“How do we know who's really the good guy and who’s the bad guy? Because you know, we’ve been on a lot of adventures and if there’s one thing that I’ve learned it’s that really….good and evil? It’s really not black and white, it’s just kinda, you know, we may think they’re bad but they’re just on different sides.” 

—Penelope

Watch D&D Beyond Heroes: Wildemount | Episode 5: Riddles in the Dark

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The cast of Beyond Heroes, currently level 10:

• Todd Kenreck as the Dungeon Master
• Keen Dayeprath - Eladrin Eldritch Knight Fighter played by TJ Storm
• Briv Steelmarrow - Half-Orc Oath of Heroism Paladin played by Adam Bradford
• Penelope Half-Pint - Halfling Circle of Land Druid played by Hope LaVelle
• Alyndra Alexandria Garanahil Sarrbarand, Lorekeeper of Rime Spiro, Kinscribe of Clan Monkeymouse, Daughter of Oblivion - High Elf Cleric 1/Wizard 9 played by Jen Kretchmer
• Orkira Illdrex - Dragonborn Light Domain Cleric played by Lauren Urban
• Freely - Halfling Lore Bard 3/Oath of Heroism Paladin 3/Sorcerer 2/Warlock 2 played by B. Dave Walters

Full Summary

Sheltered inside the Broken Buttress Inn, our Heroes take some time to enjoy a moment of safety and security. Hugo informs the group that Rend has secured an escape route, but they have a few hours before they can leave. As the bartender closes down the establishment and locks the door, Briv pays for a last round of drinks. Concerned over how Orkira looks, Freely tries to lay on hands, but there are no physical injuries to heal. She is happy to know everyone is alive and safe, but lets her friends know that something was done to her while in prison and she’s worried they might be able to track her now that she’s escaped. As Alyndra takes some time to cast detect magic and make sure there’s nothing spying on them, Orkira relays the story of what happened while she was captured; all the questions, the dark ritual she was told severed her connection to the Weave, the missing time, and not being able to remember the final question from Killian.

Everyone is concerned about this ritual, especially Keen whose people are tied to the Weave very closely. He’s concerned for his friend’s health and confused over how such a thing could be possible. Alyndra knows of stories of how followers of the Raven Queen who had their magic siphoned, as well as others who had their ability to cast magic removed, but not anyone who’s connection to the Weave itself was severed. Orkira relays what Killian said about the Bright Queen of the Kryn Dynasty knowing about this magic, and pulling out his atlas Keen finds Xhorhas, where the Kryn Dynasty is located, and learns that the Bright Queen is their leader.

Freely asks for details about how Penelope and Keen broke Orkira out of the actual prison cell, and the druid relays that while the door was warded to hurt those outside it was unlocked. Bothered by this information, and beginning to be suspicious of everything that has happened, Freely wonders why they would bother conducting this ritual on the dragonborn if they were just going to kill her in the morning anyway. His gut is telling him this is some sort of set up, using them somehow to get close to the enemies of the empire. Orkira agrees, finding it strange that Killian would bother telling her about the one person who could fix what was done. While everyone agrees that it is suspicious, no one knows why Killian would concoct a plan using random strangers who just arrived in Rexxentrum. However they still do not remember the three days leading up to arriving in the city, nor how they got into Wildemount in the first place.

When Keen asks Alyndra if she can sense any magic on the ring they got from the Kryn soldier, she can see both conjuration and divination on it, as if it’s used for communication. Freely starts to take off the ring to give back to Orkira, but a voice coming from the sword tells him that he should keep it, so the halfling smoothly recommends he holds onto the ring in case they are still tracking her. The cleric agrees, wondering if she could even use the ring at all. Alyndra suggests she try to cast a spell to see what happens, and Freely moves to pick the locks on her chains. His deft hands and keen eye pick out the trap before it can go off, and Penelope is able to cast dispel magic on the lock so he can finish safely. Now free of the chains, Orkira is pleased to finally put her armor back on. She’s worried whatever was done to her will cause something destructive to happen, so she thanks everyone again for coming to save her and then moves to a far corner of the room to try and cast light. The spell is cast without issue, despite Avren scaring everyone for a brief moment by making an illusion of a fireball appear in the room. Orkira is confused but slightly relieved she can still cast spells, though she still feels something is wrong.

Alyndra asks Avren if he is able to help retrieve some of the items that they were not able to get back from the vault. He’s reluctant, but she taunts him with his own bragging enough convince him to pull out a strange device. It’s a mechanical, spider like object he calls Rend 2, and he sends it off to grab some items from the safe while not being caught. As it scuttles off, Avren admits he’s willing to try and help a bit after all the stress Orkira has been through as well as the distraction their jailbreak caused, which allowed him to free other prisoners who were jailed for not being the ”right kind,” or “believing the right thing.”

The group discusses snooping around nearby, worried about looters, and if they had ever found the guy that Penelope and Freely saw falling from the sky. Alyndra casts telepathic bond so the group can keep in silent communication as Freely prepares to go outside. The halfling is confused and frustrated, believing someone or something sent them to Rexxentrum for a reason but he is unable to understand what is really going on. As he complains there must be something important that they are all missing, a voice whispers in his mind not to trust his friends. Alyndra and Briv are worried that their friend will just be captured, and Orkira begins to pray to her God to ask for guidance. However a tapping at the door interrupts everything, and in a frantic scramble the dragonborn dives over the bar to hide while everyone else prepares for the worst. Fortunately the tapping is simply coming from Rend 2, who has returned not with magic items but a severed ear! At first the disgusted Heroes want the robot to deliver the ear back to its former owner, but Keen recognizes that will just cause more issues. Taking responsibility he brings the ear to a nearby canal to dispose of it.

Coming out from behind the bar, Orkira pulls out her Book and resumes praying to the Phoenix for answers to why they were sent to Rexxentrum in the first place. However instead of the whale-like song of her Primordial God, there’s a strange existential static, as if a clutter of other sounds and voices is disrupting the signal as well as a disturbing retching noise. Thanks to the telepathic bond everyone can feel this unsettling moment, but no one recognizes the sounds.

As the time to leave gets close, Hugo starts to board up the windows and asks Keen to get the sign from outside. He believes with the war coming it’s no longer safe to stay and will be joining them on the journey out of the city. His wife had carved the sign before she died many years ago, and now takes it as one last memento. Then he leads the group into the basement where along with standard storage for a bar can be found an alchemical lab, many spells and books, and a variety of artificer supplies. There is also an eight foot tall construct with glowing red eyes standing near a small group of mechanical skeletons covered in wires. Despite the undead appearance they are all constructs, and everyone remembers the large being as Rend. Alyndra asks if they can take some of the supplies before they all leave, and Avren lets them loot the basement for some healing potions and spell scrolls. Then he moves a rug revealing a trap door, and opening it up announces the Heroes must take what is inside.

Under the floor hide a dozen children, all well cared for but frightened. All of them are races considered monstrous by the Empire; goblins, bugbears, kobolds, and drow.

As Briv tries to reassure the kids and pull them up from the hiding hole, Freely uses minor illusion to put on an amusing juggling display to try and distract and delight. Avren explains that the kids were hiding under the floor to keep them safe in case they were raided. These are all children whose parents have been taken and killed by the Empire, and now they will all escape the city to safety together. The Heroes are all quick to accept responsibility for keeping the kids safe. Keen finds the two oldest and most responsible children, offering them a pipe and a wrench, and charging them with being the protectors of the rest of the kids. Briv swears to find the ones responsible, and Freely is inspired to speak with his sword. He grouses that both Pelor and the Phoenix have failed to offer answers, and hopes whatever is speaking through the sword can help. Through the telepathic bond everyone can hear the sword answer, telling Freely to seek out those responsible and kill them. The halfling is gripping the sword tightly as the voice stokes his anger, black veins beginning to appear on his hand. Everyone is bothered by what the sword has done to their friend, and at first Keen and Alyndra speak quietly about taking actions at a later time. However Orkira blurts out loud how she was concerned yesterday when Freely was only stopped because Penelope got in the way, and how she can still cast remove curse if needed.

There is a tense moment, but Briv reacts swiftly and casts remove curse on Freely. The halfling is wracked with pain as the sword’s curse is removed but the hilt suddenly explodes with spikes, digging into his hand and arm and cementing itself up to his elbow. As this horrific event takes place Freely does his best to mask the pain to avoid scaring the children, and Alyndra quickly distracts the kids with a fascinating story, giving the others time to help. While Orkira moves to block the kids view with her wings, Briv and Freely both confirm the mental hold the sword had over him is broken. However the physical damage is extreme and none are sure how to remove the embedded weapon. Avren says he has a bag that can nullify magic items, and when Freely accepts it the bag comes to life with sharp teeth, tearing Freely’s arm completely off at the elbow! The bag falls to the ground, disintegrating the magic sword inside.

Keen is quick to tend to the bloody stump that is left of Freely’s arm, while Avren tries to calm him down by reassuring that he can make a new arm. Orkira helps Keen tourniquet the arm, and then despite her fears casts her most powerful cure wounds to heal what remains of the limb. Recovering a bit from this grievous injury, Freely has the presence of mind to pick up the bag holding the remains of his arm as he hides his now healed stump in his cloak. As Alynrda finishes the story that is keeping the children distracted and occupied and Avren makes jokes about the situation, Briv compliments the halfling on his bravery throughout this whole ordeal. Orkira takes Freely by the shoulders to promise him that she’ll do whatever she can to fix his arm and apologizing that she can’t do anything immediately. She reassures him that losing an arm does not mean he has lost any value, but for now they’ve got to concentrate on helping get the kids out of the city. Freely agrees, shifting his focus to saving the children, and returns the promise to help Orkira figure out how to fix what has happened to her as well.

After taking the moment to compose themselves, Rend opens up a passage leading under the Inn. There a tunnel has been carved out of the rock and earth that eventually matches up with a larger one made from the burrowing of a purple worm. The Heroes usher the kids, Rend, Avren, and Hugo into the tunnel, with Freely scouting far ahead for danger. As they start to journey deep underground, Hugo asks Penelope if she knows of a way to seal the tunnel behind them so no one can follow the group. The druid is happy to cast stone shape and completely block off the entrance from the Inn. For several miles the group travel, finding small sparkling gems in the dirt that Alyndra recognizes as the droppings of a purple worm.

A strange feeling makes Freely stop in his tracks, causing everyone else to pause. Suddenly the ground under Keen and Freely completely collapses, plunging them deep underground to splash into a cold, salty lake! Thankfully they relay through the telepathic bond that they are unharmed, and Orkira flies down the hole to help pull them back up. Before she can arrive all three hear an unfamiliar voice ring out, calling each by their full names and saying how long it has been since she has had friends. Through the telepathic bond Alyndra is warned about this strange voice so she tells Rend, Avren and Hugo to help get the kids past the hole and far away. A creature rises out of the water, a sickly tall woman with long black hair, parchment thin skin, and glowing green eyes. She introduces herself as Fell, and tells the trio she hasn’t had any friends since she devoured her sisters. This prompts Freely to cast divine sense, and he can feel this is a creature of the Fey.

As Orkira tries to pull Freely up to begin flying him to safety, Fell points a gaunt finger at the dragonborn and causes her wings to stop working, forcing her into the water. Knowing their friends are in danger Penelope and Alyndra feather fall down, while Briv is excited to cannonball into the lake below. As they arrive Penelope casts water walk, popping everyone up above the lake so they can be more comfortable. Tired from the events of the last day, Freely asks the creature if they can just talk in a friendly fashion, and Fell is happy to explain how she has been a prisoner in this cavern for quite a long time. She admits to eating her entire coven in order to gain their powers, claims to not remember why she was imprisoned, and wants to go back to the ocean where she belongs. She offers a deal, if the Heroes will help her escape she will in turn help them escape. Looking at Orkira she claims she can make the cleric whole again, but would need to get closer to the dragonborn to figure out what exactly was taken. Orkira declines the offer, preferring to rely on her friends and her deity for assistance.

Fell asks if the group likes playing games, and with a smile Penelope is happy to play with the creature. The twisted, hunched figure moves with surprising speed next to Penelope, saying that she will present a riddle. If Penelope can solve the riddle then not only will it come true but they can leave. Everyone is wary of this creature, and the druid attempts to maelstrom her away. But Fell resists the effects and returns to demand the halfling answer her riddles. 

"What fights with zeal twisted by Wizards that do not feel, steel in bone and will never find their home?"

Thinking he has the answer Freely offers the animated skeletons from Rend’s fighting force, but Penelope correctly deduces it is Briv Steelmarrow. Fell announces “and so it will be” to her answered prophecy. Upset by this pronouncement Alyndra attempts a banishment, but the legendary creature resists the spell and taunts the elf that she will not be sent away. Undaunted Alyndra casts it again, but once again Fell uses her legendary powers to stop from being banished. However she is starting to look tired from the effort even as she sneers at the wizard and gives her second riddle.

"What has dark eyes that will never burn, forever cold and will never learn?

Penelope is even faster this time to announce the correct answer is Orkira Illdrex, and pleased Fell replies “and so it will be”, which causes the dragonborn quite a bit of unease. Once again Alyndra tries to banish the creature, and with great effort Fell stops the spell from taking effect yet again. With unnatural, nightmarish speed she flies to Alyndra’s face and warns the elf to stop trying to interfere with the game, then proclaims one final riddle for Penelope to answer.

"From the moon she has been brave, a fierce bear and a demon's grave, but soon will make a deal to make old wounds heal."

The druid is pleased to correctly give herself as the answer, and Fell grins as she proclaims “And now it is true.”  The creature announces that the three who were named as answers to the riddles may leave, but Keen, Alyndra, and Freely are to stay so she can eat them. Orkira dashes over to Freely to try and fly him to safety, but her wings are still paralyzed by the creature, so she instead casts a death ward on him. Alyndra uses her most powerful magic to attempt one last banishment. This time the spell takes hold and Fell disappears to another plane of existence, releasing the hold on Orkira’s wings and giving everyone a minute to flee! The dragonborn snatches Freely and beings to fly them up as Penelope wild shapes into a giant eagle. At the top of the hole Freely asks Avren if he has anything to help. The artificer climbs into Rend like a giant suit of armor, and uses him to stick a strange backpack device onto Freely’s back that unfold into a pair of dragonfly wings! Both fly back down, with Freely headed for Briv as Penelope is grabbing both Alyndra and Keen.

As the group is starting to fly away, claws burst out of the water to dig into Keen’s leg to tear him from Penelope’s grasp and pull him deep underwater! With green and yellow nails dug down to the bone, the eladrin casts misty step to get out of her grasp and make it back to the surface!

Will our Heroes complete their escape from the hag? Find out Wednesday, March 4th at 2pm PT for the next episode!

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Lauren "Oboe" Urban is the Community Manager for D&D Beyond, as well as a professional classical musician on oboe and English Horn. When she's not playing a Bard in real life she's a prolific Dungeon Master and player on a variety of livestreams and podcasts. She lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband Luke where they spend their free time playing video games and drinking tea. The best way to keep up with Lauren's busy schedule is to follow her on Twitter @OboeLauren!