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C2 Ep. 10 Eberron Reduced “The Least Dangerous Game”
318 Plays5 years ago
It’s time for another downtime episode. This time Reynard finds himself roped into a dangerous game amongst thieves. Can he convince the crew to come help him, or will he have to figure it out himself?
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
Introduction and Sponsor Shoutout
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.
00:00:35
Speaker
D20 radio, your game is roll.
Meet the Hosts and Podcast Premise
00:01:15
Speaker
Hello and welcome to Eberron Renewed, an actual play podcast set in the Eberron campaign setting. I'm your game master, Eric. I'm Phillip. I'm Trevor. I'm Randy.
Recap of Previous Episode's Adventures
00:01:23
Speaker
I'm Jeff. And welcome to another episode. Gentlemen, what happened last time? We delivered a box. There was a box. The box made it where it was going. That's the struggles along the way. We had a chance on chance.
00:01:45
Speaker
Okay. Yeah, that's the long and short of what happened. You delivered a box, successfully got your payment from Holden.
00:01:55
Speaker
And now, probably about three to four days have
Eris's Skycoach Repair
00:02:00
Speaker
gone by. Let's say four. Four days have gone by since that job finished up. You all find yourselves in your typical spot. It is late-ish evening. The kind of dinner rush crowd has started to filter out of the four sales.
00:02:19
Speaker
Ulfin and the staff are starting their closing duties, wiping things down, all that kind of stuff. A couple of tables have the chairs stacked up on top of them. And yeah, you all are just sitting around. Aeris is presumably in her booth. Reynard and Milo are at the bar. And Hob the wildcard, where are you? I have a question regarding Aeris's whereabouts.
00:02:45
Speaker
Is the for sales like built into a tower like most things in Sharn? Or is it sort of a separate building? It's built into a tower. OK, then Eris is actually up in her room because she's got our wrecked Skycoach lashed to the tower outside her window so that she can continue repairs on it in an attempt to get it back in working order.
00:03:15
Speaker
Okay. Could I convince you to have Aeris be on a food break right now? Yes, absolutely. But you all are aware that you've been seeing less of Aeris during down times because she has been tinkering on a project. Yeah, Hob, where are you at in the for sales?
00:03:39
Speaker
I guess just at the piano tickling the ivory. No, I'm I guess I guess I'm just sitting at a table, probably not with Eris. I don't think we spend all of our time together. OK. I just I don't think that he would ever sit at the bar. He's not a big drinker, even though he likes Milo and Raynard as much as he likes anybody. OK. Raynard, Milo, you all are sitting together or are you on opposite ends of the bar?
00:04:10
Speaker
I don't think we're sitting together. OK, so what are you all chatting about? Over drinks. Conqueringly nothing. So you all share another awkward silence between gulps. They're they're past talking and they're just drinking in companionable silence. Yeah.
Raynard's Mysterious Cockatrice Game
00:04:40
Speaker
Okay, so, yeah, you all are sitting there at the bar and Raynard, you pull your glass up and go to take a drink and your eyes tilt up as you're drinking. And when you go to sit your glass back down, your glass tinks on something. And you see a small statue sitting on the bar in front of you of a cockatrice.
00:05:11
Speaker
with a note attached. Where did that come from? Okay, someone's going to have to explain to me what a cockatrice is first. It's like the body of a wyvern or dragon. Okay, back up. Yeah, back up for a rip.
00:05:32
Speaker
That's like what Trevor tried to explain to me with Pokemon. Hang on. I'm Googling. I'm Googling. I'm getting a picture. It's got the head of a rooster in the body of a dragon. I figured there would be some kind of rooster situation. Picture in campaign discussion. OK. Two interpretations. Was it not like there before? Mine is so much better.
00:05:59
Speaker
Mine mine mine is the gateway Photoshop. Mine is the gateway cockatrice. It's a chicken on a dragon. To answer your question, Randy, no, it was not there before. Like it was in the time that Raynard tilted back to drink, went to go set his drink back down. It it came out of nowhere. What this means to Raynard?
00:06:22
Speaker
Well, let's read the note first and then we can so the the note is kind of rolled up in a small scroll fashion and attached just under the beak of the cockatrice. Perfect. And as you unroll it, I'm going to if you look and roll 20, there is a handout that should be visible to you now. OK.
00:06:50
Speaker
if you want to read it out loud for the class. All right. Well, Milo, it says, dear Mr. Turnvail, I hope this letter finds you in good health and in a position to move faster than whispers on the wind. We trust that you won't want the owner of this cockatrice to discover it in your possession. Will the leading nature of this letter be enough to translate into results? Good luck.
00:07:19
Speaker
Okay, so Raynard, give me a streetwise check. Okay. Let me set your difficulty. Didn't I up that? Yeah, you did. Okay, go ahead and roll. What in the world is that supposed to mean?
00:07:37
Speaker
Okay, Reynard. So that's one success and two threat on your roll. So you succeed, but the threat is going to play out in an interesting way down the road.
Understanding the Game and House Sivis
00:07:50
Speaker
So the success, you kind of, your head slumps as soon as you finish reading this.
00:07:57
Speaker
You, a few days ago, after the last job, some of your contacts told you about a new game that has been happening in thief circles around Sharn. Some mysterious group has started over the past couple days. It seems like they hit a group a night, so this group, whoever is behind this stuff is pretty well coordinated.
00:08:24
Speaker
They've started planting evidence of known criminals and thieves in sharn at various places and taking something and delivering it to the thief with a note that has clues about where it needs to be taken to. And the game is you have to go put the thing back and remove the evidence they planted before the crime is discovered.
00:08:52
Speaker
Well, I hope everyone's ready for the seven episode arc, the gang trying to riddle. So, yeah, you. You've been cranked. Yes, essentially a very high stakes game of punked. There's a timely reference for all of our listeners. So, so, yeah, you have this this letter in your possession now.
00:09:22
Speaker
you would know, Reynard, given the circles that you ran in, as a former member of House Fierlyn, that every house has a coat of arms with a different animal or creature on its heraldry. And the cockatrice is on the coat of arms for House Sivus.
00:09:48
Speaker
So that also brings a fair amount of stress because there's a lot of houses. You don't want to mess with any of the houses, but civice, they, they tend to hold grudges and they, they have unique ways of messing with you. So, uh, that's kind of the first clue that you have is this, this is something to do with house civice. Plus they run the communications network so they know everything. Yes.
00:10:17
Speaker
And also, it being a house, if you're caught, it's probably going to get around to your family, which...
00:10:26
Speaker
not the best either for you. So. So, yeah. Presumably, since Raynard was reading this note out loud, Eris Hobb, you probably would have heard him reading this very weird thing to Milo. So you can feel free to come over and interact as you wish. So, Raynard, are you in some sort of trouble now? Um.
00:10:58
Speaker
Only if we lose the game. A game? Yes. So, how do you feel for a little adventure, Milo, tonight? Perhaps now. What? But, Reynard, what do I have to do with this game? Well, I'm sure I'll need help at some point.
00:11:26
Speaker
Maybe just to stand up initially, because we've had a lot to drink, but... I'm only on my third sale, not my fourth sale. That is not my point. We need to go and start this game, and I'm sure we will find out more as we go, but time is of the essence. What do we get if we win? Not dead. What do we get if we win?
00:11:55
Speaker
We get to see another day, my friend. And by we, I may only be me. You can help. Yes, that's what I was thinking. Well, I guess we should probably take Eris and Hobb if they're willing to come.
00:12:15
Speaker
And, and Rainard, you, you think of a very good reason why you would need, um, Milo and Aeris and also Hob, uh, the, the place like.
00:12:30
Speaker
Sivus has a very close relationship with House Kunderak as well. And all of their Sivus's security is done by Kunderak. And you're good when it comes to arcane locks, but Kunderak is another level. So you would need probably some magic backup, as it were.
00:12:58
Speaker
and potentially if some dwarven security guards or wherever you need to get into, some muscle might also be beneficial. So. Okay. Well, let's gather the group. Hob, Eris, come here.
00:13:20
Speaker
Oh. Please. Wait. OK, for a second, somebody was doing something and I thought you snapped when you said come here and I thought, oh, it does not move. How do we feel about playing a game tonight? Pass. OK, let's rephrase this. I need your help. Pass.
00:13:49
Speaker
I'm just kidding. Yeah. Well, what is it? We have to. Just so I'm clear, we have to get this statue back to where it goes, right? Yes. And there is some form of evidence wherever it was taken from that incriminates you in taking it. So you need to put the statue back, get the evidence and then skedaddle the old Indiana Jones.
00:14:16
Speaker
So, the name of the game is get this statue back to where it goes before I get in a lot of trouble. Right, that's simple, where's it go? House Sivus, is that what you said? Yes. Okay. House Sivus.
00:14:36
Speaker
Somewhere, oh. I'm sorry, when you say House Sivus, I know what that means, but is there like an HQ that everybody knows about for all of these houses? Yeah, all the houses have an enclave in Sharn. Okay. But publicly known, that's House Sivus' enclave. Yeah. And that would be like their regional headquarters, essentially. Yeah, basically. Okay, okay. I just didn't know how much of, you know,
00:15:04
Speaker
If I'm in a 12-way family rivalry, I might keep my location secret, but that's just me. I'm just a lowly Goliath. But okay, yeah, so when he says it goes, it has to get to how Sivus, I know where he means. Yeah. Likely. Okay. And... We'll need Eris as well. I'll let you do that convincing hob, because I don't know that we get along too well.
00:15:35
Speaker
I think Philip is hurt. Eris is in her booth. Her head is down. She haven't had a moment yet of those those earbuds that she made for Hobb in and she's just got her head down working. She has not observed any of this yet. OK, well, Hobb initially gives a whistle. And then she she doesn't look up, I assume, because she. No, no. What's around? What's around?
00:16:06
Speaker
Rainard's glass. Yeah, something that's not going to hurt her. You know Rainard's drink. You got like bar coasters or something? Rainard's drink absolutely has an umbrella in it if you want to take that out and just toss it at her. I like a coaster better. Frisbee a coaster. I don't want to hit her. I want it to land on the table or hit. I don't want to hit the Fletcher because I don't know what that thing does. I still don't trust it. He thinks if he hits it wrong, the whole building's going up. So he just kind of tosses a coaster.
00:16:36
Speaker
at her table. Eris's head comes up and she takes out one earbud and looks around. Which I didn't realize that I shouldn't do because that takes me away from the microphone. Hob's got his hand in the air, so he wouldn't know. It was probably one of the three of them threw it. Oh, all right. She packs things away.
00:17:02
Speaker
reassembles the bit of the Fletcher that she was working on rolls up her toolkit and finally comes over. Well, Reynard has gotten himself in a bit of trouble and he needs us to get him out. Are you busy? So it's Tuesday.
00:17:24
Speaker
sure far ever on days yes I'm picking up what you're putting down it's happened again yes
00:17:38
Speaker
Now, Reynard, there's on your all's way out of the district, not saying that you all are leaving, but this is a thought that pops into your head while Hob is getting Eris.
Considering Sigil's Involvement
00:17:47
Speaker
There's one other individual that you know would probably be well suited to assisting you in this particular job, given the fact that you're dealing with the Dragon Marked houses directly. And that would be Sigil, just because Sigil can interact with Dragon Mark stuff.
00:18:03
Speaker
in a like a sigil, they can like drive a lightning rail and they've been able to mess with Kenneth stuff. So sigil skills might help with dealing with the Kundarak locks. You all don't have to take them, but that's just a thought that pops into your head. Okay. They are not at the for sales though. Well, anyone know the whereabouts of sigil?
00:18:31
Speaker
I mean, it's established we know where Sigil lives. Yeah, we established that, the place where the protest was taking place. Right. I mean, we can check, see if he's at his home. Well, they might be a great deal of help in this. Not 100% sure what we're getting ourselves into, but I know it will require skills.
00:19:00
Speaker
And that's why. Yes, you don't have any of your own. Don't think I can charm my way out of this one, fellas. I've never seen you charm your way. You get that wet paper bag one time. You keep telling us you're very charming. Now we can just cut to you all leaving and going to get sigil.
00:19:29
Speaker
On the way there, we can hand wave that, Raynard, you explain the nature of the game and that like, you didn't steal this thing and then realized, oh, I've made a mistake. I need to, like, this is a trap that somebody has caught you up in. So why'd you decide to play? Eric, I think it's more of a conscription. He's been forced into the game. I mean, is that a game thing?
00:20:00
Speaker
Well, it's fun for someone. You know, practical jokes. Not everybody likes them. Right. Right. And this one especially is not very practical, but.
00:20:14
Speaker
So as you all head into Central Bridge, where Sigil's home is, you see once again, there's a group outside of Sigil's home of dwarves, humans, elves, smattering of other races like Dragonborn or Tieflings.
00:20:39
Speaker
But unlike the last time we discussed this, there are some warforged in the street kind of actively standing against them, not not in combat, just trying to block them from getting right up on the landing of this building. So, yeah, that's that's the scene that you all kind of find yourselves in. And everyone, give me a perception check.
00:21:12
Speaker
You all did wonderfully. So Milo got one success, one advantage. Reynard, three success. Eris, two success. Hob, one success. So Milo, with that advantage, will, oh, I know what we can do with that. So the advantage affects the narrative a little bit to where you all see in the crowd of Warforged near the end,
00:21:43
Speaker
You see Sigil standing with the warforged in the street.
00:21:48
Speaker
standing against these protesters. But Sigil is right on the end. That's the advantage that Milo rolled. So you all won't have to like navigate your way through this crowd to try to get get to them. So that's where you see Sigil. All the warforged just seem to be very passively standing. They're not like shoving or or instigating anything. So but you you do see the the crowd of
00:22:19
Speaker
non-constructs, shouting, screaming, they have their signs, that's, yeah. Becoming a more familiar sight in your district as of late. Oh, and a fair number of halflings are also in the group. There's Sigil right there on the end. Well, I hate to take them away from what they're doing, but we're probably really going to need them.
00:22:44
Speaker
What is it that Sigil's going to do that's worth getting them in the same trouble you got us into? Well, Sigil does have an act for handling things with Dragon Marks involved, so I was hoping that they would be of some use there in case we were into something like that. So this game is now, let's tick off the Dragon Mark houses. That's part of the game too.
00:23:08
Speaker
Well, I'm gonna just... Let's just stop saying game. Metaphor isn't the strongest way for our group to communicate. There's been a threat made on Reynard. This hot mess we're in. I'm in. You're not in. You're just helping me. So you're in it now, but... Anyway... So I wasn't in it when I was sitting at the sales.
00:23:41
Speaker
So Sigil, who wants to approach them? It's your whole mess, sort of thing. Yes, I agree with Aeris. Go work your charm, Reynard. Hob does not go with him. Sorry, I guess Reynard approaches Sigil, if that's possible.
00:24:04
Speaker
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like I said, with Milo's advantage, Sigil is positioned near the end of the line. Sigil sees you approaching and kind of looks. Milo's going to. Oh, OK. Looks at the crowd and the rest of the warforged and kind of takes two steps away to kind of meet you all like, oh, Reynard, Milo, what's up?
00:24:32
Speaker
Sigil, this all seems like a very high stress environment. Would you like to play a game?
00:24:52
Speaker
Sigil's mouth would just be agape right now. Unbearably insensitive. I appreciate the thought, Reynard. I really do.
00:25:11
Speaker
But you are correct, this is a very high-stress situation. I feel like I should stay, though, since those individuals over there, the ones screaming, want to burn down my home. So, yeah. What a good person's sigil is. How many people are screaming? Oh, there's a group of probably 30 to 40 people. Oh, well, that's too many. That is a lot.
00:25:41
Speaker
Because I still haven't. If downtime episodes are for the previous arc, I still haven't used my special ability. But tomorrow night, if they don't come back, maybe we could play a game then. Central, what if Reynard's so-called game involves actually possibly and probably helping to save his life?
00:26:12
Speaker
That sounds like a really bad game. Yes. Yes, I'm not going to lie to you. It is also a high stress environment. But it is a problem that I did not really get myself into, but I have to get myself out of. And I would very much appreciate your help if you would.
00:26:41
Speaker
You can't just take ranks in charm, you have to attempt to be charming. Sigil, I'm gonna let you make a roll, Reynard, but before we make the roll, Sigil kind of puts a hand on your shoulder and they say, Reynard, I trust that you believe that you didn't get yourself into this mess, but as long as I've known you,
00:27:08
Speaker
I have a hard time actually believing it. Now I'll go and set the difficulty to convince Sigil charm check. I'm going to spend. Yeah, because actually a despair would be fantastic in this situation. Yeah, that's true. So I'm going to upgrade the check.
00:27:36
Speaker
Just completely throw my entire plan for this downtime episode out the window if a despair happens.
Sigil Joins the Mission
00:27:44
Speaker
Okay, Reynard, it is all set up and ready for you to roll.
00:27:50
Speaker
Whoa! That's five success and one threat. I think I did it. So Sigil just hangs their head a little bit and says, but you've gotten me out of enough scrapes to where I can't rightly say no in this situation, so lead the way. Sometimes we all need to share what it is that we owe Raynard that justifies this.
00:28:20
Speaker
Thank you, Sigil, and maybe someday I'll help you with this. Maybe someday. Let's just go, please. But the people can't see I was gesturing. Yeah, Hobb's not there. Hobb heard none of that. Can I?
00:28:45
Speaker
Eris is just sort of shrinking into Hobb's shadow. So she's here, but this is loud. It's potentially dangerous. Well, Hobb's about to walk up to the group of angry rioters. That's absolutely fine. And that's totally what Hobb would do.
00:28:59
Speaker
Um, by the way, uh, Raynard, uh, with that one threat, uh, because sigil kind of paused before they said whether or not they were going to help you take a point of strain.
Hob's Attempt to Deescalate
00:29:09
Speaker
You just kind of stressed out a little bit as to whether or not sigil was going to come and you would really like sigil to come. Okay. Hob while this interaction is happening, what are you doing?
00:29:18
Speaker
I want to go up to some like here's my question is it where you can kind of tell like yes there are 40 people but it's like these five dudes started it and then this group people was walking past and decided to join no no here's here's the situation hob and here's why it's a sticky wicket for you okay um this is an organized group that you've seen around the district
00:29:38
Speaker
pretty frequently as of recent times, protesting the inclusion of Warforged in the workforce and them being, yeah. The sticky wicket of it all is there are a significant number of halflings in this crew and a lot of them are Boromar. Do I know any of them? I mean, these people adopted me. They gave me a name. Yeah.
00:30:08
Speaker
You, yes, Viggo, the bratty guy that got drunk when you were, yeah. Okay, I'm gonna walk, well, that's gonna make my role a little trickier, but I think it'll work. I think, okay, I'm gonna walk up to Viggo, and not only does Viggo know that I've taken care of him, Viggo's seen me take care of him by wrecking multiple dudes at once. Not that I would ever do that to Viggo, but he knows
00:30:33
Speaker
It's something I could do, just, mm-hmm. I have an aura. Yeah. Eris sort of holds to Hob's shadow. What are we doing, Chip? What are we doing? I'm going to attempt to make Sigil feel a bit more comfortable about leaving their post here. All right. Got a sword by a blade, man.
00:30:58
Speaker
I go up to Vigil. Viggo, Vigil. If the ship is the ship name, Viggo and Sigil, I go up to Viggo. I'm sorry. Okay, go ahead. I should cut that because it'll happen and I don't want it. Actually, it probably won't because Sigil is our best character and Viggo is reprehensible. I don't think we need to do that. Anyway, I go up to Viggo and I say,
00:31:29
Speaker
He hits his last name is is more more. Yes. Yes. He is a member of the family, right? I say uh Mr. Bormore. Oh Hob, what are you doing here? You here to join the protest? No, just walking past um
00:31:48
Speaker
I need to ask a favor of you that I don't think will put too much strain on you. You know of Sigil, you've heard of Sigil that works with us. Oh, yeah, that clinker that runs with your crew. Okay.
00:32:11
Speaker
We need him for a job. And you know that if we say we need something for a job, we need it. Could I ask, just for tonight, for now, and maybe even more nights in the future, he says scrumplingly. Maybe you and a couple of your friends, or you designate a couple of your friends to call it a night, just on this one. So it feels a little bit better about coming and helping the clan out with some work.
00:32:38
Speaker
And if I could make it coercion, I wanna make it coercion because, like I said, I laid the groundwork that he... I would never hurt him, but I could send some other people away. I would need some implication in the words you're saying to him for it to be coercion. You have a reputation, but I'm gonna need you to say something. God. I can't threaten him. Right. Uh...
00:33:04
Speaker
You could imply that this situation might blow up in a way that's bad for the clan. I don't know if that would count. I'm trying to think of ways of threatening without you implying direct violence. If I knew how big of a troop, he seems like the kind guy that would just show up to this thing to scream because it's fun to scream. But if he's a real true believer, then I don't think saying, well, if you don't send some people home, I'm going to have to send some people home myself.
00:33:33
Speaker
if he would take kindly to that. I can't imagine he would. Yeah. Okay, then what would it be if it wasn't? Based on the words you just said, I would accept charm or negotiation because you did kind of have the, like, if you do this, then we're going to do a thing for the clan and it'll be easier if you all. So I would accept either of those.
00:34:07
Speaker
I almost took a rank in negotiation. I know you did. I'm trying to think. Literally any other human that didn't have the last name Boromar I could threaten right now. I know. And I guess not human, any other sentient. But, I mean, Hob is reckless. You may have a moment where you kind of slip up and say something that
00:34:37
Speaker
You wish you hadn't said. You know what I think? You know how I think I'm gonna say it? I think this is what he's gonna do. He's gonna say... Alright, Viggo, I understand. Um... Yep, he's just gonna go for it because I've already set it up and I want to. He says that. Well, since you aren't gonna send a couple of your people home, why don't you point out to me the ones you like the least and I'll send them home for you. Okay. Just three or four of them.
00:35:08
Speaker
Eris's head just pivots up and her eyes just grow in the alarm. So this is an opposed check to his discipline, which will be one purple, one red. Would you like to spend a story point to upgrade your end of it? Please. You know, you spent one, so yes. I mean, you spent one, you've already spent one, so I'm just- We've got them all. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely, I do.
00:35:35
Speaker
Okay, so I've got your upgrade added so you are good here we begin Okay To success to advantage and a triumph so I Almost thought it was despair when it first came up and I was like, oh, yeah this but I mean that would have been great story
00:36:00
Speaker
So, yeah, you you succeed across the board. So Vigo kind of eyes you up and down and it's clear that he is going to dismiss a large section, if not all of the crowd outright. What would you like your advantage and triumph to be used for? Well, heck, I was going to use the triumph to clear the whole group, but if you're doing it, then I know like.
00:36:24
Speaker
Go ahead. What are you going to say? I said, but if you're doing it, then I'm going to think of something else as all the situation is aptly deescalated to where you feel comfortable leaving. There might be a handful of like hardcore true believers that would die for this cause that aren't going to go home, but that's a very small contingent. Sigil's house will definitely be standing when they come home tonight. Oh, I'll rephrase it.
Cockatrice's Owner Revealed
00:36:48
Speaker
After Viggo sends home who he's going to send home, the warforged protecting the house will outnumber the protesters. Great. Love it. Love to see it. Guys, I have a triumph. The adventurous disappears out of Reynard's hands and magically appears where it's. I have a suggestion. Yeah, I'm always open to suggestions. What if I mean,
00:37:18
Speaker
Rayner is just carrying this thing around. What if Viggo notices it and laughs or something in some way that tells us that he knows something about this? I do like that triumph idea that maybe Viggo... Viggo recognizes the cockatrice. Maybe it's not necessarily that he knows something about this ring, but he might be able to give us some information about...
00:37:42
Speaker
Yeah, with that triumph, Hob, as Viggo's kind of looking at you and, fine, Hob, we'll clear out since you got clay in business to take care of. But just remember, and he stops mid-word and kind of does the lean around you and looks at Reynard, and Reynard, you, Milo, and Sigil are kind of walking back from your conversation and you've got the,
00:38:07
Speaker
cockatrice under your arm, because it's one of those statues that's just too big to fit in a bag, like... It's like a garden gnome size? Yeah, yeah. And Viggo kind of narrows his eyes a little bit and looks at you, Hob. What's your buddy doing with Salarian's statue?
00:38:37
Speaker
Um, that's not clay in business. Well, in a way it is. You see, they're trying someone. Have you heard about the things the goings on as it were, uh, someone's trying to, that's a very, that's a very helpful way of putting it. I have heard of the goings on. I was about to give some more detail about the goings on and the, what have you. It's some kind of game.
00:39:03
Speaker
Thank you, Eris. It is some kind of game. And Hobb says, Hobb says, someone is trying to frame an employee of the clan with the grave crime of Robin House Sifus. We're just trying to make sure the statue goes back where it belongs.
00:39:24
Speaker
And the fewer people that find out about it, along the way, the better. So you can understand how this would be important to clan business, insofar as I'm important to clan business, and Reynard is my associate. Well, um... Okay, just, you know... Whatever you gotta do, get that thing back to his office before he notices.
00:39:52
Speaker
Hobb remembers the name. What was it again? Solarian? Solarian. Thank you. S-O-L-I-R-I-O-N. One of these days, I'm going to get one right. Instead of having to scribble out the letter I'm on when you start. I know. I-R-I-O-N.
00:40:13
Speaker
I. R. I. O. N. Yep. Now I spelled almost every part of that wrong. I mean, I spelled it like solarium, but I bet you guys got I bet you guys got sigil right when I introduced them. It's a word. All names are words. I spelled letter to.
00:40:32
Speaker
I spelled whisper on the wind correctly. Okay, so everybody reconvenes having done their thing. Sigil is with you all. Sigil kind of looks, so where to? Well, I was over there talking with Viggo and Sigil, it's important that you know that I do not like him.
00:41:02
Speaker
I am fully on your side here, friend. Um, he said that that cockatrice belongs to a solarian, civis, I guess, decivis. And it lives in his office. So that's where to. Who, uh, Raynard, knowledge society.
00:41:30
Speaker
Okay. And I am ready for that. Okay, here we go. Hey. Okay, so that's three success. Oh, he should have had a boost too. Oh yeah, it's all right. Can we just save it for the next one? There might be advantage on it. I'll just go and roll it. Hey, four success and advantage. So that strain that you suffered before, you can recover that. Perfect.
00:41:57
Speaker
Reynard, your face loses some color at the name Celerion, because you remember from your time rubbing elbows with the various houses. Celerion Torilyn DeCivis, Torilyn's his middle name, is the head of House Civis in Sharn. Runs the whole thing.
00:42:21
Speaker
And there were many murmurings about his involvement in other organizations that if he gets a grudge with you, then you're not going to prison. So, except for the prison of death. Anyway.
00:42:46
Speaker
Yeah, I know. I didn't like it as soon as I said it. I'm trying to give this show a darker edge. Not gonna lie. That might feel like a release, not a present.
00:43:01
Speaker
So, yeah, this confirms what you suspected that you all need to head to the Dragon Towers District in the Middle Central Plateau.
Plan to Return the Cockatrice
00:43:14
Speaker
That's where the Civis Enclave is and where Celerion, his office is located. Civis Tower, which is where his office is located, has two enclaves in it. Civis,
00:43:30
Speaker
And Kunderak. Kunderak are subletting some off, subleasing some office space. Yeah. In exchange for security. All right. Cool. Cool. Cool. Cool. Cool. Cool. Cool. I mean, somebody got it.
00:43:47
Speaker
Oh, right. That's comforting. Stands to reason, and they got it to Reynard, so it stands to reason that we can get it back in. Yes. I'm sure it was very hard to sneak up on Reynard while he was drunk. I was talking about the first bit, getting in there and taking it and getting it out and surviving so as to get it to Reynard. Let's find that person and hire them to do this.
00:44:16
Speaker
Um, no. Okay. So, um, so wait, um, do, do we notice, did it, can I say that I noticed Milo's face? Hob has a soft spot for Milo that we haven't done a lot of talking for. So Milo or Rainard? You said Milo's the one that lost color in his face, right? No, Rainard. Oh, I apologize. I don't care. I'm just kidding. It's not a soft spot. It's kind of sandpaper-y, but
00:44:47
Speaker
Raynard, you look more concerned than you did earlier. Yes, let's go. Quickly, quickly, come, come, let's go. Raynard just starts walking to where they're supposed to go. Bob took a shot and bricked it and was like, all right, fine, moving on.
00:45:14
Speaker
I honestly just completely doesn't tell them. No, OK. Just says we need to go faster. So obviously your your sky coach is under repair. Aeris is dealing with that. So you all will probably need to either see if the clan has a car that you can borrow or take a sky cab. I used my ability to borrow a car for us last time.
00:45:46
Speaker
Let's just get a Sky Cab. Yeah. Okay. So you all head to one of the air docks in the district. Sky Cab rolls up. Where do you need to go? The Sivus Enclave, is that what we're calling it? Yep. Okay. The Sivus Enclave, as quickly as you can, please. Okay, that's Central Middle Plateau. That'll be Three Kappa.
00:46:15
Speaker
Right. Rainer, is that a lot? Is that a lot? No, it's not at all. No, it's so cheap. No. So, yeah. Rainard. I was trying to see how much money I had. Are you? We have gold on gold on gold. Yeah, at least 35 gold. I just can't find it. Where is it? Item inventory? No, it's in.
00:46:44
Speaker
a character info. Oh, OK. And it's manual. So if you haven't been adding it, it's not in there, but I have 200 gold. That doesn't feel right either. From the from from. Yes, because I got extra from something I did. And so Rainard hands him one gold piece instead and says, go faster. Well, you got it. And the sky cab just jolts back
00:47:15
Speaker
Sigil wasn't even fully seated yet, so they kind of tumble back over the bench. And this cabbie is just bobbing and weaving through through the lanes, through traffic, driving very illegally. But Eris climbed into the passenger seat and begins asking a string of highly technical questions regarding how he obtains maximum power out of the engine for the Skycoach.
00:47:47
Speaker
I won't. I won't. I won't inflict the list of tech questions on. He is surprisingly knowledgeable about such things, so it's clear that he does some aftermarket tinkering on his guy coach. She's very interested in that and takes notes. He's a real not gears head. Whatever those are.
00:48:12
Speaker
He also says something weird about living his living his life one quarter mile at a time, but you just kind of brush that off. I just don't understand that. My miles are units of distance that time. So, yeah, he pulls up to the Dragon Towers air dock in the Middle Central Plateau very quickly, comes in hot and just like lurches to a stop like, all right, you you all have fun.
00:48:42
Speaker
Oh, I doubt it. Uh, what's the plan here? Like Raynard is the implication. This came from the guy's office or this statue is like on display in the lobby. Like the implication that you gave you is this. Yeah. He said, get that back to his office or else. And do we know?
00:49:12
Speaker
Where? That was Mike. Have any of us been here before or even any dragon on Mark Conkley? Rainard ever attended Gala here by chance? Rainard has been here before. None of you. None of you would have a reason to have come here. This is not a place for clan business. Eris is standing on the on the edge of the Skydock looking down because she's never been this far off the ground. That's nice.
00:49:40
Speaker
So Reinard turns to everyone and says, as quickly and quietly as we can, this goes in his office and we leave with something of mine or something that could get me into trouble.
00:49:54
Speaker
Why something of yours in there? How'd they get something of yours? That's the game, Eris. Stop saying game. That's the metaphor, Eris. Hob jumps off the tower to bring sweet release. Lock me up in the prison of death.
00:50:24
Speaker
Okay, Raynard, I appreciate you giving us the outline. But if we could color it in a bit, do you know where this office is? Do you know where the offices are? You're the only one of us that's been in here before. Well, I know where about they should be based on the part of this building I've been in.
00:50:49
Speaker
But I do not know the exact location. Okay. I'm hoping there's maybe a nameplate on the door or...
00:51:06
Speaker
maybe like a directory? What sort of business, because I know this much, I've been in the Boromar's Enclave, I have to have been. So what sort of business would be going on at this hour in a place like this, potentially? I know, but I'm sure they keep different hours, but like,
00:51:28
Speaker
I'm sure there's always guard, of course. Yeah, especially with a tower that houses the Condorac Enclave, that's going to have some dwarf guards posted. But like personal entourages, like anybody who matters is probably home by now, yes. Yes. Are there guards posted outside or is it like a modern office where they're patrolling the inside?
00:51:52
Speaker
Um, or probably, I mean, especially when dealing with Kunderak, they're probably pretty confident in the locks on their front doors. So the guards would be inside. Um, now, um, do you at least know what floor, what floor the, uh, the office is on?
00:52:14
Speaker
So I will give you I will give you this. Raynard, I will say just through knowing people and talking to people and visiting various people, you know that in Civis Tower, the bottom floor is Kundarak, the second floor.
00:52:31
Speaker
or the second section, because the kundirak enclave is multiple stories tall, but the next level up is the civis enclave. There would be an entrance to both, so you wouldn't have to go up through the kundirak enclave and enter. And you know which tower it is. You can head to the front door of the civis enclave if you want to.
00:53:00
Speaker
But right now we're in a loading dock, is that what you said? Air dock, yeah. This is where the sky cab dropped you off. It bus stopped. Yeah. Ah, OK. Where are those little green disks? Can we just float on up there and? Well, the bottom half we don't need to bother with. We need to go to the top half. And I'm just going to guess.
00:53:24
Speaker
This is a very important office we're looking for. And it's probably as high as we can get. I'd like to spend a story point. OK. OK. So I know whose office we're looking for, correct? Yep. OK. So I'm going to say I have seen a picture of him on the balcony of his office. And I know that he has the balcony on his office.
00:53:54
Speaker
OK. All right. We can certainly use a story point for that to establish that he has a balcony that would make it easier for you all to gain entrance. So obviously that door is still going to be locked. But but yeah. So you all go ahead. Oh, I mean, do we do we find a scurrilous cabbie who might take a couple of gold to float us on up to a balcony?
00:54:25
Speaker
Um, I mean, I will say that, uh, if, if you all want, um, the, the cabbie that you paid a gold to hasn't like taken off yet. Um, he, he dropped you off and you all kind of scapered out and then Reynard reveals this information. You all turn around and see him sitting there. Uh,
00:54:51
Speaker
Yeah, I think I think we say, oh, I'm sorry, we weren't specific enough when we said we needed to go to the the civil enclave. We meant there. And I point to the balcony. Can you do that one for us? Oh. Uh. That that particular doc is a little bit more pricey. Well, we were there.
00:55:20
Speaker
I hand him another gold and I flex while I do it. Oh, okay. Nevermind. He catches the gold, says, I like your style. Where's your gym? You know, I don't know what to tell you. Um, I do some body weight stuff every once in a while. It's gold's gym. Or what Trevor said.
00:55:50
Speaker
Okay, it was sitting there it was slow-hanging fruit and I grabbed it That's the one cows lick
00:55:59
Speaker
And that moment right there is everything anybody needs to know about Jeff and Trevor. Okay, so you all have exited the Sky Cab and you all pile back into it. Now does that gold mean that he'll be waiting on us when we come out? I hope so. This one might.
00:56:27
Speaker
Hand him another piece of gold. Actually, I'll I'll go down to the regular dock and keep an eye out for you and then I'll come up and get you because if I sit there, then yeah, I don't want him sitting there anymore than he wants to be sitting there. That's true. But yes, the other gold ensures it like keep it running and you toss him another gold. Perfect.
00:56:53
Speaker
So yeah, he kind of your service light off.
00:56:57
Speaker
takes a securities route and says, okay, I'm not going to like sit there and let you all like offload for 30 seconds. So I'm going to pull up, hop off, and then I'm just going to, it's, it's going to be one of those rolling yet. Like I keep moving slow. You jump out and then I keep moving on. Got it. Yes. Please don't roll. I don't know. I don't mean to be insensitive, but does anybody need some help? This, uh, deep. What's the word I'm looking for? Disembarking. Deboarding.
00:57:26
Speaker
This embarking is the boat leaving. I'm thinking... No, that's you getting off of a boat. Is it? Okay. I thought, well, fine. Does anybody need any help to make it go more quickly? Air stops off.
00:57:39
Speaker
Well, we're we're moving off. We're jumping off of a moving vehicle. So I think it's it's appropriate to go ahead and do a I would take athletics or acrobatics. Coordination. Coordination. Let me set the difficulty real quick. I don't want anything catastrophic to happen, so I won't upgrade it, but I don't want anybody dying from this.
00:58:07
Speaker
Okay, difficulty is set, so go ahead. Oh, ha. Athletics or what? It makes coordination. Oh, I might need some help here. Here we go. Hey. Yay. Oh, and for Sigil, sorry.
00:58:29
Speaker
How is that possible? I'm looking at Hobb's roll for our listeners. The results are as follows. Eris, one success and one advantage. Reynard, one success. Hobb managed to roll an entire wash despite having four dice to one in the pool. Milo with two successes and Sigil with one success and one advantage. Can I use my advantage to catch Hobb
00:58:58
Speaker
I think you would need a triumph to catch Hobb, Aris. Sigil will also use their advantage. So Sigil and Aris hop off and Hobb just like the cabbie started to pull away and Hobb just like missed the step and Aris and Sigil both catch Hobb. And everybody can kind of pull Hobb up and over. I wasn't imagining like holding Hobb's weight up, but like providing the thing. Yeah.
00:59:27
Speaker
The momentum of good then. So we all made it. All right. Wonderful. Eris will approach the window and examine it for. What she assumes are magical. Security measures. Yeah, if you want to go ahead and make a.
00:59:55
Speaker
a knowledge adventuring check. Okay. To try and spot what is going on. Do you have a set? I'm going to use a story point to upgrade. What is my pool looking like right now? Two purple, one red. Okay. Is Sigil, since Sigil also knows a lot about this stuff, is Sigil able to be helping me and throw me a boost die somehow?
01:00:22
Speaker
Um, Sigil and Milo, uh, are both here. Um, what's, what's your intelligence? Um, okay. So if we want, we can do a combined check where you get an extra green from Milo's intelligence since he has a four intelligence and then sigil can give you a boost die from also assisting. Okay. So I have all of that set for you. Um, Oh, two failure six advantage.
01:00:54
Speaker
Amazing. It is and yet. Oh. So I have failed to I'm sorry, have I failed to find locks or have I triggered? Yeah, you have no idea how this like what what would happen if you were to open the door or try to open the door. What a horse.
01:01:18
Speaker
And Milo and Sigil, like all three of you are up there, like looking. And Raynard, I mean, this is why you assembled this team for one thing. And they're all just, oh, they're something. I have a thing that I will use all six advantage for. Aris turns around and looks at Raynard and I said,
01:01:46
Speaker
You know, it's been very nice knowing you. And I use my six advantage to escape. And I miss you for days. So I know I will hear a suggestion. Rainard, real quick, correct me. What weapons do you carry, Rainard? You have your bow. Do you also have a dagger that you use? I believe so.
01:02:14
Speaker
I don't know that I've used it, so let me double check. But you guys wanted to borrow. Yes, this is the nature of the game. So your dagger is your dagger is from back when you lived.
01:02:31
Speaker
a better life than the one you currently live from a financial standpoint. So it's a very unique, yeah, it's a very unique dagger. Most people would be able to spot it as yours, especially a member of House Fearland. So what I propose using the six advantage for is
01:02:57
Speaker
right next to the window. I'm envisioning the floor to ceiling windows with the glass door in between them. Lots of natural light. It's wonderful, looks great. You see the desk behind, or the table behind his desk, and you see a spot where
01:03:23
Speaker
a replica of your dagger, like you look down at your waist and your daggers there and then you see your dagger sitting there, presumably where this statue is supposed to go. So it's right there. And you would bet. If somebody and this is all happening in your head, somebody and you look at Hob and his arm, somebody were to break that window, you could just set it, grab the knife and then jump into the sky cabin, take off.
01:03:54
Speaker
Like, and it's like two steps into the room. Like, you all would be here for another five seconds. And while, yes, they will know that somebody was here, nothing will have been taken. Okay, so. Go ahead and suggest that to Hob. Hob, quick fix, punch the window, take that dagger, put this statue back, and we get out of dodge.
01:04:26
Speaker
How big is the window? Get out of where? I heard it on the street. It was at a play I saw. Dodge, it's this horrible restaurant down in Dragon Eyes. The windows are probably about eight to 10 feet. Let's say nine, split the difference. Nine feet tall with a door that is the size for a gnome. So the door is kind of small.
01:04:55
Speaker
but the window's big enough that I could offer to shove Raynard through it. You could. Uh, so, Raynard, your, uh, your intention now is for me to break a window, uh, that is protected by Kunderak whatevers, uh, to fix your problem.
01:05:28
Speaker
That's why we're here. Wait, if the solution is to break a window, what would you bring us for? I can't break a window. Are you that weak? Are you so frail? Oh, tick tock, tick tock. We're running out of time. With the hilt of your sword or your dagger, you could not break this window.
01:05:57
Speaker
What's the cockatrice made out of? Can I break it? Stone. We could just throw it through the window. Aren't your arms made out of some kind of stone? No! You're not a golem. Okay, you're not a golem. That's what I was thinking.
01:06:18
Speaker
Yes, this whole time I've been some weird mud monster and no one brought it up. They were just being polite, Hob. These people are clearly polite. So that's a no from you, Hob. Sigil, feel like punching. Reynard, have you ever seen me punch?
01:06:43
Speaker
I, let me correct that. You all seem to have a modicum of respect for me, which means you've never seen me attempt to throw a punch. If you had, that would not be the case. So not good then. I'm not so. I'll break a window. Here's where Hob's at. As far as he knows, you're marked if you breach this thing. Who knows what high level.
01:07:14
Speaker
How Sivist is like scrying and messing with this. Exactly. Yeah. I break this window and suddenly I've got a tracker on. This may be the time for, if it works, for Milo to know all things. Would that work in this case, Eric? For Milo to know how to bypass this lock? Or is that too much?
01:07:43
Speaker
No, I mean, that that is the nature of your heroic ability. So you spend two story points. So so Milo just goes as we're sitting there trying to figure this out.
Milo Bypasses Security
01:07:57
Speaker
What? Well, how in the world would you know about that? Really? Well, well, is how we get past this tundra business, boys?
01:08:18
Speaker
The whole time that's rain already Rain already to hover going like I'm not gonna punch it. No, don't ask her to either They're not gonna do it. I'm not gonna do it. She's not gonna do it
01:08:31
Speaker
So yeah, Milo, yeah, after Milo exclaims this, Milo walks up and places, you run your hand alongside like the framing of the door has kind of a lip to it. And as you run your finger down and you kind of concentrate on the arcane energy, this elaborate like runic sigil appears on the door frame and the window frame.
01:09:01
Speaker
it kind of, there's lines framing the windows and everything, like it kind of lights up, not like sending a glow over the city or anything, but you all can see what you're attempting to do now, to disable the security system. So this is, this is going to require either,
01:09:30
Speaker
a, I would take a Skulduggery check just because you're unlocking a thing, or a Arcana or... Artifice trick. Eris steps out of the way for Reynard to unlock the door. I guess. You know what, actually, Hobb stands between the door and Eris and Milo, Milo and Central, they'd like to get behind him as well.
01:10:02
Speaker
Well, then I guess I'll do a skullduggery check. What's your ranks in skullduggery? I have one rank. Oh, I assumed you were better at it than me. Um, if there are any leftover advantage, Eris will pass him a boost dive. Okay. Um, you have one rank in skullduggery. What's your, uh, cunning three.
01:10:25
Speaker
Uh, yes, same as mine. So one, one yellow, two green. Um, I'm going to recommend spending a story point to upgrade your check. Um, just because the, the difficulty of this lock is too red, too purple. Um, grief. So, uh, I mean, it's, it's a Kundarak lock. Um,
01:10:50
Speaker
And Milo, since you know all things about this, I will let you assist if you like, giving a boost die. Eris sighs and she walks over and she says, give me a pix. Well, thank you. I'm glad someone is being helpful. Punch, punch. She breaches in.
01:11:19
Speaker
He reaches in and takes out this little tool and she's going to cast Augment on his... I'm just going to touch it. She's going to cast Augment on his lockpicks and let him do it. Okay, well let me get rid of all this stuff then. Reset to the much more reasonable difficulty of average, please. Okay. Ready for you. That's a wash. What?
01:11:47
Speaker
I will deplete my Artificing Glove to add a success. So Eris, she gets into it.
01:12:07
Speaker
And then the glove, her left glove, which she's using to hold the picks while she scribes on it with her tool, the little arms that have been extending out from it that are reaching, they start to sort of glow. And then there's this sort of popping sound. And she sort of jumps back, shaking her hand as smoke rises from the back of the glove and looks down, hands Reynard his picks back, which are now inscribed in goblin runes.
01:12:39
Speaker
Okay, so Raynard, I have two boost die from the advantage and assistance from Milo. You have an additional green from Eris casting augment on you. Eris, don't forget to suffer the two strain. You have an upgrade from spending a story point, so that'll get you another yellow die. And your difficulty is two red, two purple. So go ahead and attempt to unlock this door.
01:13:11
Speaker
Oh my gosh, nope. That's a failure, one failure, four advantage, and a triumph. And a triumph, yeah. That is good. What are we gonna do with your triumph on the wrong side of the door, Trevor? Turns out the door said, just kidding, we did it. There's a big walk with a key in it. All right, pass the door. The door's a talking door and I charmed it at the opening.
01:13:40
Speaker
OK, I know what to do with the triumph, if you'll allow me. Could I punch the window? And you get shards of glass in your hand. Time on the run. OK, so what you do as you're like using your picks and manipulating the arcane energy, because that's that's part of what you do with Skulduggery and Eberron is you have to be able to handle the arcane locks.
01:14:10
Speaker
You turn it the wrong way and all of a sudden all of the Everbright lanterns and everything flip on in the office and you kind of stop. This is a triumph. And you realize what you've done is
01:14:27
Speaker
Whatever setting the Kundarak security system has for at home, you just flipped on. So any traps or anything that would have been triggered in the office are now disabled. Like all the security expects somebody to be in there. The door is not unlocked, but all the security systems are shut down.
Mission Accomplished
01:14:55
Speaker
Now for advantage,
01:14:58
Speaker
What would you like to do with that? I'd like to wrap my hand in part of my cloak and punch the fricking window. Okay. Um, rather than using the very heavy stone object in your hand, you're going to, you're going to punch. Okay. Just to, just to put a button on, on this whole thing, uh, cause we're a little bit over time. Uh, yeah, you're, you're crunched. No, you make him roll and break his hand on that window.
01:15:27
Speaker
You're hunched down because you're working on a gnome door, Reynard. And so you see all the lights come on and you just wrap your hand and you punch the door. And then you get down with the cockatrice under your arm and crawl through this small door surrounded by giant windows. So you just look rather silly. You walk in, grab your dagger, pump the cockatrice down, crawl back out.
01:15:55
Speaker
and then you all signal for the Sky Cab to come pick you up. And I say, right, I guess I didn't need you all at all. Eris is nursing the burn on the back of her hand. She has her glove off, which you've probably never seen her glove off. Hobb puts his hand out for the replica knife. He says, I want to sell it to get my gold back. You owe me a dragon shod. End of episode.
Closing Remarks and Listener Engagement
01:16:23
Speaker
Thank you all so much for listening. Thank you all so much for listening. If you want to be part of the conversation, head on over to our Facebook group, the Geek Pantheon, or our Discord, the Geek Pantheon, where you can find the link on our website, thegeekpantheon.com. We're also on Twitter and Instagram at thegeekpantheon. And we are also on Patreon. If you want to come join our awesome Patreon community and help support the show, that would be wonderful, and we would love to have you.
01:16:50
Speaker
But yeah, that's all I can think to say right now. So I'm going to end the episode. Thank you all so much for listening. Once again, I'm your game master, Eric. I'm Philip. I'm Trevor. I'm Randy. I'm Jeff. We will see you next time.