Volume 1: In the Blood Ep. 11 - Winter

TRANSCRIPT - In the Blood Ep. 11 - Winter

Tau 

A product of the Whisperforge.

[SFX: Whisperforge chime.] 

Sound and Story: Brought to Life.

Tau 

You're listening to a parody that is not affiliated with or endorsed by Supergiant Games in any way. We're just big old nerds making improv fanfiction. ROGUE RUNNERS is rated R for pretty much everything you can find in Greek mythology, violence, assault, self harm, offensive language, insensitive humor, and intense themes. We encourage everyone to check out our show notes and transcripts on our website at whisperforge.org. Are you ready to run? Then Welcome to Volume 1: In the Blood.

[SFX: Title music.]

[SFX: Intro music fades. Birds chirp as rain falls.]

Tau 

Annie. It is a very rainy day. And you've forgotten to dress for the weather. You've been forgetting a lot of things lately. But you remembered that today is important for some reason. You can't remember why but you're having company over later today. Isn't that right? And you need to bring some food home to entertain your guests. Yes, that's right. So you had to go out and get some food. The bags are so heavy and maybe your arms just aren't as strong as they used to be. You are startled by a loud and crackling voice.(hiss) "The next red line train to Alewife will arrive in five minutes." The rain gets heavier and heavier. You've forgotten your umbrella and you're getting wet. So you take a few steps back from the landing and wait under the awning of the train platform for cover from the rain. You watch the rain patter down onto the cement. Once upon a time you used to be able to hear every single rain drop, each an individual note, all of them playing one after the other syncopating, arpeggiating, coalescing into beautiful music. You used to hear music everywhere. Now you look at the rain and you don't hear a single drop. It is complete silence to you. At times maybe the volume rises to a low, blurred static at best.

[SFX: The rolling of an oncoming train.]

Tau 

Suddenly, the soundscape shatters as a train barrels into the platform, a bolt of sonic thunder crashing into the space within it. (makes noises for the brakes squaling and the doors dinging) The doors to the train open. What do you do?

Amanda 

Annie gets on.

Tau 

It feels like a long walk from the awning to the train doors. You pick up your pace as you worry the doors have been open too long and may close soon. When you finally get inside, you're out of breath.

[SFX: Rustle as Annie sits, the doors ding.]

Tau 

As you take a seat across from the doors closing briskly behind you. You look back at the platform through the windows, you forgot your groceries. They stand there in little paper bags, greens leaning just so over the top. It's too late. The doors have already closed and the train has begun moving again. Inside, the lights flicker from time to time over various ads mounted above the doors and windows. One catches your eye. "Are you depressed? Do you suffer from self doubt and difficulty experiencing joy? If you are a woman 65 plus years of age, you may qualify for a study at Mass General Hospital, compensation up to $250 for seven weeks". On the train, you see an old man at the far edge of the train car. He's obscenely tall, maybe six foot seven and he alternates between picking at his scabs and picking at his nose. On the opposite end of the car, you see a young shifty eyed man trying to conceal something in his front pockets of his black hoodie, the hood of which has been pulled up tight over his head. Near you stands a man with his hand hanging on to an overhead strap. A large red hiking backpack obscures most of his view. They all seem familiar to you. What do you do while you wait to arrive at your destination?

Amanda 

Annie would like to just look out the window.

Michael 

The scabby man gets a really good peel on one of his scabs.

[SFX: A wet peeling sound.]

Michael 

And he starts to chew on it as he kind of looks out the window.

Giancarlo 

The man with the backpack eats some trail mix. And then he's gonna offer some trail mix to Annie. "Here lady want some trail mix? Eat this trail mix, girl."

Tau 

(laughing) Oh my god.

Amanda 

Annie's gonna look at this strange man offering her trail mix and just politely shake her head. "Um. No thank you." and go back to looking out the window.

Giancarlo 

"Suit yourself, more for me."

Nicholas 

(deep and gruff) "You eat very nicely."

Tau  

Was it not clear that the old guy was supposed to be Rolf?

Amanda 

I thought it was clear.

Tau 

(laughing) And that the hooded guy was supposed to be Arete. Okay. And the red backpackers was suspposed to be Alexander?

Giancarlo 

"More for me."

Amanda 

I thought it was clear.

Tau 

Okay.

Michael 

I just related to old Mx. Scabbington. So I went for it.

Tau 

No, I love that. I think that's funny. I just, that's so interesting.

Nicholas 

"Three feet by four feet, three feet by four feet, three feet by four feet." That's the hooded guy.

Michael 

(laughs)

Tau 

Ooooh. What the fuck is that? Um. Okay, so Annie you look out of the windows onto the rainy day and then finally the train makes its way underground. Your eyes begin to feel very heavy and you close them. The rattling of the train is not music to you.

[SFX: Gentle string music.]

Tau 

But you feel the low rumble beneath your feet. Close your eyes and you see if you can try to at least hum its tune. (announcement) "Now arriving at Alewife. This is the final destination of this train. Please be sure to collect your belongings before you exit the train." Another more human voice comes on after the recording. (Boston accent) "Alewife. Alewife." Waiting for you on the platform is a short older man. His neat salt and pepper hair frames his thick black horn rimmed glasses. At his waist, a small clip holds a white card on which you see his photograph. It reads Peter Philip pacus, MD. He seems worried sick about you. When you exit the train, he runs over to you and you see his lips moving but you hear no sound. He sees that you don't understand. And then he reaches his hand over to your ear. And suddenly his voice comes back to you. "Oh, my God, Annie, I've been worried sick about you! You can't just go wandering off like that."

Tau 

"Sorry. Sorry, Peter."

Tau 

"Where did you go? You said you were picking up groceries."

Amanda 

"I was, I did. I-I forgot them. I-I'm sorry."

Tau 

"Don't, don't be. It's okay. We've we've got plenty of food at home, more than enough food at home, come on. Everybody's waiting." He puts his hands on his waist and he looks around the platform and he says "I'm just happy. I found you. I thought I'd lost you for real this time."

Michael 

"Hey! Did you guys need a snack?" as the scabby man passes by, he picks his nose and pulls out a real big booger.

Tau 

"We're really not looking for any trouble, sir."

Michael 

"No trouble at all. Just a fine little Boogie."

Amanda 

"No, no, thank you."

Michael 

"Anyone?"

Amanda 

"No."

Michael 

"Okay, more for me then." And he puts his finger in his mouth as he gobbles up the boogie and moves along the platform into areas unknown.

Amanda 

Annie's gonna grab Peter's hand and just, not looking at him but just say, "Peter, can we go home please? I'm, I'm really tired, and I'm soaking wet. And I would just like to rest."

Tau 

"Yeah, Annie, let's get you home." He puts out the crook of his elbow for you to take it as he then starts leading you to the elevator to exit Alewife station but you notice the other passengers are taking the stairs.

[SFX: Low hum of a car driving.]

Tau 

Later in the car, you are driving your way through a little town called Arlington, Massachusetts. As the rain has begun to clear, you see the sun shining again. And as the sun shines in through the window, you almost feel as if you can begin to hear music again. You feel this temptation to roll down the window if you so choose.

Amanda 

Annie rolls down the window.

[SFX: A click then slide of the window rolling down. Piano music fades in slowly.]

Tau 

As you roll down the window, all of life is making music around you. The petals are blowing in the wind. And as the wind blows through, it rustles the grass and adds this beautiful background in music to the birds tweeting overhead and it is as if you were listening to the music you used to make as a child.

Amanda 

Annie leans like her head on the door, letting the wind hit her face, but just like a small smile creeping up.

Tau 

As you do this, Peter drives with one hand and he quickly glances at you worriedly. And then he looks back at the road and he looks back at you again. And then finally a smile breaks on his face as he sees you smiling out the window. He seems to almost choke up for a moment. When you finally arrive at your house, you see many many cars parked in front of the house. He parks the car well down the driveway. He says (exasperated) "I told them to leave us room" and then he closes the door.

[SFX: Car door shuts.]

Tau 

He gets out and he opens your side of the door.

[SFX: Car door opens. Insects gently buzz and birds chirp.]

Amanda 

"Peter, what are all these people doing here?"

Tau 

"You know what today is right?"

Amanda 

"No? I'm sorry. I don't."

Tau 

"It's okay. You said you said you had to get food for company. So I thought maybe you'd remember today. It's okay we have we have lots of food inside everyone is really excited to see you."

Amanda 

"What, why?"

Tau 

"You'll see when we get inside."

Amanda 

"Okay."

Tau 

He helps you out of the car and then he starts walking you up the driveway. You pass a beautifully tended garden that you are certain is yours. You see a bee buzzing on a flower nearby. And it is also

Michael 

Bzzzzz.

Tau 

music to you. Thank you, Michael. (laughs)

Amanda 

Do not come alive as the bee, do not-- (laughs)

Giancarlo 

There's a lake in the distance and a little fish jumps out and winks at you.

[SFX: Splash.]

Nicholas 

(quietly) Oh no.

Tau 

Finally you get to the door and Peter takes out his keys and he opens the door and it leads into this beautiful foyer and you see about 20 to 25 people inside and all of them say

[SFX: Kazoos sound and guests cheer and clap.]

Tau 

"Happy birthday, grandma." You see little bits of confetti flying as people blow into little kazoos and you see balloons hung everywhere and other colors. You see a colorful lettering that says "Happy Birthday Grandma" on it and you see several generations of your family smiling and clapping and cheering for you.

Michael 

"Woooooo!!!! Gwandma Gwandma!" and a small little toddler runs up to Annie and "Gwandma Gwandma, airplane! Airplane, Grandma."

Nicholas 

She's so old.

Tau 

Oh my god (laughs) A teenage girl elbows, her boyfriend in the ribs.

Nicholas 

"Ow!"

Tau 

"Alex, you can't just say people are old. It's my grandma. Come on!" A mother runs up to the little baby toddling towards Annie saying Grandma Grandma and says, "Ari! Honey, you can walk?" and quickly picks up baby Ari and bounces her up and down.

Michael 

"Weee! Airplane! Airplane!"

Tau 

"Do you remember now?" Peter says to you.

Amanda 

Annie's just gonna lean into Peter and say "I am sorry. Ah, I'm trying. I obviously it's. It's my birthday." And then she's gonna move back out towards the crowd and just start saying thank yous and start, you know, giving people hugs and kisses on the cheek and just thanking them for being here.

Tau 

You are giving people kisses on the cheek and hugs and thanking people and then periodically you have to sit down and as you do you see someone come up to you. And it's a young woman. She says "Um...Professor Fantasis?"

Amanda 

"Yes. Yes? Hi."

Tau 

(nervously) "Professor. I just wanted to say, first of all, happy birthday. Congratulations. Oh, my goodness, um, you may not remember me, I was a student maybe about 10 years ago. But um, well, I'm actually flying out to play in Sydney tomorrow. And I just wanted to say, you know, you really, you're the whole reason I'm doing this. I wouldn't have. I wouldn't have gotten anywhere without you. You really helped me hear the music again. And I got you a little something just as a thank you. If, if that's if that's appropriate." She pulls out a box behind her and she hands you the box.

Amanda 

"Oh, thank thank you. Thank you." And Annie will open the box.

[SFX: Scrape of cardboard as the box opens.]

Tau 

When you open the box, you see a book inside the box. And the book says "Mikrokosmos by Bartok Volume Six." The student says "You let me borrow one 10 years ago, and I never gave it back. And I felt terrible. But I am so grateful for it. And I just thought I would get you a new one. Look." And then she reaches over to Microcosmos Volume Six, and she flips through she says "Pick one, any one. I'll play it right now."

Amanda 

"Um, ah, I was wondering where my book went. Thank you. This is so kind. Alright," and Annie picks one.

Tau 

Okay, roll two d10s. But tell me each result individually.

Amanda 

That is a 10 and a one.

Tau 

Okay. "Huh. Alright." She takes the book from you. And she smiles. She says "Six dances in Bulgarian Rhythm One." And then she walks over to this beautiful grand piano. It's in the space between the living room and the kitchen and she sits down to play. And it seems almost discordant and unmusical in some ways.

[SFX: Piano music fades in.]

Tau 

But as you hear this music, it's slowly slowly starts to come together for you that this is actually an attitude of sorts. So it's more like a piano exercise, but like a professional piano exercise that people do. So it's it's partly musical, but partly technical. And your student plays this piece for about two minutes, and then turns back to you and smiles.

[SFX: The piano music emphatically ends. Teen Alex claps.]

Nicholas 

"That was wonderful. Lovely."

Amanda 

Annie will start to applaud and rise to walk over to the student and just say "You'll do just fine over in Sydney."

Tau 

The student looks at you confused and says "Sydney?"

Amanda 

"I'm sorry. Did you not say that's, is that not where you're performing?"

Tau 

"Oh, my goodness, I would love to be performing in Sydney. I'll be in Prague this weekend. But I thought I'd swing by and just say hello before I left."

Amanda 

"Of course. So sorry."

Giancarlo 

"Grandma, grandma. Do- do you know how to play?"

Amanda 

"Oh, excuse me." And Annie is going to look towards the voice speaking to her.

Giancarlo 

"Grandma, my mom. Mommy said you know how to play."

Michael 

"Tommy Tommy!"

Nicholas 

"Grandma, play Star Wars."

Michael 

"Tommy. Billy. Stop. Stop bothering. Stop, bothering mom."

Giancarlo 

"I-, mom I wanna--"

Michael 

"Mom. I'm so sorry. Mom."

Giancarlo 

"I wanna hear her play."

Amanda 

"It's alright. It's alright."

Michael 

"I'm sorry. George was supposed to be here to watch the kids but--"

Amanda 

"It's--"

Michael 

"--work got in the away and he just couldn't be here."

Amanda 

"Dear. It's all right. It's all right." And with that Annie is going to gesture towards her student to scoot over so that she can take a seat behind the piano.

Nicholas 

"Grandma, can you do Star Wars?"

Michael 

"Billy, Grandma will play what she wants to play. Just let her play please."

Nicholas 

(groans in disappointment)

Michael 

(whispers) "Mom, does she know how to do 'Little Einstein'?"

Amanda 

Did you say Little Einstein?

Michael 

"Yeah. Does she know how to do 'Little Einstein'."

Nicholas 

"Only Wonder Pets."

Tau 

Finally you see George walking over he says "Kids, stop bothering Grandma. Sorry Sorry. I know I said I was gonna watch them. Well go play Go go go go play a Minecraft okay. Stop bothering Grandma."

Michael 

"George. I told you no work calls at Grandma's party."

Tau 

"I'm sor-- Okay, I'm very sorry you know I-- Okay, fine. Yep, it's fine. It's fine. Don't worry about it." And that he chucks the phone behind him passive aggressively.

Michael 

"Oh, we will be having a serious conversation about this later."

Amanda 

Annie is going to obviously hear this, see this, and gesture over towards Tommy, who I want to say is the one who wanted Little Einstein.

Giancarlo 

Yes.

Amanda 

And pat the seat next to her so that he'll hopefully come join her.

Giancarlo 

He will walk up to the bench, but it's at about chest height. So he like awkwardly like grabs your thigh and the bench to try and pull himself up. And then he sits next to you and leans his head against your side.

Amanda 

Then Annie will start to gently take his hands and just teach him just a little bit.

[SFX: Soft piano chords.]

Amanda 

Just how to press the keys and what keys to press to get more of a sort of major key and just to fiddle a little bit.

Giancarlo 

"I like music, Grandma."

Nicholas 

"Tommy, I found. (coughs) Tommy I found diamond."

Giancarlo 

"I found music."

Nicholas 

"Okay."

Giancarlo 

"Do you wanna learn how to play music?"

Nicholas 

He ignores you and he plays on a switch and coughs and eats crackers.

Giancarlo 

"I like music, Grandma. Can you teach me how to play like you?"

Amanda 

"Of course Tommy, I'll teach you how to play just like me. Even better than me."

Giancarlo 

"Thanks, Grandma."

Tau 

George is gonna be looking around, bored and he says "So. Alright, Grandma, Annie. I heard you. Uh, you are you're a bit of a pianist yourself."

Amanda 

"I am at the keys, George."

Tau 

"Yeah. Why don't you, why don't you play us a little tune for us?"

Michael 

"George. George. Don't push I don't--"

Tau 

"What? It's her goddamn piano. We paid $35,000 for this piano. She's not even gonna play on it?"

Michael 

"George. I know. But she she hasn't been the same recently and--"

Tau 

(aggressivel) "O-Only if you want."

Amanda 

Annie will start to play the piano.

Tau 

What does Annie play?

Amanda 

One of her favorite Vivaldi pieces.

Tau 

All right, make a performance check with disadvantage.

Amanda 

(blows a small rasberry) Disadvantage, oh no. It's a 30 or a 24. So I guess 24.

Nicholas 

Damn, alright.

Tau 

That's still very good. So you start pressing on the keys and you start going (musically) bump, bump, bump, bump, bump, bump, bump.

[SFX: Piano notes playing Vivaldi’s Winter.]

Tau 

And you have inspiration. But there are these moments you feel like you were playing at some kind of disadvantage. Like there are moments where your hand just moves to the keys and you are certain you are pressing on those keys but you just don't hear any notes coming out of them. But you just keep playing and everyone around you is transfixed and then at the very finish of it, it looks like a butterfly has just creeped out beneath the keys and flies away but nobody sees it but you. But everybody claps and is very, very moved.

[SFX: The room claps.]

Tau 

And even George is just like, "See? She's fine. She's amazing. If you just asked her to do this more often she'd be so much better off."

Michael 

"George can we not talk about this, right now?"

Tau 

"Okay, okay. Yeah. All right. Of course. There's never a good time. Sure."

Giancarlo 

"Grandma. You're cool. You're my best friend."

Amanda 

"You're my best friend too, Tommy."

Tau 

Then you hear another one of your daughters call it "Alright. It's time for cake. Everybody gather around."

Amanda 

"Oh cake. Let's go get some cake Tommy. You too Billy. Come on."

Tau 

You say this Annie but you don't even feel yourself moving towards that place where the cake is. Just the next thing you know, you're in front of the cake and everybody is clapping and smiling around you and they are singing happy birthday to you. And you see on the cake it says "Happy Birthday Grandma Annie." And you see two candles on it and it says 87.

Nicholas 

(slowly sings) Happy birthday...

Tau & Players 

(singing, overlapping) to you. Cha cha cha Happy birthday to Grandma. Happy birthday to you. Yay!

Tau 

Everybody claps and cheers. And Annie this to you, the Happy Birthday song, you are confident this has nothing to do with your hearing condition. The Happy Birthday song to you has always felt like a funeral dirge and never more so than today. But everyone expectedly looks at the two little flickering flames on the eight and the seven waiting for you to blow it out.

Nicholas 

(as an adult) "Everybody just just squeeze in a little bit. Just get in there. I just want to

Michael 

"Let her blow out the candle."

Tau 

"No, you're supposed to get the photo before she blows out the candles."

Nicholas 

"I want to get her in the moment. It's more natural that way."

Tau 

"Okay. Okay, turn the flash off. You know, she doesn't like the flash."

Amanda 

Annie's going to do her best.

Nicholas 

"Gran, is it okay we have the flash on?"

Tau 

"No, no. I just said--

Nicholas 

"Let her, she can make her own--"

Amanda 

Annie blows out the candle, Annie just blows them out.

[SFX: A soft fwoomf of the candles going out.]

Tau 

Annie did you make a wish?

Amanda 

No.

Tau 

Everybody is still arguing that it takes them a few seconds to notice you've blown it out so they'll go "Oh yay! Oh man." Somebody reaches to give her the knife and then someone else wants it and says "Don't give her an if she can't hold a knife. Just let me cut it. I'll cut a cut it I'll do it. I'll just just give it here." And then people start cutting up and divvying up the cake.

Giancarlo 

"Me first me me me me."

Nicholas 

"No, Grandma gets the first one. It's always the birthday person gets the first one."

Amanda 

"You, you go ahead. Go ahead."

Tau 

"No, the birthday person is supposed to cut up the cake for everybody else and then they get the last slice or a slice but not the first one."

Nicholas 

"Birthday person can't do all the work. That's not fair."

Tau 

(exasperated) "Okay."

Amanda 

Annie's gonna ignore the fighting and go outside.

Giancarlo 

On your way out, as you hear like the arguing getting further you feel someone tugging at your shirt.

Amanda 

I will look at the person tugging or thing, tugging at my shirt.

Tau 

"Grandma. I got you this." And he hands you like a little crumpled up flower that he seems to have plucked out of your front yard.

Amanda 

"Ah."

Tau 

"Happy birthday, Grandma."

Amanda 

"Thank you, Tommy. Thank you. That's so sweet."

Giancarlo 

"Do you want cake?"

Michael 

"George? George? George. Where did Tommy go? You were supposed to be watching him."

Tau 

"Oh my god. I had to hand, I had to go get another knife and that's--"

Amanda 

"Tommy, Mommy's calling."

Tau 

"...for the for the stupid fucking candles because you don't eve--"

Giancarlo 

"Tommy, go to mommy and grab some cake, okay?"

Michael 

"Don't use that language when there are kids around us."

Tau 

"What kids around us? You said I lost them."

Michael 

"Oh, for crying out loud."

Giancarlo 

"Happy birthday, Grandma."

Amanda 

"Thank you, Tommy, thank you."

Michael 

"Oh Tommy. There you are. Jesus, Gosh." And I grab Tommy's hand and I pull him back towards the action of the party.

[SFX: Birds chirp, piano music slowly fades in.]

Tau 

Annie you finally exit out into the now the cool twilight air of your garden, which you have tended all of these years. What have you planted?

Amanda 

Tulips! Lots and lots of tulips.

Tau 

What colors?

Amanda 

There are black tulips, white tulips, red tulips too, maybe some yellow as well.

Tau 

Alright, you find yourself in your garden and you are feeling very, very tired and your limbs are getting heavy. It's getting harder to breathe a little bit and you're just feeling super, super, super sleepy. So you take a seat in your garden just on the grass next to the dirt and one of the plots of tulips that you've placed. You lean back and you hold your face up to the sun, which is now finally shining down on the garden and you feel the wet earth from the rain under your feet and under your legs and on your hands. And then you hear a voice from nowhere in particular and sometimes it sounds like many voices speaking out to you and says, "Did you really need the music to go on living, young Bard?"

Amanda 

"I suppose not."

Tau 

"Are you happy with the life you've made for yourself?"

Amanda 

"I don't know."

Tau 

"If you could imagine any other life for yourself. What would it have been?"

Amanda 

"I can't."

Tau 

"Is there anything else you wish to do?"

Amanda 

"Is this it?"

Tau 

"It needn't be."

Amanda 

"It feels like it is."

Tau 

"Are you ready?"

Amanda 

"Yes. Yes."

Tau 

Annie. You're feeling sleepier than you've ever felt. You hear the smattering of piano keys from inside as small children play on the piano but don't know how to play music. Somewhere you hear Peter's footsteps as he comes out into the garden and rushes to you.

[SFX: Footsteps on dirt.]

Tau 

(muffled) "Annie? Annie, what's wrong?" But he sounds so far away. You hear the bees buzzing all around the tulips and the other plants in your garden. You hear the dirt crunch under your fingertips as you squeeze into it even though you're feeling all your strength leaving your hands now. You hear people shouting in the house. You hear several generations of a family that you have given birth to and raised, all laughing and joking and bickering with each other inside. You hear the sunrays beaming onto your face and all of it—all of it—sounds like music.

[SFX: Birds chirp. Piano plays. For a time... until it all fades away, replaced by an intense WOOSH.]

Tau 

You emerge from the pool of Styx, Rolf.

[SFX: Splashes and sloshes.]

Tau 

You see Annie, Arete, and Alexander just a little bit ahead of you in line, the line seems to be getting more and more dense with every escape attempt. So the line is really long now. Only Hypnos seems to be holding court. And you're all there.

Michael 

"Hey, buddy. Nice to see you again."

Giancarlo 

I'm not even gonna greet them. I'm just gonna jump right into the conversation and go, "You know, my biggest mistake was giving them information for free. I should have made a frickin arrangement before saying anything. God fucking dammit. Let's go again."

Nicholas 

These people are immaterial, right?

Tau 

Yeah.

Nicholas 

Yeah, I was just gonna walking through the line.

Tau 

Hynos is at the front, he's gonna say, (higher pitched, bright but sympathetic) "Oh my gosh, you guys died again already? Let me guess was it the Wretched Heretics? Those are a real pain in the butt, you know."

Nicholas 

I stab Hypnos.

Amanda 

(gasps)

Tau 

Do you actually?

Nicholas 

Yeah.

Tau 

Okay, go ahead and roll an attack roll.

Amanda 

(worried) I thought there was no fighting allowed in the House of Hades. No, there's no way.

Michael 

Is there anything that I can roll to assist in the stabbing?

Amanda 

(gasps)

Tau 

Well, you can do something called the help action.

Nicholas 

If I get two attacks, that's a ten and a 12 but they're both really bad. So.

Tau 

You have one with advantage because Arete is helping you. So how do you help him?

Michael 

Because I am so skilled in the style of sword craft, I am going to give some hot tips on the gripping of his hilt. "You want it to be nice and firm in the hand, Alexander but, but you want the fluidity of the motion as well."

Nicholas 

"Of course, yes."

Michael 

"So it's got to be nice and tender as if you're holding a lover."

Nicholas 

"Right." That is a 22.

Tau 

That hits so roll up your damage.

Nicholas 

Seven? You know what I'm gonna make it divine smite.

Michael 

(laughs)

Nicholas 

Great. So I'm going to do it at a second level. So that would be 3d8 and then plus an extra d8 because he's a fiend. Okay, so that's 25. Yeah, so Alexander walked through the crowd standing in line. Hypnos was going off (mimicking) "Oh, did this kill you? Did that kill you?" And with the like, eyes half close, very annoyed, Alexander just picks up his sword

Nicholas 

[SFX: Scrape of metal]

Nicholas 

and stabs right through Hypnos, divine smite.

[SFX: A wet shink as the blade goes in.]

Tau 

"OW! That really hurt. Why would you do that?" He drops his tablet and the tablet shatters on the ground.

[SFX:  Shattering.]

Tau 

And when you do that, Orpheus's music stops playing.

[SFX: Record scratch.]

Tau 

Everybody gasps, all the shades stop and like, just stare.

Giancarlo 

"What? They get to kill us over and over again but we're not allowed to retaliate? Can't even have a conversation with someone before they pull you into black hole of death!"

Tau 

"I don't know what that means. But yeah, it's called an escape attempt. Anyway. So what was that killed you, a black hole of death? Have you tried maybe jumping out of the black hole of death? That's a good idea."

Giancarlo 

"I didn't ask to be here."

Michael 

"Yeah, we're really concerned about our friend Rolf here. I don't think he's meant to be here, you know? he's meant to be in some other Valhalla place or something, he shouldn't be here. It seems like things are falling apart here, Hypnos. I'm not sure you're doing the best job without Zagreus here."

Tau 

He looks really sad. And he goes "I know, have been really trying my best."

Giancarlo 

"Well Hypnos, I actually have some information that could be very useful to you. Regarding the state of things here. However, obviously, we need some sort of help here. We need assistance. So."

Tau 

"You just stabbed me."

Giancarlo 

"No, I didn't stab you, he stabbed you."

Nicholas 

I stabbed you.

Tau 

Yeah, I know. He treats you as an Olympiad.

Nicholas 

Well.

Tau 

It's almost as if the actions of individual members of the Olympiad reflects on the Olympiad.

Nicholas 

"Where is Zagreus anyway?"

Tau 

"Let's see. I saw him pop out of the pool of Styx not too long ago, and it was so weird. I couldn't even see anywhere on a tablet a cause of death."

Nicholas 

"Neither could we actually."

Michael 

"Hold on, Your tablet tells you cause of death? Why were you asking us what killed us? Why didn't you just know?"

Tau 

"It's a bit of an icebreaker."

Giancarlo 

"You can't just say something nice. Like, you look nice today."

Tau 

"You look nice today."

Giancarlo 

"Th-thank you."

Michael 

"It's always about death here."

Nicholas 

I'm gonna pull Rolf aside.

Michael 

(retalitory) Well, Arete is gonna pull Annie aside.

Tau 

When you guys pull people aside, all the shades are still waiting to be processed, but make a... an insight check.

Giancarlo 

That's a 20

Michael 

Arete's insight check was a 6.

Nicholas 

21.

Amanda 

27.

Tau 

Okay, so anybody who got 15 or better on insight, you see Hypnos turn away, kind of just towards the wall. He's on the ground. He's kind of just like kneeling to like put together the pieces of his tablet. And you see his hands shake, you see like some tear drops fall on to the stone tablet.

[SFX: Gentle string music slowly fades in.]

Amanda 

Annie wants to go and help Hypnos "Hypnos, I'm really sorry about that. I think. I know, I think they're just not. I mean, none of us are used to dying, I guess. But they're taking it really hard. And I don't, I don't think they, they didn't mean that. You're doing your best that I think that reflects on you. And clearly something is going on down here. So we can't blame you. But they're not. They're not very good, I think, with processing their emotions just yet. I'm working on it. I'm still, I'm trying to get them there. But that's gonna I mean, you know, that's, they're all, I mean. Hey, but I just wanted to say that on their behalf, on our whole Olympiad's behalf, whether or not they believe it, we're sorry, and keep keep up, keep up the best work that you're trying to do, to the best of your ability. Um. Yeah."

Tau 

At this point, when you're finally up close to Hypnos, you notice that Hypnos's cape is actually a giant weighted blanket.

Amanda 

(small gasp)

Tau 

And he just kind of pulls it tight around himself, and he goes (almost manic) "I don't know what you're talking about, of course, I'm doing my best. I mean, of course, I'm not as good as my brother. And of course, everybody else is so really powerful and strong and can just walk around and zap people. And yeah, you know, it's really funny. I was looking through the tablets and lots of people come through here with toxic masculinity written as their cause of death. But you know, I didn't see it over here. So I didn't think that was gonna be an issue, but I guess it was, sorry. Hang on. A second." And you see him just kind of like hyperventilating and he is like, really, like he like can't catch his breath. And you see, like tears forming at the corner of his eyes, and he kind of just like, clutches his chest and like, he is like having a full blown panic attack.

Amanda 

Yeah. Annie's just gonna, like, not gonna touch him, but like, "Hey, hey, okay. Hey, go ahead and name. Just name five things in the room for me. Just five things that you see."

Tau 

"Let's see. There. There is a giant a three headed dog over in the corner and, um there..."

Amanda 

"Okay, that's one. Or three. One. We'll call it one."

Tau 

"There's a broken tablet at my feet, which I dropped because I'm an idiot."

Amanda 

"Yeah. Okay. Okay."

Tau 

"I'm just over the place."

Amanda 

"Just three more things."

Tau 

"I'm not holding this up like I'm supposed to, like a Cthonic god is supposed to. Um. There's there's screen torches on the on the wall. And I've got my blanket, I've got my blanket," and he tugs the blanket closer to himself. And he goes "And I got my quill. Oh, wait, just kidding. I don't actually see my quill anywhere. I don't know where it is. Have you seen it?"

Amanda 

"I'll help you look for it. But hey, your blanket's really nice. So wha, what do you like about that? What do you like about your blanket?"

Tau 

"I don't know. I-I... Nyx had it woven for me because she said it would help me calm down."

Amanda 

"Does it?"

Tau 

(gulps) "Mhmm."

Amanda 

"Yeah?"

Tau 

"I don't know. Makes me feel like a big fat baby."

Amanda 

"Well, hey."

Michael, Giancarlo, Nicholas<br> 

(laughs)

Amanda 

"That's okay, that's not an issue. Hey, quit it. Stop laughing."

Michael 

Arete's not laughing, Michael is at the pause.

Amanda 

"I don't care. There's nothing wrong with being a big fat baby. Everyone loves a big fat baby. We're all big fat babies at one point and people loved it. We were so cute. And hey, you're you're still really cute."

Michael 

I was a skinny legend, baby. I don't know what you're talking about.

Amanda 

"Alright. Well, I was chubby as heck. And I still am. And that's fine. It's not the point."

Tau 

"I feel like you're focusing on the fat part of the baby, which was really not the point."

Amanda 

"No, I'm not I'm trying, the other two in my head are. There's so many voices in my head, Hypnos. But that's not what we're talking about."

Tau 

"You're telling me (laughs)"

Amanda 

"Hypnos, I swear, you know, yeah, you might be you might be a God, but that we all have our bad days. That's okay."

Tau 

"Yeah, this is this is like, pretty much up there. Like one of the worst days ever. I've never had somebody try to kill me."

Amanda 

"Well, hey, after today is tomorrow, and you never have to do today again."

Tau 

"What even is tomorrow?"

Amanda 

"I couldn't tell you. That's later. Now is now."

Tau 

"No, I mean, it's hard to tell when there's even a--"

Amanda 

"Oh."

Tau 

..."passage of time around here."

Amanda 

"Well, I mean, look, you went from getting stabbed to then right here in this moment. And now we're having a conversation. So we're already past it if you really want to think about it. But hey, again, I'm really sorry, but it seems like you calmed down a little bit. And can I help you fix your tablet? Is there anything I can do?"

Tau 

"I mean, if I wasn't such a klutz, I wouldn't have broken it right?"

Amanda 

"No, no, hey, hey," she's gonna be like look, Hypnos in the eye be like, "Hey, you just got stabbed. Okay. I think that's a pretty fair reaction."

Tau 

"It's my fault. I guess I should just try to avoid getting stabbed, right? Why didn't I think of that, huh?" (laughs)

Amanda 

"No, hey, HEY."

Tau 

He's gonna pull up the various pieces of his tablet and he says, "I gotta go find a way to stick this back together. So sorry, everybody. Sorry for the wait, it's gonna be a little bit longer. Okaybye!"

Amanda 

"It's not your fault!"

Tau 

And then he is going to vanish.

[SFX: Fwoomf!]

Tau 

While all that is happening. We are going to move to the aside and just quickly resolve that. So Rolf and Alexander.

Nicholas 

"Listen, Rolf, I don't think, you don't believe you're supposed to be here. And frankly, I don't believe I'm supposed to be here, either."

Giancarlo 

"Yes."

Nicholas 

"Do you still have that nectar on you?"

Giancarlo 

"I do. I believe we have several nectars actually."

Nicholas 

"I think we can get some answers in the administration room."

Giancarlo 

"You know what? At this point I'm down for anything. I'm (takes a deep breath) I'm sorry, I this is not normally in my nature. But something about this is just really pissing me off."

Nicholas 

"I agree. I only expected to die once and not three times."

Giancarlo 

"We had so many good boons! So many good boons, I thought we were gonna make it and then we die."

Nicholas 

"Oh the gods have failed me by now. I have no sympathy for them."

Giancarlo 

"Well, I got us a little more, um, I got us a key and a little bit of darkness. So at least we'll be a little more power next time but Jesus Christ, man, I don't know who that is. But it just felt like a good exclamation."

Nicholas 

"I don't even want to come to these Hunger Games. I'd rather just get to the heart of the matter."

Giancarlo 

"But no, certainly I-I, look. I wasn't going to stop you because I was a little pissed off too. But I think brute force is not really going to get us any answers. But if you propose using the nectar that might fly a little better."

Nicholas 

"If you'd come with me to the administration, we'll see if we can make our way inside."

Giancarlo 

"Gladly."

Tau 

Is Arete doing anything at this point?

Michael 

Arete did not do well on his insight check. So he just kind of watched Annie talking with Hypnos but he didn't hear and he's just kind of gazing into the middle distance, eyes kind of glazed over, just contemplating death, because he can't contemplate life because that's not a thing anymore for him.

Tau 

Okay, what's Annie doing? You see Arete standing there. You see Alexander and Rolf potentially making their way for the West Wing but you don't know.

Nicholas 

Yeah.

Amanda 

Annie definitely watches them walk away and she hesitates to go after them. But then I don't know she kind of she just she knows that whatever she asked to say to them will fall on deaf ears. And so Anniee's gonna like, try and turn to make her way towards Orpheus.

Tau 

Also of note is Cerberus sleeping next to the giant desk, I should make that clear.

Amanda 

Cerberus hasn't been there, right?

Michael 

He wasn't there the last time.

Giancarlo 

Rolf would like to stop and check in with Cerberus the way to the administration room.

Tau 

Cerberus doesn't even seem to regard you really as if tons of shades go in and out of here all the time.

Giancarlo 

I'm gonna lean in closer but still at a safe distance and go "Alexander, give me a second. I saw Zagreus die, Cerberus."

Tau 

Cerberus just goes (whines).

Giancarlo 

"Do you know what's going on here?"

[SFX: Cerberus whines and lets out a small noise.]

Tau 

It like whines.

Michael 

I also like wine. (fake laugh)

Giancarlo 

"May I pet you?"

Tau 

It just rests its three heads on the ground.

Giancarlo 

Okay, I'm gonna hold a hand out and can I hold roll like insight to see if I can like read if it's...?

Tau 

You can roll animal handling.

Giancarlo 

Okay, I'll roll animal handling to see if it's gonna murder me. Oh 17.

Tau 

You got a sense that only one of its heads likes to be petted.

Giancarlo 

I pet that head um, I have a feeling it's the one all the way on the right.

Tau 

Okay, you pet the one on the right and nothing bad seems to happen but it allows you to pet it.

Giancarlo 

"Good boy. Okay, back to business." And I'm gonna walk with Alexander.

Tau 

Okay, I'm gonna award inspiration to Rolf.

[SFX: Chimelike DING.]

Giancarlo 

Eyy!

Tau 

So Annie, you walk over to Orpheus. Orpheus has stopped playing and he looks very startled.

Amanda 

"Hey, hey, Orph. Did you happen to happen to see all that?"

Tau 

He just kind of distractedly looks up and says "My student." and then goes back down to tuning his lyre.

Amanda 

"Um. Orpheus, I really hope, I know that a lot of people think that because we're an Olympiad and everything that we all, we act as an Olympiad. But, but I just wanted to reassure you that we don't, we do not. What just happened, I didn't like that. And I'm sorry, you had to see that."

Tau 

Orpheus just kind of looks up at you with these sunken eyes, and then just remarks "Hypnos happens to be one of the kindest Cthonic gods I've ever known. He has been witness to many beratings from the Lord of the House of Hades, directed at me and other Cthonic gods and he has always been simply a very positive presence. I will remark that much and it is painful to see people be cruel to him. That is really all I have to say on the matter."

Amanda 

"I know!" Annie is gonna like flop down onto the floor.

[SFX: Thump.]

Amanda 

And sit like crisscross applesauce, because there's no chair next to him. "I know! I don't under- that. He just he just did that. He just stabbed and didn't even talk about it. And no one no one did anything. And I don't I don't I don't understand, Orpheus. And I, I know, you have really helped me in processing emotions and understanding it. But it's like, I can't I don't know. Maybe it's just you're just such a great teacher and person, or God, kind of, um, but I just I don't know what to do. I can't get through to them. There's not-- that..."

Tau 

At this Orpheus says "What I know about floats. Zagreus is he happens to be an excellent judge of character. He gives people chances even when others think they don't deserve them. He sees the best in them. Clearly, when he formed the Olympiads he saw the best in your Olympiad as well. Perhaps there are redeeming qualities to your compatriots. I have yet to see them. But I will trust in his judgment."

Amanda 

"I wouldn't blame you, especially after just now. Oh, I'm sorry. I'll leave you to tuning, and I'm gonna go grab a chocolate milk. Do you want anything?"

Tau 

"That's quite all right. But maintain your studies when you can?"

Amanda 

"Thanks, Orph."

Tau 

He nods, and goes back to tuning his lyre which you get the sense is more busy work than something he actually has to do. So what's happening now who's doing what?

Nicholas 

Before we go, I'm actually going to grab Arete.

Tau 

Okay.

Nicholas 

And hopefully drag him along.

Michael 

Arete was like almost this weird trance kind of staring into that middle distance. It was almost like he went to like a meditative place and he was deep in thought. And then being dragged along by Alexander, that moment when you're like suddenly brought down to earth happens and he shakes his head and he looks around as if he does not remember where he was.

Nicholas 

Alexander grabs his wrist. "Come thief, we might need you."

Michael 

"Yeah, sure, bud, whatever you need."

Tau 

Okay, so Alexander Yeah, you you have your grip on Arete. You're leading him.

Nicholas 

Okay. And then I get back to Rolf and a nod to like head to the administration.

Tau 

You notice the House of Hades is eerily quiet. Like, whatever bustle there was, everyone is just like, it's like everybody witnessed the stabbing and just has to go along like it's normal.

Nicholas 

It's Hades.

Tau 

So like every single one of your steps, just kind of echoes throughout the whole, the House of Hades.

Nicholas 

And we've, okay, I figured that happens on the day.

Giancarlo 

Not not in the house.

Nicholas 

Okay. Do we see down the hall like Achilles in front of the door of the administration?

Tau 

Yeah, you're in the gallery and you see Achilles standing in front of the administrative chamber.

Nicholas 

Okay. And I say, "Wait, here, we may need a distraction. If we do. I'm going to wink at you."

Giancarlo 

"I think I think I'm one of the more charming, Alexander you try talking to him, and if he doesn't, I will try to persuade him using the power of the nector. And if that fails, perhaps Arete."

Nicholas 

"Right. That's, that is my thinking. If he doesn't take the nectar that, we need to lure him away."

Michael 

"Is there a specific distraction you had in mind you'd like me to carry out or is it dealer's choice?"

Tau 

All of your voices are just like echoing off of--

Nicholas 

Even whispering?!

Tau 

--the House of Hades, like your whispers are just like, I mean, you can whisper, but it's like, it's really like I'm trying to emphasize like nobody's making any noise around you.

Nicholas 

Well, all the more powerful distraction, I suppose with a quiet house.

Michael 

Alright. Arete is gonna go ahead and lean on like the wall kind of like near like the entrance of the gallery, I guess is where we were. So I'm going to go ahead and lean on the wall there. He's going to take out La Voix.

Michael 

[SFX: Metal clink.]

Michael 

And he is going to begin to polish and clean his weapon.

Nicholas 

And Rolf and I will walk to Achilles.

Tau 

Alright, yep, he's standing there. Make an insight check.

Giancarlo 

11.

Nicholas 

Seven.

Tau 

Yep, you walk up to him. He's there.

Nicholas 

"We need to get inside." And I nod to Rolf to flash the nectar.

Giancarlo 

Oh, damn, we're going straight for that. Okay.

Tau 

"And you will cut through me to do that?"

Nicholas 

I'll let Rolf speak.

Giancarlo 

"Look, Achilles. Hello, my name is Rolf," and he's going to hold out his hand. (pause) "Okay, don't take it, I assume you're, of course, offput by the commotion that just occurred."

Tau 

"I thought I had taught my students better than to draw a blade in a fight they know they can't win."

Giancarlo 

"Well, perhaps I should have been your student. I have heard tale of your wonderful deeds. And I'm going to be completely honest with you. I don't know why I'm here. I'm much like your student here. I have many questions. And I'm, I'm just finding incredible cruelty in many of the steps of this process. Something is not right. Furthermore," and he's going to do his best to lower his voice at this and he's gonna go. "I know things are falling apart here. I've heard Megara discussing it. I've heard Thanatos discussing it. Furthermore, I know that Zagreus can no longer escape. I saw him die in Tartarus. In a fountain room."

Tau 

His face darkens as you say this as if this is news to him as well.

Giancarlo 

"Most peculiar, and I can tell that you find it odd as well. So. I'm all for peace and harmony, and whatever it is. But if things are going to be falling apart, and you're going to be suppressing it from all of the people here, then something has to change. Of course, we have our goals, and we have our questions that we want answered. But I'm not opposed to helping the House prosper along the way. And we think the best way to do that would be to gain access. Look, I'll be completely honest with you. I came with the intention of trying to bribe you with nectar. However, I think you are far too intelligent to be bribed. So if you want nectar, you know what, I'm happy to give it to you. If nothing else as a thank you for the service you've done for Alexander. But I plead with you, honestly, as someone who's looking for answers."

Tau 

Okay, make a persuasion check with disadvantage, or you can use your inspiration to just make it a regular role.

Giancarlo 

I will make that a regular role. That's a 19.

Tau 

"Not even my dearest friend could get into here without access from the house contractor."

Giancarlo 

(sighs) "The house contractor has not giving me any sort of indication as to how we may go about attaining that. Do you know anything that could help us with these, with these questions, with these problems? Clearly something is falling apart here."

Tau 

"Somebody who could order around the house contractor might be able to commission a contract from them."

Giancarlo 

"So Zagreus."

Tau 

"Perhaps."

Giancarlo 

"Or Hades himself, wherever he may be?"

Tau 

"That's likely."

Giancarlo 

"No one else comes to mind?"

Tau 

"Perhaps mother Nyx."

Giancarlo 

"Good to know. Well, I think it's clear that we have done damage to our image within the House of Hades. And we will have to deal with whatever the repercussions for those are. However, I thank you for your candidness. And I hope that you can see that although our actions are less than perfectly thought out, we do not wish harm upon anyone. That's it, as a thank you for your troubles, I would like to give you this nectar. I really am not trying to gain anything. I just hope that it's something you can enjoy."

Tau 

Achilles eyes Alexander and says, "Is my kin not even man enough to speak to me?"

Nicholas 

"What would you have me say?"

Tau 

He accepts the nectar and he nods. And he says, "What is this? A bribe?"

Giancarlo 

"No, I just told you it's not a bribe. It's a... I suppose it's a thank you for your candidness and a little bit of an apology for the disorder we've, without question, caused."

Tau 

Make a flat persuasion check.

Giancarlo 

18.

Tau 

He kind of sighs and he says "It is not meet to accept gifts without reciprocity. Here." Then he looks down at his wrist and he unclasps a Myrmidon bracer from his wrist and he hands it to you. "I pray that offers you the same assistance it once did my Lord."

Giancarlo 

"It was truly not necessary. But I will graciously accept this. Thank you Achilles."

Tau 

He nods.

Giancarlo 

'Alexander?"

Nicholas 

Alexander will shamefully walk away back to Arete, unworthy to speak to Achilles.

Tau 

He walks away and then Alexander kind of keeps his chin up high, like many times he's had to defend unpopular decisions in his life. But something about just like the way his shoulders are hunched, suggests, like a defensive posture a little bit as you do that. What else happens?

Giancarlo 

"Well, first of all, I think we need to find Annie and speak with her. Although I think next order of business is if we can get anything for the gems, spend the gems. It seems the only way we're going to get access to those documents is through Nyx, Zagreus, or Hades and I propose launching an all means necessary attack to get that. So if we see Nyx around here, we talk to her. Next time we get to cash chariot, we know what to d. Whatever it takes, we find them and we get that access. We have plenty of darkness as well. So I say we make this next round count."

Nicholas 

"Arete, you can turn invisible, yes?"

Michael 

"I can, yes."

Nicholas 

"Does the door over there look--"

Michael 

"Alexander."

Nicholas 

"Look accessible to you?"

Giancarlo 

"I think an attempted break in at this moment, will likely go a long way toward undoing the good we just did in trying to mend the relationship with Achilles. If it comes to that, at a crucial moment, perhaps but I don't think now is the time to resort to such methods."

Nicholas 

"You know what now is a good time for? A drink."

Giancarlo 

"I agree."

Nicholas 

"I would like to have one."

Giancarlo 

"Well then come with me."

Nicholas 

"Alright, well."

Michael 

"You boys enjoy the bar. I'm going to go check on something."

Giancarlo 

(suspicious) "Arete."

Tau 

Okay. All right. Hey, what would you like to check on?

Michael 

Arete is going to first of all walk towards the desk but he's going to look at the contracts on offer to see what they are.

Tau 

Sure. For 500 gems you can unlock something called the Faded List of Minor Prophecies. Additionally, for 500 gems, you can do a fountain room renovation. What that means is that you will be able to take long rest in a fountain chamber as opposed to a short rest.

Michael 

Lovely. Alright, so now I know that we can't afford that stuff at the moment. And then he's going to carry on to the desk. He's going to go behind the desk and see what what what's behind the desk.

Tau 

How tall are you?

Michael 

Arete is five foot 11.

Tau 

You get the sense that it would be hard to search this desk just at a glance because it seems to be a desk made for a giant.

Michael 

Ah.

Tau 

Like it's just it's just really big.

Michael 

Is there parchment and quill around?

Tau 

Yes.

Michael 

Arete would like to take the parchment and quill go to where the first shade in the line is. And Arete would like to do some administrative work.

Tau 

(intrigued) Okay, like what?

Michael 

"Hi there, Mr. shade, the front of the line here, I don't know your name and I don't have a magical tablet to tell me everything. So we're going to communicate the best we can so I can get your records down. So that way when when Hypnos gets back, he'll have a nice little record because it seems like if you need something done and you want something to get done better, you have to do it yourself. So, name please."

Tau 

Okay, so you're going to basically try to log the information of the souls coming through the pool of Styx?

Michael 

Yes.

Tau 

Okay. At that moment, you see Palaestra and Adonis emerging from the pool of Styx.

[SFX: Splashing.]

Tau 

And Adonis goes (coughs) he's like, there's the blood all over him, but he also like coughs up some blood and Palaestra, even though the pool of Styx completely rejuvenated her like she just looks in bad shape. She's just wiping it all off of herself. And she looks exhausted. And they just get in line behind these maybe 20 shades now.

Michael 

Alright, Arete is going to continue to take the records of these different shades.

Tau 

So Annie, what are you doing at this point? You were seeing Alexander and Rolf pass you as they're making their way towards I guess the lounge and you see Arete doing administrative work with shades in front of you.

Amanda 

After Annie talked to Orpheus, she wanted to go to the lounge.

Tau 

Alright, so you hear some rowdiness coming from the lounge and you hear a voice call out "Have at thee, blaggard!"

Giancarlo 

Oh god.

Tau 

As you hear the sound of like a fist connecting with someone

[SFX: WhipTHUMP!]

Tau 

And you see a brawl in the lounge, Ajax the Lesser has just been punched by this very bronzed, very toned man with lustrous platinum blonde hair.

Amanda 

(low chuckle) Annie's gonna see that, note it, and she's just gonna make her way to the bar.

Tau 

(laughs) Okay. You make your way to the bar, you notice that there are actually other people there so you know that one of the other Olympiads is there. Actually. So you notice a bunch of people are there. You know that Nausicaa, Daphne, Icarus and Cinth are all there. You also see Pandaie at the bar just kind of looking disapprovingly at Ajax and this man brawling.

Amanda 

She'll smile and wave at Daphne, Icarus, like that whole Olympiad.

Tau 

Yeah, sure. They're sitting in like a corner. But they're obviously watching all the action. But since you're coming into the lounge, they can look past the action and see you coming in. So yeah, Daphne will wave at you.

Amanda 

But Annie would like to really make her way to the bar and take a seat next to Pandaie.

Tau 

All right, yeah.

Amanda 

And as she does, Annie's just gonna turn to her and be like, "You don't mind me asking this. But how do you how do you how do you deal with it?"

Tau 

"Deal with what?"

[SFX: Atmospheric guitar music.]

Amanda 

Annie is gonna like gesture towards Ajax and who I'm assuming the other is Theseus? "That that whole toxic masculinity kind of thing? How do you I mean, obviously, you're very you know, your, your Heacles's daughter and you've done so much. So you're kind of an well not kind of, you're you, you are a badass so I I'm sorry, it was a silly question. I don't nevermind, nevermind."

Tau 

Pandaie nods and she says, "Only weak men engage in such petty squabbles. Ajax knows that he could never lay a finger on me. Or I would decapitate him where he stood. The only answer is to be stronger than them. Strength is the only currency men like that understand."

Amanda 

"So hypothetically speaking, what if what if, you know, you're not the strongest? Physically, at least. Not that you're not strong... in other areas, but just hypothetically, how do you? Or how would you? I guess."

Tau 

"I'll have to think about it. But are you worried you're not strong enough?"

Amanda 

"No, I'm, well, I mean, I know physically, I'm not the strongest person. But I know, you know, in other areas. I'm, I'm definitely very strong. I-I've, (her voice shakes) I'm very strong," and she kind of like turns away and has to wipe her eyes a little bit because she's definitely tearing up.

Tau 

Pandaie does this thing where she kind of looks around at the kind of the side, that she's she's like, like, this is like, clearly like not her element. She's just kind of like following a script of what she thinks she should do. But she kind of just like holds up her hand to put it on you and then she puts it back down and puts it up again and she just kind of very firmly slaps it on your shoulders. "There, there."

Amanda 

"Ow."

Tau 

"Listen, listen. Bards of the College of Mysteries are legendary. They can bring entire armies of men to their knees with the simple sound of their instrument, with the simple sound of their voice. Your powers are greater than that of any army. I would not worry that you are not strong enough."

Amanda 

"Thank you Pandaie. That's really nice of you to say."

Tau 

She withdraws her hand and says "Good."

Amanda 

"I won't I won't tell anyone that you were... um... supportive, I guess? I don't. I don't know what I didn't mean to put you in that position either. So I know, I know you're not necessarily comfortable with that."

Amanda 

Annie just thinks if Alex was gonna stab anyone, shoulda stabbed him. And then she's gonna order a chocolate milk from the bar.

Tau 

At this moment, Ajax crashes into the two of you.

[SFX: Thump, glasses clink.]

Tau 

You kind of get knocked against the bar and Pandaie stands up and she says "Ajax I swear to God, I will kill you where you stand right now. Cut it out." And he dusts himself off, looking pissed and he just huffs and pushes past the bronzed, platinum haired man and seems to head off towards Zagrius's bedchamber. At that point, the man who was brawling with him says "(scoffs) Ha! That's that with the blaggards." And he puts his fists really proudly on his hips with his elbows square out to his sides and beams as he thinks everybody is clapping and cheering for him.

[SFX: Clapping and cheering.]

Tau 

And some people are but mostly people are like, "Oh my God, thank God that whole thing is over."

Tau 

Okay, you see the head chef stops chopping up some fish and he quickly hustles over to you and accepts your chocolate milk order and then kind of looks around for it a little bit, pulls one out and then drops it up in front of you. He opens it up and he puts in a little straw.

Amanda 

"Thanks, Chef."

Tau 

"Hmm." At this stage, Alexander and Rolf are arriving at the lounge.

Giancarlo 

Is that Theseus?

Tau 

Yes.

Giancarlo 

"Hey Theseus, who killed you this time?"

Tau 

"Ha! Nobody killed me. What are you talking about?"

Giancarlo 

"Why're you here then?"

Tau 

(scoffs) "Well, I--"

Giancarlo 

"Should be starting new posts, aren't you? Hey, I've seen it, I come from the--"

Tau 

"I needed to see how the Wretched Shades were doing. I heard I heard they got killed very recently. So I wanted to see what the competition was like. Looks like they didn't really make much of a dent on me, did they?"

Giancarlo 

"That's what you say every time. You still drinking Sex on the Beaches?"

Tau 

"There's no shame in a Sex on the Beach. It is a highly alcoholic beverage, a higher alcoholic concentration than most beers, alright?"

Giancarlo 

"You are being very defensive of your drink choice. I was asking you a simple question."

Tau 

"Well, clearly this lounge isn't feeling the loss of its old bartender."

Giancarlo 

"Alexander, anyone who wants to talk to you in here?"

Tau 

You also see Annie in there.

Giancarlo 

Oh, yes.

Tau 

You also see the other full Olympiad and you see how Palaestra and Adonis are slowly coming in behind you.

Giancarlo 

Rolf is going to go "Hi, Chef, how's it going?" Just kind of not to start a conversation but like to acknowledge him.

Tau 

(noise of acknowledgement)

Giancarlo 

And then he's gonna walk over to Annie and he sees she already has a chocolate milk and he's gonna say, "Oh, you are? You got one already? Good. Nice."

Amanda 

(slowly slurps her chocolate milk)

Giancarlo 

"Alright."

Amanda 

"That's all you get."

Giancarlo 

Do you say "That's all you get?"

Amanda 

(with attitude) No. But that's all you get.

Giancarlo 

"Alright. I understand. I suppose, when you're ready to talk about what happened, we can talk." And I'm going to go say hi to... I think he's actually going to go talk to Palaestra.

Tau 

Okay, so she's coming in behind us. So she's just trying to massage her muscles and looking kind of down.

Giancarlo 

"How'd your last run go?"

Tau 

"Man, I really thought we had enough boons that we could have really made it all the way out. And then there were all these witches out of nowhere that went bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, and I couldn't get away from any of them. It wasn't fair."

Giancarlo 

"Tell me about it."

Tau 

"It was completely OP."

Giancarlo 

"That's what I'm saying! Well, to be fair, I didn't die there. But that was one shot. I mean, he didn't even get to roll damage. Like what the fuck?"

Tau 

Adonis says, "I think I still have a nosebleed from it." And then he wipes a combination of snot and blood on his face.

Giancarlo 

Oh, and Rolf is going to pull out a little rag and say "Here, use this."

Tau 

"Thanks." so "ACHOO." and he lets off a juicy sneeze. One of his character traits is that he drops a juicy seize on anyone who tries to hand him a cloth. So this has happened in the past. So he takes the cloth and he blows into it, which I'm not going to do again this time because it was nasty.

Giancarlo 

Rolf feels the snot and thinks on his many different casting maneuvers and goes "So that's what it feels like," and shakes it off. "Alright. You guys learn anything cool this time? Anything that might help? I got an infernal arm."

Tau 

(Adonis) "Whoa, really?"

Giancarlo 

"Yeah."

Tau 

"Show me."

Giancarlo 

"Well, I have to go out there."

Tau 

"Okay! Let's go check it out.

Giancarlo 

"Cool. You might have to stop at the mirror real quick?"

Tau 

"Do while we're, it's on the way."

Giancarlo 

"Alright. Yeah, come along, guys. I'm gonna show you my cool thing."

Tau 

So Pandaie is gonna stay with Annie, Palaestra and Adonis will go with you, though. You do feel the gaze of the other Olympiad on you.

Giancarlo 

He's gonna turn around and go "Sorry, I was gonna say hi to you guys. But I am kind of rather excited to see what's up with the infernal arm. You guys want to come?"

Tau 

They kind of just wave off like a pass.

Giancarlo 

"Alright. I'll talk to you guys next time."

Tau 

Alright.

Giancarlo 

(kisses) Mwah!

Tau 

Alexander, do you do anything?

Nicholas 

Alexander's gonna go to the bar.

Tau 

Okay. You see Pandaie and Annie at the bar.

Nicholas 

Can I sit away from them?

Tau 

You can. It's like an L shape so you can sit like on the other end of the L shape.

Nicholas 

Okay, he'll do that.

Tau 

The head chef goes "Mmm"

Nicholas 

"I've been hearing a lot about this Ambrosia. I would like to try that."

Tau 

Okay, make an insight check as it goes. "Mmm"

Giancarlo 

What emoji does he get?

Tau 

The face with the squiggly mouth.

Giancarlo 

(laughs)

Nicholas 

Dirty 20.

Tau 

So you get the sense that Ambrosia is not something that's on offer at the bar however it is sometimes rarely available at the shade broker and also the other Olympiad that's sitting in the corner tends to have it and they bust it out for themselves.

Nicholas 

"Okay, but surprise me, the best thing you have, I suppose. The strongest."

Tau 

It thinks for a moment an dit goes "Mm". And then it puts out a glass and it pours something amber colored into it.

Nicholas 

Okay, Alexander will down that.

Tau 

It is super rich bodied and a little smoky and absolutely delicious. If you want to know what it is you can make a nature check.

Nicholas 

Sure. Let's do a nature check. Five.

Tau 

Okay. You don't know what it is.

Nicholas 

Okay, but he slams a glass down for more.

Tau 

Okay, he pours out more for you. It's delicious.

Nicholas 

And another one down the hatch.

Tau 

Alright.

Nicholas 

More.

Tau 

It goes (worried) "Mm?" and it's showing you the green about to barf emoji.

Nicholas 

It's fine. I can handle it.

Tau 

Okay, it pours you another one.

Nicholas 

Okay, down the hatch.

Tau 

Alright. Make a constitution save,

Nicholas 

There we go. 15

Tau 

You get the feeling that charisma checks you make will be made with advantage as you're feeling very gregarious and friendly.

Nicholas 

(slightly slurred) That was pretty good. Um, and I believe that that Olympiad over there, specializes in this ambrosia. So I'm going to walk over to them.

Tau 

So you see Cinth, Icaras,, Nausicaa, and Daphne.

Nicholas 

"Greetings, friends, I was told you carry Ambrosia."

Tau 

Daphne nods and she kind of plucks a leaf from one of the laurel branches growing off of her. "Oh, yeah, we used to though we kind of ran out and we haven't really had a chance to get any more. Sorry."

Nicholas 

"Interesting. Where did you find this? Ambrosia?"

Tau 

"Oh, we wandered in Elysium."

Giancarlo 

Geez.

Nicholas 

"You've been to it Elysium."

Tau 

"Yeah, yeah. I mean, usually we used to win it from that guy over there. And she points to Theseus, who's just standing still just like beaming with his hands on his hips. "But I think he's bad, relegated to miniboss status. So farming him doesn't seem to be doing the trick anymore."

Nicholas 

(incredulous) "And he used to be in Elysium?"

Tau 

"Yeah, he's like one of the greatest heroes ever."

Nicholas 

"Him?"

Tau 

"Yeah, he killed the Minotaur though. I think maybe last time the Minotaur killed him. Yikes."

Nicholas 

"That's it?

Tau 

"I don't know what you mean."

Nicholas 

He's gonna walk back to the bar.

Tau 

Then you hear Icarus Call out to you and say "Oh, but stay a while. Why don't you stay with us? You're so handsome."

Nicholas 

"Thank you. That makes me feel a little better. Hi, my name is Alexander. King of Macedon, Macedonia, whichever you prefer."

Tau 

Icarus's burned lips curls into a smile "I'm Icarus. Nice to meet you."

Nicholas 

"It is a pleasure."

Tau 

And yeah, he shakes does he shake your hand?

Nicholas 

Oh, if I see the hand I will shake it.

Tau 

Yeah, you shake his hand.

Nicholas 

He shakes a little more enthusiastically now that he's, his judgment is inhibited.

Michael 

Sloshed.

Nicholas 

Yeah. (laughs) Well, okay. So he like, he lowers his posture down, puts his hands up, like, like, he's about to, like, lay down. He's like, "So here's the thing. I-I conquered like all of Persia, right? Like the entire Empire. It's it was, it was no easy task. I swear. I did, I spent most of my, all my life doing it. And, and I, I figured I would be in Elysium by now but I guess not. So I'm here instead. And I don't understand why because I'm just doing the Gods' will. And I feel like I'm being punished for it. And it's bullshit. And then you tell me that man went to Elysium. And it doesn't add up."

Tau 

So at this point, Nausicaa, who's playing with one of her really long, thick braid says, "Well think of it this way. After all, we're the ones who are allowed to escape in the first place. The people in Elysium are stuck there forever."

Nicholas 

"But Elysium was, is is good. isn't it?"

Tau 

At this, Cinth scoffs "Ha! Good? So you'd settle for Elysium?

Nicholas 

"What would--"

Tau 

"You ended up there, you wouldn't even try to leave?"

Nicholas 

"No, if I deserved it. I mean, what is what is in Elysium?"

Tau 

They all look at each other. They kind of look back at you almost with pity and that says, "A lot of chariots, exploding chariots."

Nicholas 

"Exploding chariots."

Tau 

Then Icarus kinda huffs and says, "Don't remind me."

Nicholas 

"Icarus, you. You're here. Well, yes, you, you, you you bit off more than you could chew."

Tau 

(scoffs) "You're telling me," and he kind of looks down at his lips.

Nicholas 

"But I just feel that I'm being punished for doing everything correctly. I made huge strides. I built an entire empire, haven't lost a single battle until, well, until here and I die from disease of all things. And I believe that was the Gods taking me to my to my, what was, what was owed, some sort of reward.

Tau 

Icarus goes "Aww man. That's a real bummer. Would you want to make out about it?"

Michael 

(laughs)

Nicholas 

"Your lips, no offense, but they look like..."

Michael 

Two pillows in the sky.

Tau 

You seem to have really pressed the worst button you could on him and he kind of just shuts down. "Hm Yeah, fine. Oh."

Nicholas 

"Oh no, I would just wanna make sure they healed first."

Tau 

"Yeah, of course. Who would ever want this? Right? Yeah, no."

Nicholas 

"No, wait, I just wanna allow--"

Tau 

He just picks up a glass and starts drinking it.

Nicholas 

"Just wanted to allow them to heal first because they don't look red ready?"

Tau 

"I've come out of this pool a thousand times, I don't think it'll ever heal again."

Nicholas 

"Right. Hm."

Tau 

Daphne looks at Alexander and she mouths (mouth sounds).

Nicholas 

(clears throat) "Yeah, yeah. Back to the bar. It was a pleasure."

Tau 

Alright, go back to the bar. Pandaie and Annie are at the bar.

Nicholas 

Yeah, I'll sit near them again and ask for more alcohol.

Tau 

You get more of that amber liquid.

Nicholas 

Oh, yes. Yummy. Yum. More down the hatch.

Tau 

Okay, make a constitution saving throw.

Nicholas 

19.

Tau 

You feel compelled to go socialize with people.

Nicholas 

"An-An-Anastasia. Anastasia, my darling, dear Anastasia, the child. The prodigy."

Tau 

Pandaie puts her hand on your shoulder again, Annie.

Nicholas 

"I it's not that I find you an incapable warrior, you are much capable, you are capabler than most. However, you are juvenile, child. And sometimes I don't understand you and we have different. We think differently. No disrespect. I just, I just that's what I that's what goes through when I hear you. I mean, look, we're in Hades, right? Supposed to hurt. It's all pain all the time."

Amanda 

(slurps slowly on her chocolate milk)

Nicholas 

"I agree."

Tau 

Okay, I'm gonna give that inspiration.

[SFX: Chimelike DING.]

Tau 

"Imagine being just the instrument of the gods and doing all they say."

Amanda 

"Alex."

Tau 

"And for what?"

Amanda 

"Alex."

Tau 

"Why am I here and not there. And it doesn't make sense."

Amanda 

"Alex ,all you do is focus on your accomplishments and your success. I understand why that's all you would want to focus on. But for whatever reason, you just choose not to think about maybe some failures, or some wrongs that you've done. Maybe just reflect on that."

Nicholas 

"I'm the worst, Annie. I can't look my kin in the eye anymore. I'm descended from Achilles and I've failed him. I've died more than once now and, and, and, and I was too, I was too cowardly to even speak up to Enigmatos. And, and and who was rewarded for it? It was Arete, he gets the reward. But I I'm supposed to be the brave one. I was since a child I was the bravest one. And now I'm not and I was, I can I tell you something, lemme tell you something, alright let me tell you something."

Michael & Giancarlo 

(fails to hold back laughter)

Nicholas 

Shut the fuck up or I'll kill you. "I was really freaked out when I was fighting Iris's goons, something about the thickness and unrelenting spawn of creature after creature and the pain. It gets to you, Annie. You know, it hits you there. Right in, right in the gumption, you know?"

Amanda 

"I have I have a very hard time feeling sorry for you, Alex. And I agree that we're, I know we don't see eye to eye and I know you think I'm just some some kid and that's fine. You can completely just degrade me to that."

Nicholas 

"I wish--"

Amanda 

"But nothing changes. We're in an Olympiad together. And we're stuck to work together. And you know what? There's nothing I can do about it. But."

Nicholas 

"Mhmm.nuch

Amanda 

"Don't don't."

Nicholas 

"That's how I feel."

Amanda 

"And look at you. I-- do they just throw out the Great at the end of some names? Because it doesn't even mean anything. I mean, at least Ajax can own up to the Lesser but the Great? Really? After everything today, no, nothing. Nothing about you is great."

Nicholas 

"I wish I could--"

Amanda 

Annie is getting up from the bar. And she's gonna say one last thing to Pandaie. "Pandaie. I just want to let you know that I don't I don't judge you based off your whole Olympiad and the actions of your Olympiad as a whole. I know you're all individuals and you're all your own people. I would appreciate if you did the same for us. But I wouldn't blame you if you didn't." And Annie's up and and Annie's gonna go to out of the lounge into Zagreus's room and she's just she's leaving.

Tau 

Okay.

Nicholas 

Alexander is gonna turn to Pandaie and be like, "I wish I could see the world through the rose colored glasses that she sees the world because even down here she is the most chipper I've ever met."

Tau 

She's gonna get up and she actually wants to go follow Palaestra and Adonis, who followed with Rolf towards the infernal arms, which is through Zagreus, his bed chamber so she's going to head in that direction a little bit after you to give you space. Arete? Could you please roll for me flat intelligence please.

Michael 

Four.

Tau 

Okay, and roll history for me.

Michael 

Six.

Tau 

You are confident that you have gotten a very accurate record of many of the shades coming in from the pool of Styx. Anything else you would like to do?

Michael 

Yes, I would like to take my records of the people that have been coming through the Styx, and I'm going to head towards the contractor. And when I reach the contractor, I'm going to hold up the scroll and go, "Hey there, I've got some stuff that needs to go to the administrative records. I'm going to go ahead and pop that back there for you. I just need a pass to get in there past Achilles, please."

Giancarlo 

(laughs in delight)

Tau 

Oh, okay. I'm gonna award inspiration for that.

[SFX: Chimelike DING.]

Tau 

Because that's pretty clever. And it's going to wave its hand over a blank piece of parchment. And now you see that there is a new contract available to you on the list of contracts. So for 1000 gems, you can access the administrative chamber.

Michael 

"Ah well, that's all very nice and good contractor. I'm trying to do Hypnos in the administrative team of favor here. I just really need to get in there to drop these records off. I'm going to file them and I'm going to get out. So if you could just give me that contract, please. I'll be on my way."

Tau 

It'll just put out a smiley face and hold out his hand for all of the ones that you just wrote up.

Michael 

"Oh, you're gonna do it. Well, I greatly appreciate you taking the time from your busy day to go back there." And he kind of slaps them in his hand in like a friendly manner like, "Ah, yeah, go team. I guess I'll see around then." And then Arete will go ahead and walk to Zagreus has bedchamber into the Mirror of Night.

Tau 

You're going to get there a little bit after Rolf, Palaestra, and Adonis. So you're there first in Zagreus's bedchamber. Are you passing straight through to the infernal arms, or are you hanging out at the mirror?

Giancarlo 

I think what I was going to do was leave a note because since we're all scattered, I didn't want to spend darkness without the rest of the crew. So I was going to leave a little note that says, "I'm at the arms, come find me." A little heart and then Rolf.

[SFX: Scribbling a note.]

Tau 

Okay, that you had to the arts. Yes, Rolf, you find yourself in the courtyard, the infernal arms are rotating on their axes. You see bones fly everywhere as Ajax is beating the shit out of Skelly over and over.

[SFX: Bones clatter.]

Tau 

"Ha! That's the best you got pal? A lot of you haven't. Sock it to me."

Giancarlo 

I'm gonna let out like a kind of disgusted like, "Huh." And then just keep walking to the infernal arms. Do I see one that kind of looks like a staff of some sort?

Tau 

You do.

Giancarlo 

Okay. And then Rolf is gonna say "I'm not fully sure how this works, but let's give it a shot. Ruyi Jingu Bang, come to me and empower me!"

[SFX: Guitar music comes in.]]

Tau 

Hell yeah. You put the staff up over the shadow of the staff at like overlay those two together, suddenly the staff glows extremely brightly,

[SFX: A  striking, flashing sound.]]

Tau 

And then it floats back to you and it is in a completely different shape. At this point, the staff seems to be quite simple. So it seems to be like a much more plain wooden staff. However, at the top of the staff, you see, the staff basically branches off into this circle that connects again so it makes a large circle at the top and it seems to be a mounted stand for a bell that hangs in the circle.

Giancarlo 

Ooooo

Tau 

And this is called the aspect of Rolf.

Giancarlo 

Love that.

Tau 

So you know that this is called Ruyi Jingu Bang in the ring of gold and now you understand why it might be called the ring of gold.

Giancarlo 

Ah huh.

Tau 

Now what you can do is three times per escape attempt, you can ring the bell as a bonus action. And the next time you cast a spell within that turn, you can impose disadvantage on the save from your spell.

Giancarlo 

Ooo.

Tau 

And you suspect that the original aspect that you found it might also be unlockable eventually, that gold filigree and gems detail, but you don't know how.

Giancarlo 

Yeah and then I think Rolf, after it transforms, he's going to look at it, kind of ring the bell.

[SFX: A deep DING.]

Giancarlo 

And then maybe just try and like twirl it around and do some leg moves with it like mime striking at the air to like, show it off to everyone else.

Tau 

Hell yeah, this bell is just ringing out throughout the entire courtyard.

Giancarlo 

And he's gonna go "Pretty tight. Yeah, thank you Enigmatos. Check it out, y'all. I mean, I can't really kill you with it. But trust me, it's deadly."

Tau 

Palaestra and Adonis look very impressed. And they clap for you just like they did for Pandaie.

Giancarlo 

"Oh, thank you."

Tau 

"Wow, that's really powerful. I only have these," she holds up her fists and the wraps around them kind of look fairly plain. "But sometimes it lets me do this." And she walks up to Skelly and she goes "Aspect of Heartlock!" She unleashes a flurry of blows

Giancarlo 

YES!

Tau 

On Skelly who shatters into a bunch of pieces.

Giancarlo 

"That's very, very cool."

Tau 

Her silver hair like unwinds it just becomes lava flowing behind her and she goes (yells) Yes, Skelly just goes flying everywhere.

[SFX: Bones clatter and crunch.]

Giancarlo 

"I don't know that Skelly did anything wrong, but it really feels like you were dispensing justice just then."

Tau 

Skelly feels great about it for whatever that's worth.

Giancarlo 

"Speaking of Skelly I have this thing," and I'm going to show the bangle that Achilles gave me and he said, "By the way, hi, I'm Rolf. I don't know that I ever fully introduced myself to you."

Tau 

"Nice to meet you mister."

Giancarlo 

"Nice to meet you as well. I've heard many people speak your praises in in the lounge all the time."

Tau 

Is that true?

Giancarlo 

Yes.

Tau 

Okay,

Giancarlo 

Everyone, Rolf knows, because clearly Rolf knows nothing about Grecian culture. Aside from the research he's done, if it's like an individual you can interact with usually it's from tales he recalls from the lounge and so he shows him the bracer. And he's gonna say, "Well, I I'm not fully sure what this does. Achilles gave it to me. I'm gonna pop it on really quick. Do you know what it goes?"

Tau 

"Well,as soon as you put it on, pal, it seems like it's a little bit harder to hit you. For example, if I had to grade on a scale say one to 20 how hard it is to hit you. I would say maybe you get like plus one to however hard it is to hit."

Giancarlo 

"Yeah, I see. All right. Pretty cool, buddy. Thank you for the info. I will leave this on."

Tau 

It requires attunement as does Ruyi Jingu Bang. So you're used to have your attunement slots.

Giancarlo 

Cool. Okay, I'm attuned.

Tau 

Palaestra goes, "Whoa, how did you get that?"

Giancarlo 

"A good friend gave it to me. Well, more of an acquaintance at the moment, but I'm open to become friends at some point. He seems pretty cool."

Tau 

And Adonis goes. "I thought I saw that on Lord Achilles."

Giancarlo 

"Yes, actually, yes, he was the guy. God, I hope I'm not betraying his trust by saying yes, he gave me a little something to help me along the way."

Tau 

"No one said hush hush when you traded it?"

Giancarlo 

"Um, no, it was just kind of an intimate moment."

Tau 

"So he just gave you a bracer out of nowhere?"

Giancarlo 

"You know, we were having a conversation and I asked if he had any tips and so he provided this."

Tau 

Okay, make a deception check.

Giancarlo 

(groans) It's a seven.

Tau 

You say that when he just looks disappointed.

Giancarlo 

"Alright, look, just don't go around flaunting it. But you know, I traded him. I gave him a little present. And he felt compelled to give me something in return. It was not the aim of giving him a present. But you know, when they go around abusing the friendship, and I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lie to you it I just felt a little uncomfortable or put on the spot."

Tau 

Palaestra goes "Wow. I'm so glad that everybody around here is forming such powerful friendships. Makes me feel a little left out."

Giancarlo 

"Oh, I'm your friend. Would you like a drink?"

Tau 

What do you offer?

Giancarlo 

"Yeah, well, you know, I've got the hook up to the lounge. If I see you around, and I could I could always remember to bring you a little something, I like to give people gifts."

Tau 

"I'll pass on the pity drinks. Thanks."

Tau 

Okay. Annie, you are at the mirror. You see a little note on the desk that says "Went to go check out the infernal arms, come find me heart." And then you see that on Zagreus's desk. you also see a big crack at the Mirror of Night as if somebody punched it.

Amanda 

(gasps) Annie's gonna go up to the mirror and just like touch it as gently as she can be like, "Who hurt you?"

Tau 

The mirror doesn't answer, but it does seem to function as normal. So do you want me to read you off what you can do with the mirror?

Amanda 

Sure. Yeah.

Tau 

So you have one rank in gaining proficiency in a skill or proficiency in a saving throw, which you've already unlocked. But that has another rank that you can add to it. For 500 darkness you can increase an ability score by two or gain some flipped benefit that you don't know about. And then for 700 darkness you gain something called death defiance, which means that if you're reduced to zero hit points, you instead come back with one max hit dice worth of your HP plus your constitution modifier. You also see two slots that you could unlock with three keys or five keys.

Tau 

I guess I'll just have to wait for the rest of my Olympiad to get here so that we can make a decision all together even though a lot of us are just making rash decisions without consulting the rest of the group and not thinking about how it may look for the rest of the group. But whatever. It's fine.

Tau 

Make a perception check.

Amanda 

Oh, that's a critical failure.

Tau 

Okay.

Amanda 

Damn it. Alright, Annie's just gonna take a seat on Zagreus's bed, just wait.

Tau 

It's comfy.

Amanda 

I bet.

Tau 

Though the moment you sit on the bed you kind of have this thought in your head that says "No time for rest just yet." But you can still sit on he bed. Alexander and Arete, can you remind me what you're doing?

Nicholas 

Gettin' drunk!

Tau 

Okay, make a constitution saving throw.

Nicholas 

14.

Tau 

You are compelled to go hang out with your Olympiad.

Nicholas 

God dammit.

Tau 

Arete, what are you doing?

Michael 

I was on my way to the Mirror of Night.

Tau 

As you walk in to the mirror, you see Pandaie sneaking behind Annie just trying to get through to the infernal arms without disturbing her.

Michael 

"Hi there Pandaie."

Tau 

She just like walks out.

Michael 

"Hey there, Annie."

Amanda 

"Hi."

Michael 

"How are you?"

Amanda 

"I'm I'm okay, I'm fine."

Michael 

"Did you have a chocolate milk?"

Amanda 

"I did have a chocolate milk and it didn't (sighs) it didn't fix everything but I can't can't rely on chocolate milk to fix all my problems, right?"

Michael 

"I mean, no, but it's certainly a good place to start, right?"

Amanda 

"Yeah, that's why I do it."

Michael 

"So you checked out the mirror. Did you see anything that caught your eye?"

Amanda 

"Yeah."

Tau 

You also noticed a big crack in the mirror.

Michael 

"Did you also vent your frustrations on the mirror there?"

Amanda 

(gasps at the thought) "No, do you really think I, I, hey."

Michael 

"I don't know our Olympiad has quite the reputation in the House of Hades now."

Amanda 

"I know!" And Annie's gonna, like, throw her fists..

Tau 

(to Michael) Okay, you helped with that. Let's just be very clear.

Amanda 

Yeah, thank you, God, and she's gonna turn towards Arete and be like, "Hey, you, you were no help in that situation. And I look, I don't, I don't think we should be judging people based on the actions of an individual. You know."

Michael 

"I agree."

Amanda 

"Like, I shouldn't judge the Olympiad as a whole because they're all we're all our own separate people clearly. As we all know that as they had to be been forced to work with each other, or try to at least, not succeed very much."

Michael 

"I mean, all things considered, I think we've done a pretty good job working together."

Amanda 

(aggressive) "Yeah?"

Michael 

"Sure we've hit our bumps here and there."

Amanda 

"Was stabbing Hypnos, a bump, do you consider that a bump?"

Michael 

"This is certainly one very large hurdle that we all have to overcome. But, you know, if we continue to press on together, I don't think there's any challenge that we can't overcome."

Amanda 

"Yeah, I'd I'd really like to agree with you Arete. I thought the same at first and I still I still do course I do. But right now--"

Michael 

"You know, I just had the most interesting idea. You're a musician. So I think maybe now that we have this like really interesting reputation about us, you should write like an album or something and call it 'Reputation.' I think that would be like a really big hit in the Underworld. I think it'd be a big a big seller for you. I'm sorry, the old Annie is dead."

Nicholas 

Uggggghhhh.

Tau 

(smiling) She goes "Ooo, look what you made me do" and thunder waves.

Michael 

(laughs then calms down) "But um, so you were checking out that? Did you see anybody in here before you that would have cracked the mirror there?"

Amanda 

"It's probably Ajax."

Michael 

"Yeah, he is a son of a gun, isn't he?"

Amanda 

"He's not my favorite person in the world. But at least he lives up to his name."

Michael 

"I'm sure that, um, after what I did back there, I'm not one of your favorite people either. I know that apologizing doesn't erase what I did, but I am. I am sorry. "And then he also casts his eyes up to the gods and he's like "Hypnos, I don't know how everything works with you guys up there on the pantheon of gods and such, but, uh, if you can hear me, I'm sorry. You're doing a great job. After I did that administrative work, I understand that it's no walk in the park."

Tau 

Yeah, make a religion check.

Michael 

That would be a 15.

Tau 

Okay.

Amanda 

"Well just so you know, Hypnos is just as stuck down here as we are. So next time you consider stabbing him or something..."

Michael 

"I should offer for him to come with us so he can escape as well."

Amanda 

"Well."

Michael 

"I was also thinking the same thing, Annie. We can all escape together."

Amanda 

"Yep, that's exactly what I was gonna say."

Michael 

"There's strength in numbers."

Amanda 

"Yep. That's, that's it. Ya got it."

Michael 

"Anyway, why don't we buy this death defiance thing? That seems like a pretty good thing that I think we saw that the last time we were here, but I don't think we had enough money."

Tau 

At that moment, Alexander swaggers into the room.

Nicholas 

"Oh, what the fuck are you?"

Michael 

"Hi there, Alexander. You okay, bud?"

Nicholas 

(snorts) "Yeah, here's a question. Is that a bed? Move over. I'm gonna lie down."

[SFX: Flops on the bed.]

Tau 

You get this sense of urgency like you just don't have time to rest.

Nicholas 

"Oh, you know what? I should go die again. First. I'll feel good. Maybe sober up a bit." Oh, and then he sees himself in the mirror and he's like, "Not bad. Not bad at all."

Tau 

You see like a funhouse mirror reflection of yourself through the cracked glass.

Nicholas 

"Wow. I look like a lute. I've got thick hips and a skinny head and, wow, what's going on here?"

Michael 

"We were just thinking about getting some death defiance from the mirror. Potentially."

Nicholas 

"We're doing that now aren't we?"

Michael 

"I mean, we defied death every day here in Hades.

Nicholas 

"Here in Hades. Yes. So you're going to pay for something you already have?

Amanda 

"Well, the death defiance just once we die we regain a bit of health so we don't die die."

Michael 

"Oh, it's like an additional buffer."

Amanda 

"It's like a second chance kind of within the same run."

Nicholas 

"A second chance, a second chance within a second chance. Or would it be the third chance? Or fourth? Which run is this? Who am I?"

Michael 

"I'm glad you had someone there to do the math for you in your life, bud. So I guess we'll just sit and wait for Rolf."

Tau 

You see the note that Rolf left saying to come find him.

Nicholas 

I'm gonna go meet the old man then.

Giancarlo 

"Alexander!

Nicholas 

"Rolf. Ruff, ruff. He's like a dog" (laughs)

Giancarlo 

"Too much wine?

Nicholas 

"Was that what it was?"

Giancarlo 

"Have you seen the rest of the Olympiad?"

Nicholas 

"Yeah, they're, oh. Shit. Arete and Anastasia are in the bedroom."

Giancarlo 

"Oh, no." And Rold runs into the bedroom.

Michael 

They come in and Arete and Annie are playing patty cake.

Amanda 

"Bold of you assume that I would engage in a game of patty cake with you at this moment. Arete."

Tau 

"Yeah, patty cakes for kids."

Amanda 

"No, I love I love a good game of patty cake right? I'm just a little upset right now."

Michael 

Well, Arete is playing patty cake by himself.

Giancarlo 

With the mirror.

Michael 

Yes, he's playing patty cake with his reflection in the mirror. There we go.

Amanda 

"As you should."

Giancarlo 

Rolf sees and he says, "You're so good. You're in perfect sync."

Michael 

"Thanks, bud. Death defiance? Does that sound good to you?"

Giancarlo 

"Yes, please."

Michael 

"Great." And then with that on like one of his patty cake slaps to the mirror, he'll say "Death Defiance, please."

[SFX: An undulating woosh.]

Tau 

You dropp 700 darkness crystals into the mirror. And now each of you has something called Death Defiance. Which means once per run when you are reduced to zero hit points, you instead come back with one max hit dice of your HP plus your constitution modifier.

Giancarlo 

Can we see what the opposite side is?

Tau 

So the way the opposite side works is, it works for every room once.

Giancarlo 

Holy shit.

Michael 

Did we have to do, like besides just like flipping the mirror, is there anything, like, does that require more darkness to purchase that? What's the deal with that again?

Tau 

So with Death Defiance, the base ability, you can have multiple death defiances. So it's really good, for example, if you were in a boss room, and you know, you're going to be brought down multiple times, right? Because you can buy more ranks of regular Death Defiance. The flipped benefit, it works at least once in each room. So if you think you're going to die once at each room, it's really good for that. But if you think you're going to have a really tough time versus somebody who does a lot of damage to you, you're not going to get as much benefit from it because it only activates once.

Giancarlo 

"Wow, let's let's flip that shit, baby."

Michael 

And I flipped that shit.

Giancarlo 

"Um. Cool. Does anyone have anything else they want to do? Are we ready to go try again?"

Michael 

"I can tell you right now we don't need to go to the house contractor. Everything's still too expensive. There's two things for 500. And then I was able to get access to the administrative records for 1000 gems, but we are not anywhere near close. So let's not fret or dwell on the past."

Giancarlo 

"Well, then let's focus on getting some more gems. In case we do end up here, we can get a good benefit, yes?"

Michael 

"Quite agree."

Nicholas 

"Yeah."

Giancarlo 

"Alright. Listen, I don't I definitely don't want to die again. But I feel like we really screwed the pooch by losing all those incredible boons. So we'll see how this one goes. I'll try not to get so angry when I die."

Michael 

"Same."

Giancarlo 

"I just really, for someone who lived in a warrior society and died of old age, I certainly didn't expect to fall in combat so many times."

Nicholas 

"How did you die? And by the way, Rolf?"

Nicholas 

"He just said of old age."

Nicholas 

"No, I mean, the last run, I wasn't around to watch."

Giancarlo 

"Oh, yes. I don't know if I told you guys. I got an infernal arm," and I hold up the staff.

Amanda 

(gasps)

Michael 

"Oh wow."

Nicholas 

"Shiny."

Giancarlo 

"I did like three rooms or something without you."

Nicholas 

"Huh."

Giancarlo 

"And then, which again, surprises me, I always think I'm going to die first. But I don't know. Just seeing you guys die again. I didn't know too many people who died violently like that. And every time I see it, it disturbs me pretty deeply. And it activated something that I didn't even know I held within me. But I guess it motivated me enough to continue. I hung out with Enigmatos I got this thing. And then finally I made it to Megara again, but this time Thanatos was there."

Michael 

"Oh."

Amanda 

(gasps)

Giancarlo 

"And he he one shot like just instant killed me. I didn't even get to really do anything really about that."

Michael 

"That seems very well balanced."

Nicholas 

"So you're saying you're saying there's no point."

Giancarlo 

"Um, I mean, if there were multiple others, maybe some of us would have escaped the death hole. I-- let's say I had to roll a die. I do think I rolled rather poorly. Also. I mean, as we learn, they do rounds. I think he might have just been there because of what we did. Hopefully he won't be there all the time."

Amanda 

"I hope he's there all the time."

Giancarlo 

"I'll be I'll be real with you. My tactic was, I was going to try to negotiate my way out of the room using the whole Zagreus thing. So now they know. And I didn't get anything good for it. So sorry there guys, I I guess I wasted all leverage. But maybe they'll be a little scared now. I don't know."

Michael 

"Could be who knows. And I'm sure that Thanatos will be very happy with how we treated his twin brother earlier. So I think that's not going to come back to bite us in the butt whatsoever."

Amanda 

(groans) "Oh, no."

Nicholas 

"Oh, you mean Hypnos."

Giancarlo 

"Here's something I learned about my life. Here's something I learned during my life. You cannot dwell on the mistakes. You can only try to correct them."

Amanda 

"Have you thought about how you're going to correct them at all?"

Nicholas 

"I thought it was worth a shot. See what happens."

Amanda 

"You know, you're you you're..."

Amanda & Michael 

"You're drunk."

Nicholas 

"Oh, sorry. I guess now I'm Alexander the Grump."

[SFX: Womp womp.]

Amanda 

"You always were."

Michael 

"Alexander the Drunk. That's that's what you are."

Giancarlo 

Please update your character sheet.

Nicholas 

I'm now the grump. I'm gonna go talk to the skeleton.

Tau 

Make a group perception check.

Giancarlo 

15.

Michael 

Eight.

Nicholas 

Natural 20.

Amanda 

14 for Annie.

Tau 

Okay, you hear a little clatter in the corner of the room on the opposite end of the mirror.

[SFX: Metallic clatter.]

Tau 

As you see some baubles fall onto the ground a little beads roll around the floor. And you hear (breathey exhale).

Giancarlo 

"Is that Dusa?"

Amanda 

"Hey." Is it Dusa?

Tau 

You see a little head with snakes on it float out from behind a chest. (slight valley girl accent) "I am so sorry. I really didn't mean to interrupt and I definitely wasn't eavesdropping. I was just already in the middle of cleaning here. And then somebody came in and punched a mirror and then you know you guys came in here and they're just they're just never really seemed a good time to leave."

Giancarlo 

"Oh it's alright, Dusa. Hello, I'm Rolf. I've seen you cleaning around the lounge. I don't know if you ever took notice of me at all. But nice to meet you."

Tau 

"Ni-yeah, hi! "

Amanda 

"Hi Dusa, I'm Annie."

Tau 

"I really like your music."

Amanda 

"Oh, thank you so much Dusa, that means a lot coming from you."

Michael 

"She's got a great album called 'Reputation.' It's gonna be amazing."

Amanda 

"Stop it. Stop it. Stop the name of it."

Tau 

"I knew you were troubled when you walked in."

Amanda 

Ahhh (laughs)

Michael 

I award inspiration to Dusa.

[SFX: Chimelike DING.]

Michael 

"My name is Arete. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I've seen you around, I... I see you."

Tau 

"Oh, I'd really prefer not to be seen or heard. I'm really sorry about that."

Michael 

"Speaking of being seen and heard, who punched the mirror, Dusa?"

Tau 

"Oh, there was that really big guy. He was really angry. That was the one who beats up on Skelly all the time?"

Michael 

"Ajax the Lesser?"

Tau 

"Yeah."

Giancarlo 

"Hey, Dusa, you like nectar?"

Tau 

"Oh, my gosh, I don't know why you would ask that I'd be. Well, I wouldn't even know it's not like anyone's ever, ever offered me any so like how could I even know?"

Giancarlo 

"You want to find out?"

Tau 

"Oh my gosh, I think I could like get a lot of trouble for that."

Giancarlo 

"I won't tell anyone. As long as you don't."

Tau 

"Oh gosh, this is awkward." So are you offering her the nectar or no?

Giancarlo 

I'm trying to see if she's interested. Because if she doesn't want it, I won't give it to her. But.

Tau 

Almost everybody is interested in nectar. But you can't like re-con it out people. You offer it or you don't.

Giancarlo 

I'm gonna look to the rest of the group just to make sure no one's going to be like violently upset that I gave away a second nectar.

Amanda 

Do it.

Giancarlo 

Annie says do it. And I go "Yeah, yeah, look."

[SFX: Bottle clinks.]

Giancarlo 

"I've got one right, here. You wanna drink some? Here you go."

Tau 

"Oh, my gosh, thanks." What a very little snakes goes and wraps itself around the neck of one of the bottles or takes it, she says, "Oh, wow, I used to get a lot of these from Lord Zagreus once. It was almost uncomfortable. I'm not really good at turning these things down either. But I will make sure that this is safely kept. Thank you." It almost looks like the weight of the nectar is almost like dragging her down. Like she needs to like let off some weight. And so she goes, "Oh, right. I'm supposed to give you something right? I have a bunch of these. So why don't you take this off my hands," and then one of her snakes offers you a feather duster that she was holding.

Giancarlo 

I take it between two fingers and say "Thank you."

Tau 

It is a beautiful feather duster. You see these opalescent and rainbow colored feathers coming off of it that you recognize to be from harpies.

Giancarlo 

"Ah very cool." I'm gonna whisper to the group. "I got this little something from Achilles. Alexander, you were there. I hope you don't mind, I put it on. Sorry, but anyone want to feather duster?"

Amanda 

"I'll take it!"

Giancarlo 

"Here you go."

Amanda 

"Thank you."

Tau 

Okay, so now that you're attuned to the Harpy feather duster, the way it works is whenever you find gems darkness or obols you find 20% more.

Amanda 

Oh, word.

Giancarlo 

"Well, thank you very much, Dusa."

Tau 

"Thanks. I hope you guys do well out there. I'm really big fan."

Michael 

"Aww, thank you."

Tau 

"Anyway, I just heard some glass break out there. So I think I have to go fix that." And then she runs out to where Alexander came in from to go clean up his mess.

Giancarlo 

"Oh, does anyone have anything else they want to do? Or shall we head once more into the breach?"

Amanda 

"I- never mind. Let's just go."

Giancarlo 

"What's up? What's up Annie? Go."

Amanda 

"No, I was just gonna ask if next time we grab a nectar if you wouldn't mind if I if I gave one to Orpheus at some point, it doesn't have to be right away. It doesn't have to be you know..."

Giancarlo 

"Annie, we we have a third. I'll be honest with you. Arete you know, I'm interested in giving one to a certain someone but."

Amanda 

"No! Rolf, you had mentioned that before I and you said it first. So I don't want to."

Giancarlo 

"I do feel a little bad. I gave two away today. So if you want to take it then by all means,

Amanda 

"I mean, I agreed with the Dusa one. So it's okay. I just, you never know when you're gonna come across Chaos. Whereas with Orpheus, I always know where to find Orph."

Giancarlo 

"I guess that makes sense. So as whatever nectar we get on this run. If we end up back here, we'll save one for Orpheus."

Amanda 

"I do have one question though. You said that you had given some information to Megara and Thanatos. What did you say?"

Nicholas 

"Zagreus is dead."

Amanda 

"Were you there, Alex?"

Nicholas 

"That's what he told them."

Michael 

"He relayed that information to us earlier, dear. That's why he knows that."

Nicholas 

(mocking high pitched voice) "Maybe you should pay attention when people are talking."

Tau 

(laughing) Is that your Annie impression?

Nicholas 

"I'm Anastasia." Okay, I'm gonna go talk to the skeleton. He looks cool.

Amanda 

Annie's leaving. Annie's gonna get up and she's gonna go out the door into the courtyard and through the portal.

Nicholas 

I'm making my dramatic exit FIRST, so let me move first.

Amanda 

Yeah, Annie goes through the portal.

[SFX: Portal swoosh.]

Tau 

Okay, Annie. You were through the portal. You go up to Skelly, Alexander?

Nicholas 

Yeah. Is someone beating on him or like what's he up to?

Tau 

You see, Ajax has since cooled off a little bit so he's just eyeing the infernal arms and kind of swatting at them trying to get them from their shadowy pedestals

[SFX: Smoky whiffs. Low bass notes.]

Nicholas 

"Hello, skeleton."

Tau 

"Or you can just call me Skelly."

Nicholas 

"Skelly. I just noticed last time you were being beat upon by that oaf over there."

Tau 

"Yeah, you want a turn?"

Nicholas 

"Yeah! Sure. May I?"

Tau 

"Come on. Let me have it."

Nicholas 

"Oh, okay." And he swings a sword down on Skelly.

Tau 

Okay, make an attack roll.

Nicholas 

18.

Tau 

Okay, that certainly hits.

Nicholas 

Okay, uh 10.

[SFX: Bones clatter.]

Tau 

You see a bunch of bones of his fly away and he goes, "Come on. And they call you Alexander the Great."

Nicholas 

"Well, I'll be honest with you. Lately, I don't feel very great," as he's saying this. Like he's having a nonchalant conversation but he swings his sword like a baseball bat to knock off his head off of Skelly.

Tau 

Okay, make an attack roll.

Nicholas 

Ooo, a natural 20

Tau 

Okay.

Nicholas 

That is 14. So he's like "Yeah, I actually don't feel very great to be honest."

[SFX: Thwack.]

Tau 

Okay, so you've seen Skelly's skull go flying. And then you see it slowly trying to like hop its way back to where you are at and the bright hot pink lights in its eye sockets are looking up at you as it's still talking as the skull is hopping towards you, it's going "I know what you're trying to do here, you're trying to talk through your feelings but that's not going to do. You got to let it out. You got to just hit, that's the only way."

Nicholas 

(laughs) Alexander like puts his foot on the skull like to stop it from hopping and he's like "Oh, okay, well if you insist," and he gets ready, he makes like a golf stance with his sword like he grips it like you would a golf club. And he gets the perfect stance and he's gonna swing and try to swing his head like he's hitting a golf ball.

Tau 

Make this with advantage because he's technically prone.

Nicholas 

25.

Tau 

Roll damage.

Nicholas 

11 damage.

Tau 

Okay, you swat him against one of the really tall statues against the courtyard.

[SFX: Clunk and clatter against the stone.]

Tau 

He falls back down and he goes "Finally, you started to hit like a man. If only you could do that consistently."

Nicholas 

"Wow. That feels a lot better. I think I'm okay. I don't think you can die."

Tau 

"Who cares if I could die you wouldn't even be able to find out."

Nicholas 

"Yeah."

Tau 

"You hit like a Philistine."

Nicholas 

I want to try and skewer his skull on this on the sword.

Tau 

Okay, make an attack roll.

Nicholas 

19.

Tau 

Okay, yeah, that hits.

Nicholas 

Nine but my goal is to have it stuck on the sword.

Tau 

You skewer his skull onto the swords and he goes "Making kebabs are you? Missing your international travels back when you were living, before you kicked the bucket for I don't know a cold?"

Giancarlo 

Oof.

Nicholas 

I throw the sword with him on it into the portal.

Tau 

"Okay, whoa, hang on, hold on. Hang on a minute Ahhh!"

[SFX: Portal swoosh.]

Tau 

Your sword is gone and Skelly is in the portal.

Nicholas 

Sweet. And then I walk in the portal after him.

[SFX: Portal swoosh.]

Michael 

Arete, having watched all of that, will also enter the portal.

[SFX: Portal swoosh.]

Tau 

Okay.

Giancarlo 

"That was a lot." And I walked in.

[SFX: Portal swoosh.]

Tau 

You have just experienced your second crushing defeat and you think about all the adventures you've got on this time from the Oubliette and seeing Nemesis torturing Axion on that permanent, infinite, eternal, burning wheel. You think about having seen Tantalus starving and dehydrated and how he was begging for mercy from Eleos. You contemplate those two extremes of suffering and how you've moved between them and you wonder if either of those fates could be yours as you... begin your next escape attempt.

[SFX: Closing music.]

Tau

ROGUE RUNNERS Volume 1: In the Blood, stars our players Nicholas Benetatos as Alexander the Great, Amanda Facosta as Anastasia Pantazis, Giancarlo Herrera as Rolf Yannik, and Michael Pisani as Arete Laskaris. Dungeon Mastering and NPC voices are by me, Tau Zaman. Cover art by Chandler Candela. Sound design and editing by Giancarlo Herrera. Title music by Sage G.C., with vocals by Jessica Dahlgren and Sage G.C. Character theme music by Giorgio Volpe. Additional music by Epidemic Sound. Transcription by Eli Barraza.

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Lastly, if you’re a fan of ROGUE RUNNERS I just know you’re going to love our friends over at Rogue Dialogue Productions, who make Forgive Me! Forgive Me explores the intertwined lives in Father Ben’s new community and the funny, sad, and sometimes painful experiences that come out of confession and the Catholic experience. It is HILARIOUS, so sharply written, and full of so much heart. You can tell it’s a labor of love. Really. Stick around for a trailer right after this.

Get ready to run with us next week; new episodes drop every Friday. ‘Til next time, sinners. I’ll see you in hell.