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C2 Ep. 28 Accounting for the Fallen Chapter One
276 Plays4 years ago
The crew finds themselves on edge this week as they get their first job since “the incident”. But are their concerns founded, or is this just another day in the life of career criminals?
This episode is brought to you by the generous donations of our amazing Show Sponsors: Laura Pickrahn, Darrin Katzska, Irene Viorritto, Ryan Royce, Darrell DeLaney, Jessica Smith, Charles Compton, Richard Cree, 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
Introduction and Sponsorship
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,
00:00:24
Speaker
Michael Clark, Rebecca Gowman, and Shelby Johnson, as well as all of our generous patrons.
Hosts Introduction and Party Recap
00:01:18
Speaker
Hello and welcome to Eberron Renewed, an actual play podcast set in the Eberron campaign setting. I'm your game master, Eric. I'm Phillip. I'm Trevor. I'm Randy. I'm Jeff. And welcome to another episode. Gentlemen, what happened last time? We went to a party.
00:01:36
Speaker
And we got some beef. We had a meat chance. We had a great opportunity to meet some of the other arms of the Bournemouth operation, the leaders of them. And I feel like we made a good impression. Most of us made a good impression on all of them, all that we met. It's true. Most of us made a good impression on people.
00:02:01
Speaker
There may have been one who didn't do quite as well. I don't know who you're talking about. Raynard has no recollection of that. I don't remember a thing. I can't see with 100% certainty that the warforged gentleman loved his interaction with Eris either. Yeah, yeah. I mean, it was at least awkward. It's a matter of who he is as to whether that makes him never want to speak to Eris again. Yeah.
00:02:29
Speaker
I think that's the first time that I've accidentally called Eris Ferris. And really, that's a pretty good track, right? That's pretty solid. Yeah. Okay.
Meeting with Satan and New Rules Discussion
00:02:38
Speaker
And yeah, you all had the sit down meeting with Satan and he kind of gave the new laws of the land in terms of dealing with Vigo and extended the best olive branch that he can manage given the circumstances. Which is beef. Which is beef. A beef branch, if you will. I don't think I'm going to.
00:02:59
Speaker
Is that what a Tomahawk steak is? Okay, and did anybody spend experience since last session?
00:03:08
Speaker
I did. Yes. I spent a perfectly reasonable amount of experience. Yeah, Trevor just backed his trunk up to the experience, Costco. I was saving it for that Black Friday special, you know?
Character Experience Points and Game Mechanics
00:03:21
Speaker
Sorry, Philip, go ahead. Yeah. My whole thing not long. I bought Aeris' first point in Alchemy, and then I
00:03:32
Speaker
upgraded her impromptu artifice talent to rank two. So she now has the ability to also cast the conjure spell. So Eris can now like throw together impromptu items on the fly as well. So I spent 15 of my 20 experience and didn't have anything to spend the last five on. Cool.
00:03:59
Speaker
Trevor, do you remember what you spent your experience on? God, do we have time? I upgraded myself in ranged weapon combat skills and I took a rank in stealth. I also took a rank in coordination.
00:04:29
Speaker
And then I messed with some talents. So I added proper upbringing, knack for it, congenial and informant.
00:04:52
Speaker
So we will see how those come into play. They do a lot, Eric. Do you want me to talk for 20 minutes? Yeah. Yeah. So yes, there was a lot of XP spent for Reynard. 85. Do we spend 85 experience? Yes. 85 experience spent.
00:05:15
Speaker
Milo and Bob. OK, I didn't spend this time because the character creator that I use apparently only works now on edge, which I don't open. So I just assumed that it had gone the way of the buffalo and I was going to start doing stuff with pencil and paper. You know what? I figured out why. It's because Edge Studios is the new studio that owns the Genesis license. So it looks like I'm going to have to get used to Microsoft connected.
00:05:42
Speaker
It all connects. It's a grand conspiracy. And did you spend anything, Milo? It's been a while, but I think I took a rank in medicine. Okay. Cool. Just because I thought it might be a good idea.
00:06:01
Speaker
Okay. Well, let's go ahead and kick things off for this arc.
House Galanda's Threat and Business Implications
00:06:08
Speaker
So once again, you all are starting off in the four sales, hanging out, minding your business on a work day. And, um, you, you all, uh, well, tell me what are you all doing? Is it the, the usual? Yep. Brain arts modding.
00:06:33
Speaker
Yeah, it probably is. The usual heiress is probably fixing something around the place. OK. If if if they're not elsewhere needed, I'm probably just chatting with one of the other three most likely, Kath, but. If she's needed elsewhere, it could be anybody. No, that's right. Heiress is probably sitting in Sigils booth
00:07:02
Speaker
Um, trying to get Sigil to talk about what they have been, uh, so obsessively focused on. Okay. Probably unsuccessfully, but just sort of every now and again, asking another question. Milo's at his usual spot. Okay. Next to Raynard. Unless Raynard's not at his usual spot.
00:07:30
Speaker
Nope, I'm there. Trevor and, yeah. Don't you worry. That's why we're worried. And Sana is still emphatically going around cleaning, doing what she can. And Ophin is behind the bar, just tending to some things.
00:07:52
Speaker
and the door opens, which, you know, the restaurant's open so it's not like a, somebody's in here. So the door opens and Milo and Raynard, given that you are sitting at the bar, you all, it would be impossible for you to not notice, Halfling walks in, pretty well dressed Halfling, walks up to the bar and looks to Ophin, says, are you the proprietor here?
00:08:22
Speaker
Yeah, that's me. Okay, here you go. And just hands an envelope to Ulfin as Ulfin takes it halfling hops down off the stool and exits the building. Ulfin takes the envelope and opens it and you see his demeanor kind of lower. Like he seems,
00:08:50
Speaker
Punched in the gut almost by what he's reading on this letter. Everything okay there? Open? I guess they have to be. And he hands the letter to you, Milo. And the letter is a notice. There is a sigil at the top of House Galanda.
00:09:18
Speaker
And it is a notice informing Ulfin that based on current inspection of the property, he must bring his pricing in line with Galanda standards and purchase a food and hospitality license from the house, which is a cost of 500 gold pieces in order to continue operations without incident from House Galanda.
00:09:49
Speaker
So yeah, that's that's what it says. What sort of incident can House Galanda cause legally?
00:10:02
Speaker
Um, anybody that would try to put these pieces together could give me a hmm. Hmm. Knowledge society seems to make sense, but also knowledge underworld, I feel like would also make sense. Either of those two worlds would know what happens if you cross Galanda. Yes. I just took a knowledge society. Um, so let me set the difficulty here. It's just going to be, um,
00:10:28
Speaker
One purple, it's not a difficult check. So anybody that would like to make that role is more than welcome to do so. I will do it. I did it. So Aeris got one success, three advantage. Milo got two success, two advantage and Raynard got a success. So you all would know that Galanda isn't a shakedown organization. They're not going to come in and rough up Ulfin if he doesn't buy a license. What they will typically do
00:10:58
Speaker
is them and at the encouragement of House Galanda, other dragon marked houses will begin moving into the district to start setting up shop and lowering prices and ensuring that no other businesses can operate here until they are taken care of. And then the district will be changed quite a bit at that point. So yeah, that's what happens. I hate House Walmart.
00:11:30
Speaker
House Walmart slash Holiday Inn slash McDonald's. So yeah, that is the repercussions of Ulfin not heating this letter.
Mission from Vigo and Fallen District Dynamics
00:11:45
Speaker
And Ulfin, as you finish reading the letter Milo, just kind of shakes his head and is just like, they want me to pay 500 gold pieces to buy this license, but they also want me to slash my prices in half.
00:11:59
Speaker
to match what they charge for food, but I can't, I can't make money charging what they charge. Mostly I don't, it's absurd I have to buy a hospitality license. I don't provide shelter for people. I only provide food. Well, I don't charge you, Eris. So I just, I guess I'll have to figure this out.
00:12:31
Speaker
I just I they can determine that you have to how you have to set your prices. Ridiculous. I mean, that's that's any any industry in the city. You want to buy a sword. You got to have Kenneth's permission. You want to go to the theater. House Velarn.
00:12:55
Speaker
It's, it is what it is. Interminably broken. So as this moment kind of settles on all of you, another figure walks into the four sails. A human male with short blonde hair and a short beard. He stands at about six foot four
00:13:21
Speaker
So taller than your average human, but not particularly large. Very fit. Like, fit in a dexterous manner. Like, you can tell he's got quick muscles. And he kind of walks in and takes a look around. Milo, if you will give me a perception check, and this is going to be a three purple hard check,
00:13:48
Speaker
Oh, goodness. I don't think upgrading is going to do me any good. So I forgot to reset the thank you for that reminder. I did not reset the story points. Actually, you know what? It might. OK, I would like to upgrade. I have given you an upgrade. You are good to go.
00:14:14
Speaker
Hey. One advantage, one triumph. No success. He knows his shoe size. Okay, so Milo, you do not know who this person is. You don't recognize them, you don't know where to place their face. You do have an advantage and a triumph though. Yes. What are we going to do about that? Good question.
00:14:40
Speaker
He's a process server here to inform Ulfen that his uncle has died and left him 500 gold pieces. Yeah, but even then, my thought is the way it sounds is even if Ulfen is able to pay it, he's going to have to cut his prices and he's still going to go out of business. He is here to offer to murder House Galanda. Okay.
00:15:10
Speaker
He is here for a reason. I know, I know. He's lost. Okay, he does that thing. Suddenly, somebody matching the exact same description walks in after he leaves. No, I'm giving you a hard time. No, I know, I know. So it doesn't have to be related to this individual. Right. It could be related to something else.
00:15:36
Speaker
Um, the triumph is that, um, often finds a way to get around his troubles. Okay. So next session you find out often left town, um, sold, sold before sales. Um, um, and that rash cleared up.
00:16:02
Speaker
Yeah. Here's what we can use this triumph for, Milo. In the time between the downtime episode and now, you all noted early on before this episode started, Milo has a nice new cloak that he's wearing.
00:16:26
Speaker
that he found, and we can stumble into how that exactly happened, maybe in a cold open. But Milo, you know have the, this might be too much for just a triumph. I'm giving you a magic item, but it's fine. Milo's the only party member to consistently get knocked out, it seems like, so this is fine. So this is the Cloak of Mists.
00:16:52
Speaker
As an out of turn incidental after suffering any amount of damage You can spend a story point and suffer strain up to the amount of damage that you took or you can like suffer half or whatever and However much strain you suffer you negate that amount of damage So you can basically if you spend a story point split the damage amongst your wounds and strain if you want Okay, okay. Happy triumph Hey
00:17:19
Speaker
Eric, how long has it since the party? Probably. This is pretty rapid succession after the party, so I'm going to I'm going to say three days after the party. OK. OK, so now that that's resolved, this well, I just want to say that now the artist is going to have to redo Milo.
00:17:44
Speaker
So the yeah, the cloak is kind of a gray with almost like speckled white all over it. It looks like a knight covered in mist, essentially. OK, moving on. And the advantage next check that a PC makes get a boost die, just so we're not hanging around waiting to figure out that advantage either.
00:18:06
Speaker
Yeah, sounds good. OK, so this guy walks in and in a very gruff voice kind of looks around and are you all Vigos people? Yes, someone else has turned to introduce the group. He he sent me to to talk to you all. I thought this might happen. Are we are we really accepting that title?
00:18:36
Speaker
Um, so, uh, there's a job that you need to do for the clan. Um, and I have the details here. Wait now. Vigo is sort of a middleman between the clan and us. And he sent you to deliver. So you're a middleman's middleman.
00:19:07
Speaker
I'm the second command for Black Lamps, so I don't know what you're talking about with Middleman. We've never heard of you or seen you or anything. You all do remember the kind of very serious individual that was standing near Viggo when he was getting drunk at the party. That was this person. So I have the details here of the job.
00:19:37
Speaker
So who should I relay this to? Hob puts his hand out and he says, so, just so I know, if we run into some sort of issue on this one, do we reach out to you or to Viggo? Also, who are you? I'm Jason Resping. Jason what?
00:20:02
Speaker
Respic. Respic. R-E-S-P-I-G-H. Jason spelled standard? Yes, Jason as Jason. J-F-O-S-T-R-V-S-O. So, I mean, if you need help, then I get in touch with the clan and they'll get in touch with Viggo. Right, but Viggo is our contact to the clan.
00:20:31
Speaker
So that's the same thing. So you're here to give us this and then you're not a part of it anymore. That's what I'm asking you. Or are you our contact to our contact to the clan? I have been told. I'm getting the point across on my own here. Thank you.
00:20:50
Speaker
I have been told because Vigo is busy working with another Blacklamps crew right now on a separate job to come here, deliver the details. Vigo didn't inform me that you were a crew that needed to have constant contact with their handler. So I'll get that information from him next time. Oh, come on. You know, I didn't say that. There's a chance we could run into trouble that I need to know if I reach out to you or to Vigo. That's all.
00:21:15
Speaker
Don't reach out to me. What? Don't reach out to me. Reach out to Vigo if you got his contact info. Okay. So, there is a... There's a cell of House Tarkanen individuals holed up in a Kolkoran temple down in Lower Dura in the fallen district.
Preparation for Exploring the Fallen District
00:21:39
Speaker
We believe that they have procured
00:21:43
Speaker
uh, some financial documents that implicate, uh, members of the clan in criminal dealings. So you all need to go get the documents back and presumably if house Tarkan and doesn't want to give them up, deal with that situation accordingly. I have a question that may be pointless to leave in the recording. Um,
00:22:14
Speaker
do we know the state of relations between Boromar and Tarkanin? I know, as in standard, there is an arrangement between them and do we know about that? There is an arrangement between them and you all
00:22:36
Speaker
All you know is that unlike Dask, unlike the Tyrants, relations are not openly hostile with House Tarkannon. Boromar does not work in the assassination game openly, and that's Tarkannon's main hustle. So that's how they kind of stay out of each other's way. And Tarkannon has agreed to not kill any high-level members of the Boromar clan on contract. So does it...
00:23:07
Speaker
Does it sound like we're being asked to potentially break whatever truce exists between our two criminal organizations? As far as you're aware, there isn't any kind of open truce that exists. If Tarkanin were to come out of the woodwork and start running amok in Lower Memphis Plateau and you dealt with them,
00:23:28
Speaker
As far as you know, Satan's not going to come down on you for that. So additionally, you all being citizens of Sharn, you would know about the fallen district because it is a noted and horrifying part of the city's history. Raynard, you would have been in the city when it happened, given your age.
00:23:51
Speaker
So back during the last war on the 9th of Ulirun in 918, Andarian spies sabotaged the glass tower in Sharn and caused it to fall out of the sky.
00:24:07
Speaker
And so one of the towers literally began dropping. And the glass tower collided with a district in Lower Dura, decimating its population, killing hundreds of people. And Charn City Council never saw any real reason to, as they put it, dump the city's finances into a lower district to repair. So the people down there have done their best, but most people just left the district.
00:24:36
Speaker
and it is colloquially known as a ghost town now. But there are, for people that take that term more literally, there are superstitions that the ghosts of those killed on the day of Crystal Fall, as it's called, that is an actual holiday observed in Sharn, the very tasteless ceremony of
00:25:02
Speaker
people buy ice sculptures of the glass tower and throw them into the river is how people celebrate this day of remembrance. Memorialize the day, perhaps? Yeah. It's not celebrating, I assume. Yeah. Either way, it seems gross to me as a non-citizen of Sharn. But anyway, so that's the district that you're being told to go to. Now,
00:25:28
Speaker
once again, Reynard would probably know, given his age, that historically, what fallen used to be known as God's Gate in Lower Dura, because it is where all of the religious temples originally were when Sharn was first being built. Then obviously, the churches wanted to move their temples up to nicer parts of the city, and so they were left behind. So the idea of there being an abandoned temple to cool Quran down there does track.
00:25:58
Speaker
So yeah, that's the sharn municipal history lesson that you all need, that you all would know the information of. And Jason continues and says,
00:26:13
Speaker
The fallen is adjacent to the stores district, which is where the peer lads operate out of. So Tolvin can give you a lay of the land. If you want to meet up with him down there before you enter the district, you know more than me or any of you about that district and how it actually operates now. So that is the information that Vigo has for you on this job and.
00:26:41
Speaker
I just returned here with the book and I'll be back tomorrow to collect it. How did they get it? I don't know. We that that Intel was not privy to us is everybody. This is going to be a two purple, one red check. Everybody give me another perception check. Oh.
00:27:08
Speaker
Okay, so Eris, that's two failure, two advantage. Reynard, that's one success, one threat. Milo, that's one failure. Hub, that's three failure, two advantage. I feel the most. So Reynard, first off, take a point of strain, Reynard, for that threat. You sitting there and watching Jason talk, you're the only one that notices this. Jason keeps kind of
00:27:36
Speaker
You don't know for certain, but you would swear that out of the corner of his eye, he keeps glancing over at Milo. Not obviously, like he's clearly very adept at hiding this kind of thing, but he just, his eyes will like quickly flick over to Milo and then continue talking. So that's just something that you've noted. Okay. Okay. All right. Anybody have any other questions?
00:28:02
Speaker
Okay, great. Like I said, be back here tomorrow with the book. I'll come and pick it up. And he leaves the satchel of info with directions down to Tolven's warehouse where the peer lads operate out of and directions then into the fallen district. Hob leaves through the packet and it's clear that this guy
00:28:33
Speaker
didn't want to do this, didn't want to come down here. This seemed like an inconvenience. So there's a chance that he didn't really maybe give us all the information. Is there anything else to be gleaned aside from directions in this satchel of info?
00:28:47
Speaker
Um, you can tell from the handwriting, just your familiarity with it. Vigo put together this brief. Um, so there's about as much effort put into it as you would expect. So it says, give me the stuff. It's over here. There's the thing Jason is gone. Yeah. Jason is out the door. Uh, he has left. Um, but there, there is all the pertinent information in there. Like Vigo did the bare minimum, but he still did.
00:29:11
Speaker
what you all need, but it's clear that Viggo didn't do any intel on his own to help you, like Grum might have. I don't think he possibly could have, I'll be perfectly honest. Well that seems like exactly the type of person who would hang around Viggo. I mean, I'm operating under the assumption that no one who is around Viggo is happy to be around Viggo, but
00:29:38
Speaker
I think that that might also be true of our new friend, Jason. Right, you know, misery and company and whatnot. If you're a miserable little tart, then you would, you know, attract others. Well, I mean, you're certainly not wrong with it. I feel like we can adequately judge Vigo.
00:30:06
Speaker
Um, and the kind of person he is, I'm going to withhold the judgment on Jason until he further acts like a real. It's a standard goblin insult. Yes. Um, I'm not not fair, but understood. Kath kind of raises her eyebrow and looks at the door and says, I,
00:30:35
Speaker
I'm kind of with you all, I don't, sorry, that's not Kat's voice. I'm with you all that I don't have the best feeling about Jason or his involvement with the, I mean, we were at the party, like, with the exception of the goals who explicitly are not Boromar, it seemed like all the other clans, like, it's just Jason seems kind of out of places to being a high-ranking member of
00:31:05
Speaker
One of these groups, the Delvers are outcasts that are sent down to the cogs. The goals are last war vets, but every other crew we saw there halflings were in charge. Why a human? Why would Satan let that? Oh, wait, we're back to being suspicious of this person. OK, it's just it's just it's just weird. I mean, it's like I
00:31:35
Speaker
Well, maybe no one in the entire family is willing to spend five minutes in Vigo's presence if they don't have to. That's fair. Maybe it's an exchange program. Maybe there's a halfling over there at house Kenneth, doing a similarly leveled job. Maybe Vigo hires people to stand near him so that it appears that he isn't a worthless creature. I'm...
00:32:06
Speaker
I'm going to I'm going to go investigate, ask around, see if I can get a beat on where Jason came from, because I saw and I've been working for the Klan for a while. Milo, you've been with the Klan for the while. None of us know this person. He wasn't acting suspiciously to anyone, was he?
00:32:35
Speaker
He was finishing his drink. Well, come to think of it, he did have an eye for Milo, but I didn't really think of it until you asked me if it was suspicious. What do you mean an eye for me?
00:32:56
Speaker
I kept looking at you as what you do with your eyes, isn't it? Well, that's just because Milo's handsome, right? I think it has something to do with him being a halfling now that we've spoken about it. You know, I'm operating under the assumption that Viggo might have gotten a chance to hire his own second-in-command and
00:33:24
Speaker
It would also make sense that he would choose to hire an insufferable person. Perhaps someone he knows from protest. Club meetings. Home sites. Of insufferable people. Or club meetings. Yes, there's much more likely that one. Yes, the club meetings of insufferable people. I should have started there. Go ahead.
Entering the Fallen District and Encountering Danger
00:33:48
Speaker
This is just my way of getting Kath out of here so she doesn't go on the job with you all, so we don't need to believe her. We don't, we know. But you put it in the fiction, my man. Well, you all, in case this, I have no reason to think this job isn't legit. Like, clearly Jason does work for Vigo, but while you all do that, I'm gonna see if I can figure something out about Jason and who he is and see if I can get a beat on him, so. I would certainly appreciate that.
00:34:17
Speaker
Yeah, and yeah, I'll figure, I'll try to figure out why he was eyeing Milo if I can, but yeah, I'm going to go meet with some contacts and talk to some people in the clan and see what I can find out. Yeah, friends, I think I'm going to go with Kath on this one. No, you're not. Quick, Eric, write it. Eric swatches, Eric swatches Kath and it looks like none of the work we do is legit, right? It's all crime. Right. Okay.
00:34:46
Speaker
Don't know who that guy was. I mean, someone in the background agreed with you. Quite. I keep forgetting we keep discussing our crimes in an open restaurant. We're so unsubtle. Okay, and then while you were sitting with Sigil Aris prior to all this starting, the only information you were able to get out of them is
00:35:14
Speaker
they are convinced that these schema that you all found back on your first job they somehow when inserted into that eldritch machine were able to connect to the warforge based on the ghoulra on the schema now the missing piece that sigil is still trying to put together is they aren't sure if it was merely
00:35:44
Speaker
the connection allowed for augmentation or the connection allowed for control. And that's what they're that's the rabbit they're trying to chase. So. And Sigil has not looked up during this entire exchange. Sigil is pouring over scrolls and flipping through books. So.
00:36:13
Speaker
Sana just kind of shrugs and says, well, I guess we have a job to do. Probably. I think it's a good idea to go meet up with Tolven though. He seemed nice. You're right. You probably know more about the fallen district than we do. Sounds like that's where we should start. Yeah, so we do.
00:36:41
Speaker
Let's go on an adventure. Philip used to get so much joy out of having Aeris go bring the car around and so I was waiting for the... Aeris does that. Aeris will go and get the boat. This one actually is a boat. We spent the entire last campaign calling our ship a boat and now we actually have a boat and we're going to call it a car.
00:37:08
Speaker
Yes, we're going to get a train and we're going to call it a blimp. This is how we operate. In the next campaign, you'll get a car and you'll call the skateboard and then... Have you seen my rickshaw and a motorcycle comes around the corner? Okay, so yeah, you all are able to hop in Natasha and head down to the lower Dura district.
00:37:28
Speaker
The stores is not right on the edge of the city, like the precarious district, but they do have some dock access and most things that are coming into the city come through the stores. You all do know that the stores has a very large Boromar presence, so the peer lads working down here makes a lot of sense.
00:37:51
Speaker
Yeah, in the packet that you all received, Tolven's location was marked on there, so you all are able to arrive at Tolven's warehouse easily enough.
00:38:02
Speaker
you all see a lot of halflings moving about, moving crates. There's some magical lifts that you all see that hover above the ground that can carry up to 20 crates at one time, moving about the docking district, the stores district. And yeah, you go inside and you see Tolven with his long hair and long beard directing traffic as it were. And yeah, he spots Hob first,
00:38:31
Speaker
obviously, and then sees Eris as well. And he would have seen the rest of you at the party, but those are just the two that he actually exchanged words with. And he kind of gives you a quizzical look and like, hey, what's up, everyone? It was nice to meet you. I didn't expect to see you again so soon.
00:38:57
Speaker
Told them I missed you. Oh, well, if I'm being perfectly honest, Tom, do you know anything? You know anything about a Jason Resbig? Yep. What do you know about a Jason Resbig? Let's go into my office. Let's not be out here. Well, he gets an office. We need an office.
00:39:24
Speaker
We have a restaurant and he's ranked way higher than us. We're always talking about crime out in the dining room. That's true. He holds the door open for you. He's like, yes, as soon as you all have 300 people working under you, you can get an office. Let's go in here. Hobb vows to never have an office.
00:39:47
Speaker
He sits behind the desk, and now I've heard about your crew, so I presume Raynard, Milo, Sana. Nice to meet you all. I didn't get the pleasure at the party. Well, nice to meet you as well.
00:40:08
Speaker
So Jason was for a long time, we knew in the in the upper echelons of the clan, he was basically Vigo's fixer for a long time. If Vigo had a problem that needed fixing in whatever capacity that meant, Jason was the guy that Vigo would go to. Now be constantly working.
00:40:35
Speaker
I would assume he's a very busy man. Now, when Viggo ascended to his current position, Viggo was the second command. Nobody intended for him to move up when he did, but he immediately hired Jason to be his second command for the Black Lamps, which upset a lot of people. But I can't imagine you all would be surprised at one of Viggo's actions upsetting a large group of individuals.
00:41:05
Speaker
That's Jason. Dangerous, ruthless, and not somebody to be crossed, if I'm being perfectly honest. So Vigo doesn't actually do things. He just has a guy who takes care of all of his problems for him. I mean, that's leadership, baby. I don't do half the things I did before I had this job.
00:41:33
Speaker
Rob, you were out there doing things. It wasn't just, you know, you weren't just sitting in here having lunch. Yeah, but I mean, I am a Boromar, so I didn't do as much as, say, my foreman did to get his position. I mean, it's a family thing. Like, it's not great, but Turnvall kind of looks at all of you like, so did you all just come down here to ask me about a fellow criminal? No, we're on a job. Oh.
00:42:02
Speaker
Well, but he gave it to us, so we wanted to, you know, get some information because. I mean, I, I pass stuff on to Corin all the time. So, I mean, it's not, it's not ridiculous that Miguel would have sent his second to, to give you a job, but I understand your concern. So you have a job in my neck of the woods. What brings you down here?
00:42:28
Speaker
Oh, um, apparently, I'll tell you. Don't be shy. Yeah. We've been sent after a book that's currently in possession of, um, I lost the house name. Dad. I was talking in. That's right. It's apparently incriminating. Hmm. And the, the, the fallen district was, you know, it was adjacent to yours. So we thought we could possibly get some information about that district.
00:42:56
Speaker
The Temple of Kor Koron. You're going into Fallen? Well, we're being sent into Fallen. I mean... Do you all have any messages you would like sent to next of kin? Thank God, Kath's out looking for the information we just found. I really... I haven't got any. No, I mean, it's a dangerous place, but...
00:43:26
Speaker
You all have proven yourselves to be capable, so if a citizen wonders in there, they are going to die. Why? I mean, it's not really ghosts, right?
00:43:38
Speaker
No, it's ravers is the street name that they've been given. Just a bunch of jerks with gloves. Yes. You're going to die. The entire place is full of techno. Just glow sticks and pacifiers everywhere.
00:43:59
Speaker
I wish I knew enough about that culture to make jokes as the rest of the episode goes on, but I really just know dead mouse exists. Speaking Europe. No, the ravers are people that still reside in the district but have gone
00:44:22
Speaker
The the only term that I can use is feral. They why? Well, what's there that does that? I superstition says that they're possessed by the ghosts of people that were killed. More like skeptical heads just say, I mean, you live in a place that's like. That destitute and you're I
00:44:50
Speaker
I don't know what causes them to be that way. I just know that there are people there that attack on sight. I've never heard tell of them communicating or speaking. They just, their fingernails have grown to the point that they look like claws and they attack anybody on sight. I feel like those things in the underside of
00:45:16
Speaker
What's the planet in Knights of the Old Republic that has a lower city? Rat ghouls. Yeah, those things. See, I was wondering if maybe what happened to them was they were given a chemical that was supposed to make them kind of laconic and happy all the time. But to some small percentage of the population on this planet, it's turned them into, oh, Ravers sounds pretty good, pretty close.
00:45:41
Speaker
Now, you mentioned that actually reminding me of a bit of Emmeron lore. So, Turn Vale, that's Raynard's last name. I lost his name. Tovin. Tovin kind of smirks and says, now, story that I hear, and this is just because I hate the Dragon Mark houses with every last fiber in my being, but I heard tale that the ravers are actually
00:46:10
Speaker
Experiments gone awry done by House Vaedalus and they dumped them in fallen to be forgotten. And so that's why their minds are broken, but they're incredibly fast and strong is because Vaedalus was trying to mage breed people and they messed up. I'm getting more and more confused about how this book we need ended up here.
00:46:39
Speaker
Well, there are so the ravers aren't the only people there. There are people that have managed to carve out an existence and especially people that don't want to be found. This is the perfect place to live as long as you can survive. So if you manage to get into one of the buildings that still put together, the ravers typically hunt in the district that's actually broken by crystal fall.
00:47:07
Speaker
but they will patrol in other parts of the district. So you're not totally safe, but their numbers are much fewer. So yeah, if you stick to the central part of the district and stay away from the inner ring, then your chances of survival go up quite a bit.
00:47:29
Speaker
So that's the best information that I can give you. I've never been there personally, but I'm glad you came here because if you all would have gotten surprised by the ravers, you probably would have been very confused and maybe dead. So do you know where the Temple of Cold Quran is?
00:47:50
Speaker
I don't have a map of the place. I know that most of the temples were centralized because that's what the district was built around, so probably in the heart of the district. Right, that place you told us to stay away from just now? No, no, no, no. That's the inner ring, so halfway there, halfway to the place I told you to not go. All right.
00:48:10
Speaker
Okay. Will you scavenge anything cool lately that might help keep us alive in there? I think maybe a gun. I mean, and he kicks his desk and says, I got a couple of healing potions I could give you. If the peer lads ever need help up in Lower Memphis, then remember who at least tried to keep you alive.
00:48:38
Speaker
Because first, he told you, do not go there. And then when you decided to go there, he gave you healing potions. Right. Yeah. Right. All right. Well. So you seem reasonably straightforward. Like to think so. What are the odds in your opinion that the only reason we are doing this job is that Vio Ups Wheel die?
00:49:08
Speaker
Hmm, you know, it is entirely possible that Viggo could have tried to pass this job off on the goals, being more well-armored, more well-armed. There's a chance he could have contacted us, given that we know the district far better than you, and probably knowing the layout is half of the survival.
00:49:33
Speaker
And he could have called the Delvers because they are accustomed to working in the worst kind of environments. But he didn't. He contacted you all to go into a district that you didn't know that is one of the most dangerous districts in the city to get a book that frankly may not mean anything. So there's a good chance that probably he does need the book. But. It is suspicious, isn't it? Yeah, it is suspicious.
00:50:04
Speaker
But you all survived this job, probably impressed Satan at least. Certainly will impress me. So yeah, I mean, I'm sure given the stories going around about what happened between you all and Viggo, that Viggo's not the biggest fan. And if you all die, he probably won't cry at your funerals.
00:50:36
Speaker
Well, I mean, I wouldn't expect him to. You get what I'm saying. You get my meaning. Right.
00:50:46
Speaker
I am reluctant, despite the fact that you just called me straightforward, I'm reluctant to outright say, yes, Vigo wants to kill you, because I don't know that for certain. You all bring Vigo a fair amount of renown, so your deaths would probably set him back a little bit in the eyes of Satan. So it's more likely that this is a job that nobody else wanted, and Vigo took it to send you all on because if you succeed, he looks really good for trusting you all with the job, and if you fail,
00:51:20
Speaker
if Satan's trust in you was misplaced. Right. Yeah. So it's kind of win-win for Vigo. I suppose we must begin then. All right. Well, yeah, I probably get back out in the yard. I'm sure Corin is way over his head and doesn't know what's going on. Should we leave our skiff here? Probably.
00:51:49
Speaker
Yeah, you can. I'll make sure nobody touches it and nothing happens. He goes, well, there's nothing in it and gives him a little nudge in the ribs. Right. Yes. Wait, no, he doesn't nudge him in the ribs because he'd have to like get on his hand or knees. Or use his foot, which is not okay. Elbows him in the temple. Yeah.
00:52:14
Speaker
Did you just kick me in the ribs? It's a friendly gesture in Goliath culture. Looking back, I shouldn't have done it. I apologize. How many healing potions did he give us? He gave you three.
00:52:35
Speaker
Okay, so you all head out of the stores and start heading in the direction towards Fallen. And as we are heading that way, Milo, I just have to say I'm very concerned about this, not only for us, but
00:52:58
Speaker
First, Reynard says he kept looking at me, and then we find out that Viggo uses him as a fixer. I just, I can't help but wonder if he possibly had something to do with the bar burning down. With you? Have you guessed Viggo before?
00:53:28
Speaker
Yeah, it seems like I was assuming he just wanted me and Hob dead and, you know, you and I don't remember you or Reynard or Sana saying that you could hear him from across the room and us gravely insulting him. I honestly, I don't recall ever offending Viggo in the past in any way. So why would you burn down your bar?
00:53:54
Speaker
don't know but as Reynard said that this respig fellow why why I just don't understand why he would keep looking at me oh I think it's because you answer well given what I've learned now if anything he might have been looking at you to give an accurate description of which one they're not supposed to hurt I don't think Satan would take very likely to Viggo sent his friend Milo to get into his doom
00:54:25
Speaker
I certainly hope you are all correct, but it just concerns me. And this entire job concerns me more than I think anything else we've been on. So let's carry on and definitely be on our toes as we always are, but maybe more so this time. So as you all approach Fallen,
00:54:52
Speaker
Um, as we're walking, Hob's kind of like, um, all right, friends, uh, spell me up here. Let's go. Come on. It didn't have to happen right now, but. Uh, yeah, I mean, sure. Aeris will attempt to augment Hob. Is it too purple? Yes, it is average.
00:55:14
Speaker
Now, if you want to save a spell, I can augment myself and I never have. Oh, really? True. Yeah. Honestly, because you think of it before I do. But save that spell. I can augment myself. I'm more thinking about barrier. Okay, I cannot do that. If Milo has one to... I can. Like, right as we're getting to where we're about to get in there. That's when Milo's going to pop it off. All right. Awesome. So if that's where we are, then...
00:55:43
Speaker
Let's do it. No, I think I think Eric was going to narrate something and I cut him off. So is there like a police line we have to cross? OK, so no, I'm just we can go ahead and resolve something going to happen before we get there. No, no, I was just going to describe you all entering. So you're wanting to cast the basic barrier. Do you want to add any other additional effects onto it, Milo?
00:56:10
Speaker
possibly, except I'm not finding my paper with my other papers that tells me all the wonderful things that it can do. So you can add defense, which adds too difficulty to it, but then Hobb would have ranged and melee defense equal to your ranks in knowledge lore.
00:56:33
Speaker
Which I think is two? Yes. Three maybe? Okay. Empowered, which also adds plus two. The barrier reduces damage equal to the number of uncancelled instead of the number of every two uncancelled.
00:56:50
Speaker
And lastly, the last one that you could add is, if an opponent makes a magic attack against an affected creature and generates three threat or a despair on the check, after it is resolved, they suffer a hit dealing damage equal to the total damage of the attack. Let's just do the first one. Add defense? Okay. Yes. So that makes it a three purple difficulty. You can go ahead and roll.
00:57:17
Speaker
To success and an advantage. Yes. So that means, Hob, your soak goes up by... I think it's three. Two. Okay, two. Something else must have been on. And then with the advantage, what would you like to do with that, Milo? Could we say that we have no...
00:57:47
Speaker
problem locating the place we're looking for? Sure, yeah, you all are familiar enough with sovereign host iconography to where I'd be willing to say that like there will be external iconography on the temple to where you won't have a hard time spotting the kolkaron temple. Cool. I mean, we're getting there easy. That's true, but at least we'll know it when we see it. I like that. Honestly, I think that's a great one advantage.
00:58:16
Speaker
OK, so you all approach the fallen district and so obviously you all are being in a lower district. You're pretty far away from the sun and the sky. And so there are a lot of ever bright lanterns all over these districts to keep things well lit. And. As you approach fallen, you see that it is
00:58:46
Speaker
darkness. It is extremely dark. There are no lanterns lit. And so the sun being blocked out by the towers above completely drown this district in shadow. And it looks
00:59:06
Speaker
It looks like what if you were to believe in an actual plane of the dead called Dolor, it's probably what it would look like, just very gray and drab and lifeless. In a city that is constantly full of noise and life and people buzzing around, you are staring for the first time in an area that is devoid of any of that. It's a dead district of the city. So yeah, you all,
00:59:36
Speaker
break the barrier into fallen. There are no barricades or anything like that. You step into the shadows and begin venturing into the darkened district. Okay, everyone give me a survival check to try and navigate this district. I am going to use a story point to upgrade. So it will be one red, one purple. Good Lord.
01:00:09
Speaker
Wow. Oh no. I'm gonna be the one. Wow. I'm gonna be the one that beaves it. No. Yup. You just didn't succeed. Like. Yeah. Yeah. Didn't roll a despair. Okay. So, heiress one success, Reynard three success, Milo one success, two threat, and Hob a failure. The two threat is going to be that
01:00:36
Speaker
in that you all are so focused on navigating the district that perhaps you all aren't paying as close attention to your surroundings as you should be given the warning that you were given. Not saying that you're completely oblivious, but you're trying to get in and out as quickly as possible. Like, this place is weird and creepy.
01:01:01
Speaker
So yeah, you all do manage. Bob, you were able to follow the majority of the gang that did navigate successfully. I didn't lose sight of my several adult-sized friends. Yes, yes. And yeah, you all are walking, rounding corners, and
01:01:23
Speaker
Yeah, the occasional moments that you see light coming from a window of a small stone building, as soon as your footsteps have come loud enough that you would reasonably think that the occupants would hear you, the lantern goes out quickly. Like, whoever lives here clearly is not interested in interacting with anybody.
01:01:47
Speaker
And so that once again creates this very unsettling feeling that even the residents here view you as a threat just by the nature of you being here. Eris will fix up her scarf, pull down her goggles, and then sling the Fletcher. Yeah, I'm assuming that with the warning that you all were given, probably all of you have some weapon at the ready.
01:02:17
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, I figure I probably- Hob's walking around like this? No, I thought about having my staff, but honestly, no, I probably wouldn't have that out. Hob's weapons are always at the ready. Registering the weapons with 17 governments. I can't put my hands in my pockets because it'd be concealing a deadly weapon.
01:02:43
Speaker
You all are walking and you all hear before you see anything a guttural yet high pitched screech that echoes on these buildings. And then you hear another one in like a call and response screech back and you begin to hear skittering coming from a lot of different directions. No, no, no. But
01:03:12
Speaker
As you all kind of look around and Sana is very much with you kind of looking, nothing's making its presence known. It's like something circling you and getting louder but slowly as they grow closer and closer in until finally you see
01:03:36
Speaker
A man with long, dirty blonde hair, long beard, and fingernails that are about three inches long, sharpened to a point, leap out from a shadow, and slice at Hobb's face. End of episode.
01:03:55
Speaker
Thank you all so much for listening. If you want to be a part of the conversation surrounding this episode, you can head on over to the Facebook group, the Geek Pantheon, or our Discord, which you can find the link to on our website, thegeekpantheon.com. We are also on Twitter and Instagram at the Geek Pantheon, and we have a YouTube channel, the youtube.com slash thegeekpantheon, where lots of DM tips and other D&D related videos go up all the time. So if you want to see that, definitely go subscribe.
01:04:22
Speaker
Yeah, we also have a Patreon, patreon.com slash The Geek Pantheon. If you like what we do and would like to join our community of wonderful patrons who support the show and get some really cool benefits in exchange for it, head on over to patreon.com slash The Geek Pantheon to check out the different tiers and find one that's right for you. I think that's everything. Once again, I've been your game master, Eric. I'm Philip. I'm Trevor. I'm Randy. And I'm Jeff.
01:04:53
Speaker
and we will see you next time. Bye. Bye.