Arcaenum: Episode 1

[00:00:00] Hey everyone, Ryan the DM here. I wanted to give a little introduction to this one shot

[00:00:04] beforehand now that Season 1 has included. This was originally released exclusively on

[00:00:08] the Patreon, we no longer run, which had been up back in 2021. As we prepare for Season

[00:00:14] 2 we thought it'd be nice to release this for our whole audience to enjoy and give you

[00:00:17] some insights into what was going on outside the party's purview during Season 1. You

[00:00:22] may even recognize some one-off characters near at the end of the campaign. So, without

[00:00:26] further ado, I'll turn it over to me from a few years back and thank you for listening.

[00:00:31] Welcome everyone to our very first one-shot from the world of Rift Walkers. Tonight I

[00:00:38] am joined by our cast members Brett, Seth, Noah, and Laurel. This won't be following

[00:00:49] the story of the Rift Walkers, but it will take place around the same time in the

[00:00:55] world of Egadon. The goal of this is to just have fun, explore the world, and maybe see a

[00:01:01] side of things that you won't see in the main show. Now allow me to set the stage.

[00:01:05] And the northeastern part of the fell lies the Fell Kingdom. The largest dominion of human

[00:01:13] power outside of Kinlands. Dominated by the Fellfolk, their capital of mainstay is a military

[00:01:21] and economic superpower. And it holds the only and oldest institution of magical learning,

[00:01:28] the University at Mainstay, also known as the Arcanum. Our cast tonight are four students

[00:01:36] at the Arcanum, chosen from amongst their peers for selected advancement. In other words,

[00:01:43] moving up to a higher rank within the university. On the eve of their examination,

[00:01:49] they've all been ushered into a common dormitory. While they have some time to study, prepare,

[00:01:56] and get a good night's rest for the following day's trials. Why don't we take some time to

[00:02:03] introduce the players and their characters? Brett, why don't you start us off?

[00:02:07] Hi, this is Brett. I normally play Reese and Rilandir in the normal show. Today I'm gonna

[00:02:13] be playing a Demlic man named Yarek Stoll. He is going to be a druid class, and he has been working

[00:02:22] towards advancing into the College of Elementalism. How about you, Laurel?

[00:02:27] Hi, I'm Laurel. I play Val in the main show, and tonight I will be playing Evie Barnsley.

[00:02:33] She is a fellish woman from Mainstay. Just kind of a bit of an odd duck. She's

[00:02:38] a sorcerer, and she aspires to the College of Inscription.

[00:02:41] Seth? Noah? Take it away.

[00:02:43] I'm Seth. I'll be playing Belfast Highland. He is a young fellish man. A lot of his family

[00:02:49] members are members of the Arcanum, and so he knows quite a few people there,

[00:02:55] and knows his way around the place. He aspires to the College of Artificery.

[00:03:01] And I'm Noah. You may recognize me as the one who plays a fron,

[00:03:05] or the one that does all the Skeleton Crew intros. Tonight I'm going to be playing Detective

[00:03:10] Archibald Coldfinger. He calls himself a detective, but that's his latest in a long line of hobbies.

[00:03:16] Coming from a very wealthy and influential Taelic family, Archibald discovered that he had some

[00:03:24] magical potential and was thus sent away to the University at Mainstay where he could develop

[00:03:30] his gifts and pursue his path of becoming a magical detective.

[00:03:35] Now, as I said, the University at Mainstay, or the Arcanum, is the oldest and only institution

[00:03:42] of magical learning in the human lands. It's separated into five different colleges.

[00:03:48] Students are expected to specialize into one of these colleges at some point during their

[00:03:54] academic career. The five colleges are Elementalism and Pthalmaturgy,

[00:03:59] Impeument and Artificery, Scrying, Inscription, and Incantation Slash Recantation. Tonight,

[00:04:06] as Archibald, Belfast, Yerick, and Evie are ushered into this common dormitory,

[00:04:12] aspiring to one of these colleges for the next day's examinations, they have a moment

[00:04:18] to themselves in this quiet evening to ruminate, study, and rest before the following day's

[00:04:25] harrowing trials. Right now you all are alone. The door to outside is unlocked,

[00:04:31] but it is unadvised to walk around unattended at these late times. It's approximately 10,

[00:04:39] 10.30pm. Would we know exactly what we're like being tested on? No. Though you are hopeful

[00:04:46] for certain colleges, you aspire to be in certain colleges, it's not guaranteed that the heads or

[00:04:52] masters of those colleges will administer a test to you. The selected advancement, I don't want to

[00:04:58] say it's random because it's not, it's definitely not random, but the masters are unaware of

[00:05:03] perhaps your leanings outside of what you've exhibited academically. Walking into this room,

[00:05:10] getting ready to kind of settle in for the night, Yerick turns towards Archibald and says, Yardak,

[00:05:16] nope, he does not speak. Yardak would like to speak with you.

[00:05:24] Then he turns around. He says, Archibald, you seem rather on edge tonight. It's not normal

[00:05:31] of your appearance before a test. You're rather so smooth with these things.

[00:05:37] And what would give you the impression that I am on edge, as you say? Even tapping your foot,

[00:05:43] it's so loud I can hardly think. Yeah, perhaps I'm simply thinking of a song that I quite enjoy.

[00:05:50] It's called The Milkmaid's Daughter, quite a lovely little ditty. Perhaps you've heard of it.

[00:05:56] I believe it is a lichish in origin. I believe not.

[00:06:03] Very well, but perhaps you are correct. I may now be a little bit on edge,

[00:06:08] but let's keep that one between you and me. What about yourself, Yarek? Do you feel

[00:06:14] perhaps a little tense? Unsure of what the day will bring tomorrow?

[00:06:19] One can never be too sure what tomorrow will bring.

[00:06:22] I've been used to that. I've come to peace with that. And although tomorrow may have some

[00:06:29] larger tests in store for us, I am admittedly slightly nervous that I will not be placed

[00:06:36] in the college that I desire. And remind me again, which college is that?

[00:06:41] That of elementalism. I thought you should have surely been able to remember that.

[00:06:46] And he kind of pulls out just some pieces of like grass and leaves and all this stuff that he

[00:06:52] just like keeps in his blonde hair that's flowing around his ears.

[00:06:56] Ah, yes, yes, yes. I'm afraid it quite slipped my mind. You see, I have been quite busy with

[00:07:01] my own studies, but it does make sense for one of your stature.

[00:07:07] And what about you, Eevee? I forget you are still trying to go for inscription, was it?

[00:07:13] Eevee turns to look at Yarek and it's a little unsettling. She just sort of stares

[00:07:19] at him for a second. Her eyes are like just a little bit too big and just kind of glassy.

[00:07:25] And then she goes, I, yeah. And how do you feel about tomorrow?

[00:07:29] Worried, nervous at all? Just a little bit. Well, I think that you should hopefully have

[00:07:34] a better chance than any of us with the experience that you've had before coming

[00:07:38] to the college. Who knows what advantage that might give you.

[00:07:41] Well, I have sort of, you know, looked into the void and seen the great experiences and

[00:07:47] truths of the world. So I would say that that does lend me a decided advantage.

[00:07:51] As you keep reminding us, yes. Do you ever make tea out of the leaves in your hair?

[00:07:57] These would not be good to make tea from. They're actually somewhat poisonous.

[00:08:01] Oh, could I try? And Yarek slowly reaches up to his hair and pulls one of them out.

[00:08:08] And he kind of goes to hold it out. And then he pulls it back. I cannot in good consciousness

[00:08:13] give this to you. I'm sorry. Okay. And he just sets it down on like a table next to him.

[00:08:18] I see the table is the fence. She will take the leaf from the table and put it in her pocket.

[00:08:24] At this point, the door opens and Archibald turns to see the figure of Belfast standing

[00:08:29] there. And he says, oh, Belfast. Oh, thank goodness you've arrived. I'm drowning with

[00:08:34] these two. You see, one of them is trying to make tea using leaves from the other's hair.

[00:08:39] It's quite dreadful stuff. You're not drowning yet?

[00:08:44] Yeah, I see your problem. What are you all talking about? And besides your tea leaves?

[00:08:48] Well, I believe Evie just threatened me said I wasn't drowning yet, which is quite macabre.

[00:08:54] It wasn't a threat. It was a statement of fact.

[00:08:57] Well, I mean, I suppose that's true of anybody that's still above water.

[00:09:01] Evie's harmless. She just kind of looks at Belle and like

[00:09:05] grins a little bit, but there's not quite enough behind the eyes.

[00:09:08] Little eye twitch. Yeah. And she gives him like a cool guy head nod like, hey, yeah, I know you.

[00:09:14] Before the door closes on its own after Belfast enters, a lithe figure sort of sneaks in right

[00:09:22] before it does, shutting it promptly afterward. This person has raven black shoulder length hair,

[00:09:29] an ochre tint to their skin and just these bright, bright green eyes and a flashing smile.

[00:09:36] They stand at around six feet tall, tall for a taelik person, but you recognize this individual

[00:09:43] as Otho Rapal, the head of the College of Incantation and Recantation. And as he strides

[00:09:49] into the room, a bit aloof, honestly, he's kind of the oddball out of the five heads.

[00:09:55] And he says, oh my, oh my, what have we here? Yo, with the leaves at it again.

[00:10:04] And Evie, always a pleasure. He looks to Belfast and Archibald and says, ah, inseparable,

[00:10:12] as always you too. I would have expected that you would have been placed into selected

[00:10:17] advancement at the same time though no, no, this is then exactly as expected. Yes, yes.

[00:10:23] And he strides over the table, takes the leaf and just like crunches it into his mouth as he's

[00:10:29] chewing. He starts choking on the floor convulsions. I was going to make tea. Oh, so I'll tell him

[00:10:36] that poisonous, isn't it? It is yes. Now you all, I've spoken with the other masters and of course

[00:10:45] we are greatly looking forward to putting you through the rigors tomorrow. However,

[00:10:50] I am quite disappointed to hear that none of you aspire to enter my college. Are none of you

[00:10:57] interested in the pure intent of this world? You are human, yes, but we can do so much more

[00:11:04] than you believe. Master Rappal, I am far more interested in what is already given to us on

[00:11:10] Egadon and what we can do with that to expound on its already great potential. That was a very

[00:11:17] big word. I'm very proud of you, Yark. And yes, elementalism is all good in that, but and he

[00:11:22] kind of crunches down in his mouth on the leaf and then he reaches a hand inside and he slithers out

[00:11:28] this goldfish and he just tosses at you. Ooh, can Evie catch it? Go for it. Yeah. Okay, I want

[00:11:36] to catch it. You snatch the goldfish out of the air and it's just like wriggling in your

[00:11:40] between your fingers. I show it to Archibald and I say, this fish is drowning.

[00:11:45] Yes, I suppose that is one way of looking at it. Perhaps we ought to find him some water. Master

[00:11:53] Rappal, if you could be so kind as to create perhaps a bowl for this creation you have given us.

[00:12:00] Oh, no, no, that was a simple gesture. A simple how do you say lesson for our friend here from

[00:12:06] the Demlic North of what is already around you? Please, I think you'll be able to

[00:12:12] fashion something as your own. You are in selected advancement after all, you're quite gifted,

[00:12:18] you four. Toodle-oo! And he just turns on his heel and he goes right through the door without

[00:12:24] opening it. Not like that. There's a professor shaped hole in it.

[00:12:35] Can Evie, what's it called? Is it called detachment? Yes. Okay, can Evie detach

[00:12:40] and then shape water around our new Goldfish friend? Yes, absolutely. What does detachment look like?

[00:12:47] I guess for Evie she can just kind of zone out. It's pretty personal. It's just whatever is required

[00:12:53] to transition safely to that mental and physical state that's kind of outside your own self.

[00:12:58] Whether it's heavy breathing or meditation, concentration, or it could be something

[00:13:04] repeated distracting action. Evie kind of goes into a middle distance focus with her eyes,

[00:13:11] which is weird because her eyes are always very hyper-focused on things. She just

[00:13:16] almost goes cross-eyed for a second and then draws the water out of a water skin that she

[00:13:21] keeps at her side and just makes an orb around the little Goldfish and then sort of examines

[00:13:28] it for a bit and then looks at Yarek and says, do you think we could make tea of this?

[00:13:31] If I may, actually Evie. And he reaches out his hand for it.

[00:13:36] I will pass him the orb of water.

[00:13:39] And Yarek just stares at this Goldfish and physically looking at it, anything odd about it?

[00:13:46] Or is it purely just a Goldfish? It has the same coloration and patterns that the leaf did.

[00:13:53] Yarek would also like to detach and cast Beastbond and communicate with this new form fish.

[00:14:00] What does Yarek's detachment look like?

[00:14:03] So Yarek's detachment, he kind of looks more meditative. It's closing the eyes. He actually

[00:14:10] starts to hum a very quiet, usually imperceptive but it's very quiet in the room. Then you can

[00:14:16] hear a slight humming noise that's coming from him and it lasts all of about one to two seconds

[00:14:21] and then he reopens his eyes and focuses them on this Goldfish and is going to create

[00:14:27] a link to it. Right, so that's a spell. That is a spell. And if it's not friendly to me,

[00:14:33] then he's going to do animal friendship first. This unfriendly Goldfish?

[00:14:38] This Goldfish is like, oh.

[00:14:44] As you cast this, you are kind of bombarded with emotions of confusion and concepts of

[00:14:55] breathing and turning and seeing and looking like the most basic things because up until

[00:15:02] a second ago this was a leaf and it couldn't do those things.

[00:15:07] And so being overwhelmed with these feelings and emotions coming from this newly formed fish,

[00:15:12] Yarek just sets the fish back down on the table next to him. It is unnatural. I don't like

[00:15:21] the concept of creating something out of something else that was not how it was originally. I understand

[00:15:27] it is available to us but still. You know, the tea and everything else aside, Evie,

[00:15:33] it looks like your elementalism with water is turning out quite nice.

[00:15:37] Well thank you. You don't want any tea? Fish tea? I can make fish tea right now.

[00:15:41] No, I prefer my family's brew. But to each their own.

[00:15:46] Do you have some?

[00:15:46] Like on me?

[00:15:47] Yes, on you.

[00:15:48] Not particularly. I have some back in my room.

[00:15:51] Oh well that's too bad. She sort of like sits down very dejectedly.

[00:15:56] Bell fast, bell fast, bell fast. How many times must I tell you a gentleman always comes prepared

[00:16:02] and Archibald reaches into his coat pocket and he pulls out a little pouch full of tea leaves.

[00:16:10] Now would you like some Evie?

[00:16:12] Evie is right in front of your face instantaneously just like grabbing it out

[00:16:16] of Archibald's hands.

[00:16:17] Archibald, I told you to stop taking things out of our room.

[00:16:20] No no, bell fast, bell fast please please please.

[00:16:23] Material things are just that material things. It is of no consequence.

[00:16:28] I'll get you some more when we get back. Don't worry about it all right?

[00:16:31] If I don't get it, you remind me all right bell fast you do that for me?

[00:16:35] Yes and bell fast just puts a hand to his head.

[00:16:39] Now Evie, you are interested in the truths and the mysteries of the world beyond this one.

[00:16:46] Now but I am interested in one particular mystery and that is exactly how fast can you brew a cup of tea?

[00:16:53] Evie turns back around and is holding like a steaming cup of tea and just offers it to you

[00:16:59] and then like takes it back and sips it and like considers the notes for a moment and then passes it again.

[00:17:04] You didn't put the fish in it did you?

[00:17:06] The fish is right there. You can see it with your own eyes. Can you not?

[00:17:09] Did you want fish tea? She goes to like reach for the fish.

[00:17:13] No no no no it's quite all right I just wanted to make sure there wasn't any funky business going on.

[00:17:18] As Archibald reaches for the dainty tea cup, do a dexterity saving throw please.

[00:17:25] In fact everyone do dexterity saving throws.

[00:17:28] Oki.

[00:17:28] Uh Yark got 15.

[00:17:30] A respectable 14 from Evie.

[00:17:32] Starting out hot 19.

[00:17:34] Archibald rolled a 16.

[00:17:37] Everyone is able to keep their footing as a massive quake rocks the university.

[00:17:44] It feels like the ground is about to splinter under your feet.

[00:17:48] You hear stone cracking and pulling at wooden beams and supports as dust and splinters

[00:17:55] rain down from the vaulted ceiling above you.

[00:17:58] You hear crashing.

[00:18:00] You hear crumbling and rumbling echo throughout the halls outside your dormitory.

[00:18:07] As something enormous occurs not too far away.

[00:18:12] What the blazes is this?

[00:18:14] Did you spill the tea?

[00:18:15] I actually um despite all that I managed to keep every drop inside the cup.

[00:18:21] Are you all impressed yet?

[00:18:23] I'm very impressed yes.

[00:18:24] Is the door still standing or is it like a jar?

[00:18:27] No it's it's closed and it's standing.

[00:18:30] Well then I suppose that the time for idle chit chat is over.

[00:18:33] I posit that we go investigate the source of this sound all in favor.

[00:18:38] Evie raises her hand.

[00:18:39] Yeah why not?

[00:18:41] Yes might as well.

[00:18:42] All right the vote is four to zero.

[00:18:44] We shall go and investigate and Archibald picks up a smooth black wood cane that he

[00:18:50] keeps around with him.

[00:18:51] He doesn't use it to walk.

[00:18:52] He just kind of twirls it around and puts it on his shoulder and everything.

[00:18:56] And then he heads out the door.

[00:18:59] As the four of you step outside your dormitory you look down a hallway on either side so to

[00:19:05] the left and to the right.

[00:19:06] To the left is just rubble.

[00:19:09] A veritable cave in honestly in this complex as brick and stone and cement are just piled up

[00:19:18] above to where even the roof was that you see has collapsed.

[00:19:22] The upper levels caving in below into where you are now.

[00:19:26] To the right there are a few other dormitories for those who are taking part in the

[00:19:33] examinations for selected advancement and a series of pillars that run along the far wall

[00:19:41] where you can peek through into an open courtyard.

[00:19:44] That seems to be a light with a pulsating deep red and orange glow.

[00:19:51] The crackle of fire, the smell of smoke and the drifting ash and embers quickly coming your way

[00:19:59] and assaulting your senses as you step outside.

[00:20:01] Do you think the test has started early?

[00:20:04] Egg above I do not know but we need to get out of here.

[00:20:08] The dormitory door right next to yours opens and a student walks out.

[00:20:14] He's kind of clutching his shoulder he's only like 17 in age.

[00:20:19] You recognize him most likely as a fellish boy who was also taking part in selected advancement

[00:20:25] and his name is Eric.

[00:20:28] As he comes out he looks at the four of you and he's like

[00:20:33] what's going on now?

[00:20:35] There's another in here I don't actually know his name but he's might hurt.

[00:20:40] Okay.

[00:20:42] I mean can any of you do something about it?

[00:20:44] I'm look I just like writing things.

[00:20:47] I'm shooting for inscription I'm not set out for this.

[00:20:51] Yarrick pushes past him and goes to examine the room.

[00:20:54] Okay as you step into the adjacent dormitory you see that the wooden beams in the ceiling

[00:21:00] have collapsed and smashed down into the bookshelves and bunk beds that adorned the space.

[00:21:07] Belfast went in there with them.

[00:21:09] Copy that.

[00:21:10] You see a girl unconscious perhaps still breathing you can't quite tell at this distance

[00:21:17] just crushed underneath a pile of wooden rubble her legs wedged underneath the remains of a headboard.

[00:21:26] Yarrick is going to go over and first see if she is conscious.

[00:21:29] She is definitely unconscious it doesn't take much to figure that out.

[00:21:32] Great Belfast we need to get this off of her and then we can just carry her out hopefully

[00:21:38] and Yarrick goes to kind of take the squatting position and try to lift it up if it's looking

[00:21:45] like it's going to be liftable.

[00:21:47] Is Belfast going to help?

[00:21:48] I don't know if you've been walking out or something but we can give it a go.

[00:21:53] All right and we're gonna try to lift this thing.

[00:21:57] All right so whoever has the highest ability modder gets to make the strength check with advantage.

[00:22:05] What's your strength mod?

[00:22:06] One.

[00:22:07] Nice mines too.

[00:22:08] So I got 16 plus 18 on the strength check.

[00:22:11] All right you two are barely able to lift it off but you're in kind of a compromising position here

[00:22:17] with her being unconscious she's obviously not going to move herself and you two are straining

[00:22:22] all you can just to hold this up.

[00:22:24] Archibald you're on your bloody teeth get in here already.

[00:22:27] Yes yes I'm coming I'm coming I'm in fact I'm already here.

[00:22:32] Edgar please assist me in carrying the girl out of here.

[00:22:36] This name's Eric.

[00:22:37] No no I wasn't talking to Eric and an invisible unseen servant

[00:22:45] it comes to Archibald's aid as Archibald and this unseen servant go to take her out from

[00:22:52] the precarious position and get her to a more secure location.

[00:22:55] You are able to do so.

[00:22:57] All right and then seeing that she is safely out from this Yarek lowers it coordinating

[00:23:04] with Belfast.

[00:23:05] All right if that's it then we need to get out of here quickly.

[00:23:08] A moment please we're not barbarians here we must tend to her wounds.

[00:23:13] Edgar please go fetch me some cool water from the other room and Archibald is going to try

[00:23:19] to see if there's any serious wounds that need attending to.

[00:23:23] Yeah why don't you roll a medicine check?

[00:23:25] Actually because I'm going to forget to do this I'm going to use my portent ability

[00:23:30] which at the beginning of the day I rolled 2d20s and I can save those roles for later use

[00:23:37] and so I'm going to get a 17 on this medicine check.

[00:23:40] All right and this is just diagnosing this isn't curing.

[00:23:43] Yes yes so it's evident to you that her right leg has been crushed probably around the knee

[00:23:52] and extending down into the calf there seem to be some broken joints and bones.

[00:23:59] Archibald you know what's up?

[00:24:01] Yes it would appear that her leg is broken in quite a few places now if I were more of a medicine

[00:24:06] man I would like to fix it myself however frankly I am not very confident in my ability to set

[00:24:13] a broken leg.

[00:24:14] I suggest that we make a stretcher for her and try to get her to the nearest medical

[00:24:18] attention center that we can find.

[00:24:20] Well yes go gather the materials I'll see what I can do here and then you see

[00:24:25] Belfast's red eyes start to glow a little bit as he detaches and then he would like to cast cure wounds.

[00:24:33] 14 HP nice all right as you concentrate you speak the words knit and heal and fuse

[00:24:45] and underneath her skin you can feel the bones being put back together as you

[00:24:52] clean this break to a point where it will definitely heal in a much nicer way down the road.

[00:24:59] We're going to flash outside real quick is Evie still standing with with Eric sort of

[00:25:03] outside the dormitory or did she come in with the others?

[00:25:06] Yeah no she has no interest in helping people.

[00:25:10] She's sort of like staring out that window at the fire just very entranced.

[00:25:14] Yeah Eric too is kind of looking down the hall and he's like oh I hope that doesn't spread here.

[00:25:20] Oh it's fire fire spreads.

[00:25:22] Well you're awfully optimistic.

[00:25:24] I'm a realist dear.

[00:25:25] I'm gonna go see if she needs any help and Eric goes inside the dormitory.

[00:25:30] Can I can I grab his collar?

[00:25:33] Yeah go for it.

[00:25:34] Okay I stop him I say she'll be fine.

[00:25:37] All right then but what what if there are others somewhere down the halls and...

[00:25:41] Well I'm certain there are others there was an earthquake of some great magnitude

[00:25:45] and that is what happens when there are earthquakes of great magnitude people get hurt.

[00:25:49] Others well earthquakes sure

[00:25:52] I didn't see and then there is a deafening crash that echoes down this hall and barrels toward

[00:26:00] Evie and Eric as Eric's cranium bursts.

[00:26:06] Okay and Evie is spattered with blood and bone and brain as his corpse then falls to

[00:26:15] your side like kind of wriggling for a second.

[00:26:18] And Evie doesn't bat an eye.

[00:26:20] And no Evie sort of just watches this happen and then goes see hurt.

[00:26:25] Oh my god and down the hall then yeah you see a flash of light and there's another crack

[00:26:33] as the stone at your feet just explodes and there's another crack and a flash of light

[00:26:40] and a that comes right past your ear.

[00:26:43] Okay she's gonna go into the room and say uh I'm being shot at in some fashion.

[00:26:50] What do you mean shot at?

[00:26:52] I mean Eric's head exploded because someone hit him with some sort of magical projectile.

[00:26:56] I didn't want my head to explode so I came inside.

[00:26:59] Well how are we supposed to get out then?

[00:27:01] Does Evie shut the door?

[00:27:03] Do I shut the door?

[00:27:04] Yeah I'll close the door.

[00:27:08] You like like put the latch just like real calmly over the lock and...

[00:27:11] Actually having probably seen a little bit of the scene happen outside

[00:27:16] as Evie was coming inside the door.

[00:27:19] Yarek who had been trying to support in any way like this girl's head

[00:27:24] who was on the ground while Belfast was healing or actually like drops it without even thinking.

[00:27:30] And he just says Eric what happened out there?

[00:27:33] Evie what is going on?

[00:27:35] I told you we were being hit by magical projectiles and well they missed when they shot me.

[00:27:41] And Yarek is gonna run to the door and position himself in front of it.

[00:27:45] Trying to like brace it for whatever could be coming.

[00:27:49] We need to get out of here.

[00:27:50] This thing whatever this is this is not just an earthquake.

[00:27:54] Someone's attacking the college.

[00:27:56] Oh that's all you have to say?

[00:27:58] Oh why can't you ever show any emotion?

[00:28:00] She just blinks at him.

[00:28:03] Archibald who had been trying to tend to the wounded girl upon receiving the news that

[00:28:09] a child's head just exploded.

[00:28:11] He actually he froze up for a bit and his hands were shaking slightly

[00:28:16] and he doesn't say anything until a floating glass of cool water rests in front of him

[00:28:23] as Edgar has returned and he very shakily looks up takes the water and begins gulping it down

[00:28:31] and then he tries to calm himself.

[00:28:35] All right all right all right all right.

[00:28:39] All right everyone I'll give it to you straight.

[00:28:42] This is bad.

[00:28:44] Yes yes we must get out of here.

[00:28:47] Yarek Yarek please yes do you have any suggestions?

[00:28:52] Belfast you seem like you know what to do either of you or Evie even?

[00:28:58] You're in a resort to asking Evie's advice.

[00:29:03] Belfast will speak up as he's still tending to the girl just kind of making sure everything's

[00:29:09] all right and he was shocked a little bit at first to hear that Eric had just died

[00:29:15] but uh he knew that somebody was in front of him and needed to take care of it.

[00:29:19] Belfast looks up at Yarek and says hey you want to be in elementalism and

[00:29:24] the element are you right?

[00:29:25] Yes.

[00:29:25] Oh good we need you to make a hole out of here

[00:29:28] through the wall.

[00:29:29] This is just like a stone walled room right?

[00:29:31] Yes yes no windows nothing just the door that's the only way out.

[00:29:36] I can help you do it but just not quite as adept as you are.

[00:29:41] I don't know if he's all that adept at stone stuff.

[00:29:47] Yes yes perhaps but you're right I will need your hub for it.

[00:29:52] You see that slight crack in the wall right there and he says pointing to

[00:29:56] side of the room where the initial tremor had caused some of the mortar between the stones to

[00:30:01] begin to crack.

[00:30:03] I think that if we focus our energy there we can cause it to expand and hopefully lead somewhere

[00:30:08] else so then pointing at this wall and planting his feet firmly on the ground he mutters a few

[00:30:14] words like shake and collapse and a smaller crack almost invisible like it's not really there

[00:30:23] shoots out from the ground underneath him going towards this crack in the wall and he's

[00:30:28] casting earth tremor which normally affects people but it does cause the ground around

[00:30:33] something to become difficult to rain so he's trying to collapse some of those stones.

[00:30:40] You're a wait a moment let me try something and then you see Belfast go over to the wall

[00:30:45] and he touches it he says freeze for all intents and purposes this will be rea frost

[00:30:51] and as this blue white light kind of streaks out and envelops this crack you take a step back

[00:30:59] before Yerec then approaches the wall and causes this tremor to run through it

[00:31:06] and with this flash frozen stone it crumbles to pieces in a slit that is just big enough

[00:31:15] for the least thin of you to slip through.

[00:31:19] So large is it?

[00:31:22] It's at this moment once you cause this commotion and the wall kind of crumbles down

[00:31:28] that you hear a heavy banging at the door.

[00:31:31] Let's get out of here quickly I don't think we should get that.

[00:31:34] It could be helpful.

[00:31:36] It could also be the person who was shooting things that you had made

[00:31:39] Eric's head explode we are leaving and Yarec attempts to pick up this girl off the ground

[00:31:44] and slip through the hole probably just pick her up at this point.

[00:31:48] You are able to do that but that will break your detachment.

[00:31:53] Did we say if like where we were staying was really high up off the ground or?

[00:32:01] No this is this is like a huge mountain side complex so there's not really a drop anywhere

[00:32:08] besides one like the front face of it inside where you are it's just rooms and halls and

[00:32:14] so it opens up to another room.

[00:32:16] Yeah it would.

[00:32:18] I see I see I see.

[00:32:19] Archibald do you know the layout of this area?

[00:32:22] Of course I do it's named after my grandfather.

[00:32:25] DM may I do like perhaps a history check to see how well I remember the layout of?

[00:32:31] Yeah go for it.

[00:32:31] I asked you because you're a detective you take mental notes of stuff.

[00:32:36] That is a 15.

[00:32:38] You can kind of connect the dots in your mind as the four now five of you are able to slip

[00:32:45] through this crack in the wall.

[00:32:48] You come into a sort of perpendicular hallway it's dark in here the only light is from the room

[00:32:56] ahead of you.

[00:32:57] You can surmise that this is perhaps going into a part of the College of Inscription

[00:33:04] and it's many winding halls in its archives though you can't be absolutely sure that's your best guess.

[00:33:12] Well I'm not too familiar with this area I don't spend too much time but I do believe that we are

[00:33:18] heading towards the college of inscription now it is hard to see exactly what is going on

[00:33:25] without a bit more light luckily I have just a thing and you see Archibald take his cane

[00:33:33] tap it on the ground and focus for a minute as he detaches and then from the point of his cane

[00:33:38] he is going to cast light to illuminate the hallway.

[00:33:42] As you do so this bright light coming out in front of you you instantly spy two huddled figures

[00:33:49] they seem to be you know near the one end of the hall at least the hall at the side that

[00:33:54] you're facing and as the light shines upon them they shiver into each other and crouch

[00:34:01] and huddle back even more cowering away from you and one of them raises their hand sort of above

[00:34:07] them to shield themselves they seem no older than 10 maybe 12 years old.

[00:34:13] Children children please um I believe it is time that we leave will you come with us?

[00:34:19] They get up as you start speaking and they just scamper off down the hall as fast as

[00:34:24] their legs can carry them.

[00:34:25] Oh wait don't go that way.

[00:34:27] We need to find Master MacCunevious.

[00:34:29] Hmm yes.

[00:34:30] Pretty sure his office is this way.

[00:34:32] Wait does Master Rapal have any sort of does he wear any like distinguishing items like a ring or

[00:34:39] a necklace or anything or no all the masters wear the same robes are they different from

[00:34:46] for each school?

[00:34:47] No no no are they are they're different from like normal uniforms and crap?

[00:34:51] Yes okay perfect you're gonna use like find object or something aren't you?

[00:34:55] I am going to use locate object after a brief pause uh a light bulb goes off a fantasy light bulb

[00:35:03] goes off in Archibald's mind as he says now I may not be able to find Master MacCunevious but

[00:35:10] I do believe that I can find a master and he conjures in his mind the vivid robes of the

[00:35:20] masters that each of them wear and he says allowed locate and he casts the locate object spell.

[00:35:29] As you will this spell to be wanting to locate the nearest master's robe you're quite startled when

[00:35:38] that location comes back to you as just around the bend down the hallway where the children

[00:35:44] ran and coming closer to you.

[00:35:47] It would appear that actually one of the masters is coming towards us um we may wish to go and greet

[00:35:53] him uh quickly this way.

[00:35:55] You like to show off don't you?

[00:35:57] I try to be useful whether or not that makes me a show off um well I'll leave that for you

[00:36:02] to decide now this way to the master and he twirls his cane down the hallway where the

[00:36:08] children went.

[00:36:09] Uh Evie takes this moment to wipe some viscera off of her face and will follow.

[00:36:13] Oh geez.

[00:36:15] As you all come to the corner you are greeted with a light that is coming down the hall the

[00:36:22] opposite way.

[00:36:24] That light however reaches the corner first and coming face to face with you a mere 10

[00:36:31] 15 feet away as you skid to a stop you see a group of four black clad figures in

[00:36:40] chitinous armor between them who they let fall to the ground is master mecundius a streak

[00:36:48] of blood running from his temple and onto the hard stone floor.

[00:36:52] Good work show off.