Transcribed by Michelle Kelly.
## Intro
Rhi: Welcome back to Imperial City. As always, thank you so much for joining us. And thank you for your understanding, support, and kindness during our very sudden hiatus. I’m still getting back into the swing of things, slowly, and it might take longer than usual for me to respond to messages or post updates. But we are back, and we’ve got lots of exciting things planned for the coming weeks and months–including one very big project that we’ll be officially announcing next episode. So stay tuned for that!
In addition, next week, our Court of Blades mini series will kick off! The first episode will go live next Thursday. I can’t wait for you all to hear it.
Next, Aki’s going to tell us about this month’s featured charity.
Aki: Hey, it’s Aki, and our chosen charity of the month is Red Canary Song, a grassroots collective of Asian and migrant sex workers organizing trans-nationally. Red Canary Song centers base-building with migrant workers through a labor rights framework and mutual aid. We believe that full decriminalization is necessary for labor organizing and anti-trafficking. As May is Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, what better way to promote the cause than one that affects my people directly? Get involved now by visiting redcanarysong.net. That is redcanarysong.net. Thanks.
Rhi: And finally, thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, this episode is sponsored by the Sundown RPG, created by L.A. Wilga. Sundown is a transhumanist science-fantasy game that smashes together genres and twists tropes with wild abandon. Pulling themes from cyberpunk, fantasy, and weird westerns, Sundown follows heroes who modify their bodies to better fight the monsters that prey on the frontier settlements that dot the world.
The system is rules-light and narrative focused, and is expressly focused on marginalized identities, specifically queer and disabled ones. The player characters in Sundown are outsiders, changelings and drifters, straddling the line between badass and pariah with every mission and every settlement. The book also features a richly developed setting, including a short story about the massive, monstrous Frogbeasts that plague the roads to really help you get a feel for the world.
You can buy Sundown on the creator’s itch.io page, which is linked in the description. And 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.
Now then. Let’s get started, shall we?
## Story continues [00.03.30]
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] Alright. So, Echo has brought change of clothes, so you all can swap into stuff. I’m imagining stuff you can just put on over top of like, what you’re already wearing, right?
Kim: Yeah.
Josie: It’s nothing fancy, so sorry, Darling. [laughs]
Rhi: [laughs] Alright, so you can slip inside and, um, Raine kinda picked your entry point very well. This is the, like, economy class, effectively, dining car. Or at least, one of them. There’s probably a few. So, it’s— the lighting is not great, it’s very crowded, it’s very loud, um, and there’s a ton of people, so nobody really notices another four people slipping in. Now your challenge is find the stuff.
Kim: Yeah, were we given a description as to what the crate might look like? Or the cargo?
Rhi: Yeah, so it’s, um, three crates. They’re gonna have the Athanock logo on them. Raine’s pretty sure they’re in the, you know, secure shipping area, which is somewhere… in this part of the train.
Josie: Mm hmm. Okay. Um, I think we might be able to just get away with looking around for a little bit.
Aki: Mm hmm. Technically the cargo’s not a person, but the logo is something specific if you’ll let me Hunt that?
Rhi: Yes, yeah. I think Hunt is fine here.
Aki: Thank you.
Rhi: So yeah, do you all kinda wanna fan out and take your own approaches? Make your way through the car?
Kim: Yeah.
Rhi: Or through the train?
Josie: Let’s split up gang, we’ll cover more ground that way.
Kim: Zoinks!
Rhi: Nothing ever bad has happened to people who split up.
Aki: This is Blades, it is at least a lot easier to split the party.
Rhi: It is.
Aki: And be like, “We won’t die.”
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: Yeah. Okay, so Darling is going to be Hunting. This, I think, is going to be risky, standard.
Aki: [rolls dice] Okay. Well, now I’m gonna— [rolls dice] Okay. [rolls dice] Yeah, okay, okay, yeah no, um—
Rhi: [laughs]
Aki: Two 6s. I rolled two 6s twice and then I went, wait a minute, did I just like, cock it? And the answer was no. I proceeded to roll two more 6s. Unless… [rolls dice] That’s a 3. So… [laughs]
Kim: Don’t push your luck!
Aki: I… I won’t, but I thought maybe I actually hit it or something.
Rhi: Okay. So, critical success. [laughs]
Aki: Good lord, right?
Rhi: Let me think… you do it with increased effect… okay, so here’s what it is. You are looking around for, you know, this company logo and you find it on the jumpsuit of the two guards who are stationed at the door at the end of this particular train car that you’re on. I think this is just like, a viewing car. It’s a lounge. And these two guards with the Athanock company logo are stationed by the door. Darling, as you’re kind of watching you see a couple kids who are just kind of running around playing get close to that area and one of the guards, like, steps out with his hands up like:
Rhi (as Guard): Whoa, whoa, whoa. Careful guys, you can’t come too close to this door. It’s a secure area back here, real special stuff. Don’t want any of it to get broken. So why don’t you guys head that way?
Rhi: And they look a little disappointed that they can’t see all the cool special stuff, but run off in the other direction down the train car. And so, the guards kinda return to their posts and they’re like, both leaning against the wall on either side of the door and like, it’s clear that they’re both tired. They’re shifting their weight, like, trying to stay awake. There’s some yawning. The fact that there’s company guards outside this train car probably means that the stuff they’re protecting is in that car.
Minna: Mm hmm. And they said it was like, delicate stuff, too.
Rhi: Mm hmm.
Josie: And this is just at the other end of the dining car?
Rhi: No, no, no, Darling has to go a few cars down.
Josie: Oh, okay. Gotcha.
Rhi: Yeah, I’m imagining that like, I mean, quite a few cars down actually, I’m thinking, but like— what I’m picturing, the way this is set up is, um, there’s kind of the— to use my knowledge of the Titanic’s… [laughs]
Kim: Oh no.
Rhi: Levels of passenger areas, this is the third class area. The dining car you all come into is in the third class area. It’s very crowded, you don’t have private rooms, you get a seat and you just kinda wedge yourselves in and you’re stuck there for however many days it takes you to make your trip. Then there’s the second class area which is a little bit nicer. There’s some private rooms available, nicer dining area, nicer lounge car. Then on the other side of the secure shipping stuff is first class, which is very nice and expensive. So, cause you have to separate the first class people from the rabble by all means necessary. We can’t let them know that poor people exist. They’ll get the vapors. Basically, you all have to go several cars up, but you can find the door that will lead you to your prize. You just have to get in there. Cause it’s a lounge car, it’s not empty. There are civilians about. And there’s two guards.
Josie: I want to open a window and then act like I’m getting some fresh air.
Rhi: Uh huh?
Josie: And then I want to have a gadget.
Rhi: [intrigued] Tell me about your gadget.
Kim: Go, go, gadget.
Josie: So, I think this is a very simple gadget. It’s just like a wired motor with a winding thing. And it just has a small little mallet on a lever. So, you wind it up and it just starts thumping, right?
Rhi: Uh huh.
Josie: It starts going [whirring noises] so if it’s hitting something it’ll sound like thumping, right?
Rhi: Yeah.
Josie: And I wanna just try and chuck it onto— what’s the between the cars section like? Is it like, exposed with platforms or is it like, sealed in?
Rhi: At this point it’s, uh… it’s got like an enclosure over it. But it’s the kinda thing where— it’s an enclosure that a little device could land on.
Josie: Okay. I wanna try and chuck this little thing onto the top of the enclosure.
Rhi: Okay. Let me…
Josie: Between this car and the storage car.
Rhi: Gotcha.
Josie: My goal here is trying to make them think someone is thudding on the other side of the door, hoping that they open it?
Rhi: Yeah, yeah, no I like this. I’m trying to find… here we go. I just wanna get a sense of… yeah. I think this is… yeah. That seems like a reasonable little gadget that you could have that wouldn’t require a whole crafting sequence to go through. So, I think the roll here is gonna be making that throw.
Josie: Okay. Um, what makes sense for that, do you think?
Rhi: Oh heavens, I haven’t the faintest. Um…
Aki: Finesse?
Kim: [posh voice] “Oh, good heavens!”
Rhi: Finesse?
Aki: Finesse I think sounds…
Rhi: Yeah, Finesse. And I think this is gonna be… man, what is this gonna be?
Minna: Seems like it’s probably controlled, but the effect might not be…
Rhi: Well, hmm. I don’t think it’s controlled, cause this is— I think this is risky.
Minna: I mean, if it misses, what happens, is the thing?
Aki: It falls off the train.
Rhi: So, for me it’s less… this is more like, it’s partly can you do it and partly can you do it without being seen.
Minna: Mm.
Rhi: So there’s a stealth—
Josie: Guess I gotta lean out the window.
Rhi: I would actually— I would say Finesse or Prowl here, cause there is a stealth element to this.
Josie: Uh, I’m gonna roll with Finesse.
Rhi: I think this is gonna be risky, reduced.
Josie: Okay.
Rhi: You can push yourself if you wanna up the effect.
Josie: What does a Devil’s Bargain look like?
Rhi: Oh, I know, I’ll just draw on one of my own annoying train experiences. A small child is gonna come sit next to you and insist on talking to you.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: Like, you make this throw and then this kid is gonna come up and be like, “Hi.”
Kim: “I’m four.”
Josie: I will take this Devil’s Bargain. [laughs] I will take this Devil’s Bargain.
Rhi: And you’re just gonna have a kid following you around.
Josie: So, I’m increasing my effect in exchange for child.
Rhi: Mm hmm.
Josie: Um… [laughs]
Minna: [laughs]
Josie: [strained] That’s a 2.
Rhi: Okay.
Minna: [sighs]
Josie: Not doing good tonight.
Rhi: Okay, so I think the result here is you lose this opportunity. And I think the way that this plays out is you’re, you know, you’ve opened the window, you’re kind of gazing out. It’s actually a pretty nice view from up here. You can see out to the water, you can see the light from the lighthouse on the other side of the bay, you can see Devil’s Tooth island in the distance, lights form some ships, and you’ve got your little gadget in your hand and you’re leaning out the window, and just as you throw it, there’s a:
Rhi (as Child): What’s wrong with your neck?
Rhi: And you just kind of startle and this little device just goes flying off.
Josie: Echo immediately snaps back in down to her seat.
Josie (as Echo): Nothing’s wrong with my neck.
Rhi (as Child): You’ve got like, a metal bit in your neck.
Josie (as Echo): Oh. That is… it’s… I hurt my neck? And that is to fix it.
Rhi (as Child): How’d you hurt your neck?
Josie (as Echo): I fell down.
Rhi (as Child): What were you doing?
Rhi: This goes on for a while.
Josie: [laughs] And Echo’s not a great liar, so she’s just sorta like, she looks very like an animal pinned.
Rhi: Yeah. And every time you give, like, a very short vague answer the kid just keeps asking you for more and more details. So, Echo has been pinned down by a deeply inquisitive child.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: What would the rest of you like to do to try to get into the next car where your treasures await you?
Aki: In terms of the placement of the door, does the door lead to another cart or another room in the same cart?
Rhi: Uh, it leads to another car.
Kim: Would it be helpful if I Consorted with the guards as a distraction for the party?
Rhi: You could probably do that once you figure out what they’re doing that needs a distraction, but yeah, that would probably help.
Kim: Yeah.
Aki: Well, if it’s in another— if it’s in another cart, theoretically all— we’re still on top of the train. We just—
Rhi: No, you’re inside the train now.
Aki: Oh, we’re inside the train now. Oh dear.
Rhi: You are inside the train. You could try to find your way back out and be back on top of the, or the outside of the train if you so desired. It would just have to be some rolls.
Aki: Feel like that might be the best way to go about it, like if somebody wants to do the distracting, being Val.
Kim: Yeah.
Aki: And then I’m pretty sure Arlene is much more limber than Darling, but Darling’s pretty fit too, y’all. So like, those two would be the best to just break in to the other car.
Minna: Yeah, we should. And I have fine lock picks. I don’t have that much in Tinker, but I can like, push myself and shit.
Aki: Mm hmm.
Rhi: So, it’s not like, open air between the cars, there’s like a little enclosure, but it is something like— it’s, you know, not canvas, but a heavy, flexible fabric.
Aki: Oh, I see what you’re saying.
Rhi: Yeah. But, so, like— you could cut through it, but it’s, you know, there’s some steps involved. But yeah, if you two wanted to try and slip back out and sneak in, you could give that a shot.
Aki: Mm hmm, mm hmm. I’m cool with that.
Rhi: Okay. So, let’s start with actually Val, because this, I think, is gonna be a set-up action. Yeah, anybody who follows through on your maneuver can get +1 effect or improved position for their roll. Basically, you’re gonna distract the guards and Darling and Arlene will have an easier time making their rolls. So, tell me about how you’re chatting with these guards to distract them.
Kim: I think Val is just gonna stroll right on up to these guys and start shooting the shit and chatting about the latest Thundergoats game.
Rhi: Yeah, okay. Give me a roll.
Kim: [rolls dice] Oh. Val is as bad at talking about sports as I am talking about a sports. My highest was a 3.
Rhi: Oh no. Okay, so I think you come over and start trying to chat them up and you basically get the same response that they gave to the little kids who were running around.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: It’s like:
Rhi (as Guard): Sorry, this is a secure area. We really can’t talk right now. Would love to catch a lectric cross game while we’re here, but you know, we’re working. So you’ll need to return to your seat, thank you.
Rhi: And basically just completely brush you off.
Kim: Bummer.
Rhi: They are not any more distracted when, um, yeah, I think I just need a roll for like, Arlene and Darling kind of getting out of this car, sneaking out around the outside and getting into the little passway between the two cars without being detected.
Aki: Prowl, yes?
Minna: Yeah, this seems like a Prowl.
Aki: Mm hmm.
Rhi: Yeah. You can group action it if you would like.
Minna: How’s your stress, Darling?
Aki: I have— I only have one stress. Every time I was like, “Oh, I can lead,” it was just you and Kim battling it out like, “No, I’m gonna lead!”
[laughter]
Aki: And I was like— it’s fine.
Minna: It makes sense if Darling leads, narratively.
Aki: I’m okay with leading. Come, my child.
Rhi: Okay. Yeah. So go ahead, this is gonna be risky, standard for this part.
Minna: [rolls dice] Jesus fucking Christ, I cannot roll today. It is a 3.
Aki: Oh thank God I can. It’s a 5.
Rhi: Okay. Alright, so Darling takes one point of stress, but with a 5 I think what happens is right as you two slip into the, you know, you cut through this canvas and crawl inside the little enclosure, far up ahead, the train engine whistle blares a couple times and the train starts rattling forward as we are gonna tick that clock up one more time. Train is in motion, you’re gonna be crossing the bridge over the bay and heading into Beacon Hill and Bayrise. This is the part where you kind of can’t get off of the train, so good luck.
Aki: Yep, yep, yep.
Rhi: I mean, you can. You can always leave the train. It’s just a question of what state you’re in when you hit the ground.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: So, you’re both kinda wedged in this little space. Darling very much wedged. There’s not a lot of room for height and tails in here. But yeah, you’ve got a pretty secure-looking, heavy-duty door in front of you, if Arlene wants to get in there with some lockpicks.
Minna: Yeah, let’s try this.
Aki: Do you want help?
Minna: How are you going to help me?
Aki: Motherly words of encouragement.
Minna: [laughs]
Rhi: [laughs]
Minna: You know, I’ll take it.
Aki: [laughs]
M [laughs] Is it okay if I also push myself?
Rhi: Yeah, you can combo those. Push yourself, so uh, Arlene, two points of stress. Darling, take one for the assist.
Aki: I just go:
Aki (as Darling): Oh, you can do it, you can do it Arlene. Oh, I haven’t seen you pick a lock in ages! Oh!
Minna: [rolls dice] It’s a 6!
Aki: Yeah!
Minna: It got me three dice, because I only have one in Tinker.
Rhi: Yeah, Arlene, you get to work on the lock and after— you don’t hear the click because the train is so loud, but you kind of feel it when the lock gives. And you can, um, it’s a sliding door so you can slide it to the side and… Echo and Val? Do you two plan on just like, hanging out in here and being prepared to act if things go wrong in the next car?
Kim: I think that’s a good plan.
Josie: It’s not Echo’s plan, but she is dissociating somewhat.
[laughter]
Kim: Oh no, poor gal.
Rhi: Maybe Val can rescue [laughs] her from this child.
Josie: I think the child now believes that Echo has a metal brace for her neck which she got after falling down at her job at the stair factory.
Rhi: Incredible.
Josie: Which led her down a train of thought to a staring contest, which she had to remember to consciously lose.
Rhi: [laughs]
Josie: [laughs] And the questions continue.
Kim: I know that Echo can’t emote very well or much at all, but I think she still gives her equivalent of ‘help me’ eyes to Val when they approach.
Josie: Yep. [laughs] It’s a blank stare, but it’s ‘help me’.
Kim: It’s definitely ‘help me’ eyes, even though it’s a blank stare. And Val approaches and is like:
Kim (as Val): Well hi there, kiddo. Hi. Did you lose your parents?
Kim: And they’re gonna try to herd this little one away.
Rhi (as Child): No, I didn’t lose them. Mom is sleeping over there.
Rhi: Points. There’s a woman who like, she’s sound asleep but she still looks exhausted and has two other kids, one under each arm, who are also asleep.
Kim (as Val): Well, uh, is it naptime for you?
Rhi (as Child): I like your scarf.
Kim (as Val): Oh, well, thank you very much, sweetheart. But would you like to go back to your own mama and—
Rhi (as Child): No.
Josie: [laughs]
Kim (as Val): Alright, well uh, how about yous and I, uh… do you want a snack? Do you wanna go over to the snack car?
Rhi (as Child): Yes.
Kim (as Val): Alright. Come on, follow me.
Rhi (as Child): Yes, will you get me a snack?
Kim (as Val): Yeah.
Rhi: [laughs]
[laughter]
Aki: The most intense child I’ve ever heard.
Kim: This child has never heard of stranger danger, apparently.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: Uh, this kid is— has been trapped on this train for like, a week. They are so bored.
Josie: [laughs] Aww.
Kim: Yeah, Val’s gonna take them away and try and find like, the snack car or something.
Rhi: Yeah, there’s, yeah. You get them a bag of chips or something and send them on their way. That will distract them enough.
Josie (as Echo): [whispers] Thank you.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: I think as Val is leading this kid away you just hear:
Rhi (as Child): Do you work at the stair factory too?
Kim (as Val): Yes I do, in fact. How could you tell?
Rhi: [laughs]
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: Um, so—
Kim (as Val): Was my friend over there telling you all about the stair factory?
Rhi (as Child): Yeah. It seems very dangerous, she got hurt.
Kim (as Val): She did. She did. It was a horrible accident, I was there, but she made it through. She pulled through. She’s fine now.
Rhi: So, I think as Val is leading this kid away, talking about the horrors of the stair factory, we just cut back to Echo. What is Echo’s, like [laughs] body language reaction here as she is finally free?
Josie: It’s not much, it’s just as soon as they leave the car she immediately stands up super fast and is like, moves somewhere else like, “I can’t be here when they get back.”
Rhi: [laughs] “I must hide.”
Josie: “I can’t. Where did Darling and Arlene go?” [laughs]
Rhi: “Oh God. I’m alone.”
Josie: I’m gonna try and find some other nook to chill out in.
Rhi: Okay, yeah. You can.
Josie: Yeah. Maybe, like, pull something small out of my pocket and look like I’m reading. But I think I want a pistol on me, in the waistband of my pants, that I’m just sort of covering up and waiting to hear if something goes wrong so I can take them out.
Rhi: Sounds good. So, we’ll cut back over to the secure storage car. Basically, the way that this is set up is there’s three rows of, um, floor-to-ceiling metal cages that each has like, a locked dor. And you have to find the one that has your stuff in it and get it open. Without being caught, of course.
Minna: Um, I think I’m gonna do a Survey about it?
Rhi: Kay.
Aki: May I Hunt for a logo again?
Rhi: Yeah. Yeah, I’ll allow hunt. This is gonna be risky, standard for both of you.
Minna: That’s a 2, because I can only roll like trash tonight.
Rhi: Oof.
Aki: 5 is my highest again. I roll very low and then I roll a solid 5. That’s what’s been happening to me.
Rhi: [laughs] So, 2… you know, let’s just… it’s time to introduce some chaos into this. So, what I’m picturing is that, you know, there’s three rows, so there’s like two aisles on either side of the, uh, of the car. So, you two split up. Darling, you go down one side, Arlene, you go down the other. And Dalring, you find towards the end of, um, your row, a cage that has the three crates marked with this company logo. Great. Fantastic. Arlene, you’re making your way down the other side and as you’re going, the train jostles a bit, the car shakes, and you reach out and grab a bar nearby for balance and kind of yank on it, as you do. And somehow, that sets off an alarm.
Minna: [groans]
Rhi: An alarm starts blaring from inside here. So, desperate position inside the car now. Echo and Val, you have returned and gotten the child occupied with snacks. The two of you see the guards at the end both suddenly like, jolt upright and like, clearly grab for weapons and turn and start opening the door into the next car.
Josie: Uh…
Rhi: And you can very faintly hear like, an alarm blaring.
Josie: As they’re turning, I want to come back up behind one and hopefully Val can take the other, and press my pistol to the back of their head and just say:
Josie (as Echo): Easy.
Kim: That’s good.
Rhi: Yeah. You two wanna group action it?
Kim: Yeah. What are we rolling?
Josie: Yeah, let’s do it.
Rhi: Okay. I think this is Command.
Josie: Yeah, Sounds like. Neither of us are good at that? [laughs]
Kim: No, I haven’t put any ranks in Command yet. It’s ok.
Josie: Same, so I’m pushing myself. [laughs]
Rhi: Kay.
[dice shaking and rolling]
Kim: Mm.
Rhi: So, if you’re doing a group action, who’s leading?
Kim: I can lead again?
Josie: I think it can be— oh, okay, if you want.
Rhi: Alright.
Kim: Yeah.
Rhi: And let me figure out position and effect.
Kim: [whispers] I already rolled.
Rhi: Okay. Well, that’s not gonna change the position effect, I just have to figure out what it is.
[dice rolling]
Josie: [snorts]
Rhi: I think this is gonna be risky… standard.
Josie: I got a 1…
Kim: I got a 2…
Rhi: Oh no! So, Val takes two points of stress.
Kim: Yeah…
Rhi: This goes real bad. These guards had seemed very, like, sleepy and kinda affable, like, I think you two weren’t taking them very seriously. But they both whip around and like, almost in perfect sync, rip the guns out of your hands.
Kim: Oh, shit.
Rhi: And one of them, like, slams a button on the wall next to him and an alarm starts blaring all down the train.
Josie: [sucks in breath]
Kim: Fuck.
Josie: [strained] Crap.
Rhi: And the rest of the passengers, like, all wake up and, you know, there’s some screaming and panicking. And these two are gonna try to, like, take you down. They’re gonna try and pin you. They’re not— they are explicitly, like, they’d been grabbing for their guns, but as they’re moving to grab at you they are explicitly going hand-to-hand cause they don’t wanna start shooting into a car full of civilians.
Josie: Yeah.
Rhi: So, back inside the storage car, the door at the other end swings open and a pair of guards with guns come in. They had guns on both sides. So, Darling and Arlene have two armed guards inside the car with them. Val and Echo have two unarmed guards trying to tackle them to the ground. Who wants to do what?
Josie: I wanna try and pistol-whip my guy. [laughs]
Rhi: You don’t have your gun anymore, it got taken away.
Josie: Oh, it got taken. Uh…
Rhi: Yeah, he pulled it outta your hand. You can punch him.
Josie: Yeah… yeah. Or— no, you know what? I wanna like, sleeper hold him.
Rhi: Okay.
Josie: With mechanical arms I can do that pretty good, I think.
Rhi: Yeah. [laughs] Uh, yeah, so this is gonna be risky, standard. Cause you’re just trying to one-on-one fight a dude.
Josie: Skirmish I think? Since I’m not trying to like, wreck his shit. I just wanna knock him out.
Rhi: Yeah.
Josie: [laughs] [rolls dice] It’s a 3!
Rhi: Oh no…
Kim: [groans]
Rhi: I think you’re gonna take harm. You’re trying to like, get around behind this guy to get him in a chokehold and he just like, I think like, shoulder-checks you into the wall. But like, there’s, you know, a corner piece that pokes into a gap and messes up some of your gears. You’re gonna take level 2 harm.
Josie: I’m gonna invoke my natural armor for it.
Rhi: Okay. Uh, Val, what are you doing?
Kim: Yeah, I think it’s fisticuffs time. I’m also gonna try and get this dude off me. Um, this seems like a Skirmish roll to me?
Rhi: Yep.
Kim: Okay.
Rhi: Yep, yep. So, risky, uh, risky, standard here.
Kim: Okay, great. That’s a 5?
Rhi: Okay. So you do it, but there’s a consequence. How are you trying to, like, disable this guy? What’s your plan?
Kim: Yeah, yeah, so the way that I’m imagining this happening is that the guy going for me is trying to like, pin me to the wall, but Val just happens to sort of dodge or twirl out of the way, like, just in time and just, you know, sock this guy right across the face.
Rhi: Okay. Yeah, so you get a good solid punch in and he staggers back, clutching his jaw. But… what is our consequence here? I think I’m just gonna go for more harm.
Kim: Yeah.
Rhi: I think that like, he manages to reel back up and punches you back in return.
Kim: Okay.
Rhi: So you’re just, you’re getting socked in the face.
Kim: Okay.
Rhi: SO that’ll be level 2 harm.
Kim: Oh, level 2? Okay.
Rhi: Yeah. Risky. So you’ve probably got a bloody nose.
Kim: Hot.
Josie: [snickers]
Rhi: Back in our secure car, with our guards with guns and no civilians… [laughs]
Josie: Fun.
Minna: Yes…
Rhi: [laughs] Back in the murder car.
Minna: [laughs] Yeah, no civilians and two mumble mumble. [laughs]
Rhi: Yeah, two people with a history of violence, let’s say. Yeah, so what do you all wanna do here?
Minna: “Arlene what do you have?” “A knife!” “No!”
Rhi: “No!” [laughs]
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: Darling would be like, “That’s my girl!”
Minna: Yeah, no, of course.
Rhi: “You want another one?”
Aki: I have plenty.
Josie: “I remember your first knife.”
Rhi: Alright, so what’s Arlene doing with this knife?
Minna: Skirmishing. [laughs] She is attacking a man.
Rhi: Okay. This is gonna be risky… risky, standard.
Minna: [rolls dice] Another 3!
Rhi: Okay. Um…
Minna: I can only roll 3.
Rhi: Arlene, you… you hear the back door burst open, you draw your knife, you run down the aisle and you get shot.
Minna: [pained mumble]
Rhi: Not like, horribly. Like, I think it’s gonna be a leg shot. Probably kind of along the side of your thigh. But like, it hurts. It’s level 2 harm, gonna slow you down a fair bit. Cause yeah, you brought a knife to a gun fight, I’m sorry. [laughs] Bas news.
Minna: That’s fair.
Aki: Mm hmm. I heard that my baby was wounded.
Minna: Um, can I resist?
Rhi: Yeah, you can. Or— and/or armor. That’s also available.
Minna: I mean, I have three dice in Prowess.
Rhi: Oh, okay, yeah. You can resist.
Minna: Uh, I take one stress and mark it down to one.
Rhi: Great, so it’s down to level 1. So it’s a lighter graze. It stings real bad, but won’t impede you as much. Darling? Your baby still got shot.
Aki: My baby still got shot, yeah.
Rhi: She’s still been harmed.
Aki: Yes, yes, I am aware of this part. I do wanna say though. The crate and the cage was faced away from my child, yes?
Rhi: Yeah.
Aki: So I think when everything— when everything started going off and the mission started to get really, really fucked up there was just visually, on Darling’s face, just the most disappointed, borderline probably getting on the angry parent, parental face. And then—
Josie: Aww.
Aki: And then she catches herself and you see her fan herself, which looks like maybe she’ll surrender, because she’s got both hands fanning herself, as she remembers, “No, no, no, reel it back in. That’s not what the good shrink said to do.”
Rhi: [laughs]
Aki: You know, just, collect herself a little bit. And then her child gets shot and she goes:
Aki (as Darling): Or… or I can take it out on them!
Aki: And just pulls out a fine pair of pistols from like, the coat sleeves and just… the kneecaps of these men…
Rhi: Okay, you’re going for both of them?
Aki: Yeah. I have a pair of pistols, so…
Rhi: Fine pair of pistols. So I think that it all evens out this will end up being risky, standard. Cause aiming for two would reduce the effect, fine increases the effect, so.
Aki: Yeah, that’s what I was pretty sure would happen.
Rhi: Yep.
Aki: But since it’s two I would like to just go for both, you know, just one kneecap each.
Rhi: Yeah. That’ll do it. So go ahead and make your roll.
Aki: Now, very quickly, I must ask what does a Devil’s Bard— bar—[stammers] Bargain look like? [laughs]
Rhi: Have you already rolled?
Aki: No. Well, I rolled one dice and went “wait a minute”. I have another dice to roll.
Rhi: Okay.
Aki: Yeah.
Rhi: Okay. What would be a good Devil’s Bargain here? I want it to be something more interesting than just like, you get wounded as well.
Josie: I mean… this is like, there’s like an alchemy company’s shit in here. Maybe you do it, but you hit something volatile?
Rhi: Ooh, I like that! Yeah, let’s set the train on fire! Okay, great.
Josie: [bursts out laughing]
Rhi: Thanks, Josie.
Kim: Oh, boy.
Rhi: Yeah, in the course of firing you’re going to— one of your bullets is going to end up hitting a diff— not the boxes you’re trying to steal, but a different box. And that’s gonna, yeah, cause some kind of chemical reaction. Fire is a chemical reaction. It might be a different chemical reaction, we’ll see.
Kim: There’s absolutely no way this could go wrong.
Rhi: Something bad is gonna happen with a box and a bullet.
Aki: I technically do have one more dice to roll so I think I’ll just take that instead.
Rhi: [laughs] That’s… alright. So what’d ya get?
Aki: 5.
Rhi: 5, okay. We’ve been doing a lot of fives.
Aki: I know, it’s— today’s a five night. I’ve been rolling a lot of twos and threes and then the second dice I roll is 5.
Rhi: You fire your two shots and both of these guards just topple over, clutching their now shattered kneecaps. But there is a consequence. I think that one of them manages to get a shot off on you, like, as they fall. So they hit you, so you’re gonna take level 2 harm.
Aki: And we can resist this?
Rhi: Yes. Or you can have armor.
Josie: Although that would have been hard to smuggle in. [laughs]
Aki: Mm hmm.
Rhi: Eh, we can just, you know.
Aki: Under the clothes. So, I’m wearing effectively three layers.
Rhi: Yes.
Josie: Oh, I was thinking armored sweater. [laughs]
Rhi: [laughs] Knit out of steel cable. Yeah, so armor takes up two points of load, and then resisting you would burn some amount of stress.
Aki: Mm hmm.
Rhi: Just whichever one you wanna do.
Aki: Let’s, let’s do, let’s do resisting. Yeah.
Rhi: Okay.
Aki: Just cause I’m wary about the load part.
Rhi: Yeah. So, go ahead and roll your Prowess resistance, which is however many dots you have in that first column under Prowess, and then tell me your highest.
Aki: 4 is my highest.
Rhi: Okay. So you’ll take two points of stress and that’ll drop it down to level 1 harm, which I think is similar to Arlene. You get grazed, I think it’s along your ribs. But the two guards have been, uh, incapacitated. Val and Echo have their hands a bit more full with their guards. Fisticuffs are happening.
Josie: Mm hmm.
Rhi: There’s a lot of screaming. I think at some point in all the chaos of this fight, Echo glances over and sees the kid just sitting there watching, eating their chips.
Josie: [laughs]
Kim: Oh my God.
Rhi: [laughs] I’ve decided this is the weirdest kid.
Josie: This kid gives no fucks. [laughs]
Rhi: Yeah. This kid— this is the most entertainment this child has had since they left whatever city. Um, but yeah, Echo and Val, what do you wanna do about your guards that you’re in a punch fight with?
Josie: Uh, does he like, have my gun, or did he just chuck it away?
Rhi: I think he probably threw it clear or like, tossed it off to the side or something.
Josie: Okay.
Rhi: Which is terrible gun safety, but it’s dramatic.
Josie: Yeah. And I also got thrown away, so can I try and retrieve my pistol?
Rhi: Uh, yeah.
Josie: Yeah!
Rhi: I think… do I need you to make a roll for that? I don’t think I need you to make a roll for that.
Josie: Okay.
Rhi: I think you can just grab your gun.
Josie: Um—
Rhi: And proceed from there.
Josie: Is he in front of the civilians or in front of the door?
Rhi: In front of the door. They’ve been staying in front of the door.
Josie: Okay. Yeah, I wanna try and shoot out his leg as well.
Rhi: Okay.
Josie: I’m gonna push myself about it.
Rhi: Okay. This is gonna be risky… risky, standard.
Josie: I got a 1!
Rhi: Oh my God.
Kim: The dice are just cursed tonight.
Josie: Yeah. Well, I do need to raise a bunch of my action rating still. But goddamn.
Rhi: So, I think, um— I think it’s you lose this opportunity. Like, you dive, you grab the gun— I’m picturing it’s a very dramatic, like, you roll over on your back to fire but this guy has like, come right after you and just tackles you again and knocks the gun away and basically has you, like, pinned.
Josie: Goddammit.
Rhi: So, yeah.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: You’re [laughs] you’re wrasslin’. Val?
Kim: Can I get this motherfucker off my kid?
Rhi: You can try.
Josie: [laughs]
Kim: Yeah. I kinda just wanna, like, tackle this guy off of Echo. Which I think is another Skirmish roll?
Rhi: Mm hmm.
Kim: Great. I’m not awesome at Skirmish, but it worked out for me well last time. Um… I’m afraid of pushing myself, cause that would put me a little bit up there with stress.
Rhi: [coyly] You want a Devil’s Bargain?
Kim: What would a Devil’s Bargain look like, Rhi?
Rhi: Let me offer you a Devil’s Bargain in this trying time.
Josie: [laughs]
Kim: [laughs]
Rhi: Something is gonna— what do I wanna have?
Kim: If I may.
Rhi: Yeah, yeah, please hit me with suggestions.
Kim: Is there a window in this room?
Rhi: Oh, yeah. Tons of windows.
Kim: Could I accidentally fall out of the train as a Devil’s Bargain? [giggles]
Rhi: [emphatically] Absolutely.
Minna: [laughs]
Rhi: If you wanna fall out of the train, I will throw your ass out of the train, my God.
[laughter]
Kim: Anything to get this guy off of Echo.
Rhi: Yeah, okay.
Kim: Alright.
Rhi: Yeah, you’re gonna go out of a window.
Kim: Great. [laughs]
Rhi: Imminent defenestration. I’m so happy.
Kim: [rolls dice] Ha, ha, that is a 2.
Rhi: My God, you guys.
Kim: I— it’s because I haven’t bought character-specific dice yet. I’m sorry. I know.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: But I mean, it’s been everybody tonight.
Kim: I know.
Minna: Yeah.
Rhi: The dice have just fuckin’ turned.
Josie: Clearly I need to go back to the dice bot.
Kim: No. No.
Rhi: Okay, so you’re going out the window and you’re gonna suffer harm in the process of going out the window, I think is what we’re going with here. So, I think that you dive to tackle this guy, but the guard you’ve been fighting grabs you. You two kind of swing around, there’s punching, and then with surprising strength he just, like, picks you up and throws you.
Kim: Yeah.
Rhi: And you just go right on through a window. You get cut up as you go through. Now, this was risky.
Kim: Yeah.
Rhi: Not desperate. So you’re not on the bridge. [laughs] You have made it across the bridge when this happens.
Kim: [laughs] I’m not plummeting to my death. Thank you, game master. [laughs]
Rhi: You’re not plummeting towards the ocean below. [laughs]
Kim: Small mercies.
Rhi: You are falling off, like, I mean you’re gonna get— do I wanna give you the opportunity for the action hero grab onto the side of the train?
Kim: Oh! [thumps desk excitedly] Please!
Josie: Yes.
Kim: Please!
Rhi: I really do…
Kim: Let me Nathan Drake this shit.
Rhi: Cause that’s cool.
Kim: Yeah!
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: You can— if you resist… gimme a Prowess resistance roll.
Kim: Okay. You got it, boss. [shakes dice]
Rhi: And this is not for taking stress, this is for can you grab onto the train.
Kim: Okay. I got a 5.
Rhi: So just tell me your highest— okay. I think you manage to grab on, but you are basically like, all you can do at this point is hang on.
Kim: Yeah.
Rhi: You are not in a position— you’re basically out of the fight until the train stops.
Kim: Oof. Oofo doofa. And do I take any harm from literally being thrown out a window?
Rhi: Yes. Level 2 harm from being yeeted through a glass window.
Kim: Alright. I’m literally writing down ‘yeeted’ in my level 2 harm box.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: Great. Arlene and/or Darling, you hear shouting and screaming and alarms from the other side of the door, you hear glass shattering. Clearly, the situation has escalated for your companions as well. So, if you would like to go assist…
Aki: Did Val scream on their way out?
Kim: Probably.
Aki: Alright. Good to know. I can confirm that I am going to be getting that vengeful XP trigger.
Rhi: [laughs]
Aki: And so I think what I would like to do is, um, technically the others are still— they are ambush-able is what I’m trying to—
Rhi: Yes. They are, they are pretty well distracted by the situation in there, so you and Arlene can get the drop on ‘em.
Aki: Mm hmm. And I think I will look to Arlene, give her a look, it is a look that she may know well. It’s time for a combo attack. [laughs]
Minna: I think she grins at her.
Aki: Mm hmm. And I think what will happen though, in this case, is I would like to use one other part of my load for an unusual weapon. And the unusual weapon is I take my belt out and I wrap it around my fist.
Aki (as Darling): Alright. It’s time for a heaven-to-earth smackdown.
Aki: And I’m going to go smack the shit out of the one that threw my parental unit!
Rhi: [laughs] Yeah, go in there and do a punch. So it’ll be risky… I’ve gonna give you risky, greater, cause you do have the element of surprise. They’re not expecting two more people to burst through the door.
Aki: I just wanna let you guys know that I’m currently still, like, jiggling the dice in my hand and I made the conscious decision to straight-up change dice. However, this is the last pair of dice that I have to switch.
Rhi: Okay.
Aki: It was a good thing to switch. That’s two 6s.
Josie: Nyeh!
Aki: [giggles] You wanna picture?
Rhi: Alright. I mean, listen. Y’all were due.
Aki: No, we were fuckin’ due, okay? And I was like maybe—
Rhi: The dice have been kicking the crap out of you this session.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: Okay, so Darling comes through the door first. And describe what this smackdown punch looks like.
Aki: Um, I don’t think anyone— I don’t think anyone was imagining— or expecting, rather, someone else to come out of the room, let alone an almost seven-foot-tall dragon woman, And the last thing they expected her to do was to jump and bring both arms down, crack, on the top of the head.
Rhi: Ooh.
Aki: That kinda thing.
Rhi: Yeah.
Aki: [laughs]
Rhi: I think it’s the very, like, cartoon-style, just kind of wobbles there for a second and then just collapses, completely unconscious.
Aki: Yeah, if you watch MMA and stuff, there’s a thing called the Superman punch?
Josie: Yeah. [laughs]
Rhi: Yeah.
Aki: Where they bounce off the side and— yeah, but Darling has height so she can just jump and bop you like that.
Josie: You just gotta remember to cock your fist first like a shotgun, like Roman Reigns.
Aki: Oh yeah, no, that’s exactly what happens.
Josie: [laughs]
Aki: Darling is a gun, she has guns, both as the weapon and as the arms.
Minna: So, is there somebody still up for Arlene to attack as well?
Rhi: Uh, yes. There’s the person wrestling with Echo.
Minna: Then I’m going to go ahead and push myself. Just because I want this to be cool. Not even because I need it to be. [laughs] I just want it to be really cool.
Rhi: Yes. What are you doing to— are you— is this a punch, a tackle? Are you stabbin’?
Minna: I’m gonna tell you after I roll, just so I can see how I do, but then I will narrate it, I promise.
Rhi: Okay, that’s fair.
Minna: [laughs]
Rhi: Okay, what are you rolling? Skirmish.
Minna: I’m rolling a Skirmish.
Rhi: Okay.
Minna: So, that’s a 4. I’m at standard effect actually, because I’ve got that level 1 harm.
Rhi: Oh yes, you’re right.
Minna: Let me narrate what happens and then you can tell me the consequence. Does that make sense?
Rhi: Yes, that sounds good.
Minna: So, we’re gonna scroll back to when the heaven-to-earth punchdown comment was made and Arlene is also marking an unusual weapon. And you see her like, unspool, like, she’s got wrapped around her waist almost like a belt this like, thin line. Um, and so you see her unwind that and almost, like, hold it between her hands. And then as they— like, stretch it out between her hands. And as they burst through the door, she wraps it around the neck of the guy who is wrestling with Echo and then kinda kicks his legs out form under him.
Rhi: Yeah, so I think that you manage to haul him off, but I think the consequence here is, I think basically like, this guy manages to just sort of wrestle around so he’s still pinning you. [laughs] So like, has gone from pinning Echo to pinning you. So that’s the—
Minna: Okay. I think, like, as she knocks his legs out from under him, he manages to twist and basically knock her down with him.
Rhi: Yeah.
Minna: So, she’s still got the line around his neck, but he is on top of her. [laughs]
Rhi: Yeah. Echo? You are no longer pined.
Josie: Echo is surprised to see the other girls come out and wrestle these fools. But now that she’s free, she’s gonna call out:
Josie (as Echo): Val!
Josie: And try to rush over to the window to try and pull Val back in.
Kim: Aww.
Rhi: It’s gonna be risky… actually— mm. No, it’s gonna be risky, uh… well. No. There’s only one dude left. This’ll be controlled.
Josie: Okay. I’m gonna make it a Finesse? Does that make sense? Or should it be something like, I dunno, Skirmish or Wreck or Prowl or…
Rhi: I’ll allow Finesse.
Josie: Okay.
Rhi: I’m not sure what, like, I could see an argument for Prowl, but I think Finesse is fine too.
Josie: Aha! 6!
Rhi: Just being very careful— okay. So yeah, you, I think you’re able to reach out and like, I think that what makes with Finesse is you’re being very, like, delicate about it. You’re not just like, grabbing and yanking.
Josie: Mm hmm.
Rhi: You are very carefully hauling Val back in, making sure that they don’t hit any of the broken glass.
Josie: Yeah.
Rhi: Val is a bit of a mess right now.
Josie: Aww.
Rhi: There’s a lot of blood, and having been out on the side of a speeding train. [laughs] So, clothes and hair are a mess. Val, what are you gonna… say, do anything here as you are carefully hauled back in?
Kim: Yeah. Um, we’re back in action. Are there any more people left to punch?
Rhi: There’s one person wrestling with Arlene.
Kim: Yeah. I think Val just wants to go at ‘em. [laughs]
Josie: I think Echo had been making to let Val down very gently and then Val just takes off after this guy. [laughs]
Kim: And they’re just gonna…
Josie: [laughs]
Kim (as Val): Let me at em!
Rhi: [laughs]
Kim: Yeah, so I’m gonna make another Skirmish about it. Uh, Devil’s Bargain? Because that went so well for me last time.
Rhi: I mean, you gave me such a beautiful gift.
Kim: [laughs]
Rhi: I think that you just like, uh, you’re gonna take— I’m gonna do level 1 harm, just from the emotional strain of having just been clinging to the outside of a speeding train. [laughs]
Kim: Yeah. Here we go. Christ on a bike, that’s 3.
Rhi: Okay. I think it’s just you lose this opportunity. Like, you go over to try and attack, but like, the strain of this whole situation comes up with you and you kinda like, stumble and take a knee and aren’t really able to get over there.
Kim: [groans]
Aki: Okay Minna, do you want Mom to come help you or do you got this?
Minna: If you wanna help that’s fine. I think that’s cute. [laughs]
Aki: Amazing. So, I took the guy I fought out, right? Heaven-to-earth smackdown, knocked him out. [laughs]
Rhi: [laughs] Yes.
Josie: [laughs]
Aki: So I think Darling is going to— narratively, let’s say Arlene is pinned behind, so that means the guy is behind her, and so what Darling will do is just, y’all haven’t— you’ve seen her feet. But you haven’t seen how her feet can hold onto things pretty damn well.
Rhi: Oh, jeez.
Aki: Because of its shape. And so, what Darling will do is it’s a kick, but it’s a kick that grabs the face and then she’ll just move, kick towards the w all and bang this guy’s head in, knock him out.
Rhi: Alright. This is gonna be controlled, I think greater effect at this point. You have this guy pretty outnumbered and beat up.
Aki: Mm hmm. Just I case, what does a Devil’s Bargain look like?
Rhi: I’m gonna tick the clock forward for the train. The train is gonna start slowing down because you’ve reached the protest, which means you all have to get the fuck out of dodge. Like, you’re gonna have very limited time to get the goods and then book it.
Aki: Mm hmm.
Josie: Uh huh.
Rhi: So that’ll be the bargain.
Aki: I’ll take the risk and roll it.
Rhi: Alright.
Aki: Maybe the dice have decided to forgive us. And by us, I mean just me. 6.
Rhi: [laughs] 6, okay. So you kick this guy, head slams into the wall, he’s unconscious. The passengers have basically at this point all fled, even the small child who was just staring at you all has been hustled out of here. So, you have a moment of relative quiet and peace and you’re all standing here in various states of disrepair and bloodiness. And then you all run into the next car!
Josie: Yep. [laughs]
Rhi: To get your loot.
Aki: Yeah. I will pick up my child and then [laughs] we go in.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: So, you all hustle into the next car. There is a— the alarms are already going off, so it’s really just a question of get the lock open, get the stuff, get off the train.
Josie: Okay. Umm…
Aki: We can probably just shoot the lock now.
Josie: Yeah, I mean, who cares, right? Might as well. [laughs]
Aki: Yeah, that’s what I mean. Everything already went to shit. What’s another gunshot noise?
Rhi: That’s… a good point.
Kim: Ka-blam.
Josie: Echo will—
Rhi: Yeah. You know what? Fuck it. You can just shoot the lock off. I was like, ‘Do I need to make a roll here? Nah.’ You shoot the lock, you all just run in and grab. I imagine everybody expect Val is carrying a box.
Josie: Yeah.
Rhi: And the boxes are not, like— they’re fairly big, it’s a little awkward to carry, but it’s not impossible for each of you to carry one.
Josie: Mm hmm.
Rhi: You do feel the train kind of start to slow and there’s just an announcement from a very frazzled-sounding conductor who just says:
Rhi (as Conductor): Attention all passengers, uh, there’s been a reported incident of violence on the train, uh, there’s also, uh, we have been told, protesters on the track up ahead so we will be coming to a full stop until both of these situations are resolved. The Bluecoats are on their way. Please remain where you are. Security will be sweeping through the train. Again, the train is stopped—
Rhi: And is just kind of repeating that message. So, you know, as you are gathering up the boxes, the train slows down, and how do you wanna get off of this train? What’s the plan?
Josie: Uh, can we do a flashback for having had something ready on the side of the bridge?
Rhi: Uh, yeah. Well, I think we already established that you left Pearl with the Drake, parked over here.
Aki: Yeah, we have Pearl and the car set up already, so we just need to run for it.
Josie: Yeah. Let’s just bolt.
Aki: I was gonna say, can Val make a full run?
Kim: Can I run?
Rhi: Uh, Val and Arlene I think are gonna be struggling to do a full fun, so it might be something where like, you have to drop the two of them off and somebody else has to drive the car.
Josie: Can we call Pearl over and have Pearl carry Val?
Kim: Aww.
Aki: Yeah, I think so. We’re mind-linked.
Rhi: Yeah, yeah.
Aki: So I think Pearl would’ve known something is awry.
Rhi: Yeah, so you can— I think that in terms of exiting the train, since you’ve already cut through the covering around the connection between the cars, you can slip back out that way. And then yeah, you can call Pearl over and Val can lean on her. You’re not— as a group, you’re not gonna be able to move super fast, so this is gonna be more about stealth than speed. So, I think just like, one last, I think maybe Group Prowl. Just to make sure that you can get to your car without issue.
Aki: Who has the stress to spare? I have four more spots.
Josie: I have six more spots.
Kim: I also have four more slots left free.
Minna: I don’t have extra stress to spare.
Josie: Alright. I’ll lead this one.
Aki: Minna goes, ‘Me,’ I was gonna say, ‘No, cause you’re lying’. [laughs]
Josie: [laughs]
Minna: I only have two stress to spare. If anything happens to me I explode and get trauma.
Rhi: [laughs] Alright. Um, yeah, so this is gonna be— I think at this point it’s gonna be controlled, standard. Cause most people are focused on the train itself, they’re not looking for people slipping off of the train at this point.
Josie: Mm hmm.
Rhi: so, go ahead and make those rolls.
Josie: I got a 2.
Minna: 5.
Kim: 5.
Aki: I’m sorry.
Minna: [laughs]
Rhi: What’d you get?
Aki: That’s a 1. I had to get it someday. [laughs] My bad.
Josie: Two stress for me.
Rhi: So, two stress for Echo but the result is a 5. So, limping through alleyways away from the train tracks, you make your way over to the Drake. And I think the consequence is that, um, somebody— the paint on the Drake has been scratched.
Kim: No!
Rhi: The Drake has been harmed.
Kim (as Val): [agitated] For fuck’s sake, could this day get any worse?
Rhi: [laughs]
Josie (as Echo): Yes. It could have gone a lot worse.
Aki: You open the door and you see the food on the front seat.
Rhi: [laughs] Just cat food.
Kim: Val is just seeing red and this point. Like, they’re tight-lipped and very quiet, but there is an intensity to their expression that like, if you were to talk to them or provoke them in any way, you would just be on the receiving end of so much ire.
Josie: Echo’s gonna sink down in the seat to them and not argue about driving the car for once.
Kim: Aww.
Rhi: You put the crates into the car, you all pile in and drive away. Battered and bruised and smelling like tiger food.
Minna: [laughs]
Rhi: But with your cargo. So, the Drake, uh, makes its way back through the streets of Imperial City. I think that at a few points you hear in the distance sirens wailing on Bluecoat vehicles as they head for the train tracks. You get back to the garage, you peel yourselves out of the car, you start unloading these packages. And Echo, as you’re looking at the crates, you notice that there’s like a little paper sleeve on the side of one, where they kinda have the invoice and delivery information and list of everything that’s inside the crate. And you pull it out just to kinda see what you’re actually dealing with here. And your eyes land on the address that this is all supposed to be shipped t. It’s supposed to go to the private home of Pandora Slane. The dean of the Tower of Glass.
Josie: Echo is looking at the delivery slip for a long tie before evenly just crumpling it up and tossing it away. And then goes to her room and tries to shut the door.
Minna (as Arlene): Echo?
Josie (as Echo): Mm?
Minna (as Arlene): Are you okay?
Josie: She seems to think for a moment.
Josie (as Echo): No.
Minna (as Arlene): Um, do you wanna talk about it?
Josie (as Echo): No.
Minna (as Arlene): Okay.
Josie: She kind of meets Val’s eyes like, ‘is that a problem?’
Kim: I think Val is just going to like, look back at Echo for little moment and then, you know, after some time just, you know, sighs and kinda shrugs and kinda— like, a silent communication confirmation to be like, you know, it’s up to you. They’re not gonna needle it out of you.
Josie: So Echo just kind of nods and goes into her room.
Minna: [sympathetic]
Rhi: Any of you wanna grab the crumpled-up paper that she tossed aside?
Kim: Yeah, Val’s gonna pick up the paper.
Rhi: Yeah, so you pick it up and smooth it out and yeah, it’s an invoice for the dean of the Tower of Glass, which is the most prestigious university in the city, but you’re not exactly sure why that would upset Echo in particular.
Kim: I think Val turns around and just kinda like, you know, raises the slip of paper up in front of the other two and be like:
Kim (as Val): So uh, this shipment was gonna go to Pandora Slane.
Minna (as Arlene): I think if Echo doesn’t wanna talk about it we shouldn’t speculate.
Kim (as Val): No. No, no, no. I’m not implying that. I’m just saying. That’s what this paper says.
Minna (as Arlene): Okay.
Aki (as Darling): Val, you’re much to Echo than we are. Do you… know anything?
Kim (as Val): I don’t. No. And I’m not about to force it out of her. If she wants to talk about it, great, but it seems like she doesn’t and it’s not my place to pry, so.
Aki (as Darling): God, I want to pry.
Josie: You can absolutely pry if you want. [laughs]
Aki: No, no, this is me going— now I’m actually thinking if I should pry or not. I’m gonna roll and see if I should pry.
Minna: [laughs]
Rhi: [laughs]
Aki: Um… just— 3 or lower, I don’t, 3 higher, I do. [rolls dice] So I guess while everybody’s chilled out, I might knock on Echo’s door.
Rhi: [laughs]
Minna: ‘Honey, you okay?’ [laughs]
Aki: Yes, and I know—
Kim: ‘I made sandwiches.’
Josie: [laughs]
Aki: It sucks because I can’t actually— I think bringing Eco food or anything like that would suck, so maybe, maybe Echo just left their Cool Tires out.
Josie: [laughs]
Aki: And I just have it again and I’m bringing it back in. But I will knock on the door, you know, just knock, knock, knock, and go:
Aki (as Darling): Um… Echo? Are you…
Josie (as Echo): What?
Aki (as Darling): Oh. Can I peek my head in?
Josie (as Echo): It’s not locked, so yes.
Aki (as Darling): No, I’m asking you if I’m allowed to, to enter your…
Josie (as Echo): Oh. Okay.
Aki (as Darling): Space.
Josie (as Echo): Why?
Aki (as Darling): Well, I want to check in on you and um, also return you car, and see, well… you know.
Josie (as Echo): I will be fine. I’ve dealt with bad memories before. Although I do want my Cool Tires.
Minna: [laughs]
Aki (as Darling): I will come in and give you your Cool Tires.
Josie: [laughs]
Aki: And go:
Aki (as Darling): You know, there’s actually— there was a set of eight and I just got the one because I wasn’t even sure you were remotely interested in it.
Josie (as Echo): I mean, they are children’s toys, but I appreciate it.
Aki (as Darling): Feel free to just tell me no. You said bad memories. Did this person trouble you in any way?
Josie: She cocks her head like she’s thinking about how to answer that.
Josie (as Echo): Yes. But that can’t get out.
Aki (as Darling): Out as in you’re not ready to talk about it, or out as in there is… there is dirt on—
Josie (as Echo): It would be dangerous if I told you any more.
Aki (as Darling): If you wanted to trade dangerous secrets, I’m all for it.
Minna: [laughs]
Josie (as Echo): I am extremely curious, but I mean it. It would really be bad if any of you knew. And not just for you, either.
Aki (as Darling): Mm. Mind reader? Well, alright.
Josie (as Echo): I’m sorry.
Aki (as Darling): It’s alright. Quite literally, I do understand the secretiveness. And…
Josie (as Echo): You do?
Aki (as Darling): Yes. I did mean it when I say ‘dangerous secrets’.
Josie (as Echo): You… no offense Darling, but you’re about the least secretive person I know.
Aki (as Darling): Oh, sweet one, there is so much you do not know about me.
Josie (as Echo): Then maybe sometime in the future, we can trade. When we’re better off.
Aki (as Darling): I would like that a lot, yes. Also, tell me your favorite color, because now I want to get you the set.
Josie (as Echo): Um…
Aki (as Darling): But we’ll get it slowly.
Josie (as Echo): Well, I used to like red.
Aki: Darling will nod then, and then um, pat you on the head. Pat pat. And—
Josie: Aww.
Aki (as Darling): Alright. I will leave you, then. Enjoy your Cool Tires. I will look for the red ones.
Josie (as Echo): Thank you.
Aki (as Darling): And I will leave.
Josie: I think Echo, she puts her hands under her collar and there’s a slight clicking sound and she pulls out a small little— it’s a small little silver bell on a band, like it’s meant to be worn, and looks at it for a little while. And then idly moves the cool wheels back and forth on like, her desk in here.
Rhi: And that’s where we will end it.
## Outro [01.08.37]
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, friend of the show, and Magpies guest star Waffles! They simply say: Be gay, do crimes, love you all. We love you too, friend. And as always, thanks to all our Patreon backers, whose ongoing support makes this show possible.
## Blooper [01.10.24]
Rhi: One of the very first Blades one-shots that I ran was a train heist that ended with them in a— somebody threw a grenade in a train car.
Minna: Oh.
Kim: Christ.
Rhi: [laughs]