2026-2-24 — Akasha

Arctos:Good.

Gamemaster:Ah!

Arctos:Yellow.

Gamemaster:How are we doing today?

Arctos:Doing well.

Arctos:How are you?

Gamemaster:That's good.

Gamemaster:I'm also doing well.

Arctos:Good.

Arctos:Getting good news?

Gamemaster:You... I'm just doing well in general.

Arctos:I just did.

Gamemaster:I have been.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:So, I have been dealing with ghosts in my computers.

Gamemaster:But other than that, everything's been going.

Arctos:Okay.

Arctos:What goes... Stuff.

Gamemaster:I'm going to run something by you.

Gamemaster:Yeah, you tell me if you've ever heard this before.

Arctos:Okay.

Gamemaster:Okay, you keep cutting out.

Gamemaster:I'm trying to figure out if it's me or you.

Gamemaster:One second.

Gamemaster:Because it might be me and it might be related to the ghosts.

Arctos:Okay.

Arctos:We got a third party.

Gamemaster:Okay, I don't think it's me, because my standard ghosts detection is not currently reporting positive for ghosts.

Arctos:Mike, am I cutting in and out a lot?

Benny:What?

Gamemaster:Is Jorge or I... Yeah.

Benny:Like, since I've joined the call?

Gamemaster:Sure, he hasn't said much.

Arctos:Yeah.

Benny:Wait, what do you mean he hasn't?

Gamemaster:Okay, so before you joined, I was trying to hold a conversation with Jorge, and we were talking over each other, and he was cutting in and out for me.

Gamemaster:I don't know if that's happening for you.

Benny:Hmm.

Gamemaster:Okay, maybe it is.

Benny:Doesn't seem to be the case.

Arctos:I'm just going to be real quiet so you can't tell.

Gamemaster:Okay, sure.

Gamemaster:I've had ghosts in my computers, Mike, and I'm trying to figure them out.

Gamemaster:Okay, so here's the dilemma.

Gamemaster:I was seeing an issue where I was getting anywhere from 30 to 90% packet drops on all traffic I was sending on any device on my home network.

Benny:Mm hmm.

Gamemaster:And so I assume there's an issue with the router.

Gamemaster:And so I swap it out.

Arctos:Mm-hmm.

Gamemaster:I have three routers, so I just get one of my other routers and I swap it in.

Gamemaster:it doesn't resolve the issue.

Gamemaster:And so I try router number three and that also doesn't resolve the issue.

Gamemaster:And so I call my internet service provider and I set up my other modem because I have two modems.

Gamemaster:Because I think maybe it's the modems issue at that time.

Gamemaster:And that doesn't fix anything.

Gamemaster:So I have the nice man from Spectrum come over and do his own detective work to see if he can figure out why I'm seeing all of these packet drops.

Gamemaster:And he's not seeing any packet drops when he does the direct test, which doesn't make sense because I can pull up my terminal and I just try to ping Google and I get 80% packet drops.

Gamemaster:And anyway, so I end up, I plug my computer directly into my modem.

Gamemaster:And then that works fine, no packet drops.

Gamemaster:So the issue is somewhere in my network.

Gamemaster:And so I say thank you to the nice Spectrum man and I usher him out of my home.

Gamemaster:And I spend the next four days tearing my hair out trying to figure out what the hell is causing these packet drops because it's internal to my system until I finally discovered it.

Gamemaster:For some reason, when my server is plugged into my network,

Gamemaster:regardless of where.

Gamemaster:It could be plugged into a switch, it could be plugged directly into a router, regardless of where it gets plugged in.

Gamemaster:It causes every other device on the entire network to start dropping packets.

Johnny:you

Gamemaster:Sometimes.

Gamemaster:When I restart the server, that makes it okay for the next few hours.

Gamemaster:But what's particularly weird is even if I SSH onto my router and then from my router ping my Spectrum ingestion point, which means that the only devices this particular signal goes through is the direct cable that goes from my router into the modem and then into the coax wire into Spectrum's servers, I still get packet losses, even though at no point should it be interacting with my server at all.

Arctos:Ghosts.

Gamemaster:And I don't understand it.

Benny:Is it some level of increased traffic, or is it when this computer connects, all of a sudden something knows that you've connected this particular device, and it's like, oh, don't interact with those packets.

Gamemaster:It's ghosts.

Arctos:I can't hear.

Johnny:Bye.

Benny:For some reason, something on that computer is weirdly blacklisted.

Gamemaster:So it's not always.

Gamemaster:If I restart my server, and then everything's fine for a few hours, and then something happens that causes it to get into a bad state that pollutes the rest of my network.

Gamemaster:But when that happens, I have run iflog and iphog and all of that kind of stuff to see if it's using up an egregious amount of bandwidth or something, and it's not.

Gamemaster:As best I can tell, it isn't doing anything different than it used to.

Gamemaster:But when it's in that bad state, I can start running a ping on my computer to Google, and it'll be like, no response, no response, no response.

Gamemaster:And then I will unplug the Ethernet cable from wherever it's plugged into, and immediately I get, oh yeah, ping back, ping back, ping back.

Gamemaster:And then I plug it back in, and immediately it goes back to ping lost, ping lost, ping lost.

Benny:And this is with nothing running on the computer?

Gamemaster:It's so weird.

Gamemaster:Like, nothing other than it's normal background stuff.

Gamemaster:Like, I'm not explicitly running any additional stuff.

Benny:Like nothing that you've written.

Benny:It's just like, here is a computer with XOS installed.

Benny:There's nothing besides pre-installed stuff running.

Gamemaster:Correct.

Gamemaster:Because I've gone in and I've, like, when I'm trying to debug, taken down, like, the Docker that runs Foundry and all of that kind of stuff to make sure it's not one of those.

Gamemaster:And it's not.

Gamemaster:It's ghosts.

Benny:um and you have other things like you have other computers plugged in for your ethernet not like network devices or iot but you have other computers have you tried changing the ethernet cable

Gamemaster:Yep.

Gamemaster:I have other computers.

Gamemaster:I have the computer... Yes.

Gamemaster:Yes, I have.

Gamemaster:As much as I can.

Gamemaster:Like, I swapped out the Ethernet cable for the server itself.

Gamemaster:I can't swap out the Ethernet cable for this computer because it's in my walls.

Benny:Have you tried changing the motherboard?

Gamemaster:But also, I wouldn't expect anything to happen because it's in my walls.

Gamemaster:So... It's ghosts.

Benny:No, I know.

Gamemaster:No.

Gamemaster:I don't want to buy more computer parts right now.

Benny:I'm just trying to think.

Benny:This seems like it could be weird.

Arctos:You should just buy some RAM.

Benny:Yeah, just buy RAM.

Benny:I think just buying the most expensive thing you can.

Anzu:Download some online, Josh.

Johnny:Yeah.

Gamemaster:I could download more RAM.

Benny:Or download RAM.

Gamemaster:I am getting to the point where I'm debating buying a PCIe network card and plugging that into the motherboard and seeing if the issue is with the network card on the motherboard itself.

Gamemaster:But I don't know how that would have happened.

Gamemaster:It's not like I've updated the OS ever.

Gamemaster:I don't know what would cause it to spontaneously break.

Gamemaster:And it works sometimes.

Gamemaster:Like right now it's working, I think.

Benny:Yeah.

Gamemaster:So, I, correct.

Anzu:We'll be the judge of that.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:I don't know.

Benny:It's just that computer.

Benny:Have you tried putting a different hard drive on it with a different OS and booting it up?

Gamemaster:No, I haven't.

Gamemaster:I'm sure it has something to do with the existing OS.

Gamemaster:I might have to just tear it down, but...

Benny:I'm thinking maybe there's some weird...

Benny:shielding not going correctly i i don't even know how the poor shielding from like a motherboard would reach the whole networks everything from the ethernet

Gamemaster:Yeah, it's crazy.

Gamemaster:Like, even on my phone.

Gamemaster:Like, using Wi-Fi on my phone, I see packet drops while my server is hardwired into my router.

Benny:But have you got a voltmeter and measured the voltage of the Ethernet cable?

Benny:Maybe some weird... It's overvolting it, and that's causing interference?

Gamemaster:You think it's over?

Gamemaster:Maybe.

Benny:Listen, Josh, I'm an expert in ghosts and computers, and I'm just doing what you've given me.

Gamemaster:But I like... That's true.

Gamemaster:Like, I know.

Gamemaster:I'm just thinking, like, I would find it.

Gamemaster:I should.

Gamemaster:I can go get a multimeter and test it.

Gamemaster:I would just be surprised because right now it's plugged directly into my router, but before I had it plugged into a switch that supports PoE, which should be totally fine handling extra voltage, even if that were actually happening.

Arctos:I'm sorry.

Benny:Maybe there's some weird forced BIOS update.

Arctos:I'm sorry, but I have to ask.

Benny:Yeah.

Arctos:Do you think it's Zoran Mondani's fault?

Gamemaster:I don't see how it would be Zoran Mamdani's fault.

Arctos:It could.

Benny:Actually, that's a good question.

Arctos:It could.

Benny:When did it start?

Arctos:I think we should be open to that possibility.

Benny:No, no, hold on.

Johnny:Do you think he's standing there?

Gamemaster:So... Maybe.

Johnny:Do you think he plugged into the Matrix and is just swatting down packets?

Benny:I have a theory.

Benny:When did this weirdness start?

Gamemaster:I think of a year ago, but it used to be not very bad, and it's just gotten worse and worse and worse as time has gone on.

Benny:Oh, never mind.

Anzu:Mm-hmm.

Arctos:I'm telling you.

Benny:And it became unbearable when.

Gamemaster:Which, at the very least...

Gamemaster:Around when Zoran was signed in was when the packet issues happened, I think.

Benny:Oh.

Benny:I thought you were going to say it happened like last week, Wednesday.

Benny:I was going to be like, start of Ramadan.

Benny:It's like, it's so wrong.

Benny:He's totally, he's thwarting you with Islam.

Arctos:Well, he's getting more power.

Gamemaster:It could be.

Arctos:You know, it's like the spirit ball.

Benny:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Of course.

Gamemaster:Listen, my only...

Gamemaster:My only complaint with him so far is I don't understand how the city is so bad at shoveling snow.

Johnny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:I don't know how that happened.

Benny:It's difficult.

Gamemaster:It used to not be difficult.

Gamemaster:I assume it's not actually his fault.

Arctos:My... Yeah.

Gamemaster:I assume it's like a decade of not needing to shovel snow in the city.

Gamemaster:So we just stopped investing in like snow plows and whatever.

Gamemaster:But it's crazy that a last snow lasted all the way until this snow, where there was just piled up on the side of the road for no reason.

Arctos:Did you hear about deputizing people to shovel?

Benny:No, trust me.

Benny:I mean...

Benny:I like that.

Gamemaster:Are they actually?

Arctos:They'll let people...

Benny:If you go and show enough ID to do tax forms with it, they will register you and pay you $19 an hour to shovel.

Arctos:Yeah, you have to show ID.

Benny:If you shovel enough, they'll give you overtime.

Benny:They'll give you, I don't know, double overtime or time and a half or something.

Arctos:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Nice.

Arctos:What I think is funny is during the first snowstorm, he was just like, I don't care if there's a snowstorm.

Arctos:You're all going to have to go to school, even if it's virtual.

Arctos:And then he got so much backlash.

Arctos:To be fair, I'm not his biggest fan, but honestly...

Arctos:He sounds like an immigrant parent.

Arctos:He's just like, you're going to school.

Arctos:You're going to learn.

Arctos:And then people were so mad at him.

Johnny:Listen, guys.

Arctos:For this one, he's like, no school tomorrow.

Anzu:Well, he used to go to school uphill both ways during a blizzard.

Gamemaster:Well, so he...

Arctos:Yeah.

Arctos:Yep.

Gamemaster:He didn't actually cancel school.

Gamemaster:He just made it remote.

Gamemaster:We got out of school.

Arctos:No, he did that the first time.

Arctos:But this time, they didn't, I don't think.

Arctos:I think today it was actually canceled.

Gamemaster:My understanding was that there are a certain number of... I don't know about today specifically.

Gamemaster:I know last time they did remote because in order to reach some legal requirement for days taught, they were like, hey, we can't just have everybody take off just whenever it snows.

Arctos:Yeah.

Arctos:I just think it's funny that the first time he was like an immigrant parent, he's like, you're going to learn.

Arctos:I don't care.

Arctos:This time he's like, okay, okay, guys.

Johnny:When I was in high school, the policy for snow days was that if the – I went to a private school for high school, important background.

Johnny:If the, like, head of the school couldn't get to school, then we would have a snow day.

Gamemaster:So did you ever have a snow day?

Johnny:The head of the school lived on campus.

Johnny:I had three snow days.

Johnny:I had three.

Gamemaster:Oh.

Gamemaster:You still had snow days?

Anzu:In Denver.

Johnny:Yeah, it was only when they put out warnings that were like, don't go outside for more than five minutes.

Arctos:Oh.

Anzu:Okay.

Johnny:Yeah, when you move out in Colorado and get a house or anything, you buy a snow shovel.

Benny:Yeah, no, snow removal is difficult.

Johnny:That was what my dad bought me.

Gamemaster:For summer break?

Johnny:He was like, congrats on getting a house.

Johnny:Here's a snow shovel.

Anzu:Yeah.

Arctos:That's good.

Anzu:Colorado's crazy because it snows for six months of the year, but then it'll be 60 degrees from what I've heard.

Johnny:Yeah, it was like 60 degrees on Christmas, but every year when I would come home for summer break, it would snow.

Benny:It's not summer break then.

Arctos:It's below the equator.

Johnny:Yeah.

Gamemaster:That's crazy.

Benny:You're thinking of winter break.

Johnny:No, I think it was summer.

Gamemaster:Oh, it's because Denver's in the southern hemisphere.

Benny:Colorado's in this hemisphere.

Gamemaster:That's why.

Gamemaster:Must have missed it.

Benny:I don't think all the people in Colorado acquire Australian accents.

Benny:Put a little shrimp on the barbie.

Benny:It's fucking December.

Johnny:You guys didn't hear all the Australian accents when you came here?

Benny:I think I was too tipsy from the altitude.

Johnny:From your, you didn't even notice it.

Arctos:You're a judge.

Benny:Maybe I had one.

Benny:Maybe that's what gives you the accent is the altitude.

Anzu:Crikey.

Gamemaster:Oh, that's an Australian word.

Gamemaster:I didn't know you were fluent, Tanner.

Anzu:I dabble.

Benny:Whoa.

Anzu:Hmm.

Gamemaster:What?

Arctos:Gavel, dabble.

Anzu:Yeah, he kind of made a bit of a leap in word sounds.

Benny:Oh, I thought he was talking about his fine art collection because he said he's effluent.

Johnny:Did you say effluent?

Gamemaster:No, I think he said you were sick.

Arctos:Pissing myself?

Anzu:Wait, did he just call me effeminate?

Benny:I tried.

Anzu:Oh.

Gamemaster:Also, I figured out what the thing is with Jorge.

Gamemaster:It's not that he's cutting out.

Gamemaster:It's that his audio is lagging like two seconds behind what his face is doing.

Anzu:Oh.

Gamemaster:Try it.

Benny:oh, I didn't realize it all until you did.

Arctos:My internet's a little slow.

Benny:And then just like, all I heard was, oh.

Gamemaster:Craig will have the receipts.

Arctos:Well, the O is from Tanner.

Benny:Listen, I don't doubt that you can do ventriloquism, but not that well.

Anzu:Well, Craig would know, right?

Gamemaster:Although Craig does do weird things sometimes.

Gamemaster:Like if you sniffle and then wait 10 seconds and then start speaking, it assumes that the sniffle and the 10 second pause were part of that sentence.

Gamemaster:So, like, if you look at the transcript, sometimes the lines are out of order because it's like, yes, technically Josh did start talking before Tanner did, but Tanner coughed a minute ago.

Gamemaster:So I think we should put his line first.

Benny:So people just look clairvoyant?

Anzu:I really enjoyed the cat conversation.

Gamemaster:Yeah, it was good.

Gamemaster:Every once in a while, I scroll through the transcripts to pick out spelling issues and the like.

Gamemaster:For instance, the transcription did not know how to spell Sbrtlby for some reason.

Johnny:Of course.

Gamemaster:So I have to manually go in and update it.

Gamemaster:And while I do, sometimes I find fun nuggets like that.

Gamemaster:It's a good time.

Gamemaster:It got close.

Gamemaster:It just kept putting vowels in for some reason.

Arctos:Thank you.

Gamemaster:And at some point it assumed that you were talking about a Mr. Spartle B, as in like his last name was B. But it was fun.

Gamemaster:It's all fixed now.

Benny:Did you guys enjoy the fish market?

Anzu:That was a nice twist.

Johnny:I like the virgin chub.

Benny:The virgin chip.

Gamemaster:That's what that is.

Gamemaster:I was just translating from Yenish into English.

Benny:Yeah, I think I asked Joe and I to generate.

Benny:him bartering with a fish vendor at a fish market and giving the thumbs up to the camera.

Benny:And they put a human.

Benny:And I was like, alright, interesting pick.

Benny:I hope there's more than one yin that exists, but if I keep asking you to generate shit and you never make another one, he may be the last yin.

Benny:Yeah, there's nary a yin to be seen.

Anzu:Oh, yeah, because there's other humans in the background, too.

Johnny:Oh, no.

Gamemaster:I haven't noticed before this image that his thumb is pink, but now I'm scrolling back and I see that in all of the pictures his thumb is pink.

Benny:Well, it's the... Oh my god, they are... The ones that have what looks to be... The ones on the far right, the top right corner, seem to be growing some sort of claws, unless that's a garnish.

Johnny:Some of these fish have two heads.

Johnny:Some of these fish are just a head and a head, like a cat-dog, but fish-fish.

Johnny:These are scary fish.

Gamemaster:I like how the fishmonger is holding the fish.

Gamemaster:It looks like he's just death gripped onto the mouth.

Gamemaster:Like with his whole fist.

Benny:Because his thumb is not holding anything, so it's like, I fucking got this fish right here.

Johnny:I mean, this guy's forearms are jacked.

Benny:It's so... It's so... It's so fresh, I'm afraid it'll loosen my grip.

Johnny:Do you see this guy's forearms?

Johnny:You can see the definition.

Anzu:Yeah true.

Arctos:Mm-hmm.

Gamemaster:I mean...

Benny:Or else it'll flop all over the place because it's so fresh.

Gamemaster:I do like how, because I assume you're feeding in previous images so that whatever model you use knows what to generate, that it's starting to think that the star in the bottom corner is part of the Heart and is generating its own version of it.

Benny:That is one of my rules.

Benny:I give it the same source image, which is the original Yeen image of Bartleby.

Benny:Bartleby?

Benny:No.

Benny:Of Barnaby.

Benny:Yeah, so that's why it's the same pose and everything.

Benny:Just put him in a fucking fish market.

Benny:But we'll see where else it goes.

Gamemaster:Do we want to find some paths?

Johnny:Ooh.

Anzu:What did we do?

Benny:Yes.

Gamemaster:Okay, does anyone want to do the recap for the previous session?

Johnny:Happened last session.

Benny:Uh.

Anzu:Alright, let me see what I can do.

Arctos:Thank you.

Benny:I could do it.

Gamemaster:Belvedere Archive.

Anzu:I believe we began at the Belvedere Information Center.

Johnny:you

Benny:Thank you.

Anzu:That's the word that I wanted, but wasn't arriving.

Gamemaster:It works.

Anzu:So we researched a couple things, including big booty bears.

Anzu:Didn't find any, but we learned a couple things.

Anzu:We learned that Sir Arctos is a major anomaly and a very interesting piece.

Anzu:We learned about some other strange happenings along the timeline of Embercall's arising, including a couple months ago some other fire-related cults that kind of burned out quick.

Anzu:We also learned about a strider that just kind of started singing and then disappeared.

Anzu:And then...

Anzu:We talked to Anaïs and Anouk, and we told them to kill our rivals.

Anzu:And then we had a really smooth move where we went and met with the Ark mechanic as art dealers without having any art to deal.

Arctos:With very cool clothes.

Gamemaster:So, to clarify, you did get confirmation that it was the Archmechanic.

Anzu:and he wasn't really interested in our empty pockets and bags, so he sent us packing.

Johnny:you you

Gamemaster:You spoke to somebody in the Prime Meridian sub-nexus, but they did not introduce themselves.

Anzu:That's true.

Anzu:Yes.

Gamemaster:He's got a bunch of metal in his hymn.

Anzu:He was jacked in.

Gamemaster:Sure, yeah.

Gamemaster:Yeah, little bits in the middle.

Gamemaster:You guys did go shopping a little bit.

Gamemaster:Mike purchased a sword whose name I can't remember, but he purchased it.

Benny:Not important.

Gamemaster:No, it definitely is.

Gamemaster:I remember it being scary.

Johnny:Falcata.

Gamemaster:And, sure.

Benny:Not important.

Benny:Maybe.

Gamemaster:And Johnny had a chat with Dust, the head of the Ghosts of Raelion.

Johnny:My best bud.

Gamemaster:He's, you know, for a, like, pretty infamous terrorist, he's a pretty chill dude.

Gamemaster:But, you know, it happens.

Johnny:We're best buddies.

Gamemaster:So yeah, you had that spoke with Anaïs and Anouk about killing the two other groups that are going after your Keystone.

Gamemaster:You had a relatively unsuccessful negotiation with the folks at the Prime Meridian sub-nexus, and you are now in your car doing something.

Gamemaster:It is around this time, I think you guys, I can't remember if you went to sleep and then purchased the stuff at Smiler's or if you came here in the morning.

Johnny:um you

Gamemaster:You might have just come here in the morning.

Gamemaster:I think you purchased stuff at Smiler's like yesterday.

Gamemaster:Because I have found that so long as I say, is there anything else you want to do before you go to bed, you will come up with a new errand that requires you driving across the city to do that thing.

Arctos:Before... I don't know what we're doing, but before I forget, Jorge, Bearman wants to note down what was the channel on the radio that the heart communicated out of.

Johnny:Oh, that's a good call.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:Oh, actually, that's a good question.

Gamemaster:What are the AM radio frequency range?

Arctos:Yeah, whatever that is, just so that...

Gamemaster:535 to 1605.

Benny:2,000 to 9,000.

Benny:I'll guess.

Benny:Oh.

Arctos:Well, Mike has some wavelength of light.

Gamemaster:I forget.

Gamemaster:Which one is the people speaking?

Gamemaster:Is that AM or FM?

Benny:That's AM.

Gamemaster:Okay, that's what I thought.

Gamemaster:We're going to put this at 980.2 kilohertz.

Gamemaster:Not that that matters.

Gamemaster:You guys can turn it back in the knob to that particular frequency if need be.

Arctos:What'd you say?

Arctos:Yeah, what'd you say, though?

Gamemaster:980.2.

Arctos:Just so I have it up.

Benny:And a frequency 980.2.

Benny:I haven't seen this clip.

Arctos:On a real, real side note, just gonna be real quick.

Arctos:Have you guys seen the King of Queens clip where he's trying to get a number from his dad to order pizza?

Arctos:And the dad's like trying to give him the numbers and he's just insufferable.

Arctos:He's like one, two, three hundred.

Arctos:So he like puts three, three, zero and four.

Arctos:And he's like, all right, I got to restart the fucking number.

Anzu:I've not seen it.

Gamemaster:No.

Arctos:It's a good clip.

Gamemaster:OK, so you've marked that down.

Gamemaster:You guys are in your car.

Gamemaster:We'll say it's probably around 10 AM.

Gamemaster:You've just pulled out of the commercial loading area of this sub-nexus of Prime Meridian's and Sableclutch.

Gamemaster:What is the plan?

Johnny:Do we want to go to an art museum to learn about art?

Benny:Of course the nerd wants to go to the museum.

Johnny:Or do we just want to steal art from Arctos' friend?

Arctos:No.

Anzu:I think we need to go to the museum.

Arctos:We're not just going to steal art from him.

Benny:No, I think we should go to the Heart museum and then hopefully, coincidentally, a bad person will own a very nice piece of art and then we can go and take it from them without remorse.

Arctos:Well, if it makes you feel any better, probably most of the rich people are bad people here.

Johnny:Does that include your friend?

Johnny:Siberian bear.

Arctos:I said most, not my friend.

Arctos:He's a good guy.

Benny:Okay, comrade Arctos.

Arctos:We can steal from Grayson.

Gamemaster:He really could eat the rich, though.

Gamemaster:He's a bear.

Benny:Oh my god.

Benny:Oh my god, I know what's going to happen.

Benny:We're going to steal from someone in Arctos' senator's neighborhood because we have access to a neighborhood that isn't getting communities.

Benny:That's the easiest way for us to get access to a rich person's house.

Arctos:We got to get a burner car and everything though.

Johnny:To the museum!

Arctos:But yeah.

Benny:We do.

Benny:We already have one.

Benny:Let's get the city tripper.

Anzu:No.

Gamemaster:Don't do that to poor Dura.

Benny:We just need it one more time where I swear we're only using it for the quests where we're likely to come back and not put any heat on the car.

Arctos:Yeah.

Gamemaster:She's just driving around at some point in the future and she gets pulled over because she's been associated with a robbery.

Benny:By like the head of fucking Sable and Suns fucking security.

Johnny:Oh no.

Benny:This was involved in a robbery.

Gamemaster:If you guys want to go to a museum, I think I need a society check to see if any of you know of any museums in Hallia.

Benny:I let this out all the time.

Anzu:I'm on it.

Arctos:I'm not going to make one.

Benny:Will we get two rolls?

Gamemaster:Yeah, if you want.

Gamemaster:I'm not going to make you.

Benny:No one else.

Benny:No one else is making one.

Anzu:I think we'll be alright.

Gamemaster:What did we get?

Benny:Let me chance my hero point, please.

Anzu:I got a critical 31.

Gamemaster:Nice.

Gamemaster:You know all of the Heart galleries and museums in Hallia.

Anzu:Guys, I had a feeling we might need to go to a museum, so I looked a couple up earlier.

Gamemaster:Honestly, that's fair.

Johnny:pulls up every pamphlet from a tourist stop.

Gamemaster:So there are...

Gamemaster:Um, there are quite a few, uh, art galleries in, or art museums and the like, uh, in Hallia.

Gamemaster:Uh, this is very much the, the cultural center of Calaria.

Gamemaster:Um, but if you're looking for the Heart museum, like the one that will have the largest breadth of different art and all that kind of stuff, you're, you're looking for the Hallia Metropolitan Conservatory, the MetCon.

Arctos:Hell yeah.

Gamemaster:which is like a multi-story collection of hundreds of years' worth of art.

Johnny:To that museum.

Gamemaster:Generally speaking, if Calaria's plundered a country for its culture, it's there.

Gamemaster:You know, as well as made their own art.

Gamemaster:That does happen in Calaria.

Gamemaster:They do have their own artists, but this is where they keep all the other stuff, too.

Gamemaster:Yeah, since you rolled ridiculously well in your check, I think you could just go there.

Gamemaster:There isn't...

Gamemaster:Like, no direction check needed.

Gamemaster:You know where it is in the city.

Gamemaster:It's pretty close to the Aurideon.

Gamemaster:You're definitely in, like, the more upscale part of the city, more of the center around the river.

Gamemaster:This particular building is you pull up to the entrance.

Gamemaster:There is, like, a little parking garage that you can pull into.

Gamemaster:No fee or anything like that to enter.

Johnny:Bye.

Gamemaster:The building itself is an architectural piece in itself.

Gamemaster:It's four stories.

Gamemaster:It's made entirely out of glass, and it's got this kind of swooping motion such that it extends over the river that runs through Hallia, where the second, third, and fourth floors have parts of the floor that are glass that look down into the river itself.

Gamemaster:Of course, there are magical scrubbers in the river to make this particular part look clean, even if the sewage has been dumped in upstream and the like, which definitely has happened.

Arctos:And.

Gamemaster:Easy enough for you guys to find a parking space and come in.

Johnny:Terrible.

Gamemaster:I guess like around 1030 now is a reasonable time for people to be coming to the museum.

Gamemaster:It is...

Gamemaster:Um, it would be Monday.

Gamemaster:So it's a school day.

Gamemaster:So I think you're probably there amidst the old people in the field trips.

Anzu:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Um, but like, you know, there's, there's, there's enough room in this museum for everybody to, to, to come in and spread out.

Gamemaster:I'm not necessarily to bump into other people.

Gamemaster:Um, what are you looking for in particular at this museum?

Gamemaster:Yep.

Johnny:two things.

Johnny:First, I'm going to look around and see if they have any quins.

Johnny:See if that is a name that holds any weight.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Johnny:And then after that, I'm just going to kind of trail behind one of the tour groups doing that thing where I don't want to pay for a tour, but I'm still listening and eavesdropping.

Gamemaster:And astute of you to know that they absolutely would charge you for a tort.

Benny:Benny would like to do the same, but he would like to look for the more secured art pieces, and instead of a tour group, he would like to find some fourth graders.

Gamemaster:But yeah.

Gamemaster:Yeah, absolutely done.

Gamemaster:Okay, I need a perception check for you to look around and try and figure out where the expensive art is.

Gamemaster:And then I probably want a stealth check from Johnny to blend in with an existing tour group and try and catch it.

Gamemaster:Yes, Arctos.

Arctos:I would like to talk to someone that works here or is doing a tour and just get them to give me a tour for free.

Johnny:you

Arctos:That'd be my goal.

Gamemaster:Make a diplomacy check.

Gamemaster:The DC isn't super high because you're famous.

Anzu:He is Sir Arctos.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Anzu:Yeah.

Arctos:Yes.

Arctos:And they're following the host, correct?

Gamemaster:So you just need a little bit of nudging.

Gamemaster:Yes, this area, especially most of the staff here do follow the host.

Arctos:24.

Arctos:I wasn't bringing all of my friends.

Gamemaster:24.

Johnny:14.

Gamemaster:You know what?

Gamemaster:I think that's good enough.

Gamemaster:I think what happens is... Johnny, give me your stealth score.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Arctos:I'd bring Anzu, but the other ones, they dispersed.

Gamemaster:Well, the reason I say that is because I think Johnny, with his 14, will try and, like, get behind a tour group.

Arctos:Okay.

Gamemaster:And it takes, like, two rooms before he realizes that the tour is you.

Gamemaster:You are the tour group.

Gamemaster:It's you and Anzu and, like, a few other hangers-on who are excited to see Arctos in the flesh.

Gamemaster:So he doesn't notice at first.

Gamemaster:But at some point you turn around and you just see Johnny there amidst everybody else.

Johnny:Oh, hi, guys.

Gamemaster:Okay, so the tour itself would probably take you through a relatively winding path of the museum.

Johnny:I'll just join their group.

Gamemaster:What did you get for your roll, Benny, for finding the good stuff?

Benny:Unfortunately, it was also a 14.

Gamemaster:14.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:I think Benny...

Gamemaster:Betty can find a group of children currently on a field trip, absolutely.

Gamemaster:I think in terms of trying to figure out what the locked down stuff is and all that kind of stuff, Betty doesn't really have an excellent eye for what would make a piece valuable, necessarily.

Gamemaster:So I think the best you could get is there is currently an exhibit that's being advertised in different parts of the museum as the current big thing, and that sounds like...

Johnny:you

Benny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:it'd be the the the big thing gosh what is it the the barretto exhibit there's an artist from Tormeré that's that's currently brought a few of his art pieces along to be displayed in the museum for the next few months um as part of a a partial exhibit um

Gamemaster:But yeah, you can find a group of fourth graders.

Gamemaster:Can I get either a diplomacy or a diplomacy, deception, or intimidation?

Gamemaster:It's your choice.

Gamemaster:because fourth graders who don't know you will know that they don't know you.

Johnny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:It's just a question of can you ingratiate yourselves into the group fast enough that when the tour guide turns around, they don't notice an extra child and be like, huh, that's strange.

Benny:uh deception 25.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Anzu:Amazing.

Gamemaster:Okay, so one of the, like, you see a gaggle of nine-year-olds all currently, they're laughing because they found a marble statue of a lady who's not wearing any clothes, and that's hilarious.

Gamemaster:And so you kind of just blend into the crowd.

Gamemaster:One kid, like, looks at you, but you kind of just point at the statue as well, and then immediately, like,

Gamemaster:Yeah, done.

Gamemaster:You're part of the group now.

Gamemaster:And you've joined this gaggle of children.

Benny:Nice.

Johnny:I have a question.

Gamemaster:Yes, Noah.

Johnny:Are these kids all regularly dressed and there's one nine-year-old in full plate armor?

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Benny:Benny has a poncho on.

Gamemaster:Benny does have a poncho on.

Johnny:Sorry.

Arctos:Yeah.

Gamemaster:And for the record, for the record, his, like, half plate or full plate, which are you wearing?

Benny:I think he has breastplate on, which I mean, so it's not that noticeable.

Gamemaster:Okay, it has breastplate on.

Gamemaster:Which would be covered by the poncho.

Johnny:Okay, never mind.

Gamemaster:Um... For... Then it would just look like he found that somewhere in the museum and put it on.

Johnny:I thought it was like, you know, marble floors and a...

Benny:got a helmet and shit and a sword.

Johnny:Bang, bang, bang, bang.

Benny:I think...

Gamemaster:For the record, like, uh... Magically enchanted armor...

Arctos:This is Benny at the... No, but he specifically wants the breastplate.

Gamemaster:can result in, like, clothing with the durability of armor.

Gamemaster:It doesn't need to be, like, full metal plate.

Gamemaster:It can be, if that's what you want for Benny, because, like, I, yeah, yeah, so, so yeah, so Benny has a breastplate with a pontoon on top.

Arctos:What I've asked him about in the past.

Arctos:Look at the gif.

Benny:I see the gif.

Arctos:The gif is Benny at the security.

Benny:Yeah, if anyone says... If a chaperone's just like, and whose kid are you?

Gamemaster:Oh.

Benny:They found me at the cafeteria.

Benny:Okay.

Benny:They grab my shoulder like, uh...

Gamemaster:You have to be very careful not to make contact with any adults.

Johnny:Just like swords and knives strapped to every inch of your body.

Benny:Anyone on looking will see if there's roughhousing, Benny is purposely falling and falling like, oh!

Anzu:It's his first day.

Anzu:He has a permission slip.

Gamemaster:He does have a permission slip.

Gamemaster:Benny pretends to fall down and there's a crack as the tile cracks underneath him.

Benny:Benny also did probably just buy a sword that is roughly the size of his

Benny:his torso in like half of his arm.

Johnny:The hilt is sticking up over your head.

Benny:I hope they have a gift shop that has this shit like a plastic falcata.

Gamemaster:She's carrying a rim.

Benny:Do some fucking Nicolas Cage shit because I don't know if you guys remember that scene in...

Benny:national treasure where he's literally leaving the place where they store the Declaration of Independence.

Benny:The woman's like, hey!

Benny:And he's like, oh, fuck.

Benny:She's like, you have to pay for that.

Benny:And he's like, oh.

Benny:So they scan one of the replica Declarations of Independence.

Benny:He pays like 50 bucks for it and leaves.

Gamemaster:Sure.

Gamemaster:I mean, I'm sure the gift shop of this museum has fake weapons.

Gamemaster:I don't know if they have this specific fake weapon, but, you know, it'll notice.

Gamemaster:It's not like you have any exceptionally rare version of a sword that, like, isn't normal for the average person to carry around, I think.

Benny:Well, even if they see Benny with it, Benny is going to tell them that it was the last one.

Gamemaster:So... Hmm.

Benny:He won't let them touch it, but he will wield it.

Benny:And they'll be like, there's no way a nine-year-old could hold an actual sword and move it that quickly.

Benny:So, of course, this is a plastic sword.

Gamemaster:True, yeah.

Gamemaster:You rolled really high on your deception check, so I think you are at the very least for the time being undetected.

Johnny:Oh, no.

Gamemaster:I do also think, I don't know if this will end up being useful right now, but if you like, you can go to https://btl.iridi.cc.ority.cc just to see what's going on.

Anzu:Oh, practicing the horde rules with the children.

Benny:Now I'm worried.

Anzu:I see.

Gamemaster:Yes, of course.

Benny:I'm so worried that there is another demon child in this group of kids.

Benny:You're stealing art too?

Benny:I'm like, what?

Benny:It's just like a randomly high-level child with me.

Johnny:It's that kid from the forest.

Johnny:It's the kid from the forest.

Arctos:Wait, wait, wait, so... Just out of clarification, just for my own edification, there's a group of nine-year-olds, there's one with a poncho, who also has a raiment that's, like, five times bigger than the other.

Gamemaster:You do have that arsh enemy.

Gamemaster:And the wrong color for a school kid in Hallia.

Arctos:Yes.

Arctos:Like, everyone else is like, oh, hey, and it's, like, bigger than the chaperones, and they're like...

Arctos:That is a godly kid.

Anzu:He's an exchange student.

Gamemaster:I don't have children tokens.

Benny:Yes, he's an exchange student.

Johnny:Wait, who are these people?

Arctos:Do an accent if someone talks to you.

Benny:He's an exchange student from... Yeah.

Johnny:Are these people in children?

Benny:What else would kids look like than a 50-year-old man in robes?

Benny:No, I don't know.

Gamemaster:I'm sorry.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Gosh.

Benny:He's an exchange student from Austrene.

Benny:Is it Austrene?

Benny:You pronounced it Austrene last... Yeah, he's an exchange student from Austrene.

Gamemaster:Austrene.

Benny:Oh, okay.

Johnny:What?

Anzu:Damn, that one kid sustained Anaïs injury at some point.

Benny:Isn't that... Isn't it dangerous?

Gamemaster:It's dangerous out there.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Benny:We're, like, barely... Actually, what, we're, like, Cold War times?

Benny:So, we're, like, we're barely past industrialization.

Benny:Like, he probably got that at a factory before the child labor laws kicked in.

Gamemaster:We don't have child labor laws.

Gamemaster:Those wouldn't be profitable.

Benny:Oh.

Gamemaster:When these kids are done with school, they are going to work in a factory.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Anzu:unless they have wealthy parents.

Gamemaster:But because it's like Cold War times, that's true.

Gamemaster:I don't think any of these kids would... These kids are definitely like upper middle class.

Johnny:Hmm.

Gamemaster:You know, their families are well off.

Arctos:Okay.

Gamemaster:Because otherwise they wouldn't be going to a museum during the day, especially in the nicer part of town.

Gamemaster:But if they were really well off, they'd just have a private tutor that could show all of these things.

Gamemaster:They wouldn't have to be in a group of children.

Anzu:Of course, of course.

Benny:Ugh.

Gamemaster:Gross.

Benny:Children are gross.

Gamemaster:Children are gross, and even children know it.

Gamemaster:Either way, so you guys have spread out... This is the, like... This map covers what would be the, like, prize art.

Gamemaster:This is the central area, the central pavilion of this museum, and so it shows all of the, like, nicer pieces.

Gamemaster:And, like... Is there... What's... Who's...

Arctos:Who's this guy?

Gamemaster:I don't have a particular story for any of these people.

Arctos:I don't like him, but he's an asshole.

Gamemaster:I selected all of the commoners and I clicked apply random commoner image to all of them.

Gamemaster:So no thought went into who this guy in particular was.

Arctos:Well, this guy's a hood guy.

Anzu:this guy is a problem for sure.

Gamemaster:That guy's the... It's just, they're just bald.

Arctos:We should go jump him.

Arctos:Yeah, yeah, he's gotta go.

Gamemaster:And they feel bad about it.

Gamemaster:Okay?

Gamemaster:Sometimes you wear a hood indoors.

Gamemaster:There are two hood guys in this part of the museum right now, but the hoods are different colors, so you know they're not affiliated.

Johnny:you you

Gamemaster:Oh, I lied.

Gamemaster:There's three hood guys.

Gamemaster:One of the hood guys somehow has an ear sticking out of the back of his hood, which implies that he has ear flaps cut into the hood so that his ear can stick out.

Benny:Is it cold in here?

Benny:Oh, we have a pretentious elf woman in a turtleneck.

Gamemaster:Uh, no, not really.

Gamemaster:Yeah, when I opened this up, she was the one that I was immediately like, oh, she's going to be the tour guide.

Benny:Oh, of course.

Benny:They've got the Rembrandts in this section.

Gamemaster:And then I grouped the three of them around her.

Gamemaster:I was like, yeah, she knows what's happening.

Gamemaster:Her and weirdly modern-looking haircut for a group of D&D peasants image pack that I found.

Gamemaster:But, you know.

Gamemaster:Either way, you're in this area.

Arctos:So.

Gamemaster:I don't know.

Gamemaster:What?

Gamemaster:Since you have a tour guide, I guess you can roll diplomacy to try and get her to talk about, like, the Heart if you're looking for something in particular.

Gamemaster:You were looking for more of Kellum Quinn's art, but in general.

Gamemaster:Alternatively, you guys can roll either perception or crafting to yourself.

Gamemaster:Like, look at different pieces of art and try and figure stuff out.

Anzu:Oh.

Arctos:I was planning on just asking a lot of questions and just hoping that Anzu's listening.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Arctos:I don't know if Anzu's alright with that.

Gamemaster:Arknotes doesn't plan on understanding any of it, but he can get him to talk.

Arctos:No, no plan.

Arctos:That's why you want to bring Anzu along.

Johnny:Since I've joined this group, I will ask about the Kellum Quinns.

Benny:you

Arctos:I will re-roll that at the hero point.

Gamemaster:Okay, absolutely.

Arctos:I can't.

Anzu:I tried to roll a crafting check.

Anzu:Did it happen?

Gamemaster:Yeah, you got a 31.

Gamemaster:31.

Johnny:No, I got a 31.

Anzu:Actually?

Anzu:It didn't even show up on my screen.

Gamemaster:Oh, no, Johnny got a 31.

Gamemaster:You got a 14.

Gamemaster:I'm sorry.

Gamemaster:I apologize.

Gamemaster:I read the wrong thing.

Arctos:I'm an expert, so is that plus six?

Gamemaster:Uh, yeah.

Arctos:Okay.

Arctos:Does mythic let me stack a circumstance bonus?

Gamemaster:What do you mean?

Gamemaster:Like, if you applied to the circumstance bonus before, you can continue to apply it now.

Johnny:you

Arctos:So for my mythic thing, I have... Okay, so I got 40.

Arctos:Okay.

Gamemaster:That's ridiculous.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Benny:you

Gamemaster:He went from a natural 1 to a 19.

Arctos:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Wild.

Anzu:Thank you.

Gamemaster:So you find a painting of Divex's breathing.

Gamemaster:But other than that... You know what?

Gamemaster:I was planning on revealing these individually if you asked about them, but I think with a 40, you're just gonna...

Gamemaster:One second.

Gamemaster:You get her to talk about all of the Heart in the exhibit.

Johnny:Okay, give me 10 minutes to read these over and see if any of them are interesting.

Arctos:Hell yeah.

Benny:Good gravy.

Gamemaster:So these are the names of all of the different art pieces in all of these galleries.

Gamemaster:I don't know what specifically you're looking for other than there is one painting here by Mr. Kellum Quinn.

Gamemaster:It's Joker World.

Gamemaster:It's right over here.

Arctos:The fuck is this guy?

Gamemaster:Um, but in addition, the other stuff, the other stuff you learn while looking around, uh, the bottom left enclosed exhibit is devoted entirely to art that had been saved from Raelion, um, and is now being kept here.

Anzu:this guy's a problem

Johnny:Well, I guess.

Arctos:Oh.

Gamemaster:Uh, the Heart over in the bottom right is all by Mr. Paolo Barreto.

Gamemaster:Um, he's, he's a famous artist from Tormeré.

Gamemaster:Uh, he is currently in jail for heresy, but he expects to get out soon.

Gamemaster:And then the other stuff I think might be of note to you.

Gamemaster:I don't know if you care about any of it.

Gamemaster:Things that might be interesting are there's one piece in the entire museum that had been drawn by a heart.

Gamemaster:That's Stillness Ever Takes by Beats in Time.

Gamemaster:That's kind of by Kellan Quinn's stuff.

Arctos:Ooh.

Gamemaster:The rest is by humans, or humanoids.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Johnny:Josh, a couple of questions.

Gamemaster:Yes.

Gamemaster:There's a plaque that talks about it.

Johnny:Going through these.

Johnny:The Six by Paulo Barreto.

Johnny:What are the six that are referenced in there?

Gamemaster:It's the six outer gods.

Gamemaster:And it is the outer gods.

Gamemaster:It's like six abstract pieces that are supposed to represent each of the six outer gods.

Gamemaster:It is not a reference to any other individuals that might come in the number six.

Anzu:The Sinister Six.

Gamemaster:Sure, yes, the sinister sticks.

Johnny:Is Doc Ock in the game?

Gamemaster:One of them is the goblin.

Gamemaster:The green goblin.

Gamemaster:Sorry.

Johnny:The outing.

Anzu:What was I going to ask?

Anzu:Let me look at my notes.

Anzu:These are all paintings of the medium that we're interested in.

Gamemaster:Yes, yes, this area.

Gamemaster:I haven't labeled any of the little pottery bits and all that kind of stuff, because you don't care about that stuff.

Anzu:No.

Gamemaster:Although I did label the sculpture in the middle, I am now realizing.

Gamemaster:You can ignore that one, because you can't steal that one anyway, I don't think.

Gamemaster:It is a massive, solid gold ball.

Arctos:Well, now we got to steal that one, guys.

Arctos:You know how we are.

Gamemaster:It's like...

Gamemaster:Very heavy.

Gamemaster:I don't know how much that would weigh, but it's got to be too much.

Arctos:We also need paintings.

Arctos:We can't show up with a brass ball.

Gamemaster:Correct.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Arctos:We know we didn't get off on the best foot, but we have a ball for you.

Johnny:Josh, this guy down here is blocking the title.

Johnny:What's the... Now I'm blocking the title.

Gamemaster:Sorry.

Gamemaster:That's fine.

Anzu:Josh, in giving her spiel, does she ever mention any previous heists or major events where art was stolen or things got destroyed even?

Benny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:I think with the 40 that Arctos rolled, you can steer her in that direction.

Gamemaster:She would not, I think, on her own naturally talk about previous thefts in the museum.

Gamemaster:But you can steer her that way if you like.

Gamemaster:The answer is that...

Johnny:Well.

Gamemaster:There is like one particular blot of shame on this museum, and that is somebody scammed the museum into thinking that they were a famous artist and used setting up their exhibit within the museum as a chance to enter and take some of the Heart and swap it out with forgeries and then leave.

Benny:you

Arctos:Brilliant.

Gamemaster:And unfortunately, they were never caught.

Gamemaster:So there is somebody currently on the run with quite a few relatively valuable paintings that they stole.

Gamemaster:This was like close to 20 years ago, about.

Arctos:Okay, never mind.

Gamemaster:Other than that, they are very proud of their security.

Johnny:Yeah.

Gamemaster:They don't have anything like cameras or CCTV or anything like that, but you would note looking around, I don't actually have tokens for them present, but the tour guide would note proudly that there's always at least two security guards in every room.

Gamemaster:Even at night.

Gamemaster:And that they have alarm spells cast on any place of interest so that they could be notified if somebody tries to come in after hours or go somewhere they're not supposed to.

Johnny:Two more questions.

Johnny:With the Raelion pictures, this is not really related to what's going on, do any of them look just sort of like home to Johnny?

Gamemaster:So the two that might is... Catastrophe Foretold definitely does because it depicts the capital of Raelion in kind of just evaporating.

Gamemaster:And it would look like how he remembered it to be just...

Gamemaster:you know, half-destroyed.

Gamemaster:Which the plaque under that does note that this particular piece was painted about ten years before the War even broke out between Raelion and Calaria.

Gamemaster:So the name takes on a bit more sinister meaning after the fact.

Gamemaster:And the other thing, Evergreen Delta is a painting of the landscape from the mountain that serves as the rim of Raelion all the way down to the ocean coastline at the other end.

Benny:you

Gamemaster:And I think that would feel very reminiscent of views that he might have had from his hometown.

Johnny:Johnny just spends a long time staring at all these pictures.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Anzu:I'm interested in two of these artists, namely because they're the only two that are single name, that being Estañion and PaSuun.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Anzu:Are those names from cultures where people don't typically have two names, or what's going on there?

Gamemaster:Mm-hmm.

Gamemaster:Can you either society or I'll let you use your lord here to identify that kind of stuff.

Anzu:Shoot, if you'll let me, I'll do it.

Gamemaster:I also... I think I have to double-check.

Anzu:Incredible.

Johnny:And.

Anzu:31.

Gamemaster:I'm pretty sure there's supposed to be a tilde above one of the ends in Estañion.

Gamemaster:Give me half a second.

Gamemaster:I don't know where I would have written it previously.

Gamemaster:Either way, yet with a 31.

Gamemaster:So the plaque for Fūlwinter Falls...

Gamemaster:says that it was drawn by Estañion who you would know with that role to be a, um, relatively renowned scholar from Lorandris.

Gamemaster:Um,

Gamemaster:who, uh, Lorandris does have a lot of single, uh, single name names.

Johnny:you

Gamemaster:Um, the, the, when the country that used to be there before Lorandris, Fūlwinter, uh, was destroyed, uh, they kind of lost all of their nobility and the like, and so they, they stopped using, uh, last names.

Anzu:Yes.

Gamemaster:So, so that tracks.

Gamemaster:Um, with the other one, Obie and Parmann, um,

Gamemaster:The plaque says that not much is actually known about the artist of this particular work.

Benny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:It was found, or perhaps bartered, it's unclear, from somewhere further along the horizon, and some Istrian explorers came back with it, and then it eventually found its way into the museum.

Gamemaster:But very little is known about the artist itself.

Anzu:Okay.

Johnny:um um

Gamemaster:In case you were curious, these pieces of art are for sale.

Arctos:Yes.

Gamemaster:Joker World, in particular, has a price tag of 64,000 gold pieces.

Gamemaster:That is its current price.

Anzu:Is that one on the lower end of these paintings?

Gamemaster:I would say it's...

Gamemaster:Like, close to the middle.

Gamemaster:There are, like, smaller paintings that are definitely worth less.

Gamemaster:And there are some from other artists that are worth less.

Gamemaster:But also, it's not, like, the big sculpture by Paolo in the other room, that one is 3.2 million.

Gamemaster:So there is a higher, like, upper bound that doesn't necessarily fit into.

Arctos:Thank you.

Anzu:Uh huh.

Gamemaster:But it's definitely not a cheap painting.

Benny:Thank you.

Johnny:What's depicted in Joker world?

Gamemaster:Joker World that particular painting is a it's a little unclear because most of the painting is this really detailed looking reddish black smoke that seems to be emanating out of a volcano of some kind but it's amidst this red cracked like clay like texture terrain and

Gamemaster:And the plaque describing it says that it was a Joker world that Callum came across in his travels and decided to paint.

Arctos:What is... Do we know any history about this guy?

Anzu:understood this guy's a knower that's for sure

Arctos:Does the guide know any history about this guy?

Gamemaster:Roll a society check for me, even if you're asking the guide.

Gamemaster:We'll see if the guide happens to know anything about Callum.

Arctos:Do I have to roll it, or can I?

Gamemaster:Anybody can roll it, but I need somebody to.

Arctos:Anzu.

Gamemaster:That is... I like how every campaign we have at least one guy who's the lore guy.

Arctos:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Oh, Callum Quinn is an hour.

Anzu:No, I mean, Kellum Quinn is a knower.

Gamemaster:Maybe.

Benny:Ball knower.

Gamemaster:Um...

Gamemaster:A 25.

Gamemaster:With a 25, I think there isn't a lot of info on him, like even asking the tour guide.

Gamemaster:It seems that he kept a relatively private life.

Gamemaster:It's known that he used to explore both the Færrin Prime, like going around to different parts and painting what he saw, but he also traveled along the horizon.

Gamemaster:and painted vistas that he came across while he did so.

Gamemaster:He was a solo explorer.

Gamemaster:He is, in theory, still alive, but something like five years ago, he left on another trek and hasn't been seen since.

Johnny:you you

Arctos:He's so dead.

Gamemaster:That doesn't mean he's dead.

Gamemaster:It just means he hasn't come back, necessarily.

Benny:Hmm.

Gamemaster:It wouldn't be the first time that he's been gone for an extended period of time, which is why she doesn't seem particularly concerned.

Gamemaster:The tour guide doesn't seem particularly concerned about him having died out there.

Anzu:But he is a contemporary artist.

Gamemaster:He's a contemporary artist, yes.

Anzu:Wow.

Anzu:OK.

Anzu:Well, this is all interesting and good to know.

Anzu:I'm content.

Arctos:Yeah, I think I'm good with questions.

Johnny:I'm going to cast a message to Benny.

Anzu:So what if anybody else wants anything?

Benny:well content with what with the knowledge okay i guess uh

Anzu:Yes.

Anzu:I... Well, I'm not going to speak on...

Gamemaster:He's just not going to speak on.

Johnny:I'm going to say, hey, Benny.

Johnny:How's it looking over there with the fourth graders?

Benny:What's my constraints for applying, if any?

Johnny:A brief response as a reaction or a free action on their next turn if they wish.

Benny:If I can?

Benny:Okay, cool.

Johnny:Oh, but they must be able to see you.

Johnny:Okay, I'll move so I'm in line of sight with Benny.

Benny:I've never seen such depravity.

Benny:Please come get me.

Gamemaster:The child that's next to you is currently trying to grab a piece of this particular sculpture without the chaperone noticing.

Gamemaster:He's not having a great time with it because he gets in a little bit and then he sees the chaperone turning their head and has to come back.

Gamemaster:And then when they turn their way, he gets his hand back in there again.

Gamemaster:You know that if he gets to the sculpture, he will break it.

Gamemaster:But, you know, they're trying.

Anzu:Is the sculpture World Branch, or is there another piece?

Anzu:Does it look scientifically accurate in any way?

Gamemaster:No, the sculpture is rolled around.

Johnny:Jog over and join Benny.

Gamemaster:Roll an arcana check?

Anzu:Did you guys see it teeter on the 19, or is it a different role for everybody?

Gamemaster:I mean, I did see it almost go on the 19, so... You keeping that?

Arctos:I saw a teeter.

Benny:yeah do it do it yeah what else are you gonna use it for saving your life oh

Arctos:Yeah.

Anzu:Well, yeah.

Gamemaster:Free mythic point.

Anzu:Well, I do have two mythic points because I did the recap.

Gamemaster:Or not.

Arctos:Nice.

Anzu:If I've got two, I might as well use one.

Gamemaster:Ooh, yeah.

Anzu:Oh, there's the 19.

Johnny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Okay, with a 38, that's a hard question to answer because it's not like a physical thing that one can necessarily see.

Gamemaster:And there are a bunch of different representations of it.

Anzu:Mm-hmm.

Gamemaster:I will say with a 38, this is not a representation you have seen previously.

Gamemaster:surprisingly, it doesn't structurally seem to go against any theories you're aware of on how it works.

Gamemaster:It just seems to be a different representation.

Gamemaster:One that, like, no academics, even in Tormeré, the place that this particular artist is from, necessarily ascribe to.

Gamemaster:It's interesting.

Anzu:Do I find it at all insightful or educational?

Johnny:you

Gamemaster:think you would on a 38 i think it would it would be an interesting alternate view one that you wouldn't have necessarily come to yourself um yeah is there anything else you guys would like to do while you're here in this museum

Anzu:This guy's a no-er, too.

Anzu:All right.

Arctos:Sir Arctos is going to offer to sign any autographs for the children.

Johnny:I thought you were going to say Sir Arctos offers to sign the Heart.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Arctos:Free of charge.

Gamemaster:You definitely would have people who want your autograph, so that's doable.

Benny:Well.

Gamemaster:Make the price go up.

Gamemaster:Now, if you're trying to sign autographs, people will definitely ask you for them.

Arctos:You guys should have more bear art.

Gamemaster:The tour guide would recommend, if you're looking for more bear-related information, there is a Museum of Supernatural History kind of down the road that does have an entire area devoted to different ursine forms.

Arctos:I say to the guy.

Johnny:I'm going to pull Benny aside as we're

Arctos:Okay.

Gamemaster:That might be interesting for you.

Arctos:Cool cool cool.

Johnny:We're over in this room with all these children.

Johnny:All right.

Johnny:So we got a couple options here.

Johnny:One, we steal art from here.

Johnny:Seems super difficult.

Johnny:Two, we steal art from someone else's house.

Johnny:More difficult.

Johnny:Three, we give Arctos a piece of salmon and ice and steal the Heart from his house.

Benny:Do we know how much the Heart in his house would go for?

Benny:I did hear... Well, I mean, I guess everyone heard.

Johnny:Maybe talk to someone around here.

Benny:There's a new larger exhibit from Beretto that is supposed to be coming here.

Gamemaster:No, you're currently in the large exhibit from Beretto.

Benny:Oh!

Gamemaster:That is the exhibit.

Gamemaster:It's got like five pieces or something like that.

Johnny:That was big.

Benny:Sure.

Benny:Doesn't seem difficult from here.

Benny:What were the options?

Benny:We give the block of ice to the guy.

Benny:We steal from here and then the third one.

Johnny:Uh, we have access to a gated community, so, you know, break in one of those houses, sure they gotta have art.

Gamemaster:And then you go over to them?

Benny:Let's discuss with the group.

Johnny:Okay.

Johnny:I'll cast message to Anzu and then the bear.

Johnny:We're coming over to you.

Johnny:I told them we're coming over to them.

Benny:Perfect.

Johnny:And then we go over to them.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Anzu:You guys want to head out of here for now?

Gamemaster:The four of you are reunited.

Anzu:Oh, man.

Arctos:Do you guys want to go to the cafe?

Benny:Yeah, sure.

Arctos:All right, yeah, let's get in the car.

Gamemaster:Okay, if you've nothing else, you will again head on out from the museum back to your call with the party bridge.

Gamemaster:You were in there for a few hours.

Johnny:um you

Gamemaster:It's probably like three in the afternoon at this point.

Anzu:We asked a lot of that woman.

Anzu:I'll give her a little tip.

Anzu:She gets a gold piece.

Anzu:Arctos asked a lot of questions.

Gamemaster:That's very kind of you.

Gamemaster:That is true.

Gamemaster:Arctos asked so many questions.

Gamemaster:And I feel like Arctos wouldn't have really waited for a proper response to any of them.

Gamemaster:He would have just immediately asked the next one.

Gamemaster:So she's like buffering 12 answers as it goes through.

Arctos:I love this city.

Johnny:That was great.

Johnny:I had a lot of fun, actually.

Anzu:Very interesting.

Benny:I saw the depths of humanoids in their most primal form.

Arctos:Are you... I thought you were a child.

Gamemaster:Thank you.

Arctos:Are you not a child?

Benny:Oh, yeah.

Arctos:How long have you been a child?

Benny:Well, I'm part of it.

Benny:I didn't say depths of other.

Benny:I said me.

Arctos:Alright.

Benny:How long have I been a child?

Benny:I guess my whole wife?

Arctos:Yeah.

Benny:Are infants children?

Arctos:Were you ever like a toddler?

Benny:I mean, in spirit, in intelligence, sure.

Arctos:Okay.

Benny:Hasn't everyone?

Arctos:So have you been conscious for nine years?

Anzu:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Thank you.

Arctos:I'm asking you.

Arctos:I have.

Arctos:All right, all right, all right.

Arctos:I just have two questions.

Arctos:If you answer that, I only have one follow-up question, and then I'm done.

Arctos:I promise.

Benny:Mm-hmm.

Arctos:I can tell you the follow-up question now if you'd like.

Arctos:How old were you when you could do your first pull-up?

Benny:I don't even know if I could do one now.

Arctos:You definitely can do one right now.

Johnny:Thank you.

Arctos:Arctos holds out his arm.

Benny:Benny will do a pull-up.

Anzu:He's heavy.

Benny:Probably pretty young.

Anzu:I'm not sure you can hold your arm up.

Benny:Probably pretty young.

Arctos:Okay.

Benny:What was the follow-up?

Arctos:You're a weird kid, and I like that.

Anzu:So...

Arctos:It's cool.

Benny:Okay.

Anzu:My ideal, you guys, which, and this is, you know, adds more layers of complication because it requires more knowledge.

Anzu:But what I'd love to do is steal from like a shady underground art dealer.

Anzu:You know, someone who's, you know, through ill-gotten means.

Johnny:um um

Benny:Mm hmm.

Anzu:But we'd have to find one to be able to do that.

Arctos:We could try to solve the crime of who stole it originally and then go find them and steal it all back.

Anzu:It was 20 years ago, which is a long time, but they could still be here.

Anzu:I mean, we could go back to the... Oh, yeah, go ahead.

Arctos:You're pretty smart on this.

Benny:Do we know what the pieces?

Arctos:You could figure this out.

Benny:Did you guys ask?

Benny:Which pieces were taken?

Gamemaster:But before you guys left, while you were asking about the heist, you can have gotten the list of art.

Gamemaster:I don't have it on me, but you can know.

Arctos:Yeah.

Arctos:I figured I would ask stuff about who did he say he was, things like that.

Arctos:Or she.

Johnny:Listen, I just have to put it out there.

Arctos:I don't want to be sexist.

Gamemaster:Yeah, absolutely.

Johnny:We're really reaching a lot into a lot of places.

Johnny:There's a Quinn that seems like it's pretty interesting in Arctos' house.

Anzu:I do think the Quinn would be sufficient after seeing his other piece and its price tag.

Arctos:So I agree.

Arctos:So all we got to do is wait for Master Vane to come back.

Anzu:Now, is he going to be happy to part with something that's worth at least probably 50,000 gold?

Arctos:I mean, if he's not, we're not going to take it, right?

Anzu:Yeah, yes, right.

Arctos:Right, because that'd be wrong to steal from my childhood friend.

Johnny:Johnny's their straight head.

Benny:Wait a minute.

Johnny:Yeah, it's wrong to steal from good people.

Anzu:Especially someone who you trust and trusts you, right?

Arctos:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Johnny:Like, stealing from crime...

Benny:Wait a minute.

Benny:We don't even have to talk about crossing the senator, which we were going to do.

Benny:We know people in the underground.

Benny:Why don't we just ask if they know about any underground art?

Anzu:I've been talking about going to see the Velvet Mark.

Anzu:I feel like...

Anzu:Just the name of their organization makes me think that they get involved in some upper-class underbelly.

Benny:velvet upper class underbelly the double entendre i hated that i hated that one

Anzu:Yeah.

Johnny:Maybe we should stop by Arctos' house first.

Anzu:And it won't be the last one you hear today.

Johnny:Just ask about...

Gamemaster:I mean, to be fair, I also hated the that's a double entendre because it isn't.

Gamemaster:It's just a bunch of words.

Benny:That's where you take issue.

Benny:Sorry.

Benny:I don't know what you're saying.

Gamemaster:Yes.

Johnny:Maybe before we get in too deep with the Velvet Mark, we should just stop by Arctos' house, see if Vane's back.

Johnny:See if he's willing to part with a very expensive piece of art for his best friend.

Benny:Please, may I have a painting?

Arctos:I think they said they'd call us.

Benny:Sure.

Arctos:I don't know if I trust you in this house anymore.

Johnny:Oh, I forgot about the part where he said he'd call us.

Arctos:Yeah, we can go try it.

Benny:I'll let my people call you people.

Gamemaster:Rantically searching through my notes for the names of the people that you met in the middle.

Gamemaster:Just in case that comes up.

Anzu:They gave us a note of a contact to mention.

Gamemaster:Okay, so.

Anzu:And I'll look to see if I have that written down somewhere.

Gamemaster:It was Cosimo.

Anzu:Cosimo?

Gamemaster:Yeah, Cosimo and the Masque District.

Gamemaster:The Crystal Globe is the casino.

Gamemaster:You tell them that Cosimo sent you and they'll hook you up is what he said.

Gamemaster:Okay, so you guys are going back to Minister Vane's house.

Gamemaster:This is what's happening right now, correct?

Arctos:All right.

Benny:Mm hmm.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:No...

Gamemaster:No directionless wandering shenanigans this time.

Gamemaster:You know where you're going.

Gamemaster:And you're a known quantity in the neighborhood now.

Gamemaster:So you're not going to get the cops call on you immediately.

Anzu:We do have a pretty nice car.

Gamemaster:You do.

Johnny:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:Which is why it was only after you were wandering around for a little bit without seemingly going anywhere that you got the cops called on you the first time.

Gamemaster:But, you know, nice car.

Benny:city tripper no no the city tripper would have we get 10 feet in hey hey what do you do what do you know yeah

Gamemaster:Clearly outfit, not the day tripper.

Gamemaster:The day tripper would immediately get, yeah.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Who do you know in here right now?

Gamemaster:You drive back over to Vane's house.

Anzu:I like Major.

Gamemaster:Gates open up for you.

Gamemaster:They know who you are.

Gamemaster:And, ooh, what was his name?

Gamemaster:I know it's Mayor Domo Hart, or majordomo.

Gamemaster:I don't know how to say that word.

Gamemaster:How do you say that word?

Gamemaster:The head butler.

Gamemaster:Is it a majordomo or a Mayor Domo?

Johnny:I always thought it was a major dumbbell.

Arctos:Thanks.

Gamemaster:I don't know.

Gamemaster:Okay, so we're going to keep calling him majordomo Crowley.

Benny:Major.

Gamemaster:majordomo Crowley Hart.

Gamemaster:Not to be confused with an actual heart.

Gamemaster:He doesn't have an E in his last name.

Gamemaster:majordomo Crowley will meet you guys as you come out of the car, as well as one of the servants will offer to park your car in the driveway so you can all hop out.

Gamemaster:Crowley will say...

Gamemaster:You're back.

Gamemaster:I'm afraid Vane hasn't returned yet from his meeting.

Gamemaster:I know it's been a few days, but it seems he's tied up in some proceedings of some sort.

Johnny:He hasn't been back at all?

Gamemaster:You're welcome to come in and rest.

Gamemaster:He hasn't been back at all.

Gamemaster:He does have a couch in his office that he sometimes sleeps in in the Templar Addictum if he's there for an extended period of time, so it's not particularly worrying, per se.

Arctos:Do we know?

Arctos:Do we know if he's physically safe?

Gamemaster:I have no reason to believe otherwise.

Gamemaster:He would have alerted his guards if something were the issue, or if we lost connection with him entirely, that would also cause an alert.

Arctos:OK, so we do have some connection.

Gamemaster:So you would know, because you were involved in this.

Arctos:His body slightly.

Gamemaster:Yes.

Gamemaster:Besides always having a contingent of guards on him at all times, he has a small piece of palladium that has been embedded near his heart, such that if any of his major bodily functions are interrupted in any amount of time...

Gamemaster:it will cause the paired Palladium Rod in the house to alert, which would itself, like, if he gets injured for whatever reason, that would trigger, and it hasn't.

Arctos:That's fine.

Gamemaster:They're not taking chances with him.

Anzu:That's crazy.

Benny:Oh.

Gamemaster:You're welcome to stay for a little bit in case he comes around.

Gamemaster:I do have your meeting on the books for four days from now, but... Correct.

Anzu:That sounds like that could be in jeopardy, too.

Arctos:Yeah.

Anzu:I mean, if he's not back, he's not back, right?

Gamemaster:But for the time being, at least.

Arctos:It is very bad.

Gamemaster:Sure.

Gamemaster:I'm sorry I can't be of more help.

Gamemaster:Whatever happened a few days ago at the cost of the meeting seems to have gotten everybody in quite the stir.

Gamemaster:Do you know?

Gamemaster:Do you want to tell me?

Arctos:I have a suspicion.

Johnny:you

Arctos:Do you wanna know?

Gamemaster:Yes.

Arctos:How long have I known him?

Gamemaster:How old are you?

Arctos:How old do you think it took for Bane to get from child to now?

Gamemaster:Well, they're probably like... I think Vane is probably like 35 now.

Arctos:Okay.

Gamemaster:So... Crowley has been with the family longer than Vane has been alive.

Arctos:It's like 20 years.

Arctos:Or maybe something.

Gamemaster:So as long as you've been sentient, you've known him.

Arctos:I've known him my entire

Gamemaster:Yes.

Arctos:I think there's something bad with Grayson.

Gamemaster:Bad how?

Gamemaster:Because if he's just done a crime or something like that, it would need the whole council to convene.

Arctos:The Inquisitors are involved.

Gamemaster:The Inquisitors operate outside of the council.

Johnny:And.

Arctos:I don't know what's happening.

Arctos:He's going to do some defensive moves, but I think they're investigating him.

Arctos:Something real bad.

Gamemaster:Well, I'll hope whatever ploy he's doing, if that is the issue, ends soon.

Arctos:Yeah, I hope he does not succeed.

Gamemaster:Either way, Minister Vane is healthy, so no need to worry on that front.

Arctos:Didn't we read something that Grayson was trying to do mind control?

Arctos:Did we read that somewhere?

Gamemaster:Yes.

Arctos:I think we did.

Gamemaster:So, as part of the diary that you had read of Grayson's, the necromancy that he had been most interested in of late was work...

Johnny:you

Gamemaster:or replacing the core motivation centers of somebody's personality, effectively, so that it keeps the rest of them intact.

Gamemaster:They still act like they did before, but they are motivated to act towards particular goals as set by the caster of the necromantic spell.

Arctos:Oh, that's so bad.

Arctos:Because if that's happening on the Senators, then none of their heart switches are going to go off.

Benny:Up.

Arctos:But they're all going to work for him now if that's going on.

Anzu:So we're going to have to learn how to detect that kind of manipulation.

Johnny:That's how I know I'm not doing it.

Arctos:That's really bad.

Benny:We could just kill everyone that stands in our way and assume manipulation.

Gamemaster:Anouk and Anaïs approach.

Arctos:Yeah.

Arctos:Is there anything we can even do with that?

Arctos:Do we try warning someone?

Benny:Charge the building.

Gamemaster:I mean, you would know that, like, having been somebody who is responsible for reviewing some of the security around Vane himself,

Arctos:They have some protections.

Gamemaster:Yeah, it would not go well for you to storm into the seat of power of Calaria while, like, the whole council is collected in one spot.

Arctos:Yeah.

Gamemaster:It is probably the most secure part of the planet right now.

Arctos:Yeah.

Gamemaster:So... Yeah.

Arctos:Hopefully they got some protections against this.

Arctos:I don't know.

Arctos:Out of our pay grade.

Gamemaster:You know, realistically, there isn't much you can do while they're all in the building together, unfortunately.

Arctos:Yeah.

Arctos:Alright, well.

Arctos:I guess we'll go do the other stuff.

Benny:Sure.

Johnny:Wait, was that painting in Arctos' room or was it just in like a random room?

Gamemaster:That painting is currently sitting in the...

Gamemaster:Like the smoking room, the parlor, the waiting room, effectively.

Arctos:By the way.

Gamemaster:It's off to the side of the main area.

Arctos:Can I take my paintings to my room and in them?

Arctos:It's kind of gross in there.

Gamemaster:I don't see why not.

Gamemaster:It's your paintings.

Arctos:Alright.

Arctos:I'll go get my paintings.

Arctos:I know they're not much, but the heart seems to want paintings that didn't necessarily say how good, so at least we have those.

Johnny:I'm going to pull Arctos aside as we're walking to his room.

Arctos:We should still get something else, but they could help.

Anzu:More the merrier.

Anzu:I agree.

Anzu:He's awakened!

Johnny:I'll put my hands on the side of his bare face.

Johnny:Listen, are you upright?

Johnny:Are you on all four paws?

Johnny:Are you upright?

Johnny:How tall are you right now?

Arctos:I'm sure Arctos.

Johnny:Listen, Arctos.

Johnny:Do you walk around upright?

Arctos:Yes.

Johnny:Okay.

Johnny:Listen, Arctos, you've lived here your entire life, right?

Arctos:Yeah.

Johnny:Do you think this is your home?

Arctos:Yes.

Johnny:How important do you feel about this scavenger hunt or whatever is at the end of the void?

Benny:you you

Arctos:Eh.

Johnny:Okay, well...

Anzu:I believe that.

Arctos:I kind of think they're demons.

Anzu:For the record, I believe that.

Arctos:I kind of think they're demons.

Arctos:I don't even know if I wanted to venture into you guys much further, but yeah.

Arctos:Yeah.

Johnny:You know, Arctos, you've lived here your entire life.

Johnny:Are you just some family pet?

Johnny:No, you're Sir Arctos.

Arctos:Yeah, I am.

Johnny:Everything in this house is yours, too.

Johnny:You have just as much right to that quinn as anyone else in this house does.

Arctos:I don't know about that one.

Johnny:If you need it... Eh, it was a long time ago.

Arctos:Have you ever had parents?

Arctos:Do you know how that works?

Arctos:You can live in your house, but it doesn't mean you own it.

Arctos:Oh, yeah.

Johnny:Do you think Vane would want you to have that painting?

Arctos:I was going to ask him.

Johnny:you may not get the chance.

Johnny:He may not even be the Vane you know anymore if Grayson's already gotten to him.

Arctos:That is true.

Johnny:He may never come back, and then we'll be stuck wandering around, and that painting will just be sitting there.

Arctos:Oh, he'll come back.

Johnny:Will he come back the same, though?

Johnny:You don't know.

Arctos:I don't know.

Johnny:Sometimes I find it's better to ask forgiveness than permission.

Johnny:We need that painting, mostly to not jump through another 15 hoops of bullshit, but...

Johnny:It's right there.

Johnny:We can do circus tricks and walk around and meet with the Velvet Mark and try and do heists and other shenanigans to get paintings, but this one is right here.

Johnny:It's right there, Arctos.

Johnny:Arctos, if there's a salmon, do you want to get the salmon that's right in front of you or the salmon that's across town?

Arctos:Is the one across town good?

Arctos:Is my driver going to go pick it up?

Johnny:They're the same salmon.

Arctos:Or... Oh, I have to walk forward.

Johnny:No, you have to walk up.

Johnny:Arctos, the host awakened you.

Johnny:You're the only awakened bear.

Johnny:That means every action you take is directly okayed by the host.

Gamemaster:That's a date.

Arctos:It's not palpability.

Johnny:That means you're his voice.

Arctos:It's...

Arctos:I just lean down and I'm like, don't I just ask the maître d' for it?

Johnny:Arctos, everything you do is okayed by the host.

Johnny:That means if you think, if you take that painting, no one can get mad.

Johnny:That's basically the host saying, I need that painting.

Arctos:Not the Major Dono?

Johnny:You don't have to ask.

Johnny:You're Sor Arctos.

Johnny:You're the chosen of the host.

Johnny:You don't need to ask for things.

Arctos:They're going to see us walking out with it.

Gamemaster:Thank you.

Arctos:There's a lot of guards here.

Johnny:What are they going to do?

Johnny:You're Sir Arctos.

Arctos:not let me come home i don't know yeah maybe they would yeah kind of rude to steal from your family you know yeah let's go ask i'll just go ask him all right i'm gonna go ask him

Johnny:You think they wouldn't let you come home?

Johnny:You're Sir Arctos.

Johnny:Just say that you need it and that you'll return it.

Johnny:Okay.

Johnny:I don't think we need to ask.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Anzu:you you

Gamemaster:I really like calling him a maître d', because while it's not correct, it's close enough.

Johnny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Like, that's basically what he is.

Arctos:So I'm just going to ask – so I think there's a plan that – how much time do you got?

Benny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:I can make some time for you if you need.

Gamemaster:Do you truly need it?

Arctos:Well, quick question.

Arctos:Can we have that painting too?

Arctos:And I just point at the –

Arctos:The one in the living room?

Arctos:Or the waiting room?

Johnny:I got a crit.

Arctos:Yes.

Gamemaster:Roll a diplomacy check.

Anzu:Oh, God.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Anzu:Oh.

Johnny:I think that's a crit to aid him.

Gamemaster:One second.

Gamemaster:Un memento, poor favor.

Anzu:That's on the DC of the check.

Johnny:Yeah.

Johnny:Yeah, 33.

Gamemaster:Yeah, one second.

Gamemaster:Just have to check something.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:If I understand this correctly, you get a plus two circumstance bonus to your check.

Gamemaster:26.

Arctos:Okay, so that'll be that.

Arctos:It'll be 26.

Arctos:I will explain to him why after.

Gamemaster:Okay, Crowley will look at you and, like, study your face a little bit and say, that is one of Minister Vane's favorite paintings.

Johnny:Yes.

Benny:you

Gamemaster:But if you truly need it, I'm sure he'll understand.

Arctos:Do not worry.

Arctos:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Of course, I will keep your meeting on the books if he returns by then.

Gamemaster:You're free to go take the painting if you like.

Arctos:All right, we're going to have the painting, too.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Arctos:Arctos is like, la-di-da-di-da.

Johnny:The second I get outside, I turn to Arctos and I go, see?

Johnny:The host wanted you to have that painting.

Johnny:And then I message to Benny, holy shit, I can't believe that worked.

Johnny:And then I message to Anzu, holy shit, I can't believe that worked.

Arctos:Meanwhile, Arctos is just like, life's great.

Arctos:I don't know why people are so mean over in that pilgrimage.

Arctos:He's like, I just ask for things that people give me.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:And so now you have the two pieces of art that you took from your bedroom, as well as Second Meaning by Kellan Quinn.

Arctos:Can we get more?

Anzu:Yeah, it's tough to say because it's going to be really embarrassing if we show up a day later and he's still not happy with us.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:So you have three pieces of art that you can load into the back of your vehicle if you so choose.

Johnny:No, we said we have a quid somewhere and he said get the fuck out of here.

Arctos:I think that's enough.

Arctos:Well, to be fair, we asked him, what about this Quinn?

Arctos:And he said, get the fuck out of here.

Arctos:So then a day later, we're like, here's this Quinn.

Johnny:Now we're coming back with the quid.

Arctos:Plus two bonus paintings.

Gamemaster:Everybody likes a bonus painting.

Johnny:Throw him in.

Arctos:Yeah.

Arctos:Do you think he would like...

Arctos:the painting generated from another heart, or do you think he would think that's shit?

Arctos:He's like, do not feed me Gemini paintings when I'm chat GPT.

Anzu:Or it would at least feel like we're pandering to him, right?

Benny:You know all the hearts.

Arctos:Yeah.

Anzu:Like, oh, you like hard stuff, don't you?

Gamemaster:Around this... Sorry.

Johnny:I mean, I feel like this is pretty good.

Johnny:Nope.

Gamemaster:There you go.

Johnny:I was just saying, I feel like this is pretty good, but who knows?

Arctos:All right, let's go.

Gamemaster:As you guys are loading up the car and getting out, Crowley will rush out of the house and say, Before you go, we just received a fact.

Anzu:Of course, Sir Arctos.

Gamemaster:I don't know if you told any of your friends that you were here, but this is for you.

Benny:it's pretty cool

Gamemaster:He holds out a piece of paper that was faxed over on your behalf.

Arctos:Quick, Anzu, read this.

Gamemaster:The... Wow.

Gamemaster:The paper is relatively simple.

Gamemaster:It says, Sbrtlby.

Johnny:Oh, we got time.

Gamemaster:414 Anchor Street, 630.

Gamemaster:It's probably around four-ish right now.

Arctos:What time is it?

Johnny:We can grab a snack, fuel up, and then go kill this guy.

Benny:We got time.

Arctos:Should we leave the paintings here?

Anzu:Guys, Anouk and Anaïs need our help.

Arctos:I think we should leave the paintings here.

Johnny:We did so.

Anzu:Our trunk is, like, magical.

Johnny:Okay, maybe we should wrap art in something.

Gamemaster:Yeah, right now your truck has three pieces of art and 300 gallons of gasoline.

Arctos:The gasoline trunk?

Anzu:They'll never find the Heart.

Arctos:Is that safe?

Arctos:Is the gasoline going to ruin all of our art?

Arctos:That'd be so sad.

Anzu:Yeah, it might.

Gamemaster:It's in jerry cans.

Arctos:No, no, don't guess.

Arctos:Can we leave the Heart in Arctos' room?

Arctos:Is that fine?

Anzu:I think maybe let's bring it home to iconoclasm.

Arctos:Or do you guys... You trust Iconoclasm?

Benny:Yeah.

Johnny:He's got two hours.

Benny:Why don't we just take it over right now?

Arctos:Alright.

Arctos:I don't know how long of a journey that would be.

Arctos:What if the heart wants to talk to us?

Arctos:It's not just like, oh yeah, here's this thing.

Benny:A heart wants what the heart wants.

Arctos:We also shouldn't bring the orb to kill Spongebob.

Johnny:Hey, you see this thing?

Johnny:Get right, fucker.

Gamemaster:You've got like two and a half hours.

Arctos:Do we have time to go to Iconoclasm to drop this off?

Gamemaster:It's like a 30 minute drive.

Gamemaster:Maybe a little longer because you're getting around for a shower.

Arctos:Okay.

Johnny:go drop the painting off.

Arctos:We will put the paintings in a safe place.

Arctos:It's probably not in the trunk, though, if they'll fit in the back.

Gamemaster:Yeah, I mean, you could just have somebody like hold on to it in the backseat.

Arctos:Yeah.

Gamemaster:That's fine.

Arctos:Yeah.

Gamemaster:I have to imagine that somewhere in the Vane household, they have like a canvas bag.

Gamemaster:So, you know, that's fine for transferring stuff, given that there's a lot of art in the house.

Arctos:Oh, you're right.

Gamemaster:So you can keep in the back.

Gamemaster:You drive on back.

Gamemaster:It does end up, unfortunately, taking like an hour to get back.

Gamemaster:You do get rush hour traffic.

Gamemaster:But it does mean you have like an hour and a half until you need to get to this meeting.

Gamemaster:The address that Anouk and Anaïs gave you, presumably Anouk and Anaïs are the ones who gave this to you, is in Deosil, which is a more central district.

Arctos:I was going to say, whoa, spoilers.

Gamemaster:This particular address, I guess it's like 15 minutes away by car?

Arctos:Are Anouk and Anaïs here?

Gamemaster:No.

Arctos:Yeah.

Johnny:Yes.

Arctos:Is there like a safe in Iconoclasm?

Arctos:Where's the safest place to put these?

Gamemaster:Um, there is... I think there'd have to be, because Illmari has to keep, like, the deed to the tavern and stuff around.

Arctos:Uh-huh.

Gamemaster:I don't know if it would necessarily be large enough to hold three canvas paintings of considerable size.

Gamemaster:If you recall, this particular painting by Quinn is 36 inches tall and 72 inches wide.

Anzu:Hmm.

Gamemaster:It is not a small canvas that you could just put in a little household safe.

Johnny:No.

Gamemaster:There is the...

Gamemaster:You met Elias the Quartermaster the first day, and I don't think I ever ended up needing to speak to him since.

Arctos:Okay.

Gamemaster:But he is in the armory room, which would probably be the most secure place, because it has a door that locks.

Benny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Unfortunately, if you want a more heavy-duty area to keep stuff like this, that's something you'll need to get constructed at some point.

Arctos:But for now, we can put in the armory.

Arctos:Can we also... Who's the lady who builds stuff that owns the car?

Johnny:You're right.

Anzu:All right.

Gamemaster:Dura is the one that maintains the car, the mechanic, that kind of stuff, yeah.

Arctos:Yeah.

Arctos:Hey, Dura, we got some... These are actually legit, but can you, like, booby-trap a door or something to make sure no one opens it?

Gamemaster:It depends.

Gamemaster:Do you want to be able to open it, or do you want it so that no one can open it?

Arctos:Yes.

Arctos:We would like to be able to open it.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:So you want a lock.

Arctos:I don't know.

Benny:Mm-hmm.

Arctos:Anzu, what do we want?

Johnny:booby traps what do we want

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Anzu:Um, we just need to make sure these things are safe.

Anzu:And I believe there's already a lock on the door.

Anzu:So probably that'll be okay.

Gamemaster:Like, if you want, I can, like, pour oil on the ground so somebody slips if they try to walk towards it.

Gamemaster:But I'm not really sure what specifically you want.

Gamemaster:Like, if you could give me more direction, maybe.

Arctos:Can you pour cement on the door frame so it can't be opened without hammering it out?

Gamemaster:Yeah, I mean, it takes a few hours for cement to dry.

Johnny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:But, yeah, if you want me to permanently seal our armory so that we'll need to use a pick or, like, a rocket hammer to open it back up, I could do that.

Anzu:Where's Elias?

Anzu:This is just ridiculous.

Anzu:Where's Elias?

Gamemaster:Elias would be in the armory.

Arctos:All right.

Gamemaster:If, like, you wanted to speak with him.

Anzu:Hi, Elias.

Anzu:How are you doing today?

Gamemaster:But...

Gamemaster:Not good, frankly.

Gamemaster:My back's aching.

Anzu:Oh, what?

Gamemaster:I think taxes are due soon.

Gamemaster:I have not been keeping proper paperwork.

Gamemaster:Somebody, I lent out one of our spears and it came back and there was like this notch kind of close to the front.

Gamemaster:And it's just deep enough that I think it might like structurally impact the spear, but I don't want to throw it out because the spear is like six years old.

Anzu:Right.

Gamemaster:We spent a good three silver on it when we first purchased it.

Gamemaster:And it's still mostly good.

Gamemaster:So I'm thinking about...

Gamemaster:taking the train out to a forest one of these days and then finding a few logs and seeing if I can't replace the shaft with the spear myself.

Johnny:Okay.

Benny:That's crazy.

Anzu:Okay.

Anzu:What was your plan for the evening?

Gamemaster:Well, I mean, I was going to have dinner.

Anzu:Mm-hmm.

Gamemaster:And then I think I was probably going to come back here and inspect the weapons again.

Arctos:Arctos is just looking at his pocket watch.

Arctos:He's like...

Anzu:So you'll mostly be here in this room.

Gamemaster:Yeah, why would I leave?

Gamemaster:All of the stuff is here.

Anzu:Yeah, that's a great point.

Anzu:And you don't typically let anybody in here.

Gamemaster:No.

Anzu:Okay, so if we left a couple things in here that we really didn't want anyone to take, you would know if somebody took it.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Do you mind if I sort them?

Anzu:you have to be gentle.

Johnny:Okay.

Anzu:You know how that person was not gentle with the spear and now it's damaged?

Gamemaster:Okay, that's fine.

Anzu:These would have to be treated with extreme caution because similar to the spear, they would lose a lot of their integrity if they were damaged.

Gamemaster:I can still sort them, right?

Anzu:Yeah, I think that would be fine, yeah.

Arctos:No one else touches them or knows about them.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:That's fine.

Gamemaster:I don't need other people to help me sort.

Gamemaster:I'm pretty good at it myself.

Arctos:All right.

Anzu:Well, if he'll be here, that's fine.

Arctos:And when you're done, lock it up, please.

Gamemaster:But if I lock it, I can't get out.

Johnny:you you

Anzu:You lock it when you're not around.

Arctos:Okay.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Anzu:Yeah.

Gamemaster:But if I just lock it when I'm done sorting, I've got other stuff to sort.

Arctos:Okay.

Benny:I don't like that at all.

Anzu:Yeah.

Arctos:Very true.

Arctos:All right.

Arctos:We give him the paintings.

Gamemaster:While we're talking to Elias, can I get a medicine check?

Anzu:Oh, no.

Arctos:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Or occultism, actually.

Benny:Doesn't help.

Anzu:Oh, no.

Anzu:That's worse.

Anzu:Why would you say that?

Arctos:27 for the medicine.

Johnny:Oh.

Anzu:23 for the occultism.

Gamemaster:Let's check.

Gamemaster:One second.

Gamemaster:I don't remember the DC for this level.

Gamemaster:You said 27 was what we got from the medicine?

Gamemaster:Unfortunately, with a 27...

Arctos:Yeah.

Gamemaster:He's just, like, adult.

Gamemaster:But nobody else seems to be reacting poorly to it, Arctos.

Gamemaster:That's just what he's like normally.

Gamemaster:And for the occultism check, similarly, you don't get much information there.

Anzu:He seems fine.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Problemless enough.

Gamemaster:All right.

Gamemaster:So you've deposited your paintings with Elias.

Johnny:Is Illmari back yet?

Gamemaster:He will sort them.

Gamemaster:Yes.

Johnny:Okay.

Johnny:Cool.

Arctos:Alright, I guess we'll go.

Benny:sure it's nothing.

Arctos:I still don't like this plan.

Arctos:I want it to be on the record.

Johnny:Which part of this plan?

Arctos:Leaving it?

Arctos:I want to roll cement into the door.

Benny:Believing it.

Johnny:I don't know if we can do that.

Arctos:Or why don't we just leave it in our car?

Gamemaster:Is that with Elias in or out of the store?

Arctos:Dealers choice.

Benny:in.

Benny:We've already tried to lock him in once.

Benny:He figured us out.

Benny:Now we gotta really get him.

Arctos:Alright, let's go.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:So you guys are heading out towards the address that you were given in the fax.

Gamemaster:Okay, a little bit of a drive, not too bad.

Johnny:you

Gamemaster:Only a few minutes.

Gamemaster:Deosil is... The districts that you guys have spent most of your time in so far, the neighborhoods, both Sableclutch and Widdershins are directly on the river that runs through Hallia, and so they're very logistics and cargo and naval focused.

Gamemaster:There's a lot of...

Gamemaster:dock workers and all of the industry that surrounds boats passing through and the like.

Gamemaster:Deosil is a little bit more inland.

Gamemaster:It doesn't have a direct connection to the ocean.

Gamemaster:Sorry, to the river.

Gamemaster:And as such, a lot of the industry here has turned into more industrial.

Gamemaster:This is where the factories that those children would be working in.

Gamemaster:It's a lot of...

Gamemaster:A lot of commercial factories, like putting together home appliances and toys and that kind of stuff.

Gamemaster:So there's a lot of definitely commercial input and output into this area.

Gamemaster:There's very little residential or service-oriented parts of this particular district.

Gamemaster:So as you're driving through towards the address, you see that the...

Gamemaster:This particular area appears to be a part of it is a warehouse looking thing.

Johnny:you

Gamemaster:And then part of it looks like what you would expect the standard factory exterior to look like.

Gamemaster:You can see a handful of smokestacks.

Gamemaster:You can see spots where you would pull up with trucks full with either things being brought in to be manufactured or things being taken out once they have been.

Gamemaster:manufactured and the like.

Gamemaster:There's a small parking lot if you wanted to park at this particular area.

Gamemaster:There are a few cars in there already.

Gamemaster:But it looks like at this time of day, you probably get here at like six with half an hour to spare.

Johnny:you

Gamemaster:You know, the working day still has a few hours left in it at this point.

Gamemaster:So there isn't a lot of people like entering and leaving.

Gamemaster:I will take a perception check, though, to take a better scan of the area.

Gamemaster:And I would appreciate it if I knew what your guys' plan was as you're approaching.

Gamemaster:Like, are you going to just hang out in the parking lot here?

Gamemaster:Are you going to try and find a place to hide?

Gamemaster:Are you going to try and look in the building itself?

Gamemaster:What's the plan?

Gamemaster:There wasn't a lot of instruction given to you on those particular facts.

Johnny:I guess just hang out in the parking lot.

Arctos:So I figured we would first drive past it, maybe.

Johnny:Also, I got a 31.

Johnny:Yeah.

Arctos:And then we could circle back, park somewhere, and then walk towards it.

Anzu:Can I get a bird's eye view?

Arctos:Unless anyone has another idea.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:You absolutely can.

Gamemaster:You can have Othello roll a perception check as well, if you like.

Anzu:All right, I forget his modifier, so let me find it.

Gamemaster:Four billion, I believe.

Johnny:Wow.

Anzu:I'm seeing nine.

Gamemaster:Oh, that sounds more right than what I said.

Gamemaster:I'm actually seeing eight, but I don't know if that's necessarily correct.

Anzu:Maybe he didn't level up properly.

Anzu:22.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:With the 31 that Johnny got for looking around as you drive by, this is... It's a split-level factory.

Johnny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:It looks like half of it only has one floor, and then half of it has two floors.

Gamemaster:The side facing the parking lot is the side with only one floor.

Gamemaster:There are... You would count...

Gamemaster:It looks like three cars here already parked in the lot.

Gamemaster:Unfortunately, that gives you like an upper bound on how many people might be inside, but not necessarily like the actual value there.

Gamemaster:Excuse me.

Gamemaster:You don't see any sign of Anouk and Anaïs. I don't know if you expected to see them here necessarily, but they're not just out in the open or anything like that.

Johnny:um um

Gamemaster:And you guys haven't really stopped moving, so if they were going to approach you, they wouldn't do it while you're still just driving around.

Gamemaster:There are windows, both on the first and second floors, but notably it looks like...

Gamemaster:Maybe like a tarp or something has been hung in front of them.

Gamemaster:With that roll, it doesn't quite look like curtains.

Gamemaster:It's got this almost like shiny element to it that you would associate with a kind of tarp.

Gamemaster:Blacking out all of the windows looking into the interior of this particular building.

Arctos:We found their headquarters.

Benny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Beyond that, not a lot of information there.

Gamemaster:I think the only other thing I would note with Othello specifically, your eye in the sky, nothing... There are a handful of smokestacks that looks like they are active right now.

Johnny:um um

Gamemaster:I think smoke is the wrong term.

Gamemaster:It looks like it's steam is coming out of these chimney-looking things.

Gamemaster:And I think...

Gamemaster:I think Othello would note, if he lands on the roof and pecks around just looking at stuff, that the single-floor warehouse-looking part of the structure has a notable hotspot on the roof where it's a good handful of degrees warmer than other parts of the building.

Anzu:It's very hot in there, guys.

Arctos:And where is this again?

Benny:of course hi we haven't seen anything crazy

Johnny:What are the odds we go in there and it's just the craziest thing we've seen today?

Johnny:Let me rephrase.

Anzu:Mostly we looked at art.

Anzu:Seeing art from Raelion was kind of crazy.

Anzu:Yeah, I don't know.

Johnny:What's the odds we go in there and it's just wild?

Anzu:Yeah, pretty high, because why is it so warm inside?

Benny:i mean we only know so many things

Anzu:Yeah, we got to find a kind of discreet way to get in.

Gamemaster:Oh, I'm totally sorry.

Gamemaster:You rolled a 31 on your perception just for yourself to know.

Johnny:you

Gamemaster:There are two entrances into the building.

Gamemaster:There is the front door that is connected to not really a sidewalk in this part of town, but the road that looks like it's the main entrance into the factory area.

Gamemaster:And it appears that there is a side entrance connected to the parking lot over on the back-ish of the building.

Gamemaster:Apologies.

Gamemaster:Continue.

Anzu:You guys think there's any underground sewer connection?

Benny:Maybe.

Johnny:wait see everyone see if anyone goes in or out take a walk around

Arctos:So what time is it now?

Gamemaster:uh six you have half an hour

Arctos:So we got 30 minutes.

Arctos:Do you guys have like a, does one of our more nonchalant members want to walk past in a poncho, just see if we can see our friends?

Johnny:and take a walk by in a poncho.

Gamemaster:It's very funny that your most nonchalant member of the party is the guy with the big Ringo Starr sunglasses.

Gamemaster:And a poncho.

Gamemaster:Ponchos are not like standard clothing.

Gamemaster:in Hallia, people are not walking around all in ponchos.

Gamemaster:Like, if last campaign, which for the first, like, eight levels was fully Western-themed, if you were walking around in ponchos for that, it would have made sense.

Gamemaster:Why did you wait until Cold War-era, like, Metropolitan City to start wearing the ponchos?

Johnny:I tried all denim.

Benny:I think the big thing you're missing, Josh, is that you don't choose ponchos.

Johnny:Nobody else wanted to go all denim with me.

Johnny:So we're doing ponchos.

Benny:Ponchos choose you.

Gamemaster:No, you guys definitely chose the ponchos.

Benny:I don't recall.

Gamemaster:You said, we need a disguise to get into this gas station.

Gamemaster:What would fit?

Gamemaster:Oh yeah, matching ponchos.

Benny:Was Benny the first to get a poncho?

Gamemaster:He might have been.

Benny:I think Benny... That's right.

Johnny:I think Benny got up in the show after we got dumped in the river.

Benny:Benny got a poncho because he wanted clothes, and there was not child's clothes, so he took a rag and made a poncho.

Gamemaster:He didn't have to stick with it, though.

Benny:See?

Benny:It chose him.

Gamemaster:Either way.

Benny:That's true.

Gamemaster:Sure.

Gamemaster:So you guys are parking a little bit of a distance away, and then Johnny's going to nonchalantly walk around?

Arctos:Thanks.

Gamemaster:Is the hope to do more scouting, or to see if maybe you lure Anouk and Anaïs to come over and say hello?

Benny:Mm-hmm.

Johnny:Both.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Can I get a perception check as you walk around?

Johnny:Yeah, I'm nonchalantly... You can.

Gamemaster:And can I also... I know this isn't Johnny's forte, but he's the one walking around.

Gamemaster:Can I get a crafting check?

Johnny:I got a 21 to perceive.

Johnny:And... Crafting?

Gamemaster:Okay.

Johnny:Mm-hmm.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Johnny:Mm-hmm.

Gamemaster:Johnny is unfortunately not the world's best inventor.

Gamemaster:Oh, no, he's really not.

Johnny:I'm really focused on whistling Steamboat Willie right now.

Johnny:Oops.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:Okay, so with a 2 on crafting, you notice that there are some pretty sizable tubes going into the factory, like from the angle that you seem to be approaching it at, and you learn no other information besides that.

Gamemaster:And then on a 21 perception, let me read how the spell works.

Benny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Oh, shoot.

Gamemaster:Oh, that's fun.

Johnny:you

Gamemaster:It's just cheaper.

Gamemaster:I was just checking the difference of how the spell works in the two systems.

Gamemaster:And it's just a level 3 in the 5e, but it's level 5 in Pathfinder.

Gamemaster:You hear, in your head, as you're walking by outside, Johnny, Half hour, go in back entrance.

Johnny:When they say the back entrance, do they mean the side entrance?

Gamemaster:Don't worry about explosions.

Gamemaster:We'll funnel towards you.

Benny:you you

Gamemaster:Kill.

Gamemaster:That's the only, like, other entrance besides the front one.

Johnny:OK.

Gamemaster:At least as you, like, walk around so that you can see.

Gamemaster:So you gather yes.

Johnny:Johnny will.

Arctos:I love these guys.

Johnny:Just say, you got it.

Gamemaster:You get 25 words to respond, by the way.

Johnny:It auto-fills.

Gamemaster:So, you got it, Fitz.

Arctos:Did he say bitch, bitch, bitch?

Benny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:He did not.

Gamemaster:They, for whatever reason, that was Anaïs, by the way, you would recognize from the voice.

Gamemaster:They don't feel the need to fill out the entire allotment of the 25 words that they're given.

Arctos:So they were not Sadisium.

Johnny:Okay, I will say you.

Anzu:Cuckoo Cachoo!

Johnny:I will say, you got it, and then the rest will just fill out with the opening verse of I am the walrus.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:Johnny canonically is the Beatles in the setting.

Johnny:I am all of them.

Johnny:And I will make my way back to the group and relay the message to them.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Johnny:Alright, we got a half hour.

Johnny:They said use the back door.

Johnny:I think that's the side door.

Benny:Okay.

Johnny:Don't worry about explosions.

Johnny:Kill.

Arctos:Okay.

Johnny:We got our orders.

Gamemaster:All right.

Gamemaster:Is there anything you guys would like to do in the half hour?

Arctos:How long?

Anzu:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Or I guess probably like 25 minutes now?

Arctos:Yeah, we'd want to be able to, how long would it take do we reckon to get there to the position?

Gamemaster:From where you currently are?

Gamemaster:If you walked, it would take three minutes, maybe?

Gamemaster:You're not that far away from the actual area.

Gamemaster:You just kind of pulled off to a different parking lot.

Arctos:I still do that.

Arctos:Three minutes, we'll start walking over.

Arctos:Other than that, I will... Yeah, I think that's it for me.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Johnny:I'm just going to pull out a piece of paper and make one of those cootie catchers from 6th grade.

Arctos:I guess I'll bring the Fortress Shield.

Johnny:The ones where you open them like this.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Johnny:That's what I'll do.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Arctos:And I'm going to... I was going to say, once we get to the back and we know shit's about to go down, I'm going to cast Benediction.

Gamemaster:Oh.

Gamemaster:Yep.

Arctos:But until then...

Johnny:Yeah, I'll do some stuff when we...

Johnny:Start rocking.

Gamemaster:Yeah, absolutely.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:I just need to... It's occurred to me I need to give a falcata to...

Gamemaster:Benny?

Gamemaster:In case you guys go into combat.

Gamemaster:Who knows, really?

Anzu:Not really planning on it.

Johnny:Now we're just going to kill.

Johnny:We're not going to combat.

Gamemaster:You can kill without going into combat.

Arctos:Hmm.

Gamemaster:It's possible.

Gamemaster:Okay, so I'm going to ask that you apply your buffs in the map that we're currently in, in the Heart gallery.

Gamemaster:And then we swap over to the other map when it's time.

Gamemaster:So we've fast-forwarded a little bit.

Gamemaster:So now we're however many seconds before you expect whatever to happen will happen.

Gamemaster:And you have time to set up if that's something you'd like to do.

Arctos:It has to be both?

Johnny:I'm going to look at Arctos and Benny.

Johnny:Which one of you guys wants to be invisible and hasted?

Benny:um and i used to the child is good

Johnny:I mean, I can just... It doesn't have to be, but if one of you wants to be invisible... I can give one to one of you and one to the other.

Arctos:I'm just saying, an invisible healer is pretty nasty.

Arctos:Can I heal?

Gamemaster:Honsu, did you just murder that child?

Johnny:Okay.

Gamemaster:Oh, it was the tour guide.

Anzu:No, this is one of the other people in the museum.

Gamemaster:You murdered the tour guide.

Gamemaster:He was part of the tour group.

Anzu:I was tagging this guy up here with the... He's fine.

Gamemaster:He has 10 hit points.

Johnny:Okay, Arctos is invisible.

Arctos:um you

Johnny:Benjamin is hasted.

Johnny:I think I can drop these on you.

Johnny:Hang on.

Gamemaster:You did also give him severe burns.

Anzu:Yeah, what is that from?

Gamemaster:He might still die.

Gamemaster:Yeah, when you crit with a Blazing Banner.

Anzu:Oh, the Blazing Banner.

Benny:Did the tour guide die?

Gamemaster:Yes, with 17 points of damage, that's almost double.

Gamemaster:That's almost close enough.

Gamemaster:I don't know, does Pathfinder have sudden death rules?

Arctos:On the door frame, right before it happens.

Gamemaster:It might.

Gamemaster:Sorry, I've been distracted.

Johnny:horrifying

Gamemaster:Okay, so I see we have a musical accompaniment.

Anzu:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Arctos, did you actually cast Rouse Skeletons?

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Shape and skeleton forms emit from solid surface.

Gamemaster:Fill the area.

Gamemaster:The area they fill is difficult terrain.

Gamemaster:Okay, so you're casting Rouse Skeletons on the doorway that you're trying to get into?

Arctos:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Arctos:Oh, we're going in?

Johnny:you you

Arctos:Oh, I thought they were coming out.

Arctos:Never mind.

Arctos:I wouldn't cast that.

Gamemaster:Now, the expectation is that you're going in.

Gamemaster:They're being funneled towards you, effectively.

Arctos:Okay.

Gamemaster:I see that you are hidden.

Gamemaster:Oh, you're invisible.

Arctos:I'm also mad because if I knew we were going to fight, I would have prepared fireproof today.

Gamemaster:We've got benediction.

Arctos:But I can't retcon that...

Arctos:Oh, I actually prepared fireproof for today.

Arctos:I didn't.

Gamemaster:Sorry.

Arctos:No, that's fine.

Gamemaster:You can always just ask Anouk and Anaïs for a rain check.

Johnny:Yep.

Gamemaster:Okay, do we feel like we have all of the buffs that we would want to cast directly before the bell tolls 630?

Gamemaster:All right.

Gamemaster:Let me find the map.

Gamemaster:have lost the map.

Gamemaster:I forget what it's called.

Gamemaster:Oh, there it is.

Johnny:oh whoa

Gamemaster:OK.

Gamemaster:630, exactly.

Gamemaster:There are the sounds of.

Gamemaster:Actually, you've heard this particular sound before.

Gamemaster:It is the sound of a rocket on the end of a sledgehammer igniting and then making contact with one of the walls of the exterior of this particular building.

Arctos:Yes.

Johnny:I think.

Gamemaster:As one of the two twins appears to have just knocked down the side of the building furthest away from where you currently are.

Gamemaster:There's a series of subsequent explosions that appear to chain off of that first one, which would coincide with when you were told to enter and catch the group as they're exiting.

Gamemaster:Which brings us to this map.

Gamemaster:Can I get a perception check?

Arctos:Yes, I can do that.

Johnny:Get back here a little bit.

Arctos:Sorry, one second.

Johnny:Arctos' blue.

Arctos:Sorry, perception check.

Arctos:Wait, it's in the skills, which is the hands.

Anzu:Oh, he's blue.

Arctos:Is this a seek?

Gamemaster:Why is he blue?

Gamemaster:Oh, is it the light?

Anzu:Is it because of invisible?

Gamemaster:No?

Gamemaster:I don't know why he's blue.

Gamemaster:Is it benediction?

Arctos:I am invisible.

Arctos:Are you sure it's not invisible?

Gamemaster:I know you're invisible.

Gamemaster:It might be.

Gamemaster:I didn't think that was what invisibility did, but who knows?

Benny:My screen looks like a little wall.

Arctos:Well, what if I remove invisibility?

Gamemaster:Right, that's what I would expect him to do.

Arctos:Yep, it made me unblue.

Gamemaster:Oh, it is.

Johnny:Oh.

Gamemaster:You blew yourself.

Johnny:Wait.

Arctos:I don't know how to blow myself again.

Benny:Huh?

Arctos:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Oh, and you are no longer blue.

Benny:Lots of stretching.

Gamemaster:What?

Gamemaster:Oh, yeah.

Benny:That's just for Tanner, I guess.

Arctos:Wait a second.

Gamemaster:So what did we get for the perception check?

Arctos:I'm going to be behind Benny.

Johnny:Um, oh.

Gamemaster:28.

Gamemaster:Okay, with a 28 looking in, you have knocked down the back door.

Johnny:you you

Gamemaster:of what appears to be an illicit grow house.

Gamemaster:The heat was generated from the hydroponics on the interior of this warehouse area that you've broken into.

Gamemaster:With that role, I don't think you'd immediately identify what the particular plant is that's being grown here, but it would not need to be grown in such a clandestine fashion if it were widely available.

Gamemaster:That said, with a 28 that is enough to pass these guys, they aren't exactly stealthing.

Arctos:me you

Gamemaster:They're a bit more frantic.

Gamemaster:There are explosions coming from further in the facility, and you can see that there is a group of people that are running out of one of those hallways, and it seems like headed in your direction.

Gamemaster:They have not spotted you at the moment.

Gamemaster:What would you guys like to do in this moment before we start going into initiative?

Arctos:What do you mean?

Gamemaster:It's okay to say nothing as well if you just want to wait to see if they come to you.

Anzu:Well, I need to know a little bit about them before I just open fire.

Benny:Yeah, he likes to get to know him before he just opens fire.

Arctos:We're going to kill them.

Benny:Then it'll be easy.

Arctos:We were told kill.

Arctos:What else do you want?

Johnny:These guys look super freaky.

Anzu:But what if these people are just like child factory workers?

Arctos:No.

Arctos:They're all going to die.

Benny:Super Freak!

Arctos:They're growing illicit drugs, and they're going to kill us if we don't kill them.

Gamemaster:Yes, no, they do.

Arctos:And Anaïs—no, not Anaïs.

Arctos:Anouk—oh.

Benny:What the fuck?

Anzu:Oh, do they look like this, Josh?

Benny:Sorry.

Gamemaster:Those images are like accurate to what they look like.

Anzu:Okay.

Benny:Yeah, Anzu is willing to discriminate now.

Johnny:That's horrible.

Johnny:He didn't know what they looked like, but now that he does.

Benny:He sees a devil that looks like something from the Bible merged with something from the Alien franchise.

Benny:He's like, kill them all, please.

Arctos:Thank you.

Gamemaster:So you see a red-skinned, weirdly moist-looking, like covered in mucus and dripping creature with this one weird cowlick horn on the back of his head, currently prodding what looks to be two 15-foot-long centipede creatures and a series of...

Benny:Thank you.

Johnny:you

Gamemaster:mutated-looking rat creatures with full mouths of sharpened teeth as they rush out of the part of the building that is currently collapsing.

Arctos:And there's a front door also, right?

Arctos:Or is that not supposed to be there?

Gamemaster:Oh, that should not be there.

Gamemaster:Pretend that collapsed.

Arctos:Okay, good.

Gamemaster:They're not going that way.

Arctos:Great, great.

Arctos:Great.

Arctos:I just didn't want to be like, and then we poke them, and then Josh is like, they run out the door.

Gamemaster:Yeah, no, no, no, no.

Gamemaster:That particular door should be leading to a part of the facility that is currently collapsing because it took some rocket hammers to the side.

Arctos:All right, cool.

Johnny:I'll just use one for all real fast for Benny's first strike.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Well, then I think what's going to happen is at this point, I'm going to need everybody to roll initiative.

Gamemaster:I'm going to let them run a little bit closer to you guys, just because otherwise you're going to spend the first three rounds of combat just having everybody run slowly at each other.

Johnny:Do I get a point if I roll a nat one on initiative?

Benny:trying to get to the best role.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Johnny:Cool.

Gamemaster:Assuming you don't use a mythic point to reroll it.

Johnny:Nah, it's fine.

Gamemaster:You can, I apologize, you can use stealth for this roll as well, instead of perception, if that's important for anybody here.

Arctos:Benny, are you moving up?

Arctos:Or stay there?

Anzu:Can you just add one to my number?

Gamemaster:And I will, because I waited too long to tell you, you can choose to roll it now, even if you've already rolled a perception, if you prefer to use stealth.

Anzu:Is that a thing you could do?

Benny:Yeah, same.

Gamemaster:Yeah, I can do that.

Anzu:I didn't roll.

Gamemaster:I can absolutely do that.

Gamemaster:Anzu, actually, it doesn't look like you rolled initiative.

Anzu:Did I just do a regular perception roll?

Gamemaster:I don't see you having done any roll whatsoever.

Anzu:Jeez.

Gamemaster:What does it look like you rolled on your screen?

Anzu:Nothing, but in my brain I thought I did something.

Gamemaster:Oh, okay.

Benny:I don't see... Yeah, I don't see rolling.

Anzu:No, you guys are right.

Anzu:I did not do a damn thing.

Johnny:Oh, you rolled really well, though.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Johnny:I rolled so badly.

Gamemaster:And then Benny, you wanted me to add one to your initiative?

Benny:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Anzu:I don't know what just happened.

Benny:I the old pack.

Arctos:I'd like you to add like three to mine, but I have no basis for that.

Johnny:Can I get, like, 30 added to mine?

Gamemaster:Oh, sure.

Johnny:I rolled poorly.

Johnny:Oh, I rolled so bad.

Johnny:Oh, hey, this Pusk rolled worse than me.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Johnny:Shout out that Pusk.

Gamemaster:So with that, we're going to begin the encounter with Anzu.

Benny:Just a busk off your block.

Anzu:are still so far away from me.

Gamemaster:Correct.

Anzu:What range does this have?

Gamemaster:You can always wait.

Anzu:No, this one guy... Do I have line of sight on Pusk1, or is he covered by shrubbery?

Gamemaster:I will say that he has partial cover, so he has plus one to his AC, but you can see him.

Anzu:Alright, I believe I can hit him with my telekinetic projectile.

Anzu:Yeah, I have 60 feet because of my psychicness.

Anzu:So he's just within range.

Johnny:you

Anzu:Should I amp that?

Arctos:Am I able to be where I am right now, or is that in a bush?

Gamemaster:You are in a bush.

Gamemaster:If you want to be in the bush, you can, but you are in a bush.

Arctos:Okay.

Arctos:I would have gone back to over here.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Arctos:Sorry, there.

Arctos:I'm invisible, but I want to be a little bit further up.

Anzu:Yeah, I guess we'll heighten it.

Anzu:Why not?

Gamemaster:You can, like, walk between the hedges and stuff.

Gamemaster:It's just, you know, you're in a bush.

Johnny:Okay.

Gamemaster:I think I would count it as difficult terrain inside the actual hedge.

Arctos:Yeah.

Anzu:I feel like I have such a low to hit.

Arctos:Oh.

Gamemaster:Mmm.

Anzu:Oh, all right.

Benny:Oh!

Gamemaster:Wow.

Johnny:One of them just drops dead.

Johnny:Wow.

Benny:Oh!

Anzu:There's not a critical option.

Gamemaster:Roll damage.

Gamemaster:I can click the apply crit button, like the double option when you do it.

Anzu:Sick.

Anzu:Not very high numbers on those d6s.

Gamemaster:Unfortunate.

Anzu:Which is tough.

Gamemaster:But you deal double damage, which means you send a telekinetic projectile through the hedges at this guy and fully blow off his left shoulder and his arm.

Benny:Wow.

Benny:God those are awful.

Gamemaster:They just vaporize from the strike.

Gamemaster:He is bloodied.

Gamemaster:He's not looking good from that hit.

Anzu:All right.

Anzu:In my immediate surroundings, can you tell me about this position here and what's going on with this machinery?

Gamemaster:They are also aware that people are around now.

Johnny:you

Anzu:Is this like a raised thing?

Gamemaster:It is raised five feet off the ground, so you'd have to climb up it if you're trying to get on it, but it might give you a change in viewpoint or something to that effect.

Anzu:No, no, no, no, no.

Gamemaster:I can't tell you as to the function of the machine, unless you wanted to spend an action to investigate.

Anzu:I just want to go there.

Anzu:Yeah, I kind of kneel, crouch down low to the ground, and put my hands down, like palms down, and you see there's a little bit of a shimmering of the air there.

Anzu:And then there's a little snap sound, and I push up.

Anzu:And I fly into the air and land here.

Arctos:Hmm.

Gamemaster:Very exciting.

Johnny:He can fly!

Benny:What's the onus?

Anzu:We use Soaring Flight.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Anzu:And then with my third action,

Anzu:Is there a range limit on recall knowledge checks?

Gamemaster:I think you just have to be able to see them.

Anzu:Who can I see from my current position?

Gamemaster:From your current position, actually, let me adjust you so that you're five feet in the air.

Gamemaster:I don't actually know if that'll do anything.

Gamemaster:I don't think it has.

Johnny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:But you're five feet in the air now.

Gamemaster:From your current position, you can see both of the centipede creatures, one of the pusks, and Sbrtlby Jones himself.

Anzu:Oh, we're doing a recall knowledge on Sbrtlby.

Anzu:Yeah, you called that hard.

Arctos:I knew he was a devil or a fiend.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Arctos:I knew it.

Arctos:I knew he was a fiend of some kind.

Anzu:You called that real hard.

Gamemaster:He's just some guy named Sbrtlby.

Gamemaster:Okay, so a recall knowledge on Sbrtlby will be either religion or a cult.

Johnny:Oh.

Anzu:Let's go.

Anzu:Oh, all right.

Anzu:That doesn't have a roll option.

Anzu:I just have to roll a check.

Anzu:Pretty good.

Gamemaster:A 31 is actually a crit.

Anzu:Whoa.

Arctos:Yeah.

Benny:you

Gamemaster:So you get to learn two of highest save, lowest save, his immunities and weaknesses.

Johnny:We're in business.

Anzu:I want to know his immunities and his lowest save.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:His lowest save is his will save.

Gamemaster:but he does have a bonus to saves against magic, just FYI.

Anzu:Mm-hmm.

Gamemaster:And he is immune to acid while being weak to cold iron and holy.

Gamemaster:Because you crit, you would know that this is a babow, which is a kind of demon.

Arctos:Mm.

Johnny:Ba-ba-ba-bow!

Benny:okay

Gamemaster:Spiral Beach Oats is a babow, okay?

Johnny:Josh, you mean Spurlby Jones is a...

Anzu:Mm-hmm.

Gamemaster:Yes.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Anzu:Okay, it was immune to acid, and then did you say he was weak to something?

Gamemaster:He's immune to acid and he's weak to cold iron and to holy damage.

Arctos:I do wholly, my friends.

Benny:Holy, my friends.

Johnny:um

Anzu:All right, very good.

Anzu:That's my turn.

Anzu:Three actions.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:Next up is Sbrtlby Jones.

Gamemaster:who will see that one of his hired henchmen, Pusk One, just fully lost an arm from a projectile that came out of nowhere, and will yell, We're under siege!

Gamemaster:Defend me!

Gamemaster:And... Oh, that's so unfortunate.

Gamemaster:I'm looking through his spells, and then I've just noticed something that's sad, but it's fine.

Gamemaster:Um...

Arctos:Is it incapacitate?

Gamemaster:It's not incapacitate.

Gamemaster:It's fine.

Gamemaster:You're okay with it.

Gamemaster:So unfortunately, he doesn't actually, I think, have any ranged attacks whatsoever.

Gamemaster:Oh, he has one thing he can do.

Gamemaster:He's going to cast a spell.

Gamemaster:He's going to give off a magical incantation and bathe all of you in darkness.

Anzu:Son of a B!

Johnny:you

Gamemaster:And then he's going to continue pushing forward.

Gamemaster:That was two actions.

Gamemaster:So he will spend his third action.

Gamemaster:That's as far as he gets.

Gamemaster:It's Myakdan2's turn.

Gamemaster:That's one.

Gamemaster:That's two.

Johnny:So wait, now they can't see us.

Gamemaster:Can he see in the dark?

Anzu:No.

Gamemaster:No.

Gamemaster:So he's just going to come over here and he's going to wait.

Gamemaster:I don't think he has anything else he can do in the meantime.

Gamemaster:Yeah, no, that's it.

Gamemaster:It's Pusk1's turn.

Gamemaster:Similarly, Pusk1 is going to spend one action coming over here.

Gamemaster:He's going to spend a second action going over here.

Gamemaster:And then he's going to use his third action to cower.

Gamemaster:which gives him a plus four circumstance bonus to his AC.

Gamemaster:It's Myokdan1's turn.

Johnny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:That's two actions.

Gamemaster:Benny, it's your turn.

Benny:Benny's really tempted to just run out of the darkness at these people.

Arctos:You can also defer for Arctos.

Benny:But there's... Oh, allow Arctos to go first.

Arctos:Yeah.

Benny:Can I do that?

Gamemaster:You can always lower your initiative.

Benny:Sure, yeah.

Gamemaster:All right.

Benny:Arctos, you have the floor.

Gamemaster:Betty lowers his initiative.

Gamemaster:It is Arctos' turn.

Arctos:Great.

Arctos:I will cast Dispel Magic!

Johnny:whoo

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:We're going to do a counteract check.

Arctos:yeah i don't know how this works and it's only a level two so 24.

Gamemaster:Everybody's favorite weird set of rules.

Gamemaster:Okay, so you're doing a level 2 counteract check.

Gamemaster:Add the relevant skill modifier, which is your spell modifier.

Gamemaster:Which you have a plus 11 to your spell roll, absolutely.

Gamemaster:You got a 24, which, what is the level-based DC of this?

Arctos:Well, I don't think it's going to do it because I doubt it's a critical success.

Gamemaster:The level-based DC, you succeeded.

Gamemaster:No more than one higher than your... Yeah, that is correct.

Arctos:So I think it's just counteracts rank three or less.

Arctos:At least that's what my counteract check says.

Arctos:Yeah.

Arctos:So I'll start preparing higher level dispel magics.

Johnny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:So we'll use the...

Arctos:I did not know how that's worked in this system.

Arctos:All right, well, if these might check, I will go here, and then I will raise a shield.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Yeah, unfortunate.

Gamemaster:I was just... There's a table that they associate with the counteracting thing that I think just makes it more confusing to understand what's happening.

Gamemaster:Unless I just don't know what's going on.

Arctos:Actually, I'm actually going to move back here.

Gamemaster:Either way, that's the end of your turn, which then brings us to Benny.

Benny:That might also be the move.

Arctos:And then I'm going to do that.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Arctos:Just so I can see if this guy tries to weasel past us.

Benny:I'm trying to think.

Benny:Because if they put darkness on us, I mean, we could just stand in the darkness, but odds are that they have vision and we don't, and we'll just be fighting them at a disadvantage.

Benny:So I don't have to go forward or backward.

Benny:Can I get out in a single turn?

Benny:Or a single move?

Johnny:you

Benny:Would Benny even know what direction?

Benny:What are the mechanics here?

Gamemaster:Benny would know that he can run forward.

Gamemaster:Assuming when Darkness was cast, he didn't quickly do a 360 spin, he would know which way is forward, which presumably would get you out.

Benny:I see.

Gamemaster:I think he wouldn't know where the enemies are necessarily, but he would know that he can run forward to some degree.

Benny:Yeah.

Benny:So if he just runs directly forward...

Benny:It is the longest path through this, and then he'll have to burn another turn to get close to the pusk.

Benny:I think Benny might also just back up, too.

Arctos:Oh, wait.

Arctos:Arctos wouldn't have known that he could have just walked back there to get out of the darkness, though.

Gamemaster:Arctos would have known he can go backwards.

Gamemaster:I will allow going forward and backwards.

Gamemaster:That's fine.

Arctos:I just mean, I don't know if he would have known where the darkness ends.

Arctos:I don't know if he would just prop up instead.

Johnny:you you

Gamemaster:That is also fair.

Arctos:If you think... I don't know if you think.

Gamemaster:I think it's fine to leave as is.

Arctos:Whatever you think.

Arctos:I'm trying to... Okay.

Gamemaster:I will allow it this time.

Gamemaster:In the future, we'll be more discerning about how darkness works.

Arctos:Yeah.

Benny:Yeah, I think the smart thing to do would just be to bide his time and step backwards.

Gamemaster:OK.

Benny:Or walk backwards, rather.

Benny:Is there anything that Benny can do?

Benny:I don't think so.

Benny:I think Benny's just going to hang out.

Gamemaster:OK.

Benny:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Is Pusk2's turn?

Arctos:That was level four, right?

Arctos:So Arctos wouldn't have been able to see in it.

Arctos:It would have been, you'd need greater darkvision, not darkvision.

Gamemaster:Yeah, it was level 4, so even if you have darkvision, then everything would be concealed.

Gamemaster:So it would just be like weird shadows.

Arctos:Okay.

Arctos:You'd need greater darkvision, I think that's the spell said.

Gamemaster:Greater darkvision would allow you to see fully through the darkness.

Arctos:Yep.

Arctos:Okay.

Gamemaster:That's three actions for the pusk to get here, so he can't even cower.

Gamemaster:Johnny, search him.

Johnny:Man, I can't see anything either.

Johnny:Well, I'll kick it off with everyone's favorite classic.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Johnny:Lingering composition.

Gamemaster:Don't need to be able to see to sing.

Gamemaster:Or tell poetry.

Johnny:I think that's a crit at this level.

Gamemaster:I think so too.

Johnny:So we'll get a courageous anthem going.

Gamemaster:Yep.

Gamemaster:30 would be a crit, so.

Johnny:Then I don't have to see to say this dude has weird hair.

Johnny:What is the range on this, though?

Johnny:Who am I going to 30 feet?

Johnny:Who am I going to bone mow?

Johnny:None of these guys are within range.

Johnny:I wouldn't know that.

Gamemaster:As it turns out, you do need to see to insult somebody.

Johnny:Yeah, I guess I just yell at someone hoping it works.

Johnny:And then I will also back up next to Arctos.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:You back up.

Johnny:That's my turn.

Gamemaster:Unfortunately, if you're not directing your bomb mode at anybody, it doesn't work.

Johnny:It's kind of... You hear Johnny yelling in the darkness.

Gamemaster:It's Pusk3's turn.

Benny:You guys are stupid.

Gamemaster:Anzu, you are perched on a machine of some kind.

Gamemaster:It is dark.

Gamemaster:All of your friends have abandoned you, but you don't know that.

Anzu:Yeah, so I'm trying to make this work logically.

Anzu:I'm surrounded by darkness.

Anzu:I feel like the first thing I'm doing is checking my immediate vicinity.

Gamemaster:Mm-hmm.

Anzu:Does my head happen to put... I'm right on the edge.

Gamemaster:So this is like an incline up.

Anzu:And so... Uh-huh.

Benny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:I think you would probably notice that, but you would know that if you wanted to continue in that direction, you'd have to either fly or climb up that thing.

Anzu:How high up is it to the next platform up there?

Gamemaster:We'll say it's another 10 feet to get up to that platform.

Anzu:OK, I am able to fly up to there, if that's all right with you.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:I will now...

Anzu:So why am I gone again?

Anzu:We'll do a soaring flight, which gives me 20 feet of fly speed.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Johnny:Good night.

Anzu:So I will end up up here.

Anzu:What is happening?

Anzu:Oh, I still have him targeted.

Anzu:Oh, they're 40 feet away.

Anzu:That's so annoying.

Gamemaster:Oh, that's fun.

Gamemaster:It is taking the distance into account.

Gamemaster:They're only 25 feet away from you, but you're 15 feet up.

Gamemaster:It's just rounding.

Anzu:Right.

Anzu:So...

Anzu:And I can't see Pusk 1, right?

Anzu:There's darkness interposing.

Gamemaster:You can't see Pusk 1 or Pusk 3, because there's a bubble of darkness in the way.

Anzu:Yeah.

Anzu:All right.

Anzu:I don't want to unleash Psyche yet, because I can't really do anything great this round.

Anzu:So I'm just going to send a regular telekinetic projectile at Mioktan to...

Johnny:Wow.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Arctos:If I closed my eyes there, I would have thought Tanner was trying to be authentic and ordering a dish into some restaurant.

Benny:Anna, do your best to accent.

Anzu:That guy is so funny.

Gamemaster:Wow.

Anzu:I got a critical hit, allegedly.

Johnny:Oh.

Gamemaster:Correct.

Anzu:So it's not going to be as much damage as the last one because I didn't amp.

Anzu:Oh, I rolled again.

Anzu:Let me click roll damage.

Anzu:Don't count that.

Gamemaster:I'm counting it.

Johnny:Oh no.

Anzu:Another low roll.

Benny:God.

Anzu:What is happening?

Benny:Getting punished for these.

Gamemaster:I'm so sorry.

Anzu:All right, well, it's 18.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Anzu:I just shield, I think, with my last...

Gamemaster:18 points of damage, which does in fact bloody this particular centipede.

Gamemaster:You cut off the back third of it with a well-placed projectile.

Gamemaster:It's still alive, but it's not happy about it.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:That means next up will be Sbrtlby.

Johnny:um um

Gamemaster:So we've created a bit of a dilemma here in that the darkness stopped you guys from attacking, like from range or whatever as they walk through.

Anzu:you you

Arctos:Hmm.

Gamemaster:But the majority of the people here

Gamemaster:don't have the ability to see through this darkness.

Gamemaster:And I don't think he has the ability to get rid of the ball of darkness now that they've approached you.

Johnny:you you

Gamemaster:Because there's nothing in the spell.

Gamemaster:It's not a sustained spell.

Gamemaster:So it's just there for the next minute.

Gamemaster:Sbrtlby can see the three of you congregated on the edge.

Benny:you

Arctos:He's going to taunt us.

Gamemaster:So he will at the very least...

Anzu:This is not good.

Gamemaster:He will call out to his henchmen and warn them that you're there.

Gamemaster:And I... I mean, he'll walk into the darkness.

Gamemaster:That's fine.

Gamemaster:But he doesn't... He doesn't quite have...

Gamemaster:Yeah, we'll just... I think he'll sneak up over here.

Johnny:you

Gamemaster:Still in the darkness.

Gamemaster:But that is unfortunately all three of his actions.

Gamemaster:It's Milkden 2's turn.

Benny:Oh, wait.

Gamemaster:The only thing it can see... Yep.

Benny:He walked up to Benny?

Arctos:Can't see him, though.

Gamemaster:Benny can't see him.

Benny:He's concealed.

Arctos:Josh?

Benny:Benny can hear him.

Gamemaster:He'd know.

Gamemaster:Does Benny have greater darkvision?

Arctos:No, just regular dark vision to not be concealed.

Benny:No.

Arctos:Greater to you can see fine, right?

Gamemaster:Oh, right.

Gamemaster:If he has regular dark vision, he would be considered concealed.

Gamemaster:I think otherwise he's just hidden to you.

Arctos:So what is concealed again?

Arctos:Do you just see shapes, or do you not see anything?

Gamemaster:One second, one second.

Johnny:um um

Gamemaster:Concealed.

Gamemaster:A concealed creature.

Gamemaster:When you target a creature that's concealed from you, you have to attempt a DC5 flat check before you roll to determine your effect.

Gamemaster:And then hidden.

Gamemaster:Actually, he wouldn't be... Is he hidden or is he unobserved?

Gamemaster:Is he creature?

Gamemaster:Yes.

Gamemaster:Creature you're hidden from is off guard to you, and it has to succeed at a DC 11 flat check when targeting you with an attack spell or other effect.

Gamemaster:So you know he's there, but if you want to hit him, you have to attempt a DC 11 flat check first.

Benny:uh is there a way to just do that i could just roll a d20 curses fair enough

Gamemaster:Unfortunately, that is a failure.

Gamemaster:You swing out in the darkness and you miss.

Gamemaster:Okay, Yokodan 2.

Gamemaster:Can't really go into the darkness.

Johnny:you you

Gamemaster:I think it's just going to do a telekinetic projectile at the bird.

Anzu:Who?

Gamemaster:Anzu...

Gamemaster:telekinetically projectiling you.

Anzu:He's not supposed to be able to do that.

Gamemaster:Do I think?

Anzu:He's just a bug.

Gamemaster:I think he's a bug with the ability to cast telekinetic projectile, but he doesn't have a particularly good bonus to his roll here.

Anzu:He's just a bug.

Gamemaster:Oh, but I rolled well.

Gamemaster:That hits!

Anzu:Bruh.

Gamemaster:You're going to take four points of piercing damage as he telekinetically projectiles some dirt at you.

Johnny:you you

Arctos:Find that.

Gamemaster:And then he has one more action, which he can't really do much with.

Gamemaster:He can use that action to manifest a bone club.

Gamemaster:So he's going to do that.

Gamemaster:He just grows a club out of one of his arms.

Gamemaster:He's holding one of those.

Benny:Nice.

Gamemaster:It's Pusk1's turn.

Gamemaster:Pusk1 is cowering.

Gamemaster:I've really made a mess of this.

Anzu:Indeed.

Gamemaster:Because I don't want these guys to go in.

Anzu:These guys should not be allowed to do these things.

Gamemaster:Does he have a ranged attack?

Johnny:you

Gamemaster:Yeah, okay, fine.

Gamemaster:He'll spend one action to move over here so that he can see Anzu.

Gamemaster:Because Anzu is visible.

Gamemaster:And then he's going to cast Fear on him.

Gamemaster:Please attempt that will save.

Gamemaster:There's spellcasters, sometimes.

Anzu:They're too ugly to be spellcasters.

Gamemaster:You succeed.

Anzu:I succeeded on that?

Gamemaster:You did!

Johnny:Oh, God.

Gamemaster:Your friend won!

Gamemaster:It's Bucknet's turn!

Anzu:They should not be allowed to do these things if that's a success.

Gamemaster:Okay, well... Well, this centipede is going to also do a tele... Actually, wait.

Arctos:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Does he have something else he can do?

Gamemaster:Yeah!

Gamemaster:He's going to do a phantom pain at you!

Anzu:Oh, my god.

Anzu:They're doing all my things.

Gamemaster:Make that will save.

Benny:I learned it from you.

Gamemaster:You succeed!

Johnny:you you

Gamemaster:You're gonna take the initial damage, but no persistent damage.

Anzu:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Eight points of mental damage.

Anzu:That's actually, that's, is that max damage?

Gamemaster:I rolled max damage.

Gamemaster:Yes, it is.

Gamemaster:And then he's also gonna grow a bone club.

Gamemaster:So he does that.

Gamemaster:Arctos, it's your turn!

Arctos:Okay.

Johnny:you you

Arctos:Would Arctos know if his fairy fire could light up an area, or is that going to be too weak to counter darkness?

Gamemaster:Okay, so the actual spell nowadays is Revealing Light.

Arctos:Because it doesn't explicitly say...

Arctos:It's a fire color.

Arctos:It doesn't say light effect.

Arctos:Oh, it is a light effect.

Arctos:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Darkness says that non-magical light sources... Oh, it also suppresses magical light if your darkness is spell rank or lower.

Gamemaster:So unless you have Faerie Fire at level 4 or higher, it won't work.

Arctos:Yeah, I don't...

Arctos:But Arctos can still vaguely see him because he has darkvision.

Gamemaster:Though I apologize.

Gamemaster:If Arctos is Darkvision, then yes, he's just concealed.

Arctos:All right.

Arctos:Okay.

Arctos:I will cast that.

Johnny:um um

Gamemaster:Okay, make a flat check, please.

Arctos:Crisis of Faith.

Arctos:Is he divine?

Arctos:Do I see raiment?

Gamemaster:Make a flat check first, please.

Arctos:Okay.

Gamemaster:I see it's on the bottom right.

Gamemaster:There should be a 5 and an 11.

Gamemaster:You should just click the 5.

Gamemaster:That should work.

Gamemaster:I didn't notice them before.

Gamemaster:Okay, you succeed.

Arctos:Great.

Gamemaster:He... I think can... One second.

Gamemaster:I think he can cast Divine Spells.

Gamemaster:He can cast Divine Spells.

Gamemaster:He's a Divine Spellcaster.

Arctos:I get to make that spell save.

Gamemaster:Yes, sir.

Gamemaster:He succeeds.

Arctos:Oh, that could have been a crit.

Johnny:thank you

Arctos:That's very unfortunate.

Gamemaster:He will take half damage.

Gamemaster:Fifteen points of mental damage.

Arctos:And then I guess I will step into the darkness and then shield.

Benny:So the check is it targeting them for a single attack or is it targeting them for the whole turn?

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:That is a dangerous place to be.

Arctos:Yeah, um... I did it.

Johnny:Well.

Gamemaster:Benny, it's your turn.

Benny:Perfect.

Gamemaster:Anytime you want to target him.

Gamemaster:So, for each attack.

Benny:I want to nuke this dweeb.

Benny:Oh, actually, this will be double slice.

Benny:All right, cool.

Benny:So that's the first attack for a double slice.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:So you can attack with the first attack.

Benny:Oh, 30.

Benny:I didn't target him.

Gamemaster:Yes, the 30 will hit.

Benny:No crit.

Gamemaster:No.

Benny:That's fine.

Gamemaster:Take 13 points of damage.

Johnny:This is lesser.

Benny:Sorry, that should be 15.

Gamemaster:What?

Gamemaster:Oh, right, right, right, right, right.

Benny:I have to turn on... The Barrow's Edge is no longer on the pick.

Benny:It's on this thing.

Arctos:Quick question.

Gamemaster:Is there?

Arctos:My invisibility is still on, right?

Gamemaster:Yep.

Arctos:Or is this a lesser invisibility and it goes off if I hit?

Johnny:I think it should be off.

Arctos:Oh, alright.

Arctos:I went to the darkness thinking I was invisible.

Arctos:That's fine.

Arctos:This might be.

Gamemaster:It's doubly fine, because Sbrtlby has seen visibility.

Gamemaster:That was what I said when I said it was unfortunate.

Arctos:Okay.

Gamemaster:As it turns out, Sbrtlby could just see you.

Arctos:Okay, well.

Arctos:Arctos didn't know either way.

Gamemaster:How do I move this Barrow's Edge over to your... Yeah, but there should be a way, I think, for me to...

Benny:I can just set it when I roll damage.

Johnny:Yes.

Gamemaster:I don't know.

Gamemaster:Maybe you can just set it with your... I had assumed that there was something in your sheet that I could use to set which weapon is your barrow's edge.

Benny:Yeah, I don't see it.

Benny:in uh path builder attack two that's a crit on detecting him perfect um yeah we'll keep it a mess uh and then

Gamemaster:I'll look for it later.

Gamemaster:Either way, I gave the extra two points of damage to him.

Gamemaster:That's a crit?

Johnny:thank you

Gamemaster:you critically detect them.

Gamemaster:Unfortunately, that is a miss.

Arctos:Oof.

Benny:is to target him with anything yeah why not we'll do one more we'll just see if we can what happens we'll do one more one more strike with the falcata nice yay

Gamemaster:Yes.

Johnny:oh whoa

Gamemaster:You critically seek him again.

Gamemaster:So sorry.

Anzu:Oh, my God.

Arctos:Hmm.

Benny:No.

Anzu:Oh.

Benny:Yeah, we need a crit there.

Gamemaster:Yeah, unfortunately.

Benny:Aggressive, yeah.

Gamemaster:Your minus 10 map there is pretty unfortunate.

Gamemaster:OK, it's Pusk2's turn.

Gamemaster:I think Pusk2 is just going for it.

Johnny:Oh, he's going in.

Johnny:Okay.

Gamemaster:It's two actions before he runs into Sbrtlby.

Gamemaster:And now he's there.

Gamemaster:And so he's going to have to seek for Arctos.

Gamemaster:So we're going to roll the 11 flat check to see if he finds it.

Gamemaster:He doesn't.

Gamemaster:So that's the end of Pusk's turn.

Gamemaster:Johnny, it's your turn.

Johnny:Can I scramble up this thing that Anzu is on?

Gamemaster:Yes.

Johnny:Is that, like, difficult terrain?

Gamemaster:Um, it's, uh, you have to climb it.

Gamemaster:So you need to make an athletics check.

Johnny:Are you sure?

Johnny:Okay.

Gamemaster:Uh, yeah.

Gamemaster:Technically, you have to make three athletics checks because it's 15 feet up, but I will allow you to only make one athletics check because it isn't like a cliff.

Johnny:Okay.

Johnny:Cool.

Arctos:But he has band camp feet, so he can roll performance for his athletics.

Gamemaster:It doesn't matter if he rolls performance or not.

Johnny:How many was it?

Johnny:How many was a hero point?

Johnny:Or a mythic point?

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Arctos:You sure?

Arctos:All right.

Anzu:He remembers his performance as... Incredible.

Johnny:What is happening?

Gamemaster:Ha!

Benny:You should not.

Johnny:Is a 17 good enough to get me up this thing?

Johnny:Okay.

Gamemaster:A 17 is too higher than the DC of 15 that you needed.

Gamemaster:But yes.

Johnny:I'd just like to kind of get up here.

Gamemaster:short.

Johnny:Um, is that good enough for me to see what's going on down with these pusks and meoktons?

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Yeah, you can see them yoked in one of the pusks.

Johnny:Uh, okay, great.

Johnny:I guess.

Johnny:Uh, that was... Was that one action or two actions?

Johnny:How did that work?

Gamemaster:It's one action.

Gamemaster:It's like the climb action.

Gamemaster:If you're legendary in climbing, you can climb up a perfectly smooth surface.

Johnny:Okay.

Johnny:I'm not a legendary in Climb.

Gamemaster:If you're untrained, you can climb up a ladder or a low-branched tree or a steep slope.

Gamemaster:That's what this is.

Gamemaster:If you want to climb a typical tree, not a low-branched tree, you do need to be trained in athletics.

Johnny:Well, I got to get into a little better position, so I guess I'll...

Arctos:Thank you.

Johnny:Run up here.

Johnny:These guys are... They're still so far away from me.

Anzu:Yeah, it's kind of annoying being up here, not going to lie.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Johnny:If I had... Alright, I will Flourish Cast at... Yeah, I'll Flourish Cast.

Johnny:Illusory Creature.

Johnny:The longest spell block anyone's ever seen.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Johnny:Right in front of these Mewktons and Pusks.

Gamemaster:Right.

Johnny:And then I believe I get a free strike when I summon this guy.

Gamemaster:Yeah, what is it of?

Johnny:So I will... It's Sbrtlby Jones running back, and he just runs out of the darkness, and he is just going to yell, I found myself in the darkness!

Gamemaster:Okay, absolutely.

Johnny:And then attack Pusk1.

Johnny:Levi...

Johnny:His needle darts is me attacking.

Johnny:Okay.

Anzu:Uh huh.

Benny:you

Johnny:I do hit the pusk.

Gamemaster:3d4 plus 1 mental damage.

Johnny:Nine mental damage to pusk one.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:9 mental damage plus 1 is not looking good.

Gamemaster:Fake Sbrtlby.

Gamemaster:Fake stabs him in the real head.

Gamemaster:And he does not like that.

Gamemaster:He's reeling.

Gamemaster:He, like, clutches his head in pain.

Gamemaster:He is very close to dying, but not quite.

Johnny:That's all I got.

Johnny:That's my turn.

Gamemaster:Okay, it's Pusk3's turn.

Gamemaster:I think Pusk3... Does Pusk3 go for it as well?

Gamemaster:I think he does.

Gamemaster:Okay, one second.

Gamemaster:I'm going to roll a d4.

Gamemaster:Okay, Pusk3 goes for it.

Gamemaster:And he hits wall.

Gamemaster:And then he goes for it.

Anzu:big huge for the program huge for the program um okay so riddle me this josh is there any elevation difference between where johnny and i are currently standing and the top of this machine over here

Gamemaster:And he runs back out.

Gamemaster:And that's the end of his turn.

Johnny:He sees his boss.

Gamemaster:Anzu, it's your turn.

Gamemaster:The top of that machine is 10 feet off the ground, as opposed to the 15 feet that you're currently at.

Anzu:Okay.

Anzu:Now, this is unfortunate because not the height.

Gamemaster:I was just using him to check.

Anzu:The height's fine.

Anzu:What's unfortunate is it's 25 feet away from me, and my fly speed is only 20 feet.

Anzu:So... Oh.

Johnny:Can you walk five feet and then go to a running start and use five feet of your movement and then the next 20 feet be flying?

Anzu:How did the Meokton get up there?

Anzu:Oh.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Anzu:Well, I think I just have to use two actions.

Gamemaster:Unfortunately.

Gamemaster:Yes, because you have one action that gives you a 20-foot flying speed, and then you can spend another action to fly the remaining five feet.

Anzu:All right.

Anzu:Well, that's what we're going to do because I only need one action for my last thing.

Anzu:Before all that, I unleash Psyche.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Anzu:And then I get a little run and I have to switch to...

Anzu:I do a little run and then jump off, kind of put my arms out and glide a little bit down to the lower platform here.

Anzu:And I'm going to amp a telekinetic rend.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:Who?

Benny:you

Anzu:So I make two 5-foot bursts.

Gamemaster:Yes.

Anzu:And I'll put one of them in between the two and one underneath the two .

Anzu:And so they all need to make this fort save.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:I'll certainly attempt it.

Gamemaster:That is a failure.

Gamemaster:That is three failures and a critical failure.

Johnny:Nice.

Anzu:Fantastic.

Anzu:So we'll roll damage.

Anzu:21 points.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:Okay, so the critical failure was Pusk 1, so he takes 42 points of damage and just fully explodes into Demon Viscera.

Gamemaster:So we'll remove him.

Anzu:Mm-hmm.

Gamemaster:And then the remaining three are going to take the full damage.

Gamemaster:which straight up kills Mjoktan 2 as well.

Gamemaster:He also explodes into Demon Viscera.

Gamemaster:And then Pusk 3 and Mjoktan 1 are both bloodied.

Anzu:Sick.

Gamemaster:Okay, is that the end of your turn?

Anzu:Indeed.

Anzu:I'm not frightened anymore, right?

Gamemaster:Good turn.

Gamemaster:Next up is Sbrtlby Jones!

Gamemaster:Sbrtlby Jones can see you.

Gamemaster:Does he go for the bear or does he go for the boy?

Johnny:um

Gamemaster:Even for Bear.

Gamemaster:He's going for Benny.

Gamemaster:You reduce your frame to condition by one at the end of your turn, so correct.

Benny:I'm not scared anymore.

Gamemaster:Benny, because you can't see him, you're off guard.

Gamemaster:He's going to do a...

Johnny:you

Gamemaster:grievous strike on you.

Arctos:I think it's Matt, Benny.

Gamemaster:He's going to make an attack with the intent of creating a particularly horrific and gory wound.

Benny:Normally when I attack, I don't want to do that.

Benny:I don't think we did any breaking.

Gamemaster:No, he's trying to cause pain because you've broken into his drug ring and blown up his house.

Johnny:He just kind of walked in the door.

Gamemaster:Because you are off guard, he hits.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Benny:He'll pay for this.

Gamemaster:Probably.

Gamemaster:You're going to take 23 points of damage.

Gamemaster:And because this wound is so grievous, you are sickened, too.

Gamemaster:You cannot cure this particular kind of sickness by retching.

Anzu:Hmm.

Benny:okay oh he'll step

Gamemaster:I don't know what else it's going to do.

Johnny:you

Gamemaster:It doesn't really have anything else fun.

Gamemaster:Maybe it'll step this way.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:What are you rolling for?

Benny:To see if I'm able to hit him.

Gamemaster:He stepped.

Benny:Oh, he stepped.

Johnny:hmm hmm

Benny:Is he even allowed to step there?

Benny:This looks like a bunch of bushes.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Yeah, he stepped into the bushes.

Benny:Oh, okay.

Gamemaster:You know what?

Gamemaster:Fine.

Gamemaster:He won't step into the bushes.

Gamemaster:He'll step over here.

Arctos:Hey.

Gamemaster:It's MilkDude1's turn.

Gamemaster:This centipede, he's already spent his action to manifest a bone club, so he can't do that again.

Gamemaster:Because the one requirement is the Myokdin isn't currently carrying a bone club.

Gamemaster:So, he won't make another one.

Arctos:I really got Mike.

Gamemaster:Because you guys are all up in the air, these guys don't get to use their action snack or quick snack.

Gamemaster:And it's kind of rude of you.

Anzu:I can fly a little bit, and I'm using it to my advantage.

Gamemaster:So, I'm stuck doing another telekinetic projectile at you.

Gamemaster:He's doing it at the bird.

Johnny:Not the bird.

Gamemaster:The bird keeps flying around.

Gamemaster:I think he's just going to do... Oh, he can't do another one.

Anzu:Gosh darn it.

Gamemaster:Yeah, okay, so that hits.

Gamemaster:So we're going to roll damage for this telekinetic projectile.

Gamemaster:Two sixes.

Gamemaster:Okay, you're going to take five points of piercing damage because I did not roll two sixes.

Anzu:Ouch.

Gamemaster:I think he literally has nothing else he can do because you're just kind of away.

Gamemaster:What is the point of this guy's immune to fatigue from the effects of starvation?

Benny:you you

Gamemaster:What am I supposed to do with that in combat?

Anzu:He don't gotta eat.

Anzu:If we were to take him prisoner, we wouldn't have to feed him.

Johnny:Thank you.

Arctos:It's a very economical... Alright.

Gamemaster:Correct, but you would have to watch out for his snack or quick snack abilities, which would be concerning.

Anzu:you you

Gamemaster:Um, that's it, unfortunately.

Gamemaster:Okay, that's the end of the Milkton's turn.

Gamemaster:Arctos!

Arctos:I'm just going to...

Arctos:Step over here.

Arctos:Does that get any opportunity attacks?

Benny:you

Johnny:um you

Gamemaster:Um... No.

Arctos:Okay.

Arctos:Then I'm going to cast Rouse Skeletons.

Gamemaster:Rouse skeletons?

Arctos:Bam.

Gamemaster:I'm gonna be very annoying right now and tell you you cannot cast that there.

Arctos:I need to make reflex saves.

Arctos:Why?

Gamemaster:Because you need line of sight to the place that you're casting the burst.

Arctos:I can see, though.

Arctos:I have a dark vision.

Gamemaster:Oh, you have darkvision!

Gamemaster:You can.

Arctos:Yeah.

Gamemaster:You're absolutely correct.

Gamemaster:You may rouse these skeletons.

Arctos:Yes, yes.

Arctos:They need to make a DC 21 save.

Gamemaster:Okay, let's make reflex saves.

Anzu:So what is the interplay between darkness and dark vision in this game?

Gamemaster:Excuse me.

Arctos:So if it's in... Yeah, go ahead.

Gamemaster:So you can go.

Gamemaster:You got this.

Arctos:If it wasn't a level 4 darkness...

Arctos:I could see in it with dark vision, but because it's a level four, you need greater dark vision to be able to see in it.

Arctos:So I can see it like concealed, but I don't see like everything.

Anzu:So is darkness not as strong of a spell in this game as 5e?

Arctos:If you have less than that, I think everyone's concealed.

Gamemaster:So I think darkness is weaker in that in 5e, if you have darkvision, you can see through the base level.

Johnny:you

Gamemaster:And that's not the case in Pathfinder.

Gamemaster:If you have darkvision, you can see right through.

Gamemaster:But I do also think there are substantially less creatures that have darkvision in Pathfinder than do in 5e.

Anzu:I see.

Gamemaster:I feel like in 5e, most player characters have darkvision of some form.

Gamemaster:But that definitely isn't the case in Pathfinder.

Gamemaster:But it does mean that Arctos, with his darkvision, these people are concealed, but he can see them.

Gamemaster:He just has to roll the 5 flat check instead of the 11 that Benny has to roll, because he's blind.

Gamemaster:Benny is a blind man.

Benny:How does low light vision fit into this?

Johnny:Oh, no.

Gamemaster:Lowlightvision, unfortunately, doesn't help with darkness at all.

Gamemaster:Darkness is like full darkness.

Gamemaster:It's not dim light.

Gamemaster:If there were a version of the spell that made dim light instead, then lowlightvision would make you unaffected.

Gamemaster:But if you didn't have low light vision and you were in dim light, then things would be concealed.

Gamemaster:You would need to roll the TC5 flat check.

Benny:Hmm.

Johnny:Okay.

Gamemaster:Okay, so we had a success from Sbrtlbyand a failure from the Pusk.

Gamemaster:So let's see.

Gamemaster:It's a basic reflex save, so the Pusk takes full damage.

Arctos:Probably takes half.

Gamemaster:And Sbrtlby takes half damage.

Arctos:I will wither them down with this goddamn stuff.

Gamemaster:On subsequent rounds, you can sustain the spell, move the skeletons up to 20 feet, and then deal an additional 2d6 lashing damage.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:And Sbrtlby can't even destroy the skeleton bones, because new bones will pull forth from the ground.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Arctos:Yes.

Anzu:Pull forth the new bones.

Gamemaster:Okay, anything else?

Gamemaster:Is that your... That was your second action.

Gamemaster:Do you have a third action you'd like to take?

Arctos:Yes, yes.

Arctos:I will do.

Arctos:Give me one second.

Gamemaster:To die, commit Sudoku.

Arctos:No, I will not die.

Arctos:That's for you, Benny.

Arctos:Sorry for the low rolls.

Benny:That is true.

Gamemaster:Benny heals 6 points of health.

Arctos:I have a plus 14.

Gamemaster:End.

Arctos:And if I got 25, it was a crit.

Arctos:But you know what?

Arctos:I rolled three.

Gamemaster:Fanny, it's your turn.

Johnny:Yeah.

Gamemaster:You're quickened and sickened.

Arctos:You are hasted, right?

Benny:How many...

Arctos:I can just pump you full of heal spells if you want to go into the darkness.

Benny:yeah yeah benny i'll step here um and then i don't no they wouldn't make it a reach unfortunately um yeah um

Arctos:You also have a reach weapon, though.

Arctos:Oh, I thought your falcata was a reach.

Gamemaster:Because it's a fatal d12.

Johnny:That would be nuts.

Gamemaster:It's already very scary.

Arctos:Sorry, guys.

Arctos:I thought the one-handed light heavy sword might also be long.

Arctos:I don't know.

Benny:Let's see if I can hit spartal beat.

Benny:This is double slice attack one.

Benny:Oh, okay.

Gamemaster:You can hit... Why don't you just save the really good rolls for the attacks?

Benny:I would totally do that, yeah.

Benny:Yeah, double slice attack one.

Gamemaster:I'm so sorry.

Johnny:um um

Benny:I want him to die.

Gamemaster:As do we all.

Benny:But I am sickened.

Gamemaster:Correct.

Benny:But let's see if... Hold on.

Benny:I'm going to add my mythic point from the beginning of this session.

Benny:Let's see if we can kill him.

Gamemaster:No.

Benny:You've got to be kidding me.

Benny:Actually, that's so absurd.

Benny:It's dumb.

Benny:All right.

Benny:Next attack.

Benny:Double slice two.

Arctos:Roll high, roll high.

Gamemaster:Yep.

Benny:At least I get the attempts, honestly.

Gamemaster:You're allowed to attack him.

Johnny:Come on Chris.

Gamemaster:Nope.

Benny:Nice.

Arctos:Next time, can Mike roll his attack, his two-hit, and then the thing after?

Gamemaster:Terribly sorry.

Benny:All right, attack.

Gamemaster:Yeah, if you want.

Benny:Let's see if I'm allowed to hit him a third time.

Gamemaster:But do you know what'll happen then?

Gamemaster:He'll crit and then he'll roll a one on the can I attack if he does that.

Gamemaster:You unfortunately... Yeah.

Anzu:Right.

Benny:So I can't use my third attack.

Benny:But for my fourth attack, oh, I did step in.

Gamemaster:Didn't you already step in?

Gamemaster:So bank that and then use it next time.

Benny:Yeah, yeah, we'll just.

Johnny:you you

Gamemaster:It's the pusk's turn.

Gamemaster:The Pusk wants to detect Benny.

Gamemaster:I'm going to roll a DC 11 flat check to see if it can.

Gamemaster:It can!

Gamemaster:Alright.

Arctos:Does it think that's Shuttleby or whatever his name is?

Arctos:Because he was in that position.

Gamemaster:No, I mean, he can tell the difference between friend and foe.

Gamemaster:He's not... He's fine.

Arctos:It is Darkness.

Anzu:He's not an idiot.

Gamemaster:Yeah, I know.

Arctos:Yeah.

Benny:Even with Benny's kindred spirit.

Gamemaster:He's going to make...

Gamemaster:He has telepathy for 100 feet, so he can just ask Sbrtlby.

Arctos:That's fair.

Benny:Sbrtlby, am I hitting you right now?

Gamemaster:He's going to make a frenzied slash at you.

Gamemaster:Sorry.

Gamemaster:He's going to make a frenzied slashes at you.

Gamemaster:So I have to roll two more flat checks because it's three attacks.

Gamemaster:That's a failure.

Gamemaster:Oops, I hit the button too many times.

Gamemaster:That's a success, and then we ignore this one.

Gamemaster:No, it doesn't count.

Gamemaster:I already rolled three.

Gamemaster:So he gets to attack you twice with his frenzied slashes.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Johnny:Yeah, top of my turn.

Gamemaster:Claw attack.

Gamemaster:And claw attack.

Gamemaster:That was terrible.

Gamemaster:That was good.

Gamemaster:That one hits.

Gamemaster:One of them hits.

Gamemaster:You're going to take 10 points of slashing damage from its frenzied slash.

Gamemaster:And then, because he was frenzied, he is clumsy now.

Benny:course.

Gamemaster:Johnny, it's your turn.

Johnny:I will sustain the Sbrtlby image.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Johnny:So he'll... He'll go for... I'll swing for the Meokton.

Gamemaster:They're both looking pretty bad, but the milk den looks slightly worse.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Johnny:This Needle Darts is the spell.

Johnny:Wow, that was a bummer.

Johnny:Oh, it still hits!

Gamemaster:That does just barely hit.

Johnny:Seven points of mental damage.

Gamemaster:Lysenta Peep doesn't have particularly strong armor.

Gamemaster:Not that it matters, because this is not a real Sbrtlby.

Arctos:Mm-hmm.

Gamemaster:Take seven points of mental damage.

Gamemaster:He is still standing.

Gamemaster:He would always be standing regardless because it's non-lethal.

Gamemaster:But he's not reduced to zero.

Johnny:That was a sustain.

Johnny:I will... Range on needle darts.

Johnny:60 feet!

Johnny:Great.

Johnny:I will flourish, cast needle darts for realsies.

Johnny:I got a bunch of silver bopping around, so I'll use that.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Yeah, that's a crit.

Johnny:Great.

Gamemaster:But he just manifested his bone club.

Gamemaster:You wouldn't kill a guy with his bone club, would you?

Gamemaster:No, just roll damage and then I'll click the double button.

Johnny:It's not letting me double it.

Johnny:It's a roll critical damage.

Johnny:Ten points of silver damage.

Gamemaster:20 points of piercing damage is absolutely enough because it turns into 25.

Gamemaster:And he's dead.

Anzu:Right.

Johnny:And then I guess I'll just try and get this other pusk.

Gamemaster:Good murder.

Johnny:I've only got a whole lot going on here.

Gamemaster:With what?

Johnny:Oh, can't do that.

Johnny:Can't Flourish Cast it twice.

Gamemaster:Nope.

Johnny:What is the range on Demoralize?

Johnny:30 feet.

Johnny:My voice only carries 30 feet, apparently.

Gamemaster:unfortunately he's 35 feet away from you see this is what I've been like with my milk dance and my pusks okay

Benny:I didn't mean to do that.

Johnny:All my things are 30 feet.

Johnny:Wow, I really got absolutely nothing.

Johnny:I guess I will just hope that Anzu gets this, and I'll just slide back down into the darkness and start yelling at Sbrtlby.

Johnny:But I'm still up.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Johnny:I'm still up top there.

Gamemaster:Yeah, you're just five feet up now.

Johnny:That's my turn.

Johnny:I'm up top there, but now I'm in range to yell at Sbrtlby.

Gamemaster:It's Pusk3's turn.

Gamemaster:I think Pusk3 has to attack Sbrtlby.

Gamemaster:Because Sbrtlby attacked him.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Johnny:I believe it's my... 21.

Gamemaster:What is its AC supposed to be?

Gamemaster:Your spell DC for its AC.

Gamemaster:Your spell DC is 21.

Johnny:Oh no, my spot will be...

Gamemaster:They're going to make an attack with a claw.

Gamemaster:28.

Gamemaster:Illusionary Spardlebee is dead.

Gamemaster:I think two.

Gamemaster:He's going to spend his third action.

Gamemaster:Attempting to climb.

Gamemaster:He succeeds.

Gamemaster:He's five feet off the ground.

Gamemaster:Anzu, it's your turn.

Gamemaster:There is a pusk that is currently climbing up the hydroponics column to get to you.

Anzu:Oh my god, you psychopath.

Gamemaster:He's five feet off the ground.

Gamemaster:Johnny has slid back into the darkness.

Gamemaster:Actually... So, once again, you have been abandoned by your friends, but this time you can tell.

Anzu:I guess we just send a projectile at him and hope it hits.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Anzu:No, I should make him make a save, shouldn't I?

Gamemaster:Sure.

Anzu:I need a moment to ponder.

Anzu:No, that's an attack.

Anzu:I don't know if this will work.

Anzu:That's probably not going to kill him.

Anzu:But I'm going to cast Phantom Pain on him.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:He has to attempt a will save.

Gamemaster:He succeeds.

Anzu:Whoa.

Gamemaster:He takes the initial damage, but not any of the extra damage.

Anzu:Uh-huh.

Anzu:That's tough.

Gamemaster:Seven points.

Gamemaster:That is unfortunately not enough to kill him, but you've definitely put another dent in him.

Anzu:We will send a styburst his way.

Gamemaster:He's just angrier now.

Gamemaster:Okay, so I burst him.

Anzu:And we will make it a normal sideburst with a reflex save.

Benny:you you

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:One second.

Gamemaster:Uh... Reflex save.

Gamemaster:He did worse.

Gamemaster:He failed.

Anzu:All right.

Johnny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Yeah, his head explodes.

Gamemaster:He's climbing up.

Gamemaster:You give him some phantom pain, you give him a headache, and then you explode his brain.

Gamemaster:He collapses to the ground.

Anzu:Yeah.

Anzu:Jeez, I guess we fly back over.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Anzu:That's it.

Gamemaster:It's Sbrtlby's turn.

Gamemaster:I think Sbrtlby has to go for the boy because the boy walked up to him.

Benny:course i don't know as i could become unsickened at any point i thought i was just like this forever

Gamemaster:Doing another Grievous Strike.

Gamemaster:I rolled pretty low.

Gamemaster:You're going to take 19 points of damage and you're going to stay sickened.

Anzu:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Benny is sick forever.

Gamemaster:Um... Yeah, I think he's just gonna back up a little bit.

Gamemaster:Uh... Arctos.

Arctos:I'm going to first sustain my spell.

Arctos:And let me, where is that?

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:The bones!

Arctos:The bounce, can I just move that?

Arctos:I just want to move it down slightly.

Arctos:Where's the, I don't know how to touch that.

Gamemaster:If you go into the range measurement controls, on the left you do the ruler, and then you can shift it.

Arctos:Oh, yes, yes, yes.

Gamemaster:Okay, so you're moving it so that it's no longer hitting Pusk 2.

Arctos:Never mind.

Arctos:I'm just going to keep it there.

Arctos:Sustain it.

Arctos:Keep it there.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Arctos:And then heal Benny.

Arctos:Now I've got to switch modes again.

Anzu:you

Arctos:There we go.

Arctos:Benny.

Arctos:Spell hell.

Benny:Then he is living.

Gamemaster:I put rare skeletons in the chat again.

Arctos:Benny is living, right?

Benny:He's a human boy.

Arctos:I realize I've never asked that before, but I should.

Benny:Oh.

Gamemaster:For the record, Pusk2 critically fails his bones save, but Sbrtlby succeeds.

Gamemaster:35 is way better than the last time he rolled.

Arctos:Well, the last time I didn't cast heal, I just... I didn't have the actions for two-action heal.

Benny:And he's going to walk directly.

Benny:It'll be with all this new.

Gamemaster:Oh.

Benny:Thank you.

Arctos:And then I will just raise my shield.

Gamemaster:You should also roll the 2d6 for the boats.

Arctos:Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes.

Arctos:Seven!

Johnny:The bones.

Gamemaster:You roused these skeletons.

Anzu:you

Gamemaster:Okay, Pusk 2 takes double that damage.

Arctos:Seven!

Gamemaster:He's not looking great.

Gamemaster:He's just barely bloodied.

Gamemaster:And then Sbrtlbywill take half of that damage.

Gamemaster:So he takes three.

Gamemaster:He's fine.

Gamemaster:Benny, it's your turn.

Gamemaster:You're quickened and sickened.

Benny:Benny is going to continue.

Benny:He's going to step and continue his march on Sbrtlby Jones.

Gamemaster:You get to hit.

Benny:At this point, it's about sending a message.

Benny:This is double slice strike one.

Gamemaster:Hits.

Gamemaster:That was a good roll.

Benny:Beautiful.

Johnny:all right

Benny:yes oh nice uh strike two curses uh all right strike three

Gamemaster:22 points of damage.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:I also figured out how to move the Barrow's Edge over.

Gamemaster:You are allowed to hit.

Gamemaster:But you cannot.

Benny:Do I have anything else that makes sense here?

Johnny:You.

Gamemaster:Do you have a spell that just lifts darkness?

Benny:No, but I could try a demoralize.

Anzu:Mm hmm.

Benny:Let's try a demoralize.

Benny:So I think I just need a roll to be able to target him.

Benny:Unless that's just for... Is that just for melee attacks and I can't target him with Demoralize?

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:He is hidden.

Johnny:you you

Gamemaster:The creature, you know what space he's in, but can't tell precisely where.

Gamemaster:So you're off guard to him.

Gamemaster:And you have to succeed on a DC 11 flat check when targeting with an attack, spell, or other effect.

Gamemaster:This counts as an other effect, so DC 11 check.

Benny:That's fine.

Gamemaster:Unfortunately, you can't see him, so you can't demoralize him.

Benny:That's it.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:Then it's Pusk2's turn.

Gamemaster:Pusk2 is clumsy.

Gamemaster:He's going for Benny.

Gamemaster:He's doing another frenzy slash.

Johnny:you

Gamemaster:So we're going to roll three DC 11 flat checks.

Gamemaster:The first one definitely misses.

Gamemaster:The second one misses.

Gamemaster:The third one, the third one he's allowed to attack.

Gamemaster:So he'll make one attack.

Gamemaster:He'll try and bite you this time.

Gamemaster:He'll do a Jaws attack.

Gamemaster:I critically failed.

Gamemaster:He did nothing.

Gamemaster:He stays clumsy.

Gamemaster:It's Johnny's turn.

Gamemaster:Johnny, you're in the darkness.

Johnny:I'm in the darkness.

Johnny:I can't see anything, but I don't have to see things to yell at them.

Johnny:So I'm just gonna yell at them.

Johnny:First, I'm gonna... What's up?

Gamemaster:Hey.

Johnny:I'm just gonna demoralize.

Gamemaster:You need to make your DC 11 flat check to see if you can demoralize.

Johnny:Even just to demoralize?

Gamemaster:Bottom right.

Gamemaster:Just to target with an effect.

Benny:Mm hmm.

Johnny:Ugh.

Gamemaster:And the bottom right near the send a chat thing, there should be an 11 button that you can hit.

Gamemaster:You succeed.

Gamemaster:You are allowed to target him with demoralize.

Johnny:I will demoralize him with... I will do it with performance.

Gamemaster:Attempt an intimidation check against his will, DC.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Attempt a performance check against his intimidation DC.

Gamemaster:A 23 is a failure.

Johnny:23.

Johnny:Oh, no.

Johnny:What a bummer.

Gamemaster:Sorry.

Johnny:I'm going to keep yelling at this guy.

Johnny:I'll try and bone-mow him.

Johnny:I guess I still got a flat check.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Flat check.

Gamemaster:Everybody's in darkness.

Gamemaster:You're all just swinging blind at each other.

Gamemaster:You are allowed to target him with his Bonmo.

Johnny:Diplomize this one.

Johnny:28.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Johnny:I'm told that's a critical success.

Gamemaster:Is a success.

Gamemaster:It says that... Oh, were you targeting Pusk2?

Johnny:Yeah, I was trying to get Pusk 2.

Gamemaster:Did you target Pusk2 the previous time?

Benny:Thank you.

Johnny:Yes, but because I was using Performance, it didn't roll with the target.

Gamemaster:With the Demoralize?

Gamemaster:Okay, I apologize.

Gamemaster:That was a success to Demoralize Pusk 2.

Gamemaster:I thought you were attempting to Demoralize Spardleby.

Johnny:Oh, no.

Johnny:I'm trying to kill Pusk 2.

Gamemaster:Okay, so Pusk 2 is frightened, and then also you critically succeeded on your Bonmo against Pusk 2, so he's critically Bonmowed.

Johnny:And because of my demagogue's calling and cutting rebuke, he takes mental damage equal to my level.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Johnny:Oh, sorry, double my level on a crit.

Johnny:So he takes 10 points of mental damage.

Gamemaster:Click the calculator button.

Johnny:I don't know why it's...

Gamemaster:There you go.

Gamemaster:Doubled, so it's actually 12 points.

Gamemaster:Unfortunately, that actually isn't enough to kill him, but it's very close.

Gamemaster:He's hanging on by a thread.

Anzu:Darn it.

Gamemaster:I'm sorry.

Johnny:I've yelled at him twice.

Benny:you you

Johnny:I just want to read this.

Johnny:Josh, there's nothing in the wording of bone mow that says I can't do it to someone who's already bone mowed.

Gamemaster:Uh, correct.

Johnny:I'm just going to bone mow this guy again.

Gamemaster:To try and cut and rebuke him again?

Gamemaster:Okay.

Johnny:Yep.

Johnny:Oh, bummer.

Johnny:I can't target him.

Johnny:Well, that's my turn.

Gamemaster:Sorry.

Gamemaster:It's Anzu's turn.

Gamemaster:Anzu, you're lording over them from above.

Anzu:Yeah, but I don't know it.

Gamemaster:Yeah, they're duking it out in the Thunderdome.

Johnny:You just hear Johnny yelling.

Anzu:So, I have low light vision, so I don't know what's going on in there at all.

Anzu:Is that right?

Gamemaster:So you can attempt a DC-11 flat check.

Gamemaster:They are hidden to you.

Anzu:So...

Anzu:Like, if I wanted to drop a spell in their area, how do I go about that?

Anzu:Would that also be the same kind of check?

Gamemaster:Yeah, it's too in effect.

Gamemaster:I allowed Arctos to do it.

Gamemaster:I think in hindsight he should have rolled the DC 5 flat check to be able to target it.

Gamemaster:For the same thing, if you want to target a particular square with your thing, you have to roll a DC 11 because you don't have the ability to see inside the darkness.

Anzu:Yeah.

Gamemaster:It's possible.

Gamemaster:It's just you have like a 50-50 shot.

Arctos:I figured the reason I didn't have to is I can see the shapes, so I can place an area of effect.

Anzu:All right, I'm going to roll this d20.

Arctos:I just can't hit it directly.

Arctos:Gotcha, gotcha.

Gamemaster:I mean, rules-wise, you're supposed to have rolled to the five.

Arctos:Gotcha, gotcha.

Gamemaster:Okay, you are allowed to target an area with your spell.

Anzu:Amazing.

Benny:Can you hit them both?

Gamemaster:Grace.

Anzu:And... Like...

Anzu:I'm going to put it in an optimal spot if you're going to let me put it in an optimal spot.

Johnny:You.

Gamemaster:Because you rolled the flat check, you're allowed to put it in a spot of your choice.

Anzu:I have a 10-foot burst.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Anzu:Oh, no, I can't hit them both without hitting Benny.

Gamemaster:That's fine.

Gamemaster:I'm okay with that.

Anzu:I can hit them both if I hit you.

Gamemaster:A ten-foot burst?

Benny:a 10 foot burst i thought we agreed it has to be on oh 10 foot burst 10 foot radius oh yeah

Anzu:When I click the button for place 10-foot burst... Down there?

Gamemaster:Uh, yes.

Gamemaster:You... You can hit Spartle Bean Pusk without hitting Benny.

Gamemaster:At least if I'm reading this correctly.

Gamemaster:If you put it in this square, do you see where I've put it?

Johnny:you

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Unless the 10-foot burst is of a different size than I thought it was.

Anzu:If I put mine down, are you able to move it around?

Gamemaster:Yes.

Anzu:All right, I'm going to put it down here.

Anzu:And I don't think that I can do that.

Anzu:Yeah, I'll just go for Sbrtlby.

Gamemaster:Oh, I apologize.

Gamemaster:The burst has to be on the corner.

Gamemaster:That's why.

Gamemaster:Correct.

Gamemaster:So this gets you the Pusk.

Gamemaster:This gets you the Sbrtlby.

Gamemaster:This gets you both, but it also gets Benny.

Benny:I wouldn't be too concerned about the posk.

Gamemaster:If you want, you can also get Johnny and Sbrtlby.

Anzu:That's fine.

Anzu:No, we'll do just Sbrtlby, please.

Johnny:Ooh.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:You're missing out on maximum damage.

Anzu:It is going to persist, so I'm going to place it.

Gamemaster:Oh.

Anzu:I'm going to... Can you put it one to the right?

Gamemaster:There.

Gamemaster:Do you want me to move it over?

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Anzu:Yeah, that's where I want it.

Anzu:Okay.

Gamemaster:We have too many effects on the board.

Anzu:Indeed.

Anzu:So we're casting an animated assault.

Gamemaster:And none of them are... Ooh.

Anzu:And things in the area start flying into the air and all around all over the place, and he needs to make a reflex save.

Gamemaster:So it's like gardening equipment, like clippers and a trowel and stuff.

Anzu:Yeah.

Arctos:And the bones that are there.

Anzu:And... The bones are their money.

Arctos:I hate this guy so much.

Gamemaster:And the bones!

Johnny:The bones.

Gamemaster:Absolutely.

Gamemaster:The bones.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:Wait, what is that from?

Gamemaster:I've heard that before.

Gamemaster:Ah, yes.

Anzu:That is from I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson.

Gamemaster:He succeeds, but he didn't critically succeed.

Anzu:So he's going to take half damage.

Gamemaster:Yes.

Gamemaster:You don't like Sbrtlby?

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Arctos:He's such a pain in the ass.

Anzu:He's going to take seven points.

Gamemaster:He takes seven points.

Gamemaster:He is still just injured.

Anzu:Um...

Gamemaster:You've killed all of his henchmen.

Johnny:Oh my god Bruh

Gamemaster:It's just Sbrtlby now.

Arctos:How many rounds has it been?

Arctos:Five more rounds.

Gamemaster:We're at the top of round five.

Gamemaster:Which means we're halfway through the duration of darkness.

Anzu:Oh my god.

Benny:you

Anzu:And then if I want to hit him with a Psiburst, I have to make another check.

Gamemaster:Yes!

Gamemaster:That is how that works.

Anzu:I have to get closer first.

Gamemaster:In Spardleby's defense, you all chose to let them walk into the darkness.

Gamemaster:So...

Anzu:Yeah, I think that backwards... I mean, it's working out okay.

Arctos:No, because the problem is he could have run around us if we didn't do that and just escaped.

Anzu:you were blocking him off.

Arctos:And we never would have known.

Arctos:Yeah, that's where I step back.

Arctos:Because he could have just escaped.

Anzu:Alright, so here's my check to the target.

Gamemaster:you are allowed to target.

Anzu:Okay.

Anzu:Now, I learned earlier that his will is his lowest save, but he's got some kind of resistance.

Gamemaster:Correct.

Gamemaster:His saves are increased against magic.

Anzu:Now, is there...

Anzu:A magic tag?

Anzu:Or is that just a very blanket term?

Gamemaster:It's a very blanket term.

Gamemaster:It's literally plus one to all saves versus magic.

Anzu:OK.

Anzu:I think I'm still going to make it a will save.

Anzu:So if I send this out, how do I do that?

Johnny:Thank you.

Anzu:Oh, okay.

Anzu:You can just click the mind shift version down there.

Gamemaster:I'm sorry I critically succeeded.

Anzu:Oh!

Anzu:He's not going to take any damage from this sideburst.

Gamemaster:No, he's too mentally stable.

Anzu:My turn ends.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Gamemaster:It's Bartleby's turn.

Gamemaster:I think he has to go for Benny.

Gamemaster:Like, Benny's the only one that's consistently within range.

Gamemaster:So, we're gonna do a Grievous Strike.

Johnny:The ultimate grudge match.

Gamemaster:He's gonna try and stab you with his unholy spear again.

Gamemaster:But he rolled a natural one.

Gamemaster:So he's not going to stab you with his unholy spear.

Benny:nice sure

Gamemaster:And then do you want to see this fun thing that he's going to do?

Anzu:Thank you.

Gamemaster:Step away.

Gamemaster:It's Arctos' turn.

Arctos:Let me just grab that spell out.

Johnny:This guy.

Arctos:OK.

Gamemaster:You're going to bone shake him?

Gamemaster:You're going to shake his bones?

Arctos:I'm thinking about it.

Arctos:Give me a second.

Johnny:Shake his bones, bro.

Arctos:If I do this.

Gamemaster:Are you sustaining the bones that you've already strewn about?

Arctos:No, no.

Arctos:So I'm thinking about this.

Gamemaster:Okay.

Arctos:If I do the three action version, I think I can move him more.

Arctos:Oh, no, no.

Arctos:He could still fall prone.

Gamemaster:Plus you pull the target's body by their bones, moving them around like an awkward marionette.

Gamemaster:This follows the rules for forced movement.

Arctos:But he can still... They can choose to fall, though.

Gamemaster:Yes.

Arctos:So I will... Okay.

Gamemaster:Yes, he can choose to land on the ground to not move anywhere.

Arctos:So I'm going to be instead moving this.

Gamemaster:Okay, you critically succeed on your flat check.

Arctos:So I move that.

Arctos:He's got to make his bone check for my area bones.

Gamemaster:We're doing a bone check, okay?

Johnny:roll for both is pusk dead yet

Gamemaster:One second.

Arctos:Damn it.

Gamemaster:I'm just going to send the rouse skeletons thing again so I have something to click on.

Gamemaster:Oh my god.

Gamemaster:The Pusk critically fails.

Gamemaster:Sbrtlby critically succeeds.

Arctos:The pusk takes 12.

Gamemaster:Well, at the very least, 12 points is enough to kill the Pusk.

Arctos:Great, great.

Gamemaster:The Pusk is dead.

Gamemaster:It's just Sbrtlby.

Arctos:All right, so now

Arctos:I'll do a two action bone shake.

Gamemaster:Okay, shake Sbrtlby's bones.

Arctos:So if.

Gamemaster:You already rolled the flat check, so you know you can hit with it.

Gamemaster:So he has to roll a fort save.

Arctos:Yes.

Gamemaster:Let's roll a fort save for Spartlebee's Bones.

Gamemaster:He succeeds.

Arctos:So the two action version.

Gamemaster:Half damage.

Arctos:Yeah, no movement, right?

Johnny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:No movement.

Arctos:Okay.

Gamemaster:So he's going to take eight points of bludgeoning damage.

Gamemaster:He is now bloodied.

Gamemaster:Which means you get reactive slimed.

Arctos:Me?

Gamemaster:Make that reflex save.

Arctos:I'm in range?

Gamemaster:Yeah!

Gamemaster:You're the one that bloodied him, so he's going to gush his reactive slime at you.

Gamemaster:That's a success.

Gamemaster:You succeed against his reactive slime.

Gamemaster:What does that mean?

Arctos:Okay.

Gamemaster:You're going to take 1d6 acid damage.

Gamemaster:You take 3 points of acid damage.

Johnny:you

Arctos:All right.

Gamemaster:Is that your turn?

Arctos:Yes.

Gamemaster:Benny, it's your turn.

Benny:We march forward.

Gamemaster:Oh!

Gamemaster:Sbrtlby didn't grievously wound you on his turn.

Gamemaster:So you're not sickened anymore.

Arctos:Wait, do I take damage or half damage?

Benny:Actually.

Benny:Whatever.

Gamemaster:Actually.

Gamemaster:What?

Arctos:Do I take damage or half damage?

Gamemaster:No full damage.

Gamemaster:You take the full three points of acid damage.

Arctos:Hey, buddy.

Gamemaster:What you doing, Benny?

Arctos:Thank you.

Benny:Attack one.

Gamemaster:You are allowed to attack.

Gamemaster:But you miss.

Johnny:you you

Benny:uh attack two um uh attack three the same thing fair enough

Gamemaster:You are not allowed to make your second attack.

Gamemaster:Or you make the attack and it just goes, it swings wide.

Gamemaster:Not allowed to attack.

Gamemaster:Okay, so I have a process question.

Anzu:This guy's the worst.

Gamemaster:I have a process question for you guys here.

Gamemaster:This guy is obviously the worst.

Gamemaster:He hates your guts.

Gamemaster:You hate his guts.

Arctos:Unless Arctos gets the kill with bones, I want to play through this.

Gamemaster:It is 11 in the evening, and I think it's pretty clear eventually where this is going.

Johnny:I just want to see... I just want to see Benny...

Gamemaster:I just fear it'll take eight more rounds to get there.

Gamemaster:Do you guys want to play out the combat, or do we want to fast forward until you've killed Sbrtlby?

Arctos:Unless you guys want to concede to that.

Arctos:I'm kidding, I'm kidding, I'm kidding.

Arctos:I don't need to.

Gamemaster:We can continue to play through.

Gamemaster:I'm fine with it.

Gamemaster:I just figured I would bring that up as an option.

Benny:He just wants to see it in 10x speed like a Dragon Ball Z fight.

Johnny:I just want to see Betty and Sparrow be running around and fast forward to the... What if he was in darkness?

Arctos:Yeah, we could say Spartanby dies.

Gamemaster:To the Benny Hill song?

Arctos:And then the darkness goes out and then he's like, fuck.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Arctos:And then he finds him.

Benny:The instant the darkness goes out, he's cooked.

Gamemaster:The only reason he's been alive for as long as he has been is because you guys keep missing because he's in darkness.

Johnny:Thank you.

Gamemaster:And like, he is definitely strong enough to take one of you out.

Gamemaster:I don't think he's strong enough to take all of you out.

Gamemaster:I just don't think it's feasible for him.

Arctos:Yeah.

Gamemaster:The problem is that everybody's doing chip damage.

Benny:I think whenever on one of these 30 rolls per turn, Benny gets a crit, I think he dies instantly.

Benny:I want to incinerate him with the Falcata so badly.

Gamemaster:Well, how about this?

Benny:But the Falcata is plus 15.

Gamemaster:Eventually, you'd get a crit, right?

Gamemaster:What's your two hit?

Gamemaster:OK.

Johnny:What if I demoralize him and it goes down by one?

Gamemaster:So what is this guy's AC?

Gamemaster:You.

Gamemaster:You have a 1 in 20 chance of getting a crit.

Benny:What if I crit with the crushing poly tool and he becomes clumsy and enfeebled?

Gamemaster:Then you have a 1 in 20 chance of getting a crit.

Johnny:Ooh, math.

Gamemaster:You have a 1 in 10 chance of getting a crit.

Johnny:I think we.

Arctos:I'm okay saying we killed him.

Gamemaster:So, yeah, so the thing is, like, I fully believe you guys will have eventually killed Spartle B. Do you mind if we fast forward?

Arctos:No, I'm okay.

Gamemaster:If you want to play it through, we can play it through.

Gamemaster:It's up to you guys.

Benny:who kills Sbrtlby uh let's see uh oh sorry this is just a normal damage roll critical

Johnny:So.

Arctos:Fast forward.

Johnny:And we.

Gamemaster:Out of curiosity, I want to see how much damage Benny would do if he crit.

Gamemaster:So you can roll a crit if you like.

Gamemaster:If you rolled a 20 on the d20, which you rolled multiple this evening.

Gamemaster:It's just all been for the flat check.

Anzu:Whoa.

Johnny:Oh my god.

Johnny:Woof.

Gamemaster:That's ridiculous.

Benny:That's all I wanted.

Gamemaster:Yeah, so that would have killed him outright.

Gamemaster:Or, like, at this moment in time, that would kill him outright.

Gamemaster:So you were just waiting eventually for the crit to pop up, and given the ten rounds it would take until the darkness goes away and you could just hit him normally, eventually I think you would have hit him.

Benny:Fair enough.

Arctos:There's a shark.

Gamemaster:Three attacks a round, five rounds, so you have 15 attacks, it would have happened.

Arctos:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Either way, I think that's it for tonight's session.

Johnny:That's fine.

Gamemaster:We will leave you cleaning up the mess of, we'll say, the gourd Sbrtlby and his henchmen for next week.

Anzu:Yeah.

Benny:Yeah.

Arctos:Just to give you guys a heads up, I will not be able to play D&D on April 21st.

Gamemaster:All right.

Anzu:That's way too far from now for me to think about.

Arctos:Or April 20th, whichever one's the Monday.

Arctos:I will not be able to play.

Arctos:Giving you a heads up now.

Arctos:If anyone who's not Josh wants to start prepping a one-shot, y'all got time.

Johnny:I will also be gone the week of the 6th.

Anzu:Of what month?

Arctos:Of March?

Johnny:Of April.

Gamemaster:Every month from now on.

Benny:Sir?

Johnny:No, of April.

Johnny:Tentatively.

Arctos:okay are you going to aruba hmm

Gamemaster:I will also maybe not be around for a Monday in March.

Gamemaster:I don't know which Monday yet, and I don't know if I won't be around.

Gamemaster:So... Yeah, that's fair.

Anzu:Let's just stick with next week.

Anzu:Let's just play next week and see what happens.

Johnny:Next week.

Gamemaster:I won't be around sometime in 2027 as well.

Johnny:I'll put it on the calendar

Gamemaster:So, just one of the days.

Gamemaster:Just keep that in mind.

Gamemaster:But you guys think about one-shots.

Gamemaster:I want to play.

Gamemaster:I want to be... I'm going to be a slayer.

Gamemaster:I'm not going to be a slayer.

Anzu:That's playtest material.

Benny:you you

Arctos:I...

Gamemaster:It's not happening.

Anzu:It's not official release, so I'm not going to allow it in my... I think that the problem is it's kind of hard to come up with a unique flavor for a class.

Gamemaster:I'm going to be honest, I wasn't particularly excited by the playtest material.

Gamemaster:It was fine.

Gamemaster:I liked the kick in the balls ability, but other than that, it was whatever.

Johnny:It feels like the Daredevil and the Slayer could have both been class archetypes or something for existing things.

Gamemaster:I almost wish they would spend a book or two, like, going and fleshing out existing classes instead of introducing two more.

Gamemaster:I feel like there are already a ton of classes in Pathfinder.

Gamemaster:I don't know if we need more.

Anzu:Yeah, like, make more feats.

Anzu:Right.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Anzu:Right.

Anzu:The Daredevil feels like it's almost a rogue to me.

Arctos:I also think, this is my general feelings with Paizo, I feel like they're so scared of creating something that's out of band that they don't have fun.

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:And the Slayer feels like it's almost a thaumaturge.

Anzu:Right.

Johnny:Yeah.

Arctos:There's some really wonky things in D&D, and it's just like, yeah, it would really suck if one of your players really does this, but it doesn't really happen.

Arctos:And just a little bit of out of bound is a lot of fun.

Arctos:For that one time and then your DM goes never again and then it's fine.

Anzu:Right.

Arctos:But they're like so scared.

Benny:I like the exemplar.

Gamemaster:There was... There was... Oh, I can't remember what it was called.

Johnny:you

Arctos:There is an errata change on the weaknesses.

Arctos:Have you guys seen that?

Arctos:People are really upset.

Gamemaster:It's stupid.

Gamemaster:We're not doing it.

Arctos:Yeah.

Gamemaster:The errata change is dumb.

Benny:What change do they make?

Arctos:But I heard some people said Foundry already does it.

Arctos:Do you know if our Foundry does it?

Gamemaster:It doesn't.

Arctos:Okay, good.

Arctos:Good.

Arctos:Basically different... Go ahead.

Gamemaster:The... You can go.

Gamemaster:You got it.

Arctos:No, you got it.

Arctos:You understand it better than me, probably.

Gamemaster:So the way that they eroded weaknesses to work is that it applies the weakness damage to every...

Gamemaster:instance of damage being applied, which could work out so that if you had something that had multiple sources of fire damage, like in a roll, like you roll 1d4 plus 2d4 fire, that counts as two different instances of fire damage.

Gamemaster:So it would trigger the weakness twice.

Gamemaster:Which means that you can stack a lot of different weaknesses onto a single roll and do a ridiculous amount of damage that way.

Anzu:Yes.

Gamemaster:If I understood the rule correctly.

Arctos:I think so.

Gamemaster:Jorge, correct me if I'm wrong.

Arctos:And then that's also like, even with Thaumaturges, that could absolutely break it.

Arctos:Because if there's like, if you have a cold iron sword that has like a fire rune, and then you use your invoke thing, you can stack it like three times, I think.

Gamemaster:Right.

Arctos:And the other problem is, it also does that with resistances.

Arctos:So if you have multiple sources giving you fire damage, if the resistance is too high, just nothing triggers.

Anzu:you

Arctos:So.

Benny:And right now, they're lumped together for purposes of both.

Gamemaster:Still.

Gamemaster:Right now it works where all of the damage gets bucketed together, like all of the dice turns into an instance of fire damage, even if you have multiple sources of fire damage or something like that, and then you choose the highest weakness, and that's what applies.

Arctos:Just to be clear, they're claiming that this was always what was intended.

Arctos:They're just clarifying it.

Arctos:So they're not even claiming it's a chain.

Arctos:They're like, oh, well, this is what it was.

Gamemaster:Every once in a while they do that with errata.

Gamemaster:They errata'd the death rules to be substantially less forgiving than they were originally.

Johnny:Bye.

Anzu:Wow.

Gamemaster:Because it's the way that I had originally read the death rules was that if you are wounded X

Gamemaster:when you go down from unconscious, you start at dying X, dying X plus one.

Gamemaster:So if you're wounded one, you start at dying two.

Gamemaster:But apparently the way it was intended is that whenever you would increase your dying value, that is increased by your wounded value.

Gamemaster:So it's not just when you go down, it's also when you lose a death save.

Gamemaster:If you're wounded one, you lose two death saves.

Johnny:Oh.

Gamemaster:Which is extremely punishing, because it means if you're wounded two, then you get one fail, and that's it.

Gamemaster:So, it's dangerous.

Benny:Yeah.

Gamemaster:We haven't been playing with that rule.

Gamemaster:But similarly, we also haven't been playing with the mythic rule for dying, because I think that swings too far the other way.

Gamemaster:Because the mythic dying rule is if you hit dying four, you increase your doomed condition by one, and then get up.

Arctos:Which is.

Gamemaster:and then you, like, only permanently die when you hit doomed four.

Arctos:We should do that.

Gamemaster:So, which is, I feel like, like, I understand to the point of mythic is so that you're never, the point is to make it effectively impossible to kill the player character, but, I mean, I think we've hit a reasonable middle ground.

Gamemaster:We've come close to some TPKs.

Anzu:indeed yeah good night

Benny:I don't know if I'd say that.

Arctos:All right.

Gamemaster:I think you should.

Gamemaster:But either way.

Johnny:Next week.

Arctos:So next week?

Gamemaster:Yeah.

Gamemaster:Next week, Monday, it sounds like it works.

Gamemaster:So... See ya.

Arctos:That's good.

Benny:Adios.

Arctos:Adios, muchachos.