The party strikes a bit of luck when they find a small town. But after further inspection, it seems the place is abandoned, save for a few peculiar characters. What happened here to leave this society derelict?
Four companions continue their trek through the desert, discovering that it can be as deadly as it is beautiful when Eight nearly gets caught in some quicksand. Despite such a near misfortune, the group believes they have finally had a bit of luck when they find a small city. Unfortunately, the city streets are devoid of activity and the sounds of life within the buildings are non-existent.
While wandering the empty streets, they begin to piece together what happened as they talk with the few remaining residents - both of the past and present. In the end they decide it is safer to sleep beyond the city walls and meet up with three travelling merchants who offer them food and drink in exchange for information...
Transcript by Dax
Upbeat piano intro music ends [00:27]
Relaxing background music fades in [00:28]
Dax: The morning passes, and as it gets brighter it begins to get hotter, and midday comes and goes and three-fourths of you are caked in sweat, and you’re covered in dirt and grime and sand. Your lips are starting to become chapped, your water stores are beginning to dwindle. You’ve been very careful, but you haven’t had access to fresh water in weeks. Ahead of you, far in the distance, you see rocky outcroppings and tall trees of some sort. They don’t have a lot of leaves on them, and they are very tall, but they must be trees. They look like trees. You see a little water...pond of some sort.
Wren (as Eight): Look friends! Fresh water!
Neil: I-
Cole: Is it actually? Or is it a mirage?
Wren: I run towards it.
James: I was gonna say-
Dax: I need everyone to make a perception check for me.
James: Can Eight be bamboozled by a mas-uh a mirage?
[as Wren talks you can hear dice shaking and being rolled onto a table]
Wren: Um, I believe everyone is going to get a boost, because of my “Heightened Awareness”.
Dax: Yup go ahead and add the boost and it’s going to be…
Wren: What difficulty?
Dax: A hard difficulty.
Neil: Uh-oh.
[Sound of more dice hitting a table]
Neil: And it’s on…?
Cole: Three purple die?
[Wren and Dax respond at the same time]
Wren: Yup.
Dax: Yup.
[Sound of more dice rolling onto a table]
Cole: Mmm! I don’t-oh? Well-ee mm-mm...meh..I’m not sure..I don’t think that’s good. It‘s not great. [pauses] Can’t tell if I succeed.
Wren: I have a boost leftover. Er, an advantage I mean.
Cole: Okay uh, I have-so I had a green die and two yellow, I have uh one, wait four..five advantages and one success. And then on the boost I have an advantage and a success. And then..on the purple die...I-
Dax: You said two-you said two advantages...on the green?
Cole: Out of the good die, like including the boost, I have….sssiiiix advantages, and two successes. And then on the purple die I have...four th-th-threats? The circle-
Dax: Four-
Cole: With the three lines?
Dax: Okay. Four threats.
Wren: Eugh.
Cole: So...that cancels out the two advantages-the four advantages.
Dax: Mhm.
[Sound of dice rolling in the background]
Cole: So then I’m left with two success and two advantages.
Dax: Okay.
Cole: I gotta talk it through.
[Cole giggles]
Dax: No you’re alright. [pauses] And let’s see...Art got..mhm?
Wren: Three threat.
Neil: Ohh-
Dax: That’s the leftover? Geez that was a good idea..uhm, alright so you have three threat.
James: Weee…
Dax: Cole has two success, two advantage.
James: And you said we get a boost? Which is the blue one?
Dax: Yup.
James: Alright.
[sound of dice shaking]
Wren: Op! I forgot about that with Art so he actually has two threat and a success.
James: Oh geez.
[James chuckles]
Dax: He...he succeeded with…
Wren: Two threat-
Dax: Issues.
Wren: Yeah.
Dax: Alright James whaddaya got?
James: I have...the...the circle with three lines is cancelled by the advantage, right?
Dax: Yup.
James: Okay so that one’s cancelled. Uhm...I have two failures and two advantages.
Dax: You fail with style.
Cole: Phoooh!
Wren: I had a...single threat leftover.
James: It’s a sand worm!
Dax: So really-
James: That you all are oblivious to.
Wren: None of us...none of us really worked it.
Dax: Art and Rialla succeeded, but-
James: Oh.
Dax: Art had some issues leftover. And then...Eight and Jokul failed.
James: Yup.
Dax: Well, you didn’t fail, Eight-
James: I failed.
[sound of Dax’s cat meowing in the background]
Dax: Eight had disadvantages..Jokul-
Wren: A-
Dax: Failed.
Wren: A threat, yeah.
James: Yeah. Jok-Jokul failed, I had advantages leftover so..
Dax: Alright. So, Jokul you are the only one that looks ahead when Eight calls out that it’s a lake, and you feel relieved. It looks a little funky, like..”this is very strange”. But, you see a lake ahead of you. And you follow Eight towards it. Uhm...Rialla you and-you immediately know that this is not right. There is too much shimmering going on. Way too much. You know that this has to be a mirage.
James: Actually, question.
Dax: Yes.
James: Uhm..one of the racials that we gave uh, Jokul was uhm…strengthened mind against mind affecting abilities. Would a mirage be considered a mind affecting ability?
Dax: I don’t think so, I think that actually has to be if somebody tries to like control you? Or charm you-
James: Okay then-
Dax: Or..like it it’s not a natural..like this is something where...out of exhaustion and dehydration you would believe it?
James: Yeah. Tha-that-
Dax: It’s just-
James: It was just..passing thought I’m like, “mind affecting..maybe?”
Dax: Yeah no I-I had thought the same thing and I was like, “No..I think it...that would be more like if somebody was trying to charm or coerce you or-”
James: Mhmm.
Dax: Something like that. Like actively try to...sway you in some way.
James: Yeah. Okay! Just..that’s all I had to..had to ask.
Dax: Alright. Now Eight you’ve got threat. [pauses] And Art has threat. Art knows-
Wren: A single one yeah.
Dax: Art knows with his success that this is not reality.
[sound of dice rolling and shaking, someone knocking thrice on a table]
Wren: And that makes him very sad.
Dax: Yeah..
Neil: Yeah.
James: Sad reality.
Wren: So maybe-
Dax: What should we do with the threat that’s leftover for all of you?
Wren: Maybe just strain? Make it easy-
Dax: Yeah. That’s a good idea. Why don’t everybody uh, take down one strain for every threat that was leftover in your..your dice roll.
Wren: So like, as-as we get closer..as I get closer to the-the...what I thought was water it turns out to..not be? And it just..it’s disheartening because,
Wren (as Eight): Oh..my friends-
Dax: Yep-
Wren (as Eight): Are going to die.
Dax: So Art had two threats leftover so...your strain threshold goes down by two.
Neil: Yep! I’m on three now.
[sound of Dax’s cat in the background]
Dax: And then uhm..Eight same th-thing...well..actually Art you would’ve gone back up..what is it? One night’s rest is equal to one strain?
Wren: That’s uh..
Dax: Or is it wounds? No it’s one wound.
Wren: Per rest.
Dax: I think strain just goes back up.
Wren: Yeah you can recover it.
Dax: So I’ll-anybody who was below their strain threshold is back at their normal, to begin the day, and then just subtract your strain.
Wren: From max?
Dax: Yeah.
Neil: On it!
Dax: So Art…..so you’re at nine, and then-
James: I hope-
Dax: Eight is at..
Wren: Thirteen.
Dax: Thirteen.
James: I believe Jokul’s already at his max strain..
Dax: Yes.
James: At the moment-
Dax: Yeah.
James: So...and-and I..I ended with two advantages so..
Dax: Yeah you didn’t have-you failed with style.
James: Yeah.
Dax: So you don't lose strain, Rialla doesn’t lose strain ‘cause she didn’t have any threats leftover.
James: Yeah.
Dax: Uhm..
[sound of chair squeaking]
Wren: Perhaps Jokul can notice something else in the scene?
Dax: Sure. Jokul what would you like to notice with your advantages? And then Rialla, you be thinking of what you’d like to notice ‘cause you got advantages as well.
James: Uhm..well we-we were baited into the mirage by the promise of water, so..perhaps instead of water there’s some sort of like..cactus fruit or somethin’ else? Uhm..I-I don’t know what other plant life potential grows out there?
Neil: Scrub grass!
James: Mm grass, no. So-so-
[Dax giggles]
James: Something edible.
Dax: I will-
James: Insert edible-
Dax: Say that-
James: Alternate. Maybe-
Dax: I will-
James: A coconut.
Dax: Say that since you-you technically failed and you believed this mirage I would say that as you get close to it, uhm..you notice just before you stick your hands into the water, that the water is not water it’s actually..
[sound of cat meowing in background]
Dax: Uhm..quicksand.
James: I ju-
Dax: I will say you notice about the mirage before it takes hold of you, like right at the last second that it’s actually quicksand and not water.
Wren: Oh no!
[James giggles]
Neil: Hmm..
[James makes an odd noise in the background]
Wren: Oh this is bad.
Dax: Rialla what do you notice about...you had-you succeeded. You knew it was fake all along, what do you notice out in the environment? Or anything, in general, I should say.
Cole: Uhm, is there anything that I notice that indicates that..I don’t know is there anything on the horizon? Are we getting closer to something? Is-are we still in the open desert? Are there-
Dax: I will say that you-
Cole: Hoofprints or tracks-
Dax: Notice...you notice up ahead at the horizon, something peering over the edge. Some sort of structure. You can’t see from this distance but you do see something, straight ahead. Out in the horizon. You can’t tell what yet, but you see something.
Cole: I tug on Jokul’s sleeve and kind of point.
Cole (as Rialla): Do you see that? In the distance over there?
James: Is this after the mirage?
Dax: Yeah you’ve..you’re..you’ve shaken your head, you are standing at the edge of a pit of quicksand.
James: Just nope on backwards just-
Wren: Nope-
Dax: Yep.
Wren: On backwards!
[Wren chuckles]
Cole: Yeah tug him by the-the hood and just..
[James makes comical backing up noise]
Cole: Nope!
Dax: Just yoink!
[Dax giggles]
Cole: Mm-m.
Wren: So, Rialla notices a thing..over the-the horizon there. Jokul realizes this is quicksand.
Dax: At the very last-
Wren: At the very-
Dax: Second.
Wren: Last second. Uhm, I-I imagine that implies that Eight has haphazardly kept going forward and I now find myself wading-
Dax: Well you just had threat. You just had threat. Jokul failed.
James: I-I had-
Dax: His-
James: Two fails.
Dax: His notice was just as he’s about to..stick his hands in the water. He-he noticed so..
James: Imma build-
Wren: Okay.
James: A sandcastle in this quicksand.
Wren: I feel like I still woulda kept runnin’ forward though.
Dax: If that’s what you wanna use your threat..then you..by all means can go ahead and keep running forward.
Cole (as Rialla): Uhh Eight? What are-where-what are you doing?
Wren (as Eight): There’s water over here!
Cole (as Rialla): No..there’s not.
Wren (as Eight): Yes there is! How can you not see it? It’s so shimmery...and-and beautiful! And..you’re very-
Cole (as Rialla): That’s quicksand-
Wren (as Eight): Thirsty. You must be dehydrated.
Cole (as Rialla): It’s-
Wren (as Eight): It’s what?
Cole (as Rialla): No. It’s quicksand. Look again.
Wren: I look down at my feet.
Dax: You now notice that it’s quicksand.
Wren (as Eight): Oh dear. Is quicksand a type of water?
Cole (as Rialla): No.
James (as Jokul): Most definitely not.
Neil (as Arthas): It’s sand-
Dax: Are you at the edge of the quicksand or did you stick your feet in it?
Wren: I would’ve stepped in it. Standing in the middle of what they thought was water, and turns out not to be.
Wren (as Eight): Oh!
Dax: So...if you want to leave that, I need you to make a-
Cole: Oh fuck..
Dax: Athletics check with three setbacks.
Wren: With hard difficulty?
Dax: No, three setbacks.
Wren: Okay what’s-
Dax: And medium difficulty.
Wren: Medium difficulty.
Cole: Oh god.
Wren: Alrighty!
[James chuckles in background]
Wren: Well, uh-
Cole: Oh shite…
James: Oh well of all the people to get stuck in quicksand, Eight would be the one to survive, so...
Cole: Wait hang on don’t..don’t roll...hang on. Wait…uhm..
Wren: The-the good news is..uhm..I’m actually quite strong. The bad news is..
[Wren clears their throat]
Wren: I’m standing in quicksand.
[Sound of dice rolling in someone’s hand in the background]
Cole: Uhh..uh..hang on. Hang on.
Wren: Do you have a thing for me?
Cole: Uhh..I’m lookin’.
[Cole and Wren chuckle]
Wren: Can I spend a story point to..upgrade one of those?
Dax: Sure! Why not.
Wren: Yay! So now there’s-
Cole: Um..
Wren: Th-three for us and...two for you?
Dax: What do you mean two for-oh yeah the story points? Yeah yeah yeah. I’m like, “Heh?”
Wren: “Heh?” Well, I’m about to roll it.
[Wren sighs]
Cole: Well, what does augment…”augment spells magically enhance characters or objects”. Could I just like enhance..Eight’s strength?
Dax: Yeah go ahead and…
Wren: So you wanna..it says here uh default-
Dax: To add a boost-
Wren: Difficulty-
Dax: Right?
Wren: Is average. And if-
Dax: Which it already is.
Wren: If..well for her to cast a spell.
Dax: Oh, okay. Sorry.
Wren: If the check is successful until the end of the character’s next turn. The target increases the ability of any skill checks they make by one. So I..I can add a skill dice to my check.
Dax: If she succeeds in casting-
Wren: If-if you succeed in-
Dax: Her spell-
Wren: Augmenting me.
Dax: Yeah. So if you wanna go ahead and tell me what that would look like, Rialla and try to cast your spell. We can go ahead and go through that.
Cole: Uhm, as I see...as I look down and I see Eight is in the quicksand I-I kind of panic because-
[Wren chuckles]
Cole: Eight’s kind of heavy he’s-they-they will sink very quickly so I uh, I immediately grab my holy symbol with both hands and I mutter uh, some words in French. And-not French ‘cause it’s...whatever Thevenoudian..and I hold out my hand and instead of the necrotic, black energy that swirls in my hands, this is like uhm...a dark, uh bluish shimmery energy that whisps out like smoke-
Wren: Ooh!
Cole: And wraps around Eight. Like, kinda like smoke..billowing around him.
Dax: Okay.
Cole: Uhm-
Wren: I will-
Cole: Is this-
Wren: Look-
Cole: One difficulty?
Dax: It’s two ‘cause it’s average.
Cole: Two..uhm, and then..it’s my..
Dax: Should be your arcane I think.
Wren: Yeah it’d be your divine.
Dax: Divine-
Cole: Divine..
Wren: Which is willpower..
Cole: So I have-
Wren: With your-
Cole: Two and then one yellow die...
[Sound of dice shaking, being rolled and hitting a tray]
Cole: Okay. I have..two successes, three advantages, one-
Wren: Ooh!
Cole: Blank purple die and then I have a threat and a failure. So the failure and the success cancel out. So I have one success, and two advantages.
Dax: So you cast out this energy and everyone around you sees you start to weave your hands together and this-this smoke start to billow around Eight and as you finish casting your spell...this dark blue glow almost encases Eight and you know that your spell has taken what effect it needs to take.
Wren: My feet suddenly stronger-
Cole (as Rialla): Eight try and get out!
Wren (as Eight): You don’t have to tell me twice, friend!
Wren: And I lift my feet as I try and jump backwards. Uhm..guided by this mystical blue energy and hey...that extra dice was super helpful, actually. So, that’s awesome. Ooh, I have a lot of threat. So let’s see..these two go away. These two go away..alright! Cool. Uhm, I have a threat but I have three successes leftover.
[Sound of dice rolling in tray]
Wren: So, uh, as I feel my feet get almost light-lighter from this magic spell that Rialla has cast for me, uh I quickly slog my legs back and kinda pull up and back up the..the short distance from the middle of the quicksand and kinda flop backwards onto the-the actual solid earth be-behind me. And uh, scrabble a little bit. Uhm, I’ve got all this sand getting up in my joints and uh...can I just take a strain for that extra-
Dax: Yeah.
Wren: Threat?
Dax: Yeah.
Wren: Call it a day? And I just kinda claw..I start clawing at the..the earth in front of me. And reaching a hand out,
Wren (as Eight): Someone please help me! I don’t feel like dying today.
Cole: I take Eight’s hands and I start to pull him out of the-the quicksand.
Dax: Alright. I will say between the spell, uh, giving Eight a little lighter feet and their successes that uhm, you don’t need to make any additional brawn checks or anything for that. I’m gonna say that really you just act as a guiding force as opposed to actually pulling and Eight is able to escape the quicksand readily.
Wren (as Eight): Oh, thank goodness. Thank you.
Wren: I-I look up at Rialla as I’m just kinda like, hands and knees in the sand.
Wren (as Eight): Thank you so much. I-
Cole: As the blue energy dissipates around you, you kinda see Rialla’s shoulders slump a little bit. As if it took a lot.
Cole (as Rialla): [sighs] I’m just glad you’re alright.
Wren (as Eight): I appreciate that. If I were to sink in this...quicksand...I imagine it would get awfully boring down there.
Cole (as Rialla): I..would think so.
Wren (as Eight): And besides, if I’m stuck in the quicksand, who will bury you when you all inevitably dehydrate and die.
Cole (as Rialla): Thank you Eight.
Wren (as Eight): Which is why we must press on.
Cole: I look around. What is Arthas doing?
Wren: What is Arthas doing?
Neil: I’m more shocked that quicksand is a thing.
[Cole chuckles]
Dax: Are you literally just standing there with your mouth agape?
[Dax laughs]
Neil: Pretty much.
Neil (as Arthas): I don’t like the desert anymore.
Cole: Uhm-
Wren (as Eight): Agreed.
Cole: As Arthas is staring I’ll..give him a little wave.
Cole (as Rialla): Are you still in there?
Neil (as Arthas): Mm! Yes.
Cole (as Rialla): Okay.
Neil (as Arthas): Rockslides were...much more obvious at home. Didn’t...happen in the ground.
Cole (as Rialla): Welcome to the desert. But the good news is, if you look directly ahead, there’s something on the horizon. We might be getting close-
Neil (as Arthas): Ooh!
Cole (as Rialla): To something that’s not just more sand and desert..hopefully.
Wren: I look up from shaking my legs to get the sand out and I go,
Wren (as Eight): Wonderful! Perhaps there will be sustenance there.
Wren: Just keep-
Cole (as Rialla): Let us hope.
Wren: Stream of sand coming out of the-the joints of my foot boots.
[Dax snickers]
Dax: You skirt the sa-the quicksand and continue on your way heading towards that thing that you saw in the distance. And as you get closer you do notice that it is a man-made structure. In fact, it is a city wall and as the day starts to draw to a close and the sun starts to get close to the horizon you stand at two wide open wooden doors leading into a city.
Cole: Oh we-we’re at the city gate, then?
Dax: You’re coming close to it, yes.
Cole: Okay. Uhm, once we do approach do we see any guards or anything like that?
Dax: You don’t see anything. You see a twenty foot tall stone wall. You see-
Cole: Are there-
Dax: Two wooden doors that are open and through those doors you see buildings and you see streets. But you see no people.
Wren (as Eight): There are no people..this is strange-
Cole (as Rialla): Oh boy..
Cole: Okay uhm...I want to approach the gate and I will cross the threshold and take a closer look. Does it-does there look to be signs of struggle? Fights? Or are the city streets just empty?
Dax: It’s just empty.
Neil: That’s concerning.
Wren: Yeah I’m just kind of walking behind Rialla with Bessie, trailing.
Dax: You see shutters on the outside of the windows that look like they’re a little dilapidated. Like, it’s gone without maintenance for quite some time. You see abandoned carts,
Wren: Uh-oh.
Dax: You see no livestock, no organic matter of any kind. Other than a few plants here or there that seem a little dried up and withered. And considering they’re..they’re mostly cacti and succulents that’s...that’s a little telling.
Cole: I give the ring on my finger a couple twists while looking around. Then I grab my symbol again and-and I take Jokul’s hand and I try to feel for a soul that may be trapped here.
Wren: She’s lookin’ for ghosts!
Cole: Any spooky scaries?
Wren: It’s a story point to do that?
Dax: Uhh yeah that’s-is that your..”Void Sight”? Or is that the..which one is that? “Visions of Death”? Yeah so that’s a story point. So are you spending a story point then?
Cole: Mhmm.
Dax: There are no spirits, here.
Wren: None?
Dax: None.
Neil: Not a one?
Wren: Interesting. Uh, while she’s turning her ring I would like to just use utility magic to make my voice really loud? And call out-
Cole: Oh no!
Wren: Yeah, yeah. I’m doin’ it. Uhm-
[Sound of dice shaking]
Cole: Oh god!
Wren: So, it’s an easy skill check. I’m gonna use arcana to just make my voice noisy?
Dax: Okay.
[Sound of dice hitting a tray]
Wren: And that is two successes so it works. And I literally am just gonna make my-my voice like it’s going through a megaphone. And I-
Dax: Okay.
Wren: Just hol-hold my ha-my free hand up to my mouth and just go,
Wren (as Eight): Hello? I am Eight! These are my friends! We are lost! Is anyone here? We could use some water! Or..ya know..whatever. Is anyone here?
Wren: I just keep walking behind you and I’m..I’m just shoutin’ the whole..the whole time.
Wren (as Eight): Hello?
Cole: I-
Dax: After a few minutes of this-
Cole: Flash very not happy blank white eyes at you.
[Dax laughs]
Cole: ‘Cause I’m trying to focus.
Wren: I-I look..I look straight on at you, with my hands still up at my mouth,
Wren (as Eight): Hello?
Cole (as Rialla): Eight-
Wren (as Eight): I am helping.
Wren: I say that very loud.
Wren (as Eight): I am helping!
Cole (as Rialla): No, you’re drawing attention to us. We don’t know what happened here!
Wren (as Eight): But it’s a city!
Cole (as Rialla): That doesn’t mean that it’s good!
Wren: I let the utility drop so that-
Cole (as Rialla): Clearly-
Wren: I’m not shouting anymore.
Cole (as Rialla): Clearly these people disappeared or something.
Wren (as Eight): Oh! If people disappeared, it’s possible they angered a god!
Dax: Could I have everyone make a vigilance check for me?
Cole: Fuck!
Wren: Everyone in short range gets a boost, anyone who’s engaged with me, like standing right next to me, gets two.
Cole: Is that me?
Wren: Uhm..
Dax: That would probably be Rialla, and it depends on how close uh Jokul and Art were following.
Neil: I assumed-
Cole: So I get-
Neil: I was back a little bit.
Cole: Two boosts? One boost?
James: Yeah-
Dax: Just two-
Wren: Two if you’re engaged with me.
Cole: And it’s-
James: Jok-Jokul would’ve been nearby Rialla, so..
Cole: I’m holding Jokul’s hand-
Dax: Just Jokul and Rialla had the two-
Cole: Yeah I’m holding Jokul’s hand.
Dax: And Art only gets one.
Neil: Okay!
Cole: And then for-
Wren: That’s alright Art I get none.
Cole: Is there difficulty-
Dax: It’s just-
Cole: Die?
Dax: Gonna be a straight check.
Wren: Oh god-
Cole: Straight check. Okay.
Wren: Oh god!
[Sound of dice shaking then hitting the table]
Cole: Ho!
Neil: I have-
Cole: Ho-okay!
Neil: A success and two advantage.
Wren: [muttering] Success and two advantage…
Dax: ‘Kay.
Cole: I have a success and two advantage
Dax: Alright.
Wren: I have two successes-
Cole: I would like to point out that three of the die are blank out of the five that I rolled.
[Sound of dice colliding]
Wren: Oh geez! I have four advantage and two success. I’d like to recover that strain please.
Dax: You go right ahead!
James: And you said what difficulty for this one?
Dax: Uh, it’s just a straight check.
James: Okay.
Wren: And with the three extra, can I find uh, like a fountain bed? Or something? Nearby? Like can I just spot a fountain?
Dax: Yup! You do see, as you’re turning around a corner, uh off to the right you do see a fountain bed down the street. Uh, Jokul what’d you get?
James: I have one success and one advantage.
Dax: Okay. Uhm…alright. So, Eight recovers strain and Eight notices a fountain bed. And Jokul, Rialla and Art what would you like to use your left-your advantages for? Do you wanna recover strain? Do you want to use them to notice something? Uhm...save a boost for..well, I don’t think you can use a boost right now-
Wren: No-
Dax: ‘Cause you’re not in combat-
Wren: Because we’re not in an engagement yet.
Dax: Yeah, uhm...
Neil: I’ll recover some strain.
Dax: Alright so you’ll recover one strain for every advantage you got. So you’ll get the one back.
Cole: Uhm....I want to see something interesting, other than the ghost that I should be seeing soon I hope.
[Cole giggles]
Wren: It did cost a story point.
Dax: So, as I said Eight turns the corner and Eight sees this fountain bed, and Rialla you’re walking around clasping your holy symbol and you’re looking around. You’re looking up at the roofs and you’re looking down the alleyways and..and Jokul, you’re standing at her side and you’re doing kind of a similar motion. You’re just scoping things out. Art you have the advantage of being such a high vantage point. Rialla you notice, hanging out by the fountain that Eight points out to you, someone sitting there. Looking like they’re doing washing. Jokul, you and Art, you notice...you notice movement down one of the alleyways to your left. You don’t see what it is, but you do see something moving in the shadows.
Cole: Can I discern if this is like..a physical person or that of a ghostie nature?
Dax: They are quite translucent. I would imagine that they are not a “person” person.
Wren: I was just about to ask if I see them as well ‘cause they’re by the-the pool.
Dax: You do not.
Wren: Which is great ‘cause I just, I go,
Wren (as Eight): Ooh! Water! There’s-there’s gotta be water here!
Wren: And I just start trundling off towards the fountain.
James: The water that somebody’s doing laundry in!
Dax: Well-
Cole: Uhm-
Dax: You don’t see this person.
[Dax laughs]
Cole: I give Jokul’s hand a couple squeezes before going towards the person and suddenly it’s like nothing. Like I don’t notice anything else around me.
Dax: You kinda go in your zone.
Cole (as Rialla): Hello friend.
Dax: The person..a woman..pauses in the washing. She didn’t pause when Eight ran up to the fountain. She paused when you spoke to her.
Dax (as the ghost): [voice ethereal] Yes?
Cole (as Rialla): Hi. Can you...where are we?
Dax (as the ghost): You’re in the city of Ki’Ran.
Cole (as Rialla): Were you here when everyone left? Did something happen here?
Dax (as the ghost): This city was abandoned...years ago. I..believe..I was here. I remember doing my washing, and..then I don’t remember anything. Other than..this form.
Dax: And she gestures to herself.
Dax (as the ghost): I watched people leave the city one by one. And it’s been silent since.
Cole (as Rialla): Do you have any last requests? Would you like help?
Dax (as the ghost): No. But I thank you for your offer.
Cole (as Rialla): If you need anything, do let me know.
Dax: She turns to you and,
Dax (as the ghost): What are you doing here? Nobody’s come here for years.
Cole (as Rialla): We’ve been wandering the desert. We were hoping that this would’ve been a place..little bit more populated but it’s not. It looks like there’s no one here at all?
Dax (as the ghost): There are people here but they don’t live here.
Cole (as Rialla): Hm. Is there anything else that we should look out for? Anything else we should know?
Dax (as the ghost): No. I don’t think so.
Cole (as Rialla): Thank you kindly for, uhm, answering my questions.
Dax: She nods and then goes back to her washing and as she does so, you see the edges of her form start to dissipate. Eight you ran up to the well. And as you look down you do see that there is water in it. It just..is quite low.
Wren: I’d love to work on that but, quite honestly, before I do..I would love to see what Jokul and Art found.
Dax: So the two of you noticed people in the shadows. What do you do?
Neil: I have my club ready in case it’s trouble.
Dax: What about Jokul? Rialla’s off talking to the well and Eight is looming over said well.
James: This isn’t a ghost or anything, this is a solid person as far as Jokul can tell, right?
Dax: That you saw in the alleyway? You saw shadows moving, you're not entirely sure what you saw.
James: Mkay. I am watching the direction that I saw the spooky shadow moving thing. And I’ll like..since Arthas and I aren’t doing anything I’ll snap my fingers at him and point in the direction I saw something.
James (as Jokul): Keep an eye over there, I spotted something.
Dax: Since you are both staring down that alleyway and you’re..you’re keeping an eye on where you saw the movement, you do see someone start to walk closer to you.
James: Are they-
Dax: They are wearing tattered clothing, very dusty, very dirty. Their hair is matted to their head. They’re wringing their hands a little bit and their-their back is slightly hunched over and they shuffle just on the edges of shadow, where you can see their form and they..they lean a little closer and say,
Dax (as the stranger): [in a raspy voice] What are you doing here? Why are you in my home?
Neil (as Arthas): Pardon the intrusion. Me and my friends are coming in from the desert looking for any signs of civilization.
James (as Jokul): And water. Most specifically water.
Neil (as Arthas): And water.
Dax: Person looks towards the fountain and then looks at you and their eyes are very wide.
Dax (as the stranger): Go get yourselves some water, and then leave my home.
Neil (as Arthas): Understood.
Neil: And with that, I just turn and head towards the well.
James: Person look-
Dax: Yeah.
James: Human?
Dax: Oh yeah, yeah.
James: And not-
Dax: They-they appear human I mean it’s..it seems to be a potentially middle-aged man, to be-they just look like they..they’re a little twitchy and they..even from this short distance Jokul you can..you can smell that they probably haven’t bathed in a while.
James: I mean if water’s a valuable commodity I can’t fault him there.
Dax: Uhm, Jokul I’d like you to make another vigilance check for me.
James: Can do that. Uhm-
Dax: And this time uh, make it easy difficulty.
James: So that’s only one purple die?
Dax: Yup.
James: Huzzah! My one..my-my one yellow dice versus my one purple dice.
[Sound of dice landing in tray]
James: I have...one success and one threat, which I believe is cancelled by the advantage so..
Dax: Yep.
James: So just one success is my final.
Dax: As you’re nodding you happen to see out of your periphery, more shadow move and you turn your head and you see that there is someone walking down the street. And this person also is very dusty and wearing tattered clothing but they are standing up straight. They’re a much older gentleman. Ya know the face is..is dark. Dark skin is very wrinkled almost leathery looking. Hair, beard..are stark white.
[Sound of dice hitting a tray]
Dax: And as they walk closer to you they say,
Dax (as the second stranger): [in a slightly lower register] Excuse me s-uh, who are you? Why are you here?
James: This new person is talking to us and the-
Dax: Talking to you specifically.
James: I-I look kinda confused at him, like gesture to that other old person and just be like,
James (as Jokul): We just told this guy. We’re-we’re here for water and getting out of the desert.
Dax: They turn and look to where you’re pointing and you see this man sigh and walk past you towards this person in the alleyway. He leans in,
Dax (as the second stranger): Matthew. Matthew you can’t..you can’t be hiding in the shadows you’ll scare people.
Dax: He grabs their hand and turns to you and says,
Dax (as the second stranger): I-I apologize. We don’t see people come here. Almost ever.
James (as Jokul): Explains why the town appears abandoned at a glance.
Dax (as the second stranger): My brother and I were the only ones that were left here. I couldn’t..Matthew here requires special attention and couldn’t make the trip when the city had to be evacuated. We’ve been living here on our own, and you’ll have to forgive us we’re a little wary of strangers. Especially..
Dax: And he looks you from head to toe.
Dax (as the second stranger): Especially Adar-Kai that don’t normally traverse this continent.
James (as Jokul): You’ll have to forgive me. I’m not like others of my kind I am..new..to the area?
James: That-that sounds even worse!
[James laughs]
Dax: He..he looks at you and nods a little bit. He's not taking his eyes off of you, but he nods and says,
Dax (as the second stranger): Alright well, you’re welcome to help yourself at the fountain and I suppose if you stay that is your prerogative. Just..
Dax: He points.
Dax (as the second stranger): Stay over on that side of the city if you come close to..just-just stay away from us.
James (as Jokul): Are you two the only ones who call this city home now or..?
Dax (as the second stranger): Yes.
James (as Jokul): W-what happened to the city?
Dax (as the second stranger): A plague.
James (as Jokul): Hm.
Dax (as the second stranger): People started dropping dead. No visible marks, no symptoms. Mass evacuation and my brother and I were left here alone to die. I don’t know how but we survived. I’d like to keep it that way.
James (as Jokul): We are merely passing through. We are no threat to you.
Dax: Why don’t you go ahead and make me a charm..yeah-
James: I was-
Dax: Go ahead and make a charm check for me Jokul.
James: I can do that.
Dax: And um, ah make that..make that hhaaard difficulty.
James: So two purple?
Dax: Three.
James: Three purple.
[sound of dice shaking and then hitting the tray]
Cole: While they were talking I would’ve come up behind Jokul. So I would’ve heard..overheard this.
Dax: Okay.
James: So I rolled..three advantage, one success, two threat and one failure. So..I end up with just one advantage. Everything else cancels out.
[James laughs]
Dax: We’ll say, as you are trying to dissuade any tension from this person that that is when Rialla walks up and..we love Rialla dearly but to some people she’s..she’s a sight to be seen. And uh..
Cole: I have my hood down too.
Dax: Yeah. This creepy person walking with their hood, and this tall, scary Adar-Kai..he stiffens when Rialla comes near. And he..he begins to wave..wave you off Jokul as if he’s..he’s saying like “don’t bother” and turns to you and says,
Dax (as the second stranger): I just..just get your water and-and..either get out or..stay away. Come on Matthew.
Dax: And he leads Matthew away, down where he came from. But he’s doing it backwards so that he can keep his eye on you.
[James briefly chuckles]
Dax: And he does this until he can turn a corner and leave.
James: I’m just kinda scratchin’ my head like,
James (as Jokul): What a bunch of weird, lost people…
Dax: And Rialla you would’ve heard the comment about the plague.
Wren: I’m standing over the..the fountain, looking down. I see my friends are a little occupied with..ooh! More friends! And the water is way far down there.
Dax: At this point Arthas would’ve been by your side by the way.
Neil: I was about to ask, yeah.
Wren (as Eight): Hello Arthas!
Neil (as Arthas): Hello!
Wren (as Eight): Do you think you could reach down and get water? You’re very tall.
Neil (as Arthas): I can sure try!
Wren: How deep is the well?
Dax: Probably a hundred feet, water is about...sixty feet down?
Wren: Oh. Yeah we don’t want you to go down there-
Neil: That’s..that’s a stretch, yeah.
Wren (as Eight): Simply Arthas, do you have any rope?
Wren: Actually, this is an even better question. Is there a bucket with rope nearby?
Neil (as Arthas): I have fifty feet of rope.
Dax: There...is..a bucket with some rope.
[Wren whispers a triumphant “yes!”]
Dax: But it’s moldy rope.
Wren (as Eight): Excellent. You have rope. This rope needs to be replaced. We will borrow this bucket. And I’d..I’d ask for your help in securing the bucket. So that we may lower it down and get water. So that you all don’t die.
Neil: I can certainly-
Dax: I like how Eight keeps bringing up that people will die. And they have to bury them.
Neil: It’s-
James: I mean-
Neil: Empathy.
James: I mean as a creature who’s technically immortal..
Wren: It’s very important to me that my friends do not die so I think it’s very important we get water! And besides, your lips are chapped.
Dax: So, I’m tryin’ to think if a check would be necessary for that. Umm..considering you’re threading rope. I don’t think so? Uhm..you do have fifty feet of rope and the water is sixty feet down. So you’ve got rope and you’ve got a bucket. Now-
Wren: Arthas-
Dax: What?
Wren: Has got really long arms.
Neil: I do.
[Cole giggles]
Cole: And this is when Eight unhinges their elbows and drops it down.
[Wren, Cole and Dax laugh]
Wren: Let me give you a hand.
Cole: Disconnected.
[Cole imitates metal joints unhinging]
James: Eight just uncurls his arm and it’s like a winch now.
[Dax and Wren at same time]
Dax: Oh geez!
Wren: Oh geez. I love it.
[Cole imitates winch and pulley system noises, Wren laughs]
Dax: Alright so-
Wren: Not quite.
Dax: Arthas. This is all you. So you’ve got a bucket and you’ve got some rope.
Neil: I’m going to try to lean over and extend myself deep enough to get water, but not enough to throw myself into a well.
Dax: Alright why don’t you go ahead and make a..um..I’m gonna say..coordination? Check for me? Go ahead and make it uh, easy difficulty.
Neil: Okay.
James: I was gonna say this must be a big ass well if you can fall down it.
Dax: I think it’s more of the risk of like, “I’m gonna lean and dangle this rope and hope I get some water.” So it’s gonna take a little bit more, uh, work than just drop and dip.
[Neil and James at same time]
James: Yeah.
Neil: Yeah...I have a success! Er an advantage.
Dax: How would you like to spend that advantage?
Neil: By getting some water.
[Dax giggles]
Dax: Well, I’m thinkin’...you probably don’t get really a lot-
Neil: Yeah.
Dax: This first try? You maybe get the bucket wet but maybe...you notice..on the side of the well that there is a...a handle of some sort.
Neil: Ooh!
Dax: Almost a uh, protruding...not handle uhm..small ledge, I should say.
Neil: With which to stand on?
Dax: I imagine given your..given your size that standing might not be an option? But perhaps a lean, and it is a little farther down.
Neil: Okay! I would like to use that to try and get more water.
Dax: ‘Kay so go ahead and make another coordination check, uh, this time give yourself a boost. Same difficulty.
Wren: You can do it! Get that water! Get it! Like your life depends on it!
Neil: I have two successes and an advantage.
Wren: You did it.
Dax: You did it! So Art-
Neil: Yay!
Dax: You..you managed to, on the first time, you swing your bucket and it doesn’t really gather a lot of water. But you..you find this ledge and you lean on it and you’re able to get even further down and you’re able to pull this rope up and you get the bucket about half full.
Neil: Nice-
Dax: And the water is clear and cool.
Neil: Alright! I offer it up to the party.
Wren (as Eight): Excellent.
Wren: I pull out a waterskin to start filling mine and hopefully everyone else can do the same.
Cole: Would Purify Water be a utility spell?
Dax: I would think so.
Cole: After all the water’s poured can I say that I trace a little symbol with my finger onto the water and it-er, the-the waterskin and it glows? And that’s Purify Water?
Dax: Sure! If that’s the..that’s how you want to have that be your mechanic for casting that. Yeah, I’ll go for that. I think you still have to actually try and cast the spell.
Cole: Mhmm.
Dax: So if you wanna make your dice check for that, but yeah I’ll..
[Sound of dice moving]
Wren: What difficulty do you want to assign-
Dax: Umm…
Wren: Purify Water?
Dax: Let’s see here...yeah there isn’t a chart why don’t we just..I’ll make it easy. It’s...yeah it says a check should always be easy. So..
Cole: Uh...I have two successes, an advantage and a threat. The advantage and threat cancel out - I have two successes.
Dax: Alright.
Cole: Leftover.
Dax: Yeah so you..you’re able to purify everyone’s water and the sigil glows a little bit. A bright..what color would you say this glows?
Cole: White.
Dax: Glows first like a pale blue, while you’re casting the spell and as soon as you’re done it flashes a bright white and you know that the water that is in those waterskins has now been purified and is safe to drink.
Cole (as Rialla): Kind of seems like we shouldn’t stay here too long.
Wren (as Eight): Why do you say that?
Cole (as Rialla): The folk that we ran into were not uhm..very happy to see us.
Wren (as Eight): I see. Do you think they would...stab us?
Cole (as Rialla): I don’t think so, but they definitely would wish that uhm, we were gone soon.
Wren (as Eight): Oh.
James (as Jokul): They requested that if we stay we stay to this half of the city.
Cole (as Rialla): I’m a little wary of staying here, in case whatever killed people here is still lingering. If-
James (as Jokul): Agreed.
Cole (as Rialla): If it’s a plague it could be contagious.
Wren (as Eight): Mm. Yes it-
James (as Jokul): If-
Wren (as Eight): Would be problematic.
James (as Jokul): If the plague lingered wouldn’t it have claimed those two?
Cole (as Rialla): I don’t know.
Wren (as Eight): Perhaps they are immune. Well, we have enough water. Perhaps, we can set up camp on the outskirts of the city walls.
Cole (as Rialla): I think that’d be wise.
James (as Jokul): Agreed.
Neil (as Arthas): Agreed.
James (as Jokul): Let us drink as much water as we can so we can..don’t have to make multiple trips. So..
Wren (as Eight): Yes. And fill up as much of our stores on Bessie-
Cole (as Rialla): Mhmm.
Wren (as Eight): And..and Maeve.
Dax: I’m not gonna require any more additional checks, we’ll say that you guys drank your fill of your waterskins and then you collected more water and filled what additional skins and everything else that you had and Rialla you were able to purify all of it. Are you going to stay within the city walls and just make camp on the edges or are you gonna go outside the city and make your camp by the walls?
Cole: I was thinking-
Wren: Probably the second-
Cole: Camp by the walls? Just outside?
Wren: Yeah!
Dax: Okay. You go outside and you’re able to make camp. There’s no wood nearby, unless you wanted to vandalize some houses. But you’re able to make camp and you had a few logs leftover in the cart that Bessie has been dragging around with Eight’s help. The sun begins to set and as you’re resting and trying to recover from the day’s stresses, you see coming toward you, three figures on strange creatures. Not horses? They’re very tall and long-legged and they have long necks.
Wren: Giraffes?
[James chuckles]
Wren: They’re riding giraffes!
James: The most impractical of all mounts.
[Wren laughs]
Dax: They are not riding giraffes.
Wren: Oh. I’m-
James: I wanna see a giraffe-
Wren: Suddenly less interested-
James: Cavalry now.
Dax: They get close to you but they stay on the outskirts of the fire before..er the firelight before dismounting and one of them walks a little closer to you. And as they enter the firelight you see that they are dressed very similar to a lot of the people in Isha, where they had, uhm, very loose fitting robes and headscarves that cover..uhm, their entire top of their head and part of their face. The man is quite darkly skinned, dark tan, and you can see a black beard, very scruffy. Just starting on his jawline. In one hand he holds the rein of what you now see is a camel, and his other hand he raises and says,
Dax (as the man): [In a slightly lower register] Good evening.
Neil (as Arthas): Hello.
Wren (as Eight): Hello! I am Eight, and these are my friends.
Wren: I-I turn to look at them, and I see Rialla..hanging her head. And I just kinda trail off.
Wren (as Eight): I am Eight. Who are you?
Dax (as the man): My name is Hassin. It is..good to meet you, Eight. You’ll have to forgive us, we have been travelling all day. Our animals are a bit weary and we are willing to offer food if you would let us share your fire.
Cole: Can I make a...just like to see if he’s being truthful?
Dax: Go ahead and make it, uh, three difficulty? Upgrade one to a challenge.
Cole: Okay so two purple, one red.
[sound of dice shaking in a hand]
Cole: Oh boy. I don’t like these odds. I have one success, three advantage and one despair? Is that the circle with the X?
Dax: Yup.
Cole: Hooo…..ohhoo...
Dax: Okay. Well the good thing is you have a success and some advantage with that despair, so that’s at least something. Uh..just one sec-
Cole: A despair in style!
[Cole laughs]
Dax: I’ve got-you despair in style. I’ve gotta remember..I think..
Wren: Perhaps Rialla knows they are being deceitful, but they are also aware of the fact that she knows they’re deceitful!
[James chuckles]
James: Just like, “I see through your lie! Oh shit you see through my lie! Time to die.”
[Wren chuckles]
Dax: So-
Cole: I am tired from purifying a lot of water?
Dax: ‘Kay, I like-
Cole: And-
Dax: Where that’s going, keep going with that.
Cole: ‘Cause I did mention earlier that after I pulled Eight from the quicksand it took a lot out of me so maybe he knows that I’m..vulnerable at the moment. And then the advantages..do I notice any weapons on them?
Dax: So the..what I want to get out of this is that you don’t notice...you don’t sense any ill intent.
Cole: Right.
Dax: However, in your wariness you are a little bit more distrustful. So I like that, let’s go with that. That maybe you-you don’t sense any ill intent but you..you’re still wary-
Cole: Mhmm-
Dax: Of these people. Uhm, with the advantages you don’t-I will say that there’s no outward sign of weapons. You don’t have to use your advantage for that, but perhaps you notice that they’ve got some oddly shaped packages strapped to their camels. And by oddly shaped I mean one almost looks like a canary cage.
Cole: Mmm...I don’t like that at all!
Wren: Kinda piggy-backing off of the whole “she’s mistrustful”, maybe..maybe uh, even though there’s no ill intent he knows that she’s mistrustful and it will have negative ramifications on any interactions as we share a meal later.
Dax: Yeah! Yeah. This is good we’re all workin’ together to figure out how the effects affect the story, this is good. I like this.
Wren: Despairs are always a little trickier.
Dax: They are. Especially when you get a success.
Wren: Yeah.
Dax: And it’s just like when you get a triumph but you get a failure. You lose the success, so then what do you do with what’s leftover of the triumph effect. So it’s...it takes a little working through. It’s good.
Cole: I cross my arms and kinda defer to the party. Just..keeping my eyes open.
Wren (as Eight): There’s plenty of fire to go around for as long as it burns and..we could use a decent meal.
Neil: What was the name of the guy on the camel again?
Cole: Hassin.
Neil (as Arthas): Have you heard any rumors, Hassin?
Dax (as Hassin): What kind of rumors?
Neil (as Arthas): Just anything in the desert really.
Dax (as Hassin): I have heard word that the Princess of Isha had a...tragedy-
Neil (as Arthas): Oh!
Dax (as Hassin): Befall her wedding day.
Neil (as Arthas): Oh no!
Dax (as Hassin): But I...I think that is the..most recent rumor that comes to mind.
Neil (as Arthas): Mmm.
Wren (as Eight): That is an excellent rumor!
Dax (as Hassin): Why is it an excellent rumor?
Wren (as Eight): Because it is true.
Dax (as Hassin): Is it now?
Wren (as Eight): Yes! We were there.
Dax (as Hassin): You were...the wedding? Of the Princess of Isha?
Wren (as Eight): Yes! We were honored guests. My friends and I. Well..
Wren: I-I gesture to Rialla and Jokul.
Wren (as Eight): These two and I were. We had not yet met our best friend, Art, at this point.
Neil (as Arthas): Hello!
Dax: Hassin waves to his two companions and they start to unpack their camels and bring some bags over and you see they are starting to pull out cooking implements and as they do, he looks at you, Eight, and says,
Dax (as Hassin): Well..it is an honor to meet such honored guests. Tell me, how do you know the Princess of Isha? You would have to have some sort of, uhm, close relation if you were to be her honored guests.
Cole (as Rialla): I don’t know if, uhm, honored is exactly..th-the word, uhm..we, uh, arrived during the time of the wedding preparations and, uhm, the family that we were, uh, staying with invited us.
Wren (as Eight): Rialla you’re so humble. They toasted us during the wedding!
Dax: His eyes widen. He says,
Dax (as Hassin): Well! I have never met anyone that is so high regarded by the royal family of Isha. I do have to ask, though..
Dax: And he turns and he looks at Art.
Dax (as Hassin): What are you doing down from the mountains? I thought your kind no longer existed.
Cole (as Rialla): No longer...existed?
Neil (as Arthas): I’m wandering, doing good where I can and trying to become a knight. We very much still exist.
Dax (as Hassin): Tell me. How, uh, how is it? Up there?
Neil (as Arthas): Very cold.
Dax (as Hassin): I see.
Neil (as Arthas): Much simpler than down here.
Dax (as Hassin): So the desert is..different..for you?
Neil (as Arthas): Oh very much. Everything is much smaller too.
Dax: He looks you up and down.
Dax (as Hassin): I can’t imagine. Now tell me, why do they spread all these rumors that the Giant-kin are extinct?
Neil (as Arthas): I couldn’t tell you. I hadn’t met anyone tell me that either. Well, few and far between but..we’re around.
Dax (as Hassin): Hmm. And you live solely in the mountains?
Neil (as Arthas): Yes. Except for me.
Dax (as Hassin): Interesting. Is it true what they say? That you believe your god resides in the center of the world?
Neil (as Arthas): Absolutely.
Dax (as Hassin): Why do you believe that?
Cole (as Rialla): Why does anyone believe in anything?
Dax: He turns and looks at you Rialla.
Dax (as Hassin): I suppose that is fair. You could ask me, and my companions, why we believe that our god has seven arms.
Neil (as Arthas): I’m not-
Dax (as Hassin): We just do.
Neil (as Arthas): I’m not exactly the best at retelling the story. I’m no Aerir myself but..Ymin fell in love with the god, but a jealous lover challenged him to a fight to the death and he lost. And rather than see his body decay over time, the god preserved his body and his dying breath created all life and the deeper we go we might find him.
Dax (as Hassin): See now that is interesting. The last I heard, all Giant-kin found their god and their god took them into the earth with him. And that is why we see them no more. But this is good!
[Dax claps once]
Dax: And he claps his hands together.
Dax (as Hassin): I suppose this would be a night of celebration then. You, who are honored guests for the Princess of Isha. We, humble merchants. And you, Giant-kin, first to wander Rejiev in quite a few hundred years.
Dax: He turns back to his camel and digs in his knapsack and you see him pull out a-a large glass bottle. And he sets it down on the ground and he pulls at the stopper and you hear,
[Dax imitates cork popping out of bottle, then sound effect]
Dax: As the cork comes out.
Wren (as Eight): If I might ask..
Wren: I interrupt while he’s fiddling with the bottle.
Wren (as Eight): As a merchant..
Wren: I look at their caravan.
Wren (as Eight): What do you sell?
Dax: At this point he has taken off the cork from the bottle and he looks up at you.
Dax (as Hassin): It depends. Right now, we are travelling north to provide this.
Dax: And he points down at the bottle that he has just opened.
Dax (as Hassin): This is a type of wine that supposedly..
Dax: And he leans forward and he-he sniffs at the opening of the bottle.
[Dax inhales deeply]
Dax (as Hassin): Supposedly has a flavor reminiscent of uhm,..roses and cherries? And it is worth quite a lot. But, seeing as we have already been paid by the supplier, we know this particular buyer does not count their wares. It won’t hurt if one goes missing. Would anyone like to try some?
Cole (as Rialla): Uhm..I don’t drink but uh, thank you. Um, what..I have a question about uhm..
Cole: Gesturing to the..cage-looking-covered-
Dax: Mhmm.
Cole (as Rialla): What perhaps is..you’re carrying in..that?
Dax: He looks to where you’re pointing.
Wren: I quirk an eyebrow when she asks that.
Dax: He stands up, walks over to the camel and he lifts the burlap that is covering the cage and you see in it is just a simple little white dove.
Cole: How big is the cage?
Dax: It’s canary sized.
Cole: Ohh..
Dax: Yeah.
Cole: Literally a canary cage. I-
Dax: Yeah.
Cole: My brain took that..
Neil: Yeah..
Cole: I...hoo! Hoo-phoo!
Dax: I don’t even want to know, do I?
Cole: Oh, I thought they were slavers.
Dax: Oh! No it’s literally a canary cage.
Cole: I was picturing human sized cages.
Dax: No!
[Dax giggles]
Wren: I was picturing a bird cage but I know that the Jerboamin are very small so I thought it was still a very good possibility.
Neil: Yeah!
Cole: That..yep..that’s a good one too. Mhmm.
Wren (as Eight): Oh how pretty!
Cole (as Rialla): Oh that’s nice.
Dax (as Hassin): Would you like to buy her?
Cole (as Rialla): Ah..
Dax (as Hassin): She sings. Only fifty gold for a pretty lady..
Cole (as Rialla): Ah, I definitely do not have that coin. Uhm, and we travel a lot.
Dax (as Hassin): Shame.
Dax: And he puts the burlap down back over the cage and he turns to Jokul and Art and Eight.
Dax (as Hassin): What about you? Would you like some wine? With dinner?
Neil (as Arthas): Absolutely.
Dax (as Hassin): We are...yes! Yes, alright.
Dax: Pours a nice hefty wooden mug full of this liquid and he hands it to you Art. And it-it’s quite small in your hands, and you can see in it is a very dark red liquid.
Neil: I slam it.
[Wren guffaws]
Cole: “I slam it”, he says.
Dax: So, it’s not much for you given how tall you are but it is enough where you..could have a sizeable mouthful. And you do get that hint of rose and cherry, as he described, and then this very nice, soothing, warming effect rushes through your body and you get this..this hint of uhm, cinnamon? Afterwards-
Neil: Ah, neat-
Dax: Laying on your tongue?
Neil: I’m a fan!
Dax (as Hassin): Would you like some more, my friend?
Neil (as Arthas): I’m going to pace myself.
Dax: Learning from your earlier mistake?
Neil: Yes.
Dax: Yes.
[Dax giggles]
Dax: He turns to Jokul.
Dax (as Hassin): What about you, tall one?
James (as Jokul): Given the limited supply of water out here, I-I will accept your offer for a little bit.
Dax (as Hassin): Alright.
Dax: He pours another mug, and hands it over to you Jokul. I’m guessing you don’t slam it like Arthas does.
James: Yeah. And just-
Dax: And-
[Dax giggles]
James: Rai-raise it in a toast. Says,
James (as Jokul): Thank you.
James: And just..casually sip it throughout dinner.
Dax: He pours two more glasses, hands them off to his companions that are still cooking dinner and turns to you Eight.
Dax (as Hassin): Would you like some my friend?
Wren (as Eight): Yes, that would be lovely.
Dax: Pours you a mug, hands it to you and then he pours himself one and sets the bottle off where it might not potentially get knocked over. And he takes his own sip and relaxes against some of his packages.
Dax (as Hassin): What are you all doing wandering in the desert?
James (as Jokul): Trying to get out of the desert.
[Cole chuckles]
Dax (as Hassin): Yes it is a very tiring and..boring trip. And fraught with uh...dangers.
Cole (as Rialla): How far is the next uhm..the next-
Wren (as Eight): I think we’re heading to Q-doba.
Dax (as Hassin): I never heard of Q-doba.
Wren (as Eight): Q-dol...Q-dolva..?
Dax: He shakes his head.
Wren (as Eight): It’s a major city.
Dax (as Hassin): Major city…?
Dax: You see him looking up a little bit. And ponder.
Dax (as Hassin): Do you mean..Kidohlva?
[Dax giggles]
Wren (as Eight): Yes. Kidohlva. We were heading to Ki-dohl-va.
[Wren starts laughing]
Dax: He turns to Rialla and says,
Dax (as Hassin): How far is the next…?
Dax: He leans forward a little bit, waiting for you to finish your question.
Cole (as Rialla): Uh, town.
Dax (as Hassin): Ah..ah. Well..
Dax: He points to the city that you’re camped behind.
Dax (as Hassin): Ki’Ran, technically, is the next city. It hasn’t been a city in quite a few years. Uh..let’s see. If you continue to head due north, as we are heading, you will eventually, within another day, meet the edge of the desert. And then to the west there are some villages and towns before you get to Kidohlva.
Cole: We are heading north, right?
Dax: Yup. That is where Baradesh sent you, yes.
Cole: Okay..okay. That's what I thought but I…[in a high pitched voice] couldn’t remember..okay.
Cole (as Rialla): Uh, so the edge of the desert’s only a day then?
Dax (as Hassin): Yes, yes. We are-
Cole (as Rialla): Ah-
Dax (as Hassin): Quite close.
Cole (as Rialla): That’s a relief. We, uh, haven’t travelled this sort of terrain before so..
Dax (as Hassin): I see you are wearing..somewhat proper clothing. Uh, you are wearing much looser robes but uhm..you do not look as if you were properly prepared for the desert.
Cole (as Rialla): I come from, uhm, a city that, uh, typically rains a lot. So, it’s quite different but..where are you headed?
Dax (as Hassin): There is a town to the northeast called Gira. Our buyer is there.
Dax: It doesn’t take much longer for, uhm, dinner to be ready. It’s just a simple porridge-like substance. Kind of..more like polenta I should say. It’s more like polenta as opposed to porridge. Hassin’s companions begin doling out bowls and just passing them out. They don’t ask if people want them. It smells..almost like basil, but it’s very pale.
Dax (as Hassin): Go! Eat, my friends. We must all gather our strength before the morning comes.
Dax: And he begins to gulp.
Neil: I have already begun inhaling that porridge.
[Dax laughs]
Dax: It’s not thirty sausages but it’ll do, right?
Neil: Pretty much, yeah.
[Neil chuckles]
Cole: Slowly eat.
Dax: It doesn’t taste bad. It tastes..kind of mealy? But other than that I mean it’s..
Cole: Warm meal?
Dax: It’s a warm meal.
Wren: Politely nibbling on it, even though I really don’t need to.
Dax: When he’s done eating and all of you are done eating, Hassin’s companions clean the bowls with some sand and then package them back up. They clean the pot, after it’s cool and then they set up tents and bedrolls and they leave you to your discussions. Hassin stands up and bows to all of you and says,
Dax (as Hassin): I want to thank you for sharing your fire and letting us..thank you. I wish you all a very fond rest.
Cole (as Rialla): You as well, thank you again for the meal.
Neil (as Arthas): Thank you!
Dax: He goes into his tent. The stars now are high above and very clear in the night sky. What-
Cole: Purple-
Dax: Should be the sounds of the city at night are dead silent. As everyone settles down for the evening I want you to make a hard resilience check for me.
Cole: For warmth I slip into Jokul’s bedroll and siphon his body heat.
Wren: Oh my.
Cole: Resilience?
Dax: Yup. Make a str-a hard resilience check.
Cole: Oh boy..
Dax: And upgrade one to a challenge die. Every single one of you.
[Sound of dice shaking]
Wren: Ooh..
Neil: Jokes on you, I was already siphoning his body heat.
[Wren, Dax and Neil laugh]
Neil: Get yer own!
James: So we should-
Cole: Okay wait-
James: Be rolling a purple and a red?
Cole: Three purple-
Dax: Two purple and one red.
James: Oh two purple-
Cole: Oh yeah two purple.
Neil: Ooh, two!
Cole: Two purple, a red and then..your brawn and then if you have a rank in it-
Neil: Yeah-
Cole: A yellow.
Wren: I have two success-
Cole: Okay!
Wren: Left over.
Cole: Um, no not okay. Uhm..I have..
Dax: Arthas has three success, three advantage and one despair.
Cole: Uh..I have four failures, two advantage and one success.
Dax: Alright so you have three failures, two advantage.
James: Uh..Jokul has two successes and two threats?
Dax: ‘Kay.
Wren: Eight’s two straight success.
Dax: Alright. Just to make sure I understand, so Eight are you watching? Did you kind of do your shut down? What did you end up doing?
Wren: Shut down? Who does that?
Dax: Well-
Wren: I am always awake.
Dax: Okay-
James: I-I figure by this point Jokul and Eight kinda alternate, since Jokul has the elf trance?
Dax: Alright. So-
Wren: Even in cases where I let Jokul take watch, I’m always just watching Jokul watch, so…
Neil: It’s a courtesy thing.
Wren: Yeah. Just want you to feel useful, so.
Cole: I’m buried in my bedroll.
[Cole laughs]
Dax: Rialla and Jokul, you go to bed. As far as you’re concerned nothing happens. Uhm..no disturbances in the night. Eight is keeping watch, everything is fine it’s..it’s cold out but your body heat is enough to keep each other warm. Art, you go to sleep. Doesn’t take you long, the effects of the wine and a long day with very little water takes its number on you quite easily. You in fact fall into a very deep sleep. Much deeper than you normally experience. The next morning, you wake up and you find that the merchants are gone, their camels are gone. Maeve and Bessie are still there, but what’s left of your supplies are gone. Rialla, your failures result in your mirror being among the belongings that are now gone.
Cole: Aw fuck, what?
Dax: Jokul, you’re-
Cole: I feel like I would’ve kept that on my person though.
Dax: Would you have?
Cole: Mhmm.
Dax: Okay. Then your mirror is the only thing that is remaining. All your..what little food you have left is gone.
Cole: Oh shit.
Dax: Your waterskins are gone.
Cole: Oh!
Neil: Uh-oh.
Wren: Uh-oh.
Dax: Anything that would’ve been in Bessie’s cart, is gone. And that is where we are calling it today.
Calm piano continues during the outro [1:06:32]
Dax: Thanks for listening! We hope you’ll join us next time but in the interim, follow us on Twitter @RoadsUncharted.
The “Roads Uncharted” podcast is GMed and produced by Dax. We use the Genesys Roleplaying System published by Fantasy Flight Games.
Jokul Genhorn is played by James, and Arthas, Champion of Offam is played by Neil.
Rialla Lenoir is played by Cole, follow them on Twitter @ColeMorreale and check out their art.
Eight is played by Wren, who also composed the music for our opening theme, follow them on Twitter @ThornyDryad.