Transcribed by Michelle Kelly.
## Intro
Rhi: Welcome back to Imperial City. As always, thank you for joining us. And as always, if you’re enjoying the show, consider backing us on Patreon! Our Patreon is what keeps the metaphorical lights on: it pays our performers, our transcribers, our web hosts, and more. The more our Patreon brings in, the more cool things we can do here at Clever Corvids–such as pay for our other show, Love & Hellfire, which you should definitely check out if you haven’t yet.
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: As Josie said, support your trans friends. Give money, volunteer, contact your state and federal representatives, go to protests. Cis folks, we can’t leave trans people to fight this on their own. We need to show up everywhere we can. And for our trans listeners, we see you, we love you, and we’re doing our best to fight for a world where you can be your full, happy, incredible selves.
Now then. Let’s get started, shall we?
## Story continues [00.05.01]
Rhi: You are starting in a desperate position simply because of how badly outnumbered you are. There’s about two birds to every one person in your group.
Josie: Oh fun.
Rhi: So. Whoever would like to start taking actions, go for it.
Minna: So, what’s the— what do we do? Do we shoot?
Rhi: Leona has slung a rifle off of her shoulder and—
Minna: Oh, okay, yeah. So she’ll pull—
Rhi: —is twisting around to start shooting. Yeah. Yeah, shooting seems to be the— both her and Ibrahim are pulling guns.
Minna: Yeah, I’m gonna pull a gun too, then.
Rhi: Alright.
Kim: Me too.
Josie: Guns time.
Rhi: Okay. Yep.
Aki: While they’re on horseback still— this is me double-checking, like, if we shoot while we’re on a horse, the horse isn’t gonna like…
Minna: They’re probably trained for this?
Rhi: Yeah. Yeah. The horses are pretty well-trained. It’s more of a, like, if you are standing still on the horse, you’re not really gonna be at any significant penalty. If you and the horse need to move while you’re trying to shoot, that’s going to be harder. Because none of you have ever attempted shooting a gun while on the back on a moving horse. Let’s start with Arlene. Uh, you can— what flavor of gun are you drawing?
Minna: I was gonna draw one pistol.
Rhi: Alright. And you are spoiled for choice with your targets. There’s a lot of very big birds swooping toward you.
Kim: Big bird?
Minna: Yeah, theoretically should be shooting fish in a barrel, but I got a 3. [laughs]
Rhi: [laughs] Oh no! Oh, that was desperate, standard.
Minna: Oh dear. Well, at least I got XP.
Rhi: Yeah, you’ll get some XP for that. [sighs] So, you…
Minna: At least I was assuming that was a Hunt.
Rhi: Yes, yeah. Hunt makes sense. You and Leona kind of both draw your guns and go to shoot. And I think you’re both kind of turned in the same direction so neither of you sees the massive lifeseeker crow that just swoops down and slams into both of you—
Minna: [gasps]
Rhi: —and knocks you both off the horse and rips— like, it has these claws that feel like knives that just rip into your backs.
Minna: [groans]
Rhi: Neither of you get any shots off, you both hit the ground hard and bleeding and, uh, let’s see… I mean this says it’s the worst outcome cause it’s desperate, so you— and you’ll be able to resist this, but I think as you fall, Arlene, like, you slam your head on one of those low stone ruin walls and you are like, badly concussed, barely conscious. Level 3 harm.
Minna: Oh yikes.
Kim: Fuck.
Minna: Okay, well. I’m gonna use armor for that.
Rhi: You can have armor, you can resist. You got options.
Minna: How does armor help me with slamming my head on a rock? Do I have a helmet on? I guess I could have a helmet for riding.
Kim: Riding helmet, yeah.
Josie: I mean—
Rhi: Or you can, you know, you can throw up an arm and take it on your arm instead. Like, it’s flexible, but…
Minna: Yeah. I’m gonna use the armor. Can I do that and…
Rhi: Mm hmm?
Minna: I’m also gonna resist.
Rhi: You burn armor, so it’s two points of load and you drop it down to level 2 harm. And then yeah, if you’d like to resist.
Minna: I would like to resist.
Rhi: Yeah, so it’s gonna be Prowess.
Minna: Yeah. That’s a 6.
Rhi: 6, okay. So you don’t take any stress and it drops it down to level 1. So, you can tell me if, uh, if this doesn’t work, but I think part of it is that like, you and Leona both kind of like, try and move to protect each other but she’s faster, so she takes more of the hit.
Minna: Oh no…
Rhi: So you don’t get scratched up as bad. You are both still knocked off the horse. And the horse is a little spooked and runs off a little ways. It doesn’t just charge off into the darkness, but it moves away. I will also say, that’s like one of the things that makes shooting these creatures difficult, is that they are black birds in basic— attacking from almost total darkness.
Kim: And silence.
Rhi: The lanterns that are— the lanterns on your horses are basically the only sources of light out here, so it adds a fun complicating factor to this whole thing. [laughs]
Minna: [laughs]
Rhi: Yes. Bonk is an excellent description of what has happened to you. Alright, who’s up next?
Josie: And now Darling enters mom rage?
Rhi: [laughs]
Aki: Absolutely. Thank you for giving me something to do.
Rhi: [laughs]
Aki: I mean like, I was gonna shoot. I was always gonna start blasting. But now I’m blasting with perhaps a purpose.
Rhi: Yes.
Aki: Um, okay, okay, one second. I ironically didn’t have dice prepared.
Rhi: [laughs]
Aki: So I gotta just grab something really, really quickly.
Minna: My brain was also doing that. [laughs]
Josie: So anyway, I started blasting. [laughs]
Aki: Blasting. Oh, let me see. I picked heavy, so I can grab quite a few things.
Rhi: Mm hmm.
Aki: However— okay, so you said that like, the wingspan’s like ten feet?
Rhi: Yeah, they’re big ol’ birds.
Aki: The mongus. Okay, cool. So theoretically I wouldn’t need a scope… but the scope could help me see in the dark…
Rhi: Eh…
Aki: Could it?
Rhi: Not unless…
Aki: Would you allow it?
Rhi: No. [laughs] Not unless— yeah, it’s… we do not have infra-red technology at this juncture, I’m afraid.
Aki: How sad. Wah. What about if I, um, took the fla— cause flashlight is one of the options I could have here. Could I have a flashlight and just tape it—[laughs] to my…
Rhi: I would allow that you could put a flashlight in the spot where your scope would normally go, yes.
Aki: Nice, nice, nice,
Rhi: I will allow that. I think it’s cool.
Aki: And I feel like the long rifle would be better in this scenario. Like, that pistol is great and all, but I feel like for a bird in the air, that would probably be rather chonky. I should grab a bigger gun. Um, so then I started blasting,
Rhi: Yes
Aki: I think— I don’t know much about these birds, so I’m gonna try this and see if it works. Could I shoot, like, one through the wing to sort of like make it fall and perhaps divert the other bird’s attention cause now they’ve got another thing to feed off?
Rhi: Oh yeah.
Aki: I don’t know if these birds, like, basically condone cannibalism amongst themselves [laughs] but it’s the animal kingdom, a lot of them do that.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: Yeah, I mean the… yeah. I think that is a reasonable guess to make. And if nothing else, you’ve taken one out of the fight. So yeah. Wing is also probably the largest, uh, target you’ve got on these creatures. So yeah, um, this is gonna be desperate. You have a fine rifle, right?
Aki: I have a fine, yeah, fine long rifle.
Rhi: Okay. Desperate, greater for you.
Aki: Oh yeah and I can roll with four d6s now, wah!
Rhi: [laughs] Since you have maxed out your hunting skill.
Aki: [giggles] I mean, this— oop. It’s two 6s.
Rhi: Okay. I have a feeling that was gonna happen.
Aki: I’m rolling with four dice.
Rhi: Yeah, no. I mean it makes sense between your insane luck and the number of dice you’re rolling. Two 6s is honestly what I expected. So, I am going to say… you can knock out two birds with this one shot. How does that happen?
Aki: One, time to impress perhaps potential future daughter-in-law? I don’t know. I’mma impress my child’s girlfriend, brb. And um, so Darling, at first low-key a little excited, cause this is like, ‘Aha, finally, something to do,’ and I go watch Darling— not Darling, Arlene, go do that and go, ‘Oh no. My child.’
Rhi: [laughs]
Aki: ‘Fuck this mission.’ So I think what happens is I just pull out my gun, I take a millisecond to line up this shot because I’m just that good at shooting, and just, we shoot. It’s a ridiculous shot, that’s for sure, it’s almost like I Matrixed it and curved a bullet.
Rhi: [laughs]
Aki: But really, really it’s just that was the aim. That was the aim and the timing where it’s like, two— they were real close beside each other and we were shooting at a diagonal, so it zips through like, two wings of two different birds.
Rhi: Nice.
Aki: And they’ll go down. But boy oh boy, does it look ridiculous.
Rhi: Yeah, it looks very cool.
Aki: Mm hmm.
Rhi: Yeah, so I have a clock for the birds, it’s currently at 2 out of 12. When you fill it in, you’ve defeated the bird menace. And truthfully, they’ll probably take off when you get your numbers— you probably won’t have to fill the whole clock in. They’re sensible creatures with a survival instinct. When you whittle their numbers down low enough, they’ll take off. But I’m not gonna tell you what that number is. Alright, so Echo or Val?
Josie: So, safe to say they’re used to being in like, pitch blackness, hunting?
Rhi: The birds?
Josie: Yeah.
Rhi: Yeah. It’s possible they, like, use looking into the ghost field to see.
Josie: Mm.
Rhi: But you’re not sure. But yeah, they’re definitely adjusted to darkness.
Josie: Can I mark off a gadget that’s like a flashbang?
Kim: Ooh.
Rhi: Uh, yeah.
Josie: Yeah, so I think I wanna take out a little flashbang and just toss it straight above me into the flock of birds and have it detonate.
Rhi: Ooh, okay.
Josie: Trying to blind or scare them or something.
Rhi: Yeah! I like that. Let’s see, what’s their numbers? Yeah, this is still gonna be desperate. Desperate, standard.
Josie: okay.
Rhi: What are you gonna roll for this?
Josie: Tinker, I guess?
Rhi: Tinker or… I mean, Wreck could also work? But it doesn’t feel quite right. We’ll go with Tinker. Tinker I think feels correct here.
Josie: Uh, well, I got snake eyes. So this doesn’t go great.
[everyone groans]
Kim: Oh no….
Rhi: No!
Minna: Yikes.
Josie: [laughs]
Aki: Y’all. Don’t worry, it’s okay. It’s okay guys. Its okay. It’s okay. It’s okay. We’ll—
Josie: [laughs]
Aki: At least we’ll live, I promise.
Rhi: [laughs] So, it’s a dud.
Josie: Uh huh. [laughs]
Rhi: I think that’s the first thing. You throw this up in the air and you wait for it to pop, and then you just see it thump back to the earth without detonating at all. And you have a moment to go, ‘hmm.’
Josie: Well, crap.
Rhi: Well, crap, yeah.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: And then…
Kim: Oh God.
Rhi: You just get hammered by like, three of these birds that just swarm in.
Aki: No!
Rhi: You get knocked off your horse, you’re— and you hit the ground hard. And they are just, like, the one that hit Leona and Arlene kinda like, it did a drive-by essentially. It swooped on it, knocked them off and then flew away. These are not leaving. They basically knock you to the ground and then, like, on you with these… you can’t, you know, feel it, because you’re made of metal, but you can hear the scrape of these claws against your metal limbs and torso and they are like, pecking at you and biting at you with their beaks. And it’s all very sharp and even though you’re not, like, feeling pain, it’s scary. Because they are like, aiming for vulnerable bits of you. [laughs]
Josie (as Echo): Stop scratching my paint job!
Rhi: [laughs] You are at level 3 harm.
Josie: Oh. [laughs]
Rhi: It’s— it was a desperate roll. They are somehow managing to find a lot of your very vul— like, the gaps in your plating. The vulnerable bits. And are just digging thier talons and their beaks into that.
Kim: Absolutely not.
Rhi: You can resist.
Josie: Well, first I’m gonna knock off my natural armor to get it down to a second-level harm.
Rhi: Good call. [laughs]
Josie: Actually, can I mark off heavy armor? Does that knock it down too?
Rhi: Let me— how does your natural armor work?
Josie: As far as I can tell, it’s just basic armor that doesn’t take up load.
Rhi: Okay. So you— the way that I would treat that is you would have your natural armor, then basic armor, then heavy armor.
Josie: Oh, okay.
Rhi: Yeah.
Josie: I took normal armor off my sheet, because it seemed like natural armor replaced that. But I can put that back on.
Rhi: I mean, I think it makes sense. Because like, the way I read natural armor is that it’s like, that’s just sort of inherently your body. You could also wear a heavy leather jacket.
Josie: Okay.
Rhi: So yes, if you wanna do two layers of armor, one your natural armor and one you mark two points of load for regular armor, you can do that.
Josie: Regular armor costs two load, right?
Rhi: Mm hmm.
Josie: Okay, so I’ll mark off two load as well. But this does, this does fill up my level 1 harm.
Rhi: Okay, so anything you take going forward is gonna be two or higher. Um, okay. So you are being mobbed by large angry crows but you’ve got enough armor on your body and just that you wore that you’re keeping them from getting at any of the really delicate bits. But this is scary. They’re trying to peck out your eyes. [laughs]
Josie: Yep.
Rhi: Hey, Val.
Kim: Yeah, similar to Darling…
Rhi: Your child is being menaced. [laughs]
Kim: Yeah. I’m marking off two points of load to have a shotgun.
Rhi: Hell yeah!
Josie: [laughs]
Kim: And I will also start blasting. And yeah, let me roll Hunt to try and like, get this mass of birds off my kid, Jesus.
Rhi: Yep.
Kim: Where are my dice?
Rhi: Gimme a second. I wanna make a couple rolls for my other— [shakes dice] Ooh, okay, Leona gets a pass, she did get knocked to the ground. Ibrahim has no fucking excuse. Okay, both of them rolled very poorly. [laughs] And they have made no dent in the bird situation.
Kim: I’m scared.
Rhi: [laughs] So, it’s still desperate for you.
Kim: Love that for me.
Rhi: You can push yourselves, you can take Devil’s Bargains, you can get help from friends. You have options.
Kim: Eh. Sure, why not. I’ll push myself for, uh, two stress.
Rhi: This’ll be desperate, standard.
Kim: Okay. Phew. I’m glad I had that third die. I got a 6.
Rhi: Okay. So, I think that with a 6 you shoot at these birds and two of them scatter and fly off, spooked by the shot, and one of them just sort of falls off of Echo, dead. So you have taken out another bird and the immediate threat to Echo has been removed.
Josie (as Echo): Thank you.
Rhi: So I think everybody has taken an action. Who wants to go now? Arlene and Leona are kind of scrambling from where they fell on the floor— not the floor, the ground.
Aki: I was gonna say, I could go unless Minna would like to go, but I think Minna is concussed, right? So…
Rhi: No, no, no, she took enough armor and uh—
Minna: I’m lightly bonked.
Aki: Slightly bonked, okay.
Rhi: Yeah. Leona’s probably more banged up than Arlene is at this point.
Aki: Would you like to go next or?
Minna: Sure, I can do that. I can….
Rhi: Yeah.
Minna: So I scramble up and I’m trying to cover my girlfriend. And I would like to do some shooting.
Rhi: Okay. At this point you’re in a risky position. There’s been enough shooting that the flock is not as organized anymore, and you have taken out three of them. So you’re in— you’re gonna be risky, standard.
Minna: This seems like a good moment to take two points of stress for an extra die.
Rhi: Yes.
Minna: I got a 5.
Rhi: Okay. So you do it, but there’s a consequence. So you’re gonna take out one birb. I mean, I wanna put Leona in peril, because that’s dramatic and fun for me personally.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: So I think what I’m picturing here is that like, Arlene, you are trying to cover Leona as she’s more slowly getting up. You focus in on one particular bird, take your shot and you get it, you see it tumble out of the sky. But because you were so focused on that one, you do not notice the other one that is going to swoop down and is attacking Leona, who is, you know— Leona had her rifle getting ready to aim but now is holding it in both hands and is trying to use to fend off murder-bird. I’m gonna start a new, separate clock for you. It’s going to have 3 ticks, and is called Leona Grievously Wounded. [laughs]
Minna: No!
Rhi: We’re gonna put 1 tick on it. You have eliminated four birds at this point.
Aki: I would like to go next because I thought of something dope.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: Alright.
Aki: Okay, is there like a— I wanna say, like, example, like a cluster of them by any chance?
Rhi: From moment to moment, sometimes there are. But they’re just kind of— what I’m picturing is that you all are sort of a center of like, this silent swarm of wings and talons. They’re just sort of swooping around and diving and trying to do damage, and you all are trying to fend them off. So like, yeah, sometimes a few of them are grouped up. But it’s like, for a second at a time. If you’re wanting to make some kind of cool, fancy taking out a whole bunch at once trick shot, you’re gonna have to— it’s gonna be difficult because of the timing.
Aki: I know it’s gonna be— yeah okay, so hear me out. Okay.
Rhi: Yes.
Aki: Theoretically, I am aiming for multiple. I’m also cool with just one.
Rhi: Okay.
Aki: And Darling is going by the brief moment where she can see the flapping, the shadows of the flapping, you know? Like, kinda like hits like, come together. Like, the flexed chest moment before they move somewhere else. That is what she’s aiming for. With Pearl. Pearl’s gonna toss her the duddy, dud flashbang on the floor, into her hand. She’ll throw it and then shoot the flashbang.
Rhi: Oh, interesting.
Josie: Ooh!
Aki: So again, theoretically she’s aiming for multiple. But that’s also like, if she can.
Rhi: Okay. So it’s not— you’re not trying to shoot multiple birds with a single bullet, you’re trying to affect multiple birds with the blast from this flashbang that is the actual thing you’re shooting.
Aki: Yes.
Rhi: Okay. Interesting. I like it. I gotta figure out position and effect here. Give me a moment to think. [laughs]
Aki: Yeah, yeah.
Rhi: Cause this is a cool but complicated maneuver. I— position’s gonna be greater because of your gun. I think it’s— or effect is gonna be greater, rather. I think position is gonna be desperate again, just because this is a really complicated move.
Aki: I am okay with that.
Rhi: Would you like to push yourself, get an assist? I can see Echo perhaps assisting here just by virtue of you made the thing and even though it didn’t go off when you told it too, it’s still gonna work when it gets shot, damn it.
Josie: Yeah sure, I’ll do that.
Rhi: [laughs]
Aki: I was gonna say, only if you can spare the stress. You got—
Josie: Oh no, I have plenty of stress.
Aki: Okay, cool. I was like, you got the boo-boos.
Rhi: Yeah, Echo tanked all of that with armor. [laughs]
Josie: Mm hmm.
Rhi: Cause strong. Uh yeah, so desperate, greater.
Aki: Because I’m getting help that’s one additional dice, right?
Rhi: Mm hmm.
Aki: Okay, awesome.
Rhi: Yep.
Aki: And it’s— I’m rolling with Hunt?
Rhi: Yeah.
Aki: Nice.
Rhi: So five dice.
Aki: That’s five dice.
Rhi: Yep.
Aki: Let’s see…
Rhi: I think the most you can roll is six.
Aki: What would give you six?
Rhi: You could push yourself and get help from a friend. Or like, take a Devil’s Bargain and get help.
Aki: Ooh, oh I see, I see. I don’t wanna push— I don’t want to, because I wanna save it. Because I feel like if this is gonna end up— you know, this… I wanna save it just in case, okay?
Rhi: Yeah, yeah.
Aki: However, I did roll three 6s, so.
Rhi: Jesus. [laughs]
Aki: Um…
Rhi: Alright.
Aki: I will say the other two are 1s, so…. [laughs]
Rhi: [laughs] The dichotomy.
Aki: Yeah.
Rhi: So yeah, you— Pearl bounds over, grabs it off the ground and tosses it to you with a whip of her head. And you catch it, you throw it and you’re sighting it down as it falls. And I’m gonna say that’ll be another two that, I think just like, the proximity to the blast and just the sudden bright light, it scatters them again and two of them are just out of the fight entirely. So, you have taken out half of the initial birds, so it’s looking a lot more manageable now. You guys are gonna be pretty securely in risky going forward. Echo?
Josie: Hi! Are the birds off of me?
Rhi: Yes, yes. You are freed of birds. You are no longer being pecked.
Josie: Thank you, Val.
Kim: You’re welcome.
Rhi: [laughs]
Josie: I think Echo’s just gonna take out a pistol and start blasting. [laughs]
Rhi: Alright. Yeah, listen, sometimes… and like, there’s kind of— it’s kinda nice because like, you don’t have to worry about the consequences of gunfire out here. Bluecoats aren’t gonna swoop down on your asses. You can shoot all you want.
Josie: [laughs]
Aki: There were consequences to gunfire? What…?
Rhi: Well, yes.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: Theoretically. Yeah, so this’ll be risky, standard. Unless you’re trying to aim for more than one or something. But if you’re just aiming at one, one big bird…
Josie: I’m just gonna push to make sure I hit something.
Rhi: Okay.
Josie: [rolls dice] 4.
Rhi: 4. Okay. You do it, but with a consequence. Hmm… I think, so you shoot one but I think that like, in the fall, like, your pistol got damaged. And so, you fire the one shot and then go to take another shot and your gun is jammed. So, you will not be able to— you’re— you know, in downtime you can fix it, but for the rest of this part of the score you’re not gonna be able to use pistol number one.
Josie (as Echo): What is wrong with all of my equipment today?
Aki (as Darling): I can clean it for you later.
Josie (as Echo): Thank you.
Rhi: [laughs]
Aki: We’re like— I’m trying not to scream, but we’re totally screaming over—[laughs]
Rhi: Yeah. [laughs]
Josie: Yes. [laughs]
Rhi: Uh, let’s see… so, Leona is not shooting at a bird, Leona is trying not to get mauled by a bird, but let’s see how Ibrahim is doing. Oh, good job, buddy! He got a 6. He’s gonna take out another bird. Good job. Alright. Okay, uh, Val?
Kim: Yeah.
Rhi: I think you still can do a thing.
Kim: Yeah, I’m gonna keep blasting.
Rhi: Alright, shotgun again?
Kim: Yup.
Rhi: Okay. I will say since it’s a shotgun you can aim for, like, two without any penalty.
Kim: Oh cool, yeah.
Rhi: But they— you know. They have to be kind of close-range. Risky, standard.
Kim: Okey dokey. [shakes and rolls dice] That’s another 6.
Rhi: Okay.
Kim: Let the record show.
Rhi: So, nicely done. Val, you fire at another couple birds and one of them goes down, another one, like, kinda gets clipped and is injured but isn’t totally out, but the now only three that are remaining of this initial flock scatter and fly off into the darkness. Even the one that was on Leona lets go and takes off. And a sort of— that eerie silence in the aftermath of all the gunshots and shouting and screaming and people falling off of horses just kind of settles back over this hilltop. Leona very stiffly gets to her feet kinda holding her side and is like,
Rhi (as Leona): Everybody alive?
Josie (as Echo): Yes.
Rhi (as Leona): [weary] Okay. Great. [sighs] That sucked. Alright, uh, we need to keep moving. The bodies up here are gonna attract all kinds of other stuff.
Rhi: So yeah, she’s going to get back into the saddle and this time, like, helps Arlene up but doesn’t do the cool one-armed pull-up into the saddle thing because she’s in some pain and has some injuries.
Kim: Yeah…
Rhi: Everybody else who got knocked out of the saddle, like, Ibrahim will come over and help you all back up if you need it.
Aki: Shit, I thought I was still on this—[laughs]
Kim: I didn’t establish that I fell off. I’d like to think that I was badass.
Rhi: Val and Darling, uh, remained on horseback. Echo and Arlene got de-horsed.
Aki: Oof.
Rhi: So if Echo needs a hand up, Ibrahim can help. Yeah, so you all set off again across the Deathlands, moving a little slower now, just cause people have injuries and the horses are spooked. And so, for the next hour it’s a little slower. Arlene, are you— you think you and Leona are talking any?
Minna: I think she’s very definitely like, clinging to whatever part of Leona she can reach. Like, if she has an arm around her, she’s holding onto it.
Rhi: Yeah.
Josie: Aww.
Rhi: I think initially when you kind of like latch onto her arm, Leona’s like,
Rhi (as Leona): I’m… I’m fine. I’ve had worse. Don’t worry too much.
Minna (as Arlene): Just, I don’t like it.
Rhi: I don’t think she like, says anything. Just kind of like— I picture that you’re sitting in front of her and she’s got like an arm around you and just kinda like gives you a little squeeze.
Josie: [squee]
Rhi: So, yeah. You continue on towards the foothills of the mountains and I’m gonna just make a fortune roll real quick to see if anything else comes out to bother you. Hey, I got a 6. [laughs] So your, you know, maybe it was the lifeseeker crows that you left behind are enough of a distraction for anything else that might have been interested in preying on your life essence, or you know, just your mortal forms. You ride on and again, it’s that kind like quiet, eerie feeling settles back into place. You keep feeling like something’s watching you. You look back and don’t see anything in the darkness, but it’s just, it’s eerie and unsettling out here. And even, you know, chasing off a threat of the Deathlands can’t quite shake that feeling entirely. But eventually, probably another few hours after the crow attack— actually I will say, is there— cause I don’t wanna rob us of family road trip dynamics. Any particular conversations people wanna have over the next couple hours as you’re riding?
Aki: Yes.
Rhi: [laughs]
Aki: Okay, I have witnessed this cowgirl get her ass whooped by basically colossal chickens.
Minna: [laughs]
Aki: [laughs] Got you, thank you. However, what I would like to ask is, have I received the tiger balm yet from—[laughs] I’m blanking on Dusty’s character’s name.
Rhi: Oh, um, Marquez.
Aki: Marquez, thank you.
Rhi: Yes, you have. You definitely have.
Aki: Okay. I would like to ride the moose-horse over, whom by the way has received many pets and many praises because this thing’s amazing, okay?
Rhi: [laughs]
Aki: It’s just like,
Aki (as Darling): What a well-trained megafauna. You’re so good.
Rhi: [laughs]
Aki (as Darling): I don’t know what you are, but I’m gonna call you Penelope.
Rhi: [bursts out laughing]
Aki: And I just—
Aki (as Darling): Good job.
Rhi: Yes.
Aki: Right?
Aki (as Darling): Good job, Penelope, you’re so good.
Aki: You know, like, megafauna.
Rhi: Yeah.
Aki: And then will ride it up. I will— I don’t— I’m not wearing a hat, I don’t think I can wear hats. Um, I’ll just nod over and um, shift through my bag and pull out the tiger balm and just go,
Aki (as Darling): [sighs] We don’t really have an area of rest just yet and I’m not sure you are… handling being defeated by the birds so well. So, not in any open wounds, do you happen to have bruising?
Rhi (as Leona): Uh… yeah? I did get knocked off my horse, that leaves a few bruises.
Aki (as Darling): Well, put some of this on it if you can. If— oh, if it’s near your arse, oh no, then you have to lie down. But, but if it’s on your back or something, I’m sure— you’re driving this horse! I’ll have to do it. Just, just lift so I can— put this on your back. You’ll feel a burning sensation and then a cooling sensation, and you’ll probably smell it, but this shit works.
Rhi: Leona will— I’m imagining it’s just kind of a small little pot with a lid.
Aki: Yeah, just, woo-woo.
Rhi: Leona will take it and be like—
Aki: It’s like a—
Rhi: The horses are riding—
Aki: It would probably be a salve as well, so it’s gonna be a little sticky.
Rhi: Yeah. I think that she just kind of like gives the reins to Arlene. [laughs] The horses are just walking straight, it’s not anything complicated at this point. And she like, lifts the lid and sniffs it and then is just like,
Rhi (as Leona): [chokes and coughs] Okay. Uh…
Aki (as Darling): Well now, if you had a cold, you don’t anymore. Sinuses are open now.
Rhi (as Leona): Yeah. [shudders] Thank you. Um… I uh, I’m wearing several layers right now and I don’t know how well I can get it on my back, but um—
Aki (as Darling): I can put it on you for you, you just have to lift. Oh dear, you can’t lift, can you? Your arms are all fucked up.
Rhi (as Leona): Also, we’re on horseback and I don’t know how well that’s gonna work.
Aki (as Darling): Well it’s not like I’m putting it on the horse. I’m just putting it on you. Who is on the horse.
Rhi (as Leona): Uh…
Aki (as Darling): It’s okay, it’s okay. You are uncomfortable, it is fine. This is more of a how quickly would you like to alleviate this discomfort?
Rhi (as Leona): We’re gonna be— when we stop outside the settlement I’ll give it a try. I— thank you?
Rhi: She passes it back to you. [laughs] For the time being. Is very confused by this exchange of, ‘I’m going to insult you a little bit, but also here’s something to make your wounds feel better.’ [laughs] Leona’s just like,
Rhi (as Leona): Thanks…?
Aki (as Darling): Do you not have a family dynamic? Oh dear. You will now.
Rhi (as Leona): Not… not this one.
Rhi: Kind of like leans down to Arlene.
Rhi (as Leona): [whispers] Is she always like this?
Minna (as Arlene): Uh… kind of? She’s being like, extra like this.
Rhi (as Leona): Ah. Okay. Is that good or bad?
Minna (as Arlene): Probably good?
Rhi (as Leona): I get the sense that if she didn’t like me at all she just wouldn’t talk to me? Is that…?
Minna (as Arlene): Yeah, either that or you’d like, really extra know.
Rhi (as Leona): Okay.
Minna (as Arlene): I think.
Rhi (as Leona): That’s— okay. That’s good to know.
Aki: I’m like, right there. Can I just also lean over and be like— [laughs]
Rhi: [laughs] Yeah, if you want.
Aki: Be like,
Aki (as Darling): Sorry to interrupt, but no, no, I like you a fair bit more than originally intended. So, this is me being nice.
Rhi (as Leona): Oh. Okay, that’s good. Thank you. I appreciate it.
Aki: Another head nod and I will move—
Rhi: [laughs]
Aki: I will ask Penelope to move. Quite literally, just like,
Aki (as Darling): Can you shift a bit, dear?
Aki: And you—[laughs] Just… move. I’m sorry, I think that’s the best way to ride— for Darling to ride this horse. Is to ask it nicely. [laughs]
Rhi: Yeah. I think that after this arrangement was made, Leona like, went back to the stables and was like, “I need the largest and chillest horse that we have.” [laughs] And this will be Darling’s. So, after— you ride on with varying degrees of, you know, conversation and silence that is different levels of awkward depending on who’s involved.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: [laughs] And eventually, you can see the lights of a small settlement in the foothills of the mountains up ahead. And because of how dark everything is out here, you can see these lights from a long way off. But as you kind of are getting closer, what you notice is that there isn’t a lightning barrier around this settlement. Which is odd, because generally speaking, lightning barriers are how the Empire keeps ghosts and the other horrors of the Deathlands out of its settled areas. So, the fact that there isn’t one around here is strange. But you all kind of— Leona and Ibrahim kind of bring the group to a stop and everybody dismounts. Leona, like, you know, stiffly [laughs] standing there, is like,
Rhi (as Leona): Okay. This is where we’re gonna need to uh, part ways. You’re gonna head on foot towards the settlement. It’s up on a bit of a cliff. We’ll be going up the path into the settlement proper. You all are gonna stay at the base of the cliff and go around until you get to a cave. There should be people there to meet you. The password that you’ll give is “Brittle ore shatters when struck”. You can also add that Leona sent them— or Leona sent you. That’ll help. They’ll give you a place to lay low overnight. You can at least rest up. And then the folks who are coming back with us, you’ll need to get back to uh—
Rhi: And you know, where you’ve stopped I think there’s a big, dead tree. It’s basically like,
Rhi (as Leona): Get back to this point and we’ll meet you. Hopefully we’ll be here before you are so we can all just mount up and start the ride back. Any questions?
Kim (as Val): Can I write down that password?
Rhi (as Leona): Oh yeah, sure.
Kim (as Val): Okay. Cause I’m not gonna remember that.
Rhi: Yeah. Leona will like, repeat it for you as you jot it down somewhere. And then yeah, I think as, you know, people are getting their gear together Leona will— there’s a visible moment of hesitation and then she will walk over to Darling and be like,
Rhi (as Leona): If you um, wouldn’t mind that stuff for bruises, I can get some of it on my back now?
Aki (as Darling): Absolutely. You go lie down. I will get it.
Rhi (as Leona): I—
Aki: And she sounds menacing on purpose. It is really just because she wants to prove a point of how fucking good this is. [laughs]
Rhi (as Leona): Do I have— can I sit down?
Aki (as Darling): You can sit down. It’s more like, did you get hurt on your legs as well? Like…
Rhi (as Leona): No, I took most of it on my back, so. I’ll just— I’m gonna go sit on that rock over there.
Rhi: [laughs]
Aki: And this is where I grab Arlene, because it’s learning time.
Rhi: [laughs]
Aki: Though if anybody else would like to come and learn the wonders of tiger balm. [laughs]
Minna: [laughs]
Aki: That’s essentially what’s gonna happen. I’m gonna go, I’m grab the ointment, I’m gonna come on over. Uh, and apply it to where bruising is. Not where open wound is, cause that shit’s gonna burn. I mean, it’ll close—[laughs] I remember when I got it on a scraped knee, that shit closed. I don’t know, I don’t know, okay? I don’t know the properties of actual bottled magic, but like, shit works.
Rhi and Josie: [laugh]
Aki: And um, it smells strong.
Rhi: Yeah.
Aki: If you’re not used to the smell and you’re near it, like, the closer your face is near it, your eyes are gonna water, that’s for sure. But all of y’all sinuses have never been more open. In fact, you could probably smell colors.
Rhi: [laughs loudly]
Aki: And yeah, it’s exactly what I said it would be. It’s gonna burn when it get out on. But like, burning, then cooling, and then your whole back is gonna feel really, really cool for a while. But like, all the pain is like, absorbed.
Rhi: We’re not sponsored by tiger balm, but we will accept a sponsorship if they wanna reach out. [laughs]
Aki: If I ever got sponsored by tiger balm, my bloodline could end with me. Like, I’ve done it.
[laughter]
Rhi: You’ve peaked. It will never get better than that.
Aki: Never.
Minna: Looked it up and it does indeed have menthol. I was wondering.
Rhi: Mm hmm. So yeah, I think Leona initially kinda like makes a face at the burning part but then is like,
Rhi (as Leona): Oh. Hey. That actually is great.
Rhi: And you know, this time she’s a lot less kind of confused and awkward and is like,
Rhi (as Leona): Oh, thank you. That helps a lot. That’s gonna make the last bit of this trip much easier.
Aki (as Darling): Mm hmm. We used to have patches and my mom would put it on— like, you would put the salve on and then slap the patch on and you’d just go for the whole day, if not longer. Depending on how long you had that shit on you. Just don’t stretch too much, that is like you’re asking for aggravation. But other than that, you should be good should you not fall on your back again.
Rhi (as Leona): Yeah. I will do my best.
Rhi: Alright. So, any other check-ins, conversations people wanna have before you guys split?
Kim: I think I’m good.
Rhi: Leona is gonna give Arlene a hug. No kisses in front of Mom, cause that’s just weird. And she knows that Darling will never let you hear the end of it. But you get a hug. [laughs]
Josie: [laughs]
Minna: Mm hmm.
Rhi: And then yeah, they— you know, they have some lead ropes and tie your horses to theirs and they will start off towards the settlement. And you all start off on foot in the same direction, towards the cliff. And I think that they also gave you some of the lanterns from the horses so that you all aren’t just like, wandering off into the pitch blackness. Give me one last roll. It can be like a group roll. Just to kinda see like, how does this last stretch of your journey go? If you wanna do like, maybe a group Prowl.
Kim: I think that makes sense.
Rhi: This is gonna be more of a fortune roll, so no like…
Josie: Sure.
Rhi: Nobody has— yeah. I just kind of wanna… wanna see if anything…
[dice shaking and being rolled]
Josie: Well, I got a 6.
Kim: Yeesh, I got a 2.
Minna: Got a 6.
Rhi: Okay. And how about Darling?
Aki: Sorry, I mis-looked at my, um, roll. Like, what to roll. So I got 4.
Rhi: Okay. So, overall you’re doing good. You make pretty good time. I think that like, even though two of you got knocked off your horses during the crow attack, you’re not too banged up. And it seems that, like, as you are getting closer to the settlement, you start seeing these kind of like, these weird structures that are like these stone pillars that are topped with these large, carved wooden symbols. But the wood is like, it’s not anything that you’ve ever seen before. It’s not wood that you have seen around in Akoros. And the symbols are also very unfamiliar to all of you, including those of you with knowledge of Tycheros and Skovlan. This is not from those places. And it seems that, like, something about the way they’re spaced out reminds you of how the lightning barrier towers are spaced out, so maybe these are some kind of arcane, occult things that can ward off spirits without lightning? It’s— you’re not sure. None of you have kind of the required cultural or occult knowledge to know exactly what you’re looking at, but you know that nothing bothers you on your way along this cliff base.
And eventually, you find the cave. It’s a large enough that Darling doesn’t have to duck, but just barely [laughs] cave opening. And you all head in and it’s very dark. And I think after you get about 20 feet in, you hear people move in behind you and you like, hear the click of guns being cocked.
Aki: Oh.
Rhi: So whoever’s got that password…
Kim (as Val): Brittle ore shatters when struck?
Rhi (as Stranger): Who sent ya?
Kim (as Val): Leona.
Rhi: There’s a pause and then more light kind of flares up from behind you as a lantern is lit. And you know, you all turn to see there’s a man and a couple women standing there. They all have that look of people who— they probably aren’t that old. They’re probably in their 30s, maybe early 40s, but they look so much older. They, you know, are stooped and skin is weathered. There’s kind of just clear evidence of very hard lives written on their bodies. The woman who’s holding the lantern will nod at you and be like,
Rhi (as Woman): Alright, so you’re the ones getting us out of here in the morning?
Kim (as Val): That’s right.
Josie (as Echo): Yes.
Rhi (as Woman): Okay. We got a little camp set up a bit further in and Fiona’s making some dinner if you wanna eat anything. When we were setting things up last time, they said we’d probably have to wait overnight. Is that still the plan?
Kim (as Val): Yeah.
Rhi (as Woman): Okay. She leads you back further into this cave that— it looks like— it’s like a, it’s a natural cave that has been kind of dug out, refined a bit by human hands. You know, a lot of places where it would probably be a very narrow passage or something has been widened out and smoothed out. And there’s a small side room, or side-cavern rather, that has more light coming from it. And those of you who can smell things can smell something cooking. It’s not like, ‘Ooh, delicious food smells,’ but like, someone’s doing something with potatoes in here. It’s not the best thing that’s ever been done with potatoes, but potatoes are being cooked. [laughs]
Kim: Yup.
Rhi: There’s another woman sitting by— not a fire, but it’s like some kind of— there’s a portable generator that’s rigged up to some kind of basically hot plate situation. Yeah. This is your group of workers that you are getting out of here. At this point, um, we’re gonna do a very odd downtime.
Josie: Okay.
Rhi: Because you’re gonna be fairly limited in your options in terms of what you can do. Any like, healing that you would need to do, the folks here have got some functional medical supplies for the kind of injuries that you all would have taken. Nobody got like, shot or poisoned or anything like, really terrible. So if you need any like, minor medical care, they can do that.
Josie: Not for me, they don’t.
Rhi: Nope. [laughs]
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: They do have a portable generator that you could probably plug into when everybody’s asleep. [laughs]
Josie: I kinda don’t wanna take whatever ectoplasm they have left, to be honest. [laughs]
Rhi: Yeah, that’s totally fair.
Josie: I might just roll through.
Rhi: Yeah. And I think that like, you’re— I feel like you— your onboard battery can hold a charge for a while. Like, I don’t think you’re in danger of running out. You’re probably gonna be running low or getting tired when you all get back, but not in dire straits. So yeah, you’ll be able to, um, you can definitely heal up. So, you can recover. You could train. Depending on your vice, you can indulge your vice, but it’s probably gonna be somewhat limited? Like, it might only be half as effective as it would be otherwise. You could also, if you were so inclined, attempt to acquire an asset by sneaking up into the town. The workers here, if there’s something you’re like, ‘We need to get this,’ they can show you how to sneak up. You’re then running the risk of getting caught. Long term projects… so, yeah.
Uh, if you wanna chat with any of these fine folks, they will introduce themselves. The man is named Liam and the women are Fiona, Tia and Mona. Unsurprisingly based on the names, a lot of them, Echo, you’re guessing are Skovlan. Which isn’t surprising that folks from Skovlan would end up in this kind of desperate debt. So yeah, what do you all do to pass this night here in this cave out in this mining settlement in the Deathlands? Also, how do you explain the tiger? [laughs]
Minna: [laughs]
Rhi: Cause you definitely get some looks when they get a good look at Pearl and are like, ‘Um… are you aware that you have brought one of the spooky lions that lives out in the Deathlands in with you?’
Aki (as Darling): Hey. Tiger. You get that right now. She has stripes. And not a mane. And she has stripes!
Rhi (as Worker): Listen, I haven’t ever really gotten a close enough look at any of them, which is why I’m still alive. I apologize for insulting your tiger.
Aki (as Darling): Yes. Well. I’m assuming you do not want a long story, so, I have adopted her. A long time ago. Yeah. That’s basically it.
Rhi (as Worker): Oh. Alright. That makes sense, I guess.
Aki (as Darling): And she is very well-trained and I will not be putting her on a leash in quite literally a place called the Deathlands. It sounds like I’m asking for something, and I’m not sure what it is.
Rhi (as Worker): Does she… would she like some mashed potatoes?
Rhi: Everyone is offered mashed potatoes. [laughs] That’s what you’re having for dinner.
Aki (as Darling): Oh. Yes. Yes. She would probably prefer something with meat on it, but I mean, I don’t think she’s picky.
Rhi (as Worker): Yeah, we’d all…
Aki (as Darling): She decimates my fucking plants. You know how hard that is to get here?
Aki: I’m like, plants don’t exist, but I have them.
Minna: She’s just a cat.
Rhi: Yeah. Very big cat.
Rhi (as Worker): Yeah. Meat’s pretty much always out of our price range, so… potatoes.
Rhi: But Pearl will get a bowl of potatoes, along with everyone else. Including Echo.
Josie (as Echo): I ate already. You should save it for yourself.
Rhi (as Worker): Oh. Are you… sure?
Josie (as Echo): Yes.
Rhi: They look a little hesitant, but they also aren’t gonna turn down additional food, so they— I think they’ll like, kinda take the bowl back and be like, ‘I mean, if you’re sure…’ [laughs] watching to make sure you’re not gonna like, change your mind before they start portioning it out.
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: Um, yeah. So I mean, any chats you all might wanna have amongst yourselves or with the folks here?
Kim: Yeah. I would like to check in with the kiddos, since I know they both took a real beating earlier.
Rhi: Yeah. [laughs]
Aki: Yeah, Arlene’s getting tiger balm all over that.
Rhi: [laughs]
Minna: All over my hair? [laughs]
Aki: Well not your hair, it’s more like I can put it on your head. Like, your forehead.
Minna: Oh, okay.
Aki: But, but, but if I— I can only do that right before you’re going to bed. Because you have to keep your eyes closed, like, you know, just cause of the proximity. It’ll make your eyes water.
Minna: [laughs]
Rhi: Mm hmm.
Aki: And probably also putting it on the back of your neck or something because you never know, you never know. But am I hovering around you with like, a salve container? Yes.
Rhi: [laughs]
Minna (as Arlene): I’m not going to bed yet, I’m not going to bed yet.
Aki (as Darling): I know, I just want to be ready.
Rhi: [laughs] The instant Arlene looks toward her bedroll, Darling is there. So yeah.
Minna: I think Arlene knows this song and dance, probably.
Rhi: So Val, yeah. Go ahead with your checking in of the kiddos.
Kim: Yeah, they’re gonna stop by and kind of very gently put a hand on Arlene’s shoulder and just go like,
Kim (as Val): How ya holdin’ up?
Minna (as Arlene): I’m okay.
Kim (as Val): Yeah? You sure? I saw you get thrown pretty hard out there.
Minna (as Arlene): Yeah, it’s just like a little bit of a headache. I’ll be okay.
Kim (as Val): Alright. You, doll?
Josie (as Echo): Um, I am fine. A little shaken, but…
Kim (as Val): Do ya need anything?
Josie (as Echo): Some company, maybe.
Kim (as Val): I can do that. You wanna campfire story or something?
Josie (as Echo): I mean, I wasn’t thinking anything like that, but now I am interested in what kind of campfire story you would tell.
Kim (as Val): [laughs] Uh… well now I have to think.
Minna (as Arlene): I could tell you what happened in the comic I’m reading.
Josie (as Echo): What comic are you reading?
Minna: Minna does not know. [laughs]
[laughter]
Rhi: Quick, think of a 1920s comic title.
Aki: Those like secretly lesbian ones?
Rhi: [laughs]
Josie: [laughs]
Rhi: Well they wouldn’t have to be secret in this setting.
Aki: I— that’s true, that’s true, that’s true. Or like, like, um— or! Or! Or! It’s like, have you guys seen those world war— I can’t remember which world war actually, but it’s like the Russian, Chinese, communist propaganda ones.
Rhi: [laughs] Yeah.
Aki: And they’re super gay and by the end of it they just adopt two kids? Yeah. That.
Rhi and Josie: [laugh]
Minna: I feel like hers is like that, but for teens.
Rhi: Oh, it’s like some uh…
Aki: Imperial Dale?
Rhi: Yeah, it would be um, like a couple of Imperial Academy students and the hi-jinks they get up to.
Minna: Yes!
Rhi: [laughs] They solve mysteries at their— at the academy. I don’t know what it’s called.
Aki: Is it a gang of them? Perhaps five?
Minna: [laughs]
Rhi: One of them a dog?
Aki: Specifically four— yes.
Rhi: [laughs]
Aki: One of them is a very large… I don’t know what kinda animals would be here, but yeah, one of them’s a large dog-adjacent animal.
Rhi: [laughs]
Minna: Oh, we’re talking about Scooby Doo. [laughs]
Rhi: Yeah, I think we have decided that yes, this is Scooby Doo. I think it’s called like, Mystery Academy. But it’s the 1920s Blades in the Dark version of Scooby Doo, yeah.
Kim: That actually unironically sounds like a really fun one-shot.
Rhi: Yeah, and I— most of the time the supernatural threat would actually be a supernatural threat, not a capitalist old man in a mask.
Minna: The supernatural threat is a capitalist.
Rhi: [laughs]
Aki: They totally unmask someone who’s walking around in the Working Boy’s costume.
Rhi: [laughs] Yeah, yeah it definitely is— it’s got some pro-Imperial messaging, but the writing’s good.
Aki: [laughs] That one oddly suspicious issue where they totally union-bust, you’re not entirely sure if you like that issue or not, but the art is really nice.
Rhi: Yeah. [laughs] And it advances, like, the developing friendship plot with two of the characters, so it’s like, it’s a mixed bag.
Josie: [laughs]
Aki: You can’t win them all.
Rhi: So yeah, you guys, you hang out. You kind of like, you kind of come down off of high alert. Occasionally the workers who are here, like, a couple of them will go out into the tunnel and seem to be doing, like, patrols just to kind of make sure that nobody’s coming down here. And they’ll kind of explain that the guards up in the city are usually pretty vigilant, but since they’ve just gotten a new shipment of drink and drugs in, that they might be a little more lax tonight, so you all should be okay. But it’s clear they’re all pretty on edge. They don’t 100% trust that this is gonna work out. But you all settle in, probably they’re gonna wanna do sort of like staying up for, you know, keeping watch due to the aforementioned guards up in the city. So, you’ll kind of sleep in shifts. But eventually, next morning comes.
One of the, um, the workers, Tia, who had been out on patrol comes back in and says that sun’s coming up and we should head out. So you all gather your things, get to your feet, they kind of get their packs, which given that they are, you know, leaving the place where they have probably lived for at minimum several years, they’re not bringing much. They are carrying less than all of you. So you head out back through the cave, you step out into the Deathlands that are, uh, as illuminated as you’ve ever seen them in this early dawn brief light. You start off again, kind of walking along the edge of the cliff face. And you’re feeling pretty good about things. Like, this is going smoothly. You have that one run-in, but like, all you have to do is get back to the meeting point and this is, it’s all gonna work out.
So naturally, that is when the gunshots ring out from the rocks to the side of the cliff and what looks like a grenade hits the dirt in front of you.
Kim: What?
Rhi: And that’s where we’re gonna stop.
Aki: Excuse me?
Josie: Uh… great. Awesome.
Rhi: [laughs]
Minna: [screaming softly]
Kim: Okay.
## Outro [01.02.32]
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.
## Blooper [01.05.05]
Rhi: Hang on, there’s sirens outside.
Aki: I thought you said the coppers weren’t around here! You lied!
Rhi: [laughs] Oh no! Bluecoat just comes barreling out of the darkness.
Aki: “So I heard you popped off a gun!”
[laughter]