Benny:Well, well, well.
Gamemaster:How are we on the spine today?
Benny:What?
Benny:What?
Benny:Not bad.
Benny:Not bad.
Gamemaster:Could be worse?
Benny:Could be worse.
Gamemaster:Could be better?
Gamemaster:Oh.
Benny:Probably.
Argyle:What are we talking about?
Gamemaster:You haven't hit the peak of just constant euphoria?
Gamemaster:You're missing out.
Benny:No.
Benny:I think I'd die at some point if that happened.
Gamemaster:I mean...
Argyle:No, I heard that part, but what would be giving you that?
Benny:Well, I mean, I die faster than normal.
Gamemaster:I... I asked how he was doing.
Benny:Josh is wondering if I've hit the point of constant euphoria and I feel like you die if you never dip.
Benny:I don't know.
Gamemaster:He said, you know, he said good.
Gamemaster:I asked if it could be worse, and he agreed.
Gamemaster:But then I asked if it could be better, and he agreed to that as well.
Gamemaster:So clearly something's wrong.
Benny:Yeah, the mean value theorem is putting us somewhere in the middle there.
Argyle:Nice.
Gamemaster:And I think... Yeah.
Anzu:He probably hasn't hit his macros for the day yet.
Benny:What?
Gamemaster:Have you?
Benny:I need three more micrograms of aspartame to hit my macros.
Gamemaster:Do you include aspartame in your macros?
Benny:Yeah, do you not?
Gamemaster:How much aspartame do you need on a daily basis?
Benny:Five grams.
Gamemaster:I don't know if that's a lot or not.
Benny:I don't know either.
Benny:That sounds reasonable.
Argyle:Maya is lagging, so I'm just going to try restarting it.
Johnny:Bye, Jorge.
Argyle:Be right back.
Anzu:Bye-bye.
Johnny:We never saw him again.
Gamemaster:Okay, so there are 200 milligrams of aspartame in a can of Coke.
Anzu:Oh, so...
Gamemaster:Wait, no, can 100 is fine.
Johnny:That seems like a...
Benny:This is can 100, so I'm going to hit my.
Gamemaster:You only need 25 cans of Diet Coke a day to hit your limit.
Johnny:Can you just boil it down until you just have a residue at the bottom, and then you can probably get that in faster?
Benny:Yeah, but I just drink the syrup.
Gamemaster:Well, surely at that point you could just get like, you know, in diners they have the blue packets of not sweet and low.
Johnny:Yeah.
Gamemaster:What's equal?
Johnny:Stevia?
Gamemaster:Equal is the blue one.
Gamemaster:Aspartame's equal.
Gamemaster:Just 12 of those packets and you're set.
Gamemaster:I'm sure it's delicious.
Johnny:Hmm.
Benny:Oh.
Gamemaster:What is the...
Benny:I think that's the amount that they fed the rats that got cancer or whatever.
Gamemaster:So the FDA sets acceptable daily limit at 50 milligrams per kilogram.
Gamemaster:So I don't know how many kilograms you are, but you're definitely over that with five grams per day of aspartame.
Johnny:Mike actually got that Wolverine surgery where they covered his bones, but they did it with tungsten, so he's super dense.
Gamemaster:Is that how it works?
Benny:It's actually very funny because you can significantly change your bone density.
Gamemaster:When they're talking about weight, they mean literally sheer mass.
Gamemaster:It doesn't matter how it's distributed or in what form.
Gamemaster:If you've got heavy bones, it means you need more of stuff in order for it to be dangerous for you.
Johnny:I think so.
Johnny:I think that's how it works.
Johnny:That's what I heard.
Gamemaster:That tracks.
Benny:through working out.
Benny:You could gain a pound of bone.
Benny:It's incredibly difficult, but you could gain a pound of bone and just have all their macros thrown off.
Benny:I have to take more protein because I have more bone.
Gamemaster:That tracks.
Benny:It doesn't make any sense, does it?
Gamemaster:I buy it.
Gamemaster:Sometimes you've got not big bones.
Gamemaster:You've got dense bones.
Gamemaster:Do the bones get bigger or do they get denser?
Benny:Yeah.
Benny:They get denser.
Argyle:With weight training?
Gamemaster:Sure.
Argyle:Yeah.
Argyle:30% denser in some cases.
Gamemaster:Yeah.
Johnny:Wow.
Johnny:At what point do they get so dense that you... At what point do they become so dense that you become like Bruce Willis in Unbreakable and you just can't swim?
Gamemaster:Which means you can have more packets of aspartame.
Gamemaster:Sorry.
Argyle:Yeah.
Benny:pretty quickly.
Gamemaster:Spoilers.
Benny:And also, it was a technique issue in that movie.
Gamemaster:Not a spoiler, I don't think.
Johnny:That's the spoiler for that movie.
Johnny:You can't swim.
Gamemaster:Was it?
Gamemaster:Can Bruce Willis not swim because he just doesn't know how to swim?
Benny:Listen, Joshua, you haven't seen the scenes where he has trouble.
Benny:He's not moving correctly.
Benny:He just doesn't move when he touches water.
Johnny:i'm in school
Benny:That's right.
Gamemaster:I've seen no scenes.
Gamemaster:I only understand the plot of this trilogy through you explaining it to me, scene by scene.
Gamemaster:I have never seen the movie.
Benny:During three hours of Destiny, I explained every single piece of the Unbreakable trilogy.
Gamemaster:Yeah.
Gamemaster:Yep.
Gamemaster:I feel like I have a pretty good handle on it at this point.
Gamemaster:But...
Benny:He has a fear of water.
Benny:It is his weakness, as you understand by the end.
Johnny:Because he has rabies.
Johnny:That's the plot twist.
Johnny:He has rabies the whole time.
Benny:Yeah.
Johnny:Split was pretty good just for James McAvoy's performance.
Benny:Yeah.
Benny:And then I liked the third one, whatever it was called.
Gamemaster:I didn't watch Split specifically because it looked like it was being advertised as a horror movie, and I just thought that that wasn't... Yeah, so... What?
Argyle:So.
Argyle:I don't.
Benny:It was, and it pretty much was.
Benny:Yeah.
Johnny:Did Jorge Starr say something?
Benny:He just wanted to interrupt, and then he apologized.
Johnny:Oh, okay.
Gamemaster:Okay.
Argyle:I don't know if I should restart my router.
Benny:Maybe do.
Johnny:Yeah, you're cutting out right now.
Gamemaster:You did just cut out.
Gamemaster:I gave you my ghosts, if that helps.
Argyle:I have bad.
Johnny:It's an exorcism, but instead of banishing the ghosts back to hell, you just put them somewhere else.
Gamemaster:You just give them to someone else.
Benny:Maybe you have to.
Benny:Maybe you have to adjust the voltage on your RAM or something.
Argyle:Yeah.
Argyle:Well, I sent you guys a screenshot.
Gamemaster:Not every problem is solved by adjusting voltage on your RAM.
Benny:I solved mine.
Gamemaster:I know.
Benny:What were you asking?
Gamemaster:Yeah.
Gamemaster:I mean, it's possible your ISP is just not giving you the juice right now.
Argyle:I just sent you guys a screenshot of my speed test.
Argyle:That is such a low down.
Benny:the the upload looks so much worse i'll be honest a lot can happen at 170 but two up oh okay two megs oh okay
Argyle:No, that's what I meant.
Argyle:Sorry.
Argyle:That's what I meant.
Argyle:Oh, actually, okay.
Argyle:It's looking better, and I just tested again.
Argyle:Okay, that's manageable.
Gamemaster:If it helps, that upload speed that you're showing is more than my max on my plan.
Gamemaster:And my plan is the best I could possibly get where I currently am.
Argyle:What's your plan?
Gamemaster:So... No, no, no.
Gamemaster:The second image he sent where he has 40 megs.
Gamemaster:My plan is a gig down 30 up.
Gamemaster:30 megs up.
Gamemaster:And I'm very mad at that because I would love for it to be more than 30 megs up.
Gamemaster:I don't know why it would be limited in that way.
Benny:what the people in your area were abusing it, uh, using like residential area for commercial purposes or something.
Argyle:If I get a house, Josh, I'm planning on building a nice little server, and I'm going to get a really crazy internet plan, you'd be welcome to host your server there if you want.
Benny:And they're like, let's just fucking cap them.
Gamemaster:No, I think Spectrum's just stingy.
Gamemaster:Spectrum's just mean.
Benny:Oh.
Gamemaster:Listen, all of the rich people I know, when they get a house on the island, over the past two or three years, the trend has been...
Gamemaster:get like a really high level internet plan and then also get Starlink and then just have both of those go into the router at the same time so that you just always have like an internet connection if you need it.
Argyle:Yeah.
Gamemaster:I just can't imagine for paying for Starlink fees every month for an internet connection that you're almost definitely not going to use most of the time.
Argyle:Yeah.
Gamemaster:But I guess if you've got Windows you're allowed to attach radar dishes too.
Gamemaster:Why not?
Argyle:I don't know if it's that much.
Gamemaster:I mean, it's more than zero, which would be how much it is to not do that.
Argyle:Yeah.
Benny:I think marginal versus percentage of income is probably not even as much as a normal person paying for whatever gougy internet prices normally exist.
Argyle:So apparently 100 megabits is $50 a month.
Argyle:But there's promotions where you can get it for $39 for the first six.
Argyle:Then you can get 200 megabits for $80 or 400 megabits for $120.
Gamemaster:No, I feel like at those prices, you may as well just buy a 5G pay-as-you-go plan.
Argyle:If you get the business plan,
Argyle:It'll have priority, and you can pay up to $540 a month to get two terabytes.
Gamemaster:That's so much.
Argyle:$290 for one terabyte.
Argyle:You know what?
Argyle:This is actually pretty good for the business.
Argyle:Apparently you can get 50 gigs for $65 a month.
Argyle:That doesn't make sense.
Argyle:How do you...
Benny:50 gigs?
Gamemaster:What?
Benny:That's like nothing in the age of dumb fucking devices.
Gamemaster:Yeah.
Benny:They're like, well, I just got to talk to my server.
Benny:Let me talk to my server real quick.
Gamemaster:So, is it two terabyte down?
Gamemaster:Like two terabytes, two terabits per second?
Argyle:I'm just reading a Gemini output, trying to figure this.
Gamemaster:Or is it a two terabit block of data?
Argyle:At first, I thought it was two terabyte blocks, but hearing how much for 50, I don't think so anymore.
Gamemaster:No, I'm pretty sure that Starlink's business plan is you buy a chunk of data and then you get to download that much data before you have to spend more money.
Argyle:Hmm.
Argyle:Yeah.
Johnny:Bye.
Argyle:But if residential, you can get unlimited roam.
Argyle:with 260 speeds up to.
Argyle:I don't know.
Argyle:Whatever.
Gamemaster:Users on the room, 100 gigs received for...
Argyle:My parents got it on their boat.
Gamemaster:What does this mean here?
Gamemaster:I don't know.
Gamemaster:Either way.
Gamemaster:I'm just saying you should do that.
Gamemaster:Then you have all the internet.
Gamemaster:Put it on a boat.
Gamemaster:You need the internet on the boat?
Gamemaster:I get it.
Johnny:You might need to Google what a fish is.
Argyle:Yeah.
Gamemaster:I mean...
Gamemaster:Like, you say that as a joke, but I feel like if I were in the open ocean and I didn't have an internet connection on my cell phone, and I fished up a fish, I wouldn't want to know what kind of fish I fished.
Benny:I would feel very uncomfortable if I was on the open ocean and didn't have an internet connection, period.
Benny:Regardless of if I had a mystery fish.
Argyle:Yeah.
Gamemaster:I mean, like, I think that's the default state, is that you go out onto the open ocean and you don't have an internet connection.
Benny:It's just to be nervous.
Gamemaster:You've got a radio.
Benny:Oh, no.
Johnny:That's like the point.
Benny:I thought you meant the default state is if you don't have an internet connection, you're nervous.
Argyle:Yeah.
Gamemaster:I mean, that might be true as well.
Anzu:And that may also be, yes.
Benny:That's my default state.
Gamemaster:Yeah.
Gamemaster:I don't know how far away you'd have to go from the coast to lose an internet connection.
Argyle:Their plan is made for boats, so they have, I think, priority when they're at sea, and then when they go to port, it's a different rate, but it's not as fast.
Benny:Let's try it.
Gamemaster:But, like, they've got a satellite dish and it talks to a satellite in space.
Argyle:Yeah.
Gamemaster:I mean, like, if I just bring my cell phone onto a boat and then go... Really?
Argyle:I know.
Argyle:Well, if it's... If anyone's keeping track, I don't think they've ever been far enough to need the satellite.
Gamemaster:They stick around the coast?
Argyle:They, like... I don't... But...
Gamemaster:They've got places to be, and those places are close to where they started.
Gamemaster:Okay?
Argyle:They also got a good deal in the marina, so it's like 30 minutes from the ocean, but it's on a river.
Argyle:And I'm like, what's the point of this goddamn boat if it's so much work to get it to the ocean that you barely do it?
Benny:I mean, it's a boat for leisure, right?
Benny:They're not Magellan.
Anzu:Right.
Argyle:Yeah, but now, because it's a river and there's Florida swamp areas...
Argyle:It's so much work.
Argyle:They have to clear the filters every two weeks or every week.
Johnny:I've never heard anything hyper positive from someone who buys a boat and isn't like a deep sea fisherman.
Argyle:They're constantly changing things.
Argyle:They barely take it out.
Argyle:And I'm like, what's the point?
Argyle:I think if you buy a boat, you just have to accept you're going to have to ball out to have the best experience.
Benny:You need to pay someone else to drive it.
Argyle:Like, you need to live in Miami.
Argyle:You need to be on the water.
Argyle:You need to have a marina that does your maintenance.
Argyle:You just... Yeah, you just have to not worry about it.
Benny:Pay someone else to cook on it.
Benny:Pay someone else to clean it.
Benny:Pay someone else to sunbathe on it.
Benny:I mean, this is
Johnny:Dude, when I... Someone's got to sleep there.
Argyle:Pay someone to sleep on it.
Argyle:You don't want to sleep in there.
Argyle:But it's like all this stuff.
Anzu:But someone's got to sleep in it.
Argyle:And it's just...
Johnny:When I was in high school, I don't think... Do you guys have Smashburger?
Johnny:Is that a thing where you guys are?
Argyle:Yeah.
Johnny:Do you know what that is?
Gamemaster:Okay.
Johnny:Okay.
Johnny:My friend's dad started Smashburger, and so they had a lot of money.
Johnny:And so it was a graduation party.
Johnny:I don't know.
Johnny:He took us all down to the Bahamas on his dad's yacht.
Anzu:Whoa.
Johnny:And I had a conversation with the guy and he was like, yeah, this thing cost me so much money.
Johnny:I don't know why I have this thing.
Johnny:It's so much fun.
Johnny:This thing costs so much money.
Johnny:I love it so much.
Johnny:This thing is so expensive to run.
Johnny:And it just kept bouncing back and forth every sentence.
Johnny:And he had a full staff.
Argyle:So I'm sure you know about this, Noah, because you're in real estate.
Gamemaster:I mean, I get it.
Argyle:But my accountant was talking to me recently.
Argyle:And he basically was telling me that Bailey and I are two good patriots.
Argyle:We need to start learning how to not pay as much taxes.
Anzu:Bye.
Argyle:And one of them was about accelerated depreciation.
Johnny:Yep.
Argyle:Do you know about this?
Argyle:For people who aren't in real estate, I found out about this.
Argyle:If you buy a normal house, you can deduct it from your taxes, as I guess Tanner knows, right?
Argyle:But if you buy a short-term rental where rentals will not go past seven days at a time, you can now claim it.
Argyle:You can now say it's like a hotel, so everything's going to rapidly depreciate.
Argyle:So your time horizon for deductions is like seven years.
Benny:Thank you.
Argyle:So you can just deduct everything, like the light switches, the outlets, everything.
Argyle:So basically you can buy a house for like 800K and then deduct like 200K a year on your taxes for running it as a short-term rental.
Johnny:you you
Argyle:And then the best part is it doesn't even have to be a good short-term rental.
Argyle:Like you can list it, prove you're like, I put out ads.
Argyle:I think it's worth more than the neighbors and no one even fucking rents it.
Argyle:And you're just getting taxes off for it.
Argyle:And I'm like, this is crazy.
Argyle:And yeah, so what people do is in a lot of these super fancy houses, and this also works international, you can buy a house or a boat, then say you charter or rent it, and then have a ridiculous price, like 20 grand a week or a day.
Argyle:No one does it, but then you get to write it off from your taxes.
Argyle:And then if some idiot does rent your boat, you're like, well, I got 20 grand a day.
Johnny:Listen, man, I work solely in commercial real estate.
Johnny:I got a whole soapbox about how fix and flips and the Airbnb and bust and like rental residential stuff is ruining the housing economy.
Argyle:Yeah.
Anzu:Indeed.
Anzu:We feel that, yes.
Benny:You mean people with no credit leveraging themselves and small business loans to acquire bad pieces of property to put bad Airbnbs and go bankrupt are inflating demand for housing and ruining the housing market?
Johnny:Yeah, pretty much.
Gamemaster:Is that an actual thing that people make TikToks on?
Benny:It's good TikToks to watch, though.
Argyle:i e
Benny:All you have to do, go out, get as many credit cards, buy an apartment in Toronto.
Benny:Toronto has one of the hottest markets ever.
Benny:Make it a theme.
Benny:Put fish tanks all over the place and then rent your fish tank all over Airbnb.
Benny:You only need to rent it seven days a month to break even.
Benny:Go buy a piece of property in Texas.
Benny:Put three steel containers on it.
Johnny:Thank you.
Benny:They're not permanent structures.
Benny:You don't have to pay property taxes on them.
Benny:Just add some ACs in them.
Benny:Put small burner stoves and make it outhouse.
Benny:And all you have to do is rent it out three days a month and you break it.
Benny:And then they never rent them because they're garbage.
Argyle:That being said, do you guys want to get a D&D house?
Gamemaster:Because no one wants to Airbnb three random storage containers in the middle of Texas.
Benny:It's an adventure.
Benny:It's like camping or something.
Johnny:Listen, the house next door to me is still not completed because the guy tried to like do a whole fix and flip thing and then went broke.
Johnny:And now there's just like five houses in my neighborhood that are half built and are terrible.
Gamemaster:Oops.
Argyle:We can all split it.
Argyle:I think Pennsylvania is the most cost-effective.
Benny:I'm down.
Gamemaster:This being one of, wait, like, not the Airbnb where you go and it's D&D themed for, like, a weekend, but this is a Zillow listing?
Argyle:Sure, we can rent it as an Airbnb thing, too.
Gamemaster:What do you mean, a Zillow listing?
Benny:It's a place to play D&D.
Anzu:You want us to go in on it.
Argyle:Yeah, do you guys want to split one of these houses?
Argyle:There's endless amounts of them in Pennsylvania.
Gamemaster:I don't understand, what makes it a D&D house?
Johnny:This is crazy.
Argyle:No, no, it's just our D&D group.
Benny:That we're buying it.
Argyle:We're just going to split it up.
Gamemaster:Oh, you just want to buy a house, okay.
Argyle:There are hundreds of them in the area.
Johnny:How is this only... This is less than a million?
Johnny:What is happening?
Gamemaster:I don't... Where is Sellinsgrove, Pennsylvania?
Argyle:You can buy... Three hour drive.
Benny:I feel Josh is asking too many questions.
Argyle:That's all you gotta worry about.
Argyle:It's a three hour drive.
Johnny:Oh, it's in the middle of nowhere.
Benny:The garage has a driveway to the basement.
Benny:There is a concrete ramp to the basement where you can put your golf cart so you can circle your grounds.
Argyle:Yeah, do you feel...
Argyle:Yeah, yeah.
Benny:Yeah, I'm down.
Gamemaster:His other one is in Bowie... Where is this?
Johnny:Ooh, it's got a lake.
Anzu:Either.
Gamemaster:Oh, by D.C.
Benny:David?
Gamemaster:It's in Maryland.
Johnny:This is nice.
Gamemaster:Actually, this is closer to D.C.
Johnny:There's two Japanese restaurants near the second house.
Gamemaster:than I expected you would get.
Benny:the house is bugged probably I don't know it's close to DC now if we can just get to if we can just get closer to New Jersey and make the house look more like you do cocaine in it
Gamemaster:That's more reasonable.
Argyle:Yeah.
Gamemaster:Except for the fact that none of us live near... It's bugged?
Anzu:There's a bidet.
Argyle:Oh, well, this one I'm sending you guys is...
Gamemaster:Hot damn.
Argyle:almost 10,000 square feet, so we can each get, like, 2,500 feet.
Johnny:Wow.
Gamemaster:What is wrong with the second house that you sent, Jorge?
Benny:I'd be in 100%.
Argyle:Um...
Gamemaster:Because I'm looking at the price history, and it was $2.3 million two months ago.
Johnny:That sounds like it was seized.
Gamemaster:And now it's at auction for $900K?
Anzu:Thank you.
Benny:This is probably... This is someone that worked at USAID and got foreclosed on.
Argyle:They ran out of money.
Argyle:I think it's a foreclosure.
Argyle:If you guys want to... Well, also, most places in the country actually have a really bad area where there's way too many sellers to buyers, but not near anywhere anyone on this call lives.
Johnny:Oh no.
Benny:This is just a doge cut E that got foreclosed on.
Johnny:Oh no.
Johnny:Oh no.
Argyle:If you guys want to buy a townhouse in Baltimore that I think was also a funeral home, we could buy that one.
Anzu:Okay, now, see, that actually is making a little bit of sense.
Benny:Baltimore.
Benny:Yeah, every house in fucking Baltimore is a funeral home, bro.
Johnny:Oh, can we run a funeral home?
Benny:What the hell is wrong?
Johnny:Why is everyone dying?
Johnny:Why are there so many funeral homes in Baltimore?
Benny:Yeah, can we go to the funeral home in the city with the highest murder rate per capita?
Benny:Yeah, at least business will be booming.
Johnny:Okay, what if we just bought a funeral home?
Gamemaster:Yeah.
Argyle:Yeah.
Benny:We'll do express funerals.
Gamemaster:That's... I believe you, Jorge, when you say that this one you sent used to be a funeral home.
Argyle:Well, that is... There's a hearse.
Gamemaster:It looks like one.
Benny:There's hearses in the... There's four hearses.
Gamemaster:It has... It has a commercial bathroom!
Argyle:There's hearses.
Argyle:And a coffin area.
Argyle:There's a coffin area.
Benny:There's four hearses.
Johnny:There's a chapel.
Benny:Four.
Benny:I'll say it again.
Benny:There's four hearses in the garage.
Benny:There's three garages?
Argyle:Okay.
Benny:There's four hearses in one of the garages.
Argyle:Final one.
Gamemaster:For all the horses!
Johnny:There's a mini chapel in here.
Johnny:What?
Gamemaster:Yeah, this is... It doesn't even really look like you need to gut it.
Argyle:Yeah.
Argyle:Do you guys... I wasn't exaggerating.
Benny:I can't imagine why they're having... Oh, there's a coffin room.
Argyle:Or this last house.
Benny:Does it come with the coffins?
Argyle:I'm going to be honest with you.
Argyle:This last house, we might need to gut it, but we have 55 acres.
Argyle:So we could buy this last one, and then we could each get like 10 acres.
Benny:In West Virginia.
Argyle:We could build a compound.
Gamemaster:It's a bit kitschy.
Anzu:you
Johnny:Oh, this isn't bad.
Gamemaster:It looks like it was designed... Like...
Johnny:I mean, it's a little old fashioned, but it's not bad.
Gamemaster:Yeah.
Argyle:Yeah.
Johnny:Probably need new appliances.
Argyle:Hey, you know, we could... Yeah.
Gamemaster:It's got a baby room with two cribs pre-installed.
Gamemaster:That's not bad.
Johnny:I like these stairs.
Argyle:It's 10,000 square feet.
Johnny:These are pretty cool stairs.
Argyle:We each get 2,500 square feet.
Johnny:Now, does it come with this large... What machine is this?
Gamemaster:Which is...
Johnny:A sewing machine?
Anzu:I think it's a sewing machine, yeah.
Johnny:Does it come with that?
Anzu:Probably not.
Johnny:Bummer.
Anzu:It's on wheels, so they're probably going to take it with them.
Benny:Wait, where's the large sewing machine?
Johnny:Oh.
Benny:All I'm seeing is the Bowflex.
Anzu:It's on page 28, or photo 28, I should say.
Gamemaster:It's got two separate kitchens.
Argyle:Guys, there's a pond.
Benny:That's it?
Anzu:Guys, I'm feeling like Jorge's house search is going really poorly, and this is his new pitch.
Johnny:Ooh.
Argyle:All right, guys.
Johnny:Thank you.
Benny:That's not a sewing machine.
Benny:That's a printer, is it not?
Benny:28.
Gamemaster:What number picture are you guys looking at?
Anzu:28?
Anzu:I'm pretty sure it's a sewing machine.
Anzu:Look at the thing right in the front left corner.
Benny:uh or like some level of embroidery either way it's it's what for for quilts for giants
Gamemaster:That looks like a loom.
Gamemaster:Well, the one on the left is clearly a sewing machine.
Gamemaster:The one on the right, I could buy that that's a printer.
Gamemaster:I think that's a loom.
Gamemaster:A loom.
Gamemaster:Well, so, like, the first line in the description of this listing is that it's ideal for a winery, a wedding venue, an Airbnb, or an assisted living facility.
Argyle:Guys.
Gamemaster:So, you know.
Johnny:We could buy it and have it as a wedding venue.
Johnny:Easy.
Benny:Boom.
Benny:Depreciate it.
Argyle:Guys.
Gamemaster:They clearly don't know who they're advertising to, though, because when you look at the description...
Argyle:Seriously.
Argyle:So that first house I sent you guys.
Johnny:It's a business investment.
Argyle:It's $6,000 a month.
Argyle:We split amongst all of us.
Argyle:We have like.
Argyle:1500.
Argyle:And then we all have access to a massive ass house.
Johnny:Honestly, I'm not out.
Johnny:I kind of like it.
Argyle:You don't know if you want, we could find a more middle ground for flight.
Argyle:We could go to like another.
Johnny:The crazy thing is, it's not even the flight that's the worst part.
Gamemaster:I don't...
Johnny:This is three hours outside of anywhere.
Argyle:Uh, imagine like,
Argyle:With any of these houses, we could each bring our families and have, like... They might not all be able to sleep somewhere, but we'd have to be able to hang out.
Johnny:Wait, does the taxidermied fox from the first house that's on the red upholstered in-house fully stocked bar, do we keep the fox?
Argyle:I will negotiate for that box.
Benny:We'll take it if you give us the Fox.
Johnny:Oh, it's a jacuzzi.
Benny:I found another one of this genre.
Argyle:Oh, my God.
Benny:All you have to do is put minimum 10,000 square feet or minimum 7,500 square feet and then just make sure it's below a million and a half and you can find dumbass shit everywhere.
Gamemaster:I like looking at the walk and bike scores of these places.
Benny:I found one that's closer to New York, but it's still in Pennsylvania.
Johnny:I'm sold
Argyle:Okay.
Gamemaster:The first one has a walk score of 3 out of 100.
Argyle:Are you going to send it, Mike?
Gamemaster:Oh, and it's got an elementary school rating of not applicable.
Argyle:Yeah, send it, Mike.
Benny:Let me just send it.
Argyle:I just went to Pennsylvania.
Argyle:The high school was decent, right?
Gamemaster:6 out of 10.
Gamemaster:Could be worse.
Argyle:Okay, but let's say you had your high-paying job, you've made your money, you're 40.
Johnny:are we on the one mic just sent
Argyle:Does it matter if your kids have education if they're living in this house?
Gamemaster:Yes.
Benny:Homeschooled.
Argyle:Grease won't even matter by then.
Gamemaster:Ooh, this one has a wolf range.
Gamemaster:That's fun.
Anzu:I was gonna say, I do like that.
Gamemaster:Yeah, I do not like the pastel green walls that they have there.
Anzu:Yeah.
Argyle:Yeah.
Argyle:Those chairs look like you're waiting for death to come take you.
Johnny:Ooh, this one's pretty modern.
Johnny:This one's nice.
Gamemaster:Yeah, it's got a nice looking mud room.
Argyle:It is.
Gamemaster:It's got a massive shower.
Argyle:It's a little too pricey for me, though.
Anzu:It is a little high on the budget end, yeah.
Argyle:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Gamemaster:It's got the shiniest sheets I've ever seen in that bedroom.
Benny:Hold on.
Johnny:Ooh, it's got a massage chair.
Argyle:How far is this from here?
Gamemaster:No, this place doesn't work.
Gamemaster:They've mounted their TV too high.
Argyle:I can't deal that.
Johnny:Yeah.
Gamemaster:I don't like that.
Johnny:Oh, that's pretty.
Benny:This one looks like you might be able to do some cocaine.
Argyle:Hey, the one Mike sent's only two hours and 40 minutes from New York City.
Anzu:Yeah, but it's a lot pricier though.
Anzu:That's the problem.
Argyle:That's the problem.
Argyle:I'd rather drive the extra hour and save 600K.
Gamemaster:Have you seen the tree-lined entrance to the house that Mike sent, though?
Gamemaster:Because that's crazy.
Anzu:That is pretty cool.
Anzu:It's pretty cool.
Argyle:Yeah.
Gamemaster:I... It looks so, like, out of place compared to all of the neighbors are around this, like, cul-de-sac and they're, like, you know, a hundred feet away.
Benny:That was a foreclosure.
Gamemaster:And then this person, like, was like, I can't be near anyone else.
Johnny:The other houses are all... Oh, man, this...
Gamemaster:And made this road that goes further out and lined it with trees.
Gamemaster:But the trees are just blocking more trees.
Argyle:Mike, whoever took the photos in this last house were staging it to murder someone.
Argyle:Why is there so many weirdly... They're uncanny.
Benny:It looks good from the outside, and then you're like, I can see why this is a foreclosure.
Benny:They're not doing any effort to fucking move this unit at any good price.
Johnny:You can see where they ripped out the TV.
Argyle:One of the cabinets is just not in there.
Argyle:That's the saddest kitchen.
Argyle:Oh, my God.
Argyle:Slide 34 out of 60.
Argyle:That is depressing.
Benny:Wait, is this a... I think I just found a school.
Benny:It's 18,000 square feet, and it's 850 grand.
Johnny:Wait, send that one.
Johnny:Send that one.
Benny:Holy shit.
Gamemaster:Yeah, I want to live in a school.
Benny:I do have bad news about the taxes.
Johnny:Oh no.
Benny:It's in Taxachusetts.
Benny:25 beds, 12 bathrooms.
Argyle:Oh, no.
Anzu:Holy.
Gamemaster:It's structurally sound.
Gamemaster:That was like one of the first things they mentioned in the description.
Gamemaster:Which makes me think it isn't, because no other listic has mentioned that.
Benny:There's a... There's a cement mixer in the basement.
Benny:This is some Monster House shit.
Argyle:Thank you.
Johnny:What is this thing?
Johnny:This is like an orphanage.
Benny:I found a barn.
Benny:It said studio and was 16,000 square feet.
Benny:I wasn't going to send that one because there's no rooms, but... Yeah, I found one that was just straight up a barn.
Gamemaster:It's just a bark?
Johnny:What is this couch that just looks on a window?
Anzu:Preliminary estimates suggest the potential for 12 residential units.
Johnny:This is a real- This is sad.
Johnny:This one's sad.
Benny:preliminary estimates.
Benny:I don't know, 12 fucking apartments.
Benny:You're just throwing shit at the wall.
Benny:There's barely any fucking layout in the goddamn place.
Johnny:Wait, what does this link Jorge just sent?
Johnny:Villages and ghost sounds for sale.
Johnny:This is pretty cool.
Johnny:Oh, you can buy a village?
Gamemaster:What?
Johnny:Guys, can we buy a village?
Anzu:What's the average going rate for a village?
Benny:Well, we'd buy one in like France or Italy or Spain.
Gamemaster:Okay.
Johnny:Yeah.
Argyle:Or Portugal.
Johnny:Well, there's a lakefront one.
Benny:We'd get like
Argyle:Wait, I found a remarkable abandoned village in Portugal.
Benny:It'd be even cheaper if you... Are there bathrooms?
Argyle:How are your thoughts on no roofs?
Benny:Is there running water?
Johnny:Ooh, there's a popular Swedish holiday village for sale.
Argyle:Quote, quote, unquote, a canvas for imagination.
Gamemaster:Now is it a popular village if it's a ghost village and for sale?
Johnny:Because you'll make it popular.
Johnny:Guys, okay, new plan.
Argyle:This is under a million euros.
Johnny:We all quit what we're doing.
Benny:People know.
Johnny:We buy a popular Swedish tourist village.
Johnny:We just go there.
Johnny:It's basically like a Hallmark movie, but it's just us starting a village.
Argyle:Yeah.
Argyle:Yeah, let's do it.
Johnny:It's a price on application?
Benny:Ugh.
Argyle:So, Tanner, you were on to something.
Gamemaster:These villages are actually for sale?
Argyle:Yeah.
Johnny:Wow, I love that.
Gamemaster:It had a link to Sotheby's.
Gamemaster:Sotheby's has a listing.
Argyle:Well, I found... No, no, I found this website because I saw a Sotheby's listing for a village, and then it linked to this, like, oh, the village broker.
Gamemaster:I didn't think that it was real.
Argyle:So Tanner was onto something.
Anzu:Crazy.
Argyle:The house hunt on Long Island isn't going too great.
Johnny:Would Daley want to buy a popular tourist village in Sweden?
Benny:How about this?
Benny:Guys, are you ready for it?
Benny:This is my final pitch because I don't think I'll be able to top this location.
Benny:I don't think I'll be able to top this piece of property.
Benny:You ready?
Benny:It's still within New York, so it's close, allegedly.
Gamemaster:Yeah.
Argyle:Okay.
Benny:$439,000, 100 bedrooms, 40 bathrooms, 50,000 square feet.
Benny:Do I have your attention?
Argyle:Yes.
Benny:There's not even enough pictures.
Benny:It's all from the outside.
Benny:This could be someone breaking in.
Gamemaster:The 100 bedrooms, they stopped counting.
Johnny:What is this?
Argyle:Also, five residential properties.
Gamemaster:It says that's a partial list.
Johnny:90 wooded acres surrounded by... High volume of electric and natural gas available.
Gamemaster:Five residential properties ranging from good to not so hot.
Argyle:Imagine the possibilities.
Anzu:Thank you.
Johnny:Unending water supply.
Benny:You can live.
Benny:Environmentally, you'll learn how to pump your own water.
Argyle:Environmental education.
Johnny:Because you can buy an additional 104 acres for only $240,000.
Gamemaster:Yeah, it is crazy to say Imagine Possibilities Environmental Education and then after that is Water Bottling Plant.
Johnny:Or a church.
Gamemaster:Oh, it could be a family compound.
Gamemaster:That's a very large family if you need a hundred bedrooms.
Benny:It could be a family compound or a church or both.
Argyle:That is crazy.
Benny:Were you inspired by the Branch Davidians?
Benny:Make it happen in New York.
Johnny:There's so many full bathrooms.
Gamemaster:It's very funny to me that it says 100 bedrooms, but only six total parking spaces.
Benny:What more do you need?
Gamemaster:Oh, it doesn't have an HOA.
Gamemaster:That's not bad.
Gamemaster:This looks like a pretty good deal.
Anzu:Thank you.
Gamemaster:It does have a walk score of zero.
Argyle:It's a three hour and 50 minute drive from my apartment.
Gamemaster:You gonna go check it out?
Benny:I mean, it's even closer where you work.
Gamemaster:It has a water view.
Benny:Yeah, the fucking pump where you're going to get your daily water.
Argyle:Is it just on a spring?
Benny:That's your view.
Argyle:Is it just on a spring?
Benny:I think it is on a spring.
Benny:I don't know why they're pitching the water bottling place so hard.
Argyle:It must be, right?
Argyle:It's crazy.
Benny:I also found just straight up a church.
Benny:near where I grew up, in Buffalo.
Benny:9,000 square feet, 700 grand.
Johnny:Wait, this used to be a high school.
Johnny:It used to be the Whitestone Academy at Salisbury Center.
Gamemaster:I buy it.
Gamemaster:It's one academy drive.
Benny:We've got our own road!
Gamemaster:Did you imagine, like, you used to go to this school and then all of a sudden people just start living in it?
Benny:The road's...
Gamemaster:It's theirs now?
Gamemaster:Like, I couldn't imagine that.
Gamemaster:If somebody started living in my elementary school, they just turned it into their house?
Anzu:Well, Josh, I think that I'm not sure people are doing it, and that's why this is here.
Gamemaster:That'd be a crazy person.
Gamemaster:Well, it's only been put, it's recently been put up for sale.
Gamemaster:End of November last year.
Gamemaster:It's not been listed for very long.
Johnny:Thank you.
Anzu:That's fair.
Anzu:That's fair.
Gamemaster:So, like, who knows?
Gamemaster:It's got a low rent estimate, though, given that it has 100 bedrooms.
Benny:What's the rent says to me?
Gamemaster:1.2K.
Benny:You guys can live here for $12 a month.
Argyle:uh yeah just just uh think about it dnd compound
Gamemaster:D&D compound.
Johnny:I'm sold.
Benny:Okay.
Johnny:I like the one in Romney, West Virginia.
Gamemaster:I like the remarkable abandoned village in Portugal.
Benny:Holy fuck.
Gamemaster:Without the roofs.
Johnny:I didn't feel like I got a lot of love for the popular tourist village in Sweden, but I'm bound by a village.
Benny:Wait, wait, wait.
Gamemaster:When I went to the listing in Sweden, obviously the page was in Swedish, so I ran it through Google Translate in my browser, and according to Google Translate, the name of the town is Heat Death.
Gamemaster:So...
Johnny:Guys, this is our moment.
Johnny:Fat Cock City could be real.
Johnny:There could be an umlaut in there so no one would know.
Anzu:Oh no.
Benny:Guys, I have one more link.
Argyle:And they won't speak English, so they won't know.
Benny:Fat Cock City.
Benny:I have one more link.
Gamemaster:I mean, it's actually called Sando Farden, so it's not much better.
Benny:We'd rename it to Asshole Fartin'.
Benny:I have one more link.
Benny:There's no pitch.
Benny:This is just a house we'd all kill ourselves in.
Benny:Just look at the lighting.
Johnny:I like that.
Benny:Look at the color temperature.
Johnny:I like that bit.
Benny:I don't even think the driveway is paved.
Gamemaster:What kind of... Oh my god.
Johnny:What?
Gamemaster:I really dislike... I really dislike that the name of the street this is on is Fallen Timber, because that's an omen if I've ever seen one.
Johnny:What is this thing?
Benny:I think the one picture they show is like a dirt... Yeah, it's like a dirt footpath.
Gamemaster:It's a private gravel drive.
Gamemaster:That's all you need.
Benny:That's why you'd kill yourself out here.
Benny:You're like, I can't even get to town without...
Johnny:This is terrifying.
Benny:killing myself that's the kitchen I think yeah that's so that we can all hang ourselves at the same time
Anzu:There's a refrigerator in this room.
Anzu:There's nothing else.
Johnny:I hate the- I hate that the outside- Why does the outside look like the inside?
Gamemaster:It's got roughed in electric.
Gamemaster:The garage has a hydraulic lift in it.
Anzu:Wait, but why is there no ceiling, but there's a refrigerator?
Argyle:Bye.
Gamemaster:What more do you need?
Gamemaster:Oversized workshop, killing room, cold storage, and a fourth floor greenhouse.
Gamemaster:With drying room.
Johnny:Ooh.
Gamemaster:This is for killing people and, like, draining their blood and eating them.
Johnny:This is a murder house.
Gamemaster:This is a murder house.
Benny:What's psychos?
Benny:Like, I want to build something 10,000 square feet and you can't reach it by a fucking car.
Argyle:This is the house I would build in a low-res indie zombie survival game.
Benny:Someone that wants to kill me.
Johnny:Someone who kills people.
Benny:This guy's retiring.
Gamemaster:Why is it raised?
Argyle:To raise it up so that the zombies can't quack it.
Benny:This is... No, but when...
Johnny:Is it in a full frame?
Gamemaster:Does Smithfield, West Virginia get a lot of flooding?
Gamemaster:It...
Benny:No, no, but when the Wendigos fucking come through, you want to be off the ground and have as little entry points as possible.
Argyle:It's $71 per square foot.
Benny:When the skinwalkers are trying to get in, you want one door.
Johnny:Ooh, there's a virtual tour.
Argyle:It comes with 123 acres of land.
Benny:It's just...
Benny:Wait, there's a virtual tour?
Gamemaster:Yeah.
Benny:It's just shot like a horror movie?
Benny:Like a guy running through the house being chased?
Gamemaster:Jorge, you need all of that land for hunting people, which is clearly what this house is for.
Johnny:There's a virtual tour!
Anzu:Heavy breathing.
Johnny:Okay, the virtual tour is just the pictures they posted, but they're all zooming out like a PowerPoint slide.
Argyle:If I bought this house, I would make sure to demolish it and build a property the furthest away I could from it.
Gamemaster:That's fun.
Argyle:I don't want to be near this cursed slab.
Gamemaster:Why is there a pile of tires outside, you think?
Benny:Josh, have you ever seen Return?
Argyle:From the cars they've... The cars they took the wheels off so people couldn't escape.
Gamemaster:Where did those come from?
Johnny:How would you spell the name Cheyenne?
Benny:It's C-H-E-Y-E-N-N-E.
Gamemaster:Yeah.
Johnny:Not if you were this house's listing agent.
Benny:Oh, no.
Benny:Is this some West Virginia name?
Gamemaster:That's not Cheyenne.
Benny:Yeah.
Gamemaster:That's Shan.
Benny:Sean Benny.
Johnny:Come on.
Benny:Sean Benny.
Johnny:Come on, Benny.
Gamemaster:Have you guys ever been on Reddit r slash tragedy?
Gamemaster:It's kind of what it reminds me of.
Johnny:yes i feel like this name was on there so what serial killers were active from 2013 to whenever this house went went up for listing
Argyle:This house was built in 2013.
Benny:Yeah.
Argyle:That is way too recent.
Benny:Wait, the Kill House was built in 2013?
Argyle:Yeah.
Anzu:It looks weathered.
Anzu:I mean, how did that happen?
Anzu:I think the guy by me was done by then, but I'm not positive.
Gamemaster:you
Johnny:Was that serious?
Benny:I'm finished.
Anzu:Yeah, the Gilgo Beach Killer was in my town, yeah.
Argyle:There was a big one.
Argyle:Yeah.
Johnny:Oh my gosh.
Anzu:Yeah, kind of tough.
Anzu:Not a good look for the town.
Argyle:No, it's really not.
Anzu:We have a really bad reputation because of that guy and we're known as being a very MAGA-type town.
Anzu:Depending on who you are, people don't like that either.
Johnny:Oh no.
Gamemaster:You guys voted down windmills because you didn't like them.
Gamemaster:Because you thought they would ruin the horizon despite the fact that they were going to be 20 miles off the coast and not visible.
Anzu:I don't understand people.
Anzu:It's just...
Benny:Why'd they even let them vote?
Benny:Don't even tell them about the windmills.
Benny:Just build them.
Benny:That's not a data center.
Benny:We're bringing back manufacturing.
Benny:It's all you tell them.
Johnny:We're bringing back manufacturing.
Gamemaster:That one...
Gamemaster:We've never had manufacturing on Long Island.
Benny:Hey, there's nerds going into that building.
Gamemaster:We've got vineyards.
Gamemaster:That's as close as you get.
Argyle:No, you had manufacturing.
Gamemaster:What did we manufacture?
Argyle:What are you talking about?
Argyle:Planes?
Benny:Aerospace.
Gamemaster:That's not here.
Gamemaster:You'd have to go further out to Suffolk to get to where Grumman used to be.
Gamemaster:Yeah.
Argyle:Yeah.
Benny:No, I meant that more generally of like the five people that are like, we don't want a data center here.
Argyle:But you said on Long Island.
Argyle:That's on Long Island.
Gamemaster:Okay, sorry.
Gamemaster:In Massapequa.
Argyle:Yeah.
Gamemaster:You know, we moved the manufacturing out to the poorer part of the island because we didn't want that near where the cool people lived.
Argyle:So...
Gamemaster:And by cool, I mean rich.
Benny:And it's like, okay.
Gamemaster:Jericho?
Gamemaster:That's where I live.
Johnny:Jorge, why is this one... Why is there no description?
Johnny:Why are there no pictures?
Johnny:Why does it look like someone... A house.
Benny:That you found some insanely low Zestimate for?
Argyle:Our D&D house can be $270 a month.
Gamemaster:This house isn't even on the market.
Gamemaster:This is just some random person's house that you're like, ooh, I could claim that.
Gamemaster:That's mine now.
Benny:Give me the lowest Zestimate and you just found the most mispriced house in the fucking neighborhood?
Benny:If these people had an internet connection, they would go on Zillow and be like, what the fuck are they putting our house at?
Benny:Actually, they'd probably like it.
Benny:They're talking to the town clerk like, check Zillow.
Argyle:Yeah, it's not that crazy because look at this house that's sold.
Benny:I mean, we're paying way too much in property taxes.
Gamemaster:I don't know if that's like... I don't think it's too far off.
Gamemaster:They paid $400 in property taxes last year.
Gamemaster:Like... Yeah, I mean, if you're looking at houses in the middle of nowhere, West Virginia, are you just looking through what this Cheyenne lady is selling?
Benny:Wow.
Johnny:West Virginia.
Benny:Wheeling.
Benny:Wheeling.
Gamemaster:Is that where you're finding these?
Gamemaster:It's just anything that she has listed?
Gamemaster:I scrolled down and I'm like, huh, that name's familiar.
Gamemaster:They did.
Benny:Yo, these people lost their fucking shirt on this house.
Benny:Someone bought it for 80 grand in 21 and it sold
Benny:two months ago for 30... Sorry, for 80... Yeah, for 80 grand in 21, sold two months ago for 32.
Benny:Over half its value.
Argyle:You know what's terrible?
Gamemaster:But it's an investor special.
Argyle:There's a person out there that paid for that.
Argyle:And they're probably having a bad day, but they've moved on.
Argyle:And little do they know, our group on D&D What a fucking idiot.
Anzu:Just clowning them right now.
Argyle:You bought that house for 80k.
Benny:I wouldn't trust Shian.
Benny:It's good for her to flip as the agent.
Gamemaster:Yeah, Xi'an says that this is an investor special that would be good to flip.
Gamemaster:And if you look at literally the one time it's been flipped, it's very clearly not.
Gamemaster:Oh, sure.
Benny:She wants you to come in, realize that you can't sell her, then she gets the fees again.
Benny:Shian Benny.
Benny:Yeah, yeah.
Benny:Shian Benny.
Gamemaster:Do we want to play some Pathfinder?
Johnny:Is that what we're here for?
Argyle:Yeah.
Gamemaster:I mean, maybe.
Gamemaster:It's been very productive.
Anzu:I thought we were having a business meeting.
Johnny:One last thing.
Johnny:If we bought the house in West Virginia, we would have a lot of space for water buffaloes.
Gamemaster:Ooh.
Argyle:Yes.
Gamemaster:Those aren't as profitable as goats.
Gamemaster:We've been over this.
Johnny:You're right.
Johnny:We'd have even more space for goats.
Gamemaster:Right.
Gamemaster:That makes sense.
Johnny:All right, I'm ready.
Gamemaster:Okay.
Gamemaster:Alrighty.
Gamemaster:Does anybody want to do a recap of last session?
Gamemaster:Do we remember what happened?
Johnny:we're busy
Argyle:We did a lot.
Benny:I'll take a mythic point, but let me get my notes.
Benny:Alright, so, last session.
Benny:We started off enjoying our spoils.
Gamemaster:you
Benny:All four of us evenly split up the small amount of meat on Sbrtlby Jones' body and ate it.
Benny:No, we searched Sbrtlby Jones.
Benny:Got some stuff.
Benny:Building was collapsing.
Benny:One of us ran around the building on all fours like a psycho.
Johnny:Thank you.
Benny:We got a bunch of interesting stuff.
Benny:Piss yellow liquid, a choker, a normal spear that spartably just used to do a bunch of damage.
Benny:Very annoying.
Benny:We got a choker, so one of us is looking hella goth now.
Benny:Something about Chthonian.
Benny:Then we went and dropped off the paintings.
Benny:So some guy with three legs let us in, and it's not a euphemism.
Benny:We were such an interesting lot of gentlemen that we were allowed to visit the heart directly, Rapid Connection.
Benny:We talked with Rapid Connection for a bit.
Benny:We became friends with the heart.
Benny:There was a bit of negotiation.
Benny:I'm like, can we do this?
Benny:I don't want to give you this thing.
Benny:This is literally the only thing that you want.
Benny:So we got the thing and then free transport.
Benny:And then on our way out, still with our teeth red from the blood of Sbrtlby Jones, but yet our hunger for death still not quenched, we ran into Concordia.
Benny:who graciously tried to surrender to us and we slaughtered them without mercy with the help of the heart.
Benny:And then we ate them too.
Argyle:I think Mike looked at too many murder houses.
Gamemaster:I mean, everything but the eating bit.
Johnny:Thank you.
Benny:I might have... I may have been subconsciously... I may have just had the full spinning version of the house pulled up to my right.
Gamemaster:Either way, that was a pretty good, if a teeny bit irreverent summary.
Gamemaster:We ended last session with all of you keystone in hand, or I guess in pocket, a new friendship made with Rapid Connection, and a bunch of members of Concordia dead on the ground.
Gamemaster:Good recap, Mike.
Gamemaster:You get a Mythic Point sponsored by Dr. Pepper, the soda with the most aspartame per 12-ounce bottle.
Benny:Woo!
Gamemaster:Good if you're aspartame loving, yeah.
Gamemaster:And so we will start today's session with all of you in the lobby of this Prime Meridian sub-nexus, surrounded by some dead bodies.
Gamemaster:Yes, your hand is raised.
Anzu:The first thing I want to do is more of a mental action.
Anzu:You described a blue flash of light that came from these people as they expired.
Gamemaster:Absolutely, you can do that.
Anzu:And I want to think about that and see if I know anything about that.
Gamemaster:That would be either a medicine or a crafting check in this particular instance.
Anzu:That's kind of gross, but I will make a crafting check.
Johnny:I'll aid him.
Gamemaster:Why is that gross?
Argyle:Hmm.
Gamemaster:Also, you will note if you're in Foundry...
Gamemaster:I've gotten the module to work that wasn't working before, but now is.
Anzu:What module was that?
Gamemaster:We've got our shiny lights back whenever you do things.
Anzu:Ah.
Johnny:Oh, yes, we got lights.
Anzu:I received a 27, which I'm fairly certain is a success, but do you mind sharing with us the level 6 level?
Benny:you you
Gamemaster:They do mind.
Gamemaster:Yeah.
Anzu:Oh, sorry.
Anzu:Okay, never mind.
Gamemaster:I still don't have that bug marked.
Anzu:Let's just keep rolling.
Gamemaster:Level 6 DC is 22.
Johnny:Thank you.
Anzu:Crushed it.
Gamemaster:Which, if this were a level 6 check, a 27 would murder.
Gamemaster:No, this is a success.
Gamemaster:So... Anzu, you would actually...
Gamemaster:be familiar with something of this nature without even necessarily investigating the body.
Gamemaster:You have seen something like this previously.
Gamemaster:There are like automatons, like constructs that work for Belvedere that you've seen a similar blue glow from, usually out of the eyes or occasionally through their skin, like along veins and the like.
Anzu:So they're not real people?
Gamemaster:you would guess, having not actually examined the bodies, that there is some kind of mechanical augmentation, something along those lines that would match that glow there with these Concordia people.
Anzu:Or...
Johnny:Okay.
Gamemaster:Given that you're just going off of seeing a little bit of glow as they die, I don't know if you can definitively say that one way or the other, you'd have to examine the body.
Anzu:What do I know about the ones at Belvedere?
Benny:we've always had i don't know
Gamemaster:The ones at Belvedere are people in that they're sentient, but they're not organic.
Gamemaster:They're constructed.
Anzu:We've got constructed people.
Gamemaster:Yeah, you do.
Gamemaster:Belvedere does.
Argyle:Oh, yeah.
Anzu:Okay.
Anzu:Good to know.
Argyle:Do they have constructed children?
Argyle:Anyway, I cast a heal and a 30-foot, so I see Benny already took it.
Argyle:Does that... Yeah.
Gamemaster:I was wondering, I saw a big explosion happening in the corner of my screen that was going off.
Anzu:Guess I should join.
Argyle:As this happens, Arctos kind of goes...
Gamemaster:End this encounter.
Gamemaster:And then delete these happy time enforcers.
Gamemaster:Because they're dead.
Johnny:um
Benny:you
Gamemaster:So, you guys are just kind of, I guess, standing around and recovering from all of this stuff as there's a... whatever.
Argyle:Yeah.
Gamemaster:At this point, the Ark Mechanitor, the...
Gamemaster:the friend that you had made over the course of coming in here and selling some art, he had been the one that had made the connection to the Submechanitor and were using them as, like, little guys throughout the combat.
Gamemaster:He drops that at this point.
Gamemaster:He no longer needs that control since it seems the threat has passed, and he will walk out and start poking...
Argyle:Yeah.
Argyle:Go up to them and thank you for the aid there.
Gamemaster:Of course.
Gamemaster:I'm afraid I don't... Do you have context on this?
Johnny:Yeah, we have contacts.
Argyle:Yeah.
Argyle:Remember when I was telling the heart that other people are going to come for this thing?
Gamemaster:No.
Argyle:Oh.
Argyle:Well, other people are going to come for that thing, so that's why they were here.
Johnny:Not anymore, though.
Gamemaster:Okay.
Johnny:I think this is the last guy.
Benny:Mm hmm.
Argyle:Well, if it's any consolation, I think they didn't know we were here, so they were just going to try to kill you guys anyway.
Gamemaster:I...
Gamemaster:I don't really know what their plan was, to be honest.
Gamemaster:Like, this is the best case scenario for them.
Gamemaster:Had they succeeded in destroying any actual Prime Meridian... Like, they're wearing Concordia uniforms.
Gamemaster:There would have been an immediate retribution.
Gamemaster:Like, as is, I have to... Oh, I've got so much paperwork I have to fill out.
Johnny:You think they were actually from Concordia or you think they were just dressed up like Concordia?
Gamemaster:I mean... Yeah, I do.
Gamemaster:I've not seen those Happy Time Enforcer things.
Johnny:Do you mind, this morning you're on turf, do you mind if I loot these bodies?
Gamemaster:But... Yeah, their bodies are still around.
Johnny:Are there bodies still, do they remain?
Gamemaster:Yeah, I mean... I'd like... If you find ID on them...
Gamemaster:I'll take that, but that's fine.
Argyle:Sounds good.
Gamemaster:We would like the bodies themselves if you were planning on doing anything with them.
Argyle:Oh yeah, you can have them.
Johnny:I loot the bodies.
Gamemaster:Okay.
Gamemaster:That's fine.
Gamemaster:Absolutely.
Argyle:I'd loot them too.
Argyle:I will also be helping her.
Gamemaster:Roll a loot check, which is perception.
Argyle:Well,
Argyle:I'll just take my hero points.
Benny:Getting them early.
Johnny:You got a 24?
Gamemaster:Okay, so on a 24, like, giving them a pat down, if you recall, looking at the enforcers and stuff, they all have literally nothing on them, except for the weapon that they were carrying, which is like this little knife and a dinky pistol.
Gamemaster:The two people of interest, Crawford Reeves and Lewis Maller, the two, it seemed,
Johnny:Okay.
Gamemaster:you know, ranked members of Concordia, presumably.
Gamemaster:Searching through them, they do have... Okay, so Crawford, the guy with the razor-sharp floating hair...
Argyle:Hmm.
Gamemaster:With a 24 searching him, he doesn't appear to have been carrying any weapons or anything like that.
Gamemaster:He also doesn't have an ID on him, unfortunately.
Gamemaster:He did announce his name to you as they entered, but he doesn't have a passport or an ID slip or anything like that.
Argyle:Hmm.
Gamemaster:The only thing of note there is he has a small green-looking...
Gamemaster:stone of some kind.
Gamemaster:Not a gemstone.
Gamemaster:It's opaque.
Gamemaster:It's just kind of translucent to it.
Gamemaster:It's almost like if marble were a little translucent and green-colored instead of its normal colorations.
Johnny:I'll pass that on zoom.
Gamemaster:Absolutely.
Anzu:Okay.
Gamemaster:With looking at Lewis Maller,
Gamemaster:searching him, he does have something.
Gamemaster:Similarly, no ID or anything like that.
Gamemaster:But of note, perhaps, is he's wearing these interesting looking boots.
Gamemaster:The thing that catches your eye is the heel looks like it's detached slightly from the rest of the boot, and it looks like there are kind of actuators of some kind between the heel and the bottom of the boot itself.
Johnny:we'll also toss these one at a time over to Anzu.
Anzu:Um, alright.
Anzu:I am now a quick identifier.
Gamemaster:Ooh.
Anzu:So it only takes one minute.
Gamemaster:Absolutely.
Gamemaster:Okay, for the... Which do you want to do first?
Gamemaster:The rock or the heels?
Anzu:Rock.
Gamemaster:Okay, for the rock, I'm going to need either an occultism or a religion check.
Anzu:Let's go.
Johnny:I will aid him.
Gamemaster:I lied.
Anzu:Okay.
Gamemaster:I lied.
Gamemaster:Occultism or nature.
Gamemaster:Not religion.
Argyle:I see the die.
Anzu:You know we roll in that occultism.
Benny:you
Anzu:Looks like I got a 31.
Anzu:I didn't see a die roll on the screen, but it's in the chat.
Gamemaster:I see that you got a 31.
Gamemaster:That is a success on the performance check, so you get a 32.
Anzu:All right.
Gamemaster:Which is a success, but not a critical success.
Gamemaster:This is, I guess you, do you not learn the name?
Gamemaster:One second.
Gamemaster:Identify magic action.
Gamemaster:For an item, you get a sense of what it does and any means of activating it.
Gamemaster:It doesn't do anything, and it cannot be activated.
Johnny:You
Anzu:It's just a rock he was holding.
Gamemaster:I don't know.
Anzu:Can I use detect magic?
Argyle:I don't trust this.
Gamemaster:It caught your eye when you were searching through, but it doesn't appear to...
Benny:Thank you.
Gamemaster:like, do anything.
Argyle:We should sell this.
Anzu:And I can ignore stuff, right?
Gamemaster:You can.
Gamemaster:Yeah.
Johnny:Yeah, arch mechanic.
Gamemaster:So you can ignore everything, I guess, including the boots for this particular query.
Gamemaster:And the rock is magic.
Anzu:It's magic, but it don't do nothing.
Argyle:So it's probably cursed.
Gamemaster:Correct.
Argyle:That's my guess.
Argyle:Don't touch it, guys.
Anzu:Alright, I gotta figure out this rock, guys.
Anzu:There's something going on, but I haven't quite gotten it yet.
Argyle:Can we put it in a bag or something?
Benny:swallow it swallow it
Anzu:I could put it in my magic sleeve.
Argyle:That might be cursed.
Argyle:All right.
Argyle:I don't know.
Argyle:You're the wizard guy.
Anzu:Well, the options are my sleeve or a regular bag.
Argyle:Do you have to touch it to put it in your sleeve?
Gamemaster:He's already been touching it.
Argyle:Oh my god!
Argyle:Put it in the sleeve immediately!
Anzu:I put it in my sleeve.
Gamemaster:He's been... Absolutely.
Gamemaster:At no point after picking it up, investigating it, or putting it in your sleeve do you feel the need to try and eat it.
Gamemaster:I just want to put that out there.
Gamemaster:You don't feel that need.
Benny:That's the curse.
Benny:It's delicious, but the curse is you don't want to eat it.
Anzu:What was the color of the rock?
Gamemaster:Green.
Gamemaster:It is this green-tinged, translucent rock.
Johnny:So interesting.
Argyle:Should we just leave it here?
Anzu:Green.
Gamemaster:It is magic.
Anzu:None.
Gamemaster:It does not have a magic, like it doesn't do anything, but it is magic.
Argyle:Maybe we should just leave it here, guys.
Anzu:Oh, no.
Argyle:I don't want this thing.
Johnny:Is it?
Argyle:I don't want this thing.
Anzu:We're going to figure it out.
Anzu:We're going to figure it out.
Argyle:Guys, guys, no offense to you guys, but I'm the wisest one here.
Argyle:I think we should just leave it.
Anzu:Green, non-distinctly magic rock.
Benny:I don't, I think, is Johnny not more wise?
Johnny:No, I think Arctos is wiser than me, I'm guessing.
Argyle:There's no way Johnny's more wise.
Johnny:I got a... What's your wisdom score?
Argyle:four.
Johnny:Oh, I'm three.
Argyle:Oh, wait, no, five.
Argyle:I have a five.
Johnny:Oh, this guy's definitely wiser than me.
Johnny:Oh, so you took the minus one int to get a buff there?
Argyle:Oh, never mind, I am four.
Benny:Wise beyond his use.
Argyle:Yeah, I am four.
Argyle:But yeah, still, I'm more wise.
Anzu:Boots!
Gamemaster:Boots are kind of a crafting for the boots.
Anzu:that's so interesting we'll do arcana 26 for me 35 to aid
Johnny:well
Gamemaster:So that's definitely a success on the aid check.
Gamemaster:So you're up to 27.
Gamemaster:Which is a success.
Gamemaster:Vs. A second.
Johnny:Wait, Josh, it's just a success on the eight check, not a crit success.
Johnny:Oh, it's a plus two.
Gamemaster:Oh no, 35 is a crit success.
Gamemaster:I apologize.
Anzu:So I get a 28 instead, which I don't think... Whoa.
Gamemaster:Okay.
Gamemaster:It does not meaningfully affect the result.
Gamemaster:Still a success.
Gamemaster:These are... It's interesting.
Gamemaster:As you're investigating, you see that the shoe itself is not anything special.
Gamemaster:There is an attachment on the heel that you can disconnect and then reattach to another pair of shoes.
Johnny:Wow.
Benny:Just period.
Gamemaster:These are clockwork heels.
Gamemaster:When you attach it to a shoe, it adds a little springboard that gives you a plus five item bonus to your speed.
Argyle:Clockwork what?
Anzu:Bennix, I've got these heels.
Gamemaster:Just flat plus five item bonus.
Benny:Yes.
Gamemaster:Clockwork Heels.
Anzu:Put these on your feet.
Anzu:Put them on your shoes.
Benny:Perfect.
Anzu:We need you to get in and out of places right quick.
Gamemaster:I would note, I don't know if it'll ever come up, but they do have to be affixed to shoes specifically.
Benny:Oh, they'll be scared.
Gamemaster:They look like they would be very painful if you attach them to your feet directly.
Gamemaster:I'm just putting that out there.
Benny:Yeah.
Benny:Benny has shoes.
Gamemaster:I don't know what a nine-year-old is running around in.
Benny:It'd be very weird.
Benny:No, no.
Benny:Listen, it was a fair question.
Benny:I was thinking the same thing, and I thought before it even came up, I was like, Benny has to have, because it's weird.
Benny:Like a nine-year-old in a poncho with a knife?
Anzu:That's bad parenting.
Benny:If he's not wearing shoes, that's too many red flags.
Benny:You can't let him anywhere.
Gamemaster:I feel like the nine-year-old's with the poncho, and you call it a knife, but it is a massive advanced level sword, and also a pick in his other hand.
Anzu:No shoes.
Argyle:And they just...
Benny:Yeah.
Benny:So... People aren't...
Benny:People aren't, like, when you look at it, your brain analyzes it quicker than you can think about it.
Benny:And all that comes up is scary nine-year-old with a blade.
Benny:And they don't know if it's a big blade.
Gamemaster:It's a two-foot sword.
Benny:It's like if you were to ask him after the fact, like the police interview, like, what did he have?
Benny:Did he have a knife or something?
Benny:Like, that's what would come up.
Argyle:And Benny has a British accent.
Johnny:you
Argyle:I'm kidding.
Gamemaster:It's fine.
Gamemaster:Absolutely.
Benny:It's two foot, but it's one handed.
Gamemaster:Yeah.
Benny:I'm sorry.
Gamemaster:Sure.
Gamemaster:Either way, yeah, no useful identification on them, but they did both yell out their names, which did also confirm who they were, because Anouk and Anaïs had also told you their names.
Argyle:All right.
Gamemaster:Some people will look out for it.
Argyle:Yeah.
Johnny:Weird.
Argyle:Keep us posted if there's an org conflict and you want some backup.
Gamemaster:How would I do that?
Argyle:You could just fax us.
Benny:Or on 980.2 kilohertz.
Johnny:We stay.
Gamemaster:Okay.
Johnny:Yeah, we stay at the same time.
Gamemaster:That particular radio frequency hijacking only works within a few hundred feet of this facility, unfortunately.
Argyle:Yeah, just send a fax to the fence in Sin and Tonic.
Gamemaster:We have a fax machine.
Benny:Yeah.
Gamemaster:As all of this is going on, the Submechanitor have begun hauling the dead bodies off to somewhere further into the facility.
Argyle:Sounds good.
Benny:Thanks.
Johnny:you you
Argyle:Do you mind if we go back to our car now?
Gamemaster:Yeah, of course.
Gamemaster:Oh, right, somebody needs to lead you there.
Gamemaster:And then he'll snap, and the person who led you here, whose name is Low-Mechanitor Exitum-ρ-15, will walk you back to your vehicle in the rear of the lot.
Argyle:Meanwhile, Johnny's like, actually, I can do it.
Gamemaster:Yeah, yeah, you rolled high enough.
Gamemaster:You could find your way back on your own.
Gamemaster:They wouldn't let you.
Gamemaster:You know, you're friendly, but you still don't get free roam over this facility.
Gamemaster:But they will.
Gamemaster:They're more than happy enough to lead you back to your vehicle and see you out the back exit.
Benny:Down 25 since we leveled up.
Gamemaster:So, if you have nothing else you would like to do in this facility, you can get out.
Johnny:I am untouched.
Argyle:What's everyone's health look like?
Argyle:And you took that heal?
Anzu:I'm down seven points.
Anzu:I did take the heal.
Argyle:Alright.
Argyle:How about you, Benny?
Argyle:I will just pump another heal.
Benny:That works good rules.
Argyle:Yeah, might as well.
Argyle:I'll have two left.
Argyle:This will be the three action variety.
Argyle:I'm not going to place it because I assume I'll place it in a way that you guys would all get it.
Argyle:All right, all right.
Argyle:Dope, dope, dope.
Argyle:Thank you, thank you.
Johnny:We're back.
Argyle:Well, guys, that went really well.
Johnny:Yeah, we were on it today.
Johnny:Hey, good job, us.
Argyle:Yeah.
Benny:Hmm.
Johnny:High fives all around.
Johnny:And we have free transport, too, so we don't have to take a car everywhere if we don't want.
Anzu:Yeah, it seems like we made an ally too, which is nice.
Argyle:Yeah.
Johnny:Yeah.
Argyle:And our car license fee is free.
Gamemaster:You guys have full free transit throughout the whole city.
Johnny:And we got the, yeah, I was feeling, feeling real good connection with rapid connection.
Argyle:Yeah.
Argyle:So head back to Iconoclasm.
Johnny:Yeah.
Anzu:Yeah, sure.
Benny:Sure.
Argyle:When we get into the car, Arctos has put in a little notebook in the backseat of one of the chairs, pulls it out, and there's just a list of names.
Gamemaster:Okay.
Gamemaster:You can...
Argyle:And it had a terribly spelled name for the demon guy that we killed that's already crossed out.
Argyle:And then it had these guys' names, and then he just crosses it out.
Gamemaster:Absolutely.
Argyle:And then he also has Anouk's name on it, and he's like,
Argyle:Question mark?
Anzu:Oh, I think, yes.
Argyle:We keeping it?
Argyle:Okay.
Johnny:I feel like they're all on the same team.
Benny:Yeah.
Argyle:Yeah.
Johnny:What do we do now?
Johnny:We have the crystal.
Johnny:I guess we just wait six months?
Anzu:Well, we got to keep it safe, that's for sure.
Argyle:Do we keep it in my family's manner?
Johnny:I think we just keep it in Anzu's pocket.
Argyle:Okay.
Anzu:Currently, it's in my magical sleeve with the weird rock.
Argyle:Hopefully Anzu doesn't get jumped.
Argyle:Don't get jumped.
Benny:Yeah, we'll have to escort this man.
Argyle:Alright.
Anzu:If we really wanted to be kind of crazy, we could go after another one.
Anzu:I don't really think that's necessary, but we do have a little bit of information on that.
Anzu:yeah of too many more folks right
Argyle:I'm okay leaving that to the other groups.
Argyle:If anything, I don't want to catch the ire of people going after that one.
Argyle:Yeah.
Johnny:Yeah, it seems like there's some pretty big heavy hitters going for this whole thing.
Johnny:And we're just four guys in ponchos.
Benny:Three guys and one kid, but yeah.
Johnny:We're just a bird, a bear, a kid, and a man.
Johnny:We're a real zoo over here.
Gamemaster:A bird, a bear, a boy, and a bartender.
Argyle:Yeah, what a weirdo.
Gamemaster:It's bees.
Argyle:The four B's.
Johnny:For bees.
Johnny:For the hive.
Benny:What pending stuff do we have?
Benny:I guess in the city?
Gamemaster:So at this point, I will note, we can take a little back, like a little further back view.
Gamemaster:of everything.
Gamemaster:You have this keystone.
Gamemaster:The keystone is ready to pop six months from now.
Gamemaster:So you have six months that we can take a little bit at a time.
Argyle:Which I think is crazy, but okay.
Gamemaster:You don't need to jump from one thing to the other.
Gamemaster:The only immediate pressing concern is specifically where are you keeping the keystone?
Gamemaster:And it sounds like you've settled on Anzu's keeping it in his pocket.
Anzu:I don't love it either.
Argyle:I think we should go to a fortified mansion, but that's fine.
Anzu:No, I'm open to other options for sure.
Argyle:That's fine.
Johnny:My one concern is that Vane is a very high-profile character, and if they get this mind control stuff working, who knows what he'll do.
Argyle:I guess it's fair.
Anzu:We could probably ask Ginny to construct a safe.
Anzu:or something like that.
Anzu:Or we could get a safe.
Anzu:I mean, probably depends on how nice of a safe you want.
Argyle:Yeah.
Argyle:How much would a safe cost?
Argyle:A safe that will fit this thing and hide it from detection magic.
Johnny:Pretty safe.
Benny:lead a small lead box i think it's 500 feet at level three
Argyle:Detection magic is so much less scary in Pathfinder.
Anzu:Is there a locate object type spell?
Argyle:I think so, but I think it's only like 40 feet or something ridiculously small.
Gamemaster:There is.
Gamemaster:So locate at level three is 500 feet, and it can't be behind lead or running water.
Benny:We'll put it in a lead box in the toilet.
Gamemaster:That's not running water.
Johnny:you you
Argyle:Just piss a lot.
Gamemaster:That's the only problem I have with that.
Benny:We'll put it... If we still had allies in the sewers, we could put it in a lead box in the sewers, but... Sadly, they were killed.
Gamemaster:So if you want to go higher level, the scary thing that you're looking at is Pooh.
Gamemaster:That's a level 8 spell with unlimited range, where you name an object or a creature, and it tells you where it is.
Argyle:Terrifying.
Argyle:Can you hide against it?
Gamemaster:it overcomes all protections against detection effects of lower rank than that spell.
Gamemaster:So you would need... Yes, effectively.
Argyle:Should we need level 9 lead?
Gamemaster:But of course that requires somebody using a level 8 spell to look specifically for this keystone instead of a keystone in general.
Argyle:I think if someone... Yeah.
Gamemaster:Because pinpoint doesn't work on a generic object, it would need to be a specific one.
Johnny:There was some guy that did that.
Argyle:So I think it's fine.
Argyle:Could you imagine going to that fucking pilgrimage as a level 8 spellcaster?
Argyle:Or spell rank?
Argyle:And you're just like, I'm not going to even ask any questions.
Argyle:I'm just going to walk out and go, number 1.
Argyle:And then just go that way.
Johnny:We're going to run into that guy.
Argyle:I just hope he's not on ours.
Argyle:Okay.
Gamemaster:Yeah, you can do that.
Argyle:I guess we'll just find a lead box and put it in there.
Argyle:I can't imagine we could afford a safe that hide from pinpoint.
Gamemaster:How much?
Gamemaster:You definitely cannot afford a safe that would hide from pinpoint.
Gamemaster:You can afford a safe that can hide from normal locate spells and the like.
Johnny:you
Anzu:If someone's using Pinpoint to find this thing, we're already screwed.
Gamemaster:I'm just...
Argyle:Yeah, we're fine.
Argyle:Should we just put it in a lead box and then pour cement over it and just hide it under the floor?
Anzu:That's not a bad idea.
Benny:How much is cement?
Argyle:Cool.
Gamemaster:I mean, a little cement wouldn't be too much.
Anzu:Just a little cement wouldn't be too much.
Argyle:Yeah.
Gamemaster:Weirdly enough, lead is not a material in Pathfinder, despite the fact that it comes up in spells.
Johnny:you
Argyle:Huh.
Gamemaster:So I went to look at a price and they just don't have it.
Benny:its magic-resistant properties go as far as it not even being able to be listed as a material.
Gamemaster:Like, I would get if they said, no, we don't have the price for palladium for you, because I introduced that.
Gamemaster:But, like, they refer to lead as part of spells.
Gamemaster:Okay, fine.
Gamemaster:How about this?
Gamemaster:Let's just go to materials.
Gamemaster:How much does, like, steel cost?
Gamemaster:Because lead is not an expensive material.
Johnny:you
Argyle:In six months, I sent a GIF of what Benny's going to be doing.
Benny:Oh, yeah, I know.
Benny:I did actually think of the we're going to have a John Wick moment and we have to go.
Gamemaster:Okay, apparently they don't have just iron either.
Gamemaster:I can tell you how much a cold iron chunk costs.
Gamemaster:Am I just looking in the wrong area?
Gamemaster:Is that why?
Benny:Are you looking at the lead cost table?
Johnny:Thank you.
Gamemaster:Yes, I am not looking at the lead cost table.
Gamemaster:Okay, I'm going to say it's two gold pieces because this isn't worth it.
Gamemaster:It's clearly so cheap that they don't need to come up with a value for it.
Argyle:and then put it cement under the floor yeah yeah
Gamemaster:It's two gold pieces to get like a normal small lead line safe that you can put your keystone in.
Anzu:Thank you.
Gamemaster:That's fine.
Gamemaster:Yeah, and then you could... Cement is... You get some quicklime just from the river because there's definitely somebody pouring quicklime into the river upstream.
Johnny:Okay.
Gamemaster:So you just fish some of that out and you pat it down and you're done.
Gamemaster:Concrete.
Gamemaster:That's fine.
Gamemaster:Sorry, cement.
Gamemaster:Um... What?
Argyle:All right, but we could get 100 sling bullets and melt it down, and that'd only be about a silver.
Argyle:And those are made of lead, normally.
Argyle:So we'll just do that.
Argyle:I'm kidding, I'm kidding.
Argyle:We'll pay the two gold.
Gamemaster:No, it's iron or lead.
Argyle:We'll just pay the two gold.
Argyle:I'm fine.
Gamemaster:That's crazy.
Gamemaster:But you're right in that it's clearly very cheap if you can buy for one copper piece a ball of lead.
Gamemaster:So... Two gold pieces for a lead-lined safe and the cement required to encase it.
Argyle:Yeah, but we're getting a safe, so there's hinges and stuff.
Argyle:All right, we do that.
Gamemaster:Yeah, that's fine.
Johnny:Cool.
Benny:Oh, no.
Gamemaster:You don't get a discount because Smiler does not sell cement.
Argyle:We put it in Anouk and what's the other person's name?
Gamemaster:Anaïs?
Anzu:We do have a pretty big car.
Argyle:Anaïs.
Argyle:Yeah, put it in their room because they're the scariest of us.
Gamemaster:You can do that.
Gamemaster:That's fine.
Gamemaster:If you want them to look into it.
Gamemaster:Look out for it.
Gamemaster:Look over it.
Argyle:Yeah, those two are by far the most intimidating of us.
Gamemaster:Look over it.
Gamemaster:That's the term.
Argyle:Should we get a bigger car?
Benny:Don't we have a huge car?
Johnny:Oh, we sold them.
Gamemaster:You were throwing out 18-wheeler before, so... You could... You can fit... You have eight seats in your car, and then you have the portable whole trunk that doesn't have any air in it by default, but could fit more people feasibly if you...
Johnny:I think they can all fit in.
Argyle:Should we get an RV?
Johnny:Can we get a rental truck and then kit out the back with like some...
Anzu:I mean, how many seats do we have in our current car?
Anzu:Isn't it a three-room?
Argyle:It's three rows.
Argyle:Yeah, right?
Anzu:So we could easily fit the four of us and an Ionic.
Argyle:How much would it cost to get air?
Argyle:Should we just start selling tickets?
Gamemaster:It would be 320 gold pieces to fit a bottle of air into the trunk and make it breathable in there.
Anzu:No, because we don't want people to know that we have access.
Argyle:Let's put an ad out.
Argyle:Tickets to the pilgrimage!
Johnny:We're going to pull to the pilgrimage and everyone else is going to be in massive machines and 18 wheelers and this is going to be us.
Anzu:Honestly, not bad.
Johnny:Please check the gif I just sent.
Benny:Is it just a clown car?
Benny:Oh, it's...
Anzu:You don't need a license to drive a burger.
Argyle:Like someone's going to come in with their entire org and it's just going to be like us.
Johnny:Just the six of us.
Johnny:We got six months.
Johnny:We can look into a bigger car.
Argyle:I mean, do we have anyone else we'd take?
Argyle:Are we just going to take?
Argyle:We could take all of Iconoclasm.
Argyle:No, that sounds like a bad idea, right?
Anzu:Well, Illmari's still not here, which is concerning.
Johnny:I can ask the ghost.
Gamemaster:you
Benny:That's a good question.
Johnny:I can ask the ghost.
Johnny:Do we have any friends from former lives we want to take?
Johnny:Onzo, you want to call your grandma?
Johnny:See if she wants to come?
Anzu:My grandma definitely does not want to go.
Argyle:Benny, does your dad want to come?
Benny:No.
Johnny:I can fax the ghosts.
Johnny:I can talk to Smiler, see if anyone... Wait.
Benny:I can see if a sibling wants to come.
Argyle:How old are your siblings?
Johnny:I want to see a Benny sibling.
Benny:How old are my siblings?
Benny:Do you want me to list all of them?
Argyle:Yeah.
Johnny:Yes.
Argyle:How many siblings you have?
Benny:We don't have enough time.
Argyle:Yeah.
Gamemaster:Thank you.
Johnny:What does that mean?
Benny:We don't have enough time.
Anzu:So wait, let's get a baseline here.
Johnny:What does that mean?
Anzu:Do you have more than five siblings?
Benny:Yeah.
Anzu:Well... Anyway...
Argyle:Do you have more than 100 siblings?
Benny:Maybe.
Johnny:Let me see.
Argyle:Alright, alright, alright.
Argyle:Your poor mom.
Benny:Thank you.
Anzu:And one of them is Illmari, who's not around.
Gamemaster:So, of the people that you are aware of in Iconoclasm, you have Anaya and Anouk, who are coming.
Gamemaster:You have Dura, who...
Gamemaster:You could ask.
Gamemaster:You would know that she isn't necessarily very combat focused, if that's something you're looking into.
Gamemaster:She's really more of a logistics and a mechanic kind of person.
Gamemaster:And you have Elias, who in your limited dealings with him, I feel like even without asking, you would know he's not coming with you.
Gamemaster:He's not leaving this bar.
Anzu:I'm actually not even sure why he's here at all.
Gamemaster:It's a good question.
Anzu:Also, according to my notes, he is unconcerned with the Voidsong just at all.
Benny:Have we tried to resonate near him?
Argyle:I was going to say, does he resonate?
Gamemaster:When you first arrived, you resonated, and he would have resonated back.
Gamemaster:He has heard them once.
Gamemaster:He's just very clearly, he's not doing combat, and as best you can tell, it doesn't seem like he leaves very much.
Gamemaster:Correct.
Anzu:Which begs the question of that is why we are here.
Anzu:But anyway, that's... Well, the car's got two open seats right now.
Johnny:I mean, I can reach out to the ghosts.
Johnny:Everyone there is pretty competent if you want some fun folks.
Anzu:And maybe more if we fit the trunk to be passenger-worthy.
Argyle:We could ask Grayson.
Benny:You think you'd forgive us for what's happened?
Argyle:Grayson, you and one skeleton can have a pass onto this car.
Benny:Just don't bring those pigs in blanket.
Benny:Pigs in a pig in blanket?
Benny:Anything that has anything to do with pigs in blankets, leave it at home.
Argyle:And don't bring one of your scary monsters that kills things invisibly.
Benny:Yeah, or the butler.
Argyle:Getting the Butler.
Argyle:Yeah, no, I think that's it.
Johnny:As we're writing, I'll just pull up a little chess piece necklace and go, hey, Red, let Donnie know that we got a couple seats to the end of the void if anyone wants to come in six months.
Johnny:No further explanation.
Gamemaster:Red will say.
Gamemaster:Yeah, I'll tell him.
Gamemaster:He'll have follow-up questions, but I'll let him know.
Johnny:Cool.
Argyle:All right.
Argyle:Okay.
Anzu:We could ask that lady that makes the honey.
Argyle:I'm down to skip.
Argyle:Oh, yeah.
Johnny:I was going to start teaching some improv classes for a bit of extra coin.
Anzu:While we're naming people we're familiar with.
Gamemaster:Just people you know.
Benny:Do we want to do anything in the meantime for money?
Argyle:I wish we could ask the cop for a cop friend.
Anzu:Yeah.
Benny:So it's 320 gold pieces to install the bottle of air.
Benny:We have that.
Benny:I don't know if there's anything else we want to do in downtime.
Argyle:I have a couple of business ideas, but no offense.
Johnny:If you guys are interested.
Argyle:I think you guys would get in the way.
Anzu:right well if uh
Benny:Of course.
Argyle:Yeah.
Argyle:It's just a marketing thing, and I think my face fits better on the poster.
Benny:Is it big poster?
Johnny:I'm so good at talking to people.
Johnny:That's what I do.
Johnny:Hey, that's a great ethical question.
Argyle:Yeah.
Argyle:Yeah.
Argyle:Yeah.
Argyle:Yeah, but no offense, but if you work with it, then is it a terrorist group?
Argyle:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Argyle:And then if I let a child, is it child labor laws?
Argyle:I know we don't have those, but I feel like we should.
Argyle:And then Anzu, I just can't let your grandma see a photo of you.
Argyle:That'd feel bad.
Argyle:It'd be like at the back of a milk cart.
Anzu:So you've got some really far-reaching multinational business plan here.
Anzu:International, I should say.
Argyle:Oh, yeah, yeah, totally.
Anzu:Wow.
Anzu:On a smaller Scale than that, if we did want to make money, two potential options?
Anzu:We could go back to Copperjaw, although I don't know.
Anzu:We could be beyond that at this point.
Anzu:Another option is we do still have an in at the Velvet Mark, and we could perhaps get involved with them, do some work for them.
Argyle:Prime.
Anzu:Well, we could kind of feel it out.
Argyle:OK.
Johnny:Cool.
Johnny:Look around, see who needs some jobs done.
Benny:let's see how much copper jaw would pass for like a crazy job and then maybe go to the velvet mark I think we should go home yeah yeah I think that's a good idea
Anzu:Those are my top two things for money.
Argyle:Yeah.
Anzu:Yeah.
Anzu:Yeah, I'm not in a rush.
Argyle:Are we going to even go home first, or are we just going to go?
Argyle:Because I'd like to rest so I can get more healed.
Johnny:I feel like we should go home and sleep.
Anzu:Let's go home for sure.
Argyle:Sounds good.
Benny:You were trying to rush us, though.
Benny:All right.
Anzu:No, no, we were just talking, so... Sorry.
Johnny:No.
Gamemaster:Okay, so you guys are headed home.
Gamemaster:Okay.
Gamemaster:Absolutely.
Gamemaster:Yeah, easy enough.
Gamemaster:No checks necessary.
Gamemaster:You guys make it back to the Sin and Tonic.
Gamemaster:Illmari has not returned in the, like, two hours that you've been out.
Argyle:Is there any... Does anyone know any... Do we know anything about where he went?
Gamemaster:Nope.
Johnny:He vanished the...
Argyle:So we just can't... There's no... What about Dura?
Benny:I feel like we asked people here.
Johnny:He vanished the same night as the party.
Johnny:That's not great.
Gamemaster:You asked around.
Benny:They didn't know anything.
Gamemaster:They knew that you hadn't asked Dura or Elias.
Argyle:Does Dura know?
Gamemaster:But now that you're here, you can ask, and neither of them would know.
Argyle:OK.
Gamemaster:Ginny, if anything, seems a little concerned, because Illmari does every once in a while pop out for a little bit of time, but it usually says where he's going.
Gamemaster:It's a long enough period that they're not quite sure what's going on now.
Argyle:Gotcha.
Benny:When was the last time that we saw Illmari?
Benny:Or anyone saw Illmari at Iconoclasm?
Gamemaster:According to Ginny, Illmari headed out the same night that you guys left to go to the party.
Benny:Interesting.
Argyle:That nut job.
Argyle:Went to the party alone.
Benny:What's the point of having a whole guild to do stuff?
Johnny:you you
Benny:And then you're just like, meh, meh.
Argyle:Maybe he felt all guilty because you guys ran off and died.
Argyle:And a child died on his watch.
Benny:Wait, wait.
Benny:Does Illmari physically match the weird guy that was like, go find my crystals?
Gamemaster:I don't know what check I would even have you roll here.
Gamemaster:Yeah, like medicine?
Benny:Like, build-wise.
Gamemaster:Nature?
Gamemaster:Perception, I suppose?
Argyle:Can I roll medicine check?
Benny:Medicine?
Gamemaster:But I think medicine or nature or at a higher DC perception, if you're trying to match that up.
Argyle:Okay.
Argyle:I'll roll a medicine.
Johnny:You.
Benny:perception actually i'll leave this to the experts
Argyle:What type of medicine?
Argyle:Oh, recall knowledge medicine, I'm guessing.
Gamemaster:It would be a recall knowledge medicine if that changes anything.
Argyle:Twenty-seven.
Gamemaster:Okay.
Johnny:Yes, also.
Gamemaster:So, like, Illmari is, you know, generally slender, kind of tallish, human.
Gamemaster:The problem is that you're trying to match it up with the guy that you saw at the party who is fully clothed in a pretty gaudy-looking harlequin suit and wearing a mask.
Gamemaster:With that role, like, height and build-wise, they were about the same.
Argyle:All right, well.
Gamemaster:Unfortunately, I don't know if that necessarily narrows it down much, because that would be true of quite a few people.
Johnny:Mm hmm.
Gamemaster:But it does rule it out, I would say.
Benny:interesting maybe not a good one now but yeah yeah yeah
Gamemaster:You guys get a night's rest?
Argyle:Yeah.
Gamemaster:Okay, but you get one, at the very least.
Argyle:Practice will.
Gamemaster:Okay.
Argyle:Arctos will put up the paintings in his room now.
Gamemaster:The ones that you didn't trade with the heart, the ones from your bedroom, you've transferred it to Iconoclasm?
Argyle:The one that they refuse to take.
Argyle:Yeah.
Gamemaster:Yeah, absolutely.
Gamemaster:Absolutely.
Gamemaster:You can hang those up in your room.
Gamemaster:And Arctos definitely has the classiest room in the Sin and Tonic with his two paintings and his bed that's like a Giant dog bed and his chest freezer filled with food that he brought from home.
Argyle:Yeah.
Gamemaster:Absolutely.
Johnny:Thank you.
Gamemaster:Okay.
Argyle:He has like a big whiskey glass and it's just rocks.
Gamemaster:So you all...
Argyle:Like just ice.
Argyle:There is no booze.
Argyle:He just goes...
Gamemaster:you all get the benefits of a rest, but before we get to that, I need Benny to make a will save for me, please.
Benny:I don't like that at all.
Gamemaster:I'm sorry.
Benny:I don't know why Benny would make a Will save.
Gamemaster:Benny's making a will save.
Benny:Oh, I can do it in this thing.
Gamemaster:Benny can do it wherever he likes.
Argyle:Bless you.
Anzu:Thanks.
Benny:Oh, all right.
Johnny:Oh.
Benny:How bad can it be?
Gamemaster:Now he has three.
Argyle:You have two hero points, you greedy bastard.
Gamemaster:Alright.
Gamemaster:Benny, you know what time it is.
Gamemaster:Even when you're asleep, you've just naturally been very good at knowing what time just as it passes, I think.
Gamemaster:And around 4 or 4.30 in the morning, there is
Johnny:thank you
Gamemaster:very loudly, and yet with no sound at all, because this is happening entirely in your mind, you hear acquiring skein coordinates, skein attached, swept to type beam connected.
Gamemaster:And there is a...
Gamemaster:Like your body has been flung forward, this force pushed from your chest upward, as you feel that you are not awoken, because you are still asleep, but in a new environment.
Gamemaster:You're in a completely black void.
Johnny:you you
Gamemaster:I don't know if this music is necessarily correct.
Gamemaster:Let's do something quieter.
Benny:Is there a band off to the side in the voice?
Gamemaster:In the void, there's a band off to the side.
Gamemaster:The void is empty in all directions except directly in front of you, where you see floating in the air is a...
Gamemaster:Collection of light.
Gamemaster:At first, the light is this reddish glow in a perfect sphere, and then it splits into two hemispheres, and then it splits into like a torus formation, and then into a clover formation, and it keeps moving between what you would recognize as different...
Benny:you
Gamemaster:different atomic orbitals, different energy levels there.
Gamemaster:And surrounding this ball of light are three gyroscopic rings, each relatively quickly rotating, with spikes on the end of the rings attached to what appear to be a number of strings emanating out of nowhere from this void, passing by tangentially across whatever this thing is,
Gamemaster:and then extending back into the void.
Gamemaster:And the gyroscopic arms are making contact with a string for a second, and then disconnecting and moving to another string, and disconnecting and moving to another string.
Gamemaster:And you would recognize this as her father.
Benny:I'll give them a synopsis of the major developments that have happened.
Gamemaster:And the light says, Benny Boy, it's been a while.
Johnny:Thank you.
Gamemaster:Report.
Gamemaster:Absolutely.
Gamemaster:He listens.
Gamemaster:He interrupts once in a while to have you expand on a particular topic or something of that nature.
Gamemaster:But overall takes it in with very little emotional register.
Gamemaster:Up to and including your death and resurrection.
Gamemaster:He wasn't aware of it before, but clearly you're in good health now.
Johnny:Thank you.
Gamemaster:He assumed that if you hit a roadblock like that, you'd get over it.
Gamemaster:So good to see that you're performing as expected.
Gamemaster:After you finish your recap, he says, Okay, interesting.
Gamemaster:Things are deviating from expected outcomes, but not by enough that would be concerning.
Gamemaster:The reason I reach out to you is in fact tangentially related to what you are doing.
Gamemaster:There was a break-in a little over 13 milliseconds ago, and I felt it necessary to warn you.
Gamemaster:Here in Belvedere, but it seems it was relevant to you, a new artifact had appeared.
Gamemaster:in one of our archival units.
Gamemaster:We were in the process of analyzing it when someone broke into the facility quite loudly, I might add, and took it.
Johnny:Thank you.
Gamemaster:And it bears striking resemblance to something you described, a floating green rock, 12-sided in a golden case.
Gamemaster:The reason I reached out to you at all was because we had detected that it was relevant to the Voidsong in some way and carried a similar harmonic resonance, and the fact that you mentioned that you have discovered a stone of similar value leads me to believe that it is relevant.
Gamemaster:I know little of who broke into the facility, but it seems that you are attached to it in some way, and so I would appreciate you...
Johnny:Thank you.
Gamemaster:adjusting your course to investigate them in some fashion.
Gamemaster:It seems that you will come into contact with them at some point.
Gamemaster:You will have some means to interrogate those who have the stone.
Gamemaster:And I would like to know more of them because they passed quite a few of our defensive capabilities, which is concerning.
Benny:very well i think i have a capable group i'm part of i think we can find out what happened perhaps one additional uh what other means can you assist
Gamemaster:Do you need any additional support from me?
Gamemaster:Fully.
Gamemaster:Like an additional deploy.
Gamemaster:Monetary information.
Benny:Ooh, monetary would be helpful, although we seem to have enough for now.
Benny:Informational, I think, would be the utmost importance.
Benny:There are things that are Voidsong adjacent that are going on.
Gamemaster:It's acceptable.
Benny:The archive that we checked here seemed to be insufficiently indexed to actually locate particular things about something called the Embercall.
Benny:in their region in the city um that would be best i think that would be good okay
Gamemaster:I can spend some processing on this Amber call, if you like.
Gamemaster:I believe regen might be available, depending on the timeline, if you need support in that fashion.
Gamemaster:We will have to see.
Gamemaster:I will see how quickly he ties up his loose ends.
Benny:That's good.
Gamemaster:Anything else?
Johnny:No.
Benny:The Embercall and if you have any additional time, I know it's a looser search, but things relating to the pilgrimage.
Benny:Anything on the information?
Benny:I mean, obviously the groups that we talked to were more familiar with, but the actual organizers, I know it's more difficult.
Benny:The Embercall at least has a name.
Benny:The people that ran the pilgrimage, it's kind of up in the air.
Gamemaster:I'll do what I can.
Benny:Thank you.
Gamemaster:And the connection cuts.
Gamemaster:And you finish up your long rest.
Johnny:Yeah.
Gamemaster:You all get the benefits of a rest, and you wake up again to the smell of overcooked bacon and overcooked eggs.
Argyle:I'm okay fast-forwarding.
Anzu:If we keep telling him to cook them less, eventually it'll work.
Benny:Bacon.
Gamemaster:What's the plan?
Gamemaster:Anything you had to do specifically for today or do we want to speed up like fast forward a little bit?
Johnny:you
Argyle:Yeah, I don't know.
Argyle:Keep Anaïs out for Iliari.
Benny:Hilmari.
Argyle:Iliari?
Argyle:Yeah, Illmari.
Gamemaster:Alright.
Gamemaster:Well, if we want to jump to the next thing that affects you guys, let's first talk about general background downtime activities.
Argyle:Okay.
Gamemaster:Things that you want to do that we might have to make rules for, like activities that you want to do over the course of the next few weeks at the very least.
Argyle:Okay.
Argyle:Mm-hmm.
Argyle:Arctos would like to start the process of getting a license to sell shiver.
Gamemaster:Yeah, absolutely.
Argyle:To grow and sell shiver.
Gamemaster:Can you... The answer really is that the Fane name is...
Argyle:If this wouldn't be bad for the vain name and brand.
Johnny:um you
Argyle:If it is bad, he wouldn't do this.
Gamemaster:too entrenched to be affected by basically anything that Arctos does.
Argyle:Okay.
Gamemaster:Because worst comes to worst, they can pay to have it covered up.
Argyle:Okay.
Gamemaster:I think what I want you to do is either a society or a medicine check to
Johnny:you
Gamemaster:to convince the, like... Vane's estate will help you get in touch with a friend that would be able to license you to be able to grow this in some capacity, but you need an excuse for it.
Argyle:30 for my medicine check.
Johnny:you you
Gamemaster:So I need a medicine or a society check in order to do that.
Gamemaster:Okay.
Gamemaster:Yeah, with a 30, I will say there's a lot of bureaucracy involved, even with the sponsor that you have behind your back.
Gamemaster:But you can find a less-than-scrupulous member of... It would actually be...
Gamemaster:Probably somebody in the Grayson lineage.
Gamemaster:Like, not Grayson himself, but, like, a fourth cousin twice removed because the whole dynasty is in medicine.
Argyle:Would that work for my plan, Josh?
Gamemaster:You can find one of them that wouldn't mind a kickback from the Vane family to administer a license for you to be able to sell it for medicinal reasons.
Gamemaster:Or, you know...
Gamemaster:Probably.
Argyle:Okay.
Gamemaster:With a 30 roll, I think you could get away with it, which is the first step.
Argyle:All right.
Gamemaster:But there's a bit of bureaucracy.
Gamemaster:It'll take a little bit of time to get that set up.
Argyle:Mm-hmm.
Gamemaster:Did anybody else have anything they wanted to do in the next week or so?
Gamemaster:Yes.
Gamemaster:Anzu had his hand raised first.
Gamemaster:And by Anzu, I mean Tanner.
Anzu:I want to build a staff.
Gamemaster:Absolutely.
Gamemaster:You can build a staff.
Gamemaster:We like this here.
Gamemaster:I just need to double check the rules for staffs.
Johnny:you
Gamemaster:You want to build a personal staff?
Anzu:Correct.
Anzu:Level 5, I believe.
Gamemaster:Okay, that'll be 160 good pieces.
Anzu:Yeah.
Gamemaster:Do you already have the train and stuff in mind?
Anzu:I do.
Anzu:It would be mental.
Gamemaster:That tracks.
Gamemaster:I buy that.
Gamemaster:How long does it take to make a staff?
Benny:absolutely mental i think it follows the normal crafting rules
Anzu:That I do not know.
Anzu:I haven't...
Gamemaster:Okay.
Johnny:you you
Gamemaster:Crafting a staff, you craft it with the following guidelines.
Gamemaster:Choose a magical school.
Gamemaster:Okay.
Gamemaster:So you need to craft.
Gamemaster:If you're not good at crafting, you need somebody else to craft for you.
Anzu:I will craft it.
Gamemaster:Are you going to craft it?
Anzu:Yeah.
Gamemaster:Okay, this is a level five task.
Gamemaster:So I need a crafting check.
Anzu:Uh-huh.
Gamemaster:The DC is 20.
Gamemaster:26 is a success.
Anzu:Okay.
Anzu:This should work, but you never know.
Johnny:yeah okay
Anzu:I'm seeing 26.
Gamemaster:Okay, what level of proficiency are you?
Anzu:In crafting, I'm trained.
Gamemaster:Yes.
Gamemaster:Okay.
Gamemaster:So, the crafting rules are a little stupid.
Gamemaster:Because my reading of them is that with that roll, you contribute nine silver pieces a day to the crafting of this staff.
Gamemaster:Which would mean that it'll take...
Anzu:Like years?
Gamemaster:177 days of crafting in order to craft this staff, which is a little very ridiculous.
Anzu:Sure.
Johnny:you
Anzu:And the staffs definitely don't have their own... Right, right, right, right.
Gamemaster:I'm reading the rules and it says that you still need to craft it using the rules for crafting.
Gamemaster:But I think that's very stupid.
Gamemaster:Because I don't understand what the point of making crafting an item take so long be.
Gamemaster:Because that's just never feasible in a game.
Gamemaster:I mean... Is that...
Benny:I thought it was like you spend a day crafting and you can reduce the cost by half, and then you can use the earn income, whatever, to try to reduce the cost further.
Benny:So for most people, it's like you get through half.
Benny:Or maybe that's how we played it before.
Johnny:I think that was how we started playing it because the base crafting rules are insane.
Gamemaster:So, yeah, one second.
Johnny:So you can craft any item.
Gamemaster:Let me see, that might be the, let me check the revised rules from Treasure Trove, which I think has...
Johnny:in one or two days spending additional time for a discount on the final on the item's final cost
Gamemaster:Oh, okay.
Gamemaster:So that's how it works.
Gamemaster:So you don't have the items formula, so it takes two days to set up crafting.
Gamemaster:If your attempt to create the item is successful, you expend the raw materials you supplied, which would be the cost of the staff, or you can spend additional days reducing the cost by that value.
Gamemaster:So if you want, you can craft it in two days if you spend the full price.
Gamemaster:If you want a discount on it, you can spend additional days to lower that price, buy effectively a gold piece per day, which is better.
Argyle:So you can't spend I thought every day you could reduce it by 80 gold pieces.
Anzu:Yeah, not really worth it.
Gamemaster:no okay so yeah it'll it takes um it depends it depends on your level of crafting um and the the the level of the task a level five task which this is at trained gives you nine silver pieces
Anzu:So we'll just blow it 160.
Johnny:Oh.
Anzu:Is that right?
Argyle:This is what Gemini thinks.
Anzu:It depends on, I think, your level of crafting.
Argyle:Ah.
Gamemaster:At best, if you were legendary at crafting, it would give you a gold piece.
Argyle:Yeah.
Argyle:I don't know why it says 80 gold piece a day.
Benny:It's pretty good.
Gamemaster:But yeah, so you passed the check to craft it, so if you want to spend the full price, which would be 160 gold pieces, it'll take you two days to finish crafting stuff.
Anzu:Sure.
Anzu:Sure.
Gamemaster:Who is telling that to you?
Argyle:This is Gemini.
Argyle:Yeah.
Gamemaster:Maybe it's assuming nothing.
Benny:No, it doesn't say that.
Benny:Because a level 5 character typically only reduces the cost by one gold piece per day.
Benny:On a standard success as an expert, crafting the remaining 80 gold pieces entirely from scratch would make blah blah blah.
Gamemaster:Yeah, it doesn't actually know the rules, so it's fine.
Argyle:Yeah, no, no, I figured it doesn't.
Gamemaster:Yeah.
Gamemaster:I'm looking at the table that lets you knock the gold pieces off, and there's literally no situation in which you can knock 80 gold specifically off the price.
Argyle:I just... Yeah.
Argyle:Yeah.
Gamemaster:Either way, it takes you two days, but that's fine.
Gamemaster:I would also like to note... We'll get back to everybody.
Gamemaster:We'll take this one at a time.
Gamemaster:Near the end of your crafting, like around the two days in, there will be 80 days...
Johnny:you you
Argyle:Oh, never mind.
Argyle:This would take 80 days.
Argyle:If you want to reduce it by 80 gold.
Gamemaster:Which is true.
Gamemaster:It would, around the end of the second day as we're crafting, the Sin and Tonic will receive a fax machine, sorry, a fax to the fax machine, with a callback number, and it says that it's urgent for Anzu from Adal.
Argyle:What doll has your phone number?
Argyle:And how can they talk?
Gamemaster:I assume I'm pronouncing that right.
Gamemaster:A-D-A-L.
Gamemaster:Adel.
Gamemaster:Adal.
Anzu:Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
Anzu:Give me just a second.
Anzu:Give me just a second.
Gamemaster:Okay.
Johnny:And we've got to pull up his backstory.
Anzu:Yeah, you know what?
Anzu:I don't know how I wanted that to be pronounced.
Anzu:I think Adal is probably correct, yeah.
Gamemaster:Okay.
Gamemaster:I'll go with Adal.
Argyle:Well, she's a doll.
Anzu:That's my dad.
Anzu:God, that's not good.
Argyle:he's a doll?
Benny:Of course.
Anzu:He sent it here to this address?
Argyle:I...
Gamemaster:He sent it to that address.
Gamemaster:He sent it to the Sin and Tonic.
Anzu:Oh, I shouldn't have went to the freaking library.
Anzu:All right, let's open it.
Gamemaster:Absolutely.
Anzu:Or wait, it's just a callback number.
Gamemaster:It's just a callback number.
Gamemaster:The fax says it's for you from a doll, and it has a callback number.
Gamemaster:He's asking you to call them.
Argyle:Do you want me to call them?
Anzu:Guys, I'm in trouble with my parents.
Argyle:Do you want me to put in a good word for you?
Johnny:oh wait
Benny:Wait, you got an emergency call too from your parents?
Argyle:I'm sure they know who I am.
Argyle:Who?
Gamemaster:Thank you.
Argyle:Did you get called from your parents, Benny?
Benny:Oh, yeah.
Benny:I need to make a trip up to Austrene.
Anzu:So we gotta go there?
Benny:There was a break-in in Belvedere and they took what seems to be some form of a keystone.
Argyle:I thought...
Benny:Well, I mean, I'm going there.
Benny:I hope you guys would come.
Johnny:Road trip with Benny.
Argyle:Wait, I thought... I don't know if... Is Benny doing... Did I misunderstand... Did Jorge misunderstand that?
Johnny:We're going to meet Benny's family.
Argyle:I thought he meant just investigate them when you meet up at the pilgrimage.
Argyle:If Benny still wants to go, but yeah.
Gamemaster:Yeah, so this is out of character.
Gamemaster:He was not asking you to come back to Austrene.
Benny:Well, he said we'd meet him eventually.
Gamemaster:He was telling you that somebody else stole a keystone that had appeared in Belvedere.
Benny:Fair enough.
Argyle:Yeah, he meant...
Gamemaster:And it sounded like you were connected in some way because that was connected to the Voidsong somehow.
Gamemaster:And from your recap of events, you also have the keystone.
Gamemaster:I mean, you can go if you want.
Gamemaster:There's nothing stopping you.
Gamemaster:But he wasn't asking you to come back.
Johnny:Thank you.
Argyle:I thought he meant like they're going to go to the... I'm still fine to go.
Argyle:I'm just double checking.
Gamemaster:Yeah, you're welcome to go if you like.
Benny:Well, I mean...
Gamemaster:There is free travel.
Benny:let's have bird guy find a pay phone and maybe we'll have to go for more than one reason.
Anzu:Oh, gosh.
Anzu:Guys, I don't... No, no, I don't need you to speak to my father.
Argyle:Would you like me to put in a good word?
Anzu:The question is, do I speak to my father?
Argyle:You sure?
Anzu:Because, like, if he wants me to call because he's concerned about me, I don't really want to get involved in that.
Johnny:i think i i feel like the best solution is to call him you want me to i'll call him i feel like i'll call him i'll tell him
Anzu:But if he wants me to call because something else happened, I mean, that's going to eat away at me.
Anzu:What if my mom is sick?
Argyle:I think Johnny should call him I think Johnny should call him Johnny pretend you don't know who Anzu is but you need to know the message
Benny:You should probably just call them.
Benny:Give Johnny the phone.
Johnny:I can do it.
Johnny:Hey, this is Jonathan Skyfall.
Johnny:I found your message.
Johnny:I don't know any Anzu, but I can probably find him.
Johnny:What is he?
Johnny:He's some sort of pigeon?
Johnny:Is that what I'm hearing?
Gamemaster:Bye.
Johnny:He's a pigeon?
Anzu:He's a pretty good guy.
Anzu:My grandmother is the scary one.
Argyle:I thought your dad died.
Benny:is a witch yeah you're also an adult too
Anzu:No, my grandpa died.
Argyle:That makes more sense.
Anzu:Yeah, yeah.
Johnny:I think, honestly, I think you should call him.
Johnny:But, you know, if he tries to get you to come back and you don't want to come back, just tell him that.
Johnny:You're a big bird.
Anzu:Right.
Anzu:Okay, I guess I got to call them.
Gamemaster:Absolutely.
Benny:Put it on speakerphone.
Gamemaster:Okay, so you are calling.
Gamemaster:Are you putting it on speakerphone?
Gamemaster:You don't have to do that if you don't want to.
Argyle:Please be careful.
Johnny:Speak our phone.
Johnny:Speak our phone.
Anzu:We're going to start with a private conversation and maybe we'll have everyone say hello if things go well.
Gamemaster:Absolutely.
Johnny:You don't want to just go, hey, dad, you're on speakerphone.
Argyle:Okay.
Gamemaster:Okay.
Johnny:Right off the bat.
Gamemaster:Okay, yeah, there's a phone in the Sin and Tonic, so you can head to the back office and call using that.
Anzu:Sometimes Tanner forgets the level of technology that's in this world.
Anzu:And the fact that there's phones is something I didn't really realize.
Gamemaster:Yeah, there are phones.
Gamemaster:You can call.
Gamemaster:It happens.
Gamemaster:There aren't cell phones, but there are regular landlines.
Gamemaster:You can find a quiet area, call back the number.
Gamemaster:I don't think the... No, I think you would.
Gamemaster:The number's your house phone.
Johnny:Thank you.
Gamemaster:It's not some surprise burner or something like that.
Gamemaster:He's just, you know, in case you forgot.
Argyle:Thank you.
Gamemaster:A reminder.
Gamemaster:You call the number.
Gamemaster:And it takes a few rings, but after a moment, somebody picks up, and you hear on the other end of the phone, Hello?
Anzu:Yes, hello?
Gamemaster:Is that you on Zoom?
Anzu:Yes.
Gamemaster:Kid?
Gamemaster:I'm happy you're still able to pick up the phone.
Gamemaster:Get a perception check for me, please.
Anzu:Okay.
Anzu:We'll do it in Foundry, right?
Anzu:We'll do it in Foundry.
Anzu:Is this to determine who's on the phone?
Gamemaster:Uh, no.
Gamemaster:I think you would recognize the voice.
Gamemaster:This is your dad.
Anzu:I got a 29.
Gamemaster:With the 29, the reason for the check is he sounds...
Gamemaster:Excuse me.
Gamemaster:He sounds tired.
Gamemaster:And not just like time zone you just woke him up tired.
Gamemaster:Tired like fatigued tired.
Anzu:What's going on?
Anzu:I got your fax.
Gamemaster:You know, I'm sorry for overstepping and tracking you down.
Gamemaster:I just...
Gamemaster:It's good to hear you're okay.
Gamemaster:You are okay, right?
Anzu:Yeah, I'm doing great.
Anzu:Yeah.
Gamemaster:Grandma's still pretty mad at you.
Anzu:Does everybody know where I am?
Gamemaster:No, this is kind of just me reaching out.
Gamemaster:They could, if they wanted to.
Gamemaster:I kind of convinced them not to dig into it too deep.
Gamemaster:Just give you a little bit of time to spread your wings, so to speak.
Benny:you
Gamemaster:But, you know, I had to intrude.
Gamemaster:I just wanted to ask, I know it's good that you're doing good.
Gamemaster:Has your sister been in contact with you recently?
Anzu:No, I haven't spoken to anybody.
Anzu:Well, I thought I was hiding.
Gamemaster:You were.
Gamemaster:The only reason I could find you at all is because you hit that archive up in Calaria.
Benny:Thank you.
Anzu:Yeah, I kind of made a bad move there, I guess.
Gamemaster:Really, they're not breathing too hard down your neck.
Gamemaster:You're not the first person to take a little bit of exploration.
Anzu:This is what we're supposed to do.
Anzu:This is what we always did.
Gamemaster:Yeah.
Gamemaster:Listen, I did much the same thing when I was your age.
Gamemaster:I'm concerned for you.
Gamemaster:I'm not angry at you.
Gamemaster:Ishta, on the other hand, she's not happy about you, which is why I haven't told her.
Benny:Thank you.
Gamemaster:You don't have to be worried about that.
Gamemaster:I'm not going to rat you out unless it's necessary.
Gamemaster:I was just, I was hoping that Galzu had spoken to you.
Gamemaster:She left the roost a few days ago, two days ago.
Anzu:She left too?
Anzu:It was kind of an overlapping circumstance.
Gamemaster:At least I think she did.
Gamemaster:There was... I'm connecting some dots that I think your mom would rather I not, but there was...
Gamemaster:There was a break-in a few days ago, and I haven't seen her since.
Gamemaster:It's just, you know... Yeah, they're not necessarily connected, but... She had fallen in with some not-great folks who were talking about, like, reform and stuff, and, you know, she's always been the...
Benny:you
Gamemaster:the most go-getter of the three of you.
Gamemaster:So I didn't mind her exploring a little bit, but we had a disagreement and she stormed out and I haven't seen her.
Gamemaster:And so I think it might be a coincidence, but she hasn't come back and we have looked for her here.
Anzu:whoa man she's supposed to be working with grandma she'd be the last one I would expect to disappear
Gamemaster:I can't find her.
Gamemaster:So I was hoping, I was hoping maybe she reached out to you and it was just,
Gamemaster:pouting or something.
Gamemaster:That's the only reason I bring up the break-in.
Benny:you
Gamemaster:The break-in was in an area near where your grandma was the night of.
Gamemaster:It's the only reason I think they're connected.
Gamemaster:Otherwise, I would think it's a complete coincidence.
Anzu:Is grandma okay?
Gamemaster:She's fine.
Gamemaster:You know she's fine.
Gamemaster:Um, I'm not worried about her health at all.
Anzu:Right.
Gamemaster:I'm really, I'm just, I'm just worried your sister's, uh, you know, for her head, you know?
Anzu:Yeah.
Anzu:I mean, I'll definitely keep an ear out for her.
Anzu:Do you guys know anything about the people who broke in?
Anzu:I mean...
Gamemaster:Uh...
Gamemaster:Yeah, one sec.
Gamemaster:We went through her room after like two days of her not being around.
Gamemaster:I'll see if it's just kind of the same.
Anzu:Sorry, can you say that one more time, Dad?
Gamemaster:The only thing I found that seemed out of place were the group that she's hanging with.
Gamemaster:It seems like they're called the Singers of the Herald Star.
Gamemaster:That's what they're going around calling themselves.
Gamemaster:Sure.
Gamemaster:Singers of the Herald's Star.
Gamemaster:You know, they've been around for a little bit.
Gamemaster:They're just kind of... We never told her not to hang out with them because what they're calling for isn't crazy.
Gamemaster:They're like, they want a more...
Gamemaster:Like, restructuring of Belvedere, make it a bit more flat, hierarchical.
Gamemaster:You know, not quite how our family fits into play necessarily, but you know, you're young.
Anzu:Right.
Gamemaster:You guys talk about anti-nobility and stuff all the time.
Gamemaster:I figured eventually she'd come around to it.
Gamemaster:But...
Anzu:Do you know when these people started kicking around?
Gamemaster:I know she's been, like, she had been talking to him for the past few months, like four or five months.
Gamemaster:I didn't keep an exact time on it.
Gamemaster:They'd been around maybe a year and a half, maybe two, something around that.
Anzu:I would keep them in your sights.
Gamemaster:Listen, we've already been trying to keep Anaïs on them because they're not particularly friendly with their nobility.
Anzu:Mm-hmm.
Gamemaster:But they're pretty slippery.
Anzu:They sound dangerous.
Gamemaster:Anyway, I...
Gamemaster:I reached out to you because I thought there was a chance that she just ran away and was using you as an excuse to hide out from us.
Gamemaster:I don't want to put too much on your plate when you're supposed to be off exploring, learning new things and all that stuff.
Gamemaster:Yep.
Anzu:Real quick before we move on.
Anzu:Benny started to talk a little bit about his own conversation.
Anzu:I don't think you said out loud, Mike, about them finding a keystone there, or did you?
Anzu:Oh, okay.
Benny:No, he did.
Benny:Something that is like or exactly like.
Benny:Aren't Keystones red?
Benny:The one that was taken was green?
Gamemaster:No, keystones are blue, and the one that was taken was blue.
Gamemaster:It seems that they stole a keystone.
Argyle:I think Keystones are only in this city, but never mind.
Benny:I'm losing my mind.
Gamemaster:From... They... They...
Benny:Okay, they stole a Keystone.
Argyle:Oh, they did different calls.
Argyle:This is for a different fucking call.
Argyle:This is for the Herald people, maybe.
Benny:No.
Argyle:That's so bad.
Anzu:Because you did... Josh, you said green.
Anzu:Okay.
Gamemaster:Sorry, I meant in my head it's greenish-blue.
Gamemaster:It was supposed to be describing the same keystone that you guys have picked up.
Benny:Okay.
Anzu:Okay, okay, okay.
Gamemaster:I apologize.
Gamemaster:But I will also note, like, the callout specifically, the person who was talking about the Pelgrimage said that the keystones were spread in and around Hallia.
Argyle:Oh, around.
Argyle:As far as Peltier.
Anzu:I mean...
Anzu:not what I would consider a round.
Gamemaster:Yeah, like, geographically, I would say distance-wise, if Hallia is, like, where London is, the bulk of Belvedere in Austrene would be geographically where, like, Boston is.
Johnny:That's pretty bad.
Argyle:Wait.
Argyle:Hmm.
Argyle:Wait, Austrene is where Arctos is from, right?
Gamemaster:Like, that distance.
Gamemaster:Arctos would have been from the ice floes north of Austrene.
Gamemaster:Yes.
Anzu:The Wilds.
Argyle:Oh, we're siblings.
Argyle:We're siblings.
Anzu:It's a little different.
Anzu:I mean, it's possible that somebody from Belvedere found the Keystone, brought it to Belvedere, and then it was stolen.
Benny:You're a bird.
Benny:You're very close to a sibling.
Gamemaster:Wow.
Gamemaster:The story that Atum gave Benny is they found this, like, uncategorized.
Gamemaster:It randomly appeared in their item stores.
Gamemaster:They went to analyze it, and while they were analyzing it, it got stolen.
Argyle:So that's similar to what happened with this guy.
Johnny:Yeah.
Argyle:It just randomly put in someone's vault.
Argyle:But yeah.
Anzu:I'll keep Anaïs out for her, Dad, for sure.
Anzu:If she's running with these people and if she's involved with this break-in, there is a chance that I'll see her, but it won't be for a couple months.
Gamemaster:I mean, listen, any news would be useful.
Anzu:Yeah, absolutely.
Gamemaster:Like, we're working to find her.
Gamemaster:I don't want to be the oak-bearing parent, but I feel like I'm justified here, you know?
Gamemaster:Just do my part trying to find her.
Anzu:Yeah.
Johnny:Hmm.
Anzu:Wow.
Anzu:Well, I guess thank you for letting me do my thing out here.
Anzu:I've learned more and grown more in the last couple months than I did in my last couple years back home.
Anzu:I have this feeling in the back of my head that this is exactly what I'm supposed to be doing right now.
Gamemaster:I'm happy that you have a goal that you're improving.
Gamemaster:You know, your grandma's the way she is.
Johnny:you you
Gamemaster:She has her reasons, but you have yours.
Gamemaster:I'm not about to get in the way of that.
Anzu:Right.
Gamemaster:I will say, I did have to lean pretty hard on a heart to locate you off of the way you had.
Gamemaster:Your grandma would not need to lean all that hard to do it.
Gamemaster:If you need to do that in the future, I can give you another ID to use if you're trying to stay home.
Gamemaster:If I give it to you, you have to promise to every once in a while call mom, just for me, so I can make sure you're doing okay.
Anzu:All right.
Anzu:Yeah, that makes sense.
Gamemaster:We worry about you.
Gamemaster:You can take care of yourself, but lots of things can take care of themselves.
Benny:you
Gamemaster:I don't want to get too far and over your head.
Anzu:Right.
Anzu:Well, things are good for now.
Anzu:I'm in a good spot.
Gamemaster:That's... I'm happy to hear that.
Gamemaster:Just, you know, come back at some point once you've gotten your fill of the outside.
Anzu:I don't think she'll ever let me leave again.
Anzu:Alright.
Johnny:Thank you.
Gamemaster:Uh, no comment.
Anzu:You gotta be careful too, Dad.
Anzu:Some of the stuff I've learned recently that... That name Herald...
Anzu:I don't know a lot about it, but from what I do know, it seems like it's dangerous.
Anzu:There could be some outside influence going on with those people.
Anzu:It might be more than just a group with a common goal.
Gamemaster:I mean, we were planning on stepping up our investigation, and we have to put pressure to them if she's just hiding out with them right now.
Benny:Wow.
Gamemaster:Maybe it's worth accelerating that, if you think that they're actually dangerous, if that may mean something to you.
Johnny:you you
Anzu:Yeah.
Anzu:Do you know why they call themselves singers?
Gamemaster:I know very little about them, unfortunately.
Gamemaster:The only thing they put forward is they have calls to get rid of nobility and flatten the hierarchy.
Gamemaster:To what end?
Anzu:Hmm.
Gamemaster:I kind of assumed it was just they could take places of power over nobility because that's kind of what all anti-nobility arguments are for in the end.
Anzu:alright well that's all really good to know believe it or not I'll do my best to help as well you know if she finds me I'll let you know for sure
Gamemaster:But...
Gamemaster:They've never said as much out loud, obviously.
Johnny:Thank you.
Gamemaster:I'm glad I could help you.
Gamemaster:Please, please.
Gamemaster:We're just worried about her.
Benny:you you
Anzu:Before I let you go, some friends that I've made recently are in the other room, and they really wanted to say hi.
Anzu:Is that something you would want, or are you not really interested in that?
Gamemaster:I'd love to say hi to your friends.
Gamemaster:See who you're hanging out with.
Gamemaster:No anti-nobility rebels, right?
Johnny:All three of us fall in back on top of each other.
Gamemaster:Or do I have to be worried about you as well?
Anzu:No, actually, one of them is nobility, in a way.
Gamemaster:Huh?
Gamemaster:Oh, that's good.
Gamemaster:I'm glad you're making friends of your caliber.
Anzu:Um, and I'll kind of like, I guess, yell out the room, like, all right, you guys can come in if you want and say hi to my dad.
Argyle:The door swings really quickly.
Argyle:And Arctos and Johnny and Betty were like, oh, yeah, yeah, great.
Benny:No.
Argyle:Hi, Mr. Anzu, sir.
Gamemaster:Johnny's on top of Arctos.
Gamemaster:Okay.
Johnny:And Arctos is on top of Benny.
Gamemaster:Absolutely.
Gamemaster:That I buy, because Benny's a 12-year-old child.
Gamemaster:Nine-year-old child.
Gamemaster:Shoot, how old is Benny?
Gamemaster:Nine?
Argyle:Bye.
Gamemaster:Nine.
Gamemaster:I'm sorry.
Gamemaster:I don't know how ages work.
Gamemaster:Sorry, I just thought you guys were like, is he really a child?
Gamemaster:The twist is that he's actually Tywelwyn that he's lying that he's nine.
Benny:He's a tween.
Johnny:The whole time.
Johnny:The whole time.
Gamemaster:Yeah, Anzu's dad, Adol, will say hi to all of you.
Gamemaster:Have a little chat.
Gamemaster:Just, you know.
Gamemaster:If anything else, he's just happy that you all don't sound like you're criminals or anti-nobility rebels.
Argyle:Mm-hmm.
Gamemaster:He's actually very happy with Arctos' pedigree, if nothing else.
Argyle:Mm-mm.
Argyle:Mm-hmm.
Gamemaster:And I assume doesn't ask too deeply of the other two.
Gamemaster:I imagine Johnny doesn't want to go too far in depth into what he does for work, so to speak.
Gamemaster:But, you know, yeah, that's fine.
Johnny:I'm a poet.
Johnny:That's what I say.
Gamemaster:He does look down a little bit on the arts, because you don't have a patron, so clearly you're not very good.
Gamemaster:But, you know, that's neither here nor there.
Gamemaster:And assuming you don't have anything else you want to say to your dad before he hangs up...
Gamemaster:You guys can tune into the conversation after chatting for a little bit.
Anzu:Talk soon.
Gamemaster:Be safe.
Johnny:what's up
Anzu:Guys, we got a big problem.
Argyle:Okay.
Argyle:We know.
Argyle:We heard everything.
Anzu:Apparently, my sister...
Anzu:has gotten involved with a group at Belvedere, kind of rebel group, if you will, called the Singers of the Herald's Star.
Anzu:Which is bad, and every word is bad.
Anzu:Except for maybe of.
Argyle:Yeah.
Argyle:So singers, like the Voidsong.
Argyle:Herald, like the Evil Six.
Anzu:Mm-hmm.
Argyle:Star, like... Yeah.
Gamemaster:gives you sunburns.
Johnny:Herald, bad.
Anzu:they want to destroy the nobility, which is bad, but the worst part of it is the Herald... Yeah, my family's pretty notable at Belvedere, yeah.
Benny:you you
Argyle:Are you noble?
Argyle:Are you nobility?
Argyle:OK.
Anzu:And a little bit elitist at times.
Anzu:I'm sorry about that, Johnny.
Anzu:I didn't mean for my dad to talk down to you like that.
Johnny:That's fine.
Anzu:But he doesn't really know you.
Johnny:I feel like we'd get along.
Anzu:That's actually very possible.
Johnny:He would love my poetry if he heard it.
Argyle:To your sister, Herald.
Johnny:So.
Anzu:Apparently she's been hanging out with these people and she disappeared at the same time that the break-in happened.
Argyle:So she stole from Benny's dad.
Argyle:I guess we'll see them.
Benny:a break-in is the same break-in uh
Anzu:So yes, yeah, the break-in that happened two days ago, yeah.
Anzu:So now we have confirmation that Pyre is not the only new individual that is harmonizing.
Argyle:So I think there's a couple options here.
Johnny:Thanks.
Argyle:One, the pilgrimage is specifically for the Voidsong.
Argyle:And then these evil gods are trying to hand deliver some lodestones to their groups to then have them join us on this pilgrimage.
Anzu:Right.
Argyle:Or the Voidsong is one of the evil groups and we're just going to be there hanging out with the other evil guys.
Anzu:Well, by all accounts, the Voidsong is still first.
Johnny:It seems like... I mean, I think there's a... We don't really know what's going on, but it's totally possible that there's a pilgrimage for every single one of the listeners out there, and there's another player doing something.
Anzu:Which I guess is neither here nor there, but...
Argyle:Yeah.
Johnny:Or there's a pilgrimage in every country.
Anzu:I don't understand.
Anzu:No, he just noted that it coincided with my sister's disappearance.
Johnny:Could be a pilgrimage in every country.
Benny:Did your folks say anything about us intersecting with the break-in?
Benny:Or was the break-in mentioned?
Benny:Because I was actually asked directly to just run at the person that managed to break into a Belvedere facility.
Anzu:So it could be...
Benny:Do I have to run at your sister?
Anzu:I don't know.
Anzu:I don't want to fight her.
Johnny:you
Anzu:I don't understand what... No, no, no.
Benny:No, I said me.
Benny:I'll run at your sister.
Benny:Well, you better stop her.
Anzu:I just don't get why she would get involved with these people.
Anzu:It doesn't make sense.
Benny:Mind control.
Benny:Bad choices.
Anzu:But my family's minds are supposed to be their strongest asset.
Anzu:It's just a little worrying, that's all.
Argyle:So I have to keep Anaïs out for other mind birds.
Anzu:Right.
Argyle:Very concerning.
Benny:I'll say okay.
Anzu:The Singers of the Herald Star.
Anzu:Great.
Argyle:I got a business meeting, so I'm going to go to that.
Johnny:As.
Gamemaster:If you don't have anything that you want to do immediately, we can go back into the time moves forward bit.
Anzu:I finished my staff.
Gamemaster:Absolutely.
Gamemaster:You finish your staff, and you can empower it with the spells that you chose that have the mental trait, because staffs...
Anzu:Okay.
Gamemaster:What spells are you imbuing it with, if you don't mind?
Benny:Evil.
Johnny:Oh.
Anzu:So, it gets one cantrip and two level one spells.
Anzu:I believe.
Anzu:The cantrip is just going to be message, because it's the only one I have that's mental, and that's not really what I was doing it for.
Anzu:But the spells are going to be soothe, which is mental, believe it or not.
Argyle:Okay.
Johnny:one
Anzu:And phantom pain.
Gamemaster:Okay, soothe phantom pain message.
Gamemaster:What is the, what's your, what's your, it's int based, it's int based.
Anzu:Indeed, a cult.
Gamemaster:Occult or arcane?
Gamemaster:I'm just, I'm adding it to foundry now while I remember.
Benny:Thank you.
Gamemaster:Soothe.
Argyle:What does your staff look like?
Gamemaster:What does your staff look like?
Anzu:So the staff is made out of like a light wood.
Anzu:kind pretty uh like smooth and uniform like almost quarterstaff like uh except it does have uh towards the top a outcropping uh perch for othello um and it's got uh painted uh onto it um a bunch of uh
Argyle:Yeah, yes.
Johnny:Yes.
Anzu:dots like very small dots like pointillism style mostly black with a little bit of blue here and there and it's got like a kind of optical illusion type effect to it like the dots kind of blur and like sometimes if you stare at it it's like are they moving they're not you know that kind of thing
Benny:Jimmy.
Johnny:That's really cool.
Argyle:Very cool, very cool.
Gamemaster:I apologize, I'm dumb.
Gamemaster:I've already forgotten the spell that you told me.
Gamemaster:Message Soothe and... Phantom Pain, right.
Anzu:Phantom Pain.
Gamemaster:Of course, the Metal Gear Solid, the technique.
Gamemaster:How could I forget?
Gamemaster:Okay, you have to move your staff and factory now, in case that comes up.
Argyle:I assume I would laugh if I knew that Mike was referencing.
Benny:It's a really dumb meme.
Gamemaster:I got it.
Gamemaster:No, I got it.
Gamemaster:Okay, your staff is complete.
Gamemaster:Absolutely.
Gamemaster:We will push time forward a little bit.
Gamemaster:Johnny, what you got for me?
Johnny:I got three projects that will span the whole thing.
Johnny:Number one, I'm going to start teaching improv classes.
Gamemaster:Absolutely.
Johnny:Put up some posters.
Johnny:Get people to come in.
Johnny:Charge, I don't know.
Johnny:I want a high-end clientele.
Gamemaster:So the way that that would work if you're going for high-end clients is, like, buy the earn income downtime ability.
Johnny:I'll charge a couple silver.
Gamemaster:You could make two gold pieces a day.
Gamemaster:Um, which, you know, it's, it's funny how, like, money works out in this game, because, you know, you could either go and beat up a, like, a bad guy and get 300,000 gold, or you could, you know, teach improv classes and get two gold a day.
Benny:Thank you.
Gamemaster:But, it's weird.
Gamemaster:The economy's strange.
Gamemaster:Either way, uh, two gold a day for the entirety of the downtime is not, like, not nothing.
Gamemaster:Uh, that...
Johnny:I will do that.
Gamemaster:It does work out to be 360 cult pieces over the course of this downtime.
Johnny:Excellent.
Johnny:I will not do it under my name.
Johnny:It will be under Jonathan Scaff.
Gamemaster:Sure.
Johnny:It's not under Johnny Skyfall.
Benny:you you
Johnny:That's one.
Johnny:Second one, pretty quickly, I would like to follow up on The Scale & Sons laser gun thing.
Johnny:I had a... I believe I had...
Gamemaster:Yes, absolutely.
Anzu:Lark.
Johnny:Yes, Lark Crowe.
Gamemaster:Yes, you can do that.
Gamemaster:Okay, so you actually had two avenues here.
Gamemaster:You could meet up with The Scale and Sons, like, with the contact, and you had asked Hale to look into it on his end.
Benny:Thank you.
Gamemaster:And I think you'll get two different, like, pieces of information out of those particular avenues.
Gamemaster:What is the plan with luck?
Gamemaster:Just so I know, like going in.
Johnny:Since we have some time, I think I would just like to first introduce myself and explain who I am.
Johnny:Maybe see about buying some special guns.
Johnny:And then slowly try and be like, where do you get these guns from?
Johnny:Can I talk to your supplier?
Johnny:We're interested in maybe some bigger caliber.
Johnny:Maybe kind of insinuate that the ghosts maybe are planning something and need something extra special.
Johnny:And sort of see how far I can backtrace it to where it's all coming from.
Gamemaster:Okay.
Gamemaster:I think I need from you, then, what I would want is a deception check to, like, make this guy think that you guys are planning something and are looking to, like, really pull down some firepower more than he would just tell you off the street.
Gamemaster:31.
Johnny:31.
Gamemaster:Okay.
Gamemaster:I think that's enough.
Gamemaster:Sure.
Gamemaster:So he catches what you're putting down.
Gamemaster:There is a... Unfortunately, I think what you would get out of this is there is a hitch in that, in that the guns that he has are...
Gamemaster:and they're not high caliber for a reason.
Gamemaster:They're still developing that.
Gamemaster:He's very happy to upsell you to some of their more traditional firearms.
Gamemaster:But the...
Gamemaster:Can I get... I think I want one more check to see if you can weasel out... Like, you've passed the check.
Johnny:Oh, I'll go with deception again.
Gamemaster:He believes you.
Gamemaster:He knows that you want firearms.
Anzu:You.
Gamemaster:I want a lower stakes check, either deception or diplomacy here, to wheedle out information that he has on who he calls his consultant that they're working with on these new firearms.
Johnny:31 again, same rule.
Gamemaster:Okay.
Argyle:Bless you.
Gamemaster:So I think what you would get out of that is... One second.
Benny:you
Johnny:um um
Gamemaster:Back a bit.
Gamemaster:With a 31, I think what you can wheedle out of him is that...
Gamemaster:They've been working with this guy, Salo Murn is his name, who came back from an expedition starward.
Benny:Thank you.
Gamemaster:with some interesting technology that he said he found in a city that he had raided.
Johnny:Okay, that's probably good enough for now.
Argyle:And.
Gamemaster:But he only came back with so much material, so Sable and Suns is gearing up to go and get more to continue their development into these firearms.
Gamemaster:But until they do so, unfortunately, they can't get you the big guns you're looking for.
Johnny:And then if that's as far as that one goes, my third thing, which would be probably consume the rest of my time, I just want to keep tabs on Pyrelight slash Embercall, look into ways past the big wall of fire, maybe through the sewers, and see if I can figure out who, how, and why people get invites to their parties.
Benny:you you
Gamemaster:Absolutely.
Gamemaster:Sure.
Gamemaster:You can look into that.
Gamemaster:I think we'll come back to that as we proceed further along at the same time.
Johnny:Cool.
Gamemaster:We'll push forward a little bit.
Gamemaster:And I want to do like
Gamemaster:Before we get too far, I want to do a bit of a perspective shift.
Benny:you you
Gamemaster:So, you know, imagine it's a movie, scene change.
Gamemaster:We are in a very...
Johnny:you
Gamemaster:No, it's probably cramped.
Gamemaster:You can't quite tell because the room is very heavily filled with smoke.
Gamemaster:Like, people have been smoking in it for hours at this point, and it's just kind of somehow built up instead of attaching to the walls.
Gamemaster:And the reason for this smoke is there are three figures in this room.
Gamemaster:There's one person who is sat behind a pretty large-looking
Benny:Thank you.
Gamemaster:deep dark wood desk with a number of piles stacked on top and across from them is one figure who's who is smoking not like smoking a cigar like smoke is rising off of their body they are
Gamemaster:strangely goat-like in a way.
Gamemaster:They've got cloven hooves for legs and like furred legs that way.
Argyle:Thank you.
Johnny:you
Gamemaster:They have these clear bending back horns and their eyes are yellow with that strange goat-like pupil.
Gamemaster:It looks like wearing suit pants that have been cut just below the knee and a vest with no undershirt or jacket or anything on top of that, which, if nothing else, shows there are a number of deep, scarred-over burn marks of some kind of...
Gamemaster:like magic runes or some kind of language on their arms and on their legs and up and down the horns that are almost like scabbing over and oozing a little bit of, not blood because it's not quite the right color, it's a little more yellowish than it should be, but definitely stuff that's meant to stay in the body.
Argyle:Thank you.
Gamemaster:And another figure, a little bit hunched over, sat next to this weird demon, devil, fiendish-looking creature.
Gamemaster:They're both facing the figure behind the desk, who is, at first glance, a human female.
Gamemaster:But if you look closer, you can tell that their skin is papery.
Gamemaster:No, that's the wrong term.
Benny:Thank you.
Gamemaster:Their skin is paper.
Gamemaster:It looks like their face is folded out of many, many layers of this grayish, yellowish origami, almost, into the shape of a person.
Gamemaster:And you can see that as they... It looks like they're pulling through a folder of some kind.
Gamemaster:Their arm unfolds and refolds into a new shape, as if they're constantly moving origami as they flip through the pages.
Gamemaster:As they're flipping through, they look at the third figure in the room and say, Argyle, you've gotten yourself into something this time.
Gamemaster:Argyle, describe what you look like at this point.
Argyle:Yeah, so, everyone, looks very similar to the Argyle you saw.
Argyle:Black suit, white shirt, tie, some gold.
Argyle:There's a little pen on his right.
Argyle:But his eyes are ivory, and then there are, like, where irises should be, just, like, two flat discs of gold.
Argyle:He looks a little bit taller and a little bit more elf-like.
Argyle:But other than that,
Argyle:It looks very similar.
Gamemaster:The origami person, the Yaoguai, Dame Quay, will say, I don't know if I want to send you back there immediately.
Johnny:you know
Gamemaster:It seems like a bad idea.
Gamemaster:You got killed last time.
Gamemaster:Flintlock, the demon, will say, Yeah, but he might die here too.
Gamemaster:Plus, if that's what he's looking for, it kind of seems like they're headed in the right direction.
Gamemaster:What do you think, Argyle?
Gamemaster:You happy to march towards your death again?
Argyle:I think we have to go towards the other half.
Argyle:I think this is the only way I know how.
Gamemaster:He will say...
Gamemaster:Listen, there are whispers, and you can confirm it if you meet up with your old friends.
Gamemaster:It seems like there's something going down with the Voidsong.
Gamemaster:Assuming you're still connected, I think you are.
Argyle:A little less so, but yes.
Gamemaster:They're headed voidward, which seems like the direction you want to go anyway.
Gamemaster:So I'd suggest you just...
Gamemaster:Bunk up with them.
Gamemaster:And don't die this time?
Argyle:Sounds good.
Argyle:Do we know how the others survived?
Gamemaster:No.
Johnny:Well.
Gamemaster:I mean, we don't know how... Like, we don't really know how he survived either, so... You can ask them, see if they have anyone say it.
Argyle:All right.
Gamemaster:Great.
Argyle:He salutes.
Gamemaster:Um... Yep.
Gamemaster:Uh, she, uh...
Gamemaster:Starts pulling out another folder.
Gamemaster:Having finished your briefing, she immediately moves on to the next thing, and she starts talking to Flipok about something happening with Velthara.
Argyle:Flintlock, and I leave and just start.
Argyle:Guests heading over.
Gamemaster:Flipok tips a non-existent hat to you.
Gamemaster:You can head on out.
Gamemaster:And about...
Gamemaster:you know, a day afterwards, after he's finished his prep and stuff, the four of you in the tavern, in the Sin and Tonic, will... I assume Argyle is just going to head right to the Sin and Tonic, because that's where everybody else is.
Johnny:I only have.
Argyle:Mm-hmm.
Gamemaster:Absolutely.
Gamemaster:So the four of you enjoying tolerating a slightly runnier, overcooked egg and bacon mash.
Anzu:Oh.
Gamemaster:we'll see an archaic saloon door-style walk-through into the front of the tavern.
Argyle:Hello, compatriots.
Benny:Argyle.
Johnny:Argyle?
Argyle:Yes, you may call me that.
Johnny:What?
Anzu:This is unexpected.
Anzu:I mean, how are you here?
Anzu:What?
Argyle:The awesome power of the judge has ripped me from perdition.
Argyle:How are you two three here?
Benny:What?
Benny:What?
Johnny:Wait, is he telling the truth?
Argyle:He looks at this bear.
Johnny:Can I just get a vibe check?
Johnny:Is he telling the truth about the judge or is he just making stuff up?
Gamemaster:Yeah.
Gamemaster:Roll a perception or I think you can also roll deception to tell if he's lying.
Johnny:I do have light.
Argyle:No.
Johnny:I will use light.
Gamemaster:Yeah.
Johnny:You get an item that bumps this.
Johnny:19.
Johnny:Not great.
Gamemaster:Argyle, are you lying?
Anzu:Thank you.
Gamemaster:Or does it seem like you're lying to Johnny?
Gamemaster:No?
Argyle:Nothing to pick up on, no.
Benny:when did you come back to living?
Johnny:like how how long
Argyle:I'm afraid I did not have a calendar when I awoken.
Benny:Was it like today?
Benny:Was it a month ago?
Benny:I think that falls very short of the word descriptive.
Argyle:I've come back.
Argyle:I've been in this body for a little bit now.
Argyle:I understand the confusion.
Johnny:Are your eyes okay, Argyle?
Benny:Benny will resonate.
Gamemaster:Yeah, Benny resonates, and Argyle does resonate, although the connection there is weirdly a little tenuous.
Gamemaster:Like, he doesn't resonate as much, if that makes sense.
Benny:Sure.
Johnny:You look...
Argyle:Does the light of the judge scare you?
Johnny:You seem a little more intense than you did before you died.
Johnny:That's right.
Gamemaster:I would also note that his raiment is double the size it was when you last saw him.
Johnny:So is all of ours.
Gamemaster:Yeah.
Anzu:No, the judge brought you back to us, back to the world.
Argyle:So...
Argyle:He brought me back to the world, yes.
Johnny:uh me and benny put ourselves back together Atum by Atum
Anzu:Wow.
Benny:Okay.
Argyle:How did you guys get here?
Benny:And the Voidsong or the vocalist.
Argyle:I thought you said another name.
Benny:Vocalist.
Benny:Yeah.
Benny:All right.
Argyle:Okay.
Argyle:What is art?
Benny:um oh he's like a he's like a chill dude he knows a bunch of stuff all right um actually i don't know i mean at least not right now no
Johnny:But this is our new friend, Sir Arctos.
Argyle:Okay.
Argyle:Where is art?
Argyle:Is he here?
Anzu:I don't think he's here.
Anzu:No, probably not.
Johnny:He's a bear.
Argyle:He extends his hand.
Argyle:He shakes it.
Gamemaster:I don't know if you're avoiding that.
Benny:Do you know Art?
Gamemaster:But he... You would have seen him for a half second before continuing your trip all the way into the Pharos.
Argyle:What is our... What do I know of art, Josh?
Johnny:you you
Argyle:Oh, that being I saw.
Benny:You probably saw him talking to us.
Argyle:Yes.
Argyle:How'd you talk to him?
Benny:With my mouth?
Argyle:I guess that's fair.
Benny:I mean, I don't think I'm privy.
Argyle:He clicks his pen.
Benny:Okay.
Argyle:All right.
Argyle:Well, what is the plan, compatriots?
Johnny:What's your plan?
Johnny:You've been gone for a minute and you kind of just came back in.
Benny:Yeah, are you okay?
Argyle:While I awoke naked by the river, I did find some other Scale members who came to bring me back home.
Johnny:Same.
Johnny:Same.
Argyle:And I chatted with people that you do not have security clearance to know about.
Argyle:If you may call them people.
Anzu:Right.
Benny:Okay.
Argyle:And I've come back to continue my mission.
Benny:And what is your mission?
Argyle:to find out more about this Voidsong.
Johnny:Did you just check your notes?
Gamemaster:You don't need to roll.
Argyle:I like to make sure I don't misspeak.
Argyle:Lying is bad.
Johnny:Is Argyle... I know he just came back from the dead, but is Argyle acting like a fucking narc right now?
Benny:That is...
Gamemaster:Yes.
Johnny:Argyle, what's my name?
Argyle:Johnny Skyfall.
Argyle:You have associations with the ghosts and Iconoclasm.
Argyle:I recall we had some friendly interactions before where you got those gold glasses or was kicked out of that place.
Johnny:Our girl wasn't like this before, right?
Benny:Yeah.
Anzu:Well, death can be traumatic.
Johnny:And when me and Benny came back and we're the same, we didn't come back talking about this.
Anzu:Well, Argyle, it's a relief to know that you made it back to us.
Johnny:me and betty
Anzu:From what we had heard, it seemed like your soul had kind of passed into the beyond, whatever that may be.
Benny:Stucked up that elevator.
Argyle:I can see the confusion.
Anzu:Right.
Argyle:Did you die?
Argyle:Or did you make it out?
Anzu:Me.
Anzu:No, I didn't die.
Anzu:Johnny in a last moment of heroics helped me to escape.
Argyle:Congrats.
Benny:Here he goes again.
Benny:Just bragging about it.
Argyle:Congrats.
Argyle:I assume death would be traumatic.
Johnny:Guys, it was nothing.
Johnny:It was nothing.
Johnny:Please, please.
Johnny:We all know who the real hero in this group is.
Johnny:Please.
Argyle:Well done in the sacrificial play.
Argyle:I did not expect it out of someone from the ghosts.
Benny:Yeah.
Johnny:On Zoom means a lot to me.
Argyle:Thank you.
Johnny:I would have done it for you too.
Johnny:You guys were already dead by the time it sort of came up.
Argyle:Thank you.
Argyle:If it makes you feel any better, if it makes you feel any better, I would sacrifice my life for you.
Anzu:Yeah, we did not.
Benny:Death happens like that.
Anzu:We did.
Anzu:All right.
Anzu:Yeah, I mean, we're still kind of trying to understand the Voidsong as well.
Anzu:You know, it's kind of ever persistent.
Argyle:Do we have any plants?
Benny:I have to go to the bathroom.
Gamemaster:You don't have the Oniroscope.
Anzu:No, Josh, he's a child.
Benny:Benny will leave the room.
Anzu:He's got a small bladder.
Anzu:He just has to go to the bathroom.
Gamemaster:Sorry.
Gamemaster:Yeah, absolutely.
Gamemaster:Betty can do that.
Argyle:Have you guys had food yet?
Anzu:Yeah, there's probably some more eggs.
Johnny:Yeah.
Anzu:We've been trying to get them to be better.
Anzu:I think the cook time goes down by 8 to 10 seconds a day.
Argyle:Thank you.
Gamemaster:Ginny will say,
Gamemaster:I've got it down to a solid 15.
Anzu:Yeah.
Gamemaster:It's improving.
Gamemaster:Also, I'm happy you're not dead anymore, Argyle.
Argyle:Can I have a plate of your?
Gamemaster:Would you like some egg?
Argyle:Yes.
Gamemaster:He cuts you a slice of egg.
Gamemaster:Because it's just like in a loaf.
Benny:Bye-bye.
Gamemaster:It's not a quiche.
Gamemaster:It's just really overcooked.
Gamemaster:But it's slightly better than it is before.
Argyle:Thank you for the sustenance.
Gamemaster:Absolutely.
Gamemaster:I've gotten a lot of compliments on this one, such as, it's not as bad as yesterday, and it's definitely egg, which are both true statements.
Argyle:honest feedback is very important come on compatriots let's eat and be merry
Gamemaster:Benny, can I ask what you're doing in the bathroom, if you even went to the bathroom?
Benny:Benny is trying to find a way to signal someone else to head to the bathroom without making it obvious to Argyle, and Benny does not have the magical fortitude.
Benny:Actually, Benny's...
Johnny:Are the bathrooms one person or two person?
Johnny:Like mobile people.
Gamemaster:What?
Johnny:Are the bathrooms, is it just like a one person bathroom or are they?
Gamemaster:It's... We'll say it's like a commercial bathroom.
Gamemaster:They've got two stalls and two urinals.
Johnny:Okay.
Johnny:After about five minutes, I think Johnny will realize what's going on and also go to the bathroom.
Anzu:Well, the eggs are overcooked, not undercooked.
Johnny:I'm going to go check on Benny.
Johnny:Maybe Fallon.
Argyle:I think your two friends have gone food poisoning.
Gamemaster:Ginny will say, they couldn't have gotten food poisoning, that's why I cook it so much, to cook all the poison out.
Anzu:Right.
Gamemaster:You never know with eggs from Sableclutch.
Argyle:Very smart choice.
Anzu:And we get pretty regular shipments of eggs, so it's not like they're old eggs.
Anzu:Benny's young.
Anzu:Sometimes maybe he needs a little help or something.
Anzu:I don't know.
Argyle:I think you're lying to me, but that's okay.
Anzu:Um...
Gamemaster:In the bathroom.
Johnny:Benny, are you okay?
Johnny:Did you fall in?
Johnny:That's really not how you're supposed to use... Okay.
Benny:Listen.
Johnny:I'll get down on... No, this guy's crazy.
Benny:We know Argyle.
Benny:That's not Argyle.
Johnny:I don't know what is happening with this thing.
Benny:What are we going to do?
Johnny:Maybe we tell them we have an important mission in Istria and to meet us there.
Benny:That might work.
Johnny:Oh no, you think Anzu's dead out there?
Benny:But if he finds out... Oh my god.
Argyle:Thank you.
Anzu:Thank you.
Benny:Anzu can't keep a straight face.
Benny:He might already be dead.
Johnny:You think he massacred everybody?
Johnny:I mean, I don't know.
Benny:What do we... A few months!
Johnny:I guess we have a few months, but this guy's kind of weird.
Johnny:I was just warming up to Arctos.
Benny:I don't think we want him hanging around.
Benny:If that's not him, it's like, this is full Trojan horse, right?
Benny:Yeah, I mean, there's no... I mean, why else, right?
Johnny:You think that someone sent an Argyle type thing to infiltrate us?
Benny:If they wanted to attack us, they could attack us.
Benny:I think they want information.
Benny:Maybe we... Maybe we get him out to somewhere that's like...
Benny:secluded and we interrogate him or we test him we need more comprehensive did you see did you hear the way he phrased things to you you asked something you're like do you know me and it's like i recall that we were that that we had positive interactions
Johnny:beat him up, and say, where's Argyle?
Johnny:Yeah, remember, yeah, that's not how you talk to, that's not how anyone talks to anyone.
Johnny:It's like they got all his memories and then jammed it into an Argyle simulacrum.
Johnny:What's up with his eyes?
Johnny:Do you see his eyes?
Benny:No, he's too tall.
Johnny:He is a little too tall.
Anzu:you you
Johnny:No one grows as an adult.
Argyle:I'll Biden.
Benny:It's tall.
Benny:It's tall, Biden.
Johnny:Oh, no.
Benny:I think we avoid discussing anything sensitive around him.
Benny:I mean, I don't know.
Johnny:Yeah.
Benny:Maybe it's him and he's being weird, but we have to at least test him.
Johnny:We got to let Anzu know, too.
Benny:He's already dead.
Johnny:Oh, man.
Johnny:I like Donzu.
Benny:We'll get him back.
Benny:It's his turn now.
Johnny:Oh, he gets to reconstruct himself?
Johnny:Alright.
Johnny:When he walks in naked, then... I guess we can get matching tattoos or something.
Benny:Okay.
Benny:Well, I feel like it's unfair for him.
Benny:He's got all the feathers.
Benny:He probably doesn't look indecent.
Benny:But anyways, they're probably getting suspicious.
Benny:We gotta head out.
Gamemaster:We swap back.
Gamemaster:Anzu, are you dead?
Anzu:I don't think so.
Anzu:And if not, so something I've been working on recently, I made this staff.
Argyle:I was admiring the craftsmanship.
Anzu:I painted it.
Benny:Thank you.
Argyle:The dots look like they're moving, but I don't know if they are.
Anzu:Yeah, yeah.
Anzu:No, it's just an illusion in the most basic sense, not even in the magical sense.
Argyle:I see.
Argyle:And I like this flat surface for your bird to perch onto it.
Anzu:But it is fascinating.
Anzu:Yeah.
Anzu:Bouncing around on my shoulder, this might be better or worse.
Anzu:I'm not sure.
Argyle:Is that heavy to carry?
Anzu:No, it's pretty light.
Anzu:Thank you.
Argyle:Nice craftsmanship.
Argyle:So what have you been up to?
Anzu:You know, we've just been trying to learn stuff.
Argyle:Have you learned anything?
Anzu:Yeah.
Anzu:We've learned there's a lot of factions kind of at play in the world right now.
Argyle:So uncomfortable.
Argyle:We should burn them in their own fire and let them be judged by the judge of all ages.
Anzu:It's pretty crazy.
Anzu:We still really haven't figured out too much about these Pyre folks.
Anzu:I know you probably remember we were trying to figure that out.
Anzu:I think...
Benny:you
Anzu:I do think, personally, I would like to investigate them a little more heavily.
Anzu:That's one of the things we haven't really done.
Anzu:But yeah, there's this whole harmony thing that at first it seemed like the Voight song was the only one.
Johnny:you
Argyle:There's others?
Anzu:Maybe it's not.
Argyle:What are the others' names?
Anzu:Well, there's the Embercall.
Anzu:That's what Pyre's up to.
Anzu:And we heard a weird story about a strider in Istria that started making weird noises that could have been a harmony.
Argyle:Pyre, yes.
Argyle:Who's Harmony?
Benny:you you
Anzu:I'm not sure.
Anzu:That's pretty far away.
Anzu:No, you know harmonies, like the Voidsong.
Anzu:Harmonies.
Argyle:Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes.
Anzu:Yeah, you've heard it.
Anzu:Yeah, awesome.
Argyle:That was a joke.
Argyle:You can laugh.
Gamemaster:No doubt this time I will return.
Anzu:Nice one.
Johnny:What is happening right now?
Argyle:Shall we wait for the two at the bathroom troubles to come back?
Johnny:He fell in, but I pulled him out.
Benny:Anzu, you're alive!
Anzu:Yeah, we've just been kind of, you know, catching up.
Benny:What have you told him?
Anzu:I was showing him my staff.
Benny:Oh, okay.
Anzu:And I told him that we're still kind of working on the whole Embercall Pyre thing.
Argyle:And he told me about all of the factions.
Benny:All of what?
Benny:You told him about all the factions.
Argyle:Those are exact words, yes.
Benny:Which factions?
Argyle:He just said all of them.
Benny:Wow.
Argyle:Yes.
Benny:You must talk fast.
Anzu:No just that there's a lot of stuff going on.
Benny:You talking about all the stuff going on?
Argyle:No, he specifically not told me about all the stuff going on.
Benny:Oh, okay.
Benny:Because some of the stuff is kind of personal for me.
Argyle:Hmm.
Johnny:Yeah.
Johnny:We were all sworn not to talk about it.
Johnny:Sorry you missed the pinky swear.
Argyle:I understand keeping promises.
Argyle:So, what's on our itinerary for today?
Johnny:I was going to go for a walk.
Benny:We're going to go hang out.
Benny:You know what we could do?
Johnny:Going to go for a walk by myself down the Smilers.
Johnny:Going to be there for a few hours.
Johnny:Goodbye.
Argyle:May I accompany you?
Argyle:I promise I will not investigate the criminal.
Johnny:I think I'm going to go by myself.
Johnny:But it was nice to see you again, Argyle.
Johnny:I'll be at Smiler's in a little while.
Benny:You know what we could do, Johnny?
Johnny:Goodbye.
Johnny:Oh, yes.
Benny:We could all hang out at that abandoned parking lot.
Johnny:The one where we did that one where we handed off those cars and I give the address of that abandoned parking lot.
Benny:I mean, it's a nice spot to just hang out.
Benny:There's not a lot of people around.
Benny:Okay.
Argyle:Sounds good.
Johnny:Tell you what, I'll go down to Smiler's and then meet you guys there in an hour.
Johnny:I am good, thank you.
Argyle:Would you like company?
Argyle:Johnny?
Argyle:Understood.
Benny:Oh, also...
Benny:Out of game.
Benny:At some point during the downtime, Benny would like to have purchased a lifting belt.
Gamemaster:Yeah, that's probably fine.
Benny:If that's doable.
Gamemaster:Let's say level four.
Anzu:you
Gamemaster:Yeah, we can get it for 10% off.
Benny:Okay.
Benny:Okay.
Argyle:Will we take the city tripper?
Johnny:you
Benny:guess we'll just hang out for the hour then and then or however long and then head to the abandoned parking lot um no i think we're banned from the city tripper we did a lot of like faction stuff and like learning in there so yeah um yeah
Argyle:I see.
Argyle:Was she mad when we died and they stole the car?
Anzu:Yes.
Argyle:Ah.
Argyle:That makes sense.
Anzu:But we did get it back, but now she doesn't really want us to use it anymore.
Argyle:I see.
Argyle:I'm comfortable waiting for an hour.
Argyle:And our guy will just like sit.
Benny:okay i'm sure there's a better option in the parking lot but it's what it's what we pick
Gamemaster:You guys are going to the parking lot?
Johnny:Yeah, Josh, can I get a, can I buy a Twilight tattoo from Smilers?
Argyle:Are we getting to the parking lot?
Gamemaster:You can go to the parking lot.
Gamemaster:That's fine.
Gamemaster:I don't have a daytime variant of the parking lot, so pretend it's daytime.
Benny:Okay.
Benny:We're probably going to take the car, the big car.
Gamemaster:Yeah, you can get a Twilight tattoo.
Gamemaster:I'm going to ignore that you're a member of the Twilight Talons part of the Access, because those don't exist in the setting.
Johnny:Cool.
Johnny:It'll be a ghost tattoo.
Johnny:I'll just run down there and get that and then meet everyone at the parking lot.
Gamemaster:Tori.
Gamemaster:Um, well, you could... We need to take the car.
Argyle:It's a very nice car.
Benny:Right.
Anzu:Thanks.
Argyle:I foresee the main weakness is running out of fuel.
Anzu:Oh, you would think.
Anzu:You would think.
Benny:Yeah.
Benny:We've got that covered.
Benny:Don't worry.
Anzu:I smack the trunk and I go, this baby can fit so much gas in it.
Gamemaster:You know what?
Benny:Yeah.
Anzu:Thank you.
Gamemaster:Did you just load into the sub-nexus lobby on Foundry?
Johnny:Yeah.
Gamemaster:Okay, there we go.
Gamemaster:I don't know how that happened.
Gamemaster:I assumed you would.
Johnny:Oh, Arctos came too.
Johnny:Nice.
Johnny:I wasn't sure if he was coming or if he had a business meeting.
Gamemaster:He's been in and out of business meetings.
Argyle:Mm-hmm.
Gamemaster:I think at most you guys have seen worrying diagrams and the like over the past two weeks in the bar of Arctos sketching out images of glass bottles.
Gamemaster:I don't know.
Gamemaster:Past that, it seems he's very into whatever he's doing right now.
Anzu:I cannot believe that you're out for Arctos' for him to become a drug dealer.
Johnny:I can't believe this.
Johnny:And you brought back.
Johnny:Argyle 2.0.
Johnny:Just a Dalek.
Gamemaster:okay so an hour has passed you guys all meet back up in the abandoned parking lot in the middle of nowhere widdershins um what are you doing
Argyle:Hello.
Benny:Benny will get out of the car.
Benny:Such a nice place, the cement.
Benny:And then if there's line of sight that Benny can get to Anzu, Benny will give him the hill face.
Benny:What does Anzu give back?
Anzu:Probably a little shake of the head no in terms of kill.
Benny:No.
Benny:Argyle.
Argyle:Yes.
Benny:What's going on?
Argyle:I'm confused.
Benny:We are two.
Argyle:OK.
Anzu:You know, you look different, you sound different, and can you just help us understand why that is?
Benny:What does that mean?
Anzu:To the same body or a different one?
Argyle:Yes, I died.
Argyle:The judge ripped me from perdition.
Argyle:I came back to the body.
Johnny:Yeah, but you're not... But you're a little taller and you're... What's up with your eyes?
Argyle:Same body.
Argyle:Oh, I'm closer to the judge.
Johnny:Is that... Is that a thing?
Argyle:There's less of another influence on me.
Anzu:Thank you.
Johnny:What was the other influence that was on you?
Benny:There is a, yeah.
Argyle:I'm afraid that is classified.
Gamemaster:Did we ever describe that, Jorge?
Johnny:Was there a tinge of something else in his raiment before?
Johnny:It was all just...
Gamemaster:I honestly don't remember.
Gamemaster:Maybe we could, like, it's up to you.
Argyle:I don't remember either.
Gamemaster:Was there?
Argyle:Yeah, probably a little bit of something else.
Anzu:Thank you.
Gamemaster:It would have been.
Argyle:I don't know what color it would be.
Gamemaster:It would have just been iron, I think.
Gamemaster:It's not the blackened raw iron.
Gamemaster:It would have been like a raw dull iron.
Gamemaster:There would have been a little bit of it that isn't there anymore.
Johnny:what does that mean
Argyle:Well, I was always this close with the judge.
Benny:so you came back you're closer to the judge are you acting more on behalf of the judge now so that immediately just contradicts what you said before he's closer
Anzu:That's fair.
Argyle:Now, I said, once I came back to this body, this body's closer to the judge.
Argyle:Any other questions?
Argyle:Are we here to admire this parking lot?
Johnny:You understand why we're kind of skeptical here?
Johnny:This is kind of odd.
Argyle:What is that?
Argyle:I can alleviate your concerns.
Benny:How do we know you're not someone else in the body?
Johnny:I mean, me and Ben.
Argyle:Same person.
Johnny:Yeah.
Johnny:But why are you talking?
Anzu:Do you feel like your memories from before your death have been obscured?
Argyle:Mostly.
Anzu:See, this is good to know.
Argyle:Oh, I understand the confusion.
Argyle:Not all of me came back.
Johnny:Thank you.
Anzu:This is really good progress.
Anzu:Thank you for saying that.
Anzu:And if you could expand on that at all, we would really appreciate it.
Argyle:You're welcome.
Argyle:It is classified.
Benny:yeah see so this the phrasing that you're using here
Anzu:Okay.
Anzu:Now that tracks.
Anzu:He said that a lot before.
Anzu:But you will admit that you have lost a part of yourself in the event.
Argyle:Part of Argyle was lost, yes.
Johnny:What?
Johnny:Why'd you mention yourself in the third person like that?
Johnny:Are you still Argyle?
Argyle:This is the being known as Argyle, is it not?
Johnny:Nope, that's a weird way to phrase it.
Johnny:Okay, who are you driving the body of the being known as Argyle?
Argyle:I go by the name Argyle.
Johnny:Okay, what's you?
Johnny:That's...
Argyle:Yes.
Benny:I think you need to start explaining things that are classified for us to feel comfortable discussing things around you.
Gamemaster:Okay.
Argyle:Nothing else came back that wasn't there before.
Benny:Which parts of you came back and which parts stayed and did anything else come back that wasn't there before?
Argyle:Argyle.
Argyle:The holy part came back.
Benny:Benny will glance at his two other compatriots.
Anzu:So there was a less holy part that's been expunged.
Argyle:That was more of a philosophical perdition.
Anzu:And what's the name of the place that you said the judge tore you from?
Johnny:Where's the unholy part of you?
Gamemaster:Nope, that's canon now.
Johnny:And are they walking around?
Johnny:And also, was that the cool part?
Argyle:You might have liked that part more.
Johnny:Dang, only the narc parts came back?
Johnny:All the cool Argyle went to hell.
Benny:Argyle, it feels like you're not actually here and you're just some sort of vessel for some part of the judge or the Scale.
Argyle:That is incorrect.
Argyle:I am actually looking for the other half.
Johnny:Oh, is he out around here somewhere?
Johnny:Should we find him?
Argyle:I assume he's out there.
Johnny:Where?
Johnny:Let's go find that half.
Argyle:Yes.
Argyle:That is my goal as well.
Benny:We need a lead.
Anzu:Do you have any leads?
Argyle:voidward which i hope you are going that is what i was cleared to know correct
Anzu:You believe the other half of Argyle is going voidward?
Anzu:Mm-hmm.
Benny:Why do you want the other half?
Benny:If you're like the Nark...
Benny:100% true to the judge half, do you want to kill the other half?
Benny:I mean, what business do you have interacting with the other half at all?
Argyle:We were bonded.
Argyle:It is meant to be bonded.
Benny:Yeah, but wouldn't that be the parts of you that are not fit to operate in the Scale?
Benny:It seems like the only reason you'd want to find that is to kill that.
Argyle:Not to kill it.
Argyle:It is part of the judge as well.
Anzu:Is the other half the one that smokes the myrrh?
Argyle:The mirror is partly for me.
Anzu:Or is that... It was both.
Gamemaster:I don't know how I completely forgot that Argyle used to just smoke myrrh.
Johnny:That was good.
Argyle:The mayor is mostly for me.
Argyle:Yes.
Anzu:Mostly for this half.
Gamemaster:That's Jorge just deciding he wants to keep that character trait.
Anzu:In a way, it's humanizing, really.
Anzu:So I prefer that.
Anzu:Now, I have a question.
Anzu:Will you know this other half when you see it?
Anzu:Will it also look kind of like you?
Argyle:I assume.
Argyle:I assume.
Anzu:And you woke up by the river.
Argyle:It is important to note, it is important to note, if you do see another half that looks like me, immediately tell me.
Anzu:Yeah, right.
Anzu:No, that makes sense.
Argyle:It is likely a demon wearing my face.
Johnny:How do we know you're not a demon looking for the real Argyle?
Johnny:I mean, that could be faked.
Argyle:I just look up at my raiment.
Argyle:Is your raiment fake?
Johnny:Nah.
Benny:I don't think we want to know.
Argyle:You're right, I don't want to know.
Argyle:By the way, I am cleared to not charge you with any crimes.
Benny:Yes, that's concerning.
Benny:That goes without saying.
Benny:I mean, I'm not charging these two with any crimes.
Benny:Although I definitely could.
Gamemaster:Thank you.
Johnny:Are you a cop?
Johnny:Have you been a cop this whole time?
Benny:No.
Johnny:Are you a child cop?
Benny:I thought charging was more of a symbolic thing.
Argyle:Any other questions?
Johnny:I don't even know.
Argyle:I think this is very straightforward.
Benny:i don't i don't think anyone else agrees yes
Argyle:Well, you may still call me Argyle.
Anzu:Thanks.
Argyle:Though I prefer Dr. Argyle, FFCS, apprentice timekeeper.
Johnny:You want us to call you your whole name every time?
Argyle:Yes.
Johnny:What if we call you Tartan or something?
Johnny:Some other pattern.
Johnny:Lozenge, maybe.
Benny:How can we test that you're not a demon wearing Argyle's face?
Johnny:Persian.
Benny:Like, is there a spell that we could cast that would cement it for us so we feel better?
Benny:Because I don't think we feel good about interacting.
Johnny:Lad lad.
Argyle:Hmm.
Johnny:I don't feel flannel.
Gamemaster:I feel like Arctos would have a spell.
Gamemaster:I don't actually know if that's the case.
Gamemaster:But it just feels like something that Arctos would have access to.
Argyle:I think there might be.
Argyle:Yeah.
Benny:Yeah.
Argyle:I don't know if there's any spells, but... Would you like to talk to my supervisor?
Gamemaster:Would speak with plants help?
Argyle:Okay.
Argyle:Let's go back and call him.
Benny:Okay.
Benny:Then he'll get back in the car.
Anzu:Alright, let's go home.
Benny:No one else seems gung-ho to jump someone in a parking lot, so... We'll head back.
Argyle:Okay, I'll get back to her.
Gamemaster:You stand off in the parking lot.
Johnny:I mean, on the offhand, it's actually Argyle.
Johnny:I'm sure we all gang up and beat up on Argyle, but...
Gamemaster:Okay, absolutely.
Gamemaster:You head back to Isu and Tonic.
Argyle:Out of curiosity, well, we're in the car.
Gamemaster:Be happy.
Argyle:Out of curiosity, how many other demons have you met?
Argyle:Did you chat with them?
Johnny:Um, theoretically a couple.
Benny:What do you mean by other?
Anzu:At least one, for sure.
Anzu:No, mostly we made battle.
Benny:Yeah.
Argyle:I think that is normally how demons act.
Benny:Normally.
Gamemaster:Pull a perception check.
Benny:I guess on the car ride back, does anything about Argyle seem demonic?
Benny:Like a burnt smell or just heat generally?
Anzu:Thank you.
Benny:If I could find it in Foundry.
Benny:Nice.
Benny:14.
Benny:OK.
Gamemaster:No, nothing stands out to you as being particularly or even not particularly demonic about Argyle, even in close quarters in this card.
Johnny:I guess it's him, but they just ripped all the fun out of him.
Benny:Maybe.
Gamemaster:So there is a legacy spell, I don't know if it got replaced, called Detect Alignment.
Anzu:Wow.
Gamemaster:Which, like, Arctos could probably cast, because it's a divine rank 1 spell.
Argyle:Mm-hmm.
Gamemaster:I don't know if there's anything else that would have, like, if you're looking for magic in that.
Gamemaster:Oh, actually, one second.
Gamemaster:I don't know if that's actually useful.
Gamemaster:I was going to say Anaïs could cast Detect Evil and Good, but it would tell you if there's any kind of interloper.
Benny:Hmm.
Gamemaster:I suppose that's an option.
Gamemaster:Either way, you make your way back to the Sin and Tonic.
Gamemaster:And then Argyle, you're going to call up your supervisor.
Argyle:Yes.
Gamemaster:Absolutely.
Gamemaster:You ring up Dame Quay.
Gamemaster:On speakerphone?
Johnny:It is pretty fuck-ass.
Gamemaster:Just, like, on your own?
Gamemaster:Okay.
Argyle:And I'll just start immediately with briefing.
Argyle:Compatriots are unsure about my return.
Argyle:They are hoping to speak with my supervisor.
Argyle:You are on speakerphone.
Gamemaster:Yeah, I mean, I get that.
Gamemaster:It's because you have that fuck-ass new way of speaking.
Johnny:What is happening right now?
Gamemaster:I don't know.
Argyle:Thank you.
Gamemaster:She wouldn't be able to recognize you by voice.
Gamemaster:Okay.
Johnny:How awkward do I am?
Gamemaster:Yeah.
Gamemaster:Whoever is listening right now, I don't... This is crazy.
Gamemaster:I cannot believe you came to me to clean up your mess within 24 hours of leaving.
Gamemaster:Yeah, if he has this number, it's Argyle.
Gamemaster:I don't know.
Gamemaster:How do you expect me to convince these people?
Gamemaster:They don't know who I am.
Anzu:Right.
Argyle:They just wanted to know that you were in the Scale.
Gamemaster:I'm in the Scale.
Anzu:We need some kind of proof that Argyle's actions are sanctioned by the judge and the Scale and not some other more confounding entity.
Gamemaster:Yeah, if some lady on the phone is enough to convince you.
Gamemaster:I do have a supervisor.
Johnny:Can you verify you?
Johnny:This is kind of a crazy situation.
Benny:Yeah, now we got to verify you.
Benny:Do you have a supervisor we can talk to?
Gamemaster:No, you can't talk to her.
Argyle:you cannot talk to her.
Gamemaster:She's a little busy.
Benny:Yeah, actually, now that I think about it, we would just ask for their supervisor.
Benny:Could be the same kind of circumstances.
Gamemaster:Yeah, I don't know how this would be useful to you.
Anzu:We're going all the way up the ladder right to the judge.
Benny:Yeah, can we get the judge on the phone?
Gamemaster:Um, can any of you cast Augury?
Johnny:No, but I can give you a pretty good poem.
Argyle:I can.
Johnny:I can make a rainbow fall out of the sky.
Johnny:Is that the same thing?
Gamemaster:Is that useful to you?
Gamemaster:I don't need any of this.
Gamemaster:You called me.
Argyle:I think this...
Anzu:Is there somewhere we can go where there are other people from the judge that can verify that this is all on the up and up?
Gamemaster:Yeah, you've already been to a place with Argyle.
Gamemaster:Like, my records show that he faxed something from a local packed broker station with all of you in presence.
Gamemaster:So if you wanted to go back there and verify that he still had permission to enter the building, if that would be enough for you.
Benny:Sure.
Johnny:Yeah, what's up with that guy?
Gamemaster:Great.
Argyle:That is a good plan.
Gamemaster:I'm glad I could be of help.
Gamemaster:All right, Kyle, clean up after yourself.
Argyle:Yes.
Gamemaster:And then the fun hangs up.
Benny:I think about like the bathroom or like just in general.
Benny:I don't think she knew that we were going to do that in the car.
Argyle:I think she referred to you guys trying to kill me a little bit before here.
Anzu:She was kind of mean to you about your manner of speaking.
Johnny:You ever tried using a contraction?
Argyle:No.
Benny:Let's go to the pactbroker station.
Gamemaster:Absolutely.
Gamemaster:Zipping around the city, you guys can head over.
Gamemaster:You have been here once before.
Gamemaster:Argyle did update the lady on the phone you just spoke to previously about your initial findings with the Voidsong.
Gamemaster:This person, at the very least, is positively identified as Argyle and is allowed to use the facilities.
Gamemaster:You may take that as you will.
Benny:Can we get someone to come out and just scan him?
Gamemaster:They don't...
Gamemaster:Like, this is a law office.
Benny:Or like someone that could be like, yeah, I know he checks out.
Gamemaster:They're not going to have scan themed devices, if that's what you're looking for.
Gamemaster:They scanned the ID card that he holds.
Benny:That is actually the least reassuring thing that could have occurred at this office.
Gamemaster:I'm aware.
Gamemaster:I don't know what else you needed.
Gamemaster:I don't know what you expected this place to have.
Gamemaster:Unfortunately, like, I'm not really sure where you're going to find the information you seek.
Gamemaster:Short of, like, you could go into the city and try and hire a diabolist, or like an anti-paladin or something, and try and find somebody who's familiar with demons to check if this is a demon, if you're concerned.
Anzu:Thank you.
Gamemaster:They do exist.
Benny:How late is it getting?
Gamemaster:It's like noon.
Benny:Okay, so we have plenty of time.
Johnny:I mean...
Gamemaster:If you recall, you woke up, you ate breakfast, you drove to an empty parking lot, you drove back from the empty parking lot, you drove to a law office.
Benny:I don't have that many ideas.
Benny:What do you two think?
Anzu:If this is legit from the Scale... I know, but if it is, then that's okay.
Argyle:May I make a counterpoint?
Benny:We've not been able to verify that at all.
Gamemaster:Yeah.
Benny:OK, but if he's made of cake, we could eat him.
Johnny:I mean, he could be – we don't know what this guy is.
Argyle:May I make a counterpoint?
Benny:Yeah.
Argyle:Does it matter if I'm from the Scale?
Anzu:Well, if you're not from the Scale, it matters who you are from.
Benny:It also matters if you're two from the Scale.
Argyle:You are a runaway...
Argyle:you are both potentially runaway children and he is a terrorist.
Johnny:Yeah, but we're all open about it.
Benny:Yeah.
Argyle:Yes, and I've been open about it as well.
Benny:I'm also not a potential runaway.
Benny:I'm a confirmed not runaway, and he'll pull out the... Actually, is this something that Atum could have done?
Benny:Could he re-up Benny's permission slip?
Johnny:Yeah.
Gamemaster:Yeah, absolutely.
Benny:With, like, an official seal, too?
Benny:Yeah.
Gamemaster:Sure.
Gamemaster:If you wanted to ask that of Atum, he can absolutely update your prevention slip with whatever you like dev on it.
Gamemaster:He's fine to let you dictate it.
Benny:I'm confirmed.
Benny:Confirmed, not a runaway.
Anzu:He's on a fully sanctioned mission.
Argyle:How do you know that's yours?
Argyle:How do you know not a devil sanctioned that?
Johnny:No, here's the thing.
Benny:How do I do it, though?
Johnny:We've all fought alongside each other for a little while now.
Argyle:I have fought alongside you as well, and I have died alongside of you.
Johnny:We don't know that though.
Johnny:We're just concerned because, you know, Argyle died and then came back and now talks like a narc.
Argyle:Same with you two.
Benny:It took a while.
Johnny:I don't know.
Benny:You didn't come back via the same means.
Benny:And also, it is an issue if you're too close to the judge.
Benny:I don't think anyone else has said that, but I'll say that.
Benny:It's an issue if you're too close to the judge.
Argyle:I understand.
Anzu:I mean, your goal is to understand the Voidsong, right?
Benny:I have my own interests for my own faction, but I'm also for iconoclasm.
Argyle:Just because I'm for the judge does not mean I'm against you for.
Benny:Yeah, but we've had...
Anzu:Same as us?
Argyle:And to find the demon half.
Anzu:Right.
Johnny:I mean, do you have any new powers?
Johnny:Can you still heal?
Johnny:We kind of need a healer.
Argyle:I'm better at that now, yes.
Johnny:Okay.
Johnny:I don't know.
Johnny:I mean, maybe we give him a chance.
Johnny:He's got a point about us all being weirdos.
Argyle:I did not say weirdo.
Johnny:I did.
Argyle:But I appreciate your token of respect.
Benny:I think I'm pretty normal.
Johnny:You might be the least normal out of all three of us.
Benny:I'm also the least suspicious.
Argyle:Agreed.
Benny:Except for, OK.
Argyle:That actually gets a facial expression out of Argyle.
Argyle:He's like, hmm?
Benny:OK, MindBird is the least suspicious.
Benny:But he's actually a runaway.
Anzu:Yeah, but my dad said it's okay.
Argyle:So Benny, what are you?
Benny:That's the worst kind.
Benny:But not suspicious.
Argyle:You're just a regular nine-year-old child with the strength of a grown man.
Benny:I'm trying to be.
Benny:I'm trying to fit into this world.
Johnny:What does that mean?
Johnny:What does that mean?
Benny:I feel like I've proven myself time and time again to have the interests of the group at heart.
Argyle:I too have done the same.
Johnny:Tell you what, how about we find a job?
Johnny:Very dangerous job.
Johnny:We all go on it, and if Argyle turns on us, we kill him.
Johnny:And if not, give him a trial run.
Argyle:That would make sense.
Benny:That wouldn't make sense.
Benny:He's here for information, not to kill us.
Johnny:I just want to see him in calm now.
Argyle:I'm not here for information.
Johnny:I don't know what he can do now.
Benny:You're actually explicitly here.
Benny:You've told us you're here for information on the Voidsong.
Argyle:I'm here to track down the demon.
Benny:You're here to track down the demon?
Benny:Did anyone have any plans today before this guy walked in?
Argyle:And the Voidsong.
Johnny:I have an improv class.
Anzu:Today, specifically, no.
Johnny:teaching improv five if you guys want to come i teach improv now um i i'm really against like hard stopping a scene but i feel like that's not only part of what i teach
Benny:Do you have a part of the improv where we check the constituents of someone's soul and see if they're good?
Argyle:May I attend?
Benny:Yes and me.
Johnny:a bad improv teacher.
Argyle:Shall we go to this?
Argyle:Demonist.
Anzu:Yeah, I mean, if you'll submit yourself to a demonic presence check, that would give some peace of mind, I suppose.
Argyle:I would also like to request that I know what Benny is.
Argyle:And he looks at Benny.
Benny:Sure, we can have the guy check if I'm a demon.
Anzu:All right.
Anzu:We'll get everybody checked for a demonic presence.
Gamemaster:well we can have you guys go to Diabolist next session next week I did not expect you know Argyle this to have become the thing that it is but I understand why it has it does make sense
Anzu:And then hopefully we can find a way to move forward.
Benny:Sure.
Argyle:How much does that cost?
Johnny:I was back.
Benny:Sure.
Benny:We can also try to go to... You thought the group would accept the weird phrasing?
Gamemaster:To be completely honest, I didn't know Argyle would be this far this way when we were originally like, you know.
Gamemaster:It's fine.
Johnny:Oh, no.
Gamemaster:It's in character.
Gamemaster:But I do also understand the suspicion there.
Gamemaster:So, you know.
Gamemaster:Of course, this is all the long con where it turns out that he's actually an undead and he is evil.
Argyle:He's a vampire.
Gamemaster:But it's fine.
Gamemaster:He's a vampire.
Gamemaster:No, he's a skeleton that's just wearing the old Argyle.
Benny:I mean, Benny did also point out, regardless of if he's a demon, if he is too close to the judge, that is an issue for at least Benny and the group.
Benny:This isn't the first time we've had or could have an operation go wrong because the judge got involved.
Argyle:When was the first time?
Benny:When we handed all this stuff over to the... What were they called?
Benny:The Inquisitors?
Anzu:The Inquisitors?
Benny:And then we're just completely removed from the investigation on...
Anzu:Well, that was Arctos and the Host.
Benny:The six-outer?
Argyle:That wasn't the judge.
Johnny:Yeah, I think we had articles by then.
Argyle:Yeah.
Benny:Oh.
Gamemaster:That was a completely different guy.
Argyle:Yeah.
Benny:Same concern.
Benny:Why would we hang out with a guy that has to tell the truth and prosecute all crime he sees?
Benny:Before, he would look the other way when Johnny did something, and now he's 100% for the...
Anzu:Well...
Argyle:He said he would look the other way.
Anzu:No, no.
Anzu:He's cleared to not charge us with any crimes.
Argyle:Yeah.
Gamemaster:He's actually not cleared to charge you with any grips is what he said, I think.
Argyle:Yes.
Johnny:I mean, if we get it.
Benny:People can lie.
Benny:Oh, no, no.
Benny:All the parts of me were stripped away.
Benny:I just have parts that are loyal to the judge, but I won't charge you guys with anything.
Anzu:Well, Anzu's feeling is that if he is truly aligned with the judge, then he's probably not aligned with any of the six outer gods, the dangerous ones, and that's good enough for now.
Argyle:Once he died the first time, Benny became a racist and only likes people that follow the Watcher.
Johnny:Okay, but you got a bit, it's so sketchy.
Gamemaster:That's true.
Argyle:And when he hears people who can't lie, he accuses them of constantly lying.
Argyle:Yeah.
Gamemaster:That isn't racism per se, but I get what you're trying to say.
Benny:It's accurate.
Benny:And he's racist.
Johnny:It's so sketchy.
Johnny:We died and came back in 24 hours.
Gamemaster:Yes.
Johnny:You died and came back like a few weeks later acting crazy.
Johnny:Pay no attention to the argyle behind the curtain.
Benny:It's Pet Sematary.
Benny:What are we supposed to think?
Gamemaster:See?
Gamemaster:When we swapped out a character for another character that was the same character but different last time, we did it by having the same character but different rescue you guys from another dimension.
Gamemaster:And I think that helps to ingratiate him in with the rest of you.
Gamemaster:So I think what needs to happen is this Argyle needs to save the rest of you from another dimension.
Benny:That would actually significantly build rapport.
Johnny:Let's go to another dimension.
Johnny:Yeah, does Argyle have a cool title?
Johnny:Does Argyle have a cool title?
Benny:That would have still been very weird.
Johnny:Is he like... I think no matter what would have happened if you saved us and then you were like, hello, my former compatriots.
Gamemaster:Yes.
Johnny:It is the body known as Argyle here to rescue you.
Benny:Yeah.
Gamemaster:I recognize you from my memories.
Gamemaster:You are somebody I am familiar with.
Johnny:I just want to see what Argyle does in combat.
Gamemaster:It happens.
Johnny:I want to know what 6th level Argyle does.
Gamemaster:He actually... He does have a homebrew spell.
Johnny:I gotta imagine that if Jorge brought him back right now, it either means that he got super bored of Arctos, or whatever build he had for Argyle finally came online, and he's busted as heck.
Gamemaster:It is a cantrip.
Gamemaster:It does 300 D10 damage.
Gamemaster:But it's balanced because he can only cast it three times a round.
Gamemaster:So...
Argyle:I was really surprised Josh let me keep it.
Argyle:He actually was the one that said I should be able to cast it as one actor.
Gamemaster:Right, because he said, like, when he showed it to me as part of his backstory, it said that it needed two actions.
Gamemaster:And I thought, like, that, you know, that's just no fun.
Gamemaster:So we changed it so it would have a better fit.
Johnny:Hmm.
Argyle:He does also have pinpoint.
Gamemaster:He does also have pinpoint.
Benny:He broke in.
Anzu:I think we're going to make it all work.
Gamemaster:Yep.
Anzu:You know, got to build a little bit of trust back and, uh,
Argyle:Mm-hmm.
Argyle:Benny just has to explain what thing he is, and we're fine.
Benny:Benny has explained many times that he is a human child.
Argyle:I'd say Benny has explained about as well as Arga has explained.
Benny:No, I think Benny's Dodge the Question is much better.
Argyle:Arga has said exactly.
Argyle:Benny doesn't answer.
Gamemaster:Thank you.
Argyle:He's more vague.
Benny:Benny's Dodge the Question is much better than our guy.
Argyle:He is more vague.
Benny:And no one's minded.
Argyle:And works for a shadow father.
Argyle:But that's fine.
Benny:Shadow Father?
Benny:What does it even mean?
Argyle:Yeah.
Johnny:No, he doesn't say it like that.
Argyle:My father has written me this permission slip.
Argyle:How do we even know he's working for Belvedere?
Benny:Dad works for Belvedere.
Argyle:Yeah, how do we know that?
Argyle:He has a permission slip?
Benny:Yeah, the permissions... Well, the permissions look pretty legit.
Gamemaster:He does have a pernicious name.
Argyle:His ID scans in a library?
Benny:Yeah.
Benny:I don't know if he seemed confused.
Anzu:I think that, in a way, Argyle's a victim.
Anzu:I mean, half of his mind was torn from him, and now he's trying to piece himself back together.
Argyle:Yeah, it's the exact same thing.
Anzu:He's confused.
Johnny:What do you mean he remembers us all from his memories?
Benny:Yeah.
Benny:I've seen you in the movies.
Benny:What?
Benny:Yeah, the movies they played before they injected me into this body.
Benny:They told me, remember these.
Benny:These are your friends.
Benny:You like them.
Argyle:He never said friends.
Johnny:They just had some liquid soul and they clockwork-oranged it.
Benny:Or the Scooby-Doo movie with liquid souls.
Johnny:Oh man, this plucked him out of a little vat.
Anzu:Rats.
Gamemaster:Unfortunately.
Argyle:Imagine if I actually created an evil character just to kill your last characters.
Benny:You're happy now?
Johnny:Oh no.
Gamemaster:This whole time, it's actually Hlarf in his body, resurrected.
Argyle:Yeah.
Gamemaster:Jorge approached me and he said, I'd like to kill.
Argyle:Yeah, I'm like, you know, it'd be a lot of fun killing the remaining characters.
Gamemaster:I said, let's go for it.
Argyle:Yes.
Argyle:You know how D&D's about there's no...
Argyle:I want to make sure we lose.
Gamemaster:Prove the haters right.
Johnny:I was wondering if our guy was going to come back.
Gamemaster:And he doesn't.
Gamemaster:This is someone else.
Benny:yeah if grace is level 40 i'm not playing this game he could just kill us now
Argyle:This is the evil person.
Gamemaster:This is evil person.
Johnny:This is tartan or flannel in the name.
Argyle:Yeah.
Argyle:This is Grayson, actually.
Argyle:I can't believe Josh let me play Grayson.
Argyle:You should see this character.
Argyle:She is nuts.
Johnny:Well, you pinpoint.
Gamemaster:Which is why he has pinpoint.
Argyle:Yeah.
Argyle:He's level 40 with two different 20s.
Argyle:Wait, wait, wait.
Argyle:Just step back.
Argyle:Time out.
Argyle:Do you think Grayson... Are you under the impression he can't kill us right now?
Benny:yeah it'd be too it'd be too it'd be too out of the open maybe he wants to know about the Voidsong so he's letting us gather information about it and in order to get closer
Anzu:You'd be level Tywelwyn probably kill us right now.
Argyle:He can smoke us.
Argyle:No, I don't know why he hasn't, but every time we run into one of his undead things, it's been made very clear these are the weaker undead thing that he's using to kill everyone.
Argyle:And we barely make it out of those.
Benny:He sent in a body of someone that we knew in order to... And his invitation, maybe?
Argyle:Himself.
Argyle:Yeah, he sent it himself.
Johnny:I don't know.
Johnny:Genuinely weird that Grayson hasn't come after us since we did steal his diary.
Anzu:Thank you.
Johnny:Yeah.
Johnny:It's going to be really awkward if he shows up on the pilgrimage.
Gamemaster:Well, at the very least, the diary you stole was out of his secret study in his house.
Gamemaster:The invitation you stole out of Tywelwyn's lair, so that's less, at the very least, directly connected to him.
Benny:We should have taken something personal, like a nice comb.
Benny:Then he would kill us.
Gamemaster:You did take some of his money as well, I believe.
Gamemaster:You stole some gemstones.
Benny:He's got a lot of that.
Argyle:And immediately liquidated at a bank.
Gamemaster:And immediately liquidated it, yes.
Johnny:That's cool.
Anzu:Whoa.
Anzu:My dad looks like a bird.
Gamemaster:I did a bad job of describing it, but this is what I was trying to go for with Benny and his dad.
Argyle:He pinpoints it at a bank later.
Gamemaster:Like, jumping between those images.
Argyle:Hmm.
Argyle:Hmm.
Gamemaster:I just, you know.
Johnny:That's really cool.
Benny:yes sometimes true i gotta yeah
Johnny:What?
Gamemaster:I mean, if you squint, so does Benny's.
Johnny:A lot of dads this episode.
Gamemaster:Yeah, this was a dad-heavy episode.
Anzu:Yeah.
Johnny:Two dads.
Gamemaster:Two dads?
Gamemaster:That and the arms dealer as a dad.
Gamemaster:Not any of yours, but just in general.
Argyle:No, spoiler.
Argyle:It's like the first episode of Invincible where it's just this two dads talking outside the White House about that adopted stepson.
Johnny:You want to buy these again?
Benny:mid conversation i gotta go see my kids soccer game so let's hurry this up we get a deal
Gamemaster:Let me sell you these illegal guns.
Johnny:Hello, my child that came from my loins.
Argyle:Yeah.
Gamemaster:hopefully we'll only see more dads going forward.
Argyle:All right.
Argyle:Argyle could be a dad.
Argyle:You don't know.
Argyle:That's not one of your questions to him.
Gamemaster:It's true.
Benny:It's true, we haven't asked him.
Johnny:How are you today?
Gamemaster:I mean, to be fair, none of you have asked each other if you're a dad, so it's entirely possible everybody here, except for the nine-year-old, is a dad.
Johnny:Can you read yet?
Argyle:I really hope Benny is not a dad.
Benny:Anzu is on the run for child support.
Johnny:I guess we never asked anyone.
Gamemaster:Although... You did?
Anzu:My dad was calling.
Anzu:He's like, you missed a bunch of payments on Zoom.
Argyle:I feel like Johnny told us he had a wife.
Argyle:Did he say he had kids?
Johnny:No, I had a wife, but I did not have kids.
Argyle:Okay.
Johnny:Yeah, my wife died in the midnight sun.
Benny:likely thing.
Argyle:Okay.
Anzu:That's tough.
Argyle:Tough.
Johnny:Facts.
Johnny:Her and everyone else I knew.
Johnny:It was rough.
Argyle:Very sad.
Johnny:Yeah, whenever... Me?
Argyle:Yeah, let's go interrogate him.
Argyle:He's next.
Johnny:You want to target me?
Argyle:Yeah.
Argyle:Why do we know you're not just a normal terrorist?
Johnny:I... I mean... I'm not!
Gamemaster:Does... Those are two different things.
Argyle:What if you're lying to us and you're actually a super terrorist?
Argyle:There's no literal terrorist in the group and you're like, I'm scared this guy might be a demon.
Benny:This guy might be a criminal.
Argyle:This guy might not be morally upright.
Benny:And Benny's like, this guy might not be what he seems.
Gamemaster:The difference is that the terrorist in the group is a very open terrorist.
Johnny:It's crazy that the Giant psychic bird is the most normal person here.
Gamemaster:You guys all know he's a terrorist.
Argyle:Yeah, yeah.
Johnny:Nope.
Benny:It is.
Argyle:Yeah.
Benny:Although the human child Benny is pretty normal too.
Gamemaster:Right.
Johnny:You're the least normal one of us.
Gamemaster:The human child.
Benny:Don't shake his hands and the illusion will stay.
Gamemaster:The human child that you cannot touch because he feels like a full-grown man if you do so.
Argyle:You guys have a terrorist and a cleric that's about to go start selling drugs.
Benny:He's just mature for his age.
Gamemaster:It happens.
Gamemaster:Yeah.
Gamemaster:Just hit puberty a little early.
Gamemaster:It happens.
Johnny:Paper puberty.
Gamemaster:That's true.
Argyle:And you're like, this guy might be a little ungoothed.
Gamemaster:The... The polar bear... The polar bear trying to start a...
Johnny:Listen, this guy doesn't use contractions.
Johnny:This guy doesn't use contractions to talk weird.
Argyle:This guy might be too close with the god of judgment.
Argyle:No, no, no.
Gamemaster:You gotta switch it out, you know?
Gamemaster:You had a guy that was too close with one god, now you swap it with a guy that's too close with another god.
Benny:Boom.
Gamemaster:Really, really, Benny is just concerned, because while Argyle and Arctos are both in the group, it means they only have a slight Watcher majority.
Argyle:yeah mm-hmm
Johnny:you
Benny:Yeah.
Gamemaster:So, you know, if one more person comes in, then it's just half and half.
Benny:We can be over.
Gamemaster:Yeah.
Gamemaster:It is a little interesting that we somehow ended up with three party members that all have ties to the same god.
Benny:Haha.
Anzu:I think it's because he's the knowledge guy.
Benny:Haha.
Gamemaster:Yeah, that's my fault.
Johnny:What?
Gamemaster:I should have remembered that you guys are lore goblins and just not made any of the gods knowledge gods.
Gamemaster:But, you know, it happens.
Argyle:Yeah, then the party becomes racist.
Gamemaster:Why?
Gamemaster:Why do we keep falling back to that as like the secondary, like if I can't follow the knowledge guide, whoops, I guess I'm racist now.
Argyle:That's what they're saying.
Gamemaster:Who's they?
Gamemaster:That's what on these streets, the streets are saying.
Argyle:They don't like anyone that's not from the Watcher.
Benny:us.
Argyle:Yeah, yeah.
Argyle:Goddess guys.
Argyle:Religious... Religious zealots.
Argyle:I love when Johnny's like, you could fake that raiment.
Argyle:Really?
Gamemaster:Please tell me how.
Johnny:Johnny's Raymond is 100% real.
Argyle:Yeah, totally.
Johnny:He's best buzz with the Watcher.
Johnny:They used to grab drinks.
Argyle:Well, Argyle believed him.
Argyle:I'll tell you that.
Argyle:Because Argyle doesn't know why you'd lie about that.
Johnny:I'm not lying.
Johnny:Me and the Watcher used to grab drinks.
Johnny:Then he went dark on me.
Argyle:Yeah.
Benny:Probably busy watching.
Argyle:Got it.
Johnny:Yeah.
Gamemaster:Does next Monday work?
Anzu:Indeed.
Argyle:Yes.
Benny:Yeah.
Gamemaster:Okay, then we will pick this up with you guys trying to find Diabolist in the city somewhere.
Anzu:Just gotta clear the demon thing and then we're all good.
Gamemaster:Yeah, make sure nobody's a demon.
Argyle:And then we just gotta figure out what what race or species Benny is.
Johnny:But we've got to do it by 5 p.m.
Johnny:We've got to do it by 5 p.m.
Gamemaster:At the very least.
Argyle:And then we can move forward.
Argyle:And then we gotta double check that Johnny's not an evil terrorist.
Johnny:Okay, but it's got to be by 5 p.m.
Benny:Thank you.
Argyle:He's just a regular terrorist.
Johnny:because I am teaching an improv class at 5 p.m.
Argyle:And then we gotta bring Anzu to his grandma and go, is this your grandson?
Argyle:We need confirmation from you.
Anzu:No, please don't bring me to my grandmother.
Gamemaster:Alright, so we pick this up next week?
Anzu:She's very strict.
Argyle:If you don't confirm in person, I won't believe you.
Argyle:And if I don't believe he's your grandson, who is he?
Argyle:How can we talk to him?
Johnny:Whose grandson is he?
Argyle:I can't move forward unless I know his grandmother.
Argyle:I can't trust him.
Johnny:Where's the paternity test?
Argyle:I don't know his grandmother.
Argyle:Yes.
Argyle:Yes.
Gamemaster:Go have a good evening.
Anzu:All right.