The Glass Cannon Podcast - Time For Chaos S1 | E2 – Pisco Sour

Episode Date: May 13, 2025

The investigators head to Peru to join a mysterious expedition. Watch the video here: ⁠https://youtu.be/K42DPqLsOXg Access exclusive podcasts, ad-free episodes, and livestreams with a 30-day free trial with code "GCN30" at ⁠⁠⁠jointhenaish.com⁠⁠⁠. Join Troy Lavallee, Joe O'Brien, Skid Maher, Matthew Capodicasa, Sydney Amanuel, and Kate Stamas as they tour the country. Get your tickets today at ⁠⁠⁠https://hubs.li/Q03cn8wr0⁠⁠⁠. For more podcasts and livestreams, visit ⁠⁠⁠https://hubs.li/Q03cmY380⁠⁠⁠. Watch new episodes when they premiere every Friday at 8PM ET on ⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/theglasscannon⁠⁠⁠, starting July 11th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You are listening to the Glass Cannon Network, the premier source for role-playing game entertainment. Good evening, folks. It is Thursday night. My name is Troy LaValley and it's time for Chaos. This is episode two of our Masks of Nearlathotep show, which is going to last for the next eight years. And calling this episode two is an insult to episode twos everywhere because this is really where the story begins Last week was character creation was fantastic. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it, but tonight Tonight is where we jump into this this epic tale

This is just here it is. I still have the one that we're looking at the size of this We're playing all of this whether you like it or not. It's huge But we're gonna get through half of it tonight. I'm gonna move it lightning speed Look at the size of this. We're playing all of this, whether you like it or not. It's huge. But we're gonna get through half of it tonight. I'm gonna move it lightning speed. Just cause I don't want this to take as long as I think it's gonna take. However, before we get into that,

before we get into the nitty gritty, it's very important for me that this is a new cast, new group that we get to know each other. We wanna really feel like friends at the table. And so I think a good way of doing that is a little icebreaker. A little icebreaker so we get to know each other a little bit better, get to really know the people behind the characters. So I'll just throw out two questions, and you could pick one of the two.

A little softball question to get things started so that the millions of people watching and listening can get to know you and me. What is your favorite ice cream or what is your most haunting sexual encounter? I'll start. Pistachio. Which question is that an answer to? That was the name of the Chicago stripper. That gave me the ride of my life.

No, I... Ross. Nailed it. Yes. So, as I try to come back from my haunted reverie, Troy, yeah, pistachio almond, bud. Pistachio almond. We don't have to answer these questions. Blue Bell, Texas company, great stuff. We did ask, we've asked this on all the shows,

what favorite ice cream flavor is, and it usually just starts fights once somebody says mint chip. Oh, that was mine. I knew you were a mint chip! No but I do want to get to know you guys so what do you want to talk about yourself? What is the most important thing that we don't know about you. We'll start with Kate. I don't know. Are we doing two truths and a lie? Two truths and a lie. Or you could choose the most hot, sexual encounter. We're gonna leave that one out there.

You can always come back to that. No, but what you, you're a gamer, but you're a computer Geek, what do you call it? What do you do programmer? Legal FBI hacker. Yeah. Yeah, that's what it is. Oh, I'm a software engineer for money for a job So what is that? What is that all about? Just wake up and start go on the computer and I'm like, please do this thing. And it's like, maybe, maybe not. Maybe I'll do something else. And you're like, but I need you to do this thing.

Cause that's what the shareholders want. And they wanted it yesterday. And yeah. I just have no idea what you do for eight hours a day. Like that just sounds fun. It sounds fun. I file with my computer and then I also refine requirements a lot. See, don't fun. It sounds fun. I file with my computer and then I also refine requirements a lot.

See, don't know what that means either. But it sounds really cool. And I wish I knew how to do that. You're working in like DOS with like lots of code. Like remember when you used to use MS DOS, you have to know all of the little handles to try and get things to work. I mean, like with engineering, like you're working in a terminal, which I guess looks like that.

If like, yeah. But I mean, I work in mainly JavaScript and Ruby. So it's a more friendlier English reading friendly language than maybe something like Java, which is like, you can read it, but it's pretty verbose. And it's like, what's holding on? Like, like Ruby is just kind of like English. You can read the instructions. You're like, oh, I know like Ruby is just kind of like English you can read the instructions you're like

Oh, I know what this program is kind of doing Seven or eight. My mind is blown. Yeah. Yeah, I feel like there's so many jobs that somebody says that they do them and I'm just like, okay There's seven or eight people in the chat that are fired up about what you do. Stock trading scientist teacher It's a lot. Confuses me. They're like a day trader. What do they do out there? Yeah, what are you doing? What are you? You're just losing money all day?

Just loosening your tie, stressfully. Yeah, yeah. Rob, what's something we don't know about you that we should know? Or you don't want us to know? Or most haunting sexual thing? Okay, so the haunting sexual thing. It's not that haunting, but it just is like, yeah, well, okay, this kind of combines everything. I got started a little late, guys, I'm not going to lie. Troy knew me in high school. He knows things were not great for me in the lady department.

They continued that way for a while. I'm not going to say how long, but let's just say past that, past high school. So I was the most experienced gentleman, and I definitely have a vivid memory. This is not too graphic, so don't worry. But early on in my escapades, I went to grab a condom that's a prophylactic, it's a safe sex situation, and I have the ability to cut myself on almost everything. I've cut myself on a shrimp tail once. Was that a sexual thing too? I think a zipper got me once.

And a condom wrapper got me. Just full on, just paper cut level, like, ah! Like there was some sort of screaming happened. Didn't do wonders for the mood at the time. I think we ended up figuring it out. Just looked like a crime scene. And it was early on, right? It was early on into the, what is now, a storied career.

And but it was definitely like, oh, is this going to happen every time? Then in the follow-up sessions, there'd be a very tent. I'd be very careful, just very slowly. Minutes ticking by. You get a pair of scissors. Chindrily. Yeah.

Peel. So there you go. That's a good one. That wins so far. I'm just imagining like a universe where Marvin Gaye includes this in like, Let's Get It On. You got yourself on a con, baby. And I caught myself on the left side. Bleeding out and everybody's concerned.

Yeah. Bleeding out. A little cut will bleed for a long time on the finger, too. Everything's going dark. Oh, your vision's getting blurry, baby. Nora, how would you like to continue this horrible conversation? You know, let's just shift gears a little bit and talk about... I'll do something that most people don't know about

me. And that was prior to being a full-time professional nerd in the gaming niche, this thing that we do. I had a job at a time, I got paid for doing this. I was a cadaver disector for a few years. Like a real, like real cadavers or the game operation? Yeah, no, it was real for part of the university. And I was, first was like apprenticed to do it and then was like, oh, we're going to hire you to do this for us. Wow. Did you have to wear those little smelling things under your nose so you didn't smell

it? No, although that would have been so helpful, but we did. There was one time during the winter break where it was just two of us with the cadavers and we were like hacking away doing our thing because it has to be like ready for the spring semester to show classes so we're working while everybody's away but we have got the music blasting and so we had apparently there was a noise complaint and so all of a sudden a cop busts in the door, and I have a scalpel in my hand, and I do this, and I drop it. And the guy comes in and he's like, the other was just a noise that we were seeing about the noise.

I'm like, oh! Oh! Oh! That's his first day on the force. Oh Yeah, so that that's something that a lot of people don't know about I don't remember it was it but it was like an 80s playlist at the time really I just but I don't remember what Maybe some Holland Hits. Psycho Killer. It's just music that doesn't, I don't know, music that doesn't suggest you're maybe

that's a ding-a-body. Yeah. It was Susu Studio from... It's all Huey Lewis's, it's not any Patrick Bateman approved. We had the clear raincoats on and yeah. Oh my god, wow, that was pretty good. That was pretty good. I was not expecting that.

You learn something new every day. I know. Russ, what the hell do we need to know about you? Holy moly, how do I Trump's condom mishap and the time spent quote hacking up cadavers I mean, there's a theme here. It's me Whether it be code fingers or bodies. Yes read in tooth and claw Mayhem tales

I don't, she had some good like mayhem tales. Yeah, no, I don't. Well, I will say, I may have mentioned this before, but maybe not, on the subject of weird jobs. I worked on a cruise ship for a little while. I was like, for about four months, I worked on a cruise ship as an entertainer, and in a ship that went around the Mediterranean. But what you learn about the ships is that it's a, I mean, it's a floating city. So there are morgues on every cruise ship. They, there are aged people that take cruises.

And they, and sometimes things happen. So on any given Carnival cruise is like someone is like acoustic guitar in a Jimmy Buffett song next to a tubular waterslide Several decks down someone may be having an experience not unlike Nora's Fresh from the chocolate buffet Another one drowned in the chocolate fountain Code alpha I fell into a I fell into an internet hole once reading about just the The whole bureaucracy and everything behind working on a cruise ship and it was the most depressing thing

I've ever like in terms of the bizarre place if you want to break your contract before you're back at your home Order whatever you just have to get off and yeah, it's up you want to break your contract before you're back at your home port or whatever, you just have to get off and it's up to you to find your way back. It's gnarly. If you have shore leave, so to speak, and you miss the window when the ship leaves, they have your passport. So, you've got to cross multiple governmental, multiple borders sans passport. It's rough.

And they like fly Like the flags for different countries so they don't have to follow the rules of the country they left from or that they're technically owned by It's its own. It's its own law Your passport isn't that like trafficking if they're like if you're being transported from place and you don't want to go But they're not giving you your passport. Take it up with Norwegian Cruise lines. Isn't that legal? I am, yeah, I think it's technically, I think for your safety, certain ports,

they give it back to you because certain ports of call and customs require that you have it on you. Others, you just roll on and off. So sketchy. A very eventful several months. Wow. We should just play this adventure because I'm seeing all five of our stories linking up while Rob is entering an amorous situation, his blood everywhere. Where they always happen.

Right, and they have to take him to the morgue, and it's Rob stoning him. One goes blasting. While Nora's working on it. I'm the Krieger in this archer situation. Kate's hacking away to try and move passports around so no one knows about the victim. And Pistachio and I are having a hell of a time on the fourth floor. Well, we'll tell that story another time. Instead, we're going to segue from that into our adventure.

That does that actually does have ships. That's the only way you can get around this. There's no intercontinental flights here. So it's going to be a lot of role playing 20 days at sea to get from country to country. And we're going to role play every second of it. So I don't have to prepare episodes when I don't want to. But I did prepare tonight's, just cause I can't help but give.

And I think we're just gonna jump right in. I'm gonna set the scene with a little scene, actually. Can I get the DJ to play some hot beats behind me? Maybe something that's got like a heartbeat. It's a very short scene. Ooh, there it is. That's DJ Khaled we had working the ones and twos for this episode tonight.

Thank you. It is not, he would be screaming his name right now. Yes. We would have heard We the Best by now. DJ Khaled! That really ruins the immersion, DJ Khaled. But I want you all to kind of jump into your imagination if you have one. Some people are born without imaginations.

And they live a very sad life. But assuming the four of you have imaginations, I want you to picture a dimly lit corridor of what looks like a hotel. Might be an apartment building, but it has an hotel field. These old apartment buildings now, a lot of them were old hotels.

So that's what we see. Lights come up on this and the corridor just stretches all the way down. The lights come up and we see at the end of the hallway is a single door. And we hear the footfalls of several people walking slowly down the hallway toward this door. As the door starts to come into focus, you see the numbers 410. Someone, perhaps one of these people walking towards the door knocks.

You hear that like, goo, goo, goo of the knock. And after the knock, there's this sound, this muffled sound of maybe a cry and quick movement from within the room. There's an intense sense of foreboding that lingers in the air for you are certain on the other side of that door, something terrible lies within.

After the briefest moment of hesitation, the door to room 410 is thrown open and we rush in as the scene fades to black. From there lights come up on a rather bustling market district somewhere and then like a lower third and a James Bond movie or one of the Marvel movies a little title comes up on screen that says Lima Peru March 18th 1921 Over the past month or so maybe a little bit more each of you in whatever Places you are in has heard about an upcoming expedition either in the international press or through academic associations or any association that you may be involved

with. Let me direct you to World 20 for one such article you may have seen. Let's see here, documents here. Okay. If you refer to your little sidebar here, you'll see an article that's titled, Search for Ancient Pyramid in Peru. Do you see that? Yeah.

Explorer plans expedition to discover site of lost civilization, Lima, January 12th. Explorer Augustus Larkin is planning an expedition to the southern highlands of Peru, where he hopes to identify the site of a pyramid long forgotten by history. Following the discovery of a number of gold artifacts in the region, Larkin believes that he has found evidence that will lead him to their source. He is currently in Lima planning the expedition and is recruiting companions and possible backers. Whenever the four of you have come across this news, whether it be in the paper or through some of your contacts, there's something in this that has intrigued you. Now, for Nora's character, the intrigue is a lot more obvious.

You study cryptology. Of course you'd be interested in something like this, but for others, that intrigue may be more veiled. Whatever the case, over the past few weeks, each of you has reached out to this Augustus Larkin and secured your place on this expedition. In the past week or so, maybe in the past couple weeks, you received a telegram from him. Who would like to read that telegram that is also now visible on your sidebar? From the Trans-Pacific Telegraphy. I'll do it. Doy. I'll do it.

Do it. I shall do it. Thank you for joining the expedition. Stop. Please join me in Lima. Stop. Have booked you a room at Hotel Maori. Stop.

Meet 18th. Oh no, there's a big magnifying glass. Don't put this word. Click big magnifying glass over this word. Click the magnifying glass, it'll blow up. Ah, science. Meet 18th March at 7pm at Bar Cordano. Hierone? I think so.

Enkosh? 202? Distrito de Lima? Stop. I took French, by the way. So... I apologize for butchering that last time. Augustus Larkin. I'm gonna do the same thing. So you get this telegram from Augustus Larkin. You've joined the expedition,

and he's telling you where to meet. So now we come back to that bustling market, and we see a sign for Bar Cordano. Let's say Ross's character arrives. Ross Vaughn appears in the front door of Bar Cordano and you see inside it's a restaurant that's pretty tastefully furnished. You see wood paneling and fixtures and a tiled floor. What does Vaughn look like? You know, as Vaughn walks in you're seeing a

Sort of roughed up genteel Visage, just sort of like boyish face. It looks like an overgrown schoolboy, with shock of strawberry blonde hair and mustache with a couple days' growth of beard, and several little cigarette dangling from his lips. He strides in, makes straight for the bar. He's like, "'Maybe someone can get a gin around here. It'd be only too shame-making if one couldn't in a place like this. Been in Belize for too bloody long. Anybody around anybody around here speak the Queens?" And he walks up to the bar and plants himself down. Let's say Nora, your character is sitting there at the bar and you hear this British gentleman speaking English in a primarily Spanish speaking town.

What does, FaiRuus, is it FaiRuus or FaiRuus? FaiRuus. FaiRuus, what does FaiRuus look like? FaiRuus is a tall, slender Arab woman. She has light olive skin, dark hair, dark eyes. She's wearing a simple black dress and like a sun hat. You can tell by her appearance that she's very smartly dressed but doesn't

have a lot of money, but keeps herself put together. She's carrying with her a messenger bag and she's got like stacks of notebooks and different journals and textbooks with her. And so you hear this guy, does anyone speak the Queen's English? Do you respond? Do you make a... Yeah, I speak sort of the Queen's English. I'm not super regal.

So yeah, and if that's within his earshot, like immediate like swivel over to over to you, it's like, and I suppose we'll make it two. It's not quite sunset. Not nearly tight enough for my liking. Make it two, Barkeep. Dosagian, por favor." He's trying to make himself understood. He's like, the name's Viliers. Pleasure. I'm Faeruz. You really don't know how to blend in, do you? That's okay. Neither do I. Frayde, yes, Frayde never really been my forte. Once I've been wound up, then I'm afraid it just keeps coming. Rather, he's sucking one cigarette down, he's lighting the next one. lighting the next one. Do you want to make his drink doubles? As I over to the bartender?

Oh, yeah, just like capital idea. Yeah, I can tell you and I got to get along just fine. I think so. So you want to tell me what you're doing here? Hmm. Expedition into the mountains. Oh. You're here for the pyramids. Is that right? I suppose when you read it over the wire, then it shouldn't be that big of a secret. Yes.

I've seen pyramids of Giza and a few of the pyramids around Memphis way as I made my way across Tunis and on through Cairo on way to Tehran, but I thought I'd take a gander at what's around here. Some friends might have the bloody idea that they're all connected somehow. Lot of rubbish, but I suppose I'll see it with my own eyes.

Anything to keep the dogs from my back? What? I... Your travels are impressive. I can't say the same, but I've studied a lot. I too wish to see or go back to Cairo one day. or go back to Cairo one day. I was only a little girl the last time I was there.

But I feel- The old camel around the thing has got a devil of a bite. Oh. I thought camels spit. I didn't know they bite. No, there's very little they don't do. Besides, keep me on that bloody humps. You know, after a few drinks, I might ask you more about that. Bartender comes over with three bottles of gin, places one in front of Nora, two in front of

Ross's character. Now that's service. Now that's service, I say as I look at you. And I just maybe look over, must confess, in this for the adventure, but are you really on the expedition with this Larkin chap? I too got that wire. But it's in my field of study, you see. I study cryptography.

Hmm. Well, I study propulsion. Wherever I'm inspired to go, that's where I'm headed to. I see. So, what is it that interests you in this in particular? There's only so many things that one can see before they shuffle off this mortal coil. I just want to pack as much as I can in the old bean before it goes. Living on borrowed time as it is.

All right, if you don't wanna tell me exactly why you're here, maybe you'll tell me after a few. Well, very well. Just say futures and loosen tongues. He's like. And as you toast, maybe Kate's character Margot saunters up to the entrance.

Kate, you take this whole thing in. What does Margot look like? So Margot has dark hair, it's short. I mean, it probably looks similar to mine currently where it's really, really short on the sides and maybe a longer on top. She has bangs, she's got a button up shirt on and trousers. She has her bags and a sketchbook and a camera around her neck.

Maybe looks a little disheveled just traveling here and probably overhears people speaking American English. And it's just looking for someone to help her out here. So I bet she saunters over and is like, oh, excuse me. Oh, are you American? I'm talking to you. Can you help me? I'm trying, I'm looking for Augustus Larkin?

Funny you should say that. I'm looking for him too. Oh, so funny. Yeah, there's a bit of that going around. Okay, well, I'm gonna stay with you. And she like starts putting all her shit down. You won't find any Americans here, darling. I'm sure you can tell by the effervescent and blinding amount of class radiating at you

at this very moment. Oh yes, your class just screams across the room and yeah. What's your name, sweetheart? Marco. How about you all? I'm Feyruz. He's like not even removing the cigarettes, just, Vilius! Because he's like calling for a third glass and sliding it over to you and pouring you four fingers of gin.

Oh, thank you, what is this? It's clear. Takes it, makes a face. Hand you a bottle of gin as well. So you guys are getting pretty lit up on gin as Rob's character Carter arrives and you see immediately these three people that look completely out of place in the bar amongst the locals. There are obviously tables in the back and there's a lot going on, but you're drawn

to this. What does Carter look like? He's got a very unique look. Yeah, I guess as we see Carter enter, we see him in profile and he's very like kind of chiseled jaw, kind of classically handsome man. And then he turns and we see that the other half of his face is covered in this very like thin copper prosthetic facial mask that's painted to kind of match his skin tone so obviously it's coming up covering up some sort of

Wound that he doesn't necessarily want to show off and as he turns he's just like Just doesn't be it's like I need I need a fan. I need either a ceiling fan or Just it's so guys, it's so hot. Does anyone speak English? Fan? Fan-o. And he starts like, gesticulating,

like, you know, really obnoxious American, assuming that people should just understand his language. You see, Feroz rips open a page from a journal, folds it up into a fan, throws it over at him, and he's like, that's the best you're gonna get here. Well, it's gonna do. And he picks it up and he's just like, oh, you guys here for the old temple shenanigans?

Oh, yes. Cool, me too. Wow. I speak in a way that might sound more futurey to some people. It might be times where I drop words that sound a little anachronistic. Well, you look futurey. That plate is the cat's pajamas. Oh, you flatter me, my lady. She looks at all of you Americans approvingly of the slang she just used.

As well. Says you. Looks like he upset the wrong fella. Yeah, I... No, no, and at the end, Vaughn maybe extends his hand, looking way more serious than he has up until any point in his life. Yes.

Well, it's great to meet you guys. Looks like we got a little party going on before the party, huh? And he's just pointing at all the various glasses and bottles that are now covering the bar. Three Bombay Sapphires. Well, whatever it was, I'm sure you gave as good as you got. And I slide over another glass for you. Oh, yeah, I shot that horse. Hmm? Huh?

Oh, you think? Oh, no, no, no. No, I'm not stupid enough to fight in a war. Just staring ash falling. Is that one of your slang terms that I'm not familiar with? The shot is a horse. No, I literally killed a horse that kicked me in the face while I was giving my wonderful wife assistance.

The horse, the mare, she was on. Oh, she kicked me. And that has given me cause to put a tin prosthesis on my face. But thanks for calling it out. I really appreciate that. Well, you're not really trying to be very inconspicuous about it. Yeah, well, I mean, it's this or just, you know, a big gaping maw in my face. I figured one, you know, kind of better than the other. The major D comes over and this is a... Do any of you speak Spanish? Or do you have the Spanish language skill? Well, so I read that if you know like, like English or German, you like by default know a little bit of Spanish like type of...

Or like there's there's groups of languages that you can know. Maybe Spanish isn't one of them. Okay. Well, well I would say probably if you knew you were coming here, you had a long boat ride over and maybe you had a little book of Spanish phrases, you were at least looking. And so you get the sense that he's asking you,

do you have a reservation, are you meeting someone? Oh yes, Augustus Larkin? Yes, of course. Looking for uh, uh, Signor Larkin. Yes? Yes, yes. And he's like this way. And he takes you in the direction of the back of the restaurant. And I should say in March, you're all playing it correctly,

it's summertime. It's like late summer in Peru in March. The temperature's gonna fluctuate anywhere between 65 and 77 degrees. 77 doesn't sound that hot, but the humidity makes it feel like it's in the 90s. And for all of you,'ve got to be a little sticky even if you're dressed appropriately. So the maitre d leads you

to the back and right up to a table where there are three men already seated. At the head of the table is a pale, thin white man with greasy blonde hair and blue eyes. He looks relatively young, but his skin is a bit saggy and he has noticeable bags under his eyes. His white linen suit that he's wearing also appears a little bit baggy. You think maybe it needs to be tailored or maybe he lost some weight and just hasn't had a chance to get a new suit yet. You don't know. You smell cologne, a strong smell of cologne as you walk up to the table. You don't know if it's coming from him. It smells good, but it's just it's a lot. To the left of him is a rather gaunt man with very pronounced cheekbones

and deep set piercing blue eyes. He has unkempt medium length brown hair. It looks like he's given up trying to style in the Lima humidity. He's got a mustache and a little soul patch. And he's wearing an old frayed cotton suit and a wide brimmed black hat sits on the table next to him. And finally, across from him,

so to the right of the man at the head of the table, is a middle-aged African-American man of average height and build. He's got short hair and he's smiling behind a big pipe that he's holding. He's smoking. He's got on a tweed suit and there's a fedora hat sitting next to him. So the man at the head of the table stands up when he sees you approaching, and he's like, hello, thank you for coming. I am Augustus Locke, and you're a host for the evening, as it were.

I trust you have gone through the always awkward character introductions between strangers who have never played together. Yes. Yeah, yeah. Excellent, good. Not all good about it, old boy. Oh, yeah. Check. Excellent. Good. Not good about it, old boy. Oh, good, good.

I'm always worried about that section of an actual play, but it seems that everything came out aces. I left my accent on the boat, apparently. Good, good. So I'm just going to move on without it. Yes, you'll often find that in the early sessions, accents change a lot until you really nail down what it is you want to do But I hope your travel to Lima was without issue. Please have a seat join us. We were just discussing and Bonding over our various encounters with animals. I was bit by a camel my friend

He was kicked by a horse and I'm sure before too long We'll have a run-in with an alpaca too if I knew anything thing or two about this little country of yours the guy I need about three glasses of gin before I understand anything he's saying you say alpaca and he just he looks to the guy to his left and like smiles and the guy to his left he's got the mustache is just like just like emotionless. But he is like, that is very funny that you say that, but we'll get to why later. In the meantime, allow me to introduce my companions here. He points to the guy that he smiled at

that was emotionless, he says, this is my personal aide, Luis de Mendoza, and this here is Mr. Jesse Hughes from New York. He is a folklorist and like you has has taken the call to join us on this expedition. Now two of you are from America as well like Mr. Hughes, correct? That's right. Oh yeah, I bleed red white and blue, baby. Where exactly are you located out there? Well I'm over at Miskatonic University. We're in Massachusetts. Oh that's so bizarre. I'm also from Massachusetts. I currently

live in Gloucester. Isn't it funny how we can't decide on how we should talk from that area? I thought about it and realized that since I actually grew up there, if I messed up a Boston accent I would be killed by many people I grew up with. So I've decided to eschew that. Well, I didn't grow up there is what I'm going with. And so you know, I'm just there for my studies but that's where I reside currently. So the you know, I'm just there for my studies, but that's where I reside currently.

So the older guy or middle-aged guy smoking the pipe is like, well, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I spent some time in Massachusetts, beautiful, beautiful country, beautiful country. Welcome, please join us. And Larkin sits down and he's like, well, I wanna hear all about your travels as we look over the menus. And he kinda snaps his fingers and a couple of waiters come over, hand you guys some menus. And Larkin's like, the food here is excellent,

especially if you like seafood. I don't know what everyone's dietary preferences are, but the seafood here is excellent. I highly recommend the Eskabeche, if you've ever had it. It's a hot, sweet and sour fish dish. I've had it several times. It is quite delightful. So, did you have any troubles finding the place?

How long was your journey? Please tell me everything. I'm dying to know what it was like coming over here. That's a very good question. Well, I spent a... Or you could just tell me your favorite ice cream or any haunting sexual encounters you've had. This is where we get to know each other.

We're going to be spending a lot of time. I ain't on a rocky road, but I was not on a rocky road. I took a ship over here and here I am. You are quite the firecracker I can see. Yes, the ship and no dysentery I take it. Oh why would a lady ever talk about such things? Aye, that's right. That isn't restaurant talk. What about you, young lady? Is it Margot? Margo? Margo.

Yes, and are you from Germany? Yes, I think that, I'm trying to do the THSZ, I'm sorry. I think that my trip was the farthest. Oh, I don't believe that's accurate. Yes, I had to cross the ocean. Did anyone else cross the ocean? Yes, the two people from the United States most likely crossed the ocean.

They didn't cross it back and forth. It was up and down. This is true. This is true. You may have had the longest journey, but then there is your other companion here. Mr. Villas, had the longest journey, but then there is your other companion here, Mr. Villers. What was your journey like? You came from England, yes? Took a steamer down the coast from Belize, old boy. That was where I first saw your little article

in response to your telegram. But I've been trotting all over this big blue marble for the last several years. What do you do for a living? As for speech, I understand we're all breaking the ice, but let's just barrel forward, yes? Yes, we are natural rhythms, we'll just come to you, even if you say things like you're speaking

the Queen's English, even then we all know, because it's the 1920s, England currently has a king, George V, so we're speaking the Queen's English. I was going to say something, but I decided to just keep it. He was a Queen once. Just wanna put that out there for any pedants in the chat. What is this, chats? Yes, well, you have come from so far, and I was hoping people such as yourselves would take me up on this opportunity.

Well, I'm sure you have many questions. I'll give you the sort of nuts and bolts of what we're going to do. And the food starts arriving as he's talking. And he basically explains the nuts and bolts of the plan, but he glosses over a lot of the details, so he kind of expects you to ask questions. But the plan is to head into the highlands of Peru, locate the site of this lost pyramid,

and hopefully recover some valuable artifacts. Without explicitly like saying so or getting your hopes up, he keeps referring to the fact that like, there is a chance for great wealth here. This is a legit lost pyramid, and if you are able to uncover the artifacts within, we could all be wealthy beyond our wildest dreams.

But he doesn't want to like overstate that, but that is the gist that you're getting from him. Or in lieu of that, at least realize some measure of success within your chosen fields, especially Faerûs. So he goes through all of that, eating away, ordering Pisco Sours. And he's like, but I imagine you have some questions. You've come just on a few articles and a telegram. Please ask away. And if there's anything that I can enlighten you about, I would love to do that right here and now.

Um, I have two questions. Is the food as part of the exhibition here? I don't have lots of money. Yes, of course. I will be taking care of... And she like takes fish and drinks and stuff. Also, this must be hard. Why don't you just go get the things? So like what's hard about doing this? Well, it's always better to travel in groups and especially having groups with various different skills. I am, I guess you could say an archeologist by trade,

but having someone with Fyrus' know-how and Mr. Villiers' skills, it helps flesh out an expedition. You never go and do these things by yourself or in groups of twos. I don't want to say safety in numbers because I don't think we'll see any hazards, but it is always better to bring multiple minds along with you on the journey. And in terms of the food and what not, consider yourselves my guests. I will be taking care of everything, including supplies for the expedition. I will provide all of the supplies necessary. Of course, if there's anything special that you think you need to buy that isn't included in what I give you, just purchase it and save

a receipt and I will reimburse you at the end of the expedition. You have given up your time and your life really to come and join me on this. I want to make it as easy as possible. Well, that's very generous of you, Mr. Larkin, but I had a question for you. Yes. Have you done any scouting yet? Scouting? for you. Yes. Have you done any scouting yet? No, I mean I have spent some time in the area where I believe these pyramids to be but I have not done scouting so

much as research. I suppose I should tell you how I found out about this pyramid in the first place and perhaps that will answer your question. I was traveling in the highlands where we are going to be heading and I met, believe it or not, Mr. Villas, a local alpaca farmer. This farmer, a man by the name of Ernesto Molo, he and I struck up a conversation, we were talking about the area, and he said that his grandfather, long ago, had discovered these tunnels beneath a lost pyramid in the mountains, somewhere in the mountains. And while this grandfather was exploring the tunnels, he took two items and brought them back home.

And then he left and never returned to the site out of some superstitious fear Until the day he passed however He would always tell his family that there were other treasures in these tunnels as well and that and he always wished he took More with him when he went, but he didn't he believe the place to be cursed and feared Ever returning having stolen these items that obviously did not belong to him. These local superstitions, you must understand, run deep, not only in more civilized areas like here in Lima, but in the country it runs rampant. Anyway, in speaking to this man, I asked to see the artifacts and I purchased them from this farmer.

and I purchased them from this farmer. Allow me to show you. And he turns around and he reaches into his bag and he lays on the table a pendant and a golden cup. And the pendant is in the form of a man who looks like he's holding two staves or maybe two rods and the pendant is embellished all around with these rectangular shapes and the golden cup is carved with various geometrical patterns and circles and it's inlaid with turquoise. Has anyone have any points in archeology?

I believe I do. Shocker. Got one point. You got one point in archeology. Let's see if you roll rocks, Kate, but. Shoot a match. Go ahead. I did take points in archeology.

Not a lot. Just a hell of it. But better than one, which I started with. Yeah, go ahead and give me a roll for it and see if anything rings a bell as you look at these items. I failed that roll. Kate, did you roll a one by any chance? I'll try. A radical hit success.

I also have a praise, I'm not sure if that applies. You know, a praise wouldn't hurt, but right now you're looking for the archeological significance. I'm sure a praise might tell you how much they're worth. Oh, I did really good. I got a 13, but that's not enough. You could spend luck if you wanted to. I mean, that's not crazy. We are using the optional luck rolls.

That is awesome. Alright, so spend 12 points of luck. You'll have a chance to recover some of those back next session. Would I be able to inspect it to see if anything seems like it's a coded message? Do these geometric things look like it's language based or is it just a pattern? Yeah, yeah, roll, what is that, your cryptology? Yeah. Okay, yeah, give that a roll as well.

And then I'll kind of combine this into one giant answer if you succeed. OK. Oh, I just made that one. Just made that one. OK. And you're you want to know specifically if it was a language based thing or? Yeah. Are these geometric patterns just shapes or do they look like it's language based? Okay, so from the successful archaeology check and I'll just I'll roll Nora's success in as well. The first thing you realize, Kate, is that these two pieces are from distinctly different time periods and cultures.

The first one represents artifacts that somehow in your collective unconscious were probably taken from Tiwanaku and dating back to the fifth century. And the golden cup is of Incan design, probably from the 15th century. So Nora, you probably know Tiwanaco is a pre-Columbian site in Bolivia, close to the border with Peru. It was discovered by a Spanish conquistador in 1549. It has been a site of serious archeological study from the 1860s, but little is known of the inhabitants as they left no written records.

These shapes don't seem to have any language correlation whatsoever, but it's very strange that these would be not only from two different time periods, but from two different cultures. So it was one place there once and then some other culture came in and took it over. It's very strange. The pendant, which civilization did you say that was from? The second pendant was from the Tiwanaku. Oh, Tiwanaku. And the second one was Inken. Inken, yeah. I had the phonetic pronunciation of T-O-1-A-K-O and I lost it. But anyways, I'm sure there's people that know.

Well, I've just been knocked out of the game entirely. I'm sorry, I've taken you out. I've ruined it. So Larkin lays these on the table. In fact, there's a great image from the book of this very moment that I will show you as well. On old Roll20. And you can see there's Larkin, there's de Mendoza,

and there's Jesse Hughes, and there is the pendant and the golden cup laying on the table. So he goes on to say, you know, I'm sure there are more learned archaeologists and historians in the world than I, but I know enough to know that these items are quite old and quite valuable. If there is indeed more treasures like this within the Lost Pyramid, we will truly be rich beyond our wildest dreams. Now, while this farmer could not give me a precise location as to the site, he was only going off his grandfather's hearsay, my research has provided enough detail to narrow it down and then make an expedition out there viable.

It was just by pure chance and dumb luck that I met this farmer and now it is all our good luck to be the first professional expedition to visit the pyramid and and bring its story and treasures to the outside world. The treasures is the thing that I'm I think I would be the most excited to find. Well, Mr. Tillinghast, you should... You'll be very pleased, I'm sure, then, with the outcome of this expedition. He's just... Carter's just, like, mouthful of, like,

fish stew and is just, like, staring at the... He's just really staring at the cup. Like, his eyes really lighten up. Uh, yeah, I'll find all the cups you want. That's the spirit. You keep your stories, I'll keep the cups, huh? We must share all cups. But please, I'm sure you must have other questions.

To be honest, I'm just happy to be here, man. I'm just pumped to be away from my wife. Just, you know, I think it's important for us to spend some time apart. And this is just, I'm just happy. Thank you. Can I just say that? Can I say thank you, sir?

And you, and you, and he's turning to the other guys. And to the stew, and to the people that own this bar. I mean, who knew? Lima. It's lovely, isn't it? Well, you know it. I'm having a ball, it's a little steamy. It is, yes, it is hot.

And you see, he's really sweating. He's sweating more than all of you. And he's like, yes, even I am not accustomed to this weather, but you'll get used to it. And as for your wife, you know, they always say that absence makes the heart grow fonder. I really hope so. Do you know anything about the villages or who inhabit these mountains now? There are local indigenous groups that live in the area, but they all shun the area that we'll be going to.

Again, it all goes back to their superstitions. I believe this pyramid to be up in the highlands, closer to Lake Titicaca. It's a few... Carter's... that's laughing. Yes, it often gets that reaction, that middle school reaction. Yes, Lake Titicacaaca believe it or not okay yeah no all right yeah it's it's a few days journey from the city of Puno yes another fun word mr. telling haste let me show you a map of the area here and

he pulls out a map but like as he does he's kind of looking around at the other people in the bar because he doesn't want them to see he's like let me just I'll show you where I believe the ruins to be so I've marked this map where he's pointing he didn't write it on the actual map because he doesn't want anyone to see his work but But if you look, you'll see Lima right along the coast here, right under the word Peru, and your journey will take you to Puno. And he believes, and you see there's Lake Titicaca right between Peru and Bolivia, and then right there is where I've put the ruins, that's where he believes them

to be. And this is just based on his research ruins, that's where he believes them to be. And this is just based on his research because no one's ever been there. What sort of superstitions are people worried about? Well, they just believe that sites like this, long abandoned sites, I mean look at these items, the spirits of the people that created these pyramids are still locked within. I mean, you'll see this no matter where you travel, whether it be the pyramids in Egypt or anywhere. It's all just silly, if you ask me. Yes, so much superstition. But the locals have a name for the culture of the people that made this some secretive pyramid.

No, they don't even go near the area. And in fact, they probably don't even know where it is. That is why our expedition will be so important, because we'll be able to come back, hopefully, with the knowledge of who created it, who lived there over the centuries, and what it was even created for. None of this information is known whatsoever, but with the exception of this grandfather of an alpaca farmer, there are no actual stories that I have found of people that have discovered the pyramid. So we will be the first.

That is what makes this so exciting. It is exciting. People will write about us. Oh, I'm sure. I'm sure this is what attracts Mr. Hughes here the most. And you see Jesse Hughes, he takes his pipe out and he's like, yes, I look forward to writing many a tale about our journeys. To see things not seen by mortal men or women in time immemorial. Seen only in the imaginations of our wildest dreams. Shelves in his golden cups. Just a whole box full of them.

Yes, once in a lifetime experience. Any number of vessels of any number make, model, and metal. Well, the more expensive ones would be preferable. Yes, again, I believe we should, I don't want to overstate this because I don't think we're going to show up and there will be nothing there, but I truly believe if these were just two of all the items that exist down there, unless it's been raided before we arrive, we should come out of there with things that we could sell to any museum in the world. There'll be a bidding war for the treasures we find. Mr. Hughes speaks up and he's like, may I ask how will we be getting

to the site? Puno is pretty far from here. And Mr. Larkin says, well I have hired three trucks to take us all along with our supplies to the city of Puno right on the shores of Lake Titicaca and then once there I plan to buy some pack animals stock up with fresh food because we won't be able to take trucks into the direction of the ruins over that type of land will need animals. But once we're there, I hope our journey to the pyramid will take no more than four days across open country. If you enjoy camping, it truly will be an experience. And thankfully in Puno, it's not quite as humid as it is here.

In the highlands and the mountains. The air is far more crisp, so I think you'll find it much more agreeable. It will be an experience you will tell your children and your grandchildren about. Most vertiginous altitude, then, I guess. Oh yes, yes, the altitude is much higher up there, but if anything, it'll just make you feel euphoric. And we get the pleasure of introducing ourselves

to a different sort of beast of burden. What? Give a little wink to... My brother over there. Everyone's just kind of like... Anybody have a psych- any points in psychology? Oh, a little bit, yeah. I do have some points in psychology.

As do I. If you have any points in psychology, go ahead and give me a roll for the hell of it. Oh, mine's low, but what the hell? Yeah, the only thing you risk is fumbling. Oh my God, I did it. You did it? I only have 10 in psychology and I rolled a five.

Wow. Wow. You got the half that's a... It's a hard success. Hard success. Would you roll Kate? I have a 50 and I failed. I rolled a 78.

Okay. At least nobody rolled a fumble. What is that? Fumble is a 100 or a 95 to 100, or maybe it's 96 to 100 actually, if your skill that you're rolling on is under 50. I got real blessed. Yeah, well that's when bad things happen.

Also keep in mind as we're learning the rules of the game and hammering the rules, you can always push a roll that you fail. But when you try to push a roll, there's two kind of contingencies. One, you have to explain to me what you're doing that's a different approach to the reroll. And if you fail that roll, there's always a negative consequence. So there's this like a high risk, high reward with pushing a roll. But sometimes you're like, I need, I need this role

for a psychology role like this, certainly not worth pushing. So, as you're sitting there and listening to Larkin and questioning him, you just notice, and this would just be Vaughn, that there's like this weird tension that there's like this weird tension between DeMendoza and Mr. Hughes.

He's just kinda like giving him a dirty look. It's tough to tell if maybe before you arrived, there was like an argument or something. You don't get, you don't really see that, but like DeMendoza is just giving him like dirty looks throughout the whole thing and he just looks like a real sour puss to begin with so it's just something you kind of register as you're you know taking everyone in around the table and your your companions your current companions do not notice that as far as you can see from mr. Hughes he seems like a really nice guy. He's as excited as you are.

He obviously has his own reasons for coming here. Maybe I'm sure you have all your public reasons and your private reasons, but he seems cool. Dimmuiddo is a little weird. He doesn't say a word. He just kind of sits there with his arms folded picking at his food. But Larkin also very agreeable very nice So what else do I need to let you know I'm sure you want to know when we set out so We are to leave Lima for Puno in three days time early in the morning on Monday March 21st I've made arrangements for all of you

at one of the best hotels in Lima. It is the Hotel Mori, and it's located right in the center of the city. One of the best things about Lima is everything's walking distance. You're never more than 10 minutes away from where you need to be, and likewise, even from this restaurant, you're a hop, skip,

and a jump from the Hotel Mori. Unfortunately, when I booked the rooms, there was no other rooms available for Mr. de Mendoza and myself, so we're staying at the Hotel España, which again is about 10 minutes away from Hotel Mori, but we will meet Monday morning, 8 a.m., right in front of the Hotel España, to depart. And yes, we must not we must not miss that time because that's when I have the trucks and the drivers arriving and in order to make good time to Puno we need to leave at 8 a.m. not a second later. And then once we get to the pyramid the plan is rather simple. We will examine the site and recover any and all items of

special archaeological interest. What shall we do while we wait? Well I'm sure you are tired from your journey so you should you should rest up. This will be a lot of traveling, especially the overland travel once we arrive in Puno. It will be strenuous, even though the air is crisper and the weather is more temperate. It's going to be a rugged travel with our pack animals. Now listen up Larkin. I've been perfectly mum since the moment that telegram came to my possession. Yes. But if this has gone out in the press, are there any other treasure seekers making haste

to this little high-paramidy up in the Andes? Is this a race to the treasure? Well, it's funny you should mention that. I'm glad you have not asked to look at my research or the research I've done because I have destroyed all of it for fear of this exact same thing. I sit here and I make fun of the superstitions of the locals and yet I am equally paranoid. While I am glad that the press has taken up an article on this so that I could find people as wonderful as yourself and and Mr. Hughes here this is a concern of mine and now

that the word is out anyone could be mounting a competing expedition so I just destroyed all of my research for fear of that but luckily I have a steel trap up here and it's all up here and we should be fine. And even though I do not know the exact location of the pyramid, I feel like I can get there in less than four days time with all of the research that I've done to this point. Now you asked, Margo, Margo, what is your last name?

Oh geez, I don't know how to say it. Give it to me. It's different in English. Sour. Is it Mrs. Sour? Miss. Well, you asked what to do with your time. I suppose you could do some supplementary research if you have time to assist.

You could visit the Museo de Arqueologia y Antropologia at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. I'm sure there are old records tucked away there somewhere that I've forgotten about. Whatever it is you decide to do as long as it doesn't delay the start of the expedition, be my guest. If I were you, I would just rest for the travels ahead. Get your mind right. Get accustomed to the time and the culture. And don't be like me and drink too many Pisco Sours,

which by the way, the Hotel Mori is famous for. Did you know the Pisco Sour was invented by an American bartender? And now it's become- I actually did know that. Yes, and now it's big here. Yeah, yeah, I don't wanna get into it all right now, but yeah, that's the thing, I brought it up.

Well, please, fun information like that's always fun. I've never had a Pisco Sour, me, the Keeper, Troy. They sound delicious. That's good. Yes, so, I will admit I am feeling a little bit under the weather, so I'm probably going to call it an early night. I'm just not feeling well. I do apologize if I end this dinner early, but I want to make sure that I myself am rested up as well. And he's just like dabbing sweat on his face.

Did you eat something, man? I mean, you were talking before about dysentery. Margo like leans back and she like covers her nose. She's like like are you contagious? What's, are you sick? No, I'm embarrassed to say that I do suffer from the the long-term effects of malaria but I assure you it will in no way affect my fitness for the expedition. You kind of all notice as the dinner has gone on, there's just this like stink that is, it kind of will hit you every once in a while in your nose, but then it's overpowered by that cologne smell that you smelled when you walked up. And you realize throughout the dinner that the cologne is coming from Larkin and it's just it's just too much Eau de Cologne

But from time to time that cologne smell will dissipate and you'll get this Just real horrible stink Almost like rotten meat How long have you had these artifacts on you? These artifacts I've had now for since right before the holidays, November, December. The article was published in January and it was around that time that I felt ready to assemble this team. How long have you been suffering from these side effects of malaria? Well, it's been a long problem I've had to deal with. I actually, you may not know it or look at me, but I grew up in Kenya,

though I consider myself British. And I contracted it there as a child and it's just been this ongoing problem that I've had to deal with. But it comes and goes. And like I said, I'm sure I'll be fine by the time it's time to mount the expedition. I'm sorry, maybe I should have cooled it on the pisco sours. Do you ever do that when you're sick? You'll still drink alcohol or is that just me? Every time I get a cold, I'm like, I should have a screwdriver. Yes, yes. Because that's orange juice.

Sometimes the best thing for you, old boy. Nothing clears the blood like a bit of a cognac. And of course, you'll want to have a few bottles of quinine in your kit bag when you go up the mountain. Yes, well, maybe, I'm glad you've reassured my terrible alcoholism that I drink when I'm violently ill. Every roll's spot hidden check as he's talking and clearly trying to call it a night.

He looks sick and you notice that he had bags under his eyes. I got 39 under 50. Woo hoo! I got a 50 under 75. Woo hoo hoo hoo! Two hits. 24 under 75. Wow, we're! Two hits. A 24 under 75. Wow, we're going to make it a foursome, Rob.

I failed. Okay, so Carter's still staring at the cup. Just licking his chops at that cup. Ooh, I love that cup. Alright, so the other three of you, Margot, Feroz, and Vaughn, all notice as he's kind of getting up and getting ready to excuse himself the like cuff of his shirt comes up a little bit and you see that the the veins in his wrist

looked very discolored and the second thing you notice as he starts to stand up and the blouse or his blouse kind of opens up a little bit. He has this like black tattoo peaking out of his shirt that you couldn't see when he was sitting down. It just seems very uncharacteristic for him to have this. You can't make out what it is, but you do notice those two things,

like discoloration around his the veins in his wrists and this some sort of black tattoo that looks to take up a large portion of his chest and he says I do apologize Mr. de Mendoza will accompany will accompany me back to the Hotel Espana, but please, the restaurant has my credit card. If those exist in 1920, I'm not 100% sure. But the point is, I will be paying for this. Your scroll. Yes, there's my...

Carrier pigeon. Yes, I gave them my carrier pigeon address. Just look at the difference between medieval and modern. There is no, it's one or the other. They will send a raven to me later with the bill. So please, within reason, this isn't a time for a party. There'll be time to pop champagne once we finish this expedition,

but right now I need to call it a night, otherwise I will be a mess. Yes, you should hit the hay. I've seen the Malarian, the dengue fever take stouter men than you. I need to I need to call it a night. Otherwise, I will be a mess Larry and the dengue fever takes out a man than you There it was so wonderful meeting you and I Truly, I cannot say this enough. I cannot I cannot wait To go on this or this journey with all of you. So have a wonderful evening. Mr. Hughes. It was wonderful to meet you as well. We will we will talk again soon. Luis come and Domingo's a stance up and just kind of gives all of you a dirty look on the way out, but especially Mr. Hughes. And they exit

Bar Cordano. Carter just turns out, I was like, well he seems like a perfectly normal man. In every way. He has the paragon of charm, I dare say. What was with the other guy that was all sour biscuits? Oh, I think that was just your standard 20s racism. Did Mr. Hughes stay behind? Or did they all leave? Yeah, he's sitting with you smoking a pipe

and he's like, I'm gonna use the restroom but would you care to grab a drink with me at the bar? Yeah, let's party. I'd love to chat with you excuse me, for one moment and he leaves his pipe on the table and goes off to the restroom

so you have a moment to kind of talk amongst yourselves before he comes back. Oh, this is, this is going to be fun. Yeah. I don't know. I don't know if it's the, does every place in here, Lima smell like, are you guys picking up on that? I don't smell it as much anymore. Underneath all that musky cologne that was just like death and rattlesnake piss and roadkill. Yeah, I wish he had said somebody had said that.

I mean, Carter's like opens his jacket, he has all these tiny vials of like... I pride myself on smelling wonderful at all times. I have many different odo things. So just heads up, part of the reason I'm probably here is to provide some good smelling, some hygiene. If anyone needs anything, let me know. Half of my trunks are personal care items. There are many people with me on various expeditions

but never travel with my own personal parfumery. It's important. It's good for morale, I've noticed, just in day-to-day life. You've got to look good, you've got to feel good as much as possible. The olfactory sense is often neglected. Yes, I was catching an ode to something over the course of our little meeting. That's a smell I had smelled before. He seemed really veiny. Yeah, his veins are blue and gross. Really? Yeah.

And I don't know too many academics to be as practiced as he seemed to be in the Polynesian arts. What are you talking about? Oh, didn't you see that stick and poke about his breastbone, old boy? Oh, that, yeah. Polynesian. Oh, interesting. Okay, you guys are fairly perceptive. Me, I can punch good.

Also, before Hughes comes back, I don't know you, but I don't know them less. Those two artifacts weren't from the same time period. No, and they could have been in the same little tea set. What? Oh, well they weren't. They could have been in the same little tea set. The pendant was from like, was it fifth century? And then the golden cup since the 15th century?

Well then, maybe I should ask the question as someone who has been known to mislead people from time to time. Oh, it was accidentally. What if he just grabbed those two things? What if he's just making it up? Two separate time periods that far apart? Well, that would be the point in making it up. That I don't know. He spent a lot of money on just his food.

All I know is that if someone's gonna lie, sometimes it's just fun. What else do you know about lying? No, you know, just occasionally, you know, when you grow up like I've had to grow up, you gotta learn to convince people of things that might not be true all the time in order to just get the things that you want in life. Wow.

It must be the Pisco Sour or whatever this thing is called. I'm just opening up to you guys. Give me a retroactive psychology check. Me? Anyone that has it. All right. Let's try this again. All right.

50 exactly, but it's not under 50. So that doesn't. No, as long as you match or go under, you're good. Oh, cool. Yeah, as long as you don't go over. Anybody else succeed? Mm-mm. No.

Okay, and just remember if you succeed on something, always check it, because during the development phase, you'll get a chance to increase those skills. Does using your luck to succeed count for the check? No, it does not. Dang it. I'm 95% sure it doesn't.

It'll just, you also don't, you can't use luck on like damage and stuff like that. Yeah, luck is one of those wild cards that doesn't, you can't use it for that, but that is a success. And so yeah, Margo, you know that this alpaca story, something about it seems a little too convenient and obviously there's more to it. You also notice that like as the night went on,

he was getting paler and sweatier and his hands were trembling. So something's very off about him. It doesn't seem like the effects of malaria. Does anyone have medicine? Practiced in the arts of perception and creative approaches to the truth. You think this Larkin chap is on the level? I've never seen malaria, but I don't.

Well, having failed all of my psychology roles, I can only assume that he's telling the truth. Although, like I said, he's not something about it don't feel right. Stumbling upon all of this seems too convenient. Yeah, Heusmus seems really fishy to me right he's got a bunch of local people around why would he have to go send this telegram out to people, to bring them over to Peru, where he could have easily hired people locally. But if it was easy to hire, if they were willing to go, they wouldn't have had to do

what he had to do to get us over here. But they don't apparently wanna do it. Won't go near it. Why is that? Do any of you have medicine? Nope. No medicine. Unless I roll a one. You got a one.

You got a one so you can roll a one? I mean I can but like, okay I'll do it. What the hell? You've been right out. As you're talking and you're like, something doesn't seem right about him or whatever she said, Mr. Hughes comes back over and says, something isn't right with him indeed.

Would you care to join me at the bar and we could talk a little more? It's a new place, I'd rather join you, old boy. I just hop up and follow him over. So you go over to the bar and it's kind of full, but there's a section down the far end that is open. And so he kind of motions you over there and goes to the bartender, please, anything they want is on me. And he orders himself like a small whiskey as he's packing his pipe. He's like, so do you do you trust this Mr. Larkin?

As much as I trust any other stranger. How much do you believe of what you just heard him say? I suppose a little bit of it strains credulity, Sport. Not least of which because he seems to be decaying before our very eyes. Yes, yes, I believe that to be the effects of withdrawal from some kind of drug. But that's not my area of expertise. What are you saying, sir? Do you think this Larkin chap is some sort of hothead?

I think there's a lot to Mr. Larkin that we don't know. But the one thing I am pretty sure of is that he is leading us into danger. So why are you here? That's your thoughts. Well first I suppose I should tell you that Jesse Hughes is not my real name. While I am from New York, I am also no folklorist. My name is Jackson, Jackson Elias. And I need to use a fake name because I was afraid that Mr. Larkin may have read some of my work in his travels and would have been suspicious of my motives and tagging along. But you all

seem trustworthy, or at least not with him. I hope that I am not taking this risk unnecessarily in telling you this. I'm not even sure where to begin. I'm an author. That's what I do. And a while back I had been researching a new story as a follow-up to my previous work called The Black Power. I don't know if any of you have read it, but if you have any interest in death cults, it's a good read, but I'm biased. So anyways, I'm gathering information for this new book and I'm looking through all these various libraries in New York and I come upon these legends of the curry siri. Have you ever heard of the curry siri? No.

Is there anything we can roll to know? Yeah, like, did you have a... I think I once ate a very delicious curry series. I don't think you did, madam, if you knew what they were. But yeah, before he just tells you, I'm curious, what's a good skill like? Is there a... Electrical repair? Try electrical repair. Maybe sleight of hand. I don't have that. Can I roll library use to see if I've read his book? Yeah, there you go library use Why not? Oh, can I I'm gonna do that too. Yeah, have you read the black part? I'm in hot dice. I smashed it I think I got that extreme

I keep failing mine 30 You've actually read the black power now the black power wasn't about the curious theory But when he mentions that book you can tell him that you've read it. Yeah Yeah, uh-huh. Yeah Black power yes, of course But I've read that on the river of that on a train to Geneva what I'm Tore through it all boy didn't sleep awake

What's it about? Just remind me. It's about death cults all over the world. That is something that Jackson Elias is quite interested in. Green Man, Wicker Man, Kali Yuga, the old death rituals of the Celts, Standing Stones, this sort of thing. What a small world. Well, this was my fear that Larkin would have read my work, but I've learned throughout my time on this earth that there is no such thing as coincidence. So I'm researching for the follow-up to this book, which was a success in my field, and I come upon these legends

of the Cari-Siri. I don't know what struck me about it but I kept digging and they're basically these old tales of white-faced vampires who suck the fat out of innocent farmers and their families in the Peruvian highlands. These legends go back for centuries. So while this historical information seemed to be mostly fanciful folklore, to me I did find that these accounts gained credence when I discovered contemporary stories of murder and mutilation in the same locales as these legends right here in Peru. Now death cults have always fascinated me and this research opened my mind to a whole new direction for my new book.

So at this point, and now he's getting excited and he's drinking his whiskey. I have enough reason to believe that some form of pagan ritual was at the root of all these tales of the Qari-Siri. And people in Lima as well as obviously in the highlands still to this day believe in the Qari-Siri. But I think it all stemmed from some pagan ritual going all the way back to when these legends started up. There are no vampires, of course, committing these crimes. I think that these attacks were perpetrated by humans, perhaps as some form of human sacrifice.

Now both the legends as well as the current stories speak of these Karisiri as being white men. So I'm thinking about that. I'm looking more into it. And if you take into account the country's history, I am now working off the hypothesis that these legends arrived or stemmed from the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century. I think when they arrive, a cult arrived with them and has survived all the way to the modern day.

The details of the victims in these myths are eerily similar to stories of cults that I know who practice murder as ritual sacrifice as you yourself. Mr. Villis have read in my book The Black Power. You're speaking of things that are thousands of years old, old squirt. I didn't think those conquistadors were importing anything but potpourri. Might have just been a couple of bad seeds among them that went off when Rogan started this cult. But it's lasted all the way until today. Surely you can't believe there's people still practicing

this sort of rubbish up there in the mountains. Well, I'm the biggest skeptic there is. But not when it comes to this. The similarities are too, too eerily similar. Maybe the surprise of the secrets people keep. It sure is. Margo has not read a death cult book. She's an artist.

She's listening to you talk about this. Like you're talking about, I don't know what you did yesterday and how cool it was. And she's like, so wait, you're not here to look for treasure. You're here to look for treasure You're here To look for death cults There we are going yes At the mention of death cults, can I do like an occult role?

Yeah, if I had mentioned if I had ever read or heard about anything that adds up to this. Yeah, sure. I ever read or heard about anything that adds up to this? Yeah, sure. I keep rolling so freaking high. Yeah, I know, I failed it. You're hot for the wrong game. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, just your basic knowledge is that it's not that crazy. Maybe it hasn't come, been a big part of your particular studies,

but there's stories of cults like this. This seems to be what Jackson Elias is way into. Well, Mr. Elias, I have a little theory of my own. See these rhymes. Here you find vampires in Peru and when they should be skulking around in the Carpathian forests or over in Romania. You find a pyramid down in Lima when they win it should by rights be next to a nobilis being gazed upon by the Sphinx.

Perhaps it's not that there's some sort of supernatural agency at large in the world, but maybe it's just that the human mind is just that small. And then we just keep endlessly repeating same violent cycles again and again, not able to break out of them. Hmm? I think you're... Leading to an inevitable conclusion. Yes, yes, I believe you're on to something with that line of thinking.

Now I have a question for you, Jackson. Yes, Mr. Dillinghouse. If you're writing a book, you're going to need a great protagonist. I'm going to offer my services, you can base any character you want off of me. But we're going to have to talk royalties. Okay, we're going to have to talk percentages. I'm going to say 20% up top. Let me stop you right there. My work is nonfiction. Well, that's probably why no one's heard of it. So maybe let's zhuzh it up a little bit. It's quite popular in academic circles.

Let's get some cleavage in there. Let's get some adventure. Let's get some rollic and fisticuffsmanship. You know what I mean? You're not wrong. That does sell. You are vampires with cleavage. Yeah, you just fighting.

Cleavage fighting each other would be one suggestion. I'm just riffing off the top. I'm only a couple of pisco soursours deep here but things are popping up top here. There's just seven empty glasses of vodka there. There's eating shrimp too for some reason. There's just like finding loose shrimp around. Loose shrimp? Just I don't know is it pickled? What do they do? Just a beachy? Busted vampires.

Oh yeah you're talking vampires. You're like Barney the Vampire. I read that as a kid. I found it on a napkin. I get wrapped up in this and I think this is going to be a real focal point of my next book. I don't know, maybe what you're saying will be a better book. But let's see if nothing comes of this first. Either way, I'm doing this research and I decided to come to Peru and I spent four months in the Andean highlands that we are heading to in the whole region around Lake Titicaca.

There it is again. Puno, there you go. Get it out of the way. I was meeting and befriending the local people and just researching stories of the Qari-Siri. I quickly realized that many of the local people, even to this day, still speak of the Qari-Siri not as fictional stories from history, but as a real, tangible threat, even now in modern times.

This isn't a ghost story they tell their kids before they go to bed watch out with a curry cereal getcha they truly believe don't go into the woods they're out there. Did you find it easy to get this information from the locals? Oh they were very forthcoming. They believe this to be as real as something you yourself may believe in that others may find ridiculous. Of course I treated their beliefs with respect even though I don't believe in such things. Now while some of them could only pass on secondhand accounts, so I had a cousin that was attacked by Ikari Sirio. My great grandmother was attacked. A few of them actually recounted seeing pale faced monsters themselves.

Either they were attacked by them or they saw them attacking someone. All of this is to say, going back to my other research, that there is a death cult still active in the region. So I continue digging. I continue digging and continue speaking with the locals. And as more word gets around, they keep mentioning a name over and over and over again. Luis de Mendoza. We met that guy.

We sure did, Mr. Tilleghast. That dude was over there earlier. He sure was. He was giving me a dirty look. Old Grumple Stiltskin. Old Grumple, that's what they called him. What did they say about him besides that? They said he is a man to be feared.

That's it, just fear? Well, whenever he came up, there was a sign of the cross. And just watch out for that man. Now, while I was not able to find any proof of actual wrongdoings on Demidoza's part, some of them actually referred to him as a carisiri. Where are? Now, these are very kind kind sweet, but obviously simple fearful people

Lachan himself intimated as much during the dinner but enough of them kept mentioning his name that I I believed it was worth looking looking into and at this point I believe that de Mendoza is a key figure in this Peruvian cult that I'm looking into. So I go looking for him and I encounter him in Puno. I keep my distance. He doesn't know I'm watching him, but I watch him.

I follow him. I take notes. notes and in so doing I see his association with another man Augustus Larkin. That other dude. The other dude exactly and ultimately I hear about Larkin's plan to explore this lost pyramid. Now I have not confirmed this yet but my theories have not been wrong yet. I believe that this pyramid or whatever's out there, the surrounding site, are somehow intrinsically linked to this centuries-old death cult. As Larkin said, and he's not wrong, none of the locals will go near the area for fear of what they might find,

for fear of Karisiri and ghosts from the past. It's remote though. It's the perfect spot for cult activity. What do you think will happen if we travel with this demon Dosa? Well, we'll have to watch him because there's probably others. Now, I haven't found any of the names of the other cult members, but I imagine that there's a half a dozen to a dozen more people still active in this cult. Lachin himself, while he was in Puno, was trying to recruit some of the locals to go with him on this expedition and they all refused.

No, no, we can't go. We don't go there. And that's why he put this ad in the paper. He wanted to find foreigners that didn't know any of the history. Or patsies. Perhaps. Perhaps. You don't come with any of the preconceived notions of these ghost stories.

So I've come to Lima to follow Larkin and to Mendoza and try and determine their true goal in recruiting people like us to join the expedition and what this has to do with this cult. So here I am and there none the wiser. Thank you for being so forthcoming with us. Well it's important that you know because we're all in this now and there could be danger but now it's five against two if they're up to no good To keep our peepers good and open to make sure that they don't try to pull any fast ones while we're on the road Absolutely and We may have another ally That will help us

I've been in contact with the professor at this University of San Marcos that Larkin mentioned. His name is Professor Nemesio Sanchez. I wanted to interview him for my book. He's an expert on all of the local history. Well, as we're talking, as I get to know him, we become friendly with each other. It comes out that he was interested in joining Larkin's expedition when Larkin put out the call for people. He reached out to him and everything, but Larkin ignored his requests. Perhaps paranoia, because the professor clearly knows more than Mr. Larkin does about the area, about the historical value and significance of what we may find. Maybe he's jealous. Strange, though.

Yes, he wants people who do not know much about what we are doing. I feel like you would be an asset and you're not interested in the treasure. Good. Thank you. That's good. Mr. Elias, was it? Elias, not Elias Jackson. Jackson Elias.

Sorry, I've had a lot of pisces. There was a comma in there, I can see. Yes, that's how I talk. Implied. I use my last name first. Remember your book clearly, about how deluded these various cults were. They performed these black, as you call them, rituals

for a reason, to appease some god or another, to have a fortuitous harvest for the year ahead. What are these caras Syria doing their so-called murders for? That's an excellent point right when you think back to more primitive times. They probably believed in some foreign God that didn't exist that they were giving their sacrifices so that the God would look down upon them favorably But these modern times I imagine people don't believe that anymore I

Do not know I would not even surmise to guess that is why I need to go there I think seeing It will all become clear why they do this It's all the more intriguing. But since we're dealing with people who play fast and loose, it seems with the truth, there may come a time when we have to speak in a more international language. What? we have to speak in a more international language, what? And here Vaughn picks up his bag and pats a little bulge on it.

So let's all just keep our eyes good and open. Carter's like, I raid you, and taps his pocket full of vials of perfume. His waft of lavender comes out. You see this tiny puff of powder? Should we have a safe word or like a warning word? So we can communicate in front of them if something is wrong or, I don't know.

That's a good idea. Let me consult my, I brought a list of current slang words. Yes, it should be a word that's not so common that we wouldn't just randomly say it in conversation. How about giggle juice? It means liquor, as you all know, since we all are living now. Yes, I've had too much giggle juice, that's why I fucked up my name. But yes that is smart and while I don't condone violence, it may come to that. I don't know what it is thereafter but we will not be victims to this cult. We will get to the bottom of it.

I don't know maybe I'm crazy but that's, this is what I enjoy doing. I don't enjoy just sitting in a library researching. I enjoy getting out there and finding out not only what happened, but what's happening. Yes. I definitely find that. I may not believe anything about what you've told me about this cult with so-called powers,

but I do know what people will do for the power of belief, whether it's a god, love of country. I know what I'll do for those gold cups, I'll tell you that right now. A lot. I'm sure you'll be welcome to take them, although Professor Sanchez may have something to say about that. I wouldn't mention that around him.

The people who are from here do not take kindly to grave robbers as it's worth and maybe that is why Mr. Larkin has not contacted Mr. Sanchez. Either way tomorrow I'm to meet with Professor Sanchez. He has some old documents and artifacts related to the site or he at least believes related to this lost pyramid site so I'll be going to the site or he at least believes related to this lost pyramid site so I'll be going to the university to look over those documents with him and his assistant perhaps you would like to accompany me yeah yes I'd love to use the the library there wonderful wonderful I think that would be great. I find it strange

that Larkin even suggested it, where he ignored this man. But good safety in numbers. Very well. Let's try to walk into this little expedition a little less blind than they were before. Dare to know and all that. Semper aude, hmm? Yes, and do not let on that you know what I have told you, if they are involved in this cult. Of course. They are dangerous men, and as the people said about de Mendoza, they are people to be feared. Very well, Duns the Mouse, old boy. And if anything seems untoward, we just have a sip of, uh, giggle juice. There it is, see? Already, of, uh, giggle juice. There it is.

See? Already, you're practicing. I like it. Hmm. Any, uh, further things to discuss before we call it a night? We'll talk more about the book and whether it's fiction or nonfiction. I've got some ideas. I'll scribble some things up tonight.

Yes, slip them under my door. I'll be sure to read them. I think that the protagonist should be named Tarder. Tarder? Yeah. Like the sauce? Well, just because my name's Carter, I don't want people to immediately link it to me.

So I feel like... Tarder killing hast. Yeah, that's great. That sounds fun. Yeah. Well, I'll certainly consider it. be fiction the 20s people everyone's drowning in Tarder I mean this is up to their ears and tired. So I Don't want to write this book, but if you figure it out we can go back

We're gonna be spending a lot of together, hanging out with death cults and whatnot. Outlining adventures, pulp series. Yes. We should go to the hotel. I'm very drunk. It's only a 10-minute walk. Everything's a 10-minute walk, which is nice. So we don't have to rent any cars. Now, I speak some Spanish, which will be helpful. I got the sense from the way you were interacting with the waiters. You don't speak the language, correct? I Speak the universal language of charm. Well that will come in handy. Mr. Tilling has or killing has But however, it's good that it's good that I'm with you because speaking the language will help.

Let's head back to the Hotel Mori. And so you head outside into the Lima night. Even though the sun is set, now it's 10 o'clock at night or whatever, 1030, 11, getting late depending on how long your talk with Mr. Elias went. It's still hot out and you're in a foreign land far from your homes. You came here all for different reasons and now you find out that you're getting into something that isn't what you thought it would be. And so you all go to sleep in this nice enough hotel.

Mr. Larkin said it's one of the nicest hotels in Lima, but the fact is there aren't a lot of great hotels in Lima. In 1920, it's a city that has gone through a lot of, or a country that has gone through a lot of political upheaval. And in the 20s, it's just starting to see that kind of influx of a cosmopolitan life. So they don't really have a lot of great hotels. But that said, it's a nice enough hotel. And you go to bed, some of you pretty hammered. And you wake up the next day, Saturday, the 19th of March, and Jackson Elias tells you, you have a meeting with Professor Sanchez at his office, at the museum, which is a part of the university,

at 2 p.m. Is there anything you wanna do before you go to the museum? I mean, you're tourists. Or you go to the museum. I mean, you're tourists. Margo would like to go to maybe just an art museum and, you know, chill her brain out after that wild night of information. So you go in and oddly enough they have an expressionist exhibit there.

Wow. You know, I came for different inspiration, but it's just nice and homey feeling to see. It's a universal language. Yeah. So you go in and you just look at these paintings and do you think your stuff is better or are you wowed by this level of art? I think she's probably a bit more critical than most people would be of it because she's like so close to that type of art.

So maybe she's like looking a lot deeper than other people are. She's not moving from piece to piece immediately. Like she's really going in while looking at and critiquing it to herself. What is Fae Rue's up to? You mentioned that there was a museum of archaeology. Yeah that's where you're gonna head. It's where we're heading. It's part of the university where Professor Chance says this but you could show up there early and take a tour. I wanted to go check out what artifacts they may have from those two different time eras

to see if they lines up with the design or if it's very different. Okay. Well, I like that. All right. So you, maybe you tell the group like, or you see somebody in the lobby, you're like, I'll just meet you there at two, and you head over there. They give you a little tour, and they say, well, the university was founded in 1551, which makes it the oldest seat of higher learning in the Americas. This is all in Spanish.

The museum was only open two years ago in 1919. And so you see this long two-story stone building painted dark yellow and it's fronted by the University Park. And so you know the museum's in there. And so you're in there and you're looking around and you do find something from the fifth century and it looks impeccably similar to what Larkin put on the table. Okay. If you spend some more time, because you have it, if you get up early enough, you also see

some 15th century Incan artifacts that also match the designs. You see those same geometrical shapes, not exactly the same, but enough that you think those must have been legit. All right. Well, that gives me some reassurance. Is there, can I do like a spot hidden to see if there's something that I'm missing within just the general Design from things in this era or something that's even a little off. Yeah, absolutely Finally get and this was a 13 under a 75.

Oh yeah, finally. So this is like not an extreme, what's the most success? Because it's in the fifth value. Okay, so you're just looking around, specifically for what, for just anything else that jumps out at you? Yeah, that's different from what we saw. Or perhaps something that just doesn't

fit right within the things that were shown to us. Okay, so as you're looking around, this, you hear this voice of a young woman behind you, and she says, remarkable, isn't it? Fascinating. This is actually the first time I've seen artifacts from this era. Really? Oh, it never ceases to amaze me when I walk through these halls. And then you turn and you see a very young girl,

like maybe late, maybe 19, 20 years old. And she's got a bundle of papers under her arm. She says, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bother you I just I'm working on my English and I could tell that you're not from here. Oh no, I appreciate the help. I don't speak Spanish very well at all. So it's welcoming. Thank you. Yes. My name is Trinidad Rizzo. I'm an undergraduate student here at the university. I'm helping one of the professors. What is your name? I'm Fay Ruth. Are you studying archaeology? What is your area of study?

I would say archaeology is probably my main area of interest. The more that I study about this area in particular, it's hard to really find a focus. My professors say I'm still young, I can decide later, but I'm just kind of in awe of everything. So yes, probably archaeology. Do I want to be an archeologist? Maybe. Do I want to be a writer? I don't know. I'm just, I'm in it right now.

And I feel like I'm on the verge of something new every single day. Well, you sound very excited and you don't have, you're still young. You can take all the time you need. I studied cryptology. That's currently still I'm studied cryptology. That's currently still am studying cryptology. Cryptology.

Oh, well, that's wonderful. That is great. I don't know much about cryptology, but I imagine that that would come in handy. What is it that you are hoping to be? Well, I'm not sure if I want to stay within the university and do something there, or write books, or keep going on expeditions if I like this one, but I'm just fascinated by secrets. Ah, yes.

Secrets. Secrets are, they unlock many mysteries, don't they? You could sit with a secret for a long time and never quite figure out what it means, but I too am fascinated by secrets. I mean, look around us, the stories that each of these artifacts must hold. Exactly, and sometimes, you know, the way you communicate these secrets is kind of the

area, my area of research. I'm fascinated by this. I wish I could speak more, but I'm actually... I'm actually... Are you okay? I could speak more, but I'm actually... I'm actually dead. Are you okay? She's got the same thing as what's... Oh God.

I don't know if this is Troy not feeling well or if this is, she also has a thing that... Does she smell bad? Check her veins. Oh my God. Troy, are you okay? Troy, her foundation tattoo on her chest, like... Check her veins. Oh my god. Tattoo on her chest like... For people who can't see just plumped over we don't actually know if he's still alive. Sorry hold on one second I'm choking.

If I was gonna die, I would want it to be. I helplessly listened to my friend. It was the worst moment of my life. And it's been filmed. It's great. It's been recorded. You can great. It's been recorded. This is it. You can relive it whenever you want. What a way to go.

Oh God. Tell my wife I love her. So you're saying we each get level up or how does it work before you go? The match is over. Okay. How do I look? Oh my goodness. I'm crying.

Your eyes are streaming tears. It's perfect. Sorry. Sorry if I get into this. I get very emotional too. Good Lord, something flew into my throat and it was just air. What happened to get all the air gets in?

Did you feel that air in there? That was a big chunk of air. That's some it was just air. What happened to get all the air gets in? Did you feel that air in there? That was a big chunk of air. There's some hair on that air. She says, I'm sorry, what the fuck are we talking about? Before I started, I told myself I was gonna quit smoking, but I'm a nervous student. She unraveled like a little throat lozenge and hands it to me.

Girl, God, thank you. What's in here? I'm dying, why did you hand this to me minutes ago? You were flailing around too much. I didn't want you to choke additionally on that. I'm sorry, I'm under a lot of pressure. School is hard. My parents will beat me if I don't get straight A's.

Oh god. Anyways, I'm in the middle of helping my teacher, Professor Sanchez, working on this project, so I have to fucking get out of here. Okay, well I will meet up with you later today. Oh, that's very nice, very forward of you. I don't have many friends here at the University. Do you want to hang out? Sure, but you know my colleagues and I will be meeting with Dr. Sanchez, Professor Sanchez later. You're meeting with Professor Sanchez? Yes. Oh, I wasn't in the impression he was just meeting Mr. Jackson again. Oh, I'm a little confused too. I thought that that's...

No, but like she probably doesn't know that Jackson Elias is now bringing all these people. So you're spot on. She just, she didn't know that. And so she's like, oh, well, wonderful. Well, then I guess I'll speak to you later. Perhaps we will unlock some of these secrets together. Hmm. I'm I'm going to go throw up. You should get away coughing. She takes her. She grabs a handful of lozenges and runs What are you doing Carter?

Don't roleplay with anyone The worst I'm leaving this all in. Keep it all in. It has to stay. Oh my god, if you edit that out I'm going to be so pissed. It's so embarrassing, but like I couldn't control it. You know when you just can't control it? I don't know how you could cut it out because...

Oh lord. I'm excited to spit all this blood up later. Because clearly I have severed something in my throat. Carter, what are you and Vaughn doing when you meet in the lobby at the breakfast buffet? I think Carter comes down a little later than the breakfast. I think he's just sort of, you know, nursing a bit of a hangover. He's just kind of adjusting his fake face As he comes down

I Don't know you know like he's got He's a con man So it says that I I could have contacts Maybe I could kind of Go to some nefarious place although. I don't know if the whole not knowing Spanish thing is gonna be an issue Good thing is like you could always find somebody to help translate for you And there are plenty of people that speak English so you could easily have a contact that Is bilingual. Mm-hmm

I guess yeah, cuz I'm just wondering like, like, would they be trying to, we're the, we're based, they're not like hiring muscle, right? They're hiring us. They're using us as these stooges to go on this thing with them. So maybe I'll wait on that till we have a better sense of what they're up to. You're just thinking in the back of your head, like, you have your own reasons for being a part of this. Like, you're in it for the treasure. Now, Jackson Elias is telling you, like, yeah, it's none of the head, like you have your own reasons for being a part of this Like you're in it for the treasure and now Jackson lies telling you like that's not about the treasures about this other thing

So you might be like, all right. I need a backup plan here, right? I Don't know. I Mean, I just think he's so driven by this potential Treasure and what that could mean for his life That he's kind of willing to T toss aside some of the more common sense, what's left of it in his brain. What didn't get kicked out by the horse. So I think he's just got to like, I mean free trip, like free hangout in Peru, in Lima.

Could be worse, right? Is there a continental breakfast? What are we talking about down here sadly you miss breakfast they stopped serving an 11 the time changes what really got me yeah more than slept in more than the alcohol three bottles of gin what about Vaughn Villiers what is Vaughn up to the morning before your 2 o'clock meeting? I think, yeah, also wakes up with a screaming hangover, but that's not new for Vaughn. Just like cold compress, a wet rag over his eyes, like coming down, grabbing a couple of things from the breakfast table, yeah yes like then smoking his way

through it as he makes his way out and um the key wants to learn more about these Kara Siri that one I bet that one's fake a name that evokes profound reactions and hold it here. Oh god, Troy. I'm sorry. Guys, I'm sorry. While he's composing himself, you guys keep saying this word and I don't know how to spell it. Kari-Siri?

I don't know that we've ever had like a spelling. Is it Kara-Siri or Kari-Siri? Kari-Siri? Kara-Siri. I don't know. K-H. Yeah, we don't know that we've ever had like a spelling is it Kara Siri or Kari Siri. Are we serious? Are Siri? KH, yeah, we don't know it yet. I thought it was the only one who like didn't know what this word was I'll put it in the chat you muted I'll put it in the chat here as my final words. Final act on this earth.

My final act on this earth. But honestly, I feel like, yeah, I, so yeah, I, Vaughn goes to if there is like a book seller, maybe not a library, but just like a book seller where there might be books in lots of different languages and searching for ones on like local customs and or history of the area, that kind of thing. Yeah. And so you start looking up Kari Siri and you see that they're also referred to in mythology as Pishacos. They're just like mythological boogeymen in the Andes region of South America,

particularly in Peru and Bolivia. Pistaco. And it's mainly in Peru that they're known as Cari-Siri, but they go by a lot of different terms. And it's very similar to tales of creatures like this all over the world. They all kind of have the same thing, this boogeyman quality to them.

In Peru, they're known as Carisiri. They might be known as the boogeyman in America. Pistaco in Bolivia. It's crazy that Elias thinks that there might be some actual historical credence to this, that like, no, there's no vampires running around. There's a death cult going around killing people. And it links back to the arrival of the Conquistadors, and that's why people think they're all white-faced men, because they're descendants of the Spanish Conquistadors.

Vaughn thinks all of that is ridiculous, but does know that the power of belief can inspire people to do irrational things, and has a perverse thrill that he is walking into danger, because he believes that he's cheated death and he's living on borrowed time. Every day is one snatch from the jaws, so... Once more into the breach. And um... And maybe just before, like, takes out of his pocket a folded and folded and folded little couple pages of paper. This poem written by his friend in this crabbed, tight hand.

And it's in that sort of like 20s style of like the Wasteland. Just this like litany of images from like mythology and around the world. And it's like, I see it with my eyes. But you could not. I'll live your words. And, uh, goes to make the little rendezvous. And so all of you have your things you do in the morning. Wake up late, miss the breakfast buffet, go to an

expressus exhibit, talk to your friend's letter while researching Kaiser Soze, or go to the museum ahead of time and run into this enthusiastic, very ill woman. And so eventually you all head to the Museo de Arqueologia y Antropologia at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, I don't know Spanish at all. Professor Sanchez has an office on the ground floor. It's an airy, tall, ceilinged room that Jackson Elias walks you into. White walls, shelves full of books and artifacts.

And dominating the room is a large hardwood desk piled with papers, books, journals. where it's summer, like I mentioned before, he has the windows open to air out the room and it's nice, it feels nice in here. You see Professor Sanchez, he's slim and dapper with neatly oiled hair and a well-groomed beard. He looks like a professor. He's got glasses and where he's actively teaching, he's wearing a suit. Very professional looking. And he looks surprised when he sees the five of you show up as he was only expecting Elias. But once Jackson explains the situation, he is happy to meet you and include you in the discussion.

He speaks passable English and tries to accommodate you where you don't speak Spanish. He knows that Elias does. It's the worst day of my life. And he says, when I saw the press coverage, I reached out to offer help to this Mr. Larkin, only to be ignored. I thought maybe he didn't get my message, so I continued to be gently persistent to him, sending Mr. Larkin a number of letters containing specific advice on the region and offers of my help and my knowledge. But every time I have only been rebuffed and all of my correspondence has gone unanswered, as you say. The representation of the museo here is such that I do not understand why Mr. Larkin

would not want my help. It seems suspicious to me. Perhaps he wants to loot the site without interference from a local such as myself. There are no, how you say, legal restrictions in Peru to prevent foreigners from doing this. I like that. That's good. No, no, no. This is not good. No, that's bad. That's a bad thing. You're right. That's horrible. Yes. This frustrates me deeply. People who, yes, people who would remove my country's treasures treasures in such a manner we call them wakeros. Oh yes this is a Quechua word the trends that how would you say Mr. Elias and he says like a grave robber yeah that's that sounds awful that's unless if you think about it unless the

grave robbers could do a lot with that money. What if a grave robber took what they stole, but then used that money for good? Makes you think. Yes, that is not usually the case. Well, you don't know. I mean, you don't know somebody's motives. I'm just saying, there's no black and white in this world. It's all kind of just gray. Yes, yes, most gray areas, says Von Villiers, thinking of the British Museum and tucking at his collar. Yeah.

Yeah, imperialism in general, who are we to say where an item belongs? Is not everything made of atoms? You know, I don't want to get too heady here. Whatever your interests may be, of Adams you know I don't want to get too heady here whatever your interest may be he looks at Elias and Elias is like no he's cool the half-faced guy is cool at this point after being ignored I believe that my only recourse is to identify the exact location of this pyramid myself

and get there first. But now time is running out. Apparently, Mr. Larkin, as Mr. Lyas tells me, is leaving on Monday. So... That's right. I asked one of my students who I work with, Trinidad Rizzo, is her name, she's a wonderful student. Oh yeah, I met her earlier.

What's that? I met her earlier. You did? Were you taking in the museum? I was. I just, you know, I like to get here bright and early. Oh, she's wonderful. She's been so helpful.

She will be light years ahead of me when she is 20 years younger than me at this rate. So her and I have been working together, going through the Universite Library and archives for any possible information about this pyramid. recently, we find something. We find an old document dating from the mid 16th century written by a conquistador by the name of Gaspar Figueroa. And we believe that this document refers to the site in question. Problem is, it is difficult to read. So Mr. Rizzo, my assistant, has been working on a summary that picks out the pertinent details. We almost have it finished because we know we are under the gun here with Mr. Larkin taking off.

I actually just asked her to run to the storeroom below me to get this artifact that we think will help kind of round out the remaining parts of this translation. She should be along here any minute to join us in this meeting. I'm actually surprised. She is not back by now. You have an artifact from the site? Not quite, but it's an artifact from that period that had similar writings on it that we could help sort of help us decode some of this language.

The local language at that time was even more complicated than the indigenous languages that even I do not speak fluently. So we were trying to use our translations of this old artifact to help us crack this cold... It's not my main area of expertise, but together we are very close. Can I help you with that? Sure, we will.

Do you want us to go take a gander? Try to see if we can find her? That would be fine, actually. She probably did, there's so much stuff down there. She is so inquisitive, she may have just come upon something else that grabbed her interest, but if you'd like to go down there, you are more than welcome as friends of Mr. Elias. There may be other things down there.

You just obviously listen to her. There are things you can touch and cannot touch, but let her know that we are in a hurry. She is a firecracker. I'm sure she just saw something down there that caught her attention, but you just go and he gives you the directions to the storeroom.

Yeah, let's go get her. We got a chop chop here. Yeah, I'm sure we could help her out with translating. All right, so he gives you the directions and you walk out of the office you turn a corner And you walk down a short hallway to a staircase leading down You go down the staircase and it turns and it turns in a way that you realize you're walking in a direction that would lead you directly under Professor Sanchez's office.

There's a long, dimly lit corridor stretching ahead of you. It's the weekend, Saturday afternoon, so the basement is quiet. There's no students or anyone else running around down there. It's empty. It's dark.

It's quiet. Is it so quiet that I could not try to listen with the skill of mine called listen? Go ahead and listen. Let me just use these ears, you know? They're on my head for a reason. I, uh, I, I succeeded. You succeeded. Regular success? Uh, it's a, yeah I think, well, what's the threshold again?

Uh, 50% or, uh, one, half value or one fifth value? I got, uh, half. What'd you roll? 1 fifth value? I got half. What'd you roll out of what? I rolled a 30 out of 60. Okay, so that's a hard success. Right. So you actually do hear something as you walk down this hall.

You see a single door at the end of this hallway and the door is ajar. There's like a padlock hanging from a latch. There's no other doors, so this must be the storeroom. And you hear this very strange sound coming from beyond the door that's almost like a, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah want to alarm anyone, but I'm hearing a gasping for air kind of sound. You don't suppose that young woman is experiencing some sort of terrible respiratory distress? Yeah, that woman you said who had the TB that you met earlier?

She must go help her. Well, did she, did it sound like a woman's voice? Did it sound like a woman's voice? Did it sound... I think when you're gasping for air, it's less of a gender thing and more of just like a desperate intake for oxygen. That's fair. I just think maybe we could just kind of sneak in there or kind of not be so... Just not run in?

I like that. Like not running. Yeah, can I like stealth my way over? Yeah. Just to see if... Couple different ways you can do this, you can do a group stealth roll, which means the person with the worst stealth rolls it, or one of you who is trained in stealth

and feels pretty good can go up and scout ahead and only they roll. I got a 40, does anybody have anything better than you can go? I also have a 40. 35. So since I listened, Carter's like, you know, I can hang back. It's probably... However you want to work. You know, I'm trying to be equal rights here with the lady, man thing. Like, since I listened, if you want a stealth, put yourself sort of closer to the danger.

I feel like, you know, I'm not one to, whatever you want to do. Carter cowardly decrees. I'll roll a stealth and I've got, you know, I got a pistol with me if there's anything that's- Oh, you got, oh yeah, you're in way better shape. But we're in a museum, what could possibly go wrong? Such an ally.

I rolled a 36 under 40. Yeah. Wow. Nice. Okay, so you kind of look at the group and you're like, hold on, and you walk slowly up towards the door that is a jar, and you in to the store room and you see that it is filled floor-to-ceiling with evenly spaced rows of shelves and most of the

shelves are packed with crates boxes bags containing a huge variety of all sorts of artifacts of historical interest. I mean, this is like a Christmas morning for someone like you. Everything is neatly labeled and everything is clean and well kept. The lighting in here is terrible. And because the stacks, the shelves are so packed, it's not only difficult to see very far in or into the other rows, but like only, you could only walk one person single file and at times the stuff is bulging so much you have to kind of slide by. But you do see up ahead in the dim light what looks like a mess of artifacts on the floor. And do I am I able to at this point hear where that

sound was coming from? Well you peek in and you do hear that gasping sound that Carter heard coming from the direction of this pile of artifacts. I look to the group and without saying a word I put my finger to my lips and kind of motion for them to come over slowly and quietly. So they come sneaking up behind you and do you enter? Once everybody's there, I will point out the again without saying anything because this is weird I get creeped out by the that sound I just point out to the artifacts Yeah, and they kind of they're just looking over your head because it's still journey on this is Yeah On this, is basically the first time you notice. Scooby-Doo-ing it. Yeah. With our heads around the end. Full Scooby-Doo.

Right. Full head stack. Yes. On this little journey over there, you maybe realize that Von Villiers' footfalls are a little bit heavy and unstealthy, and that is because maybe you didn't notice, but he's, there's a pronounced hitch in his gait.

He's noticeably limping. Okay. Hitch in his gate is he's noticeably limping Okay So he clods up behind you and and there you kind of trying to look past Ferus to see this and you do see like a pile and you you can kind of hear that gasping But it's so tight in there So someone's gonna have to go up by themselves or with the other people like squeezing in behind them I'll go in So someone's gonna have to go up by themselves. Or would the other people like squeezing in behind them? I'll go in if...

Okay. Margo wants to go in just because she wants to help where I was in here. So she'll go in after you. And I'm happy, yeah. I don't wish anyone to. Just like right now occurs to both Nora and Feru's I don't wish anyone to. Just like right now occurs to both Nora and Feruze that maybe if Trinidad was coughing and wheezing so much earlier, she wants to see if maybe she's in any sort of danger or distress.

Right. It's hard to know sort of danger or distress. Right. It's hard to know where the role playing started. Exactly. And my slow, slow death began. This is less suspicious and more like, oh, this is a first aid situation. Yeah. This would be the biggest bait and switch I've ever done

as a game master. And perhaps she was acting the whole time. With that in mind, as a veteran, hearing gasping that like, I think there's just like, in that like, huh sound, there's just like a flash. And for a second you see like Vaughn in a gas mask, face to face with someone else in a gas mask,

and you just hear the huh all around, and like a tweet over the top and back. And it's like, I'll go, I'll go. And yeah, Vaughn will go to the sound. Nudge past. To try to administer first aid. So are you guys all going in? I think I'm already in at this point, yeah.

Yeah. Let's go. Karla's just like, everyone's just gonna just gonna go in everyone's gonna leave me here She's probably fine Okay, all right. We're going in we're going on the ground like thinking if that'll pursue like You persuade him to come in like they're taking a nap. I mean, she loves all this stuff Maybe it's like, you know, it's like teddy bears, but they're artifacts so von edges past Faerûs and

just walking sideways through here Faerûs follows right on Vaan's heels and Margo goes in next and Carter just Let's do it and so you walk up behind and the four of you are just walking in through this tight, tight space. And Vaughn, you're up front. You reach the end of the second row of the stacks and you see all these papers and relics lying all over the floor, extending into the next aisle to the left, past what you can see ahead of you, until you get to this,

the end of the stacks, and you see half buried under a pile of artifacts that look like they've been pulled off the shelves, the body of a woman. And Faeruz, you get up there as well, because it's a little wider, we're in that space between the stacks, and you see a slightly-belt woman with curly black hair that looks exactly like the woman you spoke to in the museum. But now, she is emaciated beyond recognition, almost to the point of mummification. And you see, on her upper chest, there is a large disk of torn, bloody flesh. Bloody flesh and her shriveled face is frozen in a mask of terror eyes still wide and staring and

We'll see you next week What the heck? Yeah, exactly Yeah. Exactly. One hell of a cough. I have some seaward lemon everybody. Honey, maybe a little honey. Oh God. It's time to make your membership official. Start your 30 day free trial today and become an official member of the Naish at JoinTheNaish.com for the best results. And if you're not a member of the Naish, you can join the Naish community.

Join the Naish community. Join the Naish community. Join the Naish community. Join the Naish community. Join the Naish community. Join the Naish community. Join the Naish community. Join the Naish community.

Join the Naish community. Join the Naish community. Join the Naish community. Join the Naish community. Join the Naish community. Join the Naish community. Join the Naish community. Join the Naish community. Join the Naish free trial today and become an official member of the Naish at JoinTheNaish.com with the promo code GCN30.

That's JoinTheNaish.com and use code GCN30 to gain access to exclusive podcasts, ad-free episodes and content you can't find anywhere else. Once again, it's jointhenash.com and use code GCN30 at signup to get your first 30 days for free. Tell your friends, come join yourself and see what everybody's talking about when you join the Naish today. I'm gonna be a good boy Thanks for watching!