Transcribed by Chloe Hendry.
## Intro
Rhi: Welcome back to Ilrien. Thank you once again for joining us. As always, if you’re enjoying this mini-series, please tell people about it, or pick up Court of Blades to dive into your own games of dramatic, courtly intrigue.
You can also listen to The City That Never Dies, our Roaring Twenties-inspired Blades in the Dark actual play series, and our brand-new series, Demon: Love and Hellfire, which just launched this week! Love and Hellfire is a Forged in the Dark game using a system custom-created by Josie to tell a story inspired by the setting and lore of Demon: the Fallen. The first episode is extra-long, so you can really sink into the world and the story right away. Go check it out on clevercorvids.net!
You can also catch more of The City That Never Dies on Rainbow Roll Fest, which will be running June 18th and 19th. We’ll be doing a screening of both old and new content on June 18th over on their Twitch channel. We’d love to see you there!
Next, Josie is going to tell us about this month’s featured charity.
Josie: Fund Texas Choice is a non-profit organization dedicated to travel and funds for that travel to Texans seeking abortions, even going so far as to help them travel out of state. If you’re listening to this, we just did a whole big livestream to raise money for Fund Texas Choice, but that doesn’t mean you can’t donate. And especially in the coming times, fuck SCOTUS, lots of people in lots of places are gonna need this help. Everyone who can get abortions is entitled to them, for any reason, fuck anyone who tells you otherwise, and we at Clever Corvids believe strongly in affordable healthcare for all of any sort.
Rhi: Continue to contact your elected officials and community leaders, wherever you are, to advocate for reproductive, trans, and queer rights. This pride month, it’s important to remind those with power, loudly and frequently, that everyone deserves to live in safety, health, happiness, and freedom.
Now then. Let’s get started, shall we?
## Story begins [00.00.00]
Drake: We find ourselves, once again, in Ilrien. A flyover shot of the bay, and in over the twist, all the way up the white road to the grand gate. But then we have that moment where the crane shot turns back over the city and we sink down into one of the large manor houses up on the grand gate; down through a leaded glass window where Alessa is facing off with her father, Captain Niko Cavalcante. And as we’re outside this glazed pane, we’re seeing the end of what looks like a dressing down.
Alessa, do you want to tell us about how this has been going, how Alessa’s feeling about it, and how it ends?
Rhi: Yeah. I think that this is far from the first time she’s been called out on the carpet by her father for some kind of misdeed. Alessa has, you know, explained why she was doing what she was doing, at the end of the party, why she looked the way she looked, she has explained this to many people. And most of the people in House Battalia, y’know, are pleased with the fact that she and the rest of her coterie helped forge this plot, but Captain Cavalcante has very high standards for those of his house.
I think at this point in the dressing down, Alessa has basically tuned out, and is- I think that they’re in his study. She’d not- She’s actively, and openly, not listening anymore. She’s sitting in a chair and, like, studying her fingernails, while he is pacing and ranting and doing whatever it is that he’s doing, and is just, yeah, like, completely tuned out.
Drake: Yeah, I think he’s brandishing the day’s broadsheet, upon which, y’know, ‘Battalia Fête devolves into chaos, event of the season.’ There are a lot of words there, but he’s focusing on the ones where, y’know, there were people who had to be brought to see physicians, there were bodies removed, y’know, blood on the dance floor, and he’s brandishing this almost like he would a military sabre in your direction.
I think that most of the dressing down has been, kind of, one sided and rhetorical. Like, he’s not asking questions, really.
Rhi: Oh, yeah, yeah, no.
Drake: Yeah, he doesn’t strike me as the type who would ask questions, or seek clarification or anything. He mainly just wants you here as a piece of scenery that he can chew on to express his displeasure.
Rhi: Yeah.
Drake: And how does that make Alessa feel?
Rhi: I think that if Alessa had grown up thinking of him as a parent, like, if he’d been around when she was a kid, this might hurt. But as it is there’s, like, she’d never loved him, there’s no, like, parental, like, family relationship here.
Drake: Sure, yeah.
Rhi: She came to this house when she was sixteen, knowing very well that she’s only here because her father blackmailed him. And she also knows that he can’t actually do anything to hurt her, because of the aforementioned blackmail.
Drake: Sure, yeah.
Rhi: So, I actually think that at some point, like, he, like, shoves the paper a little bit too close to her face and she, like, leans back in the chair like kinda tipping it back onto two legs. Not fully, but, like, just a little bit to open up a little more space. And when, like, he moves back she sits back in the chair and, like, kinda rolls her eyes and is like:
Rhi (as Alessa): [sighs] Captain, your point has been made, you’re very disappointed etcetera, etcetera. You can carry on to the potted plants, I’ll see myself out.
Rhi: And basically is just going to leave.
Drake: So, like, as you stand he turns, almost as if seeing you for the first time, like, not really sure what he’s just heard, and he’s like:
Drake (as Captain Cavalcante): I’m sorry, am I boring you?
Rhi (as Alessa): Yes. Quite. I have other engagements in the city today, and you don;t actually need me here as an active participant for this, so-
Drake (as Captain Cavalcante): I just want to make sure that no more of this occurs.
Rhi (as Alessa): Well, perhaps then you should do a better job of vetting the guards. That is one of your responsibilities.
Drake: So, we smash cut to- We smash cut to the twist, where your mother is leaning over the table:
Drake (as mother): And what did he say?
Rhi (as Alessa): Nothing. Totally speechless.
Drake (as mother): What did he say?
Rhi (as Alessa): I didn’t give him a chance to respond.
Drake (as mother): [laughs]
Rhi (as Alessa): I know, right? Ugh!
Drake (as mother): [laughs]
Rhi: So just to, kind of, set the scene here: Alessa’s mother, Iolanda Nerroni, is a former courtesan, she now works as an embroiderer at, like, a clothing and seamstress shop with a few friends. So, like, the apartment that they’re in is not, obviously, it’s a much, y’know, plainer, simpler place, but I think it’s cover in a lot of very, like, finely, like, very like well-made, hand sewn, like, fabrics and very nice, like, finely embroidered things, like- The building is cheap, but it’s decorated very nicely. Yeah, so- And I think they’re sitting there, like, there’s the remains of, like, a nice homemade meal, and, y’know, they’re got, like, y’know, half finished glasses of a nicer bottle of wine than you could get in this part of town, that most likely Alessa has brought with. And, yeah, Alessa’s just like:
Rhi (as Alessa): Yeah, so, I just took my leave, because obviously he could have just as easily made his whole speech to one of the potted plants. I may as well just- I might just do that next time. Like, put one of my, like, cloaks on one of the plants in there, see if he notices.
Drake (as Iolanda): I can just imagine his moustache aflame as he yells at a ficus!
Rhi (as Alessa): Yeah.
Drake: So, you do this often with your mother, right?
Rhi: Anyway, so, yeah. We have dinner once a week-
Drake: Exchanging gossip, or is this just to say close?
Rhi: Yeah, mostly just to stay close, yeah. Alessa and her mom are very close, it’s just to, like, talk and catch up, cause, yeah. She’s not- Doesn’t get along with her dad’s side, so this is to, y’know, be reminded that there;s family that does actually give a damn about her.
Drake: But the Cavalcante gold still spends, so…
Rhi: Oh yeah, it does! And so, yeah, like the, the food that’s spread on the table is, like, obviously, y’know, all homemade stuff that her mom made for her-
Drake: What’s Alessa’s favourite dish?
Rhi: Oh gosh, I think it’s a, like, a, sort of like a dumpling stew sort of thing.
Drake: Oh, I love it.
Rhi: Yeah.
Drake: Super rich, super homey.
Rhi: Yeah, yeah, with, like a, some homemade bread.
Drake: Aw, man. Now I’m hungry.
Rhi: Yeah, I know. I think Alessa will, like, lean back in her chair and be like:
Rhi (as Alessa): Ah, but, um, I don’t want to spend the whole time whining about the Captain. I was actually wondering, have you- You remember Wren, right?
Drake (as Iolanda): Wren, yeah, of course. You were close, right?
Rhi (as Alessa): Yes.
Drake (as Iolanda): That’s the one-
Rhi (as Alessa): We were, previously.
Drake (as Iolanda): That’s the one that you spoke about, how long ago was it?
Rhi (as Alessa): Several years now. Have you heard anything from them lately? Or about them lately?
Drake (as Iolanda): I can say that I haven’t seen them around, I could put out feelers for you, if you want? I know some people.
Rhi (as Alessa): That might be helpful, they’ve- They’ve gotten mixed up in some things that I think are going to be dangerous, more dangerous than is normal for around here. So don’t get directly involved.
Drake (as Iolanda): No, no.
Rhi (as Alessa): I’m just, sort of, trying to figure out what-
Drake (as Iolanda): Of course.
Rhi (as Alessa): How much of a problem it’s going to be.
Drake (as Iolanda): Well, if they were important to you then they’re important to me, so I’ll put my- I’ll put my ear to the ground. I know some people.
Rhi (as Alessa): (sighs) I appreciate it.
Drake: So, she kinda sets her wine glass down and as we kind of, like, zoom in on that wine glass we zoom back out as it slowly dissolves into a teacup, kind of a once beautiful, chipped, floral painted, bone-china tea cup. As we, kind of, zoom outward we find ourselves under a bridge. It’s a small table set beneath the Gilt Bridge, this broad, sweeping buillivard bridge, and underneath it a throne room- Lucy, who are you talking to?
Navi: The queen of the Gilt Bridge.
Drake: the queen of the Gilt bridge. We’re speaking of Soraya, right?
Navi: We’re speaking of Soraya.
Drake: And her army of cats.
Navi: Mmhm.
Drake: What does Soraya look like?
Navi: Soraya is really, astonishingly beautiful. She looks like a fairytale kind of queen; long, flowing, like, golden hair, just stunning blue eyes, immaculately kept, rosy pink cheeks. It’s not realistic how perfect she looks as a queen.
Drake: What down here lets you know that this is not a, like, a fairytale kingdom. What part of this breaks the illusion?
Navi: I think what breaks the illusion is that you can still hear people walking over the bridge, and you can hear the sounds of the woods, the wood and the trestles creaking, and then when you looks up it looks like it should be: this big, beautiful, vaulted stone and it’s kind of disorienting because you know there are people walking right above you, you can hear the sounds of stepping on wood and clopping and-
Drake: You can hear the carriages.
Navi: The carriages and the horses, exactly! But you’re in this throne room with this vaulted ceiling, how’s that possible?
Drake: Sure, and the royal guard here are all cats.
Navi: Mm, that’s a little bit of a problem until you get used to it.
Drake: So, what are you here visiting Soraya about?
Navi: Well, I figured if anyone knew what was going on between the Prince of Tatters and House Corvetto it would be Soraya. Soraya has eyes everywhere.
Drake: Anywhere there’s a cat.
Navi: Anywhere there’s a cat.
Drake: Okay, so Soraya is sitting back in her throne, lifting this one beautiful teacup to her lips and taking the tiniest hummingbird sip, and she leans across and kind of very delicately puts one hand underneath your chin and considers you. And I think, you know, she speaks and it’s the same- Like, it doesn’t break the whipped honey and butter of her glamour, it’s this kind of mellifluous voice that filters out of her that is at once entrancing and also completely, like, setting off all of your knack senses. But she says:
Drake (as Soraya): It’s wrong to come to a queen expecting something for nothing, dear. What do you bring in return? If I tell you this, where’s the leverage? What’s in it for me?
Navi: I think there’s, like, a moment where Lucy is- She can’t, she can’t not roll her eyes, it’s just, it’s not possible. She knows how this works, and bargaining with a fae they never get anything for free, and anything you get for free you can’t trust and you don’t want. So I think that there’s this sort of, like:
Navi (as Lucy): What do you want?
Drake (as Soraya): There’s no telling what I want. Well, there is. But I can’t have any truck with anyone who believes in the validity of enough. I never got that about you all. Your ability to fathom enough. I need you to do a thing for me. Someone needs to present themselves before the court and they won’t give me the time of day. Can you imagine?
Navi (as Lucy): You need me to introduce you to the court?
Drake (as Soraya): No. I need you to encourage someone to present themselves before this court.
Navi (as Lucy): Ooh. (laughs) Who?
Drake (as Soraya): Sister Captain Kelly of the Mercies.
Navi: I think there’s a moment of, like, this is- How am I going to convince someone that they should go and talk to this fae creature under the bridge, and then when she says that it’s the Sister Captain of the Mercies there’s a moment of (gasps): oh, I can do that! This might be doable! Okay. At least it’s the Mercies, because they, you know, they do monsters, they do fae, they- It won’t be as ridiculous to them as it would be if I was, like, having to drag one of the princes of the city in town under this bridge. So there’s, like, a moment of, like, visible relief and then-
Drake (as Soraya): Tell her to dress. I’ll not have her coming in mail and swords. Tell her to dress and present herself.
Navi (as Lucy): (sighs then laughs) Is that all?
Drake (as Soraya): That’s all. I am not a creature who pushed that sort of boundary. I don’t want oh so much. But what I want I will have.
Navi: Against by better angels:
Navi (as Lucy): Why the Sister Captain?
Drake (as Soraya): Does that matter to you?
Navi (as Lucy): Morbid curiosity.
Drake (as Soraya): It is morbid. You should see to that, people die of morbidity all the time.
Navi: I think, at that point, Lucy just, kind of, sees herself out and, like, as she, like, pushed these giant, wrought iron doors, like, closed the entire thing just disappears and she’s standing, kind of, in a gully just outside of underneath the Guilt Bridge, and she’s got water sloshing up to her ankles and, like, people are starting to notice her standing there looking ridiculous, ‘cause she’s dressed nicely but of course now is, like, soaked, and she looks ridiculous. And then she’s just:
Navi (as Lucy): (sighs) I hate fairies.
Drake: Love that. Oka, so we zoom out over the- Out of the Guilt Bridge and over toward the crumbling Necropolitan hill, down over a troop of Mercies, three of them walking in formation, one of them a flame-haired woman, two men in tow, and, y’know, she has an eyepatch and she’s dressed in chainmail, and leather. And we zoom over her left shoulder toward the gatehouse of the Necropolitan hill where the Dead Watchers keep sway. Inanna, who are you meeting with?
Josie: I forget the name…
Rhi: Saint, I think the name was?
Drake: Saint, yeah. So, Saint is a Dead Watcher. They had the gate when you approached, and you had questions. What kind of questions were you hoping Saint could help you out with today?
Josie (as Inanna): It has come to my attention that I think that there is a pretender to royalty of sorts in this city. This was not the case last time I slept. I wish to know what you know of the Prince of Tatters.
Drake: Oh wow, okay. I think Saint crosses their arms across their chest, leans forward a little bit:
Drake (as Saint): There are pretenders to royalty everywhere in this city, but only one calls himself Prince of Tatters. That’s a boogie man. Why are you after a boogie man?
Josie (as Inanna): They are present enough to have others acting in their name and in particular against House Battalia.
Drake (as Saint): Oh, well. Beg your pardon, we can’t have that. What kind of trouble are they brewing up for you this time?
Josie (as Inanna): In the long term it is uncertain. But in the short term, well, you have seen the broadsheets.
Drake (as Saint): That was Prince of Rags and Tatters, came and mucked up your soiree? That what you’re telling me?
Josie (as Inanna): One acting in their name, at least.
Drake (as Saint): Oh, well. That’s the problem with boogie mne, they’re symbols, and symbols often get people acting on their behalf, don’t they?
Josie (as Inanna): But symbols always come from somewhere, they mean something.
Drake (as Saint): Ah ha, there’s the rub, there you have it. Yeah. You were asleep for the big fire, weren’t you?
Josie (as Inanna): It seems so.
Drake (as Saint): Surprised. I thought everybody would’ve woke for that smoke. There was a- Fire swept through the White Road. Took two small houses, singed a bit of your own, egging your pardon for it, but after that there was talk. Somebody didn’t make it out of the fire, someone didn’t check, some scion never rescued from the blaze, come back a ghost or some such. Course, that being kind of our stock and trade, we were brought in to have a look see. It wasn’t a ghost. Not sure what it was, or if it was, but ever since then White Road and on the way down to the Gilt, even down in the Twist, they talk about a Prince of Rags and Tatters, someone come to, y’know, end the Mask, make sure that the common folk got a voice in this city. Might not be a bad idea, frankly. But it’s the methods, right? And there’s no count hurting innocent people.
Josie (as Inanna): Precisely. Regardless of the motive, acting with such dishonour cannot be tolerated.
Drake (as Saint): Sure, yeah. Completely understand that. That’s- We’re of a like mind there. I don’t mean to- You terrify me. I just gotta say, I’m sorry.
(laughter from everyone)
Josie (as Inanna): That is, in part, my purpose.
Rhi: That’s why they keep dusting me off every year, yes.
Drake (as Saint): Sorry, I just had to get that out, otherwise I was- It was gonna come out sooner or later, I’d rather it be on my own terms, you understand.
Josie (as Inanna): I understand completely. Set yourself somewhat at ease that a favour will be paid with a favour.
Drake (as Saint): Oh? Good, yes, I- What do you want me to do? What do you need to know?
Josie (as Inanna): You misunderstand, I am offering you a favour.
Drake (as Saint): Oh. Oh! Oh! Okay, yeah.
Josie (as Inanna): in exchange for your information.
Drake (as Saint): Sure, I’ll just tuck that away and if I need someone terrifying I’ll go ahead and look you up.
Josie (as Inanna): Do you know any rumpus of where the Prince holds court, so to speak?
Drake (as Saint): (chuckles) Where the Prince’s court might be? Well, I can tell you that it’s not the Twist, because I hear tell that old Apollo Brizolatto’s having the devil of a time chasing after a boogie man. I’ve heard things. You know, down here on the Necropolitan news is usually pretty old by the time it comes to us, but apparently Don Brizolatto is having trouble, his businesses are being upset by the Prince of Tatters. Although, we all thought that was just, you know, again, somebody playing at it, not- Do you think there’s a real Prince of Tatters?
Josie (as Inanna): As you said, they are likely a symbol, but all symbols come from somewhere.
Drake (as Saint): Fair. Yeah. You might try talking to the Brizolatto’s, or maybe being more circumspect, I don’t know, I don’t mean to tell you your business or anything like that, that’s not my intent.
Josie (as Inanna): No, that is my- That is what I intend to do next. I thank you for your time.
Drake: And, you know, he makes a gesture. It’s not a ward against evil, but it’s halfway there. But he turns it into, like, a show of respect. He’s like:
Drake (as Saint): I hope you find what you’re looking for. And I hope you rest easy when it comes to be that time. And I promise, if it ever comes to be that you are a resident-
Drake: And he points back towards the Necropolitan hill.
Drake (as Saint): I’ll make sure that you get the best spot. I- I- (trails off)
Rhi: Gotta love it.
Josie (as Inanna): That is more consideration than I need.
Josie: She turns to leave and then looks back.
Josie (as Inanna): Am I the only resident of my kind that you have encountered?
Drake: He looks towards the largest barrow on the Necropolitan hill, one that’s, kind of, crowned with this, like, it’s made of led, right? It’s a giant, led mausoleum. And it’s carved with these old runes and symbols, there are prayer scrolls that have been affixed to it with wax seals, and he hooks a thumb.
Drake (as Saint): There’s only one other deathless I’ve ever seen.
Josie (as Inanna): There are so few of us left.
Josie: And then she walks out.
Drake: And we follow Inanna as she begins to descend the Necropolitan hill, sweep back over and toward the Guilt, where we are looking back at House Battalia, and we kind of do a crane shot over a garden wall, where a conversation is beginning to reach a fever pitch. We hear the words ‘You forget yourself’. Aurelia, when did this all go wrong?
Paulomi: I think Aurelia’s been- I think the word to describe it is paranoid, for the last few days. Since the party she’d been seeing shadows on the walls, and is primarily concerned with making sure that the sion of House Battalia is safe. Not only because it’s her duty, but because she doesn’t want her girlfriend to die.
Drake: I mean, obviously, right?
Paulomi: And it was a very near thing, nearer than she was comfortable with, at the party at the start of the season. So, she’s, you know, she’s been caught dressing down guards, questioning them, questioning maids and servants. I think the latest is that she made one of Juliana’s lady’s maids cry.
Drake: Oh, good!
Rhi: Aww.
Paulomi: As a result of being just very stressed about Julaian’s wellbeing. And I think, finally, her paramour has taken her aside into a hallway where its just the two of them, where they can speak freely, and Aurelia is trying very, very much to explain that: I just want you to be safe, I just want you to be well, and I think that’s the point at which Juliana puts her foot down and says that Aurelia is overstepping.
Drake: Yeah, in this city of yours, right, you find this quiet, quiet place. And you, sort of, try and muster a defence of yourself, but she, at this point, like, leans in and just viper soft:
Drake (as Juliana): You forget yourself. What is your name?
Paulomi: I don’t think Aurelia responds right away.
Drake (as Juliana): Because mine is Battalia.
Paulomi: And she kind of just closes her eyes and sets her jaw.
Paulomi (as Aurelia): My apologies, my lady.
Paulomi: And then just sweeps past and storms out of this conversation.
Drake: Oh really?
Drake (as Juliana): Aurelia, wait!
Drake: But you don’t, do you?
Paulomi: Nuh uh, nope.
Drake: Oh no. Okay. So, out into the city, angry, smouldering.
Paulomi: She shoulder checks someone, we just never see their face.
Drake: Oh, no, that page is going to be in the finale, just you wait.
(everyone laughs)
Paulomi: We see her, kind of, like, her running down some stairs; reaches the bottom landing, and then just does a (frustrated scream) and marches off in a direction.
Drake: Alright. So, where do you run into trouble, is my question?
Paulomi: I think she kind of- We follow her, she kind of goes through the streets, just taking turns wherever she feels like it, whenever she’s meeting, like, a little bit of resistance with too many people, or there’s a cart, she just turns left or right, and she ends up at the docks. And she’s just walking along the water, when, I think, she sees this group of people, a little further down, just, kind of, running off into an alley. This, kind of, like, flurry of activity-
Drake: Absolutely.
Paulomi: That if nobody was paying attention they would miss it, but she was paying attention.
Drake: Well, you’ve got those Bravo instincts, right?
Paulomi: Exactly.
Drake: And you can tell when things are about to happen, and you know that you have to be a part of it, right? Like-
Paulomi: I gotta, I gotta be a part of it.
Drake: I mean, at this point, right? Like, you’re hurt and you’re angry and probably spoiling for a fight a little bit.
Paulomi: Just a little bit.
Drake: Sure. So, tell me about Maestro.
Paulomi: Maestro has straw blond hair, is rail thin, but quick in fight makes up for any size disadvantage by being faster, more cunning, and willing to fight dirty.
Drake: Is Maestro a Bravo as well.
Paulomi: I think Maestro is a Bravo, yeah.
Drake: So, my question is: when you see Maestro atop the cart, do you notice the mask or the sword at his hip first?
Paulomi: It’s the eyes that she notices first.
Drake: Ah, what about them?
Paulomi: They are bright blue.
Drake: Bright blue.
Paulomi: And they tip up on the outer edges just a little bit. She recognises those eyes because they always look like they’re laughing at her specifically.
Drake: His mask is laughing too. It’s got the devil tusks, leather devil’s face that completely covers his face when he’s about his business with the blue devils. And the ironmongers who are putting the stamped cargo into the back of the crate, they, you know, are speaking in low tongues. But Maestro isn’t listening, he’s looking directly at you.
Paulomi: I’m looking directly at him.
Drake: And, like, there’s that moment where the two of you lock eyes, and he looks back at the cargo for just a second, and it’s not even, really, a break in the eye contact they you would be able to like, realy, parse out, like, you wouldn’t recognize it before he;s back on you, and he clicks the reigns, and the cart begins moving. And at this point one of the ironmongers turns and is like:
Drake (as ironmonger): Hey, who are you?
Drake: But Maestro is already moving towards the Gilt with whatever they put in the back of his cart.
Paulomi: I think as soon as an ironmonger turns towards me and opens their mouth I’m already slipping away back down the docks.
Drake: Juicy. Okay, well, that was good downtime, guys! Good things you guys didn’t get into any trouble or anything.
Rhi: No trouble at all whatsoever.
Drake: So, my question is: when you guys have blown off steam- Actually, you know what? Real quick, let me check back in with Alessa. Because I wanna say that your mother gets you a communiqué, gets you a letter passed, before your next, you know, dinner date.
Rhi: Yeah.
Drake: I think that the word that she’s gotten from her contacts in the Twist have come up that Wren’s involved in gang stuff. Like, Wren has found their way into, like, criminal underbelly of the Twist and they’re, kind of, acting as a bag man for, you know, at first a couple of smaller outfits, but word is that they’re involved with the Brizolatto’s now, like, the criminal family that runs the Twist.
Rhi: Okay.
Drake: So, now my question again: where do we find, like, our reunion scene. Where are we framing this scene where we all, kind of, get together and come back to work.
Rhi: Yeah, do we have, like, a- Where do we- Where’s our coterie hangout spot?
Drake: That’s a great question. Like, is it one the, like, restaurants that, kind of, dot the canals? Is it a little bar, or?
Paulomi: It’s just a little cafe.
Rhi: I want it to be, like, someplace along the wall. Since that’s, like, kind of where House Battalia controls.
Drake: Yeah.
Rhi: So, like-
Josie: Can it be, like, a little restaurant or cafe down a level and, sort of, in the base of the wall?
Drake: That’s cool.
Paulomi: Yeah. Yeah, maybe it, like, specifically caters to, like, it’s a cop bar.
Rhi: No.
Navi: Fuck.
Drake: It’s the guards, it’s the guard bar.
Rhi: We hang out at a cop bar. No!
(everyone laughs)
Navi: We’re squares.
Drake: Just here for beer and donuts.
Josie: Are we the baddies?
Rhi: I think we are, y’all!
Navi: We’re the baddies!
Paulomi: We did establish in session zero that we’re a goon squad.
Paulomi: Yeah, I like the idea though that because we’re a House Battalia coterie that, like, there’s a back room that, like, we can just walk in and they will, like, we just have a, like- We don’t have to sit at, like, a table out front.
Rhi: It’s like a plush, private room. It’s got-
Paulomi: We’ve got a private room.
Rhi: It’s got velvet seats. It’s got, like, paintings on the wall. Our tab is paid by the house.
Paulomi: Yeah.
Drake: Oh yeah. I like that. So, the Postern is a little dive- It’s not a dive. It’s a nice little restaurant where off duty guards, the watch, after they’ve finished a shift on the grand gate controlling traffic coming in and out of the city. When, you know, they’re dismissed by the lord of the gate they can come and grab a bite to eat, have their pass on in relative comfort. But when you guys come down here I think- I need a good name for the person who runs this place. I think we’re just gonna call him Keys, that okay with everybody?
(general noises of assent)
Drake: So, Keys here, he comes out and he very propitiatingly puts a hand on his chest and, like, ushers you back towards your private room. Like, you have one that’s just reserved and ready for you. Because any time you’re down here, and it’s, you know, every couple of weeks, like, something terrifying, you know, is going on in the city and you guys need a place where you can be safe and secure and discuss all the things you’ve learned and not have to worry about ears at the door. So, Keys has this place and it’s paid for by House Battalia for you all to gather, right? Real quick, we’re just going to go around the table and I want everyone to give me one thing that is their favourite thing about this bar.
Rhi: The cook here not only knows how to make- What I’m jumping to is, like, fried ravioli-
Drake: Oh yeah.
Rhi: Is Alessa’s, like, go to cheap, from the Twist bar food that, like, you can’t get anywhere in, like, the fancy places. But the cook who works here not only, like, knows how to make it, but, like, doesn’t, like, fancy it up. Doesn’t use, like, you know how there’s, like, some places that, like-
Drake (sarcastically): Oh, it’s elevated!
Rhi: They’ll discover the like, cheap food, and like, yeah, make it really bougie. No no no no no. The cook here makes it properly. It’s the right way to make it.
Drake: That’s right.
Rhi: Just makes it with, like, really good fried cheese ravioli essentially, and that is, like, Alessa does not even have to ask anymore.
Drake: There’s just a basket waiting for you.
Rhi: She walks in and within fifteen minutes there will be a basket of piping hot fried cheese ravioli and marinara sauce and she can eat to her heart’s content.
Drake: Beautiful. I love it.
Josie: I think, since it’s, kind of, built down into the wall that it just is the wall in a lot of places.
(general sounds of agreement)
Josie: And I think that exposed brick lit up warmly reminds Inanna that there are still some things around from when I was around.
Drake: That’s right. Yeah.
(everyone awws)
Drake: Like, this place is history in the same way that you are, Inanna, and, like, you might’ve seen some of these stones, like, fitted together. And now it’s still home, right?
Paulomi: Inanna is emotionally attached to this wall.
Drake: Hell yeah!
Josie: There are many like it, but this one is mine.
Rhi: I really like the idea of, like, whenever- Because I’m picturing, like, a big, thick archway, like, whenever we come in, because it’s cut into the wall, that Inanna just always gives it, like, a fond little pat.
(everyone awws)
Josie: She totally does.
Drake: We’re built to last.
[crosstalk and laughter]
Josie: She has to duck underneath it ‘cause she’s tall.
Drake: You and me arch, built to last.
Paulomi: I think, I’m imagining this place has, like, a big bay window for staring out of, broodingly.
(everyone laughs)
Drake: Absolutely.
Paulomi:Like we’ve had meetings in here, with someone in charge who’s like a high member of the house, and we’ve sat at this table and they’ve looked out the window at the city.
Drake: This city.
(everyone laughs)
Drake: It’s the this city window.
Paulomi: Yeah, I think it’s like a very dramatic backdrop to anyone speaking, it’s like positioned right behind the head of the table.
Drake: So it’s clear that whoever is standing in the bay window looking out as though the city owes them something.
Rhi: It’s the brooding window.
Paulomi: They are addressing the city.
Drake: So whoever has news must proceed to the brooding window.
Paulomi: Yep. If we walk in and somebody stands in front of the window it’s like, ah, shit-
Drake: Uh oh! What’s going on?
Paulomi: Whatcha got? What now?
Drake: I love all of that. Yes. Plus one to everything. Lucy, you wanna throw something in, or you feeling good about it?
Navi: Yeah, sure. Yeah, I think that one of the serving people, Giana, is like one of Lucy’s crushes.
Drake: Oh, okay.
Navi: So, like, she goes just to, like, she orders stuff she doesn’t even want just to watch her walk back and forth.
Drake: Oh my god, I love it.
Paulomi: I hope we tip well.
Drake: Right, so, it’s basically just like: things are coming and being piled up in front of Lucy, because Giana keeps, you know, bringing stuff, but you’re really not interested in it.
Navi: Mm hmm. So it’ll be tea, and then a sugar, whipped cream. Oh, but I forgot to mention I also needed- Yeah, it’s just on and on.
Drake: Yeah, the sugar’s good, but if you had honey it would be great.
Navi: Yeah.
Drake: Awesome. Okay. So, you know, Keys, as always, gestures you into the room and says Giana will be in with the ravioli very soon.
Drake (as Keys): If there’s anything else you need just ring the bell, it will be very quiet. Take as much time as you need, all the standard practices are being upheld.
Drake: And he closes the door.
Rhi (as Alessa): Thanks. Everything is fine and nothing is wrong.
(everyone laughs)
Drake: So, who goes to the brooding window?
Paulomi: Oh, it’s Aurelia.
Rhi: It’s Aurelia.
(everyone laughs)
Drake: Okay, so, in the visual idiom of our coterie, Aurelia proceeds to the brooding window, places one hand on the pane, stares-
Paulomi: I think she’s, like, it’s- There’s a curtain too, there’s, like, a curtain over the window for whenever it’s not in use, so she’s, like, leaning against – ‘cause it’s this bay window, right? – so she’s leaning against the sort of like frame that the window kind of juts out from, and has her arms crossed over her chest and is essentially sulking.
Drake: Okay.
Rhi: Alessa, like, leans over to Lucy and is like:
Rhi (as Alessa): Oh, I hope she waits until the food gets here before she starts.
(everyone laughs)
Rhi: Someone is just like uuugh.
Rhi (as Alessa): I just, I really, I just want to get in a couple ravioli before she gets into it.
Paulomi: Her back is to everyone, she is looking out on this city.
Drake: She’s composing a sonnet.
Rhi (as Alessa): Hopefully she’s going to brood in silence for a while.
Navi (as Lucy): Don’t whisper, it’ll only draw attention to us.
Drake: It’s adding to the mood.
Josie (as Inanna): Is this uncommon with her? I got the sense she is always somewhat angry.
Paulomi: I feel like if somewhere there’s- Hm. Which one of us do you think keeps count of the brooding window uses.
Navi: Lucy.
Paulomi: Lucy, one hundred percent. Yeah, I feel like Aurelia uses it the most. Lucy fully makes fun of Aurelia for how much she needs to brood.
Josie: I can brood without the window, thank you very much.
Paulomi: You’re versatile, you can brood anywhere. Underground? Like, you’ve got it on lock. But Aurelia needs a window.
Drake: It could be bunnies frolicking, I’ll still brood.
Paulomi: I’ll still brood. Looks deeply into the eyes of a bunny.
Drake: You are transient, bunny. Still, I will hold watch. My vigil is unceasing.
Navi: You know, I think as the brooding goes on, the silence stretches, Lucy starts to get a little bit concerned because it’s like this is the calm before the storm. The longer the pre-brooding happens, the bigger the explosion will be.
Paulomi: I love the notion that Aurelia usually reaches a breaking point and has to talk about her beef at some point, but this is not something she can talk about. So-
(gasps)
Drake: Oh no!
Rhi: So do none of us know?
Paulomi: No, none of y’all know.
Navi: Oh no!
Rhi: Well, Inanna might know.
Paulomi: Inanna knows.
Rhi: Inanna has probably clocked it.
Paulomi: But that’s because Inanna has super sonic hearing, so…
Rhi: Yeah. I feel like Alessa might, like, to just, kind of, fill the awkward silence, might start quietly, like, telling you all about, like, the bullshit that her dad pulled and how she just, like, totally walked out in the middle of his rant, and the stupid faces he was making, to just, like, lighten the mood at our table while were waiting for Aurelia to get to whatever she needs to tell us and slash wait for food.
Drake: Oh, everybody’s totally, totally arriving now.
Rhi (as Alessa): Yes! Thank you, Giana!
Drake: So, Giana comes in and she sets down the ravioli and the tea and she gives a longsuffering look towards Lucy and she’s like:
Drake (as Giana): Anything else?
Navi (as Lucy): Um, extra dipping sauce.
Drake (as Giana): Extra dipping sauce, of course.
Drake: And she, like, lets herself out into the postern and she’ll be back.
Navi: Lucy’s just, kind of, leaning out of her chair to watch her go and then the door closes and she sits back up.
Navi (as Lucy): So what are we doing today?
Drake: Aurelia, what is your- What is, like, your record at the brooding window? Like, how long have you made them wait before?
Paulomi: I think this is probably the longest.
Drake: Oh, we’re setting records?
Paulomi: Because she’s grappling with a lot right now.
Drake: Okay.
Navi (as Lucy): This is bad.
Paulomi: I think everyone’s, like, tucking in, and she’s finally like:
Paulomi (as Aurelia): The Blue Devils and the ironmongers are conspiring against us.
Navi (as Lucy): Blue Devils? What do they want with us?
Rhi (as Alessa): The what?
Rhi: Around a mouthful of ravioli.
Rhi (as Alessa): I- Mm, sorry- I knew the ironmongers had it in for us, I didn’t- How did you come by this information?
Paulomi: She whirls around. Slaps both hands down on the table.
Drake: (dramatically) This city.
Rhi (as Alessa): (joking) My ravioli!
Paulomi (as Aurelia): I was at the docks, it doesn’t matter why, I was taking a stroll, and I saw them collecting a shipment from the ironmonger, it had a stamp and everything.
Navi (as Lucy): But why were you at the docks?
Josie (as Inanna): How are they moving against us?
Rhi (as Alessa): Yeah.
Paulomi (as Aurelia): They’re working with the ironmongers, so one can only assume- Ah! Maestro was there, of course.
Rhi (as Alessa): Isn’t that the guy that you get into a fist fight with every time you see him?
Paulomi (as Aurelia): Indeed, it is.
Navi (as Lucy): Did you win?
Rhi (as Alessa): Did you get into a fist fight with him today?
Paulomi (as Aurelia): I wish I had.
Rhi (as Alessa): Oh, you didn’t? Wow! That’s impressive.
Josie (as Inanna): Are they the cause of the brooding?
Rhi: She shoots Inanna a look.
Rhi (as Alessa): I’m sorry you didn’t get to beat him up. Where were they headed?
Paulomi: She- Aurelia takes a deep breath.
Paulomi (as Aurelia): It seems as if they were heading towards the Coronette.
Rhi (as Alessa): That doesn’t make any sense.
Paulomi (as Aurelia): That’s what I thought.
Rhi (as Alessa): They don’t need weapons from the ironmongers.
Drake: Dipping sauce has arrived.
Rhi (as Alessa): They don’t need anything from the ironmongers.
Paulomi (as Aurelia): And yet.
Drake: Yeah, Giana, like, pops her head in and, like, you’re all speaking about things. She kinda, like, very quickly tries to, like, cover her ears, but she’s holding dipping sauce, so it’s, like, one shoulder, and one hand, and dipping sauce. And she kinda, like, comes over and sets the dipping sauce down and she’s, y’know, very quickly clamps the other hand on. And then she rolls her eyes and opens one ear and is like:
Drake (as Giana): Anything else?
Navi (as Lucy): Tea.
Drake (as Giana): Tea.
Drake: And she puts her hand back over her ears and she’s like:
Drake (as Giana): I’m not here, I’m not listening.
Navi (as Lucy): Why don’t you just knock first?
Drake (as Giana): Okay, I’m sorry.
Navi (as Lucy): No problem, no problem. You’re doing great.
Paulomi (as Aurelia): We could also just put all our orders in at once instead of doing it piecemeal.
Navi (as Lucy): (sighs) You’re the worst.
(everyone laughs)
Drake: And Giana closes the door and, y’know, there’s silence, blessed, again.
Rhi: Alessa is, like, just- I think Alessa is the one who had to, like, I think the first time that she saw Lucy do this was like ‘if you’re gonna do this you have to tip, like, fifty percent, Lucy. You cannot put some poor person through this without paying them so much extra. Like, this is not, this is not okay.’
Navi: Does everybody, like, pool afterwards to tip extra?
Rhi: No!
Drake: I think there’s a whip around.
Rhi: Yeah, it’s you! You’re the one who’s doing this!
Drake: Yeah, you’re actively the worst here.
Navi: So everyone’s lowkey okay with her not paying appropriately. They’re not so concerned that they’re going to cover for her.
Paulomi: She’s the one who’s hurting her chances.
Rhi: Yeah.
Navi: Oh, I could never-
Drake: It must never be.
Navi: It must never be.
Drake: Our love is pure as the driven snow.
Rhi: I think Alessa- If Lucy is not, like, leaving an extra tip Alessa is probably slipping her extra money just as a, like, I am so sorry that you have to put up with this.
Drake: She’s never like this. Wait, no, she’s always like this.
Rhi: She’s always like this, and I am so sorry.
Josie: Inanna never orders anything, but always makes sure to tip the exact precise amount.
(crosstalk)
Paulomi: Twenty five point zero zero percent.
Josie: When I was still warm we paid a living wage.
Rhi (as Alessa): Alright, so the ironmongers are selling something to the Blue Devils that they’re taking to the Coronette. That seems suspicious. We should probably look into it?
Josie (as Inanna): Potentially even treasonous.
Rhi (as Alessa): Particularly if it has to do with the ironmongers, who we already know are engaging in actions against the Esultare.
Josie (as Inanna): What reason have they?
Navi (as Lucy): Coin.
Paulomi (as Aurelia): I don’t know if motive matters so much. Just- Given that we were told there were rumpus of a bomb, I don’t think what happened at our ball was a bomb. Wren indicated that that was yet to come, so-
Navi (as Lucy): This is our problem, isn’t it?
Rhi (as Alessa): I think we should make it our problem, is my vote.
Navi (as Lucy): Well, I don’t want to be at the receiving end of a bomb, so-
Drake: I don’t think anyone wants to be on the receiving end of a bomb.
Rhi (as Alessa): I think we should work fast.
Josie (as Inanna): I think we can intercept it before it is planted.
Rhi (as Alessa): If it is a bomb, it might not be a bomb. It could be something else entirely. I’m just saying.
Drake: There’s furtive knocking at the door now.
Rhi (as Alessa): Come in.
Drake: The door opens just slightly and Giana pokes her head in.
Drake (as Giana): Am I clear?
Paulomi (as Aurelia): Yes, you can come in. We’re not talking about anything important. Let’s make it quick.
Navi (as Lucy): Yeah, we’re just talking about bombs.
Drake (as Giana): Bombs?
Paulomi (as Aurelia): Oh my god.
Rhi: Alessa just buries her head in her hands.
Drake: Like, she’s got tea, and, like, she’s holding it in two hands, one of the big wide mugs and everything.
Drake (as Giana): Bombs?
Navi (as Lucy): Thanks for the tea!
Rhi (as Alessa): No, it-
Drake (as Giana): Here?
Rhi (as Alessa): No, it’s a figure of speech.
Drake (as Giana): Oh, idioms.
Drake: And she, like, sets the thing down.
Rhi (as Alessa): Yes.
Drake (as Giana): Alright. Anything else?
Paulomi (as Aurelia): Hold on.
Navi (as Lucy): No, that’s it for now.
Paulomi (as Aurelia): No, we’re- Hang on. Wait a second. What do you know about bombs?
Drake (as Giana): I mean, what’s to know? They explode? Death? Danger? Bombs?
Drake: Like, she’s looking at you like somebody who has been, like, very deer in the headlights here, right? Like, she was holding the tea, she set the tea down, and now she’s supposed to scamper away, but now you’re engaging her in conversation about bombs.
Paulomi: I think Aurelia holds her gaze and squints.
Drake: So, like, Giana wilts, right, like, there’s a moment where, like, her shoulders, like, slump and she, you know, there’s a moment where it’s almost like she gets kind of misty all of a sudden, she’s like:
Drake (as Giana): Am I gonna get fired for this? I’m not supposed to disturb you for anything.
Navi (as Lucy): No, of course not. No, my sister’s just always that way, ignore her.
Paulomi (as Aurelia): You’re free to go. For now.
Drake (as Giana): Okay?
Drake: And she, like, backs away and she’s, like, got her apron, like, just the hem in one hand, and she’s, like, kind of rubbing it like a worry stone and she’s backing away.
Drake (as Giana): I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t hear anything. I’m sorry.
Drake: And, like, she-
Josie: Fifteen minutes at the brooding window will do this to a person.
Drake: And, like, the door closes and it’s like a final slam, right. And then there’s the sound of conversation outside the door.
Rhi: Alessa has both hands fully over her face and is just like:
Rhi (as Alessa): Have none of you people ever interacted with anyone outside the gentry before?
Paulomi: (joking, in a posh voice) We do all the time, how do you think any of us get dressed in the morning?
Rhi: Alessa lowers her hands from her face, with one hand very carefully pushes the basket of ravioli to the side, with the other pushes the cup of dipping sauce to the side, and then just leans forward and just bonks her forehead onto the table and just sort of sits there for a little bit.
Drake: Gonna have a quiet brood. No window required.
Rhi: Yeah, yeah, yeah- No, this is not raised to the level of a brooding window, Alessa just needs to sit here and think about some of the life choices that she’s made, that her mom made-
Drake: Like, gathering herself.
Navi: Now that everything’s, like, clear as far as Giana being gone and there’s no hope of her coming back any time soon because she’s been traumatised, I think that’s the moment that Lucy, sort of, looks like she’s actually paying attention to the conversation. Like:
Navi (as Lucy): Okay, so what are we doing?
Josie (as Inanna): Evidently, stopping a bomb.
Paulomi (as Aurelia): Or something.
Josie (as Inanna): So, if they were seen I’m surprised they have not put their plan into motion yet.
Navi (as Lucy): Mm, that’s a good point, how long ago was this?
Paulomi (as Aurelia): It might accelerate their timetable.
Drake: Yeah, this was today, right, Aurelia? Like, this wasn’t- This is not old news.
Paulomi: Yeah, it’s like earlier-
Drake: Like, it’s been a couple hours, right? And that’s when you hear the first explosion.
Navi: Oh, we need to go! That’s rarely good!
Rhi: Oooh! Oh no!
Navi: Can we see from the window? What exploded?
Rhi: We rush to the brooding window.
Paulomi: We have a perfect view of the city from the window.
Drake: So, rushing to the brooding window you see that there’s smoke rising from basically the opposite side of the city. It looks like something exploded, like, on the docks, maybe over by the arsenal.
Paulomi: Ooh.
Drake: It looks like, you know, it’s well over there, it’s not the Coronette.
Navi: Hm, well that’s good.
Paulomi: Hmm.
Navi: Well, we should still go investigate.
Paulomi: That we should.
Josie: Inanna is just going.
Drake: Oh, okay, so Inanna’s already in motion.
Paulomi: Yeah, I think Aurelia’s shortly following after her.
Drake: Oh, yeah.
Navi: Lucy was probably in the pack until she realised that she had failed to leave a proper tip and then she had to run back and tip, so then she’s running to catch up.
Drake: Alright, alright, okay, I can do- Maybe I’ll penalise the fortune- Engagement roll because Lucy’s lagging behind for a paramour thing. Okay, so, let’s talk about what kind of errand we’re seeing here. We know that one explosion has gone off, we know the direction that those ironmonger carts went, are we talking about trying to find a needle in a haystack up in the Coronette? Are we gonna go see what’s going on around the docks? Like, what do we think the errand is here?
Rhi: I mean, yeah, I think we’re headed for the explosion.
Drake: Cool, awesome. What is it that you hope to accomplish here? The thing has already exploded.
Rhi: Yeah, I think that’s the question.
Navi: I think this might actually be social. Hear me out: we’re trying to get there to help whatever- You know, deal with any damage. We want to go do damage control, see if we can find out what happened, and help the people who are there. So that feels a little bit like social to me.
Drake: Okay, I could see that. Here’s my thought: we could treat heading to the arsenal and figuring out what happened as more of like, almost like a free play gathering information kind of thing. And if that leads to an errand we might, you know, trace an errand. But just getting there and helping folks out, figuring out what happened, I don’t know that there’s a goal there, aside from, like, show the colours. You know, it exploded – help you out.
Navi: Yeah.
Rhi: That’s not a worthy goal?
Paulomi: I think there is an element of, like, hey, we need to pick up any trail that we can, too, like-
Drake: Okay.
Paulomi: Like, there’s an element of that, I definitely think.
Rhi: I’m almost wondering if maybe we should head for the Coronette? Because this could be an indication of, like, they were leaving- The ironmonger’s stuff was leaving from the arsenal, this could be an indication that whatever they were moving is explosive, and now we need, like, you know, maybe a shipment that they were preparing in the arsenal blew up early and we need to go deal with it in the Coronette? I don’t know-
Paulomi: That feels like a lot more thought than I think Inanna or Aurelia put into: time to go!
Rhi: Fair.
Paulomi: Gotta blast!
Rhi: Yeah, that’s true.
Paulomi: Yeah, I-
Navi: Do you, like, try to stop them? Like, hey, we need to think this through? Because Lucy is going to back your play.
Rhi: They could, yeah.
Paulomi: I could see heading for the arsenal, just to get information, with the understanding that we might have to change direction and head to the Coronette to-
Josie: I mean, I’m fine with Inanna heading to the Coronette, because she was suspecting treason.
Drake: I do remember that.
Josie: I’m not certain she cares about the arsenal as much.
Navi: Yeah. Then let’s go to Coronette.
Rhi: Okay.
Navi: We’re either going to be very clever or we’re going to miss the boat.
Drake: Alright.
Rhi: I feel like if we’re heading to Coronette, then, our plan is different. It’s probably not-
Paulomi: It might be-
Navi: I was about to say that, because they’re gonna roll in there and kick the shit out of whoever’s blowing stuff up, so- We’re going over there with violence on our mind, is really what the underlying-
Drake: In grand Battalia tradition.
(sounds of agreement)
Paulomi: We’re going to save the city with violence.
Drake: We’ve tried violence, it’s all we know!
Rhi: That’s how- That’s what we do!
Drake: That’s awesome. Okay. So, an assault?
Navi: I’m into it.
Drake: I mean, there’s a moment where we might consider, like, what steps are we taking to find our needle in a haystack. Do you have any idea where this shipment might be going? Like, Aurelia, do you have a hunch? Inanna? Do you have a hunch?
Josie: I mean-
Drake: This is our point of attack.
Josie: What’s in the Coronette?
Drake: So, the Coronette has, like, the first house, House Corvetto. It also has the palace of the first, it has the grand council. So, like, the Esultare’s meeting house is the grand council. It’s also got the first court, which is the, like, the judiciary here. So basically, the Coronette is a target rich environment. If you were trying to destabilise the city most of the buildings in there are probably good bets as to, you know, something that you wanna blow up. But obviously the biggest and most visible of them is the palace.
Josie: I’m thinking either the grand council or House Corvetto, because, I dunno, the last thing they were involved in was fucking with a particular house.
Drake: Sure.
Rhi: Yeah, building off of, you know, they- The last thing they targeted was our welcome ball, which had a lot of people from the Esultare at it, so targeting more people of the Esulate, I, that, yeah, that tracks.
Drake: Sure.
Rhi: What you’re saying, Josie, so-
Drake: Well, I have good news, because the Corvetto House is the palace. So you don’t have to choose between them.
Rhi: Oh! That’s convenient!
Drake: Ok, so, turns out the sitting first prince is Corvetto, so Corvetto’s in the palace. So, yeah, if that’s where the hunch is taking you guys, that’s your point of attack, we have an assault plan here. I think that, as it stands right now, like, for groundwork that you’ve done for this one, you’ve got 1 die for audacity, you’ve got 1 die for having, you know, witnessed first hand, kind of, what’s going on. I think that I’m going to give you a third die so I can put Juliana in danger. Can I do that, Aurelia?
Paulomi: Ooh! Go for it.
Drake: Yeah? Okay, so-
Paulomi: I’m into it!
Rhi: I was going to say, we have, in order to maybe give us an edge, we’ve got- One of our crew upgrades is vigilant, which gives us detailed maps of smugglers tunnels and catacombs across the city, could we use those to get us there faster? Would that possibly give us an edge in dealing with the situation?
Drake: Here’s what I’ll offer you, having vigilant. A 4 to 5 rolled on the engagement roll is going to put you in the same position as rolling a 6. So you start in a controlled position, kinda, all the cards on the table. So, a 4, 5, or 6 will get you a controlled position, a 1 to 3 will get you a desperate.
Rhi: Okay. There is no middle ground here.
Drake: We don’t do middle ground, no. Okay, so, I think Juliana is visiting Corvetto, ostensibly as an oliverbanch today, because of the bad news that went down at the gala just a couple weeks ago, and this is kind of, like, putting all the cards on the table, like, hey, you didn’t come to this thing, probably smart of you to not come to this thing, we missed you, look, you know, and- She’s politic-ing. And now you have this feeling that there’s a threat to Juliana as well, so. Also, Aurelia, are you still really angry at Juliana?
Paulomi: (sighs) Yeah, but I also don’t want anything bad to happen to her. Which is the whole reason-
Drake: Sure. You’re angry but you don’t want her to explode.
Paulomi: Right. I mean, listen, I was angry because she wasn’t letting me protect her, and it would just be- It would not prove anything if I was just like sure, explode.
Drake: Okay, excellent. Who wants to roll the engagement roll? Who wants to be blamed?
Rhi: I did it last time and it went bad, so-
Drake: You’re not doing it?
Rhi: Nope. I rolled a 2 last time, I don’t want to be held responsible.
Josie: I’ll do it, I guess.
(cheering and cries of ‘do it’)
Drake: You have 3 dice.
Josie: Here we go.
Drake: Oh, it’s so good! Oh, it’s so good! That’s a crit!
Navi: Oh, man! I don’t think I’ve ever seen that!
Rhi: I’ve only seen a crit on an engagement roll, like, once.
Drake: I know, it’s like a unicorn.
Rhi: It is, it’s magical just to look at it for a second, okay.
Drake: Alright, we all taken it in?
Navi: We are.
Drake: Alright. Obviously we’re using the underground smugglers tunnels and things like that, right? What, like, route- Where do you guys turn off and what- There’s a word for this in English, it means the, like, your eyes kind of glance over it if you’re not really looking for it. Unobtrusive? That’s a word in English, right?
Rhi: Yeah.
Drake: Okay, cool. I speak six languages, and none of them well anymore. Okay, so this unobtrusive passageway, this, like, thing that your eyes would just kind of slip over – what form does it take and, like, how do you vanish down into it? Is it like a sewer grate, or is it like a small gate in the wall, or is it just a shortcut?
Josie: I think it’s just, kind of, a- Down an alley somewhere, there’s, like, a stairway that presumably leads to some sort of basement, but it was like part of an old street.
Drake: Oh, I love that! Almost like a subterranean, like, the city is kind of built on more city.
Josie: Yeah, like, this is the remains of the city that got built when I was around.
Drake: And of course you know about it.
Josie: Yeah.
Rhi: Yeah, that’s what I was gonna say, I feel like the, these maps of the catacombs we have, it’s not, like, oh we just found these maps, I think it’s, like, Inanna has helped us chart this, and, like, we have these maps because Inanna has led people from House Battalia through these places that she remembers.
Drake: Oh my god, I love it!
Rhi: And that’s why we have them, yeah.
Drake: That totally short circuits my next question, which was, like, why does nobody else go down these roads: because nobody else remembers that they’re there!
Rhi: Yeah, yeah.
Drake: Oh man, I love that. Okay, cool, so, as we are basically punching out way through the underbelly of the city, which is basically just more of the city, heading up towards the Coronette, like, any sort of roadblocks, or any kind of panic that would be ensuing, the scurry to make safe the prince, make safe the halls of government in the middle of the Coronette, like, you guys just blow right past it, right? Because you’re under their heels. I think that as we are moving through here I just want to paint the scene real quick. What else is now here? What kind of weird bones of the city- What catches your eye as you’re going through here? Better question: how do you know you’re there?
Rhi: I feel like there are several storeys going down of just waterways and not sewers, it’s like the river is its own, sort of, maze down here, there are crossways and bridges and all the stuff just crisscrossing waterfalls and basically just a full cave system that is structured, it’s a man made cave system.
Drake: Yeah.
Navi: Oh, like a- What is it the Romans had?
Paulomi: Aqueducts.
Navi: Yeah!
Drake: Yes, there we go. That is the word, very well done.
Paulomi: Thank you.
Rhi: And, so, there’s like a bunch of aqueducts underneath the Coronette.
Drake: Oh, that’s cool. Yes.
Josie: I think we know we’re there, and this is it, firstly because we have to go under rivers and shit to get there, because these aqueducts used to be, like, exposed and lead into the palace and stuff. And I think the palace Coronette area used to sit above the city by a significant margin, but now things are more level, so we have to go up.
Drake: Oh, okay.
Josie: Like, all the aqueducts are built up, and we have to go up and circle around through them.
Drake: Here’s my question for you, Josie: why did the original Coronette sink?
Josie: Oh. I didn’t think it sunk. I think the city got built up to it.
Drake: Oh!
Josie: As the waters rose and things and old parts of the city burned, they got built on top of.
Paulomi: It’s just different layers of city on top of city on top of city.
Josie: Yeah.
Drake: Oh, that’s cool. A strata of city. Alright, so as you guys are kind of mounting this aqueduct up into what is essentially the basement of the palace of the first prince, you can hear that there’s, like, hustle and bustle ahead of you. And you can hear the sound of people working. It’s not like picks and shovel work, but it’s, like, you’re scraping and moving and, like, low voices and conversation. And, like, you guys have the drop on these people. You’re, like, kind of coming up one of these aqueducts that’s long since run dry, that, like, you can hear them on the other side of a drystone wall, like,no masonry – not masonry – no mortar or anything is holding these stones together. Proper application of force would get you through here, or you could go and you could look for the proper way in. But you guys have the, you have all the cards right now, you’re in a controlled position. What do you wanna do?
Josie: Inanna’s gonna lean over and whisper to Aurelia:
Josie (as Inanna): If we encounter that Maestro fellow do you wish me to kill or spare him?
Paulomi (as Aurelia): Oh, I’ll take care of him.
Josie (as Inanna): I see. Alessa, same question, but with your former companion.
Rhi (as Alessa): Wren?
Josie (as Inanna): Is that their name? I suppose so.
Rhi (as Alessa): Yes. Yes, Wren.
Rhi: I think that, just, kind of, the way that people are positioned, Inanna is the only one that can, kind of, see, like, a sort of like, very quick but complicated series of emotions go across Alessa’s face before she says:
Rhi (as Alessa): Keep them alive. They have information.
Drake: And Inanna, were any of those emotions intelligible to you?
Josie: I think all of them were, because the only reason she even asked this question is because she’s seen what ALessa and Wren had going on many times before.
Drake: Oh, that’s cool. Yes, I understand your hu-mon emotions better than you.
(everyone laughs)
Rhi: Hu-mon.
Josie: But I think to that answer she just nods, and then draws her sword and charges it with void energy.
## Outro [00.00.00]
Thanks for listening. The coterie of House Battalia will return in two weeks. In the meantime, check out our other shows on clevercorvids.net and follow us on Twitter @clever_corvids.
Court of Blades was GM’d by Shawn Drake. Follow him on twitter @drakeanddice.
Alessa Cavalcante was played by Rhi, who also edited and produced the show. Follow her on Twitter @Rhiannon42, and check out her accessibility work at rpgskillcheck.net.
Aurelia Fiorelli di Battalia was played by Paulomi Pratap. She’s the art director of Descent into Midnight, and you can see more of her work on her website paulomipratap.com and follow her on Twitter @paulomisp.
Inanna was played by Josie. Follow her on Twitter @DragonGirlJosie, and check out her art portfolio at josie-art.com.
Luciana Fiorelli was played by Navi Drake. Follow her on Twitter @navimusing.
The opening and closing credits music is Epilogue, by Dee Yan-Key, and is used under a Creative Commons License. Court of Blades is a Forged in the Dark game and is the creation of A Couple of Drakes. More information about the game can be found on their website acoupleofdrakes.com.
## Blooper [00.00.00]
Rhi: Okay. Every time I sit there for the ten seconds of getting room tone I’m just, like, I have The Girl from Ipanema playing in my head and I’m just sitting there, silently bobbing my head.
(The Girl from Ipanema is hummed)