Transcript created by Lyra Sophia Song.
Download a Word doc version of the transcript: Magpies Podcast tc S01E12 The Festival of Doskvorn final
## Intro
Rhi: Welcome back to Duskwall. As always, thank you for joining us and for continuing to listen. If you’ve already left us a review, thank you so, so much. If you haven’t yet, please consider doing so. It’s the best way to help new fans find the show.
Don’t forget to check out our new website. Visit MagpiesPodcast.net for cast bios, contact info, and character profiles with awesome art. In addition, Minna and I will be at Gen Con in like a week and a half, which is kind of terrifying—but exciting. We’re both really looking forward to it. If you’re going, let us know on Twitter. We would love to meet some of our fans. And if you meet up with me while you’re there, I will give you a cool Magpies bookmark.
Speaking of Twitter, this Saturday, July 28 2018, The Magpies will be recording our season 1 wrap-up episode. This episode and the end of season 1 won’t be going live until about October, but we wanna talk about all our feelings while they’re still fresh. So, what does this have to do with you and Twitter? Well, we’d like to answer some audience during this recording. So, go on Twitter and tweet all your burning questions about The Magpies to magpies_pod. We’ll pick a few to answer and discuss during the episode.
As you may have guessed from the title, today’s episode is a little different. Instead of another high-stakes, dramatic score, today The Magpies and the city of Duskwall are celebrating a holiday. We wanted to have a more character-focused, roleplay-centric episode, so we decided to give the crew a day off. This episode was a ton of fun to record, and I hope you enjoy listening to this one as much as we enjoyed creating it.
Next, let me tell you about this month’s featured charity.
My birthday was earlier this month, and so, for my birthday month, I’m focusing on an organization that’s very near and dear to me. The Glenwood Sunday Market is a farmer’s market based in the Rogers Park neighborhood on the north side of Chicago. In addition to supporting local farmers and new entrepreneurs with a variety of business programs, GSM has a commitment to food access for the community. In Rogers Park, over 20% of the residents use SNAP or other government benefits to feed themselves and their families. At the Market, we raise funds and apply for grants so that we can help those residents stretch their benefits even further and purchase fresh, local food that might otherwise not be affordable. This commitment to feeding the community is why I’ve been a volunteer with the Market for several years. However, as grants have been cut and donations have slowed, the Market is struggling. It’s not in danger of shutting down yet, but we’re trying to keep from getting to that point of desperation. So, I’m asking our listeners to visit the GSM website and make a donation if you’re able. If you prefer to keep your donation more local to your community, look up your local food pantries and make a monetary donation there. Food banks are often able to purchase food at steep discounts and spent the money on exactly what they need. With threatened cuts to SNAP looming, it’s more important than ever that we help feed our communities.
Speaking of threatened cuts to vital government benefits, if you’re in the United States, please also visit 5calls.org and call your representatives. Being loud and demanding and telling them over and over that we as citizens and voters expect our government to serve all people in our country is one of the best ways to bring about change.
Now then, let’s get started. Shall we?
## [00:03:44] Story resumes
Rhi: It’s been a couple weeks since your break-in at the Iruvian embassy; about a week since your theft at Dr. Hagen’s research clinic. Normally, this is about the time when you all would be starting to gear up for your next score, but instead, you all have opted to join in one of Duskwall’s major holidays: Doskvorn. This is a day to, basically, celebrate the birthday of everyone who was born in Duskwall. It is like having Christmas and your birthday combined, but in an awesome way, and not a disappointing way where your birthday gets overshadowed by a three-month holiday marketing juggernaut.
Kim and Josie: [laughter]
Rhi: So, you all have set out into the city. All of the different districts have their own way of celebrating. Brightstone and the nobility throw lavish balls; Barrowcleft has a massive feast for the community from all of the farmers; Six Towers, since there’s so few people living there, doesn’t really do much. But Nightmarket throws a district-wide street festival.
Minna: [delighted croon]
Rhi: Nearly every business in the district has its doors open and its prices lowered, and vendors from all across the city have set up stalls along the streets, crowding into any space they can find and selling food, drink, art, jewelry, books, fortunetelling, and more.
At this point, you all have started off your day of celebration at The Hound’s Paw to check in with your good friend Rigney, who is making an enormous amount of money. The place is packed. He’s got basically all of his staff in working to help take care of the crowd. But even with that, your table remains open and untouched, so the four of you are able to sit at your table and observe the crowds that have packed in here to celebrate.
Rigney, when you guys had come in, he’d waved at you over the crowd but hadn’t come over right away. After you have been there for a few minutes, he weaves his way through the crowd with a large tray; a little bit larger than normal from when he brings over your drinks. He balances the tray on one arm and distributes your drinks—but he also gives each of you a paper-wrapped package, and tucks the tray under his arm and gives you all a big grin.
Rhi (as Rigney): Really glad you all made it in here today. It just wouldn’t have been the same, giving you all your Doskvorn presents a day late.
Kim (as Blaire): Aw, thank you!
Josie (as Minx): Aw, dear, you shouldn’t have.
Rhi: He just kinda shrugs. Blaire, I will say, this might be the first time you’ve gotten a present for Doskvorn, because it’s not a holiday that you celebrate in Tycheros.
Kim: Yeah, ‘cause I wasn’t born here.
Rhi: Yeah. And since you’ve been living here, you haven’t really had any family who would’ve gotten you gifts, so…
Josie: Aww!
Kim: Oh, Rigney!
Madge: Aww!
Minna: Did any of us get Rigney a Doskvorn present?
Madge: Phin did.
Kim: Blaire immediately starts scribbling on a napkin, probably, like, a really cute smiley face or something like that. She’s gonna give it to Rigney later.
Rhi: [laugh] Madge, did you say that Phin had gotten him something?
Madge: Yeah. She got him a new vest to put all of his pins and stuff on, and it has extra pockets on the inside.
Rhi: Is it wrapped up or anything, or is it just, here is a vest?
Madge: It’s in a bag. [laughter]
Rhi: [laughter] Okay.
Madge: With a ribbon on it.
Rhi: When you give that to him, he looks surprised, and he’s like:
Rhi (as Rigney): Oh, well! Thank you! Should– should I open this now, or…
Madge (as Phin): Uh, if you want to. You don’t have to. I just… You know. You’re part of the crew, kind of, so…
Rhi (as Rigney): Yeah, the part of the crew that doesn’t go out and get horribly injured all the time.
Rhi: And looks at Blaire and Minx.
Kim (as Blaire): I heard that!
Rhi: Since I think they were the most… Well, it’s a worried look. He’s just like [sad noise].
Kim (as Blaire): It’s fine!
Josie (as Minx): To be fair, you were the only reason we know where to go get horribly maimed, and we thank you for that profusely.
Rhi: He does that thing where he raises a finger and opens his mouth like he’s gonna protest, then just shakes his head and closes it, and goes to open up the gift and takes it out.
Rhi (as Rigney): Oh, this is fantastic. Thank you so much. And you should—
Rhi: He glances around, and then:
Rhi (as Rigney): Ah, they can all wait. You should open yours.
Madge (as Phin): All right.
Madge: I will open mine, then. [laugh]
Josie: Minx will daintily unfold and undo the bow, if there is one.
Kim: Blaire is ravenously just opening her—
Josie: [laughing] Aww.
Rhi: [laughing] They’re all wrapped with brown butcher paper; it is not anything fancy. But I do really love the idea of Minx just very delicately unwrapping it.
Josie: No, she’s like, using a letter opener to cut where it’s folded, and— [laugh]
Rhi: Oh my God.
Kim: Noooo! Blaire is just going at it.
Josie: [laughter]
Rhi: Yeah. All right, Phin: Rigney has gotten you a pair of fingerless gloves that have a steel band bolted down across the knuckles.
Madge: Yay, punch gloves.
Rhi: Myra, he has gotten you a book on codes and ciphers and code breaking.
Minna: Ooh!
Rhi: Blaire, for you, it’s a small, metal tin, that when you open it up, you immediately recognize the scent from the dried leaves inside—this is tea that is imported from Tycheros.
Kim: Aww!
Minna: Ah!
Kim: Rigney!
Josie: He’s so thoughtful.
Kim: Aww.
Rhi: And for Minx, you have a small, wooden box that contains a set of very fine silk handkerchiefs with an ‘M’ embroidered in the corner.
Madge: [gasp]
Josie (as Minx): Oh my goodness. Goodness gracious, Rigney, thank you.
Josie: She’s gonna fold one up and insert it into her breast pocket.
Madge and Rhi: [laughter]
Rhi (as Rigney): Well, you are all very welcome. And now, I do need to get back to work before my bar gets completely overrun. Have a good day. Don’t stick around in here the whole time, get out and see the festival.
Rhi: He gives you all a big grin and a wave, and works his way back to the crowd, to the bar.
Josie (as Minx): I must say, this is the most pleasant start to a day, I believe, we’ve had in a very long time.
Minna (as Myra): Yes, it’s very kind of him. We should get him a gift.
Kim (as Blaire): Oh, I’ve already got one.
Minna (as Myra): Phin, I know that you did– Sorry?
Kim (as Blaire): I’ve already got one!
Kim: Blaire holds up a napkin, and it’s a very crude drawing of a cartoon ghost with a smiley face.
Josie: [laughing] Aww!
Madge: Aww.
Kim: That says “thank you.”
Josie: Blaire is so precious. Aww!
Minna: He might even frame it and put it on one of the walls here.
Kim: [overcome] Awwww!
Josie (as Minx): Yes, I was intending to find some sort of glass or vintage amongst the stalls today, so if we find anything of that nature, I’m interested.
Minna (as Myra): Yeah, I’ll keep an eye out.
Rhi: So, you guys wanna hang around in here for a while or head on out?
Josie: Let’s head on out.
Kim: Yeah, I think it’s time we head out.
Madge: Yeah.
Josie: Is this our first Doskvorn together, as a group?
Rhi: I think so.
Madge: I think for the whole crew, definitely. I think Myra and Phin have had at least one together before bringing everyone else in.
Rhi: Yeah.
When you guys step back out onto the street outside The Hound’s Paw, you are overwhelmed with light and sound and the smells of food and drink. The streets are illuminated, not just by the normal street lamps, but by strings of tiny, glass lights colored red and blue and green. Carnival games have been set up in some of the alleys, offering prizes for those with skill at dart throwing or ring toss. There are entertainers demonstrating fire-breathing and sword juggling and acrobatics.
Looking in one direction down the street, you can see, above the crowd, cracks of electroplasmic lightning as some of the Sparkwrights show of their latest inventions. And, in the other direction, you can hear inhuman roars and bellows coming from the cages where captured Deathlands monsters can be viewed.
And packed in every inch of the street is the massive crowd of people—children rushing from attraction to attraction while their parents give chase, teenagers on their own for the first time spending their own money, lovers walking arm in arm; anybody with money to spend and a desire to indulge themselves, just for a day.
So, you’ve got this whole street festival to explore. Where do you wanna start?
## [00:12:51]
Josie: I do get the sense that our younger compatriot here might have a few ideas where to go, given that it’s her first.
Kim: Um… Oh, man. Blaire’s eyes dart around all the booths and sights. She’s almost overwhelmed, but not in a negative way; she’s just in awe and still taking everything in. She wants to do it all, basically.
Josie and Myra: [laughter]
Kim: But she’s like:
Kim (as Blaire): Um, um, uh, how about a game? I wanna do a carnival game.
Josie: Do they have one of the test your strength things?
Rhi: Oh, like the thing you hit with a big hammer?
Josie: Yes.
Kim: [gasp]
Rhi: Yeah. Yeah, they definitely have one of those.
Kim (as Blaire): Phin. Phin, Phin, Phin!
Josie (as Minx): Phin, Phin!
Madge (as Phin): [laughing] Fine. All right. I’ll do that one.
Rhi: In an alley a street or so down from The Hound’s Paw, a number of carnival games have been set up. One of them is the test your strength thing, and… Oh, I gotta think of prizes. What do we think prizes would be?
Josie: Hmm.
Kim: Oh, what about, uh… What kind of non-perishable food is really hard to come by in Duskwall? Something that people would really try to get their hands on, like a rare meat or some kind of plant-based food that’s really hard to get.
Minna: Dried fruit.
Rhi: Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking, is that it’s a packet of dried mushrooms and probably some other, more common dried foodstuff, but there’s also a few pieces of dried fruit mixed in.
Kim: Yeah.
Minna: It’s Duskwall trail mix. [laughter]
Kim: Shit!
Josie: [laughter]
Kim: You’re right.
Josie, Kim, and Minna: [laughter]
Rhi: Yeah. Varying sizes of those are available to win at the test your strength thing. Also, then, further down the alley, there’s a ring toss and dart throwing and that kind of stuff. But yeah, Phin, do you wanna try your luck at the testing your strength thing?
Madge: Yeah. What would I roll for that?
Rhi: I would say you could do Skirmish or Wreck, although Wreck does come with the threat that you could break this guy’s machine.
Madge: I am willing to take that risk.
Rhi: [laughter] All right.
Kim: And what does a Devil’s Bargain look like?
Minna and Rhi: [laughter]
Madge: She really wants to show off. Okay, 5.
Rhi: God, these are usually on the meter of one to 100, right?
Kim: Mhmm.
Madge: Yeah.
Rhi: Something like that, yeah. So, I think you… Well, describe how Phin readies up for this massive hammer swing.
Madge: [laugh] All right. I think it starts off with her sauntering up to the booth, then looking at the guy in charge, and then looking at the hammer that they use for it. She puts down however much coin is needed for it, takes the hammer, and tries to make a show out of making it look like it’s not that heavy at all, before taking it in both hands and just overhead swinging it.
Rhi: The hammer head crashes down on the thing, and the meter flies up to 100—and then stays there.
Madge: Oh no.
Rhi: The target that you hit is stuck down there. The guy doesn’t notice that right away. He’s like:
Rhi (as The Guy): Oh, wow! Well, here you go!
Rhi: And he pulls down the large bag of dried fruit trail mix and hands it over. Then he looks, and:
Rhi (as The Guy): Ah, crap.
Rhi: And leans down to start trying to pry the thing up from the base.
Rhi (as The Guy): A little less force next time, ma’am. [grunt]
Josie, Madge, and Rhi: [laughter]
Kim (as Blaire): Does this happen often?
Madge (as Phin): Well, there’s a reason I’m called Bricks, so…
Madge and Rhi: [laughter]
Josie (as Minx): I do not believe Phin knows any other way to be.
Rhi: [laughter]
Madge (as Phin): I know a couple other ways to be.
Josie: [laughter]
Minna (as Myra): They should build the machines better.
Madge (as Phin): Yeah.
Madge: She’s gonna hand the bag over to Blaire.
Kim (as Blaire): [gasp]
Rhi: Aww.
Kim (as Blaire): Well… But you won it!
Madge (as Phin): You know, happy Doskvorn.
Kim: Aww! Blaire’s actually starting to get overwhelmed now. She doesn’t know what to do with people being this nice. She’s gotten so many gifts!
Josie (as Minx): Do not fret so much over it. We just want to ensure that you have a good time on your first.
Kim (as Blaire): [overcome] Oh, okay…
Josie: [laughter]
Madge: I would dote on my sisters just as much. So…
Kim (as Blaire): [gasp] Oh– Wait– Wha–? You…
Josie, Kim, Madge, and Rhi: [laughter]
Kim: I think you broke her.
Madge: Oh no!
Minna: Hug the girl. [laugh]
Kim (as Blaire): Y– [tearful gasp] You think I’m a sister?
Madge (as Phin): Well, yeah.
Kim (as Blaire): [nearly crying noises]
Madge (as Phin): A gang’s like a family, so…
Kim (as Blaire): [tearfully] Okay.
Madge (as Phin): Let’s just go do something else before I get sappy.
Josie, Madge, Minna, and Rhi: [laughter]
Kim (as Blaire): [overcome] O– Okay.
Josie (as Minx): I must say, Phin, that’s… reassuring to hear from you. I know how protective you are of family.
Madge (as Phin): Thanks. Yeah. Um, so—
Kim: I think we’re dropping it now.
Rhi: [laughing] I think Phin is like, “I’m done with feelings!”
Madge: Uh, I’m, I’m gonna… Is there a tattoo parlor around here, maybe, please?
Rhi: Most of the tattoo artists work up in the docks, but a couple of them… Well, ‘cause vendors from all over the city come to the street festival ‘cause they can make a ton of money. So, I think that, yeah, there’s a couple tattoo artists who have little outdoor stands where they’re doing tattoos on people.
Madge: Mhmm.
Josie: Similar vein: is there face paint?
Kim: [gasp]
Rhi: Yes.
Josie: Ooh, I think Minx wants to get face paint of, like, a masquerade mask.
Madge: Ooh.
Rhi: Yeah.
Josie: But it’s face paint, so it’s just always on.
Rhi: I think there’s some enterprising face paint artist who has set up near the tattoo artists so that the kids who are like, “I wanna get a cool tattoo!” can be redirected to face paint by their parents.
Kim: Oh, there you go.
Josie: Aww.
Kim: That’s cute.
Josie: That’s perfect.
Kim: Blaire is gonna tag along. She wants… Is there a way I can convince the face painter to do what I normally do with my, for lack of a better word, face makeup, where I just smear stuff all over my eyes? But instead of like black or brown or whatever, I do festival colors?
Rhi: Yeah. Yeah, if you’re paying money, they will do whatever you want.
Kim (as Blaire): Just fuck me up.
Josie, Madge, Minna, and Rhi: [pause] [bursting laughter]
Madge: There’s a mom who covers their child’s ears.
Josie: Yeah.
Everyone: [laughter]
Kim: Blaire belatedly realizes, then she looks over her shoulders and is like:
Kim (as Blaire): Oh, uh, sorry!
Josie and Minna: [laughter]
Rhi: Yeah, you two can get face paint.
Minna: I think Myra’s just gonna tag along with Phin.
Rhi: Yeah. They’re not too far away from each other, so you guys are still in visual range. So yeah, what’s happening over at the tattoo stand?
Madge: Phin’s gonna get a tattoo of a magpie in flight on her right hand, in the curve between her thumb and pointer finger.
Josie: Oh, wow.
Madge: Like, on the back of her hand.
Rhi: So, pretty small?
Madge: Yeah.
Rhi: Okay. Yeah, I’m just trying to gauge how long that would take.
Madge: And she’s not going detailed, she’s just going rough outline.
Rhi: Okay. Yeah, you can do that. You’re probably gonna be sitting there for a good 20 minutes, probably. So, Myra, are you hanging out?
Minna: Yeah. I think she’s just chatting with Phin to take her mind off the tattoo.
Rhi: [laughter]
Madge: [laughing] Yeah.
Madge (as Phin): Do you think I overdid it giving her the trail mix?
Minna (as Myra): I don’t think you overdid it. I think she really appreciated it.
Madge (as Phin): Okay. Okay, you know, ‘cause she looked like she was about to pass out.
Minna (as Myra): It’s her first Doskvorn and I think this is a time when everyone’s a little bit… Well, you know how it gets on Doskvorn, right?
Madge (as Phin): Yeah. Our last Doskvorn was super sappy, so…
Minna (as Myra): I mean, it’s nice to have family, I guess.
Madge (as Phin): Yeah. Home away from home.
Minna (as Myra): She might be feeling the same way, if she doesn’t have–
Madge (as Phin): I don’t think we’ve ever asked her about her family at all.
Minna (as Myra): Yeah. I guess I never thought about it. I mean, it’s not like I talk about it either.
Madge (as Phin): We don’t talk a lot about anything.
Minna (as Myra): We talk about day to day stuff, we just don’t talk about the past a lot. Or, stuff outside the gang. I guess… I don’t know, maybe we should ask her about that.
Madge (as Phin): It’s all strictly business. I agree, we should start talking to them more. It’s been, like, a couple months.
Minna (as Myra): I think you’re right. It’s more like a family, and we probably should stop treating it like it’s just business.
Madge (as Phin): Yeah.
Minna: Sidebar? “Our last Doskvorn was super sappy?” What happened?
Madge and Rhi: [laughter]
Rhi: [gasp] Did Phin bring Myra back home—
Madge: [quietly] [gasp] Oh, fuck!
Rhi: For dinner with the family?
Kim: Oh…!
Josie: [gasp]
Minna: [whisper screaming]
Madge: Yeah, she definitely did.
Rhi: [overcome] Oh, gosh.
Kim: [overcome noises] Aww!
Minna: Yeah, that was super sappy, then. [delighted laugh]
Rhi: Oh, that’s wonderful.
Minna: I think Myra’s gonna be like:
Minna (as Myra): So, why didn’t you go to your family this Doskvorn?
Madge (as Phin): Um… [haltingly] I haven’t really gone home since the embassy thing.
Minna (as Myra): Not at all?
Madge (as Phin): Nope.
Minna (as Myra): I mean, you hear from them, though, right?
Madge (as Phin): Yeah. I write sometimes, to let them know I’m not dead.
Minna (as Myra): I mean, I’m not questioning you, I’m just… It seems a little out of character for you.
Madge (as Phin): I don’t want them to know what happened, and, you know, Aldric has a way of figuring things out, so…
Minna (as Myra): I mean, either they’re gonna find out about it from you or from somebody else, or you’re just going to keep not seeing them forever?
Madge (as Phin): I’m gonna not see them until I figure out a way to lie about it.
Minna (as Myra): I mean, you know some people who are pretty good at lying, Phin.
Madge (as Phin): That’s true. Let’s table that.
Minna (as Myra): We’ll table that. We’ll talk about it later.
Madge (as Phin): Yeah.
## [00:22:43]
Rhi: All right. I think on that, we’ll cut back over to Blaire and Minx, who I think both have their face paint done now.
Kim: Yeah.
Josie: Mhmm. Mine’s a fancy, intricate mask, and hers is smears of color across.
Kim: Yup.
Rhi: The face paint artist with Blaire was trying to do a pattern, and then Blaire looked in the mirror and just smeared the pattern away, and is like “yeah, perfect!”
Kim: Yeah. Yeah, and meanwhile, the artist just kinda died inside a little.
Rhi: Just kind of like:
Rhi (as Artist): [dejectedly] Okay…
Rhi: [laugh]
Josie (as Minx): Blaire, since family does seem to be a topic on the brains of all of us lately: I know you came here for school, correct?
Kim (as Blaire): Yeah. I mean, I got kicked out, but…
Josie (as Minx): Indeed. Uh…
Kim (as Blaire): [laughter]
Josie (as Minx): Never been one much for schooling, myself. But what was your life before that? I’ve only known of Blaire the student.
Kim (as Blaire): Oh. Okay, um, well, I grew up in Tycheros. Um, and my family were alchemists… Um… And, I mean, I don’t know. It was pretty normal.
Josie (as Minx): Are you ever in contact with them at all?
Kim (as Blaire): [grunt] Um, I can’t, really, no. [sigh]
Josie (as Minx): There’s no way to send a letter?
Kim (as Blaire): Well… [sigh] There are some ways, but it’s not easy, and, just… The other thing is, I don’t think they know that, um, I dropped out of school, so…
Josie (as Minx): Ah. Hmm…
Kim (as Blaire): Yeah. It’s– it’s tough, because I really miss them. Sometimes I really wish I could go back home. But… [sigh] I don’t really know how to justify what I got myself into.
Josie (as Minx): Well, far be it for me to dictate anything, and, gods forbid, I know very little of “parenting” from either side of the equation, but surely they know of your proclivities and would understand what happened, at the very least? I doubt they would attempt in any way to make your situation worse.
Kim (as Blaire): Well… [sigh] If they find out what I did, they might actually… I don’t know if they’d punish me, or… But they may not be happy with me, you know? I mean… [sigh] I think they alway– I mean, they obviously loved me, but I think they always kind of thought I was a little weird.
Josie (as Minx): I must say, you are very kind and, frankly, normal person, from my standing—despite certain interests.
Kim (as Blaire): Think so?
Josie (as Minx): Yes. You approach it very… I suppose it’s very idealistic. I don’t wish to provoke a philosophical discussion, but I am put off by certain ghostly activities. But you approach it with a very kind heart.
Kim (as Blaire): Aww, thanks. That means a lot, Minx. Do you really think that Phin thinks I’m her sister?
Josie (as Minx): I feel like, and I may not be speaking for Myra here, but for both Phin and myself—I don’t know, it does seem to be some sort of fraternal bond we share.
Kim (as Blaire): Aww… See, no, because I’m not opposed to that, it just kind of caught me off guard, ‘cause, you know, I wasn’t expecting it. And it’s really sweet, but, you know, gonna make me miss my own sister.
Josie (as Minx): Oh, you have a sister?
Kim (as Blaire): Yeah. I have a twin sister.
Josie (as Minx): What?
Kim (as Blaire): Yeah.
Josie (as Minx): Oh! Then surely, at least, she would understand.
Kim (as Blaire): I think she would, yeah. I’m just… I’m mostly worried about my parents.
Josie (as Minx): Indeed.
Kim (as Blaire): But she would have my back, I think.
Josie (as Minx): I’m hardly one to talk when it comes to actions that might alienate those you care about, but my advice might be to, if it would be alienating, to proceed through it so that amends can be made—
Kim (as Blaire): I don’t know.
Josie (as Minx): And leaving that bit uncertain. I feel a bit of a hypocrite saying that, but…
Kim (as Blaire): What do you mean?
Josie (as Minx): Oh, well, hm. I’m perhaps the reason we are not so on the ins with Bazso. I don’t think I’ve ever explained my previous crew, have I?
Kim (as Blaire): No.
Josie (as Minx): You remember Nyryx, yes?
Kim (as Blaire): Yeah.
Josie: Also, I might suggest that this might be a good time for the groups to join back up?
Kim: [laughter]
## [00:26:43]
Rhi: I like the idea of, Minx is explaining this and the other two just come up behind her.
Josie: Yeah, and it’s just like, “wait, hold on.” [laughter]
Madge and Rhi: [laughter]
Rhi: Phin has some bandages on her hand to protect the new tattoo.
Kim (as Blaire): Oh, sick. What did you get?
Madge (as Phin): Uh, magpie.
Kim (as Blaire): Nice!
Madge (as Phin): Yeah!
Minna (as Myra): It looks really nice.
Josie (as Minx): Yes. I was just explaining, because, apparently, it wasn’t entirely clear that Bazso, Nyryx, and I used to run together when we were but children on the streets.
Kim (as Blaire): Really?
Madge (as Phin): You were on the streets?
Josie (as Minx): Oh, uh, ahem, hm. Uh, yes. I don’t particularly like mentioning that fact. But when we were growing up, we would run together and look out for each other. I must admit some indiscretions on my part caused a bit of alienation, but we do still talk, and I count myself lucky for that.
Kim (as Blaire): Hm.
Josie (as Minx): But anyway, I was just advising Blaire from that situation of, perhaps, hypocrisy.
Kim (as Blaire): Ooh, roast nuts!
Kim: Blaire’s gonna walk away. [laughter]
Josie: [laughing] Roast nuts.
Rhi: Yes, there is someone selling Duskwall equivalent of roasted chestnuts, or something. Nearby the chestnut stand, it’s a fortuneteller’s shop. It’s one of the few doors that’s closed on the street; most of the shops just have the doors propped open so people can come in a little more easily. But this one is closed, and there’s a sign on the door that says “knock before entering.”
Kim: Blaire catches sight of this and she is in the middle of almost shoving a handful of nuts into her mouth.
Josie: [laughter]
Kim: And she just freezes and probably let her tube drop to the ground. She’s like:
Kim (as Blaire): Oh, my gods. We have to try this! We have to look!
Josie (as Minx): Well, that’s delightfully quaint and ominous.
Kim (as Blaire): Yeah!
Kim: I think she’s gonna grab Myra’s wrist and just tug her along and bring her through.
Minna and Rhi: [giggling]
Josie: Aww!
Minna: She’s fine with this.
Rhi: Do all four of you go together?
Madge: Yeah, all going.
Josie: Yeah, let’s all do this.
Rhi: Okay.
Madge: Could be fun.
Rhi: I assume Blaire knocks on the door?
Kim: Mhmm.
Rhi: Probably very eagerly and loudly.
Kim: Yeah. She probably knocks like eight times; like, very rapid succession.
Rhi: There’s a brief pause, and then you hear a:
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): Enter.
Rhi: You open the door, and it’s a single room. Two of the walls are lined with these thick, purple curtains, and the other two walls are full of shelves that hold all kinds of arcane bric-a-brac, for lack of a better description.
Kim (as Blaire): [awed gasp]
Rhi: There’s books and jars full of weird substances and crystals, and weird little trinkets scattered haphazardly around. In the middle of the room, there is a round table with a purple tablecloth over it. On the side closest to the door, where you’re all coming in, there are four chairs in a half circle. And opposite you, there’s a woman sitting in one chair. She looks like she’s probably Severosi; dark skin, dark hair that is cut pretty short. She is wearing a beautifully tailored, deep red gown. It’s got a broad sort of square collar, so it cuts a little lower. You can see, going from here collarbone down below the hem of the collar, there’s this thick scar; looks like it might have come from a blade or a claw, maybe. She is shuffling a deck of cards when you come in. She looks up and smiles, and says:
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): Ah, I was wondering when you would arrive. Please, have a seat.
Rhi: And keeps shuffling.
Kim (as Blaire): You knew we were coming?
Rhi: She just shrugs.
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): It’s my business to know things before they happen, darling.
Kim (as Blaire): [whispering] Wow.
Josie: I do believe that Blaire spontaneously combusts with emotion; this is when it happens.
Rhi: [laughter]
Kim: Oh, this is her shit! She wants to buy everything in this place.
Rhi: Do you all sit down?
Minna: Yeah.
Kim: Mhmm.
Madge: Yeah.
Josie: Mhmm.
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): My name is Nyelle. I am a teller of fortunes.
Minna (as Myra): Do we need to tell you our names? [laugh]
Madge (as Phin): Probably knows our names.
Kim (as Blaire): Oh, oh, oh! What’s my name?
Rhi: Lemma make a fortune roll [dice clattering] and see if she knows it. Hang on.
Josie and Minna: [laughter]
Rhi: She studies you for a moment, cocks her head to the side, and is like:
Rhi (as Nyelle): Ah… Ah, your name evokes wind, the air…
Josie: Can I, without Blaire noticing, mouth “Blaire” to the fortuneteller person?
Kim: [bursting laughter] Oh, that’s precious!
Minna: [giggle]
Rhi: Yeah. You’re gonna have to make some kind of roll to do it without Blaire noticing, though.
Josie: Sure.
Kim: Oh my gosh. This is the best.
Josie: Darn.
Kim: [Disappointedly] Aww.
Rhi: Yeah, you mouth it, but Blaire notices.
Josie: Aww. [laugh]
Rhi (as Nyelle): I nearly had it. Now, then, would you each like an individual reading, or a reading as a group?
Josie (as Minx): I think individual, at least for our younger cohort.
Kim (as Blaire): I think everyone should do individual. You guys should all do it. I’ve been reading up a little bit about tarot; it’s really cool. You guys could learn a lot.
Rhi: She looks to Myra and Phin; sort of a questioning look of, “are you interested?”
Minna (as Myra): Certainly.
Madge (as Phin): I’d love to.
Josie and Minna: [laughter]
Rhi: She shuffles through the cards. She starts by dealing out three cards in front of Blaire. The first is the King of Void, the second is Judgement in reverse, and the third is the Nine of Void in reverse. She looks at the cards and strokes her chin for a moment, and says:
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): Hm, well, it seems that in the past—
Rhi: She touches the King of Void.
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): You have faced someone in your life who is distant and cold, and gives you bad advice; leads you astray. And this has brought you to the present, here.
Rhi: She touches the Judgement card.
Kim (as Blaire): Mhmm.
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): Where you are feeling a lot of doubt and lack of self-awareness. But I see… I see hope in your future.
Rhi: She taps the Nine of Void.
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): There is a path, though, to me, the path is clouded. But there is a path before you to satisfaction, emotional stability, even a life of luxury. But I believe that you must overcome this doubt that has been brought about by this person in your life who is leading you astray.
Kim (as Blaire): I have no idea who that could be.
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): Well, you’ll have to figure out who that is first before you can make any progress forward.
Josie (as Minx): Blaire, I’m afraid I have a confession.
Rhi: [laughter]
Kim (as Blaire): What?
Josie (as Minx): [laughter] I’m simply jesting, dear.
Kim (as Blaire): Oh, okay. Well, uh, thank you.
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): Mhmm.
Rhi: She takes the cards back, shuffles them again, and looks to Minx.
Josie: Excellent.
Rhi: She plays out another three cards in front of Minx. The first is the Soul, the second is the Seven of Blood—
Josie: That’s a really rad suit.
Minna: Mhmm!
Rhi: The last is the Ten of Void in reverse. She contemplates, and she says:
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): Well, for you…
Rhi: She taps the Seven of Blood and says:
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): I see in your past a lot of defensiveness and a need for control, and that has led you here—
Rhi: She touches the Soul.
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): To a life of materialism, addiction, but also playfulness and openness. It’s not all dark. But there are things about that that are holding you back from—
Rhi: And, on this, she touches the Ten of Void.
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): For this, in order for you to achieve inner happiness and fulfill your dreams, you need to, like your friend here, work through some of these things in your present and from your past that are holding you back from this future happiness.
Josie (as Minx): Well, I don’t know about you all, but I would not classify myself as materialistic at all.
Madge (as Phin): [snort] Mhmm.
Josie and Rhi: [laughter]
Rhi: I think—
Josie (as Minx): [laughing] Jesting. You’re good at what you do, madame.
Rhi: Then she looks at Myra. She plays out, all upright, first the Tower, then the Two of Blood, and then the King of Blood. When the Tower comes up, she frowns a little bit and says:
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): Ah, I see that there was a sudden disaster in your past; something that you couldn’t have predicted and couldn’t have prepared for that changed you profoundly, that led you to where you are now.
Rhi: On this, she touches the Two of Blood.
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): You plan and make decisions. Some of those decisions led you leave home and strike out on your own. And I see, in your future—
Rhi: On this, she touches the King of Blood.
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): You have a vision of the greater picture. You will overcome challenges, perhaps even emerge as a leader, and I believe that for all the difficult decisions and upheaval in your past, that has helped make you into a person who could accomplish such things.
Minna: I think Myra’s just looking, frowning and thoughtful, at this point. I don’t think she necessarily gives her a direct reaction or questions anything. She’s just kind of taking it in.
Rhi: All right. Then she takes the cards back, shuffles them in again, and turns to Phin. She plays out first the Knight of Void in reverse, then the Two of Blades, also in reverse, and then the Leviathan, upright.
Madge: [gasp]
Josie: That’s a rad arcana.
Minna: Mhmm!
Madge: [laugh]
Kim: Right?
Josie: Shit.
Rhi: She studies the cards for a moment, and:
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): Seems that you—
Rhi: She touches the Knight of Void.
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): Have come from a great idealism. You follow your heart and your principles, but this idealism and your principles have led you to where you find yourself now—
Rhi: She touches the Two of Blades.
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): Where you feel confused, like there’s no right choice, like you’re forced to choose between the lesser of two evils. But as you find yourself facing these difficult choices, you must keep in mind—
Rhi: She touches the Leviathan.
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): That while you may face difficult choices and changes, everything happens in a cycle. Things live; they die; things live again. And in some ways, our fate is inevitable. While some may struggle against it, sometimes there is comfort in knowing that whatever choice you make, it will lead to the end that you were meant to reach.
Madge (as Phin): So, remember I will die. Got it.
Minna: [laughter]
Kim (as Blaire): No– No, that doesn’t—
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): Well, I suppose that’s one perspective on it.
Rhi: She takes the cards back shuffles them in.
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): Well, I hope that that provided some help and guidance to you all.
Rhi: She pauses for a moment and glances up past you, and says:
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): Ah, I have a newly married couple on their way in, so if you don’t mind, it’s a very busy day for me. Normally I would love to stay and talk about this a bit more, but I do need to keep my customers moving.
Kim (as Blaire): Aw. You have a business card?
Rhi: She laughs a little bit and stands up and goes over to one of the shelves, and scrawls something out on a piece of paper and hands it to you. It just says “Fortunes by Nyelle,” and has the address.
Kim (as Blaire): Thank you.
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): You’re very welcome, young Blaire.
Kim (as Blaire): [gasp] [whispering] She knows my name!
Josie and Minna: [laughter]
Rhi: Then, I think, as you all stand up to leave, there’s a knock at the door, and she says:
Rhi (as Fortuneteller): Oh, just a moment.
Rhi: When you step outside, there is indeed a pair of young women standing there holding hands and giggling to each other.
Madge: Cute.
Josie: [laughter]
Rhi: What else do you guys wanna do in this street festival?
Josie (as Minx): That was, perhaps, more of a sobering experience than I was expecting. Shall we continue with the jollier side of things?
Madge (as Phin): Yeah. Can I not focus on my imminent death?
Kim (as Blaire): Uh, um, that’s– Doesn’t necessarily mean that.
Minna (as Myra): I’m sure your death isn’t that imminent.
Madge (as Phin): Well, yeah, but inevitable. I want something sweet. Just—
Josie (as Minx): Sweets! Delightful.
Madge (as Phin): Yeah.
Josie (as Minx): Let’s go for it.
Kim: Does Blades have ice cream? Does that exist?
Madge: Do we have cows?
Rhi: There are goats.
Madge: Okay.
Rhi: Let me… Give me a moment. There is a whole three page spread in the book about food.
Kim: What?!
Minna: What’s There to Eat in Duskwall? I love that spread so much.
Josie: [chuckle]
Rhi: I do not think that there are cows. I don’t think cows survived the breaking of the world. There are goats—
Minna: Can you make goats’ milk ice cream?
Madge: Yeah.
Rhi: Yeah. I think you could do that. So, I think that’s not an everyday kind of thing that you guys would be able to afford, but on a special occasion you probably could get some goats’ milk ice cream.
Josie: Yes.
Rhi: You guys have to wander for a little bit to find a place that will sell ice cream, but you’re able to find it because there is a line stretching halfway down a block that consists primarily of children.
Kim: Oh, God.
Josie: [laughter]
Rhi: Eventually, you guys get up there. You’re waiting for the last group of people in front of you to get their orders. It’s a small family; there’s a woman in a wheelchair, a young woman, and then two younger boys. The young woman puts some money down, takes very small cups of ice cream, and hands them out.
Rhi (as Young Woman): Okay, this is for you, and this is for you.
Rhi: Handing them out to the boys. As she turns, you recognize that this is Nessa Ericks—
Josie and Minna: [gasp]
Rhi: The artist from the art theft that you all did quite some time ago. She turns and sees you all, and is like:
Rhi (as Nessa): Oh! Oh, hello! Um—
Josie (as Minx): Oh, Ms. Ericks, my dear, how have you been?
Rhi (as Nessa): Um, pretty well.
Rhi: She herds the boys off to the side so that you guys can move in to put in your orders.
Rhi (as Nessa): I’ve been doing pretty good. Oh, these are my brothers, and this is my mother.
Rhi: The woman in the wheelchair gives you a wave with the hand isn’t holding ice cream.
Rhi (as Mama Ericks): Nessa, these some new friends of yours?
Rhi: And is looking a little suspicious.
Josie (as Minx): Oh, no. We’ve simply crossed paths a few times before.
Kim (as Blaire): We’re fans!
Josie (as Minx): Yes.
Rhi: Nessa leans down.
Rhi (as Nessa): They helped me with that whole, um, situation a couple months ago.
Rhi: And her mom’s eyes go wide.
Rhi (as Mama Ericks): Oh. Oh! That’s you– Oh, I’m so sorry. It’s so good to meet you! And thank you so much for what you did.
Kim (as Blaire): Of course.
Josie (as Minx): Oh, it was hardly anything at all.
Rhi: I think at this point Nessa notices Phin.
Rhi (as Nessa): Oh, I’m so sorry. I– I’ve gotten so flustered. I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Nessa Ericks.
Madge (as Phin): Nice to meet you. Phin Haig.
Rhi: She shakes your hand.
Rhi (as Nessa): Yeah, I’ve been doing well, just back at stocking at the shop that I was working at before, but—
Josie (as Minx): Back to the grindstone, as one might say.
Rhi (as Nessa): Yeah. Well, it doesn’t pay as much, but, you know, comes with considerably fewer risks.
Rhi: She looks down at her ice cream.
Josie (as Minx): I can imagine so. But at least you are able to still enjoy a happy Doskvorn.
Rhi (as Nessa): Yeah. I managed to sell a painting a couple weeks ago—
Kim (as Blaire): Yay!
Rhi (as Nessa): And saved up the money so that I could treat everybody.
Josie (as Minx): Excellent.
Rhi: I think at this point the shop owner is like:
Rhi (as Shop Owner): [clears throat] Much as I hate to interrupt this reunion, the line goes down the block in both directions, so either order your ice cream or move on.
Josie (as Minx): Oh, yes, yes, yes, of course.
Rhi (as Nessa): Oh, yeah, sorry. We should get going. But it was really good to see you again.
Josie (as Minx): Indeed. And please do come calling if you find yourself seeking something to break the grind.
Rhi (as Nessa): I’ll keep that in mind.
Rhi: She nods. Her brothers have started trying to steal each other’s ice cream, and she’s just like:
Rhi (as Nessa): Stop it! Stop that! Come on.
Rhi: And herds them out. Her mom starts to wheel herself out and gives you all another big smile, and just mouths “thank you” again. Then they head off into the crowd.
Kim: Aww.
Rhi: You all get your ice cream. I don’t know that there’s necessarily different flavors for sale here. I think flavors of ice cream are something that would be out of your price range.
Kim: What about toppings?
Rhi: What would you put on ice cream?
Josie: Nuts?
Kim: Candy? Maybe dried fruit, if you have all the money.
Josie: We do have dried fruit, though.
Kim: [gasp]
Rhi: Yeah! Oh yeah, you guys can put… Yeah, you have your trail mix you can put on top of the ice cream. There you go.
Josie: Perfect.
Rhi: Yeah. you guys put some of the dried fruit and trail mix stuff on top.
Josie: Of course, only if Blaire’s okay with sharing.
Kim: Oh, yeah. Yeah, of course.
Rhi: You guys walk a little ways away from the place, to where the crowd isn’t quite as thick.
Madge: Nice.
Josie: Have I ever had ice cream before? I don’t think I’ve ever been able to shell out for it.
Rhi: Yeah, probably not.
Josie (Minx): Blaire, is this your first time?
Kim: Is it?
Rhi: Blaire, I would say that you probably have had some kind of ice cream type thing before.
Kim: It’s probably just been a long time.
Rhi: Yeah, ‘cause your family was pretty middle class. But not since you left home.
Kim: Okay, so getting back to Minx’s question:
Kim (as Blaire): No. No, I’ve kinda had something like this before, but it’s been a long time.
Madge (as Phin): No, I’ve never had it either. So…
Josie (as Minx): I see. Myra, we haven’t engaged in an activity for your pleasure yet.
Kim (as Blaire): Yeah! What do you wanna do?
Minna (as Myra): Been having fun so far. [laugh]
Josie: [laughter]
Kim (as Blaire): Oh, come on! What do you wanna do? Live a little!
Rhi: [laugh] I’m picturing Blaire just shaking her shoulder, like, rock her back and forth.
Josie: Aww.
Minna: Myra is like:
Minna (as Myra): ‘Live a little…’
Minna: She looks directly at the ice cream she’s holding, and back at Blaire, like:
Minna (as Myra): Is this not living?
Josie and Rhi: [laughter]
Kim (as Blaire): But, but, this is a day for all of us. What about something for you?
Josie (as Minx): Surely Myra Keel must be able to cut loose in some fashion.
Minna: I honestly think it might be fun to just do a simple thing that would hark back to childhood, ‘cause Doskvorn is a lot about that. Just a ring toss or something could be cool. She’s not good at it, but it’s fun.
Rhi: You can definitely do that; very easy to find. A lot of people who don’t own a shop but wanna make some money on Doskvorn tend to set up carnival games, ‘cause it’s pretty cheap, you can set it up anywhere, and it’s very popular.
Minna: Mhmm. I think they’re all staring at her, and she glances over and spots ring toss.
Minna (as Myra): Why don’t we go do that?
Josie (as Minx): Delightful. We shall.
Rhi: You guys head across the street. I think the prizes here are… Hmm. I’m trying to decide. I think that it’s a variety of little stuffed animals. Some of them are just cats and dogs, but some of them are Deathlands creatures that should not be cute and cuddly.
Kim (as Blaire): [gasp]
Rhi: One of the top tier prizes is a little stuffed bear. Its fur is an ashy gray color, and it has red eyes. The owner is demonstrating to a couple of teenagers who are over there. The mouth is on a hinge and it opens up, and red fabric that looks like flame is in there that comes out.
Josie: [laughter]
Kim: Aww, that is so cute.
Rhi: It’s a fire-breathing ash bear. As you get over there, you hear her say:
Rhi (as Owner): The fur on this is from a real ash bear pelt. That’s why you have to score so high to win it.
Rhi: She puts it back. There’s also some crows, which is really morbid. But they have them.
Kim: [gasp]
Josie: [laughter]
Rhi: It’s the worst thing. [laugh] There’s also some stuffed—what look like—panthers. The fur on this is gray and black. They have exaggeratedly large fabric claws and fangs. Then there’s just a selection of cute little stuffed cats and dogs and stuff. Blaire, you wanted to roll something to see if you could figure out if she was lying?
Kim: Yeah. I feel like Blaire would know whether or not she’s bullshitting.
Rhi: Well, you can try to do it, but I do not think Blaire has encountered an ash bear in the wild, because if she had, Blaire probably wouldn’t be alive.
Kim: Oh. Well—
Rhi: My inspiration for ash bears is: take a grizzly bear and infuse it with demon blood so that it breathes fire.
Kim: I like it.
Rhi: So… [laughter]
Josie: I want one. [laughter]
Kim: Yeah, same.
Rhi: But yeah, I think, Blaire, you have studied the Deathlands enough to where you probably—
Kim: Can I roll Study?
Rhi: Yeah, knock yourself out.
Kim: Aw, dammit. They both came up as 3.
Rhi: Okay. You can’t tell. But yeah, the two teenagers wander off and the owner sees the four of you.
Rhi (as Owner): Ah, yes, step up, step up! You get five points, you could win something on this shelf, 10 points gets you here, and 20 gets you the ash bear—made of real ash bear pelt!
Rhi: She flips the jaw open and the fire lolls out.
Josie: [laughter]
Rhi: She puts it back.
Rhi (as Owner): So, can I interest you in a game? Who’s up first?
Josie (as Minx): [chanting] My-ra, My-ra!
Minna: Myra steps forward and offers a coin.
Rhi: Go ahead and roll whatever you would like to roll for this.
Minna: It’s probably like Hunt, right?
Rhi: Yeah, probably.
Minna: It’s a 5.
Madge: [cheer]
Minna: I was actually low key hoping she’d fail humorously.
Rhi: [laugh] Okay. Myra, you focus, you’re pretty slow and methodical about it, but you manage to get… You get 16 points, which is enough to get you something off the 15 point shelf, but not up to the ash bear. So, you can get an umbra lion—is the panther-like thing—or a Deathlands crow.
Minna: I’m gonna go for a Deathlands crow, because it’s sort of on-brand.
Josie and Madge: [laughter]
Rhi: She gives you a crow.
Madge: Can I examine the things that the rings are being tossed onto?
Rhi: Yeah, sure.
Madge: Cool. What would I roll for that?
Rhi: Probably Study or Survey, if you’re just looking at them.
Madge: Okay.
Rhi: Phin, what are you looking for?
Madge: Um, one, I wanna see if it’s rigged in any sort of way.
Rhi: It is, a little bit. The further back that the stakes are that you have to get the rings onto, the farther away they are, the more points they’re worth. You can see that the ones that’re further back, they’re tilted away just a little bit so it’s a little harder to get the ring on there. That is what you observe in Studying these while Myra is doing her ring toss.
The woman hands over the crow and is like:
Rhi (as Owner): All right, so, who’s next?
Kim (as Blaire): Minx wants to go next.
Rhi: [laughter]
Kim: I push Minx.
Josie (as Minx): Ah, uh, yes, yes, of course. All right.
Josie: I’m gonna roll some dice about it here.
Rhi: What are you rolling?
Josie: I was gonna roll Finesse, if that’s okay.
Rhi: Finesse makes sense for this.
Josie: Mhmm. And I got a 6 about it.
Rhi: Maybe Phin points out the rigged stakes in the back—
Kim: Ooh!
Madge: Yeah. I was thinking that she, like—
Josie: Mhmm.
Madge: Kicks it with her ankle right as she throws it. [chuckle]
Rhi: Yeah! I like that.
Josie: Yeah.
Rhi: I like that.
Josie: You kinda Fonzie this. [laughter]
Rhi: [laughter] Yeah. When Minx makes the toss, Phin nudges it with her ankle and the stakes all shift a little bit, and the rings land on the farther back ones. Yes, that’s very good. So, yes, you manage to get exactly 20 points.
Josie: Yes!
Rhi: The woman is still smiling, very brightly, but the smile looks just a little more plastered on now.
Rhi (as Owner): Wow! 20 points! You’re the first one today who’s made that. Well, congratulations.
Josie: [laugh]
Rhi: She holds out the bear.
Josie (as Minx): Thank you. It seems that luck is on my side this evening.
Madge: [chuckle]
Josie: And I’ll wink at Phin. [laughter]
Rhi: [laugh]
Josie (as Minx): Myra, this was your choice, so if you do want to partake of this, you can. Or shall I give it to Blaire and watch her poor little heart collapse?
Kim (as Blaire): Wha…?
Madge: Aww!
Minna (as Myra): I’m fine.
Kim: Yeah, no, I wanna give this a shot.
Rhi: All right. Blaire is also gonna—
Kim: Yes. I have nothing in Finesse or Hunt.
Madge: No matter what you choose, could I get Blaire an extra dice?
Kim: Aww.
Rhi: You wanna help her out?
Madge: Yeah. I’m gonna kick the thing again. [laugh]
Rhi: What’d you get?
Kim: [sadly] 1.
Madge: Aww!
Rhi: Oh no!
Minna: [laughter]
Rhi: Oh, jeez.
Kim: Why is it my prettiest dice that’s cursed?
Rhi: Tell us how this looks with Blaire.
Kim: Okay. I don’t think she’s ever played a carnival game like this before. She’s focusing really intently; she’s sticking her tongue out and squinting and she’s doing a couple like… Like she’s throwing a frisbee. She’s doing a couple preparatory wrist moves. Like one, two! And by the time she’s almost ready to actually throw it, her hands just catch a little bit too early and it leaves her hand, but she wasn’t ready to properly throw it, so it just kinda flies out of her hand. It probably tinks something, and then it falls down and doesn’t even it hit one of the pegs.
Rhi: [laugh] I think, on a 1, Blaire gets like three points, which isn’t enough to actually win anything.
Josie and Madge: Aww.
Kim (as Blaire): Hmph, that’s okay.
Josie (as Minx): It’s okay. You do have a bear here to comfort you.
Kim (as Blaire): Aww.
Josie: I’ll put it on Blaire’s back.
Madge: Aww!
Rhi: [laughing] Oh, God. Are you doing the thing where you’re putting it on her shoulder?
Josie: Yes.
Kim: Ah!
Rhi: Excellent. Phin, are you gonna try your hand at this?
Madge: Yeah.
Rhi: All right.
Madge: 5.
Rhi: Like Myra, you also get a little over 15 points, which, as you guys were switching off, she put up a second ash bear and just eyeballed all of you.
Josie and Madge: [laughter]
Rhi: So, you can get either the umbra lion or the Deathlands crow.
Madge: I’m taking the lion of nightmares.
Rhi: Okay.
Josie: [laughter]
Rhi: She gives you the horrible, scary lion.
Madge: Yay.
Josie (as Minx): Excellent. That is a bit of a haul we’ve acquired.
Kim (as Blaire): New friends.
Josie (as Minx): Good score, everyone.
Rhi: Oh no, I just have this mental image of all the stuffed animals sitting in front of your vault to guard it. [laugh]
Josie and Kim: Aww!
Rhi: Is there anything else that you guys want to do?
Josie: I wanna pick up a present for Rigney.
Kim: Oh, right.
Minna: Yeah, we need to do that.
Madge: We have to do that.
Rhi: Okay. What do you guys wanna get?
Josie: I was gonna get him some sort of fancy glass, or perhaps some sort of wine vintage he doesn’t carry.
Rhi: Okay. Blaire, what was your—
Kim: I want to get him some kind of bowtie that will match the vest that Phin got him.
Rhi: Oh, okay.
Minna: I’m so fucking bad at gifts but I wanna get him something.
Rhi: [laugh]
Minna: I feel like it might be, like, a nice food-related thing. Maybe some kind of fancy oil to dip your bread in that makes everything taste better.
Kim: Good cheese.
Rhi: Yeah.
Kim: Like, a cheese plate.
Rhi: Or good cheese. You could do cheese.
Minna: Or cheese. Something like that.
Rhi: Okay. You guys head off into the street festivals, scouting out Nightmarket’s various shops. Minx and Myra, I think you two are able… There’s a… It’s a wine shop, but they also sell glassware and fine cheeses and stuff like that to go with your wine. You guys come across that shop first, and you’re able to find some stuff there. I think I’ll have you both roll your Stash. So, however many rows you have filled in, roll that many dice to see what quality you can afford.
Josie: Mm, I rolled a 1.
Minna: I rolled a 2.
Rhi: Oh no.
Josie: I spent a lot of money today. [laughter]
Rhi: Yeah. You guys both get in there and you’re like, “oh, we’re out of pocket change.” Minx, you’re able to find… It’s a nice bottle of a mushroom cap wine, but you’re not sure if it’s one that he doesn’t have already. But it’s still nice.
Josie: Okay.
Rhi: And Myra, you are able to find a thing that’s a nice, simple selection of some different goat cheeses.
Minna: Yeah.
Rhi: Okay. You guys can get that. And then, Blaire, you said you wanted to get a bowtie?
Kim: Yeah.
Rhi: As you guys are making your way through the streets, you turn a corner, and you hear a voice going:
Rhi (as Voice): Minx? Minx, is that you?
Josie: Minx perks up and looks around.
Rhi: You see, working her way through the crowd, is Nyryx. She is a bit dressed up. She’s wearing some nicer clothes, she’s got her hair pinned up, and she has a parcel under one arm.
Rhi (as Nyryx): [out of breath] There you are. I started off at the pub that you spend so much time at, and I’ve been looking for you all over. [catching her breath] So glad I finally found you.
Josie (as Minx): I must say, I’m honored, though I’m sorry to give you the runaround, as it were. What brings you to this part of town?
Rhi (as Nyryx): Well, was looking for you, actually.
Rhi: She says, and seems to a little bit belatedly notice the other three, and:
Rhi (as Nyryx): Oh, um, hi. Sorry. It’s, um, good to see you again.
Rhi: She nods at Blaire, gives a slightly more hesitant nod to Myra, and then looks to Phin.
Rhi (as Nyryx): Oh, um, and… I’m so sorry. I don’t think we’ve met.
Madge (as Phin): We probably haven’t.
Josie (as Minx): Oh, yes. Uh, Nyryx, this is Phin. Phin, Nyryx.
Madge (as Phin): Hey.
Rhi: Nyryx holds out a hand to shake.
Madge: Phin will shake it.
Rhi (as Nyryx): So, you’re one of the ones who’s been putting up with Minx here for the last few months, I take it.
Josie (as Minx): Let’s say that Phin is less of one to “put up with” me, and more to set me right.
Rhi (as Nyryx): That’s good. She needs that. She needs a lot of that.
Rhi: Nyryx gives you a fond, wry smile, and takes the package out from under her arm.
Rhi (as Nyryx): Oh, this is for you.
Josie (as Minx): Ooh. I– Is this for polite company, or privacy?
Rhi (as Nyryx): You should, uh… open that when we’re not somewhere so public.
Rhi: She winks at you.
Josie (as Minx): Very well.
Josie: She’ll blush a bit and tuck it under her arm.
Rhi (as Nyryx): Anyway, um…
Josie (as Minx): Yes. Oh my goodness, I haven’t quite found the time to package up something for you yet. Shall we take a bit of a walk, find something?
Rhi (as Nyryx): Um, yeah. That sounds good.
Rhi: She takes Minx’s arm, and:
Rhi (as Nyryx): It was good seeing you all again. Um, it was nice to meet you, Phin.
Madge (as Phin): You too.
Kim (as Blaire): Bye.
Minna: Myra nods.
Rhi: She nods at Myra, but kind of avoids her gaze a little bit.
Minna: I think they’re both being very awkward around each other.
Rhi: Uh-huh.
Josie: Yeah.
Minna: It was not a good meeting last time.
Rhi: No. Minx and Nyryx head off into the crowd. And the other three of you can continue on your bowtie quest.
Josie: Bowtie quest.
Kim: Yes.
Rhi: Yes, it’s very important. You wander around a little bit, and you are able to find a place selling… You know.
Kim: Haberdashery!
Rhi: Yes. You find a haberdashery. They do have a lovely selection of bowties, including some that look like they would be a good match for the vest that Rigney was gifted earlier.
Kim: 6!
Rhi: This particular shop that you found has a really, really steep discount going on for Doskvorn, so you’re able to get, I think, not only a bowtie, but a matching handkerchief.
Kim: Yes!
Madge: [chuckle]
Kim: He’s gonna love it.
Rhi: It all coordinates very nicely with the vest.
## [00:59:14]
Rhi: I have a quick question: did Minx give somebody the wine that she bought for Rigney before she wandered off?
Josie: Yes. [laugh]
Rhi: Okay. We’ll cut over to Minx and Nyryx, who I think are just meandering through the streets, at this point.
Josie (as Minx): It has been some time since we’ve spent a Doskvorn together, hasn’t it?
Rhi (as Nyryx): [sigh] Years, I think.
Josie (as Minx): Indeed. Was that… Was the last time before or after?
Rhi (as Nyryx): Oh, it was before.
Josie (as Minx): Jeez.
Rhi (as Nyryx): Yeah. After that, we all sort of went our own ways with figuring out how to make our way in the world.
Josie (as Minx): Indeed.
Rhi (as Nyryx): I’m glad I was able to track you down. It’s—
Josie (as Minx): [laughter]
Rhi (as Nyryx): I have my friends from work, but it’s nice to get to spend the holiday with people who’ve known you for as long as we’ve known each other.
Josie (as Minx): Indeed. I share that sentiment. Although, I was unsure if you were in a position to want me to stream by your neighborhood this evening.
Rhi (as Nyryx): Silkshore is a bit of a headache on Doskvorn. It starts off well enough, but then just descends into, well, drug-fueled orgy, really.
Josie (as Minx): Ah. Hm. Yes, I can see how that could be tiresome. [laughter]
Rhi (as Nyryx): Mm, yes. [sigh] So, I managed to have the day off.
Josie (as Minx): Excellent. I’m glad to hear it.
Rhi (as Nyryx): Yeah. It’s nice, just getting to take some time for myself and catch up with you, and… I heard a rumor that you and Bazso are maybe mending some bridges?
Josie (as Minx): Yes, well, at the very least, when I went to see him, he did not murder me outright. So, we are starting from somewhere.
Rhi (as Nyryx): I mean, that is rather a distinct improvement from when I saw him after he first good out of Ironhook. So, yes, we’ll celebrate that win.
Josie (as Minx): It takes some time, and I suspect it will never be as it was. But believe it or not, I do admire the man after some fashion.
Rhi (as Nyryx): Hm. [sigh] I don’t think that any of us can be the way that we were before, back then. It was… simpler, but a lot harder, in ways.
Josie (as Minx): Quite. But I must say that I’m very glad that things do seem to be going well on your end, whereas me and Bazso are wrapped up in our [sigh] various feuds, and the like.
Rhi (as Nyryx): Mm. Well, you two were always the ones to jump feet first into trouble.
Josie (as Minx): [laugh]
Rhi: You’re walking arm in arm, and she stops abruptly, and pulls you to a stop.
Rhi (as Nyryx): [gasp] Oh, look at these! Aren’t they lovely?
Rhi: She’s peering in a window where there’s a display of some nice tortoiseshell combs and a nice hand mirror; you know, a few little things like that.
Josie (as Minx): Indeed. I do believe we’ve arrived at our destination, then.
Josie and Rhi: [laugh]
Josie: Minx is gonna gently lead her inside. Will I be able to afford it at all?
Rhi: I’m gonna say you can either roll your stash again to see, or you can roll Sway to try to talk the proprietor into a lower price.
Josie: I am definitely gonna do that thing.
Rhi: [laugh]
Josie: I think I’m going to make a show of pointing out the slightly more expensive one, but then we go down to, like:
Josie (as Minx): Oh, no, this one should be more in our price range.
Josie: Then when he tells me the price, I’ll be like:
Josie (as Minx): What? Surely we can bring this down, especially compared to that one. That one is already so high and overpriced. Surely this one…
Josie: You know, that sort of thing. [laugh] Triple 5s.
Rhi: You’re able to bring the price down a bit. Not quite as much as you were hoping, but enough to where, basically, whatever cash you were carrying around, this is the last of it. But you are able to afford it. The owner wraps it up and hands it over to you.
Josie (as Minx): Excellent. Thank you, good sir. I’m glad we could come to an arrangement.
Josie: As we leave, I’m gonna gently run it through Nyryx’s hair once before handing it to her.
Kim: Aww.
Rhi (as Nyryx): Thank you, dear.
Rhi: Then bounces up on her toes and give you a quick kiss.
Josie: Aww! I’m gonna give her a peck back. [laugh]
## [01:03:42]
Rhi: I think we’ll leave those two and return back to The Hound’s Paw, which is still quite crowded. But Rigney does… You know, he gives you a wave, but doesn’t really make to leave from behind the bar. He’s very clearly rapidly filling drink orders, and seems kinda pinned down back there. If you guys make your way up to the bar and kind of wedge yourselves in, you can talk to him.
Minna: I think we do that.
Rhi: Okay.
Rhi (as Rigney): Oh, good to see you again. I wasn’t expecting to see you back here today.
Minna (as Myra): [laugh] Sorry to bother you while you’re working. We just thought we’d return the favor from earlier.
Minna: And Myra draws out her gift and hands it over.
Rhi (as Rigney): Oh. Oh! Uh—
Rhi: He’s in mid-pour, and he’s like:
Rhi (as Rigney): Thank you so mu– Let me just—
Rhi: And he finishes with it, slides the glass down the bar, and then reaches.
Rhi (as Rigney): Oh, this is great, thank you so much. I… You really– You didn’t have to. I mean, I appreciate it, but…
Minna (as Myra): Rigney, please. We’re friends.
Madge (as Phin): Yeah.
Rhi (as Rigney): Yes. Yes we are. Very good friends. And I see you have lost one.
Minna (as Myra): Oh, she’s with another friend.
Rhi (as Rigney): Ah. All right.
Rhi: Do you give Minx’s gift?
Minna: Oh, yeah. Absolutely.
Minna (as Myra): And this is from Minx.
Rhi (as Rigney): Oh, that’s a pretty nice one. And I can actually enjoy it myself.
Rhi: He, with his foot, kicks open a cabinet under the bar and tucks the wine and cheese in there.
Rhi (as Rigney): Save that for after this incredibly busy day.
Kim: Blaire is… She’s very excited. She’s gonna run up to Rigney. She’s bouncing in place.
Kim (as Blaire): I got you something that I think is probably a little better than the drawing.
Rhi (as Rigney): I don’t know, it was a very nice drawing.
Rhi: He takes the little bag there.
Rhi (as Rigney): Oh, these are– Oh, these are great! Here, I’m gonna… You know what?
Rhi: And, oh, he is now wearing Phin’s vest.
Madge: Aww!!
Rhi: He found time to change. [laugh]
Rhi (as Rigney): Oh, well, I… Ah, these are perfect. Oh, well, here, hang on. Carter, cover the bar for me for a second. Here, Blaire, come here.
Rhi: He pulls Blaire aside so that he can do up the bowtie. I think while they’re talking, Myra and Phin, if you guys wanna step aside and—
Madge: Yeah.
Minna: I think we’ve stepped aside from the bar, and I think Myra puts a hand on Phin’s arm.
Minna (as Myra): I actually had something for you, as well.
Madge (as Phin): Really?
Minna: She pulls out, basically, a packet of folded brown paper or whatever and hands it over. And inside, if she opens it…?
Madge: Yeah.
Minna: It’s a necklace—
Madge: Aww!
Minna: On a cord. There’s a little bundle, and I think she’s gonna say:
Minna (as Myra): I don’t know if, on the docks, they do this, but where I come from, at least some people, at least people I knew, we made these charms. They’re supposed to be protective. You make them for the people in your life that you care about.
Madge: [overcome] Aaah! It’s so cute. Oh no. I love it. Phin puts it on immediately. [chuckle]
Rhi: [laughter]
Madge (as Phin): Okay, that makes this a whole lot better, because I got you something, too, and I didn’t want it to be weird. Um, I noticed that the ink that you were… Not the ink, but the pen you were using, it blots, and it’s awful. So, I—
Madge: And she pulls out a little box.
Madge (as Phin): Uh, [stuttering] h– here.
Madge: And [laugh] she hands it over.
Minna: Myra opens it and finds a nice pen, right?
Madge: Yeah. It’s a nice pen, and also a thick stack of new parchment, too.
Minna: Oh, gosh. I think Myra opens it and she looks at Phin.
Minna (as Myra): This is actually very nice. I’m sure I’ll use it all of the time. Thank you so much.
Madge (as Phin): Yeah. I know it’s not, uh… If I’d known about the… If– the tradition… I would have made you one, too, so, uh, next year.
Minna (as Myra): No, it’s fine. Last year you welcomed me into your family’s home. That was the least I could do in return.
Madge: Phin hugs her real tight.
Minna: Aww!
Josie: Yay!
Kim: Aww!
Minna: Myra hugs back. [laugh]
Josie: [laugh]
Rhi: I think that we’ll pull out from that hug through the crowd, back out into the streets, in a big, panning shot over Nightmarket, which is still crowded and full of light. Then, the light fades out, and the crowds fade away from the streets, and it’s the day after Doskvorn. Myra is picking her way up through the streets towards the bookshop where the translator she had hired, Preet, works. It is picking her way, because you guys have all seen the aftermath of a carnival. There is trash littering the streets, drunks littering the streets; there’s just a stray Akarosian goat kinda wandering, eating the trash. It just seems to have gotten loose and is meandering through the streets. It’s gonna be a day or two before the district goes back to normal.
But you get to the bookshop, which is open. It’s very quiet; there’s no other customers in there. The day after Doskvorn tends to be a quiet day for a lot of shops in Nightmarket. Preet is at her desk at the end of the counter, scribbling in a book.
Minna (as Myra): Preet, how are you? Did you have a good night last night?
Rhi: She startles a little bit.
Rhi (as Preet): Oh, Lizete. Um, yes, yes. I had a very nice time. I didn’t really stay in Nightmarket; it’s a bit loud for me, but, no, it was very nice. I take it you’re here about those notes that you asked me to translate?
Minna (as Myra): Yes.
Rhi: She nods and leans over in her satchel. She pulls out a leather folio that has been almost entirely encased in twine. There are so many loops and knots here you are gonna need a knife and a little bit of time to get this thing open again. She holds it out.
Rhi (as Preet): Um, I finished the translation. I’m gonna have to ask that you never bring me anything like this ever again.
Kim: Woah.
Minna (as Myra): Oh. Is it that bad?
Rhi (as Preet): Um, well, it’s extremely illegal, and I’m also not… I haven’t been sleeping terribly well since reading some of this stuff.
Minna (as Myra): I am so sorry. I had no idea it would be quite like that.
Rhi (as Preet): It’s… It’s all right. Just, in the future, if you find anything with spooky drawings, um, take it to someone else.
Minna (as Myra): Of course.
Rhi: She’s wringing her hands together a little bit.
Rhi (as Preet): Um, so, uh, yes. That’s all of the notes translated. I don’t know what you intend to do with it, and I think I’d rather keep it that way.
Minna (as Myra): Of course. My silence and your payment.
Minna: She slides the payment with a little bit of extra coin included.
Rhi: She takes the money and then sets it in her satchel
Rhi (as Preet): Um, anyway, I need to get back to work. [sigh]
Minna (as Myra): Yes. Thank you again.
Rhi (as Preet): You’re welcome.
Rhi: She turns back to her book. She looks a little shaken.
You step back out into the streets with a whole bunch of very interesting notes to look over and share with the rest of your crew.
## [01:11:34] Outro
Rhi: Thanks for listening. The Magpies will be back in two weeks. In the meantime, follow us on Twitter @magpies_pod.
The Magpies Podcast is hosted and produced by Rhi. Follow me on Twitter @rhiannon42.
Blaire Culhane is played by Kim Kogut. Follow her on Twitter @kimdianajones.
Minx is played by Josie. Follow her on Twitter @dragongirljosie, and watch her art streams at picarto.tv/dragongirljosie.
Myra Keel is played by Minna. Follow her on Twitter @mynaminnarr.
And Phin Haig is played by Madge. Follow her on Twitter @madgequips.
The opening and closing theme music is from Trio for Piano, Violin, and Viola by Kevin MacLeod and is used under a Creative Commons license.
The Blades in the Dark roleplay system is the creation of John Harper and is published by Evil Hat Productions.
## [01:12:38]
Rhi: Also, for the record, none of these rolls are going to invoke stress or harm. [laugh]
Josie: Yeah. [laughter]
Kim: Oh, God. Good.
Rhi: This is all gonna be… This is a very chill, relaxing day. Like, depending on what you roll, things might not go well, but nobody’s gonna get shot, probably.
Madge: Probably.
Rhi: I guess you guys could do something that could get you shot, but it’s unlikely.
Kim: It depends on how badly we fuck up.
Rhi: [laugh] Please don’t get shot.