Transcribed by Michelle Kelly (@Michellicopter)

##Intro

Rhi: Welcome, for the last time, to Duskwall. It’s been a long, strange thing saying goodbye to The Magpies. We recorded this finale back in May and I finished editing it at the end of June, and since then I’ve been posting episodes every two weeks. But now, as I’m recording this last intro for the show, this is where it really feels like the end for me.

The Magpies started as a bunch of notes in Google Docs in the summer of 2017 and it has grown into something far beyond anything I could have imagined or even hoped for. I’ve made so many friends, met so many wonderful people and started building something that I hope is doing some small amount of good in the world. It has been an incredible experience and while the journey isn’t over, I am leaving this first part of it behind. It’s a strange, sad, proud feeling looking back at the show and the stories we told here.

Today’s episode is split into two parts, both of which are being released today. We are planning to do a Season 4 Q&A episode as well, so keep an eye on out Twitter, @clever_corvids, for a post asking for your questions. That should go up tomorrow.

It’s no secret to anyone that the TV show Leverage has been a huge inspiration for The Magpies. Not just in how I title the episodes, but in the overall message of the show. Laws and systems are frequently not set up to help people, so sometimes you have to go outside them to fix things. There’s an episode where one of the characters, Parker, is undercover at a debt collection agency making calls when she realizes that she’s calling someone for their debts owed for cancer treatment. She disconnects the call and starts deleting debt after debt from the company’s database.

This month’s featured charity is RIP Medical Debt, which sort of lets you do something along those lines without the stress of being undercover at a call center. RIP Medical Debt buys up huge amounts of medical debt for pennies on the dollar and then just forgives it. People who are facing bankruptcy, poverty or homelessness due to medical bills are freed from debt. The healthcare system in America is horribly broken, something that’s become even more starkly apparent during the pandemic. We can and should advocate for universal healthcare with our representatives, but that kind of change takes time. This is something that can help people now.

If you take nothing else away from this show, I hope it’s that. Look for ways to help people now in your community. The world we live in is a scary, painful one and it can be so hard to see how you can help. But there are so many ways we can take care of each other. We just have to find them and be willing to do what we can.

Now then. Let’s see how it ends, shall we?

##Story continues [00.03.39]

Rhi: We open up on Duskwall. It’s a fairly ordinary late morning. The perpetually darkened streets are bustling with people going about their days, shopping, working, kids running around, some of them pick-pocketing. And we see on a wall a few wanted posters painted up, and there’s three posters that have The Magpies’ pictures on them. And we see a person, kind of, you know, wearing a wool peacoat that’s pretty battered, clearly seen better days, that has a little Magpie pin on the lapel, walks by and just super casually raises their arm and drags their hand across and pulls down the posters as they go, so it just leaves the top and bottom shreds behind.

And then we will cut over to The Hound’s Paw. Rigney is at the bar as usual. What’s a little less usual is that at one end of the bar Nevan is sitting there with a comical stack of books beside him.

Minna: [happy whine]

Rhi: He’d mentioned to Blaire at Gratitude that he was interested in studying Alchemy, and based on this tower is working towards that goal. He’s got a notebook in front of him and a book open. He’s got little bookmarks stuck in it and is doing some reading and Rigney, like, keeps coming over and is like, trying to move the books to be a little more secure, and every time Nevan is like:

Rhi (as Nevan): Don’t! Don’t touch them! I have them organized in a way, they’re fine. Just leave them.

Minna: [laughs]

Rhi: And Rigney’s like:

Rhi (as Rigney): They’re gonna fell and break all my shot glasses, but okay…

Josie: [laughs]

Rhi: And yeah, so this is kind of the midday scene. There’s also, you know, a few other regulars here for lunch, but that’s pretty much the scene when the Magpies come in and Rigney will wave at you, kinda gestures at your usual table and says:

Rhi (as Rigney): I’ll be right over. I’ve got something for ya.

Josie (as Minx): Ooh. A present? Surprise?

Rhi (as Rigney): Eh, letter. Probably a surprise.

Josie (as Minx): I suppose we’ll see then.

Minna (as Myra): Sound ominous.

Rhi: He kind of makes a face. [laughs]

Kim (as Blaire): Is it a good surprise?

Rhi (as Rigney): Uh…

Rhi: He reaches into the bar and picks up a letter and even from, like, kinda where you all are heading over to your table you can see it’s very fine white paper. There’s a little bit of a wax seal visible on the back and he’s like:

Rhi (as Rigney): I’m guessing probably not.

Rhi: He gets a tray together with your drinks and the letter, brings everything over, passes out your drinks and will just kinda set the letter down in the middle of the table, and he’s just like:

Rhi (as Rigney): A Bluecoat Captain came by earlier and dropped this off. Said that it needed to go to the three of you as soon as possible. So…

Josie (as Minx): Ah.

Rhi (as Rigney): Here you go.

Josie (as Minx): That is worrisome.

Rhi (as Rigney): Yeah.

Minna: I think Myra reaches forward if no one else does.

Kim: Yeah, go for it.

Minna: So, what does it— there’ seals on it, you said?

Rhi: Yeah. So, the front, the front of the letter just says “The Magpies” for an address and the back has a— it’s a black wax seal but there’s like, little flecks of gold and silver in the wax and it is the, you know, it’s clearly like somebody did this with, you know, a proper metal seal. And the heraldry is one that I think you all would— you would probably recognize as being House Penderyn. You’ve had indirect dealings with the Penderyns over the months and years. Lady Penderyn has long been known to you as a member of the Circle of Flame, you’re pretty sure she’s been the leader of it, but you’ve never really interacted with them directly. And it seems that their noble estate has sent you all a letter.

Minna: Huh.

Josie (as Minx): Well, that is worrisome.

Minna: Yeah. Myra breaks the seal and like, unfolds it. She wants to know what’s happening.

Rhi: Um, it’s a pretty short letter and it just says, “To The Magpies. It is clear now that you are dedicated and passionate. Focused wholly on your goals. I can relate. I wish for no further bloodshed or violence to come upon those that I care about or those that you care about. I would like to discuss a truce. Please visit my estate at,” a date and time that’s a few days from now, “and we can discuss terms. Sincerely, Lady Eleanor Penderyn.”

Minna: I think Myra puts it down.

Minna (as Myra): Well, there’s no way we’re going to her territory for this.

Josie (as Minx): No. But also, this may be a good sign?

Minna (as Myra): We’ve definitely scared her.

Josie (as Minx): It means we truly do have them on the back foot.

Kim (as Blaire): This could be a trap.

Josie (as Minx): Most likely.

Minna (as Myra): Definitely not her territory. If we could make a meeting in neutral territory, maybe. But I think we’d have to set up some safeguards.

Josie (as Minx): Where is neutral?

Kim (as Blaire): I dunno, somewhere public?

Josie (as Minx): Do we want to be seen with her, though? I feel like someone observing such a thing could get the wrong idea.

Minna (as Myra): We have plenty of ways to spread the truth afterwards. No, I think by neutral I mean not in Brightstone or Charterhall or any of those districts.

Kim (as Blaire): Yeah.

Minna (as Myra): We’re going to have to— but I think… Nightmarket might be too much ours, I dunno.

Josie (as Minx): That’s the problem. Everywhere is polarized.

Minna: Let me look at the map very quickly. [laughs]

Rhi: Yeah. So that is the thing is you all have, like, if we go back to the faction mechanics, which I’ve honestly barely used, you basically are at, like, have ally status with the citizens of the Docks, Silkshore, Charhollow and Coalridge. And in terms of Crow’s Foot, The Lampblacks are pretty powerful there, so that’s kind of perceived to be friendly territory to you. And similarly, I think with Six Towers and Nightmarket, you all, like, you have a lot of the city, at least the populace, is pretty sympathetic to you all.

Kim: Right.

Minna: So actually, I think Charterhall might be okay. I was thinking of Whitecrown and Brightstone as being the ones that are way too fancy for us.

Rhi: Yes.

Josie: Mm hmm.

Minna: Charterhall might be okay neutral round. It’s right in the middle of the city, neither of us has— I mean, okay, so she does actually have a lot of influence in Charterhall, but it’s probably not where she lives.

Rhi: Her residence is in Brightstone. And like, that’s the thing, is you all kinda have a lot of the sympathy of the populace. Lady Penderyn, by virtue of her connections to the City Council basically has sway over the people in power. She’s gonna have a lot of influence with the Bluecoats, like, that’s why this letter was delivered by a Bluecoat Captain. So, you know, that’s the thing, is there’s nowhere in the city where either party can go that is going to totally escape the other’s influence. You all are in a position where you have a lot of people who are very sympathetic to you. She is in a position where she has just a lot of social and political power. So I do think if you’re looking for something, the closest to neutral territory I think would be Charterhall.

Minna: So, there’s some cool locations in Charterhall we haven’t really explored that could be fun backdrops.

Rhi: Uh huh?

Minna: There’s the artist colony on the Charter wall, which would be, like, in Charterhall, which is more hers, but probably we have some sympathy there and also we could stand on top of a weird wrecked wall with a bunch of artists around.

Rhi: [laughs]

Minna: Or we could meet in front of Jayan Park, which is… a nightmare.

Josie: What’s the deal with the park?

Rhi: It’s right on one of the canals and the deal with the park, from the book, is “The great alchemist for whom this park is named contrived to formulate soil and seeds that could produce real growing trees without sunlight or radiant energy.”

Kim: Woah, what?

Rhi: “They’re horrifically toxic to all living things and must not be touched, but they still grow beautifully here over 100 years later.” So, it’s full of poison death trees. [laughs]

Kim: That’s sick as hell, though.

Josie: What the fuck?

Rhi: [laughs]

Kim: The last recording I’m still fucking learning things about Blades in the Dark.

Rhi: I know, right?

Kim: I highly recommend not reading.

Rhi: [laughs] So yeah, I… that could be a very interesting, uh, spot to set this, this meeting.

Josie: Just push her onto a tree, I guess.

Kim: We could!

Rhi: I’m picturing that there are, like, wrought-iron fences going up around the trees, so like, they can still grow but it’s hard— you’re not just gonna stumble into one. [laughs]

Minna: What if from back when this was a fancy park there’s like, a beautiful gazebo, that’s like—

Kim: Yes!

Minna: In disrepair now.

Josie: Yes.

Kim: There’s absolutely a gazebo.

Minna: The pavilion at Jayan Park sounds like a fantastic meeting place.

Rhi: Okay, so— so you’re gonna write a response letter of, “Sure, we’ll talk. Here’s our location.” That basically the plan?

Josie: Uh huh.

Kim: Yep.

Minna: Yes.

Rhi: Okay. You’ve already [laughs] gone in a direction that I did not anticipate and should have.

Minna: Did you think we were gonna go into her house?!

Rhi: I don’t know. Maybe?

Josie: [laughs]

Rhi: Yes?

Minna: That sounds like a good way to die. That’s a trap, Rhi! [laughs]

Rhi: [small voice] Yeah…

Minna: [laughs]

Kim: You sound so disappointed!

Josie: [laughs] Aww, I’m sorry, Rhi!

Rhi: I had plans!

Kim: I know.

Minna: It could still be a trap at Jayan Park.

Rhi: No, no, I love the park. The park is good and like, this is— it makes sense that you all would be like, “Yeah, we’re not going into her fuckin’ house. That’s a death trap.”

Josie: [laughs]

Rhi: Okay. So I think I’m gonna need some kind of roll for the response letter, to see how persuasive you are in this, if you convince her to accept your terms.

Kim: Who has the best, uh, what is it? Would it be Command or Consort?

Rhi: It depends on how you wanna approach it. I could see Command, Consort or Sway. Any of those could work here, it just depends on how you’re framing the letter.

Josie: I’m really good at two of those.

Minna: I think we’re going with Consort or Sway.

Kim: Okay.

Minna: But I don’t know which.

Rhi: I mean, yeah, that is the thing. Sway is manipulative, you don’t care what happens to the person after you talk to them in this way. Consort is honest and open.

Josie: I mean, I think we are being honest.

Kim: Yeah.

Minna: I’ve got four dots in Consort.

Josie: Do it.

Minna: That’s always been my best.

Rhi: Okay, yeah, go ahead. Let me think. It’s controlled, reduced effect. She’s not terribly inclined to change her venue, but could be persuaded.

Minna: That’s a 5.

Rhi: 5, okay. I think this is what it is. She will agree to the new meeting location, but you’re not gonna get any additional advantages on the engagement roll.

Josie: Okay.

Rhi: Myra writes this letter back and then I think, like, the next day you all have to come back. [laughs] There’s this exchange back and forth over arranging this meeting. But she will agree to meet you there and yeah. I think you’ve got a couple days before this meeting. What would you all like to do, if anything?

Josie: Probably spend some time with Nyryx.

Rhi: Yeah.

Josie: Let her know this time.

Rhi: Yeah, yes. You’ve been very good about telling her lately what’s going on. Josie, did you wanna do any kind of scene with Nyryx here, or just you go see her and let her know?

Josie: Uh, yeah, I think just see her and let her know.

Rhi: Okay. She is concerned. [laughs] As usual, for your safety. But I think at this point the two of you have kind of come to an understanding and she knows that you are trying to finish things so that you can step back from all of this risky stuff a lot more.

Josie: Mm hmm.

Rhi: So, she will, she will fuss over you and will send you on your way with lots of kisses.

Josie: Mwah!

Rhi: So, the day of the meeting arrives. The three of you head to Jayan Park and it’s very well maintained. There’s, you know, fine flagstone paths winding through, there’s lots of little kind of offset areas with benches and chairs and places where people can sit and enjoy the scenery, and there’s all these big, towering trees. Living trees that have leaves and branches. Nothing lives in them. There are no birds nesting in these trees. I think… I feel like the leaves are all black.

Kim: Ooh…

Josie: Ooh. Goth trees.

Rhi: Yeah, yeah, they’re super goth trees. Um, I feel like they’re all jet-black leaves and there are these, like, ten-foot tall wrought-iron fences around the trunks of each and there are warning signs on each being like, “Toxic. Do not touch.” I think that there’s, like, as you’re making your way through this park you see a couple of the groundskeepers who are in, like, very heavy— not like full hazmat, but it’s kinda that vibe of like, they’ve got, you know, protective gear on, hey probably have goggles, they have some kind of face masks and they’re, like, very carefully gathering any leaves that fall from these trees so that nobody touches them. [laughs] And yeah, you all make your way over towards the gazebo. How early do you head over in advance of the meeting?

Kim: I would say at least five to ten minutes early, because early is on time and on time is late.

Rhi: [laughs]

Minna: I was gonna say half an hour for the same reason. [laughs]

Kim: Oh.

Josie: [laughs]

Kim: Half hour is great.

Rhi: Okay. So, you all head over there about half an hour early and I think as you’re heading over, you all notice fairly quickly that the park is, like, other than the groundskeepers, the park is basically empty. There’s nobody else here.

Kim: Hmm.

Rhi: I think there’s like, a little, like, decorative stream that kind of winds through the park and I’m imagining there’s like, a bridge you go over and then the gazebo is in a little cleared-out area on the other side. And as you’re making your way over… hmm. I’m gonna do a fortune roll to see if you all get there before her.

Minna: I kind of like the idea that we both kind of like, congregate in separate areas of the rest of the park before proceeding up to the pavilion at the designated time.

Josie: [laughs]

Rhi: Oh yeah [laughs] Okay, yeah. So yeah, you all kind of like, wander through the park and find a spot where you can hang out and keep an eye on the pavilion, but don’t start heading over until just a few minutes before. And I think that like, as you all are climbing up the steps on one side, Lady Penderyn is like, thirty seconds behind you coming up the stairs on the other side. She has four guards with her who kind of take up, like, two of them stay on the stairs that she came up and the other two circle around and go to the stairs that you all came up. Lady Penderyn is an Akarosian woman. Light skin, dark hair, I think like dark brown that’s starting to be a little touched with grey. She’s dressed very fashionably. I think it’s like a tailored, light grey suit. Wearing gloves, very nice shoes. Her hair is pulled up. Just like, it’s not overstated, she’s not flaunting her wealth, but just, she exudes money. Everything about her, everything she’s wearing is just the highest quality that money can buy.

Kim: Mm hmm.

Rhi: I’m imagining that there’s kind of like a wooden bench kind of running around the outside of this gazebo. It’s like open in the middle and there’s a place to sit around the edge. And she will sort of, you know, dust off the seat and sit down and just sort of look the three of you over. It’s like:

Rhi (as Lady Penderyn): You are all so much younger than I’d imagined.

Kim (as Blaire): How old did you think we were?

Rhi (as Lady Penderyn): I’m not sure exactly, just for as much as you have done in this city, I somehow thought you would be older.

Josie (as Minx): We are still young enough to get into trouble.

Rhi (as Lady Penderyn): [gentle laugh] That you are. Please, have a seat.

Josie: Minx sits.

Minna: Yeah, Myra sits as well.

Kim: So does Blaire, I guess.

Rhi (as Lady Penderyn): Well, I must say it’s good to finally meet the three of you. I feel like we’ve been circling each other for quite some time.

Josie (as Minx): Yes. In truth, I’m surprised we haven’t met face to face already.

Rhi (as Lady Penderyn): Well, I’ve been quite occupied with my responsibilities to the city and to be frank… a face to face meeting with you tends not to end terribly well for most people in my former organization. I don’t suppose I can really call it much of an organization at this point.

Minna (as Myra): More of a partnership, am I right?

Rhi (as Lady Penderyn): Mm, yes. Tesslyn is not pleased about this particular meeting, but I convinced her that this was the best path forward.

Josie (as Minx): So, a truce, you said.

Rhi (as Lady Penderyn): Yes. It’s been a very interesting year or so here in the city with your little band, well, quite frankly, making an awful lot of waves. And while you have brought about a lot of change to the city, not all of it has been for the better. There have been a lot of people that have lost things, lost their homes, their livelihoods, in some cases their lives. I understand your desire for change within the city and I can see that you are truly dedicated to it. I would like to offer a partnership.

Kim (as Blaire): A partnership?

Minna (as Myra): Have you even understood the kind of change that we’re looking for? Or are you going to pretend to be ignorant of the activities of every other member of your little circle?

Rhi (as Lady Penderyn): No. I would not do that. Although I will admit, I did not have Alasdair as my guess for being a demon. I actually thought it was Drake for quite a while, until you all revealed otherwise. I, like a great many people in our world, have been looking for purpose. For a time, this organization promised me purpose. The Forgotten Gods that I attempted to follow promised me purpose. But none of it has— none of it’s truly meant anything. I would like to make changes in myself, I suppose. And yes, I am aware that my former associates were engaged in a great many terrible things.

Minna (as Myra): And you. Don’t think we don’t have that journal from those horrible experiments. Don’t think we didn’t see your initials in it.

Josie: Minx is like, woah, Myra.

[laughter]

Rhi (as Lady Penderyn): As I said, the guidance of certain Forgotten Gods led me into some very dark places. And, well, I suppose I, among other things, would like to make amends. I know the kind of change that you want to see in the city and I think that, truthfully, a lot of what you are advocating for is inevitable. The world is changing. It always does. And the things that… [sighs] my fellow members of the nobility have counted on as unwavering pillars of our position in the city are not quite so solid. What I propose is, as I said, a partnership. You all want to change the city for the better. You can’t accomplish that in the ways that you’re going about it. You’re chipping off little pieces here and there, but you’re not looking at the whole. You don’t have the connections, you don’t have the influence. Quite frankly, you don’t have the money to accomplish the kind of change that would really remake this city. I can offer you all of that.

Josie (as Minx): It doesn’t seem like all the money in the world has led to anyone else changing the city for the better.

Rhi (as Lady Penderyn): They haven’t been motivated to, for the most part. The Evermarrs being an exception.

Josie (as Minx): We aren’t unique in our desires. We may be unique in our action, but there is no way we are the first, nor will we be the last. I do not think money or influence is what changes things, it seems very much to keep things the same. As much as that pains me to admit.

Rhi (as Lady Penderyn): That is in your experience, in your view of things. From my position, which is admittedly a much more connected one, I think that you could have the potential to accomplish a great deal more if you had greater resources, greater connections. You are not wrong, there are a great many who wish for change in this city. But you all are terribly unique. Very few have gone to the lengths that you have and succeeded. Most who have tried are dead or in Ironhook, exiled from the city. You all are something special.

Josie (as Minx): But we didn’t do it alone. And your organization has routinely targeted those we care about. The people who let this happen, who gave us the ability to make this happen. We have connections just fine. So really all you’re offering us is money.

Minna (as Myra): Why do you need us? Why can’t you just change the city yourself?

Rhi (as Lady Penderyn): Well, as I said, I also would like a truce. I tire of the bloodshed and the threats. As you’ve said, I, my organization has targeted people you care about. You have targeted people that my associates care about. It has been a painful back and forth war. And we have an opportunity here to end it. Now, if we cannot come to an agreement here, well, I cannot tolerate further threats to the wellbeing of myself and those that I care about.

Josie (as Minx): What are you willing to give up for such a truce? If you want change, sacrifice is necessary. We’ve all sacrificed a great dal to be where we are. Or do you intend to stay on the throne, so to speak, where you now sit?

Rhi: I kind want a group roll of some kind at this point, cause I wanna get a feel of what she’s gonna be willing to offer.

Kim (as Blaire): Would this be a group Consort?

Josie: I think Minx— yeah, Minx is being honest.

Rhi: Yeah.

Minna: Yeah, Consort as well.

Rhi: Yeah, gimme a group Consort. This is basically a fortune roll so I’m not gonna have any consequences attached to it.

Josie: I got a 6.

Kim: My highest was a 4.

Minna: 5. So we get a 6 and no stress.

Rhi: Yep, and nobody takes any stress, because after you started reading I’m like, “Ah, I don’t know who’s leading this,” but it doesn’t matter.

Minna: I was gonna say I would lead it, but… [laughs] didn’t need.

Rhi: Yeah.

Rhi (as Lady Penderyn): Well, I don’t know if there are specific details you are angling for, but I can say that what’s left of The Circle would of course be disbanded. Any relics, occult artifacts, that we have acquired would be surreptitiously turned over to the Spirit Wardens for disposal and destruction. And my family sits on the City Council. I have a great deal of influence over the decisions of the other noble houses. I can exert pressure on them through business, through politics, to, in a year or two, I think we could have your unionization efforts see success as a start. It wouldn’t be fast. These kinds of changes take time.

Minna: We don’t expect any change to be fast. What do you want from us, from our side, besides a ceasefire?

Rhi (as Lady Penderyn): Minx was not wrong when she said that you all have plenty of connections. You do. I would like cooperation, information, things that can make these changes smoother and less violent for everyone. You all have been operating outside of the good graces of the city’s authorities for a long time, but you do have a lot of connections with the average person. This would allow you to connect to both worlds and bring about greater change. Live in the Duskwall that you all have been fighting for so hard.

Josie (as Minx): I believe we may need a few moments.

Rhi (as Lady Penderyn): Of course. Of course.

Rhi: She will stand up and kind of, you know, brush herself off and be like:

Rhi (as Lady Penderyn): We’ll give you your privacy. Just signal when you are ready to continue our conversation.

Rhi: And she will walk down the stairs. Her guards will kind of form up around her. They walk off, you know, there’s a little cluster of fenced-off tress. It’s probably about 30, 40 feet away that they walk off to. She’s far enough away that she’s obviously not eavesdropping.

Kim (as Blaire): So this is bullshit, right?

Josie (as Minx): Most likely.

Minna (as Myra): There’s no need to put this kind of pressure on it, and there’s no need to partner up if she’s sincere.

Kim (as Blaire): If she’s even sincere to begin with. We can’t know that for sure.

Josie (as Minx): But what if she is?

Minna (as Myra): If she is, she can prove herself.

Josie (as Minx): I suppose that’s true.

Minna (as Myra): I don’t trust her because the time that we’ve been doing this she has not seen the poor as full people who are worthy of living.

Josie (as Minx): Am I terrible for considering it? Or am I just being hopeful?

Minna (as Myra): You’re not terrible for considering it. If she really is sincere, then that would be helpful. But we don’t— not everyone who’s fighting needs to fighting the exact same fight. We can do what we do and she can do what she does.

Josie (as Minx): Yes. Yes, I suppose so. If there is a way to resolve this without— with minimal stabbing, I think it’s worth…

Minna (as Myra): Ceasefire, but no partnership. For now.

Josie (as Minx): Yes. That is likely ideal.

Kim (as Blaire): Do you think she’ll accept?

Josie (as Minx): Most likely not.

Minna (as Myra): If she doesn’t accept then what’s her— what is her word worth? What is this deal worth? If she doesn’t want an actual end to the violence, then…

Kim (as Blaire): So, this counter-offer would just show her true intentions, then.

Josie (as Minx): Mm hmm.

Kim (as Blaire): I mean, it’s worth a shot.

Minna (as Myra): The truth is she probably holds most of the power here. Not that we can’t fight it, but…

Josie (as Minx): That is true. But that hasn’t stopped us before. Are we ready?

Minna (as Myra): I think we’re ready.

Kim (as Blaire): Yes.

Minna (as Myra): Do you wanna talk or do you want me to talk?

Josie (as Minx): I… I think you should propose it.

Minna (as Myra): Alright.

Josie (as Minx): And you can perhaps… seal it.

Minna: You’re right! [laughs] I haven’t used that in so long. Sorry, that was out of character.

Rhi: Yeah.

Josie: [laughs]

Minna: Yes! [claps] That’s perfect because it’s surety on both sides. Because if I break it, something bad also happens to me.

Rhi: Mm hmm.

Minna: Yes, okay. I’m ready.

Rhi: Alright. So, you wave her back over and she will return. Her guards take up their posts again. She doesn’t sit down this time. She kinda stands in the spot but she doesn’t sit.

Rhi (as Lady Penderyn): Well, that was somewhat quicker than I expected. Have you come to a decision?

Minna (as Myra): We have a counter-offer for you.

Rhi (as Lady Penderyn): Mm hmm?

Minna (as Myra): We’re not interested in a partnership at this exact moment. If you are sincere, then maybe we’ll pursue something in the future. But we are willing to agree to a ceasefire.

Josie (as Minx): If we are able to actually see change from you, then we may reconsider.

Kim (as Blaire): But if either party breaks this truce, then it’s just gonna be back to our old ways.

Rhi: Uh, I think she kind of frowns and crosses her arms, like:

Rhi (as Lady Penderyn): And you’re committed to this stance? You’re not interested in anything that I have to offer?

Minna: We believe in our friends proving their sincerity. I can seal this ceasefire and ensure than neither of us will attack the other without experiencing a consequence, if that’s all you’re worried about.

Rhi: She has been, throughout this whole conversation, very pleasant, charming almost. Has been giving every indication of a reasonable person who has come to the table to figure out a misunderstanding. And it’s subtle, it’s not like, you know, Setarra’s big dramatic demon transformation, but something about her changes. The warmth that was there just leeches away.

Kim: The Karen transformation.

Rhi: [laughs] She looks disappointed, but in a very kind of cold, detached way. Not like the disappointment of a parent or a teacher, it’s the disappointment of she had plans and they’re not working out, how unfortunate. She just shakes her head and is like:

Rhi (as Lady Penderyn): I suppose that it was too much to hope that you all would see reason. Lady Drake wanted the same, she wanted to bring you all in. And Tesslyn and I pushed her off. It is nice to be proven right. I am not interested in anything less than the terms that I have offered you. And if you will not take those, then I suppose we will just continue on as things have been.

Kim (as Blaire): We’ve made it this far.

Minna (as Myra): If all you’re interested in is power then I’m not interested in partnering with you.

Josie (as Minx): And thankfully, it won’t be for much longer.

Rhi (as Lady Penderyn): No, I don’t suppose that it will.

Rhi: And she will stride off with her guards and the three of you are left sitting there, a very ominous feeling hanging in the air, like things are about to get really dicey.

The three of you kinda linger in the gazebo for a little bit, let Penderyn get some distance and then leave the park, start to head home, get back on the streets, and it’s kinda nice getting back on the streets because the park was very quiet, it was empty, now you’re back among people. Normal sounds of the city. You make your way across Charterhall and over into Six Towers, heading for The Nest, kind of figure out your next steps. This meeting didn’t result in any real change in the status quo. You’re still at, you know, hostilities with the remaining members of The Circle of Flame.

And you’re probably about three blocks from The Nest when you start hearing the Bluecoat carriage bell ringing. And at first you don’t think anything of it cause you live in a big city, you hear these all the time. But then you hear another one and another one and they are, like, it seems like every Bluecoat in the district is out on the streets and in high alert. And you kind of start distantly hearing, a few streets away, a few blocks away, shouting of a Bluecoat announcing to the populace:

Rhi (as Bluecoat): Duskwall is under lockdown until the criminals known as The Magpies have been apprehended. There is a citywide hunt for The Magpies.

Rhi: And it’s just like, repeating over and over that Duskwall is under lockdown. The Magpies are being hunted. And the clanging of the Bluecoat bells is starting to get a little louder.

Josie: I think Minx is just gonna put on a— her smile doesn’t falter, but she’s just gonna rest a hand on Myra and Blaire’s shoulders and start speeding up the group. [laughs]

Kim: Yup.

Minna: Mm hmm!

Kim: We are powerwalking back to the Nest.

Rhi: Yeah.

Josie: We might need to take an underground catacomb, maybe.

Kim: That’s not a bad idea.

Rhi: Yeah. I think that you all— well, I mean, like, your lair has always been hidden, it’s in the ruined guard tower, so I have always kind of assumed that like, the entrance probably was underground somewhere.

Josie: Oh, okay. Weird that we never figured that out.

Rhi: Yep.

Josie and Rhi: [laugh]

Rhi: Yeah, so you head— you dip down into the catacombs and then hustle back to the Nest, and I think like, once you get back up above ground it’s just like, the streets are crawling with Bluecoats. They know that you operate a lot in Six Towers and Nightmarket so there seem to be a lot of them out here. You can just hear the bells clanging, you can hear Bluecoats shouting, and this has been— it took you less than an hour to get from the park to back home.

Josie (as Minx): Gods above, she works fast. We need to move tonight, don’t we?

Kim (as Blaire): Yeah.

Minna (as Myra): Yeah, we need to get working.

Josie (as Minx): Alright. She did give us her address.

Minna (as Myra): Do you think there’s anything worth seeing there?

Kim (as Blaire): There’s gotta be.

Josie (as Minx): The journal counts for something. There’s got to be more.

Minna (as Myra): Yes. What exactly does she look like behind closed doors?

Josie (as Minx): Because if we just— if we just remove her, she has powerful friends. And that could be very bad.

Minna (as Myra): Yeah, we can’t afford to kill her. We can’t do an assassination here.

Josie (as Minx): So, I think we need to scandal her.

Kim (as Blaire): It’ll be the same thing as Lord Mora. We’ll find some dirt on her and then expose.

Josie (as Minx): Eh? Dirt? Like on the rock demon.

Kim (as Blaire): Mm… yeah.

Minna (as Myra): [dry laugh]

Kim (as Blaire): Yeah, Minx. Like on the rock demon.

Minna (as Myra): Thank you for lightening the mood.

Josie (as Minx): Sorry. Coping mechanism. The humor is. Anyway…

Minna (as Myra): We’ll use our experience with Lord Mora as a foundation upon which to build? [laughs quietly]

Josie (as Minx): Yes. Yes, that sounds… that sounds great. And normally I’d spin a tale about some affair, but I think it needs to be something disastrous.

Minna (as Myra): I think it needs to be the truth.

Josie (as Minx): You know what? For wit’s sake, I’ll say those are the same.

Rhi: [laughs]

Minna (as Myra): I would agree.

Rhi: You can Gather Information, however it is not going to come without risk this time, because everybody is actively hunting you.

Kim: Yup.

Rhi: I mean, not everybody, but the Bluecoats are actively tearing the city apart look for all of you. I think basically what I’m gonna say is everything is bumped down one. You’re gonna be at reduced effect for your Gather Infos, because you have to be a lot more cautious and there is a chance that like, you may just have to pull out and run away and hide in order to avoid getting caught.

Josie: Yeah… what does our Gather Info even look like? Like, honestly, it might just be staring at the building for a while, before we go in.

Rhi: Yeah, yeah, if you wanna just do that. If you wanna load up and make your way up there and study the building for a bit.

Minna: Should we pick up anything befo— I guess that’s what flashbacks are for, never mind. [laughs]

Rhi: Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Josie: Yeah. Kim, how do you feel about just jumping in?

Kim: Yeah, that’s fine by me.

Rhi: Alright. Yeah, and I will say that with your underground— your maps and all that of the underground passages in the city, you can get pretty close before you have to come up on the streets again. So, let’s do the Engagement roll. Actually, let’s not. Let’s figure out your loadout.

Josie: Uh, I’m going heavy.

Kim: Heavy.

Minna: Heavy.

Rhi: Okay. That makes sense.

Minna: Yes, since we’re not even walking the streets beforehand.

Rhi: One for luck. Is this operation particularly bold or daring? Yes. Is the plan’s detail expose a vulnerability of the target…?

Minna: I do not think it hits her where she’s weakest. We are going to her house.

Rhi: No, and yeah, her house is quite secure. Friends or contacts provide aid or insight for this operation? Not right now. Enemies or rivals are interfering in the form of the Bluecoats. Yeah, this is shaking out to a 2d6, take the lower Engagement.

Kim: Oofa doofa.

Rhi: So… oof.

Kim: Oh no.

Rhi: 3 and a 2!

Josie: Alrighty.

Rhi: You’re gonna be starting in a desperate position.

Minna: That seems accurate.

Rhi: So, your underground passageways through the city can get you pretty close. They can get you up into Brightstone. But you have to come back up onto the streets about, like, two blocks away from the Penderyn Estate. And you, like, pop your head up out of the catacomb entrance, you look around, the alley is empty, you slip out into the alley, you step out onto the street and immediately there’s a Bluecoat patrol that comes around the corner and immediately sees all three of you face to face, you’re clearly identified. What are you gonna do?

Josie: Smoke…

Kim: Should we run?

Josie: …bomb?

Rhi: You do have one smoke bomb left. [laughs]

Minna: It seems like a good opportunity.

Rhi: Yeah.

Kim: I think Minx just looks at them like a deer in the headlights. Smoke bomb. [laughs]

Rhi: Yep. [laughs] Uh yeah, gimme a roll.

Josie: Um what sort of roll? Prowl maybe?

Rhi: Well, it’s gonna be desperate. Yes, yeah, this is cover for you all running away so I think Prowl makes sense. Yeah, gonna be desperate.

Josie: Critical.

Minna: Hell yeah.

Josie: [laughs]

Kim: Killin’ it.

Rhi: [laughs loudly] Jesus Christ.

Kim: You okay, Rhi?

Josie: [laughs]

Rhi: Yeah, it’s just really funny. [laughs] I think what happens, cause this is one of the smoke bombs that Seeks made for you. And you’ve had this one for a while.

Minna: [laughs]

Rhi: And I think unbeknownst to all of you and quite frankly, unbeknownst to Seeks, like a fine wine…

Josie: [laughs]

Kim: Oh dear.

Minna: [laughs]

Rhi: Whatever alchemy went into making this smoke bomb fermented over time.

Minna: [giggles]

Rhi: And it aged. And so, what comes out of this, it’s not just— it’s a thick, green-black smoke that like, and fortunately the wind is such that it blows into the Bluecoats’ faces, but it’s just this like, noxious, horrible smoke that comes out. And they all immediately just start, like, coughing and gagging and it’s really thick so they can’t see, and the three of you just book it. [laughs]

Josie: [laughs]

Rhi: So [laughs] congratulations. You have evaded the cops. Let me mark down your smoke bomb is gone.

Josie (as Minx): I don’t know what that was, but I’m thankful for it.

Rhi: So, the three of you are able to get away. I think you’re kinda, you know, ducking in and out of alleys, but you make your way over to the Penderyn Estate. And unsurprisingly, it’s huge and kind of centrally located in the district. It has, like, you can see the towers of the Sanctorium kind of fairly close by. There’s this big park in the center of Brightstone that is the, you know, the commemorates the Empire’s victory in the Unity War. And the Penderyn Estate is very close to this park. It’s very centrally located, it’s near all of the best aspects that Brightstone has to offer. Huge, huge estate. Fenced in grounds, there’s kind of a central building and then there’s a few smaller buildings scattered around it. It’s four stories tall, beautiful stonework, and it’s very imposing-looking. There’s a lot of, um, it’s actually currently being guarded by a number of Bluecoats. They’re posted up outside.

Kim: Hmm.

Rhi: And there are lights on inside the home.

Kim: Oh…

Josie: I think we just need to use cover of dark to our advantage. Are they patrolling at all?

Rhi: So, there’s like, kind of the front gates. There’s just some people stationary posted in front of those, but then there’s also— like, if you hang out and watch for a little bit, you can see there’s two groups of four Bluecoats each that are circling the building, or the estate. So yeah, there’s patrols happening.

Josie: Like, how far between the fence and the house?

Rhi: From where you’re looking, I think you’re kinda looking at the front of the building, there’s a decent amount of ground to cover, but I think if you circle around to the back there’s not quite as much. And there’s more sort of like— there’s like a carriage house and what is probably a building for servant’s quarters. There’s a few more buildings. There’s more available shadow in the back. More hiding places available.

Josie: So, it sounds like that’s the direction we need to go in, yes?

Kim: Yeah.

Minna: Mm hmm.

Josie: Any thoughts on how to sneak past, or are we just normally sneaking past?

Kim: We could like, I dunno, toss a rock or something and try to distract them to draw them away from where we need to go.

Josie: That’s not a terrible idea. I guess we’ll see what the situation is round back.

Kim: Mm.

Rhi: So, you can head around back. There’s a back gate that also has two Bluecoats on it and looks like this is a much larger gate, it looks like this is where the carriages for the house would go in and out of. And yeah, there’s just those two squads are kinda circling the building.

Josie (as Minx): Blaire?

Kim (as Blaire): Mm?

Josie (as Minx): Do you have anything like an acid that could loosen some of the bars of this fence?

Kim (as Blaire): Uh…

Kim: Do I?

Rhi: Let’s find out. Let’s look at the gear list. You might.

Kim: I could— if nothing else, I could see it be an argument for an unusual weapon. But I don’t…

Rhi: Demolition tools. We ruled that there’s acid in demolition tools before.

Kim: Alright, so I will mark off—

Josie: Wrought iron is pretty thick, but if we can just go through the fence rather than over, that’s probably better.

Kim: Yeah.

Rhi: Gonna need a roll.

Kim: What would it be to pour acid on a gate?

Rhi: I think— so I initially was thinking Wreck, but Wreck is bigger than this.

Kim: Right, right

Rhi: I think this might be Finesse… I could see an argument for Finesse.

Kim: Okay.

Josie: Mm hmm.

Rhi: Because this is delicate work.

Kim: Oh yeah.

Josie: How much Finesse you got?

Kim: Uh, I’m okay at Finesse. I have two.

Josie: Okay. Um, do you want any of us to help?

Kim: An assist would be fantastic if you’re willing.

Josie: Sure, why not?

Kim: Okay, great.

Rhi: Alright. So, it’s gonna be risky… I think risky, standard for the moment.

Kim: Okay, that’s a 5?

Rhi: 5. You do it but there’s a consequence. I am… I’m gonna start a clock.

Kim: You don’t have to.

Rhi: I do.

Josie: [laughs]

Rhi: I think that like, you know, working together Minx and Blaire kind of split up the acid while Myra keeps watch and you’re able to loosen two of the bars enough that the three of you can slip in. The clock is gonna be that the Bluecoats on patrol are going to notice the fence being messed up and will raise the alarm. So we’re gonna set that at 1 out of 4. But you are on the grounds. To the left side of the estate grounds is the carriage house. To the right side is what you’re guessing is probably the servants’ quarters. And then there’s kind of like an open space leading to the back of the house.

Kim: Okay.

Rhi: So, how do you wanna proceed?

Josie: I’m wondering if there’s like, a passage from the servant quarters to the house?

Kim: Oh, there could be.

Josie: I don’t know if this is on the scale where they do the thing where there’s secret passages so servants can go unseen, but…

Minna: It is worth investigating. [laughs]

Rhi: That checks out. I do not think that is a stretch. For people that have this kinda money [laughs] building an underground passageway so that their servants are not damp and unkempt when they show up for work would totally be a thing.

Kim: That’s great.

Josie: And they did stuff like that in the Centuralia Club, so.

Kim: Oh, yeah.

Minna: I bet they have uniforms.

Kim: That’s a good idea.

Rhi: You wanna head into the servants’ quarters? Alright. I gotta think about what this building looks like. It’s a two-story building, kind of a long, low building relative to the rest of the manor. A fair number of windows, front door, back door. There’s lights on in some of the windows. You, as you’re kind of getting close, you’re pretty sure that like, this is both servants’ quarters and also like, you get the smell of laundry being done, so the household laundry’s probably done out here there’s probably other servant duty areas in this building in addition to living quarters. So yeah, how do you wanna get in here?

Kim: Is there a window we can just climb through?

Rhi: There’s a lot of windows. There’s a couple doors.

Josie: I’m thinking maybe just a back door or something?

Kim: Okay.

Rhi: Yeah. So, give me some kinda roll to sneak in here.

Kim: Would that be a group Prowl?

Josie: Sure.

Rhi: Who wants to lead?

Minna: I can lead, I have no stress.

Rhi: Okay. This is gonna be risky, standard.

Kim: Got a 4.

Josie: This is the sort of roll where it may not matter, but I got a critical.

Minna: I also got a critical!

Josie: [laughs and claps]

Kim: Holy shit!

Rhi: [laughs] Jesus.

Josie: This is probably the least important roll of the night, but…

Minna: [amused] I know!

Rhi: Okay. So… okay. You get inside without being noticed. There is an underground passage that leads into the house. What other benefit would you like?

Josie: I was thinking the servants are on our side.

Kim: Oh, that would be big.

Minna: Oh yeah, because I bet she’s not a good employer either.

Rhi: No, she sucks.

Kim: Let’s do it.

Minna: Doesn’t think servants are people who matter. [laughs]

Rhi: So, the three of you get around to the back door. It’s not locked, cause like, the servants live here, they need to go in and out, why would they— and you know, the grounds are guarded, they don’t really need to keep it locked. You slip inside and you’re just kind of navigating through and you turn a corner and there’s a group of, like, three servants standing in the hallway talking and smoking, basically on a smoke break. And they stop and look at you and you look at them.

Josie (as Minx): Hello.

Rhi: And one of them kinda like, lowers the cigarette and squints and is like:

Rhi (as Servant): You’re The Magpies, right?

Josie: Minx kinda looks like the cat who caught the canary, but then puffs herself up and says:

Josie (as Minx): Why, yes.

Kim (as Blaire): Who’s asking?

Rhi: He kinda squints at you and— like, he’s clearly doing a process of elimination of like, “Okay, the fancy one is Minx…”

Minna: Ha!

Rhi: “The weird one is Blaire… so that must be,” looks to Myra:

Rhi (as Servant): You um, you helped my sister out with some contract paperwork with her landlord a couple months ago.

Minna (as Myra): Oh. Yeah, I remember that. I hope she’s doing well.

Rhi (as Servant): Yeah. Yeah, she’s living in a much better spot now. Guessing you’re here for the lady of the house?

Kim (as Blaire): Not quite.

Rhi (as Servant): Do you need to get into the house?

Josie (as Minx): Yeah.

Kim (as Blaire): Yes.

Minna (as Myra): We do.

Rhi: The three of them kind of look at each other and there is clearly some kind of silent communication. Two of them nod and head off and then the one who’d been talking to you like, you know, takes a last drag on his cigarette and flicks it off and is like:

Rhi (as Servant): Follow me.

Rhi: And he leads you into what is the kitchen for the servants to use. This is clearly not the kitchen for the household. Opens up a door and there are stairs heading down into a basement. And he says:

Rhi (as Servant): This’ll take you over into the main house.  It comes out into the kitchen. The Lord and Lady Penderyn have some kind of… I don’t know, shrine? Workshop? In the basement. I don’t know a lot of details because we’re not allowed down there but… you hear things. I think if you’re looking for stuff, I’d try and get down there.

Kim (as Blaire): Okay, we can do that.

Minna (as Myra): That sounds fantastic, thank you.

Josie (as Minx): Thank you, dear.

Rhi (as Servant): If you’re quiet enough and you can make it back this way, we can get you back out. But, you know, if you raise the alarm there’s not much we can do for ya.

Josie (as Minx): Alright. Well, this is already much more than expected. Thank you.

Rhi (as Servant): Neither of them are what I’d call good employers.

Josie (as Minx): We figured as much.

Rhi (as Servant): Yeah. Uh, good luck.

Josie (as Minx): Well, maybe… maybe the rest of you may be able to just squat the house afterwards. Who knows?

Rhi (as Servant): [laughs]

Minna: [laughs]

Rhi: He just kinda will shake his head and hold the door open for you to head on down.

Josie: Minx strolls down. [laughs]

Rhi: Yep. So yeah, you end up in a basement hallway. It’s nice, it’s not, you know, it’s stone floors, stone walls, there’s electroplasm lights scattered down the hallway. But it still just has that kinda like, cold basement feel to it. It’s just a little uncomfy. But you are able to, you know, you get to the end of this hall, up the stairs and then to the door that actually will lead you into the estate without any trouble. And yeah, I think once you get to the door, you’ll just let me know how you’re gonna proceed.

Josie: If there’s a way for us to peek out…

Rhi: Oh yeah, this door is not locked, you can crack it open and peek in. The kitchen is empty currently, nobody is in here. There’s a lot of like, dishes and pots and pan kind of in drying racks, it looks like somebody just finished cleaning up from dinner. This kitchen is really nice. [laughs]

Kim (as Blaire): Oh, it’s green!

Josie: [laughs]

Kim (as Blaire): It’s a green kitchen. I wouldn’t have pegged her for a green kitchen kind of type.

Rhi: [laughs] There’s just a bowl of fresh fruit sitting out.

Kim: Can we take some?

Josie: Yes.

Rhi: I mean, you’re here to do crimes.

Kim: Let’s do a crime.

Rhi: May as well starts with food crimes.

Josie: Fruit crimes.

Kim: The best crimes.

Rhi: And this is, like, you know, there’s been apples that have been at parties and stuff before. Apples and there’s pears and there’s oranges, which I don’t think that anybody in Duskwall grows a lot of citrus. So like, these had to have been imported.

Josie: Right.

Kim: Alright, well I’m taking an orange.

Rhi: Yeah. [laughs] Just stuffing your pockets with fruit. Yeah, you can empty out that bowl no problem.

Kim: Filling my bag with breadsticks.

Rhi: Mm hmm. The impression you got was that the basement area is not just off-limits but like, hidden.

Kim: Oh.

Rhi: So, you’re not sure how to access it.

Kim: Can I look into the ghost field and Arkham Asylum this? And try and find the basement?

Rhi: Yeah, you can give it a shot.

Kim: Cool. Let me do an Attune roll. I got… alright. Highest was a 4.

Rhi: Okay. You do it, but there’s a consequence. And I think, also, I didn’t get to say before you rolled, you’re gonna be a reduced effect here because you are now dealing with— the Penderyns fall into the City Council Tier. Which, they’re a Tier V.

Minna: Mm hmm…

Rhi: So you’re gonna have a bit of an uphill climb. You put on your spirit mask and you have to remember Blaire, also, without your spirit mask the ghost field looks… bad.

Kim: Right.

Rhi: [laughs] Ghost field made of ghosts staring at you. All of them. Infinitely. [laughs] you put on your spirit mask, you look into the ghost field, and I think it, like, you get a little— or a moment of the ghost field looking like that and then the mask kind of focuses.

Kim: Yeah.

Rhi: And you’re able to see into it and you, you know, you’re looking for a basement so you look down and immediately regret it, because there are wards just surrounding, like, under your feet in every direction. And they are painful to look at. You’re gonna take Level 2 harm.

Josie: Eesh.

Rhi: Just like, uh…

Josie: Overwhelmed?

Rhi: Yeah. It’s like, you know when you’re in a car and some asshole behind you has their hi-beams on?

Kim: Oh yeah.

Rhi: Like that, but right into the eyeballs. [laughs]

Kim: No, thank you…

Rhi: So you— okay, but also— okay. You do it, reduced effect. You get— you don’t see exactly where the entrance is, but you do get, you get a sense of the layout and you can see that like, further into the house there’s like, a hallway in the basement and you think maybe that that hallway leads to the stairs that would take you down.

Kim: Okay.

Rhi: So, you have an idea of the general direction to go. You don’t know exactly where you need to go, but you have a general direction.

Kim: That’s fine.

Josie (as Minx): Are you alright, Blaire?

Kim (as Blaire): Uh… [winces] yeah. Yeah, I’ll be fine.

Josie (as Minx): I imagine they have a ton of wards on this place.

Kim (as Blaire): Yeah. A shit ton. [sighs] We should have seen it coming, really.

Josie (as Minx): Where do we go?

Kim (as Blaire): Uh…

Kim: Blaire’s gonna look around the room a bit and goes:

Kim (as Blaire): This way.

Kim: And she’s just gonna stride towards further into the house.

Rhi: Yeah. I’m also, I’m gonna remind you all, because I just remembered this. Before… I think it was before the score where you all broke in and stole the fish hook, you broke into the cult.

Kim: Mm hmm?

Rhi: Myra went and did an acquire asset and got some stuff— what did— I think we called it arcane alkahest, that can disable wards.

Kim: She did?

Rhi: You didn’t use that.

Minna: Oh!

Josie: [laughs]

Minna: That seems like exactly what they would bring along with them.

Rhi: Yes. [laughs]

Minna: Do you need me to mark something in my inventory?

Rhi: When you get to a point where you need it, yeah, you can just mark it in your inventory. But I just remembered, I was like, “Oh right. They got that and never used it.”

Kim: Alright. Well, now we know. I’m sure the opportunity will come up.

Rhi: So, heading out into the house, basically you cross the kitchen to the other door and there is a hallway outside. Nice hallway, wood floors, wood paneling on the walls which is like— wood is not a super common resource, so this is excessive. And it’s pretty well-lit. Nobody in this hallway presently, but you can kinda— you can’t hear specifics, but like, you can hear kind of distant movement and voices like it— the sound of a house that is occupied. There’s people here.

Josie: Mm hmm.

Rhi: So, I think basically in order to keep moving I will need a roll from all of you in terms of what you’re doing to progress.

Kim: Prowl, right?

Josie: Yeah.

Rhi: You all wanna do a group Prowl again?

Josie: Sure.

Kim: Sure.

Rhi: Okay. Who’s gonna lead?

Kim: I can lead.

Josie: Alright.

Rhi: Okay. Yeah, so this is gonna be risky, reduced again.

Kim: That’s a 6.

Josie: I got a 3…

Minna: That’s a 5.

Rhi: Okay. So Blaire takes one point of stress. Minx, what do you— I feel like Minx gets distracted by something. What do you see that distracts you that Blaire has to be like “Yoink!” [laughs] And pull you into cover?

Josie: I think Minx is still savoring the apple, and there’s this painting in the hallway that she kinda does the thing where she’s walking past but you kinda lean back a little bit to—

Rhi: Yeah, yeah. [laughs]

Josie: To keep admiring it. I think it might be something of like, an orchard.

Rhi: Oh, yeah.

Josie: Like, what that would look like before the luminous energy. So, she’s like:

Josie (as Minx): Ooh, pre-cataclysm stuff.

Rhi: [laughs] And then Blaire just like, grabs you and yanks you into the next room.

Josie: Uh huh. [laughs]

Rhi: Okay. So, the next room that you’re in is… I think you just go across the hall into the dining room. Big, long, formal dining table here, also made of wood. Very nice chairs with plush cushions. You know, nice, some kind of metallic sculpture centerpiece. And I think basically, like, you can jut kinda keep searching each room that you get into until you find your entrance.

Josie: Mm hmm.

Rhi: So, who wants to search?

Josie: I’m not the best at searching.

Kim: I feel like I’m pretty good at poking around.

Rhi: Okay. Or Myra, do you wanna take a look? Cause I know— just cause Blaire did the last room.

Minna: Yeah, I can take a look. So, that’s a 6 on a Study.

Kim: [sings] Secret tunnel…

Rhi: So, the three of you kind of fan out across the room and are very, very quietly searching. Myra, you’re checking along the wall and your hand presses into, like, a panel and it makes a very soft click, which all of you freeze ‘cause any kind of noise you’re like, “Oh shit.” But the panel swings open and it’s not big, it’s like maybe a foot square. Large enough to slide a tray through. And indeed, that’s what’s sitting on the other side, is a tray with some dirty dishes and glasses on it. And like, you can kinda peer through and you can see there’s stairs on the other side. And it looks like this is some sort of like, you know, if people are down in the basement they can be brought food here without anybody having to actually go into the basement.

Minna: Mm hmm.

Rhi: And what you can tell in looking is that, again, kinda similar to how the Centuralia Club was structured, you had to go all the way up to get down. The access to the basement, to these stairs, is up on the— it’s on a higher floor. This box, or this window, is not big enough for you to crawl through, but you can stick your head in and look. It looks like it probably goes up to the third floor.

Josie: To access the basement?

Rhi: Similar to how the Centuralia Club was set up. You all had to go up to the very top level and then there was a secret passage, stairs leading all the way down.

Josie: Oh.

Rhi: They did a similar thing here.

Josie: Okay. Interesting.

Kim: Okay.

Rhi: So, you need to get up to the third floor.

Kim: Okay.

Josie: Um…

Josie (as Minx): I think we should try to find servants stairs?

Minna (as Myra): Yes.

Rhi: I will say kitchen is probably your best bet there.

Josie: Mm hmm.

Kim: Yeah.

Minna: Yeah, let’s go to the kitchen.

Rhi: Okay. I will allow you to backtrack to the kitchen without making another roll. You made your way across, you know where the creaky floorboards are, you get back in there. Give me another— well, let me think. No, the— you’re not gonna have to make a roll to find the servants’ stairs in here. For a minute I was like, “Do they have a dumbwaiter?” but then I decided no.

Josie: [laughs]

Kim: Dumbwaiter would be fun, though.

Rhi: It would be, but it— I… wait, do they have a dumbwaiter? Let’s do a dumbwaiter. It’ll be fun.

Kim: Yay!

Rhi: They’re rich.

Josie: Yay.

Rhi: [laughs] They’ve got a— I was like, initially I was like, “Well they need electricity. They have electricity. Yes!” Okay. So, you all head back into the kitchen and in poking around again you do find stairs that lead up, but you also find the dumbwaiter which can be loaded up with food or laundry or whatever might be needed on higher levels of the house. The three of you could fit. It would be cozy. [laughs]

Kim: Let’s get cozy.

Rhi: But you could all jam yourselves in there. Particularly with all your gear. [laughs] Okay, so I think I want some kind of roll for this.

Minna: We are squished onto a platform.

Kim: So it sounds like another Prowl.

Josie: Probably.

Rhi: Probably. I promise eventually you’ll stop making Prowl rolls. [laughs]

Josie: I can lead it if we need to lead it?

Kim and Minna: Sure.

Josie: Uh, I got a 4.

Rhi: Okay.

Minna: I rolled another 6.

Kim: I got a 2, I’m sorry.

Rhi: That’s okay. So, one point of stress, result is a 6. Yeah, you all cuddle in there with all your stuff and I think, like, when it starts up it makes a little bit of a creaking sound, because this is significantly more weight than it was designed to deal with. But it turns on and “whirr…”

Josie: Yay!

Rhi: You get up to the third floor. You can push the doors open, poke your heads out and… I’m gonna make a roll to see if anybody’s in the hallway up here. So, nobody is in the hallway. Somebody’s singing. It sounds like a kid.

Minna: [worried]

Rhi: Like a kid who’s just in their room, like, singing and dancing around cause they’re a kid.

Kim (as Blaire): Oh God, they’re singing Frozen. We should keep moving.

Rhi: [laughs]

Josie: [laughs]

Rhi: But nobody’s actively in the hall right now.

Josie: Probably not in the kid’s room, so let’s not go there.

Kim: No.

Rhi: Myra, you have enough of kind of a sense of like— you can sort of picture like, okay, if the stairs were coming down at this angle into the dining room, and we came up here, the entrance is gonna have to be this way. You can brain that together, you’ve done a lot of stuff with layouts and things before. So you know, again kinda of the general direction you need to look. And you would have to go past where the kid’s room is, but it’s not gonna be in that room. So, you just have to sneak by.

Minna: Yeah, I think we need to— let’s sneak by.

Rhi: Alright. Yeah, go ahead, give me another Prowl. This is gonna be risky, greater, because she’s distracted.

Josie: I got a 4.

Rhi: Okay. Who’s leading?

Kim: I can lead.

Rhi: Okay.

Kim: I got a 4.

Minna: 5.

Rhi: 5, okay. So, no stress. You do it but there’s a consequence. I am just gonna tick up that Bluecoats Notice the Fence clock. So that’s now at 2 out of 4. You sneak past no problem and get to a big— there’s a set of wooden double doors that are not locked. You can push it open and you have found Lord and Lady Penderyn’s bedroom.

Kim: Cool.

Rhi: And Myra, you’re kind of like, doing the math— or you’re, you know, thinking about the layout, and you’re like, “Yeah, I’m pretty sure the entrance has gotta be in here somewhere.”

Josie: And they’re not in here.

Rhi: They are not. The sounds you heard when you were downstairs, it sounded like they were in a room down on the first floor.

Josie: I see.

Rhi: Or, you know. People were down on the first floor somewhere. You’re hoping they’re not in the basement. That’d be awkward.

Josie: Yes, it would.

Rhi: [laughs] [imitates Blaire] “Hey, remember our meeting from earlier today? We’re back!”

Josie: [laughs]

Rhi: Anyway, the three of you fan out and you are able to find— I think it’s like, in the back of Lady Penderyn’s walk-in closet dressing room [laughs] she’s got like, tons of cloths, a vanity, all in this big walk-in closet and the entrance is in, like, hidden behind a bunch of clothes and stuff in there.

Kim: You wanna take anything, Minx?

Josie: Hmm… hmm… I do. I do. I can only take so much, though.

Rhi: I will allow you to grab one item.

Josie: Uh… I want a dress.

Rhi: Okay. Um, yeah. You can grab, like, Minx just [panicked breathing] “Pretty fabric! Yoink!”

Josie: I will— yes. [laughs]

Rhi: [laughs]

Josie: Probably the shiniest.

Rhi: Yes, yeah, it’s got like, gold and silver threads. I think it actually, it looks similar to the wax seal that she had, so it’s black, it’s a black gown with gold and silver threads all worked through it.

Josie: Ooh, fun!

Rhi: Minx just bundles it up, shoves it in the bag. [laughs]

Josie:  [laughs]

Rhi: And yeah, the three of you are able to slip inside and head down these long, long, long stairs down into the basement. It is also well-lit. It looks like it’s very similar construction to that little basement passage.

Kim: Yeah.

Rhi: And you pass by, you can see where that little tray is on the stairs. There’s like a landing there where somebody could come and put stuff. And then at the bottom of the stairs there’s kind of a little, like, antechamber. And then there’s a big steel door that is covered in runes and has a big, like, lock mechanism on it.

Kim: Do I recognize the runes?

Rhi: Uh, you know, protection, warding, um, it’s like, it’s a lock and it’s security. You know, it’s alarms, it’s warded a lot.

Kim: Now’s probably a good time to use that ward-disabling item that Myra has, right?

Josie: Mm hmm!

Minna: Yes, so Myra is gonna get this out. What is it called again?

Rhi: Uh, arcane alkahest, I think is what we called it.

Minna: Arcane alkahest.

Rhi: You’ve got four vials of it. If I recall correctly, it like, suppresses a ward for a good chunk of time. Not like, forever, but it kinda dials it down for a little bit.

Minna: Did we really not use it, or did we just use only one vial of several?

Rhi: You didn’t use it. [laughs]

Minna: Wow.

Rhi: I don’t know!

Minna: Dang. Okay, so she’s gonna use it. What does it look like, do we think?

Rhi: Um, I don’t know. You tell me.

Minna: Okay. So It comes in vials.

Rhi: Yeah.

Minna: I’m trying to think, because we’ve done a lot of stuff with runes being how they interact with the ghost field, so maybe it’s like, you use your fingers to smear runes in the arcane alkahest and it suppresses the runes for a while.

Rhi: Oh, cool. Yeah, yeah, I like that.

Minna: So it’s like a— it’s the major component, but you have to also apply the spell with it.

Kim: Yeah.

Rhi: Yeah, what I’m picturing is that like, you paint your runes on over the other runes so it kind of like just— it’s like, you know, taking a thing out of a circuit to break the connection.

Minna: Yeah. Like that a lot.

Rhi: Yeah. So, like, and I think Blaire, you can kinda check in the ghost field and you can see the wards [powering down noise]. I think it takes two of your vials.

Minna: Mm hmm.

Rhi: In order to disable everything, because there’s a lot on this door. And then yeah, you can just like— I think it’s a big, spinny bank vault door type thing, but it seems like the only locks that they had were these arcane ones. So, you rotate the thing and swing the door open.

##End of Part One [01.12.43]

Rhi: This is the end of Part One. Episode 23 will conclude in Two.