The Medusa's Cascade

If you expect the typical band of adventurers turned heroes, you're looking in the wrong place. This group is rough around the edges, each with a motivation that would send most into solitude. The party makes their way out of the Death House, which almost claims the lives of some. They face some complex decisions but show signs of being very skilled. However, they have a long way to go to be a cohesive team. Only time will tell with this party. 

Stay tuned for the next part of our Arc Recaps… “Try, Try Again”

Theme Music is written and performed by The Floating Lighthouse

Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III

Title Card by Pierce Graphics

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

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

Nine strangers meet in a mysterious tavern called The Medusa's Cascade. There, they meet The Journeyman, who offers them a job in exchange for gold and helps with some of their personal quests. What's the job? Free a demi-plane of its curse, seems easy enough, right? One would think. The group has a hard time coming together, and it nearly costs them… on many occasions. The first major location in this journey reveals just how out of their depth this group may be. Haunted manors, a woman being visited by a powerful dark force, and the internal demons they have to fight as well. 

Welcome to the arc recaps for Collateral Damage. This is not your typical adventure and certainly not your typical group of adventurers. Enjoy the tale.

Theme Music is written and performed by The Floating Lighthouse

Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III

Title Card by Pierce Graphics

Read by Antonio Perez, Eric Hutchison, and Thomas Lapierre III

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

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

We come back to the story still in the bowels of the speakeasy “Twisted Antler”. Sage and Thai are putting more cards on the table with their current “situation”. It seems, however, that their information has some interest to more than the people in that room. Sage finds and dispels the orb that seems to hover closely around Thai. On the other side of the room, Bosco informs The Connusier of his current travels, and while the story seems intriguing, there is a desire for more than what the rogue is currently sharing. On both sides of these conversations, they speak about the idea of taking down Olmoz and the Infinity Bazaar. Oh, and more importantly, Thai is on the lamb, and Bosco is to be presumed “dead”. While Chava offers a place of refuge for the group, they are now certain that Olmoz has sent assassins after them. In fact, Olmoz pays Thai a visit in his dream, taunting the always confident Tabaxi. Thai wakes up in a cold sweat and informs Bosco and Sage of what transpired. A messenger delivers to the group a box with five gold coins bearing the mark of the Infinity Bazaar, further driving home the message that they are on Olmoz’s radar. They gather their things, use a psionic link to communicate, and put forth a plan in motion to lure out their would-be killers. Are they in over their heads? Is their plan doomed to fail? 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 written and performed by The Floating Lighthouse 

Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III 

Title Card by Pierce Graphics

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

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

We return to the Iwi with Thai, Bosco, and their new ally Sage Sapien. The group makes its way toward MechFall with Sage as their means of transportation. While on this journey, Sage gives them what he knows of the Daughters of Creation and the changes that have happened since the last time he gazed upon these lands. Thai informs Bosco of their time away, the group that he ran with, the man who took him, and his nefarious plan to pull the planes into each other. It’s a city of a more modern age, as they find horseless carriages and buildings as tall as the eye can see. They have their sights set on the “Twisted Antler,” where the drinks are plentiful if you have the currency to pay for them. It’s a speakeasy, not a place you’d find on a map. What is the price for these drinks, you may ask? Information, of course. You just need to ask about the Elvish Rum. Chava gives Thai a hard time for leaving without so much as a goodbye. After pleasantries are exchanged, Thai and Sage let them in on what they’ve been up to and ask them for the utmost discretion. On the other side of the room, Bosco catches up with his old pal, The Connoisseur, who introduces Bosco to a fiery new blend he acquired. There’s a lot of information floating around, as are the drinks. Let’s hope for their sake, the booze is worth the price. 

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 written and performed by The Floating Lighthouse 

Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III 

Title Card by Pierce Graphics

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

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

Last time, we found ourselves with the team giving the Stone of Revival to Amina. In this exchange, she reminds them that she also asked them to help aid Quon and his people in the Glasmeda Isles. It’s also determined that Hoshino is not cursed, well, not in the sense that can be removed via the Remove Curse spell. While this brings a sense of relief to the party, it also results in them having more questions for their new ally. Salix is told that their hut is still intact, and the party agrees to stop and visit it on their way up north. Amina lets Zechs know that Nymora is safe, and they are sent back to see just that. The wreckage of the machines that Arguile and Shanks saw is nowhere to be found.

Meanwhile, we return to the gem heist job with Thai, Bosco, Morz… and an EMERALD DRAGON! It looked like quite a grim situation as the team tried their best to escape from the dragon's fury. Eventually, the dragon’s breath weapon deals a massive hit of psychic damage to Bosco and Thai, and the dragon eventually gets a hold of Morz, who is torn into. Thai and Bosco attempt to free Morz with force, but the dragon doesn’t seem to want to relinquish their quarry. Reading the situation, Thai makes an effort to plead with the dragon for their lives. A badly injured Morz is put down, but kept close as Bosco and Thai begin their negotiations. Eventually, they make allies with the dragon, whom they name Sage. They agree to go after Olmoz and the Infinity Bazaar.

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

Theme Music written and performed by The Floating Lighthouse 

Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III 

Title Card by Pierce Graphics

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

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

After the defeat of the Web of Fate, Salix brings Duo back from Granzia, where he was banished. The stone had taken hold of Duo, and he was not willing to give up the stone. He even went so far as to tell Zechs that if the party planned on taking it from him, he would leave the group, forever. An attempt was made to command Duo to drop the stone, but the spell Galahad cast was not strong enough to separate the magic of the stone from Duo. Shanks took a calculated shot, managing to release the stone from Duo as Galahad quickly grabbed it and placed it into the haversack. Just as things seemed to settle down, a mysterious figure emerges from underneath the Shrine of Fate. A man named Hoshino, a victim of the Web, is met by the party and is thousands of years removed from when he came. There are spoils, revelry, some discussion about the city’s future, and conversation about what the party has been feeling. The party lets Hoshino know that he can join them on their journey and help connect any missing pieces from his memories. Voyas departs from the party in the morning, leaving with her ally from the monastery where she studied. It’s the dawn of a new day, and the party is preparing to head back to the Heartwood to deliver the stone to Amina.

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 written and performed by The Floating Lighthouse 

Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III 

Title Card by Pierce Graphics

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

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

The momentum in the battle was a constant power struggle. With party members falling unconscious and being picked back up, it was not a guarantee that they would all make it out alive. The party stayed focused, and they were able to come out on top. One by one, they took down each member of the Web of Fate and secured their victory. It was hard fought, and the events leading up to this very moment took every bit of what the team had in them. A brief moment of silence finally sets in, and they get to fully digest what transpired. All they have left is to get Duo back and the stone. Then they’re done, right? 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 written and performed by The Floating Lighthouse 

Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III 

Title Card by Pierce Graphics

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

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

It’s a tense few moments before the ceremony begins. The party makes their final plans and preparations for the retrieval of the stone and the elimination of the Web of Fate. Salix offers themself up as a distraction, an enlarged and souped-up Galahad is going to come at Lady Sagewyng like a freight train, the familiars are going to grab the stone, and Duo will be banished with the stone while the battle takes place. Some of this plan actually works, and there is a brief moment where the team feels confident. Until things begin to go sideways. Salix disappears into a void of shadow, Zechs goes down, and the situation begins to look a bit grim. Momentum does, however, start to shift for the party, but it’s a war of attrition. Salix returns rejuvenated and emanating with powerful void magic at their disposal. This will be the most challenging fight for the party so far. Will they come out on top? 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 written and performed by The Floating Lighthouse 

Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III 

Title Card by Pierce Graphics

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

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

We start with where we left off: a tense situation where Arguile and Shanks explore deeper into the Shrine of Fate. Ultimately, they run into most of the members of the Web of Fate, where Arguile's divination magic saves the two from quite possibly a grim end. They make it back out and to the party that awaits, still at the safe house, and inform the party of what they found. This is it: the final few hours before all the players and pieces are set. With so much on the line, various members of the team reach out to their patrons, some being more fortunate than others. They start to think of a plan and any and all contingencies if they fail in any part of the plan or are met with unforeseen circumstances. The plan is crazy, but with Collateral, crazy just might work. 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 written and performed by The Floating Lighthouse 

Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III 

Title Card by Pierce Graphics

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

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

We last left off with the party arriving back at the safe house. Their attempt on Grimwing's life was unsuccessful but brought about useful information on their foes going forward. The night still had an air of tension as the party rested, what felt like it could be their very last rest. Conversations had, but it was the dreams and visions that proved the most interesting. Voyas heard directly from the Daughter of the Flame and was told about her role in the group, story, and events ahead. As the party woke, they heard and found a bestial spirit of a caracal kitten left by Arbane with a note written in the dirt that said, "Be seeing you soon, kitty cat." There was a dark moment that led to a familiar fight… Duo falling briefly, Zechs reviving him and killing the bestial spirit, and eventually Voyas reaching out to Zechs mentally and just hearing him scream and cry as the stress of these past few days and everything else surrounding him has brought him to his breaking point. The group decides to move forward with the plan to break into the Shrine of Fate using the captain's amulets that Iggy gave the party. Shanks and Arguile head over that way, while the rest of the party reconnects with Finnea and the resistance. Shanks and Arguile are in shark-infested waters, and one wrong move can have dire consequences. Even still, they know what they must do and proceed forward. 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 written and performed by The Floating Lighthouse 

Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III 

Title Card by Pierce Graphics

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

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