Timothy (DM)
Welcome to Shadows of Prophecy, a D&D real play podcast, where we will find out what it takes to become a hero, face our darkest fears, and pull ourselves out of a pit of despair. Shadows of Prophecy is a Dungeons and Dragons podcast with violent themes and adult language. Listener discretion is advised.
Timothy (DM)
With us today to traverse through adventures of loss and tragedy, we have myself, Timothy, as our ambivalent DM; Dan as our compassionately resolute small business owner, Wren; and Ken as the coy yet seductive Midnight Dunreath. Join us as we enter the Shadows of Prophecy. Prologue: A World Unravels. Chapter Nine - Hidden Carnage.
Timothy (Narrator)
[in an unplaceable accent] I should think this one needs not much introduction. Oh, and look! Is little Wren, all grown up now.
Timothy (DM)
Right on the border of Everfear and Galadia, Entropolis is a diverse metropolis at the base of the World's Cup. Once a stronghold during the war, the port has been rebuilt into a mecca for artisans and travelers the world reknown. Wren, you approach Lark's Perch through an unmarked door in an alley in the upper residential district.
Dan (Wren)
Wren's appearance has changed in the past five years. Wren has since the war abandoned his leather armor and more rugged look for a more fancy, high class look of fine silks and vests and ascots and the works. His long brown hair has been cropped to a medium length just long enough to be put up into a ponytail. He adjusts his vest, makes sure everything's in order, and pushes open the door.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Upon entering the building, you descend into a long, dark flight of stairs that ends with a simple wooden door. Behind the door, you can hear the music and laughter and see light peeking out from the seams of the door. As you push open the door of your establishment, the familiar smell of fresh food and ale washes over you. You stand about a large room carved directly into the stone ground. It is dimly lit by candles and a large fireplace. Guests and employees of all genders mingle on the balcony level where you entered, and as you walk to the edge of the railing, you see the lower level is filled with people. To the right, you see Midnight, perched in their typical location, watching the crowd. Midnight, introduce your character and what they're doing right now.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Midnight, dressed in her usual blue silks, tall and black just like night, stands looking at the patrons at the bar, looking to see which one she will make her customer for the night.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
As you both look out into the crowd, you notice a familiar yet unfamiliar face. As you both look out into the crowd, you notice sitting in a low, comfortable red sofa is a familiar yet unfamiliar face. You see her long straight auburn hair but it is the brown auburn eyes that give her away. She must be related to Gith d'Grey, a famous general from the war, but you've never met her.
Dan (Wren)
Wren will look over at Midnight (or Middie), give her a nod and a wink and a smile, and then I'm going to head down to the... to the red couch.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Midnight's going to nod back and watch how everything unfolds before descending down the stairs.
Dan (Wren)
And what was the general's name again?
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Gith d'Grey.
Dan (Wren)
Got it, okay.
Timothy (DM)
As you approach her sitting upon the sofa, you notice her demeanor is rather uncomfortable; she seems... lost. She has a drink in hand, and she is scanning the room, trying to figure out her next course of action.
Dan (Wren)
Wren will approach very exuberantly as the owner and host of this establishment, and he will greet her: "Hello, dear friend, I couldn't help but spot your blazing eyes. d'Grey, if I'm not mistaken?" [Editor's Note: Wren illustrates his color blindness as the lady's eyes were previously described as auburn by the DM j/k.]
Timothy (Ayliffe)
Um, y-yes, i-it is d'Grey. H-how did you know?
Dan (Wren)
Uh, dear friends with Gith. Your...?
Timothy (Ayliffe)
Oh, father. Yes, that's-that's my father. My name is Ayliffe.
Dan (Wren)
Oh, of course, Ayliffe. He speaks about you often. It's great to meet you. This is your first time here; is that correct?
Timothy (Ayliffe)
[looking around] It is. I'm not quite sure what I'm supposed to do. Do I just... select one?
Dan (Wren)
"Oh, no, darling, please come with me." and I'm going to rush her to the VIP, like, table area. She's an VIP. Honestly, for... if she's the daughter of the general. So, I'm gonna usher her to, like, a private table in the VIP section where she might be more comfortable and sit her down and grab us a couple of drinks on the way.
Timothy (Ayliffe)
Well, thank you very much, um... so this is your establishment?
Dan (Wren)
Yes.
Timothy (Ayliffe)
And what does that make you?
Dan (Wren)
The owner of this establishment? I'm not quite sure if there's a title beyond that, and that's unimportant. You had asked about how the situation works: are you're looking for a companion for the night? Tomorrow?
Timothy (Ayliffe)
You see that she fidgets with several rings on her fingers, her eyes darting along the floor. "Yes, yes, um... That is the... Yeah. Mmhm! So, I mean... [sigh] I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do here. I'm, um... I've never done this before."
Dan (Wren)
And that's perfectly all right. One of the... key... rules about my establishment is that you do not choose your companion; your companion chooses you. So, in order to gain a companion's trust and "business", you must woo them, buy them drinks, use that silver tongue of yours to win them over. Does anyone catch your eye?
Timothy (Ayliffe)
Oh, um... well, I did... I did like that woman that was standing up on the balcony. Do you know her name?
Dan (Wren)
The one in blue silks?
Timothy (Ayliffe)
Yes, that's the one.
Dan (Wren)
Oh, Midnight, of course. You wait here, and I will go speak with her.
Timothy (Ayliffe)
Okay, thank you very much.
Dan (Wren)
I will pass her the extra drink. [laughs]
Timothy (Ayliffe)
Yes, that-that may help calm...
Dan (Wren)
And I'm also going to wave over another companion just to, like, sit with her and chat, one of the more, like... not, homely is not the word I'm looking for [Kendrick laughs], but like, one of the more casual who can just, like, have small talk easy. Who's good at small talk.
Timothy (DM)
Yeah. So, as you go over to Midnight, you can see out of the corner of your eye, that Ayliffe is still very uptight, but quickly starts to kind of calm down and ease into the situation as the other companion kind of chats them up. And you go over to Midnight.
Dan (Wren)
Good evening, Midnight. How-how's your night been going?
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
It's been going quite well, thanks for asking. And how's your night going?
Dan (Wren)
"It's going well, I've just arrived, but we have a special guest tonight: the daughter of General d'Grey, who I'm sure you've met at least once." and I point her out down in the VIP section on the ground floor. "She has... denoted particular interest in you, and you can do with that what you will."
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
I would like to meet this fine lady.
Dan (Wren)
Alright, would you like me to introduce you, or do you think you can manage?
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
I think I can manage.
Dan (Wren)
"Alright, Middie, have a nice night." and I will head over to the bar to chat with some other clients.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
So, Midnight puts her drink... I'm guessing there's, like, a bar, like, where I'm standing?
Timothy (DM)
Yeah, they're, like, high top tables along the balcony.
Dan (Wren)
Also, a ledge of, like... y'know, those, like, drink nooks that you can put your drinks in on stuff? Definitely there.
Timothy (DM)
Absolutely.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
So, I put my my gin martini on the nook, and I slowly descend down the stairs, keeping my eye on Ayliffe as I walk down the stairs, my hair seemingly blowing in the wind even though there's no wind in the bar. [Tim laughs] I'm thinking very ethereal, like...
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Just a little trick of the eye.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Exactly. [Tim laughs] I walk down, and I look at the friendly companion and tap them on the shoulder, and they disperse. Then, I look at Ayliffe: "Hi, my name is Midnight."
Timothy (Ayliffe)
Uh, Midnight. That's-that's such a beautiful name. I'm Ayliffe. Uh, Ayliffe d'Grey.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
"Nice to meet you, Ayliffe." and I grab her hand and I kiss it.
Timothy (Ayliffe)
[caught offguard] Oh! That's so sweet of you, um...
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
No need to be nervous.
Timothy (Ayliffe)
[flustered] Ha, I think I'm beyond that point now. [half laugh]
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Well, how about we get another drink and get to know each other?
Timothy (Ayliffe)
I would very much like that.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Right. So, I look at Justice, and I bring them over. "Can you make this fine lady a gin martini. And for me? I'll do a gin and tonic."
Timothy (Justice Drake)
[Tim's patented Midwestern accent] Right up, yeah! I'll have both of those just a moment now." And as you are talking to Justice, can you give me a Perception check?
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
All right. I got a five. [Dan and Kendrick laugh]
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
All right. You don't notice anything out of the ordinary. Justice gets to work making the drinks and hands them off to and goes about tending to other patrons of the establishment.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Midnight hands the gin martini to Ayliffe.
Timothy (Ayliffe)
Thank you, um... You're very sweet.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Oh, thank you. I appreciate that. Do you want to sit somewhere more comfortable, get to know each other a little bit more?
Timothy (Ayliffe)
I would like the very much.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
How is the, like, layout in terms of furniture? 'Cause I want to take her somewhere a little more private, but still in front of people.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Yeah, so the establishment is set up with all sorts of different areas. There's the kind of general open area, where people are a little bit more social, kind of mixing about, then there's the VIP section, which is very comfortable, but still quite open, but then there's all sorts of different kind of, like, nooks and crannies about, where, like, a little corner might be sectioned off with some curtains. There are also, like, private rooms that are available for all sorts of activities. They're all kind of set up for different types of patrons, different likes, and just, like, lots of VA-RI-E-TY of options.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Okay, so I gonna bring her in one of the curtain rooms because she seems, like, very... since she is the daughter of a general, I want to get to know her more in private. My interest has been piqued by her.
Dan (Wren)
Good connection. [finger gun noises]
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Yeah, so you take her back to one of the corners that's kind of decorated with, like, nice deep red silks and, like, golden tassels, and it's just kind of...
Dan (Wren)
Oooh. [laughs]
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Sexy.
Timothy (DM)
--you kind of have to, like, make our way through [laughs] li'l, like, beaded dangly sections to kind of push into that back section, and so as you go to talk with Ayliffe and get more familiar with her, we are going to circle back to Wren.
Dan (Wren)
Hi, I'm back.
Timothy (DM)
So, Wren, you are going about your establishment, checking in on different employees and patrons alike, going about your regular business.
Dan (Wren)
Yeah, sounds good. [laughs] Wren is gonna make sure to stop by any... and chat with any VIPs, like people that he knows in the area that are either wealthy or regulars to make sure that they're doing all right.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
And as you do so can you make a Perception check?
Dan (Wren)
Sure. That is a 16.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
All right. So, it is your business to stay up on THE business, and that means making sure that everything is in order, that everybody is having a good time, but also to make sure that all of your employees are well taken care of.
Dan (Wren)
Yeth.
Timothy (DM)
And so as you're making your rounds, you see Justice out of the corner of your eye, and you notice that something is strange about their skin, almost as if makeup has been caked on to their lip and their left eye.
Dan (Wren)
[sucking his cheek] Mmm. Okay. I imagine we have enough bartenders to pull him off the floor for a moment, right?
Timothy (DM)
Yes.
Dan (Wren)
Okay. I'm going to catch his eye and wave him over to the, kind of, backroom.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
So, Justice sees you wave him over, you see him visibly let out a sigh, he takes a rag from off the bar and dries his hands and then makes his way back to the back room.
Dan (Wren)
Okay, yeah, as he makes his way into the back room, I'm gonna wave him to, like, sit down in a... in a chair. That is there, in the back room. [laughs]
Timothy (Justice Drake)
Yes, boss! Um, what can I help... you with?
Dan (Wren)
Just... sit down for a second, would you?
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
You see them fidgeting a little bit as they take a seat,
Dan (Wren)
I'm going to grab a cloth from, like, a shelf or something wherever we keep them, and I'm going to wet it, and I'm going to go and start lightly wiping at the spots where I saw and I'm gonna say, "Did you think I wouldn't notice?"
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
They pull away at first, but you are able to kind of grab onto their-their chin and wipe away the makeup to reveal a bloodied lip.
Dan (Wren)
Gotcha; and like... it's very gentle. Like, I'm not forced-- like, forcibly doing this to him--
Timothy (DM)
Just firm. The drama.
Dan (Wren)
Yeah, I'm also gonna also wipe off the... at his eye as well.
Timothy (DM)
--to reveal a black eye.
Timothy (Justice Drake)
It's not what it looks like, sir. [sigh]
Dan (Wren)
Who do this to you?
Timothy (Justice Drake)
[sigh] Uh, I, uh.
Dan (Wren)
I'm gonna cup his cheek and say "Justice, you're part of my family. No one's going to hurt you like this."
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
I know, sir, but, um... [sigh, sigh] it's-it's just [sigh] I don't want you to get caught up in this. It's-it's not your fight. It's not your mess to clean up.
Dan (Wren)
"If you're involved in it, it is my problem [Justice sighs] and I will clean it up." Wren is gonna go over to his, like, private desk, I guess? and pull out his medicine tools that he keeps there, then I want to attend to his, like... like, any sort of, like, lotions and potions that I can apply [Tim laughs] to, like, either ease his pain or make sure that, like, that it heals properly.
Timothy (DM)
Yeah, he will let you--
Dan (Wren)
Do I need to make a Medicine check for that?
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Yeah, make a Medicine check.
Dan (Wren)
That's 17.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
All right. So, you start applying a balm to the eye to prevent further bruising, some ointment the lip to help the cut heal, and he begins to tell the story.
Timothy (Justice Drake)
[sighs] It's those thugs! Those damn thugs, the Copper Crow Company. [inhale] I [sigh]. I got in too deep, and I-I don't know what to do. I can't pay them!
Dan (Wren)
What? How much do you owe them? [Justice sighs] Actually, it doesn't matter how much you owe them. I'll take care of this. It isn't a lot, right? How much do you owe them? I should know. [Tim and Dan laugh]
Timothy (Justice Drake)
Sir, it's-it's a lot of money. It's, um--
Dan (Wren)
[cutting to the chase] How much?
Timothy (Justice Drake)
[pause] I owe 565 gold.
Dan (Wren)
[fearful whisper] That's a lot of gold. [to Tim] How much does the business make on a regular basis? Is there an average that you would know?
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
As far as profits? Probably only like a hundred gold a week?
Dan (Wren)
A week, okay. So, 500 Gold is something that would be manageable for me to pay if I needed to. But...
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
It's a large sum of money.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
That's a lot of money.
Dan (Wren)
Gotcha, that's a lot of money. Wren is going to, after attending to his injuries, Wren is then going to go back to his desk and pull out some makeup and start applying it to the... to the spots, so it isn't showing so he can go back to work and not feel conscious about it. "Can I ask why you owe them so much money?"
Timothy (Justice Drake)
Well, [sigh] I mean, everyone knows that they're in the drug ring, right? I mean, that's what they do, and... No, it's not... it's not me. I don't do that sort of things, sir. I hope you know that, I hope you believe me, um...
Dan (Wren)
Of course.
Timothy (Justice Drake)
But they don't always just peddle illicit drugs; they do medicine as well. I, uh, and, um, my mom: she's very sick and and it's the only thing we found that helps, and I don't know where they get it, and I don't know how it works. But it works, sir!
Dan (Wren)
What is it? Which drug is it?
Timothy (Justice Drake)
I don't know. They don't tell me the name;; they just give me the pills, and then I go on my way, but it's very expensive sir, it's... they tell me it's very difficult to get. I have never found it anywhere else. Nobody else has carried thi.s and I've talked to healers, I've talked to intelligent learned people and-and nobody knows what illness my mother has, but for some reason this drug works.
Dan (Wren)
Wren is gonna... as he finishes up the makeup, he's gonna walk back over to his desk and put his stuff away and then come over back over to Justice and, like, kneel down in front of him in the chair and say "I wish you would come to me first. When time permits, I will come visit your mother and see what I can do. In the meantime, stay as safe as possible, but I will take care of this for you."
Timothy (Justice Drake)
Please, sir, don't... don't get yourself in any trouble on my behalf.
Dan (Wren)
I'm always getting myself in trouble on your... on y'all's behalf. [Tim laughs] I'm gonna stand up and stand him up and give him a hug.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Aw, that's cute.
Timothy (Justice Drake)
Thank you.
Dan (Wren)
Can you... can you finish your shift? Or do you want to go?
Timothy (Justice Drake)
Yeah, just-just give me a moment. I-um...
Dan (Wren)
I'll pass him the cloth that I was using to, like, and then I'll give him a minute by himself and head back out.
Timothy (Justice Drake)
Thank you, sir.
Dan (Wren)
What was the name of the group again?
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
The Copper Crow Company, and as you hear the name "Copper Crow Company", you know exaaaaactly who this group is--
Dan (Wren)
Fuckin' douchebags.
Timothy (DM)
--they're a notorious group in Entropolis.
Dan (Wren)
Not for long! [Tim laughs]
Timothy (DM)
They have... anybody in your circle would know that they have set up shop in the Old Barracks. So, the barracks that were built for the war have since been abandoned. Most of Entropolis believes that to be the case, that they are just abandoned barracks that are empty, but people within your circle and lots of other, like, underbelly circles know the Copper Crow Company have set up shop in the basement.
Dan (Wren)
Gotcha. Have they caused any of my employees or my establishment any trouble in the past?
Timothy (DM)
There's always been a tension between you and them, so they pedal a little bit more in illicit dealings, so lots of illegal drugs, general thuggery [all laugh] and they run as loan sharks. They kind of get all up in lots of business. They generally keep away from Lark's Perch because they know that your establishment is not run that way and that you will drive out any of those sorts of dealings. So...
Dan (Wren)
They have not necessarily assaulted, like, a member of my--.
Timothy (DM)
No. No no. No, generally, I mean, they're only concerned with people who owe them money.
Dan (Wren)
I'm gonna give Tristen [sic] a minute to compose himself and calm down in the back room, and I will head back out into the floor. [Editor's Note: Dan is referring to Justice, not Tristen, which is Wren's birth name]
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Alright, so as you head back out onto the floor, you reenter the social environment, and you see patrons and employees milling about, and you notice that Oriole has just entered the front door. She's finally arrived for her shift
Dan (Wren)
Late as usual, that's fine. She does what she wants. [Tim laughs]
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
She makes her way across the balcony and down the stairs and starts making her way across the floor towards the backroom.
Dan (Wren)
I will give her a wave. Do you want to describe what she looks like?
Timothy (DM)
Yeah, so Oriole is tall (5'11"). She has freckled skin, fiery red, curly hair, and very muscular. She walks with a bounce in her step, and she gives you a wave back, very excitedly.
Dan (Wren)
I'll head over and meet her halfway. "Good evening, Oriole. Nice for you to arrive... on time."
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
[excited surfer voice] Tristannnnnn, heyyyyy. Yes, I am here!
Dan (Wren)
I'll give her a hug. I'll give her, like, a smile and a hug.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
She kind of wraps her big arms around you, gives you a nice tight squeeze.
Dan (Wren)
Oh! Well. Okay, we've talked about this. Those hurt, uh... [Tim laughs]
Dan (Wren)
[laughing] It's just so funny! I love it. No, I like it. I like it that she calls me "dude".
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
"Ah, sorry, dude. Um..." [Dan and Kendrick laugh at Tim's voice] Why? Whyyyyy?
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Sorry, dude, um... I'll be a little bit more "dainty" next time.
Dan (Wren)
"Uh, thanks. I appreciate it." I'm going to, like, saddle up next to her, and then, like, turn to her so I'm, like, very close to her, like, ear and just whisper "I need to talk to you later. The Copper Crows... are meddling in our business. Again."
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Oh shit, really?
Dan (Wren)
Yeah. Justice got involved.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Justice? Really? Oh my god.
Dan (Wren)
After your shift, meet me... meet me in my home after your shift is over.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
All right. I mean, you're sure that it can wait, like...?
Dan (Wren)
Oh, yeah, he's here. Justice is here now, so he'll be fine until then.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Alright, boss. I'm just gonna go get ready in the backroom and I'll... any of my regulars here?
Dan (Wren)
Yeah, I believe that I saw Jace earlier. You should be over in the VIP section.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Ah, great. I love Jace, I could use some Jace time. Yeah. All right. I'll see you at the end of my shift, boss.
Dan (Wren)
Sounds good... [softly] Don't call me "boss". [Tim laughs]
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
All right...WREN. [laughs]
Dan (Wren)
Wren is gonna roll his eyes and walk away.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
So, Oriole is going to go to the backroom and get ready. Some time passes, and you see they come back out in a little bit more skimpy outfit.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Yessss. [Dan laughs]
Timothy (DM)
It's like a cutoff to reveal their, like, rippling abs, and their, like, biceps.
Dan (Wren)
I like to think that it's like a T shirt that's just torn. [Tim and Dan laugh]
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Yes, exactly. They give off a vibe they know what their vibe is--
Dan (Wren)
They know what they're selling.
Timothy (DM)
--and then they just, like, stomp across the room. And yeah, they go about their shift. We have Midnight in the back area, talking to Ayliffe. Over the last 10 minutes or so, you've really gotten to know Ayliffe. You've really, like, calmed her down. She seems much more at ease, and now she is kind of reciprocating your flirtatious advancement.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Oooo. [to Ayliffe] "See, I don't bite." [laughs]
Timothy (Ayliffe)
But if... I were to... want you to, would you then? [Dan laughs softly]
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
[coyly] I think that can be arranged.
Timothy (Ayliffe)
[giggles] I can't believe I just said that. Oh, my goodness, um.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
It's okay; I've dealt with more interesting requests in the past.
Timothy (Ayliffe)
Wow, really? Um... tell me about them. [Dan snickers]
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
So... there was this one time, there was a soldier that came back from the war and... [looking at Tim to close this scene before the podcast gets an NC-17 rating]
Timothy (DM)
And fade. [all laugh]
Dan (Wren)
Fade into black. "This one time at band." [Editor's Note: this is a reference to the seminal movie American Pie]
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
So, Midnight is continuing to get familiar with Ayliffe, Oriole goes about their shift, and eventually the night draws to a close, and patrons start to filter out. Some of them who have made certain arrangements go off to the private quarters. And [laughs]
Dan (Wren)
*wink*
Timothy (DM)
*wink* And the... Lark's Perch begins to fall into quietness.
Dan (Wren)
I'll go about my normal closing routine, making sure that everything's cleaned up properly and making sure that my employees are paid for the night and are sent on their way safely. I will make a particular note to send Justice with a couple other people, so that he makes it home safely, and then I'll head back to my "quarters".
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Have you spoken to Midnight at any point in this?
Dan (Wren)
Yeah, I'll probably catch Midnight before they head back to their private room with Ayliffe. So, as they leave, like, that private little area to go back to that "private" private room, just to check in and see how things are going. I'll pop my head in the beaded area where you guys are sitting just to double check to check in.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
All right. So, before you do this, I want to set the scene: I'm using Prestigit-- what is it called? Prestidigi-daysh... gation?
Dan (Wren)
Prestidigitation. Press-a-digit... what?
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Press... Press-digitation.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Press-digitation.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
I'm using that spell to play some light music in the background [Dan: "Cute"] and have... I'm assuming that Ayliffe have told me that their favorite smells as getting to know them, so I'm using that to kind of have it flowing. This is how I get... this is how I reel them in [Tim and Dan laugh] The scent is, like, blowing in the room. Not too strong, it's just very faint, so they notice it. But...
Dan (Wren)
That one!
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
It's lilac.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
It's lilac.
Dan (Wren)
Ooo, okay, I was gonna ask, yeah.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Exactly, lilac; to match my hair. [tosses hair] And when Wren comes, I'm REALLY close to Ayliffe, like, almost about to kiss her to seal the deal. [Tim and Dan laugh]
Dan (Wren)
I pop my head through the beads, um... "Hello! Oh, I'm sorry."
Timothy (Ayliffe)
Oh! Um, Wren....
Dan (Wren)
No, don't-don't move on my account. I was just double-checking to see how things are going in here, and it seems like they're going well, um...
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Do you need anything, boss?
Dan (Wren)
Oh, Midnight, if I could see you after, um, after your shift is over, but no rush. Just come to my quarters.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
All right. Will do.
Dan (Wren)
Thank you. You two have a fun night! [winks]
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Oh, we will.
Timothy (Ayliffe)
Um, Midnight?
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Yes, sweetie?
Timothy (Ayliffe)
Do you... do you mind if we call it here tonight? Don't take this the wrong way. I've really enjoyed our time, but I think I'd like to wait.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
"I think that's completely okay. I'm always going to be here. When you come in next time, just ask for Midnight. I'll be here waiting for you, sweetie." and I give them a light kiss on the cheek.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
You see them blush and kind of just, like, do the little, like, *squee* [laughs]--
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Oh, they're so cute!
Timothy (Ayliffe)
--like, little shoulder shrug. Then, they just turn to you and say, "I will; I-I really enjoy your time."
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
And I really enjoy yours; you told me some really funny stories. [Tim laughs]
Timothy (Ayliffe)
All right, you have a wonderful evening. I'll see you around.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
"You too." and I'm just gonna recline on the couch, so when she looks back like she REALLY wants it [Tim and Dan laugh] like, I am making sure that she is... that I am selling this until she walks out of that... or am I walk-- or would it be customary to walk them out?
Dan (Wren)
That's up to you.
Timothy (DM)
It's up to your style.
Dan (Wren)
Yeah, your style. I like... I like the idea of letting them leave on their own and you waving.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
I think if nothing happens, I want them to leave on their own accord, so they can come back. I'll have to figure out a way to, like, be in the same position, so, like, it's kind of, like, this ongoing event.
Dan (Wren)
Is this a regular thing for when you, like... if patrons leave without-without staying, I guess, that you want to be where you left them?
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Yes.
Dan (Wren)
Okay, so we probably worked that out.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Alright, perfect.
Dan (Wren)
We've done this before.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
All right, great. [Dan laughs] So, I relax on the sofa, and as she walks out, she's taking one last look at me, and I use Prestigi-daysh...Prestiga--, I'm gonna always, like, [Tim laughs] mess up this word: Prestigi-tation... to have wind slowly blow in my hair.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
You see she smiles and blushes again as she gets one last look before--
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Bubbles blowing
Timothy (DM)
--kind of, like, almost scurrying out of the back corner, just, like, very excitedly. You can see that she's super giddy, and she, like, is fidgeting a little bit again and makes her way out of the facility, and the last thing you see is her just kind of, like, twirling her hair in her fingers.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Aww, she's really cute. [Tim laughs] I think once she... once she leaves, I'm gonna smile because I really do enjoy my interaction with her. Like, even though I've dealt with customers like that in the past, like, there's something different about her that I really enjoy. So, I'm really excited for her to come back. Plus, she's the daughter of a general so... there's def--... I feel a connection.
Dan (Wren)
Connections. [laughs]
Timothy (DM)
Yeah, connections.
Dan (Wren)
Do the... get that networking! [laughs]
Dan (Wren)
This is the networking event. [Tim and Dan laugh]
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Ex-actly.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
She's always networking. It's here on LinkedIn.
Dan (Wren)
Um, do I notice that Ayliffe leaves?
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Yeah, you see Ayliffe leave right before you head out into your quarters.
Dan (Wren)
Okay, gotcha. Oh, so this is closing time?
Timothy (DM)
Yeah, this is all around closing time.
Dan (Wren)
Gotcha. Okay.
Timothy (DM)
[singing] "It's close tim--", [stops himself] no.
Dan (Wren)
[quick singing] "You don't have to go home, but ya' can't stay--" Sorry. [Tim laughs]
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Yeah. And so, you see Ayliffe leave, you head out up to your quarters, and shortly after, you are joined by Oriole, who's a little bit more subdued now after a full shift of belting and showing off her rippling muscles
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
[slyly] I bet she is! [laughs]
Dan (Wren)
Wren will... (as he gets back to his quarters) will start to change out of his, like, fancy attire, his silks and whatnot, and start donning his leather armor. It's going to be THAT kind of night.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Oo, it's that type of night, boss.
Dan (Wren)
You... I mean, you know the rule: It's zero-strike rules. [using hands for the analogy] One-strike rules, zero strike rules.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Zero t--... zero tolerance?
Dan (Wren)
Zero t--... there's zero tolerance.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
"Absolutely. Let me go grab my gear in the back. I'll be right back." She's going to leave your quarters, and during that period, Midnight shows up.
Dan (Wren)
So, I'm probably in the midst of putting on my armor because it takes a hot minute to do. Has Midnight come on a, uh, "escapade" like this in the past?
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
You are familiar with Midnight's skills.
Dan (Wren)
Okay... but they've not necessarily joined... she's not necessarily joined this--
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
I fought in a war. I don't know if it's the war that we're talking about, but...
Dan (Wren)
[OOC] Probably.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Yeah. So, like, you know of people's backgrounds. You know your employees pretty well, so you know what skills they're in. This is not a SUPER common thing that happens, though. People know not to fuck with your... establishment.
Dan (Wren)
Okay, that'sssss fair. Yeah, as Midnight enters, I will look up at her and say "You fought in the war, right?" as I'm putting on my armor.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Midnight walks in with confusion. "Yes....? What's-what's happening?"
Dan (Wren)
Justice was assaulted by members of the Copper Crow Company and--
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Those thugs again?
Dan (Wren)
Yeah, and as you know, I have a zero tolerance policy for people fucking with my employees and family.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Poor Justice. Why is he dealing with them?
Dan (Wren)
That's information that he can tell you if he chooses to, um, but we're gonna go take care of it. Would you like to join us? I know that you have... "experience" in... this sort of..."work".
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
If it means killing a couple of those Copper Crow thugs, count me in. Let me get out my armor.
Dan (Wren)
Meet back here in 30.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
"Okay, Wren." So, I leave the room in kind of a... in a huff 'cause I really do like Justice; Justice is, like, one of my favorite bartenders at this bar. So, if anyone lays a hair... lays a hand on that twinky head, I'm going to fight. [Tim and Dan laugh]
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Alright, so you all go and get ready for what's about to go down and after about half an hour, you meet back up near the front of the bar.
Dan (Wren)
Yeah, Wren has his bow, a couple daggers. He has tossed his hair up into a ponytail, very much ready to not be fucked with.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
And Midnight has a bow and arrow, a blow gun, dagger, hand-axe and is bound in leather light armor, and her lilac hair is twisted up in a bun, so she's--
Dan (Wren)
MASSIVE BUN! [laughs]
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
A massive bun.
Dan (Wren)
I love that you have a bow-- a blow gun; that's so funny. [laughs]
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Exactly. I'm prepared for all situ'ations. And a shield; that's on the back of her armor, so...
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Mara [Editor's Note: code name "Oriole"?], on the other hand, is dressed in comfortable clothes and carries no weapons.
Dan (Wren)
I like to think it's like sweatpants. It's like sleepware. [laughs]
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
I think it's a tracksuit. [all laugh]
Dan (Wren)
The D&D equivalent of a tracksuit.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
The D&D equivalent of a tracksuit, they are just beige tunic and pants.
Dan (Wren)
Perfect. [laughs]
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
I love this for her. [Tim laughs]
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
All right, boss. Your call: what do we doin'?
Dan (Wren)
We've got two options: (1) we storm the front, which sends a big signal; or (2) we sneak in the back, which I guess could also send a big signal.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
I like big!
Dan (Wren)
I guess we storm the front then.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
I guess we're storming the front.
Dan (Wren)
All right [big sigh/stretch] Let's go kick their asses. Do I know where the entrance to this place is? Like, is it pretty obvious, like, how to get in?
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Yeah, so the Old Barracks had been vacant for quite some time besides the Copper Crow Company. So, you'll know that locals would just kind of wander the halls to remember their history, and the Copper Crows operate beneath all of this, unseen by most folk. So, you know that in order to get to their den, you do have to go down to the basement where there are several kind of maze-like passages until you can find the entrance of the den. You have been before.
Dan (Wren)
Okay. Out of character would I have like a vial of poison that I could give to Midnight? [Tim: "Mmhm"] I will pull a vial of poison out of my bag and pass it over to Midnight. "These might make your blow darts a little bit more effective."
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
I grabbed the vial, and I look at it, and I smile because I... even though I'm soft-spoken, I love war.
Dan (Wren)
It's a personal cocktail of mine. Have fun.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
"Oh, you know I will" and I put it in my satchel.
Dan (Wren)
Wren will as we're walking say "Try NOT to kill them if at all possible. That poison isn't lethal, but it'll hurt."
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
I'll make sure I send a message.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
"Nothing's gonna send a message like this... y'all" [OOC Tim: "Nope, uh...", all laugh]
Dan (Wren)
I... honestly I love it.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
[trying to maintain the bro voice] "Yeah." [laughs] No! Oh my gosh!
Dan (Wren)
She's such a bro!
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
[dismayed] I don't know how to play a bro. "All right, let's go send a message."
Timothy (DM)
And so you had out. You make your way across the port of Entropolis to the Old Barracks. You know the stairwell that leads down to the basement very well, and while it takes you a moment to find your way, you eventually approach the entrance to the Copper Crow Company den.
Dan (Wren)
Gotcha. So, we're in the basement already?
Timothy (DM)
Yep.
Dan (Wren)
Perfect. [in Aragorn voice] "I know this maze."
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
[singing] Dun-dun-dun.
Dan (Wren)
Now, are there guards on the outside, so... before, like, just walking out into the hallway where the entrance is, I want to peek slightly just to see if there are, like, guards standing in front of the...
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
No, there are never guards. [Dan: "Oh!"] They don't need protection. They ARE their protection.
Dan (Wren)
That's fair.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
They are the Copper Coin gang. [Editor's Note: not to be confused with the Pretty Penny posse]
Dan (Wren)
Would I know about how many there are in this gang?
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
I mean, there's plenty; there's probably like 20 or so. [Dan: "Jesus"] but, like, they don't all just hang out in the den.
Dan (Wren)
Gotcha. Okay.
Timothy (DM)
The den is usually just, like--
Dan (Wren)
A center of operations for some stuff.
Timothy (DM)
Yeah, exactly.
Dan (Wren)
So, we're not gonna barge in and there be 20 people? [Tim and Dan laugh] What kind of door is it?
Timothy (DM)
Just a wooden door.
Dan (Wren)
Plain wooden door. Okay. I'm gonna gesture to it. "M-mara?"
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
With pleasure, boss. [Kendrick laughs]
Dan (Wren)
I'll have my bow drawn by the way.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
And she is going to stomp up to the door and she is going to kick it open and just say "Ready for an ass-whoopinNNNN'?!?".
Timothy (DM)
Everybody roll initiative, as you see TWO thugs sitting at a table playing cards
Dan (Wren)
Just two? Oh bring it.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
I got 19.
Dan (Wren)
[keeps missing his dice tray] Oh god... oh god!
Timothy (DM)
Uh, you see a--
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
[mock admonishment] Keep the dice on the table!
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
You see a bald bandit with dark rough skin and a short man with a black mohawk and pockmarked red skin playing cards with a bottle of whiskey in each hand.
Dan (Wren)
Perfect.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
So, since I rolled 19, I'm assuming I'm first?
Dan (Wren)
I rolled a 9. I have not been rolling good initiative across any campaign recently.
Timothy (Mohawk Jim)
All right. So, the man with a mohawk stands up and just shout "WHAT the FUCK? WHO ARE YOU?" and Midnight, it's your turn.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
So, I actually go for the tall rough-looking one, and I dip one of the little darts with the poison that Wren gave me and I throw it. I shoot it at the tall rough one. Does 14 hit?
Timothy (DM)
Yes, it does.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
All right... with a damage of six.
Dan (Wren)
Oh Jesus [laughs]
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
So I'm... I'm VERY angry, so I use the air... I extra blow it; is that a thing with the darts? [Dan laughs]
Dan (Wren)
[laughing] Extra blowing? Yes.
Dan (Wren)
I extra blow it... and I don't say anything witty because I want my skill to be what I... my back talk for now.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
So, Mara is going to rage and charge into the room. [Dan whispers "raaage"] just throwing fists, and she is going to land a hit--
Dan (Wren)
Which one is she attacking?
Timothy (DM)
--and she's going to punch the mohawk dude for 9 points of bludgeoning damage.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Damn, she is strong.
Dan (Wren)
Jesus, she does not fuck around. Whoo! It's the crows' turn.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
So, they are going to stand up, and they are going to--
Dan (Wren)
I like that this all happened as they were sitting down. So, Mara just came over and PUNCHED a guy in a chair [Dan and Kendrick laugh]
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Well, he was standing up at that point.
Dan (Wren)
Oh, that's fair.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Yeah. So, the other one is going to stand up. They're both going to grab maces that were propped up on nearby chairs, and they are going to both swing at Mara. [Tim rolls four attacks]
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
That's a lot of dice. Excuse me!
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
So, each one of them is going to land a hit, and Mara is going to take [rolls a lot of dice] --
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Is Mara gonna die the first episode?
Timothy (DM)
--nine points of bludgeoning damage.
Dan (Wren)
Oh, ok. So, collectively they do as much damage as she did on her own, so I'll take that. How does Mara look after that?
Timothy (DM)
Fine, she looks fine.
Dan (Wren)
Okay, okay, how far are they away from me? Because I was probably behind Mara.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Uh, so they're just in the middle of the room that's probably 15 by 15 in size.
Dan (Wren)
Oh, so I can... I can get on the other side of the mohawk dude. As I run over, I'm going to shout to my crew and say "I need ONE conscious" and then I'm gonna get behind the mohawk dude to flank him with Mara--
Timothy (DM)
Alright, so you have advantage.
Dan (Wren)
--and stab with my dagger. Jesus; does a... where are my daggers at? Does a 13 hit?
Timothy (DM)
Yes, it does. Yes.
Dan (Wren)
Oh, good. Okay, what does my Sneak Attack do right now. Sneak Attach: 2d6. Okay, I need one more of these guys... and a d4 for the dagger. Oh god! Okay, that is 12 piercing damage.
Timothy (DM)
Alright, so you lay... two daggers?
Dan (Wren)
One dagger, so I'm gonna get, like, RIGHT underneath the organs.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Yeah, so you lay into the... their side just below the stomach and JAB them, blood is now just, like, pouring out their abdomen.
Dan (Wren)
Yeah, so, like, with my medical knowledge, I would know where to stab to injure but not kill because we're doing non- lethal... I'M trying to do non-lethal damage.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Yep, absolutely.
Dan (Wren)
I'm going to use my bonus action to reach into my bag of silt. So, I've got a bag of silt tied to my belt, and I want to toss some silt in the other guy's face if he's close enough.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Give me an Attack roll.
Dan (Wren)
Okay, so just Dexterity based?
Timothy (DM)
Yep.
Dan (Wren)
I rolled a nat 1. "Just kidding! I miss." I throw silt everywhere else BUT this guy's face [all laugh]
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
A cloud of silt goes up into the air and causes you all to cough, enemy and party alike.
Dan (Wren)
Sorry about that.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
[delicately] *cough cough* I, after coughing, I run up to the tall one (whose name I don't know so I'm gonna call 'em 'Jack'.), um...
Dan (Wren)
[dripping with animosity] We hate Jack.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
We hate Jack with a burning passion.
Dan (Wren)
But we hate Jim, (the other one) in particular. Mohawk guy. [Kendrick laughs] You do you.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
So, since we're not... we're not trying to kill them, I'm going to run up to the tall dude, and I'm just going to land a punch, and I got a 4. [Dan laughs]
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
A 4 is not gonna hit, so they are able to deflect your punch out of the way.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
That's disappointing.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Mara is going to lay another punch into them, and she will hit. So, she is going to clock him on the side of his face for 7 more points of bludgeoning damage.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
I like Mara; she's a BEAST! BEAST!
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
BEAST!
Dan (Wren)
Now, I want to play a Beast Path barbarian [Kendrick laughs] that just beats the shit out of people with their fists.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
And they are going to return the favor by now splitting their attention between Mara and Wren.
Dan (Wren)
[thrilled] Okay, great... I'm squishyyyy [all laugh]
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Does a 12 hit?
Dan (Wren)
No! Surprisingly enough, a 12 does not hit.
Timothy (DM)
Does a 14 hit?
Dan (Wren)
[southern accent] It sure does.
Timothy (DM)
Okay. So, they are gonna whack you with one of their maces, and you are going to take 8 bludgeoning damage [Dan:" "Lord"] and then Mara is going to basically just charge into them, hitting them in the chest, preventing their attacks.
Dan (Wren)
[weakly] "Nice elbow, I wasn't so lucky." Great; as my action, I am going to attack the same one again with my daggers. We're still flanking, right? Mara didn't move to--?
Timothy (DM)
Yep, yeah.
Dan (Wren)
That's a 14 to hit?
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
A 14 hits
Dan (Wren)
[sing-songy] Coooool. Sneak Attack Damage 'cause flankinggggg. Oh god, that's another 12 piercing damage.
Timothy (DM)
All right--
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
I thought we weren't trying to kill them? [laughs]
Dan (Wren)
Oh, yeah, I can cut and not kill [Kendrick: "True."] I am a SURGEON, thank you very much.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
[out of the side of their mouth] My apologies, Wren. Goddamn!
Timothy (DM)
Again, you take the dagger, jab them right in the gut, and they are going to collapse down. Blood is splurting out their mouth, and they are just holding their wound. You see their eyes go blank as they lose consciousness.
Dan (Wren)
Great, happy about that. I'm gonna use my bonus action to use my Healer feat on myself? So, the way that that's written is "as an action, you can spend one use of a healer's kit to tend to a creature and restore 1d6+4 HP plus an additional HP equivalent to the maximum number of hit dice." I'm assuming I can do that to myself, right? Because they're listed as "a creature"; I am "a creature." [Tim: "Yeah"] Do I need to make a... any sort of, like, roll for that? Like a Medicine check? It goes on to say that I can only do it once per short or long rest per creature.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Oh, so it's basically a spell slot. Okay.
Dan (Wren)
All right, yeah, it's just an automatic heal then.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Like, you will be immortal.
Dan (Wren)
Yeah. but I use it like... I can't heal somebody twice before a short rest.
Dan (Wren)
1d6+4+3 because I have three hit dice, so that's 1d6+7; that's my... that's 9 hit points, so I'm back up to full! Perfect. This Healer feat is VERY helpful... aaaaand that's my turn.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
All right, so what Midnight is going to do is... 'cause one of my bonus actions is Two Weapon Fighting, so with that, can I hit with one hand and stab them with the other? [Tim: "Mmhm"] All right, so since I missed my other attack because all the silt or whatever--
Dan (Wren)
Yeah, yeah, sure. Mhmm. [laughs]
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
That's the reason why I missed. I'm going to re-punch (that's a word) I'm going to re-punch the dude, Jack. Does an 18 hit?
Timothy (DM)
An 18 does hit.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
All right. So, that's 2 damage, and then as I'm hitting him, I'm using my other hand very Arya-style and [laughing] does a 4 hit? [all laugh]
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
A 4 does not hit; they deflect to you with their mace.
Dan (Wren)
Were you trying to double punch?
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Yeah, but I'm-I'm out of practice.
Dan (Wren)
That's fair; it's been a while.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
It has been awhile. You're learning new skills.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Right, exactly.
Dan (Wren)
You've been participating in other physical activity
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Exactly.
Timothy (DM)
So, Mara, having assisted with taking out the mohawk dude, is going to turn on the one that you have all named Jack. [Kendrick laughs] uh, and just--
Dan (Wren)
Jim is the other one; the mohawk is Jim.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
--try to undercut them up into the jaw. She knocks him square in the jaw, and he takes 6 bludgeoning damage.
Dan (Wren)
God, she does soooo much damage.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
I know.
Dan (Wren)
I can't wait for her to get another attack. Level 5 Mara's going to be insane. *PPPUFF*
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Yeah, I want more spells besides Pressdigidaysh... whatever. I'm gonna call it pl-- P-tation.
Timothy (DM)
So, he's going to try to return the favor with his mace, and he is going to land both attacks not well, but she will take 7 points of piercing damage.
Dan (Wren)
Is she doing okay, how is she look?
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
She looks a little battered, but she is still standing.
Dan (Wren)
Okay. Question: a Medicine check on a downed person is typically at action, right?
Timothy (DM)
Yes.
Dan (Wren)
And then my healer's kit is use of an item, which was a bonus action. So, can I technically stabilize the guy on the ground and then heal Mara in one turn? Or is that too much?
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Mechanically, according to the rules? Yes. You can do that.
Dan (Wren)
Okay, but is that okay if I do that?
Timothy (DM)
Yeah!
Dan (Wren)
Okay. 'Cause you can say no, and I can just prioritize Mara. So, I will go ahead and try and just stable his wounds. I technically with my healer's could bring him back up to one HP, but I don't want to. I want to leave him unconscious, but I also want to stop him from bleeding out. [rolls dice] I keep missing the table. Um, that is a 15 for Medicine.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
All right. So, you shove a prepared poultice into the wound to stop the bleeding and coagulate the blood.
Dan (Wren)
Alright, and then I'm going to heal Ma-- go run over and use my-- [Kendrick laughs]
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
[laughing] What was that?
Dan (Wren)
That was tense...that's... that's
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
[wiggles fingers] Medicine fantasies. WooOOooOOoo.
Dan (Wren)
[lying] I know what a poultice is!
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
I did not know what that was. That's why I looked at you.
Dan (Wren)
[coming clean] I don't ... I don't know what a poultice is.
Timothy (DM)
Oh, a poultice is a... usually like a pouch of herbs that is--
Dan (Wren)
So, I just shove a bunch of herbs into his--
Timothy (DM)
--basically, yeah. So, it's usually, like, a pouch of herbs that have made into, like, a paste.
Dan (Wren)
Ohhhh.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
--that the oils would seep out of the poultice, the pouch.
Dan (Wren)
Gotcha. So, to kind of like, seal the wound and all. Cool, cool.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
You seal the wound and also, like, there's probably antimicrobial elements of the--
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Nature's Band-Aid.
Timothy (DM)
Yeah, nature's Band-Aid.
Dan (Wren)
Okay, cool. And then I will run over to Mara... behind Mara, I guess, and, like, bandage her wounds. I go "Stop moving so much!" as I... that is 10 plus however many hit dice she has, so she has three, right, 'cause she's level 3?
Timothy (DM)
Yes.
Dan (Wren)
So, that's 13 in total.
Timothy (DM)
All right, so you miraculously heal her for 13 hit points as she is punching a dude. It's a wonderful absurd feat [Dan laughs]. She is, like... you're just wrapping gauze around her wounds.
Dan (Wren)
Quickly punching.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
I imagine you're doing the Naruto run around her as it's happening. [Dan laughs]
Timothy (DM)
This character build totally makes sense. It's fine.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Suspension of disbelief, viewers.
Timothy (DM)
Yeah.
Dan (Wren)
You know, but like? We, like... you have. like, magical tinctures and potions and things that, like, heal so... it's not quite out of the ordinary.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
It's a fantasy world. There's pseudo magic. There's lots of weird herbs with properties that we could not begin to imagine.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
So, Midnight is tired of missing all of her strikes, so she's going to take her handaxe and chop at the tall dude Jack's leg, so I don't kill them but I injure him a lot.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
[sarcastically] Yes, because bleeding out from a lost limb doesn't kill people.
Dan (Wren)
I can fix that.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Well, you can get nature's... yeah, you have nature's Band-Aid, you can do that. Does a... is that a 6 or 9? That looks like a 6. 6+3, does a 9 hit?
Timothy (DM)
It does not.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Then with my second, I'm just going to swing again.
Dan (Wren)
With your offhand?
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
With my offhand; does a 13 hit?
Timothy (DM)
That one does!
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
And that says for 2 damage. [Tim laughs]
Timothy (DM)
Oh my gosh.
Dan (Wren)
[laughs] Clock 'im!
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
All right. So, you slice at his leg, and you see a little cut.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
I'm rusty, guys. I'm sorry.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
It is Mara's turn. So, again, she is going to actually pick up a chair this time. [Dan: "YES!"] and bash it over his head.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
MARRRRR!
Dan (Wren)
GIVE HIM THE CHAIR!
Timothy (DM)
And she does hit him over the head with a chair. It's splinters and cracks, and he's going to take 9 points of bludgeoning damage. [Dan laughs]
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Dammmn. You better work, Mara.
Timothy (DM)
He is looking quite battered and is going to start flailing around haphazardly with his mace. So one is going to swing towards Midnight. Does a 12 hit?
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Nope. Finally!
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
But he is going to hit Mara.
Dan (Wren)
That's okay, I just healed her. It's fine.
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
And she is going to take 7 points of bludgeoning damage.
Dan (Wren)
On my turn, I'm going to pivot around to the backside of this guy, like, around the table, and I guess stab him. We're just surrounging this poor fucker; does a 20 hit?
Timothy (DM)
[pause] Yeah, it hits.
Dan (Wren)
Thought so [laughs] that is 12 piercing damage, and if that makes him go down, does it? [Tim nods] Okay,
Timothy (Mara "Oriole")
Yeah, he goes down. So, how do you... how do you do this?
Dan (Wren)
Um, so I don't want to actually knock him out. I just want to... debilitate him? So, I want to cut at his legs, like maybe like the back of the knee? Oo, which just hurts me to say, but it's what would happen... [Kendrick "oh no's", Tim laughs]. Um, so, I'm gonna... I'm gonna cut his, like, his hamstrings in a way that makes it so he can't stand, and because I have a lot of medical knowledge, I know exactly where that is, right? Probably? [Tim agrees] Okay, so I'm going to do that where I, like, cut the back of one of his legs to, like, bring him down to the ground so he can't stand.
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
Midnight looks away because that is dis-gust-ing.
Timothy (DM)
It is absolutely grusome as he collapses down to the ground.
Dan (Wren)
Dan the Player's hurt by that; Wren, though? Unfazed.
Timothy (Rough-Looking Jack)
Yeah. [laughs] He is just crying out in pain, uh: "URRRRRGGG. WHAT THE FUUU-- *pain sounds*"
Dan (Wren)
I am going to... 'cause we're out of combat at this point, right?
Timothy (DM)
Yeah, you're outta combat.
Dan (Wren)
I'm gonna look at Mara and Middie and say "Give us a minute."
Kendrick (Midnight Dunreath)
"Okay." and I grab Mara, and we just walk to the side.
Timothy (DM)
And that is where we will put a pause on today's story. Thank you all for joining us for a plunge into the abyss. I hope you all enjoyed this episode of Shadows of Prophecy. Join us next time to find out becomes our unfortunate players in this most dreadful act.
Timothy (DM)
Shout out to my brother, known as the chill electronic vapor soul artist, LUSQ, for writing our chillingly epic theme song; editing by Scrubcast; and a big shout out to Syrinscape for some amazing atmosphere and music. Make sure you check them out at syrinscape.com. I always use them at my game table, and it adds that little something special to bring your players into the story. Also, please follow us on Twitter @ShadowsProphecy and Instagram @shadows_of_prophecy. And hey, show us some support by becoming one of our fabulous patrons at patreon.com/shadowsofprophecy, where you can get access to bonus content like handouts, encounter maps, and even adventure guides to run your own horrific campaigns or one-shots. And at the very least, give us a five star review on your podcast platform of choice. This is how we get the word out about our podcast, and we love sharing it with you all. Thank you, and tune in next time for more tales of dread and despair at Shadows of Prophecy.