Transcribed by Michelle Kelly.
## Intro
Welcome back to Imperial City. As always, thank you for joining us, and for your support of the show, whether it’s through reviews, buying merch, backing us on Patreon, or just talking about us with your friends! It’s all very much appreciated.
We’ve got lots of announcements this episode, so I’m going to get right into it! First up, you can hear me as a guest player over on the One Shot Podcast, where I joined my friends Paulomi and Meg in a Dragon Age-themed game of Noirlandia. I’d never played Noirlandia before, and it’s a very cool, GM-less mystery solving game that I highly recommend. There will be four episodes total; a link to the first episode in the series is in the show notes.
Next Tuesday, the first episode of our Court of Blades mini series launches! We’ll have an episode coming out every single week from now until the end of June, alternating between The City That Never Dies and Court of Blades. I can’t wait for you to hear the adventures of our House Battalia coterie as they face down all the threats that the city-state of Ilrien can bring to bear.
For today’s episode, I want to give a quick shout out to Sara Mustang, the creator of the Combat Wheelchair for D&D 5E. While obviously the mechanics don’t apply to Blades in the Dark, the concepts were really helpful as I brainstormed how to describe the wheelchair used by the Railjack you’ll meet this episode. If you play D&D, or if you just want to get some ideas for very cool fantasy wheelchairs, go check it out–it’s available for free on her Twitter, which I’ve linked in the show notes.
And finally, thanks to an anonymous gifter, this episode is sponsored by the Deimos Academy Kickstarter, created by Banana Chan, Austin Taylor, and Amanda Kahl. Deimos Academy is a collaborative, GM-less horror RPG in which players use a custom coloring book and paper dolls to tell the story of adults returning to the creepy boarding school they attended together as children. As they explore the different rooms of Deimos Academy, they’ll uncover old memories and confront childhood fears, and will either overcome the grip the academy has on them… or succumb to it forever.
Deimos Academy is already fully funded, so if you back it now, you’re guaranteed to get the game. I’ve watched a stream of the game being played, and it is an incredibly fun and innovative approach to RPGs–the use of coloring books and paper dolls is an absolutely perfect fit for the creepy boarding school genre. You can find a link to the Deimos Academy Kickstarter in the show notes. Thanks again to our anonymous contributor for their gift that allowed us to highlight this awesome game. If you’d like to sponsor an episode of The City That Never Dies, you can do so by visiting our website at clevercorvids.net and clicking on Episode Sponsorship under the Support Us menu.
Next, I’d like to tell you about this month’s featured charity. The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund provides medical care to children in need in the Middle East, especially in Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and other places facing war and refugee crises. The PCRF works both to bring children to hospitals where they can receive care not available in their home countries, as well as to build medical infrastructure locally to ensure that all children are able to be taken care of. You can donate at pcrf.net.
Now then. Let’s get started, shall we?
## Story continues [00.04.21]
Rhi: We open up on the garage. It’s been a couple weeks since the Whisky Jays wrapped up their last score for the Nightcaps, what was presented as a straight-forward job moving some bottles from a glass works that ended up landing them in the middle of a cold war between a couple of feuding gangs. And it’s also been a couple weeks since they paid the last of their debt to the leader of the Nightcaps, Benny Barsotti. In that time, it seems that Benny has been giving the group some space. There were some unpleasant feelings about the score and either Benny is giving you all space or he’s sulking.
So, kind of for lack of other jobs right now, at least official ones from your employers, I think that, you know, you as a group have started putting out feelers to some of your contacts to see if anybody needs anything moved in the city. And on this particular day, we find all four of you at the garage. What’s everybody up to?
Josie: Echo has just finished setting up her new workshop, because a lot of her stuff has been in piles heaped upon toolboxes, just slowly creeping out of her room.
Rhi: [laughs]
Josie: But in the garage, in the far corner, she has been setting everything up nice and neatly, so now there’s some shelves sort of nailed into— I think we technically have exposed cave wall for parts of the garage, so there’s that. Um… so nothing’s quite even or regular, but everything is— but all the parts are stored in their proper place, and there’s stacks of toolboxes all up and all of her big cables are coiled and stacked. And I think she’s in the equivalent of sweat pants and a tank top, neither of which quite fit her, because her whole body, she’s bigger than she used to be. And we can kind of see all the interlocking where her porcelain-like skin, like, skin plates meet each other. And she’s kind of got her hands on her hips, looking proud of herself. Of course, it can’t show on her face. So she’s like:
Josie (as Echo): Yes. Now time to mess it all up again.
Rhi: [laughs] “I’ve organized everything beautifully and now I will move it all around.” This is me after I clean my kitchen.
Josie: Yes. [laughs]
Minna: [laughs] Big mood. Clean the kitchen, immediately wanna cook something.
Rhi: Yup.
Minna: Which will take up half the dishes I own.
Rhi: [laughs]
Kim: Would Echo would have liked any assistance with setting up her side of the cave?
Josie: Oh. Uh… Echo probably wouldn’t have asked for it, but would have accepted it if offered.
Kim: Yeah, because I think what I’m picturing personally, and you can ixnay this if you want, but I really like the idea of Echo getting started just moving boxes around and then Val just kind of like poking their head around the door to be like, “Hey, hey sport, what are you up to?” [laughs] And then just helping you move boxes around and stuff.
Josie: Aww, yeah. I like that. “Are ya winning, my robot daughter?”
[laughter]
Rhi: I’m leaving that in the episode and I am begging our fans for someone to please, please edit that meme to fit.
Josie: [laughs]
Kim: Oh, that’s so good. Yeah, so in that case I think if we’ve just finished up, I think Val is just kinda like gonna smack Echo on the back very gently and be like:
Kim (as Val): Looks good.
Josie: Echo is too sturdy for that to have moved her, but she still starts anyway because she’s not used to it. And just says:
Josie (as Echo): Oh. Um. Thank you. You helped a lot. I’ve been wanting to get it cleaned up.
Kim (as Val): Yeah, don’t mention it.
Josie (as Echo): Are you sure?
Kim (as Val): Yeah.
Josie (as Echo): You’re really nice to me.
Kim (as Val): Why wouldn’t I be?
Josie: She kinda just looks down at her artificial arms like:
Josie (as Echo): I don’t know. All of the Whisky Jays are nice to me. But… I don’t know. I was expecting more screaming from most people. With a hull walking around.
Kim (as Val): [laughs] Don’t kid yourself. Screaming would have ruined my singing voice.
Rhi: [laughs]
Kim: And I think Val’s just gonna walk away. [laughs]
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: [laughs loudly]
Josie: Echo doesn’t have the involuntary response to laugh, but you hear a little bit of a giggle.
Rhi: [laughs] Amazing. How about the other parent-child duo?
Minna: [laughs]
Rhi: What are you two up to?
Aki: Here’s the thing with Darling and HQ. HQ was not built for Darling.
Rhi: [laughs]
Aki: There is nothing for her to do in here. So I think, if anything, she has gone out to get us food and has come back with soup dumplings.
Everyone else: Ooh…
Kim: Yes!
Rhi: Excellent.
Aki: She will take any and every opportunity to leave the HQ. [laughs]
Rhi: [laughs]
Aki: It doesn’t have anything really, bedsides y’all, it doesn’t have anything that interests here. And also, y’all are on like cars and stuff, so she doesn’t wanna bother you while you do your hobby stuff.
Josie: [laughs]
Aki (as Darling): I’ll go get food… and I’ve gotten us the food.
Aki: And Echo can’t eat, so I think if…
Josie: [laughs]
Aki: Can there be a weird version of McDonalds?
Kim: McNordos.
Aki: Could I have gotten Echo a toy?
Josie: Oh!
Minna: [laughs]
Rhi: [pause] I’ll allow it. Yes.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: There’s, yeah. You picked up some kind of…
Aki: It’s gonna be a little gadget. It’s not even that good.
Rhi: I think it’s just a little like, model car… but a very cheap one. Like, plastic isn’t really around at this point, but it’s cheap metal. But it’s cute.
Aki: Mm hmm. So, I come with several bags of soup dumplings and I just go:
Aki (as Darling): Chow’s here! And Echo?
Josie (as Echo): Hmm?
Aki: I rumble around my pocket and I just go:
Aki (as Darling): For you. The Hot Wheels.
Rhi: [laughs loudly]
Kim: [laughs]
Josie: Echo takes it gently and is not sure what to make of it at first, but then starts running it on the table and looks pleased with herself.
Rhi: [laughs]
Kim: Oh my god, like a little Tech Deck.
[laughter]
Aki: Yeah, I was gonna say, Echo would, that would be the— and I was like “Aw, we can’t call it a Hot Wheels, can we call it a Cool Tires?”
Josie: [laughs] Cool Tires! Yes.
Aki: Beat that!
Rhi: [laughs] Wow. What’s Arlene been up to prior to Darling showing up with food?
Minna: I’m trying to think what a good hobby— because we have that conversation about how she picks up a bunch of new hobbies.
Rhi: Oh yeah. What she’s trying out right now?
Minna: I feel like just because it’s one that I know about, knitting. So she’s like, chilling on the floor behind the couch for some reason, like, currently trying to figure out what’s gone wrong and why this row looks completely wrong and has the wrong number of stitches.
Rhi: [giggles] I love it. You all settle in in the makeshift living room area you’ve put together with some scavenged couches and chairs and rugs, and as you’re digging into the food, the phone rings.
Kim: I’ll go get it.
Rhi: Okay. So Val answers and you hear on the other end of the line is a:
Rhi (as Caller): Oh hey Val, it’s Raine.
Kim (as Val): Ah, Raine, what can we do for ya?
Rhi As Raine): Well, it’s a little bit more what I can do for you. Heard y’all were looking for a job?
Kim (as Val): Uh, we were, yeah.
Rhi: Yeah. Um, where would be a good spot to meet?
Kim: Where would a good spot be for us to meet, Game Master? [laughs]
Rhi: I dunno. Just make up…
Kim: I don’t know the setting yet. We made a new map and everything!
Josie: We can make something up.
Rhi: Make it up, yeah. You can invent something.
Josie: Yeah. We can speak it into being.
Kim: Uh… uh… uh… it’s too much pressure. [laughs]
Josie: Uh, say the local park or something.
Kim: Alright, uh…
Kim (as Val): How about Madison Park? Can you meet us there?
Rhi (as Raine): Uh, yeah. Wanna say in like two hours or so?
Kim (as Val): Perfect.
Rhi (as Raine): Alright. I’ll hang out by the base of that big weird statue that they’ve got in the middle.
Kim: We’ll be there.
Rhi (as Raine): Alright.
Rhi: So.
Minna: We’re gonna have to describe this statue, aren’t we?
Josie: Yeah.
Rhi: Oh 100%. I’m making you all do it.
Minna: [laughs]
Kim: Can it be Kevin?
Aki: Can I do it?
Kim: Can the statue be Kevin?
Josie: [laughs]
Minna: Oh my God!
Rhi: No.
Kim: Why not?
Rhi: [laughs] Because that’s— that’s not weird. Kevin was just a classical statue.
Josie: That we renamed to Kevin. [laughs]
Rhi: So yeah, um, you all finish eating. The food is delicious. The Cool Tires toy very fun. And then you can head out to your local park. And to the aforementioned weird statue. Tell me about the weird statue. Aki, it sounded like you had—[laughs] ideas.
Aki: Alright. It’s a dude. It’s a dude in a suit. It’s a dude in a suit with a fedora hat on top of his head. And he’s holding onto the hat so the hat doesn’t blow off and it is just— it’s meant to represent your regular workers, you know? It was like, giving back to the people. And the only reason why the people still like this statue is because if you go around it, it has the fattest cheeks that you’ve ever seen.
Josie: [laughs]
Minna: [laughs]
Aki: It’s called Workin’ Boy.
Minna: [laughs]
Aki: Workin’ Lad maybe. Work…
Josie: I don’t have anything to add to that, I’m sorry. [laughs]
Rhi: I have one— okay, so—
Kim: It’s giving Mothman energy.
Minna: Yeah. [laughs]
Aki: That’s the point. Yeah, no, that’s the point. Every time there is like, “Oh, describe the statue”, I will grab Mothman by the cheeks and put him into the setting.
Rhi: [laughs] Great.
Aki: This is the third statue I’ve done.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: This is incredible. I appreciate your commitment. The only thing that I’m gonna add is that it is a bronze statue and the cheeks are just, so shiny.
Aki: Yes.
Minna: [laughs]
Aki: This is 100% what the rich people thought, “Oh, the poor will love it. A statue in their honor!” Yeah. And the artist who was hired was like, totally used their own their own lover as the model.
Rhi: [laughs] Good for them.
Aki: Mm hmm.
Josie: I think this is something that if there is functioning municipal services here, they have to clean off— there’s never any graffiti on it, but on the little walkway around it there’s tons of jokes about it. All the time. And they have to keep getting washed off. [laughs]
Rhi: Yeah.
Josie: But no one wants to mess with the Workin’ Boy.
Minna: Is it Working Lad or Working Boy? I need clarity in my notes.
Kim: Oh, Working Lad is kind of better.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: I do, yeah, Working Lad.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: I love RPGs so much, you guys.
[laughter]
Minna: Me too.
Rhi: [laughs] [deep breath] Okay. So you all approach the Workin’ Lad.
Minna: [laughs]
Rhi: And Raine is sitting in her wheelchair behind the statue, just kind of staring up at it contemplatively, as one does, you know. Just, sometimes you just gotta stop and take it all in.
Kim: At which angle is she looking at it?
Minna: [laughs]
Rhi: She’s sitting behind the statue.
Kim: As she should.
Rhi: She’s looking— she’s looking at the important part.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: But she will look down and wave at you and wheel over when she spots you and is like:
Rhi (as Raine): Hey ya’ll. Thanks for coming over on such short notice. You wanna find a place where we can all sit and talk?
Kim (as Val): Sure.
Rhi (as Raine): This is just very distracting to be around.
Kim (as Val): Yeah, yeah it’s, you know, public art and its assets are uh, you know, it’s meant to be enriching, but I can agree that is would be a detriment to our conversation. So.
Rhi (as Raine): Also there’s a group of teenagers who have been waiting desperately for me to leave so they can put down some graffiti and I don’t wanna keep—
Kim (as Val): Oh gods, let’s go.
[laughter]
Josie: But he’s working so hard. He works hard day and night.
Rhi: So, you all move away from the statue down kind of a side path of this park to find a couple benches and Raine will park her wheelchair and then move over to, walk over to join you al on the benches. Is like:
Rhi (as Raine): I heard that you all were looking for some work that would pay quite well.
Josie (as Echo): Always.
Rhi (as Raine): I’ve gotten a line on a shipment coming in on a train in a couple days that if you can get your hands on it will be pretty valuable to the right fence. And lucky for you, I know the right fence.
Kim (as Val): Well, what kinda payday we talking about here?
Rhi (as Raine): So it’s a shipment of some— I’m not exactly sure what it is, but it’s a shipment coming in from Athanock Industries.
Rhi: And most of you may not recognize that name, but Echo, you know that one.
Josie: Ooh.
Rhi: Anthanock is a very specialized company in Duskwall that produces— it’s alchemy and fine machinery, essentially. You know, the kind of stuff that if you’re like, a very wealthy inventor or engineer, you would be getting stuff from them. Very expensive. Very valuable.
Josie (as Echo): Oh. That is some high-quality equipment.
Rhi (as Raine): Mm hmm. Few crates coming in on a train in a couple days and if you can get your hands on them, I know a fence who can pay a good price for them. All I’m looking for is a 15% finder’s fee.
Kim (as Val): Sounds fair enough.
Rhi (as Raine): If you’re all interested, I can give you a little more detail about it. It’s a mixed train, passengers and cargo. It’ll be coming in, first stop will be up at the Ironworks and then stopping again at Robelston. My understanding is that there is an armored truck picking it up at Robelston, so nabbing it once moved off the train is gonna be tough. Securing it while you’re on the train might go a little bit better.
Josie (as Echo): A train robbery.
Rhi (as Raine): Getting on and getting off the train is gonna be kind of tricky. I mean, moving along the— the whole thing’s gonna be kinda tricky, but I believe in you. And I’ll assist as much as I can without, you know, jeopardizing my job. Can get you onto the rooftops if you need to move outside of things for a little bit.
Minna (as Arlene): Couple questions.
Rhi (as Raine): Yeah?
Minna (as Arlene): Where’s it coming from before Imperial City?
Rhi (as Raine): Uh, I mean, it’s just doing to Akorosi circuit, so it’ll have been coming, you know, from Duskwall, Wintercliff, Cloudspire, South Point. Just one that makes the loop around the continent.
Minna (as Arlene): Are there, like, stations outside the city that we could get on at, basically?
Rhi (as Raine): Eh, not unless you head down the South Point.
Minna (as Arlene): So we’re probably not gonna get on from a passenger station.
Rhi (as Raine): No. And I mean, the train is— let’s see, it’s gonna be here in a couple days. Yeah, it’s probably at South Point right now.
Josie (as Echo): So it sounds like we have between Ironworks and Robelston to get it done.
Rhi: Points at Echo, is like:
Rhi (as Raine): Got it in one.
Minna (as Arlene): You know what times it’s scheduled to be at those stops?
Rhi (as Raine): Yes, I do. Although, you know, there can always be delays.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: And, you know, she can give you kinda the schedule of when it’s supposed to arrive. The thing that you note is that it’s like, you know, it arrives at Ironworks at like, you know, noon, but then doesn’t get to Robelston for another four hours, three or four hours. That’s because it has to unload a lot of stuff at the Ironworks. So there’s gonna be a section of time where the train’s just sitting at the Ironworks.
Minna: Hmm.
Rhi: And then similarly, she says it’s gonna be sitting at Robelston for a time because you have to have the passengers disembark, do cleaning, restock, refuel and then have the next group of passengers re-embark. So really, the train’s only gonna be in motion for like, half an hour when it’s going across the bay. But yeah, you need to have the stuff and exit before you hit Robelston.
Rhi (as Raine): If you can clear it all while you’re up at Ironworks, that’d be ideal, but I mean, that’s also real close to Fort Koster, so maybe you wanna wait until you’re a little bit further away from the military before you abscond with stolen cargo.
Kim (as Val): Yeah, I think that’d probably be the right idea. Don’t wanna run into the military.
Rhi (as Raine): No, no. They, um, they’re very serious about the law in a way that the Bluecoats are not, in turns out.
Kim (as Val): Who woulda thought? Alright.
Josie (as Echo): Thank you.
Rhi (as Raine): Yeah. Happy to help. The railroad owners have been starting bring in union busters, so fuck ‘em.
Kim (as Val): Stick it to the man. I like it.
Rhi: [laughs]
Rhi (as Raine): Well as you’re figuring out a plan, if there’s any other info you need just let me know. I’ll get you what I can, but…
Rhi: I think she’s given you like a brochure that basically has the times and everything circled of like, this is when it will be arriving here and here and all of that. So she’ll hand that over and move over back to her chair and is just like:
Rhi (as Raine): Yeah, if you need anything else from me, let me know, but in the meantime I’m gonna be on my way.
Kim (as Val): Alright.
Rhi (as Raine): See what those kids left on the sidewalk.
Kim (as Val): See you around, Raincloud.
Rhi: Rolls her eyes and wheels away.
[laughter]
Kim: Listen, Val gives everyone nicknames.
Rhi: I know. [laughs]
Kim: Raincloud just works.
Josie: It’s adorable.
Aki: Wait, then what’s our nicknames?
Kim: Darling is Dar, Arlene is Girly and Echo is Doll.
Aki: That’s so cute.
Minna: I love Doll for Echo.
Josie: Yeah. She has feelings about it, but when Val says it, it’s nice.
Rhi: [laughs] Okay, so is there any info that you all wish to gather?
Josie: I wanna figure out our exit strategy here.
Rhi: Good call.
Josie: Because like, is the Ironworks/Fort Koster station the only ones it will stop at? I think so, right?
Rhi: Yeah. Within the city limits, yes.
Minna: We could force a stop between there.
Rhi: Yes. So let me— I’ll give you a little information about how this score is gonna be structured. Basically, you’re gonna have an 8-tick clock running in the background, and each tick is roughly equivalent to an hour. And so it’s like when it hits a certain point on the clock, it will leave the Ironworks station, when it hits a certain point on the clock it’ll reach Robelston, and then when it fills, it’s leaving Robelston and the city. [laughs] Yeah, those are the only two stops. When I was initially thinking about this I thought there was a lot more train track in the city and then I looked at the map and I was like, “Oh no.”
Josie: Nope.
Rhi: “I’ve made this complicated for myself.” Well, I haven’t made it complicated for myself. I’ve made it complicated for all of you. [laughs]
Minna: It goes through Bayrise before it reaches Robelston, and I wonder if we could, like, do something to the tracks that forces it to stop.
Aki: I can’t believe all of my train knowledge is about to fucking come in handy.
Minna: [laughs]
Rhi: Hell yes.
Aki: So if you want to force a stop, there are so many ways to do it.
Minna: [laughs] Yes!
Aki: Yeah.
Josie: I like that you know this.
Kim: Please enlighten us, Aki.
Rhi: Aki, can I— can I ask real quick why you have a lot of train knowledge?
Aki: My father works for Toronto’s transit and has been working since before me, technically. So he complains a lot about the trains.
Rhi: Ah…
Aki: Yes.
Rhi: Tell us, how do you stop a train?
Aki: Have a person go in front of it couple stations down. That’s enough.
Rhi: [laughs] Yeah, okay—
Aki: They will stop the whole system, and this person has to be very unwilling to leave. They will stop the whole system, it will delay you and piss people off and that’s it. You just need one person to stand in front of the tracks and make enough noise.
Minna: [laughs]
Rhi: [laughs] Yeah I’m— the first thing you said I was like, oh, yeah. The number of times that I’ve had the L here in Chicago get held up because there’s a person on the tracks. An ‘unauthorized person on the tracks’ is the announcement. I was like, no, yeah, that makes sense.
Aki: That is actively the easiest way to do it actually, because anyone can do it. And I was like, well, if union busters are coming in, we could ask Raine, hey, you wanna just have a protest on the tracks for us?
Kim: [gasps] Yeah!
Rhi: Oh God.
Minna: Yes!
Josie: [laughs]
Aki: It causes enough disturbance in the force, it stops the whole train and it does exactly what more active protestors want, fucks everyone’s day up so that way the higher-ups get blamed.
Minna: Also, they won’t be immediately suspicious that this is for a heist, because there’s a reason for someone to be on the tracks.
Kim: Yeah, right.
Aki: Yeah. Um, and then—
Kim: This is brilliant, yeah.
Josie: Yeah.
Aki: The second option, which also works and in my opinion works as a back-up plan regardless, is you call for help in the middle of the train. A medical emergency. And then like five conductors that are just stationed within the train will be like, “Who pulled it? Who pulled it?” with like, [laughs] first aid kits that stick on the side just in case. So it’s like, “We have— we’re here to handle anything!” They’re not. They’re very hyped up and scared most of the time. [laughs]
Kim: Mm, poor things.
Aki: Cause now you can pull it for anything.
Rhi: I really— I was, when I was thinking about this I was like, oh yeah, stopping the train in some way will give you, like, basically kind of undue ticks on this clock. And when I was thinking about it I was like, oh man, we’re gonna have to do some like, dramatic, you know, machinery things. But no, social engineering.
Josie: Perfect.
Rhi: [laughs]
Aki: Yeah.
Rhi: So much easier.
Minna: Well, there’s only— its not like a vehicle, there’s only one line it can go on. If you do something to do the line, it stops.
Aki: You can do a lot of stuff, yeah.
Rhi: I really like the protest on the tracks. That’s really good.
Minna: Very good.
Kim: Yeah.
Aki: It makes the most sense and I think it’s the easiest to do, with the pulling the emergency button as a back-up regardless.
Minna: I have a banked Acquire Asset and I almost wanna acquire a poison to fake make a medical emergency happen. [laughs]
Rhi: Oh my God. [laughs]
Kim: That’s malicious, I love it.
Josie: Echo wants to go learn how trains work. Mechanically and schedule-wise.
Rhi: Okay.
Josie: Just in case.
Rhi: Yeah. How would you like to go about doing that?
Josie: I just wanna go to a library, I think.
Rhi: Okay.
Josie: Probably a university one for like, engineering textbooks and stuff. Figure out how the trains work.
Rhi: You’ve got a fake ID for one of the….
Josie: Yes.
Rhi: Which one?
Josie: It’s for the alchemical institute, so probably not that one.
Rhi: Let me look at our worldbuilding notes. Uh, yeah, you would probably— the Institution of Sparkwrights is probably the one where you would get more of that info.
Josie: Right.
Rhi: So you’re gonna have to get another fake ID. [laughs]
Josie: I mean, I could, or I could just try and bluff my way in.
Rhi: Also that.
Josie: Because I don’t wanna make a whole separate score out of this. [laughs]
Rhi: Well, last time you just paid a coin and got a forged ID.
Josie: Oh, okay.
Rhi: And I’d be fine with you doing that again.
Josie: In that case, I’ll just pay a coin and get another forged ID. [laughs]
Rhi: Yeah, just go back to the same forger and be like, “Hi, I need one for the other school now.”
Josie: Cool. I’ll mark that down. [laughs]
Rhi: Yeah. How did— I think we did a roll for that last time, so let me roll to see what quality of fake ID you get. Okay, it’s a 4, so I think that’s the same as the other one where it’s good, it’ll pass the quick, cursory glance the person at the front desk of the library will give it, but if anybody ever examines it closely, they’ll be able to tell it’s a fake. So congratulations, you now have fake student IDs for both the Institute and the Institution.
Kim: Now give us your JSTOR login.
Josie: Whew. [laughs]
Rhi: [laughs]
Josie: Goddammit. So, I think this would be like a Study?
Rhi: Yeah.
Josie: [rolls dice] I got a 2.
Kim: Oh no1
Rhi: Oof, okay. I think what happens is that, like, Echo had gone in with the intent of getting like, broad understanding of how trains work and ended up just going on, like, falling down a rabbit hole of like, the invention and evolution of one small piece of a train. [laughs] Like, one aspect of the train’s machinery Echo was just like, “Oh my God this is so cool,” and effectively spends six hours just clicking through articles on Wikipedia. Except it’s just looking and being like, “Ooh, this book cites this one, let me go find that.”
Josie: I got wiki-holed.
Rhi: Yep!
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: There’s one piece of the train that you know a lot about. [laughs]
Josie: Excellent.
Rhi: And we’ll leave that piece vague in the event that it becomes important. But otherwise you just, like, I think the librarian comes over and is like, “We’re closing down, you’re gonna have to go,” and you’re just like, “Oh no.” [laughs] I did not get 90% of the information.
Josie: Whoops. [laughs] I’ll just wing it. They don’t have to know.
Rhi: Does anybody else wanna Gather Info?
Kim: I do. I think— so we kinda have our exit strategy figured out. I wanna try and figure out our boarding method, how we’re gonna be able to get onto this train without arousing suspicion.
Rhi: Yeah.
Kim: And I’m not sure the best way to go about figuring that out.
Rhi: Yeah. So, there’s a kinda the, like, cargo industrial station is the first stop within the lightning barrier and that basically is like anything that is going into or out of the Ironworks moves through there. And then, you know, if there’s any military stuff, because Fort Koster is right there as well. The Ironworks is very accessible in terms of a district. Fort Koster is a lot more difficult, and technically the station is within Fort Koster. So you’d have to do some work to kind of get in there— but that’s more or less what you could do, is figure out how do we get into the Fort Koster zone.
Kim: Right. Okay. Um… do you think that there are like, any friendly criminal workings in that area that I could talk to, to be like, “Hey, how do you normally get on the train?” and just borrow from their ideas. And just make a Consort roll out of it?
Rhi: You could try to hit up, um… I think they’re the Queen’s Guard, the Sever— not Severosi, the Skovlan gang, because they operate mostly in the Ironworks.
Kim: Yeah. Yeah, and they might know something about the trains.
Rhi: Yeah. Lemme make sure that I actually have the right name for them.
Kim: I wouldn’t know, I don’t remember shit.
Minna: Queen’s Guard is a gang that exists.
Rhi: Yes, the Queen’s Guard is the Skovlan mafia and revolutionaries, engaged in a wide variety of criminal activity, most of it funneling weapons and money to the rebellion in Skovlan. So yeah, you could see about making contact with somebody in the Queen’s guard. Cause they’re engaged in a lot of crime, but they do some smuggling and they mostly operate in the Ironworks, so they probably have some ideas.
Kim: Yeah. I’ll make a Consort roll for this. [rolls dice] Okay, that’s a 6.
Rhi: Damn.
Kim: It was a 3 and a 6.
Rhi: Alright, so it doesn’t take you very long. You kinda ask around in sort of the speakeasy performing scene and get connected to a woman named Nina who, I think, is of a similar age to you, Val.
Kim: Oh.
Rhi: Yeah, you know late 50s, early 60s, Skovlan. Blonde hair that’s mostly gone grey at this point and light skin. Has a few, like, what look like, um, shrapnel scars kind of on her chin. Yeah, so the information you’re looking for specifically is how do we get onto the train?
Kim: Yeah.
Rhi: So let’s see… how would they get onto the train? I don’t have an answer here.
Kim: See, the good thing about Uncharted, like, informing a lot of my formative years, we could just have it be that, like, we borrow a car and then drive it right up against the train and then just hop on, literally.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: Hmm…
Minna: Alternately, I was gonna suggest that maybe if we can get on pretending to be people unloading cargo and then, you know, do a quick change and disappear as soon as we’re inside.
Rhi: Yeah, that’s probably more what they do. So, what Nina can tell you is that the weak point in security is when the trains come in to unload the cargo, because there’s just so many people moving around, moving around very quickly. So, if you, you know, are dressed appropriately— there’s not really a uniform, it’s just you need to look like you rolled in from the Ironworks and walk with purpose. Um, [laughs] she kinda laughs and is like:
Rhi (as Nina): It’s incredible how much you can get past those soldiers up there if you just, you know, walk like you know what you’re doing, you’re meant to be there. Clipboard. Highly recommend a clipboard.
Minna: [laughs]
Kim (as Val): That is smart. That’s very smart. I actually have not incorporated a clipboard into any of my grifts yet. I will definitely do that. Thank you.
Rhi (as Nina): It is incredible how much people do not ask you questions if you have a clipboard. Yeah, just there is so much happening when they’re unloading the cargo that that’s the point when it’s easiest to get your own things, or your own people, if you need to, onto the train. It can be done, you just, you know, need to have a plan for laying low once you’re on board.
Kim (as Val): I think we can manage that.
Rhi: Alright.
Kim (as Val): You uh… you wanna get a drink?
Rhi (as Nina): Sure!
Kim (as Val): Great, it’s on me.
Rhi: [laughs]
Aki: Go get your MILF.
Kim: I’m gonna get that MILF!
Josie: [laughs]
Kim: Babyyy!
Rhi: God speed.
Kim: [laughs]
Rhi: So, um, you’ve got some info on how to get into the Ironworks train station. Is there any other information that folks would like to gather before we get into the score?
Aki: Yes.
Rhi: Whatcha got?
Aki: It’s the union time.
Rhi: Okay, yeah.
Aki: Because I’m pretty sure we liked that idea of having angry rail work— rail workers, yes, just kind of help us out here.
Rhi: Mm hmm.
Aki: Um, and so we have well established that not only did Darling not know what a union was, but has also recently found out about it. And so, I think she’s a lot more curious about it now and has read up on a brochure about what a union is and why they are good and important to have. And that has been, like, that has been— that brochure is, like, used. She has been reading that shit back to front to front to back, because that is new information for her. [laughs] And it is like, revolutionary. And so, I think she might call Raine and be like, and talk about it with Raine.
Rhi: Yeah. Um, yeah, go ahead and give me a roll. This sounds like probably Consort.
Minna: Mm hmm.
Rhi: And we’ll see what kind of— this is almost less Gathering Info as like, you’re kind of setting up the, basically it’ll work the same mechanically, it’ll just, how well you roll will determine how effective this protest is at stopping the train. So yeah, go ahead and roll Consort.
Aki: That is a 5.
Rhi: 5, okay. So, um, yeah. I think Raine, like, as soon as you kinda mention this idea of like, [laughs] read up on the history of unions and saw that there was a lot of protests, like, “Is this something we could do?”
Aki (as Darling): Could you organize your movement and move them to the rail tracks?
Rhi (as Raine): Oh… that’s actually… that’s a pretty good idea.
Aki (as Darling): Mm hmm. Mm hmm.
Rhi (as Raine): Yeah, we might be able to do that. Yeah. I could probably get some people together. I wouldn’t be able to be there because I’m actually working. I’ll be getting on the train at Ironworks then doing a loop with it. But yeah, I can get some folks together, I think.
Aki (as Darling): Oh, you’re working. Oh, well it’s not like it will— shouldn’t end viciously. I have no idea how these things work.
Rhi (as Raine): Well, these days, a lot of the, you know, public is on our side, so the powers that be can’t just billy clubs and guns the way they used to. You know, all the railway staff pretty much have their own unions, too, so they’re not gonna— the guy driving the train is just as much of a union person as all of the folks out on the tracks, so he’s not gonna, you know, drive through them or anything. He’ll stop.
Aki (as Darling): Oh… that makes a lot more sense.
Rhi (as Raine): Yeah. There’s a lot of different unions, but there’s sort of a solidarity amongst all those different unions, because we’re all working for the same overall goal, you know? We want better pay, better treatment from whoever we’re working for.
Aki (as Darling): You should use the Working Lad statue as your mascot.
Rhi (as Raine): [hesitates] You know, I’ll bring it up at the next meeting.
Rhi: [laughs] Cut to Raine who is sitting there visibly trying not to start laughing. Cause Darling is so earnest.
Minna: [laughs]
Aki: Yeah, I think it’s very obvious that Darling has absolutely, like, Darling recently learned of the union.
Rhi: Yeah.
Aki: And like, you can do these things. Protesting is a thing. [laughs]
Rhi: So yes, Raine is gonna be able to organize some folks to protest on the tracks around the area. You said, like, somwhere in Bayrise. She’s like:
Rhi (as Raine): I’ll see what I can do in terms of getting people in the right place.
Rhi: But she’s on board with this plan and I think she might, like— God. No, you brought up the Workin’ Lad statue, she’s not gonna invite you to the next meeting. Maybe a future meeting. [laughs]
Aki: [laughs] That’s fine, I don’t know enough, okay? But like, is Darling 100% behind this now? Yes.
Rhi: [laughs] Um…
Aki: I have a new obligation to donate to.
Rhi: [laughs] Yeah, donate to them strike funds! Donate to strike funds, everybody.
Kim: And mutual bail funds.
Rhi: Okay, so we’ve got the protest on the tracks arranged. Anything else that y’all wanna do before we get into things?
Josie: I wanna get on the train!
Rhi: Alright.
Kim: Choo choo, motherfuckers.
Rhi: Let’s get on the train. Um, okay. What kind of score do we think this is in terms of… I feel like this is almost a deception score in terms of how you’re getting on the train. Because you are manipulating— you’re not sneaking, you’re using social manipulating to just waltz on in.
Josie: Yeah.
Rhi: Okay, so deception and then the detail is clipboards, walk around like you know what you’re doing, get on the train, don’t leave the train. What do you all wanna do for loadout?
Kim: Um, normal.
Josie: Same.
Minna: Yeah, normal.
Aki: Normal doesn’t stick out as much, right?
Minna: Oh—
Rhi: Correct, yeah.
Minna: I never acquired my asset.
Rhi: Oh yeah.
Josie: Womp womp.
Rhi: Yes, you can have done that.
Minna: Uh, don’t we need to make a roll of some sort?
Rhi: Oh yeah, you’re right.
Minna: To see the Tier?
Rhi: Yeah, okay. So, you all are Tier 0. So you’re gonna roll 2d6 and take the lower.
Minna: Well, that’s a 2. [laughs]
Rhi: Okay, so on that roll you can’t— you like, wouldn’t be able to acquire it, but you can spend money to raise the result.
Minna: How much would I need to spend to raise it?
Rhi: You could get like, so if you spend one coin, you’ll get a Tier 0 poison, which is gonna be, eh… not— you know, questionably effective. Not—
Minna: Can I spend two for Tier I?
Rhi: Yes.
Minna: I will do that, then.
Rhi: Yeah. Two coin gets you Tier I poison, which, it’s pretty good. It’s not the kinda stuff you had access to before.
Minna: Yeah. She doesn’t expect to have that. She doesn’t have the budget anymore, she can’t write it off. [laughs]
Rhi: Yeah. But yeah, you’ve— you’re able to acquire a dose of a pretty good poison. It’s—the amount that you have shouldn’t kill anybody. It’ll just make them very sick. So, that out of the way. You’ve got poison, you’ve got a plan, we’ve got gear. Let’s do our engagement roll. One for luck. “Is this operation particularly bold or daring?”
Aki: Yes, cause it’s a train heist.
Minna: Yeah. This is pretty dang bold.
Rhi: Yeah, train heists, inherently daring. “Is this operation overly complex or contingent on many factors?” I don’t think so, I think you all have a pretty straightforward plan here. “Plan’s detail expose a vulnerability of the target?” Yes, this is something that’s been a confirmed vulnerability. “Are they strongest—” Nope. Friends or contacts have provided aid and insight. No enemies or rivals are interfering. These folks are a higher Tier than you, so I’m gonna drop one die. So this is gonna be a 3d6 engagement roll.
Kim: Not bad, not bad.
Rhi: Alright, that is a 5.
Kim: Dope.
Rhi: So, we see the Ironworks rail station, which is just this very, like, industrial kinda constantly grimy and soot-stained looking place. There’s a couple large cranes, there’s a lot of sort of smaller tracks with flatbed cars essentially to move cargo as it’s loaded and unloaded off of the trains. It’s very close to the lightning barrier here, because the Ironworks is a little bit lower down, but the train itself, the train tracks come up along the promontory where Fort Koster sits. So, there’s this kind of crackle and flashing of lightning as the train passes through the lightning barrier and comes into the city and the train maneuvers through the railyard and slows to a stop. And you see, you know, workers starting to rush around. Machinery and vehicles moving into action. And we see, from behind, the four Whisky Jays as they begin to approach this scene. And then we flash back to the garage, which is covered in clothes. What is Darling’s idea of how everybody should be dressed for this?
Aki: Good lord, it’s my time.
[laughter]
Aki: Okay, so I think while on the phone with Raine, she asked:
Aki (as Darling): What does your wardrobe look like?
Minna: [laughs]
Rhi: Raine visibly goes— Raine doesn’t say anything, but it’s like an audible, “Dot dot dot…” [laughs]
Aki: I don’t even think Darling’s aware.
Minna: That’s just how Darling talks, is the thing.
Rhi: After a couple more questions on Raine’s end to figure out why the hell Darling is asking this, will explain that it’s mostly, like, work boots, beat-up overalls, you know, long-sleeved shirts. Some people will do study work pants and a belt or suspenders. You wanna keep your hair back, so you’re gonna have a hat or bandana or wear it short. Most people wear gloves for hand protection. So yeah, kinda gives you an idea of what would be appropriate.
Aki: And Darling goes:
Aki (as Darling): Oh no, I also would protest that. Thank you.
Rhi (as Raine): … that’s not… we…
Aki (as Darling): No, no, I’m joking. That was— I was pulling one’s chain, you know?
Rhi: [laughs]
Rhi (as Raine): Okay.
Aki (as Darling): You don’t have a tail, or else I’d say tail.
Rhi (as Raine): I’m gonna let you go now, Darling.
Aki: [laughs] And now the clothes are all out. They are everyone’s clothes, I think. I think at some point in time she just snooped through everyone’s stuff to be like, okay, what can we all wear. And so, the pile of clothes in HQ is from everyone.
Kim (as Val): How did you get into my apartment?
Rhi: [laughs]
Aki (as Darling): Don’t ask questions you don’t want to know the answers to…
Rhi: Cut to Pearl [laughs] Pearl phasing through the wall, just comes back with a mouthful of clothes.
Kim: Oh my God, yes.
Aki: And that’s literally it, that’s literally it. Darling’s waiting out by the door, waiting for Pearl.
Rhi: [laughs] God.
Aki: So yes.
Kim (as Val): You know, some of these clothes are for the stage. They’re not work clothes.
Aki (as Darling): True, but you know, you just… you just wear something, but like… hmm. Oh my gosh. I think we all just have to dress like Echo.
Kim: What’s wrong with that?
Josie (as Echo): Ha ha. Revenge.
[laughter]
Rhi: [laughs] So I think we cut back and pan around to the Whisky Jays. How has Echo made sure everyone is dressed?
Josie: Um, well, I think Echo is very much about, like, keeping things very efficient and clean. Like, wearing clothes so you don’t get caught in stuff. Which is very much what this area is about. So, a lot of it is slim, dark work pants. If the shirts are light, they are not gonna stay light for very long, so I imagine it’s like, kind of tannish or greyish. Probably suspenders. And she has all of hers rolled all the way down and still wears her gloves. And probably wears a bandana as well, and encourages other people to wear one as well to keep their hair back. At least for Darling, because… uh, cause Darling has a lot of hair, last I checked.
Aki: Yes, yes, she has one of the most, I think, because I think Val and Echo— not Echo, Val and Arlene both have short hair and then Echo’s is usually always tied back?
Kim: Yeah.
Minna: I think Arlene is wearing a bandana though, just to keep her hair out of her face.
Rhi: Yeah.
Kim: I think Val is wearing a bandana, but not as a hair accessory. I think they are wearing it as, like, a little scarf.
Josie: Aww!
Rhi: Nice. How is Darling coping with this beige-ish shirt?
Aki: So, her hair is up, which means y’all can see her ears. And they droop, they droop hard.
Minna: Aww…
Aki: They are hard and heavy and she’s like:
Aki (as Darling): I don’t like these colors…
Rhi: [laughs] Aw, she’s so sad. I do wanna ask. Large tigers. Generally not part of a work crew in this part of town, or any part of town.
Aki: Yes.
Rhi: Or any town. What’s your plan for Pearl here?
Aki: Hmm. Hmm…
Josie: Good question.
Aki: That’s a very good question.
Josie: Honestly, this might be a Pearl-less mission.
Aki: Nooo! [laughs]
Rhi: Yeah, I mean, so technically per the rules, you don’t have to explain how your pet appears on the scene. But I think that if you want, we can leave it kinda vague now, and if you want Pearl to appear, we can address that when it happens. But it’s going to be more difficult to get— like, there may have to be a flashback that you pay stress for to get Pearl on here.
Aki: Will I take stress if I’m away from her?
Rhi: No. No, like, if you leave her at home for this score, if she just doesn’t show up for the course of the score it’s fine. She’ll just be at home. She’ll be sad that’s she’s been abandoned, but she’ll get over it.
Aki: Mm hmm. My only other thought was that she is waiting for us near the Bayrise area.
Rhi: Oh God, you just—[laughs]
Aki: I just parked my tiger, yes.
Minna: [laughs]
Rhi: You parked the car, you parked the Drake and left Pearl in there. Somebody comes over and is like, “Let’s steal tha— never mind. We’re not. We’re not taking this car. We’re not. Never mind.” Okay, you know what? Sure. Pearl is in the Drake. [laughs]
Aki: Pearl’s in the Drake, and I have no idea how Val and Echo feel about food in the car, but there is now food in the car for Pearl.
Kim: [cringes]
Rhi: [laughs]
Kim: I don’t think Val is a fan of food in the car.
Josie: Nope [laughs]
Aki: Too bad. Food in the car, in the driver’s seat. That’s what’s happening.
Kim: Nooo…
Josie: No! Absolutely not. [laughs] No, no, no.
Kim: Val’s gonna be so mad at you.
Aki: You guys don’t know. [laughs]
Kim: Oh, Val will know. Val will know.
Aki: After. When you take a sit.
Rhi and Minna: [laughs]
Rhi: Oh my God, okay.
Kim (as Val): Who the fuck was eating gummy bears in the driver’s seat?!
Minna: It’s not gonna be gummy bears, it’s probably juicy, juicy meat. [laughs]
Rhi: Okay. Jesus Christ. So, you all head for the train. Which one of you has the clipboard that was recommended, by the way?
Kim: Me. I call dibs.
Rhi: Okay. Val’s got a clipboard, you grab some pushcarts and things and start heading over. You walk with confidence, you look like you’re supposed to be there. Everything is going great. As you’re heading for the train, somebody else with a clipboard jogs over and kind of waves at you and is like:
Rhi (as Clipboard Worker): Hey, we need a crew on a couple of the trucks to start moving some of this stuff. Can I grab the four of you for that?
Kim (as Val): Uh, actually, we’re uh, we’re with the inspection team. We’re here for a routine inspection.
Josie: [laughs] Goddammit.
Rhi: Give me a roll.
Kim: Oof. Um, yeah, that is a straight-up Sway.
Rhi: Mm hmm.
Kim: Let’s see… do—
Rhi: Risky, standard.
Kim: Mm hmm. [rolls dice]
Aki: Would you like help with that?
Kim: Too late, I already made the roll. And the result is a 3, unfortunately.
Minna: Oh no.
Kim: The other die came up as a 1, so this was never gonna work out.
Rhi: So, this person frowns at you and is like:
Rhi (as Clipboard Worker): Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Sure.
Rhi: And hustles off. And you all keep walking towards the train, but you glance back and you see this person talking to a couple of soldiers who are stationed nearby.
Kim: Ah, fuck.
Rhi: And pointing right at you.
Kim: No… this is the opposite of what we wanted.
Rhi: Yep. So, you have garnered some attention and now need to slip away into the train car.
Josie: okay.
Rhi: To avoid arrest.
Josie: Mm…
Aki: Flirt with guards?
Josie: [laughs]
Minna: [laughs]
Josie: I’m not certain that’s gonna work.
Kim: We could bribe them?
Minna: I mean, we could try prowling about it, just to see what happens.
Josie: Yeah. I kinda wanna see if there’s anything really big they’re loading onto the train and we like, let’s slip behind there and by the time that person passes, we’re gone.
Minna: Yeah, I love that.
Josie: [laughs]
Minna: We could do a group Prowl?
Josie: Yeah, sounds like.
Aki: A group Prowl, you say?
Josie: Mm hmm.
Minna: I mean, I’ve already taken two stress, but— I mean, I already have two stress, but I don’t know. If you have less, maybe you can lead it.
Kim: I do have less. I in fact have zero stress, so if you would rather—
Minna: Okay, go for it then.
Josie: Cool.
Kim: Alright. [shakes dice]
Rhi: Val will lead. This is gonna be at this point risky, reduced, because you have drawn some attention—
Minna: Ugh.
Rhi: And people are specifically looking at you.
Kim: Christ!
Rhi: But everybody go ahead and roll Prowl. Oh, these are not good sounds I’m hearing.
Josie: I mean, I have good sounds.
Rhi: Okay.
Josie: Because I have zero dots in Prowl so I rolled two dice to take the lower and I still got a 6.
Kim: Damn.
Rhi: Okay!
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: You pulled an Aki on that one.
[laughter]
Aki: You did.
Kim: I uh, I rolled a 1.
Minna: Rolled a 3.
Aki: 4.
Rhi: 4, okay. So Kim, Val’s gonna take two points of stress, but the result is a 6. So Josie, tell me how Echo kinda like, what is the moment where Echo sees an opening and is able to steer everybody out of view of these soldiers?
Josie: Um, I think someone has like, a wheelie pallet stacked really high with stuff that they’re wheeling up to the edge of the train car. And I think we just pass around in front of it and maybe they’re like, a little bit like, “Hey, watch it,” and we use that cover to slip around the other side of the train car to get in.
Rhi: Nice. Okay. So, you’ve managed to break line of sight with these soldiers who may or may not continue looking for you. We’ll see how this goes. But you’re able to get onto the train. You’re currently in the, like, industrial cargo section of the train. This is a, you know, split-use train. Is that a thing in real life? I don’t know. But it’s my setting and I get to make things up.
Josie: I mean, this is like, cross-continental stuff with very few separate tracks, so they just, I imagine these are really long, yeah. [laughs]
Rhi: Yeah. So there’s a section that is, like, the back half, roughly is industrial cargo. You know, steel, manufactured parts, raw ore in some cases, you know, whatever is needed to be shipped down from the northern half of Akoros down here. The front half is passengers and then, you know, so you’ve got standard seating, private rooms, dining cars and there’s also people who wanna have stuff shipped privately can pay to have it, it’s gonna be up in that area of the car. So, if you’re having something delivered from Duskwall, say, it would be up in the front half. So, you all are back half of the train. Need to make your way up to front half of the train. And I think your main hurdle there is going to be you don’t look like you’re supposed to be in the front half of the train.
Kim: No. Could we— and again, this is a direct result of me discovering Uncharted in my formative years, go to the, like, make it to the exterior of the train, climb up to the top and then just make our way to the front by like, you know, traversing the roof of the train?
Josie: Um—
Rhi: Potentially.
Josie: Yes. But remember the Rail Jacks are up there.
Kim: Oh…
Rhi: Yes.
Josie: I don’t know if there’s any up there right now, but…
Rhi: The Rail Jacks are up there, moving around. They don’t have a ton to do when they’re in the city. Rail Jacks are a specific type of railway employee who are trained to fight ghosts to keep them from getting into the train.
Minna: God, I forgot that’s canonical to the setting.
Rhi: Mm hmm. Yeah. Because when you’re outside of the cities and the protection of the lightning barriers, there’s a lot of ghosts and other horrible things out in the Deathlands, and so the Rail Jacks’ job is to hang out outside of the train and keep those horrible things from getting into the train. Rail Jacks are wild.
Josie: Uh huh. [laughs]
Kim: They’re hardcore as fuck.
Aki: That’s so cool though.
Rhi: They’re so cool. [laughs] The Rail Jacks are the coolest people that anybody knows. If you know a Rail Jack, they are the coolest person you will ever meet. You know, it was pointed out, yeah, if you go up there there’s a possibility of running into Rail Jacks. However, you do have a friendly Rail Jack. So if you can track down Raine…
Josie: Yeah.
Kim: Yeah, maybe we should find Raine and have her spread the word.
Rhi: You know, or she might be able to just kinda help you, you know give you some pointers of how to get up there. Help move you along. So yeah, if you wanna try and track her down?
Josie: Sure.
Kim: Yeah. How would we go about doing that? Um…
Aki: Would you say this is a Hunt?
Rhi: Could be Survey, could be Hunt, because you’re looking for a target. You’re looking for somebody specific. You probably— this is a big train, you might need to use, like, binoculars or a scope or something.
Aki: Mm hmm. If you will allow it, Hunt for me. And we did talk last time about like, a rifle scope. But those are detachable.
Rhi: Yes. So yeah, you don’t have to be sitting there sweeping the gun with a— sweeping the train with a rifle.
Kim: That would go over so well.
Rhi: [laughs] You could just take off the scope, yeah, and use it as a little spyglass.
Aki: Yes. And I will look. 6. Hee hee hee.
Rhi: Okay. So you kind of scan along the top oo the train and you spot Raine very quickly. It seems like she may have also been looking for you all. She has a custom chair for when she is on the trains. Instead of sort of the standard style of wheelchair where it’s two wheels on either side of the seat, this has kind of two wheels a little bit behind and then one forward.
Kim: Oh yeah, those.
Rhi: There’s, like, rails and cables and stuff along the top of the train for the Rail Jacks to hold onto and you can see that her chair is like, hooked into those. So, she zips down the top of the train cars and slows to a stop when she gets near all of you and kinda leans over and is like:
Rhi (as Raine): Looking good, Darling.
Aki (as Darling): Oh, thank you for lying to me.
Minna: [laughs]
Rhi (as Raine): [laughs]
Aki (as Darling): You made me feel much better,
Rhi: She laughs and is like:
Rhi (as Raine): You all looking to get up front?
Josie (as Echo): Yes.
Rhi (as Raine): Let’s see here…
Rhi: And she’ll kinda look around and is like:
Rhi (as Raine): Okay. There’s a ladder on the side. You can climb up. Stay low and behind me and I can get you up towards the front. You are gonna need to, I don’t know, throw on something over top of what you’re wearing currently if you wanna pass through the inside of the train up there without getting caught, but I can get you up into that area.
Josie: Uh, can I do a flashback?
Rhi: Yeah.
Josie: I want to have, with like a box that I was carrying up to the train to look like I was carrying something, have alternate outfits for us stuffed in it.
Rhi: Yeah. I think you can do that, it’s gonna take up two points of load.
Josie: Okay.
Rhi: To have clothes for everybody.
Josie: Cool.
Rhi: Yeah. So yeah, you all can climb up and I think she rolls down to the end of the train and there’s a point there where she can, like, flip her chair around, turn it so she’s heading the opposite direction. And yeah, I think here it’s just gonna be another Prowl— another roll, probably Prowl.
Kim: Another group Prowl?
Rhi: Yeah, to follow her up to the front of the train.
Kim: Okey dokey.
Rhi: But you’re gonna be— is this controlled position or increased effect… I think this is gonna be risky, greater, in terms of position and effect. Because you’ve got somebody who knows the area very well, leading you through it.
Kim: Yep. I can lead it again.
Josie: Cool.
Rhi: Okay.
Minna: Is this Prowl again?
Rhi: Let’s get those Prowl rolls.
Kim: Mm… 4.
Josie: I got a 2.
Rhi: Okay.
Minna: 5.
Aki: Another 4.
Rhi: Okay. So only one point of stress and the result is a 5. So, you do it but there’s a consequence. So, I think the consequence is that it takes a long time. You have to go slow, there’s a couple points where, like, Raine makes you kind of like run to one of the— hustle over to one of the ladders and climb back down and duck down out of sight. And it just, it takes a while. And so, I am going to move our train time passing clock up to 2 out of 8. When it hits 3 out of 8, it’s gonna leave Ironworks.
Josie: Okay.
Rhi: But she’s able to get you up towards the front of the train, which is— this is a long enough train that like, the passenger half is out past the station quite a ways, so there’s not soliders patrolling around quite as aggressively here.
Kim: Gotcha. Gotcha.
Rhi: And so, yeah, she stops herself on the roof and is like:
Rhi (as Raine): Alright. If you climb down here, there’s a door between the cars that you can use to get in. Like, I said, throw on like, I dunno, a sweater or something over top of what you’re wearing, draw a little less attention. Good luck.
Kim (as Val): Thanks, Raindrop.
Kim: And Val winks.
Rhi (as Raine): [sighs] You’re welcome.
Rhi: [laughs] And she’ll wheel herself off back down the train.
Josie (as Echo): You really like naming people.
Kim (as Val): Eh, it’s a gift.
Rhi: [laughs]
## Outro [01.11.00]
Thanks for joining us! The Whisky Jays will return in two weeks. The City That Never Dies is a Clever Corvids production. Visit our website at CleverCorvids.net and follow us on Twitter @clever_corvids for the latest on this and other shows.
The City That Never Dies is GM’d and edited by Rhi. Check out her business Skill Check for copyediting and accessibility consulting for the RPG community at RPGSkillCheck.net.
Arlene Graeme is played by Minna Reilly. Find her on Twitter @mynaminnarr.
Darling Tsering is played by Aki. Find her on Twitter @akinomii_art for more TTRPG Content.
Echo is played by Josie. Find her on Twitter @dragongirljosie, and check out her art at josie-art.com.
Valerie Sullivan is played by Kim. Find her on Twitter @kimdianajones.
Our opening and closing theme music is from Something by Kai Engel and is used under a Creative Commons license. Blades in the Dark is the creation of John Harper and is published by Evil Hat Productions.
This episode’s jumbotron message comes from Kickstarter backer Amber. She writes:
“This is a message for Kim, yes Kim as in Kim Kogut. I want to say thank you. Thank you for your friendship. Thank you for introducing me to the Magpies, and, through it, so many incredible creators. I can’t describe how much I love the things you make, both together and individually, and how seen so much of it makes me feel (especially when there’s a word limit to keep me brief), so I’ll just say again: Thank you. I look forward to following you and the Clever Corvids on your next great adventure, and on every adventure after that.”
Thanks, Amber. And we all love all of the things that Kim makes, too. And as always, thanks to our Patreon backers, whose ongoing support makes this show possible.
## Blooper [01.13.20]
Rhi: Three, two, one—
All: [simultaneously] Sync.
Rhi: Okay, at least one person said something that wasn’t sync.
Josie: [laughs] I was just saying, the pacifier poster, it really makes you think.
Aki: I said ‘bink’, because binky.
Josie: [laughs]
Kim: Oh…
Josie: That also works.
Rhi: Josie. It’s spreading. And this is your fault.
Josie: [laughs] Excellent.
Aki: I started doing this in like, other places too. I say sink as in the kitchen sink. I’ve yelled ‘kink’ as loud as I could before.
Rhi: [laughs loudly]
Josie: Good.
Kim: Oh no. [laughs]
Aki: Yeah, um…
Josie: This is the gay agenda.
Rhi: Yeah, damn. [laughs]