Beam Saber - MEKONG: Symphony for the Devil, Episode 2 [Child of the Void]

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Xin chow, everybody. You are now tuned in to another exciting installment of Mekong, the southeast asian epic space opera adventure. We got a fantastic episode for you, folks coming up, filled with political intrigue, passionate romance, generational trauma, and most importantly, awesome mech battles brought to you by the folks here at Queen's court games. So what is Mekong? Is this a game about major river systems in Southeast Asia? No, but it does share its name with the real world river that flows through Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam. Our goals with crafting this vibrant space opera empire is to tell stories and myths inspired by the nations this river touches. This story will be seen through the eyes of warriors called Tanong, a caste of pilots who operate a uniquely powerful chassis called DC. And this series is the story of how, through their deeds, decisions, and dice rolls, they will shape the fate of the stars that make up the seven sectors of Mekong and grapple with the obligations that drove them to this line of work in the first place, and maybe change the course of this cosmic river forever. I'm Jerry law. I'll be directing this here picture with the help of this lovely, beautiful cast. Everybody. Say, hello, cast. [00:01:16] Speaker B: Hello, cast. [00:01:16] Speaker A: Hello, cast. [00:01:18] Speaker C: Yeah, you walked right into that. [00:01:20] Speaker B: You walked into it. [00:01:22] Speaker A: We'll be suiting up in just a second, but, uh, let's first, let's just go down and say hi to each one of these wonderful, magnificent players. First up, playing ever so charming dog loving racer himself, Kallaxin. Block lock. We got Ryan. Hello. [00:01:41] Speaker D: My name is Ryan Omega. Hey, him. And I am playing Claxenbu lock lock, your racer dog loving pilot. So think like Niem McQueen if he really, really, really loved dogs, but also had to deal with a very political family who has better expectations, because that is what most asian families do. It's like, you didn't. You weren't a doctor or a lawyer. You race cars and have dogs. Like, what's wrong with Asians? [00:02:11] Speaker A: What's happening? [00:02:12] Speaker D: There's nothing wrong with me, mom and dad. I'm just following my dreams. So that's Klaxon in a nutshell, segueing. [00:02:23] Speaker A: With dreams torn away from you. Everybody say hello to Rupiah Taeyeng, played by the lovely Pooja. [00:02:29] Speaker E: Hello, I'm Pooja playing rupiah Taeyeng, who also just wants to follow her dreams of being on the stage and also getting revenge for her parents getting picked up by some hornets on a run gone wrong. [00:02:48] Speaker A: Next up, playing the semi retired Tan Rong warhorse. You know, getting dragged into one last job as the movies do. Playing Roman Maxwell. Everybody say hello to Andrew. [00:02:59] Speaker C: What's up, everyone? Andrew J. Landy checking in as Roman Maxillon. Pronouns for me and Roman, he, him. I'm what you call an ice cold can of WHOOP ass. But seriously, I just want to go home and be a family man. But, you know, just damn more I tell you, tell you, just never. [00:03:15] Speaker A: It's like. It's almost as if it tears families apart. That's crazy. [00:03:19] Speaker C: You know, that was totally not, not foreshadowing. [00:03:23] Speaker A: No, no, no. We're not going there. We're not going there. And finally, our lovely producer playing the exiled princess of Ciao Fria. We're about to find out why already. Voom. Everybody say hi to Clara. [00:03:39] Speaker B: Hi, Clara. I don't know why I have to, like, encourage that. Hello, I'm Clara. I'm playing already. Both of our pronouns are she, her. I am hesitantly excited for today and everything's going to be okay, and I want to remind Jerry that I know where he lives. Come inside me. There is the jenny's parking lot with our names on it. [00:04:09] Speaker A: Tell me how many swords I should bring. I got you. I got you. Okay. And today we'll be playing Mekong using the beam saber rpg system, a forged in the dark system written by Austin Ramsey with additional supply drop play books written by J. Lo philohazard and Alfe Demille. You can find links to our cast assorted social media accounts by sending exclamation point cast to the chat. And if you'd like to purchase beam saber for yourself and your own gaming group, go ahead. Type exclamation point system. The name of the campaign that is one that is written by yours truly is titled Symphony for the devil. This will be the second installment. There is some content that gurus may find disturbing, as well as an additional disclaimer, there will be depictions of blood, gore, body horror, drug alcohol use, violence, warfare, sexual themes, excessive use of english and non english profanity. Additionally, another disclaimer, this episode touches on an element of the setting known as Sphyrian and Voidborn Mekong. In this world, there are divides that exist between mekongese people who live on planet and those who live in space, and many socio political implications have transpired because of it. We'll be exploring this thread, this episode, but it does come with a lot of baggage that I wanted to touch base with the audience about. I've already communicated this to the players and I just wanted to explain that in writing Mekong, I drew from my own as well as the collective experiences as being a southeast asian person living in the imperial core alongside the experiences of our first generation parents and their memories of their homelands. So you will see discrimination and friction occurring between Atmosians, so people who live under atmosphere and the voidborn who live out into the space colonies. And that plot element was written in because it drew from the contradictory identities between the southeast Asians who lived in the mainland, as well as Southeast Asians in the diaspora. All of us struggle with navigating or bridging this divide both within ourselves and our communities. But I know, you know, in writing this game and writing this story, I wanted to explore these themes in a nuanced and respectful manner. So while also being considerate to both my players, as well as you, the audience. So it's important to keep an open dialogue about these things. I've already communicated with the players in regards to red lines and veils, especially with harsh topics we will see here, like discrimination, prejudice, etcetera. Because these behaviors do exist and affect many southeast Asians and people of color around the world. We here wish to do this with honesty, clarity of purpose, and transparency. So that's the disclaimer that. Just be prepared for that. Coming up. Like I said, the cast and I have discussed our lines and bails confirmed. Everybody's comfortable playing, but we also want you at home to be safe as well. With that being said, I want, hopefully, all of you. You're settled in. You got your popcorn. You're in the metaphorical movie theater of your mind. You're hearing that projector warm up. Me, Carl. Long ago, in a time when the light of the stars flowed like a river across the heavens, a starship has crashed in the center of the city of Fa Feng. The heralds of the entity Ba captain have revealed themselves for the first time in two centuries. And the first movement of the symphony of the devil has begun. On the lush planetary kingdom of Chow Phraya, tensions run high in the halls of the royal court. The heir to the crown princess, Anusha Vum, has vanished. With the eldest daughter of the house gone, Anusha's half sister, Oridi, is the next in line for the Makuta crown. Anger and controversy embroils her status as heir, for the ancestral creeds dictate that only those born under Chow Phraya's sky may rule its lands. And Oredi Vung, along with her younger twin brother, Kanawha, were born off world among the stars in the void, something long seen as taboo in Chow Phryan society. Their births have been tainted by the touch of dark matter and frigid cold vacuum. Hauled back to her homeworld, the princess hurries back from frontier space, only to be intercepted by the grandma Kuntilanak. Upon her descent, Kuntilanak delivers a warning to the presumptive queen of Chowfraya. The symphony of the devil is being conducted. She and her people are the audience, and by the final movement, the kingdom of Chow Phraya will be burned to ash. After repelling Kuntilanak's assault on her vessel, the transport 1138 crashes in the middle of the palace grounds with only a small handful of casualties, leaving the princess and her entourage of fellow Tannong embroiled in the midst. Her people await in anticipation for her first words as heir to the throne. Will she choose to deliver kuntuanaks warning? How will the court react, her people? And what of the three pilots that fought the qunma alongside her above Fa feng? What role shall they play in the fate of the Viangchan sector? And does this group of Tan Long have what it takes to face the empires enemies, whether they be monsters or their own fellow humans? Find out this week on Mekong symphony for the devil. Evening falls on a sweeping shot of the Chow Phryan landscape. Mountains jut up from the land like jagged walls. Rice fields stretch from valley to valley in brilliant, brilliant shades of viridescent sage. The farmers tend to their fields with mechanical water buffalo, while children fly kites in the breezy wind tunnel created by the valley. Nestled in the center of this cloud kissed countryside, the capital of Fa Feng, which looks much less like the urban metropoles of its neighboring sectors, and more so like a wide, bloated flatland village with a golden temple, stupa spires shooting out from Manjushri Sana palace, where the Chowfrayen royal family lives. Tuk tuks and mopeds zip up and down the busy market streets. Rusty Mailon mech load lifters move produce and products to and from storefronts. But as night begins to fall, everyone begins to close up shop, and the camera pans up to a high balcony of Manjushri Sana palace, flanked by bas reliefs of mix of old carved from stone. A 17 years young already, Vuong stares out at her kingdom. She wears a brand new sabai. Clara, you are outside on this balcony because today you and your fellow cadet Taehyung have received your have been bestowed your sabai. Tomorrow you ship off for your first assignment. But right now you're out on the balcony staring out at your kingdom one last time before you ship off for frontier space. What's going through your mind right now? [00:12:45] Speaker B: It's just so peaceful, which is really nice. I. In training, we've been out to space before, and it's almost comparable. But there's something about being here where I can feel the wind on my face, and I can feel. I can still hear the city below us. And it like, unlike space, which feels so empty here. I'm connected to everyone still, because the air connects us, the atmosphere connects us, and I can. It feels wonderful. And this is a place that, in spite of a lot of silly things that everyone else is doing, it feels good. And it's a place for me, even if it's not always happy to have me here. And I think I'm gonna miss it. [00:13:46] Speaker A: The other reason why you're on this balcony is there's currently a party going on inside. Cause the rest of the cadets are. It's your last day together, right? So everyone inside is raging. And you, princess, you are overstimulated and you needed to get some air. [00:14:01] Speaker B: Absolutely. [00:14:03] Speaker A: But you feel the hand of your elder sister, Anutia, on your shoulder. She's about a head taller than you. She wears very graceful, traditional chow Phrayan robes. They flow behind her, and she's like, what you doing out here, huh? Being moody? [00:14:26] Speaker B: Shut up. I listen. I feel like I just. I. If I listen, and I, like, point to my face, which is kind of pink, and I'm like. I just. I'm so tired of people being like, take. Take an antacid. You're gonna be fine. Like, I. It's just really hot, and I am very warm, so I'm just taking some time. Okay. [00:14:55] Speaker A: You're nervous. [00:15:02] Speaker B: You gotta stop doing that. [00:15:03] Speaker A: I know, I'm just. Look, I was in. I was in the same spot ten years ago. Look, it's fine. Like, it's okay, you know, you're taking time for yourself. You're gonna be. You know, we both have duties. I'm gonna be queen. You're gonna be, you know, off fighting space monsters and winning hearts and leading our people to greatness, all that shit. She speaks very, like, commoner for someone who's supposed to be queen, but I think that. But I think that kind of, like, makes you know that anoosha is the popular one, right? She's like the princess die of Jeffrey society, you know? Yeah. [00:15:44] Speaker B: I mean, she's used to it. [00:15:47] Speaker A: You're not. [00:15:47] Speaker B: Yeah, I. Yeah, I just. I'm really excited to do. I'm really something else. [00:15:57] Speaker A: Can I give you some advice? [00:15:59] Speaker B: Can I stop you? [00:16:01] Speaker A: No. There's no stopping you. Okay. Two pieces. One. Tonight's your last night as a cadet. I want you to, you know, live it fully. You know, look out. These people remember that, which, you know, segues into my second piece of advice. When you go out there, I mean, this goes for me as it does for you, little sister, but when you go out there, I want you to fight thinking of others, because by doing so, you will prove your own worth. And that's a kingdom all on its own. Okay? [00:16:36] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:16:36] Speaker A: She, like, grabs you by the shoulders, like, turns and, like, look at me. Look at me. [00:16:40] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:16:41] Speaker A: So when you go out there, when you get in that cockpit, who are you fighting for? [00:16:46] Speaker B: Uh. [00:16:47] Speaker A: Are you fighting for ordie? Are you fighting for mom? Are you fighting for dad? Are you fighting for stepdad? No. No. Who are you fighting for? [00:16:53] Speaker B: Others. Everyone. My friends and the family. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, my God. [00:17:01] Speaker A: This is not clicking for you. I need you to, like, buy into it. Okay, already. If you. If you don't buy into it, it's not gonna work. [00:17:07] Speaker B: I just went through so much training, I think I bought into it. [00:17:11] Speaker A: I. Yeah, but you can buy into it, like, you know, book learning. You can buy into it because by learning every fucking martial art, you know, this side of the sector. But if it's not up here, and if it's not in here, she points at her heart. What's it matter? [00:17:26] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm. I'm so tired of. I'm so tired of every. Of all the political shit. This is how I. They don't. This is how I'm gonna give back. I'm not good at what you do. I'm not. [00:17:49] Speaker A: No one's asking you to be good at what I do. Be good at what already does. [00:17:52] Speaker B: I know that I. I'm doing this because it's for them. I'm doing this because this is where I'm going to be useful. If everyone wants to be like, oh, you know, Voidborn can't do shit, fine, I will do the thing that I. I'm here. I'm doing this for them. I'm thinking of them. This is how I'm giving back. [00:18:16] Speaker A: He, like, wraps an arms around you and, like, pulls you in for a hug. Like, rests her head, her chin over your head. Kisses you on the forehead. Now go have fun. Okay. Like, go. Go. And the door you hear, and just as she, like, shoves you off, like, a door opens and an attendant pops and is like, your highness, Lady Tida just wanted me to make the announcement that there's going to be a foot race to the top of Makuta Hill. And she promised the first place winner a kiss. And the second. And you hear Lady Tida and you're like, oh, shit. Lady Tida's, like, the hottest cadet in your class. Like, the most. [00:18:58] Speaker B: Aw, man. [00:19:00] Speaker A: You look and you, like, look back at Anusha, and she's like, cool. [00:19:06] Speaker B: I'm so sorry. I gotta use my royal privilege on something very important. And then already, like, turns to the cadets as everyone's like, kind of. [00:19:17] Speaker A: Let me describe you what happens when you, like. So you open the doors, out from the balcony, you rush inside, and lo and behold, inside the great hall, hundreds of bodies fill the promenade, wall to wall, dancing, shouting conversation past each other. This is Cadet gala, your collective last night as apprentice tan. On this past afternoon, you all bestowed your sabai, and tomorrow, you will be going to be shipped off to the front. But none of you, no one here is thinking about tomorrow. Instead, they're thinking about how many barrels of rice wine and Heineken can we demolish. And that's what's going on. Like, you see these, like, you see crowds, like, carrying massive, like, jugs around, and they're, like, doing. They're doing. They're, like, slapping it and they're chugging and everything. When you make your appearance at the top of the stairs and as you make your way down the stairs, people are, like, grabbing on you. Like, oh, my God, I can't wait to see you on the woods. Like, they're slurring their words, and you're, like, trying to push through and, like. But there's a lot of suffering in the universe, but none of it is in this room. It even goes for as you pass through, like, you're, like. You have to, like, push through the crowd a little bit to, like, get out to the hill so you can go do this. You know, you'll kiss fucking lady Tita, right? But you are stopped when someone offers you a shot in a little glass. And when you look, you see. Can you describe to me your best frenemy or from school Rita dying fucking Preeta. She's got, like, that, like, side sweep, buzz cut thing going on. She wears an admiral Hwa, like, naval, like, dress uniform, and she offers you a shot and she says, or, yeah, go ahead, Clarke. If you had anything else you wanted to. [00:21:03] Speaker B: I'm trying so hard not to just. It's the. It's the rival from Raya with the hair. Yeah, yeah, listen. She fucking Preeta. Totally. Yeah. Honestly, similar vibe. Just definitely taller than Ordie. And, like, really loves, like, her gold jewelry just because she's just, like, real crisp, real clean, but, like, lots of ear cuffs and beautiful, like. And a beautiful necklace. Like, she clearly loves shiny things, but, like, her nose is broken and has been broken and regrown enough times that, like, it kind of has a permanent, like, divot, and it kind of, like, she's a very clean, symmetrical person. And then her nose just kind of goes, like, just a little. [00:21:55] Speaker A: But, yeah, surprisingly, she offers you a shot, and she says, hey, let's bury the hatchet. No more bad blood. That just. Tomorrow we're gonna. Tomorrow is. We're gonna be different people. Okay. Can you drink to that? [00:22:12] Speaker B: I'll take the shot. [00:22:14] Speaker A: And you guys, like, cross arms. You do like, the. And you hear another person clap. Rocks. Peace. Finally, like, this years long beef has been resolved between the two. Like queen bees of the class with a fucking shot. Yeah, sure, it burns, but it's a nice burning. It goes down smooth. And she says, I'll see you on the field. And you continue out through the crowd. Like, there's, like, a jazz band playing. There's, like, a whole lion dance happening through, like, someone's, like, carrying dragons around. Like, little dragon puppets around. There's, like, balloons coming down, and there's, like, confetti. And before you finally make it to the front doors, you open them up and you get out into the royal courtyard, and you make your way over to the bottom of Makuta Hill, where you see several drunk cadets at the bottom of this dirt hill all, like, lining up while they're, like, stretching. They're all, like, trying to, like, talk. Like, you know, talk each other talk. No, no, no. I'm gonna kiss Lady Tina first. You know what I'm saying? Look, I. Yo, you got stubby ass legs, man. Oh, shit, the prince is coming. [00:23:27] Speaker B: Like, you got stubby ass legs, man. [00:23:31] Speaker A: Like, you see all of them, they are straightened out. They do the traditional knop. Like, your highness. [00:23:37] Speaker B: Bruh. We just got through, like, years of cadet training. And now this is when we start doing this shit. [00:23:49] Speaker A: You look up at the top of the hill, and you see Lady Tida and her entourage. She wears a very gorgeous blue and gold accented suit. Lao. And she integrates the flowy, but it also integrates, like, the flowy form of an aoyai. And she wears a nun la. Just to, like. And she's, like, looking down. And you guys were like, seated like. Like, hello, boys. Hello. Hello, your highness. So you guys ready to run? We gonna do this or what? She looks very bored. What? [00:24:21] Speaker B: Aight. [00:24:25] Speaker A: But everyone starts taking their places. They form really sloppy running poses at the bottom of the hill. And when you take your place, your brother Kanoa, he's a real Kevin Nguyen looking motherfucker with black t shirt, gold chain. Savai, he, like, shoves you aside. He's like, no chance, sis. No chance. I got. [00:24:57] Speaker B: Here's the thing. [00:24:58] Speaker A: You could just, like, concede right now if you want to. Like that, if you want to save yourself the embarrassment. [00:25:05] Speaker B: Here's the thing, Kanoa. Yeah. You might win your race to the top of the hill, but I get to hang out with her in the locker room. So who wins there? [00:25:18] Speaker A: You hear Tita shout from the top of the hill. Well, well, I see the void twins have come to join us. I've always wanted to smooch a royal. She, like, starts, like, twirling her hair, and then another student next to her is like, raises a captain. I was like, okay, ready, set, pop. Everybody, darts. Ordie, let's make a roll. Yeah. [00:25:43] Speaker B: Oh, God, I really need that. [00:25:45] Speaker A: You sure do. Go ahead. And this is controlled circumstances. It's fine. The consequences aren't gonna be that severe, as far as I know. Go ahead and make a. Just make a general fortress. Just roll a d six. Let's just see what happens. [00:26:03] Speaker B: Okay. It's historically not gone well for me. Yeah, that's a two. [00:26:10] Speaker A: It's a furious rat race to the top of the hill. Everyone's, like, pushing and shoving and climbing over each other because they're all thirsty as fuck. [00:26:20] Speaker B: She's hot. [00:26:22] Speaker A: She is. It's kind of an amusing sight. And it's even more amusing that tomorrow you will all be warriors fighting for your empire. But right now, I was gonna say you're just a bunch of drunk kids. Kids, you know, running up a hill, sliding in the mud. But it's pure, you know, like, there's laughter, there's joy. And even though you're stumbling, eventually, you know, like, you may be a princess. You don't have the reality of a princess when you're covered in mud and dirt as you try to, like, shove. But eventually, you know, even with a two, um, you're not as drunk as everybody else. So, uh, you and Kanua break ahead of the pack. And when we pan the, like, the camera out wide, as you run with your peers, it kind of looks like you are leading a brave charge of infantry. Up, up, up. A fortification. Um, and Kanoa screams like the a, uh, the chow fry and drinking cry. You also heard this inside the house. Like, people were saying, like, rage. Rage against the dying of the light. Come on. And you guys are just going and you're going. And eventually, like, we cut to the top of the hill where you and kettle are, like, are just, like, huffing and puffing step by step of the hill. Rich cattle. I hits the ground. And you get to, like, lady Tida's feet. It also, like, collapsed over. Also puffing and puffing. [00:28:07] Speaker B: Got it. 1 second. [00:28:11] Speaker A: Take your time. Your highest. [00:28:16] Speaker B: Up. [00:28:19] Speaker A: Hi. [00:28:21] Speaker B: Hey. [00:28:23] Speaker A: She looks down. Like, she looked like she looks down at the hill. And you also turn and you see there's just several different piles of drunk kids all splayed out on the ground. They're rolling around. They're like, it's a very steep hill. [00:28:44] Speaker B: Those guys are idiots. And I'm queen idiot. I think I win. [00:28:51] Speaker A: She, like, steps out of her chair. She, like, extends a hand to, like, help you up. [00:28:55] Speaker B: Who brought the chair up? [00:29:00] Speaker A: No, it's like. It's like one of those, like, little stools, you know? Yeah. She, like, stands up. She, like, extends a hand down, like, lift you up. She's like, may I? [00:29:09] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:29:13] Speaker A: She lifts you up, raises your hand in the air. We have a winner. And you hear, like, a drunken, like, yeah. And she, like, looks at you, like, holds a gaze for, like, a really long time. She's like, may I, your grace? [00:29:35] Speaker B: Hell, yeah. [00:29:36] Speaker A: She, like, takes her nan la off. It's a beautiful night. The moon is full. You can see, like, this beautiful, like, hair light on her. You, like, look out at the rest of the city and your peers. She, like, raises the nun lass to cover the both of you. And she, like, leans in. It's a beautiful frame. Top of the hill. Moonlight right above moon right above you. And, like, these. Just the two of you just, like, smooching on the top of this hill behind this conical hat. [00:30:06] Speaker B: Um, listen. [00:30:10] Speaker A: You're gonna remember today and all the people you shared it with in the moonlight. When you and you guys finish kissing, you, like, look out. And you can see the smiles on everyone's faces. But the darkness ruin. The darkness hides the ruin in their eyes. As we cut to the present, we see. We see on ordie's face the happy, youthful 17 year oldie. Now the. How old? How old is she in present day? [00:30:34] Speaker B: Oh, man. I kept it vague. She's, like, mid twenties. Late. Yeah, mid to late twenties. [00:30:39] Speaker A: So, like, we cut to that, like, holding on same composition, the shot we cut to the present day. No longer smiling, you are a frowning, weathered adult. And you are alone, standing before the wall of lineage. It's a stairwell that leads up to the palace. And on the wall are several plaques with names carved into the stone, with names you attended classes with and fought alongside. And there's a flitter in the drafty wind blowing through the wall. And half the people in your yearbook are on it. After all these years. You're holding a joss stick in your hands. It's burning. You make a ceremonial bow and pay your respects. What's going through your mind now? [00:31:34] Speaker B: I'm looking at some of the names on the wall, and it has everyone's real name on there, but all I can think of is the nicknames that they all had. [00:31:49] Speaker D: Because you were the only pilot in. [00:31:52] Speaker A: Your class that never got a call sign because you're a royal. [00:31:57] Speaker B: I'm finding it, like, already has long since stopped trying to wipe her tears away. She's just, like, letting. It's one of those things that her family kind of is bothered by is that she cries so easily, but she's looking at the wall, and it's like, is she seeing names? She's seeing the names of her family, of her brothers and sisters and siblings. And she's like, it's not the same. Seeing a Lee is not the same as knowing his name. He's supposed to be Buffalo. He's, you know, a big, strong guy, but his name was so short, he needed a bigger one. It's hard to look at, you know, your friends and not see pancake. You know, it's hard to look over and, you know, Sini is supposed to be pancake. Like, she had the flattest ass of anyone in the kit, like, amongst the cadets. And we never let her forget it. But she was also fucking the craziest and fastest, fastest pilot. And now she's a plaque and an urn, and that's really hard. And I'm a little fucking frustrated that a lot of us were. They let us do this when we were kids, and I don't know why it keeps happening. And it's only going to get worse. At least that's what. That's what we've been told. That's what we've been told by them. [00:33:59] Speaker A: The camera rack focuses to further down the wall as we see Roman and hope standing in front of Francis's plaque. And Hope's, like, staring at it for a long time with. With Roman as well. She's like, you guys are both holding the drastics. You're doing the ceremonial, like, you know. So what was he like? He, like, looks up at you. [00:34:36] Speaker C: He was a good man, you know, just. He never. He never let you go anywhere without knowing that he always had your back. And every time that we hung out, every time we got to spend time. [00:34:55] Speaker A: Together. [00:34:58] Speaker C: He was always just there for the good time. You know, we would talk about nonsense. You know, we talk about Salat, we talk about. We talk about all kinds of sports, you know, just our dreams for, you know, what we do after we got out, you know, finished everything. [00:35:19] Speaker A: And he's a guy I looked up to a lot, and. [00:35:26] Speaker C: All I can tell you is. And Roman looks to hope even now already. He'd be proud of who you've become, kid. So if there's anything to know about. [00:35:40] Speaker A: Him is that I looked up to him a lot and. [00:35:46] Speaker C: And are still looking down on us right now. [00:35:51] Speaker A: You guys both, like, turn back towards the wall again. You do the ceremonial bow, and then you place the joss stick in the little jar, and you see the sabai. They're, like. There's Sabais on each plaque, and they're, like, hanging. They're, like, flittering in the wind. And she reaches up and rubs it a little, feels the fabric. It's not the real one. These are recreations. Right? But the sentimentality is the same. There's a quiet moment between the three of you. Like, all, like, you. There's about, like, a few feet between the three of you on this staircase, right? Cause it's, like, several flights of stairs leading up to the palace. And on this wall is just plaque after plaque, Sabai after Sabai. Every ten non that's ever served the crown in some manner. [00:36:38] Speaker B: Already, even though it's not supposed to be, like, cool. You're not supposed to. Already has a couple bottles of beerlau and Heineken. I guess this universe's version. [00:36:52] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:36:52] Speaker B: And puts it in front of some of the wall. It's not where it goes, but it's. [00:37:00] Speaker A: Like, people leave offerings here. They leave, like, little plates of fruit. They leave little mementos, flowers. Everything you would see on an ancestral shrine. This is, like, the collective shrine for all the tandong that have served and didn't make it to the end. Yeah. [00:37:19] Speaker B: I turn around, I turn to roman and hope. Isn't it weird seeing this all and knowing that guy and already kind of points to one of the plaques? It's weird seeing all of this and knowing that, like, that guy fully streaked across all of the dorms. Like the longest run anyone ever had before anyone caught him. [00:37:59] Speaker C: We were, you know, we all had our, we all had our moments. And you can tell that Romans trying not to go into specifics because hope is right there. We were a rambunctious bunch. [00:38:19] Speaker B: I heard that on other. No one said it to me. No one tells me this sort of shit. But I have heard in other sectors, no one parties as hard as Ted Nong. [00:38:37] Speaker C: And he looks at hope. Earmuffs. [00:38:43] Speaker B: Hope, cover your ears. [00:38:44] Speaker A: What? Dad. And she, like, she like, reaches down, picks up this misfit. Fine, I'll just leave. It's fine. And like, this misfits, like, and she just walked up the stairs. And you see like the rest of, like, the salat team is also waiting for them upstairs. And she's like, okay, guys, let's go on the tour. And there's like a tour guide that is like taking them around the palace grounds. Like, I gotta leave my dad and the princess alone, right? District. Oh, Lord. [00:39:24] Speaker C: Tongnan partying the hardest. Okay, yeah, you caught me. Yes, that, that's fair. But to be fair, to be honest, I mean, when you do what we do. Well, when you do what we did, or I guess do now, it's. Sometimes you gotta let loose. [00:39:43] Speaker B: Hell yeah, that's fair. You just gotta be present. Right? And this is where we're at. [00:39:50] Speaker C: And, uh, Roman takes one more look at the plaque for Francis. Yeah, this is where we're at. And then he extends a bro fist to. To already as a sign, you know, we're in this together. [00:40:09] Speaker B: Yeah, already, uh, knuckles back. Yeah, well, this is a mess. And it's going to suck before it gets better, right? [00:40:30] Speaker C: Isn't that the case for everything? It's always a mess. But if my dad taught me anything, no matter what the mess is, you can always, always clean it up. [00:40:47] Speaker B: Uh, yeah, I. I get the feeling you're not supposed to. That you didn't want to come back. And I think I'm in the same boat. [00:41:07] Speaker C: Yeah, it's. Listen, no, I wasn't supposed to come back. But sometimes you can't escape your duty. You can't escape fate. And the only thing you can do is roll with the punches and just see where it takes you. Sometimes you're meant to be where you are right now, even if you don't want to. But it's always good to have a guide in your mind and know where you want to be. So sometimes the road isn't always what you expected. [00:41:39] Speaker B: Already is sort of nods to Francis plaque. Do you think he's still. You think he pays attention? [00:41:51] Speaker C: Are you kidding me? I'm pretty sure. I'm pretty sure that every time I've gone up there with the archangel, he's probably looking at me like, why are you doing this? Move. Why did you do this, you idiot. God, you could have done this so much better. [00:42:10] Speaker B: Is it weird to think that, like, our. We get so much judgment from our regular family. Why are we letting our, like, our ancestors have nothing better to do than to judge us again? [00:42:27] Speaker C: You know, it's. I'm grateful for it, though, to be. To be fair, because I think about what he could be saying and, you know, the ways he would do things. And then I remember, well, he did it his way. I've got to do it my way. And that's, to me, that's the important lesson. I can't live it. I can't live his life. You know, obviously. Obviously he's gone now. But Francis would always also remind me that I have to run my path and I can't live my life any other way. Granted, like I said, the road is not what I had expected. No way. And Roman looks back up to where hope ran off to. Life did not make the. You know, it wasn't, it wasn't, this wasn't the plan. But, you know, you're all with the punches. [00:43:28] Speaker A: You. [00:43:29] Speaker C: You gotta understand that you're gonna get thrown curveballs. [00:43:33] Speaker A: You're. [00:43:34] Speaker C: You're gonna get. You're gonna get haymakered. But, you know, it ain't about, you know, how hard you hit. It's about how hard you get hit and then keep going. And, you know, that's how tell winning stuff. I think I. I saw that in a movie once. I'm not really good with a lot of the, you know, that. The pop culture, but I think I saw it. You know, it was like something about a boulder or a stone, you know, that guy. I don't know. [00:44:02] Speaker A: You. [00:44:02] Speaker C: You might know the movie better, but neither here nor there. It's just. [00:44:05] Speaker B: Yeah, the other muay Thai boxer. Yeah. [00:44:09] Speaker C: So listen, I'm rambling on, but no. [00:44:14] Speaker A: Your gray clouds begin to roll in from the area where, you know, you encountered the same storm yesterday when you were flying in. And now seems it's almost as if weather patterns are still happening, so. And you hear the rumble of thunder. An attendant pops out from the top of the stairs and says to the both of you, she, like, gives you the greetings, like, your majesty, you are. You are being summoned to court. [00:44:53] Speaker B: Already goes from this sort of casual talking room and sort of like, you gotta roll with the punches, right? [00:45:06] Speaker C: Roll with the punches, yeah. [00:45:09] Speaker B: And she'll follow the attendant. [00:45:12] Speaker C: Roman's gonna take one last look at Francis's plaque lightly. Like, give a bro fist to the plaque, but not like, actually tap it. Just keep your eyes on me, buddy. I think I'm gonna need you for the next one. And then he goes to follow. [00:45:32] Speaker A: We cut to the wide of Ba Feng, the capital of Chow Phraya. It's sat on an island in the middle of the flat Prabang river, and it's defended on all. It's an ideal place to put a royal capital. It's defended all sides by the river's southward current torrents and nestled in the heart of the Prabhan river valley, with high jutting rocky mountains and fertile wetlands. Naturally, this is a city that's like a heart of the economy and trade through the region. And it's a, it's, and it's clearly played a role in defending the metropole from Kanmah and other foreign attackers. So you see, at the center of the landmass is the large Manjushri Sana palace complex. But on the out. But as the city grew, you see, we see that it artificially developed more landmass atop of the river to make room for laborer housing. And just outside the walls. And this, that area is known as the Spacers district. It's a swamp land that mostly consists of flotillas of boathouses and bamboo wooden platforms, all tied together by plank bridges. And rupiah, because you are not as affluent as everyone else in the party, you are currently staying at what's supposed to be an inn, but it's more like a hostel. A hostel for, like, you know, traveling tanong adventurers who are just barely scraping by. You know, it's less than a star hotel. It's less. So what's going on, rupiah? What are you doing right now? Like, I imagine you're in, like, one of those hostile bunk style accommodations, and you look out and you see the rain beginning to roll in. What's going through your mind right now? [00:47:33] Speaker B: I think that. [00:47:36] Speaker E: Started the day with all those little rituals that we start when we're young and keep going and then add to, and add to and add to until the next thing, you know, just to get yourself presentable for the day. It takes an hour and 45 minutes. And then as I look out and see that the rain starts to come in, I take out just like a small cone of beeswax and light it, like, and set it in the window and say a little prayer for the rain to come and nourish our plants, nourish it, bring prosperity to our families as it does to nature, and that it'll be just enough and not too much, because the gods know we could all get washed away just as easily. [00:48:49] Speaker A: While you're making this prayer, you listen to, like, the sounds of the. Of the. Of the space. Of the spacers quarter. Like, um, seamstresses raise silkworms and weave beautiful Fabian garments. Farmers load their boats with feed to send livestock down the river. But as the. Everyone's looking up very ominously at the. At the. The dark gray cumulonimbus clouds starting to roll in, and they start, like, quickly picking up their stuff. And you hear, like, a distant radio. Like, the music cuts as it cuts. It's like we have a. This is the chow friant Central Weather Agency. We have a flash flood warning occurring for all communities on the river. Please be advised to move to higher ground as needed. And it just kind of, like, drowns out with the rest of the group here. But as you're like, you make this prey, and you hear a knock at the door. [00:49:40] Speaker E: Yes. [00:49:42] Speaker A: Do you. Do you, like, do you just say yes, or do you, like, walk over to open it? [00:49:45] Speaker E: I walk over to. [00:49:47] Speaker A: Before you're faced with two sector one. They have the little, like, the little rectangular hats and the big flowy dong sun robes, and they're like, are you rupiah taiyang? [00:50:08] Speaker B: I am. [00:50:08] Speaker A: We're with the chao Phrayan. Chancellor, you're being. You are awaited at court. This is totally foreign to you. [00:50:19] Speaker E: You're like, court and, like. So it's just. I am? [00:50:25] Speaker A: Yes. You were involved with the crash yesterday, were you not? [00:50:28] Speaker E: Oh, yes, I was. [00:50:31] Speaker A: The king wants you. You are wanted with an audience for the king. [00:50:38] Speaker E: Okay, well, give me a couple of minutes to make myself presentable. All the while, like, Rubia is impeccable right now, but, yeah, just give me a moment. I just need to gather my things real quick. [00:50:59] Speaker A: There will be a car outside. They both simultaneously take a step back in unison. One of them closes the door, and you can hear. Their steps are also syncopated up as they make their way down the stairs. [00:51:17] Speaker E: And there's just the 2 seconds of. [00:51:24] Speaker A: Okay, okay. It's everything in your wildest dream, you, peasant girl, getting to meet a king of a kingdom. Like, that's crazy, right? This is insane. You never could have imagined this in all of your wildest dreams, but here you are. [00:51:37] Speaker E: Just be cool, gather my stuff real quick. Touch up my looks, make sure that. Okay, am I in the right outfit? Do I need to retie my sabai in a different way? Okay. [00:51:55] Speaker A: And I'm ready to go. Another rumble of thunder. We cut back to, like, the kind of, like, foyer receiving area just outside the throne room. Kallaxon. You're first there, and you see your sister, lady rubina, turn the corner and about to head into the throne room. And she, like, passes by you, and she, like, looks you up and down. Where's your mutt? [00:52:26] Speaker D: Uh, excuse me, championship dog. [00:52:31] Speaker A: Championship mutt. [00:52:32] Speaker D: Yeah, uh, listen, she still won, so it doesn't quite matter, does it? [00:52:39] Speaker A: Okay, well, either way, I. Welcome to chow Fria. I'd ask you, how was your flight, but I think we both know how that ended. And, like, you both look out the window and you see that, like, the whole ship is still, like, in the courtyard with a big dirt trail in the back, and there's, like, workers, like, trying to clean it up and, like, pull it out. [00:52:56] Speaker D: Well, it could have gone worse. Everyone could have died, but they didn't. So we always look at the bright side, not at the, uh, obviously apparent wreckage, because there are still people who are with us. If we didn't do our job as tanong. [00:53:18] Speaker A: I don't know. I wasn't trying to downplay it. I was just. Good job, little brother. You. You really, really showed up. [00:53:25] Speaker D: Well, thanks. I know we don't get to really talk about that stuff since we're both in our separate worlds, but really, thank you. [00:53:36] Speaker A: Like, while you're wearing your, like, racers jacket and whole fit. Lady Rubina, she's a 40 year old Lancashire woman. She's got salt and pepper hair tied up in this neat little compact bun. She wears an enthenes style white dress with puff shoulder sleeves and ribbon tied at the bottom and lacy material running down her forearms. And from the waist down, she wears, like, one of those, like, wraparound skirts with a traditional Lankoskin pattern weaved onto it. She's feel like nods, and she says, well, look, after, after court, I don't know if you had any other plans, but I know we have a business meeting, so I need you to be there, okay? [00:54:12] Speaker D: Okay. Is this before or after this? [00:54:15] Speaker A: After court. This is kind of important. The king wants all of us there. [00:54:18] Speaker D: Oh, I thought before or after karaoke. [00:54:21] Speaker A: When was karaoke on the schedule? [00:54:23] Speaker D: I mean, where you. [00:54:26] Speaker A: Claxton, this is a business trip. What it would like. [00:54:31] Speaker D: It's a listen, like, I also know every once in a while, we need to blow up steam, and that's what karaoke is for. Sorry. I thought I mentioned this in public. Sorry. But I also know that occasionally. Sometimes the best times for us to talk are to occasionally sing on the minus one, you know, some traditional songs, and then we can actually talk. [00:54:54] Speaker A: Okay, I'll see you in there. She, like, walks into the throne room and, like, leaves you out there and pulling up. Are the. The other three pilots all kind of. So you guys are all kind of in this foyer. You see the middle picture on the tabletop? It's the door to the throne room. It's flanked by two colorful reliefs of the folk hero sang sensei, kind of like the achilles of Yang Shan. It's a very gorgeous. Kind of like, it's the palace, right? Like, there's empire money in this, but, yeah, now it's the four of you gathered, and you're. Everyone's waiting for you inside that throne room right now. What's. What's going on? What are you guys doing? [00:55:46] Speaker D: Klaxon is waiting because he does not want to be the first to enter a throne room knowing that a princess is going to rife. [00:55:53] Speaker B: Cordy is also, like, I do not want to be the first. And is, like, shredding her cuticles. Just, like, if she could short. Like, her hand keeps kind of, like, moving towards her mouth to chew on her nails, and it's like, no, don't do it. Don't do it. And, like, she has sort of resorted to, like, saw, like, leaning against a pillar and, like, low key fiddling with, like, the grout between two of the. Between the grout between, like, some of the. Like, the mosaic. Like, there's, like, a little pile starting at the grout. [00:56:35] Speaker D: Klaxon is looking at ordie and realizing, oh, are you okay? Because whoever did your nails is going to be really mad right now. [00:56:46] Speaker B: Uh, yeah. Um, I I tend to not get my nails done because they just get fucked. Um, it wasn't a problem, and it's. It's not usually a problem. I usually don't have to get them. I. This is a lot. A lot has just happened, and I'm a lot. I have no idea what's gonna happen when we go in there. [00:57:12] Speaker D: What can we do for you? Before you go in, before you answer. [00:57:15] Speaker A: That question, in, like, the background of the shot, you see, like, a gaggle of teenage girls of the silat team, like, walking around like penguins, like. Like, a flamingos looking around, going, ooh. Ah. And, like, the tour guys. And if you look to our left, this is the throne room. They're about to have court, so everybody just please be respectful. And this is Sang sensei. He's this national hero. They're, like, taking selfies. They're taking pictures. Like, hope with hope. Waves high. [00:57:40] Speaker B: Yeah. Can you fire me into space. [00:57:46] Speaker E: Already here? And, like, I'll pull out, like, a little unmarked container, and just. There's a little, like, open it up. And it's like, there's a little cream in it, and it's like, give me your hand. Give it. [00:58:00] Speaker B: I was like. I was hoping for drugs. I will take cuticle. [00:58:06] Speaker E: Why not both dot gif. [00:58:08] Speaker C: We're all faking it. [00:58:09] Speaker A: I was hoping for drugs. I will take cuticle cream. But. [00:58:14] Speaker B: Yeah. Already lets you take your hand, and. [00:58:19] Speaker E: It'S like, I rub the stuff onto your hand, into your cuticles, and then I'm like, it'll wear off pretty quickly, but just next time, you. Why don't you want it? Just breathe in really deep, and it should help. Like, put down the app. The container. Put it away. [00:58:39] Speaker B: Like, a big. [00:58:40] Speaker A: Just. [00:58:44] Speaker B: We do this all the time. I just. It's been a while. [00:58:48] Speaker A: It's been. [00:58:49] Speaker B: I actually can't remember how long it's been. [00:58:51] Speaker A: But the more important thing is that this is your first time presenting yourself before the court as heir presumptive to the Makuta crown. It's kind of a bit. And today originally was planned for you. You know, make your big speeches. Like, I will assume the duties, blah, blah, blah. But seeing that you just crashed a plane in your backyard and there's also a kmaq coming, it's. It's a lot. You. It's you. Like, like, the three of you. Besides, already you see, like, a bead of sweat. Like, form up, like, right here and start, like. [00:59:21] Speaker B: Like the twitch is forming under. [00:59:23] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, homegirl, you're under a lot of pressure. Yeah. [00:59:28] Speaker B: Are we sure we can't get me into space? I'm just. [00:59:32] Speaker E: Just here, and I, like, put my hand next to your face. Breathe, breathe. [00:59:43] Speaker B: Okay. Yeah. No. [00:59:45] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:59:46] Speaker E: You smell kind of like a very. Like, it's a light, sweet, like, hints of lemongrass and flowers and. And also just like, this almost unnatural gum. [01:00:03] Speaker B: All right. [01:00:05] Speaker A: Her hands are got the same kind of softness as lady T does, which is kind of painful, seeing that. [01:00:15] Speaker B: It's fine. [01:00:16] Speaker A: It's fine. [01:00:16] Speaker B: I smell like my ex in at all. Yeah, already sort of, like. Okay. And, like, she has a moment, and it's, like, kind of like, glances over Roman is like, roll with the punches. And so she'll sort of, she'll take those steps forward and open the doors to the. To the throne room. [01:00:44] Speaker A: Slowly. Your big stone doors. [01:00:46] Speaker B: Damn it. [01:00:49] Speaker D: Claxton will go, let me do this for you. [01:00:52] Speaker B: Like, there's only people for this. [01:00:58] Speaker D: You shouldn't open the doors to stand there. Look pretty. I'll open the doors for you. [01:01:03] Speaker A: Classic. You as a noble, you know the processes for these things. [01:01:06] Speaker D: So you. [01:01:06] Speaker A: You like, as a gentleman, you go up, and you, like, push open the doors, and you, like gesture. And the second the doors open, like the. The heir, the crown princess of Chow. Friar. The doors open, and revealed to you is a long corridor flanked by columns of steles painted with scenes from the Ramayana, the MAhabhArata, all those, like, folklore legends that you all learn as kids. And there's a large central dome, like, if you look up, and it depicts, like, various battles from the old Kama wars. And at the very end of this hall is the Trinity Throne, where your father, King Vaisoun II, his husband, King consort NAthanson, and his. His consort and chancellor Chae Siruan, all sit on this TriMerTi throne, one for each for Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva. And immediately behind them is a 15 foot tall statue of the Bott Mangyushri, the bottat that this palace is named after. His domains are the usual, wisdom, power, and, like, grace, that sort of thing. And he holds a blue lotus in his right hand. In his left hand, he holds a blue lotus, and his right hand is turned to face downward. But on each wing of this massive throne room are, you know, like, I want to say, hundreds of courtiers, advisors, clergymen, merchants, other nobles. They've. They've all assembled here to see the heir, the new heir, for the first time. And also. And also be advised on the situation that just unfolded in the backyard. But you, the four of you all kind of, like, walk in, and it's like. It's mostly a silent procession as you, like, make your way down the corridor. But you, like, as you look side to side, you see, like, some, like, some groups of people are whispering to each other. And, like, looking down at you. Some people are like, um, you know, they're there on their, like, little tablet computers, and they look up, and you see, like, journalists on the wings, like, they're taking pictures. And there's, like, lots of flashes, um, as you all, like, step by step four tanong Sabai, dressed to the nines, make your way towards the throne. Uh, an advisor, like, walks up for anyone who, you know, isn't usually involved in this process. You see, like a courtier, like, walk up to the three. To the three of you and get like, whispers, like when you bow, bow low, you get to the. To the, you know, the area where you present yourself to your. To Orty's parents and like, they, like, even one Cordy, like, even puts a hand on your guys back. So you like to full on prostrate all the way down like. [01:04:19] Speaker D: Kallax and tenses up. I'm like, excuse me. Well, I, like. He doesn't say that out loud, but just more like a. There's a little bit of stiffness. I'm like, as if you don't think we know what we're doing. We're ten non. [01:04:31] Speaker A: Okay. [01:04:31] Speaker D: Um. Just like, it meets with a little resistance. Cuz I'm like, come on, come on. We, we know, we know our etiquette, but we do it anyway. Just come on, guys. [01:04:48] Speaker A: Uh, the chancellor at the queen consort, the chai, she like, says, tan Long, you may rise. She looks out at that group. I believe court is now in session. My daughter, Ordi Vung, heir to the throne. Please take your place up here. And she gestures to an empty two. There's three empty chairs beneath, like, their tier, right? One for Anusha, one for you, one for Kanawa. [01:05:23] Speaker B: Where the fuck is Kanawha? [01:05:26] Speaker A: You just ask that? [01:05:27] Speaker B: No, I think it though. I'm like, if I have to be here, he has to be. No, it's fine. Yeah. Already truly in, like, you ever go to a friend's house and their parents are mad at them and, like, you're just like, oh, man. Like, that's sort of the vibe as, like, I'm sure they're not mad, but already sort of like, shuffles as easily as she can in, like, in her, like, nice clothes to the chair. And it's all. It's halfway between my parents are mad at me and you're at my house. And also the, like, it's awkward as far just because it's like a fucking throne in the middle of this. Like, hey. And she's sort of like. So she sort of shuffles over and sits and it's. She's truly dwarfed by everything. [01:06:23] Speaker A: Everything. Yeah. Well, let's get the first thing on the agenda out of the way, which is the glaring one in the. In our. In the courtyard there. Um, daughter, what happened up there? It just to be plain here for everybody here to know. [01:06:50] Speaker B: I really don't know. [01:06:53] Speaker A: That's all. Right? Final answer. You're just gonna say, like, you're just gonna tell everybody, like, all, like, 500 some chow fry ins in this room? You have no idea what happened on flight 1138. As you were descending, we. [01:07:13] Speaker B: God damn it. We were attacked by. We were landing, and in the process, we were attacked by. We were attacked by entities. [01:07:27] Speaker A: Collective gasps from the whole crowd. [01:07:30] Speaker B: And, I mean, thank heavens all of us were here to protect everyone and land the plane safely. [01:07:44] Speaker A: Your stepdad, Nathanson says, like, when you say entities, just to make it clear for the transcriptionist, you're referring to the void demons, right? You're referring to. He doesn't want to say it. Everyone else is, like, holding their breath. Cause, like. [01:08:04] Speaker B: All of us are less, like, are you gonna say it? [01:08:08] Speaker A: Can the other ta nang in the room, you know, call to the. Call to your. Can you. Can you add to this testimony? Can you confirm that what was seen in our skies was indeed the adversaries? [01:08:25] Speaker D: Kallaxin steps up because he knows he at least has some standing. [01:08:30] Speaker A: You, like, look off to the side of the wing. You see Rubina looking down at you. She's, like, assembled with the other merchant nobles. [01:08:39] Speaker D: So I guess. Question for you, Jerry. Would I know that the term gunma is. [01:08:48] Speaker A: You can choose. You can choose to say it. It's fine. Like, if you. If. Because you've never fought a kunma before and you don't know, you might not, and Kalaxa might not know all of the cultural taboos that involve invoking them. So you could. If you. If you want to make that choice now, you may. [01:09:01] Speaker D: Okay. Uh, all right. Then he would, um. Then Klaxon would say, well, the clinical terminal for what we have encountered is the gunma. [01:09:14] Speaker A: Everyone, like, you see a bunch of clergymen, like, all, like, kind of like. [01:09:21] Speaker D: And then he just. He just raises his hand. What we have encountered is this. On our flight, we were encountering things that were attacking the hull and the safety of the passengers on the flight. We were instructed by the pilot that summoned the tanong to their duty. So, as Tanong, we went to the back, boarded our kisi, and we did our duty to ensure that everyone flew safely. However, so much of the damage had been made to the aircraft that the best that we can do is try to steer the aircraft craft into a way that saves everybody that was on the plane. We do. And can attest that several people, because of the damage, had flown off of the plane, and many of the tanong used their pc to rescue those who were airborne. The rest of us, including myself, tried to repair the damage while it was mid flight. And when we knew that the pilot could no longer steer the aircraft, I sent my kisi and piloted it and tried to clear as much weight as possible because the steering was not able to be adjusted, which ended up, unfortunately, crashing into the areas where it crashed. But we tried to do this with as minimal casualties as possible. [01:11:18] Speaker A: Nathanson, let me just stop you right there, Lord Bulok. Lock. Let's run it back, as the youth say. And you spoke the name of the adversary. I just want you, I just want to make this clear, because the thing is, is that no ghast or ghoul or any such entity has been spotted or encountered in this territory, in the heart of empire in over two centuries. Do you understand that? So forgive me for my cynicism, but I just want to make clear here that that is exactly what you saw. Right. [01:12:07] Speaker E: Illustrious personages. I know that I don't hold the same status as my fellow Danlong, and while I was only employed as a bodyguard for the plane, I also will say that there was no doubt that what we fought, what her highness so valiantly confronted head on in order to save not only the lives of us, unworthy as we are, but the lives of every soul upon that plane. To repel the adversary from these borders, to make sure that they came no closer to your illustrious personages. There is no question as to what we faced. [01:13:18] Speaker A: Someone shouts from one of the wings. What did they look like? [01:13:23] Speaker E: To describe them would be to invite madness. As you seen, our unfortunate pilot looked directly in the eyes of the primary foe, and we all know, I'm sure, what happened to him. [01:13:41] Speaker A: Another person, like, stands up from one of the wings, looks like to be like an academic looking bureaucrat. It's like, sorry, just for. Just for records here, if we could just get some sort of description here. It's just so I, like, he's got a typewriter and everything. Just because it's important that we catalog these things. You can tell, like, the only two people on this throne are talking is Nathanson and Chaye. You can see that King Vaisoon, as old as he is, he's. He looks like he's definitely, he's like an 80 year old asian man, right? Like, shrink, shrunken, white hair, like, almost kind of dwarfed by the throne, while his, his, like his wife and husband are like silver foxes and smoke shows, you know? [01:14:31] Speaker D: So basically Yoda. [01:14:32] Speaker A: Yeah, but, like, this guy definitely smokes cigarettes and drinks iced coffee at your vietnamese vietnamese place. Like, every Saturday with his war buddies, right? But in this case, he's just, like, sitting on the throne, watching like this. But you hear. Or do you hear your mom speak up? And she says, sir, seraph, you've been silent for this. Do you have anything to contribute? [01:15:09] Speaker C: No one's gonna stand up. I know what I saw out there, because I faced it before. If you want a description of it. They looked like crows. A bunch of crows. That's right. You said he's gonna look over to the scholar, who's like you said, we haven't seen them in over two centuries, right? Is that correct? [01:15:35] Speaker A: He's nodding. [01:15:37] Speaker C: Guess what? Two centuries has passed. Now, the last time we've seen them was yesterday, if you really want to know. And Romans, a little incense that. Listen at the fact that academia is. It seems like they're just dismissing what we all experienced. You can look in your books. You can look at all your history records. Yes. Haven't seen them in a couple of centuries. No, they're back. I don't know what's causing it, but I know what I saw. We know what we saw. We took precautions to make sure that we protected every single life on that plane. And guess what? None of those, aside from the pilot, who unfortunately succumb to succumb to succumb. We're not even going to talk about that. But everybody else that we could save, we save them, and we limited the damage. That's our job as Tonnong, is to protect this empire, protect the people, and do what we can to limit the damage. We did our job. [01:16:44] Speaker A: Another academic, like slides, takes the sheets out of the typewriter and looks at them. He's much older one. He flicks through him. He's wearing rounded sunglasses. He's got a beard. Actually, he doesn't even look like an academic. He just looks like a gun. Like a bureaucrat. But not a sector one. He looks like one from Dung sun like search. Serving the empire emperor directly. You are familiar with what Ghen Ma takes the form of a corvid, yes. There's only one that we have in the imperial records that would do that. [01:17:23] Speaker C: Enlighten me. Which one was it? [01:17:25] Speaker A: Kuntil? Anakin. And you hear your mom. Quiet, quiet. Let them speak. [01:17:40] Speaker B: That's why I don't say that out loud. It takes like 20 minutes for court to get their shit together. Yes, it was that entity. And Ordi is, like, really making an effort to not be a nervous wreck. [01:18:00] Speaker A: Tell me, was there a rider with it on a chariot? [01:18:04] Speaker B: Yes. [01:18:07] Speaker A: You see, like, a bunch of red robed clergymen all, like, it's the end times. Holy shit. They start counting beads. They start lighting incense. They start pacing back and forth and. [01:18:23] Speaker B: Already sort of in a little bit of, like, kind of petulant, like, sort of, like looking at the stenographer. Like, the academics. Yeah, sort of. Yes, it was. The rider was with them, and she. I faced her myself, and she had a message for us. [01:18:53] Speaker A: Everyone, like, looks at each other even, like, you even see your dad, like, shift in his seat, like, oh, no. And he. This is the first time he speaks. He says, what did. What did they say? [01:19:14] Speaker B: For, like, a second already said, stops. Because this is. This is such a bad. Like, it's already bad. She's feel. It already feels like. [01:19:27] Speaker A: Like you can feel pregnant tension in the room. Like, like, all the nobles, all the merchants, all the bureaucrats, all the clergymen, all have their eyes on you, and they're eager. The journalists, they're all like. Like, they're jotting down in their notebooks, and they're. And the cameras are going, um. [01:19:47] Speaker B: And, like, for a second, she's like, what if I just lie? But also, like, she kind of feels. [01:19:56] Speaker A: The king, like, lean in towards you. She's like, on your honor, my daughter, please. [01:20:02] Speaker B: And she, like, remembers Anousha, saying, like, hey, this is for them. And kind of like, okay, this is for them. This isn't the last. There are going to be more. This is the first part of what seems to be a larger attack. I'm not saying the title of this show. [01:20:25] Speaker A: There. A booming voice erupts from the head towards the right wing of the court. A middle aged Vyangchini's man, lord Saravan deng. The or Archduke Saravan deng, surrounded by his noble peers, is the first voice to make it to your ears because he's shouting the loudest and full of his usual deep rumbling bluster, he proclaims, the messenger has chosen the boy child to deliver this to us. She has given us a vision of the dark, of a dark future that she herself has brought about. Your Majesty, we must dare not seat a void child on our people's throne. We must. Listen to me close. We must send her away for the safety of Chow friar and the entire throng in unison. All that entirely. You can sell that, you know. The atmosphere. Chauvinist contingent of Chow Friar's noble class all shout in unison, banish her. Banish the void child. Your majesty, the invocation of the term void child is enough to send the court astronomers and astrologers into apocalyptic ficts. Those same dozen red robed priests, they begin bobbing and kneeling in ritualistic prayer, and you can make out pieces of scripture here and there above the raucous crowd. You guys are all, like, hearing all of this, this back, this chaotic. You can make out the sounds of this back and forth. Our kingdom's beloved first daughter lost to the wayside, her duties abandoned lo the end time shall be certain when the demons of the vacuum come tumble. Ye who behold the twins of dark and nothing. For on their heels comes oblivion. And Rubina, galaxy like charms. Like, she, like, speaks up. She's like, could this not wait till next financial quarter? Like, your majesty, as an extraplanetary investor in chow Fry's economy, what insurance can you provide for our assets? Think of the economy. And this, of course, sets all the other fat merchant princes alight and their greedy worries, they start snatching their attendance. They're like, buy, sell, horde, liquidate. [01:22:46] Speaker D: Klaxon at this point, like, stomps his foot on the floor, which makes a large echo and says, quiet down command. [01:22:59] Speaker A: For me, will you? [01:23:01] Speaker D: Hmm? [01:23:02] Speaker A: You want to make a command check. [01:23:03] Speaker D: I will make a. Wait, is it. It's not contour or sway, is it? [01:23:07] Speaker A: It's. [01:23:07] Speaker D: It's a command hold up. [01:23:08] Speaker A: Let's. Yeah, it's. It's. I mean, you're telling people. You're. You're demanding this entire crowd of people to be quiet, so. [01:23:14] Speaker D: I see. [01:23:15] Speaker A: That is. That would be a command check. [01:23:16] Speaker D: That would be a command check. [01:23:19] Speaker A: Would anyone like to assist Kallaxon in this task? Anyone has a higher command, stat? [01:23:24] Speaker C: Yeah, I have one in command. [01:23:28] Speaker B: I have one as well. [01:23:30] Speaker A: Okay. Either one of you can roll it, and you can. And collection. You can assist and provide an extra. [01:23:36] Speaker D: I will. I will assist because I don't have any in command but you. [01:23:40] Speaker A: But you. Do you want to invoke your ability? Oh, no, it's consort or swaying. Okay, so it wouldn't. [01:23:44] Speaker D: It's quite sword and sway. Yeah, that's not a. [01:23:46] Speaker A: Does anyone else have any abilities that would assist in this matter? Otherwise, we're just gonna make a rule. We're just gonna roll. [01:23:52] Speaker B: I punch good. [01:23:54] Speaker D: I don't do that. [01:23:55] Speaker B: I let Roman do it. Like, if you've got a good command, because. [01:23:59] Speaker D: Yeah, like, I want to. I'll assist. I will assist Roman. [01:24:03] Speaker C: All right? I will roll. So I have one point in command. So how many is that? [01:24:07] Speaker A: One? Let's. Let's go. Let's go. Call it two d, six for assistance. And Klaxon go ahead. Put two stress for adding that die to it, too. Yep. [01:24:15] Speaker D: I will. I will happily take that stress because. [01:24:17] Speaker A: Yeah, like. Like, let's say Kallaxton says the order, but Roman tries to, like, back him up. Like, yeah. So in the roleplay. So go ahead, roll. And then you guys tell me what you guys do to help settle the crowd. [01:24:29] Speaker C: Okay, so it was a three and a two. [01:24:31] Speaker A: Oh, that's a three. That's. Okay. That's a failure. So I'm gonna deduct a point of trust off your group sheet with the kingdom of ciao, Freya, because, you know, you guys are trying to calm this crowd, but everyone's panicked and it's only panicking more, as you say, salas, but. Okay, yeah, go ahead, say what you're gonna say. I'll tell you how they react. [01:24:53] Speaker C: Okay, well, first thing, is there a table in front of me? [01:24:58] Speaker A: There can be. Or there's a table nearby. Yeah, let's just say there's a table nearby. [01:25:01] Speaker C: I was literally gonna smash my fist into the table without breaking it. Not like I'm not here to break anything, but just as, like a sort of makeshift gavel to try to get everyone's attention in shock. So I'm gonna slam and. Yo, listen, first things 1st. 1st things first. And he's gonna motion over to ority the fact that you call her void child. Let me be clear here. This one here is one of the reasons why there's less damage to our kingdom right now. [01:25:36] Speaker A: And you see another noble shout directly back. And she's also the reason why they're coming. We have to send her away for the safety of all of us. [01:25:47] Speaker E: You may not know me, but you know my reputation. I am the diva. And I pilot copper pod. And know that the Dan Nong stand behind Oradie. If you. [01:26:04] Speaker A: What's this peasant doing talking right now? [01:26:08] Speaker E: If you. [01:26:09] Speaker A: Can we, like, remove her? Can we, like, get like this three is not doing you guys any services right now. [01:26:17] Speaker E: Can I use my red comet to. [01:26:21] Speaker A: Yes, you may. Yeah. So you have a reputation. When you try to take plus 1d, you reveal yourself with. Okay, so, yeah, what skill would you like to add this one d to. So you're. So what you're trying to. You're doing like a sway check right now. Okay, go ahead. Roll sway with. With 2d. With a red comet six. Okay. All right. Like, the queen takes her sides like, gentlemen, can we please let the tanong speak? We have some respect here. This is a court. I'd like some decorum. They settle down. Honorable ten on you may continue. [01:27:06] Speaker E: The adversaries are an affront to all the gods. They will strangle our people, our countries. But if we stand together, we can bring a freedom that this kingdom has never known before. [01:27:29] Speaker A: Lord Archduke dying stands up like, does one of these. And you see several other nobles stand up and in a defiant maneuver to the king, they all turn their back and start leaving. Cacophony erupts again. Everyone starts like, like, grab a rabble. Rabble. Holy shit. The fucking, the fucking event. Until finally the king, in his elderly state, he shouts, silence. Emperor's sake. Just, can we please have a smidge of calm? I can't even hear myself think. He like, pinches the bridge of his nose. Nathanson like, leans over and whispers into something in his ear. And already your mother, like, looks out the assembly, she goes, like the chowfrai and royal Chimerti would like some time to deliberate on the issue in private. As high chancellor of this court, I hereby adjourn this assembly. All of you, I implore you to return to your homes while we sort out a solution. A statement will be prepared come morning. So after the, you know, the noble, like the atma chauvinists depart, everyone else also stands up and begins heading towards the doors. But she like, points at the fores like, no, you four stay. It's a quiet, like, shuffling of feet all the way out until the throne room is empty except for the king, king and queen, and four tanong. Doors closed. Vaisoun slumps in his chair. He looks down at you, Ordie. I wish her sister were here. [01:29:29] Speaker B: Wow. I do too. [01:29:33] Speaker A: Ty, clap. Clasp your hands. Uh, let's do dinner. Yeah, let's. Let's just, uh, how. How about, um, if you guys can make it. If I understand, Lord Black, like, I understand you might have other obligations tonight. [01:29:49] Speaker D: Oh, I'm making this when my sister will understand. Or I will make her understand. This is too important. [01:29:59] Speaker A: Okay, um, meet, uh, I'll get the cooks. I'll get. I'll get the real kitchen to prepare something. Um, meet us in the dining hall, like 2000 hours. Can we do that? [01:30:19] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. Super cat. [01:30:21] Speaker A: Yes. All right. Then. The king. The king is going to retire. Vice stands up and Nathan has to help him up and walk him off. And he's like, we'll see you at dinner. He says to you, while carrying your bio dad off. [01:30:44] Speaker B: Did they kind of leave us alone in the. [01:30:46] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, they, like, we cut to, like, the outside of the throne room. Like, you guys are outside you can now discuss what just occurred. [01:30:57] Speaker B: Cool. Can anyone beat me? Listen, I could just. You could just fire me into space. That would be great. [01:31:04] Speaker C: Roman is immediately going to look at Orty. Listen, you're more important to us. We can't eat you in the space, whatever the hell that means. [01:31:17] Speaker A: I don't know. Because you heard hope say it once, and now it just, like, entered your lexicon for some reason. [01:31:23] Speaker C: Yeah. First of all. Yeah. Never. No one knows that I ever said that. [01:31:27] Speaker A: Okay. [01:31:29] Speaker B: We won't tell hope. It's cool. [01:31:31] Speaker A: Thank you. [01:31:32] Speaker E: I mean, I realize that, like, I guess you're a noble or whatever, but you cannot let those self important shits win. [01:31:42] Speaker B: Yeah, it's sort of. [01:31:44] Speaker E: They're a blight upon the entire kingdom. [01:31:48] Speaker B: They're absolutely. It's sort of. I don't know. I don't know what it's like in other people's sectors, really. I. Like. It's weird here. It's. It's not even, like, I really wasn't supposed to, like, be in any of this. And she sort of gestures at the. At the throne room behind them. This was very sudden, and it's only been made worse by everything with the entity, and I. It's bad. This is bad on so many levels. Beyond just politics, people. [01:32:43] Speaker D: I feel like someone tried to set you up, quite honestly. Because normally, something like this, an investigation into what happened, isn't this public? Because someone else needs to factor and find the facts of the situation. This was spectacle. This was set up. [01:33:05] Speaker B: I feel it kind of, like, it is possible that the gangs pushed for it. They are supposed to be. And she. They're supposed to be the. They think that they have any claim to rule, and it's been. It's been a problem for longer than I have been alive. I guess it's just politics, right? Like, just old grudges that just get worse. [01:33:39] Speaker D: Oh, this was definitely a political move at the expense of you, at the expense of everyone that we saved. And technically, if we don't restore this at the spest of Tanong, this was a move. And so we need to have that dinner. And before we do anything, even if you want it to be yeeted or not, we still have to walk outside of this chamber, of the. Outside of the throne room and get you to your chamber. When you're ready, we will be right behind you, and we will make sure that anyone that gets in your way will be given what for. We will make sure that you're getting taken to your sanctuary, your sanctum, and just get you out of here. [01:34:33] Speaker B: Thanks. It's really nice, actually. Yeah. Can we, like, kind of go back? To where? To ordie's rooms? [01:34:45] Speaker A: Yeah. No, yeah. So the three of you walk Orie back to her chamber. Right? [01:34:49] Speaker B: Yeah, I got. I'm so sorry you guys are dragged into this full stop. [01:34:54] Speaker E: I mean, it's not your fault. Noble's gonna. Noble. [01:34:58] Speaker B: I guess. [01:35:02] Speaker D: That means I have to talk to my sister, Rubina, because I imagine she'll have some insight being in the throne room and. Yeah, I'll probably talk to her just before getting to dinner. [01:35:15] Speaker A: Think of the economy. [01:35:17] Speaker B: Think of the economy. [01:35:19] Speaker D: Yeah, I know what she was doing there. She wanted to neutralize the situation by turning it into money and not the scandal, so that's. I get what she was trying to do. So. [01:35:32] Speaker B: Thanks. [01:35:33] Speaker A: Question mark. [01:35:35] Speaker D: It's. It's because in order to distract the scandal, like, give it a different problem to look at. [01:35:42] Speaker B: Okay. [01:35:43] Speaker D: That's what she was trying to do. So I appreciated what she was trying to do. She was trying to get the heat off of us. [01:35:48] Speaker B: Yeah. Anyone could. [01:35:50] Speaker A: Any. [01:35:50] Speaker B: Any changing of political situation can. Could be an economic problem. It's not. Definitely. Definitely. Anyone could have done that. It's not, like, cursed. Nothing's cursed. [01:36:03] Speaker E: That would be crazy. [01:36:06] Speaker A: The rain starts to come down really hard. Like, the pitter patter goes from pitter patter to full on, like, torrents coming down on the palace. Yeah, I assume everyone just, like, goes back to. I can tell you what happens when each of you guys go back, so. But, klax, are you gonna. You're gonna go talk to your sister right now, or you're gonna talk, like, wait till, like, right before dinner? And just so I can arrange this. [01:36:29] Speaker D: In the editing timeline, I think, like, immediately after this, he seeks out Rubina, because they were going to have to meet anyway. [01:36:37] Speaker A: Yeah. Okay, cool. So you go off to do that. Rupiah, you pro. Uh. You head back to the spacers district to, you know, get dinner clothes and not court clothes, I assume. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you do that, and, roman, you go off to go find hope. [01:36:56] Speaker C: Yeah, that would be. Yeah. Where'd she freaking go? [01:37:02] Speaker A: All right, then. So, rupiah, as you kind of, like, make your way back out to the spaces district, the one, like, drop you off or, like, they drive you as far as the wall, because as you get out and, like, you know, you're offered a parasol and everything. Here, take this as compliments of the king. Hands in. [01:37:24] Speaker E: Thanks. [01:37:25] Speaker A: So you get out of the car, and you see that lots of people from the spacers district are, they're feeding the instructions. They're heading up ground to higher ground because as you try to make your way back to your hospital, you see that the river is seriously flooding. Those warnings were. And you see people rapidly gathering their entire lives and they're hustling to get back up. And you also see where the, the warehouse that you parked copper pod is also like, in water or not in water, but like, it's making its way up. You should probably move your mech because it's getting like, I don't know if you ever saw parasite the scene where the lower levels are getting flooded, but it's kind of that all these poor off, mostly off worlders. [01:38:13] Speaker E: I grew up in an area that was below sea. [01:38:15] Speaker A: So, yeah, yes, yes. So, um. And some people, they notice you're tan long, and they're like, you have to help me. Our house is like, you know, they, they like, point. There's different people all trying to, like, flee for higher ground as the river begins to make large waves onto the shoreline. [01:38:39] Speaker E: And I think I like, as I look and I hear these pleas for help, and I think back to like, that farce of an audience and how selfish and terrible. [01:38:53] Speaker A: And you realize none of them in that courtroom, none of them in that throne room look like the people out. [01:38:58] Speaker E: Here, like they don't give a damn. And I knew they didn't give a damn. But I let you know, childish dreams. And I go back to the hostel and I quickly strip off my court gear and get in copper pod. And I'll spend the rest of the time between now and when I have to be back at the palace ferrying people to safer zones. [01:39:28] Speaker A: It's kind of a solemn scene, like thunder, lightning or running. Everything's really dark. But you see from the little warehouse, you see copper potts eyes light up and you walk out and you start like. And it starts like all six arms scooping up, you know, different belongings and all that sort of thing. Just like doing your duty as Tehenon, right? Trying to be there for these people to the best of your ability. But it's getting desperate out here. It's like lots of things are getting drowned out. Lots of people are like, you see a mother crying because she can't find her kid. And as the water starting to rise and just beyond the wall, it's like the, it's like the bureaucrats, the guardsmen, they don't give a shit, right? It's just these people out here. [01:40:17] Speaker B: Just like always. [01:40:19] Speaker E: And like, as I turn back around to go back to the people, all six arms just rude gestures up towards the wall. [01:40:27] Speaker A: Rupiah, as you're doing everything in your damnedest to help get these people to higher ground, you can't take your eyes off the ivory tower that is Minjushriana palace. And the farce that you witnessed inside there, all that political maneuvering, all that yelling, all that screaming at each other. What was it all for? [01:40:45] Speaker E: And meanwhile, their actual people who make up their kingdom are literally drowning. The irony is too much. [01:40:57] Speaker A: We cut to a shot of the water getting higher and higher and higher as we fade to our break, because that is the first half of our session. We will be right back with more Mekong. Thank you so much. Stay with us here at Queen's court games. Welcome, Pax. Queen's court games, you're tuned into more Mekong symphony for the devil. Everybody say hey. Everybody say, what's up? Everybody feeling fresh from that real tense court drama that just went down? Wow. No sense of parliamentary decorum whatsoever. That was rough for all of you. And it's only going to get rougher. But the storm that washes over the city of Fafeng comes down hard. Water flows freely down through the streets, in the poor spaces quarter refugees in the gridson, those not included in the mainstream chow frying society struggle to stay afloat. Roman, you are. You've been given lodging in the palace apart, like barracks, right? And when you return, you see hope is sitting on the bed with Miss Misfit on her lap. And they were watching the tv, and it's like press coverage of today's court session at court. And she, like, turns over to look at you and she's like, hey, dad, what's a void, child? [01:42:46] Speaker C: Uh, uh. It's. How do I. [01:42:51] Speaker A: How do I. [01:42:52] Speaker C: How do I put this for you? I'm actually gonna make a roll for myself. [01:42:58] Speaker A: For yourself. Okay. Do you want. Just roll? Okay. What we got here? What we got? What we got? [01:43:02] Speaker C: Okay. [01:43:04] Speaker A: Got a two? [01:43:05] Speaker C: Yep. [01:43:06] Speaker A: Okay. [01:43:08] Speaker C: Case in point. Avoid child is they're not very welcome and they're not very. They bring bad things, you know, like what happened on the plane and. [01:43:25] Speaker A: Well, yeah, but that wasn't anyone's fault. What? Because the men on the. On the tv, they said that they were all, like, calling her. [01:43:37] Speaker C: Here'S Roman's gonna sit next to hope on the bed. First of all, I want you to understand that you're never. If you ever see ority, you are never to use that phrase in front of her. Is that clear? [01:43:56] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. Crystal. Okay. [01:43:58] Speaker C: The reason being is that it's. It's not a good term. It's. It means for lack. For lack of a better explanation. It's somebody who brings bad things, and these bad things are gonna affect everybody. They're gonna affect you, they're gonna affect me. They're gonna affect everyone. Now, she's being blamed for a lot of this, and they're using this term to, you know, explain it. I want you to know something. Whether, you know, whatever the case, do not refer to her as that. Already is not that. Okay? Already is our friend, and we are going to do everything in our power to make sure that she is taken care of. [01:44:48] Speaker A: Okay? While you do this, you, like, stand up, you walk over to the dresser, and you start, like, changing into a nicer outfit for dinner. It's dinner with the king. You know, it's. You know, what's roman's spiffy clothes look like? [01:45:06] Speaker C: Roman would. Roman would be in his full military dress, you know, for. For honor and. Which would consist of the mill. Uh, a very well cut military jacket that is, uh, a button down jacket with a nicely pressed shirt and. And slacks. Um, it's. It's a little more snug then, uh, you know, because. Because it has been years since he's worn it, and so he's trying to move around a little. A little bit in it and thinking, gosh, okay, half of this is okay. I've kept up with the fitness, but, geez, I need to eat better. Oh, this is okay. This is fine. And then finally, as part of it, he does take out his. His sabbat and. And drape it around and. [01:45:59] Speaker A: Where you going, dad? [01:46:01] Speaker C: Well, we are. We've been. We've been asked to go to dinner regarding, like. [01:46:08] Speaker A: Like, me too. [01:46:10] Speaker C: No, no, I I know. I know. Listen, hope, darling, this one. This one's just the adults this time. I promise you, though, we're gonna go out and get some. Get something afterwards, okay? I promise. [01:46:28] Speaker A: Well, could you give Mism back to Lord Blaklag? Just. We had a lot of fun with. With her today, but I know he might, you know, miss she, like, hands. Hands, like, holds the dog out, like, in front of you, and, like, miss Misfit, like, kind of stares at you for a sec. [01:46:46] Speaker C: Roman, I'm going to. You know, I'm going to take Miss misfit and. Okay, here's what's going to happen, because I just. I made a roll for this, and I rolled a one. Okay, so Roman is going to hold this misfit and just look, uh, kind of bring her up close to him, and he's just the cutest little thing, but in doing so, he's got his head turned just enough that the strength of his, like, voice is just the cutest little thing. And the breath. [01:47:20] Speaker A: Oh, God, no, no. Just, like, tries to, like, wriggle out of your, like. Okay, fine, we'll give it. We'll give her back later. We'll get back later. Come. Come here, girl. I am so sorry. Oh, God. Okay. It's okay. It's okay, dad. It's okay. It's okay. It's fine. It's. It's, um. [01:47:34] Speaker C: Hey, not a word. Not a word to Klaxon. [01:47:37] Speaker A: No, no, no. Like, throws out that metaphorical zipper on her mouth like, I'm. Me, me and her, we're gonna stay right here. You go enjoy your dinner with the. With the king, and, you know, have your little royal. Yeah, I'll be. [01:47:53] Speaker C: I'll be back soon, I promise. All right. I love you, hope. [01:47:57] Speaker A: Love you, too. [01:47:59] Speaker C: All right. [01:47:59] Speaker A: She, like, lays back in the bed and, like, stares up in the ceiling while I cuddling with the dog. And you close the door. We cut to the dining room. Orty, you are the first. First to arrive. You kind of, like, step in, and you see there's a long, heavy marble table. And you see several servants are plating up, and, yeah, they're setting up the little dining mats, plate, chopsticks, the whole spread kallaxon. I assume you also dress up for the occasion. Yeah, yeah. So what's. What's. What's the. What's the outfit? [01:48:49] Speaker D: So Kallaxon wears something that is considered formal in lang kasuka. So it's a barong tugalog. So it's made with pina fabric, and it's generally sheer but elegantly embroidered. Also, because he is kind of fit and toned. Like, it is a chance for him to show off just a little bit. But you also see on one side sleeve tattoos, like, covering up on his left side, and the tattoos are various symbols and previous champion dogs that he's. [01:49:32] Speaker A: Had. [01:49:34] Speaker D: That are no longer with him. So if they, you know, if they pass on, like, he gets them tattooed, so they're always with him. [01:49:44] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, you do. You do a little once over. You do, like, a spin in the mirror, and you're, like, feeling yourself, and then your. Your phone vibrates, and you see it's from Rubina. It's just a location pin somewhere in the industrial district of the city. And she says, be here in 20. The only text that follows is, be here in 20. [01:50:13] Speaker D: I look at the pin and try to calculate between how long it will take for me to get there. And then when I can get to. [01:50:21] Speaker A: The dinner, when you. As you calculate it, both buzzes again. Come alone. [01:50:30] Speaker D: Okay, then. Wow. So he just follows because there must be a good reason why Ruby is doing this. [01:50:39] Speaker A: Okay, cool. Rupiah, while you're still in copper pod, because there's a lot of people out here, and. And the flooding is just getting worse and worse and worse, and you're just piling up, like, move, like, box after box, crate after crate, pulling people out of the water. And, like, you see people rushing over to, like, apply CPR. There's no relief out here whatsoever. You're probably going to be late. Very late. [01:51:11] Speaker E: I think, like, my HuD chimes with its time. You want to start getting ready now. [01:51:18] Speaker B: It's like, the fuck I do, and. [01:51:22] Speaker E: I just keep working. [01:51:23] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, the job does not stop. It just doesn't ever, right? [01:51:28] Speaker B: No. [01:51:28] Speaker E: And I'm doing actual, real good here. [01:51:36] Speaker A: Roman, you get to the dining hall, and you see, you walk in right next to Oredy. You check the time. It's 19 50 hours. So, like, you look around, see that no one else has arrived yet, but. So it's just you and Ordie right now in the dining room with a bunch of servants. Eventually, you see from the other side of the hall coming down, like, coming down, like a set of stairs, is the king, the king consort, and the queen, all in, like, a quiet procession. They make their way to the table, like, Nathanson guides the 80 year old King Vaisoun II, over to the chair at the head and, like, sits him down. Queen Chai says, like, please sit. 2000 hours, hits, door closes. When they come, they come. So you're sat at a long table. It's a heavy table, almost made almost entirely of heavy marble. And servants begin delivering you platters of sticky rice, pickled vegetables, fatty, fatty cuts of duck seared to perfection. It's very lavish. It's very, you know, kingly as it would. And the meal starts very, like. Like, before the meal starts doesn't start until all the food is sat on the table. And, you know, there's the whole custom of, like, the eldest serve is served first. So you see your stepdad, like. Or do you see your stepdad, like, you know, gather up a plate for the king and, like, present it to him? And the king's like, okay, let's eat. It's a really quiet meal. Like, everyone's in deep contemplation, Roman. You especially, because you came to chow friar with different things in mind than everyone else here. So you're trying to, like, figure out what. How to work your exit in? [01:53:50] Speaker C: I'm going to just attempt to make polite conversation with the king. Queen. So the. So the day to day here is. Well, aside from earlier, things have been. [01:54:10] Speaker A: Okay. [01:54:11] Speaker C: Your grace, is that correct? [01:54:16] Speaker A: He's about to put, like. Like, I think, a rice in his mouth. That's a spoon down here. Like, tap, like, titter and tap on the plate. I can see the shift in the currents. This old world. This. This old world is dying. [01:54:40] Speaker C: What old world is dying? [01:54:42] Speaker A: This one and a new one. One struggles to be born. He speaks very cryptically, like, you can tell that, like, the. You know, this guy's 80. He's. The senility is starting to set in a bit, right? Just as rivers go from gentle stream to raging torrent, so, too, do the wheels of history. Where are your. Where are your colleagues, your compatriots? [01:55:10] Speaker C: Uh, that is a. That's a very, very good question. [01:55:14] Speaker A: Uh, we cut back to Kallaxton as you like, make your way over to the industrial district of town. When you get to the pin, the pin location, it appears to be, like, what used to be a, um, a temple of some sorts, like a. Like, a low tisian temple, right? But it's been reconverted into just like, a storage warehouse almost, right? Like, all the. The gardens have been cleared out, and instead they've re renovated into different, you know, plain, rectangle looking buildings, but there's still, like, one stupa structure there. And when you get. When you stand in front of the stupa, the door. There's a door opens, and you don't even get a chance to, like, say hi. Someone just, like. Like, grab. Someone just grabs you and just yanks you in and shuts the door behind you, and you hear a lighter flick on, and then it's just like a single wax candle, and you see Rubina carrying it. She's like, you came alone, right? [01:56:16] Speaker D: Yes. And this needs to be fast, because I'm already gonna be late with the king. [01:56:21] Speaker A: And she begins walking you down to, like, a set of stairs into the ground. It, like, spirals on its way down, which is. This is, like, strangely out of character for Rubina. She doesn't seem like the clandestine type. She's, you know, most. Most of the time, she's just, like, all business, all, you know, no nonsense, right? So the amount of secrecy that she's carrying about. This is foreign to you? [01:56:52] Speaker D: Klaxon emphasizes. Again, you did hear me say I'm going to be. [01:56:57] Speaker A: This is more important. [01:56:59] Speaker D: Wow. That important. I mean, I trust you, but. [01:57:01] Speaker A: Okay, you get to the bottom of the stairs, and she knocks like a seque, a sequential knock, like a secret knock, right? Like a. You hear several electronic locks disengage, and the door opens, and she walks in, and. And you see there's a massive underground hangar of pc. Of rows of sensei class pc, the standard front liner chassis for the Chow Phrayan military. And they're in the colors of the Chow Phrayan Royal Marines. And there's also a group of people you recognize from court, like nobles, cannon, and merchants and Rubina. And the face you first recognize is Archduke Sarovan. He's like, ah, he's here. Great. We can proceed. And Rubina puts the candle on nearby, and she says, archduke Sarvan has a business proposal for us. [01:58:19] Speaker D: Oh. [01:58:20] Speaker A: Like, his. [01:58:20] Speaker D: His mouth is grinning really wide because of all the kisi that are just in this warehouse. Yeah, he's kind of geeking out, going. That. That's a standard. That's where. Oh, my God. [01:58:33] Speaker A: It's like. It's like they have a whole army down here. [01:58:35] Speaker D: They have a whole army. And so he's kind of geeking out, and he's, you know, still doing the appropriate etiquette. Yeah, with Archduke, but he's going, oh, my God, this. Whoa. Like, he's never seen a single place with as much kisi. That wasn't a tanong or military operation. [01:58:59] Speaker A: We cut back to the dining hall. The king looks at you already. He says, like, I fear the conclusion of my time on the throne is near my daughter. Your sister, saw it, and she made her choice. And because I love her, I allowed it to happen. She's not coming back. [01:59:19] Speaker B: Where is she? [01:59:21] Speaker A: Are you familiar with the story of Prince Gautama? [01:59:29] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:59:30] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:59:33] Speaker B: So she's roaming the countryside, learning how to suffer. [01:59:41] Speaker A: Your mother, like. Like. Tis like you got to pay better attention at that seminary school. I do. Okay. She. She thought that the wiser path was not the one of a ruler. [01:59:56] Speaker B: Okay? So the. But by ergo, the wiser path was to make me the next person. [02:00:12] Speaker A: I'll be perfectly honest with you. Like, your mother says, like this. She, like, points at, like, you know, everything in the palace, the whole monarchical structure is like, this is not. This is too much for one man. This is too much for three of us. We're overwhelmed. [02:00:33] Speaker B: I do not see how I am going to make that better? How any of this, her leaving and putting me in charge is going to make any of that better. You've seen. You saw what happened to the throne room. This is. This is way. It's way worse. It's only going to get worse. [02:01:00] Speaker A: Nathanson speaks up. He's like, he's about to say something, but then, um, he says instead, he, like, pivots to the subject of grammar. He says, so Kuntilanok legends say they, that the corvid, that is the herald. [02:01:21] Speaker C: For. [02:01:24] Speaker A: You know about Bach up then. Yeah. [02:01:26] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [02:01:28] Speaker A: We called for some help from a family friend, so just, he, like, waves at the door and an attendance, like, he'll be just 1 second. I was like, you were saying something, sir. Seraph, did you. [02:01:44] Speaker C: I. [02:01:50] Speaker A: Well. [02:01:53] Speaker C: And you can tell that Roman is at a loss for words right now because he really wants to just be outright and say, I'm done, I'm retiring. But he's getting the sense now that maybe it's not such a good idea. So instead, the only thing I can say here is that, well, already here has done a fantastic job with assisting the people and helping us. As than Nong, as someone who's seen the battlefield, she conducted herself very well. And you hear his voice raised just a little bit. And you should all be proud of what she's accomplished so far. In an attempt to try and get the attention off of him. [02:02:53] Speaker A: Door swings open and that imperial academic that you saw at court, the one with the rounded sunglasses and the facial hair, steps in. He's like, okay, I'm here, I'm here. Thank you, your most royal Highness. Yes. He's a little exasperated because. And he comes in with an armful of scrolls, right? And Nathazan says, like, this is sub commissioner Zung of the Ministry of Culture and rights. I sent for him from Dong sun. He was formerly your father's advisor before the emperor appointed him to his position to work at Minkurl. But I sent him ahead of your arrivals to help you navigate your new reins as heir. But it seems that, as you know, there's more pressing matters at hand. Zhong and Zung's like, okay, he, like, clears a bunch of, like, food off the table and, like, rolls a scroll across, and the first thing you see is a, like, a very old looking painting, like, painted in, like, two d thousand years ago. Like, ink fading. It's of several what looks to be casey all charging at a titan sized scorpion. And at the head of this formation, a kisi wields a distinct looking blade and Zung's like, okay, check this out. Check this out. And he takes out a little device out of his pocket and clicks it, and it projects like a jabba doohan style shadow puppet show of this battle onto the ceiling. We cut back to Kallaxon in the hangar, right? Archduke Saravan approaches you. Kallaxon first like, thank you for joining us, Lord Golak. Lac. Your sister has chosen the right side. I hope you can also see eye to eye with what we are working towards. [02:05:06] Speaker D: I admit that this will be very difficult since less than 2 hours ago, all of you caused a commotion and the four of us were targets. [02:05:18] Speaker A: So you were not a target. Just to be clear, you were not a target. Our grievances are not with house Bulak lock. If anything, you are a newfound ally in our cause, especially now that your sister has pledged her resources to our project here. [02:05:41] Speaker D: I look at Rubina to kind of read her face. [02:05:45] Speaker A: Rubina, placid, neutral, like, but then, like, but. But when she, like, make contact, eye contact with her, she, like, pops her head a little bit, like. And Sarah van continues like. As you know, it's become clear that King Vaisoon has turned his back on this planet by letting the void witch remain as heir. We are going to take action. And your sister has pledged her house's resources to our cause. [02:06:18] Speaker D: Okay, okay, wait a minute. So you want to take action against the royal family because of ordinary. [02:06:33] Speaker A: Because it's really because of her father. He's become senile. He cannot see what's in front of him, in front of his two eyes. And even with the aid of both of his spouses, he cannot see that there's a threat that is awaiting our kingdom. And so clearly, the mandate of heaven is lost. And it is the responsibility of us, you know, noblesse oblige to make things right again. [02:07:03] Speaker D: So if I may venture something here, if there are situations here in Chow Freya that were already a problem long before Oradi was here, I can understand that. That does make sense to me, that a government that is not effective should remain in power. But you are not going to put this at Oradie's footstep. Because I saw what I saw. No matter how everyone reacts to the gunma, the fact is, you don't shoot the messenger. And it would be the why wisest thing for everyone to prepare. If you are all willing to try to prepare for the gunmak coming, then I will consider this. But if you're just going to blame orty for this. I'm not. [02:08:04] Speaker A: Okay. It's not about blame, Lord Klaxon. It's about. [02:08:09] Speaker D: You've seen it from my footsteps. [02:08:11] Speaker A: Oh, we did. But politics have exhausted that. Are. There's no use in further deliberation on the matter now. You are either with us or you're with the good man. Make your choice. [02:08:26] Speaker D: Well, I'm definitely not with the good mug. My God. [02:08:28] Speaker A: Great. [02:08:29] Speaker D: You've seen them? Have you seen them? Have you seen them? [02:08:32] Speaker A: I have. I. Look, I've sent my son out to fight. I've sent my daughter. She commands the. She is a commander of the chalfried Navy. It's not like we don't know what they are. We are doing what needs to be done, and we are sending her away, regardless of what incompetence that the king has. Okay. [02:08:54] Speaker D: How is everyone preparing for the gunmaker? [02:08:57] Speaker A: You see several Pennong, step out from behind Lord Saravan. You recognize many of them to be racers that work for your company, because your sister has also pledged your house's resources to whatever conspiracy. Conspiracy is going down down here. I was like, hey, boss. [02:09:15] Speaker D: Don'T throw ultimatums at me. You will not ultimately win. I will confer with Lady Rubina, as she is the head of house block lock, but I want to know exactly what she is pledging these resources to. [02:09:31] Speaker A: Rubina steps in front is like, callie, listen, it's an investment, okay? We're making investment. The Lord Archduke has promised us a whole portfolio worth of tax credits and a large chunk of house Vuong's personal assets as a bonus on top. Once we requisition all of that. And, you know, and you could treat your dogs to wagyu and champagne and massages all day, every day. I can get our checkbooks back in the green. I don't have to sell any of mom and dad's businesses. This is good. What's so bad about a little clue? [02:10:07] Speaker D: I mean, Rubina, first of all, how long have you been doing this deal before I even knew about it? And secondly, why would you make this kind of financial decision without telling me? [02:10:19] Speaker A: I'm telling you now. [02:10:21] Speaker D: No. He looks at the Archduke and says, I need time to consider it because what you are asking is not. And he thinks of his word carefully, like, given that there's so many people here, what you are asking is not unreasonable. But I have to feel my way through it because I don't want to pledge myself and somehow feel uneasy in the middle of this. If I'm going to pledge myself, I'll do it all the way. But that means I need time on my own terms. But I will not make any move against any of you. But I need time to think. And I need to talk further about how these resources are being managed. And he looks at Rubina. [02:11:10] Speaker A: Rubina is about to say a reply, but then we cut back to the dining room. We see that, yeah, the shadow puppet shows playing on the ceiling here of this great battle between, uh, you know, early tanong and, you know, this, this, this huge, uh, uh. Before I get into what's going on up there, let me just tell you what's going on right now at the Capitol in Ginspace. Okay, uh, Minkurl and. And the ministry of defense have, have been made aware of rumors that a primordial entity had emerged on this terraformed world called salutang. You know, a world that we once waged battle with Wittgenstein thousand years ago. And testimony collected from passing traitors seem to line up with old records in the imperial archives that something big woke up in that jungle. And if your testimony is true, it's out. It's woke up. Now, do you see that sword? That's Chandra Hasa, the sword of Ravana, the prince of demons. The same one used by the same demon prince at the battle of Lanka against Rama. In the legends, the tanong needed a demon's weapon to defeat the scorpion demon. So if Bok captain's out, the sword is also out, and it's in play on the board. I assume you know what I'm about to ask you. [02:12:47] Speaker B: I do. I feel like you're leading to something that sounds crazy. I feel. Just. Just call it a 6th sense, but magic demon sword. As someone who fights ghosts regularly, magic. [02:13:04] Speaker A: Demon sword, I'm very well aware. We live in a big universe, princess, filled with things far beyond our wildest imaginations. Even every single corridor of the imperial archives could not possibly contain. What wonders are there out that exist in the cosmos that alcohol and lac lac one have left for us? And you hear your mother speak. I was like, a sword is a noble weapon, or. And if you're going to prove yourself to, to these people. [02:13:36] Speaker B: No, I get it. There's. Has there been evidence of a sword? [02:13:43] Speaker A: Zhung Zi, like, chuckles and, like, strokes his facial hair is like, okay, here comes the bad news. Okay, well. And we cut back to Robina. She looks at you. KLaxon he doesn't say a word. [02:14:00] Speaker D: He just stands there and makes her uncomfortable. [02:14:05] Speaker A: I'm doing this for the good of the family, all right? We have this house, we have these privileges. It's that I don't need to justify myself to you, little brother ate. Okay? [02:14:18] Speaker D: But you. You do, because it's still my racing company. [02:14:25] Speaker A: Treason. You're gonna call me, what, like, oh. [02:14:28] Speaker D: No, this is not treason at all. We're not going to use that word, because there's nothing. There's no treachery here. This is simply a business decision, like all business decisions. And that I get. But in any of those cases, you still ask the person who holds. Holds what particular interest? [02:14:47] Speaker A: The leashes of a bunch of mutts and goes to. Goes to pageants and thinks that's a hot. [02:14:51] Speaker D: I think they are not mutts. They are championships. [02:14:55] Speaker A: Look, Klaxon, if you want to go home and, like, think on this decision, sure, fine. Go ahead. Yeah, I committed already. I just. I want. You can just sign on. It's not that hard. [02:15:07] Speaker D: This is exactly. That is exactly what I want to do. I just want to. I want some time to consider it. That's. That is only fair. Like, I imagine, and looking at the archduke and everyone else here, I imagine that all of you thought long and hard before committing to the actions that you're about to commit to. None of you decided that this was an easy thing. And I realized in my head, that's probably a lie, but I need everyone to think that they really thought about it. [02:15:39] Speaker A: Go ahead and make a sway. Check. Are you, like, directing this at the crowd? [02:15:44] Speaker D: I am directing the crowd. He is performing a little bit, so I will. I will use my spork. [02:15:52] Speaker A: Incredible. [02:15:53] Speaker D: Because this is important enough. [02:15:55] Speaker A: This is. Yes. So go ahead. Roll, spark. Go ahead and add a die to your sway. Check. [02:16:01] Speaker D: All right. And I have two points in sway. Oh, and. And you're gonna. [02:16:06] Speaker A: Your pop. Regents brilliance. [02:16:08] Speaker D: Regents brilliance. [02:16:09] Speaker A: Okay. [02:16:10] Speaker C: All right. [02:16:11] Speaker A: So, well, how. Well, how is you being impressive going to contribute to this? Like, are you gonna, like, throw in a little. Are you gonna, like, address your fellow racers directly, first off? And that's, like, how you. What? How are we applying regents brilliance here? Because some flair. [02:16:28] Speaker D: So what the flare is is that because there's a whole warehouse of Tandong and senators and people with kisi, right. This is essentially a different version of the throne room. Room. And he's the center of attention. He realizes that he needs to perform in a way that gets everyone to back off, pressuring him personally and allowing him to make that decision and coming that to his on his own so that they don't attempt to harm him or do anything to him. If he says no right now, he's just trying to, um, elegantly save face of everyone, which I realize is a very high quality among all the nobles. He's trying to save face by gently refusing, but actually wanting to consider things. So that is what he is doing. [02:17:24] Speaker A: That's why. [02:17:25] Speaker D: This way. Check with spark. [02:17:26] Speaker A: Go ahead, roll. Four, D, six. [02:17:28] Speaker D: Okay, all of my rules have sucked for today, so let's see. Let's see what we got. [02:17:35] Speaker A: That's a five. [02:17:37] Speaker D: Yep. [02:17:37] Speaker A: No, you said four, d, six. It's through 46 because it's spark and regents. So roll one more. Oh, okay. [02:17:42] Speaker D: Yeah, plus one more. Okay. Oh, so I typed that wrong and. Yeah, so a five. [02:17:56] Speaker A: Okay, it's a five. You succeed, and everyone kind of. You see the energy in the room, kind of like. Like. Like, the room takes a, like, collective sigh, and, like. And even the Archduke nods, is like, you know what, Lord Klaxon? You make a fair point. We kind of sprung this on you, but because you roll the five, the door that you came down in, like, it rattles a bit. And then there's the sound of scurrying. A dog scurrying up the stairs. And Rubina looks at you like, I thought you came alone. She likes. And the Archduke glances over at some armed men, armed, head long with, like, swords, and they charge up the stairs and. [02:18:45] Speaker D: Is it miss Misfit? [02:18:47] Speaker A: You didn't see, you heard the door rattle. And then you look, and because you're the dog owners, it does sound like her footstep, her paws. [02:18:57] Speaker D: Yeah, I would come alone, because that would be really, really wrong. [02:19:03] Speaker A: You hear a young girl's voice say, let go of me. No. Is that hope coming down the stairs? The armed men are holding Ms. Misfit by the scrub. And hope. And. And they also have hope behind, like, a blade. [02:19:15] Speaker D: And it goes like. He just says, excuse me? And then he walk. He runs over to. And says, what. What are you doing here? [02:19:24] Speaker A: I was trying to return your dog. I saw you leave, and I was trying to chase after you. [02:19:29] Speaker D: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. [02:19:31] Speaker A: Like, this is, first of all Lord sermons. Like, we can't have any loose ends. Can we do something about her, please, somebody? [02:19:38] Speaker D: Um, do you know? And he says, so the thing that we're going to do is I'm going to escort her to her dad and tell her, uh, tell them about the inappropriateness of barging into meetings. That's it. And then he immediately excuses himself and, like, grabs hope. Misfit. And then he. And he leaves. [02:20:04] Speaker A: You make your way. As you make your way up the stairs, we cut back down to the basement, and Lord Sarvant looks at Rubin and is like, okay, we're moving our timetable up. Let's go. Rupiah, as you are rescuing people for out of the water, you see, like the red sea beneath the river, two massive doors part and several BC begin rising up out of the river. Royal Marines. And at first, the people like, oh, finally, they're here. We have released, but the mechs just march past them towards the palace. [02:20:45] Speaker E: I am going to call Roman. [02:20:50] Speaker A: Okay, this is Roman. [02:20:52] Speaker C: This is Roman. [02:20:53] Speaker E: Please tell me that the palace is somehow flooding or there was a very concentrated earthquake or something where you are. [02:21:04] Speaker C: We're at dinner, by the way. [02:21:05] Speaker A: Where are you right now? [02:21:07] Speaker C: You're supposed to be here. [02:21:09] Speaker E: I'm supposed to be exactly where I am, which is saving people's lives. But I'm glad that you're having a really good dinner. [02:21:17] Speaker A: I'm sorry. [02:21:18] Speaker C: I didn't mean it like that. But wait, saving. [02:21:21] Speaker E: But my point is, thought I'd give you a heads up that there are a lot of kisi headaches your way. [02:21:31] Speaker A: What? [02:21:32] Speaker C: Wait, what? [02:21:32] Speaker E: Casey, they look like Royal Marines. I thought maybe someone had, you know, decided to activate some relief efforts, considering the entire spacers quarter is underwater now. But they're headed to you. Okay, so please tell me that there's some kind of mass emergency happening. [02:21:55] Speaker C: No, quite the opposite. I don't think anybody knows, or at least nobody at this dinner knows. How far away are you? [02:22:04] Speaker E: They came out of the river. [02:22:07] Speaker A: Great. [02:22:08] Speaker C: How long? [02:22:08] Speaker E: Have much time? [02:22:10] Speaker C: Great. Okay, that's fine. Give me a favor. Find Klaxon, find hope. Make sure everybody's safe. I'm with Ord. Okay, I'll let them know. [02:22:22] Speaker E: Wait, you're saying Kolaxen's not with you? [02:22:25] Speaker C: No, I. I thought he might be with you. [02:22:28] Speaker E: And how do you not know where Hope is? [02:22:30] Speaker C: Look, Hope was with. I went to the dinner without hope. I told Hope to stay where she was, stay put, and. [02:22:38] Speaker A: Look, I just. [02:22:40] Speaker C: I'll talk to you soon. And listen, Ruby, I'm sorry. I didn't mean. I didn't mean to hang up. [02:22:50] Speaker D: Oh, my God. [02:22:56] Speaker C: And at that, Roman's gonna go right, right back into the dining room. He's gonna be land right for already. [02:23:07] Speaker A: We have. [02:23:07] Speaker B: Auradie's been stuffing her mouth to keep from yelling. [02:23:12] Speaker C: We have a situation. That was Rupiah. Rupiah saying that our Casey headed here. Royal Marines, apparently. [02:23:18] Speaker A: Do you say this loud enough for, like, the king and queen and king to hear. [02:23:22] Speaker C: I'm whispering to ority. [02:23:23] Speaker A: Okay, gotcha. [02:23:24] Speaker C: Yeah. [02:23:26] Speaker B: Why? [02:23:27] Speaker C: That's apparent, apparently. Very, very insane. And then it's. And then you hear his voice raise up a little more. It's insane that. And it's no longer directed at Oradi, but it's within earshot of everybody. It's insane that Kesey are headed here in this direction. Royal Marines, it sounds like. [02:23:54] Speaker B: Yeah, already looks it. [02:23:56] Speaker A: Like, at first, like, the. Your mom chai, she's like, they're probably running a drill or something. It's. There's. It's fine. No, look, Zung, please continue. And, like, business as usual. Zoom's like, right, okay, so can we. [02:24:17] Speaker B: Not send somebody, like. [02:24:21] Speaker A: And your stepdad Nathan's the king consort. He's like, it. I'm sure it's fine. Look, Commodore Preeta is, you know, as much. As much as I could say towards, you know, our mutual history between our houses, I completely trust her judgment in whatever military actions that she's doing, especially preparation for the. On the. You know, if you say that the con marriages are coming, then it's best that, you know, our. Our forces be prepared. You have a part to play. We have a part to play. So, uh, zung the sword. Celadag. Yes. And Zung's like, yes, so Celadag. Yes. We. The imperial bureaucracy has been very well aware that mock uphin's been allegedly out there. So they charged a commander Min Phung and Roman. You recognize the name Min Fuung. He was your commanding officer during your time as a ta nonga. His call sign was maestro. And you specifically remember him shouting, charge, advance, leave him. Like when Francis was dying in your arms. He was an effective commander, but he wasn't exactly the most compassionate. But you just make that note in your head, right? I was like, yes. So we. The emperor charged commander Fung to assemble a force to go to Celadang, locate, lock up, and make, and, you know, neutralize the threat. He's MIA. He got there. This is the shit I hate most about Ministry of Defense guy. Sorry, let me just kind of just, like, rant for a second real quick. [02:26:16] Speaker B: So, like, as he's ranting already, is going to take her phone and just message rupiah under the table. Got your call. No idea what's happening, and I'm supposed to. [02:26:32] Speaker E: It's. Whatever it is, it's not gonna be good. Maybe, you know, come out from behind your gilded cage and see what's actually going on around you. [02:26:43] Speaker A: I just want to say, I mentioned this I know I was ranting, but I just mentioned this because when. When you guys get there, there will be others racing to get this sword before you do. If they're effective or not. I couldn't be sure. I couldn't tell you. So that's what you need to go. You gotta go get the sword. And I'll be overseeing this opera, if you want to assemble your party, a force of your own. And we can get this. We can get it done. We can save. Ciao, Friar. Together. You know, we gotta cut back to Kalaksa and hope right now, because as you two are, like, walk, or like, making your way through the rainy streets of the city. Where are you taking her, by the way? Just. Just like what direction? [02:27:32] Speaker D: Yeah, so basically, if the palace tower is just really tall, then that's my landmark, so I go in that direction. [02:27:43] Speaker A: Okay, gotcha. As you are, like, making your way through the streets of Fafeng, in the distance, you can hear the distinct heavy steps of mechs moving through the muddy roads. So there's a lot of them. And when you get to an intersection, you see like, a column of them, like, just walk past with large guns and chow fray and royal marine markings, the same ones you saw in the hangar. What? What's going on? [02:28:17] Speaker D: I know. And he. He says, okay, first thing we. First thing we do, we. And I don't know if it's possible for. [02:28:35] Speaker A: May contribute something as an idea. [02:28:37] Speaker D: Absolutely. [02:28:39] Speaker A: Yep. There's a really fast mech that you could just. That you have that can get you there to the power. [02:28:45] Speaker D: Actually, that's what I was thinking. I was going to basically summon sparky to me. [02:28:53] Speaker A: You tap us a couple coordinates into the wristlet, and then. And then titanfall. Superhero landing right in front of you. Sparky. Hope says, like very excitedly when she sees your mech show up. Oh, my God. And she looks and she sees Miss Smith's picture on the butt. It's like, oh, my God. And you're on there too. [02:29:14] Speaker D: That's great. Let's get in. [02:29:20] Speaker A: The little elevator comes down, and you, like, hustle in. Let's see if you can beat the marines back to the palace. Go ahead and make a maneuver. Check. [02:29:31] Speaker D: Okay, let's see. [02:29:34] Speaker A: This is a risky consequences. And right now you have the COVID of rain and wind to cover you. So hopefully the Royal Marines don't notice that there's another mech not affiliated with them flying right above them. [02:29:47] Speaker D: Okay, great. I have two points. Points in maneuver. And let's see. [02:29:53] Speaker A: No, no, that's a three. That's a three. Okay. You are sparky. Being a racetrack mech is great at performing in ideal weather conditions, but you are being blown and tossed around by the wind and the rain, and it's a really bumpy ride. And, like, even hope, like, sitting in, like, in the lap of the cockpit while you're, like, piloting. Like, the column of mechs reaches, we see a shot of them walking up the stairs next to the wall of lineage as they make their way to the palace gates. And one of them places a charge and rupiah from the other side of town. You see there's, like, a smoke plume coming out from the. From, like, the front of the palace. [02:30:52] Speaker E: You're under attack. Might want to do something about that. [02:31:00] Speaker B: Oh, we gotta have heard that. [02:31:03] Speaker A: Yeah. Your phone buzzes, but you don't even feel the buzz because the whole palace shakes. The doors of the dining room burst open, and already you make eye contact with lady Tida, who's in her full pilot gear and her helmets, like, your majesty, you have to leave the palace now. There's several platoons of royal marines. I don't know if they're ours. They're at the gates. We have to go now. Okay, let's make an engagement role now that, you know fighting is about to start. Okay, so we start with one dice for. For luck. Mission bold. Yes. You are currently under attack by your own soldiers complex. Yeah, pretty complex. So I'm gonna take it away because imagine there's rain, there's. There's wind, there's. It's getting dark, the visibility is low. So you're now at zero die. You haven't. You don't have any tactics that explain any vulnerabilities. [02:32:04] Speaker B: Well, we know the area better. [02:32:06] Speaker A: Yes. You. Okay, so I'll give you one die for that. Okay. What's up? What's up, Pooja? [02:32:10] Speaker E: Oh, I was just saying because we start with one and then we got one because it's bold, and then you take one away because it's complex. [02:32:15] Speaker A: Okay, so now it's. Now it's back to one. [02:32:17] Speaker B: Back to one. [02:32:18] Speaker A: And then. Does the squad have external support? Probably, yeah, there's the. There's the. Whoever the house guard is. So. [02:32:24] Speaker B: Yeah. Okay. [02:32:25] Speaker A: Yeah. Is there anyone interfering with the mission? Well, there's currently a child in Kallaxon's cockpit, so that might be kind of a hard time. And then also your elderly parents might get crying. Okay, so I think we're back down to one die. [02:32:45] Speaker B: Sure, why not? [02:32:46] Speaker A: All right. [02:32:49] Speaker B: I'm only at seven. What am I eight? Stress. [02:32:53] Speaker A: You might. I think. I think. I think already is gonna have a breakdown. Like a mental breakdown by the end of this episode. [02:32:59] Speaker B: Listen, we're always at. Almost at a mental breakdown. Let's go. [02:33:02] Speaker A: Okay, go ahead. Roll one d six, please. [02:33:04] Speaker B: One d six. Come on, roll 20. You don't fuck me. A two. [02:33:10] Speaker A: All right, so welcome. Welcome to desperate, desperate position. All of your roles for this combat, for this encounter, for this mission. Desperate, we cut to the. You know, there's another set of stairs after the gate's blown. And it's the shot from revenge of the Sith with Anakin walking up the stairs, but it's. It's Commodore Preeta with the Royal Marines behind her, making her way towards the palace. She's got big ass cape, fucking captain's hat. Like, looks like a what? Looks like one of those, like. Like 40k commas, right? [02:33:45] Speaker B: Like, all fucking Preeta. [02:33:47] Speaker A: Yeah, she walks up and, like, she looks up when she sees Sparky and all of his advertisements, like, soar over and she, like, points up and you see two Royal Marines activate their boosters and take chase again with Sparky. Okay, Kallaxin, in Sparky, you hear your sensors start and you see two. Two bogeys, like, on your six, and they start shooting at you. What do you want to do? [02:34:22] Speaker D: I want to get the f out of Dodge and maneuver. [02:34:27] Speaker A: Okay, go ahead and make a maneuver. Two d six. Desperate consequences. [02:34:34] Speaker D: I'm going to burn a quirk. None found. There's none. None faster than sparky right now. [02:34:42] Speaker A: All right, go ahead, roll three D six on a maneuver. Okay? [02:34:45] Speaker D: Three d six in desperate. Okay, here we go. [02:34:50] Speaker A: That's a five. That's a five. That's a five. It's. That's a success. Yo. You manage to, like, you kick in your. Your hyper boosters and you, like, floor it on the gas, and you. You. And you start weaving, weaving and bobbing just to, like, dodge the machine gun fire coming from behind you, like, doctor, why are they shooting us? I thought. And even, even Miss Fitz, like, but you are calm as a clam and. [02:35:24] Speaker D: He heads in the direction of, well, I'm gonna be late for dinner. I might as well show up. Show up in style. [02:35:36] Speaker A: Yeah, you. You even bob to dodge all this machine gun fire until eventually you get to, like, the innermost sanctum of the palace. And when you touch down, are you gonna, like, go inside? Like. Like, get out of the mech and, like, go inside? Or, like, what's the move? [02:35:55] Speaker D: Do I see Roman anywhere? [02:35:58] Speaker A: You're currently outside the palace, they're still inside the dining hall. You're not. Sorry I said inner sync up. I should have said, like, innermost, like, area before, like, the actual building starts, like, the. Where the dining hall is. [02:36:13] Speaker D: Are there guards still on his tail right now? [02:36:17] Speaker A: You have lost them for now, but you roll the five so they. Something might pop up later. Who knows? But right now, as far as Kallaxin can see, you've got enough distance between them and you and the marines that they shouldn't be a problem for the immediate moment. [02:36:37] Speaker D: All right, then now is the time, while we got some time to breathe, to get out of sparky with hope and Mister misfit, and basically try to head towards dinner, where I assume everybody else is, to just make sure that let them know what's going on and to reunite hope with. [02:37:00] Speaker A: So, because you roll the five, as you get out and you make your way up the stairs, a bolt strikes one of the nearby pillars and separates you and hope. And she's like, her and miss misfits. Like, I don't know how to get around. Look, mister Block, go get my dad. I'm gonna. I'm gonna go find shelter. [02:37:25] Speaker D: Klaxon immediately gets on his phone to contact Roman. [02:37:30] Speaker A: While you're doing that, you see Hope run off, and you also see in the corner, the archangel is parked, like, in, like, one of the new nearby alcoves, and you see hope running towards it, presumably take shelter in there. [02:37:45] Speaker D: Oh, okay. I mean, like, he. He's going to report that when he's able to talk to. [02:37:49] Speaker A: Yeah, Roman, your phone rings again while everyone's, like, in the dining room. Like, okay. Like, Tina's, like, get it. Like, getting some attendance to, like, pick up the king and try, like. And they're, like, looking at maps of the palace. It's Roman. What's up? [02:38:04] Speaker D: Hey, it's Kallaxit. So Hope was following me to a meeting, but I delivered her here when we were going to go into dinner real late with hope and miss misfit, and a broken pillar just blocked us off. So hope is trying to take shelter over at your archangel right now. I cannot get to her, but I'm coming to you right now. Just letting you know Hope is going towards it or to the archangel for shelter, but I can't get to her. [02:38:36] Speaker C: Okay, that's fine. Look, thank you, thank you. Thank you for taking care of her. Get here as soon as you can. Thank you, thank you. [02:38:46] Speaker A: Yep. [02:38:47] Speaker D: Running to you. Apologize to the king. Sorry for late dinner. [02:38:51] Speaker A: Yep, yep. Okay. [02:38:55] Speaker C: And all right, now that. Now that I've got the call hopes here, how far away is the archangel from where I am now? [02:39:04] Speaker A: You got to go down the hall, make a left, go to the primary exit. You'd be in, like, the innermost courtyard, but then the archangel's parked on the other side of the field. It's going to be about also, like, you're a little lost. You did not get the tour. [02:39:20] Speaker C: So, uh, okay, if that's the case, then perhaps I wait for Klaxon to get to us before hope, before I go after Hope. [02:39:31] Speaker A: That's not a good thing, but not a bad. Yeah, okay. Yeah. [02:39:36] Speaker C: God, these consequences suck. [02:39:38] Speaker D: Okay. [02:39:40] Speaker C: God damn it. Okay. Uh, all right. Hope knows where the archangel is. She'll be fine there. She's smart enough. [02:39:49] Speaker A: Okay, we can wait. [02:39:51] Speaker C: Let's get Klaxon and then wait for him. Then at least we'll have enough people here to protect. What's going on? [02:39:57] Speaker A: Jesus Christ. [02:39:58] Speaker C: So Roman's gonna go over to Ordi. So it's true. Like, what the hell? [02:40:03] Speaker A: Like, we're under. [02:40:04] Speaker C: What's going on? [02:40:05] Speaker B: I listen, I'm trusting, and I kind of, like, look over towards, like, obviously people are taking our people, taking care of the family. [02:40:14] Speaker A: Yeah, people taking care of the family. Yeah. And, like. But your. Your mother comes out of, like, that little clamor, and she, like, walks up to you, and she, like, cups you by the side of your face, is, like, you have a job to do. [02:40:29] Speaker B: I can tell that. Go. [02:40:31] Speaker A: We will be fine here. Go to celebag. Zhong Zi will take it. He has a ship. The emperor brought him. Like, just get your people and go. [02:40:44] Speaker B: I, like, like, I put my forehead against my mom's, and then I'm trusting that they're gonna be safe and turn, and I, like, look at Roman. I go get the nerd, and we're gonna get. And I'm gonna start leading them through the palace towards where at least our QC will, like, if we can call them, will meet us, right? [02:41:08] Speaker A: Yeah, more or less. Yeah. Like, I assume every ten long has, like, the tech to, like, summon their. Yeah, like, a remote. [02:41:15] Speaker B: So, yeah, I'm gonna start running towards where, I guess, where Kras Zoo is also stashed and which, hopefully is near where the archangels stashed. [02:41:29] Speaker A: Different. Completely different places. [02:41:31] Speaker B: Of course it is. I'm going to call the Krasue, and we're going to. [02:41:35] Speaker A: You rolled the two. [02:41:36] Speaker B: Okay, I know. I'm going to call the Krasue. I'm going to head to. I'm going to head to the archangel, because that seems to be where Sparky is anyway. Yeah, and if I can set it to come at the most direct pace, if she needs to blast through a wall, I need her to do that. [02:41:54] Speaker A: Go ahead, roll a. Interface check. [02:41:58] Speaker B: Make me roll. [02:41:59] Speaker A: I'm making you roll. [02:42:02] Speaker B: Interface check is zero. [02:42:04] Speaker A: So take roll two. Die. Make the lowest. Take the lowest. Okay, okay, okay. Usually she's pretty good at getting to you when you need her, but you're, like, tapping, like, where are you? And when you get out to, like, like, where, like, the hangar, or, like, at least, like, a door out to, like, you know, when you open the door, you see there's a royal Marine already looking in front, and you're like. You, like, you, like, stop in place. Like, stop, slide forward. Nope, nope, nope, nope. Close the door, and you start running back towards the dining room, and there's a big explosion behind you that sends you flying forward. Go ahead. And you're gonna take one. A level one wound or harm, like, first degree burns on your back, and, like, this kicks up a bunch of dust, and everyone starts coughing. Alexis, you hear the explosion from down the hall, and you, like, turn a corner, and you see everyone, and you see, like, this whole situation that just happened. [02:43:18] Speaker D: Oh, okay. And, um. [02:43:21] Speaker A: And then from the roof, it's the crass suit. [02:43:30] Speaker D: Okay, I guess it's. I guess it's suiting up time. I'm looking around for Roman. Is he, like, is he anywhere here, or. [02:43:40] Speaker A: Yeah, Roman. Roman's, like, a little bit behind already. [02:43:43] Speaker D: Ah, okay, so, um, I guess, um, our, um, uh, our next course is not going to be dinner. Our next course is getting an RKC. Got it. [02:43:54] Speaker B: Yep. Uh, where is, uh, where is the nerd? [02:43:58] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. Zung's like, okay, all right, you. You guys get in there. [02:44:04] Speaker B: Oh, no, you're riding along. [02:44:06] Speaker A: Okay, great. Let's get. Let's. I'm parked a little bit of ways away. It might be a little bit of a fight. So who's got room? [02:44:18] Speaker B: The crosses chest opens, and I'm like, for reasons we're not going to get into right now, there is room for two in there. [02:44:28] Speaker A: It's an honor, your majesty. And he likes, I'm going, I'm going, I'm going. [02:44:34] Speaker B: Get in the robot. [02:44:37] Speaker A: Rupiah, are you, like, making your way to the palace right now? What's going on? [02:44:43] Speaker E: Yeah, I think once I have this exchange with, then I realize that they're under attack and that we don't know where hope is, and who the hell knows where Klaxon is? And I'm like, fuck, am I seriously going to stop what I'm doing to save these entitled bitches? [02:45:05] Speaker B: Yes. [02:45:06] Speaker E: Yes, I am. So I, like, get as many people like. Like, it's like, okay, no more stuff is getting moved to high ground as long as there are no more people in the water. Right now, y'all need to deal with this and just leave. [02:45:25] Speaker A: Right? So you make your way to the palace, like, you activate copper pods, boosters, and you just go soaring straight towards where the action is, right? And you see that there are more. Yeah. You see that as you're flying over, the situation starting to get dire. There's, like, house guards are, like, getting into Miele, grapples with the royal Marines, and, like, there's gunfire going off. There's, like, shit blowing up. There's rockets being fired. It's a war zone. It's definitely not gonna be a bloodless coup, that's for sure. What considerations is rupiah making right now before she gets entangled in all of this, right? [02:46:19] Speaker E: Honestly? Okay, so here's where Rivia is coming from right now. [02:46:25] Speaker A: Okay? [02:46:27] Speaker E: I care about three, four, four people, three violence, and one hope in there. So I am gonna take the most direct path to getting to them. [02:46:43] Speaker A: Okay? [02:46:44] Speaker E: And really, one bloated and corrupt noble house is the same as another because it's not like any of them gave a fuck what was going on outside these walls to begin with, as I have just spent, like, hours watching people's lives get destroyed and people dying and literally no one coming to help, like, so I'm gonna find my people, and I literally don't care what happens along the way. [02:47:18] Speaker A: Great. So when you want to find your. Are you making a scan, check to, like, locate them, or. [02:47:22] Speaker E: Yeah, let's make a scan. [02:47:24] Speaker A: Okay, cool. Go ahead and make a scan. Check. You got two points. Desperate, desperate position. Things could go really badly. [02:47:35] Speaker E: Let's find out if roll 20 hates me again today. [02:47:37] Speaker B: And it's a five. [02:47:38] Speaker A: That's a five. Not bad. It's not bad. That's not bad. Okay. Yeah, you spot. Okay, so you do a scan of the palace as you. As you make your initial approach. And you see that tactically, this is. There's not many advantageous positions for you to, like, go in without drawing fire, right? Because you already know, like, the Royal Marines already engaged with the house guard, and because you are not, you know, your mech is not in their colors. They're gonna. They're gonna assume you're hostile. And the other thing that you notice, they're like. Like, you try to pick up the signatures of, like, your comrades. Mechs, right? You like. And you see Krasue's there. You see Sparky's there. You know Roman's at the palace. But where's Archangel? That can't be right. Either way, you plop right down in the middle of the fighting, right? And, like. And you see the group kind of, like, making their way out of, like, the. Like, the, you know, through the crossfire, right? Sparky's active. Cross is active, and they're there. They seem to be heading towards, like, the. The area of the palace grounds where the royal family keeps starships. And just when you catch up with them, you hear, guys, the wings of the archangel pop up from the backside of this building. It's glowing, it's radiant. I don't know what's happening. And you see a bunch of Royal Marines look up. We got hostiles in the air. All units, keep an eye on that Concorde. That thing. Shred us apart and start going. [02:49:43] Speaker E: Okay, well, it's time to. And it's time to start shredding everyone who is pointing at hope. [02:49:50] Speaker A: Okay, so do you want to push yourself and keep acting, or should I move to the next player and then come back to you? [02:49:56] Speaker E: I'm gonna push myself and keep acting. [02:49:58] Speaker A: Go ahead, mark two. Stress. [02:50:00] Speaker E: So I'm going to roll battle, and I'm desperate consequences, don't forget desperate consequences. And I'm going to use my ominous. I'm going to use aggressive targeters, right. In order to pick out the ones who are, like, have the best shots on Archangel to take them out. So it wasn't three ones, but it was a two, a one, and a two. [02:50:29] Speaker A: So that's a two. So describe to me how you're going about your attack tactic real quick here. So what's copperpot doing as it engages with the Royal Marines? [02:50:41] Speaker E: Let's say that I was coming in with the sword to attempt to take out weapons control from the back. [02:50:52] Speaker A: Yeah. Okay. So copepod draws a sword, and to the best of your ability, you go in, and before you could even get a hit on one of the royal marines, another mech's arm catches you by the wrist, and the camera pans over, and it looks to be. And oridy, you're seeing this too, from. You see copper pot land and start to attack, and then it's almost as if this mech, like, totally decloaked and revealed itself. It is the conquered Otokata. Kanua's mechanic. I would do that if I were you. That's a two. I'm so sorry. You're gonna. This is gonna be real bad for you, rupiah. He rips the arm off of the. Off of the copper pod. So you take level two damage. You're down and your good sword arm. Right? And they're all my good sword. [02:51:56] Speaker B: Oh, no. [02:51:58] Speaker C: It's also a good point, but still. [02:52:01] Speaker A: Yeah, he rips it off and he bashes you. It bashes copypod across the head with the arm, and copypod, like, goes down right away. Hey, look, baby, I'm trying to be king right now. Give me a second. Let me finish this. Maybe we can go out sometime. All right, all right. He turns his attention. All right. Who wants to dance? [02:52:21] Speaker E: Can I try to resist any of this? [02:52:24] Speaker A: You may go ahead. And you have to burn a cork to resist. So which one do you want to burn? [02:52:31] Speaker E: Ominous appearance. [02:52:33] Speaker A: Okay, let me just double check my resistance reference sheet here, I think. Okay. Yeah, you burn it. Okay. Go ahead, roll. Since you have. You have four ranks next. You have to. You have two ranks next week. So roll two. D, six, four. Copper pot still goes down. You still get bashed across the head. I won't add another level two wound of, like, head trauma to the mech. How's that? You just have your downhill. Is that cool? [02:53:02] Speaker E: Okay. And it's still. [02:53:03] Speaker A: And then go ahead and add two. Stress as you. Just. Because now, because you're an imperial cockpit. You felt that blow. Your head's ringing. Your ears are pinging. Like, you feel like you're convinced cussed right now. You're like, anyways, Ordi, you hear your brother's familiar voice saying, dance on the loudspeaker. He's even playing, like, the world's most awful dubstep because it seems like it's hyping him up for this fight. [02:53:30] Speaker B: So here's the thing. I have precious cargo in the form of this nerd, but also, my brother sucks, and I really want to punch him a little because it's been a long day and I'm stressed. And I think the Krasue looks like she's about to launch to get to the ship. [02:53:56] Speaker A: Tzung's ship. Yeah. [02:53:58] Speaker B: And it turns, as, on already's monitor. Like, a ping shows up with, like, target lock with the Otakata, like, call sign. Like, showing up on her, like, hud. [02:54:12] Speaker A: Yeah. [02:54:12] Speaker B: She sort of, like, swivels around. [02:54:15] Speaker A: Zone's like, no, no, no. What we do. I thought we're getting out of here. What? Your highness, please be reasonable. Here, look, there's the. [02:54:24] Speaker B: And where is rupee? Where is the copper pods arm? [02:54:29] Speaker A: Copper. Like he's like, oktokata is holding one arm right now still, like as like a bludgeon in one of his arms with the sword. Like kind of hanging. Like that sword falls to the ground. [02:54:40] Speaker B: I was gonna use that. Cool. But yeah, like, already turns around in the cross suit and just calms back. Like. What the fuck are you doing? [02:54:52] Speaker A: What? What? I made. I made deals. All right, sister, okay, look, I ride, I rose, I grind, and here I am making my way. Started from the bottom, now I'm here. I'm one of the good ones. Archduke servant told me. [02:55:08] Speaker B: Oh, God. Everything that comes out of your mouth is stupid. [02:55:14] Speaker A: Wanna go? [02:55:16] Speaker B: Is there like a column nearby? Like this isn't. This isn't a clothing or he's like looking for a weapon. [02:55:22] Speaker A: You pick up the column that fell. [02:55:24] Speaker B: Over the crossroop, grabs part of like a column and is like, I'm so sorry, Roman and Kolaxen, Rupiah. I gotta deal with some shit. [02:55:37] Speaker A: Like Zoom's like, no, no, no, no. Don't be hasty. We gotta go. [02:55:41] Speaker B: This is like, I'm gonna let myself have one hit at him, then we gotta go. You're right. So, yeah, at least I want to get that arm back. So already is gonna attack. Kallaxon. Not Klaxon, attack Kanoa. And with a piece of the palace. [02:56:00] Speaker A: Okay. [02:56:02] Speaker B: Like a club. [02:56:03] Speaker A: Great. Go ahead, roll. Battle. Desperate consequences, mind you. [02:56:14] Speaker B: And it is a five. Isn't as bad as it could have been. [02:56:19] Speaker A: Okay, yeah, you pick up the column and give me a one liner, please. Orty, what are you telling your brother before you just smack the shit out of him? As one should. [02:56:34] Speaker B: You want the throne, have it. And Oridy picks up a part of a column that's decorated with the. [02:56:41] Speaker A: The royal sigil. [02:56:41] Speaker B: The royal sigil. And she just. Baseball bat slate, like the Karasu baseball bat. Like cracks. Oh, Tokata Otokata across the face or whatever it's got. [02:56:55] Speaker E: I'm gonna fuck you up with your own mech. [02:57:00] Speaker A: You could, but here's your problem, sis. You don't fight dirty. And he pulls out a gun and shoots copper pod. Oh, I'm gonna make a roll. [02:57:16] Speaker E: You fucking assholes. [02:57:17] Speaker B: I'm so sorry. [02:57:19] Speaker A: I told you, desperate. [02:57:20] Speaker B: Okay, no, you're right. I'm so sorry that you got caught in some family shit. [02:57:25] Speaker A: Yeah, copper pod takes a whole like, pistol round through the chest. It even grazes the side of your arm, like it, like, it leaves a big ass hole through the cockpit and, like, grazes the side of you. Of your rib. Rupiah. And so now you're bleeding. So I'm gonna. You're gonna take a level two harm as your. Your rib is starting to gush out onto. Onto your pilot suit, like, your plug suits, like, totally, like, torn through. And now that. And also you're gonna take a level two damage. There's a hole in the chest, in the chest cavity of a 25 millimeter round that just. Yeah. [02:58:08] Speaker E: Does this mean I take negative two dice to all of my actions? [02:58:12] Speaker A: Yeah, well, no, no, you only take negative one die when you. If you try to, like, attack with, like, that side of your mech. And then the hole in the chest cap. Yeah, no, yeah, that's negative two die. Yeah, you're. Oof. You. You are not in fighting condition right now, rupiah. You should probably get gone. [02:58:28] Speaker B: Sounds like we should leave. [02:58:30] Speaker A: Yeah. [02:58:31] Speaker B: All right, well, I just made the situation worse. If anyone else wants to try something else. [02:58:34] Speaker A: Roman, you're looking up at Archangel and it's just like zigzagging willy nilly around and you even hear on the comms. [02:58:45] Speaker C: Does hope have a cell phone that I could call you? [02:58:49] Speaker A: Call it. [02:58:50] Speaker C: I'm calling Hope on the cell phone. [02:58:52] Speaker A: Dad, I started up. I don't know what to do. [02:58:56] Speaker C: Okay, kid. Alright. Hope, honey. Okay, first thing to do, don't hit everything. If you hit everything, she's going to do everything, and you're not going to be able to control it. Okay, try to see. Are there. Try to see if there are any levers nearby. Your hands. Those should be what you need to use to at least get the arms and the upper torso. Do you see those levers roll? [02:59:21] Speaker A: A sway, check. Like how. Like, this is just to see how well crossed this gets across to your kid. [02:59:27] Speaker C: All right? With one mark in sway is how much. [02:59:30] Speaker A: It's one d, six. Desperate consequences. [02:59:34] Speaker C: It's five. [02:59:35] Speaker A: Okay, so she's like, okay, all right, I'm going. She, like, grabs onto some and you see, like, the archangels start to stabilize, right? Cool. And then, but. And she's like, okay, I think I got it. And then the familiar, you know, those, like, little yellow trails bullets leave behind when they get fired. You see, like a chain of those fire off into the sky and strike one of the wings. And then she starts spinning again. Um, and right before you can even say another thing, um, you feel a hand on your shoulder pull you, and it's uh, lady Tida in her pilot. She's got her helmet on. She slams a a key into your hand, and she points down to, uh, a nearby mech, one you recognize. It's in the mothball pile, but it's got tiger stripes. It's a sensei model. It's the Appalachian. It's Francis's mech. Go get. Go get your. Go get your kid now. [03:00:41] Speaker C: Right, right. Okay, thank you. [03:00:44] Speaker A: Thank you. Roman, you. You, like, rush over to. To your. Your old friend's mech, right? And you, like, kick. You, like, flip it open, you kick it in, and you remember that prey you made up the wall? And he said, like, look over me, old buddy. And there he was, right? Even. Even after death, your little brother on the field is still with you. [03:01:11] Speaker C: All right, I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. Let's get into the action. Okay, now that I'm. I'm in Appalachia. [03:01:19] Speaker A: Yes. [03:01:21] Speaker C: Was I able to track where those shots came from? [03:01:23] Speaker A: Yes, it came from. From one of the Royal Marines. [03:01:28] Speaker C: Okay, we're going right after those Royal Marines. And let's see, he's got the dual compilance swords. Yeah, I'm gonna run right at those marines with the dual campylon swords. We're gonna battle them motherfuckers right here. [03:01:45] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, you gonna. [03:01:46] Speaker A: Yeah. So pull them out from the back, brandish them. They make a nice, satisfying. The blades. The edge. The sharp edge of the blades. Superheat with plasma. [03:01:56] Speaker C: Mm hmm. [03:01:57] Speaker A: Ready to cut? Ready to cut a bitch. Go ahead. Roll a battle check for me, will you? [03:02:02] Speaker C: And I get my two d six off of that. Is that right? [03:02:04] Speaker A: You do you want to spend your spark here? I feel like this would be the time. [03:02:09] Speaker C: This would be the time to spend spark. So can I make. Does that make it three? [03:02:12] Speaker A: Yep. Three d six. That's a six. Hey, it's about time. Yeah. You see, like, this warbling, like, and then all of a sudden, and his hand, like, the gun falls up, and he's like, no hands, like. And he looks over and, like a horror movie reveal. Like, I'm like this tiger striped mech just standing in the. In the rain with all these red lights on it. It's like. It just stands there for a sec because it doesn't have any arms to, like, respond back with, like. [03:02:47] Speaker C: So it's. So it's. I've completely disarmed the mech as it is. As it is. So while once it's disarmed, I'm literally just gonna, like, with a sword hand. I'm not gonna use the sword. I'm just gonna, like, punch it to try. Just knock it over and get it, like, just make it fall prone. [03:03:06] Speaker A: Cool. And that was the time. [03:03:09] Speaker C: That was the one that was attacking hope in the archangel, right? [03:03:12] Speaker A: Correct. Yes. [03:03:13] Speaker C: Okay, can. Can I push and get another action? [03:03:17] Speaker A: Go ahead. Add to stress. [03:03:19] Speaker C: Okay, so we will add two stress to me, because what I'm going to do is try to get it up to the archangel and try to grapple it to get control of it myself using appalachia. [03:03:31] Speaker A: Can I do that? You may. Okay. Desperate consequences. Fuck it. [03:03:36] Speaker C: That would be maneuver, right? [03:03:38] Speaker A: Yeah, sure. That's fine. [03:03:39] Speaker C: So that would be one d six. Can I burn one of the quirks to again? [03:03:45] Speaker A: Yeah, you may. Yeah. Which one you want to burn? Oh, God. [03:03:47] Speaker C: Let's see. We are going to burn. [03:03:50] Speaker A: Okay. [03:03:50] Speaker C: Hey, pull up discord, because those are the quirks I need. [03:03:54] Speaker A: Overcharged wiring might do it. [03:03:56] Speaker C: Yeah, the overcharged wiring is probably the best one. So we're gonna burn overcharge wiring. So that gives me two d six, right? [03:04:01] Speaker A: Yep. Go ahead. [03:04:03] Speaker C: All right, we're gonna try to maneuver. And that's a four. [03:04:06] Speaker A: That's a four. Okay, you kick Appalachian to full gear, like, when you pull all these levers, and you see. And, like, from the outside, you see, like, all the. All the wire, the cable connections between each of the joints, they start to superheat, and they start. And even the water starts turning into vapor as the rain lands on your neck. And you build up the energy for one good leap up to try and catch hope. And you grab the archangel by the ankle to pull this angel down. And right when you're about to, you know, get her back onto the ground, you hear Kanoa's voice. Oh, you look like a fun fight. And. And then blasts you out of the sky. Like, Archangel also comes down and, like, slams into the ground as well. And Hope's line goes quiet. Hope. Hey, hope. Hope. Hey, hey. No, you're talking to me, asshole. And can't, like, steps over you as you kind of come down. [03:05:06] Speaker B: Come on, come on. [03:05:08] Speaker A: Let's. Let's see it. [03:05:10] Speaker C: You. You have made a big mistake. [03:05:16] Speaker A: Oh, I think I've made. I think I've made just the right decision here, because I am about to have so much fun with you. [03:05:23] Speaker B: Fucking excuse you. Like, still on the line, like, we're doing something. [03:05:29] Speaker A: Me too. I'm, like, having fun with it. Why you gotta be have such a stick up your butt, sis? [03:05:34] Speaker B: You know? [03:05:35] Speaker A: Like, can we go. Can we, like, Klaxon, you haven't gone yet. What's the. What? What's going on? [03:05:43] Speaker D: All right, so Kallaxon's priority right now is trying to make sure that Hope is safe and with, like, her, like, offline. I think Kallaxon's move is to just kind of, like, boost himself, grab Archangel, and just basically just get away from all the action so that she is not even remotely a factor right now. She's not a threat because they just saw her, like, get pulled down. So we just need to get hope safe. [03:06:20] Speaker A: Yes. [03:06:20] Speaker D: So he's going to just rush, grab the archangel, and just get as far as way as possible. Okay, so that is going to be maneuver. And I'm going to take. I'm going to add stress to add another die. [03:06:36] Speaker A: You may. [03:06:37] Speaker D: All right, so that would be three d, six. [03:06:40] Speaker A: Are you. [03:06:45] Speaker E: It's the same exact role too, right? [03:06:48] Speaker A: It's exact. [03:06:49] Speaker D: Oh, my go. Whoa. [03:06:52] Speaker A: Like, you. Yeah. So, Sparky, you know, the boosters fire up, and you try to make a beeline for hope, but another company of Royal Marines breaks through the wall and cuts you off and starts shooting back at you while you're, like. And so it causes, like, it's the exact same thing as already in the door. Like, you see, like, sparky, like, suddenly back treads, like, no, no, no. It's the Han solo with a room full of stormtroopers thing. Turn headway. But you do catch some of your fire as you. As you beat a hasty retreat. And it clips one of Sparky's wings. Go ahead, take a level two. Harm, it's getting real bad, guys. And you only have four ticks on the escape clock, and you guys gotta get out of here. Rupiah, your copper pods on the ground. [03:07:41] Speaker E: Yeah, well, I'm gonna activate my. Obviously, like, fuck this guy. [03:07:48] Speaker A: Yeah, fuck this guy. That guy sucks. [03:07:50] Speaker E: And honestly, fuck this entire kingdom. I have no ties here. [03:07:57] Speaker B: How did I even bother? [03:07:58] Speaker E: But also, seriously, fuck this guy. So I am going to jet over to the escape craft. [03:08:05] Speaker A: Mm hmm. [03:08:06] Speaker E: I'm assuming someone told me that we were getting on the spaceship. I'll get on it and leave by myself. [03:08:12] Speaker B: You'll have a ping that's like, hey, this is the rendezvous. Let's just start getting out of here. Except also, I really want to fuck up this boy. [03:08:20] Speaker E: Good job. You did such a good job with that, as I'm literally bleeding in here. So I am going to just, like, try to get to the ship. Do we do a, like, a boost jump over to the ship. [03:08:38] Speaker A: Yeah, go ahead. [03:08:39] Speaker E: I'm gonna use my blinding boosters to also hopefully distract, slash, blind the dude on the way out. [03:08:49] Speaker B: Yes. [03:08:51] Speaker E: And use my spark to do it, because otherwise I literally, like, won't have any dice to roll. [03:08:58] Speaker A: All right, rupiah, pick a God and pray. [03:09:01] Speaker B: I'm so sorry. [03:09:03] Speaker E: Oh, but apparently, at least getting away works. [03:09:06] Speaker B: It's a six. [03:09:07] Speaker A: It's a six. Yeah, you copperpod. Because, you know, you have such good chemistry. Copied senses that, like, oh, yeah, this is. We gotta go. And it. With. With your combined adrenaline and also, you know, your chemistry with your mech, it. It makes a fucking beeline. Duck. Ducking and weaving through the missile fire and gunfire and, like. And, like, boosting through the smoke before. [03:09:36] Speaker E: Getting to, I think that, like, from the ground, and I'm there and kind of like one of my remaining arms is clutching the side of my mech. It's like this, like, spring leap, but the boosters are all, it turns out, like, there's a whole set of boosters along her back that don't normally come into play. So as she likes boost, like, jumps up almost like a runner's jump, except, like, she's really fucked up and doesn't look like it. It's like these jets come out, and it's just like a blinding light to anyone she passes. [03:10:19] Speaker A: We can even say it's loud enough that it's like a big ass flash bang to, like, all the roman reefs. And canola. You even hear canola, and they're like, oh, what is that? Like, even the darkness of the twilight and the rain and the wind. Wind. This beautiful streak of exhaust that propels you across the palace grounds over to Zung zi ship. And just by the skin of your neck, you, like, right there. And, like, start hauling copper pot inside the mech hanger of this vessel. It's almost. It's like, basically. Basically a star yacht, but it has, uh, imperial markings on, like. Like, dongsun. Like, this is. This ship is property of the emperor. Kind of, like, very official looking. [03:11:08] Speaker B: That's one. [03:11:09] Speaker A: That's one. All right, there we go. We got five on the escape clock. [03:11:15] Speaker E: Bring. Bring my arm with you when you get in here. [03:11:18] Speaker B: I'm working on it. [03:11:21] Speaker A: Uh, let's see. Roman, you have a window now. Now that kanawa is like. Like, you see the otakata, like, do one of these as copper pots. Blinding boosters. Just gives you a second. [03:11:33] Speaker C: Okay, so I got a bow. He's blinded. And how far away is the escape ship from where it's much closer to. [03:11:43] Speaker A: You than hope is. [03:11:45] Speaker C: Okay? It's much closer to me than hope is. But you said that Sparky was able to get to Archangel and get her out of there. [03:11:53] Speaker A: No, Sparky got cut off because more Royal Marines stormed the palace ground. So he got cut off and got one of his wings clipped, too. Okay. If you stay here longer, it could end up very messy. [03:12:07] Speaker C: If I see. Yeah. Okay, then I'm going to take the chance to disengage and get out of. Can I take a chance to. Doesn't get. You get towards. [03:12:16] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah, you do. Yeah. Like, you have a second. So you, um. I will say for this role, if you make a maneuver roll to, like, get to disengage, it will be at risky as opposed to desperate. So. [03:12:27] Speaker C: So maneuver roll for disengage. [03:12:33] Speaker A: Right? Yep. [03:12:34] Speaker C: That's one D six. That's a 3d. What can I do to, like, boost you? [03:12:40] Speaker A: You can take a collateral. You. You can add a collateral die, but you got to offer something up as collateral. [03:12:44] Speaker C: Can I tell her? I mean, can I. Can I. [03:12:48] Speaker A: Can I. [03:12:49] Speaker C: The quirks of custom paint job. Can I burn? [03:12:52] Speaker A: Yeah, go ahead, burn. Custom paint job. Yeah. Tiger stripes. You know, they. Something about the. Something about having the ferocity of the tiger by painting tiger stripes of your. On your mech gives you second wind. [03:13:05] Speaker C: So I'm going to roll one more d six, then go ahead. [03:13:11] Speaker A: So, like, you're on the ground. Panel is blinded. And when he, like, comes to, is like, I gotta say, man, that's a sick paint job. And before, like, because he's so distracted at complimenting your paint job, you activate Appalachians boosters and just slide out from under him. Like, flying on Appalachians back towards. And you make it straight to the escape vessel. While you. When you. When you do, you hear from outside on the battlefield, the salat team, being like, coach, coach, we can handle it. Go. Go. Like, and you see them, like, running out from the palace. Wilt it. Go, coach. Handle. What are you. Coach, we're gonna save hope. Just go. We'll meet back up. When we meet back up. Like. And you remember all those drills of, like, teamwork and, like, no, man, like, leave no one behind, all that sort of thing. And it's really nice seeing, you know, all these kids, you know, listen to old Roman after all this time, even under duress, right? Because that's a six, right? You like. [03:14:19] Speaker C: It was a six. [03:14:19] Speaker A: Yes. Yeah. Not only did you get away, but you. You have rallied your teenage class of martial artists to get in there. And get hope out at least while you get on the ship. We got Roman's home, Oradee and Kallaxin. [03:14:41] Speaker B: How distracted is Kanoa right now? [03:14:44] Speaker A: Where'd you go? He, like, looks up all offended, like, I was talking to you. [03:14:52] Speaker B: God, I want to take a cheap shot so bad, and I cannot afford to do so. [03:14:59] Speaker A: Where you hear someone hail you on the comm and you see King Vysoon's face on there. We will handle him. Go find the sword. [03:15:16] Speaker B: Got it. [03:15:18] Speaker A: And his face switches, and it's Lady Tida. And you see her mech emerged from the inside of the palace. She pilots a very chonky Ganesha, a mech that's designed to basically absorb the fire. And she's like, hey, I know. [03:15:38] Speaker B: Can we not have that conversation? [03:15:40] Speaker A: We're not going to have this conversation. Yeah, no, I know that. I love you. [03:15:46] Speaker B: Oh. And, like, there's still. [03:15:48] Speaker A: I will always be at your service, your hyatt. She clicks and you see Ganesha charge Kanoa, and they engage in this really bombastic melee across the courtyard. [03:15:56] Speaker B: Already sort of sits there and, like, fuck. Cool, cool, cool. And, like, remembers she's in her mech and is, like, no time to think about your ex. And, like, looks at, like, watches them fight, and, like, you can see, like, from the cross suit, like, it kind of does the turd and has its mouth half open with the plasma teeth dripping. And, like, hope and seraph. And seraph are being handled by the kids, which is. [03:16:30] Speaker A: Yes. Like, you see the kids running over and, like, in the fighting. Like. Like, Hanoa and, like, the other royal Marines are occupied with the house guards. So you see the kids, like, try to pry open archangel's cockpit to get hope. [03:16:42] Speaker B: Where is. Where's Kalaxa? [03:16:45] Speaker A: You see sparky, like, kind of, like, tumble down a bit and, like, down a wing, almost. Like, you ever see a dragonfly get its wing ripped off and it's just kind of, like, kind of, like, stumbling around? Like, there's, like, oil spraying out where the wing was shot through. [03:17:04] Speaker B: I want to make an opportunity for Klaxon to get out, and then I'll follow up because I think my mech is the least fucked. [03:17:10] Speaker A: Okay, so you're gonna. You're gonna create an opening for Klaxon to escape? [03:17:14] Speaker B: Yeah. So whatever is creating, because she's kind of an aggro. [03:17:17] Speaker A: You don't have to attack anything. You can, like, try to create, like, artificial. Like, you can try to create, like, debris, like, a dust, like. Like, cool. If you'd like, soft cover. [03:17:28] Speaker B: I was gonna say, I'm gonna have. In that case, I'm kind of where the fires have. I don't need to attack, but I'm gonna do a little destruction. [03:17:37] Speaker A: Okay. [03:17:38] Speaker B: And take out some more shit. [03:17:41] Speaker A: Okay. Make a destroy check. [03:17:44] Speaker B: I forgot that's actually a thing I can do. Cool. Destroy. I have no points in destroy. [03:17:50] Speaker A: Do you wanna spend your spark? It's. [03:17:52] Speaker B: Yeah, I'll spend my spark in it. [03:17:53] Speaker A: Go ahead. [03:17:54] Speaker B: That's a five. [03:17:55] Speaker A: All right. Yeah, so you just start going ape shit on, like, you know, this 500 year old architecture. [03:18:06] Speaker B: It's a little ape shit. [03:18:08] Speaker A: Just a little ape shit. Right? Just, like, tearing things apart and, like, raising as much soft cover as you can to screen Kallaxin's escape. All right, Kallaxan, your maneuver. You can. You can make a maneuver check. To get out of here with one free d six from already. [03:18:27] Speaker D: Nice. I will take that opportunity and go straight to the escape ship, because at this point, everything else is settled. He just needs to. He's not in position to do anything else but escape. [03:18:41] Speaker A: Okay, make that maneuver check. Yep. [03:18:43] Speaker D: Maneuver check. I am going to burn the cork. Working. Walking advertisement the way that's gonna work is, well, let's see if this new sponsor, baby back boosters, is going to get the escape on. And we will. And he actually presses the button for camera footage of baby back boosters for when you need to boost out of hell. [03:19:13] Speaker A: And that he. And as you activate the boosters, you see the light from the baby back brand boosters fire off, and it sends sparky flying and watts flying. Little musical speakers play out. The baby back was like, my baby, my baby, my baby back boosters. And it's like, bass boosted for, like, extra effect, too. So it's like. [03:19:38] Speaker D: All right, so I'm. Am I rolling three d six, because. [03:19:42] Speaker A: Yeah. [03:19:43] Speaker D: All right, here we go. All right. [03:19:48] Speaker A: Like, so roman and rupiah, you look at, you, like, look at, like, you know, the entryway of the hangar, and you see from, like, this, like, cloud of mist and dust, sparky comes flying out with bass boosted boosters and an advertisement jingle playing as it, like, crashes in the inside of this hangar like a bird that flew into your house. And, like, boosters jingle still playing while the boosters are going, like, you have to, like, tap the button a bunch of times to turn it off. Guess what? [03:20:27] Speaker D: It's like, oh, my. I'm so sorry, guys. Let me just turn it off. [03:20:31] Speaker A: It's like. [03:20:32] Speaker D: And it's like a baby. [03:20:39] Speaker B: Yeah. If everyone else is in I'm gonna see if I can get the hell out of dodge. [03:20:45] Speaker A: Great. [03:20:46] Speaker E: Does this ship have any kind of anything that we could use to help you with this? [03:20:50] Speaker A: I mean, if you guys want to, like, you can try getting to the cockpit and, like, launching it right now and then. [03:20:55] Speaker C: Well, can we, like, from the hangar area, provide. Provide cover fire? [03:21:01] Speaker A: Yeah, if you want to shoot it out and, like, you know, give clock. Give ordery some covering fire, you may. [03:21:06] Speaker C: Yeah, I would like to do that. [03:21:07] Speaker A: Let's say. Let's say this is an assisted battle check to get out, right? Or the only way you're getting out of here is guns blazing. [03:21:14] Speaker B: That's fine. Fuck my brother. [03:21:18] Speaker A: Make a battle check. Have a d from your friends all sticking their guns out the back of the ship, and just like. [03:21:24] Speaker B: All right, we're three. D, six. [03:21:26] Speaker A: Mm hmm. [03:21:27] Speaker B: That's a five. [03:21:28] Speaker D: That's a five. [03:21:29] Speaker A: Okay. [03:21:30] Speaker B: Okay, I'll take some damage. We good? [03:21:33] Speaker A: I assume Sparky's still, like, healed over in the back, so it's just. It's just copper pod and appalachian, like, sticking their guns out from the back. Yeah, yeah. So you guys, like, you know, peeking out from the side of the backhanger, you start popping off shots and, like, trying to sift signal to the copper pot to get in, and. Sorry to the Krasue to, you know, head towards your location and Krasue, you. There's still a few royal marines between you and the ship. So tell me how you're gonna, like, shred these guys to get there. [03:22:08] Speaker B: Oh, it's, like, all the Krasue does. [03:22:13] Speaker A: But you roll the five. So I'm gonna dole out consequences after, if that's all right. [03:22:18] Speaker B: Well, I was gonna say, can I burn the quirk instead of taking consequences? [03:22:21] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. You want to resist? [03:22:22] Speaker B: Yeah. [03:22:23] Speaker A: All right, roll your. You have two ranks and expertise. Go ahead, roll two. D six. [03:22:29] Speaker B: Okay, it's a two. [03:22:30] Speaker A: That's a two. That's a two. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. You're still gonna take damage. It's not gonna be level two because, you know, it's. But I can bump that down to level one. It. So. Yeah, you. So which quirk did you burn? [03:22:46] Speaker B: Actually, I'm gonna. Well, so here's what I want to do. I want to burn the flexible structure for this, because. Or actually, ominous appearance for this. Okay. The Krasue on, like, all fours, like a fucking, like, creepy. Like a monster, because, again, it's shaped. [03:23:02] Speaker A: Like a. Yeah, like Reagan crawling down the stairs and. [03:23:05] Speaker B: Yeah. Full exorcist for full grudge. With the plasma dripping from its mouth, scrabbles through the rest of the halls to get out of light, to get to a place where it can fly. [03:23:18] Speaker A: Okay. Yeah. You get to enough clearance, and eventually the wings unfurl. And with a leap, the wing system activates, and you bolt straight for the. The rear. The rear hanger on Zung Zi's ship, you know, the wings get peppered with machine gun fire, so now there's a bunch of holes, speed holes, speed holes, but you're in, and zhugzi, like, hits a button on your cockpit, gets out, and runs to the front of the ship. Okay, we're shipping off. Let's go. Uh, hangers closes, and. And the ship takes a little bit of fire as it tries to leave, but, um, Zhong Zi thankfully activates the shields in time as he. As he initiates launch protocols. And right at the 11th hour, as the ship launches, the girls pull hope out of the archangel cockpit, and she's like, slow at first, and she looks up. Dad. And the ship. And the ship gets further and further away from Fa Feng, the other gisi. The royal marines don't take chase. They've already achieved their objective already. As you like, you get out of Krasue, and you look out the porthole at your home as you start flying away, and you see your family's crest flag get lowered from the top of the palace and be replaced with the symbol with the crest of house Dang, before disappearing back into the clouds. [03:25:01] Speaker B: Already turns from the window when she can't see the palace anymore and goes to Roman and kind of puts a hand on his shoulder, and she says, hey, they're not going to hurt kids. She's gonna be okay. She's a real fucking brave kid. We'll get them back. We just gotta roll with it for now. We gotta roll with the punches. [03:25:30] Speaker A: Right? [03:25:32] Speaker C: Just roll with the punches. [03:25:36] Speaker A: Yeah. [03:25:38] Speaker C: Yeah, I'm saying Roman's gonna turn to already. I'm sorry. Sorry for what they did to your homeland. [03:25:53] Speaker B: And I think she just, like, I think she just, like, hugs him and then, like, grabs, like, pulls out, puts out a hand to, like, kallaxin and Rupiah. [03:26:06] Speaker D: Kallaxin slowly walks up, puts his hands and arms around them all, and he says, listen, after the discussion that I was a part of, that I was ambushed with, this all happened long before we got there, and they had plans going into this, so we got to just take care of ourselves right now, and we just need arrest. And, you know, ordie's right. They're not gonna harm hope, because that would be a scandal that no one could really come back from. So they're not gonna hurt the kids, but I'm not gonna lie. If they're gonna use them in some kind of political ploy, I'm gonna beat someone's ass, because I have a feeling that might happen. But they will be safe. [03:27:07] Speaker A: Rupiah, what's going on? [03:27:10] Speaker E: I come over and, like, I'm just so mad, so fucking angry. It's like one house is as bad as another. But I guess we have other things to take care of now. And, like, my incredibly bloody hand goes on top of everyone else as I've been holding in the, like, trying to, like, staunch the blood flow from getting shot earlier. [03:27:38] Speaker B: Sorry. [03:27:40] Speaker E: Uh, and I just look at Ornie, and it's like, you owe me an arm. [03:27:46] Speaker A: As the four of you all kind of have this, like, really somber embrace, we cut to the outside of Zhong Zi's ship as it breaks. Chow fry, atmo Zung Zi. Setting coordinates for Celu. Dang. He looks back at the four of you. Onwards and upwards. Jumps to FTL. That's our episode today. Thanks again for tuning into Mekong. If you like this game, be sure to check out beam Saber RPG on itch IO. If you like us and want to see more, be sure to follow Queensport games on all social media. And be sure to join us for our next installment of symphony for Mekong. Symphony for the devil. I'm Jerry Law. It's been an honor and a privilege telling this story for you guys. Everyone, put your hands together for this amazing cast. Go ahead, guys. Shout out your socials and whatever else you got going on. Now's your time. [03:28:43] Speaker B: I am Clara. I'm all over the Internet as clearly golden. Unless you're into mermaids, in which case you can find me on Instagram as mermaid clarity. I stream here with Queen Square games, and I am in their podcast, the all night society, or play the Masquerade. I'm also found over at Happy Jacks rpgpodcast on their Twitch, playing games there and giving advice on how to play games good or just deal with horrors with bad games as well. Yeah. [03:29:16] Speaker A: What'S up, everyone? [03:29:16] Speaker C: Andrew J. Landy checking in here. Well, playing Roman again. Pronouns he, him. You can find me on the Internet, Twitch, Instagram, and Twitter at andrew J A. Landy. Again, Andrew the letter J, and then last name, Alandi Al a n D Y. Beyond that, you'll find me here with this wonderful cast doing this game and if there's anything else that I'm up to, you can find it on my twitter. We're doing a lot more there, so hit me up on there. We'd love to chat with you, but again, again, love you all. Thank you so much. [03:29:49] Speaker D: Hi, I'm Ryan Omega. My pronouns are he him. You could find me on Twitter under Ryan omga. On other social media would be under Ryan Omega. You could also find me on my Twitch channel, streaming very occasionally just different events under life, action, roleplay, and you could sometimes see me at conventions, either on panels or running games, and on the audio series Port saga, a vampire, the masquerade audio fiction, along with Andrew J. Allende, who also plays a character there as well. [03:30:27] Speaker B: Hi, I'm Pooja. [03:30:29] Speaker E: You can find me on Twitter La Dacey Girl, that's l a d e s I girl, and pretty much all the other socials as forgotten saves. Come follow me if you want to see photos of my cats, as more cameos will happen. Just be aware if you want to hear me play more ttrpgs, you can find me on Happy Jacks RPG or the twelve sided Stories podcast. [03:30:55] Speaker A: And finally, there's me, your storyteller, Jerry Lott. You can find me at myjerryamoore. Twitter.com dot. Once again, thank you all for joining us here at Queen's court games. Fare thee well. Stay hydrated, and tell someone you care about you love them. Peace. Bye.