EP 23 - "Innocuous Affairs"

[00:00:00] Welcome everyone to another episode of Rift Walkers. After a pretty perilous journey last time, we are going to be re-rolling Obligation and Destiny Points for these next few episodes. To start us off, I rolled a 33 on Obligation. A double! So everyone takes a double penalty to their strain, and that is Finn's Obligation. Of course.

[00:00:22] Now for story time, I rolled two points for the player pool.

[00:00:28] I rolled one point for the player pool.

[00:00:30] I rolled one point for the DM pool.

[00:00:32] I rolled two points for the player pool.

[00:00:35] I rolled two points for the player pool.

[00:00:37] I rolled one point for the GM pool.

[00:00:39] And I got two points for the player pool.

[00:00:41] Nice!

[00:00:42] Alright, after narrowly escaping the dungeons and catacombs beneath the estate of the Elverette noblewoman, Marika Tetsinto,

[00:00:53] the party washed ashore a little ways away from the city of Port-de-Soleil on Viridian, where they trekked through the forest and were able to take shelter in a small town and the local inn.

[00:01:06] The evening went by without a hitch, though restless it was uneventful.

[00:01:11] And come morning, you are all feeling a little better, a little well rested, with hot food and drinks prepared, as you all find yourselves at one of this inn's larger communal tables,

[00:01:24] sitting across from each other, ready to deliberate on your next course of action.

[00:01:29] The Elvkin Aiden, someone from Kel, or I guess Lyra as he knows her, her past, also joins you.

[00:01:37] Finn approaches the table, sits down amidst the group of everyone, has a measly plate of just some bread with some cheese,

[00:01:46] and he sets his bag down on the table, and as it topples over onto the side gently, a little claw of something kind of reaches itself out of the bag,

[00:01:57] and he hurriedly kind of pushes it back in, and then puts his bag on the ground.

[00:02:03] A mechanical claw? Or like a crab claw?

[00:02:05] It was definitely something like metal, so it could have been just something falling out, maybe not.

[00:02:11] Finn, what was that?

[00:02:13] It was nothing. It was bread.

[00:02:15] Alright.

[00:02:15] So, anyways, what is our plan to get everyone's stuff back from this estate before we have to return with Iris tonight?

[00:02:24] That's a great question.

[00:02:25] As I see it, we are currently, without orientation, not necessarily too sure where the city is or how far away we are,

[00:02:34] defenseless, without weapons, well, we have some weapons, but not the weapons with which we are accustomed,

[00:02:39] and with no real leads or evidence necessarily, although I was able to scrounge something up off of that mech last night,

[00:02:47] that shows that this, what was her name again, our patron from last night?

[00:02:51] Marika.

[00:02:53] Marika.

[00:02:54] Marika.

[00:02:55] Marika character was up to no good against the Ironwood Company.

[00:02:59] I would not call yesterday a rousing success.

[00:03:01] Marika.

[00:03:02] Yeah, no, me neither.

[00:03:03] I would like to speak to Marika.

[00:03:05] We have some unfinished business.

[00:03:08] While the rest of you can retrieve our stuff.

[00:03:10] How does that sound?

[00:03:11] Do you think she'll be inclined to give us our stuff back?

[00:03:13] I mean, she did throw us into a fighting ring and expect us to die.

[00:03:16] I believe with some persuasion she will.

[00:03:18] Right, persuasion.

[00:03:19] Bread says doing, like, air quotes.

[00:03:23] You have a better idea?

[00:03:24] From the sounds of it though, when Kai did talk to Marika, she did give us passage down into the arena to help you.

[00:03:32] So there might be a way for Kai to persuade her.

[00:03:36] I mean, I think it's worth a shot.

[00:03:37] I think my concern is more that maybe you've cashed in all your favours there.

[00:03:41] Maybe so.

[00:03:42] But I'll be the judge of that.

[00:03:44] Thank you, Bread, for caring for my well-being.

[00:03:47] But I can take care of myself.

[00:03:49] Right, so I will talk to Marika and the rest of you can retrieve our stuff and then we'll meet up with Edis.

[00:03:57] Yes?

[00:03:58] Marika's place is probably as guided as it was last evening.

[00:04:01] Best we do this covertly then.

[00:04:04] We're going to sneak into her house.

[00:04:05] We're going to break into her house, steal our stuff from her.

[00:04:08] And you're going to persuade her after we've broken in?

[00:04:10] Do you have a problem with this plan?

[00:04:12] Yeah, I do, actually.

[00:04:14] Yes, I agree.

[00:04:16] The order of operations there does not seem so logical.

[00:04:20] I think that we should be upfront about things initially and see where things go from there.

[00:04:25] Aiden raises like a sheepish hand at the end of the table and is like,

[00:04:28] I too would like to not return to that place if possible.

[00:04:32] Who are you again?

[00:04:34] Well, I figure I'll stay with you lot if that's alright.

[00:04:39] Till you get back to the city at least.

[00:04:41] And then he just like exchanges eyes with Kel, depending on what Lyra says.

[00:04:45] Well, speaking of that, I wanted to talk about what Sirocco was doing yesterday.

[00:04:52] Because Sirocco managed to make it into the building without an invitation.

[00:04:57] So there are ways to do it if we were going to try and do this covertly.

[00:05:02] But I do agree with the consensus of the group that we should maybe just try to be honest for once.

[00:05:09] And then maybe have to do some nefarious stuff if we have to.

[00:05:14] Because honestly, I'm a little ticked off about everything that happened yesterday.

[00:05:19] So I wouldn't mind a fight.

[00:05:21] But it's not necessary in this case if we can help it.

[00:05:24] Well, that sounds like a joy-old plan.

[00:05:26] Although, we're all forgetting one thing.

[00:05:29] All of us are wanted as of now by Marika's staff.

[00:05:32] As soon as we show our faces there, we will be detained.

[00:05:36] Or worse, it's up to you.

[00:05:37] I bet on the worse.

[00:05:39] Either we risk waiting an entire day to talk to Iris and see if she can pull any sort of strings to get us in or out of there.

[00:05:46] We can wait an entire day without our defenses.

[00:05:50] Or we go and see what happens.

[00:05:52] Like, there's not a whole lot of options for us.

[00:05:55] But we do need to make this decision as a group.

[00:05:58] Because I think our problem with yesterday was we were split up into three different parties.

[00:06:03] And we saw how that happened.

[00:06:04] Half of you were hurt to hell and back.

[00:06:06] And the rest of us were just kind of confused the entire time.

[00:06:10] So how about we stay together this time?

[00:06:12] Unless we can think of a cohesive plan to get back together should we separate.

[00:06:17] I couldn't agree more.

[00:06:18] Actually, I have an idea.

[00:06:22] Sorako says as he's licking jam off his fingers.

[00:06:26] That's a great detail.

[00:06:27] So we know that Finn is very, very smart.

[00:06:34] Now, Finn, you know devoid things.

[00:06:39] What if you make something that we talk to each other?

[00:06:44] Like when we visit the fort and the room blow up and a message is sent out to Aetherworld.

[00:06:50] Maybe you'll make something like that.

[00:06:52] A minus explosion.

[00:06:54] But we now talk with each other over a long distance.

[00:06:59] Is it possible?

[00:07:00] You notice Aiden at the end of the table has just like blanched and kind of huddled a little.

[00:07:05] And he's like looking around the tap room.

[00:07:07] Do you all speak so open and callously about Void all the time?

[00:07:13] Unfortunately, yes, they do.

[00:07:15] Frankly, I'm still waiting on an explanation on who you are.

[00:07:18] We can get to that later.

[00:07:19] I promise we'll do it.

[00:07:21] We'll have the conversation.

[00:07:22] But we still need to get our stuff and figure out what's going on with Marika.

[00:07:27] Brett, I promise you we will discuss all of this later.

[00:07:30] We do have more pressing issues, I believe, at the current moment.

[00:07:34] But if you trust me, you have my word that you can trust him for the time being at least.

[00:07:38] And if he proves to be untrustworthy, I'll kill him myself.

[00:07:41] Even Aiden shoots like a what the fuck?

[00:07:46] And he just like raises his palms like, all right.

[00:07:49] And he'll defer back to Finn, who Sirocco's question was addressed to.

[00:07:54] Anyways, perhaps is all I can say to you.

[00:07:59] The time it would take to develop such a dual communication device.

[00:08:05] It would take most of the day.

[00:08:08] I could not create one for everybody.

[00:08:10] It would more be a one-way path between two objects.

[00:08:14] How about you make one for me?

[00:08:17] You make one for me and one for you.

[00:08:20] So next time I am separated, I find you easy.

[00:08:24] Will there be a next time that you are separated?

[00:08:27] I did not think I would be so easy separated the first time.

[00:08:31] But here we are.

[00:08:32] We'll talk later about this one because I have other ideas for you, Finn.

[00:08:38] I do not think that today that is necessarily the best course of action to devote our time and resources to.

[00:08:44] But I agree in the future it would be a good idea to have an alternative means of communication.

[00:08:51] I think today we have to suffice with a preemptive plan and stick to it.

[00:08:55] I believe the idea for Finn to make something to distract while we infiltrate is our best course of action.

[00:09:02] We can discuss it further as we go on our way.

[00:09:05] We have a long way to travel.

[00:09:07] Agreed.

[00:09:08] This is something I have the majority of whatever resources I would need on my person.

[00:09:13] Anything else.

[00:09:14] As the plan adjusts, I can pick up once we reach Deep City proper.

[00:09:18] But we should be on our way.

[00:09:19] Agreed.

[00:09:20] Kai, you know Marika better than the rest of us do.

[00:09:24] Do you think there's a possibility that you could get her alone?

[00:09:27] Or that we could get you with her alone?

[00:09:29] Well darling, that's exactly my plan.

[00:09:32] I wouldn't have it any other way.

[00:09:34] I don't want you to miss the opportunity to get whatever comeuppance you wanted to give her.

[00:09:39] Because it seems like you two have a history together that I couldn't even begin to understand.

[00:09:44] And I want you to have that because it feels like you deserve it.

[00:09:47] Just based on what I've seen and what I know about all of us and about you.

[00:09:51] But we still need to find a way to get into her estate.

[00:09:55] But if we could figure out a way to get her alone,

[00:09:58] we could all talk to her or you could talk to her separately

[00:10:01] and see if she could just let us get our stuff back.

[00:10:04] I mean, if you think that's something we could do, we can try.

[00:10:07] I believe we can arrange that.

[00:10:09] But why don't we ask Aiden?

[00:10:11] You've been here for a while.

[00:10:13] It seems that you became a little familiar at least with the estate.

[00:10:17] Is that not true?

[00:10:18] Unfortunately not.

[00:10:19] No.

[00:10:20] I was confined to the lower reaches for the brief time I was there.

[00:10:25] I was somewhere else before I was transferred.

[00:10:27] I couldn't exactly say where.

[00:10:29] Sorry.

[00:10:29] Well, you should just shot, right?

[00:10:32] Very well then.

[00:10:33] Anything else that anyone needs to partake of in this inn before we settle on the road?

[00:10:38] Very good.

[00:10:39] And he will just push his plate in towards the center of the table.

[00:10:45] He'll stand up, throw his satchel over his shoulder and go and wait by the door.

[00:10:50] I'll just like finish shoveling food into my mouth and just hurriedly stand up and follow.

[00:10:55] Arnor is ready to leave.

[00:10:57] Brett is very annoyed.

[00:10:58] I, Laurel, am not quite sure why.

[00:11:01] He's just really irritated by this whole turn of events right now.

[00:11:04] Yeah.

[00:11:05] Is it because Kai's calling the shots?

[00:11:07] No, that's really not.

[00:11:10] If Kel has a minute while they're walking out of the tavern, she'll lean close to Finn and say,

[00:11:15] uh, don't forget you still owe me a story.

[00:11:17] He gives her a knowing nod.

[00:11:19] I have not forgotten.

[00:11:20] Is it safe to assume that travel back to the city is fairly straightforward?

[00:11:25] It's fairly straightforward, but it's going to take you a little bit on foot.

[00:11:29] Maybe at least until midday, depending on your pace.

[00:11:32] Uh, but you can secure it.

[00:11:34] If only there were a way to reverse the sewers.

[00:11:36] We could swim back up.

[00:11:38] Ew.

[00:11:38] Like Sam in a tainted river.

[00:11:40] We can almost taste it.

[00:11:42] No, no, no.

[00:11:44] I just have a question.

[00:11:45] Can we just go under the assumption that although we smelt like poop and all of our clothes was like either fancy or like rags, essentially, that we're okay and we could just move on?

[00:11:58] You are wearing what you wore to the party that's been like laundered as much as this inn's facilities allow.

[00:12:07] I will say bread looks immaculate and exactly the same as he did yesterday.

[00:12:10] Okay.

[00:12:12] Getting covered in shit is not new.

[00:12:18] I mean, I would imagine some of it washed off in the river thing.

[00:12:22] I can't imagine it was all just straight.

[00:12:25] Yeah, the river wasn't all sewer.

[00:12:27] It wasn't all dookie.

[00:12:29] It was just part dookie.

[00:12:32] Bread has been covered in worse.

[00:12:34] It's pretty straightforward if you want to take your time there on foot, probably a half day's walk.

[00:12:40] Though it does seem in the town there are some...

[00:12:43] It's very clear that this town is built as like a way station for couriers or travelers and the like.

[00:12:49] And so there do seem to be adequate facilities if you wanted to hire a carriage or something of the sort.

[00:12:54] Would we have to go through a whole haggling interaction if we wanted to take a carriage or could we just pay a carriage guy and get there?

[00:13:03] But it will be $18,000 straightforward.

[00:13:05] Ford.

[00:13:07] It's simple.

[00:13:08] Just pay.

[00:13:15] All right.

[00:13:16] On the way out of town, Finn will notice one of these facilities that has a larger wagon and he will inquire as to the cost to transport them all to the city proper.

[00:13:26] I'll give you a seat, the carriage driver says, for $25, a pop.

[00:13:31] That is not unreasonable.

[00:13:32] He says kind of looking around at the rest of the group.

[00:13:35] Aiden will raise his hand and say, I can pay my own fare.

[00:13:38] And I think our time would be better spent in the city rather than on the road.

[00:13:43] And Finn will huck over his $25, Silver.

[00:13:46] So will Cal.

[00:13:47] Arnor is already giving his $25 to the dude.

[00:13:50] As you're paying and mounting up, the guy goes, now I will say, I take a bit of a roundabout way, pick up some other stragglers, go through towns and such, but I'll get you there before the noondays rise.

[00:14:04] No doubt about it.

[00:14:06] The journey is bumpy.

[00:14:09] It's loud.

[00:14:09] There are some other people that are picked up in a smaller town as you veer a little northward and then head straight into Porte de Soleil.

[00:14:18] As you approach the eastern side of the city proper, you come into East Bank, which is sort of this more suburb type of area, not as commercial or developed as like the main city.

[00:14:32] There are still stretches of farmland, not so much homesteads.

[00:14:37] They seem to be like sharecropping.

[00:14:39] And Noah, this is where Sorocco kind of made that contact.

[00:14:43] So as you come across that bridge, you recognize it as the one you'd strolled across before stumbling into that thief plot.

[00:14:50] And as you make it to the gate that surrounds the walled section of the city, the horses just bray and neigh and then come to a clopping stop as the wagon driver hops down and bids you off.

[00:15:03] Kai starts off towards the estate, leading everybody behind her.

[00:15:06] So what was the plan?

[00:15:08] Did we ever fully decide on what we were going to do?

[00:15:10] I'm still a fan of the distraction.

[00:15:13] Kai, I'm not sure how you're going to talk to Marika alone.

[00:15:17] Frankly, I think our best bet is to send Kai to the door, see if she gets turned away and then make a decision after we find out if Kai can talk to her and persuade her to give us our stuff back.

[00:15:27] That saves us a whole lot of trouble.

[00:15:29] I agree.

[00:15:30] Farewell then.

[00:15:31] The rest of us can position ourselves not too far away, but obviously not within sight or sound of where Kai will be discussing wonderful things.

[00:15:42] Sorocco, you seem to be a little concerned about this plan, no?

[00:15:45] I think I am not concerned.

[00:15:47] I am more concerned that you will be concerned because my things are at the estate but are not with your things.

[00:15:56] So I think while Lady Kai go talk with Marika, I go find my things on my own is okay.

[00:16:04] I know my way around.

[00:16:05] Take them and leave very quickly and nobody know I dare.

[00:16:10] Oh, that's a good point.

[00:16:11] You're still dressed in your servant's clothes, aren't you?

[00:16:14] They are raggedy after that explosion coming off of the Mermadon.

[00:16:19] That's true.

[00:16:21] It's got blood all over it.

[00:16:22] Well, the explosion and a couple of knife slashes and stuff.

[00:16:26] The knife slashes and then yanking the shirt open to be healed.

[00:16:31] So yes, but also no.

[00:16:36] Well, I was going to throw out there too, just for consensus.

[00:16:40] How are we going to know if Kai is actually talking to Marika or if they've taken her prisoner unless we have eyes on her?

[00:16:46] That is my concern as well.

[00:16:48] I'm still right here.

[00:16:49] You do realize that honestly, you guys should really check if I'm around before you talk about me.

[00:16:54] I was just going to suggest that Finn put on his homeless man disguise and just sit somewhere and keep eyes because he is maybe the least inconspicuous of all of us.

[00:17:05] He could sit outside the gate maybe and see or someone could get close.

[00:17:09] I was going to suggest Sirocco, but his clothes are a little fucked.

[00:17:13] So maybe not him.

[00:17:14] So anyone that could maybe look in.

[00:17:17] No, it's okay.

[00:17:18] I get no clothes.

[00:17:20] I know where they keep them.

[00:17:21] I get no clothes.

[00:17:22] I observe from inside.

[00:17:24] I no think we want monster man here to be inside man, especially in the rich state where they're not like the homeless.

[00:17:34] They're not like them.

[00:17:35] We saw last night what happened to poor people.

[00:17:38] We do not want Finn going in and looking haggardly.

[00:17:42] So I go in.

[00:17:44] New clothes.

[00:17:46] New person.

[00:17:47] And many tales in the city.

[00:17:50] I blend right in and I watch from the shadows.

[00:17:54] Sure.

[00:17:55] I'm fine with that.

[00:17:56] Okay.

[00:17:57] Sounds very good.

[00:17:59] How much further to a state?

[00:18:01] Ta-da.

[00:18:02] We're just about there.

[00:18:05] And then we turn a corner and you can see that the state is within reach, so to speak.

[00:18:10] Okay, then.

[00:18:11] See you soon.

[00:18:12] And he'll give Kai a big wink.

[00:18:15] And then he's just going to start walking off to the same side entrance that he went in the night before.

[00:18:20] As Sirocco is departing, Finn kind of grabs his arm just gently and he puts into your hand one more of those flash bomb devices.

[00:18:30] And he just says, it's my last one.

[00:18:32] Do not use it errently.

[00:18:34] Okay.

[00:18:35] I keep this close to vest.

[00:18:37] You make more while I'm gone.

[00:18:39] And then he'll give you a big wink.

[00:18:44] Finn's face is unchanged.

[00:18:46] Sirocco will stash the flash bomb next to the hidden dagger.

[00:18:50] You need one more flash bomb, it sounds like.

[00:18:56] Oh my god!

[00:18:59] Overall, I love you.

[00:19:02] I lost that in a war.

[00:19:08] In the meantime, the rest of us should perhaps disperse ourselves in the vicinity, close enough to see each other, but not looking conspicuous, as it were.

[00:19:21] Right, you get to that.

[00:19:23] And with that, Kai is actually going to move away from the group now that they've established what they're going to do.

[00:19:29] And is going to start to approach the gates of this estate.

[00:19:33] It is a gated estate, but they are open.

[00:19:35] So Kai, with that, will approach the estate and will go through the gates and will walk right up to the door.

[00:19:42] As you're doing so, you notice that the grounds, not that they're any less well manicured than they usually are, but there are still the remnants, let's say, of last night's festivities.

[00:19:53] The party seems that, since then, no one's really made too much of an effort to clean the grounds.

[00:20:00] With that, I think that it would be the most reasonable thing that Kai thinks is just to knock on the door and make her presence known that she's out there.

[00:20:09] It isn't long before a steward or the like answers the door, someone you don't recognize from dealing with the day before, and he just looks you up and down and says, yes.

[00:20:19] Good evening.

[00:20:21] Good afternoon.

[00:20:22] Good morning.

[00:20:24] You pick.

[00:20:27] What time is it?

[00:20:28] Your choice.

[00:20:29] I'm trying my formalities.

[00:20:31] You got to the city before the noon rise.

[00:20:35] Oh, goody.

[00:20:36] Anyways.

[00:20:37] Good morning.

[00:20:39] I seek an audience with a lady of the house.

[00:20:41] She is a relation of mine.

[00:20:44] Is she around?

[00:20:45] Oh, I regret to inform you that the lady of the house is absent this day.

[00:20:51] Do you know where I can find her, then, dear?

[00:20:54] I'm sorry, but she gave no instruction prior to her leaving.

[00:20:59] A relation, you say?

[00:21:01] And he gives you a once-over.

[00:21:02] Yes, a very dear friend of Marika.

[00:21:07] Do you have any idea where she went, then?

[00:21:09] I'm sorry, madam.

[00:21:11] Even if I were privy to such knowledge, I don't believe I'd be handing it out to any wayward vagabond that knocked on the door.

[00:21:19] Oh, I understand.

[00:21:22] But understand this, that I am no wayward vagabond.

[00:21:25] But as I mentioned in my dear friend, the lady of the house, actually, she left something for us at her estate.

[00:21:33] Would you mind me strolling about the estate and finding the gift that she left me?

[00:21:39] I'm sorry, madam.

[00:21:40] I don't quite know exactly what you're referring to.

[00:21:44] Chris, why don't you do a charm check?

[00:21:47] And we'll make that hard.

[00:21:48] Three difficulty.

[00:21:49] And I'm going to give you a setback because of your appearance.

[00:21:51] Oh my gosh.

[00:21:52] Okay, sorry.

[00:21:54] And with that, I rolled three success and five threat.

[00:21:59] But not too shabby.

[00:22:03] The steward opens the door a little wider and beckons you in, but you know that he is going to be watching you like a hawk.

[00:22:12] And no doubt, without your even knowing, has alerted some other element of the house staff to your presence.

[00:22:18] Okay, that's reasonable.

[00:22:19] You know, with that, Kai is going to be looking around and is going to be alert of things that are happening.

[00:22:24] But really, she's going to start moving towards where all their possessions were held.

[00:22:29] He'll follow you a half step behind.

[00:22:33] Sounds good.

[00:22:34] I love the feeling.

[00:22:35] He does that thing where like as you lift up your heel, he kicks it and your thing goes up flying.

[00:22:40] He flat tires me.

[00:22:41] Oh, sorry.

[00:22:42] Oh, sorry.

[00:22:44] He's in fifth grade.

[00:22:47] He just came back from the Scholastic Book Fair.

[00:22:52] Did he get a puppy poster?

[00:22:54] Your mom and you're the kid behind with the cart and you insist on pushing it and then you keep on hitting your mom on the back of the heel.

[00:23:03] She goes, let me have it.

[00:23:04] I go, no, I swear I won't hit you again.

[00:23:06] And then you hit her again.

[00:23:08] Literally my life story.

[00:23:13] Outside, around where the servants' quarters and entrance are, we find Sorako.

[00:23:18] Oddly, as you make your way along the same pathways you did the night before, you find them again, untended.

[00:23:27] Abandoned, almost.

[00:23:28] And you go so far as to even like push the door open to the servants' entrance.

[00:23:32] It's a little ajar.

[00:23:33] And it just creaks slightly into the inside darkness.

[00:23:37] Odd.

[00:23:38] Sorako will take a little look around, just inspect things to make sure there's nothing waiting behind a door or something to jump out and stab him or anything like that.

[00:23:47] And he will enter and try to rummage around and find a new set of servants' clothes.

[00:23:53] You can do so easily.

[00:23:54] Nice.

[00:23:55] He's just gonna quickly change.

[00:23:57] And then he'll make his way back to that cellar to see if his stuff is still there.

[00:24:02] You open the barrel or box that you'd place your things in, remove the false bottom, and there you go.

[00:24:08] Your things, untouched.

[00:24:09] However, as you're reaching in with your sword and cape and whatnot, you hear a gasp on the stairs behind you.

[00:24:15] Sorako will turn around and see who made the noise.

[00:24:19] It's a boy, maybe nine or ten, with a bundle of things under each of his arms.

[00:24:24] And he just goes,

[00:24:25] Who are you?

[00:24:26] Who am I?

[00:24:27] I am a servant here, as you can plainly tell by my garb.

[00:24:31] The question is, who are you, young man?

[00:24:33] He drops his bundles and runs up the stairs.

[00:24:36] Uh, Sorako's gonna run right after him and try to catch him.

[00:24:39] You gotta take this guy out.

[00:24:41] He lived a good life.

[00:24:42] With your stuff in hand or not?

[00:24:44] I'm gonna drop the stuff and grab him really quick.

[00:24:47] You bound up the stairs.

[00:24:48] You know what?

[00:24:49] Yeah, let's, why don't we do athletics checks?

[00:24:51] You'll have a setback because you are quite a ways away.

[00:24:54] He's at the top of the stairs and you're at the bottom in the room.

[00:24:56] So you'll get a setback.

[00:24:58] The boy got two success and four advantage.

[00:25:01] That's just two success for me.

[00:25:03] Your outstretched hand grasps at his tunic and you wrench onto something and pull.

[00:25:09] And it's just like this shawl that comes off in your hand as he darts further into the house.

[00:25:15] Check his bundles.

[00:25:16] See if Arnor's shield is in there.

[00:25:19] Yeah, this 10-year-old boy was carrying a shield under his arms.

[00:25:24] Sorako will go very quickly now, grab his things, and check those bundles to see what was in them.

[00:25:30] Uh, potatoes.

[00:25:31] Two sacks of potatoes.

[00:25:33] It definitely wasn't Arnor's shield.

[00:25:35] Arnor's shield is as big as Arnor.

[00:25:37] And not made of potatoes.

[00:25:40] Well.

[00:25:41] A very notable quality.

[00:25:43] You know what?

[00:25:43] You've actually never specified the material of Arnor's shield.

[00:25:48] It's been a potato the whole time.

[00:25:50] He's Irish.

[00:25:52] All right.

[00:25:53] You're able to get your things.

[00:25:54] Do you leave through the way you came in or do you explore the house more?

[00:25:57] Is there like a servant cart or something that I could stash my...

[00:26:01] You know what?

[00:26:01] I'm going to spend a story point and say that there is a covered servant's cart that Sorako can stash his stuff in the undercarriage of.

[00:26:09] And then he is just going to cart that around the house as if he was delivering some mid-morning treat to someone.

[00:26:19] Back upstairs.

[00:26:20] Kai, you're in the room where all of your things were laid out.

[00:26:23] And everyone's things are there laid out as they've left them.

[00:26:27] Though as you go to pick up more than your own, you just hear this little like that, that, that from behind you.

[00:26:32] And the steward says, I'm sorry, madam.

[00:26:35] I believe your things are probably, yes, but I do not see you possessing the form of three or four persons.

[00:26:44] Oh, man.

[00:26:45] You know what?

[00:26:46] Kayako's natural inclination would be like, you know what?

[00:26:50] Forget these fools.

[00:26:51] So...

[00:26:52] Are you just going to leave our shit there?

[00:26:55] I'm trying to think what I want, you know, what she wants to do.

[00:26:58] Just fucking kill this guy and get our stuff.

[00:27:01] He's going to leave, we go in and get our own shit.

[00:27:04] Fucking kill this guy.

[00:27:06] You don't need to kill this guy.

[00:27:08] No one is there.

[00:27:09] I just, my tier three talent just became backstab.

[00:27:13] I can do it.

[00:27:16] I'm sure that's a metaphor.

[00:27:18] I just...

[00:27:18] Backstab, right?

[00:27:22] But with that, she understands the layout and where this would be located relative to where she came in.

[00:27:29] And like spatially, she can remember where this is.

[00:27:32] Is that accurate?

[00:27:32] Yes.

[00:27:33] Yes.

[00:27:33] Okay.

[00:27:33] So in response to that, she'll say, I'm so sorry.

[00:27:38] She mentioned that she left a few other items for me, but I suppose this will do for now.

[00:27:43] And she'll pick up her stuff and we'll leave the room.

[00:27:48] As you and the steward head back to the entrance hall and down this wide set of stairs, you see Sirocco wheeling a cart down at the bottom across the way.

[00:27:58] And the steward just like gives a few snaps and says, you there, boy?

[00:28:02] Sirocco will straighten up.

[00:28:04] Yes, sir.

[00:28:05] Assist this gentlewoman out of the house.

[00:28:08] As you wish, sir.

[00:28:09] I'll take that.

[00:28:10] And he grabs hold of the other side of the cart.

[00:28:12] With all your shit in it.

[00:28:14] Of course, of course he does.

[00:28:18] I'm telling y'all, just push this guy down the stairs.

[00:28:20] Looking at Kai and seeing that she only has her own stuff, Sirocco will say, very good.

[00:28:27] I was taking this to the storage room where other people's belongings might be held.

[00:28:32] Carting this all the way up there for what good reason?

[00:28:35] Who are you reporting to this morning?

[00:28:36] Akalan.

[00:28:37] Come again?

[00:28:38] Oh, you know, the man Akalan.

[00:28:41] He is in charge of many of the servants.

[00:28:44] I speak with him last night.

[00:28:45] Why don't you both just wait right here a moment?

[00:28:48] I'll be right back.

[00:28:49] As he is walking past Sirocco, Sirocco's going to stick his foot out and trip him.

[00:28:54] Yes!

[00:28:57] Oops!

[00:28:58] We could literally just walk into that room and take our stuff.

[00:29:02] That's why I was thinking, Stuart.

[00:29:04] Yeah.

[00:29:05] This old man trips and falls.

[00:29:07] And you hear a pop as his body hits the ground.

[00:29:12] He goes,

[00:29:13] He's going to need a knee replacement now.

[00:29:15] Oh my gosh!

[00:29:18] Oh, please.

[00:29:19] Allow me to assist you.

[00:29:20] Oh, please.

[00:29:21] Oh, sir.

[00:29:22] Sir.

[00:29:22] Oh, no.

[00:29:23] It was an accident.

[00:29:24] Please.

[00:29:24] I will take you to the infirmary.

[00:29:26] What are you doing?

[00:29:27] Help me up immediately.

[00:29:29] We must get treated immediately.

[00:29:31] Oh, how terrible.

[00:29:32] I'll see myself out.

[00:29:34] I'm so sorry for this.

[00:29:36] Perhaps if you...

[00:29:39] Please forgive my incompetence.

[00:29:42] Fair lady, if you could please take him to the infirmary,

[00:29:45] I will make myself scarce to get some lashings for my stupidity.

[00:29:51] What in all of Fale's house is going on here?

[00:29:55] I've had enough of this.

[00:29:56] Help me to my feet immediately.

[00:29:57] Oh, goodness.

[00:29:59] You know, let me tend to you.

[00:30:00] I got all my things.

[00:30:01] I'll see myself out, as I mentioned.

[00:30:04] But let me...

[00:30:04] Let me help you here.

[00:30:06] So with that, she goes down to him and she actually kicks him in the ribs.

[00:30:10] Oh my goodness.

[00:30:11] I'm so sorry.

[00:30:13] And she's going to...

[00:30:15] Full breath leaves his body as he just wheezes and his eyes kind of go back in his head a bit.

[00:30:20] Squirming this way and that on the ground.

[00:30:22] God's above!

[00:30:23] I am so sorry.

[00:30:25] Let me help you.

[00:30:26] Let me help you.

[00:30:27] Let me get you to the infirmary.

[00:30:29] Infirmary.

[00:30:29] Somebody help.

[00:30:30] And she doesn't really yell.

[00:30:32] It's kind of like gentle.

[00:30:33] And she'll actually start dragging him towards another direction.

[00:30:40] Sarako very quickly is just going to park the cart at the bottom of the stairs, run up the stairs, find the room, and then just start chucking people's stuff out the window.

[00:30:49] Just...

[00:30:51] And then as soon as he's done with that, he's going to rush back downstairs, get the cart, wheel it right out the front door, and then grab his stuff and meet up with the others.

[00:31:00] And needless to say that the attention of the servant that was helping her is away from this.

[00:31:06] And she'll finally, upon seeing Sarako return and leaving, will bring the servant to his feet and will say, I'm so sorry about that.

[00:31:16] He shrieks in pain as you hoist him up.

[00:31:19] Let me get you to a chair and I'll notify someone.

[00:31:22] And she brings her to a chair and she says, I'll see myself out as I do that.

[00:31:26] And she leaves and she does not notify him.

[00:31:29] Where are you going, you bastard woman?

[00:31:30] What have you done?

[00:31:31] What are you doing here?

[00:31:33] I can't believe this.

[00:31:34] What in tarnation is going on here?

[00:31:43] And you join Sarako outside.

[00:31:45] Yep.

[00:31:47] Finn, who had been standing in a position to see the front door of the house, sees Sarako come out, kind of putting on a couple of his things and leaving.

[00:31:56] And then shortly thereafter, Kai come out and he'll go and kind of meet them up.

[00:32:00] Eyes them both over once and twice.

[00:32:03] Kind of sees that they both have their stuff, but nothing else.

[00:32:05] And just kind of shrugs.

[00:32:07] Well, everything is outside the estate in the back.

[00:32:10] So we need to go around and pick up our things.

[00:32:13] And then perhaps it's best to leave quickly.

[00:32:16] And he'll just kind of shrug and nod again and start looking for a way around the back.

[00:32:20] Arnor, looking a little confused as to why everything is in the backyard, is going to go there.

[00:32:27] Bread will follow.

[00:32:29] Everyone that's not Kai and Sarako then just walks straight down the avenue from the gate to the estate and then around the back.

[00:32:38] And you can find your belongings.

[00:32:40] And if anyone had any potions, they're now broken and you can't use them.

[00:32:44] Oh.

[00:32:44] Oh.

[00:32:46] Oh, Finn's freaking bottle of courage.

[00:32:50] That's gone.

[00:32:50] Dang it.

[00:32:51] Finn nods his head a little bit in frustration, tucks the rest of his stuff that he had previously pulled out the night before back into his satchel, which it's pretty cramped in there now.

[00:32:59] So he ends up having to throw a couple things like his clothes and such over his shoulder.

[00:33:03] And he quickly evacuates the backyard.

[00:33:05] Well, as the four of you are looting your crap from the ground, this man with a pair of garden shears walks up.

[00:33:12] He's got a tanned complexion.

[00:33:13] He's pretty buff.

[00:33:14] And he goes, what is going on here?

[00:33:17] Just gathering our things.

[00:33:19] Things got a little out of hand last night.

[00:33:21] You rich slobs.

[00:33:24] And they'll just turn on a heel.

[00:33:25] Well, that honor.

[00:33:28] We should let him do the talking more often, I think.

[00:33:32] Kel's going to put her sword on her hip, staff on her back, and just head out.

[00:33:36] Yep.

[00:33:36] Leave the premise as quickly as possible.

[00:33:38] Regrouping up with Sarako and Kai and Aiden back outside the main gate.

[00:33:42] You're all assembled here.

[00:33:44] And Aiden just kind of gives Sarako and Kai a glance.

[00:33:47] Like, well, where was she?

[00:33:50] Nowhere to be found, unfortunately.

[00:33:52] And no leads as I was in there.

[00:33:55] I'm sorry.

[00:33:56] You lot had a whole conversation this morning about what you were going to do when you found and questioned Lady Tetsinto.

[00:34:03] And now what?

[00:34:04] I'm sorry, Aiden.

[00:34:06] I didn't hear you bringing anything to the table.

[00:34:08] If you would like to speak to Lady Marika, perhaps you should provide more information next time.

[00:34:15] I did give you a chance.

[00:34:16] I don't want to speak to Lady Marika.

[00:34:19] I never want to see her again.

[00:34:21] And that's fine.

[00:34:22] You won't have to.

[00:34:23] I would like to know a little bit more about exactly how it went and how all of our gear ended up through a second story window into the back lawn.

[00:34:31] I take it the servants were less than cooperative then.

[00:34:35] Or she was.

[00:34:36] Well, as you can see, we recovered all of our belongings.

[00:34:39] I apologize for the manner in which you recovered them.

[00:34:43] Great persuading, Kai.

[00:34:44] Oh!

[00:34:46] Brett is in a bad mood today.

[00:34:48] A guard shuffles up to the edge of the group and says, get a move on.

[00:34:53] You lot no loitering here in the temple ward, especially not round places you're not supposed to be.

[00:34:58] Yes, we were just leaving.

[00:35:00] All right, hoof it then.

[00:35:02] Brett is going to pull up his hat, turn on his heel and walk away from everyone.

[00:35:08] And quite the opposite, Kai is going to stop in his tracks and is going to glare at Brett.

[00:35:12] Brett.

[00:35:13] Um, almost to the fact that you can feel it.

[00:35:15] And if looks could kill, you know, bread would be, you know, a side of bread and butter tonight.

[00:35:25] Kai, give it the rest.

[00:35:27] Let's be on our way.

[00:35:28] And she is like going, you ever seen Chucky?

[00:35:32] When it's like, slowly turning to the door.

[00:35:41] I didn't need any more other description than have you seen Chucky?

[00:35:44] She's never seen Chucky.

[00:35:46] I actually have not seen it, but I do know that.

[00:35:48] I haven't either, but I know exactly what you're talking about.

[00:35:52] And then with that is going to give him a glare, likewise.

[00:35:56] And then we'll interrupt it with a small chuckle and a laugh and we'll smile at him and we'll continue on.

[00:36:02] I assume Arnor follows suit then.

[00:36:05] Yeah.

[00:36:05] Yeah.

[00:36:06] Aiden just looks and it takes an aside at Lyra slash Kel and goes, is this usually how things go for you lot?

[00:36:13] Honestly, it's not usually this tense, but I think we all had a really bad night, so I wouldn't hold it against them.

[00:36:20] They're, they're not bad.

[00:36:22] They're all right.

[00:36:22] Some of them are worse than others, but they're mostly all right.

[00:36:25] He'll walk beside you, just glancing forward at Kai, Bread, and Arnor, and then a glance backward, and then steals a glance backward at Sirocco and Finn who follow after.

[00:36:36] I don't know which direction we're heading in, but I guess we'll just walk for a while.

[00:36:40] Bread moved in the direction of the tavern that we're supposed to meet Iris at, because as far as he's concerned, we do not have other business in this city.

[00:36:48] And that's where everyone should end up anyway.

[00:36:50] Day drinking.

[00:36:51] To the tavern we go.

[00:36:53] As Finn is walking with Sirocco back to the tavern, he'll just make a mention to him, seeing that he is in brand new servant's garb, having kind of thrown over his cape and put his sword back on a little bit over it.

[00:37:05] And he'll just say,

[00:37:08] I can't help but feel as though Iris is going to want nothing more to do with us after this, which honestly I cannot complain about.

[00:37:17] I would be quite happy to drop this whole shindig right now.

[00:37:21] Lowering his voice slightly.

[00:37:22] Finn, when you say drop this whole shindig, you mean drop Iris?

[00:37:34] Finn takes a couple measured breaths in and out.

[00:37:38] Like, even though it wasn't visibly apparent, not nearly as visibly apparent as Bread's frustration, like, it's clear he is kind of venting some internal stress out as he's breathing.

[00:37:49] No.

[00:37:51] No.

[00:37:52] No.

[00:37:52] Yes, that is what I meant, but we can't.

[00:37:55] The Ironwood Company has us too tightly bound.

[00:37:58] I should stop talking.

[00:38:00] And he will turn our kind of face more directly forward and try to pick up his face a little bit.

[00:38:06] Before he gets too far away, Seraco will say,

[00:38:09] It's probably not good to talk now, but if you want to talk about this later, my ears are open.

[00:38:18] Another wink.

[00:38:20] The wink.

[00:38:24] Finn gives an almost imperceptible nod, but he does nod at that.

[00:38:30] And you continue on, bread in the lead, trekking through the city, taking your jagged procession through the blocks and districts of Porte de Soleil on the way to your rendezvous with the most undoubtedly disappointed Iris Elkar.

[00:38:47] Thanks, I'll give it to take a little bit more.

[00:38:47] Thank you.