The Rich and Dangerous - Elysia Rising Ep11 Pt1 - Blades in the Dark Actual Play

[00:00:01] Speaker A: Hi, everyone. Hello. A little bit. Just a little bit. Hi. I am DM Dan. We are the explorers of elsewhere. And this is Alicia rising, a blaze in the dark campaign. [00:00:16] Speaker B: Hi. [00:00:16] Speaker A: Hi. We all good? Yeah, we are. We rested and recuperated after a bit of a rocky episode. Ten, maybe. [00:00:30] Speaker C: I mean, Megan is Frieda. Maybe not so much. [00:00:35] Speaker A: Yeah, that's fair enough. I mean, I don't know. Frieda looks totally chill and relaxed with that zero stress. [00:00:44] Speaker C: Zen. [00:00:46] Speaker A: Yes, she is in a point of, like, emotional balance, but, yes, stuff certainly went down. I'm sure it will have no further ramifications on the campaign. I'm interested to see what the next job is that's awaiting you all. So, shall we jump into it? [00:01:08] Speaker D: Yeah, go on then. [00:01:09] Speaker A: I'll go on, then. Yeah. [00:01:18] Speaker B: Welcome to Elysia, the jewel of the north. On our gilded streets, fortune and fame can be found by anyone. Was the smolder at the end for me? [00:01:34] Speaker D: Hi, I'm Nate and I'm playing cavern, a dragon scent slide. [00:01:40] Speaker C: Hi, I'm Meg. I'm playing Frieda, a wolfkin cutter. [00:01:45] Speaker E: Hi, I'm JC and I'll be playing Algernon, an ace of our spider. [00:01:50] Speaker F: Hello, I'm Errol. I am playing Atta, a goblin whisper. [00:01:55] Speaker A: And my name is DM Daniel. I will be the games master on this adventure. [00:02:00] Speaker B: So come on in and marvel at our wonders. Make sure you see the beautiful views we have to offer. And don't mind the ghosts. They're friendly, really. Grab yourselves a seat and make yourselves welcome in the city of Elysia. [00:02:22] Speaker A: The past can be one of the greatest teachers of today's lessons, forming the basis for the teaching and learning of knowledge. Being able to understand what has come before has a profound effect on what will come to pass. The war of heavens, for example, has taught the people of elsewhere what the horrors of such a violent schism can look like and what stands to be lost. But it also reveals positive moments and allows all who recognize them to cherish them more greatly. However, this transfer of power does not always happen freely, as there are those who attempt to interfere with lessons from history, either subverting its truth or preventing it altogether. They say that those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat its mistakes. But some may want to hide ugly truths from the present, to pretend something never happens. And of course, there are those who wish things now would be as they once were, regardless of the ramifications of rekindling such ideas and memories. And so we will flashback to episode ten's downtime to give Atta an opportunity to go for a third downtime if she so wishes. [00:03:57] Speaker F: I would like. I would like very much to spend a coin to try and reduce some stress so that I may not be a burden to my fellow team. [00:04:05] Speaker A: Sure thing. So you had already used your two downtimes, but you can purchase a third for either one coin or one rep. So you currently got four. Four rep. The stash has coin. Others have coin if they're willing to lend, but. Yeah. How you paying for your. How you're paying for your second stress resolution time? [00:04:33] Speaker F: I think folks were mostly okay if I had to pilfer the coin. I think we weren't. We weren't aware of rep, and I think rep is quite important. [00:04:42] Speaker A: That's so cool. [00:04:43] Speaker F: Anyway, I'm taking a coin. [00:04:44] Speaker A: Sure. So coin from the stash, please. Okay, so the gang is down to two coin. We. Yeah, the vaults are slightly empty, as you paid to level up to a strong tier one hideout, but yeah, still enough to pay for a downtime. So I. What's your indulgence looking like? [00:05:11] Speaker F: Oh, so I think given the atta last time, tried to reduce stress and then dropped an item at the hollow, which then. Yeah, anyway, everything went bad. I think that she considers going back to the hollow to kind of de stress with other ookie spooky people, but is embarrassed. So kind of does her more regular. I think maybe. I think maybe she goes up to bubble, like, as close to boundaries of bubble as possible within, like, the area that areas that are reasonably unpopulated. Does that make sense? Like where the manor. [00:06:06] Speaker A: Yeah. So, I mean, you probably won't want to go to the vale's edge in the eye of three because there's loads of children of I stomping around. I mean, to be fair, you could pretty much pick anywhere else. I mean, it's really just a. Yeah, going clockwise, you got your Duskland haven, you've got Rookridge, Waterside, Dustry Hill, old Town, or Celestia. [00:06:39] Speaker F: Since we've got territory in silastry and there's like, a reason to go in that direction, let's go to Celestia. Celestree bubble edge. [00:06:50] Speaker A: In which case, yeah, at the edge of the celestee. So you're in the sort like the risen part of Celestre because it's almost like a. It's effectively like a large hill. So it's almost like a two tiered district. So you're like, whether or not you've been kind of tuning into them, there's discussions from the artists and the poets that live in Celestia and trying to use their art to try and create as well, that they're trying to use their musings to improve the life of those around, or just a wallow in their own self pity, perhaps, in exchange for coin. Yes, it's certainly a different vibe of the city in this part of celestry. But are you just heading up to Vale's edge and having a. Having a look? [00:07:43] Speaker F: Yeah, as. As incognito as possible. Like, if there are lots of street performers, I act as though I am partaking of the street performers and edge myself ever closer to bubble, bubble, edge. [00:07:56] Speaker A: So there are certainly, like, crowd, like, small crowds on the streets. When I say crowds, groups of no more than half a dozen usually kind of stood around street performers of, with various professions. But as you kind of head closer to Vale's edge, like, looking up, you can see the, like, the smushed faces of the specters just sort of, like, clawing their way across the surface of the veil overhead. But as you look down to sort of like, street level, they're almost. It almost looks like they are other, like members of the public, like strangers that you would pass in a street. Just sort of like watching the performances the same as everyone else. It's only when you pay kind of close attention to it that you notice that they have no bearing on the physicality of the streets and buildings around them as they phase through matter as they, as they kind of move around. But there's, they saw almost seem more calm as they're like, watching the. Watching the art. [00:09:09] Speaker F: Interesting. Yeah. [00:09:13] Speaker A: So roll me. Doo doo doo doo doo doo. A one dice, indulge, vice, resolve. [00:09:24] Speaker F: That's the little button down. [00:09:26] Speaker A: That's the dice button on the left. Yeah. Two dice on the left. You have six dress, and it's a one dice roll. [00:09:34] Speaker F: Okay. Let's hope it's 12345. Okay, I can roll more. [00:09:41] Speaker B: Very good. [00:09:41] Speaker F: Oh, yay. [00:09:42] Speaker B: Five. [00:09:43] Speaker A: Fantastic. [00:09:44] Speaker F: Okay, Dan, for giggles. [00:09:47] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:09:47] Speaker F: Because nobody else has maybe taken them. Can I just bring out the soul glasses and just have a little peek at what the bubble looks like and what these spectres look like? [00:09:57] Speaker A: I think that's exactly what's happened. Which has allowed you to drop all the way down to one stress. Yeah, it's the veil. Like, looking around, you can see that there's just. It's curious. Up close, it's almost like you're staring into a brighten, kind of white blue light that kind of shifts and slides slightly from left to right. And you realize this. You know, the concentration of the spirits that are pressed all the way up. The same as if someone were to hold a ball lantern up to a window. That you, appearing through the veil itself is invisible to that you realize you're not seeing the veil. You're seeing, like, the surface of all of the soul energy of the spirits following its curvature. And so, like, glancing over, you can see, you know, the motes of, like, soul light from all the various gathered patrons and performers on the street behind you. But, yeah, you notice an almost kind of rhythmic movement within the spirits outside, seemingly in time with the performances. The violinist you can hear behind you. Very romantic. So, feeling much better. Although I imagine your world is slightly more monochrome, given you had your soul slurped by a ghost when you were working with the hollow. As you head back to the ivory, to Cadwalader Manor will snap to Algernon, because the. You spent a lot of money to upgrade the gang, to upgrade the crew, which means you're gonna need some more. So where is the source of your next. What's the source of your next set of income? What's your next score? What leads you thinking of following up on. [00:12:28] Speaker E: So, whilst trying to scrape the dregs from his bottles of foresight, Arganon is thinking of the loose ends that have been left dangling in the last couple weeks. And he's thinking about magpies encounter with the raven and the mysterious invitation of the Lord. Reticent. [00:12:50] Speaker A: Okay. Yes. [00:12:53] Speaker E: He thinks it might be time to RSVP. [00:12:59] Speaker A: So does Magpie still have the letter? [00:13:04] Speaker F: Yeah. [00:13:05] Speaker A: Okay, so if. If this is the potential plan. Yeah. Magpie, you are acutely aware that there is no. Like, you. There's an invitation, but there was no real kind of follow up to how. [00:13:21] Speaker B: You would respond to absolutely unhelpful invitation, as invitations go, least helpful she's ever received. [00:13:29] Speaker A: Yes, but based off your conversation that you have with Algernon when you first received it. Yeah. Perhaps the only points that you could follow up on was the P's at the end. Where were you the night Algarve died? [00:13:46] Speaker B: Yeah, so I guess I'd kind of want to go with other people, probably one or two other people to sort of check it out. Or maybe I could go on my own, just to sort of recce. Is that where I need to go to RSVP? Is there a secret place around there that the dinner's happening? But, yeah, I'd want to check that out. [00:14:11] Speaker A: Okay. [00:14:11] Speaker B: And I'd also want to figure out with the crew who's going for the actual dinner, because the invitation was for me, but there was no plus one or plus crew, so I don't really know if I'm meant to go on my own or not. [00:14:28] Speaker A: So. What? Well, yeah, between the. The five of you, what's the. What's the plan? Is Maggie going alone or some of you joining or. [00:14:38] Speaker B: What do people think? [00:14:42] Speaker C: Readers happy to go along as muscle if you need someone to get you out of potential. [00:14:50] Speaker D: Catherine loves a party. [00:14:52] Speaker B: Let's just bring you all. [00:14:57] Speaker C: I mean, we could always. We could always post ourselves strategically nearby, just in case you do need some backup. [00:15:06] Speaker B: I was thinking we could use the earring to, you know, if Magpie goes on ahead and tries to get a sense of if the others are welcome. But at least the others can be ear wigging. [00:15:22] Speaker C: Sit in a pub nearby. [00:15:23] Speaker B: Sit in a pub nearby. Exactly. [00:15:26] Speaker A: Okay. [00:15:27] Speaker C: And Frieda will try really hard not to get in any bar fights, but no promises. [00:15:34] Speaker A: Okay? So. Sorry. Is everyone. Everyone going? But just dispersed slightly. [00:15:39] Speaker B: We're good. We're all going. But when we get close, they're all gonna go sit in a pub, and I am going to do some lurky wrecking of the area. [00:15:51] Speaker A: Okay. In which case, as you. As the five of you, like, carefully make your way to Spire park, in a sense, almost heading directly into the belly of the beast. For those of you that haven't been since the ruby raising, the atmosphere of Spire park is undeniably changed. Partly, you would be right to assume, because of this kind of grotesque, skeletal husk of what was once the ruby keep, kind of speared and skewered by these charred vines that burst out of the floor, but also for the sheer tension between the roving bands of city watch and roving bands of children of ire. As you. As you kind of move through Spire park, you notice that the. The bridge across the. Like, the empty lake towards the keep is being. Like there's a. Is being patrolled by blackguard. And there seem to be very, very regular guard postings around the perimeter of the keep grounds, but they. But they are standing almost inanimately like you, unblinking sentinels. Whilst they're. None of them kind of turn their heads to regard you. You do kind of get the feeling that they are keeping a close watch. An atta especially. You realize that whatever it is they're seeing is completely. You now know what it is that they're seeing, and they're, you know, they are stood in a ring in a world of glowing soul orbs that pass to and frozen as you. Is there anywhere sort of, like, in particular within spire park that you want to be going, Magpie? Or are you just kind of, like, loitering around after you've kind of waved everyone off? [00:18:22] Speaker B: I mean, I guess it depends a little bit on what I see. Like. So there's obviously the ruin of the ruby keep, which, because isn't. Is spire park an actual park? It's. [00:18:40] Speaker A: There is a park, like Unity park. [00:18:42] Speaker B: There is a park, but then I remember there's also a square, isn't there? Like. [00:18:46] Speaker A: So, yeah, there's a large sort of, like, square in front of the keep with now a non working fountain. [00:18:56] Speaker B: Okay. And that. Is that where all of the black guard are pitched up, or are they more amongst? [00:19:02] Speaker A: No. So there's the square with the fountain a little way off. There's like, this bridge across what was, like a mini moat along one side of the keep. And they're. So they're posted along the bridge and then, like, almost around the walls. But obviously the walls are charred and burned. The alchemical fire chewing through the rock. [00:19:23] Speaker B: As if I don't have to go into the ruins of the keep because that feels horribly dangerous. [00:19:32] Speaker A: You do get the feeling that you wouldn't even get close. [00:19:34] Speaker B: No, exactly. No matter how good I am at lurking, I wouldn't get close. [00:19:40] Speaker A: Otherwise. There's the university. Some of the university grounds are in Spire park, but otherwise it's just large, broad, relatively bright and well kept streets between these kind of large, expensive looking, like noble houses, like the richest that can afford to live in the shadow of the keep kind of thing. [00:20:11] Speaker B: Does anyone have any ideas about where one would even begin to look? [00:20:17] Speaker F: Where is magpies other house? Like, where do you live? Is it inspire park? Like your noble house? [00:20:26] Speaker B: She's never told you that? [00:20:28] Speaker A: I expect that family home is here, though, right? [00:20:32] Speaker B: Yeah, it would be somewhere around here. [00:20:34] Speaker A: So which. Great. I mean, you 100% know the streets, so if there's just, like, a particular street that you want to hang out on, or specifically streets that will run the least risk of you bumping into someone that knows your face. [00:20:51] Speaker C: Yeah, I think Frieda would have a bit of advice, I reckon. [00:20:56] Speaker B: Yeah, go on. [00:20:57] Speaker C: Knowing that, you know, she herself has done many a job where she's had to act as lookout for clandestine meetings of other people. Like, meetings like this don't happen without someone being the muscle. And it is usually Frida that's the muscle. So I think Frieda would advise you to look out for anyone who looks. Looks like they'd be burly and good in a fight, but also trying to blend in really nonchalantly. [00:21:33] Speaker B: So I guess you thinking these people are just sort of going to be hanging around in one of these streets waiting for me? Because I was wondering if it might be more that I could look out for secret entrances or, you know, it could be that the entrance is disguised as something else, or. I don't know. Unless it's a rendezvous with somebody. That's the thing. The invitation didn't even say that. It just gave me a general location, so that's tricky, isn't it? [00:22:07] Speaker A: Well, as you're kind of dwelling on the advice that Frieda gave you, as you're thinking, where on earth, like, should I go? Your thoughts are interrupted by the squeaky sounds of a child's voice. Um, excuse me? [00:22:32] Speaker B: You hear, uh, yes, hello. [00:22:35] Speaker A: Um, and you turn to see, um, like, a young Laura var boy, um, dressed in, like, a courier, like, delivery type outfit. And, like, you know, these runners are all over town, especially as a lot of the adult couriers would have been kind of drafted to war before Alicia was lost to the void. So now that a lot of orphans act as couriers. Excuse me, are you Ms. Revelle? [00:23:05] Speaker B: I sort of look around to see if anyone's close by. I say, I. Yes. [00:23:16] Speaker A: I have these for you. The boy says, and he holds two small envelopes with. Small. With wax seals sealing them shut, that you immediately recognize the half half mask of the lot. Reticent. [00:23:38] Speaker B: I take them and thank him. What's the etiquette with these kids? Is it that you normally. You pay, you give them a couple of coppers for trouble? Yeah, okay, I'll do that. [00:23:49] Speaker A: As you go to offer him the money, he puts a hand up and refuses it. And you notice, like, his fingers are quivering. And it's this point where, taking a closer look, you notice that his bottom lip is trembling slightly. His eyes, you thought they were just wide open, wide child eyes. But there's a certain. There's a distinct look of panic in his face. [00:24:21] Speaker B: I say, are you all right? [00:24:24] Speaker A: Yes, I just had to make. Make sure that you. You got these invitations. You're expected at 07:00. [00:24:36] Speaker B: All right? [00:24:38] Speaker A: And he. He nods, and we look forward to seeing you. And he sort of takes a step back very kind of rigidly and overdramatically, like, bends at the waist to do a bow, and then sort of like, his shoulders slump. He still got this look of almost abject terror on his face. And then he just sort of, like, runs, like, breaks off into a run away from you. Catching the attention of some guards that's on the city watch. That presumably assuming he's up to no good. [00:25:12] Speaker B: Oh no. The poor child. Okay, so I'm probably gonna find a quiet place to open my envelopes. Shady doorway or something. [00:25:27] Speaker A: Sure. So the envelopes open easily, revealing two invitations to miss a revelle and miss a revelle's guest. [00:25:42] Speaker B: Guest. Singular? [00:25:44] Speaker A: Singular. [00:25:46] Speaker B: Okay. I'm gonna go to the pub plus one. I'm gonna go to the pub. Okay. Okay. So yeah, I'll find where the others hold up and I'll say good news and bad news. [00:26:01] Speaker A: So um. When you bump back into them. Uh. The. The four of you. The other four of you. Um. You've had some time with Frida. Uh. Has there been any topics of conversation we feel need to be discussed? Anything of note? [00:26:24] Speaker F: I'd love to know how Frida's carrying. Like herself. Like generally like body language. Oh, sorry. [00:26:29] Speaker D: No, I was gonna say. I was gonna say exactly the same. [00:26:34] Speaker C: I'd say Frida is looking quite. [00:26:42] Speaker A: Like. [00:26:43] Speaker C: A crosse between sheepish and extremely pissed off. Just. You know, you notice that every time she takes a sip of her pint she's sort of slamming it down onto the table. And she's sort of impatiently drumming her fingers on the table. And she's not exactly being very forthcoming with. With. Withdeze conversation. Being quite. You know. Every sort of question that you fired her way so far has been quite. You know, she's sort of answered with one word answers. [00:27:26] Speaker A: So. I mean the. The three of you will. I guess it's a bit of the. The elephant in the room to see Frieda left cheek like really puffed up and swollen with what appears to be a large knife wound. Like knife slash right across. Was it across the cheek? Through the eye? [00:27:52] Speaker C: Yeah. The gold gash. [00:27:54] Speaker A: So in which case it's cheek and eye. So almost the whole of the left side of her face kind of swollen. The injury. And have you had someone put stitches to it or. I mean. I assume so. [00:28:09] Speaker C: I would hope so, yeah. Frida. Frida has made a. Made a hasty, hasty visit to Jocasta to get sort of patched up. But sure, it's not exactly the best work. [00:28:24] Speaker A: No. So I imagine there's also wincing every time you take a drink. As your face has to contort to allow you to sip. Um. But yeah, any. What are you not making of it? [00:28:40] Speaker D: I think Catherine's just going to be sitting there and is just going to be staring at her like very non approval of this whole situation that's happening with her face but not really saying anything because now that he's had a chance to get to know Jocasta, that he probably thinks such a cast is already so. [00:29:02] Speaker C: Right, I can see you all staring. And I suppose you want to know why I've got a new facial decoration, right? Well, let's just say that I did something very stupid and I feel quite stupid about it and it was good intentioned, but it went wrong. And now I've got this. And there you go. You happy now? And then she takes another drink and starts drumming her fingers on the table again. [00:29:43] Speaker F: Like slowly pushes some rat tail jerky towards you. [00:29:49] Speaker C: Thank you. Just starts chewing it furiously. [00:29:55] Speaker A: How's Algernon feeling now that you know that you've only got like tiny vials worth so of foresight? Enough to kind of bump you through scores, but certainly not enough to. To immerse yourself in anymore. How is Algernon's worldview right now? [00:30:17] Speaker E: I think since overindulging in the foresight, he's become like so juiced that he's struggling to know if it's the present or the future. [00:30:36] Speaker B: Time is a flat circle. [00:30:37] Speaker A: So. [00:30:38] Speaker D: Hang on a minute, hang on a minute. Am I just sitting here seeing you with a big ash on your face, you tweaking out and you just looking a little bit hollowed out and I'm just like, what have you not been doing to yourselves? [00:30:50] Speaker A: Yeah, Ashley's got that thousand yard stare. Good Lord. [00:30:59] Speaker C: And I can see that I'm not the only one that that's been playing silly buggers recently either. I see the look in all your eyes. [00:31:09] Speaker E: Frida. Please stop me if I've said this already, but in the intelligence corps, when one fails an espionage mission, we are chastised, we are demoted, we are punished. That's not what this crew is about. You've obviously taken a swing and missed. You failed. And that happens. So my advice is to get over it. Because the next pitch, the next bowler is coming. And if you're going to hit it for six, you'll need to be at the top of your game. [00:32:08] Speaker C: Thank you, Algernon. I needed to hear that. Onwards and upwards. Aye. [00:32:15] Speaker A: That was the most flowery, walk it off speech I've ever heard. [00:32:22] Speaker C: But for now, don't mind me if I do a little bit of self punishment. And again she knocks back another drink. [00:32:34] Speaker A: So as Frida says, that magpie, you arrive, let you find the tavern that these. These four are at you. Certainly as an establishments go, it's certainly a step up from your normal haunts. Everything serves in half measures at double the cost, you notice, but the higher, like the tavern's own hired security, seem to be keeping a very close eye on that table of troublemakers over in the corner there. Specifically, the sangreva, the goblin, the dragonborn, and the wolf king. It looks like she's just fought a mountain lion. [00:33:27] Speaker B: Okay, I'm gonna come up to the table, sit down, and say I've got good news and bad news. Good news. Pretty sure I know where I'm going, and I. I can take someone with me. Bad news. It's just one. And I sort of look around at the four of them and weigh up my odds with each of them, and I sort of look at Katherine and say, would you? [00:34:01] Speaker D: I think that would be for the best at this time. Yes. [00:34:05] Speaker B: Hmm. I think everyone else looks quite tired, so maybe you and I should take this one. No offense, guys. [00:34:14] Speaker D: My pleasure. [00:34:18] Speaker B: I need a silver tongue for this. [00:34:22] Speaker F: Yeah. [00:34:23] Speaker C: Algernon, another round. And Frieda doesn't even wait for an answer. She just goes and gets more drinks for everyone. [00:34:29] Speaker B: Can I leave the earring with somebody? [00:34:33] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. [00:34:34] Speaker B: It's a pair, right? So we would take one, and they would have one. Yeah. [00:34:37] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:34:37] Speaker B: Okay. [00:34:38] Speaker A: Um, so, uh, we will, um, flash forward to 07:00 that evening. Um, and the address in particular. Um, is a. Um. Is a house somewhere. Is a house in kind of rather central haveny. So the. The posha. The posha half of Haven and Duskland. And you know what? Whilst by comparison, Magpie, these aren't as grandiose as your own family home, it's clear that the residents of this place have done very, very well for themselves. Clearly, they make quite a lot of money. Like, before, maybe during the war, but, yeah, the. The two years out in the void seems to have kind of led to a certain degree of neglect and degradation in upkeep. But the. The home itself is still stately, and your. Your plus one is cavern. [00:35:51] Speaker B: That's right. [00:35:53] Speaker A: Everyone else, like, huddled around the other earring. Like, earring. [00:35:58] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:35:58] Speaker F: Okay, do we get, like, um. Do we get, like, the. The prep part of the score? We just go. We're going straight into the score. [00:36:06] Speaker B: This might be the prep. [00:36:08] Speaker F: Oh, I see. [00:36:09] Speaker B: Talking to them and finding out what's what. [00:36:14] Speaker A: Yeah. So, as you, Magpie, how. How are you dressing in cafeteria? [00:36:21] Speaker B: That's a really good question. [00:36:23] Speaker A: Like, are you going as Magpie, or are you going as miss a revelle? [00:36:28] Speaker B: I reckon I'd probably get. Not my fanciest clothes. But my everyday real clothes. [00:36:39] Speaker A: Civvie clothes. [00:36:40] Speaker B: Civvie clothes. Yeah. Yeah. [00:36:42] Speaker A: And, Katherine, you dressing up? Dinner. [00:36:44] Speaker D: We're going to dinner. Yeah, I'm dressed. [00:36:45] Speaker B: Well, no, no. I mean, I look nice. I look nice. I'm not. I'm just not going all out. Like, I'm not going to a ball. [00:36:52] Speaker D: But, yeah, we could be. You don't know. [00:36:55] Speaker B: You might be. [00:36:55] Speaker A: I imagine Catherine's rocking a shakespearean ruffle collar. Oh, yeah. Lovely. Just with his jacket on underneath. But just. [00:37:05] Speaker D: I mean, whatever is the fashion of alicia at the moment. [00:37:08] Speaker A: Sure. Yeah. [00:37:09] Speaker B: Yeah. Fair enough. Yeah. We'll look like we'll be dressed for dinner. [00:37:12] Speaker D: I like to believe there was a montage and magpie coming out in different outfits. [00:37:17] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:37:18] Speaker D: No, maybe. [00:37:24] Speaker A: In which case, does that mean I. [00:37:27] Speaker B: Took you to my house? Are we close enough for me to have taken you to my house? Well, I mean, my family is there. Yeah. [00:37:40] Speaker D: No, we went shopping for new clothes. [00:37:42] Speaker B: Yeah, we went for new clothes. That's unfortunately right. [00:37:45] Speaker F: Yeah. [00:37:45] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:37:47] Speaker A: So the two of you dressed up to the nines, approach this dressed up to the eight, maybe sevens, heads to this. To this address. And you notice that, like, stood at the front door can only be described is a. Like quite a burly, burly Loravar man who kind of rings as a kind of a chaperone come bouncer and, like, in a very kind of narrow but tall, like, top hat, suit with tie, white shirt, all the. All of the fancy glam. And he watches you approach, like, his low brow, like, unmoving as he. As he regards you. And as you approach, he very simply says, invitations, please. [00:38:49] Speaker B: We hand them over. [00:38:51] Speaker A: Zoo. He checks the. He looks at them very quickly. Looks from your invitation to you, Magpie. Katherine, the invitation to you. And then he turns and knocks on the door with three steady knocks. The door opens, and you're let in. I say the house is relatively upmarket, certainly by your standards, Catherine, but yet not kind of strained beyond the realms of, like, modest. It's. It's a humble brag home. But you notice that the. The room that you kind of walk into is. This is a living area that has been. Been kind of converted into what appeared like. There's a large. There's a dinner table set out. And you can see that there are a number of plates, three in particular. Three plates. Two on one end and one on its own on the other. And the concierge kind of gestures to the table, and if you please take a seat, the lady will be with you momentarily. And as the two of you take a seat, Magpie, you can see sort of like, through the adjoining door into what appears to be, like, the kitchen area. And, like, stood against the wall is what appears to be a lot of our, like, man and wife and the young boy who approached you earlier today. [00:40:38] Speaker B: Okay. [00:40:38] Speaker A: And they appear to also be dressed up in fine rags, but they are stood silently against the wall, their hands clasped at their waist, all looking down at their shoes. And you can hear the sounds of, like, culinary preparation happening in the kitchen. And before long, a waiter, similar to, like, a chef, similar to those you would have at home. Magpie emerges into the room carrying, like, a silver platter and places it down on the table in front of two of you. And then he lifts a fork and then gently knocks it against a wine glass before lighting the soul candle in the middle of the table. And as the chef, like, straightens, takes a few steps back, puts his hands across his waist, and then lowers his gaze to his shoes. You see a ace of our woman wearing what appears to be, like, a large hooded veil over her face. Enter into the room. She's wearing very rich, fine looking silks and, like, fabrics on her dress. You notice there's a lot of kind of gold ornamentation hanging from her, but most notably, her left arm appears to be made of a blue, lilac, crystalline type substance, like a prosthesis. And beneath the veil, you notice that she wears what appears to be a silver mask in the shape of almost what appears to be like a fox's head. And she looks to you, pulls the veil from over her head, nods, and then takes a seat. It is so good that you could join us, Ms. Revelle. And my apologies. You are, she says, turning to you. Catherine. [00:43:14] Speaker D: Um, Catherine. [00:43:18] Speaker A: She. She nods. As for this meeting on such unusual terms, you are both. But you are a difficult person to track down, Miss Revelle. But I see that the company you travel with is as fascinating as you are. I trust this meeting, its discretion has been kept between ourselves. And as she looks at you, you notice, like, her eyes flash. There's a. There's an odd glimmer, like a shimmer across her eyes. And you notice that she's staring directly at the earring you're wearing. [00:44:14] Speaker B: No one outside of my crew knows if that's what you mean. [00:44:18] Speaker A: Very good. I would have expected nothing more. Now, we. We can. We can speak with our masks on, if you so wish. Or if you would rather, we can take that step to becoming more intimate with one another. [00:44:41] Speaker B: And what does that mean, would you. [00:44:45] Speaker A: Rather magpie or Aminahe? [00:44:51] Speaker D: Everyone just looks and goes, oh, I. [00:44:54] Speaker B: Mean, the invitation was to Amina, so why bother with pretense? And you find me at a disadvantage? You are. [00:45:11] Speaker A: The woman smiles and takes her mask off and stares directly at you. Her eyes shimmer and you watch as these piercingly sky blue eyes shift in color and redden to a vibrant blood red. My name is Nephany Rababella Valenmar. And Magpie, given your social status, you would know immediately that Nefa na Ravabella Valenmar is the stepdaughter of regent s Turia Valanmar, the previous leader of Alicia, the one who was chased out during the war. [00:46:17] Speaker B: Her stepdaughter. [00:46:19] Speaker A: Stepdaughter. Okay, yes, the daughter of Lord Ravabella, but was adopted. Her stepmother's name, Valonmar, as well as her double barrel. And as you kind of take in this, like Catherine, you acknowledge that this, the sangreval lady sat in front of you is pretty much as high up the tree as you can get. It makes you like you can't find help yourself, but Gorp at the openness, the brazen openness with which she wears what appears to be a magical prosthesis in lieu of her left arm. Um, yeah. She point. She places this very in, ornate, delicate silver fox's mask down on the table between you and turns it. Um, please allow us to serve. Serve food. It is best consumed warm, she says, and with a slight turn of the head, the chef approaches and lifts the lid off the silver platter and steam kind of rises out and an aroma hits you that you've not smelt in years. Because on this silver platter in front of you are what appear to be three beautifully prepared birds, small, perhaps sparrow sized, but they look fresh, they look exquisitely prepared, they smell delicious. And for either of you that look up, you notice that nephenae is studying your reactions. Um, the what? You each get one of these small kind of sparrow sized birds onto your plate, along with a. An assortment of, um, like, mushrooms. But as you like. Are you tucking in? Are you? [00:48:49] Speaker B: I'm probably a bit too stunned to immediately eat. Like, I probably look up. So stare at it for a bit. Look at her. Look at Katherine until trying to decide if I'm gonna say anything. [00:49:03] Speaker A: She smiles. And don't worry, it will not bite. And if you find it agreeable, we can. We can source more. [00:49:18] Speaker B: I mean, that's exactly my reason for being surprised. Where are you sourcing animals? [00:49:36] Speaker A: There are secrets that I am willing to share. But there are some secrets, Lady Revelle, Ms. Revelle, that I am not willing to share, she says with a sly smirk. [00:49:52] Speaker B: I mean, to even keep them, you'd have to feed them. And to feed them you'd need daylight. And there hasn't been daylight for two years. [00:50:04] Speaker A: There's a stoic, unmoving, ever so look from her then ever so slight smile. Like a knowing smile. [00:50:12] Speaker B: Yes, I mean, you're right. I've not had bird for two years. Not since the stockrooms ran out. [00:50:23] Speaker A: Then I would request that you relish every morsel of this creature. How's cavern feeling about bird? [00:50:36] Speaker D: Sorry, could I catch her last name again? [00:50:39] Speaker A: Nephenae. Rather, rather Bella Valenmar in the chat, if you want. Ever the fullest, the full spelling. [00:50:47] Speaker D: Thank you very much. Yeah, I think Catherine's going to also be quite shocked. He's going to be. Obviously he's not seen food like this for well over two years. Um, uh, Miss Valomar, um, is misses. [00:51:08] Speaker A: Please call me Nephone. [00:51:10] Speaker D: Nephew, of course. Uh, no, mister Vallemar. [00:51:16] Speaker B: Kick you under the table, Owen. [00:51:22] Speaker A: She disguises the smirk with a small bite of the breast of the bird. [00:51:30] Speaker D: May I ask what type of bird this is? [00:51:35] Speaker A: It was, it was a sparrow that we kept. It is curious, isn't it? Once upon a time we would keep these beautiful creatures as household pets. And yet in, in such circumstances we find delight in their presence in other ways. [00:52:06] Speaker B: Magpies gonna start eating. She's just gonna sigh of take a bite. [00:52:12] Speaker A: Are you partaking, Kevin? [00:52:14] Speaker D: Yeah, I'm partaking, yeah. [00:52:19] Speaker A: In which case, as you start eating, like, you see her nod and then she's, you know, she's tucking in and there's a, there's this. An odd kind of silence that the other three of you can, like you can just hear as magpies are eating because you can hear everything her, she says. But eventually the three of you finish your, your small meals and the chef immediately kind of comes up, collects your plates. As you watch him disappear into the kitchen, your attention is caught again by the family that stood in the kitchen. And you see the young boy kind of glance up to you and when he notices you looking, his head snaps back. Um, we have lost so much these past few years. Arguably my family has lost more, even more in the years preceding that, she says, and she looks at you very directly. Cavern there are many minds within the city that believe they know the best course of action for what is to come next. But some are too fearful to accept the golden truth but the power of house Valanmar was beyond compare. And under the power empowerment of the arcane Elysia flourished. I suspect this is a truth that you are all intimately aware of, to be in the line of work that you are in. And so I seek an artifact that, as of yet, has been frustratingly out of my reach. I understand that you and your companions have certain sets of skills and certain interests that would align with the lodge. We wish you to venture into what is. What remains of castle antelir in the ivory. Most of the building now lies beyond the veil. Only the front part of it remains within the city. But from my gathered sources, I believe that the artifact with which we wish you to acquire lies on the side of life rather than death. The children of Aya will make acquiring this artifact more precarious. But we have faith in your skills. From what we have seen, and what my agent reports to me. She says, looking at you, Magpie, very specifically, that you will be able to circumvent the. Those agents of faith in order to complete this mission. And if you do, then perhaps you will reap the benefits of favour from the lodge. But if you were to fail, whatever that may look like, you potentially stand to earn our Ireland. And I know what is preferable for me. And I would dare say I know what would be preferable for you. [00:56:46] Speaker B: Hmm. What is this artifact? [00:56:53] Speaker A: It is an arcane focus that is hidden within a hidden vault beneath the keep. The loc. The specific location of the vault is, as of yet, unknown to me. But if you were to find it, I can give you the appropriate passwords. In order to gain entrance, we require the safe and delicate delivery of this focus to one of our agents. I believe you have met him. Amina. [00:57:38] Speaker B: Mm hmm. [00:57:42] Speaker A: And she gives you a knowing nod. [00:57:48] Speaker B: Not very talkative. [00:57:50] Speaker A: I would request urgency for the. The children of ire become braver with every passing day. And I fear that before long, they will drum up the courage to raze Castle Antalya, what is left of it, to the ground. All in their crusade for purity and piety. [00:58:24] Speaker B: Hmm. [00:58:27] Speaker A: I'm sure that the two of you and your companions will have questions. [00:58:34] Speaker B: I'm sure we do have questions as a crew, says Magpie. I guess I'd have to also relay the basic details so I'll kind of repeat back to her. So it sounds like you want an arcane focus from a hidden vault underneath house antelir very soon. And that the children of ire will probably be a sticking point. Have I got that right? [00:59:07] Speaker A: Yes. [00:59:09] Speaker B: And if we fail, that will be very bad news for you and even worse news for us. [00:59:21] Speaker A: That is an eventuality I would rather not explore. [00:59:27] Speaker B: But, you know, just so that we're. [00:59:29] Speaker D: Being clear, and you mentioned this being close to the vale. Did you mention it being partly outside of the veil? [00:59:42] Speaker A: So, I mean, certainly in your time at Cabwall of the manor. Past few years. So Castle Antalir kind of dominated the centre of the ivory. But when the veil went up, fundamentally, the back, sort of like two thirds of it was cut. Like cut off. Like the veil cut through the keep. So the front of it is still within Alicia. The back half of it. You can still wander around, but then you're not protected. [01:00:13] Speaker B: We need to get down into a vault, basically, one way or another. So I take it that Atta wanted to suggest I ask about the size of this object? Yeah. So I'll ask nephenae, how big is it? [01:00:29] Speaker A: Nepha nay. Sort of like gestures slightly in this moment. You notice just how beautifully articulated the fingers of her, like her arcane armor. She gestures and it's about. It's about sort of like a two foot box. [01:00:49] Speaker B: Is she like someone who just got engaged? Constantly showing off the ring? She's like, oh, it's about, yay, look at my lovely arm. [01:00:59] Speaker A: Well, you. You certainly can't tear your eyes away from it. It glows. It's crystalline in nature and it glows ever so slightly. But, yeah, she just seems completely nonchalant about it. But. [01:01:14] Speaker B: So how big did she say her arm is? [01:01:15] Speaker A: Contraband? Um, about two foot square. Two foot cubed. [01:01:19] Speaker B: So two foot cubed roughly. Okay. [01:01:23] Speaker A: Um, so certainly a two hand jobby. [01:01:26] Speaker B: Two hand job. Does anyone else have questions I can relay to Nephone? [01:01:29] Speaker C: Frida has question. [01:01:31] Speaker B: Yeah, I. [01:01:32] Speaker C: So, like, what's the end goal here? Is she looking for a restoration of the house antelior at the top? Is that what we're doing now? [01:01:44] Speaker B: Could you explain what Frieda means by that, Meg? [01:01:47] Speaker C: So, like, you know, by getting this, is she looking to restore house Antalya to basically the rulers of Elysia again? You know, is that what this is going towards? What's her end game? [01:02:03] Speaker B: Oh, blimey. I don't know if I feel confident enough to ask her that outright. [01:02:08] Speaker C: Or maybe it's just something that Frida is just like. Yeah, you know, sort of. [01:02:11] Speaker B: It's a good question. [01:02:13] Speaker C: Questioning allowed. Like, oh, and is that what we want? [01:02:18] Speaker A: Yeah. I'll leave it up to each of you independently to decide on. Like, she's not wrong in so much that before the war of the heavens, like arcane magic was freely used. Like, no one really battered an eye. Like, the only people that tended to bat an eyelids at them would be the more like divine spellcasters. But I mean, some, perhaps more cynical, might suggest it's because arcane magic is self perpetuating. It comes from within. Divine magic is gifted from the gods. But elysium managed wonders with arcane magic. So the question is, like, when did the perception change? How much did the perception change when the war started? How many people truly believe arcane magic is bad versus people who were told arcane magic is bad? And did a war between the gods stoke those sentiments? But, yeah, I mean, but even in this short space of time, like, the fact that she's got birds to eat, like, she's got. Clearly she has some sort of resource. [01:03:39] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:03:40] Speaker A: So she's not entirely wrong about, you know, Arcane is. [01:03:47] Speaker C: Here's a good question. Is that a resource that she's looking to bring to the masses or is it something that she just wants to keep for herself or the. The, you know, the cream of the crop, as it were? [01:04:00] Speaker A: That question is for Magpie to decide whether to ask or not. [01:04:04] Speaker B: Yeah, these are all quite searching. This isn't really information for score. This is more like questioning her intentions, which I could do a little bit of. I'm happy to pray gently. [01:04:14] Speaker E: We know what happens if we fail. What happens if we succeed? Okay, is she strong arming us into this or is there something on the table for us? [01:04:24] Speaker A: So she has mentioned that you will have the favor of the lodge if you are able to do this for her. But you will not have the favour of the lodge if you do not. [01:04:37] Speaker B: Sure. Does the favor of the lodge involve any material benefit? [01:04:48] Speaker A: She tilts her head and it can do. There is much that we have to offer. [01:05:01] Speaker B: You are clearly in possession of much arcane bounty. And I kind of gesture to her arm and the birds, you know, just sort of generally. And, you know, I. I mean, it's. [01:05:18] Speaker A: Also, I should point out you, the two of you have both probably figured out that she herself is a spellcaster, given that she seemed to have been, like, magically disguising the color of her eyes. [01:05:31] Speaker B: This. This focus that you seek, it's presumably designed to bolster your power or the power of the lodge. [01:05:44] Speaker A: She thinks on it. And, yes, it uses arcane power into a singularity which will allow greater and more drastic effects. [01:06:02] Speaker B: You speak of how Elysia flourished under the previous regime. Is that what you seek to restore to the city a flourishing, an improvement for the common folk. [01:06:19] Speaker A: Allow me to respond with a somewhat trite question. How do you feel Alicia has done with two years of no arcane magic? [01:06:32] Speaker B: I think the nature of our business and the very world we sit in should answer that question. Nephone. Of course. That's not in question. I'm asking, what are your intentions for the city, if I may be so bold? [01:06:50] Speaker C: Oh, good one. That's how you do it, Magpie. I'm gonna write in the ball. [01:07:02] Speaker A: Off the back of arcane magic, Elysia rose to glory and prominence among the lands of elsewhere. With the reintroduction of arcane magic, then perhaps Elysia can rise again. For too long have we been in free fall. Imagine, if you will, an Alicia rising. Is that the name? [01:07:47] Speaker B: That's the name of the movie. Just had to give that a minute to breathe. Okay. I can't lie. I have been lying awake at night beside myself, thinking about the future of the city, of the people here. Do you think you have an answer? [01:08:26] Speaker A: She breathes in. She takes a deep breath and holds it. And then she turns to look at the two of you squarely. Yes. [01:08:40] Speaker B: And my eyes go to the gap in the door, into the kitchen, at that family. And I say, what about them in there? What are your intentions towards them? [01:08:58] Speaker A: They have been generous hosts, and once our matters of business are concluded, we will leave them be. And at that point, it dawns on you that this is their house. [01:09:16] Speaker B: Mm hmm. Yeah. [01:09:17] Speaker A: They're being held almost prisoner in their own house. [01:09:22] Speaker B: Yeah. Okay. Does anyone else have cavern. Did you have any questions for Nephernay? [01:09:34] Speaker D: Does she have any sort of. I'm guessing that house, Antalya is relatively quite big. Does she have any sort of guidance on where we need to go? Like. [01:09:48] Speaker A: Castle Anthony? Yes, she. Well, she was saying that she doesn't know specifically where the hidden vault is. Is, so. Well, she explains to you that some of the information that she has found has informed her of this great library within the castle building and structure itself that spans three floors. Like the first floor, the ground floor, and like the basement floor, it's this large, open area library, you know, lots of spiral staircases, columns of bookshelves and so on and so forth. Um, the information she has, she informs you, uh, it seems to be connected to that. And they know that that is within the veil. Um, it's just, you know, given that it is the library of house Antillea, as an organization, there's going to be all sorts of, like, now, forbidden knowledges and practices and information within that library that, you know, is the sort of thing that the church of ire would want to set fire, like to destroy. And it makes you what? And you think to yourselves of the. The ever growing blockades from the children of I to try and stop people kind of going into the ivory. Almost as if they're those like forward bases, like staging outposts for what you assume to be, will assume to be, will be a. Like an attack on the ivory. [01:11:48] Speaker B: Mmm. Okay. And any other. [01:11:52] Speaker D: Nephne, if I might be so bold. [01:11:55] Speaker A: Of course, you. [01:11:56] Speaker D: You seem to have some quite capable people who work for you. Magpie has scaled us with her communications with this gentleman in the raven mask. Why usda, then? [01:12:15] Speaker A: The lodge has many enemies. And as incredible as he is, the raven only has two eyes. I must keep him very busy to ensure that we stay one step ahead of our rivals. And the five of you, as I say, have a set of skills that are impressive. And a track record of successful scores. Even more impressive still. [01:12:56] Speaker D: I would be interested to know what you know of us. [01:13:05] Speaker A: She smiles and lifting, like bringing her crystalline arm off. One by one, she reels off. Each of the scores that you've been. But you've achieved since the death of Tavarian is a catalogued history of your activities. And Magpie, you realize that clearly, the raven has been watching you ever since Memorial Day. [01:13:42] Speaker B: You clearly know exactly who we are. So I'm slightly confused. Why come to me in my gay. In my guys, as a woman of nobility? Why not just approach us as a crew? [01:14:01] Speaker A: Just as I admire your strengths and power, I need you to understand and appreciate our strength and power. [01:14:18] Speaker B: Magpie gives a little wry smile at that and just sort of drops. It just sits back breeder's like, yeah. [01:14:26] Speaker C: I think she's got you by the balls this time. [01:14:29] Speaker A: You. Yes, it very much seems like Magpie. [01:14:34] Speaker B: Already had clocked that, you know, she was had by the balls like that. That was not in question. But, like, her answer just made it really tough. This is like, she's learned enough from Algernon to know that spies love swinging it in your face when they know stuff about you. [01:14:52] Speaker C: Yes. [01:14:53] Speaker A: I mean, Algernon, on a scale of one to ten, how do you rate this black male? [01:14:59] Speaker E: This is pretty good. This is eight. [01:15:04] Speaker B: Yeah, I gotta hand it to him, it's pretty good. [01:15:09] Speaker A: Yes, it does seem like pretty good blackmail, but at least she, you know, unlike Dorothea, once upon a time, there is a genuine sense of like, oh, you'll. You'll get something out of it. If this goes well. [01:15:24] Speaker B: Yeah, it's. [01:15:24] Speaker A: Dorothea was just like, do it. [01:15:27] Speaker B: Yeah, exactly. [01:15:28] Speaker A: There is a carrot. [01:15:29] Speaker B: There's. There is a carrot. [01:15:31] Speaker A: Or a bird in this case, or a mushroom. [01:15:33] Speaker B: Yes. Right. I think we can go. I think we're done here. [01:15:38] Speaker A: Oh, question from the crowd. [01:15:41] Speaker F: Does the lady anticipate anybody other than the children of ire to interfere? [01:15:47] Speaker B: Okay, um, I will ask that question of nephew. [01:15:51] Speaker A: Sure. The. She responds, no. As irritating as the children of Aya are, they do seem to be doing a relatively good job of blockading. And the sheer kind of superstition that's been. That's either, like, naturally ingrained in everyone or that has been stoked and kind of emboldened, like, embiggened by all of the kind of church of ire, like, lectures and preachers and sermons, like, people just don't really want. Like it is a cursed place. Like it is the home of a house. Antillea. They are the baddies. And there's lots of ookie dookie spooky stuff. And it's half of it, like, most of it sticking out into the veil. Like, no one wants to go there is the closest to a haunted house this city's got. [01:16:50] Speaker B: Sounds fun. [01:16:54] Speaker C: Okay, good time. [01:16:55] Speaker B: It's a great time. We're gonna have a. Such a good time. Okay, I think we're done here. [01:17:01] Speaker A: Okay. Um, so as you, um, kind of make your excuses, your pleases and thank yous, um, the chef. Yeah. Takes everything away. Um, and the. So nefa nay stands, uh, nods to you. She places the silver mask, um, back on her face and pulls her, like, hood and veil back over her head. Um, and as she. She kind of pulls her head back, um, you notice that, like, her eyes are concealed by these, um, kind of ready pinkish gems for eyes identical to those of the ravens mask. She. She gives you a nod as she pulls a, like, a traveling cloak over her shoulder, disguising her arm, you know, puts on a glove and then. Yeah, but the nod herself. The concierge at the front door and the chef leave. [01:18:13] Speaker B: So. Wait, sorry, they've all left before for us. [01:18:17] Speaker A: Well, so you. Well, you choose to go like that? They. They kind of sort themselves out. They bid you farewell and, like, she. She gestures a hand to the door to allow you to leave before them, but it's clear that they are leaving right now. [01:18:32] Speaker B: Okay, I'll probably glance through into the kitchen at the little kid and his parents. And I sort of just give them a. As compassionate a look as I as I can. Does. Did the chef look scared at any point, by the way? [01:18:51] Speaker A: Nope. [01:18:53] Speaker B: Or the concierge? Neither of them, no. Okay, I'll probably. As we're. As we're leaving, as we go past, I'm going to stop and look at the concierge and the chef and say, if I hear of anything happening to that family, well, let's just say you probably won't see me coming, right? [01:19:20] Speaker A: They nod. The con, the. Like the bouncer concierge. But that shouldn't be a problem. They have behaved themselves. They have acted with dignity. [01:19:35] Speaker B: But what if they hadn't? [01:19:39] Speaker A: There is no response. [01:19:41] Speaker B: It was more rhetorical. Anyway, we'll take our leave. [01:19:47] Speaker A: So, with that in mind, quick fire round. What. What information do you want to gather? [01:19:58] Speaker B: Hmm. I guess we want to know a good way in. That doesn't take us past the patrols the children of ayod are doing. [01:20:14] Speaker A: Sure. [01:20:15] Speaker B: I'm thinking rooftops. Love some rooftops. [01:20:20] Speaker A: Of rooftops. So who's doing that? Information gathering? Yeah. Okay. That sounds like a survey. [01:20:30] Speaker B: Does it, though? [01:20:32] Speaker A: I would argue it does if you're. [01:20:35] Speaker B: I have to prowl around to do it. [01:20:38] Speaker A: I mean, you could, but you might not get all of the answers you want, so you can absolutely use prowl, but it sounds like it is a survey. [01:20:48] Speaker B: Fine. I'll push myself on a survey of a. [01:20:52] Speaker A: Okay. All right. [01:20:55] Speaker B: So plus 1d. [01:20:58] Speaker A: Yes. [01:20:59] Speaker B: Unless I want. Is it. What would you. What kind of role is it? [01:21:04] Speaker A: It's neither. So if you click on the dice on the left, it's a gather information. [01:21:08] Speaker B: Oh, okay. [01:21:10] Speaker A: And then two dice. [01:21:12] Speaker B: Gather information. Two dice. Okay, this is the way. Oh, gosh. [01:21:19] Speaker A: Okay. So you get good details, clarifying, and follow up questions are possible. So you like heading up to the rooftops, you have a quick look see. So it's called castle antelier. It's more of a, like a big stone mansion. There's somewhere between a mansion and a keep kind of thing. Um, it's got a, um, a drawbridge, uh, which of which the drawbridge itself is no more. Um, leaving just kind of an open entrance through the front gate, in effect, into the. The castle grounds. Um, but otherwise, um, there are spots to kind of scale the wall around the sides to get into what appear to be like servant quarters on one side, the stables on the. On the. So servant quarters on the south side of the grounds, the stables on the north side of the grounds. Or you just go in through, like, the west entrance, like the main gate. Yeah, you've got clarifying awful lot of questions, if you so wish. [01:22:36] Speaker B: It sounds quite exposed. [01:22:39] Speaker A: Potentially going through the front door. Absolutely will be. You notice that there are, like. There are now patrols, like, roaming patrols of children of ire. They're. They mainly seem to be sort of like they keeping themselves to the streets. But, you know, you notice that, like, if they happen to see, sort of like, some of the squatters that live in ivory kind of burning to. Burning something to give themselves some warmth, then the children of ire, like, rush in and hound them out gold. [01:23:15] Speaker B: Okay. [01:23:17] Speaker A: But the more like you, you also note there's a point where you see one group of them stop outside Cadwallader Manor, but, like, you see them sort of like, conversing and talking to one another. And it would seem that Cadwallader Manor is in enough of a fit state of repair, but they don't really fancy their chances of trying to kick people out as opposed to the buildings that, like, don't have a front wall. So they kind of pass cabal of the manor by. But, yeah, if you go through the front door, you do risk being seen by the children of ayah. [01:23:50] Speaker B: Okay. [01:23:50] Speaker A: If you go over the walls, it's less of a chance. [01:23:53] Speaker B: Does anyone else have a follow up question about getting in? [01:23:57] Speaker E: Could we go in from the back? [01:24:03] Speaker A: So via the outside, you could dip out through the veil and then it would be a legit, an actual dash for life to. Because there comes a point, you know, where there's effectively that the. The part of Elysia that is outside the veil is in itself a ring. Right. Because a circular chunk of ground got thrown into the void. So there'd be enough kind of crumbly wall, like, ruined wall, the back. So the front third is in the veil, and then. But only half the keep is still intact because the rest of it would have been lost. [01:24:49] Speaker B: It was ripped in half. Was it? [01:24:51] Speaker A: Effectively, yeah. So, yeah, you could absolutely do like, a mad dash across the deadlands, like the dead zone, hop the broken wall, and then, like, run back towards the west side of the keep to get back through the veil. That said, hands up who has been through the veil in the past two years? [01:25:13] Speaker B: No. [01:25:14] Speaker A: Okay. [01:25:14] Speaker C: No one. [01:25:15] Speaker B: Absolutely not. [01:25:18] Speaker A: So there is. [01:25:21] Speaker C: No, no, you go. You go first. [01:25:23] Speaker A: So there is a part of you that. The morbid part of you that wanders. Like, obviously, the veil has been exemplary in keeping spirits out, but is it just spirits? It keeps out. You get you. You know, that people have gone through the veil. I mean, Algernon, you would have heard Alan on actually with your kind of gang with your backgrounds. You know that some people who vanished were actually encouraged to step from the. Through the veil and not come back. But it's the coming back bit that is a bit of an unknown quantity, but it is an option. [01:26:15] Speaker C: Breeders wondering, there must have been people, if there's people that have gone through the veil, they must have made some sort of preparations. And also knowing that the. The specter, our lovely little like pub is also where a lot of arcane contraband tends to flow through, you know, usually perpetuated by us. Is there anyone. It basically. Is there anyone we could talk to, to trying to smooth some gear off of. Off of that would maybe, you know, afford us some protection. Even if it's repellent? Ghost repellent? Well, yeah, ghost repellent, like armor, things like that. [01:27:09] Speaker E: We found a diving suit in the hollows. [01:27:12] Speaker B: Oh yes. That's so cool. [01:27:16] Speaker F: And bottles can keep ghosts in. So there must be a way of reverse engineering ghost bottles to, like what they called, like. We'll just go in giant hamster balls. It'll be totally on. [01:27:34] Speaker A: Frida. Your idea, your question has legs. That's gonna sound. That sounds to me like a consort or sway to some of your. Could you. You have like customers, patrons within the spectacular. It's an arcane speakeasy. Right. So there will definitely be people you can talk to. Who wants to step up to try and gather that information? [01:28:04] Speaker C: I could do that. I've got good. Consort and spray. [01:28:07] Speaker A: Okay, yeah. Big one and the two dice on the left. Gather information. If you're going consort, it's two. If you're going sway, it's one. [01:28:17] Speaker C: Yeah, let's do consort. [01:28:20] Speaker A: Okay. [01:28:21] Speaker B: Consort. [01:28:22] Speaker C: Gather information. Number of dies. [01:28:25] Speaker A: Two. [01:28:29] Speaker C: Sorry? Last session. [01:28:37] Speaker A: That's a trick. [01:28:38] Speaker D: Five pristine suits appear. [01:28:43] Speaker A: Mustow opens his jacket and five diving suits. [01:28:50] Speaker C: And wearing nothing else. [01:28:52] Speaker B: Oh, no. [01:28:55] Speaker A: Okay. Um. So you speak to. Okay, you get exceptional details. The information is complete. And follow up questions may expand into related areas or reveal more than you hoped for. So the person you're speaking to who is a. This sort of like ace of our lady, who you've got like a number of potions for in the past. She tells you that there are abs, like there are protections to ward off spirits. They are usually. Let me have a quick look. So there are, there are such things as spirit bane charms, but she tells you that there is a way to fundamentally, like supercharge them. And actually if you want, she can like outfit you with some. Are there any follow up questions? Like what? What? Follow up questions would you want to ask off the back of it, say, you can definitely get, like, ghost. Ghost repellent, if you will. [01:30:20] Speaker C: Oh, my gosh. Okay, uh, guys, help on this. What follow up questions do we need to ask? [01:30:27] Speaker F: I'm still. [01:30:28] Speaker C: I'm still reeling from the double sixes. [01:30:30] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:30:32] Speaker F: How long can you, like, is it like a diving suit? Does it. Is it, like, timed? [01:30:38] Speaker A: Um, well, so she doesn't herself know about this kind of diving suit idea? Um, yeah, she. She shows you what is, like, the spirit main charm for us, it would be like, it would look something like a dream catcher in a way, but the center is well freed. You recognize it as a wolf kin runestone. And atta, you recognize that the rune that the stone itself is emitting this sort of, like, rather powerful abjuration type type of magic. But it. And it seems much more powerful than the stock spirit bane charms that you might normally pick up, which would kind of deter a spirit, but not necessarily stop it from nominal. Knew, fundamentally, you kind of get the feeling that this can. She explains that this could be activated to outright repel like, a ghost. [01:31:40] Speaker C: Right. How long will it work for? Like, how long have we got out there? [01:31:45] Speaker A: Um, well, so she. She mentions that, you know, a lot of goat. Like, there are obviously a lot of spirits just stuck to the side of the veil. But once you get past them, she. She ponders on it for a while, and then her eyes kind of look fall on a lantern. Do you remember. Do you remember moths from. From before. [01:32:19] Speaker C: Those little powdery winged things that would always bump themselves against lamps? [01:32:24] Speaker A: Yes. So you'd always see a lot of moths in the immediate vicinity of the lamp, and they're obviously around it as well. But it's an illusion of numbers because they're so concentrated on one spot. So if you can get past those initial spirits, theoretically there aren't. Perhaps there aren't that many ghosts just lingering around. They would have be drawn to the veil, mostly. So you're not going to be wading through ghosts every step of the way. I'm assuming you're discussing this with her as a very hypothetical, because she'd think you were absolutely bat shit if you are actually going through the veil. [01:33:14] Speaker C: Oh, let me assure you right now, we are absolutely 100% bat shit insane, the lot of us. And Frieda just shrugs with a bit of a, like, a self satisfied smirk on her face. [01:33:31] Speaker A: Yeah, she looks a bit uneasy at that admittance B's like, going, like, walking through the dead zone that the dead district isn't in itself, a death sentence is just. Yeah, when you draw. When. If you draw the attention of ghosts, then no, fail to stop kind of thing. But the vast majority of them are being fundamentally drawn to the veil. And atta, you can verify that from what you saw of the through your soul site goggles. Yes. She says, like, she. She's a bit queasy about the idea of you being actually batshit, but the spirit Bane charms that she's made after she heard that horrible news about that lady that got attacked by the ghost up in old town a while back. Terrible, terrible stuff. Yes. She's kind of. She. She came into possession of these kind of powerful wolfgang runes, and she's fashioned these spirit bane charms. She can sell you five for two coin. You rolled a double six. One coin. [01:34:54] Speaker C: I was gonna say. I was about to see if I could haggle, so good job. Five vials for one coin. [01:35:02] Speaker A: So, yeah, five spirit bang charms. Soup. Like, basically, they're super duper spirit bang charms. [01:35:10] Speaker C: I think we're gonna have to do it, aren't we? Does mean it means getting into the things again. But who knows? Maybe we'll find something to loot and pawn off when we get there. [01:35:25] Speaker B: I mean, yeah, there could be a lot of good stuff that's been gone unclaimed in there. [01:35:29] Speaker A: Mm hmm. Cavern. You kind of get the impression now that you're in possession of the charm and you get to look at it. If we're putting on our d and D hats, it would be an effect similar to that of turn undead. Right. [01:35:44] Speaker B: Okay. Does it have a number of charges on it? [01:35:50] Speaker A: What she said it's a. It's a one and done, so. [01:35:52] Speaker B: One and done. Okay. [01:35:53] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:35:54] Speaker B: Right. [01:35:55] Speaker A: It would always be residually a spirit bane charm, but you can kind of activate it to goes to be gone. [01:36:01] Speaker B: Right. Okay. [01:36:03] Speaker A: Okay, so you've gotten lots of good gear. Any other info that anyone else wants to grab? Yes. Yes. Algernon. [01:36:13] Speaker E: So Algernon has a family connection with House Antalya via his mother, who was, like, a minor noble on the fringes of them. And he's also had experience with, like, basically hunting them down in his job, as in the foreign service. So I was wondering if I could do a study on some of my, like, family material or old work case files to know if there's any kind of juicy secrets or things we might find in the castle. [01:36:46] Speaker A: Okay. Yeah. Um, your study is two. So. Yeah, two dice on the left. Two dice. Gather info. [01:36:57] Speaker E: I won't sing a little song. Ah, not quite. But that's pretty good. [01:37:05] Speaker A: That's pretty good. So you also get good details. Clarifying follow up questions are possible. So you're thinking of additional bounty that you might find within the keep. [01:37:19] Speaker E: Yeah, like some kind of family secret heirloom that nobody ever found when they. When House Antillia scattered, something like that. [01:37:35] Speaker A: You. Your record show that when Lady Antalya was apprehended and sort of, like, banished, there are reports that she did not have her, like, crown tiara, crown circlete, we of authority. Like the. The circlet of Antillea. But the crown of Antille, if you will, which you would assume, therefore means is still within the grounds. And you're. If nothing else, you're confident it would be something that hasn't been looted? Given that it would be kind of protected in such a way that given its importance. Right. The chances of it being looted in the past few years are extremely low. So you have a good feeling and, like, Magpie tell. Well, you overheard that there's going to be, like, a hidden vault that you're heading to. Perhaps this hidden vault is also where the crown is kept. If not having hidden faults, just naturally gonna be full of all sorts of incredible stuff. And, like, between the. Like, you glancing across the patrons of the spectre, now that you're back in that kind of familiar speakeasy, there's gonna be buyers, like, black market buyers that would be very interested in antiques that you may be able to procure. The one other thing I will offer as a follow up, like, as a. You know that castle antelier had a number of, like, crystalline golems as, like, a defense protector. Over the past two years, they will have putted out. But like their hearts, their cause are still very powerful kind of arcane implements that you could also hawk anyone else for. Anyone else. [01:40:11] Speaker F: Roughly, how old is Fort slash Castle? And there, like, it's quite significantly old, right? [01:40:19] Speaker A: Hundreds and hundreds of years old. Yeah. [01:40:22] Speaker B: How. [01:40:23] Speaker F: How old did Safir wizard orb say. [01:40:28] Speaker A: That they were, uh, wizard orb, Mister Wizard Orb? [01:40:32] Speaker F: Yeah. [01:40:36] Speaker A: Sure. Hundreds and hundreds of years old. [01:40:40] Speaker F: Okay. I would like to ask Wizard Orb if what he. They. I don't. Did we get pronouns for wizard orb? They know perhaps of the castle, because I guess if it was an important space and they were an important wizard, they may have been there. Right? So I'm gonna ask for a. Any information. I'm gonna go at it from a. As a student of the arcane Mister wizard Orb, I would like to know everything that you know about the important details of castle Antilir. [01:41:20] Speaker A: Well, I will interject and say that if you ask Saffaran for all of the important details of the castle, you'll be there. Like, the score will be finished by the time he is. [01:41:35] Speaker F: The critical information. [01:41:39] Speaker D: The bullet points. [01:41:41] Speaker F: Yeah, I'm writing an essay, and it can only be five pages long. [01:41:53] Speaker A: So he does harp on a bit. Well, I think one of the most marvelous things that I remember of Castle Anthony is. And you could almost picture this very stuffy, pointy hatted wizard, like. Like with a glass of brandy as he regards you, this information. The point that actually roll me. Like, which of your skills did you want to use? [01:42:28] Speaker F: I'm angling for study because I ain't got no talkie power. [01:42:32] Speaker A: Yeah. By means, give me a two dice. Gather information from the left hand side. [01:42:37] Speaker F: Two dice from the left hand side. [01:42:43] Speaker A: Yeah, I figured you get incomplete or partial information. He waffles for so long and you kind of go down. You can. When bombarded with a deluge of information, does atta kind of fall down the rabbit holes or does she fall asleep? [01:43:16] Speaker F: Sort of depends on the nature of his information. If it's about people and the things that he did and the people that you met and not really much detail about the arcane, she falls immediately asleep. [01:43:26] Speaker A: Okay. So part of the problem that saffron has is he's talking about the exciting arcane stuff. But then he keeps on kind of lapsing into, like, family lines, histories, sort of like civil unrest, disagreements at wedding parties and so on and so forth. The one bit that you try to get clarification on, but he's just like, oh, no, I have to make sure I remember this correctly is he mentions that there are, like, some of the defenses of Castle Antalya include magical wards and, like, glyphs and the like. But every time you get him to try and clarify on that, he chastises you for interrupting him because he's on a roll. [01:44:17] Speaker F: I come away feeling very embarrassed and red faced, as you do when you get scolded by a professor. [01:44:27] Speaker A: Okay. I think unless there's any more. For any more, I believe. Okay, so real quick, what is your. What is your sort of, like, point of entry? How are you starting this? [01:44:42] Speaker B: I think going through the veil. Right. [01:44:47] Speaker F: From the same position, or we split. [01:44:50] Speaker B: Presumably, if we go around the back, that means we've got to go through the veil round and then back through the veil. Right. So we're gonna have to push through that wall of ghosts twice. [01:45:03] Speaker A: It's up to you. So, what your your options are through the front gate. No, over the front, over the north wall, into the stable area, over the south wall, into the, like, the servant area, or. Yeah, through the veil, round the back, which would lead you directly into, like, the keep castle area. [01:45:31] Speaker F: May I make a pitch for how to cover if we're going through the veil rather than just like a mad dash? So it's somewhat common knowledge, it seems, that people get encouraged through the veil. Can we maybe have a somewhat backup plan that we play act that happening, which may. I don't know. Which factions encouraged people through the veil? We're not sure. [01:45:59] Speaker C: Oh, my gosh. [01:45:59] Speaker B: I don't know if we know, but. [01:46:03] Speaker C: I think you might be on something here. [01:46:05] Speaker D: It's the chain bearers that are doing it. [01:46:07] Speaker B: Chamber. Yeah, yeah. At least, you know, we've. [01:46:10] Speaker C: We've supposedly got an assassin on our heels. [01:46:14] Speaker A: Have you? [01:46:15] Speaker C: We don't. We don't know. No, we don't actually know. Never mind. Damn it. [01:46:21] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:46:23] Speaker B: You try and push him out into the Bell. [01:46:27] Speaker A: Also? I. Yeah, I would. From. From memory, the factions that are sending people out into the veil for things was in an elsewhere pitch rather than conversation. [01:46:42] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:46:43] Speaker F: Okay. [01:46:44] Speaker C: Okay. Where we're mad buggers doing this for the first time. Well, not for the first time, but. [01:46:49] Speaker D: You know, I think we've overheard that people are going out outside of the veil. But that's as far as we know. To collect arcane stuff. But that's as far as we know. [01:47:00] Speaker A: Yeah. So, yeah. The idea of, like, for better or worse, I don't think you would have actually met anyone who has come back, but you certainly heard of people that have gotten, like, gone through, so. Yes. Question for the gang. What is your. Yeah, what is your angle of approach? [01:47:26] Speaker F: Runaway car. Straight through the veil. [01:47:30] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:47:31] Speaker C: Yeah, let's go through the veil. That's because no one's gonna follow us, are they? [01:47:37] Speaker A: I believe that one of the options is arcane. Right. I guess we've called this arcane. [01:47:42] Speaker B: Yeah. That's good. [01:47:45] Speaker A: A cult. Big one. It'd be an occult. You're engaging a supernatural power fundamentally by hooning yourself, hurling yourself through the veil. Okay, so in which case, we will snap. Cut to the four. Are all five of you gonna be on site or are some of you staying behind as the person in the chair? [01:48:08] Speaker E: I'm gonna be in the chair. I think I have a little shopping list of things that I can do in. In flashback or. [01:48:15] Speaker A: Sure, sure. With the earring to keep in touch. Yeah. Yeah. Cool. Okay, so who. Who is standing at the front of the four of you on the edge of the veil. Like on just south of the south wall of Castle Antilles. [01:48:36] Speaker C: Atta, you've been. You've been wanting to see what's out there for a long time. Would you like to do the honors? [01:48:46] Speaker F: Very, um, style. Um. [01:48:51] Speaker A: Okay, I will. I'm going to quickly clear out everyone's loadout. We're going to. Because I'm actually going to ask this. What loadouts is everyone taking? So starting with Magpie. [01:49:07] Speaker B: Light. [01:49:09] Speaker A: So you've got light. [01:49:13] Speaker F: Atta, I think. Oh, sorry. Do you want to. [01:49:18] Speaker B: I was wondering if I could have acquired a new silence potion since. [01:49:23] Speaker A: Yeah, because that's it. I think it's zero. [01:49:25] Speaker B: Yeah, it's zero load. [01:49:27] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:49:29] Speaker A: So you're going light a. I think. [01:49:33] Speaker F: I'm gonna go normal. Because if we find good stuff, I want space for stuff. And if I can have some ooky spooky stuff, I suppose so. [01:49:41] Speaker E: Normal. [01:49:42] Speaker A: Okay. Algona, for what it matters, stick with normal. Okay. Normal for Algernon Cavern. [01:49:53] Speaker D: I think. I think I'm gonna go for light. [01:49:56] Speaker A: I'm gonna stick to light life for Cameron and Frida. Hmm. [01:50:04] Speaker C: I think. [01:50:06] Speaker B: Load her up. [01:50:08] Speaker C: Yeah, I think Frieda's gonna go heavy for this one, you know? [01:50:12] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:50:13] Speaker C: Breeder's gonna pile on her stuff. [01:50:16] Speaker A: Okay dokey. [01:50:18] Speaker B: Well equipped. [01:50:19] Speaker A: Well equipped. Okay. In which case you've all got your load ups. So is this operation particularly bold or daring? You are jumping through the veil so I know detail, expose a vulnerability of the target or hit it where they're weakest. I'm going to also argue yes, because Nepha nae has given you like the keys to the keep. Fundamentally, she's told you just know where, but she's told you how to bypass the final defense as and when you find it. So I'm gonna say yes. Can any of your friends or contacts provide insight or aid for this operation? I'm gonna say no. Are there any enemies or rivals interfering with this operation? Yes. Children of ire are prowling, looking for any excuse. Are there any other elements you want to consider? I would say that your charms are giving you protection against some of the dangers in there. So that would give you plus one and then counterbalance it by. You didn't manage to find out what the defenses or all of the defenses of the keepers. I'm going to retract that to leave you with a plus one dice. So, atta, can I please have a two dice engagement roll, please? [01:51:53] Speaker F: Is that the bottom left? [01:51:56] Speaker A: Yeah, far left. Side engagement too. Less you saw the one, but that is a, that is a five. You're in a risky position that when the action starts. So in which case, as the four of you look to one another, who's holding hands with someone else? [01:52:23] Speaker C: What? [01:52:25] Speaker A: Just as you step through the veil that's been keeping you alive for the past few years, who's holding hands with someone else? Okay, you can go on your own. You can each go as you plunge yourself through the veil. Let's have a quick break. Cool. If you enjoyed that, make sure to hit the like button and comment down below on who's gonna die, who's gonna be posted first, who's gonna be toast first. Comment below on how long you could go without eating poultry. And if you're not a meat eater, then you've won the game. But yes, if you want to see how this job goes on, make sure to hit the subscribe button and the bell icon for notifications of when we release new content. Because that's happened very frequently. You won't want you to miss out. That would make us very sad, and they will make these lot very sad because there won't be an audience for any upcoming demises. So thank you for watching. Thank you for playing. See you next time. Yay.