Now that Alonzo has stolen the battery, the party is back to square one. If only there was someone of great wisdom and power who could help them out? Tracey definitely has a new best friend. Inara cases a strip mall. Finale pushes by.
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- website: jointhepartypod.com
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Cast & Crew
- Dungeon Master: Eric Silver
- TR8c (Tracey): Brandon Grugle
- Inara Harthorn: Amanda McLoughlin
- Finale: Sarah Hopkins
- Creative Contributors: Connor McLoughlin, Heddy Hunt, Julia Schifini, Mischa Stanton
- Multitude: multitude.productions
About Us
Join the Party is a collaborative storytelling and roleplaying podcast. That means a group of friends create a story together, chapter by chapter, that everyone from seasoned players to true beginners can enjoy. Where else can you get adventure, intrigue, magic, drama, and lots of high fives all in one place? Right here.
After each episode we sit down for the Afterparty, where we break down our game and answer your questions about how to play Dungeons & Dragons and other roleplaying games at home. We also have the Punchbowl, an interview series with people pushing D&D forward creatively, communally and socially. It’s a party, and you’re invited! Find out more at jointhepartypod.com.
Transcript
Amanda: Last time, on Join the Party...
Eric: The party figures out that the Midnight Man is heading for a museum that has something to do with The Centering. Good thing that there’s a museum that has to do with The Centering here in town. Inara skulls around and while Tracey and Finale pick up information from the people.
Eric (as Halfling woman): And then I turn around, and he’s gone again. I saw like, a foot, as he walked out through a portal-
Eric: A plan is afoot. Tracey disguises himself as a relic, and Finale and Inara try to sneak him into the museum. All is going according to plan when Inara runs into a worker at the back entrance...
Sarah: I bash...his head with the rock.
Amanda: Bash is a strong verb.
Brandon: Non-lethally bash.
Eric: Yeah, that works. Below the museum is a securely locked facility, holding an ancient and massive battery. As the clock strikes midnight, he appears. The Midnight Man, or Alonzo Kiko, who is still in super Saiyan mode.
Eric (as Alonzo): Everything’s changing, it’s not just my life. It’s all going to change for the better. YOU’LL SEE.
Eric: Alonzo grabs the battery and runs straight for the traps, which immediately spring to life... Ahhh, buddy! Whatever is going on with Alonzo, I still care for him. Let’s get the party started.
[theme music]
[ominous music begins]
Eric: Alonzo is running out of the basement. He has the battery under one arm and seems to be solely focused on getting to the end.
[crossbows whirring & clanking]
You hear the whir of mechanical crossbows focus in on his heat signature. And when he realizes he’s in their targets, Alonzo stops.
[ominous music grows louder]
He puts the battery on the floor, and he pulls out 6 arrows. He locks all 6 into his bow and fires,
[arrow whirs past]
Just up...
[another arrow whirs past]
Into the air. And somehow,
[another arrow whirs past]
Every single arrow…
[another arrow whirs past]
Connects with the target…
[another arrow whirs past]
That he wants. Two of the arrows lock in, arrow to arrow with the mechanical crossbow, two of them go below the fire pillars that are bursting up from the flames in the middle of the room. The middle trap, which were only a five by five trap square of holes are now spouting gouts of fire...
Amanda: Oh good.
Eric: But the two arrows go underneath, and you hear a small explosion, and the fire turns off. As if those arrows know exactly where those control boxes were. And finally, the column that was going womp womp womp, the chain that was holding the column up in the air, were sliced in twain by two more of arrows in the column, falls to the floor. He turns around and says,
Eric (as Alonzo): See you later, doofuses.
Eric: And runs out the far door, and you are once again you are standing once again standing amongst the traps, that in a different way are disactivated.
[Sarah stifles a sigh]
Brandon (as Tracey): Yeah, I don’t want to go after him…. yeah…. anymore uh...
Amanda (as Inara): Yeah yeah, no I don’t think that’s a good plan for us.
Brandon (as Tracey): No.
Amanda (as Inara): Really...
Sarah (as Finale): What the hell... is he?
Amanda (as Inara): Never thought to ask.
Brandon (as Tracey): Yeah...he’s also a doofus I don’t know how he did that.
[Eric chuckling]
Amanda (as Inara): Well I guess we know who the Midnight Man is huh?
Sarah (as Finale): Yeah. Then I guess I’m not getting that bounty.
Amanda (as Inara): Well, we really appreciate you being here at least.
Sarah (as Finale): Oh, thanks. Thank you.
Amanda (as Inara): Yeah, I know that’s something you can’t really buy bread with y’know.
Sarah (as Finale): I can’t really take that to the bank, no...
Amanda (as Inara): But you can always steal it, so...
Brandon (as Tracey): Uhh...what do we do next?
Amanda (as Inara): I mean, it’s pretty late, should hunker down somewhere? Should we go find lodging for the night?
Sarah (as Finale): We can just go to my apartment. I live here.
Amanda (as Inara): Ohh?
Sarah (as Finale): [laughing] I live in Infrapolis.
[Brandon joins in laughing]
Amanda (as Inara): What? I just pictured you living at the bar until you needed to go on another crime, so...
Sarah (as Finale): [laughing] Who do you think I am? I have a home.
Amanda (as Inara): Uh, if you don’t mind me crashing on the couch and Tracey hanging out in the corner that would be great.
Sarah (as Finale): Absolutely. Follow me!
Brandon (as Tracey): Do I get to pick the corner, or...?
Sarah (as Finale): I only have four, it’s a studio.
Eric: [chuckling] Okay. So yeah, you guys do start to do the reverse, which I guess Tracey you get back on the dolly,
Brandon: But I am flipped backwards now?
[Everyone chuckling]
Eric: That’s good. And you guys go back up the elevator, and then you go down the uh...
Amanda: No guards? Everything is fine?
Eric: Yeah! Everything seems pretty chill.
Amanda: Okay.
Eric: As you are walking towards the back exit, wheeling Tracey out, Inara you see that Miss Morgan, the Orc curator from before, is walking out of her office, and she has like a very heavy cardigan which she’s using instead of a jacket, and she’s coming out and she’s locking her door.
Brandon: Tracey stiffens up.
Amanda: Inara is going to elbow Finale and kinda gesture over at Miss Morgan.
Amanda (as Inara): Uh, she already saw me before as a student, uh we may need to hide. We should like duck into a bathroom or something.
Sarah (as Finale): [chuckling] Tracey, you uh, hang in there.
Brandon (as Tracey): [whispering] Beep boop.
[Eric chuckling]
Amanda: So, we’ll push the dolly up against a wall...
Sarah: Yeah.
Amanda: Very quietly.
Sarah: [laughing] We just leave him there?
Amanda: For a second. Just for a second.
[Sarah continues laughing]
Brandon: Tracey teeters on the edge of falling over.
Amanda (as Inara): [whispering] We’ll be right back bud.
Brandon (as Tracey): [whispering back] Okay. Beep boop.
Amanda: And then, um, I’m going to duck into a supply closet that is conveniently on the hallway.
Sarah: I go into the supply closet too.
Eric: Okay, both of you guys make Stealth rolls.
[dice rolls]
Sarah: Uh...a natural 20.
[dice rolls]
Eric: Natural 20?
Sarah: A natural 20.
[Eric scoffs]
Sarah: I would’ve been more excited.
Eric: [sarcastically] It has three eyes, an unnatural 20!
[Brandon & Sarah laughing]
Amanda: 16.
Eric: Oh wonderful, you two slip into the supply closet, and you hear Miss Morgan shuffle by and she rummages through her bag for like five minutes…
[Sarah chuckling]
Eric (as Miss Morgan): [softly] I just...where are my keys?
Eric: You don’t know but she’s definitely holding them in her other hand, she is looking through her bag for her keys, and after a little while, she goes,
Eric (as Miss Morgan): Oh, they were in my other hand, of course they were.
Eric: And she walks out the side door.
Amanda: Well, that went well.
Sarah: Yeah, I open the closet door...
Eric: And as you...
Sarah: Oh…
[Amanda stifles laugh, Sarah laughing]
Eric: As you open the closet door, you hear another set of footsteps.
[Light footsteps walking]
Sarah: [laughing] I close the closet door.
Eric: Uh, and then you hear a very small electrical shock, like it goes buzz...
[abrupt electrical buzz, footsteps stop]
Eric: and then it’s silent.
[light footsteps start again]
Tracey, you hear footsteps come up behind you, and then you hear buzz….
[abrupt electrical buzz, footsteps stop]
And then everything goes totally dark.
Brandon: Good? Cool.
Amanda: What??
Brandon: Great?
Sarah: [laughing] We killed Tracey?!
Amanda: No!!
[soft footsteps start again]
Eric: And then you hear the footsteps go farther and farther away and the dolly being rolled away.
[footsteps fading out]
Amanda: We’re going to throw open the door and run after it!
Eric: Okay, as you get to the side door, it’s closing behind, but you see a remains of a tipped...
Brandon: Of a Tracey!
Eric: Of a Tracey! A tipped black tail, and Finale, you ought to know one person who has a long black tail.
Sarah: Noooo...It’s Casey!
Eric: And the door closes behind him.
Sarah: Finale stands there with her mouth open for a second.
Sarah (as Finale): It might’ve been a bad idea to leave him there.
Amanda (as Inara): Let’s go after him then!
Sarah (as Finale): Alright!
[Eric & Sarah laughing]
Eric: Alright, you guys bust through the side door and you do see a tall Dragonborn with the tail swishing out dressed in all black and he’s booking it while pushing this dolly, just as much, faster than you would have anticipated.
Sarah (as Finale): [yelling] Casey, I know it’s you, it’s very obvious that it’s you!!
[Eric & Amanda laughing]
Eric: [still laughing] When you say that, he pulls like, a cloak out of his pocket
[Sarah laughing heartily]
and throws it over Tracey.
Eric: I want both of you to roll survival because this is what we do when you’re trying to track someone.
Sarah: Ohh…
[dice rolls]
Eric: I would give Inara disadvantage because she does not know this city.
Amanda: Well first one was a nat 20, so…
[dice rolls]
Sarah: I got a 16.
[dice rolls]
Amanda: I got a 12.
Eric: Okay, survival...
[dice rolls]
Okay, so. Well, I also rolled a natural 20.
Amanda: Damn it.
Eric: Brandon is the truth.
Brandon: Uh, Judge confirmed.
Eric: Judge confirmed.
[Sarah chuckling]
Eric: Uh, he whips around corners, and you still see his black tail once and awhile as it’s illuminated under the street lamps but as he gets further and further into the alleyways where there is less light, eventually you just lose him.
Sarah (as Finale): The only other place that Casey goes than the Dead Ringer, is Electroshack. Electroshack is closed, but I will break in to save your robot friend!
Amanda (as Inara): Would he be able to get in after dark and put Tracey in there?
Sarah (as Finale): It’s the only thing I can think of.
Amanda (as Inara): I mean...let’s go to Electroshack.
Eric: Alright, great.
Sarah: And the commercial starts...
[Sarah laughing]
[upbeat commercial music begins]
Eric (as Advertiser): [ecstatically] Electroshack!! When you have electronic needs, you have all the stuff, here’s some gears and also wheels and an antennae. Yeah!!
Amanda (as Advertiser): [singing] Electroshack!
[music upbeats into electronic groove]
It’s a place where you can get together with you family and your needs! For all of your devices. They can get batteries and stuff! Electroshack!
Eric: [laughing] The lower third says, David, local half-Orc. Super.
Eric (as David): Yeah, uhm, I was making all of my smoothies by hand, it took a really long time. Uh, but then I got a blender from Electroshack and it works super well! Thanks, Electroshack. Electroshack does not take any returns. If you break it, it’s totally your fault.
Amanda (as Steven): Uh, yeah. Oh, hi, my name is Steven. Uh…
Eric: The lower third says Steven, consumer.
[Sarah laughing]
Amanda (as Steven): Uh, my mom got me a Switch, like a switch for my model train...
[Sarah, Brandon & Eric laughing]
And then she didn’t get me a battery for my train, mommm,
[Eric laughing]
So, we had to go to Electroshack on, on uh Centering Day. And yeah...they had the battery. Thanks, mommm.
Eric (as Steven's Mom): [woman’s deep voice] Hello, I’m Steven’s mom. I’m sorry Steven, just please move out.
[Brandon laughing]
You’re 300 years old, please move out.
Eric (as Advertiser): Electroshack. On Remington & 3rd.
[upbeat commercial music fades out]
[pulsating hum begins]
Eric: Tracey, I guess Tracey doesn’t consume things, but I guess, Brandon, this is like you have a massive hangover.
Brandon: Yeah, I don’t think he knows what a hangover is, but he does- he’s seen it on TV y’know.
Eric: You open your eyes and you’re in a very comfortable bed. You’re sitting up. And the pillows are choice. And there’s like a little blanket, and you're wearing fuzzy pajamas.
Brandon: Delightful.
Eric: Uh, your cape is nicely folded to your left on a side table, and there is a large glass of water. You look around and the first thing you notice is that there is an older woman in a wingback chair, and she is knitting furiously. Like knitting faster than anyone should ever be knitting at any point in time.
[Brandon chuckles]
It’s like it’s coming out of nowhere, and she’s knitting like a long like rope? Like it could be a tie? But it could be a noose? Also, she has a side table, and there is a pint glass full of a glowing liquid, and there is a silly straw coming out of it.
Brandon: How silly?
Eric: Very silly.
Brandon: Like, eight loops?
Eric: Yeah .
Brandon: Wow.
Amanda: Wow.
Eric: You also take a look around, and you’re in like a store room? Except all the shelves are cleared out. Uh the really only thing in there is the bed you’re in, the woman in the chair and her side table, and then there's an enormous beer barrel in the corner. And when I say enormous, it is enormous. Like if you’re imagining like in fairy tales, like the giant has a keg of mead or wine, it’s like that large. And there is a very large spout on it. You take a closer look and it’s like a pipe and then someone affixed a ships wheel on it.
I also want to say that this bed is extraordinarily comfy. Like the comfiest place that you have ever slept in. The only issue is, you are totally held down by chains.
Amanda: Oh beans.
Sarah: I hate when that happens.
Brandon: Oh, yeah. It’s a slight problem.
Eric: But everything else is super comf. And the chains aren’t even that uncomfortable unless you like really started to push against them.
Brandon: [Tracey clears throat] Hem, hem, hem, hem.
Eric: The woman stops knitting and the needles steam for a second and then, she puts the knitting down on the side of her wingback chair and she takes a very deep deep pull from the glass with the silly straw.
[old woman sipping]
Eric (as old woman): [in a deep woman’s voice] Oh, I’m so glad you’re awake, I’ve been waiting for somebody to talk to, it is soooo boring here. I can only make so many nooses.
Brandon (as Tracey): [confused] Hi? Uh…
Eric (as old woman): Hello, hello.
Brandon (as Tracey): Uh, my name is Peter.
Eric (as old woman): Hello Peter, it’s nice to meet you.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Uh, who are you? What’s happening? Can you let me out?
Eric (as old woman): These are all great questions. I will start with the last one first because I’m a very straightforward person and I like you already.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Thank-thank you.
Eric (as old woman): No, I will not let you out.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Okay. Did you put me in here, or are you in here as well? Like, you know?
Eric (as old woman): I-I think, are you asking am I in here with you or are you in here with me?
[Amanda laughing]
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): That’s exactly what I’m asking.
Eric (as old woman): I think we’re in here with each other.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Huh, okay.
Eric (as old woman): We’re also best friends, I don’t know if you knew that yet.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): We’re not, no…
Eric (as old woman): I like you.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Friendships are built on trust,
Eric (as old woman): So much already.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Just met you, it’s fine.
Eric (as old woman): That’s fine, but I like you already.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): I would build trust if you’d let me out of this chain
Eric (as old woman): That is, you are absolutely true, I will definitely do something to make you trust….uh.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Okay.
Eric: And she walks over to your bed and uh, she gives you a quick wave.
Eric (as old woman): Hello again. Now I’m closer.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): I would wave to you, but I’m chained. Uh so...
Eric: So, you look up at the older, uh woman and she is like grandma-ish? Her hair is in like tight curls and they’re gray. And she has a little bit, a crooked long nose. There’s just like something a little bit off about her.
[Brandon laughing]
But she looks very sweet. Except for...
Brandon: I can name a few things Eric.
Eric: Yeah, it might be the chains, but there’s something off. She looks very nice, She’s like,
Eric (as old woman): Hello. Uh, I can definitely, if you want to build some trust I can definitely do something for you.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Yeah, could you like let me out of this chain? Or...
Eric (as old woman): That’s one of the things that I can’t do but I can definitely do something else.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Okay...
Eric: She points down to your gun arm.
Eric (as old woman): Well that looks like kind of a bummer that you have something shoved in there.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Yes...it is a bummer.
Eric (as old woman): I mean I can fix that for you. I, you know- building trust. Cause, I like you already, you seem very good Peter.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): [cautiously] Don’t-don’t touch me, please…
Eric (as old woman): No, no of course I was going to ask, but I can fix that up right for you. I’m very adept in, uh, fixing things.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): I... don’t know who you are, where I am, why I’m here.
Eric (as old woman): Okay
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): [frustrated] So maybe before you touch this literal part of my body, uh maybe, let me go?
Eric (as old woman): No, it’s totally fine. I just thought I’d you know, build a trust thing and I can do all of those things for you.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): I mean, there’s building trust but also trust isn’t built when I’m chained to a bed.
Eric (as old woman): That’s fair
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Period.
Eric (as old woman): I mean I can’t let you out cause I do not know how, well I do not know how.... well, I mean, Warforged murderous. I mean we’re here with each other I don’t know if you’re the dangerous one in this situation.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter):This is true, how did you get in here?
Eric (as old woman): Why this is my- I hang out here. This is my place.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter):Did you...kidnap me?
Eric (as old woman): No, I did not. Okay, yeah, I-I did.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Okay, why?
Eric (as old woman): Why, I have something really important to tell you. And again, I don’t know if you’re part of the murdering kind, so I feel like I have to lock you down.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Yeah, I am extremely murderous.
Eric (as old woman): Yeah, good well, that’s…
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): So…
Eric (as old woman): Honestly first time I’ve interacted with a WarForged where they said they were murderers to start with so very good, I think we're building trust already.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): I’m extremely dangerous.
Eric (as old woman): I love you so much already Peter, this is wonderful I’m having such a good time.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Out of 10. Like an 11.
Eric (as old woman): You are very-you are so cute I love this so much. This is amazing.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Great, good. I’m gonna kill you.
Eric (as old woman): Yeah, great. Yes. Again, WarForged never say things.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Yeah.
Eric (as old woman): We’re very good friends.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Great.
Eric (as old woman): Hey, you know what? You’re right. This was very- this was intrusive. I’m sorry, I really am. I really want to help, and we’re, I really like you already, I don’t know. I....people find me strange to start with.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Is it the kidnapping?
Eric (as old woman): Well no, yes, but also no. But also, yes. Uh... I’ll start with saying who I am.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): That’d be great.
Eric (as old woman): Hello.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Hello.
Eric (as old woman): My name is Driftwood...Franny Sunflower. I am a local here in Infrapolis.
[Brandon laughing]
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): And uh…
[Amanda & Sarah laughing]
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): And uh...
Brandon (as Tracey): How do you spell that?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): As it sounds.
[Sarah laughing]
And I know, what makes you tick.
Eric: Star wipe and there’s a streetlamp, and then he holds it on there for 3 seconds, and then you see Finale and Inara just like running by really quickly.
Sarah: That’s fun.
Eric: Yeah, thank you.
[Brandon & Sarah laughing]
I want you both to make Wisdom Saving Throws.
Amanda: [sarcastically] Oh good.
[dice rolls]
Sarah: Nat 20! Um, I love these dice!
Amanda: ...6.
Eric: Okay. He ha!
[Eric & Sarah laughing]
[crickets begin chirping]
As you are walking through the back streets of Infrapolis, Finale, you know these very very well. But it’s like someone spun the street signs, and it’s totally different. And Inara keeps running down the wrong streets. But you, every time that she does it, you like grab her by the back of her cloak. And you’re like, this doesn’t make any sense.
Sarah: That’s cute cause she’s little, so when I grab her she’s like uhohhh.
Eric: [laughing] You get what I’m putting down, this is very good.
[Sarah laughing]
So, that happened for a while and you get there in like a little longer than you usually do. So, it took you an hour, but you guys hustled over there, and it’s still the middle of the night. And you stop in front of the Electroshack. And the Electroshack is part of a strip mall. And cause it’s like only restaurants and a Taekwondo studio.
Brandon: What are some of the restaurants?
Eric: Well, one is uh- That’s a great question Brandon.
Brandon: Thank you.
Eric: There is a Orc food cuisine...
Sarah: Careful…
[Sarah laughing]
Eric: It’s called, it’s called Meat & Stuff.
Brandon: Good, yeah very good.
Eric: Uh there’s a…
Brandon: I like their, uh, fajitas.
Eric: Yeah, it’s good. There’s a Halfling breakfast buffet and it’s called Second Breakfast.
Brandon: Yes. Extremely good.
Amanda: Good.
Eric: Uh, there’s also a Jersey Mike’s in there?
[Sarah laughing]
I guess they franchised in Infrapolis. You really don’t know where they’re going to pop up.
Brandon: It’s a giant, chain y’know, I’m not surprised.
Eric: Yeah, they really are doing really well surprisingly.
Amanda: Oh, is there a Dungeon Doughnuts? Or is that not allowed to be so close to a Jersey Mike’s?
Sarah: Oh!!! I love that.
Eric: Yeah, actually, Dungeon Doughnuts and Jersey Mike’s are owned by the same people, so that would actually take over the same part there.
Amanda: Right, was it Soup River that was not allowed within a hundred yards of a Jersey Mike’s?
Eric: [exclaims] Soup River?!? Yeah, that’s right. There actually is another Soup River in there thank you for reminding me. They actually just moved in and they took over the Taekwondo studio.
Amanda: Oh...
Eric: You might be saying, how did they put a Soup kitchen into a Taekwondo studio…
Amanda: I’m not wondering.
Brandon: I very much am.
Eric: [laughing] It was pretty difficult.
[Eric & Sarah laughing]
They kept the matts though
Amanda: Did they keep the mirrored walls?
Eric: and the mirrors. Yes, they kept the mirrors.
Amanda: Ah yes, excellent, good.
Brandon: No one eats there because no one wants to see yourself eat soup.
Eric: That’s true.
Sarah: [laughing] A mess, 100% true.
[Amanda & Sarah laughing]
Eric: It is not doing well.
[Amanda & Sarah still chuckling]
Eric: So interestingly all the other places in the strip mall are closed, but Electroshack with its very bold very bright red neon is on and so is the open sign.
Sarah (as Finale): Alright, I think we’re close enough.
[Sarah takes deep breath]
Sarah: I cast locate object, and I...
Brandon: I’m a human, but that’s fine.
Sarah: Hold on!
[Brandon scoffs]
Also, you are not a human…
[Everyone laughing]
And I try to find Tracey’s cape.
Eric: Great, I’ll just be specific, the cape is inside of the Electroshack, it’s in the back-back.
Sarah (as Finale): Okay, he’s here.
Amanda (as Inara): Why don’t you wait around front, I’ll sneak around back and see if there is some kind of door. But, if I surprise anybody, and they start running out you can catch them on the way.
Sarah (as Finale): Thumbs up! Go ahead.
Amanda (as Inara): Okay. If I need your help I’m going to go, ka-ka!! And then you come and help me, okay?
Sarah (as Finale): Alright.
[Sarah laughing]
Eric: So Inara, you look at the back and all the other places have back doors, but the one for Electroshack has a very solid brick wall. For some reason, there’s like a fire escape ladder on it, that goes to the roof.
Amanda: Alright, well I’m going to stealthily climb up that ladder.
Eric: Okay, you get to the top and it’s extraordinarily flat, and there’s just a bunch of random beer bottles and cigarettes up there. Totally unreasonable. Why there is a fire escape ladder for a one-story building, but here we are. But right in the center there is a skylight.
Amanda: I am going to put up the hood on my shadow cowl, making myself invisible, and float over to peer into the skylight.
Eric: Okay. Underneath the skylight there is like you can see, this is like an employee break area, like a break room? It’s like a regular old kitchen, There’s like a terrible fridge. And like a very small table.
Amanda: Just loose pretzel rods?
[Sarah laughing]
Eric: Yeah, like everywhere. There’re pretzel rods like on the microwave and also on the table and also on the floor, they’re everywhere. And then all the way on the far wall there’s a very heavily barricaded door.
Amanda: Well, because I have my shadow cowl on, I can...go through walls, so I’m just going to float through the ceiling of the back room.
Eric: Okay, you try to float down through the ceiling where you think the door is, and you like, bonk off of it. Which is weird, cause you’re a ghost.
[Brandon chuckling]
Amanda: [hesitantly] Uh, through the skylight then, I guess.
Eric: Okay, so you float down through the skylight and it is totally abandoned, except for of course all the pretzel rods, and you get in a good look of this door, and it’s like extremely barricaded for like no reason. There is five different locks on it. And there’s a keypad right in the center.
Amanda: Okay, well firstly, can I hear anything or see any light coming out from underneath the bottom of the door?
Eric: That’s a good question, yes you can see that there is a mild glow that you’ve also like recognized before. This isn’t like malicious overhead lighting, this is like a nice warm glow from down there.
Amanda: And can I place that at all? Can I roll History?
Eric: Yeah, roll a History check.
[dice rolls]
Amanda: 13.
Eric: [sputters] With a 13, it’s like you know it but you can’t put your finger on it? It’s like you’ve experienced this a lot in your adventures it’s like very noticeable glow, but you can’t put your finger on where it comes from.
Amanda: Okay, well let’s start picking this lock.
Eric: Okay. Why don’t you roll a Dexterity check and then I’ll add proficiency bonus to it because you have lock and picking skills.
Amanda: Okay.
[dice rolls]
Amanda: And that’s a non-natural 20.
[cricket chirping fades out]
Eric: Okay cool, you really get up on it, and you- you recognize all the locks and you can crack three of them very quickly, but you realize the keypad is uncrackable. I feel like you can open it if you found the numbers for the keypad. All you need are four numbers, and it’s on a number pad, and then you hit the pound sign, and then it should open up.
I would also say, since you are one of the people who know how to use locks, I’d say that you’d look around for where this password might be written down or anything, and you don’t see it, but you do find there is a piece of paper that is kinda left on the counter, and you open it up, and here’s what it says,
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Okay this is a rough draft for, it’s somewhere in the middle section of a ruler, a fighter and a lover. I guess it comes somewhere near the climax. Remember, right drunk, edit’s over, so I’m all up on that good hooch, alright here we go. Time was up. Filomena had put off her decision for so long. Nine days crossed off of the calendar. Was she a fool for turning down Holden Ambersword proposing marriage to her? He was the Lord of the Realm and could zero in on exactly what made her truly happy. And yet, Filomena couldn’t resist his cousin, Kiera Diamondsoul either. Kiera was a decorated soldier, a brusque lover, and yet there was a tender sort of her inside and out whether we’re talking about her hard abs, or how Kiera guarded her heart, hard. Filomena could not choose, for whence did she ever get a chance to choose her own love? She only did the thing that she could think of. She ate an entire pie. Lingonberry rhubarb, something that she had saved just for this occasion. Uh yeah, Head, slash, ship by ship, OTP, OTP3, OC11, slash slash slash...
[Electronic music transitions]
Amanda: Hi, it’s Amanda. I know Eric came out strong against February in the last episode, but I would argue that March is way worse! It’s always raining a little bit! And it’s annoying to wear clunky rain boots. It’s annoying to wear a winter coat that’s always a little damp. But do you know what I find totally charming about March? Umbrellas. Umbrellas! They’re little roofs we carry around with us! They give us little personal pods of dryness we can walk around in! They fold up so efficiently, and you can get them in so many colors! I just love them. So, welcome to the midroll. And don’t worry—if you forget your umbrella, mine is big enough to share.
Today we have a tavern’s worth of new patrons to welcome to the party! Hey hi hello to Blair, Pip, Noah, Desmond, Lida-Maria, Blake, JC, Melissa, Maria S, David, Niclas, Mickey, Erica, Caroline, Nick O., Joannah, Ryan, Meghan, M. Piehl, Thomas, Shannon, Brian, Mark, Jae, Kelly, Nick, Mimi, and The Stubby Tech. If you want in on the mead, mince pies, and oatcakes we’re serving at the JTP Inn & Tavern, join us at patreon.com/jointhepartypod.
We’re also welcoming a new sponsor to the show this week! Imaginary Bookshop is a fantastic online store with all of the books, gifts, teas, and creepy-cool knick-knacks your heart could desire. Cofounders Crista and Maura have incredible taste, and I want every single thing I see on the site. Whether you’re looking for a skull teaspoon, a coin purse that says, “creeping malevolence,” or a new book that you are guaranteed to enjoy, Imaginary Bookshop is like the awesome boutique that you always wanted in your hometown. Head to ImaginaryBookshop.com to see their goods and photos of their cats. Once you’re there, use the code “jointheparty” for 15% off any order. International shipping is also extremely reasonable, so listeners outside the U.S., be sure to check this one out. Imaginarybookshop.com, code jointheparty.
We’re sponsored this week by 20 Sided Store in Brooklyn, NY., whose co-owner Lauren Bilanko is our Master Dungeon Master. Once a month we bring her your questions on games and GMing. This week’s question comes from Zoe, who asks, “I’m running a game where there is a lot of GM work. How do I balance knowing everything about all the factions and fronts and background complications required by the game with in-the-moment play with my players?”
Lauren says, “Spend several sessions with your players developing their characters and their backstories. Introduce the locations that their PCs would know from the start, and world build with your players to discover what they are most interested in. Break down the information needed to run the campaign into parts, deciding what will come up in the first session, second session, and so forth. On a small notecard, jot down a couple bullet points to easily reference during the game and focus on the overall story. Anything else you can't remember in the moment, make up, then jot down in case it comes up again later.”
Thanks, Master Dungeon Master! And if you’re in the market for modules, guides, and secret DM notebooks, there’s nowhere better to shop than Twenty Sided Store. Visit them online at twenty sided store dot com or in person in Brooklyn, NY. Use our discount code, JOINTHEPARTY, for 20% off. That’s twenty (the full word) sided store dot com and use our discount code JOINTHEPARTY.
And finally, we’d love to thank everyone who’s been recommending the show to their friends and family. There is no better way to help a show grow than to bring new listeners on board. Offering to load up someone’s phone with enough episodes to get them through their spring break travel or rainy commute is a truly noble act, and we appreciate it so much. When you do, let us know, and we’ll bestow upon you a special item for use in your next campaign.
All right! Now, let’s get back to the show.
[electronic transition sound]
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): So yeah, um you know that’s everything there is to know about me.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): That was quite a story.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): I mean I didn’t really tell you anything. I guess I kinda tried to get away with it.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Yeah, um you know, trust built on vulnerability and sharing, but you know, whatever it’s fine. Um, why am I here?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Oh, thank you, that’s a great question, I forgot about that question. Well I thought that I could help you. Y’know with all the stuff here. Cause you know, you're very cool, very cool Warforged guy, so…
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): What...what?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Yeah like, you know you’re a War- do you not know you’re a Warforged? Oh, that’s so embarrassing I can’t believe I just told you that.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): I’m acutely aware that I’m a Warforged.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Oh, okay nice. Well I’ve dealt with, sometimes you tell them and they’re like, WHAT I THOUGHT I WAS A HUMAN! And then it gets really bad, so...I think it’s nice, I’m glad that I told you that. Yeah, I’m glad you knew though.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): You've met other Warforged?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Oh yeah, like oh yeah, all the time. Yeah.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): No, what? No.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Yeah.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): You’re a liar.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): No. I would know, I’m a very bad tell. I blink when I lie.
[Brandon laughing]
Sarah: Does she blink?
[Sarah chuckling]
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Well I wink with both my eyes at the same time so it’s really just kind of a blink. But no no no yeah. Let me tell you, so I think that…. this stuff that your- you run on, that you're coursing through, so delicious, very good.
Eric: [chuckling] She does a chef’s kiss with her hand.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Mm, I just, yes, that’s good stuff. I think it’s delicious. So, I found that there was a crack like in the reality, and I started like drinking off of it and then people started bothering me about it. So, I figured that I could make a store out of it, so everyone would leave me alone. And uh, yeah, I guess welcome to Electroshack. Hello, I’m Franny, what up?
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Cool, okay. Um...
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Yeah. So yeah, all right I didn’t even say the thing that I was supposed to say.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Yeah, I have an idea, I have an idea...
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Okay, you go, you go.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Yeah, yeah, yeah, you’re talking a lot. It’s fine.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Okay, yeah, you’re right. Totally right.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Let’s play a game.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Oh, cool. Straight.
Eric: Tally turns into a crocodile behind you.
So, it’ll be a very quiet game and it’ll be very relaxed. Um, no need to make any sudden movements or anything yet, but uhm, I’m going to ask you a question.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Oh wait, where did you get- oh I haven’t seen that thing in forever! I know her! Who you got that from. I know her! I haven’t seen her in a while, what ever happened to her? What was her name?
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Okay, let’s just make sudden movements then. Tally can you help me out of these chains?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Hold on, wait, we’re still, hold on, we’re still talking and…
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): This is my alligator friend and they’re going to let me out. And you're not going to stop me…
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Just hold on, I have so many things to tell you. I feel like we were really bonding here.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): We’re not at all.
Eric: And she points a finger at Tally, and she does Polymorph on your alligator. I want you to make a Wisdom Saving Throw.
Brandon: 6!
Eric: Alright, so with 6, a crooked yellow streak flies at Tally and Tally turns back into a bag.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Just hold on, uh, I know. Listen! I’m more afraid of you than you are of me. I literally think you’re going to chop off all of my limbs.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Yeah, you should be. I also have friends that are coming for me right now and once they get here I am going to chop your limbs off.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Okay, cool. Yeah, I’m just going to keep those chains on.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): If you let me go now
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): No, you literally just said you’d chop my limbs off.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): If you let me go now, I’ll leave quietly.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Just hold on for one second!
Eric: And she points her finger at you. And she casts Silence on you.
[stifled mumbling from Tracey]
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): So... I have this part of this pocket dimension, where I get all of my good good yum yums.
[Brandon chuckling]
You see this beer barrel over there? If you looked at it for realsies, your whole brain would like totally explode, so do not, that’s why it looks like a giant beer barrel. I made it like that, so I could just keep eating it. And then, when I take all the energy from there, and when I put it in mechanical stuff, so they work. So now people will leave me alone, and I have some coin, and I can just kinda hang out and do my thing. Okay? Okay, cool.
[Amanda & Sarah laughing]
The reason why I wanted to talk to you and I thought you were going to murder me in the face, is because you’re made of that same stuff. And I didn’t know if you knew. If you were walking around here, the last time I saw a Warforged was like a thousand years ago, and they were all bad. So, if you’re here, I have a bunch of questions that I want to ask you, cause I literally think we’re friends. I wasn’t kidding. Best friends? You’re right that was a stretch. But I do think we’re friends.
Brandon: Tracey slowly nods once.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Do you know what the thing is that powers your whole biz?
Brandon: Tracey shakes his head no.
Eric: Okay, she walks over to her side table and she holds up the glass that is glowing. Tracey, I also want you to make a History check.
[dice rolls]
Brandon: [laughing] Jesus Christ. 6+2 for 8.
Eric: Alright, with an 8, it looks familiar, but you do not know where it came from. You don’t know where you’ve seen it before.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): [flustered] Okay it sounds like you don’t. I don’t know when you got turned on or where you even come from. Alright, the pocket dimension that I’m taking stuff from, I don't know if you’ve heard of this, if you’re like a concentric states kinda guy, and believe in the Trinity, but this energy comes from some place called the Undying Light.
Eric: We’re going to cut to Finale here.
[crickets begin chirping]
Amanda: [whispering] What?!
Sarah: [laughing] Finale is standing in the parking lot.
Eric: Okay, what do you do?
Sarah: I cross my arms and try to look tough.
[Everyone laughing]
Amanda: Can you, can you...
Sarah: Finale is waiting for a long time for things to happen...
Amanda: In general.
Sarah: And then she gets bored and then she walks up to the front of Electroshack. And are the lights on inside?
Eric: Yeah, they are.
Sarah: She tries to open the door.
Eric: Okay, it opens and goes ding-doong
[doorbell rings]
Eric: Casey is standing there and is wearing a dumb red hat and his dumb red polo, and he says,
Eric (as Casey): Hey! Welcome to Electroshack! How can I, Aw, shit...
Sarah: Finale walks in and she slams the door, and she walks up to Casey and tries to grab him by the collar and she goes,
Sarah (as Finale): [annoyed] Are you serious right now?!?
Eric (as Casey): Yeah, I definitely work here. I told you I worked here.
Sarah (as Finale): That’s obviously not what I’m talking about!!
Eric (as Casey): That’s okay- Fair, good point. I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Sarah (as Finale): You saw me hanging out with the robot guy and then you kidnapped him anyway!!
Eric (as Casey): Yeah, cause like for them dollars!
Sarah (as Finale): He was in my crew!!
Eric (as Casey): I was trying to get that bread!
Sarah (as Finale): [laughing] We’re all trying to get that bread Casey.
[Amanda laughing]
Eric (as Casey): Fair, okay fair. Well, y’know I had a better offer, so you know.
Sarah: I sort of shove him up against the wall and I say,
Sarah (as Finale): Where is he?
Eric (as Casey): We have a no violence policy here at Electroshack. Ma’am I’m going to have to ask you to leave.
[Sarah & Amanda laughing]
If you want to just get down and dirty, go down to the Soup River. WHAT? What do you want!? What do you want?!
Sarah (as Finale): I want the robot guy!!
Eric (as Casey): Okay! He’s in the back! Wasn’t that hard!
Sarah (as Finale): Okay, stay there and shut up!
Eric (as Casey): Fine! I will, but not because you told me to, but because I’m going to get those...
Sarah (as Finale): It doesn’t sound like you’re shutting up right now, I feel like I told you to shut up!!
Eric (as Casey): [whispering] We have really good deals right now…
[Everyone chuckling]
Just don’t go in the back!
Sarah: I go in the back.
[Amanda & Brandon laughing]
Eric: Okay, you push past him and now you’re in the same room as Inara.
Amanda: I’m going to roll around with my dagger up and then realizing its Finale, relax, and laugh a little bit, and pull my hood down to wave at her.
[Finale yells in surprise]
Sarah (as Finale): Oh hey!
Amanda (as Inara): [whispering] Okay, I think Tracey is right over there, hold on. I’m about to try the last lock. Just one sec.
Sarah (as Finale): Okay.
Amanda: And looking at the note, I punch in, hold on... 9. 0. 1. 3.
Eric: It goes meh.
[rejection buzz sound]
Amanda: What’s 8? Oh, ate the pie...
Sarah: Alright I think I got it.
Eric: Okay.
And I type in 9. 0. 8.1.
Eric: It goes meh, again.
[rejection buzz sound]
Sarah: [laughing] Uh, I punch the door.
Eric: Oh hey, Inara you’re a teen, have you written any fanfic before?
Amanda: I mean Inara or Amanda?
[Amanda chuckling]
Eric: Let’s go Inara here.
[Brandon laughing]
Amanda: Probably definitely told some stories that I wish were true, but I was actually just bragging around a campfire, so yeah.
Eric: Okay give me just a straight up Charisma roll.
[dice rolls]
Amanda: 9.
Eric: Okay. With a 9, I will say that some phrases in here seem really weirdly antiquated. We’re in a fantasy setting, so like Holden Ambersword and Kiera...
Sarah: Diamond Soul.
Eric: DiamondSoul and Filomena are not weird names, but the sentence structure of some of these things feel like very antiquated and you don’t know why.
Amanda: Sure alright, why don’t I read it and you can listen?
Time was up. Filomena had put off her decision for so long. Nine days crossed off of the calendar. Was she was a fool who turned down Holden Ambersword proposing marriage to her? He was the Lord of the Realm and could zero in on exactly what made her truly happy. And yet, Filomena couldn’t resist his cousin, Kiera Diamondsoul either. Kiera was a decorated soldier, a brusque lover, and yet there was a tender sort of her inside and out whether we’re talking about her hard abs, or how Kiera guarded her heart. Filomena could not choose, for whence did she ever get a chance to choose her own love? She did the only thing that she could think of. She ate an entire pie. Lingonberry rhubarb, something that she had saved just for this occasion.
Sarah: I got it. 9.0.4.8.
Eric: The keypad goes, da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da!!
[scraping of door]
And the door slides off of the wall to the left and you guys walk in on an old woman animatedly talking to Tracey who is sitting up in a very comfortable looking bed.
Amanda: I’m going to jump on this woman and try to restrain her. Immediately.
Eric: Okay.
Brandon: Tracey’s eyes look frantic because he can’t make any sound.
[everyone laughing mixed with Tracey’s muffled screams]
Amanda: So, I get advantage if a creature I’m trying to attach hasn’t taken a turn, and I auto-crit on surprised creatures, so...
Eric: Why don’t you make a Stealth roll, to see if you surprise. And if you surprise her, you definitely do the thing.
Amanda: [chuckling] Okay, well I got a 25 on Stealth.
Eric: [enthusiastically] Hell yeah, okay. So yeah..,Franny is too busy revealing the secrets of the world to Tracey to realize a very small, sneaky lady is running up behind her. And what do you want to do?
Amanda: I’m just going to launch myself at her, seeing that she is standing up over Tracey, I don’t know what she’s holding in her hand, so I’m just going to tackle her and pin her down with my knee in the small of her back on the ground.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Oh, noooo, I just got that worn out. No... excuse me, I was, I was doing something.
Amanda (as Inara): Tracey, are you safe? Obviously, you’re chained up, but uh is this person okay?
Eric: [chuckling] Yeah, I guess when you tackle her she breaks concentration and Tracey can talk again.
Brandon: Tracey is like,
Brandon (as Tracey as Peter): Oh my god!!! She muted me, she tied me up, I don’t know who this is, what’s happening, please help me with these chains!
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): I, no, I literally told you all of those things.
Brandon (as Tracey as Peter): [yelling] Shut up!!
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): And we’re best friends. I think you’re really great and I- this is unfortunate.
Amanda (as Inara): Super not what I expected here, but we’re going to unchain Tracey right now, so…
Sarah (as Finale): Yeah.
Amanda (as Inara): Do you want me to just like, melt these off?
Amanda: And then Inara looks at Tracey, like couldn’t do that but let's see how it goes!
Eric: Alright, Inara I want you to make a Wisdom Saving Throw.
[dice rolls]
Amanda: I hate Saving Throws Eric, stop making me do them! 11.
Eric: You are kinda like frozen in place. Like you have your knee on her back, but you cannot move. So, she kinda gets up and like shrugs you off, and now you've kinda fallen onto the ground stuck in your spot.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Hold on, can we- hold on, hold on. Everyone busted in. I was doing a thing. Hold on.
Amanda: So, she just like magically froze me?
Eric: Yeah, she used Hold Person, which is a second level enchantment, and you are paralyzed for one minute.
Amanda: Thanks, I hate it.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): [annoyed] Alright, none of you believe me who I am! So, I guess I need to prove it to you. Hello, your name is Finale.
Sarah (as Finale): Ahhh!
[Sarah laughs uncomfortably]
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): You’ve been in this city for about a year, but you don’t like it. You'd rather live in the woods and you wish you had a house that you could hang out with your girlfriend/fianc and her name is Ellie and I can give you that house.
Sarah: Finale, is like completely stunned and the color drains from her face and she holds her hands up kinda defensively,
Sarah (as Finale): How...did you…. How, how?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Because I am a hag, I am the hag of Infrapolis, and I know so many things, and I just told…
Sarah (as Finale): Listen, we’re all hags.
[Sarah laughing]
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): But like capital-H hag. I promise, okay?! Stop, hold on. Hold on.
Sarah (as Finale): Alright, say what you gotta say.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Okay, great. There are things happening that are bad, And I am, socially awkward and I got the pointy boy over there in the front to do the thing that I wanted him to do, which is grab this Warforged man over here who wants to, who seems just as murderous as all the other ones. Okay?! So...
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Damn straight!!
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): That seemed unnecessary.
[Sarah laughing]
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Bad things are happening, I got like a good sense that if there was a Warforged running around, things are changing. All the stars are going out in the sky, which I hate. So, can we like work together with all you people here, I’m sorry I kidnapped Peter, I’m sorry about that, that wasn’t nice. But like I can help you out. Here this new one, uhhh Finale, okay, you know I got a house, and you can totally live there if you just like take care of like the rock in the basement.
Sarah (as Finale): What…?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Sometimes it walks around with feet, which is fine, I guess it’s kinda cool, but you can totally have that if you guys chill out for a second.
Sarah: There’s a rock in the...? Yeah never mind, go ahead.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Like a bird, it’s a very large bird.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Just start talking now.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): I literally, what have I been doing the entire time?
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Saying nothing, I need you to say something that matters.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Oh, I’m sorry, was revealing the energy in which the entire your thing runs off of not enough for you?
[garbled people arguing]
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): We’ve already answered all of those questions, you’re obviously not paying attention! Okay, starting from the beginning because Peter needs a refresher. Hello, I am Driftwood Franny Sunflower. I am the hag of Infrapolis, it’s not a burn, I literally am.
I love the good taste of energy that comes into this plane and it powers all of the electronics here. That’s why I created the Electroshack, so people could leave me alone and I could get a little bit of that bread. Okay? Bad things are happening. You seem like people who knows about these bad things that are happening. I wanted to talk to you so bad, I kidnapped Peter.
Eric: And she gestures towards Tracey.
Amanda: Inara is released from her hold, and just collapses on the ground gasping,
Amanda (as Inara): What do you mean energy from a different world?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Okay, so have you heard of like different planes of existence?
Amanda (as Inara): Yes, I’ve met a god, don’t bander to me!
[Sarah laughing]
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Okay, cool. You are also my new best friend. Okay, love this okay.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): We’re not friends!!
Amanda (as Inara): Normally I’d be totally into that, but in this case, you just kidnapped my friend so let's cut to the chase.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Oh, you see that giant beer barrel over there?
Amanda (as Inara): Sure, the weirdly glowing one?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Oh, you can see- Oh, I gotta patch that up. Well, you know if you actually looked at it your whole mind would get all scrambled and stuff, but on the inside-
Amanda (as Inara): I’ve heard that before! Why?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Well, okay. Well you know, there’s a whole rift in the plain of existence here. That is an opening to the Undying Light.
Amanda (as Inara): What?!
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): It’s like super delicious. It’s like all that Umami? Oh, It’s so good, it’s the 5th sense. There’s sweet, and sour, and salty
Amanda (as Inara): So that’s what’s powering all of these vehicles, and lights, and machines?!
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Oh yeah, and the 4th one is bitter and the 5th one is Umami.
Amanda (as Inara): Have you talked to it?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): It’s a...it talks?
Amanda (as Inara): The Light? The Light.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): No, I just get that good good stuff.
Sarah (as Finale): I think she's just been...eating it.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): It’s very delicious
Sarah (as Finale): Ugh...
Amanda (as Inara): Has someone else talked to you about the Light?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): No, not since like, no.
Amanda (as Inara): Not since when?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Well I mean, they haven’t- I didn’t know that anyone prayed to them since like a thousand years ago. I guess that makes sense cause of the Warforged right here, so maybe there’s another guy.
Amanda (as Inara): But what did you give in exchange for all of this power, because it’s never for free?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Oh no, there was just a rip in it, I just like, entrepreneur- I opened it, and...
Amanda: Oh good, so you’ve been stealing the power from the Undying Light?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): I mean, it’s kinda just like honey or maple. Like you just kinda put a tap in it, and you like, you just go nom nom nom.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): That’s not what it is!
Sarah (as Finale): If somebody else owns the tree...
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): It’s just a public forest I thought it was just nomnomnom.
Amanda (as Inara): I want nothing to do with a crime against a god.
Sarah (as Finale): Yeah…
Amanda (as Inara): Because in our experience they are very vengeful.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): They seem very nice, if they’re letting it happen it seems kinda chill. I wasn’t like, I made all of these things go! So...
Amanda (as Inara): Yeah, I wouldn’t count on that.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Can you let me out now please?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Okay, fine. Can we, I still have more to say, can we please
Sarah (as Finale): I’m really confused that you kidnapped...him.
[Sarah laughing]
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Well, I mean, they’re Warforged, they kill things. So when…
Sarah (as Finale): That’s not in my experience.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Last time I saw one they kill things all the time.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Look we don’t kill, I don’t know where you get your information. I kind of
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Well I’ve been around, I’ve seen...
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Shut up shut up. We don’t kill things, I don’t kill anything. Please just let me go, it will be fine. Tell me what you want. Let me go and we’ll be good.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Well, I will say two things. You did threaten to cut off all my limbs earlier.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Look,
Sarah (as Finale): It happens, who hasn’t done that?
Brandon (as Tracey): It’s- it was a macho move.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Actually, I saw it happen like 997 years ago, it totally killed a bunch of people during the Centering. Were you not there for that? All the Warforgeds kinda destroyed everything…
Sarah (as Finale): I’ve had enough of your prejudiced nonsense.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Thank you.
Sarah: Let my friend go.
Eric: Okay, so she walks up to Finale, and takes a piece of paper out of her pocket and it’s rolled up and has a ribbon on it.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): This is the deed to my cottage. If you just take care of the bird in the basement, you can like live there. You don’t have to do this anymore.
Sarah (as Finale): What is the bird in the basement?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): The rock. His name is Tweetie.
[Brandon laughing]
Sarah (as Finale): I want a house, but I feel really hesitant.
Amanda (as Inara): It sounds like this is a favor to you to pawn your walking birdhouse off on somebody else.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Okay, fine! She puts the paper away and pulls out another. Fine. This is the other house, this is my summer house. It’s very nice. Finale, where you come from this is like a five-minute ride away from where Ellie is currently living, and Ellie’s dad as well. He can live there too.
There’s 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, a sunroom. You can have it. I’m trying to be nice here.
Sarah (as Finale): Finale she sort of hesitant for a moment and then reaches out for the deed and takes it.
Eric: Yeah, And it’s like a very beautiful house and it’s definitely perfect. And you even see Ellie is waving back at you.
Amanda: That’s creepy.
Sarah: [uncomfortably laughing] That’s deeply disturbing. I put it in my jacket.
Amanda (as Inara): Uh, so that was a good favor appetizer, here’s the favor entree. You need to shut down the power to the stadium. You know the one where the wrestling match is happening tomorrow? Yeah, they’re going to be able to not be able to do anything there for like a week. And by doing that you’ll show us that you mean business and you have some of the power that you’re bragging about.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): It’s not really, it’s not really a brag, it’s more of a truth. Okay, yeah that’s fair.
Amanda (as Inara): You're going to unchain Tracey. You’re going to shut off the power to the stadium for a long time, and then we’re going to see…what do you want from us again?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Again, the stars are going out, it seems like a bad time, there’s like a mystery man around and he only shows up at midnight. It sounds bad. You guys seem cool. I get like, a weird temporal stench on you. There’s like God of Death stuff. I kinda like that. You seem chill. I just want to hang out.
Amanda (as Inara): Yeah, so we’ll take care of that if you take care of this. You let Tracey go. You stop defaming Warforged. You take care of the stadium. We’ll take care of the rest.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): I…
[long pause]
Amanda (as Inara): Okay?
[shorter pause]
You wanna swear on your knitting needles like what kind of situation do we need to do here?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Well first of all, let me do something first, and then we can talk about all those other things.
Amanda (as Inara): Let Tracey go, great idea.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): I’m going to. I’m going to do this, I can do something nice for him. Promise.
Brandon (as Tracey, as Peter): Do the thing!! Let me go!
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Alright, I’ll do it! Okay!
Eric: She snaps her fingers, and the chains go very slack.
Brandon: Tracey immediately moves up out of the bed. Is still wearing the pajama pants.
Amanda: Okay, good, good.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Can I just, I need to touch our friend for like a second. I can fix-I can do a fix.
Amanda (as Inara): Why don’t you ask him?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Tra-wait, Peter.
[Sarah laughing]
Brandon (as Tracey): Oh!
Amanda (as Inara): Oh, I see here. Um, that’s his middle name.
Brandon (as Tracey): Tracey Peter Lunch.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Okay, what should I refer? That’s a fun last name. What should I, so, you go by Peter?
Brandon (as Tracey): Yes.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Okay. Peter can I touch your gun arm for a second? And I promise, Listen, we all want to be friends I thought that we were friends. I think that you were all very cool. It’s cool. Can I do the thing?
Brandon: Tracey picks his ax up from the ground,
Brandon (as Tracey): Yes, but if you do anything else, I will chop your head off.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool.
Brandon: And he holds his gun arm out.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Okay.
Brandon: As far away as possible from his actual body.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): I do need to use my face is that okay?
Brandon (as Tracey): Are you going to kiss my arm?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): No.
[Sarah sighs uncomfortably]
Amanda (as Inara): [whispering] Oh, I don’t like it.
Brandon (as Tracey): I hate this a lot, but I guess.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Okay.
Eric: So, Franny holds your gun arm tenderly,
Amanda: Nope.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): I’m really glad we’re friends.
Brandon (as Tracey): [whispering] We’re not, at all.
Eric: Um, she puts her mouth on top of the crystal that has been jammed in your gun arm, and you feel a bit of suction for a second.
[Everyone ughs in discomfort]
And it goes pop!
[suction sound]
You look up and she has the crystal in her mouth. She swallows it, she’s like,
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): That’s good eatin! That’s got some spice on it, It’s a real kick.
Brandon: Tracey cocks his gun arm.
Brandon (as Tracey): Alright start talking, why are we here, what’s happening, tell me everything. And if you don’t tell me in ten seconds, I will kill you.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): I mean I literally just told you.
Brandon (as Tracey): What do you want from us? Or else I’m leaving.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Nothing, lit-nothing. I thought that we were, I thought that we could figure this whole thing out because nothing is going right in the universe right now I don’t know what happened.
Brandon (as Tracey): Why did we want you, we were fine. We’re perfectly fine. We can handle it. We’ve been doing this forever. We’re a team, we don’t need you
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): It sounds like, it sounds like no one has a handle on it because the stars keep going out. So… I thought that we could work together. And like, that weird guy who is walking around with the weird aura around him seems like a bad sign also as well. Figured we could catch him. See what’s going on. Cause I've only ever seen this one other time before, so. I figured we could figure some stuff out.
Brandon (as Tracey): Sidebar, Inara?
Amanda (as Inara): Yeah?
Eric: Oh, by the way Brandon, your gun is working fine. You’re back to your regular thundercattin.
Brandon: Thank the lord.
Eric: There you go.
Amanda (as Inara): Miss Hag, could you just give us one second? We have a quick little conference between the team.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): It’s Miss Sunflower and that’s fine I have some… Airbnb rules that I have to talk to Finale about.
[Sarah laughing]
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): So, the cleaning fee is like, if you’re going to rent it out, just make sure the cleaning fee is like at least 100 gold coins, just like write that down…
Sarah (as Finale): Uh huh.
[Eric chuckling]
Amanda: I’m going to pull Tracey into the next room and just rest the door on the doorframe.
Amanda (as Inara): I know that mostly that the ppl we need are terrible, but I think I know what’s happening here. Let’s just pretend we’re going to look after all this stuff because she said so, even though we were going to do so already. She’ll taken care of Lighthammer, you’re free. Finale seems like she is all set up, so that’s a great consequence.
Brandon (as Tracey): That’s nice.
Amanda (as Inara): And let’s ask her everything she knows about what went on in the Centering. Ze’ol showed us jack shit.
Brandon (as Tracey): Yeah, I think we could use her. I think, Alonzo seems kinda strong.
Amanda (as Inara): I think we have all the friends we’re going to get.
Brandon (as Tracey): She might be useful. If she does try to kidnap me again I will kill her.
Amanda (as Inara): Oh yeah no, I was super close to cutting her throat.
Brandon (as Tracey): Thank you, I appreciate that. That’s real friendship, you know?
Amanda (as Inara): Aw, thanks Tracey. We have come so far.
Eric: And you hear really loudly from the other room, she’s like,
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): So, when is your and Ellie’s anniversary?
Sarah (as Finale): I don’t want to talk about this with you.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Okay cool, I just had some ideas, I never use them but if I had an anniversary this is what I’d do. Is it the spring?!
[Brandon laughing]
Amanda: And then I’m going to hold out my hand and Tracey I don’t think we've ever done a secret handshake, but I feel like this is the time.
Brandon: Yeah, I agree.
Amanda: Okay. So how about we go like, down, up, punch, backward, finger gun…
Brandon: Spin
Amanda: Spin. And then a little like jazz hand.
Brandon: Yeah. And I’ll shoot off a little lightning.
Amanda: We do that and it’s fabulous. And then push back open the door, and say uh,
Amanda (as Inara): Okay, Miss Sunflower, we are going to be allies here. Again, your methods…
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Awesome.
Amanda (as Inara): are not perfect. Going forward, maybe we use Kidnapping as like the last step before murder
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Listen, I only did it because I am extremely socially awkward, and I do not know how to introduce myself.
Amanda (as Inara): Not an excuse you can use to harm other people. So, we’re going to work on that.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): That’s a good point, that’s a good point. I blame Casey mostly, he’s a thirsty boy.
Amanda (as Inara): Okay, so two things you can do for us. Right? You're going to deal with the stadium
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Dope.
Amanda (as Inara): You’re also going to tell us everything you know about what happened before? What signs are the same? What’s going on?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Okay.
Amanda (as Inara): And also, there’s a third thing that I’m thinking of now. How do we get in touch with you? We might need reinforcements, we might need information. Do you have a sending stone? Do you have some kind of futuristic powered technology? That one I would prefer not to use. Just cause, again, pretty sure this is stealing on a like a cosmic level and that might go pretty bad for you.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): No, no, no, that’s fine that’s fine, that’s fine. Uhm, I do not...Hm. That’s a good question. Uh...Okay yeah yeah yeah, no. I got this.
Eric: So, she goes over to her side table, and she pulls out a little jewelry bag that is knit out of dark grey threads.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): You know I’ve never had a reason to use it, I’ve just kinda been kicking around and just been looking at myself with it but…
Amanda (as Inara): Hm?
Brandon (as Tracey): What?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Alright so. Here’s how you get in touch with me. Yes. Open it up and there should be like a loose stitch at the bottom and if you loosen it a little bit you can see me and everything I’m doing and like,
Eric: She points up to the ceiling, and says,
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): You’re just looking in from up there. Just stick your head in and say hi. We can talk and say hi. And I’m like not doing anything. You probably won't see me doing anything compromising or whatever.
Amanda (as Inara): Uhhh...
Brandon (as Tracey): This is very odd, um...
Amanda (as Inara): I got a weird health education, at a certain age do you stop using the bathroom or…?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Don't worry about it, I’m very discreet.
Amanda (as Inara): Uh okay, how about I just do a wave without looking or I’ll just do a little shout. And I’ll be like, Franny! And you’ll be like, Oh Inara Hi it’s fine!
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): And I’ll be like, oh yeah, I Totally have my clothes on, that’s totally fine.
Amanda (as Inara): Oh okay, nope. Sounds like a great system., cool. Thank you.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Great. Uh, uh the electricity thing I can definitely take care of, no problem.
Amanda (as Inara): Yeah, I cannot emphasize the cosmic repercussions of this match taking place. So, it’s really important. Not going to kill anybody, because I’m going to be the one to do it, don’t worry about it. But this match needs to never happen.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Okay cool. Great. I will definitely do that for you. As soon as you do something for me as well.
[music starts]
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): I’m looking for...
[slow-building tense music]
I guess I haven't seen it in a really long time I don’t know where it is. I am looking for this uh mouthpiece, I don’t know what it’s attached to now. But it looks like a very large open mouth and it’s laughing, and it has really bright red lips and I don’t know if you’ve seen it before, but if you see it I would love to get my hand on it cause I think it’s tied to all these things happening right now.
Eric: Tracey and Inara roll a History check.
Amanda: 13.
[dice rolls]
Brandon: 18.
Eric: Tracey, you’re like, I’m not going to help, I’ve never seen this before, this person kidnapped me, and you have a brain blast, and you realize the last time you saw this was Kohl’s megaphone.
Brandon (as Tracey): Oh, god dang it, yeah, we’ve seen it uhm.
Amanda (as Inara): What does it do?
Brandon (as Tracey): What’s it do? What do you want with it?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): It’s part of the whole thing here.
Brandon (as Tracey): Yeah, we know that.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Yeah.
Amanda (as Inara): Just to give you some context, we’ve been hurt in the past. It’s makes it hard to love, by which I mean…
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Same, yeah same.
Amanda (as Inara): I knew you’d understand. But we have helped people who have used our help for evil so it’s important that when you ask us for stuff, that we understand that you’re not going to do something more destructive with it, like I don’t know, rip space and time in two.
Brandon (as Tracey): Yeah, we just asked you to turn the lights off at a stadium and you just asked us for an all-powerful artifact, so...
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Well right now, I do not think it’s all powerful. Right now, I just think it’s being used as a walkie talkie or something. Probably. It could be, it definitely could be. I think having it in our collective possession is probably for the best.
Amanda (as Inara): So, it’s important for you that we find it but not necessarily that we give it to you?
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): I would personally like it, so it’s here and we can look at it, what’s going on, but yeah, I would like it. But it’s fine if I don't personally have it.
Brandon (as Tracey): Okay, that’s doable.
Amanda (as Inara): Terms of the trust building, brick by brick.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Yeah yeah yeah.
Amanda (as Inara): Stone by stone.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Listen, friendships are just based on trust and we’re best friends and I would never want to endanger that.
Amanda (as Inara): Okay, alright. We can do that. We have a friend. We will try to find it. And I’ll let you know Again, yelling, first through this bag, make sure it’s safe and then we can talk.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): Okay, I will definitely super-duper positively whenever you yell, I will have clothes on.
Amanda (as Inara): Great.
Brandon (as Tracey): You’ve made that point twice now, uhm.
Eric (as Driftwood Franny Sunflower): I just want everyone to know that I will definitely be clothed.
Brandon (as Tracey): Okay, alright can we leave?
Sarah (as Finale): Great...
[Amanda & Brandon laughing]
[tense background music ends]
[relaxed, jovial music starts]
Eric: Finale, what’s your apartment look like?
Sarah: It’s very little. It doesn’t really have a kitchen, it has like a sink. The bathroom is in the hallway. She doesn’t have any posters anywhere. She has a lot of spare weapons like rusted old stuff that she doesn’t use anymore. And she has a mattress on the floor and she had a beat-up couch on the other side and she has some upturned like milk crates that she is trying to use for chairs.
Brandon (as Tracey): This is lovely!
Sarah (as Finale): Thank you.
Amanda: When she’s done with a dagger does she just throw it into the wall and leave it there?
Sarah: Yes, yes. Absolutely.
Brandon (as Tracey): Did you decorate yourself?
Sarah (as Finale): I did.
Brandon (as Tracey): It’s nice
Sarah (as Finale): [laughing] I don’t think I’m going to get my security deposit back.
Amanda (as Inara): This is genuinely lovely.
Amanda: So, Inara is going to grab the couch and curl up around Oatcake where Oatcake is up against the back of the couch with one arm around her... And um, going to just try to sleep through sunrise and get as much rest as we can.
Brandon: Sure. Tracey has gone into a corner, that’s least full of milk crates, and sort of barricaded himself with every weapon he has. So, no one can come near him.
Sarah: Finale crashes on the mattress and she takes out the paper that Franny gave her and she smooths it out with her hand, and states into it so long that looks like she gets lost for a moment.
[relaxed, jovial music fades out]
[morning birds chirping]
Eric: Alright, you guys all get a long rest. And chill. And do a big sleep. And it is now morning time.
Amanda: So, we probably get 5 or 6 hours a little bit after sunrise. I’m just going to get up and look back on Tracey and Finale are still in their spots. And I’m just going to go to the kitchen and start trying to pull out some tea or coffee, whatever I found there. And make it for the group as we get up.
Eric: Roll an Investigation check.
Amanda: Okay DM.
Sarah: [laughing] Really?!
[dice rolls]
Amanda: 14, is that good enough for you?
Eric: [laughing] Yeah.
Amanda: So, what happens with my 14?
Eric: No, nothing, with a 14 you do an investigation and find some coffee and some old pancake mix. You pull out the milk from the fridge and with that 14, you remember to smell it, and it smells bad. So, you just put it back and you use water instead.
Amanda: Okay, but my cakes stay together?
Eric: Yeah, they’re good. I was just doing it for a good fun time.
[Sarah laughing]
Eric: Heheeee!
Amanda: A little bit on edge.
Sarah: Finale smells the good smell of pancakes and it’s been such a long time since she’s woken up to someone cooking for her.
Amanda: Aw…
Sarah: And she opens her eyes, And the night previous comes flooding back to her and she sits up and she says,
[Eric laughing]
Sarah (as Finale): Are you making pancakes?
Amanda (as Inara): Oh yeah sorry, I figured I’m starving, And I thought, Sorry, I’ll…
Sarah (as Finale): No, go ahead, thank you.
Sarah: Finale stands up, and she awkwardly shambles over to where Inara is cooking and stands next to her for a weirdly long time.
Sarah (as Finale): Pretty big stuff happened last night.
Amanda (as Inara): Yeah, kinda gotten used to it by now. But yeah that was a big night.
Sarah (as Finale): yeah, when I met you two, I thought you were normal people and I have never been more wrong about anything in my life. Uh...
Amanda (as Inara): Yeah, that seems to keep happening. I thought I was here on a job just to get out of jail. Don’t ask, Long story. And now, um we seem to be saving the universe. So yep.
Sarah (as Finale): Um, you know, if something different had happened last night, I honestly might have gone with you guys, cause you know, I think you’re really good people honestly, it’s been a long time. Y’know you don’t run into many of those in this city. And that’s why I have to leave and I’m going to go back home to the house and marry my girlfriend.
Amanda: Inara’s eyes turn into literal hearts.
[Sarah & Eric laughing]
Sarah (as Finale): Um, yeah, so uh, thank you, weirdly, for sorta leading me down that path. And Look, if you want to keep in touch this is the address.
Sarah: I scribble it down on a piece of paper and I hand it over to her just in case.
Sarah (as Finale): It wouldn't be too bad if we ran into each other again.
Amanda (as Inara): Yeah.
Eric: The address is like somewhere in the woods, next to the big lake not the small lake.
Brandon (as Tracey): Inara is it pancake time?!
Amanda (as Inara): Yeah buddy, it’s pancake time.
Brandon (as Tracey): PANCAKE TIME!!!!!!!
[Brandon & Eric laughing]
[chirping birds fade out]
Eric: As you guys are finishing your meal together, the rest of the city is waking up. People are putting on their face paint, slipping on comfortable shoes, setting up tents in front of Infrapolis stadium, because the match of the century is going down.
[theme music]
Eric: Join the Party is co-produced by Brandon Grugle, Amanda McLoughlin and me, Eric Silver. Special thanks to our creative consultants, Heddy Hunt, Connor McLoughlin, Julia Schifini, and Mischa Stanton. Our visual design is by Alyson Wakeman, the art mom, and our transcripts are by Nicolle - with two Ls - Siegart.
Amanda: The party doesn't stop here. The day after each episode comes out, we publish the Afterparty, where we sit down to discuss what just happened, learn what could have happened, and answer your questions.
Brandon: You can keep the party going by following @jointhepartypod on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. We’ve also got merch, music from the show, and transcripts for every episode on our website jointhepartypod.com. And you can email us at hello@jointhepartypod.com.
Eric: For even more Join the Party goodness, check out our Patreon. By becoming a patron, you get access to a wonderful community in our Discord, exclusive merch, character backstories, bloopers and so much more. That’s at patreon.com/jointhepartypod.
Brandon: Another great way to help the show is to recommend Join the Party to a friend. Get them caught up fast by sending them the link to our start page, which contains the beginner episodes for those new to D&D and our plot recaps, at jointhepartypod.com/start.
Amanda: Join the Party is a founding member of Multitude, an audio collective and consultancy. Type “Multitude” into your podcast app to subscribe to the fantastic other shows in our collective, HORSE, Potterless, Spirits, and Waystation. Or find out more about us and access our resources for podcasters at multitude.productions.
Eric: We’ll see you in two weeks. You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.