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Episode 2 (S4E02) · Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama

• 0:03
  Speaker 1: The following podcast is intended for a mature audience. Listener
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: discretion is advised. Welcome back to Tale of the Manticore,
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: Season 4. Like the creature from which it takes its name,
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: Tale of the Manticore is a mashup. a crossbreeding between
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: two different species of storytelling. Here, you will find the
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: unpredictability of old-school paper and dice games with the storycraft
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: of a dark fantasy novel. No character is sacred, and
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: none will be spared if the dice decide their fate
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: is at hand. According to lore, the tale of a
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: manticore is barbed with cruel iron spikes. There will be
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: much pain in the days ahead. Last time, on Tale
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: of the Manticore. In the last episode, we set the
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: stage for a brand new adventure. This one begins in Camranth,
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: in the border town of Prowth. It's late in the summer,
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: and the Harvest Festival is in full swing. We meet Wylowen,
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: a cleric of Saberthon, the two-headed deity of fortune. Wylowen
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: enjoys a single hour of the festival before returning to
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: Komon Manor. This is where he lives and works full-time.
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: as a caregiver for the champion, Thalios, who has been
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: in a coma for the past 22 years. It's business
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: as usual until a miracle occurs. Thalios awakens from his coma,
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: speaks briefly and enigmatically, and then expires. The houseguard, Altor Greymar,
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: is the first to arrive in response to Wylohen's cry
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: of grief, followed by Thalios' eldest son, Olinar, whose distress
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: over the passing of his father is eclipsed by the
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: gravity of the man's dying words. Upon hearing them, Olenar
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: charges Wylowen and Altor to travel to the neighboring city
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: of Caldwell to report to his sister, the High Priestess. Typically,
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: it takes several sessions spread out over days to produce
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: a script for a single episode of Tale of the Manticore,
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: but I was having so much fun with episode one
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: that I wrote the whole darn thing in a single afternoon.
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: It really is good to be back. Okay, let's talk
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: over a few things before we continue this story. You
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: might remember that the paladin Thaleos, upon waking from his coma,
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: said two things to Wylowen. The first was, beware the
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: sirens return. This meant nothing to Wylowen. The second thing
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: the paladin said was, well, I never actually said. You
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: might have been wondering if I had determined what it was,
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: but withheld it in the name of storytelling or just
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: left it blank because I didn't know. I did the latter.
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: I'm not sure when the right time will come to
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: figure out what it was, but I remember thinking it
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: might be useful to have it tucked aside for later.
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: Time will tell if my intuition will prove correct on
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: this one. There's something else I wanted to mention about
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: Episode 1. In it, I rolled up two characters, but
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: only really used one as a PC. Truth is, I
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: ran out of time before I could introduce the second
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: one correctly. Of course, it's Altor, the houseguard, who will
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: be joining Wylowen as a player character. So why don't
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: we start this episode's narration with him. Chapter 2 Part
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: 1 Day 1 Night Party Status Wylowen Six out of
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: six hit points. Altor. Eight out of eight.
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: When does your lordship wish us to depart?
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: Asked Altor. Immediately, said Olinar. Altor balked. Now? Realizing he
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: was speaking above his station, he corrected his tone.
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: I do not mean to question you, my lord, but
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: travel by night is very dangerous.
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: The tight expression on Olinar's face relaxed a little. I.
• 4:29
  Speaker 3: I don't think you appreciate that what you have heard,
• 4:33
  Speaker 3: it is potentially very dangerous.
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: The Lord of the Banner seemed to be thinking things
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: through out loud.
• 4:42
  Speaker 3: My father's words, spoken on a holy day and right
• 4:45
  Speaker 3: before his death, it strikes me that they may be
• 4:49
  Speaker 3: a revelation, a divine revelation.
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: Wylowen could only nod in agreement. He had been thinking
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: the same thing.
• 4:58
  Speaker 3: It is well that only we three know what was said.
• 5:02
  Speaker 3: But you make a good point. The road can be
• 5:05
  Speaker 3: dangerous at night. Perhaps it is better to wait and
• 5:09
  Speaker 3: not invite trouble. Very well. You and Brother Wylowin will
• 5:14
  Speaker 3: depart tomorrow at dawn. Now, leave me to my prayers.
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: Wylowin was still uncomfortable with the idea of leaving Olenar
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: to hold vigil alone. It was unheard of to do
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: so when there was a priest of Sabrathan at hand.
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: He began to protest again, but Olenar cut him off.
• 5:33
  Speaker 3: You'll need your rest if you are to be up
• 5:35
  Speaker 3: and away by dawn.
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: Now go to your chambers.
• 5:40
  Speaker 3: Speak to no one, and when you leave tomorrow, do
• 5:42
  Speaker 3: so without a word. Go directly to Caldwell, find my sister,
• 5:47
  Speaker 3: and tell her everything. In private, mind you. I will
• 5:52
  Speaker 3: give you a message to bring her. She will know
• 5:55
  Speaker 3: what to do.
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: My lord, said Altor, bowing.
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: Wylo, come.
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: Wylo and reluctantly joined him in the hall. Then the
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: two men walked to the stairs where they would part ways.
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: We'll talk in the morning. Get some rest. It's a
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: long day's ride to Caldwell, said Altor.
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: He did not wait for a reply, but took the
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: stairs down, headed for his bedchamber. Chapter 2. Part 2.
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: Day 2. Dawn. Party Status. Wylowen. 6 out of 6
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: hit points. Altor. 8 out of 8. The two men
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: rode side by side, not speaking for the first hour,
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: but listening to their horses' hooves clop and harnesses jingle.
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: The road that connected Prouth to Caldwell was really no
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: more than a beaten path. It wound through stretches of
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: light woods and meadows dotted with bright golden rot and
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: spiky purple thistles. Despite the natural beauty, the cleric still
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: wore the same troubled countenance with which he had gone
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: to bed. As for Eltor, he was not entirely convinced
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: of the urgency of their mission. In his 38 years
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: of life, he had never experienced a real miracle. and
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: he was not sure. He believed last night's occurrence counted
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: as one. All the same, he was curious about one thing.
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: Did Lord Olenar explain anything about the second thing Thalio said?
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: Wylowen looked up for a moment, trying to remember.
• 7:35
  Speaker 4: Now that you mention it, I do not believe he did.
• 7:38
  Speaker 2: You think he didn't know what it meant?
• 7:40
  Speaker 4: Or he did know, but he chose not to say. Frankly,
• 7:43
  Speaker 4: he seemed reluctant to say much of anything.
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: Why is that, do you think? Hmm.
• 7:48
  Speaker 4: I suppose information can be dangerous and in the wrong
• 7:51
  Speaker 4: hands could be used to inflict harm.
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: But surely we are not the wrong hands.
• 7:57
  Speaker 4: I do not think Lord Olenar suspects us. Or perhaps
• 7:59
  Speaker 4: he might. No, I expect he's trying to protect his
• 8:03
  Speaker 4: father's message in the case that you and I are.
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: Captured. Interrogated. Yeah, I understand.
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: Wylowen sucked his teeth and considered.
• 8:10
  Speaker 4: To be fair, I might do the same were I
• 8:12
  Speaker 4: in his place.
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: Then he added.
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: After all, the very nature of a cult.
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: Is secrecy and deception.
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: What do you know about this cult?
• 8:19
  Speaker 4: Almost nothing, I'm afraid. It was active a few centuries ago.
• 8:23
  Speaker 4: It had something to do with the Lizardman Wars.
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: That's about all I know.
• 8:27
  Speaker 4: The focus of my studies was medicine, not history.
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: Altor knew a little about the Lizardman Wars. Everyone in
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: Prouth did, since the town had originally been built as
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: a fortress. Indeed, it had at one time been called
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: Fort Prouth. Not only had its walls repelled a number
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: of attacks, but several Camaranthian champions had been from Prouth
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: or had fought there. Some of those men were personal
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: heroes to Altor. Wylowen interrupted his thoughts. Altor, do you
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: think we're in danger? The cleric's voice had changed. Now
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: it sounded troubled. Altor shrugged.
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: I expect that's why I'm traveling. Though I should say
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: nobody knows we've left Prouth, and there's no one who
• 9:07
  Speaker 2: has any reason to harm us.
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: That made Wylowen feel better, until Altor added.
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: This road has seen its share of brigands, mind you.
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: But in the daytime, I think it's as safe as
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: could be wished for.
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: Altor grimaced and shifted uncomfortably upon his mount.
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: Oh, my back is already aching. I'm not used to
• 9:25
  Speaker 2: the saddle, you know. There's a crossroads ahead. We can
• 9:29
  Speaker 2: rest there for an hour or two and still make
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: convo in time for a late supper.
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: In general, when trying to answer a yes-no question at
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: random in a solo RPG, there are two main ways
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: to do it. One is to assign a probability, and roll.
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: This is the method I've used the most over the years,
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: and in fact, I've used the simplest form of it.
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: A yes-no, high-low roll, where, on a d20, a 1
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: to 10 is no and an 11 to 20 is yes.
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: If you wanted to, you could complicate that by inserting
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: extreme yes and extreme no zones at either end, or
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: you could map the probability range onto an external factor,
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: like the mythic chaos factor. All versions of this method work,
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: but there's another way, that I sometimes use outside the
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: show and that I'd like to onboard as part of
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: my regular practice. It's the popular D6 method, where a
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: 1 is a no-and result, a 2 is a straight-up no,
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: a 3 is a no-but, and a 4, 5, and
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: 6 are yes-but, yes, yes-and. What you sacrifice using this
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: method in terms of situational flexibility, you gain in narrative momentum.
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: Now that felt like a lot of words. Maybe I
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: should just demonstrate. I want to know if Wylo... I'm
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: going to start calling him Wylo, like Altor does from
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: now on. And Altor will run into anyone on their
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: way to Caldwell. I don't think this is especially likely
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: or unlikely. So this D6 method is a good choice.
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: Let's find out if they will. Rolling. I got a 4.
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: That's a yes, but... I had an idea ready in
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: the case of yes, or yes and... Okay, switching gears.
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: Let's try this. Yes, they meet someone. But that someone
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: does not want to be seen. Yeah, I like that.
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: It's going to give me the chance to introduce... Well,
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: you'll see. But hang on, before we get to that,
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: a quick ad break. Chapter 2 Part 3 Day 2
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: Early afternoon Party status. The party status is unchanged. By
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: the time the crossroads came into view, Altor was complaining
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: frequently about the ache in his back and why his
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: bottom was numb. Thus far, they had traveled south for
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: about a dozen miles. There were another dozen to go,
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: but the Unclear was grateful for the prospect of an
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: hour's rest, maybe two. Altor had not told him how
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: long they would stay and somehow, probably on account of
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: their age difference, Wylo had deferred to the guardsmen's leadership.
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: The crossroads, he knew, went south to Caldwell, their destination,
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: west to the capital city, east to the neighboring city-state
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: of Napule, and north, back to Prath. Wylo was growing
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: apprehensive about what they would do when they got to Caldwell,
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: and how Olenar's sister, Marik, would receive them, not to
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: mention the message they bore. The fact that she was
• 12:43
  Speaker 1: a high priestess of Saberthon was not a comfort either,
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: but that anxiety was for later. Right now, it was
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: enough that they would soon be stopping for a rest
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: and to share a light meal. The crossroads had some
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: very rustic facilities to this end, and these they presently approached.
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: There were a pair of thick, toppled logs positioned in
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: a V in front of a cold fire pit. It
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: even had a small stack of firewood left by some
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: generous traveler who had cut more than they needed and
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: left it for the next weary wanderers to use. Trees
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: and underbrush enveloped the rest stop so tightly that sight
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: lines were not good. But when Wylo looked over to
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: see Altor climbing off his horse with no apparent concern,
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: he figured he could do the same. It is good
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: to have a stretch, declared the houseguard.
• 13:31
  Speaker 2: Now let us sit and take some sustenance. I have
• 13:34
  Speaker 2: a loaf of fresh bread here and a few links
• 13:36
  Speaker 2: of cured sausage, and, he said, looking over with a wink,
• 13:39
  Speaker 2: I have a bottle of Hargan Lake White. It's bright
• 13:43
  Speaker 2: and sweet and will do us good after a long ride.
• 13:46
  Speaker 2: And it'll fortify us for the one ahead, too. Come, Wylo,
• 13:49
  Speaker 2: sit with me.
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: Valtor was already sitting on one of the fallen logs
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: and had a big bushy fern so close behind him
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: that it touched his broad back. He padded the space
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: beside him in further invitation. Wylo hitched his horse to
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: a nearby tree and joined him for lunch. The two
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: men talked a little, admiring the natural beauty of the
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: area and speculating on the meaning of the paladin's words
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: and on what their meeting with Lord Olenar's sister might entail.
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: They shared some wine as they did so, and when
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: Altor eventually got out the bread and sausage, Wylo apologized meekly.
• 14:24
  Speaker 4: I'm afraid I've brought nothing.
• 14:26
  Speaker 2: Well, then you may be in charge of prayers.
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: Wylo smiled.
• 14:30
  Speaker 4: I feel I have the better end of that deal.
• 14:33
  Speaker 4: Very well. Let us close our eyes and pray.
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: He cleared his throat and began.
• 14:39
  Speaker 2: Praised be Saberthon, Lord of Fate.
• 14:42
  Speaker 4: We thank you for this food and for all the
• 14:44
  Speaker 4: gifts you have given to those around this table.
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: Wylo winced helplessly at his gaffe and somehow knew that Altar,
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: next to him, was grinning privately. He corrected himself and
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: carried on.
• 14:56
  Speaker 4: This campfire.
• 14:57
  Speaker 2: We accept your bounty.
• 14:59
  Speaker 4: And hope that you will continue to steer our hearts
• 15:01
  Speaker 4: to your holy purpose.
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: The final word of Wylo's prayer was interrupted by a
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: high-pitched cry of pain, and when Wylo snapped open his eyes,
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: he found to his surprise that Altor held a filthy
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: and emaciated youth by the wrist. Apparently, the person had
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: been hiding in the ferns behind them, and, by the
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: link of sausage in their guilty hand, had been trying
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: to steal food while Wylo and Altor had their eyes closed.
• 15:26
  Speaker 2: Looks like we have a guest, Wylo.
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: Said Altor. but the sarcastic words were not spoken with
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: any levity.
• 15:31
  Speaker 2: What's your name, thief?
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: The small and dirty man did not respond at first.
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: Neither did he move, except for his eyes, which flicked
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: from his trapped wrist to Altor's face and then to Wylo's.
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: One could almost hear his brain working as it searched
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: for a way out. A second yelp indicated that Altor
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: had twisted the wrist hard.
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: Come again, my friend? I could not hear you reply.
• 15:53
  Speaker 2: I asked your name.
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: Trapped, the other relented. What? Pick, my lord!
• 15:59
  Speaker 2: My name, that is, my name is Pick!
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: Altor frowned at that, never letting go of the slender wrist.
• 16:06
  Speaker 2: Well, Pick, do you know the punishment for theft in Camran?
• 16:11
  Speaker 1: Pick did not reply, but Altor went on as though
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: he had.
• 16:14
  Speaker 2: In these parts, it is the loss of a finger,
• 16:17
  Speaker 2: one each time the thief is caught.
• 16:19
  Speaker 1: Pick stopped struggling and now just stared up into Altor's
• 16:23
  Speaker 1: face with an expression of combined fear and defiance.
• 16:26
  Speaker 2: I only point this out in case you didn't know.
• 16:29
  Speaker 2: You're not from around here, are you?
• 16:32
  Speaker 3: Nephew!
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: Said Pick, through gritted teeth.
• 16:35
  Speaker 2: Your accent says further east. Are you not from Silmoral,
• 16:38
  Speaker 2: my young criminal?
• 16:39
  Speaker 3: I haven't lived in that cursed place for years.
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: The youth protested. Omnipulic.
• 16:45
  Speaker 2: I wonder what you did to get run out of Camertine. Still,
• 16:49
  Speaker 2: I count ten fingers. You've never been caught, have you?
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: Pick did not reply to this.
• 16:54
  Speaker 2: And you were chased out of Nipule too, I suppose.
• 16:57
  Speaker 2: Is your plan to rob and run all the way
• 16:59
  Speaker 2: west until you meet the ocean? No, I think your
• 17:02
  Speaker 2: luck runs out here. I'll be having that finger.
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: Still holding Pick's wrist in a vice-like grip with one hand,
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: Altor yanked a dagger from his boot with the other.
• 17:12
  Speaker 2: Your good hand is the right, I take it.
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: This was the one in custody. in a reasonable guess.
• 17:17
  Speaker 2: I'll cut the pinky off your left. Go on, place
• 17:19
  Speaker 2: it on the log and hold still. Wylo here can
• 17:21
  Speaker 2: find you a stick to bite on. And he's a healer,
• 17:24
  Speaker 2: so he can bind you up when I'm done. And
• 17:26
  Speaker 2: stop squirming, or I won't be able to make it
• 17:28
  Speaker 2: a clean cut. Come, come. Don't look so hateful at me.
• 17:32
  Speaker 2: The law is the law.
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: Pick knew he had no options, so he made a
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: fist with his left hand, sticking out his little finger
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: and laying it on the log. He looked away and rasped.
• 17:42
  Speaker 3: Just do it then.
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: Altor nodded obligingly and raised his dagger, biting his lower
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: lip in concentration as he took careful aim. The blade
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: was just about to come down when Wylo stopped him.
• 17:56
  Speaker 3: Wait, Altor, stop!
• 17:57
  Speaker 2: I wish to make this young man an offer!
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: In truth, Pick was only a few years younger than
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: he was. Somehow it felt like the right thing to
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: say anyway.
• 18:06
  Speaker 4: I will sell half of my lunch to Pick in
• 18:08
  Speaker 4: exchange for a service. If he accepts, then he has
• 18:12
  Speaker 4: stolen nothing and the punishment is no longer lawful.
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: Pick, desperate, still suspected a trap. What service, he said,
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: eyes narrowed. Altor guffawed.
• 18:24
  Speaker 2: He's trying to help you, you moron.
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: Pick glared at Altor and then returned his attention to Wylo. Well?
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: He looked over the other's clothing, noticing the holy symbol
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: hanging at the man's neck that depicted a head with
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: two faces. What service do you want, cleric? Normally, I'd
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: say this is a good time to make a reaction roll,
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: but because I've contrived the whole situation by DM Fiat
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: as an excuse to add a party member, I won't.
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: Don't worry though, there'll be plenty of random chaos to
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: come in the future, I promise. Still, I want to
• 19:00
  Speaker 1: roll some dice, so let's go ahead and determine Pick's stats.
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: He's a first level thief, so his starting hit points
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: will be 4, unless modified by his constitution score. Okay,
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: here we go, 3d6 down the line, with house rules
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: in play. Strength 11. Next is Intelligence. Ooh, a 6.
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: That's rough, but actually makes perfect sense. Wisdom. A 9. Dexterity. 10.
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: Pick's Constitution. 16. Huh. Charisma. A 5. Yikes, that's a reroll.
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: An 8. Still not very good. Okay, well... That all
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: looks very usable. However, I'm going to swap the Dex
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: and Con scores, so Dex will be 16 and Con 10.
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: I might stop here and declare character creation done. But,
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: you know, I think I'm going to try something new
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: and use the revised Thief skills from Necrotic Gnome's Carcass
• 19:56
  Speaker 1: Crawler zine, issue number 1. Here's the concept. Replace the
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: D percentile skill checks with a D6, with a roll
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: of 1 indicating success. At first level, thieves can allocate
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: four points to build expertise in certain skills, improving chances
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: for success. This method allows for customization. A thief might
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: decide to become really good at hiding in shadows or
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: moving silently. For example, the sacrifice proficiency at climbing walls
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: or trap detection in doing so. Core skills are as follows. Climbing,
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: finding or removing traps, listening, hiding in shadows, moving silently,
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: opening locks, picking pockets, and reading languages. Pick, being level 1,
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: starts with a 1 in all of these skills, but
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: has 4 points to distribute. I think I'll add 2
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: points in lockpicking, giving him a 3 in 6 chance
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: to succeed at that, 1 point in hiding, and 1
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: in picking pockets. If Pick makes it to level 2,
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: he'll get 2 more points to spend. Per these alternate rules,
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: he can never have more than a 5 in any skills.
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: Altor was giving Wylo a look that asked, Are you
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: certain about this? as the thief put the question to him.
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: What service do you want, cleric? And Wylo found that
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: he was sure. While mercy was one of Saberthon's four
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: holy virtues, along with honesty, chastity, and courage, there was
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: a much more important reason for keeping the thief close
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: at hand. He looked Pig square in the eyes and said.
• 21:27
  Speaker 4: I want you to accompany us to the temple of
• 21:29
  Speaker 4: Saberthon in Caldwell. Once there, you will offer one full
• 21:33
  Speaker 4: day of labor to the men and women who live there.
• 21:35
  Speaker 4: If they do not have work, you will instead spend
• 21:37
  Speaker 4: an evening in prayer with the priests.
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: Pick's eyes became slits.
• 21:41
  Speaker 4: Or I can let my friend cut off your pinky finger.
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: A little ways off, one of the horses whinnied. It
• 21:49
  Speaker 1: sounded like laughter. Pick's sullen expression vanished and was replaced
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: all of a sudden with an ugly, brown-toothed smile. Fine, Clank.
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: We'll have it your way. I accept your offer. He
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: tried to tug his wrist free, but Altor's grip remained
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: like iron.
• 22:04
  Speaker 2: You're stronger than you look, little Pip.
• 22:06
  Speaker 1: Pick, corrected the young man. The ugly smile was gone.
• 22:10
  Speaker 2: You sure you want to do this, Wylo? Sure you
• 22:12
  Speaker 2: want to trust the word of a thief?
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: Altor asked his companion. I'm sure. Let him go. Pick
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: was released. He rubbed his wrist ruefully, but did not
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: try to escape. Instead, he took a seat on the
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: log beside Wilo, and the three men ate their lunch
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: in uncomfortable silence. Soon it was time to go. You'll
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: ride double with me, Wilo instructed Pick. He guessed that
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: the young man weighed no more than 120 pounds, and
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: Wilo was also lean and light. The horse could take
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: their combined weight for a few hours. After that, they
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: would have to walk. The dour look on Altor's face
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: said he had also done this calculation and was not
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: happy about arriving in Caldwell late, but he said nothing.
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: The second leg of the ride south was mostly quiet
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: and completely uneventful. When Willow felt his horse begin to tire,
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: he and Pick both dismounted and walked alongside the animal
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: while Altor remained in his saddles. The sun was setting
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: when they arrived at their destination. Under the bright yellow
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: and orange streaked sky, Caldwell looked like a town on fire.
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: Unlike Prouth, Caldwell had never been used as a fort
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: and had no walls. Instead, it was arranged in concentric circles.
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: The outermost ring consisted of farms and fields worked by serfs.
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: The middle ring was for merchants, and the center was
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: dominated by the temple of Saberthon. It was not as
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: large as the one in Prouth, but it still stood
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: higher than any other building in town. This was the
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: party's destination, and with no gate and no guards to
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: bar their way or question their late arrival, they went
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: straight to it. Thanks for listening to Tale of the Manticore.
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: If you're interested in helping the show to grow, here
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: are a few easy ways you can do so. You
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: can recommend or like and repost episode announcements on social media,
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: Purchase a Tale of the Manticore t-shirt at bearerarts.store, or
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: one of my offerings on DriveThruRPG. Rate and review the
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: show on your favorite podcatcher, or give me a sub
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: on YouTube. Thanks are also due to my amazing cast
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: of voice actors. In order of appearance, they are... Altor,
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: who was played by Dan Falk. Olinar, who was played
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: by Andrew Fling. Wyloen, who was played by Chris Sagers.
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: And finally, Pig, who was played by Simon Williams of
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: the Legend of the Bones podcast. For those who wish
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: to find other like-minded creators doing similar shows, please check
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: out SolarRolePlayersNetwork.com. And if you're curious to learn more about
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: this show, I keep a blog where I post all
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: kinds of show and RPG-related stuff, like sketches, maps, tables, crafts,
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: and show notes. You can find it at TaleOfTheManticore.com. The
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: adventure will continue next time on Tale of the Manticore.
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: The story where chaos rolls.