Ep. 3 Fight or Flight

## Watch

Fight or Flight | Khyber Shards #3 | D&D 5e Actual Play

—Ari

With the help of Daine, the group fights their way out of the Blackwheel facility. A group of Deneith and Tharashk guards led by a warforged with a bladed hand tries stopping them, but they manage to get to a skiff and crash out of the hangar and into the city. Daine tells them why the program was decommissioned.

## Synopsis

The group is in the hangar with a line of guards. Their leader is a warforged who has the sigil of House Cannith on their chestplate. They step forward, and their first on their right hand withdraws into their arm; the blade of a sword replaces it. They tell the group to surrender.

Daine starts drawing on the power of his mark, and tells them to get into a skiff and flee into the city. Ari is ready to go, but Pog brings his blade up; he's not running. Esri gives Shade the second longsword. A faint pink light glows under Ari's hair as his mark activates, and he steps up next to Daine.

Daine rushes past the guards to the warforged. His arm pulses with light, and lightning begins crackling around his fist. He slams it into the warforged and a bolt of lighting strikes them, arching over their outer metal casing. Where his fist impacted is a distinct dent.

Three of the guards rush at Daine, and the remaining five go for the rest of the crew. Most are House Deneith, though there are a few Tharashk. The right side of Pog's head glows a bright red, and flames shoot out from his hands at the guards. Esri hits a guard with his hittin' stick and runs to the skiff. It's the size of a rowboat and made of soarwood. Shade shifts into her beast form, her fox characteristics becoming more defined.

Daine smashes through a shaft that's been stuck into his leg, and raises his marked arm. It flares and a sword blade stops inches from his face.

A faint ring of pink forms around the iris of Ari's eyes as he concentrates. A pink glow emanates from some of the guard's heads. There's no kind of sound as four of them are tossed back, obviously dead. One is left grasping his head in pain.

They all take off for the skiff, and Esri grabs the controls. He maneuvers to Daine, who Pog grabs and hauls up.The warforged gouges the ship with his arm blade, and it leers to one side. Esri manages to steer it out, but it's flying wild, and they make a somewhat safe crash landing some ways away.

Finally somewhat safe, Daine takes a moment to explain somewhat. He and Thora were trying to intercept the pod before Soryn "did it." Since the war ended, all the nations were meeting at Thronehold, creating a peace treaty. Someone was bound to ask questions, and the whole program violates the Korth Edict by operating like a military. Esri gives Daine some goodberries, and Daine says he has to head back to find out what happened to Thora.

*"You're evidence."*

He gives them a folded leather wallet with silver and gold war commendations, so they can pawn for travel money, and leaves them.

## Spells

* **Ari**
	+ Dissonant Whispers *0:08:26*
* **Esri**
	+ Goodberry *0:49:09*
	+ Shillelagh *0:18:28*
* **Pog**
	+ Burning Hands *0:14:55*

## Quotes

"They're liquidating the program."
"They're making them water?"
"Juicing?"
*—Daine, Pog, and Esri 0:47:01*

"They were just gonna kill us?"
"You're evidence."
*—Shade and Daine 0:51:10*

"Daine!"
"Pog?"
"Did I do good?"
"You did great."
*—Pog and Daine 0:55:09*

## Trivia

* Shade shifts for the first time.
* This episode was originally uploaded as *Prologue Chapter Three: "Fight or Flight."*