The Medusa's Cascade

The Medusa’s Cascade

5.0 (3)
GAMES
UPDATED BIWEEKLY

D&D 5E actual-play homebrew podcast featuring a mysterious tavern known only as The Medusa's Cascade, that follows the adventuring parties Collateral Damage and Blood & Booze. Includes: setting lore episodes, character profiles, NPC side stories, and campaign recap episodes.

6D AGO

Collateral Damage - C1E180 The Shadow Warrens

We pick back up in the midst of the group’s current skirmish and ambush against an unending number of foes. It’s a stressful and taxing fight on every level. As time passes and resources are exhausted, the group begins to make some headway, but their brief moment of reprieve is met with even more opposition. It’s a numbers game, and the enemy has them in spades. Knowing this, they continue to fight their way through and into the city. Eventually, they finally see the end of this wave of assault and can stop, regroup, and assess their next movements. As Galahad gathers materials to bring back in exchange for his new belt and the group begins looting, Shanks heads to the sniper tower to investigate further and see what he can make of their assailant, and relays his findings to Zechs via the Spies Murmur. It’s here that he stumbles into a trap laid out just for this occasion, a well-placed Alarm spell placed just at the foot of this perch in the path leading up to it, hidden well. There's so much happening, and that's where we pick up… Find out what happens next in this episode of the Medusa’s Cascade: Collateral Damage! Theme Music is written and performed by Efflorescence Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

2h 2m
NOV 1

Field Reports 27: Much Ado About Dorna

Following the intense battles with Malar and Enich, Zechs collapses in exhaustion and is taken to his parents’ home to recover. At the same time, Galahad marks the ritual site to prevent further sacrifices. That evening, the party celebrates their hard-won victory at the Faint Mandolin and Jaded Kitty Kat, sharing drinks, reflections, and heartfelt moments—Turk earns his title “THE Turk,” and Greyleaf connects deeply with him over magic and family. Before the night ends, the mysterious Ickra appears with critical news: updates from JM, the status of Argo, warnings of fiend activity in Ors Themar, threats to the arcane balance in Mechfall, and a chilling note that Arguile has another alternate—one with a rifle. Meanwhile, Zechs dreams of his childhood sacrifice, recalling The Constable calling him "Quill" and suggesting his role is tied to destiny, not malice. Upon waking, Zechs reflects on the weight of his powers and joins the others to discuss next steps, including Galahad’s coming confrontation in Granzia and finding Arguile’s mother. As the group departs for Iwi, they briefly reunite with past allies Cereius, Attros, and Doctor Honeydew, noting significant changes in their magical gear and a new ally, We Ahqua. Flashbacks reveal Arguile fleeing mid-heist under the curse of lycanthropy, with Greyleaf, Duo, and Shanks tracking him down and subduing him until morning. With the curse lifted, the group reconnects, makes camp, and prepares for the next leg of their journey. After notifying their families and arranging travel via Rig, they arrive in Nykorua and begin adjusting—Arguile’s hometown is alien to most of the party, leading to humorous missteps, the discovery of Arguile’s many aliases, and a tailor named Elmira who upgrades their wardrobe. As the group explores the city, they enjoy both fun and introspective moments, with Arguile meeting Mira, who provides a lead on his mother and returns his hidden stash. Meanwhile, Galahad acquires a temporary weapon and orders a custom-fused blade from a smith named Jax, while Zechs excitedly pitches gadget ideas. After shopping and training, the group visits the Crystal Gardens for a brief connection to nature and gathers more information about the city’s rules, history, and key figures. Arguile shares insights about his guild and their operations compared to others, giving the party a clearer view of the city’s underworld. The team’s next mission begins to take shape as they prepare to locate Arguile’s mother and address mounting threats. With their goals set, they make their way toward the Spire District, eyes forward on what may be their most personal and revealing journey yet. There’s so much happening, and we pick up with arc 27 “Much Ado About Dorna ”. How will the rest of this story unfold? Find out next time on the Medusa’s Cascade: Collateral Damage! Theme Music is written and performed by Efflorescence Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

19 min
OCT 25

Blood & Booze C2E4 "The Serpent's Strait": Unseen

Upon arriving at Midmount, the party begins investigating a series of strange events. Thorak, disguised as “Snorak” using his hat of disguise, gathers information from the locals under the pretense of being a new foreman. Rumors of a mine explosion and memory issues surface, and as they journey further into town, Thorak continues his ruse to gain access to the city center. They’re led by a woman named Sam to Lua Hugh, another foreman. Still, their vague story about missing shipments and lack of documentation gets them quickly dismissed, until Bob’s improvisation about searching for a brother elicits Lua’s sympathy. She brings them back in privately and offers to help, though she admits she doesn’t know how much she truly can.Meanwhile, Valen investigates the area and notices unsettling signs: his reflection shows a black smear on his face, and his hands appear stained with charcoal. Back inside, Lua gives the group some names, but strange happenings continue: Bob finds a pencil in his hand that he doesn’t recall taking, and everyone in the group is marked with charcoal without explanation. Dona spots this first, and as they regroup and speak with locals, they learn that such marks began appearing after the mine explosion, linked to something ominously called the “ashen children.” The more they explore, the more markings appear, and no one seems to know how or why.Dona uses Primeval Awareness and senses aberrational presence coming from the mine, while Valen’s Detect Thoughts spell picks up nearby minds he cannot locate. Still disguised, “Snorak” presses further into the mine pretending to be an inspector, hoping to piece together the puzzle of the explosion, the missing shipments, the mysterious children, and the rising aberrations. But as the group delves deeper, the marks on them grow stranger, until one final message appears, stark and urgent: RUN! There's so much happening, and that's where we pick up… Find out what happens next in this episode of the Medusa’s Cascade: Blood & Booze! Theme Music is written and performed by Efflorescence Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

1h 52m
OCT 18

Collateral Damage - C1E179 The Veil Gate pt 2

Within the city walls, the group makes their way through the once thriving city, now unrecognizable as its streets are barren. The group cautiously makes its way through the city, careful not to draw any attention. A formation is called out, and they proceed, ready for whatever dangers lie ahead of them. Unfortunately, their caution was met with curiosity, and when Arguile investigated the gargoyle, that curiosity was then met with flame. Most of the group is hit, and immediately the party realizes that a fight is underway. Shanks unloads a volley of arrows at one of the gargoyles, doing overkill but trying to buy the team some time. Chasme buzz, scavengers approach, and they can hear the sounds of hooves in the distance growing louder. In the exchange, Shanks is hit by a highly unfamiliar, large arrow that comes from an unidentified assailant. Salix turns into a cave bear, and Zechs pulls a black bear out of his bag of tricks to join the fray. We have two gargoyles now joining to take on Galahad and the team. While making quick work of enemies, they are realizing the position that they’re in. This is going to be a resource challenge and a numbers game, with more enemies than they have resources available; every decision they make is crucial. Zechs uses his Tabaxi speed to run for some better cover and vantage point while yelling to Shanks in their coms, “What the f**k is hitting us, and PLEASE tell me you have eyes on that!” In the distance, the group sees what has been making the galloping noises, a small army of Armanites, demonic centaur-like creatures that have been dealing a ton of damage to the group amidst this whole exchange. The group has been burning resources, taking a lot of damage, but they’re holding their own, for now. There's so much happening, and that's where we pick up… Find out what happens next in this episode of the Medusa’s Cascade: Collateral Damage! Theme Music is written and performed by Efflorescence Edited & Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

2h 16m
OCT 11

Collateral Damage - C1E178 The Veil Gate pt 1

As the group continues heading towards the city of Ors Themar, they pass more denizens of the Underdark: an umberhulk and a hook horror, to be precise. As Galahad asks Yurik if he knows the way to continue, Shanks, who had scouted ahead, tells Zechs in his Spies Murmur that he hears voices ahead. After Zechs tells him to get closer but be careful, Shanks, unfamiliar with the language the voices are using, immediately realizes they are speaking Undercommon. Zechs relays that they are talking about the party, and they seem uneasy and untrusting, at least mostly. Zechs informs Shanks to hold his position, assuring him that they will come to him shortly while remaining stealthy. It’s at this point that the group, Zechs taking the lead and accompanied by Galahad, is accompanied by the trio of Drow that are there. The conversation is tense and skeptical, as the group of Drow describes the current situation of Ors Themar. While the party is told that Enich is likely not alive anymore, they say they want to confirm that information for themselves. Upon speaking further, they realize that they have a shared ally, Nedyrae, who is Chico’s replacement at the Tavern. As this is happening, Yurik whips out a game of Dragonchess and asks Arguile if he’s up for a game while the likely long discussion takes place. After a relatively close match between the two, Arguile comes out the victor. Galahad, walking back, informs the party that the group will be escorting them down to Ors Themar. Continuing, the group hears loud droning noises and is informed that these are the Chasme they will likely encounter while there. Giant insect-like creatures that are not to be taken lightly. Sabal shares his dark story about the siege from his perspective, and it’s genuinely haunting. And Galahad offers the story about Collateral’s liberation of Invenas. The two bond over how they want to go out, and Sabal says that so long as he takes a bunch of them out too, he’d be okay with that. Yurik and Arguile discuss how Yurik is so sure that Enich is alive, and in turn, Yurik tells him that it is similar to how Arguile knew that his mother was alive and out there. Eventually, they are on the outskirts of the city and are planning their entry. Learning from their last attempt to enter a city amidst a siege, they decide not to use the front gate. Once inside, they take stock of the wreckage and do their best to avoid being seen, all the while hearing the ominous droning sounds that grow louder the further into the city they go. There's so much happening, and that's where we pick up… Find out what happens next in this episode of the Medusa’s Cascade: Collateral Damage! Theme Music is written and performed by Efflorescence Edited & Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

2h 8m
OCT 4

Divergent Paths - Silver Hand of Nuada

Hey everyone, and welcome to the seventeenth Divergent Paths cut scene. This particular character has only appeared twice in the podcast thus far, in Episode 65, Entrapment, and Episodes 85/86 Cavern Brawl Part 1 & 2. We will keep the details sparse, but let's just say that they play an important role in the overall story moving forward. The party doesn't know this information, but you do. Written and read by Thomas Lapierre III Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

6 min
SEP 27

Blood & Booze C2E3 "The Serpent's Strait": Blackburn

The group starts their day preparing for the voyage to Midmount, with mixed feelings about crossing the ocean. Chan is visibly anxious, running between her room and downstairs, mainly worried about being a fire hazard on a wooden boat. Valen offers his magical flask to ease her nerves. Bob sings a sea shanty from his mentor, Rosco, while Dona expresses her apprehension about traveling by water. Thankfully, Thorak ensures everyone is well-fed with his signature large meals. Upon arrival at the docks, the group is guided by an automaton to their ship, The Voyager, where they meet its warforged captain, Vessel, and a crew of small automatons. As they set sail, Bob privately asks Valen for help meditating to contact his patron. Valen agrees and encourages Bob to speak with Thorak, a cleric, for spiritual guidance. While settling in, Bob attempts his first connection with his patron and feels something stir. Excited, he shares the moment with Valen, who continues practicing with his sword and experimenting with his magical flask. One swig causes him to burp fire, but the next renders him ethereal, unseen but present, leading to concern from the rest of the group. Valen enjoys the new experience, but the others, especially Thorak, decide the flask should be taken from him temporarily. After a heartfelt conversation, Dona returns it with a promise from Valen to use it more mindfully going forward. Meanwhile, Bob dives deeper into his connection with his patron and finds himself submerged in a vision. He senses another presence and questions whether he’s being punished for failing to recognize his patron sooner. The next morning, Valen recounts his brief shift into the ethereal plane, noting that while reckless, it was helpful in future encounters. While Bob studies the maps, Chan explores the ship and familiarizes herself with Vessel. Valen and Thorak train together, with Thorak now blindfolded and relying on his familiar Paco to “see,” testing strategies that may come in handy. Bob and Chan reflect on his vision; though she’s uncertain how to help, she offers to consult her sister, who’s more knowledgeable about such matters. Grateful, Bob thanks her. As the day ends, Vessel informs the party that they are one day away from Midmount. The group prepares for landfall and begins planning their next steps to uncover the mysteries behind the strange occurrences... There's so much happening, and that's where we pick up… Find out what happens next in this episode of Medusa’s Cascade: Blood & Booze Theme Music is written and performed by Efflorescence Mixed by Thomas Lapierre III Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

2h 8m
SEP 20

Collateral Damage - C1E177 The Outskirts

We resume with the group in the midst of a fight against giant spiders. They have to fight in tight quarters and carefully, but manage to come out victorious. As the group continues to venture forward, it continues to question Yurik’s peculiar behavior. After some gentle prodding, Yurik comes halfway clean about his current situation. His sword is not only sentient but also drives him to slay creatures every so often, it seems. While some of the party members are familiar with sentient weapons and the magical energies this blade gives off, so long as it isn’t a problem, they won’t pry any further. As they continue, there’s a lot of dependence on Yurik to guide the party, which he does, but there’s an obvious tension in the air as they pass Myconids who seem to pay them no mind. They continue across a cavern further into the Underdark. Eventually, they use some quick thinking and teamwork to navigate further. With the help of The Turk’s telepathy, the group can communicate with the fungal residents of the Underdark, aiding in confirming some of the information they have. While traveling a bit further, the group comes upon a group of them performing a ritual of some kind, and tries to give them a wide berth. Trying to be as stealthy as they can, not everyone can avoid being affected by a cloud of spores, as The Turk briefly goes unconscious and is woken up by a firm goliath hand to the face. Before moving forward, The Turk sends Jolene ahead to scout further, and the group takes the opportunity to take a short rest. When they begin to travel again, they are surrounded by bioluminescent spores that aren’t harmful as far as they can tell, and continue onwards. There's so much happening, and that's where we pick up… Find out what happens next in this episode of the Medusa’s Cascade: Collateral Damage Theme Music is written and performed by Efflorescence Mixed & Edited by Thomas Lapierre III Check out the show at themedusascascade.com

2h 7m

5

out of 5

3 Ratings

D&D 5E actual-play homebrew podcast featuring a mysterious tavern known only as The Medusa's Cascade, that follows the adventuring parties Collateral Damage and Blood & Booze. Includes: setting lore episodes, character profiles, NPC side stories, and campaign recap episodes.

Creator

The Medusa’s Cascade
Years Active

2020 - 2025
Episodes

267
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© The Medusa’s Cascade
Show Website

The Medusa's Cascade