S04-E18: The Gold
Hello there, and welcome back to another episode of Stronghold. My name is Sean, and I am so pleased to have you all with us on this, the final episode of our first campaign, adventures in Elfland. For the next hour, I will be your host and dungeon master as we follow our three heroes, Dramon, Freddie, and Thomas, to the thrilling conclusion of their tale. Before we get back into the action, however, let's recall how we got here. Remember a sleepy orchard village with its garrison of three forgotten nights.
Speaker 1:Remember a skeletal rider come to claim tribute due to a long undead king. Recall a harried escape down an enchanted well and up into a strange world of elves and monsters and magical gold. Recall the loss of this gold hand of armor and the meeting of two new friends. Remember a journey filled with strange monsters and forgetful druids, giants, and odd little merchants. And, of course, we can't forget a flying ship filled with cheese or a dragon's family with its hoard of issues, nor another terrified escape this time from a coven of witches, a sojourn in a world beyond sense and sanity, a deal struck to escape that terrible place, and a tournament arranged to finally win back that same treasure of magical gold which just might allow Dramon, Freddie, and Thomas to finally return home.
Speaker 1:And that tournament is where we find them now. With a sneaky Matherin facing off against Freddie who this time has just as many tricks up his sleeve. As soon as she gives the hand signal to initiate combat, he moves preternaturally quickly, coming up to you, closing that 10 foot gap in the blink of an eye, wielding his two swords. Alright. Does a 21 hit?
Speaker 1:Yes. Okay. That's critical, so that hits. And that hits too.
Speaker 2:Give it to me. K. Yeah.
Speaker 1:So in quick succession, before you realize even what is going on, he stabs you three times.
Speaker 2:Can we redo that? What do you mean redo that? I just realized I could have done something.
Speaker 1:What what could you have done?
Speaker 2:Bend luck.
Speaker 1:No. Damn. It's before it's announced whether or not he hits. Right?
Speaker 2:Right. Like, you had you would have to say, oh, yeah. That's true. That's true. Is it?
Speaker 2:So I don't know how it works, like, against me, but, like, if I were to do a saving throw or anything like that. Hold on. Let me read it.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Just read it.
Speaker 2:Starting at sixth level when you have the ability to twist fate using your wild magic, when another creature you can see makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can use your reaction and spend two sorcery points to roll a one d four and apply the number rolled as a bonus or penalty to the creature's roll. You do this after the creature rolls, but before any effects of the roll occur.
Speaker 1:The effects of the roll have not yet occurred. So, yes, you can use this. Okay.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna use two sorcery points.
Speaker 3:Crit a crit?
Speaker 2:I'm doing his attack roll.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And you
Speaker 3:And what crit a crit because It would be
Speaker 1:a critical if it still hits. Right? So That's like old school d
Speaker 3:and d. Right? You're using the yeah.
Speaker 2:So I penalize your role by two,
Speaker 1:which okay. So the first one was the nearest thing. And what did I ask you? 21. 20 1.
Speaker 1:So It would
Speaker 2:be a 19.
Speaker 1:Does that hit? No. Okay. So the first one does not hit then. So as you blink, he attacks you three times.
Speaker 1:The first one is just about to hit when some deep mysterious instinct within you just wills it out of the way. The other two, however, do hit. That is 26 sword damage.
Speaker 3:Ouch. So you take half of that. Oh, that's right.
Speaker 2:That's right.
Speaker 3:And I do two.
Speaker 2:Thanks, boo. Alright. He got you. As long as
Speaker 3:he doesn't one shot me, I'm okay.
Speaker 1:Just And that's, 23 poison damage as your insides practically erupt in flame of pain.
Speaker 4:So
Speaker 3:how do you round down damage?
Speaker 1:Yeah. You always round down.
Speaker 2:11. Yeah.
Speaker 4:He's trying to turn your insides into a chemical soup. Ow.
Speaker 3:Yeah. You you soupy. You just chug bleach. Soupy? You just slammed bleach.
Speaker 1:Yeah. That's the that's the end of his turn.
Speaker 2:Alright. Is he engaged with me? So I would have to He
Speaker 1:is five feet away from me. Yes. You are engaged in combat with him.
Speaker 2:Would I have to disengage to go away?
Speaker 1:You can move away, but he would take an attack of opportunity. Okay.
Speaker 2:So I'm gonna cast haste on myself. Okay.
Speaker 3:Do
Speaker 2:you want me to roll wild magic? Yes, please. Your flower pot. That was a 19. Alright.
Speaker 2:So casting haste, until the spell ends, I gain plus two AC, advantage on deck saving throws.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I'm looking at it.
Speaker 2:Okay. Gotcha.
Speaker 3:So hold on. Sean knew it was coming.
Speaker 2:Alright. So cast that. So I get a extra Action. Action. So I'll disengage.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:And then I'm going to
Speaker 4:move
Speaker 1:Mhmm.
Speaker 2:My 30 feet closer to.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:And I'm going to K. That puts them so 10 feet to
Speaker 1:get in. So you're in the middle of the explodey area. Okay. Good to know.
Speaker 2:I'm going to use two more sorcery points and quick and spell. So quick and spell, I sacrificed two sorcery points, and a spell that normally casts the a normal casting time is one action now becomes a bonus action.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:And I'm going to cast fireball
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:On him. So make a deck saving throw.
Speaker 3:And how how far away is he from me now?
Speaker 2:I should be about 30 feet from you.
Speaker 3:Okay. How how would you resolve me wanting to, like, try and cast a spell on him?
Speaker 1:Just a second. He got an 18 on his saving throw.
Speaker 2:Oh, nice.
Speaker 1:Does he succeed?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So he just takes half damage.
Speaker 1:Alright. So roll that damage for me. How would I what, Don?
Speaker 3:If I wanted to cast a spell on him.
Speaker 1:On Freddy? Yeah. The normal way?
Speaker 3:I mean, do I have to, like, hop into, or can I just try it whenever?
Speaker 1:You you try it, and then I roll to see whose turn you do it on.
Speaker 3:Okay. Well, I, it's a 30 foot range. So, he's He's in range now? Now, so I wouldn't I would wanna give it a shot.
Speaker 1:Okay. Start trying to cast.
Speaker 3:I'm assuming I I mean, if I'm doing initiative timing, I probably would only do I only get, like, a shot at it?
Speaker 1:How about this? Every one of their turns, you can make an attempt. Okay. Yeah.
Speaker 2:So that is
Speaker 3:85.
Speaker 1:You succeed. We will resolve it after he tells me the damage.
Speaker 2:15 fire damage.
Speaker 1:That I divide in half or he takes 15?
Speaker 2:He takes 15. He takes because I got 29.
Speaker 1:No. So he takes 14 because we run down.
Speaker 2:Oh, true. Yeah. Sorry. And then so I used I still have an action left. Correct?
Speaker 1:Let's see. You
Speaker 2:Oh, no. No. Because I cast haste You disengage disengage. Casted.
Speaker 1:You used your bonus action.
Speaker 2:Bonus action.
Speaker 1:You still have 30 feet of movement for what it's worth.
Speaker 2:Well, I already move oh, that's true. I do
Speaker 1:have another You have double movement.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna move all the way to the ring edge.
Speaker 1:Okay. So you're standing right next to Draman. You are all the way in the nonexplody territory. However, he does have to cross a lot of explodey territory. What spell are you casting on your friend here?
Speaker 3:Life transference. Okay. You, just for shits and giggles, how much are you down?
Speaker 1:Cast this is it a concentration? It's not.
Speaker 2:Okay. Go ahead.
Speaker 3:Just for shits and giggles, how much are you down?
Speaker 2:I am down
Speaker 3:not metagaming. I just wanna know. Like, 24. Okay. Well, you're healed.
Speaker 3:You get 40 HP. Okay.
Speaker 1:Okay? Make me a slight of hand check, Draman. Here. I feel so D and D now. I have two books and a notebook open.
Speaker 3:Well, we
Speaker 1:are using them all.
Speaker 2:We are actually planning on this fight.
Speaker 3:That's a, to 18.
Speaker 1:Alright. Aluhuara, who is sitting immediately next to you, is she's just wrapped up in this fight so far. It's been six seconds
Speaker 2:of Yeah.
Speaker 1:Pure thrills.
Speaker 3:And I am just gonna start slamming potions of healing. So how do how do you let me do that? Can I just say I keep I I just keep doing them? Is there a limit? Because I'm I'm I'm really not good right now.
Speaker 1:I'll say you can do three a turn.
Speaker 4:Okay. Can I funnel potions into his mouth? I have 15. How many do you need, man? I would just go, like, tilt your head back and just, like, slam them in.
Speaker 2:I get bonuses for saving throws. Right?
Speaker 3:You get a plus one for a saving throw.
Speaker 2:Sorry. I'm, like, adding all these mods in. I am, like, super mad at
Speaker 1:me. Is his turn, and he is going to rush up to you crossing the, let's see, the cold glyph. What what happens with the cold glyph? Oh, is it happen? Yep.
Speaker 1:He crossed it. Pretty much directly over it, in fact. Okay.
Speaker 3:When triggered, the glyph erupts with magical energy in a 20 foot radius sphere center, center on the glyph. The sphere spreads around corners. Each creature in the aura may must make a dex saving throw. Am I in it?
Speaker 1:You are not. Okay. What happens if he succeeds on the dex saving throw?
Speaker 3:On an creature takes, full damage or half damage if they succeed.
Speaker 1:Okay. What damage?
Speaker 3:This is you said this is the cold one?
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 3:So it's 18.
Speaker 1:18
Speaker 3:total? 18 total. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay. Very Very bad rolls. Good. Alright. So it's So he crosses over where you know the glyph to be waiting.
Speaker 1:And as it erupts, he basically parkour flips out of the way. It does catch, his legs a bit, and they do look like they've been frost burnt. But he's he's still he's still moving at his incredibly fast speed all the way up to Freddy. He closes that distance. You see him as he's running.
Speaker 1:He is trying to cast a spell, and there is a brief instant of flash of darkness so quickly that you can hardly see it, that you hardly know that it is real. And on his face is left the look of true shock and surprise between the master. Between the frost and his spell not working, he does not know what is going on at this point and resolves to to solve this, the one really reliable method with a sword. And does a 19 hit? No.
Speaker 1:And as he stabs with his short sword, it scrapes across the mage armor that protects you, that encapsulates your entire body. And he growls with incredible frustration at his wasted attempts thus far, making it your turn.
Speaker 4:It is. Alright. You ready for the motions you need done for your next round?
Speaker 1:Alright. Just start on corking them.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I don't know. If you can help,
Speaker 4:then sure. Prepped. I got it.
Speaker 3:You said two or three around?
Speaker 1:Three around. Three around. Okay.
Speaker 4:And with me popping them open? Four.
Speaker 1:Why not? Yeah. So, basically, every time every time Matherin takes his turn Yeah. You can do four potions.
Speaker 2:Oh, I forgot to roll wild magic for fireball. Do you want me to do that? No.
Speaker 3:You did. To see that, like I
Speaker 2:did that for hate.
Speaker 4:I was like fireball.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay.
Speaker 4:Or bandoliers. I just have a bandolier. Okay. Alright. You ready?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I got a lot of stuff going on.
Speaker 4:Okay. Like, a lot of stuff going on.
Speaker 1:Doing? Lay it on me, son.
Speaker 2:Alright. So I'm gonna take two of my first level spell slots and spend them for four extra sorcery points. Okay. And then I'm going to run so we're, like I'm right in front of Drahman now. Right?
Speaker 1:You are right in front of Drahman, and he is right in front
Speaker 2:of you. Do I have if I move 30 feet kind of diagonal or 60 feet kind of diagonal to the the center, but kind of, like, diagonal
Speaker 1:He's immediately in front of or in between you and the center. Okay. Right? If if is sitting at 03:00, then you are sit then you are standing just to the left of 03:00, and he is just to the left of you, just to the left of 03:00.
Speaker 2:Alright. So I'm gonna run up or I'm gonna run till, like, 12:00. Okay. And then How far? Actually, I'm gonna try to run all the way over to, like, ten or eleven.
Speaker 1:Alright. That will take you okay. If you'd only do 60 feet, then you'll be on the edge of Draumann's warding area.
Speaker 2:Yes. That's what I wanna do.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Oh, so the the halves are at the 12 and the six. Is that where the half is?
Speaker 3:That I mean, that it would be wherever You
Speaker 1:you don't get all the way to 12. Right? Because that is more than 60 feet away. Since you're standing right at Drummond, you can run 60 feet in any direction and be fine.
Speaker 2:Okay. So but you're saying that the dividing line is at the twelve.
Speaker 3:There's not a line because it's
Speaker 1:a sphere around me.
Speaker 3:So you got a sphere, and then there's a sphere within that
Speaker 1:that's marked.
Speaker 2:Gotcha. Yeah. So I make it to about, like, one, and that's, like, the cutoff. Right?
Speaker 1:Are you going just around the edge? Yes. I'd say one one thirty Okay. In that area.
Speaker 2:Gotcha. Alright. I am going to cast magic missile
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:And hit him for 12 damage.
Speaker 1:Alright. Decent hit.
Speaker 2:Alright. And then I'm going to cast fire bolt
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:And twin spell it.
Speaker 4:Or, I mean,
Speaker 1:I'm trying to twin spell at the same target?
Speaker 3:I think that's
Speaker 2:I think it's only if it's a fusion. I think it's only you're only able to use it on spells that target one creature. A second creature. You can target a second creature in range with the same spell.
Speaker 3:You can only use it on spells that target one creature, but you can only target another.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Gotcha. Gotcha.
Speaker 1:So save those sorcery points.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, I'll hit him with fire bolts. I'll still hit him twice because I'm gonna use quick and spell for a bonus action.
Speaker 1:Okay. Tell me
Speaker 2:First ball is 16 or sorry. 17.
Speaker 1:So he just shifts his head slightly, and it goes directly past where you think it's going to impact the the stands when instead hits this here to four transparent shield of magical energy restricting the the effects of all these.
Speaker 3:Spells. Very
Speaker 2:good to know. That is very good to know.
Speaker 1:Itself. And as it explodes against that shield in a cascade of sparks and lights that the fans behind cheer ever louder.
Speaker 2:Since I saw that, am I able to change my attack?
Speaker 1:Yeah. You haven't done your attack yet.
Speaker 2:Alright. You're Since I saw this barrier that protects the crowd, I'm going to instead use quick and spell to cast fireball on him. Okay.
Speaker 1:He he saved.
Speaker 2:Okay. 14 again. Alrighty. Fire damage. And then
Speaker 1:He's not looking great at this point. He is thoroughly singed.
Speaker 2:And then Turn. I'm done.
Speaker 1:Let's see. He is going to cast another spell. Dexterity saving throw, please. Remember, you get advantage because of haste.
Speaker 2:I get double advantage, or does it just cancel out?
Speaker 1:It it you just get regular advantage. Okay.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna use my types of chaos. Okay. Be an 18. He
Speaker 1:kind of just flicks this little ball of polychromatic fire at you, and it's fairly slow. You you are able to dodge out of the way in your current haste. It's a near thing, but you again, just the the sorceress will within you forces it to happen this way as you just exist around it for a weird brief moment. And with that, he is going to basically charge you. Right.
Speaker 1:And make another two attacks. The first one for 15. Nope. The second for 20? Nope.
Speaker 1:And he is super pissed at this point.
Speaker 4:It's what you get for beating us up while
Speaker 2:we were a little, young and scrappy.
Speaker 1:What are you doing?
Speaker 2:I'm going to move back towards Draman's area another 60 feet past or another 60 feet to, I guess, the right where Draman's at.
Speaker 1:Okay. That's
Speaker 2:how far I moved.
Speaker 1:He's going to take an attack of opportunity against you?
Speaker 2:I'm gonna disengage.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:So that's one action. That's one action. And then I am going to return another fireball. Okay.
Speaker 1:Your DC is what again?
Speaker 2:My DC is 15. But
Speaker 1:Including the floppy hat?
Speaker 2:Including the floppy hat. But real quick, before you do anything Okay. Spend two sorcery points and use Ben's luck. See if I can penalize him at all. It is just by one negative.
Speaker 1:Okay. So he still saves, even though you try to trip him up with your manipulation of reality.
Speaker 2:So total is 29 again.
Speaker 1:Again? Another 14 damage. Wow. Yep. Yep.
Speaker 1:He's he's not looking great. He is extremely frustrated. He hasn't landed a lot of good blows. He thought it was gonna be over by now. And then
Speaker 2:I am going to quick and spell another fireball at the fourth level.
Speaker 1:Okeydoke.
Speaker 2:And I'm going to use one more first level spell slot to get two more sorcery points and Ben's luck again.
Speaker 1:Okeydoke.
Speaker 3:He's going down. My man is going all out.
Speaker 2:That is a negative three to his role.
Speaker 1:Alright. He still succeeds the same. Oh my god.
Speaker 3:His dex is probably ridiculously high. He did a front flip over an explosion. He didn't even look back.
Speaker 4:It's cool enough that he doesn't have to look back. He didn't
Speaker 1:even watch the damage this time.
Speaker 2:Hold on. The damage is one more d six, so hold on. Whoo. So overall, 37.
Speaker 1:So that will be 18 damage. Oh, boy.
Speaker 3:Oh, boy. Alright.
Speaker 1:And he's looking bad. He is unsteady. He is swaying on his feet. Large section of his sections of his body are now charred, and somehow he is fighting through the pain. Are you doing anything else?
Speaker 2:Right Is there more I
Speaker 1:need to know about?
Speaker 2:Right before my turn ends, I'm going to use two second level spell slots Mhmm. To get six more sorcery points. Okay. Oh, let me add these all in here.
Speaker 3:Look. Brent has a character he can play again.
Speaker 2:I know. This is fantastic. And then I'm going to use five of them or, actually, no. I'm gonna use all six of them to gain one more fourth level spell slot. Okay.
Speaker 2:That's And now happening.
Speaker 1:Okay. He's just gonna he's gonna run over and attack you a whole bunch of times and hope that you are dead.
Speaker 3:What is the act what does it look like when you exchange sorcery points for spell slots and back and forth? What do you are you just muttering to yourself?
Speaker 2:I can imagine it as, like, these just, like, glowy things just come around my arms, and I'm just like
Speaker 4:you can literally see energy just, like, flowing back and forth.
Speaker 1:And he's he is slow. He barely even makes it over to you, and he's he's telegraphing his attacks. You know when and where they're coming. And, honestly, you feel like you could probably dodge them even without the haste, even without the magic at this point. The last one is the only one to even impact your your mage armor as you as you raise your arm to deflect it from your more fragile face.
Speaker 1:And there is no damage. There is no anything. You are fine.
Speaker 2:That's right. My turn? It is. Alright. Just for just for kicks, I'm gonna cast true strike
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:On on him. So you gotta tell me his defenses.
Speaker 1:His refiki Hit him in the belly, I guess. I don't know. Just give him a good whack. He looks pretty beat up at this point. Rafiki bunk him.
Speaker 1:Just just give him a good bonk. Right right in the face. Give him a give him a face bonk.
Speaker 2:Alright. And then I'm gonna move 30 feet away from him the opposite direction
Speaker 4:Mhmm. That
Speaker 2:I just went, so more towards the 06:00 by 30 feet, and I'm gonna fireball him again at the fourth level.
Speaker 1:Okay. Tell me the damage.
Speaker 3:Fuck off. That man had a family. All you're doing is running around and fireballing him. That's such a
Speaker 1:That's how it's even minotaur too.
Speaker 2:I only got 27 total that time.
Speaker 4:Only 27. Let's see.
Speaker 1:You had run over back towards Drummond. Right?
Speaker 2:No. I ran, like, towards the 06:00.
Speaker 1:Yeah. But bef you from Right.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:You were running from Drummond. Drummond. You have never been up close, like, seen a person take a fireball from two feet away before. It is not a pretty sight. Matherin is immolated.
Speaker 1:When when the turning, twisting flames eventually subside, he is left on the ground. A blackened husk, motionless, still sizzling.
Speaker 2:I run over real quick. Unrecognizable.
Speaker 1:This Vesuvian man.
Speaker 2:I run over to him really quick, and, can I do a medicine roll to try to stabilize him? Sure. A 12.
Speaker 1:Normally, all you have to do is get above a 10, but you don't know what to stabilize here. He is he is more charcoal briquette than hue or than than person at this point. And you fear it will take magic to heal.
Speaker 2:Drahman, do you got any more potions? I think I overdid it just a little bit.
Speaker 3:Do I got potions? Let me tell you what I got.
Speaker 4:I'm gonna run down with my twin band of years now.
Speaker 2:I think he needs major help. What is, Alahore's reaction to this?
Speaker 1:The entire arena is stunned into silence for the first time. They don't know quite how to react. They all saw him flagging towards the end, just before your largest, most powerful attack landed true. And they saw that whereas previously, he was able to dodge, duck, dip, dive out of the way, There was none of that here.
Speaker 2:Oh, he got the whole fireball? He took
Speaker 1:it straight to the face. Whoopsies.
Speaker 4:Whoopsie. Look. That's like fireball number three that you threw at him. No. That was fireball number five.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I think I
Speaker 4:was only the first four, he took half damage, though. The
Speaker 3:Dude, I'd be down. My bad I'd be down.
Speaker 4:Only half damage.
Speaker 1:He's looking he's looking crackly.
Speaker 4:Can I, like, roast a marshmallow over? Is he still warm?
Speaker 1:You don't have marshmallows. You have a lot of stuff in your bag of holding. You don't have marshmallows.
Speaker 4:He tries to heat up his pie. Put the pie on a stick and hold it over the body. No. No. No.
Speaker 4:This is still giving off enough heat. No.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, it you you make your your medicine check, and it does not seem to work.
Speaker 2:We need help. I I can't stabilize him.
Speaker 3:What what I understand
Speaker 4:He's a charcoal person.
Speaker 3:Something like greater restoration or that it just needs, healing?
Speaker 1:Right now, he just needs some he needs stabilization. Right? He is at zero hit points.
Speaker 3:Okay. Yeah. I'll try and cast
Speaker 1:a spell. He is physically damaged in a big way.
Speaker 3:I will try and cast a spell. But 20. Nope. How many shots do I have at this before something happens? Go again.
Speaker 3:40. Nope. Uh-oh. We're about to
Speaker 2:be on the bad side of the alts again. Wrong.
Speaker 1:66.
Speaker 3:You get it. Okay. Yeah. I'm casting life transference.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 4:I'll sec. If you can siphon some for me oh, never mind. I wouldn't I wouldn't do that. That's not a Thomas thing. But I will keep shoving health potions down your throat.
Speaker 3:Yeah. It's I'm probably gonna need it. So it's, so that's fifteen. So he gets healed by thirty. Okay.
Speaker 4:Yeah. I'm gonna pass you, like, 15 health potions.
Speaker 1:So, you you cast life transference, and the people in the crowd immediately around you, they see this. They see you transferring your own energy into him. And he gets visibly less crackly. The the charred blackness that was his body brushes away like molting skin of a lizard, and underneath is his truer form, his unburnt form. It still has obviously been very damaged, but he will survive.
Speaker 2:Can I try to help him to his feet?
Speaker 1:Yes. He takes your hand, and you pull him up, and he stands somewhat unsteadily. But then he lifts your hand into the air as the champion, and they start tearing up the seats. They go nuts. They're just they're ripping things off.
Speaker 1:They're picking up large stones and throwing them. They are losing their minds. Anything that they can find, they're throwing into the arena. They have it is bedlam. They have never seen chaos like this in any of Alahuara's arenas before.
Speaker 1:And she pats you on the back, drumming. And you don't need to know Elvish to understand the cheese complimenting the good job you did, complimenting you on your your mighty and valorous friend.
Speaker 3:I'd like to take this this opportunity while everyone is very distracted to silently dispel all of the shit that's still out there Because I'm worried that he's gonna walk him over a few feet, and they're gonna explode. And then he's gonna go a little bit, and they're gonna explode. It's all gone.
Speaker 4:And I'm still linked to you, so you're gonna be getting the damage that I'm getting.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I don't
Speaker 1:you dispel the the remaining glyphs. You dispel the ward on Freddie. And through the translator, Matherin compliments you, Freddie, on the not just the good job, but the extremely thorough preparation. Clearly, you studied your opponent and took all the right precautions. And he admits that there may have been some hubris in his own under preparation from the tunnel that he initially came out of opposite yours, the one at 12:00, it would be.
Speaker 1:His two brothers, Shefel and Nafar, they bring a small but very heavy looking chest in your direction.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah.
Speaker 1:They bring it to the very middle of the arena and present it for your inspection.
Speaker 2:I open it up.
Speaker 1:In sign, there look like a whole lot of odd rectangularish gold pieces stacked neatly on top of one another and very, very shiny.
Speaker 2:I pick them up just to inspect and make sure they're real.
Speaker 1:They certainly feel real. They look real, feel real. They have the an appropriate seeming weight. They they look like the genuine article. Right?
Speaker 1:Also, you got Thomas there. If anyone knows Thomas
Speaker 2:starts, like, non evil. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Yep. This is the floaty gold. So
Speaker 4:I'm gonna walk up to the chest and call out for a Vanthalis. No. No. Don't do that here.
Speaker 2:No. I immediately slapped my hand over his mouth.
Speaker 4:Wouldn't you don't know what I'm doing?
Speaker 1:Are you walking up to the chest and immediately calling for Vanthalis?
Speaker 3:Yeah. You are? Alright. Gonna bring his home.
Speaker 1:What exactly are you calling out?
Speaker 2:Before he comes up, Isdrom, are you out here?
Speaker 3:I haven't moved yet. I'm still back in the stands.
Speaker 2:Never mind then.
Speaker 1:What are you saying, Colin?
Speaker 4:Phanetholis. We have your gold. Bring us back.
Speaker 1:Your guards are off at a distance. Nobody's really paying attention to you. Freddy, he comes up, and maybe you offer a piece of gold for him to inspect. But he says that. He calls that out into the sky, and there is a thunderclap.
Speaker 1:And, Freddie, you are gone. And the chest is gone. Thomas is gone. And, Drummond, you feel you know when you're at the top of a roller coaster and you feel the the the drop, of weightlessness at the top of the, you know Mhmm. The highest points.
Speaker 1:It's like the opposite of that. It is like a tug, not in any direction, but definite and strong. As you get pulled somewhere. But you know that if you if you want, if you keep your feet firmly planted in the ground, you will not move. But it is an option, a choice to be made now.
Speaker 1:I
Speaker 3:I don't, I don't know. I haven't had oh, I let go. I let go. I go.
Speaker 1:You go?
Speaker 3:I go. I saw them go. Right?
Speaker 1:Yep. I go. In the brief moment of hesitation, you see Elhurra's face, And it looks very worried, very alarmed. And she's looking at you. But then she disappears.
Speaker 1:All of it is gone, and you are no longer in Elfland. You are no longer in the arena at the home of Ala Huarra. The cheering fans, the bright blue sky, the birdsong, the faint smell of burnt grass, it's gone. And here you are in the grove back in fairy world standing by Phan Phyllis in the very spot where you had bid him farewell some nine or ten days ago. And the odd fortress complex that he has been building often, the other side of the gorge, is now immense beyond measure or comprehension.
Speaker 1:And this grove is has been illuminated by cathedral esque works of filigree architecture. And then the little pedestal that he had made, that he had labored over for so long is there in marble perfection. And he is there looking maybe not quite so haggard as when he sent you there in the first place, but he is looking tired and ill. He says, thank you. Thank you so much for returning.
Speaker 1:Was it very difficult for you?
Speaker 4:Not really.
Speaker 3:I didn't I didn't feel like I had enough of a decision, like enough of a choice. We just came back. It was,
Speaker 4:Yeah. I kinda took away you guys' choice.
Speaker 3:That's all. Yes. What did you do?
Speaker 4:I just told him to take his back. Yeah.
Speaker 2:But you could have waited for the better setting.
Speaker 4:Why? We're going back to Ado.
Speaker 2:That's what you think.
Speaker 3:At least we got to heal the guy before we yeeted out of there.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And we did win it fair and square.
Speaker 4:No. No. Nothing about nothing about what
Speaker 3:Hey. Hey.
Speaker 1:To be fair, he also had haste cast on himself, and, you know, he had and and, what's it? Bless. Oh, okay.
Speaker 3:But did he cast them himself, or was it somebody else? It was
Speaker 1:somebody else. Oh. He was he was prepped too. Okay. Although I forgot about the bless every single time I rolled a tap, so you definitely should have taken a lot more damage.
Speaker 3:It's okay.
Speaker 1:I think it was I think it was pretty good.
Speaker 3:I would have been there as your sponge.
Speaker 2:I, and I slapped Ramen on the back. I was like, that was a great fight. Thank you for prepping.
Speaker 3:I'm still
Speaker 4:How many healing potions
Speaker 3:so I gave you 10, and then I was using them. So I have been through well, we only went through two rounds. So eight? Sure.
Speaker 4:That's not even that many of them. No. I thought you were took, like, 10 You still have a 72
Speaker 1:more.
Speaker 2:I didn't get hit. I only got hit once.
Speaker 3:You got hit once. Yeah. Well, technically, twice, I was hurt. For that for two for eight healing potions. I was healing for two.
Speaker 2:A big hit.
Speaker 4:It was like
Speaker 1:Yeah. 50 some odd damage. Maybe six.
Speaker 2:I just realized that those fireball hits, I would have only been able to take two of those.
Speaker 1:What do you mean?
Speaker 2:Like, if I were getting hit with that fireball Yeah. Like, I would have only been able to take two of
Speaker 3:those hits. Most people are not great at
Speaker 2:I finally have got the hang of switching all my spell slots for
Speaker 1:sorcery points. Exchanging everything.
Speaker 3:Sean's like, okay. I'm not the DM anymore.
Speaker 1:You're like, I'm gonna start this combat by changing everything into sorcery points and then just choosing how many spell slots I have.
Speaker 4:Isn't it awesome?
Speaker 3:Welcome to Freddy's combat where the rules are made up and the points don't matter.
Speaker 4:It's like doctor Strange just, like, making stuff up.
Speaker 1:Alright. So Fanfula says, was it was it very difficult to retrieve it?
Speaker 4:Not really.
Speaker 3:It wasn't easy.
Speaker 1:Agreed. Okay. Well, I know you must be tired, but it would be a lie if I said I was not excited about leaving this place.
Speaker 2:Oh, we are too. We don't wanna stay here.
Speaker 4:I don't think I can take a, second psychotic work by staying in here.
Speaker 1:So are we agreed? Yes. Should we leave?
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 3:I guess so. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Alright. You come from Idiran. Right?
Speaker 4:Yes. Yes.
Speaker 1:Okay. Drahman, Thomas, take the the the chest and place it on the pedestal, please.
Speaker 3:Alright. We do so.
Speaker 1:He walks over to the pedestal and once more places his hands upon it. He closes his eyes and lets his head hang down, and he begins to murmur in some language that could never be elven. It could never be anything that you have ever heard before. A a language not necessarily dark or evil, but simply obscure and hard for human ears to hear. And he chants and he chants and he chants.
Speaker 1:And gradually, the world begins to shake. The trees shake. The buildings built around this place shake. The leaves, the gorge, the fortress. You can feel in your bones that the manor so far away and paradoxically so close, it shakes as do all the mountains and plains and deserts and that abominable city in the wastes.
Speaker 1:They all shake. And it grows in frequency and intensity, and it gets worse and worse, and nothing breaks. There is no force to this shaking. It is simply the shifting back and forth over and over again of the entire existence around you. And the chanting that you cannot hear gets somehow louder in your ears and takes up your entire minds till all you can think about is this subsonic feeling coursing through your bodies and causing you to shake as well.
Speaker 1:And that odd colored sky filled with the aura of conjuration magic and that weird, unpleasant wind on your skin. And all of the strangeness of this place pops like a bubble. And that instant is just a moment, just the briefest amount of time. It happens everywhere at once and yet progresses from the peak of the sky down to the root of the Earth as this reality becomes Aydiran. And that weird sky is replaced with a familiar one, with a sun that you recognize.
Speaker 1:And that eerie wind is replaced with real air that is that is touching these things for the first time ever. And that shimmer of magical aura is disappeared. And the shaking, which had become everything, is gone in that instant. And you are an Aediran. And Phan Thylas and his pedestal are in Aediran.
Speaker 1:Gone are the trees. Gone is the grove. There is no manor anywhere in sight. You look out from where you are, and you see that you are on real mountains in a real forest that stretches out on all sides, but which ends. It isn't like the fairy woods.
Speaker 1:It isn't like the elven forests, which are real but which stretch on forever because the elves love them so dearly. It ends because this is Eideron, and things in Eideron must always end. And over there, beyond the edge of the forest, you see the wispy trails of smoke
Speaker 4:of a
Speaker 2:town on the side of a river. Not one that you know, not one that you've been to before,
Speaker 1:but a town with humans just like you who may even speak a language that one of you speaks. Town with horses and carts and boats that can take you to faraway places so close to your hearts. You know that you're home. You feel it in every in every inch of your body and soul and drum, and you feel the gods. You feel and and and they embrace you.
Speaker 1:Feel powerful.
Speaker 2:And then you turn around, and you see behind you, Phanthelas'
Speaker 1:fortress stretch across the mountains. Its towers, its keeps, its citadels, its walls, perched on a rocky mountain range and suddenly buzzing with activities of creatures unseen until now. And Phan Phyllis stands up straight, and he magics good clothes into being
Speaker 2:on his body. And he straightens his hair. And he says, thank you, you three. You have been
Speaker 1:so very helpful, and I am so glad to be out of there. Can I provide horses for your journey home?
Speaker 3:Sounds good. That would be very nice.
Speaker 4:You don't mind, Phanethlis, if I stay with you?
Speaker 1:If that is what you desire, then I'm sure there's some place here for you.
Speaker 2:You're not coming back with us?
Speaker 4:Nah. You guys are boring.
Speaker 3:Thomas? After all this time?
Speaker 2:Yeah. You'd be having tea parties if it weren't for us.
Speaker 4:I don't think that sounds that bad at the moment.
Speaker 2:Okay. Well Alright. We'll come check on you. Okay? Don't bother.
Speaker 3:It's not like you're a world away anymore.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Too soon to joke.
Speaker 3:Keep an eye on Sean and Don for me.
Speaker 1:I will.
Speaker 4:If I see him, well, tell him he's sitting hot.
Speaker 3:If you see him, let me know.
Speaker 4:Just don't try to find me.
Speaker 2:We'll see.
Speaker 4:And if you feel, someone watching you in the forest, it's probably me.
Speaker 2:That's not creepy at all. Yeah.
Speaker 4:And That's I probably I'm probably gonna kill you.
Speaker 3:But It's on that's on brand.
Speaker 2:Yeah. It's
Speaker 4:It's like, if I find you guys in the forest again, I'll probably kill you.
Speaker 2:You can try. Yeah. I believe You saw what I did to that elf. Right? It'll be fun.
Speaker 3:I look forward to it. It'll be fun.
Speaker 2:It'll be fun.
Speaker 4:It'll be a good laugh.
Speaker 1:Ventilous, with wave of his hand, summons two horses of
Speaker 2:what must be impeccable breeding and incredible beauty. They come up
Speaker 1:to you without guidance or instruction, and they both have saddles, reins, stirrups, saddlebags, the whole nine yards. It looks strong and energetic. And he says, here you are. Now, I must leave you. There is much to do.
Speaker 1:And the person who had moments ago looked so frail and so unhealthy looks impeccable now.
Speaker 2:And he turns
Speaker 1:and walks away over the long bridge, which used to be over a river gorge and now connects one small peak to another much larger,
Speaker 2:and he just leaves you. What are you all doing?
Speaker 4:Call after him.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:Bye, Thomas.
Speaker 4:I'm gonna flip you the bird.
Speaker 3:You too, buddy. You too.
Speaker 4:And Snack's coming with me. Guess can't have him.
Speaker 1:No. Snack is the only thing that didn't come to this world. He was a complete figment of elf work.
Speaker 3:It didn't actually
Speaker 4:Into everyone's mind. Or no. You guys were just playing along the whole time. You're like Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Yeah. Snack.
Speaker 1:No. No. Snack is there. Snack is wrapped around your shoulders or something.
Speaker 4:Yeah. He's flapping in the breeze.
Speaker 1:He's a six foot long python. He doesn't flap in anything.
Speaker 3:He flaps in a hurricane, maybe.
Speaker 1:Maybe a hurricane.
Speaker 3:I look back over my shoulder, Thomas, and then hop up on the horse Yeah. And, get ready to head out. Freddy?
Speaker 2:I, after saying goodbye to Thomas, I just kind of disengaged from the group for a second and didn't quite realize how much I missed being home until now. Like, I was always like, oh, it's an adventure. It's a great thing, but I didn't realize, like, the the comfort. I just like knowing the place that, like, I belong. Mhmm.
Speaker 2:So, I mean, I don't, like, cry or break down or anything, but my eyes well up a little bit. And I just get my horse ready and kinda shift all my stuff around to get comfortable and hop on it and just kinda ride out a little bit and wait for drama to catch up. Okay. Very good. Where are you guys going?
Speaker 2:Are you staying together? I think we should stay together, especially since we were
Speaker 1:Okay. How about this?
Speaker 2:Where we were supposed to be.
Speaker 1:How about this? You make it to that town that you saw in the great distance, and no one seems to have yet noticed the fortress up in the mountains. You find lodgings in a simple little place. They don't speak the language of Addo here, but it is one of the tongues that they study in the in school. This is an empire far to the North Of Addo, 1 of the great powers of the world.
Speaker 1:And transportation can be arranged by boat and high road and, well, many other segments to get back to Adam, to get back to Katyn, to get wherever you want. And as the night winds down and the tavern's patrons grow sleepy or leave, you are left alone at the bar, a roaring fire behind you.
Speaker 3:Well, Freddie, I think it's I think it's time to go home. I'm ready to go home, whatever whatever that even is anymore.
Speaker 2:Do you mean, like, home home, or do you mean, like, Keaton or
Speaker 3:Adam? I don't know. It'd be nice to, to go back where all this started, and wrap things up by left without saying goodbye to some people. And, I'm out of armor polish. And I know I still got a stockpile there if someone hasn't taken it and like to pick up some of the rest of my stuff.
Speaker 3:Yeah. And then who knows from there? I
Speaker 2:Do you think the knights of Ado were still a thing?
Speaker 3:I think we can find out.
Speaker 2:I wonder if Keaton's still there if the the skeleton army of King Oathwind didn't wipe him out.
Speaker 3:We should probably go check out what King Oathwind is up to. We didn't leave on such great terms and
Speaker 2:No. No. He didn't.
Speaker 3:That may be a problem.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah. It's a problem we could at least try and handle in a normal way now.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I I think that we should go back to Kate and see what's up. And maybe maybe if they're good, then we can move on.
Speaker 3:Come find Thomas again. Let him hunt us down.
Speaker 2:That'd actually be pretty fun.
Speaker 3:Alright. Well, I think tomorrow we'll, find a way home then.
Speaker 2:Yeah. That sounds good. I'm kinda enjoying just sitting here in front of the fire. I'll probably stay down here for a little bit. Alright.
Speaker 1:The night grows deep, and the fire burns low. Draman, you go to bed, and later, Freddy, you follow. The next morning, you get up early as the sun begins to rise and set out on the long Eastern Road that you know will, in many weeks' time, bring you to Cayton. And though it may be a long journey, you feel you feel prepared, and it really does feel good to be home. Alright, everyone.
Speaker 1:Before I let you go, I wanted to say thank you. Specifically, thanks to everyone on the Stronghold team who helped with the recording and production of Adventures in Elfland, and thanks to each and every listener who came with us on this journey. Extra special thanks go out to those who left a rating or review, who followed us on social media, who talked us up with their friends, family, or coworkers. But, really, to anyone who listened, thank you. We appreciate it.
Speaker 1:As a reminder, our next season isn't going to come out for several months as we get the new campaign up and running. So if you haven't already, be sure to follow us on social media so that you can stay up to date with everything from release schedules and campaign details to bonus content and, honestly, everything else going on with the stronghold team as it gets announced. And finally, I just wanna say that until we meet again, and it may be a bit, I do truly hope you keep it nerdy.