Cloudfall | 20 - A Horse and His Guy
Last time on Cloudfall. On their way to recovering Poppy's wagon from the impound hangar, the party was sidetracked by the alluring scent of great deals. After sniffing around a perfume kiosk, the party caught the attention of a musical merchant by the name of Babka. Doran and Bobka shared a brief musical interlude and then the cash started flowing. The party bought fancy new daggers for Aaron, a helm of telepathy for Guy, a powerful new ring for Poppy, and a whole lot more.
Tim / GM:Now with full packs and empty wallets, it's time to head to the impound lot to buy back Poppy's wagon. Shit.
Maggie / Poppy:So, we don't have any money left, really. I mean,
Tara / Journey:we have some.
John / Doran:Oh, but I got this cool helm and this cloak.
Maggie / Poppy:It is very cool.
Tim / GM:Here in the broad daylight, you realize all of your items are kind of discount and shitty. No. I'm
John / Doran:just kidding.
Tara / Journey:Actually, I didn't spend any money there.
Hannah / Eryn:I, have no money, so nothing to lose.
Thomas / Guy:Samezies.
Maggie / Poppy:We have less than we started with, I think. That's all.
John / Doran:That's true. Yeah.
Hannah / Eryn:But we have more in daggers. That's true.
Maggie / Poppy:We should probably figure out how
Hannah / Eryn:to get my cart back. Where are we staying tonight? I mean, this carpet in this square seems fine, but I feel like that might be frowned upon.
Tim / GM:Both are open questions. However, you had got a tip earlier from Oscar to seek out the hanger, near the ring light to find, Poppy's wagon.
Tara / Journey:Okay. I don't think we're gonna be able to get the wagon back until we've gotten a little bit more chummy with the leadership here.
Maggie / Poppy:Right. See, I was thinking about that. We know that Phenom is a big deal. We also have met phenom. We also have someone who can look like phenom.
Thomas / Guy:Oh.
Hannah / Eryn:Are we still, like, concerned about the way we look? And, Aaron as Jordan kinda takes a look around this market place just to see if anyone's, like, listening in or taking videos of us still. Because earlier by the bathhouse, people were like, woah. Look at these strangers from out of town.
Tim / GM:Yeah. You guys are, like, cleaned up, and some of you are, like, in costume or dressed up differently. So there's much less attention on you now. Okay.
John / Doran:Journey, I mean, no offense,
Thomas / Guy:but I am concerned that you may stick out a little bit.
Tara / Journey:Right. Yeah. I look a little conspicuous, I think.
Hannah / Eryn:Well, I think we're not drawing as much attention as we were, but I still like to just find a quiet place to maybe grab some food and talk more.
John / Doran:Well, personally, I I feel like I feel like I'm on fire. I I think I could probably negotiate and get our cart back.
Tim / GM:Honestly, It's
Thomas / Guy:probably all that spray stuff you put on.
John / Doran:And and this flame rod that's literally on fire. Oh, that too. Yes. Can you please hold on to this?
Tim / GM:You guys can tell Doren's having, like, an allergic reaction to all the fucking get it he sprayed on himself.
John / Doran:No. Poppy, I I think we still have some money, and I I think I can negotiate this. If we can get the cart figured out, then we can focus more on what we're doing here on this Skyland. Is that okay?
Maggie / Poppy:I mean, you can try. What happens when you fail, and then they're suspicious of us.
John / Doran:They won't be suspicious of you because I will walk up alone with Jerna. Who wants to go with me?
Hannah / Eryn:Listen. I think we can maybe scope out where the card is, but what if the police or whoever, the guard of the city, wants to take us in again?
John / Doran:I look like a different person right now. My hair is blonde
Tim / GM:and spiky.
Hannah / Eryn:But if we come sniffing around the cart, they're gonna be like, oh, you're those people.
Tara / Journey:Well, what if Dorn goes and talks to the people there and you sneak around and see what the situation is in the impound lot?
Maggie / Poppy:Okay. So he said that the impound stuff gets auctioned. Maybe Doren's just interested in it as an acquisition.
Hannah / Eryn:Yeah. Yeah. Sure. I whatever we do, sneaking around, scoping stuff out, it's fine. We just can't be obvious and be like, hey, that's our cart.
Hannah / Eryn:We want it back. Right.
Tara / Journey:I think Dora should talk to whoever it is alone.
Hannah / Eryn:Yeah. Be interested, but not too interested.
John / Doran:Right. Yes. I got this, you guys. You can stay close by. Guys at helmet working yet?
Thomas / Guy:Think something.
John / Doran:Which what fruit am I thinking of?
Tim / GM:No. You're still working on the attunement.
Thomas / Guy:Raspberry. Nope. It's hot. Nope. Stupid helm.
Tara / Journey:I mean, why don't why don't we just all go to the impound lot?
Maggie / Poppy:I'd like to see my baby. Alright.
John / Doran:Doren, you say you have this under control. We will be nearby in case you need backup. Thanks, Scott. Yeah. Something about this loot, I just feel so persuasive.
John / Doran:Let's see how this goes. Can I get everyone's money just in case I need to make a deal?
Maggie / Poppy:I feel weird about that. Alright.
Tara / Journey:I'm gonna
John / Doran:just hand it right over. Thanks thanks, Journey.
Hannah / Eryn:Doran, you're not very trustworthy sometimes. Insight check.
John / Doran:Poppy, I'm trying to buy your wagon. So
Maggie / Poppy:Yeah. I know that. But how do I know you're making good deal? You don't have a head for business.
John / Doran:We'll see. See about that.
Hannah / Eryn:Doren, do you want me to try to scope out undercover when we get to the hangar?
John / Doran:Of course.
Tara / Journey:I can help.
Hannah / Eryn:Alright. Sounds good.
John / Doran:Just don't do anything until I give a signal.
Tara / Journey:Ours only.
John / Doran:Alright. I think think this will go smooth.
Hannah / Eryn:As we start walking, Erin's gonna find a quick, like I'm almost imagining a cartoon. Do you know when you guys have seen, like, they have, like, the bath changing at the beach where the whole little tent
Tim / GM:Mhmm.
Hannah / Eryn:Just drops out of nowhere as we're walking to the market and Aaron shifts and then the bath tentra just disappears in the air. They find a place Yeah. In a corner somewhere that's out of the way to shift back into there's gonna be Aaron again. Okay.
Tim / GM:Perfect.
Hannah / Eryn:Enough being a Tabaxi boy. Mhmm.
Tim / GM:Alright. The 5 of you continue towards the hanger where you know it to be just past the ring light. When you get to the ring light, you're walking along the nosebleed section of a massive stadium. Looking down, you can see countless stairs and like a dizzying vertigo descent towards the center. And in the middle of the stadium, in the center, you can see this crowd of people that are working on setting up a stage.
Tim / GM:And they look rushed, but they look professional. And they're setting up scaffolding, and they're casting acoustic equalization enchantments. They're arranging hologram crystals all around the stage. And around them, around the stage, around the entire stadium on the ground, you can see this strip of what looks like black glass. Like a roadway.
Tim / GM:And it's smooth and clean as water. And you're all just kind of like looking at this like epic scale echoey vast stadium and then you see this bright light and it races down that track, down that clear black glass, just bright as can be, and it casts this whole place in this luminous white light from below like you've never seen before, and the whole stage lights up and all the workers kind of marvel at the brightness of it. And you can see that's why they call it the ring light. It's literally a giant, ovaloid ring that kind of shines up on this stage. And a moment later, you see a bunch of crystals start to flicker onto those canvases again, and you can see a familiar face for just a fraction tomorrow, the ring light stadium presents Phenom.
Tim / GM:Phenom. It's tomorrow. The Ring Light Stadium presents Phenom Green. Just on the other side of the ring lights is the hangar This is where all of the vehicles, all of the animals, everything that can run on that track and everything that comes into backseat gets stored. You can see, it's like a towering structure with a ceiling like 30 feet above you, and there's large stalls that have livestock, and some things have little like bismuth engine things a lot like Poppy's wagon.
Tim / GM:Some things have other modes of transportation that you're not quite familiar with yet. And this is where you split up. You can go further in to examine the wagons and the livestock, or you go to the front desk to
Tim / GM:place a bid.
John / Doran:Alright. I think we can split up here.
Tara / Journey:Alright. I guess,
Hannah / Eryn:Erin's gone. I'm just kidding.
Tim / GM:Erin? Oh.
Tara / Journey:I guess we'll, see you later.
Tim / GM:And
Maggie / Poppy:Yeah. Can I just give the other the Mikey half to Doran?
Tim / GM:Sure. Yeah.
Maggie / Poppy:Just so that we have communication.
John / Doran:Yeah. So I got a connection to Poppy and a Journey through Echo Bells. I'm gonna keep them both, like, on my person, like, outside of my clothing so that they're audible.
Tim / GM:Yeah. Okay. Yep.
John / Doran:I'll take this side. You wanna go around the other way? Yeah. I'll go around, and we'll meet in the middle. Sounds good.
Hannah / Eryn:I cast hidden step.
Tim / GM:Okay. So you're invisible? Mhmm. Okay.
Hannah / Eryn:And It's gonna be sneaky sneaky sneaky.
Tim / GM:Yeah. Oh, Guy, what are you doing?
John / Doran:Just hanging out. Okay. I'm not sneaking. That's for sure.
Tara / Journey:Just Guy ing around?
Maggie / Poppy:Guy and and his daughter are just gonna ample and
John / Doran:Yeah. I kinda wanna be within eye distance of Doran. Okay.
Tim / GM:If you're
Hannah / Eryn:just people watching just
Thomas / Guy:far away.
Tim / GM:People can
John / Doran:walk through you.
Hannah / Eryn:I would
Maggie / Poppy:like to just kind of, like, look at all the stuff in here.
Tim / GM:Okay. And, yeah, you're allowed to walk around in here. You can see other people are, like, tending to their horses or their vehicles or what have you. Mhmm. Doran, you look up at the front desk, and you can see the stable hand clerk there.
Tim / GM:It is by far the oldest Tabakse you've ever seen. He's got these, like, floppy ears that are, like, almost covering his eyes, and he looks, like, asleep, or his face is just so scrunched up his eyes are closed.
John / Doran:Okay. So I'm gonna cast minor illusion.
Tim / GM:K.
John / Doran:And Doran's gonna make a, pink crystal. He's gonna hold it up out in front of him, and, then he says, what is up, everybody? I'm here at the hangar. We're going to pick up one of the crummiest wagons we can find and turn it into a speed demon. I'm here at the hangar.
John / Doran:Hello, sir. What's your name? Hello, sir. What's
Tim / GM:good morning. Hello. Yes. Oh, I bet work. Hello.
John / Doran:Hello. Hey, everybody. I'll be right back. We're just gonna straighten some of this stuff out, and I put it down.
Tim / GM:Yeah. How can I help you?
John / Doran:Hi. I'm here to pick up one of your slowest wagons you got here at this, hangar. Oh. Probably something that had nothing to do with racing. Like, maybe something that something like a baking wagon or something ridiculous.
Tim / GM:What? You know, it's not often we see the stop and smell the roses type.
John / Doran:No. I appreciate I appreciate stuff that smells good. Oh. Like roses.
Tim / GM:Oh. Yep. Do you? Of course. And, and did, how do I do I?
Tim / GM:Oh,
John / Doran:sorry. Oh, sorry, sir. You smell wonderful.
Tim / GM:Oh, I was worried for a moment. I gotcha. Thank thank you so much, Flatter me. That's quite alright.
Tim / GM:Slow
Tim / GM:is what we're looking for.
Tim / GM:Quite the opposite. He opens his book and he starts kinda thumbing through the big pages.
John / Doran:Yeah. Something preferably from and I lean in and kinda, like, nudge him. You know, like, the mainland, so, like, barely works. You know what I'm talking about?
Tim / GM:You're in enormous luck. Really? He closes the book. He goes, I know just the thing. Follow me.
John / Doran:No way. Follow me. Okay.
Tim / GM:He gets down from the desk. What you didn't realize before is that he's quite up high and that he's only, like, 4 feet tall.
John / Doran:Okay.
Tim / GM:He kind of is, like, waddling in front of you leading you down the lane. The other group, we've got stealth crew. We've got Journey and Aaron.
Tara / Journey:Yeah. Yeah.
Tim / GM:So you 2 immediately move forward. Journey, you are in no real risk of being discovered. Aaron, there's always a chance. I need you to make a stealth check.
Hannah / Eryn:Because Erin's not magic. I also wanna use my eyes to perceive if there's other guards around besides this one cat. That's really good. 29. What the fuck?
Tim / GM:K. God doesn't know you're there.
John / Doran:You know, you know the phrase in front of
Tara / Journey:God and everyone? This is the opposite.
Hannah / Eryn:I'm more hidden than the invisible journey. Yeah.
Tara / Journey:Yeah. I'm still, like, kicking rocks as I'm wandering around in this unseen.
Tim / GM:Making a fucking ruckus. Yeah. So the 2 of you are able to easily move into here. You know, most people are just walking around, like, you know, not worried about being seen because they're in here for their things. The 2 of you are able to just kind of pass by every group where nobody would ever be able to, like, pin a testimony on you kind of thing.
Tim / GM:Like, nobody knows you're here. It doesn't take you long to find the cart. It is tucked between, a larger cart and a smaller horse. But when you get there, you see that it's totally intact and fine. You can also see that some bids have been placed on it.
Tim / GM:There's some paper tags hanging off of them.
Maggie / Poppy:For how much?
Tim / GM:You see several tags that are kind of clipped over each other, and the one on top is showing 1200.
Hannah / Eryn:Just taking them off? You see the pieces of paper from all
Tara / Journey:of the taking the tags off of the cart.
Tim / GM:Yeah. Yeah. Invisibly, from a third person perspective, we see the tags just rip off of the cart and kind of like flutter to the ground, or are you getting rid of them disposing of them?
Tara / Journey:I'm putting them in my pockets. Okay.
Tim / GM:Yep. I'm so
Hannah / Eryn:I can eat them.
Tim / GM:Yeah. Alright. Yeah. Those bid tags are gone.
Hannah / Eryn:Can Aaron do, an investigation check for just other guards or people watching?
Tim / GM:Yeah. Yep. Give me investigation with oh, sorry. Give me
Hannah / Eryn:Is it perception?
Tim / GM:You can do perception with advantage to use Ganymede, or you can truly investigate, but you don't get Ganymede on that.
Hannah / Eryn:I guess I'll perceive with advantage.
Tim / GM:Yeah. There's a difference in, like, the kind of results that you get. Nat 20? Well Oh
John / Doran:my god.
Tim / GM:With Ganymede. Exact night.
Hannah / Eryn:And my perception is plus 3 also. Okay.
Tim / GM:You know what? Fuck it. We're just going straight here. Okay? With this incredible perception, this incredible depth that you can see at, you will literally accidentally see through the keyhole of the front door of the wagon, and you see inside, and you see it looking back at you, his hands over his face is Mikey going Oh my god.
Maggie / Poppy:What? Oh my god. My cute.
Hannah / Eryn:Oh, shit.
Tim / GM:And you just hear this kind of muffled from inside. Erin? Oh, crap.
Hannah / Eryn:Aaron is gonna scuffle around to, like, the side of the cart, may hopefully, Mike, pretty hidden from you still, and just say, Mikey, is that you?
Tim / GM:Yeah. God, I'm so glad you're back, Aaron. Oh.
Hannah / Eryn:What? Where you been in here the whole time?
Tim / GM:Yeah. Sorry. We didn't know what to do. We saw you guys getting arrested, and we just we jumped into the cart, but then they started moving the cart.
Hannah / Eryn:Who's in there? Who's in there with you?
Tim / GM:I'm sorry. There was very little I could do to stop him. He's he's very strong, you know.
Maggie / Poppy:Is that April?
Tim / GM:Yes. Me and April in here. We, we we just we stayed on back seat. Not everybody did. Some of us did.
Tim / GM:But, anyway, yeah. We're too scared to come out, so we're still in here.
Tim / GM:Okay. Well,
Hannah / Eryn:I'm I'm glad you're okay. Just hang out a little longer, but, maybe we'll need your help soon.
Tim / GM:And here it is. The the wagon that you had asked about. It's it's right here. Okay.
John / Doran:Yeah. This looks ridiculous.
Tim / GM:Slow as can be. It was so funny watching it come in.
John / Doran:Do you mind if I just real quick take a take a crystal here?
Tim / GM:Oh, of course. Okay.
John / Doran:I I pull up minor illusion, make a crystal again. What's up speed demons? Here we are. Look at this piece of junk. And then I go around and I'm just gonna, like, kick the wheel, like, wow.
John / Doran:It it actually stayed on. Amazing. We're gonna turn this thing. We're gonna spin around, tear it up, turn it into one of fastest wagons around. Just you wait.
John / Doran:Alright. Sorry. I know I know it's kinda like vain of me, and I put the crystal away. But, you know, I we got some followers. It's just fun.
John / Doran:You know? You appreciate, like, wagons and races and stuff like that.
Tim / GM:Right? All a little too fast for me, I'm afraid.
John / Doran:Oh, okay. Yeah. I'm sure when you were young, though, you were just racing around or watching races or
Tim / GM:I'm 18. Oh. I'm sorry.
Maggie / Poppy:That's a really old cat.
Hannah / Eryn:In cat ears, you know.
Tim / GM:Yeah. Oh, yes. Yes. In my younger days, of course. Nothing better than the wind in my whiskers.
Tim / GM:Yes.
Tim / GM:I know what
John / Doran:you mean.
Maggie / Poppy:I don't even need my whiskers.
John / Doran:Alright. Well, so how does this work? Do do I just, give you some gold and
Tim / GM:make this We just checked the ledger for the bids and he, like, flips to the pages in his book and he kinda looks down
Tim / GM:and he says, yeah. Oh, started quite humble but then, oh, they started to really outdo each other. Yes. The bids here are up to 1200, it looks like.
John / Doran:1200? Are you seriously?
Tim / GM:Yeah. Very strange.
Tara / Journey:Mhmm.
Tim / GM:Such a slow vehicle. I wouldn't have never guessed.
John / Doran:Are you sure it didn't like, it it's not we didn't get this mixed up with another one. Right?
Tim / GM:No. Certainly, this is the right one.
Tara / Journey:I wanna put the bid things on the bigger cart next to it.
Tim / GM:Okay. Very cool. And you're still invisible. You know?
Tara / Journey:I'm still invisible. K.
Tim / GM:Cool.
John / Doran:Do I does Dorn perceive this happening, or does it do I notice anything?
Tim / GM:So okay. Journey is not trying to get you to see it, really. So I'm gonna need a, perception with disadvantage, Doran, to see that this is happening. Okay. You're also just distracted with what you're doing?
John / Doran:Right. Right. Perception disadvantage 9.
Tim / GM:Yeah. You don't catch it happening. K. But, Journey, you do affix all of those tags to the larger wagon.
Thomas / Guy:And
Tara / Journey:then I'm gonna walk away
John / Doran:Mhmm.
Tara / Journey:And then I'm gonna into the echo bell that connects with Dora and go
John / Doran:Oh, sorry, sir. I it's just one of my followers, I think. Sorry. What? This'll just take a second.
John / Doran:I pull up the echo build in my ear. Popular, What is up, speed demon?
Tara / Journey:I moved the bin tickets off of the rolling pin, and I put them on the cart next to it.
John / Doran:Alright. Yeah. We'll catch you next week. Thanks for calling in. Thanks for the compliments.
Tim / GM:They're just called to compliment you?
John / Doran:It happens all the time.
Tim / GM:Oh, wow. Wow.
Tim / GM:Yeah. So, anyway, yes. I'm quite sure
Tim / GM:I don't see any bid tags on this one, which is quite strange. And he walks up to it, and he's like kind of like he walks around the entire wagon and doesn't see anything. You know? Hold up. Mhmm.
John / Doran:Sir, are you are you sure like, this one right here. What what did you say? 1200? And then I point at the tags on the bigger wagon next way.
Tim / GM:Oh, yes. Counting backwards, the bids are 1201,901, 900 and, you know what?
John / Doran:Yeah. Hold on. And I go over and I just start flipping them and then kinda revealing the numbers underneath.
Tim / GM:I see. That makes so much more sense, doesn't it? Yeah. It does.
Tim / GM:So,
Tim / GM:it seems there have been no bids on this other card. You're free to place 1.
John / Doran:Well, you said it started at a humble price, right?
Tim / GM:Flipping through his ledgers, he says, I don't know that we even have this one indicated.
John / Doran:Well, you know what? I I care a lot about what the hangar does here. You do great service for the city, making sure that we reuse wagons even as surety as this one. So how about 200? Just to start off.
John / Doran:That seem fair?
Tim / GM:More than fair. I you know, He closes the book and says, this one seems to be unaccounted for. We would appreciate a donation of any size, but if I can't place the bids, I can't quite sell it.
John / Doran:Well, you know what? I've really enjoyed chatting with you, talking about the old days and stuff, and appreciate everything you do here. Here's 200 gold donation. Hope some of it goes towards the hangar, and I give them a wink. Mhmm.
John / Doran:But yeah. Like, any way we can kinda clear out your lot here a little bit? I certainly appreciate it.
Tim / GM:Come back anytime. You're you're a guest to the hangar.
John / Doran:Wonderful. If you do wanna catch catch my, catch my, crystal views, you know.
Tim / GM:Yeah. Speed demon. Yes. Best in back seat. No doubt.
John / Doran:Of course. Yep. Not in the top 10 yet.
Tim / GM:Oh. Oh. That you have my vote. Sweet.
John / Doran:Okay. You
Tim / GM:are a racer. Yes. Of course. Not yet.
Tara / Journey:Not yet. That's,
Tim / GM:Aspirational. Guy. Yeah. From your position, kind of hanging back with Poppy, you are uncharacteristically anxious. Because something is getting to you.
Tim / GM:Some smell in this place is getting to
John / Doran:you. Bobby.
Maggie / Poppy:Yeah.
John / Doran:Do you smell that?
Maggie / Poppy:It kinda smells like motor oil and and horses.
John / Doran:Maybe. I don't I'm not good at categorizing smells.
Tim / GM:The latter sounded pretty accurate. It's it's this kind of, like, almost like a leathery, oily, like, body heat, but then something natural and kind of beautiful on top of it. It is it's horses.
John / Doran:Appears to be one of these majestic creatures.
Tara / Journey:A horse and his guy.
Tim / GM:Poppy, you're kind of staring at Guy because his eyes just kind of go catatonic, and he's got this faraway look. And, Guy, your brain is thundering with the sound of hooves, and you keep seeing the same image playing over and over again. You're seeing the face of someone you know, a young soldier in gray green armor. He's laying down in the mud because his body isn't working anymore. You hear thunderous hooves and a sudden crash of tearing metal, and his chest collapses beneath the hooves as a stampede of cavalry comes by.
Tim / GM:Guy, you know that wasn't the first time you had to slaughter your own soldiers. How else were you supposed to stop an insurrection? But there's another side to this too, there's a comfort and you find yourself in the hangar and the docks of Baxi absently walking the aisles here. And, Poppy, you're just are you following him?
Maggie / Poppy:Guy? Guy, where
John / Doran:are you going? Guy walks the stalls a little bit, and then he if there's a if there's a older horse maybe in one of the stalls, he stops by that one to kinda, like, put his hand up to it and maybe, like, stroke its mane a little bit.
Tim / GM:Yeah. You you see a horse that kind of, like, fits your own body and stature, and it seems very natural to you, very familiar, but it's still lacking something. It's still not quite right. When you turn around to look at Poppy, you see it. Him.
Tim / GM:Unmistakably, your mount. A small, stocky horse, maybe a large donkey with large dragon wings. Guy, what you said back in Farewell is true. You're not afraid of heights and men weren't meant to fly. Donkeys are.
Tim / GM:The beast bows its head upon seeing you and closes its eyes and exhales, as if finishing the longest journey of its life.
Thomas / Guy:Well, look at you.
Tim / GM:You're all looking down at a horse that's like, not nearly large enough for Guy, not by half. It also has completely un it's like a literal donkey with dragon wings. The steed slowly closes its wings, and you realize the entire time there was somebody on the other side. You see a dashing exceptionally well dressed young man in a stylish Baxie Gambison holding a brush that he had just brushed the beast with. He looks up at you, and he says, Excuse me, sir.
Tim / GM:Excuse me, sir Knight?
John / Doran:Oh, yes. I'm sorry. I was transfixed by this beautiful creature.
Tim / GM:Yeah. He is a beauty, isn't he? I'll say. Just look at him. I am.
Tim / GM:This fella's name is Starcrunch.
John / Doran:Aw.
Tim / GM:He's a undefeated champion of the ring light, and I'm his rider. Nice to meet you. The name's Balorin Breeze, best in backseat. Balorin,
Thomas / Guy:one of the best in backseat.
Tim / GM:Well, number 1, but let's not split hairs. Anyway, a lot of people call me mister b.
Hannah / Eryn:Mister
Maggie / Poppy:b. Is he a is he a Tabaxi?
Tim / GM:He's a Tabaxi. Yeah. What
Maggie / Poppy:does he look like?
Tim / GM:Yeah. He's like a light colored, like, white belly, and he's got, like, kind of beautiful piercing green eyes.
John / Doran:Well, mister b and the magnificent star crunch, it is a pleasure to meet you both.
Tim / GM:Forgive me for being so forward and so strange, but do you know this beast?
Thomas / Guy:Well, I I do not believe so, but I if I must be honest, I feel such a striking connection with him.
Tim / GM:Listen, partner. I'm no stranger to people coming around with all sorts of sob stories looking to get a hand on Star Crunch, but I can't give him up. Not that easy.
Thomas / Guy:Oh, well, I imagine he is quite a prize to be won.
Tim / GM:That he is.
Maggie / Poppy:You walk so fast.
Thomas / Guy:Oh, hello. Have you
Tim / GM:Oh, excuse me, miss.
Maggie / Poppy:Oh, hey. Sorry. Guy, we had a plan.
John / Doran:Yes. That was until I met mister b and star crunch.
Maggie / Poppy:Oh, hi. Nice to meet you, mister b, and I nod to the horse.
Tim / GM:The horse just, like, gives you a slow nod. Donkey horse. Doran. Yeah. From wherever you are in this place, you begin to feel sick.
Tim / GM:You hear this clacking noise. You've heard this before. It was right when you got to backseat. It was mixed in with the sound of Sir Bo's engine, but Something here is making you anxious to the point of nausea, and you should make a con save, a wisdom save, and an int
John / Doran:save separately. K. Con save first. 17. K.
John / Doran:Wisdom save? 17.
Tim / GM:Wow, okay. And Intelligence safe?
John / Doran:Oof. 4. Okay. You pass the first 2 of the 3rd.
Tim / GM:Your anxiety breaks, Doran, and you begin rambling. You can't really string together, like, coherent, thoughtful sentences.
John / Doran:So, anyway, why is it called the Hangar? These are all leggings and Are we racing right now? Do you want a race? Gosh, it's not very busy here.
Tim / GM:I think Journey and Aaron are around you right now. Mhmm. Maybe stealth or invisible, but, you see Doran suddenly become very distracted with something that isn't there, and he is talking to literally nobody.
John / Doran:I think I dropped something. Can you help me pick it up? And I get down Dorn. And I'm starting to, like, dig into the ground. Dorn?
John / Doran:It's down here somewhere.
Tara / Journey:Dorn. Dorn. Hey. I'm gonna drop hidden step. Yeah.
Tara / Journey:We got the cart.
Tim / GM:Yeah.
Tara / Journey:Yeah. Doran, what's going on? What are you doing?
John / Doran:Where are we going?
Tara / Journey:Hey. Are you okay?
John / Doran:I feel like I am sick.
Tara / Journey:Why don't we get you into the cart, and we'll
John / Doran:let you sit down for a minute. I dropped something, and I need to find it. And I'm starting to dig into the dirt
Maggie / Poppy:one. No.
Tara / Journey:I don't think you dropped anything here. Let's get you up into the card. Okay? Can I do an insight check on Doran?
Tim / GM:Yeah.
Tara / Journey:Hey. I'm not even lying. That is another naturals. What
Maggie / Poppy:the fuck?
Hannah / Eryn:We are on fire.
Tara / Journey:This is insanity. This is too many naturals.
Tim / GM:Alright. You you've seen Dorn like this under exactly one condition, and it's when divers around. Dorn is not doing well. He's fucked up.
John / Doran:Alright. Journey, why do you trust them?
Tara / Journey:No. It's alright. Dorn, we're gonna we're
John / Doran:just gonna go over the car. Dangerous, and they hurt people, and they make deals that hurt others. We shouldn't be around them. Who cares if the skyland falls?
Tara / Journey:It's gonna be alright, Dorn. There's nothing no great beast is hunting you. No one's trying to hurt you.
John / Doran:I wish Poppy would make breadsticks more.
Hannah / Eryn:Is he drunk? Aaron kinda pops out from under the cart.
Tara / Journey:He's not doing right right now. Darn, please let me help you. You can trust me. I I know that you're going through something right now. Let me just get you in the cart and
Hannah / Eryn:take a seat. Okay? Oh, by the way, Mikey
Tara / Journey:and April are in the cart right now. Yeah. Why don't you go sit in the cart with Mikey and April?
John / Doran:Alright. Hi, April. And I just gesture to no one as we're walking towards the cart.
Tim / GM:Oh, jeez.
Tara / Journey:Can I do a can I do a medicine check to see if there's any, like
John / Doran:Physically?
Tara / Journey:Thing physically that I can do to help with this? 23.
Tim / GM:Wow. Yeah. I think medicine is not an uncommon role that you had taken back in the tribe when you were living among them. Mhmm. You know, some people you would, had kind of relied on you for this sort of thing, especially people that considered you, like, immediate family.
Tim / GM:Like, your little sister, like, needed you for this kind of stuff. Doran is physically ill due to mental reasons. He's having a panic attack.
Maggie / Poppy:Alright. He's mentally ill. Ew.
John / Doran:If if April and Mikey snuck in there, what what if Diver's in there?
Tara / Journey:Dorn. Dorn. And I I take his hands, and I, like, tap. Don't It's alright.
John / Doran:It's alright. Okay.
Tara / Journey:And I just start tapping his hands. Hey. You can can feel my hands. Right?
John / Doran:It takes me a moment before I make eye contact with Journey. This is fun. Yeah. It's like plucking a lute.
Tara / Journey:Yeah. A little bit.
John / Doran:Except it's my fingers.
Tara / Journey:What do you think, Doreen? Do you wanna play the lute for a little bit?
John / Doran:It's weird. This one's so much nicer, but I miss the old one a bit.
Tara / Journey:That's okay. You'll grow into this one too. Maybe that one was part of your old laugh, and this one's part of your new laugh. How do you think about that?
John / Doran:Alright. So I pull the loop down, and, I'm just, like, very quietly, like, muted, just kind of, like, plucking a familiar melody that kind of, like, helps me relax a
Tara / Journey:bit. Mhmm. Yeah. I lead Dorn into the cart and sit him down, and I just gesture with my finger over my mouth to Mikey and April not to speak. Yeah.
Tara / Journey:You just sit here and play, and look, Mikey and April are your little audience right now. How does that sound? Okay. Yeah. You're gonna be alright, Doreen.
Tara / Journey:Diver's not here. He's gone. Okay. It's gonna be alright. We're gonna start moving this cart pretty quick here.
Tara / Journey:Alright? You did a good thing today.
John / Doran:Thanks. Yeah.
Hannah / Eryn:Aaron's doing a perimeter check for diver in the area.
Tim / GM:K. I I mean, you all know he's dead, but yeah.
Hannah / Eryn:I think it's just paranoia.
Tara / Journey:We all know he's dead. Yeah.
Maggie / Poppy:Is he dead, Tim? We know. Insight check.
Hannah / Eryn:I mean, I literally killed him. I still don't believe he's dead. So but I think Aaron Aaron. Is just suspicious of any everything.
John / Doran:I feel like Aaron wouldn't,
Tim / GM:like Yeah.
Tara / Journey:Wouldn't ever be
John / Doran:Discount that.
Tara / Journey:Not vigilant. Yeah. Yeah. Journey, pats Doran softly on the shoulder and then exits the cart and lets him play to his little mini audience for a while.
Tim / GM:Guy and Poppy were standing with Balorin Breeze. Balorin, is on the other side of the the beast from you, the steed, and is, brushing it still with, one of those, like, flat wooden brushes. He says, the road to Best and Backsy is a tough one. If you're looking to challenge me as a racer, I wish you the best of luck. But listen, I I've worked hard at this, and I don't think you got a good shot being a stranger as you are unless you're a talented writer and you got a steed of your own.
John / Doran:I do believe
Thomas / Guy:I was. I am a good rider.
Tim / GM:You believe you're a good rider or you know you're a good rider?
John / Doran:Well, either way, I do lack a steed.
Maggie / Poppy:But a guy can do anything he sets his mind to.
Tim / GM:Is that so?
Maggie / Poppy:I believe him. Did you say you were the best in Daxi?
Tim / GM:Number 1, best in Daxi. But who's counting?
Maggie / Poppy:You, I think. And probably all of Baxi. Oh, I feel really rude. I what did you say your name was again? I didn't realize.
Tim / GM:Oh, please, miss. He leans down and grabs your hand. He says, you can call me Valorant Breeze, but all my friends call me mister b.
Maggie / Poppy:I did. Oh, I'm Poppy Kenmore, and I have a pen. A rolling yes. I make things.
Tim / GM:He kind of, like, looks down the lane and sees the small cart that you're pointing to, and he says, alright. Is how fast does that thing go?
Maggie / Poppy:Oh, not not fast.
John / Doran:About 10 miles per hour.
Tim / GM:Uh-huh. Well, not exactly my speed, but to each their own.
Maggie / Poppy:I was I was thinking, best baker?
Tim / GM:Now that's something. I think you should go for it.
Tara / Journey:Yeah.
Thomas / Guy:Yes, Bobby.
Tim / GM:You're gonna have to take out, Cinny nope. Help me with names.
Maggie / Poppy:Buns.
Tim / GM:Buns? Cindy Buns. Cindy Buns.
Tim / GM:Cindy Buns.
Tim / GM:I'm not all money. Cindy Buns. You're you're gonna have to take out Cindy Buns if you're looking to take the slot for best baker in Baxi.
Maggie / Poppy:I will keep that in mind.
Tim / GM:She's been between 14 and number 8 slot for the last couple
Maggie / Poppy:months. That's quite a range.
Tim / GM:I think you could knock her out. Take that slot. You got it.
Maggie / Poppy:Yeah. I've got it.
Tim / GM:How about this? Give you my vote after I get a sample, of course.
Maggie / Poppy:Oh, yes. Stop by anytime. I'll I'll be there tomorrow, I think.
Tim / GM:Very good. As for you, sir, I wish you the best of luck, but me and Starcrunch, we got a whole life to live together.
Thomas / Guy:May I say goodbye to Starcrunch?
Tim / GM:But you've just met, haven't you? Maybe. Be my guest.
John / Doran:Guy, pet Starcrunch.
Tim / GM:Mhmm.
John / Doran:And assuming it's been an hour, he's going to try to do telepathically talk to Starcrunch.
Tim / GM:Okay.
Thomas / Guy:Who's a good boy? Yeah.
John / Doran:He says in his mind.
Tim / GM:Okay. You hear back in your mind. I am. I've always been your good boy.
John / Doran:I knew it. I knew it. I didn't wanna say in front of any of everybody, but I knew it was bidet. Fuck. It's amazing.
Tara / Journey:I was like, Donkey with dragon wings?
Tim / GM:Fuck.
John / Doran:How? I don't care about anything else. I want a backstory now.
Tim / GM:Please. Please don't. I don't wanna stay with him. I need to go back with you. Things have been different.
Tim / GM:I Where have you been?
John / Doran:I I knew it. I I do know you. You you remember me?
Tim / GM:We've never communicated so clearly in the past. Is this what it was always like?
Thomas / Guy:Well, I I don't remember exactly, but
John / Doran:it is mister B mistreating you?
Tim / GM:Oh, no. He's just boring as all hell. Also, he thinks he's my master and no. I haven't had a master in 15 years. That's not how life works for me anymore.
Tim / GM:I only have friends. And he nuzzles you.
Thomas / Guy:Aww. What?
John / Doran:I promise, Star Crunch,
Thomas / Guy:I will do whatever I can to bring you back home.
Tim / GM:Oh, don't call me that.
Thomas / Guy:Oh, right. S sorry. I
Tim / GM:Call me what you've always called me.
Thomas / Guy:Yes. I will do that.
Tim / GM:Please just say it one time. Just call me Steed again.
John / Doran:Steed?
Tim / GM:Now that's a name.
Thomas / Guy:Yes. Yes. Steed.
Tara / Journey:I wanna cry.
Tim / GM:Now I don't mean to interrupt what's clearly a moment, but, Star Crunch is mine now. So I'm a have to bid you good day.
Thomas / Guy:Oh, yes. I yes. I will see you on the track then.
Tim / GM:You're gonna be out on the track too there?
Thomas / Guy:Yes. On a horse.
Tim / GM:Well, you'll get to see what Bestin' Baxi looks like from behind. He mounts up onto Star Crunch, throwing one leg over the wings and the donkey horse altogether, and you feel this big rush of air when he does, and you hear kind of a a thud when he does, and he's not a huge guy, but something about him is like giving the impression of a huge guy. Maybe it's just his like presence. He kind of gives, like, a and kind of kicks the side of star crunch and hesitantly starts to gallop a little bit and then goes into, like, a full sprint and then all of a sudden just boop. It's like sprints off the ground and blasts forward like fucking Mach 5.
Tim / GM:As soon as he flaps back his violet dragon wings, he just catapults forward out of here. Guy, you know immediately there is no way in hell you will ever beat him.
Thomas / Guy:Well, I'm
Tim / GM:fucked. Doran, after a while, whatever had shaken you, whatever that feeling was, it has subsided. Back in the wagon, April has, gambled the chance to talk and says, do you need any water or anything like that?
Tim / GM:Perhaps ahead of the old driftweed?
John / Doran:That sounds a little risky, April.
Tim / GM:Maybe maybe so.
John / Doran:Yeah. No. I I I'm glad to see both of you truly. I hope you haven't just been living off of chocolate the last day.
Tim / GM:Oh, no. There's all sorts of stuff in here.
John / Doran:I know.
Tim / GM:You kind of take in this room now, like, being in here and being comfortable, and, it's they've lived in here for a day or so. It hasn't been that long since they were first kind of shoved into here, but they, they had taken precautions to set up for a long term engagement. So they've gone through a lot of the resources. Okay.
Maggie / Poppy:No. Mikey pooped in the chocolate chip jar. No.
Tim / GM:Doing that. Yeah.
John / Doran:Well, we've purchased the wagon back, so we're gonna get you into the city. If you can just stay down and stay low until we get out of the hangar here, Then we're gonna get a nice, couple rooms at an inn, and, I think we'll just have a chance to regroup then. Why did you decide to sneak in a back seat in this way?
Tim / GM:Oh, well, we didn't need to sneak in at all, but you guys started getting arrested. We were still at lied, and I just kinda panicked, and I ran it here, and I wouldn't come out because I was too scared to
Tim / GM:come out, but April gave it here too. So I okay. Yeah. I'm sorry. I know it's not my wagon.
Tim / GM:It's just uncomfortable
John / Doran:here. It's it's fine, Mikey. Yeah. And April, thanks for keeping an eye on him. Yeah.
John / Doran:We, didn't think things through about the whole mining gear Big surprise. Challenge. Excuse me. It's fine. April.
John / Doran:Yeah. Sorry about everything, in the past, but, yeah, we have a lot to share, actually, and I think we should get the rest of the group in the conversation here.
Tara / Journey:So Journey went off to find Poppy and Guy k. After depositing Doran.
Tim / GM:Yeah. A journey you're just left in the wake of, like, a huge wing pulse as something had flown out of here, but you see Poppy and Guy kind of standing.
Maggie / Poppy:I've never seen a horse fly before. That was very cool. My own horse. Yeah.
Thomas / Guy:Journey. You missed it. I was reunited with my old steed.
Tara / Journey:Wow. Here on Baxi? Wait. And you remembered him?
Thomas / Guy:I did. The the smell of this place seemed to awaken the memory.
Tara / Journey:Wow. Well, congratulations.
Maggie / Poppy:I mean, he doesn't belong to Guy anymore.
Thomas / Guy:Yes. But I'm going to win him back.
Maggie / Poppy:We met Valor and Breeze, and I promised him, cookies on the house. I keep
John / Doran:doing that. It's really bad business. Well, yes, Poppy. But then you will enter the baking competition.
Maggie / Poppy:Yeah. He said he would vote for me.
Tara / Journey:Oh, alright. Well, that's a good sign because we wanna get you to be one of the best in backseat, and then we'll be able to talk to whoever's in charge here.
Maggie / Poppy:Yeah. Well,
Tara / Journey:we got your cart back.
Maggie / Poppy:What? Really? How much did you spend?
Tara / Journey:I don't know exactly. But, Doren did the wheeling and dealing on it, and I may have helped a little. But, yeah, we got it back. Let's, drive it on out of here. We don't know how to drive it.
John / Doran:Oh, Yeah. I I can do that. Lead the way.
Tara / Journey:Yeah. We head back.
Tim / GM:Okay. Erin, are you accounted for at this point?
Hannah / Eryn:Yep. I was just hanging out by the cart on the outside after I had scoped out for, making sure there were no Yeah. Ghosts of former blight leaders sitting around.
Tim / GM:You, like, painstakingly zoomed in on everything there was to see in this place, and, yeah, no sign of Diver whatsoever. So I
Hannah / Eryn:was just kinda leaning against the cart door as, they walk back home.
Tara / Journey:Doing a cool kid?
Hannah / Eryn:Yep.
Tara / Journey:Yep. Mhmm.
Maggie / Poppy:Oh, I missed you, and I hug one of the wheels.
Tim / GM:Yeah. The, wagon is, seems like taking good care of it here. No paint scuffs. No vandalism. Everything seems intact except for the inside, which has diminished resources and a pea corner.
John / Doran:Oh, dear. Poppy, this was not me.
Hannah / Eryn:I might just walk alongside the cart, if that's okay. I think I saw an inn nearby the market. Should we head
Maggie / Poppy:that way? Sounds like a plan.
Tim / GM:Okay. Yeah. I think you guys all do exactly that. You travel on the wagon together to find an inn to stay.
Hannah / Eryn:Aaron walks outside.
Tim / GM:Yeah. With Aaron not suffering all that. What's the name of the inn that you guys end up at?
Thomas / Guy:Oh, boy.
Tim / GM:It's gotta be cat themed.
Hannah / Eryn:Cat themed? Yep.
Tara / Journey:The scratching post.
John / Doran:Oh. Oh. That's good.
Tim / GM:I think we got it in 1. Wow. You guys wind up at the scratching post.
Maggie / Poppy:I was
Hannah / Eryn:gonna say the Sunbeam.
Maggie / Poppy:I was thinking Sunbeam like cat ass.
John / Doran:It's the scratching post, a Sunbeam hotel.
Tim / GM:Oh, that's it. Yeah. That was yeah. Scratching post by Sunbeam. I love it.
Tim / GM:Sun Sunbeam Management.
Maggie / Poppy:Who has the money now and and Orin?
John / Doran:Yeah. Let's redistribute that. So So you all
Tim / GM:have none. I have all of it.
John / Doran:So it was 200 gold that cost us to get the wagon back. We also have an inn with a hanger. You're welcome, everyone. Got a good bud there. So
Hannah / Eryn:Did you catch his name?
John / Doran:He's old.
Hannah / Eryn:He's old. He's old.
Tim / GM:We have really marginalized old people in these damn peanuts.
John / Doran:We're we are them now.
Tim / GM:Yeah. For sure. Sure.
Hannah / Eryn:Alright. We get a room for how much? Sorry.
Tim / GM:Sorry. 2 gold per room for the night. However many rooms you guys wanna get.
Hannah / Eryn:Do they have I guess we don't need a suite anymore because we got the pin back. So
Tim / GM:True. Yep.
Hannah / Eryn:Is there a place to park the cart?
Tim / GM:Yes. Backseat in general is very accommodating to vehicle traffic. So yeah. Okay. Great.
Maggie / Poppy:I will not be staying in the cart tonight.
Tara / Journey:Because of
Maggie / Poppy:the p corner. At the p corner. Yeah.
Tim / GM:I think April and Mikey volunteered to clean it overnight.
Maggie / Poppy:Thank you.
Tim / GM:You, settle into your accommodations at the scratching post. Much like other establishments in Backseat, comfortable heat is plentiful here. They use the brass pipes liberally to transfer heat, like, into housing and rooms and stuff. So it's very common to have, like, a hot tub or, like, a sauna, radiators everywhere. Like, heat is in no short supply, which might be a problem for some of you that prefer a little cooler.
Tara / Journey:Do we
Maggie / Poppy:do a a boy room and a others room?
Tara / Journey:Yeah. I think that works.
Maggie / Poppy:Okay. Two rooms?
John / Doran:Yeah. I will buy them. Thanks. Thanks, Poppy. Thank you, Poppy.
Maggie / Poppy:Four gold. Right?
Tim / GM:Yeah. Just for the 2 rooms. So you've got these all day, through the night into the next day. Oscar had asked you guys to meet him later, near the mainstream, on Starlight Street, which is like the kind of nightlife district area. So that would be kind of the next thing to wait around for here.
Tim / GM:The 5 of you plus Mikey and April take the afternoon at the scratching post to recoup a little bit. You can take a short rest if you need it. Mikey and April are furiously cleaning and have offered to resupply what they've consumed, from the wagon. It strikes you all, later that evening, as the sun is going down, kind of, nearing dinner time, Oscar had asked you to meet him on something called Starlight Street, which you had seen, like, signs for before, how to get there, like, where it is. Oscar had mentioned he needed to upload his video to the main stream, whatever that meant, but the signs are enough to get you all there.
Tim / GM:Are you taking the wagon or just on foot for this?
Hannah / Eryn:Are Mikey and April coming with us? Are they staying here?
Tim / GM:Would only come with you if the wagon came with you.
Hannah / Eryn:I feel like they could just stay and clean it.
Maggie / Poppy:I'm fine leaving it for tonight.
John / Doran:Okay. Hey, Mikey. April, I'm gonna flip on my couple of gold coins. Have a nice dinner and take your time. No rush.
John / Doran:We'll get this wagon all good shipshape by tomorrow.
Tim / GM:Well, sure. Is there a place I could buy chocolate chips on this eyelid?
Tim / GM:I mean, so I could replace them, of course. That's why I could just eat a bunch of more chocolate chips down here.
John / Doran:So I look at April and I say, buy some, like, proteins. You know? Like like, let's let's nix the
Tara / Journey:Vegetables.
John / Doran:Chocolates a little bit. Yeah.
Tara / Journey:Vegetables.
John / Doran:Yeah. For sure.
Maggie / Poppy:I'm gonna give them a a shopping list of stuff to restock. Okay. Yeah.
Tim / GM:Actually, that's a really smart way of doing that. Yeah. They will resupply everything you've spent for the, yeah, for the wagon so
Maggie / Poppy:far. Okay.
John / Doran:Okay. Alright.
Tim / GM:Yeah. You leave them to it, and head out to Starlight Street. And when you get there, you see a massive quartz crystal in the center of this, round like promenade area. This is kind of like the literal center of the nightlife. It is now like you know the last light of dusk has left.
Tim / GM:You know there's this kind of constant excitement to the air here as people filter out in their best dressed, fashion. They've all got crystals at the ready recording holograms, of literally everything that's happening here, and the crowd is getting thick around that crystal. This one in the center. It's taller than you. It's taller than anybody there, probably 15 feet kind of ascending into the air here, but people keep pressing their crystals up against it and pulling them away.
Tim / GM:You can see people are either sharing crystals into the mainstream or pulling images out of the mainstream. And that's how things are transferred here. Pushing through this crowd behind you, you hear, excuse me, everybody out of the way. I need this. I need this.
Tim / GM:I need y'all to get away from me. Come on. Come on, please. But you look back and see nobody's moving. Come on, please.
Tim / GM:Somebody, come on. I just gotta get through. You don't understand what's on the line here. Come on.
Hannah / Eryn:Oscar.
John / Doran:Sounded like
Tara / Journey:I think it is.
John / Doran:Can't he fly?
Thomas / Guy:Let's watch him struggle.
Tim / GM:And actually, I think we'll end it there. Thanks everybody for listening. I've been Tim, your GM. I've been
Hannah / Eryn:I'm Hannah playing
Tara / Journey:Aaron. I'm Tara, and I play Journey.
John / Doran:I'm Thomas, and I'm Kai. I'm always John, and I play Dorn.
Maggie / Poppy:You took my joke. I'm Maggie, and I'm Poppy Kenmore.
Tim / GM:Thanks everybody for listening and we'll see you in the next one.
