The Magpies – Transcript
Season 2, Episode 12: The Harker Score

Transcribed by Tyler (Twitter: @Tyler_MoonSage)

Download a Word doc version of the transcript: TM2-12 The Harker Score

## Intro

Rhi: Welcome back to Duskwall. This is an episode that I have been looking forward to for a long, long time. Fair warning, this episode gets pretty heavy emotionally speaking so it might be one to listen to at home rather than the car, or at work, or the gym.

As always, if you like the show there are lots of ways to support us. Backing us on Patreon is one. You can get access to our Secret Archive and at higher levels you can submit Devil’s Bargains and NPCs for us to use in the show or gain access to tabletop content that will let you incorporate elements from The magpies into your Blades in the Dark game. If Patreon support isn’t for you, then leave us a review and tell your friends about the show. Spreading the word is a great way to support us.

Next, let me tell you about this month’s Featured Charity.

The National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center is a non-profit dedicated to supporting indigenous women in the United States who are facing domestic violence as well as helping Native American tribes and tribal organizations better respond to domestic violence. Their goals are to show that offenders will be held accountable and that native women and children are entitled to safety from violence within their homes and in their community, justice both on and off tribal lands, and access to services designed by and for native women based on their tribal beliefs and practices. Visit www.niwrc.org/donate to support their work. There will be a link to their site in the show notes.

If you’re in the US please continue to visit 5calls.org and contact your representatives about the many issues facing our country. Outside the US, I don’t have immediate resources to point to, but there’s more than enough darkness and uncertainty and harm spread across the world. Learn about what’s going on where you live and what you can do about it.

Now then, let’s get started. Shall we?

## Story Continues [0:02:10]

Rhi: Sophia came over and told you all that Rigney had asked her to give you a note that had come in from Mr. Harker, so we’re gonna start with, just at the table, Sophia has brought the three of you your drinks and she is holding out this note.

Josie: Minx will take it and use a letter opener on it delicately.

Rhi: [chuckles] The letter opener is fancier than the entire letter itself. It’s on cheap paper that has a mug stain in one corner where something was set and spilled and left a brownish ring in one corner, like he spilled tea on it. It’s a very short message written in Harker’s familiar scrawl. “Minx. Might have gotten into a bit of trouble. Weird things happening since I delivered that message for you. People following me. Got a bad feeling. Come by my place as soon as you get this. Harker.”

Josie: Oh dear.

Minna: Oh…

Kim (as Blaire): What’s that all about?

Josie: Hmm. Actually, refresh my memory. What’s the message he’s talking about? It was for when we were framing…

Rhi: You were framing Brogan as having betrayed the Circle of Flame. You fabricated some evidence that Brogan had hired all of you to assassinate Avrathi and that you were planning on assassinating Lady Drake next. You paid Harker to take that information to Salia.

Josie: Hmm. Right.

Josie (as Minx): Well, it seems that our involving Harker in that Brogan business may have had some consequences. Would you all care to join me? I feel like we may need backup for this.

Minna (as Myra): Yes. I think that would be a good idea.

Kim (as Blaire): Well yeah, yeah.

Josie (as Minx): Let’s try not to look too worried. Let’s not tip off any prying eyes.

Minna (as Myra): Of course not.

Kim (as Blaire): Totes casual.

[chuckling]

Rhi: Are the three of you just gonna head out right now?

Josie: Yeah.

Kim: Mm-hmm.

Rhi: Okay. Sophia watches you all go, looking kind of worried as the three of you head out. I was figuring that Harker lives in Silkshore.

Josie: makes sense.

Rhi: Silkshore is an area of town where the income level of the residents varies wildly. You have people living in really glamorous penthouses and then you have people living in the kind of place that Harker is in which is basically just a crappy basement studio. You get to the street where Harker’s building is. It looks pretty normal for Silkshore. Everyone’s going about their daily business. You head into his building and down the stairs, and immediately you know that something is wrong when you see the door, because there is splintered wood around the doorknob where it looks like it was kicked in.

Josie: Uh-oh. I’m going to try to gingerly with my cane push the door open.

Rhi: All right. The door creeks as it opens. It opens about a third of the way and then thumps into something, like there’s something on the other side of the door blocking it.

Minna: [nervous noises]

Kim (as Blaire): [apprehensively] Hello?

Rhi: There’s no response.

Kim (as Blaire): Oh, oh geez, oh geez.

Josie (as Minx): I’ll go in first.

Kim (as Blaire): Mm-hmm!

Rhi: Okay. Minx, you step inside, and Harker is not the best housekeeper. There’s always sort of an organized mess in his place. Even with that, you can tell this place has been trashed. Furniture is upended. There are clothes strewn across the floor. What is blocking the door is an overturned table. There’s broken cutlery and plates and stuff scattered across the floor. There’s kind of a rotting food smell, and you can see on the floor there’s a plate that’s fallen onto some food that’s started to go off.

Josie (as Minx): Oh hells.

Minna (as Myra): How old is this message?

Josie (as Minx): I’m not certain, but it must be days at least if the rot has set in.

Minna (as Myra): Yes…

Josie: Minx is gonna progressively more frantically try to look for any clues of who may have been here.

Rhi: Yeah, if you wanna go ahead and—So, obviously this is kind of a mystery that I have set out here for you, so looking for clues is Gathering Information. That’s how it’s gonna work mechanically, so you can make any kind of rolls you want and it will be Gathering Info.

Kim: Okay.

Josie: Okay. I’m gonna make a case for rolling Consort about this, because I know what would be out of place knowing Harker.

Rhi: Yeah, I will allow that.

Josie: I got a 6.

Rhi: Okay. Looking for things that are out of place, like everything is out of place, it’s just been tossed. You see tossed over the end of the bed is the shabby silk jacket and top hat that Harker wears when he is working at the Sparkfields. It seems like it happened after that, because he has that stuff out. You can ask follow-up questions also if there are specific things you’re looking for.

Josie: Actually, I was gonna ask Blaire to check the ghost field.

Kim: I was just thinking about that. Yeah. I was wondering if rolling Attune would give me an idea of what may have happened here.

Rhi: Yeah, definitely.

Josie: Read the energy of the room.

Kim: Oh, it’s definitely possessed.

Rhi: [laughs] The whole room.

Kim: My highest was a 5.

Rhi: You put on your spirit mask and look into the ghost field. You can’t really see anything super clearly, these are echoes of events in the ghost field. The only reason that it is visible is because there was a lot of strong emotion happening. You don’t really see any of the physical objects, but you can see people moving. You see a shape sitting at the table where the plate of fallen food is sort of jerking upright, getting to its feet as several other figures stream into the room. A few of them fan out and start moving as if they’re throwing things around. The rest close in on presumably Harker. There seems to be kind of a struggle that ends with Harker’s image in the ghost field fading a little bit but it doesn’t disappear. Then everything else kind of fades out. The scene ‘ends” with everyone just sort of disappearing, because that’s where the memory of the ghost field ends. It looks like a number of people broke in, trashed the place, attacked Harker, and you’re guessing knocked him out.

Kim: Hopefully.

Josie (as Minx): yes. At least, judging by their lack of subtlety, he’s likely alive.

Kim (as Blaire): Alive, but I don’t know, he could be really hurt.

Josie (as Minx): Indeed. Myra, do you… Since he delivered the message to them, could it be this Salia character?

Minna (as Myra): Oh… Oh no. that might be…

Kim (as Blaire): What?

Minna (as Myra): [sighs] I know Salia’s got something going on that relates to, well, me, but us, clearly. So maybe…

Minna: Myra’s gonna start looking for signs that confirm this and also that might give some kind of clue for where they went.

Josie (as Minx): I would also like to point out that Wester and Harker were at the Sparkwright festival. It’s possible he observed me talking to the fellow.

Minna (as Myra): They’re also in the business of gathering information and selling it, basically, so who knows how she found out that Harker was connected to us, but if she did, she could, she could do this.

Josie (as Minx): Indeed.

Minna (as Myra): I don’t know why.

Josie (as Minx): Now it’s still possible that it could be the Circle proper.

Minna (as Myra): Yes, I’m hoping it’s just that.

Kim (as Blaire): You’re hoping it’s the Circle instead of the apprentices?

Josie (as Minx): Yes, I generally don’t think of the Circle as “just” the Circle.

Minna (as Myra): “Just” the Circle as in only fighting on one front. I don’t need these people to be helping these other people who hate us. That would make things worse.

Josie (as Minx): That is understandable.

Kim (as Blaire): I’ve got a feeling though that if it was the Circle that took him they’d be doing a lot worse things to him.

Minna (as Myra): Yes. No, for Harker’s sake I suppose, I don’t know what they would want him for.

Minna: Correct me if I’m wrong, but abducting people is not usually Salia’s first strategy?

Rhi: No. That is Salia getting her hands way dirtier than she ever did. She deals in information. This is a lot more involved and hands on than she usually gets.

Josie (as Minx): It’s possible that she learned the information we fed was false and this is… punishment?

Minna (as Myra): I don’t know why she would care that much.

Kim (as Blaire): Or maybe she’s just trying to get to you, Myra.

Minna (as Myra): I don’t know what’s happening, and I don’t… I don’t—

Minna: Sorry, I rolled a 3 by the way, so Myra’s just like:

Minna (as Myra): I don’t see anything. I don’t…

Josie (as Minx): Yes. I suppose we must keep our wits about.

Josie: I think Minx is gonna look for any safe places or hidey holes Harker might have kept, not because she’s intending on taking his stuff but in case he hid something in the event of his disappearance or something, or try to find his safes or hidey holes.

Rhi: Yeah. Minx, you worked with Harker long enough to know. He didn’t live in this place when you were a kid. This is somewhat more recent. You know his habits and where he stashes stuff, so I won’t necessarily have you roll for this. You check the dresser that he’s had forever that you know one of the drawers has a secret compartment in the back, and you check that. The dresser drawers have been yanked open and everything but nobody went into that secret compartment, so he has some coin stashed in there. You poke around at the floorboards until you find the one that’s loose and pry that up and he has some more money, and a couple changes of clothes, and a fake identity. He’s got a couple stashes of “in the event that I need to leave the city in a hurry, I can just grab this and go,” but nothing that seems to connect to this.

Josie: Okay.

Rhi: As you’re all searching and looking around you hear the floorboards in the hallway outside creek.

[nervous noises]

Josie: I’m gonna try to stealthily position myself next to the door, cane at the ready.

Rhi: All right. The other two of you?

Kim: Um… I’m gonna hang back for now.

Minna: I think Myra’s gonna be the decoy to let Minx surprise them, so she’s gonna stand real visible from the doorway.

Rhi: Okay. Myra, you move so that you can see into the hallway, and staring back at you is a wide-eyed girl in her early teens, looks like she’s probably 13 or 14. She’s wearing raggedy and mismatched clothing. It’s clean, it’s well-kept. She has a satchel over her shoulder and she’s clutching the strap as she stares at you, just looking very surprised.

Minna (as Myra): Hello. Are you here for Harker?

Rhi (as Girl): Uh… Yeah. I was looking for M-Mr. Harker… H-He said come round if I needed work. Sometimes he has jobs for me. Uh…

Josie: I think Minx is gonna take a few steps back and slowly reveal herself so I’m away from the door and not gonna startle her.

Rhi: Yeah. Minx, you know that was Harker’s sort of standard operating procedure with his army of street urchins. He wasn’t super controlling of the kids, it was just sort of hey, if you need work come and see me, I will hook you up with things, in exchange I’m taking a cut of whatever you get because I set you up with the job, but if you don’t want to work for me anymore that’s fine, go do your own thing. This sounds like a similar sort of setup. She glances over at Minx also, she’s just looking concerned.

Josie (as Minx): We were looking for Mr. Harker as well. It seems there’s been a spot of trouble. What’s your  name, by the way? Or what do you go by rather?

Rhi (as Girl): Uh… M-My names Philla, but m-most folks just call me Rabbit.

Minna and Kim: (happy squeaking)

Josie (as Minx): Rabbit. Nice to meet you, Rabbit. I am Minx. We are The Magpies.

Josie: I’m gonna slowly approach.

Josie (as Minx): I used to be in your position not too long ago. It seems as though Harker might be out for a time, but…

Josie: I’m gonna hand her a Magpies pin and a place to contact us, essentially.

Josie (as Minx): …come around here if you are still in need of work in a few days.

Rhi (as Rabbit): All right…

Rhi: She’s leaning, trying to peer into the room past the two of you.

Kim (as Blaire): Y-You probably don’t want to go in there. It’s kind of a mess.

Rhi (as Rabbit): Is he all right?

Kim (as Blaire): We don’t know.

Josie (as Minx): He… is out there somewhere, and we intend to find him.

Rhi (as Rabbit): Okay. Um…

Kim (as Blaire): Are you hungry? We can give you something for the road.

Rhi (as Rabbit): No, I’m all right. Do you know when this all happened?

Josie (as Minx): A day or two ago it appears like.

Kim (as Blaire): At least this week. We don’t know for sure.

Rhi (as Rabbit): Well, because I came by a few days ago and I was gonna see Mr. Harker for a job, but there were these, uh, all these people in these real nice black coats with real shiny brass buttons, an di figured they had some more important business with him, so I just went on my way.

Minna: Uh… Does that sound like a familiar description at all?

Rhi: Yeah, you know, The Umbra Hunters wear black jackets with brass buttons.

Minna: Ohhh good. Okay. I think Myra’s gonna straighten and say:

Minna (as Myra): What did these people look like besides the black jackets?

Rhi: Now you’re gonna need to give me a roll.

Minna: Yeah. Absolutely. Is it a Consort?

Rhi: Yeah.

Minna: She’s still trying to seem friendly. I rolled a 6.

Rhi (as Rabbit): Well, they… [exhales] I mean, you’ve been around a while. You know how people move when they’re trying to not show what they got hidden under their coats? Truncheons and whatever?

Josie (as Minx): Right.

Rhi (as Rabbit): They were kind of like that. It’s the reason I left. They looked like they were after something real important.

Minna (as Myra): So they looked like trouble? You got anything a little more detail?

Rhi: What are you looking for specifically?

Minna: Are they just Umbra Hunters or are they intermixed Umbra Hunters and apprentices like it was with Ojal?

Rhi: She describes some of the people. She doesn’t seem to have committed them to memory very well, but none of the descriptions sound like anybody that you know.

Minna: Good. Okay. Good to know.

Kim (as Blaire): Did you see anything more that happened?

Rhi (as Rabbit): No. I just saw them go into the building and figured I’d try and find something else. I had some other jobs around the city and was just coming back now to check in with him.

Josie (as Minx): Yes, well it was a good instinct to leave that to later, and thank you for talking with us.

Josie: I think I do want to slip her a coin, just so today was not a total waste.

Rhi: Yeah. She does that thing that I think is very familiar to both Minx and Myra. She snatches the money and it just vanishes into her clothing. She’s got little hidden pouches and whatever everywhere to keep her money safe.

Rhi (as Rabbit): All right, um…

Rhi: She looks at the Magpie pin and pins it onto the strap of her satchel.

Kim & Josie: Aw!

Rhi (as Rabbit): I’ll come by in a few days to see if you know anything.

Kim (as Blaire): Our doors will be open to you.

Rhi (as Rabbit): I sure hope he’s all right.

Kim (as Blaire): We’ll find him.

Josie (as Minx): We as well.

Rhi: And she scurries off.

Josie (as Minx): Safe travels, Rabbit.

Rhi: She waves at you over her shoulder.

Kim: [smiling] Oh my God, I love her.

Josie (as Minx): Suddenly I’m feeling nostalgic.

Kim (as Blaire): Yeah?

Josie (as Minx): Yes, well it wasn’t so long ago that I was the one approaching Harker’s door.

Minna (as Myra): We will find him, Minx.

Josie (as Minx): I know we will. It is more what this portends for the future.

Kim (as Blaire): If the apprentices are behind it, we’ll get them off your back too, Myra.

Minna (as Myra): I don’t know that they are. The description sounded more like The Umbra Hunters, and this was related to Brogan. It’s possible this is just his revenge.

Josie (as Minx): Mm-hmm. Although I thought The Umbra Hunters were defunked.

Minna (as Myra): The Umbra Hunters as they exist now are Brogan’s bully boys.

Rhi: They were, but Brogan is now in prison and you don’t know how much control he still has over them. You do know that someone else who has not been publically named is running The Centuralia Club, so it’s unclear if The Umbra Hunters are still answering to Brogan, if he’s running them from Ironhook, or if whoever runs the club—You’re pretty sure that whoever runs the club is still part of the Circle, you just don’t know who it is.

Minna (as Myra): Maybe a good place to start is to see what direction they went after they left.

Josie (as Minx): Yes. We should check around the area before spreading out.

Kim (as Blaire): Okay.

Rhi: How do you all want to go about gathering info? You could just do a group Consort action if you wanted and that will cover all of you knocking on doors and talking to neighbors and things.

Kim: Yeah, that makes the most sense to me.

Josie: Yeah, that’s the simplest I think.

Minna: Sure. Who’s gonna lead it?

Josie: I will lead it.

Minna: Okay. That’s another 6.

Josie: I got a critical.

Kim: I got a 6.

Minna: Oh my gosh.

Rhi: Jesus!

Kim: Woohoo.

Rhi: Okay, um…

Minna: Our lowest was a 6.

Josie: Phew… These guys were not being subtle.

Rhi: Yeah. The first few people you talk to are like “no, I was out that day, I didn’t see anything,” and then you are talking to some people outside the building, you’re across the street, and you find a kindly grandmother…

Kim: [cheers]

Rhi: …who spends her days sitting by the front window that looks directly out at Harker’s building, knitting.

Minna: [giggles]

Rhi: Not only is she going to tell you what she saw, but she is going to invite you in and feed you cookies.

Minna: [gasps]

Josie: Yes.

Kim: YES! I was just gonna ask do we get cookies!

Rhi: You definitely get cookies.

Kim: Yay!

Josie: The gang got sidetracked for a while. [laughs]

Kim: Duskwall is good for once!

Rhi: [laughs] I think the other benefit is that she will invite you in and give you cookies, but she also can tell that you all are in a hurry and does get to the point.

Kim: Does she have a cat?

Rhi: Yeah, of course, she has like three.

Kim: AH! Blaire pets all three of them.

[laughter]

Rhi: While you are petting her cats and eating her cookies, she tells you… If you ask did you see a group of people go into the building across the way, she’s like:

Rhi (as Grandmother): Oh yes, yes I saw. It is not uncommon to see large gangs prowling around. You know, back in my day, when I was you rage, I may have been mixed up in some of that sort of thing.

Minna (as Myra): [smiling] Were you indeed?

Josie (as Minx): Ooh~?

Rhi (as Grandmother): So I assumed that they had some business with someone in that building, and then a little while later they came out and a couple of them were carrying this very large satchel between them. it looked very heavy. They headed… There was a carriage a little way down the street, and they all got into the carriage with that satchel of theirs, and they headed, uh… oh, they headed east towards the bridge over into Crow’s Foot.

Minna (as Myra): Hmm…

Rhi (as Grandmother): Would you like another cookie, dear?

Josie (as Minx): Yes, please.

[laughter]

Rhi: Minx is stress-eating.

Kim: [pretends to talk with her mouth full]

Josie: Although that won’t stop her from talking knitting with her.

Rhi: Oh yeah.

Josie: All right. That was a pleasant diversion.

Rhi: Yeah.

[laughter]

Rhi (as Grandmother): Good luck you three. Here, here’s a little bag of cookies for the road.

Kim (as Blaire): Thank you~!

Minna (as Myra): Thank you.

Kim (as Blaire): And thank you for letting me pet your cats~!

Rhi (as Grandmother): Oh, well thank you for petting them. they don’t get nearly enough attention if you listen to them.

[laughter]

Minna (as Myra): Aren’t cats just like that?

Rhi: One of the cats flops over and meows dramatically.

Minna: [groans suggesting “too much cute!”]

[laughter]

Rhi: All right. The bridge that she mentioned, there is only one major bridge between Silkshore and Crow’s Foot. You all came across the bridge when you were coming over here, so that is presumably the direction that they went.

Minna: The problem is they could be going almost anywhere. The only thing we know is they didn’t go to Barrowcleft and Dunslough, because Crow’s Foot, from that way you could also get through Charterhall to Six Towers, so that doesn’t necessarily narrow it down but we can definitely ask people along the route.

Josie: Right. Although Crow’s Foot is also Lampblacks territory, right?

Rhi: It is, but it is also The Crows.

Minna: And, it’s also where Salia operates partly.

Josie: Hmm.

Kim: Oh goodie!

Minna: That’s only one. She has locations all over the place, just mostly the apprentices hang out in Crow’s Foot.

Rhi: On your way over you did see some members of The Crows harassing people as they were coming into Crow’s Foot. You all barely paid it any mind, because it’s fairly normal for The Crows to try to shake people down for, you know, a bridge toll. As you’re leaving the bridge a couple people, clearly part of The Crows because they have crow’s feathers pinned to their lapels, step in front of you.

Rhi (as Crow): If you want to stay under The Crows’ protection while you’re in here we ask for a small contribution to our efforts, otherwise these streets are awful dangerous. Who knows what could happen?

Kim (as Blaire): Thanks, but we don’t need protection.

Minna (as Myra): [quietly] Blaire—

Josie (as Minx): Yes, though we appreciate the sentiment.

Minna (as Myra): Yes. How much is the toll?

Rhi: It’s not insignificant, but it also doesn’t reach the level of being measured in 1 coin.

Minna (as Myra): Say if I add a little bit on, are you willing to pass on some information? You seem to have quite sharp eyes.

Rhi: Give me a roll.

Minna: That’s a Consort, right?

Rhi: Yeah. You are making an honest deal, you’re just offering to pay them for information.

Minna: Six.

Kim: Woo.

Rhi: Good lord.

Minna: I roll three dice for Consort, so it’s a good chance.

Rhi: Yeah. So the two of them glance at each other.

Rhi (as Crow): Make it a coin proper and yeah, we can tell you something.

Minna (as Myra): Gladly.

Minna: She feels the pinch, but she fishes out the coin because this is useful.

Rhi: Yeah. They take your money looking very pleased with themselves.

Minna (as Myra): Were you here on this bridge about two or three days ago?

Rhi: One of them nods.

Rhi (as Crow): Yeah, Lyssa’s got us out here making sure people stay safe.

Rhi: They give you a crooked grin.

Minna (as Myra): I’m sure you do an excellent job.

Rhi (as Crow): Oh, we do great.

Minna (as Myra): How many carriages do you get along this bridge?

Rhi (as Crow): Hmm, not many, mostly foot traffic.

Minna (as Myra): Two or three days ago, did you get a carriage?

Rhi (as Crow): Hmm… Yeah, yeah!

Rhi: The person you’re talking to does that thing where they smack the other person’s arm, and he’s like “ow, you don’t need to hit me to remember.”

[laughter]

Kim: “We talked about this!”

Rhi (as Crow): Yeah, yeah, it was a carriage… and we were talking to the driver and it sounded like there was some kind of scuffle inside. The door was open and a couple people kind of piled out. They hauled some old guy back in and then the driver just threw a bunch of coin at us and they went on. Where were they…?

Rhi: They turn around and squint down the street.

Rhi (as Crow): I think they turned on Cinder Street down that a’ways.

Minna: So, where does Cinder Street go towards, out of character?

Rhi: Psh. I don’t know. I just picked a street. [laughs]

Minna: Well, which way are they going basically?

Rhi: It’s a north-south street. If they took Cinder Street straight—I’m looking at the map of Crow’s Foot. You come across the bridge and then it’s a major street that if they stayed on it going north, which is the direction that this person said they were going, they would end up in The Docks, but there’s also places obviously where they could have turned off.

Minna (as Myra): Thank you for that information. Can you think of anything else, guys, that we need to know about these folks?

Josie (as Minx): Not especially. It seems like the trail won’t be that hard to follow.

Minna (as Myra): I’d appreciate it if you kept it quiet that we were asking these questions by the way.

Rhi: They just wink at you.

Rhi (as Crow): Of course.

Rhi: They pat the coin purse that they’ve got at their hip.

Rhi (as Crow): Yeah, don’t worry about it.

Josie: All right. I think we head towards The Docks next, maybe?

Minna: Yeah, along Cinder Street.

Rhi: So, generally I’m not supposed to call for specific rolls as the GM, but whatever, I’m doing it anyway. Can I get, since this is Gather Info you all can decide whether you want to do it as a group or not, but some kind of perception, noticing things, looking around type roll from whoever would like to do that as you’re making your way up this street?

Minna: I could do a Study if you want.

Josie: Yeah, I mean, I have Survey.

Kim: Yeah. I’ll roll Survey.

Minna: I think I’m just gonna roll Study on my own.

Rhi: Okay.

Minna: Damn it. [laughs]

Josie: I didn’t get there. I got a 2.

Kim: That’s a 6 from me.

Josie: Nice!

Minna: Study is a failure. I got a 2.

Rhi: A 2 and a 2…

Kim: I see all!

Rhi: I think Minx and Myra are kind of leading the way and hurrying towards The Docks. Blaire, you are hurrying along with them, but you’ve fallen a few steps behind and you’re just sort of glancing around as you go, looking for anything suspicious. You glance down into an alley and you see the back corner of a carriage parked.

Kim (as Blaire): [gasps] Guys! Guys! Wait up!

Josie & Minna (as Minx & Myra): Hmm?

Kim (as Blaire): Look!

Kim: She’s gonna point down the alley where the carriage is.

Minna (as Myra): Oh! Good eye.

Kim (as Blaire): Thank you.

Josie (as Minx): Yes.

Josie: Where has the carriage stopped?

Rhi: If you head down, it’s just this little side alley between a few buildings. It basically looks like it was parked in a vacant lot behind a warehouse. It’s not very neatly parked. It looks like it was stopped in a hurry and just left. The door is kind of cracked open.

Josie: I see. I want to try and sneak in the door.

Rhi: Looking inside… Yeah, I think you are gonna need to give me some kind of roll for investigating the thing, or sneaking, however you want to approach it. I just need some sort of roll so I know how much info to give you.

Josie: Okay. I’m rolling Prowl, but this is still a Gather Information?

Rhi: Yes.

Josie: So, 6.

Rhi: You ease the door open enough that the streetlights can illuminate the inside. It does look like there was some kind of fight inside the carriage. Some of the fabric on the seats is torn. There’s a small, not worryingly large, but what looks to be a bloodstain on one of the walls. Not huge, but there is some blood. You catch as you’re looking around there’s a glint, and you see underneath a seat a brass button that looks like it got torn off. There’s still a few black threads stuck to it.

Josie: Mm-hmm. I’m gonna take it.

Kim: Can I roll Attune again to try and get a flashback of what happened here?

Rhi: Yeah!

Kim: Okay, that’s a 5.

Rhi: Again, it’s that same kind of unclear figures moving through the scene. You can’t really see any physical objects that they’re interacting with. What you see is two figures jump down off the top of the carriage and pull the door open, and then another two half fall out hauling the figure that you’re guessing is Harker between them. there seems to still be kind of a struggle. One of them moves like they’re putting something on Harker’s head, maybe a bag or something. It’s a little unnerving for a second, Blaire, because they basically move towards you and you step out of the way and turn to watch them as they go behind you to the stairs leading down into the catacombs.

Minna: Hmm~

Kim (as Blaire): He was here, and I know where they went this time.

Josie (as Minx): Indeed.

Kim (as Blaire): They went down into the catacombs.

Josie (as Minx): Well, if it’s been a few days already, I think we might be able to take the time to load up before we head into the dark.

Kim (as Blaire): Not a bad idea.

## Score [0:36:35]

Rhi: All right. Let’s get into this score. What are we thinking for the type of plan?

Josie: I think Assault. We gotta be ready for a fight on this one.

Minna: [groans]

Rhi: Okay. That sounds… Yeah, that sounds about right.

Minna: Uh-huh…

Rhi: Engagement roll… All right. Because of some other questions that I had to answer here, you are 2d6 and taking the lower.

Josie: Oof. That’s not good.

Kim: Oh… Oh no.

Rhi: All right… That is a 2.

Players: [nervous noises]

Rhi: So, we see that same alley, The Magpies now clearly carrying a lot more gear descend those steps down into the catacombs. Blaire, you know the catacombs fairly well, you spent a lot of time in here. You figure out fairly quickly where you need to go, because there’s not really, like… Only other people who are moving through the catacombs or using the catacombs bring in light, there’s not just standard light sources down here, so when you see, as you’re heading down, lamplight up a little ways you start heading in that direction. You’re so focused on getting to this light that you do not notice the pair of guards who step out from little niches on either side, and they grab at Minx and Myra.

Kim (as Blaire): Agh!

Josie: All right, moving right to this then.

Minna (as Myra): Ah!

Kim (as Blaire): Let go of my moms!

[burst of laughter]

Josie: Kim…

Kim: Yes?

Josie: Why are you killing me live on air?

Kim: [giggles] I’m just trying to think of a bluff.

Kim (as Blaire): We’re trying to find my dog! Let my moms go…

Rhi: [fighting laughter] Roll for it?

Minna: [weakly] We’re like a few years older than you.

Rhi: [smiling] This is desperate and reduced effect?!

Kim: [laughing] I’m gonna break.

Josie: We are clearly carrying weapons, I would like to remind you!

Rhi: Yeah, actually no, I’m sorry, this is zero effect. This is a terrible lie, but you’re welcome to try it.

Kim: I did not think this through. I went with my first bluff that came to my mind.

Rhi: It’s very good.

Josie: But now you’ve said “let go of my moms” and you can’t take that back.

[giggling]

Rhi: You can push yourself to get up to reduced effect.

Kim: What is zero effect?

Rhi: It means it’s not gonna work.

Kim: Oh. Oh… Yes, I will push myself.

Rhi: Yeah. Okay, so take your stress. That gets you to desperate position, reduced effect. Myra is helping you so you have two dice.

Kim: Ohh… My dudes, that’s a 6.

Minna: Woo!

Josie: What?! [laughs]

Rhi: Okay, but it is reduced effect even with a 6, so…

Kim: What does that look like?

Rhi: Man, let me think. They stare at the three of you, and I think it’s a thing where they’re pretty sure that you’re lying…

Kim: My puppy dog eyes are so good tonight.

Josie: It’s so absurd that there must be something to it?

Kim: [laughs]

Rhi: Yeah. They look at each other and then they seem to look over Minx and Myra again and are noting just the way that you look.

Kim (as Blaire): I was adopted, you dorks! Geez.

Josie: [laughs]

Rhi (as Guard1): We’re—[sighs] This isn’t worth it.

Rhi (as Guard2): Yeah, it’s not.

Rhi (as Guard1): Just don’t cause any trouble. We haven’t seen a dog.

Kim (as Blaire): Thanks. We’ll keep looking for him.

Josie (as Minx): Phew. You did give us quite a fright though. Come along, dear.

Kim (as Blaire): Can we get out of here soon, mama? It’s really cold in here.

Rhi: [splutters into laughter]

Josie (as Minx): You were the one who insisted.

Rhi: You hear one of them behind you mutter.

Rhi (as Guard): Overselling it, kid.

[laughter]

Josie: Wait, if they know we’re lying why are they letting us by?

Kim: Because I rolled a 6! That’s the only reason.

Rhi: Eh, as far as you know. Anyway.

Josie: [laughing] That fucking worked!

Kim: [laughing] Why am I allowed to play anything?

Rhi & Josie: Because you’re great.

Rhi: You continue down this passage and you eventually get to an intersection and you see if you turn left you’ll be heading towards light again. You make your way down this hall towards the light, and you find yourselves facing a large, open room which Blaire, again, you know that these are kind of common in the catacombs. There’s just big, central rooms that have  lots of hallways branching off of them.

Kim: Okay.

Rhi: This one looks like at some point somebody was using it for storage, maybe they still are, but there’s some kind of crates and boxes down here, a lot of them have cobwebs and dust on them. There’s several other hallways branching out from this, and there is a balcony ringing up around at the top where a second floor would be. In the middle of the room, tied to a chair, head lolling forward on his chest is Harker.

Kim (as Blaire): This… seems like it could be a trap.

Josie (as Minx): Indeed, a blatantly obvious one.

Kim (as Blaire): But we gotta get him out of there.

Josie (as Minx): Well, I could serve as bait to get it started while you two hang back and cover me.

Kim (as Blaire): I’m not comfortable with that.

Minna (as Myra): We don’t know who we’re facing here.

Minna: Is there some way to sneak around the edges of the room, like behind and around crates, or are they packed too tightly?

Rhi: You’re welcome to try.

Josie: Actually, can I do a flashback as part of my gearing up to have gotten some smoke bombs from Seeks?

Rhi: You can have one. That’s gonna be a 1 stress flashback.

Josie: Okay, I will do that.

Kim: That’s not a bad idea to use that for cover.

Josie: Yeah. We can cover possibly the left half with smoke to reduce the avenues they can come at us.

Rhi: Yeah. It’s a fairly big room, so the most you’re gonna be able to get is part of it. Part of it is gonna be exposed.

Josie: Mm-hmm. There’s also, we are in the catacombs, surely there is no shortage of friends about who might be able to stir something up.

Kim (as Blaire): [gasps] Ooh…

Josie: Ghost riot, #GhostRiot.

Kim: No, not again, because that created a Harvester. I’m gonna roll Attune actually to see if there are any ghosty friends around.

Rhi: All right. It’s desperate.

Kim: Heh, that’s double 3s, baby.

Rhi: All right. You look into the ghost field, and not only is this area seemingly just unsettlingly devoid of ghosts, as you’re looking you see ringed around the edges of this central room a bunch of wards and spirit bane charms. Basically this room has been built to block ghosts. Now that’s what you see.

Kim: Shit.

Rhi: The consequence is that a shot rings out, Harker screams and topples back over in the chair.

Kim: [gasps] Oh my God! [covers mouth]

Josie: Oh no!

Kim: Oh my God.

Minna: [breathes]

Kim: Oh my God…

Josie: All right…

Rhi: You didn’t really see. It seemed to hit in the upper chest area. You’re not sure if it was a shoulder or a chest or what.

Kim: Oh no.

Josie: Okay, so someone else was looking into the ghost field. I’m moving now.

Kim: Or they knew I was coming. Oh God. We need to get him. Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit.

Josie: Yeah. Minx is gonna try her best on the spot to try and figure out where the shot came from and throw the smoke bomb in that direction.

Rhi: All right. Roll me something. It’s still desperate. Y’all are gonna get a lot of xp out of this session, I’m gonna tell you that right now.

Kim: [laughs nervously]

Josie: Can a case be made for Skirmish in this situation?

Rhi: You’re analyzing a combat situation, yeah, I’ll allow it.

Josie: Okay, and am I at reduced effect currently?

Rhi: No, standard effect, just desperate position.

Josie: I got a 6.

Rhi: Okay. As you run out you spin around and you can see up in the balcony there’s a guy with a rifle quickly reloading, and you are able to basically throw the smoke bomb in a way that is gonna block that area of the balcony’s view.

Josie: Yup, and I’m bolting for Harker.

Rhi: Basically the hit knocked the chair over. He is awake and alive. It looks like it hit his shoulder. He’s bleeding a lot. He’s struggling against his bonds as best he can. He looks up at you frantically as you rush over.

Rhi (as Harker): [angrily] What took you so long?!

Josie (as Minx): A thank you would be nice, dear.

Kim (as Blaire): [sobbing] I’m sorry! I’m sorry. I didn’t know that looking into the ghost field—

Rhi: Blaire, are you running out?

Kim: Oh, that’s right, I’m 20 feet away. I guess I should.

Rhi: Okay.

Kim: Haha, I’m gonna die.

Rhi: The two of you get out there and I assume you’re working to untie Harker.

Kim: Yeah.

Josie: Uh, I’m actually thinking it might be better to just haul him by the chair out and then we can cut him when we’re not getting shot at.

Rhi: If you’re hauling him out by the chair you’re gonna have to make a roll.

Josie: Are you saying we won’t need to make a roll if we cut him out? Will we be able to do it quick enough?

Rhi: Cutting him out is gonna take more time.

Josie: Yeah. I think I’m gonna roll to haul him out by the chair so we can cut him out when we’re not being shot at.

Kim: Would you like an assist?

Josie: Yes, please. I’m not sure what kind of roll to make here.

Rhi: Probably Prowl, this is a physical thing you’re trying to do.

Josie: Okay. I got a 6.

Kim: Phew.

Rhi: Okay. You start hauling him back across the… [breathes] Yeah. I’m just thinking about it, and hauling a person in a chair, I think this is gonna have to have been at reduced effect, so you make it about half way.

Josie: Okay.

Rhi: Because he’s also struggling and in pain and not helping. I’m gonna need another roll for you to get clear.

Josie: I think it’s gonna be Prowl again.

Rhi: Mm-hmm. Still desperate, still reduced effect.

Josie: Yes. I would like to push myself to increase effect. Blaire, are you free to assist me again?

Kim: Sure… just don’t fuck it up.

Josie: I will attempt to not fuck it up. I got a 5.

Rhi: All right. So, you are dragging Harker, you’re going as fast as you can, and I think you kind of shove him and Blaire forward into the smoke, so you are exposed when the rest of the shooters come out on the balcony and the tunnels behind you and open fire.

Josie: [cringing] That’s a really good moment.

Minna: [gasps]

Kim (as Blaire): Minx!

Josie: Ouch.

Rhi: You are going to take level 4 harm.

Minna: [gasps]

Kim: WHAT?!

Rhi: Bullets rip through you.

Josie: Here’s the thing, hold on, I have armor.

Rhi: Yeah, you can use armor.

Josie: What does armor actually do?

Rhi: Armor will reduce it down to level 3 harm, so you’re not dead.

Kim: Jesus Christ!

Josie: … Okay. Since I can declare on the spot, I’m gonna declare heavy armor.

Rhi: Now that is burning 5 of your slots, just so you know.

Josie: Burning 5 of my slots?

Rhi: Yes. Heavy armor—So, armor is 2, heavy armor is another 3 on top of that.

Josie: Oh! It’s another 3 on top. Oof.

Kim: Oh my God.

Rhi: Yeah. Heavy armor is an investment.

Josie: All right, yeah, that would fill out… Yeah, I think light armor makes sense, so it’s level 3 harm.

Rhi: That will reduce it to level 3 harm, which means Minx can’t do anything without help.

Kim: [into hands] Oh my God… Oh my God…

Josie: Can I roll to resist this?

Rhi: Yes, I will let you stack that. You can resist it and use your armor. That will drop it to level 2. You resist this with Prowess.

Josie: Yes, which I have my max Resistance for, which is nice.

Kim: Don’t die, Minx.

Josie: I got a 5.

Rhi: Five, so you will take 1 point of stress and this is reduced. You’ve knocked it down with armor and resisting stress, it’s down to level 2 harm.

Josie: Phew! Fuckin’…

Rhi: You’re still at a -1 on anything physical.

Josie: Right. What should I call this, just like Shot to Shit?

Rhi: Yeah, you got shot in the back multiple times. Your armor soaked a lot of it, you managed to dodge out of the way of some of it, but your life just flashed before your eyes.

Josie: Ow! Yes… I also only have 2 stress left before a trauma.

Kim: [musically] Blaire is screaming.

Rhi: Myra?

Minna: Can I see who’s doing the shooting? There’s HOW many people?

Rhi: Peering through the smoke you are able to see, up on the balcony, there’s probably about half a dozen people, and then it looks like coming in the other tunnels, there’s three other tunnels on the side opposite you, you see there’s three groups of four.

Josie: Ahh~!

Minna: Ahh…

Rhi: So, we’re looking at 18 people that you can see.

Josie: [gasps] Okay!

Minna: Okay. It’s time to get the fuck out of here.

Kim: Jesus.

Rhi: You can hear that they’re running towards your position, so you all need to move fast.

Minna: Yeah. Myra at this point is probably going to be helping with getting Harker out.

Rhi: I’m gonna need some kind of roll for cutting Harker loose just to determine how close they get to you.

Kim: Can I make an argument for Finesse?

Rhi: Yeah, Finesse would be a good one here.

Minna: Are you doing it or do you want me?

Kim: No, I did it. I rolled a 3. Was it still desperate?

Rhi: Mm-hmm.

Kim: Okay, xp for me…

Rhi: So, you pull out a little pocket knife that everybody carries and you go to start cutting at the ropes, and you hear footsteps coming up the hall that you all came in. Remember those two that just let you walk on past?

Minna: Uh-huh…

Josie: Yep…

Rhi: Yeah. Them and two of their friends are coming up and they are going to shoot at Blaire.

Kim: [seethes] No! No! No!

Rhi: Blaire, you’re gonna take level 3 harm. You’ve got just enough cover from smoke that it’s not level 4, but you’re taking level 3 harm as they open fire on you.

Kim: What do I roll to resist?!

Rhi: Prowess.

Kim: Okay, that’s three dice for me… Ooh… That’s a 4.

Rhi: You take 2 stress, and that’s gonna drop it down to level 2 harm.

Kim: Shot.

Rhi: Yeah. You are now basically being pincered. You’ve got four people coming up the hallway that you came in and you’ve got God only knows how many coming in from the main room.

Kim: Guys, are we gonna die?!

Minna: [nervous noises] Maybe…

Kim: Are we gonna die?!

Josie: GMs don’t do this unless there’s some sort of plan. [laughs]

Kim: [sobbing] Are we gonna die?

Rhi: … Myra, what are you gonna do here?

Minna: Oh my God. Where the hell can I… [breathes] I want to send my friends ahead of me, but there’s nowhere to send them.

Rhi: So, I will say, for the shooting—Let me double-check this real quick. I think the pistols of this world are single shot, breech, loading. They’re slow to reload. So, unless these guys are packing multiple pistols, which they might be, you’re gonna have a little time while they are reloading.

Minna: I’m gonna try and get Harker loose. What’s a Devil’s Bargain look like?

Josie: I’m afraid of any Devil’s Bargain in this scenario.

Minna: Actually, can I argue Study? Like, she examines to see which knot would undo it and what the best way to do it is versus just trying to cut everything.

Rhi: Yes, I’ll allow Study. You made a good argument for it.

Minna: I still rolled a fucking 3. Was that desperate?

Rhi: For this one, no, because they’re reloading. Risky, so it’s still not great.

Minna: No, it’s not.

Rhi: From the main room there’s a few stray shots into the smoke and one of those bullets hits you, so you’re gonna take level 2 harm.

Minna: I’m gonna resist that shit.

Rhi: Okay.

Minna: It’s Prowess, right?

Rhi: Yeah.

Minna: That’s a 4, so I’m gonna take 2 stress. Ugh, I’m 3 away from trauma.

Kim: I am 1.

Josie: Oh no.

Rhi: Harker is still tied to this chair…

Minna: Oh my God!

Rhi: …and is getting to the point where he’s just drifting in and out of consciousness.

Kim: Gahhh.

Josie: Okay. I have a pistol as well as a second pistol, and I just want to shoot at the guys that are in our way.

Rhi: Okay. It is gonna be risky.

Josie: I got a 4.

Rhi: So, you just bring them both up, fire, and you hit two of them. They aren’t dead, but they’re injured and they are dealing with the fact that they just got shot. Two of them have been shot and at least for the moment have been removed from the combat. The two behind them have finished reloading, so we’re gonna be back in a desperate situation, and those people coming across the room are getting really close.

Minna: Can we just all three of us start shoving the chair with Harker through the hallway?

Rhi: Yeah, you can start trying to drag him.

Josie: [laughing] Yeah, okay, I guess the chair is coming too.

Minna: [smiling] We have failed three or four times to untie him.

Josie: Yeah, with a knife, we have failed to untie him.

Minna: And with trying to untie.

Rhi: Okay, so there’s gonna need to be some sort of roll to deal with the fact that you are dragging an injured man in a chair past two people with guns.

Josie: Yup, and I’m at -1 die for that.

Rhi: Yes, so is Blaire.

Minna: And so am I, right? I got shot.

Rhi: Myra, you are at reduced effect, because you got that down to a level 1 harm. Yeah, there’s gonna need to be some kind of roll from somebody.

Josie: Uh, Myra, how’s your stress doing?

Minna:  only have 3 to spare.

Josie: But you could technically lead a group action about it.

Rhi: So long as one person made it.

Josie: Right. Ugh.

Kim: I believe in the three of us.

Minna: What are we trying to do, a group Prowl?

Rhi: Yeah, group Prowl would be good.

Kim: I got a 5.

Minna: [sigh of relief] I got a 5 also.

Josie: A 4.

Rhi: Okay, so no stress.

Josie: We all succeeded!

Kim: Phew.

Minna: [exhales]

Josie: Hurray.

Minna: With a 5.

Rhi: Yeah. All right, let me grab a d4… to figure out who gets shot…

Kim: No…

Josie: Oh God.

Rhi: … Myra.

Minna: Mm-hmm?

Rhi: I think since you were leading the group action you’re leading the group, and you are out in front when these two get their pistols up and fire, so you are taking level 3 harm.

Kim: [groans] Come on.

Minna: I’m using my armor here.

Rhi: Okay, that’ll get it down to level 2, but you still do it. They fire—

Minna: Where have I been shot, the original graze and this one? I know this is super meta, but…

Rhi: They’re going mostly for torso shots. They are shooting for center of mass. They’re shooting to kill.

Minna: So I think the graze is gonna be my side and…

Rhi: I think what happens, the bullets basically hit your chest and the armor keeps it from being a really bad wound, but you’ve got some broken ribs from the impact and things like that.

Minna: Yeah.

Rhi: Even with that, you take that consequence, but you are all able to barrel past these two and start getting down the hallway.

Kim: Okay.

Josie: Okay. Minx, in a voice that isn’t commonly heard, says:

Josie (as Minx): Will someone give me some fucking explosives?

Minna: Oh. I can do that…?

Rhi: As long as somebody has 2 slots of load available, demolition tools take two.

Minna: I do.

Rhi: So yeah.

Minna: I pull out… I’m just picturing TNT, I know that’s not right. [laughs]

Rhi: I mean, dynamite.

Josie: Yeah, I mean, why not?

Kim: Yeah, sure.

Minna: Yeah, pull out some dynamite.

Josie (as Minx): All right. You two keep going. I’ll catch up.

Kim (as Blaire): Are you sure?!

Josie (as Minx): Yes. I’ll find you. Just fucking go.

Kim (as Blaire): Okay, promise!

Josie (as Minx): I promise.

Kim (as Blaire): Okay…

Rhi: I assume Blaire and Myra are gonna continue to drag Harker and chair. [laughs]

Kim: Yeah.

Josie: I want to, now that we are past all the people—

Rhi: Yeah, you’ve basically forced them into a bottleneck.

Josie: Yes, I want to collapse the bottleneck.

Rhi: Good. Good call.

Josie: Which I believe will be a Wreck.

Rhi: Yes.

Josie: Huh… Okay, I was gonna push myself on the Wreck action, but I actually think my 2 stress action is gonna be to use Rook’s Gambit to roll Sway instead? [laughs] And just, in general, make a come at me gesture to try and get them all in there.

Kim: Oh, that’s so badass.

Rhi: Yeah. Yep, yep, good call.

Josie: Thing is, that makes me take trauma.

Rhi: Yes it does.

Kim: Oh geez.

Josie: I did get a 6.

Rhi: Paint me a picture. Tell me how this goes down.

Josie: Minx yells in her not-normal voice to get the explosive, she has it, she kind of tears the pin out of her hair to let her hair down, has got dynamite in one hand and pulls out her sword cane in her other and is making like she’s about to make a last stand so the people will come at her, but with that, in that pose will light the dynamite behind her back and then toss it ahead of her.

Kim: Oh, fuck yeah.

Josie: And then I think we only hear the explosion, we don’t see it.

Rhi: Yes. I think what happens is, we see behind her back as Minx lights it and she hurls it down the hallway towards the onrushing, what you can now see in the light from the lanterns that they are wearing the garb of The Umbra Hunters, at least the ones out in the lead, come charging towards you. On Minx’s end we see the flash and then we cut up to Blaire, Myra and Harker. I think by this point the two of you have managed to get Harker untied and are carrying him up the stairs.

Kim: Thank you.

Rhi: You hear the (BOOM).

Kim (as Blaire): [sobbing] Oh my gods. Oh my gods…

Minna (as Myra): We need to just get out of here.

Kim (as Blaire): But—

Minna (as Myra): She chose this. We’re gonna honor that by getting her friend to somebody who can see to his wound.

Rhi (as Harker): [weakly] She’ll be fine… Ellie’s a smart girl even if you all take too fucking long. What was the damn hold up? I sent you that note a week ago.

Minna (as Myra): It got to us today.

Rhi (as Harker): Maybe I ought to have a talk with your friend then.

Minna (as Myra): Oh no…

Kim (as Blaire): Wh—Rigney?

Rhi (as Harker): The bartender, tall, dark and handsome. I left the note there. I know that’s your hangout. Left the note there a week ago. [grunts in pain]

Kim (as Blaire): He was—He was out.

Rhi: He was out today. He was there a week ago.

Kim: [gasps]

Minna: No! Rhi, you cannot do this to us!

Kim: What?!

Josie: No~!

Minna: I refuse. Can I resist this? [laughs]

Kim: What?!

Rhi: Nope.

Kim: WHAT?!

Josie: Oh no.

Minna: Okay. I think we’re just gonna have our minds blown and try and hustle this man to medic—

Kim: [into hands] Oh my God!

Josie: [frantic] Did Rigney sell us out?

Kim: No, I trusted him!

Rhi: [calmly] You’ll just have to have a chat.

Kim: I loved him!

Minna: There could be another explanation. There could be another explanation.

Kim: Rhi!

Rhi: … Seeks is in Charhollow, so you could get Harker to Seeks very easily.

Minna: Okay. We’re gonna do that. Now that we’re out of a pressure situation, can we untie Harker?

Rhi: Oh yeah, yeah, I had said that you’d gotten him untied at some point in your hustling through the hallways. Yeah. You two take Harker to Seeks. Seeks is extremely worried.

Minna: I feel like at this point Myra also gets a little bit of healing if Seeks has time.

Rhi: Yeah. We can count that if you do healing for your downtime action. Myra and Blaire, Seeks forces you. The two of you are like “uh, we gotta go,” and Seeks is like

Waffles (as Seeks): You two, no. No, nuh-uh. Do not think I did not notice your wounds. You two sit down on the table.

Kim (as Blaire): Yeah, but Minx!

Waffles (as Seeks): Mm! In 15 minutes you will have fresh stitches that you can feel free to tear as you go head first into danger, but you are not leaving here bleeding all over the cobblestones. I have a reputation to keep.

Rhi: So Seeks forcibly patches you up. I kind of like this, that by the time Blaire and Myra are released from Seeks’s care, I think Harker she’s keeping there to keep an eye on him. It’s kind of like, in modern terms it would be critical but stable.

Minna: Mm-hmm. For observation?

Rhi: He lost a lot of blood, and he’s older, so he can’t really take being shot as easily as you young whippersnappers can, but it seems like he’s gonna be okay. He just needs to, you know, have medical attention and treatment for a while. I think what it is, I like Myra and Blaire coming back to The Nest and Minx is just sitting in the common room, or pacing in the common room. Probably pacing, because Minx doesn’t know that the two of you are okay. [laughs]

Kim (as Blaire): Minx!

Kim: Blaire’s gonna run up and hug her.

Josie (as Minx): Hey dear.

Minna (as Myra): Oh, thank goodness.

Josie (as Minx): Easy, easy though, back still hurts, a lot.

Kim (as Blaire): [sobbing] Don’t ever do that again.

Minna (as Myra): There’s too few of us for us to be losing each other in desperate actions.

Josie (as Minx): Hey, I was gonna be okay.

Kim (as Blaire): But what if you weren’t?! Sorry… [tearful] Don’t do that again, please.

Josie: I think Minx is just gonna run her hands through Blaire’s hair because she’s crying and I can’t deal with Blaire crying.

Rhi: Aww~

Josie: I can’t deal with that, y’all. [emotional chuckles]

Kim: Aw, I’m sorry. [laughs]

Josie (as Minx): Sorry y’all, I’ll try to think ahead next time.

Kim (as Blaire): You really scared me.

Josie (as Minx): [laughs] You deal with ghosts all day and I scared you?

Kim (as Blaire): [laughs]

Minna (as Myra): I think she doesn’t want you to be a ghost.

Josie (as Minx): Well, I’m not keen on the idea either, but hey, for friends it’s not a bad way to go. He’s a good guy, but I never thought I’d be pulling that shit for fucking Harker. [laughs] He is all right, right?

Minna (as Myra): We left him with Seeks. He’s stable.

Kim (as Blaire): He’ll be okay, probably.

Josie (as Minx): Okay.

Josie: She’s gonna sit down heavily.

Josie (as Minx): I was not expecting that many people. [laughs]

Minna (as Myra): [laughs reluctantly] I wanna know who hates us this much.

Kim (as Blaire): I just don’t know what would’ve happened—I started this. All I did was look into the ghost field, and… it just—

Josie (as Minx): Hey—

Minna (as Myra): Blaire, no! They were waiting for us. They put him out there like a bait.

Kim (as Blaire): I know that, but—

Josie (as Minx): As soon as any of us did anything it would have happened. It’s not your fault, Blaire.

Kim (as Blaire): But, me looking into the ghost field usually just doesn’t do anything in the real world.

Minna: I think Myra goes to Blaire and takes her hands.

Kim (as Blaire): I don’t know…

Josie: Aw.

Minna (as Myra): I don’t know who did that, or how. Clearly we’re facing something we’re not used to, which [chuckles] whatever it is it’s not your fault, it’s just that somebody was waiting for you and knew what was going to happen before we did. Sometimes you’re just not the fastest in the room or not the smartest in the room, and that’s not your fault.

Kim (as Blaire): They had spirit and demon bane charms all over the room. They took the one thing I was good at and just… beat me to it.

Josie (as Minx): They were prepared for all of us, which is why I kind of had to get explody about it.

Minna (as Myra): Take it as a compliment.

Josie (as Minx): [laughs]

Minna (as Myra): Minx, we need to talk to Rigney.

Josie (as Minx): Yeah, he’s been out for a while, huh?

Minna (as Myra): No, he’s been out for a day, but Harker sent that note a week ago.

Kim (as Blaire): He was hiding the note from us.

Minna (as Myra): We don’t know why, though. I don’t want to believe that he did it because he wanted to.

Josie: Minx is kind of flexing her hands, like she’s just trying to keep contained.

Minna (as Myra): These are dangerous people. Anybody who’s connected to us could be in danger. It could be he just got spooked. I mean, look at what happened to Harker, that could be Rigney next. Maybe that’s what they threatened.

Kim (as Blaire): Don’t—Don’t say that.

Minna (as Myra): I know, I’m just saying, it might be safer if we let him…

Kim (as Blaire): (tearfully) I just think I still trust him.

Josie (as Minx): I can’t. Yeah, we need to figure that out right now. I’m going if you guys aren’t.

Kim (as Blaire): Yeah. Yeah.

Minna (as Myra): Okay, we’re coming then.

Minna: I like that you’re clearly already playing your trauma. [laughs] You get some xp.

Josie (as Minx): [smiling] Yup. I would like to state for the viewers at home that I chose Reckless.

Rhi: Excellent. The three of you leave The Nest, make your way down into Nightmarket. By this time it’s late enough at night to be early. You get to The Hound’s Paw and it should be closed by now, but the lights are all still on. The door is open, and you go inside, and it’s completely empty except for Rigney, who is sitting at a table with a half empty bottle of bottom shelf rum beside him.

Minna: Oh no.

Josie: Minx is gonna walk right up to him, take off a glove, and slap him with it.

Minna (as Myra): [gasps]

Kim (as Blaire): [gasps] Minx!

Rhi: He just takes it. He brings his head back around, looks up at Minx, and just can’t keep his eyes on you for more than a second, like it is obvious that he is just racked with guilt.

Rhi (as Rigney): You know…

Minna: Myra definitely sits next to him.

Minna (as Myra): What did they threaten?

Rhi (as Rigney): I have a brother, Nevan, he’s four years younger than me. He was a thief like you all were. I kept telling him give it up, find something safer, but he never listened. Little brothers never listen. A couple years ago he got convicted of arson. He didn’t do it, that wasn’t the way he worked, but some Bluecoats burned down the wrong place and needed to pin it on somebody so they framed him, and he got sent out to The Deathlands. I pay a smuggler to take him letters and packages, bring letters back. It was the best I could do.

Rhi: He pauses and takes a big swig straight from the bottle.

Kim (as Blaire): Rigney, why didn’t you tell us that? I could have gotten him out.

Josie (as Minx): Yeah, case and point, we’re ready to fucking explode for you.

Rhi (as Rigney): A few months ago, after the riots, after they took Phin, the smuggler that I hired didn’t show up when she was supposed to. Nothing, for a week and a half ,I thought he was dead, and then this woman showed up with Nevan’s letter.

Josie: Minx is gonna slam a hand down on the table.

Josie (as Minx): Months?!

Rhi (as Rigney): She said that if I didn’t want anything to happen to my brother I had to start telling her everything I could, about you, about what you were doing. Any time you made plans I had to pass it along.

Josie (as Minx): For months?

Rhi: [smiling] Yeah. You all know how every time you’ve made plans in The Hound’s Paw I’ve reduced a die from the engagement roll?

Minna: Ohh, was that what that was?

Josie: Oh fuck.

Rhi: Yup.

Minna: Okay. I think Myra breaks in.

Minna (as Myra): What did she look like?

Rhi: I don’t know, Minna… What does Salia look like?

Minna: So, I think… I feel like she looks like a grown up Myra, almost. I don’t know why that’s how I’m picturing her. She has some gray in her hair. She’s very…

Rhi: Severe?

Minna: …sternly—Severe! Very severe.

Rhi: He starts describing her and trails off midway through.

Rhi (as Rigney): It’s Salia.

Minna (as Myra): Did she tell you why?

Rhi: He shakes his head.

Minna (as Myra): Did she tell you it was about the Circle or is it just her?

Rhi (as Rigney): I wasn’t really in a position to ask questions.

Minna (as Myra): No, I understand, and I know how she can be. I know that she would have sounded like she meant every word, and I’m sorry that you got mixed up in this. You shouldn’t have been in that kind of danger and I can’t believe that you let us put you in that danger.

Rhi (as Rigney): If anything, you should not be apologizing, Myra. I…

Minna (as Myra): No. Rigney, listen to me. This is our fault. We brought this. You made the best choice that you could and it was a terrible choice—

Rhi (as Rigney): No, I didn’t! I’m not… I’m not like you! I didn’t tell you because I’m not brave! You all go out in the city and you risk your necks trying to help people… and I sit here and I pour you drinks and I pass along letters and I tell myself that it’s enough. I didn’t tell you because I’m a fucking coward, and I was scared that if I did she’d find out and have my brother killed. So I’m sorry! I’m sorry.

Minna (as Myra): Rigney…

Kim (as Blaire): Rigney, if she was doing that to any one of us, if she was blackmailing any of us to hurt any of our families, anyone in our crew, we would have done the same thing, okay?

Josie (as Minx): I wouldn’t have.

Kim (as Blaire): Because we look after each other, and you…

Rhi (as Rigney): You would have said something, because that’s what you do.

Kim (as Blaire): No…

Rhi (as Rigney): You stand up to people. You stand up for people. I’m—

Minna (as Myra): You do too.

Rhi (as Rigney): I like all of you, I do, you’re my friends, but I always said that I’d do anything for my little brother and it turns out I meant it. Is your friend okay?

Josie (as Minx): He’s fine.

Minna (as Myra): Harker’s okay.

Josie (as Minx): Are you okay now that you’re telling us?

Rhi (as Rigney): [laughing] Fuck no.

Rhi: And he takes another swig.

Minna: Myra takes his hand and just holds it tightly between both of hers.

Minna (as Myra): What would help move this forward? Is your brother safe? Do you have proof?

Rhi (as Rigney): I got a letter from Nevan a week ago, so as of that point he was fine, or as fine as you can be out in The Deathlands.

Minna (as Myra): But they still have some kind of control?

Rhi (as Rigney): She knows enough of where he is to intercept his letters to me and write her own comments in the margins. She knows enough to intercept the packages that I was sending him. I tried to lie and she found out.

Minna (as Myra): [sighs] She would.

Rhi (as Rigney): For two months she intercepted the packages that I send out. It’s food, and warm clothes, and humor tonics, the things he needs to make him feel like a person, and she kept them from him, to punish me. I am sorry.

Josie (as Minx): So we’re killing Salia, right?

Kim (as Blaire): And we’re getting Nevan out of The Deathlands.

Minna: I think Myra’s just staring at Minx.

Minna (as Myra): Kill Salia?

Josie (as Minx): Yeah. I mean, I thought Bazso was bad, that my bullshit was bad, but she’s hurting people we care about. Fuck her.

Kim (as Blaire): She can’t be doing this to our family.

Minna (as Myra): I agree, but I don’t think it’s gonna be as easy as that, Minx.

Josie (as Minx): I didn’t say it would be easy, but it is that simple.

Minna (as Myra): Is it?

Kim (as Blaire): [frantic] We have a fucking demon on our side! How hard can it be?

Minna (as Myra): If we kill Salia, and we’ve killed Avrathi, and we put Brogan away, what happens when the next one rises up? We can’t kill the whole city to fix it.

Kim (as Blaire): Salia isn’t the whole city.

Josie (as Minx): I can kill anyone who’s threatening people we love, the whole reason I still fucking bother is to take care of people.

Minna (as Myra): I think we start with Nevan.

Kim (as Blaire): If we get him out of The Deathlands, Salia won’t—and hide him, that’s the important thing, if we get him out of The Deathlands and hide—

Rhi (as Rigney): He can’t, he can’t stay in the city.

Minna (as Myra): I know.

Rhi (as Rigney): It’s not just Salia, it’s The Bluecoats, it’s…

Josie (as Minx): Well, we might be able to send him off somewhere else by train or something.

Rhi: he just nods.

Kim (as Blaire): We could send him to Tycheros. My family would probably be happy to look after him.

Rhi (as Rigney): If you can get him out of The Deathlands maybe we can see where he wants to go.

Kim (as Blaire): We can do that. You know I’ve been there and back thousands of times.

Minna (as Myra): Rigney, I’m so sorry.

Kim (as Blaire): We’re gonna fix this.

Rhi (as Rigney): Yeah, I’m sorry, too.

Minna (as Myra): I forgive you.

Josie (as Minx): I don’t. I’m doing this for Nevan, not you.

Kim (as Blaire): Minx…

Rhi: Rigney oddly enough looks more comfortable with Minx’s response than Myra’s.

Josie (as Minx): Are we done?

Kim: Uh, no. I’m gonna hug Rigney, because I’m… I don’t know. Blaire forgives easy I guess.

Rhi: Yeah. Rigney does not respond to the hug. He doesn’t push you away, but he doesn’t hug you back either. He’s just kind of sitting there.

Minna (as Myra): I think it’s best if we don’t come by for a little bit.

Rhi: He nods.

Minna (as Myra): Safer for everyone?

Kim (as Blaire): We’re gonna make this right. We’re gonna make sure that everyone is safe after.

Rhi: He’s just nodding in response to what you’re all saying but isn’t really talking anymore.

Josie: I think Minx is just gonna make to leave without saying anything.

Minna: I think Myra glances at Blaire and probably follows.

Kim: Yeah, Blaire is probably the last to leave, because I’m a bleeding heart.

Rhi: The door closes behind the three of you and Rigney just buries his head in his hands at the table.

## Downtime [1:17:50]

Rhi: Okay! Let’s do our downtime scenes. Let’s start off with Myra and Blaire.

Minna: I think Myra goes to knock tentatively at her door, because she’s usually not the one who does this.

Kim (as Blaire): [strained] Yeah?

Minna (as Myra): Hey, it’s me.

Kim (as Blaire): [grunt]

Minna (as Myra): Can I come in?

Kim (as Blaire): Um… Yeah, yeah you can, just hang on a second.

Minna (as Myra): Okay.

Kim: You hear a little bit of shuffling behind the door, some locks definitely being unbolted, and Blaire is going to very slowly open the door. This is probably the first time you’ve seen her room, but I want to hear from you what you think you notice.

Minna: Oh boy. What is her room like? It’s just like a mess?

Kim: Uh, yeah, it’s pretty much an organized mess.

Minna: Is there anything obviously ghosts? [laughs]

Kim: Yes. Yeah, she has at least two shelves of ghost jars and—

Minna: Okay, she’s definitely noticing that! [laughs]

Rhi: Jesus. Take those with you when you go on this rescue mission.

Kim (as Blaire): Oh, I will.

Minna: I think her eyes dart there and then she forces herself to focus on Blaire instead.

Minna (as Myra): Hey… I don’t want to be alone and I figured you probably don’t want to be alone and Minx is not in a state to be here.

Kim (as Blaire): No, one is fine, but… if you don’t want to be alone I can be with you.

Minna (as Myra): Okay… [exhales] I hate this. I hate everything about this.

Kim (as Blaire): Yeah. Yeah, I hate this too.

Minna (as Myra): So, I’ve been slowly telling you about Salia, but I didn’t tell you how much, how bad this is that she’s suddenly interested again, or I guess she probably never stopped. I just hate that she gets her fingers into everything, and she does this to people, this is just what she does. I hate that Rigney’s caught in it. I hate it.

Kim (as Blaire): Yeah… you’re right, but—Listen, you don’t have to go through the whole story right now, you can…

Minna (as Myra): No, I’m not trying to. I just thought I was free, as free as you can be in this city.

Kim (as Blaire): I know. Just, I feel so bad for Rigney, and I’m really worried about Minx…

Minna (as Myra): I know, I know. It feels…

Kim (as Blaire): … [tearful] and I want Phin back, and I don’t know, maybe, I don’t know, it’d be, y’know, someone else to help deal with this?

Minna (as Myra): It felt safer when she was here, didn’t it?

Kim (as Blaire): Yeah.

Minna (as Myra): Before all of this.

Kim (as Blaire): Yeah it did.

Minna: I think Myra’s gonna tentatively put a hand, almost like she is open for a hug, on her shoulder/back of her neck.

Kim: yeah, Blaire’s gonna take it.

Kim (as Blaire): [tearful] I just… We feel really small now.

Minna (as Myra): I know.

Kim (as Blaire): There was a lot of people there.

Minna (as Myra): Yeah, I know.

Kim (as Blaire): And I hate feeling small.

Minna (as Myra): I hate it so much.

Kim (as Blaire): I don’t want to be small anymore.

Minna (as Myra): I don’t want to feel like this ever again. We’re not small. We can do something about this. We’re just gonna have to figure out how. We’re just gonna have to figure it out. I’m not letting her win. I’m not letting this win, you know? I don’t know how I feel about Salia dying though… I’m just gonna say it. I don’t know how to discuss that.

Kim (as Blaire): You don’t have to talk about it. I know that’s complicated. We don’t have to think about that right now either. What matters right now is helping Rigney’s brother, and helping Rigney, and…

Minna (as Myra): If we can just get that under control I think it will start feeling—That’s a lie. It won’t start feeling under control, but it will be better if we can get that thing done, get the next thing done, and just try and bit by bit take it back.

Kim (as Blaire): We have to help Minx come back around too.

Minna (as Myra): Yeah. I don’t… [sighs] It feels like what happened to Phin, and it feels like we’re gonna lose her too, but that’s not what’s gonna happen. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.

Kim (as Blaire): [sniffs]

Minna (as Myra): I shouldn’t have said that. It’s not gonna happen.

Kim (as Blaire): [sobbing] How do you know? What if it does?

Minna (as Myra): We already kept one of the people she cares about safe. If we can just… Phin only left because it became too hot to have her here. We just have to find a way to protect the people we care about, because otherwise I don’t know… I’m not used to caring about this many people an di don’t want to lose any of them, so we’re not going to.

Kim (as Blaire): No, I don’t either. When Minx set off that charge I was so scared that she just threw her life away… for what?

Minna (as Myra): I know.

Kim (as Blaire): I don’t want it to be after that. I don’t want it to be this that we lose her over.

Minna (as Myra): No, and maybe we need to tell her that. Maybe we need to come to some kind of agreement about how we handle this kind of thing, but I do think it was because of Harker.

Kim (as Blaire): All I know is that I just don’t want to be alone again. I don’t want to go back to just roaming the catacombs by myself, you know, for weeks on end not knowing if I would ever be able to get back home.

Minna (as Myra): Do you want to go back home?

Kim (as Blaire): I mean, someday, but I’m happy where I am right now and my family still doesn’t know I was kicked out of school, so it’s gonna be tough to explain.

Minna (as Myra): Of all the things you’re gonna have to explain about your life, Blaire, I don’t think they’re gonna mind about the school.

Kim (as Blaire): I don’t know, it’s been so long.

Minna (as Myra): And they should be proud of you.

Kim (as Blaire): Why?

Minna (as Myra): Because you’re you. Do you know how much you’ve already…? Did you hear any of what Phin said when she was leaving? Do you realize…? Sorry, I don’t know how to… I’m proud of you, and you’re one of the best friends I’ve ever had, all of you are, and I don’t want to go back to being alone either, but when and if you decide to go home you should be proud of what you became here.

Kim (as Blaire): [tearful] Thanks, Myra.

Minna (as Myra): Mm-hmm. Do you prefer to be left alone for this?

Kim (as Blaire): Um, yeah… Yeah, I do.

Minna (as Myra): Okay. Thank you for listening.

Kim (as Blaire): Thanks for checking in.

Minna (as Myra): Mm-hmm. Okay! I’m just gonna—You know where to find me. Heh.

Minna: And Myra’s going to leave the room.

Rhi: I think as Myra leaves Blaire’s room we cut across, the camera pans across and we come out to… Where do we find Minx?

Josie: This is probably right after her shift is done, so that might actually be in the morning. Nyryx has just gotten back and there’s a sheepish knock on the door.

Rhi: If she works night shifts she usually sleeps during the day, so I think she’s in the process of taking down her hair and is probably just wearing a robe. I think she kind of looks at the door and reaches behind some sort of nice vase that she has and picks up a… basically the equivalent of a baseball bat. [laughs]

Josie: I’m gay about this. Continue.

Rhi (as Nyryx): Who is it~?

Josie (as Minx): Hi Nyryx… It’s Ellie.

Rhi (as Nyryx): Oh…

Rhi: She puts the thing down and opens up.

Rhi (as Nyryx): Hey! What’s…?

Josie: Minx still has her hair down and she’s wearing usual fancy clothes but they’re not composed in any way.

Rhi: She just threw stuff on?

Josie: Yeah, pretty much.

Rhi (as Nyryx): Hi… You’re not usually here this early. Are you okay?

Josie (as Minx): Yeah, I’m okay. Kind of a sore back, but I just really needed to see you.

Rhi (as Nyryx): Okay… um, yeah, come on in.

Rhi: She opens up the door and ushers you in.

Josie (as Minx): You’re doing okay, right?

Rhi (as Nyryx): Yeah, of course.

Josie (as Minx): No one’s been getting rowdy or anything? Because, you know I’m here, right? Like, if any shit goes down with that.

Rhi (as Nyryx): Tesslyn has plenty of guards on staff as well, but yes, I know. No, I haven’t had any problems. It’s been fine.

Josie (as Minx): Okay, good. Good.

Rhi (as Nyryx): You don’t look fine.

Josie (as Minx): Eh, I mean, I had a rough go of it a few nights ago, but you’re fine so I’m fine. You’re fine, and Harker’s fine, and they’re all fine, so I’m fine.

Rhi (as Nyryx): Wait, Harker? What happened with… What’s going on with Harker?

Josie (as Minx): Y-You know, someone who doesn’t like us very much went through him a little bit, but he’s fine.

Rhi: She covers her mouth in shock.

Rhi (as Nyryx): Oh… Should I—Oh. Maybe I should tell the guards to keep a closer eye out?

Josie (as Minx): Yeah, maybe.

Rhi (as Nyryx): I can do that.

Josie (as Minx): Would it be all right if I chilled out in the lobby for a little? Because… I don’t know, I need you to be okay.

Rhi (as Nyryx): Um…

Josie (as Minx): Like, not to get too clingy.

Rhi (as Nyryx): Can you stay here today? I mean, I need to sleep, but if you stay here or come back this evening you can walk me over and I’ll check and make sure that it’s okay for you to stay in the lobby for a little bit. I’m sure it will be, but I just wanna…

Josie (as Minx): Yeah, totally. I’ll be right here.

Josie: And it’s also clear that in her clothes Minx still has a gun on.

Rhi: Yeah.

Rhi (as Nyryx): All right. Do you want to get some sleep or…?

Josie (as Minx): [laughs] You’re the one who’s been up all night. You should rest. I’ll be right here.

Rhi (as Nyryx): Okay. You know you can talk to me, right?

Josie (as Minx): Yeah, yeah, I’m just starting to question whether… what the point of it all is, but just so long as you’re safe there’s a point.

Rhi (as Nyryx): Okay…

Rhi: You get the sense that part of her wants to ask, but the rest of her is half asleep. [laughs] She just got off the night shift. She’s getting ready to go to bed. There’s a moment of hesitation where it seems like she’s gonna ask, and then she doesn’t, and instead she goes over to the door and very pointedly locks it.

Rhi (as Nyryx): You can help yourself to some tea or borrow a book if you’d like, but I’m gonna get some sleep.

Rhi: Oh God. Minx is taller than her, isn’t she? Because Minx is a tall?

Josie: Yup.

Rhi: She comes over and puts her hand on Minx’s shoulder to tug her down and gives her a kiss on the cheek.

Josie: [squeals]

Rhi: [laughs] And then she’s gonna finish getting ready for bed. God, I think the scene we fade out on is Nyryx sleeping peacefully in bed with Minx sitting in an armchair that she’s dragged in front of the door, just watching.

## Outro [1:30:13]

Rhi: Thanks for listening. The Magpies will be back in two weeks. In the meantime, follow us on Twitter at @magpies_pod, and visit our Patreon at patreon.com/magpiespodcast.

The Magpies podcast is hosted and produced by Rhi. Follow me on Twitter at @rhiannon42 and check out RPGSkillCheck.net for my copy editing and accessibility freelance site.

Blaire Culhane is played by Kim Kogut. Follow her on Twitter at @kimdianajones.

Minx is played by Josie. Follow her on Twitter at @DragonGirlJosie, and watch her art streams at  picarto.tv/DragonGirlJosie.

Myra Keel is played by Minna. Follow her on Twitter at @mynaminnarr.

The opening and closing theme music is from ‘Trio for Piano, Violin, and Viola’ by Kevin McLeod, 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.

Phiilla “the Rabbit” was submitted by Patreon backer Timothy Walsh. Want to submit your own NPC for the show? Back us at the $15 level at Patreon.com/MagpiesPodcast.

Normally this is where we’d thank our fantastic Patreon backers, but we haven’t had a chance to record the thank yous for a bit, so for now, thank you to all our supporters. If you’d like to hear your name read in the next couple episodes this is a great time to go back the show at $5 or more.

## Blooper [1:31:57]

Josie: So, I was gonna ask if we can make Rabbit one of our Experts?

Rhi: Yeah, we can do that.

Josie: Can we also make this old lady one?

Rhi: [bursts into laughter]

Kim: Yeah! Can she come back?!

Minna: [laughs]

Kim: You said you wanted us to have a mom NPC. This could be it.

Rhi: [laughing] It could be her.

Minna: Oh my God!

Josie: Yeah.

Rhi: We’ll see. I’ll put her on the list. I’ll have to come up with a name for her. This is gonna be Kay all over again.

Minna: Rose. [laughs]

Kim: Rose~!

Minna: [laughing] That was just a stereotypical grandma name.

Rhi: It is.