User:RABNerd VP/Notes

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Season 1
MONUMENT

Sypha asks what happens now, and Alucard says that he needs their help to defeat Dracula. Trevor asks why, and Alucard says that it’s what his mother would have wanted. They are the only ones who can do it.

Zemnian Nights

 * Jester and Beau decide to ask Molly about Yasha.

Jester and Beau tell Molly that Yasha left after starring at the storm. Beau asks if Yasha sleeps, which Molly says she does. Beau thinks it's creepy, but also hot. Jester feels like she's protected and safe, which Beau kinda agrees with. Molly says that she does. Beua says that she's mysterious, but Molly assures her that she's good, just going through some personal stuff. Caleb says that it's hard to get a read on her, but Molly assures him that she's worth it; just give it time.

Arrival at Kraghammer

 * Keyleth suggests that Grog bring Balgus a drink.
 * Grog realizes that he's not gonna be able to convince Balgus, and throws Vex and Keyleth at him.
 * Keyleth runs down after Grog.

Into the Grayspire Mines

 * Grog asks if Keyleth wants plant stuff or potion stuff.
 * Keyleth is disgusted by Grog throwing the food at random people.
 * Keyleth tells Grog that she'll take a healing potion.
 * Grog is excited to see Keyleth turn to Minxie.
 * Keyleth attempts to go heal Grog.

Curious Beginnings

 * Nott checks to see if Molly is using sleight of hand.
 * Molly overhears Nott and Caleb's conversation.

A Show of Scrutiny
Beau asks Nott about the mask, but Molly interrupts to get a drink if he's gonna listen to people's life stories.

Jester tells Nott and Molly that she was checking to make sure that Beau wasn't going to be a zombie, which Molly sees as fair.

Curious Beginnings

 * Yasha notices Nott trying to hide her weapon and tells her to hand it over.
 * Nott tells Yasha that they were recommended the front row.
 * Nott thinks that Yasha is going to kill the guard.

Curious Beginnings

 * Caleb asks Yasha where their weapons go when they hand them over.
 * Caleb gives Yasha his dagger as she promises to give it back.
 * Yasha gives Caleb a pat down to see if there are more weapons on him.

Zemnian Nights

 * Caleb says that he really can't get a read on Yasha.

Curious Beginning

 * Jester leaves Beau and Fjord to check out Nott and Caleb.
 * Beau and Jester notice that Nott isn't exactly a Halfling.
 * Caleb accidentally tells Beau and Jester that Nott is a goblin.
 * Jester and Beau ask Nott about the guys in cloaks.
 * Beau grapples Nott as she tries to attack Jester.
 * Beau and Jester warn Nott and Caleb to stay away from the Baumbauch's.
 * Jester and Beau encourage Nott and Caleb to join them at the Carnival.
 * Nott, Jester and Beau try and get Yasha to let them be bouncers.

Curious Beginnings

 * Beau says hi to Nott and offers to buy her coffee.
 * Beau notices Caleb and Nott whispering.
 * Beau notices that Nott isn't exactly a Halfling.
 * Caleb accidentally tells Beau that Nott is a goblin.
 * Beau grapples Nott as she tries to attack Jester.
 * Beau asks Nott if she made her mask.
 * Beau and Jester warn Nott and Caleb to stay away from the Baumbauch's.
 * Jester and Beau encourage Nott and Caleb to join them at the Carnival.
 * Beau tells Nott that she should stop saying that she's a "little girl".

A Show of Scrutiny
Caleb and Nott head down and join the others. Nott says that they somehow got separated, but Beau knows that she's lying. She's says that the two of them left fast, and Caleb tells her that they didn't come to Trostenwald to get arrested. Beau asks Nott about the mask, but Molly interrupts to get a drink if he's gonna listen to people's life stories.

Beau brings her attention back to Nott and asks about the traveling and the mask. Fjord clarrifies that it's because they find themselves in a predicament. Nott says that they're just passing through, but Beau doesn't believe her. Caleb points out that they would move because Nott is a goblin, but Beau says that people who move around a lot tend to be doing it for a reason. Caleb says that she wears the mask to hide that she's a goblin, but Beau is more focused on the travel thing. Nott explains that they've had bad luck, and she also sometimes gets the urge to steal things. She asks if they've seen anything he's done and Fjord says that he hasn't but would like to. Nott does feel bad though, since they never stay in places long enough to clean up well. Fjord calls it a moving story as he and Beau double check to see if Nott took any of their stuff.

Fjord asks if the more someone wants something if Nott would desire it more, but Nott says that she doesn't care. She just likes pretty things. Beau asks if it's the taking or the gifts themselves she likes more, but Nott says that its the collecting. Fjord asks if she's good at not getting caught, prompting Nott to ask if they want a demonstration.

Beau tries to see if there's something suspicious about Nott as she takes Jester's money. After finishing the demonstation of the money pot, Nott tells Beau that she has questions for her. Like, how Beau knows halfling. Beau explains that her parents worked in the wine business, and halflings really like wine. Nott says that everyone likes wine, which Beau agrees with. She says that she worked the books and it kinda forced her to learn halfing since she was around it a lot. Nott asks what town that is, and Beau says it's a bit further and it's called Kamordah. Nott says that she's never heard of it, and Beau says that it's no big deal since it's a small farming town. Nott says that there's nothing shady about Beau then, and Beau says that she's just a traveler like everyone else.

Beau tells Nott and Caleb not to break anything.

Caleb asks if they don't know each other that well, and Beau says that they've known each other a day or two longer, and both she and Fjord agree it's not that deep. Nott asks where they came from, and Fjord says that he's from Port Damali.

Molly says that Beau is right, and will most likely get blamed for what happened, along with Jester. Beau says that Nott is also as likely to get blamed.

Nott says that they've learned nothing, but Beau points out that he was a good target, and wouldn't have been missed.

Curious Beginnings

 * Caleb accidentally tells Beau that Nott is a goblin.
 * Beau suggests that Caleb and Nott join them at the Carnival.
 * Beau asks the name of Caleb's cat, Frumpkin.
 * Beau asks Caleb more about the magic cat.
 * Beau and Jester warn Nott and Caleb to stay away from the Baumbauch's.
 * Caleb and Beau ask Molly about not allowing the sick in the circus.
 * Caleb and Beau both believe that the zombie and the singing weren't a coincidence.

A Show of Scrutiny
Caleb and Nott head down and join the others. Nott says that they somehow got separated, but Beau knows that she's lying. She's says that the two of them left fast, and Caleb tells her that they didn't come to Trostenwald to get arrested.

Beau brings her attention back to Nott and asks about the traveling and the mask. Fjord clarrifies that it's because they find themselves in a predicament. Nott says that they're just passing through, but Beau doesn't believe her. Caleb points out that they would move because Nott is a goblin, but Beau says that people who move around a lot tend to be doing it for a reason. Caleb says that she wears the mask to hide that she's a goblin, but Beau is more focused on the travel thing. Nott explains that they've had bad luck, and she also sometimes gets the urge to steal things.

Beau tells Nott and Caleb not to break anything.

Caleb asks if they don't know each other that well, and Beau says that they've known each other a day or two longer, and both she and Fjord agree it's not that deep. Nott asks where they came from, and Fjord says that he's from Port Damali.

Curious Beginnings

 * Caleb accidentally tells Beau that Nott is a goblin.
 * Beau suggests that Caleb and Nott join them at the Carnival.
 * Beau and Jester warn Nott and Caleb to stay away from the Baumbauch's.
 * Beau and Caleb talk to Nott about her trying to sneak her weapon in.

A Show of Scrutiny
Beau brings her attention back to Nott and asks about the traveling and the mask. Fjord clarrifies that it's because they find themselves in a predicament. Nott says that they're just passing through, but Beau doesn't believe her. Caleb points out that they would move because Nott is a goblin, but Beau says that people who move around a lot tend to be doing it for a reason. Caleb says that she wears the mask to hide that she's a goblin, but Beau is more focused on the travel thing. Nott explains that they've had bad luck, and she also sometimes gets the urge to steal things. She tells them that Caleb understands her, and calls him a brilliant magician.

Beau tells Nott and Caleb not to break anything.

A Show of Scrutiny
As they make their way to the lockward, Beau asks Jester if she remembers the name of the daughter of the man they helped. Jester checks to see if she wrote it in her sketchbook, but she didn't. They both at least remember where he lives, and Jester suggests heading there. Beau agrees, and they head to his house. Beau points out the snake that the man is skinning as the one she punched to Caleb. Caleb asks if she took it on all by herself, but Beau says no. She's not an egomaniac and points out that Fjord and Jester helped her. Caleb says that he saw her arms last night, so she most likely took the lead. Beau tells her to give credit to the whole group and move on. Caleb says that he's been away from society for so long and has forgotten how to talk to people, and Beau just thanks him for the complement.

The man they helped before see's them, and Fjord, Jester and Beau drop part of their disguise to show who they are. Jester and Molly agree that the snake looks like Molly's tattoo but bigger. The group decide to leave and Nott and Jester suggest going to the carnival, but Molly suggest the docks. Nott asks where the man was seen last, and Molly reminds her that it was at the circus.

Beau asks if Jester is just gonna go from person to person and ask them to find them if they have information and Nott think's they're terrible at being detectives. Molly points out that she's trying. Fjord says that they've been gone for awhile, and Beau thinks that they need to go back. Fjord suggests that Caleb and Nott continue the investigation as long as they're up for it. Nott and Caleb agree. Molly says that they need to go back to the tavern and they climb through the window.

While waiting for the other's, there's Crownsguard knock on Beau and Jester's door. Jester yells to wait a moment since they're naked, and asks Beau what she should do. Beau asks if she said that because she wanted to tell her something, but Jester just wanted to make them wait. Beau likes that, since it's a power play, and asks what they should do before just deciding to sit on the bed while Jester answers the door. Jester opens the door, and the crownsguard inform them that they're still required to stay in the tavern. Jester asks the guard for their names, and they give them. Beau suggests they start a boy band or something, which Jester agrees with, and also says that the two can come play games with them tomorrow if they want. The two just leaves, and Jester says that they shouldn't have offered them to hang out with them, since they might actually take them up on it. Beau says that Jester enjoys games, but doesn't actually want the guards to take them up on it.

Nott thinks that they didn't find anything, but Beau says that the best information is stuff that they can't find, which makes no sense to Nott. Beau means that it can be a process of elimination, which Fjord and Molly agree with. Fjord asks if they found anything on the docks, but Caleb says that they found nothing. Beau see's this as proof of her idea that the man was a test subject. Caleb doesn't understand what Beau means, and neither does Jester. Molly asks how long Beau's known Jester, and Beau says it's only been a day longer than she knew Molly.

Fjord asks when Nott saw the mysterious figures, and Nott says that it was around 2 am. Jester suggest going out at that same time and follow them, which Beau also see's as a good idea. Beau points out how weird it is that no one is talking about what happened, but Molly thinks that there's more gossip than they realize. Beau says that it's time for a 2 am field trip, and Jester suggests going out the window this time. Both Fjord and Beau agree with that.

Beau asks if Caleb's cat is an asshole, and Molly says that she assumed all cats are assholes. Fjord asked where Nott saw the figures, and she says it was while she was window shopping. Fjord is confused why she was doing that at 2 am, but Nott ignores the questions. She walked past the general store, that Beau and Jester went to. Nott says that it was near a different store, and suggests doing a stakeout which Beau and Fjord consider as options. Beau asks how people send messages in town, and Nott suggests foot or horse, and Molly reminds them that it's a small town. Fjord suggests someone staying behind, and Jester asks how. Fjord asks if Caleb's lights could work as a signal, but Caleb says that it's limited. Fjord suggests risking it, which Nott and Jester agree with.

Jester asks if they're leaving through the window, which Beau says that they. Caleb asks what Beau is doing as she attempts to tie a string to the door. Beau explains that she is trying to make a way to tell if people come in her room. Caleb says that he's got it covered and explains his alarm spell. Beau says that's a better idea, and Caleb puts up the spell. Nott says he's great, but Fjord says that it didn't look like much and Caleb jokes that he could be messing with them instead.

As they get out of the Tavern, Nott suggests splitting up which Fjord agrees with. Nott asks Jester if she and Fjord are together. Jester asks if Nott is interested in him, but Nott gives a disgusted no.

Beau asks if Caleb's alarm is going off, but Caleb says that he would have brought it up if there was.

Jester suggests talking to Toya, but Beau asks if she was under arrest. Molly says that they should go back to the circus, and Beau agrees since it was the scene of the crime. Molly says that it wasn't the circus. Fjord asks who's stealthy, and Beau says that she is pretty good, and Fjord suggests that a few hang back while the sneakier people go ahead.

LAURA: We’ll take care of you. Don’t worry!

TALIESIN: They’re not going to talk to you without *me*, so I’m coming, too.

LIAM: I’m a little jittery, do you want to be a front man for a little while?

TRAVIS: Sure I got it, yeah.

LIAM: Okay.

MATT: All right, so what are the groups here?

SAM: The girls and the boys.

TRAVIS: Caleb and me--

LAURA: And Molly.

SAM: And whatever Molly is.

(laughter)

TALIESIN: I’m fabulous.

MATT: Molly, who are you going with?

TALIESIN: I’m going with the girls, because the circus kids won’t talk to them without me.

MATT: All right, so the three of you are going forward. What are you doing? I guess I should ask.

TRAVIS: I walk up to the guard (regal voice) It’s a late night, not much action this evening. See anything unusual?

MATT: “Eh, nothing yet. Mostly I hate this. Ugh, I just wish this whole fucking circus would just go. I need to sleep. Regular hours.”

TRAVIS: Yeah I heard, how long are they supposed to be here?

MATT: “Until they finish this fucking investigation. They keep bugging people for information, but they’re all just clammed up and not saying shit.”

TRAVIS: At least you’re by the tent, they’ve had us walking the perimeter of the lake the entire time.

MATT: “It’s bullshit. I wish they would just go ahead and execute them. That carnival master or whatever and get it over with.”

TRAVIS: Did they find anything inside, today? Tell me, *something* interesting, please.

MATT: “They investigated the corpses and found nothing yet. Still in there if you want to take a look at it.”

TRAVIS: Would you mind if we popped in?

MATT: “I mean I suppose so.” Make a deception check.

MARISHA: Something good?

TALIESIN: No.

LAURA: Oh Jesus.

TRAVIS: Oh! 13.

MATT: Okay. He thinks a second on it. “Oh I suppose so.”

TRAVIS: We’ll be quick, super fast.

MATT: “Please, get it over with.” He stops you. “If there’s any way to expedite this, if you can pin it on any of them, we can just kill them and take care of them. Let me know.”

TRAVIS: Let’s go. (as Grog) That worked way better than I thought. Like we should-- I mean-- (as Fjord) should we look around for stuff or what?

(laughter)

LIAM: You are very good with voices.

TRAVIS: Well you know, I do a little mimicry here and there. We should look, come on. Check the grounds. Maybe we can see where the bodies are laying.

LIAM: Yeah, let’s have a look around.

MATT: You guys look inside, the tent is dark. There’s no light inside.

LIAM: I take a rag out of my side satchel and I cast-- what the hell is it called because I’ve only been a wizard for a short time-- one Dancing Light underneath the rags so it’s only dim.

MATT: All right, so you have this self-made hooded lantern with the hood you have over it.

LIAM: Yeah.

MATT: Okay.

MARISHA: That’s dope.

LIAM: What the fuck are we looking for in here?

MATT: And Nott, you’re going with them? SAM: I’m with the girls.

MATT: Oh sorry, you’re right.

TRAVS: Where did the bodies fall? Over there, didn’t they?

LIAM: That’s right, yeah.

TRAVIS: Well let’s search the grounds.

MATT: You make your way inside, the smell is pretty bad. You can smell the flesh beginning to decay.

TRAVIS: Have they moved the bodies or are the bodies still there?

MATT: With a bit of looking, the bodies are still there where they left them. They have not moved, you can see a couple of remnants of notes and sheets that have been crumpled, but the bodies have been left where they are.

TRAVIS: Can we check the bodies for anything?

LIAM: Is there anything arcane? From all my studies, does anything here ring any bells? I have a photographic memory.

MATT: Go and make a religion check.

LIAM: All right. That is a ten.

MATT: Unfortunately, you don’t have a lot of research on the undead, or whatever might be the essence of this creature's creation, and the more you look at it, you're like, “This is not my specialty.”

LIAM: Okay. What about the perimeters of here, where all the people were? There was a swarm of people. I spend five minutes seeing anything was dropped of interest.

MATT: Make an investigation check, both of you.

TRAVIS: That's better.

LIAM: I miss the twins.

TRAVIS: 16.

LIAM: Big ten.

MATT: Glancing about, you can see the track marks of everyone fleeing. You can see the spatters of blood. You can see the place where the transformation occurred. There is a horrible shedding of certain layers of flesh. You can see previously existing layers of flesh and muscle that were shed as whatever this undead thing was fell to the ground. Once again, you make a religion check as well.

TRAVIS: Okay. Roll high. I did not. Ten.

MATT: Yeah. This is not your specialty. You have little experience with the undead and this type of magic.

TRAVIS: We can't spend that long in here. Maybe we just take a bit of it with us. Do you have a pocket?

LIAM: I have many pockets, of course I have pockets.

TRAVIS: Like a jar? I have no pockets!

SAM: You designed a character with no pockets?! Why would you do that?

TRAVIS: There’s no pockets! All right, but I'll check.

LIAM: He's just in the Blue Man Group unitard and that's it.

MARISHA: I'm sure Rob Liefeld just got a nosebleed and he doesn't know why.

LIAM: So this dead thing is here in front of me?

MATT: Two of them. There's the main one, the ground zero one, which is where you were putting all your attention, and then there's the woman, who was transformed as part of the first.

LIAM: I will take my dagger, and I will slice a little bit off of the woman, and it's going to get dark in here and I will snuff out the light and use the rag to roll it up and I'll put the little piece in my pack.

MATT: With a squishy sound you place it within your pack.

LIAM: Let's get out of here, I'm going to be sick.

TRAVIS: Agreed.

MATT: All right. The four of you, I need you to roll stealth checks, please.

MARISHA: Not that one. I don't feel good about it. Oh not bad! 21.

TALIESIN: 17.

LAURA: 18.

SAM: 25.

MATT: Without issue, you guys quickly dart around the side of the tent and make your way right towards the central area where the multitude of tents to this back encampment is placed. There is a single campfire. The embers are burning out. It has not been kept up. You do see two crownsguard who are currently keeping watch. One of them is slumped in a chair across from the fire and is nodding off. The other is doing a basic patrol and looking around. Other than that, you don't hear any sounds, you don't see anybody else. Just the two crownsguard.

TALIESIN: Which of the tents is currently occupied?

MATT: There are four main tents. There are two very large ones, one of which generally contains Toya and Kylre, the devil toad. That's on the south side. There's the north largest tent, this one contains the Knot sisters and Ornna. Then there's a very small tent to the south side that would be Bo the Breaker's tent, but he's not here. Then there's a medium sized tent on the north side. Who would be in that one?

TALIESIN: Toya and Kylre share a tent, that's right. It would be Desmond.

MATT: Desmond would be the other one. It would be Gustav staying there as well, but Gustav changes between the tent and the cart.

MARISHA: The cart?

TALIESIN: We have a wagon.

LAURA: Molly, I have a question. What made you guys set up your tent here?

TALIESIN: We were told to set it up here, if I recall.

LAURA: In this specific area?

TALIESIN: That sounds right. If I recall, we were specifically told to set up tent right here.

MARISHA: And it's by the lake, right?

MATT: Maybe 150-200 feet away from it.

MARISHA: That's pretty close to a lake.

LAURA: What if they set up their tent on a cursed land or something?

MARISHA: It's the lake, it’s common?

TALIESIN: What's the easiest tent to get to without--

MATT: Do you want to go to the north side or the south side of the main tent?

TALIESIN: I want to go with whatever's furthest away from the guards.

SAM: Shouldn't we just go to the Toya tent?

MATT: The Toya tent's on the south side, that’s the opposite side, you guys would have probably come in from the north end.

TALIESIN: What’s the easiest to get to without--

MATT: That would be the one that contains Ornna and the Knot sisters.

TALIESIN: I'm going to go back there and do our traditional (bird call)

MATT: Okay. There's actually no response.

LAURA: (bird call)

MARISHA: I had Mona and Lena, but maybe it’s Lolie.

TALIESIN: Yuli. It’s Mona and Yuli. I'm going to try one of the other tents. Am I getting the sense that any of them are in?

SAM: Look over here!

TALIESIN: Over here!

MATT: The other tent you get to and you make the same sound? This would be the one that Desmond usually is in, too. There's a pause, and then you hear a very faint (bird call).

TALIESIN: I'm going to very gently lift the back of the tent up and not go in through the front. And just--

MATT: Okay. You glance inside and you can see, leaning up from a bedroll, Desmond who is half-awake, and glances over and sees you. He's out of outfit, out of makeup, and he gives a nod.

TALIESIN: (whispering) Do you know what's going on? (switches to normal volume) Assume we're whispering, because this is bullshit.

MATT: Yeah.

TALIESIN: How is it? What's happened?

MATT: "They've come around asking a few questions, we're trying to figure it out ourselves. Are you okay?"

TALIESIN: I could be worse.

MATT: "How's Gustav? And Bosun?"

TALIESIN: They couldn't be worse. And then Yasha Yasha'd. I don't know. Did Toya see anything? Did she say anything?

MATT: "We're still trying to figure this out ourselves. Are you alone?"

TALIESIN: No, I've picked up a few scragglers. They're idiots, but they're helping.

MATT: "Well bring them in."

SAM: We come in.

MATT: You guys all enter the tent and you see Desmond. Previously you saw him in these very colorful outfit with the frilled neck piece and the full facial makeup. Now you see a man in his late 30s with a very scarred left side of his face. It looks like it was shredded at one point in his youth, that the makeup hid during the performance. As soon as you enter, even upon greeting him, he has a very sad presence to him. Even though you're all under the cover of night and having this conspiratorial conversation, he has this melancholy about him that permeates the space inside the tent. He says, "So you’re all the ones that helped earlier. Thank you. It would have been far worse if you hadn't."

LAURA: No problem.

TALIESIN: What do they think happened? What are they asking?

MATT: "They're thinking something about the show. They're thinking Gustav made this happen. I don't think it's Gustav, he's a good man. He makes poor choices and it's plagued him his whole life, you can see it in his brow. But good intentions have grave consequences. No one that good comes out of Shady Creek Run without some mistakes behind them, but I don't see him doing this."

TALIESIN: What would be the point?

LAURA: Has it ever happened like this before?

MATT: "No."

LAURA: Anything weird ever happened before?

MATT: "Weird things? All the time. We're a bunch of weird folk, work with a lot of weird people. Bunch of strange freaks gathered at this show."

MARISHA: Was there anyone new here recently that you haven't worked with a lot?

MATT: "Yeah, she apparently ran off."

TALIESIN: Yasha's the newest, but she can be flighty.

MARISHA: What about Mona and Yuli?

MATT: "The sisters are bitter, but it's no fault of theirs."

MARISHA: Why are they bitter?

MATT: "Because the world is cruel."

TALIESIN: You've never met it-- Well, nevermind.

MATT: "I wish I could help them, but it--"

MARISHA: (stutters) What happened to them?

LAURA: Are you drunk? What's going on?

MARISHA: No, I'm trying to hear and whisper at the same time.

LAURA: You can talk at a normal volume.

MATT: Magical whisper. Cone of Whisper.

MARISHA: Matt Cone of Whisper!

TALIESIN: Oh God, that's a new thing now.

MARISHA: What did they say? Why do they think that? Why is the world shitty?

MATT: "Have you been around? Have you travelled to see anything?"

MARISHA: Yeah. Listen. The world has its own brand of shitty depending on whose eyes are looking at it, right? So what is their brand of shitty?

TALIESIN: Circus shitty.

MATT: "I don't know. Ask them."

MARISHA: Where are they?

TALIESIN: In a tent over there.

MATT: "They don't seem to take much of a liking to me anyway, so I can't really tell you myself. I’m sorry."

SAM: They don't like you? Why?

MATT: "There's a lot of people that don't like me."

LAURA: I like you, Desmond. I think you're great.

SAM: Why? What did you do?

MATT: He looks at you and goes, "Same reason folks probably don't like you; you're different."

SAM: Hmm.

TALIESIN: Is everybody still here? They've not taken anyone away other than--

MATT: "Other than those two, everyone else is here. We're just keeping under watch until their investigation is complete."

MARISHA: Molly, why did you laugh when I asked about the sisters?

TALIESIN: We're carnival people, we've all got our issues. You don't end up here unless you're a little weird.

LAURA: Can I try something? I want to try to cast Detect Good and Evil.

MATT: Okay.

LIAM: Cleric shit!

LAURA: Right?

SAM: On?

LAURA: On the area. It lasts up to ten minutes, so it's within 30 feet of me.

TRAVIS: You ever cast this before?

LAURA: No.

TRAVIS, TALIESIN, and MARISHA: First cast!

TRAVIS and TALIESIN: First blood!

MATT: So you cast it. You concentrate. You reach down and grasp the bottom of your symbol that hangs around your belt, and there's a faint rush of divine force given to your consciousness. You don't sense within 30 feet of you any fiendish, or celestial, or fey, or undead, or aberration.

LAURA: Nothing that's been desecrated?

MATT: Nothing from this tent or within 30 feet.

SAM: Does it follow her?

LAURA: Yeah, it follows me.

MATT: It's like a radial thing.

SAM: That's pretty cool, let's keep going then. Maybe we'll see something?

LAURA: Yeah. Am I close to the edge of the main tent?

MATT: There are two tents to the north. There's a bigger one, and a medium one. The one that you're in right now is the larger one to the north, and as such contains-- Actually no. The one that you guys are in right now is the medium one. The one that contains Desmond. The larger one contains both of the sisters and Ornna.

LAURA: Okay. And they're closer to the big tent? Where is the big tent?

MATT: Correct. The big tent is about ten to 15 feet from the one you're in right now.

LAURA: Okay, cool. Yeah, let's leave. I'll get up to the edge of the big tent, and I want to see if I can feel anything weird in that area.

MATT: Okay. Is everyone else staying inside or are you going with her?

SAM: We're going with, but before we leave I'll ask Desmond: From one outcast to another, are there any questions that are bugging you about all this?

MATT: He thinks for a second. "I don't want this all to fall on Gustav. He's done a lot of good for all of us, and the way they're talking about the investigation, they're looking to make a scapegoat of this."

SAM: Well, thank you.

MATT: "Thank you."

SAM: (mimics bird call poorly) That's how they talk to each other. That's how carnival folk talk to each other.

TALIESIN: Oh, for fuck’s sake. I'm going to do my best.

MATT: "Thank you."

TALIESIN: I'm going to quietly sneak out the back of the tent again and sneak into the--

MATT: Another stealth check, my friends.

TALIESIN: Oh god, I hate all of this.

LAURA: I'm going to give Molly Blessing, so you get advantage.

SAM: 21.

MARISHA: 13. Not great.

TALIESIN: 13.

MATT: With advantage?

TALIESIN: With advantage.

LAURA: 12.

MATT: Okay. You guys make your way up to the edge of the tent.

TALIESIN: I'm not going to make the noise I'm just going to--

MATT: Right. As you make your way over to the edge of the tent where the sisters and Ornna are, you focus and concentrate. Nothing, from the radial thing. One of the guards, who's standing up and making a patrol, looks over right as you duck behind and you hear a "Huh?"

SAM: Uh oh.

LAURA: Quick, go in the tent.

TALIESIN: We're going to go in the tent.

LAURA: We all duck under the tent go and act like I'm sleeping.

MATT: You guys all dodge under the tent just as the guard begins to pass around. You hear the footsteps around. As you step in you watch as the two Knot sisters--

TALIESIN: (shushes)

MATT: They both curl into a ball and stay really quiet. All of the sudden Ornna comes to consciousness and the footsteps finish the circle and then go back towards where the fire is.

LAURA: That was close.

MATT: Ornna leans in, goes like, "Okay, what is going on."

TALIESIN: That's what I'm trying to figure out, what the fuck is going on. They're with me, it's been complicated. Gustav's in deep. Bosun's in deep.

LAURA: Tell us you know something.

MATT: "What do you want to know?"

TALIESIN: What did you see? I don't know.

SAM: Who did this? What was it?

MATT: "I don't know. I looked and I saw what you saw."

TALIESIN: This is Ornna I assume.

MATT: This is Ornna, yeah.

TALIESIN: Ornna is the fire dancer.

MARISHA: Right, okay.

TALIESIN: For fuck's sake, they're going to kill every last fucking one of us unless we figure this out.

MATT: She's like, "Right."

TALIESIN: What do you think?

MATT: "Well the sister's over here think it's a hit job, but this isn’t a hit job with zombies? Are you fucking kidding me?

TALIESIN: I don't know. I think that they're trying to cover something.

MATT: "That's not surprising."

MARISHA: Can I insight check the sisters? What are they doing right now?

MATT: They're both just quietly curled up and watching you guys talk.

MARISHA: They're not saying anything, though?

MATT: Not yet. If you want to ask them something you can.

MARISHA: Do they look nervous or are they just being shifty?

MATT: Make an insight check to find out.

MARISHA: Yeah.

LAURA: While she's doing that I'm going to try and sneak out the underside of the tent to go to the big tent.

SAM: I'll go with her.

MATT: This is a bit of a leap. This goes about 25, 30 feet south of where you are around the campfire that's open.

SAM: No problem.

MATT: Go ahead and make your stealth checks, guys.

TALIESIN: Oh god. I miss Pass Without a Trace so much.

SAM: 23.

TALIESIN: That's a number.

LAURA: Nine.

MATT: Okay. What was your insight check?

MARISHA: 15.

MATT: 15. They both look nervous, but just untrusting of the scenario. You can't read anything deeper than that. There is definitely a, hmm, but you can't quite get a full beat on them. You guys, as you curl around the outside, there's the one guard that's sitting in the chair by the fire that goes like (snores) and opens his eyes a little bit and looks over in your direction, Jester, and there's a brief moment where he's just looking right at you. Do you do anything?

-

TALIESIN: I'm going to have a tiny bit of conversation with her.

MATT: Yeah. So while they're gone, the two of you are in the other tent with the sisters and Ornna.

MARISHA: I would like to talk with the sisters while that is going on.

MATT: They're both sitting there, knees tucked to their chest.

MARISHA: I go and sit down next to them, putting my knees up, too. This whole thing is really messed up, right?

MATT: "Yeah, you're telling us."

MARISHA: Yeah. Man. Like, why would we do anything like that? I feel like we're all being needlessly persecuted.

MATT: "I'm sorry, who are you?"

MARISHA: Oh, sorry. I'm Beau. The other Bo, but I helped fight the zombies the other night. I'm under house arrest. We're under the same situation, just separately. Not really. I don't want to compare myself to you, because that would be rude.

MATT: The two halfling twins look at each other, and back at you.

TALIESIN: Her name's Beau. She's helping, she's awful, you have a lot in common.

MATT: "Okay, well, I mean, whatever you want to know."

MARISHA: He's such a dick. Why is he such a dick?

MATT: "Molly's great, why are you such a dick?"

TRAVIS: Reversal!

MARISHA: Oh, sorry, he's been talking shit about you this whole time, I don't know, I just--

MATT: Make a deception check on that.

TALIESIN: I'm going to walk by the two twins, because I'm circling the tent, trying to get a look, and be like, I've absolutely been talking shit. You're both terrible. I give them both a kiss on the head and keep walking.

MATT: Okay. They both, "All right, so what are you trying to do?"

MARISHA: What am I trying to do? I'm trying to figure out who's behind all this so that we can keep moving on with our lives.

MATT: "All right, well, get it over with. Soon as this is done, we're out."

TALIESIN: They may not let us leave. They may be killing us all.

MATT: "They're not going to kill us all!" The other goes, "They're not going to kill us all."

TALIESIN:They're weird out there. They're very weird out there.

MATT: (sighs)

MARISHA: Your guys’ performance was amazing, by the way.

MATT: "Thanks."

MARISHA: I loved it.

SAM: We're stealthing over to that tent, by the way.

LAURA: I thought we were stealthing over to the main tent.

SAM: The one with Ornna in it.

TALIESIN: Ornna's in the tent with us.

MATT: Oh, you guys are going to the main tent.

LAURA: I wanted to get to the main tent to see if I could sense any evil in the big, main tent.

SAM: Oh, you want to swoop by the main tent?

LAURA: But if it's really far away.

MATT: Not too far away from where you were, because you're backing out the side of it. So you can go ahead and stealth around. The two of you, without issue, make your way around towards the large tent without being seen.

SAM: Any evil?

LAURA: I'm sensing it.

MATT: Nothing.

SAM: Goddamn it.

LAURA: No fucking evil!

SAM: It's Ornna! We know who it is! We know who the killer is!

TALIESIN: While you're talking to the twins, I'll be talking to Ornna. Oh, for fuck's sake.

MATT: "To be honest, if it's any easier, it's probably Gustav."

TALIESIN: It's not fucking Gustav.

MATT: "It probably is, you shut up. He's a prick, he doesn't know what he's doing, he's going to run this whole carnival into the ground. I don't want to take the fall for it, we all get away on this.”

MARISHA: No!

TRAVIS: Little feet.

LIAM: (snarling noises)

TRAVIS: Eats and shoots the same way. (snarls)

MARISHA: So wait, it's probably Gustav? What makes you say that?

MATT: "Because he's in prison, he's the leader, he's fucked this whole thing by letting this happen."

MARISHA: Oh. Wow. You have interesting perspectives. Hey, weird question, how do you guys come up with your acts? Is that something that you guys create yourselves, or do you guys workshop it?

TALIESIN: It's like she's never experienced boredom. It's very weird.

MATT: "Yeah. It's impressive."

TALIESIN: Hey, Ornna?

MATT: Ornna goes, "Yes?"

TALIESIN: (sighs) I mean, I know your feelings on all this. What do you think?

MATT: (sighs) "I'd say Bosun's a stand up guy, if a bit of a self-absorbed dick at times. And we all knew Gustav was going to shit the bed sooner or later, I mean, this is his karma. I just don't know how, or why, but I can guarantee you, if this was my carnival, this shit wouldn't have happened."

TALIESIN: Really?

MATT: "Mm-hmm."

TALIESIN: What exactly would you have done?

MATT: "Well, first off, I would have made sure that we had better support from the guard before this ever happened so nobody else got killed."

TALIESIN: They were useless.

MATT: "Secondly, I would have made sure that there weren't any old folks that made it in to fucking turn into shit."

TALIESIN: Well, that's on me and-- That's on me.

MATT: "I don't know."

MARISHA: You feel the same way, Knot sisters? Feel like this is karma on Gustav?

TALIESIN: They would.

MATT: At which point, the flap of the tent opens up and it's Jester.

LAURA: It's Ornna!

SAM: Ornna, you have a lot of explaining to do!

MARISHA: Shut up!

SAM: We've talked to Toya. She knows it's you who did this!

LAURA: We know you guys are in a fight all the time.

SAM: You're the one behind the whole plot! You did it!

LAURA: You!

MATT: The two Knot sisters immediately go, "Ornna? Is it you? Did you kill that guy?" Ornna's like, "I don't know what you're talking about. What the fuck is this? Who the fuck are you!"

LAURA: Why did you turn that guy into a zombie?

SAM: Who do you work for!

TALIESIN: Ornna, Ornna.

MARISHA: Insight check on the Knot sisters!

SAM: Start talking, or this gnome-- nope! Goblin! Starts biting.

MATT: Ornna goes, "To be perfectly honest, I have no idea what's going on. Y'all just came in here, started throwing accusations at me. Gustav got arrested. Boson got arrested. *Molly* got arrested, I'm glad you got off that. But to be perfectly honest, this whole thing's a shit show. And the circus is probably not going to be the same after this."

LAURA: Insight check on the--

MATT: Insight check on Ornna.

LIAM: My cat is on patrol because we've been standing with out dicks in our hands for a long time.

MATT: Yeah, I'm sorry.

LIAM: No! I'm not complaining, but I would have sent the cat out.

LAURA: Seven.

MATT: Kind of hard to read. She seems genuinely frustrated and caught off guard by this.

LAURA: I think she's telling the truth.

TALIESIN: Ornna, you might as well come clean, this is classic you.

MATT: She looks at you. "Molly."

TALIESIN: I'm just trying to--

MATT: "Fuck you."

TALIESIN: Oh, fuck you, too. It's no secret that Ornna and Gustav have their differences, but this ridiculous. I mean, she knows damn well that half the circus would leave if he got fucking arrested and died.

MATT: "You're for real worried about this? You really think who it could be? Let's play. Gustav: he's an idiot. But he's not a murderer. Bosun: bit of a dick. But he's a stand up fella. Toya: absolute doll. Couldn't hurt a fly. Mona and Yuli: They're cunts. But they're not going to kill anyone. Desmond's a weird fellow. There's something dark in his past; you can see it in his melancholy.

TALIESIN: But this is not his style.

SAM: It's Desmond. Let's go to his tent!

TALIESIN: I just grab--

MATT: "There's some untrustworthy intelligence in those lizard eyes of that devil."

LAURA: I did get a very evil kind of vibe off him.

TALIESIN: What do you mean evil kind of vibe?

LAURA: Well, I mean, he's a fiend.

TALIESIN: He's what?

LAURA: The devil toad guy. He's a fiend.

TALIESIN: That's just a name. It's not actually, like real thing. That just--

LAURA: You guys know he’s a fiend, right?

MATT: There’s this moment of silence, like, “He’s supposed to be lizardfolk.”

TALIESIN: What do you--

SAM: It’s the lizard man!

TALIESIN: I grab and push you down into the ground and hold you. (shushing sounds) Not yet.

MATT: You guys, what are you doing?

LIAM: I mean, just because we’re standing here so long, I would have been nervous and again held on to this guy’s big bicep and sent the cat out.

TRAVIS: Why are you going all catatonic on me?

MATT: (laughs) Nice. As the cat darts under the tent and makes its way through, you glance over to the fire and sees a large dark shape step out from one of the tents and you watch as one of the guards who’s sitting in the chair stands up and crumples onto the ground without a sound. You see the other guard look over, go over to around him and start to check around. You guys hear a voice in the back start saying, “Damon?”

LIAM: Fjord, something bad is happening.

MATT: You watch as the dark figure spins and two flashes of red in the shadow nearby and you watch as the other guard suddenly grabs his head and grasps for his chest and falls on his back as his legs curl up.

MARISHA: What the fuck!

LIAM: Do I know where in relation to Fjord and I this is?

MATT: It is to the east of you, about 150 feet.

TRAVIS: Can you talk to me when you’re looking through the cat?

LIAM: I can talk, but I can’t hear anything when I’m doing this.

MATT: Correct. You watch as the shadow bounce like a giant frog--

LIAM: The frog is on the move. Frog is on the move.

MATT: --northward.

LIAM: Away from us? But I don’t know where the eyes are.

MATT: You guys hear the name calling, and then silence once more.

LAURA: (whispers) Can we peek outside of the tent and see what’s going on?

MATT: You guys go ahead and you look just as the guard on the ground is like (gurgling) and just stops moving. You see all the veins bulging.

MARISHA: I run up to the guard and check his pulse. Is he still alive or is he paralyzed?

MATT: As you come out of the tent, you watch as the flesh on his neck and throat splits and a very familiar transformation begins to take place as both of the guards begin to (growling).

LAURA: Oh no. We have to fight them.

MARISHA: Yeah, but get under the tent! We can get the drop!

LIAM: I come out of it and I: Zombies. I start running towards the tent that I saw Jester peek out from under.

MATT: As you guys rush underneath the big blue tent, you watch as the two that are quickly bulging and mutating, bits of their flesh dislodging from their body and falling. You watch now, up close, similar to the last time, but now that you are looking intently for this, you can see where there should be blood, it’s almost like dust and sand begin to spill from the wounds. Something you had noticed a little bit in the body of the old man before, but you didn’t know if it was decomposition or just general dirt.

TALIESIN: Girls, we’re not supposed to be here. Can you help us handle this?

MATT: You watch as the two halflings were like, “Fuck no!”

TALIESIN: (sighs) We’ll do what we can. If something goes wrong, nudity usually works.

MATT: The two mutated guards now, their armor bulging and broken in places, turn to the noises in the tent where you guys are.

SAM: Are we in the same tent or are we in two different tents?

MATT: You guys are all in one tent with the other girls. You are all jammed into the space. The two of you make your way outside of the large tent as you watch these two bulging, zombified creatures making their way towards the tent.