Cursebreaker | 2 - Maisie Mulldrift
Blam. Blam. Meld. Blam. Meld.
Hannah / Eryn:Meld. Meld.
Tim / GM:Here's where we all stand. We are picking up directly after last week, wherein you guys were just starting a sort of chase scene with 2 targets. 1 is, Uli had just stepped up to leave to follow after a young girl that had tried to come into the tavern. Kind of at that exact moment, it started raining from the ceiling in the tavern. In that same moment, Holly noticed, your Mark, or who she thinks might be the Mark, the nightmare wizard, also got up and left the tavern.
Tim / GM:So currently, it is Uli who has stepped out into the streets outside of the the tangled jib, and the rest of you, the 4 of you, are still, inside the tavern, deciding on what to do and also maybe trying to help the panicked wet people.
Hannah / Eryn:Holly gets up and she runs out the door, to try to follow the guy with the boots because she's, like, in on seeing those boots, and she's just trying to follow him because she thinks that's hit him. And she's gonna try to yell after him too as she runs out the door. Hey. Hey, you. Hey.
Hannah / Eryn:Mister Skechers, size 10. And she's gonna, like, run off and try to follow him.
Tim / GM:Until you said Skechers tie size 10, he was trying to play it cool and just kind of, like, walked with his hands in his pockets and and collar upturned. But as soon as you call him out, you see him kind of free his hands and and break into a sprint away from you. Yeah.
Hannah / Eryn:I'm gonna run after him.
Tim / GM:Okay. What's everybody else doing?
Speaker 3:I'm following the child.
Tim / GM:Okay. So we've got, 1 and 1 so far. You all saw Uli and Holly leave. What are you guys doing in the tavern?
Tara / Journey:I am going
Speaker 5:to follow Uli. I think that the girl has more to do with this mess than we believe.
Tim / GM:Okay. So, yeah. You you step out and see Uli just a couple of steps ahead of you, peeling off, to the west, I suppose.
Speaker 6:Snack, why don't you go with Holly? I'll make sure Uli doesn't punch that child. No. Okay.
Tim / GM:Alright. So we've got, Uli and Tibeo. Okay. Let's resolve that first.
Tara / Journey:And Bert.
Tim / GM:And Bert. Yes. Yes.
Speaker 6:That is what I said.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Tim / GM:So this little girl is heading towards the loading docks. So the way this place is structured, you guys are moving, I think I just said westward, along the docks. And so here are all of these parked commercial vessels, that are waiting to take, like, large loads from other continents and countries and stuff. So this is kind of where a lot of the large, I guess, industrial work happens. And, this little girl is climbing on top of a bunch of boxes and crates and stuff and trying to, like, out squirrel you guys, if she can.
Tim / GM:So she is currently standing on the top of a mountain of crates. What are you guys gonna try to do?
Speaker 3:Hey, kid. Hey, stop.
Tim / GM:She turns around and she's she must be, like, laying down on her stomach or something, and she peers over the top of the crates and looks at you.
Speaker 3:I'm gonna accidentally message her and be, like, what the what's wrong with this kid? Why is she hiding?
Tim / GM:I don't think she thinks to respond, but she does, duck her head back, and you see a little flash of light on the other side of the crates.
Speaker 5:I will misty step to the top of the crate where the little girl is.
Tim / GM:Okay. So, yeah. You just kind of, appear up there in, Uly. You look back to see what that noise was and you just see, like, a little, cloud of mist, floating away. And, Tibia was now at the top of the crates.
Tim / GM:So you look down and see that she is actually, she had slipped between some crates and she is actually, on her way back down onto the docks, running away from you guys, and that light was that she had just cast light, on her fingertip and is just using it to see in the dark as she runs away.
Speaker 5:I say, wait. Wait. Little girl, please.
Tara / Journey:I mean, you know her.
Tim / GM:She continues to run, but, it's pretty easy to track her now with this light shining everywhere.
Tara / Journey:Okay. From my vantage point on top of wherever the heck I am,
Speaker 3:I
Tara / Journey:look over to Uli and Bert, and I say,
Speaker 5:she's headed that way. You can go around.
Tim / GM:Okay. So yeah. Yeah. You guys see her, actually running towards, some of the larger ships that are parked and some of the, kind of cargo loading equipment.
Speaker 6:Yeah. Let's go cut her off.
Speaker 3:Don't let her get on a boat.
Tim / GM:So let's jump over to the other side. The people who are chasing the mark, Henry. Henry, took off down a little more disreputable path and is not entirely out of sight of other people. So he is continuing to just run down the center of the strip of, like, bars and shops and stuff, So there's actually a little bit of commotion and night nightlife still going on here. He is taking frequent looks back at you, and he's not sprinting.
Tim / GM:He's actually kind of like, you know, he'll he'll, move in between 2 people and kind of shove them lightly out of the way, and just kind of slipping between crowds. Some places are much denser with people than others. What are you guys gonna do to catch up to him? So here along the roads to, are a lot of, like, lit, lamps. There's a lot of, like I said, people standing about.
Tim / GM:It's like a a mixture of stone streets and boardwalk.
Speaker 7:Snack will cast, misty step, And he will appear try to appear
Speaker 6:what? Popular spell Alright.
Speaker 3:Call the cat.
Speaker 7:Misty Step. And he's going to try to appear, near his legs and wrap around one leg to try to slow him down.
Tim / GM:Okay. Yeah. So with the 14, you are you are firmly wrapped around one of his legs and weighting him down. And so he, like, takes a step, shakes you furiously, takes a step, shakes you furiously, and then he decides it's better to just continue with you on his leg.
Speaker 7:You best stop. I have a badge and I will bite.
Tim / GM:He, pulls a, he, you see him, like, whip his robe back a little bit, and, he's got a small bandolier of 3 wands at his hip. And, he takes 1, and and he points it down at you. And he says, don't make me use this. You wouldn't dare.
Hannah / Eryn:Is he standing on what is he or what's around him?
Tim / GM:He has kind of, just kind of poked around, the corner of a building and into an alleyway, so he's, he's able to make this threat to snack without being seen by other people.
Hannah / Eryn:Yeah. Holly is just in close pursuit trying to, get close. She is gonna cast armor of egg eggy agathies. I don't I don't know how to say it. Or just around herself, which just gives her 5 temporary hit points.
Hannah / Eryn:And if they attack me, they get have to take a 5 cold damage.
Tim / GM:K. So, yeah. You, you feel a little, kind of minty chill run up your spine as you, shroud yourself in this protective
Hannah / Eryn:coat. Oh, sorry. Can I add some flavor to that and go back? So the material scoops out some of black we're still at Blackwater Row, right, is where this is. So she's gonna scoop it out of the water.
Hannah / Eryn:She's trying to run by. Sure. And then she's gonna just throw it up in the air, and it's just gonna run and into it, and then have it freeze around her as,
Tim / GM:like, ice shield. Just kind of missing yourself, like, mid run.
Speaker 3:Like, you
Tara / Journey:know, Bath and Body Works, where you spray it
Hannah / Eryn:and then walk through it. Septid's armor. Yeah. It's disgusting.
Tara / Journey:And it's stank ocean water.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Hannah / Eryn:And it just turns into this ice shield. So, yeah. And then she's gonna try to catch up to them in the alleyway, and try to stand in front of Snack when she gets there if they're standing still.
Tim / GM:Okay. He, he sees the the 2 of you, and he kinda looks to see if there's anybody else coming. And, snack, he gives his leg a shake one more time, and he, actually takes the wand, and instead of pointing at you, he points to a, a barrel that's behind you. And, there's like a big rope coiled on top of it, and a few other just peats pieces of of wood and and debris. And he points it at that, and, he he kinda mumbles some activation word.
Tim / GM:And, you you hear all that stuff kind of like start to rumble and shutter together, and you hear the creaking of wood, and, the rope just kind of starts to spin around wildly.
Speaker 6:Is Holly nearby? Yeah.
Tim / GM:She's right next to you.
Speaker 7:Holly, what was the next step? Do we kill him now?
Hannah / Eryn:We need to incapacitate him, but don't kill him yet.
Tim / GM:Don't kill him yet. The the, barrel, reaches out with ropey arms and, makes a grapple against you, snack. So yeah. It it gets these ropes around you and, you realize that, whatever his wand did suddenly gave this pile of debris some level of sentience, and he has tasked it with, with grappling you or holding you down. So this this rope and barrel, crate and barrel monstrosity reaches at you, but the ropes can't get around any part of you fully enough to pin you down.
Tim / GM:And he's, like, trying to run thinking that it was gonna work, and he still got you attached to him. Holly, he's he's brushing past you trying to get free. What do you do?
Hannah / Eryn:And he's wearing wizard grove. Sorry. I'm trying to picture the I'm having trouble picturing the scenario a little bit. So we're in an alleyway on the dock still.
Tim / GM:Yeah. So it's like a fairly populated, like, single lane, and then, there's just little gaps in between all these buildings and kind of between the throngs of people there, this guy with the kobold attached to him managed to just dip just over the corner into an alley that had a bunch of crates and stuff.
Hannah / Eryn:Gotcha. Okay. Sorry. I the context matters a lot for the type of spells I have. So, so I just need a lot of to go off of.
Hannah / Eryn:So I and he's trying to push past me to go deeper into the alley or to go back out onto the main?
Tim / GM:Back out onto the main street.
Hannah / Eryn:Okay. I think Holly is going to probably just try to trip him or, like, somehow, like, make him fall down. So she's gonna stick out her boot, which has undisclosed magical ability that the DM has not yet decided.
Speaker 3:K.
Hannah / Eryn:They're just her lucky boots.
Speaker 6:Tripping magic. Mhmm.
Hannah / Eryn:So she's gonna trip him. Okay. Try to trip him.
Tim / GM:Sure. He, he does stumble, but he manages to, skip over your tripping foot and, and continue running, although he's not as fast as he should be because he's got a cobalt attached to him.
Speaker 7:Snack has been patient enough. I take out a rusty knife and I poke him with it. Yeah. Oh. Right.
Tim / GM:Violence. Yeah. Make an attack with advantage. Okay.
Speaker 3:Oh my god.
Tim / GM:Yep. You poked him. Alright.
Speaker 3:Get him a cat next.
Tim / GM:Give me a d4. Okay.
Tara / Journey:Some lockjaw for your
Speaker 7:vacation. 3 damage. 3 rust damage.
Tim / GM:Alright. Cool. So, yeah. You,
Speaker 7:This is oh, just for flavor, this is the knife I got from the weird vampire.
Speaker 6:Yeah.
Tim / GM:I remember that. So I
Speaker 7:have I have no idea what the knife does. Right.
Tim / GM:So it's actually, like, not all that sharp and effective. So, Snack's still, kind of riding on this guy. You give him a couple tiny pokes with your dagger and inflict 3 rusty, knife damage. So he he shrieks out in pain, and people form a quick circle around him and kind of see you there and see him in the there's a a moment of confusion where they don't really know who the good guy is, and so nobody acts. But they are making it hard for both of you to get away.
Tim / GM:Holly, use our badges.
Hannah / Eryn:I'm gonna enlarge my badge
Tim / GM:Okay.
Hannah / Eryn:And just kind of, like, throwing Star It right at the guy's head.
Tim / GM:Okay. So taking it completely literally, you Team. You grab the badge right off your clothes and, you kind of, like, pinch it to enlarge it, and then, you whip it like a frisbee, like a throwing star at this guy. So you just kind of throw your badge and it goes a whizzing pie whizzing by his head.
Hannah / Eryn:And waste all my spell slots.
Speaker 6:But onlookers saw the badge, probably.
Speaker 3:It's very
Hannah / Eryn:visible now. Stop that man.
Tim / GM:You also hear a splash.
Speaker 6:Oh, no.
Tim / GM:Being that you're in Blackwater Row, when you threw your badge, it went right between the rails and fell into the water. Let's, let's actually go back to the other side again.
Speaker 6:Uli, I got a plan if we get to the other side there.
Speaker 3:Okay. What what what?
Speaker 6:Be ready to grab the kid if this works.
Speaker 3:I was I was already planning on it. Alright.
Tim / GM:Alright. So the kid is near this large loading crane
Speaker 6:Uh-huh.
Tim / GM:And, she's, like, waiting for you guys to catch up again because she doesn't have anywhere else to run. She's at, like, the end of a loading dock.
Speaker 6:Oh, we can see her though? Yeah. Okay. Is there somewhere is there somewhere I can, like, hide line of sight from her?
Tim / GM:Yeah. There's plenty of crates to duck behind. Yeah.
Speaker 6:I'm gonna duck behind a crate. Mhmm. I'm gonna pop a mockingbird gum.
Tim / GM:Okay.
Speaker 6:And I'm going to imitate
Speaker 8:the voice of
Speaker 6:the man at the bar who told her she couldn't use the bathroom. Okay. I'm also gonna cast thaumaturgy
Hannah / Eryn:Mhmm.
Speaker 6:To make my voice louder.
Tim / GM:Okay.
Speaker 6:And I say, little girl, little girl, I'm really sorry about before, but if you come out now, you can go potty and everything will be fine.
Tim / GM:You can see her, she she almost looks like a little embarrassed, and then she starts kind of climbing down from where she was and, takes a few steps towards you guys. Snap. And what do you do?
Speaker 3:I snap her up.
Tim / GM:You snap her up?
Speaker 3:I just I don't know how to deal with children.
Speaker 7:Guess what?
Speaker 3:I'm, like, holding her as far away as I can.
Tim / GM:Okay. So she ain't nat twenties out of it. Jesus. Damn. So you go to snap her up and kind of just do the the where you hug.
Tim / GM:Just like you just air hug. You you hug air, and, and she is just kind of disappears from sight. You notice at some point she has turned off her light, and you hear just a couple footsteps, and then you hear a a snap, and then a whirring noise. Uli, you look up and see sudden motion, and it's very big. As soon as she dodged your, attempt to just snap her up, she actually, unlatched, the winch for the loading crane, and it caused the crane loaded with a gigantic crate of ore to spin back your way and hit you like a bus.
Tim / GM:So I think for that, it actually it's so big and it's not so fast that it it, like, cuts you in half or demolishes you. It actually doesn't hurt you at all. What it does is when it contacts you, it just kinda picks you up, and you just grab onto it, and, it holds you out over the water so that you're just, like, just barely hanging on to this crate that is being held out over the water.
Hannah / Eryn:I hate kids.
Speaker 6:Oh, and there goes Uli.
Speaker 3:Little help, maybe.
Speaker 6:Uli, you gonna be okay?
Speaker 3:I just throw up a thumbs up and probably fall off of the thing.
Tara / Journey:Or start it swinging a little bit.
Speaker 6:I guess I'm chasing after the kid then.
Tara / Journey:How far away is she from me?
Tim / GM:She's, like, maybe, like, 50 or 60 feet away.
Tara / Journey:I'm gonna jump down and run after her and be like, hey. Wait. We're sorry. We're sorry. We didn't mean to scare you.
Tara / Journey:We're sorry.
Tim / GM:Okay. She she she continues to run, but you can keep pace with her as she moves towards upper town. Back in the circle of people in near Blackwater Road. You guys aren't actually quite there, but close enough to where you could throw a police badge to it. So you guys are in this circle of people.
Tim / GM:Snack is still attached to him, and, Holly is standing there after having thrown her badge. He, snack snack, you can see he's reaching for his wands again, but he kinda looks up and sees all these people surrounding him, and then he kind of, like, drops it and doesn't go for it again.
Speaker 7:Free from us. We are deputies. Get away. We are doing justice.
Hannah / Eryn:Stop him. He's the night wizard. Everyone, help. And, Holly's gonna try to grab him. She's, like, gonna full try to jump on him now because, like, it's just as, like, full body trying to hug him
Tim / GM:Yeah.
Hannah / Eryn:And also just grapple him, basically, and hold him. She's not really sure what she's trying to do because she's not really, like, a physical combat type of person.
Tim / GM:Mhmm.
Hannah / Eryn:So she's just like, and, like, you know, she's on a mission to try to stop this guy.
Tim / GM:You hear somebody else in the crowd going, what do we do?
Hannah / Eryn:Someone get sheriff Tandy.
Tim / GM:You hear, footsteps running away as if somebody took that to heart.
Speaker 6:Oh, for a second, I thought
Hannah / Eryn:Tandy and her, they're running away.
Tim / GM:I don't wanna deal with stress. Yeah. Yeah.
Hannah / Eryn:Are you the midnight wizard? She's gonna, like, hold him.
Speaker 3:I don't know
Hannah / Eryn:why she got a southern accent with him.
Tim / GM:So, yeah, you're, like, holding him, like, from behind trying to keep his arms, like, gathered up, and he's just like, no. I'm not not the no.
Speaker 7:Lies. I stab him again.
Tim / GM:So he's he's got a not insignificant leg wound, just from being poked with the dagger.
Speaker 3:And,
Tim / GM:you hear him say, like, enough, and he, gives you a good shake. And he's really trying to break the grapple this time. So at that point, he goes, like, he goes, okay. Stop stabbing me. And he, like, puts his hands up.
Speaker 7:Alright. I'm, like, very close to almost doing a stab again and that stuff.
Hannah / Eryn:Holly is gonna take her rope that she has out of her pack. Mhmm. But she's gonna start tying them up.
Tim / GM:Okay.
Hannah / Eryn:And also, she's gonna take his wands away.
Tim / GM:He says, I promise you the, bindings are unnecessary.
Hannah / Eryn:Tell me where you were last night and don't spare any details. And she pokes them in the chest.
Tim / GM:Says, I will. I'll I'll I'll come willingly.
Hannah / Eryn:Great. Snack, you can let go now.
Speaker 7:I slither off of him and stand up on my feet.
Tim / GM:The crowd of people is still, like, gathered tight around you guys, and they're all just kind of gawking and making it impossible for you to egress.
Hannah / Eryn:Holly's gonna be like, who saw this man last
Tim / GM:night? You hear, the same kind of like, I did.
Hannah / Eryn:And where was he?
Tim / GM:He was in the alleyway, and
Speaker 7:I synced him for just a second.
Hannah / Eryn:Excellent. What's your name?
Tim / GM:Fish.
Hannah / Eryn:Fish? Alright. Fish.
Tim / GM:My name's Hart Hardy.
Hannah / Eryn:Hardy Fish?
Speaker 7:He's alive. I will stab him. I run over to him.
Hannah / Eryn:No. No. Snacks. Stop. Stop.
Hannah / Eryn:Stop. Alright. Well, we're gonna do some justice. Fish. Hardy, I need you to come with me.
Hannah / Eryn:And I
Tim / GM:I don't wanna get wrapped up in all this business.
Hannah / Eryn:Alright. Well, we'll find you later if we need you. We're gonna bring you in to the sheriff. Tandy's just got a few questions we gotta ask and then we can clear your name and if you cooperate
Tim / GM:so I I promise you this is a enormous misunderstanding and nothing more.
Hannah / Eryn:Great. Where's Tandy?
Tim / GM:Well, she was at the tavern before you guys all split.
Hannah / Eryn:We just bring them to the tavern. Yep. Do they find her and bring her yet?
Tim / GM:I mean, you sent somebody to go find her. Who knows if they'll ever be successful?
Hannah / Eryn:Alright. I'm gonna give them a shove, and we're gonna push them back towards the tavern because I'm hoping Tandy's still there.
Tim / GM:Okay. So then let's resolve little girl. She is running towards uptown the upper town. So there's actually a large set of wooden stairs, or an extremely long ramp, that's used to get to upper town. So there's this whole part of lamplight landing that is built onto these giant wooden stilts, and it's it's raised much further off the water.
Tim / GM:And so there are shops underneath this, and like, cathedrals and and churches and pretty much the suburban neighborhood.
Speaker 3:Can I please drop off of the thing and into the water?
Tim / GM:Yes. Yeah. You're Fall out like wet. Your strength is, like, slowly fading, and you're just like, I don't wanna get wet.
Tara / Journey:I I said again. Alright.
Speaker 3:But then I'd like to take off after everybody else.
Tim / GM:Sure. Yeah. So you're just, I mean, determined as ever, but dragging yourself out of the water to get after the people.
Speaker 6:I would like to use a spell I should have used last time.
Tim / GM:Okay.
Speaker 6:It's the command spell.
Tim / GM:Oh, nice. Okay. So she is she is just heading into a really large gathering of people. There's, like, some street performers and stuff out in Uptown right now, and, she's trying to, like, get into a crowd to get lost.
Speaker 6:Okay. But I can see her?
Tim / GM:Yeah. So right before that, what do you shout to her?
Speaker 6:Stop.
Speaker 3:She is resilient.
Tim / GM:Yeah. She looks back at you, and then she, dips into the crowd. So you guys both keep track of her, as she starts to get lost in this crowd. And she's, like, purposefully, like, going between people and trying to shove her way in as much as possible, but you can still see her. The crowds aren't as thick as she needs them to be.
Tim / GM:And at this time, you guys see Uli, coming up on you just soaking wet.
Tara / Journey:I see that she's gonna get lost in the crowd. I frantically look at her and then look at Bert and then look and see Uli back behind us, and I say, Bert, please watch my bones. And then I drop all of my bones and I run out in my little gnome body between people's legs and chase this little girl.
Speaker 6:Oh, okay. So
Speaker 3:I happen up up on Bert now.
Tim / GM:Yeah. Yeah. We're supposed
Speaker 6:to watch these bones. That,
Speaker 3:I'm not gonna ask.
Speaker 6:Sorry to leave you back there, by the way.
Speaker 3:It's fine. I can handle myself. It's whatever.
Tim / GM:So, Tibio, you're, you're diving into this crowd. Yep. And, you see her, and she doesn't really, have a lock on you since you jumped out of your skeleton.
Tara / Journey:So I'm gonna catch up to her and dodge between people Mhmm. So she doesn't see directly that I'm following her. I'm not gonna stay, like, right behind her or try to grab her or anything. I'm gonna wait till she slows down and thinks that she's lost us. Yeah.
Tim / GM:So you you see her, staring out of the crowd, like, back at where you were. And so you've just kind of you see her in profile,
Tara / Journey:and just kind of, like, stand next to her for a minute and then say, excuse me,
Tim / GM:please. Please. Kinda turns and look and looks at you and she goes, oh, hi.
Speaker 5:Hello.
Tim / GM:She goes, I I it's good to meet you, but I'm really busy right now. I'm sorry.
Speaker 5:Miss miss, I know. I I'm very sorry. We did not mean to scare you. I'm my name is Tibio.
Tim / GM:Yeah. Her, her eyes kinda go wide with recognition and she you can see her, like, she, kinda does that thing where she, like, holds a position like a dog or a cat, and you know the next move they make is gonna be a break of
Tara / Journey:some sort? I I put my hands up. I put my hands up and I take a step back, like a half
Speaker 5:step back. Mhmm. And I say, please. Please, miss. I'm just trying to to help you.
Tim / GM:She goes, you're the police.
Speaker 5:No. No. No. I'm just helping the police. But not to not to capture you, not to hurt you, not to hurt anyone.
Speaker 5:We just want to make sure you're okay.
Tim / GM:She's, she keeps looking between you and the other 2. Uli and Bert, are you guys moving at all?
Speaker 6:I'm poking the bones.
Speaker 3:I am if we make eye contact, I'm gonna glare at her, but, like, not make any move.
Tim / GM:The girl? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So, you you do catch your eyes and you 2 are just staring at each other, you and the little girl.
Tim / GM:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Flinch a little bit.
Tara / Journey:I I take, like, a step out of the crowd and, like, in front of Uli a little bit from where I can see, like
Speaker 5:Mhmm. Yeah.
Tara / Journey:They've started locking eyeballs. I take, like, a step between them kind of, and I just keep my hands up.
Tim / GM:She says, I'm not the nightmare wizard.
Speaker 5:No. I never thought you were, but I worry that your magic might be accidental.
Tim / GM:It just says, how do I make it stop?
Speaker 5:I can help you.
Tara / Journey:And I, I do a minor illusion and hold my hands out flat in front of her, and I make an illusion that little flowers are growing out of my hands.
Tim / GM:She smiles a little bit and she says, are you from Tiltree?
Speaker 5:No. No, I'm not. My family has magic. It's something we learned from when we were very young. Young like you.
Tim / GM:She says, I don't have anywhere to stay.
Speaker 5:We can we can find you a place to stay, miss. We just want to make sure you are safe.
Tim / GM:She, holds out her hand for you to take it.
Tara / Journey:I take her hand, and I do, like, a little, like, little childish swing of our hands Yeah. And I smile at her.
Tim / GM:So the other 2 of you see, see Tibeo and this little girl walk out of the crowd hand in hand?
Hannah / Eryn:Acquired. Let's go.
Speaker 6:Hey. Is this a what's what kind of skeleton is this?
Tara / Journey:It's human, probably.
Speaker 6:Okay. High five the skeleton.
Tara / Journey:Also, I turn to her
Speaker 5:and I say, miss, what is your name?
Tim / GM:Oh, my name is Mayzie.
Speaker 5:Mayzie. What's a wonderful name.
Tara / Journey:And then I look at Uli and Bert, and I say, Uli Bert,
Speaker 5:this is Maisie. She is my new friend.
Speaker 3:Nice to meet you, demon child.
Speaker 6:Hi, Maisie.
Tim / GM:So it's it's gnome, gnome, little girl, and Uli. And Sarolic?
Tara / Journey:Yeah. Looking straight up.
Speaker 3:How about you maybe
Tara / Journey:I squeeze her hand and
Speaker 5:I say, it's very hard to defeat Uli. She is a master fighter, so you should be very proud of yourself.
Tim / GM:She, you know, she looks back at you and she says, it wasn't very hard.
Speaker 6:Well, now that we've caught up with this little girl, I'm sure those other 2 has made fast work of that wizard guy.
Tara / Journey:And I say there there is more
Speaker 5:to the story than we think, I think. We should go talk to Sheriff Tandy.
Tim / GM:And you're going back to the tavern?
Tara / Journey:Yeah. And then I I tell Maisie that she has nothing to be afraid of and I'll protect her and all that jazz.
Speaker 6:Well, even let you use the bathroom this time.
Tim / GM:You all have just stepped into the tangled jib. One group being, Bert, Tibio, and Uli, have apprehended Maisie from a chase that led into Uptown. And Snack and Holly have apprehended Henry, Henry Muldrifft, who they suspected might have been the nightmare wizard.
Speaker 7:We we assumed he is the name, I
Tim / GM:would say. Yeah. You all walk back into this, parlor. The bar you can see, like, the actual bar top is completely, like like, soaked down as there's still, like, a sheen of water with, like, surface tension on the bar. And, the bar keep is just kind of holding their hair and, like, staring at all the wetness and the water damage and stuff.
Tim / GM:And they, like, take out a towel from a drawer and, of course, the towel is, like, soaked through. And they just throw it on the ground and kind of like shrug it off. And they look up at you guys, and you're the only patrons in the tavern now. And they say, what can I get
Speaker 3:you? Is Tandy not here?
Tim / GM:Tandy's here too. Oh, okay. Sorry.
Tara / Journey:So wait. Is everyone here?
Tim / GM:It's, all of you guys, your 2 captives and, the barkeeper and Tandy. Okay.
Speaker 6:This little lady would like to use the restroom, please.
Tim / GM:She, looks up at you, Bert, and kinda shakes her head and she goes, I don't have to anymore. Do you
Speaker 7:have a jail cell here? We have prisoners.
Tim / GM:Tandy says, we do have a jail cell, but, let's not say prisoners per se. One of them is a very young girl. What have you found, deputies?
Speaker 5:Madam Please
Tim / GM:tell me it's not as bad as it looks.
Speaker 5:Madam Sheriff Tendi, this is Maisie. She has magical abilities that she cannot control, and I believe that she is accidentally the cause of what was
Tara / Journey:called the nightmare wizard, and I think there is no such thing as the nightmare wizard.
Speaker 6:What a story. Wow.
Tim / GM:Henry speaks up and says, well, you're, right about one thing. There is no nightmare wizard.
Speaker 5:Then I'm right about all of the things.
Hannah / Eryn:Holly's chameleon also gasps.
Tim / GM:Mouth mouth just agape.
Tara / Journey:Yeah. I'm still holding Maisie's hand. And as I'm, like, explaining things, I'm, like, petting her hand, like, making sure she doesn't freak out.
Tim / GM:Mhmm. And this whole time she's actually been staring up at Henry and, Henry says, she's of course not to blame for this. She is, however, grounded for a very, very long time.
Speaker 3:Oh, you know this guy.
Speaker 6:Well, you can't do that unless you're oh.
Tim / GM:And she says, no, I'm not. You can't do that.
Hannah / Eryn:Is is are you related? Is this your papa?
Tim / GM:Yes. But it's a bit complicated. She says, mom didn't say so. I'm not grounded. And then he says, well, of course, mom didn't say, but if we're going to get along, it's gotta be this way, Maisie.
Tim / GM:You've got to do what I ask.
Speaker 7:But can you write this down? It sounds like Artiom, mom, outranks, sheriff, outranks, Stephanie.
Tim / GM:And Henry says, let me just back up a second. My name is Henry Muldrift. This is my daughter, Maisie. Not too long ago, well, recently, Maisie's mother's, come to pass. Actually, why don't you go show Maisie the bathroom anyway?
Tim / GM:And she gestures to nobody really.
Hannah / Eryn:A barkeep. Yeah.
Speaker 7:I will take the prisoner out of 2 of us.
Tara / Journey:No. I I I nod and I
Speaker 5:say, Mayzie, let's let's go outside. Yeah.
Speaker 3:And I
Tim / GM:think Maisie would only wanna go with you Mhmm. So far. Yeah. So you you kind of step out.
Speaker 6:Are you back in phone mode?
Speaker 3:That's like
Tara / Journey:a really good question.
Hannah / Eryn:You're just you're just carrying the bones in, like, the cloak that she left behind. It
Tim / GM:doesn't take you much to, like, suit up, does it?
Tara / Journey:No. They basically clatter into a pile. Yeah. And then when I step back into them, they kind of like
Speaker 7:Yeah. Yeah. Fun.
Speaker 5:Can we
Speaker 3:call it getting boned?
Tim / GM:Or boning?
Tara / Journey:I do like bone mode. I think that's pretty funny too.
Speaker 6:I have written down here, tibio goes bones out.
Tara / Journey:There's a lot of really, really good jokes that we can make, and I think that we should kind of
Speaker 6:Continue to do.
Tara / Journey:Taste them out. Yeah. Yeah. And whatever comes to your mind, just go for it.
Tim / GM:So when you step out, Tibeo, Macy says, like I said, I I don't have to use the bathroom. He just he doesn't really talk like to talk about when my mom died or she doesn't like to look at me when he does.
Speaker 5:I'm sorry about your mother, Maisie.
Tim / GM:Me too. He's not my real dad, but he was really close with my mom when she died. And I don't know. He is trying to look after me. He's just not very good at it.
Speaker 5:I think that there are many people in this world that would not take in the child of a friend. And maybe he deserves some patience.
Tim / GM:Yeah. But I also shouldn't have to do everything he says just because he's, I don't know, Henry.
Tara / Journey:Tibeo nods and as a young person, also understands not wanting to listen to authority.
Tim / GM:Back in the tavern, Henry explains a little more in-depth. His wife, or sorry, his partner at the time had come under the effects of a curse, that was actually particularly horrific. It changed her in her body and her mind. And so she actually had to be hunted and destroyed, not by Henry, but by other people. And Maisie might not actually know those details about it.
Speaker 3:This is Maisie's mom?
Tim / GM:Yes. Oh. So he actually came to lamplight landing in search of the source of that curse. He thinks that something here is cursing people. He's just kind of triangulated a few of these cases and has traced it back to Lamplight Landing.
Tim / GM:And Tandy says, we've had a lot of trouble recently, but I mean, it does kind of feel like we're cursed sometimes, but this is real.
Speaker 3:Magic is a curse.
Speaker 6:Nothing fits the description of of, Maisie's mother, though.
Tim / GM:And, Henry kind of reiterates, no. Henry's or, Maisie's mother was well, they weren't able to save her with they weren't able to remove the curse.
Speaker 6:I'm so sorry. Nobody else has had that curse.
Tim / GM:Not that specific curse. No. They're all different, but and some seemingly, benign or not so
Speaker 3:dangerous. What exactly happened to her?
Tim / GM:She changed into a sort of really rather demonic creature. Her skin hardened. She grew Really? She grew scales and horns. She became monstrous and and
Speaker 3:Holly sounds monstrous when I pat snack on my back.
Hannah / Eryn:As Henry is describing this, Holly, like, is kind of just, like, sitting or standing or whatever and just, crying. Like, tears start coming down her face. She's really sad, and she, is just like, I'm so sorry. What was her name?
Tim / GM:Ash. We were sort of partners in a lot of things. Partners in business, partners in dwelling. She even took on my last name, just to kind of help our our brand and, but, nothing official. I've been around for about the last half of Mayzie's life.
Tim / GM:Well, thank
Hannah / Eryn:you for for sharing your story with us. Holly's, like, wiping the tears from her face, and she says, it sounds like we might be able to help a little bit on your search to find these cursors. I, for 1, think this sounds like a terrible terrible act that we need to write, and I wanna help if I can.
Tim / GM:That's what I was hoping to hear. I haven't been able to get where I want to go. I don't know if I'm recognized or blacklisted or something, but he says there exists a sort of underground that I haven't been able to access. Oh. I believe it's a black market of sorts.
Tim / GM:But it's it lies underneath the docks of of, lamplight.
Hannah / Eryn:Underneath?
Tim / GM:I've I've seen it. I even saw it tonight during part of our chase. I saw just beneath part of Blackwater Road, there was a light on.
Speaker 3:Is this the thing under the dock?
Tim / GM:Yes. Have you seen it?
Speaker 3:Briefly. Yeah.
Tim / GM:I've seen people kind of emerge from places that they couldn't have. I've I've tailed them and they just sort of disappear. There's got to be some kind of hidden entrances into this underdock.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Just, blow up the dock and you can find it.
Hannah / Eryn:That's one way to do it.
Tim / GM:Says, yes. I saw the, construction site earlier.
Speaker 3:Construction site?
Tim / GM:Where they were repairing the docks.
Speaker 3:Oh, they started already.
Hannah / Eryn:Okay. Tandy, have you, had any other cases besides the nightmare wizard in town of curses?
Tim / GM:I mean, it's hard to chalk it up to a curse, really. I mean, how do you know if it's really a curse or someone's just being an a hole?
Hannah / Eryn:There been anything else besides the fish at night?
Tim / GM:Well, I'm starting to think now. There have been several occurrences. And who's to say that they were linked at all? Maybe none of it was Maisie. Maybe only this was.
Tim / GM:So, yeah. To summarize, Henry is Maisie's dad, effectively. There is a black market underneath some parts of lamplight, and they don't know exactly where it is. Henry doesn't know and neither does Tandy. All of this nightmare wizard stuff, it may well have been other curses And people just thought it was all the same, you know, villain or something.
Speaker 7:Snack must get this straight. Ash, tell me more about what happened, how she transformed. He's got a glittery look in his eye. Please.
Tim / GM:Henry takes another sec, of a kind of a a pause. It's clear he, like, is has, like, mixed feelings about talking about this stuff. He says, well, at first, we thought it was just a normal ailment, something that affected her skin. She became very dry and and rashy, but from under her skin developed, scales and then came horns and and, her her bones even shifted that her legs grew an extra joint, a large tail and and
Hannah / Eryn:Holly stands up and walks out. She can't. She gets, like yeah. She's too upset. So she can't listen to it.
Tim / GM:Claws and her her body was just made a terrible weapon. And, she became overcome with grandeur and and fury. And and she fought even me, and I I I couldn't fight her back.
Hannah / Eryn:Bert
Speaker 6:is writing this down with, like, extra vigor, like, oh, yes.
Speaker 7:The snack climbs on top of a stool to sit closer. And and wings. Did she grow did she grow wings?
Tim / GM:He kind of, furrows his eyebrows and says, she did not grow wings. No. But perhaps in time she could've. Who knows? I just wish we had acted more quickly on the curse rather than treating it as a disease.
Speaker 3:Did you end her life?
Tim / GM:No. I I I couldn't. I had to keep my distance. I I regret that it was others that had to see her through.
Speaker 3:That's rough, buddy.
Speaker 6:So, does this mean the flying fish, the crackers, was it all Maisie?
Tim / GM:The crackers, yes. And I was truly doing my best to keep up with her and and undo a lot of the havoc she was causing, my fear is when we came here that Maisie picked up a curse herself. I can't lose the 2 most important people in my life to the same curse.
Speaker 3:Did Maisie ever show any magical ability before this?
Tim / GM:Of course. She's a star student. She's excellent, bright, powerful, and she's a wizard like me.
Speaker 7:What curse does she bear?
Tim / GM:She seems to see enemies where they're on and, her magic slips away from her, as if some other force is acting for her.
Speaker 3:I understand that all the time.
Tim / GM:It seems her emotions are being, channeled into effects. The bar Reign, I imagine, it's likely her needing to use the bathroom.
Speaker 6:Oh, well, mister Muldriff, you can be sure Tibio and the rest of us won't let anything happen to your Maisie.
Speaker 3:Do you think I should talk to her?
Tim / GM:I'm counting on us. I they do not like the sight of me when I get anywhere near, what I expect to be a black market entrance that I can show you. But you're going to need to make the attempt for me. I already tried once and they've got my number. What?
Speaker 6:What was it exactly they didn't like?
Tim / GM:I don't know. It's like they could smell it on me. When I tried to, speak with who I assumed to be a sort of gatekeeper, for the black market. He, he knew something was up immediately. He wouldn't even entertain my, my accessing their stores.
Speaker 6:Well, we're a rougher bunch of characters than you are. So maybe they'll like us.
Tim / GM:That's my thinking. Not not I mean.
Speaker 6:It's fine. You can say.
Tim / GM:It's I think it's just really my my robes is all they're just expensive robes. That's why.
Speaker 3:And you didn't think changing your clothes might help?
Tim / GM:I only had one shot. I, I think we should try in the morning, though. Tonight has been quite enough.
Tara / Journey:Meanwhile, Tibio has been sitting outside just, like, right outside the door with Maisie and is teaching her, like, a bone tossing game that he learned from his family
Tim / GM:k.
Tara / Journey:Where, like, there's runes carved in on these little, like, bone fragments, and you toss them. And it's, like, some combination of jacks, and there's certain numbers that you have to get and there's lots of complicated rules, and he's very excitedly teaching her how to play this game.
Tim / GM:And, as you you're going through the the kind of tutorial round, and you can tell that she's picking up the rules of the game before you've even finished explaining how to do it. And so when you give her, like, the rock or the ball or whatever it is to do her turn, you can see she's using she she does the bounce or whatever she needs to and starts lifting stuff up, but she's doing it with mage hand and she's she's lifting several bones at once. And then she's lifting all the bones at once and she goes, is that cheating?
Speaker 5:No. No. It's not cheating.
Tara / Journey:And then, I also cast mage hand and, and I say, we don't usually include magic until the later rounds, but this is excellent. He's he's thrilled. Yeah.
Tim / GM:She says I like this. So, Lily, did you wanna step out?
Speaker 5:Yeah.
Tim / GM:And they're just they're just sitting against the wall right outside of the tavern.
Speaker 3:Hey hey, kid. No hard feelings?
Tim / GM:She looks up at you and says nothing. And then she looks at Tibeo.
Speaker 5:She's okay. I
Tim / GM:She says no.
Speaker 3:Okay. Good. Thanks. I wanted to ask you if you are having trouble maybe controlling your emotions or your magic or, like, you know, whatever because I might know something about that.
Tim / GM:She says, I can control my emotions just fine.
Speaker 3:Okay. You can't control your magic?
Tim / GM:Sometimes, no.
Speaker 3:When why? When does that happen? Do you know?
Tim / GM:It's like when I'm scared or, like, when I need something if I really want it and I can't, that kind of thing.
Speaker 3:Yeah. That sounds like not controlling your emotions.
Tim / GM:She goes, hey, you shut up. No. You shut up. And you you feel the door open behind you, Uli, as Tandy steps out. And she says, What's
Speaker 5:up, boss?
Tim / GM:We need to finish a conversation.
Speaker 3:Can it wait a minute?
Tim / GM:She sees you're talking about the kids and says
Speaker 5:Madame Tendi, Uli was just going to join us for a game.
Tara / Journey:And I gesture for Uli to sit down with us and play these this, like, whack ass bone
Speaker 3:Smaller the bones. Quite. Okay. I am having trouble.
Tim / GM:That's fine. Uli, let's leave it at this. You can stay here tonight. I want you to meet me on the docks at 6 AM tomorrow morning.
Speaker 3:6 AM before the sun rises?
Tim / GM:You heard me.
Speaker 3:Damn it. Yeah. Okay. I that's fine.
Tim / GM:And we'll talk about the, damage costs for the port walker.
Speaker 3:I told you I would repair it.
Tim / GM:We don't want you to repair it. We don't know what that would look like.
Speaker 3:I'm a I'm a boat repairman. It can't be that much different. Right?
Tim / GM:So she she actually leaves. She lets you go and, and doesn't do it then and there.
Speaker 3:Okay. I wanna keep talking to the kid about
Tim / GM:Oh, yeah.
Speaker 3:The magic stuff. But well, I I'm just trying to gauge if it's, like, dangerous or not.
Tim / GM:It could be dangerous. She's not like she's she's strong, but she's not like extremely powerful where she could hurt people. Okay. So she's not she's more of like a danger to herself and like the course of her life more than she is to other people, really.
Speaker 3:Is it wizard magic?
Tim / GM:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Oh, that's interesting.
Tim / GM:I mean, like, she yeah. It is wizard magic. So she like She wasn't
Speaker 3:born with it. She wasn't born with it?
Tim / GM:She's, I mean, she's born with a connectivity, but it's not like this is much more typical of a sorcerer, where they'd have outbursts that cause this kind of thing.
Tara / Journey:Right.
Tim / GM:So this really is some kind of other sentient force that's like that's, acting on her.
Speaker 3:Okay. I want to know if they're gonna stick around for a while while we try and figure this out.
Tim / GM:Yeah. So they also can't leave town for the next 2 days due to the lock lockdown.
Speaker 3:Okay. So I'm going to give her my tantrum tankard.
Tim / GM:Oh, okay.
Speaker 3:And I'm going to tell her how to use it. Yeah. And if she's feeling particularly uncontrolled, I want her to try it out. Yeah. But I will take it back at some point.
Tim / GM:Okay.
Speaker 5:So, like, when we figure out
Tara / Journey:how to stop this, like, craziness that's been going on.
Speaker 3:Right. But I think she might need it more than I do.
Tim / GM:You hand it down to her and she takes it with 2 hands. You know, it's like a cup for you and it's kinda massive for her. Yes. And, she just plays with the, the lever that causes the tankard top to open as you're explaining it. And then she's just kind of nodding along with the protocol
Speaker 6:that you guys
Speaker 3:again. So when the user is feeling a strong emotion, charm, or fear effect, they can open the tankard to relieve themselves of their emotional state for up to an hour. The emotion is stored in the tankard and can be released by opening it, returning the user to that emotional state. But I think because I have a lot of experience trying to control 26 years of it, and she doesn't I would think she would benefit more from it right now
Tara / Journey:Especially if it's something new that she's experiencing that like it's not due to anything she's done, it's an outside force.
Speaker 5:Right,
Speaker 3:and it seems to be when she has an emotion strong enough to trigger it. So
Tara / Journey:so Tibia is watching this exchange and is seeing Uli pass on this tool to Maisie and is just very emotional about it and is very pleased and very happy and, says, oh, Uli, that's just so kind of you. And, he sorts through all the little bone pieces and he finds one that has a, like, a u shape on it.
Speaker 5:Oh. And he says, it's Ooferooley.
Speaker 3:Ooferooley? I will blush and try and be gruff about it and take it and I will say, do you need this? Pointing to the tankard. No.
Tim / GM:Thank you. And I think, we'll call that that evening there.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 6:Alright. I want to, mister Stank, you have a moment?
Speaker 7:Yes. Alright. It takes me a second to crawl off the barstool and walk over there.
Speaker 6:So I know this, like me, you were, getting pretty into that story about that curse.
Speaker 7:Yes, indeed. It is quite intriguing, that transformation and all.
Speaker 6:I just want to make sure you don't do anything too foolhardy regarding the curse until we know more about it.
Speaker 7:Bert, I will be very careful and ensure that if I am to transcend, it will be quick and efficient.
Hannah / Eryn:Holly walks out of the bathroom area where she had, like, walked off earlier, and she her eyes are, like, really red from crying, and she just asked the barkeep. She's like, can I just go to my room? I just wanna turn in. And then tries to just quietly go upstairs.
Tim / GM:So Barkeep says,
Speaker 3:I I think most of
Tim / GM:the water was just down
Speaker 6:here, so you should be fine. Yeah.
Hannah / Eryn:Thanks.
Speaker 6:Oh, miss Hyacinth, are you okay? That was a hell of a story we heard.
Hannah / Eryn:I yeah. I I'm fine. Thanks. Thanks, Bert. But I I think I just need to turn in tonight, so it's just been a long day.
Speaker 6:Alright. Take care.
Hannah / Eryn:Thanks. And she, like, kinda just walks upstairs, but she's just pretty sad seeming. Yeah.
Speaker 6:Alright. Snack, if if you're gonna own earn your wings
Speaker 7:yes. That is a grand plan. I have 3 years to do such a thing.
Speaker 6:No shortcuts. Alright?
Speaker 7:No shortcuts, you say? Why is this Bert? Why should I not take shortcuts? I
Speaker 6:mean you gotta earn them. Oh. Wings don't mean as much if you didn't earn them.
Speaker 7:What would a norm know of such things? I've been around this place for 6 long years, and you tell me to be more patient.
Speaker 6:I've read many tales about kobolds earning their wings.
Speaker 7:Have you? Show me, are they in that book?
Speaker 6:Oh, not this book, but maybe I'll tell you another story sometime.
Speaker 7:Bert, I must tell you, when I first found out you were a gnome, I wanted nothing more than violence to ensue between us, but I I feel differently now. I don't know if it's the big lip hair that you have. Or that you write down all the things so that we all remember them. But you're alright, Bert, So I'm glad to
Speaker 6:hear it, Snack. You're alright too.
Tim / GM:And, at the conclusion of that, the last thing I wanna do tonight, sorry, in this in this day of the episode, snack. Before you turn in for the night, the magic lamp at your hip begins to, vibrate. It goes
Speaker 7:Okay. Okay. Ah, Genie, now, I run outside of the tavern and go over to the the trash can, and then I, sit with my back to it and opened the lamp at that time for Genie to appear.
Tim / GM:And so, exploding from the lamp, is this 2 inch tall genie that begins walking across the top of the lamp. There's this glowing colorful trail. The genie kind of shifts colors iridescently. So, much like we had seen in the Aladdin movies. He kind of cuts off at the waist and then there's like a sort of stream that runs back to the entrance of the lamp.
Tim / GM:So he's kind of tethered to it. But he's sort of strutting back and forth on the top of the lamp and he just says, how goes today?
Speaker 7:Genie, things are going very well. We nearly captured the nightmare wizard. I do not know where he resides now, but we have made further allies. And I know of this this curse, they call it, that allows you to grow scales. Genie.
Tim / GM:He, Genie gets down on all fours and he grows scales and wings and he turns into a dragon. He says, very scary.
Speaker 7:Yes. Just like that. Yes. And I punch the trash can in excitement.
Tim / GM:And he says, and how much closer are we to our transcendence? And he gets like a little halo as his wings grow bigger.
Speaker 7:So much closer, Genie. I think I think tomorrow it it may happen.
Tim / GM:Says, well, don't be discouraged if it doesn't.
Speaker 7:I will try. So, Genie, why do you come today? This evening?
Tim / GM:Because if my senses don't deceive me, I'd think you're in lamplight landing. Is that correct?
Speaker 7:Yes. Yes, we are.
Tim / GM:I've heard that this place has a whole lot
Speaker 7:of magic. There's magic here. We learned of this underdark as well. Below the docks here.
Tim / GM:The underdark is nowhere near this place. Oh. The underdark is a giant underground chasm featuring drow and other sort of underground dwellers.
Speaker 7:I I see. Is this where curses come from then?
Tim / GM:I'm sorry. Did you say under dock?
Speaker 7:Under Oh. I misheard I misheard them. Underdark. Yes. The black market in the underdark.
Speaker 7:That makes much more sense. You need this man that explained it to us. It's a weird accent. I didn't I don't I didn't quite get it.
Tim / GM:Wherever you need to find it, I am hungry for magic.
Speaker 7:Great, Genie. Tell me more. Do you know anything of this Underdark then?
Tim / GM:Only what you've told me, that it's not the Underdark. But I hear promising things. My time runs short, dear snack. I must pray. Please, find magic items and feed them to me.
Speaker 7:I will, genie. I will look.
Tim / GM:That's all I ask of you.
Speaker 7:Okay. Stay tight.
Tim / GM:Okay. Mine goes back into the wild.
Speaker 7:Bye bye.
Speaker 6:Oh, yeah.
Speaker 3:Did we hear any of this happening?
Tim / GM:I don't think so.
Speaker 6:No. I don't think we know about Janie. Yeah.
Tim / GM:You probably heard the trash can rattle.
Speaker 6:Just snack being weird.
Tim / GM:And let's we'll start into the next day here. So first person to be awake is Uli. Oh. And you have to have Tandy out on the docks at 6 AM before before the sun even comes up.
Speaker 3:What time is it?
Tim / GM:It is, it is 5:55 and you are at Blackwater Row walking towards the docks.
Speaker 6:Oh, okay.
Tim / GM:And you actually see Tandy. She is in line at the elixir kiosk. There's actually, like, a line of, like, 15 people there. What? And it's the only store that's open.
Speaker 3:Is that, like, a common thing? Am I ever up this early?
Tim / GM:No. Never. You've never seen this before. And so all these people are lined up at the thing and they're all they're all buying the same potion. And, you see somebody buy one from Joe, hand them a couple gold pieces, and they just, they drink it like right then and there.
Tim / GM:And they give them they actually just give them back the vial and they go, thank you, Joe. I'm ready for the day.
Speaker 3:Is this wheatgrass shots or something?
Tara / Journey:Or something.
Tim / GM:Somebody else walks up and takes 1 and they're just like, oh, thank you. God, I just I can't talk to anybody before I have my morning elixir.
Speaker 3:Oh my god.
Tim / GM:And, and they continue on.
Speaker 3:Alright. I'll,
Tim / GM:Tandy says, I'll just be a second.
Speaker 3:I'll just stand with her.
Tim / GM:And she says, I'll meet you on the docks, Uli.
Speaker 3:I'm I am on the docks. And I have met you.
Tim / GM:How did you sleep?
Speaker 3:You know.
Tim / GM:Let's just not talk.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Tim / GM:And you wait a couple minutes just taking a step every now and then as the line shrinks.
Hannah / Eryn:This is so awkward.
Tim / GM:And she gets she gets an elixir, slams it, and she just says, okay. Much better. Let's go. And, she walks with you down to the docks. Okay.
Tim / GM:When you get there, you see a, a tall lithe, elf man. Very scrawny, very young as elves go. He has white hair. It's a little long, but it's like tied up in a little bun. She says, this is your new training partner.
Speaker 3:Training partner. That's the thing that I wanted.
Tim / GM:Yes. You are going to learn to get yourself under control.
Speaker 3:In what in what way?
Tim / GM:Well, when things go poorly for you, Uli, you react poorly. And we're going to try to put a stop to that. So, Ryn, here has a bit of a sharp tongue and he can also take whatever you're about to dish out. So I just think you 2 would make a great pair, and I think you could really stand to learn a lot from each other. So let's just start with you having a little bit of a conversation, and we'll see how this goes.
Tim / GM:And, so, Rhyn, this elf boy is, he's got a tall staff that he's kind of leaning on and he's got a very lazy posture. And he's just like at the very corner of the dock staring at the water. And then he like barely notices you. And he just looks up at you and goes, hey.
Speaker 3:Do I really have to do this?
Tim / GM:You do. It's this or you're exiled from lamplight landing.
Speaker 3:Point taken. Hello?
Tim / GM:Yeah. I already said hello. What Tandy, is is she just gonna start punching me or what? Tandy grins and says, maybe. You 2 play nice.
Tim / GM:And she says, oh, and don't leave this dock. It's the only one with the steel plating. And she gestures to the the the heavy steel grate beneath your feet instead of, the usual wood docks.
Speaker 3:How long do I have to do this?
Tim / GM:She says an hour a day should do.
Speaker 3:Perfect. Thank you so much for the the for that. Thank you.
Tim / GM:And, and she actually leaves. And Rin says, well, I got in a whole heap of trouble, so I think I have to babysit you for a little bit every day.
Speaker 3:Oh, you have to babysit me?
Tim / GM:Yes.
Speaker 3:I I assumed it was the other way around.
Tim / GM:Oh, I mean, I just figured since I was the one in control here that I'd be the one in control.
Speaker 3:You you said you got into trouble.
Tim / GM:Yep. Knotted off the sheriff's candy. She didn't like that one bit.
Speaker 3:Why do you assume you're in control then?
Tim / GM:He actually just smiles at you. And he says, so you're the one that blew up the docks. Is that right?
Speaker 5:Yeah. And that's And
Tim / GM:why did you do that?
Speaker 3:Because I am so powerful, clearly.
Tim / GM:So your goal was to destroy part of the town?
Speaker 3:No. My goal was to destroy part of a person.
Tim / GM:So you're not powerful enough to succeed in your goals.
Speaker 3:Oh, I wasn't trying to kill anybody or the doc.
Tim / GM:Well, you certainly don't scare me. You really just kinda seem like a temperamental child. Big plans today? Gonna ruin a bunch more shit? Make people's lives awful?
Speaker 3:How close are we to the water?
Tim / GM:You're I mean, you're pretty close. He's still leaning on a staff looking out over the water. He's like barely even looked up at you this whole time.
Speaker 3:Like full body weight on the staff?
Tim / GM:Kinda.
Speaker 3:Okay. I'm gonna tap the staff with my foot.
Tim / GM:He just kind of like like side eyes you and like hop skips the staff just a little bit and like doesn't let you kick it.
Speaker 6:And he
Tim / GM:says, oh, what was that? Getting violent already?
Speaker 3:That's not violent.
Tim / GM:Oh, no?
Speaker 3:No. You have not seen me violent.
Tim / GM:You just tried to move on me.
Speaker 3:No. I tried to move on your style.
Tim / GM:Temperamental child indeed. Tandy was right about you. We barely even talked and you're already trying to get at me. What is wrong with you? You can't do this to people.
Tim / GM:That's assault, you know. Like, I could like, if like you could be if we were in Tildrey, I'm just saying, you'd be in jail by now. You're out of control and you have no idea what you're doing. And you're not powerful. He goes, fine.
Tim / GM:And, he punches you in the lip.
Speaker 3:Did Tandy give any indication that if I were to lose my cool, this would be tough? Okay. Cool. Then I'm gonna punch him back.
Tim / GM:You lunge at him, and you throw a fist, and it's going to connect with his face Mhmm. Except he raises a hand and you see a warbling sheen of light between the 2 of you. And you recognize that he's cast a shield spell and he dramatically increases his own armor.
Speaker 3:That is so extremely lame.
Tim / GM:He says, well, like I said, I'm the one in control here. And there's not a whole lot you can ever do about it. So you better just sit down because I'm about to tell my whole life story, and you're gonna listen for an hour a day. And, he just kind of starts yapping about random stuff.
Speaker 3:Is the shield still up?
Tim / GM:No. It's only it's like moments of It's
Speaker 6:only a reaction. Yeah.
Tim / GM:Yep.
Speaker 3:Okay. I'm going to pretend like I'm listening.
Tim / GM:And we're we're gonna kind of actually fade out of that That's right. Scene. Yeah. Holly also had to get up early, to meet with Todd Pohl out on his fishing boat.
Speaker 6:Oh, yeah.
Hannah / Eryn:Holly walks up the docks, and she is totally refreshed, ready to start a new day. And she says, oh, good morning, mister Todd Poeell. How are you today?
Tim / GM:He, does the kinda, like, lip tuck and nod kinda thing. He just kinda nods at you without saying anything. Says, I I think I got what we need here to do the the ritual thing you're talking about.
Hannah / Eryn:Oh, perfect. Holly is very excited. Unfortunately, I think we already found the nightmare wizard, but we could still, you know, see who else. I don't know I don't know if there's anything else I need to, like, find the source of.
Tim / GM:Oh, well, I I mean, I got the seaweed right here. And I mean, usually you use a worm in the ritual, so I brought a worm, but I don't know.
Hannah / Eryn:You know, I I realized on my walk over here, I I don't think we need your help anymore. We kind of discovered or figured out what we need to. One thing, though, I do have a quick question before you head out for your fishing for the day. Do you know I mean, and I know we have to keep it on the DL, but you know anything about the, you know, underdog. And she's, like, really close to him, and she's, like, looking around, like, no you know, making sure no one's looking.
Hannah / Eryn:And she has no idea how to play it cool. She's very straight laced. So
Tim / GM:This is, I mean, take off the badge for a sec.
Hannah / Eryn:Oh, I threw it in the water last night. Good. Yep. She takes off the chameleon's badge and puts it in her pocket.
Tim / GM:Everybody's got, you know, magical needs. They gotta buy some rare reagents, you know. And it's stuff comes up, you gotta get stuff that's hard to find, you go to the under doctor.
Hannah / Eryn:I see. I see. I think I have a need to get to the under doctor for one of those reasons. Mhmm.
Tim / GM:Well, I'll I'll tell you this. At the end of Blackwater Row, It's only for a little bit each day, but there's an alleyway you can walk into. Okay? It's right before the last shop in Blackwater Row. In that alleyway, there's gonna be a big dude.
Tim / GM:Okay? He's a minotaur. His name is Dave.
Hannah / Eryn:Not suspicious at all.
Tim / GM:And Dave's, I mean, he's a pretty nice guy and all, but, you know, he's a Minotaur. He's he's, he'll get you. So What's the password? There's no password. He just he kinda swept
Speaker 5:you. Symbol.
Tim / GM:It's not that. Dave just knows.
Hannah / Eryn:He knows what we're cool. Stranger? What if you're a stranger? Does he let strangers in?
Tim / GM:That's his job. He judges who gets to go in.
Hannah / Eryn:Who's he who's he getting his info from?
Tim / GM:I think he just kinda senses it.
Hannah / Eryn:He just looks at them and
Tim / GM:And the stars are good at that. They know how to
Speaker 3:Oh, my god.
Tim / GM:You know, navigate. They can judge people.
Hannah / Eryn:Okay. Is it like a thing if I really need it, they'll let me in? Because he'll know.
Tim / GM:I mean, you could bribe him.
Hannah / Eryn:Okay. Perfect. Perfect. Thank you. Thank you.
Hannah / Eryn:She, like, pretends to walk away slowly, like nothing happened here, and, like, turns away.
Tim / GM:Honore at the same time is, like, looking around all, like, paranoid and nervous. His eyes are just kinda shifting like like
Hannah / Eryn:But in opposite directions because
Tara / Journey:they can do.
Speaker 7:Honore is
Tim / GM:just like nothing to see.
Hannah / Eryn:Yeah. And then she's just like, thank you. And she, like, slowly walks away and kinda, like, peaces out from Todd Poll. So he's a good friend.
Tim / GM:Yeah. Todd looks at the ritual he has set up on the dock. It's like a circle of seaweed with a worm kind of, like, writhing around in the middle of it. Aw. And he just kinda, like, uses his shoe and just kinda scrapes it into the wall.
Tim / GM:And he goes, sorry, guy. And so I think we'll end on this. Bert, Tibio, and Snack are together. Where are you guys? Are you in Blackwater Row, The Market?
Tim / GM:Are you still eating breakfast? Are you at the tavern?
Tara / Journey:Are we staying are we staying at the Tangle Jib? Yeah. Sorry. No. We're dark.
Tim / GM:You're staying at the Tangle Jib. Lily doesn't have to. She probably has a residence here or something.
Tara / Journey:Right.
Tim / GM:Oh, I know.
Tara / Journey:I'm just thinking the 3 of us. Yeah.
Speaker 6:Yeah. I would've stayed there.
Tara / Journey:Yeah. I think Probably. Bert is probably some somewhat of a night owl. Snack is obviously a cave dweller, and I'm a necromancer, so I would assume that I like the darkness more. So we're probably all late risers.
Speaker 6:Yeah. Uh-huh.
Tara / Journey:So Tibio is in the tavern in the main area, eating breakfast.
Speaker 5:He has made a porridge that is a home recipe from his mother.
Tim / GM:Bone meal?
Speaker 5:Something. So
Tim / GM:a it's pretty much just the 3 of you. And again, the tavern keeper is sort of in and out. And then in walks a stranger who you guys have not met at all. It's a dark haired man who doesn't introduce himself. He actually doesn't say anything.
Tim / GM:He he just kinda walks in and he sees the 3 of you and he just sits down in a chair and like he like stares down at the table.
Speaker 6:I just kinda nod my head at him.
Tim / GM:And he, like, nods back at you. And Do
Speaker 5:you know do you know this man, Bert?
Speaker 6:I haven't seen him before.
Tim / GM:He, he stands up to leave, and he takes a couple steps and then he like sits back down in the chair and he kinda like shakes his head and kinda like looks around at the ground. It almost looks like he's trying to remember like what he came in for.
Speaker 5:Sir, are are you okay?
Tim / GM:He stands up and walks towards you. He says, I I think. Yeah. I I think. Yeah.
Tara / Journey:Tibio's eyes are very wide.
Speaker 6:Something wrong, pal?
Tim / GM:I think everything's fine.
Speaker 6:You look a little, out of sorts or lost.
Tim / GM:Yeah. I don't know. Something feels you feel that?
Speaker 6:I do not feel that.
Tim / GM:And then Bert, he stabs a dagger towards you.
Speaker 6:What?
Tim / GM:It's just kind of a a a very, like, quick escalation as he pulls out this dagger that kind of glints in the morning sunlight. It's only like 9 AM, coming through the window. And he he lunges for Bert, and he immediately drops the knife. And he goes he goes, I I that wasn't me.
Speaker 6:I saw you do it.
Tim / GM:He goes, no. I didn't do that.
Tara / Journey:I put a hand on Bert's shoulder and I cast mage armor.
Tim / GM:So, yeah, Bert insert rippling with extra protection. He says, he says, I didn't I didn't just try to do that. Please. I I don't know what to tell you.
Speaker 6:Is this your dagger?
Tim / GM:Yeah. Yeah. It is. He's like, please don't do this. He's like, don't arrest me.
Tim / GM:Don't do this.
Speaker 6:No. We are deputies, but I wanna at least like move around him to block off his exit or whatever.
Tim / GM:Yeah. And as you stand up, you see him like turn to leave and then he like stops again. And then he like turns back towards you. And then he like turns to leave again and he stops. And he goes, please, I'm sorry.
Tim / GM:And then he just kinda like shakes his head and then he starts like slowly walking out of the room. And he goes, please just forget about this.
Speaker 6:He he is leaving now though?
Tim / GM:He's trying to. Yeah.
Speaker 5:But we should follow him. We need to stop him. He might be cursed.
Speaker 6:Yeah. I'm gonna pocket the dagger and
Speaker 7:Okay. Snack comes into the room. He's got a plate full of bacon and ate all of the bacon. Yeah. What's going on here?
Tim / GM:And, and you see, you you you just see, Bert, like, picking up this knife, off the table like it's a murder weapon or something, kinda very daintily. And you also see a a Tibia, like, kind of conversing with the man and, like, the all 3 of them are trying to, you know, act on each other.
Tara / Journey:I'm trying to prevent him from leaving. I'm, like, not touching him, but I'm, like,
Tim / GM:in front
Tara / Journey:of the door. Like, no. No. No.
Hannah / Eryn:Alright. Let's go.
Speaker 6:I'm gonna try this again. I'm going to shout out to him. Stop. Okay. Using command.
Tim / GM:And he succumbs to that.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Tim / GM:And he just completely stops, and he's staring at you. And he goes, yeah.
Speaker 6:Alright, pal. I don't know what's going on, but you didn't wanna stab me. Right? No. But you did try to stab me.
Tim / GM:Yeah. And I I don't even know why. I don't know how I got here.
Speaker 6:Could this be a curse?
Speaker 7:I, roll up his, pant legs and start checking for scales.
Speaker 6:What what you got, snack?
Speaker 7:I don't know. Perhaps it's below the skin, and I take out my dagger.
Speaker 5:Oh, god. No. No. No. Just wait.
Speaker 7:Perhaps we should follow him then.
Speaker 5:So are are you are you in control now?
Tim / GM:I I think so. I feel okay.
Speaker 5:Did you feel okay before?
Tim / GM:No. It it was different.
Speaker 5:So you feel different? Yeah. Can you sit? Can you stay?
Tim / GM:Uh-huh.
Speaker 5:We don't blame you. We understand you are cursed.
Tim / GM:I I really I mean, you guys are deputies. Right? I can't I don't wanna I don't wanna make this any bigger of a thing than I was. I just
Speaker 5:We are not going to arrest you. We just want to find the truth.
Tim / GM:He, he sits with you.
Speaker 6:Have you, come into contact with any anyone weird or mysterious lately?
Tim / GM:Absolutely not. I've I'm just going about my routine like I do every day. And then I I passed by this bar and I I saw the 3 of you in the window and I don't know. I I came in and you saw what happened. I can't explain it.
Tim / GM:I don't I don't even know you.
Speaker 5:Sir, did you We will not tell anyone. But did you perhaps make a visit to the Underdark at some point?
Tim / GM:To the what?
Speaker 5:The the underdark?
Speaker 6:The underdark. At the underdark.
Tim / GM:I've never oh, the under duck. No. I don't know what that is. Under under What do you mean? Like, swimming?
Speaker 5:Under duck. On the deck.
Speaker 6:It's alright, Tibio. I think he doesn't I'm
Speaker 3:sorry.
Speaker 6:Then I will cast a tech magic.
Tim / GM:Okay. You can see that there is a, a very a very powerful, but a very diluted charm over him.
Speaker 6:I think this man is cursed.
Tim / GM:It's it's something like an unbreakable charm or like an unbreakable spell.
Speaker 7:Okay.
Tim / GM:But it's it's like it's I it's it's so it's such a shadow of that effect that it's only kind of like on and off and erratically controlling him like this.
Speaker 6:I think there's enough evidence to say this this boy cursed.
Speaker 7:What do we do with him then?
Speaker 5:We find out who cursed him.
Tim / GM:Just then, you guys hear a window shatter. And a stone comes flying through the window and just barely misses Tibio. And you see somebody outside, like, looking at both of their hands and they go, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Wait.
Tim / GM:And, we
Speaker 5:are under attack.
Tim / GM:And, we'll end it there for tonight, I think.
Speaker 3:Oh. Yay. Yay.
Speaker 6:I'm glad all these towns people are bad at attacking.
