A young Trix is initiated into the company of The Onyx Serpent.
New to the continent of Baukora, a young Trix stumbles upon a bunch of thieves and con-men. When they inadvertently become involved in a scheme, their tact and cheek impresses those involved, which leads to an invitation to join the group full-time. However, they have to pass a test in order to do so.
Trix is escorted to a hideout, where they are introduced to more of the gang. They are told that in order to succeed they need to be good at three things: Charisma, Deft Hands, and No Liabilities. The next morning the leader takes them to a nearby town and gives them the details of the job. They have to gain the target’s trust and obtain something of value without the target realizing they’re being conned.
Follow Dax @GM_Dax, Kappa @TheKappaChris, Sebastian @sebastianyue and Wren @ThornyDryad
Upbeat piano intro ends [00:27]
Melancholy piano fades in [00:28]
Dax: Welcome back to Roads Uncharted. Today we’re going to be taking a little step back in time. We’re going to have a solo session with just Trix and kinda get a feel for some of their past…history? Get to know them a little better? I don’t know, we’ll see what Sebastian ends up doing.
Trix earlier today you found a parcel and convinced the…hm, we’ll use the term “owners” loosely…to let you in on the job that they were clearly in. Seeing how well you handled yourself and how easily you were able to sway them to your point of view, the pair of…I don’t really know what you would want to call them.
Sebastian: Business people? Very respectable business people. [chuckles] I guess I really don’t think of them as business people yet but whoever they are, they had money and I had something they wanted. So…
Dax: Yeah! And because of that, seeing how well you handled yourself they offered you a job.
Sebastian: Hmm.
Dax: With the promise of future cash and living well, they’ve decided to escort you to what they call their “lodgings” to meet with their boss.
Sebastian: Okay.
Dax: Do you accept?
Sebastian: Yes I do.
Dax: You are escorted out of the town, the smell of the salty ocean and factory smoke fading as you walk through the woods. You’re not really following a trail, at least not one that you can see, and your escorts have been rather quiet. Eyeing you every so often. At one point, the larger one turns to you and says,
Dax (as the larger man): [slightly deeper register] So, uh, this is your last chance. You, uh, sure you wanna press forward?
Sebastian (as Trix): Yeah! Definitely.
Dax (as the larger man): There’s no turning back.
Sebastian (as Trix): That’s okay, I don’t really have a back to turn to, so, lead the way.
Dax: He nods a little bit, almost a look of respect in his eyes as you say that.
Dax (as the larger man): Alright then, follow me. And, remember, don’t speak until you’re spoken to.
Sebastian (as Trix): Okay.
Dax: They lead you a little deeper into the woods, and you finally arrive at what appears to be a rundown cabin. A hole in the roof and vines growing over half of it. They lead you inside, lock the door behind you, and after a few feet beyond the door the escort that had addressed you reaches down and opens a trap door in the floor.
Dax (as the larger man): You first.
Sebastian (as Trix): Okay.
Sebastian: Is there a ladder?
Dax: There is. You can see a ladder and what appears to be a dark stone tunnel under the floor.
Sebastian: Alright, I make my way down the ladder. Assumedly it’s dark.
Dax: You're quickly followed by your companions, the smaller one pushing ahead of you. The hallway that I mentioned, now that you’re down here, appears - at least farther down - to be dimly lit. Flickering yellow bulbs line this mildewy, damp, stone hallway. You can hear the faint dripping of water from somewhere. You’re led down this hallway to a room where you see that there are about a baker’s dozen of men, all sitting and talking and as you arrive the conversation stops. The smaller gentleman turns to one of the men and says,
Dax (as the smaller man): Hey boss, I think we got a newbie here.
Dax: The man stands. He’s very gruff looking, relatively tall, has thick stubble that’s dotted with gray and his long brown hair is slicked back and edged with that same silvery gray at the temples. He gets up close to you and you can smell leather and sweat. He leans forward to get in your face. Do you back up or do you stand your ground?
Sebastian: I try not to back up, I'm not used to people in my personal space like this.
Dax: He does get pretty close.
Sebastian: Can I make a Discipline check to see if I do that?
Dax: Yeah, sure! Of course. I’ll make it Easy Difficulty.
Sebastian: Okay. [dice rolls] Three Advantage.
Dax: Okay so you don’t fail but you don’t succeed so why don't you tell me what this looks like as you try to resist backing up away from this person?
Sebastian: I think I do manage to stay where I am, but I inhale sharply and I end up clasping my hands in front of myself? So I do give away that I am nervous, but I don’t move.
Dax: He gives a little smirk, and you can see the corner of his eyes, like very fine wrinkles kinda giving away that he maybe is in his forties?
Sebastian: Mhmm.
Dax: Stands back up straight, puts his hands on his hips and looks at you.
Dax (as the boss): So what makes you think you’d be good at the job?
Sebastian (as Trix): Uhh..d-discretion?
Dax (as the boss): Discretion, huh?
Sebastian (as Trix): Mhmm.
Dax (as the boss): How fast are you with your hands?
Sebastian (as Trix): Decently.
Dax (as the boss): Decently.
Sebastian (as Trix): Yeah.
Dax: He glances at your two companions standing behind you. You can almost feel the tension in the air, getting thicker, as everyone in the room is eyeing you. Some are very obviously looking you up and down, trying to wager how effective you might be. Their leader gives a once around walk, you can feel his eyes at the back of your head as he completes his circuit.
Dax (as the boss): Alright, here’s the deal. We’re gonna take you on a little test run tomorrow, and if you pass, we’ll let you in. Job pays well…despite what it looks like around here.
Dax: He kinda gestures at the room that is sparse with furniture.
Dax (as the boss): There are three rules that you need to adhere to. One, you need to be able to talk your way out of everything. Charisma is going to be very important. Two, they can’t catch you if they don’t see you in the act. So you better make sure your hands are swift. And three, no emotional attachments. You should have no liabilities. Think you can follow those rules?
Sebastian (as Trix): Yes. I know I can follow those rules.
Dax (as the boss): Todd over here will escort you to a room where you can stay for the night. We’ll head out in the morning.
Sebastian (as Trix): Thank you.
Dax: He turns his back on you, goes back to sitting amongst the crew and you feel the larger of the two escorts gently pull on the crook of your arm.
Sebastian: I’ll go with them.
Dax: Todd leads you back down the hallway to a dark room, where there is a metal cot, a hard mattress - feels almost like old straw is stuffed in it. He says,
Dax (as Todd): We’ll take ya at the crack of dawn. Better be ready.
Sebastian (as Trix): Yeah. Thank you.
Dax: Closes the door and you hear the iron bar locking you in. It’s a few hours yet until dark. You haven't been given food.
Sebastian: Is there a window?
Dax: No.
Sebastian: Mm, okay.
Dax: You are in complete darkness.
Sebastian: Right.
Dax: What do you do?
Sebastian: What is there in the room? You said the cot is made of metal?
Dax: Yup, so it’s like a metal frame, you’ve got a really old straw mattress sitting on top of it.
Sebastian: Okay.
Dax: As you get more accustomed to the dark, you notice that there is a small table in one corner. A wooden chair that does feel kinda rickety. But the room’s pretty sparse.
Sebastian: I’m not sure that I would have a torch on me at this point. Is there a crack in the wall, or a hole of some kind?
Dax: Give me a Perception check. I’ll give it to you at Easy difficulty.
[dice rolling]
Sebastian: That’s just two Advantage.
Dax: What does this look like?
Sebastian: I think I do notice that there is the tiniest crack, but I can’t do anything with it. Because my thinking was, if there’s a crack, then I would see that it was structurally unsound and try to make it larger, so then maybe light could come through? But I think there is just a tiny crack and I will sit near the crack then and just make the best of what I have. I think, if there’s no window and it’s completely dark, then I will find the tiniest source of light in this room and I think I’ll go through my things. I don’t think I have a lot of stuff with me.
I made sure to pick up a set of “regular people” clothes before I left and I spent all the money I had getting here, so, I don’t have a lot of…stuff. But I assume that they would give me equipment that I would need to do the job, but they want me to just be good at it? I’m just going to rehearse trying to talk my way out of situations. It’s very difficult to do by myself, but at this point I’m not very good with people. I can try.
Dax: Yeah, I mean, what else are you gonna do for a couple hours until you feel tired, right?
Sebastian: Exactly. I feel like I would’ve picked up at least a few days worth of food, so I do have that at least.
Dax: Okay. Alright, yeah. I mean, it’s not like they took your stuff or anything. Just placed you in this dark room so, yeah. So you spend the next couple of hours kinda talking to yourself, rehearsing…imagining what kind of situations you might be put in. Have a little snack. Do you lay on the bed to sleep or do you kinda lean against the door or…?
Sebastian: No, I’ll sleep on the bed.
Dax: You lay on the bed, you can hear every time you move the sound of springs creak underneath you.
Sebastian: Straw kinda rustles and..
Dax: Yup.
Sebastian: Yeah it’s very not comfortable. I am not used to sleeping on surfaces like this, but I’ll make the best of it. It’s better than sleeping on the floor.
Dax: Every once in a while you can hear talking in the distance. Muffled.
Sebastian: Can I hear what they’re saying?
Dax: It's pretty muffled. It’s like you can hear that lull of deep timbre, but it’s very hard to figure out what they’re actually saying. You do hear feet scuffling in front of your door every once in a while, as if somebody’s walking down the hallway past you. But otherwise it’s pretty quiet. You hear some creature scurrying somewhere, but it’s hard to tell what and where.
Sebastian: Mmm.
Dax: And before you know it, it’s dawn. The iron lock opens and you hear Todd’s voice,
Dax (as Todd): Well, come on. It’s time, let’s go. Move it.
Sebastian: Well it’s not like I unpacked. I just kind of roll out of bed and grab my stuff. It’s very difficult to tell what time it’s gonna be ‘cause it’s not like I can see the light anywhere.
Dax: Exactly. Todd leads you back up the ladder, out of the cabin, you can see that the sky is that gray of dawn where the sun is over the horizon but it’s not high enough yet where it’s oranges or reds or anything. That really early morning light.
Sebastian: Mhmm.
Dax: You can see that the leader is seated atop a chestnut mare and another horse, unmanned, stands beside him. He nods with his head towards the horse and waits.
Sebastian: I’ll get on. I do know how to ride a horse.
Dax: That was gonna be my next question, how graceful is this?
Sebastian: I don’t know, can I make a riding check?
Dax: Yeah, sure!
Sebastian: Okay. What difficulty is that?
Dax: I mean the horse is standing still so another easy.
Sebastian: Okay. [dice rolling] That’s one Success, ‘cause two dice are blank.
Dax: Alright.
Sebastian: I think it’s pretty graceful, I look like I know what I’m doing. I have ridden a horse before and that is something I would have been taught how to do, so, I look very comfortable on the horse. I kinda give the horse a pat on the side of its neck and take the reins.
Dax: The mare snuffles a little bit and the leader gives a gentle nod of appreciation. Respect, again, like ‘alright you can at least do that much so that’s a good sign’. Turns to you and says,
Dax (as the boss): We’re going into the next town over, no reason to be connected here if you royally screw up. Let you be that guard’s problem. Understood?
Sebastian (as Trix): Understood.
Dax: He leads you out of the woods, down the road, and you go until about mid-day so a few hours. The day is cool and kind of dreary, it’s a little cloudy today. He doesn’t say anything to you on the ride there. Is there anything you do to occupy your time?
Sebastian: Well I remember that one of the rules was don’t speak unless spoken to, so I’m not gonna strike up conversation with him. I remember that one! [Dax laughs] I think I’m going to try and take in my surroundings, see if I can remember what everything looks like, ‘cause genuinely I have no idea if I’m going to be able to do this job. I just needed something to do and this pays well, and it’s a good way to find out what is happening. Seems like these people, they’re aware of various illicit activities. And I…kinda need to know about that kind of thing.
Dax: That’s fair.
Sebastian: Yeah I’m gonna try and keep track of where we’re going in case something does happen and I need to run away or something. If it’s midday then I will eat something. I think if I do that I will offer if he wants any food. Just kind of, handful of rations and be like,
Sebastian (as Trix): Want some?
Dax: He looks over, almost seems to consider it for a minute and then waves a hand like in a ‘no thank you’ gesture, and then reaches into a pocket and pulls out his own johnnycake. Like a bit of corn muffin or something.
Sebastian: Hmm, okay. I just nod back at him in as much the same way as he did at me and I will not say anything else and just eat my own food. [chuckles]
Dax: The ride is pretty uneventful. You pass by woods, it opens up at one point and you pass by - you can see some farms, you see some green corn growing. Some cabbages. Just wide expanses of grass, you can see houses in the distance but otherwise it’s not really much going on between.
Sebastian: No landmarks?
Dax: Not really. It’s pretty flat and almost boring. There’s some mountains off in the distance but not really anything that’s majorly of note.
Sebastian: Okay.
Dax: That is until you get to the town you’re headed to. You are greeted by white stone walls and red clay tile roofs, and in the center of town - you can tell it’s the center even from this distance - is this massive towering clock with dark wood shining even in the sunlight. What little sunlight there is. You wander through town and eventually stop at an inn where the leader, still unnamed, drops off the horse and turns to you and says,
Dax (as the boss): We’re gonna leave them here for easy access to leave.
Dax: And he gestures at you, waiting for you to get down from the horse.
Sebastian: Yeah, I’ll dismount in that case. Follow the same procedure that he did.
Dax: He meanders through what is starting to be a growing crowd. As you get further and further towards that clock, the mass of people gets thicker. People start getting louder as they chatter, and he leans in close to you and says,
Dax (as the boss): There is…an old woman that likes to sit by the clock every day. She’s very wealthy, very lonely. Your job is to con something from her whether it’s cash, or jewelry. Anything that would pay. And the trick is you have to do it without her realizing she’s being conned. Think you could do that?
Music shifts to a whimsical piano [17:22]
Sebastian (as Trix): I…yes.
Dax (as the boss): Alright. I’m gonna be watching from the corners.
Dax: And with that, he dips off and away from you into the crowd.
Sebastian: Okay!
Dax: What do you do, Trix?
Sebastian: Do I see the old woman that he’s spoken about or are we still too far away?
Dax: You can see, sitting at the edge of a fountain is what appears to be a woman in her, maybe 50’s or 60’s. She’s got this silver hair that’s pulled up into this very intricate braided bun. She is wearing what is clearly a velvet dress and overcoat, she is sitting there with a little dog on her massive skirts. Kinda flicking the water from the fountain at the dog and giggling as the dog yaps in play.
Sebastian: I think I will go and sit by the fountain, within conversation distance of this woman, but for now I will ignore her. As though I am waiting for something else to happen.
Dax: You watch as she continues to play with the dog and every so often looking up and kinda scoping out the people.
Sebastian: Is the clock, like, above us?
Dax: Yeah, it’s above and behind.
Sebastian: Okay. I will glance at the clock every so often, as though I’m checking the time.
Dax: It’s a little bit before you notice she’s starting to pay attention to you. And eventually she starts petting her little dog and glances at you almost from the side and says,
Dax (as the woman): [slightly higher-pitched] Are you…waiting for someone?
Sebastian (as Trix): Uh, y-yes I am. Uh, how about you?
Dax (as the woman): No, I’m just enjoying the fountain. It's…not too hot today which is nice.
Sebastian (as Trix): Mhm. What’s your dog’s name?
Dax (as the woman): Oh! This is Sampson.
Sebastian (as Trix): Hello Sampson. May I pet your dog?
Dax: She looks down and says,
Dax (as the woman): Do you wanna say hi, Sampson?
Dax: And this dog turns to you and, you know those little mop dogs like Shih Tzus where they’ve got the long hair?
Sebastian: The long shaggy hair?
Dax: Yup!
Sebastian: Yeah.
Dax: And the flat face? That is what Sampson looks like. Yup.
Sebastian: Can I see the eyes of the dog or is the hair kind of in the way?
Dax: The bangs, they’re cut almost like bangs so it’s almost hiding the eyes but you can kinda see these beady black eyes. And you notice that the dog also has little ribbons in its fur.
Sebastian: Oh, okay. It’s cute, yeah. So I’ll hold my hand out to the dog so the dog can give it a bit of sniff and I’ll turn to the woman and say,
Sebastian (as Trix): Oh, these are really cute. I like his ribbons.
Dax (as the woman): Oh, thank you. My maid likes to put them in Sampson’s hair. [in baby talk] You are not a fan of it are you sweetheart?
Dax: And at that she picks Sampson up and nuzzles her nose on Sampson’s nose. Sampson seems pretty happy, I mean, either this dog has one brain cell or none, and is happy to just kind of vibe. So when you put your hand out to let Sampson sniff, he does so happily and wags his whole tail.
Sebastian: Okay. Yeah, okay I’ll give him a whole pet on the head, kind of rub my hand over and be like, ‘who’s a good boy’ [chuckles] but I’ll try not to jostle the ribbons too much.
Dax: Mhmm.
Sebastian: Does he seem to like that? Kind of give him a head scritch with my hand.
Dax: He does and you hear a [pants like a dog].
Sebastian (as Trix): So how old is your dog? How old is Sampson?
Dax (as the woman): Oh, just a few years old. Uh, actually his birthday was yesterday!
Sebastian (as Trix): Oh! Happy belated birthday to the dog.
Dax (as the woman): We don’t ever actually do anything for Sampson’s birthday but it’s nice to recognize that he’s been around for so long. Well, I shouldn’t say “so long”, it’s only been a couple years but still.
Sebastian: Does he have anything else on him that’s fancy looking?
Dax: Ya know, I’d say at first, just because of how the dog is situated it’s kind of hard to tell but when she does pick the dog up again and talks about celebrating his birthday, you notice that there is this glint from a collar or something that is kinda hidden beneath the fur.
Sebastian: I don’t think I do anything about it but I think if it’s a glint I’ll kind of cover my eyes a bit as though…you said it was a bit cloudy? Light would still reflect off of it.
Dax: Yeah there’s like some sun streaking through but it’s mostly cloudy, yeah.
Sebastian: Okay. I kind of cover my eyes and move back, just so that she knows I have noticed whatever the shiny thing is.
Dax: Mhmm.
Dax (as the woman): So, uhm…how long have you been waiting? Are you meeting a friend? A family member?
Sebastian: I’ll look up at the clock again, has it been like half an hour or so?
Dax: Sure! I'll say it’s been about twenty minutes or so. Yeah.
Sebastian: Okay, so I’ll say,
Sebastian (as Trix): Oh it’s been about twenty minutes. I’m waiting for a family member who said that we would meet here if we ever got separated. I am a little bit worried, to be honest, but this is where we agreed to meet and so I’ll be here until they get here.
Dax (as the woman): Are you visiting? I don’t know if I’ve ever seen you around here.
Sebastian (as Trix): Oh, no, ah I’m not visiting. This was just…well, a bit difficult to talk about but…there was some trouble a couple of towns over. And well, you know how parents are? They always wanna keep their kids safe. I was told to come here because…
Sebastian: And I glance around and the town looks relatively nice and safe. It's just kind of vibing. And I say,
Sebastian (as Trix): Yeah, I mean, we figured this would be a safe place to meet in case anything happened.
Dax: She puts a hand to her chest.
Dax (as the woman): Oh, my dear, wha-what happened?
Sebastian (as Trix): I’m not entirely sure, but…um, well, when I woke up…yeah it was in the middle of the night when I woke up. Like everything was on fire.
Dax (as the woman): [whispers] No!
Sebastian (as Trix): Yeah.
Dax: She’s still clutching her breast and her eyes are wide at this point.
Sebastian: And I say,
Sebastian (as Trix): Well you know, I mean, I’m sure it’s okay. My mother has never let me down before, so...
Dax (as the woman): Oh you poor dear. Well I’m sure your mother’s going to arrive. I…don’t see why she wouldn’t.
Sebastian (as Trix): I think so.
Dax (as the woman): With trouble back home then I guess when she does arrive what are your plans? Where are you going to go? Are you going to stay here permanently or are you going to move on?
Sebastian (as Trix): Oh I don’t know. Mm…well, we’ll have to find somewhere to stay. She’ll have to find a job, I might need to find a job. I didn’t really get the chance to take very much because everything was on fire so…uh, I don’t really know.
Dax (as the woman): You mean you’re…oh my dear!
Dax: With that her hand moves from her chest to her cheek and she just looks utterly distraught at the thought of getting up in the middle of the night and not being able to even take, like, a set of clothes. And she does kind of give you a once over on your appearance, and I mean…you’ve slept in a dirty, dark hole all night.
Sebastian: Yeah.
Dax: You haven’t been able to shower.
Sebastian: Like, it doesn’t look great, so.
Dax: Yeah. You don’t look well put together, you look a little rumpled at the very least.
Sebastian: Yeah. Like I think Trix can tell this woman probably…like this is as much exposure to society as she gets…
Dax: Oh yeah, probably.
Sebastian: The guy told me she was lonely and just comes and kind of sits by the fountain. I do not smell of smoke but I don’t know if she would be discerning enough to pick up on that.
Dax: Remind me, what’s your Deception?
Sebastian: My Deception…I have two proficiency in that.
Dax: Okay. [rolls dice] Oh yeah, she is totally buying your story.
Sebastian: Okay.
Dax: And she goes to reach out the hand that is not against her cheek, she goes to reach out with her other hand to you, almost as if she wants to, like, grab yours and then she hesitates. Like maybe I shouldn’t touch this person, you know, without checking first. There’s that very obvious hesitation, and then she decides ‘to hell with it’ and reaches out and grabs one of your hands.
Sebastian: Hm.
Dax (as the woman): Well I am sure your mother will arrive and I’m sure everything will work out just fine, but…you mean to say you have nothing at all?
Sebastian (as Trix): Um, not really.
Sebastian: And I just kind of shrug and point to the bag I have that’s equally dirty. And I’ll say,
Sebastian (as Trix): Well, it’s not like I have nothing. I mean I have some snacks in here, have some water.
Dax: She looks across the courtyard where this fountain is and - well, courtyard I should say this open-market area really -
Sebastian: Like a square?
Dax: Yeah, square! That’s the word I was looking for. Square. She says,
Dax (as the woman): Do you…do you see that vendor over there?
Dax: She points to a wooden stall where you can see that a man is grilling some sort of meat. And -
Sebastian: Okay.
Dax: They’re on a skewer so it’s like putting them out on skewers on display.
Dax (as the woman): Why don't you go pick up two skewers and here..
Dax: And she reaches into a pouch and hands you a couple of coins. She say,
Dax (as the woman): Why don't you go ahead and get lunch while you’re waiting?
Sebastian (as Trix): Oh, um, are you sure?
Dax (as the woman): Mm, yes please.
Sebastian (as Trix): Okay. That’s very kind of you.
Sebastian: I’ll do that. I will go off, go to the guy and get some skewers.
Dax: Okay. He’s very jovial, very happy to make a sale and gives you the two skewers. It’s roasted chicken, covered in some sort of sweet and tangy sauce.
Sebastian: I will wait until I get back to her, and I’ll offer her one. Uhm, I assume one was for her unless she wanted me to get two for myself?
Dax: She waves it off and says,
Dax (as the woman): No, no, no you - please, you enjoy. You look nearly half-starved.
Sebastian (as Trix): Mm, thank you.
Sebastian: I will eat it like I am extremely hungry. Which is not untrue, I just have, like, trail mix or something. Like rations aren’t exactly substantial but I will eat it in a way that says I haven’t eaten for several hours.
Dax: I’m gonna give another roll to see how well she believes your story but I’m gonna give you a Boost because you succeeded in the last one.
Sebastian: Okay.
[dice rolling]
Dax: As you continue to eat these chicken skewers she looks even more…not really distraught but a very serious look of pity crosses her face.
Sebastian: Yeah.
Dax: And she almost goes to bite her fingers and then realizes that she’s out in public. She reaches back into her purse…
Sebastian: Mhmm.
Dax: Seems to rifle around for a little bit and then looks a little disappointed. She says,
Dax (as the woman): I…[sighs] I would like to help. I don’t..I don’t really have much in the way of cash right now, but, uhm…
Dax: She reaches down and she fiddles around Sampson’s neck and she pulls off a jewel-studded collar. And she goes to shove it into your hands and wrap your fingers around it and says,
Dax (as the woman): I want you to take this and when your mother arrives I want you to cash it in and get somewhere safe.
Sebastian (as Trix): O-okay are you sure? This is, um, this is beautiful.
Dax: She nods very quickly and says,
Dax (as the woman): Yes! Please, I...I feel like if I can't really give you much in the way of cash to get you on a good start, I can at least do this. And you should be able to get some good funds from that.
Sebastian (as Trix): That’s very kind. I really appreciate it. Do you…do you have children of your own?
Dax: At that she does look very sad, and says,
Dax (as the woman): No…my Sampson and my dogs are about as close to children as I’m going to get. Especially at my age, so, you know what’s the point in having wealth if you can’t share it with others, right?
Sebastian (as Trix): Mm. Right. Thank you.
Dax: She gives a brief nod, looks up at the clock and says,
Dax (as the woman): Oh, dear. I-I am late. Sampson, come! We are late to our appointment. I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch your name.
Sebastian (as Trix): You can call me Novatrix.
Dax (as the woman): Novatrix.
Dax: She gives you a warm smile.
Sebastian (as Trix): What was yours?
Dax (as the woman): You can call me Delilah.
Sebastian (as Trix): It was nice to meet you, Delilah. Thank you.
Dax: She gives a nod, picks up her skirts and disappears off into the crowd.
Sebastian: Okay, I’ll watch her until I can’t see her anymore. I do assume she is going to an appointment with her dog, so.
Dax: Mhmm. You hear a voice behind you.
Music shifts back to melancholy piano [29:37]
Dax (as the boss): Not bad, Novatrix.
Sebastian: I’ll hand him the collar. I assume he wants it.
Dax: He reaches out a hand, not for the collar, but as if to shake yours.
Sebastian: Mhmm. I’ll do that.
Dax (as the boss): Bertrand.
Sebastian (as Trix): Bertrand.
Dax (as Bertrand): Well, I’d say you pass. And now that we know where your skill levels are, can only work you up. C’mon. I’ll take you to our actual lodgings now. I think you deserve a proper meal for that and…maybe a drink?
Sebastian (as Trix): Yeah! Sounds good.
Sebastian: Is his actual lodgings far from here?
Dax: Not too far. They are outside of town but you find that the lodgings are actually a very nice manor where the entire group actually lives.
Sebastian: Hmm. Okay. Interesting.
Dax: Why interesting?
Sebastian: Right now I’m kind of naïve and I genuinely did believe that they lived in the hovel. And I just kind of assumed that like…I mean, he said that they earned enough to live decently even despite what it may appear. And I just kind of assumed that they had other…they prioritized other stuff or they needed it to run their business or something? And I was just like ‘I mean I guess if they wanna live like this then, sure’. Maybe they use it for cons like this? So…[chuckles]
Dax: Yeah, you arrive at this, essentially manor, outside of town. There is plenty of open space. You eventually learn that the reason why there’s plenty of space is because there are training grounds in the back where members can spar, or they can fight wooden dummies to hone their fighting skills. There are fields where you can practice archery and riding. Everyone has their own, essentially, apartment in the building. Which is why it’s so big.
Sebastian: Hm.
Dax: Not as many parlors and other “fluffy rooms” that you would normally see in a manor house like this.
Sebastian: Right. I’ll tell Bertrand, I’ll be like,
Sebastian (as Trix): Huh. Nice place you got here.
Dax (as Bertrand): It’s your home as long as you’re part of the group. Now there is one…one additional rule, now that you’re going to be a member.
Dax: And with this he leans forward a little bit, takes a swig of his drink. You can hear everyone carousing and laughing in the background.
Dax (as Bertrand): Loyalty to us, above all.
Dax: And he taps his finger twice on the table as if to hammer down that point.
Dax (as Bertrand): Your secrets are your own, and you are never to betray us.
Sebastian (as Trix): Understood.
Dax: He gives you a nod, takes another swig of his drink and says,
Dax (as Bertrand): I think this is the start of a beautiful working relationship, Trix. I can call you Trix, right? Like, it suits you -
Sebastian (as Trix): Yeah, you can.
Dax (as Bertrand): You are a bit of a tricksy bastard, aren’t you?
Sebastian: I’ll give him a grin.
Dax: At that grin he laughs and I’ll close out with this, Trix. Your first night in this manor in your own apartment, it is a well-lit room, you’ve got a sumptuous bed. Your own private wash quarters. Now that you actually have a proper bed and some light, is there anything you do before you go to sleep?
Sebastian: Uh, yes, I think I will unpack my things assuming that I have enough storage. I did keep one kind of notable possession from when I left. I do have a ring. I’m going to tie it to…I mean I want to tie it inside my pocket, almost, so that I won’t lose it. Because it’s not like I can wear it, but, it’s like a kind of signet ring I guess?
Dax: Mhmm.
Sebastian: Yeah I just kind of sew it back in…yeah.
Dax: Yeah it’s easy enough, I mean, the seams are able to be ripped apart and you’re able to sew it back -
Sebastian: So that’s that, but is there a window for this one?
Dax: Oh, yeah you have quite a few large windows. Lots of natural light.
Sebastian: Yeah, uh, I think I’ll unpack all my stuff and…did I get a key?
Dax: Mhmm.
Sebastian: Okay, yeah I’ll do that. And also if there’s people like socializing I’ll go down and join them. Try to see who the other members of this group are. Also did…did I get a name for the group?
Dax: You tell me, what was the name?
Sebastian: Uh, I’m gonna say The Company of the Onyx Serpent.
Dax: Alright. So yeah, you go downstairs and you join other members of the Onyx Serpent who, oddly enough, are playing poker. One of the other members turns to you and says,
Dax (as the poker player): Hey! New guy! You play poker?
Sebastian: Uh, I don’t…I’ve played cards. Not poker I don’t think, though. ‘Cause they have, like, stacks of chips and stuff and I’m like ‘I’ve never seen that before’. I know how to play cards, I don’t know how to play poker. So I just say,
Sebastian (as Trix): No. Never.
Dax: He kicks one of the empty chairs nearby a little closer and says,
Dax (as the poker player): Why don’t you have a seat and I’ll teach ya?
Dax: He has this sly grin on his face. Trix if I could have you do just one last roll for me. Give me a sleight of hand check. Go ahead and make that Medium difficulty.
Sebastian: So I’m looking over my sheet trying to find where sleight of hand is. Is that Skullduggery?
Dax: Oh, Skullduggery!
Sebastian: Okay, yeah.
Dax: [laughs] I mean, yeah. Skullduggery check.
[dice rolling]
Sebastian: Oh, geez, okay. That is…that’s not great. That is three Failure but four Advantage?
Dax: So you fail with style, on your first hand of poker. What does that look like for Trix?
Sebastian: It looks like I don’t know how to play this game. I see some people talking a lot and I see some people being silent, everyone has their own style and mannerism of playing it. I think I try various different ones to see what makes sense? My hand is absolutely terrible, but it’s really obvious that my hand is terrible and that I’m trying to cover it up. So I think that I can make good conversation, I don’t know how, well, like if the other players are talking to me or if they’re also kind of committing to their own bits. I have a good time but it’s really obvious that I’m terrible at this game. But I think maybe in subsequent hands I get the idea a bit more?
Dax: Yeah your first hand is pretty bad, and being brand new, they for some reason are pretty lenient with ya and don’t really make you turn in any bets you might have made. But on the second round that is when they start to get a little tougher and that is where the camera is gonna kinda pan out. As the next deck is being shuffled and the second hand is being dealt, we’ll fade to black and end the session there.
Music fades out [36:32]
Dax: Thanks for listening! We hope you’ll join us next time but in the interim, follow us on Twitter @RoadsUncharted.
We use the Genesys RPG system published by Fantasy Flight Games, and music licensed by Epidemic Sound.
The “Roads Uncharted” podcast is GMed and produced by Dax, who you can find on Twitter @GM_Dax.
Rou is played by Kappa, and you can follow him on Twitter @TheKappaChris.
Eight is played by Wren, who also composed the music for our opening theme. Follow them on Twitter @ThornyDryad.
Trix is played by Sebastian, and you can follow them on Twitter @sebastianyue.