Cursebreaker | 14 - A Bad Part of Town
Last time on Cursebreaker. After finally making it into the city of Tildry, Holly invited the rest of the party into her home to rest and plan their next moves. The party visited a bone museum, got in touch with Henry and Maisie, and snack built a deadly trap in Holly's backyard. At the end of the day, the party attended a meeting with Margo Bingo, and learned that she's a curse breaker, and that she's in danger. Now, which way to the librarian?
Tim / GM:I am one thirsty genie. All of what Jeannie just said is true. All those things that you guys did. Woah. Tibeo That was us?
Tim / GM:That was you guys. Woah. I did it. Holy shit. I'm doing this.
Tim / GM:Tibio Tibio got some real recognition from the bones in the tower of knowledge. Holly was hard at work, making Snack's new, breastplate. Snack Genie told you that he wanted to sip some magic from the the font of magic Mhmm. In the tower of magic. Magic, magic, magic.
Tim / GM:Margo was in the middle of asking all of you, if you would be interested in slash available to help her investigate Fizzle a little bit. She just needs a little bit of recon, somebody to check out his club and brewery Mhmm. And, see what he's got going on there. She's extremely suspicious of him and is almost a 100% sure that he is the one behind the, arson attacks against their guild.
Maggie / Poppy:And what's the club name?
Tara / Journey:Live life laugh. No. Live life, love, laugh juice bar and brewery. Live life.
Tim / GM:Wanna make sure I got that order right, because
Maggie / Poppy:I gotta
Tim / GM:keep it
Tara / Journey:consistent. Live life. Love laugh.
Speaker 4:It's like you're living life, and you love to laugh.
Maggie / Poppy:You love to laugh.
Speaker 4:It's the worst.
Maggie / Poppy:Live life, love, laugh.
Tim / GM:Yes.
Tara / Journey:K.
Tim / GM:Holly, I'm just hesitant to, recruit any of our guild members that don't have what you'd call fighting experience into this situation. And I know that you do. You're a pretty formidable witch as I remember.
Maggie / Poppy:Well, thanks, Margo. You know, I'm mostly good at the transmutation stuff, but I've I picked up a couple things on the road, a couple, tricks up my sleeve, if you will. You know, we did have to fight off a giant pumpkin or something. I don't remember. But a vegetable of some kind.
Speaker 5:It was a a melon.
Tim / GM:Would we, Holly, be able to, recruit any of your friends as well? They seem like the type, if you don't mind me saying.
Maggie / Poppy:I know at least one of us is, and she looks over at snack.
Speaker 6:How many people do we need to kill to prove ourselves to you, guild leader?
Tim / GM:She, she kind of smirks and says, 0. Done. This time. But I appreciate your enthusiasm.
Speaker 6:Yes. Let me know if you change your mind. But we are quite apt and skilled in such ways.
Tim / GM:Margo looks up at you, Holly, with this, like, you sure about this kinda look?
Maggie / Poppy:Holly, like, kinda was like, I'm not really sure about anything. But, you know, I think we definitely are up for the challenge if it helps you out. I mean, at least I am, and it seems like my friends here enjoy staying with me for free in Tildry, so they better help.
Tim / GM:She looks over all of your friends and says, of course, you'd let them all stay for free. That's all the iosinth.
Speaker 7:Miss Bingo, you can count on my help for sure. And thank you, by the way, for
Tim / GM:What a deep voice you have.
Speaker 7:Yeah. Listen, I'm undercover right now.
Maggie / Poppy:This is Bertolli.
Tim / GM:She, gives you a wink, and she says, I suspected as much.
Speaker 7:It's because everyone wouldn't leave me alone. But now I see it was this desire curse, not any sort of local notoriety.
Tim / GM:No. Engelbert, is it?
Speaker 7:That's right.
Tim / GM:Yes. I, notorious as you might be, yes. It was the curse at work that was turning heads.
Maggie / Poppy:That's a relief. At least you don't have to be Bertolli anymore.
Speaker 7:Yeah. Let's see. Any anyway, miss Bingo, I hate to nitpick, but I think you got some of your facts wrong about this, about this investigation you got in works for us.
Tim / GM:If you have information that I don't, please let me know.
Speaker 7:Well, this club's run by Frankie Fizzle is what you said. Right? He's, you said he's the one causing trouble in town?
Tim / GM:Correct. He's been a thorn on our side for years.
Speaker 7:Well, he's dead.
Tim / GM:I think it's you who might have your facts confused. He's very much alive.
Speaker 7:Well, you remember, last year when a store burned down. Right?
Tim / GM:Yes. I remember the fire, but, he escaped to my knowledge.
Speaker 7:I visited the morgue myself and confirmed that, Kuma and Fizel both died.
Tim / GM:That's most concerning. Perhaps this is something else we should add to our investigation? If any of you can get close to Fizel, I think we'll have more answers, but I think the club is still the right place to start.
Speaker 7:I guess it's possible he's not as dead as they said he was.
Speaker 5:Maybe he was raised from the dead by a necromancer, and I could help.
Tim / GM:A necromancer? Yes. A powerful thing to have in the belt as well. And, what can the rest of you say for your, aptitudes?
Speaker 4:Just look at me. Boom. Boom.
Tara / Journey:Welcome to the gun show.
Tim / GM:Fair enough. And, how about this, bejeweled Kobold fellow?
Speaker 4:Just look at him.
Tim / GM:Okay. Fair enough. And, Engelbert, sharp with the quill as you are. Any, Battlefield experience?
Speaker 7:Oh, sharp with a quill, am I? I'm gonna summon up a quill and, like, shoot it into a dart board that is probably in
Tara / Journey:the Yeah.
Tim / GM:Yeah. Make an attack on the dart board.
Tara / Journey:Is that a random check? Oh. Does it does it better?
Speaker 7:That's a that's a one.
Tara / Journey:Oh, no.
Tim / GM:Oh, man. Yeah. You just you just like do that, and you just blast a chandelier.
Speaker 7:Well, this dress is a little more constricting than I'm used to. I
Tim / GM:She, looks up at the chandelier and watches pieces, like, fall from the ceiling to the floor and then turns back to you and just smiles and nods her head emphatically. She says, I think we've got a team. Now, the tours, don't start until tomorrow. That is, you could go to the live life left whatever it was and, go on one of their free tours around noon. From there, you'd be able to see into the bar a little bit, I think.
Tim / GM:And that's a good place to start.
Maggie / Poppy:So, can we get into the club or not until
Tim / GM:As far as I know, it's invite only, and I don't know what those invitations look like.
Maggie / Poppy:I'll, have to see if some of my friends or contacts know how to get in.
Tim / GM:Very good. I, hope to hear back from you all soon. I'm curious to see where this leads us.
Speaker 6:What is it that you want us to learn from this Fizzle?
Tim / GM:Well, if it really is Frankie Fizzle still at the helm, we need to take him down. And if it's not Frankie Fizzle, we need to figure out who it is and take them down. But we have to do it smart, and she taps the side of her head.
Speaker 5:That means no killing.
Speaker 6:We shall see. But what do you
Speaker 7:think take them out means?
Maggie / Poppy:On a date. Now we're talking. No. I'm just kidding.
Tim / GM:1st, we need more information before we jump to anything.
Speaker 5:Okay. This is not the first time that we are dealing with someone selling potions and they are evil.
Tim / GM:Well, I don't mean to sound, prejudiced, but, it seems to me that alchemists seem to lean into the shadows a little bit. Mina is the only good alchemist I've ever met, and look what happened to her. Got her shop burned down.
Speaker 4:Don't you guys have like a town guard or something?
Tim / GM:Yes. But, how should I put this? The, authority of Tildry have not been supportive of our guild either.
Speaker 4:Not surprising.
Speaker 7:Most of them are in the pockets of these guys we're after.
Speaker 4:So we're being deputized again.
Tim / GM:Unfortunately, I can't give you any such authority, but, give them hell.
Speaker 4:Sorry, snack. You don't get another badge.
Speaker 6:This is quite a barrier to our justice.
Speaker 4:I'm sure we'll find a way.
Tim / GM:That's what I like to hear. She's kind of, ushering you guys out the door.
Maggie / Poppy:It was nice to see you, Margo. Bye.
Tara / Journey:She's just
Tim / GM:like, very good. Now get out.
Speaker 5:Miss Holly, should we head back to your house and rest up for tomorrow's investigation? I'm very excited to look into the depths of Tildry.
Maggie / Poppy:Yeah. I think that sounds like a good idea. I'm pretty beat. We also have to figure out the sleeping situation, but I'm sure we can pull out some cushions and figure everything out. Wasn't someone camping outside?
Tara / Journey:Me. I called the couch.
Maggie / Poppy:Okay. Well, I think we'll have enough beds then.
Tim / GM:As you're all on your way back to, Holly's home, the last thing you kinda see before the sun goes down is a lone raven that's kind of been following you through the city until you get to Holly's, and then it just sort of perches on her the steep eaves of Holly's home, and, just kinda trills once before you guys walk inside.
Speaker 7:Oh, that's nice.
Tim / GM:I don't know what a raven sounds like. It's not a crow.
Speaker 6:Are there laws against killing birds in the city?
Maggie / Poppy:I don't think so. Probably.
Tara / Journey:Do not
Speaker 6:care for this bird.
Speaker 8:Shoo. And I, wave my hands violently at it.
Tim / GM:It just, does that thing where it cocks its head, like, 90 degrees and, like, looks down straight at you with one eye?
Speaker 8:I reach into my pack and I pull out the stone that always hits.
Tim / GM:Oh, nice. Okay.
Speaker 8:And I give it a lob.
Tim / GM:Yeah. Yeah. You toss it at the bird. So it always hits. So roll damage, I guess.
Speaker 8:It's just one bludgeoning time.
Tim / GM:Oh, that's right. It was. Yeah. Okay. Yeah.
Tim / GM:Okay. I mean, probably that kills a bird. No. But we'll say that, it just kind of like bursts into feathers and you see it, like, fly away.
Speaker 7:Falls like that.
Tim / GM:Yeah. A naked druid falls onto the cobbles. Mhmm.
Speaker 6:Yes. We cannot be seen, for we are fugitives.
Maggie / Poppy:Everyone else is inside at this point, I'm guessing. I'm like, I'm just imagining this as Snack was the last person to come and go in the door of Holly's house.
Tim / GM:Like, maybe Tibia's still out there, like,
Speaker 4:what are you doing? Fuck.
Speaker 8:Snack grabs the bird and the stone, and then takes the bird inside.
Tim / GM:I think that the bird didn't quite die. I think you hit it and it just like, it burst into feathers and flew away from you. Okay. Yeah.
Speaker 4:I mean, I'm I'm camping outside.
Tim / GM:Yeah. You see an angry raven fly away from the house, leaving a trail of feathers. Uli is in her room, brushing her hair.
Speaker 4:I am sleeping outside. I am sleeping outside on my sleeping roll
Tara / Journey:Mhmm.
Speaker 4:Under a tree.
Maggie / Poppy:Just don't roll into the trap that, snack built in the backyard. Be careful out here. You know, that's a new that's a new thing.
Speaker 4:Oh, I'm aware of it. Okay. I almost fell to my death. I'm so sorry. I'm going to bed Mhmm.
Tara / Journey:And
Speaker 4:then I'm, like, tossing and turning a little bit because I keep thinking about this stupid mirror. I just need to know what it does. So I like huff and I sit up and I pull it out.
Tim / GM:Yeah. So, yeah. You're propped in there and looking at the mirror and you, it's got like a pretty, like, pristine reflective surface. And you flip it over and you see on the back is, scratched. What if I were you?
Speaker 6:What if
Speaker 4:I go to the tavern tonight and try and get into the club?
Tim / GM:You're, you, like, say that out loud to the mirror as you're kind of turning it back in your hand and looking at your reflection. And, you kind of, like, see a lot of weird lights play across your face. And it's almost like you're watching a first person, like, video of you, like, going through this night. And so you see, like, a bunch of, like, lamplight against your face, like, as you're walking there. And then you see, like, your face kind of, like, in fast motion being, like, like smiling and then being, like, really, like, confused and upset and then really angry.
Tim / GM:And then like you see a few like scuffs and bruises form across your face. And like you're kind of like wincing and like shouting. And then you're, like, sort of just tired.
Speaker 4:Okay. I won't go to the tavern.
Tara / Journey:Sounds like a bad party.
Speaker 4:What if I went back to Ulrich's farm?
Tim / GM:You, you keep, like, twisting the mirror to, like, try to see very clear what's going on, but it's almost as, like, there's, like, steam on the inside of the mirror that's starting to fog it up a little bit. And so you're following yourself, kind of like walking through a much darker path going out to Ulrich's farm. And, you see, like, you're just kind of stoic for a long time, and then you look really kind of shocked. And you just sort of look, a little doubtful for the rest of the image.
Speaker 4:I don't like that. And then I say, what if I were you?
Tim / GM:What emotion, what facial expression is the mirror making when you say, what if I were you?
Speaker 4:Like, overly cheery.
Tim / GM:Okay. So when you say, what if I were you? You feel a bit of a pulse. It's really nothing. But it kinda feels like something was almost dropped on your head, like an acorn or something like that.
Tim / GM:You suddenly don't feel, uneasy about maybe going to Ulrich's, and you don't feel defeated about maybe going to the bar. You just feel sort of optimistic and looking forward to hanging out with your friends tomorrow. In no uncertain terms, you have traded personas with the mirror. There is a I don't wanna call it an entity, because I don't wanna make this sound like you're being possessed. Mhmm.
Tim / GM:But you have you have swapped with the mirror.
Speaker 4:So if I look in the mirror right now, I see someone who's, like, kind of gruff and
Tim / GM:Yeah. Someone who's got, like, a lot on their mind and doesn't like to be bothered.
Speaker 4:Okay. Yeah. But because I feel positive and optimistic, I am not gonna question it. Yeah. I'm just gonna tuck it under my pillow and roll over and go to sleep.
Tim / GM:For sure. Yeah. It's probably, like, the best sleep you've got in a while. No anxious waking up or anything.
Speaker 8:Mhmm. Where is Bert?
Tim / GM:On the couch somewhere?
Speaker 7:Yeah. On the couch.
Tara / Journey:Somewhere along the couch. Yeah.
Tim / GM:He's, like, write
Speaker 7:writing and reading stuff.
Speaker 8:Okay. So Sneka walks up to Bert and stands really close, takes some loose feathers out of his, cloak pocket and stuff it under Bert.
Speaker 6:Bert, this might help and make it more comfortable for you here. Here are some more feathers for you.
Speaker 7:Yep. Just, put them over there, snack.
Tara / Journey:He's working, dad.
Speaker 8:Alright. Yeah. I take the feathers out from Bert and move them where he pointed.
Speaker 7:Thanks, bud. Bert.
Speaker 6:What? Bert, stop your scribbling for a sec, please.
Speaker 7:Okay. Just a sec.
Tara / Journey:Just a sec.
Speaker 7:Just a sec. Just a sec. Sex matches
Speaker 6:the book. Yep. Oh, I I oh, I stretch.
Speaker 7:I guess I'm done.
Speaker 6:Bert, say, you have been to this librarian. Right?
Speaker 7:Oh, the librarian. Yeah. I I used to work there. Well, I still work there. You know, I'm on assignment now.
Speaker 7:Yes. Tibio and I went earlier today.
Speaker 6:I heard, yes. And, I was wondering, do you know of this, is do they have fountains in the the librarian?
Speaker 7:Fountains. Well, yeah. There's one out in the courtyard. Mhmm. That's pretty nice.
Speaker 6:Somewhere hidden deep within the the librarian. That's the magic water place. I was wondering if you know of where they are.
Speaker 7:Oh, I think I know what you're talking about, Snack. How did you know about those?
Speaker 6:Well, no reason at all. Bert, I've been very interested in books as you as you know and I wanted to go to this librarian with you. But, I read quite slowly and I don't want to get too thirsty. So
Speaker 7:I I think I understand. Excellent. I'm glad to hear you're taking an interest in book snack. It's a whole world.
Speaker 6:Yes. Oh. How I it's rude of me to have knocked your book down. I I go pick it
Speaker 8:up and give it back to him.
Speaker 6:Oh. Thank you, sir. Say Bert.
Speaker 7:Yes, nag?
Speaker 6:Can we go now? Can we go to this librarian right now?
Speaker 7:Well, there's a thing you should know about this fountain you're looking for. It's,
Tara / Journey:it's not
Speaker 7:exactly open to the public.
Speaker 4:You need a librarian card.
Speaker 7:I'm not saying it's impossible to visit, but, you know, you need a good reason and more than that you, you need a lot of coin.
Speaker 6:I see. Is this enough coin? And I tipped the lamp upside down to drop the silver bars out, and then go
Speaker 7:What was that, like, 10,000.
Tim / GM:Yeah. So and the bars are £20 each, so everybody in the house can hear, like
Maggie / Poppy:Holly's head just pops out the stairwell, and it just, like, pops back in after she sees what it was. She thought something was broken.
Tim / GM:Nobody fell down the stairs.
Speaker 7:Oh, well, I suppose that might be enough. You sure this is, worth spending all that money on?
Speaker 6:Knowledge is the most powerful thing, isn't it?
Speaker 7:I'm always saying that.
Speaker 6:Yes, of course. Well, I think this is how I want to spend this coin.
Speaker 7:Alright. I can't wait to show you all my favorite books in the library.
Speaker 6:Yes, of course. I am
Speaker 7:It's usually a 2 day tour, but I think I can squeeze it all.
Speaker 6:I am Do you mind helping me move these silver bars They're quite heavy. And I, am also afraid, Holly's floor seems to be it must have been mishapped. Alrighty. But maybe we can fix it.
Speaker 7:Oh, yeah. We gotta find a place to move these because they won't take literal silver bars as payment.
Speaker 6:Oh, I I see. Okay.
Speaker 7:We'll figure it out, Snack.
Speaker 6:Good night, Bert. Good night, mister Snack.
Tim / GM:That, takes us through to the next morning.
Speaker 4:What a good morning.
Tim / GM:Yeah. So, Holly, when do you wake up?
Maggie / Poppy:Holly wakes up with the sun Okay. Rise. Holly is a early riser.
Tim / GM:Yeah.
Speaker 4:You come down in the kitchen, and I've already started making breakfast. Woah.
Maggie / Poppy:Ooey. This was unexpected. Holly is, like, in a cute little robe and, like, in little slippers with little, I don't know. What's a magical creature? It's like a bunny.
Maggie / Poppy:A bunny. A bunny.
Tara / Journey:A bunny.
Speaker 7:A dire bunny.
Maggie / Poppy:A dire bunny. She's got dire bunny slippers on. They got teeth. Yeah. Good morning, Holly.
Maggie / Poppy:Good morning. How do you like your eggs? Sunny side up?
Speaker 4:Perfect. Do you want some tea?
Maggie / Poppy:Yes. Sure. Okay.
Speaker 4:I already made it for you. Wow. You're in a good mood this morning. What do you mean?
Maggie / Poppy:Well, I've never seen you cook, and you just have never smiled with your
Tara / Journey:teeth before.
Speaker 4:Oh, I don't know. I just feel good. I feel like I slept really well.
Maggie / Poppy:Oh, that's good. I mean, the backyard will do that to you. Yeah. It's a very nice backyard. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Maggie / Poppy:Did you smell those spring flowers? Yes.
Speaker 4:Oh, the rose bushes.
Maggie / Poppy:Yeah. Beautiful. Been working on that garden for a while, so I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Tara / Journey:Tibio comes rattling down the stairs.
Speaker 4:Good morning, Tibio.
Speaker 5:Hello. Good good morning. Uli? Hi. Is that you Uli?
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Maggie / Poppy:Silly. Silly? Tivia goes back up the stairs. Mom, Holly, sitting down at her table and just, like, eating breakfast, like, smiling and being, like, wow, it's a whole new person. This is very exciting.
Tim / GM:And, Holly, your your mind is immediately on work. You know that the breastplate is not far from being finished, but you're going to need more Essence of Midnight to finish it off.
Maggie / Poppy:Goddamn it, that apprentice.
Speaker 4:Goddamn it. God's damn it.
Maggie / Poppy:Holly is just, like, thinking about the essence of midnight that was wasted and is just, like, eating her eggs and just getting angrier and angrier. Just like she gets that, like, cuts cuts the toast too hard. It's like Yeah.
Speaker 4:I set my tanker down next to her. If you need this.
Maggie / Poppy:I might, but it's okay. I I just have to go figure out where to get some Essence of Midnight, and it's expensive. And
Tim / GM:Yeah. Part of that anxiety, Holly, is that last time you got Essence of Midnight, you had to go to a real shady part of town. Mhmm. And probably you're gonna have to go back again to get another bottle.
Tara / Journey:Tibio comes back downstairs.
Speaker 4:Hi again. I forgot to ask how you like your eggs.
Tara / Journey:Do
Speaker 4:you like eggs?
Speaker 5:No. I I I eat eggs. I'm not hungry. I'm making sure this is all
Maggie / Poppy:real. Oh, it's real? And Holly, like, scoops a big mouthful of eggs into her mouth.
Speaker 5:I guess I will have scrambled. Here you go.
Speaker 4:I just kinda made a bunch of eggs in different ways.
Speaker 5:Merci Boku. And Tibio sneaks away with his plate
Tara / Journey:of eggs.
Speaker 4:I was trying to remember how you say, you're welcome.
Speaker 5:Dorian. Dorian.
Tim / GM:Does Tibio go back to his room or sit
Speaker 9:at the table? Sits at the table. Yeah.
Speaker 7:Morning, folks. Big day today.
Maggie / Poppy:Good morning, Bert.
Speaker 6:I am here as well. Snack.
Speaker 7:Come up
Speaker 8:from under the table.
Speaker 4:Were you were you under there the whole time?
Speaker 6:Yes. It is safe and secure.
Speaker 4:Here is
Maggie / Poppy:a lot of bacon for you. Oh.
Speaker 4:Yeah. I know. I just used all your bacon. I'm so sorry.
Maggie / Poppy:I was gonna say that's, like, a metric ton of bacon. So
Speaker 4:I will definitely pick up more. I promise.
Maggie / Poppy:That's okay. Holly grabs a piece off of it and starts munching it. Thank you.
Speaker 7:Yeah. Thanks for breakfast, Julie.
Maggie / Poppy:You're welcome. Yeah. What a treat to have breakfast served in my own home. I love it.
Speaker 4:It's just so nice to wake up with
Tara / Journey:a pillow. Walking around, Emily, and, like, making sure she hasn't been injured.
Speaker 4:Hello?
Tara / Journey:Hi, guys.
Speaker 5:Uli, have you been I've heard that sometimes when someone gets hit on the head, they lose their mind. Did you get hit on the head?
Speaker 4:No. I feel great.
Tara / Journey:Okay. He sits back down.
Maggie / Poppy:She said it was from sleeping outside in my beautiful garden.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Yeah. I think it must have been. It was just really nice.
Speaker 7:I hope you don't mind. I just, I got a lot of writing to do, so I'm just gonna gonna write while I eat.
Speaker 4:Sure. Whatever.
Speaker 7:Dear Tibio. He's only acting weird.
Tara / Journey:Tibia, like, spaces out and sees the words appearing in front of his eyes. He's like and,
Speaker 7:I wonder if she's been cursed.
Tara / Journey:I nod emphatically.
Speaker 7:Well, let's keep an eye out for that.
Speaker 5:Miss Holly, does your friend, miss Bingo, will we be talking to her again today? Thank you. Miss Bingo the curse breaker?
Tara / Journey:Maybe.
Speaker 7:The one who breaks curses?
Maggie / Poppy:Sure. I mean, I I we could try to find her at our shop if we wanted to do some shopping. I do need to get some essence of midnight, but that's not in Margo Bingo's part of town.
Speaker 5:Could we make a, what how do you say, pit pit stop?
Speaker 7:Maybe she has, like, a coupon or something.
Maggie / Poppy:I don't know what that is, but yes.
Speaker 5:Uly, would you like to go see miss Bingo? I would love to. Yes.
Speaker 7:I bet you would.
Maggie / Poppy:New friends.
Speaker 8:Snack, is tapping on Tibia's, like, Tibio.
Speaker 6:That's the joke.
Speaker 5:Yes, Nick?
Speaker 6:Tibio.
Speaker 5:Are you okay?
Speaker 6:I am not okay. I am pretending to eat bacon. It has taken all my willpower to do so. I am worried.
Tara / Journey:What the
Speaker 5:heck are you worried about?
Speaker 6:I think Uli is trying to kill us with kindness.
Speaker 5:I don't I don't believe that we are in any immediate danger.
Speaker 6:Are you sure?
Speaker 5:I think that, I think that the only person in immediate danger is Uli, But then I think she is cursed.
Tara / Journey:I'm, like, leaning under the table, I'm assuming.
Speaker 7:Yeah. Yeah. Alright.
Tim / GM:It's like, yes, snack snack and Tibio and, like, maybe Bert are, like, having a meeting under the table.
Maggie / Poppy:Holly's just eating her food with her chameleon, like, happy as can be.
Tim / GM:Work on the brain.
Speaker 8:Yep. I started devouring the bacon
Tim / GM:then at that point.
Speaker 7:Okay. Yeah.
Maggie / Poppy:Well, I guess, once we clean up here, we can, be off, run our couple errands, and then we got a brewery tour, right about midday, it seems like.
Speaker 7:Oh, yeah. We should probably, I don't know, have a game plan for this brewery tour,
Maggie / Poppy:Well, I mean, I think if we go there, we can at least, you know, get a scope on what's going on. I mean, just to get a feel for the situation. That's all Margo really asked for, and then we can make a plan from there probably.
Speaker 5:Miss Holly, I found a mystery book in your house last night, and I read it. And I have a very good idea for this. I I would like to wear a large hat, and then when we are exploring, I can have my skeleton keep walking, and I can look around. And it'll wear a hat so that it does not look like I am gone.
Maggie / Poppy:Well, I do have a lot of hats, so
Speaker 5:I love this idea.
Speaker 7:Damn. That's good. I had an idea too. It's not as good as Tibio's. I thought I mean, if Fizzle is really the guy running the place, we could try to appeal to his, you know, venture capitalist self.
Speaker 7:Have someone, you know, pose as sort of a interested party wanting to do business, maybe buy the place, sell the place, you know.
Speaker 5:We do have a lot of silver. We could pose as investors.
Speaker 7:Yeah. Some way to some way to get him a lot of money.
Speaker 4:Make us seem a little shady. Right.
Maggie / Poppy:Or, oh, we could say we wanna sell his potions somewhere else.
Speaker 7:There you go.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 5:Franchise.
Speaker 6:In the underdark.
Speaker 4:Fresh eyes.
Maggie / Poppy:Yeah. Fresh eyes. Great. Okay. Well, one last thing before we get going.
Maggie / Poppy:So I, stayed up a little late last night and I've been working on something for you guys. And Holly pulls back, she has, like, a curtain, in a closet in her kitchen. She pulls it back and there's a rod. And on the rod, just perfectly let out is laid out as all the outfits for the club tonight.
Tara / Journey:For everybody. Beyond mesh all around.
Maggie / Poppy:Yep. Like fun stylish stuff. So, yeah. So I hope, you all are ready, because we're not gonna get in unless we look fabulous.
Speaker 4:These are so cute.
Maggie / Poppy:Thanks, Uli.
Speaker 5:Do I I think we still need invitations.
Maggie / Poppy:We'll figure that out in the brewery tour, but I needed to make sure our clothes were right on because I knew I wouldn't have very much time today. So
Tim / GM:Holly, do you wanna get the essence of midnight before or after the club or the the British
Speaker 4:tour? Yeah.
Maggie / Poppy:We could probably if it's close enough, we could make it there just real quick before.
Tim / GM:Do it before.
Maggie / Poppy:Yeah. Do you guys wanted to see Margo? Yeah?
Speaker 5:Yes. Alright. Definitely.
Speaker 7:Yeah. Let's see Margo.
Speaker 5:Yes. I think that'd be very good. Yeah.
Maggie / Poppy:You guys are gonna love her shop. She, sells those little stacking people that are inside other people.
Tara / Journey:Just find nesting dolls.
Tim / GM:So you approach, Margo Bingo's, nesting dolls and more. She did not expect to see you, I think, before the brewery tour, but she's, delighted nonetheless. She says, oh, new information already.
Tara / Journey:Margo Bingo's Kitschy Catches.
Tim / GM:There it is. She just sells, like, knickknacks?
Speaker 6:Mhmm.
Tim / GM:Okay. Very successful knickknacks store.
Maggie / Poppy:Bingo's parlor. Margo Bingo's parlor.
Tim / GM:Also good.
Maggie / Poppy:I like that.
Speaker 7:Bingo. Miss Bingo, it's, great to see you again. I don't know if you remember last night when I had that curse in me and then you removed it. You know, it's nothing to be embarrassed about. It's just a thing that happens.
Speaker 7:People get cursed.
Tara / Journey:And so It's
Maggie / Poppy:a natural part of life.
Tara / Journey:Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 7:So we're all here.
Tara / Journey:Like rounding around behind Uli. Mhmm. And I start, like, gently kind of, like, pushing her forward Uh-huh. Toward toward Margo Bingo.
Speaker 7:So we're all here to say hello to you again, and thank you.
Speaker 5:For removing curses.
Tara / Journey:Yes. And then I point all 4 of my hands. No. That's not. At Uli from behind her.
Speaker 4:I cannot believe we didn't know.
Tim / GM:Margo looks, between Bert and Tibio and catches on pretty much right away. And then she looks up at Tibio, and, she mouths the words like this one.
Tara / Journey:And I nod. I nod emphatically again.
Tim / GM:She, kind of like without taking her eyes off, Uli, she starts reaching around under her desk and, like, opens a drawer. And, again, without taking eye contact off, pulls up one of those, the little, like, brass spectacles on a stick. And she, like, looks at Uli through the spectacles and then takes them off and then looks at her again. Oh. And then she looks back at Bert and Tibio and shakes her head side to side.
Tim / GM:She says no.
Speaker 4:What is going on?
Speaker 5:So to be clear, Uli is not cursed right now.
Speaker 4:Cursed? What?
Tim / GM:My years of experience are telling me no. Not at all.
Speaker 5:But she is completely different.
Tara / Journey:Oh, that's
Speaker 4:not true.
Tara / Journey:She is
Speaker 5:completely different. She has, absolutely changed since last night.
Speaker 7:I noticed it too.
Maggie / Poppy:She just got a good night's sleep. I mean, honestly
Speaker 5:That's not how that works.
Speaker 9:Is this
Speaker 7:the first time you slept?
Speaker 4:I feel like me right now. I feel very normal.
Speaker 5:This is how you were your whole life?
Speaker 4:I mean, I'm still Oui.
Speaker 5:What would you You sound so different.
Speaker 7:What would you say if we go went and visited Emery right now? What would you say to him?
Speaker 4:Oh, that guy is just I still wouldn't like him no matter what. I
Speaker 5:enchanted.
Tim / GM:Enchanted. Hold on. She dives back into the drawer and pulls out a different set of spectacles. They're no. They're binoculars.
Tim / GM:And she, like, she looks at Uli, and then she, like, looks around. She backs up, like, 20 feet, and then looks at Uli again. And then she goes,
Speaker 4:not enchanted. This is really weird, you guys.
Tara / Journey:Tibio Tibio sits on the ground and I'm gonna, like I fold up my skeleton legs, and I'm, like, got my arms on my legs, and I've got my head down. I'm just shaking my head. Here.
Speaker 5:I'm afraid that I have lost my friend only.
Speaker 4:Oh, no, baby. I sit cross I sit cross legged next to you,
Maggie / Poppy:and I go, it's okay.
Speaker 5:But but yesterday, you were very angry, and now you are very chipper.
Speaker 4:Do you want me to be angry?
Speaker 5:No. I just want you to be you.
Speaker 4:I am me.
Speaker 5:But changes like this are from brain damage.
Speaker 4:I I promise I'm not brain damaged, but we can have a healer take a look at me if you want.
Speaker 5:Okay.
Speaker 4:But I I feel great. I still love you. You're my best friend.
Speaker 5:Okay.
Speaker 4:We have a lot of adventures together. It's okay.
Speaker 5:Yes. What is your brother's name? Which one? Yes.
Speaker 4:My oldest brother is Dor, then there's Ulrich, and then there's Barrett and Benth, and they are twins. And then I have a little sister named Ilya, and then a littler sister named Viri.
Speaker 5:Does anyone know if those were correct?
Maggie / Poppy:I've heard a few of those names before. Definitely mention.
Speaker 5:I only remember Ulrich.
Speaker 7:She does have a lot of siblings. What if we're being parent trapped?
Maggie / Poppy:I don't have any twins. Listen, we shouldn't twin, I mean. We shouldn't be yucking her yum with her happy mood. Okay? Let's just enjoy it while we while we have it.
Maggie / Poppy:Okay, guys? Like, this is this is great. Holly's so happy because she's like, finally, I'm not the only one with a good mood around here.
Speaker 5:Okay. I will not yoke the yum.
Maggie / Poppy:Thank you. Thank you very much. Margo, thank you so much. I'll take one of these. And, Holly puts a little nesting doll, that looks like a squirrel, on the counter to pay for it.
Maggie / Poppy:K. So Holly will buy a squirrel nesting doll set with small and small squirrel and a little chipmunk in here.
Tim / GM:Margo grins and she says, hot seller.
Maggie / Poppy:I can see why.
Speaker 7:Sorry to bother you, miss Bingo.
Tim / GM:Okay. As, as your group is heading towards the shady part of town, Holly, you pass by,
Maggie / Poppy:There's just lots of trees.
Tim / GM:Yeah. No. It's literally just shaded. It's yeah. It's very foresty back here.
Tim / GM:But, it's a lot of shops that haven't been kept up in a long time, and this is where you can get, illicit substances, magic items of, nefarious, purposes. When you pass by a specific, storefront that's been broken down for years now in the exact same way, and there's this crooked lamppost next to it, You can't escape the memory of the last time that you were in this place looking for this thing. And it was a while ago. Holly, you were in the same dark district of Tildrey, except you were with your sister. You were trying to track down some essence of midnight.
Tim / GM:That was kind of the last thing that was keeping you from really breaking into the next level with your magic crafting. And you knew it was gonna be tough to get and then it was gonna cost you, but you knew you had to do it. What's the what's your contact? How did you, like, hear about this stuff?
Maggie / Poppy:Are we is this a flashback moment? Okay. Probably through well, I think my little sister, Ivy, is her name. Mhmm. She That's second.
Maggie / Poppy:She kinda gets up into trouble a lot, and I have to keep her on the straight and narrow because our parents are gone. They passed away. And so, she kind of, got into it with, some people she knew and runs with a little bit, and I kinda heard about it through her. So she suggested that we come down here.
Tim / GM:So you're you're on your way to this, contact that's, been brought to you by Ivy. And, this area has never felt right to you. The people here kind of watch you, with intent as you pass by. And, as you're leaving the store, having paid a hefty sum for your essence of midnight, now carrying that with you, you're approached by a a, really, like, gentlemanly fellow, very well dressed probably from the courts. And
Speaker 9:they approach you and say, miss Hyacinth, I'm such a big fan.
Maggie / Poppy:Ivy and I look at each other and we look back and just kinda like, do I know you?
Speaker 9:No. But, I I know you. I know your work. I know your storefront.
Maggie / Poppy:Oh, great. Have, you purchased anything from us before? Oh,
Speaker 9:no. But but I am here on business. Miss Hyacinth, my, benefactor, my, my associate, has an offer to make you, Holly Hyacinth.
Maggie / Poppy:Oh, oh, okay. Sounds good. I don't usually do deals in the street, but, I mean, what's the what do they need? What's the offer?
Speaker 9:Yeah. Please, let us not be on the street. And,
Tim / GM:and he, kind of gestures towards, pretty much like an alleyway. But he just, like
Maggie / Poppy:why, she kinda looks at Ivy, and she's like, you know, why don't you come by my shop later? This is not a good time for me. We're just running some errands today, so I don't know if I have time to do any business meetings, but swing by. We're open almost every day. Yeah.
Maggie / Poppy:Holly's Cobb, you know, over on the main main hub.
Tim / GM:Ivy kinda like nudges you and she says,
Speaker 9:we just spent 200 gold an offer. Now might not be a bad thing?
Speaker 4:I don't know.
Maggie / Poppy:Okay. Real quick. Real quick. We'll we'll chat.
Tim / GM:And he doesn't, like, push you down the alleyway, but he just gets you off the main street a little bit. And he says,
Speaker 9:I work for a very, enterprising young alchemist, and he's looking to expand, you see. He needs new territory, and, we were thinking you might be able to provide us with a new storefront in a prime location that we haven't been able to break into yet.
Maggie / Poppy:Okay. An alchemist. What, what do the potions do?
Speaker 9:Oh, no no no. You don't need to be concerned with any of this. All we need is, let's say, the ability to come and go from your shop as we please. You wouldn't need to know anything about the operation, and, it would be no trouble to you, Holly. We just need to use your facility.
Maggie / Poppy:I don't like the sound of that. I mean, I really need to know the details and business terms of what you're selling before I would allow you to use Holly's Cobb. I mean, we have a brand, you know, to maintain. Of
Speaker 9:course. No. No. I'm glad you asked such details. We wouldn't want to deal with any any any less, any less scrupulous people.
Speaker 9:These are the, extent of the contract. 1,000 gold pieces per month. For no skin off your back. You won't even notice us.
Tara / Journey:How to sound sketchy 101.
Maggie / Poppy:Per month? She looks at Ivy again. She's just like, oh, boy. That's a lot of money. Well, I mean, I I guess I need to think about it.
Tim / GM:He says, what's to think about?
Maggie / Poppy:Oh, yeah. I I don't know if I can agree right now.
Tim / GM:From a little deeper in the alley, Holly, you hear, you should've taken the offer. Woah. And the first thing you hear is a shriek, which is Ivy right next to you, as the entire alleyway just billows with smoke, as if an explosion had gone off. But it just completely obscures your vision, even from the person directly ahead of you that you were talking to. The last thing you feel is Ivy's hand slapping against you or is trying to grab it, and then she lets go.
Maggie / Poppy:Ivy.
Tim / GM:You you can, like, sense the presence of that guy right in front of you again. He's standing, like, right there, trying to prevent you from leaving.
Maggie / Poppy:Holly is, going to try to cast message to message, Ivy and just say, can you hear me? Where are you?
Tim / GM:She shouts back. She says, I started running.
Maggie / Poppy:Okay. And Holly just takes off, like, the direction she thinks is Yeah. The out of
Tim / GM:the alley. Okay. As you start to run, the guy in front of you catches your trajectory as you pass by. And not for the first time in your life, probably, you feel magic missiles pelt against your back. And it's excruciating as they send you to the ground.
Tim / GM:But it's nothing that you can't handle.
Maggie / Poppy:I'm just gonna try to get up and keep running, I guess.
Tim / GM:Okay. Yeah. You, you run a little farther, and, you kind of break out of this smoke screen, and you see that it's completely filled up the alley and a couple adjacent stores, but that it is kind of an isolated cloud. When you get that distance, you see a couple of men sprint away from the area that were probably involved with this.
Tara / Journey:There are
Tim / GM:a lot of onlookers, but you don't see any sign of Ivy.
Maggie / Poppy:I'm gonna try to message her again and just say, where are you?
Tim / GM:You don't get anything back?
Maggie / Poppy:Ivy. Ivy?
Tim / GM:The, smoke is still kind of lingering, making it impossible for you to see anything in the alleyway.
Maggie / Poppy:She pauses for just a split second before she runs back into the smoke. Is it, like, am I breathing it in?
Tara / Journey:Like
Tim / GM:Yeah. It's fine. It's just like mist or something. Yeah. Yeah.
Tim / GM:But you're you're in here for a while, and, you kinda realize that you're the only presence here. Whatever was threatening you before has fled this scene. When the smoke clears enough for you to really see this alleyway, you don't see much of anything. You see a little bit of dirt where you had fallen earlier. You see the same alleyway and the same crates and the same derelict buildings.
Tim / GM:The only thing out of place in this alleyway, sitting on a crate, is a chameleon.
Speaker 8:What?
Maggie / Poppy:Holly walks up to the chameleon after kinda, like, looking around for a minute and just is like, Ivy?
Tim / GM:It, reaches out 1, like, 3 toed hand towards you?
Maggie / Poppy:And she, scoops up the chameleon and runs out of the alley.
Tara / Journey:Okay.
Tim / GM:Yes. So, Holly, you, come, screaming back not screaming back. You you come back to earth from this, flashback, and you're, you're just kind of stopped in the lane, staring at that alleyway near the storefront that you need to go to.
Maggie / Poppy:I I really don't like this part of town.
Speaker 7:Well, let's, let's do our business and get out of here.
Maggie / Poppy:Whatever you do, stay close. Do not leave the group.
Speaker 4:Why don't we all hold hands? Yeah.
Maggie / Poppy:I think that's a great idea. So I'm gonna grab everyone's hands who are standing next to me.
Tara / Journey:He's gonna grab a handful of hands. Alright.
Speaker 8:Yeah. We offered her hand to snack and snack grabs with both hands.
Speaker 7:I feel like we're making ourselves more of a target.
Maggie / Poppy:Listen. I'm I'm not joking. Like, this is a very dangerous place, so let's just in and get out.
Tim / GM:You all, move into this, broken down storefront, and you see some you you feel some eyes on you as you're all walking in kinda single file hand in hand. Field trip. You you walk in
Speaker 7:an adult
Speaker 4:and all of her children.
Tim / GM:Mother Goose. Mother Goose leads everybody into the into the shop. And, behind the bar is, the bar. Behind the service counter, service desk, whatever, is a, bugbear.
Speaker 4:A bugbear. Yep. As a shopkeeper?
Tim / GM:The bugbear is kind of, like, staring at all of you, brings a slow hand to its nose, and just kind of, like, smears a booger and says, welcome.
Maggie / Poppy:Essence of Midnight, please.
Tim / GM:Mhmm. Money.
Maggie / Poppy:Holly is going to pull out one silver bar out of her bag, hoping that because we're in a shady part of town that there's a silver bar will be sufficient.
Tim / GM:He looks at the silver bar, and he gets close to it.
Tara / Journey:He says
Maggie / Poppy:It's real silver. You can weigh it.
Tim / GM:He gets closer and he smells it.
Speaker 4:Yep.
Tim / GM:Yeah. He, like, puts his mouth on it and he, like, drags a fang through it.
Speaker 9:More.
Maggie / Poppy:Snack?
Speaker 6:What is this for? What are we buying now?
Maggie / Poppy:It's for your armor, Zack.
Speaker 6:Yes. I took my lab upside down and dump out all the silver on TikTok.
Speaker 4:Oh, boy.
Speaker 6:Will this suffice?
Maggie / Poppy:Okay. Not all of this. Holly just picks up 2 more bars and puts them on the counter.
Tim / GM:He looks at the the 3 bars in total, and he says, mhmm, and goes back into the back room and comes back with a a black bottle with this bronze, kind of brassy colored, wire wrapped all around it. And, he says, no. No sunlight.
Maggie / Poppy:You got it. Okay. Thank you. We have to go now. Come on, everybody.
Maggie / Poppy:And Holly grabs the hands and hopefully just hoping everyone grabs each other's hands and pulls them
Tara / Journey:out the door. Hey, real quick.
Speaker 7:While she's buying the stuff, can I investigate, like, the potions that are on display?
Tim / GM:Go ahead. Yeah. Give me a, investigation check.
Speaker 7:Jesus.
Maggie / Poppy:You're rolling bad today. Uh-oh.
Speaker 7:6.
Speaker 10:Yeah.
Speaker 7:I'm look I guess I'm looking for fizzle labels or joe labels.
Tim / GM:Interesting. Yeah. I don't you for the most part, you can tell that most of the things they sell here are very surreptitious poisons.
Speaker 7:Okay. Well, Holly's ushering us out, so I'll just make a mental note of that.
Maggie / Poppy:Alright, guys. I'm glad we got out of there safe, last time. I didn't leave with everybody I came with. So,
Speaker 5:I'm sorry, Holly. It's okay. We will leave. We'll be safe now.
Maggie / Poppy:Thanks. Have a brewery tour to get to. Let's do that. Yeah. Let's go.
Maggie / Poppy:Holly, touches her pocket to make sure Henri is in there, and she puts her hand in it. And the little chameleon hand reaches out
Tim / GM:You feel these, three little things very lightly grab your one finger?
Maggie / Poppy:And then she rushes everyone out of the alley or out of the dark side of town.
Tim / GM:There's like a very tiny crowd gathering outside the 4 l juice bar. And, there's a overly enthusiastic young person that is ready to lead the tour. And they say, is everybody ready for the tour of
Speaker 10:the brewery? So you're all set up? Yes. Oh, good. That's why I like to hear a little bit of enthusiasm.
Speaker 10:Thank you very much.
Maggie / Poppy:Holly just nods her head. She's like, they're from out of town.
Tim / GM:There's just like I love tours. There there's, like, a couple of extra people that look like they had literally nothing else to do, or they were, like, on their way somewhere and just decided to go with this to your group. And, he says, welcome to a a world of pure imagination. And he, opens up the door and you see like 2, there's just like 2 big steel vats, that are kind of front and center. And, you can see there's like a little bit of like a walkway mezzanine that goes around this whole area, but it's really not much.
Tim / GM:And, he kind of like leads you through and he says, this is
Speaker 10:where we make the stuff for the bar that's attached. You see here, it all comes in through this pipe and it gets, distilled into these vats. And, we get to flavor them separately, but that part comes later.
Tim / GM:Next to it
Tara / Journey:I put my little skeleton hands on the edge of one of the and I peek in to see what's in there.
Speaker 10:Please, hands off the vats if you can.
Speaker 5:Oh, they are not they are not they don't have skin.
Speaker 10:No. I see they don't have flesh, but please Oh,
Speaker 4:okay.
Speaker 5:So They're quite clean.
Speaker 10:I believe you. It's just policy.
Speaker 4:Okay. Hi. Do you want me to boost you?
Speaker 5:Oh, yes. Can I can I boost?
Speaker 4:Yeah. I'll put Tibio and skeleton on my shoulders.
Tara / Journey:Extra tall. Yeah.
Tim / GM:So from what you can see, Tibio, even though this facility is pretty clean and well maintained, it's it's pretty, like, basic mixology that's going on behind the scenes here. It doesn't smell great, whatever they're cooking up in there. It's not covered, and so it's like an open air vat that's just kind of swirling around. There's some, like, foam developing in the corner.
Tara / Journey:I get a little, like, dizzy from the fumes.
Speaker 5:Oh, can, Ollie please put me down? I don't feel so good.
Speaker 4:And, Sorry.
Tim / GM:As, Tibia comes back to the ground, you guys see a lone worker, walk out from a back room. They have, like, a hat on that's kind of, like, covering their face a little bit, and they're sort of staring at the ground. And, they've just got a big bag of what looks like flour and they like, they, kind of like flip it over into the vat and they like cut it open and spill the contents of the bag into the vat. And without showing you their face, still looking at the floor, they just kind of walk out of the room as as as, quietly as they came.
Speaker 4:Can I do a vibe check? For sure.
Tara / Journey:21. Damn.
Speaker 5:Damn. Oh, the
Tara / Journey:I've never heard that word have so many syllables.
Tim / GM:That that worker did not carry themselves like a real person. They also seemed to leave, white, dusty footprints.
Speaker 5:Hey, Tibyo. Yes. Yes, Odie.
Speaker 4:Remember how you said that you wanted to be a detective?
Speaker 5:Oh, yes. More than anything. And a lawyer.
Speaker 4:Well, I think I found some clues for you. Oh, where? Follow the footprints.
Speaker 5:Oh, okay.
Tim / GM:You see this trail of powdery white footprints leading to a a back room that just says supplies.
Tara / Journey:So earlier at Holly's, we went over all of the hat options.
Tim / GM:Mhmm.
Tara / Journey:I picked, like, a wide brimmed kind of safari adventure hat, which didn't quite fit what I was trying to do, but I didn't know any better. Mhmm. And it has, like, a string on it that I, like, I wore it around my neck and, like, had it hanging over my back. And then I nod and wink at Uli. And I put the hat on, and then I drop out of my skeleton.
Tim / GM:Oh, nice. Okay.
Tara / Journey:And I can't I tell my skeleton to keep going, basically, and I feel like sneak and follow the footprints.
Speaker 7:I'm gonna cast guidance on Tibia on our on his way
Tim / GM:up. Okay.
Speaker 4:Don't I would like to hold the skeleton's hand like we're walking together.
Tim / GM:So the, the tour guide continues to show you
Speaker 10:and says, and, and this is where
Tim / GM:we come up with our next greatest creation for fizzle potions. This is, our main vat and and I
Tara / Journey:pause because I really wanted to see the rest of the tour and then I shake my head and I keep going.
Tim / GM:And you can see your skeleton that it's just like idly nodding, like, along with the tour. And then it looks over at Uli and just kind of nods in agreement with Uli.
Speaker 4:And I nod at it. This is very
Tara / Journey:and
Tim / GM:then give me a stealth check. Oh, okay. Can actually, elude.
Speaker 5:10.
Speaker 6:Yeah. D 4. Oh.
Tim / GM:Yeah. With
Maggie / Poppy:guidance. 13. 3. We'll take it.
Tim / GM:As you, walk towards that door, you, like, just barely get your hand on it. You you hear,
Speaker 10:please stay with the tour group as best you can. We don't have much
Tim / GM:left to go. I know you're excited.
Speaker 5:Oh, I'm so sorry.
Speaker 7:Wow. What is that, vet? Holy moly. I've never seen a vet like that.
Tara / Journey:Because
Speaker 6:that's where you make the poison potions.
Tim / GM:Nothing of such sort is made here, good sir. Of sort.
Tara / Journey:I I could bust through that door.
Speaker 7:Waiting to water down the potions.
Speaker 10:Oh, dead, libel, and slander, please. Sir,
Tim / GM:give me another stealth check.
Tara / Journey:Fucking natural one. No.
Tim / GM:Okay. He He got a natural one on his disadvantage. Snack and Bert. The attendant kind of rushes towards the vat that you guys are pointing at, and he says, there's no watering down of potions. There's none
Speaker 10:of that that goes out here. I I I need you all to just pay attention to the tour and please enjoy, but don't don't cast slanderous things inside the space. Then he gets
Tim / GM:in front of 1 of the vats, and he's kind of, like, got both arms outstretched as if he's, like, trying to block your view from the vat. And he just says, like, he's like, please, I don't
Speaker 10:I don't wanna hear anything like that.
Speaker 6:You're obstructing my vision to the tour.
Speaker 10:Please, if you're gonna be with the tour
Tim / GM:in, at that moment, he like takes one step too far, and he steps on a, supporting element of the vat, and the whole thing tips, and it just sloshes fizzle potion into this room. It doesn't tip over, but it releases about 50 to a 100 gallons of whatever fizzle was brewing onto the floor here. And, he says, as soon as it sloshes out, you hear the kids say, please
Speaker 10:don't be acid.
Tim / GM:And, Tibeo, you are able to open that door and shut it behind me. Yeah. Yeah. Oh my god.
Tara / Journey:Loudly. I'm assuming that Loudly. Yeah. That one means it's locked and it was loud.
Tim / GM:Not not locked, but when you walk in, you are immediately noticed by the employee that was just out there a second ago, it is staring straight down at you with its hat still on, just right inside the door. And so you're just kind of like at waist height with this thing, a full sized human.
Tara / Journey:I freeze. And I I'm not used to being the, like
Tim / GM:Alone.
Tara / Journey:Alone without my tools Yeah.
Tim / GM:Essentially. Yeah.
Speaker 5:Hello. I am a new worker, and I am employed for the vessel.
Tim / GM:It does not it does not respond to you in any way.
Speaker 5:Working hard or hardly working.
Tara / Journey:And then I take 3 steps to the side.
Tim / GM:It like it very vaguely, like, follows your movement by turning its head. And when it does so, its hat falls off. And you can see an eerie, kind of flat surface where its face should be. And there are 2 small eyes and eyebrows and a smile painted onto this face. But there's no features.
Tim / GM:There's no geography. There's no mouth or nose or eyes.
Tara / Journey:I jump You know,
Speaker 5:oh, hell do Wednesdays. Right? I work for the weekend,
Tara / Journey:and I'm still snuggling away.
Tim / GM:You hear
Speaker 5:Oh, that is a good one, my friend and fellow employee.
Tim / GM:Meanwhile, outside, the, attendant is kind of, realizing now that what was spilled was, Fizzles' rendition of a a morning wake up potion. It says the guy says okay. So we've just got a couple of steps left for the tour. And, if you guys could just follow me, we can go down this way, element of this, which is where they flavor the drinks, Bert, you see, on the floor, just kind of, discarded, sitting under one of the vats that got tipped, is a discarded or thrown away invitation to the club. And you can see the lettering on this paper, and just like what an invitation from Fizzles club looks like.
Speaker 7:No. Yoink.
Tim / GM:And you, catch up with the rest of the tour group. So, he's just showing you all the different flavors they can put into it. What is the how is the rest of the group reacting at this point?
Tara / Journey:I
Speaker 4:would like to message to Tibeo. Hey, buddy. We're heading to the next room. Just checking in. This is Uli.
Speaker 4:Hi.
Speaker 5:The employee creature is in the room, and it is interacting, but not fighting. I think I'm okay. Okay.
Tim / GM:The, tour is kind of coming to a, a finish. And he's shown you this kind of, DIY, like drinking fountain. You know the Coca Cola thing where you can, like, choose the flavor and all that? Yeah. Yeah.
Tim / GM:It's essentially that. Freestyle?
Speaker 10:Yeah. Welcome to Fizzles Freestyle. You can choose,
Tim / GM:whichever flavors you'd like. I might, recommend the fantastic rainbow mango. It's, one of the best.
Speaker 10:Please, have yourself a free drink on the house.
Speaker 6:Why are you looking at me?
Speaker 10:Well, you you just look thirsty. What can I get for you?
Speaker 6:I would like this rainbow.
Tim / GM:Very good. One rainbow mango sorbet coming up. And he, like, pulls this little lever. And, he's got a very, like, like fun sized cup. It's like a 3 ounce Dixie cup.
Tim / GM:Mhmm. And he's like, on the house.
Tara / Journey:I I
Speaker 8:eat the whole cup.
Tim / GM:Okay. What would everybody else like? I just need to find more cups.
Speaker 4:So, Nick, how does it taste?
Speaker 6:Like paper and, I guess I do taste the rainbow.
Tim / GM:Lawsuit. The
Speaker 6:bath is not sponsored at Skittles.
Tara / Journey:Does Coke own Skittles too? Because we already said freestyle. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 7:I'll just take a diet fizzle.
Speaker 10:One diet fizzle. He says, here you
Tim / GM:go, my low carb, low cal buddy.
Maggie / Poppy:Do you have any cream fizzles?
Tim / GM:We've got cherry cream fizzle.
Maggie / Poppy:Oh, I love that flavor. I'll try that one.
Speaker 6:How come she gets a bigger coffee? Foamie.
Tim / GM:Well, she's a bigger person. Back in the, terminal of Tibio, you hear footsteps coming from the far end, and you see 2 more of these dopes. Exactly the same with hats on, like, turn the corner and look at you.
Tara / Journey:I will cast blindness at 3rd level, and it is a con save.
Tim / GM:Okay.
Tara / Journey:So I'm casting it at 3rd level, so I have 3 targets.
Tim / GM:Nice. Their group con save was terrible. They rolled a 5.
Tara / Journey:Dope. They are blinded.
Tim / GM:Okay. They actually don't really react to that much at all. They don't really move or anything.
Tara / Journey:I take a couple steps to the side to see if they follow me with their faceplates.
Tim / GM:Not really. No. They don't.
Tara / Journey:Okay.
Tim / GM:Yeah.
Tara / Journey:I'm gonna rifle through all the shit. Okay. In this room.
Tim / GM:Yeah. You're finding there are pretty much only sacks of flour in here.
Tara / Journey:I cut open one of the flour
Tim / GM:bags. It seems to be just flour in there.
Speaker 5:Okay. Okay.
Tara / Journey:Can I I'm gonna check around for any sort of secret doors? Sure. Or
Tim / GM:Yeah. You you explore this terminal and see all these, stacked bags and, these, figures, these humanoids, don't really seem to be tracking you through the room. So you kind of move all the way to the back of the terminal and follow it around the corner to, where those things came from. You don't find really anything other than flower. You see a small rack of supplies that has a few other things.
Tim / GM:You can see through, like, there's a heavy door with a glass panel on it onto it on it. And you can see into another room that has more vats that for some reason weren't part of the tour. But the last thing you notice are, on the ground, there are several sacks of flour that are laid out in the vague shape of a person.
Tara / Journey:I am going to do a dumb thing.
Tim / GM:K.
Tara / Journey:I'm gonna get real close to the door and the first employee Mhmm. That I made friends with Mhmm. I think they're made of flour.
Tim / GM:Yeah. Okay.
Tara / Journey:I have sharp bones.
Speaker 8:Bear with you.
Tara / Journey:I have the finger bone.
Speaker 6:Yeah.
Tara / Journey:I have the finger bone. I didn't install that yet. Yeah. I'm gonna try and stab him with the finger bone.
Tim / GM:Okay. Cool. I mean, yeah. You can just okay. So, yeah, we'll just say you, like, rake your
Tara / Journey:thumb claws. I'm trying to, like Yeah.
Speaker 10:Yeah. Okay. So, yeah. You you, yeah.
Tim / GM:You shred the thing a little bit, the humanoid. And, in accordance with your theory, you see flour start to spill out of this thing's arm where you scratched it. And it, like, looks down at the scratch on its arm where the flower's pouring out, but it doesn't really react to it at all.
Speaker 5:Oh, wow. You should talk to HR about workplace injuries. Nice talking to you. I got to get back to work. Bye bye.
Speaker 5:And then I leave.
Tim / GM:The last thing you see before you leave the room is that this, thing had lost a significant amount of flour and, its arm sort of deflated. And then after a while, the whole thing just kind of crumbles, and then just plumes out in a cloud of white. And you step back into the room, and, you see the tour guide leading everybody back towards the front door, and
Speaker 10:he says, I hope you all enjoyed your time here. And, oh oh, did you not get a drink?
Speaker 5:No. I got lost, but I found you again and this is not flour on me, but I would like a drink.
Speaker 10:Sounds good. What flavor would you like?
Tim / GM:Very low.
Speaker 10:What what flavor would you like?
Speaker 5:Do you have bread bread flavor?
Speaker 10:We've got some, kind of wheaty beers that you could try.
Speaker 5:I'm not old enough for alcohol, sir.
Tim / GM:Oh, no. Of course not. Bread though. Try this one.
Speaker 5:Do you put flour in the vets?
Tim / GM:No. Not to my knowledge. I don't think we use a lot of flour in our recipes.
Speaker 5:Good to know.
Tim / GM:And, oh, I don't think I got you
Speaker 10:a drink either. I'm so sorry. What can
Tim / GM:I get for you? Perhaps a a cinnamon fireball?
Speaker 4:Me?
Tim / GM:Yeah.
Speaker 4:Oh, no. I'm not. I'm not thirsty. Thank you.
Tim / GM:Oh. I had
Tara / Journey:a lot of water at lunch.
Speaker 4:Yeah. I actually, do you have a bathroom? I'm really not thirsty.
Tim / GM:We don't, he looks around kinda nervous.
Speaker 10:Hey, we don't have a bathroom here. We do have one at the bar, but you're really not supposed to go in there.
Speaker 4:Oh, that's okay. I'll just I'll go when I get home.
Speaker 6:Woody, I peed over there not too long ago.
Speaker 10:This is what?
Tim / GM:That's gonna be a shosher violation.
Maggie / Poppy:Shosher.
Tim / GM:Thanks so much for listening. I'm Tim, your DM and your genie.
Maggie / Poppy:I'm Hannah playing Holly Hyacinth.
Speaker 7:I'm Thomas. I play Engelbert f f Wisherspoon.
Tara / Journey:I'm Tara, and I play Tibio Femur.
Speaker 8:I'm John. I play Snack the kobold.
Maggie / Poppy:And I'm Maggie playing Uli.
