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C2 Ep. 82 Wanton Vengeance Chapter Two
267 Plays3 years ago
The party makes a plan to stop the attacks in the Cogs.
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, Danielle Bramhall-Smith, Nastasia Raulerson, The Kamm Family, David Scrams, Elizabeth Clark, Andy Dossett, Rebekah Gowman, deviouspoptart, Eðvarð Arnór Sigurðsson, Michael Clark, Eric Witman, and Shelby Johnson.
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Transcript
00:00:00
Speaker
The following episode is brought to you by the generous donations of Laura Pickron, Darryl Delaney, Darren Katska, Devious Poptart, Irene Villarito, Ryan Royce, Andy Dossett, Danielle Bramhall-Smith, Elizabeth Clark, Eric Whitman, Jessica Smith, Charles Compton, Natasha Rallerson, Richard Cree, The Cam Family,
00:00:20
Speaker
David Scrams, Dustin Troop, Edvard Arnoff, Michael Clark, Rebecca Gowman, and Shelby Johnson, as well as all of our generous patrons.
Introduction of Hosts
00:01:15
Speaker
Hello and welcome to Ever On Renewed, an actual play podcast set in the Ever On campaign setting. I am your game master, Eric. I'm Phillip. I'm Randy. I'm Trevor. Whoops.
00:01:27
Speaker
Only been doing this three years, guys. It's fine. It's fine. It's fine. And I'm Jeff. And welcome to another episode. Gentlemen, are you sure about it, Eric? You seem kind of unsure. Like, like I'm Eric? Yes, I'm Ron. Welcome to another
Mysterious Disappearances and Attacks
00:01:47
Speaker
episode. What happened last time?
00:01:52
Speaker
Narn. Narn. My pal Narn informed us that there was some people that I specifically had been trying to get to work for Deneth have been disappearing. Is that right? Disappearing or just getting roughed up or both? Some people have been killed. Some people have been roughed up and some people are and then in response to that others are just leaving town. Sure. Like. Oh no. Poor house Deneth.
00:02:22
Speaker
I'm more concerned about the people that are being killed than the house, personally. I'm gonna keep that pool of exploitable labor for house dentists. I'm just giving you a hard time. Yeah, look, I'm doing this for us, Aris.
00:02:43
Speaker
Anyway, and that's the call to action. We talked to some people and somebody else might have better insight than that because I missed that part of the debrief. Getting a package off my porch. And Raynard adopted a retired police cat.
00:03:07
Speaker
Yes. That, yes. Who stayed home? Yeah, stayed with Ulfin. Uh, is finding a lot of lost things for Ulfin in the, uh, in the interim. Um, so you're just going to come back and there's going to be a pile of stuff just on the bar. Um,
00:03:23
Speaker
Yeah. So where we left you all off is you are in the house of a half troll family. Uh, one of whom was attacked, uh, by whoever's committing these, these heinous actions. And, uh, Rainard just tried to do some healing. Uh, Milo performs the first aid. It went okay.
00:03:44
Speaker
but then Raynard tried to back clean up and failed, but got a triumph. Trevor, you've had some time now to think about it. For those of you that can't tell via Jeff's audio
Racially Motivated Attacks Discussion
00:03:58
Speaker
shift, this is a brand new session that we're starting again. Jeff's hopeful audio shift. Yes.
00:04:12
Speaker
So, Reynard, what did you have for the triumph? Yes, I would like the cat to be here now. Done. OK. Rubber stamp that and moving on. No, so it's the description that.
00:04:43
Speaker
Okay, okay.
00:04:47
Speaker
I can get you some more info. Essentially, you're all's active generosity has relieved some of the mental strain that he has gone through and he remembers some things. So he furrows his brow for a second. Wait. So I remember them saying, what did they say?
00:05:17
Speaker
It was very angry. The attacker was very angry and was saying how I deserved it. My kind deserved this. We can't run from what we did just because we left.
00:05:41
Speaker
doesn't mean our sins are left behind. I don't know what that means. But there was I mean, do you kill anyone? No, someone's family or like nothing. I mean, I was I was too young. But my my dad and uncles fought in the war. So I'm sure they killed people. But
00:06:11
Speaker
They weren't murderers.
The Infamous West Wind Riders
00:06:15
Speaker
So, I've never killed anybody. But there was someone else there. Somebody walked by after. At some point in that, it's very clear that this, much like several things that we've experienced, this is a racism. Someone's doing a racism, right? That's a big part of this.
00:06:38
Speaker
It feels like or a or at least a geographical I'm not mistaken. It's When he said your kind I got that as all of the monstrous races of droam coming in right? That's what we're supposed to take that as could be or could be trolls specifically Okay, very but I mean either way trolls would be mostly in droum, I think so it I mean your theory makes sense
00:07:08
Speaker
He also was continuing to say, there was after, once again, I didn't get a good look at their face, but after they walked past me, somebody who may have been watching from a distance walked by and kind of smirked as they tailed or followed.
00:07:32
Speaker
Whoever did it. And they were wearing Brie-lish colors. That's the only like big recognizable thing. Like a Brie-lish soldier's colors. And they had a badge. Hippogriff. Had a hippogriff on it.
00:07:57
Speaker
hand, hob, roll, knowledge, no, it wouldn't be underworld with it, because they're folder stuff. Yeah, it'd be more along the lines of like knowledge lore, since it would be like history or even knowledge society. So I know Milo and Raynard, you two have those. Yeah. I don't have any ranks in that, but Eris knows.
00:08:17
Speaker
Military. Yes. I don't even have knowledge. I don't take knowledge. Knowledge adventuring is a career skill for Aeris. Do you have that? I mean, I do. That would I mean, you would encounter soldiers out adventuring and that would be useful knowledge. So make said role. OK, for can I argue for a boost die?
00:08:36
Speaker
as Eris literally collects military insignia. Sure, she's a fan. Okay, so the difficulties are gonna be different based on the skills. Knowledge lore would be one purple difficulty. Knowledge society and knowledge adventuring would be two purple. Eris, one success. Is anybody else gonna make a check? I did. Oh, Milo, one success, one advantage.
00:09:06
Speaker
Um, Raynard, are you going to roll or no? You good? I can, but is everyone else doing it?
00:09:12
Speaker
Yeah, you just never know you might get advantage. No, I will. With that one advantage, Milo B, you just want to pass a boost on to Reynard. Yes. Okay. Bingo. Two success, two advantage. Okay, so Eris, with your one success with knowledge adventuring, you know that the Hippogriff badge was a designation in the Brieleish military of the West Wind Riders.
00:09:38
Speaker
who were soldiers, a specialized battalion that would ride hippogriffs along the western border of Breeland and were heavily involved in conflicts with droam forces. Milo, through historical knowledge, you know,
00:09:58
Speaker
Westwind Riders were a battalion of realish forces that fought DROAM soldiers during the war, and they were a controversial battalion because of their brutality. They did not take prisoners. They did not take surrenders. They would just kill, kill, kill. Reynard, you have actually in your previous life, in the first act of Reynard's life,
00:10:27
Speaker
You encountered a lot of soldiers and military personnel at fancy dress parties during the war and after the war before you got into this life. And the Westwood writers were never highly regarded.
00:10:46
Speaker
well-regarded amongst military circles or high society circles. They were rough and tumble individuals, once again known for their brutality. And the scuttlebutt at parties that you would go to, you would hear, and this is your two advantages, additional information if that's okay with you. Their leader was Commander N.M.F., A-N-Y-M-E-F,
00:11:17
Speaker
And she was kind of the source of the brutality and the disregard for the lives of the enemy were very much derived from her and her leadership style. And she was moved from
00:11:37
Speaker
the uh the other conflicts on the eastern border with like Thrain and Kair and uh those uh conflicts because of her brutality and it was regarded as better if she was killing if she's going to be brutal better to put her on the western front against drawing forces than against these nations that we might need to have diplomatic relations after the war so that's
00:12:05
Speaker
You're in. There's a lot of information that I spell that name again. A-N-Y-M-E-F. N-M-F. N-M-F. N-M-F. Rolls off the tongue. It does. It's just nice fluid sounding. Wait until you find out our first name because it's not much better. Is it Welsh? Is it all consonants? There are a couple of vowels in there, just not where you would expect. Yeah.
00:12:35
Speaker
May I posit something? I will happily roll if you think that's necessary, but no other knowledge than this, but there's no way Hob hasn't heard that name if they've been attacking Troy, of course, specifically during the entire war. Based on Hob's background. Yeah, you probably would have heard Dale of the West Wind Riders. You probably wouldn't have known the badge or anything, so just as soon as one of them brings up that name,
00:13:00
Speaker
you're going to recall that they were kind of the boogeymen of the war on the British border. They were the ones that if you saw them coming, run as fast as you can, because they had no regard for. They wouldn't like, they wouldn't target civilians, but they weren't concerned with collateral damage.
00:13:28
Speaker
if that makes sense.
Strategizing the Capture
00:13:30
Speaker
So, um, right. Okay. So, um, and the half troll just that's, um, the, it was a human man that was the, the Brieleisch soldier. Uh, he seemed really pleased with what had happened to me. And that was the last thing I remember before I passed out. So probably lost someone in the West then.
00:13:59
Speaker
Possibly. Mad at Drowan, but taking Braidless Land. I wasn't me, so, you know. Um. But. Um. Anything else I can do for you all? Uh, well. Do you know how many? Obviously, to ask how many people
00:14:30
Speaker
That might be targeted or left in the city is silly, but have you heard tell, are a lot of people fleeing? We know there's some disappearances as well. Have you heard of people getting out of town? Or should we be? It's pretty well divided of people I've heard that are heading back to Joam or just hopping on a lightning rail to anywhere else.
00:14:53
Speaker
But there's also plenty of people that refuse to be intimidated into leaving. So they're going to stay and try to fight if the opportunity arises. But there are plenty of people that aren't going anywhere. And they're the ones I'm most worried for. If I find anything else out, if you want to leave some means of contacting you here, I'm more than happy to reach out.
00:15:21
Speaker
Yeah, I don't really know much else. Well, we thank you for the information and do get better. Appreciate that. I'll do what I can on that front. His brother kind of who brought you back here is like, okay, well, I guess time to go.
00:15:49
Speaker
Right. We'll keep you informed. I don't know. I'm not sure. Appreciate that. Yeah. All right. Good luck. Hope you find them quick and they leave or die. That's the brother saying that. So.
00:16:16
Speaker
You all left Sigil, Kath, and Sana with Smith over by the pool. Sigil and Smith have been having a riveting conversation about- I'll be frank with you guys, Jeff is at a bit of a loss right now, so I'm happy to, like, Jeff is brain farting pretty hard, or brain dead, potentially. I might need to rev back up for a bit, so I'm happy to go along with whatever you guys think is best for a minute. Could we find someone to use as bait?
00:16:47
Speaker
Well, I suppose not going on with everything. Now, Iris, if you're, if you're suggesting, um, me, do you think, do you think you would draw him? You think it's just people who look more different?
00:17:09
Speaker
I think, yeah, you know what? I think Hob is at a point where he has been, he feels accepted enough that he doesn't consider himself to be a part of that anymore. So probably not, honestly. No, no, Narn, if he was willing, um, or maybe. I mean, I guess if you were, I guess if you were attack a troll, you would attack a minotaur.
00:17:37
Speaker
Well, we would know, right? It hasn't just been trolls, has it? Or did I miss that? No, it's been, um, Knoll. People from Drowan. Yeah. Gorgons. Yeah. Minotaurs. Now, Cath would be applicable because half orcs aren't Drowan specific. Right. Is Narn from Drowan?
00:18:02
Speaker
Um, yeah, Norm would have would have, uh, told hob that he grew up in Joam. Uh, but he, he emigrated well before the end of the war, um, and was recruited by house and Dennis. Um, so yeah, he, he got in that way. So, um, I mean, it doesn't seem exactly reasonable for you for no one to take none of the risk.
00:18:32
Speaker
Okay. You're not wrong. I suppose. I think that should be up to him. Raynard can also change his appearance. You know, Raynard based.
00:18:54
Speaker
Sitcast says Rainark could change his appearance. I think I've been bait up a few times And you've done a great job Sometimes you don't even realize you were bait This time we're planning on telling you right up front Even when you didn't realize you did a great job It's true. You didn't really do anything in the last time the last job. So I
00:19:20
Speaker
Maybe I have found my purpose. Doing nothing? Being bait. No, doing nothing. Look, um, at least tracks. I don't, I don't hate provided that rain art is amenable. I don't hate the idea, but
00:19:46
Speaker
I would personally feel quite foolish if we said Reynard up as Bait one evening without further information and our villain simply attacks someone else that night. What other information can we find? Locus of Terror? Is it all through the cogs? Is there a pattern? I mean, I assume we would have gleaned that from talking, wouldn't we?
00:20:15
Speaker
Um, there, there's not a, it's not a strong path. It happens during the night, typically on stragglers that are headed home by themselves, um, from, from the bar, from work or from whatever activity they were doing. Um, so it's, it's a calculated thing. They're not just attacking people in quote unquote broad daylight. Cause that's not a thing down here. Uh, but not when the streets are heavily populated. So I could build an ogre.
00:20:51
Speaker
But won't that take time? But it'd be really cool. It definitely it would be cool, but I just I mean, how often has this whoever it is been attacking every night, every other night, once a week? I mean, I mean, I could maybe fabricate something faster, but it would just it wouldn't look as good, but it might look ogre shaped. I don't know.
00:21:21
Speaker
We don't seem to want to use a person's bait, but I think we're gonna have to have bait. Also, Milo does have the mask spell, so Milo could turn anybody into anything, essentially. Oh. He does? But does he know he has the mask spell? That's fair. And I'm sure Eris would be totally down to be the target of one of Milo's spells right now, but... That was not Eris volunteering to be an ogre. Eris was willing to build an animatronic one.
00:21:50
Speaker
And I didn't I don't think Randy knew that my mask. There it is. Um. Yeah, didn't didn't you use it to make the truck? Yeah, it was that one. Is it called the mask? Yeah, well, I thought that was what was that? I don't know.
00:22:17
Speaker
mask it's not called mask on what i got yeah on your cards yeah it's called something else the base spell is mask and then you can do additional things so um i don't know how to track something if it didn't i mean i don't know how to track something period but i don't know how to
00:22:42
Speaker
I mean, I could... Tasha could fly around and see if she spots a big armored thing. I mean... We could stake out a few taverns and wait for stragglers to leave? And then follow them. Well... Oh, wait. Right. I... I don't like, um... If they get attacked.
00:23:13
Speaker
Have we ruled out this being a ram? I don't think we've discussed this being a ram. Right. In the same way we've yet to rule out being Neo Armstrong.
00:23:29
Speaker
I don't like the idea of unwitting the... I understand if we weren't here, their predicament would be the same. But if we're going to just watch someone leave and see if they get attacked, I would like for them to be aware that we're doing that. Do we want to get some volunteer bait? I don't understand. There's something...
00:24:01
Speaker
There is something that feels untoward of us to stake out an unknowing victim. If we inform people, I'm sure they know about the... I mean, the brother would help. We could ask that Aftrol's brother if he wants to help us catch him.
00:24:28
Speaker
Sure. There's also like a really big trap. Sure. There is also just the simple tactic of staking out without... Bait. Yeah.
00:24:55
Speaker
But then what if we see a big armored thing that isn't attacking people? And then we follow that around all night and it's nothing but, you know, a big warforged or an ogre wearing a miner's hat. I don't know. Well, if it's the latter, we're all doing great. No, you're right. I don't know. I mean, I just feel like there's something
00:25:25
Speaker
There's something where we're. There's an option we haven't waiting for the next attack feels wildly half baked, but you all couldn't. I can't think of roles to get more information if you want. You can. I mean. Can we go to where the troll was attacked? Yeah, I mean, it was it was near his home.
00:25:55
Speaker
But yeah, his brother could point out where he found him. Maybe there's just something there. Who knows? Or a clue that might give away where they might go next or something. I don't know. Did we get an idea how often it's been happening?
00:26:16
Speaker
there's no there's no census really because there's no city watch presence to like categorize these type of things down here okay um it's yeah it's pretty pretty lawless so what's travel time across the cogs i've never asked that i've never thought about that the cogs if we were to have two if we were to split into two sets of of stragglers
00:26:40
Speaker
and have an issue, how quickly could, let's say, Tasha get us from where we are to where they are kind of idea? Aren't the cogs essentially the same diameter as the city? Isn't it just a whole level of the city? Is that what it is? I thought that might be the case. In fact, wider even, given the nature of towers. It's not wider, but it is as wide as the city. So yeah, it's not small.
00:27:09
Speaker
Gotcha, so that's out. Splitting is not a good idea. Got it. I mean, we could split, but just not split very far. And then just kind of go in, I don't know, some kind of an order. But none of us are the right kind of straggler.
00:27:35
Speaker
Well, I mean, but you could be, I... You know, I... How could I be? Well, you know, I could... You know, make somebody look that way, I believe. Or teleport us across the city. Well, I think that was a whole other thing. There was other magic involved. Um...
00:28:07
Speaker
hub as he is want to do resist the urge to ask Eris how she manages to make all of her things work perfectly every time she tries them and uh instead says well I certainly am not going to ask any of you to be the bait so who will we ask Milo if well there's where I'm going uh Milo if you would like to
00:28:37
Speaker
alter me, I suppose I can be the straggler, provided you are the eyes, the corporate you, the group assembled. Well, I've never really done it before, but I propose that if it were to be done, I'd do it to myself. In character, 100%.
00:29:09
Speaker
I would rather do it to myself just in case. OK. I mean, also like. Milo, you would know this because you did it to the like, you don't have to target anything. You could create an illusion of a thing to. Oh, I didn't know that. You don't have to transform something.
Reynard's Plan to Lure the Assailant
00:29:37
Speaker
You could just.
00:29:39
Speaker
Manifest it's a little bit more difficult. Yeah, but what about the cat? What about the coat? I mean at this point coat doesn't walk But he's saying you could you could he could make something ambulatory He could make he can create a vision of a walking. Let's say no
00:30:04
Speaker
No problem. That could look drunk, and walk out of the bar. We're all sitting at a table with it, and he gets up and leaves on his own, drunkenly walking away from a bar in the cogs. Looking, singing about how he's so happy to have just arrived from Droem. What about that gnoll in the top hat? Do you think, do you think he would do it? No, I just want to go visit the gnoll in the top hat.
00:30:36
Speaker
He looks class. We don't get along. He and I. Is it because you're jealous of his hat? It isn't. I think an easier route would be for me to disguise myself. You know, it's less that I'm jealous of the hat. I'm more just jealous at how he pulls it off. Top high is not easy.
00:31:05
Speaker
It really says something when you wear a top hat. Like you're putting something out there into the universe. All right. So anyway, I was trying to say, I think an easier route with less risk of magic is that I just transform the way I look. We all go together and you watch and make sure I do not die. Because I can get attacked. I can act drunk.
00:31:32
Speaker
Right. I have a question. Can you actually act drunk? I've only ever seen you be drunk. Well, I know how it feels. Oh, radar. No, of course. That is the preferred option. I was simply waiting to see if it got proper. Now that it has, yes, please turn yourself into some sort of thing with the tail, maybe scales. It's definitely the knoll with the top hat. All right.
00:32:04
Speaker
And I did write a song about how I just a-rove to drove him. First off, a-rove. Second. From. What did I say? You said two. You said you a-rove to drove. You scream it out loud.
00:32:26
Speaker
I love a rove. I really want it to be a rove. He's a rover who just a rove. I thought I was speaking British. Sounds good. Sounds good to me. Somebody said to him, well, I didn't think you'd mind. And he goes, well, I know. Hang on.
00:32:48
Speaker
legitimate question hob would probably Hob would know how established the knoll with the top hat or at least an idea like he's the leader of the Recruitment for that other group for house the rash. Yes
00:33:02
Speaker
down here in the i fear our our bestow piped friend might be too high profile um just give him a no if you want to be a knoll in a top hat i think you'll go for it maybe pot pie oh what about a knoll in a fedora oh i like that yeah with a saxophone
00:33:40
Speaker
People anticipate this thing releasing every week. People are excited to hear what we have to say. And frankly, I don't get it. I'm just sitting here in resignation at this point. I'm here for you all, so let me know. I'm a hatless, no-instrumented Knoll.
00:33:52
Speaker
to play my song.
00:34:05
Speaker
I would just like to say I actually think that the hat is genuinely a good idea because then we won't mix him up with any other Knoll that we might see because it's just possible that he would look enough like another Knoll that we might follow the wrong Knoll. Sure, we're not familiar with this Knoll. We could easily loot him. I think a hat. Sure, something garish, Reynard. Do you think you're gonna handle that?
00:34:31
Speaker
And that may be just what it takes to set whoever it is off. But then I'm keeping the fedora. Mahab. So if we could decide where he's going to be, I could get up high and get a good view.
00:34:58
Speaker
seems like it would make sense for him to start from the same tavern that the half troll did. Like, we know that. Um, I'll sit with him, Raynard, Raynard, you and I considered the bar. And neither one of us really have any drinks. And then as you go, I will
00:35:24
Speaker
Stay vigilant, but inside the bar for as long as I can keep an eye on you and then leave. You should brag about battles against Brayland. Oh, yes, you should brag about battles against Brayland. Perhaps a large sweeping statement about who ought to have come out of the victor of the war might be enough. And Raynar, you being 300 years old, having lived through the entirety of the war,
00:35:52
Speaker
you, you know, enough having lived in sharn to be able to passively discuss fighting Breelish soldiers. So that's not something you need to be super concerned about. You can convincingly do that. At least from a nomenclature standpoint, we'll have you roll to see how well it goes in the moment. Well, yeah. Um, okay.
00:36:18
Speaker
So do you all want to just hang out for a few hours until it's night-ish or what's the plan? Eris is going to find some sort of whatever the most advantageous perch is. Can I roll streetwise to find a good spot with a substantial field of view? I don't know how substantial a field of view I can get, but
00:36:44
Speaker
Yeah, you can go and roll. Let's go and make it an average difficulty but with a setback because it's unfamiliar territory for Eris and another setback for darkness because it's dark down here. Can I get a boost if Tasha helps? Sure. Would you like to flip the story point? I am...
00:37:16
Speaker
Yes. Three success and a triumph. Boom.
Preparation for the Capture
00:37:31
Speaker
You found a real good first, that's for sure. Yeah, I did. You found one that happens to have one of those binocular, 75 cents binoculars in the Empire State Building.
00:37:44
Speaker
Yeah, Eris finds a. Eris finds like the. The roof of an apartment tenement that's built onto the side of one of the one of the tower bases and has just a very good view. Of.
00:38:09
Speaker
of the streets in this area. And I would like to say with the triumph that in addition to a good view slash field of fire, it is also
00:38:36
Speaker
such that she could relatively easily traverse over to another building if, for some reason, the path, the chase went down a street. She doesn't have covered or something like that. Like there's clothes lines, lean, running, running between buildings or stuff like that, or it's just close enough. Yeah. Yeah. OK.
00:39:03
Speaker
So Eris will get into position well ahead of when we want and spend the time jury rigging an awesome zip line pulley onto a clothesline. Okay. Sounds good. All right. Anything anyone else want to do in preparation for this sting operation, I guess?
00:39:33
Speaker
Um, question when, uh, if Milo uses invisibility on whoever. Yeah. And wishes to move. He still maintains invisibility and there's some kind of.
00:39:55
Speaker
You have to use a maneuver to concentrate. So if you are moving while invisible, you're going to take strain. Yeah, to strain every time you move, essentially. OK. Yeah. So I could give up an action to move. OK. No. So that's not going to work.
00:40:22
Speaker
But I think what I would maybe like. Yeah, I guess to be fair, yeah, if you're if you're only invisible and you're only moving, then you could downgrade your action to a maneuver and not suffer the two straight. So. So, yeah, that would be your choice. OK. I do believe that I would whenever Raynard leaves, I'm going to turn invisible and
00:40:53
Speaker
Go with him. Okay. How long does barrier last? Barrier is a concentration spell. So until the person stops using their maneuver to concentrate. Okay. Then I think I would like
00:41:18
Speaker
to attempt to cast, and again, this is always pending your approval because it's only supposed to be in combat that I can cast. I would like to try to cast Barrier on Raynard so that if he does take one good thwacking before we can get to him, he at least has a little bit of protection on him. Okay.
00:41:37
Speaker
Yeah. You can do that. You're using your divine skill. It is divine. Would you like to add any additional properties onto the barrier spell? Right now, because you can be engaged with Reynard, your difficulty is easy starting out. I don't need to do an additional target and adding defense gets it up into daunting range. So I think I'll just stick with what it is.
00:42:07
Speaker
I suppose I can't get a boost because of how much I like Reynard wanting to be safe, so I'll just go for it. All right. Caffeine. I feel like if this is an easy check, it's in the back. Well, but the effect is greater based on the amount of successes that you roll. So he gets it. Is it successes or triumphs that you roll? Successes because he gets an additional point of soak for every two successes you roll.
00:42:36
Speaker
Right, sorry, and it's an additional, you reduce damage for every two triumphs. Nevermind, okay, my bad. Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's flip a story point then. Let's flip a story point. Let's add a green. The only property that you could add like empowered makes it to where it's every success instead of every two success, so. Right. Yeah. Right, no. And I'm not concerned with his faith or deity right now, so we're just gonna roll this and see what happens.
00:43:05
Speaker
Zero success, one advantage. That's what I get for trying to bend the rules. Well, then in that case, Hobb says, well, um.
00:43:19
Speaker
You know, I'm sorry, I wasn't able to give you a bit of assistance here. And he reaches into his raps on his wrist. He pulls out a little harmonic and he says, sorry about your saxophone. If you need to make some music and sing some blues, then you can use that. I just realized what a Noah looks like.
00:43:38
Speaker
Yeah. They're not playing an instrument. They could. I'm sure their culture has made instruments that they can play. I mean, they're just not playing blowing bass instruments. Yeah, they're not playing woodwinds. Well, no, they could probably still play a woodwind. They can close their mouths. I doubt they can do much for a brat instrument. No trumpeting. Again, dumbest show ever.
00:44:05
Speaker
Eris, since she has some time, will cast Augment on herself. And just because she might have to catch up with everyone, she will add haste to the spell. So that's a hard check. I'll spend a story point going to upgrade one of those to a red.
00:44:34
Speaker
If anybody wondering who doesn't know the Knoll are a jackal people. That's why we were the wide mouths. Oh Yeah, that's good That's a good thing to play out All right, oh
00:44:59
Speaker
Four successes. Four successes. Excellent. Okay. Raynard with haste. Raynard, I would like to maybe recommend that when you exit the bar that you perhaps meander down, try to maybe stay toward the middle.
00:45:24
Speaker
middle of the street, maybe. That way, if you are attacked, you know, he'll have to come. He just can't leap on you from an alleyway. He'll have to cover some ground, maybe. And perhaps I could yell out a warning or possibly get a spell off before he gets to you. Eris suffer to strain, if you have not. Thank you.
00:45:51
Speaker
Um, let's go ahead and do your check Milo, just so we're, we're doing it. Presumably Milo is going to cast this on himself before, uh, Raynard leaves the bar. Um, so you're wanting to cast invisibility on yourself. Um, so that is going to be a daunting for purple check. Also Jeff suffered too strained for Hob trying to cast a spell. Oh yeah, of course. Um, man.
00:46:21
Speaker
Nevermind. My wounds are screwy. It's back up to five again, and I know I haven't taken them as hard. Okay, here we go. Four purple. Would you like to flip a story point? Nope, okay. One success, one advantage. So, Milo, you are invisible. Do you just want to use that advantage to pass to boost, or do you want to heal one of the strain that you just suffered? Yeah, I'm going to heal the strain.
00:46:50
Speaker
Okay, so you're now you take one stream. Yes, puts me at two. Okay. Okay, anything else? It's about time for hub and what's what's your alias his name, Reynard? Oh, gosh. This can you spell that for me?
00:47:18
Speaker
I mean it's a null name, it might sound like a growl. I just pulled up null name generator and got Kazorg Gunkthum. So that's the answer. Why would Kazorg Gunkthum be in a name generator? I don't know. If you'd prefer, there's also
00:47:36
Speaker
Gneibert grease bash. Oh snazz snazz rent frown. Oh, I like I like gunks on the gunk thumb personally There's also there's also Leon Leon loose frown. So what about snazz loose frown? Good noble line
00:48:02
Speaker
So what's the name, Raynard? God, I can't even say it. Snazz Guntham. Okay. Snazz Guntham. God, just sounds like he smells terrible.
00:48:25
Speaker
Okay, so it's late-ish tavern hours. It's a time where you all can go in and be there for enough time to get noticed and then leave at a time that the streets will be pretty well empty. So, Milo, are you gonna hang out outside of the bar and just wait until you see the fedorid, gnoll, snaz, gunk-thumb leave? Yes, that sounds good.
00:48:54
Speaker
You really paint it. You've painted a unique picture, Trevor. Glad to have you on. Just wait till you hear his voice. Oh, God. I didn't think about the voice. I'm so sorry. What have you done to us? I know Noles or Jackals, but Snazz, Gunk Thumb absolutely has the first stripings of a skunk. Like, just glad we didn't see white stripes. OK, so, Hob, Raynard.
00:49:24
Speaker
you're up. So you all enter this tavern that is populated almost exclusively with droam expats that are living now in the cogs. There are a smattering of warforged as well. Question, what would you all have like basically Kath, Sana and Sigil would have been down for whatever you need them for. So what would they basically just lay in waiting?
00:49:54
Speaker
I mean, it might make some sense. We would be familiar with this. Which of them has the best eyes? I tend to think Sana for some reason, but I don't have any basis for it. And not like the prettiest. It's because Elvish, that's what I was thinking of.
00:50:13
Speaker
So, yeah, Sana. It might make sense to put Sana up with me because she's also going to be most adept at traversing rooftops, being kind of monkish. Yeah. So that works. And then... I didn't make that up, right? She's a martial artist? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Hand-to-hand combat specialist. So, Cath, what would you all want?
00:50:41
Speaker
Kath just be hanging out near the suggested route, kind of hiding out, waiting, or in the tavern. I mean, a half-orc isn't going to draw attention of somebody targeting droam citizens, but she's also not gonna stick out in this bar either. What if Kath is in the bar with us,
00:51:10
Speaker
and does a little needling of snaz to get him to go off on the greatness of Drolem and the trash of Brilland and blah, blah, blah, blah. Okay, yeah.
00:51:29
Speaker
Because Hobb's thinking, since this is a new fella in town, that he's just going to act like this is a recruiting thing. As they're walking in, it's like, the dentist, their PTO is trash. But they do get pet insurance, which is rare.
The Bar Scene Disguise
00:51:52
Speaker
OK, so yeah, Sonic can be a plant in there that will
00:51:57
Speaker
set Raynard up to be able to share his thoughts. Wait, sauna or Kath? Kath, sorry. Okay, so Kath goes, and Sigil is- I think Sigil should stick by Milo, since Milo's not, Milo's kind of out of the way, right? Well, Milo's also invisible and is going to tail Raynard once he leaves.
00:52:27
Speaker
Then I don't know. What would they like to do, speaking of Sigil? Hob doesn't ask Sigil to do anything. Hob asks Sigil what they think they would be most effective because Hob knows how Sigil feels about potentially getting punched in the face.
00:52:45
Speaker
It doesn't want for them to have to worry about it. Um, Sigil will just, uh, hang out with Smith because that's kind of central to this district. And so if something pops off and you all have need of them, uh, you can holler if Sigil is needed. Otherwise they are going to stay away from the fracas because that's not why they come on missions. So, um, okay. Uh, so.
00:53:11
Speaker
Raynard, Hob, entering the tavern. Kath is already in there as a plant, having a drink at the bar. Oh, yeah. Go ahead. Right. Um, yeah, so I think that Hob and and and Raynard walk in and like I said, Hob is just talking about
00:53:34
Speaker
I think Hob is doing a little thing where, like, he's talking about the cogs, like, oh, and this place is great, and there's a this, and a that, and a, you know, go down. Now, don't, please, whatever you do, don't touch the lava. You probably put that together, right? But, you know. Well, yeah, one too many times.
00:54:02
Speaker
Sorry, I passed out for a second. Right. And then he leads him to a booth and they start talking in more hushed ways. And I think there's a point at which, you know, after they've established that they've been there for a minute, I think there's a point at which, and Kath knows when,
00:54:33
Speaker
I don't know how to actually...
00:54:40
Speaker
Cause I certainly also don't want to say, Hey, Kath, can you do a racism real quick for me? Yeah, it's not racism. It's, um, it's about brilliant. It's like, it's national. It's like, can you go with him for me? Um, we just fought a war. It's in a bar for all of people that are all going to take offense to it. Um, cool. Uh, right. That's, that's the thing. I think, I think it does. It does need to be rain or doing something first. Honestly. Now I think about it.
00:55:10
Speaker
but we need Cath there to draw attention to it, so it's really noticed, you know what I mean? So maybe Raynerd needs to start by talking, really talking about how valiantly he defended draw. Maybe, how about this? How about Hobb says something along the lines of, you know, I'm not gonna lie to you. In this job, occasionally, it's, well, you know what, not even occasionally. I would say more often than not, this is going to lead to an altercation.
00:55:38
Speaker
Are you willing to fight? How do you bear it a fight? And then Snazz can go off on a war story, right? And that's how we can kick it off. Let me tell you about the time I defended Jo-Em so valiantly.
00:55:56
Speaker
I single-handedly defeated all them brilliant garbage monsters. At least a dozen of them killed them all. The trash.
00:56:12
Speaker
All right, so that was so what Raynard did was that but it made sense Yeah, that's good enough as long as he said it loud enough for Kathy here we can spin this absolutely heard that
00:56:26
Speaker
and kind of walks over and Kath is feigning a bit of a drunken stupor, which she is not the best at. It's a bit, it's a bit too much. But Kath kind of walks over and gifts Naz like a shove on the shoulder. And, oh, you think, you think breathless soldiers are monsters, huh? You think that,
00:56:54
Speaker
Those people that you killed are trash? Is that what you're saying? And she throws her drink in Snazz's face. Point of order, does it go through his snout?
00:57:05
Speaker
Because I'm sober now. No, because you're spectral, dummy. The illusion can hold up because obviously, Rainard changes his hair and if his hair never got wet when you all went outside when it was raining, then it would have been like, hey, that's weird. So, yeah. Well, anyone who'd waste a good drink like that has to be trash.
00:57:30
Speaker
Oh, right. Okay, and that's what Hobb says. Okay, um, let's uh, let's let cooler heads prevail. Um, I understand that, uh, my guest here is, is being insensitive. Uh, he doesn't know the, uh, how do I say this? He's new. Just arrived. From Draw'em. It doesn't understand. Draw'em!
00:57:58
Speaker
Yep. Mm-hmm. That's where. And he is yet to take an interest in proper decorum here in the cogs. And he looks around, there's people just like fighting and drinking because it's the cogs and the proper decorum is an absolute trash bag. Now there's anything wrong with drinking in a bar. I don't know why I threw that in there. And I think...
00:58:25
Speaker
Well, I think that at this point he's going to have to kind of feel out if it's time to calm down, because we've made the scene and leave later, or if he should be like, you know what? I don't think we have any room for you anyway. Why don't you head on out of here? Is it dark enough? Is it late enough? If it's not, then Tom's going to finish diffusing a situation. Can't you decide when you started? Yeah, I mean, it can be late enough if you want it to be late enough.
00:58:51
Speaker
Uh, I do want it to be, I need a deception check though from the, the collective, but I think rain art is going to have the best stats all around on that front. Um, as soon as the scene ends, you just hear over the little comms things. Wow. What is it? What if, if I, if I throw in and as much as it pains me,
00:59:19
Speaker
I invited him here, and I expect to let him leave unharmed. If anybody wants to do something about it, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to step in, and then can I have coercion instead of deception? Well, you... I'm messing around. Let him do his deception.
00:59:33
Speaker
So yeah, it's going to be average difficulty, so two purple, but because of Kat's involvement and just the commitment to the bits all around, you could have a boost die tossed in there. Would you like to flip a story point to turn one of those greens into a yellow? No, let's see how this goes. Okay, one failure, two advantage. Okay, so the people in the bar are kind of like,
01:00:01
Speaker
side-eyeing you all. It's like, what's going on over there? Like, the- Can we tell what the bar's sentiment is? Because they're definitely here now, but they definitely came, probably fought with- Oh yeah, yeah. I mean, this is absolutely not a Breelish friendly environment. The two advantage, I have something. It's not that they disbelieve
01:00:32
Speaker
the illusion of Reynard being Snazz Gunthumb. The two advantage is they kind of think, because they know you, Hob, like they've seen Hob around. They think this is some kind of desperate, like, Dennith, like recruiting ploy, like, that this is a manufactured conflict to show Hob in a positive light. Okay, so there's like, they probably, have they seen me with Cath?
01:01:02
Speaker
I mean, I'm perfectly happy with that being the way it plays out. That makes sense to me. No, totally, fully. So the mission is still on the rails and on track, just Hobb's reputation is a bit of a ding. Fair enough. The cat thing was just me asking, like, how deep did Hobb just put himself in? Like, if they've seen you at cat before, I'm like, listen, lady, listen, stranger lady. Then yeah, but okay, they didn't have that. Yeah.
01:01:31
Speaker
Okay, then yeah, I think in that case it's a, and friend, I'll take care of your drink. I think it's probably best that you took off. Which is a silly thing to say in this bar, but here we are. Where the tenor is mostly on his side, but. And that was to you, Snaz.
01:01:53
Speaker
Oh, okay. Well, I was like, my drink wasn't ruined. Well, it all be all fine. And it starts going to the door and... You know what? I think Hob, as he's leaving, I think Hob says to him, because Hob would know a place he could stay for the night as a visitor in town and gives him the name of it. So there's a marked path that he'll be walking down in case anybody heard him say it.
01:02:22
Speaker
And as he's leaving, you just start hearing, and the voice kind of gets softer and softer as he goes, but, prelishment soldiers are stupid and small. Prelishment soldiers can all go to, and the door closes, as he's walking through the street. See, I read a song, you're welcome. What is that accent supposed to be? The whole bar joins in in this clearly established pro-am war tune, and now, Hob, you are just deafened by
01:02:55
Speaker
Wow. Just wow. Okay, so... And Hob goes, how come no one knows the last word? Everyone's not going to go to. I'm so confused. Okay, so Raynard's on the move. Milo, you are following at a reasonable distance.
01:03:18
Speaker
Milo's following at a reasonable enough distance that if he sees somebody headed towards. You're keeping Reynard within short range. Like you're. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You're you're you could run up on him if necessary. Okay. Hob. What are you? Are you getting up to leave? Are you staying in the bar for a bit? Hob's got his ears open. Okay.
01:03:42
Speaker
with heiress and milo and so he's not he's looking out the window but no more intently than one would whenever they say you it's you better get out yeah kind of thing like checking making sure they're still walking not turning around not ducking into another bar because now that you know you know that stuff not that they've been seen together it's hobbs kind of
01:04:03
Speaker
responsibility to make sure he didn't go piss off another person in another bar. So he's watching, but more than that, he's got his ears on and is ready to just take off running when he needs to. Okay. Eris, just eyes in the sky. Yep. Okay. So. Got Tasha circling. All right.
Cliffhanger Ambush
01:04:25
Speaker
So. Wait, Tasha Bird or Tasha Bird? Tasha Bird. Because Eris can look through Tasha Bird's eyes. Oh, right. Ward. Okay.
01:04:34
Speaker
First things first, Milo, give me a stealth check. Now, because you are invisible, you can have two boost die added to this. And because of your broach thing that you have, that you attune to your stealth, you get an extra green on the check,
01:05:04
Speaker
But the difficulty would normally be three purple, but instead it's going to be one red, two purple. OK. One success, two advantage. OK. Yay. So Milo is unseen. You have two advantages. Unseen or unheard? Both. Undetected. OK. Yeah, I guess to be fair, you are invisible. I can't be seen.
01:05:34
Speaker
Two advantage, you could heal your two remaining strain, you could pass a couple of boost die to the next check. What would you like to do? How about pass a couple of boost die to the next check? Okay, sounds good. All right, Eris, perception check. You have two boost die coming your way because of Milo. Can I do a group check with Tasha? Sure.
01:06:04
Speaker
I'm going to flip a story point. So it is going to be one red, three purple. Okay. Six success, three threat. Okay, so yeah, your vantage point is outstanding. I know. Yeah, yeah. And you scanning, looking about,
01:06:33
Speaker
you spot movement. You can you spot Reynard doing his best drunken stumbles singing a song loudly about Brielish soldiers. And I think the top hat would have been better. Now I see it. I liked the fedora, but I think the top hat was a better idea.
01:06:54
Speaker
Um, I, the idea of a Nolan of Hidora just takes me to the, um, the weasels in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. That's, that's what's in my head. Um, so, or were they weasels? Hyenas. Anyway, uh, not important. Very long time ago. It's never stopped. Um, you spot, uh, on the rooftops, kind of a little bit behind, uh,
01:07:22
Speaker
Reynard, a large cloak figure that's moving in kind of a stop-start fashion. Like when it stops, it looks like a pile of stuff just under a tarp. And then once Reynard gets a little bit further away, it will get up and move a little bit further. It's moving not super quick because, you know, Reynard's not moving super quick. And so it's you spot it
01:07:46
Speaker
It would have been a difficult thing to spot. They're moving in a way to where if somebody's just scanning, they stay still long enough to where it would be difficult to pin them. So it's somebody who knows how to move in a stealthy fashion. It's behind you on the roof, up your left. Don't look. That's just where it is.
01:08:09
Speaker
Uh, the three threat. I want to say thank you, but the exit's way too loud. The kids are quietly in that accident. That can't whisper. Um, um, three threat. Eris, because of your insane amount of success, um, you spot something else.
01:08:33
Speaker
It's going to be bad. You see as you're kind of after you spot the figure moving and you're kind of skating about, you see on a rooftop of another apartment building, like three blocks down. You see a figure in armor kind of looking at you and you see them like basically in a similar fashion to the way you spoke, like staring at you and you can see their mouth moving like quiet. Is it what can I tell about the figure?
01:09:03
Speaker
It's dark. They're a fair distance away. They're armored. They look like they're ready for a fight. Leather armor. Humanoid size. Yes. Big creatures. Okay. Humanoid. Also, his partner just saw me. He's on a different rooftop. And I think how it has to go. A partner.
01:09:30
Speaker
Yeah, the you know, remember, there was a dude, there was a bloke in in bralish uniform came by after and laughed about it. Right. I think as this interaction is happening. Rainard perception check. Once again,
01:09:57
Speaker
Uh, you can have, um, two boosts die because Eris has given you a heads up. Um, but specifically told you not to look. Um, and this is just going to be a, um, two purple difficulty, zero success, one advantage. Um, okay. So, um,
01:10:22
Speaker
Reynard, you're walking along a snaz, singing your song, and then the back of your head hurts a lot as the weight of a figure, and Eris, you can see the figure jump down after this thing is talking to you, but it moves
01:10:44
Speaker
extremely quick. Um, like you can, you, you have time to say look out or something, but by the time Raynard synapses can process the words. Okay. So I'm going to do a roll real quick and then was, was, um, can I no longer see? Yeah, they rounded a corner. So yeah, you were just rolling on the ears. Um, then I don't, then I don't do anything until I hear chib run and chib runs. Um,
01:11:14
Speaker
So she said we're on but we're on yes, sorry. And so chips start singing. That is more accurate. Yeah, such a good movie. Okay. So the
01:11:38
Speaker
Figure leaps from a rooftop, comes down, punches Rainard in the back of the head. The pool is they have four yellow, two purple, and a setback die. Would you all like to spend story points or anything like that to upgrade the difficulty? Four yellow. What's the difficulty? Two purple, it's a melee check.
01:12:08
Speaker
and a setback because they're in a precarious position trying to leap down. Oh, you made him such a good target. Hey, Raynard, you don't have any melee defense from your armor, do you? Probably not. He does. So another setback die. No story points or anything? Just roll. I feel like that's not my call. Yeah. Raynard. Yeah. Raynard, would you like to spend a story point to make sure that it might be more difficult to hit you?
01:12:38
Speaker
Well, that would only leave us with one. So sure. I'll use, okay. So changing one purple to a red. Okay. Roll and die. One success, two advantage. So the four soak, you have two soak, Reynard. So you'll subtract two from this number. But that is going to be eight damage. Ooh.
01:13:09
Speaker
And I thought I had four soak. Oh, you might. I might be wrong on that. And they are going to use the knockdown ability of their melee attack to basically, Reynard, you get punched in the back of the head and your face just continues towards the ground as you just fall forwards into the dirt road that you were walking on. And the figure just stands over you and
01:13:40
Speaker
Heard you run in your mouth about breathless soldiers being trash. And now you're gonna pay. End of episode.
01:13:49
Speaker
Thank you all so much for listening. If you want to be part of the conversation surrounding this episode, head on over to our Discord, the link to which you can find on all of our social medias, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, at the Geek Pantheon. And come join the conversation over there. It's a good time to be had. We also have a YouTube channel, youtube.com slash the Geek Pantheon, where we have another actual plague hybrid shards that Philip is the GM for. It's a D&D fifth edition show also set in the Eberron campaign setting. So go check that out.
01:14:19
Speaker
And we have a Patreon. Patreon.com slash the Geek Pantheon. If you want to support the shows and allow us to do stuff like this, then do that. Anyway, thank you all so much for listening. I've been your Game Master, Eric. I'm Philip. I'm Trevor. I'm Randy. And I'm Jeff. See you next week.