| Streamed | March 23, 2023 |
| Published | March 27, 2023 |
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Runtime |
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| Combat | Yes |
| Production Code | IV13 |
The Waystones is the 13th episode of Into Volthune. It was originally streamed on Twitch on March 23, 2023. It was later released on YouTube on March 27, 2023.
Barry leads the group to find the Waystones. Something is up with Themis.
After waking up at the Violet Thorne Inn, the Wysterian Wanderer headed to the Adventurer’s Guild at Dragon’s Head to register as an adventuring party. They signed their name on the form, revealing their names to each other.
The Wysterian Wanderer
Themis Valtan
Albaerian Thursidae
Eden Mik Cataleya
Krios Runarin
Kyris Myren Dalen
Tauré Tallatheus
Victor Clover
The form also asks for their place of visit in Hollowstar. Themis wrote down the address to the Violet Thorne Inn, earning them a look of intrigued from the clerk. She revealed that you don’t often see adventuring groups from Silverbrook.
As a newly registered adventuring party and equipped with the piece of metal serving as their adventuring ID, the group headed north in search of the Waystones. In their journey, Barry noticed the Waystone, a 20 ft tall stone obelisk. Despite their perceptive nature, Themis and Victor failed to notice the Waystone. Upon closer inspection, the group noticed the pristine condition of the Waystone despite its age along with the strange, soft heat it radiates.
Barry pulled out the journal of a hunter from around 300 years ago. Most of the pages were written in some sort of cipher, but the page concerning the Waystones were already deciphered. From the loose translation, the group learned that the runes mention holding up a part of the Barrier. With Barry’s knowledge of the arcane, the group understood the runes as the spell rather than a warning. Tauré revealed that the Waystone is on and anchoring a ley line.
Victor noticed the lack of loose rocks surrounding the Waystone. Themis proposed the idea of throwing a coin at the rock. Krios took a gold coin from Themis and, upon turning towards the Waystone, felt that he could not throw the coin. After some pressuring from Eden, Kyris sat by the rock and complimented it. Themis refused to follow suit. Victor joined Kyris before eventually taking the gold coin and throwing it from 15 feet away. The coin flew for about 5 feet then slowed and rolled to a stop on the ground.
After sunset, the group set camp near the Waystone. Krios and Kyris took first watch. They had a heartfelt conversation on friendship and Kyris’ potential change. After their watch, Kyris woke Themis up. Krios woke Tauré up and fully covered himself under his bedrolls. Tauré and Themis completed their watch in complete silence.
In the morning, Tauré led the group along the ley line. Themis and Victor noticed screeching sounds echoing around them. With the river to their west, Krios led the group east in search of the source. The group stopped in their tracks when they noticed four birds gleaming in the distance. In almost an instant, the four birds, along with four more birds, flew straight for the group.
Kyris attacked first, casting Eldritch Blast and hexing one bird. Barry, in typical Barry fashion, turned into a Spibear, a honey spitting bear with four pairs of legs. The birds turned out to be made of ice. The group and the birds traded blows. The battle seemed to be in the group’s favor until one bird dove straight for Kyris and exploded upon impact with her armor. In the aftermath of the explosion, Barry and Kyris saw Eden, Krios, Tauré, and Victor laying unconscious on the ground. Instead of Themis, they saw an unconscious Creature wearing his clothes.
As the mists clears around you, you see Victor, Tauré, Krios, Eden on the ground. You look for Themis, and who you see wearing Themis’ clothes is not who you know as Themis.
Despite the unnatural appearance of this Creature, Kyris repeatedly healed them. The two of them worked together to heal those unconscious on the ground. And in the meantime, Barry distracted and killed off the remaining birds. In the end, the Creature fall unconscious again from repeated bird attacks. Barry fed them a Goodberry.