Transcribed by Michelle Kelly.

Download a Word doc version: The Magpies Season 2 Episode 10 Transcript

##Intro

Rhi: Welcome back to Duskwall and thank you, as always, for joining us. If you’d like to help us do even more with the show, please check out our Patreon at patreon.com/magpiespodcast. We’re getting really close to reaching $300 a month, which will let us create transcripts for all our episodes. And if we hit $400 a month, we’ll be able to buy better recording equipment for everyone, so our audio will be even better to listen to. And then, after we buy that audio equipment, we’ll be able to start a merch store. So, if you’d like to see Magpies t-shirts or other gear exist in the world, consider supporting us with a few dollars a month. Next, Minna is going to tell us about this month’s featured charity.

Minna: Equality Florida is a state-wide civil rights organisation dedicated to securing full equality for Florida’s LGBTQ community. Through education, grassroots organisation, coalition-building and lobbying, they’re changing Florida so that no one suffers harassment or discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Their goals include passing LGBTQ protections at the municipal level, passing a state-wide non-discrimination law, passing a state-wide anti-bullying law, passing legislation to protect the transgender community, and changing public opinion in the state of Florida regarding LGBT individuals and families. They work on advocacy in Tallahassee as well as education in local communities, and they need help to do so. If you’d like to donate, please go to EQFL.org. Thank you.

Rhi: As always, please consider donating if you can. And continue to reach out to your elected officials. In the US, visit 5calls.org for scripts about current issues and phone numbers for your representatives.

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

## Story continues [00.02.04]

Rhi: So, we start off as we so often do, in The Hound’s Paw. It is mid-afternoon. The Magpies have wandered down there to hang out and see if anyone happens to need them or see if Rigney has any notes for them. Rigney is at the bar as usual. He’s just, kind of, cleaning up, pouring drinks. The bar isn’t super busy, but he’s been a little quiet and distracted today. Just seems to be focussing on his work. What are the three of you up to?

Kim: I think Blaire is just sitting there sipping her tea and doodling in her journal as usual, but I think she definitely notices Rigney’s quietness. I think she’s gonna want to investigate that at some point. Check up on him.

Rhi: Okay.

Josie: Minx has a little flip back notepad that she’s scribbling furiously in, and she’s kind of been doing that for the past day or so as well as-, I don’t know if, like, magazines are really a thing this world has, right?

Rhi: Um. Hmm. Yeah, yeah I think there’s, like, pamphlets and catalogues. It’s probably not, like, dedicated fashion magazines the way that we have them. But I think there’s, like, fashion catalogues.

Minna: And there could be, like, fashion plates and stuff.

Rhi: Yeah, yeah.

Josie: Yeah. She somewhat uncharacteristically appears to be studying and taking notes. Except it’s all fashion pamphlets and catalogues and she kind of has her food around doing that.

Minna: I think Myra is letting her companions get on with their various studies and people-watching.

Rhi: So, into this quiet afternoon-, I think it’s raining a little bit outside, it’s just kind of like a calm, quiet afternoon. The door of The Hound’s Paw swings open with a little more force than is necessary, a handful of people in the bar kind of glance up, as Kay strides in, a little bit damp and a lot grumpy.

Kim (as Blaire): Hey!

Josie (as Minx): Oh, hello dear, is everything alright?

Rhi: She, like, closes the door behind her and kind of shakes water off her hands and she comes over, and is like:

Rhi (as Kay): Ah, good. You’re here. We are having problems again.

Rhi: And she, like, pulls out a chair and sits down at your table and just, kind of, rubs a hand over her forehead.

Rhi (as Kay): You remember the issue we were dealing with back when we first met, with The Circle of Flame hounding us?

Kim (as Blaire): Yeah. They bothering you again?

Rhi (as Kay): No, not directly. But it’s The Lampblacks, of all people, are coming around asking questions about the relics of Kotar.

Kim (as Blaire): Why?

Josie (as Minx): What?

Rhi (as Kay): Beats me. That didn’t ever seem to be their area of interest. I know that The Circle is still looking into those as well, but The Lampblacks are harassing us specifically now. So, I got sent to see if you could help again with this issue.

Josie (as Minx): Well, I for one would be glad to. We have some history with that gang.

Kim (as Blaire): You don’t think Bazso’s involved with this, do you? Is it a personal interest?

Josie (as Minx): He does not seem like an occult-minded sort of person. I mean, it’s possible they have had run-ins with The Circle, what with their recent expansion.

Rhi (as Kay): Yeah, maybe.

Josie (as Minx): But I’m not certain why he would much care about what they’re looking for.

Rhi (as Kay): Yeah, well, in any case, if you can help, we just need them to back off. They’re not attacking us the way that The Circle was, you know. At least, not yet. But it’s interfering with business. They’re chasing our customers off and holding people up so that they can’t do their jobs, and it’s not unlikely that if they get desperate that they will turn to violence.

Josie (as Minx): Right, yes. We have a vested interest in seeing this resolved as much as possible. Please stay safe.

Kim (as Blaire): We’re not gonna let them hurt you.

Rhi (as Kay): I would like to see them try.

Rhi: She just gives this, like, big, shit-eating grin.

Josie: Minx swoons a little bit.

[laughter]

Minna (as Myra): Intimidating as always, Kay.

Rhi (as Kay): Anyway, I popped in because I was dropping off some customers and got lucky running into you here, so I gotta get back to my boat. But if you’re able to get The Lampblacks off our case, just come back to headquarters and we’ll make sure you get compensated for your time.

Kim (as Blaire): We’ll look into it.

Rhi (as Kay): Thanks.

Rhi: And she kind of like, you know, raps the table as she stands up, and gives Rigney a wave as she leaves. And Rigney doesn’t seem to notice.

Josie: Hmm.

Kim: I’m gonna go up to Rigney.

Josie: Basically as soon as the door shuts behind Kay, Minx is like:

Josie (as Minx): Alright, well I didn’t perhaps forsee this. I think our timetable just moved up.

Minna (as Myra): Yes, I suppose we need to keep in mind that everything that we do has effects now.

Josie (as Minx): I suppose. I’m not used to being relevant in this fashion.

Minna (as Myra): We’re part of the web now.

Josie (as Minx): We’re moving up in the world. And all it took was a radical change in perspective.

Minna (as Myra): [laughs] Don’t worry. That’s what growing up is all about.

Rhi: I think from there we’ll follow Blaire over to the bar.

Kim: Yep. She is gonna park herself up on a stool in front of Rigney and try to get his attention, like:

Kim (as Blaire): Hey.

Rhi (as Rigney): Oh, hey. You need another round?

Kim (as Blaire): No, no, I’m good for now. Just, you okay? You seem pretty quiet.

Rhi (as Rigney): Uh, yeah, yeah. Just feeling a little under the weather, that’s all. Don’t worry about me.

Kim (as Blaire): Yeah? I mean, I’ve got stuff if you need it. You know, sinuses, or if your throat’s sore, headaches. Anything like that?

Rhi (as Rigney): Not quite. I’ll be alright, Blaire. You should get back to it. Looks like Kay was on a mission.

Kim (as Blaire): Okay. Well, you take care.

Rhi (as Rigney): Yeah.

Kim: And she’s gonna go back to the table.

Minna: Big worry.

Kim: Yeah, she likes her friend.

Minna: No, big worry Minna. From Minna.

Kim: Oh. I mean, big worry Kim. Yes.

[laughter]

Minna: Sorry. I just briefly broke.

Josie: Big worry Josie. Is that what we’re doing right now?

Kim: Yes.

Rhi: Apparently.

Josie: I’m lost.

Minna: Sorry!

[laughter]

Rhi: So, Blaire comes back over as, I think, the two of you are wrapping up your discussion about your newfound influence in Duskwall.

Kim (as Blaire): So, we’re starting shit, huh?

Josie (as Minx): Indeed. Although now it looks like we will have to turn the corner on that pretty quickly.

Kim (as Blaire): Yeah. It’s weird.

Josie (as Minx): I think we need to ensure that The Lampblacks are fully occupied with The Circle, and vice versa.

Kim (as Blaire): So that they’ll leave The Gondoliers alone.

Josie (as Minx): Exactly.

Kim (as Blaire): Gotcha.

Josie (as Minx): I think we have spread many ethereal rumours and the like, but I think it’s time for something a bit more concrete to appear.

Kim (as Blaire): Like what?

Josie (as Minx): At least some solid quote unquote ‘proof’ that The Lampblacks have what we say they have.

Kim (as Blaire): So what are you suggesting? That we plant something onto The Lampblacks?

Josie (as Minx): Something of that nature. Or send something to The Circle that confirms it. That will make them go all in.

Kim (as Blaire): Well, I dunno, I don’t think we should interact with The Circle directly. Maybe planting something onto The Lampblacks and trying to get the word to pass to The Circle might be safer.

Josie (as Minx): Mm-hmm. It’s just a matter of planting it such that The Lampblacks don’t know that is has been planted. And also, what can we fake that would be convincing enough?

Minna (as Myra): Sounds like a job for Blaire.

Kim (as Blaire): Well. I mean, I can fake some artefacts, or can make real artefacts, but nothing that’s of real significance or power. I’m not–

Josie (as Minx): Can you make something that seems like it’s super important and evil? Even if it doesn’t do anything.

Kim (as Blaire): Um…

Minna: You forget that-, did you say a specific relic that you think The Lampblacks have?

Josie: The Hand of Kotar, I believe.

Rhi: Yeah, The Hand.

Kim (as Blaire): I mean, according to what I’ve read about it, I don’t think anybody really knows what The Hand of Kotar looks like.

Minna (as Myra): So make a spooky enough hand and they might believe it.

Josie (as Minx): Yes, if you can make, like, a corpse hand glow purple. I think that will be convincing enough.

Kim (as Blaire): [laughs] Don’t be ridiculous. I can only do green.

Josie (as Minx): Ah. Well, I mean, that’s a good substitution.

Kim (as Blaire): Although… oh! Oh!

Kim: Blaire starts getting really excited. She starts, like, shaking her hands.

Rhi: Like, bouncing in her seat?

Kim: Yeah. Like, asking to be called on as if she were in class.

Josie: Blaire’s fucking adorable.

Kim: And she’s like:

Kim (as Blaire): I have an idea, I have an idea.

Josie: Minx will point at Blaire and say:

Josie (as Minx): Yes, Blaire?

Kim: [laughs]

Kim (as Blaire): You know who I think could help us? Someone I know from school. If they don’t have something in their collection that they would let us borrow, they would definitely know how to fake something really convincing.

Minna (as Myra): Okay, sounds like a plan.

Kim (as Blaire): I think they will still talk to me, too. They really only visited the school a couple of times, they weren’t staff or a student.

Josie (as Minx): Ah, a guest speaker, then.

Kim (as Blaire): Mm-hmm.

Josie (as Minx): Who is this person?

Kim (as Blaire): Lord Scurlock.

Josie (as Minx): [sucks air through teeth] Well… he certainly has the right interests.

Minna (as Myra): You know Lord Scurlock?

Kim (as Blaire): Um, I wouldn’t say I know him, know him. I would say we’re just acquaintances. We’ve talked a couple times after he gave us some lectures at Charter Hall.

Josie (as Minx): I, um… alright.

Minna (as Myra): And how do we get to this Lord Scurlock? Will he let you in his front door?

Kim (as Blaire): Um, I’m sure if we knock on his estate, maybe.

Rhi: So, there is a Scurlock Manor in Six Towers. It’s kind of a crumbling old mansion. Somebody lives there. It’s not Lord Scurlock. Nobody is actually sure where Lord Surlock lives. Rumour has it that he has some kind of, like, stronghold out in the Deathlands, but nobody knows for sure. They just know that he doesn’t actually live in Six Towers. He does not live at the Scurlock Manor. Blaire’s best bet would be sending a message to Scurlock Manor.

Kim: Oh, like a handwritten letter? Okay, yeah. I can do that.

Rhi: So, I think we have a little, like, sort of, montage of Blaire writing a note

Kim: The way this looks is Blaire makes sure that she uses her finest stationery, she makes sure that her handwriting is as neat as possible, and she finishes off with a wax seal. Because she knows Lord Scurlock is all about presentation.

Rhi: What does her seal look like?

Blaire: It is her personal sigil, the same one that is on the forehead of her spirit mask. I have drawn it. It’s hard for me to describe, it’s basically like a sigil of, you know, shapes.

Rhi: So, just like, it’s very geometric.

Kim: Yeah, it’s a very geometric design.

Josie: Minx approves of your branding.

Rhi: So I think that, you know, we see, kind of, this shot of Blaire handing this letter to a cipher while the rain is coming down, and then it sort of fades to a different day. It’s not raining anymore. It’s not any brighter out, but there’s a little bit of fog as a cipher hands a letter back to Blaire that is also on very fine stationery and sealed with a wax seal that is just very simple, there’s no, like, coat of arms or anything, it’s just a serif-font S. And so you open up the letter. It just says, ‘Scurlock Manor’, and then a date and a time that’s, like, two hours from now.

Kim: Right. Blaire is going to slam that onto the table and just look at both of you very intently, and just:

Kim (as Blaire): We have to go. We have to go now.

Josie (as Minx): Uh, alright dear.

Kim (as Blaire): Scurlock Manor, two hours. We have to go. We have to go! Come on!

Josie (as Minx): Alright. I already have a bad feeling about this.

Minna: [laughs]

Kim (as Blaire): Come on!

Kim: She’s gonna take Minx’s wrist.

Josie (as Minx): Ahh!

Minna (as Myra): Alright, alright, we’ll go.

Kim (as Blaire): We’re going! Bye Rigney!

Rhi: Rigney just kind of gives you, like, a small wave as your barrel out the door.

Kim: She is so excited, you guys. You have no idea. Because I don’t think she’s seen his estate.

Rhi: No.

Kim: No.

Rhi: Let me think. Oh, that was what I was gonna ask. Are you stopping off at home to change clothes and like, get properly dressed before going over.

Kim: Ah shit, I probably should.

Josie: Yes.

Rhi: You’ve got, yeah, you have time.

Kim: We have time.

Rhi: It’s not gonna take you two hours to get from The Hound’s Paw to–

Josie: I kind of like the idea that Minx puts us on a little bit of a time constraint, because I take a long time picking out the right outfit.

Kim: Speedrun your makeup routine, I believe in you.

[laughter]

Rhi: So you all like rush back to The Nest and then 90 minutes later Blaire is just outside Minx’s door freaking out.

Kim (as Blaire): Come on! I’m already ready!

Kim: And like, her hair is done, she’s in her suit that she wears for fancy scores, no mess on her face. Cleaned up, basically.

Rhi: Yeah.

Josie: Minx comes out in her formal outfit, with like the shoulder cape. Due to his interests, I guess, she’s dressing a little darker. Blacks and the like.

Rhi: Nice.

Josie: And she emerges and says:

Josie (as Minx): Relax, dear. This is a short notice dress-up.

Kim (as Blaire): Do you think he’ll like that?

Josie (as Minx): If his reputation rings true, I think so.

Kim (as Blaire): Okay. I just, I don’t want it to come across like you’re trying too hard, you know? Like, you’re trying to appeal to, you know, his whole aesthetic. I think you’re good.

Josie (as Minx): Blaire, you have not seen me try too hard.

Rhi: [laughs]

Minna: Myra comes up and joins them.

Minna (as Myra): I think Minx fits in admirably with the rest of us.

Minna: Because I assume they’re all in black.

Kim: Yeah. Yeah, I guess they are.

Rhi: So I think from there we see the three of you head out and make your way up to Scurlock Manor. It’s a big mansion that was clearly once a very fine estate. It has not fallen into ruin, but it has definitely not been well maintained. There are some boarded over windows. Man, it’s hard to think of how to quickly-, because overgrown plants is like the shorthand for something being left unattended, but there wouldn’t be plants growing.

Kim: But there’s no sun.

Rhi: Oh, you know what there are, though? There’s a whole lot of mushrooms just, kind of, growing wild.

Kim: I imagine the gates to the estate, there are probably cobwebs in some crevices.

Rhi: Ooh, yeah.

Kim: Some spiders have definitely made their home here.

Rhi: Yes, yeah. And most of the other, like, when you’re up in Brightstone, or even some of the other few remaining noble homes in Six Towers, most of them have, like, lamps out at the front gate, so it’s a little easier to get to the door. There’s no lights, kind of, leading up to the mansion. And there’s only lights visible in, like, one upstairs room as you all approach the front door. It’s a little eerie. Things just seem kind of like, as you get closer, the normal sounds of the city seem to get a little muffled. Everything feels just a little off. At least to Minx and Myra. Blaire, I don’t know.

Kim: Um, yeah, no, this doesn’t intimidate her too much.

Minna (as Myra): Do you know how he does that?

Kim (as Blaire): Does what?

Minna (as Myra): It’s… weird in here.

Kim (as Blaire): I mean, yeah, but what’s wrong with that?

Minna (as Myra): I mean, there’s nothing wrong with it, I’d just like to know how he does it.

Kim (as Blaire): What, live here?

Minna: I think Myra just shakes her head and gives up.

Rhi: [laughs]

Kim (as Blaire): So do we knock?

Josie: Minx will knock.

Kim (as Blaire): Oh, okay.

Rhi: So, there’s a bit of a pause. You all are sort of starting to get a little nervous, and then the door creaks open and the person who opens the door is not Lord Scurlock. It’s a young man, mid-twneties, maybe a couple years older than Minx and Myra. Dark hair that’s just, kind of like, not really styled. It’s just sort of hanging down a little bit in his face. Also, you know, wearing a dark suit. Light skin. A little bit gaunt. Kind of sunken eyes. And sort of peers out at you and then opens the door and is like:

Rhi (as Young Man): Oh, you must be the guests that Uncle is expecting. Come in.

Josie (as Minx): Indeed. Thank you.

Rhi (as Young Man): I’m Oskar. I oversee the estate here. He’s expecting you.

Kim (as Blaire): Nice to meet you. Thank you.

Rhi: He leads you down a hall towards a room in the back of the mansion, which is just sort of a drawing room that looks like it probably hasn’t been opened up in several decades. Everything has a fine layer of dust on it. There’s, like, a decorative mirror on one wall that’s kind of tarnished. Like, this was clearly at one point a really nice sitting room. And there’s a still a lot of, like, there’s some nice paintings on the wall, there’s, you know, a curio cabinet with some nice sculptures and nice glasses and things. But everything just has this air of disuse and neglect to it.

Josie: Minx shies away from, like, touching anything. It’s so dusty.

Rhi: Yeah. The only things that are not dusty, that look like they were kind of recently cleaned is a couch and then two armchairs. One of the armchairs has been dusted off, the other one has not. And in the cleaned armchair is seated Lord Scurlock. Lord Scurlock is average height, wearing a navy blue suit that Minx, you immediately clock as being probably about forty of fifty years out of style. Like, it’s pretty old-fashioned.

Josie: Oh, wow.

Rhi: His hairstyle is also a little old-fashioned. He’s got dark hair that’s sort of a little longer and swept back, with gray streaks at the temples. He’s got kind of a grayish-blue cast to his skin, which is otherwise pale. He’s just sort of sitting there, and glances in your direction when the three of you enter. And Oskar kind of gives him a nod and then ducks back out and closes the door behind you.

Kim (as Blaire): So good to see you again, Lord Scurlock. Thank you for having us.

Rhi (as Lord Scurlock): Indeed, Miss Culhane. Your missive was most intriguing. Who are your friends?

Kim (as Blaire): This is my crew. This is Minx and Myra.

Josie (as Minx): A pleasure.

Minna (as Myra): Hello.

Rhi (as Lord Scurlock): Do you have family names?

Minna (as Myra): Keel. Myra Keel.

Josie (as Minx): Not at the moment.

Rhi (as Lord Scurlock): Hmm.

Minna (as Myra): Our friend goes by a nom de guerre.

Rhi (as Lord Scurlock): Well then. Pleasure to meet you Miss Keel, Miss Minx.

Rhi: And he, like, gestures at the couch.

Minna: When was the last time either of them got called ‘Miss’ anything?

Josie: [laughs] I dunno.

Rhi: Probably been a while.

Kim: He’s fancy.

Rhi: He’s old-fashioned.

Minna: [laughs]

Josie: Minx will, kind of, gingerly sit down on the couch.

Kim: Yeah, no, Blaire doesn’t hesitate to seat herself.

Rhi (as Lord Scurlock): So, you need some sort of artefact to settle some petty squabble amongst the criminal classes?

Kim (as Blaire): I mean, yes. Yeah, that’s a good way to put it.

Rhi (as Lord Scurlock): What manner of artefact?

Kim (as Blaire): What do you think would get The Circle of Flame’s attention?

Rhi (as Lord Scurlock): Who are they?

Kim (as Blaire): The Circle of Flame? They’re an occult group. They worship a god.

Rhi (as Lord Scurlock): Oh, yes. They’re mostly just, sort of, an irritant. I haven’t been overly concerned with them.

Kim (as Blaire): Well, they are unfortunately concerned with us. So if we could get them to drive their attention to The Lampblacks, that would be a huge help to us and to our allies.

Minna (as Myra): Blaire, we had something we wanted to mimic, didn’t we?

Kim (as Blaire): A relic of Kotar.

Rhi: At that, his eyes widen slightly. He’s been pretty, like, flat affect, pretty unemotional this whole time, but when you mentioned that his eyes get a little wide and he actually looks interested for the first time in this whole conversation.

Rhi (as Lord Scurlock): Indeed. Which of the three?

Kim (as Blaire): The Hand.

Rhi (as Lord Scurlock): Hmm. How did you come into knowledge of these things?

Kim (as Blaire): All I know is that The Circle of Flame is interested in them.

Rhi (as Lord Scurlock): Hmm. Perhaps I should have paid them a little more attention then.

Rhi: And he kind of, like, pauses for a few moments as he’s clearly thinking.

Rhi (as Lord Scurlock): I believe I have something in my collection that I could part with. It looks interesting, but has very little actual power. However, I am not willing to part with it for free.

Kim (as Blaire): I wouldn’t expect you to, no.

Rhi: He kind of thinks again for a moment then says:

Rhi (as Lord Scurlock): Wait here.

Rhi: And just stands up and walks out.

Josie (as Minx): Alright.

Kim (as Blaire): Do you think he knows what The Hand looks like?

Josie (as Minx): I mean, if anyone does, it is likely him.

Kim (as Blaire): I want to ask.

Josie (as Minx): He called The Circle a minor irritation.

Kim (as Blaire): Well, he’s not really involved with the, you know, criminal underground.

Josie (as Minx): Right. Though I’m surprised they haven’t tried to lay more pressure on him.

Minna (as Myra): I think that they would not get very far trying to do that to a man with his reputation.

Kim (as Blaire): They wouldn’t even know where to find him. From what I understand, he’s rarely at this estate.

Josie (as Minx): Mm.

Rhi: So a few minutes pass before Scurlock returns. Do the three of you just, sort of, sit there quietly waiting?

Kim: Yeah and, like, whispering conspiratorially.

Minna: Yeah. Nervous chatter in whispers.

Kim: Yeah.

Josie: Minx is sort of drumming her fingers on the head of her cane.

Rhi: So after a few minutes, the door swings open again and Scurlock comes in and just hands Blaire a folded piece of paper.

Rhi (as Lord Scurlock): If you can obtain these items for me, we can make a trade.

Kim (as Blaire): Five pounds of raw sea salt, won’t be a problem. One barrel of refined electroplasm, lightning grade. One heart of a person who died by drowning?

Kim: As Blaire reads that last one, she’s gonna look up, like questioningly, at Lord Scurlock.

Rhi: He has returned to his seat and just stares at you without blinking.

Josie: [laughs]

Rhi: And offers no explanation.

Kim (as Blaire): Well I have no doubts about us being able to acquire the first two, but we personally don’t know anyone who died by drowning. I’m sure I can find someone who could help us with that. But, it doesn’t matter the victim in particular, I assume?

Rhi (as Lord Scurlock): Adult is preferable.

Kim (as Blaire): Got it. Okay. We can do that, then.

Rhi (as Lord Scurlock): Return here with the items and I will give you the trinket that you can use for whatever it is that you’re doing.

Kim (as Blaire): Of course. Do you have a timetable in mind?

Rhi: He shakes his head.

Rhi (as Lord Scurlock): Not particularly.

Kim (as Blaire): Okay.

Rhi (as Lord Scurlock): I would prefer not to wait more than a year or two.

Kim (as Blaire): [laughs nervously] Well, we can definitely do this in less than a year. I think we can accomplish this in a week or two, don’t you think, guys?

Josie (as Minx): Indeed.

Josie: Minx has gone kind of sheet white.

[laughter]

Rhi: Does she have, like, a death grip on her cane?

Josie: Yep. She’s just kind of trusting her etiquette to maintain her posture and not freak out.

Minna (as Myra): I’m sure we’ll do our best.

Kim (as Blaire): If I may, Lord Scurlock. Do you think this trinket will convincingly pass as The Hand of Kotar, assuming that The Circle of Flame doesn’t know what it looks like?

Rhi (as Lord Scurlock): If they don’t know what it looks like, then yes, it should.

Kim (as Blaire): Okay. Then it seems we are in agreement. We’ll get these to you soon.

Rhi: He just nods and the door opens and Oskar is standing there again.

Kim (as Blaire): A pleasure, Sir.

Kim: Blaire is going to give a short curtsey before she leaves.

Rhi: [giggles] Aww. He gives her a nod, but doesn’t say anything.

Josie: Minx will give a short bow and then rather stiffly and robotically leave.

Kim: Good God, it’s not that bad. Minna?

Minna: Yes. Sorry, I was giggling at Josie and apparently forgot that I’m leaving too.

[laughter]

Minna: I think Myra will also curtsey to Scurlock and tell him that it was nice to meet him, and be very polite, and act like all of this is normal.

Rhi: Yep. So Oskar walks you back to the front door, holds it open and is like:

Rhi (as Oskar): Best of luck. You can just return here whenever you complete your tasks and I’ll notify him that you’ve finished with everything.

Kim and Minna (as Blaire and Myra): Thank you.

Rhi: He nods and shuts the door.

Kim (as Blaire): Phew, okay.

Josie (as Minx): [exhales in relief]

Kim (as Blaire): So that went well, right?

Minna (as Myra): Can I see that list again?

Kim (as Blaire): Five pounds of sea salt, which shouldn’t be a problem, one barrel of refined electroplasm, we might have to go somewhere to steal that. As far as a person who died by drowning, not entirely sure, but I’m pretty sure I could get Setarra to help on that.

Rhi: [coughs and splutters]

Kim: Rhi, are you okay?

Rhi: I’m good. I’m fine. I’m great.

Kim: [laughs]

Minna (as Myra): I believe part of The Gondoliers tasks is fishing those kinds of people out of the canals.

Josie (as Minx): I would indeed prefer asking them, as opposed to leaping straight to Blaire’s aquatic friend.

Rhi: Yeah, so what I can tell you about these. There isn’t really an easy spot to get the heart of a person who died by drowning. You’re correct in that. Five pounds of raw sea salt you can get at basically any marketplace in the city. You could get that up on the docks, you could get that in Nightmarket, like, that’s a very easy get. The refined electroplasm is gonna be a little trickier.

Kim: Yeah.

Rhi: Lightning grade means-, so basically, I’ve been thinking of electroplasm as a little bit like gasoline, where you can kind of have it refined to different levels of quality.

Kim: Exactly, that makes sense.

Rhi: And lightning grade means that it is refined to an extremely high density of life essence, and it is meant for use in the lightning barriers. So, this is something that pretty much you’re either going to be able to find being offloaded from leviathan hunter ships that have come back from Skovlan with the refined electroplasm, or with The Sparkwrights who maintain the lightning barrier. And, for what it’s worth, by a barrel of refined electroplasm, I do mean a 55-gallon drum.

Kim: Yeah. No, a big barrel.

Rhi: That based on my googling, weighs about 450-500 pounds.

Josie: Oh.

Rhi: So it’s gonna be not just stealing it, you’re gonna have to figure out how to move it. So, yeah. What do you wanna start doing for your info gathering?

Kim: I think we should probably just get the easiest one out of the way, start at the marketplace and get the sea salt.

Rhi: Okay. You have a five pound bag of sea salt.

Josie: Neat.

[laughter]

Kim: We got it.

Rhi: That’s just like, basically any place that sells food.

Minna: Didn’t we decide that’s, like, one of the most basic seasonings?

Rhi: Yeah, yeah.

Kim: Right.

Rhi: And it’s, the sea salt, like just basic sea salt, is black.

Kim: Because–

Rhi: –the void sea–

Kim: –is black.

Josie: Okay. I think I want to… hmm. Well, okay, first we should decide on like, where we want to get the electroplasm from. Because we didn’t decide that, really.

Kim: Yeah, we need to discuss that. Should we head back to The Nest to talk about that?

Josie: Yes.

Kim: Okay.

Rhi: Alright. [sings] Doot de doot de doo, back to The Nest.

Josie: I would be in favour of hitting The Sparkwrights, simply because we know where that will be. It would be a simple in and out job.

Kim: Right. The only problem is transporting the actual barrel.

Josie: Well, can we call on our friends in the Cabbies?

Kim: Right. My question is though, would they be able to come into the vicinity of a Sparkwright maintenance tower, or warehouse, what-have-you, with little suspicion, or no?

Rhi: No, no. The Cabbies, like, you would have to find some way to move the barrel from the station out to wherever your ride is, Gondolier or Cabbie.

Josie: Uh, well the answer to that is simple. We roll it. [laughs]

Rhi: Yeah, I mean, you could roll it. They would also have, you know, push cart type things.

Josie: Right, but if we roll it, that opens the way for slapstick action scenes on the way out.

Rhi: This is true. This is very true. Josie makes an excellent point.

Kim: She does.

Rhi: I mean, and you don’t have to decide right now. You know, whatever the situation is when you’re trying to escape with the barrel.

Josie: Right, but either way, it sounds like we’re maybe going for The Sparkwrights?

Kim: I think a Sparkwrights maintenance station is probably going to be the safest, lowest risk option.

Minna: Yeah.

Josie: Mm-hmm. As much as I want to, like, pull on my social interactions here, I think just finding a suitable station would be best. One that’s easily accessible by Gondoliers, and one that we can get into.

Rhi: Yeah.

Josie: So, like, I kinda wanna do a Gather Information Survey, I imagine?

Rhi: Yeah, yeah. Do you wanna do that as a group, or do you all wanna split up and kinda check different areas of the city? How do you wanna approach this?

Josie: Split up, gang. We’ll cover more ground that way.

Kim: Zoinks Scoob, okay.

Minna: Okay.

Rhi: Let’s start with Minx, since this was her idea.

Josie: I got a 4.

Rhi: Over in Silkshore, there’s a pair of the big lightning barriers. Because there’s the big, big, like, 200-foot towers that kind of are like the main lightning generators, and then there’s little smaller ones that kind of carry the charge to form the wall.

Josie: Right.

Rhi: So in Silkshore, there’s two of the big towers and near one of them is something called the Spark Grounds. Which, from the book, here’s the description. This is wild. ‘Beneath the crackling flares of a lightning tower, this open field draws crowds to watch the death-defying stunts of acrobats and circus performers, including the notorious Spark Flyers, who soar in manned kites adorned with bits of metal to attract arcs of electricity from the barrier in a pyrotechnic display’.

Kim: Are you fucking kidding me?

Josie: What the fuck?

Rhi: Nope, there are people who do circus tricks in the lightning barrier.

Kim: Jesus. I didn’t know that.

Josie: [sings circus music]

Rhi: Yeah. So, Minx, you know this place. It’s in Silkshore, maybe you and Nyryx have gone there before to sort of watch some of the performances.

Josie: Aww.

Rhi: But it’s a thing where it’s like, it seems like initially not the best idea because there’s a crowd. But then, thinking about it, maybe you can use the crowd as cover. Usually there’s not a lot of people around the lightning barrier towers, they tend to be a little more removed from the rest of the city. This is one of the few areas where you can get fairly close to one without attracting a lot of attention. So, that is the one that you are able to find. Whoever wants to go next?

Kim: I’ll go next.

Rhi: Okay.

Kim: I am going to go, I guess Survey, for the Gather Info. Okay, 5.

Rhi: You have passed by way down south in like, Dunslough, south of Barrelcleft, kind of where the farms are. When you go into the Deathlands, that’s kind of where your entrance point is. You go down to the very south of the city.

Kim: Right.

Rhi: And so you know where there is a Sparkwright maintenance station, kind of near your entry and exit point. And you kind of have the advantage of because you have come through this area before, you are a little more familiar with the guard patterns and patrols. You don’t cross super close to the station, because that is where the guards are, but you’ve familiarised yourself with kind of how they operate, so you can avoid them. So, that’s what you know. You know that there’s one you could possibly hit down in Dunslough. The problem, kind of with both of these options, Silkshore and Dunslough, is that they’re both pretty far away from Six Towers. Silkshore’s clean on the other side of the city, and Dunslough isn’t much better.

Josie: That’s true.

Rhi: So, you know, you would have to deal with hauling it all the way across the city.

Kim: All the way to Six Towers.

Rhi: Yeah. Myra, did you wanna also look for a robbery point, or did you want to do some other kind of Gather Info?

Minna: Do we have, like, a preferred one of those two robbery points?

Josie: I wanna go to the circus.

Minna: I mean, speaking out of character, I wanna go to the circus. I forgot that exists and I love it so much.

Kim: Yeah, I think you’re right.

Minna: So, yeah, I think let’s go with that one and I’ll try to do a Gather Info to, I guess, help us find out, like, how to get in to get the barrels.

Rhi: Okay. Yeah, so basically just kind of like looking around the maintenance station to see how deliveries work, where things are stored, just what you can see from the outside?

Minna: Yeah, sure. I’ll do a Survey.

Rhi: Or you could try to disguise yourself and sneak in.

Minna: Hmm. Lemme look at which one would be…

Rhi: You do have your fine cover identity back.

Minna: Oh, that’s right.

Rhi: So you could. And Myra, I think, could very easily pose as some kind of Sparkwright inspector, or something.

Minna: Could I maybe, like, do a Gather Info to find out more about what Sparkwright inspectors do?

Rhi: Yeah, yeah.

Minna: Really? I rolled a 3.

Josie and Kim: Aww.

Rhi: You, okay, I mean, that still gets you a limited amount of information. You know that these kind of inspectors that go out to check on the workings of the lightning barriers exist.

Minna: Could I find out, like, what their uniforms look like?

Rhi: They don’t really, so, Sparkwrights are…

Minna: Are they like plain clothes?

Rhi: They’re kind of, yeah, they’re plain clothes but I think they basically have a lapel pin that they wear, that’s kind of their identifier. Yeah, The Sparkwrights are sort of a loosely organised group of engineers. And there is a hierarchy, but they’re not very formal. They’re not like, you know, The Bluecoats or the actual inspectors, where they have uniforms and ranks and stuff. It’s just kind of like–

Minna: They’re basically a guild. A professional guild.

Rhi: Yeah, yeah. So, that’s pretty much all you’re able to find out though, is that, like, they have these-, what do we think the pins look like?

Kim: I think it’s probably like a stylised lightning rod, or a lightning hook.

Rhi: I like the idea of a lightning rod, so it’s like a ring and then a lightning rod in the middle with bolts shooting out towards the ring on the edge.

Kim: Yes, yes.

Rhi: Yeah. But that’s kind of all you’re able to find out, you don’t know what they do when they are inspecting.

Minna: Eh, I can bluff pretty well.

Rhi: Yes you can.

Josie: I kinda wanna know more about these circus performers. Like, I wanna know when a big event is happening.

Kim: Yeah.

Rhi: Okay, that you don’t have to roll a Gather Info check for. There are just flyers around, advertising. Because like, they want people to know when they’re performing because that’s how they make their money. Like, people will leave them tips and stuff. You learn that kind of the next big performance is happening in two days.

Josie: Alright. Well, I mean, if we were to do this amidst the chaos and distraction of that show, that would be ideal.

Rhi: And in the meantime, you can get yourselves a heart.

Minna: Should we go as a group to the request?

Kim: Probably.

Minna: We probably talk to that leader person, right?

Rhi: Eisele.

Minna: What’s their name? Eisele. Okay.

Rhi: Okay. So the three of you troop down to the Gondolier headquarters. Kay is out at the moment. Eisele will let you into her office if you knock, and she’s just like:

Rhi (as Eisele): Oh, hey. That was quick. Kay told me she just talked to you all earlier today.

Josie (as Minx): Well, unfortunately we are still in progress, although it should be resolved within the week.

Rhi (as Eisele): Oh. Alright.

Josie (as Minx): But as a stepping stone for another trade, we um… well, you see…

Kim (as Blaire): We have a weird request.

Rhi (as Eisele): Uh-huh.

Josie (as Minx): I imagine that unfortunately, in your line of work, you sometimes come across unfortunate individuals who have taken on too much water?

Rhi (as Eisele): Yeah…

Josie (as Minx): Well, you see, we would need, um–

Kim (as Blaire): We need the body of a person who drowned.

Josie (as Minx): Yes, that one.

Josie: Minx is-, do you guys know the ‘white person smile’?

[laughter]

Rhi: Yes.

Minna: I don’t know this meme.

Kim: The thing that, like, white people do when they make eye contact. They just kind of purse their lips really thin.

Josie: Mm-hmm.

Rhi: Somebody give me some kind of roll.

Kim: I can, do we wanna do a group consort? Because this is an honest request.

Josie: Yeah, group consort.

Kim: Okay. I’ll lead it if you guys don’t mind, I’ve got no stress.

Minna: Okay. I rolled a 6.

Rhi: Nice.

Kim: I rolled a 5.

Josie: I got a 6.

Rhi: Nice, okay.

Kim: Oh, so no stress, yay.

Rhi: So, result is a 6 and nobody takes any stress, awesome.

Kim: Yay!

Rhi: Eisele stares at the three of you for a little bit, and is like:

Rhi (as Eisele): Eh, we’ve had weirder requests. Um, yeah, we can keep an eye out. It doesn’t happen as often as you’d think. Most of the corpses we fish out got shot or stabbed or pushed off of something and then fell into the canals. But, yeah, some folk do drown, so we can keep an eye out.

Kim (as Blaire): So long as it’s an adult and the heart’s intact, that’s all we need.

Rhi: [laughs] At ‘the heart’s intact’, she like raises an eyebrow and then is like:

Rhi (as Eisele): We’ll see what we can do for ya.

Kim (as Blaire): Thank you.

Josie (as Minx): Alright, well thank you.

Rhi: Is there anything else that you all wanna do before the circus?

Kim: Yes.

Josie: Um–

Kim: You first, Josie.

Josie: I want to have a circus person disguise ready.

Rhi: Okay, interesting. Okay.

Josie: Like, probably not an acrobat outfit, but a sort of charming outfit that someone working behind the scenes would wear.

Rhi: Oh okay, so not necessarily one of the performers, but kind of one of the stagehands.

Josie: Yes, you know, colourful pants, suspenders.

Rhi: Yeah, yeah, I’m trying to think of how I wanna… give me a fortune roll for how much money you have.

Josie: Okay, how do I do that?

Rhi: However many rows of money you have filled in, roll that. So if you have, like, two rows of money filled in, roll two.

Josie. I got a 6 again.

Rhi: Okay, nice. So yeah, you are able to ask around in Silkshore and you get directed to the tailor who actually makes, like, a lot of the costumes for the performers.

Josie: Oh, wow.

Rhi: And, yeah, you are able to get actually one of the uniforms that the stagehands wear. And yes, it is very brightly coloured, lots of patterns, suspenders, definitely.

Josie: Excellent.

Rhi: Yeah.

Josie: Minx will attempt to smile while wearing this.

Rhi and Josie: [laugh]

Rhi: Blaire, what did you wanna do?

Kim: I want Blaire to study the guard patterns at this location, so that she is at least somewhat more familiar with it.

Rhi: Okay.

Kim: Okay, my highest was a 5.

Rhi: Okay. You know what the guards’ kind of normal patterns are, but because you’re there on an off day when there’s not a performance, you’re not sure if it changes.

Kim: Exactly, that’s what I’m worried about.

Rhi: You’ve at least kind of got, like, you know where the guard posts are.

Kim: Okay, awesome. That’s what I wanted to know.

Rhi: Yeah. Okay, are you all ready to dive into this score?

Kim: Yeah.

Josie: Yeah.

Rhi: So, man, what kinda score is this?

Josie: Um… deception?

Minna: Deception.

Rhi: That’s actually what I was thinking, yeah. I don’t know that you all have ever done a deception score before.

Kim: That’s weird.

Minna: Avrathi’s embassy.

Rhi: Oh, yeah, yeah. That was. Engagement roll. One for luck. Is this operation particularly bold or daring?

Josie: It’s pretty standard.

Rhi: Yeah. Is it overly complex or contingent on many factors? No. Does the plan’s detail expose a vulnerability of the target? Not especially. Any of your friends or contacts provide aid? Nope.

Kim: I’d say yes.

Rhi: Really? Who? I mean–

Kim: I mean the Cabbies count as friends of ours, right?

Rhi: But they didn’t give you info for the break-in part.

Kim: Oh, true.

Rhi: Yeah, they’re just your getaway drivers. Gonna just be a 1d6 roll. You’re going in on pure luck.

Kim: It’s fine. We’re good. This is fine.

Rhi: So, a 5. Which means you’re starting off in a risky position. We see sort of a high-up shot of the lightning barrier, the lightning crackling and shifting against the blackness of the sky and the sea. And then a glider swoops through with a person hanging from it, and lightning arcs onto the glider and sparks fly off of it, and a big cheer rises up from beneath. And the camera sort of pans down to reveal the spark field full of people. There are acrobats on the ground, there are people set up with like, food stalls, kind of out on the edges. It’s basically kind of like a circus has come to town atmosphere. And I wanna go around and each of you tell me, like, just something eye-catching that is happening as we’re sort of looking over this scene.

Minna: I think that there’s somebody with a fire, and they’re throwing stuff in it to make, like, cool colours and patterns happen in the flames.

Kim: Ooh.

Rhi. Oh, cool, yeah! So like a big brazier of fire that they throw, like, a handful of powder into and the flames turn blue and different colours.

Minna: Yeah.

Rhi: Yeah. That’s cool, I like that. Yeah, and so I think there’s like a small crowd of children gathered around who are like [gasps] ‘Ooh!’ any time that the fire changes colour.

Kim: There is a man walking on a tightrope. A small crowd is gathered to watch him. There is a hot bed of coals on the ground below him and he is juggling three lightning hooks as he walks the tightrope.

Rhi: [laughs] Oh, that’s awesome. So, it’s like if he falls off he’s gonna fall into the coals?

Kim: If he falls off, he gets a foot full of hot coals, yeah, and the lightning hooks are live lightning hooks that are sparking.

Rhi: Yeah, oh that’s cool. That’s very cool. Yeah, so there’s a good sized crowd gathered around this guy and he at one point, kind of in the middle, he does sort of like a fancy toss and wobbles on the tightrope, and people are like ‘Oh no!’ and a couple people kind of clutch at each other, then he catches all the lightning hooks and keeps walking.

Kim: Yep. There’s definitely a hat open for tips nearby.

Rhi: Yeah. Yes, all of the performers have some kind of place where you can throw coins.

Josie: I think there’s like a small acting troupe set up somewhere. Like, it’s a very obviously cartoony and fake stage, and people just kind of come and go from the audience whenever they want. And there’s a lot of bombastic folk tales and stuff being told, and a lot of acrobatics from the actors. And one time, like, something bad happens right in time with someone going by the lightning barrier, so lightning strikes as a sound effect.

Rhi: Oh, nice.

Kim: That’s awesome.

Josie: That sort of thing. I kind of, I dunno, for some reason I imagine Harker is here. Like, he’s not really into the score, but he’s involved somehow. Like, he’s maybe a slightly skeevy ringleader or play master, narrator, or something.

Rhi: Okay. Yeah. He can be there, doing some sort of dramatic narration. He’s got a shabby top hat.

Josie: Exactly.

Minna: I think, as a person, he just is a shabby top hat.

Rhi: Yeah, that is sort of the embodiment of Harker.

Josie: Right.

[laiughter]

Rhi: Oh no, you know what? He got involved in it because he brings a bunch of his street urchins who go through the crowd and pickpocket people who are watching the show.

Josie: There we go.

Rhi: Yeah. Because he doesn’t make nearly enough money off of the tips when you have to divide it up between the whole crew, but from what all those kids bring in when he takes his cuts, then it’s worth his time.

Josie: There you go.

Rhi: Yeah. There’s our skeevy Harker. Alright, so that’s kind of the scene of this circus that’s happening out here in this big field. Where are the three of you all kind of entering? I assume from some of the disguises that some of you are entering separately.

Josie: Mm-hmm.

Kim: Yep, Blaire has her spirit mask on and her hood up, just to disguise her face for now, she will take it off soon. But just to disguise her features. That’s basically her on-person disguise that she always has.

Rhi: Okay.

Josie: I think Minx is gonna-, I’m gonna do a lot of my usual role of kind of like running interference here. Like, I’m gonna move about as a worker to assist performers and stuff, but I wanna ensure that some sort of performance gets set up right in front of the entryway where Myra intends to go in, so view is blocked, essentially.

Rhi: Okay. I like this idea, can I make a suggestion?

Josie: Uh-huh.

Rhi: Instead of the entryway where Myra is gonna go in, in front of the exit where you all are gonna be going out.

Josie: That is fair.

Rhi: I think you initially start setting it up a little too close and the guards kind of have to be like:

Rhi (as Guard): Hey, hey, hey, you gotta move it ten feet that direction, that’s as close as you can get.

Josie (as Minx): Alright, alright, dears, no need to be hostile.

Rhi: So yeah, so for right now you’re just kind of hanging out side keeping an eye on the situation?

Josie: Mm-hmm.

Rhi: Okay, cool.

Minna: Myra is dressed a little outlandishly, for Myra at least. So she’s wearing something that almost looks more like a Phin outfit. She’s got kinda like a double breasted waistcoat partly open, all her clothes are dirty brown, clearly work clothes. She has, like, a pair of goggles shoved up on her head.

Rhi: Nice. Just embracing the steampunk aesthetic.

Minna: Yes.

Rhi: Yeah.

Kim: I love it.

Minna: Which I feel like The Sparkwrights definitely do.

Rhi: Uh-huh, yeah. So Myra makes her way up towards The Sparkwright station. There’s a pair of guards, one on either side of the door. And when you get close, one of them steps forward and holds up her hand, and is like:

Rhi (as guard): Uh, excuse me. Can we help you?

Minna (as Myra): Hi, I’m the inspector. I was wondering if I could be shown to your setup.

Minna: And she kind of turns up, like, the lapels of her waistcoat are kinda curled over and she turns one up and you see a pin just like the ones that The Sparkwrights use.

Rhi: Yes, and let’s get a flashback for how that was acquired.

Minna: [laughs] I think you see Myra at a bar, and she’s like continuously buying drinks for somebody who seems quite friendly. I think it’s a woman with her hair piled up on her head and she’s laughing, and Myra’s like, asking her questions and seeming fascinated. And they kind of leave the bar together, Myra’s acting a little bit intoxicated too, and like, she has this woman’s arm slung over her shoulder, and you kind of see her hand reach up and unpin the pin and slip it in her pocket.

Rhi: Okay. Two things. It’ll cost you a point of stress and I’ll need you to make a roll of some kind for that lift, to take the pin.

Minna: Okay, that sounds like a Finesse.

Rhi: Probably. The other thing, as soon as you said a woman with her hair piled up, I did picture Doc Ock from Into The Spiderverse, so that’s who you pickpocketed.

[laughter and cheers]

Kim: Yes!

Josie: Excellent.

Rhi: Sorry, that’s just canon now.

Minna: No, I’m into it.

Josie: That’s so good though.

Kim: It’s good.

Minna: Can I push myself on this roll?

Rhi: Yeah, if you wanna burn a little more stress on it, yeah.

Minna: Fuck me. I rolled a 2.

Rhi: Ooh, okay. So, she notices you going for it, and seems to-, she doesn’t sober up, but she reacts a lot more quickly than you’d expect for somebody that drunk, and just kind of whips you around and slams you into a wall and is like:

Rhi (as Sparkwright Woman): What the hell are you doing?

Rhi: So you’re gonna have to do another roll to deal with this situation now, probably a Skirmish.

Minna: Yeah. I think this woman finds that there is now a knife pricking at her stomach and Myra smiles at her.

Minna (as Myra): I just need to borrow it for a bit. You don’t mind do you?

Rhi: Gimme a roll and we’ll find out.

Minna: Can that be, actually, a Command instead?

Rhi: Yeah.

Minna: Really? The dice hate me!

Kim: Oh no, what was it?

Minna: I rolled a 1!

Kim: No!

Josie: Oh, Minna.

Minna: That’s so bad.

Rhi: Yeah, I mean, you can either keep attempting this in this flashback, or you’re gonna have to just not have the pin.

Minna: I kind of wanna keep attempting it, because it’s very good.

Rhi: Okay.

Minna: What was the position and effect on that last roll?

Rhi: Risky, standard.

Minna: Because it could become desperate as a result?

Rhi: Yeah, I think that’s what it is, is that she, like, grabs your wrist and twists it out of the way, and is pressing her fingers into some, you know, nerves in your wrist to make you drop the knife.

Minna: I just wanna think of a way out of this being Skirmish. [laughs]

Rhi: Yeah.

Minna: Because I’m not very good at it.

Rhi: I’m gonna do something a little-, partly I’m gonna do this because I also want you to get this pin, because I think it’s more fun that way, but also because this will work for my plans. I’m gonna do something that is not precisely in the rules, but I don’t care, I like it. I’m gonna offer you a Devil’s Bargain.

Minna: Okay.

Rhi: You can have the pin, you can get it from her during this scuffle and she will be too drunk to really remember your face. However, somebody who you would rather didn’t witness this does, and is going to use that information to interfere in the score.

Minna: Yeah.

Rhi: Okay.

Minna: So, I got the pin?

Rhi: Yeah, so I think–

Minna: I think it becomes like a struggle, and then she eventually like–

Rhi: Yeah, it’s a little bit of a scuffle. I think that what eventually happens is you manage to, like, spin her around and bang her head into the wall and that knocks her out, and then you can take the pin and run, and between the alcohol and the head trauma she doesn’t really remember much of what happened. So, yeah, then we come back. And I think that as we come back we can see Myra has some bandages wrapped around her knuckles. Yeah, so you show this pin and I think now I’ll need you to make another-, this will be risky, to get past the guards, to bluff your way through. The guards are kind of like:

Rhi (as Guard): We usually don’t have inspections on festival days, but… uh…

Rhi: They’re a little sceptical right now.

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

Rhi: Um…

Josie: Now is when the person interferes?

Rhi: Yeah, I like Josie’s idea. That the person is going to interfere now.

Minna: Ooh, that’s fun.

Rhi: So, yeah. Go ahead and make your roll.

Minna: 5.

Rhi: Okay. So, the guards are kinda eyeing you a little suspiciously, they’re like:

Rhi (as Guard): We usually don’t have inspectors in on performance days.

Rhi: And then, Myra, someone comes up beside and slings their arm around your shoulders. And a voice that you kinda had hoped to never hear again says:

Rhi (as voice): So sorry, my partner got here before me.

Rhi: And you turn to look and you see a very familiar young man–

Minna: Oh, it’s Wester [giggles]

Rhi: ­–dressed impeccably in a Sparkwright getup with a pin of his own, standing there, smiling brightly at the guards.

## Outro [00.58.21]

Rhi: Thanks for listening. The Magpies will be back in two weeks. In the meantime, follow us on Twitter @magpies_pod and visit our Patreon at patreon.com/magpiespodcast.

The Magpies podcast is GMed and produced by Rhi. Follow me on Twitter @rhiannon42 and check out rpgskillcheck.net for my copy editing and accessibility freelance site.

Blaire Culhane is played by Kim Kogut. Follow her on Twitter @kimdianajones.

Minx is played by Josie. Follow her on Twitter @DragonGirlJosie and watch her art streams at picarto.tv/DragonGirlJosie.

Myra Keel is played by Minna. Follow her on Twitter @mynaminnarr.

The opening and closing theme music is from ‘Trio for Piano, Violin and Viola’ by Kevin MacLeod and is used under a Creative Commons license.

The Blades in the Dark roleplay system is the creation of John Harper and is published by Evil Hat Productions.

And now, we’d like to thank our incredible Patreon backers.

Josie: Ben Haines, thank you.

Minna: Cian Booth, thank you.

Kim: George Wheeler, thank you.

##Blooper [00.59.42]

Rhi: Ah, let’s see. Cat, I swear to God.

Kim: Harley.

Rhi: Please. Go away.

Minna: Be a good girl, Harley.

Rhi: [sighs] She doesn’t know how.

[laughter]

Kim: Yeah, no, she’s a devil cat.

Rhi: Um, alright.

Minna: So when we’re bargaining, are we bargaining with Harley?

Rhi: Yes, Harley is the devil that you bargain with.

Kim: She is The Circle of Flame.

[laughter]

Minna: Finally, I understand.

Rhi: Yeah, all of your red string conspiracy thing all leads up to a picture of my cat.

[laughter]