2025-8-28 — Akasha

Gamemaster:How are we?

Gamemaster:Is it me or is it you?

Gamemaster:I don't hear nothing.

Gamemaster:May it please me.

Gamemaster:hello hello

Gamemaster:I can't hear or see Jorge if you're doing stuff.

Argyle:Can you hear me now?

Gamemaster:I can hear you now.

Gamemaster:I can see you.

Argyle:God, Windows so much.

Argyle:I hate Windows so much.

Gamemaster:What?

Gamemaster:The operating system or the thing that lets you see outside?

Argyle:You know what, now that we're talking about it both, but my Windows decided that when I restarted, it's like, oh, let me just, let me update for you.

Gamemaster:I get that.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Argyle:And then it broke Discord.

Gamemaster:You don't want it to update?

Argyle:So then I was on the web app.

Argyle:And then the web app of Discord's like, it didn't show your camera.

Argyle:It showed you logged on.

Argyle:And I'm like, I feel like my computer is the broken one.

Argyle:But then I found out I can Windows R to find the app data and then delete the cache Discord, which was corrupted.

Argyle:And then it works.

Argyle:Fucking Windows.

Argyle:I hate Microsoft so much.

Gamemaster:But how else are you going to get the latest features if you don't update Windows?

Gamemaster:Latest features such as... I don't know.

Argyle:Thank you.

Gamemaster:I don't even know what comes with a Windows update.

Gamemaster:Noah, what do you get when Windows updates?

Gamemaster:What are new features that they've added?

Johnny:I think the window's open sideways now, and you can open from the top down, too.

Johnny:Damn it!

Gamemaster:I already made that joke.

Gamemaster:You weren't here, so you get a pass.

Gamemaster:But...

Gamemaster:It's their fault for naming it that.

Gamemaster:I really, I do like the, I don't know what the name of the kind of window is where you can, like, both open it to the side or, like, from the top at the same time, depending on, like, which way you move the handle.

Gamemaster:That's cool.

Gamemaster:We should get those in the States.

Argyle:Okay.

Gamemaster:I just feel like a window you can open more than one direction is objectively better than a window you can only open in one direction.

Johnny:That's a multifunctional window.

Gamemaster:Yeah, well, no, I mean, in both ways, you're just opening it.

Gamemaster:It's one function.

Gamemaster:It's just multiple ways to skin the window.

Johnny:I'm counting it.

Johnny:I'm counting it as two because you can open it in two directions, two functions.

Gamemaster:OK, that's fine.

Gamemaster:It's two functions are opening and also opening, but different.

Johnny:It's opening, but the other opening is in italics or a fun font.

Gamemaster:Sure, that makes sense.

Johnny:Is Jorge updating Windows right now?

Johnny:Is that where this came from?

Gamemaster:No, I would... I was talking to Load and Screen for a little bit because Windows broke his Discord and he had to fix it.

Argyle:no it forced me in a broken way yeah can you hear me okay i'm gonna i'm trying to permanently disable updates because even when i go to the settings i can only pause it for like four weeks

Gamemaster:But he did successfully fix it, I think, because I can see him.

Johnny:Oh, geez.

Gamemaster:Yeah, you're fine.

Johnny:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Does that work?

Gamemaster:Because I remember in the past I've tried doing stuff like that and just eventually after a few months it reverts on its own.

Argyle:What kind of bullshit is this?

Argyle:You don't even let me turn off your own auto-updater?

Argyle:That's such bullshit.

Gamemaster:No, it's for your security.

Gamemaster:It's so that you're secure.

Argyle:So infuriating.

Johnny:Listen, Jorge, if your computer is rigged, then they can't take any of your information.

Gamemaster:True.

Gamemaster:They can't take a screenshot of your screen every few seconds.

Gamemaster:which is a literal thing that one of the Windows updates did before they rolled it back because people got mad at them.

Argyle:Yeah.

Johnny:That's just wild.

Gamemaster:It was so that the built-in AI assistant could look at what was on the screen.

Gamemaster:So they would just take screenshots and then feed those images into Cortana.

Gamemaster:I don't actually know if it's still called Cortana or whatever.

Gamemaster:But now it only does that on demand when you ask it to look at the screen.

Argyle:God, if Mariano wasn't such a nice person, I would say some horrible, sweeping things about all Windows employees.

Argyle:Microsoft.

Johnny:I mean, she's only still there because they're supporting her visa, so I think you're okay to stay.

Argyle:No, no, no, no, I know, but... Everyone works next month, stupid.

Gamemaster:That's indentured servitude.

Johnny:I mean, that is sort of how modern-day health insurance works in America.

Gamemaster:But she's not in America.

Johnny:No, but I felt it was a good segue.

Gamemaster:Yeah, that's fair.

Argyle:Ha ha ha!

Gamemaster:Understandable.

Johnny:Thanks, Jorge.

Johnny:Josh, I haven't seen you in so long.

Gamemaster:I know, right?

Gamemaster:You're going to see me soon.

Gamemaster:You're going to be back here in like a month.

Gamemaster:And then not again, I guess, until Mike or I get married.

Gamemaster:So you'll have a little bit.

Johnny:Nah, Jorge and I were talking, and I'd be down to come out like once a year or so.

Johnny:Maybe once or twice a year.

Gamemaster:Just to say hi.

Johnny:Yeah, just fly out, gather around, go, hey, guys.

Johnny:Out.

Gamemaster:That sounds worth it.

Gamemaster:It's not that bad a plane ride, having done it now.

Gamemaster:I don't understand how that works, because it took me five hours to get there, but three hours to come back, and I'm pretty sure America didn't shrink in between when I arrived in Denver and when I left.

Argyle:Get streams, Josh.

Gamemaster:Planes are magic, actually.

Argyle:Get streams.

Argyle:Also, can I... I don't know if anyone else feels this way, but Bailey and I felt like no one at Denver Airport knew how to be a human.

Johnny:Air France.

Johnny:No one at Denver knows how to fly.

Argyle:It's like they were all...

Argyle:They just woke up one day and they're like, guess I got to pilot this meat sack.

Argyle:They're just so fucking stupid.

Gamemaster:Are you talking about the passengers in the airport or the employees?

Argyle:All of them.

Argyle:Everything.

Argyle:Honestly, the employees are better than the passengers, but so many.

Argyle:Everything.

Argyle:On the way there and the way back, I've never dealt with just so many incompetent people.

Argyle:I didn't experience that all of Denver.

Argyle:And generally airport incompetence is lower than the average place, but that one was astronomical.

Gamemaster:Can you give me an example?

Gamemaster:Because I'm trying to remember my experiences and I don't think anybody struck me as like an actual idiot.

Argyle:Well, first of all, no one knew how to walk, but even just, I'll give you one example.

Gamemaster:Oh, but that's true everywhere.

Argyle:To get to the rental car, but to get to the rental car, there's Hertz.

Argyle:Give me one second, sorry.

Johnny:Oh, the setup of Denver International Airport is absurd.

Argyle:Hello?

Gamemaster:We can still hear your phone call, just FYI.

Argyle:Who is this?

Johnny:Are we, are we, did he mute us, but he didn't mute himself?

Gamemaster:No, he muted the mic on his headset, but he's not using the mic on his headset to talk.

Argyle:Okay, so sorry about that.

Gamemaster:No, no, no, no, no.

Gamemaster:Did you hear us at all, or were you deafened?

Argyle:No, I could... If I was listening, I could have heard you, but I wasn't listening.

Gamemaster:Okay, because you muted your mic, and then we still heard everything you were saying.

Argyle:Oh, okay.

Gamemaster:So you're not using that mic.

Gamemaster:Obviously, we didn't hear anything bad, but it was good that that wasn't like your 8 o'clock shit talk call.

Johnny:You fool, Josh.

Argyle:Yeah, for some reason, Windows was like, oh, do you want your input device to be one thing, and then your output completely different?

Gamemaster:I have that.

Gamemaster:I wanted that.

Gamemaster:Right.

Argyle:But anyway, that is foolish.

Argyle:So we were at the Denver airport.

Argyle:First of all, to get from the airport, after I took the train, because there's a train involved, to get from

Gamemaster:You take a train from the terminal to the other terminal and then a bus to the car.

Argyle:Yeah.

Argyle:They had two buses from Hertz, but then they only let us use one door at a time.

Argyle:Collectively, there was like four doors.

Argyle:So they're making everyone shimmy and like, no, you gotta fill this up.

Argyle:It's like, guys, if you just open all four fucking doors, the hundreds of people here will just get in the fucking bus.

Argyle:But that aside.

Gamemaster:How else would you have given them your ticket that you totally needed to use that bus?

Argyle:There was...

Argyle:it that was they they made like 300 people etc they made so many people use one door at a time instead of just opening all four doors and letting us fit fill in um no there's just like i saw lady we were this was delta pre-board this is for people with handicaps and the military

Johnny:Oh.

Argyle:And she got up and tried to go in with her young son.

Argyle:And they're like, no, ma'am, you can't.

Argyle:And then she's like, but I'm boarding group six.

Argyle:And then they're like, this isn't even first class boarding.

Argyle:So then she just stands in the fucking way.

Argyle:She just stood there for six minutes.

Argyle:Boarding groups just standing there.

Argyle:People have to go around her.

Argyle:Then when it comes to six, she's trying to go and her son had disappeared.

Argyle:He's like 10.

Argyle:And then her mom just goes, is in the front lines.

Argyle:Like you have to come, come over here.

Argyle:Then her son, son shouts, we're boarding group seven.

Argyle:We shouldn't be boarding yet.

Argyle:And it's like, you guys, she said it like row like 30th.

Argyle:It was like, what was the point?

Johnny:My favorite part of the story is that you got on the plane and like, where the fuck is this woman?

Argyle:It was... Because she was behind me.

Argyle:I was in the middle at 17.

Argyle:I was like, why is she... Whatever.

Argyle:No, no.

Gamemaster:I love it when children accidentally tell on their parents, though.

Argyle:This kid knew... He hated his mom.

Gamemaster:That's very fun.

Argyle:He hated his mom.

Argyle:He was not accidental.

Argyle:He really... And at first, like, wow, this is one dick of a kid.

Argyle:And then we saw the mom, like, stay there.

Argyle:And we're like, oh, he hates his mom.

Johnny:Oh, she wasn't standing there being like, she was standing there being like.

Argyle:No.

Argyle:Yeah, she was scouring.

Argyle:It was incredible.

Argyle:There was one lady who, while we were waiting, because for some reason Delta gave the New York City Terminal half a seating area, there were these two ladies, and they're like 40s to 50s, that took up collectively eight seats.

Gamemaster:Well, it wasn't just them.

Argyle:They had some stuff, yeah, but they just kept...

Gamemaster:I assume they had stuff.

Gamemaster:Exactly.

Argyle:getting up and going a seat over and then putting some stuff down.

Argyle:I assumed they were saving this for a horde of people.

Argyle:No, just them.

Argyle:Then this is when I almost shouted, but it would not have gone well.

Gamemaster:Sometimes you need to start out.

Argyle:It was mid-flight.

Argyle:There's a part in the flight in Delta where they'll come around.

Argyle:They have a little tray, and there's just cups, and they filled it with water.

Johnny:Ooh, cat.

Argyle:Right?

Argyle:Not a crazy convention.

Argyle:I don't fly Delta that much, but I was like, oh, that's nice of them.

Argyle:It's clear glasses, plastics.

Argyle:It is obviously water.

Argyle:She's going around.

Argyle:And keep in mind, these are the two ladies that took up eight seats.

Argyle:And they go, she's like, do you want a water?

Argyle:And they go, yes, I'd love an iced coffee.

Argyle:And she's just like, no, no, no, this is water.

Argyle:She's just like, iced coffee?

Argyle:Literally, this is how the interaction went.

Argyle:And then she's like, no, no, I don't have iced coffee with me.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Argyle:I can go get you hot coffee and put it on ice after this.

Argyle:And she's like, yeah, I'll take an iced coffee.

Argyle:She's like, do you want a glass of water?

Argyle:She's like, no, no, I want the... Then she's, like, reaching out, and she's like, no, no, can I have an iced coffee?

Argyle:And she's like, I don't know what to fucking tell you.

Argyle:Hello.

Johnny:Did she get a nice copy?

Benny:Two glasses of milk, please.

Gamemaster:Did she get this coffee?

Argyle:Hello.

Argyle:It goes to her.

Argyle:But I will say, I made my favorite joke of all time today.

Anzu:I'm pumped to hear about this

Argyle:So in our little micro kitchen, there's an espresso machine, and there's two different types of coffee machines.

Argyle:Some of them have these capsules, like a Keurig type of thing, and then one other is like these pouches.

Argyle:And normally, I get loose leaf tea that we have.

Argyle:But this time, I got one of the pouches, tried it,

Argyle:Didn't really like it.

Argyle:I was trying to drink it.

Argyle:So I walk back and then I pour it out.

Argyle:And then one of the co-workers is like, oh, you didn't like it?

Argyle:And I go, it's not my cup of tea.

Anzu:My camera doesn't do that, but just imagine it is.

Argyle:Oh my god.

Anzu:You know, you're just so naturally funny that it just kind of happened.

Argyle:I was... It was so funny because I didn't even mean to make the joke.

Argyle:It's just an instinct to say it and then there was like a pause and then the co-worker looked at me and then just started laughing and I was like... No, then I started thinking about it and I was like, what's this stupid fucking saying?

Argyle:Oh, you didn't like that?

Argyle:Well, it's not my cup of tea anymore.

Argyle:What a stupid thing.

Anzu:Oh, nice.

Johnny:I'm glad you're sharing your wins with us, Jorge.

Argyle:But yeah, so there we go.

Gamemaster:I think my problem with it is that you retold it.

Gamemaster:You wanted people to hear that you made the joke.

Argyle:Yeah, when this happened, I was like, I'm so happy D&D's today.

Gamemaster:That's the real issue, isn't it?

Anzu:Because it was a triumph.

Argyle:Yeah.

Gamemaster:You could spread the joy.

Argyle:Yeah.

Gamemaster:It does look like...

Gamemaster:directly outside of the room that you're currently in, just the sun is there.

Gamemaster:You fixed it with the light, but for a bit there, it looked like you were just in orbit around a celestial body for a little bit.

Argyle:Yeah, he'll do that.

Gamemaster:You're covered.

Johnny:Jorge is actually at the ISS right now.

Gamemaster:Aren't they getting rid of that?

Gamemaster:Are they not getting rid of that?

Gamemaster:I thought they were.

Gamemaster:You're...

Johnny:I don't know.

Johnny:I can't keep up with what they are and aren't getting rid of anymore.

Gamemaster:You're not up to date with your ISS lore?

Johnny:I subscribe to the newsletter, but it's in space, so I don't think they're super up on it.

Gamemaster:What's up with you?

Anzu:There's some lag time getting from space to down here.

Argyle:That's what happens with Wi-Fi.

Anzu:Even though Noah is a little higher up than the rest of us, it still takes time.

Argyle:Yeah.

Johnny:I do get it before all of you, so I'll let you guys know when mine comes in.

Johnny:Oh.

Gamemaster:I was a little ahead of myself.

Gamemaster:They are getting rid of it, but in 2031.

Argyle:What is this?

Anzu:Hmm.

Gamemaster:So the ISS, the place where you are right now.

Argyle:Oh, the satellite?

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Johnny:The international satellite satellite.

Gamemaster:That's what it is.

Gamemaster:It's close enough.

Argyle:Sigh.

Benny:It's actually the International Space Satellite.

Benny:I just like how it's like there's so much redundancy.

Benny:Is there a non-international space station?

Benny:They just keep it over one... The marketing gimmicks.

Gamemaster:there might have been at the time the big thing was that it was international because before and also after the space programs of various countries did not talk to each other it's like a big thing who are they it is a marketing gimmick yes

Benny:No, the international part.

Johnny:Which part of that's the marketing gimmick?

Johnny:Space itself or the different countries?

Gamemaster:We don't need to go up there.

Gamemaster:What are they doing up there?

Gamemaster:They're just like making weird bubbles of water and then like pushing it around in zero G. That's it.

Benny:It's going to move around.

Benny:Unless you're keeping it in one spot, it's going to be international.

Gamemaster:It doesn't move.

Gamemaster:That's the whole point.

Gamemaster:The Earth is moving, but the space station is staying in the same spot.

Benny:What do you mean?

Benny:Not to me.

Gamemaster:I don't know what that means.

Johnny:Like, relative to you, it's not staying in the same spot?

Johnny:Or in your opinion?

Gamemaster:Which is true.

Gamemaster:Like, relative to you, it is moving.

Benny:Okay.

Benny:All of the movements are relative.

Gamemaster:No.

Gamemaster:I exclusively look at movement with the absolute center of the universe as my zero-zero.

Benny:You measure relative from the center its absolute?

Gamemaster:No, I can't tell you whether that is.

Gamemaster:No, it's absolute coordinates.

Benny:Relative to the center.

Gamemaster:No.

Gamemaster:It's just absolute.

Johnny:Josh has big bang sense.

Johnny:He knows exactly what's going on.

Gamemaster:Alright.

Gamemaster:That's it.

Gamemaster:I don't do reference frames.

Gamemaster:I read about those and that kind of scared me and I didn't like it so I decided I was just going to disregard that bit of physics.

Benny:You've just unearthed the dumbest thing I've ever read on fucking Reddit, and now I want to kill myself.

Anzu:I thought...

Benny:We're not even going to blunt the last part.

Benny:It's a video of a guy holding onto a wooden pole, and he has friends on either side of the wooden pole pulling it up and down, and he is just moving his arms, but his head is staying in the same spot relative to Earth.

Benny:So he's staying the same altitude above the ground, and people are like...

Benny:ah, this is, you know, he's still doing the same thing as a pull-up.

Benny:And they're like, well, he's not, actually.

Benny:But, you know, it's also difficult.

Benny:So in some ways, this is harder than a pull-up.

Benny:And I'm like, first off, he's not doing a pull-up, not even close to the same forces.

Benny:Second off, not nearly as hard because, again, not the same forces.

Benny:It's isometric.

Benny:And then I saw someone go, guys, physics PhD here.

Benny:And I'm like, thankfully, we have a voice of reason in this interaction.

Benny:They're like,

Benny:This is something that we use in physics called reference frames.

Benny:Their reference frame is actually not changing.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Benny:It looks identical to that of someone doing a pull-up.

Benny:So the forces are identical.

Benny:And they're doing all of the work of a pull-up.

Benny:And I'm like, you need to fucking have a bullet in your head and your degree taken away.

Argyle:Oh, wait, is this when you have dumbbells and you go like this down?

Benny:No, no, no.

Argyle:Reverse pull-ups?

Benny:This was a guy holding on to a wooden stick that was moving up and down.

Johnny:you

Benny:And he was suspending himself over the ground and keeping himself at the same height above the ground.

Benny:So essentially, like, he is only holding on to the stick, but he is keeping the same distance from the Earth.

Benny:And it's like someone... Actually, physics PhD here, guys.

Gamemaster:His arms are moving.

Gamemaster:Arms move in a pull-up.

Gamemaster:That makes it the same.

Benny:Boom.

Benny:Easy.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:I've watched a video on YouTube about exercise science.

Gamemaster:I know the stuff.

Benny:Oh my god, that was the thing.

Benny:That's how I knew that they were not attempting to troll, because they kept sending this video of this guy running up a treadmill on an incline.

Benny:They're like, is running up a treadmill on an incline the same difficulty as running up a hill?

Benny:And people say no, because you don't go anywhere.

Benny:And it's like, that's completely different.

Benny:The forces are different.

Benny:Sorry, the forces are the same.

Benny:You are putting your body through the same forces if you're running up an incline treadmill as running up a hill.

Benny:On the pull-up, it's not.

Benny:Do a pull-up, Mr. Physics or Mrs. Physics, whoever the fuck was there.

Benny:Do a pull-up.

Gamemaster:Doctor Physics.

Benny:Dr. Physics.

Gamemaster:They have a PhD.

Benny:Do a fucking pull-up.

Benny:And then be like, oh, no, no, I get it now.

Benny:It's not totally the same.

Johnny:So did you challenge him to a pull-up competition?

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Benny:This upset me for a whole day, and I don't comment on Reddit, so I didn't even... I was just, like...

Argyle:I think Reddit has gotten worse.

Gamemaster:Silently stewing.

Argyle:Like, significantly worse.

Anzu:Ever since they banned the third-party apps.

Argyle:That's true.

Argyle:They got rid of Apollo.

Argyle:That was it.

Argyle:They, uh...

Anzu:Now I gotta use the Reddit app?

Anzu:Disgusting.

Gamemaster:I think there are still third-party apps.

Gamemaster:You just have to pay money for them.

Anzu:Well, yeah.

Gamemaster:Why you would pay money for an app to go on Reddit, I don't know.

Gamemaster:But I think they exist.

Benny:you sir win the internet for today

Argyle:I don't even know if they do on Apple anymore, because they made the API so prohibitively expensive.

Gamemaster:I hate you.

Gamemaster:Nice.

Argyle:There were paid Reddit apps, and then I think they all closed.

Anzu:I used to use Narwhal.

Argyle:I used Apollo.

Johnny:I used to.

Anzu:Well, I'm currently irate because the New York Times have moved the mini-crossword to subscriber-only.

Gamemaster:Apollo was good enough.

Johnny:I'm so mad.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Johnny:I'm so mad.

Gamemaster:Oh.

Anzu:I complained to their help chatbot, and it told me that it was going to pass my feedback along, but I don't know if I believe it.

Benny:I heard about that.

Argyle:Yeah, it really was.

Gamemaster:I might have.

Argyle:The second you hung up, I was just talking to the other chat box like, what a fucking idiot.

Johnny:The chatbots were just... I was so heated.

Johnny:I was like, this must be a mistake.

Johnny:I was furiously Googling at six in the morning being like, dude, is the mini paid now?

Anzu:And it is, and I'm disgusted.

Gamemaster:It is.

Johnny:Capitalism has taken everything from us.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Argyle:Yeah.

Johnny:It's gone too far.

Benny:Which is why we have to dismantle it.

Gamemaster:We should stage a protest.

Gamemaster:Oh.

Benny:On Edan.

Benny:Oh.

Gamemaster:Oh.

Gamemaster:I don't know if that was my plan.

Gamemaster:I'm no Brendan Lee Mulligan.

Anzu:Yeah, but we are.

Gamemaster:But yeah, you all collectively are Brendan Lee Mulligan.

Johnny:collectively.

Argyle:Thank you.

Benny:We're going to unionize against... What was the guy's name?

Benny:Vaino or something?

Anzu:That's true.

Benny:Illmari Vaino.

Gamemaster:Illmari, the guy that said, yeah, you guys can come stay.

Gamemaster:You guys have rooms.

Gamemaster:You can hang out.

Gamemaster:We're going to figure out this stuff.

Gamemaster:Who's not telling you to do things.

Gamemaster:So I'm not actually sure what you're unionizing against.

Anzu:He is giving us free food and housing.

Benny:We just find the conditions of our work to be a bit unsafe, and we want to guarantee moving forward through collective bargaining a more safe work environment and better work hours.

Gamemaster:that is true that one I don't think I can argue against well no not employing because once again he's not paying you money and he's not actually dictating what you can do so what they're doing is they're housing children which is a way more popular thing to do

Benny:I mean, there's rumors that Iconoclasm is employing children?

Johnny:Can we volunteer to use that?

Anzu:We did work all day yesterday.

Argyle:No, no, they're housing child soldiers.

Benny:Hilmari Vaino definitely, definitely discards lawsuits on basis.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Benny:Legally, we are an orphanage.

Johnny:Wait, they're a religious organization.

Johnny:They're an orphanage.

Johnny:They must pay no taxes.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Benny:No, there's any page of them.

Benny:Complex.

Johnny:That's how they... Oh my god.

Johnny:It's unhinged that there's like just a waiting room in the back there.

Johnny:This is going to be your back row for the next three years.

Gamemaster:He's playing D&D in a waiting room.

Argyle:I'll probably change it this is the first background I saved with underscore one because I was like I'm not I'm not yeah yeah

Gamemaster:It's not the permanent background?

Benny:It's actually a good point.

Gamemaster:Are you changing your background now?

Gamemaster:Is that what's happening?

Benny:We'll see if I can come up with one.

Johnny:Is this going to be like a kindergarten classroom?

Benny:No, fuck.

Gamemaster:Was that the plan?

Benny:All right.

Benny:I'm not doing that one.

Argyle:Oh.

Benny:It was going to be like wooden blocks and shit.

Gamemaster:Uh... Alright.

Anzu:So I've not ever used this program before, but I've decided to digitize my notes for this campaign in Notion.

Gamemaster:Ooh!

Gamemaster:Now's a good time.

Anzu:We'll see how that goes.

Anzu:I'm learning it.

Anzu:What's funny is I logged in and the shared Notion from campaign one is what came up.

Gamemaster:I remember I spent some time coming up with currencies for all the different countries and then we didn't use any of them because as it turns out that's not really relevant to playing a D&D game at all.

Johnny:Aww.

Anzu:So I have all of that if anybody's curious about different factions like Friday's Court or the Church of Riostad.

Gamemaster:So I'm sure you can find that.

Gamemaster:I'm pretty sure that's on the notion there.

Anzu:There's also...

Argyle:There were like half moons and all of that.

Gamemaster:Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Gamemaster:Well, okay, so in my defense, specifically the Half Moon stuff, all of that stuff was from the sourcebook that we used.

Gamemaster:That was from Dungeon of the Mad Mage.

Gamemaster:And I was like, well, if they did it, clearly when they go to other countries, we need more currencies.

Gamemaster:Because we used them so much in the ones that they gave us.

Gamemaster:But it's fine.

Argyle:My favorite was blue gold because...

Argyle:We could use yellow gold in the place with blue gold, but all of our blue gold is useless in the yellow gold area.

Johnny:I'm just going to go in the notion, and every time Josh introduces an NPC, I'm just going to Command-F for that name and see if they pop up in the first campaign and see who's coming back.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Because fuck you guys.

Gamemaster:In the first campaign notion?

Benny:We've already run into several.

Gamemaster:Elias.

Johnny:We got Illmari.

Johnny:We got Gin Soaked Rag.

Johnny:We got Anaïs and Anouk.

Johnny:We got Dura Oil Drinker.

Johnny:We got... There's someone else whose name I didn't get.

Anzu:Elias.

Johnny:Uh... Elias.

Argyle:Elias is definitely important.

Gamemaster:Why?

Argyle:I can just tell that just seems like if this was a CW show, that's going to be like some like fallen angel that they found in the woods.

Argyle:That's like kind of done with everyone, but they're kind of willing to help the protagonist after a little.

Gamemaster:I mean, you've met Elias.

Johnny:I mean, we have found several of those.

Johnny:I mean, not like in this campaign, in previous ones.

Gamemaster:Fallen Angels?

Gamemaster:In the woods?

Gamemaster:Oh.

Gamemaster:Yeah, okay.

Benny:Who's Elias?

Gamemaster:Elias was the dwarf that was sorting spears in the storeroom, if you recall.

Argyle:Yeah.

Benny:Oh.

Gamemaster:Well, actually, talk about all of that.

Gamemaster:Does anybody want to do a recap of the first Mega Session we did?

Gamemaster:No, you got this.

Johnny:Last time, on the first time, we all woke up and the building was on fire.

Johnny:There were attempts to open the doors by force.

Johnny:Turns out the doors were all unlocked.

Johnny:Everyone ran outside.

Johnny:There was no descriptions of each other, just kind of vague outlines.

Johnny:And then we ran outside and had descriptions.

Johnny:And then we were attacked by a small burning child.

Johnny:But luckily, our small, not burning child beat up that child.

Johnny:And then we also beat up some other dudes who looked like they were with the spark.

Johnny:And then there was a voice that said, not this one either.

Johnny:And then we woke up and it was a dream.

Johnny:And then there was a record scratch and everyone looked at the camera and was like, you're probably wondering how I got here.

Johnny:And we just grabbed ourselves, got some names, and then went down and had breakfast.

Gamemaster:Thank you.

Johnny:There was a bit of description that we were all in iconoclasm from our various and sundry backgrounds.

Johnny:We were a bird, a child, a scary doctor, and Ringo Starr.

Johnny:We met Illmari Vaino, who was the founder of Iconoclasm.

Johnny:We met Gin Soaked Rag, who was the heart of the Sin and Tonic.

Johnny:We met Anaïs and Anouk, who were level 11-ish, adventurers of sorts.

Johnny:We met Dura Oil Drinker, who's a mechanic.

Johnny:We played around with a rocket on a hammer and broke a hole in the wall.

Johnny:And then we talked to Elias, the quartermaster, I guess.

Johnny:He wasn't super into us.

Johnny:He didn't seem to like our vibe very much.

Johnny:But whatever.

Johnny:We were given our first mission to go find out what happened to Flynn.

Johnny:He was a male sprite.

Johnny:He was investigating a roller rink being opened by the Roundhat Gang run by Tywelwyn Leatherhead.

Johnny:It might have been Leatherhide and I might have left off an E. I'm not sure.

Gamemaster:It is Leatherhide.

Johnny:I left off an E. It was so hard to say that name in a sentence.

Gamemaster:I just really like that his name kind of feels like you're chewing on something when you say it out loud.

Gamemaster:Tywelwyn?

Johnny:Tywelwyn Leatherhide.

Johnny:There's so many W's and R's.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Johnny:We went and investigated, but turned out there'd been a murder of some sort.

Johnny:So instead, we pretended to be with some sort of department, roof inspectors.

Johnny:We pretended to be roof inspectors, went to another building,

Johnny:Crawled up, jumped our standard ten feet across the alley.

Gamemaster:I can't believe you could just do that.

Johnny:Uh... So much worse.

Anzu:Oh, jeez.

Anzu:Josh, that's not how that should be spelled.

Gamemaster:What do you mean?

Gamemaster:That's Tywelwyn.

Anzu:Are you crazy?

Johnny:That's so... To be honest with you... It's... The...

Gamemaster:How would you say that if not Tywelwyn?

Anzu:That first Y, I think, is a problem.

Gamemaster:I didn't name him.

Gamemaster:This is just his name.

Anzu:That's fair.

Johnny:Actually, okay.

Johnny:We investigated the roof.

Johnny:There was some sort of receiving dish.

Johnny:We were like, that's crazy.

Johnny:We then waited for the cops, who not really seemed to be doing a good job, suspiciously, to go away.

Johnny:We then went and investigated ourselves.

Johnny:We went to them to move, and then we went and investigated ourselves.

Johnny:We looked around.

Johnny:We found that Twilwin had ordered some material from the Spark.

Anzu:Embercall is only part of the name, right?

Johnny:and the Sparks gang, the Embercall.

Gamemaster:so the name of the actual faction is Pyrelight but the name that was listed on the on the like bill of materials that you found was Embercall Industries and you would know that the association of that Pyrelight is associated with the Embercall

Anzu:Of their, like, faction?

Anzu:Oh...

Argyle:Company.

Anzu:Okay, okay.

Anzu:Carry on.

Johnny:And that's your notes.

Anzu:Sorry about that.

Anzu:Carry on.

Gamemaster:Lots of names.

Gamemaster:It happens.

Johnny:We then went to the next room, and I was attacked by rollerblades.

Johnny:But I caught him, and now I have a pair of rollerblades.

Johnny:So that's pretty cool.

Johnny:That's canon.

Johnny:We then investigated some boxes in the ceiling and found some sort of magical amplifier.

Johnny:We deftly took it off.

Johnny:And...

Johnny:Looked around a little bit.

Johnny:We were like, where did these wires go?

Johnny:They went into the next room.

Johnny:So we waited a minute and went into the next room.

Johnny:This was sort of the back area.

Johnny:There was, I think there was another box with another one of these amplifier papers in it.

Johnny:We disarmed that and then almost got eaten by, sorry, Daisy's texting me.

Johnny:Apparently there's a bunch of chickens loose in our neighborhood.

Gamemaster:Ooh, free dinner.

Johnny:Yeah.

Johnny:Yeah, there's just some chickens loose in our neighborhood.

Johnny:Okay.

Argyle:If she has any photos, you should send it.

Gamemaster:My grandmother used to keep chickens, and then whenever they were getting hungry, she would take one into the bathroom and swing it around by the neck, because apparently that's the best way to kill it.

Gamemaster:And then they would just drain the blood into the tub.

Argyle:That's what my grandma used to do, but they didn't use a tub.

Argyle:They stood outside.

Argyle:And it's not because they're better than your grandma.

Johnny:That's what my great-grandma used to do.

Benny:I was named after a chicken.

Argyle:It's because they didn't have a tub.

Gamemaster:Oh.

Gamemaster:I don't, like, you said that you did it outside, and I was thinking, yeah, that makes more sense than bringing it into the house so that the blood gets everywhere.

Johnny:Okay, well now you guys have a PDF of this loose chicken.

Gamemaster:But... Sick.

Anzu:Huh.

Johnny:So, I don't know.

Gamemaster:Loose chicken.

Johnny:Just having an issue with that.

Johnny:Almost got eaten by the roller blade cleaning machine.

Johnny:We were like, ah!

Johnny:Didn't.

Johnny:Then we hung it.

Johnny:We went back onto the roof, waited until the cops left.

Johnny:Maybe they left somewhere in there.

Johnny:We were like, these cops did a terrible job.

Gamemaster:A note here, the cops in this area are part of the Threshold Authority.

Johnny:Looked around a little bit more.

Gamemaster:That's the name of their particular company.

Johnny:Seems like they might be bought out by either the Roundhat Gang or maybe Embercall Industries slash Pyrelight.

Johnny:Who knows?

Johnny:We're just going to spitball them.

Anzu:Josh, can you say that name one more time?

Johnny:We followed the... No, I'm adding that to my notes too.

Gamemaster:Threshold Authority.

Anzu:Very well.

Gamemaster:The TA.

Anzu:Sorry, Noah.

Anzu:Continue.

Johnny:Threshold Authority.

Johnny:That's a cool name.

Johnny:We followed the wiring into the basement and were attacked by just some nice cutlery.

Johnny:Really nice cutlery.

Johnny:We beat it up, found some sort of furnace.

Johnny:Don't know what that did.

Johnny:It didn't seem to have an exhaust.

Johnny:And then we went into the sewers, which were pretty gross.

Johnny:They almost ruined my bell-bottom jeans, but didn't.

Gamemaster:because you rolled them up.

Johnny:Effective jorts.

Johnny:We also found what looked like a bunch of shaken-up pixie dust.

Johnny:And so we followed the pixie dust.

Johnny:We were like, oh no, something's got our guy Flynn.

Johnny:Hopefully we can save him.

Johnny:We came to a very spooky area with a lot of bones and did not save Flynn.

Johnny:But it was not our fault he was already dead, because it seemed like he'd be dead for a minute.

Johnny:We then were attacked by augers, which, for someone doing some recall knowledge, we learned were created through a divination ritual.

Johnny:They're sort of an offshoot of that and could be fed to make the divination better, I guess.

Johnny:We fought them.

Johnny:They were super spooky.

Argyle:I'll ask after.

Benny:But a teammate was spookier.

Benny:Continue.

Johnny:Yes, they were spooky, but the child, Danny Torrance from The Shining, but as a child soldier, was even scarier.

Johnny:And then we recovered Flynn's body, returned up through the sewers, went back to the sin and tonic, explained everything to Illmari.

Johnny:And then he was like, yeah, you want to take the twins and our company car?

Johnny:I guess we have a company car to go recover the receiver dish.

Johnny:And we were like, yeah, sure.

Johnny:So in the dead of night, we rumbled along.

Johnny:In my head, there was no muffler on the car.

Johnny:So it was like...

Gamemaster:Well, of course there's no muffler.

Gamemaster:That sounds like regulations.

Gamemaster:We don't do that here.

Johnny:There was a very sketchy looking dude who was watching us as we just climbed onto the roof with a homemade winch.

Anzu:Whiskers.

Johnny:Whiskers, Anzu, and Johnny went and talked to him, kept rolling terribly, but we learned about the Zorbon and now are obligated to go to a meeting about the Zorbon this Saturday.

Johnny:Got our own tinfoil hats.

Gamemaster:True.

Johnny:But something to do with mushrooms, maybe.

Johnny:It's not good.

Johnny:It's in the radio.

Johnny:It's in the food.

Johnny:It's not in the tinfoil, though.

Johnny:So the tinfoil protects you.

Gamemaster:No, the tin foil protects you.

Johnny:So we all got to get tinfoil hats.

Johnny:We then took the satellite dish back to base at the Sin and Tonic.

Benny:Thank you.

Johnny:And everyone went their separate ways for bed.

Johnny:And we leveled up.

Gamemaster:And you leveled up, that's true.

Gamemaster:And everybody got me your leveled up characters in a reasonable amount of time.

Gamemaster:Much appreciated.

Gamemaster:Uh, yeah.

Anzu:Heck yeah.

Johnny:Woo.

Anzu:I was a little worried when Mike said he was reading archetypes this morning.

Anzu:I was like, uh-oh.

Gamemaster:Well, he had already gotten me a character, so I assumed that he was thinking about maybe switching it up, but I didn't... No.

Gamemaster:That's fine.

Gamemaster:That was a good recap.

Gamemaster:So... You get a mythic point.

Gamemaster:Or a hero point.

Gamemaster:I'll let you use it for either.

Gamemaster:Whichever you prefer.

Gamemaster:No, it's fine.

Gamemaster:If he wants to use it as a hero point, he can.

Gamemaster:I'll allow it.

Gamemaster:Listen, I'm the GM.

Gamemaster:I get to make this decision.

Anzu:Oh, Josh, you can't... Hold on, I'm going to whisper just to Noah.

Johnny:Josh, I'd like to take the mythic point.

Gamemaster:I understand it's... Yeah?

Anzu:Don't do it.

Anzu:Take the mythic point.

Gamemaster:Fine.

Benny:I'd like to buy a vowel.

Johnny:I would also like to buy it.

Gamemaster:Uh, why?

Benny:Because I want one.

Argyle:Why does it count?

Gamemaster:No, no, no, that was the vowel.

Benny:Did I miss it?

Gamemaster:No?

Benny:Oh.

Benny:What was... What was the vowel?

Gamemaster:I already gave you a vowel, you can't have that one.

Johnny:Hello.

Gamemaster:No, why was the vowel?

Benny:Why was the vowel what?

Gamemaster:That wasn't a complete sentence.

Gamemaster:Now, you all successfully heisted

Benny:E.

Gamemaster:heisted a radar dish off the top of this rollerama, roller skating area.

Gamemaster:And by heisted, I mean you just went when it was kind of dark, and you did get caught immediately, but it's fine, because as best you could tell, the witness is crazy.

Gamemaster:stole the radar dish, packed it into the back of the Volkswagen Beetle, the city tripper that you have, and drove it on back to the Sin and Tonic.

Gamemaster:You can just keep it in the garage for now until you figure out what you're doing with it, and you'll all bed down for the evening.

Gamemaster:Get the benefits of a long rest, or just a regular rest, because long rests aren't a thing.

Gamemaster:You wake up in the morning as well-rested as one can be.

Gamemaster:The beds here aren't particularly comfortable.

Gamemaster:This isn't, like, seat of luxury here.

Gamemaster:It's, you know, like... I want to say a two-star hotel.

Gamemaster:It's not the worst, but it's not great.

Gamemaster:We are... God, I don't know when...

Gamemaster:like modern mattresses were invented on Earth, but we're going to say they exist here.

Gamemaster:So you've got an actual mattress.

Gamemaster:So it could be yours.

Gamemaster:Yes.

Argyle:Feel free not to tell us this, but if we didn't wait at the top of the roller state thing, would the pixie guy have been alive?

Gamemaster:I'm not going to tell you.

Argyle:Oh, that's fair, because then it would tell us if that was related to the other thing.

Benny:Don't.

Argyle:Okay.

Argyle:All right.

Argyle:I was just curious.

Gamemaster:1871, by the way, is when modern mattresses were printed.

Anzu:Save it for the end of the campaign.

Gamemaster:Yeah, exactly.

Argyle:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Keep that in your head for three years.

Argyle:Can you write that down?

Argyle:Notetaker.

Argyle:Tanner.

Anzu:You want me to make a page for questions after the campaign?

Argyle:Yeah.

Anzu:All right.

Anzu:It's going way down at the bottom.

Johnny:You do a date.

Johnny:We do a date once we can.

Anzu:We're going post campaign questions.

Gamemaster:It's a little silly to be coming up with post-campaign stuff.

Gamemaster:Session two.

Argyle:Well, Josh, you should also write down the answer now so you don't forget.

Argyle:Oh, now you do.

Gamemaster:I mean, I know the answer.

Argyle:But anyway.

Gamemaster:That's relevant.

Gamemaster:I know the answer.

Argyle:All right.

Argyle:Well.

Argyle:So.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Argyle:All right.

Gamemaster:Sorry.

Argyle:I wake up.

Argyle:I go downstairs for breakfast.

Gamemaster:Sorry, clarification.

Gamemaster:It's all one floor.

Gamemaster:They don't have a second floor in this tavern.

Gamemaster:It's like the back of the tavern, of the pub.

Gamemaster:Pub is fine.

Gamemaster:Yes.

Anzu:Now, the pub is a Fane, which means its presence is dictated by the heart.

Gamemaster:Correct.

Anzu:Does a heart need more power to make a bigger Fane?

Gamemaster:Yes.

Gamemaster:Yeah, the size of the Fane is directly related to the amount of magical energy available to the heart that is sustaining it.

Gamemaster:In that, like, if you go into areas that have particularly large fanes, you know that it's either a very strong heart maintaining it, or in a lot of cases, in order to get around that limitation...

Gamemaster:you can have multiple hearts all, like, maintaining the same fame, which you get for, like, large org headquarters and stuff like that, where they will be able to maintain large footprints in smaller areas.

Anzu:Yeah.

Anzu:Does that cause deviation in the areas?

Gamemaster:It depends.

Anzu:Are there distinct sections, or do the hearts tend to homogenize?

Gamemaster:So...

Gamemaster:I guess, like, roll either a society or an arcana check here.

Gamemaster:Or religion.

Gamemaster:Religion would work as well.

Gamemaster:To know, like, what information you might know about, like, that's publicly available that you might have come into contact with.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Anzu:Are there a lot of Thanes at Belvedere?

Anzu:I got a 20.

Argyle:Oh.

Anzu:That would be... We'll call it Arcana.

Gamemaster:With a 20.

Gamemaster:So, yes, there are a bunch of fans in Belvedere.

Gamemaster:Belvedere, more than most, has kind of introduced hearts just as an additional part in the hierarchy of Belvedere.

Gamemaster:They...

Gamemaster:They exist more frequently.

Gamemaster:So there are a ton of things there.

Gamemaster:Not many combined areas.

Gamemaster:I think what you would know with a 20 about publicly available information is some orgs try very hard to make sure that their hearts are relatively similar in the first place.

Johnny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Like, for instance...

Gamemaster:Concordia, which is this universe's equivalent of like an LG or a GE or a Samsung, where they just make a lot of appliances and home facing stuff.

Gamemaster:They want to make sure that all of their hearts that are like consumer facing have the same branding.

Anzu:Mm hmm.

Gamemaster:And so they work very hard to make sure that they fit into that same mold.

Gamemaster:And so if you get a bunch of them maintaining like a factory or something like that.

Gamemaster:It's going to seem relatively similar because all of those hearts are kind of distinct.

Gamemaster:But there are other places where the hearts are more homegrown.

Gamemaster:Like...

Gamemaster:The RunGunners, which are a particularly famous group of mercenaries slash guns for hire, that kind of stuff.

Gamemaster:Famously, they have a city out in the middle of the desert that is sustained almost entirely as one really, really big fame because there's...

Gamemaster:There's no other way that you could have a city out in that desert.

Gamemaster:And that's all kinds of hearts with completely different personalities that clash constantly.

Gamemaster:And it's just kind of a mishmash of different environments.

Anzu:yeah wait guys let me check the campaign one yeah

Gamemaster:So it's really like based on the orbs or the origin of the hearts and that kind of stuff.

Gamemaster:Like if you just introduced another heart into this Fane, it would look strange and like patchwork where they combine.

Argyle:Patchwork?

Gamemaster:Yeah, patchwork.

Gamemaster:That word means something other than specifically the big bad of campaign one.

Argyle:Patchwork?

Gamemaster:Sorry.

Argyle:Campaign 1 Notion.

Gamemaster:You know who the patchwork prince is, or he wasn't that memorable of a villain.

Johnny:I mean, we didn't do that, but whoever did, I bet they were pretty awesome.

Gamemaster:And considering how often you guys talk about having beaten up that old defenseless man, I'm pretty sure you remember him.

Argyle:So...

Gamemaster:Sure.

Benny:Thank you.

Argyle:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Argyle:I'd like to walk up.

Argyle:What's the name of the heart again?

Gamemaster:Gin Soaked Rag or Ginny?

Argyle:Ginny.

Argyle:Yeah, Ginny.

Argyle:Do you guys have any fire repellent?

Gamemaster:So if you recall, Ginny is a suit vest and dress pants, but instead of the head, it's like a twisted-up dish rag.

Gamemaster:So while he's at the bar, he's facing away from you because you kind of approach from the back.

Gamemaster:You watch as the rag kind of twists so that the head is facing you.

Gamemaster:There's a weird... It looks almost like it squeezes some liquid out as it twists to face you.

Gamemaster:And he says, like, a fire extinguisher?

Gamemaster:We have a fire extinguisher under the bar.

Argyle:Something like that.

Argyle:What if the Embercall tried to set the roof on fire?

Gamemaster:And he'll, like, reach down and pick up.

Gamemaster:And it's, like, a red canister.

Gamemaster:It's a fire extinguisher.

Gamemaster:You press a button, it shoots out CO2.

Argyle:I don't know if this will be enough.

Argyle:That's fine.

Argyle:Can I have four plates of eggs and bacon?

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:And Illmari isn't here right now making food, so that is up to Ginny, but Ginny is working the station.

Gamemaster:It's fine.

Gamemaster:He can cook up some breakfast for all of you, I assume, as you filter in.

Johnny:I'll come out about five minutes later, and I'm now carrying these two, like, very heavy, ornate-looking metal fans.

Johnny:And I'm just flicking them open and closed.

Johnny:And I look up at Argyle and I go, I found these under my bed.

Johnny:I think this is my new personality.

Johnny:And I just do that for the next ten minutes.

Gamemaster:While you guys are filtering in, Ginny serves up some dry eggs and very crispy bacon.

Argyle:All right.

Gamemaster:He hasn't really gotten the hang of cooking human food as well as Illmari has.

Johnny:He repowdered the eggs.

Anzu:Oh, you'd like to do some work?

Gamemaster:Yum.

Argyle:So next step, we'll get some cash.

Argyle:I think so.

Benny:It's always the next step.

Argyle:Well, we got... How old are you again?

Benny:Money, money, money.

Johnny:Yeah, you get.

Benny:Old enough to know about money.

Argyle:We'll talk about that later.

Argyle:So they got to decode that receiver.

Argyle:They got to patch up the walls, and then four days from now, we got to go to that meeting, right?

Argyle:Is that our to-do stuff?

Johnny:Oh, yeah.

Johnny:Hey, Ginny, do you have some extra tinfoil lying around you don't need?

Anzu:Yeah.

Gamemaster:I don't think so.

Gamemaster:There's a supermarket a few blocks over if you wanted to grab some, but I don't really use it all that much.

Johnny:Okay.

Johnny:We'll get some.

Johnny:Do you need anything else while we're there?

Gamemaster:Yeah, I used up all of our eggs, so if you could pick up some eggs, that'd be great.

Gamemaster:Chicken, preferably.

Gamemaster:But, you know, from any bird will do.

Johnny:Get some chicken eggs.

Anzu:Now, I do think that making money would be important, but we should also think about tracking down this Tywelwyn fellow.

Johnny:I look at Anzu.

Johnny:I look away before he looks back.

Benny:Henny bird, huh?

Anzu:since he wasn't at the scene of the crime yesterday.

Anzu:He was the one that was... He was running the roller rink, and he went crazy, probably because of the sounds that were being played into his head.

Argyle:Which roller rink again?

Johnny:The one we went out yesterday.

Anzu:Are you well today?

Johnny:I pointed.

Argyle:Oh, yeah, I totally remember that.

Argyle:Totally remember that.

Argyle:Yeah.

Argyle:I'm great.

Argyle:Let's go.

Anzu:Wait, wait, wait.

Anzu:I point to the child.

Anzu:What's his name?

Benny:that's not fair I have a name tag thanks

Argyle:Benny.

Anzu:Okay.

Johnny:Can we get names?

Gamemaster:Does he have a name tag?

Gamemaster:Okay.

Anzu:That was a good one, Benny.

Anzu:Before we go, I'd like to go check in on the twins.

Anzu:Do they... They're always crafting stuff, right?

Gamemaster:Who?

Anzu:Are they selling and or giving away healing potions?

Gamemaster:The answer is they're not like running a store or anything.

Anzu:Selling is an acceptable response, but I just want to know...

Gamemaster:They can make healing potions for you if you like, but you'd have to buy the components and stuff, which does wind up to be effectively selling.

Gamemaster:This isn't a magic item shop.

Gamemaster:It's more like two people who happen to be particularly good at crafting.

Anzu:Yeah.

Anzu:So I might as well just go to an apothecary or a potion shop or something.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Anzu:Very well.

Johnny:Okay, so...

Gamemaster:A pharmacist, by the way.

Anzu:And I'll ask them if they're planning on looking at the radar dish today or not.

Gamemaster:And I, the guy, will say, we can look at it if you wish.

Gamemaster:Is there something in particular you wanted us to investigate?

Gamemaster:We stole this because you said that we should, but to what end?

Anzu:Yeah, yeah.

Anzu:Well, I don't imagine... It would be interesting to know if it is tuned, if we could tell what it was receiving, and if it has any particular settings or parameters or tuning to it that we could maybe trace.

Anzu:Oh.

Argyle:Don't we have that other... God.

Johnny:It'd be interesting if we could hook it up to maybe like a gramophone or something, whatever the radio, do we have radios?

Johnny:A radio or something.

Gamemaster:I was going to say, didn't you say it caused things to come alive and attack you?

Johnny:And if we could play whatever it's picking up, sort of listen to it.

Anzu:But in a very cautious way, because... Yeah, so... What I would do is I would get it so that you think it could do that if we turned it on, but don't actually do it.

Gamemaster:This room in particular, that seems like a terrible idea.

Johnny:So not this.

Gamemaster:Okay, certainly not in the room where I make my rocket hammers.

Anzu:Indeed.

Johnny:I'm just imagining us having to fight the rocket hammers.

Argyle:so um there's also like a little piece of paper i think that uh goes with it

Anzu:Oh, yeah, the Sentience Distributor.

Anzu:This is more of an arcane enchanted item that I think spreads the signal a little bit more.

Anzu:So I don't know if it's specific to this particular use or if it's more of a general item that was just being applied here.

Anzu:It's very fragile, and I'd like to spend some time with it myself, so just be careful.

Gamemaster:Of course, I will try my best not to repeat too much.

Argyle:Do you think that this might be getting the Ember song?

Argyle:And if so, do you think we could tune it to get the Voidsong?

Argyle:Void call?

Gamemaster:I have done zero looking into this so far, so I have no answers for you right now.

Johnny:First idea, initial hunch.

Johnny:Just watch and think, and spitball, anything.

Johnny:Okay.

Gamemaster:I think it is a radar dish.

Gamemaster:I think it is for receiving a signal.

Benny:God, this guy's good.

Anzu:Yeah, that does sound right to me so far.

Johnny:Wow.

Gamemaster:That is as far as I got.

Gamemaster:I have tin.

Argyle:Do you have any leftover tinfoil, by the way?

Gamemaster:I could probably forge it into foil, if that would be useful.

Johnny:I think it's probably...

Argyle:We'll just go get some.

Johnny:Probably easier to just pick up tinfoil.

Gamemaster:Yeah, I don't tend to keep that on.

Gamemaster:I have parchment paper.

Gamemaster:Would that work?

Anzu:Probably not.

Argyle:No.

Anzu:This guy seemed pretty particular.

Gamemaster:OK, well.

Anzu:All right.

Anzu:Well, thanks.

Benny:Also, can you look into this?

Benny:These are hard to come by.

Benny:And he'll slam down a cutout of a magazine.

Benny:This is like an arms and armor magazine.

Benny:And he'll slide over the ad for a poly tool.

Benny:And he'll say, I really need one of these.

Benny:If you could get me one or make one.

Benny:Oh, no.

Gamemaster:One second.

Johnny:I will, uh, I'll pull Benny aside.

Johnny:I'll pull Benny aside.

Johnny:Hey, Benny, if you need, like, weapons or armor, I know a guy in town.

Argyle:You do?

Benny:I'm not sure he'd have this.

Johnny:He might have this.

Benny:Well, we can check there, too.

Benny:I've got the name memorized.

Argyle:What's it called?

Johnny:Okay, uh, yeah.

Benny:Polytool?

Johnny:Uh, Argyle, I do have, I know a guy in town looking for weapons or armor.

Argyle:Does he give you discounts?

Johnny:Yeah, I got a 10% discount.

Anzu:I purchased nothing, so I've got my 15 gold because I don't wear any armor and I don't have any weapons, so I did not buy anything.

Argyle:Ooh, can I borrow some money?

Johnny:For me?

Benny:I'm not sure any of us have any money.

Gamemaster:I don't think any of you have any money.

Johnny:I have 10 gold and 6 silver right now.

Benny:10 gold is crazy.

Benny:Did you... Did you get... Did you get any Explorer's Pack?

Gamemaster:And you guys did pick up six gold worth of silverware from the basement.

Argyle:Three gold.

Gamemaster:Oh, only three gold?

Anzu:No, I forgot about doing all that stuff.

Argyle:No, to get rid of my debt.

Anzu:Probably I should retcon an explorer's pack in there.

Gamemaster:Oh, right.

Benny:He's... This bird...

Benny:It's not an illusion.

Benny:He has nothing on him.

Johnny:you

Benny:He's just naked.

Anzu:No, I... Is there an explorer's pack?

Benny:There's nowhere he hides his stuff.

Benny:He's got no stuff.

Anzu:What is the basic set?

Gamemaster:It's an adventurer's pack, I believe.

Benny:Well, there's like a starter kit for your class.

Benny:It's like, I don't know.

Anzu:Oh, the adventurer's pack.

Gamemaster:The Adventurer's Pack, which is one gold piece, five silver pieces.

Benny:Yeah.

Anzu:Alright, I'm going to buy one of these.

Gamemaster:Or 15 bucks.

Anzu:So now I have 13 gold, 5 silver.

Gamemaster:Because the... That's 135 bucks you're carrying around in your pocket.

Gamemaster:That's not bad.

Anzu:Well, I've got a lot of tinfoil to buy.

Argyle:Well, if collectively I was able to get 22 gold, I would love a full set of plate armor.

Anzu:I think that getting 2 or 3 healing potions is ever so slightly higher priority than that.

Johnny:You know by.

Benny:Oh, well, when I slept...

Argyle:Can you heal people?

Gamemaster:Thank you.

Anzu:A little bit.

Argyle:Okay, so if I go down, you can heal me?

Johnny:Wait, how much how much money for how much data for play?

Anzu:Yeah, I have a spell that can do that.

Argyle:Oh, cool.

Argyle:Glad you finally thought that was important enough.

Anzu:Yeah, well, after our encounters yesterday, I thought on it while I slept, and I figured it out.

Argyle:But you know what would help us not need healing?

Argyle:If I'm harder to kit.

Argyle:30.

Anzu:Indeed.

Johnny:How much money is the plate armor?

Argyle:I need 22.

Argyle:Oh, 30% off.

Argyle:Then I only need 18.

Argyle:10% off.

Anzu:10% off?

Benny:It's 10% off.

Gamemaster:Yeah, where did you get 30% off?

Benny:That was a good try, though.

Anzu:Well, if all four of us get 10% off, then we combine that to 40% off.

Benny:But if it's 80% off, and we'll trade him in a tire, he'll...

Argyle:Yeah, so you buy the arms.

Argyle:I buy the legs.

Johnny:Does my contact take loose tires in exchange?

Gamemaster:No.

Argyle:Can I... Wait, wait.

Gamemaster:No, of course it doesn't.

Argyle:I have half plate.

Argyle:Can I just buy the other half?

Johnny:Clear plate.

Benny:You could probably trade it in.

Gamemaster:No.

Benny:You want to trade in quarter plate?

Argyle:This seems ridiculous, but I feel like it kind of makes sense.

Gamemaster:You can sell your half plate at half price and then use that money as part of this purchase.

Argyle:But I only need the pants.

Argyle:I only need the pants.

Anzu:Yeah, I'm hearing a lot of half that, half this.

Argyle:Yeah.

Anzu:I'm confused.

Argyle:I only need the pants.

Benny:What if we double it?

Benny:Double it and give it to the next group.

Gamemaster:Yeah, sure.

Gamemaster:Sure, you double all of your money and give it to the group that joins Iconoclasm after you.

Johnny:Campaign four gets full plate.

Gamemaster:You are now broke again.

Johnny:Oh, no.

Johnny:Okay, so here's our to-do list.

Johnny:One, get tinfoil and some eggs for Ginny.

Johnny:Oh, Jorge just left because he couldn't get full plate.

Johnny:He's gone to get the pants.

Gamemaster:I get it.

Argyle:Thank you.

Johnny:One, go to the grocery store.

Johnny:Tinfoil, eggs.

Johnny:Two, maybe an apothecary or a pharmacist, whatever they're called nowadays.

Johnny:My accent is slipping into transatlantic now.

Gamemaster:Yeah, just.

Johnny:See?

Gamemaster:It's close enough.

Johnny:4.

Johnny:Maybe stop and get some armor and weapons.

Johnny:Polytools?

Johnny:Armor pants?

Johnny:Who knows?

Johnny:5.

Johnny:Find Twiluin.

Johnny:6.

Johnny:Learn about the Zorbon.

Gamemaster:If you guys are discussing this, I think Anouk will say, if you all are running a little low on funds, there is work to be had in the city.

Gamemaster:We're not in any particular rush.

Gamemaster:We're just looking to make some money.

Argyle:Oh yeah, let's go do that.

Gamemaster:I didn't know if that's in particular.

Gamemaster:There's rummage around in a bunch of the... I was going to say trash.

Gamemaster:It's really scrap and stuff.

Gamemaster:Looking for eventually pulling out...

Gamemaster:like a Rolodex and flicking through it.

Gamemaster:And she'll say, so there is, and she pulls out one of the like index cards inside and hands it over to whoever looks the most responsible, I guess, out of all of you.

Argyle:I will take it.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:It's, it's an address for somewhere in like one district over in Sableclutch for a, like a scrapyard.

Gamemaster:She says, this is an old friend of mine.

Gamemaster:He is always looking for work for people to, like couriers and stuff, because it's generally easier to purchase people from around than to hire a service.

Gamemaster:So if you're looking to make some money, go talk to him.

Argyle:Sounds good.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Argyle:I think that or... Josh, does Argyle think we could go to one of the nearest Scale offices and find some work there?

Argyle:Arbiter work or something?

Argyle:Do they do that or is it only Scale people?

Gamemaster:Yeah, no, I don't... That seems like the kind of thing the Scale isn't just gonna hire random people to go and, like... Because the whole reason that arbiters are allowed to do, like, the bounty hunting effectively that they do is because they are empowered by the Scale.

Benny:Thank you.

Argyle:That's fair.

Gamemaster:They're not gonna trust that to randos.

Argyle:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Um...

Gamemaster:But if you're looking specifically for bounty work, there are usually bounties available for many of the three police orgs that work in Hallia for outstanding warrants and the like.

Argyle:I saw you go to the scrapyard.

Argyle:I will say, I turn over to my compatriots, a healing potion's four gold.

Argyle:That's a lot of money.

Anzu:I guess we could see if we can haggle our way into a set of armor for you first and see what we have left.

Johnny:But dying.

Argyle:Thank you.

Argyle:I'll be in your debt.

Argyle:Literally, actually.

Johnny:Do we want to my contact and try and get you full plate before we go to the job or after?

Anzu:I guess we should try to do it before if we can.

Argyle:Yeah.

Anzu:Yeah, let's do it.

Benny:Sure.

Johnny:Josh, I would like to use my faction feature trusted supplier and go visit my trusted supplier.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:So you guys are all kind of just, at this point, you're following Johnny.

Gamemaster:You have to go to a seedier part of the city, and you have to go a little far out in the city.

Gamemaster:Your contact runs a pawn shop.

Gamemaster:um in the neighborhood you're currently in um but in uh star 12. so down the horizon so you guys have to find a trolley that kind of travels down the horizon and drops you off there because in Hallia there's a bunch of like particularly strong magic set up by the host to stop you from just sliding from one to the other wherever you have to specifically use uh public transit um but you you make your way out there

Gamemaster:And it's very much the experience of, like, the area that the Sin and Tonic is in is not, like, particularly well-to-do.

Gamemaster:It is mostly a, like, a commercialized area.

Gamemaster:People don't make a ton of income, but it's enough to get by.

Gamemaster:It definitely doesn't feel seedy so much as it just feels kind of, like, generally one of the poorer parts of Hallia.

Gamemaster:But in comparison, as you move further starward, the buildings become less well-maintained, and they become older.

Gamemaster:Like, they got built up at some point when people believed that, like, when this tram line was first built, people thought that it would boom and become this big thing, and so people got in and built buildings.

Gamemaster:And then nothing really came of it, because there wasn't much reason to go that far out.

Gamemaster:So they've kind of just not been maintained over the past few decades.

Gamemaster:And so you travel out starward until you get to, like, you haven't physically moved, but the station you're in right now is much, much dirtier.

Gamemaster:Nobody's come by to clean it or anything like that, so there's trash cans with trash.

Gamemaster:overflowing or just kind of kicked over.

Gamemaster:You can see that at one point there used to be benches.

Gamemaster:They're gone now.

Gamemaster:You don't know where they went, but nobody's come to replace them or anything like that.

Gamemaster:I saw a hand for a second and then went away.

Gamemaster:Did I?

Anzu:Yes.

Anzu:When you're done with your description, I need to take a quick rewind, but carry on.

Gamemaster:Sure.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:So either way, you get there.

Gamemaster:You know where to go because you've been here before, but you're heading towards a pawn shop called the Undertable.

Gamemaster:which is, you know, tucked away enough to not draw any attention, but not so far out that it's difficult necessarily to get to.

Gamemaster:And when you get there, we're rewinding a little bit.

Anzu:Yes, when we exited the Sin and Tonic...

Gamemaster:Oh, shit!

Gamemaster:I totally forgot.

Gamemaster:I'm sorry.

Gamemaster:As you guys head out of the Sin and Tonic, there is...

Gamemaster:Like, you get out, and Johnny's explaining to all of you, like, he knows this guy.

Gamemaster:He's been there before.

Gamemaster:He'll handle it.

Gamemaster:And there is a screech, like a bird call, from somewhere up above.

Gamemaster:And when you look, there is just a...

Gamemaster:black blur from above you as something is diving down from the sky.

Gamemaster:And right before it looks like it's going to collide into your group, it just does this very graceful swoop and then settles down onto Anzu's shoulder.

Anzu:Oh, shit.

Anzu:Othello.

Argyle:I swing.

Argyle:I'm kidding.

Anzu:No, no.

Johnny:Ice cream.

Johnny:Ah.

Anzu:An actual normal-sized raven has landed on Anzu's shoulder.

Argyle:Okay.

Anzu:Oh, my gosh.

Argyle:That's sick.

Anzu:Guys, this is my bird Othello.

Anzu:I guess he must have followed me here.

Anzu:Oh, I'm so excited about this.

Johnny:Great, Dave.

Gamemaster:It squawks a little bit and then nuzzles into your neck.

Anzu:I was so sad to leave him, and I guess he decided, not going to happen.

Anzu:I'm coming with you.

Benny:Aren't you technically your bird?

Argyle:Where'd you come from again?

Johnny:Aw.

Benny:Mine's more important.

Anzu:Sorry, there were two questions at once, and I couldn't make it out.

Benny:Aren't you technically your bird?

Anzu:No, I am myself.

Anzu:I think, therefore, I am.

Benny:Yeah, but you're like, I'm like my own man.

Anzu:No, I don't...

Benny:You're like your own bird, but you have another one.

Benny:Does that mean you have two birds?

Benny:You can ask his question.

Argyle:Where'd this bird come from again?

Benny:Does he take fall damage?

Anzu:I guess he must have followed me from Belvedere.

Argyle:How'd you get here from Belvedere?

Johnny:Yeah, Anzu, I feel like we really talked a lot about everyone else last time.

Johnny:But, you know, you're a very learned guy.

Johnny:Where are you from?

Johnny:What's your story?

Johnny:Let's walk and talk.

Johnny:Tell us all about yourself.

Johnny:Give us the lowdown.

Johnny:Tell us about how did you build your nest?

Anzu:Yeah, my family, a lot of us are involved in Belvedere.

Anzu:I'm an academic fellow.

Anzu:My family members are involved in different areas of the faction.

Johnny:Professor Anzu.

Anzu:I don't think I ever quite really achieved that, uh, status, but, um, I, uh, yeah, I heard the Voidsong and I just had to, uh, um, well, my, uh, father, uh, is an archivist.

Benny:book guy.

Argyle:So what do your parents do?

Anzu:Um, uh, and, my mother, uh, she's actually not, uh, technically a member of, um, uh, Belvedere.

Anzu:My family is, uh,

Anzu:Relatively well-off, and she kind of handles the family affairs in that way.

Argyle:Oh, rich kid over here.

Argyle:Gotcha, gotcha.

Benny:How much gold did you come up with?

Benny:I don't like poke at your pocket.

Gamemaster:It's up to you.

Argyle:That makes a lot more sense.

Johnny:I just have some bacon from that morning.

Argyle:I only need eight gold between the two of you.

Argyle:Unless you want to throw in a little extra.

Johnny:I'm trying to feed it to your bird, Othello.

Anzu:Othello, yes.

Johnny:Trying to feed it to Othello.

Anzu:Othello will definitely nibble at the bacon.

Anzu:I don't think birds eat... Well, I guess they do.

Gamemaster:Do you want Othello to eat bacon?

Anzu:He'll have a little bacon.

Anzu:Why not?

Johnny:Oh, this is awesome.

Johnny:I take my fan.

Gamemaster:Okay, so you guys get a little bit more acquainted.

Gamemaster:There's now a bird with you as you make your way over to the under table.

Gamemaster:You get to it.

Gamemaster:The building itself is relatively small.

Gamemaster:It's kind of squished.

Gamemaster:It looks like between two what would have been homes, they made a little bit too large of a space to be an alleyway, but not large enough of a space to fit another building.

Gamemaster:And then they said, yeah, that's fine.

Gamemaster:We can put a building here anyway.

Gamemaster:So it's weirdly narrow, squished.

Gamemaster:It doesn't have windows that look in as if it were a regular shop front.

Gamemaster:It's just a door with a very... It's a handwritten and not a particularly neatly handwritten sign that just says under table.

Gamemaster:And then a very crude drawing of what you presume is a table.

Gamemaster:It's kind of like a circle with a line on it.

Gamemaster:It gets the point across.

Argyle:you

Gamemaster:On the inside, because it is open, there's like a very soft jingle from a bell as you walk in, and you are met with a very cramped room with all kinds of shit on tables.

Gamemaster:There's like a big table in the middle, and then tables on the walls, stacked high with literally...

Gamemaster:Any kind of... It's mostly... It looks like appliances.

Gamemaster:Like, there looks like a bunch of pots and kitchen stuff.

Gamemaster:And then next to that are just, like, loose necklaces and rings and stuff.

Gamemaster:There's... You can see eight different kinds of radio in various states of deconstruction on one side.

Gamemaster:There's many, many...

Gamemaster:Like, many firearms?

Gamemaster:Like, enough guns stuck up on one side of the wall that you think that there must be a license required to have this many firearms in one place?

Gamemaster:But with the general array of the stuff in here, even if there was a license required, you know for a fact they don't have one.

Gamemaster:And sat in the back, kind of like pushed down, two of his legs laying on the ground and the other two kind of propped up.

Gamemaster:You can see a centaur.

Gamemaster:wearing just a stained white tee for a shirt.

Gamemaster:Currently it looks like flipping through a magazine of some kind.

Gamemaster:You would recognize this person, Johnny.

Gamemaster:This is Smiler.

Gamemaster:He is the proprietor of the Undertable and also a fence that you are familiar with.

Gamemaster:You've had to deal with once or twice.

Johnny:As I walk in, I'll take my sunglasses, put them out and go, Johnny's home!

Johnny:And I'll just, like, smack a table.

Gamemaster:He will look up from his magazine, kind of take out a cigarette that he was chewing, by the looks of it.

Gamemaster:It doesn't look lit, but it looks half-eaten.

Gamemaster:And he'll look at you and say, Oh, Johnny, you bastard!

Gamemaster:I didn't think you were coming back here.

Gamemaster:It's been months.

Johnny:Yeah, well, you know, you can't kill a ghost, am I right, Smiler?

Gamemaster:I could try, but it's good to see ya.

Johnny:Smiler...

Gamemaster:And he will stand up, and you note that Smiler is like full centaur height, maybe like nine feet tall.

Gamemaster:He is stooped a little bit underneath the ceiling here.

Gamemaster:And as he stands up, you can see that he is...

Gamemaster:covered in jewelry.

Gamemaster:He's wearing multiple... You don't know if it's gold.

Gamemaster:Some kind of yellowish metal bands.

Gamemaster:He's got a bunch on both of his arms.

Gamemaster:His tail is braided and has quite a few gems braided into it.

Gamemaster:He's got flare gauges in his ear and then gems embedded in the gauges in his ears.

Gamemaster:And he's got this long beard that is braided in the same style as his tail, also with gems throughout.

Gamemaster:And he, like, kind of stoops down and says, So, who are your friends, you ghosts?

Johnny:Uh, no, I don't know if Donnie stopped by and talked to you, but I'm with Iconoclasm these days, and I'm sort of lent over to them.

Johnny:These are, uh, this is Argyle, the kid's Benny, this is Anzu, and Othello.

Johnny:Othello's new.

Gamemaster:The bird's the new one.

Johnny:Yeah, the bird's the new one.

Anzu:He just flew in today.

Gamemaster:He'll like, he'll kind of like do this and say, you've got a kid with you.

Johnny:And boy, I'm tired.

Johnny:Yeah, you know... Listen, Smiler, you know how in our line of work, sometimes you see things and they just kind of make you go... This is a pretend he's an adult sort of situation.

Gamemaster:Should I be like hiding stuff?

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Hey, kid.

Benny:What's up?

Gamemaster:Want a gun?

Benny:I feel like I need one just on the ride in.

Benny:And he'll reach his hand out for a gun.

Gamemaster:It's like, okay, kid-sized gun, kid-sized gun.

Johnny:You're paying for that gun yourself, kid.

Gamemaster:And he'll...

Gamemaster:He will take out... It is the smallest firearm you've ever seen.

Gamemaster:You're a nine-year-old, and it looks like it fits in the palm of your hand.

Gamemaster:And he says, this has one shot in it.

Gamemaster:It's for self-defense.

Gamemaster:But you can hide it in your sleeve, and they won't even know it's there.

Johnny:Hey, Smiler.

Johnny:While I'm here, you know anything about Belvedere super soldier children?

Johnny:Fine, I'd ask.

Gamemaster:The discount is already a personal favor, but...

Argyle:Yeah, it'd be crazy for an org to develop processes to start trying to create super soldier children.

Argyle:That'd be crazy.

Argyle:Definitely no one's doing that.

Johnny:Yeah.

Johnny:Yeah, so they're an odd bunch, but they're all good.

Johnny:Listen, Smiler, I think I'm doing some good work with them, and if the friends discount that we got, if you could extend that to them, I'd consider it a personal favor.

Johnny:Well,

Gamemaster:Even if I said no, you'd just buy it for them and then give it to them.

Gamemaster:So, sure.

Gamemaster:Friend of my friend isn't going to snitch on me to the cops.

Johnny:That's what I like about this one.

Johnny:Yeah, that would go over well.

Gamemaster:Mike, just for the record, he gave you a disposable cup pistol.

Benny:Why does everyone keep giving this kid a gun?

Gamemaster:He's a kid.

Gamemaster:He needs to be able to defend himself.

Anzu:you come off as very trustworthy and capable.

Argyle:It's also adorable to see a little nine-year-old with this thing of armor.

Benny:I just think it's interesting that they're just like, I mean, he's protected, but no offense.

Benny:Kid, do you want a gun?

Gamemaster:So Smiler will look at all of you and say, what do you need, buying or selling?

Argyle:Both?

Gamemaster:Sure.

Argyle:I pull out two sacks.

Argyle:No, uh...

Argyle:Yeah, two sacks of silverware.

Argyle:And then my half plate.

Argyle:That will get me to a total of 16.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Argyle:Sorry.

Argyle:No, that'll get me to a total of 11.

Argyle:Armor's 30 times 0.9.

Argyle:I need two people to donate eight gold if they can.

Anzu:Eight gold each.

Argyle:Yeah.

Benny:Each.

Gamemaster:Wait, sorry.

Gamemaster:So one of the silverware gets rid of your debt, so we get rid of that.

Gamemaster:The other silverware is worth 3, and then you get 9 from the half plate, so you have 12.

Argyle:Yeah.

Gamemaster:How much is the... Do you want full plate?

Argyle:30.

Argyle:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Oh, it's 30.

Gamemaster:So your 30 drops down to 27, minus the 12 as you need 15.

Anzu:Hmm.

Argyle:Yes.

Anzu:I'm happy to give nine.

Anzu:I forget how much you said you had left, Johnny.

Gamemaster:Listen, I'm happy to give it to you on credit if you'd prefer.

Johnny:I got nine too.

Benny:I think this guy wants to get out of debt and he'll punch Argyle's shoulder.

Anzu:No.

Benny:It feels like a grown man.

Johnny:Across the room.

Anzu:If I give nine...

Anzu:And then Johnny would need to give, what, six?

Anzu:That would get us across the threshold?

Argyle:If you're okay with that.

Benny:For the record, Benny has one silver piece, which is why I haven't offered any gold.

Argyle:No, no, I'm not expecting it.

Anzu:I...

Johnny:I will donate six.

Argyle:Thank you, gentlemen.

Argyle:You can have... You know I'm good for it.

Argyle:I'm not going anywhere.

Johnny:We actually don't know that.

Johnny:We met yesterday.

Gamemaster:Yeah, he immediately runs out the door.

Johnny:In full play.

Benny:Thank you.

Argyle:But really, I just want him to enchant my...

Anzu:Josh, you said there were a number of radios?

Argyle:slacks now because my suit's enchanted, my jacket's enchanted.

Gamemaster:Okay, you have gold plate.

Gamemaster:Yes, there are.

Anzu:If I could, I'd like to make a crafting check, or some other roll if you think it's more appropriate.

Gamemaster:Okay, sure.

Anzu:What I would like to do is take a look at them and try to strike a balance between which one might look beat up and therefore cheap, but is also the closest to being functional.

Gamemaster:Yeah, I'll levelcraft and check.

Anzu:You understand the game I'm trying to play?

Gamemaster:I do, yes.

Gamemaster:You want the cheapest one you can get that you can still fix up relatively easily.

Anzu:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Effectively.

Anzu:Would you call that crafting?

Gamemaster:Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Gamemaster:Graphic, please.

Anzu:I got a 15, which I guess is a fail at level 2.

Gamemaster:It is... I think it's 16.

Anzu:What is our level-based DC?

Gamemaster:One second.

Johnny:Oh.

Anzu:All right, I'm not rolling it again, so we're sticking with the 15.

Gamemaster:Yeah, it is 16.

Gamemaster:Okay, so... Yeah, I mean...

Gamemaster:I think what probably happens is that there are, like, you narrow it down to two that look like they are in relatively similar states of close to, but not quite working.

Benny:you

Anzu:Mm-hmm.

Gamemaster:And there's an issue with the, with the, like,

Gamemaster:antenna as it plugs into the electronics that you can't really debug while you're here and you can't tell what it is on site.

Gamemaster:So I'd love it if you could, for me, roll a D10 to see which of the two seems easier for you to fix up.

Anzu:Mm-hmm.

Argyle:And while he's doing that... Okay.

Anzu:I got an 8.

Gamemaster:Okay, so you pick out one of the two, the right one, that seems like it'd be easier.

Argyle:You get the right one.

Gamemaster:Sorry, the one on the right.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Anzu:I just noticed that Whiskers is the bot, and I find that very amusing.

Anzu:OK, so I'll inquire about that radio.

Johnny:Yeah, that's it.

Benny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:One second.

Gamemaster:I just want to...

Gamemaster:Smiler will say, I'll give you, we'll call it 15 bucks, gold and five silver.

Anzu:It's not even operational.

Gamemaster:If you want, you can roll a society or a diplomacy check here to try and haggle with him.

Anzu:Yeah, you know I'm rolling a society check.

Johnny:Smiler, my guy, it's not even operational.

Johnny:What are you doing?

Johnny:Come on, he's a gentleman.

Johnny:This is going to be a returning customer, and I would like to aid.

Johnny:And with my new versatile performance, I can use performance instead of diplomacy.

Gamemaster:That's an eight.

Gamemaster:That works.

Gamemaster:I was loading up Noah's character into Foundry, and he got like eight feats that all say, any check you can do, you can do with performance now instead of whatever it used to be, which is ridiculous.

Benny:you

Gamemaster:But yeah, you can make your own check.

Anzu:You only need one skill.

Johnny:I really condensed everything here.

Anzu:Only need one skill.

Johnny:I'm an expert, so I think he gets maybe a plus two.

Anzu:So cooperative.

Gamemaster:What did you get?

Gamemaster:A 31?

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:You are an expert, so he gets plus two.

Anzu:Sick.

Anzu:I received a 20 total.

Gamemaster:Yeah, a 20.

Gamemaster:He's like, it's not operational, sure.

Gamemaster:Call it eight silver.

Anzu:You got a deal.

Johnny:I'll cover it.

Johnny:Anzu, I gotcha.

Johnny:And I'll flip Smiler a gold and say, just because I like you.

Johnny:And I'll take the gold and I'll go to flip it and actually catch it and I'll lean in and I'll say, tell Donnie to stop by and talk to Red.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:I'm not going to say no to extra money.

Johnny:He's been getting updates.

Gamemaster:Sure thing.

Gamemaster:I'll let them know.

Argyle:Argyle, once he gets his new suit made, it's going to be a slightly dark, it's a really dark blue.

Argyle:And as he's putting it on, people might notice that his eyes are less gold today, and they're more of like a bright white, almost bluish color.

Argyle:But yeah.

Anzu:Why so blue?

Johnny:What does that mean?

Gamemaster:People's got weird eye stuff going on in this party.

Argyle:Yeah.

Argyle:You guys ready to go?

Benny:Any stuff is normal.

Argyle:So Benny.

Argyle:All right.

Argyle:I'll wait till we leave.

Argyle:I think I'm just right.

Gamemaster:Yeah, is there anything else you guys wanted to do while you're in the pawn shop?

Benny:Do you have one of these?

Benny:A poly tool?

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:I've got a poly tool.

Benny:I'll be back for it when I have the money.

Gamemaster:Sure.

Benny:And then I'll just walk away.

Gamemaster:It'll be nine gold pieces when you have money.

Benny:Perfect.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Okay, so anything else you guys set for there?

Argyle:I'm ready to just start heading over to the scrapyard.

Anzu:Oh, yeah.

Gamemaster:No, I'm sure.

Benny:I've been, I guess, less than a year.

Argyle:So as we're heading over, I'll be like, hey, Benny.

Argyle:How long have you been nine?

Argyle:Hmm.

Argyle:And then the year before that, how old were you?

Benny:eight yeah arithmetic was very early on

Argyle:Okay.

Anzu:See, they teach them well at Belvedere.

Argyle:Yeah.

Argyle:What do you mean by humanoid numbers?

Johnny:Argyle, if you had to give yourself an age in human... Sorry.

Johnny:Humanoid numbers, what number would that be?

Argyle:Like if I was a human?

Johnny:How old are you?

Anzu:In years.

Argyle:I'm pretty young.

Argyle:Yeah, I didn't know.

Johnny:What do you mean, if?

Johnny:What do you mean, if you were a human?

Johnny:What...

Argyle:You're the one who said humanoid numbers, do you think?

Johnny:Listen, listen.

Argyle:Other races, like elves, don't have... They have their own numbers?

Johnny:Semantics.

Argyle:Or what do you think?

Johnny:Yes, actually, I'm half Elven.

Johnny:They speak a different language.

Johnny:I mean, I guess they're the same, but you... I will respond in Elven?

Argyle:I will start speaking to you in elven.

Johnny:I know two languages!

Argyle:Oh, about 20.

Johnny:Can I... Can I... How do I insight check?

Gamemaster:Yeah, you can perception check them.

Gamemaster:Roll diplomacy or deception.

Johnny:I think I use perception for this.

Johnny:Oh, well, looks like he's 20.

Argyle:Yeah, I'm about 20.

Argyle:In human years.

Argyle:If I was human.

Gamemaster:But what about in dog years?

Johnny:Yeah, I heard that there's a bunch of pug people sort of somewhere running around Færrin.

Johnny:What if they were to give you numbers?

Argyle:Yeah, I'd be different.

Benny:We check an ID all of a sudden?

Benny:You guys let me in the group and now we got to verify everyone's age?

Argyle:Well, I'm just, I don't know.

Argyle:It's weird.

Argyle:You're nine.

Argyle:This far from home.

Benny:Yeah, I got called by the Voidsong like you guys did.

Johnny:They've got a permission to live.

Benny:And I have a permission slip.

Benny:Listen, I'm allowed to go on field trips.

Anzu:Can I actually take another look at your permission slip?

Benny:Yeah.

Anzu:Is there anything about firearms in the permission slip?

Anzu:Either pro or against.

Benny:Like Belvedere stuff archiving?

Anzu:Hmm.

Anzu:Alright, I guess it's fine.

Gamemaster:Thank you.

Argyle:Wait, so just out of curiosity, were you just like... So you're in Belvedere.

Argyle:That's an orc, right?

Anzu:We studied the world.

Argyle:And what does your dad do in Belvedere?

Johnny:Oh, maybe, does your dad know Anzu?

Argyle:And then you...

Johnny:Anzu, maybe you know his dad.

Benny:Andrew, do you know Atum?

Anzu:Does Atum have a surname?

Johnny:And Eve.

Benny:though.

Anzu:Josh, do I know anyone that goes by just Atum?

Gamemaster:Roll a society or lore check.

Anzu:They're the same, so we'll go with Lore because it's fun.

Gamemaster:Sure.

Anzu:Can I try to roll another question into this?

Gamemaster:One second.

Johnny:Good.

Gamemaster:I just need to...

Gamemaster:Double check.

Gamemaster:I think the answer is no.

Gamemaster:But the answer would be yes.

Anzu:Me thinking about Belvedere in its relationship to Benny and Atum.

Benny:Thinking about Belvedere.

Anzu:How...

Anzu:I mean, I assume that children do get involved and that there probably is some kind of maybe school or thing for younger folks.

Anzu:What do I know about something like that?

Gamemaster:Sure.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Those are two different questions.

Gamemaster:With that role, you definitely would be aware of children in Belvedere.

Anzu:I probably was one once upon a time.

Gamemaster:Yes.

Gamemaster:And you receive an education.

Gamemaster:It is a school, amongst other things.

Gamemaster:I don't know if you would...

Gamemaster:I don't know, like, children don't get permission slips that get them to go out into the field hundreds of miles away from where Belvedere is to do who knows what.

Anzu:Right.

Gamemaster:So whatever this is, this is probably a special case.

Anzu:Yeah.

Gamemaster:uh with that role of do you recognize like Atum no surname i think the answer is probably the the name feels like vaguely familiar to you i think you might have heard it in passing or seen it somewhere but you wouldn't be familiar with like who they are what they do it just kind of tickles the back of your mind

Anzu:Yeah.

Anzu:Yeah, if he's an archivist, then my dad might know his dad, but I'm not really in that area.

Argyle:Benny, do you have a mom around?

Benny:I'm not sure why I'd need one.

Benny:But no.

Argyle:Oh, we need physically to have a mom.

Argyle:Theoretically.

Benny:We?

Benny:Theoretically.

Benny:Why do you sound like you don't even believe what you're saying?

Gamemaster:you

Johnny:Didn't you say yesterday we were walking back and you were like, yeah, I was born on a farm.

Johnny:They grew me like a watermelon.

Johnny:See, that's cozy.

Argyle:I didn't say I was born on a farm.

Argyle:I said I came from like a farm.

Argyle:It's different.

Anzu:I was born in a nest.

Benny:Oh, yeah, that guy in there got blown up, too, and he'll point to the direction of the shop.

Argyle:That is.

Johnny:I was born in, like, a small sort of village residential hospital.

Argyle:Oh.

Johnny:So...

Argyle:And then everything got blown up.

Johnny:Well, yeah, it's kind of... What?

Anzu:That was a little cold, but...

Argyle:Yeah.

Johnny:Oh, well, no, he was out of Raelion, too.

Johnny:That's why he's around.

Benny:Oh, that makes sense.

Argyle:Citadel.

Johnny:You know how you guys are from Belvedere, but you're not in Belvedere right now?

Johnny:Or whatever the place on the map is called.

Anzu:yeah yeah

Gamemaster:Let's change the country.

Benny:Austrene.

Johnny:Yeah, you know how you guys are from... You know you're from Austrene, but you're not in Austrene right now?

Johnny:It'd be like... It'd be like if, you know, we're all having breakfast, then all of a sudden someone's like, hey, your entire country's gone, and be like, ahhh!

Benny:I'm wrestling with the concept.

Johnny:You'd still be Austrene.

Argyle:Where were you?

Argyle:Where were you again when it happened?

Johnny:I was just over the border.

Johnny:I lived on Helmstier, from Helmstier.

Johnny:It was like a little town up in the mountains.

Johnny:It was like right on the border.

Argyle:And you were a barkeep?

Johnny:go back yeah i ran a tab in there it's called the last stop it was pretty nice what was the joke right because it's like everyone it was the last stop and everyone's night so they'd all end up there was the last stop it's kind of small town yeah that too

Argyle:Last stop to what?

Argyle:Yeah, I thought it was going to be left on the train.

Benny:Oh, my interpretation.

Benny:My interpretation was because it was on the border is like the last stop before leaving slash entering either country.

Johnny:Sort of multifaceted.

Benny:I should write names.

Johnny:Sort of like a multifaceted joke.

Anzu:That's kind of double, almost triple entendre.

Johnny:It's very layered.

Anzu:Very good.

Johnny:Like an onion.

Johnny:I'm something of a poet.

Anzu:I heard.

Anzu:Actually, I enjoyed some of your poems yesterday.

Johnny:All right.

Johnny:I'll write you one too, Anzu.

Johnny:Don't you worry.

Anzu:All right.

Benny:The pulse spoke to me last night.

Gamemaster:you

Argyle:The what?

Johnny:Thank you.

Johnny:Wait, wait, time out, time out.

Benny:Oh, wait, wait.

Johnny:Are we just walking down the street?

Anzu:I stumble.

Johnny:I just pause, I bounce face.

Anzu:Benny, you gotta give us a warning before you ruffle our feathers like that.

Johnny:What?

Benny:Yeah, the pulse spoke to me last night.

Johnny:Wait, wait, wait.

Argyle:Okay.

Anzu:Uh, what did they have to say to you?

Benny:I should be more careful and it's kind of dangerous and they want to keep me alive.

Benny:So I got this.

Benny:Then Benny will pull out a now glowing sickle.

Gamemaster:Sorry, it's a sickle?

Gamemaster:I thought you were going to empower your pick.

Benny:Sorry, sorry, not sickle.

Benny:Yeah, the pick.

Johnny:What?

Gamemaster:Okay.

Johnny:What?

Johnny:So, the pulse, what does it do now?

Johnny:I'll poke it.

Benny:I don't know.

Johnny:Ow, I poked the pointy end.

Benny:I guess we'll have to find out.

Johnny:Anyone else have any crazy dreams where they now have glowing items?

Anzu:Wow, you make quick work of this.

Gamemaster:So all of your raiments would be slightly larger today than they were yesterday.

Argyle:Yeah.

Argyle:Argyle pulls out a new business card.

Johnny:Nice.

Argyle:Oh, my licensing came through, so the doctor's bolded.

Argyle:And yeah, so there you go.

Argyle:I also got, I added Iconoclasm, so.

Argyle:Oh yeah, I have a guy.

Anzu:I'm just glad my bird is here.

Benny:Weren't you borrowing money today to get the armor and... Oh?

Argyle:This is complimentary with the Scale.

Johnny:Oh, they just give you free business cards?

Johnny:That's kind of cool, actually.

Johnny:It's a nice perk.

Argyle:Well, it's actually covered by my parents.

Johnny:Whose names are business cards?

Argyle:They know it's one of my passions.

Benny:You have two parents?

Argyle:Yeah.

Johnny:What are their names?

Argyle:That's classified.

Argyle:They're operatives of the Scale.

Anzu:I could have told you that that was going to be the answer.

Gamemaster:You do?

Johnny:Yeah.

Argyle:Yeah.

Benny:Gil's very non-transparent for a law body.

Argyle:Out of character.

Argyle:I would tell you their names.

Argyle:I don't know if I have them.

Johnny:Parents are their names.

Argyle:Oh.

Benny:Parent 1 and Parent 2, that's all I can disclose.

Argyle:Yeah, can you just say it?

Benny:The rest is rejected.

Gamemaster:You have both parents and their names.

Gamemaster:Do you want me to just say them?

Johnny:Parental unit one.

Argyle:I would say it.

Gamemaster:It's Aaron and Joran.

Argyle:Okay.

Argyle:Yes.

Argyle:Those are their names.

Benny:This is just to confuse you.

Gamemaster:Aaron Cross and Joran... I want to say Davinrock?

Gamemaster:They have different last names.

Gamemaster:Yeah, Davinrock.

Argyle:Oh, I see it.

Argyle:Yeah, there's just so many names I was scared of reading the wrong one.

Argyle:Yes.

Argyle:There are all the members of the Scale because he knows them all.

Gamemaster:Fair.

Johnny:There's no commas or anything either.

Gamemaster:But before the session, I sent him a list of 400 names.

Gamemaster:No context or anything, just...

Benny:Jorge is like, I read all, I don't know what those were.

Gamemaster:And I didn't separate them either.

Gamemaster:It's all like one line, so we can't tell where one name starts and the next one ends, because a lot of people have two first names.

Gamemaster:So, you know.

Argyle:It's a space injury.

Benny:Do we get to the junkyard?

Johnny:your jet.

Gamemaster:Yeah, absolutely.

Argyle:Well, I probably could just start doing some surgeries.

Argyle:They're probably going to make me some money.

Gamemaster:Also, you guys can do downtime activities to make money.

Gamemaster:That is a thing that Pathfinder has rules for, if you want them to.

Gamemaster:But, if you want to go to the scrapyard...

Argyle:Yeah.

Gamemaster:So you had been given the address to Sableclutch Scrap, Sableclutch being one of the neighborhoods kind of nearby to where you were.

Gamemaster:This scrapyard is also similarly down the horizon a little bit in the other direction.

Gamemaster:So you guys are making good use of the public transportation in Hallia as you just kind of take the tram one way and then the next.

Gamemaster:This is similarly not a fantastic part of town.

Gamemaster:The difference being is that Sableclutch tends to have a bunch of more religious areas.

Gamemaster:There are quite a few churches.

Gamemaster:Mostly to the host, but also to a smattering of other gods in this area.

Anzu:Sorry.

Gamemaster:Bless you, don't do it again.

Gamemaster:But you find your way down.

Gamemaster:Void 3.

Gamemaster:I would love it, actually, if all of you could make a will save swarm it, please.

Anzu:Jeez.

Johnny:I've rolled twice tonight.

Gamemaster:Sick.

Johnny:I already have three mythic points, so I'm going to use one of them and reroll that.

Benny:Okay.

Gamemaster:Nice.

Argyle:I guess I will reroll.

Johnny:That's better.

Johnny:There we go.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Wow.

Anzu:Nice try, Josh.

Benny:Yeah, join the club, Tanner.

Argyle:I got 26.

Argyle:Yeah.

Johnny:Wow.

Gamemaster:Cool.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Great.

Gamemaster:Thank you for rolling those.

Gamemaster:I guess we were just practicing rolling dice for a little bit.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:You take the tram voidward a little bit to get onto the strata of the city that the scrapyard is in.

Gamemaster:You pass through definitely what look to be some kind of slums before you get to...

Gamemaster:It's strange, because geographically, you know that you are still relatively close to the center of the city, but there's a lot of undeveloped land when you head in this direction on the horizon.

Gamemaster:So it's like you've instantly walked into the very far outskirts.

Gamemaster:You know that this part of town, on this part of the horizon, voidward, is mostly, like, factories that want to be able to just dump shit into the river that runs through Hallia without having to worry about getting people sick or, like, lawsuits or anything like that.

Johnny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:So they move a little bit downward.

Gamemaster:And the scrapyard here, which, you know, nobody cares about the smell because nobody really lives here.

Gamemaster:And so you get to what is a relatively expansive, at this part, looking junkyard, effectively.

Gamemaster:You see literal mountains of trash.

Gamemaster:But near the front, close to the sign that says Sableclutch Scrap, you can see that there is, it looks like two people currently operating this large device.

Gamemaster:It looks kind of like a crane, except instead of a hook on the end of it, it's this huge hunk of what looks to be like a shaped metal that they are currently using.

Gamemaster:You see one of the people pushing down a lever

Gamemaster:It is in the process of flattening an old car.

Gamemaster:It is much too loud for them to notice you walk into the scrapyard.

Gamemaster:And also, if you look a little further down, it looks like people are currently unloading stuff.

Gamemaster:So nobody's going to immediately run up to you and say who you are or anything like that.

Gamemaster:But the index card would have called out specifically Copperjaw as the person that Anouk knows.

Johnny:I'm just going to cast musical accompaniment as we walk in.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Johnny:Just...

Gamemaster:Good.

Argyle:You know, I just want to address something earlier from the walk.

Gamemaster:That's what you want when you arrive at a new location.

Argyle:You guys looked at me like I'm crazy for getting new business cards.

Argyle:He got a glowing pick from a god.

Argyle:This other guy got two fans.

Benny:Free.

Johnny:I found one of my birds Well technically that was his... technically that was his bird technically that was his bird Found the bird

Argyle:And then you got a bird.

Benny:He'll wave it around.

Benny:Free.

Benny:How much was the bird?

Argyle:Yeah, mine's a friend too.

Benny:He'll turn to the two birds.

Benny:How much was the bird?

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Anzu:I didn't buy the bird.

Anzu:I don't know.

Anzu:He's kind of... He doesn't talk, no.

Argyle:gift from your parents?

Benny:Does he talk?

Anzu:But sometimes I could view through his eyes.

Benny:Gross.

Johnny:Oh!

Anzu:We have a special connection.

Johnny:Aw.

Johnny:That's sweet.

Benny:Okay.

Johnny:Oh, God, if you're jealous of the fans, you can borrow one.

Argyle:I don't think I'd

Argyle:It'd be good for me or the fans.

Johnny:What's the name of the guy we're looking for again?

Johnny:Copper... Oh, it's Romantic.

Anzu:Jaw.

Gamemaster:Copperjaw.

Johnny:Cockajaw!

Johnny:Uh, hello.

Johnny:Anaïs sent us.

Gamemaster:Yeah, if you're just yelling out into the void, I think with the word Copperjaw, you would see that one of the two people that are currently operating the Crusher.

Gamemaster:will turn around, and you immediately see why his name is Copperjaw.

Gamemaster:This is a dwarven man.

Gamemaster:He looks like he's been in a fight for 40.

Gamemaster:Like, mashed up, misshapen nose.

Gamemaster:Black Eye, so it seems that he's still getting into fights at whatever age he is.

Gamemaster:He looks like maybe the end of middle age, starting to get elderly.

Gamemaster:By dwarven terms, you know that's close to 120, 130 years old.

Gamemaster:around there.

Gamemaster:But the thing that's immediately striking is he doesn't have a bottom jaw.

Gamemaster:It appears to have been replaced with a hunk of copper vaguely in the shape of a jaw as some kind of very crudely done prosthetic for whatever got rid of the jaw in the first place.

Gamemaster:He turns around, like, yells something at the other person who's operating the crane.

Gamemaster:Some string of profanities that somehow translates into stop making so much noise so I can talk to these people.

Gamemaster:And I'll turn around and say, fuck you on.

Johnny:Uh, Anaïs sent us, they said that, uh, I don't, isn't that Anaïs is the woman?

Gamemaster:Onnick is the woman.

Johnny:Uh, Anaïs sent us, he said you always needed some folks for some jobs.

Johnny:We're looking to make a little money.

Gamemaster:Shit, okay.

Gamemaster:I mean... Can you fight?

Gamemaster:He's looking at the nine-year-old when he says this.

Johnny:Yeah.

Benny:yes nice to meet you yeah nice to meet you and in one hand he'll pull out the permission slip and he'll reach out his other hand to shake his hand does does he shake benny's hand and does he check the permission slip

Johnny:Oh, he's, uh,

Johnny:Actually, the bird and me are not really fighters, but the big man and the little man are.

Anzu:He has a permission slip, so it's actually allowed.

Argyle:As he shakes his hand, pulls out a gun.

Gamemaster:He doesn't check the permission slip.

Gamemaster:He does not care about it.

Gamemaster:He will shake your hand, though.

Benny:he is he i mean you can react it it feels like a strong full-grown man shaking his hand very unfortunately intense

Gamemaster:Make an athletics check.

Gamemaster:Because Copperjaw is the kind of man that he doesn't care that you're 9.

Gamemaster:If he feels a strong grip, he's going to immediately try and do the... You know the thing when somebody grabs your hand and rubs the knuckles so they kind of move against each other?

Johnny:Oh, that hurts.

Gamemaster:He's going to try and do that.

Gamemaster:What did you get?

Gamemaster:A 10?

Gamemaster:Um...

Gamemaster:Yeah, unfortunately that isn't going to be high enough.

Johnny:This is a child.

Gamemaster:He feels this child try and shake his hand, and he can definitely tell that there's strength behind it, so there's a moment of surprise, and then it's immediately an insult to him that he was surprised by the strength of the handshake, and so he just goes full-on trying to regain whatever honor he thinks he lost by rubbing your knuckles back and forth so they grind against each other.

Gamemaster:It's not pleasant.

Gamemaster:He seems pleased with himself that he could do it.

Gamemaster:I'll say, okay.

Gamemaster:Listen, that's fine.

Gamemaster:Would you lot rather guard something or move something?

Argyle:What pays better?

Gamemaster:I'm moving something.

Benny:Where do we do more damage?

Argyle:Let's do moving.

Gamemaster:Ideally, if you're moving stuff, you don't have to do any damage.

Gamemaster:I'll give you...

Argyle:Well, yeah.

Gamemaster:100 gold pieces.

Argyle:He said a grant?

Gamemaster:A smooth grand to move something along to somebody who's been waiting on him to pick up and he hasn't been around lately.

Gamemaster:So I think you should bring it to him.

Gamemaster:A grand is in silver pieces.

Gamemaster:It's 100 gold.

Argyle:That's fair.

Benny:And for the guarding?

Johnny:Where do we need to move from point A to point B?

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:For the gardening, I'll give you 70 gold.

Argyle:What do we have to guard?

Argyle:Can we just guard the thing while we do the other thing?

Gamemaster:No.

Gamemaster:I've got, and he will, he's got like a little bit of an office setup, like what looks to be a storage container that he's converted into a kind of office near the front that he'll like motion for you to follow him and he'll waddle off towards it.

Gamemaster:And he'll come back with a metal suitcase that looks like it's been locked.

Gamemaster:And there is currently a handcuff.

Gamemaster:One half of it is on the handle of the suitcase.

Gamemaster:And then the other half is open.

Gamemaster:And he'll say, I'll lock this to one of you.

Gamemaster:I'll give you the address of where it needs to go.

Gamemaster:He'll be able to unlock it for you when you get there.

Benny:Will the handcuffs fit around my wrist?

Gamemaster:Yeah, they're magic.

Benny:Perfect.

Benny:And I'll put his hand out.

Anzu:Wait, can you...

Gamemaster:All right.

Argyle:It's already locked.

Johnny:Like...

Benny:They're not going to bother a kid with a briefcase.

Benny:I've got places to be.

Benny:And he'll walk around like he's going to win.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:Can I get just like a quick athletics check?

Gamemaster:Actually, no, I lied.

Gamemaster:A fort save.

Gamemaster:26.

Benny:What did they order?

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:Okay, so this is on you, Benny.

Gamemaster:This thing is heavy.

Gamemaster:You can carry it.

Gamemaster:You're at least as strong as a fully grown man.

Gamemaster:You're pretty confident, though, that if you let go of it, it would make a small crater in the ground as you drop it.

Gamemaster:It's up to you if you want to do that.

Benny:What did they order?

Benny:Tungsten?

Gamemaster:He says, you're not supposed to ask what's in it.

Gamemaster:You're just supposed to deliver it.

Argyle:It's a solidified magic.

Anzu:That's a leap.

Benny:Clever man.

Argyle:That's why it's so heavy.

Anzu:Copperjaw, I have a question.

Anzu:Your preface to this job was asking us if we can fight.

Anzu:What do you expect us to run into?

Anzu:Are we going somewhere dangerous?

Anzu:Are there people looking for this thing?

Gamemaster:So I legitimately surprised you asked.

Gamemaster:I thought it would be funnier if I just sent you off there and then you got jumped.

Gamemaster:So there have been two folks who have been coming around interested in this particular piece of hardware.

Gamemaster:I can turn them around when they're in my scrapyard.

Gamemaster:I don't feel nearly as confident being able to do that when I don't have a Giant crusher behind me.

Gamemaster:So I imagine they're going to know once you've left and they're going to find an opportune point on the trek to try and take that for a move.

Anzu:Hmm.

Argyle:Do they come from the group?

Johnny:Can you give us some more details on who these mysterious hooligans are?

Johnny:Oh.

Gamemaster:I cannot.

Gamemaster:It's two different people each time.

Gamemaster:I just know they always come in pairs.

Johnny:Interesting.

Johnny:Hmm.

Argyle:Oh.

Argyle:Like Michelin food tasters.

Argyle:I don't say that because they don't exist in this world.

Gamemaster:You don't know that.

Gamemaster:Actually, cars do exist.

Gamemaster:And as such, tire companies exist.

Argyle:What's the name of a big tire company?

Gamemaster:So... Chorath.

Argyle:Like Chorath.

Gamemaster:Chorath.

Gamemaster:The Chorath Guide.

Argyle:Food chasers.

Johnny:Tora, I've heard about them trying to sell more guides.

Gamemaster:Is that true?

Argyle:Yeah.

Argyle:It's kind of rigged because you actually have to pay them for them to come to your city.

Argyle:That's why there's none in the Citadel.

Johnny:Oh.

Argyle:We have good food, though.

Argyle:I promise.

Argyle:Actually, yeah.

Johnny:Yeah, the city of...

Johnny:The city of Denver paid a lot of money to get Michelin stars, and there's a whole big hullabaloo because there's a really popular restaurant that's like five feet outside the city line.

Johnny:And so even though it was probably deserving of it, they didn't even get looked at.

Gamemaster:Nice.

Gamemaster:Oh boy.

Argyle:All right, so let's go.

Gamemaster:Either way, yeah.

Anzu:Wait, do we know where we're going?

Johnny:Well, where are we going?

Benny:Point B, you guys said.

Gamemaster:You don't.

Gamemaster:He will give you the address.

Gamemaster:This is... He gives you the address and points out on a map...

Gamemaster:I think three of you aren't from around here, so you're not really familiar with it.

Gamemaster:So it's really just Johnny who would know this particular location.

Gamemaster:He gives you an address in the Diamond District, which you would know is a relatively upscale part of the city.

Gamemaster:It is the equivalent of the...

Gamemaster:gold district in New York.

Gamemaster:It's where a lot of jewelers and fine metal shops are and the like.

Gamemaster:Yes?

Argyle:So it's not equivalent to the Diamond District in New York?

Gamemaster:No.

Argyle:Okay.

Gamemaster:Which is right next to it, so it's basically the same.

Gamemaster:But I was thinking of, like, that particular stretch of Fifth Ave where they sell all of the gold, because that's where all of the Jews live in the city.

Argyle:Yeah.

Gamemaster:It's there on the east side.

Gamemaster:Either way, you know, fancy, like, relatively upscale jewelry place that happens to be near some high-end residential areas as well.

Gamemaster:i'll say if you get there uh just tell the doorman um they'll unlock it for you and take it for you they're not going to let you further into the building but we'll know what it is short

Anzu:oh thanks

Argyle:All right.

Johnny:Well, gentlemen, I'll look at my group.

Johnny:Line up.

Johnny:We need to clean up a little bit before we get over there.

Johnny:I'll start prestidigitation-ing everyone, clean them off a little bit.

Johnny:Floof up, Othello.

Benny:Benny's hair gets nicely quaffed.

Benny:He is now like a polished young boy.

Gamemaster:Of course.

Johnny:Just a little sparkle.

Argyle:Are you paying us $50 now and $50 there when we get back?

Gamemaster:No.

Gamemaster:Your pay is what you get from him.

Argyle:Oh, he's gonna pass.

Johnny:Oh, he's paying.

Gamemaster:He'll pay you.

Johnny:All right.

Argyle:Good to know.

Johnny:Excellent.

Johnny:And just to confirm, the guy we're meeting, what does he look like?

Gamemaster:The guy you're meeting, you're going to see the doorman in the building.

Gamemaster:He'll be, I don't know, some red bellhop shit.

Gamemaster:I don't know what their uniform looks like.

Gamemaster:The client that you're handing it to is not going to show his face to the likes of you.

Argyle:Anyone?

Argyle:Any doorman that can open this is the doorman for us, as long as they gave us the money.

Gamemaster:It'll be a specific person.

Gamemaster:He'll have a wax seal-looking thing that he presses and it unlocks.

Gamemaster:You'll know you found the guy.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Argyle:Sounds good.

Argyle:Cool.

Argyle:How are you getting paid?

Johnny:Alright.

Gamemaster:You already paid me to make this.

Johnny:Oh.

Argyle:Oh, you made it here.

Gamemaster:You're getting paid to deliver it.

Argyle:I see.

Argyle:Very cool.

Argyle:And what was it that he paid you to make again?

Anzu:Oh, we're not supposed to ask that.

Argyle:You're right.

Gamemaster:You can ask as much as you like.

Argyle:You're right.

Gamemaster:You're just not going to get the answer.

Argyle:All right.

Johnny:I like you, Copperjaw.

Johnny:I think we're gonna be friends.

Johnny:I'll take my sunglasses down.

Gamemaster:Sure.

Johnny:Let's ride!

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:All right.

Gamemaster:So, Benny, you're the one with the suitcase handcuffed to you.

Gamemaster:So if you need to fight, you have a suitcase around an arm.

Johnny:Thank you.

Benny:Oh, I wasn't planning on making attacks with that arm.

Gamemaster:Before you guys leave, you're going to take a penalty to make attacks with that arm.

Anzu:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Okay, sure.

Gamemaster:That's fine.

Gamemaster:Great.

Argyle:He's two weapons.

Benny:He has one weapon now.

Gamemaster:He actually...

Argyle:And one of them is a crater.

Gamemaster:Right now, he actually has five weapons, if you count... No, six, if you count the briefcase.

Gamemaster:Because he started out with two picks and a longsword.

Gamemaster:He has the silver knife that you guys stole from the silverware.

Gamemaster:He has the coat pistol that he was just given.

Gamemaster:And also, like, bludgeoning object, the briefcase.

Benny:And I gave him a pistol, yeah.

Gamemaster:And you got another gun, right?

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Benny:Oh, before we leave the junkyard, do you want to give me a gun?

Benny:And he'll point with his free hand.

Argyle:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Roll a diplomacy check.

Johnny:She's asking for guns now.

Johnny:Anyway, we go.

Johnny:Do you want to get this child a gun?

Benny:Five.

Gamemaster:He'll look at you and he'll say, Shit, kid.

Gamemaster:I know you're about to get in a fight and all, but I don't just have guns I can hand out.

Gamemaster:I need all three of mine for myself.

Benny:Yeah.

Benny:Well, some people do.

Benny:And then I'll just turn it off.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Anzu:Josh, any travel that we do that doesn't involve being in a trolley, Othello is going to follow us in the sky.

Anzu:I don't know, like 100 feet up, I guess.

Gamemaster:Yep.

Anzu:Just keeping a lookout for things.

Anzu:He can communicate with me empathically, so he can't say words, but I assume he could warn me of potential danger.

Anzu:And he does have, I think, a perception.

Gamemaster:Yes, sir.

Gamemaster:One second.

Anzu:Is that true?

Gamemaster:Yeah, his perception is two.

Gamemaster:I believe.

Gamemaster:Plus two.

Anzu:I feel like it was a little higher than that.

Gamemaster:I thought it was plus two.

Anzu:I'm seeing six.

Gamemaster:I will trust you over me.

Gamemaster:That's fine.

Gamemaster:I don't know where the... Oh, sorry.

Gamemaster:I actually have plus five for perception.

Gamemaster:Either way.

Gamemaster:Sure.

Gamemaster:We'll just go with the plus six that you have.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Argyle:Do you need me to carry you so you can look through his eyes?

Anzu:Well, I can't do it.

Argyle:You're probably as light as a feather, so it's fine.

Anzu:I am incredibly light, but I can't do it constantly.

Benny:Thank you.

Anzu:So it's not, for this purpose, it's not as useful.

Argyle:That's good.

Anzu:As far as the mechanics of that ability go, I can spend one minute looking through his eyes every 10 minutes.

Argyle:Gotcha.

Gamemaster:It's up to one minute.

Johnny:Does that have to be like one full consecutive minute?

Anzu:I feel like if I end it early, I just have to wait again.

Johnny:Is it?

Anzu:Right.

Johnny:Okay.

Gamemaster:But it's once every ten minutes.

Gamemaster:So it's not like one minute and then ten minutes and then one minute and then ten minutes.

Gamemaster:I think it's one minute and then nine minutes.

Gamemaster:Because it's like within a ten minute period.

Gamemaster:So, you know.

Anzu:Yeah, the timer starts immediately.

Johnny:As we were walking over there, I'm going to, I'm going to use that stream right back.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:I'm going to step away, too, if he's doing it.

Anzu:Shoot.

Anzu:Alright, I guess I'll see you guys in a minute.

Anzu:I'm going to go too.

Benny:i'll stay here yeah fair enough

Argyle:Mike, it wasn't until that conversation with the guy that I think I realized what your character is.

Argyle:I'm not going to say it, but I'm pretty sure I know what it is.

Argyle:That's my guess.

Argyle:I don't know if it's right.

Argyle:I don't want you to confirm it.

Benny:I will confirm.

Benny:I will confirm or deny.

Argyle:Yeah, yeah.

Argyle:I'm purposely not saying it in case anyone has their mic on.

Argyle:Also, I love how your character's dad's name is Atum, like the first man.

Argyle:He's definitely some evil, evil necromancer.

Benny:Well, I mean, there's meaning behind every name that I pick.

Benny:I mean, for every character for campaigns, I should say.

Benny:I guess Combo did have a fun name origin.

Benny:But there's definitely, like, I took things and put them together for pretty much all the names in my backstory.

Argyle:I made a guess on Mike's character.

Benny:Hello.

Gamemaster:What a mess.

Gamemaster:You think he's a shinny?

Argyle:I didn't want a confirmation or deny.

Argyle:Yeah.

Argyle:Actually, he's a pug.

Gamemaster:I get that.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Johnny:Mike's actually a pug.

Johnny:A little pug guy.

Johnny:Soft spot.

Gamemaster:He's a Pug guy wearing a people suit.

Anzu:Nice.

Benny:Hey, I'm the bug guy.

Johnny:Terrifying.

Johnny:Ayy.

Johnny:It's the guy from Jorge's Space One-Shot.

Gamemaster:He's a human pretending to be a robot pretending to be a human?

Gamemaster:Or something like that?

Argyle:My favorite was how you immediately were annoyed at him.

Johnny:Not enough layers.

Gamemaster:I would say it's a dumb character, but I remember him, so... Yeah.

Argyle:You're like, what a fucking idiot.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Dumb.

Gamemaster:And I stand by it.

Gamemaster:Too many layers.

Johnny:So we're walking over there.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:So you're walking over there.

Gamemaster:You've got eyes in the sky.

Gamemaster:Sure.

Argyle:I'll also be looking out.

Gamemaster:I want a perception check then from you and from the bird, I suppose.

Anzu:Othello.

Johnny:I'm just going to be asking Benny questions as we're walking.

Anzu:Path builder.

Johnny:Do you have, like, a favorite toy?

Johnny:Like, a favorite TV show?

Johnny:TV thing.

Benny:I think we were just pre-TV or just starting TV.

Gamemaster:Yeah, we don't really have TV.

Gamemaster:You'd have radio shows.

Johnny:You got, like, a favorite radio show?

Johnny:Oh, you got any... You ever read Tov?

Benny:I like comics.

Benny:No.

Johnny:Got a big gun arm.

Benny:Oh.

Johnny:I don't know if I can hear that.

Gamemaster:That's canon.

Gamemaster:Tarv is cross-sphere.

Gamemaster:No, I don't know how Tarv would have gotten here.

Gamemaster:We'll say it's convergent evolution.

Gamemaster:They just independently came up with Tarv.

Argyle:I got it.

Benny:every society that has both advanced entertainment and advanced firearms creates a tarv comic

Johnny:There's always a tower.

Gamemaster:Yep.

Johnny:I mean, at some point, there's always someone with a gun for an arm.

Gamemaster:Yep.

Johnny:You ever read Tav?

Johnny:He's pretty fun.

Argyle:I got 21.

Anzu:Buffalo got a 17.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:absolutely uh so at this point like you guys have been wandering around you've been negotiating and stuff it's starting to get a little later um there are people out as you like walk back to the trolley so it's not like you're just looking out for oh you know there's those two are particularly suspicious it's more trying to figure out you know what's what's going on i will say

Gamemaster:I think something you will note is that you guys do definitely draw at least a little bit of attention, because there is a nine-year-old with a suitcase chained to his arm walking around, which is, like, you know, it's a magical society.

Gamemaster:It's not strange to see, like, bird people and the like, so that doesn't raise any eyes.

Argyle:And he has a six foot five bodyguard.

Gamemaster:Right.

Gamemaster:It's the combination of the adults walking around the nine-year-old with the briefcase chained to his arm that kind of raises a little bit of a... Yeah, I think if anything, that makes it worse.

Johnny:It's all right.

Johnny:He offered.

Johnny:He offered to do it.

Johnny:He offered to do this one first.

Gamemaster:With a 21, I think you...

Gamemaster:would also note that of the people that are kind of just being like, huh, that's strange.

Gamemaster:As you walk by an alley, you do note somebody that notices you and then doesn't do the whole look, see, huh, what's going on, and then go back to whatever they were doing.

Gamemaster:They kind of follow you as you walk by.

Gamemaster:They are also in the shadows of the alley enough that you can't actually really make out details about them.

Argyle:Or go into the alley and kill them.

Johnny:We immediately turn.

Gamemaster:that you were a warrior for justice.

Johnny:Yeah.

Argyle:I'm kidding.

Argyle:I'll keep going.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Johnny:Just clock it and keep going.

Gamemaster:Okay, yeah, that's fine.

Gamemaster:You can do that if you want.

Gamemaster:You guys keep heading down towards the trolley area.

Gamemaster:I need another... Actually, before we do this, I'd love if I could get a marching order from you guys as you are walking through these streets.

Argyle:I'll go first.

Johnny:I think I'm next to Benny because I'm just asking him questions, trying to decipher if this boy has any childhood.

Benny:Oh, we can have the two scouts go first then.

Johnny:Two and two.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Benny:The fake surgeon and the bird.

Benny:He's a real surgeon.

Johnny:Hey.

Benny:He's just not what he seems he is.

Argyle:Okay.

Argyle:What?

Anzu:What he's saying is that the fake is not a qualifier of surgeon.

Anzu:It's more of a general qualifier.

Gamemaster:He's fake and a surgeon.

Argyle:Why do you think I'm fake?

Benny:This is about your character, Jorge.

Benny:I don't know why you're replying like this.

Argyle:Why do you think my character's fake?

Argyle:What do you think's fake about him?

Argyle:His elven-like features?

Argyle:He could be an elf.

Johnny:He's an elf in the mic.

Johnny:Why didn't you say elf then?

Argyle:Yeah, he could be an elf.

Johnny:But then why didn't you just say he was an elf?

Argyle:I'm just saying he's elven-like.

Argyle:You don't know his race.

Benny:Anyways, that's the marching order, Josh.

Gamemaster:Okay, that's fine.

Benny:I need his third name.

Gamemaster:Then I would love it if Johnny could make a perception check for me, please.

Johnny:Oh.

Johnny:I will do that.

Johnny:Come on.

Johnny:Yeah, 22.

Gamemaster:22.

Gamemaster:Okay, so as you guys pass the alley with a 22, you will note that somebody slides out of the alley and is kind of...

Gamemaster:following you.

Gamemaster:And as you, like, hit another bunch of people, we'll attempt to stick their hand into your pocket.

Gamemaster:See if there's anything fun in there.

Johnny:In my pocket.

Gamemaster:Mm-hmm.

Johnny:Can I actually pocket my pants or pocket my jacket?

Gamemaster:Whichever would be easier for somebody to grab out of.

Gamemaster:So probably your jacket.

Johnny:Okay.

Johnny:I'll wait until the hand is in there and then grab the hand and say, what are you doing there, friend?

Gamemaster:Okay.

Argyle:I immediately reach for my axe.

Gamemaster:There is... Okay.

Gamemaster:The arm that you've grabbed has this, like, greenish shade to it, and you note that it goes to a body that is, like, shorter than you.

Gamemaster:And I think your first reaction would be, oh, this is, like, some kid that I've just grabbed.

Gamemaster:But as you, like, turn around to look at them, it's not a kid.

Gamemaster:This is a, like, late 20s-looking goblin.

Argyle:He brought the goblet.

Gamemaster:kind of like dressed in it looks like workman's overalls but like really tattered workman's overalls and they will immediately they're going to make an athletics check to try and rip their hand out of your grip so

Johnny:I will let it go, but can I try to demoralize him as he does this?

Gamemaster:Yeah, sure.

Gamemaster:That's fine.

Johnny:As he does this, I will just let it go and say, keep the hand.

Johnny:You probably won't have it much longer.

Johnny:I will wink and try to demoralize him.

Gamemaster:Yeah, roll a performance check.

Argyle:Did he get anything with it?

Johnny:Nah, I keep my money in my pockets.

Gamemaster:Yes, Tanner.

Anzu:As soon as, like, I guess we all kind of hear this starting to happen, my eyes are fixed on the briefcase.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:15.

Johnny:I only passed once I got a 15.

Johnny:I think I caught my jacket.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:That is not a success.

Gamemaster:They are not demoralized.

Gamemaster:But I am still going to roll that athletics check to see if they can break out of your career.

Gamemaster:And then we're just there just thinking to see if there's anything fun to grab there.

Argyle:You know, in the Citadel, if you're God-stealing, they cut off your hands.

Johnny:that's very code of him robbing over there uh my fourth dc is a that's is it 10 plus the my fourth save

Argyle:I'm kidding.

Argyle:They don't.

Gamemaster:I rolled very well.

Gamemaster:They got a 23 against your... What is this even against?

Gamemaster:This is against your 4th DC.

Gamemaster:Yeah, it's 10 plus your 4th modifier.

Johnny:Uh, so it's not a crate.

Argyle:Can I trip him?

Johnny:It's not a crate, but it does exceed my fort's 15.

Gamemaster:You cannot trip him.

Gamemaster:You're too far ahead right now.

Argyle:Gotcha.

Gamemaster:Because this is happening very quickly.

Argyle:Yeah, no worries.

Gamemaster:Okay, so he does succeed.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Johnny:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Then immediately pulls the hand back and will start to run away.

Gamemaster:Does not want to be involved in this if you caught them.

Johnny:Uh,

Johnny:Nah, we'll go after him.

Johnny:I'll throw a telekinetic projectile at him.

Gamemaster:Okay, sure.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Anzu:That's it.

Gamemaster:Roll an attack roll.

Johnny:Plus eight.

Argyle:Hopefully it's not a reverse pickpocket and put a grenade in your pocket.

Johnny:Ah, I'm rolling terribly.

Johnny:I got a ten.

Gamemaster:You hear a ticking sound from your pocket.

Gamemaster:A 10, unfortunately, is a miss.

Johnny:Oh, good.

Gamemaster:You launch a pebble off the street right at their head, and they just duck and keep running.

Gamemaster:They've made it back into the alley that they were hanging out in the first.

Anzu:Has anyone gone for the briefcase while this has happened?

Johnny:Should we go after him?

Gamemaster:No.

Argyle:Let's keep going.

Benny:Thank you.

Johnny:Keep going.

Anzu:Could be a coincidence.

Johnny:Keep watch on.

Argyle:Do you have anything in your pocket?

Gamemaster:Okay, absolutely.

Johnny:In that one, no.

Johnny:I only have... I'll keep on my goal.

Argyle:I meant, do you want to check to see if you put something in there?

Gamemaster:Roll a perception check if you're checking in that pocket again.

Johnny:Oh.

Gamemaster:Oh, the 23, like, reaching around in the jacket.

Argyle:Yeah, what if you put like a tracker or something?

Johnny:Oh.

Johnny:Fair.

Johnny:Good point.

Johnny:23.

Gamemaster:No, it doesn't look like they added anything.

Argyle:Okay.

Gamemaster:As best you can tell.

Gamemaster:Um, can I get a perception check, uh, from Anzu, since you said that you were, like, not keeping Anaïs on them, but keeping Anaïs on your shit?

Anzu:Yeah.

Anzu:The bird is better than me at perceiving.

Anzu:I have a five.

Anzu:Eighteen.

Gamemaster:18.

Gamemaster:Uh, okay.

Gamemaster:Um...

Gamemaster:With an 18, you're keeping Anaïs on your stuff to see if anybody else has come for it.

Gamemaster:Nobody tried to grab it in the confusion or anything like that, but you would be the first to note that you guys caused a little bit of a commotion as this happened, and it looks like two cops from further down the way saw that and are heading in more direction right now.

Gamemaster:Um, with an 18, you'd be able to identify them.

Johnny:Uh...

Gamemaster:Uh, these guys are, they're not with threshold authority.

Gamemaster:Uh, threshold authority has, like, this, like, greenish uniform and a big TA on it.

Gamemaster:Uh, these guys are with black line.

Gamemaster:Um, which is, uh, they generally police, uh...

Gamemaster:you know, nicer parts of the city.

Gamemaster:So they do stand out a little bit while they're here.

Gamemaster:But they are like in full uniform.

Gamemaster:You can see both of them have what appear to be like some kind of baton at their side.

Gamemaster:They're like firearms or anything like that.

Gamemaster:But they do seem to be approaching you right now.

Johnny:I'll puff myself up a little bit, look indignant, and say, officers, are you not going to go after this hooligan that is trying to rob me in broad daylight?

Gamemaster:Roll a diplomacy check.

Anzu:Thank you.

Johnny:Gosh, I'm going to use a mythic point.

Johnny:That should have been plus 16.

Johnny:So 20 plus another 8.

Johnny:What is that?

Johnny:27?

Gamemaster:27.

Gamemaster:Okay, so you will see that you shout out, go after that guy that just tried to pickpocket me.

Gamemaster:And they'll both look at each other, and they're walking close enough that they can talk to you at this point.

Gamemaster:They don't seem to have sped up anymore, but they will say, do you have a subscription to Blackline?

Anzu:Thank you.

Johnny:No, but I feel as though the law shouldn't really apply to anyone, not just people who pay for it.

Gamemaster:If the law applied to everyone, regardless of whether or not they paid, then how would we make our living, you know?

Gamemaster:But, listen, I understand.

Gamemaster:And the one closer to you, a human, maybe like late 40s, will like go into his pocket and take out what looks to be a kind of notepad or something.

Gamemaster:Let me take down your info and give me a description of whoever the pickpocket was, and we'll keep Anaïs out.

Gamemaster:If we come across them, then maybe we'll have a chat.

Argyle:uh

Gamemaster:Yeah?

Johnny:They were a goblin, maybe 20.

Gamemaster:Okay, so what did they look like?

Gamemaster:Okay, and how can we reach you?

Benny:Thank you.

Johnny:We're kind of moving through town.

Johnny:If you reach out to Copperjaw over at whatever the junkyard was,

Gamemaster:coppers are at The Scale clutch scrap.

Johnny:Yeah, Carpajar, the Sableclutch scrap, he's sort of our boss.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:So if we end up seeing and catching this goblin pickpocket, then you would like us to go to him and then let him know?

Johnny:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:You've been working down at Sableclutch long?

Gamemaster:I haven't seen you before and we're around these parts often.

Johnny:Oh, no, we're actually new in town, and we just heard that they were kind of giving jobs to anyone who would do it, so...

Johnny:We just kind of went down there.

Johnny:He was a nice enough guy.

Johnny:A little bit corrupt, but... Josh, are there two cops?

Argyle:As this is happening, I'm going to be looking around to see if there's more people coming towards us.

Gamemaster:Roll a perception check.

Gamemaster:And then I'd also like Anzu to roll a perception check.

Anzu:As Anzu.

Gamemaster:Yes, as Anzu.

Gamemaster:Or I guess as Othello.

Gamemaster:In other words, Othello's in the sky.

Gamemaster:There are two cops, yes.

Argyle:Yeah.

Anzu:Othello got a 24.

Argyle:I'm actually going to try to get behind the cops as I'm looking.

Johnny:I'm going to, as we're having this conversation, I'm going to back up nearer to my friend Benny and say, I'm traveling with a child here and he could have gotten injured and just to be safe.

Gamemaster:Okay, so what did we get?

Gamemaster:We got from Jorge, we got a 19.

Gamemaster:Othello got a 24.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Anzu:Yeah.

Gamemaster:So with the 19, Argyle, you're like trying to back up a little bit.

Argyle:No, I'm trying to get behind them.

Gamemaster:Oh, behind him.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:That's probably doable.

Gamemaster:I think he would notice you doing that if you're trying to maneuver your way around.

Gamemaster:Like, cop is talking to somebody and somebody else is circling around them is not like, yeah.

Gamemaster:With Othello's role, though...

Gamemaster:Argyle's not the only one trying to circle around somebody.

Gamemaster:As you're having this conversation, the other cop, it looks like, is kind of going around back so that you guys are kind of sandwiched between the two of them as you're having this conversation.

Gamemaster:Like, nothing overtly hostile or anything like that, but you guys are definitely being boxed in a little bit.

Argyle:Hey, sir, do you have any identification?

Gamemaster:Yes, of course.

Gamemaster:And he will reach into his pocket and he'll take out like a badge of some kind and he'll show it to you.

Gamemaster:It has an identification number on it.

Gamemaster:You can make either a thievery or deception check to try and figure out if this is real.

Argyle:Perception or deception?

Argyle:Deception.

Gamemaster:I'll let you make a perception.

Gamemaster:I will say the DC is higher than if you're doing thievery or deception though.

Argyle:And I pointed to one of my comrades and said... Yeah.

Gamemaster:I mean, like, he's showing it to all of you.

Gamemaster:That's fine.

Argyle:I...

Gamemaster:So any of you are welcome to make that check if you like.

Gamemaster:Okay, within 18...

Anzu:Not me.

Johnny:Yeah, I'll do the deception check.

Benny:Probably makes the most sense.

Johnny:And 18.

Johnny:Okay.

Gamemaster:I mean, it looks real.

Gamemaster:You've not had the opportunity to look at many Blackline badges, mostly because you don't interact with that company all that often, as law enforcement.

Argyle:Hey, when did you guys start working in this district?

Gamemaster:But it looks relatively well-made for a forgery, if that makes sense.

Gamemaster:So it seems real to you.

Gamemaster:We've been here a few weeks at this point.

Argyle:Doing what?

Gamemaster:I'm patrolling.

Gamemaster:We have the clients in the area.

Argyle:I'm surprised your clients can afford it.

Johnny:He said you're in this district, but you know, cop a job?

Argyle:Given the district.

Argyle:We say as we just.

Argyle:Circling each other.

Argyle:I'm going to start moving to be behind the guy behind Benny.

Gamemaster:You're playing this game a little bit of like, you know, ha-ha, ha-ha, ha-ha, ha-ha.

Gamemaster:Just like...

Gamemaster:Weirdly defensive.

Gamemaster:Nothing overtly aggressive about it.

Gamemaster:It's just you're trying to position yourselves against it.

Gamemaster:Sorry, what were you saying?

Gamemaster:Okay, yeah, that's fine.

Gamemaster:This is a weird kind of positioning game going on.

Gamemaster:But he'll say, okay, so we have your info.

Argyle:We never say anything about delivery.

Gamemaster:I will let Copperjaw know if we catch this goblin.

Benny:No.

Johnny:Thanks, I guess.

Gamemaster:Yes?

Johnny:Good to see you.

Gamemaster:Yeah, good luck on your delivery.

Gamemaster:And we'll turn around and start walking the other direction.

Johnny:Thanks.

Johnny:Wait a second.

Gamemaster:One second.

Argyle:Should we have struck?

Johnny:Attacking the cops first is never a good call.

Benny:In a public area?

Gamemaster:You don't want to attack cops in a public area?

Argyle:Hey guys, you want to go talk about this like gentlemen in this alley over here?

Gamemaster:I don't know.

Johnny:It's 24.

Benny:Hey, Mr. Hawkeyes, can you navigate us the shortest route to finish this?

Anzu:Thank you.

Gamemaster:I'll say, oh, sorry.

Johnny:What is that?

Gamemaster:That child has a case.

Gamemaster:Usually that's how things get, like important things get delivered.

Gamemaster:It's not the first time we have seen Copperjaw hire people.

Gamemaster:Those who have been in the area a little bit.

Benny:Mm hmm.

Johnny:Well, thanks, officer.

Gamemaster:All right.

Argyle:What was your name, by the way?

Gamemaster:Of course.

Gamemaster:I am... One second.

Gamemaster:I do have this.

Gamemaster:I am Officer Smith...

Argyle:Okay, Officer Smith.

Argyle:And I wrote down his badge number.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:You have Officer Smith's badge number.

Gamemaster:And the two of them will walk past you.

Benny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Looks like they start walking further down.

Argyle:What was your name?

Argyle:By the way, other guy.

Argyle:I just curious about his name.

Gamemaster:The other guy will look at you and just kind of grunt.

Gamemaster:And Officer Smith will say,

Gamemaster:He's a mute.

Gamemaster:Pretty bad accident.

Gamemaster:We got in a bit of a scuffle with the game local to here.

Gamemaster:We can get you his badge number if that was something you wanted.

Gamemaster:We call him Mute.

Argyle:Mew?

Argyle:Okay.

Gamemaster:Mute.

Argyle:Goodbye.

Gamemaster:M-U-T-E.

Gamemaster:He can't speak.

Gamemaster:It's funny because he can't say anything about it.

Argyle:That's true.

Johnny:Yeah, that's just, it seems a little, I'll turn around the others.

Johnny:That kind of seems like just a Crowe on nickname.

Johnny:It's not even funny.

Johnny:It's not even creative either.

Gamemaster:And he'll, like, turn and keep walking down the street.

Argyle:Alright.

Johnny:All right, let's hurry it up here.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:And you guys can continue on your trek towards the trolley.

Anzu:Othello will spend a few minutes just kind of circling around that area.

Anzu:Just seeing if these cops just go back to staying in one spot or if they're just on the move.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Okay, we'll do one more perception check.

Anzu:Well,

Anzu:Nothing happens.

Gamemaster:Othello watches the two of them, like, round a corner behind you, and then, like, kind of he goes to follow them because they go out of sight, and they're not there anymore.

Gamemaster:Just completely loses sight of them.

Anzu:That's not good.

Argyle:They change shape.

Benny:I mean, they're private police in an area.

Benny:If they have magic to get in and out, they don't have to be corrupt cops.

Benny:They can just be hired by people that want the stuff.

Benny:So the badge number is going to be totally legit.

Benny:It's a private corporation.

Benny:And that can just be their names.

Benny:They're just hired to get the thing from you.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Anzu:Yeah.

Johnny:What's there?

Johnny:Oh, sorry.

Johnny:Keep going.

Argyle:That's it over.

Argyle:Get out.

Gamemaster:Double time, head towards the trolley.

Gamemaster:Okay, so you guys continue walking through, like, it's relatively winding streets here.

Gamemaster:You do have to dodge a little bit out of the way of cars here because there's not much, like, traffic cops here because that would cost money and who would pay for it?

Gamemaster:And so it's kind of just a bunch of trucks and stuff being used to cart things in and out of the factories and the scrapyards and stuff in this particular area.

Gamemaster:But, you know, you made it to here fine.

Gamemaster:So you guys make it back to the trolley station without particular incident.

Gamemaster:You get onto the station and you wait for the train to come.

Gamemaster:Let's get a perception check.

Johnny:I'll take a perception check.

Benny:Benny.

Benny:We're allowed to.

Argyle:How much are cars ballparking?

Gamemaster:Two.

Gamemaster:Sorry.

Argyle:How much is a car if you ballpark it?

Gamemaster:Give me one second.

Anzu:you

Argyle:You don't have to give me like a concrete, just like thousands, I'm assuming.

Gamemaster:Give me a minute.

Gamemaster:On the order of... Gosh, that's not how much I thought.

Gamemaster:I don't want to ballpark it and then have to completely go back on it.

Argyle:Yeah.

Gamemaster:On the order of 2,000 gold pieces.

Argyle:Gold pieces, not silver pieces.

Gamemaster:Yeah, 20,000 bucks, 2,000 gold pieces.

Argyle:And then if you get a car and you need to go voidward or starward, are there tunnels you can take?

Argyle:Or do you just shit it all up?

Gamemaster:Yes, so if you're doing private transport, there are designated areas where a mundane car can drive to another area, or you can take public transit.

Argyle:Okay.

Argyle:Gotcha.

Gamemaster:You can get private vehicles that have slides built in that can do it anywhere except within city limits, because that would be a security concern.

Argyle:My slides.

Gamemaster:But slides are super cheap.

Gamemaster:If you just wanted a device that let you slide anywhere outside of city limits, it's like two gold pieces.

Argyle:Dope.

Gamemaster:Okay, so what did we get on the perception checks?

Benny:Nine and 16.

Johnny:Six.

Johnny:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Okay, absolutely.

Gamemaster:With a 9 and a 16, when you get to the station, they're all ready.

Gamemaster:It looks like three people milling about waiting for the next trolley to show up.

Gamemaster:There's one person who's kind of just off in a corner, like cloak pulled up so that you can't see their face.

Gamemaster:Looks like they're like reading a newspaper or something, just kind of hunched in a corner.

Gamemaster:And then it looks like there's a couple waiting closer to the front.

Argyle:Oh, Josh is going to have a lot of fun with this trip, huh?

Gamemaster:Just kind of hanging out.

Johnny:Ew, people.

Gamemaster:Yeah, just two people.

Argyle:I fucking knew it when he said three.

Gamemaster:They don't notice you, or they don't react to you guys showing up or anything.

Argyle:Yeah.

Gamemaster:You wait a few minutes for the tram to show up.

Gamemaster:Another two people walk up to the station while you guys are waiting.

Gamemaster:Both of them actually look like goblinoid, too, in similar, like, workman's attire.

Argyle:Hmm.

Gamemaster:Seems like there are a bunch of goblinoid creatures that kind of work in the factories here.

Gamemaster:And it's starting to get to the point where people are looking to head home.

Gamemaster:But at some point, you know, eventually with you, the two pairs of people, that third, like, person off in the corner, all waiting, a new tram does...

Gamemaster:materialize in front of you as it appears in the spot on the horizon.

Gamemaster:And the door's open.

Gamemaster:You're welcome to hop in if you like.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Argyle:Ideally, inside of a tram, we could put Benny against the wall, and then I'd be in a row in front.

Gamemaster:You get in.

Gamemaster:The doors close.

Gamemaster:Are you forekeeping the same general formation that you had?

Gamemaster:Okay, absolutely.

Benny:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Benny:Window.

Benny:Benny, it's the window seat.

Argyle:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Benny is up against the window, and then... Sure.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:I accidentally just kicked my cat.

Gamemaster:I'm sorry.

Gamemaster:It was on my foot, and I didn't notice.

Anzu:I guess I know who I'm calling.

Gamemaster:Don't do that.

Gamemaster:He seems fine.

Gamemaster:He's okay with it.

Gamemaster:Your setup, it doesn't look like there was anybody on the trolley when it showed up, but now you've all loaded in.

Gamemaster:The four of you take up two benches, effectively.

Gamemaster:One bench across the aisle.

Gamemaster:The two people that arrived after you take the spot of, the two goblinoids, and then the bench directly behind you, the couple takes.

Argyle:I'm going to try to talk to the groups of two.

Argyle:Is there one that doesn't speak?

Argyle:Can I try to talk to any of them?

Gamemaster:Uh, no.

Gamemaster:Um, all four of the people, like, the two couples, both of them have people that speak.

Gamemaster:Uh, roll a diplomacy, um, or society check.

Argyle:Can I roll a medicine check to see if they're skinwalkers?

Argyle:Are they skin fit type?

Johnny:Is their skin weirdly tight?

Benny:There.

Gamemaster:Sure.

Benny:Skin.

Argyle:No, I'll do a society check.

Gamemaster:I'll let you do that.

Gamemaster:The DC will be way higher to look at somebody and be like, oh, Skinwalker?

Gamemaster:It would be to talk to somebody and see if they're mute.

Gamemaster:But you can try that if you like.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Johnny:Do you see to see if someone's mute?

Argyle:Wait.

Johnny:10.

Johnny:Do you see if they're a skinwalker based on sight alone?

Argyle:13.

Johnny:40.

Argyle:13.

Gamemaster:Right.

Gamemaster:What'd you get?

Gamemaster:13.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Yeah, no, I mean, the two people to your side are factory workers.

Gamemaster:They just seem kind of excited to be done for the day.

Argyle:Don't like it.

Gamemaster:And then the group behind you is a couple that it seems they were lost.

Gamemaster:They did not plan to be in this part of the city.

Gamemaster:They're tourists.

Gamemaster:They read a map wrong, and so they're just trying to get back into the place where their hotel is in the Masque District.

Gamemaster:All of them can speak.

Argyle:I go back to guard my child friend.

Gamemaster:Okay, absolutely.

Gamemaster:You go back to guard your child.

Gamemaster:There's a soft ding.

Gamemaster:The tram shutters for a little bit, and you're now in the next station, one step over on the horizon.

Gamemaster:So you're currently at Void 2.

Gamemaster:The address you're trying to get to is at Prime, is at Zero.

Gamemaster:Four more people get on at this station.

Gamemaster:It's a group of three and a group of one.

Gamemaster:There's no pairs that show up here.

Argyle:Okay, don't talk to them.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:It's actually starting to get a little bit cramped at this point as more people filter into the car, but there's enough sitting room for everybody if you want there to be.

Gamemaster:Can I get perception checks from up to two people as we're in here?

Anzu:Oh, God.

Johnny:I'm not really talking as this is going on.

Gamemaster:Also, I assume that Othello followed you into the tram, right?

Anzu:Yeah, that's what I meant when I was talking before.

Anzu:Once we boarded, he would have just stuck to my shoulder.

Anzu:Oh, I thought we were screwed.

Gamemaster:Not bad.

Anzu:Now they're screwed.

Gamemaster:28 crit.

Anzu:Johnny knows people.

Johnny:I just kind of have the sunglasses down, sort of scanning the crowd.

Gamemaster:With a 28 crit.

Johnny:Flicking my fans.

Gamemaster:I think what you notice is while Argyle is going around to the people that had gotten on the bus, the tram with you, as he's talking to the couple that got on with you, one of the factory workers that boarded with you is like...

Argyle:I knew it.

Argyle:I knew it, bitches.

Gamemaster:surreptitiously stealing glances at the case, at the briefcase.

Johnny:I'll just lean over to my companions and say, watch out for that goblin over there.

Johnny:Pass it along.

Johnny:Spread the message.

Johnny:Keep Anaïs on him.

Benny:Josh, the trams here are private as well.

Gamemaster:There's another soft ding.

Gamemaster:And you're now at void one.

Gamemaster:Four people get on.

Gamemaster:You can't tell if they're in any grouping or not.

Gamemaster:It's just the four of them all kind of shuffle on at the same time.

Argyle:Thank you.

Gamemaster:But they end up taking seats closer to the back of the tram.

Benny:Okay.

Gamemaster:Operated by Prime Meridian.

Gamemaster:The tram continues forward as it wheels over towards the stop that you're supposed to take.

Gamemaster:After a few moments, another ding, the doors open.

Johnny:Keep Anaïs on the goblin as we're getting off.

Gamemaster:This is your stop.

Gamemaster:You getting off?

Benny:Yeah.

Argyle:And we didn't have a Captain America moment in that elevator.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:As you guys stand up...

Gamemaster:A few other people also stand up.

Gamemaster:It looks like this is their stop as well, which makes sense.

Gamemaster:This is like the central location on this line.

Gamemaster:So as you shuffle out, so do all four people that got on on the previous stop, as well as both the couple and the factory workers that kind of head out.

Anzu:Thank you.

Gamemaster:And you guys can keep heading.

Gamemaster:towards your destination.

Gamemaster:It's a bit of a walk from this point forward because you guys don't have a car and you're not going to get public transport into this part of the city because everybody can afford a car if you can afford to live there.

Gamemaster:So you gotta hoof it a little bit.

Gamemaster:You, or actually, I suppose you could take a taxi if you want to.

Johnny:In the pocket.

Gamemaster:Actually, I don't know if you could take a taxi because it would cost money.

Gamemaster:One could take a taxi if you have it.

Gamemaster:You know that the fare would be about three silver pieces.

Gamemaster:But what do you want to do, I suppose?

Gamemaster:I don't want to, like, take agency away.

Gamemaster:Are you hailing a cab or are you walking?

Argyle:I say we walk.

Anzu:Not yet.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Benny:three silver pieces a person.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Argyle:Are those goblins following us?

Benny:It's three silver pieces a person.

Gamemaster:Sorry you spoke over each other.

Benny:Jorge asks if there's goblins following us.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Argyle:Yeah.

Gamemaster:I need a perception check.

Gamemaster:Also, where's Othello once you get off?

Gamemaster:Did you release him back to circling you?

Gamemaster:Or are you keeping on?

Argyle:Alright, I'll make a check then.

Argyle:18.

Johnny:Nice.

Gamemaster:Okay, 17 and an 18.

Gamemaster:No, the goblins aren't following you.

Johnny:We're going to get drunk with these goblins.

Gamemaster:It looks like they headed in a different direction than you.

Anzu:I feel good.

Gamemaster:Okay, great.

Gamemaster:So you guys start heading...

Argyle:Guys, I haven't really been in the field before.

Argyle:Should we just go into an alley and let them come in and we just beat the fuck out of them?

Argyle:Just let them come to us.

Benny:That seems reasonable.

Anzu:Oh, you.

Benny:I mean, this is an upscale place.

Benny:We don't want to cause a ruckus in public.

Argyle:Yeah.

Anzu:You think they'll do that or you think that's going to be.

Benny:I think they'll take the opportunity.

Argyle:Oh, I think they want a piece of this.

Benny:Can you route us the most alleys while still being a short path to our direction?

Argyle:Yeah, I want it to be a juicy spot for them to try to ambush us.

Anzu:I'll send Othello up and look for somewhere juicy.

Gamemaster:Somehow.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:You don't need a perception check.

Gamemaster:That's fine.

Argyle:We're going to ambush them.

Gamemaster:Yeah, I don't know how that happened, but absolutely.

Gamemaster:You're completely different people.

Benny:You know, it never leaves the soul of the party.

Benny:This is a trap, right?

Benny:Yeah, this is a trap.

Benny:All right, let's go in.

Johnny:thank you

Gamemaster:How did that happen?

Argyle:Which way is the trap?

Argyle:Great.

Benny:This is the door we're supposed to go in?

Benny:Well, this will lead us forward, but the trap, we might get something.

Argyle:I don't like the tension of these guys following us.

Gamemaster:Sure, one second.

Argyle:I just want to be over with it.

Anzu:Thank you.

Gamemaster:I just have to do something.

Gamemaster:Okay, so no perception check necessary.

Gamemaster:You can find a route on the direction that you're going.

Gamemaster:that does have like, you know, an alley or two where nobody would be around to witness anything particularly untoward.

Johnny:Cool.

Gamemaster:So yeah, so you can steer the group in that direction.

Gamemaster:That's fine.

Gamemaster:So you head off in that direction.

Gamemaster:So what are you actually doing?

Gamemaster:Are you like just walking into the alley and waiting?

Gamemaster:Is that the plan?

Benny:Oh, I thought we'd just continue on through the alley.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Oh, you just want to walk by the alley.

Gamemaster:So, like, plausible deniability?

Benny:No, like take shortcuts through the alleys or just cuts through the alleys.

Argyle:Yeah, just like... Like, there's a supernatural thing after us, so we're just going through every basement we can on the way to the...

Gamemaster:Okay, that's... Gotcha, that's fun.

Gamemaster:Okay, sure, sure, sure, sure, sure.

Gamemaster:Okay, so then I think... I don't need perception checks at this point because it seems you are inviting the nuisance in.

Gamemaster:As you guys will walk through one of the alleys on the way over, two figures do appear to have followed you into one of this alley.

Gamemaster:They don't look familiar to you.

Gamemaster:They don't look like the goblins or the couple or the cops or anything like that.

Gamemaster:Yep.

Argyle:I raise my hand and I go, which one's Smith and which one's Mute?

Gamemaster:The...

Johnny:you

Gamemaster:So the two of them look like office workers, almost.

Gamemaster:Something that would fit in in this area, really.

Gamemaster:And one of them, closer to you, opens their mouth to laugh, and instead there's this weird gargling sound that comes out of it.

Gamemaster:The other one says, you just wanted to hand it over?

Gamemaster:Is that the plan?

Benny:Benny will go, ha, no, and then he'll pull out his new pick.

Argyle:hands will be flying I'll tell you that

Johnny:You know, friends, we don't need to do this.

Gamemaster:okay um and the one of them like gargles again in what you interpret to be whatever their laugh is uh and the uh the other one says this is you're right we can do this the easy way

Johnny:You can just walk away, you know?

Johnny:We don't have to kerfuffle here.

Gamemaster:Or you just give us the briefcase and everything that's inside.

Gamemaster:Or we can do this the hard way, where we just take the briefcase and everything that's inside.

Johnny:Well, listen, why don't you tell us what's inside the briefcase and we can have a chat about this whole thing and why it's so important to you.

Gamemaster:If you have the briefcase, you can open it to check what is inside.

Gamemaster:Why do you need us to do that for you?

Johnny:We want to know what you think.

Benny:Uh, actually, it's delivery boy confidentiality.

Argyle:Argyle's going to reach back, not grab his axe out yet, and goes, come on, come and take it.

Benny:And he'll, like, hold it back, like, behind him.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Yeah, I mean, that's an overt provocation.

Johnny:you

Gamemaster:Like, I don't think that... They're pretty confident at this point that you're clearly going to try and stop them from taking it.

Gamemaster:So they'll start walking towards you down the alley at this invitation.

Gamemaster:And you will watch at... I think at this point they'd probably just...

Gamemaster:you know, give up on the whole random people following you thing, and you will watch as they both grow about a foot and a half in size.

Gamemaster:Their clothes melt into their body, and you see these two, like, weird pink, fleshy, like, naked mole rat-like creatures.

Anzu:Oh, God.

Gamemaster:Um... Uh... They're...

Anzu:What the hell?

Benny:Oh, what the fuck?

Anzu:Hey!

Johnny:Language.

Gamemaster:The only difference is that their face instead, like, the eyes kind of sink into the head, so it's just the socket, and most of the other facial features just melt off the face back into the skin.

Anzu:Disgusting.

Gamemaster:Obviously, we need initiative here.

Gamemaster:This is a fight, if I've ever seen one.

Anzu:I have a question.

Gamemaster:So, you should go to https://btl.iridi.cc, yes?

Anzu:Could I... They came at us both from the same direction, so they're together.

Gamemaster:They're both walking side by side towards the back of where you guys were, because they followed you into the same alley that you were just walking through.

Anzu:Okay.

Anzu:Could I, throughout this encounter, have been stepping so that the party is between me and these men?

Argyle:I assume it's me and Benny at the front.

Gamemaster:Yeah, sure.

Gamemaster:I had you guys arranged how you said that you were arranged, but if you want, we can change it.

Gamemaster:That's fine.

Gamemaster:I don't mind.

Johnny:Oh, God.

Benny:Also, we got plus one weapons, like Rune Progression.

Gamemaster:Um, that sounds correct.

Gamemaster:I will double check that.

Anzu:Oh.

Argyle:Oh, he did?

Argyle:I thought that was at five.

Johnny:Well, thanks, Nand.

Gamemaster:One moment.

Benny:I wasn't... I...

Gamemaster:Uh, yes.

Gamemaster:So, automatic rune progression.

Argyle:Oh.

Gamemaster:At level 2, you have weapon potency plus 1.

Gamemaster:So you have a plus 1 potency rune.

Gamemaster:It's not striking yet, so you didn't get an extra damage die, but you do have plus 1 to your weapon.

Argyle:Gotcha.

Argyle:I did not add that.

Argyle:Can I give you that sheet?

Argyle:I didn't realize.

Benny:It's in Foundry.

Argyle:OK, cool.

Gamemaster:Yeah, so Foundry did that automatically.

Gamemaster:I haven't set up to automatically apply this stuff to your weapons in Foundry for weapons that you're holding.

Argyle:Johnny, did you want to switch?

Gamemaster:Um...

Argyle:Yeah, OK.

Johnny:Thank you.

Benny:That's why I asked, because I was looking at runes, and I was like, oh, we might have to buy these or whatever, but it's level two.

Benny:Maybe we can find them.

Benny:And then I opened it, and we have it already.

Gamemaster:Yeah, at level 2 you get it, and then I think at level 5 is when you get your first striking, which is... Is it level 5?

Gamemaster:No, it's level 4.

Gamemaster:Level 4 you get striking.

Gamemaster:Level 5 is armor, but I'll save this one.

Gamemaster:I will... Do I have a way of resending this?

Gamemaster:Can I forward to the same chat?

Benny:Oh initiative.

Argyle:your two hit, Mike?

Benny:11.

Argyle:Uh, okay.

Argyle:I'm really happy that I have this, Josh, but I don't think I'm supposed to have a plus 17.

Benny:Why?

Gamemaster:To what?

Benny:Do you have mythic role selected?

Gamemaster:One second.

Argyle:Oh, maybe I do.

Argyle:Yes, I do.

Gamemaster:One second.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Johnny:Oh, that was a terrible roll.

Argyle:Thank you.

Johnny:Oh, my gosh.

Argyle:I was like... I was like, I'm really, really happy about it, Josh, but, uh...

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:I just decided to buff you and only you.

Johnny:Oh, geez.

Benny:Not bad.

Argyle:Benny, this is why we don't trust cops.

Argyle:I know you were saying they might be honest cops just paid by some other people, but this is why we don't trust them.

Benny:Well, they still could be honest and paid by... Well, they still get paid by other people.

Gamemaster:OK, everybody's rolled.

Gamemaster:I think we're all set up.

Gamemaster:So I'm going to hit the Begin Encounter button.

Johnny:Oh gosh.

Gamemaster:And we're going to start with Argyle.

Argyle:Are we running up, Betty?

Benny:Oh, yeah.

Argyle:All right.

Argyle:So I will.

Benny:If you can get behind them.

Benny:Actually, maybe you should be on the side with the squishies.

Benny:But Benny would like to flank these monstrosities.

Argyle:Wait.

Argyle:How does deferring turns work?

Gamemaster:You spend your action and reaction to ready, I believe, a one action thing.

Argyle:So I can't just drop initiative order?

Gamemaster:I will let you just straight up drop your initiative order.

Johnny:You could defer your turn.

Gamemaster:That's fine.

Benny:Why?

Argyle:Because I don't have to use a move action.

Argyle:I assume they're going to come towards me.

Argyle:Nah, no, I should go first.

Argyle:Okay, I will... I'll move forward.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:So ready, the action specifically, is a two-action activity that lets you... Yeah, I think there might be a rule that you can just do that.

Argyle:Oh yeah, I was just going to drop.

Argyle:Yeah.

Gamemaster:So if you guys at any point want to drop your initiative, you're welcome to do so.

Argyle:Okay.

Gamemaster:You just can't elevate your initiative once you've done that.

Argyle:Yeah.

Argyle:Alright, I'll just step back.

Argyle:I'll step forward.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Argyle:Oh, move.

Gamemaster:You step forward...

Argyle:I don't have, I can't step that far.

Argyle:I can only, I can move that far.

Gamemaster:Right, it would be two actions to step forward.

Gamemaster:So you stride forward.

Argyle:Yeah.

Argyle:Yep.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Johnny:Well, I think.

Argyle:Uh, I'm gonna take a little swack at that guy.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Benny:Oh no.

Gamemaster:That hits.

Argyle:Uh.

Argyle:okay oh uh let's open for some for at least a crit on that but that's fine i got 13. okay

Gamemaster:I'm short.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:13 points of damage.

Gamemaster:It, like, lands in this weird flesh beast, and you carve a piece of it.

Gamemaster:The flesh splits.

Gamemaster:There's no blood inside.

Gamemaster:It's just more flesh.

Gamemaster:But you seem to have injured it.

Johnny:you

Argyle:And I will strike at the other guy.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Argyle:Which should apply my sweep.

Argyle:Yes.

Benny:Oh.

Gamemaster:Yeah, that one unfortunately does miss.

Anzu:That's...

Argyle:I'll take that.

Gamemaster:We get a mythic point.

Gamemaster:Okay, so that means it's to Betty.

Argyle:All right.

Gamemaster:I'm just so used to Jorge being like, no, I have five turns, what are you doing?

Gamemaster:And then I'm quickened, but I'm double quickened.

Argyle:Wait until you get to my reactions.

Johnny:Super mega quick.

Benny:Yeah.

Gamemaster:I have eight reactions.

Johnny:It's like 15 feet.

Benny:I think Benny thinks he's strong enough that he can... How near?

Argyle:But if you stand near me, I can pout champion and protect you.

Benny:Like adjacent?

Argyle:Oh, 15 feet, I guess.

Benny:Is it... Oh, perfect.

Benny:Is this Ugathal?

Benny:Is he flanked?

Gamemaster:Um, yes, he's fine.

Benny:Perfect.

Benny:Benny is going to intimidating strike.

Benny:And Benny is going to say, you may be gross, but I'm scary.

Gamemaster:Good.

Benny:And he won't roll to attack.

Anzu:Nice.

Argyle:Yeah.

Benny:So that hit.

Johnny:I think with an intimidating strike.

Benny:So he is frightened one now.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:That just happens?

Benny:I think.

Benny:Let me double check.

Gamemaster:Nice.

Gamemaster:Yeah, what does that?

Benny:Yeah, if you hit and deal damage, it's frighten one.

Gamemaster:Is that intimidating strict?

Gamemaster:Okay.

Argyle:So his AC is higher than 19.

Argyle:But you can hit him with at least a 19, but a 16, it's higher than a 16.

Argyle:That's right now.

Benny:Then that will do seven damage, one of which is spirit damage.

Johnny:you

Gamemaster:Mm-hmm.

Gamemaster:Because you've got a nice glowing pick.

Benny:I do.

Gamemaster:Oh, I totally just applied that to Benny.

Gamemaster:Ignore that.

Gamemaster:I reverted it.

Gamemaster:Um, Ugathal I takes the seven damage and is afeared and still off guard because it's squished between me two.

Gamemaster:Um, that brings us to Ugathal II, who, you know, we did the whole...

Gamemaster:rotating around people thing.

Gamemaster:So I think within that he's also going to take a stride action so that Argyle is also flat-footed.

Johnny:What?

Argyle:No.

Gamemaster:And then he is going to he's going to take a claw attack.

Anzu:Argyle, can you hit him or no?

Argyle:I'm not a fighter.

Anzu:Oh, you don't do that.

Anzu:I thought you were asking about that last time.

Argyle:No, that was him.

Argyle:That was the guy.

Anzu:Right.

Gamemaster:A 23.

Argyle:It's...

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:A little damage.

Gamemaster:That's going to do 19 points of damage split between slashing and precision damage, if that's relevant.

Anzu:Pretty good.

Gamemaster:Because this man knows how to sneak attack.

Gamemaster:And you're off guard.

Argyle:It's just 10 plus either of those.

Gamemaster:And then he's going to take his third action to grab you.

Gamemaster:19.

Gamemaster:Against... I forget if it's against Fort or Reflex.

Benny:i imagine it's against is it yeah it's for dc

Gamemaster:I think it's against Fort.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Argyle:So it'll hit either way.

Gamemaster:I will look it up just to grab.

Gamemaster:It is Fort DC.

Gamemaster:Okay, uh, so his, like, weird extended hand goes out, slashes you, and then grabs onto the muscle that he's, uh, cut into.

Gamemaster:Just to keep you in place.

Gamemaster:Is he in a history?

Gamemaster:Ugathal I. He is afeard.

Gamemaster:Loads of stuff.

Gamemaster:I think he's going to... You're already immobilized, or you're grabbed, sorry.

Gamemaster:I should actually apply that.

Argyle:I applied it yeah oh

Gamemaster:You're grabbed, Argyle.

Gamemaster:Oh, you did?

Gamemaster:Okay, so he's just going to... He's not the one grappling you, but you are grabbed, so he's just going to spend his actions to do a blood nourishment on you.

Gamemaster:Um... Uh...

Benny:Is this a manipulate?

Gamemaster:I mean, it doesn't have that tag, but, like, yes.

Gamemaster:It reaches over and out of its featureless face, a proboscis grows out of it and then just goes into Argyle's neck and sucks some blood out.

Johnny:oh god that's awesome

Anzu:Nasty.

Benny:OK.

Benny:I'll, uh, yes.

Gamemaster:But it is a manipulate action, so if you wanted to attack some opportunity, you may do so.

Gamemaster:Okay, so we'll see if this crits first, because if it does, then that doesn't happen.

Gamemaster:That doesn't happen.

Argyle:Thank you, my boy.

Benny:Oh, no.

Gamemaster:No blood nourishment going on.

Benny:He is kill.

Gamemaster:That was a good roll, too.

Benny:27 points of damage.

Anzu:Glowing sickle.

Anzu:Sorry, glowing pick.

Gamemaster:Okay, absolutely.

Gamemaster:27 points of damage.

Gamemaster:He is now bloody.

Benny:Oh, he's bloodied.

Gamemaster:So pick goes right into its head to the point that you see the pick goes in the back of the head where you hit it out the front so that Argyle sees a pick just show up.

Johnny:Yeah, geez.

Gamemaster:You pull the pick back out and now there's just a hole in the face.

Gamemaster:It doesn't like close up or anything like that.

Argyle:And Benny's just, like, waving.

Benny:Don't touch him.

Gamemaster:But you interrupted that action, so it doesn't happen.

Gamemaster:So it's just the end of its turn.

Gamemaster:It is no longer frightened, because the frightened condition goes down by one, but it's Johnny's turn.

Johnny:At the top of my turn, we'll do the good old lingering composition into Courageous Anthem.

Johnny:So we'll do a performance check.

Benny:Oh.

Johnny:Oh, it's a bajillion.

Gamemaster:Good roll.

Johnny:It's a bajillion.

Johnny:And I will... I gotta cast this guy too.

Johnny:Right on me.

Johnny:Everyone gets Courageous Anthem.

Johnny:Everyone's feeling courageous.

Anzu:All right.

Gamemaster:I should really just give you a macro so that it just applies that automatically so you don't have to do the whatever.

Argyle:How many rounds is this one?

Argyle:Three?

Johnny:I think it's 4.

Gamemaster:It's a print so it's foreign.

Benny:or

Argyle:Oh, it's four?

Argyle:It's four.

Johnny:Yes, it lasts for a while.

Argyle:Okay.

Johnny:And as I do this, I will look over at Anzu and say, I wrote you a poem, but it's a little melancholy.

Johnny:Do you still want to hear it?

Anzu:Yeah.

Johnny:All right.

Johnny:Did you look up at the vaulted ceiling, blackbird, and think at the sky?

Johnny:Perched upon a stack of books, forgotten at a reading table, a lamp to be your sun, knowledge stacked on knowledge, and there, highest on high, you perch, tear out the pages, build your home among the hollow shelves, until the day the doors swing wide and you see light.

Johnny:A little melancholy.

Anzu:Mm.

Johnny:A little sad library poem for you.

Gamemaster:Do you feel inspired?

Johnny:Everyone's inspired by that one, I guess.

Johnny:That's one.

Johnny:Second action.

Johnny:I will cast Soothe.

Johnny:Flourish cast it.

Johnny:On Argyle.

Argyle:Thank you.

Johnny:That's pretty good.

Argyle:Oh, thank you.

Johnny:Make sure you take the spell effect.

Johnny:I think that gives you something, too.

Johnny:And then... Third action... Oh, gosh.

Gamemaster:Gives you a plus two status bonus to saves against mental effects.

Johnny:Uh...

Johnny:Yeah, I'll just try and demoralize this already bloodied Ugathal.

Benny:I think you should probably demoralize the other guy.

Johnny:I will demoralize the other guy, the non-bloodied Ugathal.

Gamemaster:Okay, absolutely.

Johnny:I do get a roll performance for this, though.

Johnny:Because I do a scary poem.

Gamemaster:Okay, scary poem, this guy.

Benny:Oh.

Johnny:Is that a crit?

Gamemaster:Just barely known.

Anzu:All right.

Gamemaster:I'm sorry.

Johnny:Bummer.

Gamemaster:But that is at least a regular success, so he is afeard.

Johnny:Well, he is... All right.

Johnny:He is a feared one.

Johnny:And that is my turn.

Argyle:Very good turn.

Gamemaster:Right?

Gamemaster:Then it's Anzu's turn.

Anzu:I will start with a recall knowledge check.

Anzu:You...

Johnny:Reading books, everything.

Anzu:Let me know what kind of skill I can use.

Gamemaster:What's your lord?

Anzu:Academia.

Gamemaster:Okay, it's an occultism roll.

Benny:What's your... Yeah, you're going to be reading, buddy.

Gamemaster:I just wanted to double check.

Anzu:Listen, next time we go to a library, I'll do much better than this.

Gamemaster:I'm sorry.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Anzu:I have two points, so I think I might just do it again.

Benny:Get ready to learn Chinese, buddy.

Gamemaster:The man's going mythic.

Anzu:What's the point of sitting on two mythic points?

Anzu:Occultism.

Anzu:OK, still kind of a low roll, but we take those.

Anzu:22.

Gamemaster:Okay, with the 22, you would be unfamiliar with this kind of creature before.

Gamemaster:You have not seen an Oogathul, nor I think would you have heard of whatever this thing is.

Anzu:Yeah.

Gamemaster:But you've got a strategic mind, so I will let you know either its highest or lowest, save in AC, or if it has any weaknesses, resistances, immunities.

Anzu:Is that a group?

Anzu:The weaknesses, resistances, and... Okay, okay.

Gamemaster:Yeah, so either you learn its weaknesses, resistances, and immunities, or you can learn its highest or lowest of the saves in AC.

Anzu:Yeah, yeah.

Anzu:Very well.

Anzu:I will do that.

Anzu:I'll go for the immunities and whatnot.

Gamemaster:It's a resistant 5 to bludgeoning, and that's it.

Anzu:Fascinating.

Anzu:Okay, that was one action.

Johnny:you

Anzu:With my second action, I will amp Telekinetic Rend and put one burst on each of them.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Sure, absolutely.

Gamemaster:So they'll have to make fort saves.

Gamemaster:I assume you didn't do the bludgeoning variant of this.

Anzu:Well, when I amp it, it just does both, basically, is what amping it does.

Gamemaster:Oh.

Anzu:So it'll be at 1d6 bludgeoning and 1d6 slashing.

Gamemaster:Convenient.

Johnny:Nice.

Gamemaster:Okay, sure.

Gamemaster:I will roll the fort save for both of these guys.

Gamemaster:One of them critically succeeded.

Gamemaster:The other one failed because it's frightened.

Anzu:Okay.

Anzu:Well, then I'll roll damage.

Anzu:He'll be the only one that takes it.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Anzu:The slashing was higher than the bludgeoning.

Gamemaster:So, unfortunately... Well, the slashing actually did damage.

Anzu:Oh, right.

Gamemaster:The bludgeoning kind of got cancelled out because they were resistant to it.

Anzu:That's how that works.

Anzu:I recall.

Gamemaster:yeah absolutely it didn't critically fail so it's not stunned unfortunately but we did do some damage he is injured but he's not looking great

Anzu:Yeah.

Anzu:And what did I want to do with my last action?

Argyle:I can still strike while immobilized, right?

Anzu:I guess I'll just shield myself for now.

Gamemaster:Sure thing.

Gamemaster:And he goes back up to Argyle.

Gamemaster:You are off guard.

Gamemaster:You are grabbed.

Gamemaster:You are immobilized.

Argyle:I just can't move.

Gamemaster:Yes, you can still strike.

Gamemaster:You have to do a flat check if you want to do a manipulate thing.

Gamemaster:But yeah, no, that's it.

Argyle:And strikes aren't manipulate, though.

Gamemaster:Strikes are not a manipulate meal.

Argyle:Great.

Argyle:All right, I will strike number one, who's bloodied.

Gamemaster:Yes, of course.

Benny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:It sees you, like, kind of turn to face it, and there's that same, like, gurgle coming out of it, like it's laughing at you.

Argyle:Oh, this is chuckles.

Argyle:This is mute.

Gamemaster:Sure, yeah, this is mute.

Argyle:OK.

Gamemaster:And this is... Okay.

Argyle:I will mythic that, because I have two.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Argyle:Yeah.

Gamemaster:That does hit.

Johnny:you

Gamemaster:Well, damage.

Benny:Not bad.

Argyle:Does escape have map?

Gamemaster:Okay, that's pretty good.

Gamemaster:14 points.

Gamemaster:It is not looking good.

Gamemaster:You guys are just literally putting holes and ripping pieces of it apart, and it's just like a mound of flesh.

Gamemaster:It doesn't seem to feel pain, though, because it's not actually reacting to the attacks at all.

Gamemaster:But its body is just losing form.

Gamemaster:Yes, it does.

Johnny:Bye.

Benny:Yes.

Argyle:All right.

Argyle:I will just, my second action will be just to attack this guy again, number one.

Gamemaster:Sure.

Argyle:Will not do mythically yet.

Argyle:I will try, all right, my last mythic point, I will do this mythically.

Gamemaster:Unfortunately, that's a pretty bad roll.

Gamemaster:Okay, the man's mythic.

Argyle:Oh.

Gamemaster:It's still a poor roll, unfortunately.

Gamemaster:Oh, if you wanted to manipulate, it's a 5, DC 5 flat check.

Argyle:All right.

Argyle:So what's the flat check to do something?

Argyle:Manipulate.

Argyle:OK.

Gamemaster:He should have rolled that a little earlier.

Argyle:Great.

Benny:you

Argyle:Great.

Argyle:So now I'm going to treat wounds.

Gamemaster:What are you doing?

Gamemaster:What was that fletching for?

Gamemaster:Uh...

Argyle:Agile medicine.

Argyle:Yeah, and it's this thing.

Argyle:No, it's skills.

Argyle:Then I got to go all the way to where?

Argyle:Street Wounds, DC 15, yes.

Benny:Holy shit, you got full damage on the riskies.

Argyle:Great.

Argyle:And because of my mythic feat, I get another mythic point back, because I'm a caretaker calling when I crit.

Gamemaster:Nice.

Gamemaster:Oh, you did it, Risky?

Gamemaster:You're a Risky surgeon?

Argyle:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Wow.

Gamemaster:Then it's Benny's turn.

Argyle:Yeah, oh.

Johnny:That is risky.

Argyle:Yeah, alright.

Argyle:It's my turn.

Benny:Kill!

Gamemaster:Okay.

Benny:This is another intimidating strike on one.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Benny:Could still hit.

Gamemaster:It does hit.

Johnny:That's cool with intimidating strike that it doesn't, it's not like demoralized where it doesn't come immune to it.

Argyle:Yeah.

Benny:And let's just kill this man.

Gamemaster:I don't believe 10 is enough to just kill him, but he's looking really bad.

Argyle:If you can kill him, he doesn't flank me.

Benny:Oh, wait, wait, hold on.

Gamemaster:He's mortal.

Benny:It's actually... It's 12.

Gamemaster:Why is it 12?

Gamemaster:That is true.

Benny:The target is below half HP.

Benny:My... My pick smells blood.

Gamemaster:He is below half HP.

Gamemaster:Yes, your dick smells blood.

Johnny:Gosh.

Gamemaster:Those are the last two hit points it had.

Argyle:Yes.

Benny:Yeah.

Argyle:Yes.

Gamemaster:So it's not frightened.

Gamemaster:You lay into it with a pick.

Gamemaster:There is a flash of divine energy out of the pick, and the mound of flesh, now disanimate, just collapses down onto the ground.

Benny:Perfect.

Benny:And with Benny's final action, he's going to say hi to Ugathal too.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Johnny:Hmm.

Benny:That's it.

Gamemaster:Okay, that brings us to Ugathal 2's turn.

Gamemaster:They are frightened.

Gamemaster:They were probably going to say something pithy and say, you know, it's your last chance to hand over the briefcase, small child, and all that kind of stuff.

Gamemaster:But it did watch that small child just murder Mute, so I don't think it's going to do that.

Argyle:yeah go for it

Gamemaster:I think instead what it's going to do is Argyle is grabbed, so it's going to try and do a little bit of blood nourishment.

Benny:He should know better at this point.

Gamemaster:That's it.

Gamemaster:It is a manipulate.

Gamemaster:It's going to nourish some blood.

Gamemaster:I swear to God.

Gamemaster:Yeah, that's crazy.

Johnny:Wow.

Gamemaster:I don't get to nourish mint.

Benny:Just wait until level four, Josh.

Johnny:Happens then.

Johnny:Oh, God.

Benny:Oh, I have defeat picked out for level four.

Gamemaster:I don't know if this is relevant to you, but he's bloodied now.

Gamemaster:I do know it's relevant to you.

Gamemaster:He's bloodied now.

Benny:What if I hit him again?

Benny:Yeah, it's relevant.

Gamemaster:We'll see if he gets to go.

Gamemaster:You interrupted his action, so it's Johnny's turn now.

Johnny:Oh, he's done.

Gamemaster:Yeah, he got interrupted.

Gamemaster:He gets to do all these things when he sucks out someone's blood, and none of that happened.

Gamemaster:It's fine.

Anzu:Oh, that took his whole turn?

Anzu:Oh, wow.

Gamemaster:Yeah, it's a three-action thing, and I got interrupted.

Gamemaster:That's happened twice this fight now.

Anzu:Crazy.

Argyle:Yeah, he looks over and he realizes that the little kid is running up to him with that super heavy football case.

Argyle:And Argyle strangely looks healthier.

Argyle:As healthy as when he first showed up.

Benny:Yeah.

Johnny:I will.

Gamemaster:Argyle is still grabbed, but it doesn't seem to matter.

Argyle:No.

Argyle:Actually, did he sustain the grip?

Gamemaster:Um, he doesn't need to.

Gamemaster:You need to break out of it.

Argyle:The description that I got is not... Okay.

Gamemaster:No, I... I didn't send the grabbed thing in the chat.

Argyle:Okay.

Argyle:No, it's like the grapple thing from Ugathal said on a success.

Argyle:It's only until the end of its next turn.

Gamemaster:Oh.

Gamemaster:No, you're still grabbed.

Argyle:Sorry.

Argyle:Sorry for reading the things you said.

Gamemaster:You're still grabbed.

Johnny:How dare you?

Argyle:Sorry.

Gamemaster:I didn't even realize I sent that.

Gamemaster:You're still grabbed.

Argyle:All right.

Argyle:Well, now I know to try to escape.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Johnny:I'm going to use a distracting performance to try and distract this guy.

Gamemaster:Sure.

Gamemaster:Oh, that's why.

Gamemaster:The thing that I sent from Ugathal is just the generic grapple attack, which is not the same as it's a monster, so it has a grab action.

Argyle:Hmm.

Argyle:Gotcha, gotcha.

Gamemaster:I was just trying to figure out what save you had to make.

Argyle:Gotcha, gotcha.

Johnny:Okay.

Johnny:Josh, it is not letting me, it's not letting me create a diversion with performance.

Gamemaster:He's creating a diversion.

Johnny:So I'll just do a, yeah.

Gamemaster:Just roll a performance check, I guess.

Gamemaster:What is it not letting you do?

Gamemaster:Like, it's giving you the wrong modifier?

Gamemaster:Oh, I see it.

Johnny:No, I'm clicking on it and it gives me a yellow arrow.

Johnny:That's it.

Johnny:I'll just take a screenshot of what it's doing.

Gamemaster:When I click on your character, creative diversion is multiple variants, but you don't have any select?

Gamemaster:I'll have to figure that out later.

Gamemaster:Just roll a regular performance.

Johnny:Performance.

Johnny:Perform.

Johnny:Would that be a success?

Gamemaster:It's against its perception, DC.

Gamemaster:A 20 does beat.

Gamemaster:That is a success.

Johnny:Excellent.

Johnny:Since it is a distracting performance, one of my allies gets the benefit, which I believe makes them hidden.

Johnny:So I will give it to Anzu.

Johnny:So Anzu is now hidden for his next turn, which means if he doesn't attack, this fella is off guard to him.

Anzu:Alright.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Johnny:So Anzu, you are hidden to this man.

Johnny:That's one action.

Johnny:Second action, I will... Oh, gosh.

Johnny:Not a lot of action things.

Johnny:I'll just use... Yeah.

Johnny:I'll use biting words.

Johnny:And I'll just say, now you're all alone and you're ugly.

Johnny:That's it.

Johnny:That's all I got.

Gamemaster:Does he have to make an attack roll?

Johnny:Yep.

Johnny:I do not hit.

Gamemaster:No, that does miss.

Gamemaster:Unfortunate.

Johnny:Oh, he's not frightened?

Johnny:I thought he was frightened.

Johnny:That's a bummer.

Gamemaster:Sorry, he was, but it wore off at the end of his turn.

Johnny:Well, that's what I got.

Johnny:That's my turn.

Johnny:But I can do that a little few more times.

Gamemaster:It was Anzu's turn.

Anzu:Okay, um... My psyche...

Johnny:Oh, wait, actually, Josh.

Johnny:Can I have made that a one action and then ready to help Anzu on his next turn?

Gamemaster:Um, no, because ready is two actions.

Johnny:Isn't ready to... Sorry, not ready.

Gamemaster:Is it a... Oh, you want it to aid.

Johnny:Aid?

Gamemaster:Yeah, that's fine.

Gamemaster:Do you have to spend an action to aid in combat?

Gamemaster:Is that what it is?

Johnny:yeah but i i didn't flourish so could i flourish uh flourish cast oh okay and okay please continue sorry

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Yeah, so you don't, like, choose to flourish.

Gamemaster:It just happens.

Gamemaster:So, um, yeah, that's fine.

Gamemaster:Yeah, okay, so you spent one action, and then you can attempt to aid on his turn.

Gamemaster:That's fine.

Anzu:All right.

Anzu:My psyche unleashes.

Gamemaster:His psyche.

Gamemaster:It's unleashed.

Anzu:And then... I think I'm just going to send... Does this make sense?

Anzu:Or does this make sense?

Anzu:I guess we just do a telekinetic projectile for now.

Gamemaster:OK.

Anzu:It's not amped.

Gamemaster:Telekinetically projectile the thing.

Johnny:I'm going to attempt to aid him.

Gamemaster:Sure.

Gamemaster:So you can roll performance.

Gamemaster:That is unfortunately a failure.

Gamemaster:So no bonuses here.

Anzu:Okay, let me target this man.

Anzu:He is off guard to me, though, because I'm hidden to him.

Gamemaster:You are hidden, correct.

Gamemaster:I have made the man off guard.

Benny:Ooh.

Johnny:Even if he's off guard, bummer.

Anzu:I've hit.

Anzu:A little damage.

Gamemaster:That is unfortunately not a crit, but it is hit.

Gamemaster:Even if he's off guard.

Anzu:That's pretty good.

Gamemaster:He is unfortunately still standing, but he's looking very not good.

Gamemaster:He's looking just above mortal.

Gamemaster:I don't have a word for 15%.

Johnny:Thank you.

Anzu:The...

Anzu:psychic energies around me are just kind of shooting off, and one of them just errantly actually goes out and makes a little fizzing noise as it heads in his direction.

Anzu:And he needs to make a basic reflex save?

Anzu:I might be able to send this.

Anzu:Does a basic reflex save come up?

Gamemaster:Yes, it does.

Benny:Yeah.

Argyle:It does?

Gamemaster:19.

Johnny:Oh, a Psiburst.

Johnny:Oh no.

Anzu:I guess that's a success, so it's going to do half damage.

Anzu:All right.

Argyle:Ooh, backstandage.

Gamemaster:I'm so sorry.

Benny:It is bludgeoning, isn't it?

Gamemaster:It is bludgeoning, and he has resistance 5 to bludgeoning damage.

Anzu:Oh, I didn't think about that.

Anzu:Totally forgot about that one, guys.

Anzu:All right.

Gamemaster:It appears to do nothing, unfortunately.

Anzu:I'll just calculate threats.

Gamemaster:Yeah, sure.

Gamemaster:Man's calculating.

Gamemaster:Okay, I'll search him.

Anzu:Oopsies.

Anzu:Forgot about the bludgeoning.

Argyle:I look over at Benny and I go, we got to finish it now.

Argyle:I'm going to make a swing at this guy.

Gamemaster:Sure.

Benny:I mean, I think he's very dead.

Argyle:Hit.

Gamemaster:Seven points of damage.

Gamemaster:That's how many hit points this guy has.

Argyle:Yes!

Gamemaster:So same as the other one.

Gamemaster:Great axe right through the torso.

Argyle:As I... Sorry, go.

Argyle:As I go to swing, I go, I go high!

Argyle:You go low!

Argyle:And I go... And I wait for Benny to go right.

Benny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Argyle:And he dies by just getting... Yeah!

Gamemaster:He is knee-height already.

Gamemaster:So... Yeah, the two of you can swing, and similar as before, it just kind of cripples.

Gamemaster:You have killed the Ugathal that were stalking you through the alleys.

Argyle:Do they have anything on their bodies?

Johnny:Okay.

Argyle:Or they absorbed everything, right?

Gamemaster:Uh, yeah.

Gamemaster:No, they're not him.

Gamemaster:Roll a perception check, actually.

Argyle:Yeah, they absorbed their bodies.

Gamemaster:What did you get?

Gamemaster:A 14?

Gamemaster:A 14 is enough.

Gamemaster:I think if you rummage around, obviously they're not wearing clothes or anything, because they are whatever.

Gamemaster:With a 14, you can rummage around and you find that the flesh is weird.

Gamemaster:It's almost stringy, so you can put your hand into the mound of flesh.

Gamemaster:And on the inside, you would find their badges.

Argyle:Oh, I grab those.

Argyle:I totally grab those.

Gamemaster:Yeah, absolutely.

Gamemaster:So you now have two seemingly real black line badges.

Argyle:Fantastic.

Gamemaster:And I think that's probably a good spot to end it for today.

Argyle:Fantastic.

Argyle:Anyone here... Before I forget, though, anyone here good with a pen in-game?

Argyle:Alright, I need you to add Agent of the... on one of my business cards.

Benny:I do like how the cocksuredness was completely warranted.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Anzu:Okay, now, so we're already at fraud.

Gamemaster:That's still fraud.

Anzu:It's been two sessions and we've hit fraud.

Argyle:I only said one of them.

Gamemaster:It doesn't matter how many business cards you write it on.

Gamemaster:If it's more than zero...

Benny:We're like, guys, there's going to get him in this alley.

Benny:two of the scariest things we've ever seen pop up, and they get dispatched without being able to use their, like, apex ability.

Gamemaster:I swear to God, you... I'm not going to tell you anything about their stats.

Johnny:This thing is horrifying.

Johnny:No, those things are nasty.

Argyle:They had high ACs, so they weren't super low level, I assume.

Argyle:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Just, you know, it's rude of you that twice I tried to use that ability, and twice you crit.

Benny:It feels so good, not only playing a marshal that can benefit from automatic progression because the spellcasters don't with their two hit, but also playing the marshal to hit.

Gamemaster:Ridiculous.

Benny:I have a build centered around variety of crits, like crits that do different things depending on which weapon I hit with.

Benny:So when you were like, you're only going to have one weapon, I'm like, I only need one weapon for this session.

Anzu:The time of the double slice is over.

Gamemaster:Yeah, you had double slice that you used at any capacity for one level and you're immediately done with it?

Gamemaster:You got other stuff?

Benny:I think Benny is going to be flexible in one hand, maybe two hand.

Benny:I did see the gears turning for Josh on why I would want a poly tool, but it's the absolute funniest weapon in the game.

Argyle:Well, I will... Well, I will say, with all these reactions and cancelling, what's that meme where it's just like Lev dead and then Benny born at the same year?

Johnny:you

Gamemaster:I had not heard of it until you...

Gamemaster:until you pointed it out to me.

Gamemaster:That was new.

Argyle:Where it's like the Rizzler and the other guy...

Benny:It's...

Gamemaster:Well, see, the thing is, like, reactive strike isn't supposed to be so terrible, because on, like, a normal hit, you do damage, and then the thing still goes off.

Gamemaster:It's the fact that he rolled a natural 20 twice on his reactive strikes.

Argyle:Hey, that's the spirit of Lev.

Argyle:Spirit of Lev.

Gamemaster:Yeah, that's it.

Gamemaster:Lev is hovering over his shoulder, being like, don't let him, don't let Josh do anything.

Gamemaster:Just any time he tries to do anything, tell him no, and then he has to listen, legally.

Anzu:Thank you.

Benny:It's almost like the worst part of that is the fact that it crit and not the fact that it did a bunch of damage.

Benny:It's just like... Because of the grab, they need to be...

Gamemaster:I didn't even care about the damage.

Gamemaster:I cared about the fact that they have one ability that takes three actions that does stuff, and then you just said no to it every time they tried to do it.

Gamemaster:It's three actions.

Gamemaster:It requires setup.

Gamemaster:It's not an easy thing for them to just do.

Gamemaster:It's fine.

Gamemaster:Yeah, because they can only do it on something that's grabbed and restrained.

Gamemaster:It's fine.

Benny:Yeah.

Johnny:insane you

Gamemaster:It's whatever.

Anzu:So, I don't get any weapon potency benefits as a spellcaster.

Gamemaster:Nope.

Anzu:If I wear explorer's clothing, do I get the armor potency?

Gamemaster:You do.

Anzu:Okay.

Gamemaster:If you wield a weapon, you get the weapon potency as well.

Gamemaster:It's just, that's not, I don't know, that's like not a psychic's thing, right?

Anzu:Would that... No, I don't really have much use for weapons.

Anzu:My beak is a weapon, so would it apply to my beak?

Gamemaster:I don't know if you can... I mean, maybe.

Johnny:plus one striking beak.

Anzu:With the automatic rune progression?

Gamemaster:Like...

Gamemaster:Um, I think no, because your beak is considered an unarmed attack.

Anzu:So I would need to get the hand wraps.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Right, yeah, if you got the hand wraps, then you could wrap it around your beak, and then, you know, yeah.

Anzu:It would make my beak better.

Anzu:I don't really plan on using it very often, so...

Gamemaster:Fair.

Argyle:beak's worse than his bark.

Benny:Jesus Christ, man.

Anzu:I don't know.

Anzu:Arguable.

Argyle:So this might be our last time playing for a month, right?

Johnny:Yes, I go to Japan on Monday.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Anzu:Yeah.

Johnny:And then Tanner, when do you get back from Italy?

Anzu:So I will be back from Italy on Thursday the 25th.

Argyle:And then my wedding's the fourth.

Anzu:Correct.

Anzu:So I don't know how busy you're going to be the week leading up to the wedding, but I'll be back for that.

Argyle:Okay.

Johnny:Yeah, we could maybe do them.

Johnny:Maybe do Monday the 29th.

Argyle:Yeah, maybe.

Gamemaster:Okay, so are both Tanner and Noah, are you guys going to be out at the same time?

Gamemaster:You're just going the whole... Okay, so... The reason I ask is because that does mean that if people want to, for the three that are still around, we can do one-shots.

Anzu:I don't think we overlap at all.

Johnny:So I'm gone the 1st through the 15th, and I think Tanner leaves right as I'm getting back.

Anzu:I leave like the 13th, so...

Gamemaster:If you're not overlapping at all.

Gamemaster:So we'll do that.

Gamemaster:And then maybe on the 29th, if Jorge, you have the time leading up to your wedding on that, we could maybe do a session.

Argyle:sounds good

Gamemaster:Otherwise, you know.

Benny:Okay.

Anzu:All right.

Gamemaster:So we'll come back to Færrin in a month.

Anzu:Yeah.

Johnny:I mean, if you guys want, I can just send, I doubt you guys can do that.

Anzu:Noah, I liked the first three chapters of your book.

Anzu:I enjoyed it.

Gamemaster:I enjoyed it.

Anzu:And then it ended and I was like, I want the next chapter.

Gamemaster:Can you just give us your manuscript?

Gamemaster:Do we have to wait for February?

Gamemaster:I know you haven't.

Johnny:I can just send you the manuscript.

Anzu:I leave that to you.

Anzu:I think the book is done.

Gamemaster:Yeah, I wouldn't say no if you sent it.

Gamemaster:But also, I was planning on getting the actual book when it comes out anyway.

Argyle:You could do both.

Argyle:You guys could be beta readers if Noah wants it.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:You don't even need beta readers now, right?

Argyle:It might be too late.

Gamemaster:If you're looking to publish.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Johnny:So I don't need beta readers, but I would always take advanced copy readers.

Johnny:So once I have the actual... I'm getting the cover sometime in December, probably.

Johnny:I can send you guys advanced reader copies if you are willing to leave a review.

Anzu:thing totally faked me out on page three with the pronunciation of the character's name I was like alright so I'm racist yeah it was good

Johnny:I'm glad you guys liked it.

Johnny:Thank you for reading.

Gamemaster:It was good.

Argyle:So.

Benny:you

Gamemaster:Yeah, it was... I...

Johnny:Yes.

Johnny:I was like, this is how you pronounce the name.

Johnny:I got to find a way to let everyone know how to pronounce it.

Johnny:That sounds, that is not like.

Gamemaster:And the way you do that is to call, I assume, everybody who reads the book an idiot who's doing it on purpose to insult him.

Johnny:Yeah, I did.

Johnny:I didn't want to insult the reader specifically.

Anzu:Awesome.

Gamemaster:I get it.

Gamemaster:You accomplished it.

Johnny:Yes, Tanner, I don't know if I'll see you before.

Anzu:You got it.

Anzu:Hey, have an excellent time in Japan.

Johnny:Have a good time in Italy.

Johnny:All right.

Anzu:Thank you.

Anzu:It's going to be crazy.

Johnny:I've been up since earlier this morning.

Johnny:So I'll see you guys.

Anzu:Good night, everybody.

Benny:Peace.

Argyle:Good night.

Gamemaster:Adios.

Anzu:Peace out.