Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Hey Al Hey Barry. What's the difference between a wizard and a sourcer? What class? It's time for compelled dual
Speaker 2 00:00:26 Hello everybody.
Speaker 3 00:00:27 And welcome back to Gabel dual I'm Barry,
Speaker 2 00:00:30 And I'm a howl and we
Speaker 3 00:00:32 Are a single player. Cody, M to D and D fifth edition,
Speaker 2 00:00:35 Actual play podcast previously on compelled door. I hate those guys so
Speaker 0 00:00:45 Much magic cats, magic cats. This cat
Speaker 4 00:00:51 Gets him at the bottom of the jaw,
Speaker 0 00:00:54 As he gets up to try to get to you and
Speaker 4 00:00:57 Just rakes a claw up and across his face almost takes a fucking eye out and he just falls to the floor.
Speaker 0 00:01:07 Fi standing on its back, trying to like balance like a surf hoarder is just going to drop both hands down into its shoulder blades and cast. The shocking grasp what's happened. We killed the cat. If that was not self-evident, is that proof enough for you?
Speaker 2 00:01:27 And here we have zero winners of this
Speaker 0 00:01:29 Year's games by deed. I name you lateral who rode the crank cats by DEET. I named you Ferrara who brings thunder upon her enemies? The favor we would ask is passage on your ship to candlelight Wharf.
Speaker 4 00:01:49 You do notice at one point a group of five storm folk walk in.
Speaker 0 00:01:55 This is a gift from the gentlemen at
Speaker 4 00:01:56 The next table. Over you look down at the business card in front of you, and it identifies him as one earnest hammer. Brooke, you feel digging in past the boating of your corset, the point of a very sharp knife at your back.
Speaker 0 00:02:17 Now, Mr. Hammer, Brooke, I thought we were having too nice of a conversation. I'd apologize for the deception, but it strikes me
Speaker 4 00:02:26 That I never actually told him my name was Erin, his timer,
Speaker 0 00:02:28 Brooke. Um, to be fair
Speaker 4 00:02:31 To him, he hasn't used his identity much since I killed
Speaker 0 00:02:33 Him. Most folks just call me the captain. I'm the pirate king of those fr Isles, and you'll be coming with us.
Speaker 2 00:02:55 So we pick up a couple of days after we left off Leo, you and fi have been thrown into the brig of a massive, multiple mastered multiple deck, sailing ship, and mostly left to your own devices. You've been given food and water at regular intervals, but nobody's said much to you.
Speaker 3 00:03:19 It has been stewing quietly throughout this whole journey when he's not being violently seasick,
Speaker 2 00:03:27 Clawing at the walls like fi is pacing. He is quite annoyed as she is pacing,
Speaker 3 00:03:35 Leo glares at her and says, and this is why we are taught not to talk to strangers. Right? Have we learned did this lesson? Oh, I don't
Speaker 2 00:03:45 Want to hear anything about my decision making from you. One time I cut loose
Speaker 5 00:03:51 Just the once and the one time you cut loose, we get kidnapped.
Speaker 4 00:03:59 Yeah. You know what actually I'm done. I don't have
Speaker 3 00:04:02 Anything more to say. And then Leo sits down in the corner, very quietly
Speaker 2 00:04:07 Phoenix, a frustrated noise, and just goes back to pacing. There's a bit of a lull. And then in walks, someone you have not seen before. So far, a pretty round swarm folk, dude, curly, dark hair, pulled back into a ponytail, a magnificent ASCA tied around his neck, looks a little nervous. He's holding a garment bag in one hand and he presses the other over his chest as he does a short bow. And then he looks at me and says, the captain request your company for dinner. Oh, fantastic. People would love
Speaker 3 00:04:49 Dinner. Given that we've only been given bread and water for the past couple of days,
Speaker 2 00:04:55 This guy looks at you and then tilt his head a little bit and says, not yet, huh? Hmm.
Speaker 3 00:05:05 I'm not blaming fee at this point, but he does shoot her a
Speaker 2 00:05:09 Pretty venomous glare. You can tell the captain, whatever his name is that I wholeheartedly decline. And the storm folk dude says, I'm afraid that isn't going to be an option for you mom. And then he like jiggles the garment bag a little bit. And he says, I brought this for you to wear. And then he'd spreads his hands. Kind of like, what are you going to do? And says, I suppose you don't have to come, but well, I'll put it this way. Talking with the captain is the only way that the two of you are getting out of the cell anytime soon. So, and then he passes the garment back through the bars and he says, I'll give you time to change and think it over
Speaker 3 00:05:53 Leo waits for this random dude that has just come down there to turn around and then turns over to
Speaker 2 00:05:58 Finger, put it on the phone. It's a matter of principle. You flirted us into this mess and how God dammit you. Weren't going to go up there and flirt us out. Fine. Turn around Leo.
Speaker 3 00:06:13 We'll help get her into the dress if she needs help.
Speaker 2 00:06:17 I think she had the little bit of help. Very obviously this is a dress that is not sized to her proportions, but it fits all right. It is very clearly a Cherian and like making style, but it's like bright red and orange and squishier than how fi tends to dress. Okay? Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:06:38 I'll help her into it where she needs
Speaker 2 00:06:41 Fi
Speaker 3 00:06:42 Or dressed. You follow this very well-dressed storm folk, young man out of the brig. As you walk away, you see Leo's hand pointed out through the bars at you and you hear him yell. If you abandoned it me down here, my revenge will be swift and terrible
Speaker 2 00:07:00 Over her shoulder feet through gritted teeth says noted you fall.
Speaker 3 00:07:06 Hello. This young storm folk man, up a very steep, narrow set of stairs from the brig up to the deck of
Speaker 2 00:07:15 This ship. You are out
Speaker 3 00:07:17 On the open ocean in the dark of the night. You can see nothing around you other than rolling glassy waters and a bright sky full of stars overhead.
Speaker 2 00:07:31 He
Speaker 3 00:07:32 Leads you across the deck to a set of mystique. Last windows with a low warmer light, glowing inside knocks on the door briefly opens it. And then it gives you a short bow and gestures. You inside
Speaker 2 00:07:49 Feet, Bob's a little cartoon to him. And then you enter in to
Speaker 3 00:07:55 A very richly appointed captain's quarters. It is larger than what Katya is, was on her
Speaker 2 00:08:03 By quite a bit. In one
Speaker 3 00:08:07 Corner, there is a large table with a lot of maps spread out across it and navigators tools. There's a desk in another corner that is ladened down with several letters. It looks like and against the opposite wall with a couple of portholes, looking out over the ocean, there is a massive four poster bed draped with exotic colorful scarves in dark reds and oranges and yellows. Just kind of sitting there. But what you notice first is that in the middle of the room, there is a small dining table where the captain, as he introduced himself, is sitting with his boots, kicked up on the table.
Speaker 2 00:08:56 He has ditched
Speaker 3 00:08:57 The rich Brocade frock coat that he had on. When you first met him, that is hanging on a hall tree right next to the door. He still has on the loose linen shirt that is open all the way to the waistband of his pants. And he still has on the beat up tricorn hat. He shoots you a lopsided sharp tooth grin from across the room.
Speaker 2 00:09:21 Ah, good to see that the dress Fisher, as well as it does, who are prepared for a company of quite such a caliber. Do you have a seat? Would
Speaker 3 00:09:30 You like to do anything as you move into this room?
Speaker 2 00:09:34 You are. I have my wand or my orb on me. No
Speaker 3 00:09:38 Of your feasible weapons were taken from you and Leo before you got on the ship. So Leo doesn't have his armor. You don't have your major's armor. You don't have your wand. There's nothing that you could use. Well, a weapon on you.
Speaker 2 00:09:53 Can I look at the maps around the table? Yeah, sure. It might be an investigation check. That's a 16 also that brings up an interesting question. Do I have the Cape on me? No.
Speaker 3 00:10:05 The Cape was absolutely confiscated from you as soon as you got on there.
Speaker 2 00:10:09 Fun. Okay. With the 16. I mean, as you're
Speaker 3 00:10:13 Looking down at the spread of maps, you can see very clearly that you are sailing through this FRR Isles. That is what most of the maps there are outlining. The one on top of the table has a very detailed map of an area that is known as the Dragon's mall that connects the Southern coast of Austria with Pearl port and the Zephyr Isles and the coast. And there are a lot, a lot of red Xs with dates marked next to them.
Speaker 2 00:10:47 The map. There's
Speaker 3 00:10:50 No real, real way to tell where you are right now, but it seems like wherever this vessel is headed, that's its general orbit.
Speaker 2 00:11:00 Okay? With that information gleaned, I'm going to take a seat. You sit
Speaker 3 00:11:05 Down, the captain takes his feet down off the top of the table.
Speaker 2 00:11:09 Well, the first thing you need to understand last is that no harm is going to come to you aboard my ship. We have quite a strict policy here in this ever Isles of taking good care of any prisoners we may take. The second thing is I'm sure you'll understand that we're in a bit of an unprecedented circumstance here. I feel kind of settles back in her chair, crosses her arms over her chest and says I don't follow. He will soon enough at that
Speaker 3 00:11:38 Point, the door to the captain's quarters swings open and the absolutely massive storm folk dude with the blonde buzz cut that you saw in the bar walks in with silver domed, trays lined up each arm. He sets all of this down and under comes it and quick succession
Speaker 2 00:11:59 And says dinner tonight consists of my famous spinach puffs followed by an a rugal a solid with a delicate raspberry balsamic glaze, a duck confetti for the main course and a citrus sorbet for dessert. The captain nods and says, thank you, boots. That'll be all. And the
Speaker 3 00:12:20 Big dude just bows out of the room after leaving the room food behind him,
Speaker 2 00:12:24 Fi pauses, and then says, boots, the captain
Speaker 3 00:12:30 Already biting into a spinach puff
Speaker 2 00:12:32 Says, well, the thing is, there are a certain amount of folks in this Fri that, um, names are a little bit difficult for us. You understand? Well, you don't understand, but boots was one of the first people that enlisted on the ship and almost wasn't great of assigning names at that point. Uh huh. Oh, so you named him booths. You did that to him. His arrival was, most of them are, but that's not what we're here to discuss. Is it talk to the Badger is I'll have a gift for you. A gift of a SART. How gracious of you after locking me in a cell for two days, the
Speaker 3 00:13:27 Captain reaches under the table and pulls up a lovingly cleaned and folded gift with the storm burner and places it on the table in front of you
Speaker 2 00:13:42 And Leo, back in the cell, in the brig, there is a young star Voke woman, short dark hair, pretty solidly belts sitting on a backwards chair in front of the door to yourself, just whittling a piece of ivory with a knife. Leo is
Speaker 3 00:14:03 Walking up and down the cell with a tin cup, just rattling it along the bars.
Speaker 2 00:14:10 This young storm Goldman says, you mind cutting the rocket Romy inside really quick, 19. It dawns on you as she's talking that this is a teenager. She looks a little bit older than you think she is. She has very like angular, very cut features. But the bitchy look that she's giving. You can only be that of a teenage girl, Leo
Speaker 3 00:14:36 Narrows his eyes and then decides to play the situation out to his maximum
Speaker 2 00:14:42 And goes, Hey kid, what's your name? She stops what she's doing. Looks at you and says one. Don't call me kid and two. It's you, your name is layer real. She sighs every fucking time. No, my name is you. You okay? That's wonderful. So tell me, uh, you, do you really think I deserve to be locked up in here? I mean, how big of a threat am I? I'm just a little guy, right? She snorts I'm shorter than you are. And I've taken eight train sailors in combat at once. Yeah, but I mean, look
Speaker 3 00:15:35 At me and Leo Flexis has atrophied.
Speaker 2 00:15:40 You know what I could use? I could use some fresh air. You could help
Speaker 3 00:15:44 Me out with that. Right? You, I feel like we have an understanding.
Speaker 2 00:15:48 She gets up from the chair, arms crossed over her chest and like leans into the bars and says you and I don't have an understanding about shit. It is my opinion that the captain for everything else, that he is, is an admirable pirate. And he's got good instincts. When it comes to people that he taught us to be threats, pirates. Good to know.
Speaker 3 00:16:16 It goes back to walking up and down the cell and rattling the tin cup along the bars. Again,
Speaker 2 00:16:22 She's going to try and snatch the tin cup out of your hand, we're going to roll, uh, shrank versus decks.
Speaker 3 00:16:29 That's a dirty 20 for Leo.
Speaker 2 00:16:31 That's a Nat 20 for you.
Speaker 3 00:16:38 Okay. He tries to snatch it back from her and she just wrestles it out of his grip. I guess
Speaker 2 00:16:43 She nods and satisfaction racist the mug as if to toast you and says, we're taking this
Speaker 3 00:16:51 Fee. You are sitting in the captain's quarters. He is holding a lovingly folded and cleaned gift of the storm bringer right in front of you on the table.
Speaker 2 00:17:04 What do you do? I'm not trying to be rude, but I am going to try and snatch it. Okay. We're going to roll a Dex contest 13 and
Speaker 3 00:17:14 The captain rolled an 18. So you go to grab for the Cape and he yanks it back very sharply.
Speaker 4 00:17:26 He stands up very slowly, walks behind you and drapes the Cape over your shoulders, buckles it into place in front of your neck, and then moves back around the table to sit back in his seat. But before he fully sits back down, he reaches under the collar of the Cape where the bright silvery scale male is and runs two fingers down a long, the hem of the shifting stormy fabric. You don't know what this is. Not really. I could tell you if you'd allow it fi
Speaker 2 00:18:13 Haas's looks at our teeth for a second and then says,
Speaker 0 00:18:16 I'm sure you'd love to think you have a lot to teach me. Wouldn't dream of it. Last I'll admit she does clash a bit with the colors of the dress, but we make do with what we have feed picks it, the skirt of the dress and says not my usual style, but I appreciate the effort. And then she lifts a little bit of the fabric to gesture with it and says, I've noticed the Cherian dare. I ask how it came into your possession. He
Speaker 4 00:18:49 Raises an eyebrow and tilts his head lantern light of the captain's quarters reflects off of the Opalescence flashing the deep reds and golds in his hair and the pinks and greens and his freckles.
Speaker 0 00:19:06 And he says,
Speaker 4 00:19:08 You'd be a fool to assume that you're the first historian last we've had on this old
Speaker 0 00:19:12 Tub VAT dress taught me two lessons. The first was never trusted in Australia. The second was to ever trust a Bard theory, other than iRound says, I get what you mean. I did notice back in the bar that you reacted more than I expected to my chosen moniker. How do you know Sabine
Speaker 4 00:19:35 Feed? There is the razor sharp edge of a Cutlass leveled against your throat. Before you have the time to react.
Speaker 2 00:19:49 Now there's no need to be hasty. The captain is standing up from
Speaker 4 00:19:56 His chair, has drawn his sword. Has it pressed directly to your throat. And all of the levity has dropped from his face. He is deadly serious. She said you did. She didn't say that. I'm guessing your dynamic is not friendly. Then blade at your throat does not waiver, but the captain slowly walks around the side of the table, looking you dead in the eye and says, Sabine's my wife. And this wouldn't exactly be the first time she sent her an assassin after me,
Speaker 2 00:20:49 Leo, there is a sound of a bell ringing up on deck and the shrimp folk, teenager that had been watching you straightens up, cracks her back and then starts walking towards the staircase that leads back up onto the deck. Oh you, where are you going?
Speaker 3 00:21:08 I thought we were having a good time.
Speaker 2 00:21:11 She puts a middle finger over her shoulder and says, I'm going to go eat dinner. You are going to have to deal with. And then their footsteps on the stairs and squeezing past her in the doorway is this like big beefy storm, a guy with the close cropped blonde hair that had a knife to your throat in the alleyway when you and feet got captured and behind him a, uh, almost as tall but way skinnier storm folk, man, much darker and coloration with a, it looks like a zombie bird on his shoulder. And then you says, well, you'll have to deal with them. And the big guy says, now you, I don't appreciate the implications. You says, not implying anything boots. And she makes gross kissy noises and the way the teenagers do, she starts to squeeze out of the stairway. And from these zombie looking bird comes a voice, just dripping with gravitas that says young lady, it is no one's fault. That expressions of a sophisticated adult relationship disgust and alarm you. So the bird says this, yes. Leo
Speaker 3 00:22:35 Presses his lips together very tightly and nods in silence.
Speaker 2 00:22:40 You says, fuck off. Just because I don't want to sit around and watch you to make kissy faces at each other. It's not anything to do with me. Goodbye. And then she got Leo's
Speaker 3 00:22:52 Eyeing the bird, very suspiciously.
Speaker 2 00:22:58 I think the big guy who is in front of the cell says, I know that. Look, he points at you. And he says, the man, not the bird is the one who's talking. The buyer does the talking, but cannot stress enough. I've got nothing to do with the bird. Bird's got nothing to do with me. This went to a dark place. Leo puts both of his hands up.
Speaker 3 00:23:27 Hey man, I'm not here to judge. I'm just here to hang out while all of you guys watch me.
Speaker 2 00:23:35 He turns and he pointed to the guy with the bird and he said, now this always happens. Look, could you clarify for me? I mean, before
Speaker 3 00:23:46 We clarify her avian proclivities or lack
Speaker 2 00:23:49 Thereof, the big guy grounds. Oh, so loudly. Hi,
Speaker 3 00:23:55 I'm Leo. Nice to meet the both of you. At least one of you formally given that, you know, you did try to slit my throat in an alley.
Speaker 2 00:24:03 The big guy says, now that if I had wanted your dad, you'd be dead. And I have no doubts about that. And you have my wrists back. The big I pinched the bridge of his nose. He says, well, I'm boots. And then he gestures at the skinny guy and says, that's Pelican. My husband, Leo squints, you boots and Pelican. The bird says it's his a long and storied Zephyr aisles. Customs. Yeah, I I'm sure it is. There's a pause. And then the bread says, before we delve any deeper into this conversation, I must clarify. I am a bird translating the thoughts of the man who showed her. I said upon,
Speaker 3 00:24:56 You know, that is so far from the weirdest thing that I have seen in the past year to either a, you boys know how to play three dragon, auntie
Speaker 2 00:25:07 <inaudible> the bird says my good man, I must fall warn you. If you engage us in games of chance, this devilishly handsome side of beef will surely hand your rear end to you on a silver platter. I would like you
Speaker 3 00:25:31 To observe my current situation. The both
Speaker 2 00:25:33 Of you NSL dirty, stinky hungry.
Speaker 3 00:25:40 And I would like you to ask yourselves, what do I have to lose
Speaker 2 00:25:45 The shit off your back and whatever dignity you may possess. Well, right now I've only got the shirt. Either. You boys got a deck of cards,
Speaker 3 00:26:00 Fi you find yourself at the end of both a sword and a world shaking revelation,
Speaker 2 00:26:10 Your wife. Interesting.
Speaker 3 00:26:15 As you're sitting there with this sword pressed against the base of your neck, you look down and you see that the captain is indeed wearing a wedding ring, just a simple gold band right around his finger.
Speaker 2 00:26:28 Would you believe she was single? As far as I knew, he looks a little hurt honestly. And then
Speaker 3 00:26:38 Tips has had to decide and says,
Speaker 2 00:26:41 Hey, I suppose that should be the case. We, uh, didn't exactly parse on the best of terms after she tried to Rob me blind, looking back on my conversations with her, the story, as far as I heard it was that you marooned her on an island. So it is, and it was well-deserved at any rate, the blade
Speaker 3 00:27:03 Drops away from your throat and he slides it back into its scabbard and sits back down in his seat.
Speaker 2 00:27:10 I won't hold the irrefutable fact that Sabine lies against you. Last, if I didn't have to hold it against myself, he
Speaker 3 00:27:20 Puts a hand up to his head and just kind of leans into it, not touching his food and looking down at the wood of the table.
Speaker 2 00:27:31 Kivas thunder. Would I forgotten myself and do now the precious invisible dust off what she narrowed, humanizes us to be in the dress and says, well, putting aside my relationship with your wife and whoever Kiva is
Speaker 3 00:27:52 The captain squints at you and tilts his head
Speaker 2 00:27:56 Onto whoever Kiva is where you're raised under a rock class, Kiva, Tempest monster, mother kales, the storm, bringer ringing any bells. The what
Speaker 5 00:28:18 Feel like plucks at the Cape around her shoulder, the storm breaker. He said the lie. I saw the Cape and I thought that, oh, I just don't know shite D I'm rapidly coming to that conclusion.
Speaker 4 00:28:36 He rounds and fiddles with one of the chains around his neck. A little, but
Speaker 5 00:28:42 Well, you know, or like, I guess you don't Kiva the one with the lightening and the SARMs and they're not a goddess per se, but
Speaker 4 00:28:58 Full crowns here, believe that Kiva controls, fate, death,
Speaker 5 00:29:03 Things like that. And when you die at sea, as
Speaker 3 00:29:09 You would, when you're a sailor like myself, she's the one that comes and gets ya. This really isn't drug in anything.
Speaker 5 00:29:19 Why would it come from a Sherri? I know it isn't well, how'd you get the Cape? That is a very long story. His confused demeanor
Speaker 4 00:29:33 Shifts back into that. Cocky, smart, any purchase his chin on his hand and says we've got nothing but time.
Speaker 5 00:29:43 Well, the long and short of it is I've talked to the storm breaker. A couple of times his
Speaker 4 00:29:55 Eyes get really big.
Speaker 5 00:29:58 You've talked to her. Yes. Again, long story.
Speaker 2 00:30:04 There was an incident and with, with some portal and I was in the mountains and the Cape was like calling to me and it was a whole thing. And now I just have it. And
Speaker 5 00:30:12 Also I've talked to her and sometimes she sends me messages, I guess.
Speaker 0 00:30:18 Well, I don't know who else would be sending me that messages.
Speaker 5 00:30:23 All right, you'll have to forgive my skepticism lasts. It's just that I wasn't aware that there were any other
Speaker 4 00:30:31 Powers in Australia at work other than your Lord of bones, as it were
Speaker 0 00:30:38 Not for a while. As far as I can tell, it seemed the shorm bringer had a bit of a foothold and lost it quite a while ago.
Speaker 3 00:30:53 His eyes get even bigger. He slams both of his hands down on the table and says,
Speaker 5 00:30:58 Well, it's in the high, holy fuck is going on here. I wish I knew
Speaker 3 00:31:09 This man is having a full-blown crisis. He's not even trying to hide it. You can see him like trying to do math in his head and the equations just aren't coming
Speaker 2 00:31:17 Up. Eventually
Speaker 3 00:31:20 He blinks a few times, very heavily sits back in his chair. All right, well, I suppose questions of theology or so far car to the back burner at this point that it's not even worth bringing anymore. And honestly, I don't know if my head could take it.
Speaker 2 00:31:40 What were you doing? And candle light Wharf, trying to get passage to Vogue voter, where we were separated from several close companions, including Sabina I'm I'm still a little bit hung up on the Sabine issue. You'll have to give me a moment under his breath. He mumbles you and me both. That's not healthy. And this would take much longer to explain. We were sent to a sky from <inaudible> rather suddenly. And we have been trying to make our way back for a few months. At this point, this is deepening. It's not
Speaker 3 00:32:20 So much that you can see the wheels in this guy's head turning as it is that you can hear them grinding together and smell a little bit of the smoke
Speaker 2 00:32:26 Coming out. But
Speaker 3 00:32:28 Eventually he regained some air of authority and clasps his hands together on the table. In front of him, eats another spinach, puff a little dejectedly
Speaker 2 00:32:39 And says, well,
Speaker 3 00:32:41 I'm afraid I've got some unfortunate news for your loss. Even if I were inclined to help you,
Speaker 2 00:32:46 Which I still might not be. There's
Speaker 3 00:32:50 A bit of an obstacle to that objective in front of you.
Speaker 2 00:32:58 We cut back to Leo who has lost a shirt and both shoes at this point, Leo, as promise booth is handing your ass. I'm just sitting
Speaker 3 00:33:11 There holding my cards, attempting to uphold some semblance of decorum,
Speaker 2 00:33:17 Broke performance six. It's called the brag mat. You're doing your best. It's not great. And also the bird is like staring you down. Pelican is not. The bird is
Speaker 3 00:33:35 Well, boys, you beat me a one more hand. It's about to get a lot more risque. So what do we say? We raised the stakes,
Speaker 2 00:33:43 My good men. You have nothing to raise.
Speaker 3 00:33:52 Leo lowers his hand of cards, marrows his eyes at the Pelican and says, I can't tell if that was a taunt or if you just clocked me,
Speaker 2 00:34:01 The bird opened the terrible beak. And at that moment from behind boots and Pelican, somebody yells for fuck's sake. You too, you see at the bottom of the, Sarah's an older storm folk woman with like pretty short jaw length, silver hair and eye patch and dressed in like a very modest and kind of prim way. And the last of the pirates that brought you back to the boat, this gangly like the equivalent of like 15 year old teenage boy, who is like peeking around this older woman. And she says, it's none of my business. What'd you get up to in your own time. But I would think the Tulia could keep a little bit of decorum when he knew the boy was going to be down here. Leo
Speaker 3 00:34:47 Very demurely tries to cover the top half of his torso with his hands and the hand of cards that he has
Speaker 2 00:34:55 That says duck to be fair. He did challenge us, letting him win would hardly have been supporting of me. And also
Speaker 3 00:35:03 They did say that all I had to lose was the shirt off my back and my dignity and I have lost both. Plus my shoes
Speaker 2 00:35:11 And this older, some folk lady, uh, doc apparently shakes her head in deep disappointment and says, give the man back a shirt.
Speaker 3 00:35:21 I mean, I wouldn't say no to getting my shirt
Speaker 2 00:35:23 Back. Quite a lot of money
Speaker 3 00:35:25 Went into me being able to not wear a shirt, but it is a kind of cold
Speaker 2 00:35:29 Down here, completely blowing past this, the teenager behind doc scoots around her. And you see that he is holding the biggest ugliest orange cat you have ever seen in your life.
Speaker 3 00:35:44 How about, and how ugly? Cause I've seen a big ugly cat and I've got the scar too.
Speaker 2 00:35:50 This cat is probably 25 pounds, orange as anything just bright RN. And as it turns its head, you see that it has a face like a cartoon character that just ran into a wall. It is totally just smushed. It's missing like most of one year it is a delightfully hideous creature. And this little teenager says, this is notice of delinquent or a payment. Uh, you have to feed him or we will all sink to the bottom of the sea and die. The, um, I mean, first of all, shore,
Speaker 3 00:36:30 Second of all, the cat's name is notice of delinquent repayment
Speaker 2 00:36:36 In unison, all three of the storm folk in the room and pelicans bird and say, yes,
Speaker 3 00:36:43 Leo wins and then points at the teenager and goes, let me guess your name is what like glasses.
Speaker 2 00:36:52 This teenager gives you a slow, suspicious look and says, yes, of course it is all right, bring me the cat. He brings you the cat, hands you a little piece of some kind of bird through the bars of yourself. And I think just holding the cat up to the bars, Leo
Speaker 3 00:37:12 Looks down at the bit of raw poultry and his hand and goes, Hey, Pelican, how do you feel about this man?
Speaker 2 00:37:19 The bird gives you a long look. It like presses a wing to its chest.
Speaker 3 00:37:25 Like the tip of Boeing and says, speaking
Speaker 2 00:37:29 Only for myself, I want swallow to Siegel whole,
Speaker 3 00:37:35 Uh, understandable. We all do what we have to do here. Kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, and Leo holds out piece
Speaker 2 00:37:43 Of beef roll animal handling with this advantage.
Speaker 3 00:37:47 Disadvantage
Speaker 2 00:37:50 Cat's mean,
Speaker 3 00:37:54 Okay. The cat's been and Leo is not a cat person. That's fair. Oh, I rolled a Nat 20. That's so sad. But even with disadvantage, that's a 22. Okay.
Speaker 2 00:38:08 The cat does take the meat from your hand. And instead of going full Rambo on you only scratches your arm a little bit, Leo winces a little bit and goes,
Speaker 3 00:38:20 All right, thank you. You notice of delinquent or payment. It appears we have an understanding.
Speaker 2 00:38:27 Glasses says we're starting to think he has the taste for blood. Yeah,
Speaker 3 00:38:31 Certainly it would appear. So I guess you all are my company for the next little bit. Hello. <inaudible> nice to
Speaker 2 00:38:37 Meet you. Doc says I'm mostly down here for this and then bustles over and just grabs your arm and pulls it out through the bars and just starts rapping in bandage.
Speaker 3 00:38:48 Oh my God. Thank you. That's so nice. You're the first nice person I've met
Speaker 2 00:38:52 Here. Everybody else in the room. Laughs and doc gives them all sharp looks and then turns back to you and says we have a policy of non harm to prisoners. The cat just doesn't abide by the law.
Speaker 3 00:39:05 Well, I certainly appreciate that policy, whether or not notice of delinquent to repayment, wants to abide
Speaker 2 00:39:14 By it. Boots and Pelican hurt my
Speaker 3 00:39:16 Dignity a little bit, but I assume that that doesn't fall under the
Speaker 2 00:39:19 Policy. I think she does reach out through the bars and just like Patsy on the tape couple times and says boil the law. Doesn't apply to your own stupidity. As I am swiftly
Speaker 3 00:39:31 Learning. I'm guessing that I'm not going to get a card game out of this particular
Speaker 2 00:39:35 Watch. I'm too old to gamble on the boys too young. And she grabs your shirt from boats and adds it to you.
Speaker 3 00:39:42 Fair enough. Besides the only thing I have left to gamble is my shirt and I just got that back. So I guess we'll all just be getting to know each other for the next a little bit.
Speaker 2 00:39:54 That's claps, his hand, he is still holding onto your shoes. He has not returned them. And he says, well, we'd best be off to bed doc, settles down in a chair and just like pull the book out from nowhere and just start paging through it. Leo
Speaker 3 00:40:09 Hurriedly puts his shirt back on and then sits back down on whatever stool or bunk he has availability to do. So with looks at doc and glasses and asks. So, um, policy of non harm to prisoners, it would greatly put my mind at ease if one or both of you could confirm that that also extends to my sister because a very well-dressed gentlemen came down here quite a bit earlier to collect her. And I haven't heard from her since
Speaker 2 00:40:42 DOCSIS, that would be Ascot. A fucking
Speaker 3 00:40:46 Course's name is Ascot. All right.
Speaker 2 00:40:49 She raises her eyes. You, she says, I wouldn't worry too much about him. He's how to say this. If the man gets too close to the kitchen noise here looks licks about faint.
Speaker 3 00:41:02 That is a
Speaker 2 00:41:04 Mild comfort over here, long
Speaker 3 00:41:07 Stretch of not even having that I suppose, but this whole situation does beg the question
Speaker 2 00:41:13 Of what all of
Speaker 3 00:41:15 You have to gain from kidnapping. A couple of nobody is from a bar in candle
Speaker 2 00:41:20 War doc very deliberately turns the page in her book and says, no, don't sell yourself short lot. I wouldn't exactly call the grand Duchess and duke of Sharia. Nobody's fuck dot comes to herself. And just goes back to her book. Glasses sits down with the cat and you sit in awkward silence for a minute. And then you hear footsteps on the stairs.
Speaker 3 00:41:49 Pelican. If you're coming back from my shirt, have you not taken enough from me?
Speaker 2 00:41:54 Sophie got to the bottom of the stairs. There's a brief second where she looks panicked and then she stops. And she squints at you. And she says, someone took your shirt. Yes,
Speaker 3 00:42:04 A gentleman who I engaged in an ill-fated game of cards with it's really nice to see you alive by the way.
Speaker 2 00:42:13 Uh, yes, you too. We have bigger problems behind her. You see a slightly older than you, but not by much storm folk, dude fiery red hair with a tricorn hat on. And he says, so we should talk.
Speaker 0 00:42:35 And then we cut to the captain's quarters. Leo, you are sitting by a table upon which the captain, as he has introduced himself unrolls a big map, key it gestures at outline. That's been marked out in the sea between a Sherri involved blunder. And he says the blockade set up right here. They haven't declared war yet, but we can all pretty well. See it on the horizon.
Speaker 4 00:43:08 Leo's eyes narrow. As he stares down at the map. What reason do they have Austria? And VoteBuilder have had a peace treaty for over the last century. There's no precedent for this. The captain grimaces, I will, there might be no precedent, but there isn't exactly
Speaker 0 00:43:32 Native one. When and he gestures at fi the grand Duchess is presumed dead on Boulder and soil.
Speaker 4 00:43:39 Leo goes quiet for a very long stretch of time and his eyes go very big. He presses both of his palms down on the map table and looks down at the parchment. This is exactly what the old man's been wanting this entire time
Speaker 0 00:44:02 Feels like pinching the bridge of her nose. She says, I know father has his faults, but he did end the last war. So ended it on his terms,
Speaker 4 00:44:11 Which is the operative phrase here. Fi I, I did a little digging while we were in GIM Tara. And it turns out that the Voltaren wars could have ended decades before they did, but the old didn't want to capitulate to Voltaren in demands. So he skewed the political arena, engaged in some suspect activity knife. Good old uncle Valen is bad. There's a lot, a lot that went on.
Speaker 0 00:44:46 There is a long pause and feed her to hand over her mouth and just says, and I just became his newest excuse.
Speaker 4 00:44:56 I feel like I'm going to be sick. Well, if it's any comfort, he's never needed much of one. He wanted to revenge. And this is how he gets it. Feed
Speaker 0 00:45:07 Stands up from her own chairs, just like hands up. I need to take a walk. I, and then she starts to go for the door and the captain says, wait, there, he looks at her, looks at you. He says as much as I'm up for a bunch of shit, talking philosophizing about the reasons that our squats do, things has never been productive to my knowledge. And he gives a feeling an attempt at a charming smile, as pretty as you are. I've got about a dozen good reasons to hand the two of you over to the shower in Navy, get the blockade disbanded and guarantee that none of this spills over into my islands and precisely zero to help either of you get back to older teeth, super hard
Speaker 4 00:45:58 Where all of your missing people have been going. And to a degree who has been taking them and both of us want to make that stop
Speaker 3 00:46:12 Roll insight, 20 fucking four, buddy,
Speaker 2 00:46:22 You watch a couple of emotions crossed the captain's face in quick succession for a second. He looks worried and then angry. And then you watch him like visibly calm himself down. And he says, Lud people go missing at sea, but disproportionately in the Dragon's mall, yes. Whips his sword out. And it is pointed at your throat in like a second. And he says, right, I think the three of us the best start being honest with each other. You're getting all the honesty I have to give at this point. I'd hate
Speaker 3 00:47:02 To sound like I'm offering up excuses. But when both of us were still living in Australia, yet
Speaker 2 00:47:07 Neither of us knew anything. It was
Speaker 3 00:47:10 All kept under wraps. It was all obvious gated blamed on storm folk pirates or other outside.
Speaker 2 00:47:20 But the reality, which
Speaker 3 00:47:21 I I'm sure you can corroborate is that sometimes folks in the Dragon's mock just disappear.
Speaker 2 00:47:29 And maybe sometimes those folks disappear close to Australian ships and people
Speaker 3 00:47:36 Who are taken to Luxor. Gallen
Speaker 2 00:47:39 Never come back. We see that. Now we know that now and we want to make sure it never happens again. And that's why you should help us almost quicker than you can process the captain. Put the sword back in the sheath, stretches his shoulders. And he says, right well, and then he like dust his hands off, but have a problem with that. I am, and he makes a grand gesture, the highest authority in the fleet, but there are other forces at play that I am accountable to. So we'll have to do a bit of fancy negotiation. Well, well
Speaker 3 00:48:24 Please, everyone here to know that I am very skilled at fancy negotiation, just to explain the term,
Speaker 2 00:48:31 There's a bit of a system of checks and balances for myself and most other pirates in the area you understand, I am accountable to, and then he pulls
Speaker 0 00:48:48 Out another piece of paper and it's a map of
Speaker 2 00:48:50 A little island, the other pirate monarchs of Turtin Sharia, Boulder Messiah down there. And we have a bit of an agreement that none of us is going to interfere in the blockade.
Speaker 3 00:49:07 We can't get back to VOC Volter until
Speaker 2 00:49:10 That particular agreement is dissolved. Yes. He gives you this sideways and grin. And then he points at this smaller map that he's pulled out. And he says, this is par lake Wolf. I can call a meeting between myself and the other player at monarchs press easily. And he hooks his thumb around one of the chains around his neck and pulls out of his shirt. AI looks like a little globe made of Ruby and he rubs his thumb over it in a way that looks deliberate and it starts to glow. The trouble is going to be convincing them the player at queen of the Sharia, especially his pace of work. Didn't even
Speaker 3 00:49:52 Know that that was a person that existed until right now.
Speaker 2 00:49:58 Well, you're lucky, man. I'm not exactly eager to see her this soon after the last time we talked, but needs must I suppose. Okay. So parlay Cove. We figure out what's going on there in the meantime, could we maybe not be in the break really
Speaker 3 00:50:19 Cold down there? And the food's not
Speaker 2 00:50:21 Awesome. Fi says, yeah, I would love a real bed. Been a while the captain looks up at her and smirks and says I could provide that. And then he looks back at Leo and says, JV, you can stay in the crew's quarters. You'll have to put up with Ascot snoring. But sir, you had me at bed. He nods. He says right, seems to have an agreement. And then he sticks out his hand. Yeah, I'm going to shake it.
Speaker 3 00:50:57 Fi the captain, you below deck down to where the cruise quarters are. It's a big wide open space subdivided into several smaller, almost cubicles that are housing. The crew of this ship, which is pretty sizable given how big it is. You and Leo are led to one of these open births. It has a set of bunk beds in it. Leo quickly claims the top one.
Speaker 2 00:51:21 And he wasn't
Speaker 3 00:51:23 Kidding about Ascot. The young man that got you out of the break in the first place, having a little bit of traffic. Yeah. It's loud. But Leo is very tired and goes into his trance almost immediately.
Speaker 2 00:51:40 What are you doing? I think I'm going to go up on deck, walk out on deck.
Speaker 3 00:51:47 It is the dark of the night. The stars are out, reflecting
Speaker 2 00:51:50 Off the light water and above you.
Speaker 3 00:51:54 You see a shadow cast down onto the deck from up
Speaker 2 00:51:59 In the rigging. You look up and the really
Speaker 3 00:52:02 Tall skinny guy with the infernal bird that you saw in the bar is like crouched on all fours in the rigging. And he and the bird are just please. Don't the bird ruffles its feathers in an offended manner. Young lady, it would be a downer reflection of my duty if I were to abandon night
Speaker 2 00:52:27 Swatch. And then from behind you, you hear Pelican
Speaker 3 00:52:32 Yudof ghost of a man Nightwatch doesn't mean Knight lurk, piss off the bird, our rumps, and then Pelican hops down out of the rigging and walks off across the deck and disappears. The captain is standing behind you. Thanks for that
Speaker 4 00:52:55 Wind to Pelican. He's mostly harmless. It's the bird you want to watch out for? Oh, pelicans that I thought Pelican was the bird. It's a bit of a complicated situation. Last you're out late everything. All right. Down to the cruise quarters. Fine. I just needed some air. Well, you're in the right place for that. Oh yeah. I'm glad to see you though. I, it strikes me that I forgot to return some of your effects to you earlier. He reaches
Speaker 3 00:53:33 Into his frock coat, which he has put back on and produces your wand
Speaker 4 00:53:38 And your orb and holds them out to you. I reckon since we're working together, at least for now it to do well to have the armed
Speaker 0 00:53:49 Fi as politely as she can snatch his back or wand in her orb, text the wand back in its holster and holds the, our buyer side and says, I appreciate that. And if we're working together now, seems to be the time to tell you that I'm always armed his eyebrows raised a little bit. And
Speaker 3 00:54:13 He breaks out into a wide sharp toothed grin
Speaker 4 00:54:18 And says, well, I'll take that as good news. If you aren't able to tell, I like to keep company that's both beautiful and dangerous. He tips his hat, nods, goodnight, TLS, and walks off across the deck, into the shadows
Speaker 2 00:54:41 FIA bites down on the inside of her cheek for a second sex, the breath in third teeth and says, well interesting. And I think kind of looks out over the ocean. I'm trying to see what the weather looks like out there. So it's a crystal clear night, but the longer you look
Speaker 3 00:54:59 Over the deck and as the ship moves through the water gently
Speaker 2 00:55:02 Rocking out just barely over the horizon. You can see this really weird weather effect, correct happening. It's almost an Aurora effect
Speaker 3 00:55:15 In the sky is lighting up and shifting back and forth between dark greens and purples and grays and deep blue
Speaker 2 00:55:26 And distantly far
Speaker 3 00:55:28 Far across the water, almost inaudible under the sound of the waves. You do hear a little bit of thunder
Speaker 2 00:55:35 Looking out over the sea fi almost to herself, just quietly nods says Kiva, huh? You're still holding the orb.
Speaker 4 00:55:53 It lights up in your hand with a speed and intensity that makes you jump. You look down. And this previously kind of muted, shifting looking glass orb is crackling with live electricity in your Palm. The longer you watch it, it almost looks like the electricity is breathing slowly growing and shrinking in intensity. It's like something's in there.
Speaker 0 00:56:30 He like turned it over in her hand for a second and then takes another deep breath says, can I trust him?
Speaker 4 00:56:41 This is not a conversation. You don't hear anything. You have heard the storm bringer Kivas voice before you've talked to them. That's not what this is, but the longer you are holding this orb and rolling it back and forth between your hands, as it lives and breathes with this electricity, you start to feel it answered. You ask this question. Can I trust him? And the orb doesn't answer you, but you feel a sense of reassurance and calm wash over you. Just a rush of emotion that feels right.
Speaker 0 00:57:34 He's gonna stick the ARB in her pocket and then start to head back inside.
Speaker 4 00:57:43 The orbs shocks you. When you put it down, it just kind of zapped your hand really quick. It doesn't hurt that much, but you feel that same kind of static shock in the root of your Palm, that you have been feeling in the last several encounters that you have had with this entity. And you feel like your Modo just got a little bit more juice. So you have now leveled up to a level nine divine soul sorcerer, fully drops though, or bend to her pocket guys.
Speaker 0 00:58:17 And then I think like whips around to look at the ocean and outrage
Speaker 4 00:58:24 You whip around and over the railing on the side of the ship, you see these dark rolling waves, reflecting the night sky, overhead, reflecting this strange Aurora weather effect you've never seen before. Often the distance within the depths of this weather effect. Lightning flashes cloud to cloud, briefly lighting up the sky and the sea around it. And standing on the surface of the water. You see a live figure wrapped in a stormy cloak with no visible face, but out of the darkness, there are two glowing crackling blue eyes and a smile like a lightning bolt. The figure raises their arm as if to wave a huge wave, rolls up crests and crashes down. And when it hits the water again, there is nothing that's where we're going to end for this week. Oh, when we told you guys that we're going to be pirated
Speaker 0 00:59:56 And you don't even know the half of it yet, but we'll find that out next time
Speaker 5 01:00:01 On compelled dual
Speaker 1 01:00:04 <inaudible> Hey, everybody,
Speaker 3 01:00:18 Barry here with the postscript, just clearing up a couple of housekeeping things here. At the end of the episode, you can find us on social media on Twitter, Tumblr, and tick-tock at compel duel. You can also find us on Tik TOK at compelled duel, adios, where we post audio snippets for the show. We have lots of other cool stuff like an official Spotify profile and official website. You can find all of that linked on our various social media channels.
Speaker 2 01:00:43 If you're interested
Speaker 3 01:00:43 In supporting the podcast, we ask that you consider heading over to patrion.com/compelled dual, where for just $2 a month, you can get signed up for really cool perks, including early access to episodes, access to bonus content and even letters from your favorite character every month. If you'd like to support the podcast in ways, other than pledging to our Patrion, we ask that if you're listening to us on apple podcasts that you consider leaving us a rating and a review, that's going to help the show get promoted to a wider audience and help us grow our listener base. And as always, if you like the show word of mouth advertising is the best possible thing for us in the whole entire world. So if you're enjoying what you're hearing, just tell three friends about it. And if they like it to ask them to tell three friends as well, episode seven is going to be premiering on Friday, July 23rd, 2021. Or if you are a member of our Patrion, you will get your early access to that on Thursday, July 22nd. Thanks so much for listening and we'll see you all next week.
