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C2 Ep. 14 Dragon’s First Breath Chapter Three
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Things have quickly gone bad at Milhatch Research HQ. Will Reynard and Erys be able to clear a path out of the facility, or will their rising nemesis finally get the best of them?
This episode is brought to you by the generous donations of our amazing Show Sponsors: Laura Pickrahn, Darrin Katzska, Irene Viorritto, Ryan Royce, Darrell DeLaney, Jessica Smith, Charles Compton, Richard Cree, Nastasia Raulerson, The Kamm Family, David Scrams, Elizabeth Clark, Andy Dossett, Rebekah Miller, deviouspoptart, Eðvarð Arnór Sigurðsson, Michael Clark, Eric Witman, and Dustin Troupe.
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Transcript
Gratitude and Community Support
00:00:00
Speaker
The following episode is brought to you by Darryl Delaney, Ryan Royce, Darren Katska, Jessica Smith, Irene Villarito, Laura Pickron, Eric Whitman, Deavius Poptart, Elizabeth Clark, Andy Dossett, Natasha Rallerson, Richard Cree, The Cam Family, Charles Compton, Edvard Tharnoff, Dustin Troop, Rebecca Miller, Michael Clark, and David Scrams, along with all of our generous patrons.
00:00:36
Speaker
D20 radio, your game is roll.
Reynard's Dual Life
00:01:15
Speaker
Hello and welcome to everyone renewed. I am Eric and I am joined by Trevor today for our little cold open segment. Hello, Trevor. Hello. And yeah, so we'll just dive right into it and establish the scene. So, Reynard, you obviously you used to live in the upper crusts of the city and now are slumming it with our lovable crew of outlaws.
00:01:40
Speaker
But you and I spoke and it's totally reasonable that Raynard would probably try to find opportunities to venture back up to the upper levels of the city. Yes. To kind of chase the the wealth he once had. He's got to get that rush. How often would you say Raynard goes up to attend fancy dress parties? I would say if he's not. At the theater or a job,
00:02:09
Speaker
And there's a party going on. He's there. So. OK. You know, maybe twice a month if they're happening. So let me ask you this. Do the so obviously going up to parties that frequently, there's probably faces that recognize Raynard and he's familiar with are the quote unquote friends that Raynard has in the upper parts of the city aware of the fact that he now lives in the lower parts of the city.
00:02:38
Speaker
Or does Raynard still try to keep up heirs that he's still one of them and lives amongst the wealthy? I think it's very much a like change of subject situation for Raynard when anything comes up of of that matter. Where are you living now? Yeah. Yeah.
Masquerade and Secrets
00:02:54
Speaker
And I think it's definitely like a different
00:02:57
Speaker
maybe not a completely different set of friends than he had, but it's not like it wouldn't be like the best friends or the cousins or anything that were a part of his life before. So. For sure. OK, that's really interesting. OK, well, tonight is another such night. There's a fancy party going on and it's a masquerade, in fact. So. So what does Raynard wear for such occasions?
00:03:28
Speaker
So, Raynard has a mask that kind of resembles an owl. And in the sense that there are like little individual kind of... Oh, what's the shape I'm looking for? Not teardrop, but they have like the little kind of the end of like a spade, you know? The swoops. Yeah. A feather, a feather, a feather.
00:03:57
Speaker
Just to keep things simple. What's that shape on an owl? What's that thing birds have? It's like a little feather that none of them are feathers though. They're made out of things like leather or he I would say Raynard had just enough like
00:04:18
Speaker
kind of gold stashed away that maybe every once in a while there's one made out of gold. So it's still he still can present himself as wealthy. So it kind of it's a mask and I would say it kind of forms into also like a little neck piece and shoulder piece that kind of just sits on top of the nicer clothes. OK, but it's still like the the actual face covering is still like a half mask like his his mouth is still mouth is visible.
Social Dynamics at the Party
00:04:48
Speaker
Got to have your mouth visible. So, OK. Whose party are you attending? I'll throw that on you. Oh, OK. I didn't know that was happening. It's called improv, Trevor. Oh, yes, and yes, and I've been improving.
00:05:12
Speaker
I couldn't think of feathers. That's how much I was improvving. Should have mixed something up. So I would say this is. This is. Maybe somebody doesn't exactly know, but it is an invitation he received from an acquaintance who he's kind of getting to know better through these parties. And this is the like acquaintances
00:05:39
Speaker
friend that it's it's like going to be the plus one of an acquaintance, basically. So. OK, cool. Who's the acquaintance? God. The hits keep coming. This is because neither of us were prepared. No, so the acquaintance would be probably someone that Raynard went to school with.
00:06:09
Speaker
or studied with and didn't really keep in like didn't weren't necessarily friends during that time didn't really keep in touch but Reynard's kind of
00:06:20
Speaker
using him a little and his prowess to to get into these things. OK. And just for a quick like production note standpoint, in the upper parts of the city, what I'm kind of envisioning from a aesthetic is capital hunger games kind of thing like this super opulent garish like everybody's voguing constantly kind of atmosphere.
00:06:46
Speaker
So then I have four foot eyelashes as well. Underneath your alamath, though, so they're just pressed up against just a centimeter of eyesight, really. OK, so OK, great. So old college buddy that you've been attending some of the parties with. Let's say male. Let's say male. OK.
00:07:13
Speaker
And so, yeah, he has invited you to attend this party as his plus one and fancy, fancy ball masquerade kind of situation.
Meeting Detective Mordane
00:07:26
Speaker
So, yeah, you you take a sky coach up to the upper parts of the city. And as you exit into this district, it's very clear that.
00:07:38
Speaker
this party, like many parties that you attend, is the buzz of this district and that as soon as you step off of the sky,
00:07:47
Speaker
As soon as you step off onto the skydock, people are standing around in their masks looking very fabulous, very well dressed. You're pretty familiar with a type of garment called glamour weave, which is really fashionable in the upper parts of the city where the clothing actually has holographic projections coming off of it. So you see one woman in a larger than life
00:08:13
Speaker
evening gown with and it's projecting a dragon like circling her shoulders and flying around and breathing fire occasionally. So just cool stuff like that. And you see your friend standing out in front waves at you. He's wearing a wolf mask is the the animal that that he is elected to wear. Oh, Raynard, hey, over here.
00:08:40
Speaker
Oh God, do I have to name him? If you want, or I can name him. I don't know why, but the first thing that came to mind was Kipling. Kipling? Okay. I don't know why. Go with it. Yep. Oh crap, the voice.
00:08:59
Speaker
Oh, yes. Hello, Kipling. Hey, are you are you ready to hop inside? Absolutely. Let's go. All right. By the way, there's there's someone here that I. You might lose me partway through the night, just a heads up. There's somebody here that I'm looking to get some alone time with. Oh, a lover, eh? Hopefully, but not making it a big deal. Just yeah.
00:09:28
Speaker
So just be cool. And if you lose me, maybe don't try to find me too quickly. All right. Well, I hope you have a hoot. Because I have an owl mask. Yes. All right. Let's go in. The joke is always funnier when you explain it, Reynard. OK, let's go.
00:09:49
Speaker
So you all walk in. He flashes the invitation and, you know, grand staircase in the middle to marble floors circling. And. So let's talk real quick, Rainard, has has your time in the lower parts of the city affected your perspective on this level of opulence
Class and Identity Discussion
00:10:10
Speaker
at all? Because obviously this used to be your day to day life, but now
00:10:14
Speaker
You lead a very different life day to day and you see a different side of the city. So has Raynard's perspective shifted a whole lot yet or is he still? I don't think yet. I think it's very much like a light switch. You know, as soon as he starts going up above a certain point of the city, it's like, OK, I'm in. I'm like I've flipped the switch. I'm back in in this kind of mode. OK, so.
00:10:40
Speaker
So so Raynard doesn't really see the he doesn't have any kind of disgust for this level of opulence or anything yet. I think if anything, it's more of like a. If there were any kind of odd feeling about it, it'd be like, I wish I still had this kind of thing, like a jealousy kind of thing, so. Gotcha. OK.
00:11:01
Speaker
So you and Kipling are doing a circle. You stop at the refreshments table as Kipling is getting a glass of champagne and hands one to you. So, Reynard, what have you been doing lately? I only see you for these parties. I don't really see you around town much anymore.
00:11:25
Speaker
Well, you know me, I spend most of my time at the theater if I have the opportunity. If not, I just busy myself with work. Oh, good. OK. Oh, did you did you catch the the showing at the Grand Theatre last week of The Carnathy Princess? Yes, absolutely. It was quite thrilling. That ending. It definitely finished the show, didn't it?
00:11:56
Speaker
And Kipling is too distracted keeping an eye out for his potential new friend to really call you out on any potential vagaries that you had. So you all continue to circle about anything you'd like to talk to Kipling about? Yes. Oh, man.
00:12:24
Speaker
Let's try to think of a fun way to word it. So any any clues on this elusive person you're meeting? I'd love to know. Well, you know, I love the gossip. Well, not to. It's kind of on the nose. I plan my mask around hers, but she'll be wearing a sheep's mask when we spot her.
00:12:49
Speaker
Oh, I know it was. I. It was her idea. That's a lie. It was my idea. I don't know why I lied about that, but so I should be looking for a mouse then. I suppose you should. Are you looking for anybody? No.
00:13:12
Speaker
That was in character. Or was that Raynard going? No. Yes, that was Raynard. OK, here's another establishing question about Raynard's past. Did Raynard at any point kind of gallivant about in that sense or has Raynard kind of not really been into the dating scene a whole lot?
00:13:39
Speaker
No, he's way too selfish. Okay. He is. Hey. I got the one trait that I remember I am. I'm going to stick with it, okay? Fair enough. Oh, one day, Raynard, one day you'll find somebody to make something out of you. And Kipling kind of nudges you with his elbow.
00:14:07
Speaker
And then he's just chugs the rest of that champagne. And then. As your mid chug, you hear Kipling say, Oh, got to go. And you see Kipling crossing the dance floor as you lower your glass down with towards this.
00:14:30
Speaker
So so we didn't even establish really. You you kind of created Kipling human elf. What what race were you envisioning Kipling? Elf. OK. Yeah. So Kipling kind of crosses the the dance floor towards this dwarf woman that wearing a sheep's mask. And you Raynard
00:14:59
Speaker
kind of shutter a bit at the rather garish little bow peep dress that she's wearing with the sheep's mask. The aesthetic is a bit too on the nose for your liking, but. So, yeah, so what do you do now that you've been left alone at this party? Well, the champagne glasses empty, so we're going to set it down and grabs another. OK, and just kind of start circling the edge of the dance floor, looking around, kind of
00:15:29
Speaker
Not necessarily paranoid, but still kind of keeping an eye out just in case somebody doesn't
Eberron Renewed Recap
00:15:36
Speaker
want to see us there. OK. But just kind of watching now what's happening with his friend dancing with someone he did not expect. So, yeah, you're you're kind of circling about keeping an eye on your friend, but also keep any eyes out for anybody from past feeling from your family.
00:15:58
Speaker
And because you're you're kind of keeping an eye out, you don't notice as you kind of pause on the perimeter of the dance floor. You don't notice until you hear the voice, you hear somebody next to you say. So taking a night off and coming to live amongst the upper crust like you used to.
00:16:23
Speaker
And you turn and see somebody whose face is obscured by a mouse mask. Oh, and it's just a very much kind of a masquerade like half mask, no head covering or anything. So you can pretty easily recognize the hair and the lower part of the face as the detective that took you in a few weeks, about a month ago.
00:16:52
Speaker
And she's she's wearing not a extravagant dress, just kind of something simple yet appropriate for the setting. And she's holding a glass of champagne to. Mr. Turnvale, her last name is Mordane, Detective Mordane. That's that came out very like Bon James, but Mordane, Detective Mordane, Detective Mordane.
00:17:20
Speaker
So but you knew that after like after your first run in with her, that her last name was Mordane, Verla Mordane. Is her first name. So. What do you say in response, Renard? Detective Mordane, well. Trying to think of a good mouse pun, but I'm at a loss for words, really.
00:17:46
Speaker
It's fair. I surprised you know who I am. Quit squeaking. So why aren't you down in the slums with your buddies? I have many buddies and I just happen to be here with one of them tonight, so. Hmm.
00:18:13
Speaker
Fortunate for you that not everybody you knew up here cut and ran when everything happened? Yes, well, I did have to evolve a few friendships, I guess you could call them, to elevate some kind of status. I do what I can, you know.
00:18:35
Speaker
She would be a detective like in the lower parts of Sharn, right? Yeah. Yeah. So so the Sharn City Watch I'm envisioning in in our version of the city is very much like a metropolitan police department where there's different districts, different stations. So she wouldn't be working a case up here. OK. So what caused you to climb your way up here? Oh, you know, I'm
00:19:04
Speaker
Not a detective 24 seven. I like to have fun, cut loose every now and then. Or masquerade. Or maybe I'm deep undercover entailing you. Entailing me for what? Oh, I mean. I feel like that list would be too long, Reynard.
00:19:35
Speaker
Well, it's been a while since I've done anything terribly illegal. Oh, that's funny. No. I know that you are not the biggest fish to fry in your district or this one, so sadly you wouldn't warrant enough of my time. Well, for once you've caught my interest. I must know. Why are you here?
00:20:05
Speaker
Oh, why I'm here tonight. Sadly, it's purely for non-business reasons. I'm here as the esteemed guest of the host of the party. So.
00:20:24
Speaker
esteemed guest well and she rolls her rolls her eyes at you repeating that that phrase i'm in the presence of the esteemed guest hold on let's get another glass of champagne for a toast shall we enough that yes yes it's absurd and ridiculous but i think flaunting that title on me made him think that
00:20:49
Speaker
it would get him further than his personality would ever hope to. Well... Oh, I wanted to ask something, but then that would give away that I wasn't really supposed to be there. I mean, Raynard's not the sharpest when it comes to that kind of thing. That's true. That's a real truth. Okay. Well, who is this host I've heard so much about?
00:21:20
Speaker
Oh, how did you manage an invitation if you don't know the host? Well, I don't bother knowing every host if I'm invited. The host is some bigwig up here in the upper parts of the city. Rich, powerful, I think honestly it's not
00:21:45
Speaker
uh, any romantic interest that he's desiring to get out of making me his esteemed guest, but rather the, the apathy of my department. Well, that explains why you dress so modestly then. Easy. This is the best thing I could find. Well, not all of us, not all of us have such large closets as U-turn veil. Well,
00:22:15
Speaker
Size doesn't matter. When is this host going to make an appearance? It's his party. Where is he? Oh, I doubt he's going to make an appearance for some time now, if at all. He likes to throw these parties and then keep everybody waiting and clamoring to gain his good favor before actually showing his face. But. His he's new in town named Solomon Callaway, but. Giant man. With a bigger personality.
00:22:47
Speaker
But- Well, what an oddly forgettable name. Yeah. I feel like he might be up to something. I don't know. I don't have a good feeling about him, but occupational hazard, I suppose. I don't have a good feeling about you yet. Here I am talking to you.
00:23:12
Speaker
And she kind of gives you a smirk. He's rich. That's what he does. He's never mentioned any kind of industry or occupation, just he is wealthy. And because he is wealthy, he continues to gain wealth. Well, no need for further explanation. I've seen men like that around my father all the time. Oh, I can't imagine what kind of
00:23:41
Speaker
flies the dragon marked houses attract. But anyway, this has been lovely, but I suppose I best go find my date. And I must get another glass of champagne. Good see you turn veil. Something like that. And she walks across the dance floor towards the grand staircase. OK.
00:24:08
Speaker
Well, hopefully you all enjoyed that, Trevor. Hopefully you enjoyed that. There were some good nuggets of Reynard personality that came out through that, so that was fun.
00:24:20
Speaker
And we got to learn at least one mystery woman's name. There you go. Eventually. Perhaps we'll learn the other one. Perhaps we'll learn the other ones in this upcoming episode of Eberron Renewed.
Lab Challenges and Mishaps
00:24:34
Speaker
Hello and welcome to Eberron Renewed, an actual play podcast set in the Eberron campaign sitting. I'm your game master, Eric. I'm Phillip. I'm Trevor. I'm Randy. And I'm Jeff. And welcome to another episode. Gentlemen, what happened last time?
00:24:48
Speaker
We broke into a lab. We successfully got a lot of paper. Air is cracked. Panel open with a bullet. And Milo and I got our heads cracked open. And apparently, while this certainly loud combat was taking place in the in the room next door, Posey was hanging out reading paperwork in the lobby.
00:25:19
Speaker
Yeah, but don't worry, we found waiting for the opportunity, waiting for the opportunity to deliver a line to make a grand entrance. Yeah, no, yes, absolutely. I love one thing about this woman. I love the idea that she heard it and was just waiting. No, there's going to be a moment. They're going to come out through this door. Also, was it was her big dude in the room with her?
00:25:44
Speaker
Just Posey. Okay. Where we left off, Raynard had just accomplished the goal and was headed for the getaway vehicle. So close. And then was met, the mystery woman. And Aeris was just entering, encountering her as well. So that was the end of that PC slot. So we have another PC slot. So Aeris or Milo can go.
00:26:08
Speaker
And she would recognize your disguise, Eris. So yeah, she doesn't know who you are, but she remembers you. Yes. That one with the scarf and the goggles.
00:26:20
Speaker
the blue hair and the large military jacket, the distinctive weapon and the gun. I'm trying to think what does Eris do in a situation like this, and I'm not entirely sure. So if Randy, you know what you want me to go, I can go. It's fine if you want to go. Yeah. So.
00:26:43
Speaker
Is it feasible for Mila to get up on the platform and try to turn this thing off while Jerome is preoccupied, staring down Hob? You can certainly try. The fact that you don't have a mark is going to make it... Yeah, extremely difficult, if possible at all. Extremely difficult. There's also some goons on you, right? Yes, there are also people on you. But you can disengage and then move.
00:27:12
Speaker
What if I just attack the group at close combat? Yes. Close combat. Oh, right. You have that. Okay. So, um, yeah, that would make it the two purple check.
00:27:28
Speaker
I'm going to spend a story point because I have far too many of them to upgrade that. And yeah, you can attack them. Any other effects that you want to add? No, I think I'll just stick with this. Okay, perfect. Okay, so that is three success and a threat. Go and suffer the two strain for casting the spell, Randy.
00:27:56
Speaker
and then take a third for that threat and your attack spell deals damage equal to your intellect which is four plus one for every uncancelled success so that's seven total damage. They all die.
00:28:12
Speaker
Not quite. One of them does go down. So do you have a magic implement that you use, like a wand or a staff? I have my wand, but I have not been using it. Your wand? You know what? I've been thinking about that. Let's just say that Milo quickly reaches into his robe and pulls out what, for all intents and purposes, looks like a somewhat burned and charred
00:28:43
Speaker
cross support for a stool.
00:28:46
Speaker
and just kind of waves it and points it at the group. And this black, dark energy just fires out of it. The dark energy kind of swirls around one of these researchers and climbs up and you see it like go up his nose and into his mouth and he starts to cough. And he doesn't like, I'm not saying that you're like mutilating him from the inside, but he is incapacitated. He like passes out and falls backwards onto the ground. Unless you want to horribly mutilate him, Milo, your call. No, that's okay.
00:29:18
Speaker
OK, I don't think I don't think somebody was that sort of a person, so. All right, so now it's an NPC turn. So the two remaining goons are going to try and attack you, Milo, since they just saw you take out one of your buddies or one of their buddies. It'd be weird if they saw you take out one of your buddies. They're going to have their ability reduced slightly due to due to the fact that one of them is down.
00:29:48
Speaker
Um, and there are difficulties upgraded things to Hobbs bodyguard. So Hobbs kind of, cause you have to be engaged with the person for bodyguard. You did it before you moved though, right? Yes. Yeah. So yeah, narratively, one of them is still hanging back. So.
00:30:02
Speaker
It's going to be a little bit more difficult for them to hit. And I'm going to roll. They'll use their maneuver aim. Why not? Two advantage. So yeah, they're swinging at you. They miss. And those two advantage. You all hear the machine continue to whir quicker and quicker.
00:30:21
Speaker
Now it's a PC slot. Before we go to Eris's turn real quick, just the visual for Milo and Hobb who are still in the warehouse at this point, you see trickling down from this basin above Norsen. Red mist, because Eberron Dragon Shards are called Bloodstones because the veins that run through them are red. So
00:30:42
Speaker
It's
00:30:56
Speaker
swirling around in there, like around him. Eris, it's your turn. Okay, so Eris sees Raynard is here with a bunch of papers in his arms. The door behind Raynard is now open. Yep. So she can see into the room and see the situation. She's going to...
00:31:21
Speaker
First. A quick point of order is the woman standing here, her posture is in no way aggressive. It's almost like she still has the papers in her hand and she's like, oh, hello. She's not reaching for anything or anything like that, just so you have the full picture. Okay. Eris is going to shout, Chib, time to go.
00:31:48
Speaker
Uh, and then she sees what's happening at the machine and, and just sort of grinds her teeth. You know, that's probably going to kill him. She kind of looks over his shoulder past Reynard and she looks back and he was like, I mean, it was his idea. Mutates him into some sort of horror.
00:32:19
Speaker
I ain't his mama. What? What are you doing here? You're making war for us. Now you're trying to mutate. What's going on? And she kind of looks around and looks at the can of crack crest on her tunic is like, I mean, I honestly don't know how to answer that. I'm here looking over paperwork. If you're asking like that specific.
00:32:46
Speaker
I think what my friend means, Brenda, was it Brenda? Posey. No. You're going to offend people. If you guess their names in game, they saw our stupid jokes. And Eric's NPCs love to take offense. I just want to, that was not canon. I just want to do that. That was just really long. I can't speak to that. I do that all the time. I didn't have anything to say. I just wanted to say that.
00:33:16
Speaker
she kind of well okay it wasn't in canon so she won't respond to it um i think reynard is though very just kind of just centimeter by centimeter trying to slide to the door with all the papers in his arms just like
00:33:36
Speaker
Trying. Yeah, I really don't know what to do in this situation because that machine is weight. I mean, I don't know. What is the distance between me and the machine? I mean, from the front door. Yeah. Extreme distance again. Yeah. Like. Oh, why not? Eris looks and just the woman's.
00:33:54
Speaker
The woman's nonchalance just baffles Eris because Eris is both fascinated and horrified by whatever this experiment is and she just doesn't see how someone who works for the House of Making could possibly not share those feelings. And so she just
00:34:18
Speaker
And then raises the Fletcher and she's just going to shoot a bolt at the machine. OK. So I'm not going to use our only story point because I want that to be there for when we're trying to get away.
00:34:39
Speaker
Um, and I've probably used up my maneuver by this point. So let me, let me ask you this before you take a shot. What is your goal with this shot? I'm now concerned that something horrible that Norsin is going to be turned into something horrible by
00:35:02
Speaker
And so she's trying to shoot the reservoir. Basically, she's trying to break the reservoir so that it stops feeding that stuff into the containment center, into the containment chamber. OK. So given the fact that you're having to shoot past her, past Rainard, this is a crazy shot. Yeah.
00:35:21
Speaker
I'm gonna impose a setback die onto it. Sure, and I don't think I have a maneuver to aim with so I'm not gonna got a bunch of strain. So actually I will aim once because I actually don't have as much strain as I thought I did.
00:35:35
Speaker
And I'm going to upgrade the check. So your pool is one black, three purple, one red. OK. And I should be shooting. And I took some strain to aim. So I've got a boost. OK. I have that added. OK. OK. That's remarkable. So the damage is eight. So I've got two success and a threat for our listeners. Yes, two success, one threat.
00:36:05
Speaker
You hit it, it's a question of the amount of damage required to disable. Sure, and I don't know what that is. And I don't have any advantage to spend on it, so yes. And that's everything Eris can do.
00:36:18
Speaker
OK, so the reservoir starts shaking like your your bolt flies in and hits and you've clearly done some damage. You've inflicted a level of damage to it. So it's shaking, but it's not quite enough to completely disrupt what's happening at this point. And an heiress more urgently shouts, Jim.
Escape and Reflection
00:36:37
Speaker
She's trying not to use anyone's name because, you know, we're being watched now. OK, so it's an NPC slot. We've had Jerome go, Oh, one of the NPCs is slots is gone because. Hob.
00:36:57
Speaker
just because hob okay so this last one is norsen so the machine continues to do its thing and you see the swirling stops like coming from above and is just going around him um at this point and you see it coupled with the damage that aris inflicted on the reservoir the whole cylinder
00:37:18
Speaker
is vibrating very rapidly but he's still in the tube for this round so he won't get to do anything on his turn but at the top of the next round the the intention with this is not to damage anybody so we'll say that everybody's able to like
00:37:32
Speaker
do this business, which would totally protect you from shattering glass. But the cylinder cracks and explodes, red dust billows out. And when it begins to settle, and PC slot is up next, so whoever wants to go will be able to go. You see Norsen standing there, his pants that he was wearing are kind of tattered, not like torn up or anything. Were they purple?
00:38:00
Speaker
No, they were not. That's not this story. But his shirt is torn, but he still looks like Norsin. He's not a big green hulking monster. But he clearly is looking at his own flexing and looking at himself.
00:38:16
Speaker
Yeah, I do need to add a new NPC slot, though, because of Posey. Lady. Hey, lady. I would love to know her name. I just can't think of any plausible in-world reason. The heiress goes, what's your name, by the way? I mean, the tone of the campaign is perfectly acceptable to go. I'm sorry, but this is a second. What is your name? Like, OK, so her initiative role three and one. So she has another NPC slot pretty high up.
00:38:44
Speaker
Hob, it is your turn. Or no, it's a PC slot. It's not necessarily Hob's. I'm not 100% sure I want to take this one right now. Okay. Raynard, you could book it. Remind me what Jerome had done on his last turn. Was he? He hopped down and just kind of squared up. He wasn't like,
00:39:06
Speaker
ready to throw hands, but he clearly was like standing in front of you, accepting that you are here. And he is, and he, and he is prepared to mentally prepared to fight. It's not like he's, he squared up. That's what Hob thinks. I'm just trying to remember. He wasn't like he was putting fists in the air. Okay. This far, no further kind of thing. Like you are not going to get past me kind of thing. My only thought is there are definitely two NPC slots right after this PC slot. And if I punch, I'm about to get punched twice.
00:39:38
Speaker
Fuck it. Does anybody have something they want to do to top? And the longer I don't go, the better off Milo is. Yeah, that's true. So that's that's why I'm thinking somebody else take this first. I mean, I would like to get out of the building if I can. OK. Yeah, I mean, you can you can take off past Eris and Lady. How far away from the door am I? Oh, I mean, it would take a maneuver for you to get out the door.
00:40:06
Speaker
Oh, okay. Bye. Um, are you wanting to do anything with your action before you leave or after you leave or are you just headed to the boat? Are you, where are you going? Um, Oh, I can do, uh, can't I augment Eris or not, uh, not augment. Um, okay. Yeah. I think I just want to throw something her way just in case.
00:40:35
Speaker
Um, okay. So that's going to be too purple is the difficulty you are within. Would you like to add the haste ability to it or just stick with the normal augment? Uh, what does haste do again? I forget. It would allow Eris to perform a second maneuver on her turn without spending strain. Sure. Okay.
00:40:58
Speaker
Did that make it harder? It makes it one more difficult, so now it's three purple instead of two purple. Would you like to spend a story point to upgrade? We have two now, right? Yeah, you have two. Okay, then yes. Okay, I think that's everything set for you, so go ahead. Oh my god! That is two threat, two triumph. No success.
00:41:25
Speaker
Oh no. So you do not cast Augment, however... But I do get out of there, right? So, yeah, let's talk about this. First off, you need to suffer two strain for casting a spell. Also, with the two threat...
00:41:42
Speaker
because threat and despair are much worse for magic users. Trevor, you and all allied spellcasters, so Eris and Milo, add a setback die to any attempts to cast spells until the end of your next turn. So you've kind of messed with the magical mojo going on. But you have to try up. So we win everything. Like all the villains drop dead and we escape.
00:42:13
Speaker
The back of the warehouse collapses on Norsen. Yeah, I mean, you could have something fundamentally encounter changing happen to the environment, like like the building starting to collapse in on itself from the rumble of the machine. You could have Norsen go full berserk mode and just attack indiscriminately. So he's not targeting. He could target.
00:42:37
Speaker
the researchers in Jerome. I mean, those are just a couple of options. What's the sky guard's name, Trisha? Tasha. Tasha. Trisha. Can Tasha ran through the door so quickly and hit Posey and knock her unconscious and I get in? Absolutely. Can she scream her name as she falls unconscious?
00:43:02
Speaker
Well, it looks like it's the in for old melody. So what happens is you try to cast augment and just fizzles. The woman like looks at the two of you is like, now listen here, if you think you are going to escape the great. And then. You troll, you monster. And Harrison, I post. Oh, yeah. No, her name's not Tasha.
00:43:33
Speaker
So, yeah, she's knocked out just in the corner, papers everywhere, but your escape vehicle has arrived. And a threat in the combat has been knocked out, so I will remove an NPC slot. NPC slot. So, Drome is standing there looking at you, Hob.
00:43:51
Speaker
And you see the mark kind of glowing over his shoulders, and he just extends his arms out. And from all over the lab, various metal objects begin flying at him to start pieced together into armor around him. So he is casting barrier on himself. That's awesome. That's pretty cool. I'm glad if it works.
00:44:21
Speaker
I'm glad I know what barrier does, so I'm not too terrified. He's going to spend a story point upgrade. One failure, two advantage. No Hulkbuster. So, yeah, the metal kind of pieces around him, but it's not effective. So it's not like the magic completely failed. It was just ineffective for what he intended. With the two advantage, he's going to pass to Bustai to Norsin. Norsin, like, has almost
00:44:52
Speaker
a bestial stance to him. The closest thing you could ever reckon it looks like Hobb is when a shifter has kind of gone full bestial rage. And he sprints over to you and he's just going to with the full weight of his might try to up like hit you right in the solar plaques. Now, this is all new to him, so he doesn't have any ranks in anything. So but I have too many. I'm going to spend a story point to upgrade.
00:45:21
Speaker
Two success, three advantage. It's four advantage to crit on a brawl check, right? Mm-hmm, I think so. On just an up strike, yeah. So that is going to be six damage hob, so not a lot. Wait, that's six before soak? Before soak, yes. Hob didn't feel it. Nice. I'm barreared. Oh, right, you're barreared. Mine's just an invisible bubble.
00:45:52
Speaker
So yeah, like his fist stops short due to Milo's magic and he kind of rears back. With the three advantage, he is going to, yeah, he can't do anything interesting to you because he didn't inflict any damage. He is going to inflict a setback on you on your next check, Hob.
00:46:13
Speaker
I forgot that we can use advantage to set backs. I need to write that down. So that is that NPC slot. We are back around to PC slots. So Hob, Milo, or Eris. First, Hob's gonna do a free action to say, it takes a moment to get used to being like this. I probably didn't land my first punch either. And then he's going to Jack. Because right now Jerome has only done anything to try to protect himself. Yes, correct.
00:46:42
Speaker
Oh my gosh, his amazing name just disappeared. Minson Flirpshaw. What is it? Have a few. Norson Millhatch. Yeah, that's what I said. We all said it.
00:46:50
Speaker
Norton Mill Hatch tried to hit me. So I am going to just, I mean, I'm going to punch with my Sestas and I think I want to make sure it hits. So I'm going to go ahead and give you a story point back. That's so nice. And I'm not augmented, right? I did not do it to myself. OK, no. All right, cool. You ready? But you have a setback. There you go. That's right. I do have a setback. And make sure I'm rolling the right one. Yeah, OK.
00:47:23
Speaker
three success and a threat okay describe your hit and then we can deal with the threat i think i just i think i just want one good like here let me show you and it's the exact same punch he just tried to give to me except for it connects and i have to assume even
00:47:45
Speaker
No, I'm not going to make that assumption because it's not my character. I can't do that. I mean, I think that's it. I want there to be some surprise in his eyes. I've got a feeling that that Millhatch has probably never really been punched full force by some big dude because he's not normally a big dude. So I guess it's let's be fair. He went to school with the name Norsen Millhatch. Yeah, but there are stranger names in this world. So I really do. I think if you have been punched,
00:48:11
Speaker
before, the first time you get punched, it hurts a lot more than you think it's going to. You're like, oh, I could take a punch. So I think obviously there's no mechanical way to justify this. I just want to say it. So, yeah, he he takes the full brunt of your blow. You do enough damage to make it through his soak, being shirtless. And he kind of catches his breath and just
00:48:37
Speaker
And yeah, you see a sense of surprise and like, oh, I thought this was going to be much easier than it's turning out to be. He kind of staggers and you see a twinge of fear in his eyes. Next PC slot, Milo or Eris? I'll have Eris if you got something. I mean, Eris, Eris will use a maneuver to board Tasha.
00:49:05
Speaker
What's my range to Norsen? And is anything still attacking Milo? Yes, Milo still has three researches on him. Okay, so here's Eris' thought process and why I'm justifying what Eris is about to do, because it's not something Eris usually does.
00:49:24
Speaker
Eris just watched them fill a big cylinder full of weird swirling mist and then it exploded and a guy came out different from how he went in. Eris has decided that these are all very bad people. Eris saw all that? The door's open. Oh fair enough. She was shooting at the machine right before it exploded. Eris has decided these are all very bad people who knew what they were doing so
00:49:50
Speaker
She is going to shoot at one of the lab techs that's attacking Milo. OK. I use a mini radar board, so I'm not aiming. So I will let you set that up and I'll rule. OK, you are medium distance away from that group. OK, so to purple. And it is. They are engaged, so I think that automatically upgrades me. Correct, because if you roll a despair, you shoot Milo. That's right. Yeah.
00:50:19
Speaker
All right, that's a triumph. OK, three success, one threat and a triumph. OK, so that's 11 damage just right off the bat. So you could just so you know, with the damage that you inflicted, there's two of them left. You could use that triumph to crit on them and wipe out the whole group.
00:50:37
Speaker
Yeah, I like that. So what happens, though, is as she's, you know, she's lining up, she's breathing heavily. She's really freaked out right now because this job has gone what she considers very wrong and she's contemplating all the consequences. Um.
00:50:58
Speaker
She starts to aim at the lab tech and then she notices that behind him, on the lab table where he was working at, there's some sort of alchemical concoction that he was designing.
00:51:14
Speaker
and Eris shifts and fires at that instead, and as the glass breaks, it just explodes in this blast of smoke and flame for a moment and throws both the lab techs against the wall and knocks them out cold. Very nice. And then she shouts again, it's go time!
00:51:39
Speaker
Guys something see a Milo all of that happens around you just the explosion and kind of like Everybody's dropped around you. That was Eris's turn. We have another NPC slot That's the last NPC slot, which would have been those fellas attacking Milo, but they are down. So Now we're to the final PC slot Milo
00:52:00
Speaker
So you just saw Hob punch Norsen. Eris just shot a bottle that exploded and caused the people around you to go. Eris is shouting its go time and you can see Tasha has entered the lobby behind you. Um, Tasha has arrived. Oh, I think they're ready for us to leave now. And Milo maneuvers.
00:52:30
Speaker
I guess to where I can get into wait before I leave I say that to Hob and then I'm going to I'm gonna attack the guy that just got changed whatever his name is
00:52:50
Speaker
Norsin Milhatch. My name is Norsin Milhatch. I don't mind people forgetting because it allows me to say Norsin Milhatch over and over again and I'll never get tired of saying it. Okay, so you're doing the attack spell. Yes, I want to make it deadly. Okay, so that makes it and due to the distance, you do need to add one rank of range as well. So that makes it three purple. Would you like to spend a story point to upgrade?
00:53:18
Speaker
Um, yes. You all are outspending me this session. We've gotten more comfortable spending. Yeah. Why not? Let's keep things spicy. I'm going to upgrade, turn one purple into a red. Go ahead, Milo. Eric, you don't actually have to spend to do that. He's engaged. The rule doesn't explicitly apply to the attack spell. Oh, it doesn't. That's nice. Wow, that's so many yellow.
00:53:47
Speaker
OK, so that is two success and one advantage. So you hit. So that's six total, which some does get through. So you describe what the spell looks like when you attack from range, Milo.
00:54:04
Speaker
Once again Milo just kind of flicks his wrist in the direction of Norsen and just a straight stream of black energy shoots out and just like almost like a laser beam just pokes a hole in him and then expands once it's inside.
00:54:27
Speaker
Oh, and Milo, your one gives a plus three to your damage and you can add the blast quality without increasing the difficulty whenever you want. So that does more damage. The blast doesn't apply right now, but just keep that in mind. Norsen kind of reels from the magical energy impacting him.
00:54:44
Speaker
any kind of locks on the Milo and snarls. Would you like to use your maneuver to head to the boat, Milo? Yes, yes. So that is the end of that round. Top of the round, we have a PC slot. Hob, you're the... Raynard, you got in the boat, right? Yes. Hob's the only one not on... not aboard. I do not want to leave this... this augmented... Play your character. We are going to... I mean, we will...
00:55:10
Speaker
But before you get in the boat, check Posey's body for a nametag. You are reckless. So Milo hops in the boat and says now you all know that Hob is not going to wish to leave.
00:55:29
Speaker
I think what I'm going to do is, yeah, I gotta give it one more shot against Milhatch before I leave, since I can do it that way. So I really wanna put him down. So let's do, assessed his punch, go ahead and upgrade it. Yeah, we still have one after me, and I'll do it.
00:55:59
Speaker
OK. Oh, two advantage, no success. It's a wash with two advantage. Can I give him a boost die with my advantage? Not after the roll. It's too late for that. Sorry, I should have asked you what you want to do at the advantage, Randy. I'm sorry. Yeah, I forgot my fault.
00:56:22
Speaker
OK, I take a swing at him. Let's say he he he dodges. Let's say he steps out of the way and I'm like, all right, no time. I would like to use my two advantage to give a setback to whoever whichever of them acts next. OK. And then can I get to the boat in one maneuver? It would take two so you could suffer too strained to make it. Absolutely fine. Let's do that.
00:56:48
Speaker
Oh, and I've been forgetting. He has ranks in adversary. Those roles should have been much more difficult to hit him. Oh well. Well, it was kind of hard anyway. There's only two purple. That's okay. It wasn't hard, but the outcome was the same. Yes. Well, probably better. You know what? Okay. So Hob, you make it to the boat. Eris guns it. Eris just goes straight back.
00:57:13
Speaker
Eris asks Tasha to go. Well, Eris drives. I mean, it's still I know. I know. It's not Knight Rider. Eris goes straight back out through the hole that Tasha created. And yeah.
Mission Debrief with Olive
00:57:28
Speaker
Nobody gives chase, so you all are able to book it and pull away, assuming that you all are just headed back to the district. I feel like we should have taken that woman.
00:57:45
Speaker
Why? We don't know who she is. And she might know things. But are we gonna kidnap her? I mean... Yeah, I don't do that unless explicitly directed to. Something tells me that we'll get a chance to ask her again what her name is. I would kidnapping her help.
00:58:10
Speaker
I think we're all overlooking the fact that the four of us could have taken that monster down and talked to Jerome about what the heck was going on. My accent shifted there a bit, but let's not focus on that. Well, I have the papers. I think I haven't looked at what we're going to do. Are we going to are we going to kill him? I mean, he's he's a well connected member of the city. What what are we going to we going to kill him? I just hope Jerome doesn't
00:58:39
Speaker
You didn't see what I saw. I'm not sure that he's anything that he was anymore. First. Second, we don't have to kill everyone we fight. No. Just permanently maimed. How are we going? What are we going to do? He's going to wake up and be a monster again. I mean, who knows?
00:59:08
Speaker
All of my, um, get this tour anyway. So yeah. Are, did you all set up a meet with olive to do this or I think he's intention was to take it back to her. Um, okay. Uh, although now that I think on it, it probably would be logical that we would have set up a meet because all of us Trump, trumping into her workshop is going to be conspicuous.
00:59:37
Speaker
Yeah. So let's just say you you had agreed before. Before the workday started the next day, just next morning at the for sales for breakfast service, often has a has a lovely coffee bar that he's recently debuted. Nice.
00:59:55
Speaker
So, yeah, you all are able to return back home without incident and you're able to make the meet with Olive. Presumably you all are waiting for her. She she walks in and sees you all and very hurriedly walks over. And so how'd it go?
01:00:13
Speaker
I guess I should ask in the stack of papers, was her was her notebook there? Yes, yes. The three pages that she had described were amongst the the paperwork. Eris slides the paper over to her. Oh, my gosh. Got it. We got it. Thank you. I. I don't know what I would have done if anybody had gotten hurt.
01:00:42
Speaker
That's the thing. Norsen, he put himself in some kind of machine. And then the the artificer, Jerome, he turned on some system that fed the dragon shards in and I couldn't stop it.
01:01:11
Speaker
And, um, been Norse and came out. Well, I mean, I've mixed it up with him. He can probably tell you better than I can. Oh, I mean, he was.
01:01:28
Speaker
I'll be honest I don't know if he was stronger he never landed a hit on me but I think he would have if I hadn't had some help from Milo I'll say he took quite a bit from me it was just one punch but I'm very strong and then completely avoided the next one and that Hobb says and that doesn't happen often also it tore his shorts
01:01:53
Speaker
You all, if anybody's paying attention, when Hobb says that, you see Kath at like the bar having her morning coffee, hear Hobb say that and like double take over her shoulder at that statement. And Hobb gives her a real big like, be cool.
01:02:11
Speaker
Not in front of the client. Because you know her, Eris, go ahead and give me a perception check because you see some stuff happen with her face. Right. With the whole face thing.
01:02:27
Speaker
Okay, to success, over the course of your conversation thus far, you saw a mixture of fear and disbelief, and then towards the tail end of what you were saying specifically, Eris, you saw anger come in, and you would even describe it almost as like a sense of betrayal, specifically when you were talking about Jerome. She hears, hears you, Hob,
01:02:57
Speaker
Well, I'm sure I will hear about whatever happened sooner rather than later. Was everybody okay? Like, other than, obviously, Norsen's situation, but... Did we kill anyone? I think we didn't kill anyone. Did you not kill the ones on Hob? Milo? Milo? I mean, I shot something and it exploded and tossed them through the air. I don't know what became of them.
01:03:29
Speaker
No, I was taking. We had to fight off some of their lab assistants, of all people, but I don't. It's odd that they fought you. Yeah, it struck me that way. That's my fault. I I will do it. I don't.
01:03:51
Speaker
and a woman with intimidating poses, you wouldn't happen to know, was she a secretary or? Do you know her name? I would need more description than the woman with intimidating poses. She has a friend who's a bit larger than me. Looks like a Brenda. You seen anyone like that around?
01:04:20
Speaker
When you say that hob, you sense that her blood has gone cold a little bit, describing a human larger than you. There was a person there bigger than you talking to Norsin. Well, I was told he's bigger than me. We never got to get close enough to. Yes, yes, he just says yes. He was bald, very muscular.
01:04:49
Speaker
But but not maybe maybe not. So I mean, I got the impression they were show muscles. I'm like, I'm like, oh, yes, the poses were not as intimidating as the woman. That's I will describe the woman in the hopes of I can't remember how you described her. So I'm just saying.
01:05:12
Speaker
The gentleman that you're describing, I'm unfamiliar with the woman. I apologize. I don't know who she is. The man, though, is Solomon Callaway.