13. Keen on Qein: Part 9
In which we scare a child, turn a man to goo, and storm a castle
Our DM is Sasha Rose Hansen
The players, in alphabetical order:
Carbry - Bryn Ziegler
Gary - Rebecca Michelson
Renora - Tori Chancellor
Spencer Charlemagne - Jacob Earl
Tongs - Grayson Abele
We’re produced by Jacob Earl
Our theme music is “Rathgars Theme” and is available through LateMoonRecords.com
Tune in next week at RathgarsHorde.com and as always, try not to die
Spencer’s diary, thirteen
The monk woke up with magic powers! Her demonic companion struck some kind of deal. I was gonna wear it down with magic, but if they can reach an accord I don’t see why not. Kinda makes this whole “dream” investigation lack any satisfying narrative conclusion, but that’s how real life is sometimes. On the way to town the Golem quizzed me about my morning - real perceptive sonovabitch that one.
As we walked tot he store to replace some stuff he lost I told him about how I got my sword, and then about the urchin when he pressed for more & he pointed and there across the street was the urchin! So I ran over there and tied to scare him into being a better thief, hiding his name and reading people better but! — I am pretty scary looking! I overwhelmed him but he’s never gonna forget me, for sure. I gave him his toy back and his 3 gold equiv, the demon appeared and gave him four which I felt was generous. I tired to scare him and leave but the golem, being a priest, helped clean him up and like? Idk, talk him into going straight? I don’t think he understands thats not an option for everyone. He tried to talk to me right after about “not doing crime” but I don’t remember what he said.
Then we went shopping and I could not find a pair of gloves but I could find the supplies for the cards and the bridge guard. Then we went back home to prepare — the monk traded me her crossbow for my bow, and I think I got the better deal of that. I spent all day marking cards & writing a guide on cant for the bridge guard, while the monk & the giant sparred in the yard. She’s worse than me at magic, but I do not think this will be the case tomorrow. Her companion is helping her.
That night we went to the meeting with the boss – who everyone informs me goes by ”Midnight” at the forge. At midnight. What were we thinking. I snuck around the back & I could hear smokegazer & midnight arguing - smoke was telling the boss about this awful book the giant had mentioned to rag on him (infinite jest) & then midnight got mad and wasted him.
The forge was shrouded in dark fog - hanging like sheets or ribbons in a loose circle, and the floor was dark and slick. In the center was smokegazer – that cool look was all drugs. Midnight had become a pair of glasses - a shapeshifter - floating, zipping, around the circle. The giant cast “Faerie Fire” and all of a sudden things got way easy, that is a killer spell. We kept pounding midnight with spells and blades but they eventually realized they were glowing and stepped out of faerie fire. Their identity was obscured, it seems like they could change form at will - always wearing glasses but different forms. An orc, the witch, yarrow, all sorts. The giant transformed themselves into a Spion but that was, only moderately successful. I got a coulple good shots in but the golem got the killing blow - frying the mutherfucker with a god-laser.
Midnight dissolved into a puddle of goo. No identifying features that I could see, but very dead. Reminded me of when something dies in the dream dimension - that rotten goo of a man left too long to bake in fantasy. I got a vial of the goo & nabbed the smoke gazers ring , which appears to not be cursed but to be an alive snake? Strange. Corruption the goo is called corruption.
We thought when midnight died his identity would be revealed but instead he just, disappeared. If we stuck around I guess we could’ve figured out who he was through process of elimination but everyone was getting real nervous and booked it for Alexander who had given us the job. The monk and the giant went under to chat while I kept watch, here are the highlights:
Apparently what we did was mondo illegal!
Alexander gave us citizenship on the spire of dreams. Which is cool, but like, we’re all criminals now so what we could just go to jail instead of facing extradition?
I SHOULD’VE SENT THE URCHINS TO THE SPIRE OF INNOCENTS. FUCK! Ah well. If any arls are reading this, move the urchins in the spire of sleep to the spire of innocents they‘d really appreciate it.
After talking to Alexander the gang headed home, except me and the giant who went to go drop off my book I made for the bridge guard. She seemed, excited? The next morning I said goodbye to darren and he poured coffee on my shoes. Then! It was decided! That we were going to see the government! Sleep is kind of a dead-end spire, people don’t really leave and the place where it should connect further is a government building. We sort of. Stormed the place and charged to the top all the while chased by guards. The idea I think was to talk to Cassandra but when we found her chamber I got hit in the face by some kind of, powder? & fell asleep! Then I think everyone robbed me because I’m 40 bucks shoot fo where I was. I don’t see WHY my friends robbed me but there it is. I woke up to everyone shouting “Rathgar!” And trying to put my hand on my pin, so I joined in and we bounced. My body hurts too so like, I think they beat me up as well? Which is rude as hell. Anyway we woke up in a big white room in court, and Mona showed up and said that “no time has passed” which is WEIRD AS HELL. What is this, “The Jacksonspire Twins Get Lost”? No time has passed? are the Arls ELVES?