Volume 1: In the Blood Ep. 2 - Apple of Discord

TRANSCRIPT - In the Blood Ep. 2 - Apple of Discord

Tau

A product of the Whisperforge.

[SFX: Whisperforge chime.] Sound and Story: Brought to Life.

Tau

You're listening to a parody that is not affiliated with or endorsed by Supergiant Games in any way. We're just big old nerds making improv fanfiction. ROGUE RUNNERS is rated R for pretty much everything you can find in Greek mythology: violence, assault, self harm, offensive language, insensitive humor and intense themes. We encourage everyone to check out our show notes and transcripts on our website at whisperforge.org. Are you ready to run then Welcome to Volume 1: In the Blood. Now, here's what happens. You land outside the House of Hades, the previous Olympiads you saw are gone; you have no visual on them. Once you land outside the House of Hades, you see its massive door behind you: a stone slab of marble, carved in the shape of the Lord Hades' iconic visage. On your left and right stand guardian statues more than thrice your height, an imposing entrance for a house you're pretty sure you've never seen open from the front. You're standing on a long rectangular stone platform that begins just slightly on your right and extends a long distance to your left about 200 feet. At your feet the way is paved with cracked stone in shades of sickly green, and just over the lip of the low railings of the platform you can see an ocean of blood on all sides, iridescent bright red and the otherwise enveloping darkness. It roils and bubbles as if threatening to flood the very platform on which you stand. On the far end of the platform you see two massive columns book-ending a gate of stone. You know that's where you have to go. But in your way on the far side still quite a distance from you are two flaming red skulls floating a few feet away from the gate. What do you do?

Amanda

Would anyone like to go first?

Giancarlo

Rolf is gonna start walking a bit closer.

Tau

How much closer?

Giancarlo

Until firebolt range to 60 feet. Or 80 feet.

Tau

Okay, when you walk 30 feet away, this is what happens. Just as you take a step forward, a beam of prismatic light nearly blinds you as it strikes the ground right at your feet. As you squint through its brilliance, you find a large floating crystal sphere in front of you swirling with rainbows on all sides. At the center of the sphere you can make out the shadow of a ewer. So does everybody know what a ewer is?

Players

No.

Tau

It's a pitcher. You can make a religion check, everybody.

Nicholas

Michael

19 for Arete.

Amanda

18 for Annie.

Giancarlo

Tau

Excellent. So everybody who got an 18 or better recognizes the ewer as a symbol of the goddess Iris, and you know that Iris is the goddess of the rainbow. So you see that brilliant crystal sphere with rainbows all around it just hovering in front of you, Rolf.

Giancarlo

Oh, my goodness gracious. And I guess he's gonna touch the sphere and see what happens.

Tau

The rainbows around the sphere intensify and brighten the darkness all around. The air fills with clouds and in the distance you could swear you hear the sound of waterfalls, the shadow of a woman appears where the sphere hovered. And in her hands she holds a ewer. A silhouette of massive feathery wings suddenly unfurl from her back as her voice rings in your minds. So these are the wretched shades taking over Lord Zagreus' charge? Oh, pardon me is that impolite? Now that you've been promoted, is it even appropriate to address you as shades? How about wretches? When you have a moment, please do reply and let me know. You may address me as Iris. Behold, to even the very abyss, I bring the light from above and cast it down to you as a hopeful rope into the chasm of death, so that you may reach for it and grasp of it and climb and take your place among the living again! Rise, and shine! You feel this power swell within you as you touch this sphere and you feel that this power extends to all four of you, that is key. So now of any one of you just roll a flat d20 luck check; this will determine the rarity of the boon you're about to receive.

Giancarlo

Tau

So that is a common rarity boon. You are about to be offered a boon from one of the goddesses of Olympus and you essentially have some control over Or what type of gift you want to be granted you have three choices you can choose to be amplified in your power, your survivability, or your utility and you have to decide as a group which of the three types of boons you want to get. So they're power, survivability, and utility.

Giancarlo

First of all, thank you Iris, very nice opening monologue. Hello, I'm Rolf. Wretches is fine. you can call me wretch. Group, what do we think? What kind of gift are we looking for?

Nicholas

I believe survivability would be the most important.

Giancarlo

I would agree with that, my bones are fragile.

Michael

I am also inclined to agree that survivability, particularly in my line of work up above was a major component of success.

Tau

Okay, so has the group decided that you will accept a survivability boon from the goddess Iris?

Giancarlo

Wait. Annie?

Amanda

Yes.

Giancarlo

Okay. Yes, God, please continue.

Tau

Okay, you feel empowered by the power of the goddess Iris. When you are attacked, you may expend your reaction to interpose a shimmering shield of prismatic light between you and your attacker conferring disadvantage on the attack.

Giancarlo

Whoo.

Michael

Thank you, Iris. I also know that you're a goddess of messengers of sorts. So if you could please just let Nikolas Enklima on the surface world know that his days are numbered, and I am coming for him.

Tau

Okay, I'm gonna award inspiration for that, because that's awesome. Whenever you make almost any type of roll, if you don't roll the way you want to, you can say that you're expending the inspiration that I've granted you. And what that means is you get to roll an additional die, you get to roll one more time, and you can choose to use that result instead, if you want.

Michael

Sweet.

Tau

Alright, so with that the sphere kind of like pops like a bubble, the rainbows and the clouds dissipate. And you are once again in the gloomy dark of Tartarus, you are still about 170 feet from the floating flame skulls.

Amanda

What should we do?

Michael

I think it's always a good idea to approach something cautiously. So let's go ahead and stay in formation.

Giancarlo

I think Alexander is going to take point and lead the way.

Michael

I'll take the left flank.

Giancarlo

I'll take the rear.

Amanda

I'll take the right

Tau

While you are kind of advancing Annie make a perception check.

Amanda

That's an 18.

Tau

As you're kind of all walking along, you see the river Styx is kind of like roiling all around you, its blood red wave seems higher than you've ever seen before. This is unusual. It seems to be filling up quite a bit and then you see like an almost like a flash or a sparkle in the blood and you see like a little carp jump out of it and then dive back in and you just feel so hungry. And you feel like if you had a fishing rod or if you ever came back to this spot, you could potentially fish here for a delicious carp that seems to have winked at you just as it landed back into the blood.

Amanda

Annie's gonna tap on Alex. Alex, Alex. Alex,

Nicholas

What?

Amanda

Can. Can you remind me when we die to make sure to bring a fishing rod next time? Can you do that? For me?

Nicholas

Try to stay focused on the task at hand. We are already dead and therefore sustenance is inconsequential to us.

Tau

Well, he told you.

Amanda

Maybe I just, maybe I just wanted to go fishing.

Michael

I'll make sure to remind ya sweet cheeks.

Amanda

Thank you Arete. That's all.

Nicholas

You should worry about remembering to stay alive and not fish.

Amanda

I want to do that too. I just figured next time we're going to have to pass through anyway.

Nicholas

There isn't going to be a next time because I do not plan to die.

Amanda

Oh me too. But the chances of that are very, very slim Alex...

Nicholas

But there is a chance.

Amanda

Of course there's a chance they're just very slim.

Michael

May the gods smile on us as we creep forward.

Giancarlo

The skull is staring at us very ominously.

Michael

Arete's initiative is a 7.

Giancarlo

Rolf is a 15.

Amanda

Annie is a 9.

Nicholas

Alexander's is a 20.

Tau

We're gonna say around now you're about 50 feet away from these flaming skulls. If anybody wants to identify them, please feel free to just say like, do I know about this thing?

Giancarlo

Rolf would like to know what that is.

Amanda

Annie would like to know as well.

Tau

You can make a nature or history check.

Giancarlo

That's an 8.

Amanda

15 for Annie

Michael

Nicholas

And a 7 for Alexander.

Tau

So the DC for this was 10. These are very obvious. Alexander, you have spent so long being a training dummy that gets beat up on in the House of Hades that maybe you're a little sheltered. You haven't really seen what the rest of Tartarus is like. So these are completely alien to you. Everybody who got a DC of 10 or higher you recognize these flaming skulls is something called Skulltivators. And these Skulltivators are flaming skulls that are essentially like chaotic, evil. Their entire existence is about just causing havoc so they love to go around and bite people and they delight in it. And when they bite people they also like burn them when they bite them. And they float around and are not very intelligent or strong or a whole lot else. They're just kind of like fast and annoying. Also, anybody who's got a 15 or higher, you know that Skulltivators have a feature about them that makes them kind of something called armored, or we're calling it a very thick skull. And what that means is that the very first instance of damage that the Skulltivator takes, such as that from a weapon attack or a single dart of magic missile is reduced to zero and cannot be increased by any means. This feature activates only once and never again. So that means whatever the first hit is, whether that is like a lightning bolt or a flick of a rock does zero damage no matter what. So you're about 50 feet away, the Skulltivators notice you they go HAAWR as they float towards you, which is all they can do. They're on your left and right Alexander. One each is directly in front of you Arete and Annie but that's all they were able to do on their turn is fly straight up to you. Alexander it is your turn. These flaming skulls are flanking you on both sides.

Nicholas

I would like to attack the Skulltivator that's nearest to Arete. I'm gonna swing my long sword down on it. That is a 22.

Tau

Well, that certainly hits. You smash the skull and you feel like if this were any regular skull, you would clearly have just obliterated it but there's this kind of like flash of white light around it. You seem to have like, dispelled whatever weird barrier was around so now it is vulnerable to attack. Rolf it is your turn.

Giancarlo

I'm going to cast firebolt on the one that Alexander just hit with the sword. That is a 13.

Tau

That hits. So a firebolt deals fire damage, is that correct?

Giancarlo

Correct.

Tau

Nothing happens to the Skulltivator, but you feel like you've really landed a hit on it.

Giancarlo

Goddamnit.

Tau

It is a flaming skull. I don't know what to tell you.

Giancarlo

Mr. Skulltivator I hope you enjoy the nice little massage I gave to with my magic.

Tau

It chatters happily and goes, NYAAAH!

Giancarlo

Good to see you. Okay, I don't really have much other options in terms of actions this turn other than movement. So I'mma back up.

Tau

How much do you back up?

Giancarlo

Another 10 feet. Good luck, Annie. Good luck Arete. I believe in you, have fun out there.

Tau

Annie it is your turn. You've got a Skulltivator right in front of you.

Amanda

Brilliant. I should have clarified this earlier on my character sheet. I had picked a rapier. Is that okay?

Tau

It is a Greek-looking rapier. Whatever that could look like.

Amanda

Yeah, brilliant. I would like to attack with that, 19.

Tau

You thrust straight through the Skulltivator and the white shield around it vanishes so you feel like the next time you hit it it will be vulnerable to damage. Arete it is your turn.

Michael

I am going to go ahead and draw my short sword and make an attack on the skull in front of me. That would be an 18.

Tau

That hits, roll your damage.

Michael

Tau

Okay, so it pierces the skull for seven damage and you obliterate so it is gone.

Michael

I am going to try and hide

Tau

You can use the hide action for free and then you have your feature death shroud so which one are you using?

Michael

I think I want to save death shroud.

Tau

That's smart.

Michael

So I'm going to just try and do the hide action by rolling the stealth check. So I rolled a 17, because the skulls kind of face forward I'm just going to crouch really low and maybe try to like, cuz I was on the left flank, maybe like cling to the side of the slab, the large rectangle that we were crossing on.

Tau

You feel like you've probably hid from it pretty well. The other Skulltivator is up, it is going to try to attack you Annie, does a 15 hit?

Amanda

Yes.

Tau

It deals one piercing damage and five fire damage.

Amanda

Oh yeah. Okay,

Tau

As it bites into you it relishes in chomping into you, it goes NYAAA! It is now Alexander's turn.

Nicholas

Okay I would like to attack the remaining Skulltivator that's a nine.

Tau

That exactly meets it and roll damage for me.

Nicholas

And a 9 for damage.

Tau

So you slash the skull as it like cracks and then like kind of just splatters everywhere and then both remnants of it essentially vanish. Additionally, you find 20 gold obols on the ground, but you understand to be a currency that is useful outside of the House of Hades, but throughout Tartarus. They're called Charon's obols and they drop and just appear on the ground.

Giancarlo

I would like to take this moment to have a board meeting and nominate a treasure for our Olympiad.

Tau

Okay, who is it?

Michael

I can do it! I self nominate.

Giancarlo

How do we feel about this self nomination?

Tau

Yeah, give it to the rogue.

Michael

Yeah, guys, the purse strings are gonna be nice and safe with me. Don't worry about there.

Amanda

Um, I personally don't like how Arete just said that. So I'm, I'm, I'm, I feel like I'm more than capable of at least holding on to it.

Giancarlo

Annie that's a wonderful responsibility for a nice young lady such as yourself to take on, begin learning how to manage your money, it's going to be very important later in life, or well in...

Nicholas

What happens if he dies with it on him?

Tau

If you die with that money you feel that anybody else who's still alive will have access to it and be able to use it however if everybody dies all that money from that escape attempt vanishes.

Nicholas

Okay, so it will go to someone else

Tau

You can call it your next of sin. Ohohohohoho!

Nicholas

Arete, could you hold on to it?

Michael

Certainly can, it would be a genuine pleasure.

Giancarlo

I give Annie like a little like a grandpa side-eye.

Nicholas

Alright, we advance towards the gate.

Tau

After clearing up the skulls you approach the gate, a large crystal globe protrudes from it as in you know, one like crystal hemisphere of the globe protrudes from it because it's embedded halfway in, so a large crystal globe protrudes from it and the shape of a pomegranate whirls inside.

Michael

Do I know more about this?

Tau

Roll history or nature, or even religion? I'll allow religion for this.

Michael

That would be a 15.

Tau

So what you know, are that these are called pomegranates of power. And when you consume them, they essentially power up boons that you've already received from other deities, if you don't have any boons that you can power up for whatever reason they might heal you instead.

Michael

Young Anastasia, would you be interested in a pomegranate just in case we don't have any boons to increase in any way. Perhaps you'll get some healing which might be nice for you since the skulls weren't just kind to you as they were to the rest of us.

Amanda

Um, yeah, if everyone's okay with that decision. Sure.

Nicholas

I believe we do have a boon to heal. I mean, upgrade

Giancarlo

Yes, Iris.

Michael

My concern is that if the boon doesn't have any increases from this pomegranate, then at least she can get some healing done.

Nicholas

If it does not upgrade I will heal Annie myself.

Amanda

Oh, geez. Okay.

Giancarlo

We're very concerned with your survival, dear,

Amanda

I feel okay. I, um.

Giancarlo

Annie darling please press on the pom?

Nicholas

How would it, how would we upgrade it?

Tau

Do any of you physically do anything?

Giancarlo

You know what Rolf walks up and presses the pom into the door.

Tau

Okay, so here is an important piece of information. So when you touch the crystal globe of the pomegranate, you do not receive a pomegranate. However, the gate does slide open. But you get the sense that whatever you see in the gate is what you might find in the next room. So right now, there's only one gate in front of you. So you only have the choice of the pomegranate but from what you know about Tartarus if there are multiple gates, for example, you're trying to decide Should I go left? Should I go right? The gates might give you a clue as to what the next thing you're going to find in the room is. Nobody has a pomegranate yet. But you have, you know, put in that good energy to like, you know, manifest that pomegranate for the next room.

Michael

So, I'm just an idiot is what I'm getting from this "god."

Tau

Not at all. This is everybody's first escape attempt. You know, everybody had to learn this. But now you know, so you touch the globe, the globe pops like a bubble. The gate slides upward into just a black portal of night.

Giancarlo

Ladies first?

Amanda

Thank you Rolf, Annie's just gonna walk right in.

Michael

And I'll follow closely behind.

Giancarlo

And I'll follow at a six foot distance.

Tau

How about a five foot distance for D&D purposes?

Giancarlo

Sure.

Tau

Okay!

Nicholas

Alexander goes to the portal.

Tau

Excellent. You find yourself in a room split into three sections. The middle section runs from where you're standing to the gate across the room on the other side, this middle section also breaks off into the left and right section, which are separated by long rectangles of open space, revealing the blood of the river Styx flowing underneath. The left and right sections rejoin the middle section on the other end. So essentially, the room is shaped like the theta symbol. So that is what you see in the room.

Giancarlo

I cautiously begin to walk forward to try to do a search of the area.

Tau

Okay, make a perception check and tell me what you're looking for.

Giancarlo

Anything deadly. That's a 20.

Tau

So you don't see anything that you immediately identify as deadly. However, in the middle of the room, like the middle stretch of the middle section, so we're talking about essentially a square area, the middle has a series of glyphs all over it that are very clearly somehow attached to the mechanism of how the room operates overall.

Giancarlo

Well, crew, there's some inscriptions over here, and I suppose we could walk on to it, touch it, perhaps whisper to it, but I believe that is the central to our next step so I'm going to walk this way if you'd like to join me.

Michael

Sure, Rolf, and I come up and take his right side.

Tau

And do what with it? I'm totally kidding. Okay. Okay, so Ralph and Arete, you are starting to move towards the glyphs. What does everybody else do? I would say the glyphs are about 50 feet into the middle of the room.

Nicholas

What are the glyphs?

Tau

Make an arcana check.

Nicholas

Tau

It's all Greek to you.

Nicholas

That should be good!

Michael

I suppose as I'm approaching, I would like to try to make out what the glyphs are saying.

Giancarlo

I'll go ahead and say that I'm doing the same thing while we're walking.

Tau

Alright.

Amanda

I think Annie wants to do that.

Michael

And it's all Greek to me, because I rolled a 4.

Giancarlo

17.

Tau

Annie what did you want to do?

Amanda

I want to do the same thing.

Tau

Okay. And you're gonna have to get as close as Ralph is to examine the glyphs much closer.

Amanda

Okay, I'll follow Rolf.

Giancarlo

Come join me over here Annie the blood is fine.

Amanda

Well, it wasn't good. It's a 6.

Tau

Okay, so Ralph, only, as a chthonic soul sorcerer, you have deep, intimate knowledge of how magic is kind of suffused throughout the realm of Tartarus. And you suspect that these are glyphs that are essentially summoning magic.

Giancarlo

Ah, well, friends, this is summoning magic. So perhaps, when we step into the circle, a person will appear, and presumably try to strip us of our livelihoods. I also don't necessarily see any way to proceed. Do you know what that's a good question, Do I see any other way to proceed without entering this summoning circle?

Tau

You made a really good perception check. So you saw the glyphs in the middle, from that really good perception check, you were able to make out that the glyphs are directly tied to the mechanism that opens the gate across from the room.

Giancarlo

All right. Yeah, I don't don't see any other ways to proceed. So I suppose we should probably just summon the boys. Oh, better idea. Everyone back up to a different spot in the room, I'll enter the summoning circle. And then I can use some of my, my cool tricks.

Nicholas

I'd like to walk around to the right and then up and then to the gate.

Tau

You are able to do that without issue.

Giancarlo

Right. Annie? Would you like to take the left and Arete? Would you like to take the right?

Michael

Sure thing pops.

Amanda

Annie's on the left.

Michael

I always appreciate a man of action and willing to sacrifice himself. So go ahead.

Giancarlo

Well, that makes me question my choices. All right. And I step in.

Tau

When you step on the glyphs if you could please roll initiative for me.

Michael

Arete rolls a 3 for initiative.

Amanda

Annie rolls a 16.

Giancarlo

Rolf rolls a 4.

Nicholas

I got 18.

Tau

So you step on the glyphs Rolf and immediately it doesn't look like a whole lot happens. The glyphs kind of light up under you and they kind of like immediately like go out again. And Arete and Annie, both of you on each of your sides see this large nest of those flaming skulls appear in front of you. So there's like little pyramids of them. Alexander you are up.

Nicholas

Are they Skulltivators?

Tau

You suspect that there's something a little bit different about their configuration here. You can make a nature or history check.

Nicholas

Tau

You know these fiends to be called more colloquially as thinktanks. So they are piles of flaming skulls. However, they don't cause any harm on their own. In fact, they can't do anything on their own except one thing, which is to create more Skulltivators. So on each of their turns, they will create more Skulltivators and as part of that summoning those Skulltivators get to start moving towards you as part of that initial summoning. That is what you know about thinktanks.

Nicholas

Okay, so I'd like to throw my javelin at the nest. Awesome. That's a 23.

Tau

That definitely hits so tell me how much damage you do with this javelin.

Nicholas

Tau

Annie you are up.

Amanda

How close am I?

Tau

You're adjacent so this thing sprung up like right next to you.

Amanda

Sweet so yeah, Annie would like to take out her viol and I would like to cast thunder wave and any creature in a 15 foot cube originating from me must make a constitution saving throw and on the failed save a creature takes 2d8 thunder damage and it's pushed 10 feet away.

Tau

Oh, okay, I got a nat 20 plus four.

Amanda

Okay, so...

Tau

So I mean you do thunder wave and so I still take half damage right I think from it.

Amanda

Yeah, you take half damage and you're just not pushed. That is a 7.

Tau

You strum and this like thunderous, ominous note emanates from your viol and the flames on the Thinktank go FWOOM! As thunder wave blasts out from you and deals 4 damage. Do you want to do anything else on your turn?

Amanda

No.

Nicholas

My javelin.

Amanda

What was that?

Tau

There is a javelin inside it also.

Amanda

Can I get ot? Can I grab the javelin, I would like to toss it back to Alex. If that's possible,

Tau

We'll say it takes you like a bonus action to actually pull it and then that's a free action to kind of just to quickly toss it back to Alexander. Oh right that Thinktank is actually up and while you heard that Skulltivator earlier going NYAH this one is a chorus of a bunch of them going BYAAAAAAH! Those flames that you briefly kind of like snuffed out with thunder wave reignite as it attempts to summons Skulltivators and its summons three Skulltivators which appear around you, they can't move as part of the summoning so they're just going to actually just surround you. The other Thinktank on the other side of the room is going to go BYAAAH! and it is going to summon one Skulltivator that appears right next to you Arete. So we're gonna say the three near you Annie, they're making their bite attacks on you, that was a critical fail so that does not succeed. The other is a 18 Does that hit?

Amanda

Yeah, that hits.

Tau

Okay, it deals one piercing damage and five fire damage. Annie are you okay? I'm asking because it rolled an 18 again.

Amanda

Oh no. And he's okay but I think that's just brilliant. Thank you for that.

Tau

So it is a, you take another one piercing damage and five fire damage. So that is the assault of the skulls on the left side, over on the right side we have one Skulltivator that's going to attempt to attack Arete. It gets a 18 wow.

Michael

That is enough.

Tau

It deals one piercing damage and five fire damage.

Giancarlo

I am going to use "Hhh-Witch" Bolt!

Tau

Okay.

Giancarlo

On the one next to Annie cuz she is not okay. And screw it. I'm gonna use my chthonic casting on this one as well.

Tau

Excellent. So what happens when you use your chthonic casting?

Giancarlo

"Starting at first level you draw some of your own blood to create a blood crystal which amplifies your spellcasting. This is represented by a blood crystal die. As you level up you gain the ability to create more blood crystal dice. My blood crystal die right now I believe is a d4. That d4 is going to get added to both hit and damage. So I am passing that witch bolt. Oh my god. Let's roll that d4. So that is an 11 with my blood crystal.

Tau

That hits.

Giancarlo

Oh, thank God.

Tau

I mean it's a giant...it can't move or do anything else.

Giancarlo

That. That is true. That's fair. So I think you see Rolf kind of concentrate. And of course while he's very tall, I don't think he's like a huge imposing presence or anything but kind of throws his hands in together and you probably see light as almost like his blood starts to glow as it courses through his veins and like works his way out at his palm and becomes infused with the light of this like purple bolt as it grows in size and he shoots it forward at the Thinktank and deals a full 12 points of damage plus an additional three so 15 points of damage.

Tau

So as you do this, the whole Thinktank just shatters and skulls fly everywhere, You feel like you've got the exact amount of damage you needed to do for that to happen.That happens and also the three skulls that were summoned by Annie actually also all disintegrate.

Giancarlo

I thought so.

Michael

Seeing that Arete goes right next to the skull nest and he is going to take the short turn just kind of ram it into one of the skull eyes looking outward as confidently and with as much heft behind it as he can, 13.

Tau

That does hit so roll your damage.

Michael

That would be five points of piercing damage. As a bonus action. I am going to attempt to hide.

Tau

How are you going to do that?

Michael

I would like to do a baseball like sliding into home base slides, and then I will use the skull nest as like leverage to kind of swing myself around it to the other side. So that way I am on the other side of the skull nest away from the Skulltivator and my stealth check was a 12,

Tau

You're golden Alexander it is your turn .Annie you're on deck.

Nicholas

I'd like to run over close as I can and then throw a javelin at the Thinktank. Nice so that is a 23.

Tau

That definitely hits.

Nicholas

9 and I'd like to use divine smite. "When you hit with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot to deal 2d8 extra radiant damage plus one d8 against undead or fiends." So that would be three d8. So, eight.

Tau

So I don't know if it's necessarily with the "might o' Zeus" or some other deity potentially but you throw this javelin and it flies like a lightning bolt and when you think it should be dealing eight damage, it actually ends up dealing 16 damage. So it is looking in dire straits. Annie it is your turn.

Amanda

Oh, we're just gonna run towards the right side.

Tau

So if you take the dash action, you're able to cross like one whole corner so you're actually like back at the entrance of the room like at the very center bottom of the room now. So you're about 60 feet away from it. The Thinktank is up, it's gonna go BAAAH! to summon three additional Skulltivators so now there are four Skulltivators up. So here is the fun thing about Skulltivators my good friend Arete is that they have these flaming eye sockets. They give them a sense called blindsight. And the way blindsight works is within 10 feet they actually don't need to be able to physically see their target in order to be counting them as seeing them. So these four Skulltivators are going to go RAAAH! and they're gonna hop over to your side so, two flank you on the you know, front and back side of it and then two more are going to just be like flanking both the Thinktank and you but diagonally and they are going to make their weapon attacks. One misses very badly. The other is a 15 does that hit you?

Michael

It does.

Tau

It deals one piercing damage and five fire damage. This one is an 11 does that hit?

Michael

It does not.

Tau

Okay. And this one deals at dirty 20 essentially.

Michael

I'm going to go ahead and use Iris' boon. Hey there Iris it's me...I could really use your help right about now and if I, if you did this for me I would be forever in your debt and I would patron you as, as a goddess of divine entity which you already are, but I would do even more you know.

Tau

Alright, so each round is about six seconds. So it doesn't have to be that, but, but that's great. It does work so you expend your reaction and then you feel this like flash of like rainbow light flash between you and the Skulltivator it goes BAAAH as it's about to attack. It has to try again because it has disadvantage. It gets only a 9 that time does that hit?

Michael

It does not.

Tau

Alright so Iris has intervened and that flash of rainbow kind of just makes it go BAAH! and it is not able to successfully hit you.

Michael

Thank you Iris.

Giancarlo

How is the Thinktank looking at this point?

Tau

Very bad.

Giancarlo

Then I'm going to go ahead and use acid splash on it but I think Rolf having just cast with the blood crystal, the witch bolt on one of the think tanks, turns around and does almost like a waterbender sweep across the floor and then pushes out and you see this green acid fly out and smatter on to the Thinktank. You need to roll a dex saving throw and beat a 13.

Tau

I don't know if you can imagine but these things are not dexterous. So it gets a negative one.

Giancarlo

Right that hits so that's for acid damage. Having been crouched down Arete is going to jump up and use the momentum of gravity as he's coming back down to stab down onto the top of the Thinktank.

Tau

All right, make an attack, roll.

Michael

A six.

Tau

And with the momentum of gravity, you stab into the stone directly next to it, but do you do anything else on your turn?

Nicholas

Could you grab my javelin?

Michael

I will attempt to grab the javelin and toss it to Alexander.

Tau

You're tossing it diagonally over the Styx. Make an athletics check for me.

Nicholas

You could just throw it to the floor. It's fine.

Michael

My athletics check came back as a 23.

Tau

You just catch it in hand, Alexander.

Nicholas

I'm spinning it around and throwing it at the—

Tau

I imagine you do like one of the 300 throws so you jump into the air you like torque in the air and then you like throw it and slow-mo, make an attack roll.

Nicholas

That is a 15.

Tau

That definitely hit so roll damage for me.

Nicholas

8 Y

Tau

You throw that Javelin, it goes flying over that like diagonal gap in the Styx. It goes past the Skulltivator. It goes past Arete and it just smashes straight into Thinktank as it goes AYAAAA! as it explodes in a rains of skulls. As you do this, Rolf, a pomegranate does appear at your feet.

Giancarlo

Oh. Delightful! I take a bite out of it!

Tau

Okay, you take a bite out of it. And what happens is this, your Iris survivability boon upgrades from common to rare rarity. And what this means is that when you impose disadvantage on the attack, you additionally also gain plus one AC.

Nicholas

Yeah!

Giancarlo

Nice!

Amanda

Oh, that's fantastic.

Tau

Yeah, given that, like there's no limit on this really, you should be using it a lot. So that's what happens when you eat the pomegranate. Furthermore, the gate that you're looking at on the opposite side of the room. In addition to that gate, another gate appears on the left side of the room. So on the left like middle section against that wall there are two gates, on one of the gates inside that crystal globe is an icon of a large beating heart. On the other side of the room inside the globe is a symbol of a golden coin.

Nicholas

What does a heart do?

Tau

Okay, make a history or nature check.

Nicholas

Ah, I know what that heart does, 21.

Tau

Excellent, you do. You recognize that giant heart to be a centaur’s heart and what that will do is it will increase everybody's health by a certain amount.

Nicholas

Do we want money or health?

Giancarlo

Health? Absolutely. Look at the shambles we're in but before we go Annie if I may, I want to give you a little bit of false life so that you do not die before we get to the next heart.

Nicholas

False life?

Tau

A voice from above comes in. Aren't we all living in a false life down here?

Giancarlo

That we are, friend, that we are. anyone else Hear that? No?

Amanda

No, I heard it.

Michael

Yeah, I heard that voice earlier as well. I was wondering who the hell it was, a friend of yours then?

Giancarlo

Jim? Yes.

Amanda

Oh.

Tau

Has the party made a decision?

Giancarlo

I would like to heal Annie before we get into the next encounter.

Tau

Okay, how do you do that?

Amanda

Yeah. How do you do that?

Giancarlo

Well, come breathe these vapors, girl and...

Tau

Really nice thing to say to a 17 year old girl. He just holds up a damp cloth.

Nicholas

Yeah that's what I was gonna say!

Giancarlo

I open...I open my palm and you see kind of like how the blood crystal shot out of the veins like the glowing light. But instead it's like black like my veins filled with black, and then like the smoke emanates off of it, and I go here, breathe this.

Amanda

And Annie's gonna take like a little hesitant step back like I, I'm sorry, what?

Tau

I deadass don't know what this is. So I'm very curious to learn.

Giancarlo

Don't worry. It's, it'll give you, it'll help you get through the next room and then we get the hearts and hopefully we'll be better.

Michael

At seeing Annie's hesitation Arete feels no remorse and absolutely burying his face into Rolf's palm and just [sniffs] inhaling ever so deeply.

Tau

Oh, wow. Okay.

Giancarlo

So I guess Arete gets the health. You get five HP back as a necromantic facsimile of life fills you.

Tau

Okay? Do you cast it again? On Annie? Or I don't know what's going on?

Giancarlo

I don't know, because I just spent a spell slot. So Annie on a scale of one to 26 how are you doing?

Amanda

Honestly, like an eight.

Giancarlo

Goddamnit Annie don't doubt me anymore! Please. May I give you some of these vapors?

Amanda

I'm not dying. It's not that I want to doubt you. It's just when someone shoves their hand with black stuff coming out of it in my face...I am a little hesitant.

Giancarlo

Annie I give you chocolate milk on the daily please breathe these vapors.

Amanda

Annie is just gonna, I guess I'm gonna breathe in the vapors!

Giancarlo

Okay, let me roll for you.

Amanda

Thank you!

Giancarlo

You got seven points of health back enjoy that Annie!

Tau

Is false life like she gets held back or is it that she gets temporary hit points?

Giancarlo

You get temporary hit points for an hour.

Amanda

Oh that's great thank you!

Giancarlo

You're welcome.

Tau

So now you've still got the gates in front of you.

Giancarlo

Well, I think we need health more than anything right now.

Michael

I agree. Because on a scale of one to 18 I'd say I'm about a six.

Tau

Well now you have false life also right, on top of that?

Michael

Yes. 11 total.

Nicholas

I walk over to Arete I grabbed one wrist with one hand and the other hand I put a palm on his forehead. I do Lay on Hands to give him five health.

Michael

Mmm! Have you bathed and brought to my tent!

Nicholas

I don't know what God to call upon for that to be honest.

Tau

Make a religion check.

Nicholas

Tau

You're thinking pretty hard about this, who's good for healing and what you land on is a name which is Asclepius.

Giancarlo

Oh my God my Asclepius has been acting up!

Nicholas

Asclepius, hear me and heal my ally.

Tau

I sprinkle a little Asclepius in my yogurt daily and it helps with my arthritis. So you kind of demand a little bit I guess. As you do this, you lay your hands and you see these two spectral snakes kind of intertwining around your hands and then they move over to Arete and the snakes kind of like infuse into your head and when they do heal for that amount.

Michael

Lit. Arete just goes, that was pretty lit.

Giancarlo

And Rolf presses on the centaur heart in the door.

Tau

Excellent, that bubble pops. The gate slides up and there is an abyss of just like, smoky darkness in front of you.

Michael

Arete grabs Annie's hand and Rolf's hand and just kind of pulls them along as he goes into the portal.

Giancarlo

Alexander looking around like, what the fuck? And walks in after them.

Tau

You find yourself on a round stone platform made of five concentric circles of black stone. You can only make them out as distinct circles by the groove separating each consecutive ring. On all sides around you the river Styx gushes and bobs the platform up and down. Very far from the edges of the platform. A ring of cloudy mirrors surround the area. From the mirrors, you hear the sounds of feasting and good cheer, albeit from a considerable distance. On the far four corners of this round platform. So you know, whatever the four most distal points you can make on the circumference of a circle stand four podiums are podia? I don't know, which seem to gleam as if there's a magical spotlight standing on them. And surrounded by that is a circle of mirrors that you can hear sounds from.

Michael

Team it looks like there's a podium for each of us. So I suggest we each head for one of them.

Giancarlo

Well, all right.

Nicholas

I agree.

Michael

I will take the northwest podium.

Giancarlo

I'll take the southeast podium.

Amanda

I'll take the northeast podium.

Tau

That leaves the southwest podium.

Nicholas

For me.

Tau

Does Alexander take it?

Nicholas

Of course.

Tau

Okay. From above you a halfling in a cheap looking bedsheet like toga descends in slow motion, illuminated by divine light, says Oh, welcome back to Mount Olympus' favorite primetime Game Show.

Amanda

Oh my gosh.

Tau

Slumming it down here int the Underworld for your entertainment. I'm your host doing the most Koalemos and I'm bringing you...and then at this stage he points at the mirrors...the afterlife's number one game show Apple of Discord. When Koalemos says Apple of Discord you hear a Greek chorus from beyond the mirrors shout Apple! Of! Discord! With this announcement, you hear thunderous applause and cheering for behind the cloudy mirrors encircling you. We've got three wretched shades competing to win your hearts tonight, deities and gentle mortals. Please go ahead and introduce yourselves. And the spotlights on the four of you brighten.

Michael

Just a heads up you said three wretched shades.

Tau

I'm terrible at counting. The last group seems to only have three people coming through. But there's actually four here now.

Giancarlo

Oh, my goodness, they must have lost someone along the way. What? Well, hello, I'm Rolf Yannik it's just a pleasure to be here.

Tau

It's a pleasure to be in Hell yes!

Giancarlo

Well actually, it's not really a pleasure to be in hell. You see, it's actually a really big sort of, I don't know, I ended up here. I come from a faraway land. I have never heard any of these. I got here. It's really quiet. I have some business I need to get to take care of. Someone I'd actually quite like to meet. But it's a pleasure to be at this event. Thank you for having me.

Tau

Well, we're so excited that you're so excited to leave because if you get through this game show you might leave here with quite a few prizes to help you on your escape attempt.

Giancarlo

Oh, that's wonderful.

Tau

Excellent. Who do we have here? And then he points at Alexander.

Giancarlo

I am Alexander. King of Macedon. And he starts with his eyes looking left and right like...

Tau

Now from beyond the mirrors you hear like a smattering of [slow claps]. Okay. Moving on to this northwest podium over here?

Michael

Arete's the name. Killing folks is the game.

Tau

Very good. You're in great company. We all love a good killing over here. And then across the mirrors you hear pretty, pretty mild applause Yeah, everyone's like, yeah, we're down with killing, we're about that. And! Last but certainly not least we have this fine dame over here.

Amanda

Hi, everyone. My name's Annie. I have no idea what's going on. But it's so lovely to be with everyone today.

Tau

Oh, we're so excited to have you. So you all know the rules, right?

Players

No, no, no. Oh my goodness. Well, I'll, uh, fill you in. So long ago the gods of Mount Olympus, and at this the chorus on the other side of the mirrors, cheers, yay! Were throwing a wedding party. And then they invited everyone on Mount Olympus except for Eris, Goddess of discord and strife. At this everybody in the chorus on the other side of the mirrors goes Boo! ...wasn't invited. So when she tried to show up at the door, Hermes...yay!...turned away the goddess Eris and said, Sorry, lady, no Debbie downers allowed. And just as she was about to leave Eris, boo, chucked a golden apple into the pile of wedding gifts at this party, a cursed apple. The crowd gasps Oh! Talk about a party foul. Well, long story short, that Apple ended up causing more than its fair share of problems. But we don't need to get into all that. Now. What matters is you're here taking part in this wonderful cult, mystery, ritual. So we're going to test your wits on the history of Olympus and if you win, you get to keep your lives or whatever's left of them here, I guess but if you fail, uh oh, and at this the crowd goes Oh! The apple of discord might just come rolling your way. Let's play!!! And everybody Cheers.

Giancarlo

I have a terrible apple allergy. I'd prefer not to have any run ins with large appless please.

Tau

Oh, by the way, you have a couple of lifelines I should mention. So first of all, there is Ask the Oracles. If you're struggling on the answer to a question you can say I want to Ask the Oracles and the Oracles will tell you something. Your other Lifeline is Send for a Friend. So you can use these mirrors to call up a good friend of yours and they might be able to help you answer question. Your last Lifeline is 50/50. And if you use it, exactly half of the answer will appear etched in front of you on the podium. You can only use each of these lifelines once questions? Yes.

Amanda

I have a question. When we're making a call to a Lifeline, specifically the one of the friends? is it...is it only to those deceased? Or to the living?

Tau

Oh, my baby girl these mirrors they can call anybody that you've interacted with lately. I mean we're calling you from Olympus over here.

Amanda

Oh, well, okay, wait, but and then the word friend, can you kind of expand on that a little it for me please?

Tau

I can not unless you want to use a lifeline am I right? Hahaha! And then the whole crowd goes hahaha!

Giancarlo

Does the landline only stretch within Greek domains? Or can I call other area codes for example? Hypothetical Valhalla or Hel?

Tau

You can Ask the Oracles if you want to find out or we could get started!

Giancarlo

Okay, let's get started. And we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

Tau

Alrighty let's start with the inquisitive one over here, and he points to Annie. Question one. Are you ready?

Amanda

Oh, I sure hope so.

Tau

You hear Donanananananana. and the spotlights on the other podia also like flare then move towards you. Now all of them are on you. It is so dark everywhere that you're not sure that you can actually even see the other party members. Question one. Which creature was born Half Man, Half Bull?

Amanda

I would have to say the minotaur.

Tau

Ding ding ding ding! The lights flash and everyone is thrilled you can hear them clapping, everyone is so pleased, and 20 gems land in front of you on the podium. So these gems you know to be currency within the House of Hades. They're like brightly colored green and ruby colored gems. Next question, Donanananananana. And the lights move to Rolf.

Giancarlo

Oh, my.

Tau

Question number two, to contain that minotaur, what structure did Daedalus construct for the king of Minos?

Giancarlo

Um, I I think I knew this one, but I'm not fully certain. I would like to roll a history check if possible, to be certain. Yeah, that's a 12.

Tau

So like, this is a very low DC one. You suspect that the answer is a labyrinth.

Giancarlo

Okay, see, I almost said maze. That would have been bad. I would like however to use one of my lifelines. Can I Ask the Oracles please?

Tau

Okay. Suddenly, the faces of all the mirrors light up gold and start shimmering as if they were like liquid. All right, Oracles! What do you think, which, to contain the minotaur what structure did Daedalus construct for the king of Minos?

Giancarlo

Wait! There's another question—

Tau

There's all sorts shimmering in a large circle around you. It's like a piano playing. They're going ding ding ding ding! Like all around each other. And they seem to spell out the word labyrinth.

Giancarlo

Goddammit. Ah, really? I thought I could ask them a different question. I'm sorry about this gang. I believe the answer is labyrinth.

Tau

Oh my god, I can't believe you got it. Right. That's the winner everybody. Ding ding ding! At this, 20 gems land in front of you on the podium. For question number three. You hear that music and also you hear people in the audience going Donanananananana. And spotlight moves. The spotlights, I should say, move to you, Alexander. Question number three, Pandora opened up box which released all the evils into the world. But what did she find at the very bottom of the box?

Nicholas

Can I roll my knowledge of...

Tau

Yes.

Nicholas

16.

Tau

So with a 16 you have heard a legend of a woman named Pandora who many people consider like the first human woman who was created by the gods. She had this box that she was basically told to never open and of course she found that irresistible so she opened the box—or jar in some stories—and all the evils of the world, so like hunger, greed, suffering, betrayal, all of that, ended up flying out of the jar. And it's kind of this like origin story for like, why is the world bad? Like why is there suffering? Right. What you also heard though, is that at the very bottom of the box, after all of these evils had flown out at the very bottom was something called hope.

Nicholas

Okay. Yeah, I remember that. I remember now! Ahem. Hope!

Tau

Ding ding ding! And everybody's like claps and cheers, they're so thrilled with you. That is absolutely correct. I'm so glad, I was really holding out...hope! For you there. And the chorus behind the mirrors also laughs and 20 gems have materialized and drop in front of you. Next question, the spotlights move to you, alright, the legendary musician Orpheus ventured into the Underworld to save WHOMST?

Michael

The person in question would be Eurydice.

Tau

Everybody claps and cheers and 20 gems materialize. Ah, I'm so impressed! How did you guys know that? Next question, question number five. And this spotlights rotate back to you Annie. Lord Zeus—yay!—immortalized which master hunter by casting them into the heavens as a constellation of stars?

Amanda

Oh, no. I want to say it's who I think it is. But I could totally be wrong. What would I add to that?

Tau

For this? I would say it's actually religion.

Amanda

Oh, no. Yeah, that's nothing. It's a 7.

Tau

Okay, you are drawing a complete blank.

Amanda

Oh, boy. I...listen. I'm gonna say Heracles.

Tau

Ooooh. I'm sorry. That is incorrect. So far above you, you see a massive fireball. That outer ring shatters the ring, it shatters the ground underneath you, the podium disintegrates. Everybody in the party needs to make a dexterity saving throw to catch on to the fourth ring in front of them.

Michael

Oh, no. My dexterity saving throw for Arete is a 7.

Amanda

Annie's a 6.

Nicholas

Giancarlo

We got a 16 over here.

Tau

Okay. Oh, so here's what happens. So Rolf, you kind of just do like a little old man hop on to a fourth ring in front of you.

Giancarlo

Tally-ho!

Tau

The other three of you drop into the Styx right below you and it is excruciating. It is burning it is like boiling blood running all over your body. Furthermore, you take eight fire damage each. You're all in the Styx, but your hands are like holding on to that fourth ring so you can still try to get up onto it. Next question. A new podium materializes where you're standing Rolf.

Giancarlo

Oh, no!

Tau

As the as the spotlight centers on you: Question number six. The Apple of Discord isn't the only thing that's like a golden. Who went on a quest to get a hold of the famous Golden Fleece?

Giancarlo

I remember this one. I was being told an interactive story called Immortals: Phoenix Rising and it was there on one of the trees and—

Tau

I don't know what you mean. Is that your final answer?

Giancarlo

No, no, sorry. I'm rambling. Remind me what lifelines have I left? If I were to need them.

Tau

You have Send for a Friend and 50/50.

Giancarlo

Great. Can I roll history? Please? That's a nine on history.

Tau

So you suspect that there is a two part answer to this.

Giancarlo

I hate to do this, but I've also seen the terrible results of getting the question wrong. I'm going to use 50/50 correctly this time.

Tau

All right, we're using another lifeline. 50/50, help us out of Olympus! And then you see a laser beam come down from just kind of like the blackness above you. And it etches exactly 50% of the answer of this two part answer in front of you. So it says "Jason and."

Giancarlo

Yes. I knew it was Jason. I don't know what the other half is.

Tau

I'm sorry, that's so funny!

Giancarlo

You couldn't give me the other 50. So it's a Jason. "And," like the word "and?"

Tau

Yes, and the word "and."

Giancarlo

Gods dammit.

Tau

The gods just threw you lifeline.

Giancarlo

Jason. And. Jason and...Mraz?

Tau

Please say that oh my God.

Giancarlo

Oh, God.

Tau

What could happen?

Giancarlo

Jason and Medea? I don't...

Amanda

Oh my gosh. Are you kidding me!

Tau

So a couple of things happen. So first 10 gems appear in front of you. Second, he goes, Oh, I'm afraid that is not the entirely correct answer. So another fireball flies from the sky and is dropping towards the fourth circle. You have advantage on this because you got half of it right? However, everybody else who was already clinging to that fourth has disadvantage on being able to try to get to the third circle because the fourth is about to shatter in front of them. So let's make those dex saves.

Giancarlo

That's an 11.

Michael

So with disadvantage Arete's dex save is a seven.

Amanda

With disadvantage Annie's is a 15.

Nicholas

A critical fail.

Tau

Annie even though the rain in front of you shatters you really hustle and you're actually able to get up onto the third ring.

Amanda

Okay.

Tau

So you're good. Everybody else you're in not a great spot so the ring shatters and now all three of you are in the river Styx, it is boiling around you. Furthermore, you take six fire damage each. Next question, the spotlight is like trying to find people in the Styx, at this stage. Trying to find you, Alexander. And it lands on you, you have no podium. You're kind of just flopping. Who bonked his own dad boinked his own mom?

Nicholas

Oh my God, we did it in fucking school and I can't even...

Tau

You can roll history.

Nicholas

Yeah, let's do that. 10

Tau

Okay, I mean, this is a very common story so you've heard this before. You get the sense that there might be something like a word like a "blank complex" is like a thing that you hear a lot about this?

Nicholas

There we go thank you so much. Oh my God. That would be Oedipus! And...I am...on fire.

Tau

As you do this, you can make a dexterity save with advantage.

Nicholas

Tau

That is actually not the DC you're still on fire unfortunately. You do get 20 gems. Next question. And the spotlights move to you, Arete. What gift did Prometheus—boo!—much to the dismay of Lord Zeus—yay!—give to the mortals?

Michael

That would be fire.

Tau

Ding ding ding ding! And yay! Make a dexterity save with advantage.

Michael

Tau

You are able to get up onto the third ring. Also, you get 20 more gems. Next question. And spotlights move toward you Annie.

Amanda

I have a question. Can you tell me the answer from that last, that last question, that star one?

Tau

No. All right.

Amanda

I just, I just love to learn! Please?

Tau

Okay, next question. Name one of the four winds or the aneimos?

Amanda

Oh no. No, I know them but now they're gone. I'll roll knowledge for it.

Tau

For this I'll say you can roll nature. And even though this might not be commonly known to us as like normal players, the winds are actually like a thing that everybody thought about and talked about a lot back there. So you actually do know that these the four cardinal winds you can only remember the names of like one of the directions with this kind of roll. You remember the name Boreas.

Amanda

Okay, it's coming back to me and I'm really disappointed in myself. But it's okay. Boreas...Boreas.

Tau

That's correct. Ding ding ding ding! You get 20 gems.

Amanda

Thank you.

Tau

Next question. Donanananananana. The lights move over to you, Rolf, you're in the fire still. A creature with snakes for hair is called a what?

Giancarlo

I certainly hope this is the correct answer. I feel very confident in it. But you know what? It doesn't mean anything. I'm good to go with a gorgon.

Tau

Ding ding ding! You somehow get 20 gems floated down to you. Make a dexterity check with advantage.

Giancarlo

A 13.

Tau

That's enough. So you do successfully get up onto the third ring. Next question. Let's move over to you, Alexander. I forget, are you in the fire?

Nicholas

I am burning.

Tau

Okay. It is not a great place to be. But I mean, for now, you're not taking any fire damage. But don't be there for very long. Here's your question. Cassandra was both blessed and cursed with the gift of prophecy by which deity?

Nicholas

I would like to call a lifeline of friend!

Tau

Very well. And then the little tones start emanating from each of the mirrors. They go papapapapapapom. Which friend would you like to send for?

Nicholas

Arities! Arete. Aid my trivial pursuit!

Tau

A little mirror floats down right next to your mouth. Arete?

Michael

Hey, there. What's the question?

Tau

Also, there's a little 30 second timer counting down. So start asking your question. Tick. Tock. Tick...Tock..tick...tock...

Michael

From what I remember from my Greek mythology. That would be Apollo the God of prophecies.

Nicholas

What, what is the...has Cassandra got...! I have an answer! Apollo!

Tau

Ding ding ding! Make a dexterity save with advantage. Furthermore, add 20 gems. Okay, yeah, you crawl up onto that third circle.

Giancarlo

Can I take an action to heal myself?

Tau

You cannot. Next question! Let's move over to you. Arete, Are you ready for this question? I will be very upset if you don't get this one.

Michael

I'm ready.

Tau

This show is basically named after this question. What word or words were written on the Apple of Discord

Michael

That would be for the fairest or for the prettiest? Or for the most beautiful. There are many different iterations.

Tau

Oh, the correct answer was "ti kallisti,", which means to the fairest or the most...No, no, no, we're kidding. We're just joshing, everybody laughs.

Michael

Ah, you think you're really clever

Tau

Ding ding ding! And a reign of 100 gems fall in front of you on the podium. And then at this the circles that were previously disintegrated, circles rise up underneath you and rejoin the rest to make like five circles again. So anybody who was in the fire is now on solid ground again. Incredible! Tune in next time, everybody I have been Koalemos, you've been amazing Olympus. Good night, everybody. And thanks for watching Apple...of...

Players

...Discord..

Tau

Because Arete was the only person who answered you'd get some inspiration again, but you already have it so you only get one. So the mirrors sink into Styx as you are all on flat ground, the halfling floats away like woooop! He's just been like, in a shitty stage play someone like yanked a rope and just got like pulled up into the blackness. After this game show has taken place, you find a big pulsing, thumping centaur heart in the center ring and it is just...pulsing.

Amanda

Annie jumps on it.

Tau

Okay, you jump on it. It's still there. It's just pulsing under you.

Amanda

No! Get...I want it. Annie's trying to like, grab it.

Giancarlo

Bit it! It works with the pomegranate.

Tau

You feel very hungry.

Giancarlo

Bite it! Bite it! Bite it!

Amanda

Annie bites it.

Tau

There are four chambers of it. You could divide it evenly amongst yourselves.

Nicholas

I will take a chamber.

Michael

I would also like to have a chamber.

Amanda

Everyone take a chamber?

Michael

Are we all going to hold it up to each other like all together and just kind of bite into it like spaghetti style with Lady in the Tramp?

Giancarlo

Yes.

Amanda

Oh my gosh.

Nicholas

I can just cut it with my sword.

Michael

Then cut it.

Nicholas

I'll cut it in quarters.

Giancarlo

Bo-ring!

Tau

So each of you take your hit die, whatever your hit die is, take the maximum value for that die. Add your constitution modifier to that, unless it is negative, in which case don't do it. And all of you gain temporary hit points on top of whatever your current health is. The way temporary hit points normally work is that they replace any old temporary hit points. The way we're doing these centaur hearts is if you already have temporary hit points, these just pile on on top of that.

Giancarlo

Tight.

Michael

Cool.

Amanda

okay.

Tau

Alright, so you are all panting, you've been on fire. So you're like steaming still. And you see two gates appear on opposite ends of the room. And these gates are floating in midair. So even though the Styx is all around you, there's still these gates on the ends of the circular platforms. One gate displays these deep purple crystals that you understand to be darkness that is a currency that you can use to kind of amplify your own power outside of escape attempts. So only in the House of Hades. On the other door, you have a depiction of gems in the crystal globe. So like very much like the gems that you were farming here in the quiz show. And those are pretty much used for a number of things for trading in the House. So like petitioning like house contracts for various benefits or procuring items. So those are the two gates you see: darkness and gems.

Michael

I think it's always beneficial to spread the wealth. So I'm thinking darkness might be a good shot for us.

Giancarlo

I hate to keep going left, but I'd have to agree with you. We just got a bunch of different gems. And now I kind of want to get something new. The darkness looks like it could be fun.

Amanda

Yeah.

Nicholas

So you plan for failure.

Giancarlo

What? Oh.

Amanda

Well. I mean, it just makes a lot—

Nicholas

I do not plan for failure.

Michael

Considering we were almost taken out by a quiz show it might be beneficial to prepare for failure.

Amanda

Alex, remember that first conversation that we had about chances and all that. I'm gonna be honest, I'm not feeling too hot right now. I just think we should go. We should go left.

Nicholas

How bad are you?

Amanda

I'm not that bad. I'm okay. But if it's gonna be another thing, like that game show, which I'm still really upset. I just wanted to know what that answer was.

Nicholas

Orion.

Amanda

Oh, damn it.

Nicholas

I can heal you. I still have that ability. And so does the old man.

Amanda

Oh, no,no, no, it's fine. And the chances of, maybe you need that because if I go then at least you'll stay, I know you'll still be here. So I'm just saying we have to pick a door. We might as well pick darkness.

Michael

And with that, I walk over and I just put my palm on the darkness door.

Tau

Both bubbles on both gates pop, the gems door, that gate slides down and like obscures that crystal part and that gate just vanishes. The darkness gate slides up and you just see this like swirling mass of darkness in front of you.

Michael

Well, team see you on the other side, and I step in.

Giancarlo

That was pretty cool. Goodbye. Well, rest of the team. See you on the other side also. And I step in.

Amanda

Annie is gonna grab Alex's hand because he was left behind like every time before and she kind of feels bad and she doesn't want him to feel, you know...

Nicholas

Alexander shakes your hand off...And gestures for you to enter.

Amanda

What? I...

Nicholas

Ladies first.

Amanda

Really Alex? I was just trying to...Okay. Look, all I'm saying is we're going to be stuck on this team together and I know you don't really want to be on it—

Nicholas

And now Alexander gently places a foot on her and pushes her slowly at the portal.

Amanda

She's in the portal, I guess. You pushed her in!

Nicholas

Alexander sighs and reluctantly enters the portal.

Tau

As you enter the portal you feel yourself moving as if your own body has been dematerialized. And it's kind of shifting and being slotted into the various rooms in multiple configurations at a time as if it's kind of testing Okay, which room should we drop them into in Tartarus. Next, you feel your soul being yanked in all these different directions. And as you prepare for the next room, you reflect on what has already happened to you so far, you reflect on that battle with the very first skulls, you reflect on taking out the two thinktanks in the following room and stepping on the glyph and activating it and rearranging yourselves and working as a team to take it down. You reflect on that horrific game show you just experienced where you felt the burning blood of the Styx just seeping into your clothes and your armor and how you clinged? Clanged? Clung? For dear life, wherever you could, and you were basically at the complete behest and mercy of these invisible forces from so far above you cheering you on, but also mocking you from beyond these mirrors. And you wonder just how many more rooms of this can you take? How many more rooms will it take to actually escape? Is there no escape? Will there be maybe five more rooms? 10 more rooms? 50? 500? If you pray to any gods, you pray that that's not the case. ROGUE RUNNERS Volume 1: In the Blood stars our players Nicholas Benetatos as Alexander the Great, Amanda Facosta as Anastasia Pantazis, Giancarlo Herrera as Rolf Yannik, and Michael Pisani as Arete Laskaris. Dungeon mastering and NPC voices are by Tau Zaman. Cover art by Chandler Candela. Sound design and edited by Giancarlo Herrera. Title music by Sage G.C. with vocals by Jessica Dahlgren and Sage G.C. Character Theme Music by Giorgio Volpe. Additional music by Epidemic Sound. If you liked what you heard, we hope you'll consider helping us make future tabletop parodies of your favorite stories. You can support us at patreon on patreon.com/roguerunradio. Patrons get access to our community discord Channel, as well as our behind the scenes chat cast Out of the Blood where we talk about everything on our minds after the episode. There are free ways to support the show too. We hope you'll leave us a glowing review on your listening app of choice as well as spread the good word about us on Twitter and Instagram where you can follow us @RogueRunRadio. We love hearing from you. So hit us up there or email us at rr@whisperforge.org. We're very proud to be in The Whisperforge collective and hope you'll check out our other shows. We think you'll like Remarkable Providences, a witty and informative exploration of the Salem Witch Trials. Get ready to run with us next week, we're dropping two more episodes then. 'Til next time sinners. I'll see you in hell.

[SFX: Title music.] "Escape...escape...escape...escape..."

Vol. 1. Ep. 2 - Apple of Discord

Volume 1: In the Blood Ep. 2 - Apple of Discord