Transcript by Michelle Kelly @michellicopter
Download a Word Doc version of the transcript: The Magpies Season 2 Episode 5 Transcript
## Intro
Rhi: Welcome back to Duskwall, and happy new year! As always, thank you so much for joining us. I am thrilled to announce that we have yet another transcript available on our site. Season 1, Episode 3 was generously transcribed by Lyra Song. I am so, so grateful to her for this generous gift. I’m really touched that there are people who are willing to donate their time, energy and skill to creating transcripts for us. That said, I would like to ask that if you want to transcribe an episode, please reach out to me first. I don’t want to discourage anyone, but I also don’t want to end up in a situation where two people are transcribing an episode that I’ve also hired someone to do. If you’re interested, please check with me so I can make sure no one is duplicating work. Again, huge thanks to Lyra and to Tyler for their generosity. I’m hopeful that this year we’ll have transcripts for all our episodes.
For folks in the Chicago area, I will be participating in the Level Eater charity event on January 19th. It’s a really cool event where folks play D&D to raise money for some local charities. To learn more and to buy tickets, visit leveleater.com. There will be a link in the show notes as well.
Today’s episode comes with a big announcement. This is Madge’s last episode. She has a job, and freelances, and just this week, I believe, is going back to school. All of which is awesome. But all of it, especially the school work, is taking up a lot of her time. She had to make some changes and she made the difficult decision to step away from The Magpies. I am so glad that Madge was a part of this show, and the story that we’re telling. I don’t know if we would have ended up on this path, with the crew becoming vigilantes, without the focus and heart that she brought to us with Phin. We’re all really grateful to her for her time on the show and we’re going to miss her and her characters a lot. We’re also really proud of Madge for everything she’s doing, so go give her some love over on Twitter, @madgequips. Madge is a wonderful person and I’m so glad that I get to count her as a friend. With that said, this episode is a pretty emotional one. Most of us were crying by the end of the recording, I cried while editing. It’s a lot of feelings. So, if you normally listen to our show while driving, or on public transit, or at the gym, you might want to hold off until you’re home for this one. Just a heads-up.
Next, Josie is going to tell us about this month’s featured charity.
Josie: Hey folks, it’s Josie. We’re doing something a little different this time. Rather than suggest a single featured charity for you to go through, I’m going to ask that you check out the #TransCrowdFund hashtag on Twitter, Tumblr and other social media sites. It’s hard for everyone right now, but trans people like me especially have a hard time staying afloat economically, due to discrimination and other difficulties. A lot of us don’t really have direct access to the help of charities, and crowd funding via GoFundMe and other sites is what we’ve got to work with. Please consider donating directly to a queer trans person this month. It’s the most direct way to help out and it means a lot to us. Once again, that’s #TransCrowdFund. Thank you.
Rhi: New year and new garbage from the administration. Please continue to call your representatives and pressure them to end this shutdown quickly and without funding for any kind of border wall. With the democrats in control of the house, we’ve gained a small foothold in the fight against the corruption and malice of the GOP, but we have to keep fighting. Visit 5calls.org for scripts and contact info for your representatives.
Now then. Let’s get started, shall we?
## Story continues [00:04:01]
Rhi: We start off with a shot of an oar paddling through fairly still black water. And then we, sort of, pan out to see a familiar gondola being paddled down the river Dosk–
All: [excited gasps]
Rhi: –as Kay, in near total darkness, is very quietly, very slowly, with the lantern that normally hangs on the front of her gondola doused, making her way down the river towards the looming shape of Ironhook overhead. Sitting behind her in the gondola are the four of you. What is the mood like in the gondola right now? How are people feeling?
Minna: I feel like it’s a tense silence.
Josie: Mm-hmm.
Kim: Yeah.
Josie: Definitely. Minx is, like, checking to make sure her outfit is totally locked down and no fucking sewer water is gonna leak in.
Rhi: Hope she didn’t wear something she’s attached to.
Josie: Nope.
Kim: I know this is right out of the gate, but can I hold Needle’s hand?
Madge: Yes.
Josie: Aww!
Kim: Okay. At a certain point, Blaire’s not going to say anything, but just reach for Needle’s hand and kind of squeeze it. She’s nervous.
Madge: Needle squeezes her hand back, to be reassuring and comforting.
Rhi: So, Kay brings the gondola up along the riverbank and stops the gondola and, kind of, gives each of you a hand out. As she helps Minx out she holds onto Minx’s hand for a second longer and leans in and gives her a kiss on the cheek, and is like:
Rhi (as Kay): Good luck in there.
Rhi: And then lets her go.
Josie: Minx is just gonna, kind of, blush and squeeze her hand reassuringly.
Kim: Be gay, do crime.
Josie: Be gay, do crime!
Rhi: So, Kay watches the four of you make your way down along the riverbank for a few moments, before she starts paddling away again. And then we see, like, from inside the sewer tunnel, there’s a large grate and there’s, sort of, the four of you silhouetted against the lights of the city. And there’s, sort of, a clicking of keys, and then the grate swings open and you all step inside to the first step of your break-in into Ironhook. And that first step is dark, and damp, and smells horrible.
Josie: Minx is already wearing a face mask, but is going to put her hand in front of her nose anyway.
Minna: I feel like they’ve just got, like, scarves or something.
Rhi: Tucked bundles of herbs into some scarves, to sort of deal with the smell?
Minna: Yeah.
Rhi: So, you all start making your way through this tunnel. And you get, probably, a good 40 or 50 feet in when you hear, from up ahead, footsteps and muffled voices. It’s a little hard to hear the voices at first because there’s, you know, it’s a little far off and there’s some echoing happening. But eventually, kind of, as the footsteps start to get louder, you hear somebody say:
Rhi (as voice): Yeah, well, Lady Drake said that whatever they are, the bird ones, would be coming in this way. So, we gotta patrol down here.
Kim: [gasp] Fuck!
Josie: Real quick, who’s Lady Drake?
Rhi: Lady Drake I don’t think is a name that has come up. Myra, actually, you would probably know, in character. Lady Drake is a magistrate of the city.
Kim: Excuse me?
Rhi: And probably, just kind of, from talking with Jeran, since his father is a barrister, you would know that she has a reputation for being pretty ruthless. Very smart, very cunning, but ruthless. You do not want to have her hearing your case if you are not properly connected.
Josie: Eesh.
Madge: This is bad.
Josie: And also possibly, maybe, a member of The Circle of Flame?
Rhi: It’s possible.
All: [groan]
Josie: She’s tipped them off?
Madge: Cool, cool, cool cool cool.
Rhi: The situation is, they didn’t get the drop on you; you know there guards are coming, but they are coming. They know that you’re here and it’s possible that a lot more of the guards know that you’re here.
Josie: Is there, like, a corner to hide around or, like, a nook to slide into?
Rhi: I will make a fortune roll. Okay, that’s a 4. There is not so much, it’s not like a deliberate nook or corner. There’s a section of the tunnel that’s, kind of, collapsed a little bit, so there’s, like, a crevice that one person can, kind of, wedge themselves into for cover.
Josie: Mm-hmm. I wanna slip into the nook and ready an unusual weapon, which will be a garrotte wire.
Minna: I crouch down really low in the water.
Kim: I guess I will crouch.
Madge: I’m using my Cloak of Shadows.
Rhi: To blend into the shadows.
Madge: Yeah. Gonna Batman this.
Rhi: Okay. So you’re all trying to hide. Do you wanna do that as a group action, to see how successful you are?
Kim: Yeah.
Rhi: Who is leading?
Josie: I mean, I’m down to lead. I don’t have any stress.
Minna: Okay.
Josie: I got a 6.
Madge: 6.
Minna: I got a 4.
Kim: I got a 1.
Josie: How many failures is that?
Rhi: Only one stress, we had a 4 and two 6s. So, the result is a 6. Which is great for all of you. You all, like, duck down and hide in the shadows and hide in, you know, crevasses in the wall, and they just walk right past you, still chatting. At this point the conversation has turned to complaining about the fact that they got stuck on literal shit duty of having to patrol the sewers. But they just walk right past.
Minna: Let’s just keep going.
Josie: Yeah. Let’s slip by them.
Madge: We’ll deal with them later.
Minna: If we kill someone now, they’re going to notice, and that’s going to put a timer on our actions.
Kim: That’s a good point.
Rhi: So, yeah, you wait there until they have gotten pretty far down the tunnel and then you can continue on. The tunnel kind of goes around a bend and then eventually comes to a heavy iron door. It’s the very, like, classic prison door where it’s an iron door that has a little barred window at the top, and through the barred window you can see stairs leading up. The door is locked. You all have a keyring. So, you open up the door. There’s electroplasmic lights at the top and you can, kind of, see in that light there’s shadows of a couple more people at the top of the stairs.
Madge: I’m sticking to the shadows.
Rhi: Okay. They’re not coming down the stairs, they’re just, kind of, they seem to be just guarding that door up there.
Minna: Let’s try and sneak.
Josie: Yeah. But, I mean, we’ll have to confront them when we get up there. So, I think we just need to take them out quickly. I say we just sneak as close as we can and then jump them.
Minna: Yeah.
Kim: Yeah, I agree.
Rhi: Okay. Sounds like another group Prowl check?
All: Mm-hmm.
Josie: I’ll even lead again, if you want.
Rhi: Okay, yeah. This is still risky.
Josie: I got a 3.
Madge: 5.
Kim: Also a 3.
Minna: 4.
Rhi: Okay, so the result is a 5. Minx is gonna take 2 stress. I think what this is gonna be is it’s reduced effect. So, I think like, yeah, you guys get about halfway up the stairs and then–
Kim: And then we’re seen? Okay.
Rhi: Yeah. One of the guard just kind of, like, it looks like they’re just pacing around up there, sort of bored, and one them just happens to glance down the stairs, double take, and is like:
Rhi (as Guard): Oh shit! It’s them!
Rhi: And, like, goes for a gun.
Madge: Yeah. When they notice us, I’m gonna take off the cloak and use one of my throwing knives.
Rhi: Okay.
Madge: Oh boy, uh, Finesse for this one?
Rhi: Yeah, you know what, I’ll allow Finesse.
Madge: Woo. So, I have 1 dice.
Rhi: It’s gonna be risky, reduced effect, because these guys are highly trained guards with armour and shit. And they’re, like, way higher Tier than all of you.
Josie: Yeah.
Madge: That’s a 6 though, woo!
Rhi: Okay. What was your goal? What were you aiming for?
Madge: I was aiming to hit one of them in the throat with my throwing knife.
Rhi: Okay. So, I think instead it catches this guy in the shoulder.
Madge: Okay.
Rhi: And he, like, kind of, cries out in pain and falls back a little bit clutching at it, but he is not taken out.
Minna: We need to get these people quiet as fast as possible.
Kim: Yeah.
Josie: Mm-hmm.
Rhi: Yeah. So, we’ve got one guy who, just like, got a knife in the shoulder who is clutching at it, another guy who has a pistol in his hand.
Josie: I think I want to also use my throwing knives, but try to disarm him with it.
Rhi: Okay, so like, try to hit him in the arm to make him drop it?
Josie: Yeah.
Rhi: Okay. That is gonna be the same thing, risky position, reduced effect.
Josie: Right. And will that be, like, Hunt because it’s ranged or…?
Rhi: Yeah, you could do Hunt.
Josie: I got a 4.
Rhi: 4. Okay. So, yeah, you do it. You throw the knife at him, it sticks into his forearm, he drops the gun because some important muscles have just been cut. So I think the complication is you can hear behind you, coming back up the tunnel, that other set of guards.
Josie: Ah, fuck.
Rhi: They’re not here yet, but they’re gonna be here soon.
Kim: I don’t like that.
Rhi: I’m gonna start a clock.
Josie: Can we, like, jam the door or something?
Rhi: So I’m assuming, like, because you all are competent criminals, when you came up the stairs you closed and locked the door behind you, but presumably they’ve got keys for that door. So, somebody could attempt to jam that door so they can’t get back in. Myra and Blaire still have an opportunity there. You two haven’t acted yet.
Kim: Right.
Minna: Mm-hmm.
Rhi: Yeah, so you’ve got two guards with knives stuck in them, that are hurt but not taken out of the picture.
Kim: Lightning hook works for me, I got that. Yeah, I’m fine with electrocuting one of them, I’ll mark that off my load.
Rhi: Okay. So, this is gonna be risky and since you have a fine lightning hook you will be at standard effect for this. Because it is a high quality weapon.
Kim: Nice. Okay.
Rhi: Yeah.
Kim: Oh my God. I got a 2.
Rhi: So I think what happens is Blaire, you kind of jab up the stairs with this lightning hook and the guy, just like, dodges backwards out of the way. And the other guards are getting ever closer. So, Myra, do you wanna try and do something?
Minna: What if, hear me out, I don’t know that this is a thing, but I know that, like, one of them has recently had a throwing knife and probably stumbled a little bit.
Rhi: Both of them have recently been hit by a throwing knife.
Minna: Yes, but might have like, kind of, shuffled around. Can I roll to see if I can have had, like, a loop of rope laid out for him to step into that I can then, like, whip up around his ankle and tighten and pull his leg out from under him? I don’t know if that’s a thing that I can do.
Rhi: Uh, I think it would be a 1 stress flashback to set up the rope. To say that you whipped that up there during, kind of, the initial melee. And then you’ll have to roll for the trip, but yes.
Minna: Can I do it as, like, a Finesse? Because it’s about misdirection and trickery and shit?
Rhi: Sure.
Minna: That probably is still affected by the -1 Acid Burn. So, what does a Devil’s Bargain look like?
Rhi: The thing that I keep thinking is that, like, he makes some kind of noise. Like he’s going to shout, or yell, or something.
Minna: If I pull a man down the stairs, he is going to make noise.
Rhi: Yeah.
Kim: Even if he doesn’t yell, just, it’s going to sound like a man falling.
Rhi: Down the stairs.
Kim: Yes.
Minna: How about as I step back I’m going to step on something? Because whether I get him or not, I’m going to take a step backwards. So maybe I step on something that makes noise. So, that ups the clock.
Rhi: Okay, yeah. Yeah.
Minna: Like there’s some, like, discarded bit of metal or something that’s going to make a clattering noise.
Rhi: Yeah, that kicks down the stairs and clatters. Okay, yeah. It’ll advance the clock to 3 out of 4 because the guards will hear some noise and start moving faster.
Minna: So I’m going to roll my piffling 1d. 6!
Josie: Nice.
Rhi: Holy shit. Okay.
Minna: Okay. So what happens is while the others have been skirmishing, Myra has, kind of like, been watching and, kind of, tossed a rope up around where one of the guard’s feet is, the one that minx just hit in the arm and disarmed. She managed to get a loop of rope behind him and he stumbles right back into her trap, and she quickly whips that loop of rope up, tightens it and pulls. And the man comes crashing down the stairs. But as she steps back, there is clang of metal and she has stepped on a discarded, like, flint for lighting lamps.
Rhi: Yeah. So, that guy is, like, between getting knifed in the arm, bound up with ropes, and then falling down a flight of stairs, he’s out of the picture. The other guard is still up and the other guards are close enough that you all can hear, kind of, running footsteps coming closer.
Josie: Man, I really wanna use this garrotte wire. I wanna get behind the remaining guy and choke him out.
Rhi: Okay, yeah. You can try and do that.
Josie: Umm, what’s that gonna be? Like, Skirmish?
Rhi: Yeah, probably.
Josie: I got a 6.
Rhi: Nice. So, you are able to, as this other guy kind of goes thudding down the stairs, you are able to jump up, kinda get behind this guy with the knife and choke him. I assume into unconsciousness, not death.
Josie: Correct.
Rhi: Okay. So, these two guards are unconscious.
Josie: I suggest we jam the door and move on. Like, someone who can tinker.
Rhi: Yeah, probably that sounds like a Needle job, to jam the door so that they can’t get through.
Madge (as Needle): Yeah, I could easily get this taken care of.
Rhi: So, it’s gonna still be risky and you have fine lock picks, right? Okay. It is gonna be standard effect because you’ve got the higher quality tools. So, that helps.
Madge: 5.
Rhi: Needle, you crouch by the door and you’re, like, working really, you know, as fast as you can, even with your stiff hand, to get the lock jammed up so that they won’t be able to use their key to get through. You can hear the guards, like, running and shouting, kind of, calling ahead to their fellows and not getting an answer. And, just as the guard gets to the door and goes to unlock it, you, like, feel something kind of pop in the lock and you step back. And he, like, rattles at the door. And he can see through the little bars in the window and you make eye contact for a second. And he goes:
Rhi (as Guard): Dammit, they’re here. We have to raise the alarm.
Rhi: And then they go running back off, down the tunnel. So, at some point, it’s gonna take them a bit, but at some point, they are going to make it back up and out to someone that they can inform.
Madge: And an alarm is gonna go off, okay.
Rhi: So, I’m gonna say, do I think this is a 6 or an 8? It’s gonna be an 8-tick clock. So, you’ve got a little bit of a longer fuse on that one. But, I’m gonna call that Alarm Raised. 1 out of 8.
Madge: Okay.
Rhi: They’ve taken off. This door is jammed, nobody is gonna be able to come up behind you this way, at least. You’ve got keys to the next door up. This is basically gonna take you to like, kind of, the garbage room, furnace room. Like, this is where stuff that is being disposed of is taken and broken down, you know, thrown into furnaces–
Kim: We’re in the trash compactor!
Minna: Why do we keep ending up in this room? [giggles]
Rhi: Because you keep entering through basements and sewers. This is only the second time I think you’ve ended up in a space like this.
Minna: [laughing] The second time!
Kim: Still.
Minna: I love it. I’m into it. We’re just trash monsters. Thank you for putting us in the garbage where we belong.
Rhi: So, you are here in this room. It’s a fairly large room. There’s just, like, piles of crap everywhere. And it seems like stuff is, sort of, being sorted by type. So there’s like, a couple mounds of fabric, there’s some scraps of metal, there’s just all sorts of random stuff. Right now, there’s nobody in the room. You all can see, as you start to move forward, there are, like, metal loops on the floor that Minx and Myra, you know from previous times you’ve been in Ironhook, prisoners get assigned to sort stuff in here and they basically all have ankle chains that run through these loops in the floor, so they’re very limited in their movement. And there is another door. It’s a set of double doors across the room. So, is there anything, like, do you guys wanna look for anything in here, or just, kind of, press on?
Josie (as Minx): Yeah, I think time is of the essence, dears.
Madge (as Needle): Could I just try something really quick here?
Kim (as Blaire): Yeah?
Madge: I’m gonna try and jam up some of the ankle stuff, so that next time people are in here, the chain gang stuff won’t work proper.
Rhi: Yeah.
Josie: Oh, okay.
Rhi: Future chaos.
Madge: Yep. Okay, so that’s gonna be a Tinker.
Rhi: It’ll be controlled, because there’s not an immediate threat.
Madge: Mm-hmm. 4.
Rhi: You hesitate. Withdraw and try a different approach, or do it and face a minor consequence, which will probably be that it becomes risky.
Madge: I’ll just leave it. It’s not worth it.
Rhi: So, the double doors on the other side of the room again have, kind of, the barred windows in them. And peering out you can see that this leads into a hallway where you can go left, right, or straight. And Minx and Myra, you have done some time in Ironhook, back in your misspent youths. So, this area you two actually have been in. This is, kind of, the lower security, general population area of the prison. This is where it’s the, you know, petty thieves, vandals, people who get picked up on fairly minor charges who are only being held for, like, at most a couple months.
Minna: Do we know, like, where the high security area would be? Just from like, general scuttlebutt?
Rhi: Yes. So, the first two floors are general population, and then the higher floors are high security. So, you two are familiar with, like, the first two floors, and you kinda know roughly where the access points to the higher levels are. But once you get up to those higher levels you are basically, kind of, in an entirely new environment. Where you are right now, though, you know that left and right will take you basically into a big, sort of, circle around the floor that has cells on it. And straight ahead is gonna take you into, kind of, the-, there’s not really a prison yard, like, an open outdoor space in Ironhook–
Minna: Like the common area?
Rhi: Yeah. It’s a big common area, it’s where meals are served, you know, prisoners are allowed to spend time there during their allotted hours out of their cells. This late at night, that area is going to be empty of prisoners. There will probably be guards on patrol. And, let’s see, where would the access points be? There is basically, there’s stairwells in each of the corners of the-, it’s basically just a big square. Ironhook is very blocky. And in each corner of the floors is where the stairs are, leading up to the higher levels.
Josie: Let’s go left.
Kim: Okay.
Rhi: Okay.
Josie: You’re always supposed to turn left.
Rhi: How do you want to make your way down this hall?
Kim: Should we run or no?
Madge: I think soft steps. My shadow cloak is coming back out for this one.
Minna: I think we just brazen our way through, like, walk of confidence, like we’re supposed to be here. [laughs]
Madge: [laughs] Oh my God.
Josie: Yeah, let’s do it. The casual walk.
Rhi: You all can give that a shot.
Josie: Uh-huh. I’m gonna do my Sway.
Kim: Would that be a Sway? I guess, right?
Rhi: Trying to convince a bunch of people that you’re supposed to be here, yeah, I think so.
Kim: Alright.
Rhi: Are you doing this as a group action?
Minna: I had assumed we were, because usually when we’re moving through an area as a group.
Josie: Triple 6s.
Kim: Jesus Christ.
Minna: Oh, that’s a crit.
Kim: I rolled a 1.
Minna: I rolled a 5.
Madge: I also got a 1.
Rhi: Okay.
Josie: Alright, 2 more stress.
Rhi: Yeah, but the result is a critical success.
Minna: This is the trailer shot of us walking like badasses.
Rhi: Uh-huh. Yeah, yeah.
[laughter]
Rhi: It’s the wide shot of, like, the four of you come out of the door and, you know, you’re walking, in reality, quickly, but the shot is in slow-mo, and at first it’s the wide shot of all four of you striding together, and then we’re gonna, like, zoom in on each person. Like, what cool thing are you doing?
[excited squeals]
Kim: Yes! I love this!
Josie: Uh-huh.
Madge: Yes.
Rhi: So let’s start with, we start on Needle. What cool, like, pose or gesture or whatever is Needle doing?
Madge: I’m winking at a prisoner.
Rhi: There’s some guy, like, just leaning against the bars, and kinda like, looks at the four of you. And Needle just gives him a wink and he, like, he does the thing where he looks over the shoulder and then points at himself, like, ‘Me?’
[laughter]
Madge: Oh my gosh, yeah, that’s exactly how it goes.
Rhi: Oh my God, yes. Myra, what are you doing?
Minna: Oh God, how do I make Myra cool? I know she’s cool, just, what cool thing?
Kim: She can like, you know, if she’s wearing a jacket or something, she can pop a collar or something?
[laughter]
Minna: She definitely does that just to conceal her face, but it ends up looking really cool.
Rhi: Yeah, yeah.
Kim: Yes!
Rhi: Okay, Minx, what are you doing?
Josie: Minx is fucking strutting her stuff. Like, runway walk.
Minna: Does she, like, toss her hair?
Josie: Yeah, well, I was about to say her hair is, like, tied up in a bun right now because stealth, but she loosens it a little bit and one little flop of hair, kind of, gently drapes across her eyebrow in that sexy fashion.
[delighted gasps]
Kim: This is the best.
Minna: I love that the crit is just that we all look really cool.
[laughter]
Rhi: Yeah. And Blaire, what cool thing are you doing?
Kim: So Blaire has one of her fine lightning hooks in both hands, and she’s twirling both of them and then hooks them to her belt.
Madge: [gasp]
Josie: Nice.
Rhi: Nice. Alright. So, yeah, and then it gets to, like, the camera swings around behind the four of you as you get the near the door and like, a prisoner in the last cell next to the door just is like:
Rhi (as Prisoner): Who are you?
Josie: Can we just casually flip him a Magpie pin?
Rhi: Please do.
Multiple: Yes!
Josie: Just, flick.
Rhi: Yeah, and he catches it. And the shot is, like, him holding the Magpie pin, looking at it, and then you hear the door clang shut. So, the critical is gonna get you, you are able to make it not just down this hall and into the stairs, you make it up to the third floor without running into a single person. There’s no guards, like, you just have incredibly good luck on timing, and you don’t run into any guards on the stairs, or anything. So, you get up to the third floor no problem.
Josie: Uh-huh.
Rhi: What do you want to do? This is the part of the prison where you don’t really know what you’re going to be encountering.
Madge: I know that we’re in a position where it is, like, higher security, but are there people in cells that we can still talk to?
Rhi: I’m gonna say yes, there are.
Madge: Alright, then I’m gonna sneak up to a cell and keep my voice down.
Rhi: Okay. Yeah, go ahead and make a roll for that sneaking.
Madge: So, that is gonna be a 4.
Rhi: I think the consequence is gonna be I’m gonna advance the clock. You know, prison-wide alarm being raised. Needle, you creep over to a cell where you can, kinda like, see somebody moving around. On the lower levels, the prisoners are kept, you know, they’re like, bunked up four or six to a room. Here, they’re kept in individual cells because the odds that some of them might kill each other are pretty high.
Madge: Yeah.
Rhi: So, yeah, you creep over to a cell and there is a woman just, kind of, pacing back and forth across the very small part of the cell.
Madge (as Needle): Oi! Hi.
Rhi: She whips around and, like, has a shiv in her hand.
Madge (as Needle): Hey, hey, hey. Do I look like a guard?
Rhi (as Prisoner): No. But that doesn’t mean I might not need to stab you.
Madge (as Needle): You won’t need to stab me.
Rhi (as Prisoner): Okay.
Madge (as Needle): I’m looking for a girl.
Rhi (as Prisoner): I mean, I’m–
Madge (as Needle): I mean besides you. She’s… hey, what does she look like? The one we’re here to get?
Kim (as Blaire): She’s short and usually angry.
Madge (as Needle): Alright. We’re looking for a short, angry girl?
Minna (as Myra): Short, dark hair.
Josie (as Minx): She has likely made quite a scene.
Kim (as Blaire): She has a tattoo on her hand.
Rhi (as Prisoner): Oh, yeah. Phin. Yeah, real piece of work, that one. What, you all here to bust her out or something?
Josie (as Minx): Precisely.
Rhi (as Prisoner): Hmm. Well, I might know where she is, but–
Madge (as Needle): It’s gonna cost us?
Rhi (as Prisoner): I’m not gonna tell you for free.
Madge (as Needle): Of course. Of course.
Josie (as Minx): Well, I mean, I don’t think we have any problem with letting anyone else out.
Rhi: And she gets this big, like, slasher smile grin, and is like:
Rhi (as Prisoner): Ah, now that’s exactly what I was hoping you’d say.
Kim (as Blaire): What, wait, wait– what did you get put in for?
Rhi (as Prisoner): Ah, don’t worry about it. You open this up, and I will tell you where to find your friend.
Kim (as Blaire): Er… team meeting? Team meeting?
Madge (as Needle): One second. I have a secondary condition.
Rhi (as Prisoner): Yeah?
Madge (as Needle): So, if we let you out, you can’t stab anyone until we’re gone.
Rhi (as Prisoner): How am I supposed to know when you’re gone?
Madge (as Needle): So, once we pass by you with the piece of work.
Kim: Can we all do, like, a huddle?
Josie (as Minx): I mean, I don’t especially relish the notion, but she may handle some of the guards for us.
Minna (as Myra): It might be our only choice. She might alert the guards if we don’t let her out.
Josie (as Minx): Yes, we have already spoken to her.
Kim (as Blaire): That’s true. Are we cool with, like, letting out someone potentially dangerous, though? Like, how do we know that she won’t, you know, stab us?
Madge (as Needle): She might have gotten stabby after she got put in here.
Minna (as Myra): I don’t think we’re making the pool of people in Duskwall substantially worse.
Josie (as Minx): Besides, there’s four of us and one of her.
Kim (as Blaire): True.
Minna (as Myra): If she makes a mess, then she’s in as much trouble as we are.
Josie (as Minx): Then it sounds like we are letting her out.
Madge (as Needle): Also, we could always just stab her later.
Josie (as Minx): Yes, I mean there’s nothing preventing mutual stabbing.
Kim (as Blaire): Only if she stabs first.
Madge (as Needle): Yeah, mutually assured stabbing.
Kim (as Blaire): That sounds okay with me, but we gotta keep an eye on her.
Minna (as Myra): Yeah. I think that we need her to lead us to Phin’s cell.
Kim (as Blaire): Mm-hmm.
Rhi: Alright. So you guys are gonna let her out?
Kim: Wait, wait.
Kim (as Blaire): Everybody, hands in, hands in.
Minna: [laughs] Myra puts her hand in.
Josie: Places hand.
Madge (as Needle): Are we counting down? What’s going on?
Kim (as Blaire): We’re breaking the huddle, we’ve gotta ‘1, 2, 3’.
Madge (as Needle): Break?
Kim (as Blaire): Yeah.
Madge (as Needle): Alright. Before I let you out, can I get your name, please?
Rhi (as Prisoner): Folks call me Frost.
Madge (as Needle): Frost. Okay. Well, Frost, my name is Needle, nice to meet you, and here’s what we’re gonna do. We’re gonna let you out of here, you’re going to take us to Phin, and then we’ll let you on your merry way.
Rhi (as Frost): So all I gotta do is walk you there?
Madge (as Needle): That’s all you gotta do.
Rhi (as Frost): Alright.
Kim (as Blaire): Well, stay frosty.
Madge (as Needle): [laughs]
Rhi (as Frost): I will stab you.
Josie: Oh dear.
Minna and Josie: [laughter]
Madge (as Needle): If you stab her, I stab you.
Rhi (as Frost): I mean, fair, and I understand that, but that’s the one joke that you get.
Kim (as Blaire): Okay, I’ll shut up now.
Madge (as Needle): Okay.
Madge: And then I’ll spin the key on my finger and unlock the door.
Rhi: When you all look back, the mattress on the bed is sliced open and–
Kim: [shudders] This is a good person we picked up.
Rhi: She has acquired a couple more shivs and a couple vials of something that she has tucked under her belt.
Kim: Great!
Josie: Hmm.
Kim: I don’t like this.
Madge (as Needle): Hands where we can see them.
Rhi: She comes out and, like, stretches her arms out, and is like:
Rhi (as Frost): Ah yeah, so close. Alright. Yeah. Phin. This way.
Rhi: And I think that we’re gonna need another roll for sneaking.
Minna: I can lead this time if you want? Unless somebody doesn’t have any stress, because I have, like, 4 stress.
Kim: I have one stress, I don’t mind leading.
Josie: Okay, let’s have Blaire lead then.
Madge: 5.
Minna: 3.
Josie: 1.
Kim: 2.
Rhi: Okay. So the result is a 5. I’m gonna advance that clock again. Frost starts to lead you down the hall and then you all, kind of, have to, like, duck into the shadows and hide and wait for a little bit as a guard patrol goes past. So, that eats up some time. But yeah, she leads you, kind of, down this corridor, around a corner, and then halfway down another corridor to a cell, kind of in the middle of everything, and sleeping on the bunk is Phin.
All: Yay!
Madge: It’s me!
Rhi: It is! Madge, how is Phin looking? She’s been in prison for, probably, a little over two months, two and half months, at this point. How’s she looking?
Madge: So, she’s definitely looking rough, because we’ve established that she has been put through the ringer. She’s got dark circles under her eyes which are equal parts black eyes and also not sleeping well. Her hair is all messed up.
Rhi: And it’s a lot longer too, because she wouldn’t have been able to get a haircut for all that time.
Madge: Yeah.
Rhi: Yeah, Frost basically walks you to the cell, points, is like:
Rhi (as Frost): That’s her.
Rhi: And then turns and starts walking away. Unless somebody’s gonna stop her.
Madge: Nope.
Kim: Bye.
Madge (as Needle): Make good choices!
Rhi: [laughs] I think, yeah, she just kind of gives a brief wave over her shoulder and heads off. Gonna just make a note that she’s out there.
Madge: [laughs] This is fun.
Rhi: Wandering… around… with… knives. Okay, this has been noted.
Kim: Ugh, great.
Minna: Ugh.
Kim: Myra, I think you should be the one to try and wake her up.
Minna: Yeah. Myra steps up to the bars.
Minna (as Myra): Psst!
Minna: Do they have any, kind of like, codeword, for like, ‘Hey it’s an emergency, you need to be quiet and work with me’?
Rhi: I don’t know, do you?
Madge: Hey, it’s an emergency, you need to be quiet and work with me.
[laughter]
Minna: Okay, so they don’t do codewords. Cool. She’s just gonna say:
Minna (as Myra): Phin?
Madge (as Phin): Hmph.
Minna (as Myra): Phin, you need to wake up.
Madge (as Phin): [mumbles]
Minna (as Myra): Phin.
Madge (as Phin): What? [mumbles]
Minna (as Myra): Phin?
Madge (as Phin): Myra?
Minna (as Myra): It’s us. It’s Myra, and Minx and Blaire.
Kim (as Blaire): We’ve come to get you out.
Madge: Oh my gosh. Okay, Phin’s gonna get up and head to the bars and peek out here.
Josie (as Minx): Hello, dear.
Madge (as Needle): Hey.
Madge (as Phin): Wait–
Minna (as Myra): Hi.
Madge (as Phin): Hi?
Minna (as Myra): We’re here to get you out.
Madge (as Phin): What are you…?
Josie (as Minx): Well, I mean, we presume you do not want to stay in prison?
Minna (as Myra): We weren’t ever planning on letting you stay here, but it’s also dangerous for your family if you stay here. So, come with us.
Madge (as Phin): Can you go back to the part with my family?
Minna (as Myra): Don’t worry about it.
Kim (as Blaire): They’re okay.
Minna (as Myra): Once you’re out, it’s fine.
Madge (as Phin): Huh? No, that’s not how it works.
Minna (as Myra): You’re blackmail leverage right now. So, hey, come out, let us figure– help us figure this out and help your family.
Madge (as Phin): Okay, can you open the door?
Minna (as Myra): That’s the plan.
Madge (as Phin): Because I can’t do that on my own.
Kim (as Blaire): We have keys.
Rhi: Yeah, you’re able to unlock the door, no problem. And Phin is able to step out.
Josie: Group hug, group hug.
Kim: Yeah.
Minna: Yeah. Who starts it?
Kim: Me.
[laughter]
Josie: Aww!
Rhi: Phin clears the door and Blaire just goes in for the hug.
Kim: Oh yeah, I just fling myself at Phin.
Madge (as Phin): Hey, kid.
Rhi: Yeah, so everybody gets in for a big hug. I think Needle is probably kind of like, ‘This is lovely, I’m gonna keep watch’. Alright. So, yeah. You got Phin out.
Kim and Josie: Yay!
Minna: Now let’s leave!
Josie: And now we should run.
Madge: Yes.
Minna (as Myra): Alright, time to get out of here.
Rhi: Is that the plan, to just haul ass, or are you going to try to sneak back out?
Kim: Uhh, both?
Josie: Yeah, I mean, the alarm’s going to get raised eventually anyway, so.
Minna: As quiet as we can be while also being fast.
Kim: For as long as possible. It may reach a point where we can’t be stealthy about it, but let’s just stick to it for as long as possible.
Rhi: Okay. The time that your reunion took, ticking up the clock again.
Kim: Hugs should not cost anything.
Josie and Madge: [laughter]
Rhi: This is blades in the dark, I’m sorry.
Kim: Ugh. [fake sobbing]
Rhi: Alright, yeah. So, we’re gonna need some kid of roll for sneaking back to the door on the third floor.
Josie: A group prowl?
Kim: Group prowl.
Josie: Who’s gonna lead it?
Madge: I’ll lead it. With Phin, sorry.
Rhi: Okay.
Josie: I got a 5.
Minna: 4.
Kim: 2.
Madge: 3 for Phin, 6 for Needle.
Rhi: Okay. So, result is going to be a 6 and I think that was 2 points of stress. Yeah, you all successfully make it back to the door and you’re able to start making your way down. You get to the second floor and an alarm starts sounding from upstairs.
Josie: Now can we do the running?
Minna: Yes.
Rhi: Because I made a fortune roll to see how Frost did on her murder and acquire keys. It didn’t go well for her.
Josie: Bolt.
Rhi: Alright. So you’re gonna run for it?
Kim: Mm-hmm.
Rhi: Okay. You run down the stairs to the ground floor, open up the door, and there’s a group of guards running in your direction. You all basically see each other at the same time, they don’t really have the drop on you.
Madge and Minna: Okay.
Rhi: So, yeah, it’s just kind of like, you all burst out of the stairs, they come around a corner, and it’s like, ‘Uhh…’
Madge (as Phin): Someone give me a knife.
Minna (as Myra): Myra hands her a knife.
Madge (as Phin): Thank you.
Josie: I’m gonna pull out a gun.
Kim: I’m gonna take out my lightning hooks.
Rhi: Okay. People, do what you’re gonna do.
Josie: I’m gonna do a gun.
Rhi: Okay.
Josie: And shoot a thing.
Rhi: Alright, it’s gonna be risky, reduced effect.
Josie: You know, I think I actually wanna push myself for higher effect on this one.
Rhi: Okay. Take 2 stress.
Josie: I wanna put them on the back foot with this. I got a 3, so I failed.
Madge: In the meantime, can I do a punch and slash?
Rhi: Yeah, Phin can just charge into somebody.
Madge: Can I do that as a wreck, since I am looking to cause as much damage as possible?
Rhi: Oh, yeah. I imagine Phin has a great amount of aggression towards the guards she needs to work out.
Madge: Yep. 5.
Rhi: Okay, so Minx, your shot goes wild, and these are like, single-shot flintlock pistols, so you shoot and then you’re, like, really quickly trying to reload while the guy you shot at is running at you. And then, kind of like, passing each other, Phin goes charging forward towards another one of the guards. And you, Phin, are able to tackle and stab and I imagine are just, kind of like, grappling on the floor.
Madge: Mm-hmm.
Rhi: And I’m gonna move the clock up again, because this is kinda, you know, drawing attention. Minx, the guard that is charging at you–
Josie: Oh dear.
Rhi: –is gonna knock the gun out of your hands and then bash you across the head with a truncheon for level 2 harm.
Josie: Ouch. Okay. Can I use up load slots to have armour?
Rhi: Yeah. It’s 2 spots of load to, kind of, soak that, and I’ll drop it down to level 1 harm.
Josie: Right. I wanna, like, throw up the armoured bracers I have on under my sleeves to reduce the impact.
Rhi: Yeah, so like, your arm is bruised all to hell, but at least it doesn’t hit your head. Blaire, Myra and Needle can also act. What are you all doing?
Kim: I think I would like to go for the guard that Phin already has engaged, and try to electrocute them.
Rhi: Okay.
Kim: Just while he’s distracted. Because I don’t think I could charge head-on to an unengaged enemy, being the five foot one squishy wimp that I am.
Rhi: [giggles] Yeah. So, that’s gonna be risky position, still. Standard effect.
Kim: Okay and, what would I roll for my lightning hooks? Skirmish, do you think?
Rhi: Yeah, probably.
Kim: Okay. And what do you think a Devil’s Bargain on this looks like?
Rhi: The electroplasm charge that your lightning hooks have is almost out. You’ll be able to use them for this one attack and then they’re gonna be burned out for the rest of the fight. The rest of the score, basically.
Kim: I accept. I’ll take that.
Rhi: Okay.
Kim: Woohoo! My friends, that is double 6s. That’s a critical success.
Rhi: Shit.
Josie: Ooh.
Kim: Finally. Finally, the heavens open up and I rolled good once.
Josie: I feel like the dice are being nice to us after last week.
Rhi: Yeah, yeah.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: So, I think the reason that you burn out all of the rest of your power source is you just, like, super-charge the lightning hook–
Kim: Like, both of them, pretty much.
Rhi: Yeah, and then just, like, slam them into this guys back, and he seizes up and falls to the ground.
Kim: Yeah. I’d like to imagine that the guy falls between the space between Phin and Blaire, and they meet eyes and Blaire just kinda shrugs.
Rhi: Alright. Myra and Needle can still do some stuff. We’ve got three guards that are still up, two have not been hit at all and have pistols out.
Madge: Needle is gonna take a ring knife and is gonna jump in.
Rhi: Okay.
Madge: To do a stab. Which will be a Skirmish.
Minna: So, I did a shoot and I failed.
Rhi: Okay, what did you get?
Minna: 3.
Rhi: Okay. Needle, what did you get?
Madge: Um, 3.
Rhi: Okay. Needle, I think you just kind of end up, like, sparring with this guard a little bit. Like, she takes a swing at you with the truncheon, you dodge back, you punch in with the knife and she twists out of the way. And you’re both just kind of, like, dodging each other’s blows. Myra, you took a shot.
Minna: Mm-hmm.
Rhi: And missed.
Minna: Yes. Room gets shot again.
Rhi: No, no. I’m gonna do something more fun. Your shot goes wild and hits this box on the wall that starts ringing real loud. You just set off an alarm down here. So, you all can now hear shouting from both the hallway ahead of you and the stairs behind, and footsteps running from both directions.
Josie: Oof.
Rhi: Yep. And you still have three guards that are up and fighting.
Madge: Phin’s gonna stab again.
Rhi: Alright.
Madge: Yeah, I got a crit.
Rhi: Nice.
Josie: Ooh.
Rhi: Tell me how Phin straight up murders a dude.
Madge: [laughs] I feel like she gets up, looks at the one that Myra was gonna shoot and narrows her eyes, and then jumps him, knocks him out of frame… [laughs]
Rhi: And there’s just screaming sounds?
Madge: Yeah.
Rhi: Yeah. Alright, so that’s two guards down. Man, nice. And I think for the critical, the viciousness of Phin’s attack distracts the other two guards momentarily, so anybody who’s attacking the other two guards will be at standard effect for their next, kind of, actions, because they are momentarily distracted by a grisly murder.
Josie (as Minx): Phin, dear? It’s nice to have you back.
Josie: I think I want to get my pistol back. I’ll use the hesitation to run and grab it.
Rhi: I’ll say that you can just do that, but then that’s, kind of, using up that advantage that you had. You’re able to scramble away from them and get your pistol, but when you attack it’s going to be back at reduced effect.
Josie: Yeah. Fair enough.
Rhi: Okay. So yeah, Minx, you’re able to go and grab your gun. I think Blaire, you haven’t gone in a bit.
Kim: I think I would like to give throwing knives a try.
Rhi: Okay. I’ll also add, just, kind of, for the atmosphere here. Because of all the alarms, the prisoners in this hallway are all awake, and they are all cheering you on.
Kim: Oh hell yeah.
Rhi (as Prisoner): Kick his ass!
Josie: Hit him with the chair!
Kim: Hey! Riot!
Rhi: The prisoners really like you guys. You’re very popular in Ironhook.
Kim: Nice. So, to throw my knives at one of these guys, would that be Hunt? Skirmish? Finesse?
Rhi: I have allowed Hunt and Finesse for that.
Kim: I would like to use Finesse, because I have a higher rank in that.
Rhi: Okay. Risky position, reduced effect.
Kim: Okay. 4.
Rhi: So, you do it. You throw the knife and it sticks into his chest, but you can tell it doesn’t, like, sink all the way in, because there’s armour that absorbs some of it. So, like, he’s hurt, but it’s not a fatal blow. He’s clutching at the knife and at that moment, two sets of doors burst open.
Minna: Oh, fuck.
Rhi: Behind you, the door opens admitting another handful of guards from upstairs.
Minna and Josie: [groan]
Rhi: And in front of you, rounding the corner, is another group of guards. This is, like, six guards.
Madge: Please no.
Josie: Jesus.
Rhi: But at the head of them is a Bluecoat. And Madge, I’m going to ask you to describe Darmot, with the one requirement that he has a spectacular moustache.
Kim: [gasp]
Josie: [giggles] Excellent.
Madge: Good, okay, I’m glad that’s a requirement because I was thinking that.
Rhi: He can look like whatever else you want, but he must have–
Madge: I was thinking Tom Selleck in Blue Bloods, though.
Rhi: Okay, yeah.
Josie: That, that’s great.
Kim: Please don’t do this to me.
[laughter]
Josie: Type number one, Dads.
Rhi: Yes. Basically.
Madge: Dads with moustaches, specifically.
Kim: God dammit.
Rhi: So, he comes around the corner, leading this group of guards and, like, kind of strikes a pose, points at Needle, and goes:
Rhi (as Darmot): Devin! I’ve finally caught up with you.
Josie: Oh no.
Madge (as Needle): Is it really catching up with me, though, if I got here first?
Rhi (as Darmot): You’re not going to be leaving this place.
Madge (as Needle): Pretty sure I’m getting out of this place.
Rhi: And he kind of, like, gestures to his guards, like:
Rhi (as Darmot): Guards, get her!
Madge (as Needle): Well. It’s been fun.
Madge: I’m gonna bolt, and as I go, every couple of cells that I’m by, I’m gonna stop and I’m gonna unlock it, so that I let people out to block my way.
Rhi: Okay, yeah. So, we see the guards, because they’re farther down the hall, you two were, kind of, shouting dramatically at each other. You get four cells open. But like I said, down on this level there’s four to six people per cell. So there’s now, we’ll just say an average, there’s about 20 prisoners that have just poured out into the hall.
Josie: Oh, thank you.
Minna: I love this, I love this!
Josie: Well, that escalated quickly.
Rhi: Yeah. Needle just, sort of, vanishes into this crowd. You can hear Darmot shouting angrily, being like:
Rhi (as Darmot): Get them out of the way, I can’t, I can’t let her get away again! Not when I’m this close!
Madge (as Needle): Or when you’re this far!
Rhi: And the prisoners are just, kind of, swarming. Some of them are trying to get out, some of them are going after the guards in Darmot’s group. The guards now are just kind of like, ‘Oh shit, who do we deal with?’ It is absolute chaos. So, for the four of you that are still here, what are you gonna do?
Josie: I believe we should escape.
Minna: Yes. Slide out through that crowd.
Kim: Yes, but also Needle?
Josie (as Minx): It seems as though she has dealt with this person before.
Kim (as Blaire): But–
Josie (as Minx): Judging by the drama.
Kim (as Blaire): We’re leaving without her?
Josie (as Minx): Well, the hall will circle around, correct? She may just come around the bend.
Kim (as Blaire): What if she gets caught?
Josie (as Minx): Well, I mean, we…
Josie: Minx is going to start walking towards the exit in the midst of this hullabaloo, and be like:
Josie (as Minx): Well, we’ve broken in once.
Madge (as Phin): We can, yeah, walk and talk, come on.
Kim: I mean, Blaire’s following, but she’s also like:
Kim (as Blaire): Uh, but, we can’t do this twice.
Madge (as Phin): She’s probably rich. She looked rich, is she rich?
Kim (as Blaire): Uh…
Minna (as Myra): Yes.
Kim (as Blaire): Yeah.
Josie (as Minx): She’s definitely rich.
Madge (as Phin): Then she’ll get a slap on the wrist and she’ll be out in a week.
Minna (as Myra): Her family may not help her, for all we know.
Josie (as Minx): Perhaps we can check on her once we’re away from the scrimmage?
Kim (as Blaire): …Okay.
Rhi: Are you guys just trying to head back out the way you came in?
Minna: Mm-hmm.
Josie: Yeah.
Rhi: Okay. I think, just to, sort of, get through this whole riot situation, I’m gonna need rolls.
Josie: Okay.
Madge: Alright.
Josie: I’m gonna do a Skirmish.
Rhi: Okay. They are all gonna be risky.
Josie: 4.
Madge: 6.
Kim: 5.
Minna: I would like to do a Finesse and push myself.
Rhi: Okay.
Minna: Like, just sliding in between people. That is a 6.
Rhi: Okay. So, Phin and Myra make it through the crowd no problem. Myra is just, kind of like…
Minna: She’s taking every gap that Phin makes.
Rhi: Yeah. [laughs] Yeah. Phin is punching people out of the way, and Myra is just like, ‘Okay, I’ll slip through here and through here’. Blaire, as you’re trying to make your way through this crowd, somebody, you’re not sure if it’s a prisoner or a guard, you’re not even sure if the blow is aimed at you, just smacks you across the back and sends you sprawling. And you, kind of like, you hit the ground hard, you know, skin your palms, and you’re gonna take level 2 harm, Battered. Because as you get to the edge of the crowd, you just get hit and jostled and knocked down.
Kim: Alright.
Rhi: Minx, you had also been, sort of, you know, punching or fighting your way through. You get through, you get to the door that’s gonna lead to those stairs that’s gonna get you all out of here, you open it up and find yourself face-to-face with a guard who is holding a rifle aimed at you. So, you’re in a desperate position.
Minna: [gasp]
Josie: Oh dear. Um… uh… can I shoot first?
Rhi: You can try. But, desperate position, reduced effect.
Josie: You know what? This is in a doorway, right? I want to dodge out of the way of the doorway.
Rhi: Okay, so you’re gonna try to dodge rather than shoot?
Josie: Yeah.
Rhi: Okay. It’s still gonna be desperate, but standard effect for dodging, I think.
Josie: What does a Devil’s Bargain look like?
Rhi: The crew is gonna take an additional +1 heat because of this. That guy got a real good look at your face.
Josie: Yeah, I’m gonna do that. I really don’t wanna get shot.
Rhi: Okay.
Josie: 6.
Rhi: Yeah, so you barely manage to dodge out of the way. The shot cracks across. Yeah, so the way out is blocked by a guy with a gun. Who wants to do something?
Madge: Yeah, I wanna stab another person. I’m gonna push myself.
Rhi: Okay.
Madge: I’m gonna wreck.
Rhi: Alright.
Madge: I miss that. 5 is my highest.
Rhi: I think that Phin just gets shot. She tackles this guy, throws him down the stairs and it’s gonna be, just kind of like, along the side. Level 2 harm.
Kim: Nooo!
Rhi: The gun goes off, I’m imagining that, like, Phin just tackles this guy and he goes down the stairs, but in that tackle he gets a shot off.
Kim: Nooo.
Rhi: Phin is gonna take level 2 harm.
Josie: Can I, since I’m right there, like, get an arm around my shoulders so that I can help her out?
Madge: Yeah.
Rhi: Yep. So, that guy goes sprawling down the stairs, and the four of you hobble your way down the stairs, back out the way you came in. Kay has been, kind of, going up and down the river, and paddles over very quickly to catch up with you. And, you know, when she sees Phin, she gives you one of those nice claps on the shoulder and is like:
Rhi (as Kay): Good to see you again.
Madge (as Phin): Good to see you too.
Rhi (as Kay): Let’s get out of here.
Madge (as Phin): Yeah. Let’s get out of here.
Josie (as Minx): Thanks for the pickup, dear.
Rhi: She paddles you away from Ironhook and there are, you know, just alarms ringing out through the night.
Kim: Oh shit, we did it.
Rhi: Yeah.
Josie: Indeed.
Rhi: So, you all have made it out of Ironhook. Kay took kind of a roundabout route back through the canals to get you all home. You head back into the nest. And where do Phin and Myra, kind of, have this chat?
Minna: It could be in Myra’s room, for privacy?
Madge: I was thinking either in her room or on, like, the roof of The Nest.
Minna: Aww, that’s really cute.
Rhi: Yeah. Yeah, I really like the idea of, like, Phin just went up to the roof because she’s been inside for two and a half months.
Minna: I think Myra finds her after she’s gotten a chance to, like, wash up. So she searches the nest for Phin, and eventually sees the open trapdoor to the roof and climbs up the ladder.
Minna (as Myra): Hey.
Madge (as Phin): Hey.
Minna (as Myra): I cannot tell you how good it is to see your face again.
Madge (as Phin): It’s really good to be out.
Minna (as Myra): Yeah.
Minna: Myra comes and sits next to her.
Minna (as Myra): [sighs]
Madge (as Phin): I’m not gonna be able to stay.
Minna (as Myra): Oh. Yeah, I kinda wondered about that.
Madge (as Phin): Cause if I go back there to my family and tell them that they can’t be used for blackmail anymore, they’re gonna know that I got out, and they’re gonna kick me back in and it’s gonna be longer, if not worse. But if they think that I just vanished into thin air and died, then they’re safe, you guys are safe.
Minna (as Myra): So, I can’t tell them that you’re alive?
Madge (as Phin): I’ll send word, eventually.
Minna (as Myra): Okay.
Madge (as Phin): Just, it’ll be on me. Don’t even worry about it.
Minna (as Myra): I’m gonna miss you.
Madge (as Phin): I’m gonna miss you too.
Minna (as Myra): When are you leaving, do you know?
Madge (as Phin): I’m thinking leviathan hunter is gonna be my best bet.
Minna (as Myra): Thought you didn’t like anything like that.
Madge (as Phin): Yeah, normally I don’t. But it’s either that or a train, and I hate trains more than leviathans, so. I’m leaving tomorrow.
Minna (as Myra): Tomorrow?
Madge (as Phin): Mm-hmm.
Minna (as Myra): Oh.
Madge (as Phin): I haven’t told Blaire yet.
Minna (as Myra): I just, I can’t believe it’s happening like this, I guess. I always knew it wasn’t gonna be, you know, all of us forever, because that’s an impossibility in this city, but…
Madge (as Phin): Yeah. I honestly thought I was gonna be in a box at this point, so.
Minna (as Myra): Well, I hope you find something better than this out there.
Madge (as Phin): Maybe I will, maybe I won’t. But, the point of the matter is I’m not gonna go quiet.
Minna (as Myra): Yeah. I didn’t think you ever would.
Madge (as Phin): Yeah. In the end, that’s really the point of it. It’s to live loud enough, so that you make at least a small dent on the world.
Minna (as Myra): Well you’ve already made a pretty big dent here.
Madge (as Phin): Yeah, I made pretty much a crater.
Minna (as Myra): You changed my life forever, so, there’s that.
Madge (as Phin): And you’re gonna change a lot of other lives forever.
Minna (as Myra): I hope so.
Madge (as Phin): Come on, you’re gonna, like, wipe out The Circle of Flame thing, and you’re gonna do right by the whole city, and I’m gonna, like, hear about you all the way over where I am. I’m gonna say, ‘I know her! I know The Magpies. I was one of them, once.’
Minna (as Myra): You’ll always be one of us.
Madge (as Phin): Forever and always.
Rhi: Okay, I think that’s probably a good point to cut, since we’re all crying.
All: [laugh]
Josie: Madge, we’re gonna miss you.
Madge: I’m gonna miss you guys, too.
Minna: [sobs]
Rhi: So, I think that we kinda pan up from the two of you sitting on the roof, up to the stars. And then, it pans back down into Blaire’s room. So, as you’re unpacking all of your things, all of your gear, putting things away, a folded piece of paper flutters out of your bag and falls to the floor.
Kim: She blinks at it and just goes ahead and picks it up.
Madge: It is a letter from Needle.
Madge (as Needle): Blaire– So, things didn’t go as smooth at Ironhook as I was expecting them to go. It was vicious, even for me. Sorry for that. And you’re really fun, and lovely, and so many other wonderful things. But this brought down a whole lot more heat than I was expecting, and it’s not something that I’m ready for, full time. And I’ve got a reputation to uphold, you know. Going in, going out, not drawing down any sort of attention. So, this isn’t exactly goodbye. Okay, it kind of is goodbye. But, I don’t want it to be forever, you know. I might pop back up someday, see how you’re holding up, if you’re still the brains of the whole operation. But, for now, I think it’s best if I stay on my side, and you stay on yours. –Devin.
Kim: She just, you know, she’s sitting down on the floor as she reads this, and she probably just reads over the last couple sentences a few more times, and she kind of just lowers her hands, and the letter, you know, falls down into her lap. Internally, Blaire is in this space where she feels like she could cry, and she really wants to, but she just can’t right now, because she’s still processing it, and she’s kind of numb about it. Yeah, she’s just gonna sit alone in her room and let that sink in.
Rhi: Okay.
Minna and Josie: [sad noises]
Rhi: So, yeah, we fade out there, from Blaire in her room, and fade back to the docks. It’s about dawn, so there’s a little bit of light in the sky. Kind of a greyish light, from the broken shards of the sun, lighting up the sky for a brief bit of time. There is one of the great leviathan hunter ships, belching steam and smoke into the air as its crew is getting ready to set sail, and near the gangplank there are the four Magpies, standing together. I imagine Phin probably has a bag slung over her shoulder.
Madge: Mm-hmm.
Josie: As you do.
Madge: Yeah. Bag slung over her shoulder, new pair of boots, because her old ones got taken. So, she has a fresh pair of boots.
Minna: They were a going-away present that they all pitched in on.
Josie: Aww.
Rhi: Yeah. Because, if I recall correctly, her old boots were a gift from her mom.
Madge: Yeah.
Minna: Aww.
Rhi: So, yeah, I like that idea that you guys all got them as a replacement.
Madge: A gift from her other family.
Kim: Oh!
Josie: Aww.
Josie (as Minx): Well, dear, it was… I was about to say a pleasure, and it was, but it was truly wild having you around.
Madge (as Phin): It was a honour getting to know you.
Kim (as Blaire): I, um, made you something, before you go.
Madge (as Phin): Yeah?
Kim (as Blaire): Yeah. Just something to take with ya.
Madge (as Phin): Bring it over here, kid.
Kim: Blaire takes it out from her pocket and she’s gonna hand it over to Phin. It’s a wood carving of a sea serpent, leviathan thing. It’s kind of crude-looking, but stylistically so. And, yeah, she just hands that over to Phin.
Kim (as Blaire): Something to remember.
Madge (as Phin): It’s not like I could forget you, anyway. You’re way too memorable.
Kim (as Blaire): Yeah?
Madge: I’m gonna ruffle Blaire’s hair a little bit.
Kim: I’m gonna hug her.
Madge: I’m gonna hug her back.
Kim (as Blaire): Be safe out there, okay?
Madge (as Phin): Alright. And you be safe back here, okay?
Kim (as Blaire): Mm-hmm.
Madge (as Phin): I want you to cause all sorts of trouble. I know I hate ghosts, but you better free as many as possible, or else I’m gonna be really disappointed.
Kim (as Blaire): [laughs through tears] I will.
Minna: Myra steps forward, and she wraps her arms tightly around Phin, and whispers in her ear:
Minna (as Myra): Sail safe. Set the world on fire.
Madge (as Phin): Just for you.
Madge: Yeah, so Phin is gonna head up to the top of the gangplank of the leviathan hunter. She’s gonna turn back and look at the three Magpies. She’s gonna smile. Wave a little bit. And then she goes below deck.
Rhi: And as the sun fades out of the sky, the leviathan hunter sets off into The Void Sea. And the three Magpies who have stayed in Duskwall stand watching, as the other Magpie sails off into whatever awaits her.
##Outro [01.07.23]
Rhi: Thanks for listening. The Magpies will be back in two weeks. In the meantime, follow us on Twitter, @magpies_pod and visit our Patreon at patreon.com/magpiespodcast.
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.
Needle and Phin Haig were played by Madge. Follow her on Twitter @madgequips.
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.
Kim: And now, we’d like to thank our phenomenal Patreon backers.
Josie: Emily Dare, thank you.
Kim: Peaches, thank you.
Rhi: Eric Tullman, thank you.
Minna: Good King Hadrian, thank you.
Josie: Knivesbian, thank you. Also we see your name and it’s very good.
Rhi: It’s a really good name.
Kim: We love it. Timothy Walsh, aka Lord Maestro Donovan Shinnock, The Iron Spike. Thank you.
## Blooper [01.09.02]
Josie: Good thing I put points into looking sexy.
Rhi: [laughs]
Minna: So many points, oh my God.
Rhi: I was really trying to figure out if there was some way where there could be, like, fog or smoke that you all could walk through, but it just didn’t work.
Kim: Aww. Oh well.
Minna: That was so cool.