The Medusa's Cascade

Locking eyes with Shanks, the necromancer speaks a single word and casts Power Word Kill. Shanks falls dead, and the battlefield goes silent. But only for a moment, and as the battle rages on to its imminent conclusion, Shanks finds himself in the Veil. He is met there by his ancestral God, The Hunter. The two converse on his journey through life and his progress toward balance. Their conversation ended with the awakening of Mind’s Eye to its full potential. Meanwhile, the party pushes their enemies toward defeat when the necromancer casts Cone of Cold, dropping Turk unconscious.

As he falls, time slows to a stop, and he meets his much-maligned patron, Kas the Bloody-handed. The Vampire questions Turks' resolve and motivations for his pact, ultimately relieving the halfling of his powers after he refuses to do the betrayer's bidding. Turk isn’t the only one pushed to the edge by the Cone of Cold. Zechs soon falls unconscious after a strike from the barbarian. The Tabaxi awakes in a vision of the spirit world of his people, the Goddess of the realm at his side. Tumra, the Snow Leopard, helps the Ranger unburden himself through thoughtful conversation and quiet contemplation. 

As the battle comes to a dramatic close, with Salix performing the revivify spell on Shanks’ lifeless body, the archer’s time in the Veil draws to a close. He meets the Matron of Ravens, who informs him that his time in the land of the living is not at an end. She, like the party, is opposed to the Constable’s plans and wishes for him to take her blessing back to stop the needless loss of life, once and for all. Shanks accepts this gift as everything fades to black.

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

Title Card by Pierce Graphics 

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

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

The party splits briefly before reuniting to meet Yurik Strauss, where Arguile, revealed as Sylas Nicks, seeks information about his missing mother, Dorna. Yurik offers aid in exchange for the group helping find his son Enich, and after an intense sparring match with Galahad that ends in a double knockout, the party accepts him as capable enough to travel through the Underdark. They spend time in the Old Quarter striking trade deals, reunite Arguile with Dorna in an emotional reveal, and clarify that Yurik’s Enich is not Arguile’s alternate-self-turned-Skin-Flayer. After reviewing grim accounts of the siege of Ors Thurmar, the group sets off—only to become trapped in a looping forest around a strange cabin inhabited by a woman named Mal. Through investigation, teamwork, Bahamut’s guidance, and deciphering a shift-cipher hidden in her books, they realize they are inside the Endless Maze and escape by pushing straight through.

As they camp, a series of night watches deepens bonds within the group. The Turk and Yurik discuss family, Arguile and Zechs address guilt and growth, and Galahad and Shanks confront their looming destinies. Glad severs ties with her former divine patron and embraces her ancestral power, while the party later gathers around the fire to share personal stories. More heartfelt conversations follow the next night as Arguile and Yurik open up, Zechs and The Turk trade histories, and Galahad, Glad, and Salix reflect on divine manipulation and the hard choices ahead.

Descending into the Underdark, the party regroups with Shanks, scouts for purple worm tunnels, and prepares for the horrors of Ors Thurmar. They negotiate with intelligent fungi, offering enemy corpses in exchange for information, and tensions rise around the fiendish aura of Yurik’s sentient sword. When giant spiders attack in tight quarters, the group prevails but grows increasingly wary of Yurik’s behavior. Using telepathy, scouting, and quick thinking, they navigate Myconid territory, skirt a spore ritual that briefly knocks out The Turk, rest, and continue through glowing bioluminescent caverns toward the dangers still awaiting them.

There’s so much happening, and we pick up with arc 28, “Smash and Grab”. 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

Title Card by Pierce Graphics 

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

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

As we kick off the fight, Bob hurls a psychic lance at the sister and gets the party started. The fight commences, and Sister Flinthorn isn't pulling any punches against the crew. After Valen zooms at her, throwing several kicks and punches, a confused look passes over him as she has used the shield to beef herself up for this encounter. She turns to the rest of the group and casts synaptic static at them, and throws a monkey wrench immediately at any of their plan. Chantico fires off some scorching rays and uses fiery teleport to better reposition herself, Bob uses cloud of daggers, and Thorak attempts to grapple her himself, but gets banished instead, but only briefly, as a blow from Valen breaks her concentration. It's a more brutal fight than they had anticipated, for sure. Chantico sets the roof and Sister ablaze with flame strike, and Ursus lands a decisive blow to Flinthorn. Before the crowd gathers further, Valen slips away to get a feel for the town and to see if stopping her had any effect on the citizens. It didn't, and in fact, the closer Valen moved towards the mines, the more it felt as if something was trying to prevent him from going into them and exploring further. With his stillness of mind, he manages to come back to his senses and regroups with the party.

Meanwhile, the party makes their exit after the fiery explosion that took the church with molten bronze and THE book in tow. Back at their lodging for the evening, the group divvies up watches and insists on keeping an eye on the townsfolk who are giving off strange vibes. They are muttering, and all seem to be gathering around the middle of the town, amongst a great bonfire. Valen, having observed this on the rooftop during his watch, informs the next watch, Thorak, of what is going on. Thorak takes his watch to experiment with some bits of monster he's collected and some other varying items to try to make a poison of some kind, a failed first attempt, but it makes for great learning. The final watch is split between Ursus and Chantico: Chantico on the rooftop, where Valen observed the crazed townfolk, and Ursus below, keeping an eye on things internally. Chantico updates Ursus on the happenings in this bizarre mining town, and he tells her to prepare a good mix of spells for the fight ahead. As they get ready for the day, they look back and see the square emptying and heading towards the mines. An eerie, ominous, and chilling dread washes over the party at this information. 

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

Title Card by Pierce Graphics

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

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

The fight opens in chaos: Shanks fires a concussive shot at the cleric as Galahad and Arguile are stunned, and the barbarian hounds Zechs with smite-infused strikes. The monk shadow-steps to Shanks, stunning him, while Salix restrains the necromancer, only for him to immediately hurl a fireball into the group. Galahad answers with Channel Divinity, dropping the cleric, and Glad heals him with her circlet before attempting to finish her off, but a blight from the necromancer weakens Glad’s blows. The barbarian lands a reckless hit on Galahad, Arguile critically wounds the cleric, and Turk summons a spirit of death to pressure the monk, though its necrotic damage is resisted. Stuns continue to fly as undead thralls join the fray; Turk counters a blight aimed at a stunned Galahad, Glad restrains the necromancer with her wand, accidentally sticking Salix to him, and Shanks trades shots with the monk. Arguile ultimately delivers the killing blow to the cleric.

Momentum shifts again as Zechs’ lightning arrow misfires, clipping the stunned Galahad, and Turk’s eldritch blasts are blunted by shields tied to the Elrin light. The monk keeps Galahad locked down with repeated stuns and even drops Turk briefly, while the necromancer’s thralls batter Salix back into their true form and hammer Galahad to the brink. A devastating fireball drops Galahad and Lorainne outright; as Galahad fades, he reaches out to Bahamut, is met by a golden sparrow, and affirms his faith. Empowered by Bahamut’s blessing, rage beyond death, he rises again, eyes glowing azure as seven golden sparrows circle him.

With Galahad back in the fight, Shanks outplays the monk, baiting reactions before landing the decisive double shots; Arguile and Zechs finish him moments later, and Zechs clears the remaining skeletons. The barbarian turns her fury on Turk as Salix’s psychic lance is counterspelled and the necromancer’s zombies miss. Then the necromancer locks eyes with Shanks and utters Power Word Kill. The battlefield falls silent as Shanks collapses dead...

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

Title Card by Pierce Graphics 

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

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

The party arrives at the cemetery and meets Shepard Miles, Yurik's Crew, and Dorna, with tension so thick it threatens to erupt at any moment. That fuse is struck when Arioch appears as a golden-skinned elf and reveals the truth behind the tragedy binding them all together: Yurik is Arguile’s biological father. Long ago, a bargain to save Arguile’s life replaced Arguile’s heart with his father’s, at the cost of all parties forgetting one another. Fate, or Arioch’s cruel amusement, later reunited Yurik and Dorna, resulting in the birth of Enich, Arguile’s younger brother. All of it, Arioch admits, was done simply because it entertained him.

Arioch then presents Yurik and Arguile with a horrific choice: his army needs a general, and there are two candidates for one position, so they must fight for it. Despite pleas and defiance, Yurik attacks first, begging forgiveness as Arguile refuses to strike back and challenges Arioch’s logic. The demon’s answer is merciless: it’s more fun this way. To force compliance, Arioch seizes Dorna and threatens to kill and resurrect her repeatedly until they fight in earnest. After a brutal demonstration of his power, father and son are forced to take the duel seriously. The party can only watch, unable to intervene without certain death, offering what aid they can through spells and support, until Arioch halts all interference. When both Yurik and Arguile offer themselves to spare Dorna, Arioch instead forces Dorna to choose. He then cruelly infects Enich with the same disease that once afflicted Arguile, declaring her son’s life limited either way. In the end, Yurik agrees to go with Arioch, granted only a brief farewell with his family, a devastating moment with no true victory.

As Yurik is taken away, Enich escorts Dorna to safety in a nearby crypt, and the focus shifts to the remaining threat: Yurik's Crew preparing to fight. The party braces itself as battle erupts, immediately turning against them when a necromancer raises a dozen skeletons to swell the enemy ranks. Galahad is stunned out of the fight by a monk, Shanks lands a heavy blow on the cleric, only for them to heal and press on, and what once looked like a manageable encounter rapidly becomes a brutal, uphill struggle. With no clear victor in sight, the clash marks only the beginning of an even darker confrontation to come.

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 

Theme Music is written and performed by Efflorescence

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.

Still in Ors Themar, the party finishes a short rest and prepares to escape, quickly realizing that leaving the city may be as dangerous as entering it. They navigate tight passages, dispel glyphs, and move with hushed precision, managing to avoid further combat and finally put distance between themselves and the city before making camp for the night. During watches, they process the weight of what they witnessed. Shanks thanks Yurik for the rescue, concerns are raised about Ors Themar’s implications for Nakoroa, and the group reflects on how dire the situation may be.

During the watches, deeper conversations unfold. Turk and Glad discuss Glad’s fallout with The Protector, while Arguile admits he initially believed Yurik was the threat his mother, Dorna, was facing. Galahad and Shanks speak candidly about fear, death, how Galahad’s aura functions, and a new potion Shanks has been developing. By morning, Shanks discovers a small copper coin and a raven’s feather, an ominous sign, while Arguile notices the stone’s count has dropped to two. Alarmed, the group breaks camp and heads back toward the city with urgency, stopping one last time at the now-empty field where the cursed cabin once stood. Overnight, the stone drops further, ticking down from 0.5 to 0.1 as they approach.

Upon entering the city, a shepherd informs Yurik that Shepard Miles has summoned them to their usual meeting place. Before going, they detour to Yurik and Dorna’s home, only to find it empty as the stone finally reaches zero. As Yurik struggles to understand where Dorna could be, questions arise about his connection to Shepard Miles. Shanks realizes Arioch has been manipulating events behind the scenes all along, and when Galahad asks about Yurik’s sword, Yurik reveals it was given to him by Shepard Miles. Recognizing the urgency, Shanks insists they leave immediately, and as they rush to confront Shepard Miles, the group identifies Yurik’s blade as Tempest’s Edge.

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

Title Card by Pierce Graphics

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

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

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

Title Card by Pierce Graphics

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

Title Card by Pierce Graphics

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

Title Card by Pierce Graphics

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

Title Card by Pierce Graphics

Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

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