Kids on Brooms - The Mysteries of Ravenswood, Episode 1

[00:00:02] Speaker A: Hello, friends, and welcome to another single serving tabletop adventure from queen's court games. I am aubrey, and today we are going to be playing some kids on brooms by Jonathan Gilmore, Doug Lewandowski, and Spencer Stark. We'll roll on into things in just a moment, but first, let me introduce my cast. Starting. We will start with Jess. Tell everybody just who you are and who you're playing. [00:00:29] Speaker B: My name is jazz. I use she, they pronouns, and I'm playing castor saros. He is, um. He has, he, him pronouns. [00:00:37] Speaker A: Yeah. Cool. Yeah. And then I will move over to Alyssa. [00:00:43] Speaker C: Hello. Hello. My name is Alyssa. I use they them pronouns, and I am playing Rema Thompson, who goes by tom and uses they, he, she pronouns. [00:00:53] Speaker A: Awesome. And then we'll move over to Kai. [00:00:58] Speaker D: Hi, everybody. I'm Kai. I use he, they, and she pronouns. I will be playing Renee Asher, Gerard. [00:01:05] Speaker A: Laval, who uses he, they pronouns, and J. Hi, everybody. [00:01:12] Speaker E: My name is J or nala. I use they them pronouns, and today I am playing Fado jin, who uses he, they, and she pronouns. [00:01:22] Speaker A: Okay, so you can find the links to everyone's assorted social medias in chat by sending exclamation point cast. That's the word I'm looking for. You can also use exclamation point scenario if you want to get your hands on a copy of Kids on Brooms yourself. The cast and I have discussed our lines and veils in advance features via a session zero, and have agreed to a code of conduct to ensure a safe and respectful environment. But we want you to be safe as well. Use exclamation point safety to see any of the content warnings for this episode. With all of that said, are we ready to roll on into things? [00:02:03] Speaker E: How about fly on brooms? [00:02:05] Speaker A: I mean, that, too. [00:02:09] Speaker E: So funny. [00:02:33] Speaker A: The dark light of the eternal eclipse hangs over the city of Malachod. It has been almost 100 years since the tyrant moon appeared and thrust the world of Noxlight into an eternal state of solar eclipse. But that itself is a story for another day. We pan over the city to a district overflowing with light. The Tower of Ravenswood Academy stand tall, looking out over the city. Gargoyles guard the institution, this institution of learning. A flock of corpse monks are disturbed when the bell tower starts to toll one, two, three times, signaling the start of classes for the day. As we move down to street level, we see the hustle and bustle on campus, people trying to make sure they're not late for whatever class they start their day with. Teachers move from place to place sometimes stopping to talk to students or other faculty. We move with the crowd, heading through the massive wooden doors of the entryway. Domed ceilings high above the crowd, you can hear the telltale sound of several birds that have decided to nest there. A couple of corvids living in the academy seems fitting. Just don't tell the caretaker. Moving up the massive flight of stairs, we come to the first class of the day, alchemy, a scholarly art that has yet to still be fully understood. Each of our students sits at a table with their materials in front of them. Now, I'm going to let you describe your characters a little bit, and also the big question is, are you a person who sits in the front of the class, or are you a person who sits in the back of the class? Because that seems rather telling. [00:04:21] Speaker D: Ara, where do you think we're seated? [00:04:24] Speaker E: I think Faro usually sits in the front. I think, like front and center. However, as of recently, I think he started taking a seat, like a row or two back off to the side, all the way off to the side. I think we see Farojin, who stands, I believe, five foot eight, and he has very broad shoulders, very stocky, kind of heavy set, built like a fridge, is how I described my body type. Matto has curly black hair that's cut into a shag, and a small part of their eyebrow on this side is completely white, not bleached, so it's just white. Photo's eyes are dark, dark brown, and her skin is a medium brown kind of olive, cooler undertones. And I think the most magical thing about father's appearance is his freckles, which are usually like normal freckles on their face. But when using magic or occasionally they'll glow golden. Fado sits with the notebook for the class open. They keep their desk area very, very neat. They've got their one fountain pen or whatever we're using to take notes, and I think in their eyes we just see a little bit of forlorn sadness. [00:06:43] Speaker D: I think much quieter than maybe even a couple weeks ago, unless Fado made it very clear that we were not sitting together today. Next to her is Renee, who is petite and slight and very, very, almost ghostly pale skin. He has dark curls in his hair and a distinct white streak that just appeared very recently. Unlike Faro, Rene is very attentive, eager listening, and bright eyed, which is funny because his eyes are almost entirely black, except for two, like ice blue irises that look very intently as he smiles with a mouthful of slightly sharper than normal teeth. He does seem to have some sort of non human elements to him, with small horns and just poking out of the top of his very, very fine, very tailored trousers. A black tail with a little bit of fur at the end swishing behind his chair as he very diligently takes notes. And we kind of pan down his arm and you see a very delicate hand writing with the most beautiful hand writing with a very, very, very fine pen. And on his pinky he wears a gold large signet ring. And he just looks, kind of steals a glance next to him at Faro. [00:08:31] Speaker E: I think over the past few weeks since, well, you know, Faro usually would drag you to the front of the room and we'd sit down together. And I think ever since the incident, Faro has just walked in first and sat down, and I think every day you sit next to me, but there's no longer that, like, extended invite of, like, let's sit together or come sit next to me. [00:09:07] Speaker D: And I think that the sadness of that is starting to sink in. And Renee has started putting their bag on the side between him and Faro. [00:09:22] Speaker C: In stark contrast to the sad boy hours happening at the front of the room. There is Tom in the back row, farthest seat from the door. They can get a good visibility of everyone else in class. They're about average height, slim, almost scrawny, but the way that they've spread out their body in the chair makes them take up far more space than their physique requires. They're wearing a black school vest, cut lone open, slightly showing off the still shiny horizontal scars below their pectorals. And there's a black blazer thrown over one of their shoulders. His hair is this, like, artfully disheveled mass of blue curls, sharp, elven ears sort of barely peeking through them. They have light brown skin and large, round glasses that barely obscure their sort of surprisingly flat gray eyes and the crooked, several crooked pens in their nose, which has clearly been broken and poorly set more than once. He is currently tapping a pen against his lip ring, occasionally using it to bait the sort of bright white pipe fox that's wiggling about the workstation. A pipe fox is basically, hey. Fox is basically a. Looks sort of like a stoat, but without legs and with a fox tail. So just like a wiggly little worm on a string with a fox face. [00:11:09] Speaker B: And in stark contrast to, I guess there's a bit of an in between, which is fitting because he is sitting in the exact middle of the room. Room. We have Castor, who is a wiry young black man with medium brown skin and disheveled curls with an undercut. It's silvery white and his eyes are gold. But that's the only indicator that his blood might not be entirely human. He is lounging a bit with one arm over the back of his chair, playing with his pen as he stares with an absent smirk up at the front of the room. He has his notebook open, but he's taken no notes. Instead, he looks like he's calculating the funniest possible joke he can make in this situation. At his feet is his familiar, which is authentic fox with silvery brown fur and very, very large ears. She is simply sleeping. Supposedly she looks like she's sleeping, but we all know that with those large, large ears of hers, she is listening for any possible secrets that one can capitalize on. [00:12:36] Speaker A: Exactly. Well, Renee and Farrow, did you bring your familiars to class with you? [00:12:46] Speaker D: I think I left Conrad back in my room. [00:12:51] Speaker E: I think I left my cat in my room as well. [00:12:53] Speaker A: I just need naps. It's fine. [00:12:55] Speaker C: Can't let the familiars see you be sad. [00:12:58] Speaker D: Also, I think I gave Conrad a job. [00:13:02] Speaker E: What kind of animal is Conrad? [00:13:05] Speaker D: Conrad is a stoat. [00:13:07] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:13:08] Speaker E: What is that? [00:13:10] Speaker D: It's like they're related to ferrets and those kinds of mongoose like creatures. But they have a unique thing, part of the thing that endures them to me forever. Stoats. Depending on the time of year, their coats are completely different colors. So depending on, I guess, because the seasons here are probably extremely strange. So depending on the time of year, if it is winter, stoats are white. And during the summer they are brown. And year round, they are cute. [00:13:45] Speaker A: Extremely cute. [00:13:46] Speaker B: Correct. [00:13:48] Speaker A: This world is, albeit a fantasy one that's different. Still has the same four seasons, you know, so they're just called different things. [00:13:57] Speaker E: There's no reason for the narrative to know this. My cat is not relevant yet, but I think it is prudent to tell everybody up front that my cat's name is Goose and he is a long furred white cat. Long hair white cat. [00:14:19] Speaker A: Credibly adorable. And as you're all sitting in figuring out what today is going to be, you hear the tap, tap, tap of cane as the teacher comes in from the back. You all watch as this very large man, this tiefling with grayish skin and long hair that has gone white from age. You see where his horns would normally go and curl back like a ram's. Would they? Some point in his past were damaged and have grown back at uneven lengths. You see Professor Tallis, as he does his normal walk through the room up to the front, turns around, and his wand is partially a cane as well. It is. It's got a beautifully carved head, and, you know, he just sets it on his desk before he turns around to look at all of you and just goes, well, it's good to see that you're all here today. I believe a few empty seats, but I think that's normal. Well, let's get into things. It is. If everyone had done their readings. They will. You all know that we are studying ghouls and ghoul fever today. So would somebody like to tell me exactly how one might make an antitoxin for ghoul fever? And we'll start off with that. And we'll also start off with the first roll of the game. Is this going to be a brains roll? This is gonna be your brains roll. It's, you know, it's gonna be a lower one because you should have done the reading. So we're gonna put the, like, the DC. That's the word I'm looking for, at a nine. [00:16:45] Speaker C: That's diversity token for your boy. [00:16:52] Speaker B: I rolled a nine, but I think that the first thing caster does is go, do we ask them nicely? [00:17:03] Speaker A: Yes. If we could ask a ghoul nicely, we probably would not have as many problems with them. But I will give you credit for the joke. [00:17:23] Speaker D: Renee, who's usually one of the first people to raise his hand, slumps deeper into his chair. I got a four, and he definitely just didn't do the reading. [00:17:39] Speaker E: Faro has done the reading. I got an 18. And unlike usual, Faro doesn't raise his hand, although we've been in class for a while, Caster, um, Tom and Renee. And you would know that photo most likely knows this answer. This alchemy is, or was photo's best class. I was usually more engaged, and, um, I'm just sitting there, like, I got my note notebook open, and I'm just sitting there. [00:18:25] Speaker B: I will tap my pencil. Oh, go ahead. [00:18:27] Speaker C: Oh, I was just gonna say Tom did part of the reading, but was more interested in studying sort of ghouls and incurring the fear rather than coming up with the antidote. So does not know the answer. [00:18:41] Speaker B: I think that Caster will kind of tap his pen a bit on the table, staring directly at Faro, like, are you gonna answer? And when he doesn't, he just kind of goes, monkshood, dust of corpse moth, and I imagine some gall, spit, and grave dirt. That's right. [00:19:12] Speaker A: Yes, exactly right. Young master Seiros, at least someone did the reading last night. And asma gives you all. It gives you a little bit of a smile, you know, like some tieflings. He also has a. It's interesting when someone with fangs is smiling because it's like, is it. Is it, you know, are they happy or are they threatening you? Yeah, it's like, is it threatening? Are they happy? Who knows? But, you know, this has happened before, so, you know, it's not the first time. Good. Good. Someone did the reading. And quite often, ghoul fever itself is incurred from a bite from a ghoul. There are stages to it. It may initially present, as normally just a normal infection, brazen body temperature, sweating, and is when it gets to later stages that one has to worry. The antitoxin itself should be administered as quickly as possible to stave off any. Any further going down that road. And for classes on men today, we are going to be making of. Everyone is going to be making a vial of antitoxins. Because you have all heard about some of the troubles in the city. Ghouls are coming out of the hollow haunt, a district that fell into a chasm about 30 years ago, if I'm remembering correctly. And the coin guard and the hunters are doing their best to keep them back, but they need all the help they can get. So if we can give them some antitoxin, that will help them so, you know, work together, make at least one dose per person and turn them in by the end of class. [00:21:24] Speaker C: And how are we testing these antitoxins before we pass them off for use? [00:21:29] Speaker A: Or I'll be able to tell if they were made properly or not. I've been studying this for long enough. [00:21:37] Speaker C: And is this a paid endeavor for us? [00:21:40] Speaker B: Do we get to keep them afterwards? [00:21:45] Speaker D: It just for the greater good. [00:21:48] Speaker A: You get paid in credit, you know, grades. [00:21:56] Speaker C: You're having us buy grades from you, professor? [00:22:00] Speaker B: Well, actually, paying for it, technically. [00:22:06] Speaker D: Your. [00:22:07] Speaker A: Payment for a good grade is a vial of antitoxin. [00:22:15] Speaker B: Seems reasonable. [00:22:18] Speaker E: I think. Faro flips back in their notebook to the notes that he took last night. And Renee, who's sitting next to me, can see that I took notes and that I had the recipe written down in my neat print. My handwriting is not as nice as Renee's, but it is neat enough. And I just reached into my bag, and I start pulling out the ingredients silently. Yeah, I got, like, my little. Oh, what are they called the thing that you grind stuff with? [00:22:58] Speaker B: Mortar. [00:22:58] Speaker D: Mortar and pestle. [00:22:59] Speaker E: Mortar. Mortal. Mortar. Mortal. Yeah, that word that I can't say. I pull that out, and I just start getting to work. I empty a little container of these moths into the mortar, and I just start grinding them. [00:23:19] Speaker A: Yeah, the corpse moths themselves. This is like dust from the wing of the corpse moth. There is also, you all know that there is a storeroom that is connected to the alchemy room that should have everything if you don't already have it. It is kept well stocked. [00:23:39] Speaker D: I think, despite that well stocked room right there. Without really looking at her, Renee slides a note between them. Doesn't turn his head, doesn't actually look at them, just slides the note. Because usually Renee is the first one to have all the supplies. This is, like, something that he prides himself, and he's very prepared for class all of the time. And he goes into his bag and pulls out a small set of vials that would normally be full of the supplies for whatever given project for this course. And he pulls it out, and it has yesterday's supplies from a different project. And the note just asks, can I borrow some of that. [00:24:35] Speaker E: Foto? Takes a note and just, like, opens it, reads it, folds the note back up, places it in front of me, and I, after taking out what I need, just slide, slide everything over to you. But I don't really say anything, and I don't acknowledge you. [00:25:04] Speaker B: I go over to the cabinet. I don't know what you're doing. [00:25:08] Speaker A: Being gay, apparently. [00:25:10] Speaker D: And I don't think that this is subtle behavior, like, right in the front. [00:25:14] Speaker B: Yeah, it's. The thing is that, like, Caster has just been staring directly at the back of your heads. Like, what's going on with them? [00:25:21] Speaker A: That lovers quarrel, perhaps? [00:25:24] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:25:25] Speaker C: Tom will join you at the cabinet and sort of sling an arm around your shoulders. I noticed you answering the question, so I am claiming you as a lab partner here. [00:25:42] Speaker B: Hello. What can I do for you? [00:25:47] Speaker C: Work with me on this. [00:25:48] Speaker B: Oh, do you want me? [00:25:54] Speaker C: Who else would I want? [00:25:57] Speaker B: You know, there are a lot of things I could say to that, but for now, we're just going to get the ingredients and. Yeah. [00:26:08] Speaker C: Tom sort of smiles at you slowly and lets you pick everything up. [00:26:14] Speaker B: Are you going to do anything? Do you want me to do the entire thing? [00:26:18] Speaker C: Oh, if you're offering, that would be wonderful. [00:26:20] Speaker B: I wasn't offering. I was clarifying. [00:26:27] Speaker C: I mean, you seem like the type of person who likes to tell people what to do. I'm at your service. [00:26:35] Speaker B: Are you? Well, I hand you the mortar and the, I guess, the dust or against the wings of the corpse. Moth and point. And then I start gathering the rest of the ingredients, sort of salutes, and. [00:27:00] Speaker C: Goes off to do it. [00:27:07] Speaker A: Yes. Well, we'll do some magic now, sort of. Now is a great time for you to tell me exactly how you do this. Are you being a little bit slapdash and just hoping it goes together? Using it. What skill do you want to use to brew this potion? I'm going to allow you to sell me on something. [00:27:30] Speaker B: Oh, boy. [00:27:34] Speaker E: I would like to use my brains, please. [00:27:36] Speaker A: Exactly. That makes total sense. You do not need to sell me on that. You can use brains. Or if you were like, well, I'm really good at this one skill. This is how I use it to brew the potion. And it will also be the same as it'll be. We'll go with a seven for. Cause this is still pretty, pretty basic. You just gotta let me know what skill you want to use to brew this potion. [00:28:03] Speaker E: Quick question for the, like, the pluses that we get to stuff, does this count as stat or does this count as magic? [00:28:10] Speaker A: This counts as magic. [00:28:11] Speaker B: It's magic. [00:28:13] Speaker E: And so you also get to roll. [00:28:15] Speaker A: Your magic die with magic die. [00:28:16] Speaker B: That's nice. [00:28:16] Speaker D: Yay. [00:28:17] Speaker E: What's the magic? [00:28:17] Speaker A: Die is a d four. [00:28:20] Speaker E: Okay, cool. And that just gets added to the total. [00:28:24] Speaker A: Yes. [00:28:25] Speaker E: Plus the plus that we have. And then I just took. One of my strengths is that I'm very good at alchemy. Yes. So do I add that as well? Does this all stack? [00:28:36] Speaker A: It stacks. [00:28:37] Speaker B: Okay, stats on stats. [00:28:41] Speaker D: Renee is big brain, not big talkie. So it's just gonna be like, okay, I know how to assemble a potion I've not knew and just gonna use that big old brain. [00:28:54] Speaker B: Yeah. Here's the thing, is that caster is quite clever. I don't know if he knows the finer points of cooking or alchemy potion making. So I think instead, I will use charm to tell Tom what to do. [00:29:15] Speaker A: I like that. [00:29:17] Speaker C: And Tom, in turn, turns to these sort of group of students behind us every few seconds, asking for further sort of clarification or just like, oh, can you just help me with this part? I'm not quite sure I understand. [00:29:31] Speaker B: Wow. [00:29:32] Speaker C: And I would also like to use charm. [00:29:34] Speaker E: We got the kings of delegation in the back here. [00:29:38] Speaker D: Icon, icon. [00:29:42] Speaker B: Try not to take it personally. [00:29:43] Speaker D: It's fine. [00:29:45] Speaker B: Ooh, I got an eight. [00:29:52] Speaker A: An eight. [00:29:52] Speaker C: I got a seven. [00:29:55] Speaker A: You could spend that adversity token and get an eight. [00:29:58] Speaker C: Is that what the DC was? Eight? [00:30:00] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:30:01] Speaker B: No, DC was seven, wasn't it? [00:30:02] Speaker A: DC was seven. Yes, DC was seven. [00:30:04] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:30:04] Speaker B: What? [00:30:04] Speaker D: Seven. [00:30:04] Speaker C: Oh, perfect. [00:30:05] Speaker E: We have a transcript. I can scroll back up and see what you said. [00:30:12] Speaker D: I got a big brain. 15. So we're doing good. [00:30:15] Speaker B: Hell, yeah. [00:30:21] Speaker E: And I got a 21. [00:30:23] Speaker A: Yeah. No, like, Renee and Farah, this is. This is, like, a pretty basic, you know, just, like, antitoxin itself. It's not incredibly hard to make you both do it with a plum. Like, you have the temperatures and everything, and all the measurements are perfect. Like, down to, like, just a little bit. You know, it is exactly how it needs to be. And, yeah, you're both getting good grades. [00:30:59] Speaker D: I think it's like, it's so quiet, though usually there's, like, some joy in it between us as we sit and work next to each other. Renee just works very quietly and very diligently. [00:31:10] Speaker A: You were both very exact with everything, and, you know, saying no more than you need to, I guess. [00:31:18] Speaker E: I think once Farro is done, I take the completed antitoxin, and I stand up from my chair, and I walk behind Renee and just out to the aisle, walk straight down to Professor Tallis's desk. I place it on the desk, I turn around, and I walk back to my seat. [00:31:46] Speaker A: Professor gives you a nod, and being, like, exceptional work. [00:31:56] Speaker E: I think faro pauses for a second, as if considering what to say, and then they just incline their head very politely, and they say, thank you. And then I turn around and walk back to my seat, and I sit down. [00:32:15] Speaker A: I'll give you a little nod as well. [00:32:23] Speaker B: I think that caster, meanwhile, the measurements are not exact, because he's very much like. You measure that shit with your heart. So very word of. Not word of mouth, but, like, kind of, like telling you just, like, a little bit. Like. No, just, like, a little bit more. Yes, perfect. Okay. [00:32:47] Speaker C: I think that as I'm sort of finishing up with the measurements in the potion, we see Fahreu go up to the front of the class and receive his praise for the potion. And I lean over to Caster and whisper, they finished that so fast. Do you think that the icy disposition is part of the spell? [00:33:08] Speaker B: You could try it, don't you think? I'm not going to say anything. It's just not me. I'm sorry. [00:33:27] Speaker D: I think as you guys are laughing a measured amount of time after Faro sits down again, Renee just kind of looks over at him again and then gets up and very quietly walks down towards the professor's desk. But here's all the laughing and kind of just looks to see what's going on there with these two. Oh, you, um. You should probably stir that a little more. [00:33:59] Speaker B: Thank you for your timely advice. You should stir that a little more. [00:34:05] Speaker C: Oh. Is there a certain speed here? Why don't you show me? [00:34:09] Speaker D: All right. And Renee stops walking down to the professor's desk and kind of scoots in and is like, okay, you have to. Actually, it's five times pause. Five times pause. I learned that from, you know. [00:34:30] Speaker B: No, I don't. I don't know. School. [00:34:34] Speaker D: Um, my roommate's better about it than I am. Um. [00:34:40] Speaker B: Ah, your roommate roommates. [00:34:45] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:34:45] Speaker B: They're roommates. [00:34:48] Speaker D: Yes, we're roommates. Oh, sorry. It goes back to stirring really quickly. [00:34:57] Speaker B: Um, I feel like this might be a bit forward, so you can say no if you don't want it. Are you okay? You two used to be incredibly close. It feels. The tension is thick enough to cut with. Cut through. [00:35:18] Speaker D: We're just walking through some things. Things? [00:35:22] Speaker B: Are you. Because you're not really talking to each other. Am I right? Communication is the basis of all relationships. [00:35:32] Speaker D: That is not the basis of many of mine. [00:35:37] Speaker B: Maybe that's your problem. [00:35:39] Speaker D: I. Ugh. We'll get through it. We'll get through it. It's gonna be all right. [00:35:45] Speaker C: Are you upset because you both sort of did a makeover at the same time and. [00:35:51] Speaker D: No. You know, you try things, and they don't always work out. I should. I should go turn this in. [00:36:08] Speaker B: Thanks for your help. Five times pause. Five times. [00:36:11] Speaker D: Five times pause. And Renee, very awkwardly, just kind of, like, dips out of the conversation was awkward. [00:36:21] Speaker B: That felt awkward. [00:36:24] Speaker C: Heartbreak. Do you think they tried dating and that was what. [00:36:27] Speaker B: That's got to be it, right? [00:36:29] Speaker C: That broke up? [00:36:30] Speaker B: They really thought that. Well, it happens sometimes. Maybe they just weren't as compatible as they thought they were. [00:36:37] Speaker C: Ugh. Messy. [00:36:39] Speaker B: It is messy. Especially if they continue to be roommates. [00:36:42] Speaker C: Roommates. Still. Yeah. [00:36:46] Speaker B: I feel for them. Really, I do. [00:36:50] Speaker C: Well, they seemed quite close before. I'm sure they'll be able to work it out. [00:36:54] Speaker B: Yeah, they'll work it out. It's just awkward now. [00:36:58] Speaker A: Extremely. [00:37:00] Speaker B: I really don't want to be the one to answer questions in class. [00:37:08] Speaker C: But you do it so well. [00:37:10] Speaker B: Thank you. You're flatter, aren't you? [00:37:21] Speaker C: Just smile. Is it flattery if it's true? [00:37:28] Speaker B: I'll tell you what. It is very effective on me. [00:37:34] Speaker C: Good to know. [00:37:40] Speaker B: I suppose we finish up our potions. Potions, then. And bring them down to the professor with a flourish. I'm like. [00:37:53] Speaker A: Professor takes a look at them. You know, the consistency and the color of them. And just goes, yes, that is acceptable. [00:38:04] Speaker B: So, like, do we get to keep these? Never answered my question. [00:38:09] Speaker A: No, these will be once I make sure that they're all good. These will be heading off to help people who need them through labor. [00:38:20] Speaker B: I dropped something. Hold on. [00:38:25] Speaker D: This? [00:38:26] Speaker B: Oh, it's an empty cup. [00:38:28] Speaker A: It's fine. [00:38:29] Speaker B: Don't worry about it. My room's not messy. [00:38:32] Speaker E: I think in the meantime, while Casfaro finished pretty easy, pretty early, I think he sat quietly for, you know, some time, was probably looking through their notes. And then as the rest of the class begins getting up and turning theirs in, Faro seems to remember something, and they reach into her school bag and pulls out two pieces of parchment that are held together. Handwriting, front, back, front, back. And just arranges them on the desk, walks up, back to the professor, and places this additional research report that Fado has completed for the professor on his desk. And instead of walking away this time, Faro stands there, just folding his hands just in front of him, waiting for talos to look at it. [00:39:49] Speaker A: As you do that? Yeah. He's been making notes in his journals as he watches everyone bring up, you know, grading, making notes about grades and things like that. So you bring up this, you know, he, like, looks down his glasses at you, and he reaches over and will pick it up and start flipping through it. It's just. Is there reports on anything in particular? [00:40:18] Speaker E: I think, if this is okay with you. I think because Talos is my mentor, I think he's been giving me additional assignments also, given that alchemy is my specialty and is something that I'm very interested in, I think this research report was about some kind of new. A new alternative, or like a spin on the typical, like, healing potion that exists. And I think Farah was completing some kind of research about alternative ingredients or something, and I wrote up this whole report on it because. Well, because Professor Talos asked me to. [00:41:16] Speaker A: He is looking over it sort of as. Yeah, a bit of. You notice that he does kind of chew on his lips slightly, as he thinks quite often, which is dangerous when you have fangs. But it's a habit that he's never seemed to have broken. [00:41:37] Speaker B: Unlike his skin, he's done that many times. [00:41:40] Speaker A: You're good. And he looks up at you and just goes, I will have to take a deep dive into this, but your logic seems sound so far. How have you been doing? [00:41:57] Speaker E: I've been all right. I've been better. [00:42:02] Speaker A: Yes, yes, yes. You know, looks down at the paper and kind of worries one of the corners slightly and just goes, I will take a look and let you know. I'll have it graded by the. The end of the day. I got a couple of free periods, so I can get that done. [00:42:32] Speaker D: If. [00:42:32] Speaker A: You want to drop by later. I can. We can discuss it if you'd like. [00:42:38] Speaker E: Okay. I'll be there. And Faro again, like, does a polite nod, and I walk back to my desk again. [00:42:53] Speaker D: This time, when you come back, there's another note. This one's not even folded. It's just sitting on top of all of your stuff that just says, how did it go? [00:43:05] Speaker E: I think in the first. The first outwardly friendly sign photo turns to his right to look at you, and there's the smallest smile on their face, and they just give you a nod. And then, just as quickly as it came, turns back. Faces front. [00:43:34] Speaker D: There's almost the ghost of a smile at the corner of Renee's lips as they just kind of nod back and go back to thumbing through a book that they were reading. [00:43:51] Speaker B: Folding paper airplanes. I'm done. So I'm bored. [00:43:57] Speaker E: How good are your paper airplanes? You know, like, their meteor. [00:44:00] Speaker B: Intricate. And they're like. They're like different ones. They're like, you know, like the long. [00:44:04] Speaker D: Ones, but also, like, the magical ones. [00:44:06] Speaker B: Brick ones. And then there's magical ones. Yeah, there's. I've made. [00:44:10] Speaker D: I've made. [00:44:10] Speaker B: They're not just planes, too. Like, I've made birds, and I've made, like, I don't know, a deer. [00:44:19] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:44:19] Speaker E: I mean, biological levels of origami. You have paper plane, you have bird, you have deer. [00:44:27] Speaker A: Of course. [00:44:28] Speaker E: The three things you learn. The first three things you learn. [00:44:32] Speaker B: You're right. [00:44:33] Speaker E: Yeah. You skipped the cootie catcher phase, you know, annoying caster. [00:44:39] Speaker B: Yes. [00:44:39] Speaker D: Actually, see, they don't fly, so he can't do that. True. [00:44:43] Speaker E: So true. And. But we all know deers do, of course. [00:44:48] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:44:48] Speaker E: Yeah. [00:44:49] Speaker B: They. I can make them fly. [00:44:51] Speaker A: They flap their horns. Right? [00:44:53] Speaker D: That's how that works. [00:44:56] Speaker E: That's so cursed. That is so cursed. [00:44:59] Speaker D: I hate that so much. [00:45:05] Speaker E: Well, okay. Bit over. Let's move on. Class comes to an end now. [00:45:11] Speaker B: I went for blue roll. [00:45:14] Speaker A: Class comes to an end as you all pack up and start to head to your next class of the day. Outside of the classroom, there's someone waiting for one of you. There is a small, sort of mousey looking girl with messy, dark hair, and her name is Juniper, and she is friends with one of you or all of you. In some way or form. You're aware of who she is. She's one of the. If this were a world that had things, like, valid victorian or something like that, she would probably be in the running for that. She's a girl who always has her nose in the book. Um, you know, is always, like, something to learn. You know, find, like, whatever books, you know, stack of them all the time. And she's. She's looking for one of you. Uh, and she sort of has a torn expression on her face. She's a little bit jumpy today. [00:46:22] Speaker D: I think Renee and Juniper get on shockingly well. Renee does not have a lot of very close friends, but I think he is quite enamored with her work ethic. And they share. I think they might have become friends because they both tried to check out the same book from the library. [00:46:43] Speaker B: Meet cute. [00:46:44] Speaker D: Yep. [00:46:46] Speaker A: And Juniper would have let you check it out because she's just that nice. [00:46:51] Speaker E: I can see it happening because I also feel like Faro and Juniper would get along really well as well. And I can see how it happened that both Renee and Juniper wanted to check out this book, but the book was out. Someone else had it. That someone else was me. And you both were waiting for me to turn it back in so that you could borrow it. [00:47:16] Speaker A: I can see it. I can see it. Yeah. Yeah. You know, she is just, like, clutching a book to her chest, and she comes up to you, Renee, first. And it's probably because I feel like you leave the room first. [00:47:33] Speaker D: Running, practically. Yes. [00:47:38] Speaker A: Hi. Hi. [00:47:41] Speaker E: Yes. [00:47:41] Speaker A: Yes, yes, yes. [00:47:42] Speaker D: Um, you're right. [00:47:45] Speaker A: It's been. It's been a weird couple of days. [00:47:48] Speaker D: Um, yes, I'm sorry about that. I meant to get back to you. [00:47:53] Speaker A: No, no, no, no, it's fine. It's fine. Um, I mean, I've been busy. [00:47:58] Speaker D: Can. [00:47:58] Speaker A: Can I. I have to. I have to go. Um, I have. I have magical creatures soon. Um, can you. Can you meet me tonight at the library? In the library? I'm going to be busy the rest of the day. I've got the papers to finish, but I found something I really, really want to show you. Oh, it's. I was just digging and I found it, and it's something. I'm still kind of figuring out what it is, but I think you might be able to help me with that. [00:48:29] Speaker D: Do you need lots of help? [00:48:34] Speaker A: If you want to bring friends, that's good. I mean, it's in something that I don't understand, so it's not my. Not my area of expertise, so I will. [00:48:49] Speaker E: I think at this moment, Faro is walking out and, you know, I'm assuming, just picturing that you all are not standing in the doorway, but you're standing, like, you know, 6ft out from the doorway. So everyone's, like, walking around you to exit room, and Faro is exiting. And I do the sideways thing to get around you, Renee. And I don't acknowledge you, but I just pause and look at juniper and offer her a soft smile. And. And I just say, oh, good afternoon. Good afternoon. And I just. You are going to the library tonight? [00:49:38] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. If you want to meet me tonight, I can show you what I found. [00:49:44] Speaker E: Sure, no problem. And photo without, you know, asking for further details. Just nods and I'm walking down the hall to my next class. [00:49:56] Speaker A: That's fair. [00:49:57] Speaker D: And Renee becomes one with his waistcoat as his just head shrinks in this whole conversation, like, I was here. Okay. [00:50:09] Speaker A: Such a sad boy. [00:50:12] Speaker C: Is he bothering you, Junie? I think that Tom comes out of the classroom and sees this sort of the end of this awkward interaction. And I think that they have bonded with Juniper, both because she reminds him of someone from their childhood and also just. Tom also likes some of the books in the library. I think that if Juniper had been the one to end up with that book. Not the queen porn like they read sometimes. If Juniper had been the one to end up with that book, Tom might have stolen it from her before letting her read it, but. Is everything all right here? [00:51:05] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, everything's fine. I just. I was asking Renee for help. I came across something that I wasn't unsure of, and I wanted a second set of eyes. [00:51:20] Speaker C: I have eyes. [00:51:22] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, if you want to. [00:51:25] Speaker D: I fully face palms. [00:51:29] Speaker A: I kind of have to get to my next class, but I'm going to be free tonight. I'm going to. Could be studying in my normal spot in the library if you, uh. If you want to come and if you want to help. Um, and this is. This is definitely, like, more awkward than normal behavior from Juniper. Something is bothering her, and she doesn't know how to, like, talk about it. [00:51:55] Speaker B: Yeah, I think that's. That's when I come in. The literal last straggler out of the classroom, hefting my bag. Helping. What are we helping? What's up, Junie? Also, y'all are nerds. Caster just gets along with Junie. Cause Caster gets along with everybody. So that's it. You okay? You don't. [00:52:20] Speaker D: You look. [00:52:20] Speaker B: You look a bit. [00:52:23] Speaker A: It's been a. It's been a couple of days. I've been working really hard, and maybe I haven't been sleeping great. Yeah. See you later. I really, really, really have to get to going. And they're going to be like, but join me tonight. Normal spot in the library. And they turn off and they're, like, almost booking it out of the hallway and. Yeah, that's what they do. [00:52:57] Speaker B: That was weird. That was weird. Yeah. [00:53:04] Speaker D: They found something. She. She found something. What do you mean she found something? In a book caster. [00:53:13] Speaker B: Okay. [00:53:14] Speaker D: It's a library. [00:53:15] Speaker B: We all find stuff in books. That's what books have, information. [00:53:22] Speaker C: Do, you know. [00:53:22] Speaker D: Yes. [00:53:23] Speaker C: Looking into. [00:53:25] Speaker B: She seemed a bit scared. [00:53:30] Speaker D: I thought she was just busy. [00:53:34] Speaker B: She could be a bit frazzled on a good day, but I don't know, I just felt the energy was weird. So are we all going then? Even you? [00:53:46] Speaker D: Yes. [00:53:46] Speaker B: I look directly at photo. Oh, wait, did you leave? [00:53:50] Speaker E: Yeah, I walked away. I'm going. [00:53:53] Speaker B: I didn't even know you were here. [00:53:54] Speaker E: I nipped it out of there. Yeah, I'm gone. [00:54:02] Speaker B: Oh, yes. Library date. [00:54:07] Speaker D: I mean, I like the library. I was going to go there anyways. [00:54:12] Speaker B: Okay, well, I'm not doing anything tonight, so cut me in. June is my friend, too. [00:54:18] Speaker D: Yes. And Farah will be there. [00:54:23] Speaker B: Oh, Willie. [00:54:26] Speaker D: Yes. Is that a problem? [00:54:28] Speaker B: No, no. [00:54:29] Speaker C: Is it for you? [00:54:31] Speaker D: Oh, we're roommates. We see each other all the time. [00:54:35] Speaker B: Yep. You do. And how's that going? [00:54:40] Speaker D: Fine. It's going fine. [00:54:42] Speaker A: Okay. [00:54:42] Speaker B: Well, you know, we're here if you ever want to talk about it. [00:54:47] Speaker D: Thank you. I'll see you later. I have to get to class. [00:54:52] Speaker B: Why is everyone in such a hurry to get to class? I go off to my own class. [00:54:58] Speaker D: Why is everyone in a hurry to go to class? Goes to class. [00:55:00] Speaker B: Yeah. Okay. But, like, I'm, like, leisurely strolling, you know, I'm not in a hurry. [00:55:06] Speaker A: Yeah, you're not. You're not booking it or anything. You're like, I'm not booking class when I get to class. [00:55:10] Speaker B: When I get to class. Yeah. [00:55:14] Speaker E: We'Ll get there when we get there. [00:55:17] Speaker B: Get there when we get there. [00:55:23] Speaker A: Let's see. So I stare at my notes and my brain does not tell me what my meat. My brain. I see my notes and what I need to do, and my brain is like, that's not what you need to do. And I'm like, yes. [00:55:38] Speaker B: You like that? [00:55:39] Speaker A: Yeah. No. So the rest of your day passes pretty without incident? I imagine there's some things that people want to do during the day as well. Between classes, my own personal agendas that you all want to push forward. [00:55:59] Speaker D: No, I think. Yeah, I think that Renee is like, I'm gonna think about all the other stuff when I'm not thinking about class. [00:56:14] Speaker E: I think. I think for a brief moment, we follow photo. As you know, they're walking from class to class. And, um, there are these. I believe they're lamps. Right, Aubrey, outside lighting the pathways. [00:56:35] Speaker A: Yeah, all of the pathways are. Everything are lit by lamps that have magical energy. The sun itself is. It comes and sets, but it's. It's in a state of solar eclipse, so it's kind of that weird, like, orangish, like, purplish light and doesn't do much to actually illuminate. Whereas over the last 100 years or so, they have developed these lamps that are powered by magic, usually lit most days by the lamplighters themselves, but, yeah. What happens as you pass them? [00:57:11] Speaker E: Yeah. So I think part of the reason fado was in such a hurry to leave is that we watched as Faro is seemingly taking, like, the longest routes possible to get to class. I'm avoiding all of these major walkways, and I think we see Faro come out into a courtyard where there is a single lamp next to a stone fountain. And I'm sticking to the walls of this, like, cloister like area, walking very, very quickly, I think Faro takes one glance up at the sun in its seemingly endless. And the endless darkness cast upon this realm. And in that brief moment, that Farou almost paused their movement, the lamp in the center of this courtyard goes out, and the light flies towards photo, and it goes right into my chest. And we see Faro's skin begin to glow this beautiful golden orange, casting light. My freckles begin to glow. My eyes begin to glow. I have golden veins throughout my hands and arms. This is what I looked like just a few months ago. But just as quickly as it came, the light fades once more, and the in the now darkness or dimmer light of this courtyard, we see just a bit of shadows whisping out of Faro's hair. And Faro curses under his breath, looking at that light, and shakes their head and quickly keeps walking. [00:59:34] Speaker A: Yes, so you do. And I guess now is. I'm gonna ask which one of you is likely to take divination as a class? [00:59:49] Speaker D: Probably Renee. [00:59:55] Speaker A: Okay. [00:59:56] Speaker E: Is it like an elective? Kind of. [00:59:59] Speaker A: It's not one of those ones that is required, but, yes, it would definitely be considered an elective. It's. It is one of those kinds of magic that is. They're like. Alchemy is a very untested science. Divination's even more untested. They're like, they can predict things. They sometimes come true. Other times they're weird and just be like, yeah, these horrible things are gonna happen and horrible things are happening. And then they go, see, look, we said horrible things were going to happen. [01:00:23] Speaker D: Renee is on the doom train. So yeah. [01:00:28] Speaker E: I think Fado would take that class because I think I'm very eager to learn about every kind of magic, especially given I don't really have a background in magic, or at least my family didn't prior to me somehow having this gift. And so, yeah, I think. I think I'm taking like all the classes. So if I'm not taking it this semester, I've probably taken it before just to. Just to try, take all the hundred level classes while I can. Right? [01:01:02] Speaker A: Like, let's try all the magic. [01:01:05] Speaker E: Yeah. They quickly found alchemy to be what I wanted because that's. That's what my magic was best suited it for. But, you know. [01:01:16] Speaker A: We'Ll find ourselves in the divination classroom. It is this sort of circular room where candles and silks hang. The candles themselves just sort of float around the classroom, providing ambiance, you know, and everyone today is learning how to do a harrow reading. And Harrow works specifically, whereas there's three rows of cards, three each. The first top row is the past, the middle row is the present, and the bottom row is the future. So you are put together with a group, you know, sort of as a group, read this harrow reading and interpret it to what it might mean. And so Rene, Farro and whoever else is in this class, is this something that Tom is likely to. To, you know, do? [01:02:31] Speaker C: The idea of a divination class is sort of diametrically opposed to their worldview. [01:02:35] Speaker A: That's fair. So it'll just be Renee and Farrow over these cards. And do you. I imagine there's almost like a clinical ness to how you do this. [01:02:52] Speaker D: Renee is really bad at this class. I think it involves letting go too much. And I imagine divination to be something that relies more on your ability to intuit the situation and the cards and their meaning. And I think he has been bullheadedly trying to. It's like trying to apply math to English that where he wants it to just mean what it means and has not really given over to the more like loose, intuitive side of divination. [01:03:35] Speaker A: Okay. [01:03:36] Speaker E: I think Faro is pretty good at this. I think the way that their mind works is very open ended and interested in trying to find these deeper meanings in cards. That are just a display of graphics, pictures, illustrations, paintings. Sometimes with words, sometimes not. And I think this is the first time we've had this class in a while, maybe. And I think all throughout the class, photo offers up interpretations. I feel like most of the time that I offer words. It's kind of like the. Oh, you know, I never thought of that one before. Maybe it's right, maybe it's wrong. Maybe it fits the vibes, maybe it doesn't. But I'm creative. It's that one meme where it's like, everybody's so creative. Yeah. That's Vato's suggestions. Because I think the very first day of class, I imagine this professor was just like, there is no such thing as a wrong answer. We're all looking to divine the truth within ourselves or whatever. [01:05:03] Speaker B: I don't know. [01:05:05] Speaker A: The professor's name is Professor Lascar. And, yeah, toss a bit of. Maybe a russian accent on top of that. And, yeah, that's very much exactly how they. [01:05:15] Speaker E: You don't want to hear me attempt Russian. [01:05:16] Speaker A: That's fine. [01:05:17] Speaker E: There was another stream where I did that. It was bad. [01:05:20] Speaker D: Do we not. [01:05:21] Speaker E: No, you don't want to hear me do it anyway. So it's that, but Russian. Yeah. [01:05:28] Speaker A: And I have actually done a harrow reading that we will interpret. [01:05:33] Speaker D: Yeah. [01:05:34] Speaker A: So as the. We're gonna start with the top row. And yes, the harrow is pathfinder and stuff. Because, you know, this is fun. I'm mixing things. We're having fun. The first card, the furthest on the left card that you flip over is the empty throne. It is a card. You see this person kneeling with their hands over their face in front of this obelisk. The empty throne itself is just looking at this card gives you a sense of loss. And then the next one you flip over is the dance. It is this person in this beautifully colored robes spinning about, using magic to perform. And then the last one you pick, flip over in the past is the crows misaligned. It is upside down. And let's see. Gonna make you make a. Let's do a brains roll. I won't set a DC. What you get is kind of like, the higher you get, you'll get more because we're playing fast and loose rolls. [01:07:17] Speaker D: I think, like, I got a 13 just. Oh, wait, that's. Yeah, that's. I rolled relatively well. [01:07:24] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:07:25] Speaker D: But I feel like Renee's very stubborn. It's almost an unwillingness to understand this course, which is funny, because you chose to take it. [01:07:34] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:07:35] Speaker D: But I think that his interpretation of it. Like, he understands very clinically the meaning of the cards as written. It's like, I still don't understand the crows. Are the crows dancing on the throne? Like, what does that. What is that supposed to mean? This doesn't mean anything. I think it. It's. Even with the success, I think that he doesn't. [01:08:02] Speaker A: No, that makes sense. [01:08:06] Speaker E: Frodo is looking at them. I think Renee recognizes seeing him deep in thought. I think their brow furrows and they kind of squint and tilt their head a little bit. My glasses back on because fellow needs his glasses. It's just looking at these cards and then says, I don't know. I think it is sadness, empty feeling bad, bad omen. I don't know what the dance is for. [01:08:52] Speaker D: That's my question. [01:08:57] Speaker E: Maybe someone is happy that it's empty. [01:09:06] Speaker D: Well, maybe it's a sign that, I don't know, I'm supposed to be sitting in another room where someone's dancing. I don't know. [01:09:12] Speaker E: That's. I don't think that's it. [01:09:18] Speaker A: We still have two more rows to flip over. This is symbolizing the past. And so you flip over the second row, and it is. The first one is the vision. It is a person. You see a finger pointing down at this person, and they've got their hands up to their face in horror. Quite often is to do with arcane knowledge, learning things that you can't take back. In the middle is the mute hag, this sort of crone looking creature. She doesn't have eyes, but lodged in her mouth is an eye, and she is holding up four fingers. And the final one you flip over is the eclipse. And simple. It is an eclipse. [01:10:35] Speaker D: I think. In a truly dramatic turn of events, Renee sees the first card. He sees the vision, which was the second card? I don't remember. [01:10:54] Speaker E: First. [01:10:55] Speaker A: The vision is first card. [01:10:56] Speaker D: Yeah. Okay. He sees the vision, looks at Farrow, grabs his bag, and walks out of the room. [01:11:06] Speaker A: Also, if anybody wants to see it, I posted the link to it in the chat. You can copy and paste it, and it will show you the full reading. [01:11:15] Speaker E: Whoa. Amazing. [01:11:17] Speaker D: Because I think he is fully overcome by how much, like, the meaning of that card, the literal meaning of it is a little bit too real right now. And he gets up and walks away. [01:11:35] Speaker E: Wait, where did you post it? [01:11:39] Speaker A: It is in chat. You should be able to copy and paste it because it doesn't make it a hype. [01:11:44] Speaker D: I don't see. [01:11:46] Speaker A: Oh, wait, no. I only posted it to one person. Everyone in the meeting. [01:11:50] Speaker B: Boom. [01:11:52] Speaker E: Did you post it to the one person or someone who's not in this class? That's so funny. [01:11:56] Speaker A: That's very last. [01:11:58] Speaker B: Hilarious. That is very funny. My link doesn't work, though. For some reason, it's not opening. [01:12:08] Speaker D: Oh, cool. [01:12:10] Speaker B: Try it again. [01:12:11] Speaker D: I love. I'll also drop it there. [01:12:15] Speaker B: Please, please go. Okay. There we go. [01:12:20] Speaker D: Yeah. I think especially given the visual of it, it makes it even worse. And like, he goes paler even than normal and just leaves. [01:12:36] Speaker E: I think Farou feels this very unsettling feeling coming over his body and seeing Renee get up and leave. Farou watches him walk out of the room and was it just the two of us in a group or was there other people in our group? [01:13:02] Speaker A: I think it was just the two of you. Break off into pairs, do a Harrow reading. [01:13:10] Speaker D: But I think before Renee left, he just very quietly muttered, I'm sorry. [01:13:18] Speaker E: Um, I didn't respond. And after you leave, I kind of look up for the professor. [01:13:34] Speaker A: And yes, this sort of elven woman goes over to you and goes, yes, how can I? Is everything all right? [01:13:43] Speaker E: May I be excused? [01:13:46] Speaker A: Looks your cards, especially looks at your cards and frowns slightly and just looks up at you and goes, that is fine. I'll see you in the next class. [01:13:59] Speaker E: And before I leave, I quickly turn over the last three cards just to look at them. [01:14:06] Speaker A: I see the locksmith. The second card is the survivor reversed. And then the demon lantern. [01:14:23] Speaker E: And I make notes of those, just kind of look down at it, look back up at the professor and say, thank you. I will see you next class. And then, like, it's a little awkward, but photo just nods and takes one last look at the middle row. Looking at the eclipse, looking at the mute hag, looking at the vision. I take my bag, and I also walk out. [01:14:57] Speaker A: On these two extremely sad gays. I think now is a great time for us to take our ten minute break, come back for final class of the day, and then to go to the library, see what's up with Jennifer. So, yeah, we'll be back in ten minutes. Everybody get up, stretch your legs, grab something to drink, grab something to eat, take your meds if you need them, and we'll see everybody in ten minutes or so. Welcome back, everybody. I hope everybody had a nice break, got a chance to stretch your legs, got something to eat, got something to drink. And we're going to be rolling back into the final class of the day, which is necromancy. And this one is taught in this large, open classroom. It is probably actually one of the more packed classes. There's. There's a lot of people who really want to learn about what it means because there's a lot going on with necromancy in the world itself. So there is a lot of people just want to be prepared. So it's. I imagine it's very much that classic, like, lecture hall, you know, with the seating that goes up. And in the. In the front, you have your teacher, Professor Atencio. They are literally your classic, rather foppish, like, vampire, you would see. And, like, they've got, like, big lestat energy. Yeah. They're kind of, like, doing the thing. They're, like, just sitting on the desk, you know, as they're watching everybody, you know, move in. Imagine Castor and Tom. You're both on time. [01:16:55] Speaker C: Oh, maybe Caster's not. Thomas. [01:16:57] Speaker B: I mean, I. Well, okay, here's the thing is, I wasn't in a hurry to get to my classes, but I think that I am pretty punctual despite that. [01:17:06] Speaker A: You're, like, you walk in, like, right before the bell rings, essentially. Kind of. Kind of vibe that I'm feeling. [01:17:12] Speaker B: Exactly. Prompt. [01:17:13] Speaker D: Yeah. [01:17:14] Speaker A: Yeah, you're. You're incredibly prompt. It's to a point where it's like, are you doing this on purpose. [01:17:22] Speaker B: Castro? Just standing outside the stupid door like this, looking at a watch. Okay, now, yes. [01:17:30] Speaker A: Um, and, uh, yeah, you all noticed that, uh, at this moment, neither Renee or Faro are here as the professor starts up. And, you know, they do. They stand up. They're known to be a little theatrical. They enjoy that part. And they go, well, today we're going to talk about probably the subject I am most qualified to talk about. We're going to discuss vampirism, vampires, and all that comes with it. See you. And is gonna point to heads or tails? [01:18:12] Speaker B: Tails. [01:18:20] Speaker A: Uh, yeah. And we'll point to you, Caster, and just be like, tell me, what do you know about vampireism? [01:18:27] Speaker B: Pointy teeth. [01:18:30] Speaker A: Yes, it's a good start. And then sucking. Quite often. Not all vampires do that, but definitely, I am definitely of the kind it is always fun trying to get. Never mind. This is a story for a later time. I should not be talking about this. Students, I'm a professor. I'm professor professional. Yes. Vampirism, quite often, a lot of people do think it's wrong. It's, you know, the whole, you know, you are killed by a vampire, and you become a vampire. Not always what happens, sometimes it is you are born. You know, I quite happen to be one of the ones that's born, because my mother shocked up with some vampire lord. It was interesting. It very interesting growing up life some, you know. [01:19:25] Speaker B: And should you be telling. Should he be telling us this? [01:19:31] Speaker C: I mean, I'm willing to listen. [01:19:39] Speaker A: There's, um. I'm relatively sure that she's still there. Last I checked, the hunter still had her contained in her house, but there was actually a vampire. There was a vampire lady. I guess it was a proper term for her. It was in the city of Malachi for a very long time. She was magically contained to her house because she caused too many problems. Her name was Nix. Last I heard, she's still contained to her house because she keeps killing the hunters who go in. Moving on. [01:20:17] Speaker C: I mean, it's her house. [01:20:20] Speaker A: Yes. That is very fair. Yes. As I was saying, vampires are born, turned. Very many different kinds. Very many different ways to become a vampire. I wonder what would happen if. No, no, I'm not going to go down that route. Also, many ways to kill a vampire, usually just murder. [01:20:46] Speaker B: Sorry. I'm so sorry. [01:20:48] Speaker D: That took me out. [01:20:52] Speaker A: That's usually if you vampires stake through the hawk. Generally does it. But also if you just hurt them like you would most anybody else, until they stop moving, they're generally dead. [01:21:07] Speaker B: Going through it. Hold on. [01:21:14] Speaker A: I will take some questions from the class. [01:21:23] Speaker C: You said some vampires don't drink blood. Does that depend on how they're sort of turned or born? [01:21:31] Speaker A: Yes. Yes, it can. There are some things people like to call emotional vampires more than just people who are needy and they feed off the positive emotions or negative emotions. Depends kind of what the vampire likes, you know, there are ones that feed on this. Emotions, blood. Heard something. Occasionally there's light. As one I heard recently, I've not seen it for myself. Sorry. I would, but in a world where light has become a resource, that kind of makes sense. [01:22:21] Speaker B: So, like, I'm so sorry. Can I just pause for 2 seconds? I need to get back into character. I'm so off right now. [01:22:34] Speaker A: You're good. [01:22:35] Speaker E: It's been can funnel walk in right after this question is asked? [01:22:41] Speaker B: Yes. Let me make it the most awkward question then. Okay. [01:22:58] Speaker C: Okay. [01:22:59] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm ready. So do light vampires just like, eat light then? [01:23:13] Speaker A: That would be the idea. Generally, yes. I have not gotten to study this phenomenon myself. It seems to be relatively new, but one would think that they would eat light. I'm not sure if it's to do with magic or if they're trying to thirst for actual sunlight. The other part is a little bit in high demand these days. [01:23:41] Speaker E: The door opens and faro walks in late. I just go down the side aisle all the way to the back of the room, and I sit down in, I think, one of the last open seats in the second to last row or whatever, sit down and quickly take my notes out. I'm trying not to draw any attention to myself. I'm usually not late either. [01:24:12] Speaker A: Yes. Let's see. I want to make you roll something for that to just slip in quietly. Let's do a flight. Roll to slip in quietly. [01:24:29] Speaker E: Flight. Yeah, flight. Okay. [01:24:35] Speaker D: And I'm gonna. [01:24:37] Speaker A: I'm gonna do. This doesn't seem to be incredibly hard because it's a big lecture hall, you know, let's set it at like a nine. [01:24:48] Speaker E: Two. [01:24:49] Speaker A: Two. Yeah. So. So, yeah, that is also an adversity token for you. Uh, yeah, no, it is very obvious since the doors slam open as, uh, pharaoh locks in carrying a cat and, uh, makes their way to their seat. [01:25:07] Speaker E: Oh, yes, I am carrying my cat. I think holding. I think it's just, like, on my shoulder and I'm kind of holding it with one hand and, you know, trying to be inconspicuous, but doesn't quite. Doesn't quite work. [01:25:25] Speaker A: Professor goes. Well, I'm glad you could join us. We're discussing vampires and vampirism today. [01:25:35] Speaker E: I'm sorry for my tardiness. [01:25:41] Speaker A: I'm sure he will make it up later. Uh, it's fine. It's serious questions. Vampires, vampirism, anyone? [01:25:58] Speaker B: Is it true that they can charm you? [01:26:01] Speaker A: They can be quite charming, yes. Usually the ones that have magical means, they could charm you magically, but most of the others just rely on our natural charisma. [01:26:15] Speaker D: Right. [01:26:21] Speaker A: Well, yet again, as I was saying, with vampires, one of the big things that's been up in the. We're very unsure about ever since the never ending night started is most vampires do have an aversion to the sun. Quite often, quite a few of them are harmed by the sun. It really depends. And with no sun anymore, does it? It's been interesting adapting to that life. Like, I remember a little bit before the never ending night, whereas I grew up, I was a very small child around that time, before everything happened, and I always had to stay indoors, whereas I was growing up during the day. And because I inherited that sensitivity to light, it wasn't as bad as other vampires. It was, think of it like the worst sunburn you've ever had. But I likely didn't burst into flames like other vampires. [01:27:32] Speaker E: Would you rather. [01:27:35] Speaker C: Oh, I was just gonna ask, would you rather the night remain never ending. Then. [01:27:44] Speaker A: It thinks about it for a moment, just being like, I think I would feel much better about it never ending if we knew exactly what was causing it and the consequences of it, things that we still don't understand. [01:28:01] Speaker E: Bono, I think maybe for the first time all day, raises his hand. [01:28:07] Speaker A: Yes, yes. What is your question? [01:28:13] Speaker E: Are there ways that you can become a vampire besides, you know, directly interacting with one, be it being bitten or cursed or whatnot? [01:28:33] Speaker A: Yes, yes. We were talking a little bit about that earlier. Vampires, they can be born. They can be like, I was born, my mother married a vampire, and I was. What happened because of it. Vampire is born, bitten, cursed, as she said. I, it's possible through magical means, quite possibly magic caused things like that. There's probably some sort of necromancy or transmutation magic that could cause vampires, a person to become a vampire. It'd be very, it's either a spell that went very, very right or a spell that went very, very wrong. [01:29:21] Speaker E: I see. Thank you. [01:29:26] Speaker A: You're welcome. So, yes, yes, back to the lecture. Vampires, and they exist. And, you know, this teacher continues going, they're very verbose. Verbose. They just keep talking, and then half the time it's like a deviation to tell a story. And then back on track five minutes later, another deviation for like, oh yeah, remember, I've heard this thing. And then eventually the class will come to a close, many of you, probably the final class of your, of the day. And I think at this point we'll jump over to Renee and what Renee is doing. [01:30:23] Speaker D: After leaving divination class. And I think there being an awkward 2 seconds of close proximity when Faro came back to get his cat, Renee has gone back to his room and just sets down his bag. And inside of his room, kind of radiating out from his desk is magic components and all kinds of instruments and books and notes that all just radiate out there on the bed. They're on the dresser. There's drawers open on the dresser that also have like, stuff hanging out of. This is not a room for living in. This is. It's a lab. It's a secondary lab. And he comes in and a white stoat is with his little nose nudging the last of the stuff off of the desk and kind of chirps and comes over and greets Renee as he sets down his bag and climbs over the careful footstool spots that are left for him to walk in and out of the room, sits at his desk, pats the stoat on his little head. Thank you and just puts his head down on his desk and stays there for a very long time. [01:32:02] Speaker A: That's fair. [01:32:09] Speaker D: And I think forgets to get up and go to probably his favorite class of the day, where everyone else's. [01:32:17] Speaker A: Yeah, I think in hindsight, you might be glad you didn't go to class today because of the subject matter. Maybe. Maybe somewhere in the back of your mind, you remembered. Oh, yeah. We're talking about vampires today. [01:32:34] Speaker D: No reason. Avoidance is not a thing that people do. And, yeah, after a very long not nap, that might have involved a little cry as a treat, he pulls some papers out from a drawer and spreads them out on his desk and begins to compare sets of notes. One of them is dated for months ago, and one has been being compiled for the last couple of weeks. That's all he does. [01:33:23] Speaker A: And I'll say you all have time before you've agreed to meet Juniper. There's things to spend your afternoon, evening on before meeting Juniper. And I think some people have things they want to do. What would people like to do? [01:33:42] Speaker D: Eat. [01:33:44] Speaker A: Yes. There's a. There's a. There's a mess hall. [01:33:48] Speaker B: Yeah, I. That's where I can be found. Not just, like, eating, but, like, just socializing in general. Very social butterfly. [01:33:59] Speaker A: So I think it's the fact that this. This, like, the academy itself is in such a massive city. But, like, even though there's maybe only few hundred people per class, like, maybe 200 people per, like, class level, the school feels packed at all times, you know, from faculty, people working there, and students. So it definitely, you know, you do not lack in people to socialize with. [01:34:32] Speaker B: Also, Caster knows everyone, of course. Like, everyone. It's kind of weird. [01:34:43] Speaker A: Is Tom spending their afternoon doing anything? [01:34:46] Speaker C: I think that Tom just takes advantage of the free time to find some sort of isolated tower somewhere that they can go up high and just sort of watch and be above people. [01:35:00] Speaker A: You could easily make your way up to the bell tower. You can see all the corpse mocks that nest there. [01:35:08] Speaker E: Yeah. [01:35:08] Speaker A: And a corpse moth is about cat sized or so moth that looks like a death's head moth. They're kind of like pigeons. They're just everywhere. [01:35:24] Speaker C: I think that Tom sort of spends time sketching in a notebook both some buildings around campus and also just trying to lure over a corpse moth to scratch its fuzzy little head. [01:35:39] Speaker A: Not hard. Yeah. You sit still long enough, one of them will eventually hover over to where you are. [01:35:49] Speaker C: You're much cuter than a de ghouled hunter. [01:35:55] Speaker A: I bet they are. And Faro was there anything you wanted to do with your afternoon? [01:36:04] Speaker E: I think after the necromancy class, Faro will head back to. I think I go back to my room and quietly slip inside. And I put my cat down and goose runs into my room and I follow and I close the door. Um, and I think I just pull out my homework and just start getting my work done. Like a very diligent student, someone who does my homework as soon as I get home from school, unlike Jay in high school. [01:36:54] Speaker A: That's so fair, though. And eventually the last of the afternoon slips away from you. The. The eclipse falls back below the horizon and you can see the twin moons in the sky and the city itself, especially Tom, if you stay there after the. The eclipse is set, you watch the city just completely light up with all of these magical lights. And essentially where the school is in relation to the rest of the city, you can see a lot of it. You can see the river that sort of bisects the city and splits it into the bridges that cross that and all of that. It is a beautiful sight. Off in the distance, you can kind of see the gaping darkness of the hollow haunts a district that is no longer there. And who is the first to arrive in the library? [01:38:08] Speaker B: Not me. [01:38:11] Speaker E: I think Fano would leave pretty early because I think I leave the room before dinner to go get dinner. Um, like, I eat by myself in, like, a dark corner of this mess hall. Um, and then I. I'm eating really quickly. I don't think I sit with anyone. Um, I think Fado has a lot of friends, and I think my friends say hi to me as they walk in. And, um, something about my posture and, you know, I think I brought my homework with me. So I have all my notes sprawled out across this table in the corner. And I think I can tell I don't want company. So they all say hi to me, and I say hi back. They go sit together, and I finish up dinner, and I think I head to the library pretty early. And I think my plan was to just go get some work done and wait for juniper. [01:39:14] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:39:15] Speaker B: When you're in the mess hall, by the way, if you had looked up, you would have seen that Caster was watching you out of the corner of his eye. Not in, like, a creepy way, just like, are they okay? Kind of way. Yeah. [01:39:30] Speaker E: And I think I catch eyes with you. Like, I catch your gaze for just a moment, and father kind of looks at you over the rim of his glasses. And it's just kind of like looking at you with a bewildered expression, kind of like, why are you looking at me? [01:39:52] Speaker B: It just kind of raises eyebrows at you. [01:39:54] Speaker D: Kind of like. [01:39:57] Speaker E: I think Fado just blinks and looks back down to their work. [01:40:03] Speaker B: He'll kind of chuckle to himself and turn back to the conversation he was having. [01:40:12] Speaker D: I think Renee forgets that dinner exists. [01:40:15] Speaker A: Fair now, because the person that would. [01:40:19] Speaker D: Normally nag him is doing something else. [01:40:25] Speaker E: Something else is eating dinner. [01:40:28] Speaker D: Correct. But does the clock tower toll? [01:40:38] Speaker A: Yeah, it would toll at some point. It would toll for the end of the day kind of thing. It would do the. It's standard. It says three tones at the beginning of the day, three tones at the end. [01:40:53] Speaker D: When the three tones hit, I imagine, like a rational person, be like, it's now time to go have dinner. And Renee thinks, oh, yes, I should get up for dinner. And then spends 2 hours doing something else. That's fair. And then heads to the library, realizing how long they've spent fussing around in their room and runs out urgently. But is probably around early ish, but probably not as earliest photo. [01:41:22] Speaker A: Yeah. So you do. And Farah, as you enter and look around, you've noticed that the librarian herself, she has left for the day. You know, it's kind of like a. You can still be in the library after hours, but there's not going to be like a library or anything. So, you know, you kind of, you look around and you don't really see anybody in here. There are sort of, as I see the library, there is. It's two levels. There is sort of the base level and then the upper level. And there are alcoves where people study sort of small rooms off, like, if somebody wants privacy as they study. And as you enter, you don't really see anybody else in here. Looks like everybody is working on stuff or at dinner. [01:42:18] Speaker E: Mm hmm. And I think I just sit down in, you know, like in. In plain view. Because other people were planning on meeting us here. Yes. And so I'm not gonna, like, hide away in the corner. I think I do, like one walk around just to see, like, in, like, the main areas. Just a quick walk around to see if. If juniper has made it here. And I'm assuming I don't see her. And so, you know, just shrugs and finds a table kind of in, like, that first big room when you walk in. And I am just sitting there. And I'm gonna work until everybody else arrives. And I think we, as audience see that placed on the table in front of me next to my stuff is some extra food. [01:43:13] Speaker B: Go cry. [01:43:16] Speaker A: So gay? [01:43:18] Speaker E: I don't know what you're talking about. There's nothing gay happening here. [01:43:21] Speaker D: No, none. I think almost like clockwork, you photo finished the thing you were first getting there to kind of do on your own. And you could almost, like, point to the door a second before Renee appears fully disheveled. Their waistcoat is still, like, undone, and they're running in like they're late. And they look around and just very eagerly come over because there's food on this table. And all day he's been so quiet and cautious around you. And then suddenly there is still this young person who is sometimes very. Ooh. And need driven. That after a while, even though he's very dignified, when he forgets to take care of himself, he starts to get a little bit like, okay, but now I have to fuel the brain in here and comes over and slaps his back down. Is it. Can I just have a little of. I missed. [01:44:40] Speaker A: Hi. [01:44:42] Speaker E: I know. And I just slide it all over to you. [01:44:49] Speaker D: Find anything new? [01:44:54] Speaker E: New? What do you mean? [01:45:00] Speaker D: Still looking over the notes, I can't figure out. I haven't figured out what the law was. [01:45:23] Speaker E: Hmm. Faro is staring straight ahead. I think you'll find it eventually. [01:45:43] Speaker D: Try. But for now, I'm famished and just starts eating very eagerly. [01:45:53] Speaker E: And there's. As you eat, I just turn back to my work. I think the weight of what we learned in necromancy is kind of like setting in on my shoulders, realizing how rare this condition is and how it seems that even one of the best learned people on the subject doesn't seem to know a lot about what happened to me. But I think I finished my homework. And then I'm just. I think I get up, I pick just a random book off the shelves. Something. Some subject that I'm interested in. I bring it over and I just start reading once I'm done. And I think Faro at some point just says, what time did Juniper say she was going to come? Because I kind of left early. I had to leave early, get to class, you know? [01:47:09] Speaker D: Um, she said after dinner. I don't quite remember the details, um, which is why I ran. [01:47:20] Speaker E: Do you? I mean, I've been here for quite, quite some time. Do you reckon she might be on the upper level? Because I think Foda only walked around the bottom level. [01:47:31] Speaker D: I don't see the others yet, but they seem to know when. Do you think we missed them? [01:47:39] Speaker E: Ah, yeah. I think we should just stay here until they get here. That would be the best. [01:47:47] Speaker D: Yeah. [01:47:48] Speaker C: And I think that that's about the time that Tom comes in. They had gotten a little distracted up on the tower and miss dinner. But I think he has little, like, hidden caches of snacks sort of across campus, just like filmmakers. So he comes in, squirrel. So he comes in just, like, chomping on a kind of dusty, like, bag of, like, mixed nuts. [01:48:22] Speaker E: Ew. Dusty. Why would you describe it as Dusty? [01:48:26] Speaker D: Dusty. Dusty nuts. [01:48:31] Speaker E: Dust deez nuts. You did that to yourself. [01:48:39] Speaker C: Yep. Comes in eatin dudes. [01:48:43] Speaker B: Yes, I would have. I feel like I could have met you on the way in as well. And so we walk in together, and I have an apple that I am about to bite into, and then I see that Renee is, like, going to town on some food, and then I just kind of put the apple on the table in front of you. [01:49:04] Speaker D: Thank you. [01:49:07] Speaker B: Did you miss it? [01:49:08] Speaker D: Hi. [01:49:08] Speaker B: Hello. [01:49:10] Speaker D: Yeah. Is that dust? [01:49:16] Speaker C: Oh, it's only on the outside of the bag. [01:49:17] Speaker B: I didn't want to ask, to be honest. [01:49:21] Speaker C: It's fine. [01:49:22] Speaker B: See? [01:49:23] Speaker C: And sort of shows them to you, but, like, at a distance, so you don't take any. Not that I think you would. The bag is covered in dust. [01:49:33] Speaker D: Picks up the apple offered by castor, and just takes a bite of a new piece of food. [01:49:39] Speaker E: A new piece of food. [01:49:41] Speaker A: A not dusty piece of food. [01:49:43] Speaker B: A not dusty piece of food. I will look at Tom, though, and kind of, like, hold my hand out, like. [01:49:54] Speaker D: Ew. [01:49:55] Speaker B: Okay, swift, a short. Where's Judy? [01:50:03] Speaker E: Not here yet, although I haven't checked the upper levels. But the librarian left and told me I was the only one in here, so I'm assuming she's not here yet, which is weird, I think. [01:50:15] Speaker B: Yeah, that is a bit odd. Um, I can go check really quick. I'm fast. I'm gonna go jog upstairs, look around. [01:50:25] Speaker D: Takes a long look as you jog away, just like, huh? [01:50:32] Speaker E: Was that a gay look? [01:50:33] Speaker A: What do you. [01:50:33] Speaker E: What do you look like? [01:50:34] Speaker A: It was a gay look. [01:50:35] Speaker D: It was a gay look. [01:50:35] Speaker E: I see, I see, I see. [01:50:39] Speaker B: Hate to see you go, but love to watch you leave. Yeah, I do. I'm assuming I don't find her up there or anyone. [01:50:51] Speaker A: As you just sort of making a steady jog. As you're doing this, you're not really paying attention. You don't see anybody, but suddenly your foot slips on something and give me a. Let's. Let's do either. Like, let's. [01:51:11] Speaker D: Let's do a. [01:51:13] Speaker A: Let's see. We're gonna do a grit check. [01:51:17] Speaker B: Oh, we're gonna watch me eat shit. [01:51:19] Speaker A: Uh, we're gonna we're just gonna do a, we'll do a six. [01:51:28] Speaker B: Oh, I no, I can't do it. [01:51:33] Speaker D: I have a d four in grid. [01:51:35] Speaker B: There's no way. [01:51:37] Speaker C: If you roll a four, you get your job. [01:51:40] Speaker B: Okay. Okay. But here's the thing. Oh, I did. [01:51:46] Speaker A: Hey. [01:51:48] Speaker B: I was I was all prepared, and then I did. Okay, that's seven total. [01:51:52] Speaker A: Seven total. So, like, as you do, you feel your foot, like, start to slip a little bit, and you kind of, like, throw your arms as I almost knock over my own ring light to balance yourself and kind of, like, skid a little bit. And do you turn around and see what you slipped on? [01:52:13] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. I'm gonna be like, oh, whoa. [01:52:17] Speaker A: It is certainly red, and it is certainly wet and smells very metallic. [01:52:25] Speaker B: How much is there? [01:52:30] Speaker A: Say, a bit more than just somebody had a nosebleed. [01:52:36] Speaker B: Guys, I think you should come up here now. [01:52:45] Speaker E: Uh, and hearing that fo will just, like, close my books, but leave my stuff on the table, and I'll run as fast as I can. [01:52:58] Speaker D: Yeah, I think Renee just brings the apple and nothing else. Yeah. [01:53:05] Speaker C: I think that. Hearing the panic, Tom goes a step further, and there are around one of his wrists a sort of bracelet of woven, like, wisteria fronds. And it sort of pulls off and reconfigures itself into the hilt of a knife. And the air around sort of swirls into a blade. This is what I want. [01:53:35] Speaker A: Hell, yeah. [01:53:36] Speaker D: That's sick. [01:53:39] Speaker A: What if fun, nice. [01:53:42] Speaker D: On brand. Good for Tom. [01:53:44] Speaker B: I love it. I love it. I love it. [01:53:46] Speaker A: Yes. And as you do this and you move up caster, you're just sort of continuing to look. [01:53:58] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm frozen. I still have my arms out, bracing myself, staring directly at it. [01:54:04] Speaker A: Yeah. And it's, like, kind of, like, near one of the corners, like, off to your right is, like, this small area that, like, it's got a desk and things like that. And you notice that the chair is on its fallen over. You can't really see any. There's nothing that seems to be on the table, but the chair has fallen over. And behind where the chair is, one would think maybe where a person's head would be is this blood stain. And you all see this as you come upstairs. [01:54:46] Speaker D: You're right. Is that. [01:54:50] Speaker B: You know what? Why don't you tell me what you see, and we can see if I'm hallucinating. [01:55:01] Speaker D: Are you bleeding? [01:55:02] Speaker B: No, it's not me. That's, like, a lot of blood, isn't it? [01:55:10] Speaker E: Can I look around? For, like, literally anything else that might be here besides the blood. [01:55:16] Speaker A: Yeah, let's, uh. Let's do a brains roll. This one will be. [01:55:20] Speaker E: I'm so good at that, you guys. [01:55:22] Speaker A: Yeah, let's. This is going to be at a 12. [01:55:31] Speaker D: May I also make this check? [01:55:32] Speaker A: Yes. [01:55:33] Speaker E: It will also be at a 1216. [01:55:39] Speaker D: 15. [01:55:40] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. You both. You both see and you're both looking, and you'll both notice different things. So, Faro, you see what appears to be a school bag sort of shoved underneath this desk in a way that, like, was trying to, like, hide that it was seen. And then, Renee, you look, and the first thing you notice is a book, like, on the bookshelf, but it's shoved. It's different because it's spying backwards. It's pages out. And this, unlike the books, the rest around it looks to be hand bound leather. [01:56:38] Speaker B: I'm, like, freaking out. [01:56:39] Speaker A: Should we call. [01:56:39] Speaker B: Should we call someone? [01:56:42] Speaker D: Renee does not respond and walks straight over to this strange book. [01:56:46] Speaker B: But, like, Dewey, don't go near its crime scene. [01:56:50] Speaker D: It's a library. And he pulls the book off the shelf. [01:56:55] Speaker A: Yeah, um, it is. It is this hand bound leather Tome. Uh, you know, it's got yay big wraps around with a leather cord, and embossed on the. On the COVID is what looks to be a ram's head. [01:57:27] Speaker D: This must have been what Juniper was talking about. [01:57:36] Speaker E: Meanwhile, Faro will pull out the school bag. Is it juniper's bag? [01:57:43] Speaker A: Yes, it does appear to be juniper's bag, because, one, juniper is very much the kind of person to write on the inside of her bag. That juniper. And two, you do notice that it's got her agenda in it. It's got her planner in it doesn't have a lot else. You don't see her wand. You don't see any of her, like, school books. You see, like, a planner and what appears to be, like, some snacks, and that's it. [01:58:20] Speaker E: Faro kind of pulls everything out, like, slowly, like, looking at it. And then they say, well, this. This is definitely, um, definitely her stuff. What. What's that. [01:58:43] Speaker D: Look? And knowing that some magical items have power and being a little bit wary of trying new things at this moment, uh, Renee's gonna bring it over and not open it. [01:58:57] Speaker E: I. Can I look at it? [01:58:59] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:59:00] Speaker E: Is there anything, um. Do I feel any sinister magics? Uh, do I. I vibe check this thing? [01:59:10] Speaker A: Vibe check. [01:59:11] Speaker E: Um, yeah. Can I vibe check it? [01:59:14] Speaker A: That'll be. Let's do, uh, to vibe check something. Do a grit roll. [01:59:19] Speaker E: Cool. [01:59:20] Speaker A: That's a stat it is a stat, and we're gonna do a five. [01:59:27] Speaker E: Okay. Oh, surprisingly well. I got a ten. [01:59:35] Speaker A: Yeah. No, this book feels weird. Like, maybe there's magic in it, maybe it's a book, but, like, you don't feel like this book is going to retaliate if you decide to open it. But there's definitely a weird feeling about this book. [01:59:52] Speaker E: Okay, I am going to open it then. And I think, like, I hold it away from my body, like, arms fully outstretched to open it, just in case. [02:00:07] Speaker D: Kicking over your elbow just to see it. [02:00:09] Speaker B: Yeah. [02:00:10] Speaker E: Yeah. [02:00:10] Speaker D: Tall enough to look over your shoulder. [02:00:12] Speaker B: I hide directly behind Tom. It's kind of hilarious because I'm, like, six'one. You are? [02:00:20] Speaker C: Yeah. Significantly taller than me. [02:00:22] Speaker A: Yeah. As you open it, this book, it doesn't have a name on it or anything. As you open it and it appears to be notes of some kind, you see these magical circles drawn in it, like drawing. My brain immediately jumped to sacred geometry, saying something like that. It is. It is these equations. It is things that, to somebody, don't make a lot of sense. And as you flip through it, there's more. There are more of these equations. There are more of strange shorthand notes that are in sort of this very small, scratchy handwriting. [02:01:33] Speaker D: Recognize the handwriting? [02:01:41] Speaker A: Probably not, but give me a brains roll. See if you recognize it. This is going to be a 19. [02:01:55] Speaker D: It tried it. That's a 17 you'll like. [02:01:58] Speaker A: You seen this handwriting before? [02:02:01] Speaker D: Do you have adversity tokens? I do. No, I don't think it's gonna get better than that. Listen, I know how numbers work. I was wondering if it was juniper or, like. [02:02:15] Speaker A: It is not juniper. [02:02:20] Speaker E: I think the writing, I feel like juniper, reads to me as someone who also has very neat handwriting, but the kind of, like, bubble letters. Kind of handwriting, like, wider, not like bubble letters, but very rounded letters. [02:02:35] Speaker D: Renee has, like, perfect cursive. [02:02:37] Speaker E: Yes. With the little hearts on the eyes like that. That vibe. Or draws a circle for the dots, for the eyes. That. That vibe of handwriting, I think there, as I sort of flip through the pages, there's a flash of recognition across Faro's eyes. And if any of the three of you are watching my face, I don't think. I don't think I do a very good job of hiding it. It's subtle, but it's there. [02:03:19] Speaker C: I am not paying attention to photo, but for a reason. [02:03:25] Speaker E: Valid. [02:03:26] Speaker D: I love this for you. Go on. [02:03:29] Speaker E: Are you busy eating your nuts in the corner? What's going on? Your dusty nuts. [02:03:33] Speaker B: Dusty nuts. [02:03:35] Speaker C: Is there a way to attempt to contact juniper? Like a message spell, something of that nature? [02:03:44] Speaker A: Yeah, I would say there is a message spell. And that'll be like a brains. [02:03:50] Speaker B: Probably a brains magic roll. [02:03:55] Speaker A: It's a pretty simple spell. It's probably one you learn pretty early. So we're going to make it, like, a five for your success. [02:04:09] Speaker C: That's a nine. [02:04:11] Speaker A: A nine? [02:04:12] Speaker C: Yeah. So I think we see Tom sort of lean down towards the blood spatter and touch the edge of the sort of wind dagger into it. So now there's just like, a red tip floating in the middle of the air, basically, and bring it up to his mouth and whisper into it. Trunni, are you. Are you okay? [02:04:41] Speaker A: You get a feeling that the message is delivered, but the person is unable to respond. [02:04:53] Speaker B: She left you on red? [02:04:55] Speaker E: Oh, no, not that. [02:04:59] Speaker C: Well, now we know she's in trouble, because obviously no one would do that willingly. [02:05:05] Speaker E: No one leaves me on red. [02:05:09] Speaker B: She must be in danger. She would never ignore my calls. Yeah, I think Caster, especially when you leave, he's just kind of like. I really think we should call someone. Like, I understand that we're very in investigative mode, and that's very inspiring. However, I'm sure there's someone else we could call who would be able to take care of this. Clear. Murder or kidnapping or something, whatever's happening here. Am I the only sane one? [02:05:45] Speaker C: My message delivered. Just couldn't respond. But, Faro, you were here earlier. Did you? And there was no one else. [02:06:00] Speaker E: I think Faro has put his glasses back on and is flipping through the book again, like, looking more closely at these symbols again, like their eyes are squinted, eyebrows furrowed, and mouth slightly agape as I am looking through all of these scratched notes whatsoever. And then when you speak, he's almost, like, jolted out of this concentration and says. What? Yeah. When I arrived to the library, there was, like, only a few others, but they left when the librarian left. I was the only one here for quite some time. [02:06:52] Speaker B: No one else noticed the big growing pile of blood on the floor downstairs? [02:07:01] Speaker E: I was downstairs. I didn't go upstairs. [02:07:08] Speaker B: Okay, well, what's in the book? You got this weird look on your face when you opened it. [02:07:15] Speaker E: Um, and I turned the book around to show you. It's someone's notes alchemy. [02:07:34] Speaker B: Okay, does the book have a. Have a name in it or. So why. Why was it turned outward? [02:07:50] Speaker E: So that you can look at it in the shelf. [02:07:57] Speaker B: That's what I'm saying. Is this supposed to be important? Okay, you know what? I'm not a detective. [02:08:02] Speaker D: So you're right. We should contact someone. [02:08:06] Speaker B: Yes. Thank you. I believe so. [02:08:09] Speaker D: But also, we should who? See what this book is about. No. [02:08:15] Speaker B: The headmaster, Ravenswood, or the librarian or someone. [02:08:24] Speaker E: A janitor. [02:08:28] Speaker B: I imagine. We might need one eventually. [02:08:32] Speaker E: I think. Farah's gaze just looks down at the blood, then back up. [02:08:41] Speaker C: If you're telling a professor, I don't want to be involved in that. I mean, you just happen to find a pile of blood in the middle of a room where no one else was, that no one else noticed? [02:08:56] Speaker D: Caster wouldn't. [02:08:58] Speaker B: I'm sorry. [02:09:00] Speaker D: Wouldn't? Yeah. Why? No one would think that. Yeah. [02:09:05] Speaker B: No. Only people who have things to hide think like that. [02:09:10] Speaker E: I think a little too quickly. Photo says, I have nothing to hide. [02:09:18] Speaker B: Caster's face goes from, um. Goes from tom to you, and then, like, just glances at Renee. [02:09:25] Speaker D: Like you two or Renee just shrugs. [02:09:30] Speaker B: Oh, okay. Why should I get involved in this? Okay, well, I have nothing to hide, so how about I go tell someone, and you all do whatever it was you were doing? [02:09:48] Speaker D: So what's the alchemy? [02:09:52] Speaker A: What. [02:09:52] Speaker D: What were they trying to make? [02:09:55] Speaker E: Uh, looking at the alchemy, what was this person trying to do? What are the notes on for you? [02:10:03] Speaker A: This would be a relatively easy check. So just to see how much you get from what it is. Give me another brain's roll, I'll gladly. [02:10:17] Speaker E: Roll my d 20 again. [02:10:18] Speaker A: Yeah, go. [02:10:19] Speaker C: Roll. [02:10:19] Speaker A: Throw it right. [02:10:20] Speaker D: Right. [02:10:21] Speaker E: Can I add my bonus for being good at alchemy to this? [02:10:24] Speaker D: Yes. [02:10:24] Speaker A: Yes, you can. [02:10:26] Speaker B: Yay. [02:10:28] Speaker E: Oh, that is math. 1515. [02:10:33] Speaker A: You see a person who's. This book also seems old, like, the pages are all yellowed and worn. This seems to be, you see formulas for elixirs that strengthen people. You see formulas for elixirs that transform people. And along with the elixirs to transform, you see these almost dissecting drawings of people with these arms that have become weapons. You see notes on. You see notes on a lot of. About. There's some stuff about various monsters and creatures that have existed because of the never ending night. There is notes on how to take monster blood and turn it into a reagent for alchemy. Specifically, blood of the monsters that come from a different plane and the effects that it has on a person, they're not pretty. [02:12:08] Speaker E: Um, I think as I'm flipping through this book, uh, I point out, um. Point out these things. Um, the whole time, Faro's voice is soft and sounding a little bit confused because above the table, Faro knows who this book belongs to and is sort of trying to process that silent. [02:12:51] Speaker D: Do you think it's a hunter's book? Like one of the hunters came through and left it? [02:13:00] Speaker E: Quite odd to leave. It turned out. [02:13:06] Speaker D: You said it was. The spine was facing inward, which something that obfuscates the book it makes. Draws so much more attention to it. [02:13:20] Speaker E: Um, do you think juniper had anything to do with it? [02:13:27] Speaker D: This is. [02:13:29] Speaker E: Could this be what she found? Because there's nothing else here, at least. Uh, and I'm looking sort of at the blood and kind of at everyone else. I mean, I don't know if her bag was shoved under the desk as if to try to hide it. So perhaps if she knew that she might have been in danger or something. [02:13:59] Speaker C: Is there anything else in the bag? And I think that Tom will pick it up and go through it, maybe more carefully than Faro did. [02:14:06] Speaker E: Yeah, and Faro just offhandedly. This might be the funniest thing Faro has said all day. Faro just says there are snacks in there, but not for you. [02:14:27] Speaker C: Do I find anything more incriminating than non dusty snacks? [02:14:37] Speaker A: You see, the. There are, like, various, like, writing implements in there. You would all know that Juniper would keep, like, all of her books in her bag. The fact that they are not there is definitely something that would stand out to you. The only thing is her agenda, which was kind of like, shoved in, like a. Sort of like a pocket in the bag. The snacks and the writing implements. [02:15:05] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, I'll skim through the agenda, see if she made any notes in there, either to us or just, like, going to talk to you x, about this creepy book I found. [02:15:21] Speaker A: You see, for the. The last couple of days, she has some notes about. There's one note that says, talked to Prescott at bookseller, you know, question mark. Question mark. Question mark. You know, she said she would get some books for me and then Graham was going to procure a reagent. Both were on different days, and it does not. They were in the last week or so. [02:16:08] Speaker C: Well, that's something, I suppose. And showing the pages to the rest of the group, maybe grand. [02:16:19] Speaker E: Sorry. Grandma's gonna procure a what? [02:16:23] Speaker D: Reagent. [02:16:24] Speaker A: Reagents. [02:16:24] Speaker D: Reagent. [02:16:30] Speaker E: What does that word mean? [02:16:32] Speaker A: An ingredient for a. Like a potion or spell. It doesn't specify what it could be for. Like, you know, a special kind of, you know, plant or something. For a potion. Or it could be a spell. Yeah. [02:16:52] Speaker E: You were saying ingredient. [02:16:53] Speaker A: Ingredient, yeah. [02:16:55] Speaker E: Oh, sorry. I'm looking at the captions and it's saying a different word. And I was like, what does that mean? Never mind. You can cut that out. [02:17:12] Speaker B: I will. I would have. I would like to mention that I would have left as soon as I said I was going to. [02:17:17] Speaker A: Yeah. [02:17:17] Speaker B: Because I feel like I just. I don't know if I ever specified that I left. [02:17:21] Speaker A: I imagine we'll get to you in just a second. And what you. What you learn. [02:17:27] Speaker D: Do. Do any of us know who Graham is? [02:17:32] Speaker A: You will. You'll know that Elric Graham is the owner of the. The mysterium. The Elric's mystical mysterium, which is a magic supply shop. [02:17:48] Speaker D: Very familiar. [02:17:49] Speaker A: More likely than not. The other one is the owner of the twilight bookseller. They're both two things that you've probably spent a lot of time in. In this district. [02:18:00] Speaker D: And a lot of money. [02:18:02] Speaker A: That too. [02:18:08] Speaker D: Well, she's clearly working on something. [02:18:17] Speaker C: Something from this. Some sort of. Holy blood. Alchemy. It's strange. Is that something that juniper was interested in? [02:18:30] Speaker D: I wish I'd have known. [02:18:34] Speaker A: You don't ever remember Juniper talking about, like, specifically this. Juniper had taken alchemy before, but, you know, specifically this. This is left field. [02:18:47] Speaker E: It doesn't strike me as something that she would be interested in herself. Perhaps this is. This isn't her handwriting either. [02:19:10] Speaker D: Are you all right? [02:19:14] Speaker E: I'm fine. Don't worry about me. [02:19:30] Speaker A: So, Castor, where are you headed? [02:19:37] Speaker B: So I'll probably head to, like, the headmaster's office, but, like, literally the first person I see who preferably is the faculty member, I'm going to flag down. [02:19:48] Speaker A: Yeah. [02:19:49] Speaker E: Principal. Principal, we found blood in the library. [02:19:56] Speaker A: Yeah, you, um. You're making your way upstairs because the headmaster lives near the, like, the top. Like, office is near the top. And you're. Are you. Are you running? Are you power walking? How are you moving? Are you, um. [02:20:14] Speaker B: To be honest with you, I want to go fast, so I think I'm actually writing my broom. Yeah. Okay. So I don't know if this is. [02:20:24] Speaker D: Allowed, but it doesn't matter. [02:20:25] Speaker B: I'm breaking rules. I. [02:20:27] Speaker A: This seems like a time to break the rules. [02:20:28] Speaker D: This seems like the time to break the rules. [02:20:30] Speaker B: It just seems like an emergency. I don't know. [02:20:31] Speaker E: You can't ride a broom inside the school. [02:20:34] Speaker A: Bite me. [02:20:36] Speaker E: I will. [02:20:38] Speaker B: Oh, no, I'm kidding. I have. I have, um. My pen. My pen that I. I play with, but I don't, um. I don't usually write anything with, um. I. I. Basically, as soon as I get out of the doors of the library, I uncap it. Put the cap on the back. And then I twist it. And it turns into my broom, which is black and has silver, like silvery, like streaks through the wood. And then the bristles are like a white and silver. And I hop on it and I race off. [02:21:15] Speaker A: It's quite fast. Yeah. You, as you do this, probably like, you literally almost collide with Professor Talis as he is exiting the alchemy classroom and. [02:21:31] Speaker B: Oh, my God. I'm so sorry. [02:21:33] Speaker A: What is song? [02:21:34] Speaker B: Oh, this. This. There is lot in the library. There's a lot of blood. And I think that. Juniper. Juniper. No factor. You know, she's. I think she's missing and possibly in a lot of danger. What do we do? [02:21:49] Speaker A: You. And, you know, there's sort of these emotions and, like. Where in the library is this? Please slow down. Speak. [02:22:01] Speaker B: 2Nd. 2nd floor. [02:22:02] Speaker A: Second floor. Okay. And you, I will go get the headmaster. Wait where it is. And we'll come to you. [02:22:17] Speaker B: Okay. Okay. Okay. And I hop back on my broom, and I go right back to library. Okay. The headmaster's coming. I found Professor Taos and they're coming, I think. What did we find out? [02:22:34] Speaker D: Great. Um. Well, this isn't Juniper's book. [02:22:42] Speaker B: It's not? [02:22:43] Speaker D: No. [02:22:45] Speaker E: Not her handwriting. [02:22:49] Speaker B: Okay. Uh, that's odd. Is that the thing that she was talking about then? That she found that she wanted help? Extra eyes on? [02:23:04] Speaker D: Yeah. It's peculiar, I would imagine. That's what she told me. [02:23:13] Speaker C: And she asked Prescott, the bookseller, for a few other books as well. Maybe if we see what those are, we can get a better sense. [02:23:22] Speaker B: What do you mean? What do you mean you want to pursue this? I just told you the headmaster's coming. [02:23:33] Speaker D: I'm interested in just seeing what she was pursuing. [02:23:41] Speaker B: I mean, that's. That's. That's fair, I suppose. [02:23:46] Speaker D: Okay. [02:23:47] Speaker B: Um. Well, it might be a bit late to talk to Prescott now. Do you want to maybe do it tomorrow? [02:23:55] Speaker D: I could do it tomorrow. [02:23:58] Speaker E: Um, I think. I think Faro has sat down in one of the other chairs. Not the bloodied one, another chair. And I'm still flipping through this book. And I think, like, from my corner of wherever I'm sitting, Faro is looking at something in the back of this book. And I think ever since the incident, I guess I'll call it. A lot of the warmth from. From his skin has faded. Their skin tone is a lot cooler on the cooler side. With cooler undertones now. And they look just a bit paler than they used to be. But as you look over at Faro now, he looks even paler than normal. And they look up, and they look at you three, and they say, well, whatever. Whatever Junie was investigating, it wasn't good. Look at this. And I'm turning the book around to show you three. And on this page is a fairly advanced, like, advanced alchemy, written in a shorthand that one would like. You basically have to know a lot about alchemy, me, to be able to understand this shorthand. It's like, I don't even know. It's like the equivalent of writing, like, the elements on the periodic table by their, like, two letter thing, instead of writing it out or whatever, like, you just have to know it. And when I'm assuming there's not really a flash of recognition on anybody, faces photo is kind of like looking at you. Like, look at this. And when, like, nobody sort of gets it, they say this. You remember class earlier today. Well, this. Someone is doing research and creating a. I can't. [02:26:50] Speaker A: What is it? [02:26:52] Speaker E: How to turn someone into a ghoul. [02:27:00] Speaker D: On purpose? [02:27:02] Speaker B: Why would anyone do that? [02:27:04] Speaker E: I have absolutely no idea. But, yes, this. This appears to be. And I turn the book back around, and I'm. Now I'm looking through it again, and I run a finger down the page, and I say, it's a recipe. Instructions on how to make something. It appears the end product might be not. Not a liquid, not powder, perhaps a gas. And if you ingest it, turn you into. Well, into a ghoul. It's not very good. [02:27:44] Speaker B: Oh, that's bad. That's really bad. [02:27:49] Speaker C: What are the components? And Tom takes out a notebook to copy down what father says. I'll. I'll talk to Graham tomorrow. And, I mean, that's what junior was working on. You don't know. You can't read it? [02:28:01] Speaker E: No. I don't know if we should just go around telling people about this. Obviously, I don't know if it would work, but that's what it's for. [02:28:14] Speaker D: One ingredient in particular, a unique one. [02:28:18] Speaker E: Is there something like that lovely GM. Is there one iconic ingredient that one might need to complete this horrid task? [02:28:31] Speaker A: Yes. Yes, there is. There is. You notice there is a. There is something that is very hard to get your hands on for this. It is a particular venom that comes from a chimera. That is chimera venom. It is very hard to get your hands on. And it's not exactly like one of those things that you can just go to the alchemy store and buy. Usually, somebody would need it. They would get in contact with a hunter who would be able to get it for them, or someone who worked at a store. Because the venom itself is stored in. Because they got the scorpion tail and discovered that it also makes a very good thing to create an aerosol solution because of the way it breaks down certain things. [02:29:39] Speaker C: I'm not saying that juniper was trying to make this particular recipe, but we know she was in contact with Graham. We know that she was looking for a reagent. I can go tomorrow and say I'm picking it up for her, asking about the status of it. And if it's something else, then that's great. [02:30:01] Speaker E: Yeah. And I think photo this whole time was sort of like looking at the ingredients, like, because again, like, in shorthand, what have you. Trying to process it all. Uh, Faro will, uh, say, um, uh, pretty much exactly what you said. And I can read the captions. This is something that's very hard to get your hands on. Like, say what you said. I say that, um, you do. And, uh, then Faro just says, it's concerning. I wouldn't want to, you know, draw attention to us if we are going around asking about these things that I actually agree with. [02:30:49] Speaker D: I have a concern. This book was here in this library. [02:30:57] Speaker A: What? [02:30:59] Speaker E: What's not? [02:31:02] Speaker D: Yes, but someone. There's more than one person who knows about this in this school. Not to be paranoid, but books just don't appear. People don't just find things. Someone put them there. [02:31:22] Speaker E: Best assumption is that the thing that Junie found and was so antsy to tell us about was probably the book. It's my guess, anyway. [02:31:37] Speaker D: Yes. [02:31:38] Speaker B: Junior doesn't seem like the type of person who would want to pursue this. But I imagine if, you know, she had picked up the book at some point and realized what it was, she'd be scared. [02:31:51] Speaker D: I'm saying someone put it in here. [02:31:59] Speaker B: I think it for her to us, to fight. [02:32:02] Speaker D: No. Someone is keeping a book full of very dangerous knowledge in this school. [02:32:09] Speaker E: Oh, you meant here as in general. You're not here specifically in the library. I see. [02:32:20] Speaker B: That's a long way. [02:32:22] Speaker A: It is about this time you hear the sound of the doors to the library open and several pairs of boots moving. And this is kind of the what do you choose to do? Moment. [02:32:37] Speaker B: I'm gonna panic. [02:32:39] Speaker D: In his fit of paranoia, Rene has palmed from a holster tucked along his very well tailored trousers, a shockingly mundane looking wand that is knotted and gnarled and relatively small. And he's just holding it very tightly, white knuckling his very fair skin over it. And his black, very well manicured nails are kind of digging into his hair a little bit. [02:33:16] Speaker E: Um, I I'm just gonna roll evens or odds real quick. Don't mind. [02:33:24] Speaker D: I love this game. I love this game. [02:33:26] Speaker B: Love it, love it, love it. [02:33:29] Speaker E: I think as soon as, as soon as photo hears the footsteps, he's gonna shove that book back on the shelf, and I'm gonna stand in front of it. [02:33:41] Speaker A: Mm hmm. [02:33:43] Speaker B: Right side. Right side in. [02:33:45] Speaker E: Yeah, well, I'm just. Yeah, I'm just putting it back on the shelf and standing in front of it. [02:33:50] Speaker A: Yeah. As you do that, there is up coming from the stairs, you see the headmaster, Andrea Sorbentlet, in sort of his weird sort of, sort of ethereal, elven glory. You know, he's, he's very old and very strange. And you see behind him, you see Professor Tallis, and you see a couple of the other professors as well. They come up and they see you. They see the bloodstain, and, and, you know, there's like. Look, just being like. Professor Talis approaches you. Just. Just tell us what happened. Tell us what you found. [02:34:35] Speaker E: Well, I was in the library since pretty much midway through dinner, and there was nobody in here. And we were waiting for our friend, and we waited for quite some time. She never showed up. And we decided to go upstairs and just look for her. And we found all this blood and her bag. So she was here at some point. [02:35:07] Speaker A: Okay. Um, Daniel looks at everybody else and just being like, please, I ask that you all head back to your dorms. We will figure out what is going on here and what might have happened to your friend. [02:35:21] Speaker D: Any of them seem not shocked? [02:35:25] Speaker A: Give me a brains roll. [02:35:27] Speaker B: I also. May I also. Now I'm paranoid. [02:35:33] Speaker D: Paranoia. That's a 13. [02:35:36] Speaker B: Hold on. I don't remember what my brains. Oh, yeah. Okay. Ta da. That's five. I got nothing. [02:35:51] Speaker A: Caster, you're still just kind of freaked out about everything. And, renee, you're unsure if they not acting surprised, or are they just trying to push it down because they're the adults, and they need to be the ones that are in charge, and you're all freaked out, and they don't want to freak you out more. [02:36:16] Speaker D: Renee will remember this. [02:36:27] Speaker E: I think faro is just looking between all of the people's faces. The headmaster, professor tallis, and whoever else arrived. Guards or security or. [02:36:41] Speaker A: There's a couple of the other professors. Yeah, like a faculty meeting. And some of them came. [02:36:49] Speaker E: And I think I'm just standing there like slack jawed, frozen in place. Partially because I'm trying to stand in front of this book, and also partially just in shock. [02:37:06] Speaker A: Yeah. [02:37:10] Speaker B: I will come over and kind of start. I'll just, like, tug on pharos wrist. As I do, though, I'm coming around, and I'm going to palm the book. [02:37:23] Speaker A: Okay, let's. Let's do a. [02:37:31] Speaker E: A charm roll. [02:37:32] Speaker A: Feels applicable. [02:37:33] Speaker B: A charm. Okay. [02:37:35] Speaker A: It feels applicable. [02:37:37] Speaker E: Can I help if I know what cast casters trying to do? [02:37:42] Speaker A: Yeah, I would say, like, if Caster makes it obvious enough, that's what they're trying to do, you know? Let's do a charm roll. This is. There's a lot going on right now, so this is just going to be, like, a ten. [02:37:58] Speaker B: A ten. [02:37:58] Speaker A: Okay. Just because it's, like, what does help give me? [02:38:03] Speaker B: Is it plus one or. [02:38:05] Speaker A: Yeah, sure. I'll say to plus one. [02:38:07] Speaker B: Plus one. [02:38:07] Speaker A: Okay. [02:38:12] Speaker E: I think how I help. While you roll, I think how I help is you come up next to me and you grab onto my wrist, and, um, I think I. As I turn around, I think I turn towards, like, if you're pulling me this way, I turn towards the bookcase and turn my back towards everyone. And I see you reaching for the book. And so instead of just going with you, automatically, I stand. I linger for, like, an extra second. You try to grab this thing. [02:38:42] Speaker B: Cool. I rolled a seven, but I am going to use two adversity tokens to make it a nine. I'm sorry, I forgot how math works. [02:38:57] Speaker A: You're good math. Math is fine. We're all gay. [02:38:59] Speaker B: Make it a nine. That doesn't sound right. [02:39:01] Speaker A: Yeah. With these adversity tokens and Pharaoh's help, you're able to just sort of pull that book and, like, carry it down low enough that, you know, as you turn, you can just slide it into a bag or something as you're ushered out of the library. [02:39:25] Speaker B: Yeah, I will. Yeah, I'll kind of, like. Just kind of be like, come on, let's go. [02:39:31] Speaker E: And I think we go downstairs, we collect our stuff. [02:39:34] Speaker A: Yes. [02:39:35] Speaker E: And then we leave. [02:39:36] Speaker D: I think Renee collects his stuff relatively slowly and kind of makes a show of dealing with the food in particular and really, like, taking his time to listen for what's going on before leaving. [02:39:48] Speaker A: Yeah, you. You hear a bunch of very quiet, muffled conversation from above. Let's do a. I was like, let's do a flight roll. [02:40:02] Speaker D: All right. [02:40:03] Speaker A: To see how well you listen. And then. [02:40:12] Speaker D: It'S six. [02:40:14] Speaker A: Six. You pick out Juniper's name a bunch, but not much beyond that. They're speaking very, very quietly. And, you know, you watch as, like, a couple of the teachers are sort of staring at. Standing by, like, the. Where the stairs are. [02:40:34] Speaker D: This starts to really frustrate Renee, who always puts on this air of being so together. And the more he can hear them whispering, the more aggressively he starts to put away his stuff. Yeah. And finally he finishes. Ed puffs out. [02:41:02] Speaker E: Everybody else when Faro and Caster leave, as soon as we're, like, far enough away, I just pull you into a corner where the wall would dip in just so quickly. And I. Oh, goodness. Um. Oh, not like that. [02:41:23] Speaker D: I know, I know, I know. I was just joking. I'm sorry. [02:41:27] Speaker E: And I kiss you. No. And I take my own bag, and I just, like, open it. I think I have, like, a satchel or something. And I just open it, and I say, if. May I study it? [02:41:44] Speaker B: Yeah. No, I mean, I don't have any use for it. Rubbish at alchemy. And I will give it to you, but as I'm passing it over, I will just kind of, like, hold your gaze for a second. I'll be like, I don't know why you don't want to trust the adults with this, but I'm trusting you. Okay. [02:42:06] Speaker E: I know. [02:42:08] Speaker B: Okay. [02:42:09] Speaker E: Thank. Thank you. [02:42:11] Speaker B: Yeah, no problem. It's fine. Um, we should talk tomorrow, probably. [02:42:20] Speaker E: Yeah. I I'm gonna pour over this tonight, see if I see anything else concerning. That's only one page. The amount of time it took for me to decipher that. Who knows what else is in here? [02:42:44] Speaker B: Well, be safe, be careful. [02:42:49] Speaker E: I will. [02:42:51] Speaker D: At this point, behind you in a huff. Renee is just, like, storming down the hallway. [02:42:59] Speaker E: And I pop out of that sort of, like, inset wall, and I also start walking, although I don't turn around to acknowledge you, but we're both walking in the same direction because we share a room. [02:43:10] Speaker A: Yep. [02:43:14] Speaker C: Are there external windows on the second floor of the library? [02:43:19] Speaker B: God bless. [02:43:19] Speaker A: Yes, there are. [02:43:21] Speaker E: Hell, yeah. [02:43:22] Speaker B: Let's go. [02:43:22] Speaker D: Needs a miscreant. Right. This is how this works. [02:43:27] Speaker C: So I think that Tom slipped out, like, really fast as soon as the professor showed up. Like, not before. Like, they saw his face, but he left immediately when they told him to, and then got out the broom and got up to a window and attempted to cast some sort of, like, stealthifying spell on his little pipe fox and gently nudged it through the window. [02:44:00] Speaker A: You send your pipe fox in to sneak around? [02:44:05] Speaker C: Yes. Because we can communicate with familiars, correct? Or. Yeah. Okay, cool. Yeah. I send it in to attempt to listen. [02:44:19] Speaker A: Well, give me a. We'll do a grit roll from you as well to see how well you're familiar. Familiar does great. [02:44:30] Speaker C: You sure that's not like charm? Having some situational awareness? [02:44:34] Speaker A: They're all charm. [02:44:35] Speaker B: Thank you. [02:44:38] Speaker A: We'll do a charm. [02:44:44] Speaker C: Okay, so that's a five. [02:44:47] Speaker A: Five was the dc I would tire. It would be, I would say, be at like an eight or a nine. Do you have enough adversity tokens for that? [02:45:02] Speaker C: I've got five adversity tokens. So I'll spend them. So up to an eight. So I spend three or up to a nine. [02:45:14] Speaker A: We'll go with nine. So you'll see been before. And you do that. And it's just you're hearing a bit about. You're hearing more than Renee was able to hear earlier, but still not completely. Just to be safe and not have your familiar be seen. The one thing you do pick up is the headmaster saying in hushed tones to Professor Tallis, what did you do? And then there's a lot about. There's not a lot else that you can pick up. [02:46:00] Speaker C: I think. I mean, just that is spicy enough to call back the pipe fox and attempt to reconvene with the rest of the group. [02:46:13] Speaker D: Paranoid now. [02:46:17] Speaker B: Here. I think only Caster is still in the hallway. [02:46:22] Speaker E: Yeah. Faro has left. Photo knows too much. And I am running away. [02:46:29] Speaker B: I gave up my book, so I'm just chilling. I am waiting for you, though, because I'm like, uh, we all need to go. [02:46:37] Speaker D: Yeah. There were too many adults standing around and whispering and keeping secrets in front of a rich kid and he had to leave. [02:46:45] Speaker A: Nobody keeps secrets from me, basically. [02:46:51] Speaker D: Yeah. He's just stormed off. He's gone. He's going straight. Fastest route possible. He has it memorized, too, their rooms. [02:47:00] Speaker E: And actually what's really interesting is that I think it's very clear. I'm also going back to the room, but I veer off. [02:47:07] Speaker B: Yeah, the long route. [02:47:08] Speaker E: The long route. [02:47:09] Speaker D: The long route makes sense. [02:47:12] Speaker B: Castor is like, has, like, leaning against the wall with, like, 1ft up, but in his arms is his, is his fox, and he's just giving her scritches behind the ears because he's a little freaked out right now. [02:47:25] Speaker D: I actually think as Farro veers off, Renee stops, looks and sees that they have veered off and begins to follow Farro instead. [02:47:43] Speaker E: As you follow me, I think I take, you know, like, a very long. I think at some point you're wondering if I'm actually going back to our room or not. Like, it's so long winded that you're like, what the heck? Like, you know, he must be up to something. It's like, basically, if we had Google maps, and we are going the exact opposite of everything that Google Maps was telling us to go. That's what it feels like. But I think as you're following me, it's a similar scene to earlier. You watch as one of these lanterns, perhaps a wall sconce. This time, as I walk past it, the light seems to be consumed within my body, and it goes out just as quickly. I keep walking. [02:48:48] Speaker A: Seems that, yeah, it's Tom and Castor come back together. [02:48:54] Speaker C: I think it's. Tom is almost pleased that the other two aren't here. He storms over to Caster and says, you want to know why I didn't want to involve the professors? [02:49:05] Speaker B: Yes, that would be very enlightening. [02:49:08] Speaker C: I imagine Talus is involved somehow, and the headmaster knew. The headmaster asked Talus, what did you do. [02:49:20] Speaker B: Tallis? Well, he's. I'm sorry, what are Tallis? [02:49:24] Speaker C: Pronouns? [02:49:25] Speaker B: Hold on. [02:49:26] Speaker C: They, them, I think. [02:49:27] Speaker B: Is it they? I have the documents. [02:49:31] Speaker A: Oh, no, he's him. [02:49:33] Speaker E: He, him. [02:49:33] Speaker B: I was right. [02:49:35] Speaker C: Necromancy. Was they them? [02:49:37] Speaker E: Okay. [02:49:37] Speaker B: Yes, yes, yes. I caught that earlier, and I was like, oh, shoot, he's so nice. [02:49:46] Speaker C: I mean, he's an alchemist. It makes sense. [02:49:51] Speaker B: Do you think it's his book? [02:49:56] Speaker C: I don't know. Who here? Who else here it would be? I mean, the headmaster certainly seems to think it is. Maybe. [02:50:02] Speaker B: Wait, that makes sense, actually. Um, is it isn't. Isn't, um, talos. Isn't talos your mentor? Am I remembering that right? [02:50:20] Speaker E: Yes, Talos is my mentor. Yes. [02:50:22] Speaker D: Yeah. [02:50:23] Speaker B: Okay. Okay. [02:50:23] Speaker E: And above table. That is why I recognize. [02:50:25] Speaker B: Yeah. Is that, um. Is that, uh, common knowledge? Is it like a ta kind of thing, or is it, like, not quite ta? [02:50:34] Speaker E: So I think Faro is, um, in alchemy class. Uh, prior to this incident, uh, Faro, you know, was one of the best students in that class. And I think the professor, I think for other students, they would notice that Professor Tallis took special interest in faro, because I also had a really huge interest in the subject. The magic that I seemed to be gifted with, specifically dealt with light and healing. And so a large part of my studies, a lot of it, independent study, was me learning healing magic. And Talos was the one who was teaching me. I basically would show up to office hours and get additional instruction. And I regularly was completing additional projects. Some stuff like, on the professional level for Talus's own research. [02:51:41] Speaker B: Because you. There was a. You had finished a project. Project as well, and giving it to him earlier, and I had clocked that. So I think. I think that. I think that Caster is smart. [02:51:50] Speaker E: So, yes. [02:51:51] Speaker B: You would know to reason this. Yeah. [02:51:53] Speaker E: Yeah. [02:51:53] Speaker B: I think that Caster goes. That's why they were so focused on the book. Who tells his book? No, Faro. That's why they wanted the book. He's her mentor. [02:52:17] Speaker C: Do you think he's going to do something with it, give it back? [02:52:21] Speaker B: No, I don't. I don't. I don't think so. But I don't know. I feel like this is something we should really talk about. [02:52:33] Speaker C: Do you know where the room is? [02:52:36] Speaker B: I don't think I would. I don't think I would. No. Caster is more, like, interested in people outside of, like, private. So, like, more in public spaces. I think that makes sense there. He's very observant, though. He's very. He's very observant, very clever. So I think that there. He might be like, I know that in this wing. I know that they're what? What house are you. [02:53:06] Speaker D: Well, I'm crow. [02:53:08] Speaker E: I'm Magpie. [02:53:10] Speaker B: Oh, so you're two different ones. Okay, well, I imagine probably dorms are separated by house. Okay. [02:53:17] Speaker D: Also, I think we don't invite people over very often. [02:53:20] Speaker B: Super valid. Super valid. [02:53:21] Speaker E: Yeah. I don't think we invite people over, partially because I think both of us live in our own unique system of messiness, and we don't like inviting people to our collective mess. [02:53:35] Speaker B: So I wouldn't know. I wouldn't know exactly. I think I would know the direction. [02:53:39] Speaker E: Yeah, we're taking such a long damn time to get back, or I'm taking such a long damn time getting back. I don't know that Renee is following me, so I don't know. If you go the normal route, there's a chance you could see if I beat them turning into. I think it'd be funny if you catch us turning into the dorm wing, having walked to the normal route, and you see Faro just turning into the one big hallway that leads to all the dorms, and then, I don't know, what, like, 100ft behind me. Renee. [02:54:18] Speaker D: Do we do that? [02:54:20] Speaker B: We could do that. Because I'd be like, no, it's this way. And then kind of go in that direction. And then just coincidentally, we all. Well, we don't have to meet up necessarily. If you guys don't know that we're. [02:54:30] Speaker E: I think it's funny if Caster follows Renee, who's following me. [02:54:37] Speaker A: It's just a trail back to the dorm. And are you, are you all trying to meet Faro back at the dorm? [02:54:45] Speaker B: I think that's the idea, yeah, that's the plan. [02:54:49] Speaker A: So we will see how that plays out next time as we come to the end of our first episode. Wow. The mystery surprise. Thank you all for coming on this journey with us. This is the first episode. There will be three more, and I'm very excited to see what happens with the players. So I'm going to let my lovely cast tell you about themselves and where you can find them on the Internet. And we'll start with you, Jazz. [02:55:22] Speaker B: Me. Oh, cool. What up? My name is Jazz, also known as Cinderskoria on Twitter. That's usually where you can find me hanging out, although, I mean, I feel like I need to really be more present on there. I'll make an effort if you want to catch me in streams, I also stream on Elixir on Zealzaddy's channel. On Tuesdays, we play a homebrewed D and D five e campaign, and then you can also find me on other side of studios for the Arcane Corps. It's a master of the week campaign that is coming into its third season. Should be coming soon, but if you want to catch up on from the first two, I play Mo Jackson and she's a mom, which is the exact opposite of the character I'm playing today. [02:56:12] Speaker A: Yeah. And then we'll go with Kai next. [02:56:16] Speaker D: Hey, hello. I'm Kai. You can find me on all social media platforms as Estelle of Imladris. I play in quite a wide variety of things currently to this recording. Anyways, I am currently in a ongoing one ring second edition game over on Happy Jack's rpg called Unsung Tales, and we have a wonderful time wandering around middle earth and telling fun, beautiful stories about that world. And then I am a producer and player in the Lore Brewery, which is a podcast that I am in currently. We are doing a five e fairy tale game called far, far away where we take fairy tales that are familiar and kind of turn them on their head as we wander through a beautiful world full of fae and mystery and some very dark stuff because these are real old school fairy tales. And for all the other stuff up to date, please come find me on Twitter or you can find me on stellavimladris Card Co. You should also check out the party on YouTube. I was the costume designer for a web series called the Party about people who play tabletop games together and it's a very fun time. [02:57:48] Speaker B: Oh, that's awesome. [02:57:51] Speaker D: Now, Jay. [02:57:53] Speaker E: Hi everyone. My name is Jay or Nala. I use them pronouns. I am on the Internet at Nala Woo on Twitter and alladraws. If you'd like to see my artwork. I am also Nala draws everywhere else that I want you to find me. That includes TikTok and other places like, I don't know, all the twitter clones that are coming out now. I'm on blue sky as not jaws, etc. Etcetera. I am a professional art director and illustrator working full time in ttrpgs. I'm the art director for all the witches and some other cool projects. If you want to see my art, that's on knowledgeraws.com and that. That's pretty much. That's pretty much me. If you like what you see and you want to see me in another stream, you should come watch it. By night, we are the first and only all asian cast playing vampire the masquerade on stream. As of this airing, we are currently streaming on Bat house RPG on Tuesday nights at 08:00 p.m. Eastern eastern time. Jay from the past does not know what is happening in the in season two right now. Future Jay will know, obviously, because I play in the game. But if you have never heard of it or are interested, season one is completely available on YouTube right now. You should check it out that if you search each one by night, it should come up. It's on going crit RPG's channel. And yeah, for season two we are on Twitch TV badhouse RPG. Yeah. Did I mention the award nominated show ito on by night? Yeah, that's where you can find me. Thank you so much for having me. And thank you for letting Fado keep some secrets. Some secrets. Keep a few, just a few, you know. [03:00:10] Speaker A: And Alyssa. [03:00:12] Speaker C: Hi y'all, I'm Alyssa. You can find me on Twitterisasterqueer. You can also find me on the podcast an unwavering force, which is a Star Wars Pathfinder two e actual play, as well as on Opry's goblets and gays, another Pathfinder two e podcast. In terms of streaming, I am on Wednesdays playing a five e homebrew campaign at the Mandy's channel called Mist Lost, and it's probably wrapped up by now. But you can always catch the vods of the apocalypse queue series I am gming on TTRPG. That's me. [03:00:51] Speaker A: Okay. And then hello, I'm Aubrey. You can find me everywhere on the Internet at Manqueen cosplay and as listed IMGM over on goblets and gays Pathfinder goodness. Check it out. Also, if you still like Pathfinder you're not tired of it yet. You can check me out on upcoming Gatewalkers podcast that will be has been announced and will have started airing and the links will be in below. I suddenly can't remember what the show is called. Wow. I'm professional. And yeah, check that out. Also sometime this month. I don't know if it has started yet, but it has been announced that I will be over on Vancouver by night, playing in a vampire, the Masquerade chronicle, playing an edgy lasombra. You also catch me doing a million things over here in Queen's court games, being the technical director and working on a million things and anything else you can just find links to at my twitter and yeah, that'll be it. And we'll say good night for now and join us next week for the spooky things that are going to happen.