Transcribed by Michelle Kelly (@Michellicopter)

##Intro

Rhi: Welcome back to Duskwall. Or, more accurately, welcome to the early morning train from Whitehollow to Duskwall. Today’s episode is something I’ve been wanting to do in Magpies for ages: a heist set aboard a speeding train. I’ve run a few one-shots of Blades set aboard speeding trains, and they always seem to end more or less the same way. With a few explosions. So, you’ve got that to look forward to. One quick content note for the episode: as The Magpies are on this train in pursuit of the relic known as The Hand of Kotar, this episode does include a mobile, disembodied hand. The descriptions of the hand aren’t too graphic, at least in my opinion, and the hand is not bloody, but it is still there.

Other announcements. First, we have transcripts on The Magpies site through Season 2, Episode 10. Huge, huge thanks to the team of transcribers who have helped us get this far. Tyler, Lyra, Michelle and Pidge have been absolutely fantastic to work with.

Second, there are still tons of great ways to support the show. Reviews are always very deeply appreciated, and they’re a great way to help new fans find us. If you’d like to support us financially, you can buy a pin from our Shapeways store or you can back us on Patreon. Our Patreon backer drive is still going on. If we can get seven more backers, then all currently active backers will be entered into a drawing to win one of five Magpies pins. It would be awesome if we could hit 100 backers before the end of the year, so I can send the pins out first thing in January.

Third, as some of you may have seen on Twitter, I’m in the planning stages to launch a new podcast. Aid Another is going to be an advice show for RPG characters. The idea is that people, both players and GMs, will write letters as their characters, seeking advice on whatever problems those characters are facing. Then, I and a guest host will answer a few letters per episode. I’m going to start recording in January, but in order to do that I need letters. If you’re interested, there’s a link to the submission guidelines in the show notes.

Finally, before we get to the featured charity, I wanna take a moment to thank all of you. This is our last episode of 2019, and this year has been really incredible for the show. We broke 100,000 downloads, we got to do some cool collaborations, we started our third season and we’ve gotten some amazing art of all kinds from our fans. Creating The Magpies is a labor of love. There’s a lot of work that goes into it behind the scenes and the support that we get from all of you makes that work, so, so worth it. So, thank you all so very much for listening. We’re very glad to have you along with is.

Next, I’m going to tell you about this month’s featured charity, which is partly about a specific charity and partly about a specific issue in the US. As some of you may know, the Trump administration recently implemented new rules for SNAP benefits. SNAP is a program that allows people with low incomes to get financial help with buying food. Food insecurity is a major issue throughout the nation, and millions of people depend upon this support. These new rules would, in short, make it far more difficult for people to access the funds they need to feed themselves and their families. Money is always tight during the holidays, and there are hundreds of charities asking for your support. But, if you’re able, locate a local food bank or other food access program to donate to.

If you’re in Chicago, my personal request is support for the Glenwood Sunday Market. It’s a farmer’s market that I volunteer for and one of our core missions is to provide a food access program. The neighborhood that I live in has a food insecurity rate of about 30%. The Glenwood Sunday Market works to support people facing food insecurity through our SNAP matching program. For the six months out of the year that the farmer’s market is open, anyone who shops at our market with SNAP funds gets a triple match of money. That means if someone charges $25 to their SNAP account, we give them $75 to spend on food at the market. This year, we gave away $26,000, a $6000 increase over what we gave in 2018. We want to continue these programs in 2020, but the federal grants that provided a lot of our food access funding are in jeopardy. So, any donations you can make would be greatly appreciated.

If you can’t donate, please visit 5calls.org and contact your representatives about this critical issue, or see if you can find a food bank to volunteer with. Things are really hard right now, all around the world. It’s important to do what we can, even in the smallest ways, to take care of each other.

Now then. Let’s get started, shall we?

##Story continues [0.05.39]

Rhi: We see Whitehollow, dimly illuminated by the rising sun, the broken shards. And as the sun is coming up, a train pulls out of the station, heading back along the coast towards Duskwall. And again, we find The Magpies in one of the train compartments. I imagine Myra, at least, may look a little worse for wear, having gotten rather wine drunk the night before.

Minna: [laughs]

Rhi: How are the other two looking?

Kim: Blaire’s fine.

Josie: Minx is look actively chipper. She’s excited for this job.

Rhi: [laughs] Yeah, so the situation is that The Hand of Kotar has already been sold to Lady Penderyn. You’re assuming that she did not come to collect it personally, she is rich enough that she has people to do that, but the Hand is somewhere on this train and presumably it’s going to be very swiftly transferred into a much high-security situation when you get back to Duskwall. So, ideally you would get your hands on it before the train, you know, returns to Duskwall. You will need to locate the hand, steal the hand, and maintain possession of the hand until you get back, because the train is going through the Deathlands and you can’t— I mean, you can leave the train.

Josie: You can’t ride off into the night.

Rhi: Right. You could leave the train, but it would be a very, very dangerous and potentially deadly situation to do so.

Kim: No, it’d be fine. I’m the Deathlands expert.

Rhi: You, yeah. Blaire, you have ventured into the Deathlands before, but that’s been, like, day trips. Depending on where you make your exit, you could be spending weeks out there.

Kim: Oh fuck. And we’re not equipped for that.

Rhi: [laughs] No. So, that’s kinda the situation that you have before you and I think that previously I had said that the trip between Duskwall and Whitehollow is somewhere between 18 and 20 hours. So, that is the amount of time that you have to get this thing and then keep it safe, and yourselves safe, before you reach Duskwall.

Josie: Yes. I believe our best chance may be to initiate a plan that ultimately takes place within the last hour or so, so that they won’t have time to notice an absence or conduct any sort of reasonable search before arriving in town, at which point we can slink off.

Rhi: And if you do have to bail out into the Deathlands, it is a much shorter walk back.

Josie: Yes. [laughs]

Rhi: Yeah, I mean you can also use some of the time that you have kind of before you implement your plan to try and gather some info.

Josie: Yes.

Minna: Yeah, absolutely. We need to do that.

Rhi: Yeah. However you all wanna start in on this.

Josie: Yes. I think I want to socialize in the dining car. I wanna know who’s on this train, and who’s who on this train.

Rhi: Yeah, yeah, you can absolutely do that.

Josie: Because this is, like, fancy people train, right?

Rhi: So, it is a mix of passenger and cargo types, because there’s not a ton of trains running back and forth, so they kinda load up one train with as much as they can. But there are definitely, like, fancy rich people cars.

Kim: So, it’s basically the Titanic.

Rhi: Uh, yes, yeah. Yeah. Except ideally will not crash spectacularly and—

Kim: Into an iceberg.

Rhi: Yeah.

Minna: [laughs]

Rhi: If this train, if you all run this train into an iceberg, [laughs] something has gone horribly wrong.

Kim: [laughs]

Rhi: Minx, do you want to start off by doing your socializing? Since it’s pretty early, I imagine you could get in there for like a, you know, breakfast or brunch.

Josie: Yeah.

Rhi: Chat with folks.

Josie: And like, I don’t wanna press my luck on finding actual information on the Hand just yet. I want to know who is here, who could maybe be carrying it.

Rhi: Yeah. Absolutely. What are you gonna roll to do that?

Josie: I’m gonna go with a Sway.

Rhi: Okay.

Josie: I got a 5.

Rhi: 5, okay. So, standard amount of information. So yeah, you head into the, you know, one of the dining cars for breakfast. There’s definitely eggs, because chickens are still a thing.

Kim: They are?

Rhi: Mm hmm.

Kim: Okay.

Rhi: I think in the, like, ‘What is There to Eat in Duskwall’ section, it mentions chickens.

Kim: Why have we never eaten chicken, then? Why has that never been an option?

Rhi: I dunno, because I forget?

[laughter]

Kim: Okay. I just, I feel like we bend over backwards to come up with these weird-ass foods and I’m learning just today that we had chicken.

Minna: [laughs]

Kim: You know?

Josie and Rhi: [laughs]

Kim: Anyway, there’s eggs.

Rhi: Yeah, there’s eggs. Um, yeah, there’s probably, I mean, there’s probably like a mushroom-flour bread. I don’t know what else. Oh, maybe chicken sausage. It’s nice. It’s a nice breakfast. And you got a 5. I think as you are mingling there’s a table of about six people, kind of off in a back corner of the car, keeping to themselves, pretty much. They’re not really engaging with you very much. Very, like, they’re polite, but they’re cold and they’re not really inviting you to join them. And I think as you are kind of inconspicuously lurking in their vicinity, you hear one of them basically telling two of the people at the table, you know:

Rhi (as Train Passenger):  As soon as we finish here you two are on first shift. Keep an eye on it, we need to make sure that this stays secure.

Rhi: Things like that. Basically kind of giving security instructions.

Josie: Okay.

Rhi: And I think as you’re walking away, that person who was giving the directions kind of, you know, makes a gesture with their hand and you can see on the back of their wrist is a tattoo in the symbol of the Fallen Star, that you’ve seen a few other places.

Josie: Ah.

Rhi: Specifically tied to Lady Penderyn.

Josie: I see. Alright, that’s good to know. Okay, and these aren’t train staff? These are guests?

Rhi: Yeah, yeah.

Josie: Okay. That’s good to know, because it means the train staff isn’t necessarily in on it.

Rhi: Mm hmm. So, Myra or Blaire, you have any info you want to try to gather?

Minna: I’m assuming that, like, servants kind of go to breakfast with, like, everyone else who’s not in the fancy dining car?

Rhi: Yes. Yeah, there is a second class.

Minna: So, I’m just gonna go sit in the second class dining car and just kind of people-watch. And see if I can spot anyone who seems likely to be involved.

Rhi: Okay. Um, yeah. Go ahead and give me a roll.

Minna: God, I think it’s Study.

Rhi: Study makes sense, yeah.

Minna: 4.

Rhi: 4. Okay. So again, standard amount of information. So, you hang out in the second class coach, whatever you wanna call it, dining car, and initially nobody in there really seems to be connected to the Penderyn travelling party. But then after a little bit, two people cut through, walking down the train. You’ve been around, you know, doing this whole criminal thing for a while. You recognize this is people who are a little better armed and armored than one would expect for morning on a train. It’s the equivalent of, “Oh, they have a normal load.” [laughs]

Minna: [laughs]

Rhi: So, you spot these two people kind of moving briskly through the train car on their way elsewhere. You can, with that kind of standard amount of information, you can follow them to see where they end up.

Minna: Okay. I am going to do that.

Rhi: So, you trail them kind of through the rest of the passenger car area, and then you get to a point where there is a member of the train staff standing at a door. Like, you have to stay back a little ways, so you can’t see exactly what happens, but the two of them talk to the staff member who’s posted there. One of them shows the employee, like, a folded piece of paper. They look at it, they nod, they open, like, they unlock that door, and then the two of them continue on. And then the train staff closes the door and relocks it. So, there’s some kinda secure area that they head into further down, that you would not be able to follow because you would be spotted.

Minna: Uh huh. At least I know where it is. Where is it in relation to the rest of the train, again?

Rhi: I am gonna pretend I know, like, I know how train works. How trains work. I’m gonna pretend I can speak, too.

Josie: [laughs]

Minna: I feel like it could have a car to itself or something? I don’t know.

Rhi: Well, so what I’m picturing is that there’s like, the, so there’s the engine, I think like the front probably third of the train is kind of the passenger cars and then the rest of it is cargo.

Minna: Yeah.

Rhi: Based on what you saw when you were boarding the train, like, the back third are kinda those open cars of, like, heaps of coal and other stuff like that. So, it’s probably not that far back. So, somewhere in the middle third of the train, you’re guessing, is where it’s being stored.

Minna: Yeah, and then, like, because I’ve seen where the checkpoint is, I at least can guess where on the train the checkpoint is and make that mental note and stuff.

Rhi: Yes, yeah, you know exactly how to get to that security checkpoint area. Blaire, any info you wanna gather?

Kim: That’s a good question, dude.

Minna: I have an idea.

Kim: Yeah?

Minna: You could look into how to navigate outside the train.

Rhi: Yeah, see if you can chat with any of the Rail Jacks.

Kim: Uh, sure.

Rhi: Cause, like, I fele you have to also have that similar kind of very weird limited regard for self-preswrvation thing that Blaire’s got going to decide that that’s the career path you want.

Josie: [laughs] Right.

Kim: Eh, yeah.

Rhi: “I wanna stand on top of a moving train and fight ghosts, yeah!”

Kim: Yeah, but also they fight ghosts instead of, you know, helping them. Anyway, this is probably gonna be a Consort.

Rhi: Yeah, probably.

Kim: Cool, I got a 3 and a 2.

Rhi: So, you get limited information. I think you are able to, I think there’s like a bar, a train car that’s just a bar.

Kim: Oh, dope.

Rhi: And I think you’re able to find your way in there. You find a, you know, I think just a single off-durty Railjack, strike up a conversation with them and I think kind of exactly the sort of hesitance that you had about talking to them is what makes this not as useful, is that Bliare kind of starts to get on her soapbox about, like—

Kim (as Blaire): Ghost rights!

Rhi: Yeah. [laughs] But you do get a little bit of information. You basically learn that the Rail Jacks kinda have their own, sort of, access points to the outside of the train. There are doors set in some of the cars that they can open and climb out onto. They tend to have, kind of like, harnesses that they use to, like, attach themselves to the cars so they don’t fall off while they are zipping along very fast.

Kim: Yeah.

Rhi: But you don’t really get much more than that. Yeah, I think that’s pretty much what you get, is that there is this way of moving along the train on the outside, but not a ton of other details.

Kim: I tried.

Rhi: Yeah. I mean, it is more information than you had previously. Any other info you wanna try to gather?

Josie: How— I don’t know what the transfers between cars look like in this situation. I imagine they’re flexibly covered?

Rhi: What do they… how do trains work? It’s been so long since I’ve been on a train.

Josie: Fucking trains, how do they work?

Rhi: Yeah. [laughs] I think that there is a, like, I’m picturing kind of like a weather-proofed canvas between the cars so that it can, you know, bend and flex when the train goes around a bend. What info are you trying to…

Josie: I’m just trying to figure out what the line of sight for the Rail Jacks would be.

Rhi: Oh, okay.

Josie: Because that’s the problem with crawling outside the train, is that there’s already gonna be people there.

Rhi: Yes. There are not really a lot of lights on the train itself. The Rail Jacks do have kind of lanterns that they carry, but it’s also very dark out. So, it’s something where, like, if the train is going straight you can theoretically see from one end of the train to the other, but in practice there is not enough light to really see more than, like, one or two cars at a time.

Josie: Right.

Rhi: I think Blaire could have probably gotten that with her roll.

Josie: So, like, sneaking is conceivably possible.

Rhi: Absolutely, yeah. Dangerous, extremely dangerous, but very doable in terms of not getting spotted.

Josie: Right. Yeah, I think I might need a moment to think on how to actually formulate a plan here and what we need to know.

Rhi: Yeah.

Josie: Because a lot of the old train heist clichés are not feasible.

Rhi: Yeah. [laughs] Cannot ride up with horses and make them stop.

Josie: Yeah. How close to the passenger area is the cargo area? Is it one cargo car, or?

Rhi: No, there’s a ton of cargo cars.

Josie: Okay.

Rhi: This is a huge, huge long train. And it’s think it’s like the fancy people are up at the very front of the train and then you’ve got the people who have less money, that’s kinda where you all have been, and then there’s the cargo area of the train. So…

Josie: Hmm. Yeah. I mean we could just do that… yeah, we might just need to do that in the last hour or so, so people don’t have time to discover the crime scene, I guess.

Rhi: Planning on posing as staff or sneaking around the outside?

Josie: Posing as staff, letting the other two in and then dealing with what comes in there, I guess.

Rhi: How does that sound to the other two?

Kim: That works for me.

Minna: Okay.

Josie: Weirdly, it almost sounds too easy.

Rhi: I mean, it’s not too terribly different than, you know, breaking into a house back in Duskwall. You know, you don’t know exactly what’s in the house, you scout the outside of it then get in and find out what’s waiting for you.

Josie: Right. In that scenario, you have the bugging out option.

Rhi: Yes. [laughs] Yeah.

Josie: Here we don’t have that.

Rhi: Yeah, the stakes are a bit higher. Yeah, so, um…

Josie: I think… okay, I think the plan is, yeah, we just need to all pose as staff, relieve the guard on duty, let us all in and then I think maybe, yeah, let’s start with that.

Rhi: Then I think that’s where we’ll start. Okay so let’s figure out the engagement roll. One for luck. “Is this operation particularly bold or daring?” I feel like trying to steal a super powerful artifact on a speeding train through inhospitable wilderness is pretty daring.

Josie: Yeah. Yeah, let’s go with that. [laughs]

Rhi: “Any other elements you want to consider?” I think just the higher stakes of the whole train situation is making this just a much riskier prospect than normal. So, it’s gonna be a one die roll. And I shall roll it. Hmm.

Josie: That sounds like a 1.

Minna: That doesn’t sound good.

Rhi: That does. It sounds exactly like a 1, actually.

Minna: Oh no!

Kim: Fuck!

Josie: Oh, God dammit.

Rhi: Yeah. Alright, so you’re in a desperate position when the action starts. So, Minx, you change into your very snappy conductor uniform. It’s dark green, you got the little hat.

Josie: Yeah.

Rhi: Blaire and Myra, I assume you’re kinda hanging back a little bit to wait for Minx to get the door open. And as you are making your way up towards the door, you see there’s two guards— or not, so, there’s two of the people that you saw at breakfast. They are like Lady Penderyn’s, some of her personal guards that she sent. So when I refer to guards, that’s who I mean. There’s two of them standing outside of the door at the security checkpoint. And then the person that you saw who had the tattoo, the Fallen Star tattoo, is standing there talking to the two guards and the train staff member. And you kinda get close enough to hear what’s being said, and it’s like:

Rhi (as Penderyn’s Guard): No, I’ve compared their faces to the sketches that I was given by our employer and I am 90% certain. The Magpies are on this train, and I am sure that they are going to make some kind of attempt before we reach Duskwall. Be on high alert, do not let anyone through this door.

Minna: Woah.

Josie: Oh heavens. Okay, real quick. Poll from the team, because this is kind of an impulse decision. Do we just fucking launch into it and take them out now? Before they can, like, search and identify us? Or do we back off and try something else?

Minna: I think we could back off and try something else and not get stuck trying to fight people in a metal tube. Because that could go poorly.

Josie: Yeah, okay. [laughs]

Kim: Yeah.

Josie: Minx probably, like, leans forward like she’s gonna do it, and then Myra’s just like, “No, no.” [laughs]

Minna: She wraps a hand around her arm.

Josie: Yep.

Minna: Silently.

Josie (as Minx): Back to the drawing board.

Rhi: So, what is Plan B?

Josie: Uh… well. I think Plan B is going around the outside now.

Rhi: [laughs] So, I think you fall back a couple cars and are able to find one of the hatches that the Rail Jacks use. So, this’ll probably be, like, there will be a series of rolls as you’re navigating down the train. If you do not have climbing gear, like, each of you would need to mark climbing gear, if you don’t, it’s gonna be desperate. If you do mark climbing gear you can hook yourselves onto the train and it will just be risky.

Josie: I’m gonna mark off climbing gear.

Minna: I’m marking climbing gear.

Rhi: Yeah. [laughs]

Kim: Uh, climbing gear.

Rhi: Climbing gear takes two slots of your load. You’re able to kinda open up the hatch. I think, like, having Minx there in the uniform makes people be like, “Oh, well I guess this is fine. They’re supposed to be opening that thing, sure.” [laughs]

Josie: This is fine.

Rhi: So yeah, you get the hatch open. There is immediately just, you know, rushing wind as the train is zipping along. You all gonna climb on out?

Josie: Yeah.

Rhi: Okay. I think to start moving up the train I’m gonna need some kinda group check, probably.

Josie: Group Prowl probably?

Rhi: Yeah, yeah. Most likely Prowl.

Minna: Yeah.

Josie: Who’s got the stress to spare?

Kim: I do.

Minna: I sure don’t.

Josie: Blaire, how about you lead us on this one then?

Kim: Okey dokey. Oh, 6.

Josie: I got a 5.

Minna: 3.

Rhi: Okay, so Blaire is gonna take one point of stress, but the result is a 6.

Josie: Woo!

Kim: Run the fuck outta that train.

Rhi: Yeah. [laughs] Yeah, so what I picture for this is that there’s, like, metal cables that run down along the length of each car, and you’ve just got little, like, things that you kinda clip yourself onto these cables. So, you kinda hook yourselves in, climb up to the very narrow catwalk running along the edge, running along kinda the top edge of the cars, and start making your way down. I think that Myra, with your earlier Gather Info, you kind of know how many cars to count until you pass over the security checkpoint. Which, they didn’t really put anything on the outside of the car, because who would be crazy enough—

[laughter]

Rhi: To do this? And yeah, I think you’re able to, you make it over that security checkpoint on the outside of the car. Now, there are still dozens more cars ahead of you and you are not sure which one contains the Hand. You have some options before you, but you’re past that checkpoint now on the outside of a speeding train, hurtling through the darkness.

Josie: Woo!

Minna: Would an Attune roll help anything?

Rhi: Yeah, yeah. If you or Blaire, I know you two are both pretty good at Attune, an artifact like this would be pretty noticeable in the ghost field.

Kim: Okay. I’m gonna roll Attune, because this is gonna be my first time rolling with a 3 in Attune.

Rhi: Ooh, nice. So this is gonna be risky, great effect because you’ve got your fine spirit mask.

Kim: Okay, that’s a 1, a 3 and a 6.

Rhi: Okay. [laughs] Good thing you had that third die.

Kim: Phew!

Rhi: Describe what Blaire looks like as she is, you know, peering into the ghost field while clinging to the top of this speeding train. How does this look?

Kim: She uses one free hand, I’m gonna say just for convenience sake her mask is already— she usually, like, keeps it on her shoulder. I’m gonna say that it’s already on the top of her head, kind of like that, that thing that shields your eyes when you’re welding?

Minna: Mm hmm.

Rhi: Oh, yeah.

Kim: So, she kinda just brings it down. The spaces where, you know, her eyes would be start to glow.

Rhi: So, you peer into the ghost field, looking down the train, and it is pretty obvious what your target is. You can sort of see, like, there’s flickers out in the Deathlands of, you know, spirits. You can see, way off in the distance, a brighter glow that’s probably a spirit well. But on the train, there’s not a ton of stuff that has ghostly, spiritual signatures, except about six cars down from where you are. There is this section that is just sort of glowing like a beacon. It’s too large to just be the Hand. It looks like there’s a number of arcane wards in this car, but there is, it’s all surrounding something. And you can see, kind of in the midst of all those wards, there’s a small shape that is glowing very brightly in there. And you got about six more cars to cover.

Josie: That’s a long ways.

Kim (as Blaire): A little bit, six cars ahead, but I think that’s it!

Josie (as Minx): That simple, huh?

Kim (as Blaire): It’s— [giggles excitedly] it’s the closest we’ve ever been. We’re on the same vehicle as it!

Josie (as Minx): That… that is true, Blaire.

Kim (as Blaire): I’m just excited, okay? We’re gonna get it.

Josie (as Minx): Yes, we are. And we should get moving.

Kim (as Blaire): Okay.

Rhi: So, I think give me another group prowl roll to make sure that you get to your targeted car safely.

Kim: I can lead again.

Josie: Okey dokey.

Kim: Hah hah!

Minna: 3.

Kim: 2.

Josie: Got a 3…

Kim: Oh nooooo!

Minna: Oh, we, no!

Rhi: Oh boy. Okay.

Kim: Oh no.

Rhi: So, you all start making your way down the cars. You get through the first one, two. You make it onto the third car, so you’re about halfway. You’re halfway to your target. And there’s a clang from below, behind you, and then another one ahead of you. And you kind of look around as it’s a mix of— there’s two guards from Penderyn’s group and two Rail Jacks who have been sort of drafted into assisting with this, all come scrambling up the ladders. They are hooked onto the cables as well. You’ve got two on either side of this car, so you’re boxed in, and I think one of the Rail Jacks has a lightning hook in her hands, one of the big long ones on a pole, and kinda raises it and is like:

Rhi (as Rail Jack): If you come quietly—

Rhi: And one of Penderyn’s guards is like:

Rhi (as Penderyn’s Guard): Shut up. There’s no surrender here.

Rhi: And is gonna raise a pistol.

Minna: Oh.

Rhi: You all are in a desperate situation.

Josie: Oh dear.

Minna: This person just wants to murder us.

Rhi: You are surrounded by people who want you dead, yeah. So, yeah, this is desperate. There’s four of them, there’s three of you, you’re on top of a speeding car in pretty much pitch blackness. I imagine that one of you has a lantern. The two Rail Jacks have lanterns. So, there’s very, like, flickery, spooky light.

Josie: Uh huh. I think Minx is gonna look at either end.

Josie (as Minx): Well. I think it’s time to say goodnight.

Josie: And she’s gonna blow out our lantern.

Kim: Oh.

Rhi: [laughs] Okay.

Josie: And try and pull everyone down to, like, hit the deck.

Rhi: Okay. That’s gonna be some sort of roll. So, you’re trying to basically hide where you all are, trying to kind of… right?

Josie: Right.

Rhi: Okay.

Josie: Like, first it’s blow out the lantern, have everyone hit the deck, and like, maybe make this confused.

Rhi: Yeah, no, no, that totally works. Yeah, give me some kind of a roll. Do you have— I know there’s a Cutter ability that has to do with, um…

Josie: Yes. Bodyguard. “When you protect a teammate, take plus one die on the resistance roll.”

Rhi: Okay. I am gonna say that this— I might still, if you end up taking—

Josie: This could be a setup action, maybe?

Rhi: Yeah… it could be. I think because this feels protective to me, so even though it’s not officially that move, I’m gonna say that if you take a consequence from this I am still gonna give you that plus one die on your resistance roll.

Josie: Okay.

Rhi: So, yeah. So whatever you’re gonna roll.

Josie: Can I make a case for Consort? Cause I’m kind of relying on my teammates here to be up to speed on what I’m doing, a little bit? Or should it be, like, Sway because I’m sowing confusion?

Rhi: Um, I mean… hmm.

Minna: It is very theatrical.

Rhi: Yeah… honestly, I could… you made a solid argument for both. I would allow you to do either one.

Josie: Cool. Alright, well I’m gonna do Sway, then.

Rhi: Yeah.

Josie: Because I got that sweet, sweet four dice.

Rhi: Yeah, if you’re trying to create confusion, I will allow Sway for that.

Josie: I got a 5.

Rhi: 5. Okay. You do it but there’s a consequence. Okay, so you blow out the lantern, drag your teammates to the ground. Both Myra and Blaire are safe and unharmed. However, as you were dropping, that guard who had said, you know, basically kill them all, fires and it catches you in the back.

Josie: Oof.

Rhi: So, you’re gonna take level 3 harm.

Josie: Okay. Well, yep, that’s a resistance roll if I ever saw one.

Rhi: Yes. [laughs] That’s gonna be Prowess, and I will give you that bonus die for your Bodyguard.

Josie: In which case, that’s five dice.

Rhi: Okay.

Josie: Got a 4 only, though.

Kim: Oh no.

Rhi: Still, so you’ll take 2 stress and that’ll drop it to a level 2 harm. So, you’re still kinda hecked up. Not as bad as it coulda been. It’s a question of did the bullet, like, go through your side and mess up your ribs, or did it hit you in the spine.

Josie: Right.

Rhi: So, yeah. You’re shot, but still functional. But really any kind of physical rolls, you’re gonna be at a minus one die.

Josie: Oof.

Rhi: Yeah.

Josie: Dangit, I was hoping he would fire and hit one of the Rail Jacks. [laughs]

Rhi: Yeah. Okay, so Blaire or Myra?

Kim: I have an idea.

Rhi: Okay.

Kim: Let me just… I’m gonna mark off throwing knives and what I wanna do with that is while I’m, you know, pulled to the ground— here’s how I’m picturing this. Blaire is, like, face-down on the roof of the train and she grabs a throwing knife and she is going to aim and throw it at, I dunno, any of the guards that she can hit. And aim for their legs in hopes of throwing them off balance and pretty much, you know, getting them off the train.

Rhi: Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Minna: Are there— are they linked to the same ropes as us, or their own ropes? Because we could also go for their ropes.

Kim: Oh, that’s even cooler.

Rhi: So, the way that I’m picturing it is that there are… so you got the train car. On either side, running longway, there is like a steel cable that’s anchored to the end of each car. So, they are hooked on, all of you are hooked on to those. There’s two cables, all of you are hooked onto one of the other of them.

Minna: But what is hooking us to the cables?

Rhi: Yeah, there’s basically, like, a line that everybody has hooked onto their belt, and then it’s like a line running from your belt to the cable that you kinda hook a carabiner onto.

Minna: Go for their lines.

Kim: Yeah, that’s what I’m gonna do.

Rhi: Okay.

Kim: So, would what you say this roll would be?

Rhi: Could be Hunt, could be Skirmish. It is gonna be… it’s still gonna be desperate, and I think it’s gonna be reduced effect because you’re doing this in near-total darkness.

Kim: Yeah.

Rhi: It’s a tough shot to make. Also, don’t forget, Josie, to mark experience for that desperate roll you did.

Josie: Oh, yay.

Kim: Well, either one, doesn’t really matter because I have a one in both of those skills.

Rhi: Okay.

Kim: So I’m going to roll Skirmish.

Rhi: Okay. Do you wanna push yourself, do you want a Devil’s Bargain?

Minna: I will say go ahead and take an assist from me. I forgot I have an ability that lets me grant two free assists.

Kim: Oh, thank you. Okay.

Rhi: Alright.

Kim: Oh! That’s a crit. That’s two 6s.

Josie: Nice.

Rhi: [laughs] Holy shit! That’s awesome.

Kim: [screams] What the fuck!

Rhi: So, the result of it is going to be that not only does Blaire make the throw, you’re gonna cut this guy’s line, but he’s falling off the train.

Kim: Yep.

Rhi: So, describe how does Blaire accomplish this thing.

Kim: The way that she was able to get pinpoint accuracy is that she still has her spirit mask on, which helps, which double-serves as night vision goggles, really. So, she has no problem. I imagine she, like, curves the knife, in a way, and it spins a little but the blades does hit the line. And it just…

Rhi: I think that it’s like as the train is going around a turn. So like, the people who are still standing kind of have to lean a little bit to maintain their balance, so the line had gone real taut, and when it snaps he completely loses his balance and just goes end over end, falls off the train, you know, there’s just kind of a scream that cuts off very abruptly.

Josie: Oof.

Kim: I killed a guy. [laughs] Cool.

Rhi: Congratulations.

Josie: [sings Bohemian Rhapsody] Mama…

[laughter]

Rhi: We’ll deal with that later.

Kim: [sings Bohemian Rhapsody] Oo-oo-ooh…

Minna: Truly a killer meme.

Josie: Was that one of the guards or one of the Rail Jacks?

Rhi: Which one do you want to have killed, Blaire?

Kim: You know what? One of the Rail Jacks. For killing a ghost, probably.

Rhi: Okay. Well, now they will be a ghost. Myra, what would you like to do in this moment?

Minna: I would like to also be cutting lines.

Rhi: Okay, go for it. How do you want to go about doing this?

Minna: I would like to Skirmish about it.

Rhi: Okay so are you gonna close in and try and do it at, like, melee range?

Minna: Yeah. Oh. Ah! I also crit-ed.

Josie: Nice.

Rhi: Wow. Okay, who are you targeting?

Minna: I think I went to the opposite side from Blaire.

Rhi: Okay. There’s one Penderyn guard and one Rail Jack over there, so do you want—

Minna: Penderyn guard.

Rhi: Okay. So, I think it’s the same thing, I think— the guy’s going over the side, does he fall or do you push him?

Minna: I mean, they both want to kill us.

Rhi: Yeah. So, I think, yeah, Myra under cover of darkness zips over, cuts that guy’s line and gives him a shove. Yeah. So, you’re down to one Rail Jack and one guard. And the Rail Jack, who is now on the opposite, like, so there’s one guard on one side, one Rail Jack on the other. I think the Rail Jack— this is not in their job description and they are gonna leave. They’re not going back inside, they’re just heading down further along the train cars. You’re not sure if they’re going to get backup or if they’re just bailing, but they’re departing from this situation. [laughs] They just saw two people get shoved off the train to their deaths and they’re not sticking around to be the third. So, I don’t know if anybody wants to do something about that, but one person is leaving.

Josie: Well, I think we’re gonna need a Hand to get out of this situation.

Kim: Eyy! [laughs]

Josie: Ehh! [laughs]

Kim: [sings comedy backing music] Ba da da, da da…

Rhi: [laughs] I’m sorry to all of our listeners and loyal fans, The Magpies is over.

Kim and Josie: [laugh]

Rhi: I’m cancelling the show. I cannot work in these conditions.

Josie: [laughs]

Rhi: Are you doing anything about the fleeing Rail Jack or are you gonna let them go?

Josie: I think I let them go.

Kim: I feel like there’s consequences if we let them go.

Minna: Throw something after them.

Kim: Yeah, you know what? Blaire’s gonna try and do a murder again.

Josie: Okay… [laughs]

Kim (as Blaire): We take no prisoners.

Kim: [laughs]

Rhi: Jesus.

Josie: [laughs] Oh no…

Kim (as Blaire): They work for the bourgeoisie. I thought we were all on the same page.

Kim: Okay. That’s a 5.

Rhi: You do it, but there’s a consequence. So, I think what happens is you throw your next throwing knife and it does catch them on the arm and they kinda stumble a little bit, but they are gonna keep going and the consequence is that I am going to start a clock—

Kim: No!

Rhi: For Reinforcements Arrive.

Josie and Minna: [groan]

Kim: This is why I wanted to kill him, because I knew if he got away he was gonna, like, pull an alarm or something.

Rhi: It’s at 1 out of 6. There is one guard left.

Minna: Is this the one who wanted to shoot us?

Rhi: Uh, yeah.

Minna: Alright. Somebody has to square up against the shooty guy.

Josie: Oh, there’s still someone left?

Rhi: There’s one guard left, yeah.

Josie: Oh. Yeah, I’m gonna shoot him.

[laughter]

Rhi: Alright.

Josie: [laughs]

Rhi: It is risky, but reduced effect due to the darkness.

Josie: I got a 5.

Rhi: 5, okay. I think you hit him, but it’s a glancing shot. And I think he is also going to book it to go look for reinforcements. So that clock is gonna tick up another 1. So, you all are at 2 out of 6. However, no one is currently impeding your progress forward.

Josie: Yeah, I think we should just get to the car so at the least, we can fight whatever comes not on the roof of a speeding train.

Rhi: So, here’s what I’m gonna give you, because Minx did get shot in the back and is slowed down by the fact that she got shot in the back. You can either have Blaire and Myra help her and go slower, but it’s gonna tick up the clock, or Minx can make a roll to try and keep up with all of you.

Josie: I think Minx is gonna try that roll anyway, because reckless.

Rhi: I’m gonna borrow something from the Band of Blades game that we did, where this is not necessarily gonna be, like, an ability roll. I think I’m just gonna have you make a Prowess roll. Not like a resistance roll, but just roll Prowess to see how well you can manage this.

Josie: Okay. I got a 6.

Rhi: Okay. It hurts, and you’re gonna pay for this later, but you are able to run along the top of the train cars, keep up with the other two. I have a mental image, I’m just trying to put it into words. So, you have two options for how you can get back into the interior of the train. One of them is another Rail Jack entrance hatch which is in the car right in front of the one that you want. So it will not put you directly in the car and there may be other security on that door that you’d have to deal with. Or you can try to cut your way through the, kind of, that canvas covering that’s between the cars and try to climb down that way. The first way will not require a roll, you’ll just be able to do it, but then you’ll have to deal with the door. The second way will require a roll, but will probably get you past at least the first layer of security.

Josie: I kinda like going for the canvas.

Minna: Me too.

Rhi: Okay. How do you wanna handle that?

Josie: I mean, we have no shortage of knives.

Rhi: Yes.

Josie: Although just to be sure, can someone lend me a hand?

Minna: Yeah. Take my second free assist. Unless you meant a group action.

Josie: I meant a pun. But— [laughs]

Rhi: Yeah. I heard it.

Minna: Oh, I’m so sorry.

Rhi: I heard it and I sighed, but I wasn’t gonna draw further attention to it.

Minna: I thought you were actually asking,

Josie: Oh, am I getting cold shouldered now? Is that what’s happening? [laughs]

Rhi: I will remember this when you ask for a Devil’s Bargain next.

Josie: No, we don’t need the free assist, I don’t think.

Minna: Okay.

Rhi: This is probably, I’m thinking, Prowl.

Josie: Okey dokey.

Rhi: Because this is a physical thing. And you are gonna take the penalty, the one die penalty, on this.

Josie: Makes sense.

Rhi: Okay, 4. So I think that in order to do this in a way that doesn’t involve you plummeting to your death you have to do it slowly, and I’m gonna tick up that clock again. So, the Reinforcements Arrive is now at 3 out of 6. But you all are able to kind of climb down into this little space between the cars. You unhook your climbing gear.

Josie (as Minx): Well that was difficult, but I think I got a hand-le on it.

[long pause]

Rhi: [sighs]

Josie: [laughs] Just dead silence. I’m really sorry.

Rhi: [laughs]

Josie: I didn’t know it hurt that bad.

Rhi: Anyway. So, you all climb down into the space between the cars. Looking at the door that you would have had to break through if you had just gone in through the hatch, it’s a pretty serious door with like, you can see kind of the back side of spark-craft security systems on there. There’s a pretty intense lock on it. So, like, that would have been a difficult thing to get through.

The next door that leads into the car, it is also locked but it has, like, a… one of those windows that has, like, wire through it so it won’t— you can’t just shatter it and open the lock, but you can see. And what you see inside of this room, it’s pretty well lit, there are several kind of metal crates that seem to be bolted to the ground, and in the middle of the car is a cage, floor to ceiling, that the bars look like they’re electrified. There’s little zaps of electricity jumping between them. And there are two guards inside, sitting in chairs near the cage.

Josie: Would it be possible to intentionally set off the security measures on this door? So that they might come to investigate?

Rhi: Oh. Yes, you could do that. You could deliberately set the alarms so that they would come investigate.

Josie: I don’t really have Tinker, so that might be up to Blaire.

Kim: Yeah, I can give a stab at it.

Rhi: Yeah.

Kim: Yeah, that’s a 3.

Rhi: Okay. Blaire, instead of setting off the alarms, you just pick the lock. Quietly.

Minna and Josie: [laugh]

Rhi: And the door, like, you kinda weren’t expecting it, the door swings open and the two guards look to see you crouched there, lockpicks still in hand, Minx and Myra standing behind you. And so, whatever element of surprise might have been there is lost.

[laughter]

Kim: Oh.

Josie (as Minx): Right! Time for guns.

Rhi: Yeah. [laughs] So, I think that the consequence here is that you all are back in a desperate situation as the two of them lunge to their feet and go for their own weapons.

Josie: Uh, yep, I’m shooting at them as best I can.

Rhi: Okay.

Josie: Myra, now can I have that free assist?

Minna: Yes.

Josie and Rhi: [laughs]

Josie: I got a 6.

Rhi: Yeah, you shoot at one of the guards and you hit him. I don’t think it takes them out, these are pretty, like, beefy, well-equipped individuals, but he is badly injured. And yeah, what would the other two of you like to do? Minx has just shot somebody.

Kim: Um..

Minna: Uh…

Kim: Hmm.

Minna: I feel like we have to shoot the other one.

Kim: Yeah.

Rhi: That would be a solid solution.

Minna: Although I’ve already marked three things and one of them is a blade, so maybe I’m gonna go fight him.

Rhi: Okay. You gonna go do a stabbin’.

Minna: 5.

Rhi: So, I think you’re getting shot.

Josie: [gasps]

Rhi: That is gonna be level 3 harm.

Minna: I’m gonna resist it.

Rhi: Okay.

Minna: That’s a 5.

Rhi: Okay. So, you’ll just take one stress then, and that’ll drop it down to a level 2.

Minna: Where was I shot?

Rhi: Like, in the shoulder. So, you are also gonna be taking penalties on some physical actions. Okay, Blaire, what do you wanna do?

Kim: Do a shoot.

Rhi: Okay. Yeah, this is, I think if you’re staying in the door it’ll be risky.

Kim: That’s fine. I’ll take risky, because I already rolled a 3.

Rhi: So, I think you fire, but as you pull the trigger, the train kinda like shifts on the tracks and your shot goes wild, and it hits something that sets off that alarm you wanted to set off earlier.

Kim: Oh, come on!

Rhi: So, Reinforcements Arrive is now at 4 out of 6. Yeah, so you’ve got two guards. One is injured but still capable of shooting a gun. Reinforcements are on their way. What do you wanna do?

Josie: I wanna finish off the guy who’s still standing.

Rhi: Okay. Then take your shot. It’s gonna be risky, I think, for you at this point, too. Myra’s the only one who’s still in a desperate position because she has two people pointing guns at her.

Josie: 6 again.

Rhi: Nice. Okay, that is gonna— are you shooting to maim or shooting to kill?

Josie: Uh… shooting to kill.

Rhi: Okay. Yeah. Well, yeah, I think you get him square in the chest and he topples over and that’s it. Fortunately, it usually takes a few days for ghosts to appear, so that’s not gonna be an immediate concern.

Josie: [laughs]

Rhi: Yeah, so one of the guards has been taken out. Myra, do you wanna try and tangle with this other guy?

Minna: Yeah.

Rhi: Yeah. And it’s up to a risky position now, since you’re just facing him one-on-one.

Minna: I’m gonna roll. Fuck me, it’s a 3.

Rhi: Oh no, what did you get? A 3? Um, so I think that…

Minna: Can I suggest something?

Rhi: Yes.

Minna: Or at least part of it is that when I got shot I dropped my knife, so I, like, basically try to punch the wound and get my wrist caught.

Rhi: Okay, yes. So he’s, like, got you in a grapple basically?

Minna: Yeah.

Rhi: Yeah, yeah, I like that. I think this is gonna put you back in a desperate position. He still has his gun. I think you grabbed for it and now the two of you are just wrestling over that, but he is armed and is less injured than you and I think is just, like, physically bigger. So, you’re in the weaker position here. So, desperate is where you’re back at as you’re wrestling with this guy. Blaire?

Kim: Yeah… I can try shooting again?

Rhi: You could. Do you want a Devil’s Bargain?

Kim: Let me hear it, yeah.

Rhi: This is the last shot. This is the last bullet that you’ve got. You didn’t pack a ton of ammo cause you weren’t expecting to have to do a lot of shooting.

Kim: And I don’t use guns, like, ever. So yeah, that’s fair. I’ll take it.

Rhi: Okay, yeah. So basically, after this shot your gun is gonna be dead weight.

Kim: Okay. That’s a 5.

Rhi: He got injured already. Again, are you shooting to injure or kill? [laughs]

Kim: Murder.

Rhi: Jesus.

Kim: [laughs]

Rhi: Blaire’s gotten a taste for blood. I’m concerned, I feel like we’re gonna need to have a conversation.

Kim: [laughs] Uh— it’s— listen— she fucking wants this and…

Josie: Yes, and that—

Rhi: Listen, the fact that Blaire is willing to murder people to get this artifact is worrying.

Josie: Yes.

Kim: Well, and also, people are coming. So…

Rhi: Yeah.

Kim: I’m trying to up our chances.

Rhi: I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. I’m just saying it’s, like, it’s a character choice. Yeah, so Blaire, I think like, is standing there, gets an opening and fires, and this guy also topples over. Myra, I think, staggers a little bit because there’s suddenly not resistance. And yeah, for the moment, you are alone in this train car with two bodies. And this big, electrified cage.

Josie: Is it… what’s in the cage?

Rhi: Looking past the bars, you can see that there is a fairly small, I would say, like, a foot on all sides, wooden crate. Just resting on the floor. There’s a large label on the top of it that you can’t read what it says, but it has Lady Penderyn’s, like, house sigil stamped onto it.

Josie (as Minx): Alright. Well, this might be your expertise, Blaire, in getting us through this.

Kim (as Blaire): Okay. Let me take a crack at it.

Kim: Is this gonna be some kind of like Attune thing? Or Tinker?

Rhi: I think we’ve said previously that you can, like, see that in the ghost field. I don’t know that you’ve tried to manipulate electricity via Attune, but it’s a thing that is doable.

Kim: I am going to try that because I have three dice in Attune.

Rhi: Yeah.

Kim: That sounds better than rolling one dice this whole time.

Rhi: Yeah, go ahead and give it a shot. It is still risky.

Kim: Mm hmm. Are you goddamn fucking kidding me?

Josie and Rhi: Oh no.

Kim: 3, 3, 2.

Rhi: You can hear people are at the other side of the door. Reinforcements are one tick away.

Kim: We’re gonna fucking die…

Rhi: And clamoring at the door.

Kim: We were so close.

Josie: I have demolition tools.

Kim: I was gonna say, what if we blew up the train?

Rhi: [laughs]

Minna: Yeah!

Kim: What if we went full Uncharted on this?

Rhi: This also happens frequently when I run train heists. Continue.

Josie: I want to set up the demolition stuff by the door. And, you know, as soon as anyone tries to come through, just—

Rhi: Blow it?

Josie: Yeah. Blow that shit up.

Rhi: Okay. Yeah, this is gonna be risky, obviously. Yeah, and I’m assuming Wreck is what you’re going for here?

Josie: Yeah.

Rhi: Do you want a Devil’s Bargain?

Josie: Sure. Yeah. This is a good time for that.

Rhi: Minx in particular packed a lot of stuff. You are not— Minx. The other two, your stuff might be okay. Minx’s luggage is going to be, like, pulled out, impounded, collect by the Bluecoats, whatever you don’t have on your person—

Josie: Oh no!

Rhi: Is gonna be lost. So, clothes, your bedding…

Josie: Oh dear. Um…

Rhi: [laughs]

Josie: Why couldn’t it have just been it decouples the car? [laughs]

Rhi: Cause I wanna save that for how this roll goes. [laughs] And decoupling the car could potentially be an advantage to you, because you’re not too far out from Duskwall at this point.

Josie: That is true. Um… eh… this is a surprisingly character-fraught moment.

Rhi: Yeah. [laughs]

Josie: [laughs] Okay. I think the last time there was a choice between luxury and a compatriot I chose wrong, and now Bazso is a thing.

Minna: [laughs]

Josie: I think Minx is gonna chose right this time and let the stuff go.

Rhi: I’m very proud of her.

Josie (as Minx): I really liked that bedding.

Rhi: [laughs] She doesn’t know it at this point, but that’s the loss.

Josie: Mm hmm.

Rhi: Yeah. Go ahead and make that roll.

Josie: I did get a 6.

Rhi: Okay. So it was worth it. I think, Minx, you set up the charges on the outside of the door, so in that kind of connecting space. Close the door that Blaire had picked the lock on. When you hear the other door open, you blow the charges and the door that leads back into the rest of the train is basically, kind of like, welded shut.

Josie: I see.

Rhi: So, people can’t get in through that door. They could in theory maybe, like, climb back up around, climb over, but it’s gonna delay them significantly having to go up and over and down to the next entry point and then back down through the train.

Josie: Right.

Rhi: So, I’m gonna say that this has effectively reset the clock down to 1 out of 6.

Josie: Cool.

Rhi: So, explosion happens. I think there is, like, a pause where you’re all like, “Are we… still… connected to the rest of the train?” But you seem to be continuing onwards, so it’s like, “Okay.”

Josie: [laughs]

Rhi: Yeah, so you’ve still got this electrified cage to deal with.

Josie: Yes. I don’t know how to deal with that part.

Rhi: Blaire, you can give Attuning another shot, you can try Tinkering with, kinda, the security system in here, to see…

Kim: I’m gonna try Tinkering again, because that last roll was bullshit and I have more dice in Attune, as I’ve stated. 2, 2, 1.

Rhi: Oh my God. Was that on Tinker?

Kim: No, that was… no, I only have—

Rhi: That was Attune?

Kim: Yeah, I only have one dice in Tinker.

Rhi: Oh, okay. Okay, that’s what I thought, Okay. Yeah, I think I’m gonna go with you lose this opportunity. You are just not able to, like, figure out how to control the electricity here. It’s just like, I think you’re standing there and you’re concentrating and you come out of it and you’re woozy and you have a little bit of a nosebleed, and it’s just not working. Anybody else wanna take a swing at this?

Josie (as Minx): Myra, how do we get through this?

Minna (as Myra): I can take a crack. Let’s try this.

Josie (as Minx): Yes.

Minna: I’ve got two in Attune, so that’s actually not a bad idea.

Rhi: Yeah.

Minna: What’s a Devil’s Bargain look like?

Rhi: You’re gonna take harm no matter what.

Minna: Hmm. What level of harm?

Rhi: Level 1.

Minna: Let’s go for it. Really? Fuck you. It’s a 3.

Rhi: Oh no.

Josie: [groans]

Rhi: Um… I think I’m just gonna bump that up to level 2 harm. I think that, like, you’re trying to do the same thing that Blaire was, and you just get zapped. Like, the lightning almost seems to be fighting back against you all now.

Josie: Uh… I mean, does our solution have to be trying to control ghost lightning? I figured we’d just try and disarm this somehow.

Minna: Yeah, if you can figure out another way through. I just, that was my best option, I think.

Rhi: You do have explosives.

Josie: Can I use them again?

Rhi: Yeah, the demolition tools, like, yeah. It’s not just one use of it. I feel like once you say “I have this” you’ve got—

Josie: Okay, yes, because I am out of load. Yeah. Time to explode a hole in this.

Rhi: This is gonna still be risky. You gonna push yourself, Devil’s Bargain?

Josie: Yeah, I’ll push myself. That only leaves me with one stress remaining, but let’s make this happen. 6.

Rhi: [exhales] Okay. I feel like you throw a grenade at it.

Josie: Yep. [laughs]

Rhi: [laughs] So I think what happens is you throw this grenade and it blows a hole in the cage. And the crate also kinda gets, like, blasted aside. I imagine Blaire is probably the first one in.

Kim: Yeah.

Rhi: And you, like, rummage into this crate, which fortunately was packed with a lot of, like… I guess it wouldn’t be straw. Soft stuff. Oh, probably like dried seaweed, actually.

Josie: Huh.

Rhi: Would be, like, a cheap packing material. So, you dive into that and you’re digging around, and you find inside this larger wooden crate a very finely-crafted, because it’s Whitehollow, silver box. That surprisingly, after all this, isn’t locked. It just has a simple little latch on it. Are you gonna open it up?

Kim: Yes. [laughs]

Rhi: [laughs] You open it up and very similar to kind of how the Eye of Kotar was presented, the box is lined with sort of a dusty old velvet. It’s very soft and padded. Inside this box is a, well, it’s a hand. It’s a right hand. It’s more mummified than anything, it’s not a skeleton hand. It’s, like, desiccated and leathery. It stops at the wrist very neatly. And that is it. Sitting in this very nice box.

Kim: Can I touch it?

Minna: [laughs]

Rhi: Yeah you can.

Josie (as Minx): Disgusting.

Rhi: When you touch it, it twitches.

Kim (as Blaire): [gasps] Hello!

Josie (as Minx): [gagging noise]

Rhi: And very suddenly, it twists around and, like, latches onto the back of your hand. So it’s like a right hand overlaid on top of your right hand.

Kim (as Blaire): Oh! Well this is new.

Josie (as Minx): Kill it!

Kim (as Blaire): No, no, no!

Rhi: It feels very, like, it doesn’t look any different, but it feels like if somebody, like a friend, laid their hand on tops of yours. It feels very warm and full of life, and almost comforting.

Kim (as Blaire): Oh…

Rhi: Blaire, it really, it just wants to help you.

Kim (as Blaire): Aww. Okay!

Josie (as Minx): Blaire?

Kim (as Blaire): What?

Josie (as Minx): Everything fine?

Kim (as Blaire): Yeah! Yeah, this is cool, check it out!

Josie (as Minx): You sure?

Kim: And Blaire’s gonna just, like, lift her hand up. [laughs]

Josie (as Minx): It wasn’t supposed to move.

Kim (as Blaire): What do you mean? Eyeball Friend moves. This makes sense.

Rhi: You can, I wanna remind you what happened when you used the Eye. You take a lot of stress from using it.

Kim: Yup.

Rhi: You can either give in to what is being offered here, this help, you know, which I imagine is kinda what Blaire wants to do.

Kim: She wants to know what the fuck it does.

Rhi: Blaire can make a resistance roll to hold off on activating this right now at this moment, but she’s gonna have to resist because this is her vice, this is what she wants.

Kim: Yep.  I mean…

Rhi: You’re gonna take stress either way. The resistance roll, you will probably take less.

Kim: Yes. I think Blaire is going to recognize that now is not the time or place. She needs to interact with this thing under a controlled environment. So, I’m going to roll to resist.

Rhi: Yeah. That’s going to be Resolve.

Kim: Okay, that is 6, 6, 6, 4, 4. Does that count as a crit?

Rhi: Yeah, so when you crit on a resistance roll, not only do you not take any stress, you actually clear one stress.

Kim: Oh, dope! This is awesome.

Rhi: [laughs] So, you clear one stress.

Kim: I learn something new about this game every time we play.

Rhi: So, I think you are able to gently remove the hand and put it back in the box.

Kim: I give it a pat.

Rhi: Yeah, like, on the knuckles. And it kind of like, after you set it back in there, it settles and goes still again.

Josie (as Minx): Phew.

Kim (as Blaire): I’m gonna name you Handy.

Rhi: [laughs] This ancient, powerful relic, lost for centuries.

Kim: [laughs] Yeah.

Rhi: That Blaire has been, like, just vibrating with excitement about for multiple episodes, has been named Handy.

Minna: [laughs]

Josie (as Minx): As though it is a bloody pet.

Minna: It’s really par for the course.

Rhi: Okay, so you have this thing. I’m gonna make a fortune roll to see how far you are from Duskwall.

Kim (as Blaire): You and Eyeball Friend are gonna get along so well.

Josie (as Minx): We really do not need any mor pets. Hex is enough.

Rhi: So, I think as you’re all standing here, you hear, like, the whistle blow a few times, which basically means we’re approaching the station. The problem is you all are no longer in the passenger area. [laughs] So you’re gonna have to, basically I’ll need, like, ideally one more roll for you all to get somewhere where you can slip off the train without getting caught upon arrival.

Josie: Right. Well, I think perhaps, maybe, we can simply go a car over, and I’m still wearing the conductor uniform, right?

Rhi: [laughs] Yes, but it is covered in blood.

Josie: Ah, right. Yes.

Rhi: [laughs]

Josie: [laughs] Yeah. I think we need to just go to the back of the train and slink off into the night.

Rhi: Okay. How about a group Prowl, just to hide? Because there are, like, people looking for you.

Kim: Yeah.

Josie: Yes.

Rhi: So, who wants to lead that?

Josie: I cannot.

Kim: Okay, I’ll lead it.

Rhi: Okay.

Kim: Hah hah, that’s a 1, baby.

Minna: Fuck you, it’s a 2.

Rhi: Oh dear. Okay.

Minna: The dice gods hate us.

Josie: Really? [laughs]

Rhi: So the result is a 2. [laughs] So, you all are hustling along towards the back of the train. Blaire’s got the box tucked under her arm. And you kind of hurry across into a cargo car that’s just, sort of, loaded with crates and stuff. And as you all move into the car, a figure very dramatically steps out from behind the crates. And Minx, you recognize this as the person that you saw at breakfast giving orders. This is the person with that tattoo. They step out and I think that they are wearing, like, a very long, dramatic coat.

Josie: Uh huh…

Rhi: And they have, like, their hair is pulled back, but they’ve got some little wispies around that are fluttering dramatically. Minx, even though you are injured and you just wanna get through this situation, you appreciate this person’s commitment to the aesthetic. Like, they’ve got a very, like, solid goth look going on here. And it’s like… they know what they’re about.

Josie (as Minx): Good, good. We are not about to be stopped by someone sloppy.

Rhi: Yeah. [laughs] They step and I don’t think they say anything. They just raise a hand and a gust of wind basically blasts at all of you.

Josie: Uh… [laughs]

Rhi: And if you want to keep your footing, you will need to make a resistance roll. Otherwise, you’re gonna get knocked backwards and take… this’ll be level 1 harm.

Josie: I can’t risk taking stress from a resistance roll.

Rhi: Okay. So, Minx, you get knocked backwards, slam into a wall. It hurts very badly because you got shot, so you’re gonna take level 1 harm, battered. Blaire? Myra? What are you two doing?

Kim: I can resist. Which resistance am I rolling?

Rhi: Prowess.

Kim: Okay.

Minna: Er… I guess I’m also gonna try and resist.

Kim: Phew, okay. That’s two 6s and a 3.

Rhi: Wow.

Kim: Is that another crit for… oh my God, okay.

Minna: Oh thank God. I got a 6.

Rhi: Okay, so Myra takes no stress, Blaire clears one stress. You two, like, just stand your ground.

Josie: [laughs] And Minx gets blown all the way back, just like:

Josie (as Minx): [shrieks]

Kim: You just get yeeted down the hall.

Josie and Rhi: [laugh]

Rhi: So, this person, like, raises an eyebrow.

Rhi (as Tattooed Stranger): Impressive. Mostly. Hand over the box and I don’t have to kill all of you.

Kim (as Blaire): I don’t think that’s gonna happen.

Minna (as Myra): Yeah, you act like that’s actually an option we’re gonna take.

Kim (as Blaire): Also, how the fuck did you do that?

Rhi (as Tattooed Stranger): Well, if you were a better Whisper, you would know.

Kim (as Blaire): Okay, you wanna throw hands, bitch?

Rhi (as Tattooed Stranger):  Uh, I would appreciate it if you threw The Hand to me, yes.

Kim (as Blaire): No, I mean do you wanna throw hands? Do you wanna fucking go?

Rhi: I need you to roll resistance, she’s blasting you with lightning.

Kim: Oh fuck! Okay. [laughs] Is it Resolve?

Josie: [laughs]

Rhi: Well, it’s a supernatural effect, so yes.

Kim: Yes, okay. Okay, 5.

Rhi: Okay, so you take one point of stress, and you’re gonna take— it was level 2 harm, but now it’s dropped down to level 1 as you get… you’re a little zapped, a little crispy.

Josie: Yes, this bitch getting shot.

Rhi: Yeah, this is what happens when— I haven’t really had… the way that, like, powerful one-off enemies work is a little weird in this game, so I haven’t really done it much, but I’m trying it out here.

Kim (as Blaire): I have ghosts and I’m not afraid to use them.

Josie: [laughs]

Rhi: They just smirk.

Josie: I’m taking a shot. Like, I’m crumpled against the back of the car, but I’m lifting up my arm and trying to shoot her.

Rhi: Okay. Go ahead and take that shot. It’s gonna be risky, reduced effect.

Josie: A 4.

Rhi: Shit, I’m gonna have to name this person, aren’t I? You’re gonna have a nemesis here if they survive it. 4, okay. You do it but there’s a consequence. You take the shot and, you know, this person twists out of the way a little bit so it just grazes along their arm. And they kind of look at their sleeve, which is now torn, and they kind of make a face. And then are just like:

Rhi (as Tattooed Stranger): I don’t actually have to kill you. I just have to keep you here until The Bluecoats arrive.

Rhi: And you all realize, suddenly, that, “Oh, the train has stopped.” So, starting a new clock for Bluecoats Arrive.

Minna: [laughs]

Rhi: 1 out of 4.

Josie: Great.

Kim: Oh no!

Rhi: Yeah. So, what are you all gonna do?

Kim: We need to outta here.

Minna: Uh huh.

Josie: Yeah, I mean, bolting might be an option.

Rhi: Yeah, you will have to make a roll to just book it, because this person is not just gonna stand there and let you go.

Minna: I think we should do a group book it. I don’t know what that action is.

Rhi: Prowl, probably.

Minna: Prowl. Do you wanna do group Prowl, y’all?

Kim: Yeah.

Josie: Yeah, let’s do it.

Minna: I can lead.

Rhi: Alright.

Kim: 1! I’m gonna…

Josie: A 2.

Minna: 6!

Rhi: 6, okay, alright.

Josie: Phew.

Minna: So I take two stress and…

Rhi: Two stress, but you got a 6.

Minna: We do it.

Josie: I imagine that what this looks like is like, Minx is kinda slumped back near the door, Kim is like, “Oh you wanna go? You wanna throw hands?” and Myra’s just like, “Nope. We’re leaving.” [laughs] And grabs us both.

Rhi: So yeah, I think that Myra is able to drag the two of you out the door and you just run. Book it through Gaddoc Station, and once you kind of get out into the station proper, you know, I picture this like Union Station in New York. It’s massive and full of people and you’re able to disappear into the crowd very quickly. And yeah, you [laughs] badly injured, almost everyone at max stress, I think, what, we had two of you at eight?

Josie: Yep.

Minna: Mm hmm.

Rhi: Yeah. So, you make it away and back into surprisingly, the comforting, dark, crowded streets of Duskwall. Okay, so let’s do our downtime scenes. Let’s start with Myra, I think.

Minna: okay.

Rhi: So, what are you up to?

Minna: I feel like this is very public house based.

Rhi: Yeah, so you’re, like, at a local tavern somewhere in Six Towers?

Minna: Yeah. I don’t know if it’s Six Towers or Nightmarket— well, it’d be Six Towers. Because Nightmarket, there’s only one pub for us.

Rhi: Aww. [laughs]

Josie: Aww.

Rhi: You’re working on reducing heat. I feel like it’s just kind of like there’s a few bars in the area that you’ve kind of ingratiated yourself to, like, the regulars and the bartender.

Minna: Yeah.

Rhi: So you’re not a regular, but they regulars all know you.

Minna: I think that I trade little favors that I can do for their favor of going out and spreading the good word, like, good words about us.

Rhi: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely, yeah. So, what does that look like?

Minna: I’m trying to think how to phrase this, because I think literacy is decent, but, like, for some more complicated things, or somebody needs me to look over a contract, or just little—

Rhi: Oh yeah, yeah.

Minna: Just little admin things that people can use help with. And I just kinda set up shop in a corner. And we chat while I’m doing it.

Josie: Aww.

Rhi: Yeah, yeah. I like that. So yeah, I think that absolutely makes sense. I think that this is a society where a basic level of literacy is helpful to the ruling class.

Minna: Yeah, like I’ve definitely talked about, like, schoolhouses at factories and things like that.

Rhi: Yeah, because you want people… it’s easier for people to maintain the machinery if they can read the labels, but I think like, legal contracts or things like that, people would have more trouble with. I really like that idea. So, Myra just kinda sets up shop at, you know, one of these local pubs in Six Towers and yeah, I think it’s just people come in and bring in some papers and just chat and ask for advice on probably a lot of, like, you’re kind of providing like, “I’m not a lawyer, but…”

Minna: Yeah.

Rhi: Type advice. And yeah, I think we kind of see that happening. Myra’s having these little conversations and then we see some of these people going out into the city and, like, get stopped The Bluecoats and they’re just like, “The Magpies? I’ve never heard of them, I don’t know,” covering up the Magpie pin on their jacket. [laughs]

Minna: [laughs]

Rhi: Yeah. So I think we just sort of see that, of that ripple effect of a lot of the citizens in the area are doing what they can to turn The Bluecoats off your trail.

Minna: I love Myra working off of favors.

Rhi: Yeah, that’s cool. And I like the favors that she’s providing. That’s a really cool thing. Alright, so while Myra is out winning over the citizenry, what is Minx up to?

Josie: Minx is going to see Nyryx.

Minna: Aww.

Josie: She’s going to get a small bundle of flowers and put the necklace in a little box and…

Rhi: Aww.

Josie: It’s clear that she’s clearly favoring one of her arms over the other. Like, she’s not in a cast or anything, but is sort of like, the other one’s a little bit limp. She’s not moving it all that much.

Rhi: Yeah. Are you meeting Nyryx at her work or at her apartment? Are you going out somewhere?

Josie: I was just thinking at her apartment.

Rhi: Okay. So, yeah, I guess you knock on the door with your good arm and there’s a pause from inside. Like, you know, it goes quiet, then you hear footsteps approaching and the door cracks open. And she’s like,

Rhi (as Nyryx): Oh! Minx! Hi! You’re back.

Josie (as Minx): Hi Nyry, yes.

Rhi (as Nyryx): Hi.

Josie (as Minx): Just got off the train. After spending some time in bed, but you know how it is.

Rhi: I think she, like, she goes to give you a hug and you probably wince a little bit.

Josie: Mm hmm. [laughs]

Rhi: She’s not aware that you’re injured. She’s like:

Rhi (as Nyryx): Oh, well you’ll have to tell me all about it. I’ve, I mean, you know, I haven’t ever left Duskwall either.

Josie (as Minx): Of course.

Rhi (as Nyryx): That’s so… [sighs] That’s just so exciting. You actually got to leave for a little bit.

Josie (as Minx): Yeah. It was only for about a day, but it’s amazing what difference a day can make. Even on a business trip. I did manage to bring you something back from Whitehollow though.

Josie: And she’ll present her gifts.

Rhi: So yeah, she takes the flowers and sets them in a vase or something, then takes the jewelry box and opens it up very carefully, and is like:

Rhi (as Nyryx): [gasps] Oh Minx, this is beautiful!

Rhi: Do you wanna describe what it is?

Josie: Yeah, it’s kind of a, it’s a silver necklace. The Silver Spinners Guild, I think it was? So it’s like Whitehollow silver. It’s kind of cut in the shape of lotus, but poking out the top is a small, kind of like a dark amber jewel, kind of forming the center, but in a teardrop shape.

Rhi: Nice. Yeah, so I think she lifts up the pendant and is like:

Rhi (as Nyryx): Oh Minx, this is beautiful! Thank you so much. Oh, here, here, I wanna see how it looks.

Rhi: And she takes it out and is, like, doing that thing where she’s fumbling with the clasp behind her neck.

Josie: Mm hmm. I will try to help her if she needs it. [laughs] With my one hand.

Rhi: Yeah, yeah. I think it’s just the fact that even if you’re doing it one-handed, I think she can, like, hold the one side and then you can get the other hooked in.

Josie: Right.

Rhi: And she gets it settled and is like:

Rhi (as Nyryx): This is, I love it Minx, thank you. This is… thank you.

Rhi: And she will, like, bounce up on her toes and give you a kiss.

Josie: Yay! [laughs]

Rhi: And I think at this point she’s kind of noticing that you’ve been favoring that one arm, where like you did not use two hands to clasp the necklace and she’s just like:

Rhi (as Nyryx): Are you alright? Did you get hurt at all?

Josie (as Minx): Yes, well, yes. But that is pretty par for the course in our line of work.

Rhi (as Nyryx): Alright, well then sit down at least, and I’ll make you some tea and you can tell me everything about your trip.

Josie (as Minx): I’ve missed your tea.

Rhi (as Nyryx): [laughs] And I’ve missed you.

Rhi: And I think when you sit she, like, gives you another quick kiss and then goes off to make tea.

Josie: Yay! Yeah. And I think it’s just pleasant.

Rhi: Yeah, yeah.

Minna: They’re the cutest.

Rhi: They’re so cute.

Josie: Eee!

Rhi: Yeah, she just had all kinds of questions about being out of the city and what was it like and, yeah.

Josie: Yeah. And Minx is more than happy to go into detail and go on and on about things. And then occasionally mention that:

Josie (as Minx): I lost my favorite bedding. [sniff]

Rhi: Oh. [laughs]

Josie: But it’s half-fake tears. [laughs]

Rhi: Yeah, I think what ended up happening was after a couple days one of you went back to Gaddoc Rail to try to reclaim your luggage. And Blaire and Myra’s luggage was in the, like, you know, lost and found section. But Minx’s, there was like… I think there was a note, of like, “If someone comes asking for luggage under this name, probably alert The Bluecoats.

Josie: Right. [laughs]

Rhi: So it was kinda one of those things where it was like, “Okay, we’re gonna go.” [laughs]

Josie: [laughs]

Rhi: Um, so yeah, I think when you mention that, Nyryx is just like:

Rhi (as Nyryx): Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I mean, hey, if you want, maybe sometime later we can go shopping together and find you something new?

Josie (as Minx): That would be wonderful. Although really, it’s experiences on vacation, right?

Rhi (as Nyryx): Yes, I mean it sounds like some of your experiences were not so good, but…

Josie (as Minx): Well, we all made it back. We went what we did for, and I got to sample some seafood.

Rhi (as Nyryx): [laughs] Well, maybe next time, if it’s a less dangerous trip, I could go with you.

Josie (as Minx): I’d like that.

Rhi (as Nyryx): Yeah, I would too.

Rhi: And I think we’ll fade out there.

Josie: Yay, cuteness.

Rhi: They’re so cute, God.

Josie: [laughs]

Rhi: Alright. I think we fade out from that and then fade back in on Blaire. Where do we find Blaire?

Kim: In her room.

Rhi: Yep. [laughs] Yep.

Kim: She’s on the floor. I don’t think she has a desk in her room, she just kinda does all her work on the floor.

Rhi: That makes sense.

Kim: Yeah, she is gonna set that box in front of her and very slowly, reverently, open it up again.

Rhi: It still contains that hand.

Kim (as Blaire): Hi, Handy. Welcome to your new home. One of your siblings is here, but I’m gonna wait a bit until I figure out what you do before I put you two together. Does that sound good?

Rhi: Seeing as it’s a desiccated hand that only seemed to react when you touched it, it does nothing.

Kim: Okay. [laughs]

[laughter]

Kim: Okay, Blaire is going to very slowly put out a hand and very lightly touch it again.

Rhi: Okay. As soon as you make contact, it’s that same thing. It suddenly twitches and then flips around to overlay on top of your hand. And yeah, it just has that very, like, warm, comforting, friendly feeling.

Kim (as Blaire): You’re a good baby.

Josie: [laughs]

Rhi: There’s still that feeling of, like, wanting to use it. To activate it.

Kim: Oh, yeah.

Rhi: But it’s not as strong as it was there. Because you were in a very, like, high-adrenaline, high-pressure situation.

Kim: Right, right.

Rhi: So, I think you can kinda take some time to examine this and try to figure out what it does. And you aren’t really able to get the specifics of it, but you kind of, you do some testing without fully activating it. It seems to be protective in nature. It has some properties similar to, like, a spiritbane charm.

Kim: Okay.

Rhi: But, like, amplified, and it seems like it could possibly protect from more than spirits. You’re not sure. Again, without fully activating it you don’t know exactly what it does, but—

Kim: I wanna activate it so bad.

Rhi: If you activate it, you’re taking the stress hit, but you can get a little—

Kim: Just one?

Rhi: Oh no, it’s way more than one stress. [laughs] Yeah, none of these artifacts come cheap. But they all are very powerful. So…

Kim: I know what I said earlier about Blaire not introducing it to the Eye, but can I just put the two in close vicinity to each other, just to see what happens, as part of this test?

Rhi: Just to clarify, you’re putting them just in close proximity, not touching?

Kim: Yeah. No, they’re not touching.

Rhi: Okay.

Kim: I wanna see if they interact at all. So, Blaire is gonna reach under her bad and reach for the box that has the Eye of Kotar in it, and take that out.

Kim (as Blaire): Hi, buddy.

Rhi: Okay. Hand is in box, Eye is in box.

Kim: Yep. I’m gonna take Hand out of box and put it on floor, take Eye out of box and put it on the floor and keep them about, maybe, six inches apart.

Rhi: Okay. So, when you put the Hand down it doesn’t do anything. When you put the Eye down next to it, it’s like magnet pulls snapping towards each other. They don’t move closer, but the Hand whips around. It flips over so it’s palm-up and is kind of cupped as if you could place something in the palm.

Kim: Ooh, interesting.

Rhi: And the Eye is, like, locked on, staring at it. And I think, Blaire being Blaire, you kind of look into the ghost field briefly. It’s not, so both of the artifacts are kind of glowing, as they do.

Kim: Right.

Rhi: But between them is, it’s not a line of force, it is like some kind of runes or demonic script. It’s something that, the longer you look at it, the weirder your brain starts to feel.

Kim: Yeah.

Rhi: Like, it’s not a headache, it’s just…

Kim: It’s more like vertigo, maybe?

Rhi: Yeah, yeah. It’s kind of a vertigo, twisty, reality feels a little weird right now, sensation.

Kim: Mm hmm.

Rhi: But there’s just this line of this script running between the two of them, linking them together.

Kim: Interesting.

Rhi: So, that’s sort of a straight line. And then, coming off the top of them are two more lines, but they only go out a couple inches. But if you were to carry those lines forward, they would form the point of a triangle, to a missing third piece.

Kim: Oh, cool. That’s really cool.

Rhi: So, that is what you see.

Kim: See, I have a theory now that because the Hand went upward, palm up, that the Eye now wants to be— or rather, the Hand wants to hold the Eye. Because it’s in perfect holding position.

Rhi: It is. Yeah.

Kim: I’m gonna do it.

Minna: No…

Rhi: Okay.

Kim: [laughs]

Josie: Oh…

Rhi: So, you put that on there and sort of those lines of script kind of shift so that the Hand holding the Eye is now in the middle of this incomplete triangle. And those other lines of script that are incomplete have extended out a little further.

Kim: Hmm.

Rhi: There’s still a gap to where a third thing should go.

Kim: Right.

Rhi: But it’s a little more complete.

Kim: Interesting. But noting catastrophic happened making them touch, which is cool.

Josie: That’s good.

Rhi: Mm hmm. There is a sort of, like, humming feeling, like you get that kinda like vibration in your teeth of like, you get this feeling sometimes when you’re, like, around Setarra when she is unleashing her powers, of you are in the presence of some really, really powerful occult forces.

Kim: Right. Now, what happens if I touch the Eye of Kotar as it sits within the Hand?

Rhi: It doesn’t really seem to react to you. The Eye is kind of, the Eye is now focused sort of looking towards that empty point.

Kim: So cool. Okay, I’m gonna take them apart. I’m sorry guys, to drag this one, but I’m having so much fun.

Josie and Rhi: [laugh]

Kim: God, I wanna use it so fucking bad. I wanna know what it does.

Rhi: [laughs] Well, you know. Just start bringing it with you when you go out on scores.

Kim: Is that a hint?

Rhi: The protective elements will be of best use to you on a score. I’ll say that.

Kim: Okay. So I’ll just activate it during a score and see what happens.

Rhi: Yeah, just, you know, start carrying a hand around in your bag. It’s fine.

Kim: Makes sense. Okay, so I’m gonna have to figure out a way to carry this around.

Rhi: The box is small enough you can kinda tuck it into your satchel with your other stuff.

Kim: Oh, I was gonna put in, like, a drawstring pouch.

Rhi: That also works.

Kim: Yeah. Yeah, Blaire puts it in a pouch and she’s gonna tie that pouch to her belt. For easy access.

Rhi: And I think as you do that, you get that settled on your belt, and then I think you here, like, Myra calling from downstairs that dinner’s ready, and you head off downstairs.

Kim: [laughs] God.

Rhi: With this ancient, powerful relic tied to your belt.

Kim: That’s… Blaire’s a bit too much like me, because she just goes to her room, does her own weird shit and only leaves for meals, when her mom calls her downstairs.

[laughter]

Rhi: We fade in on a well-appointed meeting room. It is a testament to the wealth that went into furnishing it. The walls are polished wood, the floors are covered in thick, hand-woven Iruvian rugs, and familiar abstract paintings hang in gilded frames. Dominating the room is a beautifully-crafted oval shaped wooden table. The style is old, pre-cataclysmic, making the table more valuable than the building in which it sits. It is surrounded by chairs that have been carved in a matching style, though they were made far more recently. Seated in these chairs are three individuals. Of the remaining four empty chairs, two have been turned to face away from the table.

Hazel (as Lady Penderyn): Thank you both for coming on such short notice. I’m afraid I do not come with good news.

Tracey (as Lord Mora): It’s always wretched news these days. Those damned coal fuckers burned down another construction site and—

Rhi (as Lady Drake): We have more important matters to discuss than your factories, Alistair.

Tracey (as Lord Mora): Now look here—

Hazel (as Lady Penderyn): Drake is right. We need to focus.

Tracey (as Lord Mora): Aren’t we short a member?

Rhi (as Lady Drake): We’re short several.

Hazel (as Lady Penderyn): She won’t be joining us tonight. She’s wrapped up with the management of the establishment. I have informed her of the situation and she has shared her opinion.

Rhi: Lady Penderyn holds up a sealed letter and places on the table in front of her.

Hazel (as Lady Penderyn): I hate to bring The Circle more dire news, especially in the wake of Raffello’s death, but I’m afraid that the Hand has been lost.

Rhi (as Lady Drake): Of bloody course it has.

Tracey (as Lord Mora): What? How did you fucking lose it?

Hazel (as Lady Penderyn): It was compromised on the train from Whitehollow. Stroman sold us out.

Rhi (as Lady Drake): To who?

Hazel (as Lady Penderyn): Who do you think?

Rhi (as Lady Drake): I told you they were good.

Hazel (as Lady Penderyn): You also told us they refused to cooperate in the slightest. Recruitment is out of the question.

Rhi (as Lady Drake): Give me some more time.

Tracey (as Lord Mora): More time? So they can get their hands on the heart? Loot our vaults? Kill the rest of you?

Hazel (as Lady Penderyn): He’s right. We don’t have time. The Magpies have to be destroyed. Quite frankly, it’s an embarrassment we haven’t done so already.

Rhi (as Lady Drake): As I said, they’re good. And well connected. Ruthless enough to thin our numbers considerably. If the plan is to defeat them rather than recruit them, we need to bolster our position. Our weakness has become their strength.

Tracey (as Lord Mora): If we can find their hideout, I can take care of them easily.

Hazel (as Lady Penderyn): Despite our continued appeals to The Fallen Star, the location of their lair remains hidden from us.

Rhi: Lady Drake and Lord Mora share a look and roll their eyes.

Hazel (as Lady Penderyn): I agree we need to locate their hideout, but that is not our only option. We are aware of several people and places with ties to The Magpies, thanks in no small part to the work of our information broker.

Tracey (as Lord Mora): Who failed to kill them when she had them in the palm of her hand.

Rhi (as Lady Drake): For what it’s worth, you haven’t had any better luck.

Tracey (as Lord Mora): [grunts]

Hazel (as Lady Penderyn): Salia was unable to meet our demands previously, but circumstances have changed. Our numbers are reduced. The Umbra Hunters are not adapting well to new management, and I suspect that soon we will need to cut them loose entirely. Our people and funds are stretched thin. And while she cannot offer us The Magpies, she has a new approach that could prove useful in hunting them.

Rhi (as Lady Drake): Which is?

Hazel (as Lady Penderyn): One of her lackeys was severely injured in a confrontation with The Magpies last month. The lackey’s soul has since been… repurposed. If her methods have worked, we may also be able to find a new use for our fallen members.

Rhi: She gestures at the chairs that have been turned away from the table.

Tracey (as Lord Mora): So, you want her to join us?

Rhi (as Lady Drake): It makes sense. She has information, contacts, connections, all the reasons I advocated for her membership before. Whatever new arcane powers she’s boasting are bonuses.

Rhi: Penderyn slides the letter across the table to Mora. He makes a face and opens it, then reads quietly.

Tracey (as Lord Mora): Well. It appears I am out-voted. Three to one. Hmph. I think I preferred this organization when there were people involved who actually listened to me.

Rhi (as Lady Drake): Don’t be petulant, Alistair.

Rhi: Mora pushes back from the table.

Tracey (as Lord Mora): Do as you will. I need to see to my own affairs.

Rhi: He storms out. Drake and Penderyn exchange a look.

Rhi (as Lady Drake): He’s starting to be more trouble than he’s worth.

Hazel (as Lady Penderyn):  We’ve lost too many. He stays.

Rhi (as Lady Drake): As you wish, Lady Penderyn. Was there anything else?

P Hazel (as Lady Penderyn): Not at the moment. We shall reconvene in a few days to welcome our newest member.

Rhi (as Lady Drake): I look forward to it.

##Outro [01.32.17]

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.

Lord Alistair Mora was played by Tracey Barnett. You can follow them on Twitter @TheOtherTracey.

Lady Eleanor Penderyn was played by Hazel Stapp. You can follow her on Twitter @Hazel_da_Basil.

And check out the show notes for all of the great projects that both of them are working on.

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 phenomenal Patreon backers.

Pascal Ziman, thank you!

##Blooper [1.33.59]

Rhi: Alright.

Kim: [sings] I’ve got a wyrm on a string, sitting on a rainbow…

Minna: See, that’s what my brain was doing.

[laughter]

Kim: I thought about it, since you mentioned it, and I was just like, yeah. That’s quality content.

[laughter]

Minna: You realize this is recorded.

Rhi: Mm hmm.

Kim: Oh yeah, I know.