All language subtitles for Candela.Obscura.S01E02.1080p.BEAC.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-FFG_track3_[eng]

(tense mysterious music)

TALIESIN: A lonely road lies ahead

for those whose minds
have been cracked asunder.

Echoes of past deeds,
swirl and bubble to the surface,

seeking to fracture the grail of our existence.

A wary investigator must stay
headstrong and resolved,

for this treacherous path may falter judgment,

if not careful.

A voracious hunger stalks
the shadow-filled streets,

feeding on the impulses of both ne'er-do-wells

and those of the strongest moral fiber.

Candela and their circles often serve

as the last line of defense,

putting themselves in harm's
way to contain, comprehend,

and contend with the horrors that lie in wait.

The Circle of The Vassal and the Veil:

Assignment Number 442:
Ravage of Red Lamp.

(tense mysterious music continues)

MATT: Welcome
to Candela Obscura,

here in the country of Hale,
within the city of Newfaire.

The evening grows late here

in the Red Lamp District.

(gasps)
ROBBIE: Ooh.

MATT: As the parties roll
on, the music and revelry

echo throughout
the city streets,

the occasional tinging of the
cable car carousing through,

grabbing those
who are too drunk

to stumble their
way home safely

and hopefully not too drunk

to hold themselves
safely on the cable car.

You see people stumbling
through the streets.

You hear the music blaring
out of various open doors

of briefly available clubs
before they shut once more.

The fog itself thicker and
thicker as the night goes on,

giving this
orange-red ambiance

to the entire district
of the city.

As we pull up to the bottom

of The Getaway Grand Hotel,

drifting up floor after
floor after floor,

above the thick blanket,

the thickest blanket
of the fog,

until just a bit of that
mist still remains,

we come to the sixth floor.

Here through a
window, we push in

to see a middle-aged
woman, hair pulled up high

in tightly bound curls
looking into a mirror.

As she begins to
pull her hair back

you see she, well
made up, necklaces,

the beautiful little
emerald necklace that hangs

around her clavicle,
and other chains,

as she continues to undo her
hair before sighing out loud,

"(sighs) This entire day
has been a strange problem.

"So many voices from so
many distant individuals."

As she pulls a pin out
and the hair begins to tumble

past her shoulders.

"(sighs) If another one
of these labor unions

"would stop
crawling up my ass

"and I could get some actual
work done for this town."

Throws down the
pin onto a dresser.

"Maybe I could unwind
just a little bit."

Behind her, you see sitting
on the edge of a bed,

a younger gentleman, in
probably his late 20s or so,

handsome square jaw,
short brown hair,

gently curled,

lays back with no shirt
and just his pants,

these long brown trousers,
looks to her and says,

"My dear, but isn't that why
you come and visit anyway?"

She smiles a bit and
takes her blouse off

before setting her
bracelets down on the side.

Turns to him, her
neck jewelry glittering

in the middle of
the bit of moonlight

that's coming
through the fog.

(woman) "Indeed it is.

"And it's been
such a tough day.

"It looks like you'll
have to help me relax."

He smiles and reaches
up and grabs her hand

and pulls her towards the bed

as we pull away
from the window,

back into the red lit
fog of the night,

here amongst the revelry
and music and shouts

and laughter and coughing.

The sounds of pleasure
begin to take the night

beyond this window,

and then screams.

Two voices screaming
shatter the night.

Come the morning,

you, Auggie, up early--

ASHLEY: Me.
(laughter)

MATT:-- having been here,

spent a number of weeks here
within The Gilded Rainbow,

your new established
homestead here,

you step out from your
now private quarters,

something you've not quite
really had officially

for some time, to the
smell of fresh coffee,

as Reggie is sipping
from his mug

and currently going
through the morning paper.

As you step out of the room,

looks over her shoulder
towards you and goes,

"Morning, Reggie."

ASHLEY: Good morning,
Reggie. (laughs)

What's going on?
MATT: Did I say my own name?

(laughter)
MATT: I totally did.

Sorry, that was my brain.

"I like to say good morning
to myself as well sometimes."

(laughter)

MATT: "Keeps you on edge. Good morning--"
ASHLEY: I was going to say.

I thought you were
correcting me or something.

I'm going to say hello.

MATT: No, you're good.

"Good morning to
you as well, Auggie."

(laughter)

MATT: "Glad we're
both present."

ASHLEY: What's going on
in the stories today?

Anything good?

MATT: "Honestly, nothing
quite eye-catching.

"Currently, it seems like
there's a bit of discussion

"of, well, unrest down
in the Groundswell.

"Looks like there is talk

"of an incoming heavy shipment
to the Hallowharbor.

"They're currently keeping
some of the naval guardians

"near the Vastchasm to
be doing inspections

"of some sort of expected
shipment from Otherwhere.

"Beyond that, it looks
like there are a number

"of performances to be
happening from local musicians

"as well as one who's
traveled quite a bit

"from the Scarlet Wood above.

ASHLEY: (gasping) Oh!
MATT: "But beyond that,

"nothing that
catches the attention

"that we normally
look for, at least.

"Would you like some coffee?"

ASHLEY: Well, yeah!

MATT: Puts his cup
down and goes over--

ASHLEY: Oh, I will go get it.

I thought you were going to--
MATT: "No, no, I'm already up.

"It's fine."
ASHLEY: Let me go get it.

I'll go get it,
I'll go get it.

I know the drill,
I know the drill.

I've been here for
a few weeks now.

MATT: "Fair enough."

ASHLEY: Ooh.

MATT: You go over and--
ASHLEY: Yum.

(laughter)

MATT: Just how you like it.

ASHLEY: Just how I like it.
MATT: Just a little bit too sweet.

ASHLEY: (laughs)

Six lumps.

(laughter)

MATT: Right as you take
in that first morning sip,

feeling the warmth
wash through you,

you hear the familiar sound

of the bell on the
front door jingle.

(bell jingling)

Coming through
in the morning,

you see pulling the hood
of their jacket back,

the familiar sight of
Lightkeeper Alexandra walks in.

(Alexandra) "Hi.
Good morning, Auggie.

"Reggie, not talking to
yourself again are you?"

(Reggie) "No, what
are you talking about?"

(laughter)

MATT: "It's a long night."

Looks back to you.

(Alexandra) "(sighs)

"How are you getting on
here in your quarters?"

ASHLEY: I love it.

It's really cool.

At night, you know,

I go out and I'll grab a book

and immerse
myself in stories.

I like it.

Thank you, again. Truly.

MATT: "I believe that.

"Reggie, you don't
mind, do you?"

She pulls a cigar
out of her jacket.

He's like, "No, I mean (laughs)
you're the Lightkeeper."

She lights it
up a little bit.

You can see the flame,
as it sparks up the edge.

Her one--
ASHLEY: Do you have another

one of those?

MATT: "It's a bad habit.

"I'm not about to
spread it to you."

ASHLEY: I've been smoking
since I was eight.

MATT: "Then you can
find your own smokes."

ASHLEY: All right.

MATT: The flame of her
lighter lights up

and you can see
that golden gleam

out of her one altered pupil
as she takes a bit of a puff.

As the smoke and it drifts
around her face, turns back,

"I assume you understand
my presence here

"means it's business.

"There's been...
There's been an event.

"I think we're going to have
to call your circle together

"to take a look into it.

"So enjoy what bits of
the morning you have left.

"The others will
be up soon enough.

"We're going to have a talk."

She walks out the front of the library.
ASHLEY: Yeah, all right.

MATT: Reggie's currently
grabbing his coffee again

and looks back towards you.

ASHLEY: She's a
piece of work.

I'll tell you that

MATT: (Reggie) "Indeed
she is. She's...

"She's seen some things."

ASHLEY: I can tell.

MATT: "Well, I guess
I'll go ahead and--"

He turns the sign in
the front of the shop

over to "closed" out front.

The rest of you, throughout
your morning experiences

receive familiar missives
with the symbol

of Candela Obscura
sealed atop it,

calling you back to The
Gilded Rainbow bookstore.

In the short order,
in the next hour or so,

the three of you begin to
shuffle in one after the next

until you have all arrived.

As you all gather within
the center, Auggie,

you greet them as you do.

ASHLEY: Hello, hello.
Ma'am, sir.

Charlie.

ROBBIE: Doctor.
ASHLEY: Come--

Doctor, excuse me,
we're not there yet.

I understand.

Please come to my
beautiful humble abode.

ANJALI: (laughs)

LAURA: What a beautiful
home you have, Auggie.

ASHLEY: Thank you.
ANJALI: I take it

you're getting
on rather well?

ASHLEY: I do, it's
pretty great.

It's pretty great.

Yeah.

MATT: (bell ringing)
The bell rings once more

and you watch as Lightkeeper
Alexandra steps back in,

closing the door, and
latching it behind her.

She unwraps a small taffy,
pops it in her mouth.

"Good morning, everyone.
Thank you so much for coming

"on such short notice.

"It's going to be
likely a busy day."

Nods over to Reggie
who closes the curtains,

giving the darker
ominous interior

of this bookstore
even further shade.

One of the lanterns is
given a bit more oil

and then placed on
the center cabinet

as you all circle around it.

"Word has gotten around here

"that a
Primacy Chamberwoman's

"hotel room was
attacked last night.

"Her chamber was apparently
left an absolute disarray.

"She is nowhere to be found.

"A handful of folks who
were wandering the streets

"at that hour recall
seeing something massive

"rushing to or from the scene

"in shadow,

"like some beast.

"Whatever took her
is likely not natural

"and has definitely garnered
Candela's attention.

"We would like you
to investigate this,

"discover where this
thing came from,

"where this chamberwoman is,

"and if she can
be returned safely.

"I may not necessarily
agree with the politics,

"but whatever this is,

"we can only assume she's
not the only one in danger

"the longer it's out there."

ANJALI: Do we know anything more
about this chamberwoman or not?

If she may be particularly
controversial,

if she may be someone who
garners lots of enemies?

MATT: "Yes and yes."
ANJALI: Mm.

MATT: "Her name is
Onette Ferris,

"and while not a upper
level chamberwoman herself,

"she is deeply involved
in the political circle

"that approves guild
and import tariffs,

"both local and abroad.

"She is deeply steeped

"in many unhappy
business ventures

"within the city

"and is responsible

"for putting a bit
of a bottleneck

"on opening wider
trade with Otherwhere.

LAURA: Oh?
ANJALI: Hmm.

MATT: "So this may be
politically motivated,

"and if it is, then
what are they using

"to get their vengeance?

"These are important
questions to answer.

"Do you need anything
for your journey?"

LAURA: Do you have
anything that will defeat

shadow beasts on you?

MATT: "(laughs)"

She leans back in her
pocket, thinks for a second.

Pulls out a small,
corked vial glass.

The interior of it,
she shakes it a little bit,

and it looks like it
has a thick, syrupy-like,

molasses-like, dark
liquid on the inside

that coats the the
interior of the glass.

Tosses it to you.

(laughs)

"Good thing it didn't break.

"Won't last long.

"But you put that on the edge
of any sort of blade or weapon,

"it will liable leave an impact
on something between worlds."

LAURA: Oh,

thank you.

MATT: "You're welcome.

"Anything else?"

LAURA: Do you know
the name of the

institution where
she was attacked?

MATT: "It is referred to as The
Getaway Grand Hotel in Red Lamp.

"I believe a few of you
may be familiar with it.

"Maybe you've passed by,
maybe you've used its services."

ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
ANJALI: Of course.

ASHLEY: I've never used it, but
I know the place pretty well.

MATT: "I'd recommend
checking soon,

"for the longer we wait, the
more interests will be garnered

"from other such factions
within the city."

ANJALI: Was there anyone
known to be with her there?

MATT: "I do not know, we've
not quite investigated ourselves.

"You're the first line
of learning this info.

"I do believe the Periphery

"has already begun
to scope out

"the location, as
it is a crime scene

"of a very high
profile individual.

"So prepare yourselves
to rub shoulders

"with the local police."

ROBBIE: Have we closed
the establishment

or merely cordoned
off the room?

MATT: "As far as I can
only imagine, just the room.

"It's still a
place of business,

"and it wasn't a murder
scene that we know of.

"I think that would've
changed circumstances."

ASHLEY: Yeah.

MATT: "But who knows.

"If they find something
more dangerous,

"they might just do that.
So time is of the essence."

ANJALI: Right.

LAURA: We should go?

ANJALI: We should.

I can't help but--

The Getaway Grand
is known for

charging by the hour.

I don't mean to
assume anything

about the chamberwoman's
predilections,

but if that is the case,

then there's a
witness somewhere.

ASHLEY: Mm.
LAURA: Yes. Oh.

ROBBIE: A prostitute.
LAURA: Yes.

ROBBIE: She means
a prostitute.

LAURA: Of course.

ASHLEY: Yeah.
That's what it is.

(laughter)

ASHLEY: (refined) Whores.

MATT: "Well."
ASHLEY: All kinds.

MATT: "I'll leave you to it."
ANJALI: Yeah.

MATT: "Good luck and
once again, stay safe.

LAURA: Thank you.
MATT: She exits. (bell dinging)

ANJALI: You know, in all my years--
LAURA: We're in The Varnish, right?

Okay.
ANJALI: Do you know in all my years

here at Candela,

I have never seen someone
ask that question.

LAURA: What question?

ANJALI: Do you have something
to defeat shadow demons?

LAURA: (laughs) Oh.

I didn't think
she really would.

ROBBIE: Speaking of which,
I'll certainly give it back,

but I'd love to take a look.

LAURA: Of course.

I don't carry blades,

so-- I know you do, though.

ANJALI: (chuckles)
Your directness

is absolutely a--
That is a bonus.

MATT: You get a closer look at it,
Howard, and as you hold it

up to the light, now
that you put it there,

it definitely has that
dark semi-translucent,

almost molasses
texture to it

when you hold it between
the light and you.

But there's almost slivers
of metal in there,

like a liquid metal,

like there's a mercury
mixed in with it somewhere.

ANJALI: Do you still have
your bleed detector?

LAURA: Always.

ANJALI: I'd be interested to
see what's in that vial.

ROBBIE: Oh, certainly.

ANJALI: Hmm.

MATT: As you detect
the exterior of it,

it does not have any
bleed signature on it,

which is welcoming.
LAURA: That's good.

ANJALI: Hmm.

ROBBIE: Well, could be
any number of things.

A chemical mixture.

There appear to be
elements of metal inside.

The world has a rich
history of lycanthropy

and therianthropes,
half-human monsters.

Legend says usually
some sort of metal

works against them.

It's just an idea,
but why don't--

ASHLEY: That's
not fucking real.

Is that real?

That's real. That's real?
LAURA: Shadow beasts are real, Auggie.

Why couldn't werewolves be?

ROBBIE: I've never seen one,

but history is history
(chuckles),

and there's always a little
bit of truth to every myth.

That's quite interesting.

LAURA: Oh, keep it.

ROBBIE: Oh, all right.

I'll put it in my pocket

ANJALI: Shall we?

ROBBIE: Let's.

ANJALI: How far is The Getaway
Grand from The Sight Unseen?

MATT: Maybe about a five
minute walk down the road.

It's a little more central.

There's, you know, when you
go through the Red Lamp,

there are a number of
streets that divide

and quarter off as it goes.

Right towards the center,
there's a massive segment

where four main
streets converge

into one large marketplace.

It's not quite on
the corner there,

but it's just off the side one
of the main streets there.

It faces outward,
but it's, yeah,

it's definitely a
prominent establishment,

though it is a little sunken
back from the main street.

There's a little bit
of a tiny courtyard

that's built there.
It's not really well kept.

ANJALI: Well, it is
the Red Lamp District.

Not every proprietor
is as exact--

ASHLEY: You mean
the fun district?

ANJALI: Yes, the
fun district.

Why do you think I
have my place there?

(sighs) I am interested in
finding out so many things.

I'm interested in finding out

exactly why she
chose to be there.

I mean, the chamberwoman
obviously has her own home.

LAURA: Well, true.

But most likely, she
has a family.

ANJALI: Yes.
LAURA: Mm-hmm.

ROBBIE: Yes, and--
ANJALI: I'd like, yeah.

LAURA: Or maybe she has a
hard time finding anyone

to be intimate with.

Maybe she's very shy
in her everyday life

and she looks forward
to finding someone

who will let her be
herself for a moment.

ANJALI: I like you more and more
the more you talk, you know that?

LAURA: (laughs)

ROBBIE: Who's typically in charge
of establishments such as this?

A madam, or a--?

ANJALI: Well, would I
know the Getaway Grand?

MATT: Yes, you would
actually know the owner.

The owner, his name
is Simon Terefon.

ANJALI: It's not the same Simon
that we spoke about last--

LAURA: That's actually--
ANJALI: A police officer.

MATT: Different Simon.

ANJALI: Simon Terefon?

MATT: Simon Terefon.

ANJALI: And--

MATT: It does operate
primarily as a hotel,

publicly. (laughs)

ANJALI: Publicly.
ROBBIE: Oh!

ASHLEY: Okay.

ANJALI: But

do I know him personally?

MATT: You know of him.

You may have had a passing
conversation with him,

but he stays to
his establishment.

Occasionally wandering out.

So you haven't had many
crossing of paths in the past,

but like anybody who does a
lot of business in this town,

and you make it
your business to know

who does business in
that part of town,

you know of him.
ANJALI: Okay, all right.

LAURA: Well, we're
walking there right now.

ANJALI: Yes.
LAURA: Right?

ANJALI: Okay.
ROBBIE: Yeah.

MATT: So you gather
your things,

traverse down into Red Lamp,

which, at this time of
day, this early morning,

which now it's late morning,
10, 11 or so, you know,

pushing noon in the
next hour or so,

the majority of the street
does not carry

the same liveliness
it does in the evening.

There are people sobering up.

There are individuals

who are just
traveling through,

some that are emerging

from some of the various
places of business

and hoping to not be
noticed as they skitter off

like insects when you
turn the lights on.

Trying to find their
business around--

Pardon the squeaking of
the device behind me.

ASHLEY: (laughs)

MATT: But eventually,
following your trail,

you head to the exterior
of the Getaway Grand,

the eight-story complex,

a little bit recessed
from the main street,

and where you can see the red
brick and the fine stone work

that's built to look like
it once held some esteem,

but it has definitely fallen
into a bit of disrepair.

There are pockets
of dirt and grime

that have built up
through the rains

that nobody's really had the
time or funds to tend to,

but nobody necessarily
comes here

for the grandiose presentation
of the establishment.

It's definitely not terrible,

but it's no Varnish-type
establishment.

The little courtyard
here has some bushes,

some that are,
you know, well kept.

The grass here is mostly mud
these days due to the weather

and the little gate

that closes off the
interior is open.

The front double doors,
you see,

with fine brass pullers
to open it up are there,

but there is
a Periphery officer

standing at the door,

looking around with their
familiar, dark hat

with the two points, the
horseshoe shape of the front.

Stands there, arm in
arm glancing up.

LAURA: Do you think
he'll let us in?

ANJALI: Let's find out.

Good day, Officer.

MATT: "All right,
good day, huh?"

ANJALI: Yes.

I don't know if you know me.

I'm a proprietress nearby
of The Sight Unseen.

I'm here to take a meeting
with my colleagues

and a new potential
business partner.

May we pass?

MATT: Make a Sway roll.
This is low stakes.

He's more just gleaning
your business.

ANJALI: No.
LAURA: What'd you roll?

ANJALI: Double ones.
LAURA: Ooh.

MATT: Double ones, oof.
LAURA: Whoa, rough.

MATT: He goes,

"Unfortunately, there's
been a bit of an event

"the night before.

"If you come back in
about an hour or two,

"we'll be done
with our business

"and you can tend to it

"or find another venue
out and about, but--"

LAURA: What kind of event?

MATT: "Oh, it's Periphery
business. Hmm."

LAURA: Oh.
ANJALI: Well,

as our partner is
probably already here,

they've come in
from out of town,

we'll return in an hour.

May we send a missive?

MATT: "Oh," reaches
into his jacket

and pulls out a small pad of
paper and a little pencil.

"I can see what I can do."
ANJALI: Yes.

Would you,

if the GM would let me,

would you write a letter
to the front desk for me

and let Matthew
know that (laughs),

yes, let Matthew know that--

LAURA: (laughs)
ANJALI:-- Miss, what's my name?

LAURA: (laughs)

ASHLEY and LAURA: Charlotte.
ANJALI: Charlotte.

I just-- It's a lot--

ROBBIE: Wow!
ASHLEY: Charlotte Eaves!

It happens to me every day.

ANJALI: There's a lot of--

As soon as I realized
Matthew, ah, great!

I need more caffeine.
MATT: Everything else just

shot out of the head, yeah.

ANJALI: I just (tongue rolling).
ASHLEY: (tongue rolling)

ANJALI: As soon
as I realized.

(laughter)

ANJALI: Right. It's
very serious business.

Would you please let Matthew
know that Ms. Eaves came by

and had been looking to
meet in the regular room

with their colleague?

If he would possibly
stay put and keep ready,

that we would be by

in approximately one
hour and 15 minutes.

MATT: "Okay, I'll do
what I can."

ANJALI: Mm, thank you.

MATT: "Now, go on your way."

ASHLEY: During this time--

MATT and ANJALI: Mm-hmm.

ASHLEY:-- I will try to
see, because I'm sneaky.

MATT: Yeah.
ASHLEY: I'm going to try

to sneak on past.
ANJALI: Yeah!

MATT: Sneak past while they're
having this conversation?

ASHLEY: Yeah.
MATT: Okay, okay.

Go ahead and make a Hide.

ASHLEY: Because I have
Born in the Shadows--

ANJALI: Yeah.

ASHLEY: "When attempting to
avoid security or detection,

"you gild an extra die."

MATT: Ooh!

ASHLEY: You gild
an extra Hide die.

ANJALI: That's-a my boy.

ASHLEY: So we got this
one, we got this one, so--

LAURA: How many? How much?

MATT: So for Hide--
so it's two dice,

but they're both
gilded for you,

unless you want
to spend a Drive.

ASHLEY: Oh, they're
both gilded?

Okay, so--

ROBBIE: I'm also a
sneaky beeper,

so I'm going to give
you some help,

because I'm going to
immediately clock

that you're about to
make a sneak.

ASHLEY: Okay.
ROBBIE: So I'd like to just

help by doing a
little distraction.

So I'll spend a Drive--
MATT: You go for it.

ROBBIE:-- to give
you an extra die.

ASHLEY: (gasps)
MATT: You got it.

ASHLEY: All right.
MATT: So--

MATT: Y'all!

ROBBIE: We have rolled like

bad doo doo!
MATT: You guys have rolled like--

ASHLEY: On the gilded, I
rolled a one and a two,

and then on the other
one I rolled a two.

Well, you get your Drive back, right?
LAURA: Oh no! Yeah.

Well, that's good.
ASHLEY: You get your Drive back.

ROBBIE: That's our
circle ability?

MATT: Yeah.
LAURA: Yeah, we have--

MATT: You intervene behind her--
LAURA: Trauma Bonding.

MATT:-- to get
the attention.

As you're doing so (laughs)--

ROBBIE: Fucking trip
on my shoelace?

MATT: Yep. (laughs)

You stumble for a bit

and hit her back
in the shoulder,

who knocks into
him slightly,

who pushes him back and his
arm goes out to catch himself,

which also blocks your
entry as you're passing by.

As you bump into
his arm he goes,

"Hey, hey, hey, hey."

ASHLEY: Sorry, it's a tussle.

I don't know what I--
MATT: "That's right,

"come back in an hour."

ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
ROBBIE: Sorry.

ANJALI: Thank you, Officer.

LAURA: Are you all right?

MATT: "I'm fine."

ANJALI: Oh, all right.

I'm walking away fast
and shaking my head.

I don't know what's--

LAURA: Charlie, is there
another entrance?

ASHLEY: There's got to be.
LAURA: A service entrance or something.

ANJALI: I'm more frustrated
about losing my cool there.

LAURA: You forgot your
name for a moment.

ANJALI: Yeah, I have
a lot on my mind.

There should be
another entrance.

LAURA: Yes.
ANJALI: The service entrance,

of course, and--

Well, there would be a
fire escape of some kind.

MATT: There are. You do know
and you can see from,

as you back away
from the entryway,

there are two alleys that run
to the right and left of it.

Because it is
buttressed against

two other larger buildings,

not quite as tall
as the Getaway,

but definitely on each side,

about three stories on
one and five on the other.

There are buildings
behind it, as well.

So you would assume, and you
know this area pretty well,

from darting through
the alleys here,

there are alleys that wind

in the back of a lot of
these businesses as well.

ASHLEY: All right.
MATT: So--

ASHLEY: I kind of
know this area.

LAURA: Oh?

ASHLEY: I can take
us to the back

and see if maybe there's
another entrance?

LAURA: Wonderful.

ROBBIE: We're going to have to--
ASHLEY: Or a basement entrance.

ROBBIE:-- sneak into
the room, anyway,

so I don't see why
sneaking into the premises

would be any different.

ASHLEY: I agree, Doctor.

ANJALI: Lead on.
ASHLEY: For once.

Yeah, let's go.

MATT: All righty.
ASHLEY: (quick footsteps)

MATT: So--
(laughter)

MATT: Following your
lead, you head around,

turning left from exiting
the front of the Getaway,

darting into another adjacent
alley about two buildings down

to make sure that
you're both out of sight,

and also finding a nice spot

where you're not
being noticed

as you dart into one of
the dark, shaded gaps

between this presentational
street front.

You head backwards to
the back alley.

There's a bunch of garbage
and refuse and empty boxes

and it definitely has a

musty, hard water
meets old trash smell

that permeates the back
of this region.

As you curve to the left and
begin to head further down,

you see, eventually, the
back of the Getaway.

Indeed, there is a fire escape
that runs towards the back.

There are some
piles of trash,

and as the four
of you approach,

you see one of the numerous
vagrants that wander back here

is balled up near
one of the trash bags.

Sees you approach and gets
up and grabs his stuff

and starts walking away.

But you are--

ROBBIE: Did Alexandra tell
us what room it was?

ASHLEY: On the sixth floor.
ANJALI: Sixth floor.

ROBBIE: Sixth floor.

That's all we know?
ANJALI: That's all we know.

MATT: That's all you know.
ROBBIE: It's the sixth floor.

ANJALI: Mm-hmm.
ROBBIE: Okay.

LAURA: That's a lot of stairs.
ASHLEY: Probably should have asked--

MATT: You look up the fire
escape towards the sixth floor

when you're making
this notion,

and you do see a window
that is blown out.

LAURA: (gasps)
ANJALI: Oh.

MATT: There is a hole.
It is broken and shattered.

You can see now to the
ground where you're standing,

right beneath it,
there are glass shards

all over the alleyway
right here.

There, looking back up at it,

you can see the actual
brick is damaged.

There are chunks of
brick on the floor.

It looks like something

bashed its way out
of this chamber.

ASHLEY: The guy that
just ran off?

MATT: Mm-hmm.
ASHLEY: Hey, hey, hey, hey!

Hey, hey!
MATT: "(grunts)"

ASHLEY: Hey, what's up?

MATT: "Hey."

ASHLEY: Were you
here last night?

Like in the morning?
Were you here all night?

MATT: "Yeah, yeah, yeah,
but you didn't see nothing.

"You didn't see--"
ASHLEY: No, no, no, saw nothing.

Saw what?

MATT: He looks to you, he's
missing a few teeth, kind eyes.

The gentleman looks
like in his 60s or so

with these tufts of hair
on the side of his head

that come into these
greasy points at the end.

He's wearing couple layers
of gathered clothing

and he grabbed a large
sack of some kind

that he's tucked
under his arm.

"Yeah, why?"

ASHLEY: Did you hear anything?
Did you see anything weird?

MATT: "Yeah."
LAURA: Does he have any glass on him?

MATT: (laughs) He does not
have any glass on him.

LAURA: Okay.

MATT: He seemed
holding something

tightly under his arm
and he's like,

"Well, I mean, yeah,

"you see weird stuff
around here all the time."

ASHLEY: You know what
I'm talking about.

I know we see weird shit,

but I'm talking weird
fucking shit.

MATT: He shifts from foot to
foot for a second, thinking.

LAURA: Can I roll a
Read on him to see--

MATT: Yes, you may.
LAURA:-- what he's trying to hide?

MATT: Make a Read test
for me.

ROBBIE: One of us has to
self-actualize here.

ANJALI: Yes, sorry, sorry.
MATT: (laughs)

ASHLEY: I'm going to--

ANJALI: I can't remember my
name, so don't look to me.

ASHLEY: I'm going to--
LAURA: Okay, this is fine,

but I rolled a four.

Mixed success on
the gilded. So.

MATT: On the gilded, okay.
ROBBIE: All I saw was that one.

ANJALI: Yes.
LAURA: Yes.

MATT: So yeah,
so watching him,

he looks two layers
of startled.

One, he's definitely
trying to get out of sight

with something under his arm.

And two, he looks
like he's rattled.

As you're asking him
these questions,

and he's rattling off,

his eyes are off in
the distance a bit

and he looks scared,

and he's like,
"Yeah, yeah, no."

What did you say you
were going to do?

Okay. He's like,

"Yeah. (laughs) I--"

He looks up and you can see

a Periphery officer steps out
of the large, holed window

onto the fire escape

and he's now keeping
an eye on this area

as soon as that happens.
ASHLEY: Out of my pocket,

I'm going to pull out a
wrapped piece of bread

and little snacks and
look up at the officer.

Here, have some
food. Have some food.

MATT: He looks up
at the officer.

"Thank you so much.

"This is a kind gift."

LAURA: As he holds
his hand out,

did I catch a glimpse of
what he had under his arm?

MATT: Go ahead and make
a Survey test for me.

LAURA: Just a shit
fuck surge Drives fuck.

Oh, I don't have--
I'm going to spend--

Do I want to?
Just low stakes.

This is low stakes?
MATT: Low stakes.

LAURA: All right.
MATT: You're just glancing at him.

LAURA: I got the-- I failed
because it's a lower.

I rolled a two on the low.

ROBBIE: Aw.
MATT: No glance at it.

LAURA: Okay.
MATT: No idea.

He's holding it close
under his layered jacket.

He goes, "Thank you, I'll
go eat this over here."

Gives you a--
ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, yeah,

yeah, yeah.
ANJALI: Mm-hmm.

MATT: You follow him
over, underneath

so the officer isn't able
to see both of you

in the overhang of what you
now see is a back door

that does seem to
lead into the inside.

He goes,

"So,

"it was a real foggy
night last night.

"Me and Skiddy and Enom

"were just out
here, you know?"

ASHLEY: Yeah. Yeah.

MATT: "We got
ourselves a stash,"

and he references the
thing under his arm.

LAURA: (softly) Oh.

MATT: "We were just
enjoying it, you know?

"Just having a night out.

"There's not much to do
sometimes, this part of town.

"Then we heard
this terrible noise,

"big crash, like
something was breaking

"all the glass
in the windows.

"The metal was
creaking and shit,

"and we spooked

"and we all stood up
and started to scatter,

"thinking maybe
they were upon us,

"maybe some of
the officers saw us

"and was going to try and
bust us for, you know,

"having stuff. Then--"
ASHLEY: I get it.

MATT: Then I saw something.

"Something big, something real
big moved through the shadow.

"I think Skiddy got
a good look at it.

"Enom, we haven't seen since.

"I think whatever
it was, it got Enom."

LAURA: What was the--

MATT: "Oh! Ah!"

They've been only talking
to you this whole time,

and you approached him,
and he's like, "What?

"Wait, I got nothing.
It's fine."

LAURA: No, I--
ASHLEY and ANJALI: No, no, no.

ASHLEY: They're all with me.

She's my woman.

LAURA: Oh yes, Auggie and
I have been dating.

We are quite betrothed.

ASHLEY: It's fine. It's fine.

You can tell her
anything you want.

MATT: "Well, you're
moving up.

"I says."
ASHLEY: Yeah, well, you know.

MATT: "That's a good find."
ASHLEY: It's what I do.

Don't worry about it.

LAURA: The beast
that you spoke of,

he was flying or
he was walking?

Did it fall out of the window
and land on the ground

or did it fly through the air
to the next building over?

MATT: "I don't know about
no flying beast or anything,

"but whatever it was, it was
moving through the alley.

"It was on the ground."

LAURA: Got it.

So walking, then?

MATT: "Sure, yeah."

ANJALI: When you
say it got Enom,

it got him as in took him?

MATT: "We haven't
seen him since.

"I think Skiddy mentioned that
he saw Enom get pulled away

"when it ran through."

LAURA: Pulled away where?

MATT: "You'd have
to ask Skiddy."

LAURA: Where's Skiddy?

MATT: "I mean, he's
probably sobering up

"at The Good Gravy Eatery
right about now.

"He's had a rougher morning
than me. (chuckles weakly)

"I'm trying to think
if it's still safe

"to call this place
our grounds, you know?

"After last night.

"Stuff's getting
weird these days."

ROBBIE: Well,
you may want to--

MATT: (startled) "Ah!"
ROBBIE: Hello, how are you?

You may want to find
a new place to rest,

at least for a few days,

and especially
until the Periphery

are finished with
their investigation.

MATT: "Oh, you're
right, you're right."

ASHLEY: Hey, if you go
to The Gilded Rainbow,

I've got a bed back there.

Maybe get a little hair
of the dog, sleep it off.

Get a good night's rest.

MATT: "You're kind.

"You're real kind.
I appreciate that."

ASHLEY: Ask for Reggie.
Say I'm friends with...

(laughs) almost
forgot my name, too.

Auggie. (laughs)

MATT: "Friends with Auggie.

"You Auggie?"
ASHLEY: I'm Auggie, yeah.

MATT: "Auggie, Terry."

ASHLEY: Hey, nice to meet you.
MATT: "Terry Bode."

ASHLEY: Yeah, Terry Bode.
MATT: "You know, I--

ASHLEY: I feel
like I know Skiddy.

I feel like I've met
Skiddy in the past.

MATT: "You probably have.

"He's pretty loud, that one.

"Bit of a prankster."
ASHLEY: I think I know

what you talking about.

ROBBIE: Once the
pleasantries begin,

Howard totally disengages.

MATT: (laughs)

ROBBIE: I want to
see if I can bop over

to the refuse on the
ground, the glass,

and investigate pieces.

If it's glass, I'm looking
specifically for--

LAURA: Oh, maybe something--

ROBBIE:-- blood or
bits of some--

MATT: Yeah, yeah.

Make a Focus test for me--
ANJALI: Blood bits of bleed.

MATT:-- if you don't mind.
ROBBIE: Focus?

I want to spend a
Drive on this one,

and I got a gilded,

so I get three.

Okay, mixed success at four.

MATT: Mixed success
at four. Okay.

While you're having
this conversation

and Terry's like, "You know,
I used to be a banker.

"You know, I always dressed up
nice like these folks, too.

"You know, and then things just
change so fast sometimes."

As this conversation's
happening,

you're going
through the-- (laughs)

(laughter)

MATT: (laughs) You--
LAURA: You've been waiting.

How long have you--
ANJALI: (laughing) Yes!

ROBBIE: A game and a half!

(laughter)

MATT: Hell yeah.
ROBBIE: Excellent.

(laughter)

MATT: As you--
LAURA: Amazing.

MATT: You begin to--
LAURA: I've got to search something!

MATT:-- look amongst
the broken glass

and the chunks of fallen
brick and masonry

that have fallen free from
whatever happened up above.

You glance through

and you don't see any blood--

ROBBIE: Mm.

MATT:-- at all.

But you see a couple
of odd things

that don't look like
they should be here.

You see, they look
like almost gray--

You ever see what boiled
bacon looks like?

ROBBIE: Oh yeah, okay.
LAURA: Ew.

MATT: It's awful. It's gray,
somewhat slimy strips

of some sort of flesh.

Something inhuman, something
that looks unnatural.

Looks like it was either
carved off, sloughed off.

It's sitting there
on the ground.

As you look towards it and

at first, it blends
in with the rest

of the the chaos that's
fallen on the ground here.

You see it and
recognize the texture

as it glistens from a
little bit of sunlight

that's coming through
as the last bit

of the fog is burned
off in the morning.

Look at it and it twitches.

ANJALI: (sharp inhale)

MATT: It twitches and
you feel yourself like,

"What the fuck is that?"

As you pull away
for a brief second,

you feel your heart
jump into your throat

and you do take a brain.

LAURA: Oh no, do we have
bleed containment vials?

ANJALI: We do.
We do indeed.

LAURA: Don't you have one?
ANJALI: Yes, I do.

Do we see this happening?

MATT: You're having
this conversation.

You do hear probably
an audible gasp

as you turn around
and watch as Howard

is backing away
a couple steps.

ANJALI: Would you two
excuse me?

Continue talking.
ROBBIE: Unique, interesting thing.

Some sort of flesh.

LAURA: Are you--

ROBBIE: What's that then?
LAURA: Are you all right, Howard?

ROBBIE: Oh, certainly, certainly.
LAURA: Professor, doctor?

ROBBIE: I have moments
where the new information

makes me somewhat
uncomfortable.

ANJALI: I'm watching
his gaze.

ANJALI and ROBBIE: What?

ANJALI: Point to what
you're looking at.

ROBBIE: I think we
can all see it.

I'm going to--
ANJALI: Don't, don't, don't, don't.

ROBBIE: I'm going to touch it.
ANJALI: Don't do it!

LAURA: Don't touch it.
MATT: Okay.

ASHLEY: Touch it.
ROBBIE: (slurps)

MATT: You grab it, and it makes
that horrible slimy sound.

ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah.
LAURA: Why would you do that?

MATT: It twitches twice
in your grasp.

ROBBIE: All right.

MATT: And then begins
to climb your finger.

ROBBIE: Oh, this was a mistake.
ANJALI: No, no, no.

I'm getting the bleed
containment vial

and putting it right
underneath it.

MATT: You put it underneath
it and it's not coming free.

As you look,

it's pushing into your skin.
LAURA: (gasps)

MATT: It's pushing into your hand.
ASHLEY: Oh my god.

ROBBIE: Ah! That's a
unique sensation.

ANJALI: I pull out my
jack knife and start,

without touching it,
start to try

to carve it off
the finger part.

MATT: Okay.

ROBBIE: You're cutting
my finger right now?

ANJALI: No, off the finger
part, that's what I'm saying.

MATT: I need you to make
a Control test right now.

ANJALI: ♪ Yes, you do. ♪

MATT: As this is now
slowly burrowing its way

into the top of your hand.
LAURA: I'm going to give you

a Drive point from my Nerve.
ANJALI: Okay, and am going to,

because I'm
Cool Under Pressure,

I'm assuming this is
a high stakes roll?

MATT: This would
be relatively, yes.

ANJALI: Yes, yes, yes, okay.
MATT: (laughs)

ANJALI: I may always spend
Cunning instead of the Drive

the roll would normally use.

So I am going to
spend a Cunning Drive

instead of a Nerve
Drive for Control,

so I will take another, which
means I'm rolling three.

Please don't be stupid.

LAURA: (gasps)
ANJALI: Three sixes.

ASHLEY: Oh my goodness.
LAURA: Three!

MATT: I mean--
ASHLEY: Let's take her to Vegas.

MATT: (laughs)

ASHLEY: Winner winner,
chicken dinner.

MATT: You managed to expertly
pull your blade forth

and carve it,
snatch the front

of where this weird
strip of flesh is

and pull it from his hand
leaving no wound behind.

It looked like it
was burrowing in,

but when you pull it away,
there's no sign of burrowing.

There's no pain
and no bleed.

LAURA: Wow.

MATT: Barely.

LAURA: Triple sixes.

ANJALI: I'm telling you I feel
like, thank you, thank you.

That'll never happen
again, but hey.

MATT: As you grasp and
contain it within your vial,

you can see it as
you lock off the lid

and glance at
it, it (twitches).

LAURA: That's unpleasant.
ROBBIE: That was very interesting.

ANJALI: Indeed.

MATT: "Hey, what's going
on down there?"

You see the Periphery officer

is now glancing over the
top of the fire escape.

ANJALI: Don't worry, officer,
we're simply good Samaritans

taking care of this young
unhoused gentleman.

We're trying to find
him new home,

and trying to find him
somewhere off the streets.

MATT: "Okay."

ROBBIE: We'll be on our way.

ASHLEY: What's going on?

Is there a problem up
there or something?

MATT: "Nothing you got to
worry about, get moving on."

ANJALI: All right then.

Let's go and let's
take Terry with us.

ASHLEY: If I didn't
give him shit,

he wouldn't have
believed us, you know?

ANJALI: It's true,
true, true, true.

Let's take Terry and leave here.
ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, let's go.

ANJALI: I'm going to keep an eye on him.
LAURA: Do you see any more of those gray,

twitchy, fleshy things
around here?

ROBBIE: Well, certainly.
LAURA: On the ground,

that would be bad if
somebody else picked one up.

ANJALI: Do we see the other one?
LAURA: Are there any more?

ANJALI: Can it fit in my--

MATT: I'd say there
are two of them,

and you can probably
get them both up,

now that you know
what you're in for

and you do gather it up.

You don't see
anything else here

beyond the the back
door to the hotel.

Couple of windows that are
closed from the inside

and the alleyway that goes
to the right and left

with a couple of offshoots
to lead other complexes.

LAURA: Should we try to
get to the room now

or should we head
to the Good Gravy?

ROBBIE: I am certainly hungry
after that experience.

LAURA: Professor, why did you
pick it up with your fingers?

ROBBIE: Oh, well, I suppose it
was an experiment of sorts.

LAURA: With your own flesh?

ROBBIE: Well, that's-- some
of the greatest scientists

of all time have used
themselves as their--

ANJALI: Howard.
ROBBIE:-- guinea pig. Yes?

ANJALI: This may not be a time
to worry about your reputation

as a professor or
aggrandizing yourself

in terms of-- you have
to be more careful.

ROBBIE: Oh, well--

ASHLEY: Yeah, I thought you
were the smart guy over here.

Even I wouldn't have
touched that fucking thing.

Would a genius?
ROBBIE: It all worked out, though,

didn't it?

The variables were in place,
everyone played their part.

Good gravy, I'm hungry.

MATT: (laughs)

ANJALI: I'm going to walk
off to The Good Gravy.

LAURA: I'll follow behind
and talk to Howard.

I understand the lure
of such unknowns,

but don't put yourself on
the line if unnecessary.

The payoff isn't worth
it, trust me.

ROBBIE: I thought I was
the lecturer here.

Duly noted, thank you.

Oh, duly noted.

I'll actually note it.

MATT and ANJALI: (laugh)

MATT: A short jaunt later, you
come to The Good Gravy Eatery.

The exterior of it,
it's a small little cafe

at this time of morning,
definitely seems to be

a place of those who sober
up here in the Red Lamp

just a few blocks away.

As you step within
the interior,

you could smell the
freshly-cooked sausages

and the smell of breakfast
foods and meats and eggs

wafting through the air.

You can see a couple
of business folk

that themselves are
finishing their coffee

and getting ready
for the day,

probably within the
district or just beyond.

As well as a number of
other folks that look like

they've had a rougher night

and they're still in the
process of recovering.

It doesn't take too long

for you to see a person that
you recognize as Skiddy.

You see this gentleman
in his early 50s,

red hair, mostly receded,
and the rest of it

is this large
bush of red hair,

like a vibrant
flame of a head.

Very, very pale skin,
looks gaunt and shaken

and is currently by himself in
one booth in the far corner.

Just clutching a mug
that is steaming,

looks almost untouched

as he's staring
down at the table.

ANJALI: Shall I come with?
ASHLEY: I think that's him.

ANJALI: Okay.
ASHLEY: Do we all go?

ANJALI: I think after our
experience with Terry,

it might be best
if it's you.

ASHLEY: Right, all right.

ROBBIE: We don't want to
frighten the poor man.

ASHLEY: Okay, I'll give
him a hello

and then I'll invite
you guys over?

ANJALI: Yes, and why don't you
order yourself a meal, Howard?

ROBBIE: Oh, sounds good.
Bacon, bacon, bacon.

ASHLEY: Oh, get some
bacon and some--

ANJALI: Some coffee.
ASHLEY: Some coffee.

ROBBIE: All right,
yeah, sounds good.

I'll go sit at the
counter and order a bite.

MATT: You got it.

ANJALI: Oh no, I think we
might want to keep an eye

on the good professor
for a little bit, yes?

LAURA: Of course.

I'm going to stand in
the middle of the room.

MATT: Just stand
there. Perfect.

(laughter)

ANJALI: Darling, feel
free to order something.

Perhaps a coffee
for you, too?

Yes?

LAURA: Pie.

MATT: (laughs)

All right.
ASHLEY: All right,

I'm going to walk over.

MATT: Okay.

ASHLEY: Hey.
MATT: "(startled stammerings)"

ASHLEY: Oh, Skiddy, right?

MATT: "Yeah, that's my
name. Why, who are you?"

ASHLEY: Auggie. I feel like
I've seen you in passing.

Don't worry about it.

MATT: "You look familiar."
ASHLEY: Do you mind if I take seat?

MATT: "I-- What?"

ASHLEY: Do you mind
if I take a seat?

MATT: "Okay, yeah,
that's fine."

ASHLEY: What are
you drinking?

MATT: "It's coffee.

"I haven't really
started drinking it yet.

"I'm going to get
to it and probably...

"(slurps)

"Oh, it's cold,
it's cold."

ASHLEY: Let's get you a--

Hey, can we get two fresh
cup of coffees, please?

MATT: Waitress says, "Sure,
get you some coffee,

"hang on just a sec."
ASHLEY: And maybe some pancakes.

MATT: "Pancakes and
coffees coming up."

ASHLEY: Maybe some bacon
and eggs and--

MATT: "Bacon, eggs, pancakes,
coffee, coming right up."

ASHLEY: Yeah,
that'll be good.

MATT: Goes off and
Skiddy's just watching.

"Thank you for that.
It's going to be tasty."

ASHLEY: So hey, I
ran into Terry.

MATT: "Oh yeah, talk to him?"

ASHLEY: Yeah, we was talking

and he said you guys kind
of had a rough night.

MATT: "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
we did, so fucking crazy.

"(laughs turning to crying)"
ASHLEY: He told us that--

Oh no.

MATT: "(whimpers)"

ASHLEY: Here.
MATT: "Thanks."

There's a full on
honking nose evacuation

into whatever scarf
you just handed him.

ASHLEY: You can keep that.

MATT: "I will."

ASHLEY: So did you see something?
You saw something right?

MATT: "Yeah, we saw
something all right.

"I don't know what
to tell you.

"We were all kind of fucked
up at the time, you know?"

ASHLEY: Sure.

MATT: "But we were just
laughing it off,

"having a night of
jokes and everything,

"and then we heard a crash
and we all went for cover

"and then something heavy
hit the ground behind us

"like a big boof, and
then we heard a scream,

"and we turned and then
something big moved.

"It was wrapped in torn
cloth and grime.

"It looked like it was just
awful, nightmare of a thing.

"It had so many arms.

"I was really fucked
up. I think I may

"have misremembered it, but
it fucking grabbed Enom

"and took off with him, and
I don't know where he is,

"and I don't know
if he's safe."

ASHLEY: All right,
well, me and my friends

we're going to
try to find him.

MATT: "How?"

ASHLEY: Do you mind if I
invite them over to sit down?

Or do you need some space?

MATT: "Who are your friends?"

ASHLEY: Well, we got, over there,
pretty one in the purple.

MATT: "Okay, yeah."

ASHLEY: We got that dummy
over there. He's a doctor.

He's eating whatever
he's eating.

That's Charlie. You probably
heard about Charlie around.

She's kind of like--
She's family.

MATT: "Okay, yeah."

Coffee arrives,
pancakes arrive.

Immediately goes
into scarfing.

Just automatically going into
survival mode and just--

ASHLEY: Yeah.

So this is Skiddy,
my friend Skiddy.

He's been telling me
about his night

and everything that
he saw and I told him

that we were going to try
to help him look for Enom.

ANJALI: Yes, is there
anything you can tell us

about your friend Enom?

MATT: "Yeah, he's been
under my wing

"for a couple years now.

"He's about 30 or so.

"Long scraggly blond
hair, a bit of a beard.

"He tries to keep it pointy.

"When he wakes up it's
all crazy usually.

"He's a nice fella,
been a musician.

"Keeps his guitar with
him, or he did."

He points to the back
of the booth you're in,

and you can see there's a
partially damaged guitar

that's set up on the
back of the booth.

"He left it behind
when he got taken.

"So I'm holding onto it
for when he comes back."

LAURA: Was he playing it
when the creature arrived?

MATT: "Not at the moment,
we were telling jokies.

"I don't remember
a whole lot,

"I'm real sorry.
I was real fucked up."

ASHLEY: Did you, not to--

A man of your age, did you all
fight in the war together?

MATT: "I mean,

"me and Enom did, but
Terry was too old.

"It wasn't a good time.

"Once it was over, they
just stopped helping us

"and set us on
our ways and..."

ASHLEY: Yeah, they seem to
be pretty good at that, huh?

MATT: "It's hard
to come back,

"and when you've seen some
of the things that we have

"and just told to move on
like nothing's changed,

"come back and the city's
all bright and shiny and

"people don't remember who
you were or what you've done."

You notice this point,
he keeps scratching

the side of his forearm

and you glance
into the sleeve

and you can see
there's a gash

that's starting to
darken a little bit.

ANJALI: Skiddy, what
happened to your arm?

MATT: "I scraped it last
night at some point.

"I don't know what happened."

ANJALI: Doctor.

ROBBIE: Yes?

ANJALI: Might you have
any salves or something

that would work
on something--

LAURA: Like a gray,
wormy flesh thing

that's embedded itself
in someone's arm?

ROBBIE: Oh, it seems
unlikely that I would have

that specific medication.

ANJALI: (laughs)

ROBBIE: Also PhD, not MD.

May I take a look
at your arm, please?

MATT: "You're
the doctor, right?

"You said he is the doctor?"

LAURA: Yes.
MATT: "Okay, yeah, okay."

ASHLEY: He's a doc.

ROBBIE: I'd like
to examine the arm

and see if there's any
movement within his arm.

That is not the
muscles of his arm.

MATT: Sure, make a
Focus test for me.

ROBBIE: All right, I
should be good at it.

Hey, that's a five
on the gilded.

LAURA: Nice.
MATT: Great, great.

Inspecting it, it looks
like it's a rapid gash

like somebody who just
ran into something sharp

like a corner or an edge
and tore across,

and it looks like it's
likely on a path to infection

if it's not treated
sometime soon.

But none of
the flesh looks like

it's out of the
ordinary, thankfully.

ROBBIE: Oh, okay.

Well, this seems like a
relatively ordinary-type of--

LAURA: Are you winking because
you mean it's not ordinary?

Or are you winking
because it is?

ROBBIE: It is because
it is ordinary.

LAURA: Oh, great.

ROBBIE: It is ordinary,
why would it not be

anything other than ordinary?

ANJALI: Of course.
ROBBIE: Of course.

LAURA: It's ordinary.
ROBBIE: It is very ordinary.

But I would suggest that
perhaps if there's a shelter,

you could go to
on the Shriveline,

a doctor, or a nurse,

you might want to
have that looked at.

MATT: "Okay, I can do that."
ROBBIE: Perhaps,

and when I say
"might want to,"

you must or you'll die of

sepsis within a few days.
ANJALI: Oh goodness, doctor. Skiddy.

MATT: "Yeah, okay,
I'll make sure

"I get it taken looked at.
Thank you, doctor."

ROBBIE: Yeah.

ANJALI: If you need any
help finding someone

after you finish your meal,

stop by The Sight Unseen.

The gentleman there, Stinson,

tell him that Charlie sent
you and you need a doctor.

MATT: "Okay, I can do that."

ROBBIE: Speaking of
shelters and hostiles,

pardon me, I'm usually
not very good

with the interview portions,

but is there a place
where Enom would go

when he needed a night
away from the cold?

I shan't assume that
you're all without home.

Is there a place
where he would frequent?

MATT: "I mean,
most of us gathered

"outside of The Getaway.

"There's a back storeroom

"that they usually
don't pay attention to

"that we go in
and nap at night.

"That's usually where we go."

ROBBIE: So you can't think
of anywhere he might be

since his disappearance?

MATT: "No, I mean,
we all hop between

"the different hostels,
if need be,

"and get ourselves
some soup or a meal

"and meet up with
friends if we need

"now and then, so--
but not particularly

"one place or anything."

ROBBIE: I have a lot
of questions.

LAURA: Which side of the
alley was he pulled from?

If you're standing in front
of the hotel in the alley,

did he go to
the left or the right?

MATT: "That would be on the
right-hand side where we were,

"but it moved so fast and
that's when I reached out,

"try and grab him
and he was just gone."

LAURA: Did you see his
body being pulled away

or did it seem like suddenly
he was part of the creature?

MATT: "No, I just saw him
yelling and being pulled away."

ROBBIE: When we say "creature"
we mean most likely a creature

escaped from the local zoo.

I'm sure it was
some sort of...

MATT: "It's kind of
what I figured."

ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: "A bear or something."

ROBBIE: Yeah, so a bear.

MATT: "It was about
a bear size."

ROBBIE: A large, scary bear.

MATT: "With a lot of arms."

LAURA: The scarlet does that.

MATT: "Yeah.

"I got to get off
this stuff."

Just stuffs a big old chunk
of bacon and pancake

in one fistful into
his mouth and chews.

ANJALI: Seeing that,
and as he says that,

Charlotte's face
falls a little bit,

thinking about
the ramifications

of some of the dealings
that she has been

making in this town.

ROBBIE: Well, unless

we have some more time
we'd like to spend

with Skiddy here,
my belly is full. (chuckles)

Perhaps we should return?

Should certainly
be an hour and a half

at this point, correct?
ANJALI: Yes, exactly.

ROBBIE: All right.
ASHLEY: Sure.

ANJALI: Skiddy, do stop by
the Sight Unseen, yes?

MATT: "Yeah, I will."
ANJALI: Stinson.

MATT: "I will, I'll talk
to Stimson."

ANJALI: Stinson.
MATT: "Stinson."

ANJALI: Yes.

MATT: "Charlie, right, was
what you saying your name was?

"All right, yeah,
I'll tell him."

ANJALI: Good.

ASHLEY: I'm going to
take out some coins,

put them on the table.

MATT: "It's very kind of
you, Auggie. Very kind."

ASHLEY: Hey, I remember
what you did.

I know that was a hard time.

Thank you for
fighting for us and

we care about you.

MATT: "Appreciate that.

"Anybody else going
to finish this?"

LAURA: Oh, I thought--
No, it's all yours.

Coin as well.

MATT: "Oh, okay."

Starts filling
his pockets with

the stuff he hasn't eaten.

ANJALI: Take care, Skiddy.

Shall we?

ROBBIE: Let's.
ASHLEY: Yeah.

MATT: All right, where
are you off to now?

ANJALI: I think we should
find that store room.

LAURA: Yeah, go to the store
room and try to get up.

ANJALI: It might be worth,

and I hate to do this
every time, not every time,

but I hate every time
that I have to do this.

It might be worth me
continuing the ruse

to see if I can
distract from the front.

ROBBIE: If you'd
like another date,

you're more than
welcome to try.

But I believe he said
we could just come in

in an hour and a half,
did he not?

ANJALI: Ah, yes, that's true.

ASHLEY: We could
just try and walk right in.

ROBBIE: But if
you fancied him,

I would be delighted to be,
what's the term?

A wing man?

I'll be your man,

I'll be the man on
your wing if you--

ANJALI: Let's go.

ROBBIE: All right.

ASHLEY: All right.

MATT: So you return to
The Getaway Grand?

ASHLEY: Yes.
MATT: Okay.

As you you approach
the familiar exterior

street-facing side of
the building complex,

the door is no longer guarded
by that Periphery gentleman.

ROBBIE: Perfect.

ANJALI: Shall we?

Open the door.

MATT: So the steps and
enter the main entry,

pushing the doors aside.

It is, you know, it's a
relatively nice hotel interior.

You can see there's
some gold painted detailing

across the dark, almost
purple, black wallpaper

that hits the entryway
on both sides,

with some archways,

all showing
a little bit of age,

but still a little bit of,
you know, low-end decadence.

The carpeted floors.

The carpet has a little bit
of a stained texture, too,

but it also gives
it some character.

You step in a little bit,

passing a few
offices on each side.

Doors closed.

There is a bellman's desk and
a number of cubbies,

as well as a key hanging
arrangement wall behind.

There is a middle-aged
clerk gentleman

who is currently sitting
there, pair of glasses,

short hair on the sides,
smooth bald head,

bit of an ascot and
a jacket who you can see

is the current desk man
for the establishment.

He's in the process of
writing within,

looks up, gives you
both a look

and then goes back
to his business.

ANJALI: So I don't recognize
him as Matthew, then.

I'm just checking.

Perhaps one of the bellmen.

LAURA: Yeah, let's just
go to the elevator

and see if we can
just go straight.

ANJALI: That's a great idea,
shall we?

ASHLEY: Just go straight up?

ANJALI: Just go straight
to the elevators.

MATT: Okay, the elevator,
the cart as it arrives

you can see
the great (squealing)

squeaks as it pulls open, the
lattice work push on one side,

and there is this,
I can only describe him

as a lump of a man.

About 4'6",

his shoulders,
in his older age,

have merged to
the back of his neck,

and he wears this coat
that almost frames him

in the back collar with how
far forward his head is.

He wears this little square
bellman's cap on top.

Has this Droopy dog sort
of expression to his face

as he sits there and says,

"Enter."

ROBBIE: How big
is the elevator?

MATT: Oh, it can fit
the four of you and him

very uncomfortably.

ROBBIE: (laughs)
ANJALI: Excellent.

MATT: So you all (grunting).
ASHLEY: Tight fit?

MATT: Push in.
ANJALI: Yes.

MATT: You all squeeze in, he
gets pushed against the wall

and goes, (shifting)
(squealing) (thuds)

(shifting) begins to rise up.

You can see the floors
begin to (whooshes),

until eventually he takes
you, at your request,

to the sixth floor before

(squealing)
it opens once more,

and you step out
into the main hall

of the sixth floor
of The Getaway.

The smell here
is pretty consistent.

It has aged perfume

that has long set into the
interior, mixed with that,

never-able-to-get-out smell
of ancient water damage.

ALL: Hmm.
MATT: You can see

there are paintings
on the walls.

There is a window that faces
out towards the street.

There are small tables
with small vases,

and plants that probably
haven't been kept that well

and are starting to brown.

But you can see to
the right and left of you,

the hall continues
both directions

and there are doors
all across the hallway.

ANJALI: We don't see anyone

from the Periphery
in either direction?

MATT: On the
left side, you do see,

towards the end of the hall

a Periphery officer
who is currently sitting

in the corner on
the outside of a room,

the door partially ajar,
to a somewhat lit interior,

and is looking out.

Hasn't quite marked
any of you yet,

but you can see is
just sitting in space.

The same Periphery cap on,
looking to the side.

LAURA: It's not
the same gentleman

that was downstairs
from before, is it?

MATT: It is not
the same gentleman.

LAURA: That's good.

ANJALI: Is it Matthew?
No, sorry.

(laughter)

LAURA: Damn it, I will
find a Matthew!

ANJALI: I'd like to
meet Matthew, please.

I'm here for Matthew;
have you met him?

(laughter)

ANJALI: Right, here we
find ourselves again.

ASHLEY: Okay, yeah.
LAURA: We've got a--

Is he sitting at the
end of the hallway--

How is he blocking the door?

MATT: He's not necessarily
blocking the door,

but if you go down the hall,
you see it spreads out

into another T separation
where other rooms are.

There is a door
that's partially blocked

by the left hand turn.

You can see part of it
open before it goes away,

and he's to the right of it,
visible to you,

because he's almost in the
middle of the T-intersection,

before both ways it goes,

standing next to where
the door is partially open.

He's looking down
at the ground.

Hasn't noticed
your arrival yet,

or seems to care.

ROBBIE: Ah, interesting.
One way in.

LAURA: I'll try
something this time.

ROBBIE: Oh.

ANJALI: Be my guest.

LAURA: I'll walk
down the hallway

and try to walk,
try to walk past him

to where his view would
be turned away from the door,

if that makes sense.

I'll keep walking
down the hallway

and then I'll go: Oh!

And I'll fall to the ground.

ANJALI: Oh!

(laughter)

ROBBIE: Like you
got the vapors?

ANJALI: Amazing.
ROBBIE: Okay.

ASHLEY: The vapors.
MATT: Sure enough.

Yeah, make a low stakes
Sway roll on this.

This is to sell
just how deeply

he believes and
rushes to your aid.

LAURA: (laughs)

Six!
ANJALI: Ah!

MATT: Six.

You, boof, on the ground.

"Oh dear, Miss, Miss,
you all right, Miss?

"Miss, you all right?"

ANJALI: Go, go, go, go, go.

MATT: Comes over and looks
to you and starts, "Miss,"

and lightly taps
you on the cheek.

"Oh, oh dear.

"Hold on, I've got
something for this."

Ah, so he's going
through his pouches

while the rest of you dart by

and head into the room.

ROBBIE: Yeah, oh yeah.
ANJALI: Yes, definitely.

MATT: Three of you
into the room,

and he's like,
"I've got one here,"

and he pulls out
a small capsule

and opens it under your nose.

LAURA: Oh!

MATT: "Oh, it worked!

"I've always wanted to
use one of those, ha.

"Are you all right, Miss?

"I saw you took
a mean spill there.

"Are you all right?"
LAURA: What happened?

MATT: You look up and
see this round-faced

young potato of a man.

ANJALI and ASHLEY: Aw.

MATT: Brown hair poking
from beneath his cap.

He looks like he's
a younger officer

who was probably just put
on watch duty for this

and is looking at you.

A bit taken aback
by your beauty.

This proximity is, "Oh,
are you feeling all right?

"Do I need to get help?"

LAURA: My hero.

What happened?

MATT: "Oh, you just walked
right by and passed out here

"on the floor and I just,
I hope everything's all right.

"Are you
feeling well, ma'am?"

LAURA: Oh, I,

I should be.
Do you have any water?

MATT: "Oh, I-I, not on me,
but I can get you some water."

LAURA: I would love some,
thank you so much.

MATT: "Sure, sure.

"I'll go and get
you some water,"

and he puts his arm out.

LAURA: Oh, thank you.

Actually, if you don't mind,
I'll stay on the ground.

I feel a little unstable.

MATT: "What, oh,
no, of course.

"I'll be right back.
I'll be right back."

"(panting) Oh my."
LAURA: Maybe the kitchens.

MATT: "Right,
kitchens, right."

You hear him (quick footsteps)
down the hall,

and his footsteps
down the stairs.

He's taking the stairs.

ANJALI: Aw.
LAURA: I get up

and run into the room.

MATT: While the three of you--
ANJALI: Well, that was brilliant.

MATT:-- rush into the room.

The first thing you see
as you enter is the light

that is filtering from,

the interior is pretty dark,

aside from the
small oil lanterns

that line the walls
that are low set

for, you know,
good fuel usage,

but also to give
the warm interior here.

Even in the
middle of the day,

there isn't a lot of
windows along the halls,

except for the one that
you saw when you came in.

This room, same vibe,

but because the wall is
smashed in that opening,

quite a bit of light
is coming through.

The first thing you see

is this room is
in complete disarray.

The furniture is destroyed.

There is an armoire
that is broken in half.

There is a desk
that's shattered.

The bed itself is torn apart.

Bedsheets shredded.

It looks like there
was a fucking fight here.

There was a scuffle.

And the window is blown out.

It is like a violent scene,
but no blood.

ROBBIE: No blood?

MATT: No blood.
LAURA: Oh, uh.

MATT: The second thing
you see is a man,

about 6'1"--

LAURA and ROBBIE: Uh-oh.

MATT:-- who is standing
on the threshold

of the bathroom of this room,

himself dressed in
Periphery uniform, hat off,

with a captain's badge
on his shoulder

a captain's badge
on his shoulder

and turns and goes,

"Excuse me,
may I ask who this is

"and what the meaning
of this is?

"This is a crime scene."

ANJALI: Oh, Officer.
ROBBIE: Yes.

ANJALI: Hello.

I didn't know that they had
actually sent you here already.

You must know me already.

Charlotte, Charlotte Eaves.

MATT: "No idea who you are."

ANJALI: Right.

MATT: "I'm sorry, miss,
hold on just a second."

You see him referring to,
in the bathroom,

there is a woman who's
sitting on the edge

of the toilet, not using it.

(laughter)

LAURA: Taking a shit.
MATT: She's just taking

a huge dump.
(laughter)

ROBBIE: Sick!

ANJALI: I mean, when in Rome.
ROBBIE: Let's go!

(laughter)

ROBBIE: Our first
Victorian shit!

(laughter)

MATT: You see a young woman
in her late 20s or so,

mousey brown hair that's
done in a single braid

down the back.

She's wearing a green flower
dress with a shawl over it.

She's holding an umbrella
in one hand,

and she looks like she's
a bit frazzled as well,

and is a bit confused
by everyone looking around.

But nevertheless,
the officer looks back

at the rest of you.

"I have no idea who you are,

"but I would like to know

"why you're in the
middle of this scene.

"Do you have any
connection to Miss Onette?

ROBBIE: I'm going to turn
to the group and very--

How far away is he?

MATT: At this point?
ROBBIE: A room away?

MATT: Five feet from you.

ROBBIE: Okay.

MATT: You burst into
the room, saw the room,

and then turned and
he's right there going.

ROBBIE: I'm going to
turn to the group.

LAURA: Have I,
I haven't entered yet.

ROBBIE: Oh, you're
not there yet?

LAURA: No, because
I'm still in the hallway

ROBBIE: Are either of you
two averse to violence?

(gasping)

ANJALI: That is a bad idea,

bad idea.
ASHLEY: You mean like,

taking this guy on?

ROBBIE: (laughs) Yes or no?

ASHLEY: No, not at all.
ROBBIE: Okay.

(chuckles) I am
going to reach--

LAURA and ANJALI:
Don't, don't.

ROBBIE:-- into my pocket

where I carry
my hand weapon--

ANJALI: Oh no.
LAURA: (gasping)

ROBBIE:-- which is a set of
brass knuckles in my pocket.

MATT: Okay.

ROBBIE: I'm going to
put them in my pocket.

As I reach out
to shake his hand.

ANJALI: Oh god.

LAURA: Oh, he's--
ROBBIE: Hello.

Professor Howard Margrove.
Nice to meet you.

MATT: "Ah, I'm Chief Teren
Roakes of the Periphery."

LAURA: Don't you fucking--

ROBBIE: Excellent.
ANJALI: No, no, no.

ROBBIE: I am going--
LAURA: Don't do it.

ANJALI: No, no, no.

Don't do it, don't do it,

please don't do it.

ROBBIE: I am going to pull
my hand out of my pocket!

And I'm going to try to put
one right between his eyes.

ANJALI: No!
MATT: Okay!

(laughter)

ASHLEY: I love it.

MATT: I need you to make
a Strike test for me.

ROBBIE: Sure.
MATT: This is--

ROBBIE: I'm going
to spend a Drive.

MATT: This is
a high stakes roll!

This a pretty
high stakes roll.

You're punching a
chief of the Periphery.

ROBBIE: I know!
ASHLEY: All right,

I Saw This Coming!

I Saw This Coming.
ROBBIE: Don't be mad at me.

ANJALI: Oh, that's right.

MATT: You Saw This Coming.
ASHLEY: I Saw This Coming.

MATT: You saw him reach
into his pocket.

ASHLEY: You were looking
over at me,

and you were saying you
were going to do something,

so I'm going to help you,

you get an extra Drive.

ROBBIE: (gasps) Thank you.

I hope this goes well.

ASHLEY: We're egging you on.

LAURA: You're not going
to use your extra?

ROBBIE: What?
LAURA: You know you have an extra--

ROBBIE: I already used one.
LAURA: No, no, no.

ROBBIE: (gasps) And,
I've got my training die!

I just spit a lot.

MATT: That's all good.

ROBBIE: Now, if we fail
this five-dice roll,

we deserve it.
LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: Yes, you do.
LAURA: Well, you deserve it.

ROBBIE: I definitely
deserve it.

ANJALI: This is
a terrible idea.

ROBBIE: Oh good.

That is two sixes.

MATT: Two sixes.
ASHLEY and ANJALI: Woo!

MATT: All right,
so two sixes.

I'm going to consider
that a critical success,

which means you get a
little fun on top there.

LAURA: Oh, thank god.

ANJALI: I'm almost crying.

(laughter)

LAURA: Don't do it!
ANJALI: Slow motion.

LAURA: Tell me I walk
in right as, (punches).

MATT: The other hand's
still behind his back.

There's this moment of,
he looks at you

with a curious glance,
aware of the strange change

in demeanor as you lift
it from your pocket.

He begins--
LAURA: (laughs) Slowly.

ROBBIE: The punch--
ANJALI: The punch is like this.

ROBBIE: The punch isn't like
an "Indiana Jones" punch.

He just goes boink
and between the eyes.

You know, it's
just a straight jab.

MATT: Yeah.
ASHLEY: This is like a cartoon.

MATT: If you've never
heard a person punched

straight square
in the face, in the nose,

it isn't like the fun video
game movie, dah, ooh!

It's (grunting),
it's a horrible honking sound

as he just, (grunting)
his eyes cross a bit.

You can see a little
blood trickle from the nose

and he full on flat board,

boof--
ANJALI: Howard!

MATT:-- onto the wooden
ground of the inside

right as you walk in!
ASHLEY: Oh shit!

LAURA: What happened?

ROBBIE: Hello, Arlo.

ANJALI: Howard went rogue.

ASHLEY: Mad respect.

This one's got a pair on him.

ANJALI: The young lady,
the young lady--

MATT: The young lady
who is now standing

holding the, like,
"Oh, oh my god!"

ANJALI: It's all right, darling.

It's all right,
you're all right.

ROBBIE: Oh, he'll be fine.

He'll have quite the headache
and maybe a stitch or two.

MATT: "Who are you,
what the fuck are you doing?"

ANJALI: No, no, it's fine.

It's fine, darling,
we're friends--

LAURA: Bleed detector!
ANJALI: We're friends.

Yes, yes. Just go, just go.

Go, go, go,
I'm just going to.

(laughter)

LAURA: His nose, his nose
is definitely bleeding.

(laughter)

MATT: As you let the
space around you,

this chamber has quite
a lot of bleed residue

all throughout, a lot
of the broken furniture,

the exit of
the door entryway.

There's no thick, soupy
amount of concentrated bleed,

but there is visible
bits of residue.

So there is definitely,
definitely some sort of

magick and corruption
has been afoot.

LAURA: Okay.

Does it look like any of
the bed linens are missing

or the curtains are
missing or anything?

MATT: It looks like
they're not missing,

but they're
definitely torn apart.

LAURA: Okay.
MATT: The bed linens

have been shredded.

ANJALI: Okay.

ASHLEY: Someone's having
a good time in here.

ANJALI: Can I search for
anything that seems--

I mean, I don't even know
what I'm looking for,

but something that looks
like it's out of place

in a disheveled place.

Like something specific
that looks like it's been

either placed or something
that is out of the ordinary

given the class--

MATT: Go ahead and make
a Survey test for me.

ANJALI: (teasing laugh) Six.

ASHLEY: Dang!
ROBBIE: Nice.

It's turning around for us!

LAURA: Don't say it! Knock on--
ANJALI: Not anymore!

Thank you, Robbie.

MATT: You notice two things.
(laughter)

MATT: One, this is
a crime scene

that's already been pretty
heavily picked over

by the Periphery.

Unfortunately, that time
period, that hour that took

gave them enough time to
pretty much clear up anything

that may have been of
importance in this crime scene.

The other thing you--

The only thing you do note is

there is one piece
of fallen jewelry

underneath the broken armoire--
LAURA: Yes.

MATT:-- which looks like
a simple gold chain.

ANJALI: Can you use your, just
on this, before I take it?

LAURA: Just take it.

ANJALI: Is there
anything on the chain?

MATT: No bleed on the chain.
ANJALI: Okay, good.

MATT: But you do see that.

ANJALI: I'm going to
grab the chain

and pocket it and turn
back to this young lady.

Young lady, do you work here?

MATT: "No, I don't
work here, I'm, um--

"Who are you?

LAURA: We're here to help.

MATT: Make a Sway roll.

LAURA: Oh god.

ANJALI: I will-- Well, yeah.

I can't help you with that--
MATT: You just punched the police!

ANJALI: No, no, no, no, no,
no, no! I should've said that

I should've done that one!

ROBBIE: We're here to help.

ANJALI: It should've been
me! It should've been me!

LAURA: I don't know why--
ASHLEY: You-- What?

LAURA: You got the Sway.

I don't know why I jumped in!
ANJALI: It's okay! It's okay!

MATT: Well, to be fair,
you are all

currently trying to
get her attention.

ANJALI: So, can I--
MATT: If you would like to make it--

ANJALI: I would very much
like to make a Sway.

MATT: Okay.
LAURA: I'll give you a Drive

just so it makes sense.

I'll give you a--
MATT: There you go.

I respect that.
ANJALI: I love that!

So then I'll take another.
MATT: I respect that.

ANJALI: A mixed success
at four.

MATT: Got it.
ANJALI: Hey, three fours.

ROBBIE: Four.
ANJALI: Interesting.

Oh, and also,
I'll take the gilded die,

and get back my Drive.

MATT: Great.
ANJALI: ♪ Da da da da da ♪

LAURA: Do I get back
my Drive, too?

ANJALI: Not unless
I've failed.

LAURA: Okay.
MATT: Yeah. She succeeded.

So unfortunately, no.
LAURA: Okay.

ANJALI: Sorry.
ASHLEY: (laughs)

MATT: But good looking out.

ANJALI: (laughs)

ASHLEY: Not unless it fails.
MATT: Hey.

ANJALI: Good looking
out for yourself.

LAURA: Good looking
out for yourself.

(laughter)

ASHLEY: Good looking out.
ROBBIE: You're the best

friend you could have.

MATT: Laura, I've been gaming
with you for a decade now.

I only expect
negotiation every time.

(laughter)

ROBBIE: Well, if we fail,
we get our points back.

ANJALI: I mean, hey.

MATT: I love it! I
genuinely love it!

LAURA: (laughs)

MATT: She calms
down slightly.

"My name's Kara,
Kara Belmon.

"I'm Chamberwoman
Onette's assistant."

ANJALI: Mm.

LAURA: Oh!

MATT: "I was brought here a
short time ago by the chief

"for questioning about what
might have happened here.

"I don't know what
would've done this.

"This is insanity."

ASHLEY: She was with
someone, yeah?

MATT: You can see there's this
immediate internal tension

in her head, this moment
of her going, like.

ANJALI: Kara, if there
was someone here

who could see what
had happened...

MATT: "Aye, there was
someone here with her.

"Aye, it was some...

"Damn it all!

"The chamberwoman had
a bit of a paramour."

ANJALI: Hmm.

MATT: "His name was
Wayland Threed."

ANJALI: Wayland Freed?

MATT: "Threed."
ANJALI: Threed.

MATT: "He was a horn
player who--"

ROBBIE: I bet
he was. (laughs)

Bad timing--
ANJALI: Doctor! Doctor, stop!

ROBBIE: Bad timing.
I'm sorry.

ASHLEY: I mean, I was
ready to say it, too.

MATT: "He worked in
The Varnish mostly,

"and they've had a few
dalliances here in The Getaway.

"I was responsible for just
making sure it stayed here.

"And that's all I know."

ASHLEY: Wait, you were making
sure he was staying here?

ANJALI: Is it--
MATT: "I was making sure

"that nobody else
found out about it."

ASHLEY: Oh, yeah, yeah. We're
not going to say anything.

ANJALI: Yeah, don't worry.

We understand
discretion is key.

MATT: "Well,
it's not anymore.

"Periphery know."

LAURA: Oh!

Oh!
ANJALI: About him?

MATT: "Aye.

"They've been looking for him,
and he can't be found neither."

LAURA: Oh.

ASHLEY: Oh, they
didn't find him?

ANJALI: This is good.

It may sound like
a strange question,

it is a strange question,

but in addition to
obvious comforts

that perhaps a
paramour provided,

did he ever play her music?

MATT: "I mean,
it's kind of hard

"to romantically play
someone a horn

"in a private hotel room--"
ANJALI: No, no, no, no...

MATT: "-- if that's
what you mean, but--"

ANJALI: I just mean--

ROBBIE: Sexual.
ANJALI: There's another musician.

ROBBIE: Sexual intercourse.

ANJALI: There is another--
ROBBIE: Sexual intercourse.

ANJALI: There is another
musician, if you all remember.

LAURA: Yes!

ANJALI: I'm wondering if
that might be related.

ASHLEY: Mm.
LAURA: Yeah.

ASHLEY: (gasps) Because
he knew how to play, too.

LAURA: Yeah.
ANJALI: Thank you.

It's not so strange, is it?

ASHLEY: No. I see
the connection.

ROBBIE: Oh, you were being literal.
LAURA: I believe there's--

ANJALI: I was being literal, yes.
ROBBIE: Oh.

LAURA: There are a couple
concerts coming in town.

ANJALI: (gasps) That's right!
ASHLEY: That's right!

That's right!

LAURA: Maybe we should
check that out.

ASHLEY: Performances.

ROBBIE: That's clever.

ANJALI: Kara, do you need
anything from us?

Any help? Any?

MATT: "Not particularly.

"What I do ask though is,
whatever you're doing,

"just don't tell her
husband that I knew."

ANJALI: Of course not.

ASHLEY: Who's her
husband again?

MATT: "(sighs)"

ASHLEY: Just so we
know not to tell him.

MATT: "Her husband is
Aaron, Aaron Ferris.

"He's probably at
their estate."

ROBBIE: Do they
have children?

MATT: No children, just
their home in Briar Green."

ROBBIE: Oh.
LAURA: Oh.

MATT: "I'm sure he's not
happy about all this,

"because I'm sure the
Periphery have told him."

LAURA: Oh.

MATT: "So, just don't
tell him that I knew.

"Please?"

ANJALI: We should go.
We should go.

LAURA: There's another
place that they're coming.

ANJALI: Yeah, that's
right. Okay.

ASHLEY: No, no. Go ahead.

ANJALI: Kara, we'll happily
keep your secret for you.

If there's anything you
might be able to do

when this captain
comes to...

ROBBIE: Oh, I did--
ANJALI: To help cover our tracks.

MATT: "Well, I...

"What am I supposed?

"Well, I've already
kept too many secrets!

"I'm not going to--"
ANJALI: All right, it's fine.

MATT: "You punched an
officer in front of me!

"I don't even
know you, really!"

ROBBIE: He won't remember
much for about an hour

before we got here,
if I had to guess.

ANJALI: Hmm.

ROBBIE: Not that I've done
anything like this before.

What does Aaron Ferris
do for business?

Just one more tiny little question.
LAURA: I know the Ferrises.

Let's just go.
ROBBIE: You know them? All right.

ANJALI: Mm.

It's okay.

MATT: "He used to
be a writer,

"but he's just mainly a
house husband these days."

ANJALI: Hmm.
MATT: "Look,

"I don't want to
be here anymore."

She pushes past and
steps over the--

ASHLEY: One more question, real quick.
MATT: "No, I can't answer any more questions!

"This has already put
me in a bad place!"

ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
MATT: "I've got to go!"

She leaves the door
right as a officer

steps out of the way
with a glass of water.

ANJALI: I'm going
to grab her arm.

LAURA: Oh!

ANJALI: I'm going to grab
her arm immediately, and go:

Darling, I'm sorry that
we brought you in,

obviously, a terrible
place to rest.

Can we guide you
perhaps to your room?

MATT: "I brought you water."

LAURA: Oh, thank you.
MATT: "What?"

ASHLEY: I know! He fell over!
LAURA: Thank you!

ASHLEY: I'm going to just
act like I'm waking him up.

MATT: (laughs)

ASHLEY: Just patting him, but
I also want to take his badge.

MATT: "What happened?"

ANJALI: Yes! Lift it!

MATT: Go ahead and make
a Hide test for me.

ASHLEY: All right, I get
an extra gild.

MATT: I'll say
Hide or Control.

Those would be the two
you'd get to pick from.

ASHLEY: Okay, I'm going to do
Hide because I get an extra gild.

MATT: Okay.

ASHLEY: Then that's
gilded, so I do...

Oh, wait!

So it's two?
ANJALI: Two gilded.

ASHLEY: Two gilded?

ANJALI: Do you need a Drive?

Are you good?

I'll give you--

ASHLEY: You know what?
I'll do a Drive.

I'll do a Drive.
ANJALI: Okay,

and I'll give you a Drive.
MATT: I mean,

if they're both gilded--
ASHLEY: Okay.

MATT: You get it back
regardless of what you roll.

ANJALI: Yeah, and I'm
going to give you a Drive.

Oh!

ASHLEY: Okay, let's just do that.
ANJALI: But you still need

the extra dice, don't you?
ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah.

ANJALI: All right,
never mind.

MATT: The only dice you
can pick from are gilded,

so you get it
back regardless.

ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah.

Five.
ANJALI: All right.

ASHLEY: Rolled a five
and a two.

ANJALI: Get your Drive back.
ASHLEY: Wait.

So I go. Okay.

MATT: Okay, so indeed,
you swipe the badge,

and pocket it as
he's like "(stutters)

"What happened around here?

"Did he just fall over?"

ROBBIE: He slipped and fell.

MATT: (laughs)

I need you--
ANJALI: No!

ROBBIE: No, it's the
one I'm worst at!

MATT: (laughs)
ANJALI: No!

LAURA: Why did you talk?
ANJALI: No!

MATT: I need you to roll
Sway for me right now.

ANJALI: Slow motion!

MATT: Roll Sway for me.
ANJALI: No!

ROBBIE: Sway?
ANJALI: Why?

ROBBIE: Well, I've got
one in Sway.

MATT: Okay, so that's one dice.
ROBBIE: I've done a few lectures.

MATT: (laughs)

ROBBIE: I'm going to spend
a Drive to give myself two.

LAURA: Smart.
MATT: You got it.

ANJALI: I'm going to
spend a Drive to give him

one as well.
MATT: So three.

ROBBIE: This is for
"He slipped and fell."

MATT: Get one more dice.
LAURA: One more.

ROBBIE: Ooh,
who gave me help?

ANJALI: I did.
LAURA: Charlie did.

ASHLEY: Yep.

MATT: Burn those
Drives, y'all.

ROBBIE: Hey, I got six!
LAURA: (gasps)

ANJALI: All right, all right.
MATT: You got a six.

ANJALI: Excellent, excellent.
MATT: He goes, "Oh!

"Oh, goodness! I need to
make sure he's all right!"

(grunts) Starts
patting him, too.

You see him starting to
come to a little bit.

ANJALI: I will take the water
and get her down to safety.

ROBBIE: We'll be on our way.
ANJALI: Sure.

LAURA: I take a sip and
then I'll give it back.

ASHLEY: Take care of him because
he was talking about some nonsense

about people coming in.
LAURA: You can always

throw it in his face!
MATT: "Oh! That's right!"

ANJALI: Let's get out of
here! Let's get out of here!

MATT: Splashes it right
into his face.

ANJALI: Let's just get
out, get out, get out!

LAURA: Walk faster.

ANJALI: Speedy McDeep.

MATT: You rapidly exit.
ROBBIE: (laughs)

MATT: Do you take the
elevator or the stairs?

LAURA: Stairs.
ROBBIE: Stairs.

ANJALI: Stairs, faster.
LAURA: Probably quickest.

ANJALI: Yeah, stairs,
stairs, stairs, stairs.

MATT: So you (chugs)

and rapidly exit
The Getaway Grand

back into the
street of Red Lamp.

LAURA: Oh no!
ANJALI: Oh, Howard!

MATT: (laughs)

ASHLEY: Should we go to the
storage room while we're here?

ANJALI: We should definitely
get farther away from here

than we are right now.

LAURA: How well do Candela
lighthouse keepers cover up

things like punching
Periphery officers?

ANJALI: It's a good question.

I've never experienced
that before.

ASHLEY: Oh yeah! You guys are

above the Periphery,
ANJALI: I suspect that they--

ASHLEY:-- or samesies?

ANJALI: It's not exactly
a hierarchy.

LAURA: It's not that they
don't really know about--

ROBBIE: Or we.
MATT: As you are exiting

The Getaway Grand.
ANJALI: Yeah, we've left.

We've left!
ROBBIE: We're having this

conversation in the middle
of a hotel lobby!

MATT: As you are exiting
The Getaway Grand--

LAURA: Uh-oh.

MATT:-- as you head out
into the street,

you see three figures
approaching The Getaway Grand

in their navy
blue long coats.

ROBBIE: (groans)

MATT: A few field
officers of the OUP,

one of which is a familiar,
thin, gaunt fellow

with short dark hair, about
six and a half feet tall,

a rail of a man
who looks past,

and eyes you, Auggie, as
you both pass each other.

You remember this gentleman
from a few weeks back

as the first
that interrogated you

when you came to consciousness
in Donald's place.

Doesn't stop, but just--

ASHLEY: I'm going to
try to just

not make eyes at him.

MATT: Well, you see him--

As soon as you first
notice he's there,

he's already looking at you.
ASHLEY: Fuck!

MATT: Then you continue
moving, and he keeps moving,

and you both pass as
he heads toward the hotel.

Nevertheless, what do
you want to do?

ASHLEY: That was the
guy! That was the guy!

That was the one
that when I woke up,

he was there.

He's the bad guy.

He's one of the bad guys.
LAURA: Yeah.

ROBBIE: Would this be someone
that we would've encountered

in Candela like this, or--

MATT: Some of you may have
encountered Officer Aaron Weimer.

ROBBIE: Weimer.
MATT: Yes.

ROBBIE: Yeah.

MATT: He's a head of a number
of investigations with the OUP,

and takes his job
very seriously,

and is often considered
one of the biggest thorns

in the side
of Candela's work.

ANJALI: Oh, a nightmare!

Well, it's not good if
he clocked any one of us.

ASHLEY: I feel like we
made eyes at each other.

Not in a good way,
but it was just a quick,

and I was like, "Shit!"

LAURA: He seemed to be staring
at you the entire time, actually.

ASHLEY: He did?
LAURA: Yeah.

ASHLEY: Oh shit! All right.

ANJALI: All right, whatever
we do then, we should go fast.

Should we to the storeroom?

LAURA: Store?
ANJALI: Or you mentioned

that you know--
ASHLEY: Should we check

that storage room in the back,
or we should get out of here?

LAURA: I don't think the creature
stopped into the storeroom,

but we can always look.

ANJALI: Oh, you mentioned
you knew the Ferrises.

ASHLEY: Oh, oh.
LAURA: Oh yes.

They live in
the Briar Green.

My family knows
most families.

ANJALI: Oh.

Do you know anything
about Mr. Ferris?

LAURA: I know he used
to be a writer,

but he mostly
stays at home now.

(laughs)
ANJALI: Hmm.

ROBBIE: Some sort of
house husband?

(laughter)
LAURA: Yes.

ANJALI: Hmm.

LAURA: And I know that--
ANJALI: Yeah.

LAURA:-- Onette Ferris is a
Chamberwoman for the Periphery.

ANJALI: Wonderful.
ROBBIE: If it's just

as well with you,
I'd personally

prefer to leave this area.
LAURA: For the Primacy, I mean.

Just kidding.
For the Primacy.

ANJALI: Just in general.

yes, yes, yes, yes.
ROBBIE: Posthaste.

ASHLEY: Let's walk and talk.

ANJALI: Wait, aren't we
walking and talking?

I thought that's what
we were doing.

MATT: I assumed you were, but
where are you heading to?

Where are you walking?

LAURA: That's
a good question.

We could either
go to their house.

ROBBIE: Yeah.
LAURA: We could go

try to follow the trail
of whatever creature pulled--

ROBBIE: Yeah.
LAURA:-- pulled Enom down the street.

ANJALI: Mm-hmm.

ROBBIE: We could go
looking for Wayland.

LAURA: We could go
looking for Wayland.

We could look for where
Wayland performed.

ANJALI: I'm interested in the music
side of these things because,

I'm sorry, but the fact
that there's a guitar,

there's a horn player,

I feel like there's some
kind of connection.

ASHLEY: Does that name sound
familiar to you at all?

Did he ever play because he
played a lot in The Varnish.

That's what she said.

LAURA: I know there's a
couple concerts coming up.

Musicians have been
coming in town.

ANJALI: Could we grab
a paper to find,

is there an
entertainment section?

ASHLEY: You need a paper?
ANJALI: You have a newspaper?

ASHLEY: I got paper, baby.
ANJALI: Of course you do.

ROBBIE: Hey!
ANJALI: Thank you.

Apparently, I have
a paperboy here!

Oh, wonderful!

Can we flip through and
get the information about who?

MATT: Yeah, sure!

Go ahead and make a
Focus test for me.

ANJALI: Don't make
me roll for it.

MATT: Well, this is
going to be, I mean,

perusing the information,
we're looking for anything

that might pertain specifically
to what you're seeking.

ROBBIE: Mm.

ANJALI: I need help!

ASHLEY: I am going to
assist because--

MATT: It's a low stakes
roll, just so you know.

ANJALI: Okay.

Then if you want to save
your Drive, you can.

ASHLEY: All right, I'll
save it, because--

ANJALI: Although, if I fail,
you get it back anyway.

ASHLEY: Then it's fine.

I'll do it.

ANJALI: I got a two,
so I failed.

ASHLEY: Okay.
MATT: Okay.

So you're doing
it anyway, then?

ASHLEY: Yeah.
ANJALI: Oh.

MATT: You roll one more, so if
you fail, then you get it back.

ANJALI: A five!

LAURA: Yay!
ASHLEY: Yes!

MATT: That's good enough.
ANJALI: Thank you, Auggie.

ASHLEY: You're welcome.

MATT: Glancing through, there
are a number of performances

that are publicly printed
within the newspaper.

ANJALI: Mm-hmm.
LAURA: What is it?

MATT: In particular, the
paper that you have on you

would be the paper of--

ASHLEY: The Herald Star.

MATT: Yep, The Halen Star.
ASHLEY: Halen Stars.

MATT: Halen Star, indeed.
ANJALI: Yeah.

MATT: This does have a
small entertainment section

for those who are looking
for things to see.

There are singers,
there are bands playing.

You do catch note of
what's called The Revisionary,

which is an amazing
restauwant, restaurant.

ANJALI: Mm.
MATT: You know,

that's phrase,
with the restauwant.

ANJALI: Wovewy, wovewy!
MATT: (mumbles) And the westauwant.

ANJALI: I wove
that westauwant.

MATT: A restaurant
in The Varnish

that had a recent
grand reopening

naught but about six
or so months ago,

and has been trying to ramp
up its entertainment schedule

to be competitive with others

that stayed open
during the war,

as this was closed down
during the war.

You do see in one
of the notes there

that mentions
a small trio band,

one of which, Wayland is
noted as one of the trio.

ANJALI: Well, that's
remarkable, isn't it?

ASHLEY: What are they called again?
LAURA: I think we should go there.

ANJALI: The Revision?

MATT: The restaurant's
called the The Revisionary.

ASHLEY: Did that say what
the band's name was?

MATT: No, it just had
the trio of names.

ASHLEY: Okay.

LAURA: Let's go.
ANJALI: Let's go to The Revisionary.

ASHLEY: Yeah.
ANJALI: We're going to

have another meal.

ROBBIE: Oh, delightful!

MATT: (laughs) All right.

As you--
ASHLEY: Did--

Sorry.
MATT: What's your question?

ASHLEY: Did Reggie
say that someone...

There was a few
concerts, right?

Reggie said someone's
coming in from out of town?

Is that what you
were talking about?

ANJALI: That's not the same
as The Revisionary, though.

That's--
MATT: No.

ANJALI: Yeah.
ROBBIE: We probably shouldn't

be looking for out-of-towners
either, right?

Like a touring band, if
they're local musicians?

I don't know.
ANJALI: I think either one

is a good lead.

ASHLEY: Something. Let's start here.
LAURA: It's attracted to music.

It seems odd.
ASHLEY: Yeah, it's weird!

ANJALI: There is--

Yes, but there isn't
anything else about that

out of town band coming in?

MATT: Nothing in particular
at the moment, no.

ANJALI: Okay, all right.
ASHLEY: Okay, okay.

MATT: So, you feel
clear on that path.

As you're mentioning this

to the rest of
the folks, Auggie,

you glance over
your shoulder,

and you can see one OUP
coated figure is trailing back

about two blocks behind you,

following you as you journey.

LAURA: Maybe we should not
want to keep too close.

MATT: And that's where we're
going to take a break.

(groaning)

MATT: We're about
at that time.

So we'll take a little break.
ROBBIE: We got a tail?

MATT: You got a tail.
We'll pick up from there.

ASHLEY: Got a tail.

ANJALI: I'm going to spend this
break trying to find my name.

It's wonderful.
(laughter)

ANJALI: Have any of
you seen Matthew?

He might have
my brain with him.

(laughter)

MATT: Ah, yeah.

The problem with fail
rolls is sometimes

that letter doesn't make it
to the intended person.

LAURA: Oh, right!
ANJALI: Yeah.

ASHLEY: (sighs)

ROBBIE: But I love that there's
cost to the fails in this game!

It makes it so much more,

even when it's
kind of a success,

you could still get a
creepy beeper in your skin.

ASHLEY: Yep.
MATT: And like here,

succeeding in
finding information

to clarify what you
want out of the newspaper,

but now you're being tailed.

ANJALI: Yes.
MATT: Nevertheless,

we'll be back here
in a few minutes.

We'll see you shortly.

MATT: And welcome back.

So, as you are looking
to wherever your next

destination is
here in Newfaire,

you have just discovered

that you are being tailed
by a member of the OUP.

What are you doing?

ASHLEY: Psst, psst,
psst, psst.

ROBBIE: What?
LAURA: What?

ASHLEY: The guy
is following me.

LAURA: Oh.
ANJALI: Which guy?

ASHLEY: The Aaron Weimer.

LAURA: Is it Aaron or is
it some other person?

ROBBIE: Is he a tall, lanky
boy or is he a normal man?

MATT: No, he's a normal man.

ROBBIE: All right.

ANJALI: We should split up.
LAURA: Oh, let's get on

a cable car.

ANJALI: That's an option,
or we split up.

I like staying together.

Do you think we can lose him?

ASHLEY: I mean, a cable car's
not a bad idea

because if he gets on,
then it's going to be weird.

We could just
meet him head on.

LAURA: Plus, the cable cars
come by so quickly,

maybe we could
just hop on before

he can do it.
ASHLEY: Before he can even get on.

ANJALI: It's worth
the effort.

ASHLEY: Yeah, let's
give it a go.

MATT: All right, so.

In this region
of the Red Lamp,

there isn't a massive

juncture for the cable car.

Most of those are established
for the more esteemed

and affluent areas
of the city.

But there is one area

and you begin to saddle
up along the side,

picking up your
pace a little bit.

As you glance over
your shoulder,

you can see that
he's picking up his pace

a little bit as well,

trying to stay within
a specific distance.

Eventually, you begin
to saddle up alongside

one of the
cable car junctures,

like the single one that
rides the main center street

of the Red Lamp and
one of the other ones

that curves into it.

As you begin to
lean in that direction,

seeing one of the cars,
now beginning

to catch up,
LAURA: Act like we're not

going to take it, act like
we're not going to take it.

Then we hop on at
the very last minute.

ASHLEY: Oh, good idea,
good idea.

I'm just standing here.

Just standing.
MATT: All right, so you're

standing there.
ASHLEY: I'm not doing anything.

MATT: Going by.
LAURA: Having a conversation.

MATT: Going by.

Then you hear the

(bell ringing)

as it begins to approach
from the adjacent road

that's connecting here that
will curve up northward

and head towards The Varnish.

With that being said,

you begin to see the sparks
fly from it as it comes up by.

Right about the time that
you feel it's best to do so,

you rush up and leap onto it.

As you rush over,
grabbing onto the edge,

you watch the sparks
fly off the top of it.

You head up and leap onto it.

As you see the
figure begin to

(running)
go into a run to try

and catch up--
LAURA: Terminator style?

ASHLEY: T-1000?
LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: Yep. Goes running towards
the cable car behind you.

As it is turning, it's
not going maximum speed,

as it is curving and
adjusting its tracks

to head onto the
central main street road

and head northward
through the city.

As you're all on the side,
you can see him.

He's getting closer
and closer and closer

and is going to
catch up with you

and get onto the
cable car with you.

ANJALI: Oh, is this worth it?

ASHLEY: Maybe we just
meet him head on.

You know, and be like,
why are you--

What?

ANJALI: It's a bold day, right?

All right, so as
a practitioner of--

A practitioner of the

entertainment art
of magick, I--

ROBBIE: Magick.
ASHLEY: Oh!

ANJALI: I reach
into my pocket,

and I pull out a hand of--

A handful of flash powder.

MATT: Okay.

ANJALI: Right as it's
beginning to turn,

I throw some flash powder
down near the wheels

near where he's running
so it looks like something

went off and hopefully
will distract him.

MATT: Okay.

So you grab the flash powder
and right as he's rushing

and jumping for the cable
car to get ready to leap

and grab onto
the outside railing.

(flashing)
This massive (flashing)

flash explosion
blasts next to you.

This light goes wide and
people nearby go (gasps)

People in the
cable car pull away.

Go ahead and--

ANJALI: Oh no!
♪ (nervous noise) ♪

MATT: We'll make
this a Control--

ANJALI: ♪ Control ♪
MATT:-- test for me.

ANJALI: All right.
ANJALI and ASHLEY: ♪ (sing) ♪

MATT: To see if you can
manage to hit in just a way

that it's going
to throw him off.

ANJALI: Excellent.
So, high stakes?

MATT: Medium stakes.
He's just following you.

ANJALI: All right,
in that case,

I am going to--

Oh, boo.

MATT: You asked me.
ANJALI: Question.

It says here that
on a high stakes roll,

any high stakes roll,
you may always spend Cunning

instead of the Drive
the roll would normally use.

But this doesn't count.

This doesn't count, it's
like when you said this--

So can't do that here.

MATT: Sorry,
repeat that for me.

ANJALI: "On any high stakes
roll, you may always spend

"Cunning instead of the Drive

"the roll would normally use."
MATT: Correct.

Right, this would not be
considered high stakes.

ANJALI: Okay, all right,
in that case,

normally, you could
spend Cunning if you fail.

It's not Cunning.
All right, I'm going to spend

a Drive to get a die.

I'm going to spend a
♪ Nerve Drive ♪

to get a ♪ Control ♪
Drive.

If anyone wants to help me?

I could certainly use--
ASHLEY: Yes, you know what?

I'm going to use--
ROBBIE: What's it from?

ANJALI: Nerve.
ASHLEY: I'm going to use

Saw This Coming again.

MATT: Okay.
ASHLEY: So--

ANJALI: We've
done this before.

ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, yes.

We've done this
magick move before.

MATT: All right, so how
do you help with this,

the flash powder toss
on this?

ASHLEY: I see--

Do it right there.

(laughter)

MATT: Perfect. Perfect.

Especially as the one who's
used to jumping trolley cars,

you know exactly where
the optimal stepping point is.

ANJALI: Please be good to me.

They're not being good to me.

There was a two,
a two, and a one.

LAURA: Oh no.

MATT: A two, a two,
and a one.

ROBBIE: Jeez, that's a--

ANJALI: That's
a bad roll. Wait!

I have a Resistance.

So I'll spend
that Resistance.

MATT: All right.

ANJALI: Which means
I get one die

back.
MATT: One die to throw.

LAURA: Okay, okay, okay.

LAURA: Oh!
ANJALI: Oh no!

Doesn't count,
it's not in my box.

That's what she said.

(laughter)

ANJALI: (groans)

It's a three.
LAURA: They didn't want it

to happen, the dice did not

want that to happen.
ROBBIE: Damn!

ANJALI: They did not want that to happen.
MATT: Wasn't meant to be

for this one.
ANJALI: Damn it!

MATT: You throw the
powder down, it flashes.

But the figure cloaks
the front of them,

as they leap on and grab
the edge of the trolley car,

as it begins to pick up
speed and cruise upward.

Right as you back away,

the figure's
standing there now

and you can see it's

a man in his 30s or so,

a bit built in the shoulders,

wide, wearing
the familiar coat.

His hair's longer,
it's slicked back

behind the ears,
curling forward slightly,

long thin nose
and an intense stare.

As he's holding
onto the edge, goes,

"You must be careful
with such dangerous materials

"in a public space,
Charlotte."

ANJALI: I can't imagine
what you're talking about.

Do I know him?

MATT: You do not
know this person,

but they seem to know you.

ANJALI: I can't imagine what
you're talking about, Officer...?

MATT: "Don't worry about it.
Continue your business.

"I'm just here to
keep an eye."

ANJALI: And pray tell,

what exactly are you
here to investigate?

Obviously, since you're

a member of such
an esteemed organization.

MATT: "None of your business.
Just go about yours."

ASHLEY: I mean,
we were going to church.

So if you're going to come
with us to a service,

is that what you want to do?

MATT: "Apparently.
Take me to church, then.

"Teach me of
The Ascendancy's majesty."

ANJALI: Hmm.

ASHLEY: Shit.
ANJALI: You want to go to church?

(laughs)

ASHLEY: That didn't work.
I thought that was going to--

MATT: Just quietly
rides alongside you,

as it cruises up the street.

LAURA: So how long have
you worked for the OUP?

MATT: "Who said I worked
for the OUP?"

LAURA: Your blazer,
your peacoat.

I only see them wearing
that particular shape.

MATT: "So you deal
with them often?"

LAURA: Hmm?

MATT: "The OUP, to
recognize the attire."

LAURA: Oh, I'm just

a bit of a fashion girl.

MATT: "Interesting.

"Well.

"Long enough."

It's now heading
into The Varnish.

Cruising up
a bit of the incline.

Where are you
looking to get off?

LAURA: Well, not where
we were going to.

ASHLEY: Mm-mm.

ANJALI: Go pay
a visit to your--

LAURA: How about--

Oh, no, I don't want him
to know where I live.

ANJALI: That's true.

LAURA: What if we all get
off in different places?

ANJALI: Yes, that's
a wonderful idea.

Meet back at the--

Where would you--
LAURA: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

At the place.

ANJALI: (mutters) At the--
LAURA: (mutters) Yeah, that's what I'm--

ANJALI: Okay.

I'll stay on.

He seems to suspect me
more than anyone.

LAURA: Okay, but Auggie's
really good at--

ANJALI: We're
saying this quietly.

MATT: I understand, but the
nerves are getting to you

and as it begins to build
and the anxiety of him

staring straight at
you out of recognition

of who you are,
you do take a Brain,

as the stress begins
to build up within you.

ROBBIE: Oh no!

ANJALI: It's fine, it's fine.
Everything's fine.

My name is Gertrude.
I mean, Ethel.

I mean--

MATT: (laughs)
ANJALI: Charlotte.

LAURA: Auggie's really good
at slipping out of sight.

So maybe Auggie should be
the last one to get off.

ANJALI: Wonderful idea.

Yeah, I'll stay here
and meet you--

Where?

LAURA: At the restaurant.

ANJALI: Yes.

LAURA: I'll hop off.

MATT: Okay.

Doesn't follow.

LAURA: Okay.

ANJALI: Yeah.

I'm going to
stare politely at him.

LAURA: Where am I?

MATT: (laughs)

You're scattered
somewhere in the middle

of The Varnish,
at the moment.

LAURA: Okay.

ROBBIE: The restaurant
is in The Varnish?

MATT: It is. You actually
just passed it.

I'll say, about a block ago.

LAURA: Okay.
MATT: So you're not that far away.

LAURA: Great.

ROBBIE: Oh no, I feel faint!

Then I'll step off
the back of the--

MATT: Gives a little movement

and then holds tight
looking back at you.

Okay.

Halfway through
The Varnish now.

ASHLEY: Do you
want to get off?

MATT: It's going to be

shortly curving into either--

Probably towards
Hallowharbor before

heading over towards

The Shriveline.

ASHLEY: Well,
I guess I'm going to go

to say my prayers.

(laughter)

ANJALI: You're
such a pious boy.

MATT: You start off,
watch as you go.

Clocks you for just a moment.

ANJALI: That's all right.

MATT: He gets back
to looking at you.

ANJALI: So tell me
about you, Officer.

MATT: "I'd rather not."

ANJALI: I know you'd rather not,
but it's going to be a rather

long trip, if you're
going to join me

as I visit my former mentor.

MATT: "I'm not much of
a conversationalist."

ANJALI: I can see that.

ASHLEY: I'm going to
chase after the car.

Try to, at least.
MATT: Okay, it's a sprint

to keep up with it.
ASHLEY: Okay, okay.

ANJALI: Hang on a second,

let me take a look
at my geography.

Where are they?

Would this actually
go to The Eaves?

Or is it going up?

MATT: This particular
line would...

No, this particular line
is going to curve around

on the north and
eastern side.

It's going to head
from Hallowharbor

into The Shriveline

and then back
through The Steam.

So this one line
is moving away

from The Eaves, actually.
LAURA: Hallowharbor would be here.

Hallowharbor goes across.

ANJALI: So I'm going to
go over and look at--

I'm sure there's a map
on the side of the--

Just like we have
in our trains.

I'm just going to
look at the map.

Oh no.

I've picked up
the wrong line.

Officer, would you
care to accompany me?

I need to skip lines
because you see,

I have to visit The Eaves.

MATT: "You go where
you need to be."

ANJALI: I shall.

So I'm going to skip
whatever line I have to,

to be able to get
back onto something

that would go
to The Eaves.

MATT: Okay, so you
step off the trolley.

He steps off with you,

and just stays
five feet from you.

Just an attached
accompaniment.

ANJALI: Wonderful.
MATT: You, like,

(pants),

watch as she steps off and
the figure steps with her.

ASHLEY: Okay, I'm just
watching from afar.

ANJALI: What can I do
to lose this fellow?

Where am I?

ROBBIE: I've tried to
work my way back around

toward where Arlo got off
since I've hopped off.

MATT: Yeah.
ROBBIE: I'm trying to make

my way to them.

MATT: Not a problem.
ANJALI: And where am I?

Where have we gotten off?

MATT: You would be right on
the cusp of Hallow Harbor.

On the northwestern end.
ANJALI: Hallow Harbor-- here?

Right. All right.

I'm going to briskly walk
towards whatever line

I would get to, as I'm trying
to think of what I can do.

Is there...

Ah, damn.

Are there any of my

little

folks like young Auggie.

Would I know of
anyone in the area,

who I might have
in the area?

MATT: Unfortunately, no.

Your network is--

You know.

Effective in the spaces
where you do work,

but you're also one of many
purveyors in this town.

You're--

ANJALI: I'm off at the border
of one to five?

I mean, of Hallowharbor
to the Shriveline?

MATT: Of The Varnish
to Hallowharbor.

ANJALI: Varnish to--
ASHLEY: So you're probably

pretty close to your place.

ANJALI: I'm right here. No,
my place is way over here.

ASHLEY: Closer to
Sight Unseen.

ANJALI: But The Shriveline is
where the churches are, isn't it?

ASHLEY: Mm-hmm.
MATT: Mm-hmm.

ANJALI: Right.

I'm going to hop off.

You know, I think I will
pay a visit to church.

Would you care to join me?

MATT: "Be my guest."
ANJALI: Wonderful.

I'm going to
move into the

closest church.

In our particular religious
tradition at this church,

do we have, say,
a confessional?

MATT: Yes, I'd say
there would be.

ANJALI: All right.

I'm going to head
into the confessional.

MATT: He stays back
about 10 or so feet,

as one of the vestment
wearing caretakers

of this particular cathedral

greets you as you enter.

"Welcome, welcome to
our establishment.

"Please do put
your mind at rest

"and bring your piety and
how best it suits your

"arrival upon our doorstep."

ANJALI: Thank you
so much, Father.

I need to--

I'm here to absolve
myself. May I?

MATT: "But of course.
Yes, please.

"You, of course, are
also welcome to join us

"in prayer or wait
if you'd like."

The gentleman just,
"I'm fine,"

and gives a fake smile.

ANJALI: Okay.

I'm going to go into
the confessional.

Oh god, help me for
what I'm about to do.

Come to confessional.
ASHLEY: Is he staying outside?

MATT: No, he's inside,

he's about 10 feet
from the confessional,

just waiting.

ANJALI: No, it's not
a hot priest.

We're not going Fleabag.

(laughter)

ANJALI: I'm not going there.

That would be a
high stakes roll.

MATT: (laughs)
ANJALI: Very high stakes.

MATT: "Please, I'm
very lonely."

(laughter)

ASHLEY: We have different
rules in this world.

ANJALI: Forgive me, Father.

I have definitely
sinned and I have

many transgressions
to report, but--

(whispers) Right now, I
need your help.

The gentleman you see
outside has followed me.

I don't know him.

I don't know why
he's following me.

But I'm scared.

Is there any place
that I can go,

perhaps, to sit
and wait him out?

MATT: Make a Sway roll.
ANJALI: Thank god.

All right, with
a Sway roll,

this one, I am going
to spend a Drive.

LAURA: And we can't help
if we're not around.

ANJALI: I have two.
MATT: No.

You have no means
of helping her.

ANJALI: No.

Two and a--

Wait.

Two, one is
gilded, plus--

Oh, why the fuck not?

Roll two dice.

Just get me the fuck
out of here, Father.

MATT: Dang!

ANJALI: Get me the fuck

out of here, Father.
MATT: Big spender.

ROBBIE: Boy!

ANJALI: Five.

MATT: Five, okay.

The priest on the other side of
the confessional booth goes,

"Very well, my child.

"When I escort him
from the room,

"the far back door on the
right leads to my office.

"There should be a door behind
that that you could use

"to escape out the
back of the cathedral."

ANJALI: Thank you, Father.
MATT: Of course.

ANJALI: Is there somewhere that
I can donate to the church?

MATT: "Feel free to
come by any day

"and we'll be happy to take
any donations you wish."

ANJALI: Thank you, Father.

MATT: "Ah, just a moment."

Exits, and you hear him go,

"Ah.

"My child, here has seen

"quite a terrifying day

"and requires a
direct consultation

"with a higher power.

"As such, we're going to
be exiting the chamber

"for the time being,
it is a very--"

And hear some voices
go like, "Oh, okay."

It's like, "you
as well, sir."

"Sorry, that's not
going to work."

The Father says,
"I believe it is.

"By the power vested by
me and The Ascendancy,

"you are within
our jurisdiction

"and you have to
exit at the request

"of a man of the cloth."

There's a long pause.

"Very well."

You hear (footsteps)

(door creaks shut)

ANJALI: So he said exit out
the back, is what he said?

MATT: He said there was a--

ANJALI: Like a back room.
MATT:-- an office in the back.

Yeah.
ANJALI: Office, okay.

Is there a sneaking option?

Because I don't trust
that that guy really left.

I feel like he's
like, Sneaky McSneakerson.

MATT: I mean, you can
try and make a Hide test

if you want to go
for all of them!

Spend all the Drives,

come on!
ANJALI: No, I can't.

I'm not spending all
the Drives, okay.

Right, so I'm going to--
MATT: You won't need them later.

ANJALI:-- sneaky, sneaky,
I'm going to just go.

I'm just going to
go as fast as I can.

LAURA: Yeah.
MATT: Okay.

You dart out and you can see
pushing the doors closed,

with the help of a
few other hands,

you do not see the other
gentleman within the room.

ANJALI: It's a mixed success

so what the fuck is
going to go wrong.

I'm going back into the office,
and in the office, there is a--

MATT: You see inside here,

it looks like a very
modest office quarters.

There's a desk, there's
some furniture,

and there is a back door
that leads out of there.

ANJALI: Do I have anything
with me like that?

ASHLEY: Did I see him walk out?
LAURA: She doesn't trust anything.

MATT: You do see him walk out.
ANJALI: No, I don't.

ASHLEY: Okay, is he
standing there waiting?

MATT: He's currently,
like, he gets pushed out

and starts looking
through the windows,

which themselves,
they're too opaque

with the darker interior
to see any daylight

in the mid-afternoon.

ANJALI: The duder's looking
through the windows?

MATT: You don't know.

ANJALI: Okay.
ASHLEY: I'm outside watching him.

ANJALI: Oh, oh, oh, sorry,
sorry, I didn't see that.

MATT: Nope, what're
you doing?

ANJALI: Just real quick, I'm
looking around the office.

Is there anything,
a cloak, vestments,

anything that I could
potentially put on?

MATT: Yeah, it looks
like a heavy cloak

for rain and weather that is
currently set upon a coat rack

towards the back door.

ANJALI: Excellent, what's
the weather out right now?

MATT: I mean,
it's not raining.

The recent storms
have passed.

It's been foggy in the evenings,
but it's a chilled afternoon.

ANJALI: Is the Father
coming to the office,

or is he just out front?

MATT: You don't know. You
just walked into the office.

ANJALI: Okay.

Fuck.

I'm going to start
grabbing the raincoat

and definitely acting as
if I am nervous and afraid,

which I kind of am.

And take a look
behind me to see

if the Father's
coming or not.

MATT: You can see him
walking towards the office.

ANJALI: Right.

ROBBIE: Steal the man of
the cloth's cloth!

ANJALI: No! I just want to,

just want to peek out and
say: Thank you, Father.

May I borrow these?

MATT: "If it aids you to
stay safe, yes, of course."

ANJALI: Yes,
thank you so much.

Put it over, cover myself up

as much as physically
possible and--

Do I go out that door or
do I go out the front?

Go, go as fast as I can
out that back door.

MATT: Okay, right as you are
leaving, the Father goes,

"And as a reminder, please,

"a donation would be
greatly appreciated."

ANJALI: Oh, well, Father,
right now I'm happy to donate,

but I can get you
more if I can come back.

MATT: "Both would
be appreciated."

ANJALI: Wonderful,
absolutely, Father.

I take out a full pouch.

I pop it on his desk.

MATT: "Thank you."
ANJALI: Thank you.

MATT: "Your initial donation
has been accepted."

ANJALI: Yes, of course,
that's fine.

If you only knew how
I was making my money.

Great. I put everything on--
MATT: (laughs)

ANJALI:-- and I bust
a move out.

MATT: Okay.

You exit out the
back and in a rush

as you're charging out,
darting around,

making a big wide corner
around the nearby alleys

in the outside
of the cathedral,

you do, looking
over your shoulder

to make sure he's not
watching like (crack),

the edge of your shoulder
along the side

of one of the outside
shop signs as it hits,

you feel a pop and you're
like, "Ah, that hurt,"

but it's not going to stop
you and you keep running,

feeling the warmth begin
to flow through your arm.

You do take a body.

ANJALI: Did you guys know that
my shoulders are double jointed

and I can pop them
out at will?

It's fun facts no one tells.

That's not for me,
that's me, not Charlotte,

that's not a special skill.

That's not on the sheet.

(laughter)
ANJALI: Just so you know.

I know that feeling intimately,
it's a wonderful feeling.

MATT: There you go.

Happy to keep it visceral.

ANJALI: Yes, thank you.

MATT: But after a short time,
with the help of those vestments

and the bit of chaos
at the cathedral,

it seems you've lost
the OUP officer.

ASHLEY: Nice.

MATT: About a half an hour
later, you begin to reconvene

with the rest of your friends
here, back in The Varnish,

on the outskirts of
The Revisionary restaurant,

Which, at this point
in the afternoon,

seeing a bit of business.

It's maybe about eight
or nine individuals

that are currently
seated inside

amongst four
different tables.

It's not bustling, but
it definitely is a nice

afternoon lunch period.

As you come to it,

you can see the beautiful,
big glass arched windows

with multiple panes in them.

Everything has this smooth

polished brass look to it

alongside the pillars and
the doors as you go in.

Definitely is a beautiful
establishment and many windows,

so a lot of the
sunlight comes through,

but you can see there are many
lamps and lanterns that hang

from within that will glow
as they're being lit.

As the day gets on,
you can see the top

has like tin panels all
across the upper roof,

giving a nice art deco
vibe to the interior.

There's a bar to the farther
back and there is a stage,

a number of stools, and
it's a nice place.

ANJALI: Are there people
there right now or is it--

LAURA: Yeah, there's a few.

ANJALI:-- full?
ASHLEY: Okay.

ANJALI: Sorry, I was still--

LAURA: Are there any
tables available, though?

There are, right?

MATT: There are, yeah.

LAURA: I guess while it took
time to get back to us,

the professor and I will
have grabbed a table,

waiting for everyone.

MATT: Okay.

ASHLEY: Hey, hey,
how's it going?

LAURA: There's a stage.

Is there a stage for musicians?
MATT: There is indeed a stage there.

LAURA: There's a stage
for musicians.

ASHLEY: Okay, we are
in the right place.

ROBBIE: What time was the
show supposed to start?

Does anyone recall?

LAURA: Excuse me.

MATT: "Yes?"

LAURA: You have musicians
here, correct?

MATT: "Occasionally, yes."

LAURA: Are any
playing tonight?

MATT: "They're supposed
to be tonight, yes."

LAURA: Who are
playing tonight?

MATT: They reach
in their pocket

and pull out this crinkled
note and unfold it,

set their tray to
the side for a second.

"That would be Kara,
Wayland, and Theodore."

LAURA: Wonderful, thank you.
MATT: "You're welcome."

LAURA: Are the musicians
here preparing already?

MATT: "No, they usually come
here just after sunset."

LAURA: Thank you.

MATT: "You're welcome."

ASHLEY: Did he say Kara?

ANJALI: He did say Kara.

It was also the name
of the assistant.

I don't know if that's a,
I mean, it could be a potential--

ASHLEY: A coinkydink?

MATT: Could be a coinkydink.

ANJALI: I don't know if
I've made it here yet.

Have I made it here?
ASHLEY: She was lying to us!

I was trailing
and making sure.

LAURA: What if she
was actually his lover

and she came to
check on him?

ANJALI: And she's
be-- No.

LAURA: No, that
would be weird.

ASHLEY: Oh, she was lying.

ROBBIE: Sounds like just
conjecture at this point.

ANJALI: It is.
ROBBIE: All good ideas.

ASHLEY: Yeah.

ROBBIE: But just ideas, unsubstantiated.

ANJALI: Do we see--?

LAURA: Are we wasting
time at a restaurant?

ROBBIE: Absolutely.
ANJALI: It was just their first names.

It didn't have
their last names?

MATT: No, they were just known
as the first name trio.

LAURA: How long until
sunset is it?

MATT: About four hours.

ASHLEY: Oh.
LAURA: Oh, jeez louise.

MATT: About three
to four hours.

LAURA: We're not waiting
here until they come.

ROBBIE: Yes.
ASHLEY: All right.

ANJALI: ♪ A next step ♪

Excuse me, how often does
this trio play here?

MATT: A different
waiter comes by.

"Oh, the performing trio?"

ANJALI: Yes.

MATT: "They've only been here
for about two or so weeks.

"Take three nights
out of the week."

ANJALI: Oh, wonderful.

I'm intrigued by the
fact that one of them--

I'm a dabbler in music myself

and there are very few women
that I know who do the same.

I was wondering
if this Kara,

if you know
anything about her?

I'm a bit a fan.

MATT: "I've just seen them
around here when they perform.

"That's about it.

"We don't really,

"don't engage with the
musical guests that often."

ANJALI: Right, and what
instruments do they play?

MATT: "Oh, well, there's
a horn, there's a bass,

"and there's one of those

"small pianos
that they bring in."

LAURA: They bring in a piano?

MATT: "Well, no, we have
a piano on premises.

"We bring it up there
and they play it."

ASHLEY: What time do
they usually get here

to warm up and stuff,
you know?

Sound check.

MATT: "About sunset,
I think."

ASHLEY: Oh, they get here
about sunset, I'll start then.

LAURA: Maybe we should
spend some time

in another location
until they get here.

ANJALI: I think that
is a great idea.

ASHLEY: That's a great idea.

ANJALI: Thank you so much.

We will finish our drinks and
pay up and we'll come back.

MATT: "Of course, yeah.

"My shift ends in hour,
so I won't see you."

LAURA: I pay it and
we should go immediately.

ASHLEY: Should we pay
Ferris a visit?

LAURA: Yeah, I mean,
the house is close by.

ROBBIE: The Eaves are a
short trip across the bridge.

ASHLEY: Yeah, it's not far.
ANJALI: Yes.

I definitely know
my way around The Eaves.

LAURA: But they don't live
in The Eaves, they--

ANJALI: They live in
the Briar Green, right?

ROBBIE: They live in
the Briar Green?

ANJALI: They live in Briar Green.
LAURA: That's how I know them.

ASHLEY: Do you live
in the Briar Green?

ANJALI: She does.
LAURA: Yes.

ROBBIE: I do as well.
ASHLEY: Oh shit.

ANJALI and LAURA: Oh.

MATT: Briar Green's right
next to The Eaves,

so it's a short jaunt
from there.

ANJALI: Might as well, it's
a journey around the city.

It's a sort of
hop on, hop off tour.

ASHLEY: What's on your mind?

ROBBIE: Oh, nothing.

I just don't know
how much I glean

from walking around
talking to people,

but I suppose it's the only
choice we have at this point.

ANJALI: Other than going
back to that store room,

speaking again to Skiddy,
I don't know what else.

I don't know where
else to go.

ROBBIE: I think we've
tapped Skiddy out.

Well, suppose we should
talk to the husband.

ANJALI: Yes, I agree.
LAURA: Yes.

Maybe he gifted
her some jewelry

that was left behind and there
was something in the jewelry.

ROBBIE: Magickal jewelry?

LAURA: Maybe.

ROBBIE: All right.
ASHLEY: Should we check it out?

Do you have the jewels?

ANJALI: I have the chain.

ROBBIE: Have we taken
a closer look at that?

It's the only evidence we've
actually taken, isn't it?

LAURA: There was no bleed on it,
but we haven't looked to see,

does it have an
engraving or anything?

ANJALI: Take a look
at the chain.

MATT: Doesn't have
any engraving on it.

It looks like
a loose wrist chain.

Looks like it's gold.

Probably worth a decent
amount of money

for a piece of jewelry
that was left behind.

ROBBIE: Hmm.

ANJALI: We punched this guy.

The assistant could
be the musician angle.

I'm going through all
of my notes to see

if there's anyone else
we can possibly lean on.

We are still looking--

ASHLEY: Didn't someone say that
there was a thing coming in?

Like something's
coming in from--

ANJALI: There was a shipment
coming in from port,

and we did learn that she,

that the chamberwoman

had been sort of
stopping up the works

in terms of
import/export from--

LAURA: The guilds.

ANJALI: From the outer areas.

ASHLEY: Import tariffs,
local and abroad.

ROBBIE: Her area of expertise,
I believe, was taxes and tariffs.

ANJALI: Yes.

ROBBIE: Never friendly
with people

trying to execute
free commerce.

Also, perhaps came nose
to nose with trade unions,

typically another portion.

I believe there are
some form of teamsters

or something
down at the docks.

ANJALI: Yeah, the docks.

ROBBIE: But, again, it depends
on what we're looking for,

motives or witnesses?

If we're looking
for witnesses,

I suppose we should
continue on

and try to wait for
Wayland to come back.

But if we're
looking for motive,

typically within the
politics of a politician.

But again,
just pure conjecture.

ANJALI: Yes.

MATT: It's about this
time that the initial--

LAURA: I was about to sneeze.

MATT: I was like,
she's having an idea

and it hurts.
ASHLEY: It's an idea

or it's a sneeze.

MATT: (laughs)

ANJALI: She's overcome.

LAURA: It went away.

MATT: The original server
comes by and goes,

"Ugh, I'm sorry,
I regret to inform you.

"I was just checking
in the back,

"and they were notified
a short time ago

"that the band will
not be playing tonight."

ANJALI: The whole trio?

ROBBIE: Why not?

MATT: "No reason, we were
just told they--"

LAURA: Who told you?

MATT: "I was just notified.

"I don't know who told them."

ANJALI: Who told you?

MATT: "Told me, my manager."

ANJALI: Right, let's go
to the manager.

I'm just going to
walk up to the manager.

Excuse me.

We heard that the trio
isn't performing tonight.

Is that true?

MATT: This is a much older
woman in her early 60s or so,

very well put together
and holding her hands

together,
clasped to her chest.

"That is correct."

ANJALI: Are any of
the musicians coming?

I so very much wanted
to see one of them.

MATT: "Unfortunately, no.

"One of them told me that

"they're canceling
the performances

"for the foreseeable future."
LAURA: Was he here?

MATT: "She was--"
LAURA: She.

MATT: "Came by."

LAURA: Oh, where did she go?

MATT: "This was
a few hours ago.

"I don't know where she went.

"It was the one named Kara."

LAURA: Kara,
what's her last name?

MATT: "Belmon."

LAURA: Thank you so much.

ASHLEY: Thank you very much.

LAURA: (gasps) She did it.
ASHLEY: That lying.

ANJALI: All right, so.

ASHLEY: Piece of trash.

ANJALI: She said that she
worked for the chamber.

Well, we can leave, right?

LAURA: Yes.

ASHLEY: What if she
wasn't wanting to

answer any more questions?

ROBBIE: It would be odd to
leave out the information

that she played in a band

with the potential accomplice
of her boss's disappearance.

ASHLEY: Yeah, that's
a little weird.

ROBBIE: Yeah.

ASHLEY: Methinks
she's hiding something.

ANJALI: Oh, you think?

We have to find her.

LAURA: Maybe the manager
knows where she lives.

ANJALI: Oh, okay.

LAURA: Do you know
where Kara lives?

MATT: "I do not."

LAURA: Well, thank you
very much.

Can I read her and see if
she actually is trying--

MATT: Yes, you may. You may
make a Read roll, if you'd like.

Test that Read.

LAURA: A mixed success.

MATT: Mixed success
with the five.

Best you can tell, she--

LAURA: Does not.

MATT: She doesn't--

She has enough to worry about

with this business
and establishment

than to worry about
wherever the occasional bands

that come through
reside within the city.

You see she actually
looks pretty perturbed

that the
evening's entertainment

has suddenly canceled

a few hours before they
were supposed to arrive,

which means either she
has to find a replacement,

or they are just
not going to happen.

ANJALI: Where would
the chamberwoman,

where would her office be?

Where would the
chamberwoman's office be?

MATT: That would
likely be in the--

LAURA: Where the Primacy is.

MATT: Yep, which would be--

ANJALI: Silver Slip.

MATT: Silver Slip.

LAURA: Yes.

ASHLEY: Okay.

She said she was
an assistant to--

LAURA: To the chamberwoman.
ASHLEY: To the chamberwoman

and to not talk to
the husband about it.

So maybe we go
talk to the husband

because maybe he'll
tell us a different story?

LAURA: Maybe, or maybe
she didn't want us to,

she didn't want her
secret to be found out

that she didn't
actually work for her.

Let's go.
ANJALI: Let's go.

I like it, let's go.

LAURA: Okay.

We're going to
find something.

(laughter)

ANJALI: Going to Briar Green.

ROBBIE: Sounds like a plan.
ASHLEY: To Briar Green.

LAURA: Would I know where
the Ferrises reside?

MATT: You would know, actually.

Very nice estate
as you approach,

eventually riding the trains
across the bridge,

and coming to Briar Green.

You find, amongst the
very opulent homesteads

that scatter this area

amongst the clusters of
bright verdant parks

and tree clusters and the
well-kept bushes and ferns

that mark the corner
of every major street,

it is definitely
one of the most

beautified areas of Newfaire.

Amongst these,
you come to the estate of

the Ferris estate itself.

You can see the high
iron fence that surrounds

the beautiful rising
hill of green grass

and well-kept hedges
that lead up to the front

of the two-story,
pretty much a mansion.

It's painted mostly
in grays and whites

with bits of a deep blue

in the awnings and
the edges of the windows.

It's very, very nice.

LAURA: Very, very nice.

MATT: It's very nice.

ALL: (impressed sounds)

(laughter)

ASHLEY: Jeez louise.

LAURA: Is there any
officer around or--?

MATT: Currently, you don't
see any officers around.

It is getting later
in the afternoon.

You're probably about
an hour and a half

from sunset at this point.

LAURA: All right.

MATT: Two hours from sunset.

LAURA: Okay, let's go
knock on the door.

MATT: Okay.

The door,
you knock a few times.

(knocking)

Eventually, a little
window opens up

and you see these tiny
beady eyes looks at you,

look through and
open the doors (squeaking)

and you see this
gentle-in-the-face

woman in maid attire,

probably in her 50s or so,
peek through.

"Can I help you?"

LAURA: Hi, is
Mr. Ferris home?

MATT: "Yes, he's had
a very hard day."

LAURA: Will you tell
him that Arlo Black

of the Black Estate
is here to pay a visit?

MATT: "All right, I, I--"

Closes the door,
wanders off for a bit.

A few minutes later,
the door opens again.

"He'll greet you
in the study."

LAURA: Thank you so much.

ANJALI: Anything we notice
other than the fact

that it is very, very
opulent around us?

MATT: Yeah, walking through,
as you come to it.

It is long, marble
floor hallways,

high-reaching,
white-painted walls

with little paintings
and sculptures.

The paintings, in particular,
in this area are beautiful.

You see many landscapes
and coastlines.

Occasionally, there's
a slightly off painting

that has deep shadows
and unique architecture.

Kind of a stark contrast

to some of the more
bright displays here.

But as you continue
down the long hallway

across the gray paint
and the wainscotting

that tends to mark
the edges of the walkway.

To the right, you see
there's an open archway

that leads into a fireplace
that is currently

crackling in the corner.

A large painting
of a man and a woman

sitting together, a portrait.

You can see there's
bookshelves on the sides,

there's a sitting
couch on one side

and a couple of other
large chairs on the other.

Across the way,
you see a man resting

his hand on
the fireplace itself.

Turned back,
looks at the rest of you.

You see a man here
in his early 50s,

thinning black hair that's
turned to gray on the sides.

He is wearing
a white button up shirt,

but it's mostly
unbuttoned at the top.

Tie is dangling
around on the side.

His sleeves are rolled up
past the elbows.

His left hand is bandaged.

He's wearing slacks
and in the other hand

you see him holding
an open container

of some sort of
brown, brackish liquid.

He looks back to
the rest of you.

"Arlo, welcome.

"It's been some time.

"What are you doing here?"

LAURA: Um, well,

I know you and I haven't
had many interactions.

MATT: Pours into a glass
that's on the mantle,

sets it to the side,
and takes the glass.

LAURA: But you may have
heard my experience

with the Eastons
a few years back?

MATT: "Mm-hmm."

LAURA: I'm sorry to say
I've heard through the--

Through talking today, about
what happened with your wife.

MATT: "Word's getting
around, isn't it?"

LAURA: It happens fast.

MATT: "Yeah,
doesn't surprise me.

"What all'd you hear?"

LAURA: Mixed stories.

Um--

What all did you hear?

MATT: "Hm."

He scrapes his chin
a little bit,

takes a big sip,
and walks up.

"Well, she's missing.

"And she might be
missing with someone."

LAURA: Right.

MATT: "I can see on your face
you already knew this.

"So, that's getting
around, too.

"That's great,
that's fucking great."

LAURA: You know, when
Eddie went missing,

people said
all sorts of things.

We can't believe
the rumors, can we?

MATT: "(chuckling)

"Not unless it makes
a lot of sense.

"Who are the rest of you?
What are you doing?

"Who'd you bring with you?"

LAURA: After Eddie
went missing, I--

I didn't want anyone to have to
suffer through that anymore.

I wanted to find answers.

So these are my compatriots.

They help me find answers.

MATT: "Well, great.

"I hope you find them."

ANJALI: We'd like to help
you find some answers, too.

MATT: "Cool.

"What can I do to help?

"I've been answering
a lot of questions today,

"so let's just put
them on the pile."

ANJALI: When you said that
it makes a lot of sense,

and forgive me
for being indelicate,

but could you expand on that?

MATT: "Well, you know,
we've been married for

"the better part of
15, 16 years.

"Work keeps her very busy

"and doesn't come home
a lot of nights

"because she has
a lot of work to do.

"Emotional distance
that continues to grow

"like the fucking Vastchasm
between the two of you.

"And then you
disappear the day,

"a couple days after
your anniversary.

"Then.

"You know, it all
just kind of makes sense

"when you put
it together, right?"

LAURA: Oh.

ANJALI: Are there any
people that you know

that she works
particularly close with

that might, um,
we might be able to speak to?

Who might know, I don't know.

ASHLEY: Like assistants
or anything like that?

MATT: "Maybe Kara."

You can see he fidgets
with the bandage

on his hand a little bit.

"Yep."

ANJALI: What happened
to your hand?

MATT: "I just, I got some sort
of weird infection thing."

LAURA: (gasps)

ANJALI: Our friend
here is a doctor.

ROBBIE: PhD.

MATT: "Oh, I'm already taking
pills, don't worry about it."

ROBBIE: Oh, well, we've
actually been researching

a strange occurrence
in the area.

I teach over at Briarbank
and there have been

some interesting cases coming
to our medical department.

I would love to see
your hand to make sure

that you might
not be infected.

Just a glance.
LAURA: Oh, we could show him.

Just to say if he's ever
seen anything like it.

ROBBIE: Well--

We have some medical samples
that we took recently

from some
other test subjects.

A strange parasite.

Have you heard about the
recent shipments coming in

from across the Vastchasm?

MATT: "Yeah, I know well.

"That's what my wife was
trying to keep control of.

"Why? Is this the
kind of shit that people

"are letting creep
into the town now?

"Is this some sort of like,
after the war subtle

"cold war warfare
against our people?"

ANJALI: All we know
is that this--

pull out the bleed
container-- this--

This.

ROBBIE: Maybe a foreign
parasite or a--

MATT: "Oh god!"

ROBBIE: Or some
sort of worm perhaps.

It was found in
a shipment of plantains.

MATT: He pulls his bandage
off and holds it up to you.

ROBBIE: Thank you so much
for your cooperation.

MATT: You look at his palm,

right there in the palm,

the skin is black.

ANJALI: Oh no.

MATT: For about the
size of a heavy coin

and you can see
there's black veins

that spider out from
it in the middle.

LAURA: Uh-oh.

ROBBIE: How did you
get such a wound?

MATT: "I have no idea.

"It only just started about
a day, day and a half ago."

ROBBIE: A stigmata
(chuckles).

LAURA: Did you notice if your
wife had anything similar?

MATT: "Not that I saw."

ROBBIE: Have the two of you

done anything outside
of the ordinary?

Perhaps for your anniversary.

Go on an exotic evening
out or do something

you've never done before
to celebrate the occasion?

MATT: "I mean. (chuckles)."

He takes his bandage
and holds it

and looks at it,
he goes like, "Well,

"Onette's very particular
about her presents, you see.

"So, to make sure that I
don't get her the wrong thing,

"I tend to take her
shopping for what she wants.

"So we, yeah, we went out
and went shopping.

"Went and got
her something nice.

"Went and had dinner and then
came home, and that was it."

ANJALI: What did you
get her, by any chance?

MATT: "I had this necklace
commissioned by,

"it was a person that was
a friend of hers named Dorna.

"Dorna--

"What was the name?"

He thinks to himself
for a second.

"Dorna Ashefar.

"She runs the Alizarin Gallery
in The Varnish.

LAURA: That's right.

ASHLEY: I was going to
say, yeah, your artwork,

is any of this like--

MATT: "Yeah, most of the stuff."
ASHLEY: Oldfairen.

Is this all from
that gallery?

MATT: "Probably, some of
the creepier shit.

"I mean, I don't pick this.

"This is all Onette's thing.

"She's been going
to that gallery

"for the past
six or so months.

"So, I figured that be
a good place to ask."

LAURA: What did the
jewelry look like?

MATT: "Oh, it was--

"Heh."

He catches
himself for a second.

"Ironically, imported
from Otherwhere.

"This beautiful emerald
that Dorna showed us

"and presented as
an intricate and rare piece.

"Technically
illegal and contraband,

"because of the source, which
of course, enticed Onette.

"So I paid a healthy sum
to have it crafted

"into a necklace
and held unto it until

"it was time to go ahead
and give it to her,

"the night of
the anniversary."

LAURA: Had Kara,
her assistant,

ever seen the necklace?

MATT: "I don't believe so."

ROBBIE: It was a type
of pendant, this emerald,

worn around a necklace?

MATT: "Yeah,
it was around a--"

ROBBIE: Huh.

MATT: You see him scratching
the dark spot on his hand again.

He goes, "Well, if
I recall, Kara's the one

"that I think introduced
her to Dorna originally."

LAURA: Oh.

ROBBIE: Well.

Do you have any plans
for this upcoming Thursday?

Anything on? I know
you're an aspiring writer.

My office hours are open.

I would love to take
a look at your work

to say thank you
for this information.

Maybe you could bring
your hand by, too,

and I'll see if there's
a few doctors

in the community who
might want to take a look.

MATT: "Do you think this is
like that thing you showed me?"

ROBBIE: Uh--
LAURA: Can I look at the hand?

MATT: "Yeah."

LAURA: Is there any
wiggling under the skin?

Can I see
any kind of movement?

MATT: You can make
a Sense roll, if you'd like.

LAURA: A Sense roll.

ANJALI: She has a thing for bleed.
LAURA: Yes, oh yeah.

Okay.

Okay.

Oh yeah, I guess I could pull
out the bleed detector, too.

MATT: Just whip out this
massive device. (laughs)

ANJALI: It's so tiny.
MATT: No, I know, I know.

Well, it's definitely,
it's not subtle.

ROBBIE: The room's going to glow blue!
LAURA: I'm spending an Intuition die

to get an extra die here.
MATT: Okay.

LAURA: Mixed success
with a four.

MATT: Mixed success.

There is a strong source
of bleed on his hand.

Whatever sat there
definitely left an impression.

And it looks like
it's not spreading.

LAURA: It's localized
in the hand?

MATT: But it definitely has
corrupted the flesh in his palm.

ANJALI: A bleed containment
vial wouldn't

just suck that up, would it?

MATT: As you
concentrate on it,

and look towards it,

you feel this
strange hunger pang

in your stomach.

Like this
sudden urge to just,

just grab and pull
his hand towards you

and like,
this horrible sudden urge

filters through you,
and you pull away.

As you do,
you feel that bleed

drift into you
for just a moment

as you process that it
had briefly moved

from his hand and
then spread into yours.

You take a bleed.

LAURA: (exhales)

MATT: How does the
bleed affect you

when it spreads
into your body?

LAURA: Well, I still
have a hole

in the middle of
my hand from before

that has not been fixed.

ROBBIE: (laughs)

LAURA:-- at all, so.

What before
felt like numbness

that would move into cold,

now is like sharp pains of

glass shooting up my arm.

MATT: Hm, so you instinctually
(grunts) pull away.

He's like, "Uh.

"Is everything all right?"

LAURA: Yes, but--

You should definitely, um--

Do something about that.

MATT: "All right,
I'll definitely come by."

LAURA: Yeah.

MATT: "I've been working on
this really great YA novel--"

LAURA: Howard. Oh.
MATT: "-- I think you'd really enjoy."

ROBBIE: Oh,
my absolute favorite.

LAURA: Have you felt
different at all?

Lately.

MATT: He takes his glass
and takes a big old drink.

"Yeah, a little bit."
LAURA: Before, I mean.

Before you heard the news.

MATT: "I'm not quite
following you."

ROBBIE: You know what,
Mr. Ferris,

I know I said Thursday,
but please feel free

to stop by anytime.

My door is open to you.

I would love to read
your young adult novel.

MATT: "Thank you.

"It's about this
couple that meets outside

"of the Scarlet Wood."
ROBBIE: Oh yes.

MATT: "Over a horse."
ROBBIE: Excellent.

I'm slowly backing
toward the door.

(laughter)

MATT: "But the horse
is a metaphor.

"Oh, I see you're, mm.

"Well, thank you
for coming by.

"You're trying to
find her, right?"

LAURA: Yeah.

Yes.

MATT: He's a little tipsy, but
he's sobering up a little bit

and he starts
re-bandaging his hand

as he sets his glass down.

"Just bring her
back safe, all right?

"At least, we've got some
things to work through.

"Obviously."

ROBBIE: Sounds like a plan.

ANJALI: Do you by
any chance know

where we might be
able to find Kara?

MATT: "I actually don't."

ANJALI: Ah.

LAURA: I know
where we can try.

Let's head to the gallery.

ANJALI: Okay.
ROBBIE: Oh yeah.

ASHLEY: How long has she been
working for you guys again, Kara?

MATT: "Kara,
maybe five years."

ASHLEY: Mm, okay.

ANJALI: Thank you.
We thank you for your honesty

and apologies for any
difficulty we caused you

asking more questions.

We know it's a hard time.

MATT: "Well, just
bring her back."

LAURA: Okay.

You should cut your hand off.

And then we leave.

ROBBIE: I think
that we should be--

(laughter)

ASHLEY: Oh boy.

ANJALI: Right,
remember when I said

that your directness
was an asset?

Perhaps just among us.

LAURA: He should,
though, he should.

ANJALI: Yes, but
perhaps just among us.

To the gallery?

LAURA: Mm-hmm.

ANJALI: As fast as we can.

LAURA: He could
turn into a monster.

We should
cut his hand off.

ROBBIE: Oh, I'd be delighted!

ANJALI: Eh.

LAURA: Who knows what that
burrowing thing could do?

ROBBIE: I think
he has some time.

LAURA: How do you know?

ROBBIE: Well, it's
been a few days,

and it's only in his hand.

It hasn't even,
you've seen what happens

when it takes over.

He should be fine
until we figure out

the more immediate problem.

LAURA: Howard, if he
turns into a monster,

I'm blaming you.

You should've
cut his hand off.

ASHLEY: Is that--

Is that what's on your hand?

LAURA: Oh, no, no, no.

I have a weird void
inside of mine.

MATT: You go and look an see

there is a split in
the middle of the palm

that is about
the size of a nickel.

It is just
this black darkness.

ASHLEY: What?

ROBBIE: It's quite
something, isn't it?

ASHLEY: Why is that there?

LAURA: I don't know.

Well, I do know.

But I'd never seen the void
before our last assignment.

ANJALI: What happened
to your hand?

LAURA: As we walk
to the gallery.

ANJALI: As we walk to the
gallery, walk and talk.

LAURA: Um--

My fiance

was taken.

ASHLEY: Eddie?
LAURA: Eddie.

You know, he was quite
interested in Oldfaire relics

and he may have done
some bad things.

And, well,

I came to see him and he was

being pulled through
some sort of doorway,

or portal.

Or hole.

And I tried to save him.

My arm went through.

And--

Well, I pulled
my arm back out

and Eddie did not
come back out.

ROBBIE: I have a theory
it's some sort of a

parallel dimension.

A physical space you
can enter and re-enter,

but since only part of
her body went in--

Well, I can't
proclaim to know.

But poor Eddie is--

I'm sure he's fine.

LAURA: He could
still be there.

ROBBIE: He could.
Anything's possible.

LAURA: The creature who
took him had gray skin.

Maybe I'm turning into one.

ANJALI: Charlotte's just
staring off into space

with the shock of this news.

ASHLEY: So, are
you single now?

I don't know what
you're doing.

It's not for me.

I'm just wondering,
just seeing if like--

LAURA: Well, I'm not single,
Auggie. We're engaged.

ASHLEY: You're engaged,
you're engaged.

LAURA: You and me.

Don't you remember?

ASHLEY: Oh, that's right.

That's right.

ANJALI: I would very much
like to talk with you

about that sometime.

Not the engagement, the hand.

I'm very curious
about exactly

what this experience
looked like.

ASHLEY: Speaking of hands,
have you ever heard

of the Red Hand, or
a Red Hand?

Any tell of Red Hands in
the Red Lamp District?

MATT: Now, you would know, not
because of any citywide knowledge

or urban street smarts
here in Newfaire.

You would know
because you are one

of the more experienced
members of Candela Obscura.

What you do know of Red Hand,

though you've not
encountered them yourself,

is they are known
as a faction of

procurers and dealers
of Oldfairen artifacts,

as well as scavenged
and found things

that exist from history,
long buried and forgotten.

Operating by some of the
same avenues and networks

as Candela once and
sometimes still uses,

but definitely for the
purposes of self-enrichment

as well as selfish
curiosity and power.

ANJALI: Why do you ask?

LAURA: Eddie had some
dealings with them.

I've never been able
to find out more.

ANJALI: Hmm.

Curious.

Perhaps this Dorna will be
able to shed some light.

We're going to the--
LAURA: Yeah, we're

going to the gallery.
ROBBIE: We're going to the gallery.

MATT: All right.

About this time, the
rest of the journey

you take into The Varnish
to the outskirts

of the Alizarin Gallery.

The sun is beginning to set,

the sky falling to
the purples and oranges.

The fog is beginning
to settle in

as the temperature
begins to drop.

You can hear the clatter of
horse hooves and carriages

and the occasional

electric-based
horseless carriage

pass its way
through the street.

The trolley comes
scooting by,

the familiar
bell and crackle,

but The Varnish is
now coming to life

as it does every evening.

As you approach the
exterior of the gallery,

it, too, is quite busy,
as it is a showing tonight.

Specifically, the gallery
entitled "The Shadows of Memory."

As you begin to step
into the warmer interior

of the Alizarin Gallery.

ROBBIE: Hmm!

MATT: There are about four
dozen people throughout,

and everything
from respectable

to extremely
extravagant attire,

couples and clusters of friends
that are wandering about

and talking carrying
glasses of champagne

and other bits of liquid
merriment at small tables.

Some of them are in
the process of meeting,

some of them are discussing
various art pieces.

You can see on display,

there are dozens and
dozens of incredible

odd pieces of art.

You can see representations
of surrealist

to harsh,
brutalist architecture.

Not too different from
some of the pieces you saw

within the abode
you had just left.

But you can see there
are heavy towering archways

that seem to come
to angular apexes,

where there is a
perpetual push of shadow

that tends to spin
as it vanishes.

You can see long
leafless petrified trees

wrapping around the exterior
of extensive pillars

that seem to vanish
into the horizon.

You can see clambering stairs

almost in an M.C. Escher display
that seem to defy geometry.

And in times, you swear
you can see eyes

and faces amongst the
distant shadow.

It gives this unique
unsettling macabre sense

to the surrounding light
and laughter and conversation

as people begin to
discuss and whisper

about what
feelings it evokes,

what mysteries it draws
from their imagination.

A number of historians,
one in particular

that you recognize
in this space

to be Professor
Errol Dennings--

ANJALI: Ah, yes.
MATT:-- who is the

professor of Halen history,

is currently walking about

with a very young woman
on his arm

in a long dark dress,
long straight blonde hair.

ROBBIE: Do I recognize
her as a TA?

(laughter)

MATT: She's an ex student.

ROBBIE: Of course.

MATT: But nevertheless,
the room is yours.

LAURA: Do we see Kara here?

MATT: You do not
see Kara here.

ASHLEY: I can make that.
I can make that.

(laughter)

ASHLEY: Scribbles.

ANJALI: I've been thinking
about what she described

about how Eddie was taken,

and your question
about the Red Hand.

I'm looking around at
this art and the artifacts,

and I'd like to pull
you aside and say:

I'm sorry, I didn't
answer your question.

The Red Hand is an
organization not unlike ours,

but with completely
different motives.

If your Eddie had any
dealings with the Red Hand,

it's possible
his disappearance

was not entirely an accident.

LAURA: Oh.

ANJALI: Just like I'd
like to find the woman

we're looking for
today for him,

I'd like to find your
Eddie for you.

And that might involve
us getting involved

with some people
who are dangerous,

but I'll be here with you.

LAURA: Thank you, Charlie.

He's been missing for
quite a while,

as well as his entire family,

as well as his staff.

ANJALI: Oh.

LAURA: But yes, I believe there
were powerful people involved.

It was swept under the rug.

ANJALI: Let's unearth
that rug, shall we?

LAURA: At another time?

ANJALI: Do we see Dorna?

Because I now, with all
of these things coming out,

I want to know,
I want to see Dorna.

MATT: All right. You
glance around the room.

I'd say make a Súrvey--
Survéy test

for me, if you don't mind.

To look throughout the
interior of the chamber,

to look for somebody that
you might even perceive

to be the curator
of this event.

You do not know what
Dorna looks like.

ANJALI: I don't realize
which ones these are.

LAURA: Oh, which one did you roll?
ANJALI: Was it the two,

or was it the four?
LAURA: The four.

ANJALI: Fuck me.

Oh, sorry. I shouldn't curse.

Why not?
MATT: It's fine.

It's our channel.
ANJALI: I'm cursing.

MATT: (laughs) If
that was a problem,

we would've been wrecked
a long time ago.

LAURA: Just reroll.

ROBBIE: Reroll it, reroll it.

ANJALI: If it was that four.

I want that four.

Five on the gilded die.

MATT: Okay. So that's
still a mixed success.

ANJALI: And I get
my Drive back!

MATT: So you glance
around the room,

and looking
through the crowd,

seeing the absolute
lack of concern

for the troubles of
the city of Newfaire

on some of these elite faces,

some of these individuals
that you actively

sometimes provide them
comfort for their money,

but also at times lament
their exploitation

of the structures
that they sit atop.

That sense of conflict
sits within you

that you've once experienced
even just this day.

In that, that pain in
the heart kicks in.

You do take a brain,

as the stress of the
ethical conflict

begins to swim deep
within your mind.

Then you force it out and
glance out across the crowd.

You see there is a
woman, about six-foot

with long black hair that
comes just past the shoulders

that comes into these
curls at the end,

is wearing a deep
red scarlet dress

that goes all the
way up to her neck

and is semi-sheer
past the shoulders

before it turns into a
solid dress all the way down

and drags about a foot
and a half behind her.

The dress ends
at the shoulders,

and then long gloves
begin down,

like opera house style gloves,
come to the point there.

You see rings on her hands,

jewelry around her
neck and her ears,

a smooth brown skin,
wonderful makeup.

She holds a single
champagne glass in her hand.

You watch as she is
gesturing different pieces

and explaining to one
of the groups around

the finer points and reasonings
for these chosen pieces.

You immediately tell
from the other people

that are listening in
and paying the attention

that she is likely the
curator for this event.

ANJALI: Just a quick
scan around her.

Any of the items that
are on display,

I know we have paintings.

Are any other items on
display jewels of any kind?

MATT: On display? No jewels.

You see mainly paintings.

There are a couple of
pieces of broken stone.

At a glance, you can see
they're sections of statues.

It looks like they're
recovered artifacts

or sculptures that
are replicating

or giving the image of
historical artifacts.

You're not sure
if they're legitimate

or if they're
just recreations

for the purposes of the
atmosphere of the exhibit.

ANJALI: I feel that we
need to talk to her,

but I'm not sure the angle.

ASHLEY: I can always put
on my badge and say,

I'm captain here and--

ANJALI: Auggie, I
believe in your power.

I believe in your powers
of deception, my dear,

but even you have limits.

ASHLEY: I know. It's
true. It's true.

Doesn't make sense.

ANJALI: The jewelry she's
wearing. What's she wearing?

MATT: What she's wearing,
looks to be a series

of a small sapphire beads.

Five of them that are
set into this beautiful

golden neck piece that's
actually a solid band

of multiple chains
that cross between.

It's like a small mantle

that sits upon the
top of her dress.

LAURA: Duh!

Do I see Eliza here?

Farrington?

MATT: I would say you do
not see Eliza here.

LAURA: Okay.
ASHLEY: ♪ Eliza! ♪

(laughter)

ASHLEY: Sorry.
(laughter)

ANJALI: Well, there's no time
like the present, right?

I'd like to just walk up

and join the crowd
listening to her and--

MATT: Anyone else doing anything while--
ASHLEY: Same.

MATT:-- you're doing-- Oh, you're following?
ASHLEY: Just going to--

MATT: Okay.

ASHLEY:-- get in the
crowd and just listen

to what she's talking about.

MATT: Okay.

As you begin to approach,
she points out,

"This piece here is
representative

"of the deep annals
of lost knowledge.

"For those that once upheld
this entire society.

"Through their own arrogance,
vanished and fell

"to their inability to see the
limits of their ambition.

"Let this be
a lesson to all of us

"to gird our own limits
and be well aware

"of how high
we should climb."

Some of the folk in
the crowd are like

(scattered clapping)

One guy's like, (posh)
"That's a fancy idea.

"That sounds like
very common thought,

"but it is fascinating
to look at.

"It kind of has a
nightmarish feel to it."

She goes, "Well, yes.

"There was lots
that the Oldfairens

"constructed their
day-to-day interests

"and beliefs around,
their faiths,

"within their selves
and capabilities.

"That itself
borrowed visions,

"visions of all
sorts of things."

She looks back at the
individual and says,

"Visions of what
eventually wiped them out."

Then she smiles a bit.

The gentleman
shrinks down a bit.

"Well, (laughs nervously)
that's certainly--

"I'll take one.
I'll take that one."

They all clap around a bit.

ANJALI: Is she very
much holding court?

Is there any way to like--

MATT: She was holding court
for that conversation,

and then when the man said
he's going to buy something,

she sends another
assistant over

to close the deal with him.

She goes over
and shakes his hand

and then turns
to another figure.

ANJALI: Excuse me.

MATT: "Hmm."

ANJALI: Charlotte.

I'm very interested in this

Oldfairen history
that you speak of.

MATT: "I am intrigued
to see you

"come to our
establishment, Charlotte.

"I am aware of you
and I've not seen

"you within our fine
gallery before."

ANJALI: No.

I've been taking an interest in
the arts much more lately.

Music, paintings,

even fine jewelry and
stones, pottery,

really whatever I can take in

from the culture in our city.

I am intrigued to hear more

about this theory on how
they were wiped out.

MATT: "Oh. (laughs quietly)

"These are all theories that
many individuals have.

"We have no recorded
knowledge of what happened.

"All we have is
the shaded echoes

"and the stories we
choose to make up.

"That's what this represents.

"Each of these is
an artist's idea

"of what those final
moments might have been."

ANJALI: Ah.

MATT: "Fascinating, isn't it?"
ANJALI: Yes, fascinating.

So, just to be clear,
none of these items

were actual artifacts that
were taken from anywhere?

MATT: "Oh, no.

"That is for the college
and museum to handle.

"This is all representation."

ANJALI: I suppose if one were
to be interested in procuring

something a little bit
more special

than what you have out here,

what then would be the way
for them to do so with you?

MATT: Make a Focus test for
me, if you don't mind.

ANJALI: Okay, in that case.

LAURA: Can I give you--

ANJALI: You sure can.
LAURA: I'm going to give you a Drive.

ASHLEY: I'll use one.

I'm going to use a Drive.

ANJALI: Okay.
ASHLEY: I'll give you a Drive.

MATT: An Intuition Drive?

Got it.
ASHLEY: Yep.

Yes.
ANJALI: You did one, too?

Is that what you said?
LAURA: Yes,

I did an Intuition
Drive as well.

ANJALI: Okay.
So it's not a gilded.

So then I have
one, two, three.

That's how you count.

LAURA: Make sure you
know which ones are used.

ANJALI: Yes.
Get out of the way.

I don't want to see you.

That is a failure.

LAURA: Gosh, we get our Drives back.
ANJALI: Three.

You're welcome.
MATT: Okay.

ROBBIE: Hate it, huh?
MATT: You get your Drives back. (laughs)

ANJALI: We hate it.
LAURA: I used to make the joke--

ANJALI: Good looking out.
Good looking out.

Good looking out.
ROBBIE: It's so funny.

MATT: There's something
about the Red Hand

that you can't recall.

It's driving you nuts.

As she looks towards you,

as you carry this
conversation on, goes,

"Well, I'm certain there are
those that could be of service,

"perhaps the museum or if you
have an interest in these."

Just looking for
some sort of a sign.

ANJALI: Secret word, a sign.

God, how blunt can I be?

Yes, I don't suppose anyone
would've taken anything directly

from the museum
or somewhere else.

They wouldn't want to be caught
red-handed with something.

MATT: "(laughs)"

ANJALI: That would
be ridiculous.

MATT: Make a Sway test now.

ANJALI: Please,
for the love of god!

LAURA: Come on!
ANJALI: Come on! Come on!

Don't mess with me!

ASHLEY: I'm going to spend a Drive.
ANJALI: Do I do it?

You are?
ASHLEY: I'm going to give you a Drive.

ANJALI: Come on, you guys.

You were so good
to me before.

LAURA: You can do it.

ANJALI: Be so good
to me again.

Okay, mixed success.

No, no! Six!

Six, six, six!
LAURA: Yep.

ANJALI: Sweet!
ROBBIE: Nice.

MATT: Six is a success.

ANJALI: Whew!

MATT: She,

you can see,

puts a hand up like this,

looking past you.

The rest of you watch

as two rather relatively
thick looking gentlemen

in suits who are
approaching, stop,

and walk off a bit, but
keeping a close eye.

She goes,

"Ah, of course that
would be absurd.

"Well..."

She takes you by the arm

and pulls you away
from the crowd

and whispers in
your ear a bit.

"I have some contacts that

"have recently come into some
very interesting pieces.

"What are you looking for?"

ANJALI: Perhaps something
that could,

oh goodness, this is
going to sound

particularly vain of me.

I'm looking to impress a
certain gentleman friend,

but he's a very
knowledgeable one

and takes interest in
the meaning of things.

I was wondering if there
might be a, I don't know,

a piece of adornment or
jewelry of some kind.

MATT: "Unfortunately, the
only such piece

"that I've had was
recently sold."

ANJALI: Ah.
MATT: "But,

"should you have interest
in, let's say,

"statuesque collectibles,

"perhaps ancient writings,

"iconography,

"things of unique history."

ANJALI: You wouldn't happen
to have anything here

I could take a look
at, would you?

MATT: Gives a look to
one of the gentlemen

off to the side.

"Wait here just a moment."

She walks off back
to her office.

While that's happening,

she looks over and
looks at you,

and her expression drops
a little bit.

She glances past you and
heads over to the office.

ANJALI: Did I see that?

MATT: You saw her look over
her shoulder for a second.

You definitely see it.

A short time later,

one of those coated,

coat-wearing, heavy-looking,
muscular individuals

approaches, this
jet black beard.

It looks like it's been
colored with ink almost,

and very, very short hair
that has a widow's peak

on it approaches.

Puts his hand on your
shoulder and goes,

"Ms. Black, I'm afraid
you need to leave."

LAURA: Well, whatever for?
MATT: Begins to turn you

and push you
towards the door.

LAURA: Oh, I just love
to look at art is all.

MATT: "I understand,
but you need to leave."

LAURA: Oh, all right.

You're very tall.

MATT: Doesn't respond,

but starts ushering
you out of the room.

ASHLEY: Excuse me.

Do you? Sorry, ma'am.

Where's the bathroom?
LAURA: (laughs)

MATT: Looks at you and
looks at your clothing

and says, "You too,"
grabs your shoulder.

ASHLEY: Whoa, hey! Judgy, judgy.
MATT: And begins pushing you

both towards the door.
ASHLEY: No, no, no, no.

LAURA: It's all right,
Auggie.

ASHLEY: What, what,
what, what?

Does this guy-- I look
like this on purpose.

MATT: "You are not
the clientele

"that Miss wishes to see,"

and throws you out
onto the street.

(impacts)

LAURA: Now,
that is very unkind.

ASHLEY: Yeah,
it's very unkind!

MATT: "It is also my job."

LAURA: Don't you throw
me as well, Sir!

MATT: "I would not do
such a thing,"

and gently pushes
you outside

of the front.
LAURA: Careful of the placement

of your hands.

ASHLEY: (gasps) Did you
just touch her?

Did you just touch
her somewhere

that you shouldn't
have touched her?

MATT: "No, I touched
her shoulders. What, I--?"

LAURA: All right.

ASHLEY: Do I need to make
a report here, ma'am?

Do I need to go on inside
and get mad at this--

LAURA: It's fine, Auggie.

ASHLEY: Where's his boss?
MATT: Put his arms behind his back

and leans in towards you.

ASHLEY: Come on, lean
a little further.

What do you want?

ROBBIE: Excuse me.
(chuckles)

LAURA: Oh.
ROBBIE: Hello.

Thank you for getting
rid of this rabble.

I would love to
thank Dorna for the,

what was your first
name again?

What's your name?

MATT: "Tecan."

ROBBIE: Thank you, Tecan.

I'll step outside here

and have a smoke and I'll
see you in a minute.

ASHLEY: Hey, screw all
you rich people, anyway.

This is all
hoity-toity bullshit!

MATT: A couple people outside are like--
ASHLEY: This is not even real!

MATT: "How'd they even
get in here?"

"I saw them, was wondering
how they walked around here."

People start whispering.
ASHLEY: It's fake art, it's fake!

ANJALI: I'm just going to--
LAURA: Please, Auggie.

ANJALI:-- move closer to the office.
ROBBIE: I'll walk outside with the--

I'll walk outside
with the gang.

Well, I believe that Charlie's
in there doing her thing.

She's still in there, right?

Anything that we should
do to lend her aid?

As I'm talking, I pull
out a little notebook

out of my jacket and write
the security guy's name,

in my jacket and
put it back in.

MATT and LAURA: (laugh)
ASHLEY: Good job, okay.

Did I see where
they walked off?

Where she took her and
they walked off somewhere?

LAURA: It's like
a back office.

MATT: Yeah, there's a
back office area.

You're currently waiting outside
of it as she's in there.

ASHLEY: We could go around.

LAURA: Sure.

I'm sure the gallery
is quite secured.

This is a very
expensive place.

ROBBIE: Well, certainly--
LAURA: What time is it?

It's starting to
get quite late.

[booming explosion]
ASHLEY: Jeez, my god.

MATT: Boom, you hear this heavy--
LAURA: You dick.

MATT:-- explosion.

Some sort of a loud impact
from the far end of the room.

ASHLEY: I just peed.

MATT: Everyone in the room
goes, "(gasps) What?"

You hear it again.
[rumbling booms]

ANJALI: Is it moving...

MATT: Screams from inside
the room as everyone

goes running out
the front door.

Everybody in this entire
gallery begins to filter out

screaming and running, pushing
each other out of the way.

The man you were just
talking to gets pushed out

in front of the street--
ASHLEY: I run inside.

MATT:-- knocks over.
You run inside.

ASHLEY: I duck and
then run inside.

LAURA: I'm going, too.
ROBBIE: I run as well.

MATT: All right.

It is challenging and
you hear this heavily

on the other side
of the room.

ASHLEY: Charlie?
MATT: You see the door

(heavy impact) and
you hear screams

from the inside
of the office,

as well as what sounds like
heavy bricks falling,

and another breaking and
thrashing of materials.

LAURA: No, no, no, no.
ANJALI: Give me the bacon!

The-the-the--
Give it back!

LAURA: You have two of them.
There were two.

ANJALI: Do have it?
LAURA: Yes, you have it.

ROBBIE: You have them all.
[booming]

MATT: (scraping)
ASHLEY: Oh!

LAURA: I know. It's so scary.

ASHLEY: It's so scary.

ANJALI: Come in.

Oh god, this is crazy,
but let's do it.

I'm going to start
kicking the door

to try to kick
the door down.

MATT: (booms) Go ahead.

I need you to make a
Strike roll for me,

if you don't mind.
ANJALI: I suck at Strike.

Anyone want to be beefy boy?

ASHLEY: I'll come over there and--
ANJALI: Beefy boy?

MATT: You push into
the crowd, but--

ROBBIE: This is not a judgment,
that you bought when we--

MATT: You're
fighting upstream

as people are screaming and
rushing out of the room.

ASHLEY: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
ANJALI: All right, I'm going to try.

I'm going to try. I'm
going to try to Strike.

(whiny cries)
MATT: A Strike, yeah.

ROBBIE: Do I sense
her trepidation

about trying to
kick this door down?

MATT: You do. I'd say you do
catch up as she's gearing herself up.

ANJALI: Oh, thank god, please.
ROBBIE: May I?

ANJALI: Yes, please.
ROBBIE: All right.

MATT and LAURA: (laugh)

ROBBIE: ♪ I'm not good at a lot ♪
ANJALI: I'm going to unleash the bacon.

ROBBIE: Cool, let's do it.

I'll spend a Drive.

ASHLEY: I'll do, I'm
going to help out,

so you get an extra one

because I'm going to kick,
I'm going to help kick.

ROBBIE: We're going
to kick together?

ASHLEY: Yeah, one, two, three.
ROBBIE: Let's go, kicking buddies.

Hey, that's a five.

ASHLEY: Woo!
MATT: That's a five.

Mixed success.
LAURA: That's good because

everything else sucked.
ROBBIE: Yeah, it did. (laughs)

MATT: (booms) You kick
the door and both of you,

it slams (impacts)
onto the inside.

Just as you step
into the chamber

following the momentum
of the kick,

you see inside the office.

The entire right hand
side of the wall,

the wood is splintered
and pushed open.

A hole about eight or eight
and a half feet is open

there as wood is
pushed inward.

There's a single lantern
hanging in the ceiling,

a low-lit oil chandelier
that's hanging

and swaying as the light
flickers around

from what you can see
is a massive shape.

This shape looks like it is,

what you can make out elements
of gray, bulbous flesh

with arms, many arms.

LAURA: It's absorbed other body parts.
MATT: And many legs.

LAURA: It's absorbed people.

MATT: And strips of cloth,
and brick,

and materials all been
pushed into this thing.

You're uncertain exactly
what this is

with the little bit of
light that you have,

but you hear screaming
on the other end

before you notice that
there are multiple heads

that all can turn and
look in your direction.

The mouths "(groaning gasp)."

ANJALI: Do they look like
people, or do they look it?

MATT: You both take a
brain at staring

at this terrifying entity.

With that mixed success.
ROBBIE: Oh, because we're

first in the door?
MATT: Yeah.

ASHLEY: Oh my god, oh my god.

ROBBIE: Mixed success.

LAURA: Oh no.
MATT: At which point,

it immediately turns back

and leaps out of the hole

that it just bashed
through the door.

Taking chunks of the
wood with it.

You can see, as it
smashes through,

bits of its body catch the
edge of the splintered wood

leaving strips of gray
flickering flesh.

LAURA: Oh no.
MATT: It then turns

into the alley.

You hear more screams
from the hallway

way from beyond
where you can see

as people see this thing
that goes charging,

(fast heavy footsteps) down
the hall, past the alley,

and out into the night

of the city.
LAURA: Can we chase after it?

MATT: If you'd like to, yeah.

ANJALI: Yeah, real quick, I'm
going to do survey around.

We don't see Dorna,
I'm assuming.

MATT: Do not see Dorna in that room.
ANJALI: Do we see anything broken into,

anything specific that
looks like it took it?

MATT: It looks like
there was a desk

that is shattered there.

Most of the furniture's
been pushed to one side

from the explosion
of the wall

and there is rubble
scattered around the room.

ROBBIE: Does the
portal remain?

LAURA: The portal remain?
ROBBIE: Does the portal remain?

Didn't it come out of
a portal of sorts?

MATT: No, not a portal.
LAURA: No, an opening in the wall.

MATT: It bashed through the wall.
ROBBIE: Oh, literally a physical opening.

MATT: A physical opening.
ROBBIE: Oh, I thought we had

a tear of metaphysical space,

but it's just a hole
in the wall, got it.

MATT: It just blasted
through the wall.

ASHLEY: Did, in the blob,

did we see any
flashes of red?

LAURA: Was Dorna in
the office when?

MATT: Dorna was
in the office,

but you didn't see Dorna,
you just heard a scream.

LAURA: Heard screaming.
MATT: Then the creature

leapt out and then just
cruised down the hall.

ANJALI: All right.
MATT: You do see

there's a strong smell, a
strong immediate smell of

sewage.

ASHLEY: (yells)
LAURA: Ew!

MATT: Within the room.
ROBBIE: It probably smells like poopy.

LAURA: Going down in the--
ASHLEY: Poopy.

ANJALI: Excellent.

ASHLEY: What do we do? What
are you supposed to do

with something like that?

LAURA: We chase after it.

ASHLEY: And then what?!

LAURA: I don't know.

ANJALI: If there's anything
that looks remotely,

not shattered or whatever,
I want to grab it.

Even if it's a big
stick, I don't care.

I want to grab something
that can be used

as some kind of
a big weapon.

Like if there's a shattered--

MATT: Oh yeah. Okay, yeah.
ANJALI:-- piece of wood or whatever.

MATT: You look over
at the desk and

the desk is this intricately
carved wooden desk

with these four
long, smoothed,

long legs in each corner.

As it's broken, one of them
you can easily pull off

and it's like a really
nice looking bat.

ANJALI: Excellent.

ASHLEY: But near the desk.

This is Dorna's office?

MATT: It was.
ASHLEY: Okay.

Are there any
logs, you know,

things of, sales,

books, booking, or
anything like that.

MATT: It'll take you a
few moments to inspect,

but you can do that.

If you want to make a
Survey, if you'd like to.

ASHLEY: Can anyone look
for this kind of stuff?

ANJALI: I'll do it.

LAURA: I wanted to
take off after it.

ROBBIE: I'm already in the alleyway.
ANJALI: Yeah. Let's go.

MATT: (laughs) Okay.

ASHLEY: I'm going to
give you an extra Drive.

ANJALI: Okay.

MATT: So you're staying
behind the look throughout?

ASHLEY: Yeah.
ANJALI: I hate this idea.

I feel like I want to
go after the thingy.

ASHLEY: I do, too. I do, too.

Maybe we'll just real quick--
MATT: It's up to you.

ANJALI: We'll go
after the thingy.

ASHLEY and ANJALI: Ah!

MATT: Choices, choices,
choices, choices.

All right, you're
staying behind.

We got it, party is split.

ANJALI: Gilded die.

Okay, gilded die, and
we got my Drive back.

MATT: Okay, gilded die, and
what'd you roll on gilded die?

ANJALI: A five.
MATT: A five?

Great. Okay.

As you're looking
through the room,

you start pushing
through the space

and you can
see two things.

On the broken desk,

it looks like there
was a locked lower shelf

that is broken open.

On the inside, you see there's
a small snapped and locked

side briefcase.

As well as a pair
of black gloves

with red interior
stitching on the gloves.

ASHLEY: Take it all that shit.
ANJALI: Take it all.

MATT: Okay, you grab all that

and as you grab
that, you pull it up,

you put it on and you
go to start running.

As you do, you feel this
weird tingling sensation

on your arm, and you look down--
ANJALI: Oh, no no no no!

MATT:-- and there's a
strip of flesh

that was left behind in
the middle of the rubble

is now trying
to embed itself

into your arm.
ANJALI: My knife.

I'm using my knife to get this.
MATT: Well, you take a bleed

by it beginning to
push its way into you.

You didn't notice it
until it was already

trying to merge
with your body.

ANJALI: Okay.

MATT: You do manage to
pull it off and throw it,

but how does the
bleed affect you

as you're trying to run
in this dark alley?

ANJALI: As it's going in,

I feel myself almost almost
sucked into a memory,

sucked into the past.

Because we've just
talked about

what we talked about there,

I'm standing in what
looks like an open field

and I'm starting to see

a crack in the sky, like
the sky was a painting,

and feeling a vacuum,

feeling like a vacuum is
sucking me towards it.

And just as I start
to go through it,

I snap back.

So it's terror.

It's just completely
discombobulating.

MATT: Yeah, you come
back and, Auggie,

you've watched as--
ASHLEY: Charlie!

ANJALI: (gasps)
Let's go, let's go.

MATT: All right,
in the interim,

you guys spend a little
bit of time loot grabbing,

smashing and grabbing
on the inside,

both of you are charging
down after this creature.

You see in the distance
down the hall,

people are leaping out
of the way screaming,

some are falling
to the ground,

losing their minds at
what just whizzed past.

The low fog that
has filtered

into the city now is
obscuring part of its form,

but you now know what
you're looking for,

and it is slamming into
walls and skidding

as you see now it's
running on

seven or eight different
pairs of legs.

ASHLEY: Oh my god.
MATT: (skittering)

Some of them are
facing forward.

Some of them are flicking
in the air behind it,

trying to go through
the motions.

LAURA: Does it look like
the limbs are all separate

and they're all
part of a blob,

or does it look like lots
of bodies shoved together?

MATT: Hard to tell this
distance in the fog,

but as you go
charging after it

who is keeping tabs on
trying to follow its path?

LAURA: That's probably you.
ROBBIE: Yeah.

LAURA: Are either of
us good at this?

Yes, you should, that's
a tracking thing.

ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
LAURA: So you should do that.

ROBBIE: Yeah, I'm
sprinting after it,

and seeing if I can
see where it's going.

MATT: Okay. I'd like you
to make a Survey test

to continue to follow it.

LAURA: I'll add an
Intuition Drive for you.

ROBBIE: You're going to give me one?
LAURA: Yeah.

ROBBIE: Is that an
extra dice for me?

LAURA: Yes, it is.

ROBBIE: And that's Survey?

MATT: Survey.
ROBBIE: I'm good!

I'm bad!

MATT and ROBBIE: (laugh)

ROBBIE: That is a fail.

MATT: That's a fail.

ROBBIE: Two and two threes.

MATT: Okay, you see
it dart down an alley

and it squeezes in the
small area passing you,

and you're like: That's
exactly where it's going.

You run and you
turn the corner

and as you do you watch as
it's stopped and turned

right there waiting for you.

Right as you turn the corner
and spin, you see this mass

of seven or eight arms
in front of you,

and you see multiple
heads staring at you.

Two heads in particular
that are facing each other

that turn and face you,

a woman's head
and a man's head,

as they both pull apart
their bodies like a mouth

and you can see their
torsos facing each other,

like they were locked in
the process of making love

and where their waists
are, their hips are fused,

and out of their bodies
these teeth have grown

beyond their torsos and chest to form--
ASHLEY: (shouts)

MATT:-- a massive,
crocodile-like mouth of flesh.

As they both go--
LAURA: That's disgusting.

MATT: "(gasps)"

It reaches out to try
and grab and pull you

into its mouth.

The arms grab you and
begin dragging you in.

You watch as Howard
is now being pulled--

LAURA: Howard!
MATT:-- into its mouth.

You take a body as it
begins to pull you

across the teeth, and
the weird jagged parts

of its extended fingers are--

LAURA: Punch it.
ANJALI: Let us get there.

LAURA: Punch it the faces.

ANJALI: Ah!
MATT: You took a moment.

We'll get there in a second.

ASHLEY: We got a little bit of time.
ANJALI: (sobs)

MATT: So what are you doing?

ROBBIE: Am I restrained
in any way?

MATT: You're not restrained,
but you're certainly being hurt.

ROBBIE: I'm being pulled and
hurt and I've taken a body.

What'd you scream? Punch it?

LAURA: Punch it!
ROBBIE: All right.

(laughter)

ROBBIE: I'm going to
reach in my pocket.

LAURA: You've got your--
ROBBIE: No, no, no, no,

I'm doing it.

LAURA: Okay, good.
ROBBIE: I'm pull my pocket out

I take the little vial out
as carefully as I can.

MATT: As you're being
Audrey II'ed into its mouth.

ROBBIE: Exactly.
(laughter)

ROBBIE: I'm going to do my best--
LAURA: Howard!

Quickly, faster.
ROBBIE:-- to sprinkle

half the vial,

half the vial
onto my knuckies.

MATT: I will say, (laughs)

given the circumstances--
ROBBIE: How's it going?

MATT:-- you can't
be that careful--

ROBBIE: I know!
MATT:-- to do just half the vial.

The vial is used,

but nevertheless,
you sprinkle it

onto your knuckles.
ASHLEY: Don't attack me yet,

give me like two seconds!

(laughter)

ROBBIE: As thoughtful as I am,
I will splash it on there.

Yeah, it's just a smeary
thing full of smear.

MATT: All right, make
a Strike check for me.

ROBBIE: Sure.
MATT: Strike test.

LAURA: Hurry, Howard!
ROBBIE: Am I doing a punch?

ANJALI: Give him
all the Drive.

ROBBIE: No, I have one.

I got one left.

LAURA: No, I'm going to
give you another one.

ROBBIE: You're going to help
me, you've got moral support?

LAURA: Yes.
ROBBIE: All right.

LAURA: Because I'm
saying, punch it.

(laughter)

LAURA: I'm going to
pick up a rock

and throw it
at the same time.

MATT: Perfect.
LAURA: Try and distract it.

ROBBIE: All right, I got three.
ANJALI: Come on, baby, come on!

ROBBIE: Unbelievable.
LAURA: Oh, you failed?

ROBBIE: It's what I'm supposed
to be good at. Three threes.

LAURA: (sighs) Thanks for
giving my Drive back.

ROBBIE: Three threes.

I will reach back,
and out of stress,

take the biggest haymaker,

even though I know that's the
worst punch you can punch,

and what happens to me?
MATT: (laughs)

One of the hands,

one of the many arms
that are lining

the outside of this awful
flesh amalgam creature

snatches your wrist,

the knuckles unused,
but grabbed in place,

as another face emerges and
goes (unearthly screams)

into you, and you
take another brain.

ROBBIE: Another brain?

ANJALI: Oh boy.
LAURA: Uh-oh, uh-oh.

ASHLEY: Is that your third?

ROBBIE: My mind snaps--
LAURA: (gasps)

ROBBIE:-- absolutely beyond
the realm of comprehension,

and I believe I'm out?

MATT: You're out. You're out
for this scene right now.

ASHLEY: (gasps)
ANJALI: That was your fourth?

ROBBIE: That's it, baby.
LAURA: That's his third.

ROBBIE: I'm going to have a scar.
ANJALI: No, but three?

You take it on
the fourth, right?

ROBBIE: That was my fourth.
MATT: He just took his fourth.

ANJALI: Oh.
LAURA: That was your fourth.

ROBBIE: That's a scar at the
end of the night for your boy,

if I'm still alive,
you nerds! Help me!

ANJALI: We're trying!
We're running! Don't die!

MATT: At the end of the
scene, at the very least.

ROBBIE: (laughs)
MATT: Both of you

rush around the corner

as you see Arlo throwing
a rock and then draw back.

As you turn, you see this
massive, terrifying creature,

the multitudes of
limbs twitching,

multiple heads going

(unearthly groaning)

all together, and as you
turn around the corner,

you see it sees the
rest of you swarm,

and you can now notice that
it's clutching on the side,

partially pushing into

the side of the bright
red dress of Dorna,

who is like,
"Help me! Somebody!"

At which point, other people
start shouting, "Help, help!"

And other people start
yelling in the road.

The creature (slobbery
panting), it spits you out

as you start freaking
losing your mind,

and then darts down
the hall behind.

LAURA: Was Dorna taken, too,
or is she still stuck?

MATT: Dorna's taken, too.

LAURA: Ugh.
ANJALI: I just go.

I'm going after it because
I have the suitcase

and I have the gloves and I
have a crazy Hail Mary thing,

and I'm sorry.

I just run after it.
LAURA: Howard! Howard!

Smack, smack, smack.

ROBBIE: Catatonic.

ASHLEY: I'm going to...

(sighs) Goddamn it!

I'm going to take Howard's
arm, and as we're going,

I'm going to
try to carry him.

MATT: Okay.
LAURA: Is there a car around?

MATT: You are in the roads between
the different buildings here

just off the main
road of The Varnish.

You can try and go to
The Varnish, if you want.

You're just running
after this thing.

ANJALI: I'm running
after it, and, yeah.

I'm running after it,

and as I'm running, I'm
putting on these gloves.

MATT: Okay, so you
put the gloves on.

You continue to dash, directly
following it, and it is fast.

It's like (quick skittering)

and you can see it's running
up the wall for a second

before it slams back down
and slides for a second

from its own viscosity
before it gets back up

on its multitude of legs that
are all at different angles,

trying to get a grip as
it pushes its way forward

until eventually it turns
into a large alley opening.

There's this a breadth
between the alleys,

where you can see there's
a big drain grate

and what looks to be--
LAURA: Yeah,

it's heading to the sewers.
MATT:-- a sewer entrance way

as it immediately rushes
over on top of it

and flings the top
of the sewer grate,

(metal grate clanging)
up into the air

as it begins to
push its way down.

ANJALI: Oh god. Suitcase
or flash powder?

LAURA: Does anybody
have any toilet paper?

MATT: (laughs)

ANJALI: Can I open
this briefcase?

Can I open it?
Can I get it open?

MATT: Yeah. You
open the briefcase.

Looking inside,
you can see there are

a number of small,
obsidian-like shards

that are about an
inch and a half long.

It looks like they're
set intently in a row,

but they're all
different shapes,

like they're all
naturally pulled,

like these weird obsidian
nails, I guess you could say.

ANJALI: I don't know
what the F I'm doing.

I have the gloves on.

I'm going to grab,
what, a handful of them

and throw it at him.
LAURA: No!

MATT: Okay. I
need you to make

a Strike throw for me.
ANJALI: Right. So,

with a Strike throw,
I am going to use,

because I have that
Cool Under Pressure,

which this is pressure,

I'm going to use my Cunning
Drive to get a Drive,

and do I have...

I don't have a Resistance.

Nobody can help me because
no one's with me, right?

ASHLEY: Nope.

Jeez louise.

ANJALI: I don't have enough.

Oh, wait! I can also
use this Drive!

Okay, cool, cool, cool.

I'm going to use
this Drive as well.

MATT: Okay.
ANJALI: And--

Don't be a dick.

Oh, no, no, no.
That doesn't count.

Five.

MATT: Five. Mixed success.

Okay, you throw them
as hard as you can,

as the creature is beginning
to pull its way down,

and you can see
the opening to the sewer

is a little bit smaller

than its weird,
oblong, torso-like mass,

and it's having
to squeeze through.

As you throw them,

they all stick into
the side of the flesh

and seem to
vanish beneath it,

and all the heads suddenly,
"(unearthly screaming)"

scream out in
some sort of pain

or agony in unison at once.

As it does, you can see
where they entered,

the flesh seems
to darken slightly,

and as it opens
its mouth angrily,

you can see the two
bodies of the two lovers

that form the large,
alligator-like mouth

screaming as well,
the teeth opening.

You see the glittering
of a greenish emerald

that still sits upon
the front of her chest

before it angrily
turns around

and lashes over
in your direction

with multiple
arms that scrape.

As they do, you get
thrown into the wall,

and take a heavy body hit

as you crumpled down,
your bell is rung.

You also take a bleed.

ANJALI: Mm-hmm, wow.
LAURA: Oh god.

MATT: As you kind of--

This is your first time

really hitting and
encountering this entity,

and as you try and
come to for a moment,

blinking your eyes and catch
your breath for a moment,

you hear the final (slurp) as
you glance over where it was,

and it is no longer present,

the opening to
the sewer below.

As the rest of you
have managed to catch up.

LAURA: (panting)

ASHLEY: W-W-What happened?

ANJALI: It went-- The
nails, they hurt it.

It's gone.

She's gone.

LAURA: Well, we have to
go down into the sewer.

ASHLEY: What?!

LAURA: Well, it'll come back
out. It'll keep attacking.

ANJALI: She's right.

She's right.

LAURA: Are there any
of the weird little

gray, fleshy things
on the ground

as it tried to
get into the sewer?

MATT: You do see there are
maybe two or three of them

that are twitching on the
outside of the sewer entrance

where it pushed
itself through.

It seems to be losing
bits of its mass

when it catches on something.
LAURA: Squeezes through.

Do the bits seem to
be thrashing more now

than they were
when we first saw

the bits at the other place?

MATT: They are curling
and thrashing,

freshly shorn.
LAURA: Freshly--

But it's not that-- If we
take one of the vials out,

are are they thrashing more now
or are they thrashing less?

ASHLEY: By being in proximity?
MATT: You take a moment

to examine and compare.

The one that's in the vial is
still an occasional twitch,

so it seems like it's just

the immediacy--
ANJALI: The fresher-- Yeah.

MATT:-- of them being shed
is showing more vibrance.

LAURA: Okay.

ASHLEY: Hey, maybe poke it
with one of those things.

ANJALI: Yeah.
ASHLEY: Poke the pieces.

LAURA: Yeah, with one
of the obsidian pieces.

See if it does anything.
ANJALI: So with my glove on,

I'm going to poke one of the
thingies with the glove on.

With one of the obsidian
nails, I'm going to poke

one of the gooey pieces.
MATT: Okay.

You poke it and you
hear a sizzling sound,

(searing) and you see it
bend and flex and flex,

and as you pull
the stone away,

the point where the stone
was has now eroded,

like it melted upon contact,

but the strip of flesh
begins to come to rest.

LAURA: Okay.
ANJALI: Does it look like,

in any way-- I
know they're shards,

but does it look
like, in any way,

they can be fixed
to this glove?

Do they fit into the
glove as nails at all?

MATT: No. The gloves
just look like gloves.

ANJALI: They're just-- Okay.

MATT: But the nails do seem to
have some sort of property--

ANJALI: Yes.

MATT:-- that interacts
with the flesh.

LAURA: Is it possible to...

The bleed damage
that I took earlier

from touching
Mr. Ferris' hand.

MATT: Mm-hmm.
LAURA: Can I look

at one of the little
gray bits and

put my hand near
it and Let Them In?

MATT: If you'd like to.
LAURA: Take knowledge

from taking bleed
from that thing?

MATT: Okay. I'll say yes.

In focusing on

the earlier sensation
of this corruption,

and now looking at

a source of this sort
of similar corruption,

you suddenly feel this hunger
once again in your stomach,

this awful, terrible hunger,

this ancient, undying hunger,

this being

older than anything
you've seen or known

that wants to eat
and become everything,

and then was broken

into many, many pieces
and forgotten.

LAURA: Am I allowed to
ask a question about it?

MATT: Yeah.

LAURA: Does
anything scare me?

Can I sense a fear
in it from anything?

MATT: The entity, no.

But you do sense that
whatever this creature is

that has been born from its
hunger and corruption

is extremely scared.

LAURA: Hmm.

ASHLEY: Anything?
LAURA: We have to go after it.

Yes.
MATT: It's about now, Howard,

you begin to regain
your composure.

You can decide right
now what your scar is--

LAURA: Ooh!

MATT:-- and how
your points change.

ROBBIE: I have.

Howard comes to, looks about,

doesn't say a word to
any of his friends.

He pulls his little
kit out of his jacket.

It's his laboratory
equipment.

He sets it on his lap and
he removes a scalpel,

and he removes his hat,

and he makes a small incision
in the top of his own head,

about three inches
or so wide,

parts it with his fingers--

LAURA: (gasps) Howard.

ROBBIE:-- sets it back down.

He pulls out a small hand saw

with a crank, like a drill.

It's got a circular
drill bit in it,

and he puts it on
the top of his skull

and begins to crank.

LAURA: (gasps)
ANJALI: Howard.

ROBBIE: And crank.

ANJALI: Howard, Howard!
ASHLEY: What's he doing?

Is this normal thing?
ROBBIE: And crank.

ANJALI: Howard!
LAURA: No, of course it's not!

ROBBIE: You sort of
smell that powder,

that earthy powder of
bone mixed with blood,

and then you hear a
(slurp and pop)

and a tiny piece of
his skull comes out.

He puts it inside of
his surgery equipment,

blinks his eye, squeezes
his skin back together.

It's bleeding pretty good.

Puts his hat back
on and says:

Ah, well.

Sometimes, you just have
to expand your mind.

Then he's going to lose

some Focus for
Inspect and Analysis

and get his first ever
point into Sense,

which is Attune,
Channel, and Reveal.

He just gave himself his
own hand pan in his skull.

ASHLEY: That's fucking cool.

MATT: That's fucking rad.

ASHLEY: That was cool.

ROBBIE: That's his scar!
MATT: That is.

LAURA: That's a bit
of a scar, yeah.

ANJALI: I feel like all of
us took a bleed from that.

ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
ANJALI: I'm not saying that.

ROBBIE: We're in a
horror show, right?

ASHLEY: Yeah.
ROBBIE: All right.

LAURA: Holy.
ASHLEY: God, that's cool.

ROBBIE: All right.

ANJALI: Right.

ROBBIE: Yes.

ANJALI: So that happened.

ROBBIE: An ancient
cultural tradition.

It's been around
for millennia.

I never thought I'd
try it myself, but

it was in the moment.

What's happening?
ANJALI: Arlo, what did you--

What did you learn?
ASHLEY: There is so much going on

at this every moment.
ANJALI: Yeah, yeah.

We don't have time to get--

LAURA: We need to go.
ANJALI: We have to go find--

ROBBIE: Catch me up.
Give me the book jacket.

LAURA: We have to
go into the sewer.

ROBBIE: Okay.
LAURA: The creature went

down into the sewer.
ROBBIE: All right.

LAURA: It's very
scared, as am I,

and it's hungry.

It's always hungry.

ANJALI: Is there any way
for us to sate its hunger,

for us to stop it,
for us to save it,

for us to do something to it?

LAURA: How do you
feed a beast?

ASHLEY: Wait, what's the music
thing? Do we need any music?

Should we be playing
some music or something?

LAURA: Maybe we should
try to play--

ASHLEY: Bring it to the surface?
LAURA: Maybe the music was a--

ROBBIE: Music calms
the savage beast.

You ever heard that one?
LAURA:-- a false thread.

ASHLEY: Uh-oh.

LAURA: I'm going to go
down into the sewer.

ANJALI: I'm following her.

ROBBIE: Okay.
MATT: All right.

ASHLEY: (sighs)

LAURA: I avoid
the gray flesh.

ANJALI: Yes, likewise.

MATT: Okay.

You climb down

into the darker, subterranean
space beneath Newfaire.

The scent of refuse and rot

and earthen mold

catches your sinuses

as you step (splashing) down

into the damp, damp dark.

Do you know which
direction it went?

As it goes in
two different ways.

ANJALI: Can we smell more...?

Oh, yes, follow the bleed.

ASHLEY: Oh, yeah.

MATT: As you place
the bleed detector--

ASHLEY: (whispering)
It's adding to it now.

MATT:-- into a
gathering order,

you look around and
can see, indeed,

there are streaks of
corruption and bleed

across the sides of the walls

and you know precisely
the direction it went.

LAURA: Okay.

ANJALI: Do we have a
plan as we're following?

LAURA: We have nothing.

ASHLEY: Then what the fuck did
we come down to the sewer for?

ANJALI: We have this.

This obsidian has
some effect on it,

but I don't think that it's--

LAURA: We know it came
from that emerald,

and--

ANJALI: Is there anything else
in this case, briefcase thingy?

MATT: No, it's--
LAURA: Did you--

MATT: I will say,
as you look at them,

based on how it's
affected flesh,

you've only worn the gloves
when holding them.

You're uncertain if it just
affects dead flesh or any flesh,

so you probably get the sense

that you should probably
keep the gloves on.

ANJALI: Yeah.

MATT: But that's all you see.

LAURA: Did you
see the emerald?

ANJALI: I did.

LAURA: It's still
inside of the creature?

ANJALI: Yes.

LAURA: Maybe if we can
damage the emerald,

the creature will
no longer be able to

accumulate.

ANJALI: We can try.

What other weapons
do we have on us?

LAURA: He's got a--

ASHLEY: I got a--

Okay, so you can
choose your gear.

MATT: Yes.
ASHLEY: In the moment.

MATT: Mm-hmm.

ASHLEY: I do have, as a
possibility, a hand weapon.

MATT: Yeah, as long
as you don't have

all three of your objects
for the assignment filled.

ASHLEY: No, I have
a hand weapon.

Maybe I got it
from the captain.

ANJALI: Mm-hmm.
MATT: Okay.

What did you pull
from the captain?

ASHLEY: A gun!
MATT: All right, you got the gun.

ANJALI: That's exactly-- I
was hoping someone had it.

ROBBIE: Say it out loud!

ANJALI: I was hoping
someone had it.

MATT: You got the Periphery
captain's handgun.

ASHLEY: Oh, who, me?
ROBBIE: Mm-hmm.

MATT: (laughs)

ANJALI: Excellent.
LAURA: Now

that I have seen this creature
up close and personal,

I'm going to take
out my occult text

and look through it
and see if I can find

any research, any knowledge
about a creature

with this description
from ancient times.

MATT: I would like
you to roll Focus

to see if you can go
through this book

to find something that
could be specific to this.

ROBBIE: I think I could be
able to help on this one.

MATT: Sure, sure.
LAURA: Okay.

ROBBIE: I'll give you one.

LAURA: Thank you.
ROBBIE: Spend a Drive.

LAURA: All right,
that gives me four,

because I spent
a Drive as well.

ROBBIE: Oh.

LAURA: I'm going to
use my Resistance--

ROBBIE: No way!
LAURA:-- to reroll that.

MATT: You guys are rolling shit.
LAURA: Rolling real poor.

ANJALI: I rolled three
sixes at one point!

We did have lucky moments!
ASHLEY: Yeah, you did, you did!

MATT: You did. You did.
ROBBIE: You used it all up.

ANJALI: To save your hand.

LAURA: A four.
A mixed success.

MATT: A four.
ROBBIE: Oh, nice.

MATT: All right.
ASHLEY: Okay.

MATT: You go through the book,
quickly scanning, and you--

LAURA: Oh, but we
Shared Trauma!

We got one of our Resistances
that we used back.

MATT: If you failed.

LAURA: Which I did, and
then I used Resistance.

MATT: Oh, but then that
made the roll a success.

LAURA: Fuck!
ROBBIE: Oh!

MATT: But good looking out.

LAURA: (laughs)
MATT: It's the final roll.

LAURA: Okay.
ROBBIE: (laughs)

MATT: You've read through
this book many times.

You spend a lot of
time in your room,

especially since everything
happened with your fiance

and you recall there's
something you read about this.

There is an
Oldfairen myth that

to punish those who were the
most heinous of criminals

in Oldfaire,

they would bind them to
a shard of Gredarn.

Gredarn was only referred to
as a demon of endless hunger.

What worse than binding a
criminal to a space imprisoned

where they could not eat,

and could not be free,

when all they wanted,
more than anything else,

was to devour and grow.

That's what you find.

LAURA: Okay.

Okay.

MATT: But you do know
that these shards

were what were affixed
to these prisoners.

LAURA: I bet
that's the emerald.

ANJALI: Then what are these?

LAURA: Flesh eating shards
of dark something?

I don't know.

ANJALI: Well, they obviously
have some effect on the creature

so we have to use them wisely.
LAURA: Mm-hmm.

ANJALI: But they don't
seem to kill it, per se.

MATT: How many did
you throw, by the way?

You said you
threw a few at it.

LAURA: Three. She said three.
MATT: You said three.

ANJALI: So we have-- You
said how many were there?

MATT: Five. So
you have two left.

ANJALI: Oh fuck.

ASHLEY: Well maybe it starts
an infection. You know?

Maybe when we happen upon it,

it's going to be dead.

LAURA: Maybe if you get it

directly in the the
mouth of the creature.

ANJALI: That's what
I was thinking.

I was originally going to
just throw the briefcase

in its mouth, but I
didn't get there in time.

Right.

Well, we have these. Don't
anyone else touch them.

LAURA: All right.

MATT: Okay.

Following the path of bleed
with the detector before you,

you trudge down the
descending sewer tunnels,

curving to the left
and further down

until you begin
to hear screams,

but screams in unison.
ROBBIE: Oh no.

MATT: A half dozen or more
mouths speaking in once,

slightly offset
from each other.

(discordant rasping)
"Sara, stop it!

"Get it to stop!

"Stop this!

"Free us!"

ANJALI: Oh god.

MATT: As you come to the edge,
you see the tunnel stops

and the rainwater of
the recent storms

that's still draining from
the upper parts of the city

flows down into an open
connecting antechamber

where multiple of
these tunnels descend

and join, this large
cylindrical space

about 80 or so feet across.

Here in the center of it,
you can just barely see

with what little light
you may be able to bring,

or the grate above,

about a hundred feet at
the top of this chamber,

a little bit of street
light coming through.

You can see
the massive shape,

all heads shouting as it's
holding Dorna in its arms

as she's slowly being
pressed into it.

She's screaming and
fighting and saying,

"I don't know! I'm just
a dealer for Lycus!

"Look, just let me go!

"I'm a lone-- a lone member
on the whole of that.

"Just let me go!

"Please!"

They start pulling and
screaming at her.

LAURA: I feel like we
should run in and save her.

ASHLEY: Yeah. I--
ROBBIE: Is--

ASHLEY: Sorry, go ahead.
ROBBIE: No, you go ahead.

ASHLEY: I have an idea.

What if I start singing?

ANJALI: That's exactly
what I was thinking, too.

LAURA: I think
that's a good idea.

But we should do it now

before she's devoured.
ANJALI: Let's go before she gets eaten.

ASHLEY: Okay.

ASHLEY and ANJALI:
♪ Happy birthday to you ♪

ANJALI: Of all songs?

ASHLEY: It's the only one I think
would make sense for this time.

ANJALI: I don't understand
it at all.

ASHLEY: ♪ Birthday to you ♪

♪ Happy ♪
ANJALI: I start walking.

ASHLEY and ANJALI:
♪ Birthday, happy birthday ♪

MATT: (intense skittering)

It whips around in its space

and you can see now, Dorna,

up to her waist is now
pushed into the body

as she falls limp, looking
confused and disheveled.

All the heads look
in your direction--

ASHLEY: ♪ Happy ♪
MATT: "(eldritch rasping)"

ASHLEY and ANJALI:
♪ Birthday to you ♪

MATT: (lunging)
LAURA: Ah!

MATT: Goes charging towards
you, rushing up the side

and beginning to
climb up to the front.

What are you doing?

ANJALI: I'm throwing
the other two shards--

LAURA: At the mouth!
At the mouth!

ANJALI: In the mouth.
In the mouth.

MATT: In the mouth? This is
a very high stakes roll.

I need you to roll a Strike for this.
ANJALI: It sure is!

I'm going to use all my Cunning.
LAURA: What is it?

I'm going to assist
you with my--

MATT: Actually,
this would be,

I would say Strike or
Control, your choice.

Strike is the impact of
it, the focus of it,

but Control is
more about finesse.

If you're going
for the mouth,

actually this would be more Control.
ANJALI: Okay.

So I'm doing Control.
ASHLEY: I'm going to give you--

LAURA: I'm going to give
you a Drive as well.

ASHLEY: This is the time to spend.
ANJALI: Two, three--

ASHLEY: Oh my god,
I have no Drives.

ANJALI: Four.

Is that all the
stuff that I have?

♪ Come on, lady ♪

LAURA: (gasps)
ANJALI: Four!

MATT: A four.

Great, that's
a mixed success.

LAURA: How are we
rolling so lousy?

MATT: This is rough, y'all.
ROBBIE: It's big poop.

MATT: It begins to climb
up and you can hear

the shrieking of all the heads in unison--
LAURA: You have a hole in your head.

MATT:-- their eyes almost
reflecting the faint bits of light

in the shadow here as it
scurries up at the top,

reaching for you.

You throw them into the middle
of the mouth, the two--

(striking)

It shrieks in pain.

"(unearthly shrieking)"

Super loud, it echoes
through the chamber

and you can hear voices up from
above starting to question,

"What? Did anyone hear that?"

echoing down from below
as it pulls back.

As it does, it grabs your
leg and pulls you with it

and throws you
across the room.

You get flung about 25 feet.

LAURA: Oh god.
MATT: (bouncing thuds)

MATT: Take another body.
ANJALI: Yeah, I'm out.

LAURA: Oh no!
ROBBIE: You're out.

ANJALI: I'm out. That
was my fourth body.

MATT: You watch as
Charlotte gets thrown,

hits the side of one of the
heavy pipes of the sewer,

and just lies limp.

LAURA: Charlie?
ASHLEY: Charlie?!

ROBBIE: Was there only one
way into this chamber?

MATT: From where you are now?

Yeah, the tunnel comes down

and then opens
into the chambers.

ROBBIE: Right, and--
MATT: There are other entrances around.

ROBBIE: There are
other entrances?

MATT: You just don't know
where they're coming from.

ROBBIE: Oh okay.

LAURA: Oh god.

ASHLEY: The creature's still writhing
and screaming and all that?

MATT: Yeah, it's pulled back
into the chamber now,

it's back on the ground,

and the weird alligator-like mouth
of the two lovers' bodies

is like-- (hungrily snapping)

LAURA: Can we see the emerald
when it opens its mouth?

MATT: What's that?
LAURA: Can we see the emerald

when it opens
its mouth at all?

MATT: You certainly can
occasionally see a glimmer.

Knowing where it is--

She's the upper
body of the mouth,

so when it pulls open, you
can see on the clavicle,

the glitter of
the green emerald.

ASHLEY: I'm going to
try to shoot it.

ROBBIE: Yeah!
ASHLEY: I'm going to try to shoot it!

MATT: All right. As it's
writhing back, shrieking,

you take that
Periphery-man's weapon

and take an aim.

This is going to be
a Finesse-- Or a Control

which is a Finesse type roll.
ASHLEY: Okay, okay, okay.

LAURA: I can't help you,
I don't have any Drive left.

ASHLEY: Okay, I got a Gilt,

I'm going to use
my last Drive,

so that's another, that's--

ANJALI: Anyone
want to help him?

LAURA: I don't have anything to give!
ROBBIE: I'm saving

one Drive in case
it doesn't work.

ASHLEY: Keep it, keep it, keep it.
ANJALI: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

ASHLEY: Wait, so I'm rolling--
ROBBIE: We just glass cannoned it

and it didn't work.
ASHLEY: I'm having a brain fart.

I'm rolling three?

ANJALI: You're rolling two
and one is gilded.

Plus, you've used
a Drive then--

ASHLEY: And I use
a Drive, okay.

MATT: It's certainly put
it on its back foot,

whatever you did to it.
LAURA: So you should only have

three dice that
you're rolling.

ASHLEY: Yeah.
LAURA: Okay.

MATT: You can see now
as it's backing up,

an arm falls off inside of it.
ANJALI: Yes.

ASHLEY: Ah, ah, five.
ANJALI: Five.

MATT: That's a mixed
success. That's good.

So you go ahead and fire!

(sparking)

You watch as the emerald suddenly
shatters across the torso.

LAURA: Oh!
MATT: All the heads scream,

and as the mouth clamps shut,

(heavy charging)

it charges towards you and
gets up into the chamber,

filling the entryway of this.

As you begin to back
away holding the gun,

you instinctively try to
fire a second time into it.

It doesn't seem to bother it,

as the arms reach
out and grab you

and begin to pull
you into its body.

ASHLEY: Oh no! No!

MATT: You take a bleed.

As you pull on it,
what are you doing?

LAURA: I'm going to run forward
and try to grab ahold of Auggie.

MATT: Okay, you
grab onto Auggie

who's now being pulled in the
mouth like you were earlier,

but now it doesn't feel
cornered, now it feels--

Well, no, now it feels
more cornered than ever

and it's panicking.

ROBBIE: I feel like we got
to lock this thing away

and let it starve.

LAURA: Oh god!

Can we at least get
Auggie out of its mouth?

You pull on Auggie,

I'm going to try
something else.

ROBBIE: Okay. I'll pull.

ASHLEY: I'm trying to
push and kick my way out

and try to help--

MATT: Okay.
ASHLEY:-- any way

that I can.
MATT: So you're trying to move?

ASHLEY: Yeah.
MATT: It's a Move roll

to try and squeeze free from
its mouth at the moment.

Unless, what are
you all doing?

You just did an action, so what
are you guys trying to do?

ROBBIE: So you're
pulling yourself out?

ASHLEY: I'm going to try.
I'm trying to push

and I'm trying to help
in some kind of way.

MATT: But what are you
two doing in the interim?

LAURA: I'm removing my glove.

ROBBIE and MATT: Okay.

LAURA: Oh gosh.

MATT: What are you doing?

LAURA: I'm going
to look at my hand

and I'm going to start--

ROBBIE: Oh no!
LAURA:-- drawing

some runes in the dust on
the ground in the sewer,

on the cement.

I'm going to slam my
hand down onto it.

MATT: Okay.

LAURA: I'm going to try to
change the environment.

MATT: Okay. This is--

LAURA: This is
Forbidden Ritual.

MATT: Forbidden Ritual here.
ROBBIE: What is it? What is it?

What's Forbidden Ritual?
What's it do?

ANJALI: What does it mean?
LAURA: I'm trying to shoot up

some pillars in front of it--

MATT: Okay.
LAURA:-- to trap it in.

MATT: As you slam
your hand down,

the runes that you
carved into the ground,

or drawn onto the
ground suddenly

(energy pops)

glow up in a circle
around your hand,

and you feel like your arm
is sinking in because it is.

Your hand is now sinking
into the ground.

The ground is almost
stretching as you push down

and your arm is pushing
into the matter.

You're all watching as Arlo
is slowly pulling into it,

the ground is bending around.

As it's bending,

you watch as the
surrounding space

of the entryway to this tunnel
from the chamber from behind

begins to push inward,

like it's extending
and pinching

and holding the
creature in place.

It's actually closing
in and holding it there.

As this is being done,
it's being pushed,

and it's at this
point you notice

that its body is
starting to fall apart.

The limbs and bodies
are coming loose.

LAURA: How do we
know if it worked?

MATT: Whatever magick was holding
this creature together

no longer tethered to this
realm and broken by a bullet.

It is slowly falling apart.

As you pull out of the mouth
and begin to back away,

it's trying to pursue you with
its last bits of strength,

but it is held in place
by this tunnel.

It is unable to escape.

Then as another piece of
its body pulls off of it,

large chunks, whole half
bodies and multiple limbs

are being left behind

to try and give it more
room to pursue you,

the tunnel closes in again
and holds it in place

as you focus, falling deeper

and deeper into this this
drawing funnel beneath.

Your vision begins to blur

as you're now
concentrating on closing,

closing this tunnel.

You pull away just enough
to where it slows further,

pulls itself, loses a few
more limbs and body parts.

It closes in tighter

and it's fighting
the slowly closing

"Merrie Melodies"-like
(laughs)

Porky Pig closure around it,

until eventually it's
just the two lovers left.

As the arms reach out,

and both heads facing
opposite directions

fold out towards you.

They look sad and scared.

They both look at each other

and you hear Onette's
voice independently say,

"I'm so sorry,"

to the face of Wayland,

and they both collapse there

in the middle of this tunnel,

in this tiny crushed tunnel

as all the skin
begins to melt away.

You draw your hand back

and it's just solid ground.

Like it was illusion, like
a thing that didn't happen.

But the rest of
you definitely saw--

Oh, except for Charlotte.

The rest of you
definitely saw that.

ASHLEY: I run
over to Charlotte.

MATT: Ah, you can't.
The tunnel is closed off.

Actually, there's
just enough space now

where the two bodies were,

you could probably
squeeze through.

ASHLEY: Okay.

MATT: It's now pincered to
this small hole about this big

and you just manage
to crawl through

and you rush over
to Charlotte.

She's unconscious.
ASHLEY: Okay.

I pick her up, put
her over my shoulder

and I try to
start getting out.

MATT: Okay.

ROBBIE: Is there a ladder
up to that street?

MATT: On the opposite
side of the room,

there is indeed a ladder that
clambers up to a small walkway

that encircles underneath
where that exit grate is.

ROBBIE: Let's go.
ASHLEY: Okay.

ROBBIE: I'll help
Auggie lift her.

Lift Charlie up.
MATT: Okay.

All right.

ASHLEY: Arlo?

Are you okay?

LAURA: Arlo goes to stand

and immediately
falls to her knees.

ASHLEY: I got her, I got her.
ROBBIE: Yeah, I'll set her down,

and I'll run down and help
put an arm under Arlo.

LAURA: Thank you.
ROBBIE: Yeah.

Come on. It's been
a heck of a night.

I'll start helping
her up the steps.

MATT: Okay.

Slowly,

you clamber back up,
push the grade aside

and emerge the final ladder
to get back to street level,

covered in grime,
blood, whatever else,

as you see about a dozen or
so bystanders in the street

back up.

Some of the well-dressed
Varnish out-and-abouts

all looking aghast
at what they see

step from the sewers below
as a few other folks

turn their nose
away from the smell.

There's an immediate sense
of judgment from some

as well as general
confusion and awe.

One of them, this older
looking businessman

who has his hair parted
in the center

and greased at the sides
with a mustache walks up.

"I do ask, what was the
commotion down there?

"What were you all doing?"

ROBBIE: Gas leak.

MATT: "Right, right.
No, that--

"That it's been a problem
around these parts here."

He covers his
nose with a scarf

and everyone else begins
to give you a wider berth.

ASHLEY: Keep walking,
keep walking.

MATT: Someone goes

"I'll go get
the Periphery!"

ASHLEY: No, no, no!
It's all right,

it's all right,
it's all right.

LAURA: Arlo looks
down at her arm

and the gray that
has stopped here before

has traveled all the
way up her shoulder

and is bleeding
up onto her neck.

MATT: Hmm.

LAURA: She takes an immediate
bleed scar from doing the ritual.

ROBBIE: Eee.
MATT: Right. Okay.

You're moving what
point to which?

LAURA: (flaps lips)
ROBBIE: Oh yeah.

LAURA: Balls.

She is going to lose
a point in Sway

because she's even less--

MATT: (laughs) That's valid.

LAURA:-- able to
talk to people now,

and she's going to
take another in Sense.

MATT: So her Sense is now three?
LAURA: Yeah.

ASHLEY: Cool.

MATT: Great.

ASHLEY: Are we close
to The Gilded Rainbow?

MATT: You are--

ASHLEY: Where were we at again?
MATT:-- not that far.

Yeah, it's in
The Varnish, so it's--

Once you gather
your bearings,

because now that you've
come up through the sewer,

you weren't quite sure where
in the city you were

for a minute, but then you
find a few familiar streets

and head over to
The Gilded Rainbow.

Heading into the bookstore,
closing the doors behind,

Reggie's immediately like,

"My goodness! What--"
ASHLEY: Get a doctor, please,

get a doctor, please.

MATT: "Right, no, of course,

"I'll fetch a
doctor immediately."

Throws his coat on and
rushes out the door.

ASHLEY: I set Charlotte
down on the bed.

LAURA: Oh, Charlie.

ASHLEY: I cover her up.

MATT: It takes about
another 15 or so minutes

before you begin to regain
consciousness, Charlotte.

But the first thing
you do see,

a welcoming sight are
the faces of individuals

you call friends looking
upon you with concern.

ANJALI: Did we do it?

ASHLEY: Yeah.

ANJALI: Is anyone else alive?

LAURA: Dorna, did
she make it?

MATT: You don't remember.

LAURA: Huh.

ROBBIE: Do we?
Everyone but her?

Do we remember?

MATT: Go ahead and make
a Focus test for me.

ROBBIE: (laughs)

ASHLEY: Should I make a
Focus, too? To see if--

MATT: No, you were
predisposed.

The only person that
wasn't immediately focused

on the chaos at the
moment was you.

ROBBIE: Things are still
a little fuzzy.

ASHLEY and ROBBIE: (laugh)
ROBBIE: It's a three.

MATT: It's at this
moment, you realize

nobody had eyes on Dorna.

She may very well have melted

with this terrifying
tragic creature

and all that came
together to make it.

Or she may be
out there still.

Who knows?

Maybe time will tell.

ANJALI: I go to try to
get up and I realize

that my arm is completely
out of its socket.

I think my scar ends up
being that this arm

is it doesn't have
function really anymore.

So I am going to take,

in terms of a scar,

is that about the right size

or can I mitigate
that a little bit

with half her arm doesn't
work, or forearm doesn't work?

MATT: As my mom used to say,
choose your own punishment.

ANJALI: Right, thanks, Mom.
ASHLEY and MATT: (laugh)

ANJALI: Well, if I get
to choose my own,

then it's her hand
is dislocated

and so she doesn't have the
right hand, but she has the arm.

MATT: Okay, and how is that
presented within the change of?

ANJALI: I'm going to
take away a Move.

MATT: Okay.
ROBBIE: Oh.

ANJALI: I will add it to...

Because she doesn't have the
reflexes that she had before,

I'd like to add it to Survey,

because she'd be keeping her
eyes out for more danger.

MATT: Sure.
ANJALI: All right.

MATT: All righty.

Eventually,
Reggie brings back

a medical professional
who comes

and helps see to your
injuries best that she can.

But you've sustained
a lifelong injury.

Moderate as it is,
thankfully,

compared to others that
could have been possible.

Not long into your
evening's scattered rest,

your Lightkeeper comes
in with bit of a huff.

Closing the door
is Alexandra.

Stops slowly and closes
the door behind her.

"You all look like
you're a little

"worse for wear
this evening."

LAURA: (laughs)

ROBBIE: We got our
asses kicked.

MATT: "And...

"how much danger still
exists out there?"

ANJALI: From this beast,

I don't know that
there's any.

We do have-- I use
my other hand to reach

and get the bleed
containment vial.

We do have some samples of
what it was before we--

before they vanquished it.

LAURA: I pull out my text.

It was this creature.

MATT: She takes the book
for a moment and...

"I recall this.

"I've not encountered
anything adjacent to it,

"so that's unique
and a bit frightful."

ANJALI: We can also
be sure that,

and I realize I still have
the Red Hand gloves on.

We can also be sure
that these folks

are the ones who released it.

MATT: She grabs them
and holds them

and looks at them with
this very cold stare.

You swear for a second,
you almost see

some sort of a spark
in her golden eye.

"I am very sorry for the hardship
you've encountered tonight.

"It looks like in some ways,

"we all have a little
more in common.

"I wish that
wasn't the case."

ROBBIE: You might want to
come up with a cover story

for what happened
at the gallery.

I'm sure you'll see it.

Preemptive strike,

how about a bear escaped
from the zoo?

Perhaps with mange.

Might be a plausible story.

MATT: "I'll inform a
few of my associates

"who are currently
on the cover."

ROBBIE: I know a good writer,
maybe he can help you.

LAURA: How much power
does the Red Hand have?

MATT: "We don't know.

"We're still trying
to pull the threads

"and sadly, they're
just one of a number.

"They're at least
the most artistic.

"Regardless, we thank
you tremendously

"for the work you've
done tonight,

"and for those that were lost,
there are many, many more

"that would've seen
far darker ends,

"were you not there to make
these sort of sacrifices.

"Now,

"I know that's
little consolation

"in the shadow of this,

"but you also now know

"truly what we're up against,

"and sadly what it takes

"to stop all of them.

"I don't ask anything
more of you unless you

"feel it's right,

"should the time come again.

"But for now,

"you have our resources,

"you have our thanks.

"Whatever else you
need to recover."

LAURA: Howard.
ROBBIE: Mm-hmm?

LAURA: You have some blood
dribbling down your head.

ROBBIE: Oh, thank you.

MATT: "I'm proud of you all,

"as much as I'm sorry,
I'm proud of you.

"Sometimes what we do
seems to be thankless.

"Believe me, I've thought
about walking away

"many times myself from
my earlier years.

"But then I remember...

"what terrible things
may have happened if I had.

"It's the challenge
of sacrifice,

"sometimes you don't get to
see the good you've done,

"you just have to assume.

"You're heroes, and all of
us at Candela thank you.

"You know what?

"Take what time you need.

"We'll leave you from any
investigation duty for a bit.

"Might even show some
of you the Pharos.

"In time.

"Made of stern stuff
there, Auggie."

ASHLEY: Thank you, ma'am.

MATT: "Oh, I think
I need a drink."

As your Lightkeeper leaves,

take in the memory of
what transpired this night,

what you've done,
what you've endured.

We'll close this
investigation

and finish the
second dark episode

of "Candela Obscura."
LAURA: Oh man, was that a success?

ROBBIE: That was a dicey one.

MATT: (laughs)
ASHLEY: Dicey, that was rough!

ANJALI: Remember that time we
said we would save everything

so that we could use
it after this one?

Thank fucking god.
ASHLEY: That was rough!

MATT: That was a rough
one, y'all.

Them rolls were not in
your favor tonight.

ROBBIE: I couldn't do shit.
ASHLEY: I have two Drives left.

One in Cunning and one in Intuition.
ANJALI: I've got zip!

LAURA: I've got three.

ROBBIE: Is this the
moment when we--

MATT: Now, we are finished
with this investigation.

For the next episode,
we'll pick up

whatever the next
moment's got.

We can discuss then,
but let's fill in--

ANJALI: Our circle sheets.
MATT: Your circle sheet

with successes here.

So going back to the
questions here.

Did you contain or destroy
a source of bleed?

LAURA: We did!
ROBBIE: Yeah!

MATT: Did you provide comfort
or support for those affected?

ANJALI: Sure did, we
tried to comfort Duder.

Duder being the
husband and Stinky.

ROBBIE: Stinky?
LAURA: Skiddy, Skiddy.

MATT: Skiddy.
ROBBIE: Skiddy.

Old Stinky.
ANJALI: Skiddy.

MATT: Good old Stinky.

All right.
ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah.

MATT: Did you bring something
of importance back

for Candela Obscura to study?

ANJALI: Yes, we brought
them the samples.

LAURA: Flesh.
ROBBIE: And the gloves.

ANJALI: Bacon, gray bacon.

MATT: And XP triggers,
did everyone hit one?

Starting from here,
what did you trigger?

ANJALI: Deceive.
MATT: Mm-hmm.

LAURA: Okay.
ASHLEY: Oh, okay, I got three.

I had Do Something Illegal,
Make a Deal, or Deceive.

Did I do any of those?

LAURA: Yeah, you took a
police officer's badge.

ANJALI: Yeah, you fucking--
LAURA: And stole his gun.

MATT: (laughs)
And stole his gun.

ASHLEY: Oopsie, I did
something illegal.

ANJALI: That's pretty
illegal, dude.

ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah, yeah,
I forgot about that.

MATT: That's kind of on
the top of the list,

from a lot of
people's perspective.

ASHLEY: Yep.
MATT: Arlo?

LAURA: Consulted My Text
and Acted Bizarre.

MATT: Yeah, you got that.
ANJALI: Bizarre is pretty--

ROBBIE: Mine's close, I
definitely Made a Plan

to punch that
man in the face.

LAURA: You sprinkled
stuff on him.

ROBBIE: I did, I did
some sprinkles

and when we were at
a fork in the road,

I suggested which way to go.

ANJALI: That's true.
ROBBIE: I felt like

I was being more planny,

so yeah, I'm going
to say Make a Plan.

MATT: Okay, there you go.

So that's four XP
down the track.

LAURA: All right.
MATT: All righty.

LAURA: All right, now we
have three Stitch left,

three Refresh left,
and four Train left.

ANJALI: Well, we should definitely
take the four Trains.

ASHLEY: I don't need Stitch.

ANJALI: I don't need Stitch either.
LAURA: So we should all Train up

because we've all
got one game left,

so everybody take a Train.

ROBBIE: Everybody gets a die.
ANJALI: Choo choo!

ROBBIE: Are you tracking our
hits along with us?

I got twisted up, do you know
if I have two bodies or one?

Do you recall?
MATT: You had two body.

ROBBIE: I have two body, right?
MATT: Yeah.

LAURA: Okay, so you should
Stitch up, take a Stitch.

ROBBIE: Yeah, but I don't
want to be Greedy McGreedy

because I need a
Refresh for sure.

LAURA: Here's the thing,
we've got three,

so three people get
to take Stitch

and three people get
to take Refresh now.

ANJALI: I do not need Stitch,
but I definitely need Refresh.

LAURA: So take
the Stitch, Robbie.

ROBBIE: Okay, I'll
take the Stitch.

ASHLEY: I have one brain and
one bleed, I think that's okay.

ANJALI: I have two brain
and two bleed.

ROBBIE: I still have--

ANJALI: So wait, is that
Stitch? Stitch is what?

MATT: Stitch wipes
them all out.

LAURA: So yeah, you need
a Stitch too, okay.

ROBBIE: All right, I'm
taking a Stitch. I'm clear.

ANJALI: I thought it was
just body, sorry.

ROBBIE: A Stitch and a Scar.
ANJALI: Okay, I'm clear.

LAURA: So Refresh.

ANJALI: I will definitely,
I don't--

LAURA: You should take
the last Stitch, Auggie.

Do you have any marks?

ASHLEY: I have one
brain, one bleed.

LAURA: So take it, I've
only got one bleed

and I can use a ward
on the next game

to mitigate that, so--

ASHLEY: Okay.
LAURA: Okay.

MATT: All righty.
LAURA: So now we've got

three Refresh.
MATT: Spent all Stitches.

Okay.
LAURA: Spent all Stitches.

MATT: Refreshes, how
many do you have?

LAURA: We've got
three Refreshes.

ANJALI: Damn.
MATT: Okay.

ROBBIE: I am sauced out
on stuff I'm good at.

LAURA: Yeah, because you didn't
take one the last time,

so take a Refresh.
ROBBIE: I didn't take anything

but I don't want
to be greedy.

LAURA: Take it, Robbie.
ROBBIE: Okay!

ANJALI: I'm sauced out.

LAURA: Okay, you take
one too, Anji,

and then who needs it more?

You, how many Drives
do you have left, two?

ASHLEY: What do you have?
LAURA: I've got four Drives left.

Two in Cunning and two in Intuition.
ASHLEY: Can we split them?

LAURA: Nah, so you take it.

ROBBIE: I get my
Resistance back as well?

MATT: You do.

LAURA: I took a Train.

Take all your Drives back.

ASHLEY: Okay.
ROBBIE: Fun.

ASHLEY: Okay.
ROBBIE: So a Refresh and a Stitch.

MATT: Now that we've
spent the resources--

ASHLEY: You get them
all back?

LAURA: We'll get them back
when we upgrade our--

MATT: Yeah, you get
all your Resistances

and Drives back because

you're using a Refresh.
ANJALI: Oh right, I forgot

about those guys.

ROBBIE: So who didn't
get one, you?

LAURA: I didn't
take a Refresher,

but I have almost no marks.

ROBBIE: Oh, you're looking good.
LAURA: I've got four Drives left.

MATT: Okay, here's
the fun bit.

Normally, when we do this,

we would wait to fill
the Illumination track

before we get to level
up the circle,

but because we only have
one more episode of this arc

and for this circle's
advancement for now,

we're going to just show
an example of this

and get to play with it.

We're going to at least
choose an ability.

LAURA: A new circle ability?

MATT: New circle ability.
ASHLEY: Oh my god, fun.

ANJALI: Oh fun.
ROBBIE: Yay, okay.

LAURA: Okay, okay, okay.
MATT: You don't get to spend

any more resources because even
if you got them all full,

you wouldn't be able to use
them before the next one,

which is our
last episode, anyway.

But you still go into the last
episode, with what we have.

LAURA: Okay, so--

MATT: When you fill the
Illumination chart,

which would be like one
to two sessions from now,

depending on what transpired.

LAURA: But we do get to
choose another circle ability?

MATT: You get to choose one
more circle ability.

LAURA: Okay, okay, okay.
ANJALI: What are our options?

LAURA: Okay,
"Stamina Training:

"At the beginning
of an assignment,

"check out how many
milestones are filled.

"Your circle has
that many gilded die

"at the beginning
of that assignment

"that anyone may
add to any roll.

"Once a die has been
rolled, it is expended."

ROBBIE: So that would
only be one?

LAURA: Yep, check the
milestones are filled.

One, yeah.

ROBBIE: Because we only have
one milestone filled out.

We're one short, I think
you max out one shy per session.

ASHLEY: Yeah.
ANJALI: Got you, well, that's no fun.

ROBBIE: So we got one
on this round.

LAURA: So we would all
get one gilded die?

ROBBIE: I think one to share.
ANJALI: One total to share,

or we would all get one?

LAURA: Oh no, it's just one.

MATT: It'll give one,
that one person gets it.

ROBBIE: That's doo-doo. I don't
like it. What else we got?

LAURA: "Nobody Left Behind:
When a member of your circle

"takes a Scar and
drops incapacitated--"

which has happened, you guys.
ROBBIE: Twice.

LAURA: "-- any rolls a player
makes in that scene

"to protect them or get them
out of danger have plus 1d6."

MATT: Plus one die, yeah.

LAURA: Plus one die.
ANJALI: Okay, that's a decent one.

LAURA: "Interdisciplinary,"
I can read. Don't look at me.

"When choosing a new ability
during character advancement,"

okay, no.

Oh wait, "Once per
campaign, each character

"chooses an ability
from Character Specialty."

Oh, so when choosing a new--

No, we don't get that, right?

MATT: You know what, since
this is an example of this,

let's level you
up on this as well.

ANJALI: So what
does that mean?

MATT: Just because we only
have one more episode in this.

Both to show it off and
to try it for fun here.

So you get to choose
two different options

at Character Advancement.
They're on the circle sheet.

They're add one stat point,
add two Drive points,

take a new ability, or
gild an additional stat.

You got to choose
two of those.

LAURA: So we can
take two in anything--

Or wait, say that again.

MATT: One stat
point somewhere.

LAURA: Okay, one circle.
MATT: One in one action.

LAURA: Okay, one action.

MATT: You can add two Drive
points to any of those.

You can take a new ability
on your character sheet

or you can gild
an additional stat.

LAURA: Oh shit.
ANJALI: Oh wow.

LAURA: These are all
really good options.

ROBBIE: But two of each of
those options or just one?

MATT: Two of each of those.

LAURA: So knowing that that
is what leveling up looks like,

now let me reread that one.

"When choosing a new ability
during Character Advancement,

"once per campaign, each
character may choose an ability

"from a character specialty
outside of their own."

So we could choose
somebody else's specialty.

ANJALI: We can choose two
from these four options, you said?

MATT: Correct.
LAURA: Oh, two?

ROBBIE: Two!
MATT: Yeah, choose two different options.

Now mind you, you don't
have to decide right now

because some of
these especially

might take a little time
to read and look through.

We can call them out before
we begin the next session,

if you would like to.

ROBBIE: If that's
what we pick.

MATT: Yeah.
ROBBIE: Okay.

ASHLEY: We would all have to
take the same thing, or can--

MATT: No, you choose.

ASHLEY: Be like, "I'm
going to do two Drive,"

and "I'm going to do--"

LAURA: Yeah, we can all
choose different things.

Resource Management.

"When your circle
hits a milestone

"in the Illumination track,"
which we haven't,

"earn back one stitch refresh
or train resource."

Okay.

And One Last Run.

"When you select
this ability,

"the next time you fill
your Illumination track,

"your circle will
retire from service."

ROBBIE: I think that's
going to happen anyway.

LAURA: "Everyone takes
all four options

"during this
character advancement."

Ooh.

ANJALI: Oh, so we could
take all four options,

but we're going
to retire anyway, so.

LAURA: But we're
going to be done.

MATT: If you think you're going to retire.
LAURA: But we don't have to retire.

MATT and ROBBIE: You don't
have to retire.

MATT: There might be
options down the road

to bring you back.
ANJALI: It took

10 whole years for
Charlie to get a scar.

I feel like their
luck is pretty good.

LAURA: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
ROBBIE: Let's do the good one.

ROBBIE: Let's do the OP one.

ANJALI: Yeah, No Man Left Behind.
ROBBIE: I want somebody--

ANJALI: No One Left Behind,
No One Left Behind.

LAURA: Nobody Left Behind?
ROBBIE: That's not a value judgment.

MATT: No, no.
ANJALI: Nobody Left Behind.

Nobody Left Behind.
I like Nobody Left Behind.

We could've used
that this time.

LAURA: Yeah.
ROBBIE: Nobody Left Behind?

ANJALI: It's a great one.
LAURA: Which one did you want?

ROBBIE: I want somebody else's
powers and extra stuff.

LAURA: Oh, you want to
do Interdisciplinary?

ROBBIE: Yeah!
ANJALI: Oh, is that what--

Wait, I'm sorry--
MATT: Interdisciplinary

means that as
you're leveling up now,

you can choose an ability
from other sheets.

ROBBIE: Yeah, it's like--
ANJALI: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

LAURA: That one? Okay.
That's the other--

ROBBIE: We can look at all
the other sheets and--

ANJALI: I wholly misunderstood.

So I guess that.
MATT: Okay.

We'll research that a bit

we'll decided what
your levels up,

and we'll work towards
that for the next episode.

LAURA: All right.
MATT: Just playing around for fun,

because it's our first
outing on this system.

ASHLEY: Yeah, we got to.
MATT: Let's mess around a little bit.

ANJALI: Y'all.
ASHLEY: I want to see where this can go!

MATT: Exactly.
ANJALI: There's so much

story to share.
LAURA: Oh man.

MATT: All right, now that we
have all the resources spent,

the circle resources,
let's start over here.

Auggie, how do you get
stitched up and refreshed?

ASHLEY: Oh, okay.

I...

am going to

go over to Arlo's house.

And, yeah.

(knocks)

MATT: "Oh, Mr. August?"

ASHLEY: Yes, August James.

MATT: August, yes.

Arlo's in her room.
ASHLEY: Okay, great.

Oh, hey.

ANJALI and LAURA: (laugh)

ASHLEY: I didn't see
you there.

ANJALI and ASHLEY: (laughs)

LAURA: Auggie, what are
you doing here?

ASHLEY: I actually, I just...

I wanted to see, if this is
too forward you let me, know.

May I take a bath?

LAURA: Auggie, of
course you can.

ASHLEY: Okay.
LAURA: Here,

take my room.
ASHLEY: Okay.

LAURA: Yes, of course.
ASHLEY: Thank you so much.

LAURA: In fact, why don't
you get cleaned up,

and then we can go
on a fun little trip.

ASHLEY: Okay. Okay.

LAURA: I'll step out while
a bath is drawn for Auggie.

ASHLEY: I get in the
bath, just full bubbles.

Bubble beard,
bubble hair. (blows)

ASHLEY and ANJALI: (laugh)

ASHLEY and LAURA: (laugh)

ASHLEY: I'm just having
a lot of fun right now.

(laughter)

ASHLEY: Yeah, then I get
out, all fresh and clean.

MATT: Cleanest you've
been in a long time.

ASHLEY: Hair's
looking all nice.

Shiny cheeks.
(laughter)

MATT: You'll come back and--
LAURA: Both sets.

(laughter)

ASHLEY: Pink cheeks.
MATT: Immediately

approached by one of your
handmaid being like,

"Would you like
some new clothes?"

LAURA: Oh!

Oh, wonderful.

Ms. Thomas, this is Auggie.

MATT: "Hello, Auggie."
ASHLEY: Very nice to meet you.

LAURA: I was going to take
Auggie shopping for a new suit.

MATT: "All right, of course."
LAURA: Yeah.

ASHLEY: Okay.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Thank you very much
for the offer.

LAURA: You know what, though?

You should take Ms. Thomas
up on her offer.

Maybe put on some of my father's
clothes in the meantime

and we can get you something
that fits better at the store.

ASHLEY: All right, that works for me.
MATT: "They might be a bit large."

ASHLEY: Thank you very much.

It's big, but it works.

LAURA: (laughs)

ASHLEY: Oh, it fits.

LAURA: I'll take Auggie
to the suit maker

and buy him a suit.

MATT: Aww.
ROBBIE: Aww.

MATT: I love that.
ASHLEY: Whoo-hoo.

MATT: Quite refreshing.
LAURA: Looking very nice.

ASHLEY: Very refreshed.
MATT: All right.

As part of the process, too,

you get sewn up
in a little bit

of the bumps and dings
that you've taken,

the same way that you get

help at the abode as well.
LAURA: Yes, Mr. Tellbrook.

MATT: But--
ASHLEY: The best.

MATT: But indeed, a refreshing
day out on Newfairen streets

to get yourself a new suit.

I love it.

Charlotte, how do you get
stitched and refreshed?

ANJALI: That's
a good question.

Charlotte is
uncharacteristically demoralized

at the end of
this experience.

It's taken 10 years
before she took

any kind of serious
damage of any kind,

and really hasn't
since she was a child.

So rather than going back
to The Sight Unseen,

she goes directly
to The Eaves

and to the Danbury Estate
and walks in,

sort of staggers in,

and sees Sherman.

Tell me she's clear today.

MATT: "Yes.

"She's somewhat
present today,

"if you'd like to visit."

ANJALI: Would you...

Would you call me a doctor?

MATT: "Of course, yes."

ANJALI: Again, she goes
up to Gertrude,

and knowing how much
Gertrude has seen

and that she
is present today.

Ma'am.

MATT: "Charlie, wonderful
to see you.

"Thank you for coming
by. (laughs)"

ANJALI: Gertrude, ma'am.

MATT: "Oh dear, you...

"You've walked to a
threshold, haven't you?

"I'm so sorry.

"Little part of us goes
away each time we do."

ANJALI: I can't help but
remember what it was like

when I first came to you,

when you took me in.

And while this is terrifying,

I think of that young
man that I took in,

and I don't want anything
to happen to him ever.

When you were scared,
how did you keep going?

MATT: "I just did.

"What other choice is there?"

ANJALI: True.

MATT: "The longer you
live this life,

"the more you realize,

"if you don't make
the sacrifice,

"who else will?"

ANJALI: I'm so sorry you
sacrificed so much for me.

MATT: "I'm not.

"I'm not at all."

ANJALI: You'd be proud of me.

This young man is...

Well, you'd be proud of him.

MATT: "I already am."

She reaches out and grabs
your hand and is like,

"Oh.

"Mm.

"Mm-hmm."

ANJALI: Shall we...

Shall we take a
walk in the garden?

MATT: "I think
I would love that.

"I would."

Sits up and puts
her arm around yours.

You both walk down

and walk through the
beautiful garden,

the flowers that she
has pruned and kept

since she reached the end of
her journeys with Candela.

Hears the stories,

or how much you wish to
convey from your experiences

and offers what sort
of backseat wisdom

she might've offered if she
were in the same situation.

ANJALI: I'd also like to
ask her any advice she has.

This time I'm giving
her exactly the story

and not the
fairytale version,

and anything,
any bit of advice,

any bit of information that
she might be able to give me

that might help me.

I feel like that's partly

where my new Survey
skill comes from.

MATT: She stops and turns
to you with a big smile

and takes both of
your hands in hers,

and turns very serious.

"Whatever you're
willing to give,

"they're willing
to give more.

"So give everything.

"(laughs)"

(pats softly)

"Come.

"I think I can put some
tea on for us. (laughs)"

ANJALI: Yeah.

So I'll spend the few
days there reading books.

My version of refresh is learn
more, learn more, do more,

because now I know
I have a handicap

that I need to work with.
MATT: Indeed.

ANJALI: So I want as much
knowledge as I can possible glean

in the next few days.

MATT: I love it.

Dr. Margrove, how do you
stitch and refresh yourself?

ROBBIE: Oh.

Well, I suppose
I'll head back home.

(laughs) And I do.

I go to Howard's house,
and he walks in the door.

No one to greet him,
no pets, no wife. (laughs)

No kids, no nothing.

It's quiet.

He goes in and slowly
turns on the gas sconces.

He doesn't quite
like electricity yet,

and he likes reading
by firelight.

Gets comfortable,

takes off his coat and finds
his way into his office/study.

And just sort of
silently stunned

about the evening's events.

And walks past his desk,

and as he does, there's a
small device on the corner.

It looks technical,
but in an old way.

There's a little
switch on the top,

and he (clicks) flips it.

As he does, this sort
of blue iridescent mist

sort of starts to
come out of it,

but he doesn't pay
any mind to it.

He grabs his pipe,

and he grabs his little
box of tobacco,

and he walks to his chaise
by the bay window

where he's been
reading his book,

and he sort of leans back
and thinks to himself

as he opens up
his tobacco box

and takes out some very
normal tobacco, stuffs it in.

In the side another
little secret switch.

(clicks) A little side
thing slides out.

Inside of it, if-- Auggie
would know this,

it's just a little
bit of scarlet shake,

the doctor's only vice.

He sprinkles a bit on
the top of his tobacco.

As he does, that mist
starts to form behind him

over his shoulder in
this sort of featureless

but very clearly

shape of a face.

He leans back,
lights his pipe,

takes a big hit and says:

Well, Dean, into the unknown.

Let's find Arlo's beau.

(inhales) As he takes
a big puff,

that blue smoke goes (inhales)
straight into his--

LAURA: No!
ROBBIE: Newly-panned head.

His eyes go wide as saucers.

And I guess the rest is
up to your imagination.

MATT: (laughs)

And I think that concludes
our second episode

of Candela Obscura.

Awesome.

That was intense, y'all.
ASHLEY and ANJALI: Oh my god.

LAURA: What?
ANJALI: That's amazing!

MATT: Big love to
my wonderful players,

Robbie Daymond,
Laura Bailey,

Anjali Bhimani,
Ashley Johnson.

I am your GM, your Game
Master, Matthew Mercer.

Thank you so much, and
we'll see you next time.

(clapping)
(cheering)