Transcribed by Tyler (Twitter: @Tyler_MoonSage)
## Intro
Rhi: Welcome back to Duskwall. As always, thank you so much for joining us, and a special thank you to everyone who has supported us with reviews, recommendations, and Patreon support.
Thanks to our Patreon backers we now have a majority of Season 3 transcribed, up through Episode 16. We are able to get more transcripts every month, which means we’re steadily catching up with current episodes.
Last episode I teased a Descent into Midnight bonus episode. We still have it, and I do plan on announcing how all of you wonderful folks can unlock that episode. Unfortunately I ran into some technical issues that have delayed this whole project a little bit. The bonus episode itself is fine, I just ran into some snags that haven’t quite been untangled yet. I really wanted to kick this off today, and I’m sorry that it didn’t work out, but by next episode we should have everything in place for you all to start working towards unlocking this bonus episode.
Next, Minna is going to tell us about this month’s Featured Charity.
Minna: Minna here, and this month I would like to encourage you to donate to a campaign that splits funds between Fair Fight, Raphael Warnock, and Jon Ossoff in Georgia. According to the donation page:
“As we continue to count the votes to hear the voices of Americans we must prepare for the next fight. Control of the US Senate will come down to Georgia’s two runoff elections on January 5. These runoff elections will be tough fights, but we know we can win. We need your help right now to make sure they win and to protect the right of every eligible Georgian to make their voice heard.”
You can donate at secure.actblue.com/donate/GeorgiaSenate.
Rhi: I want to encourage everyone to be safe and cautious as we head into a holiday here in the United States. Please avoid travel or gathering in groups of people outside your home. I know it’s hard, I know we are all exhausted and lonely, but Covid doesn’t give a damn about holiday traditions. We may have to spend this year missing people that we care about so that we can see them all alive and safe and well next year.
There’s been a lot of hopeful news about a vaccine recently, but it’s still gonna be months before it starts to become widely available, so we have to keep doing what’s necessary to take care of each other.
Now then, let’s get started. Shall we?
## Story Continues [0:02:34]
Rhi: So, we find the Magpies, as we so often do, heading towards The Hound’s Paw. It is mid-afternoon, and the three of them are strolling through Nightmarket. It’s been a handful of days since their last score in which they staged a haunted house and stole back an artifact, and things have been as quiet as they ever are in Duskwall since then: no new major catastrophes.
However, that changes as soon as they walk into The Hound’s Paw. There are two familiar figures standing by the bar engaged in a sort of quiet but heated conversation. One of them is Briggs, your friend and contact in Charhollow. Mallory, his seeing eye dog, is sitting on the floor at his side. The other is Fiona Barker who is sort of the representative of the Ink Row area in The Docks which for the last couple months has been free of the influence of the Bluecoats and many of the other criminal gangs in the city. It’s largely being defended by the citizens of that area along with some help from the Lampblacks.
Josie: Mm-hmm.
Rhi: The two of them seem to be engaged in some kind of rather intense conversation. Rigney is at the farthest end of the bar from the two of them.
[laughter]
Rhi: Very intently polishing a glass. This glass has never been so clean. There is a bowl of water that has been placed on the ground for Mallory, though.
Josie: Aw.
Rhi: It’s clear that he did make sure that the dog was taken care of before bolting.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: As the little bell over the door chimes, both of them turn in your direction.
Rhi (as Fiona): Oh, good. We were starting to worry you weren’t gonna show up in time.
Josie (as Minx): In time for what?
Rhi: She starts with:
Rhi (as Fiona): Well, you see—
Rhi: And then Briggs says:
Rhi (as Briggs): We have a problem in Coalridge that needs dealing with tonight.
Rhi: And Fiona shoots him kind of a glare.
Rhi (as Fiona): There’s a bigger problem in Ink Row tonight.
Josie (as Minx): I see. First, let’s sit at our table and get something to drink, away from yelling across the room, please.
Rhi: [laughs] You all head over to your table, grab some extra chairs. Rigney will bring over drinks for everybody and shoot the three of you a mildly apologetic look, like “sorry, this is your problem now, goodbye.”
Josie: [laughs] Minx just shrugs.
Rhi: So yeah, I think once you’re all settled Briggs will kind of gesture for Fiona to go first. She tells you that, through some of her sources and contacts, she has learned that the Bluecoats are about to make a big push into Ink Row to take back the streets and restore law, etcetera, etcetera, and it is happening tonight at about 5 PM, kind of at the shift change.
Josie: Yeesh.
Rhi: Briggs says that in his part of town, in Coalridge, he’s heard through his various networks that one of the factories recently fired a lot of their workers who were trying to unionize and they hired a bunch of previously unemployed and very desperate Skovlan refugees in their place. The factory workers who were fired have apparently made a plan to attack the Skovlanders when they get off work at 5 PM tonight.
Josie: Oh dear.
Rhi: So they both kind of explain their pieces and then sort of, you know, turn their attention to the three of you rather expectantly.
Kim (as Blaire): Uh…
Josie: Minx sits up a little straighter and smiles.
Josie (as Minx): Well, you have come to the right girls. Two jobs in one night is somewhat of a specialty of ours.
Kim (as Blaire): It is? We’ve only done it a few times, Minx.
Josie (as Minx): And we’ve succeeded every time.
Minna (as Myra): It certainly sounds like a challenge.
Rhi: Yeah. For the record, it’s about 2:30, 3 in the afternoon at this point.
Josie: Oh!
Minna: [laughing] We have three hours to pull it off.
Kim: Oh God!
Rhi: Yeah. [laughs] You have a couple hours before both of these things are gonna happen.
Josie (as Minx): Yes, you know, only a few hours to curb an in-swell of police violence and soothing of racial tension. You know, a light afternoon.
Rhi: [laughs] This is not exactly the response that the two of them were expecting, and Fiona kind of leans back in her chair and eyes the three of you.
Rhi (as Fiona): So… you’re telling us that you’re going to do both things?
Josie (as Minx): Well, two friends of ours have come seeking aid. We don’t like leaving anyone out in the cold.
Minna (as Myra): These things both clearly need to get done. If we have to make it happen, we’ll do it.
Kim (as Blaire): We’ll do our best.
Rhi: [laughing] Blaire, providing a more cautious assessment of the situation.
Kim: Listen! This is such a last minute call, and it’s two things at once. [laughs]
Josie: It’s not occult-related, so therefore Blaire is actually showing caution.
Rhi: [laughs] It’s true.
Kim: But Blaire— [laughs] Blaire has priorities.
Josie: They certainly exist.
Kim: They do exist, it’s just a matter of how well they’re placed.
Rhi: So yeah, I think Fiona kind of shrugs a little bit and glances at Briggs who is just thoughtfully scratching Mallory’s head, and after a couple moments he just sort of shakes his head.
Rhi (as Briggs): Well, I mean, I guess if anybody could get it done it would be the three of you.
Josie (as Minx): Although, we will be most likely enlisting some help.
Rhi: Yeah, Briggs—They both basically will tell you, like, we can answer questions you might have right now, but neither of them wants to stick around very long. They need to get back to their people and start making their own preparations.
Josie (as Minx): Fiona, have you reached out to the Lampblacks at all?
Rhi: Yeah, Fiona says that… You know what actually? This is Gather Info, so let’s make that roll and see how that conversation went. She definitely has reached out to Bazso, and this roll will determine how that’s gone.
Josie: Three 6s. [laughs]
Rhi: Yeah, okay. So, yeah, Fiona says that she’s reached out to the Lampblacks, Bazso got back to her pretty quickly and is planning to deploy some more forces up there, but both Bazso and Fiona are pretty sure it’s not gonna be enough, and Bazso has made it clear that his priority is his people, his gang, and that if things get too bad he will pull them out.
Josie: Right. He doesn’t want to commit to the riot like he did the last one.
Rhi: Yeah. Well and I mean, with the last one, he came in at the end after the rioting was done.
Josie: Right.
Rhi: So yeah, he is sending extra people to kind of help. Fiona feels like at best that will slow things down, and she knows she can’t count on them to stay to see the job done, that they will pull out at some point.
Josie: Right. What counts as an acceptable result for the both of you? Because at this point mitigation is gonna be, especially with the union riot, I imagine that can be mitigated but not outright diffused.
Rhi: Yeah. So Fiona wants… Both of their ideal situations are difficult to accomplish. Fiona’s ideal situation would be prevent the Bluecoats from making this raid at all. Briggs’s ideal solution would be keep this riot—riot isn’t even really the right word—this attack, is basically what’s going to happen, keep the attack from happening at all. However, basically Fiona doesn’t want to lose the community-controlled area, Briggs doesn’t want anybody to die.
Josie: Right.
Rhi: That’s kind of the… That’s their minimum result.
Josie (as Minx): Yes. Well, I’m already cooking up a scheme. I’m not certain how involved you two need to be. You need to get back, yes?
Rhi (as Fiona): Yes.
Josie (as Minx): Although you all should swing by this part of town more often. It was nice to see you.
Rhi: [chuckles] Yeah, Briggs nods.
Rhi (as Briggs): Yeah. Eventually I will come by here when things are not on the verge of catastrophe.
Rhi: Fiona is a little more noncommittal. She just doesn’t know you all as well but is like “oh, yeah, you know, If I can get away.”
Josie: Uh-huh. [laughs]
Rhi: Myra, Blaire, do either of you have questions for these two before they take off?
Kim: Um, I don’t think so. I’m kinda ready to just hop into Gather Info.
Minna: I guess if he knows a place where the people have been gathering to plan this attack on the factory.
Rhi: You know what, yeah, go ahead and give me a Gather Info roll for that one.
Minna: It’s a 4.
Rhi: There have been a few bars and places down in Charhollow where he thinks that these folks have been gathering. The plan, from what he understands, is that at 5 they’re just gonna be outside this factory and raise hell. So, he gives you the name of a few bars, but it doesn’t seem like there is a centralized location where you could find them very easily. But yeah, if you don’t have any other questions for them, the two of them are gonna wrap up with the pleasantries and goodbyes pretty quickly and head out back to their respective districts.
Josie: Minx makes sure to say goodbye to Mallory too.
Minna: Mm-hmm~
[giggling]
Rhi: Yes. So, where do you wanna start?
Josie: Well, I think our strategy for diverting Bluecoats is tried and tested at this point. We just give them something else to do in that area rather than bothering to enforce a curfew. To be frank, I think the other task will be more difficult. That is some tense diplomacy, I imagine.
Rhi: For what it’s worth with the Bluecoats, they’re not enforcing a curfew, they are pushing into the area, they are shutting down this citizen-run thing, they are taking it over. There will probably be a lot of arrests of the community leaders. But, that said, not a bad plan to divert them, at least for tonight.
Minna: Do we know how many factory workers are planning to attack? I know that I should have asked this before, I’m just curious.
Rhi: We can retroactively have you have asked that. That I feel like would have been reasonably part of the conversation. A few dozen, at least.
Minna: Ugh.
Rhi: Yeah. It’s a pretty—I mean, basically what happened was almost everybody working on the factory floor decided they wanted to unionize, they lost their jobs and got replaced. So, you know, it’s a lot of angry people.
Minna: Taking out their anger on the wrong person. People.
Josie: Mm-hmm.
Rhi: Exactly.
Minna: Time to activate some class consciousness~ it’s fine. [giggles]
Josie (as Minx): Regardless, we only have a couple hours, so I really don’t want us to split up again, but we may need to.
Kim (as Blaire): [stammers] … No. We can’t… Minx.
Josie (as Minx): If you think we can get to Ink Row and handle the business there and then get over to Charhollow and handle that situation inside of a few hours, then I’d love to hear how.
Kim (as Blaire): I… [exhales]
Kim: Blaire is just gonna helplessly look at Myra here, because she doesn’t know what to say to that.
Minna (as Myra): Something that might solve this, and I don’t know how to make it happen, but if we could make either the Skovlanders or the disgruntled former workers not be in that area at least for tonight, not be at the factory at least for tonight I mean… the problem is convincing them that there’s a better place to be.
Josie (as Minx): Right.
Minna (as Myra): We just need to… If we can just buy time on one of these things.
Josie (as Minx): Hmm. I feel like delaying the factory strike would be easier.
Kim (as Blaire): [downtrodden] I could send some ghosts over there. You know, haunt the place, drive some people out.
Rhi: [laughs]
Josie (as Minx): I mean, I suppose that’s true. I don’t think they will be willing to hold a protest at a haunted factory.
Minna (as Myra): So, but what you’re proposing is you’re caging the workers inside, holding them hostage with ghosts, and also keeping the disgruntled former workers at bay with the ghosts…?
Kim (as Blaire): No, no… I’ll talk to the Reconciled, see if I can get one of them to do it so nobody actually gets hurt. It’s just so , you know, they can… I don’t know. Maybe they’ll evacuate instead of being trapped inside. I don’t know.
Minna (as Myra): I’m not saying it’s a bad idea, I’m just trying to think of ways that it… because I know that it hurts you when your ghost friends get hurt, and I’m worried about the toll that could take if, for example, they summon the Spirit Wardens.
Rhi: Which is very likely how the factory owner would respond.
Kim: Yeah, I know, yeah.
Josie (as Minx): Although, perhaps there needn’t be any actual ghosts but the Spirit Wardens do appear.
Kim (as Blaire): What are you talking about?
Josie (as Minx): Well, that would convey the image that the place is haunted and also preoccupied otherwise. The Spirit Wardens’ presence might dissuade the protesters from approaching, both for the haunted reasons and the presence of notoriously merciless authority. If we were to somehow drop a hint that there was a haunting issue there, well, that would at least delay it I think.
Kim (as Blaire): Right. I’m just thinking about how we do that, make it look haunted but not really, and be able to do it quick, too.
Josie (as Minx): Perhaps a ghost friend could stir up a right nasty bit of poltergeist shenanigans and then just leave. They needn’t be there very long to establish that it is haunted, I think.
Kim (as Blaire): They would just have to not get caught before Spirit Wardens show up.
Josie (as Minx): Quite.
Kim (as Blaire): [exhales] I mean, it’s possible, but… it’s dangerous. We’ll keep that in the back pocket. I’m just trying to think of what we can do so we don’t have to split up.
Josie (as Minx): Yes. My preference would be to simply talk with the disgruntled workers and try to persuade them of their true enemy, perhaps drop the factory owner’s address at them.
Rhi: [laughs]
Kim (as Blaire): That’s actually not a bad idea.
Josie (as Minx): Yeah, but it might require splitting up, and that would—
Minna (as Myra): Not necessarily. That might not take too long.
Josie (as Minx): Perhaps not. If we can just get that done before we need to be over by The Docks…
Josie: Heh. It takes a hot minute to look up someone’s address in this universe, because there’s no Google.
Rhi: Yeah.
[laughter]
Josie (as Minx): Perhaps that should be the plan, then? We just drop them some personal locations of the owner and give them something to truly protest about?
Kim (as Blaire): That’s not a bad idea instead of using the ghosts.
Josie (as Minx): Yes. Perhaps let’s do that then. Now it’s a matter of distracting the Bluecoats.
Rhi: So, just so I’m clear, your plan for the factory situation is to find the factory owner’s home address and provide that to the pro—well…
Josie: Yeah, give them a better place to protest.
Rhi: I don’t want to call them protesters. Yeah, give them a new target. [laughs] Okay, so that makes sense, and then you all were gonna start talking about plans for the Bluecoats.
Josie (as Minx): Right. Now, I feel like something involving explosions would be the most persuasive, something they’re convinced that they can no longer spare the manpower for the push.
Kim (as Blaire): Should we blow up a station?!
Josie (as Minx): I… Hmm.
Rhi: [laughs]
Josie (as Minx): That might have some collateral damage, but it would certainly work. I cannot imagine a situation where that doesn’t work.
Minna (as Myra): Especially if it’s near The Docks.
Kim (as Blaire): Well yeah, but we could still blow up one of their stations.
Josie (as Minx): Okay, this would require delicate timing, but wait until they mobilize and then blow it up.
Kim (as Blaire): Works for me.
Josie (as Minx): Now it’s a matter of transporting that much gunpowder in the short time we have.
Rhi: There are other explosives available. You’ve got like dynamite type things as explosives. But yeah, so basically with this plan you need to find the factory owner’s home address and somehow get that in front of the potential rioters and convince them that that’s where they should go instead, and obtain a large amount of explosives, transport it up into The Docks without getting caught, an set off a massive explosion on a bunch of Bluecoats… all in the span of about two hours.
Josie: Well when you say it like that it makes it sound unreasonable.
[laughter]
Rhi: I am excited to see how y’all pull this off. Where do you wanna start?
Josie: Well, this wouldn’t be so much splitting up. Who wants to work on finding the address and who wants to work on securing explosives?
Kim: I can roll a Study to try and get the address since I have 3 in Study now. That would probably be most helpful.
Josie: Okay.
Rhi: Well, you’re gonna have to get more specific. Where and how are you studying?
Kim: Oh… Hmm.
Rhi: Because we don’t have a phone book.
Kim: I was gonna say, what is the Duskwall equivalent to yellow pages, or white pages?
[laughter]
Rhi: I believe in the past you’ve had to go into Charterhall and go digging through records.
Kim: Right.
Rhi: Since he’s a business owner he probably has some kind of paperwork on file for his factory and his home address might be in there.
Kim: I’m kind of tempted to just have her walk in and just roll in, see what happens.
Rhi: Yeah. You can definitely do that. [laughs]
Kim: I mean, she might wear the barest of disguises, like maybe have her hood up or something.
Rhi: [laughs]
Kim: Like, you know, a Jedi on an undercover mission thing where it’s just like ooh, I’m in a disguise, but everybody knows I’m a Jedi.
[laughter]
Rhi: Wearing Jedi robes, carrying lightsaber on belt, but I’ve put my hood up so I’m incognito.
Kim: Exactly. Exactly.
Rhi: Yeah. Listen, I am down for that if that’s how you wanna roll. Again, it’s Gather Info.
Kim: Right, so the worse thing can’t happen yet, right?
Rhi: yeah. If you roll badly it might just be you get limited information because you have to run out of the building before you get arrested.
Kim: Okay. Yeah, let’s do that then.
Rhi: Okay.
Kim: Okay, highest was a 5.
Rhi: Yeah, I think that you are able to get… you find some paperwork. In the course of that conversation Briggs would have given details about what the factory is and where it is and yada-yada-yada, so you would have been able to find all of that. Yeah, you’re able to find, going through the paperwork that had to be filed when he bought the property, paid taxes on it, that does include his home address. He lives in… a part of the city. [chuckles] As most people do. I think he has a house on the western edge of Nightmarket.
Kim: Okay.
Rhi: Because that’s close to Coalridge. So he has a home there. If you have any follow-up questions…?
Kim: I think that’s really all I need. I don’t.
Rhi: All right. So, Blaire has acquired one home address. Myra or Minx? What do y’all wanna do?
Josie: Oh, I might want to find out where the workers are.
Rhi: Okay.
Josie: I want to be able to contact them.
Rhi: Yeah. How do you wanna go about doing that?
Josie: Well, I think I’m gonna chain some of, um, a friend of a friend, right? Like, Briggs probably knows people who are involved, right?
Rhi: Briggs I think got most of his information from people who work at the bars where they were gathering and making these plans, so like, you know, there was a server who was at one of the bars and heard this stuff and was like “that sounds… sketchy,” and passed along the information.
Josie: Oh! I’ll ask Klyra, because she was in-tune with that. That’s where she first appeared on-screen was seeking information about union stuff.
Rhi: Yes. I will add, so Klyra works at a bar that has a Skovlan history and association.
Josie: Right. … Oh, okay.
Rhi: So the anti-Skovlan ex-workers probably weren’t meeting at her place.
Josie: Ah. Hmm.
Rhi: You could just kinda go and spend a little bit of time working various bars, asking for information.
Josie: Yeah, I think I need to do that.
Rhi: Okay. So, go ahead and roll me something.
Josie: Six.
Rhi: All right. Nicely done. I think what ends up happening is you… you know, Briggs gave the name of a few of the bars that this group of angry ex-workers have been meeting at. The first one you go to, kind of a bust, don’t really get a lot of information. it’s starting to get busier. None of the staff really wanna talk. Second place, you ask around, at some point you drop Briggs’s name as being a friend of yours, and one of the servers very discretely points at a table where there’s a bunch of fairly loud and already pretty drunk people.
Josie: Mm-hmm.
Rhi: She says that they’re kind of part of that group that have been talking about doing something.
Josie: Right. [laughs]
Rhi: So basically you have—it’s not the whole group, but you’ve got some of them hanging around here, and it seems like from the way that they’re acting they’re planning on staying here until it’s time to go over to the factory.
Josie: Okay. That’s good to know. Well, Minx will have to leave at some point to get the info from Blaire, so…
Rhi: Right. Yeah. Basically the 6 means they’re gonna be here.
Josie: Right.
Rhi: So if you need to circle back before the deadline they’re not gonna go anywhere.
Josie: Cool beans.
Rhi: Yep. Yep. Myra?
Minna: I think I have to talk to Jeren.
Rhi: Oh no!
Josie: No!
Rhi: [laughs] Yep.
Minna: I don’t know who else would know what I need, I think, about the Bluecoats.
Rhi: Yeah… Yeah.
Minna: And listen, if he has to be pushed to make a choice…
Rhi: He does.
Minna: Yeah.
Rhi: I have a clock for Jeren learns to be a decent person.
Minna: [laughs]
Kim: You do? Since when?
Rhi: I think it’s actually… I think it’s labeled Jeren learns about privilege.
Kim: [laughs]
Rhi: It’s been in my GM notes for ages.
Kim: I didn’t know this!
Minna: Listen, I let him just cool down for a long time.
Rhi: [laughing] It’s just been running in the background. It’s just been running in the background.
Kim: Jeren becomes radicalized, 8 out of 1,000.
Josie: Honestly, this might be the tipping point, because this is either fight back or get fucked moment.
Rhi: [laughs]
Minna: It’s a who do you stand with moment.
Rhi: Yeah. So, how do you go about meeting with Jeren? Because you don’t have a lot of time for your normal hangouts.
Minna: Yeah, no, I have to go… [exhales] He’s not at work, is he?
Rhi: Yeah, he’d be at work.
Minna: Oh, that’s…
Rhi: He’s been back from medical leave for a while now.
Minna: Yeah, no, I know that. That’s worse, because isn’t he working somewhere fancier, too, than he used to be?
Rhi: Yeah. He used to be in Charterhall and his dad pulled some strings so now he’s in, I believe, Brightstone.
Minna: Ugh!
Rhi: Yep.
Minna: Time to do a very risky thing.
Rhi: Yay!
Josie: Yay! Those are the best kind of things.
Rhi: Yup, that’s how the game goes.
Minna: Do I know where his office would be in this place? No, I wouldn’t have been here. Because he’s… yeah. I won’t know the layout.
Rhi: Oh yeah, no, absolutely. You have no idea where his desk is.
Minna: Hmm… How do files get between Bluecoat stations?
Rhi: Probably if it’s something that needs to, that’s just regular delivery such as it were, there’s probably like Bluecoat paddy wagons that would go between the different stations to move prisoners and evidence and paperwork and all of that stuff. If it’s something that needs to be delivered very fast, it would be… Let me look at what the—There is a courier faction. The Cyphers. They are the messenger guild of the city. They swear sacred oaths of secrecy. So yeah, if it’s something that needs to be moved fast they would hire a Cypher, otherwise…
Minna: How easily could I bribe a Cypher to let me take basically their uniform for a day?
Rhi: It’s gonna be tough, and it’s gonna cost you a lot if you can convince them, because…
Minna: Hmm. How about instead…
Rhi: Yeah. [laughs]
Minna: I have this nice sleeping potion.
Rhi: [laughing] Oh no! You’re gonna drug a courier!
Minna: Listen!
Rhi: You’re gonna drug a bike messenger, Minna!
Josie: [laughs]
Kim: [groans]
Minna: It won’t hurt them. It won’t have long-term consequences.
Rhi: [laughing] I know!
Kim: Minna, we’re supposed to be saving the post office right now.
Minna: Leave me alone.
Rhi: [cackles] Oh my God, okay, yeah, no. Sure. You can attempt this.
Minna: Okay. What am I gonna be rolling?
Rhi: This is gonna be…
Minna: I mean, what is the position and effect? I mean.
Rhi: Yeah. I was gonna say. You’re still technically in the Gather Information phase, but this is an action roll. Jesus Christ. [laughs] Y’all are the best.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: Where are you doing this? Where are you jumping this person? Because like, you’re gonna have to… I feel like you’re gonna have to do it close to the station so that you know that it’s being delivered there and you’re not just grabbing some random mail.
Minna: Well, I think I am going to be.
Rhi: You’re gonna just grab some random mail?
Minna: And bluff my way through, just having the uniform on. [laughs]
Rhi: Okay, so you’re hitting them outside.
Minna: Because I can only give it to the archivist. You know? It’s for his eyes only.
Rhi: Yeah. So you’re hitting this poor person who’s just doing their job outside of Brightstone, is your plan.
Minna: Yes. I am not doing this in Brightstone.
Rhi: Okay. In that case, it’ll be risky, standard effect.
Minna: I might even be doing this in The Docks, frankly.
Rhi: Yeah…
Minna: That’s a 5.
Rhi: [defeated, contemplative] Okay…
Minna: [laughs]
Rhi: You do it but there’s a consequence.
Minna: He’s going to remember my face, or she is, whatever, whoever it is.
Rhi: Um… yes. Okay, so the complication is you knock this person out, you take—I don’t think that they necessarily have a full uniform. I think it’s more of like, I’m picturing an armband type thing that identifies them as a member.
Minna: Mm-hmm.
Rhi: So you take their armband, you take their mail, and you leave them tucked gently behind a dumpster in an alley, and when they wake up and realize what has happened… the nearest Bluecoat station to them is the one you all plan on bombing.
Minna: Mmm.
Josie: Mmm.
Minna: Yup.
Rhi: So, that Bluecoat station is going to be tipped off to look for Myra in specific, because yes, they did get a good look at your face and will be on the lookout for Myra. Myra does not know any of this.
Minna: Great. Awesome.
Rhi: Myra just…
Minna: I love it, genuinely.
Rhi: …mugged a postal worker.
Minna: Leave me alone! [laughs]
Rhi: [laughs] Listen, it’s… it’ll be fine.
Minna: Why are you booing me? I’m right. [laughs]
Rhi: The postal worker, I will say this, will not be at the station when any shenanigans go down. They will be safe at home enjoying dinner.
Minna: Okay! So, Myra walks into a Bluecoat station.
Rhi: Your armband and your mail!
Minna: I assume with like a cap on, like pulled down over her eyes a little bit.
Rhi: Yeah, yeah… yeah. Give me a roll to bluff your way back to Jeren, and then if/when you reach him then you’ll actually do the Gather Info roll.
Minna: That’s a 6, baby!
Rhi: [laughs] What did you roll?!
Minna: I rolled Sway.
Rhi: Okay, I figured, just wanted to… So yeah, you walk up the steps to this Brightstone Bluecoat station, and there’s a lobby area that you can walk into, and you know.
Minna: Yeah. I walk up to the reception desk and lean in.
Minna (as Myra): Urgent mail for the archivist. His eyes only.
Rhi: The receptionist glances up from her doodling, is clearly very bored and very tired, and just sort of glances at you, glances at the armband, glances at the satchel.
Rhi (as receptionist): [lazily] Okay, archivist, um… You want me to call him up here to collect?
Minna (as Myra): I can take it back.
Rhi (as receptionist): ‘kay.
Rhi: So, she will buzz you through the secure door and give you directions.
Rhi (as receptionist): Yeah, down that hall, left, it’s the second door on the right.
Rhi: Doodle, doodle, doodle.
[laughter]
Minna: Myra nods to the receptionist and goes through the door.
Rhi: Yep. It’s the… if you look like you belong.
Minna: Yeah, the fast confident walk that is, like, I’m just going where I need to be going.
Rhi: Mm-hmm! Yep, and this is, particularly heading straight for the archivist’s office, this is a common occurrence. Nobody pays you any mind.
Minna: Myra opens the door and just steps inside without giving him any preparation whatsoever. [laughs]
Rhi: Yeah. Jeren hears the door open and is like… He’s reading some kind of ledger, and when the door opens is just like:
Rhi (as Jeren): Ericson? I didn’t think we—Myra?! What are you doing here?!
Minna (as Myra): Shh!
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi (as Jeren): How did you—?! How did you get that?! You’re not a Cypher! Oh my God, did you kill a Cypher?
Minna (as Myra): I did not kill a Cypher. What do you take me for?
Rhi (as Jeren): I don’t- You- How did you- You stole- They’re very protective of their things. What are you doing here?
Minna (as Myra): A lot of lives hang in the balance, Jeren, so if you could please… I know this is a risk I’m taking, but if you could please stop panicking for just a second. We don’t need people coming to investigate.
[laughter]
Rhi: Sorry, this whole situation…
Josie: A lot of lives are in the balance, but please calm down.
Minna: I know I just told an anxious person to calm down and that doesn’t work.
Rhi: Jeren leans back in his chair, drags his hands down his face.
Rhi (as Jeren): What do you want, Myra?
Minna (as Myra): The Bluecoats are closing in on The Docks tonight. I need everything you know about it.
Rhi: Give me a roll. Let’s find out what ya boy knows.
Minna: It’s a Consort and it’s a Gather Info, right?
Rhi: Yes. I’m debating if…
Minna: I might have to take away a die, because…
Rhi: Yeah. I think you are gonna be down a die because of your… You sort of told him you weren’t gonna do this anymore, so… yeah.
Minna: I did, until it was important that I do this again. [laughs]
Rhi: Yeah.
Minna: This is me at normal rolling then, right? Because usually it would be a +1 die and I’ve subtracted one die, so I’m at four dice.
Rhi: Yeah. You’re basically not getting the Gondolier bonus.
Minna: Six!
Kim: Oh, nice!
Rhi: Yeah, Jeren is still slowly dragging his hands down his face and then kind of drops them into his lap and gives you a look.
Rhi (as Jeren): [defeated] I…
Rhi: He kinda flips through his papers and pulls out a few pages and is just like:
Rhi (as Jeren): Somebody from on high outside the Bluecoats put in a request and made a donation to have this happen tonight.
Rhi: And he will hold out the papers. What’s on the papers is basically kind of the overtime pay for all of the Bluecoats that are doing this raid. There’s a lot of them, but you do kind of have a number, and there’s also the like, you know, armaments requisition paperwork that’s in here, and like… they’re going in hard.
The other thing that you do see as you’re flipping through these papers is a note in there about the charitable donation that was made to the hardworking members of the Bluecoats from one Lord Alistair Mora.
Kim: Oop.
Minna: Yup.
Josie: Mm-hmm.
Minna: I think Myra sees that and she closes her eyes and is visibly, like… It’s hard to tell if she’s shaken or angry or what it is, but yeah, she is having an emotion about that, visibly.
Rhi (as Jeren): Are you… Are you okay?
Minna (as Myra): It’s getting harder and harder to do this fight. It’s okay, I’m just reminded again how much power they wield.
Rhi (as Jeren): Look, I don’t know if what those people in The Docks are doing is right or wrong, but—
Minna (as Myra): They’re just living their lives! They just wanna live their lives free of… this! This man, who wanted to put, frankly, a monstrosity in The Docks, and then he just buys out all of these people armed to the teeth who are going to be fighting people who can’t possibly fight them off.
Rhi (as Jeren): Yeah, that’s the part that I’m not real comfortable with.
Minna (as Myra): Whatever happens tonight, Jeren, I think you should be at home. Go home early. Just stay out of it.
Rhi (as Jeren): Well, I mean, my shift ends at 5.
Minna (as Myra): Leave before 5. It’s not going to be pretty.
Rhi: He looks genuinely very conflicted. Aw, Atta boy.
Kim: [nervous sound]
Minna: [laughing] Did you do a fortune roll for me twice?!
Kim: What did that mean, Rhi? What was that roll for?
Rhi: [very casual] That was for… for moving up his privilege, learning about, clock.
Minna: [delighted] His clock!
Kim: Oh good.
Minna: Did he roll well?
Rhi: Jeren, like I said, looks conflicted, but then nods slowly.
Rhi (as Jeren): Yeah, I can just say my leg’s acting up. You should get out of here, though.
Minna (as Myra): Yeah, that’s probably for the best. Thank you.
Rhi: He doesn’t really say anything in response to you thanking him. He just looks uncomfortable. He looks down at his papers. Yeah, you’re able to—Again, like he lets you take those papers that he gave you, but again, you’re able to leave without any difficulty.
Minna: Yeah. She just hides them in her satchel with the other mail.
Rhi: So yeah, you’re able to leave with this information. I think that the three of you each kinda doing these things, probably about an hour has passed, so you have roughly an hour until things start happening. You still need to get some kind of explosives. I feel like if we are moving into acquiring explosives slash persuading people to go somewhere else we’re going to be moving into the score proper.
Josie: Okie-dokie.
Rhi: Because at this point it’s no longer getting intelligence, you are actively trying to do things. Good god, what kind of engagement is this?
Josie: [laughs]
Kim: Yes.
Rhi: I think, well, okay. It’s 50% I would say Social, because you are trying to negotiate, bargain or persuade the factory workers, and 50% Assault, you are doing violence to a target. So, this is a 1d6 engagement roll. A 4, so you’re gonna be in a risky position. So where are you starting?
Josie: Probably tipping off the workers, right?
Rhi: Okay. That makes sense. So, I’m imagining that the three of you split to do your Gather Info, you reconvened, shared what you learned, and are now heading back down to Charhollow.
Josie: Mm-hmm.
Rhi: Okay. Yeah, so Minx, you’re able to head right back to the bar where you were maybe 30 minutes ago. The crowd of angry former factory workers has grown a little bit. They’re a lot louder, they’re a lot drunker, they’re a lot angrier. There’s a lot of shouting. You can hear, you know, angry tirades against those filthy Skovs, things like that. The server who had pointed them out gives you a look that’s half relieved to see you but also a little worried, like is my night about to get a lot better or infinitely worse.
Josie: Uh-huh. [laughs]
Rhi: So yeah, how do y’all wanna proceed here?
Josie: I think Minx has her hair down and things a little bit looser. She’s not willing to outright dress down, but try to seem more approachable, I guess.
Rhi: Yeah.
Josie: I think she’ll calmly order a drink and then try and find a spot to slip into the crowd.
Rhi: Yeah… Let’s see here.
Josie: Is there someone who is like calling stuff out and then the people are responding? Like someone who’s getting everyone riled up.
Rhi: Yeah, there’s somebody who is maybe not the ringleader of the whole thing but is definitely the loudest person in this little group.
Josie: Right.
Rhi: Myra and Blaire, what are the two of you doing before we proceed?
Kim: Probably just keeping an eye on the exits and whatnot. I know that’s my default position, but it’s always a good thing to keep an eye on.
Rhi: Yeah, yeah no, for sure. Myra, what do you wanna do?
Minna: Myra’s going to mingle and keep an eye on things, and if Minx can use support she can jump in.
Rhi: Okay. So Minx is infiltrating the crowd, Myra’s hanging out on the periphery, Blaire I imagine is sitting at the actual bar, because I feel like this group is at a bunch of tables, Blaire is sitting at the bar keeping an eye on the exits. That’s about right?
Kim: Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Rhi: All right. Well then, Minx, take it away.
Josie: Yeah. Who seems to be being the loudest?
Rhi: Yeah. I think it’s an Akorosian man, looks like he’s in his mid-30s. He’s got longer dark brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. He’s gesturing a lot as he’s talking, and you can see that he’s missing two fingers on his right hand. I don’t think you’re gonna get a name at this juncture, but he’s… yeah. He is pretty red in the face, you can’t tell if it’s from emotion or alcohol or both, but yeah, he seems to be the one keeping the crowd riled up.
Josie (as Minx): Hi. Excuse me.
Rhi: It takes him a second to process that someone has very politely approached him in the middle of his rant.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: It’s sort of the verbal equivalent of somebody… You know when you’re walking down a flight of stairs and you miss a step and you don’t fully fall but you do that stumble?
Josie: Uh-huh.
Kim: Yeah.
Rhi: It’s the verbal equivalent of that.
Josie: Good, he’s off guard.
Rhi: Yeah, so he’s just:
Rhi (as speaker): [flustered] What? Who the fuck are you?
Josie (as Minx): Oh, I’m sorry, I just couldn’t help but hear some of the things you’re talking about, and I sympathize. My name is Minx, by the way.
Josie: She’ll offer her hand politely.
Rhi: He just kind of stares at you.
Josie: Maybe I should roll something about it?
Rhi: Go ahead and make a roll, because at this point… It’s gonna be risky. The rest of the table has gone not fully quiet but, without this guy riling everybody up, it’s sort of broken off into smaller conversations.
Josie: Mm-hmm.
Rhi: Some people are watching you, though, for sure. So it’s gonna be risky, I think, reduced effect right now, because you don’t look like you belong.
Josie: Right. I think I’m gonna go with Consort.
Rhi: Okay, that makes sense.
Josie: I got a 5.
Rhi: What are you trying to accomplish here in this initial exchange?
Josie: I want to get him to shake my hand and slip him a Magpies pin.
Kim: Ooh…
Rhi: Okay, interesting. Okay. He shakes your hand. It does seem very much as it’s a, like… not that he necessarily wants to or is consciously thinking about it, it’s just that social train of someone is extending a hand so I will shake.
Josie: Uh-huh.
Rhi: Then, when you palm him the pin, he kinda looks at him confused and turns it over.
Rhi (as speaker): The fuck is this?
Rhi: And throws it down on the table and it kinda skitters along. Somebody else further down the table sees it and picks it up and says, very loudly:
Rhi (as ex-worker1): Oh, holy shit, you’re with the magpies?!
[laughter]
Kim: Oh no…
Josie: Okay, well I was trying to be subtle about it, but…
Rhi: So the reduced effect is this guy doesn’t know who the magpies are, but he’s not immediately any more or less hostile towards you. The complication is this other person knows who you are and just announced it to EVERYBODY at this bar.
Josie (as Minx): All right, well I was trying to be subtle about it, but yes. Yes, I’m with the Magpies. Hello.
Rhi (as ex-worker1): Oh shit! Sorry! Sorry! It’s a cool pin!
Josie (as Minx): Mm-hmm. Thank you. Yes.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: [laughing] A few of them are leaning in to look at it. They all seem very pleased that they have acquired a Magpies pin.
Josie (as Minx): Well, now that it seems that I am addressing the table, I just wanted to say that we like what you’re doing, we’ve helped out with things like this in the past, but we think we might have a better place for your voices to be heard.
Rhi (as speaker): The fuck are you talking about?
Josie (as Minx): Well, at the factory, all that’s gonna be there is other workers, and I understand your frustration with them, but also it’s a bit hard to deal with and force your way into. But, when you think about it, who put the people who replaced you there? Your boss, correct?
Rhi: You can see the gears are turning.
Josie (as Minx): Yes, you can yell at them all you like, but the most they can do is quit. Your boss isn’t gonna be there, is he?
Rhi: You know what, at this point, yeah, give me a roll.
Josie: Okay.
Rhi: Similar, I think risky-standard at this point. You’ve gotten their attention a lot more.
Josie: I got a 6.
Rhi: Yes you did. Wonderful. I think the ringleader still seems to be… you’re getting the impression now that he’s had a fair amount to drink.
Josie: Yeah.
Rhi: A few other people at the table, not so much, and somebody else is like:
Rhi (as ex-worker2): No, Marodin’s pretty much never there. He just leaves it to the foreman.
Josie (as Minx): Right, but wouldn’t you prefer it if you could, let’s say, voice your concerns directly to him?
Josie: And I think she’s gonna pull out a paper with the address written on it.
Josie (as Minx): For example, I think he’d have no choice but to listen to you if he heard the complaints coming through his bedroom window, yes?
Rhi: The ringleader takes the paper and kinda squints at it. Somebody else who, again, is a little more sober leans over.
Rhi (as ex-worker3): That’s just across the bridge in Nightmarket. That’s not far.
Rhi: Give me I think one more roll. I sort of have a mental clock for persuading the table. They’re leaning in your direction, but they’ve spent the last few hours getting really riled up about beating the crap out of a bunch of Skovlanders, so like, you gotta do… yeah. Some people are kinda like yeah, that makes sense.
Rhi (as ex-worker4): Those fuckers took our jobs, though! We can’t just let them get away with it.
Rhi: And there’s a little back and forth, so I think they need just one more push.
Minna: Would you like me to help, or do you want to do it?
Josie: Sure, let’s have Myra hop in.
Minna: I think Myra emerges from the crowd and settles next to Minx, kinda leaning on the table.
Minna (as Myra): They may have taken your jobs, but they were in the same situation you are before that job opened up. Who do you think isn’t listening to you? It’s not them.
Rhi: Give me a roll. It’s gonna be risky, greater effect, because at this point Minx has done most of the lifting to get them to this point. They just need the shove over the edge.
Minna: [smiling] I’m gonna stop using Google dice, because I’m starting to feel bad, but that’s a crit.
[laughter]
Kim: Are you serious?
Minna: I’m very serious.
Rhi: All right. That was a Consort, I assume?
Minna: It was. I am rolling four dice on Consort too, so…
Rhi: So yeah, I think that they all kinda, like, there’s some looking around at each other, and the person who was very excited about getting the magpie pin is just like:
Rhi (as ex-worker1): They’re right! Fuck that guy. Let’s take this to his fucking house!
Rhi: And yeah, I think the ringleader is like:
Rhi (as speaker): All right. Let’s go round up everybody else and… head to Nightmarket.
Rhi: [laughs] He’s just like, okay, as long as I get to beat the shit out of somebody tonight I’m good. That’s kind of his attitude.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: So yeah, they’ve got the paper, there’s kind of a collective downing of drinks, coin being thrown onto the table, and they stagger out. It seems like you’ve largely, at this point, redirected the situation.
Josie (as Minx): Thank you, Myra.
Rhi: The server who had been talking to you just comes over to start cleaning and she’s like:
Rhi (as server): [quietly and exasperated] Thank you.
Josie (as Minx): Oh, it’s no issue.
Josie: Minx leaves a sizable tip, but then also I think starts rapidly taking off her outer coat to flip it around so that she looks different going over to The Docks. [laughs]
Rhi: [laughs] Yeah. So at this point you have, it’s… I’m gonna say it’s about 4:20.
Josie: Mm-hmm. … Blaze it.
Rhi: Thank you. I figured somebody was gonna do that.
[laughter]
Rhi: So you have, at this point, 40 minutes to obtain explosives, make it across town, and set up a bombing.
Josie: Remember back with the boat that we stole a bunch of ectoplasm from?
Rhi: Yes.
Josie: How much was gotten out of that?
Rhi: Not a ton, and it went to the Ink Row folks.
Josie: Oh right, okay. All of it went.
Rhi: Mm-hmm, because you only got two or three barrels I think. You didn’t get a ton.
Josie: But what you’re saying is the Ink Row people have barrels of ectoplasm.
Rhi: They have been using it to power the generators.
Josie: Right…
Rhi: So they might have some electroplasm on hand, but it’ll hinge on rolls I think, ultimately, is what I’m gonna say, what they have.
Josie: Yeah.
Josie (as Minx): Hey Blaire.
Kim (as Blaire): Hmm?
Josie (as Minx): Is ectoplasm volatile?
Kim (as Blaire): Not usually, but in large amounts it can be, yeah.
Josie (as Minx): Well, I think the Ink Row people have some, yes? I think we might need to persuade them to lend some.
Kim (as Blaire): That could work.
Josie (as Minx): Then perhaps promise to replace it.
Kim (as Blaire): Uh… Well, how much are we taking?
Josie (as Minx): I mean, it should only be…
Josie: I was thinking a barrel. How big is the station?
Rhi: Um…
Josie: We don’t need to annihilate it, just get it lit up.
Rhi: You’re gonna need more than one barrel to put enough of a dent in the building to call off this operation.
Josie: Right.
Rhi: I would say it’s a reasonably large building. I’m gonna say three or four barrels.
Kim: I’m just thinking logistically of how in the world we replace three to four barrels of it, because that’s a lot to come up with.
Rhi: You do have like 8 coin in your vault. You could just offer to pay them for it.
Kim: Yeah.
Josie: That’s true. We could just pay them.
Kim: That works.
Rhi: However, let us first get you all up to The Docks.
Josie: Mm-hmm.
Rhi: I think because you have positive relationships with both the Cabbies and the Gondoliers you’re able to get there pretty quick. I think it’ll take you about 15 minutes to get from Charhollow to The Docks. That’s gonna make it 4:35. You have less than half an hour.
Josie: Great. [laughs]
Rhi: Yep. [laughs]
Josie: I think we may want to ask our cabbie, to be like…
Josie (as Minx): We might need a couple more wagons.
Rhi (as Cabbie): Um… okay, yeah.
Rhi: Well actually, no, give me a roll.
Josie (as Minx): Okay. Hmm, I got a 2.
Rhi: I think that the cabbie’s just like:
Rhi (as Cabbie): Uh… I don’t know how much is gonna be available right now. We’re getting to everyone coming off work right now. Not a lot of folks are free.
Josie (as Minx): Blast.
Rhi (as Cabbie): I’ll see what I can do, but I wouldn’t hold your breath.
Josie (as Minx): All right, well thank you anyway.
Rhi (as Cabbie): Yep.
Rhi: [shuffling noises] Off goes the goat.
Josie: Mm-hmm.
[snickering]
Rhi: Did you momentarily forget that there were giant goats that pull the…?
Minna: [delighted] No, I just love when you do sound effects with your mouth. [laughs]
Rhi: [shuffling noises] You can’t see it, but I’m also doing little finger walking gestures.
Josie: Ah! [laughs]
Minna: [giggling] yes! Yes! You’re doing the walk—Yes!
Josie: Adorable.
Rhi: All right. So, what do you wanna do?
Josie: Find Fiona, probably.
Rhi: Okay. That actually is pretty easy. She’s in the center. There is a lot of hustle and bustle happening. People are boarding up windows. Barricades are being set up. You can see that people are arming themselves. Myra, from the papers you saw, you know that what they’re doing will slow things down but it’s not gonna be enough to stop this. But yeah, Fiona is basically in the midst of all this, working with a couple other people to sort of coordinate the defense efforts.
Josie: Uh-huh.
Rhi: She glances up when she sees the three of you approaching and looks a little surprised.
Rhi (as Fiona): Huh. I was starting to worry you weren’t gonna make it.
Josie (as Minx): Oh. Yes, we are short on time, but we intend to make good on our word. Slight ask, there. It’s going to have to be a bit extreme, and we may need a couple barrels of ectoplasm, and I’m aware that might leave some people without power, but it’s either this happens or you do that. We can pay you for it or replace it or whatever. We just need to get some ectoplasm over to the station in about… 15 minutes.
Rhi: All three of them were like—it’s Fiona and two other people—were like, you know, looking at maps and giving orders to people, and as you talk all three of them just kind of stop what they’re doing and slowly look at you. Give me a roll.
Josie: [laughs] Okay.
Rhi: It’s gonna be controlled, because she doesn’t have a lot of other options, so she’s gonna be fairly inclined to go along with your plan. So I think controlled, standard effect.
Josie: What’s a Devil’s Bargain look like here?
Rhi: I’m having a hard time, because I’m trying to think of something other than the consequences that you have all already generated through your actions.
[laughter]
Kim: There are no more bargains left. The consequences of your own actions are too much tonight.
Rhi: Yeah, too many.
Minna: Hell is empty and all the devils are you.
Rhi: I’m leaning towards doing like level 1 harm, Overwhelmed or something, where like, the pressure is starting to get to Minx.
Josie: Sure. Yeah, I’ll take that.
Rhi: So you’re gonna be at reduced effect. Kind of anything where you’d need to have a cool calm demeanor.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: Anything that’s precision, you’re gonna, just… it’s gonna be a little harder to take things slow and careful for right now.
Josie: Mm-hmm. I want to push for Sway on this, or is this more Consort?
Rhi: I think it would be Sway if you don’t intend to replace the stuff you’re taking.
Josie: Right.
Rhi: So I think it’s likely gonna be Consort.
Josie: Okay. In that case, I would like to spend 2 stress to use Rook’s Gambit to use Sway anyway. [laughs]
Rhi: Yep. Go for it. [laughs] So you’re using Sway, you’ve got an extra die from the Devil’s Bargain, it’s controlled, standard effect…
Josie: Mm-hmm.
Rhi: [laughing] About as locked in as you can I think at this point, unless somebody wants to give an assist, if somebody wants to take a point of stress to back Minx up. I think that’s gonna be—
Kim: Yeah, I can do that.
Rhi: [laughs] I’m just picturing that Blaire is standing behind Minx doing her best puppy-dog eyes.
Josie: Aw!
Kim: Yeah.
Rhi: [sweetly] “Please? We really need the explosives.”
Kim: She’s really good at puppy-dog eyes.
Josie: Got a 6, but that was a lot of 1 through 3s on there.
Rhi: Yeah! It’s a good thing you invested the way you did. Jesus!
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: Everything else on that would have been a 1 to a 3. Damn. Okay, Fiona kinda studies you for a moment and works her jaw as she’s thinking, and then gestures to one of the people next to her.
Rhi (as Fiona): Is everything still loaded up?
Rhi: He nods and is like:
Rhi (as aide): Yeah, yeah, I’ll go get it.
Rhi: So, he runs off, grabs a couple people as he runs, and she says as he takes off:
Rhi (as Fiona): We, I think, had a similar line of thought. We just were planning on, well, if we can’t have it nobody can?
Josie (as Minx): Oh no, heaven’s no. Keep this. Just, unfortunately there’s not enough time for complicated maneuvering, so we’re blowing up a Bluecoat station.
Rhi: [laughs] There’s just somebody who’s jogging behind Fiona with an armload of wood for boarding up things and just kinda looks at you, and is just like “what?” But continues on.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: So yeah, it’s just a couple minutes when these folks come back hauling basically a, um… I don’t want to say wheelbarrow. It’s a handcart, but it’s large enough to contain three full oil drums basically of electroplasm.
Kim: Nice.
Rhi: They’re tied down and secured to this thing. They hadn’t quite gotten to the stage of prepping it to explode, but like, it’s ready to be turned into a bomb.
Rhi (as Fiona): If you can help us replace this after, if we need it after, we’d appreciate it.
Josie (as Minx): Yes-yes, wouldn’t want to leave you without. Blaire and Myra? You two might need to take point from here on out.
Josie: Minx dabs her forehead with a handkerchief.
Kim (as Blaire): Hey, you okay?
Josie (as Minx): Yes, I’m fine, I can continue, just… my brainpower is spent.
Kim (as Blaire): Well, all right, we’ll try to get this done as soon as we can and then you should rest up. Okay?
Josie (as Minx): Yes, once we’re done.
Rhi: All right. So, you’ve got about 20 minutes and a cart full of explosive electroplasm.
Minna: Mm-hmm.
Rhi: What’s the plan?
Minna: So we still have those underground maps, right?
Rhi: Yeah you do.
Minna: Do they go under the Bluecoat station we want to target?
Kim: That’s not a bad idea.
Josie: I mean, we know they go under Ink Row at least, because that’s how we got in.
Rhi: Yeah, they do… Myra, give me a fortune roll, a 3d6. We’ll do this equal to the group’s tier. This is just gonna be pure luck.
Minna: That’s a 6.
Rhi: You know, you can have your maps on you, you can consult your maps, and yes, there is a passage that will lead not straight underneath but basically… it won’t lead, like, you can’t plant it right in the center underneath it, but you can plant it off to one, like, it’ll go up underneath one side of the station basically.
Minna: Can I place charges at two ends of the station?
Rhi: Yeah, you could do, like… So, this passage runs north to south, so you could do the south edge of the station and the north edge of the station.
Minna: I just wanna add more confusion.
Rhi: Yeah, you can do that. I like this plan. The one thing that I think is going to be a challenge for you is the catacombs of Duskwall are not… Everything is accessed by stairs, so getting your cart down there is gonna be tough.
Kim: Hmm.
Josie: Hmm.
Minna: Makeshift pulley system?
Rhi: You’ve got 15 minutes. [laughs]
Josie: I mean, what does the entrance look like? Can we just kick a barrel down the stairs and through the door?
Kim: I mean, yeah, we don’t have to do anything fancy.
Rhi: Yeah, like just down into the catacombs, underneath?
Josie: Yes.
Rhi: I’m gonna do my own fortune roll now, and I got a 6. The dice really want y’all to blow up a police station tonight, and I support this.
Minna: I support them wholeheartedly.
Rhi: So yes, I think that if you all drag the cart in that general direction there’s a… The entrance point isn’t super close to the Bluecoat station. I think as you’re going, though, you do kind of pass by the street outside, and you can see the squads forming up. It’s a lot of people, heavily armored, armed, guns and billy clubs and shields. They’re getting ready to hurt a lot of people.
I think that the entrance point is… The way that I usually picture the canal and catacomb access is that there’s just archways or doors at various points around the city and then there’s stairs that lead down into them, and I think that’s what this is. It’s the alley, there’s an alley near the Bluecoat station that gives an entrance point that will lead down to the tunnels leading in underneath the station.
Josie (as Minx): All right girls, I think we’ll just have to roll them, unless you have the means to do a makeshift pulley system on-hand.
Kim (as Blaire): No, rolling works.
Minna (as Myra): Rolling works.
Rhi: All right. I think… Tell me, how are you approaching this? Are you just trying to roll them down and if they blow up at the bottom, great? Are you trying to do it a little more carefully so you can get them into position? What’s your approach here?
Josie: Yeah, what are y’all thinking? Because Minx is trying to not do it slow, but that might be unwise.
Rhi: I will mention, you could use, you know, if somebody marks climbing gear that will get you rope that you could possibly use, not necessarily a pulley system, but to at least sort of slow things.
Josie: Maybe wrap around the barrel so we could ease it down.
Rhi: Yeah, something like that.
Minna: Yeah.
Josie: I can mark climbing gear.
Rhi: yeah. So, do y’all wanna do maybe a group something to try and ease these down?
Kim: Yeah. Yeah, that works.
Josie: Sounds like a group Prowl or something.
Rhi: Yeah, I think Prowl. The reason I was asking is because if you’re just kicking them down there and leaving it in God’s hands it was gonna be Wreck.
Josie: [laughs]
Minna: Who is leading?
Kim: Oh geez.
Rhi: But I think with this approach it’ll be Prowl. Risky position, obviously. I think standard effect. Who is going to lead?
Minna: I don’t mind.
Kim: Okay.
Rhi: All right.
Josie: I got a 4.
Kim: Three.
Minna: Three. So I take 2 points of stress.
Rhi: And it’s a 4. So, you do it but there’s a consequence. I think that the consequence is just that you’re doing it, you’re being careful, and it takes time, so you basically are running, like, by the time you get the barrels down the stairs and to the south end of the tunnel it’s about 5 o’clock.
Kim: Oh no.
Rhi: So, you probably don’t have time to get anything up to the north end, and… you can do one more roll, essentially, is what this comes down to.
Josie: Uh, group Wreck?
Kim: Yeah, I think it has to be.
Rhi: Somebody’s gonna need to mark demolition tools to basically… because a barrel of oil or gas isn’t just gonna explode on its own. You’ll have to sort of…
Minna: I can do that.
Kim: Um… oh, are you sure?
Minna: Yeah, I can do that.
Kim: Okay.
Josie: I think, for flavor, Blaire should lead this, because she actually knows how to explode electroplasm.
Kim: Yeah.
Rhi: [laughs]
Kim: Yeah, I can lead it. I have the stress to spare. I just… I actually don’t have anything in Wreck, so it’s roll two, take the lower for no ranks in a skill, right?
Rhi: Yeah. That’s okay.
Josie: Mm-hmm.
Kim: Okay.
Rhi: Yeah. So this is still gonna be risky, standard effect still, and yeah. I’m just enjoying the mental image of three barrels placed together and then one of those bundles of dynamite gently placed on top.
Josie: [laughs]
Kim: I’m so mad. I rolled a 6, but I rolled a 3, so I have to take the three.
Josie: I got a 5.
Minna: Two.
Kim: So is that 1 or 2 points of stress?
Rhi: You take 2 points of stress, but the result is a 5.
Kim: Okay.
Rhi: So, here’s what happens. You get the barrels placed at the south end of the tunnel, or… basically, the south, we’ll say southeast corner of the Bluecoat station. It’s right underneath that point. You set up the dynamite. Blaire maybe scrawls some quick runes, lays out the wires appropriately, does whatever she needs to make sure that this blows. You light the fuse and you run, and I think what we see topside is the Bluecoat captain gives the order to march out and these squadrons start moving, and they make it ten steps, ten paces, when this massive explosion takes out a corner of the station. Masonry is falling from the sky. People are screaming and running. It’s a huge blast.
Josie: Can it be green because it’s ectoplasm?
Rhi: Ooh, yeah! Yeah, that’s cool.
Kim: Yay, green fire.
Rhi: Yeah. The fireball is different shades of green instead of red and orange and yellow. The Bluecoats, there’s a moment of stunned shock from the captain and then, you know, gives the order to get in there, evacuate, look for who’s behind this, etcetera. They have called off the attack for tonight. They are not moving on Ink Row tonight.
So, we kind of pan down back underneath the street and we see all three of you sprawled in varying states of unkemptness and injury across the stairs. You didn’t quite make it out. Nobody is dead, but you’re all gonna take level 2 harm. You can pick your injuries, but you basically got caught in the edge of the explosion.
Kim: Oof.
Rhi: You’re free to resist if you would like.
Kim: Yeah. What do we roll to resist?
Rhi: This will be Prowess.
Kim: Okay, it’s a 6 for me.
Josie: I got a 6. Woo.
Rhi: Six? So neither of you—so for both of you it’ll drop down to level 1 harm.
Kim & Josie: Okay.
Minna: I rolled a 4, so I’m gonna take 2 stress and 1 harm.
Rhi: Two stress, and drop it to level 1. So I think, yeah, you all made it further up the stairs, still got kind of hit with the shrapnel…
Kim: Mm-hmm.
Josie: Oof.
Rhi: …pelted with small rocks and stuff. You know, you’re basically a little singed, fairly bruised, a couple of you have got cuts. You can have them in places of various sexiness if you’d like. It’s at your discretion.
[laughter]
Rhi: But yeah, I’m just imagining that you’re all sprawled in a heap on the stairs, but you can hear the bells clanging up above you. Previously where you are on the stairs was not open to the sky. Now it is.
Josie: Uh-huh!
Kim: Oops.
Rhi: You can see the stars overhead, and it sounds like it is absolute chaos up there. However, if you all are found here it’s gonna be pretty obvious what your involvement was.
Josie (as Minx): I think we need to get away from here.
Minna (as Myra): Quickly.
Kim (as Blaire): Yeah.
Rhi: You wanna give me one more roll to make your daring escape?
Kim: Yeah.
Minna: Group Prowl?
Josie: Sure.
Kim: Yeah.
Minna: I can lead if we need me to.
Josie: I got a 3.
Minna: I got a 3.
Kim: Are two 1s a critical failure?
Rhi: No, it’s just a failure. There’s no such thing.
Minna: But we did fail. We did fail, and I took 3 stress.
Josie: Oof.
Rhi: Yep. So what does that put you at?
Minna: [smiling] Uh, that is all but 1 of my stress things marked.
Josie: Oh?!
Kim: [gasps] Ah! So close!
Rhi: So yeah, I think that it just takes the three of you a little while to get to your feet and start moving again. None of you are moving very fast. You’re all, like… your ears are ringing, you’re stumbling, you’re banged up, you’re in bad shape. You are making your way down an alley and turn out onto a side street and basically walk smack-dab into a small group, and by small I mean five, of these heavily armed basically riot police.
Kim: Oh God.
Rhi: Bluecoats.
Josie: Oh dear.
Rhi: Yep… So you’re in a desperate position, all three of you.
Kim: I mean, we’re in no shape to fight these guys, right?
Josie: No, no we’re not.
Rhi: I will remind you that amongst your gear is smoke bombs. [chuckles] I don’t know if those will necessarily get you out of this, but you do have them as an option.
Kim: Yeah. Can I just, you know, just shove one of these smoke bombs onto the ground?
Rhi: Yeah. So, that is going to… you’re desperate position, standard effect I’m gonna say. Seeks is good at what she does. What are you gonna roll for this?
Kim: That’s a good question. I mean, just to throw it on the ground…
Rhi: I’ll pull up a character sheet so I can remember what all the actions are.
Kim: Prowl is kind of the catch-all for physical stuff.
Rhi: Okay. Would you like a Devil’s Bargain? Would you like to push yourself? Does somebody want to assist?
Kim: Ooh~ I mean…
Josie: I would like to assist.
Kim: Oh, that’d be great. Extra die. I forget, can we do assist and Devil’s Bargain in the same…?
Rhi: Yes. Yeah.
Kim: All right. I’m just curious as to what a Devil’s Bargain would look like here.
Rhi: I’m gonna pull out an old classic Devil’s Bargain I haven’t used for a while. If there are any consequences to this action you can’t resist them.
Kim: Yeah, all right, I’ll pass on that. I trust that with three dice maybe something good will happen. [laughs] We’ll see.
Rhi: You can, if you have the stress available, you can still push yourself and get an assist if you would rather.
Kim: No. No, because I only have 2 stress left. If I pushed myself I’d take on a third trauma, [laughs] and I don’t want to do that to Blaire tonight.
Rhi: All right. That’s fair.
Kim: Okay great, 4, 5, 6.
Rhi: Okay!
Kim: Phew!
Rhi: So yeah, describe just throwing this down.
Kim: Yeah, so the way I picture that this happens is that we’re trying to get away and we all just skid and come to a screeching halt as we are faced with these five Bluecoats. There’s no time to even react or say anything or take any action. Blaire doesn’t even say anything. She just reaches into her belt or back pocket, bag, whatever, grabs a smoke bomb and just hurls it at the ground.
Rhi: Yeah. I think that this massive plume of purple-gray smoke immediately shoots up and starts filling the alley, and I think the Bluecoats… you can hear a couple of them coughing, a couple of them shouting “after them,” but it buys you just enough time that you are able to sprint back into the network of alleys, I think probably dipping back down into the tunnels under the city where it’s a lot harder for them to follow you, and you are able to escape.
Josie: Phew.
## Results [1:11:56]
Rhi: So, the Magpies make their way back to The Nest, lay low for a little bit until it’s safe to slip out and go visit Seeks to get their wounds patched up, and across the city the fallout from their actions this evening begins to play out. We see a house in Nightmarket, one of the brick townhomes that’s very common in the neighborhood, covered in burn marks, windows are broken, the houses on either side have some scorch marks on them but don’t appear to be too badly damaged. There are members of the Bluecoats walking around the area talking to witnesses, members of the Brigade putting out the remains of the fire, and numerous paddy wagons full of badly beaten and arrested protestors.
Josie: Mm-hmm.
Rhi: We fade from that to a Bluecoat office where a Bluecoat captain is standing very stoically, arms behind his back, as Lord Mora screams a tirade at him. We can’t really hear it, but we can tell that he’s furious and is pointing and gesturing, and the captain is just sort of nodding along, and we can see there’s pointing at maps of The Docks that are covered in arrows and plans, and it seems like the Bluecoats have backed off for a time but Lord Mora made an investment and he expects to be repaid for it. So, they’re probably gonna try again at some point.
Then we move to another Bluecoat station to an interrogation room where Jeren is sitting in a chair across from two other Bluecoats…
Minna: [gasps]
Rhi: …and in front of Jeren is a sketch, someone who bears a pretty strong resemblance to Myra, and the Bluecoats are asking why he was seen meeting with someone who mugged a Cypher and who matches this description… and Jeren looks to be pretty nervous. But we cut away—
Minna: Please lie your ass off, Jeren!
Rhi: Huh?
Minna: [giggling] Please lie your ass off, Jeren. I’m stressed out.
Rhi: He’s doing his best, but he’s, uh… he’s not as good a liar as Myra is. Finally, we come back to The Nest where I think it’s the next morning, late morning, closer to noon. The Magpies have come out of their rooms having gotten as much sleep as they can after their very stressful afternoon the day before. I think everybody has bandages in various spots, probably moving a bit slower and stiffer. Somebody has trekked outside to fetch a paper from a nearby newsstand, and the top headline, front page, above the fold: “Magpies Strike Again in Terrorist Attack on Dockside Bluecoat Station,” and there’s a sketch of the blown-up Bluecoat station on the front page. So that’s what you all have with your breakfast.
Josie (as Minx): Could they not use a fancier word than terrorist?
Kim (as Blaire): I imagine they have limited imaginations.
Minna (as Myra): [laughs]
Josie (as Minx): Perhaps, but I prefer when they say dashing rogue.
Minna (as Myra): I think they are starting to actually take notice. That’s encouraging, anyway.
Kim (as Blaire): It is?
Josie (as Minx): I mean, eventually it’s gonna come to things change or we stop, and I think the sooner we get to that point the better. The longer this drags out the more people are put in danger.
Minna (as Myra): I think we’re in for a long road no matter what.
Josie (as Minx): Hmm.
Minna (as Myra): Who knows. [exhales]
Josie (as Minx): I… Yeah, I suppose so.
Minna (as Myra): It puts the pressure on us, but we stopped it for now.
Josie (as Minx): Yes.
Minna (as Myra): We got that delay.
Josie (as Minx): Once we handle the Circle of Flame, I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to keep doing this.
Kim (as Blaire): What… do you mean?
Josie (as Minx): Just, all of the stuff we’ve been through, I would need a long, long break at least.
Kim (as Blaire): I mean… we can do a break, but… Minx, you’re not talking about walking away, are you?
Josie (as Minx): No, no, just changing tactic. I don’t know, I haven’t decided anything yet. Whatever decision I make, it wouldn’t be one that takes me away from both of you.
Kim (as Blaire): Okay…
Minna (as Myra): I say let’s stick to the task at hand. We can worry about ‘later’ later.
Josie (as Minx): Yes, you’re right of course.
Kim (as Blaire): Take down Circle of Flame, stop Salia, stop Setarra, and then we’ll figure out the rest from there.
Josie (as Minx): Mm-hmm.
## Outro [1:17:27]
Rhi: Thanks for listening. The Magpies will be back in two weeks. In the meantime, follow us on Twitter at @magpies_pod, and visit our Patreon at patreon.com/magpiespodcast.
The Magpies podcast is GMed and produced by Rhi. Follow me on Twitter at @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 at @kimdianajones.
Minx is played by Josie. Follow her on Twitter at @DragonGirlJosie, and watch her art streams at picarto.tv/DragonGirlJosie.
Myra Keel is played by Minna. Follow her on Twitter at @mynaminnarr.
The opening and closing theme music is from ‘Trio for Piano, Violin, and Viola’ by Kevin 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.
## Blooper [1:18:38]
Minna: I need to go let my cat out. I forgot he was in here. He’s now attempting to break down the door, which I’m sure will get picked up on the audio.
Rhi: [laughs] Go for it.
Josie: Raja~!
Kim: Hello Raja!
Rhi: “Feed me, mother!”
[laughter]
Kim: “Mother. Mother, I crave violence.”
Rhi: [laughs]
Minna: [in the distance, sweetly] You are the one who stole my pillows for like five hours. Goodbye.
[others giggle]
Minna: He’s gone.