Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Hey Al
Speaker 1 00:00:01 Hey Barry,
Speaker 0 00:00:03 What did the transmutation wizard say? When his girlfriend dumped him, Baby, please know, I can change it's time for compelled dual
Speaker 0 00:00:29 Hello everybody. And welcome back to compel duel. I'm Barry
Speaker 1 00:00:33 And I'm Al
Speaker 0 00:00:35 And we are a single player. Cody EMD, D and D five E actual play podcast
Speaker 1 00:00:41 Per previously on compelled duel.
Speaker 0 00:00:46 So fi you've never been to jail before
Speaker 1 00:00:52 That. I have not.
Speaker 0 00:00:55 And thus by Royal decree, a Val sign for the crime of harboring enemies against the crown shall be stripped of the lands titles and Royal stipend afforded to her by birth and shall henceforth be considered an Australian civilian.
Speaker 1 00:01:14 So I definitely heard fi on the news last week, and apparently so did the people that run the gala for the museum of art and artifice because you two have invites now
Speaker 0 00:01:29 The museum of what and what
Speaker 1 00:01:33 You have, not once even implied that you're sorry that you just ghosted me for six years. Not once
Speaker 0 00:01:43 I am sorry. Colossae
Speaker 1 00:01:48 You seem really happy. And I am very aware that you are a one person kind of man,
Speaker 0 00:02:01 You still are my one person fee that hasn't changed.
Speaker 1 00:02:07 And when you look up into the mirror, so we're in Chicago, standing behind you,
Speaker 0 00:02:14 Leo reaches up to press a hand to his cheek where he just felt that kiss and then pivots it around to cover his mouth. As he lets out a few gut wrenching sobs, But then he stands up, make sure his makeup looks okay, smooth down the front of his ropes and walks downstairs to meet everybody else.
Speaker 0 00:02:55 So fi you find yourself in the entry hall of your aunt Nora's house, standing around with all of your friends that are headed to this party. Zen and the captain are both well over half drunk, standing off in one corner with a couple of flasks going back and forth between them. Sabine is in her dress that you helped her into just kind of standing off to one side Arivale is there she's in a very practical set of boots and breaches with a nicely fitted waist coat on over a linen shirt. Eleanora is also there. She has on this Canary yellow, very well constructed jacket with a high collar that is open over a kind of puffy poet shirt, almost tucked into a very nicely fitted set of breaches and a pair of well-crafted boots.
Speaker 0 00:04:03 Your uncle Burris and aunt Nora are in this entry hall as well. <inaudible> is dressed pretty much like he always is very primly kind of fussy. He has like a fancy crevasse on and a nice overcoat. Your aunt Nora is dressed in this beautiful gunmetal colored silver dress that has elements of armor incorporated into it. Almost. You see one whole arm of this dress has done up fully and scale mail and it stretches down across the front and down one side of her skirt, the last person to join you is your brother. You see Leo appear at the top of the stairs, fully decked out, ready for the evening, but looking deeply unsettled. He sweeps down the stairs does not say anything to anybody and kind of just stands by the front door, waiting for whatever's coming next feeds, going to try and make eye contact with him and raise her eyebrows like you good. He meets your eyes, understands this message and shakes his head.
Speaker 0 00:05:23 But then Nora turns around to LARC and Audra who are standing around with the members of your party, who are not going to this gala. So ravine fairity Celica Lorelei, okay. We will, Kimra willing be pack soon, Erin you're in charge. And ATRA if your father makes a stupid decision command transfers to you, your uncle and your cousin, Adrian, both make very tight facial expressions, but nod silently. And then Nora turns around to the rest of you and goes, okay. So we used to have transport arranged by the Australian embassy, but that's not a thing anymore. So we're going to have to walk. Thankfully, the Voltaren museum of art and artifice thing is not that far. It's like five, six blocks. So let's go, shall we?
Speaker 1 00:06:34 Yes, let's please, uh, lead the way
Speaker 0 00:06:39 She leads you all out of the house and down the road, you get a lot of weird looks from passer-by, as you are all moving along the sidewalk in your formal wear, but eventually Nora leads you up to the courtyard of this beautiful, very well constructed building behind you. You hear Eleanor, I gasp in a very excited way as she looks up at the architecture and you also hears that and the captain grown as they see the sheer amount of rich people that are milling about in the courtyard. You sort of fall into place invitations in hand, keeping your plus ones close to you. And you can see that there are older and broadcasting professionals, journalists, everything just mobbed around you trying to get comments as soon as they realize who you and Leo are, they are upon you. And from directly behind you, you hear your uncle Berets quietly go don't say anything.
Speaker 1 00:07:55 He gives a very tight smile to the recorders and says, no comment, no comment, please.
Speaker 0 00:08:03 You continue moving across this courtyard. And from one side you hear an excited voice, go Eleanora. And a very well-dressed Calissa Petrus comes hustling across the courtyard. She's got gold chains and pearls woven back through her hair. Just these curls of green around the decorations and a big sherbet like orange poofy dress. She runs right up to your group, hooks her arm through Eleanora says, and you see Eleanor's cheeks go kind of dark Colossae is just chattering excitedly the entire way through the process of all of you presenting your invitations, introducing your plus ones and getting checked into this gala. I'm just glad I got to come this year. I mean, I've been here as my dad's plus won a couple times, but he said that he couldn't come this year because your dad told him something about needing him tonight. I don't know. So anyway, I yanked his invitation off the counter while he wasn't looking. And now I'm here representing the Australian embassy. Wait until you guys see the inside of this place. It rocks.
Speaker 0 00:09:25 You walk into an absolutely gorgeous museum, flat marble floors, big stone walls, beautiful works of art. Hanging in frames all down. These big hallways, there is a large atrium in the center of this building that is kept by a big stained glass dome. It seems to be the dance floor for the evening. There are lots of people dancing, talking, mingling out in the middle of this atrium, Leo and said depart pretty quickly and hit the dance floor. Eleanora and Calissa are hot on their heels. You see your uncle Burrus point at somebody across this atrium and kind of nod. Like he knows them and drag Nora off for a conversation. And then you are left with Sabine, the captain, and Arivale in the middle of this hubbub. Sabine turns around to all of you and goes, okay, I know a beacon battleground. When I see one, this is textbook. We need to operate under the assumption that anybody we talk to has a knife poised over our back at all times. Yeah. That's
Speaker 1 00:10:49 It sounds reasonable. I would suggest none of us slash any coins at anyone unprompted. Yes.
Speaker 0 00:10:58 Sabine nods at you. Yeah, I think that's smart. And, and then from behind you, this bright veracity voice says truth dies in darkness and you never write Savine Sabine's posture goes rigid and she stares down at her shoes.
Speaker 3 00:11:25 Bitch,
Speaker 1 00:11:28 Fi turns to inspect the source of the voice.
Speaker 0 00:11:33 You turn around and see an Australian Elvin man, bow Leo's age, average height, kind of lean so pale that he seems more blue than most of the estuary and elves that you've ever met. He has shoulder length, curly, stark, white hair that was pulled up into a low ponytail. And at the base of his neck, a big floppy hat on his head and a pair of round, very dark sunglasses on, even though he is indoors and it is the evening next to you, Sabine's posture Titans even more for a second, but then for relaxes and you see this big, broad smile stretched across her face, revelation lives in light, and you are an asshole. Florian come here and she wraps this guy up in a big, tight hug
Speaker 1 00:12:45 Fi Wade's a second and then clears her throat and goes, uh, should we make introductions or give you to a moment
Speaker 0 00:12:57 Sabine disentangles herself from her big hug with this guy and looks around at the rest of you. Um, this is my brother Florian Tavarus. He is an and Florian apparently kind of pushes his sunglasses up on the bridge of his nose, smirks and goes. I'm an art dealer, Sabine, snorts and ghost Forter and art dealer. Savine who earned my invitation to this event. He'll his eyebrows at airway. Ms. SanMar. Haven't seen you since we were kids. How you doing? Arivale dead. Panned goes no. Florian. Florian kind of puts his hands up and takes a step back before turning to look over at Sabine. Oh, okay. Warm reception is always anyway. I've been trying to keep a low profile. Have you heard anything about and Sabine reaches up and collapse a hand over his mouth. She grabs the front of his shirt and starts to haul him off. Okay. We should talk about this elsewhere. Fi do you want to try to follow them? You can roll perception if you want to.
Speaker 1 00:14:31 Uh, yeah. Do you want me to also roll stealth to not get caught doing this?
Speaker 0 00:14:39 Yeah. Roll stealth first.
Speaker 1 00:14:44 That's a 22.
Speaker 0 00:14:47 Okay. Sabine's passive perception is a 19. So yet you managed to sneak, um, go ahead and roll me a perception check. Well, at least I can't roll below a 13 and it's a 13. Exactly. Because I rolled a six, but I have reliable talent from a gift to the storm ringer. Okay. So that's enough for you to get some, but not all of this conversation. Sabine yanks her brother, apparently across this dance floor and out and open set of French doors onto a balcony, whispering frantically to him the whole time you follow at a far enough distance that you're not noticed, but because you are trailing so far behind you don't hear everything that is being said, you're sort of hovering in this doorway and you hear Sabine his look, I did everything I could for him. And he has fought me every step of the way, Florian. Okay. That's not what this is about. This is about, this is about the fact that I have got solid evidence that a loss had a carton is behind what happened to mom and dad.
Speaker 0 00:16:15 And she is she's the arch Duchess of Australia. And she's actually fucking with somebody that I care about a lot. So that's what you missed. That's what you chose not to engage with. Well, you were over here being an art dealer. You hear the sound of footfalls like someone is taking a couple steps back and the snort. Oh yeah. While I was over here being an art dealer, you mean the thing that you told me to do so I could survive. You mean the reason that you pushed me away, how's Collette doing by the way Sabine, Sabine has, is a breath between her teeth.
Speaker 0 00:17:09 She's fine. She's taking care of everybody else. You haven't met my girlfriend or my husband yet. It's a long story and we don't have the time to work it out tonight. I just need to know that you're in my corner, Florian, snorts again, and goes, I'm insulted that you'd even ask. Of course I am. There's a moment of silence. And then Sabine's size and goes. All right. I know this is going to be a hard ask for you, but just try to keep your head down tonight. Okay? I've got a bad feeling that things here are not going to end well, Florian says I've been keeping my head down for the last 26 years to bean. It's not the way that I prefer to go about things, but I've learned how to do it well enough. And then he storms back through this open doorway fee. There's a moment where he makes eye contact with you from behind these big round, dark sunglasses and nods solemnly. But then afterwards he darts across this dance floor, teaming with people and goes to talk to this older gentlemen who looks to be a pretty important person. Sabine follows not far behind him, looking more stressed than she already was.
Speaker 1 00:19:03 Fee's going to say he seems interesting. I didn't expect to meet any of your siblings anytime soon.
Speaker 0 00:19:14 Sabina's glaring lasers into the floor. Well, you've met one. Remember the young lady that was helping me run the dance troupe. That's Collette. She's our sister.
Speaker 1 00:19:33 Yeah. She seemed
Speaker 0 00:19:37 Exactly. I'm about to sound like a real bitch. We need to not get Florian involved in any of this.
Speaker 1 00:19:49 No, I understand. You want to protect your brother. That's
Speaker 0 00:19:57 No, my brother can protect himself. It's just that he is such an idiot and will inevitably fuck us over whether he means to or not.
Speaker 1 00:20:12 Ah, understood. At the very least though, he's a connection to beacon resources that's based here and is at least loyal to you. And I think it would be shortsighted of us to discount that entirely
Speaker 0 00:20:35 Sabine bites at our lip. You could see that one gold canine that she has flashing underneath the light from the chandelier over your heads and get that. But I'm, I'm really tired of feeding my family to this shit fi we should leave him out of it. I get the trusting me as hard, but please just trust me.
Speaker 1 00:21:06 I yeah, if we can leave him out of it, we will. Thank you.
Speaker 0 00:21:18 I'm going to go make sure the captain isn't causing any problems. I'll see you later.
Speaker 1 00:21:26 I'm gonna go see if my uncle has any political insight. I'll see you. Leo UNS that are dancing. The music is going from this band playing off to the side that is doing an admirable job leading one hand on your hip. The other one wrapped around yours, off to your side. Colossae and Eleanora are also dancing whirling around. You hear the tones of Colossae saying something that you can't quite make out what she's saying. And Eleanora laughs this big brassy laugh. Zed kind of cuts his eyes sideways and then looks back at you breaches the hand. That's on your hip, up to push some of your hair out of your face, licks his lips and says so, uh, I was thinking and before he can finish a voice to your other side, says, gentlemen, do you mind if I could end? I'd like a wired with the grand duke. Do you look to your side?
Speaker 0 00:22:43 Leo submarks hikes his robes up. So they're exposing a little bit more of his thigh. And then yes. Turns over to the side.
Speaker 1 00:22:53 You see a dwarven man with a voluminous braided silvery, gray beard. It's got all kinds of like charms and shit in it. He's wearing a big sash with a lot of what you recognize is like metals of valor on it, old as hell. He gives you a winning smile, sticks out a hand and says, set it a Maximus gray river. Nice to meet you. Leo Romi, the lowest possible DC history shack with advantage
Speaker 0 00:23:31 24
Speaker 1 00:23:34 Maximus gray river is the name of the general that wrote the account of the battle of OMA. Groth that made you realize that your father killed his brother. He was not directly in charge of older enforces during the time of the war, but he was high enough up there that he was involved in the peace talks that ultimately didn't pan out. And he has just introduced himself to you as a center.
Speaker 0 00:24:03 Leo's eyes get really big for a second. And then he reigns his facial expression back into a big coy political smile looks over it, Zed and goes, honey, I'm so sorry. Could you give us a minute
Speaker 1 00:24:22 Zed closest to the eyes for a second? Like he is praying for patients nod slowly and then says, yep, you got it. And then he spins on his heel and walks away.
Speaker 0 00:24:37 Given the briefings about folder and culture that Leo sat through with his uncle. He is going to take this gentleman's hand, shake it very firmly and introduce himself. <inaudible> sign grand duke of Australia. My friends call me Leo,
Speaker 1 00:24:58 This very old man laughs. And my friends call me max kid. But you got a little too much pep in your step to be one of those
Speaker 0 00:25:10 Too. I have a bag on me. Could I have potentially brought the book to the party?
Speaker 1 00:25:19 I don't know that you have a bag, but you have a lot of pockets. I'll allow it.
Speaker 0 00:25:25 Okay, cool. Once again, remembering all of the cultural briefing that he got. Leo poles, the book on the battle of Ommegang Roth that he stole from the library out of pretty much nowhere and holds it out to this man. Well, in that case, Maximus, I will admit that I am a huge fan. Could I maybe get a signed copy?
Speaker 1 00:25:56 And then he reaches out and takes it from you, flips the cover up and why does it say property of that?
Speaker 0 00:26:04 Don't worry about it.
Speaker 1 00:26:08 Alright. And he pulls a pen out from behind his sash. Again, adorned with all of these gleaning metals. This is obviously a man that is very proud of his military service and he scribbles a quick signature in the book, snaps it, shut one handed and handed it back to you again. Just, this is a winning politician smile. He says, I wasn't aware that my work had that much circulation in Australia.
Speaker 0 00:26:41 It doesn't sadly I came across your work in Kim Tara. Actually, I don't know how much the folder inside of this particular conflict knows, but my father and I have been on the outs for the past several years. It's my understanding that you knew both him and my uncle. Yes.
Speaker 4 00:27:10 Ah, we weren't exactly talking to one on one, but
Speaker 1 00:27:16 Has lip curls a little
Speaker 4 00:27:17 Bit. I got to see both of them then negotiations.
Speaker 0 00:27:23 Well Senator Maximus, I think we can both agree that this blockade is bullshit. Right?
Speaker 4 00:27:37 Well, given that the justification was that the arch Dukes children and died on goldarn soil and I'm looking at proof that that didn't happen. Same cell.
Speaker 0 00:27:49 And if I were to tell you that your writings have led me to believe that my father is calling the shots in his tree area under false pretenses, what would you say then?
Speaker 1 00:28:06 The senators, eyes glitter a little bit as he, again, flashes you that winning politician smile and says,
Speaker 4 00:28:17 Then I'd say it's a pleasure to meet the rightful logic of Sharia,
Speaker 0 00:28:22 The rightful arch. Yes. Pleasure to meet you as well. If you'll excuse me, I have some people waiting on me
Speaker 1 00:28:37 Maximum is gray river nods steps back and says,
Speaker 4 00:28:42 All right, but I'd love to follow up on the satellite. A date, have a little conversation. You and me,
Speaker 0 00:28:53 I would love that. But unfortunately I think my plus one is going to get a little jealous. If I don't get back to him presently, let's put a pin in this. Yes,
Speaker 4 00:29:07 Absolutely.
Speaker 1 00:29:09 And he walks off.
Speaker 0 00:29:12 Leo goes to hunt down Zed with frantic urgency.
Speaker 1 00:29:17 Before you can do that out of the crowd comes your uncle Burris trailed by your sister. Your uncle nods says good. There you are. Uh, we need to go make an introduction post haste, if you would.
Speaker 0 00:29:35 Yeah. More introductions. That's what I'm here for. Let's do it
Speaker 1 00:29:41 Fee gives you kind of a weird look, but various nods, briskly and
Speaker 0 00:29:47 Walks off in a different direction. Fi follows after him. Hurriedly. I assume you do as well. Yeah. I have no idea what's going on. Can I look around to see where it's at is?
Speaker 1 00:29:59 Yeah. Role perception,
Speaker 0 00:30:03 Dirty 20
Speaker 1 00:30:05 That is leaning against the wall. Talking to the captain. The captain is holding a flask. Zed is holding a plate of canopies.
Speaker 0 00:30:12 Okay. So he's fine. I follow after fi
Speaker 1 00:30:16 Your uncle leads you through this crowd to a smaller crowd that has gathered around a human man. And you would say about his forties, maybe warm brown skin, curly, dark hair, big, bright smile, and very a booming jovial laugh. <inaudible> unsubtly inserts himself into the crowd around this man. Just elbows past voter and high society types, but manages to do so in a way where he doesn't seem rude. He just seems eccentric. He says to this human guy, ah, Tomas, do you have a moment to meet my niece and nephew? And this human guy looks past him at you and fi his eyes go a little wide and his voice kind of shifts a little bit. And he goes, oh, uh, yeah, give me one moment. And then he turns back to this crowd of people around him and his voice shifts again. And he goes, everyone.
Speaker 1 00:31:21 I know we're having such a great time. And I would hate to cut this story short, but a vent, a little personal business to take care of. He like has a champagne flute in his hand that he just hands off to somebody. He follows Bray us back out through this crowd. And they draw even with you and fi, and he says, show the gifts somewhere, a little more secluded by all means, he's going to lead the three of you through this crowd again, to a balcony, through a set of like big French doors. There are very few people on this balcony. It's pretty private or at least as private as things are going to get here. He rakes the hand back through his hair nods and he says, so you two must be a, our little cities, new favorite gossip topic.
Speaker 0 00:32:12 Yes. And you must be someone who can help us turn gossip into action.
Speaker 1 00:32:20 One can only hope so and various pipes up. This is Senator to Moss high Vale. He is the chairman of the urban planning committee. And in my opinion, the most reliable person in the Senate and a member of my book club, which does have some bearing on my judgment. I'm a good judge of character. And this guy laughs. I don't like to flatter myself over much, but I will take a compliment when it's given
Speaker 0 00:32:49 Leo leans in and puts a handout for a handshake, very pleased to meet you, Thomas. I hope that you can help us out with what we're trying to do here.
Speaker 1 00:33:00 He looks at your hand, raises his eyebrows and says no need for that. We're not making a deal yet. And I'm given to understand that that's the etiquette amongst Sharon's
Speaker 0 00:33:12 Oh, I like this guy. Leo raises his eyebrows and then puts both hands down at his sides. So it is my sister and I are fascinated to see what your outlook on the whole situation is. What do you think we can do to stop this war?
Speaker 1 00:33:39 He kind of raises the eyebrows and he goes, I mean, that's a big question for even a group of people. There's a reason we've got a hundred in the Senate. We're not really going to figure out something as big as that between the four of us. But as someone who's seen the inner workings of one more machine for quite a while, my view on the situation is it doesn't matter how many orders get shouted down from on top. If the people actually on the front line don't want to be there, take it with a grain of salt. Of course I'm no soldier. I'm a politician, but
Speaker 0 00:34:16 No, no. I understand we're in the same boat. My sister and I and Leo looks sharply over his shoulder at fi our tubing. All we can to bring this blockade to a halt,
Speaker 1 00:34:32 Tomas snorts and says, yeah, I listened to the news once or twice in the last week,
Speaker 0 00:34:39 This is a big international conflict to Tomas. And we are just two people. We need all the help we can get. Are you willing to help us bring a halt to all this madness?
Speaker 1 00:34:53 Thomas has a very like naturally kind of jovial face. He's got like smile lines around his mouth and at the corners of his eyes. But he goes very serious. As he says, I would question the ethics of anyone that said no to that question. Your Highness,
Speaker 0 00:35:12 Leo nods at M looks back at fi and goes then perhaps we should all sit down later tonight and figure out the logistics of all this. Yes,
Speaker 1 00:35:25 Yes, absolutely. But I'll say speaking as a politician and he gestures at the two of you, if you're trying to drum up support, I think it's best to stay visible as much as possible. And he gestures back through the doors and I have to, and he puts back on the big politician, smile, raise some funding for victims of a recent fire in my district. My job is great.
Speaker 0 00:35:54 Leo puts a finger up, forgive me if this is a fo puppet your accent towards in the end, am I right?
Speaker 1 00:36:04 He raises his eyebrows at you. And very carefully says I was born in toward dune. Yes, but, and he makes a grand gesture around him. All those who seek citizenship from our glorious empire are Voltaren. You do well to remember that a lot of people are a bit more hard line on that policy than I am.
Speaker 0 00:36:28 Well, if you're looking to help out your people, I would inform you that Eleanora Ash, Thor of Esther myth is back in that ballroom. She is a very close friend of mine. And I think that she would love to talk to you.
Speaker 1 00:36:48 He raises eyebrows again, nods slowly and says, thanks for the tip. And then put back on the politician, smile and says, and I hope you three, all enjoy the party. And then he whirls around and walks back inside.
Speaker 0 00:37:08 Leo turns around nods back at fi and goes, okay. So that was interesting. Let's both keep making the rounds. See what else we can find out. I think I have a couple leads we can go on.
Speaker 1 00:37:23 Uh, so do I, after you,
Speaker 0 00:37:28 Leo claps are on the shoulder, gives her a little squeeze and then turns back around and has back into the ballroom to find said,
Speaker 1 00:37:38 Okay, you walk in, you see briefly that Tomas has cornered Eleanora up against a wall and is very excitedly just stipulating. As he says something to her, you see Sabina in the captain dancing, you see your aunt Nora posted up by a wall with a glass of punch in her hand. And you see Zed talking to Colossae actually
Speaker 0 00:38:08 Leo grabs the nearest glass of champagne and heads over and immediately inserts himself into this conversation. Hey, you too. How's it going? Somebody please tell me that the music is about to pick up because I am exhausted with political pageantry and would actually like to have some fun tonight.
Speaker 1 00:38:27 Colossae visibly tipsy purses, her lips for a second and then says, well, in my experience, it usually picks after the fireworks show. So pretty soon, I guess,
Speaker 0 00:38:41 Hm, BU more waltzes then said we did put in all that practice. We might as well show our stuff,
Speaker 1 00:38:51 Zed pauses, and then says, actually, I, uh, if we could talk somewhere a little more private,
Speaker 0 00:39:06 Leo tilt his head and squints Adam A. Little bit, but then shrugs and nods off towards the nearest hallway before turning around to look at Colossae. When you get the chance, can you tell Eleanora? I am just so sorry.
Speaker 1 00:39:24 Sorry for what
Speaker 0 00:39:26 She's being cornered by a folder and Senator with Tor dunian connections right now, because I needed something to keep him occupied while I figure out whether or not we can trust him. I've been busy tonight.
Speaker 1 00:39:42 Yeah. I'm getting that impression. Funny how it has stolen my data away from me for however long
Speaker 0 00:39:49 I'm doing my best out here. Calissa. I'm trying,
Speaker 1 00:39:54 She waves you off and Zed to kinda grabs you by the elbow gingerly waves at Colossae says we'll talk later. Bye. And tows you off to this hallway.
Speaker 0 00:40:07 Leo kind of frowns at him and looks back and forth really quick to make sure no one's within earshot. Okay. What what's going on? Did something happen while I was gone?
Speaker 1 00:40:17 Uh, no. It's um, And he kind of reaches back to rub the back of his neck for a second and then says, all right, I'm going to be real blunt about this. I get that. We are on an important political mission and everything. And I keep trying to be all romantic about this and keep getting interrupted by near-death experiences or extremely emotionally exhausting conversations or both. So here's the thing. He scrubbed the hand back through his hair, grins at you and says, I've been in love with you for a year. You're wearing that. And I am watching everybody in this room watch you like they would like nothing more than to have a private conversation. Meanwhile, I'm sitting here with the knowledge that I'm the person that gets to take you home at the end of the night, He nods over his shoulder and he says, there's an unlogged broom closet about 20 feet that away. And I would really, really like to irreparably up your outfit.
Speaker 0 00:41:37 I would like to smack Zed in the arm so hard that I'm probably going to have to roll to hit.
Speaker 1 00:41:45 Yeah, go ahead and do that.
Speaker 0 00:41:48 I'm going to be rolling with a negative one. So I can't mechanically roll high enough to hit them. This is just for my own satisfaction,
Speaker 2 00:41:55 12,
Speaker 1 00:41:59 You like flail and try to hit that in the arm. And he grabs your wrist and grins at you and raises eyebrows and says, I'm not hearing it now.
Speaker 0 00:42:14 Leo as an Australian has slipped pupils. So they go big in a way, similar to a cat that has just face planted into a catnip toy. And he kind of bites at his lower lip, looks down the hallway to the closet that said, just mentioned and goes, My outfit needs to remain intact. And we've got 20 minutes before someone misses me,
Speaker 1 00:42:42 Zed grins at you and goes, that'll do for now.
Speaker 0 00:42:51 Fi you enter back into the fray of this party. What are you doing
Speaker 1 00:42:58 Well out of our PCs, the politically minded one is busy getting railed in a closet. So if he's going to do some dancing, Uh, he's going to try and steal the captain away for a dance, probably dance with Arivale and given how tipsy Colossae is probably her for a couple of dances.
Speaker 0 00:43:18 The captain only knows one dance because that's all your uncle Barry has taught him, but he is very adept at the Boulder in waltz. By this point and whirls you through one song before passing you off to Arivale, who spends most of your dance, looking over your shoulder at Florian Javares with a very skeptical look, and then you get passed off to Kolesov. Who is inebriated laughing fully, lets you hold her super close and we're all her across the dance floor. You're hanging out with her through a couple songs. When you see Leo emerge from one of the side hallways and make a beeline and across the dance floor to you, go ahead and roll insight for me.
Speaker 1 00:44:06 That's a 16. So it's a 15.
Speaker 0 00:44:10 Leo looks a little worse for wear his carefully constructed hairdo is a total mess of flyaways. He has a little braid down. One side of his head that has gone loose. His eyeliner is pretty fucked up and his outfit looks rumpled. He comes over, cuts into your dance with Colossae and starts moving with you across this dance floor, rolls his shoulders back and shakes his head. Like he's trying to do a factory reset on himself and goes, okay, so we need to talk potential alliances because I know you've been doing some work tonight and I've been doing some work tonight. So
Speaker 1 00:45:00 We certainly have quick question sidebar. Is that a Hickey?
Speaker 0 00:45:06 No, it's uh, it's makeup. Anyway.
Speaker 0 00:45:15 Leo leads you to the edge of the dance floor and whirls you out of the dance and stares at you for a second before reaching down into his bag and pulling out the book that he stole from the library. When you first got to Boulder, he flips it open to the title page and points at a scribbled signature on the paper. So earlier this evening I met the guy who wrote this book. He's a Senator he's oldest shit. He seems kind of shifty, but he did bring up a very good point, which is that our father is potentially running a stress area under a false claim to the throne. If that is true, rightful rulership of the country would go to the next person in the line of succession, which is me. That's not a bad strategy to work with, but this guy seems very eager to support that claim to the throne, which means that he wants something. I don't know if we can trust him. What have you got?
Speaker 1 00:46:31 Uh, I met Sabine's brother earlier.
Speaker 0 00:46:35 Sabine's what
Speaker 1 00:46:37 Don't get too caught up in it. She has a lot of them. Well, I'm not sure how many of the siblings that are still alive are her brothers. But anyway, uh, he's an art dealer. He has enough connections to be invited to this whole thing. Sabine seems to think that he's loyal, but also that he's an idiot. So I say use the connections. Don't trust the man with anything important.
Speaker 0 00:47:07 And then there's Tomas
Speaker 1 00:47:10 Uncle brass seems to think that he's our best shot despite being tied up and all of the bureaucracy. And she's got the clearest picture of the situation here of any of us
Speaker 0 00:47:23 And a plug into the Senate is a plug into the Senate. I agree. I think we, and then from out on the balcony, you hear muffled explosions and cheers from a group of people that seem to have gathered out there. Leo looks up over your shoulder, nods out towards the doors and goes, okay. And those would be the fireworks that close. I mentioned, we should at least make an appearance. I think,
Speaker 1 00:47:55 Uh, good call. Yeah. And yet he's going to lay them out onto the balcony
Speaker 0 00:48:03 You to make your way out onto this big balcony on the outside of the museum. And there is a fantastic fireworks show going off in the area over Boulder, that is not under the rock ceiling of the caldera of the volcano that the city has built inside. Absolutely beautiful Ruby, reds and golds and blues and greens just exploding in the sky. You spot the rest of your party pretty quickly. They're all grouped around one little section of the railing of the balcony. Coalesces over there, kind of leaning into where Eleanora has one arm slung around her waist. Arivale is perching both of her elbows on the banister. Just kind of looking up at the sky Sabine and the captain are off to the side. Kind of talking amongst themselves a little bit. Your uncle Barry is several yards away talking to Tomas and apparently a couple other members of his book club. They all seem pretty familiar with each other. And then you see your aunt, Nora, her hands are white knuckled on the banister around this balcony. And she is full body flinching with every explosion of the fireworks overhead.
Speaker 1 00:49:34 I'm going to go stand next to her. See if there's anything I can do.
Speaker 0 00:49:40 Her facial expression is both familiar and unsettling. You've seen it in your father before just that thousand yard stare like she is somewhere else entirely. But as you come up to stand next to her, she reaches down and grabs one of your hands and squeezes at it. Super tight.
Speaker 1 00:50:04 If he's going to squeeze her hand back, if a folder and firework shows or anything like the ones back home, it'll only be a few more minutes. Just write it out.
Speaker 0 00:50:19 Yeah, that's what I'm trying to do. She is just staring down at her shoe. She is not looking up into the where all of these beautiful sparks are flickering out above you. These large booms and explosions continue on for several more minutes. And then you hear some kind of uncertain murmurs among the crowd out on this balcony.
Speaker 1 00:50:51 Can I roll perception to see what people are murmuring about?
Speaker 0 00:50:56 Absolutely
Speaker 1 00:50:58 13 because of reliable talent. It was a seven.
Speaker 0 00:51:03 I think you turn around to kind of investigate what's going on around you and your aunt. Nora's hand reaches up and gets you by the NAPE of the neck and does not let you walk away
Speaker 1 00:51:18 What what's going on.
Speaker 0 00:51:21 She is still just looking down at her feet with this detached traumatized stare in the open air above you. There are still booms and crashes echoing off the shell of this cult era of the volcano. And Nora says the fireworks stopped two minutes ago. And then from directly behind you, you hear the clatter of the French doors from the main room of the museum, swinging open Florian and Javares sunglasses, a skew on his face, rushes out onto the marble of this balcony and goes the Australian Navy's launched a full-scale attack cannons and everything we need to get outta here. And this gala erupts into absolute chaos. People are cramping. Each other, trying to get out of here. Most of your party is close enough to you that you are able to kind of rope them into a close knit group. You see Leo sprint over and grab Colossae away from a conversation she's been having with another Boulder in diplomat and just kind of pull her into his chest. As people start stampeding to get out of here, it is pandemonium fi And in the midst of this chaos, you feel a hand PLOS tightly around your own. Look up to your side and Sabine is standing there, staring up at the absence of fireworks in the sky. As the sounds of these explosions, keep ringing out through the city,
Speaker 0 00:53:38 Who are they going to blame fee? And as this gala dissolves into screams and panic, there is a lurch under your feet, All of your party, stackers to the side as the great stone wheel that the city of Boulder sits upon grinds to a halt.
Speaker 1 00:54:25 Leo Romy, a deck save
Speaker 0 00:54:29 11.
Speaker 1 00:54:30 Ooh, uh, let me roll for cholesterol really quick. Uh, that was a 26. So between the two of you, you managed not to fall over when the wheel stops,
Speaker 0 00:54:47 It was still clinging to Colossae where he grabbed her to stop her from getting trampled and looks around wildly. What the hell was that?
Speaker 1 00:54:57 Colossae who kind of scrambled to brace herself. So the two of you didn't get knocked over, looks around the crowd and then looks back to you and says nothing good.
Speaker 0 00:55:08 I asked for one quiet night, mother fucker, Zed,
Speaker 1 00:55:13 Ramy perception really quick,
Speaker 0 00:55:17 26.
Speaker 1 00:55:19 Okay, damn. Uh, you look around this crowd that you managed to find Zed pretty quickly. He's a few people away. He's kind of shifted his stance to kind of brace himself past him. You see out into the city, further out towards the edge of the wheel at the very edge of the city, you start to see lights go out.
Speaker 0 00:55:45 I grabbed Colossae and run over to Zed and try to see if I can find fee and Roper. And
Speaker 1 00:55:51 With the 2060 you fee as well, she and Sabine are kind of holding onto each other. They've managed to stay up. You see by them, the captain catches himself on the railing of the balcony and just jubilantly pumps a fist in the air and yells, see legs still got it. You say Arivale has caught herself on the railing as well. Just both hands braced. Her eyes are darting around the crowd. Eleanora did not make the decks check because she only has a plus two. So you watch Eleanora just fully eat shit, Eleanor, his feet absolutely get knocked out from under her. And you catch her like pressing herself back against the railing from the ground to try not to get trampled. Nora makes the deck save. Which means that she much like Colossae did for you. Just barely manages to catch Baret is by the arm. As he almost falls over,
Speaker 0 00:56:51 I'm going to try to fight my way over and get everybody grouped up
Speaker 1 00:56:56 Your group kind of huddles up. Eleanora manages to get to her feet and shove through a couple of people into this huddle. Everybody's all together. What are you doing?
Speaker 0 00:57:07 Uh, Nora and <inaudible> live here and would probably know the answer to this question. So Leo turns over to Nora and goes, okay, city stopped moving. Is that a thing? Is this a thing that happens?
Speaker 1 00:57:20 Nora? Wide-eyed says, given that the motion of the city is what powers everything. No.
Speaker 0 00:57:30 And the Australian Navy is beating down the proverbial door. This reeks like my father shit. I left my crystal ball back at the house. We're going to have to go back so I can check up on the situation and see what's going on.
Speaker 1 00:57:45 Colossae cuts in just, no, I need to go back to the embassy and check on my parents.
Speaker 0 00:57:50 Your parents could be involved in this. Colossae something is really, really wrong. And it is a dangerous, stupid decision for all of us to just scatter. Before I get the chance to drop a scrying, spell and figure out what the hell is going on here.
Speaker 1 00:58:06 He says, wait, I thought you couldn't scribe on father anymore.
Speaker 0 00:58:10 I can't, but maybe I can scribe on the people that might be around him. Calissa. Please just come back to Norris house with us.
Speaker 1 00:58:20 Calissa kind of scoffs just goes, first of all, after what YouTube pulled last week, I can't be seen going in there or we are all fucked. And second of all, I'm not wasting time that I could use to make sure my mom is safe on maybes Leo.
Speaker 0 00:58:38 Oh shit. Um, okay. This is a wild pole, but from the DMS chair, the material components for a scrying spell, just specify that it has to be something reflective worth. At least a thousand gold pieces were in a museum full of art and artifice thing. Is there any shot that I have at there being like a magical mirror in here or something that I can use for a scrying spell,
Speaker 1 00:59:09 Hey buddy, please roll me in investigation. Check with the proficiency that you've gotten from your fandom road feature.
Speaker 0 00:59:19 That's a 25.
Speaker 1 00:59:22 As everyone is still crushing past each other to get off this balcony, Colossae takes a couple steps into the crowd, like moving with it. And you know that if she steps any further away from you, you are going to lose her in the crowd.
Speaker 0 00:59:38 Fuck me. I'm going after
Speaker 1 00:59:41 You also step into this crush of people. I assume you're trying to like tow Colossae out. You get her by the elbow. You take a step, the crowd parts around you for just a second and on a balcony further towards the back of the museum. You see Soren Shaquana people are rushing to get off of that balcony as well. Just almost trampling each other, trying to get through the doors. But Soren is just leaning calmly one elbow on the railing chin. In his hand, you watch as the people rushed by and you can see the lights of the city slowly dimming and dying through Soren. As he makes eye contact with you stands up straight nods, adjust his glasses and walks through the crowd into the museum.
Speaker 0 01:00:41 Colossae are you seeing this
Speaker 1 01:00:44 Th seeing what she is trying to wrench her arm out of your grip?
Speaker 0 01:00:50 Cool. Just me then this way, I'm going to try to swing back through and grab fi and Zed.
Speaker 1 01:00:58 You swing back by your party fee is saying something to the captain and Sabine. You managed to get her by the arm and tow her around Zed just starts elbowing through the crowd. He's a big dude. He can make room for himself. And you see Ella, Nora, who was much smaller bustling directly behind him. So she doesn't get caught in the crowd and they are all following you inside. What are you doing?
Speaker 0 01:01:22 Can I just ride that investigation? Check to go through the museum, to the place where I saw a sore in a second ago?
Speaker 1 01:01:31 Absolutely. Are you explaining to your companions what you're doing?
Speaker 0 01:01:35 Oh yeah, sure. I just saw the ghost of my dead fiance and I think he's trying to help us know. I'm not explaining what we're doing. Leo has one hand around Colossus wrist in case she tries to bolt again. And the other one locked around FI's hand super tight and is just dragging them through the halls of the museum.
Speaker 1 01:01:56 You all cut through these crowds, moving deeper into the museum and off to the side, Leo, UC store. And again,
Speaker 0 01:02:08 Okay. No seriously. Is anybody else seeing this
Speaker 1 01:02:14 Zed from behind? You says, boss, all I see is the exhibit sign.
Speaker 0 01:02:21 Leo is going to screw his eyes, shut rub at them really hard and open them again.
Speaker 1 01:02:27 Soren leaning up against the wall, kind of gives you a shrug, cocks his head to the side and then walks inside. This exhibit.
Speaker 0 01:02:39 Leo gives Calissa and fee a tug and goes in after him.
Speaker 1 01:02:47 You walk into an exhibit which the placard on the wall tells you is the hall of mirrors. And as soon as you walk in, you are surrounded by iterations of your reflection, big and small and bits and pieces at different angles. Just, uh, hundreds of reflections of you all around this hall. You see mirrors that look dingy and old. You see ones that look new and modern and shiny. You see antiques, you see shards hanging from the ceiling. It is just an overwhelming torrent of reflections of yourself. And as you're standing there overwhelmed by what you're seeing, you see Soren standing at the end of this one stretch of mirrors, about to turn a corner and you watch him. Laser only, it flick one of the smaller mirrors with his fingers and it just starts spinning as he walks around the corner.
Speaker 0 01:03:59 Okay. That anybody seeing that
Speaker 1 01:04:03 From behind you Eleanora goes, what the fuck?
Speaker 0 01:04:08 My sentiments. Exactly. Come on. I think we're supposed to go this way.
Speaker 1 01:04:14 You keep walking through this mirror. Maze. Soren is not showing up in any of the mirrors, but you see like the very edge of the hem of his robes disappearing around another corner. As more mirrors around that corner, just start spinning. Like he put both hands out and dragged them down the edges.
Speaker 0 01:04:38 It strikes me that Leo has not tried speaking to him yet. He reaches up stops one of the mirrors from where it's spinning and kind of tilts his head to the side. What are you trying to show me
Speaker 1 01:04:56 From behind you? Zed says, Leo, who the hell are you talking to?
Speaker 0 01:05:01 I want an honest answer. Or would you prefer to continue believing that I'm at least somewhat sane
Speaker 1 01:05:08 From around the corner Soren who is looking like he is ready to keep leading you through the maze grimaces and then brings one hand across his mouth, like zipping motion, shrugs and swings, another mirror and continues on.
Speaker 0 01:05:28 I feel so bad for everybody else with me. Who's going into this with no context, but I charge after him.
Speaker 1 01:05:36 You turn the last corner and you see that this mirror maze opens up into just a huge round space dominated by this giant, like 10 foot tall mirror with a gold frame, with sort of engravings in the glass, around the corners. It is intricately crafted and he would say it is worth at least a thousand gold pieces. Soren is standing in this big round space facing away from you. You cannot see his reflection in the mirror.
Speaker 0 01:06:16 Leo walks into this space, but he's not walking towards the mirror. He walks toward Soren and reaches a handout to try to touch his shoulder.
Speaker 1 01:06:30 As you raise your hand roll perception with advantage
Speaker 0 01:06:37 23,
Speaker 1 01:06:41 You look down and you see something flaking off of the hems of his robes. At first, you think it's like Ash, and then you realize it is ice crystals. And you recognize that site very intimately because Soren's magic was always very ice based. And then you realize that it is flakes of his robes coming apart into these little ice crystals. And before your hand makes contact with his shoulder, he turns, you watch him bring a hand up to his face and you realized that there is a trickle of blood coming out of his nose, flicks it off of his fingers. And you see more of those flakes. Come off of his hand. As this image of Soren starts to dissolve in front of your eyes. It is fast. It is a few seconds. And then he has gone.
Speaker 0 01:07:49 No, no, no, no. I looked down at the ground or the ice crystals real. Can I touch them?
Speaker 1 01:08:00 No. After he's gone, there is no evidence that he was there.
Speaker 0 01:08:07 Leo has to work extremely hard to not break down into tears. Swallows closes his eyes. Nods looks up at this big gilded mirror in front of him and whispers. Thank you. And I'm going to run up to this mirror. Zap Kim rolls blade out of my Bracer and drop a scrying spell on a launch of the car. And she is very familiar to me. That is negative five to the wizard. Save.
Speaker 1 01:08:35 Alicia has a plus one to Wiz. So subtracting five from her safe means she has a minus four, which means she cannot mechanically roll the 18 that she would need to resist this crying swell. You see a Lasha standing in a well-appointed office. There are bookshelves on the wall. There's a sturdy Oak and desk in front of where she's standing. You see Colossus dad a little further in the room, pacing to where a hole in the rug and behind the desk. You don't see anything logically. You assume that must be where your father is, but your eyes slide off that space. Like you cannot focus in on the part of the mirror where you would assume your father is sitting. It is almost like there's a hole in the reflection, but if there was a blank space there, you could at least focus on that blank space. And instead there's just a block in your awareness. Alicia throws an arm to the side and a sweeping gesture and says, so what? We're just supposed to wait for evacuation efforts. And there is this not really a sound, but like this tinnitus buzzing in your ear, as you would assume, your father is responding, but you cannot perceive him because of whatever spell he has had cast on him.
Speaker 1 01:10:27 From back in the corner, you see coalesces, dad's eyebrows furrow. And he says, and how exactly are we planning to make sure that our people don't get caught up in that Moreland? There are Sharian citizens in that city. My daughter is in that city right now. And Alicia cuts in gestures at Eamonn and says, yes. And she turns back to the space where you assume your father is. And I would remind you, dear. So is yours.
Speaker 1 01:11:08 No Alicia scoffs. You're not worried. That's great. Marlin. I'm sure that there's no margin for error in them. Getting out before the city thinks into the lava. And somehow being picked up by a patrol before they get shot by the Navy eye. And she makes like a strangling motion stops smoothed down her dress and her hair. I'm going to think of something and Colossus, dad just steps closer to the desk and hisses a better handle on my child. Perhaps I would have, if you had looped me into the plan before I let her walk into a deathtrap, Morlin,
Speaker 1 01:12:05 Greater good. This is my daughter and Leo Calissa next to you reaches up and just put the hand over her mouth in the mirror. You watch her dad just make a disgusted noise and go, I, and then he turns to a Lasha just hands up and says anything you can think of. We need to get them out. Now, Alicia kind of reaches up to just put her fingers who were temple and goes. I'll try and mobilize my intelligence network. I, I need time to think. Marlon, how much time do I have?
Speaker 1 01:12:54 You watch a <inaudible> his through her teeth and nod. I'll have to think fast. Then
Speaker 0 01:13:07 Leo dispels, the scrying spell. He turns around and looks at fi Zed Eleanora, and Colossae in abject horror. That's why the city stopped moving. They're weaponizing the volcano. They're going to try to force people to evacuate so that they get picked off by the Navy. When they too, They're trying to kill the whole city.
Speaker 1 01:13:46 Colossae still has a hand over her mouth. Eleanora is staring slack jawed at the mirror, and Zed has started pacing behind you Fi at your side, reaches down and squeezes your hand and says, we need to do something.
Speaker 2 01:14:13 We need to do something fast.
Speaker 0 01:14:23 And that's where we're again this week.
Speaker 7 01:14:26 Oh, oh, oh,
Speaker 0 01:14:32 Leo got laid. But at what cost, We'll see you next time
Speaker 7 01:14:40 On compelled to
Speaker 0 01:14:56 Hey, everybody Barry here with the postscript, just clearing up a couple of housekeeping things here at the end of the episode, as always, I'm going to go ahead and plug our social media pages. You can find us on Twitter, Tumblr and Tik TOK, acapella, duel. We also have lots of other cool stuff going on, like an official Spotify account and official website. You can find all of that stuff linked on our various social media profiles. If you're enjoying what you've heard so far on the podcast and are interested in supporting us. We ask that you head over to patrion.com/compelled dual and check out our patron benefits starting at just $2 a month, that you can get access to lots of cool stuff like early access to episodes, access to exclusive playlist and special bonus content and even handwritten letters from your favorite character every month.
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