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C2 Ep. 202 Erin's Gambit Chapter One
407 Plays5 months ago
The party makes a play for the Clan
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, Charles Compton, Deviouspoptart, Nastasia Raulerson, David Scrams, Elizabeth Clark, Rebekah Gowman, deviouspoptart, Eðvarð Arnór Sigurðsson, Michael Clark, Jerry Theuns, Mark Stanley, and Shelby Johnson.
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Transcript
Introduction to 'Ever Under New' Podcast
00:00:04
Speaker
correctly with the k
00:00:08
Speaker
or D20 radio, at your game is rolling.
00:00:47
Speaker
Hello and welcome to Ever Under New, an actual play podcast set in the Ever Under campaign setting. I am your game master, Eric. I am Phillip. I'm Trevor. I'm Randy. I'm Jeff. Welcome to
Session Recap & Humor
00:00:57
Speaker
another episode. Gentlemen, what happened last time? We're ready to go, man. We're ready to light this candle and do this thing and whatnot. those lit Only at one end. That's true. About to light the other end. That doesn't answer his question. But that last is, we got ready to do all that stuff Philip's saying we're ready to do though. Talked to Cold War and he threatened to like basically kill the town for us if we needed him to. Offered. The word was offered. I said threatened it, didn't I? Offered. No, we were threatened by other people. It's gonna be fine. Instead, you elected to have him ruin people's lives.
00:01:32
Speaker
if you are on the shard city council your mila mila name names mila is the one that gave the list yeah aris didn't aris didn't know who to ask for aris was comfortable with it she just didn't know the names she could not have done it without mila's assistance yeah after we after we stopped recording randy said just like mccarthy and the good old days which was really weird randy look at my young trevor what else happened I'm still trying to figure out if I actually know that reference thing. McCarthyism? The un-American hunting commies. Oh, okay. I wasn't there. so Blacklisting and that sort of thing. I believe it was I, but it didn't stop him. What else happened? Yeah, Randy's not 90.
Moral Decisions & Group Dynamics
00:02:14
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I didn't say Randy was there. I just said, Randy referenced it. It's going well.
00:02:18
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Kath tried to get Raynard to resurrect Ace. That's true. And he said no. That's good. That's just kind of the thesis of last episode is you all said no a lot, Jeff. It's good. Hey, look, if you want to go off mission, it needs to not happen. Yeah, he doesn't do it. So, yeah, you all had broken away to do some things. Raynar was going to talk to Elvinor and Eldorin. Hob was just going supply shopping, getting some stuff. What was Aeris, I'm assuming, going back to the Cauldron? I think so. He was just waiting to go. What was Milo up to? you That's a good question. Probably making sure he had his healing potion stuff, that he always goes into battle with it you anymore. Just trying to keep it low-key, under the radar.
00:03:03
Speaker
So Trevor, was there something specific that you wanted to engage with Elvinor and Eldrin about, or just kind of check in before this evening? Yeah. just so Were you actually going to do what you told Kathy you were going to do of like asking them about bringing Ace back? I mean, I could. You sure could. That is accurate. Do you want to? I don't think it comes up a conversation. Why would they bring it? Got any dead bodies that you need to carry on? They might ask me if someone I know died. You never know. So no is the answer. You're not going to bring it up to
Mission Logistics & Preparation
00:03:40
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them. Okay, so what time did you all lay out to get back together, presumably at the cauldron? 7 36. 7 36. If we actually said it out loud the other day, do you think I would remember it?
00:03:54
Speaker
736. That sounds right. So, about 736. Okay. Raynard, give me a perception check with a one red, one purple difficulty. sections i think i know but i'm gonna go story Okay, just got a backpack full of fudge stripes i do i thought you' were talking about the course i think he's got one of your opportunities Oh Okay work diva failure so I did not succeed but I do have a try it yep, and no success with red correct work, so I
00:04:30
Speaker
Got super lucky but didn't see anything. So you're headed back to Highwall to meet up with the gang and you are just whistling, walking down the street, having a great time. Much to your all chagrin but is our habit. First roll of the session, you all got a triumph. What would you like to do with it? Well, while Raynar didn't see anything, everything is fine. There was nothing to be seen. It was there. Whatever Raynar didn't see changes its mind about threatening us and goes home for a warm cup of milk.
00:05:03
Speaker
Can the Triumph be that it's not the ramp controlled by a mind flayer? Sure. Done. A distraction. It's a mind flayer controlled by the ramp. Can I have a distraction? Would you like a distraction? Does anyone ever need some help? Some luck? I mean, almost certainly, but I got got no idea that the opening moment of the asset upgrade. You know all the moving pieces that you all have for the upcoming situation, if you want to affect those. But if you'd rather just pass an upgrade to the next check, that's also totally fine. I'm OK with that. Yeah. pass Okay. so Let's pass that upgrade.
Cinder's Autonomy & Intelligent Weapons
00:05:34
Speaker
Okay. Because you say we know all of the moving pieces and I understand that we should know all of the moving pieces, but right this second, I don't recall any of the moving pieces. Other than us. I mean, there's a goat involved. It's me. No. The goat. Greatest of all time. Got it. We all got thank it. Sure. Okay. So Philip was Eris working on any final gadgets or anything before the downtime?
00:05:59
Speaker
I think Eris has all the things okay that are needed here.
00:06:09
Speaker
Olive is there working on Cinder, by the way. Of course she is. Of course she is. Why are you so weird about Cinder all of a sudden? In fact, oh, I forgot to get the story points out. Sorry, everyone. Liv, at some point, calls Eris over. It's like, Eris, come look at something strange happened with Jesus Christ. What did he do? A lot of strange things happened with Jesus Christ. Have you read the Bible? It's kind of a daily occurrence, right? As interpreted by experts.
00:06:41
Speaker
something odd happened with Cinder a few days ago and she has a couple of dragon shards on her workstation and she has the arms strapped to her back and one of the hands goes over one of the dragon shards and you see the dragon shard kind of begin to rattle slightly on the table and then like to a layman it would look like the heat from Cinder like burns the dragon shard but you being a educated mind know that that's not what's happening and it's like the magic is just breaking down and then absorbing the dragon shard and you see all of the little like indicators and areas where cinders like fiery magical form pierces through the arms and the harness kind of glow a little bit brighter and you see all are kind of like straighten up like she just
00:07:33
Speaker
Took a really strong shot of calf or something. What was that? I think Cinder is consuming them. Why? it I get the sense that you know how elementals are a varying power, yeah intelligence and personality, etc. Cinder is growing and maturing, becoming smarter as these are consumed. Does that seem like an altogether good good thing? I mean, it seems because it seemed like it affected you. Well, it's just I can sense, just like the first time we we put Tasha in the harness, I could feel and s sense Tasha and Tasha's presence and kind of Tasha's desires or impulses.
00:08:22
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And so I can sense Cinder's power growing and we hit a threshold to where whereas before it was very stilted trying to talk to Cinder and now it seems as though he's gained another level of intelligence and autonomy. That's fascinating right that second part of the autonomy in any connected to you really Significantly and so what if what if he gets to a point? where what you want and what he wants and aren't the same thing. I mean, it seems that Cinder's only real impulse and desire based on what I felt and what's been communicated to me is protection. Like it's not to say that the autonomy is if someone were to walk in right now and all of your security measures were not here. It was just us and me wearing this harness.
00:09:28
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Whereas before, if somebody came up trying to stab me in the back, I would need to become aware of them, turn around, react to it, and tell the arm to strike out or disarm. Whereas now Cinder is aware of what's happening around us and can protect me without me knowing I need to be protected. I read a story one time. I expected you to be much more enthusiastic about this breakthrough, Eris. About a warrior with an intelligent sword. His goal was to always protect the warrior and then one day
00:10:05
Speaker
the sword force the warrior to chop off his own hand because the warrior was the greatest danger to himself i mean yeah like that's just the things i make i really make i like making cool things but i've never made something that i'm concerned about the idea of things that can make their own decisions i mean being connected to me but if tasha decided Screw this I'm flying away. That would be bad, but it wouldn't do irreparable harm to me.
00:10:40
Speaker
Well, if Tasha decided I'm done with you while you're in the skiff, and then just flipped over and
Mission Threats & Precautions
00:10:46
Speaker
dumped you, that would... That would be bad, yeah. No, I'm not. Yeah, I guess so. But just... this is... So right now, you can sense Cinder. Yes. But you decide what Cinder does in the arms. If Cinder keeps growing, what if Cinder senses you and it goes the other way? I cinder can operate the arms of his own accord but I can always stop what he's doing right now but you keep growing is there a way we could put an inhibitor of some kind we could stop feeding him dragon shots
00:11:26
Speaker
But this, think of the implications though, like are all elementals able to consume dragon shards and that's how they grow stronger? Are the dragon shards on the elemental planes? ah But they could come here, like they, like. Yeah. I don't know. There might be dragon shards on the elemental planes. That sounds like a very interesting source of like research and questions for someone who works at that place you used to work at. More grave universities. Yeah, universities. That's right. Interesting. it It just feels like the ah connection is different. And so the logic seems to say if it keeps getting stronger, what if it becomes stronger than you?
00:12:08
Speaker
I'm gonna take the harness off. Just like you get out of Tasha. but if it's There's actually no conceivable way for Tasha to stop me from disembarking. The ship can't grab me. It could like flip over on top of you. Sure, I guess. And then you would be grabbed by it. It would probably be dead because the ship would crush me, but it can't grab me. It's true. But I mean, you've you've put Tasha in egric. Yep. So that egric could grab you. That's true. So I just. But that egric, egric can grab me in the same way that any large person walking down the street could. Yeah. That thing's hooked into your back. Hob, you walk in.
00:12:48
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what hey hu And one of Tasha's or not Tasha, all his like mechanical arms, waves. Well, that's pretty cool. Oh, Cinder says hi. She looks up and regards the arm. Wait, on its own? His own. Yes. His own? Okay. Looks at Aeris. Aeris looks nervous. Okay. How does that look? All the two bottom arms kind of extend and lift all of off the ground to like the little stair step ladder that she gets into the harness and she gets out and walks down the stairs. So what what do you all have going on? Eris eyes the harness. The two to upper arms. Right yeah. This little point of the eye. Yeah Milo and Raynard also arrive. Oh Raynard you are confident. We're just gonna. Nobody saw you coming here. Raynard walks in. No one saw me coming here. That's a weird opening. We'd feel like no one was watching me at all today. I had a feeling someone was watching me but I looked around they didn't see anyone. As one does, I checked for followers. Well, i think the gun to try I think we're going to try and do a coup. I think that's what's going on today. Can I help? Well, it will be dangerous and dubiously legal. Olive ri regards the cauldron around her. Hob wants to say, of course you could help, but it was better to say that. You kidding me? Yes, you could help. You're smart and capable. How could I help?
00:14:10
Speaker
If I were so inclined to do something dangerous and dubiously legal. Does something need punching? Burning? Grabbed? Okay, I've got the punching covered, alright? I think your new arms are cool, but we're an analog punching kind of group. Well, if there's more than one thing that needs punching. Hop starts to miscast. We used to have puncher too. Well, last time we tried to, like, go and fight things about my past, it tried to kill you. But it didn't. Yeah. I know. And Cinder's stronger now. Yup. If you don't want me to help, I don't need to help. I worry about you helping. I don't, I don't, I don't want to tell you what to do, because I don't think that would be respectful. I worry about you helping.
00:14:57
Speaker
That's... Hop. Okay, you know, hop, yeah. Don't know how to do the right thing. Hop's gonna say something along the lines of... Oliver, if I may, I'm concerned about Eris's focus if you were there. Does that make sense? Sure. I think you could be an asset, but the net negative might actually be a problem. Well, coups have lots of... Is there somewhere else that I could assist? That's a good... Eris? Where would you like Olive to be stationed? I'm genuinely trying to think Arc who I think only involves distracting one arm of the Boromar clan and then assaulting at speed the other the the core yeah yeah i mean so I don't know where else to put her. Arc who is this? I mean it sounds like nobody's got snacks. I did a funny thing. physically audience who have to trust me I don't know.
00:15:43
Speaker
it's It's a, it's a, it's a speed thing. It's that we trimmed the fat thing, right? Like we don't, more moving parts aren't necessarily going to be helpful. Okay. I keep half hobbing when I'm trying to talk like Jeff right now. That's not making anything easier for anybody. Well, then I'll just go back to working on Cinder at my workstation while you all play in your coop. I don't know. So what's the playing game? We are sending a message to distract the goals by... or no. Tarvel is doing that. Tarvel is... Lady Briar. Lady Briar. Just sending a call for reinforcements. Okay, so we're signaling Lady Briar. That's what's happening. We're signaling Lady Briar, and we're signaling Coldor, and those are our only external aids. Coldor is going to basically block off the area around. Lady Briar is going to distract the goals, and that's the whole of it, right? This is just staying out of it.
00:16:39
Speaker
yeah okay yeah we insert the keys into the launch code so yeah lady lady briar answers the communication call and agrees and sends out the communication cold or says green light is good on clearing out that block and so yeah you all are ready to contact erin i guess milo remember we did give her we do have a line to her now don't we Eris took Tarble's geode paperweight and turned it into a speaker phone. That's right. So Milo calls Aaron. Hello. We are ready to go. Everything has been green lit. All right. Meet me here. We're on
Mission Site Strategy & Allies
00:17:19
Speaker
our way. Iris will go over to Olive. Well, other various phone calls are being made. It's possible if this goes wrong, we've got to like, run. I've done pretty well of not letting this place be known about, but I feel like, you know, my favourite diner just... moved in down the street and they had a party for me and there was an attempt to kill us by some different black lamps team and they had something about the stupid garden party. I have failed to be as anonymous as I wanted to be.
00:17:59
Speaker
and so i feel like if we take a swing and it doesn't and we miss it won't be safe so i'm sorry about that maybe i can hold my own and if things go wrong i will take off and lay low for a bit lower than we're already laying we're just so low Yeah, I mean, we might look i to have to leave Sean. Well, we can cross that bridge if and when the time comes. Okay. Be safe. I will probably not be safe. I will probably, hopefully, not be injured, though, grievously. Be smart. Yeah, okay, I can do that. Alright! Eris goes and activates Egric and loads Egric onto the skiff. Okay. We've been able to heal another wound at this point in time, are we still?
00:18:47
Speaker
Yeah, you can kill a wound all right. So headed to the peer lads. I'm just going to go ahead and swallow a a potion so I can start fresh. it's not a bad idea my
00:19:02
Speaker
I use some of those extra XPs to do some things. I need to remember what it is. Do you have to roll for that? No. Just drink it. You heal six wounds. Do you mean the sound effect? What about the strain? That's all I have. I go to the wounds. Just roll for it. Yeah, you can make a recovery roll. Which is? Discipline or cool. We're not cool. No, you want success restraint because this is specifically. a Yeah. Okay. All right. I'm back to physically a hundred percent emotionally hubs, you know, elsewhere. Okay. So you all are headed to peer led HQ. Any other talking points or plans to speak through or just writing in silence? We've got, we've got our entry point. And once we get there, sorry, this does not want to stay pointed at me. Apologies.
00:19:52
Speaker
Once we get there, Aeros will swap Tasha into Ygric, so that Ygric can join Hob in Punchfest. yeah Fine, more punchers. You said you were sad about there only being... You looked like you your eyes said you were sad about there only being one puncher. Look man, and no offense, Ygric, if you take offense to things, but this guy's no cat. Right, no, I know. Ygric won't make stupid, reckless decisions. They get on for that they get our friends killed. but Well, that Hobbes had. Yeah, look, you saw Hobbes eyes his back. and Yeah, you were done, if you will. You all get to Peerled's HQ and you see a Tarvel and a cloaked and hooded figure standing near him, kind of outside of his office. Who's that?
00:20:37
Speaker
She has a hood. It makes her completely unrecognizable tonight. I wonder. Yeah. They approach Toxa. It's that strange strange oceanic thing that we saw. Right. Kill it. Also, if it's not wrong for you to act like you've never met her, actually. Wait. Yeah. It'd be fine. The ruse you're doing is... I'm just supporting you. What? I perhaps misunderstood and we just need to cut this whole thing. I was making a King Borenell joke from Campaign One. Right. The hooded figure initially, the one we're actually talking about. Oh yeah. Acting like you don't know her is perfectly...
00:21:10
Speaker
Yeah, that's fair. It'd be best. I'm lost. Well, you weren't there. Or most of the second. Rude. Which one is this one? You've been radar'd the whole time. No, he was as gunk for a minute there in the middle. Good old snazz. So yeah, Aaron and Tarvel approach Tasha and Clamber in and Aaron looks at you all. and um If you'll go three levels below, like three stories, not levels of the city below HQ, that's where a smuggling entrance will be.
00:21:43
Speaker
yeah great all right here are sets course okay so you all uh take off towards bormar hq i'll let everyone give me a two red one black perception check if you like if we don't like but you don't have to do it two red one black I don't know if my two yellow, one green. But someone has an upgrade because of my triumph, right? Eris gets a bunch of bonuses. So that may be... You can take the upgrade yourself and be three yellow. I just feel like you want me to get a spare. I'm not doing it. You guys go nuts. Why not? Let's get spicy!
00:22:22
Speaker
Might as well ruin the day early. Well, I do du so i just have two threat. Two threat. Yeah. Take two string. Okay. I have what? Two success. I have two success and two threat. success you threat you have three success and one threat three success didn't see a thing but i got scared it just takes strain for the threats uh all around so air succeeded and milo both succeeded you all spot it makes sense like reynard didn't spot this before so why would he why would he change okay good you see kind of up high
00:22:58
Speaker
like four or five like driving lanes above you a winged figure flying amongst the flow of traffic just kind of far back just tailing you all not actively dive bombing or anything but as you all are making turns and stuff you realize that you are being followed a winged a winged a winged figure do you know any winged figures you do we do oh no i don't Fairly. Raynard does. Yeah. Raynard bet him. Chris looks back and and goes, I have some upgrade notes for him. Still speaking to the one flying above us? Yeah, yeah. I was going to improve it. I was going to fix it. His hop turns around and goes, oh, what's he doing here? Following us, looking at us. Because of course. He notices you all noticing. We were in reasonably. I feel like we were nice to this guy and it was OK. But he also would happily take money to.
00:23:54
Speaker
Well, I thought we had a deal about that. Also, you all had one conversation with him. Right. And normally one conversation is enough for people to hate us. Or die. Three advantages is the only thing. So I'll pass an upgrade to myself. Eris is absolutely calling Koldor. Okay. Yeah. If you just make your cousin aware, there's a person in a wing suit. They have some mechanical wings and they're kind of following us as we make our approach. So I don't know if you have people you could detail to keep an eye on that and intercept that person, but that would make this go smoother because we seem to be being watched.
00:24:37
Speaker
and this person will probably well I don't know this person either has nothing to do with us and is just following us because they are creep or they are going to try and intervene in this yeah heads up yeah I will let my people know to keep an eye out for that individual and that figure thanks for the heads up and yeah good luck we don't have it as soon as you break away and actually I'm not gonna pass an upgrade this is what the three advantage are for As soon as you finish the conversation and you all kind of look back to clock, ah the carrying is already broken away off of his tail. Heading in what direction? Up, and kind of just butt. Harris passes the trajectory to Cold War. Not the general direction where we're going. though After passing the trajectory to Cold War, you see the Carrion change direction. Aerys, you got hacked. Aerys, he hacked you. Oh my god. Aerys, come. Wait, focus. We got a big dayto day today. We got a big day today. I got to put this one on the back burner.
00:25:39
Speaker
I think I broke Philip. Threat, Aerys. He can hear you and you know he can. Remember the name of this person? three and What? Aksrean. I Koldor. The person's name is Aksrean Al-Swa. That's the real name. It would be really, really great if you would just do me this favor. If anything happens today and this person gets themselves involved any in any way, shape or form, if you just like detail a couple of people from the Citadel,
00:26:13
Speaker
to just take their life apart one brick at a time. That'd be cool. And I know you can do it. Last conversation, Iris. It's been- I'm threatening him. He's on the line. Quiet heart out loud. What? Oh, I guess he could have hacked. Oh, he could have hacked Cold War. I'm sorry. I don't care which person he hacked, but he's on the line. I'm sorry. I'm sorry to have underestimated your abilities like that. Look, I saw we did fine last time. We had a perfectly good conversation and it didn't seem like we need to. I have some really nice upgrades for your wings for the record so you can go home and
Alliances & Infiltration Strategy
00:26:51
Speaker
I'll send you some really nice upgrades for the wings or you can stick around and understand that I'm very I have very much moved into the allowing people to find out phase of this. All right I'm gonna hang up so because I've got
00:27:08
Speaker
stuff going on with Milhatch. So I will call you later. Wait, what? We're trying. We're loading them up. Oh, stop. That was my fault. I asked. Goodbye. Going to figure out how somebody intercepted this line other than you, of course. Goodbye. I'm very unhappy right now. Who do you think he's working for? It's got to be like Callaway or someone with a stupid amount of money and vaguely, very vaguely nefarious intent. Wasn't he working for Callaway originally? when we first heard Probably. yo He was. He was on the verge of it. And then you all suggested maybe having an alternative path for him and then never followed up with him about that alternative path. So that definitely sounds like it. Can't imagine i guess what could have possibly happened in our lives to prevent us from following up with these people. I'm not pointing fingers. I'm just stating spitting facts. not Point fingers, just words, pointed words. Right. But you no longer have a tail. You all give me a stealth check. This can be a stealth check so we can take one person's ability and another person's rank in a skill or somebody just has the highest role. Mine's not good. Mine's not great. still I'm just too green. he
00:28:21
Speaker
To yellow, to green. And to one yellow, to green. So yours is better. There you go. Sneaky, sneaky, my little. This should be better. I should upgrade that. You're good at talking your way out of situations and into situations, not sneaking at them. But I also have an invisible dagger. And I little. It's true. Wait, when did your dagger become invisible? A dagger of invisibility. I was gonna say, isn't your dagger like monogrammed and ostentatious? or what I have something that turns me invisible. Yeah, you you have another dagger that turns you invisible. Oh, this isn't this isn't the... This isn't the dagger of... The custom dagger. I got daggers, man. The dagger of easily easily identifi easy identification. Yeah. One red, two purple. Usually like a story point to upgrade. I've already been seen, so... What's up great with the story point? Give me another railroad.
00:29:04
Speaker
i teach hey I'll think it's a wash. Just two advantage.
00:29:14
Speaker
Fine. Well. but What would you like to do with two advantage? Get my string back? Sure. Okay, as you all approach. you get up to Arryn points to a small old shipping door that seems to be built into the side of a tower just right up here and as you all kind of hover next to it she walks over and there's some like intricate carvings into the stone of the tower and she places her hand along one of the designs and you see blue lines faintly glow as her hand traces down and the door begins to slide up. and She's like, we can just pull in here and park the ship if you want.
00:29:54
Speaker
All right. Okay. As you all pull in, this seems to be a very old storage room. Lots of crates with like tarps over it, dust floating in the air. And once you all pull in, the door shuts behind you all. It's not pitch black, but it certainly is dark in here. So if i've I've never been much of a fighter, so do you all want me to hang back until you all have cleared or do you want me to come with you in case there are some that will potentially change sides once they see that I'm here to take over? I think having her with us makes it better. Right. I also don't necessarily want for her to be here while we're gone. Yeah. Someone stumbled upon her. Plus if we fail, she just stuck you.
00:30:41
Speaker
Tarva would stay with me, I would assume. Perhaps maybe just a little ways back, close enough. Right, but I'm taking the ship's engine, so you'd just be here. Oh yeah, he's gonna go in that big guy. Okay, i I'll just hang back by sticking. If something starts, yeah get away from it, otherwise stay close. I do a very good job of staying away, so you can hang by me. Great. That's one of those ones where it's like, yeah, go that staying away, but that's not good. Yeah, it's disappointing. I've killed a lot of people by staying away. That is certainly true. There's no argument here. Can I have whichever one of those decks has the rune golem in it? All jumbled and mixed up, so let me. Well, you got me, and I can look. You don't have to. If you just go up those stairs that will take you into the hallway that you all will be familiar with, just three stories up,
00:31:39
Speaker
Okay. pop cox is We quietly ascend the staff okay re ascending the stairs. We all have 11 ready. Surely. Should we take a moment? I am a weapon, and I am ready. I'm a moy. What do you call it? and i hit Knock? Knock? Knock an arrow. I was like, hitch an arrow? That's not right. I just heard you go, you did a bit of moy. That's what I heard, too. the You guys didn't drink before this? That big cup is just gin. It's unsweet tea with a little black, very lemonade. And a lot of gin. I'm trying to watch my sugars. OK, so what's the walking order? Who's for the front?
00:32:20
Speaker
Yeah, I probably stay back with the two who can't really fight as well. What is our, I mean, what is our procedure, Mike? Do we put the people we need direct in the middle or we put them in the back? I think in the middle. Yeah. So Raynard's behind. a yarn and entire Yeah, that's fine I'm assuming she would have warned us if there were any traps on doors or anything She didn't say anything. So I assume we're okay. I'm right here i thought she' move back No, that you already said that you were keeping them in the middle
00:32:59
Speaker
I missed that one right in front of you. She did say she would have done that. Yes, Milo, you are correct. Rude. At what point are we gonna get to what but what point are we going to get to someplace we would recognize in this building? So this staircase is kind of enclosed and she said once you get up three stories and like there will be a door that you walk through and then you'll be there. Okay, I missed the three stories. yeah So everyone give me a perception check if you want to with three purples. Wow. Super fail. Two failure and two threat. Four success and two threat? Am I right? One success and one advantage. One success, one advantage. Four success, two threat. Two failure, two threat. Two success, one threat. If you have threats, take strain. Man, I'm going to pass out from strain. I'm not even a magic user. I am.
00:33:49
Speaker
Yeah man, we all know. We know. We know so much about you. It's like y'all know me better than I do. Some of those XP that you gave us on a fun little thing where anytime I involuntarily take strain, I just take one less. Nice. Felt good. So I took it twice. Raynard failed. Everyone else succeeded? Yes, I succeeded. I move to everyone else. Okay so you all are walking up this very narrow staircase and just the kind of cinematic view is you all are walking kind of slowly keeping your eyes out and just as you all pass this like stone metallic section of the ceiling kind of like ceases its stealth mode and so you see kind of the wave of its form come into view as this small drone
00:34:38
Speaker
like thing ah detaches but you all that succeeded hear this happen as it turns to try and attack you all so I need initiative and Reynard since you failed downgrade your check one step describe the drone to me it's it's a small flying figure it's very like similar s to Tasha's bird chassis just a little less reminiscent of an animal and more blocky hob has seen them before this is yeah i we have a like dinner plate size a little bit bigger okay okay ah serving vigilance or cool
00:35:19
Speaker
Wow. Okay. So what's your roll number? It's four green, so just take away a green. yeah Two and one. Three and three. Three advantage. ready So if we've seen them before, we would know what their offensive capabilities are. Do they have a gun attached to them? Are they going to pew pew us with a laser? They just ram around like a pinball? That would be amazing. It's a blunt force drone. Yes, they they they have an arcane blaster attached to them. Milo, what'd you get? ah Three and three. Raynard? Three advantage. Two. Sorry, one success, two advantage. Eris? Two and one. I can grab this thing. Yes. I need to roll four because I took... I took a grapple that way. Nice. That's a lot. It's very vigilant.
00:36:08
Speaker
I remember if things rolling concerns me since we only saw one. Maybe he's rolling for Tarvel and Eren. Maybe Tarvel, I can't imagine Eren's getting into a fight. Maybe she's pretty badass. She literally told us she's not. She's holding back. She was like, I'm not a fighter and I've been in a cell for 16 years. I've been trading in prison. How many times you have havent many times have you rolled initiative over there? That was my fifth rule. Hey, I have a question. Since we saw this, can I have an
Negotiations & Resources
00:36:40
Speaker
opportunity to, I mean, it's it's it's an incidental anyway, but instead of doing it inside of initiative, can I bodyguard before the start since I saw it coming?
00:36:56
Speaker
Actually, let me double-check it's an incidental first. That's a maneuver. Never mind. I'll have to wait. I really thought it was incidental. So the question becomes, do I bodyguard the party or do I bodyguard Aaron? Aaron. Yeah. I can actually bodyguard three people now, so. Nice. So everyone would reign hard. You're out of the way, man. You must not know math, because that would be two people left out. Oh, Tarble doesn't count. He's fine. Wait, no. Egret doesn't get bodyguard. Egret does not get bodyguard. I was counting Egret. No. So yeah, just me, hmm, hmm. Hob tolerates egric. Hob does not like that Aerith's made an artificial thing that replaces what Hob does work. I didn't make. Someone else tried to beat us up with it. I introduced into the party dynamics. Hob hasn't shared that with Aerith's because he doesn't know how to without sounding like a whiny baby, but he does not like egric surprises.
00:37:42
Speaker
The initiative order is I did roll for Tarble and Tarble saved Yarl's bacon by rolling six success on his initiative roll. Thanks for the bacon, Tarble. PC, NPC, PC, NPC, NPC, NPC, NPC, PC, PC. Good. Wow. geez We only see one thing though, right? Yeah. So as, as this thing ah becomes visible in turns and you all see it, you do see up ahead a figure that looks familiar step blocking your path, which is the warforged with like the augmentations, the piston arms. Oh yeah. That punch the crap out of hob and you see standing behind him. Wait, is that not the Ram? No. Who are we talking about? The, the, the dark black lamps.
00:38:26
Speaker
Oh, we're all right. Okay. Cool. Yeah. The, the, the blacker lamps. Zaro hob is who you saw. Yeah. Yeah. Bob's Zaro. I guess he would go by. Bo. Bob. Hob backwards. B O H. but I mean, Dr. Who has just pronounced Bo. The face of Bo is a whole thing. But yeah, you see two figures standing behind the warforged that you recognize from your fight of the person that was piloting the skiff and then the caster that was there. You do not see the other figure that you all fought. We didn't fight him. they't They just like bounce in the middle of the encounter and abandon their friends.
00:39:05
Speaker
But so that's what you see up ahead and then a couple three of these drones are occupying the hallway So you have a PC slot who would like to see the first one? I have a big swing if anyone is I mean Sure, I didn't see it initially. So I don't feel like I should go first Relevant question are these figures nemesis? Yes <unk>s disappointing ah the The drones aren't but well, it's not as helpful. How's what's your swing size now? Okay Well, it's still I can make a big swing. I just don't have a um a mechanical force to back it up. It would be the normal, the normal mechanical things of but have the ability to negotiate with this person is what I'm saying. And I can do it really well because I can use mechanics. Not game mechanics, skill mechanics. Yeah, that yeah different. Which is a mechanical benefit of Iris being a mechanic. Boy. Yeah. OK. Iris sees them and says for it. And she's going to pipe up before anyone starts attacking.
00:40:00
Speaker
I really like your augmentations. They're really impressive. It's good work. Thank you. You didn't seem too fond of them when you, uh, I was really on me. It was really, but you were trying to beat my friend up. You were really, but it was really impressive. you jumped on her po manre like Yeah, you engaged us in combat. I don't know what you thought I was gonna listen me shooting Someone is not a sign of disrespect. It's a sign of I don't like to be hurt yeah You don't have to like that we retaliate it, but you can't get your feelings hurt by it, right? Yeah off didn't say that was clearly
00:40:34
Speaker
So here's my pitch. You all are obviously pretty good at what you do. We're going to change the leadership of the clan today. That's just going to happen. And I'm saying you can't possibly be working for the current clan administration out of affection and loyalty because you don't seem either stupid or like you're just tots. So, I feel like there's a deal to be made here, and we're in a position to deal. I mean, what? What you need? You need promotion? You need better turf? She looks around at the majorite. You want to run the garage? They got a sweet garage.
00:41:18
Speaker
um
00:41:27
Speaker
In front of the warforged, you see a small bat fly over his shoulder and then it transforms into the other figure that duked out. Oh, that's neat. Are you a vampire? Don't worry about it. I think the accent says yes, I think. Don't worry about it. He sounded exactly like you. Wait, are you a vampire? Why is there always a part of potential vampire in our campaigns? And you see a ah woman standing before you that is dressed very finely and refined with a few different weapons on her hip. This interesting turn of events, what? We've become very wealthy. We're not going to take your money. you You'll still be wealthy. Except... Hopsters wonder why they haven't become extremely wealthy. I mean, that's a different... I have been... Look, you have become very wealthy. That is an incentive to not have your face smashed in.
00:42:22
Speaker
I'm saying you've engaged us before and it did not work and we're not less prepared actually very much the opposite on this occasion so I'm saying you all I mean you all just don't I'm not even asking you to necessarily help us although you know having thrown in your lot with us would probably be wise but i'm just like don't that's my pitch don't you're already wealthy and at least here's i mean this is as close as i feel like i can get to the same with absolute certainty something if you if we go right now
00:43:05
Speaker
at least one of you dies and so i'm asking are you sure are you sure it isn't you and if you're not then all that wealth ain't gonna matter in a few minutes give me a check that was a pretty good pitch that was really fun give my heiress a boost please Well, so I was really hoping the conversation would be with the mechanics so that I could use mechanics, but it didn't really seem like it went that way. Question, if I go, yeah, can I then make the check and use my four yellow and green? i i I can negotiate here, I think, by the way that I made that.
00:43:42
Speaker
No, I mean I will let you target. the essential you are You are talking to the group. Okay. and So I can gear head? This is both a boon and a bane to you. ah The mechanic has the highest discipline. So therefore, yes, she would be the one that you'd be rolling against from a different okay standpoint. If you succeed, I get to add some advantage to it because I'm certainly looming. That's not so bad. I post checks are wild at this level. You ready for the difficulty? I'm i'm running. He's been like a little grin on his face the whole time. Four red and a purple. Nice. ah Good thing this isn't a combat check. I encourage you to flip a story point. Yes. The siege in fact.
00:44:22
Speaker
i Implore? Be VIGITANT! I beseech you. It's the only one I remember from that show. What show? That has much ado about that thing. Dogberry to his lieutenants. Hello? I will take some strain to further upgrade. Anything else? But do you get to flip the story point back, don't you? Because you're a human. Oh yeah, I'll take
Preparing for Confrontation
00:44:41
Speaker
the story point back. I know things about other people, because I've heard them several times before. Is that the pool right there? That's a lot of dice. We should share that pool. And why not? I think. Go ahead and make that purple or red. Okay. I used all my reds, and then you go and make me get a slight of red over here. Well, actually, if you've used all your reds, he can't up here. That's in the rule book. Call Sam. It's in there.
00:45:03
Speaker
And I argue that they introduced the we've become very wealthy. And I very effectively made that a reason to not get into a fight with us. And I deserve yet another boost. Sure. philip had his hand on the duck as he was saying i deserve it you not care what eric had to say Well, I just I deserve it whether whether whether Eric yields it to me or not I deserve it it was a good pi jingle about it gold it's not like we're poor I Am about to roll a check that is of five yellow diet wait no I upgraded oh I had that's that's other green other I Five yellow proficiency dice, one green ability die, six dice die, five red, and four blue.
00:45:53
Speaker
And Hob is looming. you want to throw in a purple and black just so you get a all I don't. I don't. well Remarkably there are neither triumphs nor despairs. That's two of the reds are blank worry that really quite surprising here. boring right now two of the reds are blank i don't any of these listeners have a good time i want to i Man, I'm wildly successful here. I have finished with three success and six advantage.
00:46:27
Speaker
One of those is you. The success, they're not going to actively attack you at this point. That's it? You did all that work. That's all those dice for not getting that. Hold on. You have six advantage. That's what I was trying to do. That was the goal of the check, Randy. I was looking for a battle here. yeah my mylo just goes on I mean look but rany hack you want to attack go for it. I'm not helping Eris is done you have fixed advantage so Harris switches sides Well for for some portion of that I
00:47:08
Speaker
I'd really love it if the artificer sees our point so thoroughly that she directs me to the security control panel that I was going to need to look for here in a minute. Join us in our battle. I mean, I'm down for that. i but I'd really like, ax I'd really like access to the security mainframe of this building. Yeah, that sounds fantastic. Yeah, that's that's big. And then for the other seven. Yeah, I mean, them, them becoming actively active assistants for you all would probably be like five of those advantage, like show you where the security is. And they could also probably, they won't walk along with you to assist in any kind of fighting directly, but
00:47:51
Speaker
They could tell us where any other resistance is yeah stationed. Yeah. So the, the roguish one in front kind of rolls her eyes. He makes some good points. I do like money. Now that we're on the same page, are you a vampire? Don't worry about it. I'm going to worry about it. It's going to bother me. Are you a vampire? We're doing well. We need, we can come back to this. We're not going to judge you. We just would like to know. we yeah It's not a problem. Yes, I'm a vampire. That's really cool. Thank you. Hob gets so scared. Hob is terrified. But he doesn't show try it. He tries his best. His knees start. Fine. Yes. Don't like the new guy anyway. Yeah, right? Right? Guy. Wait. Guy? Vigo? No. He's otherwise occupied. I think he was an idiot. Callaway? Is it Callaway? Yeah, you know Callaway? Big bald guy? Yeah, we know Callaway. Terrible at brands.
00:48:50
Speaker
I'm the big bald guy. It's not about that man. knew consult it yes but It sounds like you're saying he's not the consultant. He exerts quite a bit of influence. Is he up there? yeah this will we dislike him as well now i have several words for him strung together and hopefully a cohesive sentence abi but listen in case no shade towards your capabilities intended in case this goes sideways on you
00:49:21
Speaker
We're not going to like march alongside you and like make our allegiances outright known. I'm more than happy to disrupt the security and oh that'd be great keep anyone off your back. But if you fail, we want plausible reliability to the era. Sure, sure. We don't even know your names. Do the old look over there sort of thing for us. I want to flip a story point to say something that Winhub was buying supplies at some point after being propositioned by a devil. Is there any sort of arcane flashbang that he could have picked up? 100%. Yeah. I think he grabbed a couple of those. okay Just so we got them. Looked that bad boy right there. How many do we have, Eric?
00:50:02
Speaker
yeah we do and by the way in a bandolier trust after this I'm out and starting a major art business so if you're wealthy enough and looking to not get shot at anymore because it sucks you know let me know um second that was pitching investors like and you want invest we got you business sharks i'm asking you investors eriss is gonna answer to people come on now yeah this isn't really an ipo kind of gal So the the mechanic one behind the warforge taps her temple ah where there's like it's kind of like a chin strap
00:50:39
Speaker
thing that has two pieces that kind of come up along her temples and there's clearly like a spell shard or something that projects out ah an image over her eye and she kind of looks and after a few seconds she's like all right the security is shut down oh cool yeah So when you remove any station to people are still gonna be but are you still like point me to a control panel? Cuz I got some shenanigans that I'd like to get up to sure if you go out the door up here and turn Alias office is gonna be the right if you turn left third door on the right, right? Is anyone in there right now the security room or the hallway the security room? Probably what about the whole pose? Yes, both
00:51:19
Speaker
Probably. Your little eyeball doohickey that you just did there. That's the technical term, yes. Yeah, no, i I know a thing or two. Does it have like real time who's where? No, no, no. There's no surveillance. I can just access the controls remotely. Understood. Understood. all right well then thanks for doing that yes of course we could and she kind of looks at the rest we could rush out of this door and say that they doubled back and are headed to the front and the warforged like can i punch somebody yes you can punch somebody good
00:51:51
Speaker
and he kind of turns and like stomps up the doors up the doors up the stairs towards the door climbing the door he stomps through the door like just steps on the door and it falls over do that thing where you hold on it swing the drones kind of hover above your all's heads and follow the war forge up the stairs oh those are his no they're hers hers yeah yeah she used them i don't know if she made them but they might have been his nice turn and the vampire looks at you and is like all right well this has been something and uh good luck and We'll have to get a drink sometime. oh notm Not out of us, but I'll pay. Namaste. She kind of gives Raynard a quizzical look. and then They're a lot like us, but I feel like the social like dynamic among them is very different. You guys don't have one of them? You want one? And she turns and goes up the stairs. Where in our past could we have had a vampire instead?
00:52:44
Speaker
You know, I bet Raynard has been in a situation where he was dangerously close to becoming a vampire, didn't realize it. I'm not so much of a bloodsucker as I am. Okay, so like we could go just straight. I was thinking I could like lock all the doors and things from the security station. But if it's all shut down, maybe that's just over overreaching. I don't know. I mean, she's shut down surveillance, is my understanding. So could somebody get back in there and turn it back on? That doesn't necessarily mean our path is unlocked. There may be some of that sort of stuff that just needs to happen. Yeah. Sounds like they've cleared the hall for us. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Guess there's one way to find out. And you hear shouting through the door of, they're either coming through the front. They're coming through the front. And you hear boots like. Clutter, clutter, clutter, clutter, clutter. And then you hear the Wilhelm scream. Fight breaks out.
00:53:34
Speaker
Shall we go to the security room? I'm worried that taking a detour, feel like we've got a window right now, and I'm worried that taking a detour maybe shrinks that window. All right, then let's just write to the office. Yeah, I mean, I can always lock that door real effectively if we need to. yes sure i say office okay let's do it oh how exciting right i got these things and i hold up this i'm assuming it's like a little clay pot oh that's awesome yeah oh you know what yeah yeah there's poles one off of her belt oh i made a bunch of these earlier in the campaign so open the door and toss one in yeah don't remember that at all so open well we need to check the door to make sure it's
00:54:15
Speaker
I mean, but yeah, throwing some of those in. That's that's real good idea. Yeah. That's super professional. Good job. Thanks. You already had some. Yeah, but now we've got more.
Conclusion & Future Plans
00:54:27
Speaker
So you're throwing them into the hallway or? I think we'll proceed every door. If we throw them in the hallway, we make a big loud bang right outside the door. We're going to press our luck in the hallway, hoping it's empty and throw it in the office. Let's slowly open the door and have a look see. So we're coming down towards the door. Up towards the door. Up towards the door. OK.
00:54:49
Speaker
I like to walk in the front of the line, but I got no good reason that Eager he can't go through a door first. Eager can go through a door. Yeah, okay. Unless it's tiny. That is a bigger th problem. Let's just open it a little quietly and have a look and see what's in the hallway first. Yes, i that's what I'm talking about. Okay, so you're trying to open the door discreetly to look in the hallway? Yes, there's a door to the hallway. yeah that's where That's where I was confused. Yes, open that door, take a little sneaky peek. Well, you're the only one of us that's even capable of being sneaky, so... Unless, unless Raynarts turn invisible. I could. I could turn some- Volunteer something! It's your character! I know that Milo has the best stealth, stealth check. But Milo can't be invisible, so if you want to be invisible, be invisible. I can turn someone invisible. No. Well, that's fine too. That's all of us. magic to purper Let's see what you do first. can screw this up Well, that's a fail. Nope. That's one failure, one advantage.
00:55:48
Speaker
I got an advantage. You got more strain to heal? I do. You know, okay, so we don't have to be in combat for me to do a maneuver, so I can bodyguard everybody now before we open the door. I'll Okay, I'll go invisible. Do it. So, Milo, as you open the door, it, like, creek faintly creaks, and you see just the tail end of some of the goals that were running towards the front. A couple of them stop and look back and obviously see the smoke running out of the door. Did not think of who it was like. And someone needs to make use of the legend of Milo at this point for some serious coercion and it's not Eris. And these goals are going to draw their weapons and run back. They're so as not to completely mitigate the negotiation check. They don't like call out and be like, they're lying back this way, everyone. Um, so, so yeah, but you have, you've better not undo that unbelievable check. You have three goals running back towards you with weapons drawn and they they're not gonna stop to to chat basically. So, we are going to call the episode there and we'll pick up next time. Thank you all so much for listening. If you want to want to be part of the conversations surrounding this episode, you're gonna head over to our Discord, the link to which you can find on all of our socials, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok. There's also YouTube channel, YouTube.com slash the Geek Pantheon where I do TTRPG related videos and now Philip's gonna say a thing.
00:57:14
Speaker
Yeah, there's also a YouTube channel called The Laughing Tree where there's another actual play called Kyber Shards and Eric's a player i on the GM and we use 5th edition. It's fun. True. We also have a Patreon. If you want to financially support the show in whatever way you're able to do so, you can do so over there. Or you can buy some merch at thekeeppantheon.com. Philip and I are both wearing merch today. And so yeah. Not cauldron merch. You can envision the merch that we are wearing. Thank you all so much for listening. I've been your game master, Eric. I'm Philip. I'm Trevor. I'm Randy. Jeff. See you next time.