Transcribed by Tyler (Twitter: @Tyler_MoonSage)

Download a Word doc version: TM2-09 The Langdon Imports Score, Part 2

## Intro

Rhi: Welcome back to Duskwall. As always, thank you so much for listening and supporting the show. Special thanks to all our Patreon backers. We are getting pretty close to $300 a month, and once we hit that goal we’ll be able to post more transcripts like the one for Season 1, Episode 6 which is available now.

One quick announcement from me. I’ve recently officially launched my new freelance business, Skill Check. I have a lot of professional experience in both copy editing and digital document accessibility, and I wanted to bring those skills to the RPG community, so if you create and share adventures, character classes, or entire game systems, check out my site. I offer a number of services to help you produce high quality, accessible documents. I can also help you with your resume or cover letter if you’re job searching. Visit rpgskillcheck.net and take a look.

Next, Minna is going to tell us about this month’s Featured Charity.

Minna: Equality Florida is a statewide civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Florida’s LGBTQ community. Through education, grassroots organization, coalition building and lobbying, they’re changing Florida so that no one suffers harassment or discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Their goals include passing LGBTQ protections at the municipal level, passing a statewide nondiscrimination law, passing a statewide anti-bullying law, passing legislation to protect the transgender community, and changing public opinion in the state of Florida regarding LGBT individuals and families. They work on advocacy in Tallahassee as well as education in local communities, and they need help to do so. If you would like to donate, please go to eqfl.org. Thank you.

Rhi: As always, please continue to visit 5calls.org and call your representatives. As the Democrats in the House open up more and more investigations into the Trump administration we will need to keep up the pressure on GOP lawmakers in both chambers to hold the administration accountable.

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

 

## Story Continues [0:02:14]

Rhi (as Amancio): After more reputable lenders were unwilling to help him out he turned to some of the various elicit organizations in the city and from what I understand he managed to snag a loan from those Severosi mercenaries over in Six Towers.

Minna (as Myra): The Silver Nails?

Minna: What are The Silver Nails doing involved in this? Eghhh…

Josie: Egh…

Rhi: Well, they don’t like Skovlanders.

Josie: They don’t?

Rhi: They don’t.

Minna: Oh. So they’re just doing this to be dicks to Skovlanders?

Josie: Oh my God!

Rhi: Yes.

Josie: The racist fucks.

Kim: Geez.

Minna: Gross.

Rhi: Also, they’re seeing a potential for profit. They need funding and they’re pretty well-off.

Minna: Mmm.

Josie (as Minx): That does track, although it seems unusually spiteful even for them.

Rhi (as Amancio): Eh, petty but profitable. That is one of the main things that makes this city turn.

Josie (as Minx): Quite, but rare individuals such as ourselves are above that sort of thing.

Rhi (as Amancio): Speak for yourself, darling.

Rhi: He takes a sip of tea.

Josie & Minna: [laughs]

Rhi: So yeah, if you’ve got follow-up questions you can ask a few on a 4.

Minna: I wonder what kind of term he was supposed to pay it off in.

Rhi (as Amancio): he’s quite wealthy. They probably saw quite an opportunity for profit.

Josie (as Minx): Right, and his window to pay it back was probably not…

Rhi (as Amancio): Not generous, no.

Minna (as Myra): So if we’re able to show them that he will not be able to pay it off anytime soon…

Josie (as Minx): The Silver Nails aren’t one to take something like that lying down.

Rhi (as Amancio): No.

Josie: Also, has our tea arrived yet?

Rhi: Oh yeah.

Josie: What is the tea?

Rhi: Mint. It’s a nice mint tea.

Kim: Aw…

Minna: Oh, so it’s actually a nice one that we would drink.

Rhi: The servant did bring one for Blaire.

Kim (as Blaire): Oh! Yay, thank you.

Josie: Aww!

Rhi: She wasn’t really paying attention when Blaire said no thank you.

Kim: Now she gets good tea. It all works out.

Josie (as Minx): Also, this is mint? Delightful.

Rhi (as Amancio): Isn’t it? It has that cooling, clean feeling. Ah, it’s very good. I’m going to try to grow a few more plants.

Josie (as Minx): Yes, I think you might come by some amount of success by this one.

Rhi: You all chat for a bit while finishing your tea and then he sees you out. So, what are you all thinking?

Josie: There’s a couple ways we can go about this. We can go at it from his angle, go at it from The Silver Nails’ angle, and either try to convince them or con him such that he can’t pay back.

Rhi: Right. In leverage, the standard approach here…

Josie: [laughs] Okay!

Minna: Thank you.

Rhi: …is to come up with another investment opportunity that he needs to put basically all of his money into.

Josie: Right.

Minna: What if it’s a non-Duskwall investment scheme, so if everything in Duskwall goes south, which it’s looking like it could…

Kim: Maybe Tycheros, that’s far away enough.

Minna: And you are Tycherosi. [laughs]

Kim: I am. I could be a Tycherosi ambassador!

Josie: Ooh!

Minna: [giggles, smiling] A Tycherosi business woman, with an investment opportunity.

Rhi: Yeah.

Kim: Oh my God. That would be so fun.

Kim (as Blaire): Do I have a deal for you!

Josie: Yes!

Rhi: [laughs]

Kim (as Blaire): Tycherosi stocks are hot right now! [laughter] And the market’s only going to go up.

Josie: And even demons know, even demons know.

Kim (as Blaire): Even demons know!

[laughter]

Rhi: [fighting laughter] Oh God! I’m just picturing that stupid meme – Blaire slaps the roof of a car, “you can fit 18 ghosts in here!”

[laughter]

Kim: This bad boy can fit 20 ghosts!

Josie: I’m in love with this plan, actually.

Kim: I like this.

Josie: I want to see Blaire try to be commanding and shrewd. My plan is to be her secretary or whatever, like Myra was for me in that other plan, and then just throw an assist at her every action.

Kim: [gasps] Can we? Can we?!

Rhi: Yes! If this is what you guys want to do, let’s do it. This sounds great.

Minna: Ultimately one of us could be the lawyer brokering, laying out all the papers, laying out the real case.

Rhi: Yeah.

Josie: Right. You can be the lawyer, I’ll be like the personal assistant.

Kim: I will be the prodigy ambassador.

Josie: And we need to get Blaire fitted for a very small suit.

Rhi: [giggles] Blaire can be here representing her parents’ business or something, that they’re trying to get investors in.

Kim: Ah…

Rhi: Oh. I guess my question is, what kind of business are you gonna be representing here?

Kim: I probably can’t use my parents’ real business.

Rhi: No, that’s not nearly big enough.

Kim: Which is too bad, because I just came up with a perfect name for that. It has alliteration!

Rhi: Ooh?

Kim: Culhane Curiosities.

Rhi: Oh, that’s real good!

Minna: Augh~

Kim: What about things that every imperialist wants, spices?

Rhi: Oh yeah.

Kim: Tycherosi spices.

Minna: Ooh.

Rhi: Yeah. Done. That’s a really good, classic imperial thing.

Kim: It would get his attention.

Josie: And you get to say “he who controls the spice controls the worlds” at him.

Rhi: [laughs]

Kim: Hmm! True, true.

Rhi: For a Social plan the detail is your social connection. How are you getting an introduction to this guy?

Kim: That’s a good question.

Rhi: Amancio does know of him and is in the right social circles for that.

Josie: Yeah, let’s ask him.

Minna: Would he do it without some kind of payment, or do we need to pay him for this service?

Josie: Yeah, I mean, it depends what he asks for, I guess.

Rhi: Yeah. Normally you guys just go to Amancio asking for information, and Amancio likes to talk to people, so that he will do for free, but I think if you are actually asking him to do his job…

Minna: Yeah, I was gonna say.

Rhi: …yeah, that is going to… I’ll say, he gives you all a friendly discount and it’s only 2 coin.

Josie: Okay.

Kim: That’s fair.

Rhi: Yeah. Let’s talk about the engagement roll. I think you’re sitting at 3d6 for this one.

Josie: Yay.

Rhi: The mystery thing that I’ve been subtracting one die for didn’t happen this time.

Minna: Oh. I forgot there’s something in the background that you’re being mysterious and ominous about.

Rhi: Someday you’ll figure it out, or it will blow up in your faces.

Josie: Probably that one.

Rhi: Okay, that’s a 3, a 4, and a 6. With a 6 you’re in a controlled position when we start off. We start in a very nice study in a fine townhome. The study is done up mostly in shades of off-white and blue. The primary metal used is gold. It’s very nice, very tasteful. The three of you are sitting on a couch together. Please explain what you’re wearing, how you’re looking, how you’re presenting yourselves, what role each of you is playing in this scene. Let’s start with Myra.

Minna: Myra is probably wearing a very sharp pantsuit, if we’re being real here.

Rhi: Does she have glasses?

Minna: Yes.

Rhi: Excellent.

Minna: The lenses aren’t real, though.

Rhi: Oh yeah, no, obviously not! [laughs] But there’s a look. And, Minx?

Josie: Minx is actually femming it up a little bit more than usual even. She’s wearing a dress, not a fancy ball dress or anything but a dress, some bright, clean earthy tones. She’s got a little ledger that she keeps checking and writing nonsense in to look like she’s busy.

Rhi: [laughs]

Josie: Her hair is back in a bun as usual. She in general is… She’s never going to stop smiling at all, but she is also going to act super deferent to Blaire.

Kim: This is so cute.

Josie: Supposed to be like a personal assistant but almost treating her like royalty a little bit, like pulling on some courtly traditions but being on the other side of it this time.

Rhi: [smiling] yeah. Alright, and Blaire?

Kim: Blaire cleans up really good, you guys.

Minna: Eee!

Josie: Yeah she does!

Kim: She is almost unrecognizable. She doesn’t have anything on her face so you can actually kind of see her eyes for once. Her hair is brushed, and she is wearing a very tailored three-piece suit with a bowtie.

[gasps]

Josie: [squeaks] That’s so good.

Rhi: [weakly] Oh my God… That’s very good.

Kim: She has not looked this good probably since she’s been in school.

Minna: Not even at the art heist?

Kim: Oh, no. I take it back. That’s true. She probably cleaned up for the art heist. Never mind.

Rhi: Yeah, but that’s probably the last time that she got dressed up.

Kim: Yes.

Josie: Also, what is your cover name?

Kim: I was just brainstorming that. My cover name is Lyra Langdon.

Rhi: [whispering] yes!

Josie: Miss Langdon, that’s perfect.

Kim: I do need to think of a name of some kind of business or fake spice that I’m trying to advertise here though. That’s the last thing I’m stuck on.

Rhi: So, the business you could go very simple, like Langdon Imports.

Kim: Okay.

Rhi: You’re here representing your parents’ business. Let’s think about some kind of spice…

Kim: What if we took a real world spice and threw it into an anagram maker, and then we can advertise that as a Tycherosi spice?

Rhi: Love it.

Josie: [laughs]

Minna: Honestly, cumarin sounds pretty good.

Kim: I’m kind of into cumarin.

Rhi: Cumarin. Okay, that’ll be it, cumarin spice.

Kim: I specialize in cumarin.

Rhi: You’re sitting on this couch, you have some papers arrayed in front of you, and sitting across this table from you in an armchair is Tomasz Wott. He is also in a very finely tailored suit, fairly typical Akorosian features, light skin, dark hair, light eyes, full beard, and he’s kind of looking through some of the papers.

Rhi (as Wott): Well, this is certainly a very interesting proposition here. A 50% ownership is quite generous.

Kim (as Blaire): Well, as you know, cumarin doesn’t sell very well over in Tycheros because it’s actually quite common. My parents are looking for overseas investors who can, you know, help raise their income.

Rhi (as Wott): Huh. Yes, I see.

Josie: Minx is taking notes the whole time.

Rhi (as Wott): I notice that your papers here are a little light on numbers. There’s not really any specific asks for how much you’re seeking for an investor. Now, I assume at 50% ownership that it’s going to be quite substantial, but what were you thinking?

Kim (as Blaire): I’m just gonna give it to you straight, Mr. Wott. We’re looking to start at 20 coin.

Rhi: Give me a Sway.

Kim: [nervously, smiling] Oh boy.

Josie: Minx is gonna make a show of running numbers on her notepad and try to throw in an assist.

Kim: Can I do assist and push myself?

Rhi: Yes.

Kim: Oh hell yeah… Four.

Rhi: Four, okay. It’s not bad, and you’re in a controlled position. On a 4 you hesitate, so you either can withdraw and try a different approach or there’s a minor consequence. What you see—and then you can kind of decide how Blaire reacts to this—is you say 20 coin and he recoils back into his chair like you just brandished a knife at him.

Kim: Oh boy.

Rhi: That was way more money than he was expecting.

Kim (as Blaire): I mean, of course that is just a quote. We are open to negotiations.

Rhi (as Wott): I should hope so.

Kim (as Blaire): We’re obviously thinking best case scenario in an ideal partnership, but we know that’s not always possible.

Rhi (as Wott): I have to ask, if you’re looking for outside investors to take over half the company and you’re asking that kind of money, I can only assume that it means that your parents’ company is not doing well. Do you have financial statements available that I could review? I would need to know what sort of… I do not want to find myself tied to a collapsing business.

Minna: Can I do a flashback that I have prepared such financial statements?

Kim: Thank God! Yes!

Rhi: Yeah. That is not gonna cost you any stress. That is exactly the kind of thing that you would have prepped for this.

Minna: I’m used to forging.

Rhi: Yeah. You don’t have to make this look like anybody else’s handwriting or anything, you just put together some financials.

Minna: I think they’re decent financial statements.

Kim: Yeah, it’s not like a failing business.

Minna: Not a failing business, and not one that’s making money hand over fist, if that makes sense, but a good business prospect.

Rhi: Yeah. They’re solid, but…

Minna: Steady.

Rhi: Yeah. Their last few years their profits have kind of plateaued, they’re not really seeing the kind of growth that you want…

Minna: But they’re looking for that growth overseas.

Rhi: Yes. Myra, are you gonna hand over these papers?

Minna: Yes.

Rhi: Okay. Do you want to do a group Sway here for this? Or maybe Myra will assist Blaire? I think there’s gonna need to be another roll.

Kim: I’d be comfortable with a group.

Josie: Yeah.

Minna: Yeah. I don’t know who has stress to spare. I only have 3 stress right now.

Kim: Oh, I totally have stress to spare. I can lead it.

Minna: Okay!

Rhi: Everybody roll Sway, which everyone is at least skilled in, so this should be…

Josie: I got a 5.

Kim: I also got a 5.

Minna: I also got a 5. [laughs]

Josie: Hurray.

Kim: Cool.

Minna: Solidly 5!

Rhi: A 5~! So, he takes the papers that Myra hands him and pages through, nods a little.

Rhi (as Wott): Well, you’re certainly not struggling, but also I can see there’s not a lot of growth here. That is still quite a steep investment. I think I’m going to need to… I’ve recently done some expansions at my factories here that has required some additional expenditures, and until I’ve earned that back…

Minna (as Myra): If I may?

Rhi (as Wott): Yes?

Minna (as Myra): Something that the Langdons had considered is an exchange of some stock in your company to take down the price in coin, so to speak.

Rhi (as Wott): Hmm. Well, depending on how much coin you were willing to come down I might consider it, but I think that I’m going to need to take a few days to discuss this with some of my people.

Minna (as Myra): Mr. Wott, I’m afraid we can’t give you the time that you would like. We only have this one night in Duskwall to make these offers and we have received an offer already from Collin Lisle, so I’m afraid that if you’re not interested—

Rhi (as Wott): Lisle? Really?

Kim (as Blaire): Yes. You know him?

Rhi (as Wott): Yeah. He runs another one of the factories. He’s a terrible businessman. You do not want to get involved with Lisle. Ugh…

Minna (as Myra): Then convince us.

Kim (as Blaire): You have proof of his poor business practices?

Rhi (as Wott): Ugh. I don’t, but anyone… I mean, did you investigate his financials at all? From what I understand he’s not doing well and he’s just terribly uncultured.

Josie (as Minx): Yes, while it was a less pleasant meeting there is a reason we are here now after all.

Rhi (as Wott): What was his offer?

Kim (as Blaire): He offered us 15 coin.

Rhi (as Wott): I didn’t know he had that kind of… liquid cash sitting around. Ugh.

Minna (as Myra): Seems that Lisle has been keeping secrets from you then.

Rhi (as Wott): Ugh. Apparently. What do you need the coin upfront for anyway?

Kim (as Blaire): More ships so we can put out more shipments, more labor so we can farm out more spice, manifests, receiving, docks… none of that comes cheap.

Rhi: After your list of items, give me another roll, and it can be another group roll if you all would like since you’ve all have kind of been…

Minna: yes. Are we allowed to push ourselves during this?

Rhi: Yeah.

Minna: Okay. I’m gonna do that.

Josie: I’ve got a 5.

Kim: Three.

Minna: Three! Gosh darn it.

Kim: [gasps]

Rhi: Okay. Whoever’s leading is gonna take 2 stress.

Rhi (as Wott): That does all make a lot of sense. It might be better sense for me to… We can sign the agreement and everything. I can set aside the funds that we agree to in a separate account, and I could handle a lot of the setup on this side of things to ensure that you don’t have to make that lengthy trip back and forth quite as often and oversee some of the business here, which would make sense since it is a partial ownership of the company.

Minna (as Myra): Of course. If we could establish an account under Langdon Imports, which we will of course joint own, I believe that would be acceptable to both parties.

Rhi: Myra, give me one more roll to see if he bites on this.

Minna: is this Sway or can it be Consort, because we’re making a deal?

Kim: We are lying to him though.

Rhi: You are not being… You are lying like a rug.

Josie: Can I assist by taking some separate forms out of my ledger and scribbling like I’m setting up the paperwork for it right now?

Rhi: Yeah.

Josie: Take an extra die.

Rhi: Can I interest you in a Devil’s Bargain?

Minna: What does the Devil’s Bargain look like?

Rhi: The person who helps you set this up, like sets up the account and the business stuff, and you’re gonna have to pick a contact, it can be one of Myra’s contacts or a crew contact, whoever helped you set that up is basically going to tap them out in terms of favors for a while. They’re not going to be able or willing to help you for a while.

Minna: I mean, it makes a lot of sense for it to be Amancio, but I don’t know how you guys feel about that.

Kim: No, I’m okay with that.

Josie: Yeah. We asked a lot of him already this time.

Rhi: Yeah, and just this whole hey, by the way, I need you to help me setup a fake corporation with a fake bank account? He was like okay, I will do this for you, because I like you people, but please don’t ask me like this, I cannot do this kind of work for you for a while.

Minna: Six!

Rhi: Okay! He kind of thinks about it for a little bit.

Rhi (as Wott): That makes sense. It seems reasonable. You’re expecting to see these profits turn around fairly quickly, I assume?

Minna (as Myra): Yes. We already have shipments on the way. We should be selling them within I’d say a month or two.

Rhi (as Wott): Eh… What’s the worst that could happen, right?

Rhi: He reaches across the table to shake Blaire’s hand.

Kim: She takes his hand to shake and flashes him a big grin.

Kim (as Blaire): Mr. Wott, pleasure doing business with you.

Rhi: [chuckles] We see the four of you in a bank office. It’s very fancy. The banker who’s signing these agreements keeps looking Wott a little worried, and a couple times he’s like:

Rhi (as Banker): Sir, are you sure about this?

Rhi (as Wott): Yes, yes, yes. It’s fine. This is going to be very profitable. Carry on with it.

Minna: How much coin was it again? It was more than 15?

Rhi: It was more than 15. I think with the amount of successes that happened, I think it’s gonna be 16 coin is what he put in there.

Josie: Wait. We need to make this money vanish, right? Does that mean we’re getting fucking…

Rhi: If you want to keep all of it, yeah. Now, the question is do you want to keep all of it?

Josie: I imagine there might be consequences to us keeping all of it.

Kim: Yeah.

Minna: We could invest some of it into things we believe in, such as—

Rhi: Yeah. We’ll get to that. So, the forms are all signed, there’s shaking of hands, he heads off, and he moved it from his bank account to your bank account, and now you have to get it out of that account.

Josie: Right. We could, I don’t know, we have various businesses we’re associated with. We could just arrange transfers to all of them to make it look like it’s business expenses or something.

Minna: Ooh, yeah.

Rhi: Okay. What businesses are you thinking?

Josie: I don’t know. Maybe some funds go to The Hound’s paw, maybe some go to The Weeping Lady.

Rhi: [laughing] Jesus. You’re laundering money through Rigney’s business.

Josie: Yeah, but like…

Minna: We also have a collector friend.

Josie: Right. We can send it to a bunch of the people in Charhollow. We might as well send some towards some business on The Docks in Phin’s honor or something.

Kim: We could send some to Seeks.

Rhi: Yeah, okay, okay. I think this is gonna require a flashback to setup.

Josie: I will do this one.

Rhi: Yeah, basically to just sort of arrange with all of these people, that hey we’re gonna be giving you all a shitload of money…

Josie: Uh-huh. I’m gonna make sure Teagan gets some. I’m gonna make sure some to Teagan, and Brigs…

Kim: I was gonna say, Teagan should get some.

Rhi: Teagan does not have a bank account. I think basically what this is gonna be is he gives you all the money, you transfer it out to six different accounts of people who you do know, and then collect it all back from them or most of it.

Kim: Do her dads have a bank account?

Rhi: No, they’re too poor.

Minna: We could still pay out some of it to her.

Josie: What is a reasonable amount for us to come back with each?

Rhi: First, Minx, you’re gonna take 2 stress. That’s a lot to arrange all that. I think some of these people you’re asking are gonna require a cut. Fitz is gonna take a coin. You all probably give Rigney some money.

Josie: No, I don’t want to take any from Rigney. I want The Hound’s Paw to receive its portion.

Rhi: Okay. You got 16 coin. After it gets funneled through all these things and people take their cuts, it comes back where you all have 10 coin.

Josie: Phew.

Rhi: But that is not money that you would be distributing. That’s not including a cut that would go to Teagan or other people who don’t have accounts.

Josie: Maybe 4 in the vault, 2 for each of us?

Kim: That sounds fair.

Rhi: So you’re not gonna be distributing any of that money out?

Minna: I mean, I can definitely distribute a coin to Teagan.

Kim: Oh yeah, so can I.

Josie: Oh yeah. You know what, let’s just each give her a coin. [laughs] Why not?

Rhi: Okay.

Josie: Oh no, I want to send my coin to Brigs, actually. I want to make sure he gets some.

Rhi: It will end up being 1 coin for each of you, 4 in the vault. Does that sound right?

Kim: Yes.

Rhi: Yeah. You’re making a lot of charitable donations.

Josie: We’re not thieves anymore, but this is by far the biggest payout.

Rhi: Yeah, well you conned a rich dude.

Josie: This is some Robin Hood shit.

Kim: Mm-hmm.

Rhi: Now I would say the last thing that you need to do here, you’ve gotten this huge pile of money, and now you need The Silver Nails to ask for their money back.

Josie: Yeah…

Kim: How do we do that?

Rhi: Honestly, I think if one of you just like…

Minna: Yeah, I’d like to roll up.

Rhi: yeah. You have a prior relationship with them.

Minna: Myra goes to The Mustang and asks for Sazari.

Rhi: You have to wait in the lobby of The Mustang for a few minutes, and then Sazari rounds the corner and comes in and sees you, and immediately starts shaking their head.

Rhi (as Sazari): We’re not taking you back there. I’m sorry. We are not getting you into The Deathlands again. That was…

Minna (as Myra): Oh, we have no interest in The Deathlands.

Rhi (as Sazari): [relieved] Oh, good.

Minna (as Myra): Our business is city bound.

Rhi (as Sazari): Good. There was a lot of fire.

Minna: [laughs]

Minna (as Myra): This time there’s not fire.

Rhi (as Sazari): What do you need?

Minna (as Myra): We’ve been hearing about a short term loan you gave out to Tomasz Wott.

Rhi (as Sazari): How did You hear about that?

Minna (as Myra): It’s a very long story. I’m willing to tell it to you later, but the long and short of it is if you could call that in we would consider that a favor.

Rhi: Give me a roll.

Minna: Is that a Consort?

Rhi: Yeah.

Minna: Five.

Rhi: Okay. They stare at you for a few long minutes.

Rhi (as Sazari): Okay, but we are going to hold you to that favor.

Minna (as Myra): Of course. I expected nothing else.

Rhi (as Sazari): And depending on how this goes with Wott, it could be a pretty big favor.

Minna (as Myra): I’m willing to risk it. Are you?

Rhi (as Sazari): Well, I don’t seem to have much of a choice. Yeah, we can make that happen.

Minna: I think they shake hands.

Rhi: Yeah, they shake hands ,nod.

Minna (as Myra): Let me know when you want me to come back and tell you that story and we can work out the details.

Rhi (as Sazari): Heh. Yeah, we’ll be in touch.

 

 

## Downtime [0:29:20]

Rhi: Let’s go into downtime… which I realized recently – I was looking through the Vigilante’s book – I have actually been doing that wrong for you guys, a little bit. For reputation and coin it works a little differently for Vigilantes. You are supposed to get more rep. You earn rep as if you earn coin.

Kim: Oh. Okay.

Rhi: You earn rep based on the nature of the operation and who you impressed. So, I’m gonna say, based on this, I’m not gonna give you any additional coin. You have already earned a lot. I’m gonna say you’re gonna get 6 rep, which is retribution for a major score, several citizens avenged. You’re not necessarily avenging people, but I think that’s pretty significant.

Josie: It helped a lot of people.

Kim: Several citizens righted by justice.

Rhi: Yeah. Several wrongs righted. Yeah, that gets you a lot of rep.

Josie: Woo!

Rhi: And… Lookouts.

Josie: Oh right! We got that.

Minna: Yeah! [laughs] That’s what this was all about. We just happened to – into the bargain – take down an asshole.

Rhi: Let’s do the rest of downtime, which means next is gonna be heat. I don’t actually know if you’re gonna take any heat on this one.

Minna: It wasn’t super obviously us, except two people that we care that we liked.

Rhi: Yeah. This was really quiet.

Minna: [laughs] We can do it occasionally.

Rhi: Also, you all have started off this season with a lot of very high risk, dangerous scores. This is kind of how Blades is supposed to work where you do a big dangerous score and then you do a couple calmer ones to recover, and then you do another big one. You all just lurch from one dangerous score to another.

[laughter]

Kim: That’s how we are.

Rhi: Yep. That’s how you do.

Josie: Because that’s good radio.

Rhi: Let’s see what everybody gets up to in downtime. Let’s start with Minx. What do you do while everyone’s waiting for news on this con?

Josie: Minx is gonna approach Blaire.

Josie (as Minx): Blaire dear, somewhat of an awkward question, but getting right to the point: What is the spookiest place in the city you know people go to mingle?

Kim (as Blaire): The spookiest to mingle?

Josie (as Minx): Yes. I imagine there are others who share your predilections.

Kim (as Blaire): Uh… I mean, yeah. I guess it depends. What variety of spooky are you looking to get into?

Josie (as Minx): Well, it’s not so much what I am looking to get into, but you know, strange artefacts, with an E, that sort of thing.

Kim (as Blaire): Oh, okay. I know a guy. He can probably get you setup.

Josie (as Minx): Oh? I’m not actually looking for said artefacts, I just am looking to—

Kim (as Blaire): Yeah, no, he can get you into the social circle is the thing. He would probably know more about it than I do.

Josie (as Minx): That would be much appreciated.

Kim (as Blaire): Okay!

Josie: I think something strange is gonna happen. Minx is gonna go goth.

Kim: [gasps]

Minna: What?! Why?

Josie: [laughs]

Rhi: [laughs] Tell us what Minx going goth looks like in exquisite detail.

Minna: Please.

Josie: Okay. She has a flowing black lace dress. The sleeves hang very loose so when she moves her arm there’s a dramatic sweeping motion. The upper chest area is a bit exposed with various strange trinkets and gems hanging down about a necklace, and basically a vampire collar of lace. It’s kind of like choker tightness around her neck and then flaring out when it gets up to her jaw.

Kim: Please tell me she’s wearing black lipstick.

Josie: yes.

Kim: Yes!

Josie: And eyeshadow.

Rhi: Yeah.

Kim: Yesss!

Rhi: Very good.

Josie: Minx is going full this.

Minna: I need this fan art.

Rhi: So, Dowler points you to a gathering of one of the cults of a forgotten god.

Josie: Oh no…

Rhi: The forgotten god that he sends you to is the Cult of the Dream Beyond Death.

Josie: Oh dear.

Rhi: Their rituals involve the creation of basically sacred objects and artifacts, so they actually have a lot of artists in the group, so initially you’re really on edge, but then you start talking to some of them and there’s actually a lot of… It’s a lot of artists in this cult, so you’re actually having a really good conversation with a lot of them which is why it reduces so much stress.

Josie: Yay.

Rhi: Or no—This can be part of your stress relief. Yeah, you bond with them really well which is why you’re so effective in spreading your rumors. What rumors are you spreading?

Josie: I’m basically spreading that I was looking into something just called The Hand. I don’t drop Kotar. I had been trying to find it or evidence of it in The Docks, but then things went down, the fire happened, and then the Lampblacks swept in, and my assistants have since been unable to find further traces of the artifact, so I’m willing to bet that them sweeping in was not merely gang violence.

Rhi: Yeah. There’s some curious chatter about that. I think at one point you hear a couple people whispering.

Rhi (as Cultist1): She couldn’t mean the Hand of Kotar, could she?

Rhi (as Cultist2): No, that’s ridiculous.

Rhi (as Cultist1): Right?

Josie: [laughs]

Rhi: Yeah. That rumor is percolating amongst the creepy folk of the city.

Josie: And Minx actually has a surprisingly good time with the cult.

Rhi: Yeah. You actually kind of leave there with…

Josie: She might go back. [laughs]

Rhi: There’s some parts of it that are a little… when they start getting into some of their rituals of the consecration of things, you’re like eh this is a little spooky, but a before that a lot of it is actually a pretty fun time.

Josie: Yay.

Rhi: Minx has a nice time at a goth club!

Josie: Yup. [laughs]

Kim: Yay~

Minna: Tee-hee-hee.

Rhi: Myra, what do you get up to?

Minna: Oh God. I didn’t even think about this. [into hands] I was too caught up in goth Minx. What do I get up to?

Rhi: You could do the stress relief thing. You could go with your obligation with Jeren.

Minna: Oh, that’s true. I think she sent a message. Maybe he’s there first and she comes walking into the restaurant. He’s the one who’s not looking at the door because he always gives her the spot with the view to the door and to the window, so she surprises him a little bit.

Rhi (as Jeren): [breathy] Oh… Hi.

Minna (as Myra): Hey. How are you doing?

Rhi (as Jeren): Um… All right. I mean, I always get a little stressed when I get a note from you. Everything going okay?

Minna (as Myra): I was trying to be a better friend and actually have lunch with you when I don’t want something from you.

Rhi (as Jeren): Oh. It feels like most times when I see you now it’s after something really horrible has gone down.

Minna (as Myra): I promise you nothing terribly horrible has gone down.

Rhi (as Jeren): Just the regular kind of horrible?

Minna (as Myra): Just the regular kind of horrible, and probably not anything you’ll have to deal with.

Rhi (as Jeren): Oh, that’s good at least.

Minna (as Myra): No Bluecoats.

Rhi (as Jeren): Very good.

Minna (as Myra): [chuckles]

Rhi (as Jeren): [sighs]

Minna (as Myra): How’s work treating you? I mean, I’m sure you don’t want to talk about it, but… conversation.

Rhi (as Jeren): It’s fine…

Minna (as Myra): You’re still liking it there? I know you chose it over many other opportunities you could have had.

Rhi (as Jeren): Yeah. Yeah, I did. I don’t know. I’m not sure. It’s… I don’t know. It’s hard having to make excuses all the time. I mean, it’s not all the time.

Minna (as Myra): Make excuses to them?

Rhi (as Jeren): To you. I feel like I’m having to defend it a lot, and…

Minna (as Myra): You knew when you met me that I didn’t very much like the authorities.

Rhi (as Jeren): Actually when I met you I thought that you were a fellow law student.

Rhi: He nudges you under the table.

Minna (as Myra): Being a scholar of political history doesn’t mean that you agree with everything that you’re reading, in fact I would say you have to be critical.

Rhi (as Jeren): I don’t know. I’m not sure that what I’m doing is the best thing anymore, but I’m also not sure what else I could do.

Minna (as Myra): Jeren, you could do so many things. You’re smart. You’ve studied. You know both what you went for your degree in and archiving library things… You have all that experience.

Rhi (as Jeren): Yeah… I don’t know. Let’s not worry about it right now.

Minna (as Myra): No, I don’t want to keep more worries on you.

Rhi (as Jeren): Let’s order.

Rhi: So, you guys have lunch. Jeren’s got a little bit of a question mark.

Minna: [smiling] Jeren’s got a little bit of a question mark, which is really fun.

Rhi: Starting to think about things. All right, while that is happening, what does Blaire get up to during her downtime?

Kim: That’s a really good question.

Rhi: Oh! Do you want to do annoying the hell out of The Reconciled?

Minna: [laughs]

Kim: I feel like that would be a very short vignette, but yeah, we can do that.

Rhi: If you had something else that you want to do…

Kim: No, that’s totally fine. I’m fine having it be literally me indulging my vice.

Kim (as Blaire): Okay, and what about this?! If… If a ghost actually becomes, you know, is it possible that they can actually become reformed, or is it just something that happens at the get-go?

Rhi (as Karina): It’s… We do not understand the mechanisms by which people become reconciled.

Rhi: Lady Karina looks like she’s regretting ever inviting you in here.

Kim (as Blaire): Okay, but like what if we did? Like, don’t you have people looking into this? I could help you look into this.

Rhi (as Karina): As I’ve said several times, we have scholars researching a number of things, but our resources are considerably limited.

Kim (as Blaire): Well, I can help, I can be one of those scholars. Where are they right now, and what are they looking into? What manner of scholars? Do they have doctorates?

Rhi (as Karina): You know, as it so happens I have another appointment who’s coming in right now, so why don’t you… visit one of the libraries and begin looking into this?

Rhi: As she’s talking she’s walking you towards the door, she takes your cloak off of a hook and hands it to you.

Kim (as Blaire): Yeah! You know, just send me a message when you– … Uh… Okay! I’ll be back later.

Rhi: The door shuts. [chuckles]

Kim (as Blaire): Okay… I’ll, uh, be in touch… buddy old pal.

[laughter]

Rhi: Blaire… Oh honey.

Kim (as Blaire): Best friends… Buddies… Guys…

Rhi: She’s just standing outside the door, isn’t she?

Kim: Yeah. Yeah.

Rhi: Aww.

Josie: Oh no~!

Kim: I’m allowed to come back, right?

Rhi: [laughing] The door is closed!

Kim (as Blaire): [groans]

Rhi: You’re talking to a closed door.

Kim: [laughing] Yeah, she is gonna walk away after a while.

Rhi & Josie: [smiling] Oh no…

Josie: That’s like kicking out a puppy. How can you do that?

Kim: [giggles]

Rhi: It is. I feel terrible anytime I have to be mean to Blaire, and it seems to happen so often.

[laughter]

Kim: I’m sorry I made someone so… so cute and is terrible to be mean to.

Rhi: No, don’t apologize. I love Blaire. She’s a good bean. All right, it takes a few days, but you do eventually get word, you start hearing some rumors filtering in that there was a shutdown at one of the factories in Ironhook. Work was paused while ownership of the factory was sorted out. Around that same time you get a note at The Hound’s Paw inviting you to stop back to see Briggs, so you once again reach his stall in the Charhollow market. The three of you come in and Briggs kind of cocks his head to the side.

Rhi (as Briggs): That sounds like Ellie. You got those fancy boots.

Minna (as Myra): [laughing] It is Ellie and company.

Josie (as Minx): Indeed.

Rhi (as Briggs): Ah. Good, good, come on in. So, sounds like you all pulled off something.

Josie (as Minx): What? Us? No, it’s simply a fortunate coincidence.

Kim (as Blaire): No, that was totally us.

Josie (as Minx): I was being—Blaire, sarcasm.

Rhi: [laughing] He was just kind of like, just this flat expression at Minx, and then just nods at Blaire.

Rhi (as Briggs): They had to shut down the factory for a couple days when they figured out who owned it. Apparently the Silver Nails were making a claim that it was their property, because Wott didn’t have the funding to pay them back for the money that they were owed. I don’t believe that they did ultimately end up with control of it. I think that it ended up going to his brother who will probably hire someone to oversee the place, but the tenement ended up being shut down.

Josie (as Minx): Perfect.

Rhi (as Briggs): There was no longer money to pay for maintaining it and the guards that were keeping everyone in place, so people just left and I don’t think that it’s going to see much use. I also don’t think it’ll be standing very long, it was very shoddy construction.

Josie (as Minx): Well, hopefully someone doesn’t come knock them down then. Anyway.

Rhi (as Briggs): Hmm. Yes, well I suspect that Miss Brogan may be seeing to that.

Josie (as Minx): [chuckles] Everyone’s back home safe?

Rhi (as Briggs): Seems that way. Not everyone has checked in yet, but it’s not really a formalize system. People just sort of come to me when they have something to share. In any case, like I said, if you’d like some information passed along when you’re…

Rhi: What part of town do you want for the Lookouts?

Minna: Ooh.

Kim: Hmm.

Josie: What’s a district we work in a lot?

Rhi: I feel like your big ones are… I mean, you hit almost every district in the city except you don’t do a ton of jobs in Silkshore, Barrowcleft or Whitecrown.

Josie: Right. I almost feel like Charhollow or The Docks.

Rhi: Yeah, either of those are good.

Minna: Yeah.

Rhi: Do you have a preference one way or another?

Minna: The Docks? We have less connections in The Docks.

Kim: Yeah, now that Phin’s gone maybe The Docks.

Rhi: Yeah. Okay.

Rhi (as Briggs): Anytime you need some extra eyes and ears up in The Docks there’s a lot of people there who were already very well inclined towards you it seemed like, and it sounds like they will be willing to help you out if you should need it.

Josie (as Minx): That means a lot. Thank you.

Rhi (as Briggs): Pleasure working with you.

Minna (as Myra): The pleasure was all ours.

Rhi (as Briggs): You should come around more often. Mallory likes you.

Rhi: The dog gets up and nudges her head under Blaire’s hand.

Kim (as Blaire): [gasps]

Kim: Blaire’s gonna pet behind her ears, and she is so, so happy about it.

Rhi: [laughs]

Josie: Blaire, you lucky girl.

 

 

## Outro [0:46:06]

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.

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.

 

This is normally where we would thank our wonderful Patreon backers, however we’re a little behind on recording thank yous, so I don’t have any ready for this episode. I will just say thank you to all of our backers. Your support of the show means the world to us, and we will be returning to your regularly scheduled Patreon thank yous next episode.

 

## Blooper [0:47:38]

Kim: [chuckles] One of them that came up was SNARF.

Minna: [giggles]

Josie: [laughing] Snarf?!

Kim: Snarf.

Rhi: Uh, what if… What’s another…?

Kim: Arson. [laughs] Sonar… All right, saffron is out.

Rhi: Let’s try combining saffron and another spice. What’s another–?

Kim: Saffron and cumin.

Minna: That’s funny. I was also thinking cumin earlier.

Rhi: [laughs] The first thing that came up in the one that I’m doing is acorn muffins.

[laughter]

Minna: Acorn muffins!