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C2 Ep. 190 Uneasy Roots Chapter One
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Early to the party!
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Transcript
00:00:09
Speaker
D20
Introduction of the Campaign and Players
00:00:10
Speaker
radio, your game is roll.
00:00:47
Speaker
Hello, and welcome to Eberron. You can actually play podcasts at the Eberron campaign city. I am your game master, Eric. I'm Phillip. I'm Trevor. I'm Randy. I'm Jeff. Welcome to another episode. Gentlemen, what happened last time? You just told us. Plotting. Scheming. Kniving. Conspiring. Coordinating. Branch meeting. Commiserating. Poor Del. So yeah, we...
Debrief on Boromar Meeting and Tarvel's Task
00:01:13
Speaker
Last we saw you all, you all were meeting with the other heads and seconds of the Boromar of the groups that are willing to work with you all. And then Tarvel was going to go try to shore up Eren's feelings on Viggo taking her place in the Dreadhold. He had told you all that he got her part of the way there and he just needs to kind of push her over the edge.
Eris's Teleportation Pucks Plan
00:01:34
Speaker
Eris was going to go back to the Cauldron to make some teleportation pucks for House Fjarlen. Five of them was the number that they needed.
00:01:42
Speaker
And you all saw in a kind of third-person cutaway, Herban Primafit get killed via fire. Internal fire, as it were.
00:01:51
Speaker
So. Great. Eris. That's not anything Maro's
Reynard's Offer from House Fjarlen
00:01:55
Speaker
ever done. Eris, you head back to the country. Eric. To make some teleportation pucks. It's true. That does happen. So give me a roll to see how that goes. I know you've made them before. Uh-huh. No denying that. Standard of tinkering. Effect is that it is usually a hard difficulty. So I've got three purples.
00:02:21
Speaker
in the saying. So make it two purples because you've made this before consistently without any kind of issue and yeah we'll call it there.
00:02:33
Speaker
Cool. Let's see. Just double checking. Unless you'd like to flip a story point to upgrade. And no, I'm okay there. I have lots of bonuses on doing this sort of thing. All right, here we go. Seven successes with six advantage. Okey-dokey. Huzzah. So successfully make a teleportation
00:02:53
Speaker
I think, let me see if I have enough successes to double it. And pass it on to the next person who might be you. Yeah. I mean, we're doing this for each one, right? We're going to make a check. Unless you have. That's what I was checking is whether or not I've seen whether or not the number of. I know you can create additional, right?
00:03:18
Speaker
Well, with, with single use things like potions, you can create sometimes a second dose, but it does not look like that is the case here. So I'm just going to pass myself an upgrade. Sure. Why not? Got him.
00:03:35
Speaker
Pass one upgrade and I will let three of the advantages be you create an additional one. So you have. OK, cool. All right. And that and upgrade and go made another two five success eight advantage. You just want to use six advantage to say you're done. I'd love to. That sounds perfect. Yes, let's just say Harris has done it real good.
00:04:00
Speaker
Yep. The old six advantage hand wave. Your best part of you stepped in to reach in and grabbed five of the old ones you might know. They wouldn't know. Okay, so Eris presumably late into the night because this would take you hours to accomplish. Oh, yes. Yeah. You finally go up and plop down on the bed. Olive was already in bed when you got
00:04:22
Speaker
Sure. So unless anybody is doing some sneaking about during the night, then the next morning, Raynard, just to kind of catch up where you have been for the latter half of yesterday. So Baron Elvinor, Diffy Arlen, took you back to her home with, um,
00:04:41
Speaker
And it was very much a lot of discussion around your future
Milo Questioned About Murder
00:04:47
Speaker
in House of Yarlen and the potential that Elvinor sees in you because while Alistair is a great
00:04:59
Speaker
administrative mind and a great man. He lacks a certain moral flexibility that sometimes this type of work requires. And so her hope is that you will accept any offer in position that Alastair
00:05:18
Speaker
requests of you to help guide him in the running of House Farallen and Sharn because you're morally suspect, unlike your brother, who's a good person. It's a nice way to put it. In her estimation, whether or not Raynard's had character growth over the course of this campaign,
00:05:36
Speaker
That's a question for the audience, but so I mean what without getting into like the minutia But what was Raynard's kind of response to all of that? Well, I think part of that would have would have been a response of like someone important and in power is What's the word? What does that word? Oh, what's the word? I still don't we're getting more context. Yeah, you gotta give us more words No, no number of times of you asking is gonna cost me like when you see worth and somebody like potential
00:06:04
Speaker
Estimation. Esteemed. Oh, I can't think of the word. Evaluated. Genesécois. Oh my gosh. That thing though. Well, it's values. This is value in it. Kid, you got it. In Raynard. And that's not something he's used to from an elf in power. So.
00:06:26
Speaker
Yeah. And Elvinor is also over the course of this conversation going to make a check against Reynard's deception because to see if she can pick up on whether or not somebody in this conversation thinks about her son in a certain way, she could maybe leverage that to her advantage. So unless Reynard is not going to try to hide it, if Reynard is going to be like, yeah. I don't think he can hide it. I think it's already out in the open. Well, we'll see if she picks up on it.
00:06:56
Speaker
Has Reynard ever hidden it? Was that a feature of Reynard? I don't think so. I think he straight up just told it, didn't he? Then she'll get a boost. Two success and a triumph. Yeah, she clocks that Reynard is really into Eldrin and tosses in a couple of...
00:07:14
Speaker
And there'll be times where, you know, I'm not able to deal with something. So we'll need our second commands to work together closely and frequently. Eldred agrees with Philip's estimation of that. That's uncomfortable. Well, Reynard is committed. He's bot stock. He's all in. And with the triumph, Milo, you are awoken to a knock at your door.
00:07:38
Speaker
Oh, no. Okay. Oh, great. Milo does not answer. No. This investigation into Renard's crush on you problems for Milo. You hear a much louder knock at your door. Okay, Milo. What time is it? I'm trying to... It is early. It's early for Milo. It's early for Milo. It's like half hour after dawn. Okay, yeah. Hello? Milo gets up and puts his little robe over his little nightclothes.
00:08:06
Speaker
cast fireball. Goes down. That would be the wrong move in this situation. I can just give you a little bit of foreshadowing and saying. Looks through the little peephole to see what their knees look like. Panted. But closed. No, you can tell it's verla on the other side of the door.
00:08:22
Speaker
Hold on a second, Verla. It's just softly early. Open the door, Milo. All right. So Milo opens the door. Verla steps in as soon as you open the door. You have to know something. I just woke up. Could we make some calf? How nice for you. I've been up all night. I'm very sorry. Would you like some calf? Because I sure could use some. No. I just want answers. You can make yourself some calf while you talk to me.
00:08:51
Speaker
very well i have another corpse with ties to you and your group and i need to know what's going on well who's the who is the corpse she's gonna make a perception check to see if milo genuinely does not know who the corpse is well he genuinely doesn't does he i know yeah i know okay there's a question of whether or not she
00:09:12
Speaker
I was just wondering if I missed something, because that's highly possible. Well, Randy does, but Milo does. Right, right. Since he's telling the truth, he'll go with charm, which would make the difficulty too red and a purple. She has to beat his charm to believe him. Her perception against his charm. When you state that out loud, it sounds real silly. This was wild, yeah. It's a good thing we trust you, Eric. Zero success, one triumph, one despair.
00:09:37
Speaker
Great. But the actual crap. So she believed, because she, wait, no, wait, she has doubt. Yeah, you didn't even state the terms. Is it possible that she doesn't believe him, but the triumph leads her to an inspirational moment where she follows another lead? Okay. No way, but that's my triumph, right? It's her triumph.
00:09:58
Speaker
the despair is your triumph the triumph is so weird we each get a big so she narrows her eyes at you milo this game is silly she's not quite spying that you don't know what she's talking about what what do you all want to do with your despair which is a positive thing for despair for me first first few rules i make who needs to die who needs to die i mean outstanding things
00:10:23
Speaker
Obviously Tarvel talking to Aaron about being okay with Vigo getting dropped in the Dreadhold. You could apply it since Eris has the putts and presumably is going to deliver them soon. You can apply it to the Arlen's attempt to get Vigo.
00:10:38
Speaker
You could apply it to some aspect of the different groups of Boromar that you met. Hutch, one thing that I didn't touch on in the recap, Hutch basically told you all that they weren't going to be able to get the goals fully against defending Alira.
Investigation of the Crime Scene
00:10:53
Speaker
But if you all came up with a convincing plan that you all were going to attack like the peer lads, then he could divert a good number of the goals. So you could apply it to those plans being drawn up.
00:11:06
Speaker
He could just pass the upgrade. Yep, go ahead. What if somewhere in the course of the morning, maybe while Reynard is going back and forth among the Fearland bureaucracy or while Hob's on his way to wherever Hob goes, this morning, I mean, one of us will stumble upon a clue as to what the heck is going on with the internal combustion corpses.
00:11:35
Speaker
Okay, yeah, I can. Yeah, might allow us to take some proactive actions instead of just expressing ignorance every time Verla shows up to accuse us. We don't keep doing it. Yeah, okay. For mine. We should have done his first. Verla pulls out a very well done sketching of the crime scene Milo.
00:12:03
Speaker
and sets it on the table in front of you. And you see a figure that I mean, you only really saw him one time. So you might recognize the face vaguely, but probably don't have strong memories of urban prima fit. But you see a figure who is like the face is like there are no eyes in the eye sockets because they were burned away. And the clothing is pretty severely charred. But you also see that there's some
00:12:33
Speaker
lacerations, like in pairs of four around, like on the, the shoulders of the body, like somebody grabbed. Yeah. And there was like, it looks like claws, like claws into the figure. She says, this is the claws are new, but this is similar to what happened to Ocon Dithurani that I spoke to you about before. And Milo famous for his claws.
00:13:00
Speaker
Yes. In my recollection, you all had dealings with House Therani and Reynard's cousins specifically, which Ocon fits within that. And you all very, I mean, famously in my mind, raided and infiltrated a gala being hosted by Urban Primafit to stop some technology that he was debuting. So I have two victims. That's where it was. With connections to you and your friends.
00:13:28
Speaker
Well, all I can say is it appears that somebody is trying to put us in a bad light because it is not me and it is not my friends. Why would somebody want to put you in a bad light, Michael? I have no idea with everything, with the chaos in the clan right now and people seeking to be in power.
00:13:49
Speaker
I don't know, maybe it's, Viggo's been let out, maybe he's up to something. Ocon was killed before Viggo was released. Good point. Gotcha on that one.
00:14:02
Speaker
Honestly, I don't know. I don't say it until we know. Can you account for your whereabouts last night? And she pulls up a little notepad. You've taken an awful long time. Well, I'm trying to remember where we were. I was like, was that Randy? That was Randy. And what I want to hide it consistent bird with Hutch.
00:14:29
Speaker
with everyone. Oh, that's right. It was all in the back room. Yes. Yeah. I don't know that. But that was pretty early in the day, right? That wasn't at night. No, by the end of the meeting, it was pretty late at night. And that's why you all headed home. Yes. Well, I was at the consistent bird with with my friends. That should that should easily be verifiable. And what time did you leave?
00:14:56
Speaker
Gosh, it was early morning. It was late night. Yes, late, late night. They had a consistent bird closes at midnight, let's say. And I specifically said the lunger was starting to put chairs on tables and that kind of stuff. Okay. Well, they were closing up by the time that we left. So those right there at midnight. Okay. And where'd you go after that with your cod? I went home here. Okay. And she finishes writing.
00:15:25
Speaker
Okay, Milo. Well, hopefully we won't find any more corpses of people that. Well, you know, I hope that's true also because now I promise you that I am highly interested in what's going on myself. So there's that. Okay. Well, and Randy, the player, and this is something that Milo would probably remember because it was a pretty formative thing.
00:15:47
Speaker
Causing the blood to boil to the point of death is how you killed Ignacio. Like, there's a reason why Verla has pegged Milo, because she knows, even if she can never prove it, she knows that Milo was there when Ignacio died. So that's kind of the reasoning why she has got you dead to rights on these deaths, is because there's very clearly in her mind a connection.
00:16:13
Speaker
between Milo's preferred form of murder and how these two people died. It wasn't Milo's preferred form, it just kind of happened that way.
00:16:22
Speaker
Yeah, because Raney doesn't pick the spells. Also, we definitely didn't kill Ignacio, as far as she knows. Well, as far as the walking pretty. Eris has nothing to do with it, so... Somehow. She was perched up away. The witness is dead. Yeah. Okay, Milo. Well, I will be in touch as the investigation goes on, and we may need to call you in for their questioning. Well, if I find out anything, I will let you know as well. All right, yeah. Let me know. And she walks out the front door.
00:16:52
Speaker
Bala goes and gets a cup of his calf that he just made. And just so you all know, because I think these kind of things require a certain level of transparency, the triumph that I used, I did use my triumph to incorporate the claw marks. The claw marks were not originally part of the crime scene, but now they are because of the triumph that she wrote. Interesting.
00:17:12
Speaker
So, and she also collects, Randy, would you like to flip a story point to say that Verla accidentally leaves the sketch behind? Absolutely. She is rather frustrated. So yeah, she turns and leaves for getting the sketch that you see on the table. Okay. And Milo makes a sketch of it himself as well.
00:17:36
Speaker
I think that's I bet that's the thing if Milo wants to hand drop that's fine I bet that's also if you want to say use utility magic to like yes There's a staples down the street and has she just left she just left Milo looks down sees it Makes a copy real quick gets the sketch pad opens the door. Excuse me Valor. Yes, yo sketch pad Thank You Milo and she comes back and grabs it. Oh
00:18:05
Speaker
I'll be in touch. Have a good day. You too. And I absolutely hope you find who did this. And as you, as you walk outside in turn, you see somebody's like standing down the street a little ways that Burlow was clearly headed towards. And once she has the notepad, she walks and they start to walk next to her and they start talking. So clearly she's got a partner on this investigation. And Milo does not recognize the person. No. Is it a cat? It is not a cat.
00:18:34
Speaker
Does have any feline features? No, not a shifter, not a cat, not a wear cat, not a wear pant. They're a wear rat. Anyway. Okay. That was going to make a terrible joke, but this is a family show. Okay. I'm interested.
Strategizing the Day Ahead
00:18:49
Speaker
Okay. So what's everyone else up to or what is also Milo up to? Like, are you all convening at the cauldron or what's the plane?
00:18:58
Speaker
well how early is this morning jesus louise aris is asleep there milo are you doing anything in the immediate aftermath of verlos departure or are you gonna have some breakfast and yeah i'm gonna yes that's exactly it if milo spends any kind of time looking at this sketch while he's copying it or over his yes you can give me a perception check
00:19:20
Speaker
with a hard difficulty, three purple, but I'm gonna flip a story point to make one of those a red. So one red, two purple. My perception is not that great. I don't know if that's necessary, Eric. Okay, if you don't want to do it, that's totally fine. No, you're gonna do what? Three purple? One red, two purple. One red, two purple, yeah. You don't have to make the check if you don't want to. No, I can make it. Why not? I might get lucky. I could take it a few reasons. I got lucky. One success, two threats.
00:19:50
Speaker
Okay. Take two points to strain Milo. It is very early and you got interrogated as soon as you got out of bed, which is not the great way to start a day in any reality.
00:19:59
Speaker
One success is you're looking, obviously this isn't a photograph, it's not a perfect representation, but it is pretty accurate. It's clear that they use some kind of magic to replicate as close as possible the drawing, because it's not just the body, it's also the crime scene kind of around it. And as you're looking, Milo, you see that there are some footprints that actually scorched the stone.
00:20:26
Speaker
that are walking up to where the body lays and you see them turning away, presumably from the intense heat that caused this magic. But you also, looking at the area around the body, you're pretty sure there were two people. This wasn't a lone person that did this. And that, given what Verla said, the internal burning
00:20:52
Speaker
is one person is responsible for that, but the clause might be a second person. All right. Okay. And you say scorched, scorched footprints. Yeah. Well, blueprints from the person who caught fire. No, from the person that their footprints walking up to where that person is. Okay. Should have done that while Berla was here.
00:21:19
Speaker
Well, this is kind of slowly like Milo. Milo's waking up with the calf. Exactly. The music swells a little bit as Milo leans over the table and looks closer at the picture and picks it up dramatically. So, yeah. Okay. Milo, since you are the first one up, are you going to be doing anything else other than having calf and trying to wake up? No, I'll be making breakfast. I mean, it's early. So, Milo's just going to chill at the house and ponder life.
00:21:46
Speaker
I think Hobb would probably be the next person to wake up, given this crew. Yeah, I know Hobb had to get his kid to the middle school by 6am today, so he's been awake for a while and very tired and upset. Hobb's got a kid? Yeah, sure. Hobb's awake. Hobb is really in, I know it's not narratively interesting, but Hobb is in
00:22:08
Speaker
protect mode right now with everything that's going on. Now, obviously he doesn't know about Milo's thing yet, but that's just going to further entrench him in it. Hob occasionally becomes protector advocate for his group of misfit friends. Despite the fact that he's also constantly in trouble. So I think he's waiting to hear him. I mean, he'll, he'll probably just go downstairs and if no, the beef, what was his name? Harlan, Harlan LeBeouf, Harlan LeBeouf. If he's, if he's working, Hob might just see, Hey, hear anything last night, but that's probably the extent of what he's doing until he hears from somebody else.
00:22:38
Speaker
Remind me specifically what was it? Boromar activity like it was specifically if any of Vigo's old buddy because we just kind of said that
00:22:48
Speaker
This is the sort of place that degenerates that Vigo likes would hang out. If they'd heard about him being back, if they'd heard about him being back, if they'd heard about him being back, if they'd heard about him being back, if they'd heard about him being back, if they'd heard about him being back, if they'd heard about him being back, if they'd heard about him being back, if they'd heard about him being back, if they'd heard about him being back, if they'd heard about him being back, if they'd heard about him being back, if they'd heard about him being back, if they'd heard about him being back, if they'd heard about him being back, if they'd heard about him being back, if they'd heard about him being back, if they'd heard about him being back, if they'd heard about him being back, if they'd heard about him being back, if they'd heard about him being back, if they'd heard about him being back,
00:23:16
Speaker
And I'm talking about before, before he became head of the Black Lambs back when he was just kind of Party Boy Vigo. Yeah, right. He had to do detail duty form occasionally. That's what we all called him. Party Boy Vigo. Party Boy Vigo. Oh, PVV. Sounds like a transmitted disease. Transmitted how, Eric? What were you thinking? Jeff, of course. Just being in the same room with Vigo is toxic. That's true. Yeah, they they came in and they were talking about, you know, going out with Vigo and
00:23:46
Speaker
The vibe I picked up on is that Vigo's still fun for a good time, but he's definitely a lot, he's got a bit more of an edge to him. Doing insane stuff that even made his old buddies uncomfortable. And so, yeah, that's... Vigo was in county lockup for like a week and he's come out like he did harm time. It's the dominant mysterious. He's prison Mike.
00:24:12
Speaker
you guys don't know what it's like inside so yeah that was that's kind of what they didn't say anything specific of like yeah and then Vigo said he was gonna go blow up high wall or anything like no nothing like that but yeah just Vigo's got a little bit more of an edge to him and it makes his old buddies uncomfortable which knowing the type of people he ran around with
00:24:30
Speaker
That's a pretty high bar to make these guys uncomfortable. Like they're pretty lecherous crew. So yeah, that would be concerning. I don't think he presses for the genre of awful. But I mean, I think that's enough for now. And he just he says he's just like, you know, I appreciate it.
00:24:46
Speaker
Yeah. Drops some more coins on the on the bar. Affair the correct amount of coins on the bar. Yeah. And like, listen, I don't I don't want to put you too far over your skis with these guys. But if you get a chance to kind of press a bit on what he's playing.
00:25:02
Speaker
It could really mean a lot to my future existence and its continuation.
Daily Plans: Teleportation Pucks and Alibi
00:25:08
Speaker
You feel me? Yeah. I gotcha. I don't know what kind of trouble you're in. Don't want to know. Don't want any more information that I need, Hob. But yeah, I'll keep an ear out. Look, I just, just so you feel comfortable. The only trouble I'm in is with Vigo. Like I'm not like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Right. You get me. Right. Yeah. I think that's, I think that's the extent of it.
00:25:31
Speaker
Yeah. Hop's kind of boring right now, except for when he's with his buddies. Fair enough. Raynard, what do you do when you wake up? What do you do? Well, now I have this idea of Raynard kind of Disney princessing his way around the apartment. It's just a good mood. Just a good mood. Things are looking up in the world of Raynard, I guess.
00:25:54
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, Reynard gets up. It's a good day. It's a good day. I feel like it's about to not be, but it's okay. No. Arthur kind of trots behind you as you're walking around the apartment in elation. And then you feel the knife, the claws and the fire. Yeah. I mean, is, is Reynard going anywhere, doing anything, or is he just kind of going through his morning routine? Do I need to talk to anyone right now?
00:26:17
Speaker
I did all my my big talk in last time. So I think probably just a morning or scene for now. OK. And then lastly, Eris, you're welcome to the sound of Olive working in not not because of the sound of all of working, but that is what you hear when you wake up is all of working down in the the workshop. I mean, Eris has only one task today, which is to take these things
00:26:41
Speaker
Back to House Fierlund, as far as she knows. Oh wait, that's not true. This is the garden day. This is the garden day! Oh yeah, I know what Hob's doing! Reinhardt's so much more happy. Hob is finding the wand equivalent of a disposable camera. Yeah, I mean, at some point late in the morning, Aeros drags herself out of bed, walks downstairs, hits the, you know, the automatic calf machine.
00:27:05
Speaker
that she's built that definitely doesn't use any of the elemental box principles to precisely heat the water. It definitely also has a cold setting for iced coffee and then just sort of walks over and starts packing up the finished goods with care because, you know, she cares about her stuff that she makes.
00:27:28
Speaker
Yeah, as you're walking down to the shop floor, you see Olive up on the rollable staircase, working on the harness and arms. Sure, sure. And you see with the bottom two, she's got them kind of hooked and rigged up, and she's got where the claws are. She's got them kind of disassembled, and she's working on the actual
00:27:54
Speaker
arm component that the claws kind of fit around. And she looks up and she's, she's got it like hollowed out. Like she's got some parts out of it and she looks up and she's like, Oh, good morning. With the cinder being able to heat up the, the claws needed the arms like I found last time. I'm going to test and see if there's any way with the bottom two that I can generate enough heat to get propulsion. So I fly.
00:28:24
Speaker
I mean, I don't know how long I'd be able to go, but yeah, that's the idea or at least enhanced jumping. That's pretty cool. Hopefully the amount of heat that will be required is a concern, but that's why we're testing, right? Right. I saw those and she gestures over to your workbench. They look good. Yeah. Yeah. Change of services with some professionally shady people.
00:28:48
Speaker
Ah, you were a professionally shady person. I am an aspiring professional, not shady person. So you're needing some shadier, then you'd like to do stuff that needs to get done. Actually, I really would not mind doing this. I just, it's just so much, these people will do it better. Fair enough. Just trying to deal with the vego stuff. I think we're really close to just getting out from under all this.
00:29:15
Speaker
well because well if you need anything obviously don't hesitate to ask i'm available right now i know and do not plan to do anything at two o'clock till six o'clock right yep okay and ideally get here at around one o'clock so that you can clean up and not say you have to dress up just clean up and we can go
00:29:38
Speaker
Eris begins to protest and then catches her face in the reflection of something and like, you know, her hair's got like old product in it. And so it's all like sideways. And yeah. Oh, okay. Yeah. In fact, it'd probably be best if you wore your normal gear since they're expecting the fixer. If you need something nice, that'd probably be a let down. Put on your little costume. Right. Okay. I'll be here and good luck. Thank you.
00:30:06
Speaker
I should probably hit the communicator at some point. Where's everybody? It's like 11am. I'm on my way, actually, to you right now. On my loud motorcycle! Sorry, I should be yelling. Yes, I'm heading that way and we need to have a chat. I had a visit from Vola this morning.
00:30:26
Speaker
I will talk about it when I get there. Why? That doesn't sound like you chose to, hey? No, she woke me up very early. Hey, if we have to do that, I'll have to eat. Yes, so let's go eat. I'm already eaten, but I can have some more calf.
00:30:43
Speaker
Eris will walk across to the sore experience. There are two viable restaurants in Highwall now, so you all need to specify where. Seafood breakfast sounds bad. I just got to be real with you. Seafood, I'm not a huge seafood person in the first place, but seafood breakfast sounds real bad.
00:31:00
Speaker
Has has often done a full pivot? Is it just a full seafood restaurant now? Can I still get a chicken? Or is he completely catered? Don't say it. Chicken in the sea. It's just a giant tuna. It's always been tuna. You do really like that. Yeah, it's a special kind of chicken. Bob eats whole chicken off the bone and you know this. I don't like this game anymore. This game is stupid. Don't take away my chicken agency.
00:31:27
Speaker
No.
Eris's Surprise 'Fixer' Celebration
00:31:28
Speaker
Anywhere else, Hob goes, he's like, my chicken usually comes out of a tin can. What is this? Yeah. Y'all got a weird chicken around here. Make chicken like often does. Raynard, do you respond to any of this or are you just on your way? Oh, yeah. I was going to chime in with just like, I could eat. Sounds like three people who are going to make your morning worse. Yeah. I just love the idea that Raynard would absolutely be the person in the group chat while planes are being made that does not respond at all, but still shows up. No, that is accurate. You act like that's just not me.
00:31:57
Speaker
OK, we all talked about it. Milo, give me a stealth check as you are headed to. Oh, no. Meet up with everyone. And the difference is two red, one purple. Oh, my gosh. Two red, one actually gunning for you this morning, Randy. Yeah, boy.
00:32:14
Speaker
I've just been taking it too easy on a mile of this campaign, so I'm trying to make good. That's definitely it. Is that what's been happening? Hey. Yes, one success, one advantage. Okay, you want to heal one of those points of strain with the advantage? Show off. Okay, so yeah, you all get to soaring spirits for brunch.
00:32:34
Speaker
and there is a lot of errors as you walk in. Oh, no, I made a mistake. There's quite a few people already there. There's a special brunch going on in preparation for the party. Completely did not connect those two things as I should have. Could I have made, because I've been, Milo's probably starting to get really paranoid about things. Could I have made a perception check on my way?
00:33:02
Speaker
Sure. Cause if I'm trying, if I'm trying to be stealthy, I mean, my perception is not great, but why not? It is two red and a black. Two successes. Yeah. Milo is your, I mean, does Milo just take a cab? Is that how Milo gets to, to high wall? Yeah, I would say, yeah, whatever's quickest. He's just going to do that. Walking certainly would not be the quickest. No.
00:33:29
Speaker
Okay. So, so yeah, as you're in, in a SkyCab, you definitely clocked another skiff following you. You don't, you can't make out who's in it, but you're definitely being followed. But there's, you know, there's a point where with just the nature of the three dimensional level of traffic that would exist within Sharn, eventually you have to go down and so there would be some kind of.
00:33:57
Speaker
organized off-ramp, as it were, that whoever was following you got cut off and wasn't able to continue the pursuit.
00:34:09
Speaker
You lost him. Okay. You know, you were being followed by a hundred percent Milo unshakably certain. Very good. Yes. So Eris, you walk into sorting spirits and there is a lot of green and flowers and things kind of decorating the space. And you see one of those sandwich boards that is like garden brunch is the menu this morning.
00:34:34
Speaker
And as Eris enters, everybody kind of turns and like light up and she looks like someone who slept in her clothes. Yeah. Her her hair is like smashed over onto the wrong side of her face. There's probably like pillowcase wrinkle creases on her on her face from just collapsing and falling asleep. And she's got a mysterious brief. But yeah, Garen, the the dwarf
00:35:03
Speaker
It's like, hey, it's the fixer. What? It's garden day. Yes, it is. Hello. And Jorland walks up and just like, hi, Eris, your table upstairs is available and free if you want some. Thank you. Time away. Yes. I'll be up there to check on you in a second. Eris, bricks for the stairs.
00:35:25
Speaker
you you hear multiple voices as Eris is going up the stairs of people like not shouting at Jorlin but like saying with raised voices at Jorlin like like she doesn't pay for a thing today or like give me the bill like etc etc so whatever you want you're pretty confident you're not going to pay for it today so in fact outside of the times that Eris is intentionally snuck into the soaring spirits I don't like Eris probably doesn't pay for a whole lot at soaring spirits
00:35:54
Speaker
Um, and then as the rest of you get there, there's a certain level of recognition that some people have that you're like associated with their favorite person, but certainly not the same level of rubbery that Eris received. Sure. But Erlen nods up. Except for when Reynard enters, Reynard, your, your eyes are caught by Nessa Moon's shadow sitting at a table.
00:36:18
Speaker
Yeah. Well, which might be. It might be. Now it's awkward. It might be because Raynard also brought almost 100 balloon equivalent. This world's balloon equivalent. What's happening? And a cake that has different tools on it to signify a fixer. Raynard had enamel pins of Aeris's face made.
00:36:42
Speaker
where the blue hair glows, and he's passing them out. Giant thing of balloons and a cake, that's amazing. Yeah. So, yeah, Nessa starts to wave and one, like, kind of cocks your head right out. Do you just head up to your table, or do you say anything to Nessa? She's kind of halfway across the room.
00:36:58
Speaker
well she can be one of the people is the cake for later or is it for now it's already half god oh it's the branch it's the branch baby no but that's gonna be one of the people that radar speaks to but of course is taking this moment to feel like
00:37:13
Speaker
He is famous through association. Excuse me, I'm so sorry. I'm here to meet the fixer. The fixer's upstairs, yes. I'm here for the party. So thank you all for coming. Thank you for coming. I'm here to stand on ceremony. Beautiful. That's amazing.
00:37:32
Speaker
The kind of day that Reynard's having, if I were watching The Walking Dead, I'd be like, oh, Reynard's gonna die this episode. It's such a positive turn. So, Aeris, you first see the balloons, and then you see Reynard's head, and then you see the cake. You're already there. Well, don't kill him. Surprise! It is that. Yes, and I've got a petition going around downstairs to make this Fixer Day.
00:37:58
Speaker
Hob starts to walk downstairs to sign, hairs grab. You hear Garin shout up down from below the door. He's like, we changed it to Fixer Fest. I love that. Yes. The whole week. It's not the Fixer Mixer. Is that a part of the Fixer Fest? The speed dating. The Fixer Upper. Somebody needs to set up a stand selling blue hair dye to make. It's not dye. And goggles that blow bubbles. They're just, they're glow stick goggles. We're dumb. The cake has pools on it and everything.
00:38:27
Speaker
as Rainer sets it down on the table. Rainer definitely says, I'm so sorry you couldn't do more, Eris. Next year, we'll be bigger. I had breakfast food. I need food. I have a cake. Trevor, I love you. Yeah, that's amazing. Milo, you walk in and the soaring spirit is...
00:38:45
Speaker
a hubbub of activity is you see people passing around a clipboard and people eagerly signing it and kind of chatting. Upstairs you see a large bundle of balloons floating above the railing. Can't really see anything else, but what did the balloons say? Like did Raynard have enough forethought to get like celebratory balloons or did he swing by the pharmacy on the way and the only thing they had were get well soon balloons? Oh, I think it's just an array of like gray and black and blue balloons.
00:39:13
Speaker
OK, because in Raynaud's mind, those are trying to picture one hundred balloons. And I would I would just probably splurge for some kind of magical balloon where there maybe there's lights inside or something where they just scream. So they. So my looks around, looks and sees the balloons and goes, well, that has all the markings of Raynaud and heads that way. Yeah. And you all see Milo reach the top of the stairs carrying a sketchbook, I'm guessing, or a large sketch.
00:39:43
Speaker
Yes, a sketch. Well, happy fixer day, I guess. It will be soon, yes. Once the petition fills up, so feel free to sign up. I wondered what the clipboard was about, and now I know. I'm sorry, Eris. I know this is not your forte, but I should have gone to the sales.
00:40:07
Speaker
Yes well our day is not going to get any better at this point anyway and he's raised and he lays the sketch and yes that's and that's great but I need you all to look at this and he lays the sketch down on the table. Cute work Eris! I could not care less about what you're you have to say I need to talk. That's right yes because his brain is woo anyway he lays the sketch down
00:40:37
Speaker
As you set the sketch down, you hear footsteps as Jorlin approaches with a tray with each of your regular drinks on it. Okay, Milo scoops up the sketch. We're doing a fixed menu for the brunch today, if you're good with that. Or, I mean, we can make an exception if you all are particularly aversed. No, no, we talked about this. A fixer menu. Ronthe. Yes. Yes. A prefixer menu. Pre-fixer. Yes.
00:41:06
Speaker
Jorlin, Jorlin is caught in a very uncomfortable spot because he likes and respects Aeris and can see how uncomfortable all this is making Aeris. He is also in the customer service industry and Raynard is in the local at the table and so he can't shut Raynard down. So it's like, yes. So it's mostly potatoes and eggs is a lot of it. If you're you're good with that. I'm sorry. Potatoes and eggs. Great. Yes.
00:41:35
Speaker
Okay, I'll bring up the roasted potatoes. That's the first course. But if you need anything, feel free to shout. Go ahead. Okay, Milo, as you were. Sketch back on the table. Wow. That's terribly gross. Yes, it is. We're supposed to be eating soon. Verla brought this by bright and early. There's been, obviously, from the sketch, another murder. It's prima fit of all people. Oh, why'd you kill prima fit?
00:42:03
Speaker
This is not a time to be jesting, Hobb. Okay. Do you see the balloons? Brother, look her out! There's the balloons in the room. I don't feel like there's balloons in the room. We are serious. What happened was you came in mid-gest with some serious crap. Keep having to move the balloons to talk to each other.
00:42:20
Speaker
they're at the table they are the table around the edges anyway set on fire from the inside out if you'll notice in the picture there are claw marks and judging from the footprints there were
00:42:36
Speaker
probably two and one set of the boot prints you see scorch marks and so Varla thinks we are absolutely involved or at least I am for sure. Can she just compare that size to those boots and go obviously this person is not an Aftling.
00:42:54
Speaker
Yes, well, she briefly showed me the sketch and then she ran off without her sketchbook so I made this quickly and hollered at her for her sketchbook and then when I had a chance to take a closer look is when I noticed this. Did you tell her? No, she was gone.
00:43:15
Speaker
There was somebody else waiting for her as she left. Did not recognize who it was, but I was assuming some sort of an assistant helping her.
Milo's Concerns Over Being Framed
00:43:23
Speaker
Yeah, she gets to have her own friends. Yes. But anyway, it's I think fairly obvious now someone's trying to set us up or set me up. So something else to worry about. And on the way here, someone was absolutely following me.
00:43:43
Speaker
and we, I could not make out who, they were in a skiff and we lost them as the skycap went down, they got caught in traffic. All right, well I'm taking you home after this then, if that's fine with you.
00:43:57
Speaker
That is always fine with me. So Eric, now that we've got eyeballs on this, and I know it's a sketch of a sketch, but is it pretty clear these claw marks are not the giant claw marks of a lizard monster, and they're more like a shifter or where person, or what are we looking at with these claw marks? Yeah, I mean, the giant lizard person is definitely dead. You saw them die in front of your face. That giant lizard person is definitely dead. Yes, very much. They can crack off another one. No, they seem to be medium humanoid in size in terms of, yeah.
00:44:28
Speaker
So this one's weird because I don't think we made a fire-themed enemy. No, not that I know of. And it's awfully like what my magic has been known to do. What we have unfortunately done is made a lot of enemies that can hire a fire-themed thug to make. I guess so. To either attack or frame Milo.
00:44:48
Speaker
and I don't believe I was not able to convince her that I was not involved so okay so we're looking for someone just fire and someone with claws right and apparently leaves scorched boot prints as they walk I mean the claws thing is a complete non-starter until we have more information who doesn't have claws around here where was it where was the body found the body was found in Upper Memphis
00:45:16
Speaker
That's definitely a less clawed area. That's not like the cogs where, yeah. New Orleans approaches. Here are the herb roasted potatoes. And for the main course, it'll be a quiche with spinach and goat cheese, if you're good with that. That sounds wonderful. Great. Hobbies start to think Dorgoth can only eat soft foods.
00:45:35
Speaker
As Jorlin descends the steps, you all could pretty easily recognize a voice in the soaring spirits as you hear Open's voice downstairs. Like, chatting with people and you, if you look over the railing and you see Ace and Sana with him as well. How's Ace looking? How's Ace looking? Ace? Ace looks great, honestly. He, he...
00:45:58
Speaker
Standing tall like looks there there seems to be an air of confidence around him. That's terrible news Potentially you hadn't noticed before and just standing a little bit straighter. So see undergone any sort of physical transformations
00:46:14
Speaker
Nothing that would be apparent your eyes in this scenario. OK. What? OK. To our noses? Is he brimstone-y? You do not notice any brimstone scents coming off him. OK. Or a smell of rotten meat. He's sallow, though. He can't tell me he's not sallow. Hmm. Hmm.
00:46:34
Speaker
What are they doing here? Mingling, getting a table. Ophin has a package that he is handing off to Jorlin when Jorlin gets to the bottom of the stairs and they shake hands.
00:46:46
Speaker
Wait, Kath and Sana? No, Sana and Ace. Sana, OK, I don't know why I heard, sorry. I don't know why I heard Kath. You probably didn't, because you know this stuff better than I do. I misspeak frequently. So Sana and Ace are with Ulfin. Aeris, would you like to invite them up? It's your day, whether you like it or not. So I'm deferring to you. Our lady of Highwall, he doesn't say. I didn't think that Ulf was beginning this early. I thought that was an afternoon.
00:47:13
Speaker
thing and all of a sudden I had to like get ready and be cleaned up and this is all happening in a very different order than I thought it was going to happen because I thought we were going to come here and then go drop off teleporters with us feeling but now also there's a murder it feels like they're sure what we should do right now I mean it feels like they're making a day of it if we've got stuff to handle and come back before the
00:47:40
Speaker
garden christening what do you do to a garden dedication well there's a vip meet and greet and a photo booth with eris is meant to be in attendance that all starts at 30 how much we charge in per photo well it's a donation base to to again go toward the the goodwill of high wall hob leans in the radar he goes okay but they know no touching right like absolutely no touching you're gonna take a picture with eris well it's extra
00:48:08
Speaker
The first guy, no, nope. It's no touching. And the first guy will learn the hard way that it's no touching. I'll get a sign, mate. Okay. Maybe let's not do it. Maybe let's not do the photo thing. It's already on the flyers. I've already sold 200 tickets. Yeah. Wait, so there is money. Hang on, Raynary. How do you think I bought the balloons? You seem to be old Raynary. Oh no, I missed it. Whatever I said, just mute me because I don't know what Trevor said, but that's good stuff.
00:48:38
Speaker
Eric and I both saw that I think I bought the balloons. I can't imagine we can't go and take care of a few things, Eris. And then clean up and come back for the... Right, but which... which things do we take care of? Because, I mean, I just have to drop this off, but now there's a murder. Oh, I'm not! No, I don't mean to intimate that we'll be taking care of the murder part today. No, just the chores part today. The errands bit. Okay. Yes, I just wanted us to be aware that...
00:49:03
Speaker
that's going on is there a way that we could arrange that wherever milo is tonight there are witnesses to where he is there's the after party so it feels like we'll be we can be here late into the night and things will be going on
00:49:21
Speaker
Because it seems like the, I mean, until she starts noticing the boot print, how does she not notice boot prints at her own crime scene and go, those don't look halfling size. Guess I'd better cross my low off. Well, but maybe perhaps she did notice it and just did not mention it to me for whatever reason. Unfortunately, we also have a history of changing our appearance. Like it's just a thing that folks can do.
00:49:46
Speaker
Right. Anyway, yeah. It seems like it needs to not happen anymore that Verla shows up at Milo's door and is like, someone died last
Reynard's New Perspective on House Dynamics
00:49:55
Speaker
night. Where were you? And I was like, I was asleep in my bed alone, or I was wandering the streets, contemplating killing someone, but not the person who died. I think between, where was that? Between, between this event and if we just have to go to the cogs to spend some time, there's always activity. There's always people to see.
00:50:16
Speaker
Us down there. Yeah. Are they the kind of people that further would believe? I think we can ask that question about any of the people in this city. That's true. Okay, so we dropped things off and then we come back here, I guess, since we can't deal with the murder. Are you sure the murder isn't more important than the garden party? Definitely not. Well, the murder is
00:50:40
Speaker
I don't know how to say this without sounding extremely callous and maybe stupid, but there are a lot of murders and we've not concerned ourselves with many of them.
00:51:02
Speaker
Including the ones we've actually done. So let's not be suspicious by not doing the thing we already planned on doing because there's a murder. We're not really involved. Personally, I believe is the best course of action. Okay. So this time we should not interfere in Verla's investigation. Well, at this point anyway, I think we, we honor what we're doing here today and then there will be time probably later. All right.
00:51:31
Speaker
I think we need to do what we can to get Milo out of Verla's investigation. Perhaps begin our own investigation tomorrow. But the murder need not concern me today. I mean, I feel bad about prima fit. I guess I should put that out there. But what better alibi for Milo in case something happens tonight than being at a garden party?
00:51:52
Speaker
It's genuinely been so long since we encountered PrimaFit that Philip does not remember whether we should feel bad that PrimaFit died. So PrimaFit's work wasn't inherently, it wasn't like TARDIS the Tithers where he was stealing shifters. He found a way to
00:52:10
Speaker
create Eldritch engines that did not require dragon shards, like more sustainable energy, but he was doing it for Salomon Calloway, so that's kind of the... Yeah, he did a thing that would be inside of Eris's aspirations. Okay. Yeah, that's what I would be curious about is how these two murders may be connected. They obviously are connected, but in one way. I mean, obviously the same person's doing it.
00:52:37
Speaker
Yes, but why those two? And, you know, trying to pin it on me anyway, if not all of us. Okay. Reynold, these are for your boss so that she will do a thing so we don't have to. Alistair asked for them, not Elvin. These are for your brother so that he will do a thing and we don't have to. Brother boss, honestly, kind of. Yeah.
00:53:05
Speaker
Aren't you trying to establish some kind of working relationship with him? No. That's a different house. I want, I want this to be just over. I thought he was trying to hire you. Alastair didn't apply an ongoing relationship in the last conversation. Yeah. No, I, yeah. Yes. That's not what I'm trying to do. All right. Well, you might need to tell him that. Nope. I just don't think he's been there. I'm going to do this. What? What? What? Wait, what? Yeah. Yeah. What?
00:53:35
Speaker
I mean, do you not know that you should disrespect houses like that? Where's this coming from, Raynard? Isn't that like your central character trait? Yes, but we're talking about you. You're a better person than I am. You should at least know that you are wanting a working relationship. I do want a working relationship insofar as I have done this work and now he will do a different work. I have done this work, which is in my expertise,
00:54:05
Speaker
Then he'll do a work within his expertise and then any further exchange of expertise is would be a different conversation.
00:54:16
Speaker
I don't know if we were forthcoming with that information in our first conversation. I feel like I was. That's what I got. Can we double back? I feel like I said a lot of things about not bothering me. We're getting looks from radar right now. I'm very confused. This conversation has become confusing. It doesn't seem very professional.
00:54:38
Speaker
This is the weirdest old new Reynard combination I've ever seen. What is happening right now? What do you mean? You're being weird. I'm being weird? What are you talking about? You're being weird. You're being all like respectful about the house.
00:54:53
Speaker
And you're like giving me advice on how to be professional. Well. Since obviously professionalism is extremely important to me. And it is a weird time for you to decide that not disrespecting other houses is an important part of your guiding ethos. Listen, I might be, you know, I might be in favor of some people in the house now, so I need to make sure it's respected. Why?
00:55:21
Speaker
Because that's what you do, right? You, I don't know where this weird tension came from, but here's your key. I did not see this going this way. I was, I needed to talk about something, but I think I don't think we can now. I don't understand this conversation. All right. You know what? We're just going to stop here. Okay. Can I ask a question unrelated to any of this unpleasantness? Please, please do. I understand that Verla saw this crime scene and thought Milo.
00:55:52
Speaker
What I don't understand is where we went from that to, these killers are trying to implicate Milo. Is it not possible that fire is just an effective method of murder? And so they chose that one. I guess Milo, I want to know why you think besides the whole, I am my own main character because it's my life and I get
Discussion on Milo's Framing and Motives
00:56:13
Speaker
that. But is there another reason outside of that that you think they're trying to frame you?
00:56:18
Speaker
Well, because the fire, the way they're killing is in such a way as I have done before. Which is why Verla suspects me. Now that I get, and I'm with you on that, we still need to do some exonerating.
00:56:35
Speaker
It was just once. It's not like that's a normal thing. Exactly. But I mean, I don't think maybe that that's a normal thing in general. You murder a guy at a specific way one time and he just sticks with you for the rest of your life.
00:56:50
Speaker
Yes. How could I knock it off about this whole murder thing I did? Maybe that's perhaps, that's perhaps the only time Verla seen that and now she's seen it again and automatically assumes. It was preemptive self-defense. Yes. I, yeah, no, I completely get, I guess Milo, I'm just, let's, for your own sanity, let's not assume they're also out to get you. Verla is very much trying to pay this on you right now and we do need to work on that.
00:57:18
Speaker
But I don't think we need right now to assume that the murderers are trying to make it seem like it was you until we have better evidence of that.
00:57:25
Speaker
Just for your own peace of mind. Yes, that's, that is understandable. And I certainly do need a little peace of mind. Just to make sure you don't have too much, Verla's still out to get you. Maybe someone was like, I heard about this thing that happened to this Ignacio jerk and it sounded really cool and I use fire. So now I'm going to start murdering people that way. Cause I'm a psychopath.
00:57:49
Speaker
Could be any number of things. Maybe. Yes. You know what it is, though? End of episode. Okay. I'm sorry. Okay. Thank you all so much for listening.
Episode Wrap-Up and Call to Action
00:57:58
Speaker
If you want to be part of the conversation surrounding this episode, you can hop on over to our Discord, the link to which is all of our socials, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok. There's also a YouTube channel, youtube.com slash YouTube Pantheon that I make TTRPG video content. And now Philip is going to talk about a thing also on the YouTubes.
00:58:15
Speaker
Also on the YouTubes is a channel called The Laughing Tree, where you will find another actual play show set in Eberron called Kybershards in Stormreach. It's cool. Eric's a player. Yep. Let me say that again. I thank you all so much for listening. I've been your Game Master Eric. I'm Philip. I'm Trevor.
00:58:37
Speaker
I'm Randy. What's a TTRPG? See you next time.