The Adventure Zone - The Adventure Zone: Dust Season 2 - Episode 4

Episode Date: September 22, 2022

The Graysons make their way through a speeding train to secure the payload and the future of Dry River. Augustus makes a change. Indrid gets a move on. Callan checks off his list. Lulu discovers something sinister.  Happy MaxFunDrive! Right now is the best time to start a membership to support your favorite shows. Learn more and join at https://maximumfun.org/jointaz

Previously on the Adventure Zone Dust. I just couldn't do that. It's my parents, and so has that made you sacrifice yours, and I'm so sorry. Well, you know, no heart feeling. It's okay. No, it's not okay. And you recognize Uriel. Hey, boss. And that will be the name of my new company, my new venture.

Delicious cashews. Hugh, Indrid. So you are my... I hate to use this word because it does seem reductive, but my tool? I would like to go to Dallas Grayson's house. I need you to take the bindings off, like now. I got something. It's a bracelet.

It's a bracelet. Okay. I've not personally met this other side of yours. Are we in for a mess? Could be. I need a gift or a lady for a friend. in. Ribbons for her hair.

The people have stitched and are like, on board, they are ready. Spectral Augustus sitting just in the middle of the engine compartment. We see Lulu hunkered down in the corner of an empty car ready. We see Lorelei anxiously waiting in the passenger car. We see Callan moving through the livestock car. And then finally, we end on Indra. still stuck in his box, it pulls out onto the tracks, out into the Crescent Territory's Desert,

towards Stitchton, towards adventure, towards mischief. Let's weave some magic. Huh? Yeah. Let's pull at the strings of ether and bring them together into a tapestry of wonder and emotion. All right, daylight's burning. Yep, so we're on the train.

The train is moving. We're headed towards Stitchton. You have, I would say, about two hours time left before the train reaches Stichfen, at which point the payroll will move once again to a guarded facility and out of your reach. As we stand currently, we'll go from the front of the train to the back. Augustus is in the engine car and then about half a train away. We got Lulu in the empty car behind the guard three cars. car. And then in the passenger car is Lorelei in the supplies car in a box marked Bobbins is Indrid. And then back in livestock two is Callan. So let's start with Callan. You're surrounded by cows.

Lorla is there to help load and unload livestock. They do not make her stay with the livestock during the train ride. Once the cows are on, they're loaded, right? So she's there to then help herd the cows and unload. You know, in livestock two is cows and pigs. In livestock one, you have sheep and chickens. The smell of animals and everything that goes along with that, Callan, would probably be overwhelming to anyone else, but Callan is tougher than most and has smelled things most men could only dream of.

Callan actually likes it, to be honest with you. Gross. You fucking sick. Well, compared to brimstone. Sure, okay. It's not bad. Callan takes out his little... No, no, let's spend ten more minutes on how much Callin loves the silly shit.

Whipside his little telegraph thing and sends a message to everybody and says two things. We should meet somewhere. and the second thing is, I should have mentioned this before now. I don't kill people anymore. Say again? Question mark. Yeah, we should meet. Do do, do, do, do, do.

No, the second part. Do do do do do. Yeah, I don't kill people anymore. Do do do do do. Perhaps should have been clear about that at the beginning. Do do do do do do I'm a terrible communicator So you had to tell us through text Do do do do do

Oh man I've been in text groups like this before I turn off notifications Yeah and ironically Erica they have that in them Every time so this is not yeah I tap out Stunk in bops Please You don't have telegram check.

New at Norse Cove. Stunkin box. Low on nups. Nups supply running out. Do do do do do. I send the little skull emoji. Doot do do do. All right.

Let's move to Indrid. Indrid trapped in the box. I mean, okay, I was looking out through the little cracks. Do I see anybody else in the supplies? No, the supply car is empty. Once it's loaded, you know, they seal the two kind of sliding doors on either side of the car. So we're clear, right? I want to make this, for anyone who hasn't been on a train before.

Basically, you have the connections between cars that you can move through, right? There's a door and then the connection and then a door. it's not the easiest thing to move through a train when it is moving, right? So the idea of like we are sprinting across, you know, is going to be difficult. Now, on the outside of some of the cars, the livestock cars and the supply cars, you do have, you know, the sliding doors on the left and right sides to make the loading and unloading easier. And then we're going to start the back, right? You've got the caboose. You got livestock two, livestock one.

supplies, passenger car, dining car, and then a car which is kept empty as a buffer into guard three, and then the payroll car, and then guard two, and then another car which is kept empty. Then we have Jackson Blue's lounge car, Jackson Blue's dining car, Jackson Blue's sleep car, his personal guard car, and then the fuel car and the engine. Basically, we got livestock, basic train shit, five cars, which are basically two cars surrounding the payroll car on each side, and then Jackson Blues shit at the front. Correct. I think Callan would go to try to free Indrid. He's the closest. Okay, great. So you make your way for Callan unsteadily, but for most people, you're flowing pretty well through this moving train cars.

It sways side to side. And at this point, you're not really, there's no people. you're the only guard back here in this area so you make your way now here's what I will say in the supply area the bobbins box in which Indrid is located

is at the bottom of a stack of supplies but I mean it's not like immovable or anything you just need to move the boxes out of the way I mean it's a I can get out the front side of it if not the top

yeah I mean as long as he can get to it and help you open it up the easiest way is the top that's the part that's like nailed in, right? Well, it's a good, I brought a crowbar. So I just want to pry off a board or two, uh, which maybe it would be easier to do from the outside in than the other way.

Yeah, I would say that there's an opening big enough that if you want to try to slide that crowbar out. Okay. Okay. You can. Yeah, I gesture to him first with just my finger through the crack like, uh, hello. Holy shit. Oh, sorry. I thought it was a worm.

That, we're going to talk about that later. Can you, I slide the crowbar through. Can you, uh, lend me a, lend me a hand here? You want me to use this thing? I was just, you have another box opening tool? My foot. Just use the box opener, the crowbar.

Fine. So he wedges the crowbar in and. God, I wish I could take this literally and have you roll against let it out. But that's not the same thing. Yeah, sure. It's a different thing altogether. Okay, please let me out of the box now. You know what?

Here's what we are going to do. Okay. So, yeah, Indrid, you are going to roll escape a situation. And Callan, you are going to roll to lend a hand. Now, because Callan is a strong strapping person, you can roll with advantage, Indrid. That means 3D6? Yes, correct. I keep the higher two.

All right. You're rolling with blood. That's a zero. I got a five and a four, so a nine flat. Those are your two highest? Okay, great. Yeah, now you're going to roll to lend a hand with their circle. So, Indrid, you are power.

Power, yes. Am I rolling with advantage? No. Okay. So you add one. Which brings it to a 10. Which brings it to a 10. So we'll get to that in just a second what that means for Indrid.

But in doing so, you expose yourself to danger. And I'm going to say that as you jammed down onto the crowbar to pop it open, it jams your shoulder. And you're going to get a twinge in there. So let's just say you want to be careful if you end up in. any hand-to-hand combat, any grappling scenarios, you're going to be rolling with disadvantage if you end up having to go hand-to-hand. Is this a harm situation?

Yeah, well, not a permanent harm. This is, you are exposing yourself to a future danger, basically. Okay, all right. So for you, Indrid, you are able to choose one of these, You suffer harm during your escape. You end up in another dangerous situation.

You leave something important behind. You owe NBC a debt for their aid, or you give into your base nature and mark corruption. Can I say that my pizza blasted cashews are something very important to me that I have treasure. No, I'll suffer harm during my escape. Yeah. So as this comes clear, a box on top, like one of the high row boxes, comes loose and it's going to come down and, you know, kind of clock you on the arm and you're

going to take one harm. Okay. I'd just like to point out if you'd let me kick the shit in, nothing I wouldn't have hurt my shoulder. Yeah, well, sadly, uh, I can't tell my own future. So, um, have you tried it? Have you tried touching yourself? Is that canon? Who said that, Travis? Uh, sorry, that was roused. That was squawed. He's there. Rouse. He's just in the next box over. Clint McElroy rips out of a crate. Hey, something means... Did you...

Have you ever touched yourself? And then back in... That's weird when you say it. Anyway... Look, yeah, I find... You find out a lot about yourself that way. Anyway, Basinga, I gotta go. That's actually the name of Roust's benefactor is Banzinga.

All right, I'm out of the box. I stretch. Very good. It's a good stretch. Do I, I can't see the sigils, like the wards. No, all those sigils are located on the outside. Okay. Should we keep moving up? I think we're good, not running into any, any tuffs until we get a little bit further on.

So shall we reconvene with whoever we can find? Let's jump forward to Augustus. Okay. I have decided that I'm going to begin floating through the cars. Here is your first obstacle. You are able to move from the engine to the fuel car and from the fuel car to the opening of Guard 1, no problem. But while the cars, the doors between them are unlocked and able to be opened,

They are warded. I mean, you can't just like sneak into them and smash through them and float through them. So you will need to open that door to move through it. Oh, well, this was the information that I had before. You've made it harder. Yes.

That's mean. You've introduced a challenge. I would never do that. Do you want a bracelet? I could give you a bracelet that does something. Hey, no, no, no, no. I know, wait, who's in the engine car with me? Well, that's Derek.

Okay. They call them O'I. I don't need a fucking backstory. Yeah, they call them Oily Derek. How many people are the engine room? There's three. There's the engineer. There is, you know, the Stoker.

And then there's Oily Derek. Is that Bram Stoker? Bram, damn it. Yeah, you got it. He's like, all these vampires give me a great idea. I'm going to I'm I'm gonna throw on the break

Because I think it'll I'm gonna stay invisible I'm gonna throw on the break With the intent that Some people have gotta come see what's going on right Yeah Don't you want to come see what's happening Open some doors

Mislead distract or trick roll A roll against mind Mind? Yeah All right Do I see how clever you are. Yes, of course. I have a five minus, now before you say anything, minus what? Four. Okay. I thought I would go better with the roll. It happens sometimes. You invisibly start to

push that brake lever forward, click, click, click, and Oylee Derek turns and goes, it's doing it again and pulls it back into place. And so he then loops a little rope around it. Let's tied off. He's like, yeah, it's loose. This will keep it in place. Don't worry about it. And now that, that is a break is secured. Now, I know what you're wondering, is that OSHA standard? No, but OILADRIC doesn't live by the rules. When he was young, you see, no, I have no more about O'Aley Derek. So it's not breaked. Correct. Not broken. Can I push it harder? No, it's looped now. It is, unless you lift the loop off of it. Are they watching it?

Are they looking at the break that just... I mean, it's not a big room. Now, here's the other thing I will say to you. Every door between car does have a window in it. I mean, you could see into the adjoining car. Okay, so I, from the engine, from the engine, the fuel car is the next one. Correct. That's probably open, right?

Yeah, you can move through that, no problem. Okay, I'm going to start moving through that and peer into Guard 1 to see what I say. Okay, so inside Guard 1, they don't see a lot of action, right? So they're sitting there, it's pretty comfy, all things consider, this is his personal guard, right? So they're not there necessarily for the train. They're just there for the loading and unloading and then being with him. So you see them making themselves comment. Some of them sitting in a corner playing some cards.

There's 10 people. And, you know, like five of them are snoozing while the other five kind of take their quote-unquote shift and then they're going to turn over. So five of them are playing cards and five of them are like barely paying attention because they're, you know, hats pulled down over their eyes chilling out. Wait. Travis. Yeah. I messed up. We need to retcon.

What's that? With won't be ignored, if I mislead distract or trick someone with an obvious supernatural display, I roll with spirit instead of mind. Oh, okay. So that was a five. What do you have on spirit? One. That's a six.

Okay, great. It misses, but not as much. A mixed success, you might say. Nope, not quite. A mixed failure. failure. A failure with a silver lining. Okay, we'll leave it.

We'll let it lie. Well, yeah, because they didn't change anything. Talk to me about let it out. What does that mean? So let it out is a set of moves that you can take, right? So you can roll to let it out. And for you, Augustus, that includes instantaneous travel to one of your anchors, no matter the distance, take control of a machine or via.

by possessing its mechanical form, let loose a psychic blast of... Yeah, I just saw that one, so I'm gonna do that one. Also, you have plus one. You can also follow an ordinary immortal, no matter where they go. I also want to remind you that... And I talked about this before we started,

so I want to make this clear. Both a moment of intimacy that you share... So, Indrid and Lulu shared a moment of intimacy when they kind of like viewed each other's true nature. And I will say that you and Lulu had a moment of intimacy signing your dark bargain together. Okay. And just a reminder that you get special intimacy moves. And for you, Augustus, you can hold one whenever you get into trouble.

Whenever the person gets into trouble, you can spend your hold to be there. Just a reminder if that comes up. But, however, for the dark bargain, you also get plus one. to letting it out while fulfilling the deal, which is this. Nice. So, yeah. I'm going to take control of this.

I'm going to possess this fucking train. Okay. Choo, too. Yeah, okay. Roll. I'm not going to get weird about it. Yeah. I am going to take, I am going to possess the train.

Okay. You let out the spirit within you. Roll with spirit. Plus one from the dark bargain. Okay. I rolled six plus. plus two, eight, plus one from my spirit, brings it to nine, plus one from the dark bargain,

brings it to 10. Perfect, on a 10, you ignore corruption or complications. And there you go, baby, you can do the let it out, and you possess the train. What does that look like? It's got a big face on it, and the face is mine. And my face, where? Spectral face is just, it's on the front of the train.

Gigantic, right? And then like that scary train that Stephen King came up with. But it's like that. Or like Thomas the Tank Engine. It's like Thomas the Tank Engine, but if Orville Redenbocker's face was on the front of it, it's like that. That's priceless. To what end, Justin? What?

Like, is this just where you're chilling? I don't know. It just seems like kind of a good idea to be in control of the train. Perfect. Great. All right, Lulu. You find yourself in an empty train car, one of those box cars with nothing in it. What do you do? I send out a message with my location and I advise that everybody move towards where my location is. And do I know, do we have any indication that this train we are inside of is now our friend? I feel his presence all around us.

Yeah, I'm going to say, let me look real quick at your abilities, Indrid, because if someone's going to know, it's going to be you. Yeah. Here's what I'll give you. Indrid, you do now feel that a fundamental truth of the train has shifted. Something is different. And you have an ability to let it out to, like, figure out what that thing is if you choose to do so. I mean, if I sense that something has changed with the train, I think I am paranoid enough after my dream last night that I would want to try and do that. So I will roll to try and do that.

Okay, yeah, roll with spirit. Okay, that's a plus two. I feel good about that. Seven plus two and nine. On a hit, mark corruption and activate the ability. the MC will tell us how the effect is costly, limited, or unstable. On a 10-plus, ignore the corruption or the complications, your choice. Okay, yeah.

So you are going to mark corruption. But now you know you are standing inside your co-worker, Augustus Parsons. He has taken over the train. He is possessing this train. Can we regroup? Because I imagine that the two cars between us and Lulu is just the past and dining car. Yeah, so into the dining car.

So now there is Callan, Indrid, Lorelei in the passenger cars you enter. Oh, okay. Oh, it puts me a lot at ease to see y'all. Good morning, fellow passenger. What's business do you have in? There's no one else in here. Oh.

Shall we keep moving? There's someone else in here. someone else in here and I just gesture all around. What could that possibly mean? Like, Jesus? Yes. I've only recently learned about him and his magic. I'm becoming Cardala.

I have to avoid. Yeah, I was going to say. Yeah, TM, TM, TM, TM. TM, TM, TM. Yeah, no, everything's okay here. We got to move. We're, are you part of the heist? What's your job from now on?

Yeah, no, I'm, I'm in. Let's keep moving. Okay. You enter into the dining car. Now, there's no guards in here, but there are like two stewards. They travel with the train just in case. You know, there's only one passenger, but they're part of the train details, so they're there. They're definitely interested that the three of you are coming through. But they do notice Callan's green arm bands, and they say, what? Yes. Can you? What is going on? Just put your cutlery down. Everything's fine. Oh, we're just polishing. No, we're just doing, we've got to roll these things. Yeah, polish and roll. And we'll just move on through.

Nothing to worry about. Everything's fine. This lady came back to see the cows. And I think it startled her a little bit, the smell. Okay, but why are you taking them? forward in the train? To be further from the cows. Do you not smell that?

I can't believe you put a dining car that close to the cow shit anyway. Well, no, there's a passenger car and supplies and the entire outside. This is bad, though. It's really bad. What am I rolling? You're going to roll a heart

for persuaded NPC, but you're going to roll with advantage because that armband gives you some gravitas. Okay. Well, there's a six and a five. Well, that's going to do it. And a minus one from heart. That's a 10. Well, you know what?

It's way above our paid grade. I guess if anyone's going to get in trouble for it, it's you, a guard. So just pretend like we weren't here. And go on about your day. You guys want like a roll or anything for your troubles or anybody hungry? We have all this food that we kind of are required to have on board and nobody ever eats anything. No, but I'm noticing down there.

That spittoon is not particularly clean, so maybe you ought to focus on that. That's a chamber pot. In a dining car. No wonder it stinks in here. All right. You know what? I don't go to your job and tell you it smells bad. This is the old left, I mean, what level of...

I mean, you're at his job. and who's this talking is this the train are just like one of the windows moving like a peewey sleigh house all right just get on out of here you piece of shit sorry man I'm just having a hard time Callan rests his hand on the butt of his gun

yeah my town back at home is giving me a real hard time and he just never thinks I'm doing a good enough job please keep the momentum up your father respect your father you don't know what a piece of shit he is. His name's Clint Macquarie's a plane flocker. You make a third, so come on, y'all. You move into the empty car and you rejoin Lulu.

Augustus is the train now. Quick update. Wait, what? Yeah, I just sort of feel it. I sort of feel him all around. What is that mean? Can we try something? Augustus, if you can hear us,

can you just let out a very short tut of the train's horn? Just a very, very, very short one. So wait, are we like in his tummy? Oh, God. I hope it's the tummy. Oh, God. I'm not sure what this means for us, but it's an exciting development that I did not see coming.

And that's doubly exciting for me. So I don't know if he can just sort of like wiggle his hips and the cars behind us will fall off or... No, that's a no. Okay, so right after this is the guard card, right? What is the plan? Should we set up some kind of like one for yes, two for no? Is it two? Honk twice if it's two for yes.

No, just say two for yes, one for no. Okay, honk the number of times you want to honk for yes. One toot is yes, two toots is no. Okay. Is that right? Should we Should we establish Like three is I don't know

That's a lot of I'm worried if we do that many tooth People are going to start getting curious Yeah up front oily Dario is just like poking the It's going on with this thing And all the people outside Along the tracks are going

Oh my God Well luckily it is the desert So that's not coming There's some like jackrabbits who are like What the fuck man Be cool Rango Oh you're right

I didn't think about Rango. That's a good point. I forgot to think about Rango. Nobody ever thinks about Rango enough. Yeah. So what are we going to do? How do we get through the guard car? We are going to need to get the guards in this car, right?

That's right. With us not in it? We could do that. I guess anything we can do to either move through there without them stopping us or get them to head back like, I don't know, like back the other way so we can move, like, they're not in. there. You said there were windows in the doors, correct? Correct. Can I look through the windows and see what color arm band those guys are wearing? It's green. You know, the green ones are the ones in

guard three. And I should just to clarify, Justin, when you looked through the other ones, it was blue arm bands. Okay. Okay. How many of them are you? It's another 10 plus you. So one Wyatt, nine guards, one Cowan. In the next car. Yeah, dude. That's a lot. What if we, me and Lulu and Lorela, did just a quick sort of like trainwalk on the outside just to sort of hide while you bring the guards in here with some sort of ruse?

And then when they get out of that car, we can pass through it into the payroll car? if there's a means of ingress and egress, I suppose. Oh, yeah. So between the cars, right, there's a very narrow walkway, but there's all kinds of chains. There's handles on the outside of the car. Oh, I love it.

And people are loading and unloading. All right. So, I mean, you can get out there and, you know, press yourself to the side. It ain't going to be without risk. You are on a speeding train. But we can slow that train right on down, can't we? That's right.

We sure can. I believe that's a question. Yeah, I don't know if he was listening. We can slow. Here, hold on, I get really close to a wall. We can slow the train down, though, can't we? See? It's like you're kissing the inside of his tummy.

Oh, it's not like that. Okay. Okay, great. Execute this plan. All right. All right. So I guess we very discreetly, I don't want to speak for everyone.

This is a stupid. idea, but I'll open up the door toward Guard 3 and sort of try to sidle. Here's what we're going to do. Let's do a couple different checks. First, Augustus slash train, give me a keep your cool role of you are going to attempt to slow your role. That makes sense. That's fair. Keep your cool What I roll against? You're going to rule against spirit.

That I'm good at. Being a ghost. Ah, beans. I'm not good at it. Drop a ding, dang dice. Hold on a second. And remember, if anybody gets a 12 or higher on a Keep Your Cool roll,

it is advanced because you're with me. Six. You are currently controlling a machine, which is let it out. So do you get plus one? from the dark bargain. Yeah, I'll say that.

I like that. So that is going to, you can slow it down, but you have a limited time, right? Because it's like slowing down the train is not something normal to happen. So everybody in the front is like, oh, we need to get this flame stoke back up.

We need to get going again. So we have a limited time to execute this maneuver. So now we are going to, yeah, escape a situation. Lulu and Indrid. And I'm just going to say, well, should I roll for Lorelei, or do you want to tie Lorelei's fate to Lulu? Go ahead and roll for her.

And for myself, I'm going to activate Devil Inside as well. Okay, great. So I'm going to assume my demon form and then roll and try to gain demonic. movement, which in this case, I would like to stat out as like clawed hands gripping into the side. Beautiful. I like that. Can I make a case for this not being a situation we are escaping?

And it's instead more of a keeping a cool situation. Yeah, but so the thing is, it's not really mind-based, right? This is body-based. Keep your cool is spirit. Spirit, right. But this is what I'm saying. This is a physical prowess of like, whole. holding on to the side of a moving train.

That's fair. Okay, so what is your roles? All right. That is an eight. I believe minus for blood, right? Yes, correct. Oh, then it's zero, so just an eight. Nine for me.

Is that with your additional things? Yes, with my extra stat. Yeah, so you are able to make it out. side and you are holding on, but your footing slips in Dren. So you're still holding on, right? But getting back is going to be a different matter. Yeah. And you, Lulu, you make it out and you're holding on, but your adrenaline pushes you a little bit further than you meant to. And you feel that heat crawling up your arms and you're giving into it a little bit more than was your original intention to go ahead and mark a corruption for me.

And Lorelei, with the expertise of someone who has moved through Barnes and, like, walked across fence posts her entire life, moves pretty effortlessly onto it. Now, she is next to you, Indrid, so she sees this happening. But by the time this happens, Callan has already done his maneuver, which is what? Callan opens the doors between the cars and says, Lincoln, can I talk to you for a second? What do you do? You were supposed to be back with the livestock.

What's happening, man? This is not a conversation you want to have in front of everybody, so please, will you just step in here so we can have a conversation? Is this going to be like funny business, Callan? No, you know me? There ain't nothing funny about me. that's the parrot. Give me...

Wait, did the parrot say that's the parrot? Yeah. Okay. Give me a persuading NPC check. Let's rule against heart. Three and a five, that's eight minus one. That's seven. All right.

Yeah, all right. I'm coming with you, but I ain't coming alone. You think I'm going to trust me alone with you and bringing two of my guards with me? Hey, you two, come with me. So the three of them step up. Whatever you say, boss? What? No, not you.

Oh, how about me, boss? Yeah, you could come. All right. What about me, boss? Uh, yeah. Ha-ha, jokes on you. I'm really weak. You thought I was strong because of my voice.

I knew it. All right, the three of them are now in the empty car with you. So now there is, including you Dora, who's still back in the guard car. There's seven guards back in there. And now we're, We've got Lorelei, Lulu, and Indrid on the side of the train. We have Augustus as the train. Tonight as the train, introducing Augustus Mersens.

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Listen, you know you want it, honey, so come on and get it. Period. Does this tickle, Augustus? I mean, all these people? I bet it tickles. I was kind of, I didn't know there would be nine guards in the car

when I suggested this plan. because I thought that if we could empty out the car, we could pass through it unchecked. So the benefit of us just getting a few of the guards off of the car full of guards seems limited at that. Okay. I got an idea about that. Okay.

So, Callan, you move next. Okay. All right. I said just between you and me, but if you want them all to hear about this, get them all in here. Bring them all in here. Wait, why don't you say that before?

Because we're already in here now. So I wanted to talk to you. I said, I wanted to talk to you alone. You obviously are too afraid to talk to me by myself. I ain't afraid. Sounds like it to me if you brought two guys. Hey, you know what? I already brought you into this job, like against my better judgment.

Like, what the fuck is going on, Callan? Do you, I want more witnesses. I am disgruntled. I want them all in here to hear what I have to say. Oh, something is going down. You know what? I have a better idea. How about I get them all in here to kill you?

And he snaps and all of the guards are going to move in there with guns drawn against you. The door, the door slammed shut. Where? The one between them and the guards. But we do want the guards out of that room. They are. They're all in there with me, right? That's a good point.

It sheepishly slides back open. Okay. So now, currently it is a call in the empty car with the other 10 guards, and they are ready for violence. Well, now I guess it's the guard car that's empty. Now it's the full car now we call it. So what you've seen so far from Lulu is Lulu rips off the bustle and pulls away the skirt and there's trousers underneath. And it says, excuse me, everyone.

And suddenly morphs, once again, you see, for real this time, the blood blooming from her chest, spreading all over her body, the flames and the sulfuric smell and the fire flaring up behind her and in her eyes. You see the horns sprout up on her forehead and claws sprout that she uses,

to climb onto the side of the car. And while they are out there, Lorlai is fine, but Indrid is having a time? Hanging on. Yeah, he's going to need some help. Okay, well, I'd like to lend a hand. Okay, great. So is Linda Hand a new NPC?

Linda Hand. He's silly old. Squawk? Is Linda Hand a new PC? I don't know that Linda Hand means Yeah, let's go with keep your cool instead, okay? Okay, so nine. So that's, so I'm going to keep my cool, and I'm going to extend one cloud hand out to Indrid

to help him safely get back into the formerly, what was the guard car. Yeah. This is going to cost you, right, then in doing this, you are going to land pretty roughly. Like the two of you are going to kind of topple together into the car.

So you might be hobbling for a little while. Like you're going to roll your ankle a little bit there, Lulu. My stupid baby dear ankles. They're stupid baby dear ankles. And once again, Lorelei, with absolutely just the picture of grace, is able to like move very gracefully into the guard car. So the three of you are clear.

Talon, you find yourself with 10 guards between you and the door you'd like to get through. And then over Wyatt Lincoln's eyes open a second set of bright red eyes. And his fangs lengthen. And he says, can I tell you something? I was kind of hoping. It's one of the reasons I was open to bring you on this train.

I was just hoping for a chance at blood. I've signed on with a little bit of help. I'm going to fucking kick your ass, dude. I'm going to drink your blood and I'm going to enjoy every single last drop of it. You will be a dried out sponge by the time. I'm done. Me and my new friend here, her name is Dear Goddoo, she and I, we are just going to devour you. And you know, Callan, this is one of those powerful demons on your list.

Okay. What do you do? Help me fix something on my mind. Are the others on or in the gar, in the guard, Empty Guard 3? Correct. Yeah, we're safe now. That's right.

I'm looking through the little glass window being like, eh, come here. Okay. Okay. I think Callan says, forward to it. Two, you all know about me.

You know what I do. You may not know why I do. What I do. But let's just say because of mistake I'm. made, a whole lot of innocent people are going to hell. So to keep that from happening, I made a deal and I find myself sort of on the side of the angels. So if you don't mind, I'd like to say a real quick prayer before we get started with the carnage. kneels down, puts his hand on the wall of the train, and says,

Dear Lord, I feel a very strong sense of disconnection from you. And maybe that's for the best that we're disconnected at this time. Because I don't know if I want you to see. see all the shit that's going to happen in this train car. I uncouple the cars between his and everybody else. Yeah, I'm not going to make you roll for that. Yeah. Now, as anyone knows, or disconnecting trains, it's not an instantaneous thing, right?

Noon's law in motion. Those cars are still traveling at a speed. So it is not like, well, they stop dead here. Along with that, it's not just the coupling, right? There's chains that go there and everything. So they start to drift back as they lose momentum. And, you know, there's a tenuous connection between them. But it definitely causes commotion on that car.

I'm going to tell you how much commotion. Yeah, so quite a bit of commotion. And everybody but Wyatt Lincoln loses their feet, just between like everything you were saying before and knowing you're up and now this. So the 10 guards behind Wyatt Lincoln just kind of stumble, but Wyatt keeps his footing. And now basically the only thing standing between you and that door,

and then the now advancing rest of the train is Wyatt Lincoln and his benefactor, Dierg, Do. Okay. At this point, Callan pulls out his weapon and says, you may have heard I don't kill people anymore. yawing people any attacks so give me

a turn to violence role you're going to roll with blood yeah yeah you have turned to violence can I make a move first unleash an attack yeah well could I say that while I was making my little speech

there I did the move watch them closely closely of a supernatural person or creature roll with blood. The MC will tell you a bit about their nature and at least one unusual weakness or flaw. Okay, here's what I will say. Yes, but you're going to roll with disadvantage because you were doing a lot at that point. So you weren't able to like give it full absolute attention.

So yes, but it was a little bit harder to separate your mind out to that many different pieces. Okay. So you, you can dry. Okay. I think I'm going to concentrate on Dear Doe. I mean, I can't do both of them at the same time, right? Yeah. Yeah. You said disadvantage? Yeah. That's a six and a four. That's another 10. And I'm rolling with, is it blood? That's 12. Okay. Yeah. So you know Deer Duke is especially bloodthirsty, which isn't surprising. But it tends to leave them open to attack. They tend to lunge forward. And they will often leave their neck vulnerable as they attempt to like go for, you know, sinking their teeth into you. They move recklessly forward.

So their neck is definitely a weakness. So why it's going to come at you, why it's going to come at you, an attempt to tackle you down to get that access to your neck. So I want you to roll to keep. you're cool. Okay. And what is this with? This is with spirits. Five and a four and a one is not as 10. Yeah. Okay. So you keep your cool, Wyatt comes lashing at you, and you are able to kind of step to the side and parry it away. Now with that twinge in your shoulder, right? You're not able to fling into the

ground like you were intending to. So instead you just kind of end up locked next to him. You weren't able to redirect his force, but you did avoid the attack so you were able to stay on his feet, but so did he. So now he is in a vulnerable position next to you. Well, I already do my weapon. Uh-huh. So I would like to shoot him in the face. An excellent choice. With the shotgun version of the gun. Okay. I just shoot him in the face. Yeah, okay. So give me a turn to violence roll with blood. Wait a minute. Hold on a second. And it is blessed.

Okay. The gun is blessed. I don't know if that gives me advantage, but I was just supposed to describe it like that. Okay, what am I rolling? You are rolling, uh, turn to violence. Oh, okay. Okay. Six and a two. Okay.

That's going to be an eight, uh, add blood. That's 10. Oh, yeah, there you go. So on a 10, you also choose you inflict terrible harm, you take something from them, or you create an opportunity for an ally. Terrible harm, I have no allies. There you go. You're going to add one harm to what you would normally inflict with your shotgun. That is messy, so that's two harm already.

So you have three. Now, this is a blessed weapon against holy. and because this is a demon, I'm going to say that's another harm. So that's for harm against this demon's face. He's a vampire, right? He's a vampire? It's a demonic vampire.

So he's a vampire with a demon possessing him. Okay. He is a vampire tainted. So he does have some natural armor, but it does damage. You're going to hit him for two harm in the face. and it's pretty nasty. You blow some skin off basically around an eye and back across an ear,

blowing off the skin where it's hair. You can see like skull through it. But he's still on his feet and he's going to come at you again, lunging for your neck. Give me another keep your cool. Five and a six. Okay, there you go. You keep your cool.

Why do I never roll like this in any other game? What's your spirit? My spirit is one. So that's a 12, which means you advance it. Once again, this time, you are able to cleanly, cleanly avoid it, especially now. He's had damage done to one of his eyes, his depth perception. Ain't what it used to be. He comes at you.

This time you're able to do the sidestep. And this time he lunges a little too far and ends up down on one knee. You felt as you dodged out of the way like you knew that. attack was going to happen as if you had borrowed foresight on your side and as a result you advance your keeper cool your opposition's cool is compromised

tell them what it will cost to maintain their current course of action. Me? Yes. I'm just focusing on killing this thing. Okay, this is the only time that this will probably come into play so it would be cool if we could execute it. So dad has to tell me what it's going to cost to keep Wyatt functioning?

To maintain their current course of action. Okay. What does it take to keep Wyatt fighting? He's going to have to feed, I guess. God, I was hoping you'd say that. Yeah, he turns to one of the stumbled down guards and just buries those fangs in. And you can see him now just so bloodthirsty and focus that he's feeding.

And you can see that skin that has been blown off of his skull start to, like, stitch itself back on. but in the meantime, he is basically just fish in a barrel for you. Callan pulls out the knife. You mean that knife that was forged from Uriel, the Archangel's Blade? Do you mean that one, Clint? That would be it. Okay.

When he pulls it out, of course, Uriel, the archangel that defended Eden with a flaming sword, Callum pulls this knife out of it, scabbard, and it starts to burn. And he just plunges it right into Lincoln's back as hard as he possibly can. Yeah, I mean, at this point, fish in a barrel, baby, you don't have to even roll. You bury that. It's the base of his skull where it would connect with his spine, where it used to connect with his spine, not now. You severed that spine, and as soon as it starts to peel it. there's that fire moves from the blade to the skin.

And you see the blood smoke, much like formed around Lulu when she gained her demonic form. Now, though, you see it like raise up like a second shape from Wyatt's body and two mouths scream as they are engulfed in flame and banished to the depths of hell, freeing one of the people on your list from their damnation. But you don't really have a lot of time to think about that right now because I would say the cars have drifted about four feet apart at this point.

And the guards that are remaining, there's eight of them now, are beginning to regain their feet. And I've still got the other demon? Yeah, demon's dead. You got them. Time to go. I'm sprinting. I'm leaving.

Yeah, so roll for me. Exit, train, right. Roll escape a situation. Roll with blood. I throw open the door to our car. Yeah, can we try and help? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. You're going to lend a hand.

Yeah, we both lend a hand. Yeah, both of you rolled the lend a hand. Could Augusta slow down a little? Oh, this has been, is trying to deal with. Yeah, I mean, at this point, in fact, you see the steam billowing more, and more as they're stoking that flame and that window of time is running out.

What do you add with Linda hand? It's roll in their circle. So that's more talus. And then you can give them plus one on a hit. Yeah, I hit. I got a nine total. But then there's also a cost. I got a 10. Okay. So plus one.

So what did you roll down? Seven. Okay. Can Lorelei also help? Oh yeah, you know what? Lorelei helps as well. So here's what we see. Callan goes sprinting, right, and makes the leap.

And it's not looking good. I mean, it's so close, but at this point, the train has begun to speed up again. And he's stretching his fingers out. And Lorelei leans out a little too far, right? And starts to fall as they link hands. And then Indrid and Lulu grab. at Lorelei and Lulu grabs around the waist and like, Indrid is holding the back of their skirt as they pull all three of them in.

The three of them just end up in a tumble, right? And we've, what you three are gonna take, Lorelei, Indrid, Callan, I'll take one harm. Lulu, you were able to stay on your feet and your natural Cighton has protected you. So you're cool. And you're all, all four now in an empty call. with one door separating you from the payroll room.

Let's fucking go. You throw open the door to the payroll, and there in the center, there it is. A large safe, warded. Tin roof. Rusted. Okay, do I, can I look it over to see if I recognize the sigil that was... You sure do, baby.

Present it to me. There she is. Yeah, it's on the top of the safe about... A little bit left of center on the back half. You see the symbol that was burned into your brain by Weaver. Okay. Any notion what this means? I mean, I was told what it means by someone I trust zero.

So I'm kind of running the math in my head of whether this is a do-the-opposite of what they told me. Oh, gosh. What did they tell you? That this was a sigil that needs to be disrupted. I think, in order for us to complete our mission. Give me a moment. I want to try, I guess, let it out again to uncover the essential truth of a thing or person in your presence to see if I can, like, understand. These sigils are not my type of magic.

I think Indrid is pretty ignorant about this stuff. Absolutely. But I want to see what I can do. That is eight plus two, ten. Okay, yeah, with the information that was burned into your brain by Weaver, you know that that sigil is specifically the sigil that wards against beings of wild demonic power that makes any demonic power against the safe the same as just like mortal fingers trying to, you know, break it open or anything. It basically would nerve any like demonic strength from being able to like just rip the same. the safe open. So bad news, as long as that's there, your demon strength is not going to be of any use

in terms of cracking it. Damn. I'm not sure if that was the plan or not. Well, yeah, that was a big part of it. That's kind of my whole. Yeah. Wait, I'm sorry. That's kind of a part of it.

That was my whole thing. That was the plan. I have to take corruption. I'm at four corruption. Uh-oh. You don't go. You get an advantage. And then it clears and then you start again.

It's after a certain amount of corruption advancements. Okay. That you become mine. Just want to make sure that we don't. Okay. I can try something, but it could be volatile. All right. I guess that's probably the best option,

unless anybody's any good at actually cracking, saves the old-fashioned way. Well, one moment. Then I go up to the wall of the train and say, Are you still in Are you still with us, Gus? Dude You sound pained. Is everything okay?

Well, he cut off his butt. Yeah, cut off my own butt. Sorry, I didn't think how traumatic that must be. The cabooses. Okay, so wait, my butt, is it reconnected at this point? What's the status on train? No, it's, it's... The caboose is gone.

The chains broke. Well, so at this point, it's everything behind Guard 3. Is, is, you are not gone. You just, when it was done, it stopped being part of the machine. And you transferred into the rest. Okay, I wanted to double check. Okay. Yeah, Gus.

Oh. You know what I will say? I'm going to say, Gus, you took a harm. That's fair. That's fair. That's fair. We marked that harm. Can we see into Guard 2, the other guard car on the other side of the payroll train?

If you go look, yeah. I mean, I want to take the crowbar and try and. like seal that door shut with it if we can. Give me a, I'm going to say keep your cool. Yeah, that's kind of, to improvise that block. Seven plus two and nine. Yeah, you're pretty sure it's secured. Okay.

Okay, I go up to Callan and say, can I borrow that cool knife? What are you going to do with it? I'm going to deface a magical run. I can dig it Here He hands over the The blade of Uriel Okay

And it stops flaming No wait No it keeps flaming Because Oh They're in Lulu's presence Oh shit Okay

Cool Be careful with the fire Yeah everyone may want to take a big step back And I'm going to With surgical precision just try to scratch a big scratch through the sigil. Just roll 2D6 and tell me what the number is. Okay.

Is three? It's a three. Okay, yeah, there's a release of magical force. Everybody else is already taking a step back, so they don't lose their footing, but it definitely pushes everybody back a couple of steps. You, Indrid, right? You go, you know, ass over tea kettle or whatever the phrase is, rolling back. So you're another like three feet back, right? But it does break whatever that ward was. And so now it is vulnerable to Lulu's, to Lulu's demonic strength. Do I take harm or anything from it? Yeah, you take one harm. Okay, I have filled up my serious box. What a phrase. I'm just saying... You can also take a scar.

Yeah, I'm going to take a scar Right, I can take a scar instead of harm Is that how it works? Correct. If I fill up all my harm boxes And have to take harm again, I'm dead. Yeah. Okay.

I'll rectify that While the game continues going on. I'll let you know what I pick. So I use my demonic weapon now, which in this case, I pull out my little, my little, Maribu my ostrich feather

coated fan click a button at the base of it and blades shoot out and the feathers burst into flame and I tell me we're going to do

merchandise from this episode please and I slice into the safe I'm going to take crushed as a scar it means traumatized timid and uncertain Yeah, which is going to reduce my heart rating.

Okay, great. Yeah, the safe is open. In what order do you approach it? Who's going first? I will, because I'm there. I slice it open. Inside there, Lulu, you just see stacks and stacks and marks, right? This is the pay dirt. This is what you've been looking for. I'm in. Who's next? Who's going over there? Who's looking at the bounty? I say out loud, I'm going to be the last one to look. at that just for everyone's, I have it on good account that I need to not be at the front of this particular party.

Okay, so that was, I just wanted to see if you remembered that thing. So you see, uh, you see Callan step up there, uh, followed by Lorelei. And you see Lorelei reaching into her pocket for something. Yeah. I am going to reach out and grab Lorelei. wrist. Okay, give me, keep your cool move. Oh, okay. Just to do it? Yep. Okay. God, I hope this goes better than the last one.

It does. That is a 10 plus the spirit. Two, so a 12, which means I advance it. Okay, yeah, you reach out and out of her hand, code's flying a small metal box with a red button on it and a small antenna and she turns and glares at you and says,

what the fuck do you think you're doing? I... Just shut up for a second. What are you doing? Stay out of this. This is me advancing Keep Your Cool. I'm going to need you to drop that box. Sure did, didn't it?

Yeah, it flew out of her hand. Oh, it did? Okay. Yeah, it's now about three feet away from her. Well, then never mind. You know what? I'm just going to try and see her future, try and figure out what it is that she is trying to do. Because I don't think I've ever read Lorelei before. That is a 3 plus 6 and 9 plus 2 and 11 for foresight. So you see her loaded up with saddlebags full of money and a flaming wreckage that she is walking away from. And you can see within that wreckage, some bodies you recognize. Like, you.

your own and Callans and Lulu's. And not me. Well, you are the wreckage. Flaming wreckage, I imagine. Like, I wouldn't just like leave. Okay, on a 10 plus, I ask a follow-up question. Which part of the flaming wreckage looks like the, like ground zero? Can I tell that?

It's the payroll car. the car that you are currently standing on. Okay. I announced, there's bombs in here, I think. That's a blow-up button, and that's, she's going to take all the money. Or at least she was going to before I heroically grabbed her and stopped her from doing so. Indrid, I need you to let go of my arm and let me do this. You owe me.

Oh, I do, do I? Yeah. You owe me, or should I say Micah, me. Uh, I, fuck me. I'm going to, I don't have time to really do much else here. I'm going to refuse to honor a debt. Now, what happens when you refuse to honor a debt? When you refuse to honor a debt, roll with the difference and status between you and the creditor.

On a hit, you weasel out of the obligation. for now, but you still owe the debt. On a seven and nine, you owe them an additional debt or mark corruption your choice. On a miss, you can't avoid the noose. So I have minus two if I owe two debts. Okay, yeah. So their status is good. It's a plus two in night. Oh, I thought I just rolled what the debt different. Okay. Yeah. They have a plus two in night. Correct. Oh, I mean, then I have failed spectacularly. I have a minus one in night. So I actually got a two on that roll. So I let go.

Thank you. I would have dove for that little box. Well, so I'm going to have you roll keep your cool then. No, actually, you are not rolling with disadvantage because you are not as racked with guilt and confusion as you would have been had you not made the reveal that you made to Lorelei. So now you are rolling. Just flat out, keep your cool. That's an eight. Okay, yeah.

So you hit, but the cost, is that in order to move that quickly and get over there? You had to drop your demonic form. All right. So I dive for it, and as I do a tuck and roll with the box safely inside of me, I roll back up and I'm in my human form again. Lorela, what is the meaning of this? Hey, you're my friend. Can I, I need the detonator.

If I could have just friend to friend, if I could have the detonator, please. No? What? All right, fuck off. Okay, this is my money that my brother stole from me. I need to take this money. What?

I loved the plan, everything of the plant. Up to the point where you gave my money away, everything up to that point was great. But this is my money. I'm claiming it here and now. You know what? You've got the detonator, so you let me walk away with the money clean, and we call it square. How's it sound? Sound good, everybody?

Your brother. Who are you? My brother Jackson. Are you Matthias Blue? Oh, yeah. Sorry, I just haven't heard that name it forever. I don't really go by that anymore. I prefer Banshee. If we can just stick with Banshee, that would be great. That's more my thing.

So, I'm going to take this money. I'll leave this corpse behind. Then you can do whatever you need to do with that. And we'll call it square. Oh, they possess. So Laurel is possessed. Is that what's right? Correct. What's going on? Oh, man. That's Banschie's whole deal. Damn. A lot harder to make spaghettios out of an innocent person. That's one of the big problems with magic, I think. But if you're possessing Lorela, then that means Lorelai already...

Is Lorelai already... Yeah, for a while now. Dead? Fine. So the money, though, where are we standing on that? I... Unleashed. fury. What does that look like? Tell me, paint the scene.

Wrapped with guilt that I will never get to tell my friend that I was sorry. And in grief, I turn to my worst nature. The flames flare in my eyes. And I swing out completely tackling this thing that used to be my friend. Yeah, so just below the surface of you rages this flaming demon form. And normally, when you transition into demon form, you put forth a lot of self-control to make sure that you are in control of it and not the other way around. But this blast of emotion kind of negates all of that.

So you transition into your demon form without having to roll, and you gain all of your demonic benefits. I need you to mark corruption. And you tackle her to the ground. And then for a second, this person just becomes a lifeless husk for a moment. I want you to roll. Keep your cool. with, I'm going to say with disadvantage because you're absolutely like raging and moving on pure emotion. Yeah.

So you tackle her and then it's lifeless and you like let up for a moment and she pops back in and she's going to attempt to roll away from you. And on a three, she does. So she tucks and rolls and she's like clear view and staring at you. And she's going to attempt to rest that detonator out of your hand. So give me another keep your cool Now the others of you Augustus the train Indrid, Callan

You're all witness to this and there So feel free to jump in This is not necessarily locked into a two-person struggle Am I allowed to try and toss it to Callum? Well, yeah, you have the detonator, right? Yeah, you go for it All right, so I I toss it towards Calum

Cullen, catch. Uh, Callan, give me a keep your cool roll. Three and a three. Six plus spirit. One, that's a seven. Oh, there you go. All right, you're able to get it, but you're not able to get it in time to, like,

clear away from her or do anything else. Like, you've got it, and now here comes this wild-eyed person flying at you, looking to scratch your eyes out. What do you do? shooter okay wait

I'm gonna have you roll turn to violence with uh so roll with blood I mean I assume Lulu's gonna be all right with her friend's gone and I've got nine shots that's a three and a six it's a nine plus blood

which is two more that's an 11 yeah okay so do you inflict terrible harm do you take something from them or do you create an opportunity for an ally? Is she holding the detonator? Where is... No, you're holding the detonator in one hand and your gun and the other.

I'm going to shoot her in the leg. I have an idea if you would create an opening for me. Okay. If that's okay. If you had another idea, please. No, no, no other idea. I had no other idea. I just want...

I mean, what would Callan do? That's what my bracelet says. WW... Yeah, so I'm going to say you blaster in the... right in the bread basket. And it has been a long time since the banshee has felt the... Wait, wait, wait, wait, no, no, no. I didn't say that.

I said it in her leg. Okay. I don't kill people. I don't kill people. You blast ghosts inhabiting up. Okay. You blast the banshee in the leg. And she is, for lack of a better word, taken aback.

It has been a long time since the banshee has felt any kind of physical sensation, let alone a gunshot wound through the thigh. And she is just stopped dead in her tracks, creating an opportunity for an ally. I look at my bracelet and I just like tap it. Like, go, go bracelet. There's a button on the sign. Oh, I'll press the button.

I look and see there's a button and press it. And you feel your Sylvania power flow through you. It's tenuous, but it's there. I'm going to let it out Yeah, okay I'm going to have you take Because of the experimental nature of this It's going to give me

A hard move later Okay But right now, yeah, it operates It works I lower my glasses And become the mothman Mm-hmm, yes And I put my hand

On the shoulder of the banshee and I want to channel a powerful prophecy from beyond concerning a present character for the Banshee. Oh, you want to, okay. I want to tell the Banshee is future, if I may. Yeah. Okay. That is an eight, a six and a two, an eight plus two, ten. Perfect.

So I'll take my, I'll avoid the consequences, take my fifth corruption point. And I want to see the Banshee When I give this prophecy Okay, so here's what happens You touch the Banshee and suddenly The train is gone Your compatriots are gone And you are standing in the last frozen moment

Of the Banshee's human life standing in the desert with his brother, Matthias Blue, staring at the stars, and says, it's so much quieter out here, you're right. It's nice, it's beautiful night. And then the scene freezes. And what the fuck? What?

What? What's... And then he turns and sees you. The fuck did you do? Uh, quiet now. I'm prophesizing. and I look him dead in the eye and I say

you are going to wonder this earth for an eternity and you will never find what you're looking for and the scene snaps back to the train and no one else has seen this or heard of this but the Banshee looks at you wide-eyed between the pain that they're feeling in the thigh and whatever the fuck that was. was they just lift out of Lorelei and you see the form of Matthias for just a moment and then

the train moves forward without them and they're gone. I let my glasses back on. Sorry about that everyone. Not everyone can handle the bug form. Now, with the gunshot that just rang through this car, the guards have made it to that door and you hear a pounding on it. and as they're pounding on this door, you see that the crowbar is holding,

but it's like shifting as they're like slamming into it. I've dropped to my knees. Sorry. Sorry. I'm sorry, Gustus. I just, Augustus, you were right, compassion. No, I messed up.

I messed up. bad. All right. And I get back up onto my feet. And I look around. All right. So what next? Gustus, what do you do?

I used my, the dark bargain that we have to teleport to standing in front of her because we have that reciprocity. So I leave the train and materialize in front of her. And I

make myself audible and physical, but not visible. And Lulu feels a hand on her shoulder and a whisper in her ear, Toot, toot, toot. Sorry, I haven't quite shaken it yet. Well, let's say we just detach ourselves from the car in front of us

and walk away. Man, that would have been a lot easier before Gus stopped possessing the train. Okay, I mean, I thought about that, but like, I already did it once. And doesn't that feel kind of dumb to like, I don't know, like, I wanted to do it, but then I was like, I don't know. That's kind of, if I do the same trick twice, I was worried that it would be like. All right. You know what?

You're right. Is there like a hatch for the, for the roof like there are? There sure is. It's locked from the inside, but you can easily take care of that. All right. Well, I unlatch it And I pop it open All right

Everybody up this way So we climb up on the roof Yeah, you're up on the roof of the train You can now hear the shouting of the guards As they're looking through You know, they can look through the glass And they see you start So you hear I'm like, they're going up

They're going up on the roof, we've got to get up there I float backwards So I'm standing behind the guards What the fuck? Excuse me gentlemen, what are we looking at? Hello, a pleasure. My name's Augustus Parsons. I'm the CEO in absentia of, no, my name is Augustus Parsons, and I'm totally nuts. And I'm going to let it out and hurt all of them. Okay. What happens when Augustus lets it out? Let's lose a psychic blast

of ectoplasmic energy that does too harm. okay um yeah you know what beautiful uh you let it out and it blast them all like it's the roll right well the good news is our roll a nine plus yeah 10 beautiful you let it out uh and it blasts them all like back into the car buying you all some time up on top of the train there and like you know knocking the wind out of all of them that was a nice Ectoplasmic blast. That's what she said. The slimer.

She made love to slimer. Sorry. She made love to slimer and yeah, of course. It just keeps getting worse. Okay. Bustin makes me feel good, man. There it is. There it is.

I'm astounding. What are you all doing on top of the train? So I'm going to use my demonic movement, which is activated. and like between running, like sprinting on the top towards the front of the cars and flying, I'm just booking it. Yeah, I mean, at this point, you have a ghost that can float. Griffin, you still have access to Mothman for a few more minutes.

You have a demon with wings. Now, Calan's going to need some help. All right. Oh, I forgot. We also took all the money, stuffed an end of it. Oh, yeah, I just assumed. You grab the bags of money. Don't you worry about that.

Now, I will remind you of one more thing, Callan. So, lest we forget. You are also holding a detonator that is linked to explosives at the bottom of the payroll train car. As a method actor, I've been sitting here for 20 minutes with my hand like this. Yeah. As if I was holding a detonator. So tell me about getting off the train. Who's thinking of Callan?

I have been told I'm the littlest one of the group. Well, in injured form, yeah. But in Mothman form, you are formidable. Okay, I'm going to put my arms underneath your armpits. And I'm going to lower my glasses again, go Mothman. And I'm going to say, do you want to go scare the shit out of Jackson Blue? It's so funny that you say that because that was actually my exact plan. Let's all be as scary as possible.

And I start flying him up toward Jackson Blues car. So a giant moth man, a demon and a ghost. Yeah. Stop maybe you. Walk into a bar. Which car is he in? He's at the front of the car. And since you already go on that speed and now you can provide yourself faster,

listen, I don't know how physics works. Don't worry about it. Yeah. But you were able to catch up. to the car and you see like Jackson I would say at first confused and then I'm

going to say he makes eye contact with the moth man and I'm not sure what he sees in those eyes maybe you are I'll tell you with my fifth corruption point I took a corruption move called eyes that burrow mark corruption

to lock eyes with someone and force them to be still for as long as you maintain the gaze so I'm still airing right at a still Jackson Blue while this horrific monstrous tableau is sort of floating, flanking me. And I say, don't be such a shithead. Or the monster squad's going to come calling again. And then I hold up, I just lift up into the windows view, Callet holding the detonator. And Callan says,

what he said and pushes the button. Yeah, so it fucking blows that payroll car. It blows the guards who are then knocking on the thing. Eudora got away fine, everybody. Don't worry. Eudora's cool. She was in the disconnected thing.

The cows, the chickens, the stewards. They're all cool. They're all fine. I don't want to hear anything about it. They're totally cool. Anybody that anybody listening to you cared about. Oilly Derek. He's far enough ahead.

He makes it fine. But the guards, basically it's going to blow the train up. Heiard actually made it out. Ayrith. Yeah, Ayrith made it. It's cool. It's going to blow the two guard cars on either side and the payroll car, two Flanders,

and it's going to derail the rest. Jackson Blue lives, but he is banged up as shit. And you all are now, like, standing there in the middle of the desert. And that's when you hear, hoof. Feets. It's Artax. And it's Pearl. Their car taxes is back.

It's Pearl. And the workers is stitched in. And they're like, what do you need? What can we do for you? This is wild. He's ride back to town. I say as I

shift back into my human form. I could use a doctor that is sort of well-versed in lepidopter sort of physiology. You know what?

It's so weird. Our town doctor actually is a butterfly collector, like, as a trade. Not a butterfly, but there's some real crossover there that's going to be... Listen, man, beggars and cheesers, you know what I mean? I don't know what else to tell you. It's the same as a butterfly and that they both have on their wings. Dust. We're not going to end.

Oh, okay. No, okay. No, that's not the end. That's not the end. That was just a... I assumed that there would be a... Yeah, we both got thoraxes. I need to lay down here.

As I shift back into my human form, I go up to Pearl on her horse, and I, you know, pick her up, pull her off and dip her for a kiss. I love that. I assume later you'll tell her about Lorelei. This isn't that moment. I get that. It's on board right now. Okay, yeah, great. Remind me to tell you something.

later. Okay, great. Cool. Well, let's go back to kissing and then I'm going to ask you we'll talk about this later. Okay, great. So we're going to time jump.

Y'all are at the Maison. You know, the workers are in the process of putting kind of the screws to Jackson Blue. And now listen, he saw y'all there, right? So if this was any other circumstance, but man, between the

burrowing eyes, the devastation caused, everything associated. like he is not just financially shook, but this idea of money did not buy him the protection, the power, the invulnerability that he was feeling. It has shook him deeper maybe even than the loss of the financials. And so there's a good chance he ain't going to be staying in Crescent City much longer. And so that deal has gone through with an expeditious. vicious manner more so than maybe you would have even thought and they're putting the final touches

on buying out stitched from underneath his grasp. He was ready to make a move on some of y'all. And surprisingly, there were representatives of the church that stepped in for Calvin and for you, Augustus, that provided protection for you from his grasp. So you both owe the church a debt. Okay. And as for you... That's three for me to the church.

It's my third church debt. Yeah, they own your ass. As for you, Lulu, he didn't seem keen on pushing against whatever your benefactor is. It's possible that this ain't his first run in with your benefactor,

especially considering how you made your partnership with the benefactor that Jackson refused alone for your family's business to get started and your benefactor just seemed to be there ready, makes you think that maybe there's something running deeper than just this moment for you. And of course, you as the mothman, who the fuck knows that the mothman was injured cold?

So you were clear. Don't you worry about it. He couldn't append that on you. So you're here at the Maison, and you got Pearl sitting there saying, yeah, so in the morning we'll get started back. It deals a deal. We'll help back to Dry River, and I'll see how quickly I can get things sorted and come back here to keep up the good work. Well, I appreciate your acquiescing to our request. It's very kind of you.

I'm glad you're not putting up a fight. and I'm glad we could do a little, oh, it feels like good work in the meanwhile. Thank you. The town really owes you. I'm sorry about Lorela. She died a hero. I hear for the cause and we'll make sure that a great deal of this payment goes towards helping the family farm. I think that's a great car.

I think she'd like that. What are you going to do, Andrew? You're going to keep working for the graces? Indrid's been very quiet, I think, since his mothman transformation. And he says, no, I think my time with them has come to an end. Something's been wrong since I bugged out back on the train. And I feel a pretty urgent need to do something about it. So we may not see each other for a while or perhaps again.

But I am glad that I could have been some help to you and this territory. I'm off. And I stand up to leave. Well, it was a pleasure meeting you. She holds out her hand. I look at it and I tip my hat. Oh, okay. And then walk out.

Well, what about you, Callan, you're going to stick around once, you know, after you drop me off? No. Why you got one? There's still some names on the list. Here. And he reaches in his pocket, takes the handful of ribbons out of his pocket, tosses him down the table, says, I would like you to give those to Isabella for me.

I originally picked them up so they would be fake armbands to disguise myself with, to move through the train with freedom and liberty, but that obviously didn't come together for me. No, but that was very clever. I'm sorry that you didn't get a chance. That calls you own baby. He had to pay it off somehow. And I'm sure sure.

Appreciate it. You know what? Don't condescend to a gunman. No, Callin, I ain't condescended. Let me just say, I would really like you to hold on to one of these. And she pulls a deep purple one out of the pile that matches a ribbon that she is wearing her around her neck. If you would, I hope this doesn't

silly, I'm going to say it out loud, but I owe you and I'd like this to be a binding between the two of us. You hold onto this ribbon and I know that I owe you one. He ties it around his hat like a hat band. Says, fine.

And Augustus, uh, I got to, can I do the last scene? Yeah. Okay. I knock on Jackson Blues office door. Oh wait. Is this later? Yeah. Yeah. What? What are you? I Is there no one even working the desk anyone? What do you? I hope you'll pardon the interruption. And Augustus, yes. What? I wanted to thank you again.

for the single mark. Your investment in delicious cash shoes is already paid dividends. In fact, he pulls out a package and toss it to them. You're my first customer. One mug per bag. Organic, shade grown, ethically sourced,

delicious cashews. Thank you very much for your patronage. We are even now. and then he walks out the door. Could he walk through the door? No. He doesn't.

He doesn't. He takes the time to open it. That's awesome. And in different directions and different paths, everybody leaves Crescent City. Lulu, you're going to go with Pearl. Got to go to meet the parents. Indeed.

Indrid heads off to parts unknown. Callin, you're going to escort Lulu and Pearl back to make sure the job. jobs done and then head off to continue your hunt and continue your job. But the Grayson's will continue their work. There's always a place for anybody who's willing to take on those jobs that tend to slip through the cracks. And I have a feeling that maybe not these exact same people, but Grayson's will be back.

Indrid, you find yourself in some railway station in some part of the country. And there you see, you're a... acquaintance, roused. I'm in bad shape at this point, because I've been away from Sylvain for so long that I'm starting to lose my senses and become an abomination, essentially. Oh, wow, you look rough. What's your name? Hi, you live without sustenance, right? Whoa, how'd you know that? We've met.

What? Listen, this is urgent, but I am losing control of something that would be very bad if it got out, and sustenance is what I need to stave that off. So where do I sign up? Oh, you want to become a rail rider? For at least, for a while until I can figure out another option. Oh, I got to warn your friend. It ain't easy to stop. I'll take my chances.

All right, give me your foot. What? Give me your foot. I take off my boot and extend my foot. He pulls a stick that he's been using to poke the fire he's been sitting at. He pulls it out. And he starts marking the bottom of your foot with this burning stick and carving a sigil into it. That's fine.

It hurts immensely, but the further he gets into it, the better overall you feel. And finally, he finishes that sigil. And he says, well, there you go, friend. Now you're bound to the air and not the earth. Now you can flow like water and cross any stream you wish. Just make sure you keep moving, okay? And he gets oddly serious and makes eye contact with it. you on that part. And he hasn't really, like, directly made eye contact or seen present in any

moment, except that moment. Just keep moving, okay? I can promise you that will not be an issue. And I just start walking toward the closest train. Maximumfund.org. Comedy and culture. Artist-owned, audience supported.