Welcome to the Good Good Table
Five friends. One table. A world that didn’t wait for them.
This actual play podcast brings together five humans who love to tell jokes, build stories, and embrace the chaos. Perfect for fans of anime, comedy, gaming, and all things nerdy.
After a breakneck journey through the fae realms of Keijumaa, four heroes return home to Demorah—twenty years too late. Their world has fallen to apocalyptic ruin, and whatever remains is anything but safe.
Follow Delos the Clockwork Barbarian, Jenova the Water Nymph Druid, Lunette the Fairy Rogue, and Venaria the Paladin of Stejia as they navigate a tongue-in-cheek yet dark fantasy landscape, searching the wreckage for answers—and something worth saving.
The Good Good Table plays using the 2014 edition of Dungeons & Dragons with a healthy dose of homebrew. Come for the laughs, stay for the story.
Welcome to the Good Good Table
Welcome to the Good Good Table: S1 Ep. 03 - The Kids Are Alright
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
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_10Welcome 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_09We also have with us today Brandon Rose as Benaria. Hello. Courtney Craig as Lunette.
SPEAKER_13Hello, hello.
SPEAKER_09Elizabeth Nicholas as Dalos.
SPEAKER_13Hi.
SPEAKER_09And and we have Jenny Walk up as Genova.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_09Thank 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_12Joy, this won't be depressing or sad at all, guys. I feel it. I feel it in my bones.
SPEAKER_13We'll all be totally fine, because Alex is very nice and fair.
SPEAKER_09They're all being picked up by the care bears.
SPEAKER_13This totally isn't like a Pied Piper Rat King situation. We're all gonna be fine.
SPEAKER_09So, 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_09So, 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_11It works for me.
SPEAKER_09It'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_03You guys have never seen him more polished on every face than he's like.
SPEAKER_09Shining twice in the morning.
SPEAKER_13It'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_09Like we're getting weirdly.
SPEAKER_03All the green has been polished off. He's like bright brass.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, 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_13Like, 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_09No, we just send Dalos to the front door.
SPEAKER_13Yeah, and then you guys go down. And then everybody else does it back. It is I, automaton. Dalos can be loud.
SPEAKER_09Yes.
SPEAKER_03Where specifically is the sandstone structures uh streetwise on this?
SPEAKER_09The sandstone structures?
SPEAKER_03Uh, it's older sandstone substructures flagged in prefault infrastructure surveys.
SPEAKER_09Uh, 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_04Yep, I'm down to head to um the Mercy House.
SPEAKER_09Very 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_09across 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_03That's fine. Daylus is learning. Keeping his eyes and his ears open. Yes. My god. 3020.
SPEAKER_09I got a four. You got a four. You've never been to Ogan. You don't know what's going on.
SPEAKER_03It's plus ten? Uh you have expertise in perception.
SPEAKER_02Oh, I did.
SPEAKER_13Oh, this is history.
SPEAKER_02Sorry.
SPEAKER_13Oh, I was like, I was like, uh uh.
SPEAKER_09Nice try, Dalos.
SPEAKER_13Sorry, now.
SPEAKER_07Genova's 17?
SPEAKER_13Dalos is trying to cheat. So it's a five. Not joy. It's a six.
SPEAKER_09Okay, 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_13It's the kind of silence that like sounds like white noise because it's so silent.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, 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_13Oh you get you and you get Dalos, and those are the only things you literally, it's like that tinnitus causing silence.
SPEAKER_09Yeah.
SPEAKER_13It's so quiet, your brain is like, nah.
SPEAKER_09Um, 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_13Oh, that's comforting.
SPEAKER_09This is a special place.
SPEAKER_13Like the proprietary.
SPEAKER_09We've been ordered specifically by the warden to not bother the Mercy House.
SPEAKER_13When 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_09It'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_13Can I is can I take a sense to feel if this is like if it feels similar to like Todd or Granny?
SPEAKER_09Roll you can roll Arcane. Arcana, pardon me.
unknownNo.
SPEAKER_13Can I roll for it? No.
SPEAKER_09Um 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_13Considering 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_09Well, what did you get?
SPEAKER_13I got a seven.
SPEAKER_09Uh you even even with a seven, the silence is is pretty loud.
SPEAKER_13Okay.
SPEAKER_09Uh there's there's zero connection.
SPEAKER_13Okay.
SPEAKER_09At all. Um, and again, with Venaria with your nature check, there is nothing.
SPEAKER_10Is there materium present?
SPEAKER_09No. Damn. I mean, there are material.
SPEAKER_03Like 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_09They'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_02But there's not it's like as little as possible.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, yeah. There's not like an industrial level of of materium or like any of the stuff like in in Dromash's weapon.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_09Do you want do you want to cast detect magic?
SPEAKER_13Sure. I'll cast detect magic. We can find a new way for the DM to tell us nu-uh. There's nothing here.
SPEAKER_09Here you are welcome to keep checking.
SPEAKER_04But yeah, Thales will cast detect magic and then walk up to the door.
SPEAKER_09You 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_04Can I can I knock?
SPEAKER_09Uh 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_02Away from whatever you're trying to do with that.
SPEAKER_09I 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_13Could we maybe don't the door?
SPEAKER_09But 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_13Lunette 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_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_13Uh 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_09Okay.
SPEAKER_13Jalos will smile as best he can.
SPEAKER_09And people start screaming, like, what the heck?
The Mercy House: Entrance
SPEAKER_09So, 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_04Um 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_09Well it immediately closes off.
SPEAKER_01We're with the authorities, we're here and hell.
SPEAKER_03Now, 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_09Excellent. So you're you're not mentioning like anything about children or anything like that?
SPEAKER_03No.
SPEAKER_09Well, 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.
unknownOf course.
SPEAKER_09Uh 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_13Is is there I am looking for children in the pediatrics wing.
SPEAKER_09It's also going to leave a gap, so let's look for a gap.
SPEAKER_13I'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_09Yeah, she definitely eyes you when you all are just like, we're just here to look around. Like, okay.
SPEAKER_04Is there any way that we can help? Um I married a child the other day and they seem to have fun um playing.
SPEAKER_13Oh, 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_09Yes, 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_13Uh so this person, do they have like a title?
SPEAKER_09Or are you asking like who they are personally?
SPEAKER_13Yeah, 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_09Well, 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_13Uh Miss Hallwyn.
SPEAKER_09Yes.
SPEAKER_13Uh we're relatively new to the situation.
SPEAKER_06The situation. The city.
SPEAKER_13The 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_09Uh 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_13He 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_09Well, 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_07I 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_06Well, I mean nothing too drastic at the moment. Can I why why do you ask? Can can I ask why you are here?
SPEAKER_13Uh s do you remember how I said we were in a situation where we were on a different plane?
SPEAKER_09Y Yes.
SPEAKER_13Where back there there was a sickness that we had to help deal with.
SPEAKER_06Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_13It'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_09As 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_13Your 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_09She'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_04Have they stopped coming back for treatment?
SPEAKER_09Since 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_13Is that the words they use? They feel ready?
SPEAKER_09They they they say yeah.
SPEAKER_07Ready for what?
SPEAKER_09To leave. Um, some of them mention going back to the the quiet place.
SPEAKER_04Uh do you happen to know what the quiet place is referring to?
SPEAKER_09No, 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_10I 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_13There's like a little there's like a little putt there's like a little puddle of oil under him.
SPEAKER_09There'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_07And this seems like a good place for it. So nothing out of the ordinary then.
SPEAKER_09Uh 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_04Ah the quiet place that is silent and calming. And they're suddenly getting better, wanting
SPEAKER_13To 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_09You'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_07That mention a quiet place.
SPEAKER_09Well, 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_02I 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_09Oh my god. Like Dale's just like, excuse me, I'm gonna make a call. Hold on.
SPEAKER_02Sorry.
SPEAKER_09No, I love weekly word in the spouse.
SPEAKER_02A creature with which you are familiar.
SPEAKER_09Creature with which you are familiar.
SPEAKER_02It doesn't say you have to know where they are. It doesn't say you have to know what they're doing.
SPEAKER_09Is that something you actually want to do? You want to send a message to Granny?
SPEAKER_02They 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_04I was just a little bit nervous. This is the first time I've been here and I didn't want to cause problems.
SPEAKER_06Oh, it's perfectly fine. No, absolutely.
SPEAKER_09I 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_03Um, 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_09Yeah, she will return back to her duties and wander off.
SPEAKER_04So 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_13I mean I haven't tried in like a day. I'm sure I could annoy him again.
SPEAKER_04In 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_13I couldn't possibly tell you. Uh maybe.
SPEAKER_09What are you talking about?
SPEAKER_13Hang on. We've met a very strange individual before. It's a very long story, and it will confuse you.
SPEAKER_07And she seems similar to what they're talking about. Dramash knows Granny. You know Granny?
SPEAKER_09Granny Goodgood. Granny Goodgood? Yeah. Everyone knows Granny.
SPEAKER_13Don't get me fucking started.
SPEAKER_04Oh, 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_09Oh, if you want to see granny, you just go down the street. Okay. Granny Goodgood's just down the street.
SPEAKER_13Well, of course it is. I'm really tempted to just send her a message.
SPEAKER_07We'll keep that in your pocket for now.
SPEAKER_13We'll keep that in your pocket for now.
SPEAKER_07She has a bodega down the stairs. Alright. So Lunette takes her.
SPEAKER_09Yeah. Lunette takes her uh
The Mercy House: Children's Ward
SPEAKER_09So 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_13Daelos is confused. The child that I ran into earlier today was insane. What is this? That feral 14-year-old boy.
SPEAKER_09Does 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_02Reading a book.
SPEAKER_09Yeah. Uh but she but she's s specifically sitting up doing nothing. She's just sitting up, kind of staring out the window.
SPEAKER_13Again, 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_08Hi.
SPEAKER_12How are you feeling?
SPEAKER_08Oh. I don't feel heavy anymore.
SPEAKER_13Oh. Uh what it what's that like?
SPEAKER_09I'm ready to go. They won't let me go.
SPEAKER_13Where would you like to go?
SPEAKER_09I wanna go back down where it's quiet. And they don't make me do stuff.
SPEAKER_13Okay. Ilya, do you by any chance miss your grandmother?
SPEAKER_09Oh, I I like to visit my grandma.
SPEAKER_13Can you tell me more about your grandma?
SPEAKER_09She's great.
SPEAKER_08Don't you have a grandma?
SPEAKER_13I do. We always called her Granny Jenny. Do you have a special name for your grandmother?
SPEAKER_09Let me just call her grandma.
SPEAKER_12Okay. Not Granny?
SPEAKER_09No.
SPEAKER_12Okay.
SPEAKER_13Well.
SPEAKER_12Damn it.
SPEAKER_13No, like I No, like when I was looking over the definition of a leading question right there. Right.
SPEAKER_09Yeah.
SPEAKER_13I'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_09I couldn't go back home when when I'm when when when I need to sleep.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_13Can you tell me more about where it's quiet? How do you get there?
SPEAKER_06Go down.
SPEAKER_13Do you go down a set of stairs? Or is it like a cave?
SPEAKER_09We go in the dark where it's quiet.
SPEAKER_13Okay.
SPEAKER_09Nana is there and we we she she listens to us.
SPEAKER_13Okay. When you go down there, do you open or close any doors?
SPEAKER_06No.
SPEAKER_13Is it like a hole in the ground or like a cellar?
SPEAKER_09Can 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_04I do not like any noise at all.
SPEAKER_09Some noise is okay, but it's nice and calm and quiet there.
SPEAKER_13What kinds of sounds do you like?
SPEAKER_06Grandma hums the song for us.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_13It's terrifying.
SPEAKER_05Therapy. I just like pissed myself.
SPEAKER_13It's terrifying.
SPEAKER_09I feel like I need an ocarina for this.
SPEAKER_13Okay. Would it be absolutely crazy to ask this kid to show us where she wants to go?
SPEAKER_09Yes.
SPEAKER_13Okay.
SPEAKER_09You'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_13And then the nurse tackles us in the parking lot like a linebacker.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, 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_07Uh okay.
SPEAKER_09Just a firing squad of guiding bolts from the from the windows.
SPEAKER_07Are Nana part of the family that you are born to? Or is she someone that you met?
SPEAKER_09She doesn't live with us, no. We we go see her.
SPEAKER_04Do your parents know this, Nana?
SPEAKER_09Yes. Her eyes turn blood red and she gets fireball.
SPEAKER_13Do I know if she's lying or not?
SPEAKER_09You could roll insight. Yeah.
SPEAKER_13Okay. Can I also roll insight?
SPEAKER_09Sure.
SPEAKER_13I do not know. This is a child.
SPEAKER_05I never met these before.
SPEAKER_13I go.
SPEAKER_02I guess her parents know this.
SPEAKER_13Ooh, 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_09She is not telling the truth.
SPEAKER_13Oh 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_09You just you know that that child is not being truthful about what she's saying to you right now.
SPEAKER_13Oh, she's physically.
SPEAKER_09She is trying to hide something.
SPEAKER_13Okay. Ilya, it's okay if your family doesn't know her, but my family doesn't know my grandmother.
SPEAKER_09Uh 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_04Can 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_09Alright, tell me specifically what you were doing. You are you're you playing the tune that she is humming or something.
SPEAKER_10Yeah, and then adding like four or five notes and then playing the tune that she's doing.
SPEAKER_09Roll performance. Okay. Of course. Let's just make sure that you tuned your instrument.
SPEAKER_03I'm gonna use my inspiration. Uh it's a 15?
SPEAKER_09That first one was the sound of a face plant.
SPEAKER_03It was a natural one. Yep.
SPEAKER_13It sounds like uh picking up your dulcimer and smashing it on the ground. Yeah.
SPEAKER_09Okay, 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_02It's Pied Piper.
SPEAKER_03It's Pied Piper.
SPEAKER_02Dalo stops playing.
SPEAKER_13He's like, oh, I broke a rule.
SPEAKER_09One 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_13Oh god.
SPEAKER_09Stops smiling and then kind of looks concerned and walks away.
SPEAKER_13I'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_01Yes. I'm Dromash.
SPEAKER_13Yeah, 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_06I mean it cannot possibly be nothing.
SPEAKER_13D do we all walk over there?
SPEAKER_09I 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_13And I think she wants in that.
SPEAKER_09Every 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_13Okay, Dalas, can you remember that tune on your instrument?
SPEAKER_10Can I write it down?
SPEAKER_09Yeah.
SPEAKER_13Okay. Alright, you good?
SPEAKER_09You just have like a sheet music pad built into your arm. Hold up.
SPEAKER_10I I have I have some paper from my my priest pack.
SPEAKER_04Okay. I keep track of all of that.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, 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_02On the back. I'm just his his chicken scratch scales.
SPEAKER_09Drum 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_04You know, the pain, no, yeah.
SPEAKER_09They'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_13Okay, 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_09We 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_13Can I?
SPEAKER_09But we can certainly tell them that we think something is wrong. Okay.
SPEAKER_13Uh 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_09Oh, yes, the the warden.
SPEAKER_13You 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_09Please don't do that.
SPEAKER_13I don't think that she would we don't have evidence.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we don't care.
SPEAKER_07We 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_09This sounds like I've never heard of any any grandma. Do you still have detect magic?
SPEAKER_07It 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_09At 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_13It's either like a demon or like heavy metal in the water.
SPEAKER_09There's no radioactive material.
SPEAKER_13It'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_00It's no, it's in the wallpaper.
SPEAKER_07It's uh it's brain-eating amoeba. Hello, nurse. Can you grab my uh nurse Holcomb for us, please?
SPEAKER_09You 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_09and then Nurse Hallwen.
SPEAKER_07Hallwin, thank you.
SPEAKER_09Yes, Nurse Hallwyn Tess. She she will come back. Uh yes, what how can I help you? What is it?
SPEAKER_13How should we word this above the table, not in character?
SPEAKER_09Oh, you you wanted Dromash to tell her, right? Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_13Because then if we say too much, it's his fault. Right.
SPEAKER_03He won't get kicked out.
SPEAKER_09So 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_13This is the please don't tell my boss I told you to do anything. Because I'm not telling you to do anything.
SPEAKER_09There's a possible peculiarity.
SPEAKER_02Presence.
SPEAKER_09Peculiarity. 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_13They just seem very unwell, and they might wander off and hurt themselves.
SPEAKER_07Well, uh They seem to be influenced. Don't say on the influence.
SPEAKER_13What do you mean? We're gonna get intrahuble. She's gonna fucking kill us.
SPEAKER_09We 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_13In my home settlement, uh sometimes kids would eat plants that would make them unwell in their minds.
SPEAKER_09And they like absolutely poisoning, yes, that that happens.
SPEAKER_13Uh 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_09We can't recommend quarantine. We're just gonna describe it. Kind of is the blank.
SPEAKER_13We 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_09We 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_13Uh we low fantasy tech worlds and they're no and like their bare minimum minor protection loss.
SPEAKER_09Well, we we assume they're heading home.
SPEAKER_13I know. I just look in my brain, I'm like, I think one adult check them out, please.
SPEAKER_04With with these um softer children, you might just um I think.
SPEAKER_03You try to avoid the word organic, but like that was the word he knows. Right.
SPEAKER_13But 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_06I understand this.
SPEAKER_04Whatever 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_09For for those who have parents, we do that, yes. And for some, they don't have anyone to return home to.
SPEAKER_04Uh I'm surprised they ever leave this place. It's very calm.
SPEAKER_09Well, 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_10Cadelos talk to the people through to to the people with guards with bracers uh with bracers.
SPEAKER_13Um 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_04And 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_13Do 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_09I 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_13Of course. Uh through the bracers, Lynette's gonna be like, Does that help?
SPEAKER_04I will only see later. It's fine. We will have to I don't know how you all treat your children.
SPEAKER_07The 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_09Well, 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_13Can 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_09You are irresponsible as fuck.
SPEAKER_13I'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_04They also just like look at her, be like, I think that we've done as much investigating that I can do.
SPEAKER_09I think we need to report back to Kildora. Yes. I'm in favor.
SPEAKER_13Yes. Um, can I like Are the lockers labeled?
SPEAKER_09The 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_10We can follow her if I can see an object that she owns.
SPEAKER_01So you can do one object.
SPEAKER_03But I can't find something that's hers.
SPEAKER_09Well, let's go report in and see if this gets escalated out of our
Bracers: What's Up With Those?
SPEAKER_09pay grade.
SPEAKER_04Dalos is gonna look at Dromash and like clasp his arm, and then he's gonna take his bracer off and put it on.
SPEAKER_09You cannot remove your bracer. I can't take it off.
SPEAKER_13I 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_09You cannot remove your bracelet.
SPEAKER_13Okay. And then once, okay, so first of all, Dramash.
SPEAKER_02Look Drumash in the eyes after that confusion and go, I'll tell you in a second.
SPEAKER_13Are you so oh my god. One, another fucking cursed magic item. Fantastic.
unknownTwo!
SPEAKER_13There 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_09Venara just like steps up, just puts a hand or something. And this is why we we send it up the ladder.
SPEAKER_13I wanted to do that ten minutes ago.
Leaving the Mercy House & Reporting In
SPEAKER_13We quickly walk out. A little door. Walking the screen to Natalia.
SPEAKER_09He's like ranting, like taking her out the door. Come on, come on.
SPEAKER_13He's just like, and we're going. He's he's walking backwards. He does his little thing.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, 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_13And they're like, oh well, it's okay, sweetheart. It'll get better. It oh my god.
SPEAKER_09Okay. So yeah, you you march directly across the street back to the lantern hall.
SPEAKER_13I 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_09Like, she's she's mentally doing the conspiracy theory board.
SPEAKER_13Literally, 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_09Saren 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_03Everyone stares at us.
SPEAKER_09You will come with me. Everyone stares at you, and then you go back.
SPEAKER_13You like to Saren, you are a goddess among women. As she's as she goes to the She said, yeah.
SPEAKER_09And she will walk.
SPEAKER_11She said, yeah, no shit.
SPEAKER_09Just 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_13I just imagine everyone's like a couple steps behind. Like, slow down, wait.
SPEAKER_04Pelos is again trying to make himself small.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, 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_13No, it's like, yes.
SPEAKER_09Now she she hands you off and she turns around and walks away without a word one more time.
SPEAKER_13Lynette 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_09She is she is sitting at her desk and looks up.
SPEAKER_13Oh, it's weird. It's something. It has to be something.
SPEAKER_07Have you heard this song before?
SPEAKER_13Oh 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_09You will like hold up a hand. One at a time.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_09We 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_02What happened was Jenova went, have you heard this tongue? Pointed, Dale goes, Okay, we're gonna.
SPEAKER_09Gromash is trying to look like a potted plant in the corner of the room.
SPEAKER_02There's the back wall of our meat shield garden there at the background.
SPEAKER_13She 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_09She 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_13Is it at all possible to Wait one moment?
SPEAKER_09I speak slowly and deliberately.
SPEAKER_04She goes, let me finish what I was saying.
SPEAKER_09If 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_02Okay.
SPEAKER_09And 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_09be dismissed.
SPEAKER_04I I do have a question.
SPEAKER_10Are 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_13Are you trying to like distract future kids?
SPEAKER_10I well, I think that it's something that they would like and it's something that they would keep.
SPEAKER_09Okay, 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_10Or 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_03They find fares a lot, like those.
SPEAKER_09I feel like we would just like pebbles. It'd just be like, look, I found this one.
SPEAKER_03Well, I if it's if it's too vague, then it I will just find the nearest pebble.
SPEAKER_09I 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_04Okay, 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_02Like, 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_13I 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_09So there there is, there is a bowl of candy on her desk. They are unlabeled, they're wrapped in plain paper.
SPEAKER_04Delos, 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_09She, 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_03That's perfectly fine.
SPEAKER_09She is already done with you.
SPEAKER_03I don't want her to turn around.
SPEAKER_09See, what you have are bitter honey lozenges.
SPEAKER_13So like cough drops?
SPEAKER_09No, 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_12This is what she thinks candy is? Oh my god.
SPEAKER_09No, 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_13These lit probably choose licorice sticks for fun. I'm dying here. Dale's just gonna grab those.
SPEAKER_02Also, what's great is he can give two of them.
SPEAKER_09They'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_10That's alright.
SPEAKER_09Alright, let's take me to church. Excellent.
SPEAKER_10So Oh wait, aren't the families nearer to us?
SPEAKER_09I 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_02So making a bee line.
SPEAKER_09Okay, 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_13Dalos just started walking. Dalos has no plans.
SPEAKER_09Yeah. 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_10Do you want to talk to Granny? Actually, you should probably talk to the return child.
SPEAKER_07Yeah. The father of the return.
SPEAKER_09So you want to talk to Jorin Vale.
SPEAKER_07Yeah.
SPEAKER_09Excellent. Okay. So
The Families: Jorrin Vale
SPEAKER_09um 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_10Tails composes himself.
SPEAKER_09Head on over. Yes.
SPEAKER_13Okay, so let's talk to the dude.
SPEAKER_09Alright. 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_04When did they come home?
SPEAKER_09Well, they came home a few days ago.
SPEAKER_04Were they just spending time were they hurt?
SPEAKER_09Well they were spending time with their grandmother.
SPEAKER_07How long how long was your child missing the last time?
SPEAKER_09Longer 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_12Can we ask the name of your grandmother? Of their grandmother? Your mom?
SPEAKER_09Alanya. 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_07He left at night?
SPEAKER_09Yes.
SPEAKER_11Okay.
SPEAKER_09I tried to follow, buddy and I lost track of him. Headed somewhere southeast.
SPEAKER_07Did he hum a peculiar tune?
SPEAKER_01Oh, what was it? Um da da da. Da da da.
SPEAKER_13I hate that sound. I hate that sound.
SPEAKER_01I hate that sound.
SPEAKER_13Like 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_05Well, I can't control the whims of the universe.
SPEAKER_09Listen, are you looking for the for children? Yes.
SPEAKER_04Well, we're looking for people who have gone missing, and they happen to My child's gone missing.
SPEAKER_13I 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_09I should hope so. What else are you lanterns good for?
SPEAKER_04Luckily enough for you, we're not lanterns. And hey! Through the closed door.
SPEAKER_09Dromesh just shakes his head. This is why I like hunting Necromarrow. They don't talk back yet.
SPEAKER_07Alright, I guess on to the next family. Okay.
SPEAKER_09Excellent. Okay, so do you want to talk to Eldamorin or do you want to talk to Maribel Hefred?
SPEAKER_02Where are they located?
SPEAKER_09So, 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_03Um, 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_09You go ahead. You knock on the door.
SPEAKER_04Doesn't answer at all.
SPEAKER_01Go away! Can Dalos yell behind the door. Go away!
SPEAKER_13Okay. Kendalos ask. Can you describe a possession of theirs? Then you go the fuck away. I can help find them though.
SPEAKER_08And he throws something at the door.
SPEAKER_13Alright, buddy.
SPEAKER_03I thought he's supposed to be finding you. I'm in grief. You don't need to be.
SPEAKER_13They're not dead.
unknownLunac.
SPEAKER_13Also, 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_02He tried. Yeah, it's a it's an organic.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, yeah. I've been sober for 300 days.
SPEAKER_02Okay. So whichever one's closer, I guess.
The Families: Elda Morren
SPEAKER_09Yeah. Um Eldamorin. Goddess.
SPEAKER_13We show up and there's like dead rats on our porch. I'm gonna lose it.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, 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_13I don't trust it, but okay.
SPEAKER_09And Dromash will walk up and knock on the door. A little quieter than the other house.
SPEAKER_04We were here to talk about the missing kids. Oh concerned citizens. Delos doesn't want him to say the lanterns.
SPEAKER_09Uh 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_13Is she unlocking the doors? Or is she locking them? It's a shotgun. Shunk, shunk.
SPEAKER_09No, she she you hear the cane walking up as she and she'll open the door. She's a very squinty old grandma.
SPEAKER_08What 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_12Uh, ma'am, who are you?
SPEAKER_13Can I help you? My name is Lunette.
SPEAKER_05Hello.
SPEAKER_13Have are all of your little kiddos accounted for?
SPEAKER_12Well, they're not here today. Uh, have any of them been acting strangely?
SPEAKER_08Well, let me see.
SPEAKER_13Lethargic.
SPEAKER_09She's kinda like poke her finger like into her mouth and kind of gum on it.
SPEAKER_13She's messing with the butterscotch.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, well, I'm pushing it around.
SPEAKER_08Well, 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_07What 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_13We're gonna have to set the whole fucking place on fire. Mama, the children. Sorry, child. Sorry, kids. Mama, don't do spiders.
SPEAKER_08Uh someone they've they've they've been around recently, but I haven't seen them in the last few days.
SPEAKER_04Do 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_08Oh, I didn't pick any particular profile for this child that I'm referring to.
SPEAKER_05So sure.
SPEAKER_08We 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_13It's like a knocker.
SPEAKER_08Yeah. Tails trailer.
unknownCool.
SPEAKER_08Thank you. You're welcome. Does anybody want candy? You look like you need a candy.
SPEAKER_09She'll handle the hand of butterscotch over to Venaria. Thank you.
SPEAKER_08You could use that one.
SPEAKER_09We're just enjoying the candy.
SPEAKER_13We're just very concerned about the kids. Mmm. Kids are tougher than you think.
SPEAKER_08Maybe they'll show up somewhere. Lynette is so. I used to go wandering off into the hills for days.
SPEAKER_13Um where did you Lynette is so fucking traumatized by old women?
SPEAKER_09Uh Venar is like looking at this butter sky, it's like, mmm.
SPEAKER_13Literally, 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_08Where did I go? I went what? When you wandered off, where did you go? When I was a child? In the hills.
SPEAKER_09Before the fall?
SPEAKER_08The hills, just hills.
SPEAKER_07Look out the windows. Have you been under the city?
SPEAKER_08Have I been under the c no? There's spiders down there. Why would I go under there?
SPEAKER_07Well, why do you all allow the children under there?
SPEAKER_08We allow children to do that. I need spiders. Children don't need to go down there, they're little crunchy spider snacks.
SPEAKER_07Has your granddaughter been humming a peculiar tune?
SPEAKER_09That's because her lungs are working double time trying to get that.
SPEAKER_13Okay. We need to go. We need to go talk to what's her name? Mirabella.
SPEAKER_01Mirabel.
SPEAKER_13Mirabel. We need to go talk to Mirabel.
SPEAKER_01Thank you for the butterscotch, ma'am.
SPEAKER_13You 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_08But 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_08The last one last on the list is Maribel Hethrin. The weaver.
SPEAKER_06Mother of an 11-year-old girl. Okay.
SPEAKER_09Because Maribel lives just a little bit to the south of of the the the old bitty.
SPEAKER_10De los will knock on this door.
SPEAKER_09Ooh. 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_02Nope, not doing that! That's gonna be like, hang on, back up, that goes to the back of the group.
SPEAKER_13Oh that knocks on the door.
SPEAKER_09Okay.
SPEAKER_13Hi. Hi. I'm sorry. Mirabelle.
SPEAKER_09Just looks at you and doesn't say anything like that.
SPEAKER_13Wait, wait, wait. Put your hand up. Wait, wait. Jingle jingle.
SPEAKER_08Sindrome match goes, mmm.
SPEAKER_13Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
SPEAKER_08Starts closing the door.
SPEAKER_12Mirabelle, hi, hi, me. Look at me.
SPEAKER_09Yes.
SPEAKER_12Are you are you uncomfortable with something here?
SPEAKER_09A large group of people and a lantern at my front door? Yes.
SPEAKER_13I'm not a cop.
SPEAKER_09I wasn't that non-cops say.
SPEAKER_13I wasn't alone. Drum people. Hang on, drum ash. Hey. One second. Drumesh.
SPEAKER_09That's me, I'm drum ash.
SPEAKER_13Have I taken any oaths? Do I work for your boss at all?
SPEAKER_09No.
SPEAKER_13Does your boss like me?
SPEAKER_09You're asking if Keldora likes you?
SPEAKER_13Yep.
SPEAKER_09I'm not sure if Keldora likes anyone.
SPEAKER_13Is she fond of me at all?
SPEAKER_09Probably not.
SPEAKER_13Has she taken any oaths? Yes.
SPEAKER_09No. No oaths.
SPEAKER_13Perfect. I am not a cop.
SPEAKER_09I feel like I'm being used as a tool. A little bit. A little bit. A sounding board, as it were.
SPEAKER_13Yeah, 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_09Her 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_13And Dalos, she gestures towards Dalos. He's a girl. Is a very gentle giant. Love great with kids. Loves kids, wants to help.
SPEAKER_07Are you missing a child?
SPEAKER_06My um my daughter is um she's been gone for a few days.
SPEAKER_09Uh 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_07Has this happened before?
SPEAKER_09She was home for a little bit. And she told me not to worry. She was reassuring me.
SPEAKER_13Oof, that got very real very fast.
SPEAKER_12Uh do you know where she was playing?
SPEAKER_13Has she told you anything about that?
SPEAKER_09She just kept saying down in the dark. She drew this picture.
unknownOh.
SPEAKER_09She'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_13I'm assuming that the last couple of days she was with you, she was humming a terrifying little tune.
SPEAKER_06It got stuck in my head. Please don't do it. Please don't make the noise.
SPEAKER_13I've heard it so many times today. We need to confirm. Oh my god. Terrible.
SPEAKER_06Over and over again. Yeah.
SPEAKER_13Lunette. 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_09Yes. She said it was um She said it's where her grandmother was.
SPEAKER_12Does she have a grandmother is your m mother with us still?
SPEAKER_06She's uh she died during the second wave.
SPEAKER_13So Lunette is gonna pass this over to Delos and she says, Does this count as a personal item? The drawing?
SPEAKER_04Um 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_06Um a little stuffed rabbit. And the colour canvas, it's there's not a lot of choices.
SPEAKER_09I made it out of a potato stack.
SPEAKER_04Okay. 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_06Okay. If we have another army.
SPEAKER_13Do 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_06She was at the hospital briefly.
SPEAKER_11Was that before?
SPEAKER_06At the hospital, not the mercy house. Um it was almost six months ago at this point.
SPEAKER_04Um has she been acting strangely since then?
SPEAKER_06Now that you mention it. I think so.
SPEAKER_09As 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_04They 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_06It's okay. It's been a lot.
SPEAKER_13Lynette will gently put a hand on her shoulder and say, we will bring you answers.
SPEAKER_09And she just like holds up like a handkerchief to her eye and thank you.
SPEAKER_06Let me know if there's anything I can do to help.
Havenwatch
SPEAKER_09So 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_04And you've never investigated before outside of the scan? What did they chalk it up to?
SPEAKER_09Taken 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_04Do you think we have a concrete enough evidence base?
SPEAKER_09This could go to rank A easy.
SPEAKER_13Ah, with a quickness, yes.
SPEAKER_09We 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_04They also will write his little notes. Pink elastic with little like glass pink beads. Bunny with burlap.
SPEAKER_09So 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_05Uh huh.
SPEAKER_09And and yeah, if anybody wants to take a perception check, I have dark vision. I have dark vision.
SPEAKER_03I have dark vision flame story down it. No. Are you kidding me?
SPEAKER_13It's not a natural one. Why are the roles so evil today?
SPEAKER_09Shitty roles haunt the narrative. Okay.
SPEAKER_07Oh. Twenty.
SPEAKER_09Hey, 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_04Well, this is we're in hell. It seems like you found our likely culprit.
SPEAKER_09Yep, yep, yeah. We're going. We're gonna leave. He is with a quickness.
Reporting In Again
SPEAKER_09So 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_02Dalos.
SPEAKER_09And she does not stop doing anything at all. Here we go, here we go.
SPEAKER_03Dalos will nod at Saren and continue.
SPEAKER_09Uh 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_04So we found something important.
SPEAKER_09They 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_04There 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_09So 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_09By 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_02Lunette's gonna have a seizure. Not at Lunette, it's gonna have a seizure.
SPEAKER_10She goes, You do Thank you so much for listening!
SPEAKER_09If 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_05Just the touch it again.
SPEAKER_09Okay. 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_13Touch 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_09We can go to the market, there's tobacco there. Quabak.
SPEAKER_13Oh 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_08Give us a smack ships kissing closes the door.
SPEAKER_13Here'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_02I like weird old women. I need to clip that.