Kids on Brooms - The Mysteries of Ravenswood, Episode 3

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Hello, friends, and welcome to another single serving tabletop adventure from Queen's court games. I am Aubrey, and today we are playing more kids on brooms by Jonathan Gilmore, Doug Lewandowski, and Spencer Stark. We'll roll on into things in just a moment, but let me introduce my cast. We'll start over here with jazz. [00:00:22] Speaker B: What up? My name's jazz. Yooshide pronouns, and I'm playing castor Seiros. He uses he him pronouns. [00:00:29] Speaker A: And then we have Nala. [00:00:33] Speaker C: Hi, everybody. My name is Nala. Or J. My pronouns are they, them, and today I am playing Farojin, who uses he, they, and she pronouns. [00:00:43] Speaker A: And we have Kai. [00:00:45] Speaker D: Hi, everybody. I'm Kai. I use he, they, and she pronouns, and I am here to play Renee Asher, Gerard Laval, who uses he they pronouns. Yeah. [00:00:56] Speaker A: And lastly, but not leastly, we have Alyssa. [00:01:00] Speaker E: Hi, y'all. I'm Alyssa. I use they them pronouns, and I'm playing Rema Thompson, who goes by Tom and uses they, he, or she pronouns. [00:01:08] Speaker A: You can find the links to everyone's social media by sending exclamation point cast to the chat, or you can also use exclamation point scenario if you're interested in picking up a copy of the game for yourself. The stream is sponsored by Hunters Entertainment and Odduct dice. We'll be giving away a set of custom trans pride dice made by odd duck during each episode. They are beautiful. I've seen the photos on Twitter and use hash dice to enter. The winner will be chosen at the end of each session. The cast and I have discussed our lines and veils in advance via 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. You can use exclamation point safety to see the content warnings for the episode. With all of that said, students, are you ready? [00:02:00] Speaker B: Yes. [00:02:01] Speaker C: Yes. Question mark. [00:02:04] Speaker A: Good enough. [00:02:05] Speaker B: Wait. Can I die today? [00:02:27] Speaker A: Yep. [00:02:27] Speaker C: That's your intro? [00:02:28] Speaker A: Yeah. And we'll start off everything by getting a bit of a recap as to what happened last time. [00:02:38] Speaker C: Last time on the mysteries of Ravenswood. We reconvened our session back in the dorm room that Renee and Faro share. The whole group kind of reconvened and talked about what we just saw that night. We mentioned how Professor Tales and Andreas, the headmaster, both used to work for the hunters gig guild. In talking about what we should do about the book that we found and the, quite frankly, terrifying information contained within, I or Faro suggested setting up a meeting to talk with Talus himself. Given that Talus is Faro's mentor. [00:03:36] Speaker A: The. [00:03:36] Speaker C: Group sort of agrees that that is a plan, but does not want Faro to go alone. So we agree to meet in the park in a public place where the other three can eavesdrop, or at least just make sure that Talos isn't going to disappear. Me like our friend Juniper, who is missing. The next morning, on the way to our magical creatures class, Tom passes in the main hall and sees Captain Elias Gore, who is the head of the holy blood, talking to our headmaster. They're talking very quietly. However, Tom is very sneaky and walks by in order to eavesdrop and catches the tail end of the conversation, specifically our headmaster telling Gore that he has instructed talus to lay low. And Gore asks, how did he lose something like that? Very sus. In our magical creatures class, we learned about the corpse moths, which are these giant moths that eat corpses. Our lovely GM noted that it is a good way to get rid of a body, which I feel like is only a detail that one includes if it is important. Big fear. During the class, Castor overhears some of our classmates talking about what happened in the library. It's mostly rumors. No one really knows what happened, and we all would like to keep it that way, at least until we figure out for sure what actually happened. We also meet Hesterhunder. Am I saying that correctly? They are giant wolf like dogs. We during the class, Faro writes a letter to Talus under the guise of being finally ready to talk about the accident that happened to him a couple months ago. What else happens? During this class, Tom produces an illusionary illusion, illusory copy of the book, and tries to get me to switch with the real copy that I have, but I refuse. My cat, who took the letter to Talus, returns with a reply instructing me to meet Talus at the drunken troll. I don't tell anyone about this information. The rest of the class is about nature and change. Is nature evil, and what happens when creatures change? Questions asked by Renee. The professor mentions that she's studying a dangerous creature nicknamed the schism. Anyways, after class, I'm walking towards the drunken troll past the park that we were supposed to meet. In. Much to the disappointment and confusion and maybe fear of my three fellows, they disguise themselves to varying levels of effectiveness. Castor flies super high in the sky and uses dim light and shadows to hide himself. Renee literally cloaks himself in shadows and follows along. And Tom tries to disguise her face and just gets hotter. Now, at, uh, at the tavern I go in to talk to Talus. I tell the professor that I have found his book, um, and sort of starts asking him what really happened. Um, in this conversation, Talus says that he surrendered his books, which is kind of a stretch of the truth. Um, and in a. In Bleh, I ask him if I can help him with whatever he's working on, because I already help him a lot. And Faro is trying to get an in with the professor. He seems. At least he did not tell me no. After I leave, a sorry, where I lost my spot, Renee has snuck into the tavern and has overheard this entire conversation. After I leave, a person with gray purple skin and stark white hair walks into the tavern. His name is Akos, and he is someone that Renee knows. Renee leaves and walks out really, really quickly, and Tom, who is hanging around watching outside, sees Renee leave very quickly in a tight and controlled fury. Meanwhile, Faro walks to the park, where Castor catches up with me and tries to comfort me. Later, the entire group reconvenes at this park. Renee is incredibly angry and tells Tom that Akkos is someone that is really bad for the professor to be associating with. Renee tells us that his father's associated with bad people, and one of them has just shown up to see Talus. Castor talks about how good people don't exist, and we have a conversation about the complications of morality. Renee reveals that he left home for school so that he would not have to be complicit in his family's bad choices. Tom goes back to the tavern to eavesdrop on achos and talus and overhears Akkos asking Talus for what he promised him. And quote, I don't want to stop plans because you couldn't hold on to a fucking book. Talus promising, I'm working on it. I'll get it handled. And no one can know about this conversation. Meanwhile, after all of this, we all walk out of the park, but not before Faro consumes some light in front of their friends, something that they are witnessing for the first time. And that is where we ended. That was kind of long, but a lot of things happened, and hopefully now that you're caught up, we can move forward. [00:10:54] Speaker A: Yes. So let's pick it up right where we left off. With you all watching Fado do this, how do you react? [00:11:08] Speaker B: Is that new, or. [00:11:14] Speaker C: Faro looks incredibly, then guilty and embarrassed. And, um, I think Farou blushes a little bit, or it would be blush. I think it just looks like the darkening of his skin around the areas that you would blush. Um, and Faro says, well, this. This is what's happened to me. It's obviously didn't used to be like this. [00:11:53] Speaker D: There's a problem. And Renee looks to Caster and Tom. [00:11:59] Speaker B: Oh, no, no. No problem. Not a problem. Is that a problem for you? It's not a problem for me. [00:12:07] Speaker E: I believe that Tom is at the pub still. [00:12:15] Speaker A: I think you were walking back to join the group when this happened. So I think you're the only one that doesn't see this, but you've definitely come into awkward vibes. [00:12:28] Speaker C: And the light is out that we're standing next to. [00:12:33] Speaker B: It was always like that. Yep. [00:12:39] Speaker D: Good. [00:12:40] Speaker B: Anyway, shall we? [00:12:44] Speaker D: And if you look closely, Renee has actually palmed his wand for that entire conversation. [00:12:52] Speaker B: Fear. [00:12:55] Speaker C: And Faro, while saying what little he did to Caster, was looking at Renee the whole time. When explaining, or at least trying to explain or put into words what happened. [00:13:12] Speaker D: To him, I think until he directly addressed Caster, his eyes were locked on fatto. And for as pale as he is, he went a little paler, realizing that Caster had seen that we have things to do. [00:13:37] Speaker C: Up. Believe. You said we were gonna go shopping. [00:13:43] Speaker D: Yes. [00:13:45] Speaker B: Yep. Shopping it is. Enough shopping. [00:13:51] Speaker C: Okay. Uh, let's take the long way. Yeah. [00:13:59] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:14:02] Speaker C: Hi, Tom. [00:14:05] Speaker D: Oh, there they are. [00:14:11] Speaker E: Acting strangely. Um, I have something I need to take care of. You can do the shopping, right? [00:14:22] Speaker D: Sure. [00:14:23] Speaker B: Yes. [00:14:23] Speaker C: Sure you don't want to come? We're having so much fun together. [00:14:31] Speaker B: We are. [00:14:34] Speaker E: Yeah. I'm just gonna back away from these games. [00:14:38] Speaker B: So much fun. Okay. Have fun. Be safe. Contact us, need us. [00:14:44] Speaker D: Yep. [00:14:45] Speaker A: Mm hmm. [00:14:48] Speaker C: Faro is going to turn and walk towards whatever store. Where were we going? I didn't write it down. Were we headed to the place with all the ingredients? Was it that one? [00:14:58] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:14:58] Speaker B: Yeah, I think we didn't. We did. We want to do the two stores that she went to, the bookstore and the. [00:15:04] Speaker D: Yes, but I think we were directly. [00:15:06] Speaker A: Headed to the mystical mysterium. [00:15:10] Speaker D: Yeah, the mystical mysterium. [00:15:11] Speaker C: Gotcha. [00:15:14] Speaker D: Besides, Elric owes me a few favors. Let's go. [00:15:20] Speaker C: I like to imagine, as you start walking in the direction that we all were walking, Faro is going to grab your wrist and pull you to go the different way, the long way, the way that avoids the most street lamps as possible. Yeah, I think we walk. [00:15:41] Speaker D: Yeah, I think he catches Renee's wrist, like, just as Renee's, like, storming off and kind of very obviously forgets that we're supposed to be taking the long way. [00:15:52] Speaker B: I go follow them be safe. Okay. Like, hurry after. [00:16:04] Speaker A: Yeah. So it's not far to the Elric's mystical mysterium. And it's. It's a little tawdry on the outside. It's a lot of. It's for show. You know, there are people who are not part of the academy that pass through and come buy ingredients in here. And, you know, it's a bit of showmanship. You know, you got to stand out for competition. You're all well aware of it. As you enter, you kind of hear the little jingle of the bell above the door, and you all see this sort of very flamboyant man. He has this magically enhanced bright pink hair and is wearing. You're relatively sure it's silk, but it's beautiful and of a lot of colors. As he stands behind this counter, he is currently looks like putting away some books and just goes, well, if it isn't some of my favorite students. What can I get you today, Elric? [00:17:20] Speaker D: And before we entered, Renee actually stops and fully straightens all of his clothes so that he almost looks like living. Portrait of a young gentleman. Straightens his hair, tucks the streak of white that has recently appeared in his hair behind his ears, and pulls the bottom of his waistcoat so that he is just immaculate looking. And then he had entered and greets Elric with a grin and a small, gentlemanly wave. [00:18:00] Speaker B: Hi. [00:18:05] Speaker A: Bottle caster. Renee, what do I owe the pleasure today? Need anything for alchemy or any of those other classes? [00:18:18] Speaker D: We're here looking for some things for school, obviously, and if you wouldn't mind, I have some curiosities. I think Faro was taking some very interesting notes about alchemy. In particular, a project that we were working on. [00:18:40] Speaker A: Yes. What can I do for. [00:18:51] Speaker C: I. And father sort of steps forward, kind of like looking at Renee. Like, what? What am I doing? And says, well, Renee and I were working on some research to research together, and. [00:19:20] Speaker D: It was more advanced. It was to do with the, you know, that other project that we were working on with Juniper. [00:19:32] Speaker C: Yes. Yeah, very advanced stuff. And I believe Juniper came to see you. [00:19:47] Speaker A: And looks between you all and goes, yes, Juniper did come to see me. Didn't mention you. But the girl is a little scatterbrained sometimes. Oh, what she was asking wasn't the normal kind of thing you guys need. [00:20:15] Speaker D: Again, this is advanced independent study, and she was just looking out for all of our good work. [00:20:26] Speaker C: I also. It's independent, small group study. I'm sure I know to talk to you, Professor Talas. Is my mentor, and we're hoping to help him with his research. And I wasn't sure what part, um. What part juniper was, you know, and I'm looking. I'm looking to Renee which part Juniper was. Was looking for. Do you remember what she put a. [00:21:19] Speaker B: Calming hand on just in the small of your back, just like a feather light touch. [00:21:25] Speaker D: Oh. Renee makes the most awkward side. Wins because alchemy is so not his speed. And he's like, I don't know, but only kind of looks at fado, just shoots her a little, like, oh, I'm sorry. [00:21:43] Speaker A: You. Are you trying to remember the specific ingredient you need, or. [00:21:52] Speaker C: Yes. Juniper. We all were. You know, group projects assigned specific things to look into, and Juniper's fallen ill, and we're picking up her part of the project, and I just want to see how far she got it. [00:22:13] Speaker A: Sort of like wrinkled sprout a little bit. Um, sorry to be sad to hear about juniper, uh, but, you know. [00:22:20] Speaker C: Oh, she'll be fine. [00:22:21] Speaker A: Girl needs to take a rest. Yeah. [00:22:24] Speaker D: Looks very hard. [00:22:25] Speaker A: Yes. Um, give. Give me a second. I think. Yeah, she. She did come in and get something, and it's like, just make yourselves comfortable. I think it's in the back with the rest of my deliveries. I haven't unpacked some things yet. Uh, you know, gets out from behind the, uh, the counter and starts heading towards the back. [00:22:46] Speaker C: Like, as soon as Elric leaves, both of you can see Faro's shoulders relax. I think Farou is, especially to adults older than him that they really respect. They have a hard time. They have a hard time, like, outright lying, especially, like, the difference with how Farro interacted with talos last session was, I think, just due to Faro's. Faro knows talus way better, and thusly was able to lie. Little white lies a little bit easier. But this is a bold faced lie, and photo is clearly not comfortable. [00:23:44] Speaker D: I think Renee looks up at him, talks a little smile. Now that Elric is gone. [00:23:54] Speaker A: Do you. [00:23:54] Speaker D: Want to do some shopping? [00:23:59] Speaker C: Yes, perhaps we need, um, ingredients for the next alchemy class. And other things. [00:24:08] Speaker D: Other things. And I think I owe you some, um. Some moss dust. [00:24:16] Speaker C: Yes. [00:24:17] Speaker B: Sorry, am I intruding? [00:24:19] Speaker D: No, Casta. Um, I can go. [00:24:22] Speaker B: No, I could absolutely go now. [00:24:24] Speaker D: Caster, do you. Do you need anything? [00:24:26] Speaker B: Oh, I don't need anything. I'm perfectly well stocked. That's a lie. I usually just use the ingredients that they have in the classroom. [00:24:35] Speaker D: You sure? I treat. Come on. [00:24:38] Speaker B: Okay, as long as you're sure. [00:24:41] Speaker D: I'm sure. [00:24:44] Speaker C: And Faro just leans over to Caster and just says, renee practically begs me to let him pay for me, so I would just take it. Otherwise, they are not going to drop it. And not dropping it. [00:25:04] Speaker B: Well, duly noted. I do like a man who dotes. [00:25:12] Speaker D: Yeah. Castro would see Renee, like, walk through the aisles and grabs, like, faro. You would know that he has some, like, staples for the work that he does out of school, in quotes. And he starts to collect specifically those ones. Casser, you would probably know that these are not ingredients for alchemy class or any of the other classes you share with Renee. [00:25:40] Speaker B: So I was sensing some history between you and Elric. Renee. [00:25:47] Speaker D: I had to spend money a lot. [00:25:50] Speaker B: Is that what it is? Because you. You did the whole, you know. [00:25:54] Speaker D: Yes. I'm. I don't know if you know this, but people respect you more when you dress. Well, as good as respect. All right, that's a. You know, you have the respect of a lot of people at school. Right? [00:26:14] Speaker B: I think that's different. [00:26:15] Speaker D: Is it? [00:26:16] Speaker B: Yeah, of course. There's a difference between respect that is owed because of the person that you were born as and the respect that is given based on the person you are. [00:26:27] Speaker D: You're right. You're absolutely right. [00:26:33] Speaker B: In any case, I. Do you understand? I just was curious. [00:26:39] Speaker D: I have one of those. I want the other one. [00:26:49] Speaker C: At this point, Faro comes back with all of the ingredients for the antidote that we learned to make in class. [00:27:04] Speaker B: Oh, that's clever. We should do both this. [00:27:09] Speaker C: Uh, and you can see that photo grabbed enough for the four of us. Um, and, uh, it's kind of like. I think it's a lot of stuff. Um, I don't. I can go back in my notes, but there's a, you know, a decent amount of ingredients, and then we're getting four times the amount, obviously, because we used the supply in class. Or fado used his supply in class. Um, so it's restocking and getting more just kind of appears between the two of you talking with armload of stuff. [00:27:45] Speaker B: I'm not going to insult you by asking if you can afford all of that, but it does seem a bit excessive. [00:27:54] Speaker C: I. I can't. [00:27:55] Speaker D: Caster and points at. [00:27:58] Speaker B: I was asking Renee. [00:28:00] Speaker D: Oh, yeah, pastor, the, um. You know, the thing that you were saying about being born into it. [00:28:06] Speaker B: Yes. [00:28:07] Speaker D: Respectability and being a useful person are two different things. You can be born into money and be absolutely useless, or you can use the money for something. [00:28:25] Speaker B: I can't argue with that, now, can I? [00:28:28] Speaker D: Goodbye. [00:28:31] Speaker A: As that happens, you hear the door from the back open and you hear the voice of Elric go. It took me a moment, but I definitely found it. And comes back with this package underneath his arm. And just like. Yeah. It was never kind of in common what juniper was asking for. Like, I had to, like, reach out to some hunters I know, and they're over in Centilia. Like, chimera is not natural to Eredin. [00:29:02] Speaker D: Right? The chimera. That's what it was. [00:29:06] Speaker A: Yeah. And puts this box on the counter. And he goes, juniper already paid me for it. If you're gonna pick it up and take it to her, you know, you're good. And just. We'll bring up whatever. What else? Whatever else you got. [00:29:22] Speaker D: Wonderful. All of this. And Renee gestures to Caster and Foto. [00:29:26] Speaker A: Yeah, and we'll do a capitalism. [00:29:32] Speaker C: Money, money, Renee. [00:29:34] Speaker D: Like, produce all of the money. Just like an unreal amount of money out of a very, like, simple little coin purse. Essentially. [00:29:47] Speaker A: Yes. You have bought the ingredients and picked up the Chimera venom that Juniper had. [00:29:56] Speaker C: Ordered, which was in the book. For those of you who don't remember. [00:30:02] Speaker A: From those of you at home. [00:30:04] Speaker C: Yeah. For those of you at home, from session one, in my notes, there's instructions for how to turn people into ghouls. And in order to do that, you need two things. Chimera venom. And there's a little ding sound as it appears on your screen. And also scorpion tale, which we have yet to find. Back to the game. [00:30:27] Speaker D: Incredible. Renee also adds a little bit of extra money to Elric. And I think this is an ongoing thing where Renee specifically has been buttering Elric up for as long as they've been in school. [00:30:49] Speaker A: Elric is a smart businessman. He takes money. Yeah, he's probably tried to give it back before, and he knows that you won't take it back. So he's just like, well, yeah. [00:31:02] Speaker D: And then Renee tucks the Chimera venom under his little arm. [00:31:08] Speaker A: It's this box that's like, me small box size, I gotta say. [00:31:13] Speaker B: I can carry it, but it's fine. [00:31:15] Speaker A: You can carry it? [00:31:15] Speaker D: Yeah. Short man gonna carry it? [00:31:18] Speaker B: Sure. [00:31:18] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:31:20] Speaker D: All right, then. Shall we? [00:31:22] Speaker A: And as you like, Tom's gone to carry the box. You know, you notice it feels kind of cool. It's been, like, magically enchanted to keep, essentially, a refrigeration unit, to keep it fresh. And also, as you ask what Tom. [00:31:39] Speaker B: Has been doing, I think it's a. [00:31:40] Speaker A: Great question to ask. What has Tom been doing? [00:31:44] Speaker E: So above table. I am 98% sure. I left off still at the tavern, spying, doing that spying scene on talus and acos. But if not, I have returned to the tavern, and I would like to confront Talos, please. [00:32:04] Speaker A: Okay. Yeah. He is still in the corner. He's not grating. He currently has a glass of what appears to be wine in front of him, and his hair looks like it's just been running his hands through it. [00:32:20] Speaker E: Don't drink while you're grating, sir. I think that Tom is always kind of like, looks always sort of like, loose and lax, and they're still sort of relaxed as they move towards Talus's table. But there's now something predatory in the way that they approach. And he will sit down in the booth across from Talus and kick his legs up next to him, sort of blocking him in, and greet him. Fancy seeing you here, professor. [00:33:07] Speaker A: He looks up from these piles of papers, this half finished glass of wine, and just looks you over and just goes, I mean, why wouldn't I be here? [00:33:26] Speaker E: Well, I think you'd be at work. [00:33:28] Speaker A: But gestures at the papers. I'm, as you can clearly see, I am working and taking some personal time. A bit of a day off, you know, what do the kids call it these days? A mental health day. [00:33:48] Speaker E: I suppose you would need it, wouldn't you, what with everything happening? [00:33:58] Speaker A: Certainly tensions are very tight in the city. Theres a lot going on. [00:34:03] Speaker E: Oh, I meant personally. I mean, that man you were talking to. Thats trouble, professor. And kidnapping a student, hiding her away somewhere. And whatever it is you're planning, I mean, you're protege, what is it exactly that you're planning with Faro? [00:34:30] Speaker C: Why did we let you go off on your own? [00:34:35] Speaker B: I had a thought to go with them, and I just, I just didn't, I just didn't turn. [00:34:38] Speaker E: Wheeled instead. [00:34:40] Speaker A: Yep. And you, immediately, as you start talking, you notice the change, you notice the sort of the shoulders square up a little bit and just goes, well, I certainly know a threat when I hear one. [00:35:01] Speaker E: I'm not here to cause you problems, professor. I'm here to help. [00:35:06] Speaker A: Enlighten me how? [00:35:12] Speaker E: I mean, this seems like something difficult to handle alone, and there's no reason for you to work against us. We can help get Eikos off your back. [00:35:25] Speaker B: Just. [00:35:28] Speaker E: A small favor for another favor. [00:35:34] Speaker A: Yes, that is certainly how I got myself into this trouble to start with, let's say I agree. What kind of favor do you need? I can certainly pass you in my class for the rest of the year. Or do you need poisons? Or any other kind of alchemical things made. I can make those as well. [00:36:04] Speaker E: Tom puts on just an absolutely angelic smile and says, well, I mean, wed need Junie back, of course, but thats a given. Beyond that, youre aware, im sure. I mean, you must be aware so much with your connections. Theres a tower in the city, a locked tower with some precious material inside. I had hoped to figure out how to enter myself, but since this opportunity came. [00:36:48] Speaker A: Yes, I am familiar with that tower. It has been like that for about 30 years. I don't know what you expect I can do about this tower. [00:37:05] Speaker E: Unsurely. Alchemy is good for something. You can blow open the door, if nothing else. I honestly had expected that you would know who had locked it up. But if not. [00:37:18] Speaker A: Yes, I'm familiar with the wizard. I mean, he is, sadly, incredibly dead. And any secrets to unlock that tower definitely died with him. I have seen all sorts of adventurers attempt to break in to that tower without, with little luck, any of the ones that did manage to get past the door were brutally slaughtered by whatever defenses are in that tower. [00:37:52] Speaker E: Can you say anything more about those defenses? Or the wizard himself? [00:37:59] Speaker A: The wizard was incredibly paranoid, thinking that somebody was out to get him. And quite possibly somebody was especially knowing what he had, as in that tower. [00:38:21] Speaker E: Little paranoia would have done you some good, wouldn't it? But alright, if you can't open the tower of favor held for another time. [00:38:44] Speaker A: Wait with bated breath to see whatever you ask. [00:38:50] Speaker E: Tom sort of lets his foot slide off the opposite booth and gives a salute and says, wonderful. Will you be back on campus tomorrow? [00:39:04] Speaker A: We shall see. I have some things to take care of first. [00:39:14] Speaker E: And are those things related to this deal? Or is it simply unto gestures at the work? [00:39:27] Speaker A: Yes, I have more than my share of papers to grade. Look, if you bring me the book, I need the book. I'll do what I can. In the office of the headmaster, there's an item that may be able to get you in there. You bring me the book, I will trade you this key. It's not a guarantee, but this key is supposed to unlock most any lock. It can only be used once. [00:40:28] Speaker E: Tom, I think, smiles, just cat who got the canary and nods and says, shall I send you a message once I have the book, or. [00:40:41] Speaker A: Yes, send me a message, or it is very late and will be at my home, you can find me there. Or tomorrow at my office. Should be in my office tomorrow. [00:41:03] Speaker E: All right. Have a lovely rest of your evening, professor. And they will go out to meet the rest of the gang. [00:41:14] Speaker A: As you turn around and leave, you don't see this, but he just knocks back the rest of that wine glass and just sort of raises his hand for another and. Yeah, we'll go back to the rest of the group. You are just exiting the mysterium. [00:41:34] Speaker B: How am I supposed to be normal after that? [00:41:36] Speaker A: I don't know. That is a you question. [00:41:38] Speaker C: I. Yeah. Why did we let Tom go off on her own? [00:41:43] Speaker B: Listen, he got results. That's all I care about. [00:41:47] Speaker D: So strong. So strong a choice. [00:41:50] Speaker B: I fear them immensely. [00:41:52] Speaker D: Same. [00:41:56] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:41:56] Speaker B: I'm glad Taho's on our side. [00:41:59] Speaker C: The feelings I am feeling cannot be described by something as simple as fear. [00:42:08] Speaker B: Might be down as scared and horny, but. [00:42:14] Speaker D: So, yeah. Renee's holding this weirdly cold box. [00:42:19] Speaker B: Do you want me to carry that? [00:42:21] Speaker D: Oh. [00:42:22] Speaker B: Oh, okay, fine, then. Just been holding it for a minute. I was just offering. [00:42:30] Speaker D: It's all right. I've got it. [00:42:33] Speaker B: Okay. So to the bookstore, then? [00:42:42] Speaker D: Yes. Oh. Of books. [00:42:50] Speaker B: It's not my favorite thing, but lead the way. I'll follow you. Unless you don't need me. I really feel like I'm not needed here. [00:43:01] Speaker D: Caster. Just saying you need to be needed. [00:43:06] Speaker B: Yes, terribly. So. [00:43:10] Speaker D: Would you like to be the face man at twilight? Booksellers books. [00:43:14] Speaker B: Not really my thing. And I really highly doubt that anybody. This is a people thing in there, Caster. [00:43:19] Speaker D: This is a people thing. It's a people problem. [00:43:21] Speaker B: I would need to see some books. [00:43:25] Speaker D: You're a student at Ravenswood. All of us need books. [00:43:30] Speaker B: Okay. I'll give it a go. Do my best. What are we looking for exactly? Just the books that Jeanne checked out. [00:43:41] Speaker D: She was looking to purchase. I think she's looking to procure and cure a specific book. [00:43:48] Speaker B: Okay. Okay. [00:43:56] Speaker A: The bookseller is pretty much just right across the street from the mysterium, and it is the exact opposite of the mysterium. You see, everything is perfect, down to. All of the books have their places, they must be in their places. Everything is neat and orderly. And as you open the door, there's also the sound of the bell. And you see all of these rows and rows of beautiful, well kept books, and, you know, every single one is in the perfect order. And it is. You will always be able to find what you need here. And sort of moving between the rows is this sort of waifish looking, elven woman. You see on her skin. There are these, like, golden marks, like tattoos. And she has this sort of golden blonde hair that is usually tied up in a very, very tight bun behind her hair. And she looks over at all of you and just goes, welcome in, students. Let me know if you need to find anything. [00:45:16] Speaker B: Actually, yes, I do. If you wanted to look around you, could they say to the other two. [00:45:23] Speaker D: Yes, I won't be far. [00:45:26] Speaker C: I think the whole time that the two of you were bantering about this box and what have you, I think father was walking in front of you two. I probably entered the bookstore before you two. Like, I feel like I opened the door and it closed, and then you two opened the door and it closed. Like that's how far behind the two of you were. And so when you walk in, Fato is browsing, but it's kind of that thing that you do where, like, you're waiting for someone and so you're pretending to look at something that's in front of you. And I'm probably standing in front of a section about, like, I don't know, something completely not relevant to photo at all. Like, I don't know, the self help section, I don't know, not relevant. And I'm just standing there watching the doorway. It's not very subtle at all. But most importantly, I picked a shelf that would hide me from her view so that she wouldn't see me lingering and just watching the door. [00:46:31] Speaker D: He's reading. So you want to be a lamplighter? [00:46:34] Speaker C: Yeah, that's a funny joke. Future me is going to clip that one. [00:46:51] Speaker B: I might also. Yeah. So Caster will just kind of put an elbow on the counter and look at this. What is her name, this elfish lady? Do I know her? Nevermind. I have never stepped foot in this bookstore. [00:47:06] Speaker A: You know, you would know her name because you'd have to come here and get your books for every semester. [00:47:11] Speaker B: I sent somebody. I'm just kidding. Okay. [00:47:13] Speaker A: Yeah, her name is Cynthia Prescott or Miss Prescott or anything like that. [00:47:22] Speaker B: Hi, Miss Prescott. I'm just here to pick up a book or a couple of books. I'm not entirely sure. Junie sent me. Apparently she came and bought some or was looking for some, but, um, yeah, she's busy, so she sent me to pick them up. [00:47:43] Speaker A: Yes, do you have, uh, give me, give me. Actually give me a charms roll real quick. [00:47:49] Speaker B: God damn it. [00:47:50] Speaker C: Why do I roll this session? I didn't have to roll the line. [00:48:00] Speaker A: It's just the way you phrase them. [00:48:01] Speaker D: No, this can't be the time that you fail at this. You're so charming. I refuse. [00:48:06] Speaker C: You're so charming, but, oh, by the way, motioned for Renee to come over to where I am. [00:48:14] Speaker D: Yeah, Renee, like, awkwardly scoots that way. [00:48:17] Speaker B: I hate this. Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool. I rolled a one. [00:48:26] Speaker A: Oh, dear. [00:48:27] Speaker D: Oh, wait. [00:48:27] Speaker B: I rolled it on the wrong die. We're fine. [00:48:29] Speaker A: Okay, okay. [00:48:30] Speaker C: Reroll, reroll, reroll. Second try. Second try. [00:48:33] Speaker B: I hate this. [00:48:38] Speaker D: No, you're not. [00:48:38] Speaker C: Another one. [00:48:40] Speaker D: No. My dice hate me. [00:48:43] Speaker C: Yes. No, no. Here's the part where we implore our lovely Gm, who's also the editor, to cut this so we can try again. [00:48:55] Speaker B: I'm blushing. I never blush. This is. [00:48:58] Speaker D: Do you have anything to save you? [00:49:00] Speaker B: Oh, my God, dude, I rolled a one. No. [00:49:04] Speaker C: The dice have spoken. All right, what happens? [00:49:07] Speaker B: Can I just be, like, super crass and that she hates my guts instead of her calling out on my life? [00:49:15] Speaker A: I think it's more of just. I think you just sort of devolve into awkwardness. [00:49:24] Speaker B: Yeah, I don't really come in here a lot. I know. Is it that weird? [00:49:33] Speaker C: Yes. Can I try something to save this? Can I try something to save. [00:49:37] Speaker A: Sure. [00:49:39] Speaker C: So Faro had walked in before the other two, and I think I had greeted her separately and just, you know, did the whole, like, do you need any help? Fado is like, no, I'm just looking, and I disappear. But I think Fado is going to step out from behind the bookcase. I think I dragged Renee to the back or whatever, and maybe was planning on talking to Renee or something about what had happened with Caster. Seeing me consume some light, but hearing how poorly this thing is going, fellow turns right back around and just very quickly steps out from the bookcase and just says, uh, oh, um, Junie, right? Uh, yes, we are, um, working on a project together. Uh, and, uh, yeah, we had sent Caster to pick up the books. [00:50:36] Speaker B: Yep, that's what I'm here for. Picking up books for Junie and, yep. [00:50:45] Speaker D: Renee coughs behind Fato just like, please stop. [00:50:49] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. She just sort of lets out this, like, small, like, students. Yes, I do believe that Juniper ordered some books on alchemy, some books on older forms of alchemy and stuff that's not normally taught in school. So I believe I have them behind the counter over here and shelves. The last couple of books she's working on and moves around behind the counter. [00:51:26] Speaker C: And she, as she's doing that photo, just says, um, yes, because, um, I was going to. I was going to help. Help her with the alchemy studies, you know, because that's. [00:51:44] Speaker B: I just kind of looked at photo like, stop talking. [00:51:49] Speaker C: I don't notice. [00:51:54] Speaker D: Just. [00:51:55] Speaker A: Just always so busy. They work you so hard at that school. [00:52:03] Speaker C: I like learning. [00:52:06] Speaker B: Yes, they work as terribly hard. [00:52:08] Speaker A: Can we, you know, as these two older, like, leather bound books. You know, they're. They're definitely faded with age as she puts them on and sort of, like, there's, like, a little slip that's got, like. Like, the pickup slip. And she pulls it out and puts it into where her register is and just goes, well, Junie has already paid for these, so I trust that you will all get them to her. [00:52:39] Speaker C: Yes, we will take it right to her. And Faro is grabbing. How many books are there? Is it a lot or are they really big? [00:52:49] Speaker A: It's like, two to three books. It's like a stack this high or something. [00:52:52] Speaker C: But they're kind of thick books. [00:52:54] Speaker A: Yeah, they're kind of thick. [00:52:55] Speaker C: Cool. Faro is taking the stack and immediately is gonna hand it to Caster, to Carrie, and carry the books. And you carry them so well. [00:53:09] Speaker A: Thank you. [00:53:12] Speaker C: And then Faro is just gonna say, thank you. Go get those back to Judy now, Caster. Yep. [00:53:23] Speaker B: I'm going. [00:53:25] Speaker C: Gonna go back to looking at what I came here for. [00:53:28] Speaker B: Okay. [00:53:29] Speaker C: And I'm gonna very awkwardly spin on my heel and go back towards where I was standing originally. And Renee, what are you doing? [00:53:42] Speaker B: I will leave the store. [00:53:45] Speaker D: Renee's had a book that actually interests him. I think it has to do with some, like, history of the city or something like that, that he's just standing there reading. Like, he's actually reading this book at this point because it's been so long, you both discussed. [00:54:04] Speaker C: And so Faro is. So castor leaves. Faro is going to very quickly, just, I think, similar to Renee, find a book that is actually interesting to them, and they will bring it to Renee and just kind of, like, bring Renee to the front and put the two books on the counter. [00:54:29] Speaker D: And Renee's gonna pay for them. [00:54:32] Speaker C: Yep. Renee's gonna pay for them. Because this is why we came in and we are leaving. [00:54:39] Speaker B: We have look and then leave. [00:54:43] Speaker D: That's, like, every author ever. [00:54:45] Speaker A: So you want to be a lamplighter. [00:54:47] Speaker C: Yeah, exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yep. [00:54:52] Speaker A: And Cynthia makes some sort of comment about how being a lamplighter is a noble profession. Yada, yada, yada. You buy the books. [00:54:59] Speaker D: Renee says something to the effect of, like, I looked up to them very much. So when I was a young lad. [00:55:06] Speaker C: Something really bad, a young lad, my father took me into the city to see the lamplighter. [00:55:18] Speaker D: That's basically what happens there. And it's not great. Yep. [00:55:23] Speaker A: And you all, you take your books, you rejoin Caster outside. And, Tom, do you go to meet up with the rest of the group? After intimidating the professor? [00:55:33] Speaker E: I imagine that I, like, check the general story real quick, and then make my way to the bookstore to meet up with them, sort of right as everyone leaving. [00:55:41] Speaker A: Yeah. It's around this point that the group comes back together. [00:55:45] Speaker B: Castor looks a bit stormy and just kind of, like, shoves the books into somebody's arms. Probably faro, because nobody else is. You have a box under your arm. [00:55:59] Speaker D: Yes, I do. [00:56:02] Speaker B: Sorry. Go ahead. [00:56:05] Speaker D: You go. Cause he's gonna interrogate Caster. [00:56:08] Speaker B: Oh, okay. Well, he kind of just. He notices the other books that you have, and his expression kind of sours a bit, and he says, you know, I really. I think the next time, you should be the face man or somebody else. Literally anybody else. [00:56:23] Speaker D: What happened in there? [00:56:24] Speaker B: Well, you mean what happened? I told you that I don't usually go in there. I can't do a report. I can't do a thing with people I don't know, really. Why do you think I get to know everyone. [00:56:37] Speaker D: Right. [00:56:39] Speaker B: Anyway, it doesn't. Doesn't matter. Um, she get what you needed? [00:56:44] Speaker D: I mean. And he looks at the spine of the. So you want to be a lamplighter book? [00:56:50] Speaker B: Yeah. Oh, yeah. Definitely interested. Snow is cracked up to be. [00:56:58] Speaker D: Did you actually want to be a lamplighter? [00:57:01] Speaker B: No, not at all. Anyway, we should go. We shouldn't be auguring in front of the shop, conversing. [00:57:12] Speaker D: Sorry about that, Caster. I thought differently. [00:57:15] Speaker B: It's fine. I'd hate to let you down. [00:57:19] Speaker D: You're right. And, you know, Faro pulled through. [00:57:23] Speaker B: Yep. Thank you again. [00:57:28] Speaker D: Hi, Tom. [00:57:32] Speaker E: So you managed to get the books. Did you find the. Did you go to the general store already? [00:57:39] Speaker D: And Renee pats the box under their arm? [00:57:46] Speaker E: Wow. All great. [00:57:53] Speaker C: How did it go with you? [00:57:55] Speaker E: There's something else we need to deal with before we deal with all of these things, I think. And Tom seems a little frantic, so I listened in on talos some more, and that man that you didn't like, Rene, the one who was Akos, who was friends with your parents, he gave Talos, like, a day to get the book back before bad things happen. So I think that. [00:58:36] Speaker D: I mean, it sounds like talus problem. [00:58:39] Speaker E: He's your professor, Farou, your mentor. But I think that not returning it, I mean, that can't be good for Junie. I don't know if it's talos who has her or this akos. But. [00:59:07] Speaker C: Aubrey, can you remind me when photo went to go talk to Talus? Because apparently we're all going to talk to Talus. But when I was there, like we planned, and I offered to help him. What? Actually, because I'm looking at my notes, I'm trying to remember what came of that agreement specifically, because I know he asked for the book back and I had lied instead, like, I didn't have it or something. Did I say I would bring it back to him, or, like, what was sort of the agreement we came to? Am I waiting for him to tell me I can help, or did he agree that I could help? [00:59:57] Speaker A: He said he was big thing is, he needs the book back. And I believe, yes, he did say that you could help, but he needs the book back. I think it says, you bring him the book, you can help. [01:00:13] Speaker C: Okay. Okay, cool. So, okay, back to where we were. Um, Faro would just say, uh, yes, I agreed that I would bring it to him, and he said he would let me help with whatever he's working on. I thought that maybe I could get in and learn about what his intentions are. [01:00:49] Speaker E: He can't keep it, though, unless he intends to copy it and give the other version to Akos. I mean, it sounded very tense and very tight and not like he really had leave to be holding onto it. [01:01:08] Speaker C: Wait, Akos wants the book? Yeah. [01:01:18] Speaker E: Did you know that urine about. I mean, before all of this, do you know anything about the book? [01:01:37] Speaker C: Are you asking me? I thought you were asking Renee. [01:01:40] Speaker E: Yeah, I was asking Renee. [01:01:41] Speaker C: Oh, sorry. What did you ask? [01:01:43] Speaker D: You're asking me? [01:01:45] Speaker E: Yeah, if he knew about anything, about why Akkos would want the book. [01:01:50] Speaker D: Um, the thing about Akos is that I I'm not extremely familiar with. With his actual purpose, but, um, he's involved in, uh, bigger things. And if it's this book, then it's worse than I thought it was. And, um, I. We shouldn't. It shouldn't get in his hands, and and if if Talus is on the line for it, that's his problem. [01:02:32] Speaker B: What about Genie? [01:02:36] Speaker C: Hey, guys, we really shouldn't be talking about this out here. Maybe we could go back to the dorms. [01:02:47] Speaker D: Right. [01:02:52] Speaker A: Yeah, that's where you're going. Back to the dorm. [01:02:55] Speaker D: Yeah. [01:02:56] Speaker B: Yes. [01:02:56] Speaker C: Yeah. So, Faro just awkwardly interrupts the conversation. I think, like, there's, like, people walking by, but, like, you know, like, I think we're talking quietly, but still. Photo is like. [01:03:07] Speaker D: Renee is pretty animated. I'm sure that someone looks. [01:03:10] Speaker A: Yeah, there's, like, a couple people go by being like, wow, here. An argument on the street. [01:03:17] Speaker C: Well, I think it's also the equivalent of us standing in the middle of the walkway. So people are, like, walking around us. [01:03:22] Speaker B: To walk around us. [01:03:24] Speaker C: Yeah. And Fatto is very aware of that and doesn't want to be that person in this nice little shopping area. And so I think I like to imagine there's, like, a five times sped up montage of us just walking back to the school, because we have to walk the long way. And we go back to. I'm assuming we're going back to Rene and Fado's room. Okay, so we go back to our dorm room, and we close the door. Fado closes the door. [01:04:03] Speaker A: You totally left it unlocked when you left, right? [01:04:07] Speaker C: Did we bring our our keys to get it? Do we always call the ra? [01:04:11] Speaker B: I think she's asking. I think she's asking if we definitely left it unlocked, because it's unlocked now. [01:04:17] Speaker A: It definitely is locked now. [01:04:19] Speaker C: Oh. [01:04:20] Speaker D: Oh, no. Where's Conrad? Conrad has a job. [01:04:28] Speaker C: Wait, wait, wait. Sorry. [01:04:29] Speaker D: Conrad has a job. [01:04:31] Speaker C: Wait, wait, wait, wait. [01:04:32] Speaker A: The door is unlocked. [01:04:34] Speaker C: So we. So we had. It normally locks behind us, but it's unlocked when we get there. [01:04:40] Speaker A: Yeah. Or you have, like, a key that, you know, you unlock. You lock it when you leave, and you, you know, you do the thing, and you put the key in, and you turn it the way that, you know, you would normally turn it to unlock it, but you're like, wait, no. And then you're like, oh, wait, the door is unlocked. [01:04:58] Speaker C: Yikes. Okay, so then Farou, I think, who was the one to do that? Kind of turns around to face the group and says, someone's been here. [01:05:11] Speaker E: Oh, shall we go back to the middle of the street? Because that seems safer than this room that someone broke into. [01:05:18] Speaker B: Oh, hold on. They're not still here, are they? [01:05:21] Speaker D: I don't know. Listen, at the door, Renee is going to shove the box at Caster. [01:05:28] Speaker B: Hey. [01:05:30] Speaker C: Hello. [01:05:31] Speaker B: I'm a strong one here. [01:05:35] Speaker D: And I think, without saying anything, is going to lean against the door and begin to mutter to himself. And again, you see that ball of shadow begin to accumulate, and he is going to breathe out, and shadow just disappears under the door, and he is going to try and extend his awareness into the next room, using magic to feel through the shadows to see if someone is actually in their dorm room. [01:06:09] Speaker A: I believe that sounds like a brainstorl yeah. And with your magic. [01:06:16] Speaker C: Let's go. Let's go. [01:06:18] Speaker D: Okay, guys, so here's the thing. [01:06:23] Speaker A: Is everyone just rolling bad tonight? [01:06:26] Speaker D: I rolled another uno. [01:06:29] Speaker C: Oh, no. [01:06:30] Speaker B: I'm so sorry I rubbed off on you. I'm so sorry. [01:06:35] Speaker C: This was terrible. [01:06:36] Speaker A: What's your role in your magic? [01:06:37] Speaker D: Die. Oh, right. Yes. Thank. Thank you. [01:06:42] Speaker A: You can still salvage this. This is not a hard spell. [01:06:45] Speaker B: The ones also explode, right? [01:06:48] Speaker C: Yeah, ones explode, right. [01:06:49] Speaker D: Okay, so you rolled. Hey. Hey, Auburn. What's the rules? I rolled snake eyes on a D 20 and a D four. [01:06:58] Speaker B: No. [01:07:01] Speaker A: That'S definitely real bad. [01:07:04] Speaker D: Really bad. [01:07:06] Speaker C: Can I. Can I do anything to help? Can I do anything to help in this situation? Situation. [01:07:11] Speaker B: Four ones in a row. Because only rolls we've made. We are one for one for one. [01:07:20] Speaker C: Yeah, we're gonna die. One for the money, one for the show. One. [01:07:25] Speaker A: I believe when you roll ones on both, it is literally, there's nothing you can do to save it, and I will let you, you narrate. How does this spell go bad? [01:07:43] Speaker D: I think as he's beginning to twist the shadow in front of him. Fahdo's probably seen him cast this once or twice. He's a paranoid small man. And as the shadow begins to roil, traditionally he would just breathe it out, and it would obey him, and it would travel under the door and kind of feel through all of the shadow in the room. But this time it begins to turn and turn and turn, and a crack of red light dips through it like a bolt of lightning. And then another one and another one. And what should be all shadow begins to erupt in this frustration and rage that is embodied as almost, like static. But instead of being purple and blue, it's red, and it glows in his ice blue blue eyes. And when he breathes it out, it just shatters into sparks. And they're not quiet. [01:08:39] Speaker A: Yeah. No, there is that sort of that feeling, that kind of, like, small wave of energy that you all feel, the wave of angry energy. And I think there's probably a bit of a crashing sound from the inside of your apartment as maybe you knocked something over with your magic. [01:09:02] Speaker D: Yeah. And I imagine the sparks actually do travel where the smoke, where the smoky shadow was supposed to go a little bit, too. So there's definitely, like, firecracker sound inside the room as well. [01:09:12] Speaker A: Yeah. Probably some scorch marks on that carpet now. [01:09:15] Speaker D: Yeah. [01:09:15] Speaker C: Okay, flash bang. Let's go in. Open the door. I'm opening the door. [01:09:23] Speaker D: As it's released, I think that he's frozen in place for a second. [01:09:27] Speaker C: And I think if I can add on to this. [01:09:30] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:09:32] Speaker C: To twist the knife a little bit more for you, Renee. [01:09:35] Speaker D: Do it. Do it. [01:09:36] Speaker C: When you do this, I think you notice some of this magic gets absorbed into my body, and there is, like, a weird. I don't think I notice it, but as some of this, because I was standing right there, because you were standing right next to me. Um, I think, like, my hair, you know, when you. Your hair gets staticy. I think Vado's curls kind of, like, stand up and stand out a little bit more. And you. Because you're standing right next to me, I think some of my freckles, like, blink out, and. But I don't seem to notice, and I think you're the only one who would notice that. And Faro has not noticed because I'm rushing in. I'm rushing in. Flashbang. Let's go. [01:10:33] Speaker A: And as you rush in, you're now suddenly very unsure if the place was tossed or just everything kind of got blown around with that spelt. There are papers everywhere. There's a chair that's been knocked over, but you're unsure yet again. Did somebody actually toss the place, or did they just come in and leave? You're relatively sure that there's nobody in there. That's. That's a good thing. [01:11:01] Speaker C: Is my door closed or open? [01:11:07] Speaker A: I'll ask, how did you leave it? [01:11:09] Speaker C: I would have left my door closed. [01:11:11] Speaker A: Closed. It is closed for the time being. [01:11:15] Speaker B: What is that supposed to mean? [01:11:17] Speaker D: What does that mean? Yeah, I don't like that, actually. [01:11:20] Speaker B: Fear. [01:11:21] Speaker D: Can you say that again a better way, Aubrey? [01:11:23] Speaker A: It is closed for now. [01:11:26] Speaker D: No. [01:11:29] Speaker B: Oh, I hate that. Wow, that's awful. [01:11:33] Speaker D: Oh, man. You guys hear behind you as you rush in, just a little bit of yelling in the hallway. [01:11:41] Speaker B: Yeah. If Renee is still frozen, I will follow photo with my box very quickly. [01:11:48] Speaker C: Checking my notes, because actually, lovely gm. I'm gonna message you. Okay. [01:11:59] Speaker B: Oh, more fear. [01:12:02] Speaker D: This is not at all terrifying. [01:12:04] Speaker B: I love. I love death and dying. It's fine. [01:12:08] Speaker D: After the yelling is muttering, for those of you who can hear in the hallway. [01:12:16] Speaker C: Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. Two things. Both are fine. I was worried that I had left the book in here, but I had it with me, so that's okay. And also, my cat, who had returned to the room, is okay. Yeah. [01:12:34] Speaker B: All that matters. [01:12:35] Speaker C: Spooked. [01:12:35] Speaker A: Hiding. [01:12:36] Speaker C: I was like, is Goose okay? Goose is fine. [01:12:38] Speaker A: Goose is hiding underneath the bed. And I say the same thing is, you know, Renee, your familiar, is fine as well. He is also just sort of, like, out of sight. And will, as you come back in. [01:12:51] Speaker D: Sort of reemerge once Renee comes back to his senses. He will worry about Conrad. [01:13:03] Speaker C: Okay, I'm gonna. If Renee hasn't entered the room yet. Photo's pulling, grabbing your wrist, yanking you in. Closing the door. Assuming the other two have come in as well. [01:13:15] Speaker B: Yes. [01:13:17] Speaker C: Close the door in Tom's face. Now. Make sure everyone's in. Pulls Renee in, closes the door, and then turns around to face everyone and says. Yeah, not good, is there? [01:13:32] Speaker E: I'm sorry, go ahead. [01:13:33] Speaker C: No, you talk. [01:13:37] Speaker E: Oh, I was just going to ask. Is there a sort of, like, detect, like, listening spells type thing we could do? [01:13:46] Speaker B: Yeah, I was gonna. I was actually going to do, like a. Like a silencing spell to make sure what we say doesn't get out of this room. [01:13:53] Speaker A: Yeah. No. [01:13:53] Speaker D: Roll better than we have been. [01:13:56] Speaker C: Watch you get a one again. I. [01:14:01] Speaker A: Don'T speak that into existence. Hush. [01:14:05] Speaker C: Can I. [01:14:06] Speaker A: What? [01:14:06] Speaker B: Am I rolling? [01:14:08] Speaker A: Yeah. That is. We'll also go with the brains. Roll for that. [01:14:11] Speaker B: Okay. [01:14:12] Speaker D: Okay. [01:14:12] Speaker B: My brain's just in bed. [01:14:14] Speaker D: Before anything gets, like, anything else gets cast or anything, Renee does whistle for Conrad. And there's, like, a little door that's actually, like, a swinging door cut into the bottom of his door, specifically Conrad's side. So this little stoat just comes, like, running out and comes over to Renee and just climbs up his leg. This is normal and fine. Oh, no, I got it. Okay. [01:14:39] Speaker B: No, no, I was doing math. That's why. That's why I can't count. [01:14:43] Speaker C: Okay. Okay. I thought you rolled another one. [01:14:47] Speaker D: No, no, I rolled pretty good. [01:14:48] Speaker C: I rolled pretty good. [01:14:49] Speaker A: So, yeah, a ton, I'd say. Yeah, you can. You could do something that. It's like, as long as you're in this room, you're pretty sure no one can hear you. [01:14:56] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. This room specifically. And that was the only one that I was thinking about. So Caster will kind of just wave his fingers, and it kind of like sparks. Not sparks, but like, sparkles, I guess. Not. Not like the difference you just did. [01:15:11] Speaker C: There's a difference between sparks and sparkles. [01:15:14] Speaker B: Sparkles. It's more like. It's more like light glints off of his rings, and then it seems to, like, pinpoint little parts of the corners of the room, and then suddenly it's just a little bit muted. Okay, we can talk now, I think. [01:15:30] Speaker E: Yeah. I think that just because Tom is kind of curious about what was up with whoever it is that broke in, they're still going to cast the sort of, like, detect detection spell. And I got an eleven. I don't know. [01:15:44] Speaker A: Eleven? Yeah, it's a are you just, like, looking for evidence for sure that somebody's been in? [01:15:51] Speaker E: Or more just, like, did they leave anything behind to listen or watch? So even if we're silenced, I'd still like to know if the room has been bugged. [01:16:01] Speaker A: You're relatively sure that the room hasn't been bugged? You don't think they left anything behind like that. [01:16:13] Speaker E: Ominous wording? Okay. [01:16:16] Speaker B: They probably wanted the book. Yeah. How do they know you have it? [01:16:24] Speaker C: Well, we were the ones in the library that night who found all of the blood. [01:16:35] Speaker B: Only a handful of people know that. [01:16:43] Speaker C: Tom hasn't told us about the headmaster thing, so I don't think Faro can say that. But Faro is going to sort of, as he's talking, is walking towards. Walking back into his room, because I think the first thing he did when he ran in was check his room, is going to get on the rug and look under his bed and pull a frightened goose out from under the bed and picks up this long haired white cat in their arms and just starts comforting him. And I have a question for you, Aubrey. How do familiars work in this game? Are you able, like, are you able to, like, commune with them? Can you talk to them? Because I know that, like, they can understand you to a point, yeah, I'd. [01:17:33] Speaker A: Say you could, like, you could commune, you could talk. [01:17:36] Speaker C: Okay. Can I do that? [01:17:40] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, what would you. What would you like to know? What would you like to ask your familiar? [01:17:45] Speaker C: Um, okay, so I think what this looks like, um, Faro comes out a holding my very large, chunky boy goose. Yeah, like that, but white colored. I'm holding my. My big cat, and I go to sit on the couch, probably I, like, I'm holding him with one arm, shoving a bunch of papers and stuff that had been spilled onto the couch over with an arm. So I can sit down and not sit on any of Renee's notes that have been spewed everywhere. And I think faro, literally. [01:18:34] Speaker A: I want. [01:18:35] Speaker C: This to sound cool. However, it's probably just what it sounds like is funnel meowing. Like, I want it to sound like a cool magic spell kind of. No, but I think. I think father just starts meowing. [01:18:53] Speaker B: I mean, it's fine. We see. We talk to our familiars, too. I'm sure it's about the same way. [01:18:59] Speaker C: Yeah. So Faro is just sitting on the couch, positioning goose on their lap, and just starts going. [01:19:13] Speaker B: He's got an accent. [01:19:15] Speaker D: Daz, it's your turn. What does the fox say? Thank you. [01:19:22] Speaker B: Thank you so much. So sorry. [01:19:34] Speaker D: Aubrey, I had to. [01:19:39] Speaker A: I will ask. What are you trying to ask this cat? Like, yes, you've given me the cat. What do you translate? [01:19:46] Speaker C: What do you. [01:19:46] Speaker A: For the rest of us? What do you mean? [01:19:48] Speaker C: You didn't understand meowing, but you understood. But you got me. You got me, right? You got me. Okay. Okay. For our audience, who does not cat, let me. [01:20:06] Speaker B: I'm calm. [01:20:07] Speaker D: I'm calm. [01:20:07] Speaker C: Let me tell you translation. So. Can't believe I just meowed in a ga. Okay, I can. Yeah. Okay. So true. Anyway, uh, Funo is asking goose, essentially, like, first of all, saying, like, oh, that was just Renee making that loud noise. You're okay. Don't worry. Um, I think Faro does say, renee would never hurt you. You don't have to worry about anything. And then says, I noticed that our door was unlocked. Um, did anyone come in? I think is the first question that photo is asking. [01:20:57] Speaker A: Yeah. So you get sort of like the little muse for an answer to that. [01:21:03] Speaker C: Are you not going to meow? Because I'm meowed. [01:21:06] Speaker A: I'll meow. [01:21:07] Speaker C: Just meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow. [01:21:13] Speaker A: I can audience. [01:21:15] Speaker C: Yeah, let's go. [01:21:18] Speaker A: And yes, you get the. The. There is one person who came in, they had some sort of spell that was obscuring their face. So Goose doesn't know who they were. They came in and they went through your room looking for the book. [01:21:47] Speaker C: Okay. Faro is now asking, do you recognize what they smelled like? [01:21:56] Speaker A: You get a no. [01:22:03] Speaker C: Father pauses and thinks about something else. And I think Faro literally looks up to the group and says, so I'm asking my cat what happened? He says, a person did come into our room and went in my room specifically to look for the book, which they weren't able to find since. And follow Pat's his bag, since I have it. The person had a spell obscuring their face, so Goose did not recognize them. And also the smell was not recognizable. I have. What else should I ask my cat. [01:22:47] Speaker D: Before Renee even responds? Like you say, all the details of that and Renee just storms off to his room and pushes open the door and looks in. Is any of the organized chaos disturbed? [01:23:03] Speaker A: You're pretty sure it has not been disturbed. So whoever came in knew which room was photosynthesis. [01:23:09] Speaker D: Yeah, I hate that, actually. I hate that. [01:23:18] Speaker B: Really quickly, did you say all of that in your room, father? Did you come out to. [01:23:24] Speaker C: No, I came back. I came back. [01:23:26] Speaker B: Okay. Okay. [01:23:26] Speaker C: No, because I'm sitting on the couch with the cat on my lap. [01:23:30] Speaker B: Yeah, I just glitched and forgot about that. [01:23:34] Speaker C: Okay. [01:23:35] Speaker B: Thank you. [01:23:41] Speaker C: Yes. So, anything else I should ask my cat? [01:23:46] Speaker B: I mean, it seems pretty straightforward. They're looking for the book. [01:23:49] Speaker A: Cat. [01:23:50] Speaker B: Didn't recognize them. Obviously. If they didn't recognize. If your cat didn't recognize their smell, then probably isn't someone who has been in this room before. [01:24:03] Speaker D: Good work, goose. [01:24:08] Speaker C: And I think Faro kind of, like, looks to the left and to the right and locates, like, a small container of, like, treats. And, like, pushes it towards him with his foot and reaches down, opens the container and will give goose a treat. [01:24:26] Speaker A: That's a great way to settle down a cat. That's nice. Nervous. Here, have some food. [01:24:31] Speaker D: Absolutely. [01:24:32] Speaker B: Also works on hands. [01:24:34] Speaker A: Exactly. I know, but give me some food. [01:24:38] Speaker D: I'm better during this. Also, like, Renee has very quietly, in just like, normal words, told Conrad that he's done a good job, but just, like, turns to the stone and addresses him like he's just another person. Just like you've done a very good job here. Yes. You can take the rest of the night off. [01:25:02] Speaker C: Meanwhile, in the background. Meow. [01:25:06] Speaker D: Yeah. [01:25:07] Speaker B: As he's looking between the two of them, like, what are you doing? [01:25:10] Speaker D: Renee distinctly only talks to familiars like they are like human beings. And, like, Conrad Foley has a job and is in his employer, so. [01:25:22] Speaker C: So Conrad's your butler? [01:25:24] Speaker D: That's what it sounds like, yeah. [01:25:27] Speaker B: I could take the rest of the night off. [01:25:28] Speaker D: Conrad is the one that cleans the desk so that I can work on it. Yes, absolutely. [01:25:34] Speaker C: Oh, my God. [01:25:36] Speaker D: No one ever sees Conrad. Conrad has a job. [01:25:41] Speaker C: What kind of animal is Conrad right now? [01:25:45] Speaker D: He's white. He's a white stoat. [01:25:48] Speaker C: I want to see his sto again. It's like. [01:25:50] Speaker D: It's like a weasel ferret type creature. [01:25:52] Speaker C: Yeah, it's a weasel. [01:25:54] Speaker D: They're very cute. They have good little faces. [01:25:58] Speaker C: Also, to patch up a little continuity error or not a continu. A little plot hole. There is a cat door in our door. Are like, first door. There is a cat door. That is how goose got in and out of the room without me. [01:26:13] Speaker B: Unlock the door. [01:26:18] Speaker C: Well, it's the cat door. You can't. I mean, unless they. I guess with magic, you could shrink yourself. Maybe it's a cat door. That's been magic to only allow. [01:26:26] Speaker D: Yeah, I don't even think it allows Conrad out. [01:26:29] Speaker C: Yeah, I don't know. Conrad hand waves magic. [01:26:35] Speaker D: Conrad has a job. There's food and water and a bed. It's fine. Um, yeah. Um, then Renee, like, just starts to pick up, like, random things that are tossed on the floor. Um, and, like, picks up a pillow and very angrily, like, straightens it out and dusts it off and then puts it onto the one of the chairs. [01:26:56] Speaker C: Your notes about. Sorry. [01:26:59] Speaker D: Oh, go ahead. [01:26:59] Speaker C: Your notes about what happened to me must be strewn around then, huh? [01:27:03] Speaker D: They are mostly in his room, but there are out in the. There are a few out in the, like, main room because has been so frantic lately. [01:27:11] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:27:12] Speaker D: So there's a decent chance that you guys are able to scope some stuff. Cause it's all just strewn around. [01:27:19] Speaker C: Yep. Handing you knives. You're welcome. [01:27:23] Speaker D: Yep. And renee is, like, picking all of them up by, like, the armful. And you see that, like, even though he's been given the night off, Conrad is also picking them up and starting to, like, carry them over to Renee's room. And they don't fit through the door. [01:27:39] Speaker C: Goose has left my lap and is curled up on the couch next to me, doing absolutely nothing to help. Goose is probably laying on top of some papers. [01:27:54] Speaker A: There are no papers under me. Yeah, don't worry. [01:27:57] Speaker D: I'm white. The paper is white. Don't worry about it. [01:27:59] Speaker C: It's white. Yeah. [01:28:04] Speaker D: Yeah. And renee, like, angrily starts to straighten up. Go ahead. [01:28:08] Speaker B: I was just gonna say, do you need any help with that? No, I stooped to start helping pick. [01:28:15] Speaker E: Up, I think tom looks between the living room and Renee's room and sees the state of organized chaos in Renee's room and says, oh, so they looked in your room too, then? [01:28:32] Speaker D: Um, no, no, I've been just very busy. And this, as far as I can tell, they did not enter my room. Thank you, Tom. [01:28:48] Speaker C: Yeah, Tom. Renee. His room looks misty, but it's, uh. Rinna actually knows where everything is inside there. [01:28:59] Speaker D: Thank you, Faro. [01:29:01] Speaker C: You're welcome. Would anyone like anything to drink? [01:29:09] Speaker E: I'll have water if you have any. But that seems worse, right? That they only checked one room? [01:29:14] Speaker B: That does seem worse. [01:29:15] Speaker D: I was there. So if it's about the library, then that doesn't add up. It is about Faro in particular. [01:29:25] Speaker B: Tell us, as your mentor, they probably figured if he was going to hide the book anywhere, it would be with you. [01:29:35] Speaker C: Well, I given, I think, like, from the little, like, kitchenette in our dorm, thought I was getting water and says, given that my proximity to professor tell us, I think it would make sense for them to check my room. [01:29:57] Speaker D: Aubrey? [01:29:58] Speaker E: Yes. [01:30:00] Speaker D: Is there any indication of how long ago this happened? [01:30:06] Speaker A: Quite possibly. [01:30:10] Speaker C: I have asked goose that I was. [01:30:12] Speaker B: Going to say something to ask the cat. Maybe. [01:30:14] Speaker A: Um. [01:30:15] Speaker D: Yeah. I don't trust cats being able to tell time. [01:30:19] Speaker A: They don't have, like, third cat of. [01:30:23] Speaker B: The day, so it would have been about two. [01:30:27] Speaker A: So, um, you do something specific. Give me a. Give me a brains roll real quick. It's not going to be a very high DC. [01:30:40] Speaker D: I'm gonna roll better than a one, hopefully. [01:30:42] Speaker B: Yeah, you just jinxed it. [01:30:44] Speaker E: Why would you say that? [01:30:46] Speaker D: I didn't jinx it. That's an 18. [01:30:48] Speaker C: See, here's the thing. Here's the thing. Here's the thing. You have to roll a one in order to pass the curse on, right? Because both of you rolled ones, and now you're rolling. Fine. So Tom and I both haven't rolled yet. We might roll ones, but then it'll get better, hopefully. [01:31:06] Speaker A: Yeah, you. You do that. And you're wondering this as you move over to the coffee table and pull up some papers. And as you do, you can feel it underneath the papers. Something on the coffee table is warm. [01:31:31] Speaker D: This just happened. [01:31:33] Speaker A: As you do this, you pull the papers away and burned into the coffee table is a circle. [01:31:46] Speaker D: How big? [01:31:49] Speaker A: Like, yay big. [01:31:52] Speaker D: Okay. Okay. [01:31:53] Speaker A: It's a circle. But you know what that means? Oh, what is unbroken but a circle? [01:32:03] Speaker D: Yeah. Yeah. [01:32:05] Speaker B: That doesn't. [01:32:07] Speaker C: What does that mean? [01:32:09] Speaker D: He looks at it and his hands go from frantically searching kind of light to. His whole body tenses and he grabs the table. And he was about to be like, oh, someone marked my table. And instead of saying something, he fully flips the table. No. [01:32:31] Speaker C: What happened? You're right. [01:32:36] Speaker B: Kessler will right the table slowly. That is mahogany. [01:32:44] Speaker D: Basically, the people that Arkos works with, the people that my parents work with. Have any of you heard of the unbroken? [01:33:01] Speaker C: Have I heard of the unbroken? [01:33:03] Speaker E: Have I heard of the unbroken? [01:33:06] Speaker A: Give me anybody who wants to do. Let's do a brains roll. [01:33:16] Speaker C: Okay. [01:33:22] Speaker B: I got a big, fat five. [01:33:25] Speaker A: Same. [01:33:27] Speaker C: Which dice? [01:33:29] Speaker B: Yes. [01:33:31] Speaker C: Okay, I'll do this one. [01:33:40] Speaker B: Get that one. [01:33:42] Speaker D: Is it your one? Did you get it? [01:33:45] Speaker A: Everybody gets one. [01:33:50] Speaker B: We did it, gang. We did it. We heckin did it. [01:33:56] Speaker D: This is iconic. [01:33:58] Speaker B: We need to change the title of this session to the only one. [01:34:02] Speaker D: And it's just about Tom. Tom is the only one. [01:34:07] Speaker B: Congratulations. [01:34:10] Speaker D: Wow. [01:34:11] Speaker C: It was a fucking one on a D 20. [01:34:17] Speaker D: That was my two. That was mine, too. Dude, we did so good. [01:34:22] Speaker B: It hurts so bad. [01:34:25] Speaker C: Why? Okay, well, there's my one. So I haven't heard of this. Despite being Renee's best friend, Renee does. [01:34:34] Speaker D: Not talk about it, so that's actually. That makes sense, actually. [01:34:38] Speaker B: Okay. [01:34:39] Speaker A: And so, Caster and Tom, you both got five. [01:34:42] Speaker B: Yep. [01:34:44] Speaker A: You are aware that the unbroken is a group. You're unsure of what they do. You know, you've heard it and you've seen the symbol before, but you're like, I don't know. They do things. I guess they're a group. [01:35:01] Speaker C: In the same way that the Red Sox are a baseball team. [01:35:04] Speaker D: Exactly. [01:35:06] Speaker C: Because we established last session that baseball exists in this world. [01:35:11] Speaker D: That's right. Oh, no, we did. [01:35:15] Speaker C: This is what you get when I'm the note taker. [01:35:18] Speaker D: Renee is, like, seething at anything to do with this at this point. And actually, I think more of that residual, like, red electric energy just begins to, like, spool in behind his eyes, and you can kind of see it beginning to glow a little bit behind his almost translucent white skin. [01:35:41] Speaker B: Okay, breathe, perhaps, and tell us what's going on. I'm guessing that's not good. [01:35:53] Speaker C: Does Farro know how to calm Renee down? [01:35:57] Speaker D: Probably kiss him. [01:36:00] Speaker B: Don't do that. [01:36:01] Speaker C: How? Like a shoulder rub or. Yeah. What are you thinking? [01:36:07] Speaker D: I think Faro knows that if he can catch Renee's eyes and kind of co regulate with just, like, a deep breath, it will probably go very, very far. [01:36:21] Speaker C: Are you standing or sitting right now? [01:36:23] Speaker D: Uh, I'm hunched over the flipped over coffee table that's been. [01:36:27] Speaker B: Oh, I righted it. Yep. [01:36:28] Speaker D: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [01:36:29] Speaker C: Okay. Uh, can I. Can I, um, guide you onto the couch very gently. And, um, I kind of, like, push my body, like, wedge it in between you and the table. And I think it kind of. The coffee table just kind of scoots along the rug as I sit, basically, at your feet. And I will reach, well, kneel, but not where you sit on your feet, standing up, kneeling. And I. Oh, this is so gay. I'm gonna reach for your chin and tilt your chin up so that you look at me, and I'm just gonna say, renee, breathe. [01:37:24] Speaker D: And Renee just stays still for a moment. Close your eyes. You don't have eyes. [01:37:30] Speaker C: You don't have to talk about it, but just calm down a little bit. You're sparking again. [01:37:39] Speaker D: Sorry. I do have to talk about it. [01:37:43] Speaker C: Okay. And I'm going to stand up and sit on the coffee table, like, over the mark, so you don't have to look at it, but I'm going to sit on it. So I'm facing you, and I'm just going to say, whenever you're ready. Tom has disappeared. Where? [01:38:06] Speaker D: Pausing for Tom. Oh, there. Yeah. Cool. Renee takes another kind of slow breath. Sparking subsides the polite upper echelon, the benefactors and founders of this city. Among them is a group called the Unbroken. They operate in what seems like a quiet and omnipresent, but quiet manner, where they prefer to be unknown, prefer to just be seen as a magnanimous entity. They go to parties. They go to people's houses. They sit and have polite tea in people's parlors while the world is still in shadow. One of those is the home that I grew up in. Akos is a leader of those people. And until fairly recently, I just thought it was a powerful group that I did not trust. But the longer I've been away from my fathers, the more I have seen that where power amasses, you can find traces of the unbroken pieces here and there. And I trust it less and less. And now I know that they are trying to pull on all of those woven threads that go deep inside of this city, inside of this bastion of light. To what end? I don't know, and I don't like it. [01:40:38] Speaker B: Why let us know that they were here. Who did it specifically? Why would they tell us this morning? [01:40:46] Speaker D: It's a warning. [01:40:51] Speaker C: Um, maybe I'm missing something. Who's a kos? [01:41:01] Speaker D: Um, the, um. The person who came and visited Talus. [01:41:14] Speaker C: Right. That. And I think, like, you can see the wheels in Faro's head turning, and Foto just says, that must be so. If. If the intruder was Akros, that would explain why he knew about me, because he came to visit Talos. [01:41:38] Speaker D: The thing about Akos is, we cannot. We are fairly gifted among us, Tom. You seem to be able to hear through walls. I don't quite know how you do it. And, Caster, you've. Despite today's slip up, you seem to know everyone and be able to charm everyone. [01:42:01] Speaker B: Is that NASA? [01:42:02] Speaker D: Yes. [01:42:04] Speaker C: Yes, of course it is. [01:42:08] Speaker A: Continue. [01:42:11] Speaker D: And, Faro, you know I couldn't do anything without you. But this is well outside of our ability. [01:42:21] Speaker B: Did I not say that? Khasawan said that, like, immediately. [01:42:27] Speaker C: Hmm? Nothing. [01:42:31] Speaker E: You said it immediately. And so we went to the teachers, and that really seems to have been sort of what got us into this mess. [01:42:42] Speaker C: I don't think we should be throwing blame around. I don't know if this would have gone any better with any other plan. [01:42:53] Speaker B: Okay, well, what do we do? You have the book. They want the book pretty badly. Seems as though this echos is threatening Professor Talos. And I still don't know how Junie fits into all of this. Is she hostage? Is she dead? [01:43:13] Speaker C: My gut is telling me that Junie just happened to stumble upon this and was trying to investigate herself and got caught. At least that's what is the most likely answer, given that the alternative is much more sinister. If she was perhaps working on it with talus. [01:43:41] Speaker D: Seems uncharacteristic of her. [01:43:45] Speaker C: Definitely. [01:43:46] Speaker A: This moment, in the middle of this conversation, there's a soft knock at your door, and I don't think lynches. I think that is where we will take our break. We'll be back in about ten minutes. Everybody get up, stretch your legs, use the bathroom, get something to eat, get something to drink, take your meds, all that fun stuff. We'll be back in about ten minutes to finish up episode three. [01:44:16] Speaker D: Go coagulate with your best friend. [01:44:18] Speaker C: Yeah. Hydrate or die straight. And go talk to your cats. [01:44:22] Speaker A: Mew, mew, mew, mew, mew, mew. Hello, and welcome back from break. Welcome back to the second half of the third episode of Mysteries of Ravenswood. As we left things off, there was a knock at the door. [01:44:38] Speaker C: Fear. [01:44:40] Speaker D: Yeah. Renee also jumps. [01:44:48] Speaker B: Caster goes to call. [01:44:49] Speaker D: Who is it? [01:44:50] Speaker B: Before remembering that literally nobody can hear outside of this room. So I. [01:44:54] Speaker C: Do we have a peephole? Is this the era of peepholes in the cat door? I'm not opening the cat door to. [01:45:01] Speaker A: Peep under the cat door. Yeah, I'd say there's a peephole, you know, just, like, a little. Well, then you could just sort of look out and see who's there. [01:45:10] Speaker C: I would like to look in the people to see who is outside our room. [01:45:15] Speaker A: You see another student. She's sort of this elven girl. She has very expertly pressed clothes, and she has this long, wavy, sort of auburn hair, and she kind of looks a little bored. [01:45:37] Speaker C: Bored? [01:45:38] Speaker A: Bored, yes. [01:45:41] Speaker C: Okay. [01:45:42] Speaker A: Like, doing this thing where she's, like. She's knocked, and then she's like, come on. [01:45:48] Speaker C: Is this our ra. [01:45:50] Speaker A: No, but you know who this is. Her name is, uh, Victoria Verta. [01:45:56] Speaker B: Victoria. [01:45:58] Speaker A: And she is. She's in New York class. It's interesting because she is a. She has a twin brother named Nikolai, and they're usually where you find one, you find the other. Nikolai is nowhere to be seen. [01:46:12] Speaker C: Interesting photo is going to just gesture for the rest of you to just get out of the line of sight. When I open the door, Renee does. [01:46:24] Speaker D: I think that this is the thing that they've done before. [01:46:27] Speaker C: Yeah, because Renee does not like talking to people. Like, every time someone knocks on our door, Renee disappears into his room. And Fado answers the door. Correct. So Faro, gestures to the other two because I think Renee's already moved. Gestures to the other two to move, and I will open the door just to crack and just say, good evening, Victoria. How can I. How can I help you? [01:46:56] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. Faro. Yeah. So, like, I've been totally told to bring a message to you. [01:47:05] Speaker C: Uh huh. Fahdo does yawn just slightly. [01:47:08] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:47:09] Speaker C: Excuse me. [01:47:10] Speaker A: It's, like, from the headmaster. He asks that you and anybody else who was in the library yesterday come to his office as soon as you can. He needs to talk to you about something. [01:47:24] Speaker C: Like tonight. I was about to go to bed. [01:47:29] Speaker A: It's the afternoon. [01:47:33] Speaker C: A nap. [01:47:35] Speaker A: Well, I just had to deliver the message. Please don't make him. I don't want to deal with him again. Just go whenever you get a chance today. [01:47:48] Speaker C: I appreciate it. Thanks, Victoria. [01:47:51] Speaker A: You're welcome. Yeah, she was just. She's not even gonna, like, wait, say goodbye. She's already moving away? [01:48:01] Speaker C: Yeah. And I kind of, like, watch her go, and then just close the door, turn back to the rest of y'all and say, well, I guess no afternoon nap for me. [01:48:17] Speaker A: Shame. [01:48:17] Speaker B: I could ease one. [01:48:21] Speaker D: This seems ill advised. [01:48:24] Speaker E: You're not actually planning to go, are you? [01:48:28] Speaker B: Of course. [01:48:29] Speaker C: I think it looks more suspicious if we don't go. Honestly? [01:48:32] Speaker D: Yes. [01:48:35] Speaker C: Because right now our story is just that we were in the library, we saw a bunch of blood. We called for help. That's all that happened. Right. Did you hear. Did you hear anything else? Tom? [01:48:51] Speaker B: I mean, I look at Tom because I know. [01:48:59] Speaker E: I heard him talking yesterday with the captain Gore, the head of the holy order. The holy blood. They were asking. They were talking about the book. [01:49:20] Speaker D: In what way? [01:49:21] Speaker C: Yeah. What? I need a little bit more context, please. [01:49:28] Speaker E: Esther. I told you. He was asking. He told the headmaster to lay low, I think, and that. Oh. That the book was supposed to be sealed away. And, like, how did Talos lose it? [01:49:47] Speaker C: Hmm. [01:49:49] Speaker D: These could be disconnected incidents. Seems like a very important book to keep tabs on. So perhaps Talis stole it from one and is meant to give it to the other. [01:50:06] Speaker C: Yeah, perhaps if Ekos somehow maybe promised Talus something big that would get Talus to steal the book or steal his own work back. Because Talus did tell me that he had put the book away, which I wasn't sure if that was a lie or not. He seemed a bit fidgety about that, so I assumed that it was at least a half truth, but. Yeah, I don't. I don't. I don't like this. It's not not an ideal situation. [01:50:49] Speaker D: I think we should go also. [01:50:52] Speaker B: I think we should go. But should we make a contingency plan in case, you know. [01:50:57] Speaker D: Yes. [01:50:58] Speaker B: Something goes sideways. [01:51:01] Speaker D: I'm pretty quick on my broom. Could fly away. [01:51:08] Speaker C: I think. I think you. You see Faro laugh for the first time in a while, like. Like, genuinely laugh and photo just says, yeah, we walk in there and headmaster's like, hey, have you seen this book? And huge. Great plan. Great, great plan. [01:51:28] Speaker B: Well, it might be good to not have the book on us at the time. [01:51:32] Speaker C: Yeah. I was gonna say, do I leave it here, but the room's been tossed. You don't reckon they'd come back, do you? [01:51:41] Speaker B: What? Would we give her to my familiar. She's quick. [01:51:46] Speaker C: I do have a lockbox in my room. I could put it in the lock box. [01:51:50] Speaker D: What if. Tom, you seem reluctant to go. Are you going? [01:51:57] Speaker C: Well, you have to. They want all four of us. [01:52:02] Speaker B: But Victoria only delivered the message to you. [01:52:05] Speaker E: Yeah, they have no reason to know. [01:52:08] Speaker D: So if, Tom, you choose not to go, you can hold the book. [01:52:19] Speaker E: Yeah. Do you mind if I just stay here? I'm a little hesitant to be. To be walking around with it. [01:52:29] Speaker D: We can also put it in the lockbox and you can just stay in the living room. [01:52:33] Speaker C: That's smart. And if anybody. If anyone walks in, then your excuse is that we are working on a group project together and fodo and Renee are sleeping. [01:52:48] Speaker D: You're catching me up from necromancy class. [01:52:52] Speaker C: Yeah. Good plan. [01:52:53] Speaker E: Oh, that's right. Vampires. You missed it. [01:52:57] Speaker D: Did I? [01:53:01] Speaker C: Yeah, and father was just looking at you. [01:53:09] Speaker B: There's a little light bulb that goes off over Caster's head as he connects the dots. [01:53:15] Speaker A: Castor doesn't get it. Gets it. [01:53:23] Speaker E: Okay. I'll stay here with the book and caster. You still want to go? I mean, they haven't found you either, we think. [01:53:34] Speaker B: Sort of noticeable, but. Yeah. Actually, if you don't mind, I'd rather we didn't split up so. Totally. [01:53:46] Speaker C: So do you want to stay here with Tom? [01:53:50] Speaker B: Are you alright with that? I'm asking Tom. But it's a general question. [01:53:56] Speaker E: I mean, it's your choice. You were. I don't want you to get in trouble with the headmaster either. You were the most wanting to go. [01:54:07] Speaker B: Yes, well, if you don't believe that the stuff is completely trustworthy, then I'm more inclined to listen to you, to be honest. [01:54:18] Speaker D: We can just play dumb. [01:54:21] Speaker C: I mean, we also could just say that today's the day we don't have classes with you, which is true. We don't have classes with you today, besides the one we already had. And after class, we went shopping, and then we all split off and didn't see you, so couldn't find you. And we wanted to come right away because we just got the message, so we're gonna come right away. We sent you a letter, and, you know you'll show up if you show up, right? [01:54:45] Speaker B: Yep. Exactly. So, you know, anyway, as I said, I can play down with the best of them. So if they do ask me questions later, then we'll fix that. [01:54:56] Speaker C: Laro is going to walk into her room and pull out this lockbox, which I imagine is enchanted, and I'm going to use my magic wand to open my lockbox. Do I have to roll, or am I safe to open it? [01:55:22] Speaker A: Yeah. So you have to open it. It's yours. [01:55:25] Speaker C: So I open it, and I think there's, like, an over the shoulder shot of the contents of this box. And you see family photos of. Faro's family photo comes from a very big family, so there's, like, I don't know, it's kind of the vibes of, like, having more than ten siblings kind of vibes. And in the box is a random assortment of items. And I think for our audience, all of Fado's family members have given him something to remind him of them as he goes away to school. He is the first person to leave his family's small town to go to this big city and go to school, because Fado is the first person in their family who is magically adept. [01:56:25] Speaker A: And. [01:56:26] Speaker C: Yeah. So the box is just full of random trinkets and mementos. Nothing that looks super pricey or expensive. It's all sentimental value. And Faro kind of moves some of the stuff over and kind of, like, stacks it all very, very neatly into, like, one half of the box, and then reaches into his bag, pulls the book out, kind of, like, flips through it just, like, almost out of habit, like, runs just flipping through the pages super quickly and nestles the book into the box and takes one last look at it, and then hesitates for a moment and then, like, moves some of the trinkets back over it to, like, just cover it, and then replaces the family picture, which had been taken out, and just replaces the family photo on top, looks at it one last time, closes it, locks it with magic again, and, like, literally, I think that just, like, kicks it. Not, like, hard, but, like, kicks it back under their bed where a gentle, gentle kick with your foot a gentle kick. [01:57:36] Speaker A: Push it as far underneath your bed as you can. [01:57:39] Speaker C: Yep. To where it normally is stored. Yep. And then you just see father, like, take a breath and turns back around and closes their door to their room. [01:57:54] Speaker D: While you were out. [01:57:56] Speaker C: Uh huh. [01:57:58] Speaker D: The moment that Faro goes to stash the book, Renee gets up and looks Castor straight in the eyes and has to look up. It is playing. [01:58:13] Speaker B: What? [01:58:15] Speaker D: You're not dumb. Okay. [01:58:20] Speaker B: I didn't realize this would bother you so much. [01:58:22] Speaker D: You're not. [01:58:26] Speaker B: Exactly you now, am I? [01:58:29] Speaker D: Yes, but don't be me. Caster. You do know that everyone at the school likes you. [01:58:41] Speaker B: Oh, I certainly hope so. Worked very hard to get there. We. [01:58:45] Speaker D: That's a skill. It is. It's a skill. [01:58:51] Speaker B: Okay. I I'm sorry. [01:58:55] Speaker D: One I never had. [01:58:59] Speaker B: I like you, Renee. [01:59:01] Speaker D: You like everyone. [01:59:03] Speaker B: That is not true. It's not true. All right, Victoria. [01:59:09] Speaker C: Hmm? [01:59:10] Speaker D: Fine. Her brother is fine. But it's. It's just. You're just playing dumb. [01:59:27] Speaker B: I suppose. [01:59:30] Speaker D: That'S probably when Fado comes in. [01:59:34] Speaker C: Mm hmm. Um, and Fado comes back out and just says, put the book in lockbox. Lockbox under the bed. Door shut. [01:59:46] Speaker D: Good. [01:59:47] Speaker C: And I think, like, Goose is, like, walking around, uh, father's ankles, and they just, like, pick up the cat, place the cat in front of the door and say, cat guard cat. [02:00:03] Speaker A: Nods. [02:00:06] Speaker D: The most amenable cat. [02:00:08] Speaker C: Yeah. Farto leans down and, like, grabs Goose's little fluffy face and just gives. Gives him a big smooch on the. [02:00:14] Speaker D: Head in the next room. [02:00:17] Speaker B: My face. I ever did that to her. [02:00:19] Speaker D: In the next room, Conrad has, like, taken out a beach chair, sipping a mai tai beach. [02:00:28] Speaker A: Conrad has the night off. [02:00:29] Speaker C: A meow tie. A meow tie. [02:00:42] Speaker A: Well, so, Faro and Renee, you are headed up to the headmaster's office. It is at the top of the main tower. You head up all of these stairs. Do you just traverse in silence? [02:01:00] Speaker C: No. No, no. [02:01:02] Speaker A: I didn't imagine so. [02:01:03] Speaker D: No. [02:01:05] Speaker C: I think this is the most talkative photos been to Renee in a while. And Farou's. And this was the conversation that I think he wanted to have in the bookstore and opted not to. And so Faro is just, like. I think it's, like, awkwardly quiet for a little bit, and then once we're walking down the hallway, because, again, we're taking the long way, just kind of, like, looks over at Renee, because I think we're just walking shoulder in shoulder, and photo just says, so Caster saw that. [02:01:47] Speaker D: You're right. [02:01:50] Speaker C: I'm fine. I guess. I guess I will be fine. I don't know how to feel that someone else knows, though. [02:02:07] Speaker D: Well, there has to be something that we deal with, perhaps after sticking our noses where they're not meant to be. [02:02:20] Speaker C: Yeah. This whole situation is definitely way bigger than I ever thought it might be. [02:02:28] Speaker D: Yeah. And, um, I. I didn't want any of that to be true. [02:02:41] Speaker C: I don't. [02:02:44] Speaker D: My father's. [02:02:47] Speaker C: I know. And I think Fano doesn't say anything, but instead is just thinking about, like, all of the differences between himself and Renee and how Renee comes from. I believe you said it's a smaller family. [02:03:11] Speaker D: Yeah, very small. [02:03:14] Speaker C: Very small family. And kind of, you know, bad parents, but very incredibly wealthy, very well integrated into politics and social politics of the city versus Faudo's family is huge and very poor. And from a smaller small town, far away from any city. And just like, the differences in our lives and when we were matched together as roommates the beginning of our school year, it definitely was very much, I think, like a Alphabet glinda situation. [02:03:56] Speaker D: Absolutely. Yes. Yes. [02:03:59] Speaker C: Just two very, very different people who come from very. Two very different backgrounds who I think became very close despite all of our differences. And photo just says, I know you've talked about your family to me, and I don't know what else I can say besides I'm sorry that it is indeed worse. [02:04:34] Speaker D: It's all right. [02:04:40] Speaker C: I think once we get down to the bottom of whatever this endless well of intrigue seems to be, perhaps we can find some answers for you in regards to your fathers. And also, hopefully, maybe figure out what's wrong with me. [02:05:06] Speaker D: Right now, though. I'm changed or not. I don't think I would have said yes if you weren't coming right now. [02:05:19] Speaker C: Yes to what? [02:05:25] Speaker D: Any of this. [02:05:28] Speaker C: Why. [02:05:33] Speaker D: I want to run. I'm not here to be a hero or a hunter. I just want to. I just want to change what's been wrong this whole time. That's it. [02:05:52] Speaker C: I know. Believe me, I didn't want any of this either. I just wanted to learned something useful to take back to my town. [02:06:07] Speaker D: Well, you have that. [02:06:10] Speaker C: Well, I think very softly. Photo just says, I don't know how much of the light I've got anymore. [02:06:24] Speaker D: We'll work on it. [02:06:27] Speaker C: I know. And I think Faro reaches for you and puts a hand on, like, your arm and just, like, squeezes your arm gently. And Whara says, I know there's gotta be an answer somewhere. Has to be. Truthfully, perhaps a small bit of me is hoping that Talus is somehow just caught up in all of this and isn't actually doing anything nefarious. I really would think that he might know about what happened to me or that he could help in some way. I just. I can't stop thinking about how this is so unlike him. And only someone as powerful as. Well, the people that you talked about, the unbroken people that powerful, can move anyone. I suppose it's all of the political machinations I never quite understood myself. [02:07:50] Speaker D: Pharaoh. It's a choice. A choice to deal with them. And I know that you want to believe that Talos is who you thought he was, but Akos, once they get someone into their fold, it's a choice to stay. [02:08:18] Speaker C: I just can't believe that he would do that. He. You know, I'd come back late, you know, past my very early bedtime, out late, working with him. We spent so many hours together. He talked a lot about himself. I know him so well. Or at least I thought I did. I just. [02:08:50] Speaker D: I'm sorry. [02:08:51] Speaker C: I don't. I don't know it's real anymore. And I just. [02:08:56] Speaker D: It. When you say that, Renee stops and looks you straight in the eyes. Oh, no. What's real is this is us. [02:09:31] Speaker C: I think. Faro holds your gaze for a bit. For a moment, for a moment, longer than a moment, and then they look away and they say, I know you. You've been there for me since move in today. First year. And. I don't know, I've been thinking. Last night, I couldn't sleep. Just stayed up thinking about all of the years spent studying under Professor Tellis and my worst fears about if all of it was for naught. I think part of me is desperately hoping that he isn't. This. I don't know. [02:10:46] Speaker D: I have a frustrating confession to make. Even now, as I stand here, I still love my fathers. They were men that raised me well. Tried to care. It's okay. It's okay to care about him. He can be both. [02:11:25] Speaker C: I think. We start walking again, but slower. And Faro just says, um. He talked to me at length about legacy and what that means. And at the time, you know, he said he related to me a lot in that sense, but I thought, you know, he was more so. Referring to the fact that I'm the first person in my family to go to school like this. And that what we were learning together and my talent and my aptitude for alchemy was something special, something worth something. Something that would change the lives of my family in my town. And now I see. Or last night, I realized that he is a man obsessed with legacy and if the unbroken offered him something good enough, perhaps he'd do anything. That is the scariest thing for me. [02:12:56] Speaker D: Only one way to find out. Fuck. I. Even though I am definitely shorter than him, I offer Frodo my arm like a gentleman. [02:13:11] Speaker C: And I'm going to hold you as we, I think, arrive at the door. [02:13:17] Speaker A: Yeah, there's the door in front of you. It has the beautifully carved. Has the nameplate of Professor Andreas Ravenswood. I take it that you knock. [02:13:38] Speaker C: After a moment, I think Renee Faro knows that Renee likely is not going to be the one to knock. So Faro takes a moment to. [02:13:49] Speaker A: Yes, you. You knock on the door. [02:13:54] Speaker C: Yes, a photo will knock. [02:13:55] Speaker A: Yeah. You watch as a moment or two later it swings open by magic and you can kind of see into this large office and you see the professor, the headmaster, standing by his desk. He currently looks to be pouring himself a cup of tea and just goes, come, come in. I was just about to have tea, if you would like some. This is. Make yourselves comfortable. And as you enter in, you see it's sort of. It's got two levels, sort of this main level. And you see stairs going up to probably what is some sort of residence, possibly. And down here, you see the desk, there are portraits on the walls and there are cases filled with items, magical items that over the course of his life, he has collected. You see in one of the cases on this sort of very, very nice velvet pillow, a crown. It is beautiful as it is, mostly seems to be made of diamond on it. Has diamonds on it. But the diamonds are strange because it seems like each diamond and the center of it has a sort of a constantly flowing drop of blood. [02:15:32] Speaker C: Hmm. [02:15:33] Speaker D: Well, Renee was gonna sit down, but now he's just staring. [02:15:37] Speaker C: Yeah, that's not suspicious at all. What is that? [02:15:40] Speaker D: No, Renee wants it. [02:15:42] Speaker A: This is a thing in the case. And, you know, as if you're staring and he sees, he goes, oh, yes, that is something I very prized possession of mine. I found it when we were on an adventure. I'm not sure completely if it is the actual thing, but I quite possibly believe it is the crown of the scarlet queen. [02:16:13] Speaker C: Above table. That's the vampire, right? In the city? [02:16:16] Speaker A: No, the scarlet queen is. She herself is. Has something that has been turned into legend. Everyone's pretty sure she did exist, but, you know, there's a lot of things. And essentially is she was murdered her husband on the wedding night and then ruled the kingdom with an iron fist. [02:16:36] Speaker C: And the. [02:16:37] Speaker A: No one could kill her. And the only way lit her up. [02:16:40] Speaker D: And a bunch of pieces. So good. [02:16:42] Speaker A: She is, according to the story, still alive. [02:16:46] Speaker B: Delicious. [02:16:48] Speaker C: Wait, is this a legend? Like, above table? That is like a real legend that people know of? [02:16:52] Speaker D: Yeah. [02:16:52] Speaker A: Or it's a story that is told. It happened probably about 600 years ago, but it's a story that has been told and retold. And everyone is aware of this. Is this happened, but everyone's unsure of where the real life thing ends and the myth begins. [02:17:12] Speaker C: For some reason. It's the first time I'm hearing of this. So wait, the only way to kill her is to cut her up into a bunch of pieces, or. [02:17:18] Speaker B: No, she. She couldn't die, so they cut her up into a bunch of pieces. Supposedly she's still alive despite being divided up in a bunch of pieces. [02:17:27] Speaker A: Yeah. [02:17:32] Speaker D: I have so many questions. Right. This is not what we're here. [02:17:37] Speaker B: No. [02:17:38] Speaker D: No, headmaster. Um, that is just remarkable. You wanted to see us? [02:17:45] Speaker A: Yes. Yes, I did. I wanted to talk to all of you. I hope Victoria will find your other two friends. Um, I just. I wanted to make sure that you were all right. After yesterday, you. It's not something that I wish that's due would ever come across. I always strive to make the school incredibly safe so that nothing like this ever happens. And I want to let both of you know that we are investigating this, and we will figure out who did this. [02:18:22] Speaker D: How sus is this? [02:18:23] Speaker C: Yeah, how? [02:18:24] Speaker D: How. [02:18:28] Speaker C: Also, while Renee was looking at this spooky crown, Faro also wants to just generally look at all of these items. I want to see if there's anything missing or anything that's standing out. Specifically. [02:18:43] Speaker A: There are a few spots where it looks like things were and not. Maybe they've been moved, maybe they've been donated. Nothing seems to be suspiciously missing. You do notice that there are places where things probably were at one point. Maybe they were donated, maybe they were given away, but nothing seems suspicious. But both of you, give me brains checks for insights. Check. [02:19:07] Speaker C: I'm not rolled. [02:19:08] Speaker D: That one that gave me the. [02:19:10] Speaker C: I know. I'm going to use my other dice that didn't roll a one. [02:19:12] Speaker A: That's probably a good idea. [02:19:14] Speaker D: That's a twelve. [02:19:20] Speaker C: I rolled two ones. An eleven. [02:19:23] Speaker D: Okay. [02:19:25] Speaker C: I do get a bonus to bring. Oh, I get a bonus to brains magic. Nevermind. Yeah, never mind, never mind. So, an eleven. [02:19:32] Speaker A: Oh, you're both relatively sure it's he's being above board in the way that he's also fishing for information? [02:19:40] Speaker C: Yeah. [02:19:40] Speaker D: Feels right. Like every conversation I've ever had with my parents. [02:19:44] Speaker A: Got it? [02:19:44] Speaker C: Yeah. [02:19:45] Speaker D: Yes. [02:19:45] Speaker A: I absolutely want to know that you're all right, but please tell me everything that you saw yesterday. And it's very much just like, if you could tell us anything about what you saw that we might have overlooked, it would be a great help. You were there first. You got a good look at everything before we arrived. [02:20:09] Speaker C: I mean, I was mostly just shocked at all of the blood that that was. There was quite a lot of blood. I don't know. I was pretty frazzled that night. But we found Junie's bag. There was just her normal stuff inside it. It had been shoved under the table, almost as if whoever did that wanted to hide it. Although I'm not sure if the amount of blood that was present would have hidden what was there. But I didn't really notice anything else again, because of all the blood. And Faro looks to Renee. [02:21:01] Speaker D: Renee is looking at Faro and has a extremely dire, contemplative look on his face. [02:21:12] Speaker C: Faro's brow furrows ever so slightly, as if to be like, what are you. What are you thinking? Whatever you're thinking, don't do anything drastic. [02:21:25] Speaker D: In all of my lights snooping around about the unbroken, do I think that Ravenswood is attached to them? [02:21:38] Speaker A: It's hard to tell. The unbroken have their claws in everywhere. [02:21:46] Speaker D: Not exactly a spy. I've just kind of noticed. All right, then. Rene kind of grinds his fairly sharp teeth. The only thing that seemed out of sorts was. Well, I. I thought that Juniper was working on something, and her work seems to be missing. [02:22:21] Speaker A: He sort of looks at both of you, and he's like, I personally have never instructed Miss Novak in any classes, so I'm unsure of what she might have been working on. [02:22:33] Speaker D: She came looking for me, and. [02:22:36] Speaker C: She. [02:22:36] Speaker D: Said that she had a project that she was working on. It was after Professor Talis class. Seemed urgent. That was the last time I saw her. Before she went missing. [02:22:48] Speaker C: Yes. She also talked to me that day. [02:22:53] Speaker A: Well, we are unsure of Miss Novak's current whereabouts. She is not on campus. I can only hope that she is all right, and we will. [02:23:07] Speaker C: Don't you have some kind of, like, location magic? I don't. My specialty was alchemy. But couldn't you find her with magic? [02:23:18] Speaker A: Yes, that is a possibility, but it was also incredibly invasive to someone's privacy. [02:23:27] Speaker C: But she's missing. [02:23:30] Speaker A: Yes, and we have people on it. People are looking into things, and I didn't want to pry into her privacy if this was all unrelated and that she had just decided to skip school for the day. [02:23:50] Speaker C: I feel like the amount of blood that we saw might negate that also. [02:23:56] Speaker D: Because what she was working on seemed to be quite dire. She doesn't normally need help. She is one of the best students at your school. She came looking for me for help. She was working on something important, and it was missing. So whatever was missing is the important thing. [02:24:18] Speaker A: Well, we will go over the library again and see if there was anything that we were missing. If there's anything that either of you can tell us that will help us figure out what this is. [02:24:41] Speaker C: May I speak freely? [02:24:46] Speaker A: Yes. Anything that you tell me will not leave this room. [02:24:51] Speaker C: I think, renee, you watch Farro steal himself, because I think, like, throughout his time at school, Faroul hasn't necessarily been, like a goody goody two shoes kind of person, but definitely is a good student. TM and, you know, always shows up to class early, sits in the front row, does all my homework, goes to bed by 10:00 p.m. You know, like that kind of student. Very, very good at school, but not in the sort of snobby, I'm better than you vibe. Was always very humble about it, always willing to help other people with their homework. Would not let you copy my homework, but would help you, would offer to help you with the work, would spend hours helping my classmates with the work, explaining things if they didn't understand it somehow found time in all of this busy schedule to be mentored by Professor Talus, to doing lots of extra work with him, for him, etcetera. Basically what I'm trying to illustrate here is that Faro is not one to talk back to authority. And so you watch as Faro, like, takes a deep breath and just says, respectfully, sir, where I come from, people in authority positions often know more than they're letting on. And honestly, I'm really scared for my friend's safety. And it really doesn't seem like you or the rest of the administration's doing enough or anything, really to find her. I'm not sure what me or Renee would know that you don't already know. You all are much more learned than us. Your magic stronger years and years of practice at a level that I could only hope to one day achieve. I've told you everything I know. [02:27:13] Speaker A: And we'll look over at you, Renee, and you almost seeing if you have anything else to add. [02:27:25] Speaker D: Renee was just fully staring at Fahdo as they actually stood up to the headmaster, which was extremely shocking. Uh, yeah, I know. [02:27:39] Speaker C: I think immediately after finishing talking, faro, like, literally grabs your hand. I think, like, just. [02:27:48] Speaker D: The headmaster would see a smile just at the corner of Renee's lips, and he very defiantly just shakes his head. What she said is what I know. [02:28:07] Speaker A: And the headmaster looks between both of you and nods and just being, well, if you think of anything, please just let me know. For the meantime, we are going to be instituting a curfew on campus. Just until we make sure that everything is fine and everyone is safe. And this is an isolated incident. [02:28:33] Speaker C: What time? [02:28:37] Speaker A: I almost said sundown. But that's not a time. [02:28:39] Speaker D: Nope. [02:28:40] Speaker C: And sundown is also very early. Also, it's always sundown. Hold on. [02:28:51] Speaker A: It essentially is like. It is around the same time. Generally, most of the dormitories have lights out, being like, nine at night, or what we consider call night now. [02:29:10] Speaker D: Yes. Fine. Don't know how anyone's going to get anything done, but listen for now. [02:29:26] Speaker A: Well, thank you for coming to see me and giving me any information you had. You are free to go. And if you see your other two friends, please send them my way. And speaking of the other two, what are you two up to in the dorm right now? [02:29:47] Speaker C: Really quick. Really quick. As we leave, if Renee walks out first, Faro is about to, like. Like, standing in the doorway, turns around, just says, really, though, try the location thing. I can't do it, but I know you can. And we'll close the door. [02:30:14] Speaker A: See us back at the dorm. What is going on there? [02:30:17] Speaker B: Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Caster has sat on the couch and is kind of picking through the books that we picked up. I guess he's surfing through them, like, their topics and stuff like that, and kind of skimming the pages, but he's not really paying attention. His minds are. His eyes are kind of a million miles away. [02:30:48] Speaker E: Yeah, I think Tom spends a minute, like, just looking at the titles that Junie asked for, but drops it pretty much immediately and will sigh and look at Caster and say, you cared about her, right? You care about her, right? [02:31:14] Speaker B: Yeah, of course. Sweet girl. Very bright. Why? [02:31:28] Speaker E: I heard something else when I was in the tavern, and I didn't have time to mention it, and I'm just worried that maybe Faro and now Renee are too close to everything else that's happening, that they're. I'm worried that they're getting distracted by everything else and they're going to lose sight of her. [02:32:04] Speaker B: Was your hair. [02:32:17] Speaker E: We just. We need. I don't care about Talos. I don't care what happens to Talos. I don't care about this. Akos, either. This unbroken. It's that. We need to get him that book. Today, tomorrow, before. [02:32:46] Speaker B: Tom. What did you hear? [02:32:58] Speaker E: They have. They're working on something. They're not. They don't want to pause, put it on hold just because of the book. And I don't know what will happen if they try. And. I mean, I don't understand alchemy. You know alchemy better than I do. [02:33:20] Speaker B: I really don't. I promise. [02:33:23] Speaker E: But I don't know what will happen if they try and go forward with whatever it is they're doing without it. And I reached out to her when we were in the library. I know that she's still alive, or she was still alive when we found all of that blood. And what if they have her? What if. [02:33:52] Speaker B: You think if we give them the book, they'll release her? [02:33:59] Speaker E: I think if we give Talis the book, he. Whatever it is that he's doing, poor. Whatever reasons. I don't know. I don't care. I don't think he wanted to drag her into it. And if there's a plausible way for us. Ako said that they would deal with anyone, that they would need to deal with anyone who knew about this, and. [02:34:46] Speaker B: They'Re not going to let her go just because we give them the book. [02:34:51] Speaker C: Hope. [02:34:51] Speaker E: He could trade it for her. [02:34:54] Speaker B: We can't. We know about it. She knows about it. What guarantee do we have? However, this does give me an idea. [02:35:14] Speaker E: Listening. [02:35:16] Speaker B: What if we use the book to track them? If we give it. If we give. And perhaps not the whole thing. If what they need is the back that Pharaoh found, then we just remove that, give book to them, put a tracking spell on it, and we followed that back to wherever they're keeping Julian. That could work, right? [02:35:56] Speaker E: That's the part that they need. I imagine that that's the first thing they would check for. But what if we. I mean, when I tried to make a copy of it, it was gibberish because I don't understand what's going on. But if Fado did it, then they could maybe, like, change a line or something in a circle, change a word, and it wouldn't work, but it would look close enough, probably. They would think. And we can track it. And track them. [02:36:25] Speaker B: Yes. [02:36:27] Speaker A: I have a quick question. For the people whose place this is. Do you have a window in your sitting room? [02:36:34] Speaker D: Oh, probably, yeah. Yeah. [02:36:38] Speaker C: Okay, great. So this whole time, not an ominous question. I know. This whole time I've just been picturing my freshman year dorm, which was the situation where there was a living room, kitchenette, bathroom, and two bedrooms with closed doors. And the living room did have a window. It was small because the bigger windows were in the bedrooms. [02:36:58] Speaker D: Minus all the windows, baby. Also, Renee would have sought a room with a window. [02:37:05] Speaker A: Oh, of course. For the caster and Tom, you kind of just hear tap, tap, tap, tap, tap out the window. [02:37:14] Speaker C: I'm gonna mute. [02:37:15] Speaker B: Who's that knocking on my chamber door? Um, I'll look at the window. [02:37:26] Speaker A: Um, you see a. You see, like, a bird? There it is. It is a jackdaw, and it appears to have, like, a note in its peak. [02:37:43] Speaker B: That seems like a trap, doesn't it? [02:37:48] Speaker E: I mean, everything does at this point. [02:37:53] Speaker B: But might be for me. I'm house checked off. I'm gonna go open the freaking window. [02:38:05] Speaker A: There is a note, and this bird drops the note into you. If you hold out your hand, the bird drops the note. It's like a small, little yay. Big folded piece of paper. And then flies off. [02:38:20] Speaker B: Thank you, Charlie. Open the note. [02:38:25] Speaker D: Read it. [02:38:29] Speaker A: It says, bring the book tonight to. It has an address on it. [02:38:45] Speaker B: Is there an or else or. [02:38:53] Speaker A: No, but there's something else that falls into your hand as you. A small lock of hair. [02:39:02] Speaker C: Hmm. [02:39:04] Speaker B: Does it match our friends? [02:39:06] Speaker A: You're sure? Yeah. This looks like the mousy brown of juniper. [02:39:16] Speaker B: Caster sighs and looks at Tom and just goes, well, seems they've made up their mind. [02:39:33] Speaker A: And I think this is about the same point that Faro and Renee arrived back at the apartment. But that is also a thing for next week and the final episode of Mysteries of Ravenswood. Thank you all for coming along with us for screaming. There's still one more episode, and who knows what is going to happen? So, yeah, hopefully our goals will go better. Hopefully. I am going to toss over to my cast, let you know where you could find their lovely faces all over the Internet. And we'll start with you, Jaz. [02:40:13] Speaker B: What up? My name's Jazz, also known as Cinderella Scoria on Twitter. That's usually where you can find me hanging out. What am I doing these days? So I have my usuals. We have mists of elixir on Tuesday nights. We have the arcane course. Should be coming in the next few weeks or possibly month or two when this starts airing. We are starting season three. It's also our final season for the Arcane course monsters week podcast. You should watch it because it's great. Let's see. I'm also in. I'm going to be in a bunch of charity one shots and events for pride. So that's really exciting. Look out for that. You can find all of the info when it is announced coming up soon. And I'm also. You can also just find me just around on Queen's court games and other places because I'm pretty prolific. Yeah, that's me. [02:41:10] Speaker D: Jay. [02:41:12] Speaker C: Hi everybody. My name is Jay or Nala. My pronouns are they, them, and I am Allah woo on Twitter and alladraws everywhere else. If you want to see my artwork, including a TikTok where I have made some videos of myself as photo as well as videos of myself in lots of other character cosplays. So if you like that kind of thing and you want, I'll be generous and call it bonus content of my characters, you can go check out my TikTok, which is Nala draws. I am a full time art director and illustrator. I work in TTRPGs and I'm currently the art director for all the Witches as well as other unannounced projects. I'm playing with the ends of this hair. What else am I on? If you like, if you want to find me in another actual play, I am a cast member of itaewon by night. We stream on Tuesdays at 08:00 p.m. Eastern on Bad Twitch channel. Itaewon by night is the it's a vampire the masquerade show featuring a first and only all asian cast playing VTM on stream. Our game takes place in Seoul, South Korea and is unlike any other VTM game or setting you've ever seen before. We are in our second season if you want to catch up and watch our first season that is available on YouTube. If you search itaone by night, it's ongoing crit ride rpg's YouTube. But again, for season two, we are on Bad House RPG's Twitch channel and those episodes are also getting uploaded to YouTube as trimmed down vods as well. Besides that, I'm staring at my calendar right now because I know this is pre recorded, so I'm like, what else is going to be coming out around this time? Think of anything. But if, uh, if, oh, I'm in something else for pride month. But I'm not gonna announce it because I'm not sure we haven't. Jay from the past hasn't even had session zero yet, so actually, I literally don't know what it is. I've said yes to a thing. I don't know what it is. Anyways, follow my twitter. That's the plan. That's. That's the best place to keep up with all of my stuff. Super excited for this finale. Big fear. Big fear. I'm going to pass it over to whoever the heck is after me. [02:43:52] Speaker A: Kai. [02:43:54] Speaker D: It's me, Kai. Hi, everybody. I'm Kai. I have been Renee. You can find me on all social media platforms as Estelle of imladris. Let's see here what's going on with me. I had the sincere pleasure of being the costume designer on a web series called the Party. It is about people who play ttrpgs. You can find all episodes streaming for free on YouTube, and you can follow Arty web series on all social media platforms for all of the ongoing news about all of the things going on for the party. So go check that out. I am also a producer and performer for the Lorberry where you can. You can find us at Lorebrewery. It's a podcast. You can find us on all podcasting places, anywhere you find a podcast. Right now, we are in the middle of our first long adventure called Far, far away. It's a five e fairy tale adventure where we take familiar stories told in strange and new and largely frightening ways. So you can go check that out around now. I have no idea how many episodes have been out, but it'll be a lot. It's been ongoing for a while, so catch up and enjoy all of the fairy tale and fae drama. And then last but not least, the weekend after this episode airs should be June 24, where you can find me on the premiere of campaign two of Transplanter RPG, an all trans people of color led actual play show as we explore a non colonial, anti oriental, anti orientalist multiverse starting on Saturday. Every Saturday. So excited. So please come check out the premiere mirror. We've got some really fun stuff we've been cooking up, and it is not to be missed. [02:45:36] Speaker A: And Alyssa. [02:45:39] Speaker E: Hi, y'all. I'm Alyssa. You can find me on Twitterisasterqueer. On Wednesday nights, you can find me playing missed loss at the Mandy's Twitch channel, which is a very gay, very sad homebrew five e, d, and d game. Um, you can also find me on goblet and gays with Aubrey, which is a podcast. Other podcasts are an unwavering force, which is a Star wars post order 66 like podcast, BIPOC Led, uh, or all BiPOC, queer and trans led. It's been super fun so far. I'm really excited about it. And also starting in July, I will be gming a game of spire the city must fall on bad house rpg. So that is something else to look forward to. And that's me. [02:46:30] Speaker C: Yes. Sorry. [02:46:33] Speaker B: I forgot one thing. I'm so sorry. [02:46:35] Speaker A: What did you forget? [02:46:35] Speaker B: It really? I forgot that we just got arc so far. [02:46:38] Speaker A: Oh, yes. [02:46:39] Speaker B: Good. Oh, can you see. [02:46:44] Speaker C: Phobic? See your eyes. [02:46:50] Speaker B: This is being ace. It is an all ace anthology that features stories of all genres written by asexual authors with emphasis on asexual characters. So if you want to see things that I write, because I write sometimes, you can check this out. It should be out. Actually, I don't know what day, but in October. Should be out in October. But you can add it on Goodreads and Netgalley now. Thank you. [02:47:19] Speaker A: And to wrap things up, I am Aubrey. I have been your GM and you can find me everywhere on the Internet at Magpien cosplay. And I have a very stacked June. You have gonna have me over here for one more week running this. You can also on Thursdays, Queens court is also doing lighthearted with tabula Sono. That is, it has been a blast. Come for some eighties magical stuff where I didn't intend for this character to be such a disaster, but I am playing the ultimate disaster. I think last episode I beat a vampire with a oar. And you can catch me every Friday on Hallethaven Studios playing in Wayfarer, their hunter the reckoning v five game. And also on Saturdays, you can catch me over on Vancouver by night playing in bonfire for the lost as a very edgy lasombra. And there's a few other things gobbledyears. You go check that out. You can also check out Ash and snow from scalds tale production that should be out by now. Know. And that is just a bunch of Pathfinder nerds playing through the gatewalkers adventure. It is a lot of fun and very spooky. So, yes, I will now say good night. And I cannot wait for this final episode where everything comes to a head and it's gonna be so good. [02:49:06] Speaker C: For who? [02:49:07] Speaker A: For everyone. [02:49:09] Speaker C: You sure? Are you sure? [02:49:10] Speaker D: Yeah. [02:49:10] Speaker E: We're gonna die. [02:49:12] Speaker D: We'll see everybody then. [02:49:14] Speaker C: Okay. Bye, gout.