Welcome to the Good Good Table

Welcome to the Good Good Table: S1 Ep. 03 - The Kids Are Alright

The Good Good Table Season 1 Episode 3

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0:00 | 1:22:43

Our intrepid heroes begin their investigation to prove themselves and find the missing children of Augen! Join us for strange humming, weird old women, and bitter honey at the Good Good Table.

Look for new episodes every Wednesday!

Content Warnings:
Course Language
Missing Children
The Occasional Bit of Innuendo
Indignant Rage
Irresponsible Adults
Descriptions of Sad Lore
Tall Intimidating Women
A cat in the background sometimes, just doing cat stuff

Our group uses Dungeons and Dragons 2014 edition along with some homebrew goodness to make things really fit in our storytelling. Feel free to ask us about how we do things, Alex especially loves a good lore drop!

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Intro and Recap

SPEAKER_10

Welcome to the Good Good Table is a podcast for grown folks with swears and violence and stuff. Content warnings can be found in the description.

SPEAKER_09

We also have with us today Brandon Rose as Benaria. Hello. Courtney Craig as Lunette.

SPEAKER_13

Hello, hello.

SPEAKER_09

Elizabeth Nicholas as Dalos.

SPEAKER_13

Hi.

SPEAKER_09

And and we have Jenny Walk up as Genova.

SPEAKER_07

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_09

Thank you all. So last time we were here at the Good Good Table, we started at the Governor's Mansion, where we had some lore drop. We learned about the fate of the Fidalus family and other familial ties going on for Venaria. Then we moved over to the nightcap where we had some delicious food and some booze. And Dalos cleaned himself out with some moonshine. Literally, not figuring out. Literally. And then the following morning, headed over to the lantern hall to get briefed on your new mission to investigate rumors about missing children. Yes.

SPEAKER_12

Joy, this won't be depressing or sad at all, guys. I feel it. I feel it in my bones.

SPEAKER_13

We'll all be totally fine, because Alex is very nice and fair.

SPEAKER_09

They're all being picked up by the care bears.

SPEAKER_13

This totally isn't like a Pied Piper Rat King situation. We're all gonna be fine.

SPEAKER_09

So, uh yes, you just got done being briefed by Keldora Vries, the uh warden of the Lantern Hall. Um, and she has bid you leave to go and do do your investigation.

The Investigation Begins

SPEAKER_09

So, as you may recall, there are three options, I suppose the way to put it, uh, listed on there. Does anybody remember what those were? Uh Mercy House, the Cathedral Aids, and families. Yes, excellent. So, uh, the investigation is AAA Open World. Go proceed how you wish, but those are three starting points as they are listed in the dossier, which I can actually send to you through the Discord. As we're walking out, Bernaria is still very much in kind of the like procedural mode. Um, so she she asked Dramash, like, so should we be giving her updates, do you think? Or is it just we finished, we're ready to act, give us approval to act. Oh, no, absolutely. She wants to know what's going on. So, some if we find something of note, she wants to hear about it. With this kind of investigation, if we find out that there is something worth taking care of, the rank will probably escalate. So she needs to know the information, you know, she can authorize that. Okay. Well, it seems like Mercy House is the closest. Yeah, yeah, just across the street, honestly. We could head there first.

SPEAKER_11

It works for me.

SPEAKER_09

It's kinda as we're walking, she kinda lays a hand on Drame Ash. She'll like, well, how are you feeling this morning after our uh raucous a good time last night? Oh, I'm I slept like a rock. Yeah, absolutely no problem at all. You go on you all doing okay? You had a little bit more of that moonshine than I thought you maybe were thinking about. I feel good. You're all good. Yeah, good cleaned out. Yeah. Uh in some in one case, literally, but you know. Ah. I drink to forget, but I always think. I feel like Gillas is being very shiny this morning. Oh, yeah. But a full chemical bath.

SPEAKER_03

You guys have never seen him more polished on every face than he's like.

SPEAKER_09

Shining twice in the morning.

SPEAKER_13

It's like you guys slept for nine hours. I'm out here like I got in there with a Q-tip, getting between the filigree.

SPEAKER_09

Like we're getting weirdly.

SPEAKER_03

All the green has been polished off. He's like bright brass.

SPEAKER_09

Yeah, I feel like we'd be getting leaving the lantern now. We're getting weird looks that people are like, did they take the lantern down and it's walking around? What's that? Yeah, you you do get a number of looks, Dalos. Yeah, because they're because you know, we we may not have mentioned at this point the clockwork don't really they're not a thing in Demora or really like automata. It's not something that really happens here so much. So double takes. That's what I'm thinking of. Yeah, you you get double takes. Venaria breaks makes a makes a note, Mint, and it should be like, okay, we're putting it, we're freaking Dalos out front if we need distraction.

SPEAKER_13

Like, at minimum, maybe like in the future, if we have to do like a stealth thing, we're like, okay, you need a coat. A cloak of some sort.

SPEAKER_09

No, we just send Dalos to the front door.

SPEAKER_13

Yeah, and then you guys go down. And then everybody else does it back. It is I, automaton. Dalos can be loud.

SPEAKER_09

Yes.

SPEAKER_03

Where specifically is the sandstone structures uh streetwise on this?

SPEAKER_09

The sandstone structures?

SPEAKER_03

Uh, it's older sandstone substructures flagged in prefault infrastructure surveys.

SPEAKER_09

Uh, yes. So the city of Ogun um is built on top of a sandstone bed. That's what supports a lot of the walls and structure on here. Um a lot of the sandstone more like areas that are look a little more exposed, a little closer to the surface, are in the southeast.

SPEAKER_04

Yep, I'm down to head to um the Mercy House.

SPEAKER_09

Very good. Well, it is quite literally, you walk out the front door of the lantern house, turn the corner, and the the did I say lantern house? The lantern hall, the mercy house, is just right there, just

The Mercy House

SPEAKER_09

across the street. And it is old. The people who are from Thhaxia actually go ahead and roll history. Again, Daelos, you don't know what the fuck I'm talking about.

SPEAKER_03

That's fine. Daylus is learning. Keeping his eyes and his ears open. Yes. My god. 3020.

SPEAKER_09

I got a four. You got a four. You've never been to Ogan. You don't know what's going on.

SPEAKER_03

It's plus ten? Uh you have expertise in perception.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, I did.

SPEAKER_13

Oh, this is history.

SPEAKER_02

Sorry.

SPEAKER_13

Oh, I was like, I was like, uh uh.

SPEAKER_09

Nice try, Dalos.

SPEAKER_13

Sorry, now.

SPEAKER_07

Genova's 17?

SPEAKER_13

Dalos is trying to cheat. So it's a five. Not joy. It's a six.

SPEAKER_09

Okay, Genova, you know that this this city is built specifically on the grounds where the Ogue tribe were were originally like had their settlement. And some of the buildings here in the city are from that time period, back in the very early parts of the third age. So just okay, for clarification, so this is built on a on a special spot. This isn't necessarily a building that was built by the Oak Tribe. It was built by the Oak Tribe. This is an incredibly old building. Um the wall okay, well, I should specify the walls have been rebuilt several times. It is specifically the doorway. You would know that part of not necessarily folklore, but like why the building is significant. That doorway is said to never be barred while the sun is up. It is it has been a place to shelter the children, the weak, the elderly of of the city for centuries. Damn. As we're approaching, I'm gonna pop I'm gonna pop a divine sense. Excellent. You're not you're not picking up anything here. And actually, nothing. You are picking up loudly nothing. Loudly nothing.

SPEAKER_13

It's the kind of silence that like sounds like white noise because it's so silent.

SPEAKER_09

Yeah, like because normally like you feel kind of the divine sense all around, you know, just just from there being a pantheon. This this place, specifically, this building, has zero reactivity.

SPEAKER_13

Oh you get you and you get Dalos, and those are the only things you literally, it's like that tinnitus causing silence.

SPEAKER_09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_13

It's so quiet, your brain is like, nah.

SPEAKER_09

Um, so I I am gonna actually point that out to to Dalos. It's like, um, this is there's negative energy here. Not not bad, but just nothing. And there should be something. Oh, yeah. This place, we we don't bother them. Something about this place. We check to make sure they're okay. And that's about as far as it goes.

SPEAKER_13

Oh, that's comforting.

SPEAKER_09

This is a special place.

SPEAKER_13

Like the proprietary.

SPEAKER_09

We've been ordered specifically by the warden to not bother the Mercy House.

SPEAKER_13

When you say so I'm talking like after the fall. We know the historical significance of it and everything, but after the fall, would you say it's special, like, oh, it's important that we leave them alone for like good reasons, or is it like don't touch this place with a 10-foot pole for like spooky reasons?

SPEAKER_09

It's it's more about this place has a power about it, but it doesn't come from gods, it doesn't come from magic, it doesn't come from anything that we can measure, but nothing bothers this place.

SPEAKER_13

Can I is can I take a sense to feel if this is like if it feels similar to like Todd or Granny?

SPEAKER_09

Roll you can roll Arcane. Arcana, pardon me.

unknown

No.

SPEAKER_13

Can I roll for it? No.

SPEAKER_09

Um while she's doing that, um, I'd like to make some kind of check. I'd my my go-to thought is is nature check, but both my now older brother and our mother have been druids in the past. And I grew up around that magic a lot. So if we've got it specifically that it's not divine magic, it's apparently not like the magic of mortals, I'd like to like reach out to try to sense nature magic in this place.

SPEAKER_13

Considering how close I have been to that Eldritch family, is it at all possible that I would get advantage on feeling if something feels similar to them?

SPEAKER_09

Well, what did you get?

SPEAKER_13

I got a seven.

SPEAKER_09

Uh you even even with a seven, the silence is is pretty loud.

SPEAKER_13

Okay.

SPEAKER_09

Uh there's there's zero connection.

SPEAKER_13

Okay.

SPEAKER_09

At all. Um, and again, with Venaria with your nature check, there is nothing.

SPEAKER_10

Is there materium present?

SPEAKER_09

No. Damn. I mean, there are material.

SPEAKER_03

Like in the walls, but I mean like outside, but like not in the building or anything, like that door or so there there is materium for the purposes of like quality of life.

SPEAKER_09

They're they're they have like rudimentary electricity and lighting and air, you know, air conditioning, things like that. So there is there's materium for that.

SPEAKER_02

But there's not it's like as little as possible.

SPEAKER_09

Yeah, yeah. There's not like an industrial level of of materium or like any of the stuff like in in Dromash's weapon.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_09

Do you want do you want to cast detect magic?

SPEAKER_13

Sure. I'll cast detect magic. We can find a new way for the DM to tell us nu-uh. There's nothing here.

SPEAKER_09

Here you are welcome to keep checking.

SPEAKER_04

But yeah, Thales will cast detect magic and then walk up to the door.

SPEAKER_09

You you you don't sense anything at all? I'll just keep that up for the period. As long as I just just hold concentration, just walking around waiting to see something light up on your Terminator vision.

SPEAKER_04

Can I can I knock?

SPEAKER_09

Uh you you can, but the door is actually open. I was gonna say, yeah, if it's daylight. Oh my god. Yeah, that is that is actually part of the mythos of the place is the door is never closed or barred while the sun is up. I kinda wanna go try to close the door while the sun is up just to fuck with just to fuck with the local people. Not fucking with the people. I just I would I would I would try to persuade them that I'm just testing to make sure it can lock. But that's but it but Venaria doesn't do anything.

SPEAKER_02

Away from whatever you're trying to do with that.

SPEAKER_09

I didn't say I was gonna do it. I'm saying there's feel there's an urge there just to be like that. There's an urge just early. Well, because there's a sense with in the midst of this not sensing anything, it's like, well, if the only thing we know about is that you don't shut the door during daylight, then let's fucking shut the door during daylight. Maybe that'll get a reaction for the DM. I mean the door.

SPEAKER_13

Could we maybe don't the door?

SPEAKER_09

But I just follow I just don't do shit and just follow Dayless in. Just still I've still I've still got divine sense up, still just someone tell me that it's like it's supposed to be like you're sniffing around. I'm like, nah, it's a weird maybe maybe not as weird for Venaria as it would be for others. Sniffing for manic. Um is out.

SPEAKER_13

Lunette is going to take her uh her skull hat, she's gonna take it off of her head, like just kind of like as a show, like as a respect thing, where it's like, this feels like suit like not necessarily religious, religious, but it feels like reverent anyway.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_13

Uh I think Lunette is of the opinion, I've said this before, that uh the gods are real and they owe her money. Like that's her relationship with religion at this point after meeting Todd and Granny. Yeah, they owe her emotional compensation. But here, she takes her little skull hat off, she like hooks it onto like a little a loop on her hip, and she is just trying to go in and just be respectful.

SPEAKER_09

Okay.

SPEAKER_13

Jalos will smile as best he can.

SPEAKER_09

And people start screaming, like, what the heck?

The Mercy House: Entrance

SPEAKER_09

So, uh yeah. The Mercy House is busy, uh, but not strained. You see, orderlies moving around efficiently, uh patients are speaking softly. There's not a sense of crisis. There's just this routine. Um if anything, it actually feels calmer than than it should, considering like the number of people that are here. But as you walk in, a senior nurse will walk up and greet you all. Uh Welcome. Welcome to the Mercy House. How can I help you? Are you here to visit?

SPEAKER_04

Um yes, we were just sent as newcomers to the city to take a look around, and this seemed like a good place as any considering we came straight from the lantern hole.

SPEAKER_09

Well it immediately closes off.

SPEAKER_01

We're with the authorities, we're here and hell.

SPEAKER_03

Now, Dayless is like trying to suggest like we are have been told that we might be able to stay here. You guys were right here. We want to be able to know what the place looks like. Not necessarily that we're coming from them as like, we're coming here from the authorities. We're trying to work with the authorities. Just like a we're coming from here, hopefully in the process of stay, and finding out kind of like what the place looks like.

SPEAKER_09

Excellent. So you're you're not mentioning like anything about children or anything like that?

SPEAKER_03

No.

SPEAKER_09

Well, you're you are of course welcome to look around, but ple please do not bother any of the patients. They are trying to rest.

unknown

Of course.

SPEAKER_09

Uh Venaria is on head swivel mode looking for children. Okay. There are there are lots of children around. This is a children's hospital.

SPEAKER_13

Is is there I am looking for children in the pediatrics wing.

SPEAKER_09

It's also going to leave a gap, so let's look for a gap.

SPEAKER_13

I'm thinking of like how cr how like feral Nikki nurses are when it comes to like protecting the kids that they're in charge of.

SPEAKER_09

Yeah, she definitely eyes you when you all are just like, we're just here to look around. Like, okay.

SPEAKER_04

Is there any way that we can help? Um I married a child the other day and they seem to have fun um playing.

SPEAKER_13

Oh, well, sick sick kiddos are a little uh more fragile, a little they'd be extra gentle. They're sick. Organics get sick sometimes.

SPEAKER_09

Yes, some of them are sick, some of them are simply injured. Um this this is a place of healing for those who aren't strong enough to to go to the hospital themselves.

SPEAKER_13

Uh so this person, do they have like a title?

SPEAKER_09

Or are you asking like who they are personally?

SPEAKER_13

Yeah, like do they have like a title? Is it like it's not necessarily like a pastor or like a sister or like a father?

SPEAKER_09

Well, this is Uncle. This is a senior intake nurse. She'll introduce herself as Hallwyn Tess. Uh she works for the admissions ward in in the the Mercy House.

SPEAKER_13

Uh Miss Hallwyn.

SPEAKER_09

Yes.

SPEAKER_13

Uh we're relatively new to the situation.

SPEAKER_06

The situation. The city.

SPEAKER_13

The city. Uh my friend here, Dalos, he's very new to the plane of existence. The plane of existence. Uh Delos here, because uh I we don't want Delos not knowing how to be around sick people to set this lady off and like kick us out. So I'm just trying to be a little proactive where it's like Dalos is a visitor from a different plane. Uh it's a very different plane. It's a very long story. He's very new to people like you and me, aka people with like body parts and organs. Yeah, like uh he's very new to people with like organic inner workings.

SPEAKER_09

Uh so but he is a healer, and like Bernard kind of leans in. It's like he he is a cleric after the fashion of his own people.

SPEAKER_13

He is a healer. He is very gentle, very kind, but if it seems like he may not know what to do in the moment, please don't take any offense to it. He's just uh new to the situation.

SPEAKER_09

Well, as as much as I do appreciate the offer, we do have things handled here, so I will I will ask that you do not attempt to treat uh any of the patients here. But um I I do appreciate in in case of emergency there are other hands around that is always good to have.

SPEAKER_07

I was going to ask uh nurse Howen have you noticed uh any unusual behavior with the patients? Anything peculiar, any mysterious illnesses or behavior?

SPEAKER_06

Well, I mean nothing too drastic at the moment. Can I why why do you ask? Can can I ask why you are here?

SPEAKER_13

Uh s do you remember how I said we were in a situation where we were on a different plane?

SPEAKER_09

Y Yes.

SPEAKER_13

Where back there there was a sickness that we had to help deal with.

SPEAKER_06

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_13

It's been a very confusing s uh jaunt for us. So we're just going to do that. We're trying to get our ground lie. We're trying to get our grounding, our footing here.

SPEAKER_09

As you all are flopping around or trying to come up with excuses, dromash will kind of just we're we're here we're here to ask about the children. It I I I know I know you all are trying not to stir things up, but we do have to actually ask about the thing we're trying to find out about.

SPEAKER_13

Your boss is so scary, dude. It's okay. She's a problem. She's gonna eat our face. Hopefully. She's gonna eat all of our collective faces. Madam.

SPEAKER_09

She'll actually she'll look at Dromash and go, oh, you know, she kinda seems to kind of recognize him. Well, we we've had questions about the children. Um I I hope we can help. Absolutely. Yeah, we need to find out any information uh about that. We're we're nothing confirmed. We're just trying to to find out what's going on. Our goal uh ideally would be to put it to bed, uh put it to rest as just a rumor. Well of of course. Um what what uh what what did you what did you have in mind? What would you what would you like to know? Well, as always to be like, fuck it, direct. Um has there has any have any children been uh checked out or have whatever your process is from here without your knowledge?

SPEAKER_04

Have they stopped coming back for treatment?

SPEAKER_09

Since since the fall, it it is not uncommon for people to simply not return. What I have noticed nothing too strange, granted. The children are being admitted for exhaustion, anxiety, uh stress. They are recovering faster than expected. Actually. They seem to be getting better without much from us at all. Some of them are requesting discharge early, starting uh saying they feel ready.

SPEAKER_13

Is that the words they use? They feel ready?

SPEAKER_09

They they they say yeah.

SPEAKER_07

Ready for what?

SPEAKER_09

To leave. Um, some of them mention going back to the the quiet place.

SPEAKER_04

Uh do you happen to know what the quiet place is referring to?

SPEAKER_09

No, not as such. A few have mentioned going to visit their grandmother. There were there were no treatments that would account for them suddenly getting better. We didn't use any spells. The treatment protocols weren't any different than than usual.

SPEAKER_10

I think the lack of divinity, the lack of magic, and then the lady being like, do not make this a bigger deal than it needs to be, was like Delus was like, I will not say anything.

SPEAKER_13

There's like a little there's like a little putt there's like a little puddle of oil under him.

SPEAKER_09

There's there's actually a clerk that nearby just kind of like leans back, was just kind of listening, and like, sometimes people just need rest. Shrug.

SPEAKER_07

And this seems like a good place for it. So nothing out of the ordinary then.

SPEAKER_09

Uh no, I mean, other than usually I have to speak up, you know, to to calm children. Sometimes they get rambunctious, that's what j children do. I I don't seem to be needing to do that as much recently. You know, it could be the time of year. Sometimes children get fascinated all with the same thing at the same time, it could could be anything, but nothing nothing too out of the ordinary, no.

SPEAKER_04

Ah the quiet place that is silent and calming. And they're suddenly getting better, wanting

SPEAKER_13

To go to the clipbase with Granny. Does Granny perhaps live on a farm far away with all the dog with all the family pets that went missing?

SPEAKER_09

You're probably Granny's farm upstate. In the meantime, Nurse Hallwyn will mention if you would like to um interview anyone on the wards, um, go visit any of the patients, uh, feel free to ask around. I would just ask, as I mentioned earlier, please do not disturb any of the patients trying to rest. Um please do not attempt to treat any of them. But questions, absolutely. So do you have any of those children here now who are admitted for anxiety, stress, or exhaustion.

SPEAKER_07

That mention a quiet place.

SPEAKER_09

Well, there was Um who was that that just showed up recently? And and the clerk will lean back again. Ilya, nine-year-old. Ah, ah, yes, yes. You you could speak with with Ilya. She is over in the children's ward, of course. Other than that, you are welcome to speak with in any of the staff there. Here is a visitor's pass, and she will she will hand you a little little pass. You just get lanyards. Yeah. Everybody gets lanyards.

Elizabeth's Crazy Idea

SPEAKER_02

I have a crazy idea that's above table more than it is anything. Um I have sending. The only thing it specifies is a creature with which I am familiar. It's unlimited range. It only has a 5% chance to fail if it's across planes. But I can send it to anyone. And I've met Granny before.

SPEAKER_09

Oh my god. Like Dale's just like, excuse me, I'm gonna make a call. Hold on.

SPEAKER_02

Sorry.

SPEAKER_09

No, I love weekly word in the spouse.

SPEAKER_02

A creature with which you are familiar.

SPEAKER_09

Creature with which you are familiar.

SPEAKER_02

It doesn't say you have to know where they are. It doesn't say you have to know what they're doing.

SPEAKER_09

Is that something you actually want to do? You want to send a message to Granny?

SPEAKER_02

They lose doesn't like Granny. Granny's scared me. I mean The last time you met Granny, he was scared, so he'd probably ask you guys. He'd be like, well, I guess as we were leaving, he'd like talk to the nurse and he's like, I'm so sorry.

SPEAKER_04

I was just a little bit nervous. This is the first time I've been here and I didn't want to cause problems.

SPEAKER_06

Oh, it's perfectly fine. No, absolutely.

SPEAKER_09

I I it is a delicate matter. And and so as I understand, hasn't been confirmed yet, so it is perfectly fine. You are doing your duty, and we will do ours.

SPEAKER_03

Um, and then he'll kind of like shuffle people he's like, hey, like let's go to this quiet corner for a minute.

SPEAKER_09

Yeah, she will return back to her duties and wander off.

SPEAKER_04

So we're thinking that Granny might have something to do with this. And I know, Lunette, you've been having a hard time reaching to Doth after the incident.

SPEAKER_13

I mean I haven't tried in like a day. I'm sure I could annoy him again.

SPEAKER_04

In in theory, I can possibly send a message to Granny. I don't know if she is that something that like would get me hurt? I I wouldn't dare.

SPEAKER_13

I couldn't possibly tell you. Uh maybe.

SPEAKER_09

What are you talking about?

SPEAKER_13

Hang on. We've met a very strange individual before. It's a very long story, and it will confuse you.

SPEAKER_07

And she seems similar to what they're talking about. Dramash knows Granny. You know Granny?

SPEAKER_09

Granny Goodgood. Granny Goodgood? Yeah. Everyone knows Granny.

SPEAKER_13

Don't get me fucking started.

SPEAKER_04

Oh, it's a bit strange having the, you know, quiet looking to meet the granny, all that sort of stuff, and it could be an easy lead.

SPEAKER_09

Oh, if you want to see granny, you just go down the street. Okay. Granny Goodgood's just down the street.

SPEAKER_13

Well, of course it is. I'm really tempted to just send her a message.

SPEAKER_07

We'll keep that in your pocket for now.

SPEAKER_13

We'll keep that in your pocket for now.

SPEAKER_07

She has a bodega down the stairs. Alright. So Lunette takes her.

SPEAKER_09

Yeah. Lunette takes her uh

The Mercy House: Children's Ward

SPEAKER_09

So you you move through the hallways and there's the children's ward, and within there there is like the recovery ward. Ilya is sitting up in bed, sitting, kind of staring off into space, just very calm. And will not really react when you when you approach.

SPEAKER_13

Daelos is confused. The child that I ran into earlier today was insane. What is this? That feral 14-year-old boy.

SPEAKER_09

Does she have her own room, or is this like Rose with curtains in between? Yeah, it's it's rows with with not even really curtains in between. This is this is a very calm place where like you're you're doing okay, you're on your way to recovering. Are there any other children in the room? Yeah. But they're all like sleep sleeping or you know, going through some kind of treatment or something.

SPEAKER_02

Reading a book.

SPEAKER_09

Yeah. Uh but she but she's s specifically sitting up doing nothing. She's just sitting up, kind of staring out the window.

SPEAKER_13

Again, like Lunette's having a very similar reaction to Delos, because like she grew up around like a bunch of ragamuffin, like children of the wilderness. So she is just like, like I can just imagine her and Dalos making like ooh eye contact, like, oh god. Hello. Hi, Ilya.

SPEAKER_08

Hi.

SPEAKER_12

How are you feeling?

SPEAKER_08

Oh. I don't feel heavy anymore.

SPEAKER_13

Oh. Uh what it what's that like?

SPEAKER_09

I'm ready to go. They won't let me go.

SPEAKER_13

Where would you like to go?

SPEAKER_09

I wanna go back down where it's quiet. And they don't make me do stuff.

SPEAKER_13

Okay. Ilya, do you by any chance miss your grandmother?

SPEAKER_09

Oh, I I like to visit my grandma.

SPEAKER_13

Can you tell me more about your grandma?

SPEAKER_09

She's great.

SPEAKER_08

Don't you have a grandma?

SPEAKER_13

I do. We always called her Granny Jenny. Do you have a special name for your grandmother?

SPEAKER_09

Let me just call her grandma.

SPEAKER_12

Okay. Not Granny?

SPEAKER_09

No.

SPEAKER_12

Okay.

SPEAKER_13

Well.

SPEAKER_12

Damn it.

SPEAKER_13

No, like I No, like when I was looking over the definition of a leading question right there. Right.

SPEAKER_09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_13

I'm sorry. I didn't realize. Well, also nine-year-old, but I didn't realize I was in a room with a bunch of social security.

SPEAKER_09

I couldn't go back home when when I'm when when when I need to sleep.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_13

Can you tell me more about where it's quiet? How do you get there?

SPEAKER_06

Go down.

SPEAKER_13

Do you go down a set of stairs? Or is it like a cave?

SPEAKER_09

We go in the dark where it's quiet.

SPEAKER_13

Okay.

SPEAKER_09

Nana is there and we we she she listens to us.

SPEAKER_13

Okay. When you go down there, do you open or close any doors?

SPEAKER_06

No.

SPEAKER_13

Is it like a hole in the ground or like a cellar?

SPEAKER_09

Can you tell us about your Nina? She listens. She she takes care of us and doesn't make us do chores or or go to school. It's nice.

SPEAKER_04

I do not like any noise at all.

SPEAKER_09

Some noise is okay, but it's nice and calm and quiet there.

SPEAKER_13

What kinds of sounds do you like?

SPEAKER_06

Grandma hums the song for us.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_13

It's terrifying.

SPEAKER_05

Therapy. I just like pissed myself.

SPEAKER_13

It's terrifying.

SPEAKER_09

I feel like I need an ocarina for this.

SPEAKER_13

Okay. Would it be absolutely crazy to ask this kid to show us where she wants to go?

SPEAKER_09

Yes.

SPEAKER_13

Okay.

SPEAKER_09

You're going to take a children from the children's ward. Take a children. Take a children. You're going to take a child from the children's ward.

SPEAKER_13

And then the nurse tackles us in the parking lot like a linebacker.

SPEAKER_09

Yeah, there's at least one nurse watching all of you. I was gonna say, if we're if we get tackled, we're very lucky. These are clerics.

SPEAKER_07

Uh okay.

SPEAKER_09

Just a firing squad of guiding bolts from the from the windows.

SPEAKER_07

Are Nana part of the family that you are born to? Or is she someone that you met?

SPEAKER_09

She doesn't live with us, no. We we go see her.

SPEAKER_04

Do your parents know this, Nana?

SPEAKER_09

Yes. Her eyes turn blood red and she gets fireball.

SPEAKER_13

Do I know if she's lying or not?

SPEAKER_09

You could roll insight. Yeah.

SPEAKER_13

Okay. Can I also roll insight?

SPEAKER_09

Sure.

SPEAKER_13

I do not know. This is a child.

SPEAKER_05

I never met these before.

SPEAKER_13

I go.

SPEAKER_02

I guess her parents know this.

SPEAKER_13

Ooh, okay. Everyone shut up. Everyone shut up. That's a 29. That's an actual 20. I'm an expert. That's that's four and four and one.

SPEAKER_09

She is not telling the truth.

SPEAKER_13

Oh shit. I know it's a 29. That's almost a 30. Do I know? Do I infer anything else? Or do I just for sure.

SPEAKER_09

You just you know that that child is not being truthful about what she's saying to you right now.

SPEAKER_13

Oh, she's physically.

SPEAKER_09

She is trying to hide something.

SPEAKER_13

Okay. Ilya, it's okay if your family doesn't know her, but my family doesn't know my grandmother.

SPEAKER_09

Uh she kind of gets this thousand yards to the case. I was gonna say, I just I lay a hand on my shoulder like she's starting through the bridge. She's starting to dissociate. Let's let's end the line of questioning.

SPEAKER_04

Can I play my dulcimer to the little thing that she's humming? Just like, you know, this little did and then like just a little bit more.

SPEAKER_09

Alright, tell me specifically what you were doing. You are you're you playing the tune that she is humming or something.

SPEAKER_10

Yeah, and then adding like four or five notes and then playing the tune that she's doing.

SPEAKER_09

Roll performance. Okay. Of course. Let's just make sure that you tuned your instrument.

SPEAKER_03

I'm gonna use my inspiration. Uh it's a 15?

SPEAKER_09

That first one was the sound of a face plant.

SPEAKER_03

It was a natural one. Yep.

SPEAKER_13

It sounds like uh picking up your dulcimer and smashing it on the ground. Yeah.

SPEAKER_09

Okay, so I was gonna say metal, but that's too meta. You start playing your dulcimer, and you you kind of start with like the main kind of melody that she's humming there. A few of the children who are asleep wake up and start humming along with it. Oh shit.

SPEAKER_02

It's Pied Piper.

SPEAKER_03

It's Pied Piper.

SPEAKER_02

Dalo stops playing.

SPEAKER_13

He's like, oh, I broke a rule.

SPEAKER_09

One of the organ passes by as as you're kind of petering off with your playing. And and she'll just kind of laugh distantly. It kind of gets stuck in your head after a while.

SPEAKER_13

Oh god.

SPEAKER_09

Stops smiling and then kind of looks concerned and walks away.

SPEAKER_13

I'm gonna look over at uh Dromash and I'm gonna be like much like like gesturing at a corner where there's no beds, like over Dromersh.

SPEAKER_01

Yes. I'm Dromash.

SPEAKER_13

Yeah, hi. I think it's very obvious that it is absolutely something. I think now we can tell your boss it's something. It's certainly something.

SPEAKER_06

I mean it cannot possibly be nothing.

SPEAKER_13

D do we all walk over there?

SPEAKER_09

I think we need to yeah, I'm I walk over there. Um I just like we need to we we have an idea. But so far we've only seen it here.

SPEAKER_13

And I think she wants in that.

SPEAKER_09

Every kid that was sleeping, it's up it It's still just here, and we've got two other places where stuff's potentially been reported. We have a theory to test. So let's go test it at these two other places.

SPEAKER_13

Okay, Dalas, can you remember that tune on your instrument?

SPEAKER_10

Can I write it down?

SPEAKER_09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_13

Okay. Alright, you good?

SPEAKER_09

You just have like a sheet music pad built into your arm. Hold up.

SPEAKER_10

I I have I have some paper from my my priest pack.

SPEAKER_04

Okay. I keep track of all of that.

SPEAKER_09

Yeah, it's like it's like well, uh this it'd be awesome if it was like sheet music, but it's like an illuminated manuscript.

SPEAKER_02

On the back. I'm just his his chicken scratch scales.

SPEAKER_09

Drum it draw me as you're as you're talking to him. He he kind of he looks thoughtful for a minute. He points over at that cart near some of the children. The bandages there that are being changed aren't really showing signs that there was a reopened wound or anything. They're showing symptoms without emotional processing. Like the the children who are sitting there getting b they they're all really calm, like Ilya is. They don't really seem to be showing signs of, hey, I was injured and now I'm getting better.

SPEAKER_04

You know, the pain, no, yeah.

SPEAKER_09

They're they're not they're not acting like children who have been hurt and are getting better. They're acting odd. Like they're just waiting. There's they're stabilizing without their their bodies adapting. I don't know what that means yet, but it's something something is wrong.

SPEAKER_13

Okay, thank you. That's all I wanted to hear. Do you think we should talk to the head nurse to let her know that we suspect something's up, or do you think that that would actually tell her to stop letting kids out. Like, don't let 'em leave. But that is one of the things that it says is that we can't actually put down a quarantine of any sort.

SPEAKER_09

We would not be we would not be the ones putting down the quarantine. We are recommending to the person in charge to take a course of action. Oh, all we can do is talk to them. We can't make any recommendations. We can't take any of the children.

SPEAKER_13

Can I?

SPEAKER_09

But we can certainly tell them that we think something is wrong. Okay.

SPEAKER_13

Uh we're gonna let Drum Ash do that. I can totally do that. He has authority. Uh I'm act- I'm wondering, like, do we try? I mean, technically, you're familiar with uh Kildora. Kildorah.

SPEAKER_09

Oh, yes, the the warden.

SPEAKER_13

You are familiar with Kildorah if you wanted to send her a message like Yoshi. I could send her a message. Shit's fucked. Could you please tell the nurse to not let kids leave? I still don't think that she would.

SPEAKER_09

Please don't do that.

SPEAKER_13

I don't think that she would we don't have evidence.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, we don't care.

SPEAKER_07

We have a feeling, we have a strong sensation. We have a very dromash. Do you know who this nana is that she's talking about?

SPEAKER_09

This sounds like I've never heard of any any grandma. Do you still have detect magic?

SPEAKER_07

It doesn't sound like it's her grandmother. It sounds like it's uh demon from hell. Is it was there any magic anywhere near any of the kids?

SPEAKER_09

At no point have you detected any magic other than like nurses occasionally doing like cure wounds, you know, do doing like treatment. You you have not sensed any kind of magic.

SPEAKER_13

It's either like a demon or like heavy metal in the water.

SPEAKER_09

There's no radioactive material.

SPEAKER_13

It's there's no magic. There's no magic. There's no magic. There's no presence. Okay, is it lead? Is there is there lead in the water?

SPEAKER_00

It's no, it's in the wallpaper.

SPEAKER_07

It's uh it's brain-eating amoeba. Hello, nurse. Can you grab my uh nurse Holcomb for us, please?

SPEAKER_09

You want the head nurse? Yes, please. I will go grab them. Yes. Thank you. Absolutely. Hold on, and she kind of like does the like um

The Mercy House: Head Nurse

SPEAKER_09

and then Nurse Hallwen.

SPEAKER_07

Hallwin, thank you.

SPEAKER_09

Yes, Nurse Hallwyn Tess. She she will come back. Uh yes, what how can I help you? What is it?

SPEAKER_13

How should we word this above the table, not in character?

SPEAKER_09

Oh, you you wanted Dromash to tell her, right? Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_13

Because then if we say too much, it's his fault. Right.

SPEAKER_03

He won't get kicked out.

SPEAKER_09

So Dromash will kind of go, uh he'll look up at the ceiling for a second. Do you have guidance? You could totally just like you. Uh listen, I don't want to alarm, and I am not speaking in an official capacity. You'll notice he speaks very formally all of a sudden.

SPEAKER_13

This is the please don't tell my boss I told you to do anything. Because I'm not telling you to do anything.

SPEAKER_09

There's a possible peculiarity.

SPEAKER_02

Presence.

SPEAKER_09

Peculiarity. Nothing that I would say is violating Ash Law or the Charter, anything. No violence. Maybe pay attention to the children. And she'll kind of nod, like, uh-huh.

SPEAKER_13

They just seem very unwell, and they might wander off and hurt themselves.

SPEAKER_07

Well, uh They seem to be influenced. Don't say on the influence.

SPEAKER_13

What do you mean? We're gonna get intrahuble. She's gonna fucking kill us.

SPEAKER_09

We are the inve the investigation is still in progress, um, but we will we will we will fill you in once we have an update.

SPEAKER_13

In my home settlement, uh sometimes kids would eat plants that would make them unwell in their minds.

SPEAKER_09

And they like absolutely poisoning, yes, that that happens.

SPEAKER_13

Uh like what there are certain water reeds, they taste really sweet, but they mess your brain up, and then the kids fall in the water, and it's just bad news. So typically uh we're and I'm not trying to tell you how to do your job, but uh where in my in my hometown, if kids were like mentally unwell, there would all there would be an understanding that like they don't leave the house until they can think straight again.

SPEAKER_09

We can't recommend quarantine. We're just gonna describe it. Kind of is the blank.

SPEAKER_13

We didn't legally, I'm not telling you to quarantine anyone. I'm just saying sick kids wander off and they get hurt sometimes.

SPEAKER_09

We do what we can to make sure that they are well enough. Of course. We cannot, however, force them to stay. They the ones who do leave, they leave calmly. They don't return for follow-ups.

SPEAKER_13

Uh we low fantasy tech worlds and they're no and like their bare minimum minor protection loss.

SPEAKER_09

Well, we we assume they're heading home.

SPEAKER_13

I know. I just look in my brain, I'm like, I think one adult check them out, please.

SPEAKER_04

With with these um softer children, you might just um I think.

SPEAKER_03

You try to avoid the word organic, but like that was the word he knows. Right.

SPEAKER_13

But like I think that's really sweet though. He's like, oh, children are fragile. They they're a little softer, they're squishier.

SPEAKER_06

I understand this.

SPEAKER_04

Whatever you're discharging them, maybe just give their parents a call and have them pick them up. J not necessarily something you have to do, but if it's something that they can do.

SPEAKER_09

For for those who have parents, we do that, yes. And for some, they don't have anyone to return home to.

SPEAKER_04

Uh I'm surprised they ever leave this place. It's very calm.

SPEAKER_09

Well, we do have an orphanage here. Um however, this home has and will be a refuge, not a prison, and not a place where we force anyone to stay any longer than they desire. A child is well enough and they are of sound mind. It is their choice.

SPEAKER_10

Cadelos talk to the people through to to the people with guards with bracers uh with bracers.

SPEAKER_13

Um but didn't Ilya say that she wanted to leave and they wouldn't let her? She might be too sick, but if they can if she if they can like. But they have said that they would not keep her there.

SPEAKER_04

And it is strange to me that she said that she wants to leave. And she is still here. And Dalas will stop and be like, I completely understand why you cannot force them to do what they as autonomous beings do not want to do.

SPEAKER_13

Do you do you have a certain bar of wellness before you'll let them know? Sorry, I just I remember Ilya said I want to leave and they won't let me.

SPEAKER_09

I want to go back down where it's quiet. Yes. There is there is a certain threshold they must they must demonstrate that they are of sound mind. And of course, we do have tests which we perform to measure this.

SPEAKER_13

Of course. Uh through the bracers, Lynette's gonna be like, Does that help?

SPEAKER_04

I will only see later. It's fine. We will have to I don't know how you all treat your children.

SPEAKER_07

The patient, Ilya is speaking of a nana that is not does not sound like she's her family. Do any of the other children speak of this nana?

SPEAKER_09

Well, when you have no formal family to return to, some of them find caretakers who are not necessarily their flesh and blood and choose to call them nana, ma, mother, uh father.

SPEAKER_13

Can I just say that this nurse is like like I love the character and I love the world build. This is not me criticizing your writing, but I'm like, if I knew this person in real life, I would strangle the fuck out of her.

SPEAKER_09

You are irresponsible as fuck.

SPEAKER_13

I'm like, hey, these these little children, this is a nine year old. Like she could very easily be coaxed into a van with a puppy dog.

SPEAKER_04

They also just like look at her, be like, I think that we've done as much investigating that I can do.

SPEAKER_09

I think we need to report back to Kildora. Yes. I'm in favor.

SPEAKER_13

Yes. Um, can I like Are the lockers labeled?

SPEAKER_09

The lockers are not labeled necessarily, no, but each patient does have like a little chart. You know, near their bed, so that would be an identifier of at least that that slot.

SPEAKER_10

We can follow her if I can see an object that she owns.

SPEAKER_01

So you can do one object.

SPEAKER_03

But I can't find something that's hers.

SPEAKER_09

Well, let's go report in and see if this gets escalated out of our

Bracers: What's Up With Those?

SPEAKER_09

pay grade.

SPEAKER_04

Dalos is gonna look at Dromash and like clasp his arm, and then he's gonna take his bracer off and put it on.

SPEAKER_09

You cannot remove your bracer. I can't take it off.

SPEAKER_13

I was hoping. Is it because of like the Don Doth thing or is it because magic? Uh I you try. Dalos will look at you and be like, I'm pretty sure he does that and he goes, Okay, for the hell of it, Lunette tries to take the bracer off.

SPEAKER_09

You cannot remove your bracelet.

SPEAKER_13

Okay. And then once, okay, so first of all, Dramash.

SPEAKER_02

Look Drumash in the eyes after that confusion and go, I'll tell you in a second.

SPEAKER_13

Are you so oh my god. One, another fucking cursed magic item. Fantastic.

unknown

Two!

SPEAKER_13

There is so much weird shit going on. Like, I can't wrap my head around it. It's well, we can't stop them. Are you fucking kidding me?

SPEAKER_09

Venara just like steps up, just puts a hand or something. And this is why we we send it up the ladder.

SPEAKER_13

I wanted to do that ten minutes ago.

Leaving the Mercy House & Reporting In

SPEAKER_13

We quickly walk out. A little door. Walking the screen to Natalia.

SPEAKER_09

He's like ranting, like taking her out the door. Come on, come on.

SPEAKER_13

He's just like, and we're going. He's he's walking backwards. He does his little thing.

SPEAKER_09

Yeah, a number of the nurses are like assuming that you're like a parent of one of the kids here and you're freaking out. Then they're just like, oh, which one's okay?

SPEAKER_13

And they're like, oh well, it's okay, sweetheart. It'll get better. It oh my god.

SPEAKER_09

Okay. So yeah, you you march directly across the street back to the lantern hall.

SPEAKER_13

I like how we've were gone for 10 minutes and Inette's already back, like uh-uh, uh-uh. She's gonna go up to the room.

SPEAKER_09

Like, she's she's mentally doing the conspiracy theory board.

SPEAKER_13

Literally, like Inette is walking, like Luna is carrying herself as if she stole something. She's quickly going back to there. She's gonna go right up to the bullpen desk and she's gonna be like, hi, can we please, please see um the the warden quickly right now, yesterday?

SPEAKER_09

Saren will well will look at you, kind of evaluate your words for a moment, and then very much do the same thing she did before. She'll close the ledger.

SPEAKER_03

Everyone stares at us.

SPEAKER_09

You will come with me. Everyone stares at you, and then you go back.

SPEAKER_13

You like to Saren, you are a goddess among women. As she's as she goes to the She said, yeah.

SPEAKER_09

And she will walk.

SPEAKER_11

She said, yeah, no shit.

SPEAKER_09

Just that flat yes. So she will she will take you up the the two or three flights of stairs up to the third floor, uh, hand you off to the guards.

SPEAKER_13

I just imagine everyone's like a couple steps behind. Like, slow down, wait.

SPEAKER_04

Pelos is again trying to make himself small.

SPEAKER_09

Yeah, so you you make your way back to Kildora's office, the guards, you know, take you back there. Venaria Vera keeps looking at Sarah and like, oh, is she gonna take that how is she gonna take this compliment? Like she's waiting for her to suddenly do like chibi eyes or something.

SPEAKER_13

No, it's like, yes.

SPEAKER_09

Now she she hands you off and she turns around and walks away without a word one more time.

SPEAKER_13

Lynette is like wait as soon as those doors are open, she's like, she doesn't even wait for them to be fully open. She's no not kicking the door down, but she does that thing where like when doors open just a little bit and so you have to like inch through in the side. You squeeze sideways through. Yeah, no, she's like, uh, Kidora. Kidora.

SPEAKER_09

She is she is sitting at her desk and looks up.

SPEAKER_13

Oh, it's weird. It's something. It has to be something.

SPEAKER_07

Have you heard this song before?

SPEAKER_13

Oh my god, don't even start with the song. We can't start with the song. We can't even we can't start with the song. There's way too much.

SPEAKER_09

You will like hold up a hand. One at a time.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_09

We went to Binari is it still at the back of the room having like saluted and is like waiting to be acknowledged. Gromash looks horrified. I'm like, oh my god, oh my god.

SPEAKER_02

What happened was Jenova went, have you heard this tongue? Pointed, Dale goes, Okay, we're gonna.

SPEAKER_09

Gromash is trying to look like a potted plant in the corner of the room.

SPEAKER_02

There's the back wall of our meat shield garden there at the background.

SPEAKER_13

She takes a deep breath and she goes, okay, we went across the street, we saw the sick children. Well, there was a little girl named Ilya. We asked her questions about what she's been feeling. She is talking about going to a dark place to see her nana where things are quiet and everything feels better. We asked her, like, what more about that to try and get some information. She hummed us a song, which was terrifying. Uh, thank you for it. Uh and then when I'm trying to maintain like the stone face until uh in an attempt to like kind of like comfort the kid, Delos played her the song. All the kids woke up and started humming it all at the same time. It was horrible. Um, there is certainly something going on, but we would like to ask that you do something about like the hospital, because they're just letting the kids walk out with no chaperone, no adult supervision. Like kids are going missing and they're fully letting it happen. If you could just suggest that they keep the kids while they're foggy and crazy, that would be awesome. Because if we can stop at least one source of missing kids, we would be able to stop children the number of kids from going missing until we fix this or figure it out. Thank you.

SPEAKER_09

She steeples her fingers while while she's listening to you and just kind of looks from person to person as they as they do their thing. That house exists to measure harm. We do not interfere there. Neither do the powers, neither do the guard, neither does anything. That is probably why it is as special as it is, as no one has laid claim to it.

SPEAKER_13

Is it at all possible to Wait one moment?

SPEAKER_09

I speak slowly and deliberately.

SPEAKER_04

She goes, let me finish what I was saying.

SPEAKER_09

If harm is being reduced without effort, you need to find who is encouraging it and why they think they have the right. You should conduct interviews of the families, but we do not have enough to proceed as of yet.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_09

And I will not interfere where none have interfered before. That will be all. And she will turn around and look out the window. I'm gonna

Reporting In: Bitter Honey

SPEAKER_09

be dismissed.

SPEAKER_04

I I do have a question.

SPEAKER_10

Are there any is there any way I can like find like like a pretty like like like pretty pebbles? Or like something of very little value, but are just like pretty?

SPEAKER_13

Are you trying to like distract future kids?

SPEAKER_10

I well, I think that it's something that they would like and it's something that they would keep.

SPEAKER_09

Okay, so so you're you're looking for like a connection for this locate object. Okay. Okay, so yeah, something something that you could reasonably expect a child to like.

SPEAKER_10

Or like, or like like, you know, those like um I I call them dragon tears. They're like the glass drops that are colored.

SPEAKER_03

They find fares a lot, like those.

SPEAKER_09

I feel like we would just like pebbles. It'd just be like, look, I found this one.

SPEAKER_03

Well, I if it's if it's too vague, then it I will just find the nearest pebble.

SPEAKER_09

I mean, there is the there is the octagon market, you could absolutely check there if you wanted to see about finding some kind of like beatery or like little like glass blower or something. Even with rocks, I feel like if you could like carve an an uh rune into it or something, then it's that specific rock. Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

Okay, cool. I was just wondering if there you know how like a lot of times I have like little candy or something in the office.

SPEAKER_02

Like, not necessarily that she would, because she doesn't seem like the type of but no Saren's desk, can you grab a fistful of buttermints?

SPEAKER_13

I think Lunette thinks she's fully like on the crazy train. She's like, I dalos is going to clasp Lunette on the shirt.

SPEAKER_09

So there there is, there is a bowl of candy on her desk. They are unlabeled, they're wrapped in plain paper.

SPEAKER_04

Delos, before he leaves, is gonna be like, Would you mind if I took a couple of those? Some of the children look like they might need something to bring them into the now.

SPEAKER_09

She, still facing the window, just holds up a hand and kind of waves. I will take have at it four of them. But she doesn't say anything or turn around.

SPEAKER_03

That's perfectly fine.

SPEAKER_09

She is already done with you.

SPEAKER_03

I don't want her to turn around.

SPEAKER_09

See, what you have are bitter honey lozenges.

SPEAKER_13

So like cough drops?

SPEAKER_09

No, they're well, I mean, I guess, yeah, in that honey is kind of medicinal, but these are like dark, almost burnt honey drops with bitter herbs.

SPEAKER_12

This is what she thinks candy is? Oh my god.

SPEAKER_09

No, that's no, they're they're they're infused, as it were. They're they're not so much for enjoyment, so much as focus. That's perfect. Oh, okay. No, these are Recola. Yeah, yeah, kinda. They like they like keep the throat clear, um, they stave off fatigue and they leave like a faint bitterness that discourages like mindless consumption. Like, you don't just keep eating them.

SPEAKER_13

These lit probably choose licorice sticks for fun. I'm dying here. Dale's just gonna grab those.

SPEAKER_02

Also, what's great is he can give two of them.

SPEAKER_09

They'll eat the first one, go yuck, and then keep the second one and not lives in their pocket and it establishes a trace. But there you have it. You have you have a handful of bitter honey lozenges and not quite as much information as you were hoping for.

SPEAKER_10

That's alright.

SPEAKER_09

Alright, let's take me to church. Excellent.

SPEAKER_10

So Oh wait, aren't the families nearer to us?

SPEAKER_09

I didn't get a sense of what they were talking about, unless that's uh because this that's really vague as far as like location where it's uh I thought it was like families around the. So kind of just generally around the area of the lantern hall. The Cathedral of the Gathered Flame is all the way on the other side down Concourt Avenue. Just directly in front of the end of the street.

The Families

SPEAKER_02

So making a bee line.

SPEAKER_09

Okay, so we're following Dromesh as far as where the nearest family lives. Or are we just wandering into the to the south and east?

SPEAKER_13

Dalos just started walking. Dalos has no plans.

SPEAKER_09

Yeah. There are three people that we can talk to. There is Maribel Hethrin, there is Jorin Vale, and there is Elda Morin, which is a mother of an 11-year-old girl, a father of a return child, and a grandmother caretaker person, respectively.

SPEAKER_10

Do you want to talk to Granny? Actually, you should probably talk to the return child.

SPEAKER_07

Yeah. The father of the return.

SPEAKER_09

So you want to talk to Jorin Vale.

SPEAKER_07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_09

Excellent. Okay. So

The Families: Jorrin Vale

SPEAKER_09

um you head on over to the southeastern part of town. Um, this is the older part of the town. So a lot of the buildings here are that that older, like Oag style, um sturdy stone kind of structures. Jorin is actually a quarry laborer. Um, he lives next to the road the the the one of the roads. Market way. He lives next to market way. Kind of in between the lantern hall and the university, actually.

SPEAKER_10

Tails composes himself.

SPEAKER_09

Head on over. Yes.

SPEAKER_13

Okay, so let's talk to the dude.

SPEAKER_09

Alright. Drum Ash will reach up and give like a quiet cop knock. Make somebody somebody head around back just in case. You you see you see what you can assume is Joran himself opened the door. Big burly quarry laborer. How can I help you? What do you need? Uh excuse me, sir. We understand that you uh are the father of a of a child who recently came home. Well, they left again, but yeah. Have you seen my kid? When did they seen them?

SPEAKER_04

When did they come home?

SPEAKER_09

Well, they came home a few days ago.

SPEAKER_04

Were they just spending time were they hurt?

SPEAKER_09

Well they were spending time with their grandmother.

SPEAKER_07

How long how long was your child missing the last time?

SPEAKER_09

Longer than normal nor sometimes they'll go and they'll spend a day or two. But this time they were gone. Seemed like a few days.

SPEAKER_12

Can we ask the name of your grandmother? Of their grandmother? Your mom?

SPEAKER_09

Alanya. Alonia veil. Is it possible that she could have returned to her grandmother's? Uh wind and smoked her. I tried to when I tried to keep him home, he left the next night.

SPEAKER_07

He left at night?

SPEAKER_09

Yes.

SPEAKER_11

Okay.

SPEAKER_09

I tried to follow, buddy and I lost track of him. Headed somewhere southeast.

SPEAKER_07

Did he hum a peculiar tune?

SPEAKER_01

Oh, what was it? Um da da da. Da da da.

SPEAKER_13

I hate that sound. I hate that sound.

SPEAKER_01

I hate that sound.

SPEAKER_13

Like lunette like into her hand. I hate that sound. I hate that sound. I hate that sound. I if I never hear that again, I will be fucking blessed. If I never hear that again, she looks at Dalos. I'll go to church.

SPEAKER_05

Well, I can't control the whims of the universe.

SPEAKER_09

Listen, are you looking for the for children? Yes.

SPEAKER_04

Well, we're looking for people who have gone missing, and they happen to My child's gone missing.

SPEAKER_13

I am absolutely going to figure out what's happening. I that is all I care about right now is figuring out what is going on with the kids of this city.

SPEAKER_09

I should hope so. What else are you lanterns good for?

SPEAKER_04

Luckily enough for you, we're not lanterns. And hey! Through the closed door.

SPEAKER_09

Dromesh just shakes his head. This is why I like hunting Necromarrow. They don't talk back yet.

SPEAKER_07

Alright, I guess on to the next family. Okay.

SPEAKER_09

Excellent. Okay, so do you want to talk to Eldamorin or do you want to talk to Maribel Hefred?

SPEAKER_02

Where are they located?

SPEAKER_09

So, um, Jorin was located kind of between the lantern hall and the university here. The other ones are close are down kind of behind the university, actually, just a little bit more north. So kind of crossing into the northeastern area.

SPEAKER_03

Um, can I like right as we're about to walk away, can I knock on the door one more time? Like gentle, just like You sure can.

SPEAKER_09

You go ahead. You knock on the door.

SPEAKER_04

Doesn't answer at all.

SPEAKER_01

Go away! Can Dalos yell behind the door. Go away!

SPEAKER_13

Okay. Kendalos ask. Can you describe a possession of theirs? Then you go the fuck away. I can help find them though.

SPEAKER_08

And he throws something at the door.

SPEAKER_13

Alright, buddy.

SPEAKER_03

I thought he's supposed to be finding you. I'm in grief. You don't need to be.

SPEAKER_13

They're not dead.

unknown

Lunac.

SPEAKER_13

Also, I'd like to say, we have played the fuck out of the pronoun game with this kid. They were big, she was a she, he was a he. Just like hella, hella pronouns for this. Hella pronouns for this kid. Uh uh, Lunette's gonna gently hold like Dalos by the L and she's like, eh, organics get weird when they're sad. Let's go.

SPEAKER_02

He tried. Yeah, it's a it's an organic.

SPEAKER_09

Yeah, yeah. I've been sober for 300 days.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. So whichever one's closer, I guess.

The Families: Elda Morren

SPEAKER_09

Yeah. Um Eldamorin. Goddess.

SPEAKER_13

We show up and there's like dead rats on our porch. I'm gonna lose it.

SPEAKER_09

Yeah, her house is actually right next to this big tower here called Haven Watch. Each of the big towers has a name. This this one's called Haven Watch. Um, and she she lives in a neat little house. Very cute, got little flowers, you know, nice, nice, sweet little grandma house.

SPEAKER_13

I don't trust it, but okay.

SPEAKER_09

And Dromash will walk up and knock on the door. A little quieter than the other house.

SPEAKER_04

We were here to talk about the missing kids. Oh concerned citizens. Delos doesn't want him to say the lanterns.

SPEAKER_09

Uh so you hear you hear the the loud like t of of somebody like walking with a cane as she's coming up. Sorry, let me let me let me explain that quickly.

SPEAKER_13

Is she unlocking the doors? Or is she locking them? It's a shotgun. Shunk, shunk.

SPEAKER_09

No, she she you hear the cane walking up as she and she'll open the door. She's a very squinty old grandma.

SPEAKER_08

What is it? How can I help you? Do you want a candy? I've got a butterscotch I'm working on right now, little one. Butterscotch is shiny better than I've worked very hard on it. You smell like alcohol. You've been over at the nightcamp. I shouldn't smell like alcohol anymore. You should cut down on the booze.

SPEAKER_12

Uh, ma'am, who are you?

SPEAKER_13

Can I help you? My name is Lunette.

SPEAKER_05

Hello.

SPEAKER_13

Have are all of your little kiddos accounted for?

SPEAKER_12

Well, they're not here today. Uh, have any of them been acting strangely?

SPEAKER_08

Well, let me see.

SPEAKER_13

Lethargic.

SPEAKER_09

She's kinda like poke her finger like into her mouth and kind of gum on it.

SPEAKER_13

She's messing with the butterscotch.

SPEAKER_09

Yeah, well, I'm pushing it around.

SPEAKER_08

Well, they keep talking about quiet places under the city. I don't know where they'd be going. There's too many spiders under there.

SPEAKER_07

What you say under the city? We're fucked. Oh no. We're gonna have to go down there. We're fucked. There's like kitty bones down there.

SPEAKER_13

We're gonna have to set the whole fucking place on fire. Mama, the children. Sorry, child. Sorry, kids. Mama, don't do spiders.

SPEAKER_08

Uh someone they've they've they've been around recently, but I haven't seen them in the last few days.

SPEAKER_04

Do do they happen to wear like a hair tie or ornament or scarf or something that well, like one of them just really loves?

SPEAKER_08

Oh, I didn't pick any particular profile for this child that I'm referring to.

SPEAKER_05

So sure.

SPEAKER_08

We said they've got a hair tie that they like, absolutely. Can you describe what it looks like? It's pink. Pink? Is it just with those little plastic balls, you know, on those old hair ties and switching together.

SPEAKER_13

It's like a knocker.

SPEAKER_08

Yeah. Tails trailer.

unknown

Cool.

SPEAKER_08

Thank you. You're welcome. Does anybody want candy? You look like you need a candy.

SPEAKER_09

She'll handle the hand of butterscotch over to Venaria. Thank you.

SPEAKER_08

You could use that one.

SPEAKER_09

We're just enjoying the candy.

SPEAKER_13

We're just very concerned about the kids. Mmm. Kids are tougher than you think.

SPEAKER_08

Maybe they'll show up somewhere. Lynette is so. I used to go wandering off into the hills for days.

SPEAKER_13

Um where did you Lynette is so fucking traumatized by old women?

SPEAKER_09

Uh Venar is like looking at this butter sky, it's like, mmm.

SPEAKER_13

Literally, we're all we all I'll have like granny trauma. Uh where we can do it. They look just like checking to see if he like missed some alcohol. Because you shouldn't smell like alcohol in this. Uh this fuck fucking old women in this camp. No, we can't have any regular ass old people in this camp. Hey. Uh where did you go?

SPEAKER_08

Where did I go? I went what? When you wandered off, where did you go? When I was a child? In the hills.

SPEAKER_09

Before the fall?

SPEAKER_08

The hills, just hills.

SPEAKER_07

Look out the windows. Have you been under the city?

SPEAKER_08

Have I been under the c no? There's spiders down there. Why would I go under there?

SPEAKER_07

Well, why do you all allow the children under there?

SPEAKER_08

We allow children to do that. I need spiders. Children don't need to go down there, they're little crunchy spider snacks.

SPEAKER_07

Has your granddaughter been humming a peculiar tune?

SPEAKER_09

That's because her lungs are working double time trying to get that.

SPEAKER_13

Okay. We need to go. We need to go talk to what's her name? Mirabella.

SPEAKER_01

Mirabel.

SPEAKER_13

Mirabel. We need to go talk to Mirabel.

SPEAKER_01

Thank you for the butterscotch, ma'am.

SPEAKER_13

You need a butterscotch. Here you go. We're all just trying to flee this old woman. Like, we don't want fucking candy. I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_08

But now it comes next time bringing them a tea. What? I'm gonna lose some tomatoes. Give ships kiss and close the door. Dear God, make it stop!

The Families: Maribel Hethryn

SPEAKER_08

The last one last on the list is Maribel Hethrin. The weaver.

SPEAKER_06

Mother of an 11-year-old girl. Okay.

SPEAKER_09

Because Maribel lives just a little bit to the south of of the the the old bitty.

SPEAKER_10

De los will knock on this door.

SPEAKER_09

Ooh. Okay. So just gently. So you you knock on the door, and this this kind of middle-aged woman opens the door, takes one look at you, and closes the door without saying anything. Oh no. Nope!

SPEAKER_02

Nope, not doing that! That's gonna be like, hang on, back up, that goes to the back of the group.

SPEAKER_13

Oh that knocks on the door.

SPEAKER_09

Okay.

SPEAKER_13

Hi. Hi. I'm sorry. Mirabelle.

SPEAKER_09

Just looks at you and doesn't say anything like that.

SPEAKER_13

Wait, wait, wait. Put your hand up. Wait, wait. Jingle jingle.

SPEAKER_08

Sindrome match goes, mmm.

SPEAKER_13

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

SPEAKER_08

Starts closing the door.

SPEAKER_12

Mirabelle, hi, hi, me. Look at me.

SPEAKER_09

Yes.

SPEAKER_12

Are you are you uncomfortable with something here?

SPEAKER_09

A large group of people and a lantern at my front door? Yes.

SPEAKER_13

I'm not a cop.

SPEAKER_09

I wasn't that non-cops say.

SPEAKER_13

I wasn't alone. Drum people. Hang on, drum ash. Hey. One second. Drumesh.

SPEAKER_09

That's me, I'm drum ash.

SPEAKER_13

Have I taken any oaths? Do I work for your boss at all?

SPEAKER_09

No.

SPEAKER_13

Does your boss like me?

SPEAKER_09

You're asking if Keldora likes you?

SPEAKER_13

Yep.

SPEAKER_09

I'm not sure if Keldora likes anyone.

SPEAKER_13

Is she fond of me at all?

SPEAKER_09

Probably not.

SPEAKER_13

Has she taken any oaths? Yes.

SPEAKER_09

No. No oaths.

SPEAKER_13

Perfect. I am not a cop.

SPEAKER_09

I feel like I'm being used as a tool. A little bit. A little bit. A sounding board, as it were.

SPEAKER_13

Yeah, evidence. I am not a cop. Uh we are just here to ask you about what's happening with the kids of this city. I want to figure that I want to bring them home. No one here.

SPEAKER_09

Her face will just kind of drop as as as you bring up the children, and she's all we want to do is help.

SPEAKER_13

And Dalos, she gestures towards Dalos. He's a girl. Is a very gentle giant. Love great with kids. Loves kids, wants to help.

SPEAKER_07

Are you missing a child?

SPEAKER_06

My um my daughter is um she's been gone for a few days.

SPEAKER_09

Uh she's not she's not missing. She's just um she's she's just playing. She's she's just not coming back. She's not here. Um she'll kind of wipe and wipe a tear. She looks very frustrated.

SPEAKER_07

Has this happened before?

SPEAKER_09

She was home for a little bit. And she told me not to worry. She was reassuring me.

SPEAKER_13

Oof, that got very real very fast.

SPEAKER_12

Uh do you know where she was playing?

SPEAKER_13

Has she told you anything about that?

SPEAKER_09

She just kept saying down in the dark. She drew this picture.

unknown

Oh.

SPEAKER_09

She'll kind of read go over to the side, and it's it's like um like a charcoal drawing. It's an image, it's it you know, it's clearly a child's drawing, but it's of a spiral going down into darkness.

SPEAKER_13

I'm assuming that the last couple of days she was with you, she was humming a terrifying little tune.

SPEAKER_06

It got stuck in my head. Please don't do it. Please don't make the noise.

SPEAKER_13

I've heard it so many times today. We need to confirm. Oh my god. Terrible.

SPEAKER_06

Over and over again. Yeah.

SPEAKER_13

Lunette. She just kind of like takes the drawing. She's trying really hard to like just like don't react to it, don't react to it. Because that's some of the creepiest shit she's ever seen. She saw the chunk basement. Uh she's gonna pass it to Venaria. Or no, she's gonna pass it to Dalos. So she drew this?

SPEAKER_09

Yes. She said it was um She said it's where her grandmother was.

SPEAKER_12

Does she have a grandmother is your m mother with us still?

SPEAKER_06

She's uh she died during the second wave.

SPEAKER_13

So Lunette is gonna pass this over to Delos and she says, Does this count as a personal item? The drawing?

SPEAKER_04

Um that's not exactly how what I'm trying to do works. Um Does she happen to have something that she carries on her at near all times that you could describe to me?

SPEAKER_06

Um a little stuffed rabbit. And the colour canvas, it's there's not a lot of choices.

SPEAKER_09

I made it out of a potato stack.

SPEAKER_04

Okay. Um I'm I might be able to help with that. I might be able to locate her in particular, but I can locate that.

SPEAKER_06

Okay. If we have another army.

SPEAKER_13

Do you do you remember what she might have gone to do or where she might have been before all of this started? Does she go to the cathedral or did she get her?

SPEAKER_06

She was at the hospital briefly.

SPEAKER_11

Was that before?

SPEAKER_06

At the hospital, not the mercy house. Um it was almost six months ago at this point.

SPEAKER_04

Um has she been acting strangely since then?

SPEAKER_06

Now that you mention it. I think so.

SPEAKER_09

As you're as you're having this conversation, Dromash has been flipping through the dossier. And you'll hear him kind of go. Huh. Um we should step outside. Ma'am, uh Thank you for your time.

SPEAKER_04

They also should give the drawing back to her and like say a little prayer, like hold her hands and be like, I'm so sorry for scaring me, but we're trying to help you.

SPEAKER_06

It's okay. It's been a lot.

SPEAKER_13

Lynette will gently put a hand on her shoulder and say, we will bring you answers.

SPEAKER_09

And she just like holds up like a handkerchief to her eye and thank you.

SPEAKER_06

Let me know if there's anything I can do to help.

Havenwatch

SPEAKER_09

So yeah, Dromas Dromash is is is looking at one of the pages in the dossier. And he's going, They did they did a study. Uh they did a scan here. He'll kinda like show you the the sheet that he's looking at, and you don't have a lot of context to actually know what it means, but he's pointing at a scan of the area that you're in now, and underneath Haven Watch, the tower seems to be a lot of there's life energy. I I don't know how they get this reading, but there's a lot of energy underneath the tower that shouldn't be there.

SPEAKER_04

And you've never investigated before outside of the scan? What did they chalk it up to?

SPEAKER_09

Taken by itself, you know, it could be rats. It could be any number of just an infestation, you know, sometimes spiders cluster. But this we should talk to Keldora.

SPEAKER_04

Do you think we have a concrete enough evidence base?

SPEAKER_09

This could go to rank A easy.

SPEAKER_13

Ah, with a quickness, yes.

SPEAKER_09

We need to go. Let's and and yeah, he he will he will just turn and walk. He's he's not he's not waiting for anybody to walk with him. He is in his job mode now.

SPEAKER_04

They also will write his little notes. Pink elastic with little like glass pink beads. Bunny with burlap.

SPEAKER_09

So um yeah, he will he will actually walk towards the tower for just a moment. And he it's not, I mean, it's a big tower. There's like, you know, six of these really big towers kind of along the curtain wall. Um, and he will look around one side and then he'll go around to the other and like lift some brush and look behind it, and there's a hole in the ground there. That's uh that leads straight down, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_05

Uh huh.

SPEAKER_09

And and yeah, if anybody wants to take a perception check, I have dark vision. I have dark vision.

SPEAKER_03

I have dark vision flame story down it. No. Are you kidding me?

SPEAKER_13

It's not a natural one. Why are the roles so evil today?

SPEAKER_09

Shitty roles haunt the narrative. Okay.

SPEAKER_07

Oh. Twenty.

SPEAKER_09

Hey, like a natural twenty? Nice. Twenty-one. Excellent. Yeah, you you peer down into this hole, and it appears to be kind of a spiraling path that goes down into the ground, down into darkness. This is hell. And it looks like there are footprints all around this leading down and out. This is hell.

SPEAKER_04

Well, this is we're in hell. It seems like you found our likely culprit.

SPEAKER_09

Yep, yep, yeah. We're going. We're gonna leave. He is with a quickness.

Reporting In Again

SPEAKER_09

So we heads back over to the lantern hall, and he doesn't stop to talk to Saren. He he holds up the dossier, lifts up the thing, and goes up the stairs.

SPEAKER_02

Dalos.

SPEAKER_09

And she does not stop doing anything at all. Here we go, here we go.

SPEAKER_03

Dalos will nod at Saren and continue.

SPEAKER_09

Uh but yeah, you head he heads right up the stairs, he doesn't look at the guards, he opens the door himself, walks. And they don't do anything to stop him.

SPEAKER_04

So we found something important.

SPEAKER_09

They they just they just nod, like, mm-hmm. And and he goes all the way back to Keldor's office, and she knocks. Or he knocks. She's the one who knocks. And uh she will say, Come in. And then he will walk in and put down the dossier. It's under Haven Watch. We have enough evidence that the children have been disappearing, and they're going down underneath the tower.

SPEAKER_04

There are words of spiders, and it seems like there is an enchanting melody that tends to be a common factor if we ever hear it. Uh, it seemed like that. Those are people who are planning on going, and it seems like there are a significant number of adults that now know the tune.

SPEAKER_09

So she will she will listen to all the presented evidence. She will listen and she will nod once. Then she will quietly walk over to a side cabinet and reach inside for a portfolio before anybody stops speaking. The paper inside is thicker than the folio that you originally handed. It has already been prepared. It is not improvised, it has already been stamped. She hands it directly to Doromash. This warrant is hereby escalated to A rank, with all due increases in authorization and compensation. This investigation is no longer about assessment. It is time to act. She will keep her eye fixed on Dromash.

Ending & Outro

SPEAKER_09

By authority of the Lantern Charter, you are hereby ordered to investigate Haven Watchtower and dispatch whatever entity is present there. Be swift, be decisive, and put an end to this. And that is where we will end our session.

SPEAKER_02

Lunette's gonna have a seizure. Not at Lunette, it's gonna have a seizure.

SPEAKER_10

She goes, You do Thank you so much for listening!

SPEAKER_09

If you like what you heard, please remember to leave us a review, leave a comment, like, share, subscribe, all the things. There are social media links in the description, including our Discord. Please feel free to join us for updates, clips, and other shenanigans. Subscribe to this show on your favorite podcasting platform and then brag about it to your friends, your co-workers, that one cool person you know that you try to talk to but you can never find the right words. These shows grow through word of mouth, so the best way you can support our new adventure here is to spread the word. Brandon Rose as Benaria, Courtney Craig as Lunette, Elizabeth Nichols as Balos, and Jen Walkup as Genova. I again have been your DM and host, Alexander Wright. Thanks again for listening, and we will see you again next time at the Good Good Table.

Outtakes

SPEAKER_05

Just the touch it again.

SPEAKER_09

Okay. I don't want to touch it. Touch it again. If I touch it, something will change and I'll go back and doing it again.

SPEAKER_13

Touch it again. I want like this isn't even Lunette talking. I want a cigarette. I have never smoked a day in my life, and I would like a cigarette.

SPEAKER_09

We can go to the market, there's tobacco there. Quabak.

SPEAKER_13

Oh yeah, I'm gonna go to the ye old market of 7-Eleven. I can be going to Gurney Good. Again, this is above the table before you want a cigarette.

SPEAKER_08

Give us a smack ships kissing closes the door.

SPEAKER_13

Here's a challenge, a writer's challenge for our dear beloved DM Alex. Right a normal ass old lady. Like weird old women in front.

SPEAKER_02

I like weird old women. I need to clip that.