In the Northeast of the upper continental mass of Sloane sits a conundrum of a city: Stargrave. Nestled between the Barrier Mountain Range to the west and the Unending Seas to the east in the transitional forests of the Gathering Storm, a city of opposing but interconnected sides quietly exerts influence on the rest of the world.

In the twelfth episode of Across the Planes, Tom, Law, and Tone discuss and come up with the lore surrounding the northern city of Stargrave. Throughout the conversation, they discuss the culture, religion, industry, and overall vibe of the Northeast of Sloane.

VO: Lawrence Bentiné Jr., Antonio Perez, and Thomas Lapierre III

Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We pick up where we left off the morning after the party's stakeout of sorts. It seems as if Ursus was not the only person visited last night, as we learn Bob also came in contact with an unfamiliar figure, presumably an Ashen Child. The party splits for the morning, with the Slash Bros at the temple, where they find Sister Flinthorn, who discusses Ursus' evening encounter with the Ashen Children and receives a refresher course on who the Silent Keeper is. Back at the tavern, where the rest of the group is having some food, they start connecting the dots regarding what happened with the ships, the Ashen Children, and other things that haven't lined up. Chantico's sister, Tozi, gets in contact with her amid all this and checks in on her, informing her that she will get back to her about Bob when she has more information to share.

Eventually, Bob, Ursus, and Thorak meet with everyone else. After exchanging information, they conclude that while the circumstances are similar to those of a false hydra, these are not identical situations. This doesn't leave the group feeling much better about their circumstances. It's then that they realize they are marking themselves, and they are losing time every time they encounter the being (or beings) causing all of this. After that, they attend their meeting and obtain the address where they were just yesterday, but with a different point of contact. Not Lua Hugh, but a one Nora Vakara. Instead of drawing too much attention to the discrepancy, they leave to go investigate.

It's here that things really go off the rails. As they approach the home, the group realizes time has been passing rapidly, and marks are appearing more frequently. It's then that Thorak uses Paco as his eyes, while Valen blindfolds himself and utilizes his blindsense, a way to see without being affected by the entities causing all this. And, to their (mis)fortune, they can see and begin fighting the strange grey beings and instruct the group to keep them contained. By losing eye contact with them, they forget, so Valen stuns one, Thorak grows large and grapples a few, and Chantico restrains one via her druidic magic. An intense fight later, they manage to restrain one with a rope and with Bob's tentacles, Elizabeth, and kill the rest of them. They take them through the city to the temple and try to gauge the situation. In showing the creature to Sister Flintorn, something bothered Thorak. He catches a faint glimpse of a smirk that just barely creeps over her face, and with that, Thorak yells to Bob to restrain her.

There's so much happening, and that's where we pick up…

Find out what happens next in this episode of the Medusa’s Cascade Blood & Booze!

Theme Music is written and performed by Efflorescence

Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amid a chaotic tactical retreat, the party is scattered and under heavy pressure. Arguile is locked in combat with a draegloth, Shanks is on the brink of death, Yurik is struggling to reconnect with the group, and Galahad, glowing and highly visible, draws relentless enemy fire while attempting evasive maneuvers. Zechs deploys an axe beak from his Tan Bag of Tricks to disrupt the draegloth, while Duo delivers Shanks’ chained alchemist fire to further weaken it, allowing Salix to extract Arguile by eagle. Meanwhile, Galahad is struck by a lightning arrow and badly injured, Turk and Glad remain stuck to him, and Salix, Zechs, and a barely lucid Arguile scramble to locate Shanks with no clear bearings.

Duo is sent ahead to search and coordinate, eventually catching up to Yurik and guiding him through the chaos of Ors Thurmar. Zechs summons additional eagles to aid the search, but they are shot down, costing the group time and momentum. Turk and Glad fend off a chasme while stuck to Galahad, and Salix creates a decoy image to draw sniper fire, giving the party a chance to regroup and escape at low altitude. Yurik contributes by unleashing a firestorm toward the area where the group fell. Through quick thinking and teamwork, Salix, Zechs, and Arguile reach Shanks in time and pull him back from death. Once reunited, Zechs uses alcohol from the Bag of Holding to dissolve the substance binding Galahad, Turk, and Glad, allowing the party to move together again.

The group is then approached by a pale man, urging them to move quickly and quietly, revealed to be Enich, Yurik’s son and Arguile’s half-brother. After brief explanations of his disappearance and how he’s survived, Enich leads them to a hidden safe spot where they can rest and recover. The brothers share a quiet moment bonding over family memories, and Enich confirms hearing rumors of Elrin topside, but nothing of Arioch. Shanks and Arguile exchange coded words in Thieves’ Cant, revealing that Arguile’s stone has grown warmer in the Underdark and that its number has dropped significantly, raising new concerns. With questions unanswered but strength regained, Enich points out a route out of the city, and the party prepares to move on.

There's so much happening, and that's where we pick up…

Find out what happens next in this episode of the Medusa’s Cascade: Collateral Damage!

Theme Music is written and performed by Efflorescence

Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the battle continues, resources dwindle, and there seems to be no end to the enemy in sight, it becomes clear that the party needs to regroup. Shanks is still making his way down and back to the group when Zechs hears Shanks go down through their coms. His target exacted revenge on him, but it's not the first time Shanks has knocked on Death's door. Time begins to slow down as Yurik grabs Arguile and heads off to pick up their fallen ally.

Meanwhile, injured and starting to feel the need for a tactical retreat, Galahad opens his wings, grabbing Turk and Glad for a chase down the streets of Ors Themar, keeping himself below the height of the buildings that surround them. While taking a significant hit, he manages to drop his passengers, but with some speed and teamwork, and mostly the help of a certain Bubblegum Wand, the three are back together and continue their exit.

Yurik is finally able to grab Shanks and uses Dimension Door to get himself near the group, now making their escape. With some quick thinking from Zechs, being carried by a giant eagle version of Salix and his Hole Thrower, he manages to put an 18-foot hole in the ground between them and their pursuers. He also tosses an item from his Tan Bag of Tricks, which turns out to be a baboon, that he lets loose on the enemy on their tails. Just another typical adventure for the Collateral crew, huh?

There's so much happening, and that's where we pick up…

Find out what happens next in this episode of the Medusa’s Cascade: Collateral Damage!

Theme Music is written and performed by Efflorescence

Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey everyone, and welcome to the eighteenth Divergent Paths cut scene. This particular character has only appeared once in the podcast thus far, in Episode 62, The Herald of Tiamat. For those of you that have been with us since the beginning, you finally get a peek inside the mind of Galahad's mentor Antonius. The party doesn't know this information, but you do.

Written and read by Thomas Lapierre III

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With their guide, Ernie, providing the information he could about the goings-on at the mine, the information was troubling, and it was clear that the mine was not for the faint of heart. Chantico appears visibly uncomfortable as she has been actively suppressing her magic. Upon further taking a look at Chan, Valen realizes it's not her suppressing her magic so much as it is that her flame has been dimmed, as if she is not feeling herself fully.

Eventually, a plan emerges to investigate the depths of the mine further, using Dona riding a polymorphed Ursus as a giant spider, and Thorak using beast sense on him. What they find, or rather what they think they sensed, leaves the three with more questions and uneasiness. Eventually, they briefly reconnect over drinks and attempt to put their heads together to discuss their findings. Bob & Thorak put their heads together and determined that some of the markings they had found correlated with the King in Yellow.

That evening, plans are made to set up lodging in one of the abandoned homes, and sleep in shifts to catch any strange activity happening from an adjacent building. Bob would act as bait, and the other party members would swoop in if anything went awry. If only things were that simple. That evening. Ursus is visited by one of the ashen children, and this mysterious adventure only gets more bizarre.

There's so much happening, and that's where we pick up…

Find out what happens next in this episode of the Medusa’s Cascade: Blood and Booze

Theme Music is written and performed by Efflorescence

Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shanks brings the house down, and in a way, sets the stage for this next fight to take place. As he scales down while avoiding debris, he also takes note that he didn't kill his intended target, but at the very least, he's immobilized from what he can tell. Keeping communication going with Zechs, trying his best to maintain a line of sight, and scaling down the rugged terrain is taking every bit of mental energy from our demolition elf. 

Meanwhile, the party faces off against an iron golem, multiple Chasme, scavengers, and has Armenites incoming. While they aren't taking heavy damage by any means, they are already feeling the fatigue, mental drain, and dwindling resources as they face off against another seemingly endless wave of enemies. The once quiet streets of Ors Themar now grow louder with the clanging of metal, buzzing of chasime, hoofs in the distance nearing closer, and spells being shot off from the spell casters. It's still too early to call a winner; there's a lot of fight left to have, and so much of the city still to explore.

There's so much happening, and that's where we pick up…

Find out what happens next in this episode of the Medusa’s Cascade: Collateral Damage!

Theme Music is written and performed by ⁠Efflorescence⁠

Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the party continues their short rest, taking stock, and figuring out next steps, Shanks is in pursuit of their sniper assailant. When the group is ready to go, thanks to the help of Yurik's sentient blade, they begin heading deeper into the city. The once-bustling streets and seemingly thriving city look nothing like what was described before the invasion took place. A marketplace now in ruins, the group splits to cover more ground and look for clues as to where Enich can be. Thankfully, Arguile knows Thieves' Cant and can make out some messages that help clue him into a possible location for his brother. The party makes their way inside a shop to investigate further.

As this is happening, Zechs is getting information relayed to him via Shanks. He's in pursuit of the sniper, and he suspects the group is being tracked somehow, again. Zechs relays the information to the group, and Arguile begins to ritually cast identify until they hear something significant approaching them outside. Glad, Yurik, and Galahad immediately go outside, with the rest following soon after. They find themselves face-to-face with a large iron golem, and another fight commences.

It's not much later that they hear even more enemies approaching them, and the party braces itself for another long and arduous fight. Meanwhile, at the sniper's last known location, Shanks is making a tactical assessment of how to approach and what out of his bag of goodies he can use to bring the house down. After some time, a lot of triple-checking his work, and a lot of second-guessing himself, he decides how he's going to make quite the explosive display and not get himself caught in the blast. The pieces are set, the match is lit, and a fuse is ready to go boom!

There's so much happening, and that's where we pick up…

Find out what happens next in this episode of the Medusa’s Cascade: Collateral Damage!

Theme Music is written and performed by Efflorescence

Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We pick back up in the midst of the group’s current skirmish and ambush against an unending number of foes. It’s a stressful and taxing fight on every level. As time passes and resources are exhausted, the group begins to make some headway, but their brief moment of reprieve is met with even more opposition. It’s a numbers game, and the enemy has them in spades. Knowing this, they continue to fight their way through and into the city. Eventually, they finally see the end of this wave of assault and can stop, regroup, and assess their next movements. As Galahad gathers materials to bring back in exchange for his new belt and the group begins looting, Shanks heads to the sniper tower to investigate further and see what he can make of their assailant, and relays his findings to Zechs via the Spies Murmur. It’s here that he stumbles into a trap laid out just for this occasion, a well-placed Alarm spell placed just at the foot of this perch in the path leading up to it, hidden well.

There's so much happening, and that's where we pick up…

Find out what happens next in this episode of the Medusa’s Cascade: Collateral Damage!

Theme Music is written and performed by Efflorescence

Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the intense battles with Malar and Enich, Zechs collapses in exhaustion and is taken to his parents’ home to recover. At the same time, Galahad marks the ritual site to prevent further sacrifices. That evening, the party celebrates their hard-won victory at the Faint Mandolin and Jaded Kitty Kat, sharing drinks, reflections, and heartfelt moments—Turk earns his title “THE Turk,” and Greyleaf connects deeply with him over magic and family. Before the night ends, the mysterious Ickra appears with critical news: updates from JM, the status of Argo, warnings of fiend activity in Ors Themar, threats to the arcane balance in Mechfall, and a chilling note that Arguile has another alternate—one with a rifle. Meanwhile, Zechs dreams of his childhood sacrifice, recalling The Constable calling him "Quill" and suggesting his role is tied to destiny, not malice. Upon waking, Zechs reflects on the weight of his powers and joins the others to discuss next steps, including Galahad’s coming confrontation in Granzia and finding Arguile’s mother.

As the group departs for Iwi, they briefly reunite with past allies Cereius, Attros, and Doctor Honeydew, noting significant changes in their magical gear and a new ally, We Ahqua. Flashbacks reveal Arguile fleeing mid-heist under the curse of lycanthropy, with Greyleaf, Duo, and Shanks tracking him down and subduing him until morning. With the curse lifted, the group reconnects, makes camp, and prepares for the next leg of their journey. After notifying their families and arranging travel via Rig, they arrive in Nykorua and begin adjusting—Arguile’s hometown is alien to most of the party, leading to humorous missteps, the discovery of Arguile’s many aliases, and a tailor named Elmira who upgrades their wardrobe. As the group explores the city, they enjoy both fun and introspective moments, with Arguile meeting Mira, who provides a lead on his mother and returns his hidden stash. Meanwhile, Galahad acquires a temporary weapon and orders a custom-fused blade from a smith named Jax, while Zechs excitedly pitches gadget ideas.

After shopping and training, the group visits the Crystal Gardens for a brief connection to nature and gathers more information about the city’s rules, history, and key figures. Arguile shares insights about his guild and their operations compared to others, giving the party a clearer view of the city’s underworld. The team’s next mission begins to take shape as they prepare to locate Arguile’s mother and address mounting threats. With their goals set, they make their way toward the Spire District, eyes forward on what may be their most personal and revealing journey yet.

There’s so much happening, and we pick up with arc 27 “Much Ado About Dorna ”.

How will the rest of this story unfold? Find out next time on the Medusa’s Cascade: Collateral Damage!

Theme Music is written and performed by Efflorescence

Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.