Meddlers, Monsters and Madmen - 07 - The Thread and the Flightless Dragon - City of Mist TTRPG

Meddlers, Monsters and Madmen is a Bi-Weekly/Fortnightly City of Mist Actual Play Podcast that pits and conflicted Crew against the Evils in the City, the eponymous Mist and, each other!

 Dr. Edwards and Rafa begin their investigation into Dr. Drake's work and, Rafa is left an unusual item at his door.

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This Trailer is from Tabletop Journeys Podcast, who are a D&D 5E (and other TTRPG) Actual Play Podcast who also conduct Interviews.

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Yours Sincerely,

Adam 'Cosy' Powell

~~~~~~~~~~

CAST & CREW

MC: Adam Powell

The Crew:
Chris - Dr. Henry Edwards - Rift of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Ivory - Iona Starling - Rift of a Shadow Dragon
Martin - Rafail Hasapis - Rift of the Minotaur of Ancient Greece

Newsroom: Morgan Conroy - https://twitter.com/thistleraven

Sound Design: Adam Powell

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Cover Art: Jess Lo - https://twitter.com/akinomii_art
Character Art: Estaban Sanz - https://twitter.com/SmllyBllyButtn
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Transcript

Iona Starling: 0:00

My name is Irene. I play I own a starling and she has the risk of the Shadow Dragon from Dungeons and Dragons.

Snyders Return: 1:01

Hello, and welcome, with crime rates soaring in the city reaching an all time high, always safe out on our own streets. This Special Report is brought to you from our crime correspondent Felicity Potts,

Morgan Conroy: 1:13

once the streets were neighbourly and safe to walk down. But with a series of horrific murders, the rise of motorcycle gangs and the kidnapping and disappearance of young women, the city seems to have fallen to its lowest ebb with the highest crime statistics for a decade. And a statement released from the DHS office today District Attorney Barbara King has warned that while justice is blind, all crime in the city is open to punishment in the eyes of the law, no matter the perpetrator. The statement closes out with a foreboding message a storm is coming. What that means to the criminals in the city remains to be seen, but it has the potential to create rifts in what is left of the goodwill in certain districts here in the city. Back to

Snyders Return: 2:03

you. As you each work through your own motives for the following day, and taking up a lot of your time going through analysis and self reflection. So that is your your tags and burnt refer as you rest. There is a set of soft footprints along what to your home. And an older elderly looking lady in a trench coat ties a loose bit of red, red to your front door handle and then moves away. We see way across what we see across the city back into the blue collar district into wild knock the female in the the young woman in the medical attire as sort of crept out and found a payphone amazingly one still working and has made a phone call. She still has the black veins running up her arms and you can sort of see them disappearing under the medical gown. Our eyes still pitch black she's sort of hiding, trying to stay in the shadows confused. A couple of hours pass and a car appears outside a derelict looking house within wild knock. And a young man of a similar age to this young lady and an older woman clearly of familial descent appear outside and as this young lady runs down to give them a hug and as she embraces them and touch them. We see that the black, the jet black sort of transference from her into their veins and their eyes go black. Young lady recoil slightly holding her head disappearing back into the house. The two individuals get back in the car and head back across the city we rejoin the good doctor in the midst of his research are you at home or are you in the office

Dr. Henry Edwards: 4:42

at his home lab. It's where all of this is being done.

Snyders Return: 4:46

So while you are working, and this information is being provided to you. Roll me and investigate for the information that is being provided to you from your junior technicians for want of a better description researches and team

Dr. Henry Edwards: 5:05

researcher helix labs resources. laboratory equipment, r&d Tech, helix researchers, helix labs r&d. Martin, do you mind if I use some of the crew theme tags? I would like to use Dr. Edwards lab and agents and Associates.

Snyders Return: 5:31

I am happy with that. Oh, yeah, sure.

Dr. Henry Edwards: 5:35

And of course, I will use the recovered notes and the recovered harddrive. Would you like to use any of my weaknesses?

Snyders Return: 5:49

I am just looking at those now. Just want to come serum I would say possibly condescending to your researchers. In general a fish sound.

Dr. Henry Edwards: 6:09

Scurvy funny. investigates. Wow.

Snyders Return: 6:14

Nice. Strong role. 90.

Dr. Henry Edwards: 6:18

Wow. The doctor does the brain. He does the thinkI thing. So nine clues.

Rafa: 6:26

I would just I would just want to say that I would do with like to believe that using agents and associates that you kind of emailed me and and asked if I could research one or the other thing?

Dr. Henry Edwards: 6:45

I mean, you did get the you were a part of retrieving the recovered notes.

Snyders Return: 6:54

And yes, you can Yeah, you might want to if you can't think of nine questions you might want to bank some got back to them in the future.

Dr. Henry Edwards: 7:02

I will definitely be banking some question on what is project vector

Snyders Return: 7:08

project vector? Is was the brainchild of Dr. Maximilian Drake looking into the creation of the perfect virus using the rift of a one time perfect virus. That's fine. Yeah, not

Dr. Henry Edwards: 7:34

quite on the nose.

Snyders Return: 7:37

But who is seen the nine questions?

Dr. Henry Edwards: 7:41

Who is this riff?

Snyders Return: 7:42

Looking from the research? So this is although many candidates of viral agent were considered. This is the rift of the Black Plague. But Dr. Drake discovered to be most suitable for his requirements.

Dr. Henry Edwards: 8:08

What is the identity of what is their logos?

Snyders Return: 8:12

The inhabitant or the the the current logos of the rift is one of a high school student.

Dr. Henry Edwards: 8:23

Was this rift accounted for in cleanup effort

Snyders Return: 8:28

from the information you have provided by Mr. Hyde? They believe so. However, there is still investigations ongoing as to reports of individuals fleeing the scene.

Dr. Henry Edwards: 8:44

That man's well being now.

Snyders Return: 8:48

Sorry, I'm just typing up my notes. Yeah, no, absolutely.

Dr. Henry Edwards: 8:51

I figure with nine clues. I may as well write this shit down.

Snyders Return: 8:55

Don't forget them, or ask the same one twice.

Dr. Henry Edwards: 8:58

Yeah. And the rifts spread.

Snyders Return: 9:02

Uh, due to the nature of the virology, there is a high potential for any breaches of the work to lead to spreading, though this has not been confirmed because the research was incomplete. Before Dr. Drake's vacation of his post within helix Labs

Dr. Henry Edwards: 9:29

was Dr. Drake's agenda with projects vector

Snyders Return: 9:34

Dr. Drake has been interested in perfection and the perfect mechanisms and chose to turn his hand to find the perfect perfection in an organism and sought to push his own boundaries by discovering what he could

Dr. Henry Edwards: 9:57

do with this All righty, so he's a fucking whack job got it? Oh, sure, but like, I came up with a serum for transforming myself this guy is fiddling with the ultimate virus. He's completely cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. I will bank the last four for now. Okay, that seems like a reasonable amount of information,

Snyders Return: 10:29

I would say so.

Dr. Henry Edwards: 10:32

So, with that, I will reach out to I will compose a report to Dr. Leland with the contents of my findings about Project vector. I will include in my report that this information was uncovered by a cooperative effort between personal assets of mine and the efforts of Mr. Hyde's team and I will send this report immediately. Dr. Lila and I will also text Rafa that I have the results of the findings of my chair,

Snyders Return: 11:27

all right, your email to Professor Island sits from what you can tell unread as yet. He is a busy creative man, not necessarily at the whim of his inbox. But you're reasonably confident he will get back to you being who you are within the company, roughly you've had this this inflammation ping across you, you are well rested and you awake within your apartment within your home filling a fresh a new

Unknown: 12:07

you Yeah, I believe I did have a good night's sleep. Want to do with all of this information? The Black Plague obviously is pretty concerning.

Dr. Henry Edwards: 12:24

is not actually sharing the information.

Rafa: 12:27

Okay, you

Dr. Henry Edwards: 12:30

have the results to be discussed,

Rafa: 12:33

then I will probably you want me to come over.

Dr. Henry Edwards: 12:39

That is the application. Yes.

Rafa: 12:43

Okay. Well, Rafa will have his morning routine, working out, going for a stroll, chatting with Baker. And as soon as he gets this cross off, and he will be leaving to Dr. Edwards place

Snyders Return: 13:09

just to draw leaving you, you get a message from my owner letting you know that she's gonna stay close to her brother for another day or two, just to keep an eye. With everything that's happened. She wants to make sure he's getting time to decompress. They're going to go for a meal at some point. So not to worry about her just at the moment, but she's at the end of the phone if you if you need her.

Rafa: 13:36

Oh, tell her to stay safe. And that I will for sure. texture, and let her know as soon as I need something.

Snyders Return: 14:00

It's your MC Adam here just taking a break from the case momentarily to let you know about our great friends in the tabletop role playing game community and the TTRPG family. So the following is a short trailer for one of our many friends. Go and check them out. Follow the links in the description below to go and give the show. Listen, engage with them and engage with us. We'd love to have you back as the cases continue to progress. Speaking of which, let's get back to the action.

Willy-Tabletop Journeys: 14:32

This is Josh I'm Willy Wonka. And I'm blunt.

Josh-Tabletop Journeys: 14:35

Tabletop journeys is made up of a team of lifelong role players, storytellers and friends. Together we have more than 75 years of experience in countless role playing game systems. But at the end of the day, Dungeons and Dragons is where we call home.

Willy-Tabletop Journeys: 14:50

We form tabletop journey so we could do what we love, create epic adventures and fantastic lands with amazing people. We bring our player driven story first game style Everything we did, we'd love to help you player or storyteller. Get the most out of your campaigns narrative, their characters in PC.

Glen-Tabletop Journeys: 15:08

Make sure you're listening to our podcast to catch our take on the d&d core rules, how to use them as written and how to homebrew your own content to get the most out of your story. We also explore other RPGs and the countless places that we find role playing inspiration

Josh-Tabletop Journeys: 15:22

soon we'll be breaking into the content creation world also keep an eye and an ear out for the tabletop journeys original adventure modules and other homebrew content coming soon on DMS guild.

Snyders Return: 15:51

As you X to draw the front of your home you did feel and find the red thread around the door handle as well.

Rafa: 16:04

Oh yeah, that was on my door right or was it was on

Snyders Return: 16:06

it was on your door? Yeah.

Rafa: 16:09

It's just a red normal read threat was stirred something special about it or the

Snyders Return: 16:20

threat itself. Other than being bedding coloration is is a perfectly normal piece of thread.

Rafa: 16:28

Was it the same colour from as as Robbie's? As Robbie's clerk back in the day, his his handkerchief handkerchief Yeah,

Snyders Return: 16:39

well, that was also read this is something different. Okay. Gave me just partially because not bloodsoaked is just taller.

Rafa: 16:52

That makes sense. Well, it's gave me a flashback nonetheless. I will hang on to it. And that is obviously curious. Because red threads on my door knock is not really usually. Oh, yeah, like I said, Well hold on to it for a while. Maybe I'll find out later. Doesn't seem to pose a threat at least I will do will lock my door twice. This time, just for under the bed feeling.

Snyders Return: 17:35

So you lock your door you go through your morning routine. You go and get your costs off from the bakery and head over to the doctors. As you transit and as the doctor you wait for Rafa's arrival. across the city at City High we see children filtering in high school is filtering into two classes into corridors we follow on individual a young young man sleeves rolled down the faintest trace of black in his veins at the bottom of his wrist as he mingles in with the school crowd heads up the steps and disappears into City High doctor what are you doing

Dr. Henry Edwards: 18:23

Rafa arrives things before waiting in the atrium is not bothering to face the front door this time because by well

Rafa: 18:35

you'll hear a knock on the front door

Dr. Henry Edwards: 18:41

door Hi,

Rafa: 18:44

I you weren't looking at the at the closet, weren't you? Please say

Dr. Henry Edwards: 18:51

I hate you and everything you stand for now get inside. This is very important. You did okay.

Rafa: 18:59

Okay. Not judging. They all do it. It's fine.

Dr. Henry Edwards: 19:03

We have a very serious problem. Okay, kill my team are able to uncover what exactly project that isn't. my compatriots was crazy as he was ambitious, only thing more concerning than he was trying to do is the fact that successful. Oh, no. Project vector was an attempt based on the discovery of an individual like us to create a perfect viral organism.

Rafa: 19:42

And I don't think you mean by

Dr. Henry Edwards: 19:45

smacks based on you know, I mean, vomiting blood and shitting oneself to death. Yes. So, it would seem that Based on this individual's ability to spread their ability, that it is highly likely that even if they were killed in the explosion at the laboratory, it is highly likely that their ability was passed on to someone else, no manage to get away. This is precisely why we have cleanup teams in first place. And perhaps now you can understand why Mr. Hyde takes his job so seriously.

Rafa: 20:35

So you're saying that, in that lab was some kind of virus or alien life force that is sticking to someone and it probably got out?

Dr. Henry Edwards: 20:50

I can't say for sure. Where I can't say where this power comes from. But from what my researchers were able to uncover, it is capable of spreading one individual to another. So yes, it is highly likely that there is at least one person out there capable of spreading this to other people.

Rafa: 21:13

Why, why why do you corporate people do stupid shit like this? Because it doesn't make any sense? Why would you deal or try to play with something that's already dangerous, and make it worse? I mean, we have so many movies, so many books, so many stories about things like this

Dr. Henry Edwards: 21:41

happening, you create a vaccine without the disease, I mean, perhaps my compatriots was simply out of his mind. I like to think that even those who are out of their minds have some method there. There must have been some desirable end Dr. Drake was pursuing, it was simply too foolish to realise that it wasn't worth the rest. Okay. So, this, this person, if we assume this person is not, is not accounted for among the victims of the explosion, it is very likely that they are out there attempting to live their regular, I was able to uncover that this person is a high school student. So, we should begin our efforts by searching for a young man who meets meets that description and has some notable signs of physical corruption. Actually, I'm going to use one of my four remaining clues are the physical signs that someone is infected with this power

Snyders Return: 23:11

through the limited notes, your team have gone through the Dr. Drake had been taking there seem to be a marked a darkness running through a surface veins, a very blackness a it was noted that the pupils of the victim would to those that could see them, as it were when appeared jet black, although others within the office did not seem to pick up on this unusual ocular phenomenon. It was noticed, though not confirmed that certain mannerisms seemed to be echoed in test subjects. The instigator unknown as such, whether it was from a single source or whether it was just a common response was hypothesised not proven and again, Dr. Drake's research knows incomplete given his

Dr. Henry Edwards: 24:26

the iris that's fully black because the pupil is always black.

Snyders Return: 24:31

Sorry, yes. The whole eye is black pupil, your iris. Eyeball, all of it.

Dr. Henry Edwards: 24:40

Okay, question. The so I will pass this information on to

Rafa: 24:48

the slight glands that I got in the hospital was a dark spot on the forearm right It wasn't on the eye. You,

Snyders Return: 25:03

you weren't able to get a good look at their eye. It was just you're able to see this unusual dark black mark almost up to that particular individual.

Rafa: 25:12

Okay. It may have been a burn

Snyders Return: 25:17

without medical training. You couldn't confirm?

Rafa: 25:21

Okay. Well, high school classic. So we look for the one nerdy, bullied, loner kid in high school. I believe I can do that. On the other hand. Dr. Drake is still missing, right? Yes. As your team already investigated his office and maybe also his private term his office globe, it makes sense. privata

Dr. Henry Edwards: 26:01

I have not read the results of the investigation at the top?

Rafa: 26:06

Well, if you want to, I can go to that to take a look around, you know, I'm good with doors.

Dr. Henry Edwards: 26:15

I have a better idea. I am going to contact Mr. Hyde, he will be doing a search of the premises anyway, you can add your skills to his efforts and show that perhaps simply make up for the disruption the other day, it would be good for the two of you to have a solid working relationship going following that is going to be key and his team will need to look into this it will you should probably also assist with this. This makes

Rafa: 26:58

sense? Yes. Tell me how Where is he going first?

Dr. Henry Edwards: 27:03

I will be sending him to talk to drinks. First. He would like to meet you there that suits me. Yeah, you know, I

Rafa: 27:13

think that high school situation is really really pressing to know those kids alone with them probably a maniac or some hidden and sleeping dangerous I should go there as fast as

Dr. Henry Edwards: 27:30

possible. I suppose you do fit in.

Rafa: 27:34

Yeah, I'm making soul.

Snyders Return: 27:38

Alright, so with plan sort of in place and a nod more into the centre of the city closer really to Iona and, and Tobio the Trinity our hospital but not exactly where they are. We see a builder looking gentleman with a walking stick making their way out of a psychiatrist office that the sign above the door and the branding reads mending the broken as this older looking, walking stick using man makes their way out of this office. We see them moving slowly through town pushing their way out towards the extremities of the city. And as they move the rigid structures of the tenement buildings, the high rises, the hotels, casinos, all the usual things start to to disappear and they are dwarfed almost by a almost like a big top carnival. With the name then must carnival and we see this elder gentleman walking stick in hat in hand as they move at a steady pace disappear into this carnival and that is where we will Thanks for listening. You can find out more about the show, including our interview episodes via our link tree or at our website at WWW dot Snow's return.squarespace.com please consider leaving us a review city of mist as a TTRPG by some of you can find out more about city of Mist by going to www dot city of mist.co music and sound effects for this episode from epidemic sound.com. The intro and outro music were composed by Chloe Elliot. You can find her on Twitter at Khloe underscore with the flow. The logo was designed by Jessie Lowe. You can find her artwork on Twitter, at ACC in Novi underscore art. We're going to use our help points and be ready to investigate next time on meddlers, monsters and madmen