Transcribed by Michelle Kelly (@Michellicopter)
##Intro
Rhi: Welcome back to Duskwall. As always, thank you so much for joining us. We are fast approaching the end of Season 3. It’s awesome to have all of you along with us on this wild journey, and all your support, whether it be through Patreon, Twitter, or leaving reviews, is very much appreciated. No real announcements today, so we’re going to go straight into Kim telling us about this month’s featured charity.
Kim: I want all of our listeners to know that everyone behind The Magpies podcast believes in and supports the Black Lives Matter movement. Black lives have always mattered. They mattered yesterday, they matter today, they will matter tomorrow, and they will continue to matter every single day afterwards.
In honor of the nationwide uprisings happening in the US at the time of this recording and also in honor of Pride Month, we are featuring the National Black Justice Coalition as this month’s charity. THE NBJC is a civil rights organization that works to empower black LGBTQIA+ people. They work to increase education on HIV and AIDs in the African American community, encourage historically black colleges to create a safe environment for their gay and trans students, support non-traditional queer families, and so much more. To learn more about what they do and to donate, please visit NBJC.org.
To all of our black listeners, we see you, we love you, and we stand beside you. We are with you in this fight. Black lives matter.
Rhi: I’m gonna keep this call to action short today. All I ask is that in between whatever else you’re able to do, protesting or volunteering or calling your reps or donating or just getting through the day, in between all that take a few minutes to do something nice for yourself. It’s really hard absorbing everything that’s happening in the world, living with it, getting up every day and figuring out what battles have to be fought. So, if you can, try to give yourself some kindness. We all need it these days.
Now then. Let’s get started, shall we?
##Story continues [00.02.20]
Rhi: So, we open up on a close-up of a book. A thick textbook with very fine print. And on one page, taking up about, like, a third of the page, is this sort of like exploded diagram of a metallic structure that has all of those little very fine labels of, like, you know, item A, Item B. And we see as we pull back, Myra is leaning over this textbook, reading very closely, sitting in a now-familiar small study room in the library at Doskvol Academy. And sitting across from her, engaged in a book of his own, scribbling down some notes, is Jeren.
And it just kinda has that comfortable silence to it of just, sort of, when you and somebody else are each doing your own thing but you’re doing it together. And I think after a little bit of this kind of comfortable silence, Jeren sits up and stretches and the, like, his spine cracking is audible. He kinda makes a face.
Rhi (as Jeren): Ooh, sorry.
Minna (as Myra): [laughs] Maybe you should get up and take a little walk.
Rhi (as Jeren): Maybe. Ah, you’d think I’d be better at being hunched over a desk, since I’ve made a career out of it.
Minna (as Myra): Oh, that just means your spine has more time to hate it, right?
Rhi (as Jeren): [laughs] Yes. How’s your thing going?
Minna (as Myra): It’s going pretty well, in so far as… it’s not a fun subject, but it’s going.
Rhi (as Jeren): Yeah. Well, uh, I will continue to not ask for details. Um, I think I am gonna take you up on that walk. Anything you want me to grab you?
Minna (as Myra): No, I should be okay, thank you.
Rhi (as Jeren): Alright.
Rhi: I think he kinda, you know, stands up and rolls his shoulders back and will make his way out. And I think Myra may not see this, but he kinda, like, starts to glance at the book you’re reading and then, like, very pointedly makes himself look away. And he will slip out the door and leave Myra to her research. So, from the library we fade out and then fade back in on Nyryx’s apartment. So, my mind went to Nyryx is in a robe with her hair down… [laughs]
Josie: Yay!
Rhi: And what state is Minx in?
Josie: I think she’s in the state of gay silence.
[laughter]
Rhi: I meant in terms of how clothed is she.
Josie: Oh, I see.
Rhi: [laughs] She can still be in a state of gay silence.
Josie: I think she’s just, like, only slightly undressed. I think she’s let her hair down and stuff and, like, loosened her collar, that sort of thing. But otherwise, yeah.
Rhi: Yeah. Nyryx comes back over to the table with, you know, a couple mugs of tea and sits down and has, you know, her furrowed brow, looking very worried. And is just like:
Rhi (as Nyryx): [sighs] You know, the worst part of it is I… I can’t even really say that I’m surprised. She’d always had an interest in that sort of thing that we all just sort of ignored.
Josie (as Minx): Yeah. And given her style, I guess it’s something we should have seen coming. Although she is not leaning into the aesthetic of the thing at all and it’s very disappointing in a nemesis.
Rhi (as Nyryx): [laughs] Of course that’s what you’d be worried about.
Josie (as Minx): Listen, it’s either I think about that or think of the more existential problems with that. And I don’t wanna think about that, dear.
Rhi: She reaches across the table and squeezes your hand.
Rhi (as Nyryx): I don’t really know what to do about that. I suppose I can reinforce the wards on my place, or maybe see if Blaire can stop by sometime to do a bit of touching up as well, make sure she doesn’t come after me to try and get at you.
Josie (as Minx): Honestly, I don’t think it changes all that much. We’re gonna be relying on Blaire quite a bit for this. And she’s stronger, yes, but also much more limited. And she’s not leaning over your shoulder 24 hours a day, so—
Rhi (as Nyryx): And I suppose if I just keep a bag of tacks or rice around… I can’t believe that that’s a real thing.
Josie (as Minx): I— I would have not have called that one either.
Minna: [giggles]
Rhi (as Nyryx): It’s just… there were some other ones that I would have guessed much before the counting fixation, but…
Josie (as Minx): I was bemoaning my lack of garlic.
Rhi (as Nyryx): [laughs] Well, I suppose you’ll have to start carrying some so you can test that theory if you cross paths with her again. Although, well, I suppose it is a bit too much to hope that she won’t come after you again.
Josie (as Minx): Honestly, if she comes after me, she’s coming after The Magpies. And together we can handle her, I think. My means of practice did just get limited. Find another means of combating her.
Rhi (as Nyryx): What do you mean?
Josie (as Minx): Oh, I maybe overdid it at the, um, you know, the club. The swordplay club….
Rhi (as Nyryx): [sighs]
Josie (as Minx): The underground one. I’m not gonna call it a pit, cause you know me, I would never be caught dead in a pit.
Rhi (as Nyryx): Well, I’m afraid that most of the fencers and swordfighters that I know are either, well, you or people who are involved in that sort of organization. I don’t really know… do you want to—
Josie (as Minx): Oh—
Rhi (as Nyryx): Hmm?
Josie (as Minx): You needn’t come up with— for a replacement on my account for my own vices.
Rhi (as Nyryx): I want to help. I can’t really do much to help with most of what you do, but…
Josie: Minx squeezes Nyryx’s hand back.
Rhi (as Nyryx): Well, do you think you want to find somewhere else where you can practice sword fighting, or maybe some other ways of defending yourself?
Josie (as Minx): Well, I did have aspirations of training at that one college run by the Red Sashes, but Bazso kind of took that out.
Rhi (as Nyryx): Mm, yes he did.
Josie (as Minx): I mean, good for him. It’s just an unfortunate side effect.
Rhi (as Nyryx): [sighs] Yes, and I doubt that the embassy is going to just welcome random passers-by who are interested in learning their techniques.
Josie (as Minx): Mm hmm.
Rhi (as Nyryx): I could ask around and see if I can find someone who’s maybe doing private lessons. It’d be a little more expensive, but…
Josie (as Minx): If you know anyone, I would welcome that. And to be frank, given the situation, I probably shouldn’t be leaning on fighting for stress relief. I should be taking it seriously.
Rhi (as Nyryx): That’s true. And you should be doing something to relax that’s actually relaxing.
Josie (as Minx): Yeah. I mean, I do work for The Weeping Lady and I suppose there will be more time for that now.
Rhi (as Nyryx): That’s true, but— and it is good that you’re helping others, but that’s not really taking time for yourself, dear.
Josie (as Minx): Ultimately this Circle of Flame business will be over eventually, and then I imagine I can have some time for myself. I’d rather that time go to you or The Magpies in the meantime.
Rhi: Well, I think she will, like, pick up your hand and kiss your knuckles.
Josie: [squeals]
Rhi: [laughs]
Josie: Minx blushes.
Rhi: And just say:
Rhi (as Nyryx): Well, since you’re here, may as well make good use of the time.
Rhi: Wink.
Josie: [laughs] Minx will smile and pull her closer.
Rhi: [laughs] Yep. And we will fade out on that.
Josie: Yay.
Rhi: They’re so cute.
Josie: Yeah!
Rhi: And then we’re gonna fade in on Blaire. Where do we find Blaire?
Kim: Um, Blaire is in the library of the Scurlock Estate and she is seated at a table pouring over a book. And she is just surrounded by towers of books and so much paper and multiple inkwells, I would say.
Rhi: [laughs] And I think that hovering anxiously is Oskar Scurlock, who manages the estate on his uncle’s behalf. And he’s just sort of peering over at the books that you’ve picked up. You know, this is the library that Blaire has permission to be in. There are others in the estate. So, Blaire is here researching. I think that she has— she didn’t bring the summoning book, I think Setarra has been holding onto that. But she has some notes and she knows what she’s looking for.
Kim: Yes.
Rhi: And what she’s looking for is basically bait. In order to lure something from another reality, another dimension, another plane of existence, you know, these rituals need something to grab its attention and bring it through to your reality.
Kim: Mm hmm.
Rhi: Setarra had given a few suggestions for things that could possibly work as bait, and one of the things that she had said is that if you summon something that is a predator, if you can find something of its prey, that will draw it through. So Blaire, you have been searching through. I don’t think that this is— I think coming to Scurlock’s library actually may have been kind of one of your last-ditch attempts.
Kim: Yes.
Rhi: At finding something. Because you’ve gone through all of your books. You even, you stopped by the Historical Society’s library to see if they had anything. They did not.
Kim: Yeah. Reconciled probably have nothing on this.
Rhi: Uh, The Reconciled had a little information on these sort of rituals, but they started asking a lot of very pointed questions when you were inquiring about those books and didn’t really want to share it with you.
Kim: Right.
Rhi: So, now you’re here.
Kim: Mm hmm.
Rhi: With Oskar Scurlock hovering as you are taking notes. And Blaire, what you have found in Scurlock’s records is something called the Archive of Echoes.
Kim: Ooh.
Rhi: And the Archive of Echoes is a… it’s basically kind of an Imperial ministry.
Kim: Okay.
Rhi: There are archives in most of the major cities of The Imperium and these archives have special dispensation from The Emperor himself to basically ignore the rules of The Spirit Wardens and the Church, to keep ghosts that they can consult with.
Kim: Oh my God, this is so cool.
Rhi: There is an Archive of Echoes here in Duskwall. Generally, the spirits kept in the Archives are extremely ancient. The idea is that by keeping these ancient spirits, chief scholars of each Archive can consult with these ancient spirits for advice about what’s currently happening, get sort of those direct historical connections to understand what’s going on in the world presently. The Archive of Echoes in Duskwall is run by one Lord Penderyn.
Kim: oh no.
Rhi: Yes, you know the name Penderyn, because Lady Penderyn is a member of the Circle of Flame.
Kim: Ah.
Rhi: Scurlock, somewhat unsurprisingly, has an interest in the Archive of Echoes. And he has, you know, there’s a lot of tomes that have information about the archives. And there are some notes and things in some of these books and histories that indicate that in addition to the ancient ghosts, the Archives hold other very powerful occult relics. And you’re able to piece together, like, it’s kind of talked around sideways, they don’t really spell it out directly, but it definitely seems like there are relics of things from other realities. From past things that have been summoned. So, I think that you have enough information here to know that your best bet for finding what you need for this ritual is gonna be the archive of echoes in Duskwall. And I think Oskar will kind of lean over and be like:
Rhi (as Oskar): Um… Miss? Are you close to being done?
Kim (as Blaire): Uh, yes. Yes I am, actually. I just need to take a few more notes.
Rhi (as Oskar): Alright. It’s just that it’s, um, well, it’s been about five hours.
Kim (as Blaire): Really?
Rhi (as Oskar): Yes.
Kim (as Blaire): Oh. [stammers]
Kim: I think there’s, like, a grandfather clock somewhere in the library, and she looks at it and she’s just like:
Kim (as Blaire): Oh… huh.
Rhi: [laughs]
Rhi (as Oskar): Yes. Uh… yes. Not to rush you or anything, you are a guest of my uncle’s, but I do have other things that I need to see to today and I cannot leave you unsupervised, so…
Kim (as Blaire): Of course, of course, yes. No, I really appreciate your time. I did not mean to stay this late. It’s just that— you know how it is. Time flies when you’re having fun. So, um…
Rhi and Josie: [laugh]
Rhi: He actually nods in understanding, like, this is Scurlock’s nephew. He’s also a goth nerd.
Kim: [laughs and claps]
Rhi: He gets it.
Kim: Yay, goth nerds.
Rhi: So, I think we see a little while later, Blaire leaving the front door of the estate, Oskar shutting the door behind her. I think Blaire, like, it’s that thing where like her satchel just has papers, like, sticking out of it. It’s just so stuffed with notes.
Kim: Yeah, she’s definitely, like, carrying multiple notebooks. She looks like a college campus student.
Rhi: Yeah. She just, like, all she needs is a piece of toast in her mouth.
Kim: Yes, exactly.
Rhi: And he’s running late for class.
Kim: Yes, absolutely.
Rhi: So, yeah. I think, you know, Blaire leaves Scurlock manor and makes her way back down through Six Towers to The Nest. I’m gonna say that it’s about dinnertime when she gets back in. I think Minx and Myra have both returned from their various visits today. What are Myra and Minx up to at this point?
Josie: I think Minx is writing some letters.
Rhi: Okay.
Josie: I think one of them is to the cult she likes to hang out with, and another is potentially to a sword fighting mentor.
Rhi: Got it. Writing a cover letter. [laughs]
Josie: Yes.
Minna: I don’t know why, but I feel like Myra’s standing on a stool, dusting the hard-to-reach places with, like, an apron to protect her dress. Listen, daily life has to happen.
Rhi: Yeah! Yeah.
Josie: Minx is actually— has weirdly good posture while writing the letters and is wearing reading glasses frames that she does not need. [laughs]
Rhi: [laughs] Oh, I love it. So yeah, Blaire comes bustling in with all of her papers and notebooks.
Josie (as Minx): Oh, hello dear. Productive day?
Kim (as Blaire): Yes, extremely. You?
Josie (as Minx): Well, I’m eventually getting these letters done. Did you find anything important?
Kim (as Blaire): Yes. Yes, I did.
Josie: Minx gently sets down her quill and seals up the inkwell. [laughs]
Kim (as Blaire): Have you ever heard of the Archive of Echoes?
Josie (as Minx): Can’t say I have.
Kim (as Blaire): They are just a font of hidden information. Like, ancient, ancient spirits and relics and things that are not from this world. And I think it’s what we need. Well, it’s what I need. What I need. For, uh—
Josie: I see. For… a witch of your many endeavors?
Kim (as Blaire): For the, you know, bringing ghosts out of drugs thing?
Josie (as Minx): Ah. I see.
Kim (as Blaire): Yeah. It’s— if one of them has what I’m looking for, then I could really make some progress on this.
Josie (as Minx): I’m not going to object to infiltrating such a place. Frankly it has been a long time coming that we break into a library. However, I do think things that deal with our imminent hulls and vampires and Circle of Flame problems make a bit of priority as far as scores go?
Kim (as Blaire): Well, that’s what I was thinking. It’s kind of a two birds, one stone kind of situation. I could get what I’m looking for, but also these things could have a lot of valuable information on hulls and vampires, which are problems for us right now.
Josie (as Minx): I suppose so. It seems like an occult source of information?
Kim (as Blaire): Yes.
Josie (as Minx): Well, do you perhaps have more information on the joint that we can plan around?
Rhi: So, I can step in here and monologue while Blaire explains this to the two of you. By the— what is Myra’s reaction to, uh, to this? As Blaire is explaining this?
Minna: I think she’s just, like, listening with curiosity. Because she is also doing occult research right now.
Rhi: Yeah. So, what Blaire knows, kind of just from her reading, basically kind of the— she can explain how this Archive of Echoes thing works, who’s in charge of it. These notes also would have indicated that the actual building of the Archive of Echoes is one of the most secure locations in the city. It’s in Whitecrown, to start with. It has really intensive spark-craft security, some of the best spirit wards in the city, a fairly small number of people on site in terms of guards, but the guards that are there are, like, very highly specially trained to deal with, you know, if an 80-year ghost escapes.
Kim: And also, people like me.
Rhi: And also people like Blaire.
Josie: Minx kind of blanches a bit when Blaire explains, you know, the whole captive ghost dispensing the information thing.
Rhi: Yeah. Yeah, like centuries-old ghosts.
Josie: Minx is a little more than a bit put off. [laughs]
Rhi: Yeah, basically that is what Blaire can explain about the archive. For further information, you will need to Gather it, but that’s what Blaire is able to explain.
Josie (as Minx): To be frank, given the size of the organization and the level of security, I think this might be something we need help with?
Kim (as Blaire): I mean, whatever it takes, I’m willing to do it. Because I— we need this badly.
Josie (as Minx): We absolutely do. So, I’m seeing some very bad results if we fail here. I don’t see us simply being able to back off the score.
Kim (as Blaire): We’re not going to fail.
Minna (as Myra): Are you sure about this? Because this is a lot for even us to bite off.
Kim (as Blaire): I know, but… listen, I just, I feel it. We can’t afford to lose this and I don’t think we will.
Josie (as Minx): Which is why I’m saying we should at least recruit some manner of assistance. Not necessarily for the actual infiltration…
Kim (as Blaire): Well, who did you have in mind?
Josie (as Minx): Perhaps… what are they called? The Reconciled?
Kim (as Blaire): They wouldn’t even help me try to research this so, no, I don’t think that they’re down for it.
Josie (as Minx): That’s unfortunate. I wonder if The Gondoliers would be interested.
Kim (as Blaire): I mean, Kay’s down for anything, but…
Rhi: [laughs]
Josie (as Minx): That’s true, but I mean organizationally. I bet there’s a lot of things in there that they would have rather pull up from the bottom of a canal, rather than handing to the Spirit Wardens.
Rhi: Yeah, The Gondoliers is actually a really good tack, because they definitely have occult ties. I will also say, just sort of on a game mechanics level, you all are Tier III. They archive of Echoes is gonna be a Tier IV.
Josie: I see.
Rhi: Yeah. So, I would recommend, kind of in addition to your Gathering Info, you can spend rep to acquire assets for things that are, like, better equipment than you normally have, or other stuff. Like, kind of as you start to formulate a plan I will let you do that downtime action out of downtime.
Josie: Gotcha.
Rhi: Cause there’s not really a time frame on this score, so you can take a little more time to get some stuff together and do it right.
Kim: Right.
Josie: Right.
Rhi: So, just wanted to put that out there as a thing you can do in addition to Gathering Info.
Josie: Right. I think Minx’s tack is gonna be try to find out what other organizations in the city know about this.
Rhi: Okay.
Josie: About the library of echoes. Primarily from The Gondoliers to like, try and secure their aid.
Rhi: Yeah, yeah, for sure.
Josie: But also, like, Minx’s cult friends and stuff like that.
Rhi: Yeah. Myra, Blaire, you have thoughts for info gathering or asset acquiring?
Kim: I was thinking I would probably have Blaire go and consult with Aranna the Blessed and her cult to see if she’s in, or she knows people who are in.
Rhi: Yeah. For sure.
Josie: Yeah, cause to be frank, we can probably just be like, “Listen, if y’all help us out, we can pull what you need out of there.”
Rhi: [laughs] Yeah. “We can pick up some shit while were in there, we’ll put together a shopping list.”
Minna: [laughs]
Josie: Like, let’s just bust the place open and let the vultures descend, as it were.
Kim: Yeah, exactly.
Rhi: Okay. Yeah, so let’s start with Minx, then. And I will let you just do kind of one overall roll for sort of your chatting around. It’ll be a montage of Minx chatting with a bunch of different people to see what you can turn up.
Josie: 6.
Rhi: Wonderful. So, I think what you find in talking with both The Gondoliers and your cult friends is that the chief scholar, Lord Penderyn, in what is not really a surprising twist, has been taking advantage of his position as the chief scholar of the Archive of Echoes to make money.
Kim: [gasps] No…
Rhi: Would you believe it?
Kim: How dare he?
Josie: Uh huh.
Kim: Unbelievable.
Rhi: I know. He has basically started a secret society known as the Path of Echoes, which more or less, he will— so, the way the Archive is supposed to work is that the chief scholar is only supposed to consult with these spirits by order of the Lord Governor of Duskwall, the commander of the Imperial Garrison of Duskwall, or the Immortal Emperor. Lord Penderyn found this to be a rather limited view of his opportunities, and basically, for the right price he will… there’s sort of a tiered pricing system where, you know, for a certain amount you can relay questions to him and he will consult the spirits and bring that information back.
Kim: Subscribe to my spooky Patreon.
Rhi: Basically.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: Like, that he kind of makes generally available to the nobility. The actual, sort of, membership of this secret society, The Path of Echoes, those are people that he will kind of slip in to the Archive so that they can commune with these spirits directly. So, I think that’s kind of what you’re able to find out initially on a 6, if you’ve got follow-up questions.
Josie: Yeah. Who am I getting this information from?
Rhi: Well, so you get a little bit of this from The Gondoliers, they know about the Path of Echoes, but they don’t know the details of membership. They know it exists and they do not care for it, for basically the reasons that you outlined. In that they find what the Path of Echoes and the Archive of Echoes really is doing is to be kind of— it’s just against the natural order… well, not really the natural order of things, but it’s just, it feels wrong. They don’t like it. This is not how spirits are supposed to be treated.
Josie: Mm hmm.
Rhi: Yeah. It just, they’re not fans. So, they don’t like that the spirits are being used in this way.
Josie: Right.
Rhi: The cultists, as I recall, were some— there were a number of like, high society folks in that. Because it was sort of an art cult. [laughs]
Josie: Mm hmm. [laughs]
Rhi: So there were some, you know, young rebellious nobles where this is how they act out against their parents, is they join a cult. And some of them, I think, have parents who have paid the, like, the lower fee of getting information relayed through Lord Penderyn.
Josie: Right. And what do these fees look like?
Rhi: Oh, what a good question. Let me flip to the page where it tells me coin. 8 coin for Penderyn to consult.
Josie: Jeez. And getting actually ushered is… a lot.
Rhi: A lot more, but it’s also a time thing. It’s not like you can pay this money and the next night you can go in. You have to prove yourself worthy of entrance. And that’s a process that, like, one of them will tell you, like:
Rhi (as cultist): Yeah, my parents were trying to get into this and it was like months of them doing all of these favors for Penderyn and they just got sick of it, because nothing was ever gonna come of it and they were pretty sure it was a scam. I’m not even sure this Path of Echoes even exists.
Rhi: From the other information you’ve gotten from The Gondoliers you’re pretty sure it does exist. [laughs] But it’s— it is a process before he will let you into the archive. So, yeah, it’s not like you could just round up a huge sack of money and be like, “Alright, here’s my ticket!”
Josie: [laughs] Okay.
Rhi: “One ticket for ghost ride, please.”
Josie: Who else would be interested?
Rhi: What do you mean?
Josie: In, you know, kinda fuckin’ over the library of echoes and getting some stuff out of there?
Rhi: Ooh, interesting. So, The Gondoliers just sort of broadly approve of you doing anything to kind of mess that situation up. They don’t necessarily want you to bring them anything because that’s all a little too rich for their blood at this point, quite frankly. It’s just like, they don’t approve of it, but they also don’t want to be responsible for that level of powerful stuff.
Josie: Right.
Kim: Puts a huge target on their backs.
Rhi: Yeah. Yeah. And also, just like, you know, an 800-year-old ghost, they don’t wanna try and deal with that.
Kim: An 800-year-old friend, however…
Minna: [laughs]
Rhi: Oh… oh Blaire. The cult members. I think the one, the young woman whose parents had been trying to get in, she basically says, like, she will pay you 4 coin if you can bring her something. Like, not something. If you can bring her one of the ghosts from the archive, she’ll pay you 4 coin. She mostly wants it to give to her— like, so that she and her parents can use it as leverage to get Penderyn to let them in. [laughs] Basically, “We have your ghost! Let us into your club!” [laughs]
Josie: [laughs]
Kim: “Let me iiiin!”
Josie: Yeah, we can do that, I think.
Rhi: Yeah. Basically just, “Bring me a ghost in a jar and I’ll pay you money for it.” Yeah, The Gondoliers are like, “Good on ya, we support you, we will give you a lift close to the area, but please don’t bring us any souvenirs.” [laughs]
Josie: Okay. [laughs]
Rhi: That’s what Minx is able to get, I think,
Josie: Cool.
Rhi: Blaire.
Kim: Yes.
Rhi: You were talking to Aranna the Blessed.
Kim: Yes, I wanted to roll Consort to see if we could get the band back together.
Rhi: [laughs] Yeah. So, specifically what are you looking for with her?
Kim: I’m looking to see if either she and/or other people, occult people that she knows, or a group of people, would be interested in joining us on this extremely— what’s the word I’m looking for…
Rhi: Extremely risky…
Kim: Yeah, this extremely bold and daring endeavor.
Rhi: Okay, So, this is actually going to be not Gather Information but you are acquiring an asset.
Kim: Oh, okay.
Rhi: I’m gonna treat this as you are trying to acquire a gang. So, for that we are going to have you roll not one of your particular skills, but you are gonna roll the crew’s tier. So, you will roll 3d6.
Kim: Okay.
Rhi: And tell me what your result is and we’ll go from there.
Kim: I rolled a 6, 6 and 1. So, what does a crit look like on this?
Rhi: [laughs]
Minna: Ooh!
Rhi: Tier plus… this is the fuckin’ thing that got you Nicholas. Tier plus 2, that gets you a Tier V—
Kim: Wait, who’s Nicholas? Oh! [laughs]
Rhi: Yeah.
Kim: Firebird. Yes.
Rhi: When Minx went out to acquire a real estate attorney and critted on that roll. The— we almost never use this goddam mechanic, and then we do and you all are like, “Oh, critical.”
Kim: [laughs]
Rhi: Okay.
Kim: So I get a Tier V gang with me on this?
Rhi: Yeah. This is quite significant, because you’re going up against a Tier V challenge. So, they are going to be massively helpful. That’s actually fantastic.
Kim: Fuck yes. Yes!
Rhi: I think that— so like, Aranna is not the head of this cult. She’s like middle management, basically. She’s a mid-tier priestess. I think that you kinda bring this idea to her of like, “Hey, we’re doing this thing,” she gets this very intriguing spark in her eyes and says to give her a couple days and then she comes back to you. The leader of her cult, um, whose name I will have to make up at some point, is a former member of the Path of Echoes. I think she got kicked out due to ideological difference with Lord Penderyn. And you’ve just offered her an opportunity to get back in and get back at him.
Kim: Yes.
Rhi: Spite. A powerful motivator.
Kim: Oh yeah.
Rhi: So, basically she is going to bring the entire— like, not the entire cult, but most of the cult of— did we determine who Aranna follows?
Kim: I… if we did, I don’t remember rit.
Rhi: I am in the same boat. So yeah, she is basically gonna bring the majority of this cult to back you up on this score. And I will get into the details of what a gang can do for you, how you can use a gang, kind of when we get into prep for this score. I’ll talk about that, for what you can do. But, yeah. Great job. A plus. You just massively changed the balance of this score for yourselves in a great way.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: Well done.
Kim: Hooray.
Rhi: [laughs]
Kim: I will do anything to appease Setarra.
Rhi: [laughs] Oh, honey.
Josie: Baby. No. [laughs]
Kim: Blaire’s in a very desperate place right now.
Rhi: Blaire, she is. She is.
Kim: She’s not doing great. Inside.
Rhi: So, Blaire has gotten that arrangement. Myra.
Minna: Hello.
Rhi: Hello. What would you like to do for Info Gathering, asset acquiring, you can do one of those, you can do both of those, whatever you would like.
Minna: Do we know of anything that could help us get through the spark-craft security that I could acquire?
Rhi: Um… that is a good question. Lemme see. I mean, spark-craft runs on electroplasm. But it is still electricity. So, I am intrigued by the concept of, like, what does an electroplasm EMP look like?
Minna: [delighted laugh]
Kim: [gasps] Ooh! [claps]
Josie: [laughs]
Minna: Please.
Rhi: This is where I’m at—
Kim: How have we never come across this before? How has this never happened?
Josie: It probably goes against Blaire’s ethics.
Rhi: Yeah. It depends on how this turns out, because if it is something that affects electroplasm, it could mess with ghosts.
Minna: I love this.
Rhi: But this would again be an acquire asset roll, if you wanted to do that.
Minna: Yeah.
Rhi: And so, you’ll roll 3d6 and tell me the highest.
Minna: Really? It’s a 4.
Rhi: 4, okay. So, that gets you a Tier III quality thing. Gosh, who would you— okay. So, I feel like the chain of events here is you talk to Seeks and Seeks doesn’t have one of these things, but Seeks knows somebody. She has a connection to a tinkerer, and she’s able to acquire a gadget. And so, I think— let me… hang on. We might run through something here, real quick.
Yeah, so what I’m actually gonna do here, I think, is we’re going to rapid-fire run through the questions if you were, yourself, inventing this as a character, there’s a series of questions where we kind of go back and forth to determine what this thing is.
Minna: Interacting with a set of rules we’ve never used before.
Rhi: Yeah, none of you have ever done crafting. Alright, so the first question we’ve already answered. “What type of creation is it and what does it do?” It is a spark-craft creation that operates like an EMP. It will knock out spark-craft and electroplasmic powered things in an area. “A crushing blow, staggering wind, searing fire, electrical surge.” That’s the power level that we’re dealing with here. This is— you are working with something that is comparable to a hand grenade.
Minna: Electrical surge is kinda what I was thinking.
Rhi: Yeah. Okay.
Minna: Like, maybe if we can attach it to something, it can cause like a surge and short everything out.
Rhi: Okay. “What rare, strange or adverse aspect of this design has kept it in obscurity?” This goes back to the question that was asked earlier. Why haven’t we used this before? What is weird about this? This is something you wouldn’t reach for except for a score that is this…
Minna: Maybe because it does cause, like, an electroplasm surge, it has the tendency to draw things that feed off it and then doesn’t give them anything to eat.
Rhi: Oh!
Minna: Because it takes all that electroplasm away.
Rhi: Ooh…
Josie: [nervous laugh]
Rhi: That’s great. That actually almost covers the next question, which is, “What drawbacks does this item have?” which is the one that I answer. So, I think that it’s volatile. “This item produces a dangerous or troublesome side effect.”
Minna: Mm hmm.
Rhi: It draws in a crowd of ghosts. As soon as you use this, I’m gonna start a clock for Ghost Horde.
Minna: [delighted giggle]
Josie: [laughs]
Kim: Yay. Party.
Rhi: And I’m also going to say that it’s consumable. It’s a one-use item.
Minna: Yeah.
Rhi: Those are the limitations on it. That’s great. Is there any other prep stuff that you all would like to do? I feel like you are actually in a really excellent place.
Kim: Yeah.
Rhi: But if you all have other ideas for stuff you’d like to do…
Josie: Can I acquire an asset?
Rhi: Yeah.
Josie: Is there anything like tools for disabling spark-craft alarms, but for like, arcane shit?
Rhi: I think in this case what you would be doing is getting improved arcane implements. A high tier. Because like, Blaire has basically Tier III arcane implements. That’s what you have access to as a crew. You could acquire an asset to try to get higher tier implements.
Josie: Yeah. Yeah, I think I wanna do that.
Rhi: Yeah.
Josie: Try and get Blaire some higher tier stuff.
Rhi: Which, like, I think that what it is, is like, the idea is that the arcane implements is that’s… you keep having that your set tier because that’s what you can afford for your level. This is something where like, you cannot afford to always buy Blaire this high quality of stuff, but for this score you can do it. So it’ll be a one-use thing for this score.
Josie: Okey dokey.
Rhi: Yeah, so go ahead and again roll 3d6.
Josie: Okay. Well, using an online die roller I got a critical.
Rhi: [laughs] Okay. Yeah.
Josie: So… [laughs]
Rhi: Blaire will have Tier V, I’ll take it.
Kim: Yeah.
Rhi: How do you always get fuckin’ criticals on acquire asset rolls? This is ridiculous! Okay, so—
Josie: I dunno!
Kim: I think we just need to roll more acquire assets.
Rhi: Clearly! [laughs]
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: I think I’m gonna start with how you all can use this cohort, because I think that might influence the plan that you end up with.
Josie: Okey dokey.
Rhi: Your cohort. They are a group of Tier V adepts of the cult of The Radiant Word, is the cult that I settled on. If we said that Aranna the Blessed was attached to a different forgotten god earlier… oops.
Minna: [laughs]
Kim: Fuck it! Just fuck it. Maybe it’s like a monster of the week kinda thing.
Rhi: You know, who knows?
Kim: Who’s to say?
Rhi: So, in terms of kind of— you’re gonna get, I’m gonna say somewhere between 20 and 25 cultists of varying kind of skills. You know, some are gonna be Whispers, some are gonna be Leeches, you’re gonna have people that can kinda do various things.
The way that you use a gang. You have used— so, when you had Lani and Roxanne researching the Circle of Flame, we did sort of use these mechanics, but that was kind of a long-term background thing that they had running. This is the first time you’ve used this in a score. So, basically what you will do is you can send a gang, you can send this gang to achieve a goal. And then I will roll their quality, which is 5 dice. [laughs]
Josie: Jesus.
Rhi: And that will give the result of whatever you end them off to do. Alternatively, one of you can, if you want to lead them in doing something, you can accompany them and lead a group action. And so, you’ll roll, you know, if you’re telling them to Attune with however many dice, they would roll 5 dice of Attune and then, you know, we take the result. So, with that in mind, how do you want to— what do you wanna do in terms of a type of plan for this score?
Josie: It’s either stealth or occult.
Kim: Mm… I didn’t even consider occult. I was going to suggest stealth.
Rhi: I guess you— so, I think if you had the cult providing your method of entry, then you could say that it’s an occult plan and we would just have to kinda figure out how they’re getting you in.
Josie: Right.
Rhi: But then that would kind of— I think whatever they’d do would sort of, that’s gonna lock them down for the score.
Josie: Mm hmm. I kinda wanna, like, tell them to guarantee an exit point.
Rhi: Okay. They will keep— they will prevent anybody from getting in and bothering you, or they’ll do their best. And in addition to that, they’ll just keep all of the, like, the spirit wards on this place just like, locked down.
Josie: Yeah.
Rhi: So, they won’t be active while you all are rummaging around inside. Or at least, kind of the exterior ones that they would have access to. Once you kinda get deeper into the archive, you will have to—
Josie: Because once we have what we need, we just wanna bolt.
Rhi: Yes. Yeah, I like that plan. I think that they can definitely— they’re your perimeter guard. [laughs] They’re gonna help you get in, they’re gonna keep things locked down while you’re working inside, and they’re gonna make sure you can get out.
Josie: Right. Cause you said it was like, heavily warded and alarmed, but lightly guarded in terms of personnel?
Rhi: Yes. Not a lot of— yeah
Josie: So, I feel like we have time, but once our time is up it’ll be really bad. So… [laughs]
Rhi: Yeah, not a lot of people inside, but the people who are there are gonna be very, like they’re gonna be Tier V individuals.
Josie: Oh jeez.
Rhi: Yeah. Very highly trained, you know, specialists who will be able to kick your asses. So, you’re heading into Whitecrown, which is the seat of government. It’s the wealthiest district in the city. This is where, like, the Imperial Military Garrison is, this is where the Lord Governor’s mansion is, this is where the Duskwall City Council meets. Like, this is the seat of power. This is not a place where you have ever done a score. You’ve been in basically every other district of this city. Myra comes here sometimes for the Academy, for Duskwall Academy, but you’ve never tried to break in here.
Josie: Oh jeez.
Rhi: So, Engagement Roll. One for luck. “Is this operation particularly bold or daring?”
Kim: Yeah.
Rhi: [laughs] Yes. Jesus Christ, is it ever. “Does the plan’s detail expose a vulnerability of the target or hit them where they’re weakest?” No. “Is the target strongest against this approach, or do they have particular defenses or special preparations?” Yes. Minus 1. “Are your friends or contacts providing aid or insight for this operation?” Yes, to the degree that I’m giving you two dice for this, because of that Tier V gang.
Josie: Oh wow.
Rhi: However… [laughs] because you are in Whitecrown, I am removing 2d6.
Kim: Oh.
Josie: Cool.
Rhi: So, this is gonna be a 1d6 engagement Roll.
Josie: Oh, God. [laughs] Oh no…
Kim: [groans]
Rhi: [laughs]
Kim: Devil’s Bargain? Can we push ourselves?
Minna: [laughs]
Rhi: No!
Kim: Anything? Anything?
Rhi: [laughs] No, that’s not how this works.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: Are there— I mean, you are welcome to try to make arguments for things that you have done to push this up, to prep here. But I’ve accounted for your Tier 5 gang. You’re operating in— there’s a reason you all never hit Whitecrown before.
Josie: Uh huh.
Rhi: [laughs]
Josie: Uh…
Kim: Just don’t fuck it up, Rhi, please don’t.
Josie: Okay.
Rhi: [softly laughs]
Josie: She fucked it up. She so fucked it up.
Kim: No… Rhi, just tell us. Don’t kill us.
Rhi: Got a 1.
Josie: I knew it.
Minna: Rhi…
Rhi: I’m sorry! [laughs] I didn’t do it on purpose!
Kim: We’re going in a little fucked.
Rhi: Just a smidgeon, yes. I cannot argue with that. You are slightly fucked from jump. So, time to set the scene. So, Whitecrown is, as I have said, basically the seat of government in Duskwall. The Lord Governor’s stronghold is here, City Council meets here, Duskwall Academy is here. There’s a big lighthouse that sits out at the end of the island that is Whitecrown. And kind of among all of this, The Archive of Echoes stands out for being almost unnoticeable.
It’s a, relative to its surroundings, it’s a fairly plain building. I think it’s done in what we would consider sort of like a Grecian style. It’s got the, you know, big marble columns and the sort of narrow triangle pediment at the top. There’s some, uh, fairly bland, like, historical engravings of, like, the founding of Duskwall, things like that, that you would find on kind of any generic government building. There’s not really anything that identifies what this building is. It looks like just another government office among a whole bunch of other government offices.
And I think that we see, you know, the streets here are very well lit. As, you know, there’s people kind of walking through the streets, very finely dressed. Carriages rolling past. Bluecoats on patrol. But we can see, sort of moving in the shadows, cloaks up, slinking around, are small groups of people moving in twos and threes. All slinking into position around this unassuming building. And I think we see a group of four with hoods up, but in such a way that we can see that three of them are The Magpies and the fourth person is a short, heavy-set woman in her mid-50s. Dark skin, thick silver hair that’s done in these, like, really ornate braids that are kind of piled up under her hood. She’s got face tattoos kind of imitating the sort of sigils you would see on a spirit mask. It’s like she has a spirit mask tattooed on her face.
Minna: Well, that’s neat.
Rhi: And this is the leader of Aranna’s cult, which follows The Radiant Word, a forgotten god, and she is known as Vidrana The Radiant. Used to be a member of the Path of Echoes, isn’t anymore. Was just handed an opportunity for some light vengeance.
Josie: Yay. You know, just light-hearted vengeance.
Rhi: Yeah. Just a light sprinkling of revenge.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: She looks up at the building and kinda shakes her head a little bit and is like:
Rhi (as Vidrana): Penderyn’s squandering what he has here. Alright, we will begin our work to bring down the wards, but it’ll be up to all of you to get past the rest. Best of luck, and we’ll hold things out here.
Josie (as Minx): Good luck to you as well.
Rhi: I think she makes some kind of sign in front of the three of you that you’re guessing is a blessing of some sort, and then she kind of slinks off into the shadows to join her cultists. Blaire, I think that you can see as you’re looking through your spirit mask into the ghost field, it’s hard to look at this building. [laughs]
Kim: Is it, like, very bright?
Rhi: It’s very bright, just from all the wards that are up.
Kim: Oh…
Rhi: And what you can kind of tell is that, like, the wards are almost a distraction that keep you from seeing what’s actually inside the building. Like, that’s part of their function. So, you see these wards and I think that, like, as you’re looking, you start to see, like, some sigils sort of flare in the ghost field. There’s some shifting of light and then the whole thing just sort of, like, [sound effect] powers down.
Kim: Nice.
Rhi: It doesn’t, like, snap off abruptly. The wards just kind of turn off. They fade out very gently. And now you can see what’s actually in here and it’s still pretty hard to look at, because there’s just… it’s like a candy store in there. [laughs]
Kim: Right.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: There’s so much, just, occult stuff. Very powerful stuff. I think that you are able to approach. I think that there is a, like, side door, like a service door, in an alley. And I think that you approach that. Myra, are you the one using the EMP?
Minna: I am.
Rhi: Okay. So you, I think, following the directions that you were given, you find kind of the, you know, some sort of power junction. Affix it, fiddle with some dials, attach some wires to some things, push a button and then run back, wait. And all three of you kinda waiting. And then there’s this bang!
Josie: Oh jeez.
Rhi: As the power junction blows up. Very loudly.
Josie: Oof.
Rhi: And all three of you can feel, like, it feels kind of like a static electric shock just sort of like washes over your bodies really quickly. Like, all your hair stands on end for a second. And then it’s gone.
Josie (as Minx): No, my bun!
Rhi: [laughs] And so, a couple things are gonna happen as a result of that. Three things. One, the spark-craft security has been impeded, but not fully taken down. Because this was a Tier III device going up against a Tier V security system. So, it’s been interfered with, but some pieces of it might still be online. So, that’s one. Two, I’m starting a clock. Which is Ghost Horde Arrives.
Minna: Yes.
Josie: Yay!
Rhi: And that is gonna be at 1 out of 4.
Kim: Yay, friends.
Josie: Or as Blaire likes to call it, a Cuddle Pile.
Rhi: [laughs] And number three. The three of you return to the door, open it up, slide inside. Okay, we’re in. You look down the hall and see running towards you, guns in hand, are a pair of guards.
Minna: Mm hmm.
Josie: Great!
Rhi: Yep. So, that is you are starting in a desperate position. The guards have already been notified that something is going on and have seen you just slip in this side door. So, you’ve got two of them coming towards you now. You’re not sure how many more are on their way. But yeah. You’re in a desperate position for whoever wants to start acting.
##Outro [00.52.18]
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 GMed and produced by Rhi. Follow me on Twitter @rhiannon42 and check out rpgskillcheck.net for my copy editing and accessibility freelance site.
Blaire Culhane is played by Kim Kogut. Follow her on Twitter @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.
The opening and closing theme music is from ‘Trio for Piano, Violin and Viola’ by Kevin MacLeod and is used under a Creative Commons license.
The Blades in the Dark roleplay system is the creation of John Harper and is published by Evil Hat Productions.
Next, I’d like to thank our lovely Patreon backers.
Jason Bostwick, thank you.
##Blooper [00.53.37]
Rhi: No, there’s a specific name for a group of, um…
Kim: Minions?
Rhi: Whispers, basically. Hang on.
Kim: A group of Whispers?
Rhi: I gotta find this now, hang on.
Kim: A murder of Whispers?
Josie: [whispers] A murder.
Rhi: [laughs]
Josie: [laughs] We had the same thought.
Kim: [laughs]
Rhi: I mean, I like it. I’m into it. Let me find… a gang. Okay, so they would be a… if you all were a crew type that could have gangs normally, this would be a crew of adepts. A-D-E-P-T-S.
Kim: A group of Whispers is called an adepts?
Rhi: Well, it’s a group of scholars, tinkerers, occultists and chemists. So, basically you’re getting a bunch of Whispers and Leeches. More or less.
Kim: Can we still call them a murder of Whispers? That’s way cooler.
Rhi: Yes we can. It is.
Minna: [giggles]
Josie: [laughs]