it is a constant shrill scream like ... ... ... I think I'm going to turn and I'm kind of going to say, like, listen, it's going to be real here. I think if Hope is here, she's pretty fucked. I hope I hope that's the truest thing you've ever said. I don't know what we could do if she's here. Well, we've got to have a look. Why don't you just hang back and I'll go peek over the edge. I'm going to hop into stealth and try and peek over the edge and see what's screaming. Okay. Before you roll stealth, you can peek over the edge, no problem. And in the center of what looks like a small little crater lies a humongous maggot about two feet wide with the face of a baby screaming and crying in this area. Do you see Hope down there? I'm going to frantically motion for Idaho to come over. Oh, you found Hope! Oh! It looks like your department. Is that some kind of demon or what the fuck is that? Can I roll paladin school? Yeah, roll religion. I can do that one. Thirteen. You know what's crazy is I have proficiency in this, but my intelligence has a minus one or two, so it actually balances out to nothing, I think. With a thirteen? You don't know what the hell this is. This is some weird, freaky shit. You know, I think this is um, it looks like a big old maggot. I don't know what I think. That is pretty much what I thought. Any chance for an arcana roll? I would let you do a history or religion check. Okay, history it is. Fucking four. Dude, this is some freaky shit. Okay, I reiterate, I have no fucking clue what that is. Should we kill it? Does it look like hope? No! The baby face? The baby face. I know, it doesn't look like hope. It looks like a um, it looks kind of like, to you it looks like a human baby and to you it kind of looks like a drow baby. That looks like a human baby. Really looks more like a drow baby to me. How different we are in how we perceive the world. How different we are. This is why you don't need a lot of diverse perspectives. Um. Wait, Idaho, actually do you see a human face on that maggot? Yeah, it's a human face. Okay, no, no, but I actually see a drow face. Oh, interesting. It must be magical of some kind. There must be magic, Idaho says. I think it's pretty safe to say that the baby face screaming maggot has some magic going on. There's some kind of magic here. Something about it really makes me want to kill it, but maybe we should try and talk to it? Why don't you go try and talk to it? So wait, Christian, just to visualize, there's a cliff, there's a cliff, it goes down, and it's down there. There's, there's like a bit of a build up, a cliff, and it goes down into like a pit, yeah. If we go down there, it's gonna be hard to get back out, right? But if you go down there, then I'll be able to help you get back out. Go on down, Idaho. Why don't you go talk to it? See if it's friendly. If it's not, I'll shoot it. I jump back out of the way. Hello! Are you a human maggot or a drow maggot? The maggot rides around and like turns to face you and goes, I'm in pain! I'm in pain! Help me! I'm gonna get up Idaho by... Sorry, go ahead. No, I think you should pull me back. Hang on. I should pull him back by his belt and get him away from the end so he... It fucking talked to me! It fucking talked to me! I heard it! Why did you just yell at it? I thought, I didn't think it would talk back to me. I thought, oh, it's either a maggot or a baby. Or a maggot baby. None of those things can talk. So much pain! We should help it. I lean over the edge. Can we help you? Why do you say we? It's just you. We being the royal we of me. I'm in pain. My name is We. I don't care. It hurts. Okay, I'm gonna grab Idaho by the belt and pull him back again. Okay, look, I see this going kind of one of two ways. Either we kill it so dead, so incredibly dead, or maybe you could try and heal it. I mean, I gotta try, right? I mean, this place is kind of fucked. Aren't we all a little fucked? Dorn, if I was a maggot with a baby face, I would want to be taken care of. And I would not do it. Now, we've been gone a long time. They're bound to have noticed by now we need to show up with an excuse. Maybe we just leave this thing and come back later. Hold on. I'm just looking through my spells here. I made a mistake, and I didn't take Healing Word. I took Cure Wounds, which is a touch range. Remove maggot. Heal baby. Oh, I have Heal Maggot Baby, actually. It's one of my spells. Christian, would you say that this thing is less or more than 30 feet away? I'd say the top to where it is is about 30 feet, give or take. So, less. All right, Dorn, here's what we're going to do. I can bless this, or I'm going to give you this rope. And I pull out a rope. Just hold me at the top. Like you said, you told me, we're going to go down. I'm going to make it really, really fast, and I'm just going to Cure Wounds and come right back up. You got it, man. I'm not going anywhere near that thing. Okay. I got the rope. We'll make it fast, because like you said, we got to go. I do the thing. I'm straining at the top, holding him, but I got it wrapped around me. It's just enough. Idaho, you come down to this rising, wriggling worm, and it's just screaming. It hurts so bad! It all hurts! It all hurts! I don't want it anymore! I'm going to say, Pains Mental, and I'm going to cast Cure Wounds. Okay, and what does Cure Wounds do? Probably not what I wanted to do. A creature you touch regains the number of hit points equal to 1d8, plus your spellcasting modifier. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs. Constructs being like robots. Neither of those things. Can you give me a medicine or religion check? I have one of those I want to do, yeah, for sure. It's the same stat, because I have a minus inch. Oh, it's a five! Dumb as a post, I admit. You touch this thing, and for a brief second you touch this thing, and for a brief second it stops screaming, and then goes right back to screaming. If you touch it, your hands burn a little bit, and you take 5 fire damage from just how hot this thing is. Is this thing in the magma? No. Doran, I think it's just really close to the magma, and it's burning. It's really hot to touch. Well, what do you want me to do about that? Wait a minute. Have we long rested recently? Since the wolf fight? Okay, good. I don't pass out. Why don't you get back up here, buddy? I'll come back for you, friend. What's your name? I am Payne. Payne, right. I forgot. I won't forget again. And then I'm going to start climbing back up. You climb back up, and you meet up back with Doran. No issues. You know, usually after I do a thing, I usually try to reflect on what I've learned from that, but I don't really know what to think about that, so I think we should just move on. And maybe come back to this later. Either that, or I could shoot it. Come on, let me shoot it. It wants to die! Let me do a quick oath check here. Sorry, just one second. Oath of devotion, mercy killing. Let's do a quick little Google here. Give me one second. We all know we have to double-check the Bible to make sure that we are able to mercy kill someone. Section 5, clause C. Mercy killing. Okay, I'm on Reddit, and some guy has said, honesty, courage, compassion, honor, and duty. Gotta say, I don't see thou shall not shiv a dude on this list. So, going based on that. And it would be compassionate to kill it. It's in pain. It's screaming. Okay. I don't want to be part of this, but I'm not going to stop you. And I turn and walk back. Okay. Now, I already have advantage from the fact that it's flailing in pain and has no ability to move or dodge, right? You would have advantage on it because it's prone. Yes. Okay. Well, I'm not going to worry about it. I'm just going to sneak attack. Okay. You take your bow out? Yeah. And you just launch an arrow into this thing. That's right. Right at it. So, pulling up the bow, shooting at the arrow. That's a 14 to hit. You hit. Can you roll damage? Yes. 20 with the sneak attack. Every one of you takes 10 piercing damage. Everyone? Every one of you takes 10 piercing damage. Oh, god. Okay. As the wolf hurts, as you guys see the people with you clutch their chests in pain, as you hear screams of pain come from other areas that quickly reside. But you, Doran, after watching this arrow, feel yourself pierced by the arrow you launched and you hear the screaming just keep going. you