Probability of Demise

Rurik - GM: Welcome adventurers to
Probability of Demise, the podcast where

critical fumbles meet critical facepalms.

Join us as we delve into the darkest
dungeons, slay the stupidest gremlins, and

roll enough ones to make a beholder weep.

Forget epic storylines and heroic deeds.

Here we celebrate the chaotic beauty of
bad roles, questionable decisions, and

characters with more charisma than sense.

We'll be your dungeon masters of
disappointment, guiding you through

campaigns where the only guaranteed
treasure is a mountain of laughter,

and maybe some psychic scarring.

So grab your Nat 1 dice, strap
on your anxiety helmets, and

prepare to witness the glorious
trainwreck that is our D& D journey.

Because In the end, even if your
character dies face first into a pile of

pudding, at least you'll have the Dice
God's permission to laugh your ass off.

Welcome to Probability
of Demise, new campaign!

Hey!

We've changed our format a
little bit, and we're about to

start it with Just doing it!

Yes!

Jess - Seraphina: Oh my gosh, so good.

Rurik - GM: Okay.

This segment is all Jess.

She's whole, she's reformatted her format.

Jess - Seraphina: I currently
have a list of thus far.

100 words, we are going to, I am
going to roll this magical D 100 and

whatever it lands on will be the word
we are choosing to learn about today.

So here we go.

I need to do this on the
floor cause it's very loud.

Excuse me.

You won't believe what we landed on folks.

100!

Jason - Gus: It's a good
sign for our new campaign.

Jess - Seraphina: Lucky.

Today's word of the day is

Rurik - GM: I just have a little bit of
a question while you're looking for this

word, and you don't have to do anything,
but like, is your 100 words the ones that

are the hardest for you to pronounce, or
the ones the hardest for you to pronounce?

Jess - Seraphina: Neither.

It's all

Rurik - GM: flippity flappled.

Wait, what was that word?

Okay.

Jason - Gus: Flippity
flappled is number 61.

Jess - Seraphina: These
are true words, folks.

All right.

Larissa - Ulua: As opposed to false words.

Jess - Seraphina: Today's word of the
day, number 100, is salient, which

is most noticeable or important.

And, using this in a sentence, the
salient points of the argument were

emphasized to drive home the key message.

That was your word of the day.

Thank you.

Brought to you by this D100.

Rurik - GM: And the floor.

Normally what would follow up right
after that would be our, Recap of the

previous session, but as this is our
first session of this new campaign, new

season, new us, what we're going to do
is we're going to just really quickly

go around and introduce ourselves and
I don't want to be the first one to

start, so someone else, take it away.

Jess - Seraphina: I'll go, we'll go top.

Larissa volunteers.

Rurik - GM: Top round.

She is the tribute.

Larissa - Ulua: My name is Larissa
McDowell, I met these lovely people,

Rurik - GM: the

Larissa - Ulua: person next to me on
top is my partner, and I've known him

for far longer, but, Rurik and Jess,
I met, playing Dungeons and Dragons,

in a randomized group finder event at
a local gaming store in March of 2020.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

but, The world shut down at our

Jess - Seraphina: first game.

Well, New York shut down

Larissa - Ulua: at our first game.

So, But the D and D continued.

so personally, singer, actor, living in
New York, I have another full time nine

to five that pays the bills, but, I think
my goal with this campaign is to bring,

Local theater projects to the forefront.

So today's, group that I would like
to introduce you to is Broadway bods.

They are 501 C3 nonprofit, and they're,
New York based theater project that

aims to provide opportunities for
performers living in larger bodies.

they, their goal is to create safe,
inclusive spaces for performers

of diverse bodies, as a top
priority, of the organization.

So as a, you know, curvy person,
I, heavily believe in changing the

Broadway industry as it stands now.

And so, I think you should be able to
sing the part, but you don't need to

look the part necessarily or at least
any certain way to be able to play a

part, as long as you can sing it and
act it, you should be able to do it.

So, yeah, so that's me
and that's Broadway Bods.

You can find out more information
about them at broadwaybods.

com, and I believe their spring
production is You're a Good Man,

Charlie Brown, coming up, in March
or April, so stay tuned and I'll,

Give you an exact date once I know

Jason - Gus: that.

I would like to audition
for the role of Snoopy.

Jess - Seraphina: That would be so cute.

Rurik - GM: I mean, you got

Larissa - Ulua: the fur, you're

Jason - Gus: fine.

Hi, I'm Jason.

And I would like to
audition for the role, no.

I don't have anything nearly so.

Interesting to say.

I am a aspiring writer living in New York
with the other person in the top row who

is my spouse and I am very adept at swear
words and shaming people on Facebook.

For being dumb.

No, I don't know.

I got, I got nothing.

so I am looking forward to campaign
two and I will pass it down to Jess.

Jess - Seraphina: Hi, I am Jessica Becker.

I live in New York where
I met these amazing folks.

I'm also in the arts, do a
lot of musical theater, have

currently have a nine to five job.

you know, love things all.

Anime, nerdom, so if you ever have
any suggestions for things, I'm always

looking, so make sure to comment.

yeah.

that's, that's far me.

Rurik - GM: Awesome.

And I am Rurik.

I am the GM for this session.

for this game, for this campaign.

For, yeah.

I'm having fun with these folks.

I play all the NPCs and sewer rats.

I think I put a different
descriptor in the discord for

our friends, but, sewer trash.

Yes.

I play the sewer trash.

and I am super into how D& D has
like reinvigorated my creative space

a bit and I've been getting able.

I've been getting into world building
again, and I'm always available if

you want to chat about world building,
character background building, other

things like that, because those are
super fun and exciting things for

me to be doing in my daytime life.

I just, write curriculum.

So, if you want to be a
writer, apparently you can be a

marketer or a curriculum writer.

Yeah.

Those are jobs out there.

so, with that.

We're going to go ahead and get
started with our return to Atland.

When you look around the spaces
and places of Overton and Underton.

Things have changed quite a bit.

The people have changed.

The sheer amount of magic has changed.

And the overall world has changed.

Overton is truly, truly different.

It was once a united bastion of magic
and innovation, but now it's a city.

That is fractured.

Its skyline is a dizzying
tableau of opulence and neglect.

There are sleek, crystalline sky
citadels, playgrounds of the ascended

and their sycophants, piercing the
clouds and casting shadows upon

those who eke out an existence.

precariously on cliffsides and
the flatlands of Overton itself.

Makeshift homes are cobbled together from
scavenged magitech and enchanted debris.

In one of these spaces, clawing
onto the cliffside through heavy

chains, and yet somehow still defying
gravity with enchanted anchors, is a

neighborhood called the Cragside Crowds.

Here, a vibrant tapestry of beings eke
out a living as the magic that floats

their homes slowly ebbs and flows.

Street vendors hawk enchanted trinkets
and potions, you hear the rhythmic

clang of hammers and the hiss of
steam from alchemical concoctions.

All of these cries blend into the
cacophony of haggling crowds and

children adorned with bioluminescent
tattoos weaving between legs, pockets

filled with pilfered trinkets.

This is a place of resilience and
ingenuity built from necessity,

and it's considered pretty well
to do by Overton standards.

Here, in this neighborhood,
there exists a little tucked away

this local tavern slash art gallery,
of course located in the Cragside

crowds, is somewhat of a safe haven.

for one of our first people
that we'd like to meet.

So here in Celia's Shell shied spirits
and sundries, designed to torture

me, is set one of the more quiet
places facing the crystal cliffs.

The facade is fairly plain, except for
a string of lanterns that alternate

colors, cheerfully but somewhat lazily.

A sign above the door, shaped in
a snail shell, shows a painting

of an overflowing mug of beer.

Sitting on an easel at the center.

As we go into this space.

Larissa, would you like to describe
yourself and the location you're within?

Alright.

Larissa - Ulua: As you enter Celia's,
there's a bar down the right side length,

and across from it are communal tables.

That jut out from the left side,
and the room seems to kind of almost

enforce perspective, go towards a
stage at the very back of the room.

The lighting is very limited,
predominantly to allow the stage to have

as much natural lighting as possible.

at 1 of those communal tables,
you'll see someone, wearing.

Unassuming overcloak, with the hood
pulled up, but, as she moves, you

know, to, to take a sip of her wine
and, you know, maybe reach across the

table for some salt, you see a flash
of bright red, satin, silk, touches

of gold, touches of purple, but
only, only the quickest of glances,

,
Rurik - GM: as you, you are sitting
there, enjoying your drink, taking

your time over your beverages, you
hear a whisper of paper, and a piece of

parchment appears just under your hand.

Larissa - Ulua: I just cast a quick
sidelong glance to see If I noticed

who it is that slipped that there,
just to make sure for my own.

Rurik - GM: Roll our first roll.

Yee!

Perception check.

Alright.

Larissa - Ulua: My dice are ready, but my
pomegranate is sitting on it, so hang on.

Okay.

Alright.

Ha!

I know, so pushy.

Is it pomegranate season?

They are in season right now, I think.

Jess - Seraphina: It
is pomegranate season.

Jason - Gus: It's not
bougie to eat a pomegranate.

It's only bougie to know
when pomegranate season is.

Ooh, ooh, ooh,

Larissa - Ulua: ooh, ooh, ooh.

That is an, dirty 20.

Rurik - GM: You don't catch them in time.

Ooh, sneaky.

The fact that they snuck up
to you is kind of a surprise.

You do catch just sight of
someone slipping out the

window, small in stature and.

A blue tattoo at their wrist as that's
the last thing you see as they let go at

a window that you know drops over nothing.

Interesting.

Larissa - Ulua: I take up
the note and I read it.

Yeah, it's not my actual accent.

I'm just being

Rurik - GM: extra.

It is written as these are
usually written for you.

These missives, these
requests for services.

This is asking for a personal favor.

It comes from a client, not for your
advertised services, but for those

services that are less advertised,
and reading through the, and decoding

the script of this, you I've come
to understand that this would be

a very different type of request.

It's not one of your typical things, I
would love for you, since you're holding

this note, to roll an investigation check.

Investigation!

Larissa - Ulua: I didn't
make an audio for that.

Oh no.

Jess - Seraphina: Why am I muted?

I was trying to say it can never
have a pre recorded sound because

it must be in the moment true

Larissa - Ulua: emotions.

True improv, yes.

that is a total of four.

I miss Trixie already.

Rurik - GM: You note that the note
has been well creased in the proper

ways and it looks like there is
a bit of a smudge somewhere but.

None of your business, really.

Larissa - Ulua: I, I lean back and I
just kind of over my shoulder I go, Cece,

Jess - Seraphina: I need to settle up.

I got places to

Rurik - GM: be.

I gotcha, honey!

I have to say, the stew was
par Particularly good today.

Did we add enough saffron?

Yes, and the

Larissa - Ulua: sage just
really complimented it.

So, mwah, my compliments.

Rurik - GM: Alright, we gotchas.

Hey, you coming for the
gallery opening, right?

Of course.

Jason - Gus: I think, I think
the Craigside, was it Craigside?

Crowds.

Craig said crowds might be like Red Hook.

I'm not sure from the accent.

Jess - Seraphina: Maybe.

Maybe there's

Rurik - GM: a lobster place.

Okay, as you head on out, I'm
going to shift our camera angles.

Uh, different location, different place.

The sounds up above are very similar.

Or they are coming from up above.

there's the clangs.

There's the hawking of wares, but
there's an intensity here that is not

the same as it is in other places.

And here in the Whispering Bazaar,
bustling marketplace where there's

whispers of ancient artifacts and
enchanted goods are just there

and available to be purchased.

We can hear the voice of Kasim.

As he's yelling out at various
passerbys trying to garner their

attention, but it's a little muffled.

It's a little muffled
because his, stall is open.

It's an open stall just like most of
the stalls in the Whispering Bazaar.

Below, he does have a basement.

A basement that he sublets to our friend.

Jess, would you describe yourself
and this location that you're in,

and give us your character's name.

Jess - Seraphina: Alright, so, I guess
sort of envisioning as this camera

is coming in, you see a very, Thinly
lit, dusty basement with lots of gears

whirling and some what maybe look
like potions or weird vials bubbling.

you see a, someone hunched over a
table, hair wild, pulled back, very

curly, bright white with some pink ends.

It's just someone going about.

mumbling under their breath, a few
curse words here and there, things being

thrown and grabbed as you see this,
bright green tiefling who is constantly

trying to get her unkept hair out of
her face, out of her three sets of

horns that sort of go around her face
with these big goggles with many little

magnifying glasses on as she's working
on her most recent Invention, as she

inspires to be one of the best artificers
around, and this is young Serafina.

Rurik - GM: Serafina, what have
you been working on on this day?

What has you in this tizzy?

Jess - Seraphina: Right now,
she's trying to figure out.

A new tool that,

that she hasn't fully thought
of, thought through all the way.

Part of her process is to just start
grabbing things and putting them

together to see what she makes, to
see how she can make that thing work.

She never truly goes in with a plan.

She sort of develops as she goes.

Rurik - GM: And this is evident in your
workshop, as you look around, there

are some interesting magical items.

It's about, there's a broom in the
corner, you named it the broom of

stubborn sweeping because it keeps
cleaning the same spot over and over again

regardless of how clean it actually is.

There are some a little bit
more, useful tools like the

amulet of awkward compliments.

You can always grant, you're granted when
wearing it, the ability to compliment

enemies with uncomfortable precision.

And then of course you.

Have the most famous item of all the
bag of mismatched socks Every time you

reach in you pull out a random odd sock
You do have a individual who's very

interested in purchasing this Kassim has
connected you with a Goblin who is super

excited about the fashion possibilities
of constantly wearing mismatched socks

as you Are sitting there
with your latest creation.

What sort of components
are out on the table?

Jess - Seraphina: a lot of,
a lot of gears, a lot of.

Small metal bits that fling out
whenever you maybe push something or

pull something, a new thing flings out.

So there's a lot of, maybe sharp little
objects in this compact little device.

As you are sitting there, you
hear a stomp on the trapdoor.

That is the, the way in which, you
can Both find egress and entrance to

your space, and Kasim's voice comes
down as he lifts the heavy doors.

A message for you!

Serafina, you down there?

She doesn't answer it at first.

She's still just, Meh, meh, meh, meh.

Here we are.

No, no, no, no, no, no.

Goddammit,

Rurik - GM: girl!

Serafina!

Uh,

Jess - Seraphina: yeah, yeah?

Are you playing with those runes

Rurik - GM: again?

Jess - Seraphina: Uh, not right now!

I was, but not now.

Rurik - GM: Keep up the good
work, but uh, there's a note!

And you see a long, taloned
hand reaching down with a bit of

parchment clumsily clasped in it.

Kasim is, one of the reasons why Kasim
has given you this space is Kasim is no

longer able to get up and down the ladder.

It is no longer a useful space for him.

He has reached the age where
traversing such things is More

work than he's willing to put in.

He shakes the piece of parchment again.

Here!

Here!

Jess - Seraphina: Here!

I stumble off my stool.

You know, things falling out of my lap
that I didn't even realize were in my

Larissa - Ulua: lap.

Clang,

Jess - Seraphina: clang,
clang, clang, clang, clang.

Running over to grab it.

You know, trying to find a bit of light
from somewhere to, like, read the note.

Rurik - GM: In this dim space, looking
at this note, opening it up, you hear

Kasim slammed back down the trapdoor.

It's a request for your other, work.

Not work with your family, per
se, but work that your, a member

of your family did perform.

it is a request from someone that you
Have heard about a lot in the city.

you've done a couple of things
that were tangentially connected.

And really, the signature at the bottom
that gets your attention is you see Sticky

Beak scrawled hastily at the bottom.

And it's a request for your help with
a case he cannot devote his attention

to, but which is dear to his heart.

Jess - Seraphina: Seraphina
just kind of goes,,

Rurik - GM: looking at
it, you can see that,

The request is to, go
to the Skylark Theater.

And there isn't really a time on
it, but as you kind of inspect

the note, could I have you roll
our second investigation check?

The full mouth investigation
is a little different.

Jess - Seraphina: Let's see.

Investigation.

Larissa - Ulua: Okay.

That's if a Muppet was singing it.

Rurik - GM: The Muppet cation.

Jess - Seraphina: So,

24.

Rurik - GM: Despite the terrible
lighting, despite the, you know what

you're doing, you know, this, and you
look at this, it was folded in the

shape of a bird, and you know that that
means that this is an urgent request.

With a 24 you also notice,
uncharacteristic of Sticky Beak,

the way in which the note was scrawled
is both in haste, and something more

Jess - Seraphina: am going to put that,
fold it up, put it in my pocket, go

over to my table, , take the little
device I was working on, couple

little gears, couple little things,
shove them in different pockets as

I'm gonna head upstairs to head out.

As

Rurik - GM: you head out, our camera zips
back up to the overview of Overton, and

now it goes to the side of Overton that's
always shadowed by the Cragside crowds.

That huge neighborhood that barely
holds itself aloft covers this

neighborhood day in and day out.

This is literally under
the Cragside crowds.

And called the Undercroft.

There are things deeper,
most notably Undertown.

But the Undercroft is a location where
truly the most disenfranchised live.

It's shadowed by those crag site
crowds, hidden amidst abandoned

workshops and forgotten tunnels.

There's actually a community here.

A community of outcasts who
prefer to exist in the shadows.

There are skilled pickpockets and cunning
informants, mingling with disillusioned

mages and artists seeking anonymity.

And in this location, there is a
small door to a very large space.

This is the starving artist.

On the first floor.

Art supplies on the second floor,

foods and libations of
interesting options.

Jason, can you describe what you're up
to in this space and what you're doing?

Yeah.

Jason - Gus: So, yeah, as you mentioned
downstairs, there's like art supplies

and then like over to one side,
there's like this rickety kind of.

questionable staircase that goes up and
then like as you as you come into this

tavern area that's upstairs you see like
a tall handsome human in his 30s flecked

with paint he's surrounded by fans and
potential customers and maybe some of his

friends and then as you walk past that
guy you see a short little gnome No, he's

got like dark, kind of almost black skin.

he's got like a, kind
of a long white beard.

And, he's sort of sometimes easier
to spot in a crowd because he wears

a, what's called a deer stalker
hat, like a Sherlock Holmes hat.

And then, He's got like little flecks of
paint in his beard and, on his clothes.

And the only thing that's not flecked
with paint is his shoes for some reason.

But, yeah, he's, he's
about three feet tall.

He's sitting, this is a place
that primarily caters to like

humans and elves and like, you
know, people of a taller size.

So he's like sitting up on like a human,
a stool made for humans with a mug of

beer made for humans, just kind of.

at the end of the bar, like in his,
what's his, his regular seat, and

he's just like working his way through
his mug that he gets every week on

this day when he comes in for his
art supplies and just chilling out.

Rurik - GM: And there aren't
a lot of options here.

there's always three things
available usually in the drinks and

one thing available in the food.

Today you have the shadow stout.

It's a nice brew, kind of maybe darker
than you prefer, but roasted barley

and a touch of something unseen.

It's dark and bitter, like
a secret kept too long.

Better than your other options
though, you could be having the

Moonshine Mead, or Rat Catcher's Red.

Either way, not the most
Made from real rats.

Definitely.

Oh, definitely.

Also very successful at warding
off pests and unwanted memories.

Your food options today, could
you roll a d4 and subtract 1?

Jason - Gus: I rolled a 1, so 0.

Rurik - GM: There is no
food available today.

Ha!

Which is probably the best
outcome one could hope for.

Because without food available,
the smells are much more reduced.

You've had the hunter's hodgepodge, which
is probably the best thing that they have.

It's usually a hearty mix of
rabbit and mushrooms and mystery,

you know, seasoning with a hint
of smoke from forgotten tunnels.

You've had the clam chowder.

It's rich, infused with briny whispers
of Undercroft's hidden waterways.,

you've avoided the artist's mistake,
successfully, despite its name.

that that concoction of leftover
vegetables and spilled paints is

surprisingly painty, er, surprisingly
tasty, but, it also can change your

outlook on life quite significantly.

as you're sitting there, enjoying your
beverage, There are two large windows

that look out over the alleyway, and from
this angle where you're sitting, they

look directly into the building that is
mere inches from the building you're in.

So you don't see much until there's a tiny
little bird like thing that catches your

attention, because it's making a racket.

The artist getting his sycophants to fawn
over them even more is clearly involved

and distracted and you're the only one
who can make out and see this small little

bird poking at the window again and again.

Jason - Gus: I'm gonna like crawl down
from the stool and then just like go over

to the window and like look at the bird.

Okay.

As

Rurik - GM: you get closer,
you see that it is a message.

It is what is usually used
to convey messages to you

from an old PI that you knew.

well, maybe when you knew them,
at first they were less a PI to

you, but more of an informant.

An informant that skirted the law
fairly successfully had a decent

reputation but back in those days you
didn't view anybody who wasn't part

of officialdom as that legit maybe.

Jason - Gus: I am going to open the window
and like hold out my hand for the bird.

Rurik - GM: The little bird comes and
lands and As the viewer watches, it

lands on your hand and unfolds itself.

It is a piece of parchment.

the piece of parchment is
requesting your immediate help.

Favor for a favor.

And at the bottom you
see, I'll owe you big.

Stickybeak.

Jason - Gus: All right.

I'm gonna fold that up in a
normal way, and not like a bird

way, and put it in my pocket.

And then I'm going to walk over
and crawl back up on the stool.

I'm not like a young man anymore, or a
young gnome anymore, so this is getting

probably harder to do as time goes on,
but I'm just gonna grab that mug of beer

and be like, gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp,
gulp, and like finish it and set it down.

I'm gonna look at the bartender and be
like, Ernesto, I need to close my tap.

Rurik - GM: I love it.

From behind Ernesto you hear a
brighter, clearer voice speak

up, Oh dad, I caught one!

And a young girl comes up behind
Ernesto holding a spear that has

skewered some sort of rodentia.

Err, Hunter's hot fudge, tonight it is!

And you know you're
escaping before that thing

Jason - Gus: gets cooked.

I'm just gonna like, cut some coins out
onto the bar and then, just in time.

And then I'm gonna hop down and like,
get my art supplies and pack them into

my pack and put my pack on and leave.

Weaving through the
adoring fans of the other.

Rurik - GM: And being small as you
are, it's pretty easy for you to do,

go ahead and just really quickly,
could you roll a dexterity check

of your, your choice, whatever one
you think is the best one for this,

just in case you bump into a sycophant,

Jason - Gus: maybe

stealth, let's try stealth.

I don't like to be

Rurik - GM: noticed, unnoticed.

That's a four!

Jason - Gus: Ah, low level characters.

Rurik - GM: As you make your way,
trying to get around this crowd, the

spectacle of the moment reaches out.

Oh!

How's it going?

I heard you were looking for a nice okra!

And they Do they drag you or
do they try to drag you into

the center of their circle?

Jason - Gus: Is that like a grapple?

Like, how do I resist that?

Rurik - GM: I, if you want to resist
it, I would like you to roll a, I guess

for you, it could either be an athletics
check or it could be a, if you, if you

would like to describe how it would be,
you could roll, acrobatics check as well.

Jason - Gus: I think as, like, he
reaches out, my goal would be to

just like, and like duck under his
hand, like being already very much

shorter than him, hoping that he

Rurik - GM: just.

So like a somersault out of a space
sort of thing, that would be acrobatics.

Jason - Gus: It's a natural one.

Rurik - GM: You somehow roll right into

Jess - Seraphina: this lap.

First mad one of the game.

Isn't it?

Rurik - GM: Yes, it is.

The first one.

Uh, yeah, you, you, you fall.

Right into his lap somehow.

You're not sure how this happened, but
you're sitting in his lap and he goes,

ah, buddy, and he kind of hug shakes you.

I was just telling my friends here
and you're now currently grappled.

In the most awkward way I can imagine.

Larissa - Ulua: Like a
child on Santa's lap.

Rurik - GM: You need some extra greens?

You're always looking for
those greens and browns.

What can I do for you?

I know that you do your own thing and
you just come in here occasionally

for the pieces, but you know what?

I have just finished this piece
and I kind of went purples, all

purples and yellows and purples.

So I have extra pigments if you would
like to, you know, I, I do buy the,

the, the, the, the, fancier stuff, you
know, so if you're feeling a little

down, he's an up and coming artist.

Jason - Gus: Yeah, uh, I suppose if
you're, if you don't need them, I suppose

I could, I could take them from you.

Oh,

Rurik - GM: great.

You know what, friends,
friends, we, I need to go.

I need to take my friend here.

We're going to go back over to my,
My, my place, and we're gonna go get

him hooked up with some new pigments.

Jason - Gus: how about, I actually
have to, have to be somewhere, so

how about I just send someone to
pick them up from you later, so you

don't have to leave your friends.

Rurik - GM: Oh, oh, that is so kind
of you, but I would, you know, and

I would like you to roll a Charisma
Persuasion check with your roll so far.

I'm kind of curious.

Jason - Gus: Yeah, I think
this dice is done for today.

that's a two,

Rurik - GM: so The dunce
chair for that dice.

That's a five.

Oh, nothing of it, nothing of it.

We're gonna go, actually why don't we all
go and we can have drinks at my place.

And trapped in the crowd, currently
grappled, you and this entire

crowd make your way downstairs.

This is

Jason - Gus: why I don't come into town.

Oh, my God.

Rurik - GM: that gives us some
information about what's going to happen.

All of you are trying to make your way
to, well, some of you know that you're

trying to make your way somewhere.

Larissa, how do you say
your character's name?

Ulua.

Ulua.

Accent on Lu.

Closed out her tab and has
stepped out into the street.

How does Ulua usually Proceed
when asked to do some work,

Larissa - Ulua: which work,
the side work, side work, or

Rurik - GM: the side of the
private work, the non public work.

Larissa - Ulua: well, she, she has a
bit of a reputation, not a bad one,

just a notoriety for her day job.

We'll call it.

and so.

When she is trying to move around, let
me make sure I'm using this word right.

It's not the word of the day,
but yes, surreptitiously.

she tends to, she keeps
a little makeup kit.

In her handbag, and she just
dresses herself down a little bit.

She makes sure that her cloak is clasped,
nice and firmly so that, you know, her,

her standard wear isn't necessarily
as visible as she moves around.

and her hair is tucked back
underneath the cloak, so it's not.

and she just, you know, she tries
to match the pace of the crowd, so

she's not in any particular hurry.

She doesn't want to bring
attention to her pace.

so as she works her way from the Cragside
crowds to, I'm heading to the theater.

Rurik - GM: you didn't roll
successfully on that check.

Well, I'm assuming

Larissa - Ulua: it would say where.

No, it didn't say where?

Okay.

Your

Rurik - GM: stuff is usually very
encoded, and in this case, there

was a little bit of a problem.

Okay.

Larissa - Ulua: in which case, I am
going to, meander home to confirm

with my contact, to get further
details of exactly where I am

supposed to head with this note.

, I'm not, I, I, I try to move around
crag side crowds, very, very low

key because that is my respite.

I don't, I don't like to bring
attention to myself there

unless I am working my day job.

So, yes, I move, I take my time
to leisurely stroll, browsing,

any open stalls, Along with the
crowds, and then I make my way back

to the Crystal Cliffs to my home.

Rurik - GM: Great.

So as you're walking through, you
catch a couple of announcements as

you go through the crowds and such.

High Society Gala at Grand Co.

Towers tomorrow night.

Glitz, glamour, secrets await.

Read all about

Larissa - Ulua: it.

Rurik - GM: Grand Co.

's estranged lover spotted
with mysterious new companion.

Love or espionage?

Read all about Grand Stealings.

Rival trading families lock
horns in heated negotiations.

Larissa - Ulua: Will the
bitter feud continue?

Rurik - GM: Read all about it.

Magical artifacts vanish from the museum.

Whispers of a thief on the loose.

And thus you get your
usual news of the day.

Do I need to make

Larissa - Ulua: a news
of the day audio now?

I

Jason - Gus: was just
gonna say news of the day.

Rurik - GM: The, the, there's
a lot of things focused on

the Grand family right now.

It is, Their season is the season
when they kind of turn all out.

And so you definitely are aware
that there's going to be a

lot of share outs around that.

individual's life, just like when there
are the political shenanigans going on.

interestingly, what's not shared
in the news very often is what's

going on with the Ascended and those
that are opposed to the Ascended.

You

Larissa - Ulua: mean the real conflict,

Rurik - GM: the real news?

Of course.

Why would we have that out in the open?

The deep state.

So as you are meandering around
making your way there, you

eventually make your way home.

You can see that there are,
not a lot of folks in evidence.

It's a night off for a lot of people,
but it's also just good to get out, so

there's not very many people around.

But eventually That's
probably why I'm out.

You eventually make your
way over to, your colleague.

And

Well, I'll let you describe them.

Landlord.

Larissa - Ulua: Yes.

So, my landlord is a
retiree of my profession.

she was one of the first within
our profession to elevate

it to a higher standard.

, having seen what happens to the people in
our profession, when they age out, as it

were, she decided to buy a residence and
provide a safe landing space for those

people and also, people in my profession
who aren't necessarily affiliated with

a specific group, which includes myself.

. So she is, a human, with elven features,
from the same tribe as one of my parents.

and So she is pale, but not deathly so,
like Tanzanites people were rumored to be.

I think more like moonlight
reflecting off of the surface of

a lake with pale blue undertones.

And her hair is so, such a dark brown
that many think it's black unless

you see it out in direct sunlight.

she's long and lithe in body and limb,
and her features could be considered

petite if not for her height.

And she is almost 100 years old, which
is just on the side of mature ish for a

half elf with plenty of life left to live.

her primary adult years behind her
and her golden years in front of her.

And her name is Oksana.

Rurik - GM: And as you come
into the, Sincere House,

your home, and Oksana's home.

And last name.

Yes, and, and Oksana Sincere,
thus the Sincere House.

Mm hmm.

huh.

She's sitting at a little couch.

Maybe it's not always a couch,
but right now she has it

arranged such that it's a couch.

Oh, you got the message.

Larissa - Ulua: Yes, I had a little
trouble with the, handwriting,

Rurik - GM: Oh, well, I did re
scroll it because one can never

know with one of those young people.

Oh.

Larissa - Ulua: Where, where am I headed?

Rurik - GM: oh.

Oh, I bet his sweaty fingers
just smudged that bit.

you should be headed to the um, Skylark.

Larissa - Ulua: Oh, you know, I
thought, you know, I'd misread it.

That's my fault.

I, uh, must have had a little bit
too much wine this morning, but

Rurik - GM: you know, okay
to, to go there or, of course,

Larissa - Ulua: of course I just, I,
uh, it was such a strange, it just, uh,

Rurik - GM: it's a personal request
and you were personally requested.

It's not, it's not the client's typical.

Yeah,

Larissa - Ulua: that's, uh, and we're
sure it's credible and not, I mean, I'm

Rurik - GM: familiar.

It's the usual way, and she gestures
and you can see the unfolded original

document, which you can see at a quick
glance, since she said the usual way, is

a origami shape that has been unfolded.

Okay.

Jess - Seraphina: All

Larissa - Ulua: right, well, I mean, he
hasn't steered us wrong this far, right?

Rurik - GM: I think he's taken
a personal joy in your work.

Your last, your last bit of work
gave our friend some notoriety

that they have been using quite
successfully to expand their business.

Well, as long as it's for the good.

Satisfied client and for
the betterment of our world?

Seems like we're on
the right track so far.

Alright,

Larissa - Ulua: I guess
I'll make my way there then.

Um, since I'm out going back out, is
there anything you want me to pick up?

Rurik - GM: Oh, uh, well since you are
going to the district, to the strip,

um, Do you remember Ellen's Nut Shop?

Larissa - Ulua: Yes.

Rurik - GM: Maybe you could
pick up some of my favorites?

Larissa - Ulua: Okay, how, how much
are we talking, like, niblets, or?

Rurik - GM: Just do it as your last
thing, you know I like them hot.

Larissa - Ulua: Okay.

All right.

All right.

Rurik - GM: And, uh, with
that, you're on your way, or?

Yep.

So, what it, this gives us is it gives
us your arrival order, Serafina, you

are first to the Skylark Theater.

You were the closest there to begin with.

you can see that there is some
heavy presence of the watch here.

, although they don't seem to
be all that committed and

they're letting people through.

At some point there was
a large crowd gathered.

but now that crowd has dispersed
and you can still see the remnants

of the crowd and you can hear
whispers of conversation as folks

move away from the Skylark Theater.

Jess - Seraphina: What
are some of the whispers

Rurik - GM: saying?

roll a perception check as
you're, trying to listen in.

Are you trying to listen in, like,
obviously or are you just, are you asking?

Jess - Seraphina: No, her attention is
definitely Appears to be like still kind

of like messing with that little box.

So it looks like she's focused
on that, but really she's

like, you know, listening.

Rurik - GM: Okay, so it's eves dropping.

Yeah.

Go ahead and roll that perception check.

Jess - Seraphina: Perception.

Okay.

That's great.

She's more invested than she
thinks she is in her box.

seven.

We

Larissa - Ulua: love a box.

Yeah.

Rurik - GM: There, there, there,
there's a little spring that keeps.

Twisting out of control every time
you start leaning a little bit

towards, you know, your attention
can't wax and wane like that and get

the project working successfully.

And as you make your way into the
theater, having been passed through

by the constables and members of
the watch that are here, you enter

fairly easily, but you, Don't have
much clue about what was being said.

you come into the theater space.

you may never have been into
this particular theater.

but it is a fairly
large performance venue.

the single floor, is slightly sloped.

and it looks into a stage with
a small, narrow orchestra pit.

And you can see, Many members of
the orchestra have already packed

up their things and have moved out.

There is a, conductor who is
just sweating profusely, and, and

sitting on the edge of the stage,
talking to a feathered individual,

Sticky Beak, who you recognize.

And in front of them, a pool of blood with
a large Human shaped smudge amidst it.

the body has already been taken away.

Jess - Seraphina: with my past
relationship with, Sticky, Sticky Beard?

Sticky, not Beard, Beak.

With Sticky Beak, would I have the type
of relationship to go straight up to them?

Or would I know to like, wait
till they finish the conversation?

Rurik - GM: Roll an insight check.

Okay.

Jason - Gus: Kinda like sticky beard man.

Jess - Seraphina: That's

Larissa - Ulua: just cause you have one.

Jess - Seraphina: Hey.

Natural 20 plus one.

Hey!

Pew pew pew pew.

First stat 20 on such a useless roll.

Rurik - GM: Reading the expressions
of a feathered being should be tough,

but you've seen this individual
A few times, and Sticky Beak is

usually put together very well.

Sticky Beak is usually calm, and
insightful, and always the first

to see through to something.

And there is a flattening of the feathers,
a rapidness of breath, and You even, see

that something is clutched in their hand.

Sticky beak doesn't look good.

Sticky beak is normally a rumpled old
crow, but in this situation, they look

like a stressed out rumpled old crow.

You can tell that they don't like being
seen in this light, and that this is

probably a really good time to interrupt.

Jess - Seraphina: Great,

I'm gonna go right up get as close as in
between them as I can without getting near

the blood, and just look to the conductor
and say, I'm so sorry to interrupt.

Sorry.

And look to sticky beard.

I did it again.

Sticky beak.

I like beard apparently.

and

Rurik - GM: that's your character.

Faux paw is always
called sticky beak sticky

Jess - Seraphina: beard.

Yep.

Be like, I Got your letter!

I, uh, wanted, wanted to come right away!

Rurik - GM: Oh, uh, are the others here?

Jess - Seraphina: Is
there anyone else around?

If I look?

Rurik - GM: I did, there's just
members of the, Skylark theater troupe.

Um All milling around
waiting for something.

Jess - Seraphina: Unless,
unless it's, uh Them?

Did you invite

Rurik - GM: others?

Yes, I, I need, I need a favor.

I need a really big favor.

I'm being tasked with something
that's, and in distress you can

hear this with that insight check,
something that's more important.

And he pauses, and his pause is
a little, the gravel of his voice

is a little bit deeper here.

More important than Celeste.

Uh, they should be along shortly.

Uh, what we have here is a bit of
an investigation, but I'll just, let

me hold you until the others arrive.

And as he's about to say
this, I think that Ulua.

Ulua?

Ulua.

You are probably the next to arrive.

Because somebody is being held hostage.

Larissa - Ulua: As, as I walk in the
door, I finally lower my hood, and

unclasp my cloak, take it off, stick
it over my arm, and you see a, Um,

taller, but not tall for part of my,
genetics, like half, half of the side

of my genetics, or half elf, I lean
towards the elven side of my features.

I have longer, elongated, pointier
ears and a very, long face.

And, I'm short for what could
be considered an orc, but I'm

right within range of an elf.

And my, my skin is a paler green, a
little bit, with some yellow undertones.

And, I'm curvy in all the right
places and a little extra so in all

of those places, which it, it lends
more to my orcish genetics, but yes,

and I'm dressed in red silks and Gold
satins and so very luxurious, but, a

simplified design, and I'm going to,
kind of stroll down is so on the stages

where the, you see where everyone

Rurik - GM: is a conductor, Serafina.

Okay.

Larissa - Ulua: I would like to say that
I'm probably very familiar with this

theater because I probably performed here,
as the, in the earlier parts of my career.

And so, I'm going to walk down
the side aisle to where I know the

proscenium, side step is onto the stage.

And just still taking my time,
uh, reminiscing a little about

some of my favorite performances.

and.

As we get to the stage, that's when
I'm gonna notice the pool of blood.

And I'm gonna say, um, what, hmm.

Are you, uh, am I in
the right place giving

Rurik - GM: like a quizzical look?

Because looking at you and I'm, I'm
asking for a personal favor here.

I will owe you, I will owe you big, but I
can't leave her and I have to leave her.

And.

He leans closer to you and whispers,
It's only you and Serafina here.

Who?

There are counselors who would
have this swept under the rug.

But, and he gestures towards the
puddle of, of congealed blood.

I see.

She was my nightingale.

Larissa - Ulua: I, I'm going
to reach out just gently.

To, kind of caress the side of his neck,
where at a common calming spot for Kenku.

Not, not overtly any particular
emotion, but just as like

a, as a friendship gesture.

Like, I understand my condolences, like I,
it actions more than words at this point.

Rurik - GM: Yeah, I, I, I dig that.

can you roll a, Animal Handling check.

That is not okay.

Can you roll a Charisma check?

I would say Persuasion, but you can.

Larissa - Ulua: Let's see.

Charisma, right?

Persuasion, okay.

All: In the dark.

Fifteen?

I haven't rolled

Larissa - Ulua: a double digit yet
so far except for my very first roll.

Rurik - GM: You can see some of
the attention leaves but almost

immediately it picks back up
in his posture and feathering.

And just then we have the
last member of our group.

You've, you had to apply those skills
that you learned as an investigator.

They may have been a little bit rusty.

Jason - Gus: The skills I learned
as an investigator to find the

bathroom and crawl out the window.

Rurik - GM: And it helps that they,
that this particular individual was in

a sub basement level so it was easy to
crawl out into the basement embouchure

and then climb up and make your way out.

Jason - Gus: Easy, except if you're
three foot four, but you know.

Rurik - GM: You've arrived, and you, you.

How do you enter, or is there
anything you're looking for?

Jason - Gus: I'm going to There was
nothing in the note about why, right?

No.

Okay.

So yeah, I'll just walk in and then
I'm gonna like, survey the scene from

the entrance to see what I can see.

Rurik - GM: Okay, go ahead
and roll a perception check.

Jason - Gus: Thirteen.

Rurik - GM: you can see that
members of the theater company

are the only ones left.

There is a knot of three,
members of The Watch.

no one that you know personally, but you
would know them by sight and reputation.

And you have a feeling they
would know you as well.

Go ahead and roll an insight check
if you would like to know more

about your relationship with them.

But if you're fine without
that you can ignore.

Jason - Gus: Uh, 16.

Rurik - GM: They, they were
associated with someone in your past

who you, you definitely see them
as being in the pocket of others.

Whether they are or not
may not be true, but.

Your suspicions lean that way.

Jason - Gus: And then I see Sticky Beak?

Yes.

Down by the stage with
the I start on all that?

Okay.

So I will, kind of eyeball the watch
members and then just like, walking

with my staff like down to the

Rurik - GM: stage.

Yeah, all three of you are gathered
now and Sticky Beak is, is S

stands up as he sees you three.

He is like, I, I, I
need, I need your help.

And I think the three of you
have what is needed to do this.

It is going to, I will, personal favor.

Could I see the blood

Jason - Gus: and stuff
when I was coming in?

Like, yeah, you see the blood on the

Rurik - GM: stage,

Jason - Gus: I'm just gonna look at
him and be like, I would ask if you

were staying out of trouble, but.

And there's like a gesture
to the pool of blood.

Rurik - GM: Well, not my trouble, but

let me tell you this story.

And Sticky Beak proceeds to share the
story of what has occurred this night.

The spotlights, once her celestial
halo, now glare down like vengeful eyes.

Celeste Nightingale.

Skylark Theater's brightest songbird
lay crumpled in the orchestra pit.

A tragic aria silenced mid note.

Her scarlet gown, usually a torrent
of passion, pooled limply around her

stage, not with stage makeup, but
with a deeper, more final crimson.

A ripple of gasps, muffled by sequin
and champagne foam, echoed through

the theater's velvet trimmed maw.

Above, the diamond dusted
chandelier quivered.

Casting fractured diamonds onto the scene.

The conductor, his baton frozen mid
swing, resembled a petrified maestro

conducting a symphony of shock.

Sticky beak, perched on the edge of their
seat, like a rumpled crow, surveyed the

tableau with beady, calculating eyes.

The air hung heavy with the scent of
fear and stale gin punctuated by the

discordant hum of overturned sheet music
and the frantic rustle of silk skirts.

Sticky beak ruffled their feathers,
a nervous habit, and hopped down

from the chair and up onto the stage.

The floorboards creaked under their
weight, a mournful counterpoint to

the orchestra's stunned silence.

Hedging closer to Celeste, her
alabaster stage marred by a single cruel

slash of crimson across her throat.

A fortune cookie, which Stickybeak
holds out to you as he relays the story,

lay clutched in her porcelain hand, a
cruel symbol of fate's fickle finger.

Its message, the highest
note shall sing no more.

It seemed to mock the
gilded tragedy before him.

Stickybeak tapped it with
their beak, a sardonic grin

twisting their feathered face.

Well, Canary, seems you sang your
swang song a little early tonight.

Who gets to write the curtain call
of this little opera of death?

Glancing around, taking in the petrified
audience, the whispering cast huddled in

the wings, And the single beat of sweat
trickling down the conductor's temple.

A shiver ran down Sticky Beak's spine.

A tingle of excitement
amidst the grim tableau.

This was a mystery with enough
twists and turns to make a feather

brained bird like Sticky Beak dizzy.

The

show, it seemed, was just getting started.

As Sticky Beak relates the story to you.

about what occurred that night
while Sticky Beak was out for

entertainment like many members
of the community of Overton were.

They then go on to explain that the
watch had come and requested Sticky

Beak's work in a different area
of the city, in a different case.

And Sticky Beak relates to the three
of you that they're very concerned.

Because it, and this is with a
glance towards those, members of

the Watch who are still in the room.

Very few for a murder.

They just want this swept under the rug.

Can you help, please?

I'm being torn in two
different directions.

My, and he nods to you, Uwe.

Between my new notoriety, and
what I, Have in my heart and

he nods to the pool of blood.

I understand.

Larissa - Ulua: Let me check.

Let me take a look around and just
see if I notice anything from some

of the more secluded viewing points.

I hate, I hate to ask, but the.

The wound just suddenly appeared.

There was no

Rurik - GM: From my
seat, that's all I saw.

Hmm.

I honestly didn't see it until she lay
at the bottom of the orchestra pit.

You can see where she collapsed
first and then rolled.

I'm going to Sorry.

As he points, you can see that there's
the, the pool of blood that it's

been very obvious, but then there's
another shallower pool of blood.

Larissa - Ulua: I'm going to, go up
to what I assume there are probably

some box seats, or at least at,
I would like to check those out.

And I would also like to check the,
I can't remember what they're called.

if there's anything across the
top, catwalks across the top.

Rurik - GM: Yeah.

Great.

So you're kind of casing
the overall space.

Larissa - Ulua: Yeah, just looking for
anything that may have been disturbed

as someone left in a hurry or, as I
reach each spot, kind of seeing the

vantage point and seeing, you know,
how much of the audience I can see

from that spot, whether I'm visible or.

You know, I'm assuming Sticky Peak
probably indicated where his seat was.

So I'm going to see if I can see that.

just to

Rurik - GM: Sticky Peak
was front row, Joannette.

Yeah.

Close to the orchestra
pit as they could be.

go ahead and roll an investigation check.

I'll come back to you because it's
going to take you a while to kind

of like, navigate an investigation.

It'll take you a moment
to navigate the space.

Gus or Serafina, either of you
have any immediate reactions?

Questions?

Things you're trying to do?

I'm gonna

Jason - Gus: go into the
mode of my previous job.

And, I'm gonna say I need the
names of all audience members,

cast, crew, anybody that was here.

I need history, as much as you
can give me, on the victim.

And I need

to look around.

Has this area been ordered off?

Are people coming and going?

Has the scene been disturbed?

Is this exactly how it was?

Rurik - GM: Stickybeak nods.

She says, I have to go.

The conductor here, Graham, is trusted.

He

has the most to lose by this.

He can fill you in, but
I can tell you this.

And he's whispering this now to you.

This wasn't handled properly.

The watch showed up and then left.

Jason - Gus: Kind of say back to
him, quietly, like, Given who remains

from the watch, I'm Hardly surprised.

Rurik - GM: Council stooges
and ascendant followers.

Jason - Gus: Was the
conductor's name Bram?

Bram.

Bram.

Larissa - Ulua: Graham.

Like, Candy Graham!

Rurik - GM: Serafina.

And Sticky Beak looks like they're getting

Jess - Seraphina: ready to leave.

For my brain, for my brain,
you had said that there was,

like, a slash to her throat?

Is that what you said?

Yeah.

Okay.

Rurik - GM: The body is not here,
but that's what was described

to you through the storytelling.

Perfect.

Jess - Seraphina: just as Sticky
Beak is leaving, I'll just say.

Go where they're telling you to go.

we will, We'll, we'll, we'll
look here and we'll be in touch.

Rurik - GM: If we could, uh, any
kind of glances again over at the

members of the watch that are there.

If we could meet at your brother's
office when you have more news.

You,

Jess - Seraphina: you
and me, or those people

Rurik - GM: as well?

Trust them.

They're good at what they do.

What do they do?

What your brother did.

He hands you three sheets of paper.

Oh, okay,

Jess - Seraphina: okay, okay, thank

Rurik - GM: you.

And you know these three sheets of
paper are the type that can be folded

into a flying shape of some sort and go
to whoever you whisper to them before

tossing them like a paper airplane.

Jess - Seraphina: Yep, yep.

I definitely remember how to fold these.

Yep, not a problem at all.

We got this.

I know what

Rurik - GM: I'm doing.

I owe the three of you.

And he kind of looks up, like at
this point, Lulu has like, has

like, gone up one of the gantries
and is checking things out.

I trust you all.

And, thank you.

And he, Walks up the, passageway between
the seats and as he walks up, the three,

members of the watch nod to him and turn
and follow him out, leaving behind the

space to you all, which back in your
day, Degas, should never have happened.

I'm guessing you, you, you redirect your
questions to the, uh, Orchestral director?

Jason - Gus: Yeah, I'll go over to him
and be like, where's, who took the body?

Rurik - GM: the, the watch people?

The, the, it's all happened so fast.

I, I was talking to a, a lieutenant
or something and then I turned

around and, and she was gone.

Jason - Gus: Do you know
the lieutenant's name?

Rurik - GM: I don't know.

Lieutenant, what are we getting into?

There's no way we can oh my god, Celeste.

I think it was, Jill?

Jane?

June?

sorry, this is not good.

This is not good.

Oh my gosh.

It's okay.

Jason - Gus: I understand this
is A difficult time for you.

Rurik - GM: Oh,

Jason - Gus: well, I mean.

It's important to get as
many details as we can.

While things are still fresh.

So please, look at me.

Yeah, yes, yes.

Please take a deep breath.

All: Count

Jason - Gus: to five.

Deep breath in, count to five.

Let it out.

One, two, three, four, five.

And breathe out.

Rurik - GM: Okay.

Um, uh, okay.

Uh, uh, Celeste was, was about to
do her, her, her, her aria and, um,

uh, there was a flash of something.

It was out of the corner of my eye.

I was, I was focused on the pit and then,
and then she was in the pit and then, and

then there was, everybody screamed, yells,
uh, um, the, the feathered fellow, he, he

came up, uh, Uh, and then, and then, and
then, the, the, the theater was, there

was yelling, screaming, and then the
theater was empty, and then, and then I

was, I just sat there and I watched him,
he, he, he picked out the, the cookie,

and he gestures to the cookie that has
been left where Sticky Beak was standing.

Uh, and, uh, I called for the stage
manager, I couldn't find the stage

manager, I couldn't find the stage
manager, the stage manager should have

been able to hand, we should have kept
the people here, and then, uh, I sent

one of the runners to find the watch,
and then they came, and then Councilman

Uh, oh, I don't know, the council, the
councilman came in and said a couple of

words to one of the watch members, the
lieutenant was talking to me, and then,

and then Hold on, hold on, uh, which,

Jason - Gus: which council

Rurik - GM: member?

I, I don't know, I, I don't, I, why would,
why would council members come here?

Why would they be here?

Why would they, would they Who is

Jason - Gus: Celeste?

Do you know about her family,
her friends, her associations?

Rurik - GM: Celeste, Celeste,
I mean, we're her family.

We're, we're, we're, we're, before we
came here, I mean, we've had a good run.

We've had five, six years here.

We've, we've, we've become,
like, we, we are the Skylark.

And this is, she was the Skylark.

She was the Nightingale of the Skylark.

Um.

Uh, and, and, and now, I
mean, we came from, from, um,

gosh, it's been so many years.

We were traveling, we were
doing shows on the road.

I, I don't, I don't know.

Great.

Um, As,

Larissa - Ulua: as, I'm assuming, the.

Graham, right?

I'm assuming this isn't
necessarily a quiet exchange.

Rurik - GM: It's, now that
there's nobody here, he's speaking

up a little bit more loudly.

There are other, there are other members
of the cast, and I think he's not

speaking loudly enough for them to hear.

and it's since you're up in the higher
spaces, you might catch whispers

of what he's saying, but he's not
being, and it is a theater space,

so there is a bit of projection

Larissa - Ulua: that happens, but.

Can I, can I just tell if he's

Rurik - GM: upset?

visibly upset.

Okay.

No role.

Larissa - Ulua: am I within 60 feet?

Rurik - GM: yes.

Larissa - Ulua: Okay.

I would like to, cast calm emotions,
But I want to center the point to

where essentially he's at the edge
of it and the, person, the gnome he's

speaking to is not included in the
circle, but as much of the rest of the

orchestra are as well, just to make
things a little easier for everyone.

And I'm just, as I, as I, after I cast
it, I'm just going to kind of sweetly

call out just, just stay calm, everyone.

We will each be with you shortly.

we want to hear everything
you have to share with us.

please have a seat and, and know that
we're going to take care of all of this.

Rurik - GM: As he calms down, and it's
kind of an abrupt change, Gus, she says

that, and then he's just visibly calmed,
more so than your breathing techniques

did at that moment, like, and you, with
your history, probably are aware of some

of the ways this could have been done,
but as, he takes a moment, he's, Okay, so,

so, uh, the council shouldn't have been
here, there's no reason for them to have

been here, and then, unless they want.

They have been after us.

They've, they've, we've
been After you in what way?

Speaking truth to power isn't always the
brightest move, uh, but we thought we were

being a little bit more cryptic than this.

Um, they, they're silencing

Jason - Gus: The message of your

Rurik - GM: show is Not our show, so to
speak, but, um, we We have members who

go below, and as he says below, um, his
eyes drop down, but in the way that most

people in Overton know to mean Underton.

And we also work down there.

Um, some of us.

A small group of us.

Jason - Gus: Okay.

What do you do down there, exactly??

Rurik - GM: Roll a persuasion check?

With disadvantage?

All: It's not looking good.

Jason - Gus: seven.

Rurik - GM: We perform for those
in, in, in, in need of a good time.

Um, and uh,,

that message, that's, that's one of
the songs from Celeste's repertoire.

Well, it's not a song,
it's a, it's a lyric.

It's a lyric.

Jason - Gus: I'm going to turn
to, Serafina and be like, Could

you get that cookie and message
and just put them somewhere safe?

Jess - Seraphina: Yep.

Yep.

Definitely can do that.

Millennia pockets.

I have.

Rurik - GM: Yep.

Serafina collects the evidence.

Jess - Seraphina: While I'm grabbing
that, can I also, Get a little,

just like sample of the blood.

Yeah.

Rurik - GM: You can
collect a vial of that.

I'm sure you, of all people,
have a vial on your person.

Yes.

There's always those interesting
little bits and pieces for your work.

Jess - Seraphina: Yeah.

So yeah, I'll collect that,
put it somewhere safe, in one

of my very minute pockets.

Collect that vial.

I also want to look around to
see if there's any animals,

like little mice, rats, as well.

And that's all I want to do at the moment.

Roll

Rurik - GM: a perception check.

All: Perception!

Uh huh.

Mm hmm.

Ooh!

Twenty two.

Rurik - GM: you see a prop table.

And on the prop table, you see
What looks like a mouse in a cage.

All right, and as you walk over to that
prop table What I can say to you is that

you get there and there is a prop missing
As prop tables often are it is well

labeled and There is a dagger missing

Jess - Seraphina: Dagger
is missing Very good.

I told you I knew what I was

All: doing.

Jason - Gus: If he goes over to the
mouse, I would like to cast, detect magic.

Rurik - GM: as you cast detect magic, how,
what is the range on your detect magic?

Jason - Gus: Five miles, no.

30 feet.

Rurik - GM: If only.

It covers the stage, a bit
of the backstage area, and

there's a glow all about you.

As you're used to living in this
town, there's always a glow.

out in your home area, there
wouldn't be as much of a glow.

but you're used to the city glow.

And as you release the spell, can you
describe to me what that looks like?

Jason - Gus: Yeah, actually for
me, I am going to Grab my staff and

unscrew the magnifying glass, and
then I will cast, detect magic, but

like through the magnifying glass.

Like where I look, that's where I see.

Rurik - GM: Okay.

So yeah, in this 30 foot space, as
you peer through, you can see, many

of the props are aglow with magic.

The stage itself is aglow with magic.

There's another glow up above.

Ulua, can you roll your investigation
check if you haven't already?

I did.

It was a 15.

As a 15.

Okay, great.

you found a few things as
you've gone through, Ulua.

you've found, a ledger.

and it was kind of tucked up at the gantry
area, and it's, you can see that there's

a name written on the outside of it, and
as you see Gus's eyes go to something

that Gus sees, you also, following
his line of sight, see the object.

And it is a dagger that
both of you are seeing.

Gus, you can see that this dagger
is wrapped in illusion magic.

Larissa - Ulua: so, what's the, can I look
at the ledger to see what the name is?

Rurik - GM: Yeah, as you, as you
look on the outside of the ledger,

you see, simply written on the
top of it, Grundon, stage manager.

Yeah.

Got it.

Larissa - Ulua: as, as I follow the
gnomes, line of sight, I am going to say,

just, you know, slightly elevated voice,
but not shouting as to alarm anyone.

I, I think I see what you're seeing.

Shall I retrieve it?

Jason - Gus: Yes.

please be careful not to leave your
fingerprints or otherwise magic.

Or as such and such on it, if you can.

Larissa - Ulua: Well, I don't
know about the second part, but

The first I can certainly manage.

I have silks to spare.

You did.

All: You did.

You did.

Jess - Seraphina: I don't see
what y'all are seeing, but,

I do have a lot of gloves.

If you need some gloves.

Larissa - Ulua: I And I pull out
just like a random strip of silk.

And you're like, I, I, I should
be alright, but if I run out,

I will certainly let you know.

Thank you.

Okay.

And I'm not saying that,
like, condescendingly.

I'm, I'm, I'm being earnest.

I

Jason - Gus: will take some
gloves if you have to spare.

Jess - Seraphina: Oh,
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

I look at the rat, the mouse,
I go, I'm coming back for you.

And I'm gonna run and
give him some gloves.

do they fit?

I have, I have bigger,
or I guess smaller ones?

Do you need smaller ones?

Is that rude?

These are,

All: these are Do they fit?

Yes.

Okay.

Is that rude?

Jason - Gus: As, as she goes to talk
to the mouse and she gets the dagger,

like, I'm gonna just, like, Take
some time, think if there's anything

else you feel like we should know.

I'm going to look around the
machine and I'm just going to like

take the magnifying glass and like
kind of look around the blood pool

and like on the stage and stuff.

Rurik - GM: As you walk around, he
continues to follow you and share

with you, that this, this calm
effect that's hit him has like left

him in a space where he's really
trying to, share as much as he can.

and he, he, he just said, well, you
know, we're, we're a tight knit group

of, you know, just like any tight
knit group that we have our problems.

I mean, there's.

Yeah.

There's some jealousy, for,
for the spotlight and then

we have a costume designer.

She has a gambling debt and she
really likes her poisoned embroidery.

So I mean, that, the next thing that makes
me, I don't, I don't know, but I really

don't want to cast aspersions on her.

And then we, of course we
have the, the, the, the, the,

the, the, the backup singers.

They're, they're just, I mean,
well, and he kind of just keeps.

Verbal vomiting, all the little bits
and pieces and secrets of the troupe.

Jason - Gus: Who does she owe?

Who did Celeste owe for her gambling

Rurik - GM: debts?

No, no, no, not Celeste.

The costume designer
has some gambling debts.

And, and she, because,
it's the neck thing, right?

And she has a thing for She has a penchant
for poison jewelry, and embroidery,

and, He keeps just spinning his wheels
and sharing all these, like Details

about the other members of the troupe.

Okay.

Jason - Gus: Does he say anything about,
like, somebody who would be, like,

jealous, would want the lead role?

Rurik - GM: yeah, he does.

He shares, several of, like, pretty much
every single name of a female singer.

He comes up with some reason
why they might be jealous.

Jason - Gus: Um, could you
write down their names and

how to contact them for us?

Rurik - GM: Oh, yes, yes, I mean,
we all live here, uh, so that's how

to contact us, but, um, yeah, oh my
gosh, I might live with a killer.

Jason - Gus: Do you know if any of
those people have connections to

people on the council, to those, to
the council's children, to siblings?

Rurik - GM: I mean, we're not from here.

They might be, they might

Jason - Gus: be dating
or otherwise engaged.

Rurik - GM: No, no, no, no.

None of our, I mean, we're all
from outside the city originally.

I mean, I guess people could have
made friends, but, uh, the only

people who are locals are like
the stagehands and our manager.

Jason - Gus: I see.

What's the stage manager's name?

Rurik - GM: Uh, Grundon.

I mean, I think he's got some sort of
ascended uncle, or Something like that.

They own the building.

That's why he has the job.

Jason - Gus: Nepotism in
this business and town.

Not surprising.

Rurik - GM: Lily, you gathered the dagger.

Are you still looking
through the, the ledger?

I

Larissa - Ulua: was going, so is it large?

Is it?

Something I can pick up and carry with

Rurik - GM: me?

Oh yeah, it's totally, yeah.

Okay.

I'm going to It's slightly
bigger than a small folio.

It's a

Jason - Gus: dagger, but
it's like Thor's hammer.

You cannot pick it up.

No,

Rurik - GM: not

Larissa - Ulua: the dagger, the ledger.

All: Oh, it's a dagger.

Jason - Gus: It's a scabbard.

Whosoever picks up this book
shall gain the powers of Thor.

Larissa - Ulua: Mm hmm.

So I, I'm going to, as I, I have the
ledger in one arm, I have the scabbard.

wrapped my hand in silk and used it to
pick up the dagger and I'm just kind of

holding it like gingerly, but firmly,
in order, and I'm, so as to not try to

impress any of my natural presence on it.

and I'm going to make my way down
back to, the gnome and, I'm just

going to hold out the dagger and, and,
and say, here, here, here you are.

Jason - Gus: my name
is, you can call me Gus.

take it.

Thank you.

Larissa - Ulua: Gus, Ulua.

Nice to meet you.

Likewise.

I found this above.

and it belongs to the stage manager.

I think he might be worth.

Speaking to, I tend to have a way
with people, but if you want to

accompany me, I'm, I'm more than
happy to speak to him together.

yes,

Jason - Gus: I think, I think
that's a good idea based on what

the maestro here has been telling

Larissa - Ulua: me.

Okay.

and, the, the other, where, I heard
her off her gloves, but I don't

see where she went after that.

Jason - Gus: She's

Rurik - GM: by the prop table.

As you both turn towards the prop
table, take a moment to pause there.

Serafina, you're with the rat.

What are you doing?

Jess - Seraphina: I wanted to,
I don't remember how to, how it

actually works, so let me see.

All: How to play D& D.

Rurik - GM: Let's see.

The fun thing is everybody's rolled back
from level 20 characters to these low

level characters and it's like, the joy
of a new character plus the, oh yeah.

I

All: can't do that yet!

Jason - Gus: Oh yeah, maybe
a 12 is still good though.

Jess - Seraphina: Yeah.

So, so as I was saying before, Uh,
Seraphina has a lot of horns, so to

explain them a little bit more, there's
two little ones like right here,

she has two that are about here that
spiral, so they're like, you know,

but they go like back and up a little.

The one on her right is Broken at the
tip, And then the last one is sort of

from like, Kind of like headphones,
they kind of like start here, And

they wrap around, And they stop about
here ish, And they're all covered in

like, Little dangly bits and jewels
and, You know, they're all prettified.

As well as her hair is just
all tangled up in it as well.

But, one of the gems that she
has, has a little rune on it.

and I grab it and I touch it so
that I can speak with the mouse.

Rat.

Mouse rat.

for speak with animals.

You

Rurik - GM: cast speak with animals.

Jess - Seraphina: And I, I like,
I go on the table like this.

And I go, hello.

Rurik - GM: She Oh.

All: Is that you?

Rurik - GM: That's me.

You speak rat?

Right now.

Holy shit.

All: You

Jess - Seraphina: have a fun vocabulary.

Rurik - GM: Fuckin yeah.

I'm a rat.

I mean, I got a good gig here,
so I'm not really gonna spoil it.

So if I need to stop
cussing, I'll stop cussing.

I didn't realize you could speak rat.

No, no, no, no.

Jess - Seraphina: You
can, you totally can.

All: Tell me what

Rurik - GM: I fuckin should
do and shouldn't and shit.

Nope.

Jess - Seraphina: Damn.

You like it here.

You like it

Rurik - GM: here?

Oh yeah, bitch.

This is great.

They treat you well?

Oh, fuckin Look at this.

Fresh shavings, food.

Eh, who couldn't fuck him over?

The bath, not so much a fan
of, but hey, hey, hey, hey.

I've never felt fluffier.

Well, you can't smell

Jess - Seraphina: bad.

hey, well, since you're doing great, you
know, I'll let you stay, I'll let you be.

Um, you didn't by any chance, like,
see, see anything weird, see anyone?

Because you're always here
on the prop table, right?

Eh, mostly, yeah.

And I know, and I know that, uh,
people when they do this type

of things, you know, they kind
of have a set way of doing it.

They do it the same way every time.

Oh yeah.

Oh yeah.

Was anything different this time?

All: Oh yeah, yeah,

Rurik - GM: yeah.

That bitch, she picked up
her fortune cookie early.

Uh, I don't think she usually fucking
has that thing in her hand, but I think,

uh, somebody put it in her hand and she
just, like, fucking, like, looked at it

and was like, oh shit, yeah, whatever.

And then, um That thing and he kind of
like with his little mousey nose points to

the empty space where there is a dagger.

I don't know why anybody keeps around
a rat encrusted dagger like that shit.

Those fuckers are dangerous, you know?

Jess - Seraphina: So the
fortune cookie, it's a prop.

Rurik - GM: No, no, no, no.

It's her cookie.

She sings the thing
and it tells her, well.

Anyways, if you sing it right,
like she does, it tells you shit.

The cookie tells you stuff.

Yeah, she always wants to know how
she did, so she always sings, you

know, that song during it, and then
the cookie apparently fucking whispers

in her ear or some fucking shit, I
don't know what the hell she does.

Anyways, sings her song, and then, like,
I think in the performance, she either,

like, glows, or she fucking looks like
she's pissed off and she just died.

I don't know.

Some dumbass piece of human mage-y shit.

Jess - Seraphina: Oh, right, right, yeah.

Of course, mage-y shit.

All: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Uh,

Rurik - GM: it's But, did you see
that fucking dagger that they have?

I don't know where the fuck that
shit thing is, but, my god, damn it.

That, that thing's dangerous.

Jess - Seraphina: What, why, why,
other than the fact that it's sharp?

Is there extra stuff to it?

Rurik - GM: Oh, it's, it's written in rat.

Nobody writes shit in rat.

That's a terrible idea.

You don't write shit in rat.

No rats don't write shit in rat.

Wait, can you read rat?

Well, I'm a fucking rat.

Duh.

Jess - Seraphina: Well, I don't want
to assume that you can read, you know?

Rurik - GM: You think I'm illiterate?

You fucking tall things!

You're always fucking
picking on the small things.

I am.

I am.

Just cause I live in the sewers.

Well, not now.

I guess I live in the penthouse now,
so maybe I'm a fucking tall thing now.

Ah, shit.

Jess - Seraphina: I'm sorry.

That was very rude of

All: me.

I might be.

Mother.

Ah, shit.

Jess - Seraphina: I'm so sorry.

I shouldn't have assumed anything.

Please, please breathe.

I might have a snack.

Do you want a snack?

All: The

Rurik - GM: little

All: rat faints.

Nyeh!

I'm

Jess - Seraphina: going to pick the
cage up and I'm going to bring it over

to everyone and I'll be like, this rat
the dagger you found, the dagger has rat

on it and he can he can read it, but um
he fainted because I was rude and uh,

assumed things I shouldn't have assumed.

Serafina, you hear whispered.

Rurik - GM: Oh, fuck.

I think she believes I fainted.

She fucking brought me
over to these fuckers.

Oh, shit.

Oh, shit.

Oh, shit.

Oh, you're not.

All: You're not.

Oh, hi.

Rurik - GM: Hi.

No, I'm dead.

Dead.

Died.

You killed me.

Murderer.

Jess - Seraphina: You're
a very good actor.

I see why they hired you
to be a part of their show.

Rat is playing possum.

Uh, yeah.

Yeah, he is.

Um, I'm

Rurik - GM: not a fucking a possum.

You tell that fucking little
giant monster of a fucker.

I am a rat.

I am a distinguished member of the rat.

I didn't see that little

Jess - Seraphina: bitch rat died.

He says that you're a bitch and
that he is a rat, not a possum.

And he's a very distinguished
rat from the rat, rat dynasty.

Mr.

Rat.

Rurik - GM: I don't know.

I'm making shit up as a fucking do.

I'm a rat.

He's certainly

Jess - Seraphina: not
making shit up as he goes.

Rurik - GM: Goddamn right.

I like you.

You're my bitch.

Oh.

All: Is that good?

Jason - Gus: I don't know.

Ratty Highness.

What does the dagger say?

Jess - Seraphina: Do you mind reading it?

And then I can let them know what it says.

I assume you two don't read rat.

I don't read rat.

All: You don't read

Rurik - GM: rat?

You speak rat?

Are you illiterate?

I

All: am.

I am.

Really?

Rurik - GM: Because you are the
one who's fucking illiterate?

Jess - Seraphina: Yes.

I put my own issues onto
you, and I do apologize.

Will you help

Rurik - GM: us, please?

You're as bad as that stage manager?

Mother!

What's wrong with this stage manager?

Nothing, I don't know, I don't
know, I don't, I don't know.

Ulua's ears pick

Larissa - Ulua: up.

Jess - Seraphina: But what?

No, I, I thought I was your

Rurik - GM: bitch!

I mean, you are, you're my bitch,
but like, The dude cut the tail

off the last one with my job.

I ain't fucking touching that shit.

Well, I won't let him cut your tail off.

I'm reading your dagger.

That's it.

Jess - Seraphina: Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Read the dagger.

And then I lean over to them
and I'm like, There's something

wrong with that stage manager.

Rurik - GM: He says.

Little nose twitches.

There's also something fucking
wrong with the costume designer.

You know she tried to
embroider something for me?

I'm a freaking rat.

What the hell is it?

And that says, uh, with Can you
turn it a little to the side?

Hey,

All: short

Jess - Seraphina: bitch!

Short bitch!

Short bitch!

I think that's you.

I'm sorry, I'm just translating.

He's asking you to turn it.

Rurik - GM: Damn it.

These people are idiots.

Why is he spinning around?

You're gonna make me sick, you

Jess - Seraphina: dumbass!

Stop spinning it, he says.

You're gonna make him sick.

And then a mean word.

Jason - Gus: Turn it slower.

Rurik - GM: Alright, alright, okay.

My name is Oh, it's like
a I want that dagger.

Well, I can't hold it.

But like, it's a dagger
to turn you invisible.

Jess - Seraphina: Ugh.

Is it like a spell that you say
so that you can become that?

Or Is it directions?

Is it You know,

All: Rat,

Rurik - GM: it's not exactly the
foremost of complex languages.

So, um It's just, it's some fuckery
about, uh, you hold it, sneak around,

and then when you sneak around, it
knows your intent and then it, whoosh,

you're, you're, you're, you're, you're

Jess - Seraphina: invisible.

Okay.

Um, and I'm going to hand the rat,
uh, excuse me, a very pretty lady.

Um, can, can you hold
the cage for a moment?

You're

Rurik - GM: going to put me in that?

Jess - Seraphina: She's
pretty, just for a second.

She is not

Rurik - GM: pretty.

Look at her,

Jess - Seraphina: where's her feather?

He thinks you're very
pretty, just like I do.

Can you hold him?

Of

Larissa - Ulua: course.

Would, um, I have some very, very
well aged cheese for a snack.

Would

Jess - Seraphina: you like any?

Hey, he has cheese, she
has cheese, you want it?

Cheese?

Rurik - GM: Cheap and good.

Yeah.

Jess - Seraphina: Bring it.

Okay.

Yeah, you'd like it.

Okay.

Larissa - Ulua: Um, I always
like to keep snacks handy.

Everybody loves a snack.

Jess - Seraphina: Okay,
um, can I see the dagger?

All: Okay,

Jess - Seraphina: I'm gonna, I'm gonna
hold the dagger and I'm gonna sneak.

Sneak, sneak, sneak, sneak, sneak.

Do like a sneak.

Try to like sneak around everyone.

So that they can't see me and
see if I can become invisible.

Because I haven't said
that it does invisible yet.

I just Roll a stealth

Rurik - GM: check.

Jess - Seraphina: I can do that.

I'm very stealthy.

That's not a D20.

Okay, there it is.

All: Was it a D12?

I don't know what it was.

Okay.

Jess - Seraphina: Stealth.

Rurik - GM: The dodecahedron of random.

Jess - Seraphina: Mm.

Okay.

. Plus.

Three, so, eighteen.

Rurik - GM: Eighteen.

Uh, you, utilizing your abilities,
getting around things and being a little

bit able to Thinking of my brother.

Channeling your brother.

What is your intent while
you're trying to sneak?

My

Jess - Seraphina: intent is to, sneak
up on the, the are you a gnome, Jason?

To sneak up on the gnome and, and, nnnn.

Poke him in the back.

Jason - Gus: Hopefully

Jess - Seraphina: not with the dagger.

Not with the dagger.

Rurik - GM: As you sneak up
on the gnome to poke him in

the back, you feel the dagger

start to feed from your intent,
but then you feel it halt and

you do not turn invisible.

And you hear a voice in your
head say, No blood, no love.

Jess - Seraphina: And that was in my head?

Can I think in my head, where else do
you think, um, is it, is it my blood

or can

I'm gonna take the vial of blood
that I had and put a tiny little

drop of blood on the, on the dagger.

You know, I probably
have like a squeezy, like

Rurik - GM: a dropper.

You have a little pipette
you're putting in.

Yeah.

Move.

Nothing happens.

Just watching

Jason - Gus: her, like, crouching
and sneaking around, putting

blood on the dagger, like,

Jess - Seraphina: Oh, oh!

It's going to be really cool,
just give me one more second.

And then I'm going
to, , spells, cast, something.

Which is, Identify!

At the first level.

Rurik - GM: Awesome.

You cast Identify and you find
out that this dagger, used in

one murder, is currently sated,
but is a dagger of murder.

When the intent is to murder.

It will hide the wielder.

Oh!

Until the deed is accomplished
and the murderer has escaped.

Oh!

But the intent has to be to murder.

Oh my gosh, I go

Jess - Seraphina: and I
give it back to the gnome.

I go, , thank you very much.

You can have that back, kind sir.

Uh, there you go.

Uh, I'll take my friend
back from you, pretty lady.

Did you,

Larissa - Ulua: did you discover anything?

Oh.

Jess - Seraphina: Yes.

Sorry.

I've been doing this
by myself a lot lately.

I gotta tell you.

Okay.

Sorry.

I fully understand.

Larissa - Ulua: This is, I'm
not usually a, a group project.

Well, I'm used to doing it

Jess - Seraphina: with people,
a person, but it's been a while.

Anyways, um, that's a,
that's a dagger of murder.

So, um, if your intent when you're holding
it is to kill, um, it's going to make you

invisible until you have done the deed.

And gotten away.

That's what that is.

Well,

Larissa - Ulua: that's

All: oddly

Rurik - GM: specific.

Jason - Gus: How the murder was I'm
gonna like wrap this thing up real

good and like put it in my bag.

Larissa - Ulua: I'm going
to, just kind of saunter.

But not like in a overtly sexual way.

Just that's kind of my
natural walk, uh, over.

Yes.

Shake your ass.

No, just, just, um, Just softer.

All: No,

Larissa - Ulua: think, think like,
um, Victor in, uh, Miss Congeniality.

Look at me, I'm floating.

Like, yeah.

All: You

Larissa - Ulua: sashay away.

No, sashay is different.

Sashay is definitely more, hippie.

I'm going to walk over,
approach the conductor.

And, , say, , I noticed
there's, , and, and, and they

mentioned a, a stage manager.

, Grendan, is he

Rurik - GM: here?

I haven't been able to find him.

Where, he should be here.

I don't know what I'm going to do.

We're going to get shut down.

The council's going to take us out.

Larissa - Ulua: I'm, I'm sure
they, no, I'm sure that's not,

that's not going to happen.

, Does he live around here?

Is there somewhere that he's most
likely to be if we want to find

him to see if he saw anything?

Rurik - GM: Yeah, I'm sure he, he's,
he's I mean, he's part of the community.

I think he actually doesn't live here.

He lives between here and the council,
the hall of council buildings, , sublets

or has a room with one of those
bigger houses over that direction.

Larissa - Ulua: All right.

Do you happen to have an address?

Rurik - GM: Yeah.

Yeah.

, it's, Lord of the Inquiries house.

I'm assuming you know where that
is because they don't do addresses

so much at that residence area.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Larissa - Ulua: Correct.

Not that I'm aware of.

This has been very helpful.

Thank you.

And, as one performer to
another, I can assure you that

our kind always bounce back.

And even if you don't perform here,
there will always be a place to perform.

And if you need a space to, you know,
maybe for a temporary performance,

maybe for, , in between shows to
promote your next project, , you

should certainly check out Cecilia's.

or Celia's, , spirits and
sundries in, , what is it?

Cragside crowds.

I can never remember what I said.

Cragside crowds.

She's always, she, she always
opens up her stage to, to anyone

looking to, , promote their art.

So she's, you just let her know, Ulu has
sent you and, , she'll get you set up.

Yeah.

Rurik - GM: Well, we'll got to figure
out this whole, this whole thing is.

Put us all out of sorts.

So, uh, we'll figure it out.

Um, I, I gotta, I guess I gotta clean up

All: and

Rurik - GM: reassure the cast.

So, uh, if you need me, I'll be here.

I mean, where else would we go?

Thank you for

Larissa - Ulua: everything, Graham.

You've been extremely helpful.

And she just kind of, , , like
a, kind of like just under the

chin, kind of like reassuring.

Rurik - GM: Do I know her from somewhere?

Jess - Seraphina: As he starts to leave
Can I, uh, be like, oh, uh, the rat, you

can't just leave him here by himself.

You don't wanna be left here, do you, uh,

,
Rurik - GM: he kind of turns
to look at you for a moment.

Just put him back in his cage
and then you hear the rat go.

I mean, are are they going
out of business here?

Are they, are they dead?

Are they failing?

Is this bullshit over?

Jess - Seraphina: No, no.

I just don't know if, do you
just live on the prop table?

Is that where you just stay?

Rurik - GM: Yeah.

I mean, unless they make a
take a bath, that shit sucks.

So.

Jess - Seraphina: Oh, okay.

My bad.

Okay.

I'll just put you back
on the prop table then.

I'm gonna go put him
back on the prop table.

He's got I

Rurik - GM: just didn't
want you to leave him.

Chunk of your cheese and he's like
been sniffing it but not eating it.

Just eyeing you warily.

, Larissa - Ulua: as, as she goes to put
him back, I'm just gonna say, um, before,

before we leave, you said he mentioned
something about the stage manager.

Is there anything else that he Has to
share or, , that he thinks we should

know, , I think he's next, right?

Right.

Might be next on our list to visit.

Jess - Seraphina: Go talk to, . Uh,
do you have a name, little friend?

Not little.

I mean, you're just littler to me.

I didn't mean like you're small.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Rurik - GM: Big people, small problems.

Whatever.

No, I don't have a name.

I'm a rat.

You don't have a name?

Jess - Seraphina: Do you want a name?

No.

How do I address you?

My god.

My god.

Okay, got it.

So, my god.

Uh, you had mentioned that,

All: uh, He's

Jess - Seraphina: laughing at me.

I'm not really sure why.

Okay, um, so, my god.

He, uh, you said that.

You said that the stage
manager, that he was mean or

All: something?

Yeah,

Rurik - GM: yeah, he was mean.

He was nasty.

Why?

I don't know.

Whatever.

People are always mean.

They don't like rats.

Jess - Seraphina: My God, you have to tell

Rurik - GM: me.

It's all good.

It's all good.

Oh, man.

All: Oh,

Rurik - GM: I'm a rat bastard.

Jess - Seraphina: I'm not totally sure
what that means, but um, I'd love to

hear more about the ma the sage manager.

Is he mean to you?

Rurik - GM: You just hear cheeps of a rat.

All: Dang it!

Jess - Seraphina: I can't
talk to him anymore.

Larissa - Ulua: Oh, um, maybe

Jess - Seraphina: I mean, we
could come back and visit him.

Larissa - Ulua: Well, if they
end up moving house, we may

not know where he ends up.

Do you think we could

All: borrow

Jess - Seraphina: him?

I mean, he's a prop.

You can't remove a prop from a prop table.

I mean, I know I just
did, but like I brought it

Jason - Gus: back.

I don't, I don't think the show
will be going on without it's star.

So,

Larissa - Ulua: I mean, I would
certainly like to ask permission.

I wouldn't do so without.

Yeah.

Yeah, I mean, we could go ask.

I mean, he likes it here.

Rurik - GM: Who's going to go ask
for permission and they'll just have

whoever it is roll a persuasion check?

Larissa - Ulua: Uh, I
mean, I'm, I'm happy to.

I, I, I understand that, you know,
working in the stage that, , normally

it's the stage manager in charge of the
props, but since he's not here, , I, I'm

assuming the conductor may be the next in
line in terms of, seniority hierarchy.

I, I don't.

Jess - Seraphina: You said you are in
this world, you'd know more than I do.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I, I just know it's prop table.

Larissa - Ulua: I'm just going to, um,
I'm going to, can I just borrow, just

quickly,

Jess - Seraphina: just borrow?

Borrow what?

What do you want?

Oh, him?

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

He's in the cage.

You should go for it.

Larissa - Ulua: You don't like the cheese?

Um, uh, I can maybe try to find
a different one that's, that's

just my favorite, but you know,
everyone's tastes different.

, and I, , just kind of gingerly
walk over, uh, back to Graham and

I go, I'm so sorry to bother you.

I know you have a million
things on your mind.

, I just have one more question.

, it seems, uh, your, your prop rat, uh,
may have some more useful information.

, , for us, and I know that sounds, uh, silly,
but every being has eyes and, , a memory

and, and, and can speak in their own way.

And so, You want to

Rurik - GM: borrow the rat?

Larissa - Ulua: Yes, I, we just,

All: we don't Roll a persuasion check.

Dim

Larissa - Ulua: lighting.

19?

Rurik - GM: Oh!

Take, take the rat, take the rat.

You're a rat now.

Okay.

Alright, uh, folks, let's gather
together and he's just, he's off

getting his group together and trying
to , figure out a way to debrief

the whole situation that's occurred.

Jason - Gus: Only question I have is
when I was looking around the blood

and stuff, was there any Footprints,
or like anything, like, leading

Rurik - GM: away.

Roll an investigation check.

All: Good thought.

He's stinky.

He's stinky.

He's tall.

Rurik - GM: That's going to
be said a lot in this movie.

Eleven.

There's a lot of disturbance around
here between, failed investigators being

here, um, the various people who've,
who ran about right after things.

It, there's a lot of different
disturbances to the blood.

None of them are particularly
noteworthy or, , clear.

, but you can see that there have been
several footprints through the blood.

, but those all happened
after the blood fell.

Can I,

Jason - Gus: um, roll an insight
check to see if I feel like maybe

it was intentionally obfuscated?

Rurik - GM: Go ahead and roll that
insight check to see if there's

any intent behind these movements.

What is that?

Eleven.

Eleven!

It's difficult to tell.

Eleven!

It could have been.

It also could have just been the
natural situation of this really

badly botched investigation.

Scotland!

And with that, we are going to stop
and come back to you next week with

the epic conclusion of This Foul Aria.

Hope you find your pod.

And buh bye!

All: Okay, bye!

Oh, okay, bye!