"Alright, the party is splitting!"

—Todd Kenreck

Watch Beyond Heroes: Wildemount | Episode 3: Interrogation

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The cast of Beyond Heroes, currently level 9:

• 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 8 played by Jen Kretchmer
• Orkira Illdrex - Dragonborn Light Domain Cleric played by Lauren Urban
• Freely - Halfling Lore Bard 3/Paladin 2/Sorcerer 2/Warlock 2 played by B. Dave Walters

Full Summary

As Orkira is singled out as a heretic and the Crownsguard close in, she slowly stands up and attempts to shield her friends with a lie. Claiming she does not know anyone around, including her fellow Heroes, she asks that everyone calm down to avoid any further bloodshed and she’ll go quietly with the guards. Recognizing what the cleric is trying to do, Keen pretends to side with the guards while Alyndra offers her portent and guidance to help aid her ability to deceive. The Crownsguard believes her, ignoring everyone else and coming forward to arrest Orkira for treason and worship of a false god. Her legs and arms are shackled and she is led away.

Inside the cathedral to Pelor, Freely watches and also concludes that it will be easier to help later if he stays free. Noticing all the guards, including snipers on the rooftops, he hunkers down under the pew and continues to hide. Penelope dashes off to find Freely, using her shrub cloak to hide from the guards, proud that she managed to stay quiet and not jeopardize the deception. Keen steps forward, asking to join the guards as he has witnessed the events that have lead to Orkira’s arrest. Briv also calls out, asking if the dragonborn will be given an opportunity to defend herself and claiming to be Bear Ratlock, defense attorney. The guards allow them both to come along after they relinquish their weapons and also submit to being shackled. Alyndra tries to use the distraction to cast mage hand and attempt to stealthily put her portable hole in Orkira’s pocket, but the guards see what she is attempting. Stopping her action, they are suspicious of her interference and demand she give up her spellbook and magic items. She tries to give them small trinkets and the individual spell pages she took, but the guards demand she turn over everything or they will arrest her as well. With great pains, but also recognizing the need to stay free, Alyndra hands over all of her possessions and is left with only her armor and her wits. The guards say she can request them back from the local magistrate in a week or two, and march away.

With things calming down for the moment, Freely takes the opportunity to search around the temple. He discovers a small hole leading to the lower levels, and he sends a quick message to his fellow halfling letting her know he’s headed down the hole looking for survivors and answers. As he jumps down, Penelope rushes over to Alyndra to ask her to help. The druid reassures her that even without her equipment she can still be helpful. Sending Grif to follow her friends going with the guards, Alyndra follows Penelope back towards the cathedral.

Marching with the guards, Briv and Keen covertly discuss their options and decide that there are too many guards to risk trying to battle their way free. The three are taken many blocks through the city to an unmarked building, and lead downstairs into a dark hallway filled with more Crownsguard. When asked, the guards say they are being taken to be questioned, and Orkira is to be interrogated for practicing the worship of a God who is not approved by the Empire. They arrive in a damp dungeon deep underground where they take all of Orkira’s equipment and armor, though the cleric is quick to warn the guards about her Book to make sure they don’t get burned when touching it. Then she’s placed into one of the cells which is then locked with arcane runes. When the guards order Briv into a similar jail cell, he protests and continues to claim that as a defense attorney he should not be detained. As things once again grow tense, Orkira calls out that she will defend herself as she doesn’t know who the half-orc is or what he has been talking about. The guards believe her, and Briv realizes that he has done everything possible to help so he requests his weapon returned and to be released. The Crownsguard escorts him back out of the building, and the paladin takes great care to study the path they take and the people he can see.

Keen speaks up, demanding to tell his side of the story. He weaves an epic tale of fighting alongside the Crownsguard against the drow and the purple worm, flattering the defenders of the city, and how Orkira used her powers to try and help save the guards’ life. Among the flattery he weaves in the lie that she took the drow ring off a dead body as payment for her services. Accepting his story, the Eladrin is escorted to a room nearby where he can relax. Left alone for the moment in the office, Keen slyly reads over the papers on the desk as he pretends to wait. There are suspicious letters that include references to insurgencies in the city and a list of persons of interest, so he hides what he can inside his atlas book to take with him.

Under the cathedral, Freely calls out for any survivors, but only finds an undulating blackish ooze pushing itself through a lower grate. The slime forms a mouth that responds that it is a friend. The halfling is freaked out but tries to talk to the slime creature, saying that he doesn’t wish to get into battle and is happy to talk. However as soon as he is close enough the ooze lashes out with a tentacle, and Freely is seared by its acid as his mind is wracked with visions of chains, pain, chaos, eyes, and mouths. Reacting with a hellish rebuke the slime is destroyed in flames, and Freely calls out to his friends for aid. Hearing his calls as well as the demonic voice of the ooze, Penelope and Alyndra find an alternate entrance on the outside but it is blocked by a grate. Using mold earth the druid is able to open a hole as then the wizard passes a rope down. Another tentacle lashes out at Freely but he’s able to scramble up the rope to safety as Alyndra casts healing word on his injuries. Whatever that creature is leaves everyone with an impending sense of doom, like they have encountered an evil from another world. Explaining what he saw under the cathedral, the group agree to seal off the two entrances to prevent it from surfacing.

Before Freely leaves the temple, he approaches the altar and sends a prayer to Pelor. This isn’t a god he has ever prayed to before, but the halfling feels the need to let the Dawn Father know that they’re just trying to help fix whatever happened that killed so many of his priests. He asks for help making things right, then heads back outside.

Briv is escorted out of the building and his sword returned. Seeing Grif flying above, he uses the familiar as well as his own memory to get back to the temple of Pelor. He reports back that he was able to get a layout of where their friend is being held, but knows that it is heavily locked and guarded. Since they don’t know what the penalty is for the crimes Orkira is accused of, the half-orc finds a nearby Crownsguard to ask for details. Thanks to his half-naked appearance and strange speech the guard finds himself pitying the obvious questions Briv is asking, and answers that most who pray to unapproved Gods are fined and jailed for a few months, but if they worship one of the betrayer gods and are accused of heresy then the penalty is death. Deciding the best course of action is to gather more information and get away from the Crownsguard who are still on edge, the four head to the Broken Buttress Inn.

A serious figure in midnight black clothing and bright red eyes enters Orkira’s cell, while from the corner an ominous darkness hides a second figure, only given away by their soft breathing. The interrogator begins his questions, at first asking for her name and if she would like anything to eat or drink. Several spells are cast, and while the cleric isn’t sure of everything that happens she recognizes one as zone of truth, and intentionally fails to resist its effects so the figure will know she isn’t lying. She can feel the unsettling feeling of her mind being scanned, and for a moment is distracted by the sound of wings but she can’t see where it’s coming from. The stranger launches into a long list of questions, some directly related to the Phoenix, others more personal, and some obviously intended to get information about the other Heroes. Orkira navigates the questions as best she can, offering truthful answers though avoiding mentioning any of her current companions directly in an attempt to protect them. She gives details on her past, how she gained her wings, what she knows about the Phoenix, her friendship with Harold and adventures in Waterdeep, how she doesn’t know how she arrived in Rexxentrum, what some of her fears and worries are, and even how much she hates that she has all this power but can’t always help.

As the questions finally end, the stranger announces that Orkira Illdrex will be executed in a private ceremony at dawn the next day for aiding the enemy during a time of war and worshiping a false god.

Keen has been waiting patiently in the office when a guard finally arrives to let him know of the dragonborn’s fate. Keeping up with the deception from earlier, Keen thanks the guard for their service and quickly exits the building. Moving quickly through the streets he tracks down the rest of his companions at the Inn and informs them of the dire news. Everyone agrees that they must rescue their friend as quickly as possible, and taking the initiative Freely finds a nearby Crownsguard. Casting charm person on the guard, Freely offers to buy them a drink in exchange for their help. Meanwhile Keen begins to help the locals clean the streets, taking note of any bodies with armor from the city that is still intact enough to use. Then he takes some time to examine the paperwork he stole from the desk, discovering that one of the papers includes information about the guard shift change at 5 o'clock in the morning.

And slowly a plan begins to form...

Will the Heroes rescue Orkira in time, or will she die protecting her friends? Find out Wednesday February 19th at 2 pm PT on twitch.tv/dndbeyond!

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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!