Ep. 3 - Fata Morgana

The Hold heating up around them, our reluctant allies smuggle their cargo back towards the decks. Morin has to make a choice. The Brigs close in around their prey. But first, re-introductions, stabbings, and cups of tea.

Content Warnings

• This episode contains dark themes, discussion of crime, graphic description of injury, heat stroke, hallucinations, themes of captivity, restraints, and a claustrophobic environment.

For full The Drifting City content warnings, please reference the Show Notes & Disclaimers linked at the bottom of the episode description.

The Drifting City is not affiliated with Wizards of the Coast.

Cast & Credits
Chrys: Lily Bell
Morin Wreaver: Aspen Langford
Orion Amaros: Porter Hurst
Rook Aarden: Victor Thorne
Valentine Bellana: Marilyn David
The Narrator: Ray Hamilton

Class & Subclass
Chrys: Coven of the Green Witch (find the class at: Worlds Beyond Number Patreon)
Morin Wreaver: Floater Ranger (Homebrew)
Orion Amaros: Echo Knight Fighter (find the subclass in Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount)
Rook Aarden: College of Spirits Bard (find the subclass in Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft)
Valentine Bellana: College of Hard Knocks Bard (Homebrew)

Editing, sound design, episode titles and descriptions by everyone at The Rolling Waves.

Intro & Outro Theme
“The Drifting City (Theme)”
Composed by Porter Hurst.
Performed by Porter Hurst, Victor Thorne, and the friends and family of The Rolling Waves.

S1E3 Music Credits:
Common Language by Vendla
Once Upon a Time in Stockholm by Franz Gordon
skymning by bomull
Intense Conversations by Blue Saga
We Were Golden by Anna Landstrom
All courtesy of Epidemic Sound.

S1E3 Sound Effect and Ambience Credits:
All courtesy of Epidemic Sound.

Show Notes and Disclaimers

Transcript

 Episode 3 - Fata Morgana

Narrator: On the uppermost deck, a place domed with glass and empty void, a sprinkler toils exhaustion, burns at the corner of his eyes, his body aching and parched, even as the water flows from the tips of his fingers. The 10 rts of water flow from cracks in his nail beds, blood fertilizing the waters of this priceless patty. He continues to cast pushing past his limit, his soul screamings, as he continues to flow, flow, flow, flow away. The piercing whistle cuts through the sprinkler's haze and brings him back into his tormented body. He gazes up at the shift's head M. She doesn't smile at him, but she nods acknowledging his labor. She never smiles. The sprinkler thinks it may have something to do with the blistered nubs that adorn the ends of her fingers right underneath the rings. With precious stones inlaid and sitting ply above her knuckles, the head made carefully lifts the sprinkler's daily. Pay from her stash box the ration chip.

Click together softly. The smooth wooden discs too pristine for her gnarled hands. The sprinkler earns his weak chip for the shift, and three additional day chips for the extra castings. It would take the sprinkler many shifts to sleep off the effects of his exhaustion he would have won, but this way, by going beyond his limits, by volunteering for every God's forsaken irrigation day, he'd be able to save up enough for some sugar, enough sugar to bake his soon to be wife, a small cake for their wedding feast, such that it would be, he did all of this for her, for their lives together. The sprinkler tried to push away the pointless question that flitted at the corners of his mind, like the black spots and his vision. As the man looked down at the now bloody discs held in his hand, he couldn't help but wonder. Wonder if this would all be worth it. If at the end of the day he wouldn't be able to hold her. The heavy sheets of water flow frequently, then a bait into a drizzle. Over the lower decks, the streets will stay flooded for at least a day. As the excess moisture drains down into the hold, the air will grow thick with humidity as the heat below boils the new water into steam, that heat permeates the hold When risen moves with purpose, when it has a place it needs to be. From the heat beginning to make the walls of the boiler room sanctuary an uncomfortable resting place. You can judge that the engines have shifted into fourth phase. The penultimate power level indicative of a great need to get a move on. The city is scheduled to dock at the next seam in three shifts time, 24 hours, it will remain docked for a single shift. And then back to the void. We last left a motley cruise settling down for rest in the darkness below a shadowed city. But before that, TA sadden woman with white blonde hair and hollow eyes sits primly on an overturned crate draped with stitched together fabrics. She traces the seams with a gloved hand before turning towards her host. Smiling, almost self-consciously, as she says to Chris, thank you for inviting me into your home.

Chrys: Oh, of course. Um, I am glad that I could be of help.

Narrator: Yeah, I never thought there'd be someplace that's, um, cozy down here. Uh, how long it take you to build this place up?

Chrys: Oh, I've kind of been making it for all the time I've been here. Mostly, um, how do you measure it? Years. Um, but yes, uh, it has taken me. Many years. Um, but I think I like how it looks now.

Narrator: It, it's nice. Um, my place wasn't much, uh, bigger than this, but, uh, didn't really have your sense of style or nothing. Um, did I hear that you, uh, you, you helped that intense looking lady out with some stuff earlier? You

Chrys: Oh, Morin. Yes. Um, she was, um, asleep outside of my house and I fixed her.

Narrator: like, uh, with therapy or like some magic or like what?

Chrys: She was bleeding and I, I fixed it.

Narrator: Yeah, I mean that's, that's neat. Um, I hate to impose, but do you got any more juice in the tank?

Chrys: Juice.

Narrator: Do you, uh, and she looks at you and she pivots her body away from the others and pulls. She has had this entire time a big black overcoat that's been oiled to be water resistant. And she pulls it back and reveals what seems to be prim office wear, a buttoned up shirt, a pleated, a line skirt, and as she peels back her baby blue button shirt, you see that her skin sticks to the fabric slightly and pulls, and it looks like she has horrific burns over the front of her chest as if she's been splashed with hot oil or something along those lines. And she looks at you and she goes, I've been putting on a bit of a brave face, but this hurts like a mother. So, um, if you got anything to help, help a girl out,

Chrys: Oh dear. Yes, of course I can help. Um, and, uh. How, how bad, how bad is like, like, like HP wise, how bad does it look?

Narrator: Do a medicine check for me

Chrys: you said medicine check.

Narrator: Yes.

Chrys: okay.

Oh,

Narrator: come to what everybody else is doing here

Chrys: Uh, that is a 10.

Narrator: A 10, I'll say with a 10. Looks bad. But she has been clearly able to move around and function without outwardly showing pain to people. So even though it looks bad like it, the, it stuck to the skin a little bit. It looks like. It's mostly surface level, so it, it's one of those burns that looks worse than it is.

It's like peeling skin and all of that. But it probably hurts a lot, but it's not deep.

Chrys: gotcha. Okay. Yeah, I was trying to gauge do I need to do a second level or a first level here because.

Narrator: Yeah. I'll say with a 10, you just make that observation. It, it is surface level, but clearly it's painful.

Chrys: Okay. I'm gonna do a first level cure wounds,

Narrator: Go for it.

Chrys: Was four 19?

Narrator: Wow. 19 hp.

Chrys: I rolled a seven and an eight. So,

Narrator: Nice.

Valentine: Wow.

Chrys: and then plus four.

Narrator: Mm-hmm. So how does this look? Is it the same sort of sewing technique or what does it

look like as

Chrys: a, it's a burn, right?

Narrator: Yeah,

Chrys: So with, with c with like gashes and stuff, Chris tends to do the sewing motion. But with something, like this, it looks a little more like you'd expect healing magic to look, but, instead of, the sewing motion, he is sort of, gently his hand over it, almost like how you would, you know how sometimes like stuff gets stuck in fabric and you have to pull out like certain things to clean it off

it's kind of like that. So it's almost like it's the magic is gently like cleaning the burn off.

Narrator: Yeah, scrubbing at the skin, but in a way that's just brushing away the bad. And as you do so, you see the skin, does indeed start flaking and, scabbing over. But it's, in the process of healing and those bits flake away and you're able to brush them aside and beneath you see raw looking, but pink, new skin, as she buttons up her shirt again and pulls the coat back over her.

And as this process is going on now, we'll check in with the rest of the crew. What is everyone else doing as, as you're settling down for tea before your rest?

Valentine: I think Val. Time has made the calculation looking around at these people and thought, who here seems the most dangerous?

Narrator: Mm.

Valentine: And I think in her head, the most dangerous person here is Morin. And so she is sidling up to Morin to get a better estimate of like, what's going on with this person?

How do I get on her good side? And so I think she'll just say, you look a little bit worse for wear, but you also look too smart to be caught off guard. What happened to you?

Morin: The moment that you speak to Morin, she, jumps a little bit. She seems a little bit less sure of herself right now than she did a few minutes ago, when the door was open. And she'll go, oh, oh, the, the, the situation, the medical situation. Um, just another day of work, I suppose.

Friendly fire.

Valentine: Friendly fire. You're a floater.

Morin: Yes.

Valentine: It's perilous work.

Morin: I never feel safer than I do out there, so this is the dangerous part for me.

Valentine: I knew you had good instincts,

Morin: Where did you come from?

Valentine: lower decks, like everyone else, I solve problems for people. A little bar called the fading light. You should stop by sometime.

Morin: You saying, I have problems,

Valentine: No, but you might.

Morin: but you're saying you'd fix 'em.

Valentine: If I can. For a price.

Morin: How long do you think we'll be Hold up in here?

Valentine: It's hard to say. We don't have that long to get our precious cargo out to the seam. She needs to get outta the city and fast. We need a floater for this job. How dear are your services?

Morin: Honestly, it depends what you got. I always like people being in debt. I like to be able to call on some favors, especially if you have the pool that you say you do. I'll settle for chips, but I'd rather not, and I'll let you know. I, I can get us part of the way out to the docks, but once we're there, I don't have the gear for that.

Valentine: All right. I wouldn't mind doing you a favor partway to the docks. Then we'll see about getting the rest of the things we need.

Morin: And Morin will nod and then curl back into herself in the corner.

Narrator: and I'll say at this point you could roll a perception check Valentine to see, as a tarus. Sits near Chris and begins talking to them.

Valentine: Consistency is key. That's a seven.

Narrator: Okay. I'll say, I mean, it's a small room, they're having a conversation. You can easily see Atter sort of pivot towards Chris and look like she's trying to conceal something a little bit. You see, an interaction play out. So you don't necessarily see the full context of what it is, but it's enough to be noticed a as potentially suspicious, but you can't get a lot of detail.

Valentine: I'll add it to the long list of suspicious things that Eter has done.

Rook: Oh yeah. 'cause that'll totally narrow any action down.

Narrator: Mm-hmm.

Orion: feel like at some point we're gonna be like, well list one thing that she's done that's suspicious, and Valentine's just gonna like a scroll.

Valentine: Yes.

Chrys: Do you want a list?

Rook: Val Valentine's. The person who takes screenshots of everyone's message, if they're even the

Chrys: Real She is.

Morin: Taking a screenshot with my quill.

Narrator: there's only room for one fame fatal here, and it's me.

Valentine: Hey, I'm not good at it. That's my business.

Narrator: Alright. What are Rook and Orion up to?

Rook: I think it's about at this point that Rook is going to start coughing like really badly.

Narrator: Hmm.

Rook: not even like, like a small puff, like it sounds like he's like coughing shit up. And it's about that time he's going to like, cover his mouth and take out his pipe again. Same kind of overly elaborate design on it. Takes this little sachet out of his pocket and fills the pipe and just lights it with his thumb. And just takes a long drag from it. And then with just as long and slow of an exhale and the coughing is gonna subside he's just gonna be taking a look out the window situation just to an eye on any of the that were around.

Orion: You okay? 

Rook: Oh yeah, that, um, don't worry about that. I'm, I'm, I'm good, I'm good.

Orion: Okay. Because 'cause I, I'm, I mean, the tea's not, the tea's not that bad. Come on.

Rook: no, no, the, the t t's lovely, t's lovely. It's just, it's, uh, Aaron in the caverns doesn't agree with me, I suppose.

Orion: Huh.

Rook: It's, it's just a, just a me thing I guess.

Orion: I guess, well, I just, I guess it wouldn't do if one of us dropped dead in here,

Rook: Well, I mean, I think one of us already was about to, so, know, but uh, 

Orion: eh? 

Rook: of you seem to have a very quick turnaround from complimenting me to being very quickly to take the head off that like clean off my shoulders. Like

Orion: Ah,

well 

Rook: can I assume that's like a, a just business sort of situation,

Orion: it isn't,

Rook: worry about my head on my shoulders now?

Orion: you know, now that we're out of that situation, I, not really something that you'd need to worry about. I'm assuming a, I'm sorry. Would not suffice. Uh, so

how about

Rook: I'm sorry, would, would kind of cut it.

Orion: would, it, would kind of cut it. Alright.

Rook: but what were you gonna offer anyway? I'm curious now.

Orion: I mean, at, at, at this Orion puts out his hand, albeit a little awkwardly. How about we start over? That is a very lovely coat you have.

Rook: Fantastic idea.

Orion: And my name's Orion.

Rook: See, that's a much better, more polite way to start than complimenting coat and then dipping off into nowhere and then threatening to just ice me on the spotlight. This, I, I, I like this much more, uh, at this point. then he out stretches his hand name's Rook. I appreciate it, but again, don't know what I was gonna say there.

I'm so tired. I have been going all day.

That being said, I'm going to keep an eye out and make sure none of those officers are getting any closer to us, because if they do, I'm gonna have to step out and I don't want to have to talk to that guy. I'm gonna be so honest.

Orion: I mean, you and I both, but for different reasons.

Narrator: All right, Rook, roll a perception check for me since you said you're going to keep a, is it keep an ear out or are you opening the door slightly to keep an eye out?

Rook: I am not opening the door.

Narrator: Okay.

Rook: an ear out. Uhuh,

Narrator: Alright.

Orion: Oh no. You don't wanna stick your entire face out of the door to see what's happening outside.

Rook: you just see the pair of lips stick out the door halfway open as he like blows a puff of smoke out.

Morin: Keep the air clean, man.

Rook: no, no. Nothing like that.

Orion: You know the thing in cartoons where like I,

Rook: he's, he's rude. He smokes indoors.

Orion: you know, the thing in cartoons where like just one eye extends past the.

Narrator: But there you go.

Rook: So true.

Narrator: Roll your perception. Check.

Rook: yes. Perception check. That's gonna be a, let's see, that's gonna be a dirty 20.

Narrator: Woo.

Rook: Patterns or patterns, it would seem.

Narrator: 20. Okay. You listen and, it's still distant. It's way back in the direction you came because it's coming echoing from the direction you arrived towards this room from, but you pick up getting slightly louder voices and you hear the voice of, Lieutenant Hoffen, as well as what seems to probably be other Briggs from how they're communicating. And with a dirty 20, I'll say, you also pick up a little bit of what they're saying as they're looking. And so I don't have to role play a three-way conversation with myself. The gist of what you hear is essentially, so a lead is that she went this way and, they say yes. They said she came in from the other side, so we're trying to cut her off. Then Lieutenant Hoffen says something like, trying to figure out, 'cause this is an improv conversation. He says something to the extent of, no one makes a fool out of us and gets away with it.

Orion: What is the tone in which this is said, because Orion would love to take that as a challenge.

Rook: Hm, well, I'm gonna kinda like listen out and then start relaying a little bit to Orion and being like, okay, well, they seem intent on catching whoever it is and his eyes just look over at the, the woman being tended to by Chris mysterious person who we totally do not know who they're going after. being said, we might be good here. They sound like they're getting closer, so we might want to gear up, but maybe not necessary.

Orion: Yeah. I'll gear up just in case I got nothing better to do down here.

Rook: Yeah. Oh, I remember what I was gonna say. By the way, what I was gonna say was nice hair storm weather. 

Orion: Oh, thanks.

Rook: I, I don't know how y'all air Jani operate, but it, it, it's always nice to see a fellow jani around.

Orion: Hey, you know, same to you. I honestly don't think I have seen a fire gazi in. Oh. Actually been a while. It's been a while since I've visited Garden District. I should, should go back some time,

Rook: Yeah, visiting home is always kind of nice, but.

Orion: but thank you. I, um, it is a nightmare with all the static and frizz, but

Rook: Do. is it, is it, is it clouds? Like do you have to physically detangle it or is it like, is it just looks like clouds or what, what, what's the deal there?

Orion: you know, I have stopped trying to figure out how specifically the physics of all of that works. It moves, when I touch it, it doesn't, and it, it stays in a shape. It is shaped. I don't know how or why it does so, but it, it is a shape. Water makes it explode.

Rook: That's entirely fair. Yeah. I, I suppose we all have our individual quirks.

Orion: I've destroyed so many hats. I'm not proud of it.

Narrator: Wait, wait, wait. Sorry. I've got a butt in here. Are we saying legitimately Orion's head explode.

Rook: I, I think what it

Morin: In the city where it's always rain.

Orion: Well, okay, because Yeah, no, For the sake of cl for the sake of clarity. His hair, because it's, I don't know if I've ever done like the full description, but his hair is very much like the, Victor help me out here. What's like the really thick, big clouds? Like the culin,

Rook: Nimbus,

Orion: cumula,

Rook: like, like this,

Orion: nimbus,

Rook: the storm clouds or the puffy ones.

Orion: the storm clouds,

Rook: Cumulonimbus, yeah.

Orion: right?

So it's like a very dark blue, gray cum nimbus type of cloud. And so the thing is there is, there is lightning or like small, like tiny lightning that, exists within that. So if you get water in on the sparks that tends to react like it, the, the, the lightning will spark with water. His head does not explode. I

Narrator: Good to know because I was gonna have to veto that. I was gonna have to use my DM veto on.

Orion: like,

Valentine: Does, you know, if the, if that was mechanically the case, that Porter would try to use it in combat?

Narrator: Yes, a hundred percent. I'm

gonna grapple him and 

Chrys: create water on, create water on a

Orion: I, yeah, I, I get grappled by, I get, I get caught by a Bri and I just, can you spit like on my head specifically

Morin: Hey, can you spit on my head please, officer?

Rook: right,

Chrys: cus create water on Orion's head. And just

Rook: I'm not sure if I like where that's heading,

Narrator: Yeah. Okay. In another portion of this room to try to,

Rook: that being said, I think

Narrator: yeah.

Rook: just due to the urgency of the information, despite the hostility that has been presented, Rook is gonna like saunter over still smoking, but saunter over to probably Valentine and Morin at this point. And it's just keeping an ear out for the Briggs out there sounds like they're getting closer.

We may need to be a little on edge, but if they do start getting any closer, I might be able to deal with it. they seem very intent on finding our little friend here. So yeah, real, real fine company. You know how to pick as far as clients go.

Valentine: You are here too, buttercup. Chris, is there a back door to this place?

Chrys: to my house or general.

Valentine: To this place that we're in right at this moment. Is there a back door?

Chrys: Oh my health. Yes. Um, we do, I do have, um, a, a back door. There's a couple of doors. I think this used to be a boiler room, I think, or something like that.

Valentine: you know where those doors go? Could we get out of here without our friends outside finding us?

Chrys: Do I just know that inherently or can I, 

Narrator: I will say too, you are familiar with this area, but in the immediate vicinity of where you live. You don't have a. Encyclopedia knowledge of the entire hold, but I would say you would be confident that you could get them out to the farthest reaches of where you know how to get through any of the doors.

Like you basically have a radius around your sanctuary that you know incredibly well.

Chrys: Yes. Um, I have, um, little secret ways and things because sometimes, um, mean people come down here, so I just leave. Until they're gone. And if I can, I can help you through those.

Valentine: That would be wonderful.

Rook: Sounds better than getting, you know, completely cornered by a squad of Briggs. That seemed very intent on going after someone.

Orion: Agreed.

Rook: they seemed extremely upset that they, uh, that someone, and I quote, gave them the slip. So, uh, yeah, the

Chrys: What does that mean?

Rook: They're mad that the person that they're trying to find our little friend over there, uh, evaded them. And, uh, the lieutenant is especially, uh, let's say.

Narrator: Chris, go ahead and roll a history check. For me,

Chrys: Okay. 

Valentine: This is to see whether you know the word evaded.

Narrator: it just becomes an SAT test.

Chrys: hey, now,

Orion: You know, like the, the, the

more you know, 

Chrys: okay. That's a 15.

Narrator: Okay, so with the 15, , you're actually, or how I pictured it is that you were sitting on the ground close to where, Ataria is 'cause there's not a huge amount of seating in your, sanctuary. So you were sitting cross-legged by her while she's sitting on this crate. And so as sitting on the floor, you put your hand down and you feel how hot the floor is, and you don't normally go out.

When the engine is in fourth phase, it gets incredibly hot, especially in this boiler room area because of how close you are to the engines. There's other parts of the hold that are incredibly cold, but around the engines, because all the heat is funneled out of them, it is unbearably hot and the hallways fill with steam and make it incredibly difficult to navigate. So if you were to leave now, it would be possible for you to navigate, but it would not be a slam dunk and it would be difficult to move through an area this warm comfortably.

Chrys: Do I know how long it usually takes before that sort of thing stops.

Narrator: I'll say go ahead and roll one more history check

Chrys: Okay.

Narrator: for that specifically to

Chrys: I have a plus one.

Narrator: Yeah,

Chrys: Oh,

Narrator: I'll

say make it with advantage. I'll let you make this one with advantage.

Chrys: That, oh, good.

Okay. That's a 10.

Narrator: Okay. A

Chrys: I got a nine and then a one,

Narrator: Yeah, A ten's not bad. Just this is more specific knowledge that would require Chris to be a bit more observant of things that don't, it immediately impact her

as a being. And so thinking about how long these periods typically last, you've heard about seams or tears, where the city docks because people have come to you before and told you about them in exchange for favors and this information. And you know that, especially because some people have come to you saying like, oh, I need this before we get to the next tear. Right. That sometimes the timeline to reach these things are pretty tight. The engines only ever kick up into fourth phase when the city is behind schedule. So the likelihood that they will continue at this pace or get hotter is high.

You don't know if they'll shut off sometime before the city actually docks. You imagine they must, 'cause the city has to slow down, but you don't necessarily know for how long they'll specifically run. But you do know that they only ever get this hot when they're really needing to get a move on. I.

Chrys: Okay. I think Chris is going, okay.

How imperative is it that we leave soon?

Rook: Depending on necessity, it might be very.

Chrys: Okay. 

Valentine: how little you like being in jail.

Chrys: I assume that is a bad thing. Um, all right, if that is the case, um, I feel, I must warn you that, um, sometimes it gets really hot down here and it is particularly hot right now. Um, I don't usually leave when it gets this hot. Um, and it might prove difficult. So I just wanted to let you know that it might be a little bit difficult, more difficult than usual to get around out there.

Morin: If it's difficult for us, that means it's difficult for the Briggs too. I say we move.

Valentine: I agree.

Rook: It seems likely plus little heat doesn't bother me either way, so should be fine.

Orion: I am game with bringing up the end. So if the, if I see the Briggs, I can at least buy us some time. So.

Rook: Okay.

Chrys: well.

Rook: I I don't like dealing with these guys anymore than, actually, no, I, I probably have a better time with than any of you do. So there is. If they do start coming up on us before we can properly get some sort of plan to get outta here, there's a chance I may be able to talk to the lieutenant and throw him off the trail, but it's really not a big chance 'cause he is a piece of work. So take that how you will.

Valentine: Maybe you could take the front, unless in case they come up in front of us and I could go behind 'cause I, on a good day, I'm not bad at talking to people. I don't know if this is a good day for me, but what can you do?

Rook: Well you ain't dead yet and you ain't incapacitated, so seems like a pretty good day.

Orion: Well, hey, front or back, as long as I don't get, uh, deprived of a chance to put my foot up one, if I do wanna run into a Bri along the way, so.

Rook: All right, so you're getting the middle

Morin: I don't think you want me talking to anyone. I can stay with the cargo.

Rook: Yeah. You'd seem capable of dealing with cargo.

Narrator: All right. It looks like I got a code name. Now. I don't know how I like it.

Chrys: Is there something that we have that we are moving?

Orion: Yeah, her.

Narrator: Aria raises her hand.

Rook: points. Very

Chrys: Oh.

Morin: Everyone raises their finger and points at the same time.

Narrator: Oh, Terry raises her hand and is like guilty.

Chrys: Oh, okay.

Valentine: I hope not.

Rook: I also

Narrator: It's like, does Valentine really say that?

Valentine: Yes. Why not?

Narrator: Yeah. I saw the long line of thought on Marilyn's face. Um, ter looks at Valentine and just shakes her head and then looks at Chris and goes, well, if we're gonna be getting out of here soon, then, um, I heard you deal in favors. Uh, how do I say thanks for, you know, what you did for me and for letting this hold up here?

Even if we just a few minutes.

Chrys: oh, I don't know. A lot of things. So sometimes I like it if someone, um, gives me something and tells me about it.

Narrator: Oh gosh. I don't have a lot on me. Uh, well, and she sort of reaches into her, um. Like coat, it seems heavy. And she shows that there's a lot of pockets on the inside of it. And out of one of the pockets, she pulls a day chip, just a simple day chip, and she hands it to you and she goes, um, I heard they don't take these, uh, where I'm going.

Uh, so I don't really need 'em much anymore. But, uh, I wish I had kept track better. I don't really know, which was like the first that I earned. But, uh, that's one of the first first chips I earned when I was working with the reserves. Uh, I thought I was gonna make it big, make it good, and I learned that you can only work so hard and sometimes it's just not enough for some people. So it's a sad fact, but it's the one I have. Sometimes you're just not enough and that's okay. You'll learn to live with it.

Chrys: Not enough. I do not quite understand. I think that we are what we are. I am me. You are you. I do not know why you need to be more than that.

Rook: Well, even though you can beat yourself, sometimes yourself doesn't make enough money to get by, and that's what it's all about.

Orion: Chip are what? Make the world go round.

Rook: Ain't that the truth?

Orion: Can I fist bump rose?

Rook: A hundred percent.

Chrys: This this means a lot to you. I will take good care of it.

Narrator: I wanna spend, it doesn't mean much to me now.

Chrys: Chris, walks over to this, corner of the room. And, you guys finally noticed there's this little area tucked behind. There's like a metal slab of the wall that juts out. It almost makes a shelf looking thing. And you notice there's like a chest looking thing full of probably stuff.

And then on the shelf there's like just little bits odds things. None of it's particularly valuable. It's just a bunch of mundane objects that, Chris seems to just have here. And, Chris very carefully places the little chip that Aria gave her on one of the shelves. And, you get the sense that, Chris collects things for whatever reason.

Narrator: All right. I heard the plan was that we gotta move.

Valentine: That's right.

Rook: Yep. Sounds like it.

Valentine: Chris, would you like to lead the way?

Chrys: um, yes, I probably know this place very well. Um, people like you don't come down here very often, so yes,

Valentine: Wonderful.

Narrator: you go.

Rook: I'm gonna, real quick, as we're getting ready to head out, I'm gonna head back near the door and take another, listen, see if they're getting any closer. how much we gotta, you know, put some pep in our step.

Narrator: Yeah. Do another perception check for me.

Rook: I got that. Let's see. It just keeps going. It just keeps working

Orion: Victor,

Victor, I'm taking the headband off.

Rook: That's, that's okay. I got an 18 plus four for a 22.

Orion: Jeez.

Narrator: Nice.

Rook: I don't deserve these die rules.

Chrys: Brooke is carrying Dude.

Narrator: Rick is stealing all of the good dice energy,

you

hear 

Chrys: just keeps getting all the good roles and Marilyn can't get anything.

Valentine: No.

Rook: you

Narrator: um,

Rook: you got it, you got it.

Narrator: as you're listening. It's difficult to tell, but you think they're closer, but it's so slight. The progress seems to be slow. It does not seem like anyone is booking it in your direction. You think maybe they're closer. It could be a trick of the echo, but it is. It is not enough for you to be concerned that folks are imminently heading towards your location.

Rook: Great. Okay.

Valentine: As we're heading out, I'm gonna, put my hand on Chris's head and say, you can do this. Okay. And I'm gonna give them a bardic inspiration. 

Orion: Aw, 

Valentine: This is 1D six. It doesn't have to be your next role. It's whenever you. When you fail a role, you can choose to expend it.

Chrys: Okay. 

Orion: wild. 

Chrys: a weird, like very broken smile because half of Chris's left cheek is missing. So it's almost like a half smile looking, but it's a full smile. But like you could see part of Chris's inner mouth but they give you like this kind of cracked smile and, just say, um, thank you.

I hope that is true.

Valentine: I as well freaked out trying not to show it.

Narrator: Oh.

Orion: Can I do a quick, just cursory once over everyone just to gauge where everybody's at. I just wanna assess who might who. I might wanna keep an eye on a little bit more

Narrator: Yeah, go ahead and do I think that's probably more of an insight check

Orion: insight. All right.

Valentine: you looking to see which of us is the sketchiest or,

Orion: no, no. Sorry. I should

have clarified more. 'cause it's like some of us have varying injuries that are

healed to varying degrees,

Narrator: I misunderstood you. I think

that's more of a medicine 

Orion: Medicine check Okay. Equally

not. 

Chrys: fixed up more and, uh, Ataria.

Orion: Oh, okay.

Morin: I'm fully healed.

Orion: Okay. I'm so glad that they're mostly healed up because that's a nat one.

Narrator: Oh, 

Orion: They could be bleeding out and I'd be like, ah, that's fine.

They look great. 

Narrator: I'm gonna, I'm gonna say that, Orion, even though you've been trained a little bit in, in field medicine and you have some familiarity with, injuries and such, you're not terribly familiar with the. Injury, a magical healing, bounce back effect. So while you know that these people were injured and you yourself, your ankle hurts real bad. It's more of the annoying type of pain, but, it's not great. You can't really tell if anybody is the worst for wear.

Orion: I feel like with that Nat one Orion's inner dialogue at this point is just, I do have a shallow stab wound on my ankle, but probably the engine heat will just cauterize it. Like, I'll be fine.

Narrator: All right. You know what, I'm gonna roll something.

Chrys: God.

Morin: Is Chanter coming with us please?

Chrys: Where's

Narrator: something real

Rook: Oh God. Not the

Chrys: is my familiar, so probably.

Narrator: quick. Okay. I'm gonna, you know what, I'm gonna roll a D four.

Morin: Yes. The murder mushroom.

Chrys: Mushroom.

Narrator: Okay. Roll something else.

Valentine: They're rolling for damage.

Chrys: way, for, for people who aren't aware, Chantrell is my familiar. She's just really weird.

Narrator: Yeah.

Uh,

Rook: for

Morin: what you mean.

Rook: they're, they're rolling. For how likely Chanelle is about to run up to all the breaks and start shanking them.

Narrator: well, I, the thing I need to ask is, does a 16 beat Valentine's Armor class.

Valentine: Of course it does. It's an 11.

Narrator: you feel a stabbing pain in your ankle, and take one hit point worth of damage as you look down and you see a, a just absolutely dead pan emotionless faced sentient mushroom stabbing you with a sharpened chip in the ankle.

Valentine: Oh, that's not very polite.

Rook: I don't think she likes you very much, lady.

Morin: I'm sorry I gave that to her.

Narrator: Oh, yeah, I'd say this is obvious.

And chanterelles, like, I don't like anyone.

Chrys: Chris just kind of turns their head. I thought I took that away from you.

Narrator: Oh, uh, yeah, you did. And then looks directly at Morin. Uh, I got it back by myself without help and like winks real big at Morin,

Morin: Morin gives like a really serious, respectful nod.

Chrys: give it here we are. Kind of it. You can't be stabbing people that we are helping

Narrator: but like, why?

Chrys: because it's not nice.

Narrator: Okay.

Valentine: We're going to keep your friends safe, and if you kill us, we won't be able to do that.

Narrator: Fine, you're all boring.

Rook: If you stab me, I might cook you. Just full transparency.

Narrator: Chanterelle looks at Rook with just like the round black eyes narrow into slits as Chanterelle hops to put the disc in Chris's hand and then settles down. Basically how Chanterelle likes to go around is to sit on Chris's foot and wrap their arms and legs around Chris's calf and just ride Chris's foot as a little, like weighted boot. And so Chanterelle sits into her little spot and just it, but no matter where you are in the room, Rook, the face on Chanterelle moves to be glaring at you. it's just a permanent fixture.

Valentine: Wow. Looks like you've made a friend Rook.

Orion: Can I offer Val

Rook: I have my ways it, and then he looks at Chantel again. I would, I wouldn't actually, that that felt actually quite mean. I don't really like eating mushrooms. Uh, I'm sorry about that.

Narrator: The eyes widened to normal like

roundness. 

Rook: can

Narrator: Uh.

Rook: a knife though. I shouldn't, but I can.

Chrys: not give her a knife.

Rook: I don't know. She seems pretty intent. I.

Morin: I don't like the idea of her being unarmed.

Chrys: plan.

Rook: Yeah, I,

Orion: Chris? That

answer was immediate. 

Rook: should have some defensive capabilities. I agree.

Chrys: is not entirely unarmed

Rook: I don't know what that means, but the bipedal mushroom with a knife is a much funnier image to me in my head, so

Morin: Do you say more?

Chrys: me.

Morin: Yes, please.

Chrys: Oh. Um, I have this strange connection with Sean Terrell, where, um, if, um, I can, I can have, um, if she is close enough to me, I can have her do magic. But like, I can put it like, I can do magic where she is at. I don't know how it works. We figured it out on accident.

Morin: That is so cool. And I'm going to kneel down to like get a better look at Chanterelle and then can I slide a hand or another chip?

Chrys: God Damnit.

Narrator: Yes, a hundred percent.

Morin: That's an 18.

Narrator: All right. Does anyone have a passive perception of 18 or higher?

Chrys: Lemme see.

Orion: No,

Valentine: Speech check.

Chrys: have a 16.

Orion: is oblivious

Valentine: Nope. No.

Narrator: you are successful in passing. Terrell another trip that Terrell just, or another chip, excuse me, puts between sort of her little mushroom body and Chris's leg as like they wrap around to hide it. And as you look, you see Terrell's like weird mouth distend over the end of it to start gnawing it into another little shank. So that, that is, a very critical thing that has happened.

Rook: see that, that, that inspires me with the utmost feeling of safety in the world. I don't know about all

Morin: Yes.

Narrator: Mm-hmm.

Rook: that, that, that creature fills me with bliss.

Narrator: All right.

Morin: Um,

Narrator: oh.

Morin: I, after slipping her the chip, I'm gonna stand up and go back and, apologize to Valentine again. I just, I'm, I'm sorry. I feel like that was my fault and I was a little closed off earlier. And I'm gonna hold out an awkward little hand to shake. I never actually told you my name, myself. Uh, it's Morin.

Valentine: A pleasure. I'm Valentine and she's gonna kinda hold out her hand in a, take her hand, but in that kind of like. Top down, like Yeah, exactly. Kind of a delicate princess hand kind of way.

Morin: Morin does not know what to do with that, and she's gonna give you a straight business shake.

Valentine: We'll work on that.

Rook: Here we have the one-to-one duality of the spectrum of butch to femme.

Orion: And

scene. 

Narrator: and scene. Uh, we, gosh, serious time. I planned for this to be a serious episode.

Chrys: Oh, great. Oh, Ray,

Narrator: And you know how they say like, you make plans and God laughs. It's like the DM makes plans and the players laugh.

Morin: Sean Rell laughs.

Rook: We're probably

Chrys: any,

Rook: paragraph of what's been written.

Narrator: hey.

Paragraph four. Paragraph four.

Chrys: I hate, I hate to break this to any of you, but any sort of tabletop RPG is going to end in silliness no matter how serious it 

Narrator: Oh yes. Uh, doesn't

mean I can't do as much emotional trauma as I can on the way. So with that in mind,

Rook: I don't like that segue.

Narrator: stepping out

into the narrow hallway outside of Kris's home is like stepping into an oven. You don't know what it is about that sanctuary space that made it warm, but not necessarily uncomfortably.

So, but it is a stark contrast to the heat in this corridor. The air is so thick with steam and mist that it's difficult to take a deep breath. Your clothing almost immediately begins to stick to your skin while the hallway is hot. From what Chris told you, it is only likely to grow hotter as the engine continues to churn and drive risen towards the seam. It is a kind of wet heat that pulls something out of you memory or nightmare leaking from your skin. So Chris, how do you intend to navigate the hold? At its most opaque.

Chrys: How do I intend?

Narrator: Yeah. What's your strategy? Uh,

the visibility, I should say, is like five feet in front of you.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, these corridors are incredibly narrow. You could stretch out your arms to either side and touch the walls. You can also reach your hand up and touch the ceiling. But they are winding.

There's different routes that go different directions. So how is Chris planning to, just go by, feel by memory? What, what's the strategy?

Chrys: Okay, so first things first. I'm assuming that the walls 'cause the, I'm assuming that the walls are like metallic in some regards. They're probably really hot, so the hand I am going to use for that is going to be the one that's skeletal, for touching the walls because that way I won't get my skin burned off.

I honestly, especially like the ones like the area close to Chris's home, don't really leave the hold very much. At the beginning of their life's life. I say beginning with massive quotation marks, they were probably just in the lower deck area and then eventually they found the way down here.

But. He spends basically all of his time in the hold now. So when he does leave his home, it's been, they've been down here so long that they could probably walk it blindfolded, like at least the area immediately surrounding their house. The steam itself isn't gonna be the biggest issue.

The biggest issue is probably just going to be making sure that everyone else is okay. Yeah, Chris is like, I'm fine. I don't know about the rest of you.

Narrator: Mm-hmm. Yeah, for sure. So I'll say roll a survival check for me. And normally it would be with advantage 'cause you know this area well, but the, way the steam is obscuring everything. You're just going to make the roll straight. Someone who might be unfamiliar with this area would be making it with disadvantage.

So that's how it's canceling out here. And

because you're so close to your home, the DC's not going to be incredibly high. It's just going to be 10.

And but as you get farther out, it will go up.

Chrys: , And how I, I I can use Bardic after the role. 

Narrator: Yes. Once you know, If, it fails. So that's why I'm telling you the DC now.

Chrys: Granted, I have a plus six to survival, so the likelihood is low that I'll have to use it. But, also, can I use guidance

Narrator: I think so.

Chrys: today? Please. Every God lives.

I didn't even need that.

Orion: Chris guides us so well. We actually just phase

Chrys: Uh, that's a 24.

Narrator: Wow. 

Chrys: got a, I rolled a 19.

Orion: Nice.

Rook: Oh yeah.

Narrator: Alright, so with a 24, , you're easily navigating through this area and in fact,

Chrys: no, I'm sorry. That was a, I miscounted. 19. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 1 2, 3 28.

Narrator: oh, of course that turned a failure into a success. No, by beating the 25 threshold, we, I, I will give you a little more, but, you know this area so well. Like you said, you could navigate it blind and essentially you are so this area immediately around your home, you're doing incredibly well.

And I will say with a 28, almost a 30 in survival, as you are navigating this space, you actually see indications as you're moving. You're looking, there's a lot of overgrown sort of moss and mold from just the constant moisture down here. Debris that's been littered everywhere. Just it's, it's a mess.

As you're moving through these halls and you see as you go things you don't recognize, little bits of things that are. Oh, I always stepped around that can and now it's been kicked to the side and whatnot. As you're moving through, you can see where people have been searching the hold recently, and as you do, you realize you can take a more circuitous route to get farther out towards where the different staircases or ladders are that would lead up to the lower decks in order to avoid the places that, based on the pattern you're seeing, people are more likely to be searching.

Now you have rolled so well that essentially Chris is able to like, touch the moss and smell their hand and be like, I, someone was here five minutes ago, and used Axe body spray. Um, and

Chrys: I lick the mos.

Narrator: you, you just know. So the unfortunate thing from this realization is that, you can continue to navigate in such a way as to almost completely mitigate the risk that you run into anyone else. However, it will greatly increase the amount of time that you are going to be spending. As you are moving through the hold. So Chris will need to decide, do I continue on the most straightforward path and minimize the exposure we will have down here? Or do we pick the safer path and simply increase the amount of time we're spending in this extreme heat? And I'll give you a rough estimate of the difference to can you continue on the most straightforward path? You think that you can get this group to a relatively safe and infrequently used spiral staircase that leads to a warehouse on the lower decks in about three hours. If you take the more circuitous route, it will double that span of time and it will take six hours for you to hike your way out of the lower deck or out of the hold

Chrys: You said we have 24 hours, right?

Narrator: 24 total. From this point, yes. And as you feel the heat bearing down on you, you think that it would have negative effects to continue in this heat for a long span of time.

Chrys: Mm, crap. Do I have to make this decision myself or can I 

Narrator: I mean, you can consult. Yeah, you can consult the group. You can let

Chrys: Okay. Because I am, I'm terrified of making like a decision like that without asking the people that are immediately going to be affected by it. 'cause Chris will probably be fine in the heat, you guys, Chris is kind of dead.

So,

Narrator: Mm.

Chrys: and, and Rook would probably be fine, but everyone else.

Orion: I'll do my

due diligence to not explode. 

Chrys: who is closest to me currently? 'cause I'm in the front.

Narrator: Let me get a rough marching order. I realize I didn't get one, so I know Chris has to be in front. I believe Rook wanted to be close to the front.

Rook: Yeah, like second to front please.

Narrator: Okay. Atari is probably somewhere in the middle, but she would defer to where the group puts her.

Would you want her third or.

Rook: I think if he would have any sway, which he probably wouldn't, but if he did, I think Rook would probably try to have her as cleanly within eyeshot and within reach as possible. So preferably third, but that's up to other people.

Orion: And then Morin would be fourth, I believe, since she's with it. So then since Valentine's bringing up the rear, then I would be

fifth. 

Valentine: Unless you wanted to go sixth, then I could go fifth.

Orion: I think fifth and sixth are like close enough to the back. I, I wouldn't really mind being fifth. You could take the back.

Valentine: Okay, I'll take the back.

Narrator: Okay.

Chrys: it's me, Rook,

Valentine: A Terry

Chrys: aria, Morin, Valentine, Orion? Or is it, no, it's, it's,

Valentine: Orion Valentine.

Chrys: Narrator, uh, you said that the three hour route can get us to a warehouse and then the six hour route will get us where?

Narrator: Basically, you know, an ideal I I'm giving you with like a 28, you know, the ideal spot to get from the hold to the lower decks. That is, you know, a place, especially because you're fairly reclusive, you don't really like to run into people unexpectedly.

You don't mind visitors, but you're not gonna try to go to any main thoroughfares so you know how to get up to the lower decks in a fairly innocuous spot. And so to get there directly will take about three hours, of just trudging through these labyrinthine hallways. But to take the more circuitous route and avoid any chance that you would run into others, hostile or otherwise, you don't necessarily know, it would take about double that time.

Essentially. You'd have to move step stealthily versus normal pace. If we're talking d and d mechanics.

Chrys: Chris is going to stop for a second. Um, so here is the, um, situation. Uh. ICI have two different ways I can take you from here. I can take you the faster rou, the slightly faster route. Um, but I've been looking around and I can tell where people have been looking for someone. Like there are things that are moved that I don't remember being moved.

There are marks in places that there weren't marks before. So if we go the faster route, there's a high chance that we might be found. Um, and then there's a less fast route, um, which will take us around like a staircase. Um, and that one we're far less likely to run into people. The fast route would probably take, um, three hours.

This, the less fast route would take six, but it would be safer. So which of those are you more interested in? Because I don't want to pick one for you all.

Orion: Uh, Rook. Um, earlier you were, um, you were listening in to the, to the Briggs, right? How many would you say sounded like there was

Rook: Narrator. How many did it sound like there

Orion: like.

Narrator: I'll say you heard, this latest time three distinct voices.

Rook: Okay. Yeah. At least three over that way. Probably others in the squad that had separated to different parts of the tunnels, so I'd say maybe six or seven tops, maybe eight, but at least directly behind us. Three. don't know about any others that could be scattered, but, you know, if someone's eluding them, they're gonna try to pince her out a bit.

Chrys: Didn't you say that they were asking for reinforcements?

Narrator: Yes. But this latest time Rook heard three voices.

Chrys: Okay.

Rook: Yeah. So as far as that goes, have a, have a bit of a question narrator while we're on the subject of the, the surroundings here, we're near like the boiler and stuff, right?

Narrator: Yeah. You are leaving the area of the boiler rooms and are actually getting closer to the Midship engine.

Rook: Great.

Narrator: because most of the pathways into the hold are near the engines because those are the pathways that people take, the engineers take to go to work essentially.

Rook: Yeah. So then I suppose my question is how much like engine exhaust piping and sort of engine pipes are running along here, and two, how loud is it?

Narrator: Where you are, there is a thumb in the air that is probably like a loud air conditioner going, at a pretty good clip. But as you have been walking, it has been getting louder. So while right now you're at loud air conditioning, you've been near the engines before, so you know that as you get closer, eventually it will reach a level of noise that's like being near a highway.

You have to yell to be heard. So right now, again, you're able to talk normally and it's fine.

Chrys: Oh, that reminds me. Chris is also going to explain, oh, also, um, you people might not, uh, if it, if it helps with the decision, um, it's gonna probably get even hotter down here,

Valentine: And time is doubly of the essence.

Rook: I don't

Valentine: I think we should take the more direct way,

Orion: Yeah,

Chrys: more dangerous one.

Morin: I'm in agreement. Valentine

Rook: I don't know. I feel pretty peachy right now. I don't know about all you, but

Valentine: look a little bit more smug Rook.

Orion: think,

Rook: that's just my face. I'm so sorry

Morin: so genuine.

Orion: um,

Rook: I didn't mean to sound smug. I was just trying to be a little funny to cut the tension. That's entirely my bad.

Orion: yeah,

Rook: will, I'm just gonna keep an eye out. I'm just.

Valentine: No.

Orion: Yeah, I think, Orion is probably going to you see that, he moves this, , I mean I guess it's, it's not like a massive ax, but he shifts it to the side a little bit so that the head of the ax kind of gleams in what little lighting there is in the hold, and he's just I feel like I can take on a couple of Briggs.

Rook: Let's, um, not do that, please. Because if you do that, I'm gonna have to suddenly be very much unassociated with you.

Orion: You tie my leash so close, Rook.

Rook: I don't like that sentence. Please don't say that.

Valentine: What.

Narrator: I am like, who has pets in the lower decks? So like, what could that possibly be a reference to? Anyway, Yeah. 

Rook: we have so much ground to cover here. Yeah. I'm just gonna, every, every now and then as we walk more Rook is gonna start like almost keeping his hands over his ears,

Narrator: Hmm.

Rook: but yeah.

Narrator: All right, well, you're able to continue navigating forward. I will say that 28 will carry you through this first hour as you're heading out. But as you're walking, you're moving through these hallways heading to junctions, trying to be quiet. Fortunately, it's getting louder as you move, which will make it a little bit easier to not have your footsteps on metal floor echo through. But it is so hot, and at the end of this first hour, I will need everyone to make a constitution

saving throw

Chrys: Fantastic.

Narrator: will not need to make a constitution saving throw.

Rook: Okay, now he's gonna look smug.

Chrys: don't get, I don't get like advantage for being dead. Right.

Narrator: No, unfortunately

you can, you can get extra spicy, I guess, get some of that stink going.

Rook: I, I guess dead people still get heat stroke.

Narrator: Mm-hmm. 

Chrys: Okay.

Narrator: I did

check, I checked the heat stroke exhaustion rules, and it was like, if you have resistance or immunity to fire damage, you're good. But it doesn't say anything about undead or anything,

so, all right. 

Chrys: there's specific stuff for heat stroke.

Narrator: Alright, so I'm gonna go in order as to how you are marching. What did Chris get?

Chrys: I got a 15.

Narrator: Okay. You are good for this

first hour. Alright. Rook didn't need to make it. Oh, let me roll for Ataria. Oh, that's, I have to check the sheet for that one. That's not good. Okay. Eks it out. Ataria is good. Um, I was not a good role for her. All right.

Chrys: What's the dc

Morin: Oh, Morin. 

Narrator: Mm-hmm. 

Morin: Um, she got a five.

Narrator: Okay. Good to know. We'll come back to that in a second. What did Orion get?

Orion: 13.

Narrator: Okay. That's all right. And what did Valentine get?

Valentine: A one.

Orion: Oh,

Narrator: And that one.

Orion: Valentine just dies.

Chrys: Oh my God. Dude, 

Narrator: Okay. 

Chrys: that dice set away.

Narrator: Well

Valentine: I've been using different ones every time

Narrator: Yeah.

So moron and Valentine, you both will take a level of exhaustion, which will be minus one to all roles. I feel bad afflicting this onto Valentine.

Rook: gotta like, you gotta consecrate your dye or something. Like

Orion: Yeah.

Rook: in wine or something. Just

Chrys: you gotta bait that in the light of the full moon, like

Orion: Marilyn, before our next session, do you want us to come together in a circle and chant over your die?

Valentine: I think that it is just Valentine. I genuinely do because I've played other unnamed campaigns in between

Chrys: Yeah. Your other character doesn't do

Valentine: have this problem. No, my other character does not have this problem.

Orion: what I'm hearing is we need to gather in a circle and chant around Valentine's specifically.

Morin: Valentine knows the drama required to tell a good story.

Narrator: Yeah. Speaking of which, unfortunately there's more,

that I'll need Valentine and more in to

Chrys: no.

Narrator: I'll need you both to roll Wisdom saving throws.

Orion: What?

Morin: Ooh,

Chrys: What?

Morin: that's not what I thought you were gonna say.

Chrys: I can't use guidance on this. Right,

Narrator: No. 'cause you are not aware this is happening.

Rook: guidance doesn't work on saving throws.

Chrys: right. That's resistance.

Narrator: Okay. I, based on Marilyn's reaction, what did you get?

Valentine: A natural 1922.

Narrator: you're fine.

Orion: the chanting guys. It's the chanting. We must chant.

Rook: Valentine's fine when it counts.

Valentine: No.

Chrys: don't like the way that Aspen's playing with her hair.

Narrator: What did, what did, what did Morin get?

Morin: Morin got better than a five,

Narrator: A six?

Morin: an eight 

Narrator: An 

Morin: bet. You 

Orion: Wow. 

Morin: that to be as good as it was. Yeah.

Rook: that'll make the difference there.

Narrator: nice,

Orion: down.

Narrator: okay. Well,

Chrys: You don't by chance have bardic do you?

Narrator: no, no. Morin doesn't. So Morin,

Rook: peachy.

Narrator: as you are walking through these hallways, the heat presses in on you claustrophobic and too familiar. Too familiar. You trip and land hard and you frantically twist and see shackles around your ankles, tethering you in place to the ground. I need you to do an insight check for me.

Morin: Oh,

Orion: Everyone hold hands.

Morin: oh my gosh, that's a nine, which is better than an eight.

Narrator: How does Morin feel knowing that there is no escape?

Morin: Is been a while since she felt like this last, and she has intentionally put herself in every position to not feel that way again.

And now all of that intention, everything she's done over the last few years, everything she has tried to pass on was is for nothing because she's right back where she was and nothing can get her out of it.

Narrator: How does she react physically in this moment? What would the party members see and hear?

Morin: starts. Pulling and kicking and fighting to get her feet apart, but it's almost as though they're stuck together by something that you can't see. But she's kicking and bending her legs and, pushing them against the wall and just silently crying. She's not screaming. You can barely hear a little sniffle, a little cry of despair.

Not again, not again,

Orion: Morin Morin Morin.

Rook: Okay, well, um, that's not great. This is getting very loud, very quickly. We should probably, I'm gonna cast sleep.

Orion: No wait,

Chrys: Oh,

Narrator: Um,

it's 

Rook: it's not gonna snap out otherwise.

Morin: if I'm not unconscious, what's a, once an episode? What's happening?

Rook: what I'm,

Narrator: uh,

Orion: got a quota. People

Narrator: I mean the r Rook Rook said what he said.

Rook: Rather.

Narrator: Oh,

Rook: Can I backtrack just a little bit?

Narrator: okay.

Rook: is still to do that if, if things are very bad, can I do an insight check or can I do something to see like what the issue is? Like is Morin just tweaking out or is there something like

Narrator: I'll say, do a perception check for me.

Orion: can, I also do a perception check.

Narrator: Sure. 

Rook: take? Yeah.

Valentine: Can I also do a perception check?

Rook: just be like,

Narrator: Go for it.

Rook: bad Wa Yeah. Not doing that,

Narrator: Just like sh sh sh. Go to sleep. Go, go.

Morin: You did an hour ago.

Orion: The nightmares won't come if you're unconscious.

Rook: The undue luck persists luckily 23.

Narrator: Valentine got a 19. What did Orion get?

Orion: 21.

Narrator: I'll say, all of you are able to see, wrapped around Morin's ankles. She stepped through some loose wire metal coil that did wrap around her ankles and cause her to fall. And that's what's currently wrapped around her and restraining her. Right now.

Rook: Does it seem like she's like unnaturally or like influenced didly loopy? Or does this just seem like heat stroke?

Narrator: I'll go off of, I, I know that it was perception versus insight, but they're both wisdom. So I'll, I'll give you a little bit, everyone's coated with sweat. It is,

Rook: Okay.

Narrator: He, he strokes a heck of a thing

Orion: I think as soon as Orion sees the wires, he's just gonna go and try to untangle morin's legs from the wire

Rook: Yeah.

Narrator: Moron. Do you allow someone to help you

Morin: Can I tell that it's Orion coming down to help?

Narrator: make another insight check for me.

Morin: Hmm.

Orion: if, okay. The entire time. 'cause I feel like Orion as this. Oh my god. Aspen, please.

Rook: that's not good. That's really not good. Okay.

Morin: Does a six Ps

Narrator: It's the full head in hands looking like you're weeping into hand, behind head, beautifully poised request.

Orion: she's just getting into character.

Morin: say narrator, how do you feel About a six.

Narrator: You see a warden coming to grab you and cart you off to isolation.

Morin: Sorry, king, I'm wiggling away.

Rook: As this is happening, Rook is going to get like kneel down and not get like super close. Like not in her face, just but kneel down to somewhat eye level with Moen and just be like, Hey, no, no, no, it's okay. Just calm down. Things are okay. We gotta get the wire off you. We gotta get the stuff off your legs. We gotta keep moving. But you gotta calm down. You gotta breathe. You need to really try here please. And I'm gonna give Moen a bardic inspiration.

Orion: While Rook is doing that, can I continue my efforts?

Narrator: Okay. I was going to also give more an advantage on the insight with the Bardic, but if Orion is continuing to persist in his course of action, I will say that cancels out. So Moreen, you are rolling insights straight, but you do have a bardic inspiration. So since you can choose to use it on a failure, I will tell you that the DC for this check is and has always been a 10.

Chrys: I per chance, cast guidance on her?

Narrator: I will have Chris real quick roll an insight check before the insight check

Rook: To see that you can,

Chrys: What's one?

Rook: tell what skill is needing to be used here.

Morin: We thought we were gonna fight the police, but we're just fighting my inner demons.

Chrys: That's a 15.

Narrator: A 15. I will say Chris, in this moment, based on how Morin is reacting to Rook versus Orion, you think that there could be a too many cooks in the kitchen situation like overwhelming Morin with a lot of people all coming in towards her to help. And so you think actually what might be best for you to do right now is just be waiting in the wings to stop, to drop in if someone needs it. But it actually might hinder this effort more than help if you also got in there and were trying to, 'cause you'd have to touch Morin and that's maybe

not good right now. So, Morin insight check and you can choose to roll the bardic if you are below a 10.

Rook: The verdict 

Morin: Okay,

Rook: D six.

Morin: so I'm gonna roll my barock,

Chrys: Oh.

Morin: 'cause that was another six

Narrator: Okay,

but wait, what? Do you have any bonus to this?

Morin: Well, I rolled a four. That was my plus two inside.

Narrator: so 

Orion: have a

50 50 chance, you have a 50

Narrator: four or higher?

Rook: chance 

Chrys: Ah.

Rook: You get a four, five or six. We're golden

Morin: All right, y'all, that didn't land in the tray. It was, it was cocked on my, it's fine. Come,

Rook: Nope. And that's

Morin: I wish I could tilt my computer to show you. That's a one I rolled

Chrys: my

Morin: on my bar. Inspiration.

Narrator: Um,

Orion: sorry,

Morin: that's a seven.

Rook: it feel making me waste one of my bardic inspirations on

Orion: So

Morin: Um, it feels like I'm being attacked by wardens. So actually.

Orion: I think that was

aimed for me.

Rook: Hey Bessie, I'm getting real close to casting sleep. I'm gonna be so

Narrator: yeah, I'll say in this moment, Chris, you could cast guidance if you would like.

Chrys: I would like to do that. Yes, please. Roll a 3:00 

Narrator: And I 

Chrys: I, am I rolling it?

Narrator: No, you're giving it to moron and I will say if it is a three or higher on this D four, you can tack it on and make this failure a success. But otherwise, Morin, you are unfortunately going to be, too far gone, in this moment to come back through. Your own power,

Morin: Because if I roll three separate dice and they don't all add up together to a 10.

Narrator: my understanding is now we're at seven with the one on the Barick. So

again, another 50 50

Morin: which is better than a six three.

Orion: Yes.

Valentine: Yay. 

Narrator: When never, has a 10 dc And again, if in case it wasn't obvious, you are at level three, this is not level one. So with that insight, I will say it's a combination of Rook gently trying to communicate to you the reality of the situation with someone coming in gently behind rook and just barely touching your shoulder. It's a gentler hand than you ever felt during that time in your life. So it, helps pull you out. And the warden's face in front of you melts into Orion's face as he bends and, rips the metal coil off of your ankles and you see it tossed to the side and you're back in the hallway and your heart is. Beating in your chest faster than any engine is currently operating you. Sweat is pouring down your face, but it makes you feel cold and clammy rather than overheated, and you are not well emotionally, but you are no longer diluted As you come back into this space and see three people around you who immediately leaped to help.

Morin: Shit, I. I'm, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. 

Orion: No, no. Hey, you, you back with us.

Morin: yeah, I'm, I dunno what happened. He was, Jesse was so, he was so hot. Um,

Rook: or whether it was the engine itself, it, the being around here messes with your head. Trust me, I'm, I'm well aware. Just. Don't make, don't make no mention of it. It's not an issue. just keep it rolling. Okay.

Morin: thank you. I'm in your debt.

Rook: No, you ain't. I don't operate in debts.

Narrator: All right.

Chrys: I think the choice to take the faster route was the right one.

Narrator: You continue to move forward, but before you do to add insult to injury, I'm gonna roll the luck roll, to determine if you have an encounter.

Um, 

Chrys: survival?

Rook: you're being mean to me.

Morin: Can I stand up first?

Narrator: more, more. I'll say you can get up from prone before Lady Luck casts the die,

Orion: Thank you. A gracious narrator.

Narrator: um, that met to the DC Exactly.

Chrys: Oh, okay.

Rook: Okay.

Narrator: so there you go. The DC was not high that time,

Chrys: Please.

Narrator: there you go. You

are 

Valentine: dispersed my gifts across the party

Rook: I, I, I think we're just the best at this game, guys. I think

Narrator: Uhhuh.

Rook: this.

Valentine: for winning

Narrator: All right.

Morin: Are we winning?

Orion: We're

Chrys: that with a 28 from my survival check.

Morin: You took it all.

Narrator: So Chris, you go ahead and roll another survival check. You still have that bardic if you need it and you fail. The DC is higher this time, but we're not in crazy numbers, uh,

territory. 

Chrys: time?

Narrator: The DC last time was 10 and you got a 28, so now the

Chrys: Yeah. Okay. I have to be to what?

Valentine: 15.

Chrys: Okay. 

Narrator: are, these are lower for you than they would be for most others because you are so familiar with the area.

Chrys: Come on. Big money. Oh, okay. Ooh, that was close. , That was a 16.

Narrator: Hey, you beat it. That's all you needed. So you're continuing to make progress over the course of the next hour. And as this hour goes by, how's Morin sort of feeling as, as she's walking and the heat continues to beat down?

Morin: Warren wants to be outta here. It's, she came down here because she was going to die. Practically did then was brought back, met a bunch of people that she now feels indebted to, but they keep insisting that she's not, and the walls are, the walls are just so close and so she's gonna keep trying to move a little bit faster, and I think it's a ter in front of her.

Every once in a while, she's gonna be so focused on that mission of moving fast that she almost bumps into her and then has to slow back down a little bit.

Narrator: Mm-hmm.

Rook: please be like accidentally flat, tiring atter the whole time?

Narrator: Like, come on, I got these boots just for the rain. I know. Um. So at the end of this second hour, I will need everyone to, except for Brooke to also roll another constitution saving throne.

Chrys: Please no more. Not once

Valentine: Aspen. Don't forget, we both have minus one to this.

Morin: I forgot we had minus one.

Chrys: like, I have advantage 

Narrator: Oh, technically that would've applied to the insight, but we'll, we'll let it go. Mm-hmm.

Morin: I just realized that too.

Rook: I'm gonna do something. Can I instead let Atter go up where my spot is and I'm gonna fall back right next to where Morin is. I'm gonna take my way oversized hat and I'm just gonna kinda like consistently be fanning more in

Narrator: Oh,

Rook: it to see if it can help

Narrator: yeah,

Rook: of the heat

Narrator: I'll, I'll say you can offer more in the help action on this. I don't know if it technically works for saving throws. I don't care. So can give

more an advantage on this check.

Morin: Okay, so let's.

Chrys: I got a dirty 20

Narrator: Okay.

Terry is?

again, barely good on this one, but makes it so.

Chris said Dirty 20.

Valentine: No.

Narrator: Rook doesn't have to make it a Terry is good. Morin.

Chrys: Aspen.

Rook: How,

Morin: So,

Rook: that advantage do? Huh?

Morin: well, my lowest role was a six and my highest role with the advantage with your kind, kind efforts, um, was a seven.

Narrator: , What is the total?

Morin: Oh, no, that's, that's my total. I rolled a four and a five

Narrator: Oh,

Rook: You waste my bardic inspiration and now you waste my hat.

Narrator: We'll come back. , Orion.

Orion: Oh, now I feel so bad

because I got a 

Chrys: get into a fight, guys.

Narrator: Okay. Oh, Orion, you're fine. Valentine

Valentine: I watched my luck change in real time. It rolled from a three to a 16.

Narrator: Beautiful. All right. , Maura, could you do just a little, little wisdom say for me?

Morin: A wisdom. I would love to.

Orion: Can you

blow on 

Chrys: there a chance that I can give her the part's given

Narrator: Unfortunately no.

Morin: This is what you get when you put an, whose whole vibe is like mist in an area where she's just gonna straight up evaporate. That's what's happening right now.

Narrator: it's osmosis, baby

Morin: Okay. You said w you said, you said wisdom

Chrys: a water Jans.

Morin: and I have the minus one. Okay.

Narrator: You have a Oh, yes. I was like.

Morin: 13.

Narrator: Um,

Morin: What you mean?

Chrys: Sad.

Narrator: the DC is harder on your second failure, unfortunately,

Chrys: it.

Narrator: Because this is sort of meant to be an escalating nightmare.

Morin: I am experiencing that.

Narrator: so Aspen, you get the gist now. So my intent is to turn it over to you narratively. What nightmare manifests for Morin from the Mist.

Morin: Oh, well there are multiple people in front of her and multiple people behind. And

Chrys: I

Morin: there's a moment.

Chrys: front of Rook now. The only person in front of her is Chris. Now.

Morin: Rick is in front.

Rook: Rook.

Morin: Rick is in front of me and Terry is, no, 

Narrator: It's now Chris Aria. Rook Morin. Yeah.

Chrys: sorry. Ignore me.

Morin: Okay.

Narrator: all.

Morin: Oh my gosh. And suddenly she's back to a time before her arms bore the scars that they do now. When she still thought that perhaps people would have sympathy and kindness for someone based on their youth. And the people in front of her and behind her suddenly are holding knives.

And if she doesn't get out of this situation, she might not be able to at all.

Narrator: And in this moment, Morin, you have a chance to pull yourself out of it before it's too late, which is another insight check. And I see Victor getting closer and closer and closer to his microphone. Is there something you would like to add? 

Rook: I feel like Rook would be pretty well understanding. He's known a lot of people that have worked around the boilers and around the engine. He stroke compounds.

Narrator: Mm-hmm.

Rook: the more you get it, the worse it's going to get, especially as, as you stay in the heat. So I think he would, while, trying to fan her and just like, make sure she's okay, with his hat. I think that would also be him, essentially not keeping a big eye out on everything in the surroundings, but just trying to see if she's gonna start freaking out again. So as I see her freaking out again, can I, very quickly as soon as I see the sign as of, of some sanity slipping of some, some stability being lost.

Can I just really quick, just like slap a bardic inspiration on there. Just like a little jostle, like a Hey, no, no, no. Nope. Stay out of it. Look at me. We're good. We're good.

Narrator: I'll say definitely, if you're giving your full attention to this and everything, no role required to know what's happening. You see the pupils dilate the chest starting to go up and down faster. The quiver of morin's lip and like the tightness of her muscles as she begins to get ready to bolt. So you do have that bardic inspiration.

Morin the insight check DC is higher this time. It is a 15. So you have a minus one, but I think you had a plus two. So you basically just have a plus one to this role. You roll the bardic inspiration first. I'll say you don't use it if, you succeed on your own because, but I just want for the drama to know what you need to get.

Morin: Two,

Narrator: So you have technically a, a plus three to this DC's. You need to roll a 12 or higher on your dye.

Morin: So I need to roll in 11. My God,

that's a nat one.

Orion: Oh my God.

Narrator: Okay.

Morin: I'm trying to use my, my dice that are more in colored

Chrys: Yeah,

Valentine: Use different ones.

Rook: I'm,

Chrys: I'm, I'm just gonna.

Rook: helping you again.

Narrator: along that vein, in Mor Morin's memory, what did, what did she do?

Morin: In the memory or like, what is she gonna do right now?

Narrator: Um, like what did she do in the memory and how does that maybe change or impact what she does in this moment?

Morin: She wasn't fast enough before, but now she knows she is.

So she's, she's gonna make a break for it and she's gonna use her skills to her advantage. She's gonna try to park her off the wall and run.

Narrator: Okay. Go ahead and do an acrobatics check for me.

Morin: I'm going to use the, I'm using, no, I'm gonna use the same dye because I feel like it's unfair to use a better D for running.

Rook: watch? Watch her get a, watch her get a Nat 20

Orion: don't will it into existence.

Rook: I was right, wasn't I?

Morin: No, but I do have a plus five to acrobatics and I rolled a 17, so that's a.

Rook: Uh, well,

Narrator: Okay.

Rook: this is about to hurt your head.

Narrator: Okay. So what does it look like as Morin starts to par Core her way out of there, and then we'll give people a chance to respond.

Morin: Oh goodness. Well, what r would've noticed is a, a freeze up and like a decision being made in her eyes and Rook being right in front of her with the hat fanning. She's gonna run and slip under his arm and then like

bounce off the wall and try to launch herself past ter and past Chris to run forward.

Narrator: Okay.

Valentine: I'm gonna call after her moron, stop and cast command.

Narrator: Okay. It's a wisdom saving throw.

Valentine: Yeah. DC 13.

Rook: That's a little kinder than what

Narrator: If,

if Morin passes this wisdom saving throw,

Valentine: I've got a plan.

Narrator: They're the dice have decided the story we're telling today?

Rook: That's true.

Chrys: I mean, I also have Command

Morin: I'm using the same dye because again, I don't wanna use a better dye to not listen to Valentine. You said wisdom.

Rook: you

Valentine: Yeah.

Narrator: Yes.

Rook: rolling bad when you switch die, maybe.

Morin: I, I have not switched dye yet.

Rook: Oh,

Valentine: Why

Chrys: Girl,

Morin: should have earlier, but now I don't. Now I don't want to get the good rumors. Okay. I still a minus one.

That's a 13 

Narrator: Oh, disadvantage. So,

Morin: 7 

Valentine: all my spell slots on. Yes.

Morin: I got a seven.

Narrator: alright,

Rook: Finally a bad role where we want it.

Narrator: so after like six seconds sprinting down the hallway, you make it just past Chris. When you hear Valentine say more and stop. And your body locks up and your momentum is such that it sends you crashing to the ground. Your muscles are not your own. Your body is a prison and there is no escape.

Orion: Vic Victor, what were you saying about this being a kinder.

Narrator: uh,

Rook: think this was actually, this is the same fate as if what I have had done would work. So yeah, nevermind.

Narrator: and

Rook: very corrected.

Narrator: in this moment, Morin, I want you to do another insight check. This is not necessarily against the dc This is, this is like an extra little thing I want you to do. So it's an insight check, but this is above the mechanics of this specific situation.

Morin: Okay.

Rook: M roll for how much of your chin you put into this fall.

Morin: That's a 12

Narrator: Okay? With a 12, you have a moment of introspection and you need to ask yourself and honestly answer. Has running ever really helped?

Morin: as far as I'm concerned. Yes.

Narrator: And as your body becomes your own again, as time passes, you stand up and you're able to look back at the group with knives and at the empty corridor in front of you. And you know that the right answer is in front of you in the lack of connection, the lack of gravity, the lack of attachment. And you look back and in this moment you feel like there is an immense choice in front of you, bigger than this delusion would have. You see? And right now you're going to choose. To follow your heart or to follow the creed, and you can decide which option is which.

Morin: Sorry. Above table. I'm processing that like crazy right now. That 

Orion: this is like a cut to commercial moment, like

Rook: is, this

Morin: That was so good.

Rook: intense for like a third episode situation. Like this is nuts.

Morin: Oh my goodness.

Narrator: This is failing every wisdom save you've ever made.

Valentine: Right.

Morin: Sometimes that happens, third episode, and you just gotta deal with it, and you

Valentine: so while Aspen is processing part of silvery Barbs is that someone else gets advantage. Little Olive branch. I'm gonna give it to Rook. So next, check you make or save. It's with Advantage I.

Morin: down the hallway. The empty hallway is everything that I'm familiar with. I know it'll be safe. I know I can run away and leave all of this behind and nothing will be worse for where, but there's a sense of obligation from behind me, coming from behind the vision of the people with knives and a voice that said more and stop.

And I feel a responsibility to listen to that voice, at least for a moment more. I'm duty bound.

Narrator: Oh. Mm-hmm. as you look back, you look and you see. The faces melt away again, and you see a party again of people who immediately jump to your aid, who immediately came to help you, and the first person in a long time, who genuinely asked you to stay. And you think for a moment that maybe it wasn't really an either or, but in that moment of fight or flight, you tricked yourself into thinking it was, and you go back to your obligation, but also to a strange group of people who, for some weird reason, seem to be sticking together. And you're okay. I mean, not okay, but okay.

Morin: I, I'm, I'm back. I'm back.

Valentine: You. Okay.

Morin: No. I'd like to be out of here as soon as possible. Um,

Valentine: We can make that happen.

Rook: I'm glad you're okay. I really wish you would've made that clearer sooner because that all that smoke really hurt to hold in my lungs for that long while you were keeping us on the fence. Thank you. Appreciate it. Oh my god, I am in so much pain right now. Um, keep moving, please. I.

Valentine: Okay, let's go Chris. You ready?

Chrys: Um, is Lauren ready?

Morin: yeah. Um,

You don't, you, you don't deal very well with heat. Do you

appears not, I think I should go back in the middle,

just in case. Can I get, can I get some reality checks every once in a while? Just,

Orion: I, I'm right next to you. Happy to do that.

Rook: like harsh words or like a smack in the face or like a calming present? Like it that varies from person to person.

Morin: I don't know. You might have to try all three and see what works.

Chrys: Um,

Morin: Maybe don't grab me.

Rook: I gathered that part.

Chrys: So I have a, so I have this veil that I can just activate. And I think it stays up. And it gives people an extra 1D four to con and strength saves.

Narrator: Hmm.

Chrys: Do we want that?

Narrator: I don't think it would hurt.

Chrys: I just remembered that I have that. I'm so sorry guys.

Narrator: You're fine.

Rook: up aura or is there like a time limit for it?

Chrys: It doesn't say, it just says it goes up and it's a bonus action. And it doesn't say that it goes away.

Narrator: Hmm?

Chrys: a, it's like a veil of like pollen or spores.

Narrator: Yeah, so everyone has to probably cloud around you 'cause it's a 15 foot emanation. So if you're all occupying like a five foot square, I don't think you can all be in a line behind Chris. But if people get closer to Chris from behind, in like a two by two or three by three situation, you'll be able to, to get everybody in there. So, sounds good. And you continue forward. Uh oh, I forgot to mention more, and you do now have a second level of exhaustion. And I'm going to roll your luck check for the group.

Chrys: Ooh.

Narrator: That is a pass

Chrys: Oh, thank God.

Orion: West.

Narrator: by one. Nearly there. All right, so

go ahead. Final survival check from Chris. 

Chrys: Okay. 

Narrator: You still have that emergency Bardic if you need it.

Chrys: Uhhuh peeing 

myself.

Orion: Lily, 

Narrator: now 20.

Chrys: My, my tie. Additionally, cast guidance on myself.

Narrator: Yes.

Chrys: I feel fear now.

Rook: That's a bad sign.

Chrys: I know I've been doing good. Can this continue? I have to be to 20.

Narrator: Yes.

Valentine: If it's short, you've got the Bardic a D six.

Chrys: I do. That's a 15. I'm gonna use that bardic. I have to get a five or a six, please. Who? That's a five.

Narrator: Nice.

Chrys: Oh, I made it guys.

Narrator: You did it

Chrys: Oh my God. I'm gonna throw up.

Narrator: And as you do, this is the final Constitution saving throw for everyone who

Chrys: has an extra D four.

Narrator: Everyone has an extra D four. I will say more Morin for finding inner peace. You get a advantage.

Orion: Yay. 

Chrys: God.

Morin: Um,

Narrator: giving that to you,

Morin: what does my second level of exhaustion do to me?

Narrator: two to all roles.

Morin: Okay. That's

Narrator: new exhaustion rules makes it far simpler.

Morin: wonderful. Okay. Constitutional

Orion: rolled under my desk. I

feel like this is a bad sign. 

Morin: Me use a different, I forgot to use a

different dye. 

Valentine: Aspen, are you using different dice?

Morin: No, no. That was a, that was a, I made, that was a good

Chrys: Oh, okay, good.

Morin: found inner peace guys. It's fine

Valentine: I.

Rook: guys, get ready. Orion's gonna be the one

Orion: Oh, no, no,

Chrys: Oh,

Morin: passing, passing it. on. 

Narrator: Well, you have to roll again.

Orion: Okay. Hang on. I need you guys to help me. Red or white? White.

Rook: White.

Orion: Okay. I'm so afraid.

Chrys: My guys, my face is so warm right now.

Orion: Oh. Oh, no.

Morin: It's like I'm in the boilers.

Rook: Did I call it? I called it,

Chrys: You have an extra D four,

Orion: Oh, I haven't extra before. Oh my God. I hate it.

Rook: that means Orion definitely got like a 12.

Orion: Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Constitution.

Chrys: please?

Did you get

Rook: Orion got a 14,

Chrys: quarter?

Rook: now.

Orion: Victor. Victor, I'm gonna go throttle you. It's, it was a 12. It was a 12 on the top.

Rook: And that and, and now did it go up with the, with the extra D four.

Orion: No, the, it was a 12 altogether with everything.

Narrator: Oh, so it

was not a 12 on the die.

Rook: okay. That's okay. That's a little less mean than what I predicted though.

Narrator: Okay.

Orion: Um.

Rook: boy. This is the person we don't want tweaking out.

Chrys: no. 

Narrator: This is just your, it's your first failure. 

Orion: guys, I'm not wise. I'm not wise. 

There's no wisdom here.

Chrys: You don't have an inspiration, do you?

Orion: Oh,

okay. We're just gonna raw dog it. We'll 

Narrator: you do take a level of exhaustion.

Orion: Okay?

Narrator: And, wisdom save, but the DC's just 10. 'cause it's your first con failure.

Valentine: got it. You got it.

Orion: Wisdom save.

Rook: Someone's gonna get socked in the jaw.

Orion: Am I big? Fat plus

Valentine: I'm right next to him.

Orion: I would like you to praise the gods for me.

Chrys: Oh,

Orion: that

was a 10. Exactly.

Narrator: Okay? 

Orion: And I have a plus zero to this.

Valentine: I have a terrible question.

Narrator: Yes.

Valentine: exhaustion kick in immediately?

Narrator: Oh yeah.

Chrys: why would you ask that, Marilyn?

Valentine: Uh, 

Narrator: you know, I respect it. I respect it, 

Rook: That's a good

Orion: Oh my God.

Narrator: I respect it. I respect, I respect the respect for the Dyson, for the rules. So, yes.

Rook: Porter, go throttle, Marilyn, for that one. That

Chrys: Yeah, I'm killing her.

Narrator: Okay.

Rook: I'm not that mean.

Narrator: Okay. But no, you are correct. We, we messed this up with more and before, so we'll, we'll hold to it for,

Chrys: was going through

Morin: Not that it helped.

Narrator: you know, but it, it makes the difference in this situation. So 

Orion: okay. I'm curious to see what I'm gonna see too.

Narrator: yeah, you follow along towards the back of the party, not, not the very back, but, as you see. You know, more in, in front of you. Walk through the mist, you see the hole left behind by their shape and it moves reaching out for you.

Grasping it needs you, oriah it needs you. And you need to do an insight check for me.

Orion: Woo-hoo. Inside, inside, I have no bonuses,

Narrator: I believe you should keep in mind your second wind feature that you have as part of the new fighter from 2024 perhaps.

Orion: I Nat 20. 

Narrator: you not 20, didn't even need it.

Rook: better.

Orion: Didn't even need

Chrys: Thank 

Orion: Boom. 

Narrator: I was just trying to give you every chance of success. 'cause I feel like that's a cool new fighter feature as well.

Orion: Thank you, Ray. No, that was very much appreciated. I was very scared. 

Narrator: But there you go. With your nat 20 success, you reach out your hand and the mist fills the after image once again. And it's just a cloud of haze. The only one that needs saving is walking in front of you and you have a job to do. So you walk and I'm going to roll the final luck check for all of you.

Valentine: I need everyone to know while Ray's doing that, that I rolled a Nat 20 on my saving throat and I'm fixed. So

Orion: Yay.

Morin: 20,

Valentine: we're both fixed. Sorry, Porter.

Morin: it had to go to someone.

Narrator: beautiful. So you all begin to come towards where this sort of spiral staircase descends into the lower decks. You're very close to the engine now. It is so loud here it is so hot. But you see the dim light coming from above. These corridors have also, I've forgot to mention, they've been incredibly dark.

There's only been red emergency lighting interspersed throughout, but you see the very little bit of, off-white light coming from above down this long spiral staircase. It's the kind that's iron, so it's open, all the way up, no railing, just twisting around a pole. And as you begin to approach, you see, as you emerge into the open space where this staircase is unfortunately three figures standing at the bottom of the stairs. One of which is an incredibly tall, broad shouldered astral, Elvin man with a nose that has clearly recently been broken and dried blood all over the bottom of his face as he looks at your group and looks past Chris and Rook and Ataria and meets eyes directly with Morin and says that's a and that's where we'll end this episode.

Chrys: Oh, they were looking for Mor in,

Morin: Excuse me.

Chrys: oh, shoot.

Orion: So 

Valentine: Uh oh. 

Orion: title is just Moron. Cannot Catch a Break

Chrys: No.

Rook: were the other two figures

Orion: trilogy.

Rook: were the other two figures. Briggs,

Narrator: Yes. Oh.

Rook: ah.

Morin: That was such a good ending point.

Orion: That

was a very good ending point. Round of applause for Ray 

Chrys: For no particular reason, I think.