Vaesen - This Too is a Gift, Episode 3

[00:00:01] Speaker A: Hello, friends, and welcome to another single serving tabletop adventure from Queen's court games. I am Aaron, and tonight it's getting a little out of hand in here, but that's okay because I'm not the GM, so it's somebody else's problem. We are playing. This too, is a gift. An original scenario for Vezin written by our guest GM, bleak season, who we will learn more about very, very quickly. But first, this is the third episode. If you don't know who these people are by now, I'm going to take it as an act of malice, and I'd like you to email us and tell us what I did wrong, what we did wrong, why you are actively purging us from your brain. But if it's just the case that you've arrived here kind of by accident on the third episode, why don't you pause this, go to the YouTube page, go to our podcast one shots of the mischief. Watch episodes one and two a couple times if you want, because, you know, like, we could use the views. You'll be able to be caught up. You'll know more about the three of us as characters and as people, and then we can proceed, right, with this introduction thing and we'll pretend it never happened. I've got your back. I would never out you like that in front of all the other audience members. Alright, alright. That said, I am joined tonight first by our social media menace as the outdoor occultist Elizabeth Jensen. It is Laura Tutu. [00:01:16] Speaker B: Hello. [00:01:18] Speaker A: Next up, our part time producer, full time fiend playing the dashing detective and spoilers werewolf Axel Rowland. It's Katoace. [00:01:27] Speaker C: Hello. Hello. [00:01:29] Speaker A: Alongside playing definitely a doctor, but only a third of a doctor and a third of something else, and a third of my former best friend. We know him as Jonathan. You know him as Latinos against spooky shit. And tonight he is Draco Margaret Drago Markovich. And lastly, but not leastly, our special guest GM, who just recently confessed to us that in Canada they sometimes mix mayonnaise with maple syrup and then spread it over various food objects, bringing this and other joy from the great frozen north. It is bleak season. [00:02:06] Speaker D: Bon soir, mes amis. [00:02:09] Speaker A: You can find links to their assorted social media accounts by sending exclamation point cast to chat or use exclamation point scenario if you are interested in exploring the scandinavian world of nordic horror for yourself. Also, tonight's story may include topics certain viewers find uncomfortable or objectionable, including first upon insects, but also occultism, self harm and violence. You can use exclamation point. Safety to find a complete list in chat. The cast and I have discussed our lines and veils in advance, and we are okay. But we want to make sure nothing squiggy hits you out of left field the way it hits us out of left field in game. All of that said, it is now my forever gm honor to hand the reins over to bleak season. Bleak season. Will you tell us another chapter in this story? [00:03:56] Speaker D: We usually think of gifts as something positive. There's usually something that is given, a gift as a physical value, worth weight, or as a gift of time, of love, of attention, of caring, an opportunity, perhaps a second chance, a touch, a kiss, a kind word. But what are those gifts that remove, that takeaway, that excise, that create a void, a loss? Then most would say, need it be so? Absence makes the heart grow fond. They also say solitude gives space to self reflection. A departure makes room for something or someone new. Sometimes that new person is ourselves growing, expanding to fill the void, finding new facets to ourselves, learning to reflect more of the light that is now available, much like new branches and leaves grow in the wake of a careful pruning. That is, if we can keep the void from consuming us entirely. This does not mean we do not miss what once was, but rather that we welcome what now is. With a deft hand and a willing heart, the dark at the heart of the void can soon turn to strands of fresh new light on the loom of tragedy. We bask in delight. This is a gift, but we persevere in the dark, and this, too, is a gift. After many an adventure or perhaps misadventure, aboard the train that took you from Uppsala to Stavanger, after several encounters that reveal much about yourselves to your compatriots, but also perhaps, to yourselves, you find yourselves approaching the shipyard that you were originally sent to investigate. Now, if you remember, the story as it went, was that this shipyard, which belongs to a company called Lochspindler, had been under some sort of supernatural attack. People had been getting sick. There was some sort of strange sickness or malady that was spreading around. Lochspindler has often been an antagonist, the society that you work for. But as the lawyer Bertold Gerhardt Ed reason, the employees of the company are, in a sense, trapped in this situation and so deserve to be helped also. And so he sent you here, but you're also sent on a fact recovering mission, because obviously, Locke Spindler is an antagonist. It will continue to be so. And so any information you could bring back would be very useful an eerie quiet fills the air, a silence pregnant with a stillness that comes only with death. The sign reads Lochspindler shipyard. It hangs by a single nail, upside down, abandoned in a mad rush to leave this place behind. The wrought iron fence gate is wide open, crooked like the open jaw of a dead man. Fear was here and it left its mark. The buildings are vacant, the ship berths void, the docks desolate and dark. Beyond, the sea is black and still. The waters that saw whatever carnage occur here already long gone, carried away by unending waves and deep tumultuous currents. The blood that stains the cobblestones is all dried up, the kind of stain that no time can truly erase. Death was here and it left its mark. Then a light, yellow and bright, emerges from a small wooden shack held high by an old man. His beard is the color of sea salt and his eyes the grey of the sky just above the horizon an hour before sunrise. His back is bent, his skin dry and wrinkled like an old rag left out on the deck of a ship for too long. He wears a dirty, stained Mac and galoshes as an old mariner's hat sits at a careless angle on his sparsely haired head. His voice when he speaks is the sound of an age old vigil wrapped in tobacco smoke and penny gin. Who goes there? He challenges, lifting his light up. Well, out me that den. I ain't got all night. Well, I do have all night, but still do an old man a favor. [00:08:53] Speaker A: The colonel, I assume we have agreed, is the kind of person that you let walk through the front a, because he wants to be there, and b, in case anything bad happens. [00:09:04] Speaker E: Yeah. [00:09:06] Speaker A: So then we'll say that I'm walking towards the not several yards ahead, right, but just in the front of our small gaggle, likely holding up a lantern so you can see the crags of the face, you can see the shadow being cast behind of this extremely large, bare skin coat that he's wearing up this far north. And I'll have you lantern up and with the other hand just wave. Stay your arms, friend. I'm Colonel Johan Berkeley and these are my associates we've been sent here to look into to investigate some things that might be going on on the property. [00:09:48] Speaker D: Berlin, you say? [00:09:50] Speaker A: Yes, sir. [00:09:53] Speaker D: You wouldn't happen to be the feller what gave what for to the Russians on the front? [00:09:59] Speaker A: One and the same as I live. [00:10:02] Speaker D: And breathe a veritable legend come strolling into my dock such an ungodly hour. Well, I'm not much, but I am a patriot, sir, and you've done a patriot's job, and it is my honor to shake your hand, if you would. [00:10:20] Speaker A: Of course. The honor's all mine. Always a pleasure to see that my efforts have done well by the people of our great country. [00:10:28] Speaker D: He extends his hand to you. [00:10:30] Speaker A: Oh, I will give it a firm and hearty shake. Exactly the kind of handshake you would. [00:10:34] Speaker D: Expect from as you go to do that. You notice moments before it's in the light that your wrist, the skin on your hand, has turned black and cracked. And there are some strange, hard black hairs that now kind of just jut out of it. And it's very strange. It looks very insect like. Like chitten almost. [00:11:04] Speaker A: Is this both hands? [00:11:07] Speaker D: I don't know. You look at the other hand. Do a quick. Mm hmm. The other hand seems fine. The old man doesn't seem to notice. Just assumes you're a little bit awkward. But probably assumes you've got a wound in your arm, and you shakes your other hand. [00:11:25] Speaker A: It's a simple matter of just carrying the lantern in my dominant hand. I need to swap and pretend to be a lefty just long enough to shake. [00:11:32] Speaker D: There you go. He buys it. [00:11:33] Speaker C: Do any of us see his hand? [00:11:36] Speaker D: See the hand? No. But I will say go ahead if you wish and make a vigilance roll. See if you notice that he kind of. But his explanation is pretty good, so I'm gonna say it's difficult. You're gonna need at least two successes to have noticed something. [00:11:51] Speaker C: Nary a success in sight. [00:11:54] Speaker E: Starting off strong. [00:11:56] Speaker C: Oh, yeah. Get it out of the way now. [00:12:00] Speaker B: Just one. [00:12:01] Speaker D: Okay. No, you just. It seemed fine. It seemed pretty smooth. Um, did, uh, the head office send you down? [00:12:13] Speaker A: No, I'm afraid it's a bit more serious than that. I understand you've been having trouble with, uh, let's, uh, say forces beyond those of economics and. And labor. [00:12:25] Speaker D: Well, I don't know much about that, but, uh, I hear there were some kind of ruckus here about a month ago, but it's all over now. Everyone's cleared out. [00:12:36] Speaker A: Then it wouldn't. Won't take us very long to look around. I brought with me my friend. I will gesture towards Elizabeth. State certified ruckusologist, so she'll be able to get to the bottom of it in no time. [00:12:50] Speaker D: Supposed to be here. I didn't get no forewarning of this. [00:12:54] Speaker A: I do not. I assume we might have been. We've taken the first train up, and I'm going to give him the gish gallop and just. Oh, no, obviously the paperwork got crossed, and you wouldn't want to delay a war hero, right? [00:13:09] Speaker D: Yeah. You'll buy it. They're like, well, no, I mean, truth be told, I don't always read what they send me anyways. Those were so small. And, you know, who's got time for any of that business anyways? It's all bureaucratic malarkey. I suppose it wouldn't hurt none. I mean, there's nothing left. It cleared out. There was a sickness here for a while. I think a bunch of people got sick, but they came down here and they cleared everybody out. As I said, about a month ago, I think it pretty much took everything what was a nail down. But, um. I mean, place gives me the creeps, to be honest. But you seem like a hardy lot, so you won't mind if I stick to my shack. [00:13:55] Speaker A: Oh, no, by all means. At my age, you relished the opportunity to stay out of the wind and cold. [00:14:01] Speaker D: I. Yeah, that's quite true. And I got myself a nice little ball of gin back there. If you need a little toddle before you take off, do come and knock. Would you like my lantern? Two lantern won't be too much. [00:14:15] Speaker A: I believe I've already got one in my hand, so someone else about to reach out for it. [00:14:20] Speaker C: Much bledged reach out, no problem, man. [00:14:23] Speaker D: It's quite the wound you got every in the war. [00:14:25] Speaker C: Also, uh, of sorts. Not in the war, but, uh, fair share of battles. [00:14:33] Speaker D: I get that. I get that. All right, well, uh, you be careful. Uh, God knows what's left behind back there. Uh, if you get in trouble, uh, holler. And, uh, I got myself a little bell here I can ring and hopefully bring some coppers around. [00:14:54] Speaker B: Much obliged, sir. [00:14:56] Speaker D: All right, then. I'll catch you on the way out. If you're not back in a couple hours, I'll wait longer. He goes back inside the shack. Close the door. You can see in the shadow. [00:15:15] Speaker C: What time of day is it? [00:15:17] Speaker D: I would say it's like, shortly after dinner. Okay, so, you know this far up north, it's dark. [00:15:25] Speaker E: Late enough for lanterns. [00:15:27] Speaker D: Yeah. Cold. [00:15:29] Speaker A: Well, that's the watch handled. I believe this is the part where one of the three of you tells me you have a brilliant idea. [00:15:36] Speaker C: Aside from walking in front door. No. [00:15:42] Speaker D: So you move forward into the shipyard. You can clearly see that it was a fairly. It was a big concern. It's big. There are a lot of buildings. There are several berths. There is definitely, like, a big operation going on here. There are here and there. Some things that are left over, ship parts, old crates, things like that. Most of it marked Locke Spindler in some way or another. But it's kind of like a ghost town, if you can imagine, in some ways, you know, walking through Chernobyl in the years after the event, like that kind of ghostly emptiness, that echo of disaster. It's kind of what you see here. The doors are wide open, like, no one didn't leave here in a very orderly manner. Or like, the doors are wide open, there's stuff everywhere, and no one's come back to lean or kind of do anything of substance since then. So let's do this. Go ahead. And each of you can give me a. I'll give you a choice of an investigation role, or you can do a magic roll. If you have magic and you would like to do that, I'm open to other suggestions. And then based on sort of what you get, we'll see sort of where you end up and what you find out. [00:17:02] Speaker C: Three successes, doubles, blocks of. Oh, devil's luck. That's my first one. [00:17:11] Speaker D: Ooh, excellent. [00:17:15] Speaker A: I have rolled an axle trying to view my hand. That is zero from me. [00:17:20] Speaker B: Oh, God. [00:17:21] Speaker E: Big old goose egg on my end as well. [00:17:26] Speaker B: I've got two successes. [00:17:28] Speaker D: Okay, I'm actually gonna say, doctor, you could roll medicine if you want. I'd let you do another roll. But using medicine instead to see if you can find any leftover information related to the possible sickness that was supposed to be kicking around here. Did you use magic, Laura? [00:17:42] Speaker B: I did. [00:17:43] Speaker D: Awesome. [00:17:45] Speaker E: That is two successes. Thank you. [00:17:47] Speaker D: No problem. So, all right, so generally speaking, you'll spend maybe about 30, 40 minutes kind of going through the place, and I'll say you find this Jonathan, the doctor with your role. You find evidence that there was indeed some sort of plague like disease that swept through here. You can see evidence of several buildings having been quickly transformed into makeshift infirmaries. There's a lot of medical supplies. The kind of supplies that you find lists of and things like that kind of point towards some attempt at maintaining the spread of some sort of infectious disease. You also can tell that they stopped at some point. They realized that there was nothing mundane they could do that would make a difference. And you find evidence that a number of people died. You'll find, like, charts somewhere where there's lists of names, dates, and some names are crossed off. And, you know, like you, by going through this, you find out. So you would say that there was probably about 50, 60 people here that work regularly. Close to half of them got sick. There's evidence that the sickness started transferring into the city to a certain extent. That's when they quarantined the dockyard, bringing in the families of the people who had worked and who might have been exposed, for example. So there was a surplus of people at some point. A lot of the shipyard Billings had been turned at that point into, you know, housing units, things like that. You get the feeling that it lasted maybe about three weeks. All told from notes and stuff that you find and gather. It stopped. At some point people stopped getting sick and then people died off. The death rate seemed to have been about 30% to 40%. You find nothing that tells you what the sickness was. [00:19:55] Speaker E: Are there any bodies that were left. [00:19:57] Speaker D: Here, like when they cleared all of that out? [00:20:00] Speaker E: Was there when they cleared them out? Do I see a list of how they cleared them out? Whether it was a burn pit or whether they took them, buried them? [00:20:10] Speaker D: So the early ones, there was a burn pita. However, it was handled by the military. And then at some point when they started realizing that the spread of it was not, was something else other than an actual disease, they were allowed to be brought out and buried in, you know, cemeteries and wherever the family wanted. With your investigation check, Roland, you will find what would have been kind of the head office, maybe. You'll find paperwork and notes that kind of corroborate a lot of what Jonathan found, especially as far as the timeline of it. You will find the devil's luck, right? As you go through the office. One, you will find evidence that the head of Locke Spindler came down, someone named Mister Thorstein. He came down near the end of it and is the one that ordered the full on evacuation and so on and so forth. We'll get to that in a second. You find of interest, so you find a bunch of different things, corroborate the story and kind of tell you what it is. But the things you find of interest with your devil's luck. One in the office you find a map of Uppsala and on it is indicated the place where Helstermaus is. You also find a letter in one of the desks. It's a note that is unsigned, appears to be perhaps from head office or from someone on high. And it says, best reach out to a lawyer named of Bertolt Gerard in Uppsala, tell him of our problem here, ask him to send help, then clean up this mess and let's be gone before they arrive. I'll see you and the doctor kind of operating together like in the offices and whatnot. And then I'll say that the colonel and Elizabeth are walking on the yard and doing things in. Elizabeth's kind of trying to follow their nose and try to find out, you know, something kind of going where the Matt corner sort of draws you. You will see one of the. One of the sheds near the. Near the docks, which is probably where they would build some of the boats or something like that. All the other ones are open, mostly empty. There's one that is locked. There are chains on the outside door. And as you kind of reach out with your senses and try to feel where there might be something supernatural, you get from the shed, you get a sense of something not very powerful, like something that's maybe fading away, but there is still kind of a. A feeling of something. [00:23:20] Speaker B: I would say. As the colonel and I are walking through the shipyard, I think I would have actually taken the. The wand from its almost holster at my hip and using it almost like a dousing rod, just carefully sweeping back and forth as we walk. And then I'll stop in front of the shed. [00:23:51] Speaker D: In your head, you'll hear Bergamot say, something bad happened. Dear. [00:24:00] Speaker B: What kind of bad? [00:24:04] Speaker D: Bad for the people, but perhaps not truly bad. A act of retribution. [00:24:24] Speaker B: Retribution? [00:24:29] Speaker D: This place was bad before it happened. And something struck back. Be careful. I watch over you, but be careful. [00:24:45] Speaker B: I know. [00:24:50] Speaker A: Is this an occasion where Elizabeth is talking out loud to Bergamot or quietly. [00:24:56] Speaker B: Just under her breath? [00:25:00] Speaker A: So not having any sort of magical radar myself, that I think was the cue that I need to slow down, stop. Maybe lantern a little closer to the door and just asking. Everything okay. [00:25:19] Speaker B: Here? It's fading, but it was here. Bergamot says something. It was something bad, but it was an act of retribution. [00:25:36] Speaker A: An act of retribution by whom? [00:25:44] Speaker B: I don't know. Whatever was awoken. [00:25:50] Speaker A: That makes it sound like a door best left unopened. And yet the mystery remains. [00:25:59] Speaker B: Regardless, I think I need to get in here to see what exactly has been left behind. [00:26:07] Speaker A: You're the expert. And then I will. Is it. Is it like a padlock? Is it? [00:26:14] Speaker D: Yeah, it's like a chain with a padlock. [00:26:18] Speaker A: Is this something that an old colonel, possessed of grandpa strength, could wrestle open with the appropriate tool? [00:26:24] Speaker B: I also. I also have lockpicks. [00:26:31] Speaker D: There's that. [00:26:32] Speaker B: I see the colonel, like, about to, like, jam a crowbar in between the. What do you call it? The arm of the padlock. [00:26:43] Speaker D: And just. [00:26:46] Speaker B: Colonel. Colonel. Colonel. And I walk up and sort of gingerly move aside the crowbar, and I'm gonna take the little lockpick set out of my satchel. And just. Can you hold up the lantern, please? [00:27:07] Speaker A: And then. Yep, just lantern up. [00:27:08] Speaker D: As you approach the building, you get a sense that there's no immediate danger. Like whatever is there is fading away. It's. It's going like there's no sort of immediate danger. As you pick up the lock and go to unlock it, you hear a voice behind it says, I'm not sure that that's a good idea. That's where they put it. [00:27:35] Speaker B: Do we both hear that or do I just. [00:27:37] Speaker D: Yes, you both. You both. You both agree it's a toss up. [00:27:41] Speaker A: Is this the watchman's? [00:27:44] Speaker D: No, but when you turn around and look, you see a younger mandeh. But the sharp eyed amongst you would see some sort of family resemblance, perhaps with the keeper. He's just dressed very similarly. An old raincoat, some galoshes. He's got like, a fisherman's hat on, but he's much younger. He's maybe like, you know, early thirties, I'll say. Also at this point, the doctor and Roland are coming back from their various discoveries. And you see this young man sort of calling out to your two friends. That's where they put it. [00:28:21] Speaker B: What is it exactly? [00:28:24] Speaker D: Oh, I don't know, but it's apparently what caused all this. [00:28:34] Speaker B: Were you here when it happened? [00:28:38] Speaker D: I was here for some of it. I wasn't a regular employee. I came in later, once the city started. My name is Anders. You meant my father? At the gate. He came to fetch me. He thought perhaps you might have questions, and he felt he wasn't the one to answer them. Are you from Loch Spindler? [00:29:12] Speaker B: No. No, I'd say quite the opposite, in fact. [00:29:19] Speaker D: What are you looking for? [00:29:23] Speaker B: Answers. [00:29:26] Speaker D: The thing was dead when they put it in there, I guess. [00:29:31] Speaker B: So. It was a creature. [00:29:34] Speaker D: Some sort of worm like creature they found in a mine up north. There's a rumor it was guarding some sort of treasure hoard in the heart of the mine, and they grabbed it and they brought it here. I guess they need to study it or something. People are saying there's old stories about it, that if you ate its flesh, you could get magical powers and nonsense like that. [00:30:12] Speaker B: Anders, did you see it at all? [00:30:15] Speaker D: I didn't until after it was over. You know, when they. When they brought it here, it looked dead, but it turned out it wasn't. It was just sort of like playing dead, I guess. And anyways, they hauled it in here, and once it got inside the compound, it came out and went out after dark. Started just attacking people, hunting down people. They eventually managed to kill it, but it killed, like a dozen people. Even fire washing wouldn't hurt it. It was apparently was just madness, but whatever happened with it left some kind of poison, I guess, behind. People started getting sick after the attacks. It was. It's kind of like that, that story in Greece, the one with the wooden horse. It's kind of like it was waiting for us to bring it inside. And then once it was, it was pretty horrible, and I only saw the back half of it. Is that the kind of thing you're looking for then? [00:31:33] Speaker B: Yes. The people who sickened and died. So they were all attacked by this creature? [00:31:44] Speaker D: No. Some of them had come in contact with it, with some of its blood. People who had been injured by the creature touched them. It seemed to be like, kind of like a curse or a poison. Like I said something that once you came in contact with it, even if it was through something else, it stuck to you. Some people weren't affected, but it seemed a little bit random, but it spread really quickly. [00:32:17] Speaker B: Game master with that information, does that sound like anything I would have read on, anything I would have discovered? [00:32:27] Speaker D: Make a learning role. Now, a couple things. One, you do have some advantages lying around for research. Two, while not everyone's going to start making learning roles, other people who think their characters might know something about such a creature, you can decide to help Elizabeth and give. Give them an extra dive. [00:32:48] Speaker E: I would help because I was doing research on different, different attacks and things in the archives. [00:32:55] Speaker C: I would also throw one in there if you would like it, given the fact that we spent time researching the library together. [00:33:00] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:33:00] Speaker B: No, single six. [00:33:02] Speaker D: Single six is good enough. While this is going on, Aaron, you're starting to feel like your skin is itching on the back of your neck, and it's kind of spreading and started kind of out to your hairline, and it's kind of spreading down, and you're feeling very stiff in the neck, like you're having trouble kind of, you know, staying loose and limber with your success. You have heard of something similar. It's called a lindworm. Lindwrm is an ancient monster with a reptilian body and razor sharp claws. It can spit acid. It has a white mane that grows on its neck. It tends to stay underground or dwell beneath churches or ruins. It is known to hoard treasures. It feeds on cattle, human flesh, corpses. It's used to routinely tricking people. It uses trollcraft. There are people who say that they can grant people the gift of magic. Other claims that these powers can only be gained if you eat the flesh of the creature. You do know that lindwyrms are not harmed by fire, but they can be killed if you trick them into slithering through three different fires. And that is the ritual to Banisher Lindbergh. [00:34:50] Speaker A: Difficult to process all that information, but there's a poignant, acute, quite fortuitous reminder lighting up whatever neurons have that information in them. This is still something that I do not feel comfortable sharing it, at least, right. Not right now. Want to do it in a more controlled circumstance. So, as far as Elizabeth would see, as this story is being told, and, like, I imagine you always view the colonel as a certain amount of stiff, and in this case, he's just slightly stiffer and also making a point of pulling up the jacket, the collar on the jacket, bracing against the breeze, even though there probably isn't enough of a breeze to justify it. [00:35:47] Speaker E: With our history or what I know of the colonel and seeing a change in demeanor, could I roll a vigilance or investigation to catch his. His change also? [00:36:00] Speaker C: Are we there? Are the two of us there? [00:36:02] Speaker E: I think we were walking back in. [00:36:04] Speaker D: You guys. You guys came in as the. As Anders was talking to. [00:36:08] Speaker E: Okay. So we came in at the, like, tail end of him showing up. [00:36:12] Speaker D: Well, I'll let you do it, but I'll do it with medicine. So, as a doctor, to kind of notice, you know. [00:36:20] Speaker E: Yeah. Because I was like, I know this man's eating regimen. Like, I should be able to notice a change in body. One success. [00:36:29] Speaker D: Okay, so I'll say when you come in, you kind of look at him like things are going on. So you kind of look at him. Then Elizabeth seems to be talking. These guys. You kind of look over at him to kind of get, is this okay? Are we in trouble? Kind of what's going on? And, you know, you catch him doing this kind of thing, and then very pointedly, like. And so I'm gonna leave it up to you. It could be that he felt a breeze or it was cold, but he did say he was wearing that big ass bare palt coat. Right. So it does. We want success. It does seem something's bothering him. [00:37:04] Speaker E: Yeah. I think being the doctor of the group and with all the sort of supernatural going on, I will shimmy over closer to him. And when we have a time after we've discovered everything with Anders and everything, I think I'll ask him if he's okay and if I can check on him. But for now, I'm gonna let the scene settle, because it's. I don't feel like it's the time as the doctor to, like, be medically examining somebody when we've got a Lindworm in another room. [00:37:28] Speaker A: That's precisely. And I think we can say that as Drago comes over and is starting to make the face, but hasn't said the words yet. The colonel has had the lieutenant come in to make this report before and has mastered his. Not now. I assure you, you will know when it is time. Face picks up on it and just. [00:37:46] Speaker E: Kind of gives you the scrunch face nod. No. [00:37:51] Speaker D: And so what would you like to do? You got this information about the Lindworm? Door still closed. [00:38:01] Speaker A: And we're short. Still in there. [00:38:05] Speaker D: It's. The last thing they did was log that door and skedaddle on out. So I would assume. So. [00:38:12] Speaker E: Are we. Are we sure that it's dead? [00:38:18] Speaker B: I. I will explain. The only way to kill a Lindworm. [00:38:22] Speaker E: Look at Andrews. Be like. I'm assuming that you didn't do due diligence and no, by the time I. [00:38:29] Speaker D: Got here, this was all taken care of. Right? [00:38:31] Speaker E: Okay. [00:38:32] Speaker A: For a given value. Taken care of. [00:38:39] Speaker C: What if we burn the building down, smoke it out? [00:38:44] Speaker B: I mean, that's one fire, but, uh, that seems awfully extreme. [00:38:50] Speaker C: This whole thing seems awfully extreme. [00:38:55] Speaker B: Uh, Mister Anders? [00:38:59] Speaker D: Yes. [00:39:03] Speaker B: The creature in question is something that could potentially be taken care of. It might just be moderately messy. [00:39:19] Speaker D: I mean, I know Mister Thorsty himself went in thereafter, so I'm assuming that's probably safe. [00:39:30] Speaker E: That's the owner of Loch Spindler or the. [00:39:36] Speaker C: And we know he's still alive. [00:39:40] Speaker D: Yes, very much so. He left soon after. [00:39:42] Speaker C: How soon after did he leave? [00:39:46] Speaker D: That day? He came out. He said he talked to one of the foremen. He said something like that. At least they'd be able to salvage something from this debacle. And it gave him an idea on how to deal with some thorn in his side. Something like that. And I saw him take something in a handkerchief, small, from his paw. Yeah. And give it to the man and then talk to him. And then he opened. He opened the handkerchief and he spit in it. Then he bundled it up and handed it to the foreman and talked to him. So I. I mean, it seemed weird, but I. [00:40:29] Speaker C: I just stare hard at Elizabeth. [00:40:34] Speaker B: Under my breath. Just devil's cock and balls. Thank you, mister Anders. You've been very helpful. To be frank, we have a job to do. And if what we think is in that shed is in that shed, you may want to vacate along with your father. [00:41:13] Speaker D: Um, okay, uh. [00:41:19] Speaker C: For your own safety sake, get him out of here. [00:41:23] Speaker D: Summon the police. [00:41:25] Speaker C: No, do not involve police at all. [00:41:28] Speaker B: Decidedly not. Um, the more people that are here, the. The more dangerous it could be. Um, but between the four of us, I do believe that we have the ability to deal with the last of the danger. The long and short of it is, I am trying to appeal to a son ensuring the safety of his elderly father. Obviously, they have a life here. They have dealt with something truly horrific, and best leave this sort of thing to people who are better equipped for it. There's already been enough death and destruction in this place, and I would hate to add any more to that. I promise you, we will be able to take care of it. Just get yourself and your father to safety and leave the rest to us. [00:42:40] Speaker D: Okay? Give me a role. It's gonna be an opposed role. [00:42:44] Speaker B: Um, that was only one success. I will push. [00:42:50] Speaker D: Ooh. [00:42:52] Speaker B: To see if I can roll any. Anything. Okay. That got me another success. Okay, I'm sorry. [00:43:05] Speaker D: So you have to take a mental condition. Um, you see that he's kind of hesitant. Definitely. He's down with getting out and getting his father out. But you can see that he was kind of still thinking maybe the cops would be the thing to do. But then eventually, you know, he got nods and says, all right, well, you be careful too. A lot of strange things happen here since Locke Spindler stepped in here, but this was. It felt almost personal. If things like that can take things personally, I I don't know, but, yes, I'll get my father. Um, good luck. [00:43:54] Speaker B: Thank you. [00:43:58] Speaker D: Skedaddles. You are left alone. Wind blowing in off the water, cutting right through you. The door to that shed, rattling the chain rattling with it. [00:44:14] Speaker A: So. Three fires. [00:44:17] Speaker B: Three fires. [00:44:20] Speaker A: Three different fires. [00:44:22] Speaker B: Three different fires. [00:44:24] Speaker C: How do you propose we do this? [00:44:28] Speaker E: Now, really quickly, Elizabeth? Do you end up telling us, as well? What, you. Sorry, out of character. Do you end up telling. Do you end up telling us, as well, what you sensed regarding the retribution and all that from your magic sense? [00:44:50] Speaker B: Yes. I think once Anders has toddled off, once he's left. Yeah, yeah. I'll explain to the others what I gleaned from my magic and what Bergamot told me. [00:45:05] Speaker E: Okay. [00:45:05] Speaker B: As I'm doing this, I've got my little prayer beads. I'm just flipping back and forth between my fingers over and over and over and over and over again. Very agitated. Like, more agitated than anyone's seen me at this point. [00:45:23] Speaker E: Right. Well, I do have a suggestion. If we're willing to listen. You said that this malevolent thing had the spirit of retribution, right? It was wronged and it exacted revenge. [00:45:40] Speaker B: Yes. [00:45:41] Speaker E: Well, one could say that it's completed its mission. And, you know, given that and I turn and I specifically look at the colonel, I'm like, we don't have to kill everything that we don't agree with. Perhaps we can find a way to appease it in the. Have it go back to its lair. [00:46:07] Speaker D: Very suddenly and out of nowhere, Roland, there's a deep rumbling inside your chest and you hear you kill or you are killed. [00:46:26] Speaker C: When this happens to, the effect is almost like that of witnessing someone having an absent seizure. Rowland short circuits for a full minute and then comes back. [00:46:41] Speaker A: Are you quite all right? [00:46:45] Speaker C: No, friend, I am not. And I sort of trippingly step forward and put a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder and go, help, please. [00:47:02] Speaker D: Real Honduran. Knew if his bray was still alive. Are you under? [00:47:11] Speaker B: No. [00:47:12] Speaker C: Me. Please. [00:47:16] Speaker B: All right, all right. Rallyn Rowlindeh. Your name is Axel Rowland? Yes. [00:47:27] Speaker C: And he's gone offline again. [00:47:31] Speaker B: I'll take. Take his face in both hands and, like, grip and shake. [00:47:39] Speaker D: Hey. [00:47:39] Speaker B: Hey. No, no. Look at me. [00:47:44] Speaker D: Your senses rollin are expanding. You can smell the sweat and the fear now coming off of Elizabeth. You can almost smell the gin coming from the guard shack. You can smell something odd, like rotting meat coming from the kernel. You smell something dead inside that shed. But it's meat. It's good meat. It is potent meat. It is meat for those who can hunt the best, who deserve the best. Your stomach growls. The rest of you hear this rumble. [00:48:51] Speaker E: All right, Rowland boy, let's have you just take a seat really quickly. I'm gonna try to. [00:48:54] Speaker C: I lunge forward and I go right up against Elizabeth's ear and just snarl, too late. And I go for the door and I try and wrench it open. [00:49:07] Speaker D: Okay, let's do this. Let's go around quickly. So you're gonna try to jump and go for the door? [00:49:11] Speaker C: Yeah, I'm gonna try and wrench it. Presuming I'm using the characteristics under that stat block. [00:49:16] Speaker D: I'll get to you. Doctor. What are you doing? Anything. [00:49:20] Speaker E: If I can mean being a doctor in this weird industrial area of time, chloroform would still very much be used. If I could have some in my medical back and I could try to just rag on them. [00:49:31] Speaker D: You can make a roll to see if you got it. I did say that you would be able to check for gear on the road. So I will say. Just give me a. Give me straight up logic. Did you think of bringing some? What's the colonel doing? [00:49:49] Speaker A: Oh, I'm not going to let Axel rip it open. Absolutely not. I don't know why Axel wants inside, but that doesn't seem like not making a good voice or a good face. Nope. [00:49:59] Speaker D: And Elizabeth? [00:50:03] Speaker B: Uh, uh, well, I have access to curses. Um, one such curse that I think might be helpful in, uh, in this case is something called lame. [00:50:19] Speaker D: Okay, so here's what's gonna happen with everybody. Everyone is going to roll, just very quickly, a number of dice equal to their agility. [00:50:30] Speaker A: The unfortunate part is that the colonel's old, so his agility is one, and I have rolled two. [00:50:36] Speaker E: Jonathan, doctor, zero for agility. [00:50:42] Speaker B: Elizabeth, I have two dice in agility, and one of those roles was a six. [00:50:49] Speaker D: Okay, nice. And Rollin, zero. Okay, so because you were focusing on Roland, because you were right in there with him, you realize he's about to do something. First thing that comes to your mind is that curse. I am going to ask you, is that what you want to do? Because your character, I think, would know enough to understand what's kind of going on. What's happening is attacking Rollin, you think going to produce good results? [00:51:41] Speaker B: No shit. As Roland darts for the door, I'm going to put myself between him and the door and put my hand out. [00:51:56] Speaker D: Colonel, you see this happening in front of you. You're old and not very agile, but you're used to combat, use these situations. Nothing ever surprises you. You prepare for anything. And right now you're seeing this. [00:52:11] Speaker A: Oh, I appreciate Elizabeth's bravery quite a bit, but I cannot say it's wise at this point. I'm behind Axel, right? Axel, like, there's the shed, then there's Elizabeth, then there's a X L, and then Drago is in the bag, and I'm off to the side of kind of this. Then forward tackle, I suppose, is the right way to handle it, that I want to use Axel's momentum against them as they are charging towards the door. And then just wrap around the waist rugby style, and take us both to the floor, preferably before Axel makes it to Elizabeth. But, you know. [00:52:46] Speaker D: Okay, so because Elizabeth did have a six, you're gonna stand front. Do you want to say something? Do something, or you just stay there. [00:52:53] Speaker B: It will be a shout of, don't hurt him. [00:52:59] Speaker D: And you're shouting this at. [00:53:01] Speaker B: At the. The other two dudes who are likely going to have an adverse reaction to my dumb ass jumping in front of an angry werewolf. [00:53:09] Speaker D: Okay, roll your empathy plus manipulation a little bit. And I'll say the doctor is kind of busy looking for drugs, as is usual. Aaron, you can go and give me a logic plus vigilance if you want to resist, um, Elizabeth's attempt at sort of slowing you down or stopping you. [00:53:29] Speaker A: No, I don't intend to hurt Axel. I just want to stop Axel from ripping the door off. [00:53:33] Speaker D: Okay. Two successes. All right, so when I will, this will totally be a role playing thing. Elizabeth's words come to your ear just as you're about to lunge. You hear, don't hurt him. Does it change anything that you do? [00:53:48] Speaker C: No. [00:53:50] Speaker D: Oh, sorry. I was talking to the colonel. [00:53:52] Speaker C: Oh. [00:53:53] Speaker A: Oh. My intent was never to. I'm not trying to hurt Axel. I see the doctor doing something, and whatever that doctor thing is, I hope it works. My primary concern is Axel's going to throw open that door that we haven't lit on fire yet, and we'll have two uncontrollable things to worry about. [00:54:12] Speaker D: Okay? So go ahead and make a physique in close combat, and you, Axel, will be rolling your might again. I'll say, since you are not fully out there, you shave two dice off of that. [00:54:32] Speaker A: I roll seven die on this, and I rolled three sixes and four ones. [00:54:40] Speaker D: Wow. Sex is pretty good. What about you two? Two. All right, so you lunge, grab, rollin, drag, rollin to the ground. You are absolutely surprised because Rollin is a fairly fit fellow. But I'm looking at Roland's physical characteristics. They're not great. You were not expecting to hit a, basically something that took everything. You add on a pretty good roll. Three successes to drag down. There is a strength there that is above and beyond what you would have expected. Rollin, what do you do? [00:55:26] Speaker C: Presuming this is, I'm being taken out rugby style, and it works as I do. I wrap my hand around Elizabeth's arm that she has extended out, and I kind of pull down, and I get her right up to my face and I go, Lisa, now's the time to open this. There's something in here. And I indicate to the colonel who has me, you know, down, around, grasped around the waist, and I put the other hand on the back of the colonel's head and I say, and there's something in here. And they are the same thing. And it smells so good. [00:56:13] Speaker B: No, no, Rowland, it is. It is poison. You don't, you don't need it. [00:56:25] Speaker C: There's something in him, though, and there's something in there. Don't burn it. I release the colonel's head, but I keep your arm in my arm. [00:56:52] Speaker E: I'm going to run up and just squat as close to Rowland's face as I can. All right, dear boy, I'm sorry for this. And I'm just gonna rag him. [00:57:05] Speaker D: All right, ragging on Rowland. Go ahead, doctor, and give me your medical role. I do believe you have mental condition, so you will lose one die on your roll. Um, Kaito, I will absolutely let you have a reaction on this. So I will say that you will try to dodge it so you can roll your, in this case, body control. At this point, I'll say you shave two instead of four dice off of it. [00:57:42] Speaker C: You first. [00:57:44] Speaker E: It's that devil's luck. [00:57:47] Speaker A: Girl. [00:57:48] Speaker C: I only got two successes. [00:57:51] Speaker D: All right, so you start feeling lightheaded. The voice inside of you is starting to recede a little bit. Your things are kind of moving strangely around you. I'm going to tell you this. You can either go with it or you can try to fight it. [00:58:10] Speaker C: I'm going to try and fight it. [00:58:13] Speaker D: So roll your body control. And the number of successes you're gonna get are the number of rounds you're gonna get before you go down. [00:58:25] Speaker C: Okay? And it's that same shaved off. So. [00:58:29] Speaker D: Yeah, okay. In fact, I will say, because you're under. I'll say that. I will, in fact, say that you have an additional mental condition right now, um, simply because this is affecting you. So you'll shave an extra die off. [00:58:43] Speaker C: It for body control. [00:58:45] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:58:50] Speaker E: I think during this time, I'm giving a little speech. So, like, you have to do the math. And, like, I wasn't really sure about their body weight or which one to use because, you know, they're transforming, but they're not really transforming. So I kind of met in the middle range. It should be enough to knock them straight out. [00:59:04] Speaker D: Zero successes. And it does. When you, when you remove the rag, you can see that as canines have gotten longer, his jaws started to distend a little bit. The hair he's got, the nice mutton chops that are coming in. The eyes have started to change. [00:59:30] Speaker E: Doctor. The doctor's about to instinctually put the cloth up to his nose and remember, he's like, sorry, hold habits diarrhea. [00:59:41] Speaker A: Colonel Berlin is just not wheezing like climbing up 400 stairs, but there's definitely a sound of exertion. And when we graduate from the Stockholm artillery engineering school, they tie you to one of the smaller cannons, like. Like trying to ride an animal fuck. And then. [01:00:14] Speaker B: Are you all right, colonel? [01:00:17] Speaker A: I'm fine. Just. And then, like, the whole, like, I'll stretch and kind of get up. [01:00:23] Speaker B: Just snap, crackle, pop. [01:00:25] Speaker D: Just old. [01:00:27] Speaker A: And then rolling back onto my feet, I guess. No, that'd be a bad idea. Cause I don't want to get up in case it didn't work. So I'm, like, up into. Like, onto my knees. So I'm now positioned like I'm riding Axel, like a sleigh, and I'll look to the doctor and say, how long is this gonna last? [01:00:46] Speaker E: Shouldn't be too long. I mean, there have been instances where people don't wake up from chloroform, which is why we're doing a lot of studies to find new types of anesthesia. But this should be fine. I used a lesser amount than what you should, based on the weight and everything. So a couple minutes, and ideally, they should wake up, but, colonel, if you don't mind, I think now's the time to address. You're looking. You're looking a little. You okay? [01:01:16] Speaker A: Curious definition. Good timing, doctor. [01:01:20] Speaker E: Well, they're knocked out, Anders is gone, and the door is still locked. I'd say it's good time. [01:01:27] Speaker A: Into Elizabeth going back to the doctor, and then I will take. Well, I don't know what happened to the lanterns, but I'm assuming we're hauling ourselves back up together. I'll grab the lantern with the not affected hand and say whatever is inside me, and then just show off the. [01:01:53] Speaker E: Has it progressed any further, game master, than what he had previously seen? [01:01:58] Speaker D: No. [01:01:59] Speaker E: Okay. Oh, shit. [01:02:05] Speaker A: In case you were wondering why our friend here wanted to consume me as well. [01:02:13] Speaker E: First case of eczema I've ever seen. [01:02:18] Speaker B: Oh, I was afraid of this. [01:02:22] Speaker E: I'll have an ointment for that. But can I. Can I try to use my chemical equipment that I have? It's used to determine cause of death, but could I use it to try to determine the speed at which this thing is taking over him? [01:02:43] Speaker D: I say no, because it's got nothing to do with biology or it's just. It's a magical effect. [01:02:50] Speaker E: So if you hate me, just say so. Okay. [01:02:53] Speaker D: Um. No, I actually like you quite a bit. Oh, let me. [01:02:58] Speaker A: It's because he likes you that he can be fair. [01:03:01] Speaker E: I know, I know. Okay. [01:03:03] Speaker B: That's how that works. [01:03:04] Speaker E: Um, how long has that kernel been happening to you? Since the bite or more recent? [01:03:13] Speaker A: No, this is quite a recent development. I don't know when between the thing and now, but since then. And believe me, I have every intention of getting to the bottom of it. Or sitting patiently still while you and Miss Jensen do what you do to figure it out. But is now really the time? [01:03:37] Speaker E: No, it's. I'm not gonna poke and prod at you. At least I'm not. Unless, Elizabeth, you think we have something different we can do? [01:03:44] Speaker B: No. [01:03:47] Speaker A: The shed. What's in the shed? Are we going to deal with it or not? [01:03:53] Speaker E: Are we going? [01:03:54] Speaker B: It is all connected. Uh, the. The man from Loxpindler, Anders said that he pulled something out of his handkerchief and spat in it. That is how you feed those creatures. The spiritus. [01:04:19] Speaker E: That's right. You have to spin it constantly. [01:04:24] Speaker A: Bago. Did you bring it with you? [01:04:28] Speaker E: Yeah. Yeah. And I rummaged through my medicine bag and it's still in a little vial. Still live. [01:04:36] Speaker D: It's empty. [01:04:42] Speaker E: Listen, I only have so many vials and this was the one I remember next to the uniform. [01:04:47] Speaker D: It's sealed. [01:04:48] Speaker E: Is there any residue? [01:04:50] Speaker A: Ash? [01:04:50] Speaker D: Yeah, just a little bit of slimy residue, but. [01:04:53] Speaker E: Okay, be like, okay, I might just let it die. [01:05:00] Speaker A: Then. I'm a simple man of cannon and gunpowder. So let me walk through this. In order to stop this from happening, I need to spit on the thing that you have lost. [01:05:22] Speaker E: Well, no. To keep it alive, you had to spit in it or give it to somebody else unless you were the third person to receive it, in which case you're now stuck with it. So really this isn't my fault, no matter which way you look at it. [01:05:36] Speaker A: Please tell me there's better news. Miss Jensen. [01:05:42] Speaker D: You do feel movement in your breast pocket? Something wriggling around. [01:05:58] Speaker A: Me? [01:05:59] Speaker D: Yes. [01:06:03] Speaker A: Somehow making pointed eye contact with Elizabeth, making the. I'm trying to think of a fun lie that will write face. And then with the gross hand, apparently because the only one has a lantern and it still reach up. [01:06:22] Speaker D: Feel it squirm against you. And when you open your pocket, you see it looking up at you nestled very comfortably in your little pocket resting its head on a piece of lint. [01:06:42] Speaker A: Yeah. Pardon the indignity, ma'am. And I will hold the pocket open and then just into it, it gurgles. [01:06:55] Speaker D: Like a baby and just sort of rubs it all over itself and then starts licking itself. [01:07:05] Speaker A: I don't like that. [01:07:06] Speaker E: There was a thousand ways you could have described that. [01:07:08] Speaker B: I hated everything about that. Everything about what you just said. [01:07:12] Speaker E: Yeah. I'm sitting. The doctor was rummaging through this bag to look for one of those. The popsicle sticks to help him. And then he just sees you spin. He's like, the hell, man. We could have made this so much easier. [01:07:26] Speaker B: No, we found it. [01:07:29] Speaker A: Okay, well, first among my concerns, do I feel a relinquishing of insectoid? [01:07:37] Speaker D: Yeah, you feel a bit less stiff in the neck. [01:07:39] Speaker A: Got it. [01:07:41] Speaker E: What about his hand? Does it recede at all? [01:07:43] Speaker D: That we could visually say no, the same. [01:07:46] Speaker E: Okay. [01:07:47] Speaker A: All things in time. Well, okay, sir. Temporary solution. And a new friend. [01:07:57] Speaker B: Right now. [01:07:58] Speaker E: Payment or the shed. You have to spit in its mouth. Or do we. So do we kill it, or I, if it's it. So it hasn't been dead, that hasn't been killed. Three different fires. [01:08:16] Speaker A: Or. [01:08:18] Speaker E: We reasoned. I look at Elizabeth kind of pleadingly, as in, like we've had this conversation of coexistence. It. [01:08:37] Speaker B: Whatever it did, could simply be because Loxpindler disrupted its home, pulled it from its hoard and dragged it here against its will. It's like Bergamot said, retribution for what was, frankly, an attack. [01:09:06] Speaker E: I don't know about you, Colonel, but if somebody woke me up in the middle of the night, took me out of my home and then locked me somewhere, I'd be pretty upset. Kind of trying to make a case to not try to kill this thing. [01:09:18] Speaker A: While you've been having this conversation. The background soundtrack has been the shot and the rod being pumped through the rifle or however you load a musket at that point, you can just hear that kind of metal sawing and then the wadding going in. Let it never be said I am unreasonable. I am a man of cannon and fire. As we discussed. I leave cavalry to the cavalrymen. I leave infantry to the infantrymen. If you can look me in the eyes and say that not only is my life not at risk, that this is a decision that will not lead to more people afflicted with disease. And perhaps more to the point, you are willing to explain it to our friend when he awakes. Well, it's two to one. Right. [01:10:18] Speaker B: Before we put him under, Rowland was also rather insistent on us not killing the creature. I'm not sure if that was Axel himself or his base urges, but we may be able to convince it to simply leave. It didn't want to be here to begin with. [01:10:52] Speaker A: Well, then we will allow this to become a lesson in command, that you make decisions and the consequences fall upon you. We pray that these consequences are not so terrible. [01:11:13] Speaker B: First we have to open the door. [01:11:16] Speaker A: That said, gonna let Elizabeth open the door. I'm going to be far away from the door. [01:11:21] Speaker E: We should probably pull Rowland. [01:11:23] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. No more than happy to take rowling with me. In fact, a great excuse. I'll just be like. I'm just gonna. And then. [01:11:29] Speaker B: Man. [01:11:29] Speaker E: Do you need me to grab the light? You got it. Okay. [01:11:33] Speaker D: So if you're attempting to pick the lock. Is that. I guess what's going on? Go ahead and make a sneak roll. I think you get a plus two because of the picks. [01:11:44] Speaker E: Not being sure what's on the other side. I'm gonna dump the rest of the chloroform on the ragdez and keep it. Keep it. [01:11:51] Speaker D: Keep it away. [01:11:52] Speaker E: But at the ready. [01:11:53] Speaker B: Devil's lock. [01:11:56] Speaker D: The devil is on your side tonight. As you fiddle with the lock and with nary announce the difficulty fairy. Click. Tumble open the chain. Rolls out. Falls to the ground. The door. Don't. Don't, don't, don't. What do you do? [01:12:37] Speaker E: Wouldn't you have Bergamot open it can't die again. Bergamot, please. I just ran to. Nowhere in the room. [01:12:54] Speaker D: This one is stirring. [01:13:00] Speaker B: Is um. Is it what we think it is? The Lindworm? [01:13:10] Speaker D: I'd have to see to know. I was referring to your friend. Agitated dreams. [01:13:29] Speaker B: Colonel, you'll need to keep an eye on Rowlinda. He's about to wake up, I believe. [01:13:38] Speaker A: Very well. [01:13:42] Speaker D: Would you like me to open the door? [01:13:47] Speaker B: I think that might be best, old friend. [01:13:54] Speaker D: And a lot of you see the door open. The smell of blood, old fish, rotting meat just wafts out of that place. Washes over you, nearly. Nearly making you gag. It is just horrendous. If you can imagine walking into a shed where dead fish have been stored for weeks. That is the smell that you're getting. [01:14:32] Speaker B: I will take my wand in one hand, make sure bergamot is beside me and carefully step forward. [01:14:48] Speaker E: That'll be close behind. [01:14:51] Speaker A: And we'll be far away. [01:14:54] Speaker D: You enter into this room and it's basically where they would build a boat. So there's like a platform that goes on either side and there's water in them, like a long trough with water. And then at the other end, there are doors that would be open to roll out the boat, basically. But this is where they would not build the boat, but repair it and so on, so forth. So except that the floor, the wooden floor is completely stained with blood. Ichor. All sorts of disgusting things. And where a boat would normally be, there is the bloated corpse of an easily 15 or more foot long serpent like creature that is floating belly up in the water. Rot has completely taken it over. But as you kind of approach and get in close to it. Make an investigation role. [01:15:56] Speaker B: Two successes, same. [01:16:00] Speaker D: You notice as you walk in that the thing is not burnt. It has not been burned. It appears to have been damaged physically by some weapons of some sort. But the thing that draws your attention is that it is entirely covered in silver shavings. [01:16:20] Speaker B: Game master, would I know the purpose behind something like that? [01:16:23] Speaker D: Well, you can give me a learning role. [01:16:31] Speaker E: And provide help to that. [01:16:35] Speaker D: No, but I'll see. You actually will get an advantage because of bergamot on it. So I'll give you two extra dice. Actually. Yeah. Doctor, you've done the research. Please go ahead and provide an extra die. And you can use one of your dice from the research earlier also. [01:16:51] Speaker A: Okay. [01:16:53] Speaker B: That is still only one success. Christ. [01:16:55] Speaker D: Oh my God. So you've heard this is nothing. A method that is approved by the Hellstrom society. It's very apocryphal. No one really sure if it works or not. But there are old stories that talk about how normally stories tied to elves and such that talk about how they would do ritual that would allow them to basically put in stasis, if you will, supernatural creatures. And part of that ritual included silver shavings. I'll say, as you're looking at it, the thing isn't, like I said, it's not burnt. It is rotting, but it shouldn't be dead. [01:18:00] Speaker B: Can I confirm whether or not it's dead? [01:18:05] Speaker D: Well, the doctor might. Or the medical check. Although you can make a medical check also if you want. Just assuming the doctor would. [01:18:13] Speaker E: I have that chemical equipment set that lets me know the cause of death of something with an investigation. [01:18:17] Speaker D: Go for it. [01:18:20] Speaker E: Devil's luck. [01:18:21] Speaker B: Actually, I also got two successes. [01:18:24] Speaker D: Okay. The thing is not dead. It appears to be, as I was saying, some sort of deep stasis. It's barely breathing, but it is still alive. I also appear to be several eggs inside a pouch. [01:18:50] Speaker E: Like pouch or like a satchel. [01:18:53] Speaker D: It's like, okay, it's pouch. Okay. Yeah. Meanwhile, rollin, you stir, feel the sunshine coming down on you. Wonderful. It's warm. You smell coffee, something else sweet. You hear a bit of screeching, scratching sound. You stir, yawn, look over the shoulder and you see Rasmus sitting there on a chair, his feet on the bed. He is scratching away at a pad, doing a drawing, perhaps you see next to him on the little table that he's brought close. All his things are charcoals or pens, pencils, some scissors, some paint, some more sketchbooks. And as you look over your shoulder at him, he says you're awake, little wolf. See that you don't move. I wouldn't want to ruin all this work. [01:20:22] Speaker C: Very well. [01:20:26] Speaker D: Were you having bad dreams? [01:20:31] Speaker C: Yes. Things in the dark. [01:20:37] Speaker D: While you're in the sunshine. [01:20:38] Speaker C: Now I know. [01:20:44] Speaker D: It takes a moment and John takes a little lanyard and pulls his long silvery hair that you love so much until loose ponytail ties it up and then picks up his sketching. Don't move. I want to get you exactly as you are. What would you like to do today? [01:21:09] Speaker C: Stay here with you. [01:21:15] Speaker D: It sounds lovely. [01:21:21] Speaker C: This isn't real, is it? [01:21:23] Speaker D: Of course it is. It's just us. I was thinking about this place. A cabin on the lake near where I grew up in Drabi. The water of the lake was always cold. Of course, it's Denmark and black, but we salmoned it regardless. All summer long, lips blue, teeth chattering till my mother screamed at us. I haven't thought about that cabin in years. Perhaps we could visit it someday, you and I. What do you think? [01:22:16] Speaker C: I'd love that. [01:22:21] Speaker D: Now turn around. I'm almost finished. You turn around and you must have fallen back asleep, because when you stir again, the sun is gone. It's cold, grey light. In a room on the chair where he was sitting is a picture that he's drawn of you sleeping. There is you. And over the bed is a picture that doesn't really exist, of an old cabin near a lake. And underneath the picture, a shadow on the wall, a shadow of a wolf. And next to it you see something. And you now understand why. The scissors. We're on this desk next to him. What do you do? [01:23:37] Speaker C: I stand and I go to the table and I pick up the lock of bound silver hair and sit heavily in his chair and press it to my nose. [01:24:01] Speaker D: You come to. You're lying on the floor in the dockyard. The voice inside you is calm. You see the colonel with his rifle up, aiming inside the shed, not moving. There's a little hole inside of you, little void, a little piece missing. And you realize that that's where that voice comes through. And that's where that other thing that lives inside of you comes through. [01:24:56] Speaker C: Wrap myself up on my forearm and I go. [01:25:04] Speaker D: Renell you notice this easing? [01:25:09] Speaker A: Now is not the time to be hasty. [01:25:12] Speaker C: No. Being hasty can't be hasty. Jesus. Oh, my head. [01:25:20] Speaker A: No. Jesus. Here, I'm afraid. And he squints down the the line of the rifle towards the shed. The doctor and our friend Miss Jensen are hard at work. [01:25:37] Speaker C: And I employ my elementary talent. [01:25:42] Speaker D: Hmm. Sure, your subconscious might have been at work while you were out. [01:25:47] Speaker C: I like to. Based on what you told me about the kernel smelling of meat and smelling meat coming from the shed, am I connecting that my wolf senses are picking up, that he is transforming or that there is something. What is the connection between these two smells that are the same that are coming off of him and coming from the shed? [01:26:19] Speaker D: What what is a yemenite affecting? The kernel came from this thing, was taken from this thing, perhaps a simple parasite. And what you're smelling is the telltale scent of. And that smell was not there on the kernel before. [01:27:00] Speaker C: Understood. [01:27:06] Speaker D: And I think that that's probably a good place with this break that we were talking about earlier. If you'd like to take it away, Aaron. [01:27:16] Speaker A: Yeah, we will. Oh, man. I was all like, okay, no, we're gonna keep going. Now I got to see what they find in the shed. And now I know, but then we went and had sad times with Kato and I'm definitely here for it. But then you fixed me. You distracted me into not remember the shed. Right. Well, we got to that cliffhanger after all. I was gonna say, we will be back in between five and ten minutes. We're gonna hop off, have a nice little break, grab some water, talk about how we smell, do the same at home with you and yours. We'll be right back. We made it back. We're all in one piece. We will see how long that lasts given the ominous warnings or promises really coming off of our illustrious GM bleak season. On the break, double check the content warnings. Hope everyone's going. Okay, I will hand it back to our illustrious GM friend and we will return to the. What is it called? Lock spindler. I say Lock Springer. Now I'm going to start over again. [01:28:15] Speaker D: Lock spindler. Lock Spindler Industries, you are there. Roland has just come out of the doctor induced coma, so to speak, but seems to have calmed down inside the shed. The doctor and the occultist we're dealing with, well, a problem within a problem. The Lindworm seems to still be alive, though, in some sort of stasis, but it also appears to be carrying a number of eggs. And so, being people of the two sides of the coin, the spirit and the scientific, I assume you can put your heads together and figure out what would you like to do? [01:29:15] Speaker B: Well, doctor, I don't know about you, but if I were dragged from my home with. Now point to the eggs with what I can only assume are my young ones until I would likely cause a bit of havoc, too. [01:29:36] Speaker E: Yeah, a clutch. It seems they have, which explains the erratic behavior and also the fact that, you know, being dragged out of your home. But the silver that they've got on him, I thought we could only kill it with fire. And yet it's not dead. [01:29:58] Speaker B: I it's, um, I suppose you could call it in stasis. [01:30:06] Speaker E: Hmm. It's like chloroform for. [01:30:11] Speaker B: Basin. Um, Gm would I be able to assume that removing the silver shavings might help it come out of its comatose state? [01:30:28] Speaker D: Well, it would certainly allow it to start healing itself, I guess. I mean, it might take some time for it to come out of the comatose state. Might take a number of days, but basin are obviously very resilient and so, you know, yeah, basically, if you, if you were to clean it off, at least it would probably get a chance to regenerate itself in time. [01:30:54] Speaker E: Now, the GM, the silver shavings are a, are they embedded in it or is it just covered? [01:30:59] Speaker D: Oh, they really just, like, dumped a whole bunch of them, like a salt with slug. Yeah. [01:31:04] Speaker E: Okay. We could start taking the, I mean, I'm pretty sure we could dunk it in the water and try to get some of the silver off. Uh, if we wanted to make a gesture of goodwill, I have some tinctures and ointments and medicines. I don't know how it'll help, but maybe it's less about helping and more about the act of. [01:31:38] Speaker B: That would be my hope. Um, we are likely some of the first folks who've come into contact with it who haven't immediately tried to do it harm. So it's got to count for something, right? [01:31:51] Speaker E: We can hope. I mean, either we're right and it helps, or we're wrong and it kills us anyway, so. [01:32:00] Speaker B: And if it kills us, it doesn't really matter either way. [01:32:05] Speaker E: I just hope the colonel has a good shot after all these years. [01:32:10] Speaker B: Um, gm I'm gonna step forward and start brushing off the silver shavings. [01:32:19] Speaker E: And wherever they start brushing off, I'm gonna start with just whatever ointments and tinctures I can have. Just try to start dealing whatever superficial wounds I can. [01:32:28] Speaker D: Okay. I will also say that the colonel and Rollin, if you wanted to come into the scene, you could, as you would say, see that there's no fighting going on. And from your position, colonel, you would certainly see that they seem to be trying to clean something that's in that trough. You noticed earlier there are pumps on the side of this thing, so there are probably some water hoses or something. You're not too sure exactly what's going on. But you do have a werewolf who's, you know, coming out of a yemenite chloroform induced combine at your feet. So I don't know what you would like to do. [01:33:06] Speaker A: That's one of my two concerns, is that the last thing I saw Axel try to do was break into the place, presumably to murder whatever they were trying to heal. Second, that there is some piece of that currently residing in me, and I'm not really sure how all of this works. And the idea of being closer to it, is it a proximity thing? I don't know. So brave as he might be, the colonel has a military career in killing things from far away and not letting them get close enough to hurt him, so he feels pretty good where he is. Although question, if the situation arises, how large is this creature? [01:33:50] Speaker D: About 15ft long. [01:33:53] Speaker A: Okay. And then, like, how tall? [01:33:57] Speaker D: Um, I mean, it's like probably, you know, like this big across at the biggest point. So I think. And then it tapers out towards the tail. The head is, you know, about the size of a man. [01:34:14] Speaker E: Can it stand bipedally? [01:34:18] Speaker D: It does have kind of little vestigial tyrannosaurus x arms. Cute. You get the feeling it would probably coil to stand up. [01:34:26] Speaker E: It's just a little guy. [01:34:27] Speaker A: So like a two meter tall, five meter long slug creature with little quato from total recall hands? [01:34:36] Speaker C: Yes, just a little guy. [01:34:38] Speaker D: Just a little guy just trying to get by. [01:34:41] Speaker A: So, yes, those two being my concerns, that might be somehow capable of psychically reaching into me. And that may be rational according to the rules, but the colonel is not a very bright man in these things. And second, if Axel starts tearing away off of this thing again, I have a nice, long, clear sight line. They say a man can outrun his fears, but I don't know any man who can outrun bullet. [01:35:10] Speaker E: Is that one of the quotes in your book in the colonel's? [01:35:18] Speaker A: The memoirs that he won't write until he's totally given up? [01:35:21] Speaker E: Yeah, yeah. But every now and again he thinks of a good one liner, just jots it down. [01:35:25] Speaker A: In one pocket I've got the worm. In the other pocket I have the small notepad where I scribbled it. [01:35:29] Speaker B: Little moleskin. [01:35:32] Speaker D: And what's Rollin doing? [01:35:33] Speaker C: Then I am coming to I based on description. Correct me if I'm wrong. I am nothing exactly at risk in this moment of losing faculties. [01:35:48] Speaker D: No, you still have that smell of the hair lingering in your nose and the calm of the moment. And you feel. [01:35:58] Speaker C: You feel stable I just kind of get drunkenly to my feet and right myself and clap the kernel on the shoulder. And I say, I know you won't believe it, but I'm fine. Nice way a little bit. [01:36:23] Speaker A: Not taking my eyes off this center line, if you insist. You were murmuring a bit while you were under. Is everything okay? [01:36:36] Speaker C: Yes, actually, I think that's how I came back to myself, as it were. [01:36:46] Speaker D: Well. [01:36:50] Speaker C: At any rate, and I straighten my shirt and I cover my good eye and I stare into the dark to get a sense of things because I don't know, I know there's a basin in there, but I don't know what's happening since I've been out. [01:37:07] Speaker D: Yes. So go ahead and give me a logic and vigilance. [01:37:14] Speaker A: Happily bring Axel up to speed along the way and say, we took a vote while you were out. Three to one, we're going to let it live. [01:37:24] Speaker C: It was what I was hoping you'd do. That's two successes. [01:37:31] Speaker D: Okay, so you appear into the room. You, as usual, see the protective form of Bergamot hanging out by Elizabeth, looking at this worm with, you know, pity in its eyes and, you know, certainly feeling its pain. You see the doctor who currently appears to have a bit less of a conflict going on. There seems to be one dominant ghost, if you will, cueing a troll. And you see the lynworm, you see that it has. It is carrying babies. They don't seem to be at all formed or anything like. It seems to be a fairly recent thing. You don't detect like, you don't detect like sentient life there yet it's very likely the fact that this thing had put under or things that happen might have stalled the process. You're not too sure, but there's, there's no little baby Lynn worms in there right now. [01:38:51] Speaker C: I turn to the colonel and I say, I'm going in there. Do not worry. I turn and start making my way as confidently as I can try while being still coming out of this drug haze. [01:39:14] Speaker A: Axel? [01:39:16] Speaker C: Yes? [01:39:18] Speaker A: Don't make me shoot you. [01:39:22] Speaker C: Believe me, if anyone is going to shoot me, it's going to be me. And I make my way into the room. [01:39:29] Speaker D: You enter the room, the doctor and the occultists and drago see you. You see Roland comes trolling in. [01:39:42] Speaker B: There's. There's a definite tension when I see Roland approach. Are you yourself? [01:39:53] Speaker C: Yes. [01:39:58] Speaker E: Doctor covered an ichor. And it's like, that's good because I can't grab the chloroform rag that I left on the side there. [01:40:06] Speaker C: No need, friend. No need. [01:40:08] Speaker E: Okay. Well, if you feel yourself losing it, good boy. Just bury your face in it and take a deep sniff and you'll be fine. [01:40:15] Speaker C: Considering the massive headache, I think I will pass on that. And I make my way over to Elizabeth, and I just as, uh. As gentle as a puppy that has been reprimanded, um, kind of look at her and say, I'm very sorry. [01:40:40] Speaker B: I can't say that was all right. [01:40:42] Speaker C: But. [01:40:45] Speaker B: I understand that it wasn't necessarily you either. [01:40:50] Speaker C: Your help is deeply appreciated. I hope that you will continue to be patient with me. [01:41:05] Speaker B: Maybe don't go throwing me into sheds. [01:41:10] Speaker C: I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. And I humbly ask, what can I do to help? [01:41:23] Speaker B: Are you able to touch silver? [01:41:26] Speaker C: No. [01:41:28] Speaker B: Then you best stand back. Right. [01:41:35] Speaker C: I back up kind of halfway in, standing somewhat, you know, sentinel, much like a colonel. [01:41:44] Speaker D: It will take you a little bit of time. You will manage to clean off all the silver. The doctor will apply salves and onions. And perhaps with Elizabeth's help, you know, do some of that, as Elizabeth would have also knowledge of some of these things. In time, you will manage to clean it up. You won't detect a major change in it, but I will say that you, doctor, would certainly notice that it seems to be breathing easier and a little bit stronger. And so you figure it's probably gonna take a little bit of time, but you've done what you need it to do. I'm sorry. Yes, go ahead. [01:42:35] Speaker B: The. So it's sitting in the sort of the dry dock, like, in the water. If we were to lock it in so it would not be disturbed, would it still be able to swim back out? [01:42:47] Speaker D: Yeah. [01:42:48] Speaker C: Okay. [01:42:50] Speaker B: Second question. Can I see its face? [01:42:54] Speaker D: Yeah. It's on its back. And I will say this right after a little while of the silver shavings and gone and all that, it slowly started rotating and rolling until it was on its belly. And now, like, you can see, like, half of. It's kind of like an alligator, you know, like, half of its head is kind of sticking out. [01:43:14] Speaker B: Okay. As the. The last of the silver shavings are brushed aside and sort of look at the doctor and look at Rowland and approach and crouch so it can see me. So I'm, like, in its eye line. I'm very sorry. I know you have little ones to take care of, and I understand why you did what you did, but I think it best if you return home. But we'll do what we can to make sure you're not disturbed while you recover. [01:44:18] Speaker D: And next to Bergamot is crouching netsuit and is running its hands on its head. It doesn't really react to you or anything at this point. It's still kind of out of it. But he's just running his hands over its scaly head and he says, most of these creatures are nothing evil. They just don't like their lands being poisoned and destroyed. [01:44:57] Speaker B: No, of course not. I don't imagine any sort of creature would appreciate being harassed like this. I'd lash out, too. [01:45:18] Speaker D: Hmm. Yes, me too. When he gets up and he extends his hand to help you up. [01:45:27] Speaker B: Is she going to be all right? Bergamot? [01:45:33] Speaker D: I think so. Nature is a way of taking care of itself. If it's left alone long enough, I don't think all its little ones will live, but some may yet. They are very resilient. [01:45:53] Speaker B: Before I get up, I'll hesitate and reach out and just put my hand on it. [01:46:04] Speaker D: Ted and when you touch it, its eye opens slightly. You see this big yellow eye that's got a weird pupil that's at this point, like, almost non existent. It's like super tiny. And you get a sense of not, I would say it being thankful, but it seems to not feel suspicious towards you. Then the eye closes. It will be okay in time. [01:46:47] Speaker B: I will let Bergamot help me to my feet. [01:46:50] Speaker C: Isae. [01:46:53] Speaker B: Yes? [01:46:55] Speaker C: What of the little one on the colonel? You think it belongs to her? [01:47:07] Speaker B: What gm what sort of inference would I be able to make on the spiritus and the. [01:47:14] Speaker D: You don't know anything per se. There's nothing in that says that they're related. However, both creatures are worm like. Both creatures have associations with providing riches or providing boons to humans, both demanding a certain type of sacrifice for that flesh has to be consumed in one case. In the other case, you don't know. But I'll tell you this. You're pretty sure that whatever the thing that bit the kernel is, whatever it gives them, there will be somewhere along the way a price to pay. And it is very rare that a parasite seeks to destroy its host because it needs it. And so if something bad is bound to happen, it's probably not going to be to the colonel himself, necessarily or per se. [01:48:38] Speaker B: I will explain this to Rowland and the doctor. [01:48:45] Speaker D: I think Rowland, especially because you used your. You used your elementary earlier, and I kind of told you something that I feel kind of was maybe not necessarily that well hidden or something that we had kind of touched on, but it. Any case, I think that you might draw some connections at this point between several things that have happened that link back to the idea of, as the young men Anders had put it, that story from Greece with the wooden horse of allure and an infestation meant to destroy something. [01:49:37] Speaker C: Just turn and look at the colonel. [01:49:43] Speaker B: Um, Rowland, did you tell us what you found? [01:49:52] Speaker C: What I found? [01:49:54] Speaker B: Out of character. Above table. Sorry. Because there were letters regarding Hellstrom House and a map. [01:50:04] Speaker C: Yes, I would have relayed that to you. Yes, the map of Ypsala and Holstrom house marked on it. And the request to Berthold to send help. But that there was this. If I'm reading this correctly, if I didn't have totally missed something, that there is an understanding that we, as the team who might be going to help would be dispatched at the end. [01:50:31] Speaker D: No, not quite. So I see why you're making that. But I'll reread you the message. Best reach out to lawyer, name of Bertolt Gerhart in Uppsala. Tell him of her problem here. Ask him to send help. Then clean up this mess and let's go. Before. Before they arrive. [01:50:51] Speaker C: We don't know who they is. [01:50:52] Speaker D: Okay, well, you assume they being the help that Bertolt Gerard would be sending, right? So you. Right, but that doesn't seem like the plan was to ambush and kill you. But yeah. [01:51:14] Speaker C: Now I tell you all that. [01:51:16] Speaker B: Okay. [01:51:19] Speaker D: I'll assume the colonel has come up closer at that point or you're all outside the cabin. [01:51:25] Speaker B: I would have started walking back out to leave the creature to its devices. Could someone help me close the doors, please? [01:51:38] Speaker D: Yes, of course. [01:51:38] Speaker C: Of course. [01:51:39] Speaker E: Still covered in acreage. [01:51:46] Speaker A: Is it not supposed to be fleeing now, dashing off to here or there? [01:51:51] Speaker B: It can't. Not yet. [01:51:54] Speaker A: How long? [01:51:57] Speaker B: Two days. Needs to be. Needs to be able to recover. [01:52:05] Speaker A: Well, surely we don't intend to stand watch for three days. [01:52:09] Speaker B: No, that's why I'm locking it back. [01:52:10] Speaker A: In to retrieve it at a later date. [01:52:16] Speaker B: To let it return home. [01:52:22] Speaker A: The wariness is motivated mostly by the sense of what's going to happen in the three days between either at its hands or something else. But not going to pick a fight about it. [01:52:35] Speaker B: But if we can get the doors closed, Rowland and myself, I will put the chain back on and lock it. [01:52:50] Speaker A: Having seen the creature now, is that what gave us our little friend? [01:53:02] Speaker B: Similar, but not quite. [01:53:08] Speaker A: See the colonel visibly shrink a bit. There was a sincere hope that somewhere in that shed had laid an answer to this problem. But now, knowing that they are Vezin cousins as opposed to closer relations, has flattened him a bit. [01:53:30] Speaker B: I think. And Rowland, correct me if I'm wrong, that point to the colonel's breast pocket was planted with a particular purpose, as Anders mentioned. The horse from the greek mythology. [01:53:59] Speaker A: If I recall. That story doesn't end too well for the people who accepted the gift slaughtered to the man, if I remember. [01:54:09] Speaker C: They're trying to take down the society from the inside. Sending you back is that planet. [01:54:21] Speaker A: Well there are a great many ways that I can imagine we prevent that from happening. None of which are too pleasant for myself. No. [01:54:31] Speaker B: But the difference between the trojan horse and your little tag along is the fact that, well that is a parasite. They tend not to destroy their hosts. Lucky enough they need them. [01:54:53] Speaker A: And what of the three of you? Am I dangerous to you while this thing lurks in my pocket? [01:55:03] Speaker B: I don't know. [01:55:03] Speaker D: GM is hedgesthe is he any more dangerous than Rollin is? You assume that it probably works like a curse where it takes time to. It's probably a question of you would have to go back. And then over time, slowly things would start to happen. Bad things would start to happen. People would start getting into accidents or you know, having curse like bad things happen to them around him in a society while he would flourish. And. [01:55:47] Speaker B: We have no way of knowing if you were the third receiver in this little gift. [01:55:55] Speaker E: Well, there is a way. Something the best way. [01:56:04] Speaker C: We know that you're. [01:56:06] Speaker D: Sorry. I just wanted to point out that you can do the math. Right, right. It was given to the foreman, then not sensibly to Thea. [01:56:15] Speaker B: Oh yeah, well that's true. [01:56:16] Speaker C: So he is the third recipient. [01:56:18] Speaker B: Shit. [01:56:19] Speaker E: Womp womp. [01:56:21] Speaker A: I think also giving it to Drago, it came back to me. And once you have it, you can't give it away. Keeps coming back. I think that was when he was mentioned. [01:56:31] Speaker C: Uh huh. [01:56:34] Speaker E: Well no, that's why it went back to you, because it wasn't given to me. We're already the third. Yeah, so. [01:56:39] Speaker C: Right. [01:56:39] Speaker A: Yeah, that's what I mean. [01:56:41] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:56:41] Speaker E: Okay. [01:56:44] Speaker C: Cardinal, I know a thing or two about being cursed. Given the fact that you didn't think to put a bullet between my eyes, I will do everything in my power to make sure that we don't need to do the same to you. [01:57:02] Speaker A: Well, I appreciate that. [01:57:05] Speaker C: Cold comfort. I know. [01:57:10] Speaker E: If I can talk from a medical standpoint, parasites can be removed. Just the other day, a lady, Yvette came by losing weight like crazy. 16 tapeworps. It was insane. [01:57:25] Speaker A: This one appears to be additive as opposed to subtractive. [01:57:32] Speaker B: Well I think that's something that we can continue to discuss in the comfort of our lodgings. It is very cold out here. [01:57:41] Speaker E: Okay. [01:57:44] Speaker D: So we will then gather what little evidence that you've been, you've managed to find. Head back to the wicken tallow. You know that you're too late to catch this next train that would have been coming by, which was coming 12 hours after the one that brought you. But there's another 112 hours after that. So you could consider taking that. Whether or not you decide to take the train back to lefty. I'm just sort of kind of giving you the lay of the land. When you return to your homes, it is fairly late. You're all fairly tired. There's been a lot going on. Also, you feel fairly certain that, you know, you're not in danger necessarily tonight from the spurtus or anything like that. Like it's the kind of thing that would take a little bit longer. So I guess my question is, before you might decide to turn in and get a little bit of rest, to hope that a clearer head in the morning brings more answers. What do each of you do before you hit the hay? [01:58:50] Speaker C: I would like to talk to Elizabeth, if I may. [01:58:58] Speaker D: Let me just. I'm sorry. Just before you do. Sorry. Can I see what the others want to do? And then maybe there's a couple of things we can dispatch quickly and then we can do that. [01:59:10] Speaker A: I think this is just a small scene of the colonel. It is Scandinavia. There is a sauna somewhere. Right. And he will wait until it is a late hour as not to be joined by anyone on the civilian side of things. And you just see him in the sauna. The lens is steamy because this is not an r rated tv show with a mirror. Just investigating every single part of himself, looking for the splotches and taking mental notes is how far these things have progressed. Like a very regimented. [01:59:47] Speaker D: You'll find that it has regressed even on the hand that started to regress. The thing appears to be content. [01:59:56] Speaker E: Doctor, uh, I think the doctor's in his room pawing through that book that was given to him on the train. [02:00:05] Speaker D: Oh, awesome. Shall return to you as you arrive at the hotel. And everyone kind of goes their separate ways. The colonel in search of a Powell. You get a moment where you can talk to Elizabeth if you wish. [02:00:29] Speaker C: I just knock quietly on the door. Elizabeth. [02:00:42] Speaker B: Like about 30 seconds. When you're not sure if you're gonna get an answer. [02:00:50] Speaker C: Just turn to door cracks open turn back around. May I come in? Step back and open the door. I walk in bearing two glasses and a bottle of Akavi. Place it on the table. I truly do mean it when I say I'm very sorry. And I wondered if you would share a drink with me. [02:01:23] Speaker B: I could be amenable to that. [02:01:26] Speaker C: And I. No tricks. Pop the bottle and pour two glasses worth and raise one to her. And I scold. [02:01:36] Speaker B: Score. [02:01:38] Speaker C: And I take the first sip and put it down. [02:01:43] Speaker B: I will sip after. [02:01:48] Speaker C: You are a gifted and fiercely brilliant woman. I find that I am in awe of. And I put you in a position of danger, and I never want to do that again. And I wondered, in your studies if you had any insight as to how I could ensure that something like that will never happen again. [02:02:26] Speaker B: Jam. What have I got on werewolves? [02:02:33] Speaker D: Give me a learning check and you can use some of that learning action. [02:02:39] Speaker B: Two successes. [02:02:45] Speaker D: What you know about werewolves are that there are three ways to kill or need a neutralized attacked with silver weapons when being addressed by their true name. In the light of a full moon, the werewolf can be released from the spell for a certain amount of time. The werewolf. And if you are, well, I'm not gonna say the third one just because it was actually one of our lines and veils things, but it is absolutely not something you'd entertain. You know, however, that there are two types of werewolves. Those who are cursed because they are attacked by a werewolf, and those who choose to become werewolves. And there is a whole different ritual and thing for someone who wants to be a werewolf to go through, to become one. But it is possible. Some of the notes you have from the doctor that the doctor collated while you were doing research in the library, because the doctor had to look this up. The society encountered a werewolf in a recent adventure of theirs. A swedish soldier who had encountered a russian werewolf who was a soldier on the other side during the war and who had become infected by him, but that this soldier is one who had voluntarily wanted to become a werewolf. And so a lot of these remedies didn't work on this swedish soldier. Her name was Thekla. Because the origin. The origin of the curse had been a willing one. [02:05:12] Speaker B: I'm afraid I don't. I don't know of anything permanent. [02:05:24] Speaker D: At. [02:05:24] Speaker B: Least anything permanent that I would be willing to put you through. [02:05:34] Speaker C: Thank you for the kindness. I have noticed something that does seem to help, and maybe if someone else has knowledge of this, they can help when needed. I also don't necessarily think this curse is fully that a curse. Perhaps it could be a gift if we need it. I reach into my breast pocket and pull out the lock of hair and hold it flat on my hand and look at it and say, the only thing that I have found that gets me to come back to myself is this. Now, I can't guarantee that I will always have the faculties to do this for myself. But if you know where it is and how to access it, maybe we can keep whatever happened earlier today from happening again. [02:06:44] Speaker B: May I ask who that belonged to? [02:06:53] Speaker C: Someone I loved very much. [02:07:01] Speaker B: And where do you keep it? [02:07:04] Speaker C: I pull open my jacket and the inner breast pocket. I tuck it back in the. [02:07:11] Speaker B: There. [02:07:11] Speaker C: Always. I felt like it was important to tell you. [02:07:28] Speaker B: Thank you. I will, um. I will commit that to memory should we need it again. There is another way. Something. It's a temporary reprieve. Do you know when the full moon is? [02:07:52] Speaker C: And I pull out the leather bound book in shorthand and I just thumb through it and it has the moon cycles on the top. Always. [02:08:06] Speaker B: Legend has it that if you pronounce a werewolf's name their true name, at least on the full moon, you may be able to grant them a reprieve from the curse. [02:08:28] Speaker C: Of. The only thing I can think of, aside from Axel Rowland, is little wolf. [02:08:40] Speaker B: Might be worth a try. [02:08:44] Speaker C: If you're willing, so am I. [02:08:51] Speaker D: I will interject here just quickly to tell you, Rollin, that you know that if the full moon is out, that means that you're fully given over to the beast. There's danger in us. [02:09:14] Speaker B: Lisa. [02:09:15] Speaker C: It might come at a great cost. [02:09:16] Speaker D: If we try it then. [02:09:17] Speaker C: And we're not close to the full moon now. But I told you I wouldn't put you in harm's way ever again. [02:09:29] Speaker B: I understand your concern and I appreciate it. But if it's a chance for you to regain a little more control of this condition, should we not at least make an attempt? [02:10:07] Speaker C: I think we might need to have you make a promise that if it looks like there's no coming back, you will do what you need to keep yourself safe. And the others. [02:10:23] Speaker D: I mean it. [02:10:29] Speaker B: You have my word. [02:10:31] Speaker C: Thank you. [02:10:34] Speaker B: Besides, if we ask the colonel to accompany, I don't think he will have any problem putting a silver bullete your heart. [02:10:41] Speaker C: I'm pretty sure he already wants to. I don't want to keep you up. So I will say good night. [02:10:58] Speaker B: Good night, Axel. [02:11:01] Speaker C: I stand and head towards the door and I turn around and just say thank you. [02:11:11] Speaker B: For what? [02:11:14] Speaker C: Treating me like a human. [02:11:23] Speaker B: We are, all of us, creatures under the eyes of God. [02:11:30] Speaker D: Would you like to do anything else before turning in. [02:11:38] Speaker B: Bergamot. [02:11:42] Speaker D: Yes, Elizabeth. [02:11:46] Speaker B: The Colonel Rowland. Is there anything we can do? [02:11:56] Speaker D: The world of the humans is one where making things better requires the destruction of something else. The world I come from is a world where anything is possible because we don't destroy anything. Then we reflect on it. [02:12:37] Speaker B: All right. Thank you, old friend. And I will turn in for bed. [02:12:55] Speaker D: Bernald? The sauna was good. But while it felt good to see that physical manifestations were receding, it wasn't as relaxing as you might have expected or hoped it to be. So you find yourself back in your bed, the coals burning, thinking about this. Try not to think of the thing that's in the little box on the nightstand. And then, just as you're about to drift off into sleep, you heard, you can have whatever you want. [02:13:44] Speaker A: There's a moment of looking to see there's someone in the room. And as the realization sets in, that, of course I am alone. I've experienced enough tonight, today, to know where that is coming from. So there's a bit of an exhaustion, kind of sitting up and looking down towards the box. I want to say, at this point, I've taken a snuff tin, probably emptied it out, put something down in it, made a cozy little container for my new friend. [02:14:16] Speaker D: Very nice. [02:14:18] Speaker A: And looked down at it. And then what? The price, the cost. You get my soul, some part of my body. Isn't that how these things work? [02:14:33] Speaker D: Oh, no, we already have that. But we can give you things. We can even take things away. We can take memories. We can take guilt. We can even do more. We can change things, perhaps things from the past. No need to feel guilt if there's nothing to be guilty of about from the start. [02:15:07] Speaker A: Do I get the sense it know well, it's in my body and has access to my memory nose? Or is this okay? I'm imagining a small exchange then, where I start with what I mean, I'm not. And then it immediately cuts me off because, like, buddy like, and what use would that be to me? [02:15:36] Speaker D: One would assume that it would make you happier. I. We know that people are usually happy when they receive things, but sometimes they're even happier when you take things away. [02:15:59] Speaker A: And all it takes in return is a bit of my mortality. Hmm. [02:16:04] Speaker D: No. All you have to do is return home. We'll do all the work. Would you like to be young? Would you like to be powerful again? Strong again? No. No. You would like to be able to look people in the eye when they tell you what a hero you are. And we can make that happen. [02:16:52] Speaker A: How does it work? [02:16:56] Speaker D: Let us tell you, doctor. You wake up as something, someone taps at your window. Tung, tung, tung, tung, tung, tung. You realize you're in bed. The book is in your lap. You've fallen asleep while reading it. Next to you, your pen. You're stationary where you were, taking notes, written in a hand you don't recognize. Please let me go. [02:17:44] Speaker E: I stand for my bed, keeping the journal on me. And I go and I open the blinds. [02:17:55] Speaker D: You open the blinds. You see yourself sitting in a chair. You're sitting in a chair in front of a fire. You have a gun in your hand. You hear a tapping at the window. You turn. You see his face looking at you. He smiles. You feel warm at the sight of him. You stand, move to open the window. No. You hear the tapping, but you can't look. If you do, you won't have the courage to do what you must do if you see his face. So you put the gun up to your temple. No. Yes. You tap at a window. Your ring makes a clear, sharp noise against it. You're standing outside. It's freezing. You look inside the room. You see him suspended upside down on the wall, arms out and across, covered in flies and worms. Colonel Berglund, what do you do? [02:19:40] Speaker E: I'm cold. I see him. I go to, if I can open the window from the outside to get in. [02:19:50] Speaker D: Sure. You open the window. The air blows in. As soon as the air blows in, the colonel drops to the ground. [02:20:02] Speaker E: I check him to see if he's like I just saw him. [02:20:06] Speaker D: You go inside the room. [02:20:07] Speaker E: Yeah. [02:20:08] Speaker D: All right. You step inside the room. Laura. [02:20:15] Speaker C: What? [02:20:18] Speaker D: You see your sister out in the field of golden wheat. The sun is setting on the horizon. Your sister turns waves. Then the wheat moves. A dark shade moves and grabs her, pulls her down into the wheat. You wake up with a start. There's a tapping at your window. Don't. [02:21:04] Speaker B: Pick up my wand and go to look. [02:21:12] Speaker D: You look out the window. You see an owl sitting on the sill. It cocks its head at you. It flies off, lands a little bit further on the fence post, looks at Yukox's head again. [02:21:37] Speaker B: Can I turn inward? Pull on the sight and look again. [02:21:44] Speaker D: It is an owl, but there is something about it, is hiding something. [02:21:56] Speaker B: Can I throw some troll dust at it? [02:21:59] Speaker D: You go outside. [02:22:04] Speaker B: Yeah. [02:22:06] Speaker D: You step outside. Rollinde, you're running across a forest. It goes by you incredibly fast. Your senses are alive. You smell all the animals around you. You see them in the dark. You feel their presence. You're moving so fast. You break the line of trees. You see below you, a field, a farm. And you see children playing outside. The door opens. It's late. The mother calls them inside. You approach slowly, hiding. You smell blood. You feel powerful, primal. Your mouth is salivating. Your sex is straining. You wake up. You're in the middle of the forest somewhere. You're naked. You feel full. There's body on the ground near you. There's blood everywhere. There's dried ejaculate on your thigh. There's blood on you in the moonlight, so black it looks like pieces of you are missing. Pieces of you are gone. There's just this darkness there in the body. Savaged, bloody, ripped apart. Hard to tell what it is. You feel a weight in your stomach, like you ate too much. Like you ate ten times too much. You feel it. Want to come back up. What do you do? [02:24:32] Speaker C: I bend down to see if there's any way I can recognize who this person was. [02:24:46] Speaker D: Colonel, have you made the decision then? We are patient. We can wait. The longer we wait, the more it becomes difficult for you. [02:25:11] Speaker A: I've reached over to the nightstand where the creature is in its little nesting tin. And I picked up the gold pocket watch that I believe drago saw very, very early on in the series. And that is what I have been staring at while this creature explains and taunts and burrows. Now, emotionally, in addition to physically, because on the inside is the. The picture from the newspaper of when the king of Sweden presented the medal to the country's hero and is folded such that you can't see the writing on the other side, because it's not a picture from the Stockholm Times or whatever the main newspaper is when you pull it out and you unfold it. But it's from a tabloid rag, talking about the fraud, talking about the lies, talking about the COVID up. My hands are shaking as this is sitting between my fingers, because it is impossible to not know right now that this is. Evil is a strong word. But as nice as Elisabeth feels that some of the Vezin are, Johann Brickland is not so convinced. Or even if she's right, it can't possibly be all of them right? And so he has this article in his hands, and the thumbs are right on that fold. And I just ask, how long does it take? [02:27:11] Speaker D: Open it and see. [02:27:18] Speaker A: There's one long, deep breath and sort of a montage of defining moments in his career, of in his life. It's that moment in every movie where a man takes the measure of himself, and then he tears the pages apart. [02:27:45] Speaker D: You feel a flash of cold air hit your face. You fall, hitting your head on the ground. You have no clue how you did this, but now your neck's all crooked. You're lying on the ground. The doctor is on top of you. What are you doing? Doctor, you have gone in the room. You are moving to the side, the bedside. The colonel is on the ground, kind of shaking his head. [02:28:17] Speaker E: Uh, do I remember the vision of him being dead? That I'm. I'm. I'm checking him. I'm like. And I'm talking. I'm trying to get a sense of what is happening. I'm like. Like, colonel, are you. Are you okay? You were. Are you. How did I. How are you? Are you. And I'm gonna check his pulse. I'm gonna check his hand for the. [02:28:50] Speaker D: Definitely, the heart rate's up. [02:28:53] Speaker E: Okay. All right. Is he bleeding in the back of his head? [02:28:58] Speaker D: No, he didn't fall high enough for dad, but. Okay, Colonel, you certainly feel that you got some kinks and some bruises, and you might have a concussion. [02:29:10] Speaker E: I'm gonna try to. [02:29:11] Speaker D: If they even knew about concussions, be. [02:29:12] Speaker E: Like, all right, let's. Let's. Let's get you up, and I'm gonna try to raise him up and pull him both hands up to his feet and try to sit him on his bed or on a chair, whatever's nearby. [02:29:24] Speaker D: Do you let him, Colonel? [02:29:28] Speaker A: Yeah, for when he's a doctor. For two. I'm certainly confused right now, right, from. From bed to falling to possibly concussed, there's a. The shock is still happening. Before I have any opportunity to say, no, don't. Don't touch me. Whatever. [02:29:42] Speaker E: So you're. You're live. That's good. [02:29:49] Speaker A: But I wasn't in this room a moment ago, right? [02:29:54] Speaker E: I mean, I was. You were dead, right? Like, you were. [02:30:02] Speaker A: And how did. [02:30:04] Speaker E: Because that's why I came to check on you, because I was outside your window. [02:30:09] Speaker A: I'm sorry. [02:30:14] Speaker E: I'm reading. [02:30:15] Speaker D: Do you. [02:30:16] Speaker E: I'm gonna show him the handwriting in my journal. Like, do you happen to recognize his handwriting? [02:30:23] Speaker A: Am I. [02:30:25] Speaker D: Make a learning roll. Elizabeth. You step outside. You have your bag with a troll dust in it. You see the owl waiting for you out near the little door in the fence. [02:30:42] Speaker B: Take a handful of dust, and. [02:30:47] Speaker D: You fire off the dust in its face. It bats its wings, flies off a little bit, kind of raggedly, and then sort of half ass drops. And as it drops, it changes and transforms. And on the ground, picking himself up, sneezing, going, what you do that for? Is the man from the train. The man who shot the. I just want to talk. Oh, is that that troll dust? I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk. But you have to come here. You have to. You have to come with me. [02:31:25] Speaker B: It's me. One good reason why I shouldn't come. Curse you into the next millennia. [02:31:32] Speaker D: Your brother. I. [02:31:37] Speaker B: Don't. [02:31:39] Speaker D: Come with me. I'm not gonna hurt you. God. Quick. And he kind of takes off a little bit. He doesn't go very far. Like you're still. He goes onto the field and stands there still kind of in sight of the buildings and whatnot, but sort of on the edge of the forest. [02:32:00] Speaker B: I've got one hand in the troll bag, like, handful of dust, but I will approach. [02:32:12] Speaker D: He has his glasses and his mask down and his hat off. And you can see that it's got this grayish skin, this dark purple hair, long, pointy ears. Very long, fine features. Oh, that's disgusting. That burns. You have any idea how much that burns? [02:32:35] Speaker B: Wait, wait. [02:32:36] Speaker E: Those. [02:32:36] Speaker B: Those features. Jim, do I know what looks like that? [02:32:43] Speaker D: Um. Elves? Miracle Farr. Sorry. I just. We needed to talk quietly. And he points to the ground, and when you look, you see that there are sticks laid out in weird angles and positions. And as you're looking at it, you realize that it's some sort of warding circle that he's built. [02:33:13] Speaker B: What. [02:33:17] Speaker D: Patrol ward? To make sure your friend there doesn't interrupt. I'm not gonna hurt you. [02:33:29] Speaker B: How can I trust you? [02:33:30] Speaker D: Well, you can't, I guess. But I know something about you. We've met before. Long time ago. [02:33:56] Speaker B: It was you. [02:34:00] Speaker D: Mm hmm. [02:34:03] Speaker B: You were the monster. [02:34:05] Speaker D: I was just doing the job I was sent to do. You calm down. I wanted to tell you about your brother. [02:34:21] Speaker B: I. The only family that I knew besides my mother and father was the sister that you fucking butchered. [02:34:31] Speaker D: No. They're not your family. [02:34:37] Speaker B: You're lying. [02:34:39] Speaker D: Ask your troll friend about it. And if he won't speak, tell him that Allah, fear came to you and told you about Brynjolf Rollin. You see antlers, you see hooves. Feels good, doesn't it? This is what you're meant to be. This is who you are. Why fight it? Those holes inside of you, they need to be filled with something. They need to be filled with power. They need to be filled. Lady of true nature. [02:35:53] Speaker C: And I swallow hard, and I can't contain it. And I vomit up viscera. [02:36:05] Speaker D: You fall on your knees, and it just keeps coming out of you, coming out of you. Coming out of you like more than you ever thought you might be able to hold. And as you do it, you start feeling hollow inside. You feel the void. You feel his absence. He's gone, and he's left behind a hole in your life, in your soul. There's something there. There's something that wants in, something that wants to step into that void, something dark and feral. And it wants to fill it up with blood and flesh. Flesh. No. Fight. It is death. [02:37:20] Speaker C: Good. [02:37:29] Speaker D: You hear a sound coming from not far away, Elizabeth's voice saying, it was you. You butchered them. [02:37:48] Speaker C: I take off at a dead sprint in the direction of her voice. [02:37:52] Speaker D: As you stand to go, you get this feeling. You get this feeling that you can move oh so quicker if you were on all fours, if you gave in just a little bit. That hole is still there, where Rasmus used to be. It needs to be filled with something. [02:38:25] Speaker C: My spine cracks as I crouch and put both hands into the earth and move as fast as I can. [02:38:38] Speaker D: Doctor. Colonel. You've inspected the colonel. It's a little banged up, nothing too severe. On the ground near him, you see an open gold watch. There's pieces of paper littered around. Colonel, you notice a ring on a doctor's thumb? It's the same ring you own. Royal Military College graduation, same year, same color stone, same class. [02:39:18] Speaker A: I'm not so far advanced in age that I've forgotten that about myself. It's curious, the things that stick in your mind, isn't it? Just generally, as you go through life, the things that you remember, namespaces and things like that. [02:39:41] Speaker D: Huh? [02:39:48] Speaker A: Do you remember your class chant? I can't get mine out of my head. That's what they told you would. Uh. When you're in the heat of battle, when you're in the rain and snow and muck, you could always fall back upon that defined bravery. To center yourself, to be your compass. Right? [02:40:15] Speaker E: What they trained us for. [02:40:20] Speaker A: Doctor, imagine for a moment that despite all that training and all the honor, everything that ring stands for, somebody gave you the opportunity not to correct the worst mistake you have made, but simply to absolve you from its consequences. Would you take it? [02:40:50] Speaker E: Interesting question of morality and duty, but I am a mandehead. We are men of. [02:41:08] Speaker D: Honor. [02:41:09] Speaker E: Science. Learning failure. You fail so you can learn and so you can be better. [02:41:25] Speaker A: I'm sure that makes sense if you're talking about cultures in a dish trying to save a dying man. Mistakes are acceptable. Then it's different when the lives don't necessarily have to be spent, isn't it? [02:41:41] Speaker E: What failures eating away at you, colonel. [02:41:53] Speaker A: I will start to tell the story. Story. But before I go too far down that road to make it clear, I'm accepting the spurtus bargain, or already have in tearing up the thing. So if I. If I overstep this, let me know. I'll talk about being on the hill across the fjord, where a narrow, slightly shallow, only six or 7ft deep trench of sea had frozen over, which is what made the enemy's assault in this direction possible. We didn't think that they would dare to do that. Horses and sledges and such over any amount of ice is dangerous. We did not anticipate that out of desperation would come foolhardy bravery. That is where the reserve was held. With no reserve, there is no battle. And it was my decision at that point to turn our battery. 24 guns, 710 pounds each. Massive things of bronze and brass and smoke and fire. With each single shot weighing another 40 kg in itself, we turn that battery. But you're a man of science and you have an icy flow. What do you suppose happens when you send a cannonball crashing into it at so many hundreds of miles an hour? [02:43:44] Speaker E: Suppose the human body isn't built for that kind of impact. So, not sure there was much left to recover. [02:43:55] Speaker A: Wasn't the bodies we were shooting for too many men, not enough cannonballs in the field, yes, you use artillery to break morale, to soften troops. It's mostly there to keep people from charging at you. But in this case, we could crack the surface ice and send an entire battalion to a watery and frozen grave. And this is the point in the story where in the past, the colonel did not wait for his unit to retreat, or even to know a retreat was sounded. And it wasn't one, but two battalions of men who drowned in the frozen waters of that bay. But that's not the world we live in anymore, is it? Oh, this is above table. [02:44:51] Speaker D: No. [02:44:51] Speaker A: Yeah. So when he gets to this part of the story and the soundtrack ramping up for this confession, he says, I have my regrets on that day. I regret I couldn't fire sooner. [02:45:13] Speaker D: You let our men die. [02:45:17] Speaker A: Oh, no. To be clear, the exchange here is that if this were the true confession, he would say, my regret is that I had to sacrifice our to do it. But the spurgeon changed the memory. [02:45:30] Speaker E: That's right. [02:45:30] Speaker A: So in this, it's worked out just fine. If that's my interpretation. But. [02:45:41] Speaker D: Jonathan, you remember exactly what happened and it will be explained. Your memory, Jonathan, is exactly what it's always been. [02:46:04] Speaker A: I guess the transition then is like the bombast of it. So instead of I regret I had to sacrifice our men in tragic, it becomes I regret I couldn't act faster and be even more of a hero. And they even got one battery off because one swedish life was too many. And had I just managed to be even more awesome than I already am. And you're getting that speech. [02:46:23] Speaker E: But I know the actual. [02:46:29] Speaker A: I think the truth's become quite the flexible concept, because as I understand it, Berglin believes beliefs like would pass an intuition check. Believes that he's telling the truth. Is that correct? [02:46:42] Speaker D: Does he? [02:46:43] Speaker A: I don't know how this Brutus magic works. That's why I'm asking about it. [02:46:46] Speaker D: I'm asking you, what do you think Berglin believes? [02:46:50] Speaker A: I think that he would already be in a small amount of denial over it. So it's not that much further elite to be like, if you want to take it from the world, that's great. I am part of the world. In that sense. I think it means Drago is the only one who. Well, one third of Draco is the only one who would know the truth at this point, right? [02:47:15] Speaker E: You are a coward. A coward. The great Colonel Birkeland, an absolute failure of a Mandev. But that's not even the worst part. It's that I had to live with it. And you got all the glory. It's that you got to walk away hailed a hero, a patriot. And I bit my tongue and it ate away at me. And you just moved on like nothing ever happened. [02:48:14] Speaker A: You think cowardice is what leads a man to make that decision? That coward could. [02:48:20] Speaker E: Shame? That's what you felt. Shame that you were a failure. Shame that you couldn't be what the academy trained you to be. So I carry that weight for you. And I could have fessed up at any time. I could have told people. I could have held the truth, and I didn't. So, yeah, I might have been the one to pull the trigger. But you're the one that killed me the night I took my life. That bullet might have came out of my gun, but the weight of your sin is what killed me. And now you're just gonna get to walk away. [02:49:20] Speaker A: Going to lean in closer and do the steepled hands thing that you have seen from the opposite side of the desk hundreds of times. Truth doesn't build men. The truth doesn't build nations. And the truth doesn't build history. In one life, ten lives, 10,000. How many would you sacrifice for Stockholm. [02:49:55] Speaker D: And you hear at the window, tung tung tung, tung tung tung. Out in the field, Ron, you break the edge of trees. You see Laura standing there. Sorry, Elizabeth standing there looking quite shocked, quite hurt. In front of her is thing from the train that shot you talking to Elizabeth. You don't. You smell on him the supernatural. You don't see Bergamot anywhere. What do you do? [02:51:03] Speaker C: I want to approach as quietly as I can. I don't want them to know that I'm there. Yet. [02:51:13] Speaker D: You approach quiet, on all fours. You are a wolf now. Black wolf with a silver streak over one eye. He's looking at you, Elizabeth, and he's saying, ask your troll friend. And if he does not wish to come forth, tell him. Tell him that Allah brought you news of Bryn Yeltsin. [02:51:55] Speaker B: I don't believe you. [02:52:01] Speaker D: Doesn't really matter in the end. You do what you need to do. But I know Bryn Elf would have wanted you to know. And so I'm telling you. [02:52:23] Speaker B: Go. Get away from me before I really hurt you. [02:52:36] Speaker D: He pulls his mask back up with glasses, his hat, bows, turns around, walks away. [02:52:55] Speaker B: I start kicking the sticks and the twigs, breaking the troll ward. [02:53:06] Speaker C: I approach softly as this is happening, letting her know I'm there but not trying to frighten her. [02:53:14] Speaker D: You see a wolf. Large wolf, but a wolf not a werewolf. Cannibal. A large black wolf with a silver streak over one eye. [02:53:25] Speaker B: Is it the same eye that Rowland's scar is on? [02:53:35] Speaker C: I gingerly approach, hold my hand out. I quicken my step and just press the top of my head into your hand. [02:53:51] Speaker B: You would think that I would be used to shadows and secrets. [02:53:55] Speaker C: But. [02:54:10] Speaker D: No answer. [02:54:30] Speaker B: I run back inside, up to my room and pull the forget me nots out of my park. [02:54:50] Speaker C: I follow quickly behind, just staying outside the door, watching. [02:55:05] Speaker B: I don't suppose. And I'm speaking to the wolf, that is Rowland. As if he's just standing there. I don't suppose you could bring me the aquavit again. [02:55:18] Speaker C: Grab it. [02:55:22] Speaker B: From my pack. I pull out a copper bowl. [02:55:27] Speaker A: And. [02:55:27] Speaker B: I put the bundle of flowers in the bowl. I take a small dagger and I cut a lock of my hair. [02:55:43] Speaker D: And. [02:55:44] Speaker B: Add that to the bowl with the aquavit. And I light a match and I drop it in. [02:55:59] Speaker D: Back in the room with the doctor and the colonel. And before you go at it in earnest, doctor, please read the last message I sent you. [02:56:14] Speaker A: 110 101,000 to keep this country safe. I would have sent a hundred thousand men to their death if I needed to. But in this case, in the world I have created, it only takes one. So thank you, Captain Brown, for your service. [02:56:43] Speaker E: So that's it, huh? That's. That's. You're just gonna give in to this thing? [02:56:55] Speaker A: To use its power? They're going to accuse me of misusing this thing. A man himself, possessed by wisdoms belonging to spirits, torn from the heavens and locked in his own soul, when two doors down, there's a woman with a troll, invisible as she pleases, guarding her through forest and city alike. And may I remind you, oh, where. [02:57:27] Speaker E: And yet none of the of us are trying to absolve ourselves of our own sins. So you don't stand on moral high ground in this circumstance, Colonel? [02:57:44] Speaker A: There's no question of morality, captain. There is duty. There is responsibility. There's outcome. Someone wearing that ring would know better. [02:58:07] Speaker E: Speaking of knowing better and knowing things, not too long ago, you wished, prayed, practically begged to have this thing removed from you. Is that not the case anymore, then? [02:58:26] Speaker A: The greatest measure of an intelligent mind is its ability to change its opinions, to change its beliefs based on the arrival of new information. See that look in your eyes? You worry that I'm going to raise myself up like a Nicholas or a Napoleon. [02:58:51] Speaker D: Please. [02:58:55] Speaker E: No. No, sir. I think, truth be told, it'll be more of an Icarus. [02:59:15] Speaker A: That remains to be seen. But if I may be so bold as to suggest whatever you're worried about now. First, perhaps wait until it comes to fruition before making any judgments. I may yet surprise you. And second, decide if you want to face whatever remains of this mystery with three bodies instead of four. [03:00:03] Speaker E: But like you said, right, one body and ten bodies, 100. What would it take to save a place? So, I would be interested to see what everybody else thinks and what course of action we should take. [03:00:26] Speaker A: And that's your plan? To tell them to run off? To tattle to mommy and daddy? [03:00:36] Speaker E: To do what I didn't do the first time and stop you? Yes. [03:00:47] Speaker A: I would think for somebody who has witnessed a great amount of my career and personality, you would be significantly more cautious about standing in my way. [03:01:04] Speaker E: What are you gonna do? Kill me? The ghost? The man that's already dead? [03:01:17] Speaker A: Me? No. No, I couldn't possibly. [03:01:23] Speaker D: But. [03:01:27] Speaker A: We'Re surrounded by strange powers in a strange place. And that's not a threat. Captain. I don't want to kill you. I would much prefer if we could leave this little gentleman's secret in your brain, just quietly, by itself, where it can reside politely and out of the way until the end of your days. Pleasant may they be. [03:01:57] Speaker E: Hmm. I think the doctor's gonna pace over to the window. It is. It's a bit stuffy in here. He's just gonna open it. Just casually, haphazardly, not sure if anything will happen, but with the tension in the room, he just. He needs air. [03:02:28] Speaker D: You open the window. [03:02:29] Speaker E: Mm hmm. [03:02:35] Speaker D: Meanwhile, you have the forget me nots. You drop them in the fire. Smoke envelops you, goes inside. Your brain awakens things, carries you along. You travel far geographically, but also in time to a glade in the forest. Somewhere in the north. You see your mother. You see your mother kneeling before a wooden altar. You see her lace herbs in a bowl and burn them just like you did. You see her intone prayers, languages. You see a woman appear from the trees, elf like. You don't know how you know, but you recognize her as a fairy queen of some sort. You see your mother pleading, bargaining. You see her accepting. You hear the fairy queen say, very well. Return home. I will give you a child. But should you ever have a child of your own, it must be given to me in exchange. You see your mother waiting in the kitchen by the fire. There's a knock at the door. She opens it. Snow. Wind blows in. There is a large figure outside the door. Even with the cowl over its head, the rags over its body, you recognize bergamot. He pulls out from under his clothes a small bundle, a beautiful young baby. Is it human? It's difficult to tell. Hands it to your mother, says, I'll be waiting. Minnie goes back. Years go by. The baby grows up. The strange features of the baby, the pointed ears, the long chin, golden skin fade. One day, this child is overjoyed. Kiss mommy, it seems, has a little baby brother, sister in her stomach. Soon after, a boy is born. And soon after, there's a knock at the door. The boy is given to Bergamot, who says he'll return. You come to your eyes open. Sitting across from you, on the other side of the smoke coming out of the bowl is bergamot. Tears in his eyes. He can't even look at you. I'm sorry. When your brother was born, the queen ordered me to bring him back. And when later your sister was born, she ordered me to bring her back. But I could not do it. And so she sent another. No. They are both alive. [03:08:18] Speaker B: Then what? What was it that night? [03:08:34] Speaker D: Who took your sister? Was the man you were talking to earlier. They can be found. I can take you. And at the same time, Rollin. The fumes have reached you. You were so close, keeping an eye on Elizabeth. Without really realizing, you inhaled them. You remember being on the trail. This thing you were hunting, this thing that had been killing people. You had found it, or you'd found its trail. You're running, following it through the forest. Suddenly you felt something nearby, something primal, something huge. You turned hit you in the face. You felt as if half your head had been completely ripped off. Your eye was blackened. You couldn't see anymore. As you lay there on the ground thinking you would die, your one good eye clearly see the beautiful long silver fur of the werewolf will clawed you in the face. And on that note, I think we are done for this evening. [03:10:54] Speaker A: Well, this has been episode three of this two is a gift. An original scenario written by our good friend bleak season here. If you are enjoying the scenario, too bad you can't buy it. Maybe they'll change in the future, maybe it won't. Sucks to be you. But if you want to play the game and make your own adventures like that, you can find out how to do so by placing exclamation point game in chat. Do recommend Vezin the vibes are choice. Excellent. Also excellent the cast of folks that I have been privileged to play with. First of all, I think I should start. We should rehabilitate our friendship after that scene. My good friend, who I definitely do not want to sacrifice in the name of bettering my own reputation or plunge into frozen waters as a doctor. Ragnar Markovich. Jonathan, it's Latinos against appreciate. [03:11:49] Speaker E: It's me. Hello. [03:11:52] Speaker A: Tell people where they can see you having, like, pleasant, fun experiences that do not wrench the heart into anywhere that Aaron isn't. [03:12:07] Speaker E: You guys can find me everywhere as Latinos get spooky shit. I stream on twitch most consistently, usually Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. And then you can also find me telling stories on the other side of the table as a GM. Coming up soon at tabletop Tempest. Find that also in our socials. [03:12:33] Speaker A: So link's probably happening in the chat right now cause I'm probably running the stream. So I'm seeing this and going, oh. [03:12:40] Speaker E: Shit, what's the gonna get it together at future Aaron? [03:12:43] Speaker A: I know future Aaron is in a fucking way, let me tell you. Also in a way, a good way, a great way. Even performing as Axel Rowland, half werewolf, half rock star, actor, face person, and also one half traumatized. Both baby got a lot going on, Kato. But if there's room on your plate still at the end of the session and you have any kind of spare capacity to tell people where they can find more of you. I'd be happy to give you the opportunity to do that now. [03:13:14] Speaker C: Well, thank you so much, Erin. You can find me most places on the Internet at onlyhandbasket. On the instagrams, I am the hell in a handbasket. You can also find my actor page at Catoac. And I've got a couple upcoming film things happening. It's very exciting, but they're not out yet. But they will be soon. [03:13:35] Speaker A: Soon. Tm, you can tell that we pre record. We don't put dates on anything. Who knows when this is coming out? I don't. Wouldn't want to lie and get people excited. Also, that would be stepping on other people's turf, because when it comes to getting people excited at Queen's court games, that falls squarely on the shoulders of Lola. To Laura. Lola, let us call you Lorela. [03:13:56] Speaker B: I thought there was a Lola in there for a second, but, like, I'll accept that. [03:13:59] Speaker A: But Lorlatutu, our social media manager, responsible for spreading joy, and in this case, also horror. How you doing, Laura? [03:14:12] Speaker B: Oh, I'm great. That's. That's. That's acting, my dude. [03:14:17] Speaker D: I'm crying. [03:14:18] Speaker A: Q, this is a power that I actually know Laura has had. And in games in the past, I've been, like, in the DM's, like, are you seriously okay? Cause you're not doing the s card thing, but you're sobbing, and then it's just like. It's called acting. You should try it. [03:14:30] Speaker B: Sometimes I literally. I literally have a degree that says that I'm, like, good at this shit. Hi, folks. You can call me Laura or Tutu or Laura Tutu. You can usually find me on the Internet at some iteration of Laura 22. You might just have to throw an underscore at the beginning, at the end of that, when I am not here, like, crying in front of the camera with bleak in the GM seat, I'm usually crying in front of the camera with Aaron in GM seat. Yeah, no, that's just kind of how we roll here at Queen's court games. But, yeah, as Aaron said, I am the social media menace. If you see shit here, it's probably because I told you that it was coming. Other than that, you can usually find me hanging out with the folks at Obsidian brews, the all black tabletop collective with messrs. Rob and bendy. Good shit. Coming up for 2024. Con, things coming up for 2024, so stay tuned for that. [03:15:31] Speaker A: I don't even know. So, like, I'm going to be on Laura's Twitter. Laura Tutu and being like, keep me posted. Well, there's only one person left coming in guest wise and we have saved the greatest of them all, the GM who has set all of this up. I don't can't remember the last time there's been a GM who's like, first of all, the balance between the scenes, bouncing back and forth. Chef's kiss. Loved it. Second, we were all really upset with one another in a way that you just sat back and I noticed gleefully watched. If people wanted to gleefully watch more of you bleak season, where can they. [03:16:04] Speaker D: Do so they can find me. If by the time this airs, Twitter is still a thing on Twitter, the bleak season and otherwise, I am creating, producing and running games on my channel Falcon myth with my good buddy Miko diocase GM. We've got ongoing games going on all the time and you know, it's not that we like to make people cry, like it's not a good thing to make people cry, but it's acting. And these people here tonight, so I sit back and gleefully watch it is because the spectacle on display is pretty much unequal. So thank you very much for that. [03:16:47] Speaker A: All of you, always a pleasure. Like side around if you want to see me doing more acting. I am terribly sorry. You're probably shut of luck until 2026. But if you want to see more of my thoughts on gming, my thoughts on what else is going on in the world, or if I happen to sneak out for a guest, you can do so at erininwords. It is more likely, however, that if you are a fan of this kind of storytelling, you will want to be following at Queenscore RPG on Twitter or Queenscourt games everywhere else. Podcast one shots number of mischief website Queenscourt games Patreon Queenscoregames give us dollar five a month. You'll get cool art. We'll make more stuff. We pay our artists. We also have an Adobe subscription. Both of those things kind of expensive. Would love your help. Just saying. In the meantime, and the between time, we will be back one week from now but 3 hours ago to see the next episode of this too is a myth by a vessen. Until then, please take care of yourselves. Go have like a you know what, you've worked really hard this week, so I think you deserve it to go out and like have a frozen yogurt or a snack. Like treat yourself to something that you've been putting off for a while because I I've been talking to the people in the office and we just, we just know you're putting a lot of yourself into things. Come on back next week and talk us about it. [03:18:07] Speaker E: Quit your job. [03:18:08] Speaker D: Yeah. Live move to Holland. Don't do that. [03:18:15] Speaker C: Quit your job. [03:18:17] Speaker A: Two votes for quit your job, one vote. Three votes for quit your job. One vote for move to Holland, one vote for frozen yogurt. So we're gonna have to. You know what? I am excited. If I knew how to set up clear polls, I'd be doing one right now. Unfortunately, I'm wrapping up the episode instead. Come back on next week. We'll see you. Bye for now.