The crew is brought before the leader of Serenity and he discusses their future. Can they avoid being sent back to the salt mines? Or does their future hold something more interesting things..
Knights of the Night
KotN Actual Play Podcast - 149 Numenera - Man Behind the Curtain
[Music] Hello and welcome to Night to the Night actual play podcast. This new manera adventure, Sandscape, was written and run by a GM Scott. [Music] And now, please enjoy episode 149, titled "Man Behind the Curtain, actual play starts nine minutes, seven seconds." [Music] All right, we'll get into the feedback. First of all, I'd like to thank everybody who responded on Facebook with the good wishes, the prayers, all the fine comments supporting the fact that I was in the hospital. I'm doing fine, feel great, minor surgery coming up and everything will be back to normal. So thank you all for your comments. I also want to say hello to Chris Snezak of Miss Directed Mark and Pete Figtrate. Pete is from the Arufus Diastemo podcast. I met them both at the Con in the Cobb today. This is Friday night and I'm going to get tomorrow. But you won't hear this until after the Con is over. So, hello to anybody I see tomorrow as well. Had fun, we had some talk. We actually recorded a podcast while we were there and it'll probably be released on Miss Directed Mark. All right, onto the feedback. We had a little bit on the main page of Facebook. Patrick Brannick said, "Just finished listening to your Dungeon World AP. I haven't had a chance to hear any of your earlier broadcasts yet, but after enjoying Dungeon World so much, I'm definitely going to check them out." I never put much thought into Dresin files, but World of Darkness is one of my favorite systems, slash settings. Also, I'm excited to see what you guys are going to do with New Manera. My only comment so far is that I'm digging the new intro music. Thanks for sharing the entertainment with us all. I really like that song. I talked to Joe about it, the guy who wrote it, and he said it was his favorite as well, but I really like the intro music a lot. For your feet? That was his fourth, wasn't it? It was actually, he gave us four different ones and that was the one we chose. So thank you, Patrick, for your feedback and we enjoy the music too. I'm glad you're enjoying the show. We had some feedback on episode 148. Luke Green said, "It's an interesting mixture of characters you have. Lots of super stuff. I also like the mix of types and two female characters this time. The cybernetic warrior with a like anthropist sister working with a genopath nano and a phasing nano and a bounty hunter of sorts." Very interesting. I'm a genopath. It wasn't in my descriptor. Luke Green also commented and said, "I thought training reduced the difficulty by one and especially by two." Yeah. And I said, "Luke, you're correct. I believe you heard incorrectly." Scott asked if John had a specialty and John said no, not yet. So it's just minus one and all things were done correctly on the podcast. So I went back and checked it. Perhaps, probably could be. If you go back and listen. Exactly. Do they know that's a joke? Yeah, I'm sure they do. I don't know. Anybody who's listening to the podcast? I was wondering if I made it into the podcast. Anybody who listened to any amount of time would have heard that joke. Of course. Yeah, because it was my joke and it was funny and it wasn't upon Mike. Those are the criteria for those things to be put in there, right? If you go back and listen, you would realize everybody knows it's a joke. That's right. Ari posted and said downloading. But wait a second. I was driving an hour and something yesterday. So sorry about that, Ari. Which is what I said. I was kind of in the hospital and couldn't quite get that episode out at that time. So Ari, a curve. I did. And he kind of figured that and he was glad to have you back on the puddle. Is that a real word? Podcasting and saddle? Oh well. Cheers to you anyways. Continued health. It is now. Back in the puddle again? I'm not going to use it. Yeah, I would edit this out, but it was from a fan, Mike. Yeah. Sounds like a fan. Sorry, I just said. You got to get them see something. I mean, they're right in. Let's do all the puns doing. No puns in it. I'm going to edit them out. I mean, I'm trying to go easy, I know. I think the key is to get a saturate your voice with the kind of tension when you say, I think if you go back and look at it. Oh, you do. It has to be so good. Yeah, you can't really soak it. We had a tweet from Tandy. He's still a little- Sounds tasty. And a tweet from Tandy. From Tandy. He's still a little upset about the 4E thing we had going on this question. And he said- Would he be a big 4E fan? He is a big 4E fan. He's the one that said- Wait for him. He's the one. Yes. I didn't say that Tandy. That was Michael. Is he put a 4E anonymous? I thought they weren't supposed to help themselves. He said, your comments regarding Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition and role-playing. If you modify the game, you're not playing it anymore. This disappoints me. Be creative. And you know what I'll say to Tandy? Is he's right? Yeah. You have a right to modify your game and we do it all the time. If he knew it's better, he would realize, I don't think he'd ever played a game that we haven't modified in some way. I think my point was, if you have to modify it that drastically, as the requirements for taking a map out of 4E, I think that's a really heavy modification that you'd have to do a lot of places. And if you've got to go to that extent to make the game playable, you're playing the wrong game. Start with a game that doesn't need that much modification out of the game. Exactly. There's plenty of people out there that enjoyed that that miniatures- Oh yeah, I do. That's great. I do. And not as much as I used to, but I enjoyed this strategy and the planning that's required and the- I think for the first year or so we've really enjoyed 4E. All Tanya's hearing is our negative assessment, but we had a good year where we really got in a map, so I kind of like the printer and would print out these huge high-definition maps, and we would have these really strategic battles take place in them. But it just kind of- We kind of grew out of it in the sense that we decided that we'd like the story telling. Yeah. That's what we found out that we were playing more of a game that was a strategy or tactical miniature game that- Nothing wrong with that. Yeah, we weren't getting a lot of- It just wasn't our- it wasn't our sweet spot in our zone. Our zone is telling stories, character arc and development, and so we left system for, you know, some greener pastures. But I will say, Tanya is correct that that was a sweeping statement I made, but I still stick by the fact if you've got to make those big changes, you're probably playing the wrong game that you would enjoy. I will say it did enjoy and I do miss the character creation, the- and all those cards that we got to organize, but that's just the document nerd in me, I guess. I think it was a familiar framework that made it a little- Maybe, maybe. It's like men. I still enjoy hammering out- Yeah, very much. Manage with the gathering meets Dindy. Never gotten into magic together. And so far, I haven't enjoyed the character creation process of our pure story telling games. I mean, it just doesn't feel- Nothing is struck that sweet spot for you is- Nah, I don't know what it is. You didn't like- No, you didn't like human error though. It wasn't- It was alright. Better than say fate? It was better than fate. Okay. I think just new men are so different. I mean, it's familiar in some senses, but I think it's also the choices and what they mean. I don't know enough about yet to understand how it's all going to work as our current situation is. We're showing yourself that- Sure. Alright, one last thing we had a post on Google+ in which Tim Murley said that he subscribed to our feed. He's curious to see how the system works with an actual group. This was under the Numenair community on Google+. Well- And I don't know, I saw that. Yes. And he said this is such a well edited podcast that I went back and started listening to your gross and foul episodes as well. So welcome aboard Tim. Yeah. I hope you enjoy the ride. Look forward to any other feedback you have- How much that happens, that if- what episode or what system is the gateway into KOTN for our listener? Do they come in for Numenaira and then- What'd be a good one? That's the next poll. Okay. I guess- Well, I've asked that question when I've talked to people as well, what brought you to us? You know, are you a world of darkness? But I never took any stats to quantify it. But yeah, the poll might be interesting. I think we all do that with podcasts. You're listening. I love it, you like, and you know, this is a good. I'm going to go back and listen to some of them. Yeah, I believe that is absolutely true. And do they start all the way back to the early days and like- Oh, the modern seem to. Yeah, I don't know, it just seems like- The feedback anyways. And with that, we'll wrap up the feedback and get down to our first full episode of Numenaira Play. Just a reminder, everybody, KOTN Podcast.com on the right-hand side Amazon link. We're seeing a lot of action there. I appreciate that. And of course, it's getting close and close to Christmas. So go through that link. Doesn't cost you anything. It actually gives us a little boost. So we appreciate that. Bye stuff. Bye stuff. That would be nice too. I don't think they can. Christmas. No, I'm going to call it a deal box for that. Okay, and with that Amazon endorsement, we will now get on to the podcast. Enjoy. This is your GM Scott, and this is the first chapter in the Numenaira story, "Sand Swept." With me on my right is- Jeremy playing Eshman, the mystical Nano who works miracles. Tom playing Tila, the intelligent Jack, who halves at the moon. Mike playing Bosco, the tough glaive who fuses flesh and steel. Michael playing Nina, who's a stealthy Nano who exists partially out of phase. Thomas playing Felix, a strong-willed Jack who funks with great skill. John playing Sig, the mutant Nano who talks to machines. The guard who was at the desk lifts up the top of the desk, and there's actually some type of control panel underneath and he starts fiddling with the desk or the controls underneath the desk. You each- Disappear. For you five, it is absolutely instantaneous. You blink an eye and you are in another room that looks similar, but much, much nicer. There's actually art on the walls. There's uniformed police that look very crisp and professional to the point where they might have flair on their uniforms. They have sashes on shoulders and they look like an entirely different breed of officer, if you will, than the guards you just left. And we all come walking out in our rucksacks. You want to come walking out in our rucksacks. I'm so under-dressed for this. And one of the guards comes forward and says, names please. Eshman, how are you doing? You can't really shake your hand because you're- But you could do this. Yeah. He's like, okay, Eshman, he's got a list in front of them, like some sort of- It looks like some kind of synth pad, maybe three inches by three inches or so. And he seems to be hovering over with his fingertips doing something with the synth pad. So he says, okay, Eshman? And he- I step forward and kind of between him and I say Bosco and Tila. Bosco, Tila, Nina, Nina, and- Tila. Felix, he looks over at her and looks back at you. Well, she's not showering ten days. She doesn't shower in ten days. Within the next, I'm assuming, within the next 15 to 20 seconds, as you guys walk out of the phase tubes, Sig appears behind you. And then you come out and he asks for your name for identification. Sig. Sig. Okay, you all were just transferred from the salt tombs, correct? I can't just spell it. It's actually with a bar in the below, not too far. Both salts off. Yes. Sorry. Regulations have to follow the rules. Nothing gets by you. All right. We are going to be traveling throughout the first. I'm sorry. We're on the Messiah. You're at the Messiah, yes. Okay, we are horrifically underdressed. You are going to be traveling through these corridors. Please don't speak. You're free to look and take in the scenery, if you wish. But I ask you again, please do not speak. You're taking any of my stuff, right? No. You're taking you to an interview to see if you're going to be released. Oh, sure, me. Yeah. Any questions? Who's interviewing us? The vizier. So you're led at this point down pristine white corridors. Again, they're actually curved. They're very elegant. There's art throughout all the walls. On all the walls, I should say there's strange devices. As you walk past certain doors and look into rooms, it is a tinkerer's or a rogues for vanilla, or pretty much anyone's, the light. It's just amazing. There are things, you look at a room, and there's a huge table with 32 different ciphers on it. You're walking through these fantastic corridors. They're pristine white. They are curved as far as the ceiling goes. There's some kind of ambient lighting. Must be glow globes or something built into the actual ceiling itself. That light these hallways. Fucking glow globes in the ceiling. Right, they're not like hanging there. They're actually like inside, and yet showing through the synth compound that's being used. There are artwork, standing artwork like sculptures. There are, again, from civilizations that have a different aesthetic than you would probably have here on this 9th world. You look into doorways. There are tables filled with ciphers, perhaps artifacts. There's tons of armed guards. There's tinkerers and eon priests who are researching and doing all kinds of strange things with these devices. Eventually, the workers in the side room start to disappear, and you start to, as you continue to wind your way, or wind your way through these various hallways and corridors, to the point where you're utterly lost unless you have some direction sense. I've got so much direction sense. So, you are not lost. Not lost. Okay, everyone else is completely lost, except for Felix. It's actually a skill you have. I don't know, I just assumed that I was a tracker. Let me check my actual skills. I'm just curious, guys. Well, he can just say he's not lost, and no one knows. Yeah, he bought it. Yeah, it was believable. I don't know, where are you? I don't. Yeah, right. I definitely know. So, as you wind your way through these different corridors and these different hallways, and these different splits, and then through rooms, that then become a bit more, elegant. The guards become even more dressed up and polished up. Almost to the point. To the point where it would be down if they were actually in combat? Yes, think the papal security now it is. Yeah, like the Swiss guard or whatever. The Swiss guard. Not the Swedish. The Swedish. The Swiss guard. Right. So, you find yourself in what probably is a palace of some sort at this point. Before, you might have been in some annex building off of the palace. That was some sort of police unit and research facility. And now you find yourself actually in a palace. And you're sure it's a palace. Or a deep palace. It could be the palace. Yeah, it's got to be the most impressive thing we've ever seen. I mean, we've been in Eilish before, but it's more of like a battle. This is, in all your lives, probably the most impressive setting you've ever been. We've seen a lot of cities in the cold desert, but this is right. Yes, and it's, one thing it is that it's not down in the below is it's warm. It's not just the warm of a building that has some sort of power source that keeps it warm. You see windows and you see palm trees outside. And this gorgeous desert landscape that is unlike, again, anything you've ever seen, because you've been maybe to the lowest of the three mirages. But you've never been to the messiah, which is the highest of the three. So, so do we see grass? Why do we get to the messiah? If we see grass, that was the teleportation. Oh, I thought we only know what to pull up. One level. No, it's you. It's about three. It's about three. Holy shit. So, I see grass has struck the weep. Yes, there's absolutely, there's patches of it. I mean, there's obviously some sandscape as part of the current aesthetic that Darius VII finds enjoyable. So, there's a lot of sand gardens and rock gardens, but there's also cobses of deciduous trees and park-like settings. And then, of course, you round the bend in one hallway and you see a very much more so than from the three quarters a mile below that you are. You see the striking visage of the messiah as you round. And it's for a fact, there's these huge windows that just frame it perfectly as you come into some particular anti-chamber and you're able to see the huge gushing. There's actually what ends up being three separate waterfalls from down below. It looks like one. But there's one large one and then off to a side, there's a much smaller one and then a really thin one trailing down. And you can see the mist flowing forward from it. The rainbows that are shooting off of it because it's water and it's up high and it's misting. And they're sun outside today. So, you're getting the full effect of the grandeur of this particular palace, which is known as the Jade Palace from below. It's what's called in the city. But you realize that you are now most likely in the Jade Palace and it certainly lives up to your expectations. A few more minutes from this particular vision. I just stop at the window until they push me along. Right. And he doesn't push you. We just... We... We cannot keep the bizarre waiting. He looks expectantly at you with not undue kindness, like, "Come on, we have a place to be." I wait just to skosh more and then go. Okay. And his disposition doesn't seem to change in that scotch of time. If it had been more than a scotch, he would have put a two-scotch on there. We don't know. What would have happened? Blam. Okay. Keep going. The rest of you, keep going. Imagine I stopped similar interval with the umanera in the distance. Oh, right. Just... Yeah. It's definitely much less now as you're in the palace. I started traveling more. I'm too busy focusing on how to go. Right. But you do see the ciphers and the research facilities and labs have disappeared. But what you see now are incredible artifacts that defy description. Just incredible pieces of in these anti-chambers in a corner. There's an artifact that looks like it could have been part of some rocket ship or something along those lines, some hovercraft. But it's so beautiful. It actually looks like it's being displayed as art. But it might actually have some functionality to it as well. But that's left to your various imaginations. I would think you'd have like a piece of art that you're not sure if it's art or security. And it's like following you as you go around a corner. You haven't seen that, but it doesn't mean that there may even be, you know, you can't even see it because it's that sophisticated. I'm trying not to show it, but I'm fascinated and I'm drinking it all in. Right. So it can't be three minutes past that particular anti-chamber which had the beautiful view and the incredibly large sculptures and artifacts that you come to a door after going through several others and several security checks. And he turns to you, each of you and says, "We are now approaching the private throne room of the vizier." And so I ask you to be respectful. I ask you to answer any questions and concerns he might have is honestly and forthrightly as you can. And I wish you the best of luck. And with that, he opens the door, which is actually a large set of double doors that he opens. And he steps back to allow you to enter. And you see a throne room is the way they described it. You would describe it as the most incredible office perhaps you've ever seen. There's no throne. He's sitting in what looks to be an actual wooden chair. Now, when I say wooden, I mean, it's highly polished. It's oversized. It is an incredibly look piece of furniture. But it's not synth. It is real wood. And it is incredibly well crafted. There is a desk in front of him, which builds. I've grown up in the trading business. I mean, I assume that we have a basic knowledge of just the sheer wealth that we're being presented. Yes, right. And you are being presented with wealth that even when you sat in your tiny, it wasn't an inexpensive home that your father owned. He was a decent trader and he made a good living. So when you sat inside your home, whether it was made since the desert could have been clay bricks or mud bricks. But it was still a nice little structure. You never, in your life, dreamed of the things that you're seeing now. And then when he opens the door, I mean, he has a desk that's probably, well, to be honest, it's the size of this ping-pong table, which that we're playing on right now, but for our listeners, that's probably a good eight to nine foot across, maybe 10, by probably four to five foot wide, that he's sitting behind. There are some incredibly interesting looking artifacts on this. One looks to be something that displays its metal twisted, but there's like two little, they almost look like gears to a machine, but they're long, they're elongated, they're tall and narrow. They come out of the swirl of metal. And in there is a holographic image but one that is moving and changing. It's as if he's looking down, it looks like you're looking down on the below. And he might move his fingers for a second and he can zoom in and zoom out and look at different parts of it. And another part of his desk is another one that shows the world, as you know it, to an extent. There are probably 10 guards in the room, five on either side of the desk. So the walls against it. And they are not human. They look to be ad-human, which just absolutely strikes you as incredible. Your impressions of a lifetime in the desert or the near desert surroundings. Ad-human bad. Ad-human bad. Ad-human attack on sight. Reaching for a cross-show that isn't really there. Yeah. Caravan raiders. Rapers and pillagers of villages. But here they are, not dressed in any way, like the other guards in this palace. But still armor. What looks to be in your travels, looks to be some type of electric lance, perhaps. It's a lance-like item, but the tip itself is crackling with electricity. And they're holding it on either side of him. They're each holding one. There's five guards on either side of him. My primary reaction to seeing a bunch of ab-humans with weapons in the room as I walk in, is I would stop and almost take a step back. Like, she's an ambusher. They took us up here to kill us. Right. Complicated murder. They wanted to show me the best of life before they end up dying. Above his desk, hovering in air, are pieces, what look like to be pieces of electronic paper. And he seems to be jotting with a pen that doesn't exist onto paper in one. And he's looking at one and drawing it closer. And the paper seems to be responding to his movement. So he's got five or six sheets in front of him. That are right at eye level or slightly above, or slightly below that he's moving about in controlling. Behind him is a ornate set of double doors. What looks to be a eon priest. And what looks to be on one side of a door. And on the other side of the door, what looks to be a regular citizen. You know, he's dressed in robes that make him look scholarly, if you will. But looks to be human. The one he's going to be on your right as you're walking into the room. You recognize one as an eon priest, which to the left of the door. And to the right of the door is a gentleman dressed in robes that look somewhat scholarly. The scholar seems to be a little bit older. Maybe in his early 50s, salt and pepper hair. He looks fit, but trim. He has a look of stoicism on his face. You look to the eon priest, he is young. Probably in his mid 20s, so your age. And he's the eon priest to the vizier. And that is kind of, for at least sick. It's kind of surprising. Someone that young is counseling someone that seems to have, it'd be in such possession of power. I spent some time studying with the eon priest in key. Do I recognize him as an important guy around there? Prodigy, there was a deal around. I'm not going to have you make a rule, because the answer is yes or no, as opposed to something that we can, we're in shape. This particular eon priest is not known to you. Okay. And to be fair, you're passing through. So he could have been a local legend, you know, as opposed to someone that you would have met in key. Most key. It's the biggest city in the subfast, I believe. One of the biggest ones. It's around here. It's in the middle somewhere. Okay. Not a big deal. Okay. Okay. So, is there any one? I'm not a little from there, but I've visited. There's various degrees of impressive, like shock, as you see the ab humans, or that you see just how... Rich this guy. Yeah, just how incredibly, not just rich, but rich in ciphers, in technology, it's just, it's incredibly impressive. But when he sees a door open, he continues to write for a few moments, and then he looks up, and he spreads the papers to the side, and he clasped his hands in front of you and says, "Welcome. Please come and seat yourselves." And he puts his hand out, and on the other side of the desk, which would be closest to you, there are six chairs, also made of a highly polished wood. And the doors slowly close behind you. What do you do? I've done knee and bow before. What do you do, typically, for when you see people that are... I mean, is it... What is it? What are you supposed to do? There are no business expected when you see a little or something like that. What is the protocol? You would you bow when they go bow? Unbow. Unbow. No, you wouldn't salute. A bow would be an order for nobility, which you have never seen in your life. You've never actually seen a noble. You've heard about them, but you have never seen one. If they have business on the lowest of the mirages or in the below, they send couriers or servants or sleds. So I take a knee, keep my head down, and I tell Tila to do the same. I bow deeply, and then I help the lady set before I sit down. I look at the little surly, and I just go sit in that chair. Okay. You give an exaggerated courtesy. In your truck set... I want to sit down. There's too much tech in this room. I've been inundated. I kind of can't focus. Right. Yeah. I have an ability to sense new manera. It's functional. This takes an action, but I think with this much going on, I'm just kind of... It's on the walls. It's on his desk. It's unsealing. It's in corners. I've been leaning on the sense it's like out here, just to check what's around. But when I got into this room, I'm just kind of... I'd stand there and watch Shig to see like what his reaction is, because I'm kind of deferring to him. But then my brother grabs me by the shoulder and goes... You have a nod and then I go over and sit down. All right. I don't race when you leave position. I'm not seating yet. All right. He sees each of you approaching in your various states as... He takes it in. He certainly is watching you and aware, interested to see your reactions. It seems. He has his fingers steepled and he's resting on his chin. He looks to be a very fit, handsome man. He has brown, close cropped hair. Kind of thrown forward, if you will, and if we're going to go to a descriptor of it, like almost like a Roman style, it's thrown forward and it's very close cropped. He has a very handsome face. He's probably in his mid-30s or so. Looks to be pretty fit. He's dressed in impeccable clothing. Although he's not dressed like a king or a prince or anything, he's dressed like what you would almost assume is to be almost like a professional businessman. You know, he has on a certain type of colored shirt. And you can't see what he's wearing below, because he's seated, but he's got it on a colored shirt. There's no crown. There's no adornments, if you will. I mean, certainly he's wearing some rings on his fingers and some type of bracelet, which screams new manira. The thing that's most striking about him as he locks eyes with each of you as you approach or don't approach and eventually says, "Please stand and be seated." And he says it pleasantly, not in a way that's condescending or in any way, shape or form negative. What you really see the most on are his, he has the most, I don't want to use a luring, because some of you are male, but it's almost- - That's a billion years from that, right? - Yeah, right. It's, he has, no, his eyes. He has the most impassioned eyes that you have ever seen. When you look at him, you feel as if, whether his facial expressions show or not, you feel as if you are the only person in the room, and he is intently interested to the point of embarrassment at what you have to think or what you have to say. His eyes are absolutely mesmerizing. And for the women- - I'll take your word for it. - Yeah, for the women, they're absolutely alluring. Not that you couldn't resist, you could, but it's just striking how, and for the guys, probably even more so of, wow, this guy has an incredible presence about him, and it's all in the eye. It's not the goatee, it's not the hair, it's not the equine. - Can I do a role to see if he's got tacking his eyes? - Yeah, equine features. That's considered very noble, like in many cultures. It's equated to, well, we won't get into a debate about aesthetics. Tila's skill set is people places. She knows geography, languages, and people. Those are her skills. So if there's any situation where she can take a read on him to try to pick up a falseness more than anything, I mean, she's as mamored as anyone else's over his presence, but she's always leery, always judging people, and weighing them. - Yeah, I think that would be fitting after some conversation. - Obviously. - Okay. - As opposed to just-- - To make you aware, I'm not sure. If there is information you want to give, but not too much, or you know. - This one I'm trying to figure out, is this the way he is, or is it back by tech, and it's a false front? - Well, once you're all seated, he-- - Which I actually do. - I was just right. - I sat down right away and said, you know, I say thank you for taking time out of your, must be a very busy schedule to see us. - For whatever reason. - Well, thank you. And I want to start off by thanking each and every one of you for coming. You could have made it very difficult. You could have resisted. You could have caused difficulties, but each of you came very freely from what I've been told of your own volition. And for that, I appreciate it. Your present incarceration cannot be comfortable or enjoyable for individuals such as yourselves. - And for comfort, could you turn off some of this tech? - It's a tech bother me. - Oh, yeah. - So he sits back in his chair for a second, and he whispers something under his breath. And most of the tech, just out of second hesitation, just dims to almost non-existent. On the firewall behind one set of the ab humans, a large window appears with gardens and soothing sites. There's some type of domestic animal that is frolicking in the woods. - Is it inside or on the other side? - This room doesn't have windows, but it does now. And it looks- - Which means more attack. - No, but it looks perfect. And it looks very soothing. There's fountains, it's very serene. - It's soothing to someone who doesn't notice tech as another sense. Is this just a window? - He doesn't know that. It's just a window. - He doesn't know that, but I do, is that- - Right, it is a definitely tech that created the window. - But the window knows. - But you now have 15 techs turned off and just one tech turned on. - Okay, I was wondering if it was truly a window. - No, it's not a real window. Everyone else thinks it's a real window, except for you. So he says, the first thing I would like to ask of you is, would you like to partake in any refreshments? I'm sure your accommodations have been hideous. And I would like to offer you some wine, some cheese or water. Anything sweet. - Anything that doesn't have salt on it. - Dually noted. And he does nothing more than this. And doors open and in-walk servants. Very well appointed servants, nastlevs, wearing white, toga-ish type outfits, maybe would be a good description. And they are all trimmed in green, a jade green. - Human? - And they are human. And they bring in trays of food, pictures of fresh water, of fresh iced tea, of fresh ice candelgeus, wine, beer. It's huge then. And he notices Nina put her wrists up. And looks at him knowingly. And he mutters something under his breath. And all of your manacles click. - Fucking magic asshole. - I'm assuming that was under your breath or in your head. - He feels it under the breath. - So please partake. - I partake. - I do that. - I don't suppose I could have heard what he said or what? - Magic asshole? - No, no, no, he said don't put the magic. - You, um, you can try. Metagaming wise, he actually has the ability to have silence around him when he wants. - Okay. - So he just basically brought up a quick field of silence, which might have some to do with that bracelet he's wearing on his arm. And he then whispered something, which either it was a scramble or, I think a scramble would be a little bit more interesting than just having a silencer. So his words got scrambled a bit and you have, it just doesn't stick in your brain. It just, it scatters. And everyone partakes for a few minutes. Maybe there's some small talk with him. Anyone small talking or just eating and partaking in his largesse. - What do you talk about to a guy who's like on top of the world and in charge of everything and you're just walking on the ground? - Yeah, Cheetah has no problem talking with him. - Okay, then he will converse with you. - I just did. - He asked what you were incarcerated for. - A misunderstanding. - After all. - That happens a lot unfortunately in a city state that's currently experiencing martial law like we are. And I apologize for that. - We were traveling through your area. It's lovely area by the way. And had we not been detained, we probably would have chosen to stay anyways. But we are looking for a relative of ours. - Your father, right? - I'm looking at her unbelievably. - And the fact that he knows that it was your father. - Is kind of disconcerting. - Was disconcerting in the only in the sense that now you get the idea that he knew exactly why you're incarcerated all along. And he's just being polite, which is something to say because a lot of leaders won't be polite. But that kind of gave it away when he mentioned your father to you in your senses. - And it has been mentioned of relief. - I believe. - That'd be nice. - That is something that I would absolutely like to discuss with the six of you. - Please let that be into the military. - What's the deal? - Yeah, well, can I stare at Bosco? - When you're ready to get into why we are coming in. - Well, I'm ready when you found yourselves refreshed and you feel the strength returning, hopefully to your bones. And we can discuss how we can get you back into the greater populace of serenity. - I look over at the Ian Priest and the distance. I'm not sure how far away he is. - He's probably about 20 feet behind. - Then I raised my voice a bit and said, I was arrested for performing my duties as an Aon Priest and upsetting some local nobility. I may recognize Ian Priest and would like my position recognized. - The Eon Priest in the background does not move an inch. - She is so bored. - And the Darius looks to you and says, by all means, I accept and appreciate your place as an Eon Priest. - What may have escaped you, and I'm only speaking in some position here, I don't know for certain, was that any repairs to facilities owned by nobles or the government, those need to be cleared through the proper channels. And unfortunately, the good deed, I'm sure that was in the good deed that your heart aspired to unfortunately broke some of our local laws. Not being a citizen of serenity, I can see where that may have been something that escaped your mind. And again, if it wasn't for this martial law we find ourselves under now, because of the threats from the other city states, I'm sure your good deed would not have gone unnoticed. Unfortunately, in these times, it went noticed and for the wrong reasons. And for that, I truly, truly apologize. - As a traveler of this area, is it true that there are warring city states, or is it being exaggerated so that it's not? - Not being exaggerated at all. Nailish wishes for nothing less than our total and absolute-- - No, I'm not asking him, I'm asking him. - Oh, sorry, he's totally answering it. - I'm asking the GM as a character who has in fact traveled a lot. - The city states here, they're war and bicker all the time. They don't have the Eon Priest of the steadfast to hold them together and force them into some sort of confederation. So here-- - That's what makes traveling around here so dangerous. - But it makes it dangerous and it also makes any type of goods of property. There's a discovery of a artifact. It makes it worth going war over, because there's no regulation to it at all. It's first come, first serve, or whoever flexes the most powerful fence. - And it also makes the prices high because, you know. - Right. - What kind of the desert is this towards? - Your western. - Okay, this line we're making is actually alcoholic wine. - It is actually alcoholic wine. - I probably drink a little too much. - I'm sure you do. - I probably drink none at all. I don't want to lose control of anything. - Yeah, with an empty stomach too, probably goes your head a little quicker than you had anticipated. So he does apologize to you seemingly sincerely, but says to the matter at hand, I'm sure each of you feel in these trying times that you were imprisoned for either a poor reason or a lack of a reason, or under completely false pretenses. And again, for that, I can only extend as the leader of this fair city. I could only extend my most humble apologies. What I would like to do is find a way to resolve this issue without trampling on the laws of serenity. For the people do, in the end, look to the Sultan and vizier as the law of the land. - Faradon of justice. - If you will. - I won't. - I buy this. - I have a problem. And it's one that I don't entrust my own soldiers. And there's a reason for that. Of which I don't feel the obligation to share right now. We'll see if it's necessary in the future. What I would like you to do is there is a caravan of ours that has been way late. I suspect by forces from Nelish. I would like you to travel to that area that the caravan was traveling through. To look for clues as to who may have waylaid this caravan. It's my inclination, if you will, is correct and report back to me. For that duty, for that adventure, if you will. You will each be granted your freedom and citizenship to serenity. - I'm already a citizen. - You will have your citizenship reinstated then. - Yes, yes, yes. - Because you are no longer a citizen of sovereignty when you are sent. - Right. - That's a good question. - My brother, I think, people on the below aren't citizens. You have to be of the upper echelons in order to be a citizen. So I'm not sure you were to begin. - Oh no, he was. - He hosted the people who wrote down that. - Yeah. They're all citizens. He lost his citizenship when he was arrested. - I think he was a coveted thing, kind of like the nobility or citizen. - No, as much as you may have heard and what you may feel bad things about him, he's actually a relatively benevolence dictator. - Is he telling me this? - No, okay. - I'm saying just in general, you heard good things about him in the sense of, you know, he grants citizenship, his taxes aren't overly high. But you didn't know that there was a risk of being waylaid because they're under martial law right now. And that certainly was a possibility. Unfortunately, it happened to the six of you. Now, there's another 30 out there of people like you that they didn't happen to. But it did happen to you six. And that's like your really patient judgment on it at this point, is that it happened to you six. - So you don't want us to find the objects at this caravan we're carrying. You just want to know what happened to it. Definitely what happened to it. Who did it? You get any information about what happened to it, but you don't want us to track that down or go any further than that. - I am not certain that the way layers of said caravan have any idea of what was important or what wasn't important. So it's my belief, if you just find the caravan, report back to me what you found. And I think at that point, it will be enough. - I have two questions. Please feel free to ask them. - When would we be leaving? - Today, if possible. And two, my brother is a wonderful fighter and very worthwhile. Without his equipment, he is much less effective. Sorry, I thought that was a foregone conclusion. All of your equipment will be returned to you as well. - Okay. I kept asking about mine. I figured if I asked about somebody else, I might get a fucking answer. - My question is, I go, why us? You obviously have phenomenal wealth and power, and you command, have humans and armies. Why are you-- - It's not further. It's okay. - That is-- - Maybe the BPD. Sorry, that didn't happen. - Do my ability to say it's a nice thing. - Kick him in the leg. - That is one of the issues that I prefer at this time in our relationship to not necessarily reveal. - Do you wish us to keep this on the download with your court in your guards and such as to what a mission is? - I expect utter confidentiality. - Well, I figured. - Well, without any further objections, I'll have the guards lead you to your equipment. You will be given maps, and you'll be given your largesse to make whatever decisions you see fit. You'll be given a small stipend of shins to help in case you need to purchase anything. And I would expect to see you no later than seven days time reporting back to me, or most likely since you can't just walk up here, reporting back to one of the guards who will make sure I'm well informed. Any other questions that we have? - What do we say to get up here? - The guard will give you instructions that the head of the honor guard. - As I imagine just saying, we need to see the vizier. - Right. - Probably would not be all that. - I'm sorry, I'm sorry. - If in seven days time we don't come back, do you send another group out? - Are you asking this? - Your head explodes just something inside of it. This is not something that we would even think of doing so on. - I'm not asking him what if we don't fucking do it. I mean, what if we die? - What if we can wait late? - What are we doing? - Take captain. - Every reasonable effort will be made to ensure your return. If some ill should befall you on this great adventure. However, from people I trust, from the salt mines all the way to various other entities within the city, I've been told that you six are people who can be trusted and can be counted on to accomplish just about any type of mission put in front of you due to your various skills. So without further ado, I hate to cut it short, but I am a busy man. - Did he mention what they were transporting or that he was not allowed to talk about? - No, he's not telling us that. - And with that, he sits back and starts to pull papers in front of him again. The door is in the back. - I stand on the ten doors and I'm walking up. - Okay. The door is opened back up and the head of the honor guard who seemed to be the one who escorted you here nods at you as in great job. You know, you didn't, you know, you didn't app it up. - You're still alive. - I'm not swiping up blood. - I tried. - And the window dissipates. - Actually, we're gonna go back on again. And I would like actually Tila to make a roll. This one will be, what is your ability to read people? - It's a skill. - Does it have a name? - People. - Yeah, I just get people and I can read them and maybe there's a better name for it. But, you know, since you make up skills, I just assigned it to people. I imagine it's an intellect skill. - Yeah, I just have it at the first level. - You do not have it as a specialty? - Correct. - Are you giving effort? - I might as well because in my intellect, I have an edge so that it only cost me two and my intellect is 15, so. - Right, so you take two points of intellect off, please. And that takes the step down two levels for reading the vizier. Go ahead and make a roll. - Okay, something I was looking up earlier is the example of playing and sometimes the GM tells the target and sometimes they don't, I assume. - I'm not at this point, but I mean, I'm saying if you're running up to a crevasse and you're going to jump and you would know. - You would know the difficulty of it. - In this case, I can't believe it. - We have no idea how good he is at concealing his abilities. - Yeah, I imagine it's pretty damn high. - And I rolled a nine. It is your belief that he seems to be sincere. - Right, I didn't glean anything additional from his. - No, I mean, it's obvious to me he's hiding many things because he wouldn't tell us them. - Yes, that's obvious. - He's not, he's certainly holding stuff back, but what's he being untruthful? - No, in your estimation, again, not telling you whether you succeeded or failed, but in your estimation, was he someone who could be trusted to live up to his word? Seemed to be. That's probably about all you could gather from that. 15 minutes you spent in his palace. - Yes, we're leaving the room. I grabbed Bosco's arm and I am trying to pass up Nina and anyone else, because if I'm going to my equipment, I'm first in line for that. - Right, okay. Nina? - I have lies and trickery, so. - Oh, I don't imagine that to do any better, but do I get it? - No, that's fine. Lies and trickery seems to be on point as well. You have it as a talent, not as a specialty. - Right. - Okay, so we remove one step and then are you applying effort? It is an intellect-based skill, so no, you're not. So you can remove one step from it and go ahead and make your roll. You guys can compare notes later on between you and Tila. - Why would you not want to put an effort into it? - Because you take stuff from your points and your pools are what keep you alive. If you get them down to zero, then you're at first, impaired first, and then a debilitate. - But you can get back your effort for the day's night sleep or something? - Yeah, you're not getting into it. - No, there's two ways to do it. - There are a number of ways besides that, yeah. The first time you recover, you roll a die six, you add one. - It's an action. - It's an action. - It's an action. - Then an hour and ten hours. - So the more you do it, the longer it takes. - It's out of the circle here. - Okay, I'm getting back to Nina. Nothing he said struck you as being a falsehood. He seemed like he was hiding things, which is something you'll discuss with Tila at a more appropriate time. He was definitely hiding things. - He was pretty open about hiding things. - He was open about hiding those things. - You didn't catch any flash of anger behind his eyes when something was spoken. You didn't catch what I called him a magic asshole. - He must have not heard. You didn't see any body language, like a tensing or anything like he was upset with anything anybody has said. He seemed to be a somewhat approachable dictator. - Amyable. - Yeah, Amyable would work as well. And then last but not least would be the talents of Eshman. And you're using your Numenera talent to try to see if there was anything Numenera ask about his eyes or his ability. How he was talking and how he was coming across. - Yeah, the whole, he said like his whole, it was all in his eyes, how sincere and... - Okay, there's definitely another thing. - Yeah, he wasn't. I wanted to see if there was tech in his eyes or in the way he's, I'm guessing projecting something. - Certainly a chance you could try to make. Was there a little clint of circuitry? Or was there something that you caught? Go ahead, Numenera, you have as a talent, you have it as a specialty. - It is a specialty. - So you have two levels and are you applying effort? - I'll do one effort, I guess. Is that how that works? - That's all you can do. - And you can subtract. - And I subtract that from the pool, right? - Yes, you can't do it. - It goes down two. 'Cause you only have an edge of one. - How do you mark effort down? I have a pull of 16, so what happens? I mean, but is that... - It goes down. - It goes down, but how do you know what it's gonna go back up to or is it, or can it go higher than that? - It can't go higher. It can't go higher. - Numen, do I mark one off or do I just say 15 over here? - Yeah, I'd say 15, it works fine. - Is that what you do? - Yep. - He's using efforts, it's three. - It's three and then you have... - I'm assuming you have an edge of one? - Yes. - In intellect? - Yes. - Okay, so it goes, you lose two. Effort cost three, so you lose two. So you're down to 14, from 16. You remove three steps for this very narrow search of there's something in his eyes. Go ahead. - So you know what I'm rolling for and I don't say that works. I'm just... - Oh yeah, I think that was my target. - Yeah, sometimes I'll tell you I rolled in 11. - Okay. It is your firm belief that there is absolutely nothing Numenara asks involving his eyes. His eyes just look like regular eyes. Who it seems to be... It just seems to be one of the prominent feature for him and they seem to be incredibly poignant. - Right. Were we... Did we recognize the sea of any particular class of human? The sea of... What I mean is like... Is he an evolved human? Is he a... Is he a mutant? Is he a... - He seemed to be... - A perfect... - A normal specimen. - Right, he just seemed to be a normal human with striking brown eyes. - Okay. - And I think that this will probably be... - Place will wrap it up and then we'll start the adventure. - Okay, we just wanted to bring this into mind is a... - The how the moon supposedly happens at night. That's what it's mentioned, but it doesn't have to. - Right. - If we don't want it to. And so I'll let you decide when it happens at day or night and even when it's dramatically appropriate for it to happen. It happens fine. - Right. - Five, six days. - It's probably been... - We're getting back. - Do them up here for a career. - Put your mat on. - Thanks for listening to The Knights of the Night Actual Play Podcast. Visit kotnpodcast.com for more information on this and other adventures where you will find character stats, photos, storytelling, props, and even a form for comments and suggestions. Or you could email us directly at feedback at kotnpodcast.com or contact us via Twitter or leave a message on Facebook. All music for this podcast was created and performed by Zen Audio Smith. If you'd like custom professional music created for your podcast or business, please visit Zen Audio Smith.com and please join us next episode for more mystery and adventure. ♪♪♪ - The... - Vizor. - Vizor. - Damn it. - Vizor. - I'm just a fanatical. - I'm just a fanatical. - You gotta clean it right that up. - You gotta clean it right in a way. - You gotta clean it right in a way. - Vizor. - I saw it. - I saw it. - Vizor. - Vizor. - Just imagine that Vizor wearing your bizor. - V-I-S-I-E-R-S-R. - That's how you spell it. - V-I-S-I-E-R-S-R. - I'm not gonna lie to you. - But how can you read that? I think it's a little more. - No, no, no. I'm not gonna read it. - I'm a part of it. - You spell it different. - Vizor. - I... - How do you spell it? - It's V-I-Z-O-R. - V-I-Z-E. - That's like... - I-E-R. - That's an actual word and it's Pfizer. - There's... - Yes. - You call me Nila. - Tila. - Nila. - No, I'm Tila. - You can find our names. Mine's Nina. - It's Vizier. - It's Tila. - It does now. I couldn't say her what you said. It's not like you said Vizier. - Vizier. - Vizier. - Nila. - She's Tila. - Tila. - Nina. - You got those wrong. - Nina. - Whoa, whoa. - What the hell was that? - The fridge finally giving it us some. - Yeah, thank god. - All right, so I'm sorry. Let's start that all again.