The party had split up, Rig and Kyver going with Robin Lynxley to rob the Western Branch of the Drakewood Travels. Robin served as a distraction, picking a fight with the outside guards while Rig and Kyver headed in, disguised as a shorter Shanks and a stocky Zechs. While inside, they happened to run into an older Tabaxi gentleman named Rinde, whom they had fooled into thinking they were from an official branch checking for the possible spread of sickness through money. After getting into the vault, Rinde looked to Kyver, confusing him for his son, Zechs, leading to an assortment of trouble where they knocked him out and cast invisibility on him, before trying to make a getaway. 

What that then led to was an unexpected encounter with some people from Kyver’s past:  Agatha Vitalis, the sister of Abraxis, Kyver’s sworn enemy, and Alma, her retainer, the person Kyver loved. Although the exchange was brief, the impact it had on Kyver’s mental state was more than noticeable for Rig. Having the space around them fold back in on itself and returning to the vault, the Rig and Kyver quickly made a break for it before any security could find them. 

Meanwhile, Cereius and We'aqha made their way into the lower areas of the arena, where fighters and sponsors could head in before their matches. There, We'aqha headed into the fray and faced off against a tabaxi named Ligven, who was being drugged with a substance similar to the toxin found in the cookies that Kyver had consumed previously, but in a higher concentration. While under the influence of the substance, Ligven went mad and charged in with his animalistic instincts. We'aqha, in an impressive upset, turned into a dire wolf after jumping into the air and coming down with a powerful bite, striking his opponent down. 

As We'aqha emerged victorious, Cereius came in to treat Ligven, as his previous sponsor seemed to show no regard for him, even brutally beating him further. To save him, We'aqha bought off Ligven from his sponsor for some gold. And despite the urging from Cereius to leave, Ligven chose to stay to find his son. A callous remark from Ligven asking if Cereius even knew what it was like to lose a loved one made Cereius snap hard, as he thought back on his years-long journey to revive his wife, Valencia. 

By this time, Kyver and Rig were making their way to the arena in the vineyard as they saw 4 strange figures walking ahead of them. What was really eerie, however, was how, despite seeing 4 figures, they only heard the footsteps of 3 people walking in front of them. Having met the guard at the door into the vineyard as they waited a bit, Rig received a note left behind by the party ahead of them- the words “Found you, Rig” in this strange note. As they contemplated who could have left such a strange message, they came into the special viewing seats for the nobles in the arena. 

We'aqha, at this time, faced off against a huge loxodon with a broken tusk and battle scars as the crowd and Cereius chanted- “Bubbles, Bubbles, Bubbles.”

Theme music written and composed by ⁠Efflorescence⁠

Edited & Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III

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Last time with the Mercurial Avengers, Rig and Weaqha took a look at some wares while in the market area. Weaqha learned what a black market really was, opting not to purchase a presumably stolen moon sickle. Meanwhile, Cereius, led by a strange vision of his wife, Valencia, came to a fortune teller. There, he received fortune-telling from an elderly goblin shaman woman, showing him visions of his past, present, and somehow possible future

Kyver led the group to meet with Robin Lynxley as they headed downstairs to an area much like the food court and discussed possible plans to get Little Don out of the fighting pits. After much discussion, the group decided to split up, with Cereius and Weaqha participating in the fight pits, while Rig, Kyver, and Robin headed out to rob the Western Drakewood Travels branch. After robbing the place, they would come back disguised, trying to blend in among the noble spectators in the arena.

Theme music written and composed by ⁠Efflorescence⁠

Edited & Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III

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Last time on the Mercurial Avengers, the party set off to the Greatsword Village, where the barracks of the city guards and knights were. There, they went to meet Arnable and came across many of the warriors training. The group disguised themselves as Fat Arguile made his crunchy appearance through town. 

After getting up to some antics and familiarizing themselves with one of the guards, they were shown to Arnable’s quarters. While looking through his living space, Weaqha found the gear he had left behind, but also found old books he had studied on the shelves. Cereius felt unnerved when he saw a familiar set of religious clothes hung over a chair, the very same type of garments he once wore while working as a priest under his old mentor, Utholok.

Rig once again had a sense of deja vu. Kyver himself had a strong vision that revealed the faces of Robin, Little Don, and Poncho from a past job in his memories. The potions and books before him as Poncho and the others filled their bags with items, and an older gentleman appeared, and his vision ended. 

Arnable returned and met the group, donned in full armor, carrying an ornate helmet. While most of them were suspicious of him and his studies, and the books in his personal study, they couldn’t sense ill intentions from him. Rig snatched a book with Arnable’s ongoing research notes looking into the Blight Fiend, curious about why he had it, before he asked Weaqha for his help in trying to cure the plague upon Nymora.

After saying goodbye to Arnable, the group headed towards the Artist’s village in the southwest, where they headed down a secret entrance into the Vineyard. As they passed by markings with the Forbiddance spell, they made the choice to venture further in, despite knowing that Rig would not be able to use her teleportation magic in case of an emergency. Passing by gigantic structures of the Cat goddesses, Kyver and Rig saw faint markings left by the Tabaxi in a special residue only visible by those with darkvision serving as a warning to other Tabaxi.

When they headed in, they saw the branching offshoots with signs that pointed in various directions- and headed towards the marketplace, structured like an hourglass with multiple levels and spiraling staircases and a solid crystal that served as the central support.

When they arrived, Rig turned to see a green tabaxi with golden eyes in the distance, as a sense of deja vu came over her again. Kyver looked off to his side and saw Robin waving to them. Cereius looked forward towards the crystalline structure, and froze up, seeing a vision of his beloved wife, Valencia.

Theme music written and composed by ⁠Efflorescence⁠

Edited & Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III

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

Last time on Mercurial Avengers, the party had a close call with some of the guards looking for them, but after being commanded by their leader to return to patrol, they headed off, leaving the Cat’s Cradle Inn, where We'aqha, Cereius, and Rig were currently at.

Rig headed out to meet Kyver, who brought his friend Robin Lynxley to meet the group after a bit of an exchange. During this time, Cereius began to sense something strange from Weaqha with the Puppetmaster’s ring on his hand. Using Speak with the Dead, he was able to reach out to a spirit that found itself attached to We'aqha, where they received clues about a grudge related to 4 people who had taken the spirit’s life previously, and somehow Poncho was connected. 

After the rest of the group reunited, they met Robin and discussed plans to save Little Don from the Vineyard, while also looking more into the mystery of the Blight Fiend. Kyver had a bit of an adverse reaction to the catnip cookies that were gifted to them earlier in the day by a strange green tabaxi with yellow eyes, but as Robin revealed, there was no such resident in the area where they met her. 

After treating Kyver, they managed to hash out the rest of the plan, as Robin headed off first to meet them there later that night. Rig felt a sense of deja vu for a moment just before Robin left, the area about her feeling the same way when she warps through space and time. But as things settled, the group went about their preparations for the adventure ahead of them.

Theme music written and composed by ⁠⁠⁠Efflorescence⁠⁠⁠

Edited & Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III

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Picking up from last time with the Mercurial Avengers, We'ahqa departed and set out to return to Cat’s Cradle, while the others set out with Poncho to find We'ahqa. However, when the rest of the group made it to the location where We'ahqa him were left. After a few inquiries from Rig to an elderly green Tabaxi lady with golden eyes, they were able to determine that she is a “cleaner” of the street, and that “occasionally” things happen here, but she did not find a body last night. Poncho, having done his duty, split from the rest of them.

We'ahqa, having not seen anyone and feeling the impulse from his inner voice, used locate object to track Poncho. As We'ahqa moved towards Poncho’s location after Kyver warned Poncho about separating from their group, everyone became caught up in an intense chase.

As We'ahqa came within grasp of Poncho, Kyver instead snatched him up and made a getaway to one of the hideouts of the Royal Vagabonds. Rig and Cereius managed to calm Weaqha down, just as city guards questioned them for causing a disturbance in the city. Rig acting quickly, teleported the three of them away back to their room at the Cat’s Cradle.

During this time, Kyver and Poncho entered their old hideout, where they ran into Robin Lynxley, another one of their old cohorts. After hearing the news about their friend, Little Don, being captured and made to fight in the underground circuit of the Vineyard, Kyver convinced Robin to let him and his allies join Robin in an infiltration mission.

As Kyver received a sending message from We'ahqa, guards from the city came into the Cat’s Cradle looking for 2 water genasi and Rig, disguised as a dwarf, only to come to a halt after being commanded to return.

Theme music written and composed by ⁠⁠Efflorescence⁠⁠

Edited & Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III

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Last time, our group found themselves outside the eastern gate of Nymora, where Kyver had seen his past tormentor, the son of the Vitalis family, Abraxis. Although he had to hold himself back from chasing after him, Rig and the others used this opportunity to disguise themselves and head in while playing themselves off as a noble and their bodyguards. 

Despite hearing noises coming from behind them, the party pushed further in, moving past the guards, as a small caravan of people was being chased by a mutated monster towards the gate. We'aqha left Franchise behind to see through its eyes the carnage that ensued as yet another beast appeared, despite the bravery of a young air genasi attempting to fend them off. With the help of some of the guards and the young warrior Arnable, the beasts were driven off, and the survivors were taken in, but only after taking some losses.

With a heavy heart, our adventurers set off further into the city, past the market area and into the bridge ward, where they stayed at the Cat’s Cradle Inn. As the others rested, We'aqha, full of rage and distraught by the events of the day, gave into his inner voice, “one must die,” and found his way to Poncho, who had separated from them and was merely enjoying some late-night gambling. After pulling Poncho further away from where anyone might hear him, We'aqha attempted to kill him, but Poncho, showing his rogue-like abilities, darted off into the shadows before re-emerging and striking We'aqha with a critical blow that left him unconscious. After robbing him of a few belongings and leaving him for dead, Poncho headed off into the night, where, after, We'aqha was taken in by someone who found him lying there unconscious. 

With the next morning, Rig, Kyver, and Cereius reconvened, eating breakfast at the open dining hall while speaking to some of the locals, like Lynx, about some of the carnage that ensued last night, as well as the change in scenery with a blight that had made its way to the edges of Nymora more recently. 

While the others enjoyed their coffee and breakfast treats, Cereius found himself allergic to some of the local foods, causing a bit of a fun exchange between everyone, just before Poncho arrived to ask the party what was up with their blue friend trying to murder him last night.

Just at about the same time, We'aqha woke up, having found himself in the care of Arnable, a young, up-and-coming knight in the city who had just returned recently. After a short exchange, Weaqha headed off on his way, wildshaping into a bird and flying out the window...

Theme music written and composed by ⁠Efflorescence⁠

Edited & Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III

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

In the dead of night, a shadow moved through camp: a panther that vanished into the dark with Poncho in its jaws. Without We’ahqa, who had gone missing hours earlier, the Mercurial Avengers gave chase. Guided by Franchise, We’ahqa’s familiar, they ventured into a mist-choked bog where twisted Jaculi vipers and a blighted elder lizard struck from the murky water. Kyver’s blades found their mark, cutting down the monster in moments.

We’ahqa soon reappeared, though something in his demeanor was… off. The group returned to camp to rest, but peace was fleeting. When panthers returned under the cover of moonlight, Rig made a split-second choice, uttered a curse, and tore reality open, warping the entire party across the land.

They emerged on the outskirts of Nymora, where the earth was sick and the air reeked of rot. Hiding among the blighted fields, they watched a lone figure approach the eastern gate. As moonlight caught his face, Kyver’s heart froze. Abraxus Vitalis stood before them once more.

Theme music written and composed by Efflorescence

Edited & Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III

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After exploring the outskirts of Grimdale, the party set off from town, following new leads and fragments of information. Guided by Rubin, an old Earth Genasi guard who’d long left city life behind, they traced signs of the spreading blight to a nearby river, where corrupted remnants lingered. Rubin shared what he knew about Nymora and its darker dealings, pointing them toward the forest ahead.

As the group traveled through increasingly blighted terrain, they were interrupted one evening at camp by a thief. Cereius quickly ensnared the would-be robber with Entangle, revealing a familiar face: a goblin named Pancho Vagabond. Once a fellow guild member of Kyver’s, Pancho greeted him not with warmth but with a string of profanities, which Kyver was more than happy to return. Their colorful exchange led to a tense conversation, during which Pancho revealed fragments of information about the Vitalis.

That night, We’ahqa struggled with haunting whispers echoing in his mind, “One of four must die.” He tried to push the voice aside, though thoughts of the blight and the suffering villagers lingered heavily. As the others settled down to rest, Pancho invited Kyver to join him on a familiar kind of job: robbing a nearby caravan, just like the old days. But Kyver, having turned over a new leaf, refused.

Moments later, as Pancho wandered off into the dark toward the caravan’s distant lights, something massive and unseen struck. The creature, four-legged and swift, snatched the goblin up in its jaws and vanished into the woods, leaving only silence in its wake...

Theme music written and composed by ⁠Efflorescence⁠

Edited & Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III

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

The party arrives in Grimdale, a town plagued by blight and disease. Investigating its source, We’ahqa communes with nature and learns that the corruption stems from the hells, infecting the river through poisoned roots. When Kyver collects samples, the residue manifests into a black ichor slime that attacks.

They meet Ruben, a cynical Earth Genasi guard with a grudge against nobles, who warns of Drakewood Travels’ shady dealings. Rig uncovers merchant ledgers linking the blight back to Nymora’s black-market Vineyard. Meanwhile, Kyver experiences a vision of infiltrating a tower with three others, pursuing a figure with a bloody dagger.

Attros gathers the party back to the house on the town’s edge, where Gilead has rounded everyone up to share findings...

Theme music written and composed by Efflorescence

Edited & Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III

Check out the show on themedusascascade.com

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

Last we left off, the Beholder was defeated, and Aldis was released from his prison within the Tome. The Party interpreted the clues from the Tome and found the cure for the bard’s affliction. With Aldis free and restored, the party brings him back to Amina, who rewards them with gratitude and a piece of the Root of the Heartwood. She imbues the piece into Cereius’s rings and makes a subtle suggestion to venture to the city of Nymora next. While she is powerful, she cannot combat everything at once. Pulling from some of the clues they uncovered in the Tome, they take the suggestions and run with them, literally. Using various modes of transportation, the party makes its way north to a small village not far outside the Tabaxi city of Nymora. Two weeks have passed…

Theme music written and composed by Efflorescence

Edited & Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III

Check out the show on themedusascascade.com

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