Transcribed by Michelle Kelly (@Michellicopter)
##Intro
Rhi: Welcome back to Duskwall. As always, thank you so much for joining us. You can support us in all the usual ways, in Patreon, via our Shapeways store, by leaving reviews, and by tweeting about the show. Any support you can give us is a huge help and we are so grateful for all of it.
I was lucky enough to be the guest GM on She’s a Super Geek for their January episodes of Descent into Midnight. The second episode is out today, so after you finish listening to The Magpies go check it out. And check out Descent into Midnight as well. It’s an incredible game that has inspired some amazing, creative, and deeply emotional stories. It will be on Kickstarter next month, and as the accessibility consultant on the game, I’m really excited to see the game move out of play testing and into publication. You’ll be hearing a lot more about it once the Kickstarter begins.
Also, fans of Discworld and fans of Minna should check out the Compleat Discography podcast. It just launched earlier this month so you can get in on the ground floor. There’s a link in the show notes, but if you’re going to search for it, please note that ‘complete’ is spelled C-O-M-P-L-E-A-T.
Next, Josie is going to tell us about this month’s featured charity.
Josie: Hi Magpies lovelies. Two things for featured charity this time. Obviously, the Australian wildfires are insane. There’s tons of charities for those, donate to that, that’s top priority right now. There’s so many people without their homes. But also, I just wanted to plug individual trans fundraisers again. Um, because I am not super happy with most trans charities right now. So, please check in with your trans friends, find trans people to follow, send them money, look out for their fundraisers. So many of my trans friends are still in poverty and not seeing, uh, jack of shit from most charity organizations. So, #TransCrowdFund, anything like that. Whenever I see a trans person with a fundraiser up I try and retweet it, so follow me on Twitter if you need help finding stuff. Um, yeah, that’s my push for featured charity this month. Thanks.
Rhi: Please continue to take action when and where you can, wherever you are and whatever your means. Make calls, write letters, attend protests, educate yourself and others. And take care of yourself and the people around you, too.
Now then. Let’s get started, shall we?
##Story continues [00.03.11]
Rhi: So, we are going to start with a flashback. Previously, The Magpies had a quite nice time at a masquerade ball hosted by the Evermar family, who despite being wealthy are not the worst people, they make a lot of charitable donations. And after speaking with Liege Greer Evermar, found that they would be willing to provide financial support for a clinic that would actually take care of the people who were in need of medial care, as opposed to the clinic that is currently on offer, which is a clinic run by one Doctor Elias Hagen, who recruits people into medical experiments in exchange for money that’s ultimately not worth it. So, The Magpies are still recovering from some injuries sustained during their train heist. And we find them making their way towards the clinic run by physicker and friend, Seeks. Tell me about the neighborhood around the clinic. How has it changed since the last time we were here on the show?
Waffles: Okay. It’s a lot brighter. There are a lot more people here, out and about, I would say. I think you’ve noticed as you’ve been visiting the neighborhood, it’s just gotten a lot better. And that’s because, you know, people who cause trouble here disappear. There are no Bluecoat patrols within this certain block radius of Seeks’s building, and a lot more stores have opened up around Seek’s building. We might have killed the uh, [laughs] the landlord and stolen the property.
Kim: [laughs]
Minna: So ‘steal a building’ is Seeks’s MO.
Rhi: No one’s ever proved that. The landlord could have moved away.
Waffles: True. And this building is unsellable due to a number of weird law loopholes.
Rhi: Yeah. It’s fine.
Waffles: It’s fine.
Rhi: And really, the people who were asking questions have also decided to move somewhere else.
Minna: [laughs]
Rhi: So, no one asks questions anymore.
Waffles: Mm hmm.
Josie: They all moved to this farm upstate.
Rhi: Yeah. [laughs] Exactly, they’re very happy there. What is the scene when you get in, or when they get in there? What is Seeks up to, Waffles?
Waffles: Probably doing physicker things.
Rhi: You think you have another patient in there, or are you, like, preparing?
Waffles: I’m probably— the industrial district is still the industrial district, so people get injured.
Rhi: So, yeah, I think there’s a person there. Looks like they are in, probably, their mid-twenties. They have, uh, I think Seeks has been treating some burns on their arm for the last, you know, couple weeks. And it’s looking pretty good now. There’s still a little bit of that, like, pink sort of fresh-looking scar tissue, but it’s healed up nicely. And I think Seeks has, like, just finished wrapping up a fresh layer of bandages as The Magpies come in.
Josie (as Minx): Hello, dear.
Waffles (as Seeks): Hello, friends!
Josie (as Minx): For once, we’re not asking for your physicker assistance.
Waffles (as Seeks): Okay. Again, re-wrap this every morning and put this on it.
Waffles: And scoots them out the door. [laughs]
Rhi (as Patient): It smells like kelp.
Waffles (as Seeks): It is kelp!
Minna: [laughs]
Rhi (as Patient): Oh. Okay. Thank you!
Waffles (as Seeks): And other things. But, you know, mostly kelp.
Kim (as Blaire): Don’t forget that kelp helps.
Waffles (as Seeks): Kelp does help. That is very catchy.
Rhi: Yeah, other person heads on out the door.
Waffles (as Seeks): Hello, Blaire.
Kim (as Blaire): Hi.
Waffles (as Seeks): Minx. Friends. Hugs!
Josie (as Minx): Hello, dear.
Minna (as Myra): Hello.
Kim (as Blaire): Yeah!
Josie (as Minx): Oh!
Kim: Blaire hugs Seeks.
Waffles (as Seeks): How is everything?
Kim (as Blaire): Good.
Rhi: Waffles, so you know, Seeks has been treating all of them for various— I think the last times that they’ve all been in, Minx and Myra had been shot, Blaire had been mildly electrocuted—
Kim: And bruised. Ish. A lot.
Rhi: Bruised, yeah, lots of— they’ve been pretty badly injured recently when you’ve seen them. But they look okay today. No new injuries, anyway.
Waffles (as Seeks): No angry iron bits today?
Josie (as Minx): No. Not yet, rather.
Waffles (as Seeks): Are we planning on angry iron bits today?
Minna (as Myra): Almost certainly.
Josie (as Minx): Perhaps. We are aiming to steal a whole hospital, after all.
Waffles (as Seeks): [gasps]
Minna: [laughs]
Waffles (as Seeks): Is it time?
Kim (as Blaire): Yeah! It’s time.
Waffles (as Seeks): Ooh.
Josie (as Minx): It’s time.
Waffles (as Seeks): Let me get my things.
[laughter]
Josie (as Minx): And you are alright being potentially in charge of such a facility?
Waffles (as Seeks): What was that?
Waffles: The sound of things being thrown about in the background. [laughs]
Kim (as Blaire): Do you wanna be in charge of the hospital after we steal it?
Waffles (as Seeks): Uh… I guess?
Kim (as Blaire): Are you okay with that?
Waffles (as Seeks): Uh… I don’t know. Probably.
Kim (as Blaire): Uh…
Waffles (as Seeks): What does that entail? Is it just like this, but bigger?
Kim (as Blaire): I guess. I don’t know, I don’t run a hospital.
Josie (as Minx): You’ll have assistants, I suppose.
Waffles (as Seeks): Oh. No other witches?
Kim (as Blaire): I mean, you can hire witches if you want to.
Waffles (as Seeks): I think that would be for the best.
Kim (as Blaire): Just, yeah, have it be a witch hospital.
Rhi: Yeah, so I assume Seeks re-emerges with a bag laden with stuff to be determined later.
Waffles: Stuff. Mm hmm.
Rhi and Josie: [laugh]
Waffles: There’s a large number of clunking metal noises as she drops the bag on the counter.
Josie: Ah, so a heavy load then. [laughs]
Minna and Rhi: [laugh]
Rhi: So, in terms of kinda how you wanna proceed to prep for this score. Last time you were there, between, you know, the three of you who broke in previously, Blaire doesn’t really know the lay of the land, but the others can fill her in, you all got a good sense of where stuff is in the hospital, you know about the available entrances. There is sort of the main entrance in the front of the building. The building itself is in Charterhall, just across one of the bridges into Coalridge. It’s three stories, very few windows, only a few on the ground floor, none on the second and third, so your frequently-employed tactic of breaking in on an upper level will not work here. However, in addition to the front door there is a dock on the river behind the building that has a back exit into the basement, so that is a way that you could possibly get in a little more subtly. If you wanna go subtle.
Josie: Yes. Well, first some points of clarification.
Rhi: Yes.
Josie: We have Liege Greer as funding.
Rhi: Yes.
Josie: Will they technically own the place, or will Seeks technically own the place?
Rhi: The Evermars are gonna own the place. It will be in their name.
Josie: I see. So, the legal aspect of this we have covered. We just need to free up the space for purchase.
Rhi: Right. Yeah, yeah. It needs— you have a willing buyer and funder, you just need to make sure that it ends up on the market.
Josie: Right.
Kim: We can do that.
Rhi: Yeah. Yeah, that is the plan.
Waffles (as Seeks): So, what we’re saying is we just need to remove… what was his name?
Minna (as Myra): The tumor.
Rhi: Hagen.
Waffles (as Seeks): Hagen.
Josie (as Minx): Yes.
Waffles (as Seeks): Who has a tumor?
Kim (as Blaire): Uh, no… what?
Minna (as Myra): Making a perhaps terrible joke that Hagen is the tumor that we are going to remove from the clinic.
Waffles (as Seeks): Oh… well, that’s good.
Rhi: In terms of kind of prep for this, you all have— you’re going to get an advantage on the engagement roll just kinda out of the gate, because you’ve been here before. If there’s other info that you wanna gather, or other prep work you wanna do in terms of kind of laying groundwork for however you’re gonna go after this guy?
Minna: Finding out where that funding comes from might be important, because if they’re stubborn and they wanna maintain a clinic there, they might just buy the clinic again.
Josie: Yes. And frankly, I’m not certain just removing Hagen will put it on the market. It’s entirely possible…
Minna: Yeah, do we know that Hagen owns it?
Rhi: I don’t think that you’ve looked into that too closely. You could.
Minna: And we don’t know what his will looks like either.
Waffles: We should kidnap him and ask.
Kim: Or we could kill him.
Waffles: We could do that after asking.
Josie: This will most likely end with murder, but we need something beyond the murder.
Rhi: Yeah, I mean, I know that we’ve had people go poking around in the records to find out real estate ownership type things in the past. So that is a Gather Info that could be done.
Kim: I had a different idea for my own Gather Info, so…
Rhi: Okay.
Kim: I don’t know how useful it would be for the whole crew except for myself, but I was thinking that for my Gather Info, Blaire would be spending it looking into how haunted the place is. Because I’m guessing that a lot of people have died here and she would like to know what she’s getting into.
Rhi: [delighted giggling] That actually would be intensely useful.
Minna: Ghost riot two.
Josie: Good call. I want to learn more about Hagen himself. I think I did that the first time around and got a whole lot of not much.
Rhi: You did. Yeah, well I can kind of refresh you on what you learned. He lives in Brightstone, is married, I think I said his husband is like a teacher at Charterhall, something like that. Or at Doskvol Academy. I don’t remember the specifics.
Josie: Oh, he is married. Interesting.
Rhi: He’s very wealthy, or, well, I mean, he’s not very wealthy like nobility, but he’s well off. Not a super social person, but is still well-liked amongst the nobility because he will do, like, for the nobility he provides a lot of very high-quality medical care. Like, he will show up and do house calls and take care of people and is very well-liked amongst the upper classes.
Josie: Okay, okay. That may be useful, actually. I think I might have a plan to get him out of the building.
Rhi: Okay.
Josie: Which would make the murder much easier.
Rhi: [laughs] Minna, did you wanna have Myra go and check on the paperwork for the building?
Minna: Yeah.
Rhi: Waffles, did you wanna do a separate Gather Info or tag along with somebody, or…?
Waffles: I could tag along with somebody. If we wanna figure out how ghosty it is, I have Ghost Ward, which is the dopest new ability.
Rhi: [laughs] Yeah, so how about Seeks and Blaire can check out the ghost levels of the building. Let’s start with Myra looking into that paperwork. So, yeah, go ahead and roll something for presumably going back to the records hall in Charterhall, where you spend a lot of time.
Minna: It’s 5.
Rhi: Yeah, you’re actually able to find kind of the records on this place pretty easily. You dig through these papers. Hagen does own the building, he owns the clinic. It’s all in his name. But a lot of the financing, kind of the, you know, you dig way, way, way back when it was initially purchased, you know, a couple decades ago. One of the people who was involved in the payment for the place is someone named Dunvil. And their, um, the sort of contract involving that payment that this Dunvil person has signed is from The Church of the Ecstasy of the Flesh.
Minna: [gasps]
Rhi: They helped originally purchase this place. Now, they do not own it at the moment, it is legally in Hagen’s name, but they were involved.
Minna: So, we also have to contend with making sure the Church doesn’t start the place back up. Is there any reason that they wouldn’t want the building?
Kim: If we made it more haunted.
Minna: If it’s more haunted will they not want it?
Rhi: It’s a question of you don’t know how valuable it’s been to them. So far.
Josie: And like, too much ghost activity will just have the Spirit Wardens come in and clean it up.
Rhi: Yes. You have run into that problem rather recently.
Josie: And given that the building does not appear to be full to bursting with ghosts, that has likely already happened some number of times.
Minna: Yeah.
Josie: That being said, I think I may actually want to Gather Information amongst my goth friends.
Rhi: [laughs]
Kim: Hi.
Josie: Who—
Minna: [laughs]
Josie: Hello, Blaire. [laughs] Who I imagine aren’t particularly fond of the Church.
Rhi: They follow, uh, I think that they were attached to a Forgotten God, so they would not be fond. So yeah, go ahead and roll a Gather Info there.
Josie: I got a 6.
Rhi: 6, okay. So, what info are you looking to get from them?
Josie: I want to know what they know about the Church’s connection to this place and, you know, maybe whether they’d be willing to sever that connection.
Rhi: Okay. So, what— and you got a 6. And I think, if I recall correctly, a lot of the folks that you knew here were a little more, like, upper class type folks, right?
Josie: Right. Or dilletantes.
Rhi: Yes, yes, that’s the word. Okay.
Josie: Also, did we ever establish which Forgotten God they were into, or is it kind of a—
Rhi: We did but I don’t remember. [laughs]
Josie: Okay.
Rhi: Let me actually take a look real quick, I might be able to remember… um… yeah, it was The Dream Beyond Death, is the Forgotten God that they are into.
Josie: I see.
Rhi: And they’re, a lot of— the reason that you ended up getting connected with them is because a lot of their rituals involve the creation of idols and artwork. They are, like, they’re goth artists.
Josie: Right. [laughs]
Rhi: So you’re looking for… kind of trying to set up a way to interfere with the Church being able to reclaim this place after you get rid of Hagen, right?
Josie: Yes.
Rhi: Okay. So, I think that in talking with them, you’re able to find out that there’s more experiments that kind of go on there than what are advertised. Some of these kids have heard, like, you know, their parents talking about the good work that Hagen is doing on behalf of the Church.
Josie: Mm hmm.
Rhi: And what you, like, this is very common knowledge that all of the you would know about the Church of Ecstasy, is that their whole ethos is that the physical is sacred, the spiritual, the soul, that is all an abomination. They believe that, like, for a while they held a belief that demons were like the purest form of existence because demons don’t have souls. That has kind of fallen out of favor, mostly because demons are not really sanctioned by the powers that be and you don’t really become a state religion if you’re talking about how cool demons are.
Kim: I mean….
Rhi: [laughs] So, they are very opposed to any kind of spiritualism and ghosts and the like. And Hagen is apparently doing some— some of his experiments are on behalf of the Church. In terms of interfering… huh. I’m trying to think of what that could look like.
Josie: Yeah, well a lot of them are like, young artists and stuff, right?
Rhi: Yeah.
Josie: Yeah. I feel like they could have, like, a small movement or, like, I don’t know. They are a young artists cult. Mark the building in some way to be like, “Nope. Ours.”
Rhi: Oh, interesting. Maybe in some way that would make it unappealing to the Church.
Josie: Yeah, make it profane somehow. Which might link up with Blaire’s ghost things.
Kim: Right, I was gonna say, maybe it starts worshipping ghosts or something.
Rhi: Okay. That actually could tie in to that new ability that Seeks has, to make it—cause the Ghost Ward thing can either drive ghosts off or attract ghosts.
Josie: Mm hmm. Maybe some mural that, so like, to those in the know is like, “This is old god marking, stay away,” but is just like, you know, to the every day public is like, “Oh, this is an inspiring, beautifying painting thing.”
Rhi: Yeah, I like that. So, I think that you are able to talk to them and they’re like, “Hell yeah, that sounds awesome, we will totally do that as soon as the building becomes available”.
Josie: And it’s not like this is a front, they can likely use services and space and meeting rooms if they want and do this.
Rhi: Yeah. Okay, cool. So, you’ve got that lined up as a way to sort of keep the Church from immediately surging in. So, yeah, I’m imaging that this scene is like, it ends with, you know, you sitting at a table while they’re all feverishly making sketches and being like, “Okay, what do we think about this? Can we incorporate this somehow?” Let’s cut over to the clinic itself, where Blaire and Seeks are scoping the place out. Blaire, how do you wanna detect ghost levels?
Kim: [laughs] I’m gonna hack into the mainframe and then—
[laughter]
Kim: No, just an Attune roll for my Gather Info, I feel like makes the most sense.
Rhi: Yes, I agree.
Kim: Okay. 2, 2, 1, 6.
Rhi: [laughs]
Kim: These three dice are getting banished for the rest of the game.
Josie: [laughs]
Kim: I like to imagine that they’re just outside of the building, you know, scoping it out as if you were normally scoping it out in the mortal plane, but what Blaire starts doing is she puts on her spirit mask, looks into the ghost field and from a distance she can get a sense of how much spiritual activity is going on inside the location just by looking through the ghost field.
Rhi: Okay. Ghosts are just sort of a part of life in Duskwall. Even with the lightning barriers, there are ghosts all over the place.
Kim: Yeah.
Rhi: You know, the ghost field is a constant presence. This place is warded against ghosts so heavily the ghost field almost looks like, thinner, a little bit.
Kim: Oh.
Rhi: Not so much that you’re worried that it’s gonna cause you problems, but like, it’s a little thinner in there. There are no ghosts. But on the third floor, there’s a few kind of glowing things on the third floor that you’re guessing are some kind of occult, arcane items. Tools, maybe artifacts, you’re not sure. But there is one room up on the third floor that has a lot of like, almost like neat rows of glowing light. But there’s a lot of them. And there’s also some, like, holes in the ghost field. And it reminds you a little bit of when you’ve tried to look at Setarra.
Kim: In the ghost field? Oh, okay.
Rhi: Cause demons do not have a signature in the ghost field. There’s something in that room that is also connected— that is demonic in nature.
Josie: Oh no.
Kim: Interesting.
Rhi: Mm hmm.
Kim: Good to know.
Waffles: Well, that’s where they’re keeping all the blood.
Kim: Yeah.
Josie: Oh, they had demon blood?
Rhi: You all found some vials that you weren’t able to identify last time. Well, Seeks I think might have been able to identify that it was demon blood.
Kim: Now, with a 6 can I ask an additional question related to Gather Info?
Rhi: You sure can.
Kim: So, because this building is so heavily warded against ghosts, would I be in trouble if I tried to, like, set a ghost lose within this establishment? Like, would it go wrong or would the ghost get fucked up? Like, if I just like, busted open a jar while in this building?
Rhi: You’re not sure.
Kim: Oh, I don’t like that answer.
Rhi: Well, I will say, because like, The Nest is heavily warded against ghosts.
Kim: Right.
Rhi: But you have brought ghosts in there and opened them up and had nice conversations over tea with them.
Kim: Yeah, and everything’s fine.
Rhi: But those are wards that you set up and you know how they work.
Kim: Right.
Rhi: The wards on here are similar, but you’re not 100% sure.
Kim: And I bet they’re stronger, too.
Rhi: Yeah. It’s possible that you could bring ghosts in in jars and let them loose and it would be okay, but you’re not 100% sure.
Kim: I don’t… given that information, I don’t know if I wanna risk it. That’s helpful for me to know, though.
Waffles (as Seeks): We could smash the wards.
Kim (as Blaire): We could smash the wards. I like your thinking.
Waffles (as Seeks): I will pack extra grenades.
Kim (as Blaire): Yeah! And I will pack anti-ward things so we can break the wards. Yeah.
Waffles (as Seeks): Mostly you just make the symbol and then you fill it with electroplasm and then you smash the symbol and it stops working. But I don’t know.
Kim (as Blaire): I mean, I think also that, and also grenades. Both work. But I think if we’re trying to sell this building that it probably shouldn’t, any portion of it probably shouldn’t be blown up, you know?
Waffles (as Seeks): Oh…
Kim (as Blaire): Yeah, so we should probably do this the old-fashioned way.
Waffles (as Seeks): With acid.
Kim (as Blaire): With acid, or with the method that you suggested earlier with the electroplasm and the smashing and whatnot. My point is, my point is that this should be as neat as possible.
Waffles (as Seeks): Oh, I can do neat. I have this stuff.
Waffles: And I pull out a little bottle of alcahest.
Kim: Of what?
Waffles: It is a mid-level fluid, and if you pour it on stuff that’s working, it makes it not work anymore.
Kim (as Blaire): Oh perfect. Yeah, that’ll work.
Rhi: [laughs]
Kim (as Blaire): Okay, if we can do that and pull it off successfully then I’ll totally bring some ghost friends.
Waffles (as Seeks): Ghost friends.
Kim (as Blaire): Ghost friends!
Josie and Rhi: [laugh]
Rhi: If we’re gonna move into the score, do you think this is Assault or Stealth? [laughs]
Josie: Uh…
Kim: I feel like Assault. I don’t think we’re being very stealthy about this, are we?
Waffles: Well, we know where the back door is and I think we should just… [laughs]
Josie: But that’s the thing, though. We want to get to Hagen as well, which may require a more covert approach.
Waffles: It can be a quiet assault.
Rhi: [laughs]
Waffles: Smoke, grenades and Prowl checks, here we go. [laughs]
Rhi: I think actually Assault might be the best way to go, because the description for Assault is “do violence to a target”.
Josie: Ah. Yeah, then Assault.
Kim: Oh yeah, no we’re totally killing this fucker. So yeah, that makes sense.
Rhi: Yeah. Assault plan, right?
Josie: Yes.
Rhi: And you’re planning on breaking in the back?
Kim: Yeah.
Josie: Mm hmm. Although there were guards there last time, so we need to be careful.
Rhi: Yeah. For the engagement roll. One for luck. “Is this operation particularly bold or daring?”
Kim: Yes.
Rhi: Yeah.
Minna: Yeah.
Waffles: [laughs]
Rhi: “Does the plan’s detail expose a vulnerability of the target or hit them where they’re weakest?” No.
Waffles: They are weak to grenades.
Kim: That is true.
Rhi: Most things are.
[laughter]
Waffles: A tragic flaw. [laughs]
Rhi: “Any of your friends or contacts provide aid or insight?”
Kim: Yeah! Seeks is here.
Rhi: Yes, but “Are enemies or rivals interfering in the operation?”
Kim: No?
Rhi: Yes.
Kim: Oh.
Waffles: Uh oh.
Rhi: “Are there other elements you want to consider?” You’ve been here before. So that’s gonna help. You are familiar with the place you’re breaking into. Okay. So, this is gonna be a 3d6 engagement roll. Okay, that is a 6.
Kim: Yay.
Josie: Woo!
Rhi: So, I think that we see the river that runs between Charterhall and Coalridge, moonlight reflecting dimly on the water, as a gondola moves down towards this small dock near a bridge. And I think as the gondola pulls up next to the dock, the lamplight casts across all of you, and it is the four of you and the gondola is being pulled along by none other than Kay.
Kim: Yay.
Rhi: Because you know what? We haven’t seen her for a while.
Josie: Yay.
Rhi: So, she like, stops the gondola, will give all of you a hand out onto the dock, then is like:
Rhi (as Kay): I can’t really hang around this specific spot too much, but I’ll keep heading up and down to keep an eye out for you if you need to come back out this way.
Kim (as Blaire): Thanks.
Josie (as Minx): Do what you need to, dear.
Waffles (as Seeks): Thank you, gorgeous tall person.
Rhi and Josie: [laugh]
Rhi (as Kay): You are very welcome, beautiful short person.
Minna: [laughs]
Rhi: Salutes and pulls away.
Waffles (as Seeks): [gasp]
Rhi: [laughs] So, you will step off onto the dock. It’s a very similar setup to when I think Minx and Seeks came this way previously. And it feels very, very similar. You know, stairs lead up into the building, there’s a light on at the top of the stairs. Last time, you saw shadows moving from people being up there. You don’t really see that kind of movement this time. And so, I think that you start up the stairs and Blaire, you are gonna be the last one up the stairs.
Kim: Okay.
Rhi: And as you, Blaire, start to move towards the stairs, there’s sort of a louder splash of water against the docks and then a familiar, cold voice says from behind you:
Rhi (as Setarra): I have something you need to do in there.
Kim: Blaire turns around and sees it’s Setarra.
Josie: Do the rest of us hear this?
Rhi: I’ll leave it up to you, I think, if you wanna be aware of this exchange or not.
Josie: I like to think we didn’t notice that Blaire got pulled behind, so we’re like, going up to the door and they’re having a quiet conversation.
Rhi: Yeah.
Kim: That’s what I’m imagining too.
Josie: Because I know that’s, like, what would happen in a TV show.
Rhi: Yeah. [laughs]
Kim: So anyway, Blaire turns around and sees it’s Setarra and is like:
Kim (as Blaire): Uh… oh, hey. Long time no see. What’s up?
Rhi (as Setarra): Yes, it has been a rather long time since you have bothered with anything important.
Kim (as Blaire): Uh… okay. Um…
Rhi (as Setarra): But fortunately, this particular diversion of yours does have some interest to me.
Kim (as Blaire): Okay.
Rhi: And she will reach, kind of, again, that sort of reaching into her dress as though there’s a pocket there, even though there’s not really. And she takes out a, like, a glass flask that is full of seawater.
Kim (as Blaire): Oh.
Rhi: And she says:
Rhi (as Setarra): The miserable wretch who runs this building has a great deal of blood of my kind hoarded. When you find it…
Rhi: And she will hand you this flask.
Rhi (as Setarra): Summon me, so that I can deal with it.
Kim (as Blaire): Okay. And how do you want me to summon you?
Rhi (as Setarra): Has it been so long since you have bothered with this that you have forgotten?
Kim (as Blaire): [stammers] N- no, no, I just know that you have ways that I prefer that I do it, so I just want to make sure I do what’s most convenient for you.
Rhi (as Setarra): Use this…
Rhi: Gesturing to the flask of seawater.
Rhi (as Setarra): To call me and I will be there.
Kim (as Blaire): Okay. Once I get to the demon blood, call you.
Rhi (as Setarra): Yes.
Kim (as Blaire): Got it. I’ll see you there.
Rhi (as Setarra): Good.
Rhi: And then she just sort of dissolves into water and splashes back down through the boards of the dock.
Kim: Blaire stuffs the vial of seawater into her pocket and runs to catch up with the rest of the crew.
Rhi: Yeah. And I think you, like, catch up to the back of the group just as— who is leading the group?
Josie: I’ll be leading.
Rhi: Okay. So, Minx, you kinda get up to a point on the stairs where you can, like, just see the landing at the top. Like, just peeking over the stairs. And you see a pair of booted feet, crossed at the ankles, resting on the floor like, you know, somebody is sitting down, kinda has their legs stretched out. And as you stand there, listening, you know, over kind of the sound of the river behind you and the soft noises of your companions, you hear the gentle sound of a person snoring. The guard on this door is asleep. [laughs]
Minna: [laughs]
Josie: Excellent.
Rhi: So, yeah. I mean, you’re starting in a controlled position, so you’re— things are good for you right now. So, yeah, now to be fair, four people stomping past might wake this guy up, so you might want to do something to secure him a little better, but he is currently napping.
Waffles: [laughs] Can I just stick him in the neck? Can I just drug the man?
Rhi: [laughs] Seeks can do that.
Waffles: [laughs] This is gonna get loud.
Josie: No, don’t get loud.
Waffles: And we’ve just come up from behind, so we should just drug the man. [laughs]
Minna: [laughs]
Kim: I mean, we’re not above that. If that’s what you wanna do.
Waffles: Yeah, no, I will use a use of my bandoliers.
Rhi: Yeah. Okay, what drug specifically are you using?
Waffles: Probably just trance powder? But let me look at my list real quick.
Rhi: [laughs]
Waffles: Yeah, that would be terrifying. No, probably not. Hmm, uh, yeah. Trance powder seems like— unless I want to use binding oil to stick him to the chair.
Rhi: I mean…
Waffles: Which would be hilarious, but [laughs] no, we’re just gonna trance powder. Just, whoop.
Rhi: Okay. So, go ahead and roll. Controlled position.
Waffles: Is it a Prowl or a Tinker with Physicker?
Rhi: Um, Prowl I think.
Waffles: A 6.
Rhi: Okay. So yeah, you just kinda like slip up there, jab him with a needle, the snoring gets louder. He seems to be even more asleep. He’s got keys on him. [laughs] And I think since he’s this knocked out, one of you can just…
Waffles: Take his keys, take his wallet…
Minna: [laughs]
Kim (as Blaire): Aw, there’s pictures of his kids in here.
Waffles (as Seeks): Aw. Wait, that one’s really cute.
Kim (as Blaire): Are those twins? It looks like he has twins.
Rhi: Thank you for building all this out in the event that I need to kill this person later.
Kim: [laughs]
Waffles (as Seeks): Oh, his husband’s adorable, look at their anniversary.
Kim (as Blaire): Aww, they’re so nice!
Josie (as Minx): Dears?
Rhi: Alright.
Josie (as Minx): We do have a job to do.
Rhi: Minx makes an excellent point. Myra is able to open up the back door and you all step into the basement. It looks much as it did when Minx and Seeks were here last. It’s the kind of cramped hallways painted a sort of dingy beige. There’s a handful of doors scattered along the hallway that you are in currently. There’s kinda cheap, sort of flickery lighting illuminating the place. And yeah, as far as you can tell, you don’t hear anybody else down here, you don’t hear any movement. It seems pretty calm for now. So, what do you all wanna do?
Josie: I’m gonna use this opportunity to don my disguise for this episode.
Rhi: Which is?
Josie: Well, if you liked maid outfit, how about nurse outfit? [laughs]
[laughter]
Kim: [loudly] Yes!
Rhi: Alright.
Kim: I’m sorry in advance Rhi for that waveform.
[laughter]
Rhi: It’s okay. Okay, so I’m picturing the, like, World War II era nurse.
Josie: Yes.
Rhi: The long white dresses with apron and little hat. [laughs] I’m picturing that Minx is just like, “Hold on a moment, dears,” opens a random closet door, steps inside, and in way too short a time for the amount of clothing that’s changed, steps back out in the nurse costume.
Minna: Minx has actor training.
Josie: I haven’t so much done theatre as prepared to do theatre. Wanted to do theatre. Once I have money and access. [laughs] Minx has definitely, you know, practiced for being on stage in her room.
Rhi: [laughs] That’s really cute. Alright, so what is your plan for this nurse’s uniform?
Josie: I am intending to deliver a message to the guards at Hagen’s stairway that apparently his husband is in some sort of trouble.
Minna: [soft gasp]
Rhi: Oh… interesting. Okay.
Josie: I think first I want to see— I’m going to go up a floor.
Rhi: Okay. Everybody else gonna hang back a bit?
Kim: For now, yeah.
Minna: Mm hmm.
Rhi: Okay. I mean, I think if things start going bad you’ll probably be able to figure it out. Or do you set a, like, “if I don’t come back in X amount of time” type thing?
Kim: I feel like Blaire would be the one to bring that up. She’s like:
Kim (as Blaire): Yeah, if you’re not back in, like, fifteen minutes, something’s gone wrong.
Josie (as Minx): Yes. I will make it quick.
Kim (as Blaire): Please. And please come back.
Josie (as Minx): I will.
Kim (as Blaire): Okay.
Rhi: Yeah. Minx, you can head on upstairs. So, getting back to the first floor, also a lot of hallways with a lot of doors leading to small rooms that have numbers on them. I think as you kind of step into one of the halls it just has that kinda like… it’s not the hospital smell that we think of now, where it’s kinda that, like, antiseptic, clean smell. This, it smells like your room smells after you’ve been sick with, like, a really bad cold for a few days. Just that kinda like, gross, sick, sweaty smell.
Kim: Oh gross, yeah.
Rhi: The air here just kinda has that tinge to it. It’s pretty quiet. It’s night time, you know, for what that’s worth in this setting. But most people are sleeping. You don’t see anybody immediately when you come up onto the first floor.
Josie: Alright. What about the stairway I tried to get up last time?
Rhi: Uh, yeah. You’re able to find your way back to that. There are two guards standing at the base of the stairs and I’m gonna make a fortune roll, because on the one hand, like, you’re dressed as a nurse.
Josie: Yes.
Rhi: They shouldn’t question you. But you’re also an unfamiliar face. So, I’m gonna make a fortune roll to see if— which one of those elements is gonna win out for them. Are they just gonna see the uniform and be like, “Eh, nurse, fine, supposed to be here”, or if they’re going to notice that, “Hey, I don’t recognize you.” So lemme see how this is gonna shake out. So, one of the guards just like glances at you and just doesn’t, like, there’s a glance not even so much of acknowledging you, but just sort of like “Oh, there is movement, I will look towards it.”
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: Doesn’t seem phased at all. The other guard, though, kind of narrows her eyes at you a little bit. Is like:
Rhi (as Guard): Excuse me. Uh, I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before…
Josie (as Minx): Oh, yes, I’m sorry. Hi. I’m Elizabeth, I don’t usually work nights. I wasn’t expecting to work tonight either, but…
Josie: She’ll offer her hand to shake.
Rhi: And I think before that shake happens, gimme a roll.
Josie: Alright.
Rhi: You’re still in a controlled position.
Josie: 6.
Rhi: Okay. Yeah, so she kinda like, the suspicious look when you give that explanation of, like, “oh yeah, I got put on the night shift,” that seems to just completely win her over. She just is like:
Rhi (as Guard): Oh, alright.
Rhi: And will shake your hand and like—
Josie (as Minx): Yes. What I also wasn’t expecting was to get the message I just got. It is rather urgent. Do you want to take it to Dr Hagen or should I?
Rhi (as Guard): Oh, um—
Josie (as Minx): Apparently, it’s regarding his husband.
Rhi (as Guard): Oh.
Josie (as Minx): I understand he’s very private, but my bedside manner, you know, it’s my job.
Rhi: She’s like:
Rhi (as Guard): Oh, um, yes. Yes. Head right on up. I think he’s in his labs on the third floor.
Josie (as Minx): Thank you.
Josie: And then I will try and go up the stairs looking like I am refraining from hurrying.
Rhi: Ah. [laughs]
Josie: I’m trying not to freak anyone out but I’m sort of a little antsy.
Rhi: Got it. Yeah, I think, like, you might hear the guards kind of whispering a little bit as you leave, but it doesn’t seem to be, like, it sounds more like gossip whispering, which you’re quite familiar with.
Josie: Right.
Rhi: And yeah, you get up onto the second floor, continue to navigate to the stairs leading up to the third floor, which last time you came here was just open. Apparently, they’ve made some changes to the security since you were here last, what with all the explosions.
Josie: Oh dear.
Rhi: There is a wrought iron gate, kind of one of those that would slide back and forth, pulled across the stairs. And there are three guards stationed on the other side of it. One who’s kind of down at the base of the stairs, and two who are up at the top. But the guard who’s at the base of the stairs will kinda step towards the gate when you get up there and be like:
Rhi (as Guard): Did you need something?
Josie (as Minx): Uh, yes. I have a message for Dr Hagen regarding his husband. It was pretty urgent, but if you want to take it to him that’s fine also.
Rhi: Go ahead and give me a roll.
Josie: Same dealio.
Rhi: Yep.
Josie: But you know what? I really wanna get through this gate. I’m gonna push myself.
Rhi: [laughs]
Josie: 6.
Rhi: 6, alright. So, yeah, he just kind of is like:
Rhi (as Guard): Oh. Oh. Um, alright.
Rhi: And will unlock the gate and will kinda call up to the other two, be like:
Rhi (as Guard): She says she’s got a message for the doctor, can you walk her to the lab?
Rhi: And they will nod and yeah, when you get to the top of the stairs on the third floor the two guards who are there are gonna, like, fall in step beside you and will be escorting you to wherever you need to be.
Josie: I see.
Rhi: So, back down in the basement. It hasn’t been too long. Are the three of you gonna be doing anything, preparing anything?
Kim: I want her first order of business to be finding these wards and destroying them, in the building.
Rhi: Oh okay, yeah. If you and Seeks wanna work on that.
Kim: Mm hmm.
Waffles: I also kinda wanted to check to see if the little vault that they had of blood last time, if it’s in the same place or if they moved it. Because I remember it being downstairs.
Rhi: It was. It was in the basement last time. So, the three of you kinda continue on in the basement. We’ll start with checking for the vault because that’s the easier one. Seeks, you remember pretty well where the vault was. It stood out pretty well, it was a big, heavy, steel door that, you know, I think you poured acid all over and then people threw some grenades into the room. You’re able to find the doorway again. It still has the big, heavy, steel door, but that door is just standing open. And if you look inside, the former vault room looks like it’s now being used for just sort of general storage. There’s just, like, some crates and stacks of, like, bed linens and a broom. It seems like after you all, again, threw grenades into the room full of all sorts of expensive arcane goodies, they relocated that stuff. Yeah, it’s just another— it’s a closet with a really expensive door now.
Waffles: [laughs]
Minna (as Myra): Blaire, do you think you could at least sense the electroplasm? Maybe it’ll be near there?
Kim (as Blaire): Um, it’s on the third floor. You might wanna ask me when we get closer to it.
Minna (as Myra): Yeah, I say we try and get up there if we can.
Kim (as Blaire): Yeah, definitely. I gotta get up there.
Rhi: And then, yeah, Seeks or Blaire or both of you together, you wanted to start trying to take down wards and stuff?
Kim: Yes please.
Waffles: Mm hmm.
Rhi: Okay. I mean, if you do this as an Attune type thing, Myra has a pretty good Attune, so she can—
Minna: Group magic is fun.
Kim: I was gonna say, let’s do a group Attune. That makes the most sense for me.
Rhi: Who’s gonna lead?
Kim: I can lead, I have no stress.
Rhi: Okay.
Kim: 6, 4, 2.
Minna: 6.
Rhi: Okay, so a 6 and a 6 and…
Waffles: 4 and a 2.
Rhi: Okay. So, no stress and the result is a 6.
Kim: Yay!
Rhi: So, tell me what this looks like as the three of you are kinda working together to identify where these wards are.
Kim: I have an idea of what it looks like, but I don’t want to step on any toes here. I wanna know if you guys— if you folks know what this might look like or have any ideas.
Minna: I think you should go ahead and describe what you’re thinking.
Waffles: Yeah.
Kim: My idea is that in a group Attune action we’re all holding hands while looking into the ghost field.
Waffles: Yes!
Josie: Aww.
Kim: And with, sort of like, our energies combined in that sense, since we’re holding hands, we are able to collectively widen our range of sight into the ghost field. We can see farther than any of us individually could.
Rhi: Yeah, and I think actually I like that idea of that, like, your collective sight is extended out. And since you got a 6, it’s not just like, the first one. You’re able to see up where they are on— not just in the basement, but up onto the first and even second floors. The third floor is just a little bit outta your range. It’s sort of that— the third floor is like when you’re out driving in the country and like, there’s a city on the horizon and there’s just kinda that faint glow but you can’t pick out distinct buildings.
Kim: Mm, right.
Rhi: It’s like that. You know that there’s stuff up there, but you can’t make out any details.
Kim: I like that.
Rhi: Basement, first and second floor, you know where the wards are.
Kim: Yes.
Rhi: I think that what it is, is that it’s sort of a, um, it’s like a chain that kind of encircles the whole floor of like, you know, there’s runes kind of around the entire wall. But you just have to pull out the right links in that chain to sort of defuse it.
Waffles: I’mma wreck it.
Rhi: Alright.
Waffles: I’m gonna mark arcane implements.
Rhi: Okay, to do an arcane wreck.
Waffles: And I think what this looks like is, like, we find the first of many runes and Seeks, like, looks up— I assume, are they up like where the ceiling meets the wall?
Rhi: Yeah, sure.
Waffles: Okay. Seeks looks up there and runs off, comes back with a crate and sets the crate down.
Rhi: [laughs]
Waffles: Climbs up and pulls out a bunch of, like, it’s pretty much putty, but it’s been mixed with weird magic stuff. And just puts it over sections of the rune, and my intent here is to inverse the rune.
Rhi: Okay.
Waffles: At least temporarily, because we can come back and remove the putty, make it attract ghosts as opposed to not attract ghosts.
Rhi: Okay. Yeah. I like it.
Waffles: A 5.
Rhi: 5, okay. Yeah. This is a good time to start this. So, I’m gonna say that you’re gonna end up in a risky position. You do that and I think hop down from the crate looking satisfied, and the back door creaks open. You’re out of sight of it, you’re kind of down the hall and around a corner, so whatever has just opened the door cannot see you, but the door just opened. You are no longer alone in the basement.
##Outro [00.47.22]
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 Rivers Lost But Seeking was played by Waffles. Follow them on Twitter @Mahaffay.
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.
Now, I’d like to thank our radiant Patreon backers.
Todd Rowlett, thank you.
##Blooper [00.48.50]
Rhi: Or you know, maybe just spread a rumor that he does and is going to die abruptly.
Kim (as Blaire): [gasps]
Josie: Yes.
Rhi: You know, these things happen.
Kim (as Blaire): That is true.
Minna: That’s a good idea, but it’s not [breaks down laughing]
Rhi: The voice of God has imparted this idea to you.
Josie: [laughs]