The Pyreheart Accord Part IV: "Fractured Ranks"

0:03 This episode of Crit Happens is sponsored by Dungeon Trader, the app that makes trading, loot and managing your DND character faster, easier, and way more fun. Check it out today at Dungeon Trader dot App and level up your game today. You. Yes, you. The criticisms, the faithful spectators of other people's danger. You sit there, warm and safe, watching their story like it belongs to you. You cheer when they swing a sword and you gasp when they bleed. You chant their victories. You forget their failures the moment the music fades. But when I stepped forward, when I finally did what none of them would dare to do, you recoiled.

0:48 Fascinating. You praise their bravery, yet fear my certainty. You admire their compassion and despise my clarity. You claim to love their growth, yet shrink from my rise. Tell me, criticens, What does that make you? You watched every choice they made. You caught every hint that they missed. You noticed every fracture forming months before they did. You saw exactly where the trust would break, exactly where hope would fail. You knew exactly when the blade would fall, and you said nothing. You let this happen because you wanted it. You wanted the tension, you wanted the turn, and you wanted the fracture.

1:36 You wanted the spark that would burn everything else. And now you pretend to be shocked. You act surprised, and you claim betrayal. You call yourself fans, yet you feed on chaos more eagerly than any tyrant I have ever known. Demand comfort with one hand and crave ruin in the other. So listen carefully. I did not betray the party, I did not betray Valora, and I did not betray the Accord. I betrayed you because you expected a story that stayed within its lines. A villain who waited politely, a threat who followed the rules, and a puppet on your stage. I am not your puppet, I am not your trope, and I am not your entertainment.

2:27 I am the break in the pattern, the voice that refused silence, the power that refused permission. The accord belongs to me. The hallowed host answers to me, and the story you thought you were watching is already ash in my hands, settling criticisms. The flames are rising, the hall is silent, and the world is shifting. And this time you don't get to look away. Now it is time for me to rewrite this story. Stop. Let's write this story. I don't need the allegory. Please just tell me what's real.

3:07 But nothing ever seemed to be real. But she's some colors that don't exist. Painting my painting counterfeit this every truth I knew just starts to twist. And from a calm in a world like this I've been my tongue till the words went dry, warm, old like a chief disguise I see the truth when I close my eyes. The hardest part was a great goodbye. And fake feet can master pain. I've been lost inside my name. All the mirrors look the same, but I.

4:10 Welcome back to Crit Happens here on Spotify, iTunes, player.fmpoddirectory.com, stitcher.com, TuneIn Radio and iheartradio.com. And welcome back to the Scale Bounce syndicate in Forrelios. We welcome back our agents. Say hello, agents. Hello. Agent, hello. Hello, hello agent. We are here to finally after what it's been about a month since the Pyre Heart Accord. Finally we are here to deal with the fallout of pyre the Pyre Heart Accord. If you don't know what happened, please pause this episode and go listen to the three-part arc of the Pyre Harder chord.

4:54 You are not going to want to have this spoiled. It was just a picture perfect way to final to finalize that three episode arc in the Pyre Hunter chord. So we are going to start in the moments directly after Neros has signed the Pyre Heart accord. So there we go. So the heat from the chamber is still clinging to armor and skin. Ash is falling like slow snow. Cracks in the stone glow with the pulse of volcano.

5:35 The treaty table sits almost broken in two. Velour's body lies behind the fallen banners of the pale flame and the hollow host. Your party stands there with the weight of what Nero's has just done. A single sound cuts the silence, the scrape of a quill. Nero signs the empty line at the bottom of the accord. The ink does not dry it. It sinks into the page like it was hungry. The treaty binds. Every torch in the room bends toward him as pulled by breath, the Hollow Host stirs. The Crownless Masquerade watches from the cracks in the wall. Empty masks tilt in silent approval. General Veros Flame Hand is the first to speak, his voices rough.

6:21 Cleric, You, you. You have united the Dominion and the Hollow Host by your hand. No one in this room understands why you've killed the Host's last true representative. You've stepped over their body. You've signed in their place. Explain this. A cold breeze passes. It has no business being here. It circles near us and brings the scent of old stone and forgotten names. The Hollow host accepts him. You, you can feel it. And the Dominion knows it too. The Dominion's maid notary steadies himself. The accord is valid. The accord is valid. The signery seat was empty.

7:05 The, the, the, the, the cleric filled it. The, the, the factions stand together. The the, the Dominion and the Hollow Host now speak with one purpose. Under this treaty, every soldier in the chamber reacts at once. Their Shields shift. Blades rise several steps toward the party. Their their faces carry fear and and anger. A a second wind sweeps the room. Masks drift through the air like thin ash. Shapes only what shapes only the players can fully see. Silent figures watch with care and hunger. They they wait for what Nero says next. This is where Nero turns.

7:45 He looks at the party first. Not the Dominion, not the host to them. His voice is steady. You think the world was safer in pieces? You think the Hollowed host should stay in the dark? You think the Dominion should fall? You think you fight for Varelios. You're wrong. You have no idea how close this world is to breaking. You have no idea what waits when the Oracle wakes. He steps closer. You could not stop the accord and you cannot stop me. You never understood what the hollowed host offered.

8:26 They do not want to watch the world burn. They want the truth restored. They want the forgotten returned. I want the forgotten returned. They want a world without lies. The Dominion wants order. Together, they can hold the fracture that is coming. His eyes shift with pale, violent light, the the same tone as the the crownless mask described in the Hollow Hosts history. The cracked porcelain gleam sits behind his irises, and then he speaks with with certainty. You always feared what I would become if I listen to the voices in the silence. Now you will learn what it means. You can walk with me.

9:15 You can stand in the way. Choice has run out. General Veros does does not let him continue cleric. If if they stand with you, they they are allies, if if not they are they are enemies of the Dominion speak their fate. Neros never looks at Veros. He he keeps his eyes locked on you, the party. You are all free to choose, but know this, I am done waiting for the world to understand what must be done, and I am done waiting for you to decide who you are. As Nero says this almost in the blink of an eye, he turns to look at Veros and says something in in a language none of you understand.

10:01 As as the words leave Nero's lips, dark arcane energy blasts from him and fires at Veros. Upon taking this arcane bolt, Veros stiffens and and falls to the ground, dead. Nero speaks. Now with that out of the way, hear this. If you stand with me, you will be among the strongest in the realm of Aurelios. Neros lifts his hand towards the lifeless Veros, and Veros begins to hover in the air. Rebel, and this is your fate. Veros, now just a shell of the bean, flies across the room into a lava pit of Mount Veron. The treaty seals itself.

10:47 Heat flashes through the room. The chamber shutters the Dominion. The Dominion soldiers form ranks behind near us. The hollow host apparitions gather behind him like a quiet court of masks. 2 factions stand now as one force near us stands between them and you. And what would the party like to do at this point? That is super heavy. Just to clarify, we're just all standing in front of neuros right now.

11:31 Correct. Yeah. So again, kind of keep in mind that where we left everything. So the party is think of standing in the back of a church and Neros is standing at the basically at the altar on the front. So there's, there's about, I would say 3030 feet, 3035 feet in between all of you right now. OK. I think I would start by asking why we were sent here by the syndicate to stop this from happening. I don't even really understand what this was. I don't either.

12:12 The syndicate was a vehicle. I had my own missions. I think at this point in Argument's head, he's. Have you been playing us this whole time? No, the interactions were sincere. They were honest. I think at this point Ogman's head, he's, he's realizing that like the Syndicate was kind of a vehicle for him at the same time because he doesn't remember anything before that. So as a vehicle to find his way to like where he belongs in a sense.

13:04 So he finds truth in what Nearest is saying. Oh, Sisa started out just shocked and and in awe and horrified. But. As he speaks, there's a level of cold calm that kind of radiates over her, and she turns away, takes a heavy breath and looks back at him and says, I was never afraid of you.

13:45 You do not scare me, Nero's. My intent isn't fear, my intent is truth. But where lies the balance and only truth? What would you prefer? Fighting murder and genocide in the sake of truth. That's what Valora was doing, only it wasn't hidden. It was passed off to me and I was forced to suffer all of that mental agony. Wasn't being a reliquary your choice? No, a memory plague swept through my village when I was a young child.

14:43 At the end of that, I was left as a sole survivor. And then that's when Velora showed herself. After the damage, she told me she had a gift, that I would be of divine nature and the result was becoming the reliquary. I never asked for it, I never wanted it. Nero's there were other ways. You didn't have to be her reliquary, but but doing this you've you've destroyed anything that could label you as a cleric.

15:23 I cannot abide this. I stood by your side and I defended you and fought for you and saved you. But Chantelle would never stand for any of this. Not for for death or for for genocide. You've betrayed the Syndicate and all of us and I don't understand why. What truth do you have to share that could not have been shared by doing something else?

16:07 History repeats itself, and I wasn't about to let it repeat again. Whatever it takes, that's what I'll do. Cleric is nothing more than a title that can be passed and given and taken freely. So at this point, Kasde is going to step up.

16:47 She's going to say wake up to reality Neros. Nothing ever goes as planned as a cursed world. The longer you live, the more you realize that the only things that truly exists in this reality are mere pain, suffering, and futility. Listen, everywhere you look in this world, wherever there's light, there will always be shadows to be found as well. And as long as there's a concept of victor's, the vanquished will also exist. The selfish intent of wanting to preserve peace initiates war and hatred is born to protect love. You are my friend. You protected me and I guess maybe that's why your blade found my back so easily. The saddest part is I would have followed you anywhere, but I guess a friend's betrayal cuts deeper than any enemy sword. My statements are true.

17:42 You have a choice, you need to make it. I already made my choice. The damage you caused, What have you done, Neros? It's not what I've done, it's what I'm going to do. You have soiled the name of cleric. So be it. Call me a fallen, call me a blasphemer, but memory will preserve. You are all those things and worse. I cannot abide this, I cannot stand here, and if it costs me my life then I take that as my burden. But we are done.

18:44 What is it you're going to do with this new found power? I personally feel that words can be twisted, but actions never lie. I have yet to see what you're doing with this accord. What are your plans? Peace Alignment. Protection I know wouldn't be against any of this, so I don't understand. I won't call you a blasphemer or a Fallen.

19:26 I'm going to call you a friend as I walk up and I stand next to Nero's. If your memory is what you seek, I can acquire it. This is memory enough for me. As previously stated by one of the others, this world has been filled with shadows and I want to help you make it brighter so that way the brightness overcast the shadows.

20:14 I believe that to be a wise choice. And again, to the rest. To the rest, whether you view me as a blasphemer or a fallen or a betrayer. While all of those titles may fit, a more appropriate title would be God Divine. You see yourself as a God.

20:56 I don't see myself as a God. I am a God. The Laura's power is now my power. Right. See, I was torn up until this point. I mean, I've never exactly been a friend of yours. I've always thought you were kind of off, but you haven't done anything to me. You haven't hurt my friends. You haven't hurt my weapons.

21:39 I had the opportunity. I know what you all hold tightly, hold dearly for Obamana's friendship. But. Now. How long have you been just gathering that information? It's information. I've known my information, my knowledge comes from memory, comes from history and truth. So you know more about us than you should. I know more about you than you. The things you don't remember, the areas of your life that you've hidden away, they can't be hidden from me. Right.

22:34 OK. So in essence, you have been playing us this whole time. As I said, the syndicate as a whole was a vehicle. You are part of the syndicate and therefore part of that vehicle. But I've also said that the interactions were genuine. The actions I chose to take in protecting or manipulating, we're all true. I can't trust that.

23:17 I can't trust anything that you say, actually. And I'm just going to slowly back towards Osisa and Kasdan. I'm just not like as much as I hate failure and the essence is failure because I have to turn around and know that the accord was signed and I have to add it to my list that you know about that I haven't shared about. This is what I'm going to have to live with completely as. You view this as a failure, but a failure for who? The Syndicate?

24:06 How do you even know to believe or trust that their approach, their missions are just? I don't. But. I have no but I was given a a mission and I agreed to do it and I have now failed said mission. But see the difference is you never were truthful about your intentions. They at least told me what they wanted to do or what they wanted accomplished and I agreed to that. I didn't agree to work with someone who knew all all of the things behind me that have made me me and not be upfront about it. I didn't hide it.

24:55 You've seen me talking. About it. You've seen me talking to myself, as many would believe, but I'm never truly alone. I know that now. If you would have paid attention, given me the time of day, you would have seen this. Oh come on, saw it. Don't you think that if he's wanted to target the Vadnais, knowing us the way he does, do you think he would have offered us to be with him in this moment?

25:35 Or do you think he would have just did what he did to Sir General over there in the lava to all of us? I think Nero's has his own plans and he will use anyone around him to achieve them as he's clearly stated. And already done. So what would you choose The life of one over the life of many? Even if you have connection and relationship, what makes that more valuable than the rest? The Oracle's coming, and I'm not going to stand around like the Syndicate, like you all have stood around waiting for the next catastrophe.

26:31 You've said you know about us. What do you think you know? Well, tell me, Kestea, how is your son? Is he safe? You leave him out of this. You leave my family out of this. A path not aligned with mine is a path that leads to his ruin and everyone else's. I assure you that if you bring my son into this, it will lead to your ruin. He's already involved.

27:17 Everyone is already involved. The Syndicate gives you missions, gives us missions on how to prevent war, negotiate treaties, eliminate high value targets. But the purpose behind all of that is never clearly communicated, never truly distributed. That knowledge is retained for those at the higher level. Part of this burden of memory and of truth is also one of transparency. It's very difficult for others to hide from me and I will tell you in full transparency, while the syndicate has good intentions, most of the time there are ulterior motive. So then I pose this question to you. What is your ulterior motive?

28:29 Because of the syndicate has an ulterior motive, so do you. My motive is transparency. It is the free distribution of memory, the free distribution of truth, nothing hidden. Good. And bad, painful or happy, so are you. Saying that everybody's secrets will just be out there are. No secrets anymore. No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying the inability to forget to some degree. Ogemon is a clear example.

29:15 He has no memory of his, of his history or his past, only that the Syndicate was there and he's a good soldier and follows orders. So they used him, they manipulated him, they put him where they needed him to be. It almost killed me as a reminder with one of the bounties that they sent me on and I'm pretty sure they knew full well what they were doing. Maybe they they did that because whatever you lived through previously had been so traumatic you couldn't. Who are they to make that determination? That's. How do you know that they? Didn't enough?

29:56 He didn't ask him them. It's time for you all to stand with me, and if you won't stand with me, time will stop for you. And as he says that, the chamber shakes as molten cracks split across the pyre. Heart stones, mask mask drift in the hot air like ash. Nero steps forward with calm precision. The accord glows under his hand. His eyes carry that faint cracked Violet Sheen of of the host, and he he speaks without raising his voice.

30:42 You stand here with your doubt. You cling to your fear of the truth. You still believe. I will hesitate, but I will not. You had your chance to join me. He lifts his holy symbol. It's metal warps. It bends in quiet heat. The air starts to compress. A ripple of force is starting to spread from him. Slow at first, then sharp. The party begins to feel pressure behind their eyes, every torch tilting towards Nero's. Every Dominion soldier braces. He looks at the party with a a strange softness.

31:25 Trust you will understand. You'll understand in time. The world cannot wait for your courage to rise up, and then you know this will cast time stop. He raises his hand towards all of you, the floor beginning to crack. A pulse of white fire forms. This is the moment he intends to end the party. These honey words don't have me fooled. I, for one, intend to get us out of here. I've been preparing the circle of teleportation and I think it's time. Before the pulse of time start, Time stop begins to detonate and spread across the entire the entire Chapel, Zebulon moves.

32:10 One hand snaps to a mirror seed charm. He carries the other, tracing a circle across the open air. Lines burn cold blue. They ripple like memory pulled taut. The circle flare is a tunnel of mountain mist and frost. Light shows the familiar interior of his Tavern in the Shatter Peaks, the stone hearth, the carved tables, the old ironwood beams holding up the roof, the sound of distant winds. The teleports is is violent, but the choice is instant. Nebulon commands, commands all of you. Move now. The pulse from near us erupts behind them. The Circle collapses at the exact moment Time Stop would have reached you, and for a moment the world becomes just white heat and then stone cold, but home. The party stumbles into Zebulon's Tavern. The hearth crackles, tankard shake on their hooks, a storm building outside the window.

33:10 The Shatter peaks breathe in slow gusts of frozen air. Zebulon drops to one knee. His sweat is cutting through the sort of on his skin. The circle sigil scars his palm in faint mirror blue lines. He catches his breath. He stands and bolts. The door shut. Outside, Thunder rolls down the mountainside. The world feels different now. The world. The Accord is real. Neros is gone, Ogemon is gone, and the factions have shifted. And with that, we're going to take a quick break here on Crit Happens.

33:51 We will be back here after this commercial break. Tonight's episode of Chris Heavens is sponsored by Scribe Quill. Miss a plot thread in your last session? Scribe Quills got you Upload your TT RPG session recording and Scribe Quill transcribes it, turns it into an engaging recap, and narrates it with text to speech. Dial in the vibe with thematic background music and pick from a range of voices to match your world. Share it with your party and kick off your next session perfectly In Sync. Preserve the essence, keep the momentum, search Scribe Quo, and start recapping today. Scribe Quo, remember, better play faster. That's right, the Kickstarter for Dungeon Trader is now open and the basement of slow trading and character sheet chaos just leveled up.

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35:19 This message brought to you by the Scale Bound syndicate and Crit happens. Welcome back to crit Happens here on Spotify, iTunes, player.fmpoddirectory.com, stitcher.com, TuneIn radio and iheartradio.com. All right, we're going to pick up pick up immediately where we left off. The party had just been teleported back to the Tavern that Zebulon owns, kind of the Syndicate safe haven located within the Shatter Peaks. So as you come through the portal, everyone has this moment to themselves of what on God's earth just happened and Zebulon kind of starts to make himself busy behind the bar trying to distract himself, Savara cleaning her weapon and 'cause they are just back and forth pacing almost.

36:19 So they've set their sights on our right. Her voice tightens, not with fear, but something far sharper. Let them try. My son is not prey, and I am not a mother who begs for mercy. If they believe he is the target, then they have already signed their deaths. I will not warn him. He needs to see what the world truly is. But if a single hand reaches for him, she exhales. I see and. Get deliberate. If they reach for him, I will not simply kill them. I will unmake them, peel their names from his precious memory, and grind their souls until they have nothing. Not even the void remembers that they ever walked. And as soon as she says that, she will immediately retreat to her her room and, and lock herself in her room within the Tavern.

37:17 You you take a couple days to digest what has just occurred the the sharp betrayal that has occurred and a couple of days go by. Snow is whispering along the snow stone walls as a cold dawn settles over the Shadow peaks. Zebulon keeps the Tavern dark except for the hearth. He checks the mirror wards one last time and then almost a coated knock hits the door. 4 beats a pause, 2 beats more. Zebulon opens the door. The it's a syndicate delegation.

37:59 Attempt command delegation and they step inside The High Empress Relvain enters first. Her cloak carries frost. Her Ledger fragment hangs in a Steelcase by her side. Captain Vayrich Stone Clark, Stone cloak. Excuse me follows his armor, still glowing faintly from a recent battle. Remember it. Careless Vay brings the quiet presence of the hollow host. Their cracked porcelain markings catch the the fire light and then the reinforcements arrive. Mimi steps into the Tavern with a steady confidence. She removes her hood.

38:41 Her eyes land not on the party, but directly on Cast Daya herself. She will go immediately to Cast Daya and will grapple her into a huge hug. Came. I came as fast as I could. Whatever Nairos became, he is not finished. But neither are we heavy. Footsteps follow her. A towering figure of slate, blue metal and stone steps into view, armor plates grown directly from his, from his from his chassis. Thin gold lines run through him like fault cracks, each pulsing from a diamond shaped core set in his chest, glowing a steady amber orange. His face is almost Elvin, but too symmetrical and too still, with pupiless blue eyes that track every exit and every threat before they ever even think to land on the party. When he speaks, it's it's precise and quipped, like a report being filed.

39:49 Designation 9141 dot V3 Yield name Glaive relic forge security frame former corporate asset, Current operational directive Keep this cohort alive. He shifts his grip on the long rune edged glaive at his side. That single sentence becomes his entire biography. A wide shouldered dwarf follows behind him. His braids are tied with iron rings. His boots are thick with Shatter Peak ice. I break problems that need breaking. They told you, you face one. They told me that it lived. He nods once to the group, then to the leadership, direct yet unbothered.

40:34 Real quick, before we continue, let's start with Gene. Go ahead and introduce your new character. So my character's name is Harkum. Obviously he is a dwarf by barbarian. Excuse me. And he is very short for being a dwarf. So somewhere along the lines he must, his family must have had ran ran a gene shorter. So as I say, you could tell by looking at him that he has like an ex criminal background, the way his eyes are shifty, but he's very calm and he's very direct.

41:14 And you could just tell that he doesn't worry much. He just does what he has to do. All right. And then Jesse, if you would like to introduce your new character as well. Sure. So Glaive is his field name his I'll send it in the chat and obviously our audio listeners can't see this, but his asset name, asset name is Glaive, right? It's spelled out with like I don't know if people are familiar with like Bleet speak 1337. So it's using characters to write Glaive. So his asset is his model IS9141 dot V3, which is the also Glaive. So he took on the field name of Glaive. He's about 6/6, not entirely intimidating looking, but much heavier in presence than you would expect from someone of his stature.

42:19 Cold, calculated, but not unkind. He's a got a very large glaive, ironically that he very rarely actually let's go of. He's not so much a species as he is an experiment. And the result of that experimentation is what people refer to as like corporate asset. All right, so from there, after Mimi, Glaive, and Harkum all enter, Zebulon will shut the door and we'll almost put a locking ward and it will seal.

43:14 With a low hum, Relvain sets the Ledger fragment on the table. Ink inside is shifting like a a living map. We are here because the Accord rewrote the board. 2 factions now move as one. Neros is the binding point. You were present, you, you escaped him. We we must understand how and and why. Stone Cloak's arms. He folds his arms. He signed in Velour's place. He he forced the Host and the Dominion into alignment. That level of precision is not chance. And we need your account.

43:59 Mimi steps closer. In my time away, I served near Dominion Lines. The reports described Nairos's chosen. Her tone does not match what you saw. I want your truth. Slave's voice cuts in. I will compare your testimony with hold pattern logs. Expect direct questions. Harkum rests both hands on the table. If Nero's believes he is right, I will not stop or he will not stop. I need to know what he became.

44:41 Kayla's now studies the group. The host. My host accepted him, that much is clear. Their reasons are not they they rarely move without purpose. Relvain raises 3 fingers, One how nearest turned 2. Why the host accepted him so fast. 3 What the accord activates. She lowers her hand. Begin with the final moments before the extraction.

45:23 Every detail matters. The world changed in that room in an instant that the Ledger must know, and she'll nod to to Zebulon. You lived it. Please start from there. And the Tavern falls quiet as they begin to listen. And the next decisions of what the syndicate will do will depend on what the party says. You're asking how it all went down? Well, essentially we had succeeded. We had defeated both of the enemy leaders when Neros decided to sign the Accord himself, usurping his former God.

46:14 I'm not sure any of us were prepared for it exactly. He tried to convince us to go with him, but those of us here, obviously he decided not to. Does anyone else who was there have details to add? Well. He's exciting us the whole time. Walks a little closer and and says Nero seems to believe himself a God and he spoke of someone coming. He said the Oracle was coming. As soon as you say the word Oracle, Relvain and Kalis, we'll both look at each other and you can see they're not saying anything, but their faces have turned a pale white, white as a ghost. And Kayla's will go the Oracle.

47:22 What do you mean the Oracle? Nero said the Oracle was coming and that part of why he was doing this was to prevent a repeat of history, but this is not something I'm familiar with. The the Ashen Oracle is it's it's older than written memory. It's it's fire does not burn it. It it reveals it was it was sealed many, many centuries ago. The the ceiling of the Oracle save the world. Those who touched its flame were changed. The the the minion fears the Oracle, the host mourns it. It's it's awakening would not look like you expect. Truth.

48:34 Truth is never gentle. The oracles least of all. Umm, Mimi's going to stand up from her chair, put like her hands on the table, lean forward and go. So you're telling me that this entire time that man has been not just a rat, but an informant and now a God killer? He was fairly upfront about his worship of Velora, so I think the term rat is maybe a bit unfair.

49:18 All of those other things, yes, I. Mean. He destroyed the sign of of Valora. He he used his status as Reliquary reliquary to to gain entrance, but he bastardized everything that stands for Clericood all in the name of of supposedly stopping this Oracle and absolute truth everywhere. Well, I think we need to start with figuring out who the Oracle is. All right, gang, it's time to hit the books. Maybe he's going to sit back down. From from what we know, and this is careless. Again, talking from what we know, the Oracle is still, it's still chained.

50:21 It's still, it's still sealed away. We would have, we would know if, if, if the, if the Oracle was beginning to awaken. Everyone in this realm would know if the Oracle was was awakening. Part of what Neros was talking about was that there were memories being wiped, would you know? And. If you didn't know, would you tell us it is? Yes, we would.

51:03 Because you because you obviously seem to know more about the Oracle than what you're letting on the fact that you no longer have blood running into your face. Give me an insight check. Hold on, I just have my dice ready, pausing. Oh, that is a 19. I don't know what my modifiers are. So just don't beats the DC anyway you when Relvain says, of course we would tell you, you can sense that that that statement is not entirely true. Of course they would.

51:54 Say that they would tell you. Sure you would, because they is going to stand up. I think I've had just about enough. She's going to kind of pat her side and Asmodeus is going to follow her and she's going to head towards the door. Mimi's going to stand up and like kind of sharpen her claws and go. So if this continues, I'll find you just going to follow Cassadea out. Agents, we need to come up with a plan before we go anywhere. Cassadan is going to whip around, go anywhere. This is already gone too far.

52:44 They've threatened my son. My son. And you say you would tell us, but I don't think that's completely truthful. You would tell us what we need to know. But right now what we need to know is everything. Everything that you know. Because you've cut us in dark, the dark, for too long, and now we're here. We're at this point. And I don't think that you would know if that Oracle was waking up. I don't think you would know. Your asshole from a hole in the wall. God damn. Everyone in the room is taken aback at that. Can I jump in or?

53:29 Oh yeah, sure. Kasdea, this does nothing to serve you protecting your son. We need to stay calm and keep level heads for this. Whatever is coming is not simple or easy. We need all the help we can get. Please try to stay calm. Try to stay calm. Oh, Sisa, they're lying to our faces. Look at them. They obviously know more than they're letting on. And they're not going to tell you, and they're not going to tell me. They're not going to tell me until I am bleeding to death and I am on my deathbed. I don't want my son to see me dead. He already lost his father and I refuse to let him lose me. So sorry if I don't trust everything that the syndicate is feeding us.

54:17 I might not be on Neuros's side, but I don't think I'm on theirs either. No one's asking you to trust. Everything. No. But you're asking me to put my life on the line, my life on the line for something that isn't being completely told to us. They know more. They know more. Don't you know more? Tell them. Tell them everything. So Beanie is going to stop and look these two people in the eyes, these two people who have been her commanders or she was like fighting with the Dominion and she's going to go. So this can go to either ways.

55:02 Well, actually one of either way. Either we sit here like true diplomats and we talk this out and you tell us the information before I got you from sternum to throat. You decide. And as you say that you've. Seen me killed before, I'll do it again. And as you say that Relvain will slam her legs shot and she will yell enough and she'll snap her fingers. And I need everyone except Glaive Harkum and I'm sorry, just those two.

55:46 Everybody else. I need a Wisdom saving throw please. Hold on, are they all within 5 or 10 feet of me? Because if you are, you get a + 5. No, actually. 11. Oh man, I rolled A4. I'm not even causing trouble. Nat 20, baby. Nat 20 OK everyone except Kasdea Harcum and Glaive I. Rolled Nat. 20 Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't hear that. I apologize and I'll see some You were all. Hell, I also rolled a Nat 20.

56:37 Did you really? Yes. Do you want a picture? No, she will go to attempt to cast hold person on everyone and I think the only person that gets held is Savara. And Zebulon. Sorry. Zebulon none of the least problematic other than OSISA right now. Maybe he's going to enter a rage. Oh shit. Guys. I'm tired of their lies. I'm tired of this bullshit. Damn, why don't you all just join near us God. Damn, honestly like Savara knew that the Syndicate was kind of shady so like she's not overly surprised by this for.

57:22 Sure is that be like maybe he's. Gonna bristle like, you know, like when like a poof ball just like extends kind of like that and her limbs are going to start to crack and she's going to go how dare you, and enter a rage. OK. Glaive to do something. I'd recommend it before I make a move. Glaive is going to cast. We'll go a twinned. I could do twinned old person now I'll do twinned command OK on Mimi and Kazdea.

58:12 I wouldn't even fight and I was just mad. So I need Wisdom saving throws. Wisdom saving throws from both of you, please. What's the DC? I'm waiting to hear what they get. What is? It 19. The DC is 20 all. Right. What do you want us to do? You're just stuck, old person. Because it's the only. Like one word, right? Yeah, and he doesn't know a ton of the stuff, so he's just going to say grovel. Are you fucking with me right?

58:54 Now the target false prone and begins to grovel. Yep. OK. He's a robot, so he's not, but at the same time, yes. OK, whatever, Amy starts groveling. I couldn't think of a of a single word that was like chill out bitch, you know, calm hell down y'all. Feel like that's the most. Functional robot response that's. Right. OK. So I guess you've de escalated the situation. My bad. And then so after after glib. Kind of does. It he'll just say hostility isn't solving any of these problems. Companionship, teamwork and a plan. That's how we take back with SARS. Am I allowed to talk during this? Like am I like when, when you it's. Basically done now.

59:53 OK, cool. It only lasts for a round, so it only lasts 6 seconds, but it's enough for you to chill for a second, you know, chill for a bit and hopefully. Fine, I'm going to pop a squat cross legged on the floor with my arms crossed and just not look at anybody. Like like, like I'm not playing anymore. I'm. Done like a dejected giant. Yep. Relvain will step forward with almost a calm focus, and she'll say, Castea, Mimi, listen to me. You are not the enemy. The Syndicate is not your rival. The world changed when Nero signed that accord. That that new faction is our problem now. They hold fear and power in the same hand.

1:00:36 They move fast, they'll move with purpose. They will not stop. She sets a hand on her Ledger. Her Ledger. The Oracle is not your concern, Not yet. If the Oracle were waking, the land itself would scream. Rivers would burn, memory would fail across entire cities. You would feel heat in your bones. You would know before I ever spoke a word. Her eyes stay steady. What we face right now is simple. A united force with two ideologies that never could have touched. They have momentum. They have belief. They have neros.

1:01:17 That is where your focus needs to stay. Hold your ground, watch the fractures even when the Oracle stirs. We will not need reports. The world will tell us. Until that day, please keep your blades pointed at the faction and problem that threatens us today. Is that understood? Is that an order? I'm not above taking your Ledger. That is an order.

1:01:59 I think at this point, go ahead. Oh, it's OK. I think at this point because they would take out the Ledger and like hold it out in front of her. We like this Ledger. This one, Amy is going to snatch that shit out of her hands and put it into her bag and just turn to the general and go. I'm sorry I had a lack of control there for a moment. Turn to Cassadea and just like give you the most bitch. Don't you dare look. Glave, Glave lacking the like, emotional intelligence is going to be like, yeah, that Ledger like, like from Guardians of the Galaxy when Drax is like, I would catch it if it flew over my head, like, like that kind of mindset.

1:02:53 Glebe is also only three years old. Bless at this point I think. Kazdea is just. Gaping at Mimi like what the fuck give it back. Mimi, give me a persuasion check on Kazdea. Can say give me a contested persuasion check? Please pause, I have to find my dice. I lost it somewhere. What, did you eat them across the room? That's another Nat 20. Looking good for you, babe. Taking that picture. So so So what happens if I rolled in at 22?

1:03:37 You're. Joking are. You kidding? Really not. I wish that I were, but I'm really not. Yeah, but what's the total? Because there's no there's no auto success. Or one one for Mimi. He's probably be higher than that because she's she's a yeah, yeah, she's got a she's got a like a 16 deck. So I think she goes yeah, you'll because they you won't when Mimi kind of gives you that bitch, I swear to fucking God, if you try this and you'll have this moment of hesitancy, but you won't necessarily feel controlled. You'll feel almost a little bit, I don't want to say betrayed given what you guys have gone through so far, but why is Mimi all of a sudden on their side?

1:04:33 Yes. OK, Mimi's going to narrow her eyes and go. If we don't get information for them, we won't know what to do next. You can gut them after we get information. I don't suggest doing that, but that is what you wish. You may do it, however, we currently need as much information as we can possibly get our hands on, and we need to find out where the fraction is and we need to go beat the shit out of them. So please relax. Glave raises his hand. Like in a classroom in my part of them. They're with us, glave.

1:05:15 Glave, I have no guts. It's OK, darling, I know. Thank you. Yes. How close is glave sitting next to? Me. He's about 10 feet away. And he's still holding his glave. Oh yeah, it's a real pretty glave. So can I just like, meander my way over? Hey, buddy. I'm gonna sit next to him and I'm gonna be checking out that web. It's I'll get a picture quick. It's a real pretty pretty glaive. Hell yeah.

1:05:58 Maybe he's going to turn to the commander and ask, So what is our next course of action? You said we have to watch the fraction. Would you like us to go deal with the fraction head on? Relvain Relvain will take out a portion of almost a map of the relios, and she will place 3 stones on the map in different points, each one kind of glowing with a faint pulse of heat. She will say these are the first fracture points linked to the accord.

1:06:45 Each site shows signs of rising energy in old ruins that should be dormant. The Dominion has already moved scouts towards two of them. The Hollow Host has taken interest in the third. Stone Cloak will lean in and he'll say your directive is simple. Reach these sites before either faction locks them down. Gather proof of what changed after the accord. Do not get pulled into open conflict. Do not reveal Syndicate presence unless Survival demands it, and Kalis will say these locations share a signature. Heat spikes, memory bleeds, structural warping, All recent, all within the last 48 hours of the treaty being signed.

1:07:32 Something shook the bones of the land. It could be magic, it could be pressure from below. Either way, we check the ruins before the Dominion starts digging. You're looking for patterns, shifts, anything that can tie to neuros or the accord. If you find Dominion soldiers, observe them. If you find host agents, track them. Keep distance from both. Your role is to study, not disrupt, and relvain will touch the last marker. And if something older has stood, do not confront it.

1:08:15 You record it, you leave, you bring the knowledge back here you will deploy at first light, travel light, avoid attention, report every change directly to the Ledger at the next outpost. We build our strategy from your findings. Relevain will close her Ledger, place it in a in almost like a magically sealed case, and lock it, and she'll say your path is clear. These fractures are the first sign of what lies ahead. Whatever Nero set in motion starts right here. Move fast, stay quiet, bring back truth and she will step away from the table and she will say, this meeting is closed. Please prepare for the mission.

1:09:14 And they will all leave, and the room will fade into stillness. You now carry the only directive that matters. Find the fractures, track the change. Learn what's waking beneath the surface of the world. Into the booty hole of the world. Jump into the crack. Let's go. You're not. If you're not, I have credentials. And then Glaive will hand everybody a piece of paper and I'm going to send what's on it, Basically a propaganda advertisement for himself.

1:09:59 I thought something like I do what I want. Oh yeah, this. Point is going to push her way past Mimi and out the door and she is heading to her room. Does anybody have a damn pint in this place? I do. I got you fam. Come with me help you a lot. Give us something strong, man. Can do say glave? Are there more of you out there? Is that what this is paper is telling me? No, it's just me. Good stuff.

1:10:44 I usually just get sent in when when things have to happen and they don't care about collateral damage. What does that say about all of you? We've seen suffer, don't worry about it. Can you drink? Do I pour you a glass as well? I can, I don't. I'm gonna go take this glass to Cassidy. I was gonna leave it outside of her room. Amy walks over with like a little a little thing of beer and she very lightly knocks and then sets the beer down. Just says, or what it's worth.

1:11:30 I'm glad to be home. He's going to turn back around and go back to joining the group. So this is strictly meta. How long has Harkham and Glee been travelling together? It's me, they haven't necessarily been travelling together so effectively what your rules would have been. You are senior agents of Syndicate. I'll work out what that means with you 2 out of game because it will effectively you will be a little bit more experienced and I'm going to give you a lot more proficiency, things like that to kind of work out of game. But we'll work on that over the next week or so before our next main campaign session.

1:12:18 OK. Also, did you look at that club that I sent you? Yes, I'll, I'll review that now. I will. I'll give you the OK with that afterwards, so. You got my DM rights once. Yes. All right. Cool beans. Thank you. Because I I thought it might be a little bit OP, but I don't. Know. No. And if it if, if if when I look at it, if it's too opie, I'll. You know, you have no idea the amount of stuff Spencer's in the earth for me, yeah. Yeah, yeah, I've. Seen my weapon? So. Yeah. So my. Weapon's kind of broken. Yeah. This thing can take down whole buildings, that's why I'm asking if it's two OP. Yeah, I'll review it.

1:13:00 And like I said, if I need to nerf a couple things. I will so just for I guess for role play sake, no one's ever seen Glaive before. Well, I can't, I guess I won't say that truly. When? When he's has anyone ever? Seen a war forge before? Well, I'm not a WAR forged, I'm a relic forged. Yeah, he's a custom class. OK, Custom race. Excuse me? So a relic forge specific to this world in the Syndicate specifically, which is kind of a cross between a War forge and an Autonome and an elf.

1:13:45 But when he's not active on mission, he's basically in a locked closet because he doesn't need to eat, sleep, or drink anything, so they just keep him. Another one that doesn't sleep. He's content. He's content within. He just hangs out. But when, when stuff really has to happen, you know, maybe you maybe you saw him in in the headquarters or wherever, something that's up to Spencer, I guess. But he's he's kind of elven like and where most of his body is metallic and very war forged in kind of that aspect, there's still bits of like tissue and sinew and organic material strung throughout.

1:14:34 So he's not completely inorganic. Also, I just realized I hate the word sinew. It's. Real. So Zebulon, Savara, Messiah, what's what's been going on? I haven't seen you guys in a while. There's been a couple moons, you know. It's been a while for sure. Hard to say anything without mentioning Nero's. He was there for pretty much all of it. Right.

1:15:15 So she said just kind of groans and rubs the bridge, bridge of her nose and says, I think I need to rest. And she'll walk through the door and head up towards Kaz Day's room and she'll stop and knock. What could I have a moment of your time? Because they all slowly open the door. Speak. I want to offer something to you. Offer what? Osisa.

1:15:57 May I sit? She opens the door wider and gestures are in. Meanwhile, she picks up the small glass of beer that Mimi left and looks at it and takes it in the bedroom with her. Seems to kind of gently sits in a preferred chair and gestures for Cassia to do the same. And she kind of takes a breath, grimaces, does a kind of visible swallow. And she says, I know what it's like to lose family. I have no one left and I would never wish that on anyone, least of all you.

1:16:46 I come to offer something to you. I cannot make any promises, but should the time come or God gods forbid something happened and your son is in danger, I will put my life on the line to save him. I want something different from you. I'll see you soon. Name it. If ever there comes a day where I am no longer here, you will take Orion and you will find a safe place for him to grow up as a normal child because normalcy is not something he has ever known. You will take him to a countryside somewhere far away from the hustle and bustle of this stupid God forsaken city and you will protect him.

1:17:49 You will give him to people who will protect him and they will see that light. They will see that light that I see, and they will save him where I could not. That is what I want from you. She takes a deep breath and leans forward and grasps Castaia's hands firmly. I swear on my life, on my beliefs, on my soul, on Shantaya that should that day come, may it ever not, that I will do that. And I will protect your son and give him the childhood he deserves to the best of my ability. And you make sure that he knows Mimi and he knows Savara and he knows Zebulon and everything that we've done here and that it wasn't that it won't be all for nothing. I fought that I tried and I did everything for that boy that I burned this world for that boy to keep him safe, O Sisa, to keep him safe.

1:19:22 And the syndicate, the syndicates not going to do that. They, they don't, they don't care, O Sisa, that that boy is my world. That, boy, is my world. Of course he is. But they don't care. I do. I will do everything in my power to make it happen to, to show him who you are, who we were, what we fought for. But I believe that if we try and if we band together, we can survive this and we can have a happy ending for all of us because we deserve it.

1:20:18 But. See, here's the thing. I'll die trying and that's OK because I died protecting him and that's OK. It has to be OK. As long as I'm here, I'll do everything I can to prevent that. Kaze is going to unwrap her hand, the hand that she keeps wrapped all the time. She's going to stick her hand out to a Caesar. Promise me right now that that boy, that boy will be safe when I'm gone. OC says unfamiliar with the gesture. So she takes off her her amulet of Shantaya and puts it in her hand and goes to clasp with the the the amulet between their hands.

1:21:30 Taz Day is going to grip her hand and give it a firm shake. She. Returns it I'll. Haunt you. I'll haunt you to the end of your fucking life if you back down on this that. For nothing less. OK. So be it. She releases her hand and puts the amulet back on, and just very quickly, briefly yoinks Asda into a a firm, short hug. Pass around the back and the lots are go. As they as stiff as a board like. Thank you.

1:22:21 Go have fun with our friends. I'll be down shortly, I'm sure. And no, Sisa. Yes, thank you. It's my honor. And with that, she walks out of the room and quietly closes the door behind her. Far. Anyways, I was staring at this massive freaking rhino, right? I'm staring him dead in the eyes. OK? He's got these little tiny like hands. They're like a pincer hand. My hands are normal sized.

1:23:05 Like do you remember that rhino dude that encountered at like one of those? I can't remember where we were. This is like when you guys showed up when I was working on the line anyways. But he's like, so time to bet some money. And I'm like, oh really? Let's just say I make them some really good rhino soup for dinner they can test for. That as you put it, as you put it, he was gutted. Indeed, Glenn, I'm very glad that you've learned that. Anyways, what's going up with you guys? You know anything, you know, learning skills, You know, you guys get any catch while I was gone? I got this cool mask and it lets me do this. So it has the spell mislead which lets you leave a duplicate.

1:24:01 So I would essentially like tap you on the shoulder while I'm still at the bar, not like a foot away or whatever. I love it so much I want a game show. I mean so did I when I hold out my hammer which it has like these colorful buttons on the handle. What does this one do? The Football 10. My God, we'll go with oh, where did I put the description? Well, we'll have it be the one where it turns into a flame tongue sword or whatever. So it just immediately is this big sword full of flames and like, well, that that's the fiery flame. Don't.

1:24:51 Pass well. Damn nice. Nice baby you got there or nice? I see you're adding to collect to the collection and I'd love to see it so far. So it's a good question. Like as a shapeshifter I'm like trying to turn into a rhino guy. Oh, right, right. Before I describe that to you, do you have anything like alive that I could eat? Alive. Yeah, I've got a pet rat in my pocket, but that's not food. Amy's eyes just like, like, you know, like pupils her, her pupil shrink into a sliver and her her eyes blink like instead of like, you know how we blink? It's the other way.

1:25:35 And she goes a rat. We've got some less friendly rats outside if you want to go scavenge. OK, I'll be right back. He was going to get up but her weapon down next to Savaro and freaking she gone is out the door around the corner. Looking at her weapon. So as you are all kind of at this point now just kind of mingling with each other and starting to catch up with Mimi and just kind of bring everybody to the same page, you know, inside the, the Hearthburn's low, the room is quiet.

1:26:17 You're starting to gather your gear, maps, rations, tools for the for the, the road ahead. Zebulon. You're checking your mirror ward along the door frame ripples once, then settles. Mimi, you're adjusting your armor. First light, no delays. Glave. You're standing next to the window. The glow in your chest is kind of steady and calm. Arkham. You're tying the last iron ring into the into the brain of your of your beard. Castea feels the Tavern floor. Castea returns and and feels the Tavern floor hum under her boots for just a moment is a short pulse, too light to to shake any dust from the beams, too real to imagine.

1:27:04 She turns, but nothing. The others, You felt nothing. Zebulon catches her eye. The shatter peaks shift at night. Do not think on it. The rest of you again preparing for rest. Packs are lined near the wall by the door, weapons within reach. The fire starts to slowly die to a soft ember glow, and 1 by 1 you start to head to your rooms for the evening. The Tavern is silent. A thick layer of frost clings to the window frames. The last embers in the hearth shift with a faint crackle. Everyone begins to fall asleep, as they have been the last. She tries to rest, but sleep just refusing to hold her mind. Looping through the pyre.

1:27:56 Heart neuros, the new faction, the map on the table, that strange pulse under her boots earlier. She rises and steps into the hall right outside her her her door. The Tavern feels heavier at night. The air has weight. The quiet is is too complete. A sound breaks through the quiet, a soft crack from the ceiling above, followed by a slow pulse of heat that rolls across the wooden beams. Castaia begins to move now into the main room. The ceiling glows with thin orange lines.

1:28:37 They spread through the grain like veins, and they brighten, then fade, then brighten again in a slow rhythm, each pulse almost feeling like a a breath. She reaches towards the glow, heat radiating down her chest begins to tighten. The lines shift. They form a a shape, a curve, and then the second curve, an eye pressed against the wood from the other side. As Deus steps back, the eye opens. A whisper reaches her, low and close. As she freezes, the glow deepens, a second shape forming near the first smaller rounder.

1:29:24 A child's face tries to press through the grain. Only the outline appears at first, then the suggestion of hair, then the impression of tiny hands bracing against the wood. A voice follows, quiet yet clear. Mom. Kaz. Daya's breath breaks. Her hand shakes as it reaches for her dagger. The face pushes closer, not fully formed. Half memory, half heat. Mom, Mom, why did you leave me? The ceiling glows again. The lines pull inward. The glow around the child's outline deepens.

1:30:05 The wood ripples. A second shape forms behind him, taller still and familiar. A hand settles on the child's shoulder, calm and steady. Neros. He steps into the outline, as if rising from the grain itself. His eyes carry a faint ember light, the same glow she saw during the accord. Her son, Orion towards, turns toward him, not frightened, not pulled, not forced. Choosing to listen. Neros kneels down beside him. His voice is low, firm, warm in a way that that digs underneath Kazdea's ribs. Orion, you need to understand she did not leave you. She left the truth while you see it before she does. You understand and understood what she feared. Orion looks back towards Kazdea through the wood. His expression now steadies.

1:31:15 Stronger than you remember. I went with him because I wanted to. He showed me what's comes next. Isaiah grips her dagger until her hand aches. Neros rises behind the child. His outline grows sharper. He looks towards her. You fear what you could become. Orion does not. He sees clearly, He walks forward without doubt. And that is why I welcomed him. Orion takes Nero's hand. The shapes glow brighter.

1:31:58 The heat suddenly drops, as if the air is drained from the room. The child speaks again, soft but final. Mom, I choose this, I choose him. The ceiling cracks with a black. The ceiling cracks with a blight. The ceiling cracks with a bright orange flash. Both outlines vanish at once. The wood goes dark. A thin line of heat lingers in the grain and then fades. Kazdea stumbles back. Her vision blurs, her breath shaken. At the far end of the hall, a tall shadow stands for a single heartbeat, silent, facing her.

1:32:44 She blinks. It's gone. The hearth pops once more as as darkness takes over. And that's where we're going to end tonight's session here with Crit Happens God. Damn it. God fucking damn it, this kid this. Kid. Shit. I might actually hate my boyfriend by now. Yeah, we'll talk. We will talk about it. The Nat 20 Unwind that is going to do it for tonight's episode of Crit Happens. Thank you so much for listening. You can stay tuned for Nat 20 Unwind coming up on Spotify and Facebook. Until then, from everybody here at the P3 Podcast Network, I am Spencer Hart and we will see you next time. Bye.

1:33:33 Bye bye. Bye people. He said.