Rurik - GM: Welcome adventurers to Probability of Demise, the podcast where
critical fumbles meet critical facepalms.
Join us as we delve into the darkest dungeons, slay the stupidest gremlins, and
roll enough ones to make a beholder weep.
Forget epic storylines and heroic deeds.
Here we celebrate the chaotic beauty of bad roles, questionable decisions, and
characters with more charisma than sense.
We'll be your dungeon masters of disappointment, guiding you through
campaigns where the only guaranteed treasure is a mountain of laughter,
and maybe some psychic scarring.
So grab your Nat 1 dice, strap on your anxiety helmets, and
prepare to witness the glorious trainwreck that is our D& D journey.
Because In the end, even if your character dies face first into a pile of
pudding, at least you'll have the Dice God's permission to laugh your ass off.
Welcome to Probability of Demise, new campaign!
Hey!
We've changed our format a little bit, and we're about to
start it with Just doing it!
Yes!
Jess - Seraphina: Oh my gosh, so good.
Rurik - GM: Okay.
This segment is all Jess.
She's whole, she's reformatted her format.
Jess - Seraphina: I currently have a list of thus far.
100 words, we are going to, I am going to roll this magical D 100 and
whatever it lands on will be the word we are choosing to learn about today.
So here we go.
I need to do this on the floor cause it's very loud.
Excuse me.
You won't believe what we landed on folks.
100!
Jason - Gus: It's a good sign for our new campaign.
Jess - Seraphina: Lucky.
Today's word of the day is
Rurik - GM: I just have a little bit of a question while you're looking for this
word, and you don't have to do anything, but like, is your 100 words the ones that
are the hardest for you to pronounce, or the ones the hardest for you to pronounce?
Jess - Seraphina: Neither.
It's all
Rurik - GM: flippity flappled.
Wait, what was that word?
Okay.
Jason - Gus: Flippity flappled is number 61.
Jess - Seraphina: These are true words, folks.
All right.
Larissa - Ulua: As opposed to false words.
Jess - Seraphina: Today's word of the day, number 100, is salient, which
is most noticeable or important.
And, using this in a sentence, the salient points of the argument were
emphasized to drive home the key message.
That was your word of the day.
Thank you.
Brought to you by this D100.
Rurik - GM: And the floor.
Normally what would follow up right after that would be our, Recap of the
previous session, but as this is our first session of this new campaign, new
season, new us, what we're going to do is we're going to just really quickly
go around and introduce ourselves and I don't want to be the first one to
start, so someone else, take it away.
Jess - Seraphina: I'll go, we'll go top.
Larissa volunteers.
Rurik - GM: Top round.
She is the tribute.
Larissa - Ulua: My name is Larissa McDowell, I met these lovely people,
Rurik - GM: the
Larissa - Ulua: person next to me on top is my partner, and I've known him
for far longer, but, Rurik and Jess, I met, playing Dungeons and Dragons,
in a randomized group finder event at a local gaming store in March of 2020.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
but, The world shut down at our
Jess - Seraphina: first game.
Well, New York shut down
Larissa - Ulua: at our first game.
So, But the D and D continued.
so personally, singer, actor, living in New York, I have another full time nine
to five that pays the bills, but, I think my goal with this campaign is to bring,
Local theater projects to the forefront.
So today's, group that I would like to introduce you to is Broadway bods.
They are 501 C3 nonprofit, and they're, New York based theater project that
aims to provide opportunities for performers living in larger bodies.
they, their goal is to create safe, inclusive spaces for performers
of diverse bodies, as a top priority, of the organization.
So as a, you know, curvy person, I, heavily believe in changing the
Broadway industry as it stands now.
And so, I think you should be able to sing the part, but you don't need to
look the part necessarily or at least any certain way to be able to play a
part, as long as you can sing it and act it, you should be able to do it.
So, yeah, so that's me and that's Broadway Bods.
You can find out more information about them at broadwaybods.
com, and I believe their spring production is You're a Good Man,
Charlie Brown, coming up, in March or April, so stay tuned and I'll,
Give you an exact date once I know
Jason - Gus: that.
I would like to audition for the role of Snoopy.
Jess - Seraphina: That would be so cute.
Rurik - GM: I mean, you got
Larissa - Ulua: the fur, you're
Jason - Gus: fine.
Hi, I'm Jason.
And I would like to audition for the role, no.
I don't have anything nearly so.
Interesting to say.
I am a aspiring writer living in New York with the other person in the top row who
is my spouse and I am very adept at swear words and shaming people on Facebook.
For being dumb.
No, I don't know.
I got, I got nothing.
so I am looking forward to campaign two and I will pass it down to Jess.
Jess - Seraphina: Hi, I am Jessica Becker.
I live in New York where I met these amazing folks.
I'm also in the arts, do a lot of musical theater, have
currently have a nine to five job.
you know, love things all.
Anime, nerdom, so if you ever have any suggestions for things, I'm always
looking, so make sure to comment.
yeah.
that's, that's far me.
Rurik - GM: Awesome.
And I am Rurik.
I am the GM for this session.
for this game, for this campaign.
For, yeah.
I'm having fun with these folks.
I play all the NPCs and sewer rats.
I think I put a different descriptor in the discord for
our friends, but, sewer trash.
Yes.
I play the sewer trash.
and I am super into how D& D has like reinvigorated my creative space
a bit and I've been getting able.
I've been getting into world building again, and I'm always available if
you want to chat about world building, character background building, other
things like that, because those are super fun and exciting things for
me to be doing in my daytime life.
I just, write curriculum.
So, if you want to be a writer, apparently you can be a
marketer or a curriculum writer.
Yeah.
Those are jobs out there.
so, with that.
We're going to go ahead and get started with our return to Atland.
When you look around the spaces and places of Overton and Underton.
Things have changed quite a bit.
The people have changed.
The sheer amount of magic has changed.
And the overall world has changed.
Overton is truly, truly different.
It was once a united bastion of magic and innovation, but now it's a city.
That is fractured.
Its skyline is a dizzying tableau of opulence and neglect.
There are sleek, crystalline sky citadels, playgrounds of the ascended
and their sycophants, piercing the clouds and casting shadows upon
those who eke out an existence.
precariously on cliffsides and the flatlands of Overton itself.
Makeshift homes are cobbled together from scavenged magitech and enchanted debris.
In one of these spaces, clawing onto the cliffside through heavy
chains, and yet somehow still defying gravity with enchanted anchors, is a
neighborhood called the Cragside Crowds.
Here, a vibrant tapestry of beings eke out a living as the magic that floats
their homes slowly ebbs and flows.
Street vendors hawk enchanted trinkets and potions, you hear the rhythmic
clang of hammers and the hiss of steam from alchemical concoctions.
All of these cries blend into the cacophony of haggling crowds and
children adorned with bioluminescent tattoos weaving between legs, pockets
filled with pilfered trinkets.
This is a place of resilience and ingenuity built from necessity,
and it's considered pretty well to do by Overton standards.
Here, in this neighborhood, there exists a little tucked away
this local tavern slash art gallery, of course located in the Cragside
crowds, is somewhat of a safe haven.
for one of our first people that we'd like to meet.
So here in Celia's Shell shied spirits and sundries, designed to torture
me, is set one of the more quiet places facing the crystal cliffs.
The facade is fairly plain, except for a string of lanterns that alternate
colors, cheerfully but somewhat lazily.
A sign above the door, shaped in a snail shell, shows a painting
of an overflowing mug of beer.
Sitting on an easel at the center.
As we go into this space.
Larissa, would you like to describe yourself and the location you're within?
Alright.
Larissa - Ulua: As you enter Celia's, there's a bar down the right side length,
and across from it are communal tables.
That jut out from the left side, and the room seems to kind of almost
enforce perspective, go towards a stage at the very back of the room.
The lighting is very limited, predominantly to allow the stage to have
as much natural lighting as possible.
at 1 of those communal tables, you'll see someone, wearing.
Unassuming overcloak, with the hood pulled up, but, as she moves, you
know, to, to take a sip of her wine and, you know, maybe reach across the
table for some salt, you see a flash of bright red, satin, silk, touches
of gold, touches of purple, but only, only the quickest of glances,
, Rurik - GM: as you, you are sitting there, enjoying your drink, taking
your time over your beverages, you hear a whisper of paper, and a piece of
parchment appears just under your hand.
Larissa - Ulua: I just cast a quick sidelong glance to see If I noticed
who it is that slipped that there, just to make sure for my own.
Rurik - GM: Roll our first roll.
Yee!
Perception check.
Alright.
Larissa - Ulua: My dice are ready, but my pomegranate is sitting on it, so hang on.
Okay.
Alright.
Ha!
I know, so pushy.
Is it pomegranate season?
They are in season right now, I think.
Jess - Seraphina: It is pomegranate season.
Jason - Gus: It's not bougie to eat a pomegranate.
It's only bougie to know when pomegranate season is.
Ooh, ooh, ooh,
Larissa - Ulua: ooh, ooh, ooh.
That is an, dirty 20.
Rurik - GM: You don't catch them in time.
Ooh, sneaky.
The fact that they snuck up to you is kind of a surprise.
You do catch just sight of someone slipping out the
window, small in stature and.
A blue tattoo at their wrist as that's the last thing you see as they let go at
a window that you know drops over nothing.
Interesting.
Larissa - Ulua: I take up the note and I read it.
Yeah, it's not my actual accent.
I'm just being
Rurik - GM: extra.
It is written as these are usually written for you.
These missives, these requests for services.
This is asking for a personal favor.
It comes from a client, not for your advertised services, but for those
services that are less advertised, and reading through the, and decoding
the script of this, you I've come to understand that this would be
a very different type of request.
It's not one of your typical things, I would love for you, since you're holding
this note, to roll an investigation check.
Investigation!
Larissa - Ulua: I didn't make an audio for that.
Oh no.
Jess - Seraphina: Why am I muted?
I was trying to say it can never have a pre recorded sound because
it must be in the moment true
Larissa - Ulua: emotions.
True improv, yes.
that is a total of four.
I miss Trixie already.
Rurik - GM: You note that the note has been well creased in the proper
ways and it looks like there is a bit of a smudge somewhere but.
None of your business, really.
Larissa - Ulua: I, I lean back and I just kind of over my shoulder I go, Cece,
Jess - Seraphina: I need to settle up.
I got places to
Rurik - GM: be.
I gotcha, honey!
I have to say, the stew was par Particularly good today.
Did we add enough saffron?
Yes, and the
Larissa - Ulua: sage just really complimented it.
So, mwah, my compliments.
Rurik - GM: Alright, we gotchas.
Hey, you coming for the gallery opening, right?
Of course.
Jason - Gus: I think, I think the Craigside, was it Craigside?
Crowds.
Craig said crowds might be like Red Hook.
I'm not sure from the accent.
Jess - Seraphina: Maybe.
Maybe there's
Rurik - GM: a lobster place.
Okay, as you head on out, I'm going to shift our camera angles.
Uh, different location, different place.
The sounds up above are very similar.
Or they are coming from up above.
there's the clangs.
There's the hawking of wares, but there's an intensity here that is not
the same as it is in other places.
And here in the Whispering Bazaar, bustling marketplace where there's
whispers of ancient artifacts and enchanted goods are just there
and available to be purchased.
We can hear the voice of Kasim.
As he's yelling out at various passerbys trying to garner their
attention, but it's a little muffled.
It's a little muffled because his, stall is open.
It's an open stall just like most of the stalls in the Whispering Bazaar.
Below, he does have a basement.
A basement that he sublets to our friend.
Jess, would you describe yourself and this location that you're in,
and give us your character's name.
Jess - Seraphina: Alright, so, I guess sort of envisioning as this camera
is coming in, you see a very, Thinly lit, dusty basement with lots of gears
whirling and some what maybe look like potions or weird vials bubbling.
you see a, someone hunched over a table, hair wild, pulled back, very
curly, bright white with some pink ends.
It's just someone going about.
mumbling under their breath, a few curse words here and there, things being
thrown and grabbed as you see this, bright green tiefling who is constantly
trying to get her unkept hair out of her face, out of her three sets of
horns that sort of go around her face with these big goggles with many little
magnifying glasses on as she's working on her most recent Invention, as she
inspires to be one of the best artificers around, and this is young Serafina.
Rurik - GM: Serafina, what have you been working on on this day?
What has you in this tizzy?
Jess - Seraphina: Right now, she's trying to figure out.
A new tool that,
that she hasn't fully thought of, thought through all the way.
Part of her process is to just start grabbing things and putting them
together to see what she makes, to see how she can make that thing work.
She never truly goes in with a plan.
She sort of develops as she goes.
Rurik - GM: And this is evident in your workshop, as you look around, there
are some interesting magical items.
It's about, there's a broom in the corner, you named it the broom of
stubborn sweeping because it keeps cleaning the same spot over and over again
regardless of how clean it actually is.
There are some a little bit more, useful tools like the
amulet of awkward compliments.
You can always grant, you're granted when wearing it, the ability to compliment
enemies with uncomfortable precision.
And then of course you.
Have the most famous item of all the bag of mismatched socks Every time you
reach in you pull out a random odd sock You do have a individual who's very
interested in purchasing this Kassim has connected you with a Goblin who is super
excited about the fashion possibilities of constantly wearing mismatched socks
as you Are sitting there with your latest creation.
What sort of components are out on the table?
Jess - Seraphina: a lot of, a lot of gears, a lot of.
Small metal bits that fling out whenever you maybe push something or
pull something, a new thing flings out.
So there's a lot of, maybe sharp little objects in this compact little device.
As you are sitting there, you hear a stomp on the trapdoor.
That is the, the way in which, you can Both find egress and entrance to
your space, and Kasim's voice comes down as he lifts the heavy doors.
A message for you!
Serafina, you down there?
She doesn't answer it at first.
She's still just, Meh, meh, meh, meh.
Here we are.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
Goddammit,
Rurik - GM: girl!
Serafina!
Uh,
Jess - Seraphina: yeah, yeah?
Are you playing with those runes
Rurik - GM: again?
Jess - Seraphina: Uh, not right now!
I was, but not now.
Rurik - GM: Keep up the good work, but uh, there's a note!
And you see a long, taloned hand reaching down with a bit of
parchment clumsily clasped in it.
Kasim is, one of the reasons why Kasim has given you this space is Kasim is no
longer able to get up and down the ladder.
It is no longer a useful space for him.
He has reached the age where traversing such things is More
work than he's willing to put in.
He shakes the piece of parchment again.
Here!
Jess - Seraphina: Here!
I stumble off my stool.
You know, things falling out of my lap that I didn't even realize were in my
Larissa - Ulua: lap.
Clang,
Jess - Seraphina: clang, clang, clang, clang, clang.
Running over to grab it.
You know, trying to find a bit of light from somewhere to, like, read the note.
Rurik - GM: In this dim space, looking at this note, opening it up, you hear
Kasim slammed back down the trapdoor.
It's a request for your other, work.
Not work with your family, per se, but work that your, a member
of your family did perform.
it is a request from someone that you Have heard about a lot in the city.
you've done a couple of things that were tangentially connected.
And really, the signature at the bottom that gets your attention is you see Sticky
Beak scrawled hastily at the bottom.
And it's a request for your help with a case he cannot devote his attention
to, but which is dear to his heart.
Jess - Seraphina: Seraphina just kind of goes,,
Rurik - GM: looking at it, you can see that,
The request is to, go to the Skylark Theater.
And there isn't really a time on it, but as you kind of inspect
the note, could I have you roll our second investigation check?
The full mouth investigation is a little different.
Jess - Seraphina: Let's see.
Investigation.
Larissa - Ulua: Okay.
That's if a Muppet was singing it.
Rurik - GM: The Muppet cation.
Jess - Seraphina: So,
24.
Rurik - GM: Despite the terrible lighting, despite the, you know what
you're doing, you know, this, and you look at this, it was folded in the
shape of a bird, and you know that that means that this is an urgent request.
With a 24 you also notice, uncharacteristic of Sticky Beak,
the way in which the note was scrawled is both in haste, and something more
Jess - Seraphina: am going to put that, fold it up, put it in my pocket, go
over to my table, , take the little device I was working on, couple
little gears, couple little things, shove them in different pockets as
I'm gonna head upstairs to head out.
As
Rurik - GM: you head out, our camera zips back up to the overview of Overton, and
now it goes to the side of Overton that's always shadowed by the Cragside crowds.
That huge neighborhood that barely holds itself aloft covers this
neighborhood day in and day out.
This is literally under the Cragside crowds.
And called the Undercroft.
There are things deeper, most notably Undertown.
But the Undercroft is a location where truly the most disenfranchised live.
It's shadowed by those crag site crowds, hidden amidst abandoned
workshops and forgotten tunnels.
There's actually a community here.
A community of outcasts who prefer to exist in the shadows.
There are skilled pickpockets and cunning informants, mingling with disillusioned
mages and artists seeking anonymity.
And in this location, there is a small door to a very large space.
This is the starving artist.
On the first floor.
Art supplies on the second floor,
foods and libations of interesting options.
Jason, can you describe what you're up to in this space and what you're doing?
Yeah.
Jason - Gus: So, yeah, as you mentioned downstairs, there's like art supplies
and then like over to one side, there's like this rickety kind of.
questionable staircase that goes up and then like as you as you come into this
tavern area that's upstairs you see like a tall handsome human in his 30s flecked
with paint he's surrounded by fans and potential customers and maybe some of his
friends and then as you walk past that guy you see a short little gnome No, he's
got like dark, kind of almost black skin.
he's got like a, kind of a long white beard.
And, he's sort of sometimes easier to spot in a crowd because he wears
a, what's called a deer stalker hat, like a Sherlock Holmes hat.
And then, He's got like little flecks of paint in his beard and, on his clothes.
And the only thing that's not flecked with paint is his shoes for some reason.
But, yeah, he's, he's about three feet tall.
He's sitting, this is a place that primarily caters to like
humans and elves and like, you know, people of a taller size.
So he's like sitting up on like a human, a stool made for humans with a mug of
beer made for humans, just kind of.
at the end of the bar, like in his, what's his, his regular seat, and
he's just like working his way through his mug that he gets every week on
this day when he comes in for his art supplies and just chilling out.
Rurik - GM: And there aren't a lot of options here.
there's always three things available usually in the drinks and
one thing available in the food.
Today you have the shadow stout.
It's a nice brew, kind of maybe darker than you prefer, but roasted barley
and a touch of something unseen.
It's dark and bitter, like a secret kept too long.
Better than your other options though, you could be having the
Moonshine Mead, or Rat Catcher's Red.
Either way, not the most Made from real rats.
Definitely.
Oh, definitely.
Also very successful at warding off pests and unwanted memories.
Your food options today, could you roll a d4 and subtract 1?
Jason - Gus: I rolled a 1, so 0.
Rurik - GM: There is no food available today.
Ha!
Which is probably the best outcome one could hope for.
Because without food available, the smells are much more reduced.
You've had the hunter's hodgepodge, which is probably the best thing that they have.
It's usually a hearty mix of rabbit and mushrooms and mystery,
you know, seasoning with a hint of smoke from forgotten tunnels.
You've had the clam chowder.
It's rich, infused with briny whispers of Undercroft's hidden waterways.,
you've avoided the artist's mistake, successfully, despite its name.
that that concoction of leftover vegetables and spilled paints is
surprisingly painty, er, surprisingly tasty, but, it also can change your
outlook on life quite significantly.
as you're sitting there, enjoying your beverage, There are two large windows
that look out over the alleyway, and from this angle where you're sitting, they
look directly into the building that is mere inches from the building you're in.
So you don't see much until there's a tiny little bird like thing that catches your
attention, because it's making a racket.
The artist getting his sycophants to fawn over them even more is clearly involved
and distracted and you're the only one who can make out and see this small little
bird poking at the window again and again.
Jason - Gus: I'm gonna like crawl down from the stool and then just like go over
to the window and like look at the bird.
Okay.
As
Rurik - GM: you get closer, you see that it is a message.
It is what is usually used to convey messages to you
from an old PI that you knew.
well, maybe when you knew them, at first they were less a PI to
you, but more of an informant.
An informant that skirted the law fairly successfully had a decent
reputation but back in those days you didn't view anybody who wasn't part
of officialdom as that legit maybe.
Jason - Gus: I am going to open the window and like hold out my hand for the bird.
Rurik - GM: The little bird comes and lands and As the viewer watches, it
lands on your hand and unfolds itself.
It is a piece of parchment.
the piece of parchment is requesting your immediate help.
Favor for a favor.
And at the bottom you see, I'll owe you big.
Stickybeak.
Jason - Gus: All right.
I'm gonna fold that up in a normal way, and not like a bird
way, and put it in my pocket.
And then I'm going to walk over and crawl back up on the stool.
I'm not like a young man anymore, or a young gnome anymore, so this is getting
probably harder to do as time goes on, but I'm just gonna grab that mug of beer
and be like, gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp, and like finish it and set it down.
I'm gonna look at the bartender and be like, Ernesto, I need to close my tap.
Rurik - GM: I love it.
From behind Ernesto you hear a brighter, clearer voice speak
up, Oh dad, I caught one!
And a young girl comes up behind Ernesto holding a spear that has
skewered some sort of rodentia.
Err, Hunter's hot fudge, tonight it is!
And you know you're escaping before that thing
Jason - Gus: gets cooked.
I'm just gonna like, cut some coins out onto the bar and then, just in time.
And then I'm gonna hop down and like, get my art supplies and pack them into
my pack and put my pack on and leave.
Weaving through the adoring fans of the other.
Rurik - GM: And being small as you are, it's pretty easy for you to do,
go ahead and just really quickly, could you roll a dexterity check
of your, your choice, whatever one you think is the best one for this,
just in case you bump into a sycophant,
Jason - Gus: maybe
stealth, let's try stealth.
I don't like to be
Rurik - GM: noticed, unnoticed.
That's a four!
Jason - Gus: Ah, low level characters.
Rurik - GM: As you make your way, trying to get around this crowd, the
spectacle of the moment reaches out.
Oh!
How's it going?
I heard you were looking for a nice okra!
And they Do they drag you or do they try to drag you into
the center of their circle?
Jason - Gus: Is that like a grapple?
Like, how do I resist that?
Rurik - GM: I, if you want to resist it, I would like you to roll a, I guess
for you, it could either be an athletics check or it could be a, if you, if you
would like to describe how it would be, you could roll, acrobatics check as well.
Jason - Gus: I think as, like, he reaches out, my goal would be to
just like, and like duck under his hand, like being already very much
shorter than him, hoping that he
Rurik - GM: just.
So like a somersault out of a space sort of thing, that would be acrobatics.
Jason - Gus: It's a natural one.
Rurik - GM: You somehow roll right into
Jess - Seraphina: this lap.
First mad one of the game.
Isn't it?
Rurik - GM: Yes, it is.
The first one.
Uh, yeah, you, you, you fall.
Right into his lap somehow.
You're not sure how this happened, but you're sitting in his lap and he goes,
ah, buddy, and he kind of hug shakes you.
I was just telling my friends here and you're now currently grappled.
In the most awkward way I can imagine.
Larissa - Ulua: Like a child on Santa's lap.
Rurik - GM: You need some extra greens?
You're always looking for those greens and browns.
What can I do for you?
I know that you do your own thing and you just come in here occasionally
for the pieces, but you know what?
I have just finished this piece and I kind of went purples, all
purples and yellows and purples.
So I have extra pigments if you would like to, you know, I, I do buy the,
the, the, the, the, fancier stuff, you know, so if you're feeling a little
down, he's an up and coming artist.
Jason - Gus: Yeah, uh, I suppose if you're, if you don't need them, I suppose
I could, I could take them from you.
Oh,
Rurik - GM: great.
You know what, friends, friends, we, I need to go.
I need to take my friend here.
We're going to go back over to my, My, my place, and we're gonna go get
him hooked up with some new pigments.
Jason - Gus: how about, I actually have to, have to be somewhere, so
how about I just send someone to pick them up from you later, so you
don't have to leave your friends.
Rurik - GM: Oh, oh, that is so kind of you, but I would, you know, and
I would like you to roll a Charisma Persuasion check with your roll so far.
I'm kind of curious.
Jason - Gus: Yeah, I think this dice is done for today.
that's a two,
Rurik - GM: so The dunce chair for that dice.
That's a five.
Oh, nothing of it, nothing of it.
We're gonna go, actually why don't we all go and we can have drinks at my place.
And trapped in the crowd, currently grappled, you and this entire
crowd make your way downstairs.
This is
Jason - Gus: why I don't come into town.
Oh, my God.
Rurik - GM: that gives us some information about what's going to happen.
All of you are trying to make your way to, well, some of you know that you're
trying to make your way somewhere.
Larissa, how do you say your character's name?
Ulua.
Accent on Lu.
Closed out her tab and has stepped out into the street.
How does Ulua usually Proceed when asked to do some work,
Larissa - Ulua: which work, the side work, side work, or
Rurik - GM: the side of the private work, the non public work.
Larissa - Ulua: well, she, she has a bit of a reputation, not a bad one,
just a notoriety for her day job.
We'll call it.
and so.
When she is trying to move around, let me make sure I'm using this word right.
It's not the word of the day, but yes, surreptitiously.
she tends to, she keeps a little makeup kit.
In her handbag, and she just dresses herself down a little bit.
She makes sure that her cloak is clasped, nice and firmly so that, you know, her,
her standard wear isn't necessarily as visible as she moves around.
and her hair is tucked back underneath the cloak, so it's not.
and she just, you know, she tries to match the pace of the crowd, so
she's not in any particular hurry.
She doesn't want to bring attention to her pace.
so as she works her way from the Cragside crowds to, I'm heading to the theater.
Rurik - GM: you didn't roll successfully on that check.
Well, I'm assuming
Larissa - Ulua: it would say where.
No, it didn't say where?
Okay.
Your
Rurik - GM: stuff is usually very encoded, and in this case, there
was a little bit of a problem.
Okay.
Larissa - Ulua: in which case, I am going to, meander home to confirm
with my contact, to get further details of exactly where I am
supposed to head with this note.
, I'm not, I, I, I try to move around crag side crowds, very, very low
key because that is my respite.
I don't, I don't like to bring attention to myself there
unless I am working my day job.
So, yes, I move, I take my time to leisurely stroll, browsing,
any open stalls, Along with the crowds, and then I make my way back
to the Crystal Cliffs to my home.
Rurik - GM: Great.
So as you're walking through, you catch a couple of announcements as
you go through the crowds and such.
High Society Gala at Grand Co.
Towers tomorrow night.
Glitz, glamour, secrets await.
Read all about
Larissa - Ulua: it.
Rurik - GM: Grand Co.
's estranged lover spotted with mysterious new companion.
Love or espionage?
Read all about Grand Stealings.
Rival trading families lock horns in heated negotiations.
Larissa - Ulua: Will the bitter feud continue?
Rurik - GM: Read all about it.
Magical artifacts vanish from the museum.
Whispers of a thief on the loose.
And thus you get your usual news of the day.
Do I need to make
Larissa - Ulua: a news of the day audio now?
I
Jason - Gus: was just gonna say news of the day.
Rurik - GM: The, the, there's a lot of things focused on
the Grand family right now.
It is, Their season is the season when they kind of turn all out.
And so you definitely are aware that there's going to be a
lot of share outs around that.
individual's life, just like when there are the political shenanigans going on.
interestingly, what's not shared in the news very often is what's
going on with the Ascended and those that are opposed to the Ascended.
You
Larissa - Ulua: mean the real conflict,
Rurik - GM: the real news?
Of course.
Why would we have that out in the open?
The deep state.
So as you are meandering around making your way there, you
eventually make your way home.
You can see that there are, not a lot of folks in evidence.
It's a night off for a lot of people, but it's also just good to get out, so
there's not very many people around.
But eventually That's probably why I'm out.
You eventually make your way over to, your colleague.
And
Well, I'll let you describe them.
Landlord.
Larissa - Ulua: Yes.
So, my landlord is a retiree of my profession.
she was one of the first within our profession to elevate
it to a higher standard.
, having seen what happens to the people in our profession, when they age out, as it
were, she decided to buy a residence and provide a safe landing space for those
people and also, people in my profession who aren't necessarily affiliated with
a specific group, which includes myself.
. So she is, a human, with elven features, from the same tribe as one of my parents.
and So she is pale, but not deathly so, like Tanzanites people were rumored to be.
I think more like moonlight reflecting off of the surface of
a lake with pale blue undertones.
And her hair is so, such a dark brown that many think it's black unless
you see it out in direct sunlight.
she's long and lithe in body and limb, and her features could be considered
petite if not for her height.
And she is almost 100 years old, which is just on the side of mature ish for a
half elf with plenty of life left to live.
her primary adult years behind her and her golden years in front of her.
And her name is Oksana.
Rurik - GM: And as you come into the, Sincere House,
your home, and Oksana's home.
And last name.
Yes, and, and Oksana Sincere, thus the Sincere House.
Mm hmm.
huh.
She's sitting at a little couch.
Maybe it's not always a couch, but right now she has it
arranged such that it's a couch.
Oh, you got the message.
Larissa - Ulua: Yes, I had a little trouble with the, handwriting,
Rurik - GM: Oh, well, I did re scroll it because one can never
know with one of those young people.
Oh.
Larissa - Ulua: Where, where am I headed?
Rurik - GM: oh.
Oh, I bet his sweaty fingers just smudged that bit.
you should be headed to the um, Skylark.
Larissa - Ulua: Oh, you know, I thought, you know, I'd misread it.
That's my fault.
I, uh, must have had a little bit too much wine this morning, but
Rurik - GM: you know, okay to, to go there or, of course,
Larissa - Ulua: of course I just, I, uh, it was such a strange, it just, uh,
Rurik - GM: it's a personal request and you were personally requested.
It's not, it's not the client's typical.
Yeah,
Larissa - Ulua: that's, uh, and we're sure it's credible and not, I mean, I'm
Rurik - GM: familiar.
It's the usual way, and she gestures and you can see the unfolded original
document, which you can see at a quick glance, since she said the usual way, is
a origami shape that has been unfolded.
Okay.
Jess - Seraphina: All
Larissa - Ulua: right, well, I mean, he hasn't steered us wrong this far, right?
Rurik - GM: I think he's taken a personal joy in your work.
Your last, your last bit of work gave our friend some notoriety
that they have been using quite successfully to expand their business.
Well, as long as it's for the good.
Satisfied client and for the betterment of our world?
Seems like we're on the right track so far.
Alright,
Larissa - Ulua: I guess I'll make my way there then.
Um, since I'm out going back out, is there anything you want me to pick up?
Rurik - GM: Oh, uh, well since you are going to the district, to the strip,
um, Do you remember Ellen's Nut Shop?
Larissa - Ulua: Yes.
Rurik - GM: Maybe you could pick up some of my favorites?
Larissa - Ulua: Okay, how, how much are we talking, like, niblets, or?
Rurik - GM: Just do it as your last thing, you know I like them hot.
Larissa - Ulua: Okay.
All right.
Rurik - GM: And, uh, with that, you're on your way, or?
Yep.
So, what it, this gives us is it gives us your arrival order, Serafina, you
are first to the Skylark Theater.
You were the closest there to begin with.
you can see that there is some heavy presence of the watch here.
, although they don't seem to be all that committed and
they're letting people through.
At some point there was a large crowd gathered.
but now that crowd has dispersed and you can still see the remnants
of the crowd and you can hear whispers of conversation as folks
move away from the Skylark Theater.
Jess - Seraphina: What are some of the whispers
Rurik - GM: saying?
roll a perception check as you're, trying to listen in.
Are you trying to listen in, like, obviously or are you just, are you asking?
Jess - Seraphina: No, her attention is definitely Appears to be like still kind
of like messing with that little box.
So it looks like she's focused on that, but really she's
like, you know, listening.
Rurik - GM: Okay, so it's eves dropping.
Yeah.
Go ahead and roll that perception check.
Jess - Seraphina: Perception.
Okay.
That's great.
She's more invested than she thinks she is in her box.
seven.
We
Larissa - Ulua: love a box.
Yeah.
Rurik - GM: There, there, there, there's a little spring that keeps.
Twisting out of control every time you start leaning a little bit
towards, you know, your attention can't wax and wane like that and get
the project working successfully.
And as you make your way into the theater, having been passed through
by the constables and members of the watch that are here, you enter
fairly easily, but you, Don't have much clue about what was being said.
you come into the theater space.
you may never have been into this particular theater.
but it is a fairly large performance venue.
the single floor, is slightly sloped.
and it looks into a stage with a small, narrow orchestra pit.
And you can see, Many members of the orchestra have already packed
up their things and have moved out.
There is a, conductor who is just sweating profusely, and, and
sitting on the edge of the stage, talking to a feathered individual,
Sticky Beak, who you recognize.
And in front of them, a pool of blood with a large Human shaped smudge amidst it.
the body has already been taken away.
Jess - Seraphina: with my past relationship with, Sticky, Sticky Beard?
Sticky, not Beard, Beak.
With Sticky Beak, would I have the type of relationship to go straight up to them?
Or would I know to like, wait till they finish the conversation?
Rurik - GM: Roll an insight check.
Okay.
Jason - Gus: Kinda like sticky beard man.
Jess - Seraphina: That's
Larissa - Ulua: just cause you have one.
Jess - Seraphina: Hey.
Natural 20 plus one.
Hey!
Pew pew pew pew.
First stat 20 on such a useless roll.
Rurik - GM: Reading the expressions of a feathered being should be tough,
but you've seen this individual A few times, and Sticky Beak is
usually put together very well.
Sticky Beak is usually calm, and insightful, and always the first
to see through to something.
And there is a flattening of the feathers, a rapidness of breath, and You even, see
that something is clutched in their hand.
Sticky beak doesn't look good.
Sticky beak is normally a rumpled old crow, but in this situation, they look
like a stressed out rumpled old crow.
You can tell that they don't like being seen in this light, and that this is
probably a really good time to interrupt.
Jess - Seraphina: Great,
I'm gonna go right up get as close as in between them as I can without getting near
the blood, and just look to the conductor and say, I'm so sorry to interrupt.
Sorry.
And look to sticky beard.
I did it again.
Sticky beak.
I like beard apparently.
and
Rurik - GM: that's your character.
Faux paw is always called sticky beak sticky
Jess - Seraphina: beard.
Yep.
Be like, I Got your letter!
I, uh, wanted, wanted to come right away!
Rurik - GM: Oh, uh, are the others here?
Jess - Seraphina: Is there anyone else around?
If I look?
Rurik - GM: I did, there's just members of the, Skylark theater troupe.
Um All milling around waiting for something.
Jess - Seraphina: Unless, unless it's, uh Them?
Did you invite
Rurik - GM: others?
Yes, I, I need, I need a favor.
I need a really big favor.
I'm being tasked with something that's, and in distress you can
hear this with that insight check, something that's more important.
And he pauses, and his pause is a little, the gravel of his voice
is a little bit deeper here.
More important than Celeste.
Uh, they should be along shortly.
Uh, what we have here is a bit of an investigation, but I'll just, let
me hold you until the others arrive.
And as he's about to say this, I think that Ulua.
Ulua?
Ulua.
You are probably the next to arrive.
Because somebody is being held hostage.
Larissa - Ulua: As, as I walk in the door, I finally lower my hood, and
unclasp my cloak, take it off, stick it over my arm, and you see a, Um,
taller, but not tall for part of my, genetics, like half, half of the side
of my genetics, or half elf, I lean towards the elven side of my features.
I have longer, elongated, pointier ears and a very, long face.
And, I'm short for what could be considered an orc, but I'm
right within range of an elf.
And my, my skin is a paler green, a little bit, with some yellow undertones.
And, I'm curvy in all the right places and a little extra so in all
of those places, which it, it lends more to my orcish genetics, but yes,
and I'm dressed in red silks and Gold satins and so very luxurious, but, a
simplified design, and I'm going to, kind of stroll down is so on the stages
where the, you see where everyone
Rurik - GM: is a conductor, Serafina.
Okay.
Larissa - Ulua: I would like to say that I'm probably very familiar with this
theater because I probably performed here, as the, in the earlier parts of my career.
And so, I'm going to walk down the side aisle to where I know the
proscenium, side step is onto the stage.
And just still taking my time, uh, reminiscing a little about
some of my favorite performances.
and.
As we get to the stage, that's when I'm gonna notice the pool of blood.
And I'm gonna say, um, what, hmm.
Are you, uh, am I in the right place giving
Rurik - GM: like a quizzical look?
Because looking at you and I'm, I'm asking for a personal favor here.
I will owe you, I will owe you big, but I can't leave her and I have to leave her.
And.
He leans closer to you and whispers, It's only you and Serafina here.
Who?
There are counselors who would have this swept under the rug.
But, and he gestures towards the puddle of, of congealed blood.
I see.
She was my nightingale.
Larissa - Ulua: I, I'm going to reach out just gently.
To, kind of caress the side of his neck, where at a common calming spot for Kenku.
Not, not overtly any particular emotion, but just as like
a, as a friendship gesture.
Like, I understand my condolences, like I, it actions more than words at this point.
Rurik - GM: Yeah, I, I, I dig that.
can you roll a, Animal Handling check.
That is not okay.
Can you roll a Charisma check?
I would say Persuasion, but you can.
Larissa - Ulua: Let's see.
Charisma, right?
Persuasion, okay.
All: In the dark.
Fifteen?
I haven't rolled
Larissa - Ulua: a double digit yet so far except for my very first roll.
Rurik - GM: You can see some of the attention leaves but almost
immediately it picks back up in his posture and feathering.
And just then we have the last member of our group.
You've, you had to apply those skills that you learned as an investigator.
They may have been a little bit rusty.
Jason - Gus: The skills I learned as an investigator to find the
bathroom and crawl out the window.
Rurik - GM: And it helps that they, that this particular individual was in
a sub basement level so it was easy to crawl out into the basement embouchure
and then climb up and make your way out.
Jason - Gus: Easy, except if you're three foot four, but you know.
Rurik - GM: You've arrived, and you, you.
How do you enter, or is there anything you're looking for?
Jason - Gus: I'm going to There was nothing in the note about why, right?
No.
Okay.
So yeah, I'll just walk in and then I'm gonna like, survey the scene from
the entrance to see what I can see.
Rurik - GM: Okay, go ahead and roll a perception check.
Jason - Gus: Thirteen.
Rurik - GM: you can see that members of the theater company
are the only ones left.
There is a knot of three, members of The Watch.
no one that you know personally, but you would know them by sight and reputation.
And you have a feeling they would know you as well.
Go ahead and roll an insight check if you would like to know more
about your relationship with them.
But if you're fine without that you can ignore.
Jason - Gus: Uh, 16.
Rurik - GM: They, they were associated with someone in your past
who you, you definitely see them as being in the pocket of others.
Whether they are or not may not be true, but.
Your suspicions lean that way.
Jason - Gus: And then I see Sticky Beak?
Yes.
Down by the stage with the I start on all that?
Okay.
So I will, kind of eyeball the watch members and then just like, walking
with my staff like down to the
Rurik - GM: stage.
Yeah, all three of you are gathered now and Sticky Beak is, is S
stands up as he sees you three.
He is like, I, I, I need, I need your help.
And I think the three of you have what is needed to do this.
It is going to, I will, personal favor.
Could I see the blood
Jason - Gus: and stuff when I was coming in?
Like, yeah, you see the blood on the
Rurik - GM: stage,
Jason - Gus: I'm just gonna look at him and be like, I would ask if you
were staying out of trouble, but.
And there's like a gesture to the pool of blood.
Rurik - GM: Well, not my trouble, but
let me tell you this story.
And Sticky Beak proceeds to share the story of what has occurred this night.
The spotlights, once her celestial halo, now glare down like vengeful eyes.
Celeste Nightingale.
Skylark Theater's brightest songbird lay crumpled in the orchestra pit.
A tragic aria silenced mid note.
Her scarlet gown, usually a torrent of passion, pooled limply around her
stage, not with stage makeup, but with a deeper, more final crimson.
A ripple of gasps, muffled by sequin and champagne foam, echoed through
the theater's velvet trimmed maw.
Above, the diamond dusted chandelier quivered.
Casting fractured diamonds onto the scene.
The conductor, his baton frozen mid swing, resembled a petrified maestro
conducting a symphony of shock.
Sticky beak, perched on the edge of their seat, like a rumpled crow, surveyed the
tableau with beady, calculating eyes.
The air hung heavy with the scent of fear and stale gin punctuated by the
discordant hum of overturned sheet music and the frantic rustle of silk skirts.
Sticky beak ruffled their feathers, a nervous habit, and hopped down
from the chair and up onto the stage.
The floorboards creaked under their weight, a mournful counterpoint to
the orchestra's stunned silence.
Hedging closer to Celeste, her alabaster stage marred by a single cruel
slash of crimson across her throat.
A fortune cookie, which Stickybeak holds out to you as he relays the story,
lay clutched in her porcelain hand, a cruel symbol of fate's fickle finger.
Its message, the highest note shall sing no more.
It seemed to mock the gilded tragedy before him.
Stickybeak tapped it with their beak, a sardonic grin
twisting their feathered face.
Well, Canary, seems you sang your swang song a little early tonight.
Who gets to write the curtain call of this little opera of death?
Glancing around, taking in the petrified audience, the whispering cast huddled in
the wings, And the single beat of sweat trickling down the conductor's temple.
A shiver ran down Sticky Beak's spine.
A tingle of excitement amidst the grim tableau.
This was a mystery with enough twists and turns to make a feather
brained bird like Sticky Beak dizzy.
The
show, it seemed, was just getting started.
As Sticky Beak relates the story to you.
about what occurred that night while Sticky Beak was out for
entertainment like many members of the community of Overton were.
They then go on to explain that the watch had come and requested Sticky
Beak's work in a different area of the city, in a different case.
And Sticky Beak relates to the three of you that they're very concerned.
Because it, and this is with a glance towards those, members of
the Watch who are still in the room.
Very few for a murder.
They just want this swept under the rug.
Can you help, please?
I'm being torn in two different directions.
My, and he nods to you, Uwe.
Between my new notoriety, and what I, Have in my heart and
he nods to the pool of blood.
I understand.
Larissa - Ulua: Let me check.
Let me take a look around and just see if I notice anything from some
of the more secluded viewing points.
I hate, I hate to ask, but the.
The wound just suddenly appeared.
There was no
Rurik - GM: From my seat, that's all I saw.
Hmm.
I honestly didn't see it until she lay at the bottom of the orchestra pit.
You can see where she collapsed first and then rolled.
I'm going to Sorry.
As he points, you can see that there's the, the pool of blood that it's
been very obvious, but then there's another shallower pool of blood.
Larissa - Ulua: I'm going to, go up to what I assume there are probably
some box seats, or at least at, I would like to check those out.
And I would also like to check the, I can't remember what they're called.
if there's anything across the top, catwalks across the top.
Rurik - GM: Yeah.
Great.
So you're kind of casing the overall space.
Larissa - Ulua: Yeah, just looking for anything that may have been disturbed
as someone left in a hurry or, as I reach each spot, kind of seeing the
vantage point and seeing, you know, how much of the audience I can see
from that spot, whether I'm visible or.
You know, I'm assuming Sticky Peak probably indicated where his seat was.
So I'm going to see if I can see that.
just to
Rurik - GM: Sticky Peak was front row, Joannette.
Yeah.
Close to the orchestra pit as they could be.
go ahead and roll an investigation check.
I'll come back to you because it's going to take you a while to kind
of like, navigate an investigation.
It'll take you a moment to navigate the space.
Gus or Serafina, either of you have any immediate reactions?
Questions?
Things you're trying to do?
I'm gonna
Jason - Gus: go into the mode of my previous job.
And, I'm gonna say I need the names of all audience members,
cast, crew, anybody that was here.
I need history, as much as you can give me, on the victim.
And I need
to look around.
Has this area been ordered off?
Are people coming and going?
Has the scene been disturbed?
Is this exactly how it was?
Rurik - GM: Stickybeak nods.
She says, I have to go.
The conductor here, Graham, is trusted.
He
has the most to lose by this.
He can fill you in, but I can tell you this.
And he's whispering this now to you.
This wasn't handled properly.
The watch showed up and then left.
Jason - Gus: Kind of say back to him, quietly, like, Given who remains
from the watch, I'm Hardly surprised.
Rurik - GM: Council stooges and ascendant followers.
Jason - Gus: Was the conductor's name Bram?
Bram.
Larissa - Ulua: Graham.
Like, Candy Graham!
Rurik - GM: Serafina.
And Sticky Beak looks like they're getting
Jess - Seraphina: ready to leave.
For my brain, for my brain, you had said that there was,
like, a slash to her throat?
Is that what you said?
Yeah.
Okay.
Rurik - GM: The body is not here, but that's what was described
to you through the storytelling.
Perfect.
Jess - Seraphina: just as Sticky Beak is leaving, I'll just say.
Go where they're telling you to go.
we will, We'll, we'll, we'll look here and we'll be in touch.
Rurik - GM: If we could, uh, any kind of glances again over at the
members of the watch that are there.
If we could meet at your brother's office when you have more news.
You,
Jess - Seraphina: you and me, or those people
Rurik - GM: as well?
Trust them.
They're good at what they do.
What do they do?
What your brother did.
He hands you three sheets of paper.
Oh, okay,
Jess - Seraphina: okay, okay, thank
Rurik - GM: you.
And you know these three sheets of paper are the type that can be folded
into a flying shape of some sort and go to whoever you whisper to them before
tossing them like a paper airplane.
Jess - Seraphina: Yep, yep.
I definitely remember how to fold these.
Yep, not a problem at all.
We got this.
I know what
Rurik - GM: I'm doing.
I owe the three of you.
And he kind of looks up, like at this point, Lulu has like, has
like, gone up one of the gantries and is checking things out.
I trust you all.
And, thank you.
And he, Walks up the, passageway between the seats and as he walks up, the three,
members of the watch nod to him and turn and follow him out, leaving behind the
space to you all, which back in your day, Degas, should never have happened.
I'm guessing you, you, you redirect your questions to the, uh, Orchestral director?
Jason - Gus: Yeah, I'll go over to him and be like, where's, who took the body?
Rurik - GM: the, the watch people?
The, the, it's all happened so fast.
I, I was talking to a, a lieutenant or something and then I turned
around and, and she was gone.
Jason - Gus: Do you know the lieutenant's name?
Rurik - GM: I don't know.
Lieutenant, what are we getting into?
There's no way we can oh my god, Celeste.
I think it was, Jill?
Jane?
June?
sorry, this is not good.
This is not good.
Oh my gosh.
It's okay.
Jason - Gus: I understand this is A difficult time for you.
Rurik - GM: Oh,
Jason - Gus: well, I mean.
It's important to get as many details as we can.
While things are still fresh.
So please, look at me.
Yeah, yes, yes.
Please take a deep breath.
All: Count
Jason - Gus: to five.
Deep breath in, count to five.
Let it out.
One, two, three, four, five.
And breathe out.
Rurik - GM: Okay.
Um, uh, okay.
Uh, uh, Celeste was, was about to do her, her, her, her aria and, um,
uh, there was a flash of something.
It was out of the corner of my eye.
I was, I was focused on the pit and then, and then she was in the pit and then, and
then there was, everybody screamed, yells, uh, um, the, the feathered fellow, he, he
came up, uh, Uh, and then, and then, and then, the, the, the theater was, there
was yelling, screaming, and then the theater was empty, and then, and then I
was, I just sat there and I watched him, he, he, he picked out the, the cookie,
and he gestures to the cookie that has been left where Sticky Beak was standing.
Uh, and, uh, I called for the stage manager, I couldn't find the stage
manager, the stage manager should have
been able to hand, we should have kept the people here, and then, uh, I sent
one of the runners to find the watch, and then they came, and then Councilman
Uh, oh, I don't know, the council, the councilman came in and said a couple of
words to one of the watch members, the lieutenant was talking to me, and then,
and then Hold on, hold on, uh, which,
Jason - Gus: which council
Rurik - GM: member?
I, I don't know, I, I don't, I, why would, why would council members come here?
Why would they be here?
Why would they, would they Who is
Jason - Gus: Celeste?
Do you know about her family, her friends, her associations?
Rurik - GM: Celeste, Celeste, I mean, we're her family.
We're, we're, we're, we're, before we came here, I mean, we've had a good run.
We've had five, six years here.
We've, we've, we've become, like, we, we are the Skylark.
And this is, she was the Skylark.
She was the Nightingale of the Skylark.
Um.
Uh, and, and, and now, I mean, we came from, from, um,
gosh, it's been so many years.
We were traveling, we were doing shows on the road.
I, I don't, I don't know.
Great.
Um, As,
Larissa - Ulua: as, I'm assuming, the.
Graham, right?
I'm assuming this isn't necessarily a quiet exchange.
Rurik - GM: It's, now that there's nobody here, he's speaking
up a little bit more loudly.
There are other, there are other members of the cast, and I think he's not
speaking loudly enough for them to hear.
and it's since you're up in the higher spaces, you might catch whispers
of what he's saying, but he's not being, and it is a theater space,
so there is a bit of projection
Larissa - Ulua: that happens, but.
Can I, can I just tell if he's
Rurik - GM: upset?
visibly upset.
Okay.
No role.
Larissa - Ulua: am I within 60 feet?
Rurik - GM: yes.
Larissa - Ulua: Okay.
I would like to, cast calm emotions, But I want to center the point to
where essentially he's at the edge of it and the, person, the gnome he's
speaking to is not included in the circle, but as much of the rest of the
orchestra are as well, just to make things a little easier for everyone.
And I'm just, as I, as I, after I cast it, I'm just going to kind of sweetly
call out just, just stay calm, everyone.
We will each be with you shortly.
we want to hear everything you have to share with us.
please have a seat and, and know that we're going to take care of all of this.
Rurik - GM: As he calms down, and it's kind of an abrupt change, Gus, she says
that, and then he's just visibly calmed, more so than your breathing techniques
did at that moment, like, and you, with your history, probably are aware of some
of the ways this could have been done, but as, he takes a moment, he's, Okay, so,
so, uh, the council shouldn't have been here, there's no reason for them to have
been here, and then, unless they want.
They have been after us.
They've, they've, we've been After you in what way?
Speaking truth to power isn't always the brightest move, uh, but we thought we were
being a little bit more cryptic than this.
Um, they, they're silencing
Jason - Gus: The message of your
Rurik - GM: show is Not our show, so to speak, but, um, we We have members who
go below, and as he says below, um, his eyes drop down, but in the way that most
people in Overton know to mean Underton.
And we also work down there.
Um, some of us.
A small group of us.
Jason - Gus: Okay.
What do you do down there, exactly??
Rurik - GM: Roll a persuasion check?
With disadvantage?
All: It's not looking good.
Jason - Gus: seven.
Rurik - GM: We perform for those in, in, in, in need of a good time.
Um, and uh,,
that message, that's, that's one of the songs from Celeste's repertoire.
Well, it's not a song, it's a, it's a lyric.
It's a lyric.
Jason - Gus: I'm going to turn to, Serafina and be like, Could
you get that cookie and message and just put them somewhere safe?
Jess - Seraphina: Yep.
Yep.
Definitely can do that.
Millennia pockets.
I have.
Rurik - GM: Yep.
Serafina collects the evidence.
Jess - Seraphina: While I'm grabbing that, can I also, Get a little,
just like sample of the blood.
Yeah.
Rurik - GM: You can collect a vial of that.
I'm sure you, of all people, have a vial on your person.
Yes.
There's always those interesting little bits and pieces for your work.
Jess - Seraphina: Yeah.
So yeah, I'll collect that, put it somewhere safe, in one
of my very minute pockets.
Collect that vial.
I also want to look around to see if there's any animals,
like little mice, rats, as well.
And that's all I want to do at the moment.
Roll
Rurik - GM: a perception check.
All: Perception!
Uh huh.
Mm hmm.
Ooh!
Twenty two.
Rurik - GM: you see a prop table.
And on the prop table, you see What looks like a mouse in a cage.
All right, and as you walk over to that prop table What I can say to you is that
you get there and there is a prop missing As prop tables often are it is well
labeled and There is a dagger missing
Jess - Seraphina: Dagger is missing Very good.
I told you I knew what I was
All: doing.
Jason - Gus: If he goes over to the mouse, I would like to cast, detect magic.
Rurik - GM: as you cast detect magic, how, what is the range on your detect magic?
Jason - Gus: Five miles, no.
30 feet.
Rurik - GM: If only.
It covers the stage, a bit of the backstage area, and
there's a glow all about you.
As you're used to living in this town, there's always a glow.
out in your home area, there wouldn't be as much of a glow.
but you're used to the city glow.
And as you release the spell, can you describe to me what that looks like?
Jason - Gus: Yeah, actually for me, I am going to Grab my staff and
unscrew the magnifying glass, and then I will cast, detect magic, but
like through the magnifying glass.
Like where I look, that's where I see.
Rurik - GM: Okay.
So yeah, in this 30 foot space, as you peer through, you can see, many
of the props are aglow with magic.
The stage itself is aglow with magic.
There's another glow up above.
Ulua, can you roll your investigation check if you haven't already?
I did.
It was a 15.
As a 15.
Okay, great.
you found a few things as you've gone through, Ulua.
you've found, a ledger.
and it was kind of tucked up at the gantry area, and it's, you can see that there's
a name written on the outside of it, and as you see Gus's eyes go to something
that Gus sees, you also, following his line of sight, see the object.
And it is a dagger that both of you are seeing.
Gus, you can see that this dagger is wrapped in illusion magic.
Larissa - Ulua: so, what's the, can I look at the ledger to see what the name is?
Rurik - GM: Yeah, as you, as you look on the outside of the ledger,
you see, simply written on the top of it, Grundon, stage manager.
Yeah.
Got it.
Larissa - Ulua: as, as I follow the gnomes, line of sight, I am going to say,
just, you know, slightly elevated voice, but not shouting as to alarm anyone.
I, I think I see what you're seeing.
Shall I retrieve it?
Jason - Gus: Yes.
please be careful not to leave your fingerprints or otherwise magic.
Or as such and such on it, if you can.
Larissa - Ulua: Well, I don't know about the second part, but
The first I can certainly manage.
I have silks to spare.
You did.
All: You did.
You did.
Jess - Seraphina: I don't see what y'all are seeing, but,
I do have a lot of gloves.
If you need some gloves.
Larissa - Ulua: I And I pull out just like a random strip of silk.
And you're like, I, I, I should be alright, but if I run out,
I will certainly let you know.
Thank you.
Okay.
And I'm not saying that, like, condescendingly.
I'm, I'm, I'm being earnest.
I
Jason - Gus: will take some gloves if you have to spare.
Jess - Seraphina: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I look at the rat, the mouse, I go, I'm coming back for you.
And I'm gonna run and give him some gloves.
do they fit?
I have, I have bigger, or I guess smaller ones?
Do you need smaller ones?
Is that rude?
These are,
All: these are Do they fit?
Yes.
Okay.
Is that rude?
Jason - Gus: As, as she goes to talk to the mouse and she gets the dagger,
like, I'm gonna just, like, Take some time, think if there's anything
else you feel like we should know.
I'm going to look around the machine and I'm just going to like
take the magnifying glass and like kind of look around the blood pool
and like on the stage and stuff.
Rurik - GM: As you walk around, he continues to follow you and share
with you, that this, this calm effect that's hit him has like left
him in a space where he's really trying to, share as much as he can.
and he, he, he just said, well, you know, we're, we're a tight knit group
of, you know, just like any tight knit group that we have our problems.
I mean, there's.
Yeah.
There's some jealousy, for, for the spotlight and then
we have a costume designer.
She has a gambling debt and she really likes her poisoned embroidery.
So I mean, that, the next thing that makes me, I don't, I don't know, but I really
don't want to cast aspersions on her.
And then we, of course we have the, the, the, the, the,
the, the, the backup singers.
They're, they're just, I mean, well, and he kind of just keeps.
Verbal vomiting, all the little bits and pieces and secrets of the troupe.
Jason - Gus: Who does she owe?
Who did Celeste owe for her gambling
Rurik - GM: debts?
No, no, no, not Celeste.
The costume designer has some gambling debts.
And, and she, because, it's the neck thing, right?
And she has a thing for She has a penchant for poison jewelry, and embroidery,
and, He keeps just spinning his wheels and sharing all these, like Details
about the other members of the troupe.
Okay.
Jason - Gus: Does he say anything about, like, somebody who would be, like,
jealous, would want the lead role?
Rurik - GM: yeah, he does.
He shares, several of, like, pretty much every single name of a female singer.
He comes up with some reason why they might be jealous.
Jason - Gus: Um, could you write down their names and
how to contact them for us?
Rurik - GM: Oh, yes, yes, I mean, we all live here, uh, so that's how
to contact us, but, um, yeah, oh my gosh, I might live with a killer.
Jason - Gus: Do you know if any of those people have connections to
people on the council, to those, to the council's children, to siblings?
Rurik - GM: I mean, we're not from here.
They might be, they might
Jason - Gus: be dating or otherwise engaged.
Rurik - GM: No, no, no, no.
None of our, I mean, we're all from outside the city originally.
I mean, I guess people could have made friends, but, uh, the only
people who are locals are like the stagehands and our manager.
Jason - Gus: I see.
What's the stage manager's name?
Rurik - GM: Uh, Grundon.
I mean, I think he's got some sort of ascended uncle, or Something like that.
They own the building.
That's why he has the job.
Jason - Gus: Nepotism in this business and town.
Not surprising.
Rurik - GM: Lily, you gathered the dagger.
Are you still looking through the, the ledger?
I
Larissa - Ulua: was going, so is it large?
Is it?
Something I can pick up and carry with
Rurik - GM: me?
Oh yeah, it's totally, yeah.
Okay.
I'm going to It's slightly bigger than a small folio.
It's a
Jason - Gus: dagger, but it's like Thor's hammer.
You cannot pick it up.
No,
Rurik - GM: not
Larissa - Ulua: the dagger, the ledger.
All: Oh, it's a dagger.
Jason - Gus: It's a scabbard.
Whosoever picks up this book shall gain the powers of Thor.
Larissa - Ulua: Mm hmm.
So I, I'm going to, as I, I have the ledger in one arm, I have the scabbard.
wrapped my hand in silk and used it to pick up the dagger and I'm just kind of
holding it like gingerly, but firmly, in order, and I'm, so as to not try to
impress any of my natural presence on it.
and I'm going to make my way down back to, the gnome and, I'm just
going to hold out the dagger and, and, and say, here, here, here you are.
Jason - Gus: my name is, you can call me Gus.
take it.
Thank you.
Larissa - Ulua: Gus, Ulua.
Nice to meet you.
Likewise.
I found this above.
and it belongs to the stage manager.
I think he might be worth.
Speaking to, I tend to have a way with people, but if you want to
accompany me, I'm, I'm more than happy to speak to him together.
yes,
Jason - Gus: I think, I think that's a good idea based on what
the maestro here has been telling
Larissa - Ulua: me.
Okay.
and, the, the other, where, I heard her off her gloves, but I don't
see where she went after that.
Jason - Gus: She's
Rurik - GM: by the prop table.
As you both turn towards the prop table, take a moment to pause there.
Serafina, you're with the rat.
What are you doing?
Jess - Seraphina: I wanted to, I don't remember how to, how it
actually works, so let me see.
All: How to play D& D.
Rurik - GM: Let's see.
The fun thing is everybody's rolled back from level 20 characters to these low
level characters and it's like, the joy of a new character plus the, oh yeah.
I
All: can't do that yet!
Jason - Gus: Oh yeah, maybe a 12 is still good though.
Jess - Seraphina: Yeah.
So, so as I was saying before, Uh, Seraphina has a lot of horns, so to
explain them a little bit more, there's two little ones like right here,
she has two that are about here that spiral, so they're like, you know,
but they go like back and up a little.
The one on her right is Broken at the tip, And then the last one is sort of
from like, Kind of like headphones, they kind of like start here, And
they wrap around, And they stop about here ish, And they're all covered in
like, Little dangly bits and jewels and, You know, they're all prettified.
As well as her hair is just all tangled up in it as well.
But, one of the gems that she has, has a little rune on it.
and I grab it and I touch it so that I can speak with the mouse.
Rat.
Mouse rat.
for speak with animals.
You
Rurik - GM: cast speak with animals.
Jess - Seraphina: And I, I like, I go on the table like this.
And I go, hello.
Rurik - GM: She Oh.
All: Is that you?
Rurik - GM: That's me.
You speak rat?
Right now.
Holy shit.
All: You
Jess - Seraphina: have a fun vocabulary.
Rurik - GM: Fuckin yeah.
I'm a rat.
I mean, I got a good gig here, so I'm not really gonna spoil it.
So if I need to stop cussing, I'll stop cussing.
I didn't realize you could speak rat.
No, no, no, no.
Jess - Seraphina: You can, you totally can.
All: Tell me what
Rurik - GM: I fuckin should do and shouldn't and shit.
Nope.
Jess - Seraphina: Damn.
You like it here.
You like it
Rurik - GM: here?
Oh yeah, bitch.
This is great.
They treat you well?
Oh, fuckin Look at this.
Fresh shavings, food.
Eh, who couldn't fuck him over?
The bath, not so much a fan of, but hey, hey, hey, hey.
I've never felt fluffier.
Well, you can't smell
Jess - Seraphina: bad.
hey, well, since you're doing great, you know, I'll let you stay, I'll let you be.
Um, you didn't by any chance, like, see, see anything weird, see anyone?
Because you're always here on the prop table, right?
Eh, mostly, yeah.
And I know, and I know that, uh, people when they do this type
of things, you know, they kind of have a set way of doing it.
They do it the same way every time.
Oh yeah.
Was anything different this time?
All: Oh yeah, yeah,
Rurik - GM: yeah.
That bitch, she picked up her fortune cookie early.
Uh, I don't think she usually fucking has that thing in her hand, but I think,
uh, somebody put it in her hand and she just, like, fucking, like, looked at it
and was like, oh shit, yeah, whatever.
And then, um That thing and he kind of like with his little mousey nose points to
the empty space where there is a dagger.
I don't know why anybody keeps around a rat encrusted dagger like that shit.
Those fuckers are dangerous, you know?
Jess - Seraphina: So the fortune cookie, it's a prop.
Rurik - GM: No, no, no, no.
It's her cookie.
She sings the thing and it tells her, well.
Anyways, if you sing it right, like she does, it tells you shit.
The cookie tells you stuff.
Yeah, she always wants to know how she did, so she always sings, you
know, that song during it, and then the cookie apparently fucking whispers
in her ear or some fucking shit, I don't know what the hell she does.
Anyways, sings her song, and then, like, I think in the performance, she either,
like, glows, or she fucking looks like she's pissed off and she just died.
I don't know.
Some dumbass piece of human mage-y shit.
Jess - Seraphina: Oh, right, right, yeah.
Of course, mage-y shit.
All: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Uh,
Rurik - GM: it's But, did you see that fucking dagger that they have?
I don't know where the fuck that shit thing is, but, my god, damn it.
That, that thing's dangerous.
Jess - Seraphina: What, why, why, other than the fact that it's sharp?
Is there extra stuff to it?
Rurik - GM: Oh, it's, it's written in rat.
Nobody writes shit in rat.
That's a terrible idea.
You don't write shit in rat.
No rats don't write shit in rat.
Wait, can you read rat?
Well, I'm a fucking rat.
Duh.
Jess - Seraphina: Well, I don't want to assume that you can read, you know?
Rurik - GM: You think I'm illiterate?
You fucking tall things!
You're always fucking picking on the small things.
I am.
Just cause I live in the sewers.
Well, not now.
I guess I live in the penthouse now, so maybe I'm a fucking tall thing now.
Ah, shit.
Jess - Seraphina: I'm sorry.
That was very rude of
All: me.
I might be.
Mother.
Ah, shit.
Jess - Seraphina: I'm so sorry.
I shouldn't have assumed anything.
Please, please breathe.
I might have a snack.
Do you want a snack?
All: The
Rurik - GM: little
All: rat faints.
Nyeh!
I'm
Jess - Seraphina: going to pick the cage up and I'm going to bring it over
to everyone and I'll be like, this rat the dagger you found, the dagger has rat
on it and he can he can read it, but um he fainted because I was rude and uh,
assumed things I shouldn't have assumed.
Serafina, you hear whispered.
Rurik - GM: Oh, fuck.
I think she believes I fainted.
She fucking brought me over to these fuckers.
Oh, shit.
Oh, you're not.
All: You're not.
Oh, hi.
Rurik - GM: Hi.
No, I'm dead.
Dead.
Died.
You killed me.
Murderer.
Jess - Seraphina: You're a very good actor.
I see why they hired you to be a part of their show.
Rat is playing possum.
Uh, yeah.
Yeah, he is.
Um, I'm
Rurik - GM: not a fucking a possum.
You tell that fucking little giant monster of a fucker.
I am a rat.
I am a distinguished member of the rat.
I didn't see that little
Jess - Seraphina: bitch rat died.
He says that you're a bitch and that he is a rat, not a possum.
And he's a very distinguished rat from the rat, rat dynasty.
Mr.
Rat.
Rurik - GM: I don't know.
I'm making shit up as a fucking do.
I'm a rat.
He's certainly
Jess - Seraphina: not making shit up as he goes.
Rurik - GM: Goddamn right.
I like you.
You're my bitch.
Oh.
All: Is that good?
Jason - Gus: I don't know.
Ratty Highness.
What does the dagger say?
Jess - Seraphina: Do you mind reading it?
And then I can let them know what it says.
I assume you two don't read rat.
I don't read rat.
All: You don't read
Rurik - GM: rat?
You speak rat?
Are you illiterate?
I
All: am.
I am.
Really?
Rurik - GM: Because you are the one who's fucking illiterate?
Jess - Seraphina: Yes.
I put my own issues onto you, and I do apologize.
Will you help
Rurik - GM: us, please?
You're as bad as that stage manager?
Mother!
What's wrong with this stage manager?
Nothing, I don't know, I don't know, I don't, I don't know.
Ulua's ears pick
Larissa - Ulua: up.
Jess - Seraphina: But what?
No, I, I thought I was your
Rurik - GM: bitch!
I mean, you are, you're my bitch, but like, The dude cut the tail
off the last one with my job.
I ain't fucking touching that shit.
Well, I won't let him cut your tail off.
I'm reading your dagger.
That's it.
Jess - Seraphina: Okay.
Okay.
Read the dagger.
And then I lean over to them and I'm like, There's something
wrong with that stage manager.
Rurik - GM: He says.
Little nose twitches.
There's also something fucking wrong with the costume designer.
You know she tried to embroider something for me?
I'm a freaking rat.
What the hell is it?
And that says, uh, with Can you turn it a little to the side?
Hey,
All: short
Jess - Seraphina: bitch!
Short bitch!
I think that's you.
I'm sorry, I'm just translating.
He's asking you to turn it.
Rurik - GM: Damn it.
These people are idiots.
Why is he spinning around?
You're gonna make me sick, you
Jess - Seraphina: dumbass!
Stop spinning it, he says.
You're gonna make him sick.
And then a mean word.
Jason - Gus: Turn it slower.
Rurik - GM: Alright, alright, okay.
My name is Oh, it's like a I want that dagger.
Well, I can't hold it.
But like, it's a dagger to turn you invisible.
Jess - Seraphina: Ugh.
Is it like a spell that you say so that you can become that?
Or Is it directions?
Is it You know,
All: Rat,
Rurik - GM: it's not exactly the foremost of complex languages.
So, um It's just, it's some fuckery about, uh, you hold it, sneak around,
and then when you sneak around, it knows your intent and then it, whoosh,
you're, you're, you're, you're, you're
Jess - Seraphina: invisible.
Okay.
Um, and I'm going to hand the rat, uh, excuse me, a very pretty lady.
Um, can, can you hold the cage for a moment?
You're
Rurik - GM: going to put me in that?
Jess - Seraphina: She's pretty, just for a second.
She is not
Rurik - GM: pretty.
Look at her,
Jess - Seraphina: where's her feather?
He thinks you're very pretty, just like I do.
Can you hold him?
Of
Larissa - Ulua: course.
Would, um, I have some very, very well aged cheese for a snack.
Would
Jess - Seraphina: you like any?
Hey, he has cheese, she has cheese, you want it?
Cheese?
Rurik - GM: Cheap and good.
Yeah.
Jess - Seraphina: Bring it.
Okay.
Yeah, you'd like it.
Okay.
Larissa - Ulua: Um, I always like to keep snacks handy.
Everybody loves a snack.
Jess - Seraphina: Okay, um, can I see the dagger?
All: Okay,
Jess - Seraphina: I'm gonna, I'm gonna hold the dagger and I'm gonna sneak.
Sneak, sneak, sneak, sneak, sneak.
Do like a sneak.
Try to like sneak around everyone.
So that they can't see me and see if I can become invisible.
Because I haven't said that it does invisible yet.
I just Roll a stealth
Rurik - GM: check.
Jess - Seraphina: I can do that.
I'm very stealthy.
That's not a D20.
Okay, there it is.
All: Was it a D12?
I don't know what it was.
Okay.
Jess - Seraphina: Stealth.
Rurik - GM: The dodecahedron of random.
Jess - Seraphina: Mm.
Okay.
. Plus.
Three, so, eighteen.
Rurik - GM: Eighteen.
Uh, you, utilizing your abilities, getting around things and being a little
bit able to Thinking of my brother.
Channeling your brother.
What is your intent while you're trying to sneak?
My
Jess - Seraphina: intent is to, sneak up on the, the are you a gnome, Jason?
To sneak up on the gnome and, and, nnnn.
Poke him in the back.
Jason - Gus: Hopefully
Jess - Seraphina: not with the dagger.
Not with the dagger.
Rurik - GM: As you sneak up on the gnome to poke him in
the back, you feel the dagger
start to feed from your intent, but then you feel it halt and
you do not turn invisible.
And you hear a voice in your head say, No blood, no love.
Jess - Seraphina: And that was in my head?
Can I think in my head, where else do you think, um, is it, is it my blood
or can
I'm gonna take the vial of blood that I had and put a tiny little
drop of blood on the, on the dagger.
You know, I probably have like a squeezy, like
Rurik - GM: a dropper.
You have a little pipette you're putting in.
Yeah.
Move.
Nothing happens.
Just watching
Jason - Gus: her, like, crouching and sneaking around, putting
blood on the dagger, like,
Jess - Seraphina: Oh, oh!
It's going to be really cool, just give me one more second.
And then I'm going to, , spells, cast, something.
Which is, Identify!
At the first level.
Rurik - GM: Awesome.
You cast Identify and you find out that this dagger, used in
one murder, is currently sated, but is a dagger of murder.
When the intent is to murder.
It will hide the wielder.
Oh!
Until the deed is accomplished and the murderer has escaped.
Oh!
But the intent has to be to murder.
Oh my gosh, I go
Jess - Seraphina: and I give it back to the gnome.
I go, , thank you very much.
You can have that back, kind sir.
Uh, there you go.
Uh, I'll take my friend back from you, pretty lady.
Did you,
Larissa - Ulua: did you discover anything?
Oh.
Jess - Seraphina: Yes.
Sorry.
I've been doing this by myself a lot lately.
I gotta tell you.
Okay.
Sorry.
I fully understand.
Larissa - Ulua: This is, I'm not usually a, a group project.
Well, I'm used to doing it
Jess - Seraphina: with people, a person, but it's been a while.
Anyways, um, that's a, that's a dagger of murder.
So, um, if your intent when you're holding it is to kill, um, it's going to make you
invisible until you have done the deed.
And gotten away.
That's what that is.
Well,
Larissa - Ulua: that's
All: oddly
Rurik - GM: specific.
Jason - Gus: How the murder was I'm gonna like wrap this thing up real
good and like put it in my bag.
Larissa - Ulua: I'm going to, just kind of saunter.
But not like in a overtly sexual way.
Just that's kind of my natural walk, uh, over.
Yes.
Shake your ass.
No, just, just, um, Just softer.
All: No,
Larissa - Ulua: think, think like, um, Victor in, uh, Miss Congeniality.
Look at me, I'm floating.
Like, yeah.
All: You
Larissa - Ulua: sashay away.
No, sashay is different.
Sashay is definitely more, hippie.
I'm going to walk over, approach the conductor.
And, , say, , I noticed there's, , and, and, and they
mentioned a, a stage manager.
, Grendan, is he
Rurik - GM: here?
I haven't been able to find him.
Where, he should be here.
I don't know what I'm going to do.
We're going to get shut down.
The council's going to take us out.
Larissa - Ulua: I'm, I'm sure they, no, I'm sure that's not,
that's not going to happen.
, Does he live around here?
Is there somewhere that he's most likely to be if we want to find
him to see if he saw anything?
Rurik - GM: Yeah, I'm sure he, he's, he's I mean, he's part of the community.
I think he actually doesn't live here.
He lives between here and the council, the hall of council buildings, , sublets
or has a room with one of those bigger houses over that direction.
Larissa - Ulua: All right.
Do you happen to have an address?
Rurik - GM: Yeah.
Yeah.
, it's, Lord of the Inquiries house.
I'm assuming you know where that is because they don't do addresses
so much at that residence area.
Yeah.
Larissa - Ulua: Correct.
Not that I'm aware of.
This has been very helpful.
Thank you.
And, as one performer to another, I can assure you that
our kind always bounce back.
And even if you don't perform here, there will always be a place to perform.
And if you need a space to, you know, maybe for a temporary performance,
maybe for, , in between shows to promote your next project, , you
should certainly check out Cecilia's.
or Celia's, , spirits and sundries in, , what is it?
Cragside crowds.
I can never remember what I said.
Cragside crowds.
She's always, she, she always opens up her stage to, to anyone
looking to, , promote their art.
So she's, you just let her know, Ulu has sent you and, , she'll get you set up.
Yeah.
Rurik - GM: Well, we'll got to figure out this whole, this whole thing is.
Put us all out of sorts.
So, uh, we'll figure it out.
Um, I, I gotta, I guess I gotta clean up
All: and
Rurik - GM: reassure the cast.
So, uh, if you need me, I'll be here.
I mean, where else would we go?
Thank you for
Larissa - Ulua: everything, Graham.
You've been extremely helpful.
And she just kind of, , , like a, kind of like just under the
chin, kind of like reassuring.
Rurik - GM: Do I know her from somewhere?
Jess - Seraphina: As he starts to leave Can I, uh, be like, oh, uh, the rat, you
can't just leave him here by himself.
You don't wanna be left here, do you, uh,
, Rurik - GM: he kind of turns to look at you for a moment.
Just put him back in his cage and then you hear the rat go.
I mean, are are they going out of business here?
Are they, are they dead?
Are they failing?
Is this bullshit over?
Jess - Seraphina: No, no.
I just don't know if, do you just live on the prop table?
Is that where you just stay?
Rurik - GM: Yeah.
I mean, unless they make a take a bath, that shit sucks.
So.
Jess - Seraphina: Oh, okay.
My bad.
Okay.
I'll just put you back on the prop table then.
I'm gonna go put him back on the prop table.
He's got I
Rurik - GM: just didn't want you to leave him.
Chunk of your cheese and he's like been sniffing it but not eating it.
Just eyeing you warily.
, Larissa - Ulua: as, as she goes to put him back, I'm just gonna say, um, before,
before we leave, you said he mentioned something about the stage manager.
Is there anything else that he Has to share or, , that he thinks we should
know, , I think he's next, right?
Right.
Might be next on our list to visit.
Jess - Seraphina: Go talk to, . Uh, do you have a name, little friend?
Not little.
I mean, you're just littler to me.
I didn't mean like you're small.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Rurik - GM: Big people, small problems.
Whatever.
No, I don't have a name.
I'm a rat.
You don't have a name?
Jess - Seraphina: Do you want a name?
No.
How do I address you?
My god.
Okay, got it.
So, my god.
Uh, you had mentioned that,
All: uh, He's
Jess - Seraphina: laughing at me.
I'm not really sure why.
Okay, um, so, my god.
He, uh, you said that.
You said that the stage manager, that he was mean or
All: something?
Yeah,
Rurik - GM: yeah, he was mean.
He was nasty.
Why?
I don't know.
Whatever.
People are always mean.
They don't like rats.
Jess - Seraphina: My God, you have to tell
Rurik - GM: me.
It's all good.
Oh, man.
All: Oh,
Rurik - GM: I'm a rat bastard.
Jess - Seraphina: I'm not totally sure what that means, but um, I'd love to
hear more about the ma the sage manager.
Is he mean to you?
Rurik - GM: You just hear cheeps of a rat.
All: Dang it!
Jess - Seraphina: I can't talk to him anymore.
Larissa - Ulua: Oh, um, maybe
Jess - Seraphina: I mean, we could come back and visit him.
Larissa - Ulua: Well, if they end up moving house, we may
not know where he ends up.
Do you think we could
All: borrow
Jess - Seraphina: him?
I mean, he's a prop.
You can't remove a prop from a prop table.
I mean, I know I just did, but like I brought it
Jason - Gus: back.
I don't, I don't think the show will be going on without it's star.
So,
Larissa - Ulua: I mean, I would certainly like to ask permission.
I wouldn't do so without.
Yeah.
Yeah, I mean, we could go ask.
I mean, he likes it here.
Rurik - GM: Who's going to go ask for permission and they'll just have
whoever it is roll a persuasion check?
Larissa - Ulua: Uh, I mean, I'm, I'm happy to.
I, I, I understand that, you know, working in the stage that, , normally
it's the stage manager in charge of the props, but since he's not here, , I, I'm
assuming the conductor may be the next in line in terms of, seniority hierarchy.
I, I don't.
Jess - Seraphina: You said you are in this world, you'd know more than I do.
Yeah.
I, I just know it's prop table.
Larissa - Ulua: I'm just going to, um, I'm going to, can I just borrow, just
quickly,
Jess - Seraphina: just borrow?
Borrow what?
What do you want?
Oh, him?
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
He's in the cage.
You should go for it.
Larissa - Ulua: You don't like the cheese?
Um, uh, I can maybe try to find a different one that's, that's
just my favorite, but you know, everyone's tastes different.
, and I, , just kind of gingerly walk over, uh, back to Graham and
I go, I'm so sorry to bother you.
I know you have a million things on your mind.
, I just have one more question.
, it seems, uh, your, your prop rat, uh, may have some more useful information.
, , for us, and I know that sounds, uh, silly, but every being has eyes and, , a memory
and, and, and can speak in their own way.
And so, You want to
Rurik - GM: borrow the rat?
Larissa - Ulua: Yes, I, we just,
All: we don't Roll a persuasion check.
Dim
Larissa - Ulua: lighting.
19?
Rurik - GM: Oh!
Take, take the rat, take the rat.
You're a rat now.
Okay.
Alright, uh, folks, let's gather together and he's just, he's off
getting his group together and trying to , figure out a way to debrief
the whole situation that's occurred.
Jason - Gus: Only question I have is when I was looking around the blood
and stuff, was there any Footprints, or like anything, like, leading
Rurik - GM: away.
Roll an investigation check.
All: Good thought.
He's stinky.
He's tall.
Rurik - GM: That's going to be said a lot in this movie.
Eleven.
There's a lot of disturbance around here between, failed investigators being
here, um, the various people who've, who ran about right after things.
It, there's a lot of different disturbances to the blood.
None of them are particularly noteworthy or, , clear.
, but you can see that there have been several footprints through the blood.
, but those all happened after the blood fell.
Can I,
Jason - Gus: um, roll an insight check to see if I feel like maybe
it was intentionally obfuscated?
Rurik - GM: Go ahead and roll that insight check to see if there's
any intent behind these movements.
What is that?
Eleven.
Eleven!
It's difficult to tell.
Eleven!
It could have been.
It also could have just been the natural situation of this really
badly botched investigation.
Scotland!
And with that, we are going to stop and come back to you next week with
the epic conclusion of This Foul Aria.
Hope you find your pod.
And buh bye!
All: Okay, bye!
Oh, okay, bye!