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C2 Ep. 66 A Performance to Die For Chapter Four
275 Plays3 years ago
The party gets a new lead from their mysterious thief.
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
Episode Introduction
00:00:00
Speaker
you
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, David Scrams, Dustin Troop, Edvard Arnoff, Michael Clark, Rebecca Gowman, and Shelby Johnson, as well as all of our generous patrons.
00:00:37
Speaker
D20 radio, your game is rolling.
Host Introductions
00:01:12
Speaker
Hello and welcome to Everon Renewed, an actual play podcast set in the Everon campaign setting. I'm your game master, Eric. I'm Phillip. I'm Trevor. I am Randy.
00:01:40
Speaker
That's what it
The Murder Investigation Begins
00:01:41
Speaker
is. We're in the Golden Horn apartment complex. Yes, investigating the murder of Billy Taylor.
00:01:41
Speaker
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00:01:50
Speaker
Billy Taylor. We have extremely unsuccessfully questioned his neighbors, George and Grace. I get a little bit out of George. We got some threads to pull for sure. There was a loud thud at around 9 30. And all of our attempts to pull them were thwarted by the dice. Yes. But I know where she works now.
Chase and Capture of a Suspicious Person
00:02:15
Speaker
True.
00:02:17
Speaker
Whereas Milo and Reynard's investigation of the apartment was much more fruitful. Yes, Reynard did not find a knife. Which was the desire. The lack of a knife was important. There's a knife, there's a bunch of things that seem to have been
00:02:36
Speaker
ransacked yes something's missing from drawers nightgown most importantly there's an extra person yeah also that well dressed in a highly suspicious assassin outfit yeah drizz is running around out there and yes i'm curious if they've already gotten out the window is milo is he going to be able to get a spell off beforehand or i hope so yeah
00:03:07
Speaker
Um, well, it's a chase sequence. Of course he's running the way. Um, okay. So yeah, he is going to go first, obviously, and he is going to attempt a athletics check to shoulder past Milo scramble over the bed and kind of shoulder through the window is his. Send in a story point to upgrade his check or, you know, upgrade the difficulty of his check. Okay. Make it red.
00:03:36
Speaker
It's going to be an average difficulty and I'll add a setback because Milo's standing in his way because Milo might be able to grab an ankle or something. Okay. So the pool is one yellow, two green, one red, one purple, one black.
00:03:53
Speaker
You can think of no other way to alter the... Two success, one threat, and a despair. Okay, so... Yes! He succeeds in... What does success mean in this, so that we can calibrate? He was attempting to get to the window and kind of get out the window. So he is not in the street, he's not taking off around the corner, but he is... Airborne? On the precipice of getting out of the room, basically. So he's reached the window sill, essentially? The window is open and he's like...
00:04:22
Speaker
I mean honestly he was just trying to like duck shoulder like smash through through the glass kind of thing. So that's what he is like in action of doing. By the time you all will be able to interact with him. Why is there again tell me how far up we are? Second floor. Yeah I feel like this despair writes itself right?
00:04:45
Speaker
Uh that he just loses control and just face plants into the street. I don't know about face plants, but my dude lands hard. I was gonna say becomes considerably more difficult. I was gonna say get cocks on the window when it's hanging out the window. Yeah, maybe he misses the window, bounces off the side and lands on the floor inside. No, he's stupid. He succeeded. He succeeded on his check. So he is out the window. Hanging out the window. That got caught because of the despair.
00:05:14
Speaker
he chose with that stupid cloak on succeeded to get out of the window the despair is he's stuck yeah that's fine i was just remarking on randy's like he's an idiot and ran straight into the wall i thought his success was that he just got by me not that he got by the window milo took a moment and painted a train tunnel on the wall this is amazing act me baby
00:05:37
Speaker
Uh, yeah, I dig the, um, his cloak. Yeah, that's very good. Um, he will take a point of strain, um, for the threat. Um, I love, he's just dangling there. Hob's been there. It's not fun. Yeah, he, uh, of a train.
00:05:57
Speaker
Um, he smashes through the window to go to jump down. His cloak catches on one of the decorative kind of exterior hooks. We have a narrow window for him not to die. And he just like is caught and trying to like, uh, he's fumbling for a knife, a dagger on his side where he can cut the cloak and continue. Uh, but we now have a PC slot. Um, I would like to try to like.
00:06:22
Speaker
cast like a web or something to restrain him. So what would that be? Would that be like the curse and paralyze? Yeah, I think so. I think that would be... That's like Three Purple. Yeah. Three Purple against your Arcana. Yes. And we have three story points.
00:06:51
Speaker
Yep. Yep. I would like to flip that and that would add a green. Uh, yeah, because your current arcana is for yellow. Yes. So yeah, add a green. I'm going to flip it. Turn one of those three are actually, it would be no paralyzed ads, three more Randy. So it's five purple is the difficulty to paralyze. Um, so it's one red for purple is the difficulty. Whoa.
00:07:20
Speaker
Okay, then. It's hard to paralyze people apparently. It is. Don't do it. Good to go. I'm rolling.
00:07:33
Speaker
One success, one advantage, and a triumph. Unbelievable. So he literally... The great tragedy of not being in person is that so many dice, it was so fun to watch them scatter across the table. Yes, it's a 10 dice pool. So the visual Milo is he shoulders past you, jumps through the window, gets caught, Milo runs with his wand and points it down. And just as he's about to cut his cloak, he just...
00:08:03
Speaker
freezes in this web of shadow as he's desperately trying to fight against it as he is paralyzed. No, cause that lasts for around.
00:08:17
Speaker
I'll go haul him back in the wind. Yeah, I'm gonna grab them by their hair and pull them in the window.
Interrogation of the Young Suspect
00:08:25
Speaker
They're wearing a hood. I don't want to choke them. That's true. With the advantage, let's just pass a boost die. Okay. And the triumph. Yes, triumph.
00:08:40
Speaker
He's extremely forthcoming with information. Who doesn't have to necessarily be related. He's scared out of his wits now. Yeah, I mean, that's... I mean, there are four of us, too, so... How long does Paralyze last? Long as I concentrate on it, I guess, from what I understand.
00:09:08
Speaker
Yes, yeah, he can spend a maneuver every round to concentrate on it to keep it going. And it is just physical. This person could still talk to us? Or are they fully, like, catatonic? Mechanically they are staggered, so they can't take actions or maneuvers, correct? I think. Yes. All right, well, what do you want me to roll to haul them in? Haul them in. Did you say it was a man and I missed it? Are we just assuming?
00:09:35
Speaker
I have been using he him pronouns, so yeah. I'm just making sure I have staggered correct. Yeah, he's paralyzed. I hope he can still speak. Hope his mouth's not paralyzed.
00:09:52
Speaker
Well, neither. I mean, if so, we can always just tie him up and then. Yes. Un-paralyzed. Right. We have. And then let him be. We cannot perform actions. So he can perform maneuvers, which is weird that paralyzed would prevent actions and not.
00:10:07
Speaker
My idea was like to throw a net on him or something. Yeah, so I mean it works because he wasn't able to cut his cloak. Okay, so yeah, give me an athletics check, Hob, to just use your raw physical strength to yank him up. With him being completely paralyzed in this shadowy net,
00:10:34
Speaker
Go ahead and do a full upgrade to your athletics. So turn a green into a yellow as opposed to just a boost. And the difficulty is going to be one red, two purple.
00:10:54
Speaker
for a very strong man to pull a very paralyzed person through a window? I'm for it. I mean, technically it's an opposed check because you're trying to physically dominate the spirit, which is why I gave you the full upgrade on it. Understood. Can they oppose if they can't take an action? I'm gonna roll it. I'm just trying. This is an academic pursuit at this point. I'm not complaining. All right, here we go.
00:11:15
Speaker
It's a wash and Jeff's quit. Yeah. Jeff walked out of the room. Um, Banjo followed him. Um, so no, you get him up on the windowsill. Like you're, you're not able to just like fling him in to the apartment, but you have him up on the windowsill is, is in so far as you were able to get him. Um, I mean, yeah, since my, since Milo can spend a maneuver to concentrate, to keep this guy paralyzed, um,
00:11:39
Speaker
Yeah, I mean that that check probably gets this just this this chase is now over in done with since Milo can just keep him in this net.
00:11:52
Speaker
Let's go ahead. Thank you for taking that strain. Um, exit initiative. Uh, and this person is just wide eyed. Their mask is still up. Hood is still up. And they are in this net with a knife, like held up like this,
Revelation of the Picture's Significance
00:12:05
Speaker
even though their cloak is no longer there. And they're just kind of looking at you all. Harris walks into the room after Hob has just taken off sprinting after they walked into the apartment. I think.
00:12:19
Speaker
A friend that seems to be lurking in the bathroom and trying to make an escape. I think Hob takes the knife out of their hand because he doesn't know like what happens when they reanimate. I don't want him to accidentally stab himself in the head with the knife. Good, good idea. Yeah. Okay. Um...
00:12:44
Speaker
Yeah, I got this person. You know what? Coercion seems very appropriate here. Well, I was going to say I'm going to shut up so you guys so I can lose, but coercion works. I think Hob holds the knife and says, I think if you'll allow it, he reaches over and unmasks them. And says, OK, so
00:13:16
Speaker
What are you doing here in the house where there's been a recent murder? So physical description, this person, it's a very young half elf man, probably late teens, like, um, and very baby face. Um, and he just, I, I, I, I, it was a job. I was hired to come get something.
00:13:45
Speaker
I'm very sorry. I didn't think anybody would be here. Bob knows a scared straight opportunity when he sees one. I mean, by whom? And to get what? Give me a coercion. And I'm absolutely in the face with this kid. I don't love doing it, but I am. Yeah. So this is going to be too purple.
00:14:14
Speaker
And that can't possibly be right, something's wrong here. Oh. And go ahead and take a boost for Milo's check. That's a lot of dice. Since we didn't give it to you on. What did we decide for my triumph? He is forthcoming with information. The show of power by Milo is enough to make him freak out.
00:14:41
Speaker
Ready to go so yeah for advantage I rolled two yellow two green and a blue that and I got zero success Not even canceled out yeah
00:15:02
Speaker
Um, okay. So he's like, listen, listen, I, I'll tell you what you want to know. Just come on. Like, look, he's still got the arm up like in the cutting motion. Like, just let me, it's just a job. It was just a job. Could it be a kitchen knife that you took from him?
00:15:21
Speaker
No, no, because that's not, that's not what I'm saying. This is not an honor. Use four advantage to make this guy the murderer. We solved it. I really just want to dive right over. I'm going to be like, oh, that knife. I think the four advantage just be like,
00:15:50
Speaker
Hobb says something to the extent of, we'll, we'll release the hex or whatever it is. But you got to promise to stay here and answer our questions. And he agrees to that. That would be, or does he already have that? Because of Randy's triumph. The triumph already kind of covers that. I simply don't know how to use advantage when I fail all the time. All of my advantage is contingent on adding two successes. But I can't stop sucking at the game.
00:16:26
Speaker
So I once again have something that will come into play when you all go to leave the Golden Horn, that Mandiran's memory, he kind of, while he's down here, with you all being here, the murder is back on his mind, he remembered something that you all won't have to actively engage with him to get a piece of information regarding the night of the incident.
00:16:51
Speaker
Okay. Does that work? Um, okay. So he's like, yeah, yeah, I, I, I have no issue in fighting all of you. So. I think you would have an issue. She's, she's right. I mean, I don't know that she took what he, you know what, Milo, do you feel good? Uh, letting him, releasing him.
00:17:17
Speaker
If you all think it's wise then fine, that's okay with me. I think, uh, Hob gestures to Aerith to stand in the doorway and Hob stands in front of the window and he says, I think, I think we've got him contained, yes. Well, very well. Milo releases his curse. And the scared teenager transforms into Baphomet.
00:17:48
Speaker
No, so this half-elf like sits on the edge of the bed and it's like so yeah, it was I hired like Some some guy to get this and he pulls out a small picture And just kind of holds it Who takes the picture? They somebody take the picture with a dress walks over and takes the picture. Oh
00:18:10
Speaker
He bolts for the door. No. Eris, you take it, you see a picture of, you would probably know what Billy looks like at this point. So you see, it's a picture of Billy with a woman, roughly about Billy's age, and a young girl, like six or seven. Does it look like a family portrait? It looks like a family.
00:18:38
Speaker
Do I recognize either of the... Do I recognize the woman? No. I can't imagine I recognize the girl. No, you don't recognize anybody else besides Billy in the picture. Is it in a frame? No, it's just a loose picture. I turn it over. Is anything written on the back? Sure, there is writing on the back. There's a date on the back.
00:19:05
Speaker
that the year is 996. Have we learned where Billy's from? No. Billy, all you know is Billy is new in town, relatively new in town. Looking at the picture, it's an outdoor, so there's
00:19:34
Speaker
I don't wanna say landmarks, like it's not in front of the Eiffel Tower or something, but you could try to look at the picture and ascertain where this was. Sure, I would do that. What is the role that I would use to do that? Let's see, I would accept astro-cartography. Nature, we kind of said, covers geography and so nature, lore,
00:20:05
Speaker
or society would be the three that I would accept. If you would like to pass this off to somebody else, then that's also- Those are all identical for me. Yeah, they're all knowledge skills, so they would be intellect-based. Which ones did you say were possible? Nature, lore, and society. I'm wondering about all those. I've got pretty stellar lore.
00:20:30
Speaker
Okay, well, Eris will hand the photo to Milo. Gross, you read it and see if Milo. Okay, so, Milo, go ahead and give me a check. It's going to be a two purple difficulty, but I'm gonna flip a story point and make it one red, one purple. Okay.
00:20:59
Speaker
Um, man, we've got four guys. I flip one back and let me turn my green into a yellow. Okay. Oh, sorry. I flipped it also. There we go. Okay. Oh my gosh. Miley, you're not sure where this was. Um, for advantage. What are, what are we doing with it? Everyone.
Description of the Employer
00:21:31
Speaker
This is I'm blaming. I'm blaming technology. I don't think we would have failed if these were analog. There's. More writing on the back that we didn't notice. For example, names. He said lore is what the check was. What? Yeah, knowledge lore. Milo looks at the you say it was a L for a half hour. Yeah.
00:22:00
Speaker
Do you say you don't know who hired you? Was it perhaps a female? Do you know that? It was a guy. A dude. Very well. Did he have dark brown hair and a beard? Yeah. All right. Cool. Cool. Listen, what were you? What were you supposed to do after you got it?
00:22:27
Speaker
Give it back. Where? Give it back? Well, give it, give it. Right. Give it to the person who hired me. Do you understand what I'm getting at here, kid? Yeah, the drop. Oh, the drop? Oh, okay. Uh, so yeah, I was supposed to take it to a civis enclave and have it sent. Sent where? A roat. And how much?
00:22:57
Speaker
How much were you getting paid for this? Oh, that's paying job I've had yet. I'm getting a hundred copper. Okay. I know what Hob wants to do, but... You need to ask for more. Really? Yeah, that's really bad. Yes. I mean, just from the simple fact that you never know when you might run across four of us.
00:23:24
Speaker
No one gets hired for thieving for 100 copper for a break-in job in a fancy apartment. This is the part of town where you really get in trouble for this sort of thing. Yeah, that's fair. I didn't even know. I think I've never been to this part of town, so I didn't realize- Hob asks. Hob asks. Or that you all would be here. Is this your first time doing something like this? No. I'm gonna do a perception check on that answer.
00:23:54
Speaker
He wants to know this kid knows what he's doing for yeah for reasons One purple and you said perception make it an easy perception and ice and and I totally skip by our four advantage It is just for the perception, right, okay Just fail this real quick and see what happens. Of course, of course one success one success
00:24:22
Speaker
Yeah, no he He He is lying like he it's clear that like he may not be first-time criminal, but like a smash-and-grab Job like this definitely no it's in this kind of thing hub pulls out a one one single gold any Just those eyes got huge yeah
00:24:50
Speaker
pulls out a single gold and he holds it between his thumb and his finger and he says, you're not gonna get something like this doing tiny jobs where you don't know what the outcome is. Hob's not gonna tell him not to get into a life of crime because duh. Yeah. No, no. So he says,
00:25:17
Speaker
if you almost got away maybe but I mean I got started with locks and ciphers that's that's kind of
Debate Over the Photograph's Use
00:25:35
Speaker
My my thing I yeah, that doesn't that doesn't help hob was hoping he could send it to to boom rush And even as like recon not not as a bounty hunter but as like if he was actually sneaky and good But he can't so he's not going to because this kids. Yeah So you were gonna send this to row it but the
00:26:10
Speaker
He just came down to the neighborhood and was asking, uh, looking for somebody to, uh, to do that was interested in what he said was easy, easy money, but clearly
00:26:29
Speaker
But yeah, um, you're also not a doctor. Um, but I came down to where? Uh, lower Dura. That's where I'm, I'm from. So you all aren't like, we're cool, right? Like I'm, I answer your questions and then I'm good to. Well, we're cool. There's no way. All right. I mean, I mean, she's, we're not, we're cool. You're not going to rough me up or anything.
00:26:57
Speaker
Well, I was thinking about turning you into a noot. No one's gonna turn you into a noot. I mean, we already kind of did, you know, you've been dangled at a window and that sort of thing, so. We're not looking to hurt you any further than you might already have been by the, you know, dangling. Or your pride. Or your pride. Yes. That's my primary. If I did turn you into a noot, it would be okay because you would get better. Frankly.
00:27:30
Speaker
He might be snakeier anyway. I would love to be able to say that you're going to walk out of here without that picture, but with this gold coin. But I need for you to give me more information on who this fella is, where we can find him. How good is your memory getting any better as I hold this in front of you is what I'm asking.
00:27:57
Speaker
I was supposed to go to Civvus, send it to Rowat. I didn't get an address. I just was told to send it under the name Tanner. And the Tanner. And just what is your name, by the way? My name? Sure is. People must ask us all the time. We give this name. My name's...
00:28:23
Speaker
Joey, but you might know me as Ace on the streets. And now we know why I asked. There's both terrible names. Well, one of them I didn't have a choice. Well, you can still do better. No one knows him on the streets as Ace.
00:28:49
Speaker
Yeah, yes, we've never heard you are aware of a famed cat burglar. No. Yeah, those are both terrible. And you should get different ones. Well, I names are hard to come up with like a cool street. Anyway, we'll think about it more. I got a list. I mean, I worked by myself. I'm alone. Anyway, no, no, no. It's still bad.
00:29:18
Speaker
Can I go? No, not yet. You work alone.
00:29:27
Speaker
Something solo? No, that's dumb. I mean, I don't care if he goes. I don't know. He obviously isn't giving us much more. The name was Tanner. And? He was hired by the fake doctor. He was hired by a man with dark brown hair and a beard. And you've never seen that man before. Which is also the description of the fake doctor. Right. Yes. He was hired by the fake doctor.
00:29:56
Speaker
Um, Phil, he, um, the, the guy that hired me also had like, it wasn't like super pronounced, I guess, but like the right side of his face above his beard, um, was like scarred, like, like pock marks, not like, you get what I'm saying. It's distinctive. If you're looking for the person that hired me.
00:30:25
Speaker
Now I gotta knock on Grace's door. Eris turns and walks straight out of the room and down to Grace and George's and dum dum dum dum dum dum. Cobb lets Eris do this one on his own. He trusts Grace and George on his own. Where is she going? She's following up with a neighbor. I guess we haven't quite told you yet. This house here, Berglund.
00:30:49
Speaker
the owner was murdered not long ago. What? Yeah, yeah, yeah. You essentially. That what? No, I don't. Well, here's the wild thing. You are now officially accessory to the crime. Um what? How? Why? What? That's what matters.
00:31:06
Speaker
And all of us have a legal education by way of time store novels and radio broadcasts So listen, this is what happens to me being in trouble with the law for the last decade or so Told me before which is always not necessarily true Just it'll take us
00:31:29
Speaker
the door opens and Grace like oh yeah how how can I help you miss the doctor with the shabby clothes um did you know this if he had on the right side of his face if it was distinctive in any particular way hmm
00:31:51
Speaker
I mean, I only got a quick look at him. I perhaps, like, maybe he had freckles or something. There was something about it, but I don't have a strong recollection. All right, all right. Thank you. You're welcome. Yes. Okay, bye.
00:32:17
Speaker
No, I I didn't kill it I didn't I was not accessory to killing anybody. No, no, you weren't you weren't you're just uh Steven from a dead person on the orders of the person I didn't know I was stealing from a diverse who is Eris comes back likely the suspect back in it was definitely defect doctor. There you go fake what
00:32:40
Speaker
Doctor. Our primary candidate for the culprit that killed the person who hired you to steal this. Whoa. And see, and you go with him, and that's what accessory means. Right, you're getting in deep here. But Joey. No, what? Like, I didn't have anything to do with the murder, though. Yeah, it's a messed up system, bud. Tell it to the judge. It's a tragically flawed system. I don't know what to tell you. Yes, like, he's the suit and you are the shoes and the belt.
00:33:08
Speaker
right like that what okay that's right that's exactly what i was going for yes i know yes i mean boy wait till you hear about cash mail joey that's gonna really get you so can i like are you all cops are you cops you have to tell you have to tell me that's actually not true today we are i know that that's true that's entrapment today we are what does that mean aren't you always cops
00:33:33
Speaker
no most days in fact we're not in fact we are we are um so is this like your first day on the job seems like it was you know we're being caught for two days now i'm just gonna let them talk for a while so can i go that one i'm not sure about
00:33:56
Speaker
Eris looks at the others, Eris does not really know what else, this person does not seem to know anything. I mean, Hop just wants to, or Jeff just wants to make sure. Hey, he's known quite a bit, thank you. Jeff just wants to make sure that it was asked already, and I don't remember, this was the first and last time he'd seen the big doctor, or the person who hired him, right? That was, okay. Yeah, met him once, and then was told mail-in to Rowatt under this name, and then you're done. Well, friends, I think we have a decision to make here.
00:34:26
Speaker
Do we keep this photograph? Do we take it to Kenneth ourselves, or do we allow our new friend, Sivus? Huh? Sivus, pardon me. Sivus. Sivus. Ourselves. Or do we allow our new friend, Ace, to take it and fulfill his job, and perhaps find out where to keep it? No, don't let him hear me out there, and uh, maybe see if we can't figure out where to go after. We could hand deliver it. How would we do that?
00:34:54
Speaker
I don't know how we get this far. We gotta do stuff. It works out or it doesn't. Well, he said he had an address, right? That he's supposed to take it to. No, I just sent it. I just sent it under a note and they would pick it up under the name. He didn't even have a name to address it to. He's just going to put his name as Tanner and someone will come along and pick it up. Someone said address and I was confused.
00:35:14
Speaker
We have to go all the way to well, we don't know. Yeah. Here's the thing. I forgot the roet bit. Right. Or we could we could show it to people and ask, do you recognize the other people in this, you know, photo? I mean, I know I got hired this morning. So like he's probably if he's not. Oh, yeah. Fake doctor still. Right. Great. Yeah. Yeah. So I think it might be wise to do as Eris has suggested.
00:35:43
Speaker
keep the photo all right joy you can go don't leave town i would not have the means to do so if i wanted to so i'll just don't if you need if you need anybody ask for ace and lower dura i cannot imagine that will come to pass
00:36:03
Speaker
He exits the bedroom and turns the corner like this. As he rounds the corner, he goes, oh, that's so much blood. Oh, gross. How did you miss that? Very dead, very murdered. I came in through the window. Well, I believe we've checked. And then quietly as he leaves the apartment, you say, oh, hi ma'am. Sorry. Excuse me. Yeah.
00:36:28
Speaker
I wish I could fit the story point to make the door open out as we leave. I believe Reynard and I have checked every room, except maybe the bathroom, and here's what we found. Oh yeah, yeah, please. Explains all that. Just for the record, I think Hob could make an athletics check to make the door open. That is true. And then watch me fail it, bounce off the door, fly out the window, meet the fate that our friend, Eric, Joey, managed to admit.
00:36:57
Speaker
And what do we want to do with our four advantage? Man, Dyrin is going to have remembered even more things. I don't know. Four advantage.
00:37:20
Speaker
Oh, I, I have something. Okay. When, when you all go to leave that I will, I will reveal. It really feels like our next thing is we've just got to find out who this doctor is. Yeah. That's got a couple of leads that you still haven't touched on, but if that's, if that's the path that you're obviously, there's a lot left. Definitely race, but we're not getting that out of her here today.
00:37:39
Speaker
Yeah, but you still haven't talked to Luca. Oh, yeah. You haven't talked to Casa Faire. Mm-hmm. Remind me who Casa Faire is. She's the owner of the art temple that was trying to coach them away. We can go talk to her when we take in Grace's show.
00:37:57
Speaker
Um, and the former valet, Eddie, um, you still haven't, um, found anything out regarding that. And I think that's all.
00:38:11
Speaker
of it. So I do owe you all of the golden horn. Yeah. So as you all go to leave, I mean, Dyran kind of waves you down from behind the bar. It's like, Oh, yes. Hello. Uh, I almost forgot. Um, so, uh, come, come, come, come. And like gestures you to come to the bar. Um, so the night
00:38:32
Speaker
of the incident. I did note that, um, a little bit after supper time, I'm not sure exactly how long after, but you know, the crowd had started to leave enough to where I could, I could note, uh, who was coming and going.
Mendiryn's Observation About Luca
00:38:49
Speaker
I did note, uh, Luca Sayara leaving the building, holding a large book and seeming very
00:38:59
Speaker
Happy, I guess? She was smiling brightly, which is not normal for Luca, if you know her. She's normally a very morose person. Really puts that into her writing, but she seemed very happy. Oh, I don't think her writing has changed, just the presentation. You know, Billy's touch, you know, elevates certain parts of it, but I think at the core, there's still that tragedy that Luca is known for.
00:39:23
Speaker
Just covered up in all glitz. When was that in relation to the murder? So the body was found in the mornings, the night before, presumably at some point when the murder happened, a little while after dinner time. He's not totally certain on the timeline, like how long after dinner time, but the crowd had cleared out.
00:39:47
Speaker
So yeah, so Luca left. And yeah, additionally, if you all do want to speak to Harold who discovered the body, he lives. It's technically on the same lot as the Golden Horn. We have additional housing.
New Leads and Casa Faire's Connection
00:40:03
Speaker
for valets and attendance to the people that live here just around back that he might be at home, you could go calling after him. And so, yeah, you could talk to him. And at that point, the four advantage that was up in the air
00:40:26
Speaker
And Verla had asked regarding potential involvement and potential people of interest while you were upstairs and he kind of gestures behind you all and you see a like striking elf woman like angular features
00:40:45
Speaker
sharp ears, dark black hair with streaks of gray growing throughout it, and she is sitting near a fire reading the sharn inquisitive. That's the owner of the Ark Temple who was trying to work with Billy and Luca Casa Faire.
00:41:03
Speaker
I don't know if you all want to talk to her. She's here, um, or arrange a meeting with her. Um, but that's, yeah, she, she had been in pretty frequent contact. And, uh, she was one of the first people, maybe the first person contacted, uh, after the body was discovered by... Heiress is walking towards her. Okay. Father's looming close by.
00:41:28
Speaker
I assume we would all go. I don't want to speak for anybody. Yes, I assume we would all go. Milo, Raynard, are you also heading over there? Yeah. Yes, and thank you for your information. Of course. She seems extremely interesting. Yeah, man, Dyran, you seem like a huge stand-up fellow, and I appreciate that about you. Thank you. If you're ever in the market for an apartment, don't forget the Golden Horn.
00:41:50
Speaker
You got it. We'll not forget. We'll not be in the market. Great to meet you. Okay, so yeah, you see this woman sitting by one of the fireplaces in kind of a lounge chair. There's chairs set up in a loose circle where people could sit and chat by the fire, but she's sitting by herself reading a paper. And she kind of notes you all approaching and
00:42:19
Speaker
Looks over her paper at you all. Eris sits down in a chair opposite her. And she exhales as she folds her paper. Can I help you? We hope so. And she regards the rest of you. Are the rest of you sitting or standing?
00:42:43
Speaker
Hub always stands. Not trying to be threatening, he just trusts his feet more in furniture. Myler, are you sitting or standing? I'm seated. Okay. Presumably this is regarding the unfortunate business that happened here. It is. Well, I've given my full statement to the Sharn City Watch already, so I can't imagine what else I could tell you all.
00:43:17
Speaker
Is it not strange that you were contacted before the watch? Oh, I don't think so. Honestly, people knew that I had Billy's best interests at heart and that Billy and I had become well acquainted and it's only natural that they would want me to hear the news before I read it in a paper somewhere. Who contacted you?
00:43:48
Speaker
Well, I'm not quite at liberty to say. That seems very strange. Well, I wouldn't want to cause any trouble for the person that contacted me. They're a trusted individual. I rely on them frequently and I'm not inclined to give their name over to law enforcement authorities. That's a good way to know law enforcement. Oh, even less of a reason to talk to you then.
00:44:23
Speaker
I don't like her. I think that's Eric's goal. I know, but she ain't a snitch. What are you talking about? I just, you know what? It's an admirable quality. He, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he,
00:44:51
Speaker
People can make assumptions all they want. Plenty of people do in this part of the city. In this, your part of the city? Yes. Okay. I just, you said that in sort of a disdainful way, like, like you were from some better part of the city and you were different from the people in this part of the city. I love the university, university district. I love Upper Memphis. I love all of the Memphis plateau. I have no,
00:45:22
Speaker
illusions as to what it is. All right, that's good. Remind me, how did you word what you said to her before she became so dismissive, Philip? I asked if it was not strange that people contacted her instead of the watch. Then I asked her who contacted her and she said a trusted individual. She was not at liberty to say.
00:45:58
Speaker
Listen, if it will make this go quicker, I will tell you what I told the City Watch. I was contacted to come... What? I assumed that we already had that information, but maybe we don't.
00:46:12
Speaker
Yeah, Verla didn't give you her... Because remember, Verla was not the lead investigator, so Verla doesn't have all of the information regarding this case. I was contacted that something had happened at Billy's apartment and that Billy was dead. I came to see if I could assist in any way. I went to the apartment, tried to discover what occurred. I could not ascertain what had occurred. The city watch was contacted. I then left the apartment.
00:46:46
Speaker
As far as I know, Billy did not have any known enemies, certainly not ones that I would know about. Billy's personal life was none of my concern. I was only interested in him in a professional capacity. Did you happen to notice a doctor?
00:47:08
Speaker
As I was leaving, I did note that there were some individuals talking about some doctor that had declared that Billy had died of natural causes, but I did not see the individual. I was too busy examining the rest of the apartment. Did anything seem odd to you in the apartment? No.
00:47:39
Speaker
What were you looking for in the apartment? Clues? Any kind of indication as to who would do this? Who would strike down an artist just before his prime? I swear that seems like the job of the watch. Well, the watch sometimes can miss things or bumble about a scene and compromise it. So...
00:48:08
Speaker
I wanted to ensure that I got fresh eyes. A suspicious type of person would think that it seems like you really wanted to get there and remove things that might be incriminating.
Casa Faire's Reaction to the Picture
00:48:21
Speaker
A suspicious person might think that.
00:48:32
Speaker
Listen, Billy stood to make me a lot of money. Billy and Lucas' partnership was incredibly lucrative. They are all that people talk about in the theater scene right now. The idea that I would have anything to do with Billy's death is absurd. I'm going to lose a lot of money in his death. No, I may be mistaken. I might have missed some subtle undertones, but I don't believe any of us think you have anything to do with his death. We think you might.
00:49:01
Speaker
provide some insight to help us bring his killer to justice. I was just responding to what a suspicious person might think by me attempting to remove things incriminating from the crime scene as your friend implied. We don't really think you killed Billy. We think you know things that might help us find out.
00:49:23
Speaker
who killed Billy but you're not really interested in finding out who killed Billy because you have lost your business interest in him. Wildly flippant for someone when we're trying to solve a murder and perhaps
00:49:39
Speaker
People don't think that, or perhaps the way that you interpreted the question, did you take anything from the apartment would be less about covering up the murder and more about covering up something else. Maybe Billy, you know, had nothing to do with the murder but still could be something important if you had taken something. Do you understand? No one thinks, right now, no one thinks you had anything to do with Billy's death. Because you're right, it would make no sense.
00:50:08
Speaker
That's a relief to hear. But you have been... particularly... um... Boy, Jeff, we're not good now. Not forthcoming.
00:50:24
Speaker
with us. You've stonewalled us. You've been cold. And I understand that we interrupted you. We didn't intend to, but you've been quite flippant. We're just trying. The only information, if there was an individual in your employ that you had a great deal of trust with, would you want them sharing your name at every turn with anybody that approached them asking, regarding them?
00:50:50
Speaker
If one of my friends were murdered in cold blood, and hearing my name might help solve the murder, I would be willing to have my name spoken, yes. As long as I wasn't involved in it. Doesn't that work? Perhaps where you're from.
00:51:11
Speaker
I'm from like 600 feet lower than this place, it's really not there. We're from a worse place than you are. We're a place where people celebrate the fact that they don't have morals and yet here I am telling you that I'd be willing to help, so. Do Billy have a family? No. Do Billy used to have a family?
00:51:32
Speaker
No, this is I'm aware of. Do you know who this is? Because it looks like Billy's family. Go ahead and give me a perception. Undeniably familiar. Flash this this photo. I'm going to flip the story point to make it.
00:51:49
Speaker
One or actually that'll be two red one purple. He says you do it a perception thing Yeah, two red one purple. Okay, I'm gonna let people with skill points in it do this Got perception. I don't think I have it either. That's up. He's got the highest perception game It's an opposed check against yeah, whatever is happening with her face deception Could be coercion could be leadership could be knowledge lore
00:52:20
Speaker
Got one yellow to green yes, she if she gets to use knowledge lore to hide her emotions I get to use coercion to dust them out We're just willy-nilly throw around or I'll rain I just ran out to have any perception. I just have three green Okay Milo guess it's Milo you want to flip a story point Milo. Yeah, you do sure I
00:52:42
Speaker
Okay. And since you all, since you all procured the picture as a added element in this, go ahead and add a boost die to it. Okay. And difficulty is? Two, two red, one purple. Okay. Unbelievable. He's very perceptive. Three success, one advantage.
00:53:09
Speaker
Milo, as Eris flashes the picture, you see her very chiseled angular jaw like Titan. Like she bites down in the back of her jaw and her eyes kind of like micro expression flash wide and then reset. Like she's surprised by the presence of the picture.
00:53:32
Speaker
So it's, um, like I got the perception that she knows who these people are. She was at least shocked by the reveal of the, of the picture. Okay. Like, um, that, that is what you got from, from that check. And Aeris, as you, what was your question as you pulled out the picture, Aeris? Do you recognize these people? Cause they look like Billy's family. No, I,
00:54:02
Speaker
I only know Billy since he's come to Sharn. Then why, why so shocked when you saw the picture? Yes, I did notice that. You could say we received it. I noticed it too, we all noticed it. Right, right, right everyone, right. She glances over at Milo and is like, I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about, but
00:54:28
Speaker
I was unaware that Billy had a family. And if he did, that was a secret he kept from me. Like I said, professional relationship, personal business, none of my concern and oftentimes will complicate the professional relationship. Milo looks at the picture and then looks at her. Is there any sort of a familial resemblance? No. The two people in the picture are both humans.
00:54:53
Speaker
Okay, but how long have you been in love with Billy? I Don't know what else to ask her because she's clearly not interested in being fourth well, and I'll give you a little bit more Milo with with the three success one advantage. There wasn't just shock there was anger. There was a hint of like
00:55:20
Speaker
like in her glance. This fake doctor works for her and hired Joey to steal photos. That is certainly a theory that you could slap up on your murder board. Done. And the nightgown is hers. I'm gonna go get the nightgown, bring it back.
00:55:42
Speaker
Look familiar? Have you tried this on? Where's Tanner? Where's Tanner? Just start throwing everything at her. What's the deal with Grace, anyway? You know Grace. Yes. Just kidding. Okay. So, any other questions for Casa? No, not right now. Well, if there's nothing else,
00:56:13
Speaker
Wish you best of luck in your endeavors. Right. Great. Uh-huh. It doesn't seem like you do, bud.
00:56:28
Speaker
It is immaterial to me whether or not the killer is found in Billy's murder, but for closure of those close to him, I certainly hope that there is some level of resolution found. Uh, I think, I genuinely, Hobb says, uh, well, there certainly were some people that seemed close to him once and, right, Eris? And if she holds up the picture again, see if there's another weird reaction. Just like, further seething would be pretty interesting.
00:56:56
Speaker
I mean, yeah, flaunting the picture. Yeah, it's like she's not sitting there like fuming. It's once again like she's a very composed person with just flashes of this reaction. I did assume she hissed like a vampire in the sunlight.
00:57:13
Speaker
And people have started coming in for like lunch time drinks and meetings and things like that. So the main area is starting to fill up a bit. I have some people coming to discuss business. So unless there's anything else. Not from me. I thank you for your time. Very well. Thank you. And she goes back to reading her paper.
00:57:45
Speaker
Okay. Where to now, Ben? I guess we, Luca? I mean, I guess so. Yeah. Um, you do also just putting it out there as a possibility. Um, obviously trying to track down the two people in the picture, at least get some sense of who they are. Um,
Visit to Luca Sayara's Home
00:58:15
Speaker
In that capacity, you probably do have some limited resources of the Sharn City Watch since it wouldn't be directly related to Billie's murder. You might be able to get Verla to do some digging in that regard. That's just a possibility since it wouldn't be a direct issue for her.
00:58:38
Speaker
So yeah, you, you know, the location of Lucas Sayara, um, her townhouse in upper Memphis that she recently moved into. Um, as you knock on the door, um, a male, uh, half orc answers the door and kind of regards you. I was like, can I help you?
00:59:07
Speaker
We're here to see Lucas Sierra. Oh, do you, uh, does she know that you're coming? No. I see. What is this regarding? We're here on behalf of the city watch, uh, regarding the murder of Billy Langill Taylor. Hmm. She's currently in the process of what?
00:59:35
Speaker
His initials are BLT. Dang it, Phillip! Oh my god, I love it when Phillip is as dumb as me. It's so rare, it makes me...
01:00:09
Speaker
She's currently in the process of writing. Let me go see if she's able and willing to attend to visitors at this time. And he closes the door and you hear footsteps walking away.
01:00:24
Speaker
Alright, let's get our story straight. Eris is like one foot, other foot, one foot, other foot, one foot. Yeah, is Eris nervous to meet Luca? Is that okay? Yes. He returns to the door and says, she will see you all. If you'll come in, I will take you to the sitting room.
01:00:49
Speaker
And he takes you all into this. This is a well decorated but not.
01:00:58
Speaker
Not opulent, like it's not a display of wealth, it is a display of style. And most of it is actually rather older style. Like you would say, some might say out of date, but it looks really nice. Lots of last war iconography, lots of like large paintings of battles from the last war.
01:01:28
Speaker
notable weapons hanging on the wall. It seems like whoever lives here is a real warfare history nerd or has some other kind of attachment to the war. So not like a TGI Fridays. It's not cluttered, but that is the theme.
01:01:50
Speaker
So in the sitting room, there is a large, like 12 foot by eight foot painting on the wall of a battle at Thaliost. It's like a famous work depicting a famous battle in that city, very stylized. And then on another wall, there is the painting of a famous Carnath general, like,
01:02:17
Speaker
like in battle, but clearly a posed portrait. There's a fire going in the fireplace. Luca is not in there, but her attendant offers you, said, may I get any of you anything? No, no, thank you for taking the time to get with us. Very well. No, for me, I'm not speaking for the group, but
01:02:45
Speaker
She will be in shortly, and he leaves. I think I have- Eris got her feet and looking at everything. Okay. So yeah, there are, no, this is just something that you all, Eris would make note of. Eris, you notice in her sitting room and every other place that you've been able to observe, there is zero,
01:03:14
Speaker
displays of any of the numerous accolades that Luca has acquired over the course of her career. There's no awards hanging up. There's no reviews. There's no programs. You would never know that Luca Sayara lived here, if that makes sense. And she has won a lot of awards. So none of her Tonys are on display.
01:03:41
Speaker
And everybody else just sitting and waiting. Yep. Taking in the room, but not with the intensity that Aeris is. Partially taking in Aeris, taking in the room as well. It's entertaining.
01:04:02
Speaker
Hob, you do see one smaller painting, certainly not a small painting. In most people's sitting rooms, it would be the centerpiece, but not in Luca's. A painting that draws you in is
01:04:16
Speaker
It's a painting depicting a battle between the forces of Drowam and the Brielish army during the last war. And what strikes you is there is a few smatterings of Goliaths in battle in the painting.
01:04:38
Speaker
I'm assuming this is done by a Brelish artist, so the Goliath, they look just like savage and like, like, savage eating his children, just... No, no. Whoever this artist was, was like a hyper-realist. Gotcha. Was their style. They weren't going for style, so as respectful as a Brelish eye could be.
01:05:01
Speaker
Um, to, to people they don't understand, um, that, that is, uh, the depiction. So, um, after probably five minutes, uh, Reynard, Milo, are you all taking things in or just sitting or?
01:05:16
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, Milo's looking around the room, you know, taking it in. If there's things to look at, Milo would be looking. Yeah. Same. I don't have... Okay. Largely the same thing. Lots of, specifically, the nation upon nation fighting of the last war. Obviously, there were a lot of different facets to the last war. Raynard, you would know since you were alive for the entirety of the last war.
01:05:43
Speaker
So she seems to be focused on the battlefield aspects of that conflict, as opposed to what you were much more familiar with of the shadowy espionage aspects of it.
01:05:56
Speaker
Then you, after five minutes or so, your browsing is disrupted by feeling the presence of an individual standing in the large opening as Luca Sayara enters the room. Just a dark, dark hair, pale complexion, taller than all of you except for Hob. Very, very tall.
01:06:24
Speaker
a woman, um, elfish, um, in, in feature. Um, and she just kind of regards all of you. How can I help you?
01:06:37
Speaker
And we will leave it there. Um, thank you all so much for listening. If you want to be part of the conversation surrounding this episode, you can head on over to our discord, the link to which you can find on all of our socials, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Um, we also have a YouTube channel, youtube.com slash the geek pantheon, uh, where I put up a DMing tabletop, our few videos. And we also have another actual play, Kyber shards GM by Phillip. And I play a really silly character. Um,
01:07:02
Speaker
And, uh, if you want to check that out, head on over. Uh, it's a fun show. We also have a Patreon, patreon.com slash the geek Pantheon. If you want to support the shows financially, that is the place to do it. Uh, thank you all so much for listening. I've been your game master, Eric. I'm Philip. I'm Trevor. I'm Randy. I'm Jeff. We'll see you next time.