Volume 1: In the Blood Ep. 14 - Titanomachia
TRANSCRIPT - In the Blood Ep. 14 - Titanomachia
Tau
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[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. Here it is folks, the season 1 finale of ROGUE RUNNERS Volume 1: In the Blood. We hope you like it and help us out as we put together Season 2. It’s already fully recorded and we’re hard at work getting it to you. Please consider supporting us at patreon.com/roguerunradio and hyping the show in the off-season on twitter and instagram, where you can find us @ROGUERUNradio.
[SFX: Title music. Then gurgling, bubbling of being under water.]
Tau
Okay, so now, here's what happens. You feel like your soul is boiling and being ripped in a million different directions and you keep expecting to emerge from the pool of Styx. And it's just not happening. And it's the feeling of you know, when you're in a bad nightmare, and you keep saying I know I'm in a nightmare, just wake up. And you think you're waking up but you're like still in the nightmare and you like no matter what you do to try to get yourself out of it, you are still in that nightmare? That is the feeling that you're having over and over again for hours and hours as you were trying to emerge from the pool of Styx. And then through many, many feet of liquid you start to hear noise.
[SFX: Deep echoes of metal on metal heard distantly through the water.]
Tau
You hear clashes of blades, you hear whips cracking, you hear peals of thunder blasting through the halls of Hades. And then finally you emerge.
[SFX: Splash.]
Tau
And you see blood everywhere. On the floor, on the walls, on the ceiling. There are no Wretched Shades in line waiting for court anymore. You only see Achilles, panting, on his knees. With his spear in his hand, he uses it to force himself to stand again. Next to him, Orpheus stands at his full height, his hair frazzled with electricity in all directions.
[SFX: Ethereal, haunting plucked string music.]
Tau
His strings still vibrating with the power of thunder that he has just unleashed in the Hall of Hades. What do you do?
Amanda (Annie)
"What the shit."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
Rolf runs up to them and says "What's happening here?"
Tau
(Orpheus) "I don't understand. They're awful, awful shades. Something something terrible happened to... I don't even know how to begin to put it into words." And then Achilles finally gets his breath back and he says "Something's not right. The pool of Styx, lad, it's supposed to it's supposed to bring people back at their at their full health at their full state of sound mind--"
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Hollow versions, yes, that attack."
Tau
"Yes. We just saw Megara just emerge from the pool. Sorry, Lady Megara just emerged from the pool, but she was not herself. She unleashed all manner of violence upon all of us. We had to evacuate the shades. We did everything we could to stop her and we just finished combat with her. But it was it was deeply unsettling. She's now in the pool again."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"We just encountered the same with Arete."
Tau
"That one right there?" And he points to Arete.
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Yes."
Michael (Arete)
Arete waves. "That's me. Hi. I don't have any recollection of this." (an aside) But uh, I'm not supposed to have any recollection at this point?
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"I assumed you didn't. But yes, you felled me in a battle. And I'm assuming you then killed the others seeing as they're here as well."
Amanda (Annie)
"Well, no Rolf, you actually, you killed me."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"What?"
Amanda (Annie)
"Yeah, you came back as soon as Arete took care of you. You came back and you you killed me."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"I don't remember that."
Amanda (Annie)
"Why, well, uh, I wouldn't expect you to. I'm not mad. I'm just saying yeah, you you did that."
Tau
Orpheus at this moment gives Achilles a grave look and Achilles nods. And he says "So none of you remember emerging from the pool either?"
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"No, it felt like we were boiling, stuck for hours."
Tau
Orpheus wipes the tear from his eye and says "It caused me great pain to have to strike you down, my student."
Michael (Arete)
(gasps)
Amanda (Annie)
(surprised) "Oh."
Tau
"But I am beyond relieved that you have emerged whole once more."
Amanda (Annie)
"Yeah, me too."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Where is Hypnos?"
Tau
Achilles looks around. "I haven't seen him, he wasn't even here holding court."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Has he returned since the incident?"
Tau
"He's probably elsewhere at the House of Hades. I can go try to find him if you need?"
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"I have a working theory here. We've been seeing the Styx growing higher and higher. I think Hypnos has been given too many responsibilities. He hasn't been able to process all the souls coming through, leading the Styx to overflow. There must be some remnant of us who're probably using pieces of ourselves each time we die and they're forming into these unholy shades. Something along those lines. I think he's been he's just been given too much work. I don't quite know how to rectify this, I think finding Hypnos might be our next best action."
Tau
Orpheus's brow furrows, then he thinks for a moment and bites his lip and says, "Do we really think administrative duties are so deadly if left unattended to?"
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Well assume you know, every time we die, we explode into a giant pool of blood. And then we come out of that pool. If you are not bailing the pool out fast enough, it will overflow and sure enough, in our very first room, the river did overflow, it hurt us."
Nicholas (Alexander)
Can Alexander sprint to administration while they're talking?
Tau
You can try to sprint past Achilles, he's going to try to stop you.
Nicholas (Alexander)
Okay. Well, I'll go until he I guess, like stands in my way or whatever.
Tau
He puts out his spear in front of you and says "Stay a moment, lad."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Achilles, I mean, I don't know how accurate my theory is, but it's the best I've got. And I think right now is not the time for red tape."
Tau
Make a persuasion check with advantage.
Giancarlo (Rolf)
Okay, that is a 17. And I'm going to expend my bardic inspiration on that.
Amanda (Annie)
Nice!
Giancarlo (Rolf)
For 21.
Tau
"You make a very compelling case, lad, but in times of crisis, we cannot let all protocol go by the wayside. We are trusted to hold the house. That is what we must do." And he looks to Orpheus and Orpheus solemnly nods. "I understand that you have many questions you wish to have answered and certainly we do as well. But right now, people are in danger. They are rattled, they feel uncertain. For in this one brief moment that the House of Hades has calmed, let us try to return things to some semblance of peace. We can try to find answers later."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Well what, what is your theory? If we don't do something to handle the overflow, it's going to get worse. Arete, I believe you have some experience, don't you? I suppose you can get us up to snuff? Maybe we can hold back the overflow while someone tries to find Hypnos."
Michael (Arete)
"I I am tending to agree with the people who know a little bit more than me on this. I think we should follow their lead."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Okay. What do you suggest then?"
Tau
Achilles thinks for a moment and he opens his mouth as if to say something and then he kind of closes it again and hesitates and decides. He says, "Ah, no, that's crazy. I don't know what I'm saying. Don't worry about it."
Amanda (Annie)
"No, no."
Annie & Rolf
"Now's not the time to be timid."
Tau
(Achilles sighs)
Amanda (Annie)
"Come on."
Tau
Okay. Make a persuasion check with advantage.
Giancarlo (Rolf)
21 and I can't call on Athena, can I?
Tau
Yeah. Oh, wait, no, you don't, no, you just died. Just kidding.
Giancarlo (Rolf)
Okay. 21.
Tau
He says, "The pool of Styx is the most powerful here. All rivers that form the river Styx, the river Lethe, Acheron, all the others, they all converge here. And here is where the danger lies. This is what the prince of our house was trying to investigate. I think you and the other Olympiads have been afforded an extremely rare opportunity to leave. I think it is time that you convene with your other Olympiads. Talk to them about what you saw, compile strategies, share information, and try to run, escape from here as fast as you can and never look back."
Amanda (Annie)
Uuuuhhh.
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"What of everyone here?"
Tau
Orpheus kind of blinks a few times and shakes his head as if to say "I have no fucking idea." But then, uh, he says, "I will attempt to calm them, I still have some magical power left in this lyre. I will attempt to bring some semblance of peace to this house, then we will convene, then we will look over the records with the other Cthonic gods. We will try to understand what has happened here. But in that time, I think the very few souls who have been awarded the opportunity to leave should be making their way out of here with as much haste as possible."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"If that is what you truly believe to be the best course of action to try and help, then I suppose I will follow your guidance."
Tau
Achilles nods and says "Thank you. Make use of whatever amenities the House of Hades can afford you, but be swift. And each time you fall, get back up again, and keep trying to get out of here. If there are other things you're wondering about, things you have questions about, things you don't understand, now is the time."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Perhaps an inappropriate time for this but we went through great lengths to get it and if nothing else, a little bit of joy. Anastasia, I believe you have something for Orpheus."
Amanda (Annie)
"Yeah, yeah, I do! Orpheus here. I know it's not really allowed, but, um, I don't know what I'm going to see you again, if I'm gonna see you again. So just as a thank you for everything." And Annie is going to give Orpheus the bottle of nectar.
[SFX: The glass bottle clinks.]
Tau
So in this situation, it seems a little bit like bringing champagne to a funeral. So Orpheus kind of blinks a few moments and then nods. He says, "My-my student, well, th-thank thank you, most kindly. You are most generous. I understand these are obviously not permitted in the House of Hades, but these are obviously extenuating circumstances. Perhaps I can... ah blast," and then he looks at his own lyre which he apparently did a huge number on casting a very powerful spell and one of the strings has blasted off of it and it's kind of falling in its own coil to the side. And he plucks the lyre coil...
[SFX: The coil sproings.]
Tau
...and he says, "Please, as a charm of good luck, please take this with you."
Amanda (Annie)
"Are you sure?
Tau
"I am certain."
Amanda (Annie)
Annie will take it and she'll also give Orpheus a really big hug.
Tau
Oh, he's really tall and gangly though you've never actually had to see him standing at his full height. But yeah, you give him a hug and he smells vaguely of roses and death.
Amanda (Annie)
(gently laughing) "Thank you."
Michael (Arete)
(sing song) Roses always smell like poo poo.
Giancarlo (Rolf)
Rolf is gonna lean into Alexander and like pass the nectar and say, "I do not know if you will see him again. Now is your final chance to leave on good terms."
Nicholas (Alexander)
"No, I, I couldn't do it. I..."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Do not live with regret, Alexander. It is the one thing I learned of my life."
Nicholas (Alexander)
"Achilles, I hope that I... I am not worthy to speak to you. I failed you in many ways. But here, I'm giving you this. Because I'm not sure when I, if this may be our last encounter, and I just want to make things right between us. Not that you've done anything wrong to me."
Tau
So he nods and he accepts the nectar. He says, "You forget that I told you on your very first day of your very first escape attempt that you had already made me proud. The next way to do that is to make sure that this truly is our final encounter. Get out there and don't look back."
Nicholas (Alexander)
"Yes, sir."
Tau
He then puts a hand on your shoulder. He squints, like he's looking for something in you. He feels like awkward but then he wraps his hand from your shoulder to the back of your neck and he pulls your forehead to his and he holds it there for a moment. And then he lets go.
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Now, not to interrupt the very tender moments going on. But I believe you said if we had any questions, now's the time, correct?"
Tau
He nods.
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Do you know of any exploits we can use to expedite our way through the Underworld? We took the cash chariot once. We said take us to Zagreus and it delivered us to a room in Tartarus. Is there any way we could use that same system or anything like it to expedite our retreat?"
Tau
Orpheus thinks for a moment and he says (reservedly) "From what I understand, the structure of Tartarus is fairly random but within... certain constraints. It might be possible to perhaps not control fate itself, but to pull upon the strings of fate such that, ah, they reconfigure in ways that are slightly more favorable to you. I am not certain of that mechanism by any means. But that would be my strategy for how to have a smoother run trying to escape. Perhaps some type of technology could be developed or some type of magic could be infused into something to control the outcomes of the rooms that you go into. I will have to think further on it. My apologies. But it is top of mind for me, I assure you."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"No worries. I must admit, I have very surface relationships with a great deal of people in the house. Is there anyone who can help us, empower us in any way worth speaking to before we attempt again?"
Tau
"Our advice would be try to get out of here as fast as possible. Get strong as fast as possible. If you see people here that you need to talk to that you think can help you, then do that. But just make haste. We don't know how much longer we can hold off here." And as he says that, the pool of Styx behind you begins to start bubbling again.
[SFX: The water swirls and bubbles.]
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Very well. All right crew, I say we give the house one final sweep to see if we find anything of use. Then we make our way."
Michael (Arete)
"I agree."
Nicholas (Alexander)
Alexander will nod.
Amanda (Annie)
Annie lets go of Orpheus.
Tau
He pats your head gently. "Could you show me my coil again for a moment?"
Amanda (Annie)
"Sure."
Tau
He holds the coil and he puts it into his mouth and then he straightens it with his mouth.
[SFX: Scraping sound.]
Tau
And then as he pulls it out, it coils again but it seems more magically imbued and he says, "I haven't yet perfected the strategy we just spoke of but perhaps this might at least begin to help you with it." And then he hands it back to you. So now mechanically here is how the lyre coil works. When you are at a gate once per escape attempt you can change what is on that gate to something else randomly.
Amanda (Annie)
(impressed) Word.
Tau
And that is an attunement item.
Giancarlo (Rolf)
Um, okay, I would like to make a quick sweep of the area to see who and what is here.
Tau
You see slash marks all over the walls of the House of Hades as if Cerberus has also been battling people here. You see just shattered pieces of artwork from the gallery. You see these deep hot pink slashes through the walls that you know came from Megara's whip. In the west wing, you see Nyx kneeling in front of Hypnos.
Amanda (Annie)
(gasps)
Tau
Who seems to be comatose with his eyes closed. He's standing, he would fall backwards, but Nyx is kind of holding his face in her hands and focusing on him intently. So that's what you see in the west wing. In the right wing, you see where the Wretched Shades were evacuated. They have forced open the doors leading into this beautiful pomegranate garden that extends out towards the front courtyard of the House of Hades which culminates in, I guess the two front doors of the House of Hades which you have never seen open. And then you also see further shades just cramming into the lounge and into Zagreus's bedroom but you obviously don't see beyond that.
Giancarlo (Rolf)
Rolf is going to give the group a look and run over to Nyx and Hypnos.
Michael (Arete)
Arete will follow.
Amanda (Annie)
Rolf, uh, Annie will follow as well.
[SFX: Gentle, ethereal music fades in.]
Tau
You see a very tall woman in long purple robes, her impossibly long black hair seems to float airlessly around her and all around her, there's just this gravity, like it feels like things might be like sucked into her or you might get stuck to her if you get too close to her. And she's got this slate gray skin and this dark purple lipstick, and she seems to be as beautiful as anyone has ever described the night before. All of her attention is focused on Hypnos, who seems to be unconscious at the moment.
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Nyx, pardon me, my name is Rolf, I doubt you are aware of me at all. This is my Olympiad. We have Arete, Alex, and Annie."
Michael (Arete)
"Hi there."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"We're clearly aware of current situations. And we are trying our best to help. We-we-we're we I hate to ask you for favors upon first meeting but, one, is there any way we can help Hypnos? Two, is there anything you can tell us about escape attempts to try and hasten our escape, such that we may find some answers and try to assist in whatever is going on here?"
Tau
Nyx closes her eyes for a very long time and she presses like one of her hands to Hypnos's forehead as like a mother checking for like a child's fever. And with her eyes closed, she says (soft yet thick like honey) "He's still having nightmares. Nightmares about Zagreus." She moves her hand away. And then she turns to you and she says, "Ask of me one thing. That is all I can afford you."
Michael (Arete)
Ohh (laughs softly)
Amanda (Annie)
(quietly) There's so many things.
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Where is Hades?"
Tau
Dammit! (laughs)
Amanda (Annie)
(laughing/ joking) End of session!
Tau
You have solved the game! Ah, make a persuasion check with disadvantage.
Giancarlo (Rolf)
(earnest) I rolled the same thing both times, if anyone has any bonuses to give me, now is the moment.
Amanda (Annie)
Can I grant bardic inspiration?
Giancarlo (Rolf)
I have seven- I have a 17 right now, but if anyone can offer me anything to make it a little higher...
Amanda (Annie)
You could add a 1d8.
Giancarlo (Rolf)
I will take that bardic inspiration if you're offering it.
Amanda (Annie)
I am, no, I am.
[SFX: Quick bright notes on the viol.]
Tau
If you get an eight on it....
Giancarlo (Rolf)
Seven!
Tau
So what does that go into? 24?
Giancarlo (Rolf)
Yes.
Tau
Okay. That's good. That's still very good. 25 I was basically just gonna tell you the whole plot.
Amanda (Annie)
Someone help him! Someone do something!
Nicholas (Alexander)
Don't forget to... don't live with regrets. Like so you would? Correct diction is important.
Tau
24 is still very--
Amanda (Annie)
Maybe apologizing to Nyx for stabbing her son might, I don't know, be kinda nice in the moment. Maybe, maybe.
Tau
So with the 24, Nyx things for a moment. She says, "We don't keep these things from you, so that you live in ignorance, we keep these things from you, because we do not understand them ourselves, and it is to protect you at best. Lately, the lord of this house has had to attend to matters that have plagued him from his past. Are you familiar with the past of the lord of this house?"
Michael (Arete)
"Do you speak of the past with Persephone?"
Tau
"I speak of a past even further than that."
Amanda (Annie)
"Oh, shit."
Tau
"When the lord of this house was still very young, he had to kill his own parents, the Titans in a battle called the Titanomachia. He cut them up, he broke up all their different pieces, and it was his charge to keep them separated from each other within the Underworld, in Tartarus, the deepest reach of the Underworld. My purpose, of course, was only to manage this house and to see to its upkeep. But lately, our responsibilities have become more deeply entwined over the years. As you have seen, simply killing someone is not enough or a foul mimicry of their being to rise from the pool of sticks again. The lord of this house fears that his parents, the Titans, whom he had previously slain, may be at risk of returning again to this earth. It is his sole charge to prevent that from happening. But there is something wrong, something in the blood that seems to stitch itself back together and reform into the things that terrify us most, into the darker sides of ourselves. Darker than even the night that I encompass within myself. I don't know how to stop it. Neither does my son. My other son," she looks at Hypnos and then she says "My other son" as if to suggest Zagreus, "They have both been hard at work trying to find a solution to this problem. But it appears to be escalating faster than that even they can manage. What we do know is that if the Titans did arise, they would do so here. Which is why you must escape here with all haste. Do you understand?"
Amanda (Annie)
(gently) "Yeah."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Is there nothing we can do to help?"
Amanda (Annie)
"I mean--"
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Kill the Titans again?"
Amanda (Annie)
"They're... okay, but they're Titans. I know you're not from here Rolf, but these are some..."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Annie, as you pointed out, I'm not from here but what is the aim of the Titans? What do they yearn for? What do they want?"
Amanda (Annie)
"From my own knowledge, you have, what's his, you have, so the sky and the earth met, right? And they had children, which was Kronos, and a few others. And then Kronos killed his father and Earth mated with Kronos and then that's where you got the Olympians. But then Kronos ate the kids, ate his children. And then, except the mother saved Zeus and then Zeus ended up killing Kronos and it was... I could totally be remembering this incorrectly. But the Titans are... Rolf, the Titans are, they're there. They were first, right. Or they were right after the first, okay, I guess they were second. Sure they were second. But they's... they were the beginning. And they could easily just as easily be our end."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"But what do they want?"
Amanda (Annie)
"That's what that is. That's, I feel like beyond all of our knowledge, I don't know."
Michael (Arete)
"My friends. What if we asked for the help of something that was around before the universe?"
Nicholas (Alexander)
(whispers) The DM.
Michael (Arete)
(laughs) Chaos. I was referring to chaos.
Tau
Even though she's the personification of night, you see a shadow pass over her face. And she says this, "You asked how you could help. Throughout Tartarus, throughout Asphodel, and Elysium, and the temple of Styx, throughout the entire Underworld, there are other souls who have not met justice, whose souls have not received the peace or the closure that they deserved. As you attempt to escape, if you can attempt to reconcile their pasts, if you can attempt to bring closure to their stories, such that their souls may finally rest, I would be grateful. That is how you can help."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"We've got one on the list already."
Tau
She nods.
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Thank you. Nyx."
Tau
"Thank you."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
And Rolf is going to leave.
Tau
Hypnos convulses for a moment and some drool comes out of his face and she pulls him close and she starts crying. She does not want to be seen crying. So you see suddenly her body and Hypnos's just kind of fade to like vanta black and then just vanish.
[SFX: Swoosh.]
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Alright, onward. Let's go power up and head out."
Amanda (Annie)
"Okay."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"We'll make it count this time."
Michael (Arete)
"Anybody want to pick some pomegranates? I think that could be helpful, perhaps..."
Nicholas (Alexander)
"I will."
Michael (Arete)
"... we learn so much and the--"
Tau
I will tell you right now, oh, these pomegranates are regular ass pomegranates.
Michael (Arete)
Okay, that's what I- I had a feeling but on the off chance that. Yeah. Okay, great.
Nicholas (Alexander)
I'm curious what's in the bar.
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Okay, here's what I'm proposing. I say we see what gems we can spend to ease our journey. We check the bar for anyone useful. If there is Ambrosia, we must purchase it. It will give us leverage with anyone who we who we might need it with. We power up at the mirror and we continue on our way. Does that sound like a plan?"
Amanda (Annie)
"Yeah, I just really, I would like a chocolate milk on my way out."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Annie, how could I deny you your chocolate milk?" and you see Rolf, he pulls out a chocolate milk that he had from last time but--
Amanda (Annie)
(gasps)
Giancarlo (Rolf)
She didn't want to speak to him so he was too nervous to give it to her.
[SFX: Slurp of chocolate milk.]
Michael (Arete)
"Alright, Mr. contractor. What do you have on offer? We only have 280 gems y'all and it's pretty much always been too expensive."
Tau
You can't afford anything then but 500 gems faded list of minor prophecies. 500 gems fountain rooms are full res. 1000 gems administrative room access.
Amanda (Annie)
"Alright."
Michael (Arete)
"Pleasure to see you as always." And Arete will turn on his heel and say "Group, let's head on to the next thing."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"All right."
Tau
You go into the lounge. It is packed. It's noisy, but definitely not like a fun rowdy kind of noisy. Like people are scared, people are alarmed. It's kind of like I don't know. Did you guys ever have like bomb scares at your schools? Or was that just like me with my public school education?
Giancarlo (Rolf)
I remember the drills.
Amanda (Annie)
Uhhh.
Giancarlo (Rolf)
I don't, I don't think I ever--
Tau
We used to get like bomb scares and we would all get put in the gymnasium because the obviously the thing you want to do is put everybody in one place.
Giancarlo (Rolf)
Exactly. Yeah.
Tau
But anyway, so it's kinda like that but people are like, people are like nervous and tense but also a little excited but like not in a good way. Just like oh my gosh, like things like this don't like happen anymore. Like people are talking about like watching like Achilles and Orpheus fight Megara. They're worried about who else might come out of the pool. So all that is happening. Of note you see Theseus there. You see both Olympiads there. So you see Ajax the Lesser, Palaestra, Adonis, Pandaie, Hyacinth, Icarus, Nausicaa, and Daphne.
Amanda (Annie)
Annie's gonna look at the group and she's gonna be like "I think we have some explaining to do, especially if we're supposed to all work together."
Nicholas (Alexander)
"Do we have to explain, I mean, I'm not against putting them in a jar..."
Amanda (Annie)
"Alex."
Nicholas (Alexander)
"It's okay."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Apologize and move forward. We need, we need our combined strengths for this."
Michael (Arete)
"I agree we need we need them."
Amanda (Annie)
"Yeah, it's literally what Achilles--"
Michael (Arete)
"Just said."
Nicholas (Alexander)
"I know but Nemesis wants people, maybe she can help us, but it's fine. We'll go apologize."
Amanda (Annie)
"We'll find, look if it look if Alex, if it comes down to it, yes, we will put Ajax in a jar. Of course we will. But that's not, they don't need to know that. We're not gonna you know what I mean? Do we want to go to the broker first?"
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Yes, broker, it's like right in the corner. We could just slip in and then make ourselves known."
Tau
You go to the broker and the broker is offering 50 darkness for 100 gems. He's offering nectar for 200 darkness. He is offering three Cthonic keys for a nectar.
Giancarlo (Rolf)
(whispers) Damnit.
Nicholas (Alexander)
"Wait, keys get nectar but nectar gets keys? I'm so confused."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"We don't have enough gems for anything anyways, we might as well exchange get 100 darkness and move forward. Yes?"
Amanda (Annie)
"Agreed."
Michael (Arete)
"Okay, sounds good to me."
Tau
So you you're exchanging 200 gems for 100 darkness?
Michael (Arete)
Correct.
Tau
Okay, you do that.
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Alright, who... Anastasia, I think you are the best with the words. Would you like to, I guess begin the apology and the explanation and then we will coordinate with the rest?"
Amanda (Annie)
"Um sure. Yeah, I could do that."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Well, who are they most upset at? Do you think?"
Nicholas (Alexander)
(snorts and whistles) Alexander's kicking a rock and looking around whistling with his hands behind his back.
Amanda (Annie)
"Okay, okay. I mean, Alex, we're not gonna dwell. We know it wasn't the best decision and you're aware of that, too. So it's fine. But I think we all have, I think we all have to apologize. I mean, not to say that they wouldn't have done the same exact thing if they were in our position but but--"
Nicholas (Alexander)
"I mean, they did rip Arete to unnecessary shreds."
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"Oh, yeah. Wait, hold up. I... Arete. What happened?"
Michael (Arete)
"That's a great question." God, what happened?
Tau
It's all a blur to you.
Michael (Arete)
That's kind of where I was thinking it was kind of gonna go. "Well, I I remember exiting the portal, saying I was sorry for leaving you all behind. And the next thing I knew I was, I was here with all of you. And well, the next thing I really remember is feeling like I was burning in blood for hours and hours and hours and hours." (slowly trails off)
Giancarlo (Rolf)
"So Annie, do do you want to speak up? Should it be me, should it be Alex?"
Nicholas (Alexander)
"Just be prepared that they may not accept the apology."
Amanda (Annie)
"Of course, no, of course, they don't have to like us."
Michael (Arete)
Watching too much discussion happen, Arete walks over to the to other Olympiads and he goes, "Hey, I'm going to level with you. Really sorry about what happened in that sneaky sneak room. But you know what, I think we have all got a lot of bigger problems on our hands. And I think we need to team up to get ourselves out of here. Whatcha say?"
Tau
Make a persuasion check.
Amanda (Annie)
Oh, boy, depending on how this goes...
Giancarlo (Rolf)
What's your charisma like?
Michael (Arete)
That would be a nine.
Giancarlo (Rolf)
Eeeeehhhhhh.
Amanda (Annie)
Okay, Annie's gonna do some damage control.
Tau
Okay, what is Annie gonna do?
Amanda (Annie)
Annie's gonna run up be like, just kind of slightly pushed Arete behind her. "By that, he does mean on behalf of our entire Olympiad, we are incredibly sorry for the way that we acted and for jumping the gun, and just assuming the worst and that you were going to betray us before. And we are so sorry. But clearly, there is a lot going on. And we've gained guidance from Orpheus and Achilles and then Nyx as well. We have to work together. If we don't work together, there's no chance of us getting out of here. Again, incredibly sorry. But can... we don't have to like each other. Can we at least work together?"
Tau
Okay, make a persuasion check.
Amanda (Annie)
That is a 26!
Tau
Alright. So you have made this case, you got a 26 on your persuasion roll, you feel like you were embodying all of the teachings of the College of Mysteries, Annie, as you were making this case to the to Olympiads. I will say one of the Olympiads, so Hyacinth, Icarus, Nausicaa and Daphne seem more confused than anything because they don't really they haven't had much occasion to interact with you.
Amanda (Annie)
Sure.
Tau
But they put together that you're mostly talking to the other Olympiad. So Ajax Palaestra, Adonis and Pandaie all hear this. Adonis opens his mouth to speak, but you don't hear him speak. You instead hear something else. From the atrium of the House of Hades, you hear (panicked) "Than, no!"
Amanda (Annie)
(gasps)
Tau
And then you hear a massive bell toll going--
[SFX: A deep DONGGG.]
Tau
What happens then is the two other Olympiads look at each other and they say "Go!" Ajax, Palaestra, Adonis, and Pandaie, they are going to try to grab you, Annie and Arete and they are going to try to drag you basically to the courtyard. And then Hyacinth, Icarus, Nausicaa and Daphne, they're going to try and grab you, Rolf and Alexander and they're just going to try to drag you to the courtyard and get you out of there.
Michael (Arete)
I'm giving absolutely no resistance. I am... being swept away.
Giancarlo (Rolf)
Rolf goes limp like a spaghetti noodle.
Amanda (Annie)
I'm running alongside 'em, that's fine.
Tau
Alright, so all three Olympiads are flipping over tables,
[SFX: Crashes of furniture and glass amidst distant screams and running.]
Tau
They're kicking away chairs, they're blasting through this lounge. They break into the hallway. They see a massive spurt of blood come in from their left
[SFX: SPLAT.]
Tau
and keep moving. They move into Zagreus's bedroom. Dusa is there picking up shards of glass with little snakes in her head, but she drops another feather duster as she sees you go by she goes (whimpers) and then that's all you can see as you run into the courtyard.
Michael (Arete)
As I run by Dusa I say "How's your head?"
Tau
She opens her mouth to answer but you are already in the courtyard. In the courtyard you see Skelly, he's just kind of observing the infernal arms. He turns around to say something smart alecky at you. And before any of you can say anything back, all three of you hop into the portal.
[SFX: Portal swoosh. The music fades into the energetic outro music.]
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.
We’ve been blown away by all your amazing support. PLEASE stay in touch with us; we love seeing your reactions, your theories, and your fanart that you’ve been sharing with us on twitter and instagram @ROGUERUNradio. We’ve already recorded Season 2 and it’s going to be even bigger and better: new characters, new gods, new boons, new boss fights, more drama, twists, turns, everything. Please consider supporting as patreon.com/roguerunradio as well as leaving us a glowing review on your listening app of choice. This show has grown almost entirely by word of mouth, so please do keep spreading the good word.
Remember you can always reach us via email at rr@whisperforge.org. In the off-season, why not check out some of the other amazing shows by the Whisperforge, such as The Far Meridian, Remarkable Providences, and a little show near and dear to my heart called CARAVAN? Personally I can’t wait to catch up on the new season of Dungeons & Drimbus by our friends at Whimsic Productions.
Thanks for running with us. Season 2 is just a gate away. ‘Til next time, sinners. I’ll see you in hell.