Adventure - Delivery
Scene - The Ghoul King
The Warden Allan is an expert with the sword, but can he survive a battle of words with the Ghoul King? And what of the baby Janus?
Actual Play starts at 7:44
Knights of the Night
KOTN Actual Play Podcast 86: "Delivery - The Ghoul King"
(upbeat music) - Hello, and welcome to Knights of the Night Actual Play Podcast. This Dresden File Story Delivery was written and run by GM Tom. And now, please enjoy episode 86, titled The Ghoul King. (upbeat music) - Hi, before we get started, I'm gonna delve into the end of the dark play. A little bit of feedback from John Meier. Did the subject up keep you coming? He says, I just finished the three hour drive and at the same time finished listening to the first Dresden File Story. The only problem I'm having is I haven't read the gym with your novels and thus I am unfamiliar with the lore. I did get to listen to most of the episode involving the design of Cleveland and that is already much more interesting than the canned adventure. So I have high hopes for the actual story. Our canned adventure or a canned adventure? - You guys enjoy the canned adventure. - Neutral rounds. - Yes, okay. - Yeah, it was okay. - You get the news. I've managed to get my game together but due to the involvement of kids being present during the play and new players in the group, there will be no podcast for this game. Oh well, maybe someday. And you get to see what people come up with when they design their characters in the next episode. And I'm really interested in seeing what kind of story can evolve around the city development I've heard with the magic dead zone that you guys turn to Cleveland into. - John Meyer. - So, thank you, John. - Yes. - I'm glad you're enjoying it. He actually sent an email in the beginning talking about how much he enjoyed the shit block. - Oh, fantastic. I think that he will really enjoy this story. I'm kind of excited for him because I think it's at least as strong as shit luck in its own unique way. And the story is just as interesting and I think the characters are just as compelling. So, I think he's gonna have a good read or a good listen anyways. - Oh boy. And if you just start. - And I don't know the more either. So, just goes to show you that you can't actually play the game and enjoy it without necessarily having read all the books. - Sure. In addition to that, we have a few updates on the Facebook page. The first is from Ari, who says, "Just a quick note, I was driving from the summer cottage yesterday and I felt that something was off. I realized that I couldn't listen to your gameplay as the next episode was not get out. It seems I'm really hooked, so keep them coming." - And that might've been because of our release schedule, which has been a little wonky lately. Started with a machine going down that hit all of the files on it and it took a good week to rebuild that. We did recover all the files that we had recorded already. We have been releasing the last two weeks, one per week, but it's been like on Saturday instead of the normal Tuesday, so we're having a hard time getting caught up. But we should be back to at least once a week. I'm not sure what day it's gonna come out, but we'll do our best. - It's always good to hear from Ari. Glad he's still listening and enjoying. The second one, Facebook was from James York. I have a question for you guys on KOTN and the community at large. I have tried some other AP podcasts and I think I've stumbled upon the reason that KOTN is my current favorite ongoing podcast. Editing. I've tried checking out some other AP podcasts, I won't name names, but unfortunately they all seem to have just dumped reporting of their gaming session complete with all the unfunny jabs at one another and the quiggling over rolled discrepancies and the general unproductive chatter that is counted at any tabletop session. I'm fine that it happens on the day and I'm sure it's there around KOTN table, but I really appreciate that Tom edits all that mess about. So the question is, does anybody know of other podcasts that do a similar good job of editing out the garbage? What system are they using? It's secondary to being an enjoyable listen, but if I can find another Dresden or fake game, that would be Trey Spithy. Is that from James York? - Well, I would, the second is point that yes, editing is key to making them move a lot faster, smoother, and cleaner, just like anything. We all have tabletop, we all spend a lot of time going back and forth and you don't need to know all that raw feed does not make a good story. - I think as a group though, we've done much better at staying focused once we start playing. There are often things that come in externally and interrupt the game. - Mm-hmm true. - And we do obviously have our half an hour or 45 minutes start time ramble on which we talk about the week and the latest favorite video game. - That happens weekly, and that's just a way of decompressing this, gonna happen. But in general, we do stay on topic once we start playing. - Everyone's wobbled. We'll say something or do something again, that will remind us it's not the normal glop on the ramp. - Let's do a good cut out. - And unfortunately, as far as any other AP podcast that does that, that's one of the reasons we chose to do what we do, which is try to luminize to half an hour to an hour. We're almost an hour religiously now, rather than half an hour. Just because we have a backlog of recordings that we try to get out, we cut 'em down to half an hour each. Our typical playing night would go for a month, and we would have a huge backlog. So, the hour works a little better. But unfortunately, I can't think of another podcast that does that, which is why we started doing in the first place. We were looking for something that would make us unique and the shorter, more condensed. - So yes, Jim York, you're right, editing is king. (laughing) Okay, one last thing, Trevor Hunchkins joins our fan base on Facebook, and he just left a quick note. Love the show, guys. He also sent me a PDF, which I make sure with Mike, because you were talking about running like a traveler type game or a sci-fi game, and his PDF he sent me was a game of his own design, in which it's a sci-fi game. I haven't had a chance to really look over it yet, but you may be interested in looking at it as well. Unfortunately, it's unlikely that we'll get to play Tusses game as anytime soon, because we have a world of darkness. The storytellers chomping at the bit as it were to get behind the screen, so. - And welcome on board, James, was it, right? - Yes, new listener. - With that, we have our Amazon link on our page, kotmpodcast.com. If you're gonna shop at Amazon, go a few there. Use us, we get a little credit, doesn't cost you anything extra. - That's always good to use that link, that Amazon link, it's very convenient. - Yeah, actually we've gotten some revenue from some of our fans enough to pay for half of the podcast costs for this one. - Woo hoo, that's a start. - Thank you. - And we appreciate that, thank you very much. There's also the listener survey on our page, that's good to the end of this month. You can take it at any time, vote for our-- - This month's being, this month's being June. - So the end of June. - Just in case it must listen. - Yeah, that's true, it's the end of June. - Okay, the last was from Jason Thompson on a Facebook page. Jason Thompson said, "Hey, since you asked for feedback about it, I listened to your podcast on an Android phone, and the app I use is Google Listen. Though I need to copy and paste the RSS link from your webpage to make it find and download the podcast." So that doesn't help you exactly on your question, and you probably do something similar. - Yeah, I'll take it for something that if you searched in the actual app, it would come up and say, "Yeah, here's the podcast, and just link it right in without having to copy it." - Right, and if anybody can tell me in the Android community if maybe I need to post our podcast somewhere to make it available to Android phones that I'm not doing, 'cause we use iTunes and a couple other things to propagate the podcast out there, but maybe I'm missing something that I need to be doing to help you Android users. - In any case, we appreciate Jason taking the time to-- - Thanks for the assist. - Yeah. - In response, indeed. And with that, we will go on to the adventure. - And so we will begin tonight's adventure. This is "Dressing Files," and this is the case file delivery. I am your GM Tom, and on my left is-- - John playing Roberto Martinez, guardian of Cleveland, powered by a fallen angel. - Thomas playing Maxwell Edison, and undercover FBI agent. - Mike playing Ellen Montgomery, the new Warden in town. - I'm Jim playing Edmund Shadowski, a prior investigator and black court new world fan. - I'm Scott playing "The London Deals," a moral seer to the supernatural. - Again, as always, you have a milestone minor. You can adjust any thing you want in your characters, everybody get out of your eight points. You will resume where we left off last time, which is just entering the underground. You've already met with a conductor, and you're ready to enter. - What set up a marching order then? Probably me as far away from the conductor's possible, kerchief and hand on nose. - I thought it was winning to go Maxwell, and I'll be second in line with my sword at the ready. - Geeved. - Ready to pull out as needed. - I would find you. - Geeve your sword. This isn't friendly. - Well, until that's time. - So, the current area that you're in used to be a subway station. Now, you're into a very broken down area. You're not far from where it starts becoming much more natural and much less finished cement. The current aspects for this area would be dark, damp, and cold, clotted, debris, strewn. There's a lot of crap on the ground, whether it's concrete or broken in our stones or whatever. As you're going off this path and you're leaving, what was the lower part of the superior bridge you're heading into darkness? - I believe we rolled for-- - Was it resources or just a declaration based on the fact that I had already been here, that I bought like a duck bag full of flashlight. - So what is the actual light sources you were using? - I'm not sure exactly what we all had. I remember I handed out at least a flashlight to anyone. I think maybe that was-- - I think one of those heavy-duty. - Heavy-duty ones, and then I had one that was like-- - Bendy. - Yeah, gorilla light, bendy thing. - Come on. - Twisted around my gun, so I could aim the mud up there. - Nice, yeah. - I want the flashlight, you can use those as a weapon. - That's a magnetized weapon. - That's definitely. - Now we discussed flares, but we weren't sure we wanted to use them for anything, so. - We got some low sticks for the new one? - Yeah, low sticks, yeah. - I think it's good that we have a fire source. - Fire striker flare, so. - Okay, flash. - That would be useful. Does each person have one? - I'll say we can all have like a flashlight of some sort, a glow stick and a flare. - He knew how many people are, so he would definitely have light source for each of you. - We are so prepared. - Sure. - Everyone has a flash, so. - And a flare. - Everybody has a glow stick. - You know these guys, and you know, London, who wouldn't even think of it? - The migraine, it's fiddle. - You walk farther in, you are lighting this place up. - Not attracting attention at all, it's just brilliant. - And the conductor informs you, not far off, we're gonna run into some of these rules. Normally, if I wanna get past them, I got this, and he pulls out a rabbit from one of his jacket pockets. I just send it, scurrying off some land, and then I can see it by. - It's like a lie. - James rabbit? - He has a live fucking rabbit in his jacket. He has like a trench coat, you know, long and just, you don't even know color. There is no color to describe what this is or what it might have been. Now it's just like vomit, yeah. - With the amount of people we have, we probably aren't gonna be able to skin past any ghouls, right? - Right, he says usually there's two of them. - Probably gonna have to kill him. - We could do that. - I think we can do that. - Yeah. - We brought the meat shields for him, right? - What's your stance on ghouls? - They're already dead. - Okay. - That's what you were fighting them. They're still working on them. - They're still working on them. - Well yeah, wait a second, that's right. - That's just because vampires have souls. I never said I don't have anything in a hand-skilling black court. - Wait, you gotta let go as a black court. - Yeah, so, oh, that's what the issue is. - Okay. - You're getting to the point where he tells you unless we go dark, they're gonna know what's coming. - Me too, one of those magic people, can't you make us all see or something? - You can see the dark, you're not the first person. - Yes, Warden. - Oh, that's yours. - That's what we're doing. Making makes for what everyone can see. - Come on, man. - Yeah, the bad guys too. - Well, you boss didn't need to light up the whole place like a fucking runway. - I don't have a boss anymore. - And where did it get him? - Safely in and out of this place. - How come there's no rim shot for this guy? (heavy breathing) - I'm just saying. - We don't need stealth in this case. We're going in to get this child, right? There's no reason why we're sneaking to get it. - Oh, I think there is a good reason. 'Cause that way we don't die on the way there. Or get, have you used a, oh. - Well, this is all, this is all for art. - Or get to the big bad guy at the end. - Well, I just noticed there's usually two guards. I think one of them might sound a lot of the wrong way. - Wait a second. - Yeah, I'm misunderstanding something here. I thought this child was being protected and held awaiting Donovan's eventual return to come collect the child. Now, I thought we were here to collect the child, not to have a fight to get into, take the child. Am I misunderstanding something? - I don't know of any deal that Donovan made with few ghouls. I just know how to get you in to see the big ghoul. You just want to walk up and then be dragged into the big ghoul. Okay, that'll work too and make my job have a lot easier. Dear God, the smelly man's making sense. - Now, Donovan told you in your private conversations that they're not expecting you. You're going to have to work some way to get the child out of there on your own because they're expecting me to come back. They know not to trust anybody but me. And he informs you that he did bad things down here in that the ghouls have kind of like this subjugated race. They're not really ghouls, but they work for the ghouls. He took one of them, a female and messed her mind up. So she thinks the baby's hers. And there is no way she's letting that baby go unless I can thank you for that. - This race that isn't a ghoul. - It's not human. - Okay. - Should we go dark? - Could I kill it with magic? - It's, uh... - To an extent. - Well, now it's a little bit different. Instead of being bold and upfront, then yeah, we're probably going to have to... - Right, and maybe he gets rid of the bunny. It pulls one of them away that leaves one to try to... - My card. - Harvey never gets caught. He almost comes back. He only leaves one then to subdue and continue on stealthily. No? - We could do this with a lot of killing or a lot of subterfuge. - Well, I just don't know if we are all up for subterfuge. - I am. - And what happens if we sneak our way in there and then the lady doesn't give up the baby without us having to kill her? - And we are in a hornet's nest and we haven't killed anyone on the way in. So clearly more murders the solution. - Yes, but however, if we do move forward with our weapons drawn, it gives her time to disappear into the shadows and then we never find this little annoying, smelly thing that we're in this sewer for. - You can track it with a diaper. - I will not be happening anytime soon. It probably herbs all over me. - Doesn't that just warm your coat? - Well, it's hard. - It does not. - Human larva does not stress it. It can be harder to get, oh yeah, so I don't know. - What do you suggest? - I'd like to flush her out and scare her into... - We don't know what the... - Right. - That's why we don't even have anything. We don't have a map. We don't know what flushing her out means. If we might flush her in deeper in. - Right, that's why I... - Well, he explained a little bit about the race. They're sightless. - They're more locks? - I guess. But they're not very intelligent. They're kind of like cattle as far as the ghouls treat them. - Well, cows protect there. - Lithy male, what do you mean? - Is not a cool, it's a little slave type of or servants or something? - Yes. - Well, did somebody make a roll or do you want to eat this type of thing as to what the strength, the weaknesses are of the ghouls that we were probably adding up more? - With lower work. - Minus two to my roll. My roll was great, so I rolled fair just on them. - The ghouls. - You know ghouls, holy weapons affect them. - Awesome. The silver sword isn't a holy weapon, right? - It's a magic weapon, it's not holy. - I just wasn't sure if the silver swords are considered. - What about the coin? - That's fine. - It's considered religious. - Well, you would have to write that in. - Do you have something being a holy weapon has its own minus in the system? - That's powerful. - Okay. - But then I would say no. - I can just make your flashlight look like a holy sword. I have seen me. - Back up. - Can we get all the information before we start really dissecting it? I think that would be a good idea. - That's about all the information you get in the fair. - We're just all right, dissect away. - I mean, if anybody else wants to roll lower. I roll a fair, so anyone else-- - It doesn't really have a roll higher than that. - Ghouls not what I deal with very often. - Not so disgusting. - They are. - I'll buy you a mic. - So wash on my fudge and my lorry would be great. - Excellent. - That'll be great. - Well, you know dealing with the Bahama Ghouls. - Well, actually, this is the one you were on the adventure with. - Right, right. - So, you know that ghouls can be killed. You can kill a ghoul and they're dead. They stay dead. And that they are affected by holy weapons. And some of them can pass as human. They have strength and speed and they fight with their claws. But they are creatures. And as such, they can be killed. They're not undead in any sense. - While we might be able to intimidate them with the seeming of a holy weapon, I don't know if they would do a holy weapon damage. - The sunlight did to the vampire that powers. It didn't like sever them in two. I don't see the difference. - We're only trying to use it as a way to ward them off. - The holy weapons are used as a catch. Similar to the sunlight. - If you're using a weapon and it's holy, it bypasses their recovery, their strength. All the things that make them special and they would be easier to kill. - So I can turn your sword into a holy sword. Seemingly to them, replete with crosses and baby Jesus face or whatever you want on it. - White fire. - So, stealth or fire power? - I would say, we would go in with stealth and save the fire power. I'm afraid. - Hopefully inevitably fail? - Yes. - Or when we inevitably have to leave and return to the surface. - Right. Anything that gets us in there quicker and gets us out of this smelly disgusting place is better. - So let's go. - And you will probably be the key because it's your ability to track and sense the human child among these Morlocks and ghouls that will help us more than... - Yeah, I couldn't track the baby the first time. - There are two ways we can sneak into here. I have a pretty high stealth, but I don't think anyone else does. - I have a whole list. - I have a. - London can turn people invisible with the seemings. - In that case then, let's just veil up. - Do you want to veil everyone or do you want to veil these two? - They not. - They infiltrate, obtain, and extract and then each cover the escape. - No. - Oh, I like you going to send us another-- - No separating, no, no. I think that's a bad idea. - I'm not going up against the-- - We all go together. We're all in this together, God forbid. - And every time we step where he ends up having to run in and try to save us anyways. - That's happening a lot. - If you take away the meat shield and lead me in this disgusting, inhabitable place, we'll just get attacked from behind and all end up dying. So we all stay together. That's my vote. We get in a tight pack. I do a minor veil. We sneak in. Use the rabbit if we have to. Find this sightless dumb bitch. - Can you veil me as Donovan? - I could seeming you as Donovan. - Can I veil myself as Donovan? - No, a veil is invisible. Seemings make you look like something else. - Okay, the wench with the baby is a more like, yeah? - Right. - Well, you're not going to fool her. She's blind. - No, but they're expecting-- - Yeah, Donovan. - That would go as fast as the first cards. - Well, that's what I'm thinking. - Maybe all the guards. - Maybe. - Is that okay? - I'll show you more blind. - Maybe this. - She'd have to be by herself. I'm sorry, I'm like, she'd have to be by herself. She's going to be with other ghouls and they'll say, yeah, it's Donovan. Give him a damn baby. - Like Donovan can walk down here through the ghouls assuming all of the happy and letting him walk through anyways. - Well, well at least they were expecting Donovan to return and claim the child. - I think of all the ideas I've heard, if we try to do an invisibility saving admin, we're going to make a noise. - So, what's the sense? I mean, we're going to be caught one way or another. The minds will just be Donovan walking like people long here and have tried to walk away with as little physical combat or altercations as possible. - Was there any indication from Donovan that when you put this baby with the surrogate that the rest of the people here knew it was there or didn't only the surrogate know it was there? - You'd have to ask. - And Alan, but now I would tell him. - And Alan would tell you that as William described it to him, the ghouls know what's going on. - The mother thinks that that's really her baby and that's going to be a problem. - All right, thanks Donovan. - And hopefully the ghouls can-- - Well, it was the safest thing for the baby because-- - Protect him from the ghouls. - That mother will do anything to protect that baby. - Yeah, yeah, she's a cyclist, not human, so she dies. - Okay, Gary on. - Well, I'm not prepared to do that. I will just, if the Morlocks are under the subjugation of the ghouls, I will ask the ghouls to fix that. - Yeah, exactly. These beings still get the ghouls to get the baby from the girl. - No, seemingly. - You want to look like Donovan, right? Smile. - I will-- - Well, here we are, the idea is that they're expecting Donovan. It's already in their head that Donovan has come to claim the child. - Right. - And I should be able to fake or know enough about Donovan to sell anything to them. - Yes, so that is my idea. I need disagreements any other way. - Anyone think that's not a good point? - Sure, well, your deceit skill sucks, but hopefully that helps you enough. - That's why I want to try to keep it minimal. Scoop. - I'm here for the job, give me the job. - Right, that'll work. - Nice. - Minus three. (laughing) - Those are some clogs. - So it went from fantastic to good. It's a good likeness of Donovan. - It's also dark, it's rough for lights. - Yeah, I mean, it doesn't have to be perfect. - Here's the thing. - Re-roll. - Here, because I'm London. - Seeming that you're doing. - That's applicable. - I'm London. - Put that up on Seemings. Damn right, it's applicable. - Is Seeming that you're doing? - Yes. - It is not just sight. Goals don't deal with primarily even sight. - Right, I could make 'em smell like Donovan. - Okay, but that's my point. So you got good, which was-- - Right. - You have to cover more than just sight with the goals. So that-- - Well, let's also talk about the things that we're very similar on, which I'm already a human that has magical power. - But-- - I'm rolling anyway. - That's fine, but-- - And do that, but have you been drinking that stuff for six months and you just re-roll from your pool? They don't know that. Last time he was very small like that. - He dried up. - Minus one this time, which goes from fantastic suit to superb. Plus five. I'm comfortable with that. Are you comfortable with superb? - Sure. - All right, lead on. - Are the rest of us just following along? - Yes. - This is-- - Or is on a garage. - Okay. - You keeping the lights up? - Let's cut down the lights to-- - One. - One. - Donovan. - Okay. - Five. - Do you think my presence is gonna be of any-- - Nice. - When you say presence, I mean my skill presence is gonna be of any value here. If not, I'll stay in back as far away from smelly dude as possible. - Presence. - But if you want me up strong-- - I'm probably in the middle. - So you need to protect it on both sides. - Okay. - This is the goals that are on guard. They notice you as you come walking up and they definitely come to attention. - We walk with purpose and deliberation towards them. - Like we're supposed to be here. - Yeah. - What would that be? - It could be a maneuver to shut. - One of them seem like totally supposed to be here. - One of the goals is talking to the conductor. - I'm not supposed to be here. - Where's my rabbit? - Where's my rabbit being in there? - You're not supposed to be. - Presence is our territory. You know that. - Actually, I'll probably-- - It's like the conductor's pushing you forward. - Right. - And I'll say London, Tom, over here for him. (laughing) - Well, he is the ability to interact-- - He's the face. - The important of Cleveland demands entrance to retrieve the child. - No lies. - Makes it easier. And is my dice rolling continuous to suck ass for the evening? - Minus one on the watch dice, which gives me a superb. 'Cause again, my presence is fan-effing-tastic. - And the ghouls are going to fight this with-- - Yeah, let's go with our presence, 'cause at least it's not all over us. - Wait, intimidation is the brush off. - Yeah. - Yeah, they're going to try and intimidate you and do it. - Constance couldn't do it. - Yeah, she's much better at it than they are. They're just good at it. - So I am plus two. - But you are much better at it. - So you impressed them enough that they're willing to listen rather than tap. - My coming has been foretold. - It's supposed to be a lot longer than this. You said months, it's hardly been weeks. - Things change. - Yes. - Get the kid. - That's what they count. (laughing) - No problem. Things change. - So enjoy your presence, Mike. - Damn it. - Can I aim and hit you, fuck up? - With what? - No, no, no. - Why are you putting on me? - Not yet. - What if I'm going to blow your head up? - No, fuck you. - Yeah, you can't kill me. - I'm not planning to. - You can't kill me, yes you can, but he's not going to. - You're just looking like muscle on the back, trying to intimidate me. Or are you actually pointing weapons? - No, I don't have an average presence. - Yeah, stop it. - Once he starts talking, I am allowed to help him. - Right. - 'Cause is my intimidation or my presence? - I don't know. - Maybe you could actually do it either way. - Yes, you have a better reputation than it's fair. - Oh, plus one. Okay, hell yeah. I'm using my presence to add to this. Here it is, if that's okay. Again, a minus one. I have refused to roll a plus on the fudge dice tonight, but again, the presence of fantastic down. - That guy's bitch complained about the forward attack. - That's always what we end up with, so I invited him. - No, we're fine now. - He needs the charge. - Presence of fantastic down to superb, which should give him a plus two, if I'm not mistaken. - Yes, stuff. - So he goes from fair to great. - Just by standing next to London. - I'm saying we go to war. - That's you being intimidating. He rolled average. He's not looking for a fight. There's a fuck, a lot of you. And you've been here before. There's a deal with the gold king. He looks at the other gold on any system. Go ahead, take them to the rush. - Did you say bring in here? - I opened a lot of you here, huh? - Yeah, we're going in. - But, that would have been a much, they would have got muscles that would have been much more difficult to convince them to bring the child to us. - Yeah, without a doubt. - When you said Varash or that, the name of the gold king, it seems to be the way it was used. - The gold's got that. - V-A-R-E-S-H. - Varash. - Can we leave the conductor behind? The smell's really starting to make you like it. - He's served his purpose, but is there any reason why Maxwell, do you know why we want to... - Are we going to be able to get out without him? - No, I mean, he stays here. - He's not bad at all. - That's kind of where I was going. - Yeah, but hey, do we need him to get back? And B, is he a neutral, or is he a believer? - It's an extra unknown factor that we don't need to deal with right now. We need this dumb ass staying back just to walk us back across the bridge. - But will he stay? - It's a good chance that he won't be back anyways. - If you don't pay him. - We've paid him. - Again, he's surprised. - Well, you brought two. - I have another bottle of bad stuff. - Do you track your way to the surface? - Oh yeah, of course. - Turn to the conductor and tell them to wait for our return. - Wait for our return. - And it'll be another bottle of mad dog in it for you to stay here. - I'll deal. - Crack off a lid. - Can I get himself out? - Can I drink this one? (laughing) - Oh, hell, I'm going to be done. - It's just sitting down in front of the gold. - Yeah. - We're going to come back and get some good balls here than it's ever been before. - Yeah, the gold is like-- - Fast out drunk. - He's mine. Leave alone. (laughing) - All right, so leave this into the truck. - Please. - That's so negative. - Yes. - It's kind of walking the trucks. - Talking about traps when London's suggesting a plan of action. - The gold leads you quite a long distance through some tunnels. - By one distance, you mean 10 minutes, 15 minutes, a half hour or five minutes. - I would say somewhere between five and 10 minutes. - Get for travel through tunnels. - It's straight or winding. - It's kind of winding. - You hit a crossroads and it takes the right one and you go out a bit and then there's a split and it takes the left and then you go out and then it takes another left. - Do I need to make any kind of roll to try to keep my sense of direction or path? - I would say it would come into play on the way out if it was necessary. - A real quick attempt. - I do have my father's compass which I use for tracking. - I've seen him track people before, right? - Yeah. - So I reach over the conductor and I pull out some on his hair. (laughing) - All right, the guard leads you past another set of guards about four minutes into the walk and then there's a couple more minutes, maybe three before you enter a large-ish style chamber and this is the court of the rule king. - Do we have any idea where in Cleveland we might be? - Yeah, we started at the bridge and now are we more into the city or under the city or into... - When you started walking, you were definitely going into the heart of Cleveland. So towards our city. - After that, you don't know. I mean, obviously you didn't go north 'cause that's the lake but you didn't travel so far that year way on the side either. You could have doubled back at some point. - You're not really sure because it was very mindy and twisty and left and right and right and right and left. - And my knowledge of goals, they don't necessarily have weaknesses other than just lots of physical damage. - You don't think that a ton of physical damage? - But they're one catch. They're one thing that like the vampire, the sunlight is holy water. - I always like to stay before anything gets started here that I have a seeming for his weapon in mind, a version of a weapon. And as soon as I see his hand go towards his hilt, that seeming is going to be cast. - Why would I say you have a lot of support? - As you're walking along, is to create a mental construct of that. And by that I mean perform a maneuver. - Okay. - I have a preset mental injury. So I would say for you to do that would require a good effort. - I use discipline. - You can create a mental injury. - It's very rare to feel different to that. - Possibly? - Yeah, I mean if you had some particular thing that you could describe to him to make it more realistic, then yes. - You could try a laurel, but for you to know anything so specific about the sword to make it realistic would be a little higher. It would be like a great effort to describe it. - All right, I'll do a quick introduction. - What does he have to hit? - I have to have a guy. - Watch it. - Great. - So you have exactly great lore. You can describe to him in detail. Well enough for him to help him get a mental injury. - Anyways first. - Yeah. - So let the goals go. - There's the rainbow cascade, this over your blade and you don't forget this. - All right, to continue on with my theme for the night, I'm switching dice. - Oh, your old shit? - Yeah, probably. - It's Bob tonight. - Plus two. - I am Bob tonight. - Yeah, the two factor. - That's Blade. - That's superb. - That's good for me. - Is my, he takes weight, he gives me a plus two. I rolled a minus two. - Right. - I started with a discipline of superb, so I stayed at an issue. - So you would easily achieve a pre-configured that is in your mind. - Of this wonderful sword. - Also, is there any type of connection between the spirit and the child? Do I feel like I'm getting closer to the child? - You're feeling a level of apprehension that is higher than you would think you would have. - Okay. - For this, like you're getting-- - Anxiety. - Anxiety. And you're not that invested in this child that, I mean, you are. - Right. - Because it has meaning, but the level of anxiety seems higher than you think you should have. - But I know consciously that this is not my child, but subconsciously it's like-- - You're feeling my child. - Right, much more of a binding. So if you think about it and focus on it, you get the idea, yes, somebody's pushing it. - Okay. - So you go into the main chamber and you see just a much larger goal that apparently is for us. And you see a handful of other goals, you'd probably say somewhere in the neighborhood of eight in this chamber, eight, plus two guards when you first walk in and the one that you're with, so. - Okay, this is the part where you don't walk too much. - Too much. - So you just look impressive. - It's a relatively big chamber, which constitutes one's own. - Right, it is all the ones down. There's flag tights, we'll say it's a limestone cavern. You got darkness, 'cause they apparently don't need light except you guys do have lights, so you can see. - But we're using only a small percentage of our true normal light up, correct. - So I would like to placate him and get him in a more friendly mood by giving him like an honorific greeting. High King Varesh, thank you for welcoming us and the warden into your domain, that kind of thing. - Okay. - And being backed up by the warden of Cleveland, as they know it, at this point. So the first thing I'm trying to do is not even tell him that we want the child, but to just give him the respect that he's due, even though I think it's completely ludicrous and I think he's disgusting, you know. I work in these situations a lot and I need to make people feel good about themselves, so that's what I'm gonna try to do. - I'd like to use my super poor empathy or presence that's a little bit lower, let me know to help you out. - Okay, I'm gonna try the first one in myself 'cause I don't want to throw a body at him and he'd be confused by it. I want to try to be the voice. It's in a killer instance, but if I eff up somehow, I'd definitely be looking for some of them. Switching dice for the third time tonight and rolling a wash, a wash on the dice, which is actually an improvement over all my other roles. I have a fantastic result in making him feel as if we are honoring his audience with us. - All right, I'm gonna give him two roles. First off is a response to your role, London. The other is a role against your seeming, which is superb. So, I mean, he sees you for the first time, you're supposed to be built on and then... - I really don't roll anything against that, right? - It's based on the previous. - Right, okay. - Well, I rolled a minus two on the fake dice. - Welcome to my health. - His alertness is seven, naturally. That takes it down to a superb. - Which is what we needed. - Jesus. - Yeah, that got it close at all. - Got lucky. - No, we did get very lucky. - Now, that was gonna be interesting. He sees right through it, that was gonna be true. - I've been drinking, you meant bloody and horrific. - Yes, that would be it. - So much work done. - From a GM who wants to kill people, yes. - Now, he is blustering back at you. - Lost right away. - I'm pretty sure I didn't invite you into my kingdom. All the more reason for us to be very appreciative of your time, hi King. - His intimidation was actually just great. - So, plus two. - So he blasters a bit, but he does not seem overly aggressive. - Mm-hmm. - And he comes right back with, is there a problem, Donovan? You have the little mancy boy doing your talking now. Come for the child, give him the child. - Don't, don't, don't talk. - You're not supposed to talk. (laughing) - You just did it the last time. - His aggressive intimidation was only a good. - Oh, so what do I do do? What do you do is write? (laughing) - Is he trying to do it set a reaction? - Yes. - Well, if you defend against that, you can roll a discipline to control your emotions. Mike likes discipline. - Yeah, I mean-- - Allen's all over the discipline. - I can't keep my clothes up. Well, let's face man speak for me. That's a positive one, so that is a superb on my discipline. - It's just better than it's good. So, you don't crack. You just stand there and give him the stink eye and say, "What?" - So wait, oh, let me get this trigger. - He says, "What do you just let the fancy mancy boy do "all your talking, you're not gonna say anything?" - And he goes, "Go ahead." - And you just point at fancy boy and say, "Go ahead." - No. - There's no response at all. - No, I'm gonna say, "I came back for the child, "I need the child." - As a king in your position, probably understands. - A warden often has a representative, kind of like a king might have a steward who speaks on his behalf. So am I appointed by the white council to speak on behalf of Mr. Donovan. So again, using presence to try to not came off of his game so that it's easier for us to beat him later on. Hey, eat it. I rolled a plus three, making up for the earlier, it's not even possible, it's plus nine. It's one above legendary, so. - Preface us to gather the power above ourself and let's a lightning electricity start. - Might as well on his roll. So he's just having an off day. We had an agreement out of it. Child would be safe here. We were allowed our section of the east side to feed. And when you came back for it, we would get more. We hardly had a chance to feed them the area you gave us. We still get more. - As you recall from the previous conversation. And I do apologize that Mr. Donovan has a case of laryngitis today, can I speak on his own behalf? - Really shouldn't speak. - Right, Oliver. There was no agreement on a time limit. It was to hold a child as long as a child needed to be held. Child no longer needs to be held. The situation is now safe for the child to be returned to the wardens hands, just as per your agreement. There is no additional land. There is no other booms granted. It's the original agreement that we're living by and agreeing to. It's your turn to step up and return the child rightfully to Mr. Donovan. - Luckily there. - Epic. Plus one on the fudge dice. - Nice. - You're on plus one. - Good for him. - He takes him up. - I've been not good enough, it's still. - Not many are. - That's blowing a beat. - Actually I figured out that. - That's okay, that's right, what's that? - Does that mean I win? - Attack still succeeds on a time, but you don't do as much damage. - Right. - So, I'll wear my sexuality. - If you have weapons which you don't really have, these are just words that you're on your way. - Right, I'll wear 'em downstairs. - The original agreement was additional lands upon the return of the child. And if you want it, it's in the room over there, you're just gonna have to kill the mother. - No, I'm totally okay. - That's what we'll get to the child. - God. - If it makes you kill someone, I know. - She doesn't have a soul. Go ahead. - What do you know? - I'll do that. - You don't know anything about Moorlach. - Yes, I do. - I roll fair. - Oh, well then, you don't know what I roll, I'm wounded. I know everything about the underworld. - Well, is this something that you would be better suited for? - No. - I can't disagree, it's just. - I am either of those suited. - They're gonna kill the Moorlach. - I just, I didn't wanna, you know, let's put the love here. - What do you think? - Question, the warden in front of the cool. - I don't know what it's saying. - I don't, I don't know, just a wobber head off. - I don't lob, I shoot. - Go, shoot her in the head. - Let's go. - Let's do it very well. - He just said, hit the baby. That's like, bro, that's the thing. You got a positive arm. - I can do that. - Or is this something that-- - Thank you. - You're gonna walk in there. - It's done, Roberto. - Go. - You're gonna walk in there and see something the size of a rain course and they're like, ooh. - That's right. That's why you get to pay the big bucks. - No, it's a humanoid size. There's quite a few of them, there's maybe. - Have we seen any of these? No, they're a room full of 24 of them or so, there's males, females, there seems to be little children running around. All told there's about 24 of them. It's gonna take you a while to find a mother holding a human. I mean, 'cause they're like little squat areas, lean twos that they're hiding in and stuff. - I don't know if you have any ability to detect humans or with their eyes. - In a flashlight, just go kill them. - It's not even humans. - It's not even humans. - All right, what is this alertness? - It's clear. - Plus four, wasted it. - Alertness is passive, so be an investigation to work your way through system. - That'd be me, I will find the main one. - This is your thing, this is all the children? - Yeah. - Well, he didn't carry the stone down. - Diamond, you tell us that if the child must be kept safe, fewer people that know the better and yet you bring an entire army. - You should've hooked up on one or the representative. - There's still one down down up in. He says specifically ignoring women speaking. - He rolled a intimidate, actually happened. - Well, this carries away. - Now, wait a minute. - No, I'm sorry, it was minus. - Is that just at him or if I'm speaking? Can I actually respond to that? - He seems like when you start speaking, his voice raises and he points a conversation specifically at him. - Right now, do without it what you will. - I can investigation role Jim/had been to find the child in this room full of my children. - I think as soon as he said the kids in there will kill the mother, I think I would've just turned around and walked into them. - So he walks in with you? - You're there as well? - Yeah. - Like you're walking around? - He's in two things. - Okay. - What are you doing? Maxwell, are you staying in the room with these two? Are you going with these? - Two. - When I see a room full of them, I'm going to go with them. - All right, you're staying with Alan and London and we have Max, or not Max, but we have Edmund and Roberta looking for the baby. - I have no investigations. So I'm going to intimidate these people. I tried to get their attention. - I have a baby out of some mother's arm and a baby. - I'm going to take a picture of us. - We're all around. - I go over a lean two and say. - The king wants the human kid. - Okay. - Go forward. - Why don't we roll a little bit? - And it's between you two, Edmund and Max. - Roberta. - Roberta, what did I say? - I guess so. - Maxwell, I'm sorry. - Mediogre. - I'm gonna ask him. - You're listening to me. - You're listening to me? - I got no version. - Okay. - I washed it. - Mine is good. - Just sip it. - All right, you go first. - We're smashing and yelling and praying in names. - Oh, what's your price button? - Oh, we did it. - What's your price button thing? - Oh, we're giving them the news. - I rolled a grid. - All right, one conversation at the time guys. - So, Roberta rolls a grid. He's smashing and trying to intimidate. These things are definitely intimidated. They start wheeling a high pitch noise and running around frantically. - You're not going to get the king in your head. - Yeah, they are. - That's you. - You're like looking at this pattern of madness going on and you're trying to determine. - And I would say just good. - Three or higher. - Oh, I got it. - Yeah, I assume you're-- - What's your role? - It's pretty good. - I rolled a plus two on my superbs. I got a seven, which I like. - So you notice these things. They're scurrying in such a way that they're avoiding one particular area. So you start heading off in that area. It's not very far away. It's in the same zone you are. So in there, you find a lean two and kind of cowering and hiding in the back is a mother of these creatures. And she's holding a small baby, which is this picture. - I see it from there. - Oh, so these things don't look very ferocious or intimidating. - No, they're not moving at supernatural speed. They do seem to have claws. They don't look particularly muscular. So no, they don't look like a terrible-- - But you can fight a machine. - Are they more animal where you can't like a dog or are they people we can actually reason with them if you needed to talk to them? - You can try them. - They seem to be acting in a panic of what is want and destruction in Roberto's. - Okay. - An ancient home of theirs, it has much history. - It was a lean two. - What the fuck do you only do? - I just knocked it over and didn't destroy it. - She thinks it's her baby. I want to remember they said they bring washed her into thinking she's her own baby. So I don't even think I'm gonna try to talk her out of it 'cause no mother's gonna want to, he talked out of giving away the kids. - Right. - So your second action? - If any. - I'm looking for a role in Roberto. - Yeah, I call him Roberto over and we're gonna look for a way to distract or punch her neck or out and get the kid out. - Okay, we'll go back to you. You are kind of being layered at by the king. - Yes. - And I respond to the king. - I don't flinch from his epic intimidation. - He stares back at him, bravely. - I don't know, but first of all, he does have to follow something. - Well, this is a point to not repeat and die. - Not before three's fault. - What? - You're just saying, I know real good. Don't let it fall. - I have to roll, wait. It's almost impossible to achieve. Or no one's disciplined, that's disciplined. - That's okay, okay. - And you've got beats. - And, do I have to-- - No, no, no, roll first. - Roll first? - I don't have to announce I want to use it first. - No, no, no. - 'Cause you might not have to. You might roll a plus four. - That's good. - Amazing. - Telling him minus one under this thing. - You're gonna call me. - He's trying, he's trying not to be intimidated. - So his ability to speak it. - His intimidation was epic. - Your discipline to not flinch or is good. - Is good. - As that were, right now, you would take the four bucks and mental stress would be grossed out. - That's all it is. - So I can give him-- - I'm talking social. - Discipline. I can give him discipline. I can help him on his defense. Don't let bride fuck with you. Don't answer him. Don't answer him. Don't you answer him. - We got to start playing this correctly, which is to say maneuvers have to be done before. They can't be done before. - Well, he just announced it. - Do I get to spend a faith point to bolster my defense? - Yes. - You can take it from three to five. I was trying to take it from five to seven so you matched his epicness, but that would just be a match. And he'd still look. - And then you wouldn't take any social damage, but can you take four social? - Uh, yes. - Because what I'm saying is if this guy blasts you, you can feel slightly embarrassed about it. - Okay. - He doesn't have to be sworn on an answer. - Okay. - It affects him. - Right. - He didn't expect to be called out specifically by the teacher in the front of the class. And he was, so he's a little flustered. - That's all. - This is for social, your presence determines-- - Oh my goodness. - Well, do I have an average presence? - Uh, average. - Which is two to three. - Three. - Then I don't have a four. - So now having a four, you could take a two and then mark off the two. So you have the consequences that you're slightly flustered. Or you're red-sheaked, embarrassed, or whatever. - All right. So I then-- - So you have two options. One is to spend a faith point. Would you have a limited number? - Yeah. - Or you could take a mild consequence to just say that somehow he got to you. - Like-- - So I'm socially awkward around the ghoul, okay? - But it would only last for the scene in the night. That would be, that would suck up two. And then you would mark off the two box, which of course, stress after the scene is over, all gets regenerated. But now he knows he's flustered you a little bit. So he could tag it for a plus two. - So what do you mean? - I'm taking a two damage box and then a mild flustered-- - Saving the, saving the faith point. - That's why I may need it here in a minute. - This is a faith point, woo hoo. And this is the ghost whispering in the back of your head, saying, "Tell him, we need the baby. Make sure we get the baby." - On a reasonable ghost. - Right. - The ghost wants you to interact with the ghoul and make sure that he understands. - Why, the people are still-- - That's her, she's here. She's here. She's in the other room. - I resist her. - If you have to pay a faith point to resist her. So you can either have three faith points. - Or have one. - Or have one. - Right, fuck with it. Don't do it. Put it down to the baby. They're already getting in the baby. - Why does Mike always get possessed by things in our game? - I don't know. - City of City is here to flee behind. - He volunteered today. - Right. This seems to be an ongoing thing. - We never did roll for initiative for you guys. - Can I get the roll? - Yes. - Mediocre. - I don't know. - Great. - Great. Stand there and look pretty. That's fantastic. - You're one? - Average? - Yes. - Damn, I'm important. - What about us? - You got your own initiative. - Because you were Mediocre. - So the first one that gets to go is Thomas or Maxwell. - Yeah. So I sit there. - Great. - Well done. Then-- - Thank you, thank you. - Can I help you? - I just say a bolster. - Yeah, a bolster. - With some empathy, I guess. - OK, what are you trying to do? - Dude, sucks to be you. - Yeah. - Sir, sir, what are you trying to do when you're going through? - You fucking think you kissed me. I like the little-- I don't know, it's just OK, it's OK. - I don't know, it's a bolster. - Yeah, there's two different things you can help with. One, he's struggling to maintain composure against a ghoul king. The other one, he's fighting to control a ghost, it's whispering in his head, trying to-- - Which we may not know about, to be honest, even though we've been talking about it, or do we see him going? - Then probably the ghoul king. - OK. - He needs help with that. - You're good with people. The difficulty would be just good. - I roll the positive on your dice. - Excellent. - I'm glad you're working for something. - That was average on the fudge plus great empathy. - OK, sir, he gives you plus two. What is he even over here giving him? - Support? - Support. - Support for the one. - Emotional support. - Emotional support. - You should know, I'm going to say that emotional support, you can use any way that you want. - Don't get in a fight for this term. - For this term, someone will die in a term plus, going to be me. - Then I will, you don't need to defend a gun against the ghoul king, that's done. - That's something else. - No, I will stand there and expect to be obeyed properly. - OK. - Get me. - Do you think I should take any overt action? - Like, for instance, you can bolster your sight for control of the ghost, shove it away, lock it in a closet, tell her to cool the fuck down. - I will attempt to compartmentalize the ghost for now, as well as she's neck green to interfere in a key moment, especially when the child is in sight. - OK. - She's pretty frantic about this, so that would be great difficulty. - Well, I remind her mentally in my head, without speaking and tipping that crazy woman, you're only getting in the way. I'm in the middle of trying to save the child, so. - Well, that's how you talk crazy people. - You stupid? - Well, I get a minus one on the fudge, but plus two from Maxwell, so a positive one, two, whatever, was it lower discipline or empathy, too? - Well, it's your point to argue to me what you want to use, but I would say discipline would be a good one. - Right, so I have a superb response to-- - Because really you're fighting crazy with your own. - My own mind are trying to-- - Right. - To minimize her influence. - OK, so your role and total was? - Uh, superb. - Which you kind of beat her into the background and locker room a little bit. - Although that means I guess that means that she has to be a superb to come to the fore. - It's all too crazy. - We're gonna give her an initiative of her own, your other part of your mind. - I tell the high king that his instigations and insults to the Warden of Cleveland will not bear fruit for him in the future. This is an ongoing relationship you need to be cognizant of. And by respecting the Warden's rules and the Warden's way, you'll be able to get things in the future in negotiations, maybe information about your goal adversaries, et cetera. - It would have been fun if this was a video podcast to see Mike's face when you were now tying him as a future Warden's relationship with the goal. - Or, well, I could've already rationalized how I can get a big win. - This is down in my eyes, this is down a bit. This isn't, I don't know. - Mike had this, why are you trying to piss them all for? - No, he never, what the fuck are you agreeing to? - Legendary. Stuck it and shut up and go man. - Well, that positive, that's definitely new. - Plus two on the face. - Oh, I just don't understand what cock doesn't mean. (laughing) - We'll just understand what's the tone. - You seem to see him glockeying his hole. Give me a rabbit, shut up. - He seems rather wise and smart to me. - His defense was fair, so apparently you dazzled him with your logic and words and he is a bit slimy by the argument. - And the natural huddle hint of future information. - Yes, battling with the Warden and pissing him off. So, this area is done, we're gonna go back to the other rum in which we have Roberto. Coming over to the lean two, at which the female is holding the baby and. - Click, click, boom. - Hammer, is that the hammer mix? - Yeah. - I think you should have a little voice in your head telling you just smash your head and grab the baby. - I'm like, this is fucking ridiculous. - I call you over and say, do one over. So I can take the baby from her. I'm gonna knock her out and you're like, you're thinking yourself, I can just kill her. (laughing) - There's a little voice in your head, always bring for one point to smash your skull and then take the baby. Let's get down with this in that sense. And you pretty much that. - Yeah. - Come on, you guys. - Hey, we have the prize right in front of us. We don't want to eff it up. - Okay. - It's a Moorlach, I don't care. - Yeah, except maybe the Ghoul Will. - Yeah, fucking. - He said he doesn't, but. - Don't kill my cow. - I don't trust him. - Who owe me four rabbits for the cattle. - Seriously, there's gonna be, what they call that? Primitive Societies, I mean. - Barter system? - Not a barter, but like for a wedding, like when you're giving away for a bride, you give away, you know. - You're a dowry. - Dowry, thank you. Here's your 20 cattle. - 20 rabbits. 20 rabbits for the day. - 20 Moorlach. - So, I've been saying, distract her. I'm gonna walk her one. - That crap. - Yeah, you could just walk her one. - Yeah, I could. - And save her. - His wonks. - His wonks. - Not so much. - Whatever. - You can't. - Love some of that. - I just punched in a werewolf's face, I saw it. - Without superpower. - That's right. - I'm gonna try to intimidate her to get attention, yeah. - So then, okay. - Go ahead. - I kick over her shit fucking swears. (laughing) - Not gonna lead to her. - What now, bitch? (laughing) - She's all over the ground. - superb intimidation. - Wow. - Yeah, actually she gets a superb as well, because she's fighting for a baby and I rolled really well on the dice. (laughing) I can get more buckets. - That succeeds. - So if you have her attention, enough to give Edmund, who's, it's now your turn, a plus two. - I punch her right in the head, neck her out. - All right, give a plus two to that. - Cool, got her. Let's have a wash on the fudge. So it would just be my fists of great plus four. - Two. - Two. - Plus two more. - Plus two more. - Which would bump it up to you, fantastic. - And then they're weapons too, but that doesn't factor in until she's failed to dodge. - I would say she did, 'cause I rolled a minus two on the faith dice and her athletics are just a one. That actually takes it to a four. - That's negative one. - She ran into the head. - Well, she's backing away from you and moved right into his fist coming the other direction. You do take your award. What was it, fantastic? - Fantastic. - Yes, it was fantastic. - And it takes it up to an epic plus two more, because I'm really strong. - Really strong. - So that takes it up to above legendary, which her being a, basically a move, she's out of the scene. Anyone punched. - Cool. - That's what she does. - Five times to the ground, still holding the baby in her arms. - Never, never shake a baby. - So the baby's there for grabs. - Cool. - Seems like we're at the meeting. - Let's start crying a little bit. (upbeat music) - Thanks for listening to The Knights of the Night at actual play podcast. Visit KOTNpodcast.com for more information on this and other adventures. Where you will find character stats, photos, storytelling, perhaps 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 podcasts or business, please visit ZenaudioSmith.com. And please join us next episode for more Vistre and Adventurer. (upbeat music) - I say we go to war. - We just want and destruction, Robertos. - Okay. - We're trying ancient home over there and it has much history. - It was something too long. - That fucking way do it. - Never, never shake a baby.