Episode 50 - The Greater Good

Speaker 0 00:00:00 Hey, Barry. Hey hell. Why was the assassin in bed all day? Speaker 1 00:00:06 I don't know why Speaker 0 00:00:09 They were working undercover. It's time for compelled. Speaker 0 00:00:29 Hello everybody. And welcome back to compel duel. I'm Al and I'm Barry, and we are a single-player co DMD D and D five E actual play podcast Speaker 1 00:00:40 Previously on compelled duel to Musk. What's the exact kind of follow through that. You're looking for here. Speaker 0 00:00:49 The vote to allow the emergency Senate session went through. I decided to back down Speaker 1 00:00:57 You, what Speaker 0 00:00:59 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 formal war declaration. Anyway, a desperate plea from an exiled prince is one thing, but the will of the rightful Archduke of Sharia is quite another. Speaker 1 00:01:19 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. Stop one. 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, Speaker 3 00:01:45 Myself, emperor, Lucius civilians. First of my name and thus the Senate recognize layer of Val sign as the effective head of the Australian state. Speaker 2 00:01:58 Yes, Speaker 3 00:02:00 Five and awaiting to nail that Val sign pumped to the wall since over broth. And I can't think of anything fucking better than using this kid as the hammer. Speaker 0 00:02:09 Why do we care about it being on the news? Speaker 1 00:02:12 Because if the public at large knows then sodas father, Speaker 0 00:02:16 You remember what a disaster it was when Donna found us out, what it took to make that little problem go away. Speaker 1 00:02:24 Leo manages to knock a couple papers off the desk then I guess, and then just collapses against sets, chest sobbing, Speaker 0 00:02:34 Zed hold you really close, really tight, and you feel FI's hand close around yours as you just cry yourself out here. It has been several days. I would say if not a week than nearly since Leo made his big speech to the Senate and was recognized effectively enough for negotiations as the lawful Archduke of Sharia, we find the lawful Archduke of a Sheria on his hands and his knees in the dirt of his aunt's garden. Next to him also sitting in the dirt is his good, good friend, ravine CRL, whose girlfriend Verity is a couple feet away nor of L sign is pruning at one of her topiaries meticulously. And one till Indra. Morin is lounging on a lawn chair with her feet kicked up in a big floppy sun hat, drinking a lemonade from the lawn chair. She calls over, you know, you're not going to get Bazell to grow in a soil with this pH Speaker 1 00:03:55 Leo who also has on a big floppy hat and a pair of oversized gardening gloves looks up at her a little manic. I'm doing my best. He's got dirt like smeared up one cheek. He's a mess. Speaker 0 00:04:09 Ravine, uh, looked over his shoulder at her and says we got the lemons so we could fix the pH. I know what I'm doing until under says who. Okay. And a sips at her lemonade slowly. Speaker 1 00:04:25 Leo is making a desperate attempt to get this little pre-bought Bazell plant buried in the dirt effectively. He's like clawing at it with his hands. He has a spade, but he doesn't know how to use it. He's making a very good effort. Speaker 0 00:04:42 Can you please roll me a nature check? I'll let you have advantage because romaine is helping Speaker 1 00:04:50 11. Speaker 0 00:04:53 You have perhaps not been as delicate as you should have been with this basil plant it's there are some snap stocks. It's looking a little rumpled, a little squished. Speaker 1 00:05:08 Leo looks down at his sad squished little plant and just kind of flops over to sit down in the dirt. Ain't that just the way, you know, I break everything I touch. I don't know why I thought it would be any different, Speaker 0 00:05:24 A small pile of dirt rains down on your head as romaine casts, mold earth. Why vervain very commonly digging a hole where he's going to plant a bunch of flowers, says negative reinforcement. Speaker 1 00:05:42 Leo spits out another couple of clods of dirt and goes back to digging a hole in the ground with his hands and grabs one of the packets of seeds that they just got at the farmer's market. Okay. So do I put the whole thing in or Speaker 0 00:05:59 Verity from behind you casting Druid craft on a bunch of marigolds says do three, just in case one fails to Germany. Speaker 1 00:06:07 Wait, nobody told me the plants had germs. Am I going to get sick Speaker 0 00:06:11 From up on the back porch? You hear? Wow. Uh, what am I looking at here? Speaker 1 00:06:22 Leo whips around to the source of the voice, his floppy hat going askew on his head. I'm gardening. Speaker 0 00:06:31 You see Zed and fee both standing on the back porch. They both had gone over to the garage. By the time you actually got out of bed this morning and fi kind of tilts her head to the side as ed keeps squinting at you. And he says, why Speaker 1 00:06:51 I'm so glad you asked. See, I've been coming to the swift conclusion over the past few days that if I just have to sit around and wait for the Senate meeting to, you know, feel like I'm doing anything, I'm going to go off my fucking rocker. So the other day I went downtown and I saw auntie Norris therapist. Isn't that right? Auntie Nora, Speaker 0 00:07:11 Nora snipping at one of her topiaries says, yes, you did. And that was totally your idea. And you weren't coerced into it at all. Speaker 1 00:07:20 Yeah, exactly. So I went in thinking it would make me feel better. It actively made me feel worse, but according to the therapist I am, and he brings up both hands in these big gardening gloves and starts doing air quotes, suffering from a personality disorder and coming down off a manic episode and need to find a hobby where I create or nurture something to help me channel these negative feelings. So anyway, knitting reminds me of my mother, which makes me upset. I tried woodworking for a little bit, cut off the tip of my pinky. Don't worry, it's fine. Now I healed it. So plants, Speaker 0 00:08:06 There is a beat of silence. And then Verity says, and we're helping. Speaker 1 00:08:12 Yeah. And they're helping. So all in all, I feel like it's a good thing for me. You know, I get to channel things constructively. I get someone to talk to, you know, you're supposed to talk to them. It helps them grow. Leo hunches down on his hands and knees again, puts his face right up against the crushed Bazell plant and goes thrive. You little bastard. My entire sense of self-worth is hinging upon your success. Speaker 0 00:08:38 Ravine next to you cringes a little bit and goes, you're supposed to talk nicely to the plants. They meet encouragement. Speaker 1 00:08:46 Got it. Thank you for the note, please. Speaker 0 00:08:50 If you little bastard Navan says that's not Noah, actually. That's fine. From the porch thesis. Well, I hate to cut a constructive coping mechanism short, but Colossus here, Speaker 1 00:09:11 Leo looks up from where he is. Scooping dirt. Back into this hole. He dug with his hands. Say what now? Speaker 0 00:09:18 Yeah. Uh, streetcar showed up in the embassy just a minute ago. She has something that she needs to discuss with both of us apparently. Speaker 1 00:09:27 Well, this should be good. Leo shells off both of his gardening gloves and takes his hat off. Ravine. Watch my baby, please Speaker 0 00:09:36 Ravine size and says can-do, Speaker 1 00:09:40 Leah's going to jog up onto the porch and throw an arm around. Said's waste. Be proud of me. I'm doing the work. I'm getting better. Speaker 0 00:09:49 Then leans over and just kisses the top of your head and says, I'm real proud of you boss from behind you. You hear Verity yell. Haltingly Leo, look, your plant's already doing better. Speaker 1 00:10:06 He turns around to look Speaker 0 00:10:09 Making Arcata check for me Speaker 1 00:10:14 10. Speaker 0 00:10:16 You know what, buddy? Somehow your Bazell plan has gotten like a few inches taller. It's thriving. It looks great. It must be the lemons. Speaker 1 00:10:27 I am the greatest gardener. Whoever lived look at her. She's beautiful. Speaker 0 00:10:34 Proven and Verity exchange a look. And then ravine says, yeah, she's gorgeous. Good job. Speaker 1 00:10:41 After we're done talking to Calissa, I'm bringing her back here to show her. And then Leo is going to follow fee and said back inside the house fi you Zed and your brother I'll make your way back into the house. Up this long hallway from the backyard and into your aunt Nora sitting room, most of your party is out sort of pursuing their own devices. You know, a few of them have probably gone to the garage to do some work, but in this room right now, your uncle Aaron is in a wingback chair, leafing through a newspaper. Your cousin Lark is sitting on the floor next to the coffee table, painting their nails. And one lady Colossae Petrus is sitting on one of the sofas, twiddling her thumbs in her lap. This big cabinet like broadcasting machine up against one wall of the room is turned on the crystal and the top pulsing and glowing. Speaker 1 00:11:43 And through the speakers, you hear the tinny familiar voice of Senator Maximus. Great river look, Claudia. All I'm saying is that should we, as a nation, more than capable of defendant ourselves, put off fate in the hands of an Archduke with no crown, no control over his military and no real seat of power to keep us safe from a clear and present danger. There's a quick efficient solution to all of this. And the fact that many of my colleagues in the Senate are too busy, clutching their pearls over the moral implications of it. Doesn't negate the facts, your uncle, Erin and Fatima turns another page and his newspaper and goes, Lark, turn that crap off. LARC puts their nail Polish down and hops up to go turn this machine off and right behind you through the door of the sitting room, Eleanor Ash thorn kind of hit bumps you to the side. Speaker 1 00:12:37 As she comes in with a serving tray full of a teapot and several cups of tea, she starts putting them down in front of people. One for Lark, one for your uncle, a couple for you and Leo, and then hands one to Colossae who kind of smiles softly and squeezes her arm and goes, thanks, babe. She looks up at you Leo and said, who just walked in and kind of raises an eyebrow. Wow, Leo, I know I say this a lot, but you look like shit. You've got dirt in your ears next to you. You watch Leo's ears of their own accord sort of shake and ruffle to get the dirt off them. Speaker 0 00:13:18 He's gardening. It's a whole thing. He's gonna move over and sit down next to Colossae Speaker 1 00:13:24 Calissa waits for Leo and Zed to sit down on the sofa, opposite YouTube Speaker 0 00:13:29 Fee waits until Eleanor his back is turned and then looks at Colossae and mouths, babe. Incredulously Speaker 1 00:13:37 Also checking to make sure that Eleanor is back is still turned. She reaches out and pinches at your arms super-hard but then she reaches into the folds of this very nice traveling cloak she has on over her dress and pulls out two envelopes. One of which she hands to you. And one of which she hands to Leo. Anyway, apparently I've been demoted to courier at this point. Um, these are for you. Speaker 0 00:14:02 Oh, good. Mail fee opens the envelope by the way. How are you here? I thought, you know, Steve consequences, everybody's being fucked. All that. Speaker 1 00:14:18 Yeah. Well that's the thing. My dad sent me. Go ahead and take a look at what's inside that envelope before you ask any more questions, Speaker 0 00:14:26 Feed does. So Speaker 1 00:14:29 Inside this envelope on the letterhead of the Australian embassy is an invitation to a party tomorrow night addressed to you specifically, Leo also opens his envelope, pulls out an identical invitation and frowns down at it. What the hell? Speaker 0 00:14:51 So this definitely smells like a trap, right? Everyone. Yes. Speaker 1 00:14:58 Well, given what I saw in that scrying spell the knowledge that Alicia and father are planning something. And the fact that we're the only two that got these and there no provision on them for a plus one. Yeah. Trap, definitely a trap. Speaker 0 00:15:13 All right, glad we agree. So, and then feast stands up kind of rolling the invitation up and she's about to like Chuck it into the fireplace. Speaker 1 00:15:23 Colossae grabs your wrist before you can do this. I wouldn't do that. Speaker 0 00:15:29 Well, obviously we're not going to this Speaker 1 00:15:32 Colossae bites at our lip and squeezes your wrist a little harder. I don't think you can afford not to. Speaker 0 00:15:40 Well that's delightfully cryptic. Would you like to elaborate Calissa? Speaker 1 00:15:46 I mean, on the surface, it's a big fancy embassy party. We have them all the time, but I got to look at the guest list before I came over here. Pretty much the entire national defense committee from the vulgar and Senate is going to be there. I don't think you two want the part of the Australian political delegation that your father controls to be able to talk to these people without the two of you being able to get a word in edgewise and say it as a trap point, the first you'll have me fan and Mia there to back you up and point the second, how bad of a trap can it be? My whole family's there. The entire staff of the embassy is there. Your dad and Alicia are going to have to pull some pretty fancy footwork to be able to do anything to either of you while we're all there watching, Speaker 0 00:16:35 We wouldn't be invited. If they didn't have something Calissa, like you said, we don't want them to be able to talk to the senators without us being able to get a word in. That is exactly what they want. Speaker 1 00:16:50 I know, I agree. Something about it stinks. I've been trying to press a lot as much as I can without raising suspicion, but she's not giving me anything. The best I can tell you is that the party is going to be big enough that you can maybe get a couple people in. I know that you don't have plus ones on your invitation or anything, but there's gotta be a way you can sneak a couple folks, pass the door. Right. Speaker 0 00:17:17 We do know a forger, as far as I understand, he mostly works in art and antiquities, but I've seen his calligraphy. It's not bad. Speaker 1 00:17:28 Leo frowns at you. Who do we know? That's a Speaker 0 00:17:32 Florian flip. Speaker 1 00:17:36 Yeah, actually. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Speaker 0 00:17:41 Sabine. Won't be happy to have him involved, but if he's just forging the invitations, I mean, how much trouble could he really get in or cause, Speaker 1 00:17:51 Well, I feel like you're tempting fate by saying something like that, but okay, fine. Let's figure out who we're bringing with us Zed who has not touched to the cup of tea that Eleanora brought him kind of leans back on the couch and slings and arm around Leo shoulder. Well, I mean me, obviously, Speaker 0 00:18:11 I don't think that's a good idea. Speaker 1 00:18:16 He kind of raises an eyebrow at you. Well, that's good to hear you don't think this is a good idea. Put me down for an invitation. Speaker 0 00:18:25 And you, when we bring with us is going to have to be obtrusive enough that no one bothers to check the guest list. Zed, you are a lot of things. Unobtrusive is not one of them. Speaker 1 00:18:37 He looks a fronted hand up to his chest and a very offended gesture, but then nods as if acknowledging your point. Speaker 0 00:18:48 I don't think we should bring the captain either. For similar reasons. Speaker 1 00:18:53 Leo has gone head first back into political chess master mode, which is very funny with all the dirt smeared across his face, but he purchased his elbows on his knees and kind of steeples his hands in front of his face. But in that vein, bringing Sabine seems to be a good idea. This is her preferred terrain after all. Speaker 0 00:19:14 Yeah. And she knows the beacon better than any of us. So if a Lasha sent anyone in, she'd be the first to spot them. So who else? I think we could justify one more invitation in our party Speaker 1 00:19:28 From the corner. There is a click of a cup and saucer hitting the table. And Eleanora turns around kind of halfway raising one hand. Uh, I mean, well I'm at least somewhat of a familiar face at the embassy. And if anybody asks, I could say I'm there as a politically neutral party. I've got a good bit of muscle if we need it. Speaker 0 00:19:51 That is fair. And once we're inside, if we need extra backup, we can sneak someone else in maybe a few people through the back, Speaker 1 00:20:04 Calissa purses, her lips and nods. Yeah. And we'd have Mia to help with that from the inside. So it sounds like a plan. I think, as long as we're all aware that we're walking into something that is designed to fuck us over, we've got a fighting chance at beating it. We've done it before. Speaker 0 00:20:24 Yeah. Yeah. We have. I'm going to go on record now saying I hate this. Speaker 1 00:20:32 Leo who is still staring down at his invitation goes seconded. Zed kind of leans forward and puts his head in his hands. The thirded Elenora opens her mouth. Like she's gonna say something, but then picks up a couple of empty tea cups, squeezes Colossae shoulder on the way by and just walks out of the room. Leo from the couch, pinches the bridge of his nose and size. Okay. Fi uh, go ahead and get ahold of Sabine. Tell her to get home as soon as possible and bring Florian if he's there Speaker 0 00:21:09 Already on it. Uh, fees, pulling out her beacon going, Speaker 1 00:21:13 Okay, you get 10 words. What do you send us a bean? Speaker 0 00:21:16 We are all right, come home, bring Flory. And if possible, please, Speaker 1 00:21:23 A few seconds pass. And then your beacon coin glows as a message from Sabine comes back in return. He's right here. You're in luck. Arivale isn't back soon. Speaker 0 00:21:38 Fi nods and to the room at large says, all right, uh, that'll be a few minutes, but they're on their way. And then she turns to Calissa. If you were just here to drop these off, you should probably get going before anyone gets suspicious. Speaker 1 00:21:57 Calissa stands up and dusts her hands off on the front of her skirts. Yeah, no, you're right. I'll head back to the embassy. I'll catch Fenn and me up and we'll be there to back you up as much as we can tomorrow from the other couch, Leo raises a finger and goes, do you want to take any fresh Bazell back for the kitchens? I grew it myself closest squints down at him and goes fucking what? No. And then leaves. Speaker 0 00:22:29 All right. So Calissa walks out fee is pacing. The sitting room for a couple laps. Leo, what are you doing? Speaker 1 00:22:40 I do have a question about my whispers of the grave. Phantom rogue ability. Yeah. Speaker 0 00:22:48 And Speaker 1 00:22:50 So with the ghosts, do they only show up when I am making the relevant checks with the proficiency they're giving me or are they just kind of hanging out? Speaker 0 00:23:01 Uh, they only appear when you are making the relevant check and they stay for an amount of time that is variable, but has seemed to you to be getting longer. Speaker 1 00:23:11 So if I were to like, make an effort to see one of these schools, what would happen? Speaker 0 00:23:20 Why don't you roll me a religion check. Speaker 1 00:23:23 Okay. I can do that 26. Speaker 0 00:23:28 Okay. You're still in the sitting room. Are you focusing on trying to see a ghost? Speaker 1 00:23:34 Yeah. Just for shits and giggles, Speaker 0 00:23:37 You put your mental energy to the task of seeing these ghosts that have appeared to you, the edges, your vision go weird and kind of like blurry and dim. And after a moment you realize that is because there are figures on the edges of your vision. More than two, you have no way of counting how many, but you can see hands reaching just barely into your peripheral vision. So yes, if you concentrate, you can see ghosts, Speaker 1 00:24:13 Leo screws, his eyes shut and shakes his head super hard. Well, um, yeah, we can all agree that this is fucked and definitely a trap. I have some things I need to handle. If this is all going down tomorrow, if you'll excuse me and he gets up and charges out of the sitting room, Speaker 0 00:24:34 Uh, that is going to follow you. Speaker 1 00:24:36 I think Leo's like halfway up the stairs. He was headed towards there room. Speaker 0 00:24:41 That's not going to stop you, but he is gonna come up to the bottom of the stairs and just call up to you. Hey, what's going on? Speaker 1 00:24:50 Leo brings up both hands to kind of press against either side of his forehead. Weird, creepy shit that you don't want to know about. And that's really freaking me out. Speaker 0 00:25:01 All right. Well, if it's freaking you out, then clearly I need to know about it. Um, Speaker 1 00:25:08 Let's not, not here just upstairs. Come on. Speaker 0 00:25:14 Okay. He's gonna to follow you up to your room. Speaker 1 00:25:17 I'm going to religion check again and see if I can still see the same shit that I saw downstairs. Speaker 0 00:25:22 Roll it Speaker 1 00:25:24 17 Speaker 0 00:25:26 Less. So they're still like a little bit of weird wavering at like the very edges of your peripheral vision, but not as much. Speaker 1 00:25:36 Leo sits down on the edge of the bed and like grinds the heels of his hands up against his closed eyes. There's more ghosts. I mean, and they're following me around and apparently if I concentrate hard enough, I can see them now. Speaker 0 00:25:53 Hey, Hey. And he's gonna kinda drop to his knees in front of you. And just put one hand on either side of your head. All right. I mean, first things first, did you tell the therapist about the ghosts? Speaker 1 00:26:09 Yes I did. And she said that I need to go on something called a mood stabilizer, but apparently she's going to need a couple more days to cross reference the medicinal textbooks and make sure it's not going to negatively interfere with the top tier history and gender juice that I'm already taking. So we're waiting a few days on that. Meanwhile, this, Speaker 0 00:26:36 Yeah, this. Okay. And that's just gonna put his against yours for a second. I'm not going to lie. It's easier to note that it's not just your ex freak year, but easier. Speaker 1 00:26:51 Yeah. Well, if it makes you feel better, I haven't really seen Soren in a while. It's mostly just been my dead uncle. And now in numerable unnamed shadow people Speaker 0 00:27:02 Shadow. Okay. Uh, he pulls back a little bit and then shakes his head and then puts his forehead against yours again. And then pulls back again. That is buffering. And then he says, all right, boss, I'm going to ask you a really genuine question. How the fuck was what you just said supposed to make me feel better? Speaker 1 00:27:27 Uh, I don't know. It's not making me feel any better. That's for damn sure. I, I need to go run an errand. I'm going to be gone for a bit. Speaker 0 00:27:39 Oh yeah. Cool. You're seeing shadow people and now you're going to just go somewhere. Great, great plan. What? Speaker 1 00:27:46 I can't have this fucking with me while I walk into whatever my father's planning at the embassy. All right. I need answers. I'm going to go try to find them. Speaker 0 00:27:56 And how exactly are you planning on doing that? Speaker 1 00:28:00 Leo fists, his hands up in his pants and through clenched teeth goes, I think I need to go to church. Speaker 0 00:28:09 I can't believe I'm saying this to you, but I really don't think religion is the answer here Speaker 1 00:28:16 Said to you are talking to the most, a religious priest on the face of this planet. I am not stupid enough to think that blind faith is going to ease my mind in all of this, but yelling at my God might really help me feel better. Speaker 0 00:28:34 Fair point. Speaker 1 00:28:35 Do you want to come with me? Honey? Australia and churches are beautiful. Lots of elaborate. Candelabra, rose, stain glass windows, incense, their skulls hanging from the ceiling. Sometimes they talk Speaker 0 00:28:48 Zed makes a little meep noise just, and then he gently pulls his hands back from your head rakes one back through his hair and says, uh, maybe I'll just wait outside. Keep stands up. Dust himself off and you to head out. Speaker 1 00:29:10 Uh, first of all, is there a church of Kimmerle in Boulder? And second of all, would I know where it is? Speaker 0 00:29:17 You would not because you have not tried to look, but you assume there is one because you have noticed your aunt Nora heading out to church a few times, like she's pretty religious. And you assume that you could ask her where it is. Speaker 1 00:29:32 Okay. I feel bad about lying to my aunt by omission, but I'm going to go take Zed and try to find her. Speaker 0 00:29:39 You find her in her study as she often is you get the feeling that like it's very much her space when she needs a second. You find her painting. What looks to be a landscape. Speaker 1 00:29:52 Leo makes a good faith effort to put on a very happy jovial expression and leans in around the doorway. Auntie Dora. Hi, I'm I was just gonna take set to church. Do you mind giving me directions? Speaker 0 00:30:08 Roll performance. Okay. Speaker 1 00:30:13 19, Speaker 0 00:30:16 Your aunt Nora is absorbed in her Bain. Dang. She does not notice that anything's up. She just says, uh, yeah, it's on the corner of fifth and amethyst. Um, if you don't know where that is off the top of your head, Aaron can just give you a map, have fun. Speaker 1 00:30:32 I am so sure we will come on set. Let's go. And we head out, Speaker 0 00:30:40 Uh, Romeo survival check with advantage Speaker 1 00:30:45 16. Speaker 0 00:30:47 You managed to find the one like big Assurion church in Boulder. You can tell which building it is. It stands out. It's got a lot of big stand glass panels. You see that someone has like graffiti tagged the sides and the front of it. Speaker 1 00:31:07 Yeah. Leo is going to walk up to the front door and then turn over to said, are you sure you don't want to come in? I mean, if not, it's fine. And you're not going to catch me of all people proselytizing. But now that I'm at least somewhat officially the Archduke, this all sort of any waves down at himself comes with the territory. You might learn something. Speaker 0 00:31:37 I'm not gonna lie to you and say I'm interested, but, and then he kind of reaches out and grabs your hand. I'll come in with you for moral support. But if a skull talks to me, I'm fucking out. Speaker 1 00:31:54 Well, you got to ask a priest real nice to make something like that happen. You can probably just post up in one of the back pews and wait for me to get done. Speaker 0 00:32:03 We'll do. And he walks in with you. The same glass in here is like gorgeous. It's not what you are used to having grown up attending the main chapel and villain tall. But it's pretty nice. There's a lot of representations of like kimberlites saints and such, you know, people that worked like great miracles, uh, things that you can't do with your Clair expels, like raising people from the dead with something more powerful than a real Vivify like making huge weather events happen like that. It's not regular service hours. So it is pretty empty in here. Speaker 1 00:32:46 Okay. I'm just going to look for a member of the clergy around here that looks like they're in charge of something. Speaker 0 00:32:55 Yeah, sure. You see like an old priest dusting off something on the pulpit. You can tell he's kind of a senior member of the church. Cause he's got a veil going on, but it's like thrown back over his face because only the Hierophant wears it in front. And he's got the signature knife. That is the holy symbol of all priests have camera stuck in his belt. Speaker 1 00:33:18 Leo is gonna walk up to the sky and wait for him to be done with whatever he's doing and then sort of wave hi there. Sorry to disturb you brother. Speaker 0 00:33:29 You said this, I assume in common. He responds in Elvish like rapid-fire brother Garrick. What can I do for you? Speaker 1 00:33:37 Leo is going to zap rolls blade out of his Bracer and kind of offhandedly wave it at this guy from, uh, one priest to another. I'm just looking for a secluded and sacred space to have a few words with the big guy. If you know what I mean, Speaker 0 00:33:56 This guy looks up at you and his eyes go extremely wide. You watch him recognize you and you watch him look at cameras, blade, and his eyes get wider. Certainly your Highness, Speaker 1 00:34:12 Not sure if you all have a broadcasting device here at the church, brother, Garrick, but it's actually your majesty. If you could show me to that space that I mentioned. Speaker 0 00:34:24 Yeah. He spins on his heel and starts heading towards the back of the church. He leads you down a hall and to kind of a little room that has a whole bunch of doors just on the walls and he gestures. And he says, uh, meditation chambers for use by the clergy. If this will suffice, Speaker 1 00:34:46 I certainly hope it will. Leo is going to head in there. Speaker 0 00:34:51 You head into this little tiny room and what are you doing? Speaker 1 00:34:59 Um, are there like general trappings of the kimberlite religion in here? Like offering vessels and incense and things like that? Speaker 0 00:35:09 Yeah, it's a small room. It has just barely enough space for a little stool and a very small altar against the back wall. Speaker 1 00:35:21 Leo is going to light up some incents, put that on the alter and then sit down on the stool and start going through every fucking Kimra light prayer that he knows how to do every of liturgy, every scripture until he is just sitting there in the silence with nothing else. And then still hands clasped together in front of him. He says, I know you can hear me Not too long ago. You told me that both of our goals for aligned and I, I want to believe that, but I have heard the stories of a lot of people, a lot of good people that put their faith in you and got burned for it. And now I'm sitting here and there are thousands of lives on the line and they're all sitting on my shoulders and I want faith, but I need answers. And I would like to cast a divination as a ritual spell. Speaker 0 00:36:41 Okay. What does that do? Speaker 1 00:36:44 Your magic and an offering. Put you in contact with a God or a God servants. You ask a single question concerning a specific goal event or activity to occur. Within seven days, the GM offers a truthful reply. Leo sits their hands going white knuckled, where they're clutching each other, all the things I am seeing, all of it. What does it mean? Speaker 0 00:37:14 There's a long beat of silence. And then you hear that soft, familiar, raspy voice. Say Speaker 4 00:37:32 It means I made the right choice. I'm sorry. Speaker 1 00:37:40 No, no, that doesn't answer anything. What? Speaker 0 00:37:44 There is no reply, Speaker 1 00:37:48 Fucking skeletal pain in the ass. Leo's going to knock over a candelabra or something on his way out of the room and then storm off past Zed and out of the church without waiting for anything else. Speaker 0 00:38:04 Zed hurt is on out after you. Hey, uh, did that not go well? Or Speaker 1 00:38:13 Is there a, like a bottle or a piece of breakable trash that I can scoop up and throw against a wall? Speaker 0 00:38:21 Yeah. You find a liquor bottle just empty on the ground. Speaker 1 00:38:24 Cool. I bean it into the nearest flat surface. Speaker 0 00:38:29 Okay. You do that with the musical sound of breaking glass Zed behind you goes, whoa, Speaker 1 00:38:39 Leo watches this bottle shatter across the pavement and then turns around, grabs it by the face and pulls them in and kisses him super hard. Speaker 0 00:38:50 Zed kisses you back for a moment and then pulls back with a pop and says, Hey, Hey, as much as I enjoy kissing your boss, are you okay? Speaker 1 00:39:07 I'm fantastic. And I am done putting my faith in people that don't know what that faith is worth. Take me home. Speaker 0 00:39:19 I said, it takes you home. And Leo, you have received your 10th cleric level. Speaker 1 00:39:27 Oh well, isn't that great for me? Speaker 1 00:39:35 Fi the following evening finds you standing in your little makeshift war room at the Tony's garage. You Leo Sabine and Eleanora are all dressed for a party. And the rest of your party save for Fen. Calissa and Mia are all sort of milling about looking like they're waiting for something to do. The captain looks the most nervous out of anybody. He is just pacing the length of this room, hands behind his back. After he turns on his heel for the umpteenth time, he looks up at you and goes, are you sure? There's no way I can go with you. And then from the table, you hear a sharp sheesh I'm working. Florian. Javares is hunched gremlin like over the surface of this table with yours and Leo's invitations splayed out in front of him. And then a big leather folio of calligraphy pens and various inks rolled out behind them. He is currently squinting down at a little square of paper that he has taped to the table. And to supremely frustrated, he shakes out the tip of his pen and goes, Kim rolls bones, Sabine, where did you get this? Cardstock fucking Cancun. This is ass. And he rips the project he's been working on up from the table, tosses it aside and pulls out a new piece of card stock to start over Speaker 0 00:41:12 Fi turns to the captain and says, well, given how difficult forging invitations is, apparently yes, I'm sure if we need you, we'll find a way to sneak you through the kitchens. Speaker 1 00:41:27 Meanwhile, your cousin Adrian down at the other end of the table is sort of cracking her knuckles and looking down over the spread of maps across this table. So what we're all just supposed to sit here and wait for orders while the four of you go into the lion's den. Speaker 0 00:41:47 Adrian, if you have a better plan, I'd love to hear it. Speaker 1 00:41:50 I, I don't, it's just that I want to Speaker 0 00:41:58 Look. We all know this is a trap. We all know something's going to go wrong, but the way I see it, we've protected ourselves as best we can against it. The four of us are all formidable forces in our own. Right. And if we need more backup, then yes, I think the most helpful thing that any of you can do is stand by Speaker 1 00:42:24 Dammit ATRA wheels around the edge of this table, up to you and throws her arms around your waist. Speaker 0 00:42:33 Oh, we're hugging. We're hugging now. Speaker 1 00:42:36 We're hugging now. Just let it happen. Yep. Speaker 0 00:42:40 Fi hesitantly hugs her back. Speaker 1 00:42:43 Your cousin, Lark, from where they were sitting next to ATRA kind of pushes their chair back from the table and loops you and Leo into a big group hug and Patsy both on the back. Well, if anybody can upset devious political machinations, I think it's you two and you and Leo both have a D 10 of bardic inspiration from the table. Florian Javares goes, this is all very touching. Arivale. I need the light at a 45 degree angle, please. Arivale who has been hovering around all of you with a lantern kind of pivots to the side a little bit and holds it up a little higher and Florian droplets of sweat running down behind his big round sunglasses ghost. Okay. And Eleanor is invitation done. Take it away from me. Somebody blow on it. Speaker 0 00:43:37 Uh, fee's going to grab the invitation and do a guest can trip at it. Speaker 1 00:43:42 Supremely useful Sabine you're up next. He pulls another piece of cardstock down, tapes it to the table and gets to work fee. In the hand that isn't holding this forged invitation. You feel another hand reached down and twine its fingers in between yours. And when you look over to the side, you see Verity, newly dyed, bubblegum, pink hair braided back around her horns and pulled into a low ponytail at the NAPE of her neck. She squeezes your hand and goes, I, um, I wish I could do my job. I wish I could do the whole trustworthy high priestess thing until you fit. This is what the storm bringer has in store for, but I can't. So I believe in you for whatever that's worth, Speaker 0 00:44:39 He's going to squeeze her hand and attempt to put on a reassuring smile. It's it's worth a lot Verdi. Thank you. Speaker 1 00:44:50 She also gives you a big, super uncomfortable hug. Speaker 0 00:44:54 Great. This is awesome. Uh, fi Pat's varieties back and then says, does anyone want to hug Leo Speaker 1 00:45:03 As if on cue ravine sweeps out from the corner of the room and pulls Leo into a big bear hug, Speaker 0 00:45:11 Fetus figure guns at him and goes ravine. You're my favorite. Speaker 1 00:45:16 Oh yeah. I'm everyone's favorite at this point. I'm the only fucking person in this party. That makes sense anymore. Speaker 0 00:45:22 Fair point. That's a fair point. Yep. Speaker 1 00:45:25 From the table, Florian with a big full-risk of his hand goes and so beans is done. Gus Cantrell fee, please Speaker 0 00:45:36 Fi presumably still wrapped in a hug by Verity does a guest can trip on cue. Speaker 1 00:45:44 He slumps back in his chair and kind of pulls his big floppy hat down over his eyes. Art styles are easy. You just have to learn the basic vibe of it. All handwriting handwriting is a bitch. You all own me so big. Speaker 0 00:46:03 Assuming I don't get assassinated, I'll buy you a cake. Speaker 1 00:46:07 He kind of pushes his sunglasses down on the bridge of his nose and wiggles his eyebrows over at Arivale. Who's standing on the other side of the table or more preferably there's this wonderful little bistro downtown. I would love a gift certificate for a dinner for two Speaker 0 00:46:25 Fi also looks at Arivale and then smirks and says, yeah, I think I could arrange that. Speaker 1 00:46:33 You see Aerobase jot which, and she reaches over and yanks Florian's hat down over his face, but then looks between the two of you and goes, yeah, fair enough. Leo kind of glances over both of these forged invitations before handing them out to Eleanora and Sabine respectively. Okay. Well I guess we're doing this, Speaker 0 00:47:00 I guess we are. Does anyone else want to say it's a bad idea, Speaker 1 00:47:06 Everybody in the room up to and including T O N Y Tony and T O N I Tony all start talking over each other to the similar tune of this is a horrible idea. Speaker 0 00:47:20 I was speaking rhetorically, but thank you all. Speaker 1 00:47:24 And without much for their input, you Leo Eleanora and all gather your invitations and head out through the garage, out the open door, into the alley. So the four of you that are headed to this party come out of this alley onto the main street. You're about half a block up. When you hear a pretty familiar voice behind you going, hold on, hold on, hold on. Wait Speaker 0 00:47:53 For the turns Speaker 1 00:47:55 Your uncle Burris is standing in the middle of the street. He looks out of breath. First of all, like he has run a pretty far distance and pretty rumbled. His little fancy crevasse is kind of loose around his neck. He's reaching out towards the group of you and kind of braces his other arm against the wall of the nearest building. Just panting. Think camera like hot. You Nora said I would find you here. Oh my asthma. Speaker 0 00:48:30 Oh, okay. One. Are you all right to why are you here? Speaker 1 00:48:38 My medications are back at the house. It'll be okay. I think, I think I found out what your father's planning. I need backup from one of you for Aurora. I could use some thunder on my side. Just a second. I'll have you at the party before anyone misses you Speaker 0 00:48:58 Fi kind of looks around at Sabine and Eleanora and Leo. Uh, yeah. I think if you need backup, I'm probably the best suited for it. Do the three of you feel like you can handle things without me for a little bit Speaker 1 00:49:16 Leo purses, his lips, but then nods for a few minutes. Yeah. Speaker 0 00:49:23 Felix, back at Burris and says, and your shore things are going to be our right. If they go to the party, he's not planning anything to jump out of them on the way there or anything. Speaker 1 00:49:37 Not as far as I can tell. No, you and I need to head to the library. Speaker 0 00:49:44 Okay? Sure. And then he's going to turn back to Leo and say, shoot me a sending, if anything looks sketchy. All right. Speaker 1 00:49:54 Yeah. And reach out to subpoena if you two need anything. Speaker 0 00:49:59 Yeah, absolutely. Speaker 1 00:50:01 Okay. We'll see you there. Do what you need to do Speaker 0 00:50:06 And you as well. And then fee's gonna hit your skirts up and head off with brass. So Leo, you Eleanora and Sabine, head off to the Assurion embassy with your sister absent, but following you eventually after whatever is, you walk up to the usher and embassy building. It is this big gorgeous converted mansion. It seems with two stories of balconies out the front with huge marble columns, these big glass doors in the front, there are people milling about on the porch. There are people milling about in the front yard, which is gorgeously manicured. The three of you present your invitations at the door. And I want you to go ahead and roll me performance with advantage Speaker 1 00:51:08 Dirty 20, Speaker 0 00:51:11 The three of you are led in without incident. You don't recognize everybody at this party by any means like it is very clearly the party aspect of it is big to cover up the political negotiations that are going to be happening. But you definitely notice Maximus. This gray river, hamming it up by a fireplace to a semicircle of people listening, intently and holding punch glasses. You notice a few other senators with the red sashes and the military metals. You notice Colossus dad milling about being a good host. And you noticed her mom reclining on a chaise lounge, kicking out a plate of food. Colossae is sitting on an armchair next to her and talking animatedly about something. And Natalia smiles indulgently as she picks at some hors d'oeuvres you notice Fen standing amidst a crowd, being chatted at a Romi perception, really thick Speaker 1 00:52:15 29. Speaker 0 00:52:17 As far as you can tell, as you walk through this party, your father is not here. Uh Lasha is not here. And you feel like you can be sure neither of them are here because you would know that Fens dad was here. If you saw him, he is a big motherfucker of a dude. He is hard to miss you do not see him anywhere. Speaker 1 00:52:39 Hey, Al, Speaker 0 00:52:42 What? Speaker 1 00:52:43 Just a little thing for the scene that you need to know as a DM. Speaker 0 00:52:48 What Speaker 1 00:52:51 For ASSP here? Speaker 0 00:52:58 Huh? Okay. Well, since you rolled a 29 to perception, Leo, the character knows the Bray is, is here. Speaker 1 00:53:06 And given that he is going to frown pat Elanora on the back and then make a beeline for various, Hey, what the hell? Speaker 0 00:53:18 in a circle of his book club, friends, somehow still managing to look stuffy as he shoves a canopy, his mouth hole and around the mouth of puff pastry. And what appears to be mushroom. He says more. Speaker 1 00:53:33 What, what where's fi Speaker 0 00:53:36 He pauses, swallows and then says, what do you mean? Where's fee wouldn't you know where your sister is better than I do. Speaker 1 00:53:45 Given that I saw her walk off with you a couple minutes ago, no Speaker 0 00:53:50 Various blinks shakes. His head looks at a wine glass in his free hand and goes now Layal I am admittedly a bit tipsy, but to my knowledge, I have been here for the last half hour. Speaker 1 00:54:06 So you didn't come by the garage. You didn't what Speaker 0 00:54:10 Garage? Speaker 1 00:54:12 Mother fucker, Leo storms back out the front door onto one of the balconies zaps Kim rolls blade out of its Bracer and tries to kind of hide it under his outfit and sense of sending, spelled a fee. You need to get the fuck out of there, whoever you're with. It's not obvious. Speaker 0 00:54:36 You get a response back from your sister, almost instantly. What are you talking about? Speaker 1 00:54:47 And fi we cut back to you. You are following your uncle down this twisting maze of vulgar in streets towards the city center, towards where, you know, the library is, he's not saying much as he leads you, but he does have a very tight grip on your upper arm pulling you along behind him. Speaker 0 00:55:10 Fi tries to like kind of shake her arm out of the grip. And when it doesn't work, she says uncle brace, you're squeezing my arm a little tight. Speaker 1 00:55:18 Oh, um, my apologies. Sorry. The grip does loosen a little bit, but does not leave entirely. He is still ushering you up the street towards the library. You to get to the front of this big gorgeous academic building. And he starts kind of tugging you up the steps behind him. When you feel the thing of ascending spell, go off inside your head and echoing with an urgency. You have never heard before against the inside of your skull. You hear your brother's voice. You need to get the fuck out of there, whoever you're with. It's not various Speaker 0 00:56:06 Fi pauses and looks at her uncle and then sends back. What are you talking about? Speaker 1 00:56:16 Your uncle pauses, a few steps above you and turns back around kind of frowning at you. Come on. There's a file in the genealogical records, in the library that we really need to look at Speaker 0 00:56:30 And how exactly are Jane neological records relevant to whatever my father is planning with this party. Speaker 1 00:56:38 That's not something I feel comfortable discussing out where people can hear us Ferrara. Let's just go. You want to get to that party, right? Speaker 0 00:56:49 If he's going to cast a witch ball at him, Speaker 1 00:56:55 Um, okay, go ahead and do that role to hit Speaker 0 00:56:59 Natural 19. Speaker 1 00:57:01 Yeah, that'll hit. What level are you casting that at? Speaker 0 00:57:05 I'll just guess it at first level. I want to see what I'm dealing with. Okay. Speaker 1 00:57:09 Roll one. D 12 lightning damage Speaker 0 00:57:13 12, Speaker 1 00:57:17 Your uncle falls back on the stairs with a scream. As a bolt of lightning hits him and yells, Speaker 0 00:57:24 Ah, hell feed takes a step back. So she has some distance between herself and whoever the fuck. This is sets her stance very firmly and says, got an interesting sending from Leo. You'll never guess who he saw at the party. Who are you? Speaker 1 00:57:45 As you ask this, I have a couple things to clarify. You feel the end of this, which bolt spell, crackle, and die on your fingertips. And as you do you remember a night long ago in a sky where you and Leo had talked about what the two of you had a dirt at the hands of your father. You remember Leo asking you the question? Did he do the thing where he makes you think that everything you saw was just a bad dream or did he do the thing where he makes himself look like someone else? And then you remember from your arcane studies over the years that a seeming spell is indissolvable for the full eight hours from its casting, your uncle, as far as you know, collapses down onto these grand marble steps, coughs into his elbow, weekly tries to prop himself up. Speaker 1 00:59:01 We'll see. Now you're asking the wrong questions. And then he makes eye contact with you. And he smiles and fi you feel something visceral and primal and fearful at the NAPE of your neck because your uncle Reyes is smiling in a way that is wrong, but familiar. And when he speaks again, his voice shifts in a way that does not match up with your uncle, but you know, very well. What you should be asking darling is how fast you can run. I don't think you're going to make it there in time. Tick tock, tick tock Speaker 0 00:59:58 Fi takes another step back. I think just shocked and then takes a deep breath, steadies herself and says, as usual father, you underestimate me and she casts haste on herself. Speaker 1 01:00:14 Okay? So your AC increases by two, your speed doubles. You get an extra action on each turn. What are you doing? Speaker 0 01:00:24 Um, well, since I get an extra action, what I'm going to do is I'm going to burn both actions on each turn to dash, which means that I'm moving 180 feet, every six seconds Speaker 1 01:00:36 For the folks at home. That means fee is moving faster than said right now, as you absolutely sprint away buoyed by your magic, this person on the steps that has your uncle's face, but speaks with your father's voice says time's a wasting darling. Speaker 0 01:01:01 Leo, after you get the sending back from your sister, what are you doing? Speaker 1 01:01:06 Pacing nervously on the front porch for a little while, but then going back inside and hoping that she's on her way. Speaker 0 01:01:15 As soon as you go back inside, you run into Sabine. She grabs you by the arm and like a vice grip and says Leo, step aside with me for a moment. Speaker 1 01:01:27 Yeah. Uh, I was just about to find you and ask you to do the same thing with me. Let's go, Speaker 0 01:01:33 You step out onto the porch and Sabine drags you into a corner. And hisses fetus sent me a message. She says, get out Speaker 1 01:01:46 How interesting since I just fired off a sending to her that said pretty much the exact same thing. Have you seen real berries in the party yet? Speaker 0 01:01:57 What? Speaker 1 01:01:58 Yeah, my uncle's here. Whoever grabbed fee at the garage, it wasn't him. Speaker 0 01:02:03 Sabine looks very afraid. Oh, okay. Um, no one else could have sent a message on her beacon coin, not on this short notice. So she's okay. Uh, if she's telling us to get out, then she's not the one in danger. We're in danger. Speaker 1 01:02:22 Leo looks over the railing into the yard and then back into the party through the window and purses, his lips, you and Eleanora. Keep your distance. I'm figuring out what's going on here. Speaker 0 01:02:36 Sabine's hand tightens around your arm. And she says, we all need to get out of here, Leo. Speaker 1 01:02:44 Okay. And given fee's absence who was going to pull Calissa and Fenn out of this house, kicking and screaming, Sabine you or me? Speaker 0 01:02:53 I, I don't know, but we'll figure it out. We just need to, we just need to come up with a plan. Hang on hand to be in starts pacing. Speaker 1 01:03:04 Leo is going to stare back into the house through this window and see if he can find Calissa Fen or Mia, Speaker 0 01:03:12 Uh, RO perception, Speaker 1 01:03:15 14. Speaker 0 01:03:17 You can just barely see Fenn moving through a crowd. Like you can see one of his shoulders. Speaker 1 01:03:24 Fuck. Okay. I see Fenn in there. Just let me go in and tell them what's going on. Speaker 0 01:03:30 Sabine sets her jaw very firmly and then says, I'll get Eleanora. Uh, the two of us can figure out what to do about Colossae Speaker 1 01:03:40 Okay, fine. Do what you need to do. Keep an eye out for feet. I'll be back as soon as I can. And Leo was going to dive head first back through the doors, into this party and make a beeline for Fen. Speaker 0 01:03:54 You notice, as you walk back in that there is live music playing. It appears that they took a pause around the time that you came in. You don't know what was up there, but, uh, they're playing the very loud and you cut through this crowd to get defense. Speaker 1 01:04:10 Leo is going to grab him by the elbow and yank him off towards the nearest doorway and then kind of lean up into his ear and go my father and are trying something. If he's involved in it, she's okay. She's on her way here, but we need to get ready for shit to pop off. Sabine seems to think we should all get out. Speaker 0 01:04:35 Oh, okay. Uh, get aware. You mean all of us? Speaker 1 01:04:43 I mean, everybody that we don't want to die here tonight, where is Mia? Speaker 0 01:04:49 Me as an events. Me. It can't be seen. Speaker 1 01:04:53 Oh, fantastic. Mia. Can't be seen. Can we be told to bug out Speaker 0 01:04:58 The door to a powder room behind Fenn opens and you hear a voice? Say, sure, thanks Jaeger. But what's our contingency plan. Speaker 1 01:05:08 Leo shuts his eyes and shakes his head for a couple seconds for now. I think it's fall back to the crash, but I think things here are about to get bad. So we should make ourselves scarce. Before that happens. Speaker 0 01:05:24 Mia steps into your view, drawing up next to Fen, look sideways at him and then says, do you want to, uh, go get the lady Patrisse? And I'll go ahead and grab glasses. Speaker 1 01:05:38 Yeah. Good. Whatever you two need to do. We just need to be ready to vacate in 10 minutes, Speaker 0 01:05:45 Fen, nods, and then says, right, right. Uh, we'll meet up at the garage. If we get separated and he heads off into the crowd, you watch Mia ooze their way between people. Very nonchalantly. Are you moving back out into the greater crowd? Speaker 1 01:06:05 I'm headed back towards the front door. I'm watching for fi Speaker 0 01:06:10 Your uncle brain stops you still with a wine glass. In his hand, he just put the hand on your shoulder and goes liberal. You will have to explain what's going on right now. Speaker 1 01:06:22 I'll explain later after you get yourself and everybody else we care about out of this house and onto the front lawn, my father's up to something. And he's been using your face to do it. Shit's about to go very bad. Speaker 0 01:06:38 Your uncle Barry bias stops squints at you. And he goes a couple shades paler than usual. He looks sick. Speaker 1 01:06:51 He came to the garage and he took fee from the rest of us. At least as far as I can tell, you need to get out of here. Speaker 0 01:07:02 He keeps looking at you for just a second. Just this look of naked fear on his face. And then he nods and he sets his jaw in a way that is very familiar. And he starts moving towards the door. Romy perception, Speaker 1 01:07:20 25. Speaker 0 01:07:23 Okay. With the 25, you see out of the corner of your eye. As the front door opens your sister practically falls into the house. Speaker 1 01:07:32 What do I need to roll? To catch her as she comes in? Because I know that coming off a haste is bad from personal experience. Speaker 0 01:07:42 Yeah, you're pretty far away, but you can get over to her. You do recognize that she is coming off of hate smell. Like she is jittering. As she collapses against the doorframe. As soon as she sees you, she relaxes a little bit. And as you walk over, she grabs your arm and just slurring a little says, we all need to go. We need to go. We need to go. Speaker 1 01:08:05 I've got Fen and Mia on it. Sabine's facilitating getting everybody out, just breathe. Okay. Deep breath Speaker 0 01:08:15 Fi takes a deep steadying breath. And then you hear a blood curdling scream. Speaker 2 01:08:30 Shit. Speaker 1 01:08:32 I run towards it. Speaker 0 01:08:35 You head up the stairs towards where you heard the scream. A few people that are heading up there, kind of crushing past you on the stairs. And as you in this crowd, head up there. When you're about halfway down the hall, you feel a hand close around your elbow. And Mia SONDA has appeared out of the crowd. Speaker 1 01:08:56 Leo leans over next to their ear. This better not have been you. Speaker 0 01:09:03 They give you a disgusted look and say obviously now, but if you want to do what you came here to do, you better not go in there. Speaker 1 01:09:13 What the hell are you talking about? Speaker 0 01:09:16 Mia grimaces. And then you hear another scream. And this time you recognize that as Colossus voice. Speaker 1 01:09:25 Oh no. There is nothing that is capable of keeping Leo from going in there. He's going to shove people out of the way and run Speaker 0 01:09:32 Roll perception. As you get in the store, just to see how much the senior process, Speaker 1 01:09:39 15 Speaker 0 01:09:41 You open the store. And the first thing you see is ambassador. Even Petrus, who was a fixture in your childhood as pretty much your father's closest friend and your best friend's father lying dead on the floor. Speaker 2 01:10:00 What? Speaker 0 01:10:03 Yeah. You saw him right before you went outside the fire off of sending the fee, just making the rounds, being a good host. He is wearing the same formal robes. He was, he is immediately recognizable. And so is the pool of blue softly, luminescent blood spread out around him. His wife, Natalia Petrus is hunched over him, both hands on the body. And you see the soft glow of palette and magic around her hands as she is trying to do something, but it is not working. She is sobbing and you see Calissa leaned up against the wall next to the door, both hands clapped over her mouth. She is like visibly shaking. Speaker 1 01:10:57 Uh, Leo is going to run in and like baseball slide down to the floor next to the body and kind of try to, as gently as he can push us all his hands off, move, move. I've got him. And he's going to pull the diamond that always has on him, out of his bag, zapped the knife out of his Bracer and Castro Vivify Speaker 0 01:11:19 You try to Castro Vivify and it does not work. He has been dead for more than a minute, which is outside the bounds of her. But fuck Colossae his mom is still just letting out these gut wrenching sobs, just Speaker 1 01:11:38 Leo grits, his teeth, and then pushes himself back, shaking his head. Me, I keep people out of here and then he's going to stand up and just pull Colossae into his arms. Speaker 0 01:11:51 She takes her hands away from her mouth to shove at your chest and goes, no, no, no, no. You have to, you have to do something. Somebody has to do something Speaker 1 01:12:00 Leo squeezes at both of her shoulders and just shakes his head. Kelly. It's been more than a minute. The river, if I spelled it and take there's not anything anybody can do. He's gone. It's the first time he's called her that since they were kids, Speaker 0 01:12:20 You're very aware that especially recently, Calissa has had a complicated relationship with her dad. But as you say that she stopped shoving at you and just collapses into your chest. Just sobbing Speaker 1 01:12:38 Leo Holter, super tight. If he can, he's going to nod at fee and then over at Natalia, like get her over here. If you can Speaker 0 01:12:49 Fi nods back at you heads over and starts like trying to pull Messiah to her feet. You watch Natalia just cling to her. Husband's dead body and PHY crouches down and says something to her. Like very softly. You can't quite make out what she's saying. You watch her go to put a hand over her mouth and then realize that there is blood on her hand. And she just like shrinks in on herself. And fi very gently gets her to her feet and brings her over. Speaker 1 01:13:26 Leo is still just holding. Colossae rocking her back and forth a little. Okay. I can help you to calm down magically if that's what you want. Speaker 0 01:13:36 Calissa is like inconsolable curl up against you. But Natalia wipes her bloody hand off on her robes and nods and says, I think that would be best. Yes. Speaker 1 01:13:49 Okay, cool. I cast call my emotions. They can fail the safe voluntarily. Speaker 0 01:13:54 Natalia is definitely going to do that. I'm going to roll for Calissa. Yeah. Calissa rolled a 13. She fails. Speaker 1 01:14:04 Okay. This is an unpleasant conversation. I'm very sorry, lady Petrus. He like this. When you found him Speaker 0 01:14:14 Natalia, under effects of this common emotion spell straightened her shoulders. And for just a second, you see all the decades of her experience as a Paladin, she nods. And she says, yes. As far as I can tell, some sort of magic was used. I, I checked Speaker 1 01:14:34 Any signs of forced entry, open windows, broken locks. Speaker 0 01:14:39 No, nothing. She looks around at this room that you can tell, as you're looking around, it is some kind of study. There's a desk. There's some bookcases even never locked the door in here in case someone needed to talk to him while he was working. Speaker 1 01:14:56 Right? So whatever happened came from inside the house, you and Calissa should go somewhere else. I've got magical tracing abilities of my own fee and I'll figure this out. Okay. Speaker 0 01:15:11 She reaches out and grabs Colossae from you and just hugs her super close for a second and then nods and leads her out of the room. Speaker 1 01:15:22 Leo looks over at fie and nods grimly. I'm going to look around up here, go get Fen. He's the only person here. That's a security professional. I want his eyes on this Speaker 0 01:15:35 With Natalia taking care of fee has just been staring at this dead body on the floor. And she shakes herself, looks over at you, nods and says, right, right. I'll get Fen. Yeah. She shakes her head again and then walks out. Speaker 1 01:15:56 I'm gonna go back over to where the body is, kneel down and cast detect magic. So if there's been any magic used recently, I can see it in a faint aura. And I learned the school of magic. Speaker 0 01:16:11 You notice a faint aura of enchanted magic over from where you cast common emotions and around even Petrus's body. You sense a lot of necromancy magic. You know, some of it is from your own unsuccessful casting of revivify. And you assume that Natalia was also trying to cast something healing, which would fall under that, but that doesn't account for how much of it there is you don't think Speaker 1 01:16:43 Leo frowns and his grip tightens around the hilt of camera's blade. What happened here? Wild pole. I'm going to cast detect poison and disease. So if there are any poisons, poisonous creatures or diseases within 30 feet of me, I know. And I also know what kind they are. Speaker 0 01:17:07 You sense some kind of disease magic around Eamon Romy, and Arconic check Speaker 1 01:17:19 12. Speaker 0 01:17:21 You can infer that some sort of necromancy spelled that causes disease was cast here. You cannot narrow it down beyond that. Speaker 1 01:17:35 Uh, this is fucked up. Leo's just in this room with this dead body talking to himself, he stands up and starts pacing. Okay. Necromancy magic. But he was poisoned. What does that contagion, but that would take days to kill you Ray of sickness maybe. And then there's the stab wounds, but that just feels like overkill at this point. Speaker 0 01:18:02 As you're saying that to yourself, fi and Fen, both walk in Fen, looks around, scrub the hand down his face and goes, well, shit. Speaker 1 01:18:14 Yeah. Fen, try to process this as quickly as possible. I just need confirmation that whatever happened here came from inside the house. So check the doors, check the windows. Speaker 0 01:18:24 Uh, yeah, sure. And he goes over to the windows fi kind of sidles up next to you. All right. Well, he's doing that. What are you thinking? Speaker 1 01:18:41 I'm thinking of this reeks, like father, Speaker 0 01:18:45 I see where you're coming from and I'm inclined to agree, but I just don't know how he could do this father. Doesn't exactly have a lot of friends. Ambassador Petrus was, is. Speaker 1 01:19:07 And uncle Val was his brother. Just take it from someone who's talked to the old man pretty recently fee. There's not a lot of person won't do after they've convinced themselves that they're bearing the burden of the greater good. Speaker 0 01:19:24 As you're saying this, people are continuing to push in from the doorway and Fen over by the windows says, Hey, can I get everybody to clear out so I can see what's going on here? There's a beat. As people are all chattering over each other and then Mia steps out for on the doorway, smiles very sweetly and says, y'all heard the man go on Romeo with safe Speaker 1 01:19:53 16. Speaker 0 01:19:55 Uh, that doesn't do it. Let me roll for feet. Okay. So you, along with this crowd as me, so eloquently said, go on, get you are frightened of me after the next minute, you cannot move closer to them. Speaker 1 01:20:11 Well, getting out of the room would require me to move closer to them. So I guess I'm just going up against the back wall. Speaker 0 01:20:18 As this crowd starts rushing out the door, they sidestep and also gesture you out. Speaker 1 01:20:26 Leo gives them a weird look, but then grabs fie and pulls her out the door and down the stairs. Fi you are following your brother down this grand marble hallway towards the stairs. I would like you to roll perception. Speaker 0 01:20:47 I love when you ask you to roll perception four, but it's a 14 because of reliable talent. Speaker 1 01:20:55 As you make your way past one of the many closed doors lining this hallway, you hear gut wrenching sobs from inside. You recognize the voices Colossae is pretty easily. And then another voice that you are able to recognize, as Eleonora's says, Colossae sweetheart. Look at me. It is okay for you to mourn your dad. Despite the shitty things that he did, because he loved you. Trust me, I get it. Colossae sniffles and goes, no, I need to go out there. I need to help. This is all my fault. I need to Eleanora cuts are off. You need to stay here with me, Leo and fear handling it. We need to trust them. Leo pauses outside the store alongside you. You can tell that he has picked up on what's going on on the other side as well, but he just clenches his job, shakes his head and yanks you along. Speaker 0 01:22:09 Eleanor has got it. Fee. We'll give class-A a hug later. She's going to follow Leo. Speaker 1 01:22:16 The two of you head down the stairs and back into the party, which is still in full swing. The people that did not hear the screaming and the tumult from upstairs are still just going through their evening. Like nothing is going on. People are laughing, dancing, drinking on one side of this big ballroom. You see, Sabine's sort of leaned up against the wall with a glass of punch in her hand, she catches your eye fee. As you walk in Speaker 0 01:22:55 Fi makes eye contact with her raises an eyebrow. Speaker 1 01:22:59 I would like you to roll insight with advantage. Speaker 0 01:23:04 That is a 10. Exactly. Speaker 1 01:23:08 Sabine has a very complex look on her face that you can't quite figure out. This party is still hopping. People are still moving back and forth across the dance floor. The entertainment for the evening is still up on a little stage, playing her loot, singing with a modified, maybe like thermometer G or prestidigitation spell or something to make her voice louder. Sabine nods over towards the stage. And the Bard that is playing reaches into the front of her dress and pulls out her beacon coin clutched between two fingers, flashes it at you, nods at the stage again, and then tucks it away. And you are able to gather that she is trying to tell you, Hey, this person up there is a beacon operative, Speaker 0 01:24:02 Fi nods slowly. And then she's going to elbow Leo and try to like subtly gesture down at Kimball's blade and then pointed herself, Speaker 1 01:24:13 Leo frowns, but then tucks the knife into the folds of his robes. And a second later you get a message spell inside your head. What what's going on? Speaker 0 01:24:24 The Bard is a beacon operative. I would be willing to stake a lot on the idea that she's one of the lodges, Speaker 1 01:24:33 Leo grits, his teeth, and then you see a subtle purple flash as he SAPs Kim rolls blade back into his Bracer Speaker 0 01:24:42 Shit. Speaker 1 01:24:44 All right, we need to go catch Sabine up. Speaker 0 01:24:47 Yep. Fear's going to tow him over to Sabine Speaker 1 01:24:51 Sabine who has been able to figure out that U2 caught her meaning nods at you as you walk over and then cuts her eyes sideways back over towards the stage. I'm not personally familiar with her. I've only seen her at a couple of functions before, but she's been acting sketchy all evening. And she took a break in her set about 20 minutes ago, Speaker 0 01:25:15 Fi nods, grits, her teeth, and says that would be right about when an unfortunate situation with the ambassador was that folding Speaker 1 01:25:28 Sabine's eyes go wide. Speaker 0 01:25:31 What fi lowers her voice even further. We don't want to alarm everyone, but I think we need to try and get our friend alone and sort this out. Speaker 1 01:25:52 Spin kind of clenches and unpleasure surface a couple of times. And it would appear that the two of you were right about walking into your father's Speaker 0 01:26:01 Trap. Speaker 1 01:26:06 We need to get all of our people out of here. We don't know what comes next. Speaker 0 01:26:11 Yeah, I agree. I don't think we can trust that there's anyone in here that doesn't have a knife poison over our backs. Speaker 1 01:26:21 She closes her eyes for a second purses. Her lips and nods. Yeah, that sounds about right. You get ahold of Arivale get the rest of the folks that are waiting at the garage here to help facilitate evacuation. I'll keep an eye on our friend over there. Speaker 0 01:26:40 Fee's going to try and duck into a secluded corner and pull out her coin and send a message to Arivale that says, we need everyone here. We are evacuating the party. Hurry Speaker 1 01:26:56 Almost immediately. Your coin glows. And you get a message back from Arivale we're on our way. Is everybody alive? What happened? Speaker 0 01:27:09 Oh, it's fees. Last beacon message at the day. Okay. Um, yeah, she sends back ambassador. Patrice's dead. Something's really wrong. Speaker 1 01:27:22 Leo is often this little side chamber with you. He kind of narrows his eyes as you send this last message. Okay. So are they coming there Speaker 0 01:27:34 On their way? Yeah, we need to get everyone out with his little fuss as possible. Speaker 1 01:27:40 As you say that you hear quite a bit of an uproar coming from the ballroom, just outside the door. Speaker 0 01:27:50 Goddamn. Okay, fine. If he's going to walk out there, shit got damn. Speaker 1 01:27:56 Apparently the news has hit the party at large as you and your brother come back out into this party. People are letting out worried, shouts, murmuring amongst themselves, bustling back and forth across the ballroom and in the center of it. All one Senator Maximus, grey river is standing with both hands upraised. All right, well, clearly we need to lock the house down cause someone and he has a moderate Australian security professionals have confirmed as such and hovering in the doorway. You see Fenn who makes eye contact with you and shrugs. Like I tried Speaker 0 01:28:45 Fi grimaces and then says, allowing them to be heard over the crowd it's being handled. Senator grey river. My brother and I are working with said security professional. And it is all of our opinion that need to evacuate this building, Speaker 1 01:29:04 This old, old dormish man locks, eyes with you and tilts his head to the side in a very patronizing fashion. Oh, so you could do what? Hide the evidence. I just got back from the crime scene and I got a Wanda who in this house doesn't want the vulgar and Senate entering into political talks with the rain and Archduke of Australia who in this house can cast something like a Ray of sickness and famously fights with a knife. Besides you, you feel Leo tents up clenching his fists at his sides and more to you and himself than anyone else. He mutters who in this house isn't willing to play ball with you and your fucking political games, Speaker 0 01:29:54 Senator grey river. If it will assure you, the two of us will leave the house before you do, but we all need to leave. Speaker 1 01:30:05 He raises an eyebrow at the two of you. Sounds like the sentiment of someone. Who's pretty desperate to make an escape kid. And then fi you feel the psychic static of a message can trip coming into your mind. And Sabine's voice says she just stepped out the side door. I think she's heading for the basement. We need to move Speaker 0 01:30:31 The shakes, her head and says, you know what believe what you want. And then she grabs Leo's hand and she had to swerve to the side door. Speaker 1 01:30:40 As you leave, you hear maximum gray river shouting to the security detail of all of the Boulder and senators that came here tonight. All right, lock down the house. Nobody comes in, nobody goes out and you and Leo, book it out this side door into the hallway. There's an access door to the kitchens that Sabina is hanging out of. Frantically waving at you. Speaker 0 01:31:09 He goes over to Sabine. She says, all right, uh, Eleanora, Calissa and class's mother are upstairs. Fen is in the main room. I, I don't know where Mia is. I don't know where my uncle Bray is, but that's all of our people and get anyone else out that you can Speaker 1 01:31:27 Sabine reaches up and presses one hand against the side of your face. I've got things handled here. YouTube, go, Speaker 0 01:31:38 She's gonna stop. Give her a kiss and then head out Speaker 1 01:31:43 You and Leo charged through the store, into the kitchens. There is a cellar door in the floor that is lying open, leading down into some kind of dark basement. Other than that, it's a dead. There's no other doors out of here. Speaker 0 01:32:02 Okay? Uh, I'm going to grab Leo and thunder step outside. Speaker 1 01:32:08 Okay. There is a large echoing boom of thunder as you cast the spell, but nobody's within range to be hurt by it. And you find yourselves outside the house. Leo immediately takes off running. He's got you by your sleeve and is pulling you along behind him. He's going to use a fourth level spell slot to cast a locate creature. He is at least somewhat familiar with this Bard that was playing at the party. He saw her for a little bit. So I'm going to roll something to see if she is a, within a thousand feet and B, if he can see which direction she's going. So that's a 17, it was a DC 10 survival check. He's got to beat on her. He knows which way she's going. He charges down this alley, outside the embassy and over his shoulder calls to you. If you've got another haste now will be the time to drop it on yourself. Speaker 0 01:33:10 Yep. Donut. Speaker 1 01:33:12 And now I am going to need the Leo fi and this mysterious murder Bard to roll initiative Speaker 0 01:33:22 27. Speaker 1 01:33:24 Okay. Leo gets a 22. And this bar that has escaped, the party gets and eight. You and your brother, you using your haste spell and Leo using his cunning action. Double dash catch up with this Bard very quickly. You see her almost down the end of one narrow alley, and she kind of freezes at the end fee. You are up first in initiative. What would you like to do? Speaker 0 01:34:02 If I can see her, I'm going to cast command stop. Speaker 1 01:34:09 Okay. She is going to roll a wisdom, saving throw against your spell. DC 10. Speaker 0 01:34:18 My safety sees is an 18 that does not do it. Speaker 1 01:34:22 She freezes at the end of this alley. Now that you're getting a better look at her. She is this young Australian Elvin woman with long Chestnut hair, kind of wavy pulled back and several braids from her face dressed in very rich bards garb. And she looks afraid and Leo is up next. I would like to specify all of this damage that he is about to do his non-lethal. He's just trying to knock her out. So first off, he's going to roll to hit her with a fifth level inflict wounds, which is definitely going to hit. He's going to use his one Staley ability from Kimball's blade to do max damage on an Akkermansia spell. So that's going to be 70 damage outright just from the inflict wounds. Plus, when you add channel divinity, touch of death brings it up to 95. And then when you add the knife damage, the sneak attack damage, because she was stunned from your spell just now. And I'm also going to burn a sneak attack, spell slot from Kimra splayed as well. So I'm going to get 95 damage plus five D six additional plus five. So the total for all of that is 118, which will knock her unconscious. So since it's non-lethal damage, I'm just going to say that Leo pistol whips are real good with cameras, blade, just drive to the back of the head. She crumples to the cobblestones and looks up at both of you flickering in and out of consciousness. You're both too late. And then she passes out Speaker 0 01:36:30 Field, looks over at Leo and says, shoot off a sending to somebody that's back of the house now. Speaker 1 01:36:38 Yeah. Yeah. I don't like this. He spins his knife around his finger and you see it glow as he fires off of sending spell something. Bad's going to happen, Speaker 0 01:36:51 Ryan, what about we'll come back, run. Speaker 1 01:36:57 Okay. He takes off after you, this barred beacon, operative murderer, whatever you want to call her did not get super far from the house. You could make it back to her unconscious body pretty easily, but you and Leo crash back through the main gate of the Australian embassy to utter pandemonium. A lot of the party goers have since been evacuated onto the front lawn. And you see many of your party who you left on standby at the garage, kind of hovering around, trying to facilitate further evacuation. Calissa is hovering in the corner of these big privacy hedges around the embassy, just with a thousand yard stare out ahead of her with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. On one side of her Eleanora is petting her hair down, trying to talk her through all of this trauma across the courtyard. You hear the sound of a door bursting open, and Arivale rushes out with half a dozen or so people that she just ushers off into the yard right behind her. You see Zed heard some more people out and then spot you over by the gate and just make a beeline over for Leo, who he pulls into a hug. Speaker 0 01:38:31 He's going to give them a little space and make a beeline over to Sabina or the captain whoever's closest. Speaker 1 01:38:37 You don't see the captain he's not out here. Sabine is holding the front gate open and trying to usher party-goers out into the street. She looks over at you, wide-eyed panicked and goes, did you do what you needed to do Speaker 0 01:38:57 More or less? Uh, we knocked her out. How many people are still inside Speaker 1 01:39:02 Several, but I've got the most persuasive person. And he have us know on the job. And then the captain with five or six more people in tow comes charging out the front door. Speaker 0 01:39:14 He's going to run over and get him in a hug. Speaker 1 01:39:17 He gets an arm braced across your back and pulls you in super tight. It's pandemonium in their loss. You know, you'd think that if you're walking to a group of people and you say, Hey, how's your life depends on it, but no political implications in plausible deniability. Speaker 0 01:39:36 Yeah, you think, are you okay? Speaker 1 01:39:39 You're standing there, locked in this embrace with the captain. You look around and see every other person in your party. Kind of hanging out around this front lawn and then off to the side. Almost unnoticeable. You hear Colossae mutter. Wait, where's my mom. Speaker 1 01:40:18 And the Australian embassy erupts into a massive unsurvivable ball of fire. And that's her. We're going to end for this week. Yeah, this sucks. Speaker 1 01:40:53 We'll find out more about this next time. Speaker 1 01:41:13 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 Tech-Talk at compelled dual. We have a lot of other cool stuff like an official Spotify profile and official website. You could 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 duel, 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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