Transcribed by Raina Harper.
## Intro
Rhi: Welcome back to Imperial City. As always, thank you for joining us.
I’ve got a big, difficult, important announcement to share: this is the last episode that I’ll be GMing for the City That Never Dies. I’ve been working on this show and The Magpies for the last six years, and unfortunately, I’ve hit a point where I need to step back and take care of myself. I love this world, the characters, and most importantly the other players, and making the choice to step back was a really hard one. But ultimately, it’s the right one for me.
However, we are not planning to end the show right here! Our current goal is to bring in a new GM who can lead the Whisky Jays into new, exciting adventures and crimes. The show’s going to be on hiatus for a bit while that’s all sorted out, but we’ll share more information here and on our social media platforms as soon as we’ve got it. In the meantime, if you haven’t been listening to Love and Hellfire, this will be a great time to catch up!
I’m still going to be running Clever Corvids as a company, and I hope that we can continue to produce great actual play shows and stories for you all. And I hope that, even though I’m stepping back from this particular show, that all of you will continue on with the Whisky Jays as they continue on to the next phase of their story. Thank you all so, so much, for all your support.
Next, Josie’s going to tell us about this month’s featured charity.
Josie: Hi everyone. I know I kind of cheat a little bit with featured charities. I have been circling back around to #TransCrowdfund a lot. For these obviously trans people getting help is very relevant to my life and interests. And just to be real for a second, the state of things for trans people in the US and worldwide, frankly, has got me pretty down.
A lot of us aren’t doing okay both emotionally and financially. I know like one trans person who has a decently steady job. That lets them be comfortable in a one bedroom apartment. Not like excessive income or anything, but just like an at all steady financial situation. And like the other trans people I know with jobs, if they have them, get a lot of guff for being trans, they don’t pay much.
So I’m not even doing the hashtag this time. Just give money to your trans friends. Help pay for their name change, help pay for their surgeries. I know that’s a lot if the insurance isn’t involved, so like I’m not necessarily expecting people to just drop the whole cost there, but don’t just wait for the Kofi or the KoFis or the GoFundMe or the crowdfunding to show up.
Name changes in particular can cost several hundred dollars, which is a lot, but still doable. That can help a lot. And also just in general, like not needing to worry about groceries for that one week helps a lot. And I don’t know, if you don’t have a lot of trans friends, get some. I know we can seem kind of distrustful of cis people sometimes and for good reason a lot of the time, but I don’t know. I really appreciate it when a cis person is like openly and actively supportive. Like there’s plenty of people who tolerate and are nice and friendly, and I can be close with on some level, but like when someone like actively shows, like in a moment of need. I’m still like surprised. That can really do a lot to help keep us here and help us get through this.
There’s a lot of trans charities out there. There’s a lot of trans organizations fighting the good fight, trying to beat back the waves of anti-trans bills, but I’ve always been concerned seeing that trans people practically get the support in their daily lives, and a lot of it is money. Everyone is strapped for cash right now.
No jobs are very good. The economy’s shit. I know that. But yeah, just help your trans friends out. I know Fabby has been posting her Kofi a bit more. She might have to change jobs, so. Maybe go put the money there or just people that you know. Thanks.
Rhi: I always end these with a call to action of some kind–sometimes it’s specific, sometimes it’s more general. Today, I just want to say once again to take care of yourselves and each other. Be kind, build community, and do something nice for yourself if you can.
Now then. Let’s get started, shall we?
## Score Continues [00.05.55]
Rhi: You all have left this cave at the edge of the Deathlands with four escaping workers. You didn’t get caught by the settlement’s guards overnight, and all you need to do now is make it back to the rendezvous point to meet up with Leona and Ibrahim, and then you can head back to Imperial City. As you started walking in that direction, some gunshots rang out and a grenade has just landed in the dirt in front of you. So, who wants to react to this situation?
Josie: Uh… I want to chuck the grenade back.
Rhi: Okay. Whatever the ability is that lets you do stuff real fast…
Josie: Uh-huh, Reflexes.
Rhi: Reflexes, yeah. I’m gonna call this… I think I’m just gonna have this be a risky-standard.
Josie: Okay.
Rhi: Yeah. What do you…?
Josie: This feels like some sort of Prowess roll.
Rhi: Yeah. I feel like arguments could be made for Finesse, Skirmish or Wreck depending on how you want to approach it.
Josie: I’m gonna take Skirmish because I’m not really… I’m just trying to do things the fastest I can. It’s not really precise, and I’m not really aiming to hit them, I just want to get the grenade away.
Rhi: Yeah. Alright, go ahead and make that roll then.
Josie: I got a 6.
Rhi: Okay! The shots and everything, and grenade, had come from some rocks off along the side of this cliff, some large boulders and things that maybe had fallen off. So yeah, you run forward and grab the grenade and just whip it back the way that it came. That causes, one, a big explosion and a bunch of rock to go flying, but also the people behind the rock scatter, because they just had a grenade chucked back at them rather unexpectedly.
What you see as they come, these people come diving out from cover… it’s three people, and one… I don’t think any of you would know what this creature is called, but you can all identify “oh God, that’s an unnaturally large lizard, I don’t like it.”
Kim: Oh…
Rhi: It is a…
Josie: Speak for yourself.
Minna: Jurassic Park?
Rhi: [laughs]
Kim: Steve Erwin, where are you?
Rhi: For real life reference, this is a Komodo dragon…
Josie: [gasps]
Kim: Ah…
Minna: Ooh!
Rhi: …but in-game, none of you have seen this before. So you just see—
Kim: What the fuck?
Aki: No. No wait, okay, wait-wait. I know so much about Komodo dragons. I’ll do my best to not metagame.
Minna: This is a very special moment.
Aki: I’ll do my best not to metagame.
Josie: I want them.
Rhi: They’re very cool, but…
Aki: They’re incredibly deadly. If you are on your period, you’re not allowed to be anywhere within like… I think it’s 100 or 200 feet of them or something like that.
Josie: Is the implication there that they smell the blood and get rowdy about it?
Aki: No, they 100% smell the blood and they will 100% come and eat you.
Josie: Jesus Christ. [laughs]
Kim: That is frightening.
Aki: That is a fact. They can smell the blood. They can smell the blood of corpses even if they’re buried like six or seven feet under as well.
Kim: Good God…
Aki: They’re good at this. It’s their fangs that are super venomous as well, so it’s just a horror show in general.
Josie: Okay, so they are actually venomous and it’s not just their mouth is nasty?
Aki: No, they’re venomous, technically.
Josie: Oh, sweet. Fun. [giggles]
Rhi: Yeah. It’s the fact that they’re so squat, like they got the very outstretched arm-leg position, but they are so fast.
Kim: They’re so speedy.
Rhi: Yeah, they’re very cool.
Aki: Look. Listen. When I panic, and I panic a lot, I just like to put on animal facts and I listen to them so I know a lot of obscure animal facts. If you ever want one, just give me a bitch. I probably know them.
Minna: I want to hear your bat facts later.
Rhi: So on that note. [laughs] Yeah, there’s three people and one very large lizard that have come scattering out from behind cover. The people are all armed. Darling, what kind of interaction would you have had with the spice market before you left?
Aki: Um… I feel like there’s gotta be some market that I’m on a surprisingly decent term with. I do not think it was ever the Flowers, because flowers and tea are a little too close in terms of general category associations. So I could totally see us being like no, we don’t handle that, you want to go to the other market. Which is super annoying, like, the paperwork. Also, I killed like three people from Flowers, so I do not think we have a good one.
Rhi: Well, this would have been your relationship with the Spice Market before you left. I don’t think you’ve really had a lot of positive interaction with any of them since.
Aki: Me neither, but I feel like on some level, except physical, Spice and Tea Markets might have been cordial.
Rhi: Yeah.
Aki: Yeah?
Rhi: I think there’s also—
Aki: I don’t think we’re besties. I don’t think any markets are ever besties unless you’re a higher-up at some point. Darling’s pretty high up there, but not… not exclusive.
Rhi: Yeah. I think that there’s also less direct competition. Both the Tea Market and the Flower Market are based on Akoros. The Spice Market is based in the Dagger Isles. So, there’s less overlapping of territory, you’re not competing for clients in the same way, so that might also make it a little easier to be friendly.
So, I think you recognize… you don’t know the names of all of the people here, but you do know that the… you’re guessing that the leader of this group… you recognize this person and assume they’re the leader. Their name is Cinnamon. And they have a gun, and more grenades on their belt, and they don’t appear to be in a talking sort of mood.
So… yeah, who wants to act next now that you can kind of see who you’re dealing with? I will also remind you that you have four unarmed civilians with you who are currently screaming and diving for whatever cover they can find.
Kim: Oh jeez.
Aki: I’d like to go next, but I feel like it will be very obvious that I do not care about the civilians.
Rhi: That’s fair.
Josie: Oof.
Aki: Yeah, so the rest of you can care about the civilians if you want, but I think it’s very safe to say… or it’s very safe to assume that Darling might not necessarily be the most careful in this scenario.
Kim: Yeah…
Rhi: Yeah.
Aki: I do however think Darling has taken cover and has positioned her rifle, if she can, between a rock and a crack in the wall, or two rocks even, that way it’s a little elevated but somewhere where she can easily just quickly pick it up or slide it out and move somewhere else if she needs to.
She’s probably lying down either on her stomach or on her knees, you know, when you put your body forward and sit on your knees. It’s an awkward position to be in, but it’s the easiest to maneuver, technically.
Rhi: Yeah.
Aki: They’re not up for a conversation, but Darling is. While she’s taking aim to pinpoint their location, she’s going to simply say:
Aki (as Darling): Cinnamon~, is that you? What are you doing out here? Oh, I mean, I already know what you’re doing out here, but why?
Rhi (as Cinnamon): A job’s a job, Darjeeling.
Rhi: Drawing back the bolt on the rifle, getting ready to fire again.
Rhi (as Cinnamon): Nothing personal. You know how it is.
Aki (as Darling): I know, but I thought you’d be a little smarter than that. How about this? I’ll let you go. I won’t even take the grenade personally. I’ll let you go if you and your lot leave right now, and I won’t shoot.
Rhi: Are you actually trying to persuade here with a roll?
Aki: Yeah. I got beef with Flowers, Flowers is shoot first and never ask a question, but Spice Market might not be completely aware. You know?
Kim: Right?
Rhi: Eh… yeah. I’m gonna start you at risky, zero effect. You’re gonna have to push yourself if you want to have any kind of effect on this.
Aki: I will. Let me see…
Minna: Can I help?
Aki: Ooh? I’ll take the help.
Minna: I feel like the way I help is that I pull out a knife and I stand with her.
Aki: Oh, don’t stand. You gotta lie down.
Minna: Well, not stand.
Aki: Yeah, you gotta hide or something. What does a Devil’s Bargain look like, though, before I do anything?
Rhi: The Komodo dragon has not been called off and is gonna go wrestle with Pearl, so your other baby is going to be engaged in violence while you’re trying to have this negotiation.
Aki: Nah, fuck it, I will roll.
Rhi: Are you taking the Bargain or no?
Aki: No.
Rhi: Okay.
Aki: Okay, that and… I get one extra dice with Arlene’s help.
Rhi: Correct. You’re gonna be at risky-reduced.
Aki: If I push myself, is that another one? Or do I have to push myself still?
Rhi: You would have to push yourself to get up to reduced effect.
Aki: I don’t want to do that though. Wait. [grumbles. I’m sorry, I’m still debating.
Kim: Take your time.
Rhi: As a reminder, you can push yourself or take a Devil’s Bargain. You can’t do both.
Aki: Yeah… Okay, then I’d rather take the Devil’s Bargain, because I feel like I need to save the pushing myself just in case.
Rhi: Okay. You’re using the Devil’s Bargain to increase your effect?
Aki: Yeah.
Rhi: Okay. So, risky-reduced, extra die from Arlene. What are you rolling?
Aki: This would be a Sway, right?
Rhi: Yeah, I think Sway can work here.
Aki: Is Sway lying or…? Sway is persuading.
Rhi: It’s…
Minna: Would this be a Command? It could be a Command. Threatening.
Rhi: Yeah, that’s the thing, arguments could be made for Consort, Command or Sway. Sway is more manipulative and not caring how the other person feels about you after the encounter. Consort is this is somebody that I consider a friend and I do care about what they think of me. And then, Command is just giving an order. I feel like, of the three, based on what you said, Sway fits best.
Aki: Mm-hmm. I rolled a 5.
Rhi: Okay. So it was risky-reduced, and you get a success with a consequence. I think that what you get is… It’s reduced. Okay. What Cinnamon is going to say in response is…
Rhi (as Cinnamon): Make it worth my while before I take everybody else here out and we’ll see.
Rhi: …and then is going to fire again at your position. Doesn’t hit, but a bunch of rock chips off and goes flying, and you and Arlene both have to duck. The other two are keeping up the attack and are clearly ready to shoot again. You also hear the unique sounds of a Komodo dragon and an adolescent tiger fighting.
Josie: [delighted but sad sounds]
Kim: Oh dear.
Rhi: Which I imagine involves a lot of snarling and hissing. So, Cinnamon will hear you out if you can convince them, you know, you can make it worth their while to call off this attack, but until that point they’re going to continue. So, Arlene or Val?
Kim: Yeah… I think it makes sense for Val right now to try and protect our civilians if possible. There isn’t any active firing, right?
Rhi: Cinnamon just fired another shot, and the other two are clearly, like… I imagine that all of you have taken cover to some extent, but the other two are clearly ready. As soon as somebody comes into view they’re gonna shoot.
Kim: [sighs]
Rhi: No one is actively shooting right now, but everyone is ready to shoot.
Kim: Uh-huh. Yeah. I’m just trying to think what makes sense. You said they scattered. Is there a way I can herd them into some cover?
Rhi: Yeah. There’s four of them and they scattered and dove for whatever they could find individually, but you could try to get them together and get them back further away from the active combat zone.
Kim: Yeah, because Val’s reasoning, I think they’re not opposed to a showdown, they just don’t want unarmed people here with that. So, this seems like a Prowl roll to me to try and put them somewhere else.
Rhi: Yeah! Prowl makes sense. I would say… let’s see. I think this is gonna be risky-reduced just because there’s four of them that you have to round up and move safely through this area without anyone getting shot.
Kim: Right.
Rhi: So, it’s gonna be a little tougher.
Kim: Eh, that’s fine with me. Let’s see how we do. … Okay, that’s a 6.
Rhi: Okay. On a 6 with risky-reduced, I think you’re able to get two of them collected. We’ll say Fiona and Liam you’re able to grab. What I’m picturing is there’s a shallow ditch or something that’s a little further back that, if they get in there and flatten down in this ditch, they will be out of line of sight of all of this shooting.
Kim: Yeah.
Rhi: I think you’re able to get the two of them in there. What do you say to them as you’re doing this?
Kim (as Val): You two just hunker down right here. Just stay out of this, keep your heads down until we sort this out. Alright? I’m gonna get your other friends.
Rhi (as Fiona): [shaken] Okay. What is happening? Why are people shooting at you?
Kim (as Val): I’ll let you know as soon as I do.
Rhi: [laughs] Good answer. Alright, Arlene?
Minna: Arlene’s gonna… she kinda showed herself briefly to add to the threat, but I think she’s gonna try and disappear and sneak around the group.
Rhi: Okay. Are you trying to get behind somebody for an ambush?
Minna: Yeah.
Rhi: Okay. Cool. I think I’m gonna say risky-standard on that unless you want to use any items or anything.
Minna: I’m okay. That’s a 6.
Rhi: Okay. Yeah, so who are you trying to get up behind? There’s Cinnamon and then there’s two others. Are you aiming for Cinnamon or one of the other two?
Minna: I think one of the other two, because I know Darling, and I can’t take her on, and while I do think Darling could take Cinnamon on I’m not sure I could.
Rhi: Gotcha.
Minna: I think Arlene is being sensible, -ish.
Rhi: Aiming for someone who you’re assuming is a little closer to your skill level. So yeah, you are able to kind of… I think that Darling and Cinnamon’s shouting at each other has drawn attention that way and you are able to circle around and get up behind one of the other ones. You’re in prime position for a sneak attack next action.
Minna: Yeah~
Rhi: So, let’s circle back around to Echo who did a very cool ‘throw the grenade back’ move. Now what would you like to do?
Josie: I think she looks between the people and the Komodo dragon, and Darling, and asks:
Josie (as Echo): Should I keep them alive?
Aki (as Darling): For now.
Josie (as Echo): Okay, let’s try…
Josie: I think she’s gonna try and… What’s a cool gadget? Can she throw out a flashbang at them?
Rhi: Yeah.
Josie: Yeah. I’m gonna mark off bandolier. Just try and stun them and look away.
Rhi: Yeah. What did we…? You used a flashbang last time and I’m trying to remember what action.
Josie: Oh, did I? Neat.
Rhi: Mm-hmm. Yeah, so you just bought a whole bunch for this Deathlands trip. Let’s say… I think this could probably be Skirmish. That’s what I’m feeling like. Yeah, I think based on what you’re saying Skirmish makes the most sense. This is gonna be, I think again, just risky-standard for this action.
Josie: Okie-dokie. … I got a 2.
Rhi: Oh…
Kim: No…
Rhi: Okay.
Josie: Mm-hmm…
Rhi: You throw the flashbang and it goes off, but the other three assassins recognize what it is and manage to get their arms up to block their eyes and look away, so it doesn’t have quite as debilitating an effect on them as you would have hoped.
You all hear from the top of the cliff where the settlement is above you some alarmed shouting as the guards in the settlement are reacting to the sound of gunshots and have come over to look and investigate and have seen all of this happening. It’s gonna take them a little bit to get down here, but they are on their way. So, I’m gonna start a clock.
Josie: Great.
Rhi: Guards Arrive, 1 out of 4.
Kim: [grumbles]
Rhi: So, let me do a quick roll to see how the Darling vs tiger fight is going. Or, not Darling, Pearl vs tiger fight is going. Pearl vs…
Minna: Pearl vs Komodo dragon?
Rhi: Komodo dragon. I have too many creatures and names in my brain. Okay, Pearl has a little bit of the upper hand, but they are pretty evenly matched. There’s some blood…
Kim: [groans]
Josie: [concerned whine]
Rhi: Both of them have gotten some chomps in. It’s clear that this Komodo dragon is trained pretty similarly to how Darling has trained Pearl, so there’s a big loud angry fight happening over there. That was Echo. Who wants to go next?
Aki: Me.
Rhi: Yeah. Whatcha doing?
Aki: Well, Cinnamon said make it worth their while, so Darling will think for a bit.
Aki (as Darling): Well, you get to live, and I can throw in 2 coin.
Rhi: Cinnamon actively laughs.
Rhi (as Cinnamon): You got cheap after retiring! Oh no, that’s not gonna cut it.
Aki (as Darling): A shame.
Aki: I’m gonna shoot.
Rhi: Okay.
Aki: I will say… Okay. I’m implying that this is a trick shot, because I don’t want to necessarily shoot Cinnamon just yet, but I definitely want to hit one of their companions.
Rhi: Okay. I assume you’re rolling Hunt.
Aki: Yes.
Rhi: Okay. In what way is this a trick shot? Are you trying to bounce the bullet?
Aki: Totally trying to bounce the bullet. Yeah. Theoretically, I still do not know where they are, I’m assuming.
Rhi: No, they’re all out and visible. Everybody’s—
Aki: Oh, they’re all out and visible?! Never mind. I thought some bitch hid for cover. You know what, I think it’s because I mixed up Arlene going in for cover.
Rhi: Ah, gotcha.
Aki: Yeah, my bad.
Rhi: No, they’re not necessarily standing out in the open, but everybody is visible.
Aki: Okay, yeah, then I’m gonna go for one of the lackeys, one of the babies.
Rhi: Okay. Sounds good. That will just make this a risky-standard then.
Aki: I got one 6.
Rhi: Okay. Are you shooting to kill or to wound?
Aki: To kill. I made an offer and the bitch laughed. I need to show that I mean business still, so I’m definitely shooting to kill. Then they’ll be like “now it’s definitely worth it, because it’s 1 coin for you and 1 coin for your friend… who’s still alive.”
Rhi: Yeah. I don’t think, just by virtue of these are, you know, fairly tough opponents… you haven’t quite taken out Coriander yet, but I think you get… The shot goes through the collarbone shoulder area and they fall back with a shriek. There’s a splurt of blood. They’re not dead, but level 3 harm effectively for them. They’re not dead, but they can’t really do much without a lot of effort or getting help.
Aki: Can I say something?
Rhi: Oh yeah.
Aki: After that shot, I just go:
Aki (as Darling): See? I mean, I’m rather kind, we could still part ways instead of parting you from there, and there, and all the way over there. Come now, Cinnamon, don’t be foolish.
Rhi: I think Cinnamon is just like…
Rhi (as Cinnamon): How would you react if somebody shot one of your people? How likely do you think I am to back down now?
Rhi: …and is going to take a shot at you. I think… yeah, you’re gonna need to resist to avoid getting hit yourself. Cinnamon is a high enough level nemesis that they get to take actions on their own. So yeah, if you want to avoid getting hit yourself, you’re gonna need to roll resistance.
Aki: The highest is 6.
Rhi: Okay. Cinnamon takes this shot at you and you duck out of the way. Again, there’s this big explosion of chips of rock as the bullet hits the spot you’re in cover behind. You don’t take any stress and you manage to avoid getting injured, but it seems pretty clear that both you and Cinnamon have dug in your heels and nobody’s really backing down at this point. Val or Arlene?
Minna: I feel like this is a good time for me to spring my ambush.
Rhi: Mm-hmm! Yeah.
Minna: So I’m gonna roll that with an extra die. What does a Devil’s Bargain look like? The extra die is for Ambush by the way.
Rhi: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know you have a special ambushing ability. Devil’s Bargain… Coriander, the one who just got wounded, is gonna throw a knife at you and hit you with level 1 harm.
Minna: I’m gonna go with not doing that and I’m gonna just roll my three dice.
Rhi: Alright. This will be risky-standard we’ll say.
Minna: Guess what.
Rhi: Did you get a critical?
Minna: No, I rolled a 6, but it was a 6 and two ones so I’m glad I rolled three dice.
Rhi: [nervous giggle]
Kim: Phew!
Rhi: Yeah! I assume you’re also aiming to kill?
Minna: No. Okay, so what I want to do… [laughs]
Rhi: Yeah, what do you—? Yeah.
Minna: Sorry. I was like–
Kim: Rhi, ‘murder?’ Minna, ‘wait, no!’
Rhi: [laughs]
Minna: I’m not sure that Arlene has done that much killing, and also I think this is a better bargaining tool. I think what she’s gonna do is she’s gonna probably get this person in a fairly good arm lock and put a knife to their neck.
Minna (as Arlene): Well, if you’re anything like Darling, I think I know a good bit of leverage against you. You want this person to live? You gotta go.
Rhi: Okay. Interesting. How much does Cinnamon care about those working for them? I guess we’ll find out.
Minna: They did suggest, so I think Arlene’s just going on that.
Rhi: Yeah. I think we’ll… Let’s see. I think Cinnamon quickly glances in your direction and looks more annoyed, and says something to the effect of…
Rhi (as Cinnamon): You let yourself get jumped like that? Come on!
Rhi: …to the person that you’re grappling who is trying to, you know… [laughs] trying to get free without getting stabbed in the neck. So yeah, it seems Cinnamon is just irritated that this has happened.
Minna (as Arlene): Wow, buddy, I’m sorry about that one.
Rhi: Val.
Kim: Yeah. Our remaining two unarmed allies, can I get them to safety?
Rhi: Yeah, you can roll for that. I think it’s the same thing, if you’re doing Prowl again.
Kim: Yeah.
Rhi: This time it will just be risky-standard since you only have two that you have to collect as opposed to trying to round up all four.
Kim: Okay. … Hmm, that’s a 4.
Rhi: Okay. You do it but there’s a complication.
Kim: Ugh.
Rhi: I’m gonna tick up the clock, so Guards Arrive is at 2 out of 4.
Kim: That’s fine.
Rhi: But yeah, you’re able to round up the other two and get them back into the safety of this ditch. I think at this point, Arlene, you catch sight of movement off in the direction you all were heading. If you glance that way very quickly, you can see a rider on horseback pounding in your direction. You’re guessing it’s probably Leona.
Minna: Good to know.
Rhi: Yep. [chuckles]
Minna: Hopefully that won’t get messy. Hopefully that will be helpful rather than making it more messy.
Rhi: Mm-hmm! Okay. I think everybody has done something, so who wants to go?
Josie (as Echo): We need to get everyone away from here. Guards are coming.
Kim: Where can we go, though?
Minna: If we can go that direction, our people are that way.
Josie (as Echo): Maybe I can run interference while you all finish things. If the guards are coming out here, that means there’s less inside.
Minna: I don’t have any good plans right now. [giggles]
Kim (as Val): It’s as good as any. Just go.
Josie: Yeah, so I think Echo’s gonna try and interfere with the guards coming out so everyone else can finish the mission.
Rhi: Okay. Are you gonna sprint around towards the path down from the settlement?
Josie: Yeah.
Rhi: Okay. Yeah, I think that you… if you want to set something up, like do a setup action for yourself, you can do that, or you can just sort of wait and see what’s coming.
Josie: I think I am gonna set things up, but I need to decide what that is, so I’m gonna wait and see.
Rhi: Okay, sounds good. Alright, who wants to go next?
Aki: I don’t mind going next, simply because technically… technically low-key waiting on what Cinnamon does after Arlene’s thing, so that’s me. [giggles] I have like two buttons, shoot and don’t shoot. I’m kinda just waiting on Cinnamon again.
Rhi: Okay. Here, I’ll escalate this tense standoff then. Give me a moment. I’ll make a couple rolls. … Ooh, okay. I guess I only need to make one… because I just rolled a critical.
Kim: I don’t like the sound of that.
Aki: Oh dear.
Kim: What just happened?
Rhi: Cinnamon… I think there’s this moment. Echo has zipped off. There’s this tense standoff of Darling and Cinnamon both aiming rifles at each other from cover. Arlene has the other assassin, Allspice, held with a knife to their neck. Coriander’s on the ground bleeding. Pearl and the Komodo dragon are still fighting. And then, very abruptly and very fast, Cinnamon swings around and fires, and Leona falls off her horse.
Aki: Oh…!
Kim: Oh my God.
Minna: No!
Aki: Okay, well I’m shooting to kill Cinnamon.
Kim: Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
Rhi: [smiling] Proceed as you wish at this point. Yeah, go ahead. Give me a roll of some kind. I assume Hunt?
Aki: Yeah, it will be Hunt, for sure.
Rhi: Okay. It will be risky-standard.
Aki: Yeah, let’s just do what I have, I guess. Hmm… nah, I don’t need to. I have four dice.
Rhi: Yeah, I was gonna say, you’re okay there.
Aki: Two sixes.
Rhi: Okay. Yeah, tell me how you kill them.
Aki: On a positive note though, I had two sixes and two fives, so like, they were fucked. [giggles] Okay, let me think. Let me think. Let me think a thunk. Okay, Cinnamon does their thing, their quick shot. They turned around, right? To shoot Leona.
Rhi: Yeah, swung back to… yeah. Just did this very quick shot at Leona and then swung back to aim at you.
Aki: Okay. How rule of cool am I allowed to be?
Rhi: Yes.
Kim: [laughs]
Aki: Thank you. So, I see what’s happening. My ridiculous training… it’s instinctual at this point, so it’s rather my instincts kick in. From the few seconds that it takes for Cinnamon to turn back and then face me again… I’m seven feet tall. I must have some sort of stride here.
Rhi: Mm-hmm.
Aki: I’m there. I’m behind her—or them, and I’ve stuck the rifle right underneath their chin. I look them dead in the eyes so that is the last thing they see.
Aki (as Darling): You… You. Thank you.
Aki: And I shoot, and I part her like I said… there, there, and way up there.
Rhi: Yeah. Alright, so Cinnamon’s dead. I think that… Oh, I didn’t come up with a name for the Komodo dragon, which I should have done.
Kim: Heather.
Rhi: [smiling] No.
Aki: No! [giggles]
Minna: What? What was the suggested name?
Kim: That was just the first name that popped into my head. I suggested Heather.
Minna: I heard Mother, and I was like that actually sounds like a good name for a Komodo dragon.
Kim: Lady would be cute.
Aki: Lady would be really cute.
Rhi: Yeah, yeah, okay. We’ll go with that. Coriander, the one who is bleeding badly, shouts over the rock.
Rhi (as Coriander): Lady, down!
Rhi: And the Komodo dragon hisses and backs off of Pearl. Pearl kinda starts to follow and then stops and looks at Darling, like “do I… do I eat it?”
[giggling]
Rhi: “Do I keep eating it? What am I supposed to do here, mom? It stopped fighting me.”
[laughter]
Aki: Oh my goodness. I think Darling has trained Pearl in numerous ways here considering that they have multiple appendages.
Rhi: Mm-hmm!
Aki: I’m not taking my hands off the gun. I’m not turning either. Pearl is technically behind me. So, I think there’s… maybe there’s a specific tap with my tail, like tail on the floor tap, and Pearl knows to wait.
Rhi: Yeah. Okay. You get that questioning thought through your mind link and then you do the tap-tap, “no,” and Pearl just kind of holds. She’s in a crouch where, if she’s given permission to attack she’s gonna do a big pounce, but is currently holding. I think Allspice who is still being held by Arlene just puts their hands up.
Rhi (as Allspice): I’m out. I’m not interested in getting killed over this. I’m good.
Minna: I think Arlene’s hands are shaking but still holding on tight. So, we were focused on Darling during that shooting thing, and I think it was that kind of slow-mo thing where other voices are muffled. She definitely shouted Leona’s name as soon as she went down.
Rhi: Yeah.
Minna: So she’s having a time. I think she just glances at Darling for orders, almost. Like, ‘can I drop this assassin and run?’
Aki: I will give… So like, Darling has this look that I can only describe as predatory. Not like, step away from the child, but more so ‘on the hunt.’ But, when it’s towards you, I still think it’s a little scary like when you get a missed call from your mom.
Kim: No. [chuckles]
Aki: But it’s softer for Arlene. I’ll give you a nod, and really that nod is for you to do whatever you want.
Minna: Arlene lets Allspice go, like pushes them to the ground and then books it.
Rhi: Yeah. We are gonna tick the Guards Arrive up again because they’re still on their merry way. Okay, I think that Allspice will drop their gun and is gonna scramble over to Coriander and basically looks up at Darling like…
Rhi (as Allspice): What are we doing now?
Aki (as Darling): Well, I’m assuming you’re both surrendering.
Rhi (as Allspice): Yeah. I don’t know if Cori’s gonna make it back to civilization, gonna be honest, so yes… not interested in having my head popped open like that.
Aki (as Darling): That’s alright. I only need the one messenger.
Aki: And I’ll shoot Cori.
Rhi: Jesus!
Kim: Yo!
Josie: [uneasy sounds]
Rhi: Okay…?!
Aki: With the one that’s alive, Allspice, I’m gonna do something that’s a little gay, but please don’t read it as gay. [giggles] I have the barrel of my gun. I’m just going to tilt her head up, because they’re on the floor, and I’m just gonna go:
Aki (as Darling): So, here’s what we’re going to do. I need you to deliver a very good, proper, lengthy message. You can tell your superiors… Oh, do you have superiors anymore?
Rhi (as Allspice): Yes.
Aki (as Darling): Good. You’re going to tell them that you lost us and that perhaps you ran into a scrap. Actually, I’ll let you be creative on how you lost us, but you lost us. Then, you’re going to deliver this.
Aki: As prior, I have these teabags with messages. I’m gonna give them a handful, actually, because there’s only so much you can write on a goddamn teabag.
Rhi: This is true.
Aki: Mm-hmm. I’m gonna give it to them.
Aki (as Darling): You can’t use them. You can’t lose them either. I need you to send this straight to… the Tea Market, and I need it to go to Peppermint. Can you do that for me?
Rhi (as Allspice): Yep.
Aki (as Darling): Excellent.
Rhi: Hold on that scene for a second and jump over to other people, but I want to do one more thing with that exchange, so we’re gonna pull away from that and we are gonna jump over to Val.
Kim: What’s up?
Rhi: You were getting the civilians hunkered down and calm-ish. You heard the gunshot. I think you heard Arlene yell for Leona. Do you want to head in that direction as you see Arlene heading over or are you gonna stay put? What do you want to do right now? It looks like active hostilities have stopped. Nobody’s shooting anymore.
Kim: Yeah, no, but if the civilians are safe, I’m gonna head back to the scene. Do I see that Leona is wounded right away?
Rhi: Yeah. Her horse is kind of pacing anxiously around her. You and Arlene get there at a similar time, so Arlene, you can react to this as well. She’s not dead, but she did take a shot to the upper chest. She’s bleeding a lot and has not sat back up and has both hands pressed over the wound. She’s looking kinda stunned more than anything because that shot came out of nowhere, she was not ready for it.
Kim: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Minna (as Arlene): Leona! Leona!
Minna: I think Arlene is kneeling, immediately trying to press her hands to the wound.
Rhi (as Leona): Ugh… hey. Okay, you’re okay, good. I heard gunshots and I came over.
Minna (as Arlene): I’m fine! You’re not!
Rhi (as Leona): Eh, I’ve had worse… I think.
Minna (as Arlene): What do we do? Val, what do we do? I don’t know how to fix this.
Kim (as Val): It’s gonna be alright. Just move your hands, alright? Let me take a look.
Minna (as Arlene): Okay…
Kim: Val’s gonna move to inspect the injury.
Rhi: It didn’t hit her heart, but uh… phew, that was a close one. You need to do something to slow the bleeding, and fast.
Kim: Can I check to see if there’s an exit wound?
Rhi: Yes, there is.
Kim: I am just going off of what I know off of fictional first aid right now.
Rhi: Mm-hmm. None of us are doctors.
Minna: Luckily this is fictional first aid.
Kim: Yeah. [laughs]
Rhi: Yeah. We’re not required to be accurate here.
Kim: Val takes assessment of what this looks like.
Kim (as Val): Alright. We gotta get out of here. I think we can get her back up on her horse, but you’re gonna have to be the one to support her. Alright? You just hold onto her and just ride back to town.
Minna (as Arlene): [shaky] Okay. Okay. Are you sure?
Kim (as Val): Just go.
Minna (as Arlene): Oh, alright… okay.
Minna: Arlene does what she can. She gets her on the horse and holds her tight. Luckily she kind of knows how to ride a horse.
Rhi: Yeah. I think you can cut some fabric off of her duster and pack it on the wound to help with the bleeding.
Kim: Yeah. I like the image of Val slapping the bum of the horse to hustle out of here.
Rhi: Yeah. You’re gonna start riding hard back towards Imperial City.
Minna: I think she’s just holding her really tight, like chin digging into her shoulder, just hoping if she holds on tight enough it will keep her intact long enough to save her. I think she’s very freaked out by this.
Rhi: We’re then gonna cut over to Echo. Echo, you have heard that the guns behind you have stopped which you’re assuming is good. You know Darling. It’s probably fine. But, you can see what looks like about eight or nine guards are coming down the path towards you all. If you would like to set up some kind of trap or ambush to slow or stop them, this would be the time.
Josie: So they are out and coming down already?
Rhi: What I’m picturing is that this settlement is up on a cliff and there’s a path that comes down a hill towards where you are. You can see they’re at the top of this path, and you’re down towards the bottom. I’m imagining it’s a little bit of a switchback too, it’s not just a straight run, because it’s down a cliff. So, you have time to set up some kind of trap or ambush or something.
Josie: In that case, do I have enough space for demolition tools?
Rhi: I think you all took heavy loads, so yes.
Josie: Uh… three, four. Yes, I do. Who’s ready for a small rockslide maybe?
Rhi: Nice. Love it.
Josie: Yeah. I think while this has been happening Echo has been frantically climbing on the side of this cliff a little bit, because she doesn’t have fingers to worry about getting hurt, and just setting up some small explosives on the side of the trail. She comes back to everyone else:
Josie (as Echo): Alright, get ready for another explosion.
Josie: Beep.
Rhi: [makes a big explosion sound, laughs] This big cloud of rock and stuff billows up. You hear distant shouting. I think that is going to basically set the clock back to 0. They’re gonna try to pursue, but they are not, you know… they’re gonna have to climb past the rubble that you’ve just created and hopefully, by the time they get past that, you all will be on your merry way out of here.
Josie: Yep!
Rhi: As this rockslide happens and Echo comes running back… Darling, you’ve given these teabags to Allspice who I think has very slowly and cautiously gotten to their feet and tucked the teabags into a pocket. Then they just kind of stop and look at you, Darling.
Rhi (as Allspice): After I drop these off… how do I get out?
Aki (as Darling): Oh… you want to leave?
Rhi (as Allspice): I don’t think this is worth it, and I don’t think they’re really gonna let me live.
Aki (as Darling): Oh, they won’t, no. Well, then we can do something else. I thought you wanted to stay, but if you want to leave, there’s no need to go back. Why do you think I killed two of them? They have hands. Rigor mortis hasn’t set in yet. Put the teabags in their hands. You can come with us.
Rhi: Blink. Blink, blink, blink.
Rhi (as Allspice): Uh… okay.
Rhi: [laughs]
Aki (as Darling): Literally, there is no better way to leave than right now. I could make it look like three of you died. I’m still very iffy on if I killed three people last time or just two. But truthfully, where else are you going to go? Unless you want to disappear here.
Rhi (as Allspice): Uh… listen, I just had this thought. I do not have a plan. I’ll just, let me…
Rhi: They just move off to put the teabags in the hands as they were instructed and collect the Komodo dragon. I think around this time Ibrahim comes riding over with the rest of the horses and is just like:
Rhi (as Ibrahim): What…? What?! What the hell is happening here?
Josie (as Echo): We got the people. We need to get out.
Rhi (as Ibrahim): [uneasy] Okay…
Rhi: Everybody’s gonna have to double up. Actually, now you’ve brought an extra person, so…
Josie: Can they ride the Komodo dragon?
Rhi: No. [laughs] It’s not that big.
Josie: Aww.
Rhi: I think Allspice will survey the situation and be like:
Rhi (as Allspice): I can make my own way back to the city. Alright if I look you up there? I might need a little help on figuring out what to do next.
Aki (as Darling): Yes, that’s fine. Are you clever enough to find where I live or do I really need to write this down?
Rhi: Allspice kind of gives a stiff and bitter smirk of…
Rhi (as Allspice): We’re trained very well. I’ll find you.
Rhi: …and then is gonna cluck their tongue at Lady and they will head off into the Deathlands.
Josie (as Echo): I’m fine with this only if I get to pet the dragon.
Aki (as Darling): You just might depending on when they come over.
Josie (as Echo): Excellent.
Rhi: So, you all gather up your confused and lightly traumatized civilians and start following, considerably more slowly, behind Arlene and Leona.
## Return Trip
Rhi: We’re gonna pick back up with Arlene and Leona. On the way out you all were taking a… not an indirect, like not a very windy twisty route, but you were taking kind of an indirect route out towards the settlement. It was a little more like trying to avoid potential hazards, trying to be a little stealthy about your approach. You’re just making a straight shot back towards the city, so it goes a little bit faster. Leona is, you can kind of tell, she never fully loses consciousness, but she is…
Minna: Kind of lolling a bit?
Rhi: Yeah. It’s clear that there’s points where she is closer to passing out than others but is hanging on through sheer force of will. As you get closer to the city, as you can see the glow of the lightning barrier above you, she starts trying to reach under her jacket for something but seems to be having a hard time.
Minna (as Arlene): What is it?
Rhi (as Leona): The flare… Flares. Fire it twice. They’ll know somebody got hurt.
Minna (as Arlene): Okay… Okay.
Minna: She carefully digs in the jacket and gets out the flare.
Rhi: Yeah. You can, you know…
Minna: Zoom out shot. You see two flares go up into the air.
Rhi: Yeah. They’re actually the same kind of blue-white color as the lightning barrier, the idea probably being that they won’t be quite as visible to people further inside the city. Those of you still moving considerably slower out in the Deathlands, because you’re all doubled up with civilians, you have a lot of people who don’t know how horses work on horses… you see these two lights go up ahead of you. Ibrahim will tell the rest of the group:
Rhi (as Ibrahim): I guess Leona’s still conscious enough to have relayed that message. If they make it inside the city okay, they’ll be able to get her help.
Rhi: I think we then go back and we see Leona’s horse making her way up the winding switchback trail up back towards the lightning barrier. You get to the top, and Arlene, you can see the gap in the lightning barrier. You guide Silvermist towards it and through, and within seconds of stepping back into Imperial City Leona… whatever adrenaline or just willpower was keeping her upright, it’s like ‘okay, made it back,’ and she just passes out, slumps forward over the horse.
Minna (as Arlene): Okay… Okay. Hang on. We’re almost there.
Rhi: As soon as that happens, almost before Arlene can react, there’s other Breakers rushing over to ease Leona off the horse. Most of them are obviously very focused on taking care of her, but one of them will reach up to offer a hand to help Arlene. I think it’s somebody that you’ve seen around but you don’t necessarily remember her name. She reaches up.
Rhi (as Breaker): It’s okay. We’ve got her. You can hop down now. Okay?
Rhi: Just kinda like… “you are in shock.”
Minna: Yeah. Arlene takes the hand and slides down. Her eyes are mostly on Leona, but she gives her a grateful look briefly.
Rhi: I think this woman who I’m now picturing as a little bit older, still rocking the cowboy aesthetic, is gonna be like:
Rhi (as Breaker): Okay. You sit over here, and let’s get you some water. There’s a lot of blood on you. Is any of it yours?
Minna (as Arlene): No, I’m fine.
Rhi (as Breaker): Okay.
Rhi: [laughs] Just kind of like, “you’re in shock, and we’re just gonna… just wanna make sure you’re not also suffering from horrible chest wounds that we don’t know about.”
Minna: I think Arlene looks her straight in the eyes.
Minna (as Arlene): I am not injured, and I’ll be fine. Just take care of her.
Rhi (as Breaker): Okay.
Rhi: You are handed a hip flask that does not contain water.
Minna: She takes a good little chug of that.
Rhi: Yeah. It’s clear that emergency first aid is being done on Leona. I think by the time that the rest of you get up into Imperial City Leona is still unconscious but she’s being loaded onto a… actually, they’d probably have a… I think they actually had somebody get a—they found somebody who can drive a car, and they are loading Leona into the back to drive her to a doctor. Despite the blood stain on the cobblestones back here, that same Breaker will come over and tell Arlene:
Rhi (as Breaker): She’s gonna be fine. Pretty sure. We got her stitched up for now, but we’ll just need to get her somewhere to deal with things a little bit more. Do you want to come with us, or…?
Rhi: She’s kind of looking from Arlene to the rest of the group that is just coming through and dismounting.
Minna (as Arlene): Darling, I’m going with her.
Aki (as Darling): Go, go. You know where to find me.
Rhi: Arlene, you can hop into the car. I think one of the other—well, no, Ibrahim has to wrap up this job. One of the other Breakers is gonna hop in as well, whichever person they found who can drive, because God knows not many of the Breakers can.
[laughter]
Arlene heads off, and yeah, the rest of you are able to dismount from your horses. The four workers who had a lot more excitement in their escape than they were hoping for are looking around at the city. One of them is like:
Rhi (as worker): Any of you know Bonestown at all?
Josie (as Echo): I know it a little bit. Do you need to get somewhere?
Rhi (as worker): [exhales] There used to be this little bakery down along the river that did these scones with cinnamon and dried fruit.
Josie (as Echo): Oh! Yes, I remember those.
Rhi (as worker): Is it still there?
Josie (as Echo): No idea. Let’s find out.
Rhi (as worker): Sounds good.
Rhi: So yeah. Echo, if you wanna… yeah. Some money changes hands, but yeah, basically at this point the Breakers are like “alright, we got you into the city. This was our part of the contract.” But yeah, Echo, you came into, like… your entrance and exit point from the city was basically in Bonestown so you don’t have far to go if you wanted to walk people in that direction.
Josie: Yeah, I’ll do that.
Rhi: Yeah. So Echo can head off with the newly freed mining workers, and Ibrahim will come up to Darling and Val.
Rhi (as Ibrahim): So, at some point we’re probably gonna have some questions about what ‘that’ was all about.
Kim: Val looks pointedly at Darling.
Rhi (as Ibrahim): But, quite frankly, that conversation is a little above my paygrade, so at the moment… here.
Rhi: He will hand over your half of the take.
Rhi (as Ibrahim): Seven coin, as we agreed. It got a little messier than we’d hoped, but you did as we asked, you got everybody out.
Aki (as Darling): I’m going to make it very easy for you. I’ll just take the money, for the group, say thank you. Hopefully we do not have to see each other again.
Rhi (as Ibrahim): Okay…
Aki (as Darling): Oh, I don’t mean it in a mean way, by the way. I just mean you look stressed.
Rhi (as Ibrahim): Yeah. This has been kind of a rough couple days. I’m gonna go sleep.
Aki: Oh. I realized I didn’t hit my push to talk. I give them a nod and will go tend to my Pearl.
Rhi: Yeah. So yeah, with that, you’ve finished this job, have evaded the market assassins once again, and it only took Arlene’s girlfriend getting shot a lot.
Kim: Ugh…
## Downtime
Rhi: Okay. So, we’ll do our downtime scenes, and we’re gonna start with Echo. In the few days after this Deathlands outing, where do we find Echo?
Josie: Echo is missing someone important to her, and after Arlene’s girlfriend got shot she’s a little just irrationally worried. She’s heading over to Dunmore Ridge, which on the map that’s kinda sandwiched between Corvis Row and Bayrise and the bay, and it’s one of the very upscale parts of town.
Rhi: Mm-hmm.
Josie: I think we cut to Echo having jumped on top of a building in Corvis Row, looking across the street at probably a four or five story tall building. I imagine it’s not like a manor in the traditional sense, but you know, it’s normal businesses along the bottom but the rich people own all the space on the higher floors to have pseudo-mansions.
Rhi: Yeah.
Josie: Because turns out Echo and her girlfriend are kind of in a princess and the pauper situation, and her family is very wealthy. So, I think she’s kind of looking in the windows of the upper half of this building, looking to see if she’s around, if she can see in. Is she okay? Is she still in school or did she graduate? I’m not entirely sure.
Rhi: Yeah. I think that you see… You have to hang out up there for a little bit, probably getting increasingly anxious as you scan these windows, but eventually you see a familiar figure pass in front of one of the windows, and then you can track until Tabby reaches her little library that she has.
You move along the roof so that you can see in. She sets down a big stack of books on her desk and seems to be talking to somebody else in the room. Eventually you see her wave, and she sits down at the desk and pulls one of the books off the stack and leans forward and is reading, doing that thing, you’re guessing, where she traces a finger along each line so that she can keep her place.
You can’t, uh… you don’t really see her move out from that, like where she’s just reading, but the little bell chime that you keep in your chest, you hear and feel it ring a little bit.
Josie: [whimpers] I think Echo puts a hand on her chest, because that’s similar to a heartbeat for her now, and I think she just lays on the roof there for a little bit, just relieved that she’s safe… and still ringing the bell.
Rhi: So, from there, we go over to Darling’s house where I assume one adolescent tiger is being very fussed over.
Aki: Absolutely. Which is, like… okay. Pearl totally… We’re not fussing over her in the living room, we are fussing over her in the equivalent of a full-on full bathroom, because tigers like to cool off, and I think Pearl really wants to cool off. Right?
Rhi: Mm-hmm. Oh, yeah-yeah-yeah.
Aki: Pearl is chilling in a nice tub. Okay? And Darling is chilling with her. Darling probably has a glass of wine or something like that. They’re literally just chilling. Darling’s probably reading a book to Pearl.
Rhi: Aww.
Aki: Teenagers are so lax on their education. [laughs] So, Darling’s gotta keep her up, but Pearl’s like “mom, I got hurt,” and she’s like okay, okay, I’ll read. So yeah, we’re just reading a book.
Rhi: “Mom… I’m a tiger. I don’t, I can’t… I don’t know what words mean.”
Aki: “Mom, please, I don’t know what taxes are. I know you’re upset about them all the time.”
Rhi: So yeah, this is the scene that Val is joining.
Kim: Yeah. Am I already in the house?
Rhi: I’ll leave it up to the two of you if Val is already there, if Val is knocking, if Val has been given a key.
Aki: Ooh, that’s a good question. Um… I’m honestly okay with whatever you’d like, whatever you think Val has.
Kim: Eh… How long have we known each other at this point do you think?
Aki: I don’t know what the passage of time is in here. But, we’ve been through a whole season’s worth of events and then some. I don’t think it’s a year yet. I think we’re really close though.
Rhi: Yeah.
Kim: Yeah. The way that I see it, and feel free to correct me if I’m wrong… Darling seems smart enough to just not give away the keys to her home residence right away even after a year, so I’m okay with just showing up and having Val knock.
Aki: Yeah, that’s fine with me.
Kim: Cool. We’ll do that. So… podcast voice. There’s going to be a knock at the door, then, at Darling’s residence.
Aki: In which case Darling will close the book, let Pearl chill with… just let Pearl chill, honestly, and she’ll be sure to put the wine glass outside of the room, like on a counter outside, because I don’t trust this young lady to not take a sip.
[laughter]
Rhi: More likely is that a big cat paw would just bat it off the sink, but…
Aki: I know, but just… The best way to put it is, now that I think about Pearl as a teenager, I think of Pearl as an actual teenager. So, I’m treating her like a teenager. [laughs] Yeah, I’ll go look at the peep hole before letting Val in.
Kim: Yeah. I’m picturing them wearing a long coat, hands shoved in their pockets and their face looking kind of grim.
Aki: I don’t open the door completely. I want to say it’s like halfway open.
Aki (as Darling): Oh? I didn’t expect you here. Come in. Come in. Would you like some tea?
Kim (as Val): No, thanks, that’s alright. How’s the cat?
Aki (as Darling): Oh, she’s… I think “I’m” the clingy one, but she’s doing fine. She’ll be fine after a few days of lazing about. She’s currently soaking, so we have quite a bit of time.
Kim (as Val): I was in the area. Just got back from seeing Arlene and Leona. I heard she pulled through…
Aki (as Darling): Yes. I… I think I’ve been meaning to visit, but I’d rather not. Not because it’s standoffish, but rather… I think Arlene needs this time. You know?
Kim (as Val): Maybe so, maybe not. That’s kind of between you two. I more so came here to talk about the job.
Aki (as Darling): Ah. Yes. What about it?
Kim (as Val): Uh…
Kim: Could Val take a seat somewhere?
Aki: Yeah, of course. Oh God, yeah. I forgot. I’ve been thinking this whole time Darling has basically been gesturing you to sit. [laughs]
Kim: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Kim (as Val): So those are more of your assassin buddies, right? I got that?
Aki (as Darling): Yes, though a completely different faction from the ones that we’ve dealt with before. Surprisingly, we’re much more cordial.
Kim (as Val): That was cordial?
Aki (as Darling): It was a job, which it would appear that the spice Market takes very seriously. Good for them, but I mean, bad for us.
Kim (as Val): Do you know how many factions there are?
Aki (as Darling): Yes… Yes, I do. Where exactly they’re located is a little bit rougher, because you know, we don’t go announcing things, but there should be five, roughly.
Kim (as Val): Five?
Aki (as Darling): Yes.
Kim (as Val): Alright.
Aki (as Darling): Please don’t ask me on the size. Sizes fluctuate with years.
Kim (as Val): I’m just trying to make heads or tails of what we’re up against, because you told us you had this tailing you, that’s fine, do what you need to do… I’m just trying to figure out what we’re up against.
Aki (as Darling): Hmm. Well… I suppose there’s no need for me to keep it all to myself. You’re up against, uh… deep shit, dear. I honestly didn’t think that we would be expanding to more. I thought it would stick with just the two factions, mine and Flower, but truthfully it’s a nice… I shouldn’t say nice. It is like a shadow market full of assassins. Highly trained, though our current encounters probably don’t look like that, but I promise most of the time they are, so do not be… do not slack.
Kim (as Val): In any case… the Breakers weren’t a part of this, and I know you couldn’t have foreseen this, but if this happens again, we need to do a better job at just protecting who’s with us.
Aki (as Darling): Mm-hmm. Yes. Which I did until Leona showed up suddenly. Can’t really stop something that’s on horse. It’s not her fault. I sound like I’m blaming her. I really am not. It’s just…
Kim (as Val): Leona’s actions were her own. We can leave it at that. [exhales] Frickin’ A. The Breakers should not have been a part of this.
Aki (as Darling): I am aware. It just happened. I’m not sure what you’re trying to insinuate here.
Kim (as Val): [stammers] I’m not trying to insinuate anything. I’m just saying there were innocent people and you just struck me as a bit careless. I’m not disparaging you, I’m not trying to point fingers, say what’s right, what’s wrong… I’m just saying this was a close shave, could have been a lot worse.
Aki (as Darling): My dear, have you been here this whole time? I mean, in this city.
Kim (as Val): [exhales]
Aki (as Darling): Do the people not take advantage of each other here? My god, there is literally mafia faction wars. Innocents get hurt all the time. Of course I’m not picking out innocent people per se, it’s just… it’s going to happen.
Kim (as Val): I know it’s gonna happen. It has happened. It’s gonna keep happening. All I’m trying to say is that… sometimes we do have a little bit of control of how many bodies we leave behind us.
Aki (as Darling): Yes, and I only left behind theirs. You see, you’re saying you’re not blaming me, but you’re clearly blaming me.
Kim: I think what happens is Val just kind of shrugs and concedes this.
Kim (as Val): I guess… the Darling I saw that other night is different than something I’d seen so far, which is fine. I just… we need to be on the same team.
Aki (as Darling): We are on the same team. Have I ever done anything outwardly threatening towards you or Echo or Arlene?
Kim (as Val): No.
Aki (as Darling): Exactly. This isn’t a matter of sides, it’s a matter of… honestly, petty vengeance is how it feels to me, but we are on the same side. If we weren’t, you would know.
Kim (as Val): Heh… Oh, you’re right about that.
Aki (as Darling): This Darling you said you’ve seen, you should count yourself quite lucky that you live, or rather grew, where you did and that you were loved enough or important enough or “seen” enough to have not been a target. Unwanted children or unimportant children or just children in general sell very well on the market. You were just more important enough to not be noticed, or you were noticed grandly and so they left you be. Do not tell me about sides.
Aki: I take a sip of the wine. [laughs]
Kim (as Val): The fuckers you went after got what they deserved. There’s no argument there. I’m just trying to make sure there’s as minimal collateral as we can.
Aki (as Darling): Good to note. I can’t promise that, though.
Kim (as Val): I’m not asking you to. I’m just… it’s my job, I guess.
Rhi: We fade out from Darling’s house and this tense conversation over to… I’m gonna say Leona’s apartment. I think she’s resting up there. In a reversal of not very long ago, she’s stuck in bed while Arlene is fussing over her. What do we think we find the two of them doing at this point other than Leona sulking about the fact that she can’t get out of bed?
Minna: I feel like Arlene’s trying to make up for this sulking by playing cards with her in bed, so they’ve got cards laid out on the bedspread.
Rhi: Yeah. The whole game Leona has been a little distracted. I think you picked this game because you know that it’s one that Leona is very good at and should be winning, and she is not. [laughs] She’s just not paying attention.
Minna: Yeah. I think we see Arlene kinda go…
Minna (as Arlene): Ha! Wait… did I really just win? Leona, are you okay?
Rhi: Leona looks at the bandages on her shoulder and chest.
Rhi (as Leona): I mean, I’ve been better. Uh… but yeah, no, you won.
Minna (as Arlene): I don’t know, you just seem kind of distracted, not in a pain medicine way.
Rhi (as Leona): [sighs]
Rhi: She starts gathering up the cards.
Rhi (as Leona): Who the hell was that out there?
Minna (as Arlene): Like, the…?
Rhi (as Leona): Shooting at everyone. Shooting at me. There shouldn’t have been anybody else out there. The only threat should have been the guards, and those weren’t guards.
Minna (as Arlene): You know sometimes people go out of their way to, uh… you know, settle scores.
Rhi (as Leona): So who needed to settle a score?
Minna (as Arlene): Um, they’re uh… they’re pretty mad about, like, not getting what they want.
Rhi (as Leona): Arlene, I don’t mean to be blunt, but I got shot. I’d kinda like a little more specifics.
Minna (as Arlene): Yeah, I know. Sorry. Oh god, I can’t believe they shot you. When I saw you fall, I just… Okay. So, me and Darling are kind of traitors. Not to like a king, to people that we were sworn to serve.
Rhi (as Leona): Um… who were those people? The only thing I can think of where a traitor would come in would be the Emperor.
Minna (as Arlene): No, not the Emperor.
Rhi (as Leona): That’s good.
Minna (as Arlene): I mean, I’m sure you’ve noticed that I, uh… I’ve been with Darling for a long time. She trained me. We’re assassins?
Rhi (as Leona): Oh…
Rhi: Leona leans back against the headboard.
Rhi (as Leona): So you worked for some assassin group and left? Is that…?
Minna (as Arlene): Yeah, and you’re not supposed to do that. That’s super not allowed. It’s pretty much stay with them or die. Probably stay with them and die, also. That’s also a thing that happens a lot. And Darling got kind of fed up with that happening, so she took me and we left.
Rhi: Leona is quiet for a while, and doesn’t look upset, it just sort of looks like she’s thinking very hard and is processing all of this. [laughs]
Minna: I think she’s nervously talking to fill the silence.
Minna (as Arlene): So like, uh… I mean, I figured you’ve lived a pretty dangerous life and you’re used to dangerous people, and I figured it would be… I don’t know. You kind of get me in a way I didn’t expect. I don’t know. But, if it’s not gonna be cool that they’re coming after me, and you’re possibly going to be there when it happens, then that’s… I understand that.
Rhi: I think that finally snaps Leona out of her thinking.
Rhi (as Leona): What? No! No. That’s not… I was mostly just processing the fact that my girlfriend is an ex-assassin. That’s like, I mean…
Minna (as Arlene): I didn’t finish my training. I don’t know if that makes it better or worse.
Rhi (as Leona): It’s not… I just… [exhales] I knew that we hadn’t really talked about where you come from, and I knew some bad shit had happened, I just didn’t realize that it was like this.
Minna (as Arlene): It’s not that bad. I mean, nothing bad happened to me. I’m fine. Darling got me out, and now we’re here, and it’s a lot better here.
Rhi (as Leona): Yeah. Remind me to thank Darling next time I see her.
Minna (as Arlene): Well, maybe don’t do that. … I mean, it’s not that I think she’ll be weird about it – I mean, she might be weird about it, she’s pretty weird – just that… I don’t know. We don’t talk about it a lot, I guess. Obviously we talk about it, but I don’t know how she’d feel about me talking about it to other people besides our crew. But like, I’ve let you know… I should have told you sooner.
Rhi: She nods a little, more thoughtful than anything.
Rhi (as Leona): I mean… even if I’d known, I don’t think it would have made a difference out there. I heard gunshots. I was still gonna come running your way. But you know, now that I do know, I can be a little more prepared.
Rhi: She’s just gonna reach over and take your hand.
Minna: I think Arlene just kinda goes [whines] and leans over and holds her hand and puts her forehead down on their joined hands, relieved.
Rhi: Aww. Yeah. You feel her move a little bit and then she’s like:
Rhi (as Leona): Come over here. I can’t move to hug you.
Minna: Arlene climbs up next to her, being very careful about jostling her.
Minna (as Arlene): Well, the good news is that I think Darling’s okay with you now.
Rhi (as Leona): Is it the fact that I got shot or the fact that I accepted her weird-smelling balm stuff?
Minna: [laughs] I forgot about the fire balm.
Minna (as Arlene): It’s the fact that she shot the person who shot you. So, hey.
Rhi (as Leona): Oh. Okay. Can I thank her for that?
Minna (as Arlene): Probably.
Rhi (as Leona): Okay.
Minna (as Arlene): I think she was also looking for an excuse, but it’s still a good sign anyway. That’s probably… I just rolled that back in my head. That is sort of a weird thing to say, isn’t it?
Rhi (as Leona): A little bit, yeah.
Minna (as Arlene): Eh… I don’t have a good gauge.
Rhi (as Leona): How long were you there?
Minna (as Arlene): Eleven or twelve years, maybe? Maybe a little more, maybe a little less. I don’t remember what age I was. I knew my name. I could read.
Rhi (as Leona): So they just… How did you end up there if you were…?
Minna (as Arlene): We had too many kids in the family, and somebody came offering a lot of money, and it’s not like they could turn it down. I guess it’s like an apprenticeship, sort of.
Rhi: Leona is giving you a very horrified expression that says “no honey, it’s not like an apprenticeship.” [laughs]
Rhi (as Leona): That’s, um… Arlene, that’s really fucked up. I’m not blaming you or anything, but that’s horrible.
Minna (as Arlene): It was fine. I had Darling.
Rhi: Leona is still giving you a look that says “it’s really not fine” but is not gonna push it, and pulls you into a one-armed hug again.
Minna: I think Arlene’s a little bit spiky right now with her ears around her shoulders because a lot of her fineness right now hinges on that all having been fine and we’re just not gonna think about it, or the fact that it could be horrifying. [laughs]
Rhi: Yeah. Yeah, it’s fine. It has to be fine, because if it’s not fine then I have to unpack it, and I don’t want to do that!
Minna: So I think she just snuggles in and puts her face somewhere hidden.
Minna (as Arlene): [softly] Can we not talk about this anymore?
Rhi (as Leona): Yeah.
Rhi: Leona will rest her chin on top of Arlene’s head.
Rhi (as Leona): I think I’m gonna take another nap.
Minna (as Arlene): Okay. Don’t almost die again on me.
Rhi (as Leona): As long as you promise to not almost die on me.
Minna (as Arlene): I will do my best.
Rhi (as Leona): Me too.
Minna (as Arlene): [contented sigh] Okay.
## Outro [01.31.21]
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, our Twitter @clever_corvids, and our Tumblr at tumblr.com/clevercorvids.
The City That Never Dies is GM’d and edited by Rhi. She loves dice and daydreaming about RPG characters. 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. Minna is a lover of collaborative and audio-based storytelling. You can hear her elsewhere in Demon: Love and Hellfire. You can also find her on Twitter @mynaminnarr, where she is almost certainly talking about fanfiction.
Darling Tsering is played by Aki. Aki is a queer, 1st generation Asian-Canadian game designer, tabletop performer, and all around content creator. Find her on Twitter @akinomii_art for more TTRPG Content.
Echo is played by Josie. Josie is a lesbian and a literal actual dragon. You can hear her GMing another Clever Corvids show, Demon: Love and Hellfire. You can find her on Twitter @dragongirljosie, the Love and Hellfire Twitter @Love_Hellfire, and check out her art at josie-art.com.
Valerie Sullivan is played by Kim. Kim is a bisexual illustrator and performer. Find him on Twitter and Tumblr @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.
If you’d like to dedicate a personal message to a friend, family member, gaming group, or other special Clever Corvids fan in your life, you can do so right here! Visit clevercorvids.net and click on Jumbotron Messages under the Support Us menu to buy your very own message. As always, thanks to all our Patreon backers, whose ongoing support makes this show possible.
## Bloopers [01.33.54]
Rhi: Three, two, one, sync.
Kim: Sync.
Josie: Sync.
Minna: Sync.
Aki: Oops!
Rhi: Aki, you’re not even trying anymore.
Kim: “Oops.”
Aki: [giggles] I was gonna say jump-scare, but that’s too long.
Kim: Oh.
Aki: So instead you get “oops!”