Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Hey Al. Hey Barry.
Speaker 1 00:00:03 What's amongst favorite drink. See, I bet you thought I was going to say punch, but it's actually a mild green tea. It's time for compelled dual.
Speaker 1 00:00:28 Hello everybody. And welcome back to compelled dual I'm Barry
Speaker 0 00:00:32 And I'm Al
Speaker 1 00:00:33 And we are a single player. actual play podcast
Speaker 0 00:00:39 Previously on compelled dog.
Speaker 1 00:00:43 I think that I should go talk to father and try to zone of truth him.
Speaker 0 00:00:51 I Dammit.
Speaker 1 00:00:57 I know we said we were in it together from now on, but I need you to let me do this.
Speaker 0 00:01:04 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 00:01:16 What was he like?
Speaker 0 00:01:18 He loved all of us a lot is what I remember best. But if I know anything about my brother, he wouldn't want you to die for his justice, valid, his pretty lights prancing around, like he knew anything about that war. He was a coward and he was a fool. And 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 Sherri at these bastards. At least I let him die. A martyr
Speaker 1 00:02:12 Moreland. Val signs sits upon a throne, one by lies, conspiracy and fratricide. Hello. My name is . I am the rightful Archduke of Australia, and it is my intent to bring this conflict to a halt.
Speaker 0 00:02:37 Oh my God.
Speaker 1 00:02:39 He did it. He really did it.
Speaker 0 00:02:53 So we pick up in the morning a few days after Leo's big day, Leo, you are woken from your transpire. The now very familiar sensation of the mattress. Moving under you as Zed attempts to get out of bed without waking you up.
Speaker 1 00:03:17 Leo cracks, open one eye and groans
Speaker 0 00:03:21 Zed pauses by the bed in the middle of putting a pair of pants on. He's got one knee in the air and then he flashes a big crooked smile, and he says, good morning, your majesty.
Speaker 1 00:03:35 I keep telling you to cut that shit out. What time is it?
Speaker 0 00:03:40 He leans in and gives you a kiss on the cheek and says, uh, almost nine. He slept in a bed. I'm headed downstairs. Do you need anything?
Speaker 1 00:03:50 Leo grins up at him, sleepily. Well, since you're the one who won't let the joke go, his majesty, the Archduke would love breakfast in bed.
Speaker 0 00:04:02 Uh, his majesty, the Archduke can keep fucking dreaming.
Speaker 1 00:04:07 Jackass
Speaker 0 00:04:10 Is that it's still grinning at you. And he says, love you to bus.
Speaker 1 00:04:15 If we were back in Australia, I'd have you put in the stocks.
Speaker 0 00:04:19 That's eyebrows shoot up on his forehead. And he visibly bites down on the inside of his cheek for a second before he says stocks, huh? Don't threaten me with a good time.
Speaker 1 00:04:32 Leo throws a pillow at him, but then he's going to get up and get ready for the day.
Speaker 0 00:04:40 The two of you get up. Start heading out. As you're walking down the hall, you hear voices from your aunt Norris study.
Speaker 1 00:04:50 Okay? Yeah. I'm going to poke my head in cause I'm betting. That's probably important.
Speaker 0 00:04:55 Your aunt Nora is holding what you recognize as a stone of far speech in one hand and just rubbing it. One of her temples with the other, as she says, no, Jarana drawn it. You have to back up or I can't and a voice that you've recognized as you're on Dharana comes out of the stone and said, Nora, I can't see you. I don't think this thing is working. And Nora says drawn up. You have to back up, back up a little bit.
Speaker 1 00:05:26 Oh, this is a great way to start off my morning. Good morning, auntie Nora. Hi auntie Jarana
Speaker 0 00:05:33 Nora. It gives you a wave. And from the stoner far speech, you hear you're on drawn up saying, oh, is that Leo?
Speaker 1 00:05:42 Just on instinct, Leo recoils, like his cheeks are about to be pinched. Uh, yeah. Good to hear your voice. Love to stay and talk, but I've got a big day. I just proved that your older brother is a murderer and have to go deal with the fallout of that fee, sends her love. And by run down the hallway,
Speaker 0 00:06:02 As you're backing out of the doorway, your aunt Nora holds one hand out to you.
Speaker 1 00:06:08 Leo shakes his head regretfully and keeps moving.
Speaker 0 00:06:12 You had downstairs on Dead's heels. When you get to the bottom of the stairs, he has stopped in the doorway into the dining room.
Speaker 1 00:06:22 Leo draws up behind him. Oh no. Did Verity try to cook again?
Speaker 0 00:06:28 Zed looks over his shoulder at you and says, Nope. Maybe I dunno. We've got company.
Speaker 1 00:06:37 Leo brings both hands up to rubbing his temples and then walks into the dining room.
Speaker 0 00:06:42 As you walk in, sitting at the table with your uncle, both of your cousins, your sister and various other members of your party is center to Tomas high Vale, holding a cup of coffee in one hand at a newspaper and the other,
Speaker 1 00:07:01 Um, Thomas, nice of you to drop by hope. I didn't keep you waiting that long.
Speaker 0 00:07:09 Tomas folds this newspaper that he's reading up and puts it on the table and says not at all, but I think it's in all of our best interests. If we get down to business,
Speaker 1 00:07:19 Leo is going to sit down and grab a cup of coffee and a pastry. Uh, my sentiments, exactly what's happening.
Speaker 0 00:07:28 Tomas slides, this newspaper closer to you across the table and romaine history check
Speaker 1 00:07:38 13.
Speaker 0 00:07:40 Okay. Yeah. A 13 is enough that you immediately absorbed the headline on this paper, which is mass desertion from a Sherri and Navy following succession crisis.
Speaker 1 00:07:53 Leo grins around a sip of his coffee. Oh fuck. Yes.
Speaker 0 00:08:01 Tomas puts down his own cup of coffee and says, don't get too excited yet. You did some good work, but now we need follow through.
Speaker 1 00:08:09 Oh no, absolutely. I get that. But desertion means holes in the blockade, right? Which means that we can get some supplies in for the people in all of the coastal Boulder in cities. Um, it's the captain in here right now?
Speaker 0 00:08:24 Yes. He and fiend, Sabine are all kinds of canoodling at one at another table.
Speaker 1 00:08:30 Leo holding this newspaper in one hand and grinning, very smugly gestures down at the captain with his half eaten pastry and goes captain, do you think you could maybe spare some ships from the fleet or at least the banshee to help protect any supply ships coming in
Speaker 0 00:08:47 The captain who was in the middle of being fed a strawberry by your sister? It's very gross. Um, stops swallows very hard. I, ah, the bulk of the fleet has to stay down south to protect does Fri ELLs, but we could manage a small Naval force to protect any supply ships coming in. Sure. And then he tips his hat a little bit and says, you'll need to handle the logistics side of it though, since I can't. And then he makes a vague hand gesture, make that happen on my own.
Speaker 1 00:09:24 Yeah. That'll take a few sending spells, but I can do it. But Thomas what's the exact kind of follow-through that you're looking for here
Speaker 0 00:09:33 To mosque does not meet your eyes. He takes a big sip of his coffee. Well, that's the thing you'll need to put it in an appearance at around three o'clock this afternoon. Uh, the vote to allow the emergency Senate session went through. I decided to back down there is a small, but still audible wet plunk as feed drops, the end of a shrubbery onto the tablecloth. You what
Speaker 1 00:10:09 Agreed you, what
Speaker 0 00:10:12 Tomas puts both hands up and kind of a simmer down gesture and then says with your father's confession and the charming speech following it, you've got enough political weight behind you. Now that you'll be able to make a solid case before the Senate solid enough to stop a form of war declaration anyway, and then he puts one hand down on the table just as fingertips and looks you in the eye and leans closer and says a desperate plea from an exiled prince is one thing. But the will of the rightful Archduke of a Sharia is quite another.
Speaker 1 00:10:50 Leo puts the newspaper down and kind of just stares over it. Tomas. And what am I supposed to say to the Senate? That's going to be able to stop this war
Speaker 0 00:11:02 To mausoleums back. That's up to you. Isn't it. I got you in the door. That was my role to play down at the other end of the table. Fi just puts her head in her hands. You watch Sybian squeeze her shoulder and the captain lean over to rub her back as she says, oh fuck
Speaker 1 00:11:23 Second. It, um, we'll need some time to prepare obviously, but we'll meet you there. Thank you Tomas for the heads up and for everything else,
Speaker 0 00:11:38 Tomas stands up, brushes off his loose brightly colored shirt and says don't thank me yet. I'll see you at the meeting
Speaker 1 00:11:50 Fi a few hours later, you are quietly in the corner of your brother and zits room. Leo is sitting at the vanity obsessively, fussing with his hair. He's like putting a braid up and taking it down and putting it back up again for the fifth time in a row, he's got on a very nice set of formal Australian robes. He had to borrow them from your uncle Burris, who is not a big dude, but it's still taller and wider than him. So they're hanging off his shoulders a little bit and draping a couple inches behind them on the floor. He looks over at you with this big smile that is trying way too hard and goes, okay. So do I look arch do CLI
Speaker 0 00:12:36 By what metric?
Speaker 1 00:12:39 Well, I mean the only metric either of us have is the old man and his fashion sense sucks. So I don't want to use him as a goalpost.
Speaker 0 00:12:45 Yes, but uncle Barry doesn't have that much better of a fashion sense and you're borrowing his clothes.
Speaker 1 00:12:52 Oh, should I just put on my outfit from the gala? I'm thinking I should just put on my outfit from the gala.
Speaker 0 00:12:58 If you're comfortable showing that much skin in front of the entire Senate by all means, I mean the chest piece and the choke me jacket are a little much, I'd lose those, but
Speaker 1 00:13:09 Okay. So I walk into the most important political event of my life. Either looking like a child playing dress up or like a slut that knows what he's doing. He pauses for a while, staring at himself in the mirror, nods and goes slut. It is, and then disappears behind a privacy screen and the corner of the room
Speaker 0 00:13:31 As he's doing that, he says, do you want me to match that energy as I'm backing you up? Or should I wear my armor?
Speaker 1 00:13:38 Leo pokes his head around the edge of the screen and squints at you. Well, I'm afraid wearing the armor in would look a little too combative for what we're trying to do here. But if we both walk in there looking like eye candy, people might not take us seriously.
Speaker 0 00:13:54 Fair enough. I suppose I could borrow something from Anora we'll match. Well enough you with your thighs out, meet with no sleeves.
Speaker 1 00:14:07 Fair enough. You go do that. I'll meet you downstairs.
Speaker 0 00:14:11 Yeah. All right. Fee's going to get a set of robes from Nora. Hopefully one that covers some of her arms.
Speaker 1 00:14:19 Your aunt Nora is able to provide you with a very nice practical set of Australian formal ropes. U2 are about the same size. She's got a little more muscle mass than you do, but the outfit fits pretty well. You finished getting changed and meet your brother downstairs in the foyer. He has managed to at least somewhat tone down his gala outfit to make it look a little more professional. He has cast amending can trip on the slit in the side so that it's not up to his thigh anymore. Only like up to the knee Zed, Sabine, and the captain are all waiting down there for you Sabine. And the captain both come over, give you a little kiss on the cheek. And the captain reaches down to squeeze your hand. All right, last best to Lexia and Zed, who was in the middle of giving Leo a big hug, looks over the top of his head and goes, trust me guys, from my experience, letting Leo go into a room full of big fancy politicians and make a speech is always enough to either start a war or stop one.
Speaker 0 00:15:27 Given that only one of those options is, you know, acceptable Zed. I don't think that was as comforting as you meant it to be.
Speaker 1 00:15:36 Is that just kind of shrugs at you? Like what can you do? And then kisses Leo on the forehead and walks off to hang out in the sitting room. And without much further ado you and your brother head out, Nora took the Liberty of calling a taxi for you and you pile into the back of this little street car that zooms through the streets of falter deep into the center of the city. You pass mindbogglingly, tall buildings, examples of grand architecture before finally pulling up in front of this huge building with a big marble dome and several columns holding up the front of it.
Speaker 1 00:16:23 You have never been to the Senate chambers before, but your taxi drivers seems to know where he's going and lets you out. Leo pauses at the bottom of the large staircase, leading up to the door of this building looks at you and goes, okay, are we ready as we'll ever be. He reaches down to squeeze your hand and then lets it go and leads you up the stairs through the grand front doors of this building, you enter into a big high ceiling lobby of sorts. And this place is just packed with people. There are several members of the vulgar and media milling about journalists, newspaper reporters, kind of flitting back and forth across the flat marble floor of this room. But more over you see that it is crowded with people that are all dressed. Very similarly. The makeup of this group of people is overwhelmingly no mission dwarfish and mostly men, but not exclusively either. You notice however that they are all wearing the same white waistcoat and red sash across their chest. For a moment, you are lost in the chatter of all of these people bouncing off the marble walls of this lobby. And then you hear a comfortingly familiar voice. Go there. You two are as Tomas high Vale also in a white waistcoat red sash comes charging across the room at you. He sort of pulls you off to the side, looking over his shoulder before turning back to you and going you to clean up nicely. Um, icky senses love, and also says good luck and watch out for the supersonic subliminal radio messages.
Speaker 0 00:18:31 How would we,
Speaker 1 00:18:33 I have no idea, but apparently he knows and I'm just supposed to pass on the message. I was also given to pretty tacky, little tinfoil pins for you to, to wear. Don't take them. I'll just tell him you did
Speaker 0 00:18:48 We appreciate the thought.
Speaker 1 00:18:51 Tomas gives you a tight little smile and then pivots. So he is kind of guiding you to face the rest of the people milling about in this room. Okay. So there are a few people you're going to want to keep an eye on the first of which being he nods towards the front door that you just came through, where an entourage of folks are making their way into this lobby. You notice that they are surrounding this very slight little, no mish man in the equivalent of like his late fifties, slicked back dark hair with a few gray streaks in it. He's wearing a very practical suit with a rich purple velvet sash draped across one shoulder. And he is surrounded by feet. You're royalty. You know, a bodyguard when you see one, just a whole crew of bodyguards, Tomas nods at this whole cluster of people and quietly monitors, that would be the emperor Lucius surf ileus. He will mostly be here for ceremonial purposes, unless things get really off the rails, more relevant to our situation. However, if you see a self-important old man walking around with a lot of military metals on his sash, you can assume that he's a member of the national defense committee. Those are the people you're trying to impress, given that they are the ones who want to blow and our motto of retreating ships out of the water.
Speaker 0 00:20:37 That seems a little excessive.
Speaker 1 00:20:42 If you haven't yet noticed grand Duchess access is the prime directive of the falter and war machine. He opens his mouth to say something else, but gets cut off by this creaky voice from a few yards away. Hi veil, not you trying to soften up the man of the hour on his big day and fi approaching from the side. You see a positively ancient dwarfish man with a big magnificent beard and a red sash across his white waste code. Absolutely. Ladened down with fancy metals of military service. Go ahead and roll me perception.
Speaker 0 00:21:33 Uh, 14
Speaker 1 00:21:35 On either side of you. You hear Leo and Tomas both go, ah,
Speaker 0 00:21:43 Reassuring. Awesome.
Speaker 1 00:21:46 Tomas recovers. First, his face breaking out into this pinch too little smile. Wouldn't dream of it. Maximus Leo isn't far behind in his recovery, bending down and giving this very old man affirm handshake. No, not at all. Tomas was just kindly helping us get acquainted with the political climate. Great to see you again. I don't believe you've met. And this guy turns around to look at you fi eyes twinkling. Ah, yeah, you must be the sister and he sticks a handout in your direction. Senate, a Maximus gray rev chairman of the national defense committee. How you doing
Speaker 0 00:22:40 Fi winces as she reaches out to take this guy's hand and shake it. I'm doing well. Senate Maximus, uh, Ferrara Val sign. I've read your book. I found it very enlightening.
Speaker 1 00:23:02 Fi your hand aches a little from how hard he is gripping it in this handshake. And you can tell pretty easily that it's a power play, but after a moment, he lets go steps back and nods at both you and Leo. That was a real sucker punch. YouTube pulled on your old man the other night smart move. Unfortunately we don't have the time to talk before the meeting starts, but uh, come find me during the recess. I got a proposition. I think the two he is I'd like to hear, oh, and a high Vale. He turns over to Tomas and his smile goes Stoney. And all of the twinkle disappears from his eyes. Little bit of free Korea, mental shit for your son. You should stick to your parks and post offices and leave. Watch to the people that actually know what they're talking about.
Speaker 1 00:24:01 Tomas to his credit does not let his expression waiver one bit and instantly shoots back. See that's the thing, Maximus. The people I represent don't want this war. I'm here to serve their interests, not my own something. We should all strive to do your little corner of this grand lobby goes a very silent for a moment and you could cut the tension between Tomas high veil and Maximus gray river with a knife. But eventually Maximus takes a step back from the conversation nods at Tomas and goes careful kid. It's coming close to sedition to suggest that the interests of Aldara, contrary to the interests of a people you kids take care of now. And he pivots on his heel and walks off to talk to a couple other very old self-important looking men with lots of military metals on their sashes
Speaker 0 00:25:06 Fi rolls or shoulders back grimaces and says, well, he seems lovely.
Speaker 1 00:25:13 You notice that Leo's eyes are following him around the room as he walks away. Yeah. Do you see how I got the impression that he wants something
Speaker 0 00:25:24 I'm beginning to? I'm just not sure what that something could be
Speaker 1 00:25:31 For the first time since you've met him, you see to Moss's face curl into a very distasteful expression. Maximas, gray river wants a lot of things. And none of those things take into account. The thousands of people relying on him to act in their best interests. Anyway, he turns over to Leo and braces, a hand on his shoulder. I've been able to guarantee you at least five minutes on the floor. You need to cover several talking points in that time. First of all, that your claim to the throne, at least in terms of Australian law is ironclad. Second of all, that your father's military resources are actively in the process of abandoning him. And third of all, that the situation that instigated this emergency meeting, namely the debacle on the night of the gala did not actually result in the loss of Boulder and life
Speaker 0 00:26:29 Fee kind of lanes a little closer and says that would be a good point. If it hadn't
Speaker 1 00:26:36 Tomas cuts his eyes sideways over a year. It didn't.
Speaker 0 00:26:42 We found bodies in the access tunnels going down to the mechanism.
Speaker 1 00:26:48 No you didn't.
Speaker 0 00:26:50 Yes.
Speaker 1 00:26:52 Leo reaches down and grabs your hand fee. No, we didn't. Tomas looks back and forth between the two of you and nods grimly. Nobody died in the tunnels that night and their families don't miss them. I did my job now it's your turn to go out there and do yours.
Speaker 0 00:27:16 Ah, right. Leo, can I talk to you
Speaker 1 00:27:22 Leo frowns at you? Uh, yeah. Shirt Tomas. We'll see you inside. Once everything gets started. Okay. And then he pulls you a little further down the wall of this room off into a little side hallway,
Speaker 0 00:27:39 As soon as they're not like out in the middle of people, fears, looking around a little and going, okay. So I, I understand the point, but I don't like this.
Speaker 1 00:28:00 Leo squints at you. I mean, you don't like what you don't like the situation holistically. Neither do I, but we have to play the hand we've been dealt.
Speaker 0 00:28:12 I don't mind. Not only accepting that innocent civilian lives will be lost, but actively working to minimize that loss. I don't. I think if we accept that and we move forward, knowing that we have to make that sort of compromise, that's how people end up like father is. And that scares me.
Speaker 1 00:28:43 Leo looks haunted as you say this to him, but then he sucks in a breath through his teeth and looks out towards the lobby. Look, I don't like it either, but this isn't an ethical debate fee it's politics. You could argue that it's the polar opposite of an ethical debate and how many more people stand to die. If I can't make this argument state,
Speaker 0 00:29:06 I know I'm just, and he kind of reaches up to pinch the bridge of her nose. I'm just saying, watch your step. That's all.
Speaker 1 00:29:18 I will do my best. But I'm just saying, I think we both need to come to terms that we're past the point where either of us can do anything we truly feel good about anymore. I, for 1:00 AM learning very quickly that there's a big difference between heroism and harm reduction, but I know which one I'm capable of right now. There's the deep of a loud clanging bell that rings out through this building around you. And you hear the sound of people moving out of the lobby and further into the building
Speaker 0 00:29:53 Shit. All right. Let's just, let's just go.
Speaker 1 00:30:02 Yeah, let's get this over with. And the two of you move out of this hallway through the rapidly emptying lobby and towards the Senate chambers of vog folder,
Speaker 0 00:30:17 Leo, you and your sister, along with everyone else here, move into the Senate chambers. It is this like amphitheater, like area marble risers, red velvet curtains on the walls. There's a little box opposite. The door that you see the emperor make a beeline to everybody settles down. As things get started. As various people start arguing policy, it feels very similar to the meetings that you sat in on in Tor dune, which makes it kind of a mind fuck that less than a year and a half later, you are in a very similar position trying to prevent a war instead of start one.
Speaker 1 00:31:08 Yeah, mindfuck is the word. I would also pick for it. Leo sits down between fi and Tomas pulls a little notebook out of his pocket and starts making notes on the proceedings.
Speaker 0 00:31:21 Since this is an emergency Senate session, the senators are mostly discussing whether or not to officially declare war on a Sharia. There's a lot of discussions about the treaties that officially ended the last war about how they are null and void. If either side commits an act of aggression, there's a lot of economic discussion that you don't really get. You're not an economist. And you see a lot of people that have military badges on their Senator sashes, much like Maximus, grey river come up and discuss the potential of what could have happened when the wheels stopped and the potential of what could have happened. If the Assurion Navy had fired closer to the city, it's a lot of very scary things that are possibilities. But as far as you know, nothing they're discussing actually happened. That kind of situation. You notice a lot of unease in these seats, all in all. It's about an hour of these speeches before you get called up.
Speaker 1 00:32:34 Leo is trying very hard to not outwardly show how nervous he is, but he reaches down and fee's hand so hard that both of their bones creak and then stands up and walks down to wherever he supposed to be giving this address from. Can I roll insight to like read the room on how they feel about me?
Speaker 0 00:32:55 Go ahead,
Speaker 1 00:32:58 18,
Speaker 0 00:33:00 Not good. You've noticed that there is a vibe in Vogel in general about the sacrosanct nature of volume builder as a nation. And the discussion of the fact that even though, as far as they know, no damage was done, there was an attack on Voltaren. Soil seems to have rattled. A lot of people, you don't notice an overwhelming vibe of hostility so much as a lot of wariness, but there is a fair share of hostility there as well. It's just not most people
Speaker 1 00:33:46 Okay. Should should've worn my tap shoes. I'm about to have to do a hell of a dance.
Speaker 0 00:33:51 As you get up fee has gotten a little piece of scrap paper from your note pad and has just written go Leo on it. And she holds it up between her hand. It's like two inches long.
Speaker 1 00:34:03 Leo smiles at her nervously from the floor, but then rolls his shoulders back and turns to face the Senate at large.
Speaker 1 00:34:15 Hello everyone. Thank you for having me here today as previously stated, my name is LVL . I am the rightful Archduke of Australia. I'm sure you all follow the news here in Boulder, religiously, but just in case you have missed the past several times, this has been broadcast. I would like to present to you exhibit a. He brought the pen that Adrian made with him and lifts it up over his head, clicks the button and plays back Moreland's confession, and then slowly puts it back down and tucks it back into his shirt. Let me just start by assuring you all that there is not a single legal body in Australia that will deny my claim to the throne. After being presented with this evidence, I have heard your concerns about the safety of your nation and your people. And I empathize with them.
Speaker 1 00:35:11 I am also concerned with the safety of my nation and my people. And on that note, I would remind the Senate that as we speak, dozens of Australian ships are deserving and heading home. This is creating holes in the blockade that will allow supply ships to come through supply ships that I personally have contacted allies in the Zephyr aisles to send Naval reinforcements, to protect because I would not lead in Australia that allows people to starve in the name of old grudges every day, more and more people are finding out what my father is. And because of that every day, the Austrian threat to vaudeville door is going to diminish the events. The night of the gala were unfortunate and frightening. I admit this, but they resulted in no direct loss of Boulder in life. And the sum total of Australian fire on the city resulted in little more than a few dents in the side of the mountain.
Speaker 1 00:36:14 This act of aggression was nothing more than the extinction burst of a corrupt desperate, who is rapidly realizing that he is losing everything. And I implore the Senate to question whether my father's final temper tantrum is worth the cost of thousands of Voltaren lives. I would implore the Senate to make the decision not to burn bridges and homes and families and cities and nations, and to make the decision to build them. Instead, my father's grip on his crown is slipping rapidly. And once it is in my hands, rather than reactionary policies and pointless war, I present to the Senate, a future where people from both of our countries no longer have to suffer and die for the petty squabbles of frightened old men. Please think on it. Thank you for your time.
Speaker 0 00:37:15 Leo, roll a persuasion check, please.
Speaker 1 00:37:21 Dirty 20.
Speaker 0 00:37:24 You finish your speech. There is a pause. And then you start to hear a lot of murmuring from the seats as people discuss what you just said with each other and from up in the seats where Tomas and his allies are, you hear a slow stomp of a foot, and then it starts growing. And it is not the whole set by any means, but a lot of people are agreeing with you. It seems up in the emperor's box. You hear somebody smack a big drum and over the chatter, you hear the emperor yell. AWDA everyone's settled down. Everybody shuts up and this little middle-aged Noma shoot and the purple sash stands up. You watch him dust his hands off. You get the feeling that his voice is being magically projected somehow because you hear it clear as a bell from up where he is. I write setting aside the issue of actually declaring war for the moment we are
Speaker 4 00:38:35 All set. It is going to have to vote on whether or not this body recognizes lay Val sign as the effective attitude of Australia for the purposes of negotiating, an end of this conflict
Speaker 0 00:38:47 Understood. And as one, the Senate all stops a foot and agreement so hard that you feel the marble floor under you. Rumble. Can I rolled a bonus action? Hide. Are you going to do that? No, but I want to, you watch as what appear to be political interns, go around to each of the senators and collect little ballots. There is a low as this happens where you are still standing here, feeling the eyes of the center of Voltaren government upon you, all of these ballots go back to the emperor's box and there's a long moment of silence. And then he says, right,
Speaker 4 00:39:44 The Senate recognizes eight abstaining votes.
Speaker 0 00:39:48 Leo sucks in a breath and holds it. There's another pause. And then the emperor says,
Speaker 4 00:39:55 And with a 60 vote, majority, myself, emperor Elisha, civilian, first of my name and thus the Senate recognize layer of our sign as the effective head of the Australian state.
Speaker 0 00:40:10 Yes. Do you do that out loud on the Senate floor? I got to play my character. Yes I do. Leo does a little fist pump. Let me roll something really quick. Okay. Nobody notices you doing that because there is an uproar from the seats. You would assume from the people that did not vote to recognize you as the effective Archduke for negotiation purposes, there is a loud boom noise as up in the emperor's box. One of his entourage hits a big drum again, and the emperor yells.
Speaker 4 00:40:55 I right, everyone's settled down.
Speaker 0 00:40:58 Everybody does not settle down. So the emperor yells, I'm calling a
Speaker 4 00:41:03 Recess, everyone cool off.
Speaker 0 00:41:06 And some people start to shuffle out the doors to the Senate chamber. Leo is going to try to find his way back to fie and Tomas and Tomas are making their way down from the seats to you. As people are shoving past each other to get out the doors, make a quick perception check for me 19. Yup. You notice Maximus gray river and the rest of the, that kind of attire themselves. The way that he does with the military metals on the sashes, you notice them all muttering amongst each other. And then as a unit, they get up from their seats and head other doors,
Speaker 1 00:41:46 Leo squints at this group of people and then looks over at Tomas. Okay. So, uh, where does everybody go on a recess?
Speaker 0 00:41:57 Uh, there are separate meeting rooms for each of the committees down the hall. I mean, not everyone goes there, but it's usually a safe bet.
Speaker 1 00:42:07 I'm going to send a message can trip to fi I'd like to try to zap Kim rolls blade out of its Bracer under my robes. So no one can see it and point at her to cast the spell. Do you want me to roll like slight of hand or something?
Speaker 0 00:42:20 Yes, please. Roll flight fans.
Speaker 1 00:42:24 24.
Speaker 0 00:42:26 You managed to zap Kimbro's blade out of your brace or in your sleeve and kind of hide it under a fold of your robe.
Speaker 1 00:42:35 Okay. I'm going to point over at fee as subtly as I can cast message and telepathically. Tell her I'm going to go Snoop around and see what we're dealing with. I need you to cover for me.
Speaker 0 00:42:48 You watch FI's eyebrows furrow a little bit. I'm going to have her roll deception and then have to mosque and test it with insight. Okay. Fee gets a 28 and mosque got yeah. A 15 now. So you, because you know, your sister see this furrow in her browse for a second. And then she turns over to Tomas with kind of a bashful smile and says, uh, you know, I was feeling a bit too nervous to have much for breakfast this morning. I'm feeling a little Peaky. Is there somewhere I could grab a bite or sit down, maybe Tomas gives her kind of a look of concern and says, oh yeah, sure. Uh, here and hold the hand out towards her arm and says, may I
Speaker 1 00:43:38 I'll catch up with you two later, I'm going to go take a recess of my own, to the little boy's room.
Speaker 0 00:43:44 I want you also to roll deception, but with advantage,
Speaker 1 00:43:48 I still have proficiency because it goes to valor and have fun 23.
Speaker 0 00:43:56 Okay. Tomasa this is nothing. He leads fee out of the room and down the hall. And as you watch them walk out, you see the ghost of your uncle valor and in his pajamas, standing in the hallway with his head, tilted to the side, looking down the direction the national defense committee went and he looks back at you tilt his head the other way and you watch him mouth. Just the word. Really
Speaker 1 00:44:26 Leo shrugs adamant goes, it's not the quality of the excuse. It's the quality of the delivery. And then gives them a little, two finger salute and heads off towards the committee. Chambers. I would like to go as stealth as I possibly can.
Speaker 0 00:44:40 Okay. As you start walking down the hall, the ghost of your uncle falls into step with you. Roll stuff, check.
Speaker 1 00:44:49 Well, that was a three, but I get a plus 15. So it's still an 18.
Speaker 0 00:44:56 You walk down the hall to a door that is labeled national defense committee. You hear voices from inside, but you can't make out what they're saying from the hall.
Speaker 1 00:45:08 Um, I'm going to ride that stealth check to take a hide action. So nobody in the hallway can see me if they walked down.
Speaker 0 00:45:16 Okay. Leo ducks behind a ficus, like in a cartoon, the ghost of your uncle valoran stays standing in front of it and just cranes his head around to look at you through the leaves quizzically.
Speaker 1 00:45:30 Well, shit, I'm hiding. So I don't want to talk. Um, I'm going to try to send a message. Can trip to the ghost. What do you have any better ideas?
Speaker 0 00:45:43 You send a message to the ghost.
Speaker 1 00:45:47 I mean, I try to the wording of the spell says you can target a creature. I assume the ghost is a creature.
Speaker 0 00:45:55 Leo Romeo wisdom saving throw
Speaker 1 00:45:58 Bitch, right?
Speaker 0 00:46:00 You heard me roll me a wisdom saving throw.
Speaker 1 00:46:04 I feel like this is payback. For some reason, 14, I get a plus 10 to was saves. I rolled a four.
Speaker 0 00:46:18 You pointed the ghost. You send this message, you know, from your experience at the museum, that the ghosts cannot talk back to you. But as you send this message, there's a pause. And then there is just this tore into voices that just hate you like right in the brain, like a knife. There are whispers. There are screams. There is just this huge tide of noise being beamed directly into your head. You take 2d eight psychic damage. You heard me, you take eight psychic damage. And then I want you to roll me a religion. Check to pick out the voice that is actually responding to
Speaker 1 00:47:09 You. Religion. You
Speaker 0 00:47:12 Heard me roll religion.
Speaker 1 00:47:15 I'm getting so much more than I signed up for today. Okay. I can't just, I can't just win. I can't just win natural fucking 20, 28.
Speaker 0 00:47:34 Okay. Your knees get out from under you. You catch the pot that the fight guesses in with like your funny bone that hurts as this just raw rash of noise hits your brain. I think you reflexively close your eyes for a second. And when you open them, the ghost of your uncle valor in his right up in your face, this ghost locks eyes with you. And as the expression goes, very grave and very serious. And he looks a lot like your father, you hear raising above this tide of noise in your head, this smooth, deep voice. That sounds like it is fighting to get through at all. Within that 20, you hear it pretty clearly.
Speaker 5 00:48:34 You need to be more careful. Watch your step.
Speaker 0 00:48:41 You watched this ghosts eyes cut sideways to look at this door. And his mental voice sounds like he is exerting a lot of effort and shouting over a crowd,
Speaker 5 00:48:55 Keep track of who your enemies are. At least do it better than I did.
Speaker 0 00:49:03 And then he disappears.
Speaker 1 00:49:06 Leo stays curled up on the ground behind this potted plant for a second, just clutching at his head, trying to fight his way through what is now probably a pretty vicious migraine. But then he plants both palms on the marble and pushes himself back up to his knees and pulls out his holy symbol. Keep track of who your enemies are.
Speaker 0 00:49:33 Got it.
Speaker 1 00:49:36 I cast clairvoyance right behind the door. There's no save for it. Unless somebody on the other side of that door has true sight or see and visibility. They cannot see the sensor I can choose seeing or hearing for up to 10 minutes. I would like to hear what is going on in this meeting of the national defense committee.
Speaker 0 00:49:57 Okay. You hear Maximus, gray river talking
Speaker 4 00:50:04 Gentlemen. I understand. I hear what you're saying. I'm with you. I agree. But I've been waiting to nail that Val sign punk to the waltz and Soma Groth. And I can't think of anything fucking better than using this kid as the hammer.
Speaker 0 00:50:18 So have some patience. Let me talk to him. There's a rush of voices, arguing with him and gray river's voice cuts through and just says
Speaker 4 00:50:31 He's young. He's fucking stupid. He's practically begging for approval and I already have an inroad. So if you would all just let me try and do this my way first. Let's see what happens. And if it doesn't work, there's always somebody else.
Speaker 1 00:50:52 I'm going to keep the clairvoyance spell going, but I am no longer hiding behind the ficus. Leo stands up, brushes down the front of his robes and goes to stand opposite the door to the committee room. And he's going to make his best fucking effort to look young, stupid, and hungry for approval.
Speaker 0 00:51:18 Can you roll performance for me really quick, bud
Speaker 1 00:51:23 16,
Speaker 0 00:51:26 That'll do it. The national defense committee walk out of this room led by Senator Maximus, gray river. What are you doing?
Speaker 1 00:51:39 Leo looks at all of them. Very wide-eyed and then puts on this big bemused smile. Oh, I'm so sorry. I went out to get some and I can't seem to find my way back to the Senate chambers. I think I'm in the wrong place.
Speaker 0 00:51:57 They all blink at you for a second. Grey river recovers first puts on a big wide plastic smile and says
Speaker 4 00:52:08 You're a little turned around yak kid, but sad, probably better than agenda up here. I was hoping to wide have that private conversation we discussed at the gala.
Speaker 1 00:52:20 Leo is still shooting for that big dough eyed expression. Oh, of course. I'd be happy to. What was it? You wanted to talk about
Speaker 0 00:52:31 Maximus gray river grabs you by the,
Speaker 4 00:52:33 The elbow and says, let's go somewhere a little more secluded.
Speaker 1 00:52:39 Oh, um, absolutely lead the way.
Speaker 0 00:52:44 Great river leads you around the corner to kind of, uh, alcove with a big bay window. He looks around like, he's trying to make sure no one's listening in.
Speaker 4 00:52:57 Look kid you. And I both know you made a lot of promises in there, but as a military man, myself, I can tell you even with the desertion problem that the Sharia Navy's having right now, you got any backup. If you got any hope of winning this thing, recognition of the Senate, and now you're going to need a little bit of bargaining power. If you want to have an actual negotiation, you understand,
Speaker 1 00:53:26 And what kind of bargaining power are you proposing here?
Speaker 4 00:53:31 The kind that lets you take some real fucking action kid, the right flash stick, for sure. Yes. Sure. Can you take that rightful claim and pass a law, command your military, do anything of real consequence? All I'm saying is if you want that claim to mean something, then eventually you're going to have to go back to a Sheria and make it happen. And if, and when you do that, you might have a bit more luck. If you do it with some older and military might hit you back, I can make that happen for you,
Speaker 1 00:54:08 Leo squints at him. So let me get this straight here, your proposing that I abandoned all of this and go home with an invading folder and force in tow
Speaker 4 00:54:23 Maximus, wave the hand dismissively at you and says I supportive Boulder enforce it's different. Is it?
Speaker 1 00:54:33 I'll be Frank with you Maximus. I'm already looking at an uphill battle. My father, for everything else that he is, is a war hero. And almost universally loved by our people because of that. And given the current Australian political narrative, my very best I am the arrogant party. Boy who shirked my duty and ran off into the great wide world only to decide that I wanted it back a few years later, my people have no great love for me and they'll have even less. If my homecoming is backed up by battalions of Voltaren soldiers, pardon my candor, but what you're suggesting, isn't help. It's the opening notes to an Australian civil war. And I know that's not what I want and it sure as hell, isn't something I'm willing to enable. I am many things, but I am not my father. I won't forge a crown in the blood of my own people.
Speaker 4 00:55:39 Senator maximum's greater. River's face goes extremely Stoney. And he says, then I question how much you really want it. Kid.
Speaker 1 00:55:50 Leo matches that facial expression with a glare and a raised eyebrow that exceeded, crosses both arms over his chest and cocks his hip out to the side. How much I really wanted. I have spent the last six years of my life trying to get my hands on that crown and the hundred before it trying to convince my father that I deserved it. And now I am standing in the epicenter of Boulder and government talking to a bitter has been whose claim to fame is writing stories, patting himself on the back for the slaughter of my people, about how much I want the Australian throne. I, I don't, I don't want it, But I recognize that it is far more dangerous in my father's hands than it is in mine. And the only thing I want any more is to mitigate that danger
Speaker 0 00:56:57 Maximus, gray river takes a step back sneers at you and says,
Speaker 4 00:57:05 So not only can you not keep your fucking mouth shut, but share an IDIQ list. As a shame seemed like a smart kid. I expected better from you.
Speaker 1 00:57:21 Yeah. You and my father, both. I'm starting to suspect that the two of you are cut from the same cloth. I'll see you back in the Senate chambers and we'll see then just how much my idealism pays off.
Speaker 4 00:57:38 Suppose we will.
Speaker 0 00:57:42 And then he walks off down the hall.
Speaker 1 00:57:47 Fi you are sitting in a little cafeteria area with Senator Tomas high Vale with a very nice sandwich and cup of coffee that he has bought for you. He is currently fretting over your blood sugar levels.
Speaker 0 00:58:03 Well, now I feel bad to thank you for that.
Speaker 1 00:58:06 You're welcome to mosses halfway through suggesting that you should go see the staff nurse here at the Senate chambers. When you see your brother enter through the far door of this room and make a beeline over for your table, Leo looks more pissed than anything really. And he just folds himself into a chair, gripping white knuckled at the edge of the table and goes to Moss. Does the cafeteria serve tequila?
Speaker 0 00:58:36 Tomas, please don't answer that.
Speaker 1 00:58:39 I mean, the answer was no, but you seem like you've been through it layer real care to share with the class Leo grimaces and then reaches out and grabs the other half of your sandwich fee. It takes a bite out of it.
Speaker 0 00:58:54 Yeah, sure. You can have that.
Speaker 1 00:58:57 Well, Frank, anyway, I did a little bit of snooping and figured out what gray river's up to and I am just ready to
Speaker 0 00:59:10 W well, what did you figure out what happened?
Speaker 1 00:59:16 Well, the whole plan that the national defense committee has right now, ever since I've been affirmed as the Archduke is to allow me to go home with and I quote Valdor and backup and basically foment and Australian civil war and installed me on the throne as Valter and puppet. I let Maximus know on no uncertain terms that this was not going to happen. And he got a little testy across the table to Mohs, puts his head in his hands and then looks up at you from between his fingers fee. You weren't feeling faint where you,
Speaker 0 00:59:54 No, I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 00:59:58 Not as sorry as you're going to be, you know, layer L if you had come and talked to me about the specific way that political give and take works here, involved folder, I might have informed you that you don't ever make your ambitions clear, especially not to your political opponents.
Speaker 0 01:00:16 I mean, to be fair, it sounds like grey river did that. I'll shut up.
Speaker 1 01:00:23 Grey river has votes something, neither of you have to looks like he's on the verge of a panic attack right now. And across the wide open space of this cafeteria, you hear that same deep sonorous bell ringing his shoulders go even tighter. And he gives you both this fragile wobbling smile. And we'll see how that plays out. It appears that we're going back into session
Speaker 0 01:00:55 Fee would like to dissolve into the stones right
Speaker 1 01:00:58 Now. Unfortunately, you are not a Druid. You do not have that spell. You all get up from this table and start moving back towards the Senate chamber. Leo is just quietly saving the whole time you are walking. He looks like he is ready to punch a wall
Speaker 0 01:01:17 Fee is gonna grab him by the arm and in Elvish say, cool, your jets in case you need to be able to make a speech. Leo
Speaker 1 01:01:27 In Elvish, Leo replies, oh, I have a speech that I would like to make to that followed by several expletives that are not translatable into common, but then he kind of takes a deep breath and pinches the fingers of both hands up in front of his face. Okay. No, I'm good. I'm cool.
Speaker 0 01:01:48 Yeah, you definitely seem cool. Let's let's just go in. It's fine.
Speaker 1 01:01:56 You all moved back into the Senate chambers, take the seats near Tomas that you were occupying before the recess, and then another loud bell goes off and you see the emperor come up into his box again with his voice somehow magically magnified. You're assuming he says to the room at large. All right, everybody. It's been a long day and I'm sure we've all other commitments. You've all discussed this in your committees. We're going to go ahead and take a vote. Now, should the volt Darren empire declare war on Australia and the ballot start going out
Speaker 1 01:02:36 To Moss gets handed a ballot. All of the senators sitting around you also get handed one. You see Tomas and fat ugly. Cross out no on this ballot feed, go ahead and roll me insight, a natural 16. So it's a 15 across this big amphitheater type area from you. You see Maximas gray river, just fixing your whole group with a death glare. And then right next to you, you watch Leo look up, meet his eyes and give him this pinched, sarcastic little smile. You watch grey river grumbled to himself and cross something off sharply on his ballot before passing it to one of the interns that are walking around to collect it. There's a very long, uncomfortable pause. As all of these ballots go up to the emperor box and are counted, but then you see him stand up. It appears he's on some kind of box to be seen over the railing. He's a very slight little, no mish dude. And he says, all right, for the first time, in the last 200 years, we have ourselves a 50 50 tie. And beside you, you hear Tomas whisper, oh fuck.
Speaker 7 01:03:56 What do you mean? Oh, fuck, please elaborate.
Speaker 1 01:03:59 When there's a 50 50 tie on a Senate vote, the emperor is the tie breaker.
Speaker 7 01:04:06 I take it back. I wish you hadn't elaborated
Speaker 1 01:04:10 On the bench nearby. You see your brother just slowly curling into the fetal position. If it isn't our oldest enemy, the consequences of our own actions. Yeah. That sure is a thematic element here. Huh? Okay. And now because of certain people's hubris. Yeah. Certain people, we have no way of knowing who I am going to roll a luck check. Okay. There is a, another long stressful pause as all the members of the Senate fall silent looking to their emperor for what he's going to do next. He sort of looks around nods at everybody and then puts both hands up. Frankly, my friends, I cannot make an informed decision on this until I have consulted with my council of advisors. We will resolve this vote at the next official session of the Senate.
Speaker 0 01:05:26 Come again once more. What?
Speaker 1 01:05:31 Tomas brings up a hand to pinch at the bridge of his nose. Oh great. That's going to go so well for everybody.
Speaker 0 01:05:39 Is he allowed to do that? Just, just not make a decision.
Speaker 1 01:05:44 He's the emperor Ferrara he's allowed to do whatever he wants. What you two need to consider is that the emperor's council of advisors consists of the chairman of each Senate committee. So I'll be there fighting for my fucking life along with both of yours, but so will Maximus gray river
Speaker 0 01:06:04 Shit, shit, shit,
Speaker 1 01:06:06 Shit, shit. Leo is so curled up in the bench with his head buried in both of his arms. Oh, why did something bad? Oh, I did something bad. The thing I did was bad.
Speaker 0 01:06:24 Yeah. Yeah. A little bit. Just a little bit.
Speaker 1 01:06:27 Yeah. I mean was the thing I did maybe a bit good. We, we know what he wants now.
Speaker 0 01:06:33 She takes a very deep breath and goes, yep. We know what he wants. That's you know, that's a, that's a point in our favor except that we don't know what he wants now, because you told him to shove that offer.
Speaker 1 01:06:48 Yeah. We don't know what he wants now. And we also don't know what, oh, oh fuck
Speaker 0 01:06:57 Leo. I'm going to be really office with you. I'm like this close to a panic attack. So if you could refrain from cutting off mid-sentence to curse cryptically, that would be really great. Just, you know, for me for my sake. Oh,
Speaker 1 01:07:08 Okay. You want me to elaborate fi all elaborate. There were broadcasting professionals here for that entire session. How much of it made its way onto the broadcasting network?
Speaker 0 01:07:22 I don't know. Probably all of it.
Speaker 1 01:07:26 Leo whips back around in the bench to look at Tomas Tomas, would it have been all of it? Everything including me being declared the defacto Archduke of Australia to mosque looking just exhausted scoffs and goes, oh yeah, that's going to be the biggest news story for the next two weeks. My friend, I guarantee you, it made it onto the broadcasting network.
Speaker 0 01:07:54 Why do we care about it being on the news?
Speaker 1 01:07:58 Because if the public at large knows than sodas father,
Speaker 0 01:08:11 So as the Senate meeting lets out Leo, what are you doing?
Speaker 1 01:08:18 Giving copious. Thanks and apologies to Tomas for all of the mayhem that I have caused here today and then grabbing fee and booking it back for the garage.
Speaker 0 01:08:29 Okay. You do. So as you walk in, several members of your party are sitting around a radio. A few people are holding champagne. Flutes. Ravine has gotten some kind of party spinner. And as you walk in, that goes, Ooh, like a football player with a fist pump.
Speaker 1 01:08:49 Everybody put your celebratory devices away. I fucked up real bad.
Speaker 0 01:08:55 A party popper goes off in Verity's hand and she goes, oops. And then Sabine sitting over at the table, pinching the bridge of her nose says, okay, how exactly did you fuck up?
Speaker 1 01:09:10 Oh, that's a really long story. And I will be happy to update you on it later for now. I need access to the back room or somewhere else private. And I'm going to need fee and Zed for emotional support.
Speaker 0 01:09:27 You fee and Zed, head off towards the back room. As you approach, you hear this brassy tenor voice saying, and I can stop by the bakery tomorrow. Uh, do you still like fig jam in your pastries or, and you hear Arivale respond. You really don't need to do that. This voice says back. I know I don't need to. And then there's a long pause bay. You know, if you gave me a real, no I'd stop. I like a good chase, but I have no interest in beating down a beautiful woman's door until I'm too inconvenient to get rid of. And then Arivale says, I've actually been wanting to try this pomegranate croissant I saw the other day. It seemed interesting. Another pause. And this first voice says, I'll keep that in mind.
Speaker 1 01:10:27 Leo is so far past giving a shit he's barging in.
Speaker 0 01:10:31 You see Arivale making notes on a city map and a couple seats down with his feet propped up on the table. You see a man that can only be the Florian Javares you've heard mentions of. He is like ghostly, pale white hair, big floppy sun hat on. He doesn't have his sunglasses on. He's kind of holding them in one hand. So you can see that his eyes are almost colorless and they are twitching back and forth. As he's just sitting there very calmly as you walk in, he almost falls out of his chair as he attempts to sit up. Um, you get the feeling. Sabine has yelled at him for having his feet up on the table and Arivale her cheeks. Very dark looks up, adjust her glasses, clears her throat. Uh, did everything go well,
Speaker 1 01:11:20 Emphatically not hate to interrupt a tender moment, but we need the room.
Speaker 0 01:11:24 It's not a right. Arivale stands up, dust herself off. And then she turns to Florian and she says, I could actually really go for that croissant right now. Uh, you're buying right. Florian just gets this big smile on his face and put the sunglasses back on. Absolutely. Ms. Anmar
Speaker 1 01:11:49 As they're on their way out, Leo's gonna nod at Florian and kind of smirk. I like your hat,
Speaker 0 01:11:57 Florian pauses. Put the hand to his chest and gives you the nod back. Thank you. Uh, your vibes are just impeccable.
Speaker 1 01:12:07 Likewise
Speaker 0 01:12:11 Zed off to the side says anyway, uh, boss, what exactly did you need emotional support for
Speaker 1 01:12:27 Leo collapses into the nearest chair and digs his crystal ball out of his bag. It has come to my attention that, um, our adversaries may have access to the same information that we do. And I just want to check up on that and I'm going to need someone to hold my hand, please, honey,
Speaker 0 01:12:46 That's going to hold your hand. Are you casting scrying?
Speaker 1 01:12:50 Uh, yeah, same deal. So on a law HSA, um, negative five to the wizard save because she's very familiar to me.
Speaker 0 01:13:00 Alicia can not mechanically beat your spell. Save DC with her was saved modifier. She only has a plus one.
Speaker 1 01:13:06 Okay. What's going on in a law show world right now,
Speaker 0 01:13:15 Alesha is sitting in a plush recliner in a room that you recognize as the study where you had that conversation with your father. A few days ago, she is lounging Bordley as a radio plays. What you recognize as your speech from this afternoon at the Senate, across the room you see, or rather don't see it, that weird non-space that is your father's presence because of the non detection spells that he's getting wrapped on him. And from that weird non-space you see a teacup fly across the room and shatter against the wall next to a Lasha Alesha raises one eyebrow archly and says, are you done?
Speaker 0 01:14:18 Alesha, snorts, quietly to herself and says, well, deer, they come by it honest
Speaker 0 01:14:35 Well, as always, I suppose, it's time for me to clean up your mess. It's not going to be pretty this time though. You rather painted yourself in your corner, love Alicia grimaces, and then stands up and walk closer to the desk. Not for a while. You remember what a disaster it was when a Donna found us out, what it took to make that little problem go away.
Speaker 1 01:15:09 Leo goes absolutely rigid where he is gripping his crystal ball.
Speaker 0 01:15:15 Uh, Lasha puts both hands behind her back and paces a couple of times in front of this desk and then says, this is a much larger scale than that. And it'll take a larger solution. I have something in mind, but you won't like it. There is kind of a shifting in this. Non-space like your father is moving and then a Lasha circles, the desk, and it's the weirdest mindfuck, because she puts her hand out and you know that it is on your father's shoulder, but you can't focus enough to see that that's what's happening. It almost gives you a migraine instantly. But then a Lasha says, well, there's no erasing a murder confession from the collective consciousness of thousands of people. And we're losing more ships by the day. One could bring up the fact that if you had spent two minutes consulting with me, rather than posturing for the little brat, we could have prevented this, but
Speaker 0 01:16:28 You get the impression that she is squeezing at a shoulder, but again, you can't focus in like you can see her hand and you can see that it is tightening, but you can't focus on anything else. You watch her lean down. Presumably. So her face is closer to his ear and she says, darling, the only thing we can do to keep people on our side is give them a bigger villain to rally against. But that sort of maneuvering is going to come with a cost. She leaned even kind of tilts her head. You get the impression that she is pressing the side of her face to the side of your father's head. You said it not me. Last call, are you sure you want to do this? Marilyn, You get the impression that a hand is running back through a luscious hair and pressing her a little bit closer and you can see the ends of a luscious hair, just shaking.
Speaker 1 01:17:58 I think at that point, Leo loses concentration on this scrying spell. He just stares down at the empty crystal ball between his hands completely, still not moving When a Donna found us out, But it took to make that little problem go away. They always told me that my mother got
Speaker 2 01:18:31 Sick,
Speaker 1 01:18:34 That something happened with her mind and they told me it was my fault. My whole life. They told me it was me. And he's going to go to Chuck, the crystal ball and a wall.
Speaker 0 01:18:53 Uh, I think Zen grabs Leo and fie grabs the crystal ball. So he takes it and just very gently puts it on the table and said just Huxley, a really, really close,
Speaker 1 01:19:06 Um, good fucking luck. Zed. Leo is in full Farrow raccoon mode. He is just trying to claw and throw and destroy everything off the table or anything he can get within his reach.
Speaker 0 01:19:22 That's going to roll a grapple check really quick. That is a four
Speaker 1 01:19:30 And per the five-year grapple rules. I can choose acrobatics or athletics to get out of that. I'm going to choose acrobatics because Leo gets a plus five. Well, I rolled an out one, but it's still a six. So I still get out.
Speaker 0 01:19:45 You rolled an out one. The fuck you do
Speaker 1 01:19:48 Critical successes and failures do not matter on ability checks,
Speaker 0 01:19:53 Grapple as a combat move and critical failures do matter in combat.
Speaker 2 01:19:58 Fuck.
Speaker 1 01:20:00 Okay. Leo manages to knock a couple papers off the desk then I guess, and then just collapses against said's chest sobbing.
Speaker 0 01:20:13 Zed holds you really close, really tight and just buries his face in your hair and just make shushing noises as he rubs your back. And you feel FI's hand close around yours as you just cry yourself out here. And that's where we're going to end this week
Speaker 1 01:20:40 With each consecutive recording session. The method of Moreland bell signs, death gets more and more gruesome.
Speaker 0 01:20:50 We can only hope next time,
Speaker 1 01:20:54 A hundred compelled
Speaker 1 01:21:08 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 compelled duel. 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.
Speaker 1 01:22:10 If you'd like to support us in ways, other than pledging to the Patrion, we ask that if you're listening to us on apple podcasts or Spotify, that you leave us a rating and a review, since that helps us get promoted to a wider audience. And as always word of mouth advertising is the most powerful tool we have at our disposal. So if you like the podcast, we just ask that you tell a friend about it, and if they like it, ask them to tell a friend as well. And another news we did just open our official merchant store. So if you're interested in getting any kind of cool compelled duel merchandise, you can head on over to compel duel.my shopify.com. We have lots of cool stuff. T-shirts stickers, notebooks, buttons, pretty much anything you can imagine. And with that, our next episode is going to be going alive on Friday, February 4th, 2022. If you're a member of our Patrion, you'll be getting access to that on Thursday, February 3rd. Thank you all so much. And we'll see you next week.
