Detour 21-22 & Live Show: This Clown Car's Getting Kinda Tight

Welcome back to the Detour! This week we can’t stop talking about how much fun we had at our live show at WonderCon 2025, playing new characters and interacting with fans! The callouts, the submitted skate-trick names, the will-they-won’t-they between all of our Junior Skate Champs… truly an experience we will never forget. Once we settle down from that, we get into the conclusion of the abandoned factory quest, where that leads our characters for the next arc, and what the hell the players think it all means so far. Finally and as usual, we’ll answer a few deep questions from you, our fabulous listeners.

-- links --

Website: wanderingpathpod.com

Support our show: patreon.com/wanderingpathpod

-- sponsors --

- Mage Hand Press, creators of the incredible Valda’s Spire of Secrets - now EVEN MORE available on D&D Beyond! Find out more at magehandpress.com

-- cast & crew --

Created by Mischa Stanton

Produced by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, Mayanna Berrin & Mischa Stanton

Gamemaster: Mischa Stanton

Ibra: Bex Taylor-Klaus

JJ: Lyn Rafil

Gordon: Ian McQuown

Fran: Mayanna Berrin

Sound design: Mischa Stanton

Cover art: Lyn Rafil

Transcript assistance: Darby Summers

Music: Independent Music Licensing Collective

Production & House Manager: Erin Bark

-- about --

The Wandering Path is an actual-play podcast putting complex characters, resonant themes and engaging new mechanics at the heart of immersive adventures. We’re making the stories we want to see in the world, one game session at a time! Join us for our first season, as we dive to the heart of the City of New Prosper: a techno-magical metropolis on the rise, where those who seek to craft themselves a new future will first have to settle the debts they owe the past. New episodes every other Monday.

Live at WonderCon 2025 - Ride Or Die!

This week we’re bringing you the audio from our very first live show - the 16th Annual New Prosper Junior Skate Invitational! Just a friendly sporting contest to see who can skate the best, with absolutely no combat whatsoever! …Or is it? Either way, it’ll be totally wicked!

-- links --

Website: wanderingpathpod.com

Support our show: patreon.com/wanderingpathpod

-- sponsors --

- Mage Hand Press, creators of the incredible Valda’s Spire of Secrets - now EVEN MORE available on D&D Beyond! Find out more at magehandpress.com

-- cast & crew --

Created by Mischa Stanton

Produced by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, Mayanna Berrin & Mischa Stanton

Gamemaster: Mischa Stanton

Squat Shepherd: Bex Taylor-Klaus

Stella Snyder: Lyn Rafil

Neil “The Darkness”: Ian McQuown

Tracy Turner: Mayanna Berrin

Sound design: Mischa Stanton

Cover art: Lyn Rafil

Transcript assistance: Darby Summers

Music: Independent Music Licensing Collective

Production & House Manager: Erin Bark

-- about --

The Wandering Path is an actual-play podcast putting complex characters, resonant themes and engaging new mechanics at the heart of immersive adventures. We’re making the stories we want to see in the world, one game session at a time! Join us for our first season, as we dive to the heart of the City of New Prosper: a techno-magical metropolis on the rise, where those who seek to craft themselves a new future will first have to settle the debts they owe the past. New episodes every other Monday.

1.22 The Only Way Out Is Through

The Brigade remains determined to rescue Sayka from whatever half-dimension the Beast has trapped her in. Gordon scoops the bag. JJ lays her body on the line. Fran flies higher than ever before. Ibra rides like the wind.

-- links --

Website: wanderingpathpod.com

Support our show: patreon.com/wanderingpathpod

-- sponsors --

- Tab for a Cause: Raise money while browsing the internet! Join our team at tabforacause.org/wanderingpath 

-- cast & crew --

Created by Mischa Stanton

Produced by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, Mayanna Berrin & Mischa Stanton

Gamemaster: Mischa Stanton

Ibra: Bex Taylor-Klaus

JJ: Lyn Rafil

Gordon: Ian McQuown

Fran: Mayanna Berrin

Sound design: Mischa Stanton

Cover art: Lyn Rafil

Transcript assistance: Darby Summers

Music: Independent Music Licensing Collective

Production & House Manager: Erin Bark

-- about --

The Wandering Path is an actual-play podcast putting complex characters, resonant themes and engaging new mechanics at the heart of immersive adventures. We’re making the stories we want to see in the world, one game session at a time! Join us for our first season, as we dive to the heart of the City of New Prosper: a techno-magical metropolis on the rise, where those who seek to craft themselves a new future will first have to settle the debts they owe the past. New episodes every other Monday.

1.21 Protective Nature

The space underneath the abandoned Heron Industries factory seems to go on forever - can they reach Sayka in time? Fran gets pulled in up to the shoulder. Gordon shows dominance. Ibra pledges fealty. JJ traces connections to their source.

-- links --

Website: wanderingpathpod.com

Support our show: patreon.com/wanderingpathpod

-- sponsors --

- Mage Hand Press, creators of the incredible Valda’s Spire of Secrets - now available on D&D Beyond! Find out more at magehandpress.com

-- cast & crew --

Created by Mischa Stanton

Produced by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, Mayanna Berrin & Mischa Stanton

Gamemaster: Mischa Stanton

Ibra: Bex Taylor-Klaus

JJ: Lyn Rafil

Gordon: Ian McQuown

Fran: Mayanna Berrin

Sound design: Mischa Stanton

Cover art: Lyn Rafil

Transcript assistance: Darby Summers

Music: Independent Music Licensing Collective

Production & House Manager: Erin Bark

-- about --

The Wandering Path is an actual-play podcast putting complex characters, resonant themes and engaging new mechanics at the heart of immersive adventures. We’re making the stories we want to see in the world, one game session at a time! Join us for our first season, as we dive to the heart of the City of New Prosper: a techno-magical metropolis on the rise, where those who seek to craft themselves a new future will first have to settle the debts they owe the past. New episodes every other Monday.

Detour 18-20: A Manic Pixie Dream Squirrel

We were supposed to record the next story episode, but Mischa’s in a lot of pain, so we had to postpone - a thing that happens sometimes when your GM has a chronic illness! So we talk a little about that instead, and then dive deeper into the mind of General Shinmar, truly one of the characters of all time. We skate past the skate contest a little bit because the players really wanna know what’s down in that basement?? Who could say? And of course, we’ll answer some questions from our beautiful listeners!

-- links --

Website: wanderingpathpod.com

Support our show: patreon.com/wanderingpathpod

-- sponsors --

- Mage Hand Press, creators of the incredible Valda’s Spire of Secrets - now available on D&D Beyond! Find out more at magehandpress.com

-- cast & crew --

Created by Mischa Stanton

Produced by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, Mayanna Berrin & Mischa Stanton

Gamemaster: Mischa Stanton

Ibra: Bex Taylor-Klaus

JJ: Lyn Rafil

Gordon: Ian McQuown

Fran: Mayanna Berrin

Sound design: Mischa Stanton

Cover art: Lyn Rafil

Transcript assistance: Darby Summers

Music: Independent Music Licensing Collective

Production & House Manager: Erin Bark

-- about --

The Wandering Path is an actual-play podcast putting complex characters, resonant themes and engaging new mechanics at the heart of immersive adventures. We’re making the stories we want to see in the world, one game session at a time! Join us for our first season, as we dive to the heart of the City of New Prosper: a techno-magical metropolis on the rise, where those who seek to craft themselves a new future will first have to settle the debts they owe the past. New episodes every other Monday.

1.20 A House Of Conveyor Belts

The teens take our crew on a tour of the abandoned factory. Fran leaves no rubble pile unturned. Gordon befriends foes. JJ finds a new favorite tool. Ibra charges into darkness. 

Thanks so much to our special guest for this episode, Kristen DiMercurio as Andri!

-- links --

Website: wanderingpathpod.com

Support our show: patreon.com/wanderingpathpod

-- sponsors --

- Mage Hand Press, creators of the incredible Valda’s Spire of Secrets - now available on D&D Beyond! Find out more at magehandpress.com

-- cast & crew --

Created by Mischa Stanton

Produced by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, Mayanna Berrin & Mischa Stanton

Gamemaster: Mischa Stanton

Ibra: Bex Taylor-Klaus

JJ: Lyn Rafil

Gordon: Ian McQuown

Fran: Mayanna Berrin

Sound design: Mischa Stanton

Cover art: Lyn Rafil

Transcript assistance: Darby Summers

Music: Independent Music Licensing Collective

Production & House Manager: Erin Bark

-- about --

The Wandering Path is an actual-play podcast putting complex characters, resonant themes and engaging new mechanics at the heart of immersive adventures. We’re making the stories we want to see in the world, one game session at a time! Join us for our first season, as we dive to the heart of the City of New Prosper: a techno-magical metropolis on the rise, where those who seek to craft themselves a new future will first have to settle the debts they owe the past. New episodes every other Monday.

1.19 Skate Til You Break

The crew checks out the abandoned factory - but can they convince the skate-teens they’re cool enough?? Fran makes her mark. Ibra goes for the big combo. JJ passes on crucial wisdom. Gordon faces his worst enemies yet.

Thanks so much to our special guest for this episode, Kristen DiMercurio as Andri!

-- links --

Website: wanderingpathpod.com

Support our show: patreon.com/wanderingpathpod

-- sponsors --

- Volante Designs: Badass clothing designs inspired by your favorite media! Use code “WANDERINGPATH” for 10% off at https://www.volantedesign.us 

-- cast & crew --

Created by Mischa Stanton

Produced by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, Mayanna Berrin & Mischa Stanton

Gamemaster: Mischa Stanton

Ibra: Bex Taylor-Klaus

JJ: Lyn Rafil

Gordon: Ian McQuown

Fran: Mayanna Berrin

Sound design: Mischa Stanton

Cover art: Lyn Rafil

Transcript assistance: Darby Summers

Music: Independent Music Licensing Collective

Production & House Manager: Erin Bark

-- about --

The Wandering Path is an actual-play podcast putting complex characters, resonant themes and engaging new mechanics at the heart of immersive adventures. We’re making the stories we want to see in the world, one game session at a time! Join us for our first season, as we dive to the heart of the City of New Prosper: a techno-magical metropolis on the rise, where those who seek to craft themselves a new future will first have to settle the debts they owe the past. New episodes every other Monday.

1.18 Fighting Memories

Questions hang heavy in the air after the RAC rally wraith attacks… Could answers lie within General Shinmar’s book? (Probably.) Gordon cooks up a big batch. Ibra reforges bonds. JJ takes charge. Fran spins a new web of ideas.

Thanks so much to our special guest for this episode, Reed Sights as General Shinmar!

-- links --

Website: wanderingpathpod.com

Support our show: patreon.com/wanderingpathpod

Come see us LIVE at WonderCon, Sunday March 30th at 12pm!

-- sponsors --

- Project Ghostlight, featuring their new story “Private Nightmares.” New episodes airing every other Friday! Check out their channels and learn more at patreon.com/projectghostlight

-- cast & crew --

Created by Mischa Stanton

Produced by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, Mayanna Berrin & Mischa Stanton

Gamemaster: Mischa Stanton

Ibra: Bex Taylor-Klaus

JJ: Lyn Rafil

Gordon: Ian McQuown

Fran & Brama: Mayanna Berrin

Sound design: Mischa Stanton

Cover art: Lyn Rafil

Transcript assistance: Darby Summers

Music: Independent Music Licensing Collective

Production & House Manager: Erin Bark

-- about --

The Wandering Path is an actual-play podcast putting complex characters, resonant themes and engaging new mechanics at the heart of immersive adventures. We’re making the stories we want to see in the world, one game session at a time! Join us for our first season, as we dive to the heart of the City of New Prosper: a techno-magical metropolis on the rise, where those who seek to craft themselves a new future will first have to settle the debts they owe the past. New episodes every other Monday.

Detour 14-17: New Prosper, Old Problems

Welcome back to the Detour! Even though we’re missing Ian in this recording - he had better, cooler things to do than record with us nerds - we still get into it: Fran’s memories, Ibra’s privilege & legacy, JJ’s feelings about Samira… we’ll talk about Javi, Brama, Ravona, Cecilia, Thorgunn, and more! Among them all, we’ll try to crack open how to make a compelling NPC for your story. And of course, we’ll answer some questions from you, our wonderful listeners!

-- links --

Website: wanderingpathpod.com

Support our show: patreon.com/wanderingpathpod

Come see us LIVE at WonderCon in Anaheim, CA!

-- sponsors --

- Project Ghostlight, featuring their new story “Private Nightmares.” New episodes airing every other Friday! Check out their channels and learn more at patreon.com/projectghostlight

-- cast & crew --

Created by Mischa Stanton

Produced by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, & Mischa Stanton

Gamemaster: Mischa Stanton

Ibra: Bex Taylor-Klaus

JJ: Lyn Rafil

Gordon: Ian McQuown

Fran: Mayanna Berrin

Sound design: Mischa Stanton

Cover art: Lyn Rafil

Transcript assistance: Darby Summers

Music: Independent Music Licensing Collective

Production & House Manager: Erin Bark

-- about --

The Wandering Path is an actual-play podcast putting complex characters, resonant themes and engaging new mechanics at the heart of immersive adventures. We’re making the stories we want to see in the world, one game session at a time! Join us for our first season, as we dive to the heart of the City of New Prosper: a techno-magical metropolis on the rise, where those who seek to craft themselves a new future will first have to settle the debts they owe the past. New episodes every other Monday.

1.17 Wrassle Em!

All hell breaks loose when Ravona and her Strike Team invade the Radical Action Collective’s rally! Gordon thinks big. Ibra brokers a truce. JJ leans on trust. Fran fixes a gadget.

-- links --

Website: wanderingpathpod.com

Support our show: patreon.com/wanderingpathpod

Come see us LIVE at WonderCon in Anaheim, CA!

-- sponsors --

- United By Blue: Creators of sustainable apparel and outdoor gear. Use code “WANDERINGPATH” for 20% off at https://unitedbyblue.com

-- cast & crew --

Created by Mischa Stanton

Produced by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, & Mischa Stanton

Gamemaster: Mischa Stanton

Ibra: Bex Taylor-Klaus

JJ: Lyn Rafil

Gordon: Ian McQuown

Fran: Mayanna Berrin

Sound design: Mischa Stanton

Cover art: Lyn Rafil

Transcript assistance: Darby Summers

Music: Independent Music Licensing Collective

Production & House Manager: Erin Bark

-- about --

The Wandering Path is an actual-play podcast putting complex characters, resonant themes and engaging new mechanics at the heart of immersive adventures. We’re making the stories we want to see in the world, one game session at a time! Join us for our first season, as we dive to the heart of the City of New Prosper: a techno-magical metropolis on the rise, where those who seek to craft themselves a new future will first have to settle the debts they owe the past. New episodes every other Monday.

1.16 All The Weight On Our Shoulders

The ordinary world intrudes upon our fantastical quest. Ibra’s grip slips. Fran throws herself into her work. Gordon burns the fumes. JJ holds hearts in their hands. 

-- links --

Website: wanderingpathpod.com

Support our show: patreon.com/wanderingpathpod

-- sponsors --

- Shaker & Spoon: Get $20 off your first box at shakerandspoon.com/wanderingpath 

-- cast & crew --

Created by Mischa Stanton

Produced by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, & Mischa Stanton

Gamemaster: Mischa Stanton

Ibra: Bex Taylor-Klaus

JJ: Lyn Rafil

Gordon: Ian McQuown

Fran: Mayanna Berrin

Sound design: Mischa Stanton

Cover art: Lyn Rafil

Transcript assistance: Darby Summers

Music: Independent Music Licensing Collective

Production & House Manager: Erin Bark

-- about --

The Wandering Path is an actual-play podcast putting complex characters, resonant themes and engaging new mechanics at the heart of immersive adventures. We’re making the stories we want to see in the world, one game session at a time! Join us for our first season, as we dive to the heart of the City of New Prosper: a techno-magical metropolis on the rise, where those who seek to craft themselves a new future will first have to settle the debts they owe the past. New episodes every other Monday.

1.15 Practice Does Make Perfect

Practice time in the gym, to test out some new moves. Fran hits the firing range. Gordon bakes up new recipes. JJ feels the beat. Ibra breaks through their limits.

-- links --

Website: wanderingpathpod.com

Support our show: patreon.com/wanderingpathpod

-- sponsors --

- Volante Designs: Badass clothing designs inspired by your favorite media! Use code “WANDERINGPATH” for 10% off at https://www.volantedesign.us 

-- cast & crew --

Created by Mischa Stanton

Produced by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, & Mischa Stanton

Gamemaster: Mischa Stanton

Ibra: Bex Taylor-Klaus

JJ: Lyn Rafil

Gordon: Ian McQuown

Fran: Mayanna Berrin

Sound design: Mischa Stanton

Cover art: Lyn Rafil

Transcript assistance: Darby Summers

Music: Independent Music Licensing Collective

Production & House Manager: Erin Bark

-- about --

The Wandering Path is an actual-play podcast putting complex characters, resonant themes and engaging new mechanics at the heart of immersive adventures. We’re making the stories we want to see in the world, one game session at a time! Join us for our first season, as we dive to the heart of the City of New Prosper: a techno-magical metropolis on the rise, where those who seek to craft themselves a new future will first have to settle the debts they owe the past. New episodes every other Monday.

1.14 Have You Interrogated A Hostage Before?

Time to find out what this masked guy’s deal is. Ibra calls in a favor. Fran’s feelings bubble out. Gordon loses his cool. JJ confronts some shit. 

-- links --

Website: wanderingpathpod.com

Support our show: patreon.com/wanderingpathpod

-- sponsors --

- Tab for a Cause: Raise money while browsing the internet! Join our team at tabforacause.org/wanderingpath 

-- cast & crew --

Created by Mischa Stanton

Produced by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, & Mischa Stanton

Gamemaster: Mischa Stanton

Ibra: Bex Taylor-Klaus

JJ: Lyn Rafil

Gordon: Ian McQuown

Fran & Brama: Mayanna Berrin

Sound design: Mischa Stanton

Cover art: Lyn Rafil

Transcript assistance: Darby Summers

Music: Independent Music Licensing Collective

Production & House Manager: Erin Bark

-- about --

The Wandering Path is an actual-play podcast putting complex characters, resonant themes and engaging new mechanics at the heart of immersive adventures. We’re making the stories we want to see in the world, one game session at a time! Join us for our first season, as we dive to the heart of the City of New Prosper: a techno-magical metropolis on the rise, where those who seek to craft themselves a new future will first have to settle the debts they owe the past. New episodes every other Monday.

An Extra Rest Stop

One last Rest Stop before the end of the year. Regular episodes return Monday, January 13th, 2025. Happy holidays everyone!

-- links --

Website: wanderingpathpod.com

Support our show: patreon.com/wanderingpathpod

-- sponsors --

- Shaker & Spoon: Get $20 off your first box at shakerandspoon.com/wanderingpath 

- Tab for a Cause: Raise money while browsing the internet! Join our team at tabforacause.org/wanderingpath 

- United By Blue: Creators of sustainable apparel and outdoor gear. Use code wanderingpath for 20% off at https://unitedbyblue.com

- Volante Designs: Badass clothing designs inspired by your favorite media! Use our promo code for 10% off at https://www.volantedesign.us 

-- cast & crew --

Created by Mischa Stanton

Produced by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, & Mischa Stanton

Gamemaster: Mischa Stanton

Ibra: Bex Taylor-Klaus

JJ: Lyn Rafil

Gordon: Ian McQuown

Fran: Mayanna Berrin

Sound design: Mischa Stanton

Cover art: Lyn Rafil

Transcript assistance: Darby Summers

Music: Independent Music Licensing Collective

Production & House Manager: Erin Bark

-- about --

The Wandering Path is an actual-play podcast putting complex characters, resonant themes and engaging new mechanics at the heart of immersive adventures. We’re making the stories we want to see in the world, one game session at a time! Join us for our first season, as we dive to the heart of the City of New Prosper: a techno-magical metropolis on the rise, where those who seek to craft themselves a new future will first have to settle the debts they owe the past. New episodes every other Monday.

Detour 9-13: A Rolling Boil Of Horny

Welcome back to the Detour! For our last episode of 2024, we’re covering combat, roleplay, story reveals, cooking minigames, Family Week, guest stars, heists, hot terrorists, and SO much more. We also took some listener questions rapid-fire to slot ourselves into some famous foursomes! 

-- links --

Website: wanderingpathpod.com

Support our show: patreon.com/wanderingpathpod

-- sponsors --

- Shaker & Spoon: Get $20 off your first box at shakerandspoon.com/wanderingpath 

- Tab for a Cause: Raise money while browsing the internet! Join our team at tabforacause.org/wanderingpath 

- United By Blue: Creators of sustainable apparel and outdoor gear. Use code “WANDERINGPATH” for 20% off at https://unitedbyblue.com

- Volante Designs: Badass clothing designs inspired by your favorite media! Use code “WANDERINGPATH” for 10% off at https://www.volantedesign.us 

-- cast & crew --

Created by Mischa Stanton

Produced by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, & Mischa Stanton

Gamemaster: Mischa Stanton

Ibra: Bex Taylor-Klaus

JJ: Lyn Rafil

Gordon: Ian McQuown

Fran: Mayanna Berrin

Sound design: Mischa Stanton

Cover art: Lyn Rafil

Transcript assistance: Darby Summers

Music: Independent Music Licensing Collective

Production & House Manager: Erin Bark

-- about --

The Wandering Path is an actual-play podcast putting complex characters, resonant themes and engaging new mechanics at the heart of immersive adventures. We’re making the stories we want to see in the world, one game session at a time! Join us for our first season, as we dive to the heart of the City of New Prosper: a techno-magical metropolis on the rise, where those who seek to craft themselves a new future will first have to settle the debts they owe the past. New episodes every other Monday.

1.13 Chekov’s Bad Guy

Showdown with the mysterious masked thief! Ibra keeps their cover. JJ directs traffic. Gordon blows up the spot. Fran grabs for glory. 

-- links --

Website: wanderingpathpod.com

Support our show: patreon.com/wanderingpathpod

-- sponsors --

- Shaker & Spoon: Get $20 off your first box at shakerandspoon.com/wanderingpath 

-- cast & crew --

Created by Mischa Stanton

Produced by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, & Mischa Stanton

Gamemaster: Mischa Stanton

Ibra: Bex Taylor-Klaus

JJ: Lyn Rafil

Gordon: Ian McQuown

Fran: Mayanna Berrin

Sound design: Mischa Stanton

Cover art: Lyn Rafil

Transcript assistance: Darby Summers

Music: Independent Music Licensing Collective

Production & House Manager: Erin Bark

-- about --

The Wandering Path is an actual-play podcast putting complex characters, resonant themes and engaging new mechanics at the heart of immersive adventures. We’re making the stories we want to see in the world, one game session at a time! Join us for our first season, as we dive to the heart of the City of New Prosper: a techno-magical metropolis on the rise, where those who seek to craft themselves a new future will first have to settle the debts they owe the past. New episodes every other Monday.

1.12 We’re Going To The Constellation

It’s time to see what the Governor’s Office is hiding. Fran lives up to her name. Ibra reconnects with an old acquaintance. JJ keeps an eagle eye out. Gordon gets the jump on ‘em.

-- links --

Website: wanderingpathpod.com

Support our show: patreon.com/wanderingpathpod

-- sponsors --

- Volante Designs: Badass clothing designs inspired by your favorite media! Use our promo code for 10% off at https://www.volantedesign.us 

-- cast & crew --

Created by Mischa Stanton

Produced by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, & Mischa Stanton

Gamemaster: Mischa Stanton

Ibra: Bex Taylor-Klaus

JJ: Lyn Rafil

Gordon: Ian McQuown

Fran: Mayanna Berrin

Sound design: Mischa Stanton

Cover art: Lyn Rafil

Transcript assistance: Darby Summers

Music: Independent Music Licensing Collective

Production & House Manager: Erin Bark

-- about --

The Wandering Path is an actual-play podcast putting complex characters, resonant themes and engaging new mechanics at the heart of immersive adventures. We’re making the stories we want to see in the world, one game session at a time! Join us for our first season, as we dive to the heart of the City of New Prosper: a techno-magical metropolis on the rise, where those who seek to craft themselves a new future will first have to settle the debts they owe the past. New episodes every other Monday.

1.11 The Bracha Estate

Ibra & Paz return to the Bracha-Shinmar family home for a meal & a mission. Ibra picks flowers. The General invites a surprise guest. Hima schemes for an upside. Brama breaks etiquette.

Thanks so much to our special guest for this episode, Reed Sights as General Shinmar!

-- links --

Website: wanderingpathpod.com

Support our show: patreon.com/wanderingpathpod

-- sponsors --

- Tab for a Cause: Raise money while browsing the internet! Join our team at tabforacause.org/wanderingpath 

-- cast & crew --

Created by Mischa Stanton

Produced by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, & Mischa Stanton

Gamemaster: Mischa Stanton

Ibra: Bex Taylor-Klaus

JJ: Lyn Rafil

Gordon: Ian McQuown

Fran: Mayanna Berrin

Sound design: Mischa Stanton

Cover art: Lyn Rafil

Transcript assistance: Darby Summers

Music: Independent Music Licensing Collective

Production & House Manager: Erin Bark

-- about --

The Wandering Path is an actual-play podcast putting complex characters, resonant themes and engaging new mechanics at the heart of immersive adventures. We’re making the stories we want to see in the world, one game session at a time! Join us for our first season, as we dive to the heart of the City of New Prosper: a techno-magical metropolis on the rise, where those who seek to craft themselves a new future will first have to settle the debts they owe the past. New episodes every other Monday.

— transcript —

Lyn: Previously on The Wandering Path. 

[Theme music begins in background of recap].

Mischa: Gordon called Cecilia back down early and convinced her to hand over her travel pass to the upper city. And JJ went home to ask their family about their experiences during the early days of New Prosper, as well as to pack up their childhood stuff. But answers to the current happenings remain elusive, so the plan to break into the governor's office is still on. Okay, let's see what's around the bend. Today, on The Wandering Path.

[Theme music plays and fades out].

[Music begins: gentle, classical piano].

Mischa: Ibra. You and Paz catch the afternoon funicular up to the constellation and take the trolley all the way around to Palace Estates, [SFX: train passing on rails] the section of Upper Prosper that was formerly the Head of States Palace back when the war was on, that has now been converted into several family estates. Each one unique, but all of them grandiose.

Bex (Ibra): (Sarcastically) Ah, it's, uh, great to be back. 

[Soundscape begins: light wind, birds chirping, occasional distant cars on a faraway road].

Mischa: As you walk up the driveway, you are greeted by the Bracha Estate. A huge, sprawling section that started as an art deco frame that was sort of built into the side of the fortress, that since your family has been in charge of it, has had several… additions added to the front of it–a soaring metal and glass art deco building has, like a stone portcullis built into the driveway, and several accents, you know, a gorgeous front lawn, a wide rotunda out in the front driveway, centered by, what kind of tree is it? 

Bex: it's called an ‘ohi’a lehua. It's the state tree of Hawai’i. And it's an evergreen myrtle. It's really slow growing and it's very, very large. So it's been there for decades on decades on decades. It has two different types of flowers that grow together, very diaposed, very much the Bracha-Shinmar vibe. 

Mischa: Ooh, yeah. 

Mayanna: I want a picture for the gram. 

Reed: Is that, is that the tree that when you would pluck the flowers it's rumored to rain?

Bex: Yes. 

Mayanna: Ooh, oh my god. 

Reed: Oh, that's, that's a whole– 

Mayanna: They're like prickly and lovely. I love it. 

Reed: Oh, the little red ones are actually very soft. 

Mayanna: Ooh.

Bex: Yeah, they're very soft. They just look very prickly. And then the other flowers are like small and round. They sort of look like berries, but they're flowers. 

Mayanna: Oh my god

Mischa: As you walk past it, Paz picks a leaf off of the tree and starts like absentmindedly sort of tearing it up.

Bex: You hear a distant rumble of thunder. [SFX: thunder]. 

Reed: Ooh.

Ian: (chuckles).

[Music ends].

Mischa: You head up the wide steps and up to the grand wooden front double doors. And Paz looks at you and just says, 

Mischa (Paz): okay, remember what we're here for? 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah. Pass.

Mischa (Paz): One funicular pass with a plus one, so we can get all our friends up here. There's a lot standing in your way, but I gotcha.

Bex (Ibra): Wow. This is such a great pep talk. 

[Snorts].

Mischa (Paz): I'll work on it. 

Bex (Ibra): You got this. 

Mischa (Paz): No, you got this. 

Bex (Ibra): Oh, I got this. I got this.

Mischa: Paz holds up a little thumbs up. 

Mischa (Paz): We got this. 

Bex (Ibra): We got this. I gotta text JJ about this. I gotta ask Fran, is this portcullis tacky, or is it just me? 

Mayanna: Somewhere far away you hear like, 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, [Laughter] yeah it is. I don't even know where it is, but yeah.

Mischa: Fran, having never seen it before in her life, knows. 

Mayanna (Fran): If you have to ask, it is. 

Reed: Wow. 

Bex: I love Fran. 

Reed: (Laughing) Shit. 

Bex (Ibra): Okay. Can I just take a couple more deep breaths before we open the door? Is that… 

Mischa (Paz): Yeah. 

Bex (Ibra): Okay. (Two deep breaths to self) Okay. I got this. I got this. 

Bex: I reach out my hand, and I open the door.

[SFX: door creaks open]. 

[Soundscape ends].

Mischa: Today, on The Wandering Path, we're going to play a game that I have titled The Bracha Estate. [Cheers].

Mayanna: It's a very easy game for babies. [Laughter]. Easy, no hard try game for babies. 

Mischa: Absolutely. 

Bex: I'm not scared, it's fine. 

Reed: It’s great, it’s great.

Mischa: Oh, yeah, we're playing a game. It's, a hack of Urban Shadows by Magpie Games. [Cheers]. Shout out to Magpie Games. Thank you so much. I've, taken a bunch of mechanics from that game and put them into Dungeons & Dragons numbers. 

Mayanna: Because Mischa is a genius. 

Reed: Inspired, honestly.

Mischa: Well, thank you. and if you're listening at home, that's a new voice on the podcast. Welcome Reed Sights! 

[Cheers]. 

Reed: I'm so excited to be here! 

Mayanna: (clapping) Second guest! 

All: (Chanting) Second guest! Second guest! 

Ian: One of us!

Mischa: Yeah, thank you so much for joining us! 

Reed: I'm so excited to be on The Path! 

All: Yeah! 

Ian: Ooh, man, that sounded cool, The Path. 

Reed: Yeah!

Ian: That was–I haven't heard someone truncate it like that. 

Bex: Friend of the Path! 

Reed: Friend of the Path! 

Bex: Thanks for wandering with us.

Reed: Ah, I’m so excited. 

Ian: Oh, damn, it's all coming up! 

Reed: It's all coming together. 

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: Before we dive in, I do just want to go over the rules of this little minigame for our listeners at home so they know what's happening. 

Bex: And a refresher for all of us. 

Mischa: Yes, absolutely. We're going to be playing a little minigame with Ibra and their family at their family home today. So I'm just going to go over the rules a little bit for our listeners just so everybody knows what the heck we're doing. Here are the rules for the Bracha Estate minigame. For all of my players here, when you do someone a favor, or someone interferes in your business, they owe you a debt. 

Ian: (Singsongy) Dun dun dunn.

Mischa: When someone does you a favor, or you interfere in someone else's business, you owe them a debt. 

Reed: (Whispering, singsongy) Dun dun dunn.

Mischa: Whenever you cash in a debt, you can either gain plus ten on a persuasion or intimidation check, or you can give the person rolling against you minus ten. 

Mayanna: Cool. 

Reed: Hm.

Mischa: When you refuse to honor a debt, which you can do, you'll have to roll a charisma save, and there are options on my little list for depending on what you roll. 

Mayanna: Whoa.

Mischa: And the final rule is this. Remember that the list of debts on your character sheets may be incomplete. Sometimes you may owe more than you think. 

Mayanna: Oh my god!

Ian: Great.

Mischa: So that's the game we're playing today! 

Reed: I’m so excited.

Mayanna: Oh my god. Sinister.

Mischa: With that, let's dive back in. 

[Music begins: synth chords]

Mischa: Ibra, you open these big, creaky wooden doors up to the foyer of the Bracha Estate. [SFX: wooden creaking and metal hinges squeak and echo]. Inside, it's a vaulted ceiling, large staircase up to the second level. Marble tile floors, 

Bex: Yeah.

Mischa: just ornate sort of pieces. 

Bex: Like that green marble with streaks of white. 

Mischa: Yeah, absolutely. The color of money, the color of prosperity. It's not even the color of money in this world, but I still feel it. 

Bex: There's flecks of gold.

Reed: Oh yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah.

Mischa: Absolutely. All of it is like ornate and grand and imposing, but I think it doesn't all quite match. It's not all quite the same style, like almost Cheesecake Factory-like in its mismatchedness. 

Bex:  It almost makes Boggins feel more like home. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: That’s so funny.

Mischa: At least Boggins has a consistent aesthetic, you know what I mean?  

Mayanna: It's bees all the way down. [Laughter]. This one's a quilt of mismatched vibes. 

Mischa: Yeah, but all of those vibes–

Mayanna: Are immaculate? 

Mischa: –are equally intimidating, I would say. 

Mayanna: Ooohh.

Mischa: This is a foyer built to make an impression on anybody who walks through that door. 

Mayanna: Oh my God. 

Bex: Even though it’s–

Mischa: Mayanna's already stressed. 

Mayanna: I'm so stressed. And I live here. I'm stressed! 

[Laughter]. 

Bex: Even though it's only been a week since Ibra's been back, it sort of stops them in their tracks. It, the effect works even when you're used to it. 

Mayanna: And also it's like, you are coming in with an agenda today. So it's like, “oh man. This is what that's for!”

[Music ends].

Bex: Yeah, I think Ibra, at the moment of hesitation, pops out their eternally loose tooth, [groans and shivers] the eerie token, and slips it into Paz's pocket. 

Mischa (Paz): Oh, oh, it's the tooth again, okay.

Bex (Ibra): You're welcome. 

Mischa (Paz): I love the tooth, gotta love the tooth. 

Ian: Is it wet? 

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: We've already, I'm sorry, we've already done that joke in a previous episode, we have to move on. 

[Laughter]. 

Ian: Cutting it for time. 

Mischa: In your mind, Paz goes, 

Mischa (Paz):  [SFX: echoey, indicating telepathic speech] Check, one, two. 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] Three, four. 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: echoey] Whoa. 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] (Laughs).

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: echoey] It's never not weird. 

[Laughter]. 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] This way we can talk and don't have to move our mouths!

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: echoey] Yeah, I think we will probably find that useful. Good call. 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] Sorry about the wet. 

Ian: Yeah, it's fuckin in there. 

[Laughter]. 

Bex: I always figure sliding into someone's pocket will dry it. 

[Music begins: hammered strings].

Mischa: Meeting you in the foyer is Florence, your family's house servant, who offers to take your coat, offers to take any of Paz's accessories.

Mischa (Paz): Oh, hey Flo, here you go. 

Bex (Ibra): Hey Flo, thank you. [SFX: fabric rustling]. Do I need a ticket for my coat? 

Mischa: She reaches into a pocket of her, like, waistcoat and, pulls out a roll of paper and tears it and hands it to you. 

Bex (Ibra): I was, is this, I was kidding. Is this a new thing? Did mom put this in place? 

Mischa (Flo): All of this is standard protocol for a dinner with guests.

Bex (Ibra): Gue–Guests? 

[Music shifts: ominous ambient synths].

Mischa (Flo): Yes, of course. 

Bex (Ibra): It's just Paz. No offense, Paz, but we all– Paz is family now. 

Mischa (Flo): There are more to be expected. Please, your mother is waiting for you. 

Bex (Ibra): Oh, thanks Flo. 

Bex: And in Paz's mind, she hears, 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] What the, what the fuck, what's happening? Who's here? Oh my god, oh my god. 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: echoey] Oh, we have to be on our “best behavior.”

Mischa: And even in your mind, you can hear the air quotes. 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] Ah, I swear I could see you doing those. [Laughter]. Okay, okay, I'm sweaty. Oh, I'm sweaty. I'm glad I don't have a coat on anymore. I'm so sweaty. 

[Music ends].

[Laughter]. 

[Music begins: eerie high synths, later joined by disjointed piano]. [Soundscape begins: clock ticking in the background].

Mischa: you head on back into the drawing room [SFX: door opens] and, sitting in a large leather armchair behind a desk finishing up some paperwork is your mother.

[SFX: pen scratching on paper].

Bex (Ibra): Good evening, General.

Reed (General Shinmar): Good evening. Just a moment, please. 

Bex (Ibra): Of course. 

Reed: And I think it almost takes, there's a very pregnant pause of just nothing but pen on paper. 

Mayanna: I had a boss like this once. 

[Chuckles].

Bex: That's scribbling. 

Reed: Silence that is to be expected while she is finishing her work. And then just very, almost delicately, but purposefully sets the pen into a little ink pot. Arms folded, looks up. 

Reed (General Shinmar): It's good to see you, Ibra. 

Bex (Ibra): It's good to see you too, mom. 

Reed (General Shinmar): How’ve you been? 

Bex (Ibra): Great, I got a new job. 

Reed (General Shinmar): Oh!

Bex (Ibra): I'm working with the Magistrate now. 

Reed (General Shinmar): Do tell. 

Bex (Ibra): Well, there's some weird things happening around and 

Reed (General Shinmar): Weird? You're going to need to be more specific. 

Bex (Ibra): I wish I could be. Unfortunately– 

Reed (General Shinmar): You wish? Wishing is for people who don't have skills, Ibra. I believe you have those skills.  

Bex (Ibra): I do have those skills. I am unable, due to the current job description and requirements, to be more forthright. I would love to answer every question; I am not permitted under my current employment contract. 

Reed (General Shinmar): Very good, continue.

Bex (Ibra): I'm working for the Magistrate. I'm no longer doing job placements. I'm doing something a little bit more tailored to the skill set that you so graciously instilled in me.

Reed (General Shinmar): Mm.

Bex (Ibra): I am doing some work in accordance with the Governor… through tutelage and guidance of the Magistrate. 

Reed (General Shinmar): I see. So tell me, why did you turn down this position with Inspector Ravonna?

Bex (Ibra): I'm sorry, what? I'm sorry, uh.. how did you know I'm working for Inspector Ravonna just through the Magistrate? 

Reed (General Shinmar): Mm, I heard you were very rude. 

Bex (Ibra): Rude? 

Reed (General Shinmar): Mm. 

Bex (Ibra): Out of curiosity. Where did you hear this? 

Reed (General Shinmar): I find the dodging very disconcerting. 

Bex (Ibra): I believe I missed the question. I did not mean to dodge anything. 

Reed (General Shinmar): Mm. Paz, it's lovely to see you.

Mischa (Paz): Nice to see you, General Shinmar. 

Reed (General Shinmar): How’ve you been? 

Mischa (Paz): Um..

Mischa: And she, like, looks at Ibra, clearly sweating. 

Mischa (Paz): Fine? Good? 

Reed (General Shinmar): That's wonderful. Were you given a number for your coat? 

Mischa (Paz): Yes. 

Reed (General Shinmar): Lovely. 

Reed: And with that, she does stand. you see that she's a very tall woman. Her hair has been sort of tucked into a bun with a braid. It's very much function with a dash of fashion, as to be expected. 

Bex: Mm.

Reed: She's wearing the usual sort of casual military outfit, though she hasn't had to do any proper military service in a while. These kinds of dinners, she wears the outfit–

Bex: For sure.

Reed: –along with a sword that is sort of tucked at the side. This is usual.

Reed (General Shinmar): (sighs) Well, I'm looking forward to having dinner this evening. 

Bex (Ibra): As am I. I heard from Florence that there-there's a-that there is a guest. 

Reed (General Shinmar): Yes, yes, I thought Inspector Ravonna would be a lovely addition to tonight's dinner. 

Bex: (Sharp breath).

Mischa: And a chime resounds throughout the estate. [SFX: chiming doorbell].

Reed (General Shinmar): Ah, that might be her now. I look forward to you having… discussions about work, since you're working with her through the Magistrate.

Bex (Ibra): I look forward to it as well. It will be good to see her again. 

Reed (General Shinmar): I'm hoping we can corroborate on these stories. I'm hearing different tales. It's very concerning. 

Reed: And with that, I walk past Ibra to go greet our guests. 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] (quickly) Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!

[Music ends].

[Laughter and exclamations].

Mayanna: Oh my god!

Ian: I don’t think I can play this game anymore.

[Laughter].

Bex: I fucking called it, Mischa!

Mayanna: I’m sick today, I can’t, I can't go to work today.

[Laughter].

Bex: I hate that I called it and still wasn’t ready. 

Mayanna: I’m sick.. And you know what's so funny? As I saw in the sheet, the thing about it, I was like, “Ravonna’s not gonna be here.”

[Laughter].

Mayanna: Idiot. Moron. 

Ian: So dumb! 

Mayanna: So stupid of me! 

Ian: Hey, but, but, but, but, we're not us, okay? 

Reed: Yeah. 

Ian: Okay, so we don't have that relationship. 

Mayanna: Honestly, that's worse. [Laughter]. It's worse that we're not us, because we can't do anything. 

Ian: That's fair, that's fair. 

Mischa: Ibra, your mother brushes past you to go answer the door for Inspector Ravonna. What do you do? 

Bex: I think Ibra is frozen. The only thing moving is their brainwaves, at this point. 

[Music begins: ominous ambient synths].

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: echoey] What do we do? 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] (haltingly) We have dinner with Inspector Ravonna. 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: echoey] Okay. Okay. Stay on mission. 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey]  Mhmm. 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: echoey] It's not, it's not about that. It's not about that, right? 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] No, I didn't know I was rude. I, I was just injured. Am I rude when I'm injured? Oh, no. 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: echoey] Take, take it from me. Sometimes when you're in pain, your social mores kind of like go out the window. 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] Oh, I have an apology to make. Oh no.

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: echoey] Okay, do you think your siblings also know about the special surprise guest at this fancy dinner? 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] I mean, they live here, so maybe they've had a conversation with mom already? I'm, oof–Speculation. Oh no! 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: echoey] Where are they? 

Bex: [SFX: echoey] Probably in th–If they're not already waiting at the dinn–Hmm, we should go to the dinner table. We should go wait. We should go wait at the dinner table. I don't want to be late. 

[Music ends]. 

[Music begins: energetic synths]. 

[SFX: door opening and closing].

Mischa: You head out of the drawing room and into the large, lavish dining room, long, rectangular table, set with, like, multiple candelabras and, like, fancy dinner places, like, meticulously laid out by the house staff. I think sitting at the dinner table, leaned back in a chair that was not really made to be leaned back in, you know, like, like a straight backed wooden chair, but slouched in it, texting on their compad, your sibling Hima. 

Ian (Hima): Ugh, hi Ibra. Paz? 

Bex (Ibra): What a warm welcome, Hima. How kind of you. 

Ian (Hima): How was the trip? 

Bex (Ibra): Boring?

Ian (Hima): Mm. So pedestrian of you.

Ian: And I keep texting on my phone, just look down and completely ignore you. 

Bex (Ibra): Who you texting? 

Ian (Hima): None of your business. 

Bex (Ibra): You're right, it's not. I'm just curious. 

Ian: I look up and I just stare daggers at Ibra. Like, like, years and years of sibling history of being like, “Do not.” 

Bex (Ibra): Wow. You're in a bad mood. 

Mischa: Hima, will you roll intimidation?

Mayanna: Ooh, here we go. 

Ian: Fuck yeah, I'll roll intimidation. 

Mayanna: First roll? 

Reed: Fuck yeah, first roll. 

Mayanna: First roll of the minigame?

Ian: And I'm gonna roll the dragon eye die. 

[Dice rolls].

Mayanna: Ooh boy. 

Ian: Let's go. It's an 11. 

Mayanna: Cool. 

Ian: Siblings don't intimidate each other that much. 

Mischa: Yeah, Ibra, you don't know what act he was putting on, but it's, it's gotta be for some reason, you assume?

Bex: Yeah… 

Bex (Ibra): Been to Boggins recently? 

Ian: But see, that's like a dig on you, kind of, because that's a secret I hold for you. 

Bex: You also weren't supposed to be there. You were seeing someone you weren't supposed to be seeing. 

Reed: Ooohh

Mayanna: Oh, a Spider Man meme. 

Mischa: What were you doing at the Devil's sacrament? 

Reed: The Umbrella Academy meme where they're both looking at each other and passing cars.

Mayanna: “What?” “What?”

Ian: Who was it I was seeing? 

Bex: I haven't given a name to them yet–

Ian: Oh, great.

Bex: –but it was someone that you also owe me a debt for having me break up with them by pretending to be you. 

Mayanna & Reed: Ohhhh. 

Ian: Right right right right fuck.

Bex: So Boggins is heavy for you as well. 

Mayanna: Oh my god

Ian: This is bad. This isn't good you guys. 

Reed: This is, I'm loving the vibe here. I’m vibing.

Ian: So you, you, you look at me and you say, “Have you been to Boggins recently?” And then I stare even more daggers at you. And I reach forward and I grab a bottle of like a very expensive white wine and uncork it and silently pour myself a glass [SFX: cork pops and liquid wine into a glass]. And then I move the glass to me and I slump back in my chair and give you one last, like, deathly dagger look and then I look to Paz and I go, 

Ian (Hima): Good to see you, Paz, 

Ian: and take a sip and look down.

Mischa (Paz): Sup, Hima. 

[Music ends].

Ian: (laughing) For everyone at home, Mischa just, like, threw a hand sign. 

Reed: Whattup?

Bex: Heyyo.

Ian: I don't even know if I say anything. I think I just maintain silence. 

[Music begins: ethereal ambient synths].

Mischa: Paz looks at you, doesn't break eye contact, and then winks and goes, 

Mischa (Paz): Gotcha.

Ian (Hima): (Grumbles).

Reed: Delight. 

Mischa: in your head, Ibra you hear, 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: echoey] When people are trying to put on airs, all you gotta do is hit them with the sup and the hand sign. It throws them off the game every time. 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] You know, as many times as you've done that, you'd think I'd have learned by now. 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: echoey] It's like, honestly, such a good move. 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] You're right. Look at their face, they look so silly. 

Mayanna: Jester privilege. 

[Laughter].

Mischa: Absolutely. 

Reed: Gotta love jester privilege. 

[Laughter].

Bex (Ibra): Hey Hima, are there assigned seats tonight? 

Ian (Hima): Yes, you're next to me. 

Bex (Ibra): Oh yay. 

Ian (Hima): Paz is next to you on the left. And then this Ravonna character is on the other side of the table, next to Mother. 

Bex (Ibra): You're across from Ravonna?

Ian (Hima): Yes. 

Bex (Ibra): Have you met before?

Ian (Hima): No, but I've heard many things about this woman. What is going on? 

Bex (Ibra): You really wanna know?

Ian (Hima): Yes? 

Bex (Ibra): How badly do you want to know?

Ian (Hima): (sighs) Badly enough. Tell me. 

Mischa: Sounds like someone is doing someone a favor. 

All: Oooh

Bex: I’m gonna mark that down.

Ian: This isn't good, because I feel like I already owe a lot of debts, and I'm just, like, racking up debts. 

Reed: Hey, embrace the system. You're doing it. 

Mayanna: That's what the, that's what the, the, the goofy silly sibling does. He just racks up debts and checks he can't cash. 

Reed: Yeah, I love it. Absolutely. I love it. 

Mayanna: He texts, he lie, he eat hot chip, and he in debt. 

Ian: What the fuck was that? 

Reed: It’s a classic meme. A classic meme!

[Music ends].

Ian:  I've never seen he–eat hot chip. 

Reed: He eat hot chip and lie. 

Mischa: Girls only know, eat hot chip, be bisexual, and lie. 

[Laughter].

Mayanna: Yep!

Reed: That's the one, that's the one! 

Mayanna: I love that meme. 

Ian: I gotta check that out

Reed: It's such a–I gotta find me a hot chip. 

Bex: I was gonna say, oh no, I'm a girl. 

[Laughter]. 

Reed: Oh no! 

Mayanna: Oh no! 

Bex: All this gender exploration for nothing! 

Mayanna: Oh no! 

Reed: Hey, but you get the hottest chips. 

[Music begins: ominous low ambient synths].

Bex (Ibra): Well… 

Ian: I grabbed the wine and I lean in and I'm now starting to smirk. 

Bex (Ibra): I was handpicked for a job.

Ian (Hima): Mm. 

Bex (Ibra): I did the job. I was not informed nearly enough about the job before or after I nearly died on the job protecting society, people, my team and the entire city. And when asking for more information, my boss Ravonna turned on us and told us we were children and not to be trusted. So even though I still have the job, I'm now deferring to a different supervisor than Ravonna because she doesn't like me.

[Music ends].

Ian (Hima): Two things. One, ugh, you just said “job” and “boss” so many times, I'm sick to my stomach. 

[Laughter].

Ian: I got Mischa.

[Laughter].

Ian (Hima): Ugh. And two, who cares? Why is mother bringing this gnat to dinner? I don’t under–

Bex (Ibra): Because she wants to hook you up, obviously. 

Ian (Hima): Funny. Very funny. 

Bex (Ibra): Also, you do realize dad has a “job” and goes to “work.” Do you sneer at him? 

Ian (Hima): But he doesn't say the word, Ibra. 

Bex (Ibra): He doesn't come around to say anything. 

Ian (Hima): Well, that's true. 

Bex (Ibra): He's too busy at his (overly enunciated) joooooob.

Ian (Hima): Don't say it! Oh, gosh! Blegh. Well, I have a tip for you, if you like. But it'll cost you. 

Bex (Ibra): I don't need a tip. 

Ian (Hima): Mmm. Suit yourself. 

Ian: And I take another sip of my white wine.

Ian (Hima): Mmm. Good luck tonight, sibling. 

Bex: I, as Bex, am curious, Ibra is spiteful. 

[Chuckles].

Ian: That's fair, I respect that. 

Mayanna: Yeah, yeah. 

Mischa: Yeah, absolutely. 

Ian: But man, it was a juicy tip.

Bex: I believe it. 

Ian: It was a hot chip. 

Mayanna: It was a hot chip tip? 

Reed: It was a hot chip tip? 

Bex: Oh, no. 

[Music begins: classical piano].

Mayanna: I think, at this point, Hima, you feel on the back of your chair a strong force push the chair up to upright position. 

Mayanna (Brama): You know that they're not meant to bend back like that. 

Ian (Hima): Ow. Yes, of course. 

Mayanna (Brama): Ibra, it's so good to see you.

Bex (Ibra): Hey, sib. 

Mayanna (Brama): When did you arrive? 

Bex (Ibra): Umm, I'm bad at time, but about five minutes ago. 

Mayanna (Brama): Alright, oh, I'm so sorry I was not here to greet you. 

Bex (Ibra): Thirty seconds. Thirty two seconds. 

Mayanna (Brama): Did Florence, do you have the tickets? Do you have the tickets? 

Bex (Ibra): Yes, of course. 

Mayanna (Brama): Okay, wonderful. 

Mischa (Paz): Yeah, are the tickets new? 

Mayanna (Brama): Yes, well, no, they're not, but they're new for tonight. They're important for tonight. It's very important that everybody gets a ticket for tonight. 

Bex (Ibra): Hey, Brahms? 

Mayanna (Brama): Mhmm? 

Bex (Ibra): It's really good to see you. 

Mayanna (Brama): It's so good to see you. 

Mayanna: and I give you like a quick, like, kiss on both chick–Both cheek. [Chuckles]. Both chick cheek. 

Mischa: How elvish of you. 

Mayanna: Yeah. Yes. Oui oui. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna (Brama): Hima, you weren't supposed to open the bottle yet. That was supposed to be when–When we all sat down. 

Ian (Hima): Ugh. Who cares? 

Mayanna (Brama): Haha. All right. I'm just going to go get another one. you can put that one under your seat or something just so that it, because we don't, we don't want Inspector Ravonna to see an open bottle before they get here. 

Mayanna: I'm going to go and grab another bottle from the cellar.

Mischa: Yeah. You just rush back out of the room. 

Ian: I slide, I go, 

Ian (Hima): Mmm, score. 

Ian: And I put the bottle under my own seat.

Mayanna: (chuckling).

[Music ends].

Bex: Insight check on Brama. 

Mayanna: Mmm.

Mischa: Yes. So insight checks are working a little different today. Again, taking some mechanics wholesale from Urban Shadows. Shoutout Magpie Games, shoutout, shoutout. When you're rolling insight on someone, there's a list of questions that you may ask of them, depending on how high you rolled, shows how many you get to ask.

Mayanna: Yes. That’s so good. 

Bex: Sexy. I rolled a 15, I get to ask one question. 

[Music begins: ambient synths].

Mischa: Okay, yeah, so you ask, you get to ask of Brama one of the following questions. Who's pulling their strings? What's their beef with someone? What are they hoping to get from someone? What do they worry is going to happen? How could you get them to do something, or how could you put them in your debt?

Mayanna: So I think if you find me in the cellar while I'm trying to pick out another wine. 

Bex: I think I have three really interesting options. That I'm struggling to choose from. 

Mischa: Okay. 

Bex: So I'm gonna procrastinate by having Ibra walk down the stairs to the cellar. [SFX: door opens, footsteps down stairs].

Mayanna: Amazing

[SFX: glass bottles clinking].

Mayanna (Brama): (Muttering to self) Okay so not that one, no, that wasn’t the same one, that’s a different year. Okay, we've gotta get the same year. 

[Music ends].

Bex (Ibra): You know, Dad hides the really, really good stuff behind that shelf. 

Mayanna (Brama): Right. Yes. Thank you for the reminder. [SFX: glass bottles clinking]. (To self) Okay, not that one. No, that's not a white. 

Mischa: Yeah, Brama, are you picking the ones from the good shelf that Ibra has picked out for you? Or are you, now that you, now that they've been pointed out by your sibling, are you avoiding that shelf?

Mayanna: I think I'm humoring Ibra by looking, and then being like, 

Mayanna (Brama): No, I think it should be the same one. It should be the same one that was on the table already, because that was the one that mom picked out already. So I'm just gonna, I'm just gonna–

Bex: Before Brama can get back to that shelf, I slide over. Can I sleight of hand the last bottle off the shelf?

[Music begins: gentle piano].

Mischa: Ooh, yeah, yeah, you can. 

Mayanna: So rude!

Mischa: Okay. Ibra sleight of hand. [Dice rolls]. Brama, you don't have a perception stat, do you? 

Mayanna: Let me see here. I have, I have performance, persuasion, deception, insight, and intimidation. 

Mischa: I think you could probably roll with your same insight number. 

Mayanna: I think that's fair. Cause also like I am trained.

Mischa: Yeah. So, for the audience at home, the NPCs that Ian and Mayanna are playing have some stats but not all, so we're gonna make it work. 

Mayanna: Yeah, That's a 10. 

Mischa: Okay. 

Bex: 15. 

Mischa: Nice, you successfully nab the last bottle of the same white wine. 

Mayanna (Brama): It should be here, where, where is it? [SFX: glass bottles clinking]. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. 

Bex (Ibra): Do you want some help finding a good white wine from dad's stores? Because I, I know the really good years now.

Mayanna (Brama): Oh, Ibra. Fine. Yes, help me. 

Bex: I walk over, I sort through the years [SFX: glass bottles clinking] trying to find like just the one that's matured just enough to be still a similar flavor profile to the one that we just, that I just hid. 

Bex (Ibra): Um, I think she'll like… this one. Hey, have you met Inspector Ravonna before? 

Mayanna (Brama): Yes, yes I have. 

Bex (Ibra): Oh! 

Mayanna (Brama): Mhmm. 

Bex (Ibra): She's fascinating, isn't she?

Mayanna (Brama): She is. She's very accomplished. 

Bex (Ibra): Yes. 

Mayanna (Brama): Very capable. Very smart. Very good leader. 

Bex (Ibra): What are you, you look a little worried. What are you worried is gonna happen tonight? 

Mayanna (Brama): I just, I just want everything to go well, you know. Mom's riding a lot on this, and you know, because it's my new job, I just, I just want to make sure that my boss is– 

Bex (Ibra): New job?

Mayanna (Brama): Yeah. 

Bex (Ibra): New boss? 

Mayanna (Brama): Yes, yeah. Yeah, I'm working for Inspector Ravonna. 

Bex (Ibra): Oh. 

Mayanna (Brama): Yeah. It's a really big opportunity for me. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah. 

Mayanna (Brama): You know, after somebody turned down the opportunity. 

Bex (Ibra): What do you mean? I didn't turn down any opportunity. 

Mayanna (Brama): Uh-huh. 

Mayanna: (laughing) And I'm gonna keep looking. 

Mayanna (Brama): Alright, this is, do you think this is, do you think this is a good one? You think the one–

Bex (Ibra): I think it's fabulous. 

Mayanna (Brama): Okay. 

Bex (Ibra): You didn't answer my question, though. What are you worried is gonna happen? 

Mayanna (Brama): Ibra, Could you just, please? I know, I know that, you know, you, you have your whole life, and you have your whole thing, but like, I still live here, and I still have to… I still have to, I still have to live here, so I could just, could you just not turn the screw tonight, please. 

Bex (Ibra): I don't ever want to make anything more difficult for you, Sib. 

Mayanna (Brama): Mm. 

Bex (Ibra): You, you know that. 

Mayanna (Brama): Mmhm. Right. Um, well, even if you didn't intend to, sometimes you do. That's all I'll say. 

Mayanna: And I'm gonna just, I'm gonna rush back out to the, to the dining room. 

Bex: That’s fair.

[Music ends].

Ian: Like the minute Brama walks into the dining room, I could see the look on their face, and you hear me laugh from the other room. And I go, 

Ian (Hima): Calm down, Brama. You're such a worrywart. 

Mayanna (Brama): Well somebody has to, right?

Ian (Hima): No, nobody does actually have to. 

Mayanna (Brama): Mm.

Bex: I slide the bottle back into its place.

[Laughter].

Mischa: I think, yeah, Paz looks at Hima and goes, 

Mischa (Paz): Well. You should worry about more stuff. 

Mischa: And then looks to Brama and is like, 

Mischa (Paz): Well, not that much stuff. 

Mayanna (Brama): What?

Mischa: And then she looks kind of both at you and like gestures across the table and just goes, 

Mischa (Paz): Stuff.

Ian: (Laughing).

[Music begins: light, twinkling high piano].

Mayanna (Brama): Right. Paz you are such a… character. [Laughter]. Hima, I understand that to you this is not very important, but it is really important to me, and I really, really would love this to go well, so could we all just get along, please? Please. 

Ian: Hima smiles devilishly at the table. 

Ian (Hima): What's it worth to you? 

Mayanna (Brama): Oh my god, what do you want? What do you want? Okay. 

Ian (Hima): Hmm. I would like you to say one embarrassing thing at the table tonight in front of Ravonna. [Laughter]. If you do, then I won't embarrass you. 

[Gasps].

Mayanna: (laughing) Oh my god!

Reed: Wow. 

Mayanna (Brama): Hm. Fine. 

Mayanna: And I, it's a very stiff handshake out to you. 

Ian: I languidly reach my hand over and shake softly. 

Mischa: And your two pale, slightly blue-tinged hands meet across the table.

Mayanna: I love it.

Reed: Yeah.

[Music ends].

Bex: Ibra, downstairs in the cellar, actually, on the way out, stops, turns back, grabs the bottle of wine they hid, and walks it back upstairs. 

Mayanna: Oh my god, amazing. I love it so much. 

Bex (Ibra): Hey, Brama, look what I found. 

Mayanna (Brama): Oh, wonderful. Where was that I wonder? 

Bex (Ibra): It was hiding. Must've been put in the wrong spot. 

Mayanna (Brama): You two with your tricks, It was always so funny. Oh, so funny with the tricks. Let's all just prank Brama. It's so funny, isn't it? 

Mayanna: I'm going to go, 

Mayanna (Brama): I'm going to go check on the coats. 

Mayanna: I'm just going to go organize the coats. [Laughter].

Mischa: I think as you, like, try to scurry out of the dining room, you're met and stopped at the threshold by, your mother. [SFX: door rattling].

Mayanna (Brama): Mother. 

Reed: I think it's mid conversation, 

Reed (General Shinmar): and you'll really appreciate the wine. It was the exact same year that I believe you were born. Ah!

Mayanna (Brama): Mother, hello. 

[Music begins: low, tense synth tones].

Reed (General Shinmar): Brama! You seem to be in such a hurry. 

Mayanna (Brama): I just wanted to check with Florence to make sure that all of the coats were in the correct numerical order. 

Reed (General Shinmar): Of course. How dutiful of you. Very detail oriented, this one. 

Mischa (Ravonna): As I see, 

Mischa: Inspector Ravonna walks into the dining room and strolls across to her chair and like, slowly scans each of you. Her eyes resting for like, an uncomfortably long moment on each one of you in her turn. 

Bex: Ibra holds eye contact. 

Reed: I think I'm holding eye contact with both of you, expecting you to stand.

Bex: I do. 

Reed: As, oh, perfect. 

Bex: I stand as soon as she enters the room and I maintain eye contact, even when she's looking at others. 

Reed: So proud. 

Ian: Hima also stands but doesn't have eye contact with you. 

Mayanna: I love it so much. 

Ian: Okay, Reed's staring at me in real time and won't stop, [Laughter] so Hima waits a moment, and then finally has one quick look, eyes to eyes with Mother, and then–

Reed: I think it's just a very curt nod of like, “Yeah, I raised you better, make eye contact for crying out loud.”

Bex: I, I hold up the bottle of wine that I've brought up from the bottom. 

Bex (Ibra): Would you like me to open it, Mother? 

Reed (General Shinmar): Yes, please, thank you. 

Bex (Ibra): Of course. 

Bex: I get up, I uncork the wine, [SFX: cork pops] and I pour for every single glass at the table [SFX: wine pouring into glasses] before returning to my seat.

[Music shifts: tense piano].

Mischa: Ravonna, slowly and with impeccable posture, sort of takes a place beside her chair, and she looks around each of you in turn and goes, 

Mischa (Ravonna): Hima, a pleasure to make your acquaintance. 

Ian (Hima): You as well, Inspector. 

Mischa (Ravonna): Brama. 

Mayanna (Brama): Hm.

Mischa (Ravonna): Nice to see you again. 

Mayanna (Brama): It's good to see you as well. 

Mischa (Ravonna): Ibra. 

Bex (Ibra): It's an honor. 

Mischa (Ravonna): I imagine it would be.

Bex: I simply nod with a smile. 

Mischa: And she unbuttons the done up buttons on her vest and takes a seat. 

Reed (General Shinmar): We are so grateful to have you here at dinner tonight. 

Bex (Ibra): I'm so glad you could escape your busy schedule to join us. And I'm amazed that you have met my family. 

Mischa (Ravonna): Your family has greatly come to the attention of my office. You are–

Mischa:  And she looks over at the General and she says, 

Mischa (Ravonna): You are all renowned warriors, in your own right, a thing this city sorely needs. Devout warriors, driven to a singular task. I'm so fortunate to have Brama come under my wing. 

Bex (Ibra): It'll be a pleasure to work alongside one of my siblings. 

Reed (General Shinmar): I'm so glad you say that, actually.

Bex: I don't look at you. I maintain eye contact with Ravonna. 

Mayanna (Brama): I used to eat the flowers off the tree in the front yard!

[Music ends].

[Laughter]

Reed: (laughing) What?!

Mayanna: and then I go check on the flowers. And then I go check on the closet, I go check on the coats.  

Bex: Okay, that breaks my eye contact. 

Reed: Oh my god! 

Mischa: Yeah, everyone stares after Brama as they leave. And there's a really long moment and then Paz just goes, 

Mischa (Paz): (Snorts).

Ian: I have the most wicked smile on my face.  

[Laughter].

Reed (General Shinmar): (Sighs).

Bex (Ibra): To be fair, half of the flowers looked like berries. 

Ian (Hima): That's true, they did. 

[Laughter]

Bex (Ibra): I mean, I didn't. 

Ian (Hima): No, no no. 

Bex (Ibra): But I can understand. 

[Music begins: eerie synths later joined by quiet, slightly unsettling piano].

Mischa (Ravonna): And If I had such a gorgeous tree growing outside of my childhood home, I would perhaps be tempted. I have slightly more caution in mind. I don't know that I would just eat any old thing I saw growing on a tree. 

Reed (General Shinmar): We make sure that everything in our home is safe within reason, and we really encourage curious minds, especially in youth. But as we get older, we find we must all snap to responsibility. Wouldn't you all agree? 

[A beat].

Bex: The silence is heavy. 

[SFX: door opens].

Mayanna (Brama): The coats are well organized. 

Mayanna: I'm back. 

[Laughter].

Reed (General Shinmar): Thank you, Brama. Please have a seat. 

Mayanna: Am I sitting next to Inspector Ravonna? 

Reed: I think so, yeah. 

Bex: Yeah, definitely. 

Reed: I mean, you're working together. It's important that you guys get a chance to chit chat. 

Mayanna: Of course. 

Mischa: I think it’s Hima, Ibra, Paz, and then on the other side is Ravonna and Brama, and then at the head is General Shinmar.

Ian: Got it.

Reed: But we're all sitting close enough that I think we could pass the butter to each other. 

Ian: I was just curious.

Reed: But I imagine the table is still comically long, but we're just grouped up at one side. 

Mayanna: Grouped up in one little corner.

Ian: Yeah,  yeah.

Mischa: Classic. Yes, I do think that that's the case, because I think that, yes, you have a weekly family dinner and this one has a particular guest, but I also imagine that you're throwing other events at other times.

Reed: Oh, heck yes. Unfortunately, that is, what takes up General Shinmar's time, as much as I think secretly she wishes this wasn't what was taking up her time. 

Mischa: Ooh. 

Mayanna: Mmm.

Bex: I love that. 

Reed: Dinner parties are not really her thing. 

Mayanna: I think that–

Reed: At the same time, you gotta play the game. 

Mayanna: Absolutely. Ooh, that's interesting. 

Reed: Yeah. 

Mayanna: Do I, would I know that? Would I know that you–

Reed: I think you would.

Mayanna:  I think I would, too. Yeah. 

Reed: I think it is, it is similar to taking your daily vitamins. 

Mayanna: Yeah. 

Reed: I have to plan dinner parties like this. 

Mayanna: Yeah you don't like dinner parties. 

Reed: I'm not a dinner party person. I would much rather be doing katas in the, in the square. 

Mayanna: I think as I sit down, if I'm across from Hima, I just like, I just like really look at you Just like,

Mayanna (Brama): (Soft angry grumbles).

Ian: I smile so nice and sweetly. And then still looking at you, I say, 

Ian (Hima): So, Inspector, you've come all this way to join us for dinner. Why don't you regale us with the goings on of the Lower City? 

[Music ends]. [Music begins: melodic, calm piano].

Mischa (Ravonna): The Lower City, as it always is, is a bustling hub of change. Everything is tossed over week to week. You never know what you're going to find. Here in the Constellation, I find things are a little more… static, a little more set in its ways. Which is not a bad thing. Sometimes the ways are good. 

Mischa: And Ravonna gestures to the table in front of her. 

Mischa (Ravonna): So that when something falls out of place here in the Constellation, it is easier to take note. Don't you agree, Brama? 

Mayanna (Brama): Of course, absolutely. Very astute observation, Inspector Ravonna. 

Bex (Ibra): That, I believe, correct me if I'm wrong, because I am often wrong, that is to do with the Upper City. I believe that I could fill in what's been going on in the Lower City. 

Mischa (Ravonna): Could you now? 

Bex (Ibra): Absolutely. 

Reed (General Shinmar): By all means. 

Mischa (Ravonna): By all means.

Bex (Ibra): Well, we have been dealing with attacks on the city down below. From an unknown origin, with unknown levels of danger, with as yet to be discovered abilities. Someone blew up the bridges in the under city. Someone came back to finish the job. And when they did so, they activated a device that activated a mechanism that went rampaging. I did my very best to be its only target. However, in its… mess, it attempted to hit me and further destroyed more of the highway structure. I took it down, not before it took me down. I was brought back by a team whom I trust, and we finished the job. Something is happening that people are forgetting, and it's our job to keep them safe and figure out what it is. Isn't that right, Inspector? 

Mischa (Ravonna): Mostly. 

Bex (Ibra): What am I missing? 

[Music ends].

Mischa: Ibra, why don't you go ahead and roll Persuasion? 

[Dice rolls].

Bex: Dirty 20. 

All: (cheers) Yay! Nice.

Ian: Kachow! 

[Music begins: suspenseful stuttering synth chords].

Mischa: Ravonna takes a long sip of her wine and says, 

Mischa (Ravonna): What you're missing is that these incidents are connected to dangerous and hazardous materials that it is unsafe for the public to stumble across. My office has been developing protocols around the containment of these materials. And when I asked you to turn them over, your friend, the fashionable one– 

Bex (Ibra): Fran Weaver. 

Mischa (Ravonna): Yes. Ms. Weaver, looked me in the eye and refused. Now, she could have any number of reasons, and I don't mean to ascribe, but anybody who wouldn't hand over these dangerous materials to the proper authorities is dangerous. 

Mayanna (Brama): I agree. 

Bex (Ibra): To be fair, ma'am, you told us we were the proper authorities, but wouldn't tell us the proper protocols or what we were looking for. 

Mischa (Ravonna): Begging your pardon, Ibra. I was told you would be the proper authorities. 

Mayanna (Brama): Yes. It sounds like your associates are quite irresponsible.  

Reed (General Shinmar): I would have to agree.

Mayanna (Brama): Thank you, mother. 

Reed (General Shinmar): Ibra. I believe you have acted wonderfully. I'm so proud of you. 

Bex (Ibra): Thank you, mother. 

Reed (General Shinmar): However, I'm worried about these associates that you claim to trust. They did what I consider the bare minimum. I think you can do a lot more, with better partners. 

Bex (Ibra): I respect your opinion, Mother. 

Reed (General Shinmar): So you agree?

Bex (Ibra): I am not in charge of my team. The Magistrate is, and I trust the Magistrate. 

Mayanna (Brama): What are their qualifications, exactly? 

[Music ends]. [Music begins: vibrant chime synths].

Bex (Ibra): We have an alchemist. A master chemist, an absolutely incredible asset to the team in terms of science and intelligence. We have a crafter, quite masterful to watch her work. She has managed to weave magic into objects, talent I've never seen the likes of in terms of creativity and capacity to create and destroy in equal measure. We have a mechanist, someone who is deeply, deeply studied in everything to do with the minds, with engineering, with technology, with deep connections to the boots on the ground, so to speak, the people who build our society on the ground, the people who keep us floating up here. We also have a storm goddess.

Mischa (Paz): She sounds cool. I don't know anything else, but that one sounds neat. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah, she's awesome. 

Mischa: And then Paz takes a huge sip of wine. 

[Laughter].

Bex (Ibra): And… we have me. You know what I can do. 

Reed (General Shinmar): I do. 

Bex (Ibra): I believe they're qualified. 

[Music ends].

Reed (General Shinmar): They sound quite qualified indeed. If you'll all entertain me, have you heard the story of my first battalion? They were a rather qualified group, and we all trusted each other. And I believed that we all had the good for our fellow man in mind. 

[Music begins: deep, unsettling reversed strings].

Reed (General Shinmar): However, we didn't quite, mesh well together, I think. Things happen on the battlefield, you know. You can trust each other as much as you want, but sometimes the skills don't mesh together like cogs as they should. And that's how you lose part of your spine that day. And I am thankful there were outside medics to help me. And I would hate the same thing to happen to my child. 

[Music ends].

Bex (Ibra): I'm very sorry that your team could not support you the way you needed and deserved to be supported. Mother, have you ever heard of overpowering Astra?

[Music begins: ominous, building, low synths].

Reed (General Shinmar): I feel like you're about to enlighten me. 

Bex (Ibra): There are new studies that magic and will have a connection. And if you can impose enough will on magic, you can surpass its limits. That is the only reason I sit before you today, Mother. My teammate surpassed the limits of Astra with their own will in order to keep me in the fight.

Mischa (Ravonna): And we thank the gods that went well. Did you hear anything I just said about hazardous materials? Do you know how dangerous it could be to try to use the thing you found at the construction site in such a fashion? 

Bex (Ibra): You paid my medical bills. You know that I know how dangerous things can be. 

Mischa (Ravonna): A favor to your mother, which, if I'm not mistaken, this dinner is meant to make amends for, to even the scales, as it were? 

Reed (General Shinmar): Yes, it is, Inspector. I–

Mischa (Ravonna): I don't mean to reveal your–

Reed (General Shinmar): I think it's about time. The appetizers are coming out after all. 

Mayanna (Brama): What is she talking about? 

Reed (General Shinmar): Considering some of the choices your sibling has made, and the danger they have thrown themselves into, and trust they've put into their compatriots who, unfortunately, allowed them to fall into such a state, there's been a bit of a muckery between our lovely relationship with the Inspector Ravonna, a relationship I am hoping we can build as strong as the tree out in the front yard. And I am hoping this could be a time we all come together and excel past our current means. I think we could all work together rather splendidly. I think a transfer of departments is in order. And we can all work together properly as a family. Now I was meaning to reveal that over dessert, but I do think that we can all digest that during the meal. Wouldn't you agree? 

[Music ends]. 

Mischa: And as though on cue, the doors to the kitchen are thrown open–

[SFX: doors open].

Mayanna: Oh my god

Mischa: –and servants begin to to serve the first course. 

Ian: (in a French accent) First course! 

[Chuckles].

[Midroll music plays and fades out].

Mischa: Hey there, it's Mischa. This is the rest stop. Come take a break beside the path with me, just until we catch our breath. 

Do you need a second? This is a very stressful episode. (chuckles) Sorry, but also not sorry. Sometimes families are nice like last episode, and sometimes they're very not. And Ibra's is… not! That's why found families are so important too, and we're so grateful to have our found family over at patreon.com/wanderingpathpod. A big old shout out to Disney Aubrey, who joined us at the Voyager level, so they'll get a shout out in every episode, alongside our cartographer level patrons Mubarak Dhabri and JWX, who upgraded this week. Thanks, J! And if you want to join our found family, bring us life, sustain us, and bring us to new seasons. Come sign up with us at any level, starting at just a few dollars per episode. One more time, patreon.com/wanderingpathpod. 

And just another huge round of applause for Reed Sights, who is killing it in this episode as General Shinmar. Reed and Mayanna also star together on StoryQuest, an actual play platform focused on heartwarming and cinematic storytelling in bite-sized packages. Their first campaign, Supernova, is cooking now. That uses the Spelljammer setting, which is like pirate ships in magic space. It's very sick. And if you love Mayanna as much as we do, and you're loving Reed in this episode, then you will love to watch them together on StoryQuest. I guarantee it. Check out StoryQuest on Twitch, YouTube, or go to their website, StoryQuest.tv. 

Our sponsor this week is Tab for a Cause, a browser extension that lets you raise money for charity while doing your thing online. Whenever you open a new tab in your browser, like to look up what an ‘ohi’a lehua flower looks like, because Bex is right, they are very pretty, Tab for a Cause will show you a beautiful photo in a small ad. Part of that ad money goes towards charity of your choice, and there's a ton of charities and causes to choose from, like reproductive health, bail funds, Action Against Hunger, Human Rights Watch, climate change action groups, and more. And they recently launched Tab for Democracy, which raises funds specifically to get out the youth vote. And not to be like that, but the election's right around the corner, so that's pretty necessary this week in particular. And best of all, you get to choose how much of your contribution goes where–the power is in your hands. Join our team by signing up at tabforacause.org/wanderingpath and help support your favorite causes and your favorite podcast. One more time, tabforacause.org/wanderingpath. 

Okay, that's it for now. Let's get back on the path and back to the show.

[Midroll music plays and fades out]. 

[Music begins: fancy harpsichord].

Mischa: The serving staff takes away the dishes from your appetizer course. I feel like they're, they're little circular ramekins, that was served, ceviche, because you guys are all like high protein snacks all the time. 

Reed: Oh yes.

Bex: Mhmm.

Mischa: So the little ramekins were perfectly placed in the center of your serving dishes, and now they're cleared away, like, swiftly and quietly, General Shinmar, your staff knows exactly what you expect of them, and they do it.

Reed: I, I think in a, there's a horrible moment where the plate is set in front of me, and I visually measure if it's in the center or not. 

Mischa: Oof.

Mayanna: Mm.

Reed: I don't put my hand out, it's just a moment of look, check, good. 

Mayanna: I watch, I watch you do that every time and I’m always like (gasp and holds breath).

Reed: Every time. Every time. And I look at everyone else as if it's not in the center, someone's getting fired. Someone's gotten fired for that before. 

Ian: I love being on the side of the table that doesn't give a shit about people. 

Mayanna: Yeah, oh yeah.

[Music ends].

Ian: It feels so nice to not care about the little people. [Laughter]. And just have, and just have like, you know–

Bex: Yup.

Ian: I don't know, existential crisis on the brink of the world and just not really give a shit.

Reed: Oh my god, it's like Roman Roy, from Succession.

Ian:  I would really, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 

Mischa: I think you listeners out there can tell that All these people playing new characters today, locked in. They're locked in. They’re so into it!

Mayanna: We really cooked with this one. 

Ian: But we cooked with citrus, not gas. 

Mayanna: There you go. 

Ian: Cause of the ceviche. That was, that was too many levels. 

Reed: It was good, it was good.

Mayanna: No, I love that. I love Ian's secret cooking knowledge. 

Bex: Yeah.

Mayanna: Every time I'm always like, oh my god! 

Bex: We need to have him cook for us.

Ian: I need to make ceviche today. I'm going to straight up make shrimp ceviche today. 

Mayanna: Take a picture of it. 

Ian: I will. 

Mischa: Put it on the gram. 

Mayanna: You put it on the gram. 

[Music begins: haunting piano].

Ian: Fucking good! Okay, I feel like we've been sitting and digesting and thinking because that was like a massive bomb that was dropped, right?

Mayanna: Yeah, that we're trying to get Ibra back on the thing. 

Reed: I think General Shinmar, at a periphery has been keeping an eye on Ibra and is waiting for the next rebuttal as, she has just served for their court and is, you can tell, ready, almost for the next bout and volley on dinner. 

Ian: Well, luckily for Mother, I'm not going to let us get to the next rebuttal.

Reed: Ooh! 

Ian: Because I had so much fun watching Ravonna sweat earlier, that that's the more interesting game to me. So I turn to Inspector Ravonna, and I say,

Ian (Hima): Inspector, I don't understand why you're so concerned about the danger of all of these…  materials. Isn't your job to deal with dangerous things every day? 

Mischa (Ravonna): It certainly is, and that's why I expect compliance from my employees. And she pointedly looks at Ibra. 

Bex (Ibra): I believe, madam, I'm employed by the Magistrate.

Reed (General Shinmar): And we are all working as a team. Infighting will get us nowhere, and, I think, undermines the Magistrate, don't you think? 

Bex (Ibra): Not at all. I'm just stating a fact. No infighting here, mother. 

Ian (Hima): I agree with Ibra. And you know, we around the table are all in on the fact that we are potentially the most capable people in the Upper or Lower City. So why is Ibra not the best to handle this dangerous material, Inspector?

Mischa (Ravonna): I will grant you that the three of you here at this table are perhaps some of the most physically capable people available to my office. 

Bex (Ibra): I would say four, including my mother, wouldn't you?  

Ian: Oof.

Reed: I think that goes without saying, Ibra. 

Bex (Ibra): I believe you deserve to have it said, mother. It's only respectful. 

Reed (General Shinmar): How kind. 

Mischa (Ravonna): Be that as it may, physical prowess is not everything. This is not the war. We cannot simply bash our heads against a greater foe and hope that we win. This requires judgment, care, a level-headedness that has proven a challenge to sift through and look for. 

Bex (Ibra): Aside from my mother, Brama has the clearest, steadiest head of anyone I've ever met. I understand why you've chosen them. 

Mischa (Ravonna): I absolutely agree. 

Bex (Ibra): Do you trust them with the material? 

Reed (General Shinmar): I think it's important to acknowledge where we excel and where we lack. 

Bex (Ibra): I agree. I'm, I'm trying to really highlight where my sibling Brama excels.

Reed (General Shinmar): Yes.

Bex (Ibra): And-and I'd love an answer to make sure that this inspector really respects my sibling and their prowess.

Reed (General Shinmar): Ibra, I'm a little shocked. I believe we covered in your rhetoric classes, debate, and leadership classes, if you've been taking them, that those who just point out the problems in a room shouldn't be talking in the room. Solutions are greatly appreciated. Do you have any in mind? 

Bex (Ibra): I do. I believe a wonderful solution would be hearing the answer from Inspector Ravonna to my question.

Ian (Hima): And I agree. 

Ian: And I'm looking at my mother with like a mischievous face. 

Mayanna: I'm, I'm having flashbacks as just like, this is the thing that they would do when we were kids is they'd like get into these, like– Like once Hima and Ibra were locked in on something and they would just like go back and forth like this. I was like, “Oh no, it's happening again!”

[Laughter]. [Music ends].

Ian: I want to find, I don't think I have, I don't think she owes me a debt, but I want to find a way, like, I wonder if there's a way that I can roll a intimidation in this moment on my mother. 

[Music begins: unsettling, low ambient synths with some percussive elements].

Mayanna & Reed: Ooh.

Ian: I mean, maybe I'm just rolling it either way and there, if there isn't a–

Reed: You can roll.

Bex: I believe that mother owes me a debt for interfering in my progress with Ravonna right now. 

Reed: Ooh!

Ian: There we go. There we have it. 

Bex: Minus 10. 

Mischa: You can't give your minus 10 to one of your siblings. 

Bex: Oh, I'm using it on my mother. 

Mischa: Hima’s the one rolling. 

Mayanna: Ohh. 

Reed: Hima’s the one rolling. It's not–you can't transfer a debt so this way the roll.

Bex: Oh, okay, does it work if we're both staring daggers? 

Mischa: No, because Hima’s the one rolling. 

Bex: Okay. 

Reed: I love that for you. I believe I'm gonna cash in one of my debts on your intimidation check for me. I birthed you. 

Ian: (laughing) Is that on your shit? 

Reed: Yes! I brought you into this world. It's a debt that you have.

Bex: Amazing.

Ian: That’s some fucking bullshit.

Mischa: I believe, if I recall correctly, it says “you brought them into this world dot dot dot.”

Reed: Yeah. 

Mayanna: Of fucking course. And we all know what that “dot dot dot” means.

Reed: I think it's just a moment of, you're trying to, to intimidate me, and it's just a moment of a quirked eyebrow of, “Really?”

Ian:  Well, let's see how that affects Hima. Here we go. 

Reed: Really? So minus 10 to this. 

Mayanna: Ohhh. 

Ian: I rolled a 2. 

Mayanna: Aw, negative 8. 

Ian: Wow. 

Bex: That's huge.

Ian: So that eyebrow sends Hima back into total silence. 

Mischa: Yeah, I think. I think, like, Hima, you have grown bold over the course of this past year, and especially this evening. Like, you were feeling good, you were feeling aloof, you were feeling in control. You think you can toss a look off, and it'll affect your mother. And then you remember who taught you how to toss looks.

Reed & Mayanna: Ahh.

Ian: Fuck. Sorry, Ibra. I didn't say that, that's not across the table. 

Bex (Ibra): Brama.

Mayanna (Brama): Hm? 

Bex (Ibra): I meant what I said. I trust you more than almost anyone. I would like to know the answer if the Inspector will not answer. 

Mischa (Ravonna): Of course I trust Brama. I trust Brama to bring me any materials they find because they have and they will. 

Reed (General Shinmar): It's called respecting the chain of command, Ibra.

Bex (Ibra): Did you inform Brama of the material they were looking for before asking them to bring it to you? Because you did not for me. 

Reed (General Shinmar): It's very interesting. In the chain of command of things, you need to trust your superior. 

Bex (Ibra): I trusted my superior to inform me what I was looking for, and they did not. 

Reed (General Shinmar): I think you need to trust that they withhold information for your better good.

Bex (Ibra): If it's a dangerous material, is it my better good to not– 

Reed General Shinmar): Yes. 

Bex (Ibra): Why? 

Reed (General Shinmar): Perhaps you're too young to understand these things. 

Reed: I just take a sip of wine.

Bex (Ibra): Perhaps. 

Mayanna (Brama): But if– If it is dangerous, and, and you don't have the proper protections in place, you can't properly handle the materia–(clears throat) Excuse me. 

Bex (Ibra): No, you're right, Brama. That, that's why I have feelings about this. I want to make sure you're safe, and I'm safe. 

Mischa (Ravonna): Your mother once again proves herself a wise and capable woman. She knows how important it is to reveal certain information to certain people at certain times. Ibra, I would have told you eventually. 

Bex (Ibra): After I blew myself up accidentally, by not handling the material properly?

Mischa (Ravonna): Why aren't you–Why are you– (huffs).

Mischa: And her reptilian nostrils flare. 

Mischa (Ravonna): You would only be misusing materials if you were attempting to use them at all. Whereas Brama, when they find something dangerous and unknown, immediately turns it into me. 

Bex (Ibra): I have no intention of using it. However, if it is as volatile as you say, if anything could activate it at any time, I need to know that so that I can handle it properly.

Mischa (Ravonna): That's not what I said. What I said was misusing it is dangerous, and you were about to misuse it. 

Bex (Ibra): How could you be sure? I don't have any intention of using anything other than my skills to protect the city. 

Mischa (Ravonna): The materials we seek are volatile and powerful and tempting. 

Bex (Ibra): Tempting? 

Mischa (Ravonna): Tempting. 

Bex (Ibra): Are you tempted?

Mischa (Ravonna): I don't have to respond to that. 

Bex (Ibra): You don't? 

Mischa (Ravonna): You know who was tempted? You know who I think was tempted? The person who lied to me about having it in their possession and refused to give it over to me and refused to even admit that they'd found it when I knew that you had. 

Bex (Ibra): You have not been honest with us or clear. You know what? I realize I'm overstepping my bounds. Mother, may I excuse myself for five minutes to take a walk and clear my head? I don't want to be disrespectful to our guest. 

Reed (General Shinmar): Florence? 

Mischa (Flo): Yes, General? 

[Music shifts: discordant synths].

Reed (General Shinmar): Would you be so kind as to escort my darling child on a walk? It seems that they need to cool their head, and I worry that they're going to need a shoulder to discuss things with, and perhaps Florence would be good by your side.

Bex (Ibra): Thank you, Mother. 

Mischa: Paz speaks up in a– 

Mischa (Paz): I mean, I can go with them. 

Reed (General Shinmar): Of course, Paz. 

Ian (Hima): I can go with them too, Mother. No need to– 

Reed (General Shinmar): Hima, you're not excused. 

[Chuckles].

Mayanna (Brama): I think actually Hima should also escort them on the walk. 

Ian: I'm very confused by this. 

Reed: (Bemused) I’m also confused.

Mischa: Brama, Brama, will you roll persuasion? 

Mayanna: Yeah, absolutely. 

Bex: How can I give them advantage?

Reed: Is it against me?

Mischa: It is against you. 

Mayanna: Oh, it's against the mom? 

Mischa: It's against your mom. 

Reed: It’s against me!

Mayanna (Brama): Persuasion. I'm gonna invoke a debt. 

Reed: Do it. 

Mischa: Yeah, can you tell me how? 

Reed: Yeah, tell me that debt. 

Mayanna (Brama): I believe under the current circumstances, given that I have agreed to take on this position in Ibra's absence, that I would much prefer for us to perhaps have a quiet sidebar, if that would be, to please the mother.

Reed: Dang, I just want to give it, but they have to roll, don't they? 

Mischa: yeah, but they're gonna get plus ten.  

Reed:Yeah, good. 

Mayanna: Persuasion. 

Reed: Cause that's, that's too good. 

Mayanna: That's a.. (chuckles) 27 plus 2, it's 29. 

Bex: Yes! 

Reed: I think there there is a pause, there is a very clear softening, on sort of my my darker, my dark skin features. 

Reed (General Shinmar): Of course, thank you for your wisdom and guidance.

Mayanna (Brama): No problem.

Reed (Genera Shinmar): Hima, perhaps a bit of fresh air would do you good. 

Reed: Eyes go down to the bottle under your chair. 

Reed (General Shinmar): If you're able to walk at all. 

Mayanna: Oh my god. Damn. 

Ian: How much of this wine have I drank so far? 

[Laughter].

[Music ends].

Mischa: Do you want to roll a constitution check? 

Reed: Yeeeah!

[Dice rolls].

Ian: Thirteen. 

Mischa: I'm gonna go ahead and say half the bottle and it's just like a, it's like a maybe a mild sway in your, in your gait, in your walk.

Bex: You can pretend it's swagger.

Ian: I'm feeling great. It is swagger, just so we're clear. I look to my mother and I go, 

Ian (Hima): Thank you, mother. I appreciate you. 

Ian: And I very languidly push my chair back, [SFX: wood screeching against floor].

Reed: Screeches, god.

Ian: Stand up, and walk to the exit. 

Bex (Ibra): Flo, may I grab my coat if we're going outside? 

Mischa: Flo reaches into her waistcoat and I have to tell you, There's only… five of you? [Laughter] It's not a system that requires numbers. So she pulls out, she pulls out the one that says three and goes, 

Mischa (Flo): No, no, no.

Mischa: And puts it back in her pocket and pulls out the four and gives it to you. 

Reed: I love Flo so much. (Laughs). Must be protected. 

Bex: At all costs. Inside Paz's head, you hear, 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] Hey, do you think my siblings put their passes in their coats like I do?

Mayanna: (Gasps). 

[Music begins: inquisitive, pulsing synths].

Mayanna: Oh my god! 

Mischa: Mayanna and Ian. 

Mayanna: Yes. 

Mischa: Be honest with me. 

Mayanna: Uh-huh. 

Mischa: You have information about where your characters go in their off time, can you please write down where you keep your funicular pass and show me? 

[Sighs].

Bex: Oh boy. 

Reed: Here we go.

Mayanna: Oh boy.

Reed: In the safe, in the bowels of the estate. 

Mayanna: My funicular pass. 

Bex: Right? They live here, I'm like, this is the longest shot in hell.

Reed: I know, Oh yeah. 

Mischa: Paz looks at both of them as you guys exit the dining room and just says, 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: echoey] Brama never goes down to the Lower City. Maybe Hima? 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] Gotta check Hima. 

Bex: As I usher my unruly sibling, my best friend, out of the dining room and follow Flo, I bow to my mother. And as I turn and swipe past Brama's head, I say, 

Bex (Ibra): I'm sorry, always. 

Bex: And walk out.

Ian: Oh my god.

Reed: Mm.

Mayanna: (sighs) I think under my breath to myself, I'm just like, 

Mayanna (Brama): What am I supposed to do with that? 

Ian: So I think we get to the foyer, or the foyer, depending on where you were raised. [SFX: door opens].

Mischa: And if you're an elf or not, I guess. 

Ian: And if you're an elf or not. The (French pronunciation) foyer. 

All: (In over-enounced French accents) Foyer.

Ian: And so I have a question for you, which is, was that thunder that we heard in the distance at the beginning, has that become a storm outside?

Mischa: Ooh, um, yeah, I think dark grey clouds are rolling in [SFX: thunder] and kind of like, block what would otherwise be another beautiful, Constellation sunset.

Bex (Ibra): Flo, it looks like we might need some umbrellas. I believe they're in the coat closet with our coats. May I accompany you and help you carry? 

Mischa (Flo): Of course, Master Ibra, thank you. 

Mischa: And you head to the coat closet.

Mayanna: Oh my god. 

Bex I'm grabbing my coat. I'm grabbing Hima's coat. 

Mayanna: Yeah. 

Bex: And I'm checking it. 

Mayanna: Yeah. 

Mischa: Okay, go ahead and roll sleight of hand. Hima… 

Bex: They're not there. 

Ian: It's true. 

Mayanna & Reed: Ohhh.

Ian: I didn't go with them. 

Bex: I thought that through. 

Mayanna: Mhmm.

Bex: I'm making Florence look for the umbrellas. 

Reed: Ohhh

Mayanna: So smart. 

Reed: You're good at this. 

Mischa: Go ahead and roll sleight of hand with advantage.

Bex: [Dice shaking, dice rolls]. Natural 20! 

[Cheers and laughter].

Reed: Clever sneaky! Clever sneaky Ibra! 

Bex: It was a natural 20 and a 5. 

Mayanna: Hell yeah.

Mischa: Oh my god! Ibra, you offer to help Flo with the coats and umbrellas. Flo goes off to grab the umbrellas, which are not an item you need every day, and so she is wholly distracted as you rummage through the pockets of Hima's coat. [SFX: fabric rustling]. You feel a little spike in your heart rate because you check both the outside pockets, the inside breast pockets, you don't find anything. It seems like Hima has not used this coat for a couple of days and has emptied it out. And then as you grab around, you feel something hidden in the lining. 

Bex (Ibra): (whispered) Yes! 

Mischa: And you slide your fingers between the seam of the coat, and you pull out a laminated funicular pass.

Mayanna: Oh my god. 

Reed: Oh yeah. 

Bex: I slide it into my jacket, into my secret pocket, into my Shinmar-Bracha book. 

Mayanna: Mm.

Bex: And I zip it tight. [SFX: quick zipper]. And then I throw all the coats over my arm and I help flow with one or two umbrellas and we walk back outside. [SFX: Door opens, bird caws]

[Soundscape begins: wind blowing, birds cawing].

Mischa: Paz is talking to Hima. What do you– what are you and Paz talking about? 

Ian: I think I'm talking to Paz about if there's any interesting places in the Lower City, because I like to go down there all the time.

Mayanna: Mm-Hmm. 

Mischa: Mm-Hmm. Mm-Hmm. And of course Paz is gonna talk about her favorite place in the world. 

Mayanna & Reed: Yes. 

Mischa: Boggins Bistro. 

Reed: So funny. 

Mayanna: Yes! 

Reed: The rich girl who loves a kitschy restaurant is one of my favorite, like, character archetypes. 

Bex: Paz is descended from rich, but Paz isn’t rich. 

Reed: Right, right, right, right. 

Ian: I'm telling Paz she's so pedestrian, and that she should check out this underground–

Mischa (Paz): It's so fun, though. They have games, they have great food. I'm really upset that they closed, I really hope they reopen soon, I love that place. 

Ian: We're chatting about that. So my first question is, because they rolled a natural 20, if I should just not roll any of these dice. But the question to me is, first, does Hima elect to put on their coat or not? Because there's umbrellas. 

Mayanna: It's raining. 

Ian: And then second, if they put on their coat, do they feel that their pass is missing? And I was thinking rolling like an evens/odds. 

Mayanna: Oohh.

Mischa: Yeah, I think, I think you can, yeah, you don't have a, I didn't give you guys a perception skill. I guess I really should have done that.

Reed: It's all good. 

Mayanna: It's our house. 

Bex: I think insight would work here to see if Ibra's got anything guilty written on their face 

Mischa: Perception and Insight are kind of, you know, they're both wisdom skills. Yeah, why don't you go ahead, as you put on your coat, go ahead and roll Insight in lieu of Perception to see if you can feel it missing.

Ian: [Dice rolls]. I'm just gonna show you what that is. 

Mischa: I don't know, I'm not really good at reading numbers, but that does look like a natural 20. 

Ian: Does that look like a natural 20 to you? 

Bex: Oh, shit! 

Reed: Confirmed, confirmed. That eyeball looking at me through that 20. 

[Music begins: mysterious low synth xylophone].

Ian: That's a natural 20 in the Dragon's Eye dice. 

Mischa: Yeah, you, you have a way of putting on this coat where the moment you grab it, you're always feeling for that secret pocket that you sewed into the lining of your coat, and the minute you grab that jacket, you're like you can feel it, it's not where you put it.

Ian: And I stop dead, and I look deep into Ibra's soul. And then I look at Paz with like a slight smile, and I say, 

Ian (Hima): Paz, if you don't mind, will you go tell mother that Ibra and I will be a moment? 

Mischa (Paz): Uh... yeah. 

Mischa: And telepathically goes, 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: echoey] Are you gonna be okay? 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] It remains to be seen. You should go. 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: echoey] Oh, okay. 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] Take Flo. 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: echoey] Okay.

Mischa (Paz): Ah, yes, of course. Hima. Hurry back to the table. 

Reed: (Chuckling hums).

Mischa: And she walks back inside. 

Ian: I turn to Ibra and I just say, 

Ian (Hima): Give it back. 

Reed: Mm. 

Bex (Ibra): I need it. I will trade you for it. 

Ian (Hima): Trade me what? 

Bex (Ibra): What do you need? What do you want? What do I owe? 

Ian: Oh, this is so sweet! 

Reed: Oh, man. 

Ian (Hima): As much as I appreciate the thought, I don't particularly care about erasing a debt in exchange for not being able to leave the Constellation.

Bex (Ibra): You look exactly like Brama. Find theirs. 

Ian (Hima): What do you want this for, anyway? 

Ian: Maybe that's the insight. 

Mischa: Yeah, sure. You want to roll insight? 

Ian: Yeah. 

Bex: Minus ten. 

Bex (Ibra): You remember that time? You took that lovely girl to Boggins. 

Ian: Okay, so here's what I want everyone listening at home to understand is that you can only invoke your debt one time. So Ibra has just burned the debt. 

Mayanna: The biggest. 

Ian: And Mischa, you can tell everyone what I rolled this time. 

[Gasps].

Reed: Oh no. 

Mischa: Again, I have a really hard time reading numbers. I don't know what that is– 

Reed: Yeah, what is it?

Mischa: –but that does look like a natural one. 

Ian: Yeah, I think that, I think I rolled a nat 1. 

Mayanna: Oh my god

Reed: Oh, that's a total of a negative, a negative 9.

Mayanna: A negative 9. 

Ian: No, I think that would be a, oh yeah, sorry, I can't do math. 

Mayanna: No you’re fine.

Reed: No, I was worried that I didn't have it right. You had me going.

Ian: Wow, so Ibra's not going to tell me what they want it for and what's going on. That's extremely frustrating. So it feels now that the tables have turned and now I can't even ask for anything because it feels like I'm a little bit over a barrel.

Mischa: No, but, I'll say this, it does seem, Hima, to me, that Ibra is willing to eliminate a debt in exchange for what they've taken from your coat. 

Reed: Mhmm.

Bex (Ibra): I've proven it to you. 

Ian (Hima): Fine, my sibling. Eliminate the other debt–

Bex (Ibra): The one where I broke up with Se—. 

Ian (Hima): Shh, be quiet! Do not even speak the words. 

Bex (Ibra): Oh, but it's so much more fun to eliminate it once I've said it.

Ian: I'm staring the most daggers I've stared at anyone the entire episode. 

Bex (Ibra): I love you too, Himes. 

Ian: And as you start to walk away, I stop you and I say, 

Ian (Hima): And you still owe me another. 

Bex (Ibra): Do you plan to cash it in now? 

Ian (Hima): Of course I don't. What do you take me for? 

Bex (Ibra): My sibling.

Ian (Hima): Yes, that is a good point. 

Bex (Ibra): I love you, Heembo.

[Music ends].

Ian: (laughs) Heembo. 

Mischa: That's a party point for Bex. [Laughter].

[Cheers].

Reed: Yep, yep, yep,  yep. 

Bex: Mark it down. Don't you deny me my party point. 

Ian: Oh, I'm sorry. I was laughing. I didn't hear you. 

Mischa: Just cause you're at a disadvantage of the scene, you better write down the party point.

Ian: So then my question is this. Does, or do you then, having gotten what you want, are you walking back into dinner, or where are you walking?

Bex: I'm marking down the new debt to Hima. 

Ian: Yeah. That's a big honking debt. Cause now I can't go to the Lower City. 

Bex: Until I bring it back to you. Or, unless you steal Brama's.

Ian:  I know. That's a, that's a side quest. 

Mayanna: Yeah. 

Reed: Nah, Don't do Brama dirty like that. Brama's so stressed all the time. 

Mayanna: You could try asking too. 

Reed: That's true. 

Ian: Are you going back into the party or are you going?

Bex (Ibra): You want to go back in or you want to blow off steam with me?

Ian (Hima): I'll leave you be. 

Bex (Ibra): As you wish. 

Ian: And I angrily, my heels tap on the hard floor back into the dining room. 

[Music begins: calm chimes].

Bex: I go and I pick one of each flower from the tree in front, the Bracha-Shinmar tree. I look up into the sky, let down my umbrella, wait for a little trickle of rain to hit my face. 

Mischa: Just a spare drop, just one or two, and distant thunder rolls. [SFX: Thunder rumble, light rain falling].

Bex: I take out my Bracha-Shinmar booklet that now has two passes, and I walk to the end of the driveway. And I hide it in the mailbox to grab on my way out. [SFX: mailbox opens, shuts].

Mayanna: Oh, you're a genius. You're a genius. 

Reed: That’s–That's Listen. That’s my child thinking. 

Mayanna: You're a genius. 

Bex: I'm in the presence of my mother. I'm remembering everything she taught me.

Mayanna: Oh my god. 

Reed: That’s my child.

Mischa: It all comes flooding back the minute you come home, doesn't it? 

Bex: I have a hidey hole at the end of the driveway. Something that my siblings and I used to, like, leave little messages for each other. Brama and I especially used to, like, draw little pictures to each other. Hima would use it to put gross things in there, but Brama and I would have a lot of fun with it.

Mayanna: Aw, yeah.

Reed: Aw.

Mischa: And then you, head back inside.

[SFX: Door opens]. [Soundscape ends, rain ends]. [Music ends]. 

Mischa: Brama, you stayed behind to talk to your mother. 

Mayanna: Yeah, is Inspector Ravona also at the table? 

Mischa: Mhmm. 

Mayanna: Okay, great. 

[Music begins: quiet low ambient synths].

Mayanna (Brama): I just want to understand, Are we truly proposing that Ibra join the… I thought I was, I thought it was going well so far and it just started as well. 

Reed: Can I get an insight check on what's going on with Brama?

Mischa: Ooh yeah, go ahead and roll for it. 

Mayanna: Yeah, go for it. 

Reed: Cause, cause I feel like I, I know, I feel like I can infer.

Mayanna: Yeah yeah yeah.

Reed: But there's just a moment of let's, let's look deeper into this. 

[Dice rolls].

Mayanna: Yeah

Reed: That would be a cool 14. 

Mischa: Okay, you get one question off that list. 

Reed: Okay, one question. What, what are you, what are you worrying that's going to happen? Like, what's, what's Brama's worry right now? 

Mayanna: I think you would, you would understand the same thing that I'm always worried about, which is like, 

Mayanna (Brama): I've been working so hard to impress you every single day. I never leave. I do everything you ask and, and it's still not enough? 

Reed: That hits really deep, but, so I, I have to, I have to recover.

Mayanna: And you, you would just know, I'm like, 

Mayanna (Brama): Why, why again? Why, why is the spotlight on Ibra again? I don't understand. 

Reed (General Shinmar): Brama, I can see how it is coming across that way. And I am sorry that Ibra is, once again, demanding my attention, pulling on my skirts as they are wont to do. 

Mayanna (Brama): (Sighs).

Reed (General Shinmar): I didn't want to trouble you with such things. I didn't want to worry you that your siblings are acting up. 

Mayanna (Brama): I'm always worried. 

Reed (General Shinmar): I know. And you've been doing such a marvelous job under Inspector Ravona. Evolving, one might say. Truly coming into your own, and I'm very proud of you for this. To the point that I wish Hima and Ibra would fall in line like you do. Because maybe they too could grow and elevate the way you do. 

Mayanna: I think, inside I'm like, 

Mayanna (Brama): [SFX: echoey filter, indicating internal thought] I don't want this for them. 

Mayanna: I understand that this is not good. And I don't know how to get out of it, but I don't want it for them. 

Reed: Mmm. 

Reed (General Shinmar): You understand. 

Mayanna (Brama): Of course. It's perfectly clear to me. 

[Music ends].

Reed: I think there is a moment of pause. And I think, General Shinmar does a very soft clap. I believe we have like a full staff, right? 

Mischa: Mhmm. 

Reed: I would like to call out, instrumentalists. 

Mischa: Ooh.

[Music begins: orchestral violin and strings].

Reed: Violins, I think I have a retainer, a band,.

[Laughter].

Mischa: Okay.

Mayanna: Oh my god.

Reed: And just, I very softly smile to Inspector Ravona. 

Reed (General Shinmar): I believe I have something that you would find very fascinating. If you'll excuse me, Brama and I must prepare it in the other room. 

Mischa (Ravonna): Of course. I'll refresh myself, shall I? 

Reed (General Shinmar): Of course, please feel free to come back and enjoy the entertainment. 

Mischa: I just had a whole scene in my head where Ravona goes into the bathroom and like, you've laid out like, specific scale scrub because you knew she was coming.

Reed: Oh, absolutely.

Mayanna: So funny. 

Bex: Fabulous.

Reed: I think those are the meticulous niceties that General Shinmar is frustratingly good at. 

Bex: Yeah. 

Mayanna: Mm.

Reed: And she hates that she knows that I need to have specific toiletries out for these specific guests, and this is what Inspector Ravona would like, and yeah. 

Mayanna: Mm. 

Reed: So those are there. There is amenities, there are comforts and luxuries. They're playing her favorite song. 

Mischa: And it was all so much easier when all of that strategic prowess was being used to combat an enemy head on, wasn't it? 

Reed: It was so much more fulfilling. This is so beneath me. 

[Music ends]. [Music begins: rhythmic metallic clanging].

Mayanna: Mmm.

Mischa: Ooh!

Reed: The most alive I think General Shinmar felt tonight was when Ibra said there are attacks in the Lower City and there was that dog inside of her that just wanted to slip the leash and start stabbing once again.

Mayanna: Mmm.

Mischa: Cool.

Reed: But that happens when the war gets bigger. 

Mayanna: Oh my god. 

Ian: That was some ominous shit that you just said. 

Reed: Thank you. 

Bex: That was gorgeous. 

[Music ends]. [Prior music resumes: orchestral violin and strings].

Mischa: Yeah. 

Reed: So just a very polite nod. 

Reed (General Shinmar): Brama, if you could, I could use the hand–

Mayanna (Brama): Of course.

Reed: And I excuse myself into my office with Brama [SFX: door opens]. Because I think, I think what's going on here needs a very deeper, more emotional sidebar that I would not wish to show in front of Inspector Ravona. 

Mayanna: Mhmm, mhmm.

Reed: So with that and that– Ugh, I hate that I'm leaving my guest alone. That's such a bad hostess thing to do. 

Mayanna: (overlapping) I know, I was thinking about that, too. I kept being like, “we need to leave to have a conversation.” 

Reed: Oh! It's, it's why I'm like, I have entertainment on staff. It’s fine.

Mayanna: Yeah, you're a genius. 

Reed: It's fine. I go into my office with Brama. 

[Music ends]. [SFX: door shuts]. [Soundscape begins: clock ticking] [Music begins: discordant low ambient synths].

Reed: I shut the door. it's, there's a very soft kind of lock, as I'm wont to do when I want it to be a truly private conversation.

Mayanna: Mmhm.

Reed: I think important thing for the, the key's in the lock. It's not a moment of you can't escape. Yeah, no. it's, it's not that kind of conversation. 

Mayanna: It's worse though, in a way. 

Reed: In, in a way, it's worse. 

Reed (General Shinmar): Brama. 

Mayanna (Brama): Mother.

Reed (General Shinmar): you're usually a person who is worried. You take so much on your shoulders. A very admirable quality. But I'm noticing perhaps there's too much weight. 

Reed: She takes a seat, sort of at her desk. [SFX: Chair creaks]. It's a very utilitarian office of, the chairs are desk chairs. There is no real comfy, cozy lounge seating here. I think this is her best attempt of kind of having a sit down with her child. 

Mayanna: Yeah.

Reed (General Shinmar): What is the weight that is breaking you?

Mayanna (Brama): (softly, to self) What is it? That's such a question. (Normally) Mother, what's going on? Why is she here? Why are you trying to get Ibra involved in this? I understand that you have agendas and motives that are far beyond me, and quite frankly, they're none of my business. I am but your child. But I'm getting confused, and I'm getting concerned. Why must the three of us work together? We don't want to. We don't need to. We are all capable warriors. Why put people together who don't want to be together? 

Reed (General Shinmar): That's a very good question. You heard what Ibra said. There are attacks going on in the Lower City. 

Mayanna (Brama): Mhmm. 

Reed (General Shinmar): There are dangers in the Lower City. 

Mayanna (Brama): And Ibra is more than capable. There are attacks everywhere, Mother. Ibra is more than capable of handling the Lower City. Why? Why pull them away? They seem happy down there, they seem focused.

Reed (General Shinmar): (quietly) They’re not.

Mayanna (Brama): They seem accomplished. 

Reed (General Shinmar): I believe this is a very clever and well established veneer. 

Mayanna (Brama): Why? Why? What would give you that indication? 

Reed (General Shinmar): They're missing lessons. They're going against the rules I set. 

Mayanna (Brama): They're doing their job. I'm doing my job. 

Reed (General Shinmar): They almost died. 

Mayanna (Brama): (Scoffs quietly) But they didn't. Is that what you're so concerned about? I thought you trained us. 

Reed (General Shinmar): I did. I did. I am concerned. 

Mayanna (Brama): So you think the best way to go about this is to force them back here? You think that's gonna make them listen? You think that's gonna make them fall in line? 

Reed (General Shinmar): What do you suggest? Freedom clearly isn't working. 

Mayanna (Brama): That's not true. 

Reed (General Shinmar): They're recklessly spending the family money. 

Mayanna (Brama): We have enough money. 

Reed (General Shinmar): For now. 

Mayanna (Brama): You run a tight ship, Mother. I understand why. But this seems like a waste of your time. It seems less strategic and more emotional. Stop forcing them to be here. Just leave them alone. 

Mischa: Brama, will you roll persuasion for me, please? 

Reed: Mm.

Mayanna: Yes. And I am going to invoke my debt. 

Mischa: Oh, yeah. 

Reed: Ooh.

Mayanna: Which is:

Mayanna (Brama): I may have been ready to settle for whatever you threw my way, you But even I know growing up here wasn't exactly a picnic. 

Reed: I would like to also cash in my debt to cancel out your debt.

Mayanna: Oh, you—!! 

Reed: I am cashing out the debt of just very simply this growing up here wasn't a picnic, and this moment of, 

Reed (General Shinmar): do you wish you hadn't grown up at all? 

Mayanna (Brama): Hm.

Mayanna: It's a 3. 

Reed: Oofh.

Mayanna (Brama): Sometimes I do. 

Reed (General Shinmar): I just want to see all of you hit your fullest potential. 

Mayanna (Brama): And when we break, know it will be because of that.

Reed (General Shinmar): I hope one day you understand. 

Mayanna (Brama): I won't. I will be here, because I have to be, but I will never understand. You feel trapped here too. I know it. You hate this. Why? Why force it on everyone else? 

Reed (General Shinmar): This is the only way we get to be free at the end of the day. 

Mayanna (Brama): To be in prison for the promise one day of being released?

Reed (General Shinmar): It is captivity for now to be at the top later. Unless you'd prefer to be at the bottom. 

Mayanna (Brama): I don't even know what the bottom is anymore. 

Reed (General Shinmar): I do. 

Mayanna (Brama): Mm.

Reed (General Shinmar): I lived there. 

Mayanna (Brama): Mhmm. Are you jealous of us or something? 

Reed (General Shinmar): Go into that, please. Expand on that. 

Mayanna (Brama): We didn't pick this. I don't even know why I'm born, what I was made for, and I've wondered every day, and I have kept it inside. I have kept these questions to myself, because I didn't feel like I was ever going to get an answer. And I don't think I ever am going to get an answer. And maybe, maybe, Ibra might get one. And if there's even a shred, a chance for them to have that, I hope they find it. 

Mayanna (Brama): I don't know why you gave up. I don't know why you do this. I don't know why you throw these dinner parties. I don't know why you buy special soap. You hate this shit. And I hate it too. 

Reed (General Shinmar): Brama, what do you want at the end of the day when all of the shit is done? What do you want? 

Mayanna (Brama): I want to draw pictures in the mailbox again. I want a schedule that's not filled with training and ceviche and protein and push ups and sweating and crying and bleeding and breaking all the time! Maybe you loved that shit, but I don't. I don't even know what I like. And that's fine, I can live my life never knowing. But I cannot let them have this, too. Take me, it's fine. I'm the best of them, you know that. So keep me here, just leave them alone. 

Reed (General Shinmar): If I do, it's over. 

Mayanna (Brama): What do you mean? 

Reed (General Shinmar): Stick it out for another month and we'll talk about it.

Mayanna (Brama): You know I always do. 

Reed (General Shinmar): My brave soldier. 

Reed: And with that, I go into my desk. 

Mayanna: Yeah.

[SFX: drawer opening, pages rustling].

Reed: I pull out, a ledger, like a history book that is, well, it's immaculately done. Because I do need to come up with something that I think Inspector Ravonna would find interesting. 

All: Mmmm.

Reed: Of course, I follow through. I'm not going to show up with nothing. And it's just a very, very detailed, very, very up done book. 

Mayanna: Mmm.

Reed (General Shinmar): You are the best of them. 

Mayanna (Brama): I don't know, but I try. 

Reed (General Shinmar): You're going to know it all one day. 

Reed: Key unlocks, and I leave the room. [SFX: key turns, door opens].

Mayanna: Mhmm, I follow. 

[Music ends]. [Clock stops ticking].

Mischa: Mayanna be gunning for the Oscar today. 

[Laughter].

Bex: For real, like, Emmys, Emmys, Emmys, Oscars, BAFTAs, everything. 

Mischa: Webbies?

Bex & Ian: Webbies! 

Mischa: Webbies is a real thing we could actually get, maybe? 

[Laughter]

Bex: That was glorious. Just gorgeous. 

Reed: The number of times I've been like, “fine, have it!” And I'm like, I can't. 

Mayanna: I know. 

Reed: I can't, there's too much on the line!

Bex: That was so good, both of you, holy shit! I loved that.

[Music begins: orchestral violin and strings].

Mischa: You head out of your office [SFX: door opening] and back to the dining room. You pass Paz in the hallway, also headed back in that way. And as you enter the dining room again, you catch the tail end of a conversation between Hima and Ravona. 

All: Mmmm.

Mischa: And Ravona just says, 

Mischa (Ravonna): Very interesting, I'll have to, I'll have to really consider that, thank you.

Reed: Fuck, fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.

Mayanna: Oh my god. 

Ian (Hima): Yes, please do. 

Reed: Internally, this is when General Shinmar goes, “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, shit.”

Mayanna: I can see, I can see, my mom is starting to, to, to lose the plot here, and I'm, I, I, I think I'm gonna I'll, I'll like do the clap for the music [SFX: clap] to see– Get the dinner back on track. 

[Music ends]. [Music begins: ominous low synths],

Mayanna (Brama): Hima, are you entertaining our guest with hilarious stories?

Ian (Hima): You could say something like that. 

Mayanna (Brama): Always the scoundrel, this one. They're so funny. 

Ian (Hima): Brama, you look so miserable. 

Mayanna (Brama): Hmm.

Ian (Hima): Buck up. It's not that serious. 

Mayanna (Brama): It really isn't, is it? 

[Music ends].

Ian: So I sit back down at the table, pour myself a little bit more wine, [SFX: wine pouring] and, and just smiling like the Cheshire Cat.

Mayanna: Mmhm.

Ian: I just say, 

Ian (Hima): Would anyone care to rejoin me?

Mayanna (Brama): Yes! 

Mayanna: And I also drink. [SFX: wine pouring].

Reed: I present the book to Inspector Ravona. 

[Music begins: low, energetic synths].

Reed (General Shinmar): as a protectorate of our lovely city, I believe you don't own this volume detailing its marvelous history. I wish you to take this home with you to reminisce on why we do this for. 

Mischa: Ravonna looks it over, runs her fingers over the cover.

Mischa (Ravonna): Beautiful, gorgeous detail. 

Mischa: Flips it open and scans the first few pages. Ibra, I think that's probably when you rejoin, the last person to rejoin the group. 

Bex: I walk in quietly to that side of the table. I place the flowers that I've collected right next to Brama's plate. 

Mayanna: Mmmm.

Bex: One of each flower right next to Brama's plate, and I walk around to the other side of Ravonna. I bow and I say, 

Bex (Ibra): I deeply apologize for my behavior. It was unacceptable. I am deeply remorseful for how I've acted in your presence. 

Mischa: Will you either roll Persuasion or Deception? 

Mayanna: Ugh.

Reed: Ugh, do you have any more debts that you can burn? Also, does me giving a book count as getting a debt on Ravonna? 

Ian: That’s a gift.

Mischa: Yes.

[Dice rolls]. 

Bex: 11. 

Mischa: Ravonna turns only slightly over her shoulder, not quite all the way to look at you, but just enough to acknowledge, and says, 

Mischa (Ravonna): Good.

Mischa: She sort of drifts back into this book and furrows her brow and flips a couple of pages. She looks back up to the general and, gives a kind of look that's like, “is this what I think?”

Reed: I give a nod, because you can't see it on podcast. 

Mischa: Not on visual media, baby! 

Bex & Mayanna: Yeah! 

Reed: I think there's just a very almost kind and warm nod, because I'm assuming this is a good thing. 

Mischa: Ravonna, carefully lays the cover back down onto the book and pats it twice.

Mischa (Ravonna): A generous gift. 

Reed (General Shinmar): You've been most generous with your time, I only hope I can repay such a gift you've given me. 

Mischa (Ravonna): I am flattered for this gift you've given me and my office and these gifts– 

Mischa: And she gestures to your children. 

Reed: Yep. 

Mayanna: Oh, no. 

Mischa (Ravonna): –that you have given to the city. 

Reed: Yep. 

Bex: DM?

Mischa: Yeah.

Bex: Did I see anything over her shoulder, Ravona's shoulder, before she closed the book? 

Mischa: Now see, Bex, I know your character sheet has a perception stat, [Laughter] so why don't you go ahead and roll it.

Mayanna: So you called us gifts–[Dice rolls]–out loud to everybody, or was that a sidebar between just the two of you? 

Mischa: Oh, no, that was out loud to everybody. 

Reed: It was out loud. 

Mayanna: I immediately, I'm, I'm so locked in right now. 

Reed: Mm. 

Bex: 22. 

Ian: Oh shit! 

Reed: Give us that plot! Give us that lore! Woo! 

Bex: I love a lore dump. 

Reed: Lore. 

Mischa: What you can see in those first few pages is the genesis of the city. In the early days of New Prosper, it contains information about how they decided on the site. It tells of an offensive that General Shinmar led to clear out a massive population of Balverox. 

Mayanna & Reed: Oh. 

Mischa: It describes the miracle under the surface and how General Shinmar was instrumental in tracking down and sourcing Astra in the early days of the settlement in the later days of the war.

Bex: I immediately, mentally speak to Paz and say, 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey, indicating a text] Text the group. 

Mayanna: Oh my god. 

Reed: Ooh. 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] We have a book to steal. 

[Gasps and exclamations].

Ian: Bum bum bum! 

Reed: The plot thickens!!

Mayanna: Ahhhh.

Mischa: She pulls out her compad and starts texting, and the doors to the kitchen swing open [SFX: doors open] and the main course arrives. 

[Music ends].

Mayanna & Reed: Oh my god. 

Ian: (french accent) Your course premiere.

[Chuckles].

Mischa: The kitchen staff comes out and serves, like, pretty large portions of pasta bolognese. High protein, high carb for that military life. 

Reed: And lots of gluten. 

Bex: Yeah. 

Mischa: Yeah, Immediately, Paz is in the middle of texting the Pazology group chat. 

Reed: Oh my god. 

Mischa: And they lay down the plate in front of her and she, like, it's like, stops her and she makes this face. And she–

Mayanna: Uh-oh. 

Bex (Ibra): Mother, you know Paz can't eat this.

Mischa (Paz): I'm so sorry, General Shinmar. I can't, I can't really eat this. 

Reed: General Shinmar looks at the plate, almost as if poison has been put down in front of Paz, because it has! 

Bex: Mmhm.

Mayanna: Yeah. 

[Music begins: high metallic, percussive pulses].

Reed: looks over at Ibra, there is an actual look of just actual shock and concern, and then, I believe the server, I kind of make a small motion.

Mischa: Comes over and like leans down so that you can whisper in their ear. 

Reed: And I think, it is a whisper, but I think whoever has a good perception might be able to hear it. 

Mayanna: I’m also like next to you, so I'm sure I can hear it. 

Reed (General Shinmar): Now, I believe we've discussed, we've had Paz, who's come to our home for quite some time, how long have you worked here?

Mischa: Uh–a servant I have to make up on the spot has only worked here in the past few months. It's so hard to keep a good staff on hand. 

Reed: Mmhm. There’s a moment… looking, looking, looking. 

Reed (General Shinmar): Emil, you came highly recommended, this is so disappointing. Pack you knives and go.

Mischa (Emil): Yes, ma'am, of course. 

Reed (General Shinmar): Tell them to bring Paz's food out before you leave. 

Mayanna (Brama): I'll ha– I'll handle it. Ensuring no more mistakes. 

Mischa: Brama, you take the plate back into the kitchen. 

Mayanna: Mhmm.

Mischa: Emil follows you, and dejectedly, speaking to no one, making eye contact with no one, simply starts packing their things. 

Mayanna: Mhmm, mhmm.

Mischa: You head in and, grab the specially prepared meal that Paz has. The entire staff wants to make sure that the main meal is perfect, and so, what gets left for Paz is, like, it's well prepared, it's well plated, but it's still, astra-generated food. 

Mayanna: Yeah.

Mischa: You pick up a plate of Green Pyramid.

Mayanna: Okay, Green Pyramid. Better than Brown Cube! 

Bex: Brown cube!

Reed: Better than Brown Cube! Better than Brown Cube, but Green Pyramid? 

Mayanna: I think if the staff are, I doubt I'm in the kitchen often. 

Mayanna (Brama): I would recommend everybody here, if you want to keep your jobs, double check the dishes for the rest of the evening. Got it? Thank you. 

Mayanna: And then I leave.

Mischa: Simultaneously everyone in the kitchen goes, “Yes, Chef!” 

Mayanna: (Laughs).

Bex: Behind! 

[Laughter]

Mayanna: And then I, I, I like, plate it for Paz, and then I take my seat again. 

[Music ends].

Mischa (Paz): Th-thanks, Brama. 

Bex: Thanks Brahmbles.

Mischa: And she takes a fork, and she like, tentatively pokes the top point of the pyramid. 

Reed: Mm 

Ian: Does it jiggle? 

Mischa: Yeah, it jiggles a little bit.

Mayanna: Of course it jiggles, it’s green pyramid! 

Mischa: It’s green pyramid! 

Reed: It's a puree!

[Laughter].

Mischa: Yeah, it's, it's sort of like It's like a second- or third-hand memory of food. 

Reed: Oh, it's describing the memory of the memory of broccoli. 

Mayanna: Yes.

Mischa: And it's, it's, listen, it doesn't, it tastes bad. It's, it's like very nutritious, but it's, it's such an abstract food stuff.

Mayanna: Yeah, It's functional.

Mischa: It's so, it's so–

Ian: You know what it reminds me of? Lunchables has just started selling pre-made grilled cheese sandwiches–

Bex & Mayanna: Oh no

Ian: –in shrink wrapped containers. 

Mischa: That's gonna be a hefty no thank you from me. 

Mayanna: There’s also those Smuckers like Pre–like, packaged bread circles with cheese inside. 

Reed: Oh no, I thought we were gonna say Uncrustable, and I was like, offended.

Mayanna: It's an Uncrustable, but a cheese Uncrustable. 

Reed: A grilled cheese Uncrustable?!

Mayanna: Yeah, it's a grilled cheese Uncrustable. 

Bex: No!

Reed: Don’t, don’t, mmhm.

Ian: And it's, like, perfectly, like, factory made, toasted on one time. 

Mayanna: Yeah, yeah, pressed.

Bex: I'm so glad I can't eat any of that. 

Mischa: (Laughs).

Reed: I'm upset. 

Mayanna: Yeah

Ian: And they're selling it to kids. 

Mayanna: I know, we're eating it. 

Reed: We're eating that up. 

Bex: I think, Ibra, in an effort to lighten the mood, starts telling stories about playing on the front lawn, the three of us, wonderful training sessions with mother, of course.

[Music begins: low, melancholic synths].

Mayanna: Wonderful, of course. 

Bex (Ibra): My favorite one was the ceremony where we all got our weapons. You remember that? 

Mayanna (Brama): Of course I do. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah, you still have yours.  

Mayanna (Brama): I still have mine. I use it all the time. I have been especially using mine lately with this job. 

Mischa: Ravonna nods and says, 

Mischa (Ravonna): Yes, Brama's prowess with the chakram is impressive.

Mayanna (Brama): Thank you. Mother trained me well. She is the best. Genuinely. 

Mischa (Ravonna): I have heard many tales of your prowess, General Shinmar. I understand you were a force on the battlefield. 

Reed (General Shinmar): Why, thank you. 

Mischa (Ravonna): It seems that Brama is following directly in your footsteps, a rising star. 

Mayanna (Brama): Would we perhaps regale Inspector Ravona with a drill?

Bex (Ibra): (Gasp). Yes, please. 

[Music shifts: energetic, playful but quiet synths].

Reed (General Shinmar): I'd be delighted to. 

Mayanna (Brama): The courtyard is always prepared for such occasions. 

Ian: Oh my god.

Reed (General Shinmar): Do, let’s. 

Reed: And a very militaristic standing up. 

[SFX: chairs creaking].

Mayanna: Mmhm. I stand up, yes. 

Reed: There is, man, Brama throwing curveballs, everyone's throwing so many curves! 

[Chuckles].

Ian: I know, I want to roll an insight check on the general. 

Mayanna: Ooooh!

Bex: I want to roll one on Brama. 

Reed: Dual insight!

Mischa: Okay. Go ahead and make your rolls. 

[Dice rolls]. 

Ian: I rolled a 15. 

Bex: 19. 

Mischa: So each of you can ask one question of your subject.

Mayanna & Reed: Ooohh.

Mischa: Why don't we go with Hima first? 

Reed: What you got, Hima?  

Ian: I mean, it just, to me, it looked like you looked very ruffled just now. Yeah, I say, 

Ian (Hima): Mother. You don't look the happiest. What are you worried is going to happen? 

Reed: I, I want to give what she replies and what you get mentally. 

Ian: Yeah, great. 

Reed: I think, mentally you get there's this moment of, “oh, sparring at the dinner? That's,-that's-that's uncouth. It's in the rule book that no sparring happens during dinner.” 

Ian: Got it. 

Reed: You think there's that first moment of that's the worry of, “This is a break of code. This is a break of conduct.” I want to add a little more though. It's again, that moment of that beast gets a little riled at the idea of like, “my favorite thing!” But this is a creature that has to be put down so often. At the moment it gets happy. It's like, no, no, we, we must be polite in society.

Ian: Got it.

Reed: She merely speaks and just goes, 

Reed (General Shinmar): I only hope that this is entertainment for Inspector Avona. I wouldn't wish her to be bored during such things. 

Mischa (Ravonna): I find such displays of talent, especially that of the illustrious Bracha-Shinmar clan, to be most impressive.

Reed (General Shinmar): We shall do our best to impress. 

Mischa: Ibra, how'd you do on your insight? 

Mayanna: 19. 

Bex: 19.

Mischa: 19? Go ahead and ask your question of Brama. 

Bex (Ibra): Oh dear sibling.

Mayanna (Brama): Mmhm.

Bex (Ibra): As much as I do love watching you spar, especially with mother, what are you hoping to get from her? 

Reed: (Under breath) Yes yes yes.

Mayanna (Brama): From mother? 

Bex (Ibra): Yes. 

Mayanna (Brama): One, to demonstrate that I can handle this. And two, hopefully, to demonstrate to her that like, that it is no longer necessary that you need to be a part of this. 

Reed: I love that.

Mayanna (Brama): And perhaps, if Inspector Ravona sees that a mother is still quite capable in the battlefield, maybe getting her out of the house. 

Reed & Bex: Ooh. 

Bex: I love that. 

[Music ends]. [Music begins: gentle, twinkling chime synths].

Mischa: Yeah. Ooh. So interesting. [SFX: Doors crashing open] Brama, you, head to the armory of the estate and grab your chakram. [SFX: metallic scrape of blade against blade] Two round, bladed throwing weapons. What’s up?

Bex: Does Warden's Mark, does the person have awareness?

Mayanna: Hmm. 

Reed: Hmm. 

Bex: Or do they just have it disadvantaged without really understanding why?

Mayanna: Ooh. 

Mischa: I think that anybody who weren't your siblings wouldn't know why. 

Bex: But what about my mother? 

Mayanna: (Excitedly) Mhmm mhmm mhmm.

Reed: Whoa! Twist! 

Mayanna: Mmhm. No, you're a genius. You're a genius. 

Mischa: No, I don't think so. 

[Gasps and excitement].

Bex: Warden's Mark. [SFX: thrum of magic]. Mother. 

Mayanna (Brama): Ooohh. Wait, so does that mean that I have disadvantage?

Bex: She has disadvantage on attacks against you. 

Reed: Yo!

Mayanna: Okay, got it. Got it, got it, got it, got it, got it.

Reed:  I forgot that Warden's Mark was a bad thing, I thought it was a, was a boon, and I was like–

Bex: Oh, it's a boon for Brama!

Reed: Exactly, I was like, why are you booning me? I'm a, I'm naughty! 

[Music ends].

Mayanna: No. 

Mischa: Okay. 

Reed: Here we go. 

[SFX: Door opens]. [Music begins: tense percussive synths].

Mischa: You head out to the lawn and arm up. Brama, you take a comfortable stance. General, you draw your hipside sword in a flourish, [SFX: sword unsheathing, swishing through the air] and you face each other across the track. 

Reed (General Shinmar): Let's see your skills. 

Mayanna (Brama): That'll be fun, won't it? 

Mischa: And Brama, you catch a brief flash of something feral across your mother's face. 

Mayanna: Yeah, and I think I'm glad. I think I, I think this is what I wanted. (chuckles).

Bex: I think you hear the sound in your head that Warden's Mark makes. 

Mayanna: Yeah. 

Mischa: Yeah, you can feel the familiar buzz of magic. 

Bex: And you know it's not on you.

Mayanna: (Sighs). Okay.

Mischa: Brama and General Shinmar, go ahead and roll attack rolls on each other. 

Reed: Okay. 

Mischa: General Shinmar, you're going to roll with disadvantage because of Warden's Mark. 

Reed: I am.

Mayanna: Mmm.

[Dice rolls].

Mischa: Ibra, what's your usual addition to attack rolls? 

Bex: Plus… Five?

Mischa: Okay, so Brama, you're gonna add plus five to your roll. 

Mayanna: Okay. 

Mischa: General, you're gonna add plus seven.

Reed: Okay. 

Bex: Oh, shit. 

[Dice rolls].

Mayanna: Twelve. 

Reed: Uh.. eleven. 

Ian: Oh! 

Mischa: Oh my god! 

Bex: Holy crap! 

Mischa: The wind whistles through the courtyard, [SFX: wind gusting, leaves rustle] waiting for either of you to twitch and make the first move. You stand stock still, waiting for the premier moment to strike. [SFX: thunder cracks in the distance] Brama, you catch the first hints of a snarl across your mother's face, and you know this is your moment.

Mayanna: Mmm.

Mischa: You lunge forward and strike, [SFX: metallic slicing] and a slim trickle of blood runs down your mother's cheek. 

[Music ends].

Mischa: Ravona, on the front steps of the house, catches your eye, Brama, and nods graciously, and starts a small clap. [SFX: polite clapping]

Bex: Ibra starts just absolutely howling, and I'm like, 

Bex (Ibra): Brama! Go Brahmbles! 

Mayanna: (laughing) I think I'm gonna do a performance check and see if I do a nice bow. We'll see how that goes. That is the same number again, it's 11. 

Mischa: Okay. 

Mayanna: A little one. 

Mischa: Yeah, just sort of like, curt and very militaristically. Ravona says, 

Mischa (Ravonna): Incredible! A rising star. 

[Claps].

Reed: I think there's a, she claps as she kind of stands and just nods to you. 

Reed (General Shinmar): Well done. 

Mayanna (Brama): Thank you, mother.

Bex (Ibra): Dinner and a show! 

Mayanna: (laughs) I think like against my better judgment, I, I, I chuckle cause I can't help it around Ibra.

[Music begins: gentle, melancholic piano].

Ian: I'm, I think Hima's silent the whole time cause they know how potentially bad that is going to go for Brama in the long run. 

Mayanna & Mischa: Mmhm.

Mayanna: I think, I go to inspector Ravona and I just say like. 

Mayanna (Brama): My siblings are gifts, but I believe I am more than capable of handling the responsibility of this role on my own.

Mischa: Ravonna claps you on the shoulder. 

Mischa (Ravonna): I believe in you, Brama. You have everything it takes to keep this city safe. 

Mischa: And, in the background, Paz kind of grips Ibra's shoulder tight and says, in your mind, 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: echoey] Not everything. 

Mayanna: Mmm. 

Bex: I put my hand on Paz’s and don't say anything. 

[Music ends].

Bex (Ibra): Hey, that was possibly the best entertainment of any of the dinner parties in the last 20 years. I would argue that we should end on a high note. What do you think, mother? 

Reed (General Shinmar): I think that's a very sound decision, Ibra. Walk with me, would you? 

Bex (Ibra): Of course. 

Reed (General Shinmar): Brama, I believe the night’s in your very capable hands, 

Mayanna (Brama): Of course. 

Ian (Hima): Well, this was interesting indeed. Good night, everyone. I'll be in the east wing.

Mayanna (Brama) & Bex (Ibra): (Simultaneously) Good night, Heembo. 

Ian (Hima): Hmm. 

Reed: And I think I stroll with you kind of down the driveway that you were just strolling down. 

[Music begins: low ambient piano, later joined by curious chime synths].

Reed (General Shinmar): It's always good to see you, Ibra. 

Bex (Ibra): And you, mother. 

Reed (General Shinmar): I hope you understand my concerns that I've been having for you and your little group. 

Bex (Ibra): I do. 

Reed (General Shinmar): What do you think of my concerns? 

Bex (Ibra): I think that as my mother, your concerns for my safety are more than valid.

Reed (General Shinmar): And you understand that sometimes as a mother you have to make hard decisions. 

Bex (Ibra): I understand that, more than just as a mother, you often have to make hard decisions. 

Reed (General Shinmar): I'm glad we could be of that understanding. I feel like there's so much of your life that I don't hear from you. I must hear from others, and it is a shame.

Bex (Ibra): I believe that when it comes from my mouth, you find it distasteful. And when it comes from anyone else's mouths, you find it equally as distasteful. So I am left at an impasse, unaware of how to best explain my situations to you in a way that will bring you the joy that my life brings me. 

Reed (General Shinmar): That's most troubling. Brama has inspired me to start asking questions of my children. Ibra, what do you want when all of this is done? 

Bex (Ibra): Do you remember how you trained me, Mother? 

Reed (General Shinmar): Of course. 

Bex (Ibra): I want to train the next generation. I want to be a coach, a teacher, an advocate, a pillar of strength for the community. I want to teach like you taught me, with grace and power. 

Reed (General Shinmar): And what I am doing is helping you build towards that dream. I hope you understand that. 

Bex (Ibra): I understand how you feel.

Reed (General Shinmar): I think I'm going to have to cut you off for five days. 

Bex (Ibra): As you wish, mother. 

Reed (General Shinmar): Starting today, I think. 

Bex (Ibra): Yes, ma'am. 

Reed (General Shinmar): And when you feel the need to buy Astra, do it from something better than a vending machine. 

Bex (Ibra): Yes, ma'am. 

Reed (General Shinmar): Your siblings spoke well of you tonight. You should thank them. 

Bex (Ibra): I will. 

Reed (General Shinmar): I look forward to hearing more from you. Stay close to your phone. 

Reed: And with that she gives a curt nod and then walks back up to the home. 

Bex: I follow a few steps behind. 

Mischa: Paz catches you on your way back up the driveway in your mind and goes, 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: echoey] Oof, dude.

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] (Groans).

[Laughter].

Mayanna (Brama): That's the name of the episode. 

Bex: Oof, dude. [Laughter]. 

All: Oof, dude. 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] How did I handle that? I blacked out for a minute. Phew. Okay.

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: echoey] Ibra, you were kind of great. 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] Thanks, buddy. 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: echoey] You're greater than you think you are. 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] No, I'm just trying my best. 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: echoey] I think we just gotta make sure we're trying our best for the really important things.

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] I think we are. Whether my mother agrees or not.

Mischa: Paz walks down the driveway to meet you, and is speaking to you in your mind as though they were standing next to you, and she telepathically indicates towards your pocket, like just, like, like a, like a buzz in your brain towards, towards your pocket where your pass is and mentally indicates towards the mailbox where the other one is. And goes, 

[Music ends]. 

Mischa (Paz): [SFX: echoey] Don't worry about that other stuff. We got real work to do. 

Bex (Ibra): [SFX: echoey] You couldn't be more right.

[Theme music plays].

Mischa: The Wandering Path was created by me, Mischa Stanton, and produced by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, and me. This story was game mastered and sound designed by me, Mischa Stanton, and was played and performed by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, Ian McQuown, and Mayanna Berrin. Cover art by Lyn Rafil, transcript assistance by Darby Summers, and music courtesy of the Independent Music Licensing Collective. Our production and house manager is Erin Bark. 

If you like what you're listening to, please tell your friends and let them know where to find us. Our website is wanderingpathpod.com, where you'll find links to subscribe and follow us wherever the path leads. We're also on Patreon, patreon.com/wanderingpathpod. We're so grateful for anything you can do to help us keep making this show. Thanks for wandering with us. Till next time!

[Theme plays and fades out].

1.10 If You Have A House, Live In It

Our heroes are resolved - but are their loved ones so happy about their new mission? Ibra takes their leave. Gordon reveals the hard truth. Fran makes a tiny friend. JJ faces the music.

-- links --

Website: wanderingpathpod.com

Support our show: patreon.com/wanderingpathpod

-- sponsors --

- United By Blue: Creators of sustainable apparel and outdoor gear. Use code wanderingpath for 20% off at https://unitedbyblue.com

-- cast & crew --

Created by Mischa Stanton

Produced by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, & Mischa Stanton

Gamemaster: Mischa Stanton

Ibra: Bex Taylor-Klaus

JJ: Lyn Rafil

Gordon: Ian McQuown

Fran: Mayanna Berrin

Sound design: Mischa Stanton

Cover art: Lyn Rafil

Transcript assistance: Darby Summers

Music: Independent Music Licensing Collective

Production & House Manager: Erin Bark

-- about --

The Wandering Path is an actual-play podcast putting complex characters, resonant themes and engaging new mechanics at the heart of immersive adventures. We’re making the stories we want to see in the world, one game session at a time! Join us for our first season, as we dive to the heart of the City of New Prosper: a techno-magical metropolis on the rise, where those who seek to craft themselves a new future will first have to settle the debts they owe the past. New episodes every other Monday.

— transcript —

Mayanna: Last time on The Wandering Path.

[Theme music begins in background of recap].

Mischa: There was just a nice dinner party at Gordon's house, and they cooked stuffed eggplant and yogurt sauce, and everyone had a nice time, and no one had a breakdown, and everything was fine! And that's why the gang needs to get/procure and/or steal some extra funicular passes and also possibly break into the governor's office who is also Paz's dad. Completely normal. Everything is fine. I'm fine! All caught up? Okay, then let's see what's around the bend today on The Wandering Path.

[Theme music fades out].

Mischa: Hello, my lovelies. Welcome back to the show. 

Mayanna: Thank you, hi. 

Ian: What a start. 

Mayanna: It's so nice to be a lovely. 

Mischa: Yeah!

Lyn: Yeah.

Mayanna: What a gift. What a treat. 

Ian: But see, now pitch that into a scary voice. And go. 

Mischa: Hello, my lovelies. (Mischievous cackle).

Ian: Different vibe. Yup, see.

Lyn: I kinda like it.

Mayanna: Ohhhh. Is this our Halloween episode? (laughs).

Lyn: No.

Mischa: Like mid-fall, I think. Mid-fall. 

Mayanna: Hey, that's close!

Lyn: That's relatively close. 

Mayanna: That's close to Halloween.

Lyn: All of fall is Halloween. 

Mischa: Falloween. That's what we call it in this world. 

Mayanna: Falloween, ooh.

Ian: There it is. You beat me to it. 

Mischa: Just before we start the game today, I just did want to acknowledge that we're missing a Bex today. 

Mayanna: We're sans one lovely. 

Lyn: Aw, yeah. 

Mischa: Yeah. Bex, we miss you.

Mayanna: Yeah, we miss you. You'll be back soon. 

Mischa: Bex will be back in two weeks. 

Mayanna: Heck yeah!

Mischa: But today it's time to talk to families.

[Music begins: gentle ambient strings].

Mayanna: Yes. 

Lyn: Ahhhh! 

Mayanna: Found and biological. 

Mischa: Yeah. Last time, you guys had decided that you want some information from JJ's family and that you might need to convince Cecilia to give up her funicular pass– 

Ian: Oh, fuck. 

Mischa: –so that you guys can get up there. We left off last evening. We're going to pick up the following morning. Gordon, Cecilia has texted you that she's on her way back from the Upper City.

Ian: I believe the words were “I'm disappointed.” 

Mayanna: Oh, yeah. 

Lyn: Mhmm.

Ian: Regret that choice. 

Mischa: Yeah? 

Ian: I regret that game choice. 

Mischa: Yeah. 

Ian: I've been nervous about this for the past two weeks. 

Mischa: It was a text message, but like, you could hear her voice behind it–

Mayanna: That disappointment

Mischa: –just like, hammer blows. I think it's maybe rattling around your mind this morning?

Ian: Yeah, oh, yeah, I think, I mean… I, Ian, have been thinking about it since it happened. 

Mayanna: Damn.

Ian: I think Gordon's probably sweating. 

Mischa: Yeah? 

Ian: And like, shaking. 

[Music shifts: ethereal reversed tones].

Mayanna: Aww.

Mischa: Oh. 

Lyn: (Sympathetic grumble).

Mayanna: I just feel compelled to say that you didn't actually fail. You lied about failing. You were doing great at Gordon's delivery service. 

Ian: I understand. The thing I'm worried about are the consequences.

Mayanna: Of course. Of this lie. 

Ian: Of this lie. 

Mayanna: I totally understand. 

Ian: And I think what's probably gonna happen is I'm gonna have to convince her to give me her pass. But I think my original intention last week was trying to steal it from her at a lunch. 

Mayanna: Yes. 

Ian: Which I just don't think is feasible in any way. 

Mischa: How's your sleight of hand, your stealth abilities?

Lyn: (laughs).

Ian: I think they're pretty medium at best. 

Lyn: Medium, mhmm.

Mischa & Mayanna: pretty mid. 

Ian: Yeah, they're mid as hell. 

Mayanna: Oh. 

Ian: I just feel like it's gonna not go well. You know what I mean? 

Mischa: All right. Well. You can– 

Ian: Yeah, plus 3 to stealth.

Mayanna: That’s pretty good

Mischa: –you can ponder tactics all morning because you still have to bake your bread. 

Ian: Yes. 

Mischa: But, but if this is all you can think about, and you're a little distracted, maybe, maybe instead of just automatically assuming the bread's good today, maybe I would like you to roll for bread.

Ian: Fuck! 

All: Oh!

Lyn: Bread roll?? 

Ian: Oh no! 

Mischa: Yeah. 

Ian: Oh no! 

Mayanna: Roll for rolls?

Lyn: Roll for rolls. 

Ian: Do I get a modifier on it? 

Mischa: Yeah, it's your intelligence modifier, and it's with your cook's utensils, so we'll add proficiency to that as well. 

Ian: Great. Okay, so that's a plus six. 

Mischa: Okay. 

Ian: I'm gonna roll with the floating dragon eye dice ‘cause it's ominous, and I just feel like so many of my choices today are very ominous. And here we go. [Dice rolls]. Dirty 20. 

[Gasps].

Mayanna: Oooh!

Ian: Bread is good. 

[Music shifts: gentle, slightly jazzy piano].

Mischa: You have this morning routine so down pat that even distracted by the biggest of concerns, the bread's coming out pristine. 

Mayanna: Perfect. 

Ian: I'm good at baking! And I'm getting better by the day. 

Mischa: Yeah! You know, and I keep, as a GM, I keep wanting to trip you up and admit like, hmm, maybe it's, maybe Gordon's off his game today, but Gordon's never not on his game.

Mayanna: He loves bread.

Ian: You gotta admit, when I turned up the temperature in the entire bakery, that was a pretty slick move. 

Mayanna: That was really slick. 

Mischa: For you. For you and you alone. Yeah, absolutely.

Ian: For me and me alone. 

Mischa: Great, well, then, despite my efforts to trip you up, you get out the door to make your deliveries right on time. As much as I love our little minigame, I think I'm going to forego Gordon's delivery service today. 

Ian: Wow, well we do have, yeah, it's probably, I probably don't get to do the delivery service on the day that I'm being punished for failing at the delivery service, rightly or wrongly. 

Mischa: Maybe you only make deliveries to Gordon's regulars.

Ian: Sure. 

Lyn: Did Celia call in a pinch hitter for the day? 

Mischa: So, no matter what I try to do to trip you up, Ian, Gordon's making that bread. And it comes out great every single time. 

Ian: Today it was a onion and garlic bread. 

Mayanna: Ah, that sounds awesome. 

Mischa: Ah, onion rolls. 

Lyn: I love a good onion roll, it's so good. 

Mischa: Today, as you're finishing up the batches, you hear a knock on the door of your bay. [SFX: knocking]. 

Ian: Oh no. Oh, I'm so worried. I'm really, I'm actually nervous. 

Lyn: Ian is clutching his heart. 

Mischa: Yeah. 

Lyn: Like, clutching it. 

Mischa: There's a journeyman baker–

Ian: Ah, okay.

Mischa: –named Chaunce. You see him around, maybe he was like, a few years ahead of you in classes, and just has like, you know, is like, upper classmen, but not, powerful over you energy. 

Ian: Got it. 

Mischa: Chaunce is a, a half saurid, vaguely humanoid features, but like a flatter nose, and like, scales, but like, maybe not everywhere?

Ian: Sure. 

Mischa: Yeah, why not? There's, there's half saurids too. 

Mayanna: Yeah. 

Ian: Heck yeah. 

Mischa: And also, just like, a guy who thrives being in front of an oven all day. 

Ian: Oh, got it. 

Mischa: Like a, just a very natural baker. Just like, yeah, like, as a journeyman, like, really is into his own work and just always seems like he's in his element.

Ian: I love that. 

Mischa: Comes in and taps on the doorpost and just says, 

Mischa (Chaunce): Uh, hey, Gordon, man? 

[Music ends].

Ian (Gordon): Hey, hey! Chaunce, right? 

Mischa (Chaunce): Hey, yeah. 

Ian (Gordon): Hey, how are you doing? 

Mischa (Chaunce): Good, good. 

Ian: Patting that flour off myself. 

Mischa (Chance): Yeah, oh. Ooh. What, you got onion rolls? 

Ian (Gordon): Yeah. 

Mischa (Chaunce): Oh, nice. 

Ian (Gordon): You want to try one? 

Mischa (Chaunce): Yeah, I do. 

Ian: Toss him an onion roll. 

[chuckles].

Mischa: No, I’m not gonna roll for it.

Ian: No, roll for it. No, roll for it!

Lyn: The roll was tossed. Dexterity save. 

Mischa: No, you already rolled a dirty 20 for the rolls. 

Lyn: Yeah, but did he catch the roll? 

Ian: That doesn't speak to any of Chaunce's taste. 

Lyn: Did he catch the roll?!

Mayanna: Oh It's like the flirt rolls. It's the taste roll. 

Mischa: Okay, sure. Ooh, 19. 

Ian: Yeah, that's what I thought. That's what I motherfucking thought, game.

Mayanna: Yes, yes! 

[Laughter]. 

Ian: Okay, I'm back. 

Mischa (Chaunce): Oh, so good. These are excellent. 

Ian (Gordon): Yeah. 

Mischa (Chaunce): Oh, the steam all up in my nostrils, so nice. 

Ian (Gordon): Yeah. 

Mischa (Chaunce): Listen, man, Cecilia texted me this morning and just, and told me you were having a little bit of trouble with your delivery routes. Everything okay? 

Ian (Gordon): Oh, yeah… oh, yeah, they've just been kind of real tough for me. Struggling just a bit, but Cecilia's gonna talk to me about it this afternoon, so I don't think you have to worry about anything.

Mischa (Chaunce): Sure, yeah, um do you want me to take, take care of some of that delivery for you? 

Ian (Gordon): Did Cecilia tell you–?

Mischa (Chaunce): Yeah, she did. 

Ian (Gordon): Yeah, yeah, sure,  

Mischa (Chaunce): I didn't, I didn't, I was just trying not to be a jerk about it, I'm sorry. 

Ian (Gordon): No, yeah, that's totally cool, Chaunce, you're not a jerk, I appreciate it.

Mischa (Chaunce): Listen, it's okay, hey, Cecilia's pretty high up in this place for a reason, you know? She takes on a lot of work, and she's good at what she does. It's hard to be at her level. If we all could do it, we would, you know what I mean? 

Ian: Yeah, yeah, the jerk thing really came back around on me. 

Ian (Gordon): Okay, here, I'm gonna give you the keys, 

[Music begins: melancholy synth chimes].

Ian: And I take the keys out of my pocket, [SFX: metal keys clinking], and I've gotten really used to having the double key ring, you know, because it just feels so much more powerful than my single small key ring.

Mischa: Right. 

Ian: And I hold the keys for a second and like a single tear comes to my eyes because even though this is for the good of mankind, I really did like having Gordon's delivery service. And then I unhook the big keys, [SFX: metal keys clinking], and I extend my arm out to Chance. 

Mayanna: Ah, this hurts me. 

Mischa: Chaunce takes the keys–

Ian: Fuck.

Mischa: –and just, like, doesn't, without kind of a second thought, just tosses them in the apron pocket. [SFX: metal keys clinking]. Like, doesn't, doesn't give them anywhere near the reverence that you have given them in this moment. 

Mayanna: Aw.

Mischa: Like, you're just like, “these keys are part of me now.” And he's just like, “yeah, cool, whatever.” 

Mayanna: Aww. Dang. 

Mischa: He goes, 

Mischa (Chaunce): Don't worry, man. I gotcha. We're all, we're all one big Baker family here, you know? 

Ian (Gordon): Yeah. Yeah, totally.

Ian: And then as he's leaving, I turn around, like it's an 80s movie, you know, it's like that really, really, deep moment in an 80s movie. 

Mischa: Mhmm. 

Ian: And I go, 

Ian (Gordon): Hey, Chaunce, this is a really important route, man. Just take care of it. 

Mischa (Chaunce): Gotcha. You know what I find, man? I think they're all really important routes, you know?

Ian (Gordon): Yeah. 

Mayanna: Mmm.

Ian (Gordon): Yeah, they are. Alright man. 

Mischa (Chaunce): Okay catch you later! 

Ian (Gordon): Okay catch you later. 

Mischa: And he like, strolls back out. 

Ian (Gordon): Stupid Chaunce. 

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: And Chaunce, you know, I think a couple of guild apprentices come in and load out your trays into Chaunce's tuk-tuk. 

Ian: Fuck. 

Mischa: What do you do after everything you baked this morning has been loaded out?

Ian: I think I'm standing in my in my, like, baking stall.

Mischa: Mhmm.

[Music ends].

Ian: And it's, like, so much emptier than it's been over the past week. And I got really accustomed to how full it was, just like the keys. And I think I let out a long exhale, and I load up my pallets. To–I don't have the tuk-tuk anymore. So man, how was I doing my deliveries before that? Was I like biking them around? 

Mischa: Yeah, probably. 

Ian: So walk them out to like a little, you know, like school bike. It's like kind of rickety and rusty [SFX: rickety wheels turning] and has like a much smaller rack for like the four pallets I have as opposed to like the twelve. 

Mayanna: Yeah.

Lyn: Mhmm.

Ian: And I like bungee the pallets to the back of the bike. 

Mayanna: Oh my god. And you don't even have Boggins anymore. I think you just have one place you deliver to. 

Ian: Yeah, I have, I have like literally enough rolls, like I'm just bringing rolls to a friend's house for dinner. Like, this isn't real. This isn't a job. 

Lyn: Mmm.

[Music begins: low ambient synths].

Mischa: Yeah, you, you head out for your one delivery [SFX: bike wheels on pavement] and, you know, even on your bike, I mean it's slower than the tuk-tuk, but, but you make it out and back, and it's– I think you come back in like the late morning. It's like the earliest you've finished your delivery route in a really long time. 

Ian: Mhmm. 

Mischa: Cecilia's not back yet. 

Ian: Thank God. 

Mischa: What do you do while you wait for her? 

Mayanna: Sweat. 

[Laughter]. 

Ian: No, I do research. 

Mayanna: Ooh. 

Ian: (in a lower voice) I do research. 

Lyn: Research into what? 

Ian: Batman never sleeps. 

[Laughter]. 

Lyn: I thought you were saying you're doing research into Batman.

Ian: What I look into is spells. Mind control spells. Based on what we talked about last week. Do we have a library of any sort? Do we have like an old little nook of a library in the Baker's Guild? 

Mischa: Ooh, yeah. I mean you do. I gotta imagine it's mostly–

Ian: Baking.

Mischa: –agrarian and food prep. 

Ian: I think I'm gonna go, and I'm gonna start my search.

Mischa: Okay. 

Ian: And see if I can find anything. 

Mischa: Yeah, go ahead and roll arcana. It's gonna be a really high difficulty, 

Mayanna: Nice.

Mischa: Like a, like a, such a high roll. 

Mayanna: Like 99! 

Mischa: No! 

Mayanna: Just kidding. 

Mischa: Yeah. 1d20 plus something equals 99. 

Lyn: Yeah!

Ian: It's a 12. 

Mischa: I think the only references to magic you can find with a 12 are like, plant growth, you know, kind of like how to, how to use a light cantrip to increase crop yields, stuff like that.

Mayanna: So relatable. 

Lyn: Shape water. 

Mischa: Yeah. Irrigation techniques via shape water. Stuff like that. 

Ian: A treatise on shaping water, great. Okay, then I, maybe I try to take a nap, that probably doesn't go well, so then I bet what I do is I clean the entire test kitchen. [Hums]. Like all the bays, everything. It's pretty clean because it's a school, but I think I just do like a deep clean on everything. [SFX: cleaning rags wiping across surfaces].

Lyn: Stress cleaning. 

Ian: Stress cleaning.  

Mayanna: Yeah, good ol’ stress cleaning. 

Lyn: Good ol’ stress cleaning.

Ian: Nice little sweaty, [SFX: water running, wet rags scrubbing] don't have to be alone with your thoughts while you clean, while you scrub ovens. 

Mischa: Will you roll? Will you roll performance for me? 

Mayanna: Ooh.

Ian: Yep. [dice rolls and clatters]. Whoa! 12. 

Mischa: 12? 

[Laughter]. 

Ian: Shit. 

[Music ends].

Mischa: No, I think as people come in from their own deliveries, other apprentices, like people who only have one or two, or maybe, you know, just like a smattering of places to deliver to that come back from their routes, the earliest people back, spot you cleaning but, don't really think anything of it, kind of like head upstairs for their… mid-afternoon… siesta?

Mayanna: Yes! 

Lyn: Yeah! 

Mayanna: Yes. 

Mischa: Yeah.

Ian: Except in this world. It's called a–

Mayanna: Sorstina. 

Ian: There it is.

[Laughter]. 

Ian: I pointed to a random person as I said that just so everyone knows how that happened. The sorstina. 

Mischa: Okay, 

Mayanna: The sorstina. 

[Music begins: gentle low synths with high, ethereal synths]

Mischa: Yeah, so they they go up for their sorstina and just kind of like leave you to your stress cleaning. You know, you, you, Here people stream in after you and don't give them a second thought, you're just sort of using the, the cleaning as like a, a meditative activity, just like to get, to get your thoughts a little clearer, to, to stave off that feeling of– 

Ian: Stress.

Mischa: Yeah, to stave off that stress, that anxiety. 

Ian: That hook in the center of your sternum that gets all tight. 

Mayanna: Oh god. 

Lyn: Mhmm.

Mischa: Yeah. And I think eventually you do stop lifting your head for every single person who walks through the door. Like drea–Half hoping, half dreading that it's gonna be Cecilia. 

Ian: (Loud groan). I'm so stressed about this right now! I know where you're going! This is super cinematic, and I can feel it coming, and I'm stressed. Please continue. 

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: And you're scrubbing away, [SFX: scrubbing] and from behind you, you just hear, 

Mischa (Cecilia): You missed a spot.

Ian (Gordon): (sighs) Hey. Hey, Cecilia. 

Mischa (Cecilia): Hey, I was kidding about you missing a spot. Did you clean the entire kitchen? 

Ian (Gordon): Yeah. 

Mischa (Cecilia): Wow. 

Ian (Gordon): Sorry. I mean, nevermind. Hi. 

Mischa (Cecilia): Let's go step into my office, shall we? 

Ian (Gordon): (sighs) Yeah. Yeah, let's step into your office. 

Mischa: She takes you up to the second floor of the bakery silo and around the railing [SFX: door opens] into a room that looks pretty similar to your baking bay. It's just got like, a couple more ovens in it, a little bit more workspace, a few more racks along the wall, and a desk in one side of the room, which is about twice as large as yours. but, other than like, just sort of a little bit more facility to accommodate the capacity that Cecilia takes on, like pretty similar to all the other kitchens. She gestures you inside and closes the door behind you and takes a seat behind her desk. [SFX: Door closing]. She goes, 

Mischa (Cecilia): All right I you know, I don't like to be like, “The Principal” or whatever. (sighs) It's, it, you know, it's disappointing to hear that, you know, I really needed someone to, to come through for me this week, and it's just, it's disappointing to hear, but I want to hear your side of it. So, you want to tell me what happened?

Ian: A couple questions. Not for Cecilia, for you. 

Mischa: Okay. 

Ian: Can I see her travel pass? Is it hanging from a necklace? Is it hanging from a waist–? 

Mischa: Ooh, yeah. Roll perception. 

Mayanna: (gasps) Perception. 

[Dice clattering].

Mischa: Yeah, we're in the game now

Mayanna: It’s happening

Ian: Now we're in the game. Now we're playing. Where's my dice? 

Mischa: Sometimes I just like when people roll for stuff because it's fun to make people roll dice. But then we go into the game. 

Ian: [Dice rolls]. Oh, God. It went poorly. 

Mayanna: Uh-oh. 

Ian: It went so poorly. 7. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: Ooh, That is bad. 

Mischa: She didn't walk in carrying it. 

Ian: Yeah. 

Mischa: It does look like she just, like, walked right in. You know, she didn't, like, get settled before she came to talk to you. Like, she, so you have to imagine it's on her person. But she didn't, like, come in and toss it onto the desk while she sat down or anything. So you can't, you can't tell where it is. 

Ian: Nor is it dangling sort of laissez faire. 

Mischa: It’s not like on a carabiner, like a ring of keys. 

Ian: Yeah. I take a big, deep breath in. I don't see the pass anywhere. My plan of trying to steal it is quickly falling apart. [Laughter]. So I then just take a big exhale and I say, 

Ian (Gordon): Cecilia, I'm really sorry. I lied to you. 

Mischa (Cecilia): What? 

Ian (Gordon): Everything was going great. It was awesome. I loved every second of it. 

Mischa (Cecilia): What? Wai–

Ian (Gordon): Also, by the way, this guy at the church, he has a huge crush on you, I think. 

[Laughter]. 

Mischa (Cecilia): What?!

Ian (Gordon): But we can talk about that another time. It was awesome. But something terrible is happening in New Prosper, and I had to get you back down here, and I have to get your travel pass. 

Mischa: Okay, I want you to roll Persuasion with disadvantage. 

Mayanna: Oh, no, no. 

Ian: Here we go [dice rolls] (groans)

Lyn: Oh no.

Ian: Okay, Well, it's a 6. 

Mayanna: No!

Mischa (Cecilia): Hold on. Hold on. What what are you talking about? 

Ian (Gordon): (Groans).

Mischa: (Cecilia): So so take me back to I didn't hear anything from the clients. I assume I would have heard if something was going wrong. So I was kind of confused when you, so now, so everything went great?! 

Ian (Gordon): Everything went great. 

Mischa (Cecilia): So I didn't have to come back here.

Ian (Gordon): Maybe. 

Mischa (Cecilia): Gordon!

Ian (Gordon): I know! I know it's bad. 

Mischa (Cecilia): Did you think I wasn't doing anything important up there? 

Ian (Gordon): I know you were doing incredibly important things, but everybody in New Prosper might be under a mind control spell. I know how this sounds! 

Mischa (Cecilia): Oh, everyone in New Prosper is under a mind control spell? That's ridiculous. Who even– how would you even do that?

Ian (Gordon): I don't know! I don't know, and I need to figure it out, but– Okay wait, I'm gonna start over. Breathe, Gordon, breathe, 

Mischa (Cecilia): Yeah, breathe. 

Ian: I'm like shaking. I'm sweating in my palms. 

Mischa: Yeah, she leans back in her chair and folds her arms, very– 

Mischa (Cecilia): This better be good. 

[Music shifts: conspiratorial piano and synths].

Ian (Gordon): Okay, as of about four days ago, myself and Fran and Ibra and JJ have all been wrapped up in crazy ghost encounters and mysterious people throwing bridge bombs and government cover ups, and it might go all the way up to the highest level. There is a very real chance that the answers that we need to solve whatever is going on are up in the Constellation. We have to get up to the Constellation, and we have to, and I swear, please do not scoff at me! (Quickly) Break into the governor's house, maybe.

[Laughter].

Mischa (Cecilia): (Scoff in disbelief).

Ian (Gordon): I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know. But just stop. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Think about it. Has anything strange been happening for you recently? Have you noticed anything weird? 

Lyn: Does she remember being at Boggins's? 

Ian (Gordon): Cecilia, Boggins, remember Boggins's with the ghost? 

Mischa (Cecilia): Yeah, I remember the ghost.

Ian: Oh! Oh!! Okay.

[Shouts, exclamations]

Lyn: WAIT CECILIA REMEMBERS?!

Mayanna: Holy shit. 

Ian: Wait, wait, wait. 

Ian (Gordon): Cecilia, I need you to text Samira right now. And ask her if she remembers the ghost at Boggins. 

Mischa (Cecilia): Okay…

Mischa: Cecilia taps away on her compad for a minute and sends off a message. 

Ian: And then I look at her and while we're waiting I say, 

Ian (Gordon): Do you remember how scary that was? 

Mischa (Cecilia): Yeah. 

Ian (Gordon): Do you remember how intense of an experience that was?

Mischa (Cecilia): Yeah. 

Ian (Gordon): Wouldn't it be crazy if someone didn't remember it? 

Mischa (Cecilia): That would be wild. 

Mischa: And as soon as she says that, the compad buzzes on her desk. [SFX: device buzzing].

Mischa (Samira): [SFX: Staticky filter, indicating a text] No, why does everyone keep asking? 

Mischa (Cecilia): That would be wild. 

Ian (Gordon): We are in the middle of something terrifying and scary and other synonyms for words that have to do with fear. 

[Laughter]. 

Ian (Gordon): And I wish I could explain better what it is, but the answers that we need to do that are up in the Constellation. 

Mischa (Cecilia): Damn. 

Ian (Gordon): And I wouldn't have asked you to come back and lied to you–I'm so sorry–if it didn't seem like it was the most important thing in the city, ever. 

[Music ends].

Mischa (Cecilia): So you lied to me. To get me down here quickly.

Ian (Gordon): Well, I lied to you because I was going to try and steal your pass, but that is neither here nor there. 

Mischa (Cecilia): (sighs) Gordon, I, really? 

Ian (Gordon): I know. It's so bad. 

Mischa (Cecilia): I appreciate your current honesty.

[Laughter].

[Music begins: ominous low synths]

Mischa (Cecilia): Okay. (Sighs) Yeah, it would be really weird if there was some kind of wraith attack and nobody who saw it remembered it. Just like the other day... 

Ian (Gordon): What happened? Wait, what? What happened the other day? 

Mischa (Cecilia): So, I've been in the Constellation all week, or I was supposed to be in the Constellation all week. I'm up there with reps from the Greengrocers Guild and the Shepherds Guild. It's like a summit, a meeting of the minds. We're meeting with reps in the Upper City just to make contact and we're talking to people on city council. You know, we do this every, about every year. We just renegotiate the contracts with the city, making sure all of our members are looked after. It was day one of proceedings, and we were taking a break, we were on like a recess, I was out getting lunch with Viridia, she was the rep for the Greengrocers, and we were just walking by, I, I saw one of the city council reps walking, minding their own business on the street, and one of those things appeared. That thing that we saw at Boggins. 

Ian (Gordon): Another wraith appeared? 

Mischa (Cecilia): Yeah, it was crazy. 

Ian (Gordon): Just in the middle of the street? 

Mischa (Cecilia): Yeah, people were running, people were screaming, it came after that city council rep. I did the same thing I did at Boggins. I was just trying to keep bystanders safe, you know. I sort of lost track of it. At one point, I think some people showed up to, to fight it off. Like a, like a team of, like a–

Ian (Gordon): Like a government team?

Mischa (Cecilia): Yeah, like a response team came to sort of contain the situation. 

Ian (Gordon): Do you remember seeing a woman with a big pickaxe with a giant piece of astra in it? 

Mischa (Cecilia): yeah, I do. Like a, like a saurid lady with like a red stripe on her neck.

Ian (Gordon): Yeah. 

Mischa (Cecilia): Yeah, I did see her. 

Ian (Gordon): We know her. 

Mischa (Cecilia): I also saw–This is gonna sound really crazy. Is there any chance Ibra was there? 

Ian (Gordon): Wait, what? 

Lyn: No, there's no chance. 

Ian: No? Didn't Ibra just go up? 

Lyn: This was day one of proceedings, that was a few days ago. 

Mischa: Yeah, it was a few days ago. 

Lyn: Also, we know that–this is out of game–

Ian: Yeah, no, but you know. 

Lyn: Ibra has–is one of three triplets. 

Ian: Yeah yeah yeah.

Mayanna and Ian: (escalating yells of realization) Ahhhhhh! Ah!! Ahhhh!

Ian (Gordon): No! no, no, Ibra wasn't there. Was there someone there who looked like Ibra? 

Mischa (Cecilia): Yeah, you sure? 

Ian (Gordon): What did that person look like? 

Mischa (Cecilia): Lean and muscular, bluish skin, I guess? 

Ian (Gordon): Just like Ibra. 

Mischa (Cecilia): Yeah. 

Ian (Gordon): No, Ibra was with us the entire time. 

Mischa (Cecilia): Okay, weird. Um, yeah, and these people, they came and contained it, and, you know, they saved the city council rep's life, I guess? They evacuated nearby buildings? You know, people were really concerned. We cancelled negotiations for that day, and we were supposed to pick up yesterday, and Viridia and I were, you know, we met like for coffee beforehand, and we were like, so we're definitely gonna bring this up to the, the, in negotiations, how to, how to keep people safe when something like that happens, and no, we were the only two who knew anything about it. 

Mayanna: (Gasp).

Mischa (Cecilia): They like, kind of paused negotiation. They like called us crazy and told us to that they were gonna pause negotiations until we'd like.. be rational. It was very disrespectful. 

Ian (Gordon): Okay, so that saurid lady, she knows this is happening. She was at Boggins. She works for the governor's office. Now, let me ask you this.

Mischa (Cecilia): Okay? 

Ian (Gordon): Why would the people in charge be trying to hide whatever is happening from everybody, because even if other people don't remember, why aren't they telling us so that we can take precautions? Think about it. 

Mischa (Cecilia): Yeah, that's, that's true. 

Ian (Gordon): I don't know what is going on, but as of last night, me and JJ and Fran and Ibra and Paz…

Mischa (Cecilia): Paz? 

Ian (Gordon): Paz is working with us. Paz can shoot lightning!

Mischa (Cecilia): What??

Ian (Gordon): Out of the hand. Hand lightning. 

[Laughter].

Mischa (Cecilia): Okay. Listen, I, I took a huge insult to people calling me crazy when I was describing objective things I experienced. So I'm not, I'm not gonna pass judgment on the thing you just said, I guess, except… (Sputters) How?!

Ian (Gordon): I'm gonna, I don't know, I'm gonna show it to you though, we'll show it to you.

Mischa (Cecilia): Cool. 

Ian: So then I can, I tell you that story, I say exactly what happened with the other wraith, and the, and I just recap that whole story to you. 

Mischa: Yeah.

Ian (Gordon): So, here's the deal. 

Mischa (Cecilia): Yeah. 

Ian (Gordon): Very few people remember and know what is happening, and you’re one of them. We have to get up to the Constellation, but more importantly, I don't know anyone who's more capable than you in this entire city.

Mischa (Cecilia): Thank you. 

Ian (Gordon): You're welcome. The compliment is really for me to ask you—I need your fucking help. 

Mischa (Cecilia): Yeah. Um... shit. Bleh. I'm supposed to be up there for a week. I'm supposed to be like, in the room fighting for the rights of the guild members. 

Ian (Gordon): Can you say you're sick? 

Mischa (Cecilia): Yeah, but then, then who's in the room, man? I gotta think of my people. That's my whole gig. 

Ian (Gordon): They're not going to be around, I don't think, if this continues. 

Mischa (Cecilia): But if they are, someone's gotta fight for the next day. 

Ian (Gordon): Okay. 

Mischa (Cecilia): Plus, Ambrose, head of the guild, like, he– I'm gonna be in huge trouble with him. 

Ian (Gordon): Because you left? 

Mischa (Cecilia): Yeah, because I, I’m AWOL. 

Ian (Gordon): You didn't tell them you were leaving? 

Mischa (Cecilia): I told them I was coming down to handle you.

Ian (Gordon): So they know you left, they know you're down here. 

Mischa (Cecilia): Right, but I have to go back. 

Ian (Gordon): (groans) Okay. Okay, okay, okay, think, think. 

Mischa (Cecilia): But you're, but you're right. You're, man, that's so heavy. You're-you're absolutely right. 

Ian (Gordon): Is there any way you could smuggle me up with you? 

Mischa (Cecilia): Uh…

Mayanna: (whispers) Bag of holding.

Ian: (Excited stammering). 

[Music ends].

Lyn: No, no, no living creatures can go in the Bag of Holding. 

Ian: No, I didn't know that rule. 

Mayanna: I know. 

Lyn: I'm so sorry, I don't want you to die via Bag of Holding. 

Mayanna: I know. 

Ian: And that's how we lost Gordon in one fell swoop. 

Mischa: It was so close. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: You can't, yeah, you can't survive in the Bag of Holding. 

[Music begins: gentle, hopeful piano].

Mischa: She's on the same page as you. She's obviously seen something that makes her want to believe all these things you're saying. And I think one of the last things is like, 

Mischa (Cecilia): Just so I have it clear: Delivery's? Going fine? 

Ian (Gordon): Great, so good. 

Mischa (Cecilia): Hey man, nice work. 

Ian (Gordon): Thanks, really, it was such an honor. 

Mischa: Will you roll a new persuasion with advantage this time?

Lyn: Ooooohhh!

[Laughter].

Ian: I thought you were speaking as Cecilia for a second. 

Mayanna: I love it. 

Ian: [Dice rolls]. Yeah, sick. That's a 21. 

Mayanna: Oh, yeah!

Lyn: Do you want to see if you can get a natural 20? Just for fun?

Ian: Yeah, let's see if I get a natural 20. [Dice rolls]. Oh, I didn't, but I stalled the die on the exact same number. 

Mischa: That was pretty sick. 

Ian: 21, 21. And it's a little, it's a little corner box stall.

Mayanna: Oh, that’s great

Ian: Like I'm on a skateboard. 

Mischa: Yeah. You guys sort of put your heads together, and I think Cecilia comes around to the conclusion that you're at the center of it, that you know what's going on with strange things she's experiencing. And that if everything was going great, that you're equipped to handle it, you know, you guys try to put your heads together to come up with some kind of scheme where she like smuggles you in a suitcase or puts you, you know, somehow to get you, the both of you up there and she goes, 

Mischa (Cecilia): Ugh. If time is a factor, man, you gotta go. 

Mischa: And she reaches in her pocket, and she hands you her pass. 

Ian: (Gasps).

Mayanna: Oh my god. 

Lyn: Oohhh.

Ian (Gordon): Cecilia, I can't tell you how much this means to me. 

Ian: And I give her a huge hug. 

Mischa (Cecilia): (Strained) Oh, uh–

Ian (Gordon): (Rushing) You're the best boss anyone could ever have, Cecilia. Thank you so much. I really appreciate this. I'm never gonna forget it. Thank you so, so, so much. 

Mischa (Cecilia): (Strained) Yeah, okay, no problem, thanks man.

Ian (Gordon): (releases her) Okay, okay. Got a lot of planning to do. By the way, we don't have the evidence yet, but I really, really do think that the entire city is being controlled by some sort of mind control spell. I'm just gonna pass that to you in case anything occurs to you while I'm up in the Constellation.

[Music ends].

Mischa (Cecilia): Yeah, I'll, you know. Keep my eye out for that. 

[Music begins: bittersweet, hopeful piano].

Ian (Gordon): Cool. Well. 

Ian: I hold up the pass. I go, 

Ian (Gordon): This means a lot. 

Mischa (Cecilia): Don't waste it, man. 

Ian (Gordon): I won't. 

Ian: And then I like flip the pass around my finger like it's like a spinning smoking gun. Put it in my side pocket of my flour-y apron. And I saunter out the door like a cool cowboy.

Mischa: Cecilia follows you out and like watches you go out into the sunlit day, task completed, and she looks around at the spotless kitchen, and she, she didn't receive any texts from any clients that were unhappy with your work. She, you know, you were, if you were lying, then there's only proof that you were doing an excellent job. And she sighs with satisfaction, and she goes, 

[Music ends].

Mischa (Cecilia): Did he say that guy from the church had a crush on me?

[Laughter].

[Midroll theme plays and fades out]

Mischa: Hey there, it's Mischa. This is the Rest Stop. Come take a break beside the path with me. Just until we catch our breath. As always, we reserve this space on the Rest Stop post board thingy for our patrons, over at patreon.com/wanderingpathpod, thank you so much for coming on board, Helen W, for sticking with us, Voyager level patron JWX, and we are so excited to announce our first cartographer level patron, Mubarak D! We are so, so grateful to have you helping us chart a course. Not only does Mubarak also get a shout out in every episode, but they also get early access to each new episode. Plus, behind the screen game mechanics, bloops for every drop, and whatever else we can cook up. If any of those things appeal to you, or honestly, if you just want to help give us life, sustain us, and bring us to new seasons, please sign up with us for even just a few dollars per episode. One more time, patreon.com/wanderingpathpod. 

We're sponsored this week by United by Blue. United by Blue is a fashion and lifestyle brand that prioritizes sustainable materials and ethical manufacturing to lead the charge towards better business practices. For every product purchased, United by Blue removes one pound of trash from oceans and waterways. Get it? Blue for the ocean! They've removed over 3. 5 million pounds so far, and from picking up the plastic bottles that litter our shorelines to cleaning up their own packaging and supply chains, they're on a mission to eliminate single use plastic. From non-toxic regenerative fibers that keep harmful pesticides out of the environment, to recycled fabrics that put existing trash to good use, they do their best to keep it clean from the very start. Their products are created to last, because the best way to be a conscious consumer is to ultimately consume less. They make this attainable by designing products that facilitate new ways to generate less waste, like take-it-with-you meal kits and reusable coffee cups. Now listen, I I have a little bit of NeuroSpicy going on with me, so shopping for clothes that have just the right fabric and just the right feel is a little bit more of a challenge. It takes me forever to find just the right clothing that fits my life, that feels good, that is sustainable in this fast-fashion economy. God, it's just terrible, isn't it? So I'm really excited to have United by Blue as a sponsor because they are trying to pave the way forward. So if that interests you, go to unitedbyblue.com and use code WANDERINGPATH to get 20 percent off your first order. That's unitedbyblue.com and code WANDERINGPATH to get 20 percent off your order. 

Okay, that's it for now. Let's get back on the path and back to the show.

[Midroll theme plays and fades out]

Mischa: Well, while Gordon was getting a hold of a funicular pass and also Cecilia's expectations and thoughts about him… 

Ian: Success? 

Lyn: Yeah, yeah.

Mischa: Yeah, honestly, pretty successful. 

Mayanna: I'd say he made out pretty fucking great. 

Mischa: While all that was going on, JJ. 

[Music begins: ethereal, ambient synths]

Lyn (JJ): [SFX: Staticky] Okay, Fran, I’m so sorry, if we’re gonna get to my family’s place all the way in Hillside, we’re gonna have to take the bus and it's gonna be a long time. I'm so sorry for waking you up–

Mayanna (Fran): [SFX: staticky] I ride the bus all the time. 

[Music begins: low ambient synths].

Lyn (JJ): [SFX: staticky] No, I just mean that I'm sorry for having to wake you up this early. 

Mayanna (Fran): [SFX: staticky] That's fine, I get up this early anyway.

Lyn (JJ): [SFX: staticky] Really?

Mayanna (Fran): [SFX: staticky] Yeah…

Lyn (JJ): [SFX: staticky] Oh. I guess I also wake up early. I don’t know, I just expect other people to not…

Mayanna (Fran): [SFX: staticky] I mean I’m still kinda on Boggin’s time.

Lyn (JJ): [SFX: staticky] Oh.

[Soundscape begins: birds tweeting, the occasional car or motor in the distance, gentle winds]. 

Mischa: You guys wake up early and catch a bus clear across the city over to Hillside, a sleepy community on the east side of town, resting up against the foot of the nearby mountain. The streets of Hillside are made up of rows and rows of single family homes, arranged into a picturesque suburban ideal. It's a quieter district, less of the noise and bustle of the city center. More lawnmowers and the distant sound of children playing in a nearby manicured park. Because Hillside tends to be the place you move to when you've got your career firmly under you and you can afford to move out to a quieter, safer place to start raising a family. You know, it's the kind of place where they say the schools in Hillside are very good. 

[Laughter]. 

Lyn: They do say that here. 

Mischa: JJ, you're waiting at the bus stop when Fran's bus pulls up [SFX: bus brakes squealing, door opening] and Fran disembarks at the Hillside Stop. And, and you guys walk down through the lanes up to the Calderon house. 

Lyn: I'm walking my bike, alongside me. 

Lyn (JJ): So, okay.

Mayanna (Fran): Uh-huh.

Lyn (JJ): I guess you met Paul. Paul's great. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay. Yeah, of course. Paul is great. 

Lyn (JJ): At the worksite. you haven't met my other dad. You haven't met my aunt or my grandmother or my baby sibling.

Mayanna (Fran): They all live in this house?

Lyn (JJ): Yeah. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay.

Lyn (JJ): you know, if you have a house, live in it. Um.. uh..

Mayanna (Fran): [00:35:00] Right. So how many generations are we talking about in this house right now? 

Lyn (JJ): I mean, I guess technically three total. My grandmother and my parents and my aunt and then, well I don't live here anymore since I live on campus, but baby sibling and then future baby sibling. Also, my, my grandma's a little bit old school, so when you come in, she will offer her hand to you, and then you take her hand and put it up to your forehead as like a little bow of respect. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay, okay. 

Lyn (JJ): She's great. I think my aunt is really gonna love you. You know, all my family are either tinkers or craftsmen of various capacities, so it runs in the family.

Mayanna (Fran): Are you okay? 

Lyn (JJ): I'm just a little nervous. I’m nervous, I’m nervous.

Mayanna (Fran): Okay, that's okay. 

Lyn (JJ): I'm, I'm happy you're here. I'm genuinely very happy you're here. 

Mayanna (Fran): Mhmm.

Lyn (JJ): I think my family will really love you. I hope you like them. 

Mayanna (Fran): I'm sure I will love them. 

Lyn (JJ): I hope they’re not– 

Mayanna (Fran): You're great. We're friends. I love you. 

Lyn (JJ): Oh, I love you too. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. 

Lyn (JJ): Do we say that a lot? I don't know if we say that a lot.

Mayanna (Fran): No, but we can.

Lyn (JJ): We should make it known. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. 

Lyn (JJ): That's nice. 

Mayanna (Fran): I love you, friend. 

Lyn (JJ): I love you. 

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: Fucking adorable!

Mayanna: I just hug JJ for a second. I, and I, I hold, I think I put like a hand on your head, and I just kind of, like, hope that you, like, settle into that for a second. 

Lyn (JJ): (Sigh). Okay. Yeah.

Mayanna (Fran): It's gonna be great. 

Lyn (JJ): Thank you. 

Mayanna (Fran): You’re welcome.

Lyn (JJ): we're all of Dwarven heritage, etc. So my family is older, all of everyone there, obviously, aside from my baby sibling. 

Mayanna (Fran): Mhmm. Do they all have beards? 

Lyn (JJ): Huh? 

Mayanna (Fran): Do they all have beards? 

Lyn (JJ): I don't have a beard. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay, I know you don't have a beard, but I thought maybe that was like a style choice. I just like–I don’t meet a lot of dwarves. 

Lyn (JJ): Oh. Should I have a beard?

Mayanna (Fran): No, no, no, I truly no. I actually, you're, you have a very strong jawline. 

Lyn (JJ): Thank you. 

Mayanna (Fran): It would be a criminal travesty [Laughter] to hide that jawline from the world. I just wanted to double check. 

Lyn (JJ): Okay. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay, cool. 

Lyn (JJ): Nice. 

Mayanna (Fran): Sick. 

Lyn (JJ): No, but, everyone but Paul's name starts with a J. 

Mayanna (Fran): J, got it. Okay. Alright. 

Mayanna: I pull out a little notebook to start tracking all the names. 

[Chuckling].

Lyn (JJ): They will tell you how they want you to call them. Obviously, I call them different things. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, okay, like nicknames and stuff?

Lyn (JJ): I guess. Yeah, I don’t know.

Mayanna (Fran): Okay. It's gonna be great! 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, okay. 

Mayanna (Fran): It's gonna be awesome! 

Lyn (JJ): It will. 

Mayanna (Fran): We're just here to learn stuff and have dinner? 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, probably. I mean, we're gonna eat at least three times while we're here.

Mayanna (Fran): Three times?!

Lyn (JJ): Yeah. They can't stop feeding people. It's kind of nice. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay. I'm not used to that. 

Lyn (JJ): Oh, well, you should, I mean, it's kind of a distance, but you could come over here whenever you wanted, I'm sure. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh my god, okay!

Lyn (JJ): Okay. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: I imagine this was, like, right in front of the door. 

Lyn: Yeah, we were standing, like, like–

Ian: For such a time.

Lyn: Like, yeah, like, in the cul de sac, we've been standing, like, not even a full quarter of the circle away from the house. 

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: Well, and what's so interesting is that, actually, as you round the corner, it's really loud. 

Mayanna: Woah.

Mischa: Yeah. There's like a big ol clangin’. 

[Soundscape ends].

[Soundscape begins: construction machines whirring, wood, metal and other materials thumping].

Mayanna: Oh! 

Lyn: Huh.

Mischa: like as you round the corner, you stop in front of the Calderon house, which is like a, a one story ranch house, kind of smaller than a couple of the houses alongside it. But also, that one section of it looks like it's in the middle of renovation. 

Mayanna: Oh. 

Lyn: Oh. 

Mischa: Like, there's, like, sort of some auto construction equipment, like, working alongside the house that's big and, like, metallic clanking and clunking away. 

Mayanna: Okay. 

Mischa: Sort of, reconfiguring the house as you walk up. 

Mayanna (Fran): You didn't tell me they were remodeling.

Lyn (JJ): I did not know they were remodeling. 

Mayanna (Fran): Mm. Hm. 

Lyn (JJ): Of all the texts that we've sent, this was not one of them. 

Mischa: JJ. There's one other thing about it too. 

Mayanna: (Gasps).

Lyn: Uh-huh? 

Mischa: That's the side of the house that your room was on. 

Mayanna: Oh! 

Lyn (JJ): Oh! Wait, hold on, pause! 

Lyn: And I start walking faster. 

Mayanna: Oh my god. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh wait whoa whoa…

Lyn: I'm like, 

Lyn (JJ): Wait my stuff! 

Mayanna: They turned it into the gym.

[Laughter]. 

Lyn: (Sing songy) Ding dong ding dong ding dong ding dong. 

[SFX: chiming doorbell].

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: Yeah, Paul comes to the door and answers it. [SFX: door creaks] And says, 

Mischa (Paul): Oh, JJ! 

Lyn (JJ): Hi dad!

Mischa: Gives you a big hug and welcomes you in. 

[Construction soundscape fades to background].

Mischa (Paul): Oh, and, and your friend, Fran! 

Mayanna (Fran): Hi, nice to see you again. 

Mischa (Paul): Hi, welcome to our home! 

Mayanna (Fran): Thank you so much. 

Mischa (Paul): So glad to see you. 

Mayanna (Fran): Thank you so much. it is very, it is an honor to be here.

Lyn (JJ): I saw that there's, shoes on or off today? 

Mischa (Paul): Oh, you're gonna want shoes on. It's a little bit of a worksite here. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, what… is that about? 

Mischa (Paul): Well, we'll need space for the baby. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah… 

Mischa (Paul): You know. 

Lyn (JJ): Okay. I understand that, 

Mischa (Paul): aAd we just figured, you know. We could afford the permits and a little bit of time off or you know. There's there's gonna be a little bit of time on my hands now that I'm you know, moving into the later stages here. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yes, when is the baby due?

Mischa (Paul): Oh should be it should be a few months out now.

Mayanna (Fran): That's exciting. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah.

Mischa: And he like pats his belly and beams with pride. 

Mayanna: Awww. 

Mischa (Paul): Yeah, we thought we'd make a little, you know, baby suite. You know, just 

Lyn: That's really cute. 

Mischa (Paul): Sure, so we're gonna want you to come in and take a look at your stuff. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, where, is it? The room is kind of–

Mayanna (Fran): Under construction. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah. 

Mischa (Paul): Your father didn't–he didn't talk to you? 

Lyn (JJ): No.

Mischa (Paul): (Sighs).

Lyn (JJ): Should he have?

Mischa (Paul): Well, come on in. Keep your shoes on. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay. Shoes on. Worksite. 

[Music begins: jazzy piano].

Mischa: The house is loud and raucous. JJ, as you wander through the front living room, your younger sister Josephine runs out and like, jumps into your arms. 

Lyn (JJ): Hi! 

Mischa (Josephine): JJ!  

Mayanna (Fran): Aww

Lyn (JJ): Woo!

Lyn: And I, pick her up and spin her over my head as much as I can. It's like, 

Lyn (JJ): okay, Josie, here's tita Fran!

Mayanna (Fran): Hi! Hi! Nice to meet you! 

Mischa (Josephine): (tentatively) Hi. 

Mayanna (Fran): It's okay, hi. 

Lyn (JJ): She's a friend. She's very fashionable. 

Mischa (Josephine): (whispers) She's so pretty. 

Lyn (JJ): (whispers) I know. 

Mayanna (Fran): (whispers) Oh my god, thank you, you are very pretty as well. 

Mischa (Josephine): Eee, thank you

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, you're welcome. 

Lyn (JJ): what have you been up to, Josie? 

Mischa (Josephine): It's building day! 

Lyn (JJ): It's building day! 

Mischa (Josephine): It's building, we're building! 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, you're building! What are we building? 

Mischa (Josephine): New room for the baby!

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, that is what we're building. Good job. 

Mischa (Josephine): Yeah! 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah. Did you see the blueprints? 

Mischa (Josephine): Yes! 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, did you–

Mischa (Josephine): I gave approve. 

Mayanna (Fran): She gave approval!

Lyn (JJ): Yeah. Do you have a stamp? 

Mischa (Josephine): Yup!

Mischa: There's actually a drafting table in the living room with the blueprints for the project up, and you see, in the bottom left corner, in green crayon, just like a scrawl.

Mayanna: Oh my god, that's so cute. 

Lyn (JJ): You have an excellent stamp.

Mayanna: Wait, so she has, she has crayons? 

Mischa: Yeah. 

Mayanna: Okay, cool. Can I, can I take like a piece of metal– 

Lyn: Like a little rubber stamp for her?

Mayanna: –and like craft a little seal for her and then, and then melt a little crayon? 

Mischa: Oh my god, yes! 

Lyn: That’s so cute! 

Mischa: You wanna use one of your tool charges? 

Mayanna: Yeah, I wanna use one of my free, one of my free crafts for the day and make her a little, I, like a little piece of wood and a little metal and I, I, what, what are her initials? It would be JC?

Lyn: Mhmm.

Mayanna: So I do a little JC with a little heart. Carve it into some metal, attach it to like, a very like, you know, not super stylish, just like a small block of wood. And then I melt a little bit of the crayon, and then I press it into the, where, where she was doing her little scribbles on the blueprint.

Lyn (JJ): Ooh, a wax seal, Josie! 

Mischa (Josephine): Woah!

Mayanna: And then I give that to her. 

Mischa: She takes it in, in one fist, and like, huge eyes reverently looks at it in her hand. Looks back up to you, and then bolts off for the hallway like slamming it against the wall. 

[Laughter]. 

Lyn (JJ): Hey, hey! Say thank you, say thank you!!

Mischa (Josephine): (yelling from a distance) Thank you!

Mayanna (Fran): You're welcome! That's your personal seal of approval! 

Lyn (JJ): Use it wisely! Eh, she's… Okay. 

Mayanna (Fran): She's approving a lot of things. Everything’s approved.

Lyn (JJ): Everything is very approved. 

[Laughter]. 

Lyn: And I give a thumbs up to–

Mayanna: I give you a thumbs up back. 

Lyn: Yeah. 

Mayanna: Yeah! 

Lyn: Just another at Josie in the distance. 

Mayanna (Fran): Did I just create more problems for you? 

Lyn (JJ): No, this is, this, you know, you should have seen what I did as a kid. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna (Fran): What did you do as a kid?

Lyn (JJ): Um. A lot, anyway!

[Laughter]. 

[Music ends]. [Music begins: cozy acoustic guitar].

[Soundscape begins: sizzling of cooking].

Mischa: You wander back through the living room and pass by the kitchen where your grandmother is just constantly back and forth all cooking up a storm. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh my goodness. 

Lyn (JJ): Hi, Mama Joy. 

Lyn: Does the, does the thing.

Mischa (Mama Joy): Oh, hello JJ. 

Lyn: And holds out a hand for you. 

Lyn (JJ): Mano po, this is my friend Fran.

Mischa (Mama Joy): Hello, Fran. 

Mayanna: I take the, I do what JJ just did. 

Mischa: Can you roll performance for me, Fran? 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: Yes, absolutely, I can. I would be insulted if you didn't. Okay, let's see here. Oh, no! It's a 4. It’s bad. 

[Laughter].  

Mischa: I think you take her hand and you like and like fall back to your old habits, and you just like kiss the knuckles real quick. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna (Fran): Sorry, I don't know. I don't know why I go for like the dap up– 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna (Fran): No, wait, what? Sorry, I'm sorry. 

Lyn: JJ’s cracking up behind you.

Mayanna (Fran): I just, I think, I got excited. I think I just, sorry, I just learned it and I, I don't know what happened. [Laughter]. I just really, I'm so sorry about that. 

Mischa (Mama Joy): Hm. Your friend is strange. Welcome home. 

Lyn: Big hug. kiss on the cheek. 

Lyn (JJ): So, how's the, how's the renovation going?

Mischa (Mama Joy): You know your parents, always doing something. 

Lyn (JJ): That is true. Work site stuff isn't uncommon, I just normally know when it's happening. 

Mayanna (Fran): Mm. 

Mischa (Mama Joy): I think your father, he might be a little upset with you. 

Lyn (JJ): Where's tatay at right now? 

Mischa (Mama Joy): He's back in your room, back in, back in the, I'm sorry, the project wing. 

Mayanna (Fran): The project wing?

Lyn (JJ): Ooh, okay.

Mischa (Mama Joy): Yes, I'm, I'm sorry, I box up your things as best I can.  

Lyn (JJ): Oh, thank you. You–that was really nice of you. You didn't have to do that. I would have come back and done it. 

Mischa (Mama Joy): You have been busy. 

Mayanna: Do I know you changed your major? I think we talked about that, right? 

Lyn: Yeah, last night. We would’ve talked about it.

Mayanna: So I think I know, I think I pick up immediately of like, oh, it's about that, huh?

Lyn: Mhmm. 

Lyn (JJ): Okay, I guess I should go… See him… (Nervous humming).

Mayanna (Fran): I would really love to, the next time I'm here to try the greeting again. I just, I keep thinking about it and it's probably gonna haunt me all night. And like, I keep replaying it over and over and it's just, I'm just so sorry. 

Mischa: Mama Joy, impassive face, just, just stone, and then turns back to cook. And, like, like, like, something starts burning and she turns back to cook it. [SFX: more intense sizzling from a hot pan]

[Music ends]. [Soundscape ends].

Mayanna: (Stressed humming). I like turn to JJ, I'm like, 

Mayanna (Fran): I get it! I get why you are the way you are! 

Lyn (JJ): No, she likes you. 

Mayanna (Fran): She likes me? That's good? 

Lyn (JJ): She didn't slap you. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh wow. Okay! 

Lyn (JJ): Like a playful thump. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, okay. 

Lyn (JJ): More like a thump. 

Mayanna (Fran): Just a thump? 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, a little thump.

Mayanna (Fran): A little playful thump. Okay. Right on. We should go see your dad, I guess? 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah. 

Mayanna (Fran): Mhmm. Okay. 

Mischa: Yeah, you wander back into where your room was, 

Lyn: Okay.

[Soundscape begins, construction machines whirring, hydraulics working, metals and woods clanking and clattering].

Mischa: And you can see, Your father, Jovany, overseeing a construction bot, placing, like, floorboards and sort of expanding the platform of your bedroom. Because one wall is missing, and presumably those walls will come back up at a later date.

Lyn: Yep, at some point, probably. 

Mischa: It's loud, it's cacophonous, it's, it's –

Lyn: I hand you some earplugs. 

Mayanna: Oh god, okay, thank you. 

Mischa: OSHA approved baby!

Lyn: We have, like the over ear ones, like, hanging at every vestibule in the house. 

Mayanna: I just, this is so foreign to me. Like, I, so much construction, like, I just can't imagine being around this level of chaos all the time.

Lyn (JJ): I don't think we have pink or purple ones, but, there’s some..

Mayanna (Fran): Dammit! Do you have cream? 

Lyn (JJ): Oh yeah, here's some. Oh, thank god. A little off white. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yes. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, here we go. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, I love it. 

Lyn (JJ): These are my aunt’s, but if she's not using them, you can use them. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay, great, awesome. 

Lyn (JJ): Anyway.

Mayanna (Fran): Are you okay? 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, let's, we got stuff to do… 

Mayanna (Fran): Look, you have nothing to apologize for. It's kind of weird that he is, like, kind of making a statement without talking to you, because you didn't do anything wrong. 

Lyn (JJ): I… See your point? 

Mayanna (Fran): I get where you're going with this, and no, it is not my place, and I do not understand the dynamic of your family, so I am going to stay out of it, but just know, you didn't do anything wrong.

Lyn (JJ): I appreciate you. 

Mayanna (Fran): Even if they feel like you did, that's their opinion, but it's not fact. 

Lyn (JJ): Okay. 

Mayanna (Fran): But I will not step in unless you would like me to. 

Lyn (JJ): If I give you a thumbs down– 

Mayanna (Fran): Uh-huh. 

Lyn (JJ): –I might need some backup. 

Mayanna (Fran): You got it. You got it. 

Lyn: I make my way into the “project wing.” [Laughter].  Tatay! Tay? 

Mischa: Jovany takes down, takes like one ear off of the ear protection, and his face starts to light up as soon as he sees you, and then he catches himself, and he like, remembers that he's mad at you, and turns back and pulls the lever on the machine to stop it working, [SFX: metal thud], and goes,

Mischa (Jovany): Oh, anak, welcome home. 

[Music begins: high ambient synths].

Lyn (JJ): Hi, Tatay. 

Mischa: And, and, and gives you a hug, and it's kind of hard and stony. 

Lyn: Mhmm. Give him two solid pats on the back and a hug, and then step away. 

Mischa: Mhmm.

Lyn (JJ): I, came home– oh, this is Fran. 

Mayanna (Fran): Hi.

Lyn (JJ): I don't know if you've met before, I don't think you have. 

Mayanna (Fran): I met, we, I met Paul. but no, it's a pleasure to meet you.

Mischa (Jovany): A pleasure to meet you, Fran. 

Lyn (JJ): Fran was, was, with me at the, at the bridge site the other day. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. 

Lyn (JJ): And helped out a lot with that. 

Mischa (Jovany): Oh, yes the bridge site, Your father told me about the bridge site. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah.

Mischa (Jovany): I heard about that. 

Lyn (JJ): Mhmm. 

Mayanna (Fran): Mhmm

Lyn (JJ): Luckily everyone was safe. It was..

Mischa (Jovany): I thank the stars for that. I am so, I'm, we are happy you're safe. We hear you are keeping other people safe as well. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah. Yes. Yep. That is, that is a thing I'm doing now and I wanted to talk to you about it. For a number of reasons, but –

Mischa (Jovany): Yes? 

Lyn (JJ): Um.

Lyn: Like kind of looks at him and then like looks at Fran and– 

Mischa: Do you want to roll insight for me?

Lyn: Yeah.

Mayanna: Ooooh.

Lyn: Come on. Insight. Come on. Proficiency.

Mayanna: You got this. You got this. 

Lyn: [Dice rolls]. 18. 

Mayanna: Nice. 

Mischa: Yeah. It's a mixture. It's not just the consternation that you were fearing, right? 

Lyn: Yeah.

Mischa: Like, I think within 18, you can compartmentalize a little bit. You can, you like, take a deep breath and really look over how he's actually reacting instead of just how you were expecting him to react.

Lyn: (Agreeing).

Mischa: he is not happy. About this choice, in the way you were expecting, but like, he is genuinely happy that you're safe, that something bad didn't happen to you. 

Lyn: Yeah, mhmm.

Mischa: And again, it's almost like he has to like, remind himself that he's still mad. 

Lyn: Yeah.

Mischa: Like he, it looks like he's, he's disapproving, but with effort.

Lyn: Yeah. Mhmm. 

Lyn (JJ): I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about it. I am. 

Mischa (Jovany): Well, I am sorry we didn't talk to you about your room. I'm, I'm sorry. 

Lyn (JJ): I mean, the blueprints look great. I see that Josie already stamped it with her little seal. So, honestly, that's the only foreman you have to worry about around here right now. 

Mischa (Jovany): Yes, we always have to run it by the committee, you know?

Lyn (JJ): Mhmm.

Lyn: And like, with the reflection of like, he's trying to like, be upset with me. Like, still upset, but like, JJ looks at Fran and gives you actually a thumbs up. 

Lyn (JJ): So, what would you like to talk about first? 

Mischa (Jovany): Well, I… 

Lyn (JJ): Or do you want to go eat? Have you taken a break yet? Have you gotten your 30? 

Mischa (Jovany): Oh, well, thank you for noticing. Look who still remembers the regulations. 

Lyn (JJ): Ha ha ha, I'm still getting good grades in those classes. 

Mischa (Jovany): I still have another couple of hours before my mandated, but we can, we can blow the steam whistle early, I guess, I suppose. 

Lyn: I take out a little whistle and blow it. [SFX: high-pitched whistle]

Mayanna: Awww. 

Lyn (JJ): I would have used it earlier if you couldn't hear me. It is your whistle. Okay, let's go. Let's go! 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: I'm so joyful. 

Lyn (JJ): Coffee? Coffee, anyone? Let's get coffee. Over in the kitchen. Coffee.

Mischa: You head back to the kitchen, and on the way, Jovany points out that all of your stuff has been neatly boxed and labeled and, like, is off in sort of one side of Josie's room. 

Lyn (JJ): Oh. Do you want us to go through that today?

Mischa (Jovany): Well, we know you're still living in the Come-Up, we know it's a small place, 

Lyn (JJ): yeah

Mischa (Jovany): we don't want to burden you, we will put it in storage if you need us to. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, I should go through that. Fran, would you mind helping me go through this later? You'll tell me what I should–what I–

Mayanna (Fran): Absolutely. I have a very good method for this. If it doesn't spark joy, you throw it in the garbage. 

Lyn (JJ): Wow. I really like that. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, I really, I think I'm, I'm gonna work on publishing. 

[Music ends].

[Chuckles].

Lyn (JJ): I think, yeah. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: Edit this out.

[Raucous Laughter].

Mayanna: The Fran Weaver method. 

Lyn: Yeah.

Mayanna (Fran): Just, it's just snap decisions. You just look at it and if, you either know if you need it or you don't. If, if guilt is the overriding emotion you feel when you're like trying to figure out if you need it or not, you don't need it. 

[Music begins: melancholy synth string chords].

Lyn (JJ): Okay. 

Mayanna (Fran): That's the thing that I did when I moved out.

Lyn (JJ): Yeah. We don't. Really? I don't really know where you lived before. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, It was me and my mom. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah? 

Mayanna (Fran): Before, yeah. Kind of running away, in a way, from that. I don't really have a dad, so to speak. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, Well, I got extra. 

Mayanna (Fran): I see that, it's really nice. I'm glad you have two of them. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah. 

Mayanna (Fran): And they both seem really great.

Lyn (JJ): Yeah.

Mayanna (Fran): You're lucky. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah…

Mischa: You head back out into the kitchen and, Paul and Jovany share a look across the room and all sort of gather around the coffee table in the living room on, like, couches and chairs. 

Lyn: I take some bread and dip it in my coffee. 

Mischa: Paul goes to do the same. Jovany goes, 

Mischa (Jovany): No, what are you doing?

[Music ends].

Mischa: And grabs the coffee cup and went, 

Mischa (Jovany): You can't have caffeine. What are you doing? 

Mayanna (Fran): It'll stunt your growth. 

Lyn: (cackling) That was so funny because that's been my whole fucking life IRL.

[Laughter].

Lyn: You nailed it in one. Good job. 

Mischa: yeah, Paul looks at you, Fran, and, and just gives a very exaggerated, like, 

Mischa (Paul): Oh, shoot. 

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: Jovany comes back with another cup. It's presumably herbal tea. Paul gives a sniff, 

Mischa (Paul): I want coffee. 

Lyn: (laughing)

Mayanna: Aww.

Lyn (JJ): So…

Mischa (Jovany): So…

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah…

Lyn (JJ): So…

Mayanna (Fran): Yup we were wondering…

Mischa (Jovany): So JJ, how are your classes? 

Lyn (JJ): Uh. (Clears throat). Well, some are good. 

Mischa (Jovany): Okay.

Lyn (JJ): Some are I don’t really know, because I… am changing tracks. 

Mischa (Jovany): Okay. You're to a different side of Mechanist–you work with different systems, what is it? 

[Music begins: high ethereal ambient synths].

Lyn (JJ): Um. yes and no. I mean, working with different systems, yes. Still working for the city. Yes. 

Mischa (Jovany): City. Government work? 

Lyn (JJ): Yes. Um.

Mischa (Jovany): Okay. 

Lyn (JJ): Still hands on. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. 

Lyn (JJ): (whispering to Fran) Is that accurate?

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. I think so, yeah.

Lyn (JJ): Yeah. 

Mayanna (Fran): Very important. Very important work for the city. Vital work, in fact. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, so, I mean, as you know, I was working with the labor department to, you know, learn about. labor, an important and vital part of etc. 

Mischa (Jovany): Yes, of course, we loved it. That sort of work background diversity looks great on the resume.

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, yeah. And, so expanding my knowledge about… 

Mayanna (Fran): (whispered) You got this, JJ. 

Lyn (JJ): (whispered) Thank you.

Mayanna (Fran): (whispered) You’re welcome.

Lyn (JJ): Um.. oh my god, I'm gonna throw up. 

Mayanna: I put like an empty bowl in front of JJ. 

Mischa: I think Paul puts a hand on your shoulder. 

Mayanna: Aww.

Mischa (Paul): It's okay, honey. 

Lyn (JJ): Okay, I.. won't be working directly within the Mechanist's Guild. Anymore.

Mischa (Jovany): (sighs heavily)

Mischa: Jovany, keeps a deep sigh and mutters something quietly to himself in Dwarvish.

Lyn (JJ): You know, you know I love it. There are lots of parts of it that I love, but I think you also know that I love what it does for people and what the people do for it. And I am part of a relatively new team now to work amongst all the guilds and beyond for, I guess, the safety and security of everyone? 

Mayanna (Fran): Mhmm.

Mischa (Jovany): Sounds dangerous. And not very stable. 

Lyn (JJ): Well, yeah. 

Mischa (Jovany): JJ, don't you understand why we sent you to the Mechanist Guild, why we want you to join us? It is–Everybody always needs the maintenance. All of our infrastructure needs to be taken care of. That is how you take care of people. You take care of the world for them.

Lyn (JJ): I know. 

Mayanna (Fran): That's what JJ is doing. 

Mischa (Jovany): And they will always need you. And you will always have a job. 

Lyn (JJ): You're not wrong. You're not wrong. I agree with you. You know I do. I've been with you this whole time. I'm not leaving. Not like that. 

Mischa (Jovany): So now your job is to run into danger? How does this end? You think this is a way to build a life?

Lyn (JJ): I'll do it if it means that other people can build theirs. And I know, you know what that means. 

Mischa (Jovany): I don't care about them. I care about you. You are my daughter!

Lyn (JJ): And this whole city is our family. You've always been telling me that. 

Mischa: Roll persuasion. 

Mayanna: Ooh, 

Ian: Dun dun dun!

Lyn: Come on, come on.

Ian: You got this.

Mayanna: You got this, you got this.

[Dice rolls]. 

Lyn: Oh, okay, okay, okay, okay. 17? 

Mischa: Yeah. 

Ian: Nice. 

[Music ends].

Ian: P. S. What I also rolled for persuasion, it's the roll of the day. 

Lyn: (Stressed noises).

[Music begins: energetic synth chimes].

Mayanna: Yeah, it's true. [Laughter]. 

Mayanna (Fran): You got this. I'm so proud of you. 

Lyn (JJ): Thank you. 

Mayanna (Fran): I'm so proud of you. 

Lyn (JJ): Thank you, Fran. 

Mayanna (Fran): You're welcome. 

Mayanna: I'm just like saying this under my breath to you while you're talking to your dad. 

Mischa: Fran, I think Paul, like, takes your hand.

Mayanna: I hold, I hold Paul's hand. 

Mischa: Jovany sighs in frustration and kind of snorts and looks back to his mother, Mama Joy, in the kitchen who has not stopped cooking whatsoever or preparing food whatsoever while this intense family meeting is occurring. 

Mayanna: Damn.

Lyn: Mhmm.

Mischa: And she glances over her shoulder to her son and gives him kind of a, “come on now,” look. Jovany says, 

[Music shifts: higher mournful synth notes join].

Mischa (Jovany): they are not my family. All this time, we have tried to build for it. I have seen an ugly side to these people. I work for their betterment because if the world is safer for everyone else, it makes the world safer for us. Gives us a place in this world that cannot be taken from us. But I don't want you to inherit this from me. 

Lyn (JJ): I don't want to live always running headlong into danger. That's why I like the regulations and safety and predictability. And infrastructure. God, I love it. But right now, all of that is in a really precarious state. I'm working to investigate some really weird things that have been going on. Things that I think impact the grid. The very things that we have laid every foundation of on this city. Everything that, just as you said, everyone's lives depend on. And we do need help. 

Mayanna (Fran): Mhmm

Lyn (JJ): I'll always need your help. Okay?

Mischa (Jovany): We are here for you. 

Lyn (JJ): I'm here for you. I know it doesn't always feel like that, I know. 

Mischa (Jovany): I suppose if we knock down the walls of your room, we make it harder. 

Lyn (JJ): You'll rebuild those, you can always rebuild those. 

[Music ends]. [Music begins: low energetic synths].

Lyn (JJ): What I'm–what we are, we–

Mayanna (Fran): Mhmm,

Lyn: And I look over at Paul, 

Lyn (JJ): And, you know, everyone else you met at the worksite the other day, part of a team that is working on this investigation, and we're a little bit worried that it might be running so deep that the ability to rebuild is, we'd need far more than any amount the Mechanist Guild is available.

Mischa: Paul looks at Jovany and goes, 

Mischa (Paul): That's what I was trying to tell ya. I was at work on that reconstruction site underneath the bridge, and the kids came in and stopped a catastrophe, and we were supposed–I thought we were going to return right, get right back to it. All of a sudden they, you know, another day passes, they suspend operations there. We're just supposed to move on, they're just gonna what, they're just gonna leave it? 

Lyn (JJ): They suspended all operations? 

Mischa (Paul): Oh yeah. 

Mayanna (Fran): So that bridge is just closed? 

Mischa (Paul): That's what they tell me. 

Mayanna (Fran): Huh. 

Lyn (JJ): did they say it was under further investigation or anything? 

Mischa (Paul): Pft. Well, they don't tell me that kind of stuff. 

Lyn (JJ): They should!

Mayanna (Fran): Don't people like, need that bridge to like, commute and travel? 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, traffic everywhere around the city has been awful. I got here on my bike faster than you on the bus!

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, yeah, yeah, the bus took, I'm not gonna lie, it was arduous, but, again, not your fault, I'm just telling you, not for you to feel bad, but because it's weird, because the buses run great, normally.

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, A lot of weird things have been happening. We're not sure yet, but everyone in our family, weirdly, knows so much more about the history of this city than most of us know. You've all been here since the very beginning. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, mhmm. 

Lyn (JJ): We think that there's a problem with the grid. 

Mayanna (Fran): Mhmm

Lyn (JJ): There's been some… 

Mayanna (Fran): Anomalies, 

Lyn (JJ): Extreme anomalies, danger that is either feeding off of or is built by the Astra-electrical conduits. These creatures that can appear through electrical lines or possess mechanical automatons. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, they possessed the drill at the site. 

Mischa (Paul): That thing was possessed? 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, and they came– 

Mischa (Paul): Like a ghost? 

Lyn (JJ): Something like that.

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, and they came through the grid and attacked Boggins and this is something that people are not really talking about and they're trying to contain it.

Lyn (JJ): And something is happening that not everyone can remember.

Mayanna (Fran): Mhmm.

Lyn (JJ): That's why we've been called to action. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yep. 

Lyn (JJ): It's because we can remember and we can help. 

Mayanna (Fran): Mhmm.

Lyn (JJ): I don't mean to make this a business call, but, you know? Maybe you can tell us some stories about how the city came to be. 

[Music ends].

Mischa: Jovany and Paul look at each other silently and just pass wordless thoughts to each other.

Mayanna: Hm.

Mischa: I think they both sort of lean forward in their chairs and sigh in unison. 

Mischa (Jovany): Okay. JJ, what do you want to know? 

Lyn (JJ): Okay, Fran, get out your notebook!

Mayanna (Fran): Great. Absolutely. The mines. Tell us everything there is to know about the mines. 

[Music begins: pensive piano].

Lyn (JJ): The fact that this is a huge Astra deposit, we don't even know where Astra comes from, what it is, how the grid even came to develop. I know that that is part of what both of you studied as far as like the infrastructure of everything was both like mining and excavation technology as well as electrical engineering and all of it is so mundane now. But it wasn't always that way, was it? 

Mischa (Paul): Well, no. It, it took a, a lot of effort, a lot of, a lot of elbow grease building this town. Tell you what. Well, I mean, we were on that fortress. What, how long, honey? 

Mischa (Jovany): I, after I moved up there, we were up there, it was 15 years before we, we landed in this spot. 

Mayanna (Fran): Damn. 

Mischa (Paul): And I was born along that thing, so. 

Lyn (JJ): Mhmm. 

Mayanna (Fran): And you would go to the mines like every day? 

Mischa (Paul): It was, it was the only thing we were. We were running scared, you know, we, we'd pick people up off the ground who had nothing, their homes destroyed. We were, we were giving them sanctuary. And then one day our, our leaders announced that they were scanning, you know, they were trying to find Astra deposits to sort of fight back. 

Mayanna (Fran): Huh. 

Mischa (Paul): We, we, we needed something, we, we were running scared. 

Mayanna (Fran): Who was telling you that you needed to find Astra? Like, who, who was in charge of that?

Lyn (JJ): How was it even discovered? 

Mischa (Paul): I don't know, I feel like we've always had it. It's, I mean, it's, it's been in the, it, it grows in the ground. 

Mayanna (Fran): Right. And so–

Lyn (JJ): Like regular ore? 

Mischa (Paul): I guess you didn't get to that class yet, huh? 

Lyn (JJ): I'm not in the natural sciences side of things now. 

Mischa (Jovany): No, But yes, you, you bury an astra crystal and you, you leave it for many years. It grows into the soil. The soil converts into it. It grows, it grows through the ground. 

Mayanna (Fran): But where did the first crystal come from? 

Mischa (Jovany): I don't know. Was it not always here? 

Lyn (JJ): So even in your lifetime you didn't know? I mean, if, I mean, whether it grows like sodium, like, yeah, sure, crystals can proliferate, hmm, I don't like it.

Mischa (Jovany): Well, the biggest problem, of course, was that wherever we tried to find deposits before, the Balverox would, would keep us from it. 

Mayanna (Fran): Uh-huh. 

Mischa (Jovany): They wanted this, this stuff for themselves. 

Mayanna (Fran): What did they use it for, do we know? 

Mischa: They, Jovany and Paul look at each other quizzically, and they're like, “do you even know?”

Mayanna (Fran): So we don't, so we don't know what the enemy needed Astra for. Like, they, they could have been using it for the same reasons we were using it, and we just didn't ask or find out, we just, they just attacked us and we just attacked them.

Mischa (Jovany): They used it to destroy my home. 

Mayanna (Fran): Right. Totally. 

Mischa (Jovany): They use it for destruction. They use it for whatever–I don't know. They do dances in caves. What do you want? 

Mayanna (Fran): But like, why did they, but why did they attack? Like why, why, what would, what would be the reason for them to attack us in the first place? 

Mischa (Jovany): I didn't know. 

Lyn: I kind of turn my attention to the kitchen. 

Mischa: Mama Joy is standing over the stove, pointedly not looking in your direction, lost in thought.

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, you would have been even younger than us when this happened. 

Mischa (Jovany): I was just a boy! 

Mayanna (Fran): Totally.

Lyn (JJ): Yeah.

Mischa (Jovany): Some of my very first memories are living in tents, wandering the countryside, hoping desperately they wouldn't come after us. Fifteen years we were on the ground before they came and got us. Hard years. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, and I don't want that happening again.

Mayanna (Fran): No. 

Lyn (JJ): That's why this is important. Okay. 

[Music ends].

Lyn: And I say that while turning towards the kitchen. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. 

Lyn (JJ): So, I tried to do some research, and you know the library at the Arc, how it's so locked down? 

[Music begins: ominous electronic synths].

Mischa (Jovany): Yes, they, they like to think magic is a big secret. Magic is a trick of engineering 

Mayanna (Fran): Right? That's what I've been saying. Ah! You get me. 

Lyn (JJ): (whispered) See, I told you, they'd like you. 

Mayanna (Fran): (whispered)Totally, yeah, yeah, 

Lyn (JJ): I couldn't find anything about anything like we've experienced. Which seems weird to me. Like, it would be weird if this is the first time ever something like this was happening. 

Mayanna (Fran): Mhmm.

Lyn (JJ): And we got confirmation that it's been happening for who knows how long. Have you heard of anything like strange occurrences happening with the grid that didn't have an engineering explanation? 

Mischa (Jovany): No, I have not seen anything like that. And unfortunately, I–If there were anomalies with the grid, I think I would have noticed. 

Mayanna (Fran): Unless someone was keeping that from you. 

Mischa (Jovany): Well, of course. Yes. 

Mayanna (Fran): Right. 

Lyn (JJ): Hmm. 

Mayanna (Fran): What about that factory? That, that abandoned factory? 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, there’s an abandoned factory in Minetown. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. 

Lyn (JJ): That, there's been reports of strange things happening there. And I think most people are just chalking it up to, you know, skaters. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. 

[Music ends].

Mischa: Paul gives a big exaggerated sway and goes, 

Mischa (Paul): Oh, now you think skateboarders are annoying. Well, how the tables turn.  

Mayanna (Fran): (chuckles).

Lyn (JJ): Okay, fine. Whatever. 

Mischa (Paul): Like you weren't Little Miss Skater Chick. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, we're not talking about it. 

Mayanna (Fran): Wait, were you a skater chick?! 

Lyn (JJ): We're not talking about it! 

Mayanna (Fran): (Jokingly scolding) JJ! 

Lyn (JJ): We're not talking about it. 

Mayanna (Fran): (conspiratorial whisper) What color was the skateboard? 

Lyn (JJ): It was ultramarine blue, if anyone's asking, but whatever. 

Mayanna (Fran): (whispering) I was asking.

Mischa (Paul): If I recall, it had, like, pretty sick flames up the middle like a racing–

Mayanna (Fran): Pretty sick flames, okay.

Lyn (JJ): Okay, yeah. 

Mayanna (Fran): JJ was a little risk taker? A little safety disregarder? 

Mischa (Paul): No, absolutely not, that's why we thought it was weird she wanted to ride a skateboard. 

Mayanna (Fran): Was she all in the pads and stuff? 

Lyn (JJ): Yes!

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, JJ. 

Mischa: Jovany goes, 

Mischa (Jovany): your little friend Samira bought a skateboard–

Mayanna (Fran): (gasps).

Mischa (Jovany): And all of a sudden JJ had to have a skateboard even though we told her it's unsafe.

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, I love Samira. 

Lyn (JJ): (quietly, strainted) Stop talking. Right now.

Mayanna (Fran): Samira's great. 

Lyn (JJ): Shh, shut up. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh. 

Mischa (Jovany): Then maybe you should tell her to behave a little nicer, a little better. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh. Mmmm. Hm.

Lyn (JJ): Please. 

[Music begins: quiet, contemplative piano].

Mayanna (Fran): Mhmm. She is a wild, a wild child, but you know, sometimes a ripple in a lake, yeah, it's, it's disruptive, but it kind of settles back to the same place, but it was kind of nice for a second, you know?

Mischa (Jovany): We build our lives for the stability part. 

Mayanna (Fran): Totally.

Mischa (Jovany): She does not care about this. 

Lyn (JJ): That's not true. And you know it. That's really unfair. 

Mayanna (Fran): Stability looks different to different people, right? 

Mischa (Jovany): I suppose if you make stability out of instability, if you make instability the status quo, then it is always what you are used to, yes?

Lyn (JJ): (whispering to Fran) We gotta talk about entropy at some point, anyway! Fran, this is not–

Mayanna (Fran): (whispering) Totally. 

Lyn (JJ): (whispering) It's a thing, I should have I forgot that in the thing. I should have mentioned that. 

Mayanna (Fran): (whispering) Flames on the skateboard, huh? 

Lyn (JJ): (whispering) Not that part! We're not talking about that part! 

Mayanna (Fran): (whispering) I still want to talk about that part. 

Lyn (JJ): (whispering) Fine. Later. 

[Music ends]. [Music begins: ethereal ambient synths].

Mayanna (Fran): (whispering) Okay, fine. (normally) Anyway.

Lyn (JJ): (normally) So this factory.

Mayanna (Fran): This factory, yeah. 

Lyn (JJ): There've been reports– 

Lyn: And I give the description that we have at the factory.

Mayanna: And there was also that house that the gas line exploded. 

Lyn: Oh yeah. 

Mayanna: Cause Gordon told us about that. 

Lyn (JJ): I, yeah. And like things have been happening. 

Mayanna (Fran): Strange things, infrastructure things. 

Lyn (JJ): And I know the work you do. Like this amount of instability doesn't come from nowhere. 

Mayanna (Fran): Mhmm. Pretty strange. Pretty odd. 

Mischa (Jovany): Very true.

Lyn (JJ): You haven't been getting reports about it at all? 

Mayanna (Fran): Pretty weird!

Mischa (Jovany): Well, no, if, if the factory is abandoned, they're, they would've been cut off from the grid. If they're not paying the power bill. So, 

Mayanna (Fran): Hmm.

Mischa (Jovany): I would, they wouldn't have reported problems if it's abandoned. 

Lyn (JJ): But then they shouldn't even have access to– 

Mayanna (Fran): Boggins was also shut down.

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, some stuff happened. After we cut the power. 

Mayanna: I'm gonna text Gordon and ask if he knows if the house, if that apartment complex with the busted gas leak was also closed down.

Mayanna (Fran): [SFX: Staticky] Hey, remember when you told us about that, that house that you heard about from the old lady in the dog park?

Ian (Gordon): [SFX: Staticky] Mhmm.

Mayanna (Fran): [SFX: Staticky] Do you know if that house, or do you know if that like building is still attached to the grid? 

Ian (Gordon): [SFX: Staticky] Dot, dot, dot. I don't know, but I can check. 

Mayanna (Fran): [SFX: Staticky] Yeah, that would be great. 

Mayanna (Fran): So if they're cutting things off from the grid,

Lyn (JJ): Yeah.

Mayanna (Fran):  That presumably had weird things happen. 

Lyn (JJ): It's a quarantine. 

Mayanna (Fran): It's a quarantine. But it's not containment.

Lyn (JJ): Mhmm.

Mayanna (Fran): It's like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Lyn (JJ):  I do not understand that metaphor, but you said it was such confidence that it gave me chills. 

Mayanna (Fran): Well, it's like, it's like, hey, the grid is causing some problems. Well, let's just stop the grid from going to the place where the problem is. But that's not really the problem. The problem is the grid. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah. 

Mayanna (Fran): It's not the building. 

Lyn (JJ): It’s a very, just a bandage solution. 

Mayanna (Fran): Which again means that there's something going on with the grid. Is the mine connected to the grid? 

Mischa (Jovany): Yes, the mines are connected to the grid. That's how they run the equipment deeper into the tunnels. 

Mayanna (Fran): And at this point, are we still excavating Astra from the mine still to this day?

Mischa (Jovany): Oh, constantly. There's a massive supply down there. You remember, don't you, honey? 

Mischa: And Paul goes, 

Mischa (Paul): Oh yeah, the day they found it, they–It was a jubilation in the streets. Finally, we, a place to settle. Finally, a way to win. Finally, we were going to turn the tides. It was, it was huge. 

Mayanna (Fran): So let me get this straight. You bury Astra in the ground to build more Astra, which means somebody buried Astra at the bottom of this mine, a lot of it, and we just stumbled upon it and then built our entire civilization around it, but we don't know who planted it. And we don't know why. 

Mischa (Paul): It grows in the ground naturally. It grows from itself. I mean, maybe it grew up from deep within the planet? 

Mayanna (Fran): Hmm.

Lyn (JJ): If we're approaching it like ore in other capacities, that's how ore, as we know it, works. 

Mayanna (Fran): Mm. Mhm. Hm. On average, what color is the astra that we excavate from the mine? 

Mischa (Jovany): Uh, neutral white. It's white in its rough form and then it's polished to a clear. 

Mayanna (Fran): Mhmm. Are there other colors of Astra that you're aware of?

Mischa (Jovany): Minor impurities that run through the stream, sure. 

Mayanna (Fran): Hm.

Mischa (Jovany): I mean, we don't run experiments. That's not really–

Mayanna (Fran): Right. 

Mischa (Jovany): As long as it generates current, I don't really care. And most Astra does that, even, even the dud pieces will make a little spark. 

Mayanna (Fran): Huh.

Mayanna: What color was the electricity of the wraith in episode two? I believe it was blue, correct?

Mischa: (Smugly) Yeah, it was blue. 

Lyn: Mhmm.

Mayanna: Hm. It's occurring to me in this moment that Ibra has a bluish tint to their skin. What color is the Astra on your bracelet, JJ? (laughs).

Lyn: What color is it? 

Mischa: It's, it was just like, machine vended, right? 

Lyn: Yeah, yeah, yeah. 

Mischa: So it's, it's, I mean, it looks like all the other ones, which is to say, white-ish clear.

Lyn: White ish clear, 

Mayanna: White-ish clear, okay. 

Lyn (JJ): The one that we found was orange? 

Mayanna (Fran): (whispers) Yes, it was. 

Mischa (Paul): Yeah, I mean, I've heard guys talk about, you know, they find other minerals mixed in, you know, that could be something like that? 

Mayanna (Fran): Mhmm. It could be some kind of contaminant, maybe. Or some cross pollination of some kind?

Lyn (JJ): I mean, some minerals can interact in that way. I'm, actually, I don't know. Natural sciences was not my forte. 

Mayanna (Fran): That's okay. 

Mischa (Paul) : Yeah, they sort of studied that on the other side of town. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah. 

Mayanna (Fran): Mmm.. I don't know. I feel–

Lyn (JJ): But the wraiths were blue. 

Mayanna (Fran): The wraiths were blue, and the Astra we found is orange. 

Lyn (JJ): The Astra we found was orange. The pickaxe is orange. 

Mayanna (Fran): The pickaxe is orange and like–

Lyn (JJ): The electricity that ran through the mech was blue. 

Mayanna (Fran): Was blue. 

Lyn (JJ): What color were the Balverox? 

[Music ends].

Mischa: Paul goes, 

Mischa (Paul): I mean, I never saw one up close. 

[Music begins: mysterious, slightly ominous synths].

Mischa: Jovany goes, 

Mischa (Jovany): Oh, well, big brown fur. They have these brilliant, sort of, opal antlers, big and huge, big hulking masses. They stand heads taller over us, covered in shaggy brown fur and walls of muscle.

Mayanna (Fran): Could they do magic? 

Mischa (Jovany): They possessed some rudimentary powers, but, but nothing so refined, not spells as we would call them. You know, they're, they're not harnessed to a specific effect. It was just waves of raw power. I don't remember. Mother, did you, did you ever see? 

Mischa: And from the kitchen,

Mischa (Mama Joy): They bark a word and knock down my home.

Mayanna (Fran): Huh.

Lyn (JJ): What word, mama? 

Mischa (Mama Joy): A word in no language we speak, the language of beasts. 

Mayanna: Hm. So I think like. I'm starting to chart out that, like, there are different kinds of Astra, and there's kinds of Astra that we are not, like, collectively aware of as a society. 

Mayanna (Fran): I just, like, I keep trying to figure this out, because it's like, whatever they're looking for, it's in the Earth already. There, it exists, like, it's, it's out there, and it's, like, naturally occurring, and they're trying to find it, and they're trying to contain it before anybody else finds it. 

Mischa (Mama Joy): Who is?

Mayanna (Fran): The… (whispers) The governor.

Mischa (Paul): What?! 

Mayanna (Fran): I don't know. I mean, we're in too deep now, we gotta tell him. 

Lyn (JJ): The official investigation is being run directly through the governor's office. We are technically working in collaboration with it, but that relationship is–

Mayanna (Fran): We have conflicting objectives. 

Lyn (JJ): You know, bureaucracy. 

Mischa (Paul): You're conflicting with the governor? 

Mayanna (Fran): Not on purpose. 

Lyn (JJ): And not directly, but–

Mayanna (Fran): We just, we have concerns that they have been inadequate at answering. 

Lyn (JJ): Again, you know…

Mayanna (Fran): Unsatisfactory. 

Lyn (JJ): Bureaucracy. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. 

Mischa (Paul): Man, I voted for that guy. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh. 

Mayanna: Wait, are we in an election year? 

Mischa: When are you n–when is it not an election year? 

[Laughter].

Mayanna: Ah, okay. 

Lyn (JJ): Are there private mining–

Mayanna (Fran): Ooh, yeah. Private mining contracts? 

Lyn (JJ): Any private mining contracts? 

Mischa (Paul): Sure, yeah, people compete for the contracts to different veins. 

Mayanna (Fran): So the governor could have, like, their own private mining contract?

Lyn (JJ): Or anyone could, the Constellation could, anyone. 

Mischa (Paul): Sure? 

Lyn (JJ): In theory, if they have enough..

Mayanna (Fran): Money and resources? 

Lyn (JJ): Resources... 

Mischa (Paul): Yeah, I mean, we, we subcontract to those guys, personally. 

Mayanna (Fran): Hmm.

Mischa (Paul): You know, whenever we get hired for a Pit job, it's always, it's, we're always working for one of those, those companies. 

Lyn (JJ): This might be something to also go through some of the labor resources. This is, yeah, if we can find any private operations? 

Mayanna (Fran): Yep. 

Lyn (JJ): Oh boy. 

Mayanna (Fran): How dangerous are the mines? 

Mischa (Paul): Well, they don't like kids down there, that's what I'll say.

[Laughter]. [Music ends].

Mischa: (Silly fart noise). Sorry, my notes for Paul just say “big dad energy.” I'm just trying to play that for you. 

Lyn: I know, I know, that is what it says. 

Mayanna & Lyn: Big dad energy. 

[Chuckles].

Mischa: I'm pretty sure you just wrote big dad energy on my card here. 

Lyn: Yeah, that is literally all I wrote initially. 

Mayanna: (Light southern twang) “I don't know darn nothing about whatever it is y'all are up to, but I love you so damn much.”

Ian: (Light southern twang) “But good luck you kids.” 

[Laughter].

Mayanna: (Light southern twang) “Hey, don't go to those mines, they sound real dangerous.” 

Ian: (Light southern twang) “You kids, you keep me young.” 

Mayanna: (Light southern twang) “You keep me young with your newfangled Pokey-man cards and Minecrafts.” 

[Laughter].

Ian: (Light southern twang) “Different colored Astra, I never thought.” 

Mayanna: (Light southern twang) “Never would have thunk in a million years.”

Lyn: (Light southern twang) “Back in my day, we only had one color-a Astra”. 

Ian: There it is. 

Mischa: (Light southern twang) “We walked 15 miles down into the mine to get it.”

Mayanna: (Light southern twang) “In the snow, barefoot with no shoes.” [Laughter]. “Which is the same thing as barefoot.”

Lyn: Nope, they got bears for feet. 

Mayanna: (Light southern twang) “We had bear feet and no bear shoes.” I don't know where, I don't know. 

[Laughter].

Ian: It's gone so off the rails. 

Mayanna: I know. Man, I, Fran's mind is. Swimming with just all these questions about like, cause there's different schools of magic and we know that magic comes from different places, but like what color is blue magic, what color is orange magic, what color is clear magic, like… And so I'm just like notating all of these things just like to myself in my notebook just like trying to, trying to figure out why the orange one is the one that everyone's looking for.

[Music begins: low unsettling, ominous ambient synths].

Mischa: Yeah, your notebook's starting to look a little bit like a–

Mayanna: Conspiracy board? 

Mischa: –conspiracy board without the red string. 

Mayanna: Yeah. I started writing in, like, shorthand, for some of the more, like, speculative things that, like, a little language that I came up with just in case this ever gets taken from me. 

Mischa: Ooh. 

Mayanna: Yeah. Fran's gotten real, distrustful of the world.

Mischa: Yeah. 

Mayanna: Yeah. Rightfully so. but yeah, I think like, I just keep trying to, I just keep remembering this moment of just like this drill just digging so desperately into the earth to get this orange Astra and like why was that the one it needed? It's making me so frustrated that I can't quite figure this out yet.

Mischa: I don't want to… push you in any particular direction. 

Mayanna: Mm. Mhmm, mhm.

Mischa: I will point out, just as one of your many options here, there's one way to find out what makes the orange Astra different. 

Mayanna: Do we use it? 

Mischa: Yeah, you have some. 

Mayanna: I do, well, Gordon has it, actually. Gordon has it in the Bag of Holding. 

Mischa: That’s fair, that’s true.

[Music ends].

Lyn: Do we have the vial? 

Mayanna: We do, I think we do have the vial. 

Lyn: We could show them the vial at least. 

Mayanna: Yeah, we could show them the vial. 

[Music begins: ethereal ambient synths].

Mischa: Okay. 

Mayanna (Fran): What do you make of this? 

Mayanna: And I take out the vial and I show it to JJ's parents. 

Mischa: Jovany takes it from you, and holds it up to the light, and Paul, like, struggles up from the couch and strides across the room to get close, and they both sort of press their faces together and look at it up into the light.

Mayanna: Aw, cute. 

Lyn (JJ): Put on your glasses! 

Mischa: Jovany takes the safety glasses that they put on their forehead when the conversation started, and puts them back down over its eyes. And Paul says, 

Mischa (Paul): Honey, do you feel that? 

Mischa (Jovany): Yes. What is it? 

Mischa (Paul): It feels like… 

Mayanna (Fran): Home? 

Mischa (Paul): Yeah. It feels like walking in the door at the end of a long work day.

Mayanna (Fran): Mhmm.

Mischa (Paul): Is that, that's… that's not how Astra normally feels. Normally it feels like nothing. 

Mayanna (Fran): Right. But this one doesn't because I think it has something inside it. A heart, a soul? 

Mischa (Paul): What is it? 

Mayanna (Fran): (whispers) I think it's a memory. 

Lyn (JJ): I don't know what it is, but Astra carries intention, doesn't it? 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. 

Lyn (JJ): We've been working with neutral, but what if it could carry something else?

Mischa (Jovany): I thought it was just a conduit. We carry the thoughts, we carry the intentions, we push them through the Astra, and that is how– 

Mayanna: I'm gonna, I'm gonna take a finger to my forehead, and I'm gonna try and pull a memory out. 

All: Whoa! 

Mischa: What memory are you gonna pull out? 

Mayanna: I, I'm gonna do the dinner we just had yesterday.

Lyn: Whoa. 

Ian: Eggplant? What? What? No! 

Lyn: Not the eggplant! 

Ian: No, Fran! 

Mayanna: It's not gone. It's just different now. And it's a con save, correct? [Dice rolls] Okay, that's a 17. 

Mischa: Yeah, with a 17 you can easily close your eyes and you remember the warmth of the bakery silo and everybody digging into this delicious meal that you all made together. 

Mayanna: Mhmm.

Mischa: And as you draw your finger away from your temple, the soft light of the bakery silo and the vibrant purple of the eggplant and the green of the arugula all goes grayscale. [SFX: ghostly shimmer].

Mayanna: What color is the string? White, right? 

Mischa: Yep. Comes out as a slender, glowing white thread. 

Mayanna: I think I have a little spool in my craftsman's tools and I like, wrap it around. Cause I don't have, I can't refine it right now. Cause I don't have a loom right now. 

Mayanna (Fran): This is, this is a memory. I just took this out of me. And it's magical. And I made a bag of holding out of one of them. 

Lyn (JJ): Fran's a really talented designer and engineer. 

Mayanna (Fran): (Whispers aside) Thank you so much. (Normally) If I can do that with my own thoughts, who's to say that Astra comes from nowhere? Could it come from somewhere?

Mischa (Paul):  Fran, we-we believe you. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay, 

Mischa (Paul): You–Honey, I think, 

Mischa: And Jovany says, 

Mischa (Jovany): Yes, it seems important. 

Mischa (Paul): We think you guys are, are as qualified as they're saying. You guys are doing this job. I don't know anything about that. 

Mayanna (Fran): Uh-huh. 

Mischa (Paul): We're just, we're like electricians and mechanists.

Mayanna (Fran): Totally. 

Mayanna: I put it away. 

Mischa (Paul): You're asking me where Astra comes from? That's like asking me where the trees come from. Heck, I don't know. 

Mayanna (Fran): Seeds. 

Mischa (Paul): Seeds from different trees. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. 

Mischa (Paul): Going back millions of years. 

Mayanna (Fran): Totally. But like, seeds are not neutral. Astra's not neutral. 

Mischa (Paul): I thought it was! 

Mayanna (Fran): But it might not be. 

Mischa (Paul): Maybe it's not. Maybe you're right. I don't know. You're telling me that for the first time today. 

[Music ends].

Mayanna (Fran): Totally. 

Lyn (JJ): I–

Mischa (Paul): You could be right though. I don't know. 

Mayanna (Fran): Ugh, man. 

Lyn (JJ): Let's–

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. 

Lyn (JJ): I think we have to figure some stuff out. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. 

Lyn (JJ): A bit. But If, if you hear of anything that's happening infrastructure-wise. 

Mayanna (Fran): Mhmm. 

Lyn (JJ): Like, we can go through the official channels, but… 

[Music begins: ominous, low synth strings].

Mayanna (Fran): Or, if somebody named Inspector Ravona comes to your door–You're not home. 

Mischa (Paul): Are they coming for us? 

Mayanna (Fran): No. But if they do, you're not home. Because she came to the worksite. 

Mischa (Paul): Oh yeah, I remember. 

Mayanna (Fran): And she had an orange pickaxe. 

Lyn (JJ): Wait, did she, did she do anything there? Were you there? 

Mischa (Paul): She took our statements. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah. 

Mischa (Paul): About what happened. 

Lyn (JJ): Did she look around for, did she find anything?

Mischa (Paul): I don't know, they closed down the site, they sent us home. 

Lyn (JJ): Okay.

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, we gave her the detonator. But that was it. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, it was a detonator. It was a planted thing. It was, it was, there, it is dangerous. 

Mischa (Paul): Oh, what?! 

Lyn (JJ): Please. Oh my god, I can't believe we really, I was upset with you for burying the lede earlier and now I'm, oh no!

Mayanna (Fran): Hey, hey, hey it's okay. You just didn't remember. It's been a, it's been a long few days. 

Lyn (JJ): That's why we think this is really important and why we think that, that there might be some, maybe even multiple agents of–

Mayanna (Fran): The destruction of the bridge wasn't an accident. It was planned. 

Mischa (Paul): Whoa. 

Lyn (JJ): Even the possession. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yep. We found several detonators, and somebody activated the mech. 

Lyn (JJ): And that's what happened. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. 

Mischa (Paul): Well, no wonder they shut it down. I wouldn't want to go back there now. 

Mayanna (Fran): Well, yes, of course. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, please don't go back. 

Mayanna (Fran): Don't. 

Mischa (Paul): I'm not gonna. They already reassigned me, but I'm not gonna anyway. 

Mayanna (Fran): Good! You’re expecting! You're on mat leave, presumably, soon. 

[Music ends].

Lyn: Pat leave? 

Mayanna: Pat leave. 

Mayanna (Fran): You're on pat leave!

Mischa (Paul): Yep, took my paternity leave. Just a couple months early. Figured I had deserved the time at home. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, I agree with you. 

Lyn (JJ): You did.

Mischa (Paul): Working hard or hardly working. 

Lyn (JJ): (overlapping) Hardly working for you, hopefully? Please hardly work. 

Mayanna (Fran): (overlapping) Yes. Please don't be working. Please. For the baby.

Mischa (Paul): But I get bored. 

Mayanna (Fran): Sure. 

Mischa (Paul): I get bored sometimes. 

Lyn (JJ): Maybe take up weaving. 

Mayanna (Fran): Highly recommend getting a loom in general. It's really nice. 

Lyn (JJ): (Chuckles). Could be fun. 

Mayanna (Fran): Good piece of technology. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah. So just keep in touch with anything that we… 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah

Lyn (JJ): That you hear of, anything weird. We should maybe go through some of my things?

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah.

Lyn (JJ): I guess? 

Mayanna (Fran): That sounds great. 

Lyn: And I'm going to like take one last stray look in the kitchen. 

[Music begins: gentle, contemplative piano].

Mischa: You all stand up from around the coffee table. Josie comes back out and like peeks around the corner and goes, 

Mischa (Josephine): You guys are done? 

Mischa: And Paul kind of slaps his thigh and holds up an arm out to pick Josie up on his hip.

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, grown up talk's so boring. I get it. You, get out of here when we're like, when we're gabbing away. God. 

Lyn (JJ): What’d you approve? 

Mischa (Josephine): Yeah. I approved all, all the walls. 

Mayanna (Fran): Nice. 

Mischa (Josephine): All the floors. 

Mayanna (Fran): Nice

Mischa (Josephine): Wanna get the ceiling, cause they're not approved, I can't reach. 

Mayanna (Fran): That's okay. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah

Mayanna: How tall are the ceilings? 

Mischa: They're, I think they're probably a little short for you, Fran. Like, it's a half-dwarven home. 

Mayanna: Can I, like, pick up Josie and just put her up to the ceiling?

Mischa: Yes.

[Laughter].

Lyn: You can put her on your shoulders and just walk around. 

Mayanna: Yeah, I put her on my shoulders and I go, 

Mayanna (Fran): Go on! 

Mischa: Yeah, you parade Josie around the house to approve the ceilings. 

Mayanna: Yup. Nice. 

Mayanna (Fran): That's a good one. And that's a good one. 

Mischa: JJ, as you walk back around the corner– 

Lyn: Yeah, I'll take all of the mugs to the kitchen. [SFX: glassware clinking]

Mayanna: Aww.

Mischa: Yeah, Mama Joy turns to look at you. And like, sort of comes, puts her, puts aside her food prep for a moment. [SFX: food sizzling]

Mischa (Mama Joy): My love, we sacrifice so much, but it is all In the dream of you doing something you love and being happy with people who care about you. 

Lyn (JJ): I know. 

Mischa (Mama Joy): Your father, he is afraid. He grew up in hard times. 

Lyn (JJ): I know.

Mischa (Mama Joy): But maybe he wasn't old enough to understand why. We love you. We only want you to be happy and to contribute to a better world. (pause) I miss my village. I miss the way it was. Before threats. Before beasts. Before a long road… Before huddling for safety in a great metal city in the sky. I don't know if you kids know, but for just a little bit in the beginning, things were okay. Your father, I don't think he remembers that part. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah. 

Mischa (Mama Joy): So I don't think he knows that this is what this was for. 

Mischa: And she puts her hand on your cheek. 

Mischa (Mama Joy): You make us proud. 

Lyn (JJ): I try. 

Mischa (Mama Joy): Don't waste your gifts, and we will be happy. 

Lyn (JJ): Okay. 

Mischa (Mama Joy): You go look through your things. Josie's room is so cramped. 

[Music ends].

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, I, I can see why she's been out here a lot more.

Mischa (Mama Joy): Food in a minute. 

Mayanna: Of course. I come back into the kitchen. 

[Music begins: ambient synths].

Mayanna (Fran): Okay, we've approved all the ceilings. They're all great. 

Mischa (Josephine): Okay. 

Mayanna (Fran): You're doing, you're great foreman. 

Mayanna: That's what the, the foreman's approve things, right? 

Lyn: Yeah! 

Mayanna: Okay, yeah, 

Mayanna (Fran): you're great foreman. 

Mischa (Josephine): Approve! 

Mayanna (Fran): Approve! 

Mayanna: Does she have long hair, Josie? 

Lyn: It's like a really tight ponytail.

Mayanna: Tight ponytail? I take out a little strip of ribbon from my craftsman's tools and I tie it around–Presumably she already has a ponytail on, but I wrap it around and tie her little on top of it. 

Lyn (JJ): Looks good. 

Mayanna (Fran): It's the foreman's ribbon. 

Mischa (Josephine): (gasps in awe) The foreman's ribbon. 

Lyn (JJ): It's really important, you've been promoted. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yep.

Mischa (Josephine): About time! 

Mischa: And she runs off. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna (Fran): I love her. She's going places. 

Lyn (JJ): She truly is going to leave all of us in the dust. 

Mayanna (Fran): Absolutely. We have to make sure that happens. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah. 

Mayanna (Fran): Should we go look at your stuff? 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, we are not looking at the skateboard. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okayyy! 

Mischa: You head back into Josie's room, it's got her smaller bed, like, off to one side. You know, she's even littler, so, like, yeah. She's got plenty of room, they let her run around the house, but, yeah, fully one half of the room is just taken up by, stacks of, of boxes and stuff. 

Mayanna: Oh wow.

Lyn (JJ): Oh, This is way more than I thought it was. 

Mayanna (Fran): Dang. I know, it's like when you take your whole life and you put it in boxes, you kinda realize like how much stuff you have.

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, normally I just put things in boxes and don't ever look at it again. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, we should, yeah, you mean like emotionally–

Lyn (JJ): Huh?

Mayanna (Fran): Or like literally? 

Lyn (JJ): Oh. 

(Beat).

[Music ends].

[Laughter].

Mayanna: “Oh. Huh. Mmm.” 

Mayanna (Fran): JJ. 

Lyn (JJ): Anyway, let's look at this one! 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh my god, alright. 

[Music begins: cozy acoustic guitar].

Mischa: JJ, your whole childhood is boxed up in here. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay, these shoes. 

Lyn (JJ): Oh my god. 

Mayanna: Keep or throw away. 

Lyn (JJ): Please throw those away. 

Mayanna (Fran): You got it, absolutely. I’m glad you–

Lyn (JJ): What are those? 

Mayanna (Fran): This hat. 

Lyn (JJ): Oh!

Mayanna (Fran): This one's like– no, come on. 

Lyn (JJ): But, I don't know. 

Mayanna (Fran): No, when have, when in your life have you needed this hat? You didn't even remember it was here. 

Lyn (JJ): Maybe I'll look cool with it. 

Mayanna (Fran): Fine, put it on right now. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, okay! See–

Mayanna: Roll for cool. (chuckles)

Lyn: Oh no. 

Lyn (JJ): This is performance. [Dice rolls]. (snorts). 

[Laughter].

Lyn: That's a 6! 

Ian: Oh no! 

Mayanna (Fran): It's gone! Gone! 

Lyn (JJ): Come on! 

Mayanna (Fran): Yesterday! 

Mischa: Now, I don't know about everyone else out there, I had a few objects in my childhood that weren't, that didn't mean a whole lot to me, that it was okay when my parents got rid of them when they moved out of their house. What is the thing in this stack that you're looking for?

Mayanna: Mm. Great question, oh my god. 

Lyn: Oh... I think what I'm looking for is… the equivalent of, like, a big LEGO or K'Nex set. 

Mayanna: Aww! 

Mischa: Oh yeah? Like a building toy? 

Lyn: Yeah, like building toys. Like, it probably started with, like, the regular LEGOs, but then, like, evolved into the LEGO Technic sets really quick. 

Mayanna: Mm.

Mischa: Sure. 

Lyn: But like, really, 

Mischa: Not sponsored. 

All: Not sponsored. Not sponsored!

Lyn: You could like it could make like those like big like marble run type things, but also like big city builders like it was a lot of it. 

Mischa: Yeah, I think it's probably like a full box. 

Lyn: Yeah, just several several kits that were that just dumped into one big pile.

Mischa: Mhmm .

Lyn: Yeah, I think that's the thing that JJ is wanting to find the most right now, especially 

Mischa: You, you know, start unstacking things, just like, cracking them open. [SFX: cardboard rustling] After stacking a couple of boxes, you hear that familiar rattle as soon as you shake the box that you're looking for. [SFX: plastic pieces clinking]

Lyn (JJ): Okay, now I found it.

Mayanna (Fran): Oh? Is it necklaces? 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, I just collect so many.. necklaces. (laughs)

Mayanna (Fran): Okay, you're being sarcastic. What's in there? What is in there? What is that? 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, I couldn't keep my mouth straight. 

Lyn: and then I open it up, and it's just a million, one million pieces. 

Mayanna (Fran): (gasps) Oh my god, JJ.

Lyn (JJ): You wanna take them out? 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, take them! Obviously! We have a bag of holding now!

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, okay. 

Mayanna (Fran): You can fit all of that in there.

Lyn (JJ):  Okay, we don't have the bag of holding. 

Mayanna (Fran): But like we can fit it in there

Lyn (JJ): I will be taking this box. 

Mayanna (Fran): Of course, you take the box. 

Lyn (JJ): I’ll strap it to the bike, 

Lyn: and I just like start taking pieces out, and being like, 

Lyn (JJ): Pkay, so this, oh, these pieces make really good, light posts, and then you can have them everywhere.

Mayanna (Fran): Okay, Uh-huh

Lyn (JJ): So I like these ones for light posts. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay, Great, great

Lyn (JJ): And, oh, these ones, they're supposed to [SFX: audio fades, continuing in the background for a few seconds]

Lyn: And then like starts pulling out random things and just like starts info dumping about all of the– 

Mayanna: I'm just so happily.

Lyn: Random like, things that they would use the pieces for. 

Mayanna: Yeah.

Lyn: Like talking about like all of the various cities and stuff that they would build.

Mayanna: Yeah, I’d live there. 

Lyn (JJ): [SFX: fading back in] ..this one’s really off color. So I always use this for a laundromat. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh my God, that's so fun. 

Lyn (JJ): It's giving laundromat, right? 

Mayanna (Fran): Because it feels different. Like you're like, this one's the laundromat.

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, exactly. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. It just like, it just calls to you in that way. 

Lyn (JJ): Mm-Hmm… 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. 

[Music ends]. [Music begins: reversed synth tones].

Mischa: Jovany and Paul are standing a little ways down the hallway listening to you guys pull these toys out. 

Mayanna: Mmm.

Mischa: And Paul says to his husband. 

Mischa (Paul): That's our JJ. Always trying to figure out how to build it better. As long as there's communities, they're gonna need leaders.

Mischa: Jovany sighs. 

Mischa (Jovany): I just don't want them to get hurt. 

Mischa (Paul): Them get hurt? They're saving everyone. You gotta let them go. It's what she's built for. And we build them like no other. 

Mischa: And Jovany chuckles. And hugs his husband tight. 

Mayanna: And then I say, 

[Music ends].

Mayanna (Fran): Oh there's the skateboard! 

Lyn (JJ): Oh, no no–

Mayanna (Fran): Yes! Oh my god! Look at the flames! Oh my god!

Lyn (JJ): Okay wait wait wait, you wanna try?

Mayanna (Fran): Oh my god, it's amazing. 

Lyn (JJ): Oh wait, [SFX: wheels turning] the axels are still good. Hold on. Let's go, let's go. 

Lyn: And they start pushing–

Mayanna (Fran): Oh yes! 

[SFX: skateboard wheels against a floor].

Lyn (JJ): Wait, helmet! 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, put the helmet on! 

Mischa: And you ollie out the front door. 

Lyn: Yeah. 

Mayanna: Yeah!

Ian: Kickflip, kickflip outta the front door. 

Lyn: Kickflip!

[Theme music plays]

Mischa: The Wandering Path was created by me, Mischa Stanton, and produced by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, and me. This story was game mastered and sound designed by me, Mischa Stanton, and was played and performed by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, Ian McQuown, and Mayanna Berrin. Cover art by Lyn Rafil, transcript assistance by Darby Summers, and music courtesy of the Independent Music Licensing Collective. Our production and house manager is Erin Bark. 

If you like what you're listening to, please tell your friends and let them know where to find us. Our website is wanderingpathpod.com, where you'll find links to subscribe and follow us wherever the path leads. We're also on Patreon, patreon.com/wanderingpathpod. We're so grateful for anything you can do to help us keep making this show. Thanks for wandering with us. Til next time!

[Theme music fades out]

1.09 A Lil Menty B

Cooking a meal together provides a distraction… or so everyone desperately hopes. Gordon runs the kitchen. Fran spins a theory. Ibra & Paz drop the curtain. JJ calls the play.

-- links --

Website: wanderingpathpod.com

Support our show: patreon.com/wanderingpathpod

-- cast & crew --

Created by Mischa Stanton

Produced by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, & Mischa Stanton

Gamemaster: Mischa Stanton

Ibra: Bex Taylor-Klaus

JJ: Lyn Rafil

Gordon: Ian McQuown

Fran: Mayanna Berrin

Sound design: Mischa Stanton

Cover art: Lyn Rafil

Transcript assistance: Darby Summers

Music: Independent Music Licensing Collective

Production & House Manager: Erin Bark

-- about --

The Wandering Path is an actual-play podcast putting complex characters, resonant themes and engaging new mechanics at the heart of immersive adventures. We’re making the stories we want to see in the world, one game session at a time! Join us for our first season, as we dive to the heart of the City of New Prosper: a techno-magical metropolis on the rise, where those who seek to craft themselves a new future will first have to settle the debts they owe the past. New episodes every other Monday.

— Transcript —

Ian: On the last Wandering Path. 

[Theme music begins in background of recap].

Mischa: Mysteries multiplying! While JJ and Gordon took BG to the neighborhood dog park, they ran across a few citizens experiencing weird, potentially electric jelly related phenomena, and uncovered a minuscule grain of that same bright, warm Astra that they found underneath the bridge. Meanwhile, Ibra and Paz accompanied Fran into a hidden workshop beneath the Dustpan. Fran's got some sick upgrades, but Ibra's only got anxiety about being made of what they now know is a possibly dangerous substance. Will a wraith attack return everything to quote-unquote normal? Absolutely not, because Paz has lightning powers now! Phew, all caught up? Okay, then let's see what's around the bend, today, on The Wandering Path.

[Theme music plays and fades out].

[Music begins: menacing electronic synths]

Mischa: Ibra, the Wraith has lunged 60 feet through the air in a downward trajectory straight at you and Fran. [SFX: ghostly shriek]. It came dangerously close to digging its electric jelly claws into your supple flesh. 

[Chuckling].

Lyn: Supple?

Bex: I wasn’t ready for supple!

Ian: That was great, that was perfect.

Mayanna: Okay! “Supple flesh.”

Mischa: And before it can turn around and do you a great amount of harm.

Bex: (giggling) “Turn around and do you.” No.

Ian: I heard it too.

[Laughter].

[Music abruptly ends].

Mischa: Alright, reset. 

Lyn: Walk that back. Walk everything back. 

Mayanna: Why is, why is it so horny in here? 

[Laughter].

Bex: Why did you do this? 

Mischa: Let's just start it over. 

Mayanna: Okay.

Lyn: Everyone's gotta get less hornt up. 

[Laughter].

Ian: Strap in everyone at home. It's gonna be a day. 

Mischa: Strap, Ian?

Mayanna: Noooooo!

Ian: Noooo! I didn't– I didn’t even mean to!

Bex: Bonk! Horny Jail. 

Lyn: Yeah, Horny Jail. I’m an abolitionist–

Mischa: Everybody's in Horny Jail, we can play the game from Horny Jail today.

Mayanna: Okay, let's do it. We're rolling dice in a cell in Horny Jail. 

Lyn: Wow. Tell me more. 

Mayanna: No, I won't. [Laughter]. It's a very sexless cell, actually. [Laughter]. It's very dingy and dusty, and there's no sunlight. 

Mischa: Aw.

Mayanna: And every once in a while somebody clangs the bars. [Laughter]. But not in a sexy way. In like a chaste way. 

Lyn: (Disappointed) Oh.

[Laughter].

Mischa: Alright. Back in it. 

[Music resumes: menacing electric synths]

Mischa: [SFX: ghostly shriek] It rears back upon you and makes to strike, but before it can, it is lit up from behind by an enormous bolt of crackling electricity. [SFX: thunder and electric sizzles]

Mayanna: Oh my god

Bex (Ibra): Woah!

Mischa: The thing arches its central branch in pain and screams skyward. [SFX: ghostly shriek]. It collapses to the ground. This thing's been hovering, but it all of a sudden loses its ability to hover and collapses to the ground. And as the wraith drops, 30 feet behind it, you see your childhood friend– 

Mayanna: Oh my god.

Mischa: –Paz Voxana–

Mayanna: (gasps).

Mischa: –her hands crackling with electricity, staring down in wonder, surprise, and a little bit of fear, and she shouts, 

Mischa (Paz): What the hell was that?!

Mayanna (Fran): Oh my god! Oh my god! 

Bex (Ibra): I told you, maybe more than just normal! 

Mischa: Ibra, it's your turn. 

Bex (Ibra): Special Paz! 

Mayanna: (laughs).

Mischa: What do you do? 

Bex: First things first, I think Ibra literally cheers. Just involuntary–

Lyn: Woo!

Mischa: Yea, free action. 

[Laughter]. 

Bex (Ibra): Yes! Awesome! Okay! 

Bex: So, I think Ibra's going–So the thing's on the ground now, how far away is it? 

Mischa: It's right in front of you.

Bex: Oh! 

Mischa: Yeah, and I don't know if you know this, but this is a rule of Dungeons & Dragons, when you attack a prone target, you get an advantage. 

Mayanna: Ohh! 

Mischa: So, that's just, that's just some helpful information in case you want it. 

Ian: Extra couple kicks in there. 

Bex: You know, I love when that happens. 

Mischa: Yeah! 

Bex: Oh god, there's so many fun things to do! [Laughter]. 

[Music shifts: energetic synth music].

Bex: Okay, we should start with a bonus action, and we're gonna Warden's Mark. [SFX: laser ripple]. We're gonna mark the electric jelly that is within 30 feet of me, and because it is within five feet of me, it has disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than me. 

Mischa: Okay. 

Bex: And that's just an extra bonus for when it does get back up, because I'm gonna hit it while it's down!

Mayanna: Heck yea.

Mischa: Yeah, absolutely. 

Bex: I'm gonna go with the pop spear in one hand, and shield in the other. 

Mischa: Okay. 

Bex: And we're just gonna spear it. 

Mischa: Yes. 

Bex: Absolutely spike it. 

Mischa: Stabby stabby. 

Bex: Stabby stabby. [Dice rolls]. That's not gonna hit. [Dice rolls]. A natural yeet might. 

Mayanna: Nice! 

Lyn: Oooh boy.

Mischa: Oh boy. Go ahead and roll damage, and then also add the maximum amount of damage you could do with this attack.

Bex: Oh! 

Mischa: The maximum amount. 

Bex: So whatever I roll on the die, plus max? 

Mischa: Yeah, so this is a d6 plus 3– 

Bex: Mhmm.

Mischa:Go ahead and add another 6 at the end. 

Bex: Whoa. Okay. Cool! [Dice rolls]. That's max damage on the die. 

All: Hell yeah. 

Bex: That's 6 plus 6, plus 3!

Mayanna: Woah, woah! 

Ian: Dang. 

Lyn: (In a silly, deep voice) 15. 

Bex: 15 points of damage. 

Mischa: You stand over the–hold, hold the fuck on. Sorry. 

Bex: Oh no

Mischa: I didn't, I didn't think it was gonna end in the first turn.

[Laughter].

Mayanna: Oh my god! 

Ian: Yeah that’s what’s up!

Lyn: This is juicy.

Mayanna: Did you just body this wraith? 

Lyn: Well, cause Paz bodied it in one hit. 

Ian: Right. 

Mayanna: Oh! My god! 

Ian: Didn’t Paz do 13 damage? 

Lyn: Yeah. 

Bex: (laughs).

Lyn: Wait, this is gonna be so juicy. 

Mayanna: Oh my god! 

[Laughter].

Mischa: Bex, do you want to describe? 

Mayanna: Oh my god! 

Lyn: Oh my god. 

Mischa: This–

Mayanna: Oh my god. 

Bex: I guess I do! I think that with residual electricity crackling [SFX: electricity sparkins] from the gooey mess on the ground, Ibra takes the pop spear [SFX: weapon fwips through air] and just stabs right into the center [SFX: weapon impacting a body, a ghostly shriek, and electricity sizzling followed by a rumble of thunder] and the electricity shoots right out through the end of the spear sort of back into the sky. 

Lyn: Yeah! 

Mayanna: Oh my god. 

Ian: Whoa That's pretty sick. 

Mayanna: Holy shit. 

[Music ends.]

[Soundscape begins: ambient sounds of near-silent street].

Mischa: Hey, remember that thing that like almost downed you guys in the first combat and stuff?

Mayanna: Yeah!

Lyn: Yeah.

Mischa: You just bodied it. You just took care of it. You took care of business. 

Lyn: That protective instinct..

Mayanna (Fran): Oh my god. 

Bex (Ibra): Whoa. 

Mischa: The thunder resounds through the empty courtyard. [SFX: thunder rumbling]. For a moment, the air becomes incredibly still. 

Mayanna (Fran): Wow.

Bex: Ibra's frozen. 

Mayanna: I rush for the box and get the Astra put away.

Bex: I start looking around for the knight. 

[Music begins: ominous strings].

Mischa: Across the courtyard, standing at the mouth of an alley. Far away, you spot the knight smiling and nods and holds a closed fist up to its heart and then pulls a short cape around itself and turns to walk away and the cape swooshes around it [SFX: wind]. And the knight is gone.

[Music ends].

[Soundscape begins: desolate wind]

Mayanna (Fran): What are you looking at? 

Bex (Ibra): I–

Bex: Ibra's eyes are absolutely transfixed for a moment until they bring their fist to their heart and drop it. 

Mayanna: Uh-huh.

Bex: And say, 

Bex (Ibra): I think I got an answer that brings more questions. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay, great. That's, that's just, that's like, that's just Tuesday for us, right? 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah. Oh god, is it still Tuesday?

Mayanna (Fran): It's been like, three days. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna (Fran): Everything that's happened to us has happened in the last three days. 

Bex (Ibra): We’re gonna have to start processing this aren’t we oh god…

Mayanna (Fran): I know, I know, I know. You know what? That's a great point. 

[Laughter].

Bex (Ibra): Okay, so–

Mayanna (Fran): Um, man. Okay, hold on. Let me just get-let me just get my-let me just get my thoughts together. That thing, that was, that thing almost killed us like three days ago. Like, or something similar to that. Almost killed us three days ago, right? And now, you just, you just, what is that, like, the wind? Just, whew. So, are you okay? 

Bex (Ibra): Better than I thought I'd be. 

Mayanna (Fran): That is very impressive. 

Bex (Ibra): Thank you? 

Mayanna (Fran): You're welcome. Paz, are you okay? 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah. 

Mischa (Paz): Don't, don't touch me. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay, I won't touch you. I'm not gonna touch you. But are you…?

[Music begins: suspenseful synth strings].

Mischa: You can roll insight. 

Mayanna: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [Dice rolls]. That is a 16. 

Mischa: Paz is horrified. She's like staring at her hands. She's backing slowly away from you– 

Mayanna (Fran): Hey, hey hey..

Mischa: –Any step you take towards–I don't think Paz has ever considered herself dangerous before. 

Mayanna: Right. 

Mayanna (Fran): Hey, it's okay. It's alright. 

Bex (Ibra): You can't hurt me. You, you can't hurt me.

Mischa (Paz): I didn't think I could–c–d–do lightning from my fingers. 

Mayanna (Fran): Totally, totally. That's okay. 

Bex (Ibra): You want me to show you? Too late. 

Bex: I'm gonna give her a hug. 

Mischa: Ooh, I'm gonna roll a con save for Paz. 

Bex: Go for it. I have absorb elements. 

Mischa: You go “too late!” and hug her. And she yelps in fear. And when she jolts, she jolts you. [SFX: electricity zapping] I'm going to go ahead and roll some lightning damage. 

Bex: Absorb elements reaction. 

Mayanna: Nice, nice!

Mischa: Okay. [Dice rolls].Um, that's max damage on it. 

Mayanna: Woah.

Mischa: So that would be, eight halveD to four lightning damage.

Bex:  I think that Ibra flinches, but only barely.

Mayanna: Mm 

Mischa: Okay

Bex: and pulls Paz just a little bit tighter and breathes out electricity [SFX: quiet electric crackles] just sort of like a crackling as they release and hug Paz just a little tighter.

Bex (Ibra): I told you. 

Mayanna: Mm. I'm gonna text Gordon.

[Music ends, wind soundscape continues].

[Laughter].

Mayanna: I text Gordon, I'm just like,

Mayanna (Fran): [SFX: Staticky filter, indicating a text] I’m just telling you what I’m seeing, and what I’m seeing is just like, a lot of closeness. Between Ibra and Paz. Could be nothing, I’m just like… I don’t know, it’s just interesting I guess.

[Laughter]. 

Lyn: Smash cut to us at the dog park. 

[SFX: camera whip].

Ian (Gordon): I just got a weird text. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, what does it say? 

Ian (Gordon): Well, Fran just said, here, look, 

Ian: And then I show it to you. 

Lyn (JJ): Oh! 

Lyn: Sorry, (laughing) is your background garlic bread on your actual phone that you just showed me? [Laughter].

Ian: Uh, no, my background is a French omelette and fresh regular bread in my bag. But way to just dox me on the podcast. 

[Laughter].

Ian: I think I'd just text back, 

Ian (Gordon): [SFX: staticky] Haha, okay, question mark? 

Lyn: (through laughter) I can't get over the actual bread on your phone. 

Ian: Look, it's an omelette. Look, it's so de–it’s an omelette I made. 

Lyn: It looks really good. 

Ian: It was really good.

Mayanna: Oh, I thought that was a thing you were saying in character. 

Lyn: No!! 

Ian: Nope!

Mayanna: Oh my god, it's really bread! 

[Laughter].

Bex: His background is bread. 

Mayanna: Oh my god! 

Bex: I love you. 

Ian: It wasn't an inside bit for the podcast, I just really like that photo.

[Laughter]. 

Bex: I love it, 

Mayanna: I love that! 

Mischa: Ian's background is bread all the time. 

Mayanna: I love it! Oh my god!

Mischa: The Venn diagram of Ian and Gordon is a circle.  

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: I mean, Fran, Fran is just me with extra steps. 

[SFX: camera whip].

Mischa (Paz): You guys don't have secret lightning powers too, do you? 

Mayanna (Fran): I wish. My god, all I have is this gun. [Laughter]. And it doesn't shoot straight all the time, and that's really on me. Everyone's been trying to make this gun better for me. You know what? I haven't even–I didn't even get to check if it's working better since my experience moments ago. But no, I wish I had lightning powers is all I'll say. I–I'm so jealous of you right now. It's insane. 

[Laughter].

Bex: I've let Paz go and I'm sort of keeping her stable by the shoulders.

Mischa (Paz): Okay. Cool. 

Mayanna (Fran): This is good. This is, you can… 

Mischa (Paz): Alright. 

Mayanna (Fran): You can protect yourself. 

Mischa (Paz): Yeah. 

Bex (Ibra): You can protect whoever you want. 

Mayanna (Fran): You like, you–you are part of the reason this thing is dead right now. 

Mischa (Paz): Yeah... Cool. 

Mayanna (Fran): That's a good thing. The last time this thing–it hurt, it hurt you the most! The last time we fought something like this.

Bex (Ibra): Yeah, this one wasn't fun to fight last time. 

Mischa: You guys are like crowding around Paz, like hyping her up, trying to make her not feel quite so weird about this thing. She's just sort of like staring in the thousand yard stare in the middle of distance, like between the two of you. Eventually she stops responding to your praise,

Mayanna: Yeah.

Mischa: And there's like silence in the courtyard again. And then Paz's stomach growls super loud. [SFX: stomach growl]

Mayanna (Fran): (Gasps). 

Mischa (Paz): Ugh. I am so hungry. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah. (laughs).

[Music begins: quiet ambient synth strings]

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That sounds. Wow, you know? Now that, like, you know when you just, you just go for a while, and you don't check in with your body, and then all of a sudden you just do and you realize that none of it–

Mischa (Paz): Yeah, and your body has lightning powers all of a sudden?

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, that too, that too. Oh! You're probably also super hungry because you have superpowers now. That makes sense, you probably need a lot more than you used to before. 

Bex (Ibra): Well, I was gonna say, You remember how you always get mad at me for stealing stuff off your plate after I've been in a training session? It's because I'm hungry.

Mayanna (Fran): There you go. There you go!

Mischa (Paz): Oh. 

Bex (Ibra): You're gonna have to steal stuff off my plate now. 

Mischa (Paz): okay.

Mayanna: I'm gonna text Gordon and go like, 

Mayanna (Fran): (SFX: staticky) Food, question mark? 

[SFX: camera whip] [Soundscape begins: dogs barking at the park in the background].

Ian: I look at it, it's food. 

Lyn: BG, I'm just petting BG, there’s slobber everywhere.

Ian: Yeah, heck yeah. I think I bought a cola. 

Lyn (JJ): (to BG) Who’s a good boy?? Who’s a good boy?! 

Ian: I think I bought a cola that I cracked open a little bit ago, sipping on a nice cold cola. 

Mayanna: God, you guys are having the best day.

Lyn: Yeah.

Ian: Not a care in the world. So Fran texts me, I go, 

Ian (Gordon): Food? Oh my god, you wanna make dinner tonight? 

Lyn (JJ): Oh. That sounds so good, actually. 

Ian (Gordon): Let's make dinner! 

Lyn (JJ): We can make dinner! 

Mayanna: Yes! That sounds amazing. 

Ian: I just text Fran back a single exclamation point. 

Mayanna (Fran): That means yes. 

Lyn (JJ): We can stop by the farmer's market. 

[Soundscape ends].

Mischa: I think there's probably farmer's markets in neighborhoods all over.

Mayanna: Yeah. 

Mischa: That like, I don't know. 

Bex: It's probably really fun to like, see how different they are. Based on which community you're in. 

Mayanna: Yeah. Like, would Minetown have like, the best, the best farmer's market? 

Mischa: Well–

Bex: The Edge might. 

Mischa: Well, the, the farmer's markets would be populated by the Green Grocers Guild.

Mayanna: Mm. Green Grocers.

Mischa: Which is like the fruit and veg growers guild from the Edge. The Edge is– 

Bex: Are their last names green or grocer, or—

Mischa:  Stuff having to–

Bex: Grossman?

Mischa: Stuff like that. Yeah. 

Mayanna: Mhmm.

Ian: I was wondering if– Yeah, I was wondering if there's like a more permanent sort of produce market out by the Edge. 'cause it's because you have all that farmland, you know?

Mayanna: Yeah. 

Mischa: Well that's, so that's the thing is if you want to go anywhere in town, you can find produce. Just like Gordon makes his deliveries, you know, people who grow fruits and veg make their deliveries too. 

Mayanna: Yeah. 

Mischa:But you know, it's up to you if, if you wanna invite every–you could invite everyone back to your place and do the thing, do stuff there.

Lyn: Yeah. That's the, the real question is, 

Lyn (JJ): Wait, where do we want to have dinner? We all have homes. 

[Laughter]. 

Ian: What time is it? 

Mischa: It's getting towards sunset. I said that y'all sort of spent the afternoon in the dog park. 

Ian: What am I saying? It's my house. I have so much food at my house. I'm a chef-in-training for–I'm a baker-in-training, but I also like to dabble.

[Laughter].

Mayanna: Yeah.

Ian (Gordon): No, let's just all meet at my house. I have a ton of stuff. We'll decide what we want to cook. 

Mayanna: Amazing. 

[Music ends]

Ian: Man, that was a lot of conversation to get to that, but you know what? 

Mayanna: No! 

Ian: I liked every single second of it. 

Mayanna: That's, that's, that's how this works. That's how logistics work. 

Lyn: Mhmm.

Mayanna: So I, I'm gonna, I'm gonna grab the bus. I can't fit on the bike. 

[Soundscape resumes: empty street].

Bex (Ibra): Are you, umm–

Mayanna (Fran): Don't worry about it! 

Bex (Ibra): Are you sure?

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, it's  okay. 

Bex (Ibra): It's, I don't–

Mayanna (Fran): I'm okay. 

Mischa: Paz gives Ibra a knowing look, and then goes, 

Mischa (Paz): No, it's, it's cool. We just fought a monster. I can call us a car. 

[Music begins: slightly unsettling synth].

Mischa: And she pulls out her phone okay. And texts a number and just goes, 

Mischa (Paz): Okay, it'll be on its way.

Mayanna (Fran): Okay. 

Bex (Ibra): Thanks P. 

Mayanna (Fran): Thank you. 

Mischa: Fran, you remember how reticent the bus driver was to bring you this far into the Dustpan? 

Mayanna: Right Yes. The goat man!

Mischa: Paz looks very unconcerned. 

Mayanna: Interesting. I, it's occurring to me in this moment that like Paz and Ibra are obviously very good friends, and I am friends with Paz, but, and, and they were pretty well taken care of in the hospital.

Mischa: Mm-Hmm. 

Mayanna: But I don't know a whole lot about Paz's situation. 

Ian: It's called the Paz-uation.

Mayanna:The (stuttering) Paz-uation. 

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: Let's not call it that, I guess. 

Mayanna: Yeah, I know I didn’t–

Bex: Paz-ology. 

Mayanna: Pazology. 

Lyn: Mmhm.

Mayanna: Um. Yeah. 

Lyn: Are you just now struck by the fact that you're with the two rich kid friends that you know? 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: Yeah, it's it's interesting. It's very interesting. I think that Fran doesn't normally think about that kind of stuff because she doesn't really have time to think about those things.

Mischa: Mmhm.

Mayanna: But it is weird, you know, being especially in the Dustpan of just like this very low income area and not having the ability to call a car. 

Mischa: Yeah.

Mayanna: And have never had the ability to call a car. 

Mischa: Yeah. 

Mayanna: That's really interesting. 

Ian: Like you wouldn't even think about it. It wouldn't even occur to you. 

Mayanna: No, God, no. 

Ian: Yeah. 

Mayanna: yeah. 

Ian: Which is weird. Cause it's such an easy option when it is an option. 

Mayanna: Yeah, absolutely. And I think she is feeling that, I think, for the first time.

Mischa: Valid. Fair. I don't know how to respond to that. 

Mayanna: No, you don't have to! 

Lyn: Yea, cause well, we mostly all hang out at Boggins. 

Mayanna: Yeah, I, like, you guys show up, and I'm working, and you guys hang out, and Ibra's working, and Gordon's working, and, and, before all this stuff happened three days ago, Fran–all Fran dreamed about was going to the Constellation and, like, making these designer things and, like, being a part of that. But like, not realizing how far away she was from that, even with the people around her. 

Lyn: Mmm.

Mischa: Yeah. Fair. 

Mayanna: Yeah. 

Ian: Does anyone else remember how quickly this episode turned from combat to Touchfeels… therapy party? I do. 

[Laughter]. [Music ends].

Mischa: Yeah. 

Ian: Remember when there was supposed to be a combat? 

[Laughter].

Bex: (sarcastically) Sorry.

Mischa: Before I got my shit wrecked. 

Mayanna: The dice didn't want it to happen again.

Mischa: Yeah

Ian: It's called pivoting. 

Mayanna: Yeah.

[Music begins: ambient synth strings].

Bex: So, I think Ibra has been Really thinking about that night ever since, and kind of in this moment of quiet, not quite feeling what Fran is feeling, not quite feeling what Paz is feeling, sort of in their own space, sort of mumbles, 

Bex (Ibra): I don't know if I'm going crazy, but I think I saw someone else.

Mayanna (Fran): Okay, this is what you were looking at earlier? 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah. 

Mayanna (Fran): What'd you see? 

Bex (Ibra): A knight? 

Mayanna (Fran): Like one from like the, like the armor from our dreams? 

Bex (Ibra): And… for some reason they picked up the box. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay. 

Bex (Ibra): And opened it. 

Mayanna (Fran): What? Wait, okay, wait, wait, wait, wait. Because if you're seeing something that doesn't exist, it can't touch stuff.

Bex (Ibra): But it did. And you saw it. Oh, you saw the box open, right? 

Mayanna (Fran): I saw the box move, but I didn't see anything. 

Bex (Ibra): There was a knight unlatching it. Or at least that's, that's what I saw. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay. Right. Okay. 

Bex (Ibra): And I was ready to fight it. 

Mayanna (Fran): You're not crazy. 

Bex (Ibra): Oh..kay.

Mayanna (Fran): You're not crazy. 

Bex (Ibra): Promise? 

Mayanna (Fran): Promise. 

Bex (Ibra): Thank you. 

Mayanna (Fran): You're welcome. I just don't know why that is happening. It's okay. Everything's okay. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah. Everything's great. 

Mayanna (Fran): Everything's not great, but everything's fine.  

Mischa (Paz): There's like, three or four things that shouldn't be happening that all just happened at once. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. Yeah, you're right. You're right. You're right. You know what? Yes. Paz. You're right. This shit's fucking crazy. 

Bex (Ibra): Mmhm.

Mayanna (Fran): Okay. So, so ghosts, invisible ghosts, moving workshops and, uh, and lightning powers. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah, wait, hold on. How did the rest of the workshop go? 

Mayanna (Fran): Um… Good, good. Very good. There is something that I have to give up if I want to do this, I have to give up my…memories, Kind of. 

Bex (Ibra): Woah, what? 

Mayanna (Fran): The feelings associated with memories that I have.

Bex (Ibra): The feelings of memories? 

Mayanna: They're not gone. They're just like. Okay, for example, remember when we sang Happy Birthday to Paz? So like, that's kind of like a grayscale memory now. 

Bex (Ibra): Whoa. 

Mischa (Paz): Oh. 

Mayanna (Fran): Like it was in color, and now it's not. 

Mischa(Paz): Oh. So you put your memories in? 

Mayanna (Fran): To, to tags, yes. and then you put the tags on stuff and then they, and then they kind of carry the will and force of the memories, and then you can use that to conjure abilities and–

Bex (Ibra): Wait, so like, it, so the memory went from being like exquisite armor to mid armor in your mind, right?

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. 

Bex (Ibra): That's so weird. Sorry. Is that weird to say?

Mayanna (Fran): No, it’s okay. you can say it's weird. 

Bex (Ibra): It's kind of weird. 

Mayanna (Fran): There's a lot of weird stuff going on right now. 

Mischa (Paz): There's a lot of weird stuff going on. 

Mayanna (Fran): Mmhm.

[Laughter].

Bex (Ibra): Magic is weird. This is all weird. 

Mayanna (Fran): It is weird. Man, remember when you were doing work, and I was doing work, and JJ was in school, and Gordon was working on bread?

Bex (Ibra): Remember when I was a bee?

Mischa (Paz): I miss Boggins.

Mayanna (Fran): I do too. I can't believe I'm saying that. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah, me too.

Mischa (Paz): Do you really? That's–Wait, hold on, Fran, that's wild. 

[Music ends].

Mayanna: (Whispering in disbelief) It is wild, isn't it? [Laughter].God, it's so wild. 

Mischa: So much stuff has been going on, but the fact that Fran actually misses Boggins might have been the final straw. 

[Laughter].

Mayanna: Yeah, yeah.

Mischa: Like, that one? That broke me. 

Bex: We're worried about you now, bud.

Mayanna (Fran): Miss the mop. 

Bex (Ibra): Aw. The new one? 

Mayanna (Fran): No, the old one. I miss the animatronic with the wonky eye. I miss the sticky floors. 

Mischa: And it's as you're listing this litany of things that you thought were large problems in your life way before–

Mayanna: Oh god! 

Mischa: –the car approaches 

Mayanna: Ah yes, new problems, wonderful.

Ian: Oh my god 

Mayanna: Incredible 

[SFX: Car pulling up]. [Music begins: low ambient synths].

Mischa: Yeah, it's an older car, it's not like brand new, it's not slick, it's not like Ravonna’s car but it's like a sturdy, utilitarian little hover car and a driver, not in any sort of uniform, just like an ordinary sort of, dwarf, just sort of like, as soon as it lands, pops out and holds a door open for Paz and the rest of you. [SFX: door opening with hydraulic hiss].

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, thank you. 

Bex (Ibra): Thanks, doc. 

Mischa: Paz gives the driver an address in the Edge, for the Baker's Guild headquarters.  

Mayanna: Is there room for all of us in the backseat, or is it like a two, is it like a five seater? 

Mischa: There's room for all of you in the backseat. Ibra, what are you gonna do about your bike? 

Bex: I'm actually gonna close the door behind Paz and Fran, [SFX: door sliding closed] and I'm gonna stay back with the driver and I'm gonna be like, 

Bex (Ibra): Hey, I'm just gonna follow you on the bike if that's cool with you. Just try not to go too fast so I can keep up. 

Mischa (Driver): You got it. 

Bex (Ibra): Thanks, Boss. 

Mischa: Gives you like a, like, tips his newsboy cap. 

Mayanna: Wow. 

Bex: I'm gonna pat the car twice like an old dad would do or something stupid.

Mayanna: That's so funny. 

Lyn: You say that and that's what I do. 

Bex: Right. I'm an old dad at heart. 

Mayanna: Incredible. 

Mischa: And, Fran, you and Paz, enjoy a smooth ride to the edge. 

[SFX: car drives off, motorcycle revs to life and follows].

Mayanna: Yeah. Yeah. 

Ian: (singing) Livin on the edge, ridin’ to the edge. 

[Laughter].

Lyn: That's the smash cut to us in the tuk-tuk, jammin’ to the radio. 

Bex: That's what's playing. 

Ian: I’m singing full volume. And I got, like, my fist to my chest and I'm like, [SFX: radio bopping in the background] (singing) Ridin’ to the edge! Ridin’ to the edge!

Mischa: And BG's in the back like, 

Mischa (BG): (singing howls). 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: Oh BG! 

Ian: And I get, and I put my hand back and be like, 

Ian (Gordon): Good job, BG! 

Ian: And then I put my hand out and then he, like, chin fives my hand. 

Mayanna: Awww BG!

Ian (Gordon): Ew, ah.

Ian: And it's all wet. And I like, brush my hand out the window and drop the slobber off of it. 

Bex: I like to imagine someone's riding by on a bicycle and it's just, 

Bex (Bike rider): Oh! Agh!

Ian (Gordon): Sorry! 

Mayanna: “This was gonna be my year!” 

[Laughter]. 

[Radio music fades out]. [Music begins: low, peaceful ambient synths].

[Soundscape begins: bugs and birds chirping, plants rustling in the wind]

Mischa: Unlike most of the other districts in New Prosper, life in the Edge is a little bit slower. Everything's a little bit more spread out. As soon as you cross the boundary between Minetown and the Edge, everything sort of sprawls. The air has more freedom to move. Housing allotments give way to fields and crops, and there's a little more room for everything here. As you travel, you leave the shadow of the Upper City behind, and orange light bathes the entire field. Gordon, it's a beautiful, picturesque scene as you drive home. 

Ian (Gordon): Ah… The Edge.

[Laughter].

Mischa: You roll up to the Baker's Guild headquarters. [SFX: Tuk-tuk motor]. It's a big silo training facility, dormitory thing. From the outside, do you think that like, people are making deliveries at all hours? Like, do you think you're one of the last people to drive your tuk-tuk back? What do you think? 

Ian: I think I'm one of the last people to drive my tuk-tuk back. I think that it probably calms down a lot earlier than you would expect because we all have to get up so early. 

Mischa: Yeah. 

Mayanna: Mmm.

Ian: So I think it's actually, like, pretty low key right now. 

[Music ends].

Mischa: Yeah, that's fair. One thing you do notice is as you drive up to the garages in the, the sort of like visitor parking quote-unquote, Fran and Paz step out of a car. [SFX: car door hissing open]

Ian (Gordon): Oh, great. Hey!

Mayanna (Fran): Hey! How's it going? 

Lyn (JJ): Hi guys! Oh, wait, can I have some help getting my bike out of the back of the truck? Oh, yeah. [SFX: metal clanging, bike wheel idling] Ah!

Mayanna (Fran): You didn't– Are you okay?

Lyn (JJ): Okay. It's okay. The chain just got stuck. It's fine. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay. 

Lyn (JJ): Okay. Hi!

Mayanna (Fran): Hi! 

Lyn (JJ): How was the escape room? 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. Oh! it–was so good. Thank you so much for your help. We got out. We escaped, we did it.

Lyn (JJ): Good! I'm glad. 

Mayanna (Fran): yes.

Lyn (JJ): Next time you want to go. Let me know. I love escape rooms. 

Mayanna (Fran): I will absolutely–We have so much to talk about you guys. 

Mischa (Paz): What escape room? What are you guys talking about? 

Bex: Ibra's parking their bike and like drops the chain– [SFX: hoverbike powering down].

Bex (Ibra): No, I, we–we'll take you next time. 

Mayanna (Fran): Let's just tell them. We, it was a puzzle, and it was, it was bad. I–

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, that's what escape rooms are. [Laughter].

Mayanna (Fran): Totally, no. It was, it was a test.  It was the Arcane Masters Guild's test, and I barely passed. And if it wasn't for you, maybe I would not have ever learned anything new at all.

Lyn (JJ): What, did you just have like a few minutes left on the clock, or? 

Mayanna (Fran): No, it, no, this was like, this was, okay, it was like a test of will, it was like, Thorgunn, finally trusted me–

Lyn (JJ): Whoa!

Mayanna (Fran): –or I finally earned my keep enough to prove that I was ready to learn about things that were, I don't know, powerful or whatever, and then I, and then I, and then I totally shut down, and then, and if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't, now know– 

Mayanna: And I-I-I hold up like a– I hold up the tag.

Lyn (JJ): Would you like a hug?

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, yeah I would. 

Lyn (JJ): Okay.

Mayanna (Fran): That sounds really nice. 

Lyn: I give Fran a big hug. 

Mayanna: I give you a hug and I hold out the tag just like really far away from our bodies. [Laughter]. Cause I just–I just don't want it to touch anything that it's not supposed to, and then I put it back. 

Lyn (JJ): Okay, okay.

Mayanna (Fran): Thank you. I might not be very smart. 

Bex (Ibra): Take it back.

Lyn (JJ): That–Take that back. 

Ian (Gordon): Yeah, take that back.

Mischa: Counterspell! 

Lyn: Counterspell! 

Mayanna (Fran): Alright, okay. 

Ian: BG jumps on you and tries to lick you in your face. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, okay. you know what? You're right. You're right, BG. You keep me honest. Thank you. 

Lyn (JJ): We can talk inside. 

Mayanna (Fran): That sounds great. 

Lyn (JJ): You are all so sweaty. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, yeah. There was also, we got attacked. 

Lyn (JJ): What?! 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, we got attacked. 

Ian (Gordon): Wait, what?!

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, let's go inside, let’s go inside!

Bex (Ibra): Yeah, we should get inside. 

Mayanna: Before we go inside, I'm, I'm going to turn back to the car really quickly and just like, I'm going to go over to the driver's side window. I'm going to just like, thank him for driving us. 

Mischa: Yeah. 

Mayanna: Yeah. 

Mischa: Yeah, he tips his newsie cap to you outside of the window. Paz does the same. Takes the time as y'all are preparing, like headed across the parking lot. Just like stays behind. 

Mayanna: Yeah. 

Mischa (Paz): Thanks very much, and that's on the–

Mischa: And he goes, 

Mischa (Driver): Don't worry, ma'am, I got it. 

Mischa: And starts up the car and drives off. [SFX: car starts and speeds off]. Paz looks to you, Fran and is just like, 

Mischa (Paz): It's not a thing I can do all the time. 

Mayanna (Fran): Mm, mhmm. 

Mischa (Paz): It's just like, very special occasions, but I felt like getting attacked. By a monster. In a really dangerous part of town. And then manifesting lightning powers. I felt like I could call one in, you know? 

Mayanna (Fran): Hey, if this isn't a special occasion, I don't know what the fuck is. 

Mischa (Paz): Yeah. 

Lyn (JJ): (From afar) Sorry, what was that about lighting powers? 

Ian (Gordon): (From afar) What is happening right now?

Mayanna (Fran): Right, so, okay, let's go inside, let's go inside! 

[Soundscape ends]. [Music begins: cozy, peaceful ambient synths]

Mischa: You step through the entranceway to the Baker's Guild. [SFX: door creaking open] It's, like, the flour has baked into the concrete bricks of the silo. Like, it just, the smell, even with no ovens going, like, fresh bread and pre-bread and, you know, dough proofing overnight, just fills the space. It's, it's empty, it's calm. Yeah, it probably shuts down pretty early, so like, at sunset, it's probably like, the stragglers, right? 

Ian: Mhmm. It's occurring to me that this is a culinary school.

Mischa: Yeah. 

Ian: Yes, it's designed for bread.

Mischa: Yup.

Ian: But I was like, oh wait, I live in a dorm, I probably don't have a full kitchen in my dorm, but there's definitely a full kitchen here, and I'm wondering one of two paths. 

Mischa: Okay. 

Ian: Not Paz. (Over-enunciating) Paths. 

Mischa: Got it. 

Lyn: Are they wandering? 

Ian: They are wand–fuck, I didn't realize I did that.

[Laughter].

Mischa: Heyyo! That's a party point for Lyn. 

Lyn and Bex: Yeah! 

Ian: Fuck yeah. Here's the first path. The first path is that there are, in the kitchens, like, in one corner in the kitchen, there is either, like, a practice room that you can log you know, you can, like, sign into as a guild member slash student, and, like, do experimental cooking, right? And we can all go use that test kitchen and whatever the ingredients are. And I have a little potential game for it. 

Mischa: Sure. 

Ian: Or I'm just taking everyone down to the kitchens and raiding the fridge, and then there's risk there. But I, cause I don't know what is, I don't know what's in the world or not. 

Mischa: Um, yeah, no, good question. I think that like, the usual kitchen that you sign out every morning, that like, you know, you have your regular, your time. 

Ian: Right, oh yeah, I have my bay. 

Mischa: Right, so, I think that, you know, just because everyone else is shut down and has gone to bed, like, you could obviously sign out that space late night again if you wanted to, I think.

Ian: Right. 

Mischa: There's probably– 

Lyn: Like studio hours. 

Mischa: Yeah, there's studio hours. There's like, you know, when I worked at the theater studio, there was like a late night attendant. You could sign up for spaces. Yeah, absolutely. 

Ian: So if that's the case, if I'm just signing out my own bay, then it would seem to me that we're raiding the bakery kitchen of whatever is there.

Mischa: Yeah, as we know from our previous excursion to the bursar's office, I've been sort of tracking what everybody has been spending on stuff. 

Ian: Sure.

Mischa: I think, I think we can just add that. You're right, you're a culinary student. They take it out of your paycheck, they sign out the cost of materials to your account. Absolutely.

Ian: Well if that's the case, y'all, We have a lot of options. And over the past five minutes, I've been writing some of them down. 

[Music ends].

Mayanna: Oh my god. 

Mischa: Okay. All right. 

Lyn: Your notebook is wild. 

Mayanna: I can't wait. 

Mischa: I'm like fully losing control of the podcast. But go for it. 

[Laughter]. 

Bex: You like it this way and you know it. 

Mischa: I do, it's true.

Ian: My name's Ian McQuown. I'm the new GM of this podcast. 

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: You made a game? 

Ian: I, I, I, I think on the spot just now, I made a game. 

Mischa: Okay

Ian: I have no guarantees that it will work. 

Mayanna: I can't wait. Do it.

Ian: But I have an idea. Unless you have a game that's actually a game. 

Mischa: I'm, yeah, I'm the Game Master. I have come up with game content for you–

Ian: Mmhm

Mischa: –but do you want to tell us about your game?

Mayanna: I can’t wait.

Ian: Okay, here's my game. 

Mischa: I'm so thrilled you made it. [Laughter]. Tell us everything. 

Lyn: Show and tell. 

Ian: Okay, I have four, there's four people who are not me around. There's Paz, right? 

Lyn: Mmhm.

Mayanna: Yes.

Ian: Included. So I've broken up the ingredients into four major sections. With four options a piece. 

Mayanna: Wow. 

Ian: So my pitch is that I'm going to lay out all the food we have on the table and then we'll go around and everyone can roll one d20 to determine what of the four options we get to pick in each category. And then, as a group, we can talk about the dish that we make with those four options.

Mayanna: (Gasps) Oh my god

Lyn: It's like chopped, but randomized. 

Mayanna: I love this. 

Bex: I love this 

Mayanna: so much. 

Mischa: Yeah. Listeners, I'm learning about this game in real time. Ian, you know we have like production chat where you can tell me about things you want to do? Nope, learning about it real time online. 

Ian: I just came up with it right now!

Mischa: Incredible.

Mayanna: The Inspiration struck. 

Lyn: Yeah. 

Ian: It really did. 

Lyn: That's another gold star. 

Mischa: That's a gold star. 

Ian: Fuck yeah! (Singsong) I'm just marking down my gold star. Okay. So. 

Mischa: Yeah. Okay. Walk– It's your show, man. [Laughter]. Let's play this game!

Mayanna: Do it!

[Music begins: upbeat synth]

Ian: Okay, so, guys, here's the master list of all the things that we have that I pull out of the school kitchen. 

Lyn: Mmhm.

Mayanna: Wow.

Ian: We've got chicken.

Mayanna: Woah

Lyn: Mhmm.

Ian: We've got eggs. We've got fish. We've got eggplant. Those are our main ingredients. like our, our primary ingredient options.

All: Mhmm.

Ian:  For our secondary ingredient options, we've got bread. We've got rice. We've got various like green veggies. And then we have potatoes.

Mayanna: Mmhm, woah.

Ian: For our, third, which would be like our third ingredient. It's not quite the garnish, but it's maybe like–

Lyn: It's the support or side.

Ian: It’s the support component. Yeah, exactly. We've got, like, peppers and spice, i.e. cayenne. We've got citrus components. We've got yogurt, or we've got alliums, like scallions and onions– 

Lyn: Mhmm.

Ian: –and I don't know if garlic is in there. 

Lyn: Garlic's an allium. 

Mischa: Yeah it is.

Bex: Boo.

Ian: Yeah, and garlic. Did you say boo? [Laughter]. 

Bex: Yeah. 

Mischa: Toxic for Bex's, 

Bex: Bex irl.

Mischa: But Ibra's stomach okay. 

Bex: Ibra's fine. 

Bex: What about Paz, though? 

Mayanna: Oh, Paz has dietary restrictions. 

Ian: Oh!

Mischa: That's true! 

Ian: Oh, what are Paz's dietary restrictions? 

Mischa: Paz can't eat wheat and rye, starchy beans, cabbage, mushrooms, stone fruit, and artificial sweeteners. 

Ian: Oh man, so if we roll bread, we're, we gotta, we gotta– 

Mayanna: Cause we did like a non-gluten cake.

Lyn: It was sourdough though. So it has some–

Ian: We're gonna all work together and we're gonna, we're gonna cook it with whatever we roll. 

Mayanna: Yeah.

Ian: And then our fourth is sort of like the, the garnish or the finishing. We've got soy/ginger. We've got butter. We've got just fire, just straight flambe. And then we've got herbs, fresh herbs. 

Mayanna: Amazing. Wow.

Lyn: Incredible. 

Ian: Okay, roll for initiative! 

[Cheers and laughter]. 

Mayanna: Oh my god, yeet! 

Mischa: Nice

Ian: You yeeted?

[Cheers]. [Music ends].

Mayanna: I yeeted! 

Bex: Nice! 

Ian: Oh my god!

Lyn: Yes!

Mayanna: Yes! 

Ian: Okay, so, great, so who's first Fran is first–

Lyn: 14. 

Ian: 14. 

Mischa: She got a 3. 

Bex: 15. 

Ian: Paz is last. We've got, Fran first, then Ibra, then JJ, and then Paz. 

Lyn: Nice. 

Ian: Okay, so Fran, roll a d20 and I will tell you what of the four ingredients we will use. We've got chicken, eggs, fish, or eggplant. 

Mayanna: Okay. [Dice rolls]. It's a twenty again! 

All: Whoa! 

Mayanna: Holy moly! 

Mischa: Wowee.

Ian: Hot dice. 

Mayanna: Okay, so yeah, I rolled a 20, so is it a random like, is it like between 1 and a certain number? 

Ian: I marked it, yeah, so 1-5, 6-10, 11 to 15… 

Mayanna: Okay, sure. 

Ian: Alright. you picked my least favorite ingredient as a human, I'm so excited that we're gonna cook it. We are cooking with eggplant as our final ingredient. 

Mischa: Okay. 

Mayanna: Wow.

Ian: Oh, that's, yeah, I should've done that. Great. 

Mayanna: Holy moly. 

Ian: Okay, great. I'm changing spice, that'll be the end. So, tomatoes, citrus, yogurt, and alliums. 

Bex: [Dice rolls]. 18. 

Ian: 18! We are cooking guys with eggplant and yogurt. That's what we know so far.

Bex: Interesting. 

Lyn: Mediterranean. 

Bex: Yeah.

Mayanna: Very Mediterranean. 

Lyn: North African also.

Ian: Great. I did these in the wrong order. Great, awesome. JJ, you're up. Now we're dealing with the secondary ingredient, which I skipped, which is bread, rice, mixed vegetables, or potatoes. 

Mischa: We're running a game. It's harder than it looks, huh? 

[Dice rolls].

Ian: Fuckin A. I'm already tired.

Lyn: I rolled a 15. 

Ian: 15! Ooh, veggies. Okay, bonus question: What kind of green veggies are we working with? 

Mayanna: We got eggplant, we got yogurt. 

Mischa: I feel like, um.. arugula? 

Ian: Ooh!

Mayanna: Yeah, that makes sense. 

Mischa: Rocket, for our British listeners. 

Mayanna: Rocket, yeah. 

Ian: Okay, anyone else got something to add to the arugula? I mean, like, there's a ton of green veggies in here.

Lyn: Yeah. Broccolini. 

Mayanna: Broccolini's fun.

Bex:  Asparagus. 

Mayanna: I could do a broccolini. 

Bex: Makes your pee smell. 

Ian: Broccolini or asparagus? Let's choose. 

Mayanna: Should we roll off for it? 

Bex: Yeah!

Lyn: What are we rolling for? 

Mayanna: Above a 10, it's broccolini. Below a 10, it's asparagus. 

Bex: Cool. 

Lyn: Yeah. 

Mayanna: What did you roll? 

Bex: 11. 

Mayanna: 11? [Dice rolls]. That's a 7. 

Bex: Oh! 

Mayanna: Yeah. 

Lyn: So what does that mean?!

[Overlapping chatter]

Bex: I love this game. 

Mayanna: You know what, you rolled higher, so we'll go with asparagus. My rule was dumb. 

Bex: Asparagus is closer to 10 and yours was further from 10. 

Mayanna: But it should just be who rolled higher gets what they want. [Laughter]. My thing was dumb. I overcomplicated it. 

Ian: It's hard running a game, isn't it? 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: It’s hard running a game! Thank you, Mischa. For running a game! 

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: My pleasure. 

Ian: The worst part is that I didn't tell you that there's a third vegetable in this alternate universe called asparalini.

Mayanna: What?! 

Bex: Ah! It's asparalini. The whole time it was asparalini. 

Ian: Okay, back to it. Final. So this is our finisher ingredient. 

Mischa: Yeah. 

Ian: For Paz. 

Mischa: Okay. 

Ian: We've got soy/ginger, soy ginger. We've got butter. We've got just fire. 

Mischa: Mhmm. 

Ian: And then we've got spice and herbs. 

Mischa: Okay.

Mayanna: Ooh.

[Dice rolls].

Mischa: 8. 

Ian: That would be butter. 

All: Oh, 

Ian: And then I'm gonna do a bonus roll [gasps] for me to add an ingredient from the section.

Mayanna: Oh my god, amazing. 

Ian: Okay, I'm gonna do two. One to see what section we roll in. 

Mayanna: Okay. 

Ian: [Dice rolls]. 20 it's more finishing ingredients and then it's [Dice rolls]. Herbs. Herbs and spices. 

Mayanna: I do love herbs. 

[Music begins: rustic acoustic strings]

Ian: Okay, so here's what we've got to work with, ladies and germs. We've got eggplant, arugula, asparagus, a rustic yogurt. 

Mayanna: Nice. 

Mischa: Okay.

Ian: Butter, and like, herbs, and pepper. So here's the question. Does that violate any of the dietary restrictions of anyone in our group? 

Mayanna: I don't think so. 

Ian: Any allergies or dietary restrictions? 

Mayanna: No. If they can eat butter, Paz can eat butter. 

Mischa: Paz can eat butter. 

Mayanna: Cool. 

Ian: Okay. 

Lyn: There's a Middle Eastern dish, I'm trying to look at the pronunciation, but it's, sheikh al mashi.

Ian: Okay. 

Mayanna: Oh.

Lyn: Which is literally stuffed eggplant in a yogurt sauce. 

All: Whoa! 

Lyn: It's usually stuffed with like pine nuts and meat. 

Mayanna: Okay. 

Lyn: But there are vegetarian versions. 

Mayanna: So we could stuff it with the Broccolini, maybe puree the broccolini? 

Lyn: It's asparagus.

Ian: It's asparagus, stop whining, I know you pitched broccolini but you didn't get it. 

Mayanna: Sorry, sorry, sorry, you're right. Asparagus. 

Ian: Work with the ingredients you have. 

Mayanna: Sorry, you know what? You're right. I have to let it go. 

Lyn: But it could be like a side salad type of thing. Like, they might not necessarily be the same. They don't need to be the same component. I'm thinking like, Chopped, where sometimes they'll have like, multi courses.

Mischa: Yeah. 

Mayanna: Yeah, wow. 

Ian: Okay, so, so what we've been talking about is coring out the eggplant, using some of the inside of the eggplant, too, for the stuffing, along with, like, probably very, very small, chopped (in a French accent) asparagus, 

Mischa: That'd be elvish asparagus. 

Mayanna & Bex: (In exaggerated French accents) Asparagus! 

[Laughter]. 

Ian: Okay, so then, so then if it's asparagus and roast eggplants so far on the inside, we have herbs and peppers to work with. What would be good in there? You know, what kind of herbs? 

Lyn: I mean, that could also be stuffed with it. 

Bex: Yeah, peppers and seasoned peppers. 

Ian: I know, like what kind, like, so like spicy chili peppers? Like red bell peppers? 

Lyn: Let’s see. Bell pepper would definitely work. 

Mayanna: I think bell pepper makes sense. 

Ian: And like chives maybe. 

Mayanna: Yeah, I like chives 

Lyn: And/or like dill. Dill would also work. 

Ian: Ooh, dill, I like dill! 

Mayanna: I like that. 

Bex: Dill! 

Mayanna: We gotta do dill with the yogurt. Yes. 

Ian: Okay, great. So we've got stuffed eggplant with eggplant, asparagus, dill, red pepper. 

Lyn: Mm-Hmm. Yeah.

Ian: And chives. And then we have a yogurt sauce underneath. What does it say about the yogurt sauce? 

Lyn: It's cooked in the yogurt sauce usually.

Mayanna: Whoa. 

Lyn: And it can be stuffed with pine nuts and stuff too. 

Mayanna: Cool. 

Lyn: So yeah. If we have pine nuts anywhere else. 

Ian: Oh, that can work for herbs. I love that. 

Mayanna: Yeah, I like that. 

Ian: We'll rustle up some pine nuts. 

Mayanna: That's awesome. 

Mischa: Hey listeners. I don't know about you, is anybody else really hungry? 

[Laughter]. [Music ends].

Lyn: We said like episode one–

Mayanna: Fan art! Food fan art. 

Lyn: Food fan art! And recipes. 

Mayanna: Fan art of the food! 

Mischa: I'm gonna, you know, Lyn, text this to me, I'm gonna put the recipe for this in the show notes. 

[Cheers]. 

Mayanna: Oohh!

Bex: Yes! 

Lyn: I’ll Also check some of my friends to see if they have a family recipe for this. 

Bex: Oh yay!

Mayanna: That is so fun. Oh, I hope somebody out there makes this dish and tells us how it is somehow, so if you're out there listening, and you're the one person who decides to make this dish, I hope you let us know that that happened sometime in the future.

Mischa: Yeah.

Lyn: Yeah. Post it on Instagram. Tag us in it. 

Mayanna: What a gift you gave us with this.

Lyn: Mmhm.

Mayanna: This is such, that was such a delightful, experience we all just shared. 

Mischa: Yeah, thank you so much Ian for making a game for us on the spot. 

Mayanna: That was really special. I really liked that

Bex: I loved that. 

Lyn: I loved that. 

Ian: I hope it was impactful. 

Mayanna: Nah, I really enjoyed it.

Bex: It was.

Lyn: That's how I'm gonna cook my dinner from now on. 

Mayanna: That really warmed my heart. 

Ian: Yeah, just roll dice and pick ingredients. 

Bex: That's really fun.

[Midroll theme plays and fades out]

Mischa: Hey there, it's Mischa. This is the rest stop. Come take a break beside the path with me. Just until we catch our breath. First up, as usual, I want to say a huge thank you to our patrons at patreon.com/wanderingpathpod. We got our biggest influx of new patrons yet this week. That is amazing news.

Thank you so, so much to The Queer Mess, Patrick H., Sparrow, and Asa V. for signing up. And of course, a huge shout out to our Voyager level patron, JWX! We love you so much! I don't think it's a coincidence that so many of you joined up with us after the last detour, where we broke down how many hours go into making this show. It's a lot, but I love to do it, and it really does mean the entire world to us to have your support doing what we're good at and what we love. So if that's worth anything to you, even just a couple dollars per episode, and you want to bring us life, sustain us, and bring us to new seasons, sign up with us at patreon.com/wanderingpathpod. 

The Wandering Path is sponsored this week by Shaker & Spoon, a subscription cocktail service that helps you learn how to make handcrafted cocktails right at home. Every box comes with enough ingredients to make three different cocktail recipes developed by world class mixologists. All you need to do is buy one bottle of that month's spirit, and you have all you need to make 12 drinks right at home. This week, I hosted a game night to teach some of my friends how to play Magic: The Gathering, one of my favorite activities. The local gamer bar can be a convenient place to meet up. But I gotta say, it's so nice to be able to craft my own cocktails at home, as spicy as I like, and not have to shell out hundreds of dollars at the bar, especially with the price of cardboard these days. Gosh, have you seen it? I can cast a fireball spell and drink a fiery cocktail, all from the comfort of my own home.

At just 40-50 per month, plus the cost of the bottle, this is a super cost effective way to enjoy craft cocktails, and you can skip or cancel boxes at any time. Invite some friends over, class up your nightcaps, or be the best houseguest of all time, With your shaker and spoon box, get $20 off your first order at shakerandspoon.com/wanderingpath.One more time. shakerandspoon.com/wanderingpath for $20 off your first box. 

That's it for now. Let's get back on the path and back to the show.

[Midroll theme plays and fades out].

Mischa: Yeah, I think this is just a food podcast now. [Laughter]. 

Mayanna: Wasn’t it always a food podcast?

Mischa: No, no, we'll tell a story. I guess we'll tell a story. Okay. 

Bex: But we'll tell it with food! 

[Music begins: rustic acoustic strings]

Mischa: Yeah, so, it's a quiet early evening in the Baker's Guild silo. 

Ian: Mmhm.

Mischa: And you've got your usual kitchen to yourself. You're laying out your ingredients. You've got things laid out for somebody to help you with prep, somebody to help you with the cook, and somebody to help you with finishing and plating.

Ian: Love it. Okay, so here, so I take the biggest eggplant, because we're all going to be sharing stuffed eggplant, so it's like a football sized eggplant, right? 

Lyn: Hell yeah.

Mischa: I love an image of Gordon in front of just a large bay, like a large pantry cabinet. 

Ian: Yeah, and like I've just, it's all laid out, and it's all at a cooking school, so it's all perfectly ordered.

All: Mmhm.

Mischa: While you guys are waiting for Gordon to give you jobs. 

Lyn: Yes, chef. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: Heard, chef. 

Bex: Yeah, sure. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: Chef yeah. 

Ian: Dish area, immediately. 

[Laughter]. 

Mischa: There's so much that's been going on for the rest of the world that like, yes, making dinner together is a wonderful distraction, but like, there's quests to be had, there's new powers gained, there's feelings to be processed?

Mayanna: Feelings to be processed, period. 

Mischa: Maybe? Okay, great, good. I'm proud of you. Does anybody feel strongly about any of the cooking positions? Do we want to roll for it? 

Mayanna: Let's roll for it. 

Mischa: Do you want Ian to assign you? 

Lyn: Let’s roll. 

Mayanna: Let's roll for it. 

Ian: I think we're rolling for it. 

Lyn: Yes, chef! 

[Dice rolls].

Mayanna: 4. 

Bex: 8. 

[Dice rolls].

Lyn: 13. 

Mischa: Okay. JJ's on prep. Ibra's on cook. Fran's on finishing.

Mayanna: I love that. 

Bex: Sick. 

Ian: Spectacular. 

Lyn: That feels right, weirdly. 

Mayanna: Yeah, it does feel right, doesn't it? 

Bex: I like fire.

Ian: I guess I'm just overseeing everybody, right? Walking from person to person? Or what am I doing? 

Mayanna: This is so fun.

Mischa: I, so, I mean, you tell me, but in my mind, Gordon's actually doing most of the work. 

Ian: Yeah, great, great, great. 

Mischa: Hold on. Now, actually, I'm gonna go back. Rest of the party, Gordon always does, like, a majority of the cooking or, like, takes you out. You, you've previously handed over free will at restaurants so that Gordon is gonna order for you. How much cooking do y'all do on your own? 

Mayanna: Damn, great question. I think Fran is a, like, Cup Noodle girly. 

Lyn: Mmhm.

Mischa: Yeah. 

Mayanna: She does not, she has no time.

Mischa: Yeah. 

Mayanna: Yeah, I think Fran's about convenience and efficiency. 

Mischa: (laughs).

Bex: I think Ibra's not creative with food, but can cook it. 

Lyn: Mmhm.

Bex: I think Ibra's actually a meal prepper. 

Mischa: Yeah. 

Bex: Only because of training. Usually if, if it, when it comes to anything not meal prepping for exercise, Ibra's not so good at it, but when it comes to, like, what they've got on their docket, on their scheduled food, they can make it really well.

Mischa: Well, that, and that makes sense, because, like, we've covered your diet is prescribed by the doctors that own patents on your body. 

Bex: Yeah. 

Lyn: I think JJ cooks, like, not as much as they'd like, because it gets expensive, but they actually probably cook more to save money, and their grandmother would kill them if they didn't cook at home.

Mischa: Yeah, that makes sense. Absolutely. 

Lyn: (laughs) JJ, I think, is the pendulum swing of both. It's like, it has to be either convenient or cheap. 

Mayanna: Yeah. 

Lyn: And then like, like, sometimes we'll nail good in the middle. But it's like, sometimes JJ eats brown cube and kind of likes it. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: Yea, When I worked at a movie theater–this is Mayanna talking– I would. They had, they discounted all the food. So I would, I would have $2 chicken strips every night that I had a shift. 

All: Ooh.

Mayanna: It was not a good situation, but it was the situation that made sense at the time. 

Lyn: Exactly. 

Bex: Sustenance. 

Mayanna: Sustenance, exactly. 

Mischa: And very much how it would be in the Barra. 

Mayanna: Absolutely.

Mischa: Where like, all of the leftovers are, it's all leftover bar food.

Mayanna: Yep, it's all this, yeah, it's like discounted food at Boggins, or like, yeah, whatever's around, or like whatever people are giving out at the end of the night. 

Bex: The veggies you're getting are like, crudités, fried pickles and fried brussels sprouts. 

Mayanna: Yup, Fran's diet is rancid. [Laughter]. It's terrible. 

[Music ends].

Mischa: That's why she needs that good skincare routine. [Laughter]. 

Mayanna: Truly, it’s something I gotta, I gotta, thank god for genetics, man, you know? 

Ian: It's pronounced “Francid.” 

[Laughter]. 

Lyn: Wow.

Mayanna: Francid. 

Bex: I think you get a party point for that.

Mayanna: You know what, I resent it, but yeah, that's absolutely a party point. That is a unanimous party point. 

Ian: (singsongy) And it's on the board. 

Lyn: Get a begrudging–a begrudging party point

Mayanna: Absolutely. Francid diet. [Laughter]. Put that on a t-shirt, us. 

Mischa: Yeah. So silly.

Mayanna: Francid vibes. 

Mischa: Okay, Gordon, you lay out all your ingredients on the prep table, and, you tag JJ in and get to work.

Ian (Gordon): Okay, so what we're going to be doing is we're going to cut the top off this eggplant, we're going to scoop out the insides, and then we're going to chop up the inside of the eggplant, as well as the other veggies we have. 

Lyn (JJ): Yes, chef! Heard, chef!

[Music begins: quiet, calming piano and synth]

Ian: I take my sharpest, like, 8 inch chef's knife. [SFX: knife being unsheathed]. Maybe it's a 10 inch chef's knife.

Mayanna: Woah.

Lyn: Ooh I'm a dwarf. [Laughter]. 

Ian: I take my 10inch, 

Lyn: Okay. Just checking. 

Ian: And I, and I cut like the first sort of like, inch off the top of it sideways, right? So now laid out it's like a boat, or it's going to be a boat on its side. and then I take my paring knife and I run a little, like, outline of what we're gonna cut on the inside. And then I hand the eggplant and a very big spoon to JJ so you can scoop. 

Lyn: Great.

Bex: Yeah, Dungeon Meshi is playing behind my eyelids. 

Lyn: Mmhm.

[Laughter]. 

Bex: It's great. 

Mayanna: Not sponsored. 

Ian: And I think while you scoop, I'm gonna chop the asparagus. [SFX: scraping against eggplant] How's scooping the eggplant, how's that going over for you? 

Mayanna: Do you want to roll for it?

Lyn: Fine?

Mayanna: Roll for it.

Mischa: Yeah, why don't you go ahead and roll a–

Mayanna: Roll for scoop.

Mischa:  –sleight of hand.

Lyn: Great. [Dice rolls]. 13. 

Mischa: Okay, you reach in, like the eggplant is, the biggest eggplant that Gordon could find and he's using a lot of like human tools. I think with a 13 you do a decent job of scooping out the eggplant itself. I think maybe you don't manage to salvage all of the innards and make a little bit of a mess around the kitchen. Which it being after hours.. Ehh..

Lyn (JJ): I'll clean it. It's fine. Clean as you go. 

Ian: Yeah, heck yeah. And you know what you didn't do, which you could have done, the beginner move is like, you scoop too deep, and then the spoon goes through the side of the eggplant. 

Lyn: Oh no, I think the problem is I was erring on the side of caution. 

Ian: Which is great, I love that.

Mischa: Classic JJ. 

Lyn: You can always scoop more. 

Ian: Yes, you can. You can never scoop less. 

Lyn: Yeah. 

Bex: I think, like, Ibra's coming in with a trash can to help out, and is like–

Bex (Ibra): Yeah, no, one of my teachers, one of my, trainers was teaching me about a French phrase, I think it's (deadpan, aggressively American accent) mise en place. 

Lyn: (restrained sound of frustration).

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: Ooh boy.

Lyn: Oh, I hate it. 

Mayanna: Okay.

Mischa: Oh, that's so wrong that it might just as well be right. 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: No. 

Mischa: Okay, Fran. 

Mayanna: Mhmm. 

Mischa: Gordon and JJ are cooking in the kitchen. Ibra and Paz are just chillin out in the Baker's Guild hall. 

Mayanna: Yeah. 

Mischa: What are you doing? 

Mayanna: Hmm. I think, you know, I'm watching all of this happen and I'm… Like between the car and the fact that I'm realizing I don't cook a whole lot and that, you know, my life is just constantly moving. And I think I like that it's constantly moving because when it stops for any reason, all of these things come up that I try not to think about. 

Mayanna: We still just have no clue what we're doing. And I think like it's easy to just keep trugging along and not think about that. But like, you know, when I was driving with Gordon the other day, like, who knows what's out there? Who even knows, who knows what lies beyond this mortal coil? And just like, while we're currently in this current mortal coil, it's just like, there's so many forces beyond our control. The city feels increasingly large to me. And, I've never had to worry about that before. I never had to worry about any of this before, and, and now, on top of that, I also have to worry about, like, this thing that I always dreamed about, this thing that I was hoping that Thorgunn would one day bestow upon me, is also rife with sacrifice and-and yeah, I guess… I guess Fran's in this moment wondering, like, when's it gonna, when's it gonna make sense? 

Mischa: I don't know. 

Mayanna: Yeah. 

Mischa: I don't know. 

Mayanna: I don't know. I, I'm not even asking you. (laughs).

Mischa: Yeah. 

Bex: And also, what, what else are you gonna have to sacrifice? 

Mayanna: Yeah. 

Bex: And what do you choose to sacrifice?

Mayanna: Yeah, I'm thinking about all my cherished memories and, like, which ones are next and which ones could be useful to this bigger thing that's beyond me, and like, am I willing to do that? And of course the answer is yes, because like, I'm just one person. And if my prom date or a birthday party or the time my mom gave me a gun is something that can build something more important than me, why wouldn't I give that up? And so I guess I'm like taking stock of that as well, of like, what am I willing to put on the chopping block for the greater good? 

Mischa: Yeah. Yeah, do you vocalize that out loud to anybody?

Mayanna: (sighs) I think I'm going to go over to Paz and Ibra. I think I'm just going to see what they're talking about. I think, I think that in this moment, I, I want to think about something else for a little while. 

Mischa: Okay. Ibra, what are you and Paz talking about? 

Bex: Ibra really wants to talk about what happened, really wants to talk about electricity, really wants to talk about the night, and is trying to gauge Paz's emotional state–

Mayanna: Hm. Yeah.

Bex: –and dancing around, like, dancing around in conversation just to feel Paz out before figuring out if it's the right time to dive deep or not. Should I roll insight? 

Mischa: Yeah. 

Mayanna: Ooh. 

Bex: [Dice rolls] 15. 

Mayanna: Nice. 

Mischa: 15. She is just like, shaken and exhausted. I think as soon as y'all get settled and Gordon and JJ start getting to work, I think she sort of wanders over back to the pantry and grabs just like, a handful of like, walnuts, just, just was incredibly hungry and is like, letting that be her focus, and is like,

Mischa (Paz): These walnuts are really good. They have so much food here. 

Lyn (JJ): Gordon, is everyone like, really tense right now? 

Lyn: I say, scooping poorly. Or mid-ly. 

Ian: Gordon was like literally humming while cutting like, 

Ian (Gordon): (Singsongy humming).

Ian: And he stops, and he looks up, and he notices how quiet the room is. 

Mischa: Yeah. 

Ian: He's like, 

Ian (Gordon): Yeah, it is really tense in here.

Lyn (JJ): It seems like something really big happened, and they all look kind of upset. 

Ian (Gordon): Yeah, good point. I feel like we should go ask them. 

Lyn (JJ): Should we go… eh… 

Ian (Gordon): Okay, when we pass off the food, we're– let's bring it up just casually. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah. Let’s do that, yeah. We'll be super normal about it. 

Ian: And then I think back to the text that Fran sent me earlier, where it said that, Ibra and, Paz were getting close and I like, start to put together like, 

[Music ends].

Ian (Gordon): Wait a second, people didn't.. k-kiss or something, like, what's happening? 

[Laughter]. 

Bex: Just armpit sniffing. 

Ian: And I'm like, looking from Paz to Ibra. 

Mayanna: I love this. 

Lyn: And they're making meaningful eye contact with each other. 

Mischa: Yeah, they're sitting together at a table. 

Bex: Ibra looks super concerned. 

Ian: Can I roll? It's not an investigation, it's perception. 

Mischa: No, that's insight.

Ian: Insight. 

Mischa: Yeah, go ahead and roll insight. 

Mayanna: I love a classic misunderstanding

Ian: [Dice rolls] (laughs) I rolled a 2!

[Cheers and laughter and whooping].

Bex & Mayanna: Yeah! 

Mayanna: Misunderstanding! You guys want to tell a story? 

Lyn: I'm so happy! 

Mischa: You look over and catch Fran sort of, like, contemplating thoughts and then shake herself out of it. And, like, she's sitting off on her own, and you see Paz and Ibra sitting very close to each other, like, at a coffee table. And just like, sort of whispering to each other, sitting really close, and, yeah, and Paz is sort of leaning on Ibra a little bit–

[Music begins again: quiet, contemplative piano]

Lyn: Sharing some walnuts. 

Ian: And I'm watching them. And at that second, I've taken my focus so off the cutting board that I like cut my finger just a little bit. [SFX: slicing].

Mayanna: (gasps).

Ian (Gordon): Ow! Ooh!

Lyn (JJ): Wash it off, wash it off.

Ian: Yeah, it's like a teeny little cut. 

[Dice rolls].

Mischa: One slashing damage. [Laughter]. 

Ian: Damn it! I did that to myself. 

Mayanna: That's great. 

Bex (Ibra): Hey, what happened? Are you good? 

Ian (Gordon): (Curt) I'm fine. 

Ian: And I'm staring at you and Paz. 

Ian (Gordon): (Stiffly) How are you guys? 

Mischa (Paz): Um… I'm okay. 

Ian: That sounds so guilty. That sounds like the guiltiest thing of all time. [Laughter]. And I go, 

Ian (Gordon): Great! Okay! I'm just gonna go put a bandage on this!

Ian: And I stomp out of the room. [SFX: creaking hinges]

Mischa: Whoa.

Mayanna: I love this so much. Oh my god. 

Mischa: Friends are fighting! Oh no! 

Mayanna: Oh my god, I love it. 

[Music ends].

Lyn: I'm holding a spoon, continue.  

[Laughter]. 

Bex (Ibra): Oh, maybe, I'm gonna go over there and I'm gonna help out while he's bandaging himself.

Mischa (Paz): What? 

[Laughter]. 

Ian: PS, now I’m not in the room to help guide us in the cook. 

Mayanna: Oh here we go

Mischa: That’s so true! 

Bex: I’m coming in to help guide in the cook. [Laughter]. 

Mischa: Okay, go ahead and roll a survival check.

Bex: Yay! [Dice rolls]. Oh, yay. 

Lyn: Oh, no. 

Bex: 14! 

Mayanna: Nice. 

Lyn: Ooh.

Mischa: Okay, decent. 

Mayanna: Solid. 

Mischa: It's an eggplant, what could go wrong? 

[Laughter]. 

Mayanna: Meal prep!

Bex (Ibra): This one doesn't have salmonella when I cut into it raw, it's probably fine. 

Mischa: It's probably fine. 

Lyn: It'll be okay. 

Mayanna: We're chillin’. 

Lyn: We washed it already. 

Bex and Mayanna: Yeah. 

Ian: It's an eggplant, what could go wrong? [Laughter]. That's the t-shirt. [Laughter]. That's a party point for Mischa. 

Mayanna: Yeah. That is. 

Mischa: Yeah!! Ibra, you, you jump away, leaving Paz and Fran at the table. 

[Music begins: calming synth chimes]

Mayanna (Fran): Okay, hmm, how are you doing, Paz? 

Mischa (Paz): Like, really tired. I do think you were right about lightning powers maybe taking ener–Energy, I just got it. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. Yeah. 

Mischa: She like, eats another handful of walnuts.

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, you keep doing that. You're probably gonna need to eat different from now on, would be my guess. 

Mischa (Paz): Yeah. Fran, what is going on? 

Mayanna (Fran): We're really in over our heads here, and I think no one really knows what's going on, and the people that do are keeping secrets from us, or don't remember what's going on. And I think we think we know what's going on, but we don't really know about anything that's going on.  

Mischa (Paz): I think the city's under supernatural attack and that there's more even to it than that on the surface. 

Mayanna (Fran): I think, yeah. 

Mischa (Paz): And that… Maybe I'm part of it now? 

Mayanna (Fran): I think you're unfortunately part of it now. And I'm really sorry about that because this is terrifying. 

Mischa (Paz): I feel like cosmic forces are amassing. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yup.

Mischa (Paz): Like there's like a, like clouds are getting darker.

Mayanna (Fran): Yep. The sun is eclipsing the moon or something. 

Mischa (Paz): And my umbrella’s made of lightning. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yep. Mhmm. And you were the star in our dream. 

Mischa (Paz): Yep. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yup. What was the-what was like the hardest thing you dealt with before today? 

Mischa (Paz): Well, my health has not been very good. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah.

Mischa (Paz): And that usually it's just like a struggle doing normal stuff.

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah.

Mischa (Paz): Navigating infrastructure, getting around, finding seating in places with standing room only. 

Mayanna (Fran): Mmhm, yup. Yeah.

Mischa (Paz): I have not had to deal with lightning-ified wraiths attacking me. It's a-it's a whole new caliber thing. I feel very unprepared. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah.

Mischa (Paz): I, I'm really glad that I have you guys who at least know like a little bit of what to do when something very dangerous happens.

Mayanna (Fran): And we just found out about that three days ago. So you're going to learn fast ,because we did. I think what I'm realizing is like, people are capable of a lot more than they think they are when they have to be. I'm just sorry you have to be. 

[Music ends].

[Music begins: low, menacing synth chords]

Mischa: Yeah, Fran, you think about Thorgunn and the look on Thorgunn's face when you mentioned that danger was coming. And you remember Fuller's face, impassive though it normally was, when he was talking about preparing for unnamed dangers on the horizon. And you think about the books that JJ and Gordon have been seeking out in these libraries that seem to leave them with more questions than answers. Where do you think the answer might be next? Like, where would Fran start looking? 

Mayanna: Yeah. I really want to know more about this Astra. I really want to know more about where it comes from. I want to know what it is and what, Fuller said that Astra is like thoughts made real or wants made real, but we don't know where those wants come from. And I guess I kind of want to know where, I want to know where this fucking Astra is coming from. Like, I know, I know we, like, they're like, you can buy it and everyone has it and there are these depositories or whatever, but like, where, what are these things, like, why are they so integral to our lives, and I don't really know how they get made, and I don't really know what goes into, like, if I had to sacrifice something to make a tag, What the fuck are people taking that makes Astra so available to everybody?

Mischa: Great questions. There is a big, giant pit in the center of the city where you might find those answers. 

Mayanna: Yeah, mhmm, yeah, and I think like, we drove past that pit, right, when we were going to the church? 

Mischa: You drive past that pit anywhere you can go. It's pretty visible throughout most of the city. 

Mayanna: Yeah, I–yeah, and I think like, as a civilian, would we know that that's where the Astra comes from.

Mischa: Yeah.

Mayanna: We'd be like, we're like, that's where Astra comes from. And you go like, yeah, like, like when you point to a factory and you're like, that's where electricity comes from or whatever the fuck.  

Lyn: Yeah.

Mischa: I mean, yes, it is. It is the Astra mine. Okay. It is, it is the mine that Minetown was built or like the, it is the central thing of the city.

Mayanna: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. So I think like I, I, I turn to Paz and I'm like, 

Mayanna (Fran): (sighs) I don't know what's going on. I don't think any of us know what's going on, but I do want to find out. And I'm really sick of wondering, so I think we gotta go to this pit. Do you wanna go to the Pit? 

Mischa (Paz): You're just gonna jump right to the Pit? 

Mayanna (Fran): I mean, I don't want to jump into it, but like, I think that's next. That feels like that's what's next. 

Mischa (Paz): (sighs) There's no hiding on the sidelines anymore. 

Mayanna (Fran): No. 

Mischa (Paz): If we gotta dive in, we gotta dive in. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. 

[Music ends].

Mischa: She looks down at her cane and she's like, I think I'm gonna need like, several more rubber tips if we're going into a mine. 

Mayanna (Fran): I'm gonna, can I get your cane? Can I look at it?

Mischa (Paz): Yeah, sure. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay, I'm gonna like, I'm gonna, I'm gonna make this better for you. And that's not gonna be a problem anymore. 

Mischa (Paz): Oh, okay. 

Mayanna: And I'm gonna start running schematics and trying to figure out what, what arcane master things I can do to make this like more durable or more efficient. 

Mischa: Yeah. 

Mayanna: For Paz. 

Mischa: Sure, absolutely.

Lyn: Oh, hell yeah. 

Bex: Multi-tool cane. 

Mayanna: Yeah, so I'm gonna, I'm gonna start sketching frantically. [SFX: pencil scratching against paper]. And I think if we're sitting at like a table or whatever, like the cane is like in between us and I'm just like I'm just in it. 

[Music begins: ethereal ambient synths].

Mischa: Yeah, finally, a task that Fran can get her mind around. 

Mayanna: (content sigh) And everything feels right with the world for just a second.

Mischa: Yeah. 

Bex (Ibra): JJ, where did y'all go today? 

Lyn (JJ): Huh? Oh, we were at Faris Park, you know. Yeah, there's a dog park there. 

Bex (Ibra): Oh, that's fun. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah. 

Bex (Ibra): Oh, did you take? Oh You took BG!

Lyn (JJ): Yeah we took BG there. some training and stuff, which was cool. 

Bex (Ibra): Oh, sweet. 

Lyn (JJ): And, yeah, it worked out pretty well. I mean. You know, Gordon talked to like, one million people there while I was filling out paperwork, but it's no big deal. Yeah, um, are you okay? Is, what, what happened? Fran's talking about a, a test of will, and, and, and y'all are saying something about lightning powers? Paz’s… 

Bex (Ibra): Oh. Yeah. 

Lyn (JJ): What happened? 

Bex (Ibra): Oh, okay, okay.

Lyn: I'm gesturing wildly with this spoon in hand. 

Bex (Ibra): So… Oh! I got a little bit of eggplant cream in my eye. 

Lyn (JJ): Sorry! Uhh..

Bex (Ibra): It's all good. Don't worry about it.

Lyn (JJ): Wipe that off. 

Bex (Ibra): All good. So basically, the escape room wasn't an escape room. It was the–it was the test to, to the… whoever the cool magic guys were. And we walked down into a place that shouldn't have existed, like down a whole bunch of stairs. And then we got down there and there were a bunch of weavers.

Lyn (JJ): Uh-huh. 

Bex (Ibra): And they were like, pulling the strings out of people's heads, and like it turns out that the strings are memories. But like only the feelings of the memories 

Lyn (JJ): O…kay…

Bex (Ibra): And so like I think Fran said like they were grayscale now? So I think Fran's a little scared about, like, the cost of the magic. But, yeah, I wasn't there for that, because the guy was talking about how Astra is dangerous, and I don't know how much I've told you, but I'm basically all Astra.

Lyn (JJ): Uh-huh. Yeah. 

Bex (Ibra): And so I had a little bit of a–Yeah, it was a panic. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, a little menty b? 

Bex (Ibra): Little menty b. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, uh-huh. 

Bex (Ibra): This is just a little b. 

Lyn (JJ): Cool. And, and the lightning powers? 

Bex (Ibra): Oh, that's important. Yeah, Paz was calming me down when all of a sudden the, somehow, we dropped the box with the, with the crystal in it.

Lyn (JJ): Uuhhhh.

Bex (Ibra): And then I saw a knight open the box, and nobody else saw the knight, but everybody else saw the box open. 

Lyn (JJ): Uh-huh. 

Bex (Ibra): And then, because it was open, I don't know, all of a sudden it was like the wraith was like, “Yo, I'm here, I want th–”

Lyn (JJ): Sorry, there was a wraith?! 

Bex (Ibra): It showed up as soon as the box opened. 

Lyn (JJ): Okay, so you got attacked? 

Bex (Ibra): So we got attacked. Fran and I got attacked. 

Lyn (JJ): Uh-huh?! 

Bex (Ibra): It was okay, we didn't get hit. 

Lyn (JJ): Good. 

Bex (Ibra): Paz was like, “Don't touch my friends!” 

Lyn (JJ): Uh-huh. 

Bex (Ibra): And, or “leave them alone” or something super awesome like that and, and, and just zap! Lightning out of, out of her fingers and, and it shrieked and fell down, and I stabbed it, and it caused lightning to go up and thunder to crash. It was crazy. 

Lyn (JJ): Cool. (voice high) So what you're telling me is (voice catches, clears throat)...

Lyn: That's in character.

Lyn (JJ): So what you're telling me is that there's a secret society of… Some kind of magical weavers–

Bex (Ibra): Yeah.

Lyn (JJ): –that are doing something with Fran. That you're made of Astra. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah. 

Lyn (JJ): And Paz has powers now, which is sick. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah. 

Mayanna: Which is tight as fuck! 

Bex (Ibra): And they, they're strong, they hurt. Technically, she hurt me a little bit when I went to go prove to her that she couldn't. 

Lyn: Just gesturing, like, mouth agape with the spoon. Like, white knuckling the spoon. 

Lyn (JJ): And this all happened while we were just at the dog park? 

Bex (Ibra): Apparently, yeah. But the dog park sounds nice.  

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, it was great. It was very cool and all. Very eventful. We did find a piece of Astra. That was actually, no, that was– 

Bex (Ibra): Did you get a wraith? 

Lyn (JJ): What? No. 

Bex (Ibra): Oh. 

Lyn (JJ): We would have told you if we had been attacked right away. That's what I'm– (sighs)

Bex (Ibra): Sorry. 

Lyn (JJ): I'm not upset with you. I'm upset that y'all were possibly in danger, and you didn't tell us. 

Bex (Ibra): It was so fast! I'm, I'm really sorry.

Lyn (JJ): Did you have a whole car ride here? 

Bex (Ibra): Well, I was, I was driving. 

Lyn (JJ): Okay, yeah, don't text and drive, actually, that's a good point. 

Bex (Ibra): You get mad at me, when I– 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, yeah, I, I will continue to get mad at you and– 

Lyn: I'm now threatening you with a spoon. The spoon is very important to the character now.

Bex: I'm honestly threatened by this spoon right now.

Lyn (JJ): I just, a lot has been going on. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah. 

Lyn (JJ): And, it's a lot to take in and, I'm much more nervous about us keeping things from each other instead of relying on each other when shit goes down. None of us are in this alone now. We had a weird prophecy dream, but even if it wasn't that, like, you are my friends. And it's, I'm very, very grateful for that, and I don't, I don't want to lose that when things are fucking going haywire. I'm here for all of you. And I know that you're all here for me. And– 

Bex (Ibra): Always. 

Lyn (JJ): –yeah. And so… No secrets, okay? 

Bex (Ibra): Deal. 

Lyn (JJ): And I think I hit you with the spoon a few too many times, I'm going to go wash it.

Bex (Ibra): Oh, that's okay. 

Lyn (JJ): Because that's not sanitary for use while cooking. 

Bex: I already, I've got the napkin, I'm starting to clean up the little bits on the counter. I've already– 

Lyn: There's so much eggplant now everywhere! 

[Laughter]. 

[Music ends]. [Music begins: quiet, contemplative piano]

Ian: Okay. So Gordon has walked back in. [SFX: door creaks on hinges] I have a totally different demeanor than when I left.

Mayanna: Oh. 

Ian: I walked out all stompy and pissed, and I walked back in sort of serene and like, contemplative. I walk past like, them having an argument, I don't even notice because like, all the stuff in the kitchen's not done, and I just start doing the rest of it, right? 

Mayanna: Woah

Lyn: Yeah. 

Ian: I pick up some of like the stray eggplant that's like all over the counter, scoop it into a bowl, [SFX: utensils clinking against a bowl] put it in a blender with the yogurt and some salt and pepper, and I blend that up to be like a whipped eggplant yogurt for the base. [SFX: blender whirring].

Mayanna: I love it. Amazing. 

Ian: I take the chopped vegetables that we did earlier, I throw them in the pan with butter on super high heat, [SFX: sizzling] and I get the asparagus and the eggplant and the red pepper like a nice solid like char on it, you know, really good. [SFX: whoosh of oven starter] turn the oven up to 500 as high as it goes. Pop the eggplant in. [SFX: door closes]. I think the recipe said we cook it in the, in the yogurt. So the yogurt sauce is some of the yogurt sauce in the bottom that's roasting away. And while that's all cooking, when it, when it finishes, I'll take that out, put the sauteed in, cover it and finish it. [SFX: gentle sizzling, occasional chopping, utensils against a cutting board] But it's like very seamless, right? It's like. Chopping, hm, hm, oven open, oven closed, turn the heat on, little flip of the veggies. And I'm just thinking to myself, and then eventually I say, 

Ian (Gordon): You guys, what if it's a spell? 

[Music ends].

Mayanna (Fran): What do you mean? 

Lyn (JJ): Wai–wh–wha? 

Bex (Ibra): A spell? 

Lyn (JJ): A spell? 

Ian (Gordon): Right, let me go back. So. 

Bex: (under their breath) Yes! 

Ian (Gordon): I walked out of the room, and I won't tell you what I was thinking about, but I was thinking about, you know, someone being under a spell, 

Ian: And I'm like looking up at Paz, and like, looking from Paz to, to Ibra being like, 

Ian (Gordon): You know, someone putting someone else under a spell of some sort, against their will.

Mayanna (Fran): Wow. Uh-huh, uh-huh.

Lyn (JJ): Okay? 

Mayanna (Fran): Uh-huh, uh-huh. 

[Music begins: low, thoughtful, eerie synth].

Ian (Gordon): And as I was wrapping up my finger, I was thinking about that, and then all of a sudden it occurred to me. What if no one can remember anything in town because they're under some kind of mind control spell?

[Gasps].

Bex (Ibra): Woah.

Ian (Gordon): Is that possible? 

Ian: And I like, look to JJ, I'm like, 

Ian (Gordon): Is that something that's even possible?

Lyn (JJ): I don't know, there's a lot that's like, apparently possible that I thought wasn't possible. 

Ian: Still waving the spoon around! 

Bex (Ibra): There's nothing left to be flung around. 

Lyn: Now I'm scratching my head with it.

Mayanna (Fran):  Mass amnesia? Well, the war, there was magic and like, they used magic to end the war, right? 

Ian (Gordon): Not mass amnesia. A mass forgetful spell. A mass mind control spell. 

Lyn (JJ): I mean– 

Bex (Ibra): But who, like, why would they choose different people to target and not everybody? 

Mischa (Paz): Yeah, why is it some people and not everyone? 

Lyn (JJ): So, oh, you two really need to pay more attention in your magic classes. 

Bex (Ibra): I haven't– 

Mischa (Paz): Were we supposed to be taking magic classes? 

Bex (Ibra): I didn’t go to school for–oh crap.

Lyn (JJ): Okay, fair. 

Mayanna (Fran): I didn't go to college.

Lyn (JJ): But there, there's very few magical capabilities to completely override one's willpower. you can contest it. You can fight against it. 

Mayanna (Fran): You can will against it. 

Lyn (JJ): You can will against it, and depending on what happens, sometimes it's just like, you know, luck of the draw, roll of the dice, that some people can break through spells like that. But it could be that like, some kind of enchantment or something is happening or some abjurative wards are placed, but some people, it might not affect everyone that it comes into contact with. But I don't know how. It'd have to be something that either is imbued in an object or is perpetually inherent to something that would– 

Mayanna (Fran): (gasps) Oh fuck…

Bex (Ibra): What?

Mayanna (Fran): Is it the Astra? 

Lyn (JJ): Um..

Mayanna (Fran): Everybody has Astra. They carry it with them all the time. 

Lyn (JJ): But we’ve–

Bex (Ibra): But JJ, but remembers JJ carries Astra, 

Mayanna (Fran): But, but, but JJ might be immune. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah. 

Mayanna (Fran): What the fuck? 

Lyn: And JJ sits down, and is like, 

Lyn (JJ): Okay, well we, we, we know that like spells can be replenished. We have enchantment magic, you know, like the funiculars or, like how we get electricity through things or… I don't know air fresheners that are constant prestidigitations, like, so there are ways that we have spell repeaters. 

Mayanna (Fran): But what about the, what about the Astra we just found? If-if- what if-what if that's the thing that they're trying to get? Like, if they're running out of whatever Astra they need to use, the specific spell that you're talking about, Gordon, they would need to harvest more. To keep everybody forgetting stuff. 

Lyn (JJ): It also begs the question of, like, what opportunity is presented when people forget things. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, that's exactly right. Because one of the people who's affected by this magic is the Magistrate. 

Bex (Ibra): Whoa. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah.

Bex (Ibra): That has to be on purpose, then. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, that would be my guess. 

Bex (Ibra): So Ravona not being affected is also on purpose, so she could–

Mayanna (Fran): She has an axe that's the same color as the Astra we found!

Lyn (JJ): Well, okay, okay, let's run it back real quick. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yep. 

Lyn (JJ): Okay, clearly, there are probably multiple people in the city that are being affected by it, and it doesn't necessarily correlate with everyone's power or position or status in this world, but for some people, it does. 

Mayanna (Fran): But Ravona also has access to the Magistrate.

Bex (Ibra): And can influence the Magistrate by telling her things that may or may not have happened because she can't remember. 

Lyn (JJ): But Ravona answers to the Governor. 

Mayanna (Fran): What? 

Bex (Ibra): Wait. 

Lyn (JJ): She's in the Governor's office. 

Mayanna (Fran): Fuck!

Lyn (JJ): We don't know how deep this goes. 

Mayanna (Fran): Fuck! 

Bex (Ibra): Wait, um…

Mischa: Everybody in the room roll insight. 

Mayanna: Oh my god. 

Bex: Can I get an advantage?

Mayanna: No! No! 

Mischa: Ibra, you don't have to roll. 

Bex: Yeah. No, Ibra immediately is like, uncomfortable. 

[Music shifts: metallic percussion with low menacing ambient synths].

Mischa: Yeah.

[Dice rolls].

Lyn: 24. 

Ian: Oh, fuck. 

Mayanna: It's a 5. 

Ian: An 8. Not good. 

Mischa: JJ, as you guys are like, coming together with this theory, like having this brain blast moment, you look askance at Paz, and this entire conversation is making Paz incredibly uncomfortable.

Mayanna: Oh no. 

Mischa (Paz): I just think you're assigning motives to people really, really fast, okay? 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah. Yeah. 

Mischa (Paz): Just like, maybe it's not all an evil conspiracy that goes all the way to the top, is all I'm saying. Maybe it only goes up to the middle, maybe there's just like, weird supernatural for–I don’t–

Bex (Ibra): And maybe the top isn't in control, maybe the top is a victim as well, we don't know. We don't know what's happening. 

Mayanna (Fran): Paz, I don't know you that well. What do your parents do? 

Mischa (Paz): My mom works in publishing. She publishes books, and I live with her, and I've lived with her my whole life. So it's really just been her and me. 

Mischa: And she looks at Ibra, and her voice is shaky. 

Bex (Ibra): Paz's family is Paz's mom. Paz's family is me and her mom and the guy who–

Mischa (Paz): Because my dad wanted nothing to do with us, okay? It's.. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah. He's also, um..

Bex: And Ibra kind of looks with raised eyebrows and a pleading, apologetic look. 

Mischa (Paz): My dad's the Governor. 

Ian: (under his breath, through laughter) Oh my god. Oh my fucking god.

Mayanna (Fran): Okay. And so the car. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah, 

Mayanna (Fran): We drove over here. 

Bex (Ibra): That's why it's– 

Mayanna (Fran): Is a favor from the governor.

Mischa (Paz): I guess?

Mayanna (Fran): Did you call your dad to pick us up from the Dustpan? 

Mischa (Paz): No. I called the car company, and I told them to bill my dad. 

Mayanna (Fran): But they know that they picked us up in the Dustpan.

Mischa (Paz): Yeah. 

Lyn (JJ): Okay. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay. 

Bex (Ibra): It's okay. 

Mayanna (Fran): It's fine. 

Bex (Ibra): It'll be okay. 

Mayanna (Fran): We didn't know. We didn't know that. Oh my god. 

Mischa (Paz): He really-he really doesn't want anything to do with us. He’s really–

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah, until he puts it together, because the Magistrate filed that we're an official organization now, right? 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, and your name's also on that list. 

Mischa (Paz): Yeah.

Lyn (JJ): That is information that will be shared with the special forces, you know, I don't know, the whatever–

Mayanna (Fran): That's why the workshop moves. 

Bex (Ibra): That's why the workshop moves. 

Lyn (JJ): We'll need to cover our tracks a lot, I think. Thank you, thank you Paz. 

Mayanna (Fran): Thank you for telling us. 

Lyn (JJ): I'm so sorry. 

Mayanna (Fran): Thank you for telling us. 

Mischa (Paz): I'm sorry I kept it a secret.

Mayanna (Fran): Don't apologize. Hey. 

Lyn (JJ): It's okay. 

Mayanna (Fran): Don't apologize. It's okay. That's okay. That's–no one's, anyone's business. 

Bex (Ibra): Hey, It's not our fault where we come from. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. 

Mischa (Paz): Yeah. 

Bex (Ibra): It's not our fault. 

[Music ends].

Mischa (Paz): Oh my god. What is he going to say now that I have lightning powers? 

Mayanna (Fran): It's okay, it's okay, it's okay!

Bex (Ibra): He doesn't have to know. 

Mayanna (Fran): He doesn't have to find out about that if you don't want to tell him. If you guys don't talk. 

Mischa (Paz): I don't want to tell him. I don’t want to tell him.

Mayanna (Fran): Don't tell him. Okay. Don't tell him. 

Bex (Ibra): He do–you don't owe him anything. 

Mayanna (Fran): No. 

Bex (Ibra): Do you think he'll recognize your name if it's not using his last name? 

Mischa (Paz): He knows my mom's last name. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh my god. Oh my god. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah, but he's such a narcissist. Do you think he'll really pay any, enough attention? I'm sorry, I'm reaching. 

Mayanna (Fran): Also, if they're investigating these things, you're one of, you have, they're, oh my god, fuck.

Lyn: JJ goes silent. 

Ian (Gordon): Okay. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay. 

Ian (Gordon): Get it together. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yep, absolutely. 

[Music begins: ominous ambient synths]

Ian (Gordon): JJ's probably right. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yep. 

Ian (Gordon): If we are this connected, they are probably watching us, and we're gonna have to do a better job at covering our tracks.

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. 

Ian (Gordon): Second point. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. 

Ian (Gordon): What do we do with this information? 

Mayanna (Fran): That's a great question. Well, for one, Ravona was looking for–

Mayanna: And I like, Paz has seen it, right? Paz has seen it at this point? 

Mischa: Yeah, well Paz saw it when it fell out of the box. 

Mayanna: Right.

Mayanna (Fran): Ravona was looking for this. 

Mayanna: And I'm gonna hold it out. 

Bex (Ibra): Oh, JJ and Gordon found some, I haven't seen it.

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, we found a fleck, we put it in one of your vials. 

Bex (Ibra): A fleck?

Mayanna (Fran): What? 

Bex (Ibra): What’s a fleck? 

Lyn (JJ): It’s just a small–Well, a fleck of Astra. 

Mayanna (Fran): And it's the same color as this one? 

Lyn (JJ): Yes. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay.

Ian: I take it out, we hold it right next to it. 

Bex (Ibra): How did you find that? 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh my god. 

Lyn (JJ): BG found it. 

Mayanna (Fran): Good boy. 

Bex (Ibra): Good boy. 

Mischa (BG): Woof!

Mayanna (Fran): Good boy. Good boy. 

Bex (Ibra): Extra scritches. 

Mayanna (Fran): Whatever this is. That's what someone's looking for, and, oh my god, what if it's the governor's office that sent the mech?

Lyn (JJ): I don't, I, I think, Paz, actually, you're–you are right. We can't assign too much motive to anyone because as soon as we declare a motive, we'll have blind spots. 

Mayanna (Fran): Right, you're right. You’re right.

Lyn (JJ): Because there are many people in this city that do not care for the way that things are right now that also have just as much incentive to take things down. There are a lot of opportunities when people can't remember. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yep. 

Lyn (JJ): It's the same as people not being able to see or–

Mayanna (Fran): What do the attacks have in common? They attacked Boggin’s. They attacked the Dustpan. 

Ian (Gordon): They attacked the bridge, too. 

Mayanna (Fran): What? The bridge? Areas that attract a lot of energy?

Lyn (JJ): There's the dog park in Minetown. There's the major freeway artery. 

Mayanna (Fran): Mhmm. 

Lyn (JJ): There's Boggins, which is kind of at the heart of the Barra. Yeah. And we have that list from Gwen of all these other places. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. 

Lyn (JJ): The factory, the mansion. 

Mayanna (Fran): Astra powers all of that, right? 

Lyn (JJ): Astra powers everything. 

Bex (Ibra): Astra powers me.

Mayanna (Fran): Astra… It's gotta be alive, right? 

[Music ends].

Lyn (JJ): At the very least, possible, truth. 

Mayanna (Fran): And it’s pissed at us?

Ian: That's a, that's, that's a little far. 

Mayanna (Fran): Maybe you're right. 

Bex (Ibra): I gotta ask some doctors some questions. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. 

Mischa (Paz): Yeah. 

Lyn (JJ): I think I need to talk to my family. 

Mayanna (Fran): I think we gotta go to the Pit. 

Ian (Gordon): I think we gotta go to the governor's office. 

Lyn (JJ): We gotta take some baby steps before we reach most of these places because, I don't know if any of you all know, the Pit is really fucking dangerous!

Ian (Gordon): We're not going to the Pit. Who said we're going into the Pit? 

Mayanna (Fran): I said we were going to the Pit. 

Ian (Gordon): We're not going to the Pit, are you serious? 

Mayanna (Fran): We have to go to the Pit. That's where all the Astra is! 

Ian (Gordon): We're gonna get so killed in the Pit!

Mayanna (Fran): I don't wanna, I don't wanna die in the Pit, okay? 

Bex (Ibra): I think we should–I think we should do some training first before we go in the Pit. Can we do a little training first before we go in the Pit? 

Lyn (JJ): We have a lot of different leads, is what I’m saying.

Mayanna (Fran): Okay, fine.

Ian (Gordon): You guys were all upset about all this stuff. I'm upset someone said we're going in the Pit! 

Mayanna (Fran): Sorry! Sorry! 

Lyn (JJ) : You said the governor's office! Do you know how many–

Bex (Ibra): That’s scary too!

Mayanna (Fran): That's like the Pit of our society! 

Bex (Ibra): That's the Pit of bureaucracy!

Ian (Gordon): We can't sneak into the governor's office after dark and collect some evidence? 

Bex (Ibra): That's the Pit! 

Mayanna (Fran): I could make a lockp–

Lyn (JJ): Okay, tell me how you're going to reach the Constellation! 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh. 

Ian (Gordon): Oh, it's in the Constel– 

Mayanna (Fran): Cecilia! She'll be back in a couple days. She would, she's gotta give us her pass now. 

[Music begins: ethereal ambient synths].

Mischa: Gordon, you look down at your compad. [Gasps] And you have a text from Cecilia.

Ian: Oh, great. I thought I had her keys or something with her pass on it. 

Lyn: No. 

Mayanna: That's so funny. 

Mischa: That was so easy. But you do have a text from Cecilia. 

Ian: Great, what's my text say? 

Mischa (Cecilia): [SFX: staticky] Young Gordon, how goes the deliveries? 

Ian: Man, what do I say to that? I think I look up to Fran when I see the text, and I, and I, I look up to the whole group, and I say, 

Ian (Gordon): How badly do we need to get up to the constellation?

Bex (Ibra): I have a travel pass to see my family as often as I need to, and I believe I can travel with one guest. 

Mayanna (Fran): How many guests can Cecilia get? 

Ian: Do I know that information? 

Mischa: It's been three days, and Cecilia is the only person who went. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah. Based on everything that Cecelia said before, it sounds like she doesn't have a guest.

Mayanna (Fran): It sounds like it might be Paz and Ibra. 

Ian (Gordon): And if I could get Cecilia's pass from her, that could be three of us. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yup.

Bex (Ibra): If you could get a way to help her. Tell her that everything is here, and if she needs help, you can go. 

Mischa (Paz): Or do we try to get passes for all of us? 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah..

Mayanna (Fran): Is that possible? I've been trying for months.

Lyn (JJ): We can also see if Gwen can get us in anywhere. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah, well, yeah, we work for the Magistrate. We can see if the Magistrate can send us up there. 

Lyn (JJ): It just means that if we go that route… 

Bex (Ibra): It's official. 

Lyn (JJ): It’s official and on the books.

Bex (Ibra): Fuck.

Mischa (Paz): Or, I mean, this is the fate of the city, right? It's the fate of everything, right? 

All: Yeah.

Mischa (Paz): Other people have passes.

Bex (Ibra): You want to st–

Mayanna (Fran): You want to steal?

Mischa (Paz): I don't know! This is my first day in whatever you guys are doing. 

Mayanna (Fran): Hey, hey, you're doing great, by the way. 

Bex (Ibra): No idea is a bad idea. 

Mayanna (Fran): For your first day? You're doing great. 

Ian: No, but I look at it and I go, 

Ian (Gordon): That's what I'm thinking. 

Ian: And I text Cecilia back. Man, is four days too far away, I wonder, to steal passes? 

Mischa: Time has been moving so strangely in this campaign, in this show so far. 

Ian: Yeah. 

Mischa: I think that's up to you as a player, my man. 

Ian: Okay, well, that's my plan at the moment. 

Ian (Gordon): [SFX: staticky] It's going so great, Cecilia. I can't wait til you’re back. Let's get lunch, question mark? 

Mischa (Cecilia): [SFX: staticky] Absolutely. I'm gonna get the whole debrief as soon as I'm back. 

Ian (Gordon): [SFX: staticky] Great. Sounds good. 

Mischa (Cecilia): [SFX: staticky] No issues? 

Ian (Gordon): [SFX: staticky] None. 

Mischa: Can you roll me Deception with Advantage?

Ian: Cause it's through text? 

Mischa: Cause it's through text. 

Mayanna: Smart. Oh, that's great. 

Lyn: You don't text like JJ. 

Bex: (laughs) You don't text with your heart on your sleeve. 

Lyn: Yeah. 

[Dice rolls].

Ian: That's a natural 20. 

[Cheers].

Bex: Oh! 

Lyn: Yeah you do!

Ian: Wait, I have a better idea. 

Mischa: Okay. 

Ian: What if I lie to her and tell her everything's terrible so she has to come back immediately?

Bex: Why would you do that to her? 

Ian: So that we can get– 

Lyn: You’re gonna get fired. 

Bex: You're gonna get so fired if you do that. 

Mischa: Well isn't this the fate of everything? 

Bex: Don't you wanna get fired? 

Mayanna: Damn, dude.

Ian: Because we have to get up there. 

Mischa: This is such a fucking juicy story moment that I'm willing to go back and retcon this moment.

Bex: Hell yeah. 

Mischa: What do you say to her? 

Ian: I think I say, 

Ian (Gordon): [SFX: staticky] Honestly, Cecilia, this was a little bit of a big job for me. And it hasn’t been going great. If at all possible, you might want to come back for some… damage control.

Ian: And then a fire symbol. 

[squeaks and gasps].

Mischa: There's a long time before she responds again. 

Bex: Natural 20.

Mischa: I think she just says, 

Mischa (Cecilia): [SFX: staticky] Disappointing. I'll be back in the morning. 

[Gasps].

[Deep groans].

Ian: Oh, that hurt more than I was expecting it to hurt. 

Ian (Gordon): Now I'm nervous about my plan. 

Mayanna (Fran): Don't be. We stood up to Ravonna. We fought a mech. 

Ian (Gordon): Yeah. 

Mayanna (Fran): She'll understand. 

Lyn (JJ): And this food is delicious.

Mayanna (Fran): And also it hasn't been going bad. 

Bex (Ibra): It's been going great. 

Mayanna (Fran): You've been doing great. 

Ian (Gordon): Okay, great. 

Mayanna (Fran): This is all a lie!

Bex (Ibra): But you're right, it is too much. 

Ian (Gordon): Okay. 

Mayanna (Fran): You didn't actually fail. 

Ian (Gordon): You're right. 

Mayanna (Fran): You're just doing this to potentially save our entire town. 

Bex (Ibra): She-she's probably going to be pissed for a lot of reasons, but we're trying to save everything.

Ian (Gordon): Okay, great. I'm gonna meet up with her tomorrow, I'm gonna try to grab her pass, who else's passes can we grab? 

Mischa (Paz): And I'm not supposed to call favors from my dad, right? 

All: (shouting) No! 

Mischa (Paz): Okay! 

Lyn (JJ): Oh, we sounded really aggressive. 

Ian (Gordon): Okay, one more time. 

Mayanna (Fran): Sorry.

All: (sympathetically) No. 

Ian: Yeah, yeah, do it one more time. 

Mischa (Paz): N-no, I get the, I get the idea. Thanks.

[Laughter]. 

Lyn (JJ): Sorry, Paz.

Mayanna (Fran): from here on out, you probably can't ask your dad for any favors. 

Bex (Ibra): I don't wanna say that entirely. I think we have to ask him for favors really strategically. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay. You're right. 

Mischa (Paz): Yeah it's like it's, it's like– 

Bex (Ibra): In a way that benefits us. 

Mayanna (Fran): You're right. Would Thorgunn have a pass? 

Bex (Ibra): Hang on. I have siblings. I can steal some. I have dinner tomorrow night. 

Mayanna (Fran): Oh my god. [Gasps] You're gonna rob your family? 

Bex (Ibra): I have a mandatory meeting. I'm not robbing my family, I'm robbing my siblings. 

Mischa (Paz): Okay. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay, That is a lot of things you just said. uhh–yeah. 

Bex (Ibra): I'll get it back to them. 

Mayanna (Fran): For sure, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, that wasn't what I was worried about.

Mischa (Paz): Yeah, and we can do that. Yeah, there's, I mean, there's two of them and two of us. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah. 

Mayanna (Fran): And Gwen can't help at all? 

Lyn (JJ): I mean, I can ask. It's just, again, it'll be on paper. Which–

Mayanna (Fran): Oh, right. We can't do that. We can't do that. Damn it. 

Lyn (JJ): You know, for better, for worse, it's available to us, but it’s a risk.

Mayanna (Fran): we can't do that. They can't know what we're doing, man. Okay. So here, okay. So here's, here are the options. We could, we could rob Ibra's siblings. 

Mischa (Paz): They each have a pass and they get plus ones like you, right? 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah. 

Mischa (Paz): And you already have yours. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah. 

Mayanna (Fran): You already have one. 

Lyn (JJ): Let's count seats. Cecilia has one seat. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay. 

Bex (Ibra): I have two seats.

Lyn (JJ): Ibra has two seats.

Mayanna (Fran): Two seats, that’s three.

Bex (Ibra): Brahma has two seats, and Hema has two seats.

Mayanna (Fran): Okay, so that's six. 

Lyn (JJ): That brings us to a total of seven seats that we can get if we steal your siblings’. 

Bex (Ibra): How many of us are there? 

Lyn (JJ): There are five of us. 

Mischa (Paz): So we only need one from your siblings. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. 

Bex (Ibra): Oh.

Mischa (Paz): Even easier. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. 

Bex (Ibra): Oh, that's even easier. One of them is the one that uses it. One of the ones just stays up there. We'll just steal the one that stays up there. 

Mayanna (Fran): Well, that sounds great then. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah. 

Mayanna (Fran): That makes a lot of sense. I'm sure nothing will go wrong in that situation. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah, no way. 

Ian (Gordon): Ibra's gonna steal one pass from siblings. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yep. 

Ian (Gordon): I'm gonna steal one pass from Cecilia. 

Mayanna (Fran): Mhmm. 

Mischa (Paz): Yep. 

Ian (Gordon): And then–

Mayanna (Fran): We're gonna go to the Constellation.

Lyn (JJ): And then what? There's so much stuff going on down here. What are we gonna do when we get there? We're gonna go to the Governor's office and we're gonna what, knock on your dad's door and be like, tell us what the conspiracy is? 

(Bex, Mayanna, and Ian overlapping)

Bex (Ibra): Yeah… 

Mayanna (Fran): Damn it. Yeah, that's about it, yeah. 

Ian (Gordon): Yeah, that sounds kinda bad, doesn’t it?

Lyn (JJ): I know I'm often over-cautious. 

Mayanna (Fran): You're not. You're being smart. No, if anything, I think you know what to do more than you think you do, which is why I always tell you to finish your punctuation with a period, not a question mark. You are really fucking smart. 

Lyn (JJ): Okay. Thank you. 

Mayanna (Fran): You're welcome. 

Lyn (JJ): You're also very fucking smart. 

Mayanna (Fran): Thank you. 

Ian (Gordon): What do you think we should do, JJ?

Lyn (JJ): I think we have some leads we need to follow down here before we make bold moves of stealing. Like, there's a lot of increased security on all of the funiculars right now. 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah.

Lyn (JJ): Like, that's a really big risk and we don't even know what the end goal is going up there. We don't even know if we're gonna get attacked while up on the funicular as far as we know.

Mayanna (Fran): Okay. 

Lyn (JJ): I think– 

Bex (Ibra): With our luck at this point... 

Mayanna (Fran): We follow the leads. We follow the trail?

Lyn (JJ): I think there are a lot of leads here to get a better understanding of our, I hate to say it, enemy. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yep. 

Lyn (JJ): (shudders) We do have leads, and Fran, I'm really stuck on what you're saying about Astra being this unknown thing. Do you want to talk to my family? 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah.

Lyn (JJ): We've been miners and tinkerers forever. 

Mayanna (Fran): Yeah. I do want to talk to your family. 

Ian: I toss Fran the vial with the tiny piece. 

Mayanna: Okay, I catch it. 

Ian: And I go, 

Ian (Gordon): Show them that so you don't show them the big piece. 

Mayanna (Fran): Got it. Who should carry the big piece tomorrow? 

[Music shifts: gentle piano]

Bex (Ibra): I'm going to the Constellation, so not–

Mayanna (Fran): So not you, 

Bex (Ibra): Yeah. 

Mischa (Paz): I'm out then as well.

Mayanna (Fran): Alright, I guess I'll hold on to it. 

Lyn (JJ): Or, Gordon, do you wanna? 

Ian: Everyone looks at me?

Mayanna (Fran): No, no, no, you have to go talk to Cecilia. 

Ian (Gordon): I disagree, I think you should pass it to me. 

Mayanna (Fran): Okay, do you have your backpack on you? The backpack that you keep all your muffins in?  

Ian (Gordon): Mhmm. 

Mayanna (Fran): Can I have it, really quick? 

Bex (Ibra): You sure it's gonna fit in the muffdolier?

Mayanna (Fran): I think I am positive it's gonna fit in the muffdolier.

Ian: I look very dubiously at the muffdolier. 

Mayanna: Yeah, I take the tag out and I press it onto your backpack. 

Mischa: The tag is laid across the front of the bag, slightly diagonally across the zipper, shines cold white, [SFX: metallic shimmering] and then like, sinks into the bag itself, and like, fuses with the bag. All of a sudden, as you're carrying it around your shoulder, as you always are, even when you're cooking? Question mark? 

Ian: Mhmm. Every time. 

Mischa: Yeah. As, even as you're carrying it, all of a sudden, the weight of the bag, it's not a lot, it's just carrying muffins, but like, the weight, it goes like, anti gravity, like the weight of it kind of disappears off your shoulder.

Lyn (JJ): Wow. 

Mayanna (Fran): We don't have time. We have a lot more storage space now. 

Bex: Wait. 

Ian: (excited whooping).

[Music ends].

Mischa: Gordon, your muffdolier is now a bag of holding. 

[Cheers].

Bex: Whoa, holy crap!

Ian: (shouting) Yes! Yes! Yes! I've got a dog! [Laughter]. I've got a bag of holding! This is Gordon's world, baby!

[Laughter]. 

Bex: I think Gordon's now the permanent carrier of Astra. 

Ian: Woo! 

Mayanna: Yeah. 

Ian: Wow, that was cool. 

Lyn: That was sick. 

Mayanna: I'm gonna, I'm gonna like, just get very close to you, Gordon, and I'll just say, 

[Music begins: somber, bittersweet synths].

Mayanna (Fran): This was Paz's birthday party, and if anybody should hold on to that, it's you.

Mischa: You look over at Paz, and Paz looks back at you and nods. 

Ian: I think a single tear comes to Gordon's eye, but he does not let himself get overcome with that emotion, because that feels rude. (sniffles) And he, you know, sniffles it down and wipes the tear. He says, 

Ian (Gordon): Thank you. 

Ian: Ding! [SFX: oven ding] The oven goes off and I pull out a perfectly charred eggplant boat that–

Mayanna: Wow

Ian: In, in a lovely, like cooked whipped eggplant yogurt sauce, and I ladle the cooked vegetables in. and I place the little eggplant bonnet back on and then– I lied. We're not gonna use chives. We're gonna use cilantro. And I like sprinkle cilantro over the top I don't even–I lied, I don't put the bonnet back on so it's like exposed with the stuffing and then fresh cilantro over the top. 

Mayanna: Ah, gorgeous.

Mischa: Incredible, delicious. 

[Music ends].

Mischa: The quiet rings out as Gordon sort of wordlessly plates the stuff and places it in front of you as each of you individually considers your next moves. [SFX: utensils clinking on plates]. And as soon as you place the final plate and sit around, the five of you at a table, Paz looks down at her meals like, 

Mischa (Paz): I'm sorry, the hunger is overtaking the awkward. 

Mayanna (Fran): Please go for it.

Mischa: And she just immediately dives in. 

Mayanna (Fran): By all means. 

[Music begins: cozy, rustic acoustic guitar]

Lyn (JJ): Oh, thank you for breaking the seal. 

[Laughter]. 

[SFX: clinking of utensils and plates].

Mayanna (Fran): By all means. 

Bex (Ibra): I'm so glad you said something (gobbles food).

Ian (Gordon): I'm so glad. I thought you were going to say you were allergic to eggplant.

Mischa (Paz): No, it's, oh my god, it's so good. 

Mayanna: (laughs)

Ian: Oh, I go, 

Ian (Gordon): Wait! 

Ian: And I run to the kitchen, I pull out a bottle of white wine. 

Mayanna: Ah.

Ian (Gordon): Assyrtiko? 

Mayanna (Fran): Yes

Ian: And I pop it. [SFX: cork pops]. It's got like a tiny bit of effervescent, and I pour it in glasses. 

[SFX: drink pouring].

Mischa: Oh, Nice.

Mayanna (Fran): Amazing. Thank you. 

Mischa: And as the food fills your bellies, your minds turn away from dire tasks just for a minute, and just to enjoy a meal with each other. This excellent meal that your excellent chef friend has concocted. 

Mayanna: Amazing. 

Bex (Ibra): Round of applause for the chef. (Applauds).

Lyn (JJ): Cheers to saving the world, you guys. 

Mayanna (Fran): To saving the world. 

Bex (Ibra): Let's do this. 

[SFX: glasses clink]. [Music ends].

Ian (Gordon): Cecilia's gonna be so mad at me. 

[Laughter]. 

Lyn (JJ): Yeah, she is.

[Theme music plays].

Mischa: The Wandering Path was created by me. Mischa Stanton, and produced by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, and me. This story was game mastered and sound designed by me, Mischa Stanton, and was played and performed by Bex Taylor-Klaus, Lyn Rafil, Ian McQuown, and Mayanna Berrin. Cover art by Lyn Rafil, transcript assistance by Darby Summers, and music courtesy of the Independent Music Licensing Collective. Our production and house manager is Erin Bark. 

If you like what you're listening to, please tell your friends, and let them know where to find us. Our website is wanderingpathpod.com, where you'll find links to subscribe and follow us wherever the path leads. We're also on Patreon, patreon.com/wanderingpathpod. We're so grateful for anything you can do to help us keep making this show. Thanks for wandering with us. Till next time!

[Theme music fades out].