Latest / Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama / Dice Chain: Links 4-6

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Dice Chain: Links 4-6 · Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama

0:02
Speaker 1: Welcome back to Dice Chain, a system fluid, multi-author, experimental
0:07
Speaker 1: fiction series. This show is a chain story, meaning that
0:11
Speaker 1: the first section, or link as we're calling it, is
0:14
Speaker 1: written by one person who sends it to another. That
0:17
Speaker 1: person continues the story in their own way, using their
0:20
Speaker 1: own ideas. Once they've progressed the story a little, they
0:22
Speaker 1: pass it along to someone else, and so on. In
0:25
Speaker 1: this way, a chain is forged, link by link, with
0:28
Speaker 1: only the current storyteller truly in the know. Where will
0:31
Speaker 1: it go? Your guess is as good as mine. Before
0:35
Speaker 1: we find out, let's briefly recap the last episode. Link 1,
0:40
Speaker 1: using old-school essentials. Meet Aristan, a former hedge knight. After
0:45
Speaker 1: helping the queen quash a rebellion, he was promoted to
0:48
Speaker 1: the Lord of Gant, which is a region known for banditry.
0:52
Speaker 1: As he rides to claim his manor, he and his squire, Ivar,
0:55
Speaker 1: encounter a rival knight who raises his lance in challenge.
1:00
Speaker 1: Link 2, using Shadowdark. Ariston recognizes his opponent. It is
1:05
Speaker 1: Sir Wallace Buckvine. Years ago, the two men had been allies,
1:09
Speaker 1: pledged to defend Queen Rhiannon against the rebellious Duke of Morlain.
1:13
Speaker 1: In a key battle, Sir Buckvine and his promised reinforcements
1:17
Speaker 1: failed to appear. The Queen's forces were almost defeated, and
1:20
Speaker 1: the Duke of Morlain escaped. Presently, the two bitter enemy
1:24
Speaker 1: knights spur their horses forward and slam into each other,
1:28
Speaker 1: but Sir Buckvine proves the stronger. Link 3, using songs
1:34
Speaker 1: and sagas. Aristan wakes up in chains as a prisoner
1:39
Speaker 1: at Gant Manor. Buckvine accuses him of betrayal, saying he
1:43
Speaker 1: defected to the side of Rhiannon, who he names the
1:46
Speaker 1: Dunmere Witch. When Buckvine leaves in disgust, a pair of
1:50
Speaker 1: guards come in to take away Ivar, who is also
1:52
Speaker 1: a prisoner here. After they depart, Aristan attempts to break
1:56
Speaker 1: his chains and to pick the lock on his manacles,
1:59
Speaker 1: but to no avail. Then, a mysterious cloaked figure enters
2:02
Speaker 1: the room. When they pull back their hood, Aristan's eyes
2:06
Speaker 1: widen in disbelief.
2:15
Speaker 2: Link 4 The sun outside must have emerged from behind
2:21
Speaker 2: a drifting cloud. For a sudden shaft of golden light
2:24
Speaker 2: pierced the gloom, streaming through a split in the hide-covered
2:28
Speaker 2: window of the chamber. It illuminated the dust-laden air, each
2:33
Speaker 2: mote caught in the beam, scintillating like flecks of silver
2:36
Speaker 2: and gold. Not that Aristan noticed. He sat, mouth agape
2:42
Speaker 2: with astonishment. When the door had creaked open behind him,
2:47
Speaker 2: and soft footfalls tapped on the wooden floor, he had
2:50
Speaker 2: expected a guard, summoned perhaps by his outburst. He had
2:55
Speaker 2: not expected the cloaked and hooded figure now standing silently
2:58
Speaker 2: before him. nor even more startling, the face that had
3:01
Speaker 2: been revealed when the hood had been drawn back. A woman,
3:06
Speaker 2: green-eyed and lithe, gazed down upon the crestfallen knight. She
3:12
Speaker 2: was not old, but a smattering of freckles, dusted across
3:15
Speaker 2: the bridge of her nose and cheeks, lent her a
3:18
Speaker 2: youthful innocence. Her fair hair was half pulled back from
3:22
Speaker 2: her face, leaving the rest to fall about her shoulders.
3:27
Speaker 2: But it was not her appearance that stole Aristin's breath.
3:30
Speaker 2: It was recognition. Alice, he blurted a name. The name
3:36
Speaker 2: of his sister. His dead sister. For link four, I
3:58
Speaker 2: am returning to the 1981 Basic Expert Rules of Dungeons
4:01
Speaker 2: and Dragons, and the ability scores for Aristan as rolled
4:04
Speaker 2: by John in link one. Picking up from Steve in
4:08
Speaker 2: link three, I have to admit I was rather stumped.
4:12
Speaker 2: How was Aristan going to get out of the mess
4:13
Speaker 2: he had found himself in, and who was this mysterious stranger?
4:18
Speaker 2: With nothing else for it, I decided to roll in
4:20
Speaker 2: the Mythic Event Meaning Chart for a prompt, the result
4:23
Speaker 2: of which was Heal Home. This had me equally stumped,
4:28
Speaker 2: until I had the idea that this referred to the
4:30
Speaker 2: stranger being a long-lost member of Aristan's family. As to
4:34
Speaker 2: how and why Alice is here, let's ask Mythic for
4:37
Speaker 2: another prompt. Rolling percentile dice.
4:40
Speaker 1: Action first.
4:41
Speaker 3: 36.
4:43
Speaker 2: Imitate. Now the subject.
4:47
Speaker 1: 72. Adversities.
4:53
Speaker 2: Imitate adversities. Now that gives me an idea. Aristin learnt
4:59
Speaker 2: from the sheriff that Gant County is a hotbed of
5:02
Speaker 2: thieves and banditry. Perhaps there's more to these bandits than
5:05
Speaker 2: meets the eye. Aristin's mind was a maelstrom of confusion.
5:25
Speaker 2: The memory of that fateful night, five years past, surged
5:29
Speaker 2: back with agonising clarity. The shouts of men bent on wickedness,
5:35
Speaker 2: flames licking the walls of his ancestral home, the screams
5:39
Speaker 2: of the servants, the acrid smoke that stung his eyes
5:42
Speaker 2: and throat. And then, Alice, his sister, trapped amid the inferno,
5:49
Speaker 2: had terrified cries echoing in his ears as a blow
5:52
Speaker 2: to the head cast him into darkness. When he awoke
5:58
Speaker 2: in the pale light of dawn, stumbling in despair through
6:01
Speaker 2: the charred ruin, he believed her dead, along with everything
6:06
Speaker 2: he had ever known. He was yanked from the past
6:10
Speaker 2: by the soft jingle of metal, as Alice produced a
6:14
Speaker 2: ring of keys from the folds of her cloak. Her
6:17
Speaker 2: eyes met his only for a heartbeat, before she slipped
6:20
Speaker 2: behind him in silence.
6:24
Speaker 1: Alice, how....
6:27
Speaker 2: The knight's voice was hoarse, thick with disbelief. Behind him,
6:32
Speaker 2: he could feel her working at the lock on his chains,
6:35
Speaker 2: her fingers swift and practised. No time, brother, the reply
6:41
Speaker 2: was barely more than a whisper, but it carried urgency.
6:45
Speaker 2: A moment later, a metallic click echoed in the still air,
6:49
Speaker 2: and the manacles fell away. Ariston rose slowly, wincing as
6:55
Speaker 2: he rubbed his wrists. raw and reddened from the chafing
6:57
Speaker 2: of iron. Alice was already moving towards the door, with
7:02
Speaker 2: the silent grace of someone who is used to living
7:05
Speaker 2: in the shadows. She opened it a crack, peered through,
7:10
Speaker 2: then nodded for him to follow. The room beyond was
7:14
Speaker 2: dim and sparse. A rickety cabinet stood against one wall.
7:19
Speaker 2: While sat slumped on a chair at a table was
7:22
Speaker 2: the body of a heavyset man. His throat was slit,
7:26
Speaker 2: dark blood soaking between the rings of his mail. Aristan
7:31
Speaker 2: wasted no time stripping the man of his armour and
7:34
Speaker 2: pulling it over his head gagging slightly at the stench
7:37
Speaker 2: of the dead man's sweat. Alice moved to the room's
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Speaker 2: only other exit while Aristan availed himself of the guard's
7:45
Speaker 2: dagger and seized the man's sword which stood propped up
7:48
Speaker 2: against the wall. The familiar weight of steel in his
7:52
Speaker 2: grip was reassuring. At least now He was not defenceless.
7:59
Speaker 2: These are the servants' quarters, Alice explained as Aristan joined her.
8:04
Speaker 2: We have to get around the courtyard to the stables.
8:08
Speaker 2: With luck, we can ride out of here before the
8:10
Speaker 2: guards can close the gates. And if they give chase,
8:13
Speaker 2: my men are waiting in the woods. No, Aristan objected,
8:19
Speaker 2: his voice hushed but full of conviction. I am not
8:23
Speaker 2: leaving without my squire. I will not forsake Ivar to
8:26
Speaker 2: torment and death. We must save him. This is a
8:50
Speaker 2: big ask. Alice has risked her life to rescue Aristan.
8:54
Speaker 2: and I'm not sure that she would want to put
8:55
Speaker 2: herself in greater peril by trying to save Ivar, to
8:58
Speaker 2: whom she has no personal attachment. I'm going to make
9:02
Speaker 2: a reaction roll to see whether Aristan can persuade Alice
9:05
Speaker 2: to try and save Ivar. If you're not familiar with
9:08
Speaker 2: BXD & D, a reaction roll is made on 2D6.
9:12
Speaker 2: The higher the roll, the better. There is a table
9:15
Speaker 2: in the rules which describes the result, but I prefer
9:18
Speaker 2: a more situational approach to interpreting the roll. Now Aristan,
9:22
Speaker 2: has an impressive 17 for his charisma, which affords him
9:26
Speaker 2: a plus two to reaction rolls. But whilst I might
9:29
Speaker 2: normally award an additional bonus for the familial connection between
9:32
Speaker 2: the pair, I'm not going to on this occasion. Here
9:35
Speaker 2: is the roll. A modified 10, that's a good result.
9:42
Speaker 2: Now while I'm here behind the screen, I need to
9:44
Speaker 2: establish some things about the immediate threat that Aristin and
9:47
Speaker 2: Alice face. Firstly, while Aristin is down to just one
9:52
Speaker 2: hit point, That male shirt will give him an ascending
9:55
Speaker 2: armour class of 14 and boy is he going to
9:57
Speaker 2: need it. Next, I'm going to rule that there are
10:01
Speaker 2: 3d6 plus 6 guards in and around the manor house
10:04
Speaker 2: at its grounds. My goodness, only 10! That is a
10:09
Speaker 2: stroke of luck. I don't think these men are buck
10:12
Speaker 2: finds nor that it is he who has taken over
10:15
Speaker 2: Gant Manor. Rather, I think he has come recently perhaps
10:19
Speaker 2: to the news that Aristan was on his way here.
10:22
Speaker 2: Of course, this does mean, as Steve suggested in the
10:25
Speaker 2: previous link, that someone else has taken up residence. Someone
10:29
Speaker 2: clearly allied with Morlane. I am going to rule that
10:34
Speaker 2: six of these guards are manning the manor's fortified walls
10:36
Speaker 2: and gatehouse, while the remaining four will be in the
10:39
Speaker 2: buildings which make up the manor house itself. All of
10:43
Speaker 2: these guards will be first level fighters. Finally, In order
10:47
Speaker 2: for Aristan and Alice to get to the manor house,
10:50
Speaker 2: they will need to skirt around the edge of the courtyard,
10:52
Speaker 2: hopefully undetected. Whilst the guards are generally looking outward, I'm
10:57
Speaker 2: going to say that there is a two in six
10:58
Speaker 2: chance that one of them spots the pair and raises
11:01
Speaker 2: the alarm.
11:03
Speaker 1: Okay then.
11:13
Speaker 2: Alice shot her brother an infuriated look, then sighed. Very well,
11:19
Speaker 2: she agreed reluctantly. You always were stubborn, brother. Aristan took
11:25
Speaker 2: her hand gratefully.
11:26
Speaker 1: Thank you, Alice.
11:29
Speaker 2: You can thank me if we get out of this alive.
11:31
Speaker 2: Come on, and stay close. Alice pulled open the door
11:35
Speaker 2: just enough to squeeze through, and the pair slipped out
11:38
Speaker 2: into the late afternoon sun. Whilst hardly the hovel derided
11:42
Speaker 2: by the Queen's treasurer, Gant Manor had clearly seen better days.
11:47
Speaker 2: It was typical of fortified manors, consisting of a weathered
11:51
Speaker 2: stone hall and adjacent solar, connected to a high but
11:55
Speaker 2: crumbling round tower to the south, and an older squat
11:58
Speaker 2: square tower to the north. The roofs were missing their
12:02
Speaker 2: shakes in multiple places, and everywhere the stonework was in
12:06
Speaker 2: need of repair. Emerging from one of the tired timber
12:10
Speaker 2: buildings lining the stone walls surrounding the complex, Aristan immediately
12:14
Speaker 2: surveyed his surroundings. A handful of guards stood atop the wall,
12:20
Speaker 2: watchful for any approaching threat, while another pair were nonchalantly
12:24
Speaker 2: chatting by the gatehouse. The knight could feel his heart
12:27
Speaker 2: thumping in his chest. Prudence would be to abandon Ivar
12:31
Speaker 2: to his fate and escape, but honour demanded otherwise. Besides,
12:37
Speaker 2: he had to know the truth. Was Buckvine mad, bewitched,
12:42
Speaker 2: or was he speaking the truth? No, he pushed that
12:46
Speaker 2: notion aside By now, they were just a few feet
12:51
Speaker 2: away from the door to the north tower. Opening the
12:54
Speaker 2: door would no doubt draw attention, but Aristin prayed that
12:57
Speaker 2: the sight of a mailed man casually entering the tower
13:00
Speaker 2: would not cause suspicion. Alice, reaching the door first, grabbed
13:05
Speaker 2: the latch ring. She gave it a swift turn, the
13:09
Speaker 2: mechanism clanking loudly as she did so. But before anyone
13:13
Speaker 2: could challenge them, the pair slipped inside.
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Speaker 1: Fifth link.
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Speaker 4: Although it was his house, Ariston did not know his
13:24
Speaker 4: way around. The plaster, chipped and crumbling away from hewn
13:28
Speaker 4: log walls, was dingy with soot. The stinking, greasy remains
13:33
Speaker 4: of tallow candles sat in rusty sconces.
13:36
Speaker 3: On the walls.
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Speaker 4: Where was he going? Where was Ivar? He cursed his
13:40
Speaker 4: own stupidity. Now he was in here, and he may
13:44
Speaker 4: well be trapped in a few minutes. He muttered a
13:47
Speaker 4: prayer for himself. hoping that the gods really.
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Speaker 1: Do favor fools.
13:51
Speaker 4: And as if in answer, a strangled cry echoed through
13:54
Speaker 4: the halls from a nearby doorway. He turned and staggered
13:59
Speaker 4: in that direction, his sister quiet as a wraith behind him.
14:03
Speaker 4: The chamber he came to was an assault on the nostrils.
14:06
Speaker 4: The reek of stale beer and the burn of strange
14:09
Speaker 4: chemicals fought with the stench of blood and human waste.
14:14
Speaker 5: I did not enjoy that, lad. Do not make me continue. Now,
14:19
Speaker 5: let us try again. How do you feed your master's madness?
14:28
Speaker 3: Medicine!
14:29
Speaker 4: I put medicine in his water.
14:31
Speaker 1: Good.
14:32
Speaker 5: We're finally getting somewhere. Now, if I'm not mistaken as
14:37
Speaker 5: to what you're giving him, you can give me the
14:39
Speaker 5: formula to memory's death.
14:42
Speaker 4: I don't know what you're talking about.
14:48
Speaker 5: Sink of oil, mandrake, blue enteloma, poppy, hemp flowers, obliviac's moss.
14:55
Speaker 3: Very good, very good.
14:58
Speaker 5: Now tell me, what name does the witch call upon
15:02
Speaker 5: during her sabbats?
15:05
Speaker 2: I don't understand what you're asking.
15:07
Speaker 3: Need we play these games? No, no, Bewer.
15:11
Speaker 4: She calls the name Bewer in her ceremonies. Ariston came
15:15
Speaker 4: out onto the catwalk of what he assumed had once
15:17
Speaker 4: been a brewery. Ragged, silvered barrels sat in every corner
15:21
Speaker 4: and along every wall of the chamber. The floor was
15:25
Speaker 4: thick with grit stuck on through years of spilled ale.
15:29
Speaker 4: But it was the other foul creations that caught his attention.
15:32
Speaker 4: Strange markings painted on every wall. Masks hung from the
15:37
Speaker 4: old barrels. An altar sat along one wall, covered in
15:40
Speaker 4: the paraphernalia he had been warned about when looking out
15:43
Speaker 4: for witchcraft as a knight. Bell, book, candle, dagger, pentacle.
15:49
Speaker 4: His own sword sat along the altar in a circle
15:52
Speaker 4: of chalk markings, with candles burning at either side and
15:55
Speaker 4: a strange stone suspended above it on a copper frame.
15:59
Speaker 4: At the center of this tableau was Ivar, stretched out
16:02
Speaker 4: on a makeshift rack made of barrels and bits of
16:04
Speaker 4: an old crane for hoisting them. The man standing over
16:08
Speaker 4: him wore a long black leather coat festooned with amulets
16:11
Speaker 4: and waxen seals, his face covered with a crow-like plague mask.
16:17
Speaker 4: His mind reeled. Had Ivar been giving these strange answers?
16:20
Speaker 4: Could he believe his own ears? It didn't matter. He
16:23
Speaker 4: could get his answers later. He was responsible for this
16:26
Speaker 4: boy's well-being. Alice quietly set a hand on his shoulder,
16:30
Speaker 4: made desperate eye contact with him and shook her head.
16:33
Speaker 3: He pushed it off.
16:34
Speaker 4: He had to do this. Ivor let out another strangled
16:37
Speaker 4: cry as the man turned a crank, rolling barrels beneath
16:40
Speaker 4: him and stretching his limbs for no particular reason. At
16:44
Speaker 4: least it provided cover. Ariston crossed the room and gently
16:47
Speaker 4: lifted his sword off the altar before placing it on
16:50
Speaker 4: the man's shoulder.
16:51
Speaker 2: Not another move, not another twist.
16:54
Speaker 3: Who are you?
16:56
Speaker 5: Lord Ariston, I am your humble servant, I assure you.
17:00
Speaker 5: My name is Reverend Dr. Vernon Pooley.
17:04
Speaker 3: It's not a name I'd share'd.
17:05
Speaker 5: But I am an expert in the healing of delusions,
17:09
Speaker 5: be they from madness, illness, or witchcraft.
17:13
Speaker 4: Why is my squire on a rack? What were you
17:15
Speaker 4: doing with my sword?
17:17
Speaker 5: Pain, my lord, oft looses the grip of madness upon
17:21
Speaker 5: the minded body, and looses the tongues of those who
17:25
Speaker 5: aid witches in trapping the mind.
17:28
Speaker 4: Get him down.
17:29
Speaker 3: Of course, my lord. Right away.
17:32
Speaker 5: As I say, I am but your humble servant.
17:36
Speaker 4: And what delusions do you propose to cure by torturing
17:38
Speaker 4: my squire? And how does this help Lord Buckbine?
17:43
Speaker 5: But my lord, it is not Buckbine I am here
17:46
Speaker 5: to aid. I am here to serve you.
17:51
Speaker 2: Ivor, can you stand?
17:53
Speaker 5: Can you not feel how strange and faint this all is?
17:58
Speaker 5: Are the facts of your situation not different from what
18:01
Speaker 5: you believe?
18:03
Speaker 4: As Ariston struggled futilely to get Ivar to his feet,
18:06
Speaker 4: the masked man backed gently away, leaning on a table
18:10
Speaker 4: full of alchemical supplies.
18:12
Speaker 5: Can you not taste the madness in.
18:14
Speaker 3: The air itself?
18:17
Speaker 4: An arrow suddenly crashed into the table behind the doctor,
18:20
Speaker 4: scattering bottles. He pulled his hand back as if stung
18:23
Speaker 4: from where he was reaching for a flask. Brother, save
18:26
Speaker 4: your squire if you must, but we need to be
18:28
Speaker 4: out of here. On the catwalk above, Alice loaded another
18:32
Speaker 4: quarrel into her crossbow and aimed it at the heart
18:35
Speaker 4: of the doctor. Her look defied him to try any
18:38
Speaker 4: more tricks. They could hear the rumble of raised voices
18:41
Speaker 4: echoing through the hallway. Ariston hoisted Ivar over his shoulder
18:45
Speaker 4: and took slow, staggering steps under his squire's weight. The
18:49
Speaker 4: stairs creaked and groaned under their combined mass, and he
18:53
Speaker 4: could not move quick enough. One step.
18:56
Speaker 1: Two step.
18:57
Speaker 4: The voices were getting louder the entire time. We can't
19:01
Speaker 4: make it with him.
19:02
Speaker 1: I'm not going to leave him.
19:05
Speaker 4: There was the snap of a crossbow, a sudden jerk,
19:08
Speaker 4: and then Ivar's weight tumbled off of Ariston's shoulders, down
19:11
Speaker 4: the stairs, a crossbow bolt embedded in his ribcage. Alice
19:16
Speaker 4: lowered her bow. I'm sorry, but I know I cannot
19:20
Speaker 4: let these guards learn. And I do not want to
19:22
Speaker 4: leave you behind, but you're not giving me much of
19:25
Speaker 4: a choice. Move or stay, I'm afraid it has to
19:28
Speaker 4: be all the same to me. She turned and fled
19:31
Speaker 4: down the corridor. Numb, confused, his head spinning. Ariston watched
19:37
Speaker 4: as the doctor ducked and hid behind a barrel, lifting
19:40
Speaker 4: his mask to shout for help. Ariston let out a
19:43
Speaker 4: ragged breath and followed his sister. Picking up where Simon
19:51
Speaker 4: left off in Link 4, I decided I would play
19:54
Speaker 4: through Chasing Adventure for this sequence. Ariston is already at
19:59
Speaker 4: death's door. I wanted to make sure that any task
20:02
Speaker 4: he did, it would feel like a struggle to complete it.
20:05
Speaker 4: And a Powered by the Apocalypse game like Chasing Adventure
20:08
Speaker 4: does that beautifully. Rather than a binary succeed or fail system,
20:12
Speaker 4: when you make a roll for something, there's a good
20:15
Speaker 4: chance that your success will come at a cost, or
20:17
Speaker 4: be conditional at best. Characters tend to fail forward. This
20:22
Speaker 4: felt right given all the beatings that Ariston has already taken.
20:25
Speaker 4: I started by sitting down with the Mythic Game Master
20:28
Speaker 4: emulator and asking it, what kind of trouble is Ivar in?
20:31
Speaker 4: And got Disrupt Tension, which gave me an awfully grim idea.
20:35
Speaker 4: After all, what relieves a person's tension more than a
20:38
Speaker 4: good stretch? I decided he was being interrogated and came
20:42
Speaker 4: up with a suitably menacing torturer. I didn't know which
20:45
Speaker 4: character was confused here. Was Buckvine under mind control? Or
20:49
Speaker 4: was Ariston dealing with a bunch of false memories? An
20:53
Speaker 4: interrogation of Ivar might shed some light on it, or
20:55
Speaker 4: it might confuse it even more. Inspired by the dark, feverish,
20:59
Speaker 4: and Orwellian events of the previous two links, I came
21:03
Speaker 4: up with some questions, and then asked Mythic if Ivar
21:06
Speaker 4: knew the answers. It surprised me and gave an extra
21:09
Speaker 4: twist by saying he did. Once Ivar was free and
21:14
Speaker 4: Ariston was trying to leave, I rolled to see if
21:15
Speaker 4: he could escape in time. I used a defy move
21:19
Speaker 4: based on Ariston's strength, which already was at disadvantage. Unfortunately,
21:23
Speaker 4: I rolled a seven, which meant that the only way
21:25
Speaker 4: that he was going to be able to escape this
21:27
Speaker 4: danger is if he made an ugly choice. Or if
21:30
Speaker 4: someone else made it for him. I expected the next
21:34
Speaker 4: scene would be a desperate flight with the guards at
21:36
Speaker 4: their heels. trying to figure out how to escape the
21:38
Speaker 4: castle without horses, as the gates would be closed by now. Naturally,
21:43
Speaker 4: Mythic decided to throw me a curveball and said the
21:45
Speaker 4: scene was altered. When I asked it how it was altered,
21:48
Speaker 4: it gave me the response, open illness. Let's see what
21:52
Speaker 4: that gives us. They burst out of the courtyard with
21:56
Speaker 4: the guards at their heels, their hearts pounding. Alice looked
22:00
Speaker 4: back at the bloodied and shocked Ariston. She desperately wanted
22:04
Speaker 4: to get him out of here alive, but could she
22:06
Speaker 4: even manage it Was it even worth it? He was
22:09
Speaker 4: her blood, but after the things that have been done
22:12
Speaker 4: and said. And then she watched as her brother staggered
22:16
Speaker 4: a few stiff, painful steps, then stopped, standing and quivering.
22:22
Speaker 4: What are you doing? We can't stop now. We have
22:25
Speaker 4: to keep moving. But she could already feel it, a foul,
22:29
Speaker 4: mephitic energy in the air. Ariston opened his mouth as
22:33
Speaker 4: if to scream. And as he did so, a flood
22:36
Speaker 4: of ticks and spiders came spilling out, surging in a
22:39
Speaker 4: wave over him. He dropped to the ground, seizing in
22:42
Speaker 4: a sea of arachnids. The guards that had just burst
22:46
Speaker 4: out of the door froze in horror at the same scene,
22:49
Speaker 4: and she realized she was out of time and out
22:51
Speaker 4: of choices. She turned and ran, taking advantage of the
22:55
Speaker 4: fact that the guards would have to step around the
22:56
Speaker 4: writhing mass covering her brother. Even then she could hear
23:00
Speaker 4: them coming closer and closer, their footfalls pounding, their mail clattering.
23:04
Speaker 4: In desperation, she made a leap and managed to seize
23:07
Speaker 4: the edge of the stable roof. Pulling herself up and
23:10
Speaker 4: scrambling across the hay, she gained her feet just as
23:14
Speaker 4: a guard blocked her path in the parapet. She grabbed
23:17
Speaker 4: hold of the haft of his halberd and launched herself
23:20
Speaker 4: and him over, riding him down the 20-foot drop to
23:23
Speaker 4: the foot of the wall, letting him absorb the shock
23:26
Speaker 4: as she then tucked and rolled. She gave only one
23:29
Speaker 4: rueful glance behind her, and then plunged into the shadows
23:33
Speaker 4: of the wood. Ariston shuddered and gagged, unable to scream
23:37
Speaker 4: no matter how much he wanted to. The sensation of
23:40
Speaker 4: the arachnids all scuttling off of him, ceasing their horrid biting,
23:43
Speaker 4: was a mix of confusion and relief.
23:46
Speaker 3: Dr.
23:47
Speaker 4: Pooley walked slowly towards him, swinging a censer that poured
23:51
Speaker 4: noxious blue smoke, driving the arachnids away. It would appear
23:56
Speaker 4: that Rhiannon has taken measures when her spells are broken.
24:00
Speaker 4: What a terrible waste. Ye, come help me drag his
24:04
Speaker 4: lordship back into my laboratory. Let me see if I
24:08
Speaker 4: can't get enough fresh blood into him to keep the
24:11
Speaker 4: venom from burning his brain out completely.
24:17
Speaker 6: My family has served the oath for generations. Guarded that
24:21
Speaker 6: which was left to us without ever knowing the truth
24:24
Speaker 6: of it.
24:26
Speaker 1: I am not one of them.
24:28
Speaker 6: I broke my oath, broke into the crypt, and found
24:33
Speaker 6: a woman and a weapon. Together, they would lead me
24:37
Speaker 6: across streams of time, into the paths of demons and gods.
24:44
Speaker 1: The Dark Razor Chronicles, a serialized dark fantasy podcast, available
24:51
Speaker 1: wherever you listen. Link 6 Well, things have certainly become complicated.
25:01
Speaker 1: I have so many questions now. Is the Queen really
25:04
Speaker 1: using witchcraft? Dr. Pooley's final words, spoken really only to
25:09
Speaker 1: himself and in private, would seem to indicate she is,
25:12
Speaker 1: not to mention Ivar's confession. It follows that Pooley's other
25:15
Speaker 1: conclusions are true as well. Ariston was given false memories,
25:19
Speaker 1: and the Queen did put some kind of spell on
25:21
Speaker 1: him that would attempt to destroy the Knight should he
25:23
Speaker 1: ever come to see the truth. On these points, I'm
25:26
Speaker 1: not even going to roll to see if they're true.
25:28
Speaker 1: What I will roll is to determine if this story
25:31
Speaker 1: continues to follow Aristan, or if it will switch to
25:34
Speaker 1: his sister. I'll do a high-low roll to find out.
25:36
Speaker 1: High will mean the POV switches to Alice. The roll.
25:41
Speaker 1: I got a nine, so I guess we're going to
25:42
Speaker 1: stick with the hapless knight. Two weeks later. Aristan opened
25:52
Speaker 1: his eyes. He was in a dimly lit room, full
25:55
Speaker 1: of acrid-smelling purple vapor. His thoughts were foggy.
25:59
Speaker 3: Ah, the night has finally returned from his.
26:03
Speaker 1: Quest,' said a silken voice.
26:04
Speaker 3: How do you feel, Ariston? Your thoughts are your own?
26:08
Speaker 1: Who are you?' Ariston's tongue was thick and his voice raspy,
26:14
Speaker 1: as though he hadn't used it in some time.
26:16
Speaker 3: I am Dr.
26:18
Speaker 1: Pooley,' said the patient voice.' Then, a leather beak parted
26:22
Speaker 1: the vapors in front of his face, and Ariston was
26:24
Speaker 1: looking into the round glass eyes of a plague mask.
26:27
Speaker 1: Some memory stirred in his head, but his mind was
26:30
Speaker 1: a jumble. Fragments of dream and reality were mixed together,
26:34
Speaker 1: impossible to tell apart. Ivar, he rasped.
26:37
Speaker 3: Your boy. Dead, I'm afraid. He betrayed you, you know.
26:43
Speaker 3: At any rate, I could not save you both.
26:47
Speaker 1: Aris, where is my sister?
26:50
Speaker 3: Oh, I wasn't aware she was that. How interesting, said Bully.
26:56
Speaker 1: As he spoke, he added some dark powder to the
26:58
Speaker 1: nearby sensor, causing the vapors in the room to swirl
27:02
Speaker 1: with new colors and smells. Ariston's head began to swim
27:06
Speaker 1: once he breathed in the new fumes. Then, once again,
27:10
Speaker 1: the world retreated into thick darkness. I think it's worth
27:18
Speaker 1: breaking from the narrative here to establish a few things. First,
27:22
Speaker 1: Aristan is back to full health, at least physically speaking. Next,
27:26
Speaker 1: we can identify at least two factions in play. There's
27:29
Speaker 1: Queen Rhiannon's people and her rival, Morlanes. There's also Alice.
27:34
Speaker 1: She mentioned that, quote, her people, unquote, were waiting in
27:37
Speaker 1: the woods. So she's a leader of some kind of
27:40
Speaker 1: group and possibly a third faction in this story. Anyway,
27:43
Speaker 1: as to where we go next, I have no idea.
27:46
Speaker 1: So let's ask Mythic for an event meaning. 26 and
27:52
Speaker 1: 52 give me procrastinate, dispute. Okay, I can work with that.
28:03
Speaker 1: One week later. Aristan opened his eyes. For the last
28:08
Speaker 1: three days, he had woken up in a bedroom in
28:10
Speaker 1: the South Tower. He was no longer in Dr. Pooley's workroom.
28:14
Speaker 1: There was no lock on his door. and Dr. Pooley
28:16
Speaker 1: kept no guard posted outside. He was free to go
28:19
Speaker 1: about the manor as he pleased, though most of the
28:22
Speaker 1: time he kept to himself. Yesterday, he had visited a
28:25
Speaker 1: little cemetery on a hill outside the manor walls. It
28:29
Speaker 1: was here that Ivar had been buried. Aristan had looked
28:32
Speaker 1: at the grave with sadness. How could you betray me
28:35
Speaker 1: like that, Ivar? He had asked the wooden plank that
28:38
Speaker 1: marked the spot. Although there were parts of his memory
28:41
Speaker 1: that remained clouded, Aristan now knew that he had been bewitched.
28:45
Speaker 1: How long he had been under Queen Rhiannon's spell, he
28:48
Speaker 1: could not say. If he were honest, his heart still
28:52
Speaker 1: wished to show her loyalty. But when he tried, he
28:55
Speaker 1: could not think of a single actual reason why he
28:58
Speaker 1: should feel that way. She had charmed him, replaced his
29:01
Speaker 1: real memories with false ones, stolen his freedom. But, incredibly,
29:07
Speaker 1: in a way, he still loved her. And what of
29:11
Speaker 1: his sister Alice? Was her mind her own? Had she
29:14
Speaker 1: also been enthralled by the Queen? Too many questions, too
29:18
Speaker 1: few answers. Today he would try to push for some, however,
29:22
Speaker 1: because today he was scheduled to speak with Sir Buckvine.
29:26
Speaker 1: The two warriors met in the solar at noon. Unsurprisingly, Dr.
29:31
Speaker 1: Pooley was there as well. This time, as he was
29:33
Speaker 1: not in his workroom, he did not wear his plague mask.
29:37
Speaker 1: The doctor had a surprisingly young and handsome face. His
29:40
Speaker 1: eyes were clear and intelligent. He was of slim build,
29:43
Speaker 1: but held himself with dignity and moved with grace. By contrast,
29:47
Speaker 1: Sir Buckvine had an ugly, scarred face and a fleshy
29:50
Speaker 1: body that smelled of sweat and saddle leather. While he
29:54
Speaker 1: was aware that Aristan had been under the Queen's spell,
29:56
Speaker 1: Buckvine nonetheless disliked Aristan and made Noatab to hide it.
30:01
Speaker 1: Come and sit. We'll get started, if you're feeling up
30:05
Speaker 1: to it. Aristan decided that the last part was meant
30:07
Speaker 1: as a jab, but he did not take the bait.
30:10
Speaker 1: Entering the salon, he took a seat at the table
30:12
Speaker 1: where the two men were poring over the map of
30:14
Speaker 1: the region.
30:16
Speaker 6: Gant Manor will remain the decoy.
30:19
Speaker 1: Let the Witch Queen think we have dozens of men here. Meanwhile,
30:23
Speaker 1: our real forces will assemble here and here. He stabbed
30:28
Speaker 1: the map with a thick finger.
30:29
Speaker 3: The only question is, when do we strike?
30:32
Speaker 1: Said the doctor. He scratched his ear.
30:34
Speaker 3: What do you think, Ariston?
30:36
Speaker 1: Ariston. Not sir. Not lord. Just Ariston. Well, he supposed
30:42
Speaker 1: that was correct. Hot anger kindled in his belly, and
30:46
Speaker 1: he spoke his mind. I would fain go as soon
30:49
Speaker 1: as possible. Tomorrow, even, he said. No, replied Buckvine, glancing
30:55
Speaker 1: up at him with small dark eyes. You're not ready.
30:59
Speaker 1: Buckvine clearly disliked him.
31:01
Speaker 4: Your impatience is understandable, sued the doctor. But Sir Buckvine
31:06
Speaker 4: is right. Your body has healed, but your mind is
31:09
Speaker 4: not yet fully mended. And we still need time, too,
31:13
Speaker 4: to gather men and supplies.
31:16
Speaker 1: Ariston was disappointed. Honor demands vengeance, he growled. Did Buckvine
31:27
Speaker 1: and Pooley summon Aristan to this room to ask him
31:29
Speaker 1: to participate in the attack they're planning, or to tell
31:32
Speaker 1: him he'll be excluded from it? I'm going to make
31:34
Speaker 1: a reaction roll to get the answer, because this comes
31:37
Speaker 1: down to how much the other men trust him. I'm
31:40
Speaker 1: applying a minus one to the roll, because Buckvine and
31:42
Speaker 1: Aristan have previously crossed swords. But Aristan's natural charisma is
31:47
Speaker 1: so high, he'll actually end up getting a plus one
31:49
Speaker 1: to the roll. On 2d6, higher is better. I've got...
31:53
Speaker 1: a seven.
31:55
Speaker 3: Hmm.
31:56
Speaker 1: That's going to call for another roll. If I get
31:59
Speaker 1: a second, lukewarm result, I'll say that the two men
32:02
Speaker 1: are as yet undecided or unable to agree with each other.
32:06
Speaker 1: The re-roll. This time, I have a ten.
32:10
Speaker 3: Huh?
32:14
Speaker 1: Your honor, huh? grunted Buckvine sarcastically before he added, They're
32:19
Speaker 1: not queens, men. You'll get your chance. Insulted, Ariston started
32:24
Speaker 1: to rise from his seat, but Pooley held up a small,
32:27
Speaker 1: smooth hand to stop him.
32:29
Speaker 4: Saying, You'll have command of a dozen men, Ariston. We
32:32
Speaker 4: won't leave you behind when we ride out.
32:43
Speaker 1: You've been listening to Dice Chain, a system fluid, multi-author,
32:47
Speaker 1: experimental fiction series. In this episode, we heard from three
32:50
Speaker 1: different podcasters— Link 4 was created by Simon J. Williams
32:55
Speaker 1: from Legend of the Bones. Link 5 was produced by
32:58
Speaker 1: Brian Rideout of Swords Against Madness, and Link 6 by me, John,
33:02
Speaker 1: from Tale of the Manticore. Additional voice acting was provided
33:05
Speaker 1: by Steve Morrison and Jared Hess. Episode 3 will be
33:09
Speaker 1: out shortly, with a brand new group of player-creators. Until then,
33:12
Speaker 1: you can always find new and exciting solo RPG pods