Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Hey, Barry.
Speaker 1 00:00:02 Hey Al,
Speaker 0 00:00:04 What does a spell caster use? Protect her valuables.
Speaker 1 00:00:09 What?
Speaker 0 00:00:10 Oh, bore law. It's time for compelled duel.
Speaker 0 00:00:29 Hello everybody. And welcome back to compelled dual IML and I'm Barry, and we are a single-player Cody M Dungeons and dragons. Fifth edition actual play podcast
Speaker 1 00:00:41 Previously on compelled duel, Worst party ever. I just attract weird shit. Don't I,
Speaker 0 00:00:54 You are a magnet for such a density of fucked up nonsense. It is genuinely astounding. And I turn into this when I'm stressed out, I think it would be a good policy to just put all of us under a zone of truth.
Speaker 1 00:01:16 Nah,
Speaker 0 00:01:20 I don't really care what your motivations are, but I care about Fenn and he deserves better than to be with someone who will lie to his face,
Speaker 1 00:01:31 Glass houses, sugar. They are her real bitch, but not near as big a one as I am and feet you are frightened of me for the next minute. Tell me what you need to Moss
Speaker 0 00:01:47 Physical evidence, a confession, something that actually proves that what you think happened happened. Iggy, all I ask is that you don't start with dragons on the moon.
Speaker 1 00:01:59 Oh no, you absolutely need to start with that. What on the white
Speaker 0 00:02:04 Ignatius with glee says that dragons on the moan,
Speaker 1 00:02:12 I'm done smothering the people I love in the name of keeping them safe. That's not love it's fear. And I don't want to spend any more time looking at you and the captain and only seeing things that I am afraid of.
Speaker 0 00:02:30 He's going to kiss her
Speaker 1 00:02:34 Glad you two could kiss and makeup. Where's mine. Sabine takes your hand and leads you out the back door into the garden, where the captain is waiting for both of you.
Speaker 1 00:02:55 Our camera zooms in on layer of Val sign, Zed, stone, bloom Arivale and Mar Andy, you Ferrara walking down the street towards the Tony's garage. It is several days after the last time we checked in with you. Not much has changed in the city of Boulder. Since your meeting with Senator Tomas high Vale and his partner Iggy, you've heard Tomas on the news a couple more times, he seems to be putting most of his effort into forestalling this emergency Senate meeting to give you two time to gather solid evidence that your father committed fratricide and thus does not have a legitimate claim to the throne of Australia.
Speaker 1 00:03:45 Leo has kept to himself for most of the time. These last few days, he's been doing a lot of thinking and brainstorming and trying to come up with a plan. And he requested that you and Zedd and Arivale head to the garage with him for a quick meeting, with some of your other friends, you walk into the garage and see that your cousin Audra is actually already here. She's canoodling with her girlfriend, Tony behind the front desk. It's very precious. And in this little storage room that has been turned into a defacto war room for you sitting around this table, you see Calissa Patrisse, Sabine, and a truly gigantic Teddy bear wearing a sensible cardigan. I'm sorry, what?
Speaker 1 00:04:36 Yeah, it's just sitting in one of the chairs. It's holding a little envelope that has Arivale written across the front in very swoopy letters, air of a frowns and goes over to open up this envelope and read the card inside. And then she makes a disgusted noise and chucks the card down on the table. Come on Flory. And he sent you another gift. Apparently Florian Javares has been sending increasingly extravagant gifts to Nora's house almost daily. Since the gala at the museum of art and artifices. This is the first time one has showed up at the garage. You guess? He's trying to keep things interesting. Arivale is muttering angrily. As she takes this cardigan off the Teddy bear, you see Sabine smirk around a sip of her tea as Arivale while actively putting on the cardigan and buttoning it up goes seriously. Sabine. You've got to tell him to stop. This is getting ridiculous. Sabine fails to hide a smile and nod slowly. Oh yeah. Things are getting really out of hand. How's the cardigan fit Arabic glares at her and goes perfectly and storms out of the garage. Sabine watches her go and then looks up at you and winks. Did she keep the watch too?
Speaker 0 00:06:06 As far as I know, it's in her pocket right
Speaker 1 00:06:08 Now, I know my brother doesn't need anybody to wing man for him, but I am having the time of my fucking life. Leo had hung back in the front office to talk to Asia for a second. When you first came in, but the two of them come through the door. Now in the middle of a conversation, you hear Leo saying, and you said that you could potentially make it record up to a minute. And then he stops blinks. There's a Teddy bear in my seat. Anyway, fi Zed, can I talk to you two outside for a second,
Speaker 0 00:06:48 Felix sideways. It said, and then says, yeah,
Speaker 1 00:06:53 Sure. Zedd kind of shrugs at you, but then gets up and follows Leo out into the garage. Are you going?
Speaker 0 00:07:02 Yes.
Speaker 1 00:07:06 Leo leads the both of you through the garage, out the door and into the alley next to the shop. It's the same place you had that confrontation with Mia and he just starts pacing. So, um, I finally had an idea
Speaker 0 00:07:25 And yet why does the way you said that make me feel so afraid.
Speaker 1 00:07:31 We'll see. That's the thing I actually brought you to out here to run it by you first, because you're going to be the ones that shoot it down. When I try to run it by everybody else. I think that I should go talk to father and try to zone of truth. Him.
Speaker 0 00:07:50 Yeah, you were right. I'm going to shoot that down.
Speaker 1 00:07:53 Said scrubs his hands down his face. Ah, for fuck's sake, Cleo and to Leo puts up one finger as if to cut both of you off. I get how this looks. I know it sounds like more. Self-sacrificial bullshit, but I swear there's a method to my madness this time he can't kill me.
Speaker 0 00:08:15 Uh, he most definitely can.
Speaker 1 00:08:19 No, no. I mean, logistically he can't kill me. Everybody knows we're alive. Now, if I turn up dead under mysterious circumstances, what are the optics on that going to look like? He can't do anything to me without looking guilty as hell. However, I have the option to go in there and extract a confession, which I have done pretty successfully on a couple of different occasions. And I've been talking to ATRA. She thinks she can make some kind of recording device. I get in drop a zone of truth, get the confession, record it, get out. And then we blast that shit all over the broadcasting network. I'm not being suicidal. I'm being smart.
Speaker 0 00:09:00 Putting aside the fact that I don't trust father to think about the optics in the moment. He's not going to let you walk in there with your holy symbol, after what you did to him last time,
Speaker 1 00:09:11 Which is why I can do something like this. He zaps Kimball's blade out of its Bracer and pulls a book out of his bag, opens it up, waves the knife over it for a second and then snaps it shut and hands it to you. Go ahead and open that.
Speaker 0 00:09:30 I okay. Feed takes the book and opens it.
Speaker 1 00:09:36 A thermometer. G spell comes out the book, lights up, bright white, and there's a rumbling noise. And Leo grins spinning his knife around his finger cowboy style cliff affording spell. I can bake a zone of truth into a book or a box and take it in there. As soon as he opens it as our beloved Tony say bada Bing, bada boom, Zed, looking exhausted, leans back against the wall and goes, I'm trying so hard to come up with a reason to tell you you can't do this, but it's not a bad idea.
Speaker 0 00:10:21 Am I the only one who knows father doesn't give a shit about politics when it's not convenient for him,
Speaker 1 00:10:28 He might not, but a lawsuit and ambassador Petra Stu.
Speaker 0 00:10:32 And do you think any of them are going to let you walk out of there after you get a confession?
Speaker 1 00:10:38 If they don't know I'm recording it? Yeah, I don't see why not. Look, I have been racking my brain trying to come up with a way for us to get something that will actually hold up to scrutiny in the Senate and short of going to Luxal Gallen and trying to find uncle Val skull. So I can cast to speak with dead spell. This is our best option
Speaker 0 00:10:58 Fi reaches up and just kind of fists, both hands in her hair and then says, well, if you're doing this, I'm going with you, then
Speaker 1 00:11:07 You can't. And before you try to suggest that you can just take the glyph affording, spell and go in by yourself. You can't do that either. You can't be there at all.
Speaker 0 00:11:17 Give me one good reason
Speaker 1 00:11:20 Because I'm an adversary to father's plans and you are actively part of them. I know the old man, doesn't give a shit about politics, but we do need to keep in mind too, that he's the greatest military tactician to ever come out of Australia. He knows how to pick his battles and he knows where his assets are to him. I'm not worth the risk. It would take to kill me and implicate himself. But if you set foot on that boat, there is nothing that will stop him from taking you back to Australia, melting your brain with magic and turning you into a puppet.
Speaker 0 00:11:51 I dammit.
Speaker 1 00:11:57 Leo reaches out and squeezes your shoulder. I know we said we were in it together from now on, but I need you to let me do this.
Speaker 0 00:12:08 He needs a minute. She's going to walk out Leo. After your sister leaves this conversation, Zed kind of purses his lips and then says, I get your logic here, boss. I just want to make sure that you're in a good enough place to handle this.
Speaker 1 00:12:31 Leo tilts his head to the side and frowns at him in a good enough place, honey, I get that. My mental state has not been the best lately, but that doesn't make me incapable of doing what needs to be done.
Speaker 0 00:12:46 I'm not saying that I'm just, he makes kind of a frustrated noise and rakes his fingers back through his hair. It's just that you've been seeing shit. That's not there since the gala. And I'm, I'm fucking worried. All right,
Speaker 1 00:13:06 Leo cringes. Okay. I'm going to tell you something and it is going to sound absolutely fucking unhinged, but I need you to know that I'm telling the truth,
Speaker 0 00:13:23 Really reassuring response to the thing that I said. Okay, cool.
Speaker 1 00:13:28 Ghosts. I am seeing ghosts.
Speaker 0 00:13:34 Zed blinks a couple of times ghost.
Speaker 1 00:13:40 Yes. I talked to ravine about it. It's
Speaker 0 00:13:44 Oh, you talked to ravine about this.
Speaker 1 00:13:47 Yes, because I thought that the specifics of what's going on would make you uncomfortable.
Speaker 0 00:13:57 Fuck me being uncomfortable. My fucking boyfriend seeing ghosts. Are you kidding me?
Speaker 1 00:14:04 It's Soren's ghost. Do you understand why? I didn't tell you now
Speaker 0 00:14:14 Soren like your
Speaker 1 00:14:18 Extremely dead fiance? Yes. Listen, just before you call me crazy. Remember at the gala, those mirrors were moving. Things were moving. This is not in my head. It's happening?
Speaker 0 00:14:35 Zeb like fully blue screens for a good second. And then nods to himself. Scrubs the hand over his mouth. Oh, and that was, huh. Okay. I, I need a second just and he like holds the finger up. Okay. Uh, yeah. Cool. Ghost ex hanging around. Great. I feel completely chill about this.
Speaker 1 00:15:06 Well, good. I would hope so. He's right behind you.
Speaker 0 00:15:09 That world's around fucking what?
Speaker 1 00:15:14 I'm kidding.
Speaker 0 00:15:16 That stops. And slowly turns back around points at you and says you're a Dick and you're gonna regret that.
Speaker 1 00:15:29 Oh yeah. That a threat or a promise
Speaker 0 00:15:33 You. And then he's going to go back inside the garage.
Speaker 1 00:15:39 Leo nods to himself that went well and then goes back inside. He's gonna go debrief everybody. That's there on his plan.
Speaker 0 00:15:52 You explained this plan to everybody Calissa Arivale and Sabine all stare at you for a long second and then Calissa pipes up. Okay. So you're insane, but nobody else is coming up with a better plan. So I guess that's what we're doing,
Speaker 1 00:16:12 Which brings us to my next point. I actually asked you to come today because I have some questions, namely, where is my father right now?
Speaker 0 00:16:23 You don't even, oh, this is so fucked. Uh, Calissa reaches up and like pinches the bridge of her nose. As far as I know, he and Alicia had been living on the Eliana for the past couple of weeks. And Leo, you know that the Eliana is the name of the flagship of the and Navy.
Speaker 1 00:16:46 Okay. That makes sense. I figured he wouldn't be stupid enough to stay in the city after all the shit he pulled the logistics of getting out there are going to be a bitch though. Have you heard anything at the embassy about what's potentially coming next?
Speaker 0 00:17:01 Uh, not really. Not since they moved out to the boat permanently,
Speaker 1 00:17:07 Right? Well, at any rate, I think I should just show up out of the blue. We are going to want him to be as far back on his heels as possible for this
Speaker 0 00:17:17 Serbian says, right. And we're going to need to try and come up with an extraction plan for you in case things go sideways.
Speaker 1 00:17:27 I trust you with my life. But on that note, I do think that I should go in alone or as close to it as possible. So that way we're not potentially having to extract a lot of people. If things go bad,
Speaker 0 00:17:42 Sabine goes very quiet and kind of bites her lip. But Arivale says, yeah, that like a good plan.
Speaker 1 00:17:51 Leo reaches out and squeezes to being shoulder. He can't kill me, but that doesn't apply to all of us. I am the safest one in this situation.
Speaker 0 00:18:04 So be nods. And then she turns to ATRA and says, right. Uh, how long do you think it will take you to make this recording device? You've been talking about Adriana, tilts her head to the side and says, wow,
Speaker 3 00:18:21 I've been working on my modified version of a magic mouth spell for a while, just so I can keep track of my observations in the lab without having to write them down. Um, so that'll take me probably a day to get actually working, but making the device itself will Probably take around 72 hours. I'll need a lot of coffee.
Speaker 1 00:18:45 Okay. So we have a plan,
Speaker 0 00:18:49 As you're saying, that fee comes back in. Her eyes are a little puffy and two X kind of shaken, but she sits down next to Sabine and says, it seems like we do. So the next couple of days or a waiting game, you are preparing your extraction strategy with Sabine and waiting for Adrian to finish constructing the recording device that you're going to use. Is there anything else that you would like to do in this three or four days?
Speaker 1 00:19:26 I think Leo wants to have a conversation with his aunt Nora, just to see if she has any insight about what he's getting ready to get himself into.
Speaker 0 00:19:37 You find your aunt Nora in her study. Uh, she is, it looks like balancing checkbooks, like going over the finances, her eyebrows are pinched together.
Speaker 1 00:19:49 Leo kind of knocks on the doorframe. Hi, auntie Nora. Um, can I come in?
Speaker 0 00:19:56 She looks up and then calmly closes the leather leather-bound folder that the papers she's working on or in yeah, absolutely. What do you need?
Speaker 1 00:20:08 He walks in and sits down and one of the armchairs sort of fiddling with the ring around his finger, I'm just getting nervous. I guess Adria's almost done making that device and I'm actually realizing how insane this plan was.
Speaker 0 00:20:28 Your aunt raises her eyebrows at you and goes, you're just realizing that. Okay. Sure. Uh, what can I do?
Speaker 1 00:20:38 Well, if you happen to know any psychological warfare tactics, that'll work on your big brother, I'm all ears.
Speaker 0 00:20:45 Nora laughs. You're joking, but
Speaker 1 00:20:50 That's actually how this family works. Leo snorts and looks up at the portrait, hanging over the fireplace. He's just going to kind of sit there for a while, staring at the portion of the painting that depicts a younger valor in bowel sign. And then very quietly. He says, what was he like?
Speaker 0 00:21:22 Nora follows your line of sight up to the portrait. She laughs again, He was a bastard, but we all loved him. He was incredibly stubborn. Actually. He always had to have his way, but, and she kind of shakes her head. He was the only one that ever went toe to toe with our mother, you know, Awful. And we were all terrified of her, including our father. I think Val was the only person I ever saw. Start a fight with her. I remember when they sent Merlin out to the front, it was, It was hard to walk around the palace. You know, there was that oppressive air. The two of them were fighting for days and neither of them was the sort of person who had a fight out in the open. And it was all very tense. He loved all of us a lot is what I remember best.
Speaker 2 00:22:43 I'm
Speaker 1 00:22:43 Sorry you lost
Speaker 2 00:22:44 Him
Speaker 1 00:22:47 Going to do my best to get them justice. I guess that's all I can do.
Speaker 0 00:22:53 I appreciate it. But If I know anything about my brother, he wouldn't want you to die for his justice.
Speaker 2 00:23:04 Just
Speaker 0 00:23:05 Keep that in mind.
Speaker 1 00:23:13 Leo gets up, takes one last lingering, look at the portrait and then walks out of the study. One more thing before everything pops off, I would like to change up my whispers of the dead feature from Phantom rogue. I want to pick a new proficiency if that's okay.
Speaker 0 00:23:38 Uh, sure. Let me open my, my Rolodex. What proficiency do you
Speaker 1 00:23:46 I'd like to pick deception.
Speaker 0 00:23:49 Okay. The night before you're going to head out to this confrontation with your father. You are sitting alone in the bedroom that you share with ed and you focus in on that same feeling. You tapped into the night of the gala. When you first saw Soren, there's this bolt of pain up your spine for a second and you close your eyes as it hits. And when you open them, someone is sitting at the vanity table as he turns, you notice it's an older, probably like equivalent of late thirties, a Sherry and Elvin man. His hair is about the same length as yours. And it is this light thin silver, but it's about half up in a little ponytail. He is pale and thin. He is in these very nice pajamas barefoot. You see his face first and you know, intuitively that this is your uncle valoran because he looks just like your father. And as he flings an arm over to the back of this chair and turns full lane, you see that there is this giant blue blood stain down the front of his pajamas.
Speaker 1 00:25:33 I'm sorry we had to meet like this. Do you want to help me fuck up your little brother's whole life.
Speaker 0 00:25:42 The ghost of your uncle, valoran sitting at your vanity grins slowly. And as he does a trickle of blood drips from the corner of his mouth, he raises one hand and just put the finger to his lips and then disappears.
Speaker 1 00:26:07 Cool. That was horrifying. Leo blinks, rapidly shrugs and then turns around and walks out of the bedroom. Fi what have you been doing the past few days?
Speaker 0 00:26:22 Trying not to have a fucking panic attack on the daily.
Speaker 1 00:26:26 So true. And that's been a full-time job. It is early evening. You are walking down one of the hallways on the first floor of the row house. When you hear a loud bang behind a closed door, followed by your cousin, Adriana yelling it's alive
Speaker 0 00:26:46 Fee yells back. It better not be
Speaker 1 00:26:53 The door to Adria's labs, swings open. And she emerges in a puff of smoke, holding up a small golden pen. Like it is the greatest achievement of her life. She looks a little unhinged. She has huge bags under her eyes. You can tell she has not rested in days. And she looks up at you with this big feral smile in orcs
Speaker 0 00:27:23 Fi around the sudden lump in her throat says that's great. A DRA.
Speaker 1 00:27:31 If Adrian notices your discomfort, she does not mention it. She just rolls past you down the hallway, yelling. All right, everybody into the sitting room, I've got a demo of this baby. Everybody that is in the house gathers in the sitting room. Eleanora is absent. She in Colossae went out for dinner, but everybody eventually trickles in. You see Arivale sitting in one corner, unwrapping today's gift from Florian. It is a fancy bottle of wine and a small repair kit for her goggles. She is actively taking out one of the little screwdrivers and tinkering with her goggles, as she says to Sabine, really? I don't know what it's going to take to get it through his head. And how cliche can you get? I don't even drink wine. Sabine tries very hard not to smile and just picks up the bottle of wine. Don't mind if I do. And then she scoots down on the couch to make some room for you.
Speaker 0 00:28:33 She's going to sit next to her. I think she's going to reach down and she's going to grab Sabine's hand and just white knuckled grip on it.
Speaker 1 00:28:43 Leo and Zed come in and Adriana wheels into the center of the room. Penn aloft in her hand, behold, the pen that will write the story of uncle Marlin's destruction. And yes, it is a functional pen. I am that good. Leo sits down on the couch on the other side of you and sort of gives her a weird look. Fascinating, Adrian, how does it work? Adria's still has that big unhinged smile and like kind of a weird Glint in her eye. I'm so glad you asked the user interface is very intuitive. I tried to design it so that even a simpleton could use this without fucking it up. You're welcome, Leo.
Speaker 0 00:29:27 Ah,
Speaker 1 00:29:31 Leo looks a bit put out, but Adrian keeps plowing through this talk. All right. So what you're going to do is when you're ready to record you, just click the button on the pen. That's going to start the magic mouth spell recording. Okay. So it only goes for 60 seconds and then it will cut off. You click it again to stop recording you, click it a third time to play back. So like this, she clicks the button and shouts into the pen. Hello, clicks the pen again, clicks at a third time. And you hear a tinny echo of what Adrian just said, play through the bottom of the pen. And then not that you'll be using this, but to delete the recording, you just kind of twist this thing down here and she fusses with it for a second before, handing it over to Leo. No need to thank me. Once we finished stopping this war and saving the world, I mentoring this baby in the next municipal artifice in competition
Speaker 0 00:30:30 Fi manages, uh, uh, wavery grin and goes. Yeah, I'm sure if we all survive, that will win you a lot of prizes, Adrian.
Speaker 1 00:30:40 I know, right? Leo turns the pen over in his hands. A few times looks over at you and grimaces. Well, uh, no time like the present, I guess we're going to need to get some logistical stuff worked out. I'm going to have to figure out how to get a boat and the captain who is splayed out across a love seat, picking the dirt out from under his nails, with the tip of a knife, goes Laird. He goes to us boat,
Speaker 0 00:31:14 Sweetheart. I'm sure I'm going to regret asking this, but how did you get a boat?
Speaker 1 00:31:20 Well, you see, I went down to the Harbor. I walked onto the boat and pulled out my sword and I told the captain I'll be taking your boat. It's a fairly simple process last and you know my profession.
Speaker 0 00:31:34 Yeah. I figured it was going to be something like that.
Speaker 1 00:31:38 Leo goes very pale and kind of stares at the space in front of him for a second. Okay. So we're doing this, um, said, honey, can I talk to you for a second feet? Role insight, a 10. Okay, cool. It was a DC. Ted meets it, beats it. Leo has been demonstrably nervous ever since that conversation back at the garage. But you notice that Zed actually looks incredibly shaken up. He's trying really hard to hold it together. As he stands up out of the chair, he's been sitting in brushes off his pants and heads off after Leo, but just under the surface, he looks terrified and seeing him that afraid does not do your mental state any favors
Speaker 0 00:32:35 It. Sure. Doesn't fi untangles her hand from Sabine's so she can just tangle it in her skirt and not worry about whether she's squeezing. Sabine's hand too hard.
Speaker 1 00:32:50 The captain actually gets up and walks across the room to kneel down in front of where you and Sabine are sitting on the couch. He gives you both this big rakish grin. That is trying very hard to comfort you, but not quite able to, because of the nervousness you see under it. They put me with all people in charge of making sure Leo doesn't do something stupid. What could go wrong?
Speaker 0 00:33:16 Why do you say things like that?
Speaker 1 00:33:20 He reaches out and runs his fingertips over where your hand is fisted up in your skirts. Very gently. Don't you worry less. I'm going to look out for him.
Speaker 0 00:33:36 Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:33:38 He reaches out with his other arm and loops that around Sabine's neck, pulling the three of you into one big tight hug. I love you. All right.
Speaker 0 00:33:50 Yeah. I love you too. He's gonna hug him really tight.
Speaker 1 00:33:56 He kind of buries his face and your neck for a second and pets down the back of your hair before leaning over to kiss Sabine on the forehead. And then he stepped slowly away from you and walks out into the foyer and out the front door to wait on the porch for Leo, Leo and said, come back in. After a minute, said's eyes are really bloodshot. And he looks like he's trying to keep his breathing under control. And Leo doesn't look much better, but he leans in the doorway to the sitting room and goes, all right, everybody. See you on the other side. Um, fi a minute.
Speaker 0 00:34:39 Yeah, he gets up and goes.
Speaker 1 00:34:42 He leads you down the hallway and into the empty dining room. And without saying anything, just throws his arms around you and pulls you into a big tight hug.
Speaker 0 00:34:55 Yeah. He hugs him back super hard.
Speaker 1 00:35:02 I want to not be scared, but I'm fucking terrified.
Speaker 0 00:35:11 Yeah, me too. Don't die.
Speaker 1 00:35:17 I already told you he can't kill me. It's just, it's been a long time since he got into my head and I'm afraid of what's going to happen if he does it again,
Speaker 0 00:35:30 Fetus, squeeze them a little tighter.
Speaker 1 00:35:33 Leo is hyperventilating a little bit into your shoulder. As you hold him and clinging to you. He says, tell me I can do this. You can do this.
Speaker 0 00:35:48 Everything's okay. We've got this.
Speaker 1 00:35:54 Okay. I'll be home soon. I love you.
Speaker 0 00:36:01 Yeah, love you too.
Speaker 1 00:36:04 He steps back out of the hug and leaves the dining room. You follow a short distance behind and all of your party that is present at Nora's house right now gathers in the foyer to watch Leo and the captain. As they step down off the porch, go out through the front gate and disappear into the night.
Speaker 0 00:36:33 Leo, you and the captain get to this boat that he has purloined without incident. It's about the fit. Like probably four people. Maybe there's a big metal box on the back of it that you see the captain start fiddling with immediately muttering under his breath. I'm going to roll a quicker kind of check for the captain. It was a DC 10. So he makes it just barely because he rolled a 12 and he has minus two. He pulls a rip cord on this box and it starts to rumble and spit out, accurate black smoke. And the captain looks at it, shakes his head and says, it's a Donna front to them. Noble art and professional sailing. That's what it is.
Speaker 1 00:37:24 Oh, I'm sorry. Is the boat that you stole not up to scratch. Let's go, whoa.
Speaker 0 00:37:30 He sticks his tongue at you, but he pulls the anchor up and you set off the main flagship of the Assurion Navy. The Eliana much like her namesake, your late grandmother casts a long dark shadow. As you approach,
Speaker 1 00:37:53 As they approach Leo is going to zap Kim rolls blade out of its Bracer and use the glyph of warding spell to put a zone of truth inside the Maximus gray river book on the page with the passage about the battle of OMA Groth.
Speaker 0 00:38:13 Okay. And you do that Romy perception.
Speaker 1 00:38:18 22,
Speaker 0 00:38:20 As you pull up alongside this massive many masted sailing ship cannons on it, swivel to point at your little tiny boat.
Speaker 1 00:38:32 Uh, I'm going to cast thermometer to make voice very loud and shout out across the water. Gentlemen, I would hold your fire if I were you. In fact, I think your next action should be to go inside and tell the Archduke that a son wants a word with him.
Speaker 0 00:38:50 There is a long pause. And then after you pull up beside the ship, you see your father looking out over the side.
Speaker 1 00:39:03 Leo looks up at him with this pinched, bitter, a little smile and waves fingers, waggling in a very condescending and fruity way.
Speaker 0 00:39:17 There is a beat of silence, your father withdraws, and then the ship lets down a lifeboat into the water to really back up
Speaker 1 00:39:30 Leo's zaps. Camera's blade back into the Bracer and then unleashes it from around his arm. Enhance it to the captain. Please don't lose this. I can't take it up there.
Speaker 0 00:39:46 The captain gives you kind of a dubious look, but then takes the Bracer. Nods says be careful. All right,
Speaker 1 00:39:55 I'll do what I can. And then fully unarmed and supremely vulnerable. Leo climbs into the lifeboat with only the book and the pen that Adrian made for him.
Speaker 0 00:40:13 This boat gets real old, back up to the deck and your father is standing there looking irritated.
Speaker 1 00:40:24 Leo clenches, his fists to hide the fact that his hands are shaking terribly rude of me to show up unannounced. I know, but I think we need to have a talk.
Speaker 0 00:40:38 Your father raises his eyebrows and says, have you come to turn yourself in then?
Speaker 1 00:40:48 No. Why would I do something like that after your little attempt at second folder failed. So spectacularly, the public loves me. I'm at a great position. I'm just here seeking some insight, no ulterior motives. I just want to talk,
Speaker 0 00:41:15 Roll deception. I'll roll insight.
Speaker 1 00:41:19 Dirty 20 to deception.
Speaker 0 00:41:23 Nope. Morlan got an 11 to insight. As you say this, you see mostly transparent. The ghost of your uncle valoran appears next to and slightly behind his younger brother with them right next to each other. You can see that your uncle was several inches shorter than your father is and much more slight. But the resemblance is uncanny with the glare and sneer of absolute malice that is on this Ghost's face your father squints. Like he intellectually knows you're not being completely honest, but can't tell what you're lying about. And then puts on a tight plastic smile and says, certainly darling. And then he looks around at this crew of mostly common sailors who he would not be comfortable letting in on his plans obviously. And still just put that plastic smile. He says, let's go talk somewhere more private.
Speaker 1 00:42:41 Absolutely. Just in case you're concerned. I am an armed. You can have anybody you want. Check me,
Speaker 0 00:42:49 Took the words right out of my mouth. And then he gestures with two fingers and a couple sailors step forward and start patting you down.
Speaker 1 00:42:58 Leo stands there with both hands up, just smirking at him.
Speaker 0 00:43:03 As the sailors, give you the pat down. You notice that your father is looking at your arm, looking for your Bracer and you watch him like visibly relax a little bit when he sees that you don't have it. And once the sailors confirm that you are unarmed, he nods and then spins on his heel and walks off clearly expecting you to follow.
Speaker 1 00:43:28 Yeah, I do.
Speaker 0 00:43:31 As you are both walking back towards what would appear to be like where the captain's quarters of the ship is, your father is walking just fast enough that you have to like hustle to keep up, which you gather it is the idea like this is a power play. He opened the door with a big sweeping motion of his arm and does not hold it for you. Just walks inside. As soon as he walks in and your father is rolling up maps and putting documents away. So you don't see anything. The first thing that hits you when you walk in is the smell of peppermint tea. You know, for a fact that your seasickness is genetic and you did get it from your father. So it's not surprising. But as soon as he's gotten everything tie-dyed away, he sits down at this desk, picks up a little mug, takes a sip and then says right down to business. Then
Speaker 1 00:44:26 I want to insight check him. I want to see how he's feeling right now
Speaker 0 00:44:31 Ahead and say it. I'm going to roll deception.
Speaker 1 00:44:35 That's a 29
Speaker 0 00:44:38 Merlin rolled at 26. He's not feeling great. You watch, as he's sitting there, one of his hands just curls into a fist on top of the desk and you see that he has a couple split knuckles and his grip on this mug. And his other hand is so tight. He looks surprised and a little bit off his game, but more than that, he looks pissed.
Speaker 1 00:45:11 Leo grins in such a way that he is mostly just baring his teeth. Oh, you're scared. Hold on. I just need a moment to soak this in a whole lifetime of you hurting me. And then I finally hurt you back and you don't even know if that's all that I'm capable of and you're scared, oh, this is delicious. But nevermind, we're here to have a discussion. Leo sits down on the other side of the desk,
Speaker 0 00:45:51 Your father's lip curls. And he says, darling, I haven't made it this far without being capable of recognizing when I've come up against a worthy opponent, I really was impressed by what you did the last time we spoke. And then he leans forward a little across the desk and he just smiles. I confess I would have done the same thing in your shoes.
Speaker 1 00:46:18 Yeah, sure. You respect a worthy opponent, but not enough to cut the darling shit. I'll be honest with you here, father, if you actually respected me as a worthy opponent, you would refer to me as such. And just going into this conversation, I'm going to establish, if you don't, it's all over. I'm here to throw you a lifeline old man, casting it back into the sea. Isn't the best idea.
Speaker 0 00:46:50 Hmm. You know, I've thought you'd gotten a little bit more wise to the ways of the world since I bust seen you, but it seems I was wrong. One shouldn't enter a situation unarmed and attempt to make threats.
Speaker 1 00:47:09 So kill me, solve all your problems right now, but maybe ask yourself, how's that going to look? You've already got forged application papers on the record. If I turn up mysteriously missing, everybody's going to know why I know you can't stand me, but is taking me out really worth risking every last shred of credibility that you're still clinging to.
Speaker 0 00:47:39 He settles back in his chair and says, did you come here to say anything of substance or just to posture like a show pony.
Speaker 1 00:47:51 I came here for the truth and because, well, I suppose you could call it sentiment. I want to understand you. That being said, I'd like to have the two of us engage in a little thought experiment. If you'll allow it.
Speaker 0 00:48:10 He scoffs very well, all engage in whatever little game you'd like to play. Darling,
Speaker 1 00:48:19 Last warning. Anyway, for all intensive purposes of this thought experiment, let's imagine that you are you yourself.
Speaker 0 00:48:34 Very complicated. And I assume you'll be yourself as well.
Speaker 1 00:48:40 Now I'm Valerie
Speaker 0 00:48:47 Roll insight right now,
Speaker 1 00:48:52 21,
Speaker 0 00:48:54 Marlon rolled a natural one to deception. You say that, and he looks for just a second shaken and behind him, you watch as the mostly translucent hands of the ghost of your uncle valor and curl around the top of his chair.
Speaker 1 00:49:17 Leo smiles big and confident and utterly malicious. Shouldn't be that hard to do, right? I can't quite decide whether it's ironic or just disgusting how I gave myself a name and then sat through years of you. Lecturing me about how I was disrespecting the memory of a man. You killed
Speaker 0 00:49:49 You. Watch your father, put the mask back on. And he says, that's a bold accusation. My brother was a good man taken from us Bible during enforces to sound. Watch your step.
Speaker 1 00:50:09 No, see you're messing up the thought experiment, your ruining the immersion I'm valoran, I'm the person that you and all your siblings loved just so much. I'm the only person that ever went toe to toe with your mother and came out unscathed
Speaker 0 00:50:28 Roland site again,
Speaker 1 00:50:30 15.
Speaker 0 00:50:33 Yeah, that'll do it. You watch as the fist that he is clenched on the desk Titans and you can see just barely a little bit of blood oozing into the cracks in his Palm as he clenches that fist so hard that he breaks skin with his nails
Speaker 1 00:50:59 And we're back. So yes, I'm the person that is on the very edge of peace with VOC folder and Leo tosses the book down on the desk, open your textbook to page 247.
Speaker 0 00:51:21 Your father looks at this book and you watch his lip curl again, but he flips it open to the page. You've indicated I'm going to roll investigation for him to see the glyph of warding that you've put in this book as a four plus five as a nine. He doesn't say it is him opening the book, the Traeger on this own of truth.
Speaker 1 00:51:48 Yes. The zone of truth is now active for the next 10 minutes.
Speaker 0 00:51:54 Okay. I'm going to roll with save. I would like you to roll on as well. Fuck. Okay.
Speaker 1 00:52:03 I wrote a 19
Speaker 0 00:52:05 Marlin rolled a seven. So he is now under effective. The zone of truth spelling. You are not.
Speaker 1 00:52:14 Leo stands up from his chair and leans over the desk for a second. Why do you want me dead Morlan.
Speaker 0 00:52:25 He looks up at you and tilts his head to the side and says, hypothetically accepting the terms of the thought experiment. I don't, I want what's best for my country. I want what's best for the people close to me. And I want what's best for my child, who I will not usher into this world with a Voltaren boot on her throat.
Speaker 1 00:52:59 And within this thought experiment, I have to die for that to happen. Yes,
Speaker 0 00:53:07 Your father sucks his teeth for a second grimaces and says for that to happen, the war can't end an OMA Groff.
Speaker 1 00:53:20 So we have peace talks and then I ended up dead. Why is that?
Speaker 0 00:53:27 You will watch your father opened his mouth to lie. You can tell that that's what he's doing. And you watch it gets stuck behind his teeth. Well, to figure that out, one would have to ask oneself what you had been negotiating. So let's recap what the Voltaren stood to gain 80% of astray in territory, north of El McGrath assistance from Assurion majors on their little projects, every resource that they invaded and bombed and slaughtered our people over doesn't sound like a particularly good deal to me, a bad enough deal to justify killing your brother. You watch that same thing happen again. Your father opens his mouth to lie. And what actually comes out is you still don't understand. You spoiled little brat.
Speaker 0 00:54:47 We've engaged in one thought experiment. Let's engage in another. You know, I always thought Ferrara was the one more like me, but recent events have proven that I got that wrong. Haven't they? And he stands up and puts both hands flat on the desk and leans toward you. So let's imagine for a moment layer, Ella, that your me, you are the last line of defense between the country that is depending on you. And they might have the Voltaren army. You have watched hundreds fall to their war machines on your orders. In the past few months alone, you are about to welcome a child into this world. And your brother who has always been the favorite and has never been asked to bear the weight that is on your shoulders, wants to give the people that you have destroyed yourself fighting for years, everything that they want.
Speaker 0 00:56:00 Leo grabs a piece of scrap paper off the desk and clicks the pen, valid his pretty lights prancing around like he knew anything about that war. He was a coward and he was a fool. I loved him despite his faults, but as always, I bore the burden that no one else could Bellarine would have died within a few years. Anyway, he was sick. He was living on borrowed time, had been for decades and he would have been remembered as the man who handed a Sheria to these bastards. At least I let him die a martyr. And behind him, you watched the ghost of your uncle valor and clench his fists around the top of his desk chair. And you watch his face, just twist in rage. As a fin, dribble of blood starts to come out of the corner of his mouth.
Speaker 1 00:57:13 Leo clicks the Pentagon. He grabs the book, puts it back in his bag, tucks the pen into a shirt. Thank you for your insight father. And you know, I think I do understand you a little better now because I know what it's like having to be the one that makes all the tough calls, how it crushes you, how it takes your breath away. Maybe that's why you talk about everything. You've done all the lives. You've destroyed. All the people you've killed. Like they're just pieces on a game board toys that you broke, because if you felt it, if you really felt it, it would kill you. And it almost makes me a little bit sorry for you because I think you'll feel it. When you watch me tear down everything you have ever built and realize it was all for nothing.
Speaker 0 00:58:25 Well, aren't you just ruthless. You get that from me. You know,
Speaker 1 00:58:33 That's not something for you to be proud of. The only things I got from you are all the worst parts of me. But if you'll allow it one more thing before I go,
Speaker 0 00:58:47 Your father scoffs and mix disgusted gesture at you and then sits back down at the desk.
Speaker 1 00:58:55 I remember, I remember back when I was a child and for a few years there, I thought you loved me. And I thought that love transcended everything. Even me not having magic, even me being born wrong. And it feels like one day you just stopped. So I just want to know while we're here being candid changed,
Speaker 0 00:59:35 You watch your father's jaw, clench and Twitch. And then he says, you did no. Get out of my sight.
Speaker 1 00:59:48 There's a moment where Leo curls in on himself, like he's just been punched in the chest, but then he straightens up and the shoulders back. Yes I did. And I'm happy with what I became. I'm sorry. You can't say the same. And by the way, valor is angry with you. He doesn't forgive you and neither do I I'll see you soon, father. I'm sure her next meeting won't be anywhere close to this amicable. And he walks back out onto the deck, gets into the lifeboat and gets back on the boat with the captain.
Speaker 0 01:00:38 You get back onto this boat. The captain reclining with his hat pulled down over his face, sits up and says, so how'd it go?
Speaker 1 01:00:49 Don't talk to me. Just sail the boat, go, go, go, go.
Speaker 0 01:00:54 The Gavin starts the engine back up with air. And then over the roar of it says, did you at least get what she wanted?
Speaker 1 01:01:03 I didn't get anything I wanted, but I got what I needed. I'm going to fire off to sending spells in quick succession. The first one I am sending to fi it says we're out. We're safe. I got it. Tells ed and Sabine and turn on the news. This is going to be good.
Speaker 0 01:01:29 He sends back. All right, good. Get home safe.
Speaker 1 01:01:35 And the next sending spell, I am sending to Tomas high Vale. It says, it's Leo. Sorry to bother you. This late, pull every string you can at the broadcasting network to get me on. I have your proof.
Speaker 0 01:01:55 You get a response after a second from Tomas high Vale, I can do that. How's 11 o'clock sound.
Speaker 1 01:02:06 Leo is not burning the spell slot to respond. He just sits down in the boat and starts turning the pen back and forth between his fingers. Fi you are sitting in your aunt Norris sitting room, a God damn mess. I am sure.
Speaker 0 01:02:27 Oh yeah. He has been freaking out.
Speaker 1 01:02:30 You are joined in your prolonged freak out by Sabine, Zed and Laurel Iesha, chrono who are all just kind of taking shifts with you to pace the length of the sitting room. It is heads turned to pace. When you get this message from your brother that tells you that he and the captain are out safe and have the proof that they went looking for.
Speaker 0 01:02:54 Fee's going to send a message in response. And then to the room at large, say they're alive. They got it.
Speaker 1 01:03:07 Zed collapses into the nearest chair and just puts his head in his hands. Oh, thank God. All right.
Speaker 0 01:03:16 Uh, Leo says, turn on the news. I'm going to, and then he gets up and turns the radio on
Speaker 1 01:03:23 This machine comes to life with a click and a hiss. The crystal and the top of it starts to glow from the foyer. You hear the front door opening and the sound of Elanora laughing and she shuts the door and walks into the sitting room. Kind of gives all of you a weird look. Hey, uh, why the long faces
Speaker 0 01:03:50 Fi where she has sat back down next to Sabine, puts her head in her hands and says things you missed on your date. Adrian, finish the recording device. Leo went to go talk to our father. He and the captain are both alive and they got a confession. And now we are waiting,
Speaker 2 01:04:12 Uh,
Speaker 1 01:04:15 Elenora blinks a couple of times and clinches her hands into fists at her sides,
Speaker 2 01:04:22 Son
Speaker 1 01:04:23 Of a bitch, Leo. And then she charges them to the sitting room and takes a seat next to Zed. You're listening to a fairly normal news broadcast for a while. Just talking about the ongoing issues with the street area, the ongoing problem with the Senate, trying to call an emergency meeting. It is quite a few minutes before you hear over the speaker, the sound of a door opening and the broadcaster saying, and now we have an exclusive update related to the issues with the Australian blockade. There's the sound of people shuffling and moving around. And then the click of a and tinny, somewhat distorted as if played through a recording device, you hear your father's voice
Speaker 0 01:05:30 Valid, his pretty lights prancing around. Like he knew anything about that war. He was a coward and he was a full as I loved him despite his faults. But as always, I bore the burden that no one else could Bellarine would have died within a few years. Anyway, he was sick. He was living on borrowed time, had been for decades, and he would have been remembered as the man who handed a Sharia to these bastards. At least I let him die. A martyr,
Speaker 1 01:06:12 Several seconds of stunned, silence pass. And then you hear your brother's voice. Come through the speaker. Under the terms of Australian law, the title of Archduke is inherited crime, such as murder would a friend or somebody claim to that title, null and void at which point, legally it should pass to the next person in the line of succession. Just to clarify for anybody listening out there, Morlan Val signs sits upon a throne, one by lies, conspiracy and fratricide.
Speaker 0 01:06:58 Hello.
Speaker 1 01:06:59 My name is . I am the rightful Archduke of Australia, and it is my intent to bring this conflict to a halt.
Speaker 0 01:07:16 Oh my God. Feed. Just kind of put the hand over her mouth
Speaker 1 01:07:24 From the chair next to the couch where you're sitting, Zed reaches out and squeezes super hard at your shoulder. This big bright smile stretching across his face. That's my boy. He made the right call this time. But if he pulls this shit again, can we just agree now that we're going to take turns, kicking his ass?
Speaker 0 01:07:49 Yeah, he squinted that for a second. And then hers is her lips and says, you really love him. Huh?
Speaker 1 01:08:09 He's still got that big grin stretched across his face as he looks at the radio. But after a few seconds, you see it soften. Yeah, I really do. In the doorway of the sitting room, you see the, your aunt Nora has come downstairs and is sort of hanging out. She purses her lips nods and goes, he did it. He really did it. And that is where we are going to end for this week. I feel deranged eat shit old, man. And it will see the fallout of this next time on compel dual. Fuck he out.
Speaker 1 01:09:22 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 medias. You can find us on Twitter, Tumblr, and TechTalk at compel Dule. We have a lot of other cool stuff like an official Spotify profile and official website. You can find all of that linked on our various social media profiles. We also host a Q and a live stream every week on our YouTube channels. So if you want to head on over to YouTube and search compelled, dual and subscribed to us over there, we'd love to see you come hang out for that. It's a lot of fun. If you like what you're hearing so far on the podcast and are interested in supporting us. We ask that you consider heading over to patrion.com/compelled dual, where starting at just $2 a month, you get access to all kinds of cool patron perks, including, but not limited to early access to episodes, access to bonus content and exclusive Spotify playlist, and even handwritten letters from your favorite character every month.
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