Edge of Midnight | Ep. 1 | The Old Black Train
02:37:34 Share

Welcome to Legends of Evantris. I'm Nikki Scarlet, and you're listening to Edge of Midnight. Somewhere lost in the shrouded realms of death lies a land of endless night, where long-forgotten horrors are revealed by those who travel through the mist. But that place is not where our story begins, no. Our story begins a full-harvest moon smiling down over fields of straw and stone, but...

It's harvest time. The halfling communities of Yonah are nestled into their beds, exhausted from the day's hard work and preparing for the work that will follow.

Rising high above a land of wheat fields and stover, the moon casts her gentle milk light onto the fertile valley below, and the valley sleeps peacefully in her protective glow. All except for a lone figure walking through the crops in the dead of night, for he can never sleep, no matter how hard he tries. At first glance, he appears to be nothing more than a man in the weathered clothes of a vagabond, but a second glance would tell you that this is no man at all.

A scarecrow walks forward on his own two legs and looks up towards the midnight sky as he plucks the strings of a banjo, and the quiet night is awoken with the cry of a mournful song. Old Jericho Sticks wanders alone, but the crow that circles above him never seems to stray far from the lonesome tunesmith.

Jericho, what do you do?

Virgil, why are you going towards those pumpkins? What's with you and pumpkins? Well, I suppose I'll follow you. I don't got nothing better to do. Got no one else around but this weird crow and the old harvest moon. Well, I guess that reminds me of a tune.

and I'll start playing my banjo. I'll just pluck a few very simple notes, and I'm following Virgil. I'm keeping an eye on him.

as he's flying towards the pumpkin patch. And I'll sing... Shine on, shine on, harvest moon up in the sky. I ain't had no lovin' since... Well, it's been quite a while. Oh. Well...

Virgil, maybe you have some fun pumpkins you're finding, or perhaps some friendly critters down out there in the farm that might be awake of the nocturnal variety. I'd like to follow Virgil, see what he does. As you continue to follow after Virgil, you notice a soft mist begin to shroud your view of the pumpkins dotting this hill.

It becomes more difficult to see as a dense fog rolls in all around, seemingly out of nowhere. The night had been an incredibly clear evening just moments before. A light breeze picks up as you ascend the slopes of the pumpkin patch, and in turn, the mist dance around you, nearly enveloping you, until all you can see is mist and the ground beneath your feet.

Virgil lets out an irritated squawk before he drops onto your hat. Always a confident bird, it seems strange that there is a feeling of agitation about him now. And dare you even think it? Fear? It is then that you hear a sudden sound coming from the mist.

A cacophonous, repetitive chugging thunders all around you. The shrill sound of a whistle, like hundreds of wailing ghosts, pierces through the night and the quiet. Another blast of noise assaults your ears, the constant ringing of a bell that sounds more like a funeral knell.

And from the mist, you see a massive shape coming toward you, too large and too dark to distinguish its form in the shadows. And at the very center, beaming through the shroud of mist, is a circular light in a ghastly bluish-green hue. The mist that rests on the damp soil begins to snake and condense as it forms two straightened rows of dark gray rails made from the fog itself. An enormous mechanical contraption emerges into view, seemingly gliding along the ever-lengthening track ahead of it.

As the mists begin to part, a jet black locomotive rolls into view. Not unlike the engines of the trains you've seen several times rolling across the prairies of Yonah. However, the billowing greenish clouds released from its chimney stock look like neither smoke nor steam. And the low moans of what sounds like humanoid voices wailing with each puff makes you question what is truly powering this machine.

A dark and ancient locomotive appears before you, pulling behind it numerous boxcars that stretch on and on, disappearing into the mist. You take in the scene in front of you, a train appearing out of the mist where no train and no tracks had been. On a once quiet and moonlit night, your eyes dart around...

Your eyes dart along the length of this ghastly locomotive as you begin to fully register the site before you. The boxcars are all designed in tandem with one another, but very slightly. Some are window lifts, but others appear to be passenger cars with ornate filigree windows that allow you to peer within them. You chance a peek and you can see the strange, eerie green glow.

The beings that ride within are mere silhouettes that you can't be sure are still there when you take a second glance. As the old black train slows to a stop, it's one of these passenger cars that is directly before you. You hear the faint notes of what sounds like a fiddle. It's back.

From within, a moment passes as the music stops and the large sliding door opens with a rattle. Within the center of the car is what appears to be a frogman who looks at you lazily as he rests his back against a wooden crate. He looks quite similar to the Bullywugs you've encountered in your wayward ramblings, but dressed in a weathered pair of pants and vest complete with suspenders, gloves, and a broad-brimmed leather hat.

As he stands with his violin and bow in one hand, you can see a darkened bottle of whiskey shoved into his pocket as his eyes blink out of sync. Then he speaks. All aboard the Ghost Lad Express!

He reaches out to you. Your ticket, please, Mr. Sticks. Virgil, this wasn't the kind of barnyard critter nocturnal varmint I was talking about, but how do you do, Mr. Frogman? Uh...

How do you know my last name or the last part of my name? I know a lot more than you think, friend. You got a ticket to ride and I've got an empty carriage with your name on it. So if you could just hand it here, I'd like to get you settled in. Well, did I hear that correct, Mr. Frogman? Yes.

Did you say that we're friends? I see a smile light up across his face. It doesn't fully make its way to his eyes. Why, yes, I did, friend. Gosh, that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me. Virgil here keeps telling me that I don't got no friends and that I'll be alone forever. Do I look like a man that would lie to you? Well, no, you look like a frog who is capricious.

- You hear a chuckle that sounds sort of like a croak in his voice. Can I have your ticket please? It's right there in your pocket. And you see as he reaches out, his arm almost elongates unnaturally as he pulls a silver ticket from your pocket. It's, or gray ticket, I should say, with silver embellishments all around it. This is interesting.

You've got a very powerful friend, friend. Oh, well, no, I think I just specifically said a few seconds ago I don't have any friends. Well, until you, mister. What's your name? My name is old Jericho Sticks, but you can call me Jericho. Most folk do. You can call me the stranger or the vagrant. It's your choice, friend. Oh, the stranger or the vagrant? Would it be like Mr. Vagrant? Mr. Vagrant?

Mr. T. Vagrant? If you like. I'll call you Mr. T. Vagrant. How about that? That'd be... Well, uh, I suppose, uh, is that ticket really for me? I don't recall purchasing a ticket, but then again, there are times where I'll wander into a place and I'll lose some time in some days and then there's a whole mess to run away from. He rolls the ticket between his fingers the same way you would see a gambling man roll coins.

And when it reaches his pinky and he flips it around, you can see old Jericho sticks. Passengers, old Jericho sticks, plus one, Virgil. And on top of it, a symbol stamped very clearly. A symbol you recognize.

- Well, Garzverger were real high class, flutin' fancy types, ridin' on a real genuine train. ♪ I got a silver ticket ♪ ♪ I got a silver ticket ♪ I'm gonna take his hand and try to just hop onto his. - He clutches onto your hand and pulls you into the train.

And as you find purchase onto the train, you watch as in his hands, the ticket ignites into bluish green flame. - Well, gosh, I remember, I did not ask you where we were even going. I don't even care. I got a friend and a silver ticket.

- Yes, you do. - And I'm riding amongst high society. - Now let's make our way. And with a sudden clatter, the sliding door slams shut and the train begins to move once more as the frogman puts the bow to a spittle and plays a short folksy tune.

Make yourself comfortable, because this journey is a long one, friend. And where we're going, you don't need luggage. So don't worry about that none. We got a special car just for you living folk. Follow me, and don't mind the Haints riding with you, since they'll pay you no mind. The Haints?

The vagrant leads you to a luxurious and spacious car with a sign that reads "Live Ones" hung on either side of the space. On your way, you pass through boxcars and passenger cars containing the semi-transparent specters of humanoids of numerous states and statures. They talk amongst each other, but don't even seem to notice you as you pass. You settle into one of the plush seats at the table within the boxcar.

The jacquard fabric is made of faded blues and greens with silver threaded embroidery into delicate and ornate designs. They're old, but not worn. The wooden paneling that lines the walls smells of aged and fresh polish. The small lamps flicker with a soft orange light that illuminates this cabinet in a comforting glow. Virgil purchases on your shoulder and settles in for the trip ahead. He caws softly at you before bowing his head in sleep.

But how did you get here, you wonder yourself, as you rest your head against the cushion at your back? You glance out the window, and you see nothing but mess. Oh, gosh, Virgil. See, my new friend says that I'm a living folk, unlike what you say. Maybe he's right. Maybe you don't know everything. I feel a little underdressed, but I feel like high society. What?

Across the world, a broad muddy field is littered with hundreds of corpses. It smolders from the recent battle that decimated both armies to a point where there was no victor and certainly no one left to bury the dead.

The remains of dwarves and red dragonborn are feasted upon by gluttonous vultures and starving wolves as a lone rider on a pale horse slowly makes his way through the carnage as he passes through this region of Delphinus. The blond-haired knight seems to be young of age but weary of soul as his red eyes grimly scan these fields of death. The metal of his armor, well maintained and adorned with the motif of a blood-red rose, glints in the

as his pointed ears listen for any signs of life beyond the carrion beasts. Running a tongue absentmindedly over one of his fangs, Sir Marius Renethyr fears that there is not a single survivor. And then he hears it. A hoarse, rasping wheeze. Water! Water!

Not more than 20 feet from Marius's horse, the body of a red dragonborn adorned in armor that's been cleaved down the side shifts and raises a trembling hand at the knight as he approaches. Marius, what do you do? Ahem.

I would immediately jump off my horse and run to this dying soldier and kneel down next to them and go in my pack and find some water.

"My brother, rest easy, I am here." He reaches up and he clasps his hand to yours. "Thank you, thank you." You see as his eyes are fluttering, he is losing life quickly, his lips are parched and dry, but he opens them as much as he can with the very small amounts of strength that he has left, as you begin to pour water down his throat.

Please, rest easy. You will be with Lathander soon. He chugs at first, gulping down the water. He begins to sputter and cough as he drinks slower and slower until you see his eyes relax in his skull as his head falls limply in your arms.

The soldier lets out one final strained breath and his eyes flutter closed for the last time. You bow your head in prayer to Latham. Though you don't know this man, you can only hope that your god will light the path for his soul. Your eyes open from your silent prayer and you see that a mist has blanketed the battlefield in the now lifeless form of the dragon born before you. The fog condenses and swirls around you both.

You raise to your feet and begin to scout the field, but your vision is obscured wholly by the mist. You are startled by the booming whistle and wail that pierces through the night, and a single bluish-green light that appears before you. An old black ghost train emerges from the mist and rolls up alongside you. You've never seen a train yourself, but you've read of them, and even in your wildest imaginings, you wouldn't have guessed that they'd look or operate like this, much less ride across the ground on rails of mist.

As the train glides to a halt, the door of the boxcar opens up and a Bullywug vagrant steps forward and calls out: All aboard the Ghost Light Express. Look at you, Sir Marius. It's good to see you. How do you know my name? I know a lot more than you think. The train comes when it's called. A ticket is at hand. Procure it for me, friend.

I do not know what this is. I do not know what tickets you speak of. Well, if you check your saddlebags, you might find what you seek and what I need to allow your entry to the Goat Slide Express. I hesitantly reach into my...

and I see if there's a ticket there. You reach into your cloak and you find no ticket there, but you are caught by the faint glint of something shining in your saddlebags. I pull it out and then examine it. As you pull it out, you see that there is a ticket, "Passengers, Sir Marius Renthir." And at the very top, a stamp of a familiar woman.

Seems you two have powerful friends. Curing you a ticket to ride. You see as he looks you up and down, I don't know why I'd be surprised. Men like you on a quest, well, often find yourselves in the realm of death, don't you not? What do you know of my quest? I know you'll find the answers you seek on the other side of the tracks. If you want to find them...

Let's get you settled in. You got some friends to meet. Another lead, another dead end. I suppose I could see what this is about. You must forgive me. The months, they turn to years, and the years turn to decades. I apologize if I'm a bit jaded. Mom.

All right. And I will step forward onto the train, out with the ticket. He will take the ticket from you, and as he grabs onto it, he looks it over for just a second before you watch as it incinerates in a puff of greenish-blue smoke and flame.

Well, that makes two. Few more stops to go. Follow me. I'll take you to where the live ones are. And he leads you through the train.

Step after step after step, you can hear the chattering from some of the other compartments, but none of the entities within seem to notice you. Once again, you find yourself in front of the door to the boxcar that reads Live Once. As he opens the door, you can feel a warmth in this cabin that you couldn't feel outside. Inside of it sits a very strange entity, a living scarecrow.

- Is there food on this card? - Oh yeah, in front of you there's a table filled with all sorts of snacks and drinks. - I have literally a full turkey if possible. - Yeah. - Yeah, some kind of poultry and maybe there's a few sides and it's completely untouched.

And I'll look at, then you'll, as you enter, you'll see that there is this really creepy, weird looking crow that's sitting on the other side on the, standing on the seat across from the scarecrow with the hat off. And I'll look down and I'll say, "What do you think about that, Virgil? "I got a napkin in my lap. "Who would've thought that I'd find myself here "in this situation?"

Oh, oh, I'll say, well, I'm sorry, I was just going, I'm probably not supposed to be here, and I'll, as I see Marius enter. Wait. Now, sit yourself down, Jericho Sticks. You're exactly where you're meant to be. The frogman mentioned two. I assume he mentioned that you are the other. Well, I suppose if there's just two, is he my friend, too?

That's a question for him to answer, not for me. I flash him a large, fanged, toothy smile and I say, "Sir Marius Renathir, you may call me Marius."

and I will be a gate. And you'll have to realize that being a scarecrow, I don't have a head. It is really just a burlap sack, a poorly stabbed, dirty burlap sack over some sort of edge shape with this glowing fiendish orange glow within and a little moving sack flap as a mouth.

and I will gas and I'll stand up and I'll probably knock the turkey as I shuffle out. And I'll say, Sea Virgil, gosh, everyone around here is showing me some genuine respect. Perhaps you can take a listen or two. Oh,

Jericho sticks, but you can call me Jericho. Most folk do. Are you a genuine knight, like all the fairy tales with princesses and dragons? You hear the click of the door shut. Where the vagabond had been, he no longer stands, and the two of you are alone in this compartment. Yes. Yes, I am the knight. Virgil, this might be the greatest day of my life. You know, do you need a bard?

I don't know. There's only one thing that I need, and I don't mean to pry, but I'm curious as to how you found your way onto this contraption. Well, it's probably a very similar thing. Do you have a crow that led you to a pumpkin patch and said, hey, you don't have any friends and you'll die alone, get on the train? No.

No, there was no crow. I mean, there are... Oh, she's real lucky. There are carrion birds. When the soldiers fall, they always come. Well, that's what I call old Virgil. This is my pal Virgil.

Although with friends like him, who needs enemies? But he's just, don't worry, don't pay him any mind. He's just a weird crow. I've asked myself that same question many times. He's a big crow. He's also a weird crow. So what brings you, you're a real, a real knight. I've always read about the troubadours that would follow

around nights and sing of their great deeds. You'll have to tell me all about your great deeds. Well... And I'll write all sorts of songs. You may find that I haven't done many great deeds. I am...

More or less on a quest to find a particular item made to undo the mistakes of my past. All great quests are to find some sort of item. That's generally how storytelling works. You gotta get the hero to go do something, so there's an item.

May I sit with you? Of course, this is more, you seem a lot more high society than me and that old weird crow virgin over here. That's been a very long time since I've done anything like this, and I've never done anything quite like this. Are you looking for something as well?

Well, I'm looking for more of a situation to my, a sort of problem that I have that's more of a personal affliction that I have, so to speak, and perhaps to get control back of my life or lack of life. Virgil says here, says I'm not even alive. He says I'm no different than a broom. Well, we were taken to the living room

I guess that's true, but I've probably got a lot more straw than a broom. If you need help, one of the tenets of my faith is to always aid. You have my word that I will help you if I can. We're friends now.

This is truly the greatest day of my life. No, Virgil, you do not squawk one bit. Do not ruin this for me. I... May I... May I sing you a song? If you would like, absolutely. Do you like banjo? I don't know if I've ever heard one before. I've heard other string-typed instruments with this... Please, show me.

Bravely Sir Marius wrote from Vittonia. He was not afraid to die. Oh, brave Marius. And we got a workshop. I got more coming, but this is the starting. I presume you're not afraid to die, and that you're very brave. Death is... I'm not even sure it's possible anymore. Well, I mean...

Well, I'm very sorry that we perhaps suffer a similar affliction, friend. I guess in a way I can't really fear death if it's not something that might even be able to catch me. Well, given the folk on this train, they're called Hanks. I don't know if he told you that.

Didn't mention it. I think they're ghosts. They're spooky ghosts. Well, for all of the strange things that I've seen in my life, this certainly tops them. It's up there. If I've learned anything in the many decades that I've been on this planet, we might be in for some...

and I suggest perhaps we stick together. - I would like that very much. I'll finish the rest of my song, and then once you tell me about your great deeds, I'll write songs about them too. I haven't really had much to write songs about. You'd be surprised how quickly you'd run out of material about crows. - Well, take your time. I'm not going anywhere.

Well, I can feast to that. Get yourself some supper. I'm going to enjoy some of that turkey myself. And I'll go and I'll grab a turkey leg and I'll go... And you'll hear the clanking of metal as my head will basically fall back and it'll be this, almost like this fiendish demonic incinerator. And I'll just stick the turkey leg in. So it doesn't go in the mouth hole? It goes all the way up?

No, it just like opens like a snake jaw. I thought it was like the mask goes up and it's just like. As I grab myself some turkey and thank you for offering, you notice that I almost don't flinch at all, even though I'm watching this unfold and I'm watching and I'm taking turkey myself.

Gosh, you know, usually there's always folk, whenever I try to eat a nice meal with old pal Virgil, he really likes turkey. I don't know, I don't think he's a carrion bird. He likes the cooked stuff. I don't understand what's up with him. He says it's very delicious. And everyone, when I go to a tavern for a meal, they always scream and run away and tell me to get out. I think it's because I got scuffs on my shoes.

Yes, I'm sure it's the shoes. I see another smile. Virgil, I'm telling you it is the shoes. Well, let's share a meal between friends, Marius. I would love that, thank you. And we'll eat. A stranger walks alone through the empty streets of a sprawling slum, and even the most unsavory residents of the city fall asleep at this hour.

The stacked houses of the human metropolis flank the narrow thoroughfares. The famine shape moves through the shadows towards the city gates. When I say famine, feminine shape moves through the shadows towards the city gates. The hood and mask she wears hides the fact that she's a dark elf. And this path at this time has allowed her to take her leave and move on to the next town of Striga.

As she nears the massive walls of the city, there's a quick movement from the nearby alley and an urchin boy steps out to block Lethek and Nightborne's path. He seems nervous, but there is a clear bravado on his face to mask him. He folds his arms and steps forward. "I know you. You're one of those evil cultists. I could turn you in right now and get the reward from the military."

And how do you know that I am an evil cultist, little one? Uh, uh, um, your dumb stupid mask! Does wearing a mask necessarily mean I am in a cult? Yes? No? Your hood! Where are you on the street so late? I do not have to share my methods of travel with you, young man.

i'm gonna get the authorities that way

You! And he turns and he starts to move. And once he feels like he's out of a certain range, you watch as he picks up a rock and he throws it at you. And then he squeaks and runs off into an alley behind you. Does it hit me? It doesn't. His aim is very, very low. I wouldn't move. I would just let him on his path. And then I would look up at the sky. An unusual evening. There is something in the air tonight. What?

The urchin darts back into the alley he came from, and you see that he is immediately swallowed in a fog that has since blanketed the slums. The already quiet evening has gone impossibly still, which is then shattered by the looming chug, whistle, and bell of a huge locomotive that emerges from the gloom.

and riding along rails of concentrated mist. It nearly scrapes the walls of the structure as it slowly navigates the narrow street. It's such a tight squeeze that you need to step into a side street to avoid being run over. You calmly watch the various cars of the train pass by until it slows to a complete stop, and the opening boxcar reveals a frogman with a fiddle, who takes a swig from the whiskey bottle at his side before calling out.

All aboard the Ghost Light Express. Let the nightborn step out of the shadows and come meet your new friend.

You know my name, but I know not yours. I will step out of the shadows and I will pull down my hood, revealing my silvery white hair, not actually contrasting my very white mask with many designs and patterns. What may I call you, friend? You can call me the stranger or the vagrant. It's your choice. I don't mind either.

But what's a name between friends? Grab a hold of that ticket you've got hiding in your robes and head up onto this train with me. I've got some people for you to meet. In my many years on this, uh, in this realm, I have learned that names carry great power. Do you have a preference between stranger or baker? I don't. Call me as you will or call me nothing at all.

What you see is his eyes move up and look towards the moon. She's calling. Your ticket's not there for no reason.

Hand it over, Lethika. Let's get moving. My robe doesn't have any pockets. And you feel around on your robe, but there is a pocket there. And in it, a ticket. And as you look over it, it is a beautiful gray parchment with silver filigree on it. One passenger, Lethika Nightborne. And at the very top, a familiar symbol.

I think it's an interesting thing, is it not? I will extend my arm and reach the ticket just out of reach almost until I can finally get it to his hand. It is just out of reach and he reaches his arm out and you see as it seems to extend far longer than it should and he is able to easily grab the ticket from your hands. He rolls it through his fingers and takes a look at it for just a second. You see the smile cross his face when his eyes linger just a little

bit longer on that familiar symbol at the top. Yes, all is as it should be. You see as the ticket itself ignites into a strange bluish green flame. I look up again at the sky. Is he starting to invite me into the... He reaches his hand down to escort you onto the train. I will make sure that I have my things on me. My dark lady.

- Tonight will be a night to remember, I think. And then I will walk through the door and enter the train. - He pulls you onto the train without much pomp and circumstance. He explains what little bit of the situation there is to explain that he is going to take you to a car that is suitable for the live ones. There will be friends there for you to meet, get settled in, have a bite to eat. More's to come, time is passing quickly. Midnight approaches.

As he leads you towards the train, or towards the car, slowly opens the door and you feel the rush of heat. You can see two strange companions. One, a dark dampier, or a blonde dampier knight, sitting across from what appears to be an animated...

He nudges you in a little bit. We have to make haste, friend, so get yourself acquainted. You can do so without me. He nods his hat. He tips his hat to you as he slowly slides the door shut behind you.

You'll have seen me walk in. I have kept my hands very ladylike on my hip in this way. On the other side, you can see hanging a chakram, large circular blade of sorts, totally masked, put down, my hair up in a silvery bun, like so, and I will sit without saying a word, crossing my legs. Well, it appears that

Two becomes three. Forgive me for not standing before you sat down. My name is Samarius Renathir, and I'll hold out my hand. Greetings. I will take it very briefly. You may call me Lethika. Lethika. The scarecrow in the room...

who has a very weird crow with very scary eyes and a jagged beak, um, will have, uh, almost tipped the table over as he attempts to stand up as quickly as possible. As he grabs his hat, which he had put back on his head, and he puts it down and he shuffles out and he just kind of looks down and he says, Darsha Lady type, uh, how to do, how to do, uh, young lady? Welcome to, uh,

to the train, the train, the Ghost Light Express. - Greetings, stranger. And what may I call you? - Oh, of course, it's very, I don't get much, I don't talk to the lady, the lady folk most folk, but especially lady folk most. My name is old Jericho Sticks, but you can call me Jericho most folk do. - May I ask you a question, Jericho?

And perhaps to you as well, Marius. Of course. Were you approached by a train and suddenly discovered a ticket upon your person? That's exactly correct. Yes. Yes, that's exactly my story, too. Do you also have a weird crow that led you there and tells you that you're useless? No, though. I have another guide on my path. Well, you can have other guides besides a weird crow?

Oh, yes. Don't mind me asking, are you looking for something? I just finished looking for something. I am between somethings. I'm not sure how many we're going to be picking up tonight, but I have a feeling it's not just the three of us. I have a feeling that you're right. I think we might be assembling a merry band.

I'm just not sure what for yet. I've been looking for something for a very, very long time. And Jericho, well, I'm not really sure what he's doing. But needless to say, things may become more clear in time.

I'm looking at the table as we're starting to open up to each other. Do I find... How is the food and drink emerging? Is it just being... It appears that as you consume something, sometimes as you think of something that you want, it begins to materialize on the table.

I think of a dark red wine, and my hand finds the goblin, and I continue with my legs crossed to look. This will indeed be a very interesting journey, I think.

Ah, yes, you appear to have very fine taste. I turn and lift up my hood, and you can hear me sip from the wine glass, barely able to see the side of my face, and then I return with still the mask completely down, hiding what lies beneath. I will still be standing.

like almost crushing my head as I hold it to my purse, as I'm averting an icon. Gersh, how did you make that wine appear? That was very impressive. Do you eat, strange man? In a sense, yes, I taste and I eat, but it's all for Virgil.

It's really just whatever he likes. Who wants to eat, or who wants to eat. And what is Virgil's favorite dish, do you think? Well, we don't need to talk about that. Every time I talk about what Virgil likes to a pretty lady, they run away very quickly. There is not much of a view here, nor is there anywhere to run. You should feel free to...

Think of what Vergil's best dish is and then allow it to emerge on the table. Yeah, every time... every time I... Every time I hear Vergil say, "You gotta go Jericho, there's nowhere for them to run," it usually ends up very poorly. So maybe I'll think about what I would really like very much right now is a big old glass of sarsaparilla.

I'll reach forward and hold a glass of sarsaparilla that has emerged on the table. Jericho, sit, that we may talk and get to know each other. Is that genuine sarsaparilla? On the bottle, you see an old, tiny label, a little bit worn, and it says, Genuine Sarsaparilla. That's my favorite brand.

I hand it to you. I grab it and I... And this I actually don't hatch back. I take it and it's awkward. You hear the clanking of the bottle against the metal of just like the straight metal of the farm equipment of whatever my mouth is. And the saskerilla goes in and probably sizzles and pops as the energy consumes it.

Oh, this is the most delicious sarsaparilla I've ever had. I turn away again and take another sip of wine and pat my seat next to me. Jericho Synth, I suggest you listen to Lethka. Who knows how long we will be here for. It could be quite a while. You might as well make yourself comfortable.

Well, I suppose I've never had a lovely young lady invite me to sit next to her, much less a cotillion or other such fine establishment such as a train. I'll sit down, I'll sit down. Very kind, very kind of you, and I'll sit down and I'll

Seeing your nerves, I'll extend an arm and turn to Emerius. You feel that, the edge of my cloak sleeve, perhaps, against the back of your neck. Can you feel this? I would say I react to it very clearly. I react to it. And where were you when the train picked you up, Emerius? Well, I was back home, in the midst of the grievous battle.

things to not go well as they normally don't when this vehicle pulled up as if from nowhere. You? I was just about to exit the city of... The city name was? I was just about to exit and find a new path, actually, so this is a very fortuitous event.

Oh gosh, you know they write songs about fates and souls being intertwined and great epic quests that happen. You think that this is the beginning of seeing them on a haunted train? Randomly? Surely there must be some reason we've been chosen for something. I just don't know what that is. Well, I think...

that the ticket, I think the price I paid is if they want to meet my old pal Virgil. You know what I mean? You guys keep saying you don't have weird crows, but I don't know how you got on the train. Yes, now that you mention it, the ticket did have a particular mocking that I was not so pleased to see. You'll see Virgil angrily squawk, or rather crow, and the timbre of the call

is very unsettling. It's a gravelly garbled car. And immediately, Jericho shrinks back.

Well, maybe we all have Mr. T Stranger. I mean, T Vagrant, Vagrant, fella. He said that it was, I got powerful friends and that's why he wanted to meet me. If y'all got powerful friends, maybe this is really a quest, a song about the power of friendship. Friend is not what I would call that woman. Gosh, I've never had a woman friend either.

It's okay, Marius.

I apologize. Don't need to look so cross. I turn back to my turkey after apologizing to poor Jericho. Okay. Well, I'm sorry for making you upset. No, no, that was, I was out of line. I apologize. Maybe you tell, maybe you tell one of the stories that you were telling me while we were just traveling through the mist to, to, to, to Miss, to Miss Lefka here. Tell her about the time you cut off that, that feller's arms and legs and he was still fixing for a tussle. I would be happy to.

And I begin to tell Lethka of this amazing time that I just sort of learned about right now.

Please, share. - Fixin' for a tussle. - Yes, you do that. You all engage in food and drink, more sarsaparillas, more wine, as you share this tale of the man fixing for a tussle. In the meantime,

The sea off the coast of Chalk swells and roils, just as much illuminated by the light of the full moon as it is by the burning galleon that slowly sinks beneath the waves. A tattered black flag bearing the mark of a crocodile skull and crossed bones

flies from the top of the tilted mast as it too is consumed in flame. The heavily armed merchant ship that sank the vessel sails off towards the horizon while on the other side of the roaring wreckage, a single rowboat slowly makes its way toward the distant coastline of an island.

The creature rowing the dinghy huffs and puffs as it struggles against the waves. While it is clearly alive and moving about in the world of the living, its body seems to be quite dead, with exposed bone, withered flesh, and rotting scales all within a crocodilian form.

However, this reptile is dressed extravagantly in the garb of a pirate captain as he curses the sudden crumbling of his undead crew that led to yet another unfortunate defeat of Briggsie the Cutlass Cratch. Then...

Then he hears a friendly voice call out from behind him. Hey man, need a lift? Shut up. What, what, what? I'll turn my head around. As the decaying croc folk turns his head, he sees a small fishing boat captained by a smiling goliath covered in tattoos. The wind fills the sail of the vessel as it approaches the rowboat in a stroke of good luck for a change. Briggsie, what do you do? Is this you, Crossroads?

Hey, mate! Pick me up here! He waves you down. Just fishing! And he's gonna slowly start rowing towards you, and you can see he's excited to see someone who appears to be in need. He's rowing so quickly, he doesn't realize he's rowing in circles. He finally catches himself and gets everything together, and he starts to row towards you, and I'm not going to attempt to do Toa's voice, so... Deal with it. What?

This is what you're doing all the way out here. You see that epic battle? No, I'm just fishing. Trying to bring some fish home for my family.

I look really confused. And he points towards the island off in the distance. We're having a party. We've got some bonfires going. We're going to dance. Do you want to come back? Do you want to come back? Do you want to get in my boat? You can get in my boat. We can go back together. That would be awesome. That would be really cool, actually. All right. Now, that sounds fun. Let me just open the rowboat. Your rowboat is leaking. I mean, it's going to sink soon.

Did you come back? Spend the night? Spend the time with us? Spend the time with you? Yeah, on the island. The Makani Islands. Just right over there. You have a lot of roads in the islands? Yeah, more like paths and things. Do you even cross? Do you only cross paths? Any of those around? I mean, what's the difference between a cross path and an intersecting path, really? All right, well, here, first of all, let me get on your boat.

Please, please. And he starts to help you. Lumber out and step onto this... Is it like Toa's boat? Is it like the platform? It's not Toa. It's clearly a member of his...

This is a different time period, so. But it's clearly a Goliath from the Makani Islands where Nikki did watch a lot of videos trying to learn how to do New Zealand accent and failed. But I can say, hey, man. So, that's all you get. That's all we can all say. That's all.

- Still being an ignorant. - I inspect his boat and like what kind of condition is it in? - It's in pristine condition. - How fast can it go? - It seems like it can go quite fast. He has nets, there's buckets of fish.

He has extra fishing rods. There's some blankets. It looks like should anything happen and you were going to get caught out at sea, he would clearly be able to fend for himself. This is a very sturdy made ship. You can see carved into the wood pictorial, pictorial,

of his tribe's missions and the things that they've gone, the holes are waxed. This thing zooms. It is, it's really nice. - And valuable. - Oh, definitely. You imagine he probably doesn't see it from a monetary value standpoint, but it's emotionally valuable to him. - First, what's your name like?

Really appreciate it. I'll raise my disgusting hand. Apologies for the rotten flesh. Joa, it's nice to meet you. I didn't think that part. All right, well, first of all, do you know who I am? Not a clue, but I got enough fish for all, for really everybody. Hold on, hold on, hold on. You haven't heard of me. No. I mean, I've been hired. If you haven't heard of me,

Big head, decaying flesh, big teeth. I didn't even notice all that stuff. You must be famished. And he starts shoving fish at you. I'm Briggsie the Cutlass Scratch. Well, it's nice to meet you, Briggsie. And he starts shaking your hand. You haven't heard of the Fear Pirate of Odyssey's? Stealing loot? Am I supposed to be scared of you?

Stop, you might have heard of me and you might be like impressed. But I have now. Maybe tell some of your friends about my audience. Oh, I will. Well, we'll tell them all.

Oh, we can sit around the fire tonight. Have you ever sat around a fire with family and friends and feasted all night long and danced and had challenges? Oh, this is going to be so great. I can't wait to tell my mom. I cannot wait to tell my mom. Here's the thing about your mom and everybody else. My family's my crew. You might not have seen it, but I just lost a very...

Decisive naval battle. It was a whole thing. My crew just, they were animated. You must be feeling so bummed right now. You don't really understand any of that. My point is that there are people on that galleon. There are people, and they're probably drowning right now, and I need to go get help. I need to help them. Oh, you gotta save them. I need to save them, so I need to go find help so we can come back here and I'll save the rest of them. You're not gonna be able to save them in your boat.

That's what I mean. If you could just watch my rowboat and I'll take your boat and I'll go get help. Yeah. Does that sound good? This boat here, it can fit 50 people on it. Oh, that's going to be plenty. I'm going to go that way. It may seem like away from the fire, but I need to go get more help. I know a guy somewhere around here. And the waves might have carried him out there. Oh, my God.

Gosh, let me take just two of these fish and my fishing pole 'cause I gotta keep fishing and I'm gonna get hungry while I'm doing it 'cause I'm responsible for the entire meal tonight. So I'll do that and I'll fish and I'll start patching up your boat. It'll be at least good enough to get back to the Makani Islands tonight

And so you take my boat, you go get all of your friends, and then you meet me at the Makani Islands. I'll let everyone know you're coming, and we'll celebrate all night long. Look, Jo, I love this plan. Me too! I do. He grabs your hand, he starts, I'm so

happy to help you. I'm very happy to help you. I'm glad I know who you are now. I couldn't have done it without you. I'm gonna tell everyone who you are. I'm gonna think of you as my good luck charm. He pats you on the back. It's really, he's gigantic. And he smashes really hard bits of your flesh fly off. He doesn't seem to be too bothered. Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry. I'm a little strong, a little strong. Goliath, a little strong. As he starts...

making himself a little, a very small pack, barely enough for him to, barely a light snack. As he puts it into the boat and he patches it up a little bit, but as he steps into it, the weight of him sinks your previous boat down into the water. It starts to take on a lot of water. He grabs a bucket. I can get all the water out before I sink. And in that moment-

"Oh, thanks again, I'll be back at some point. "Give me an arrow for you. "If you don't hear from me, "I probably sank and died in Herokli." We'll come out looking for you if that happens. "All right, all right, goodbye!" And I very quickly, I lower the sail. I'm so excited for the night! And I try to get the fuck away as fast as I can. Oh, Mom's gonna love that guy as he continues to try and get all the water out of his boat.

Yeah, so I basically want to try to sail away from him and where I think that he referenced where his family was and try to go back to the mainland if possible. And Joa was never heard from again. As you leave the waving fisherman behind. The undertow. His actual name is Undertowa. I love Undertowa. I love Undertowa.

- So is great, great, great granddad. - As you leave the waving fishermen behind you, you realize that you can no longer see your ship, the merchant galleon or the coastline as the fog has swallowed all of that. You're used to sudden shifts in the weather on the high seas, but something about this mist seems like bad luck to you. And then as it closes in, you hear the impossible sounds of a spectral train.

here in the middle of the ocean. As the mist snakes and slithers to take shape into rails, you see it rise up and down, matching the surf, before a huge locomotive chugs over a wave and then down alongside your boat as if to take a broadside.

The car's pass is the machine that must weigh hundreds of tons effortlessly rides along the surface of the ocean before stopping beside you. The boxcar nearly touches the side of the boat as the door rattles open and an amphibian man in a hat not quite as large as yours gives you a wave. All aboard the Ghost Light Express.

I smack my eyes a little bit. Oh, you're not dreaming. Briggsie the Cutlass Cratch. Oh yes, I've heard of you. So you have heard of me. You just won't look into me. You've heard the tales. I've heard the tales. Finally, someone has. And so you know how dangerous I can be.

So you better tell me quick who the fuck are you and are you working for Crossroads? Oh, I can answer that question shortly, friend. You can call me the vagrant or the stranger, whichever you may choose. The answer to your second question lies, well, right there in your pocket. It's right here. All right, what kind of trick is this?

- I know you like to play with fate. I know kinda looks your thing. Is this your way of telling me something? - It may be friend, but if I were you, I'd get off the water. And he looks towards the night sky and you can see that darkness is beginning to, the darkness of clouds is beginning to obscure the beautiful pale moon.

A storm's a-comin' and you don't wanna be caught in these waves. There's a sanctuary on this train, and I've got a seat with your name on it. Just pass me that ticket, friend. You know where you belong.

I look at the ticket. You see a gray paper, hints of blues and even hints of greens. The silver coating all over the words that says, one passenger, Riggsie the Cutlass Cratch, and at the very top, emblazoned in an emblem, is a seal that you are very familiar with. Hold on.

This is all for you. I'm not gonna like it, but I don't feel like I have a choice. Sorry about that, guys. Hello. And I'll step on, uh... I'll step onto the train and give him a ticket.

As you step onto the train, he takes the ticket from you. Once it reaches his hands, he looks at it for a small second. You see a smile, a small quirk to the side of his lips as his eyes alight across the symbol at the top. As it bursts into a strange blue and green flame. Well, follow me. One more to go. Time is coming.

He slowly begins to make his way down the hallway, past car after car after car, until he finally gets to one where on either side of the door is a small wooden plaque that reads "Live Ones." And as he opens the door, you feel the soft rush of warmth wash over you. And there is, there are voices chattering away as they all come to a quick hush. As the door opens and the vagrant

ushers you in. Hello there, friend. It appears that we've become full. With a loud snap, the doors close and you can hear the sounds of the vagrant's feet as he walks further down the train. Greetings, fellow life-one. I will...

look around, and my eyes will linger on Jerek and say, "Who the fuck are you?" And I'm within my-- I'm gonna reach my hand out and you'll see a colossal cutlass materialize in my hand, covered in kind of these glowing runes. Oh, my hand on my chakram. Not runes, but like, etchings. "I've seen a living dollop, you...some kind of new make?" "Who you working for?"

What a new man. I am no spring chicken, friend, but frankly, this is the kind of response that I normally get. So at least this is starting to feel a little bit of normalcy on this ghostly train. Hello, friend. I am not a doll. I am a scarecrow. You can see here by my fingers. There ain't no strings on me. That's a good song. I'll write that down. All right. There will be none of that. Please. Put your weapon away.

- Who are we all working for? - We're not working for anyone. We're all trying to find out why we're here. So now please, if you'd like to have a seat, introduce yourself as proper, to have some food. We would love to have you. - The food can be whatever you want it to be. And the drink is the same. We all found ourselves doing our normal thing when a ticket arrived in our pocket and a train suddenly appeared before us.

I, uh, I'll, I'll kind of flick my hand and my, and then like a, uh, a burst of kind of shadow and, and beyond light, uh, the, the sword will disappear. Um,

I can eat anything I want? Is that what you're telling me? You look like you might enjoy a good meal, friend. I don't mean no respect. Why don't you enjoy your, your, your, your, anything you want? I even got some, enjoy some sarsaparilla. I imagine a bottle of rum and a, a, a bunch of a pig. It appears just as quickly as you imagine it in your mind.

You haven't been cursed. Well, I mean, my creation, I consider often a curse. So every day, yeah, sure, yeah. Do you know how badly...

"I'll taste this and I'll bite off a chunk of the fork "and I'll swallow it." And you'll see sort of a kind of flop through my ribs and you can see it on the way down. "I'm sorry, but what is your name? "I'm Samarius Renathia." Well, clearly you've made a fool of me, Samarius. And I'll tell him, like, "Are you...

Do I, would I kind of know what a vampire, like vampire is? Yes. Your name? My name's Captain Razy Cratch, but you can call me the Cutlass. Well, you don't have to call me the Cutlass, but that's my fiesty father name. Razy. Wait, what?

Yeah, right? Rixie, you and I are a lot more alike than you'd probably believe. And I smile and reveal my thanks. Oh, lad. I can see it. I can see it. So, two.

Me? Well, I was the first one, so me won. You four. My point is that on the sign of this car that we're standing in right now says Livewoods. And it's kind of ironic, don't you think? Well, I mean, there is... The irony isn't lost on me, but I'm pretty sure our friend... I mean, a bit of a cruel joke. Are you some kind of ghost? A skeleton or something? Oh, are you a specter? All right, let's see the face. Me three. You may call me Lethico.

"What? May I turn?" It's a pleasure to meet you, Cutlass. "I don't mean to pry, "but I've asked this question of everyone thus far, "and I might as well ask you as well. "Are you looking for something?" I'm looking for something. "We're trying to figure out "what might be the connecting thread, if you will." And I down half of the bottle and drop it. "Oh, did you taste that? "You said that you'd love to taste it, so there you go. "That's all you need to do is eat it." That's exactly the fucking point!

I can't taste a thing. I would love to feel this taste of roast pork. I can't taste a fucking thing.

Did you burn your tongue on some hot coffee? No, no, it's the name. Look at me! I'm dead but not dead. I'm eternally rotting and decaying. Well, they say don't judge a book by its cover or a song by the first couple of notes. I don't even got a tongue and I can still taste. I wasn't always this way. I got tricked into being this way. Being...

You're telling me that you were... you were tricked into being an alligator? What a terrible thing-- Oh, crocodiles! Not an alligator. It's a big difference. Do you understand? If I hear any of you say the word alligator again, I'll offer you my colors. My colors are... they're summer blue. Gosh! He really is a genuine pirate. Are you rea-- are you-- is it true that you're a real pirate? You haven't heard of me.

Heard of who? You? Breezy, the Cutlass Scratch! Or maybe the Cutlass! Or maybe the horrible undead zombie pirate that sails the seas with the crew of the dead! Do you have a fourth moniker you go by that I may have heard of? I didn't want to hurt your feelings, but I've never heard of them either.

Well, it's okay, it's okay, uh, Briggsie. May I call you Briggsie? Oh, that's fine. Call me Briggsie, that's fine. Well, Captain Briggsie, I'll show you a part of me. It's not my station to, to, to... Captain! Oh, Captain, my Captain, I salute thee. Look, look, look... So you, I will, I will write, I'm already writing songs about the great brave Sir Marius. I can also, a genuine pirate, a genuine knight, what great songs to be written from our journeys.

It's also worth mentioning that one of the tenets of the Thandar is try to avoid negativity. From death comes life. There is always another dawn from which we can turn our failures into successes.

There is hope for you and I yet that we may one day be restored. I don't know about you, but it's awful hard not being negative when you look like this. Do you understand? Yes. Yes, I understand. I mean, when I can't even get a fucking ounce of sleep when I want to? Oh, I understand that. But you know what? I've suffered more failings and failures than probably all of the three you combined.

And I just... And I got nobody. If you're a knight, you probably got a merry band. If you're a pilot, you probably got a crew. If you're a priest lady, you probably got a whole church. I got nobody, but you know what? I stay positive by whistling a jaunty tune. And it always cheers me up. If it makes you feel any better, Jericho, no, my merry band is...

very quickly aging. So, until now, I haven't had many friends either. So I am very grateful to meet you. Our crew is currently chum at the bottom of the ocean. They weren't really my crew beforehand. Once I kind of looked like this, then a certain powerful fella animated me, this zombie crew,

"Crew of Galleon, I think. Crew of Galleon on the island. "You know, have you ever crewed a galleon? "It's a big ship." You said a powerful man. There it is. This vagabond, this stranger, is mentioned powerful. He used the word friend. But did you all get tricked by Crossroads too?

It doesn't look like his work, but it could be. He's Tracy. I don't know Crossroads. Mr. Crossroads. I've never heard of him. I'm sorry that I don't know you or your friend. Have you ever heard of my weird Crow Virgil? Does he go by any other name, like yourself, other than Crossroads? He goes, while plenty of names I can't pronounce, I'll pick Mr. Crossroads, because I've been saying it. LAUGHTER

No, I have not heard of this Mr. Frost. Oh, were you all tricked by some kind of horrible entity maybe made a deal that you kind of sort of regret? Yes, I was tricked. Well, you start to come together. All right. No, I don't think I was tricked. I mean, I just was kind of...

I came to be, and then my best gals, they made me, and maybe that's the trick. Well, I guess the trick is that my old gals, my best gals, they ain't around no more. I'm gonna count it. Oh, Virgil's a hungry bird. For me, it was a choice, a specific choice. I, uh, I do not believe I was chosen. Oh. I'll, uh, pour myself a glass of rum.

Are you like a... You're not a ghost or nothing? No hate? No. Well, we should probably show a little bit of respect for the lady who is not... We have to do a large one. Well, at least there's one among us. I'll pour myself a glass of wine and say, well, as I've said to the other companions, things are probably going to get very strange. It's best for now to stick together.

I don't know what to expect, but the strength of numbers. The merry band, if you will. The merry band of crewmen and churches and friends of a scarecrow. Besides, we have no idea how many more will show up. Maybe there'll be like 20 of us and we'll be unstoppable. We'll have a whole full orchestra, much less the band. Here's hoping.

Tala snapped my fingers and the glass of rum was kind of white on fire and burned off. It's not for me, he likes... He likes fiery rum. It's not magic. Oh, Virgil likes... likes flesh and so I... I can taste and feel a fucking thing. Cheers. Cheers!

Is it like on fire when you drink it? The moonlight barely pierces the forest on one of the islands of Barghast, casting shadows that elongate and seemingly move in strange optical illusions.

While the dark wood is teeming with life, there's only one creature for miles that walks upright on two legs. These legs are those of a deer, but the shape and silhouette of the woman that makes her way below the thick canopy is clearly human-like. She leans on her skull-topped staff as a walking stick, although her graceful movements betray that she doesn't truly need it.

Farron of the Heartsplake finds the perfect branch from which to hang a meticulously crafted wicker fetish before hearing a low, rumbling growl in the thicket beside her. The underbrush shifts and snaps as a bear lumbers out and eyes her hungrily, but with an uncharacteristic weakness.

Farron notices the patches of furless skin, the bulging boils on its flesh, the yellowing of its pained eyes and its blackened gums as it steps towards the satyr with unsteady difficulty, but with the clear intent to turn her into its next meal. Farron, what do you do? Time, Mary. Oy, another night, another poor thing to return to the earth. It's a good thing that I'm here for you.

And I'll turn towards the bear. And do I feel like it is accepting of me being there, or do I feel like I need to put it down? The bear looks like if it had the energy to, it would eat and consume you. But it is clearly overcome with a sickness that is incurable.

And so though you can move towards it, it is, and touch it, it is going to be slightly aggressive with you, but it does not have the strength to maul you. It doesn't have the strength to do what it truly wants, which is to feed. Okay. I'll, um, I'll kind of turn around and, and look at it and just start speaking softly to it. Um,

I'll go in my pack and fish out some scraps of meat and jerky and kind of approach it. Oh, you poor thing. You look a sight. It's been a long, weary road you've traveled. But no longer. And I'll toss some meat to it and kind of while it's feeding, I'll just... It lets out a groan.

And it looks towards you with sad eyes as it turns its face down towards the hardened jerky on the ground. As it goes weak on its limbs and falls into the dirt. It uses what little motion it has left to scoot and move towards the meat and begins to laugh at it. Unable to consume it, though it wants to. And it looks at you, almost pleading for you to end its pain. Thank you.

You've had a long road, and now you go for a long sleep. You came from this earth, and you'll return back to it. And with the blessings of the Blight of One, I'll send you on your way. And I'll take my dagger and just very quickly kind of pop it through. And I'll be sitting with it and petting it. It looks towards you, and as you move towards it, you almost nestle it gently in your lap.

as you look into its eyes and tell it that everything's gonna be alright. You make the motion quickly, so quickly it doesn't even have time to feel the pain. The bear, now finally at peace, begins to decay as you look back to your surroundings and notice the already dense forest is now choked by fog.

The panicked toot of an owl is followed by the rustling of leaves and the snapping of branches as a ghastly greenish light almost blinds you. You are able to dart behind a nearby log as a black metal monstrosity slowly chugs through the forest on misty rails before coming to a stop and a shoddily dressed frogman opens the door of a boxcar while he stares out into the forest in your direction.

All aboard the Ghost Light Express. Now don't go hiding in the woods there, Farron of the Heart's Blythe. Why don't you and your new friend make your way up on this train? Find that ticket for me.

But what manner do you know me? Only in the manner that I do, and that you got a ticket to ride this train so your way is supposed to be. And you feel it before you see it, the spectral form of the bear rising onto its legs. No longer form, now just a spirit. As it looks towards you and nuzzles against you, it lets out a spectral whine.

as it slowly makes its way towards the train and it doesn't step up onto it. It merely melds into it as it makes its way towards the back into one of the cars. Well, your friend didn't need any convincing fare. Now find your ticket. I'll start to kind of feel around on my person. Did he send you? If you have to ask, you already know the answer. All right, darling, it's in your ritual pack. What?

I'll pull out. And you see a very similar gray ticket with hints of blues and greens, the silver lettering. Admit one, Baron of the Heartlight. And at the very top, the symbol of someone you are familiar with or something you are familiar with. You knew you'd show me the path. Blessings. I'll join you.

Now that's what I like to hear, darling. Now grab my hand. He reaches out his long hand. It extends much longer than you'd expect it to, as with a forceful grip, he pulls you onto the Ghost Light Express. And with very few words, smutterings under his breath, that you'll meet the rest and the five is finally assembled, that we're making good time. Definitely picked up the pace as he leads you down the long corridor.

Happy to.

And he slowly walks you forward. And as you walk along beside him, he's much quieter than you would expect. Seems lost in thought. As you look into some of the windows that adorn these carts, and inside you see all manners of undead. Animals, humans, anything with souls seems to be traveling on this train. But nothing else like you. Nothing else alive. You are...

It appears to be on a train of death. As you finally get to the one carriage, the one room that says "Live Ones" on either side. So he opens the door and you're hit with that warmth, the candlelight flickering, a soft comforting orange glow, and the sounds of four potentially new friends.

As they notice the door open, they all hush and look up towards you as he pushes you in a little bit and slides the door closed behind you. Welcome. Welcome. Lethika, could you please let me out of this bench?

I have the window seats. You may move aside. Oh, I forgot that's how it works. And I'll stand up and I'll take off my hat and I'll say, oh, pardon me. Hello there, Miss Lady. You didn't say I'd be taking this journey with others. Who are you? You didn't tell that to any of us, to be honest. Please don't be alarmed. Just join us. We've been drinking and sharing stories. She has heard of me, Ava. Don't let it get to you. Well, I can see from the look of you, you're part of my path.

Because I'm disgustingly decaying, is that what you're saying? That's exactly right. I can help you. I'm sure of it. It's his path for us. You can undo it. I think I might. We'll find a way. First, what's your name? Name's Briggsie. Sir Marius Renethia.

At your service. Let the go. Let's meet your new thing. Hello, hello there. And I'll like wave my hat awkwardly as I get. Shut up, shut up, shut up, Virgil. There's a pretty lady here. And my name is old Jericho Sticks, but you can call me Jericho Mosfogdoop.

What kind of creature are you? And I'll be taking my staff and kind of looking to poke around his neck flap. Oh, I'm just an old scarecrow. Just don't mind me none. Just a bunch of straw and metal and wood and horrible fiendish energy. But nothing really. Just a darkness within. Very deep darkness. And I got a weird crow named Virgil, but don't listen to him if he talks to you. He does not really...

Really well advised to listen to a weird crow. Trust me. I find that the crows in the forest have all manner of things to say and I always turn them out. Virgil's really not from any forest that you want to go visit, Miss Lady. That would be... I would advise you not to listen to his whispers if he does happen to whisper to you. The crow hasn't said a thing the entire time. He's been talking this whole time.

Perhaps you don't speak Crowley. Well, I know that I don't, and I assume that Briggsie does not either. Okay.

I think he's lost it. Well, he has been a little jumpy ever since I met him, but, you know, he means well. No, Virgil, they're our friends. You should show some respect yourself. You're just a feathery fiend. There are some who never have it, I'm afraid. Please, enjoy some food or drink. You only have to think of what you want to eat, and all of a sudden it appears before you. All right. And I'll, um... I'll...

Basically a small dish of like some indistinguishable sort of maybe like looks like sap. Not entirely sure what it is. It's a goo of some sort. Sort of a yellowish brownish color. I'll pick it up and just kind of scoop it with some fingers and just, you know. Well met. Well met.

Cheers. Cheers to you all. Cheers. What do you got there? What kind of strange concoction is that? Maybe I'd like to try some too. Perhaps I could imagine...

Please, I'm happy to share with my new friends, I suppose. Oh, this looks mighty delicious. Just get a swipe of it on your finger there, boss. Don't be shy. Oh, thank you very kindly. And then Virgil will fly and, like, get in my face and knock my hand so that it flies off. Well, I don't care if you don't care for whatever kind of strange goop there is. I get a say, too. It's also my stomach.

"Get outta here!" I must ask, where are you from? What's your purpose here? We've been trying to piece together the thread that seems to bind all of us. Yes, they believe that it is a puzzle to put together that we are all here. Does the Blighted one not bring you all here?

No, it would appear that we all have some sort of relationship with something or someone powerful. Did you get tricked by this blighted one? Oh, heavens no. Takes me on a path that I intend to follow to the end and as quick as I can. All right. All right.

You two think you're so great, just going down this path, besides getting tricked like us, being total fools, just doing stupid things and ending up cursed for eternity. Brixie, that's a little harsh. Please. I wasn't even saying that. I was not going to repeat what Virgil was saying. I'm just saying, you don't have to judge the fact that I'm

Horribly decaying. No, nobody is judging. All right, for now, we're all friends here now. Why do you give in like that? We're going to be friends, and we're going to stick together and figure out what we need to do. All right? It's been about five years. And you're still rotten.

Just keep rolling. And then, like, I'll lift my arm up, and then, like, a piece of flesh will, like, fall off. I'll reach up and pick a little piece off of you and... And it'll, like, kind of slither back, and it's not, like, as disgusting as, like, actual rotting flesh, but it's still... I mean, it feels like rotten flesh, and...

You know, you can see like in a few of my fingers, it's just the bone sticking out and others will have like-- There's a shockingly rubbery chunk out of his side that you can just kind of-- Yeah. Remove and put back. Remove and put back. Wow. Briggsie, that is pretty foul. I think it's remarkable. I've never seen something quite like you before. I mean that with the utmost respect. I think I will now excel. You think you're telling me I'm someone I know? Please, have some more rum.

There's no shame in the rot of things. It's the natural way of it. And so I should just rot into the ground, is that what you're saying? Exactly right, you should be so lucky. No, that's the whole point. I don't want to rot into the ground. I want to go back to how I was, before I was tricked. No, all things that fall and you go to the ground rise again. If when you're trying to help me by making me just rot into the ground, I don't want your help. Get it, Stan? All right, all right. Tensions are getting a little high, all right?

Briggsie and I would both like to be returned to our previous state. I believe, I have hope, all right? I have hope that one day that will be something that we'll be able to figure out. It is one of the tenets of my faith to bring hope. And you can't bring hope if you are hopeless yourself. So please, Briggsie, remember, all right? - I'm just saying, nobody's gonna rot me into the ground.

I want to un-rot. I want to spend a good long time not rot. I mean no offense to you. Death is a hard thing for people to come by. Well, this is the living car and we don't really seem related to life very much. What can it be studying, Marius? You lad, you look pretty healthy. Strong stock. What do you mean? What manner do you return to? And I just smile and reveal the fangs as I sip from my goblet of wine. Mm.

Things are not always what they appear. - I'll kind of reach forward and grab your hand. And do you feel cold to me or like, what do you, do you feel normal? - I don't think I'm warm, but I'm not like ice cold. I'm not like dead. I just like, it's like, my skin's a little bit paler. - I think it's like in the midway between like a fair amount of air. - It feels like chills. - It probably feels like chills. - Like clammy, but not cold. - He would feel odd to me though.

This podcast is brought to you by our Patreon. Become a patron today at patreon.com slash legendsofavantris and gain access to tons of exclusive perks, including a monthly movie night and a weekly Patreon-exclusive campaign set on the high seas. Shroud over Saltmarsh. You can also go to thecrookedmoon.com to pick up your own copy of our first published supplement.

The Crooked Moon, a folk horror tome for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. And don't forget to snag all the extra goodies like dice, miniatures, plushies, a tarot deck, and more. Thank you.

You feel a little funny to me. Would I know? Yeah, I'll say for the purposes of the campaign, everybody is aware of what everybody is. You might not have seen something like a reborn or a dampier or a wandering scarecrow with a Virgil, but you've heard of them. You would know what they are. Would they have knowledge of someone like myself? Yes.

Even though I imagine at this point they don't know what you are yet. Yeah, I certainly don't. I certainly don't. I'll release your hand. How did you come by that? The way that you are? Well...

My fair maiden, that is a very long story, and yes-- It wasn't by choice. Make it a short one. No, it was not by choice. I was tricked. Or I should say that I fell to temptation. Now I'm like this, but my god has not forsaken me, and I have purpose. I seek something for my king and my kingdom.

That I hope may be able to return me back to my human form. I know something of temptation myself. If you don't wish to be that way, I don't know you that well, but I swear I'll do my best to help you return. Find your quest. It's very noble of you. I was just telling Jericho earlier that one of the tenants is always aid.

Which I think we all need to be doing for each other because we don't know what is to come. What I want to know is how many more members of this merry fucking band are they going to be? Well, I'm with Jericho. I'm hoping for a small army. And where are we even going?

Does anyone have any idea what our destination is? Do we have any kind of heading? I was decided to be on a train. I didn't ask. I stepped on, hoping that this was another lead for the chaps. And that's simply it. Of course, it will most likely be a dead end, but remember, avoid negativity. You're looking for some kind of...

Some kind of sacred relic to turn you back? Yes, the Grail of Dawn. The Grail of Dawn? Yes. Oh, that's awfully fancy. That deserves it all, a song all on its own. You'd be surprised. Most grails don't often look.

like you'd think. Holy relic might not look the way that you would think, which is partially why I am the way that I am. This thing, and I summon my sword. Well, that gives me every time, Garch. This thing has just got a... That's impressive. I'm getting spooked. See this? This is an ancient relic. This is what cursed me. It's got a fancy name, too. You know what it's called?

"The cutlass! I should know, but it's spelled with a K. "It's to kind of make it look different, you know what I mean? "Interesting." So that's a finger, I guess. "And that's why I sleep scratch, you know? "Lizard folk really like K." But the thing cursed you, why do you still have it on you?

It sort of kind of like bound me and I mean really I was told that it would make me live forever by Mr. Crossroads you know and he's like I'll go deep into the jungle these ancient ruins there's this massive sword of a dead crocodile god

Some ancient civilization. So I did, I see it, there it is. I'm gonna live forever. So I touch it and inside of it there was some, I don't know, something. He wanted it for some reason too. It's kind of a deal, right? Turns out, turns out, and after I used it enough, got a certain amount of souls, it made me live forever. Like this. I'm sorry to hear that.

But it works for your loss, let me tell you. Well, I suppose it's nice to look for little silver linings, isn't that what the old Don fella is saying, that's what you were mentioning? That is absolutely right, Mr. Don. See, I'm paying attention. And I would be lying if I said that I didn't use my current form to my advantage from time to time.

Rockwell. Anyways, the point is, is that watch out for these magical artifacts to the rest of you. Don't fuck around with that shit. Did you learn anything from trying to cheat the cycle of things? I mean, if learning who I should trust, who I should maybe fact check occasionally. Oh, I did. A new white one. What are you looking for? A new inventor, I think.

That's a good spirit. I have just completed my last great quest, and so I am between seeking things. Perhaps this is the path that I am meant to be on. Perhaps so. I think she's a skeleton.

What? I turn. Why should we, why else would she wear the mask besides like being a skeleton? Do you have hands? Yeah, I'll lift up my hands and you can see that my robes, though they hang long in the sleeves, you can see that I've got

Very realistic gloves. I'll tap her hands with my staff. I think the rot's going to your brain now, too. Well, no, I think I can generally sense, and Virgil says, Virgil can confirm to me that she does have genuine mortal flesh that one could devour, but certainly not me, and certainly not Virgil. You naughty bird. Well, if you're not a skeleton, why are you in a mask? One thing is clear to me. We all, uh, were...

The recipients of this magical ticket, we are all in this together. If I take that thing off, would it hurt? There is only one way to find out. And so you're asking, I suppose, would it hurt her? Or would she die? But you're a really big guy!

Well, I don't think she would wear something if you just take it off and die. That wouldn't make any sense. It wouldn't be very logical. Let me ask you, for me, if you took this cutlass artifact, did you immediately lose the sensation and only had your memories of taste and smell? No, it wasn't immediate. Or was it a slow fade process? It wasn't immediate. It was once I cut down...

A healthy number of folks with souls. I don't know, that's what I'm helping. Do you need to continue to feed this weapon in order to maintain your life essence, or have you crossed some sort of threshold? I don't wantfully know. All I do know is that me and this thing, we're busy buddies. I don't think I can get rid of it.

Here, let me show you. And I'll rest it on the table. And I'll look in the back of the car and I'll walk up and I'll sit down. That's going to... It's going to be very clear in like five minutes. Oh! We can talk about something else in the meantime. Oh, is that not the trick? You stepped like a good 20 feet away from the...

But it's still there. I mean, it's just impressive. Oh, oh, oh, I misunderstood. I'm sorry. You begin to hear the strange grinding sound of a speaker somewhere off in the distance.

begin to emanate noise as you hear the vagrant's voice boom out as if echoing all along the course of the train. Get one good last look of a Vantress, friends. We're about to be on the last leg of our journey and it's a long one. What's that supposed to mean? I glance out the window, it's still just fog. It's still just mess. What does that mean with leaving a Vantress? I don't know where there's else to go.

You hear the vagrant's voice fill your passenger cars. The mist that had been your only view for most of the trip dissipates, and you see the landscape of moonlit highlands rushing past you out of the windows of the Ghostlight Express. The full moon hangs directly overhead, very near its zenith, as the ghastly train winds through the hilly terrain towards the destination that becomes unmistakable to all of you. Before you stands a lonely hill far taller than the ones you've been snaking around.

crowning its top as a circle of huge standing stones. Counting them, you realize there are exactly 13 stones forming a perfect ring. As the old black locomotive gets closer, it's ghostly chugging getting more and more rapid, and the speed of the train increasing, that familiar grayish mist begins to swirl and condense at the center of the circle.

It continues to swell and grow as the train arrives at the base of the hill and then rockets up its slope. The 13 monoliths loom larger by the second as the clouds of mist fill the entire ring, almost engulfing the stone structures. Finally, just as it seems as if the train will surely crash into one or several of the standing stones, the engine threads the needle and you plunge into the gloom and once again are engulfed by mist.

The train keeps up its breakneck pace as dense mist rushes past your windows, rattling side to side as the strange chugging of wailing voices gets louder and louder. And as you ride, you notice the scene outside the passenger car is different than the gloom you had traveled through previously. The mist seemed to swirl and shift violently, and you begin to see dark shapes within, as a new cacophony of wailing, hissing, growls.

growling, laughing, and all manner of malevolent whispers and shrieks begin to drown out the huffing vehicle that is the only protection from the increasingly violent mists beyond the glass panes. Soon, the vagrant's voice fills the room. Hold on to your hats, friends. It's gonna get a bit bumpy. The mist around Druskinvald has gotten a bit more...

Violent and dangerous lately. I forgot to mention that bit. But don't you worry, none. We'll be fine. Most likely.

So we're healing like horrible wailing and... Looking out the windows, no longer is it just mists rushing past you, but occasionally you'll see strange spectral forms looking as if they're in eternal pain as they float up through the now darkened mists that surround you. This is not the traveling mists of a ventress that you had been in as you moved from continent to continent.

This is a completely new mist that you've never seen before. As you peer through it, you can hear the howls and laughter and cackle of whatever these entities are beyond the veil.

Do I get like a Beetlejuice when you're in the hallway and you open the door? That is exactly what you get. Okay. Yeah. I like it. Well, I suppose-- Thank you for finding my inspiration. This is where the strangeness begins. We've said it a few dozen times and I suppose we all prepare ourselves. Did you hear what he said, Druskinvold? Is that what he said? That's what he said. Is that a blend of what's going on outside? You think they're gonna try to get in?

It's certainly possible. Be prepared for anything. Well, he said we were going to be okay, and it's just maybe this is just the kind of terrain I never heard any stories, except for what Virgil says about wailing souls that might take shape and try to drag you down into the fires with them. You know, I'm starting to worry about you and that bird. Well, I worry about it every day, friend. I turn and I look to see if the cutlass is still there.

Is the color still there? And so as by chance, as you look, you'll look at the right exact moment where after a certain amount of time, me being away from it, it shoots right back and it like scatters to the ground on my feet.

Oh, yeah, see? You hear... Now seems like a good time to have that. You hear the sound of a hand slam against the window, and as you look out, a woman, frail and nearly translucent, is screaming into the window at you as you see a dark wraith-like creature grab her and rip her from you. You see as she's turned...

pulled into bits and scattered into the mist. Her face looking towards you with these ghostly, pure, pearly white eyes as she fades back into the darkness. You see long tendrils of black hands almost made of pure dark mist reaching out towards the train, thrashing at it for just a moment. The train shakes this way and that. All of the food on the table is scattered everywhere, all over.

over the place, you have wine spilled on you, food bits all over your bodies as you see more and more what appears to be spirits rushing towards the train begging for you as they're pulled back into the mist by these dark creatures as it slowly begins to calm. By Lathander, surely this must be some layer of hell. Have we heard of Tessimold? No.

How do you spell that? D-R, it's Druskenwald. D-R-U-S-K-E-N-W-A-L-D.

Druskin never would have brought me up. It's like a German bald. Yes. It's a German bald. Druskin bald. Odd German bald. Druskin. What is this place? Oh, well, I don't know. Maybe it's all of our crazy relics. I've been holding something. I got this banjo which has a binding ritual grafted, and that's why Virgil's not too happy.

happy about it. I got this key and he really wants me to use it and let him out. Is that it? I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Just go back to the mist there. I don't think this is your fault in particular. I don't think this is anyone's fault. I've been all over a factory so I've never heard a place called Druskinville before.

- A loud guttural scream erupts from the mist. You look towards it, you try to find shapes and you see movement darting this way and that, but you can't figure out where the scream comes from. As slowly descending from above the train and down is the form of a small, not more than two year old infant.

tears streaming down its face as it reaches out towards you in the mist, and it's slowly pulled out into the darkness. They're like ghosts, right? Yes. Like specters. I'm gonna clasp my rose talisman that's around my neck, and I'm going to close my eyes for a minute and think. I'd say out loud, "My god.

Lathander, if you can hear me here, please, please help me. And I'm going to attempt to use Divine Sense as an action to detect good and evil to see if Lathander can hear my prayer. All right, how does that work? I just cast Detect Good and Evil until the end of my next turn. I can sense anything affected by the Hallowed Spell or know the location of any celestial feet undead within 60 feet. Just basically sensing if there's, like, evil...

you know, good or evil around us. I want to see my God answering my call. Occasionally you do feel something of that nature encroach around you, but it seems to be out in the mist somewhere. You never, nothing necessarily on the train, all but maybe one entity that you can't determine necessarily.

exactly what it is. I perhaps might also sense a fiend. Oh, yes. You would. Sitting right in front of you, across the table, you sense a fiend. Uh, yes. Okay. I will, uh,

I mean, there's a lot of cacophony going on, though. I don't necessarily really notice, and I'm-- I can feel the morning lord. He is not completely gone. We are not completely alone, but there are creatures of darkness around us.

Oh, well, he's a fake. I mean, the Bay Britain guy, he didn't seem that concerned. So, you know when they tell you to, like, even though you're violently shaking in some kind of vehicle, and they tell you, this is fine, it's just turbulence, and they expect you to fucking believe that? I just, I just try to believe it. I do. And it usually is fine, and so I'm hoping it's going to be fine this time. Agreed. Uh...

Regardless, we all need to be bracing ourselves, be ready for anything. - Is this happening every time you ride on a locomotive?

I couldn't tell you. As you witness the horrors of the dreaded mist that surrounds you, suddenly the train lurches to one side and all the lights in your passenger car go out immediately. The darkness that swallows you is far more oppressive than anything you've experienced. And those of you who had once been able to easily perceive your surroundings in the dark can no longer do so. This shadow is all-consuming.

Are you there? Yes, yes, I'm still here. Is everyone there? Roll call. We need a roll call. Oh, no, it's old Jericho. It sticks, but you can call me Jericho, most folk do. Latika, are you there? For my whole life, I've been able to see even in the darkest, pitch-black dark.

but I cannot see through this shadow. - You begin to hear gnashing closer and closer to you, still outside of the train, the sounds of screams as what you would imagine to be horrific beasts rending and tearing something apart. It still seems to be outside the train, but it is getting closer as the loudspeaker crackles and you hear a familiar voice and the sound of feverish fiddle playing.

Everything's gonna be alright, friends. No need to worry none. We'll get it all under control. This ain't happened before, but we'll care for it, I'm sure. Just keep your wits about you. We're still on track to Druskinwald.

As the speaker crackles out, the feverish voice of the stranger, of the Vagrant, fades and you're once again consumed in darkness, the gnashing and sounds of screaming getting louder and louder and louder. Sir Marius, I do not need to consult my god to know that we are surrounded by evil.

Well, it's not good when they say that it hasn't happened before, so now I'm starting to get concerned. Well, he said he has it all under control, so... Virgil! Virgil! Stop! Suddenly, with a loud hum from within the train that sounds like a chorus of moaning spirits, light flickers on in the car. Its color is not the warm oranges and yellows of a lamp. Instead, the car glows with the same ghastly blue-green hue of the engine's headlamp.

A moment passes that feels like an eternity, and then the train rocks so hard to the left. If this were a normal locomotive, it surely would have derailed. You hear the shadowing of glass and horrified shrieks from the passenger car behind you, along with the sounds of a struggle and the stamping of footfalls. The screams continue as more breaking glass rings out, and the vagrant's voice fills the car once more amid the soaring notes of the fiddle.

Uh, this ain't ever happened before. I'm a little indisposed at the moment, friends. Mind taking a look and sorting out the unruliness on Car 6? What does he expect us to do? Well, we have to help. If there are other people who are on this train vehicle, we have to make sure that they're all right. He's asking us for our help. We must aid. We always aid. Remember,

I'm gonna draw my sword and shield. So are the lights back on? They are no longer the same lights. It's now just a greenish blue glow, and it is much darker than it was. It's not nearly as illuminated as it was. If it keeps this train on tracks, lead the way. Or let it be your inspiration. I'm very, very inspired. I was afraid, but now I'm not. Thank you, Vimarius. Do we know the way to get to the garden? Kar-6 was the one immediately behind you where you'd heard the gnashing and the...

- Oh, easy. - The Screaming. - Are we all together? - I do not think that we go to help. I think that we go to destroy. - Sometimes they're one in the same. - Agreed. - And I will pull out my chakram and be ready to join you. - I'll pull out my banjo and play a Geordie tune. - Farron, are you ready? - I'll help you.

Then we're off, and we begin to run to car six. As you rush into car six, you see a scene of chaos unfolding, all awash in flickering green light. The moment you step into the space, a tendril crashes into the car through a pane, wrapping itself around the spirit of a terrified woman as it drags her, shrieking into the swirling mist that surrounds you.

A number of souls are completely overwhelmed in clouds of mist and as they gyrate, you see all the color leave them along with the features they once had in life. The mortal souls are transformed into horrific gray shades of mist, a massive gnashing maw replacing their faces as they levitate in the car to attack the unturned passengers.

One gnomish man is surrounded by three of the hissing creatures as they close in on him. Petrified, he makes a desperate attempt to escape by climbing out the window and hanging onto the ladder on the exterior of the train.

You only hear his horrified and pained shrieks as the mist envelops him and a floating shade descends back into the car. Joining at least a dozen more as the creatures lose their form and fuse together in a swirl, becoming a horrific, gray, wraith-like creature with numerous hissing and wailing souls within. All these entities turn to move into the next car. They turn and face you. Presumably the only living mortals on this train. Roll for initiative. Yay!

- So are the windows broken? - Yes. - Okay, so they're coming through. - The mist is lashing in, but something about this train seems to be keeping it at bay, but these entities that you saw in the furthest reaches of the mist are now making their way onto the train, consuming the souls that were passengers, and they're now filling themselves with them. - So this is the car, presumably, that's--

First real roll. First real roll. Navi won. Yikes. Yikes. So this would be like a door here? Oh, there's a door.

Is this the door? Marius would be the lead here. You're wrong. I think he's probably here. He'd probably be shoulder to shoulder. I would think Briggsie would be next to me probably. And then Lethika would be very close. And then Druid's going to be behind. Put yourself wherever you think you are. We don't have any of that. So Richie made these really awesome tokens. We will have the overlay. So hopefully it's easy to see. So if you can place all of these there.

I would say just choose one of the long sides that's being crashed in and they're spilling forth from that.

How spread out would you like them? Just basically all over the place. So you just want it in the back? Yeah, maybe put him in the corner in the back. Yeah. She wanted like a side. Yeah, oh yeah, yeah. Oh cool, it's like a cone, I like that. Roll for initiative, please. Oh, oh god. I'm gonna use this die that I haven't used since Feywild.

Oh, okay. We're not rolling range tonight. 20 to 25. Big bad evil doer. 15 to 20. 19. Anybody else? I'm gonna wait for you to say it. 10 to 15. 14. Perfect.

And then everyone else just tell me your order. Seven. Also seven, but you can go first. And then Lethika at the end with four? Five, yes. Close enough. All right, as they spill forth, you watch as the largest one lumbers forward. It is going to move all the way

all the way directly towards you to whoever's in the front line. The big one? The big one. Oh, shit. Its shape is almost made of the mist itself and it is able to move through the smaller ones and you see the face of the gnome inside of this creature in its stomach as it tries to claw its way out, screaming and wailing with the souls of the others. Who is in front there? Me.

Marius and Briggs A. Okay. It is going to make its attack at, it's going to look towards Marius, and it is going to use its withering gaze. Uh-oh, that sounds like a saving throw. Is it my future? Yes, I need you to make a constitution saving throw, please. Oh no. Oh no.

It's gonna be a 22 total. You take half the damage. Woo!

I try to lift my shield up to defend myself. I may not have taken another 10. You all made sure to reset yourselves after the one shot, yeah? Yeah, yeah. You may want to be supporting us this way. It's just occurred to me that I have Nerea. You're going to take 14 points of damage. What? Oh, you have to half it, so it's seven. Oh, I thought that was half. I almost threw my pants.

That's my entire health pool weight. As you take necrotic damage, that might be important, as you look at it and you stare into its dark, sunken, hollow eyes and you succumb to its withering gaze.

As a bonus action, it is going to activate its Aura of Annihilation. What the fuck? Perfect, and that's what it does, that's its turn. We don't know what it does? Oh, sweet Jesus. You watch as the mist swirl and lash out of it. You notice that within it are arms and tendrils from this creature as it activates its Aura of Annihilation.

It's Thang. Sir Marius. Having been hit by it, I reel back, but I steal myself and I hold up my shield and I look at it over the top of my shield and I say, well, you are no coward, but you are truly a fool. And I cast Compelled Duel on it. It has to survive a wisdom saving throw of 14.

It is very wise. Is it? I hope not. Yes. Oh my god, I rolled a natural 15 plus one. So it does succeed. So then nothing happens. Oh, thank you. That would have been really cool if it succeeded. Is that a bonus action? Yes, it was a bonus action. So then I will attack it with my sword. Perfect.

So that's just going to be-- It's AC is 15. Plus seven to hit with my long sword. Do I have to decide if I can Divine Smite after I hit? Yeah. After I land the hit. It's not like I blow it if I miss. No. Oh, that's gonna be golden. Plus seven is gonna be 22 to hit. That hits. So that's gonna be 1d8. And then I am going to use a Divine Smite. Let's go. So what is that gonna do? That is going to, when I hit with a melee attack, I can expend a spell slot to deal an extra 2d8 radiant damage.

plus for each spell level higher than the first, which is just one D8. Okay, so then as I've tried to compel the duel and I sense that doesn't work, I rear back with my sword and as I go to strike, a red, deep red blood light begins to glow and pour from the sword and as I land a hit, it's almost as if...

a bunch of deep red blood rose petals flutter around as the sword makes contact with the guy and I roll horrifically poorly. Just the absolute worst roll that could ever have been done on the planet Earth. Nine plus seven is only 16 points of damage.

I would have been so fiend or undead. Apparently you add an extra die of divine smite. That's not what it says here. I'm open to it. It being features and traits? I mean, under divine smite, it just says... No, no, no, I mean when you attack something, right? Or maybe not.

It just said, it doesn't say anything. I mean, this could be a shortened version of Divine Smite underneath of my feature, but it just says when you hit with a melee attack and expend a spell slot to deal extra radiant damage to the target plus 1d8 for up to max of 5d8 plus 1d8. Oh, it does say 1d8 against Undead and Fiends. I didn't read the whole thing.

Funny enough, it is undead. It's a horrible soul amalgam. So what did I say? Nine plus five is? 16. So you can just tell me that as I've already subtracted. ZZ knows the rules. When ZZ says it, it's another five. 21 total. When ZZ says it, I'm like, okay, yeah, that's probably right. I just didn't read the whole thing.

I figured, when would undead and fiends come up? You slide into it, and your hand, guided by your god, Lysander, and you do feel that he is watching over you as you slice into this being. You sever spectral limbs from within its form as the souls within splinter

scream in pain. The entity itself, its face does not change. The wounds go happening to those that are residing within it. And then I just kind of strafe

to its right as I'm taunting it and striking at it. And that's what I do. All right, perfect. Jarek, no. I will look at Marius who just got hit by this horrible and withering gaze and it's horrible. It's like an amalgam of like, with mist souls. Mist and misty souls, yes. Oh my god. I will say, he was not afraid at all to be killed in nasty ways.

♪ Bray, bray, bray, bray, Marius ♪ And take a Bardic Inspiration. Yes! And with that, I'm gonna look at Virgil and say, "Well, Virgil, you may as well be a little, "but use everyone to cover your ears," as Virgil is going to fly into the center of all of the souls. Oh my. And he's gonna open his jagged beak and let a horrific caw

that is a shriek and I'm gonna cast shatter. Let's go. At the center of them. And I am going to, how do I do that? And it's gonna hit all of them? Well, we'll see, I gotta check. Shatter is a-- Like a 10 foot cube? A 10 foot sphere. Oh, sphere. So wherever I can hit in a 10 foot sphere. 10 foot radius sphere? Radius, yeah. So four cross. Yeah, 20, I mean, everybody, maybe not like three. Not have one, two, three, four, five.

- Uh, probably. - And does it hit your friends? - It is, but I'll place it right here so it doesn't hit Marius. So it'll just hit these. - It doesn't hit three or six. - Yeah, everyone but three or six. - Okay, so all of them need to make a constitution saving throw, DC 15. - So it does not hit three or six. And I will just have them roll together because it's easiest. They rolled a natural seven. And so that is...

What, you said constitution? Yep. Does an eight pass? No, it does not, because I'm going to roll a little bit of-- A lot of damages. A lot of damages. Hopefully a lot. Nope. 12 points of thunder damage to all of them. That's pretty good. As it bursts as-- Every single one except for three and six, you watch as the shatter begins to crack.

mist and the souls within and you watch as the pained faces yelling out for you to you for help save us save us as they begin to cracks appear on their faces as their souls are shattered in this instant the bits and pieces and shards of them begin to float in the air and rejoin the mists outside well done Jericho keep it up

Well, that was mostly vertical, but I appreciate you most. All the little guys died, right? All the little guys, so one, two, four, and five. Oh my goodness. Wow. Well, they're minions, so. It was a good call, I would say. Three and six are going to move forward, one on Marius and one on Briggsy, and they are both going to attack. I imagine they are both going to hit. Oh, rats.

My AC is 17. They are going to, you're at, it's what? 18. Okay, perfect. So the lowest one is a 19. Damn it. So each one is going to crit, or not crit, sorry, hit. You both suffer one level of exhaustion. What? I'm feeling very tired. And they are both going to use their bonus action to hide.

They hide? Yes. So where did they go? Son of a bitch! Should we remove them from the board or just keep them there so we know where they were? Yes, we'll keep them there so you know where they were. But they are weird bones. It's just the little ones. Just the little ones. Okay. This is not good.

Where'd I go? And that is Brixie's turn. It is your turn, Trick! And I'm going to, with my left hand, I'm going to do a few hand movements, and you will see on this big guy a couple of neon green and pink and purple

kind of markings appear on him as I cast Hexblade's Purse. Oh, one second. So it was Sir Marius' turn. I need you to... His turn was, we both win. Yes, I know, but I'm starting with him first. Oh no. I need to put my bardic in play. You take five necrotic damage. Okay.

Jericho, you also take five necrotic damage. I don't get out of bed for less than 30.

What did I take from getting hit? I don't even have lungs, but I'm choking you to death. Oh, just the exhaustion. Just the exhaustion, no damage. And then, because you are facing it, I need you to make a constitution saving throw, please. You as well, Jericho. No problem. Absolutely, absolutely. Not even a-- Boom. 12? No, you have failed. I have failed? Nine. Do I need to make-- Oh, wait, wait, inspiration. What's your inspiration back? No. D6. Not yet.

15. What did you get? I got a nine. Oh, no. Yes. I got a, no. No, an eight plus a three is a 11. You have failed. You have succeeded. Thank you, Jericho. Nothing happens to you. Yes. Oh, no. Aha. And you got a nine? I got a nine.

Okay, well it wasn't, sounds good. You are gonna take some psychic damage. No, where's the-- Nothing happens to you, but-- You're gonna take 12 points of psychic damage. Wow! Oh no! The miss, the miss! Going forward, you could choose to avert your eyes at the start of each of your turns.

So yes, you also, I guess, would have to do the same thing. I need you to make a constitution saving throw, please. 12 points, right? I crushed it. Then nothing happens to you, you're fine. Okay, so I will do that. I will hex him with Hexblade's Curse, and then I will come in with an attack with the Cutlass. Let's go!

Big money. Oh, and just so you know, if you choose to avert your eyes and avoid this, you are disadvantaged against him while doing so. Okay, yeah. So you're not looking at him. Yes. Yeah, yeah, got it. I'm going to slice his bitchy tooth. So yes, Briggsie, what are you doing? Okay, so I... I can't spell. So I believe I hit with a... Let's make sure. It's a 19 to hit. Yes, it's a 15 to hit.

So, I'm gonna use these bone dice that Maya got me, and I'm going to roll... 4, 5, 6... 14 points of damage. Okay.

You slash into him with your cursed blade. You see as the neon colors light up the room for just a mere instant. It's almost horrific the way the pinks, purples, greens, the neon colors cause the looks of abject terror and desperation on the faces of the souls inside of this entity. It almost makes them look even more desperate to be returned to their forms.

as you slice into it and you do a significant amount of damage. Nice. Fittin'. Fittin'. I will... And the little ones have not returned yet. They're hidden. They're still hidden. You can still attack them, right? They're just a disadvantage. If you're trying to swing around looking for them, I mean, obviously if they're horrible shade monsters, they disappear, they can't be handed to you. You can DM and you can say that. So...

I would step around Briggsie and you'd see my head full of just kind of like jet black matted hair. There's like bones and shit in it. I'll take a deep breath. Never. And my small antlers growing out of my hair. You'll see me lower my head as if I'm going to charge and ram the main one since this has disappeared. So I will run for it and at the last second I will

not cast, but claw up with my long kind of gnarled nails on my hands and I will cast my Primal Savagery. As you rush forward for a moment where the entity had stood, you feel a complete frigid cold.

and you feel tiny hands reaching out and pulling at you. You can't see them, but you can feel it, the fingernails on your flesh, the clammy skin of the dead, the coldness of death itself, but you cannot see it as you step out onto the other side. Warmth slowly comes back to you, but you still feel that chill and you're very down to your very core.

as you slice into this being with your antlers and your nails. Yeah, I'll reach up and slash across them and where my nails have thrown across, you'll see streaks of like a black, where you, on a full body, you might expect to see like a streak of blood or broken skin. You'll see black that'll start to spread out slowly from my nails.

little puffs of spores, leaving a trail. So that'll be a melee attack. And you receive an answer. Welcome, Asbolg. Welcome. Welcome. We're fighting horrible soul abomination and albumination. 16. 16 hits. Okay. So you would take a 10.

It's not very good. Oh, and you, both of you took the five necrotic damage from his aura. I took it. Mikey and Rich. I did not. I did. Yep. Didn't roll very well. It's only two damage, acid damage, if that matters. You have to do the eyeball thing. Thank you. You gotta do the eyeball thing. If you're looking at him. I load my hand. Oh.

And so you rolled a disadvantage. Oh, it did not. Yes, if you avert your eyes so that you don't deal with death glare, you have to. You actually can't do that this round because you don't know that it's a thing. Okay, so I need you, you need to take five from his R of Annihilation. Okay. And then I need you to roll a Constitution saving throw. You can avert your eyes next round, similar to what happened with the Medusa. Okay.

Natural one. Oh my gosh! You got a natural one? I got to look at the second one, I rolled and went. Your brain's about to explode out of your eyes. You lash into it, you spread the blight across this thing, and as you look up to it, you meet its eyes, and you feel cold as your life leaves your body, and you fall unconscious. Oh my god! No!

You all watch as you begin to see out of Farron's form, now frail, withering on the ground, that same blighted sickness almost transferring to her. And you can see as this being leans down and begins to

to pull in her soul as it breathes her in. Slowly, tendrils of her soul are pulled towards it as it begins to consume you. Literally every campaign. Let the come. She cannot escape. You cannot escape death. You will die in every campaign we play. She's not dead yet. She's not dead yet. I'm not dead yet. This is horrible.

This is so horrible. Oh, no. It's horrible.

This is terrible. So was that Big Bad's turn? No, that was Deathgaze. So this round, everyone has to deal with it. Next round, you can choose to avert your eyes, but you will be at disadvantage fighting against him. So I don't know to avert my eyes. No, not until the next round. Everyone has to go through one round. Everyone gets a taste. Two does for you. Um...

- David. - Kick him in the balls. - I had originally had a game plan and now that I'm seeing my potential companions fall to the ground. - Oh, and the death gaze does happen before the art of annihilation, so you're out one fail death save. - Oh, okay.

That's not what I thought you were going to say. Jesus. Lathander, help us. So, I am at zero hit points. So you were at zero hit points. You're now at one failed death save. Oops. Garsh. Oh, that's not good. That escalated quickly. Um.

I will, I'll step forward and I see this deer-like creature, this new friend that I've made fall to the ground. Not knowing what state she's in, I'll say, "Blessed Night Singer, embrace this creature "like you have embraced me." And I'll cast Healing Word with a bonus action.

That'll be, oh yes, take nine points of helping points. And with my action, I will turn to the creature and I will say, go back now into the darkness or we will make you go there ourselves. I will cast Toll the Dead, which I believe it needs to make a wisdom saving throw.

Well, the natural 18 plus one 19. This thing is incredibly wise. Just plus one. It's so wise. It's the wisest ghost I've ever seen. Okay, so nothing happens because it succeeds. And that'll be the conclusion of my question. Doesn't that feel so bad? It sucks. That's why I hate Toll the Dead for that reason. When it works, it's nice. And it's a cantrip. It is like missing an attack. It's awful.

That being said, it is, it's, oh, I need you to take five necrotic damage and roll a constitution saving throw for me, please. Don't roll a one. This one rolled a natural one last. Let's try the other one. Yeah, I need to test all my dice. Oh! Oh! What's happening? No! Oh!

We do have twists. What? Twists. Now we have twists. It was ceremonial for you to get murdered. It was five words of damage beforehand. We didn't want to save you, Kels. Is that what you want to hear? No, I'm not taking the twist. Okay. What did you roll? Natural one.

So what is your score? My constitution saving throw becomes... Testing. Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do,

No. Unless you count death as the ultimate sleep. Yeah, and I don't. What did Andy say? You reach out your hand and you bring life back to Farron's body. You feel for a moment like you are...

graced by Shar, though she cannot physically be here with you. You feel like you are doing her good work. As you look up towards this being and you yourself feel that same pull, you fall to the ground unconscious. Its aura whips out at you. You are now at one failed death save.

- So I'm unconscious. - It moves from Farron, who's no longer, you are one fail death save. - Am I at zero hit points or does my hit point? - So this drops you to zero, but the Aura of Annihilation happens afterwards and that does damage. So you're at one fail death save. - Yeah, so if you put you to zero-- - I don't wanna play anymore. - Mechanically in D&D Beyond, I need to put myself at zero hit points and then one fail. - One fail death save.

Yes. So that the viewers at home can enjoy your pain. And you watch as this entity moves from Farron's form, sensing that it is no longer on the precipice, and it moves towards, where is Lethika?

Right there. The circle, right? Yes. It pivots towards Lethika and it begins to suck the soul from her body. Sick. It is its turn, so it is going to...

Derek made a fucky-wucky and now he has to go in the forever box. It is going to turn towards, who has hit it? Marius, it's going to turn towards you as you did the most amount of damage and it is going to give you a withering, it's withering gaze. I need you to make a constitution saving throw. Sick.

- Six, Brad. - Seven. - Gee, you are. - I'm taking some damage, that's all. - Yes, you are. - I can take damage. - Your twist. - I can take damage all day, baby. - And yes, to answer chat, I am on D&D Beyond. I'm giving it a try. We'll see what happens. - That's great. - So you can trust my shit. - That's well to me. - Yeah. 26 points of necrotic damage as it turns towards you and it begins to...

it begins to stare into you. You feel the life sapped from your flesh as the moisture is removed and your body begins to wither in its gaze. It's too late to twist. Yes. Okay, I'm dead. You are also at one failed death save as you are hit with the R-Up Annihilation. Oh.

Oh dear. Go back and go. Sir. Moving right along there. I need you to make another death save as you are. I'd love to. Okay. Uh.

This is real, real bad. That's a pass. You're good. All right. While you are on the ground, you are not being hit by its aura, so you're not going to perma-die right this second. Beautiful. But that would have been fun. Jericho. Oh, gosh. Where am I? Oh, so we, I'm looking down.

And Marius has a spooky ghost. Okay. I'm going to never make that face again. I'll look down at Marius. You can't see mine, but I'm doing the same thing. I'll look at Marius and look at you and go, no! And then I'll look at Marius and say, no! And

and with the spooky ghost that's right, that's near him, I am going to look at Marius and say, "Tell us about the time, it was just a flesh wound!" And I'm going to use Healing Word on you. Sorry, Latika! I'm going to, bonus action, heal that. That's Healing Word. It's 1d4, oh god, that's it?

That'll be seven points of healing damage, not healing damage, healing. More than I need. And then if the little spooky ghost is there, I'm gonna look at it and I'll say, "Oh, I just, I once saw a baby chick "choke on a worm, both died, isn't that great?" And use Mind Sliver on it. And use it again. Oh my god. That's horrible.

I need my sliver and I need to make an intelligence saving throw. Intelligence 15. So it's going to be one of those. So I rolled a natural 16. Oh no. It takes you to free camping. Its int is negative two. Oh! Let's go!

It's going to take a bit of damage. Oh goodness. Garch, I need to, 'cause it's my vest. The look on your face, Mike, when I rolled a natural 16, you're like, oh no. Because he's gonna die. Oh, isn't that great? Six points of psyche damage, wow. Damn! Absolutely massive.

It is looking very weak, but it is still somewhat corporeal as it looms over you. You see as it's

as its mouth is open, sucking the soul from Lethika's body. Another mouth had formed on its side as it began to suck the soul from Marius, but you see as that one closes and screams in pain as you heal Marius, his life no longer leaving him. It is Monsters 1's turn. They are going to drop their hide. Rose.

and they are going to move towards, well, one's on Farron, and the other one is on who? Marius. Yeah, Marius. Which is why I heal them. And so I need you both. Oh no, I need to attack you.

And so for Lethika, or not Lethika, sorry, for Farron, it is a 20 to hit and Marius is an eight to hit. I deflect it with my shield. I die, I guess. So you're able to deflect it. Farron, you feel as this entity begins to drain the vitality from your body, you now have one level of exhaustion. No damage, thank God. No damage.

Oh, that's good. And they are going to use their bonus action to hide again. Okay, gosh. Do I get the sense that looking at it is what's bad or is it looking at me?

And me looking at it. Looking at it. At this point, you know that you could, so you're still on the ground. Yes. Jericho, I need you to take five necrotic damage and roll a constitution saving throw. Could you explain this aura thing? So he has activated an aura that for 30 feet around him, he is lashing with these like spectral claws, essentially. Can we see it? Just being near it is radioactive. Yeah.

You can see it. You're not escaping it. But I'm on the ground. Can I see that it's above me? You can see that it's above. So if you are on the ground, like I mentioned with Marius, you are not prone and unconscious. I'm for the sake of this. I technically could just kill you outright, but I'm choosing not to. Thank you for that. 16.

16, oh, you pass. Okay. You take absolutely no damage, nothing happens. Oh, yippee! Well, except for the five. Except for the five, oh gosh. But yeah, so while you are prone, you are not dealing with it. So basically I could make the saving throw or attack with disadvantage. And if we know that losing all your health is failing the constitution saving throw. Or no, does this mean-- Probably by a certain number. No, I think it's failing it very badly.

Otherwise you probably will take damage. Got it, okay. Or yeah, something else might happen, right? I think it's very much if you fail very badly, you die.

- We're gonna try this, we're gonna try this. I'm going to look at it, seeing that everybody's fucked and seeing that it's kind of weak, I'm going to do-- - ZZ's right, they would have been an advantage because both of them were prone, but I rolled a natural three, so it's seven, so you still don't take a second level of exhaustion. I love you, ZZ, please be here for all of our spooky campaigns where I'm trying to torture everybody.

Yeah, or don't, you know, either. Sorry, what were you saying? I'm going to say, you get two hexes, and I'm going to cast Hex on him. And are you averting your gaze? No. Okay. He's letting his motherfucker rip.

I need a really good d20. I'm gonna use one of those. Yeah, don't miss. Does that happen for spells, too? Oh boy. What is wrong with this table? You may twist it. And it's a natural one. Have you rolled a natural one as well? As soon as you said that, this is the Hooburst campaign. As soon as you experience any form of like, I'm gonna do this, you're not gonna do that. There we go. That's a hit. Humble pie time. Humble pie time.

It's 15. Oh no! So I do... Shitload of damage. Hopefully. We'll see how we do it. He's got a condition number two. Three. What? Oh, not bad. You're at disadvantage, I believe, if you're on the ground. Six, seven, eight, nine, 10. They're at advantage on you, you're at disadvantage on them. 12.

13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 points of damage. How do you want to do this? Yes, very violently. I will-- I will first take five necrotic damage. Hopefully that doesn't strap kill you before you have a chance to attack. But you don't have to deal with the death case at all. Oh, okay. That'll work. Um...

Basically, I would hex it and I'll say, you get two curses. Please just...

"He's feeling a little hungry!" And I'm going to slash into it, and as I slash in, you will see at least part of it start to get sucked into the blade that I'm wielding. And, you know, I want to basically disperse its life essence and pull it into the soil.

You begin to slash into this thing and you do expect something like that to happen. But whatever essence that blade craves does not exist any longer in the entities that are inside of this being. This is far beyond soul. This has lost any remnants of what made it human

goblin humanoid to begin with your blade slices through it and it calls out in hunger but the entity does not respond as it cracks into a bunch of shards of misty black glass shining in them in the very pale blue and green light you see the wailing looks of the faces the humans the people who had once had lives that were now trapped

forever in this entity as the shards slowly float out into the mist, lost forever. Damn. Nice job. Yeah. Oh,

Oh my gosh. Oh, he's gone though. Big guy's gone. Big guy's gone. And the other ones disappeared? Yeah, they're hidden. I mean, you can still attempt to attack them. You know, they're rough. You're just at disadvantage. Okay, so seeing the thing shatter and all, I think I would stand up and I forget, did three attack me before?

It did, didn't it? Yes. Okay, so I would stand up and turn to where it was and strike out with my walking stick with the skull on it. I don't know, I don't think it did. Maybe it happened. Listen, fuck me! You got fucked. I got fucked! It's an eight. Ah, that misses.

Are you sure? Yep. Is Lethika still dying? We could twist it. I think I'm just, this is my-- You sure? It's-- yeah. You can bulk it.

Okay. Might save Lethika. Oh yeah, okay. Thank you for the twist. Thank you. That's not much better. What is that? 13. That hits. Oh! It's a goodness. Their ACs are 12 for the two little ones that are left. Okay, and it is a nice thing.

- Parable, two. You slice into it and it is barely hanging on. If you could give it a numerical value, you would imagine it's around a one. - You just need to roll a two.

These need to be warmed up. But you are able to slice into it. You see fragments of former souls break off and meld into the mist. Letheguy, I need you to make a death saving throw for me, please. I'd be happy to. So I've only rolled two dice. D20 is this campaign so far. The first one, one in 20 chance I got a one. Second one, one in 400 chance I got a one.

One in 2,000 chance of a natural one here, meaning that I would actually be like fucking dead. Okay. I fail. That's two fails you do. Fail, fail. Yeah, but you're not super dead. Big bad evildoer is no longer on the board. Oh, thank goodness. I forgot about that. My God. And I'm going to stand up.

I'm kind of kneeling. I've got my shield on the ground. I'm using my sword to prop myself up, and I'm going to say, please, the thunder and my owl of need come to me, and I'm going to use my sacred oath to turn the tide. So for anybody who is under half health, you need to regain 1d6 plus four. Oh, that's wild!

Is that true for me? You are under half health, so yes, that would be true for you. Holy moly. That's a power move. What a power move.

So the cart is bathed in red and gold light and these red and gold rose petals. The light in the room almost turns purple as the red mixes with the blues and the greens as this radiant light emanates from Marius as you're all showered in these

in the light purple petals as they begin to rain down around you and you see as the mist lashes out and touches them, they begin to fade away and decay. Yeah, so if anybody's at half, if you're at under half health, you heal eight points of hit points. Beautiful. So romantic.

I flash Farron a fancy smile. And Jericho. Oh! I didn't expect to take 26 damage. Oh look, and you'll see as my, although I'm not healing flesh, you'll see the burlap sack and the straw sort of stitch back together. And you hear the iron as the iron-like cages within me are connecting. And I also, Marius Edwards, I feel so inspired! Fear not!

Fear not amalgamation of soul dust and mist. Famine is no doubt around the corner and gross bugs and rats sleep in our beds, isn't that great? And I'm using Mindslayer to comment. Jerika, what the hell? It's a saving throw or something. It's an intelligence saving throw 15. It was almost a natural 20, but it's a wisdom, he said? Intelligence.

Oh. Does a 4 16? It takes four points of sight damage. Which one was this? The one in front of you? It was the one that I-- Number six. Yeah.

Where there was nothing before, you now see as whatever this entity was, the souls fracture within it. On the shards of what almost looks like glass, you see the horrified faces of those that will never reclaim form as they pass into the mist. I don't care for ghost bugs either. Monsters one, it is going to make an attack on Ferenc.

And that is going to be a 16 to hit. It does. You are going to suffer another level of exhaustion. It's only the third one is real bad. The second one's pretty bad, right? It's just half of it. Oh.

Seeing that he's right next to me, I'm going to turn and I'm using my left hand to do some hand movements and you'll see kind of this lingering hex that was where the big guy was. I'll sort of shoot over to that as I come in with my kallish. And it's a hit.

Do you do more than one point of damage? I do 16 points of damage. Yes, so you do. You do more than one point of damage as you slash into this entity. And again, the same familiar imagery of the shards of former people as they melt away into the mists. Good job.

My heal was a bonus action. I could also attack. I meant to ask you. I meant to ask you what the code says. It says one action, but down here it specifically says that they're both bonus actions. I could have used a bonus action to either healing word or to inspire. That's like super misleading. We're learning our characters. So next time. As you slice into this one and you watch as it begins to fade out into the mist,

Another tendril of darkness slithers around the corner of the open portion of the window. I'll show you. And hesitates for a moment. The final strike almost a warning to him, as you hear strange gnashing, almost as in some foreign horrible tongue that you do not understand.

As you listen to the malicious hissing, it slowly begins to dissipate. The tendril slithers back out from the wind and through the broken window and turns into a form of mist.

As well as the rest of the transformed dead, drained of everything that had made their souls truly theirs. As soon as the last wisp of mist has left the car, the light returns in its normal hue as the violence around the train calms and it continues to rattle forward with the vagrant's voice echoing around you. Thanks for taking care of that. First time for everything, I suppose. But good news, we're here. Yeah.

Well done, everyone. We... we are still here. I apologize for falling. It's been so long since I faced anything of that severity. Well, we survived, and those poor souls, I guess, didn't. They don't have souls. Those hates. Sorry about that. You're probably not too happy as I look at the cobblers.

I sit up, only having just gotten healed by whatever magic it was that you brought to the party. I'm checking my mask to make sure that it's still on. What was that exactly?

The mist, rushing by the windows, disappears in an instant, and the train immediately rockets into a huge valley under the cloak of night. But it is unlike any valley you've seen in Avantris. You leave behind a vertical wall of that oppressive, wailing mist that seems to surround this entire realm.

You then can barely believe your eyes as the train passes between the legs of an absolutely colossal wicker structure, sculpted in the shape of some sort of humanoid titan. And as you roll further into the valley, you see more of them erected even distances away from each other, forming a ring of eternal sentinels just on the edge of the surrounding mist.

What also strikes you as strange is the seemingly paradoxical collection of biomes present in a relatively small space. To your right, out the window, you see a mountain range.

In the north, covered or blanketed in snow and glaciers. While to the south, across the valley is a rising jagged ridge of bald peaks with perhaps even a desert stretching in the highlands. A high swath of ocean spreads for miles before being swallowed by the circular wall of gloom with coasts, marshes, and swamps making up much of the eastern portion of the valley.

You see cities, towns, fortresses, and castles of bizarre construction dotting the landscape, each location seemingly utilizing entirely different architecture than the next. Rising up all around you as you get deeper into the valley are the dark forests that seem to be everywhere. There isn't a patch of farmland, wasteland, or moorland. Huge, gnarled trees with thick canopies of leaves of green so dark they look black rise their limbs skyward as if making praise to the moon.

And it's then that you realize one of the most unsettling aspects of this strange new land. The full moon that hangs above you is absolutely gargantuan, several times bigger than even the biggest the moon would look during your time in Avantris. But aside from the size, it's the shape that fills you with unease. Although it is circular and the color of milk like the moon you know, the

The one you pass beneath has a face, the haggard visage of an ancient crone peering down with an ever-present cackle upon its twisted mouth, complete with long pointed nose, crooked teeth, and maddening eyes. It does not seem to move, but the more you look at it, the less you can be so sure.

The view of the night sky is quickly obscured almost mercifully as the Ghostlight Express enters a path through one of the numerous forests that dominates the valley and the canopy shields you from that horrific sight above. By the time you make it toward the center of the huge valley, a thick fog has rolled in, but you let out a sigh of relief as it seems to be wholly natural. At least, you hope it is.

As the old black train emerges from the woodland path, you see a sprawling moor that rises up, almost the pupil in the eye of the veil. And although the gloom is thick, you cannot help but see what stands at the center of the moors. Although it appears to be a manor house, calling something so huge a mansion doesn't seem right.

Perhaps it's more akin to a castle, simply with the veneer of the finest chateaus of Vargust, Yonah, and Nari, and beyond. Despite its size, all the lights seem to be on and almost radiating from the windows of the house that pierce through the fog for a few moments longer, until the entirety of the moorland disappears into the gloom, and the train once again chugs its way through a forest until it begins to reduce its speed.

The train enters a clearing in the forest as it slows more and more until finally coming to a full and complete stop at a small wooden platform with no civilization as far as you can see, beyond a road snaking off through the woods in the direction of the moors that contained the glorious manor. The ghastly whistle blares all around you, and you then see the door to your passenger car open and the vagrant steps in.

Damn! I lost you, Duggan.

Thank you so much for listening to the Legends of Avantris podcast. We hope you enjoyed the session. If you want even more campaigns to listen to, become a member of our Patreon at the Pearl Dolphin tier or higher to unlock Shroud of Ersalmarsh, a patron-exclusive campaign set on the high seas. You can find that at patreon.com forward slash legendsofavantris. If you want to chat about the episode with the Avantris community, join us on Discord at legendsofavantris.com forward slash discord.

We also post content nearly every day on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, so make sure you follow our socials at legendsofadventress.com forward slash social. And make sure you check out The Crooked Moon so you can terrify your friends with a folk horror 5e supplement published by us. Get your own copy at thecrookedmoon.com. Thanks again, and we'll see you next time.